Hong Kong: Students' Mainland study tour begins

Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki said he was pleased to witness secondary students set-off today for a two-day trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen to attend the First Mainland study tour of senior secondary subject of Citizenship & Social Development.

Comprising about 250 students and teachers from two secondary schools, the delegation will visit Guangzhou ZhiXin High School to attend a kick-off ceremony of the Mainland study tour and take part in class activities there.

Mr Chan saw them off at the West Kowloon Station before they departed for the Mainland via the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

Apart from encouraging the students to learn about the latest situation and development of the country during the tour in order to gain insights into how to seize the vast opportunities brought about by the nation's development, he wished the representatives a successful study journey.

Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin, who led the delegation, said the students should cherish the tours opportunities and demonstrate the qualities of Hong Kong's senior secondary students as they are the citys image ambassadors.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China treats other developing countries with good faith

09:00, April 03, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Photo shows a water intake of the Kafue Bulk Water Supply project built by a Chinese company in Lusaka, Zambia. (Photo courtesy of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation)

China has been enjoying a good reputation for valuing sincerity, friendship and equality while developing relations with other developing countries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia is a true friend of China, and the Serbian side respects China and admires China's great leadership. No matter what pressure or difficulty there may be, the steel-like friendship between the two countries will never change, nor will the friendly sentiment the Serbian side holds toward the Chinese people, he noted.

"Benin, though small in size, stands on the side of truth, equality and justice, and will continue to be a steadfast and reliable friend of China," said Beninese President Patrice Talon during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah also said that China is always a friend of Kuwait.

These remarks well indicate developing countries' firm will to develop relations with China.

In the past 10 years since Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the principles of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, China and other developing countries have always treated each other with sincerity and constantly expanded new areas of cooperation and growth, bringing their cooperation onto new levels.

China has always provided selfless assistance in helping other developing countries develop and modernize. It always respects the will of the people in other developing countries and assists them in developing their economies and improving people's livelihoods to the best of its ability based on their actual needs. It never interferes in the domestic affairs of other countries.

China is the world's largest developing country, and developing countries are its natural allies in international affairs.

Photo shows the Chinese-built Peljesac Bridge in Croatia. (Photo courtesy of the China Road and Bridge Corporation)

China sincerely supports greater representation and a louder voice of developing countries in international affairs, helps reinforce the South which is a weak link in the global governance system, and works to make the global governance system better reflect the aspirations and interests of the majority of countries in a more balanced way, especially developing countries.

China always stands with other developing countries, speaking up for them at international fora.

It has endeavored to establish cooperation platforms at various events to deepen mutual understanding, enhance pragmatic cooperation and expand exchanges and mutual learning among developing countries, including the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing, the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao Summit, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting.

The "BRICS Plus" cooperation model proposed by China has set the pattern for carrying out South-South cooperation and seeking strength through unity for emerging markets and developing countries.

China sincerely shares its development experiences with other developing countries, which has injected impetus into their efforts to achieve prosperity.

China has promoted Chinese hybrid rice and Juncao technology, established agricultural technology demonstration centers and Luban workshops, carried out poverty reduction cooperation and set up a global development promotion center. It has always been committed to helping other developing countries achieve common progress.

China has effectively promoted Chinese modernization, made constant progress in enriching and developing a new form of human advancement, and busted the myth that "modernization means Westernization," setting an important example for other developing countries in independently exploring a path to modernization based on their national realities.

The Chinese efforts have been widely lauded by the international community. It is believed that Chinese modernization has significant meaning for other developing countries as it indicates that modernization is not a single-choice question and there's no one-size-fits-all standard.

Photo shows the second phase of the Belo Monte ultrahigh voltage power project in Brazil, which is funded and built by the State Grid Brazil Holding SA, a unit of the State Grid Corp of China. (Photo courtesy of the State Grid Brazil Holding SA)

Some said while promoting Chinese modernization, China has also helped improve the economic development of many countries, especially developing countries, and China's success is inspiring other developing countries to pursue prosperity.

China and other developing countries are both in the process of rapid development. Their mutual understanding needs to keep pace with the time.

China always acts in good faith in addressing problems that might occur in bilateral relations, and will frankly discuss and deal with new developments and issues with other developing countries on the basis of mutual respect and through mutually beneficial cooperation.

Some Western countries are clinging to a Cold War mentality and attacking China for developing relations with other developing countries, trying to impede China from cooperating with them and undermine China's friendship with them by fabricating lies that China follows the so-called "neo-colonialism" and creates the so-called "debt traps."

However, developing countries have a clear understanding and fair stance, and have expressed strong dissatisfaction and criticism against the attacks by these Western countries.

Namibian President Hage Geingob recently said that China respects his country and has never engaged in any colonialism or imperialism.

With the growth of developing countries, global prosperity and stability will be put on a more solid footing. China will keep working with other developing countries and adopt concrete measures to deepen their friendly cooperation so as to bring more benefits for them and make the world a more prosperous and stable place.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
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White people, they claim, are prejudiced, largely without knowing it. Apparently, white racism is now so subliminal that one needs a CT scan to find it.

But for old-fashioned, out-in-the open racism, look Left. The same people who demand "Diversity! Equity! and Inclusion!" also scream the quiet part out loud.

Ibram X. Kendi is the Pope of Critical Race Theory. His most famous words epitomize full-throated bigotry. "The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination," Kendi wrote in June 2020. "The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination." In other words, the Left's anti-white racism never will end.

Robin DiAngelo is a cardinal of CRT. On March 1, the author of White Fragility unveiled a policy of Jim Crow, Jr.

"People of color need to get away from White people and have some community with each other," she declared.

DiAngelo also argued that today's employees must "see the ability to engage in these conversations" on race. She said she wants to "create a culture that actually spits out those who are resistant."

"DiAngelo is a woke Bull Connor," said podcast host Darrel B. Harrison, "only instead of dogs and fire hoses, she uses the divisive and factious tenets of Critical Race Theory to keep blacks in their place."

DiAngelo's remarks mirror those of Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams. He said on February 22: "The best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people."

The reactions to DiAngelo's and Adams' words could not be more diverse. DiAngelo's lecture fees pour in. Newspapers dumped Adams' comic strip. He said he has lost "about 80% of my income."

Kelisa Wing is a high priestess of CRT. The Pentagon named her Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the 160 K-12 schools that serve military children.

Controversy erupted last September when Wing's old, racist comments surfaced.

"I am exhausted by 99% of the white men in education and 95% of the white women," she wrote via Twitter. "Where can I get a break from white nonsense for a while?"

"I'm so exhausted at these white folx in these PD [professional development] sessions this lady actually had the CAUdacity to say black people can be racist too," Wing's sentence ran on via Twitter in July 2020. "We are not the majority, we don't have power." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin -- a black man and retired four-star general -- annihilates this enfeebling lie.
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?>A Russian court on Tuesday ordered a two-year jail sentence for the single father of a 13-year-old girl who drew an antiwar picture in art class at school, in a case that led to the daughter being seized by authorities and placed in an orphanage.

But in a stunning turn, the father, Alexei Moskalyov, 54, escaped from house arrest on Monday night, opting not to wait for the almost-certain guilty verdict after the state prosecutor demanded the two-year jail term.

Moskalyov was sentenced under Russia's draconian laws against "discrediting the military," which were adopted after President Vladimir Putin ordered his brutal invasion of Ukraine last year. The laws ban any form of antiwar dissent and are part of a wave of political repressions that have only worsened as Russia's war effort floundered.

Moskalyov, of Yefremov, a town near Tula, about 150 miles south of Moscow, was charged in December over antiwar posts on social media. But he and his daughter, Maria, were targeted by the authorities beginning last April, when she was denounced by her teacher after drawing a picture in her elementary school art class that said "No to war" and "Glory to Ukraine."

In the picture, Maria, then 12, drew a woman standing in front of the Ukrainian flag sheltering a child from missiles. Her sixth-grade class had been assigned to draw a patriotic picture of Russian soldiers. The principal reported Maria to Russian authorities. The teacher reported Maria to the school principal, who called in law enforcement.

Earlier this month, Moskalyov was placed under house arrest and his daughter was taken by the authorities to an orphanage with no access to family, friends or supporters. They have tried to reach her on her cellphone, but it has never been answered.

A court hearing on restricting Moskalyov's parental rights was scheduled next month, but the guilty verdict and jail term meant he would not see her until after his release from a prison colony.

Moskalyov joins a growing number of political defendants who have fled house arrest, facing tough sentences over their antiwar opinions or criticism of Putin's government.

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The verdict in Moskalyov's case was delivered just over a week after Putin ordered an even tougher crackdown on antiwar activism and dissent, claiming that "enemies" were trying to destroy Russia from within.

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court this month issued a warrant for Putin's arrest, accusing him of war crimes related to forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Since ordering the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has presided over the harshest repressions since Soviet times, as he builds an intolerant, militarized society where schools disseminate government war propaganda and children and teachers who express antiwar views are punished or harassed.

"The message is simple: We are going back to the times of the Soviet Union where people said one thing in their kitchen and another thing in public and from a very young age children will have to be taught what to say in public," said Andrei Morev, a Moscow lawmaker from the opposition party Yabloko, who has taken close interest in the Moskalyov case.

Morev said family lawyers believed the state was holding Maria illegally against her will and the wishes of her father. He said the director of the orphanage had claimed, without evidence, that the child was not being detained against her will. Morev himself was arrested last summer and fined about $650 for discrediting the military.

As human rights observers report a growing number of arrests and harsher jail sentences for Russians who oppose the war in Ukraine, fear and anxiety are rising in society with classmates and neighbors informing on each other in a bid to quash the few voices speaking out for peace.

After multiple military setbacks and rising casualties, and with Western sanctions beginning to bite Russia's budget, Putin is preparing for a long war, banking on an eventual collapse in Western unity in support for Ukraine.

After Maria's antiwar drawing was reported to authorities, the Federal Security Service, or FSB, Russia's main successor to the KGB, questioned the girl,

interrogated her father and told him that he was raising her "incorrectly." He was initially charged over antiwar posts on social media and fined $425. But in December, additional charges were brought accusing him of discrediting the military. State prosecutor Oleg Timakov on Monday called for a two-year jail term and a ban on using the internet for three years after his release.

The family's lawyer, Vladimir Bilienko, was finally admitted to the orphanage on Tuesday, a month after Maria was taken into custody there, but he was denied access to her and told that she was "away at a cooking competition."

He was given a letter from Maria to her father and pictures she had drawn of rabbits and a butterfly, and another of a dog. Her letter ended with a picture of a heart and the words, "Dad, you're my hero," Bilienko said on the Telegram channel of the legal rights group OVD-Info.

An independent local lawmaker, Olga Podolskaya, a family supporter was attempting for weeks to see Maria, was barred from the orphanage.

Bilienko described the sentence as "absolutely unjust" and said he would appeal. He said he and others would push for Maria's release from the orphanage into the care of relatives or family supporters. Activists were in touch with her relatives "trying to awaken their feelings of kinship," he said.

"If relatives apply, they will be given priority according to the law but if it is decided that there are no decent candidates for custody, she may be kept in an orphanage," he said.

Bilienko said he had heard about his client's escape from house arrest from the court's press secretary on Tuesday after trying unsuccessfully to reach him in the morning.

Morev said that the case had gotten little coverage in Russian state media, so that few Russians were aware of it. In Yefremov, many of the family's supporters filled the court during an earlier hearing. But he said supporters of the war had tried to whip up sentiment against Moskalyov in recent weeks.

"The pro-power public on social media are trying to create an atmosphere that everyone in the town is against Alexei, claiming that he's a drug addict or an alcoholic or a terrible person," he said.

Russian Human Rights Group Memorial, which last year was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, said in a statement on Tuesday that Moskalyov had been prosecuted for his political views, and demanded that the criminal case be dropped and that he be reunited with his daughter. (Her mother has lived away from the family for a decade.)

"The criminal prosecution of Moskalyov is motivated by his political views and is aimed at the involuntary termination of civil activity of critics of the authorities and intimidation of the society as a whole," Memorial said in a statement. "As a result, the right of his minor daughter Maria Moskalyova to live with her family has been violated."

According to OVD-Info, at least seven children were charged over their antiwar positions last year. A sixth-grade boy, Kirill, in Moscow was interrogated by the authorities last March after asking a history teacher why Putin "started the war." His teacher had told the class that Nazism was flourishing in Ukraine.

In October, a fifth-grade student, Varya Galkina, also in Moscow, was denounced by her school principal over a social media avatar and a poll posted on social media. She and her mother, Elena Zholiker, were detained by police. Zholiker was found guilty of failing to properly fulfill her parental duties and warned she could lose her parental rights.

More than 500 Russians have faced criminal charges for expressing opposition to the war, according to OVD-Info, and thousands have faced administrative penalties.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
I have recently discovered Michael Connolly's brilliant series of gripping Los Angeles crime novels featuring police detective Harry Bosch. They make amazing reading and even better listening; the one I just finished, "The Burning Room," grabbed my interest from the outset and never slackened its grip. As with other books in the series, the protagonist has some interaction with a Los Angeles Times reporter  including his first-ever visit to a newsroom. But Bosch has even more interaction with the newspaper itself, as he pores over a thick sheaf of clippings containing the Times's coverage of a deadly fire in an apartment complex two decades earlier. "Bosch focused on the stories on the front page," one passage reads. "There was the main story at the upper-right corner that contained the basics of what happened  at least as far as what was known on the day of the fire." Two other stories also begin on the front page. All three jump to inside pages, "where there were more sidebars and two pages of photographs from the scene. There was also a black-bordered box that listed the names of all the reporters who worked on the newspaper's coverage." Then comes a reflection containing a strikingly poignant metaphor for the fate of newspapers since the rise of the Internet: Bosch counted 22 names [of reporters] and it made him miss the old Los Angeles Times. In 1993 it was big and strong, its editions fat with ads and stories produced by a staff of some of the best and brightest journalists in their field. Now the paper looked like somebody who had been through chemo  thin, unsteady, and knowing the inevitable could only be held off for so long. Like somebody who had been through chemo. What a bleakly apt comparison, and how desolating for anyone who fell in love with what newspapers used to be before the digital onslaught began to take its inexorable toll. Younger readers who never experienced newspapers before the turn of the century have no idea what they missed out on. When my older child was in the 11th or 12th grade, he had to write a research paper about an historical event of his choosing. He picked the 9/11 terror attacks, which occurred when he was a toddler. To me, 9/11 will always be an all-too-vivid current event; to my son, it was an episode from long ago.

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As he embarked on the project, I told him I had saved newspapers from the week of the attacks and suggested that reading the contemporaneous coverage of that terrible day might help convey the shock and turmoil that so overwhelmed the nation.

When I dug out the old papers, I was jolted by how much newspapers had changed. Those old Boston Globes, New York Timeses, and Wall Street Journals were so muscular  more pages, more reporting, more sections, more words, more bylines, more ads. In their sheer physicality, they packed an undeniable punch. Granted, newspapers then had nothing like the online presence they do today. Nonetheless, they had a heft and authority that make today's print editions seem wan and shaky by contrast.

During an appearance decades ago on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Jerry Seinfeld got a laugh when he observed: "It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper."

It was a funny line then. It doesn't seem so funny now, when the amount of news happening in the world is as great as ever, but newspapers, a shadow of their formers selves, no longer have room for most of it. In truth, "woke" isn't hard to define at all. In its most focused sense, it is the belief that America's social and political institutions are engines of racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of persecution and that virtually all invidious gaps or distinctions between groups can be explained by such oppression. More broadly, it is the illiberal insistence that group identity and grievances trump freedom of thought and honest debate. In the woke zeitgeist, anyone who prioritizes traditional liberal values, such as merit or colorblindness, over "equity"  i.e., proportionately equal outcomes for every group, regardless of credentials, experience, or performance  is part of the oppressive hierarchy that needs to be demolished.

You don't have to be a conservative or a Republican to object to wokeness. Back in 2019, former president Barack Obama had tough words for those who think the best way of "making change is to be as judgmental as possible about other people." Speaking to a gathering of youths, he deplored the tendency to cancel individuals for expressing heterodox opinions. "This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're always politically woke and all that stuff? You should get over that quickly," Obama told his audience. "If I tweet or hashtag about how you didn't do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself, because, man, you see how woke I was?"

I don't recall anyone professing to be puzzled by what Obama meant by "woke." Nor were they mystified when James Carville, the Democratic Party strategist, said in 2021 that "wokeness is a problem and everyone knows it." Nor when the liberal commentator Kevin Drum warned that "academic theories of racism  and probably the whole woke movement in general  have turned off many moderate Black and Hispanic voters."

For a current example of woke ideology in action, consider legislation now before the Minnesota Legislature.

A sweeping education omnibus bill backed by Democratic Governor Tim Walz was taken up last week at a hearing of the Education Finance Committee. It includes numerous subsections, but one that drew particular attention would require "ethnic studies" in Minnesota's K-12 classrooms. According to the measure's chief sponsor, Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura of Minneapolis, the bill would simply ensure that students are taught about all ethnic "cultures, communities, and histories," not solely about Europe and its influence. In Sencer-Mura's characterization, it is meant to ensure "a curriculum that reflects all students."

But that isn't what the bill prescribes. The legislation says next to nothing about the cultures and traditions of diverse peoples. Instead, it explicitly casts "ethnic studies" as an ideological discipline, defining it as:



the critical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and indigenity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and beyond the United States. Ethnic studies analyzes the ways in which race and racism have been and continue to be powerful social, cultural, and political forces, and the connection of race to the stratification of other groups, including stratification based on gender, class, sexuality, religion, and legal status.



That's hardly a mandate to celebrate the many cultural backgrounds represented by students in a diverse classroom. It is a mandate to indoctrinate children with an ideological agenda focused on the centrality of race and racism and to emphasize the overarching importance of group identity in all social interactions.

The bill would require every school board to develop a plan to address "institutional racism," which is defined as "structures, policies, and practices within and across institutions that produce outcomes that chronically favor white people and disadvantage those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color."

Among the bill's leading advocates are Brian Lozenski and Jonathan Hamilton, two professors of education at Macalester College in Saint Paul. In a published essay, the two academics argue that "curricula is a primary mechanism of white supremacy in schools" and hail the proposed ethnic studies mandate as "a critical tool in ... Minnesota's struggle for racial equity." This is wokeness distilled to a high level of potency.

Opposition to the bill has been heartfelt. Two members of the public who testified at the hearing last week, both Black women, spoke with particular eloquence.

"You might ask," began Kofi Montzka, an attorney in the state licensing division and a mother of three, "why in the world a Black person would speak against ethnic studies." Her answer: because the bill under consideration "tells kids of color that they are stuck in a caste system based on their race. It also tells kids that institutions chronically favor white people and disadvantage people of color. I'm sick of everyone denying the enormous progress we've made in this country and acting like it's 1930."

She decried the harm caused by drumming such messages into kids' heads:



Just last month, in my high schooler's band class, the teacher took 20 minutes to talk about antiracism.' He told the kids to look around. Then he said that the Black boys in the class would likely not live to retirement because of racism and the police. ... If this law is passed, teaching this hopelessness to kids of color will be mandated, starting in kindergarten.

I can see why you white proponents of this bill might support it. It's not your kids being told that they can't succeed. And you get to shed some of your white guilt in the process. But you legislators of color, how can you? You made it despite the invisible bogeyman of systemic racism. You were voted in by a majority of white people. You hold some of the most powerful positions in this state. Yet you want to tell my kids and other kids of color that they can't succeed?



Hillary Swanson, a lifelong Minnesota resident, agreed. She had read the bill, she told legislators, and was disturbed by its conception of ethnic studies.

"It doesn't help kids to tell them that their skin color determines their outcomes in today's society. This bill  divides and stereotypes by race. It downplays and erases the strength of people committed to a common goal of being united."

Swanson cited the "dismal" record of Minnesota schools at getting students to proficiency in math, reading, and science. "A focus on critical race theory will not improve these numbers," she said.

Bristling with emotion, Swanson asserted: "No one is better than me because of the color of my skin. ... I've been Black my whole life and I will not allow anyone to tell me that they have privilege over me because of my skin." She urged the committee to rewrite the legislation with the ideological brainwashing stripped out. "Teach our kids in an uplifting and unifying way," she pleaded. "Raise your expectations  and theirs."

Alas, wokeness isn't designed to uplift and unify. Its purpose is to tear down and divide. In its quest for power, it denies the legitimacy of any competing values. That is why its messaging is so relentlessly negative and bitter, and so attractive to zealots. It isn't hard to define such zealotry, but defeating it isn't easy.

Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission."
Bitcoin has gained a lot of prominence over the past several years, and it keeps garnering more popularity as more and more people are fascinated by it.

But what is a Bitcoin ATM? Is it like the regular ATMs that seen around? Can you buy and sell bitcoins at such an ATM? Is it safe to use a Bitcoin ATM?

Well, the concept of Bitcoin ATMs is a relatively new one, and it is natural to have hundreds of questions and doubts in your mind. In this article, lets find out more about Bitcoin ATMs and if they are safe at all.

What do you mean by Bitcoin ATM?

A Bitcoin ATM is known as a BTM. It is an automated teller machine that is connected to the Internet and also allows you to buy and sell Bitcoin besides other cryptocurrencies. Just like your regular bank ATM, you can find Bitcoin ATMs in different places. Traditional banks ATM allows you to deposit cash, withdraw money or transfer funds between other bank accounts. Bitcoin ATMs will enable you to purchase cryptocurrency using cash deposits. You also can sell cryptocurrency through Bitcoin ATMs, but this still does not involve any type of physical cash that is taken out. But of course, the Bitcoin price plays a crucial role.

How does a Bitcoin ATM function?

The way a Bitcoin ATM works is that it basically uses a matrix barcode that is connected digitally to your cryptocurrency wallet. If you have not created a digital wallet for crypto, you can get one at the machine. Once your wallet is set-up and connected to the BTM, you will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies using the ATM.

Things to consider when using a BTM

The Bitcoin ATM is connected to the Internet, so all the exchange rates are displayed in real time.

Scan the matrix barcode on the BTM with your digital crypto wallet address. This step connects your wallet to the BTM.

Choose which cryptocurrency you would want to buy, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other type, along with the amount that you would like to purchase.

Feed cash into the machine just as you would do with a typical bank ATM.

Wait for confirmation that the amount has hit your wallet, and then you are just good to go.

Selling your crypto assets at a Bitcoin ATM

Selling cryptocurrency at the Bitcoin ATM is different from buying. Instead of feeding the ATM cash, you can transfer Bitcoins from your digital wallet via scanning the matrix barcode associated with the Bitcoin ATM.

Is Bitcoin ATM safe to use?

As Bitcoin ATMs are well connected to the Internet, you would be wondering if they are safe and secure. Digital wallets are secure through encryption and are protected by passwords. All transaction are saved and documented because cryptocurrency can only be sent if you share the correct password and/or security credentials, like a unique code. A bad actor or hacker would need your digital wallet key, which could give them access. The private credentials and passwords will help keep your transaction more secure when using a BTM.

Its important to note that Bitcoin ATMs do not dispense cash or transfer cryptocurrencies without the payment being implemented first. Bitcoin ATMs are equipped with technology that protects against hardware and software malfunctioning. Additionally, the blockchain, which is the technology that supports cryptocurrency transactions and ecosystem, is difficult for bad actors to breach.

Besides the safety of the Bitcoin ATM, anonymity plays a crucial role. The speed at which the transaction happens is one of the significant benefits. While using your typical cryptocurrency exchange online, there are different weighting terms, and sometimes transactions can also take a lot of time to be completed. So BTMS can safely start and finish the transaction in a matter of minutes.

This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal or financial advice.

Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content.
Lincoln Police on Monday identified the man killed in a shooting Friday night as 18-year-old Damien Brave of Lincoln, but they offered only a general description of the suspect.

"That's why it's so important if anyone was there to call us," Police Chief Teresa Ewins said at a press conference Monday morning. "Whether you believe that you have information or not. It's very important for us to piece it together to understand the events that led up to the shooting itself."

What was clear is that Lincoln police were called to a house in the 1800 block of North 27th Street around 11:30 p.m. Friday on a report of gunshots and arrived to find dozens of high-school age people fleeing the house.

A short time later, Brave was brought to a local hospital, where he died.

He'd been shot multiple times.

Lincoln Public Schools officials called Brave a former student who had attended Lincoln High and Lincoln Southeast.

Ewins said that by Monday, investigators had been able to talk to some witnesses but had only a vague description of the suspect. The Journal Star generally does not include such descriptions that could apply to a large number of people.

She said they had several "people of interest" but want to look at every aspect of the incident.

"If it was one or multiple people involved, then we're going to find that out," the chief said.

Ewins also called on the public for help, saying "Parents ask your kids: 'Were you there? What did you see?'"

Lincoln police have set up a dedicated tip line at 402-441-7333. People who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

This was the third homicide in Lincoln in less than a week and the fourth this year.

On March 27, 45-year-old Ronald E. Gonzalez-Rivas and 42-year-old Christopher J. Karmazin were run over by a vehicle near the apartment complex where they worked. Police have said the 27-year-old woman who was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, Taylor Bradley, did it on purpose and had tried to to kill a third man.

On Jan. 21, 18-year-old Julian Martinez was shot and killed in an argument that started over a dog being off a leash. His neighbor, Armon Rejai, stands accused of first-degree murder.

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The Legislature's Appropriations Committee recommended a 2.5% increase in state funding for the University of Nebraska system in each of the next two years.

That amount is less than the 3% sought by NU but more than the 2% increase recommended by both Gov. Jim Pillen and the Appropriations Committee in its initial state budget proposal.

The compromise amount was the result of an agreement between Pillen and NU President Ted Carter to keep tuition rates in check.

The committee approved the recommendation on a 5-4 vote Monday over the noon hour. Omaha Sens. Mike McDonnell and Tony Vargas, Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, and Sen. Robert Dover of Norfolk all supported the plan.

Sens. Rob Clements of Elmwood, the committee chair, Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, Sen. Christy Armendariz of Omaha, and Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City all voted against the compromise amount.

"The Appropriation Committee's vote today sends a strong message about the importance of an affordable, high-quality University of Nebraska," Carter said in a statement. "I thank committee members for their leadership and support."

Last August, the NU Board of Regents, including then-Regent Pillen, approved a budget request increasing the university system's state funding by 3% over the next biennium.

As proposed, that level of funding would have provided NU $665 million in 2023-24 and $696 million in 2024-25.

The amount approved for the proposed state budget by the Appropriations Committee on Monday will provide NU with $662 million in 2023-24 and roughly $689 million in 2024-25.

At a budget hearing in early March, Carter said the university's request was "carefully considered" to balance the system's needs with being a good steward of state funding.

Carter told the Appropriations Committee the budget request would not cover all of NU's needs, and would necessitate a tuition hike charged to students, as well as budget cuts across the university.

A half percent in state aid is equivalent to a 1% increase in tuition. The Board of Regents will vote on tuition rates for 2023-24 at its June meeting.

Following the committee's vote on Monday, Carter said NU has "a great deal of budget planning ahead of us" in order to ensure the university remains a good partner to the state.

"A competitive and impactful university is more important to the state's overall growth and success than ever, and our priority will be to use our resources in a way that creates the greatest possible benefit for our 50,000 students, the workforce and all Nebraskans," he said.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
Fifty-one years ago today, Larry Zich flew his final mission in Vietnam  on his birthday.

On June 5, he will be laid to rest at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery. The Patriot Guard will be there, and military jets will fly over.

Tina Mueller, Larry's sister, will at last get to say goodbye to her little brother.

"He was quiet and reserved, but he could pull tricks when he wanted to," she said.

Mueller last saw her little brother in 1971, before he shipped out to Vietnam.

Zich was the middle child of five, all born in Sturgis, South Dakota. The family moved around a lot, migrating through several small South Dakota towns before finally crossing the Nebraska border and moving to Lincoln, where Zich would attend Lincoln High.

According to relatives, Zich was happiest with his head under the hood of a car. He loved drag racing, building engines and going fast.

On April 3, 1972, Zich was the copilot of a Huey helicopter with three other members of the 37th Signal Battalion. They were flying to Quang Tri City, Vietnam, but got lost in bad weather. After a transmission from the pilot to ground control saying that they were lost, the crew was never heard from again.

They were declared missing, and the Zich family was shocked.

"We thought, you know, that he would be found," Mueller said. "Then that turned into thinking he was a POW. That lasted a long time."

In October 2022, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified Zich's remains, thanks to a wisdom tooth that was received from a Vietnamese immigrant in 1988, according to a press release in March.

The source claimed that the remains were from an aircraft crash involving nine people.

Stars and Stripes reports that after finding that dental X-ray of Zich was accidentally reversed, forensic analysts confirmed that the remains belonged to Zich.

It was a relief to Mueller.

"I'm glad he wasn't a POW," she said. "It's a relief to know what actually happened."

Tina was the oldest of the Zich kids, five years between her and Larry. Lincoln has been her home since the family moved here in the 1960s. She has two daughters, Sue and Tanya. She and Sue Green opened Tina's Cafe more than 30 years ago, and have been serving homestyle breakfast and famous cinnamon rolls ever since.

Back in 2006, Green ran into a man at the Nebraska State Fair, and noticed he was wearing a POW bracelet just like hers.

She would be shocked to discover that the bracelet had her uncle's name on it.

Later, Mueller and her daughters would visit a memorial marker for Zich that was placed in Black Hills National Cemetery, and it was there they met seven servicemen from Zich's detachment.

"They all loved Larry," Mueller said. "It was the only aircraft they lost, so it affected them deeply."

Debbie Zich Peters, his former wife, said that one of the men in Zich's attachment abandoned his mission to search for Zich, but to no avail.

"It was just like they disappeared."

Zich married Peters on May 29, 1969.

He sold the engine out of his beloved '57 Chevy to buy her engagement ring. That's when she knew he loved her, she said.

"He loved going fast, that's why he wanted to fly," she said. "He had interest in getting his fixed-wing (license) when he got back."

Peters says that after Zich was reported missing, her "whole world stopped." The Army never gave any information about what happened, just that he had gone missing.

"How do you process it when you don't even know what happened?" she asked.

That question, among others, would lead to her joining a class-action lawsuit in the 1970s with several families of Vietnam prisoners of war.

In the years after Zich went MIA, his wife went back to school in San Diego and got her degree in social work. She worked with the National League of Families of POW/MIA, and would eventually remarry. Sometime in the 1980s, the '57 Chevy, which her brother had promised to fix up for Zich when he got back, was sold.

She moved to Florida 15 years ago, but retired and came back to Lincoln in 2021 due to health problems.

When Zich's remains were identified, Peters says she found out through the news on TV.

"That's a hard way to find out," she said. "It totally knocked the props out from under me."

Peters said that Zich was her first love. She said he was dedicated, and was always striving to make life better.

"There hasn't been one day in 51 years that this hasn't been part of my daily life," she said.

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For more than a century, Whitehall Mansion has been a part of northeast Lincoln, linked by history to nearby Nebraska Wesleyan and by fate to those who grew up within its walls.

The original owner who  in addition to her love for the small, private college  was devoted to helping homeless women and children, sold her home with the imposing white columns to the state in 1926 to be used as an orphanage.

It served that purpose for many years, though eventually the rise of foster care diminished the need for orphanages and Whitehall Mansion took on other roles. The Regional Center ran a treatment program for adolescent boys. Later the Northeast Family Center leased space there. More recently, the state housed some Nebraska Gaming and Racing Commission offices in the mansion.

And in 1997, a small group of people who loved the place  its lime green fireplace and wide staircase, its oak woodwork and leaded glass shelves and third-floor ballroom  formed a small nonprofit to ensure preservation of its history and place in northeast Lincoln.

The group has hosted a variety of community events there over the years: fall festivals and Christmas open houses, Halloween parties for kids and spring teas for adults. Those who love the place change lightbulbs when needed, putter in the yard, treat it like they would their home.

Until one day last summer, when a couple of members went over to the old mansion with an oriental rug someone had donated  and couldnt get in.

Someone from the racing commission let them in and told them the state had changed the locks. The commission employees got keys, the Friends of Whitehall Mansion did not.

Tracy Corr, treasurer of Friends of Whitehall Mansion, said they emailed the states building division and got no response, so they reached out to Lincoln City Councilman James Michael Bowers.

Bowers, who represents northeast Lincoln, volunteered at the Northeast Family Center in high school when it was at Whitehall Mansion. His work there put him on a trajectory to become a social worker, to get involved in public service.

I was able to provide assistance to good, hard-working people in northeast Lincoln, he said of the impact volunteering at the mansion had on him. I could see myself and I could see my family in the folks coming in  it was just being able to help families.

Years later, as a council member, he held town hall meetings there, and when he heard from the small nonprofit that theyd been locked out he looked into it.

Initially, he said, he figured things would work out once state officials knew of the nonprofits history of caring for the building. When months went by with no communication to the nonprofit, he reached out to officials in the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services.

This time, Corr said, they responded, but theyve been evasive about their plans. The racing commission is moving to new offices in April, and state building division officials told the nonprofit leaders theyre working on that relocation and a plan for the building moving forward.

They told them the nonprofit couldnt go inside without a written agreement, according to an email exchange. Initially state officials said theyd share plans this spring. Later emails said it might be this summer.

State officials did not return calls and emails seeking comment.

The nonprofit didnt have a fall festival this year because they were locked out, Corr said, and a long-planned graduation party for one of the members children will have to be moved.

Shes worried about the fate of the landmark, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. Maintenance on the building has been deferred, Corrr said, and the nonprofit doesnt want that to continue.

Its a beautiful place, she said. I think our biggest fear is theyre just going to shutter it and it will become even more decrepit, then theyll have a good case for tearing it down.

About five years ago, the state offered the Friends of Whitehall Mansion a no-cost lease to hold events there, but the group wasnt prepared to do that at that time, Corr said.

Their nonprofit status lapsed because of a misunderstanding about paperwork that needed to be filed, but theyre fixing that, she said, and in the five years since the state made the offer, the group has been putting the organizational pieces in place to be able to regularly allow people to use the spot for small events.

Weve been working toward that, gaining steam, Corr said. Thats when they changed the locks.

Bowers plans to send a letter to state officials encouraging them to restore the nonprofits access to the building, a group he said has played a crucial role in its preservation.

I know when a building sits empty it can fall apart. If we want to protect this landmark in northeast Lincoln, Friends of Whitehall Mansion are the perfect folks to do that, Bowers said. Im concerned there has not been any sort of explanation for why theyve been locked out of a building theyve had access to for (nearly) 30 years.

While the architecture of the building is notable, its history is just as important to those who love the mansion.

In 1910, 15 years after her husband died, Olive White had the neoclassical revival style home built on the highest spot on 10 acres near 59th and Walker streets, near Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Her husband, Charles White, the owner of Crete Mills, had been one of the original members of Methodist colleges board of trustees, and Olive also cared deeply about the university.

Her connection to Wesleyan was as strong as her husbands, said Ed Zimmer, retired historic preservation planner for the city. There are credible stories that shed have women students come over for dinner at the mansion ... training them in the social graces.

White also was involved in the Society of the Home for the Friendless, an effort in the late 1800s to help pregnant women and children that culminated in a home for them near 11th and South streets. When White moved to California in 1926, she sold Whitehall Mansion to the state, with the intention that it be used as a home for children, Zimmer said.

For the next several decades, children lived in the orphanage, which grew to include dormitories, farmland and a school. Some of those buildings have since been demolished.

Corr said the nonprofits mission is to preserve that history, as well as Whites mission to serve children. They also serve as a point of contact for many family members of the children who once lived there who reach out and want to see that part of their familys history.

Bowers said the nonprofit has insurance, volunteers and the desire to use and preserve the historic landmark.

We need to make sure we just dont close off that part of northeast Lincoln history and instead be engaged with it and let Friends of Whitehall Mansion do what theyve done well for three decades, he said.

25 of Lincoln's grandest old houses Fairview Hitchcock house Murphy Sheldon house Yates house Tyler house Calhoun house Whitehall Beattie Miles house Eddy-Taylor house Ferguson house Gillen house Guy A. Brown house Harris house Kennard house Kiesselbach house Lewis-Syford house Phillips house Royers-Williams house Ryons-Alexander house Spalding house Thayer house Watkins house Woods house Yost house Ziemer house
Birds of prey from the prairie welcomed visitors at the Lincoln Indian Center on Saturday for the second annual Return of the Thunderbirds celebration.

The event, hosted in partnership with the Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, celebrates the return of migratory birds and spring weather to the prairie.

"We have our stories of the Thunderbirds, that's very much a part of this, all that we do in the spring," said Renee Sans Souci, who helped organize the event.

The celebration included vendors, indigenous food and dances, and a raptor presentation.

Doug and Betsy Finch of the Raptor Conservation Alliance showed some of the birds they work with at the Nebraska Raptor Center outside of Elmwood. Among those were a turkey vulture, a leucistic red-tailed hawk and a peregrine falcon.

"We do this for and with the Indian Center as a community cross-cultural event," said Jason St. Sauver, also known as "The Bird Nerd."

"From Audubon's point of view, it's all about the return of birds."

This is also the 25th anniversary of the Audubon Center at Spring Creek Prairie near Denton. St. Sauver, who serves as the education director at the center, talked about the changes since its beginning.

"Spring Creek used to be really about saving the prairie," St. Sauver said. "But there's great stuff we can do outside of that as well."

After the raptor presentation, festivities outside began. Vendors had booths set up, and indigenous music was playing from a large speaker near a stage.

A blessing was given, and Mike W. Wolf Sr. displayed how the cardinal directions were symbolic of the Circle of Life, a vital part of Native American culture.

Then, the Many Moccasins Dance Troupe from Winnebago, dressed in traditional regalia, displaying vibrant colors, beads and feathers, began to dance.

Lewis St. Cyr told the crowd that what the dancers were wearing are not considered costumes.

"Costumes are what we wear when we make-believe. When we wear this clothing, we are not make-believe," he said.

St. Cyr introduced each dance and described its meaning, occasionally speaking in Ho-Chunk, the native language of the Winnebago tribe.

"I think it's very fun to get the opportunity to share our culture," St. Cyr said.

St. Cyr's mother, Therese, founded the dance troupe in 2001. She performed a dance in a jingle dress covered in little cones made from the lids of snuff cans, which make a unique sound while moving during the dance.

The audience was asked to join the final dance, called the Circle Dance. The dance troupe, along with about 50 audience members, stepped clockwise, until they moved together.

"There is no beginning, no end in a circle. A circle also is equal, when we come to the circle, we are equal," St. Cyr said.

Return of the Thunderbirds Celebration
NEW YORK  Marc Slutsky has been leading Passover Seders for 40 years, taking on troubling issues that have included Soviet Jewry, racism in the United States, and war after war after war.

This year, when the slavery-to-freedom story unfolds at his table in Highland Park, Illinois, the Israel of today will be top of mind after tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus proposed judicial overhaul.

The plan, on pause after repeated mass demonstrations, unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades, just ahead of this week's observance of Passover.

Slutsky, president of the independent synagogue Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living, in Glencoe, has Seder tweaks in mind for his 18 guests when they sit down for ritual readings, blessings and discussion.

One big change will come at the end, he said, when Next year in Jerusalem is traditionally recited.

We're going to read from the Israeli Declaration of Independence," said the 76-year-old Slutsky, particularly a passage that promises the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants.

The plan proposed by Netanyahu would give him and his allies  the most right-wing government in Israeli history  more control over the country's judiciary. Critics say it would concentrate power in his hands and destroy a system of checks and balances. They also say he has a conflict of interest since he himself is facing trial on corruption charges.

Abigail Pogrebin, author of My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, has been watching Israel closely. She'll host 30 people at her Seder in New York.

It feels impossible to ignore this difficult and deflating inflection point when it comes to Israel right now, she said.

Traditional Seder symbols will take on new weight, Pogrebin said.

The bitter herb, which reminds us of the bitterness of slavery, will remind us also of the bitterness of this governments bigotry  against non-Orthodox Jews, against LGBTQ Jews, against Arabs, against women in the army. It will remind us of the bitterness of dictatorship and intolerance, the abrogation of tenets we hold dear, she said.

The breaking of matzo will mark the brokenness of Israels democracy right now  or how close it has come to a breaking point, Pogrebin said.

And the opening of a door for Elijah, when Jews symbolically welcome in a messianic time of justice and righteousness, will demand that each of us at our table think about how we will work to bring justice about.

A large percentage of U.S. Jews observe Passover, a holiday that commemorates the Hebrew slaves' biblical flight from Egypt and emphasizes the importance of passing on that freedom story to children at the Seder table.

North America has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

The Seder is for me a perfect moment for us to engage in conversation around a myriad of topics that are about unfinished projects or places where theres strife or turmoil, said Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver in Canada, a service, fundraising and relief organization.

He'll also host 30 for a Seder, including non-Jews and guests with diverse political and religious opinions.

Shanken will put down a second Seder plate to go with the one holding traditional symbols of the Passover story. His second plate will include a block of ice that will be left to melt as a reminder to take climate action. But it's the Passover narrative itself and the founding of Israel 75 years ago that will frame conversation about current Israeli politics.

Our story was never without turmoil. It was never without strife. It was never without disagreement, Shanken said.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs also expects deep discussion about the protests and Netanyahus ruling coalition. She is CEO of T'ruah, a U.S.-based nonprofit collective of rabbis focused on human rights in North America, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Its important for Jews to talk about what does it mean to fight for democracy in the Jewish state, both for Jews and also for non-Jews who live there? she said.

Rabbi Mike Uram, chief Jewish learning officer for the Jewish Federations of North America, anticipates that Netanyahu's government will be one of a range of issues discussed at Seder tables around themes of slavery, democracy and freedom.

Those include consumption and the risks of global warming," as well as the lack of equity in American life, and the ways in which Black folks have to be afraid of structural racism and violence from a police force, as a form of slavery that people need to be freed from," he said.

Jonathan D. Sarna, director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, sees inroads in the Haggadah, the text Jews use in many versions during a Seder, for open discussion on Israel.

There are plenty of moments where one can really jump from the traditional liturgy and ask important questions. And thats really what Passover is supposed to be about, he said. Its not about debating. Its about asking and framing the questions. I think productive discussions can really take place.

Photos: Israelis protest proposed judicial changes
Anti-transgender rhetoric and disinformation in the days following the shooting at a Nashville Christian school that killed six people have heightened the fears of a community already on edge amid a historic push for more restrictions on trans people's rights this year.

Authorities haven't shared any evidence linking Audrey Hale's gender identity to the motive for the attack, which killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School last week.

Yet right-wing commentators, politicians and other figures have cited the shooting as they've shared false claims of a rise in transgender mass shooters and suggested that the fight for trans rights is radicalizing people.

Advocates worry the comments are further jeopardizing transgender people by turning them into scapegoats, at a time when they're speaking out against a wave of bills focused on trans people in statehouses across the country.

Weve certainly seen the uptick in transphobic rhetoric in the past week, even directed towards our own public platforms, and there have absolutely been community members that are wearier of being in the public eye, the Trans Empowerment Project, an advocacy and support group based in Tennessee, said in a statement.

The rhetoric has come even from members of Congress, with Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene questioning whether the shooter was on hormone replacement therapy or medications to treat mental illness.

Donald Trump Jr., the former president's son, suggested the FBI and Justice Department monitor violent factions within the trans community." In Idaho, the head of the state Republican Party invoked the shooting as she called for the governor to sign legislation banning gender affirming medical care for minors.

For hours Monday, police identified the shooter as a woman. Later in the day, the police chief said Hale was transgender. In an email Tuesday, a police spokesperson said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile.

Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder and was not on the radar of police before the attack. Hale was fatally shot by police at the school Monday.

The disinformation surrounding the shooting doesn't surprise Imara Jones, a transgender woman and creator of "The Anti-Trans Hate Machine," a podcast that focuses on the spread of disinformation about transgender people.

Jones noted how quickly false posts spread online falsely identifying a transgender woman as the shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas last year.

This disinformation, one of the things that it is doing is further isolating, stigmatizing and demonizing trans people, allowing us to be targeted by all forms of violence, both from the state and from individuals, Jones said. Thats what the disinformation is doing.

Several hundred bills restricting transgender people's rights have been introduced in statehouses this year, including a resurgence of bathroom bills and bans on gender affirming care for minors. Transgender people have also faced increasingly hostile rhetoric from lawmakers who are considering these proposals.

Some of the most stringent measures have been enacted in Tennessee, where the Republican governor has signed into law restrictions on drag show performances and a ban on gender affirming care for minors. A federal judge on Friday blocked the drag show ban from taking effect.

Many of the restrictions are being advanced by Republican lawmakers who say they're protecting children.

A large number of transgender people say they regularly face verbal and physical abuse. A Washington Post-KFF survey of transgender adults conducted late last year showed that 64% of trans adults say they have been verbally attacked because of their gender identity, gender expression or sexual identity, and 25% say they have been physically attacked.

There is a vocal minority of people who try to stoke fear of what they dont understand, who label trans people as other and tell us we dont belong, the National Center for Transgender Equality said in a statement. Because of this, trans people, especially trans women of color, face very real threats and violence.

The climate has already been fraught for trans people like Jessica Disney, who's appeared regularly at Arkansas' Capitol to testify against anti-transgender measures.

Anytime theres a spike in the rhetoric for whatever thing that is latched onto, it is immediately more taxing and truly terrifying about living here in the South, living here in Arkansas and what has already happened to me and other people being encouraged to act out, Disney said.

Advocates say the disinformation and focus on the shooter's gender are distracting from needed discussions about how to prevent mass shootings.

Extremist politicians and pundits are focusing on speculations about the shooter and fear-mongering about transgender people because they have no interest or willpower to offer real commonsense solutions to Americas gun problem, Jay Brown, the Human Rights Campaign's senior vice president for programs, research and training, said in a statement.

Despite the fear, the Trans Empowerment Project said it's seen an amazing push to act on addressing gun violence and building allies with the community.

More than anything, were amazed by the resilience of our community, the group said.

Here's how legislation in every state affects trans youth Ranking states from most restrictive to the most protective for trans youth #51. Tennessee #50. Arkansas #49. South Dakota #48. Alabama #47. Mississippi #46. Oklahoma #45. Louisiana #43. Georgia (tie) #43. South Carolina (tie) #42. Texas #41. Missouri #40. Wyoming #39. Arizona #38. Idaho #35. Montana (tie) #35. Nebraska (tie) #35. West Virginia (tie) #33. Florida (tie) #33. North Carolina (tie) #32. Indiana #31. Kansas #30. Ohio #29. Kentucky #28. North Dakota #27. Utah #26. Pennsylvania #25. Iowa #24. Alaska #23. Wisconsin #22. Michigan #21. Delaware #20. Virginia #19. New Hampshire #18. New Mexico #17. Maryland #16. Hawaii #15. Rhode Island #13. Massachusetts (tie) #13. Minnesota (tie) #12. Illinois #10. Washington D.C. (tie) #10. Vermont (tie) #9. Oregon #8. Washington #6. Maine (tie) #6. New Jersey (tie) #5. Connecticut #4. Nevada #3. New York #2. California #1. Colorado Here's how legislation in every state affects trans youth #51. Tennessee #50. Alabama #49. South Dakota #48. Arkansas #47. Oklahoma #46. Mississippi #45. Louisiana #44. South Carolina #43. Texas #42. Georgia #41. Missouri #40. Arizona #39. Wyoming #38. Florida #37. Nebraska #36. Montana #35. Idaho #34. Indiana #33. West Virginia #32. Kansas #31. Kentucky #30. Alaska #29. Ohio #28. North Carolina #27. Utah #26. North Dakota #25. Pennsylvania #24. Iowa #23. Wisconsin #22. Michigan #21. Virginia #20. New Mexico #19. Delaware #18. New Hampshire #17. Maryland #16. Rhode Island #15. Hawaii #14. Minnesota #13. Massachusetts #12. Illinois #11. Washington #10. Oregon #8. Vermont (tie) #8. Washington D.C. (tie) #7. Connecticut #6. New Jersey #5. New York #3. Maine (tie) #3. Nevada (tie) #2. Colorado #1. California
NEW YORK  When Donald Trump steps before a judge to be arraigned in a New York courtroom, it will not only mark the first time a former U.S. president has faced criminal charges. It will also be a reckoning for a man long nicknamed "Teflon Don," who until now has managed to skirt serious legal jeopardy despite 40 years of legal scrutiny.

Trump, the early front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, is expected to turn himself in Tuesday. He faces charges, including at least one felony offense, related to hush money payments to women during his 2016 campaign. Like any other person facing trial, he will be booked, fingerprinted and photographed before being given the chance to enter a plea.

The spectacle that is sure to unfold will mark an unprecedented moment in American history that will demonstrate once again how dramatically Trump  who already held the distinction of being the first president to be impeached twice  has upended democratic norms.

But on a personal level, the indictment pierces the cloak of invincibility that seemed to follow Trump through his decades in business and in politics, as he faced allegations of fraud, collusion and sexual misconduct.

"Boy, after all this time it's a bit of a shock," Trump biographer Michael D'Antonio said of the indictment. "You know I always thought of him as the Gingerbread Man, shouting, 'You can't catch me!' as he ran away.

"Given his track record," he said, "I had trouble imagining he would ever be held accountable."

"These are not things that Donald Trump ever thought in his entire life, nor I, for that matter, that he would ever be confronted with," Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime fixer and a key witness in the case who served jail time for the payments, told CNN.

Of course, some of the celebration by Trump's detractors may be premature. Trump could seek to have a judge quickly dismiss the case. Even if it moves forward, there's no guarantee of conviction. Intensifying investigations in Atlanta and Washington are seen as potentially more serious legal threats.

Still, Trump and his team were caught by surprise when word of the New York indictment broke Thursday evening, following news reports that the grand jury hearing the case was set for a weekslong hiatus. As the deliberations dragged on, some in Trump's orbit had become convinced that the case had stalled and that charges might never be brought. That included Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, who said Friday morning he had hoped the "rule of law would prevail."

Trump, he said on the "Today" show, was "initially was shocked" by news of the charges, but quickly pivoted to his usual pushback playbook.

"After he got over that," he said, Trump "put a notch on his belt and he decided we have to fight now. And he got into a typical Donald Trump posture where he's ready to be combative on something that he believes is an injustice.  I think he's now in the posture that he's ready to fight this."

In the meantime, Trump and his team have tried to use the news to his advantage, hoping to energize his loyal base by painting the investigation as part of a larger plot to derail his candidacy.

The charges have been a boon to his struggling fundraising. The campaign announced Friday evening that it raised more than $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment became public, far smashing its previous record after the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.

More than 25% of donations, according to the campaign, came from first-time donors. The average contribution was $34.

His campaign also continued to blast out supportive statements from dozens of top Republicans who rallied behind Trump, including several of his declared and likely challengers, underscoring his continued hold on the party.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a speech Saturday to conservatives meeting in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, accused the Democratic prosecutor in New York, Alvin Bragg, of weaponizing the law "for political purposes" in bringing a case. DeSantis said the district attorney indicted "a former president on misdemeanor offenses" that he was "straining to try to convert into felonies."

Trump aides have been discussing other ideas to maximize the situation, including the possibility of holding a press event either before or after the arraignment.

Trump also faces continued investigations in Georgia, over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and in Washington, where a special counsel is probing the events of Jan. 6, 2021, as well as Trump's handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potential obstruction of the investigation.

But Sam Nunberg, a longtime former aide who broke with Trump years ago, said that while he no longer supports Trump, he believes the Manhattan case is "a waste of time," given the allegations, which remain under seal. He said he was skeptical it would ultimately matter.

"It doesn't surprise me," he said of the indictment. "What would surprise me is if he actually ended up behind bars in prison and I don't see that happening."

Here's a look at how Trump's predecessors fared: Bill Clinton Ronald Reagan Richard Nixon Ulysses S. Grant Andrew Johnson
A man wanted for murder in Pennsylvania has been arrested in Nebraska after being stopped by a Seward County Sheriff's deputy on Sunday.

A deputy with the Interdiction Task Force stopped Darrell Harrison Jr., 27, for traffic violations while he was heading west on Interstate 80 in a Dodge Journey SUV.

In a press release, Sheriff Michael Vance said Harrison had claimed to have no photo identification and gave the deputy a false name and date of birth.

But a check of the vehicle registration indicated the registered owner, Harrison Jr., was wanted for first-degree murder in Pennsylvania.

Vance said that continuing investigation showed the driver was Harrison Jr., of Youngstown, Ohio.

He said Harrison was wanted for the killing of a 21-year-old man early Saturday morning in Farrell, Pennsylvania, near Youngstown, Ohio.

According to local reports, Harrison is accused of shooting and killing Jayson Burns following an argument with three men in a roadway. Burns was taken to a hospital, where he died. Harrison Jr. drove away before police arrived.

These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities. These are the highways in Nebraska with the most fatalities.
State Sen. Megan Hunt and a group headed by former state Sen. Adam Morfeld have demanded a retraction from an organization that tweeted about the Omaha senator and her 12-year-old son, who is transgender.

The conservative political action committee Nebraska Freedom Coalition referred to Hunt as a "groomer" in a tweet Thursday and posted pictures of the senators son prior to his transition.

@NebraskaMegan Senator Hunt did. All morning long she referred to this child as her son  #groomer, the Freedom Coalition said in the tweet, which has since been removed.

The Lincoln-based legal group Nebraska Legal Action Fund called the tweet defamatory and issued a cease-and-desist letter on Friday demanding a retraction.

On Friday, the coalition's executive director, Patrick Peterson, told the Nebraska Examiner he hadn't seen the letter and he didn't recall if he'd made the tweet.

But on Saturday, the Freedom Coalition issued a response on Twitter, seemingly mocking the letter and repeating its allegations against Hunt.

Well see you in court. Thanks for acknowledging receipt of our letter, Morfeld said in a tweet.

Reached Sunday, the Freedom Coalition declined to comment on the cease-and-desist letter, or the specifics of the allegedly defamatory statements made on its Twitter page.

In a tweet Friday, Hunt said she had asked the Nebraska Legal Action Fund to help her stand against extremists.

(They) cannot harass and defame Nebraskans with impunity," she said.

Morfeld, who heads the Nebraska Legal Action Fund, said attacks against Hunt and others by the Freedom Coalition have been ongoing for some time, and that the group was happy to provide her with assistance.

This time they decided to defame a mother, accuse a mother of grooming their child for sexual assault and sexual penetration, Morfeld said. It has no basis in fact. That is not protected speech, and it is not permissible under Nebraska law.

According to the states legal definition of "grooming," which Morfeld tweeted on Saturday following the coalitions response to the cease-and-desist, the act entails building trust with a student and individuals close to the student  with the ultimate goal of engaging in sexual contact or sexual penetration with the student, regardless of when in the students life (the acts) would take place.

The letter from Morfelds team demands the Freedom Coalition issue a public statement retracting its claims against Hunt. According to state law, the Freedom Coalition has 20 days to issue such a statement upon acknowledgement of the request.

Morfeld said the Legal Action Fund was formed to combat what he sees as a recent pattern of defamatory statements and other political actors in Nebraska who have persisted with no legal consequence.

Morfeld founded the Legal Action Fund after his unsuccessful run for Lancaster County Attorney in 2022. In that race, an anonymous woman made a last-minute, unsubstantiated claim that Morfeld sexually assaulted her, a claim that arose days after GOP operatives raised the issue on social media.

He said he fears these types of political attacks could cause major disruptions to the states democratic institutions.

It discourages regular Nebraskans from being a part of the political process and exercising their First Amendment rights, Morfeld said.

The alleged attack against Hunt comes as she and fellow Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh have forestalled the passage of LB574, a bill introduced by Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth that would forbid minors from receiving gender-altering health care. Their weekslong filibuster has garnered national attention and prevented the passage of any bills 55 days into the 90-day legislative session.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
Gov. Jim Pillen on Monday named Rob Jeffreys, a veteran leader of the Illinois correctional system, as the new director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Jeffreys has headed the Illinois agency since June 2019 and worked 24 years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction before that.

The new state prisons director comes to Nebraska with a record as a reformer.

Illinois Gov. J. B. Pritzker praised Jeffreys for "his work in reforming and redesigning services" in announcing his resignation as head of the state's prison system since 2019.

During his time in Illinois, he oversaw a continued reduction in the state's prison population, from about 38,000 when he took the role in 2019 to roughly 29,500 in 2023, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

At a news conference in Lincoln where Pillen announced the appointment, Jeffreys said he wants to "make sure we prepare people to be successful" when they leave prison, while noting that goal "adds to public safety."

That's one of the challenges the new prison director listed along with infrastructure and staffing.

Pillen said he chose Jeffreys after interviewing seven people; the new director will be paid an annual salary of $210,000. The previous director, Scott Frakes, earned $255,000.

"It's tough work," the governor said. "It's challenging."

Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, a former Lancaster County Attorney and former U.S. Attorney for Nebraska, said he is "impressed by the humanity" displayed by Jeffreys in his role of "being in charge of so many lives" while "seeking a better outcome" in terms of their future.

In a news release announcing Jeffreys' departure, Gov. Pritzker praised him for "ensuring the dignity and safety of the incarcerated people of Illinois."

"His work in reforming and redesigning services has given individuals in custody opportunities for advancement and improvement while also ensuring the highest level of security and care" for prison staff, Pritzker said.

Jeffreys said he expects the top challenges he faces here will be providing programming space while developing a workforce environment, fulfilling staffing needs and preparing inmates to be successful after they leave prison.

His decision to come to Nebraska was cemented by an interview with Pillen and Kelly during which Jeffreys said he became convinced that they were "genuinely invested in the humanity of human beings" and committed to their success.

Frakes retired as director of the Department of Correctional Services last October after heading the agency for more than seven years. He was succeeded by Diane Sabatka-Rine, who served as acting director.

The prison system has battled substantial overcrowding and high staff turnover, which has since been arrested by substantial salary increases.

There are more than 5,500 inmates in the state's prisons, compared to 29,500 in the Illinois system. In Nebraska, Jeffreys will oversee a department with about 2,300 employees and a $294 million annual budget.

The state currently stands at the doorstep of building a new state prison, the cost of which could exceed $350 million. The Legislature has allocated most of the funding in advance of a decision in the coming weeks on whether to proceed.

Incarceration rate demographics in Nebraska 2022 Incarceration rate demographics in Nebraska
Former President Donald Trump returned to New York from his home in Florida for his historic booking and arraignment on criminal charges. The nations largest city bolstered security and warned potential agitators that it is not a playground for your misplaced anger.
BURLINGTON  The mission continued for Bob Boulden long after the war had ended.

The decorated Korean War veteran from Burlington dedicated much of his life to serving his fellow veterans and ensuring that they never felt forgotten after returning home from the service.

From greeting ex-soldiers at the VFW post to decorating their graves every Memorial Day, Boulden worked for veterans throughout his life, making him a hero on the battlefield and back home, too.

He loved his country so much, his daughter, Barbara Dowty, said. It meant the world to him.

Boulden, whose public service was recognized with many awards and honors, died in the hospital last Monday at age 93 after a long fight with congestive heart failure.

His death is shaking friends and colleagues who say Bouldens spirit and commitment will be sorely missed by the Racine County veterans community.

Beth Reetz, general manager of the Veterans Terrace meeting and event center in Burlington, said she fondly remembers Bouldens regular visits to the facility, where he would share stories of his Korean War days.

Bob was a hero and living legend, Reetz said. He was protective of Veterans Terrace, and was a living reminder of what our building is all about.

Among Bouldens many accolades was a 2021 recognition by U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, as the Veteran of the Year in Steils congressional district, which extends from Racine to Janesville.

Upon hearing of Bouldens passing, Steil issued a statement calling it an honor to have met Burlingtons beloved war veteran.

Our community and nation have lost an American hero, the congressman said. Bobs distinguished career in the military, and his commitment to serving our veterans, is a shining example for all Americans.

Born in Burlington in 1929, Robert G.E. Boulden grew up during the Great Depression. He attended Burlington High School and then joined the U.S. Marines in 1948, just a few years after World War II ended.

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Boulden shipped out for active duty in the war to push Chinese Communists out of North Korea. He participated in the bloody Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, in which the United States and its allies suffered severe casualties.

Boulden saw much more combat during the war, and he was shot at least twice  once in the back and once in the leg. Discharged in 1952, he was heavily decorated, and returned to Burlington with medals and ribbons on his uniform.

He took a job with Wisconsin Electric, and he married Lenore Heck, with whom he raised four children and enjoyed more than 60 years of marriage before her death in 2016.

Boulden became an active member in many veterans organizations in Racine County, including VFW Post 2823, American Legion Post 79 and Disabled American Veterans Post 34. He rose to become commander of the VFW post in 1969.

In 1974, he was honored as Burlingtons Citizen of the Year.

Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty recalled seeing Boulden selling poppies outside a grocery store many times during the American Legions annual Poppy Day sale to show support for veterans.

Hefty said she still has a poppy that Boulden gave her on one of the last times she saw him.

Bob had a wonderful heart and a beautiful soul, the mayor said. I loved the time I spent with Bob.

Boulden spent his last years making daily visits to his wifes final resting place in the cemetery. But he also continued serving the veterans community by helping to organize color guards for veteran funerals, working to make sure that no veteran was denied proper respect and dignity.

Dowty, his daughter, said Boulden spoke often about how the Korean War was a forgotten war, and that returning service members were not treated to the same homecoming as those of other eras.

He devoted his life, she said, to seeing that veterans did not feel neglected.

He just kept going, she said. He accomplished just about everything he wanted to do  and more.

11 photos from the Veterans Day 2022 celebration at Memorial Hall Salutes 11:11 salute Veterans Dave, Krista, Zach, Matthew Smiling for the photo Dave, Matthew, Kaleb and Clyde Seats filled Dave Burgess's remarks Jenna, Natalie, Madelyn and Brooklyn Kaleb, Jaxon and Johnny The Gilmore Fine Arts Choir
1. Yes. Police officers should be the only ones armed in the council chambers. Period.

2. Yes. Such a ban is allowed by state law, and the city council should consider it .

3. No. The possibility of violence is always present, but disarming everyone isnt the answer.

4. No. Its unwise to change the city ordinance based on one unfortunate incident.

5. Unsure. Some steps must be taken, but its hard to say if a gun ban is necessary.

Vote

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EDITORS NOTE: Today's story is the first of two installments about the 20-year history of KAAPA Co-op. The risk to farmer-investors 20 years ago was substantial, but it has paid off with increased profits and demand for corn and ethanol. On Tuesday, see how KAAPA's assets have diversified to strengthen the farmer-investors' position.

MINDEN  South-central Nebraska farmers who formed the KAAPA (Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance) Co-op more than 20 years ago had big dreams about building an ethanol plant that would help them keep more of the value from their corn.

They never imagined KAAPA holdings today that include ownership of ethanol plants at Minden and Ravenna, a grain elevator at Elm Creek and investments in other plants in Nebraska, Minnesota, Ohio and North Dakota.

"At that time, farming was not very profitable," said Grady Koch of Upland, who was involved in KAAPA when the ethanol plant idea was born. "It was hard to make ends meet."

So the goal of KAAPA Co-op participants was to make more money on every bushel of corn they grew, either from sales of value-added ethanol or higher corn prices resulting from the competition generated by a new local buyer.

"The intent of the KAAPA Co-op was for the farmers to get a bigger piece of what American consumers paid for their food," said LaMoine Smith, a Minden farmer now living at Denton. "... There are a lot of our owners (shareholders) who have said they wouldn't be farmers today without their shares in the company. Others said they were saved by a higher price for corn."

Smith, who was one of the original area farmers involved in KAAPA, said there were earlier ideas to bring value-added businesses to the Kearney area. Farmers and other agribusiness professionals first put in a bid for a food-grade corn processing plant proposed by Frito-Lay in Nebraska.

The company chose a site at Gothenburg.

Trying again

Although that effort ended, interest in a value-added venture by the KAAPA group grew.

Soon there were 20 board members  four each from Kearney, Buffalo, Phelps and Dawson counties, plus four at-large. They include the four men who have been KAAPA officers from the beginning: Paul Kenney of Amherst, president; Smith, vice-president; Rod Gangwish of Shelton, secretary; and Steve Mercer of Kearney, treasurer.

The other current board members are Andy Tomsen of Minden; Gerald Forsythe of Wheeling, Illinois; Scott McPheeters of Gothenburg; and Craig Weber of Kearney.

"We tried high-oil corn, chickpeas and making pulp out of cornstalks," Smith said. "Then somebody said, 'Let's try building an ethanol plant.'"

Fundraising focused on farmer investors who would contribute cash and also pledge to deliver at least 10,000 bushels of corn annually or buy a certain amount of wet distillers grain, the livestock feed co-product of ethanol production, from the KAAPA plant.

Tomsen, an initial investor, said, "When we bought our original share, we were feeding cattle at the time so our (pledge) was in the feedstock share."

"We thought the plant was a good idea and we'd invest in it a little bit. We hoped that it worked and we made enough money to stay in business," he added.

Koch was part of the effort to drum up investment support by holding public meetings to describe the ethanol project to prospective shareholders and taking a busload of farmers to an existing plant.

There was a "media blast" through which KAAPA invited one journalist each from the Kearney Hub, NTV and KRVN on a one-day airplane trip, led by Koch, to Benson, Minnesota. An operating ethanol plant there was built by Fagan Inc., the contractor chosen for the Minden project.

"Farmers did not have a lot of money to invest then, and it was a totally new idea for those who came on board," Koch said, "but if it wasn't going to be farmer controlled, we weren't going to do it."

An early step was hiring an attorney to consult with the Nebraska Department of Banking about details to form a limited liability corporation, which was done in February 2001.

Smith remembers the day when the size and importance of the Minden plant project really hit him.

Although $18 million had been raised from KAAPA Ethanol LLC investors/shareholders, plant construction required borrowing a lot more. Kenney had a schedule conflict on the day he planned to go to First National Bank of Omaha to sign the ethanol plant loan papers, so he asked Smith to step in as vice president.

"On the way home, I thought, holy crap, I just put my name on a loan for $32 million," Smith recalled.

Also vital to the project were tax-increment financing for five years from the city of Minden and state tax incentives per gallon of ethanol produced.

KAAPA Ethanol Commodities LLC history February 2001 - Formation of KAAPA Ethanol LLC. September 2002 - Initiated Minden plant construction (Fagen/ICM design). November 2003 - Started operations  40 million gallon capacity. December 2004 - Became Renewable Products Marketing Group (RMPG) equity owner. July 2006 - Completed expansion/debottlenecking at Minden plant  60 million gallon capacity. June 2007 - Purchased KAAPA Grains at Elm Creek from a Mitsubishi Corp. subsidiary. October 2009 - Purchased an interest in the Janesville, Minnesota, ethanol plant from VersaSun bankruptcy (Fagen/ICM design)  100 million gallon capacity. September 2010 - Purchased controlling interest in Lima, Ohio, ethanol plant. January 2013 - Created KAAPA Ethanol Holdings LLC. December 2013 - Purchased an interest in Hankinson Renewable Energy plant at Hankinson, North Dakota, from Murphy Oil  130 million gallon capacity. March 2016 - KAAPA Ethanol at Minden reaches 80 million gallon capacity. September 2016 - Ravenna ethanol plant purchased from Abengoa. November 2017 - Expansion increases Ravenna plant to 110 million gallons. October 2018 - Groundbreaking for new Kearney for KAAPA Ethanol Holdings building that was completed in early 2020. May 2019 - Debottlenecking increases Ravenna plant to 135 million gallons. February 2023 - KAAPA Partners Aurora LLC agreement completed for KAAPA to operate the Aurora Co-op ethanol plant.

Getting started

Plant construction started in September 2002 on land purchased by KAAPA west of Minden at the southeast corner of the intersection of highways 6 and 44. The first ethanol was processed in November 2003.

Smith said the start-up was so successful that the shareholders' corn delivery and distillers purchase requirements were dropped after two years.

Koch said the most challenging part early on was to get enough buyers for the wet distillers grain. The project's feasibility plan was to source local corn, process the ethanol and sell the distillers wet to area livestock producers so that another $3 million-$4 million or more wasn't required for equipment to dry it for shipping.

Livestock feeders were reluctant to try distillers grain at first, Koch said, even though the "recipe" is tremendous. That hesitancy dissolved over the years as the proven feed value of distillers grains became accepted.

When asked if he had imagined anything like KAAPA Ethanol today when the Minden plant was under construction 20 years ago, Koch said, "No. We all had dreams, but even our dreams didn't meet where we're at today. It has been an unbelievable ride."

"To be a part of that, I loved every minute of it," he added.

Tomsen thought the business might expand, but certainly not to the degree seen in two decades. He said new investment and partnership opportunities were revealed as KAAPA officials met people in an ethanol marketing group and other related businesses.

Koch said KAAPA Co-op was chasing ethanol before ethanol was cool and benefitted from good timing on several fronts. One unexpected boost came when President George W. Bush, an oil man from Texas, backed ethanol.

As for the economic impacts, Smith said, "The numbers would be phenomenal for how much just the (Minden) plant has meant to the area economy."
WESTconsin Credit Union is pleased to announce the donation of $10,000 to area Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals from the credit unions October National Cooperative Month and February Chain of Hearts fundraising efforts. The donation will support Gillette Childrens Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minnesota, and CMN Hospitals at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse in their work to provide state-of-the-art specialty treatments.

WESTconsin Credit Unions Member Experience team presented the check at Gillette Childrens Specialty Healthcare and toured the facility on Monday, March 27. They were able to meet the hospitals staff and patients, while seeing firsthand the impact WESTconsin employees and members donations have on the level of care provided.

The joy of giving is unmatched, and when its for a cause as noble as supporting childrens health, it becomes all the more special, said Stephanie Rasmussen, WESTconsin Credit Union chief experience officer. Visiting a childrens hospital and donating may seem like a small act, but it can make a big difference in the lives of the little fighters who are battling illness. Seeing their smiles and knowing that youve helped in some way is a feeling that is truly priceless.

There are more than 170 CMN Hospitals throughout the United States and Canada that all share the same mission  to treat the whole child and provide care regardless of the familys ability to pay. At Gillette Childrens Specialty Healthcare, charitable funds are used for state-of-the-art treatments and vital services for kids with the most complex needs in pediatric medicine. CMN Hospitals at Gundersen Health System use benevolent funds to meet the individual health care needs of local children and their families through transportation assistance, medical equipment, specialty camps and other patient specific needs.

WESTconsin Credit Union has been serving members since 1939, and membership is open to anyone who lives or works in the Wisconsin counties of Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, St. Croix, Sawyer, Taylor, Trempealeau and Washburn, or the Minnesota counties of Anoka, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Wabasha and Washington, with a $5 minimum deposit in a membership savings account. Credit unions are financial institutions owned by their account holders, and member funds are federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration up to at least $250,000.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson will seek the Republican presidential nomination and he's positioning himself as an alternative to Donald Trump just days after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in New York. Hutchinson announced his candidacy on ABC's This Week and said Trump should drop out of the race because "the office is more important than any individual person. In An Associated Press interview later Sunday, the former two-term governor who left office in January said it was important for voters to have an alternative leader and not simply go by default to somebody who is really wrapped around what happened in the past. Hutchinson is the first Republican to enter the race since Trump became the only former U.S. president to ever face criminal charges.
When a loved one is terminally ill, there are many important and difficult decisions to make. Working with end-of-life hospice experts can make the last months, weeks or days of life easier and more comfortable. It can also provide needed support for families losing a loved one.

St. Croix Hospice recently opened a branch office in Chippewa Falls that will serve Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire and Taylor counties. St. Croix Hospice has been serving this region for years, and its Chippewa Falls branch puts local staff closer to the community they serve in the Chippewa Valley.

What is hospice?

Considered the model for compassionate care for people facing a life-limiting illness, hospice care provides medical care, pain management and emotional and spiritual support, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. Hospice care typically is covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Hospice focuses on caring, not curing. Hospice services are available to patients with any terminal illness.

It's more than just the final weeks or days of life. Generally, we can admit anybody with a prognosis of six months or less (to live), said Greg Eisold, manager of clinical services at the St. Croix Hospice, Chippewa Falls branch. Honestly, we really want to get in sooner rather than later because it's like we have a very unique spot in health care where we get to take care of the entire person.

Eisold said hospice caregivers treat the whole person and spend quality time with their patients, which is not always the case with other medical caregivers who face the hustle and bustle of busy practices or emergency room medicine.

He said the new St. Croix Hospice branch in Chippewa Falls, which opened earlier this year, offers eight nurses  including five case managers, two on-call nurses and one admissions nurse. The on-call nurse covers most of the overnight and weekend calls, and the regular staff see patients five days out of the week. The nursing staff manages patients both in someones home or in facilities.

St. Croix Hospice also employs a social worker, chaplain and massage therapist, and Eisold said he hopes to hire a music therapist.

Aging population

The need for hospice care in Wisconsin is on the rise.

The U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey from 2017 to 2021 showed that Wisconsin had almost 1 million people age 65 and older. Of those, 290,620 lived alone.

The 2019 U.S. Census showed that those age 65 and older accounted for 17.5% of Wisconsins overall population. Chippewa County has 18.8% of its population that is age 65 and older.

Wisconsin hospice use among Medicare decedents reached 55.1% in 2018, compared to a national average of 50.3%, according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. This was the eighth highest rate in the nation that year.

Offering care

Someone said it was about living. It even chokes me up a little because you stop having the focus be about going to the hospital, or aggressively treating something. And its just like, hey, let's get back to you being as comfortable as possible and living a little bit of life, whatever that looks like, Eisold said. That has nothing to do with giving up. It's just making more of every moment that you do have left.

Eisold said he is passionate about providing hospice care to the Chippewa community that he is connected to. He grew up in the Chippewa Valley and got his education at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

I've never had a more rewarding career because we have people that truly care," Eisold said. "I've never seen so many people that are just willing to step up and always put the patient first and make sure that not only the patient but the family feels well cared for.

St. Croix Hospice caregivers typically provide support to a patients family for 13 months after the patient has died.

Just to make sure to check in at those hard times; those anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, just to make sure that they are able to get back on their feet and also connecting them with programs to help them in their grief and just the entire bereavement process, Eisold said. We're just giving that little bit of extra on top of the care that they're already receiving from their loved ones or from their facilities.

We definitely want to meet them where they're at.

St. Croix Hospice operates in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Learn more about St. Croix in Chippewa Falls at www.stcroixhospice.com/chippewa-falls-wi.

Marshfield Clinic Lake Hallie Center will discontinue urgent care services in May Marshfield Clinic Lake Hallie Center will be discontinuing urgent care services after May 19.
The cold and strong winds, Saturday, April 1, didnt stop about 120 adults and children from participating in the 11th annual 5-K-9 Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run to benefit the Vernon County Sheriffs Office K-9 Unit.

In addition to the run/walk and kids fun run, the morning included a demonstration by K-9 Unit Dax and his handler Deputy Sheriff Mark Ballacero, and a presentation about drug trends and fentanyl.

According to the Vernon County Sheriffs Office website, K-9 Dax is a German shepherd sable and was born on Aug. 7, 2019 in Germany. The website states: He was imported from Bayreuth, Germany in December 2020 by Mid-West Working Dogs. Dax is trained as a dual-purpose patrol dog, specializing in narcotics detection, criminal apprehension/handler protection, tracking, and article searches. Dax is certified by Mid-West Working Dogs and the North American Police Work Dog Association.
MERRILLAN  James Christie, 88 of Merrillan, Wis., passed away March 30 in Augusta. A funeral service for James will take place on Tuesday, April 4, at 11:00 a.m. at the Faith Lutheran Church of Black River Falls. Friends may call for visitation from 9:30 until the start of services. Torgersons Funeral Home of Black River Falls is assisting the family. 715-284-4321.
NASA on Monday named the four astronauts who will fly to the moon by the end of next year, including one woman and three men.
Wisconsins healthcare workforce continues to dwindle as the aging population and demand for services grows, creating a massive hurdle in the quest for affordable, accessible care.

The Wisconsin Hospital Associations 2023 Health Care Workforce Report, released this week, highlights continuing challenges the industry and its patients face, from the reverberating effects of the COVID pandemic to a rise in mental health concerns to the vast number of staff vacancies in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Wisconsin hospitals are working hard to grow, recruit, retain and support the healthcare workforce necessary to sustain the high-quality health care Wisconsin citizens expect and deserve, said WHA senior vice president of workforce and clinical practice Ann Zenk. But even with concerted effort, it is unlikely that the healthcare workforce can grow fast enough to meet the rising health care demand of an aging population.

Addressing the dilemma, the WHA stated, will take mass efforts, including highlighting the value of working in the healthcare field, keeping those staff on board, reducing regulatory burdens, integrating new technologies and ensuring the availability of post acute care beds.

Health care employers and staff and their partners in education and state government, the report said, are rising to meet these challenges together.

Silver tsunami

The sizeable baby boom generation brings both an increased need for health services and a high rate of retirement, a perfect storm of sorts, said Gundersen Health System recruitment and retention strategic work team member and registered nurse Christina Flisram.

By 2030, 20% of Americans will be of standard retirement age, and in Wisconsin nearly the rate will be 25%. Those 65 and older, the report stated, account for 20% of the population yet make up more than 40% of health care utilization. Outnumbered by those nearing retirement, the younger generations are not populous enough to fill all the positions that will be abandoned.

During the pandemic, hospital stays for the elderly population were extended as long term care facilities were unable to take in those ready to transfer out, creating a bottleneck. Keeping individuals in the hospital longer than necessary can have emotional and mental health effects for the patient and create a lack of beds for incoming patients. It is also expensive  Medicare and Medicaid reimburse hospitals per stay rather than per day.

Further complicating the situation, geriatrician positions are increasingly difficult to fill, with a projected shortage of some 27,000 by 2025, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. And the need for specialized care is only growing, as more than 11% of seniors have Alzheimers disease, with the rate expected to double by 2040.

Were always looking at at partnerships with long-term care facilities and having conversations, said Gundersen RN and recruitment and talent strategy director Chet Doering.

Gundersen already works with Hillview Health Care Center in La Crosse, and in 2022 shared their nursing staff with the facility in order to accomodate incoming individuals.

Hiring gap

Openings for health care and social assistance positions as of October 2022 were the highest of any industry included in a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 1,938,000 gap. Per the WHA report, of 17 professions within the health care industry, all had increased vacancy rates from the period of September 2020 to September 2021, with an overall rise of nearly 10%. The year prior, the rate was 5.3%.

The turnover rate of nurses has increased notably in the past two years, with one in five registered nurses now changing jobs each year, up from one in 10 prior to 2021.

The last three years have been hard on nurses, said Flisram. Violence (from patients) is increasing, their stress levels are up, and they have more (of a workload). Nurses are exhausted. Nurses are a very dedicated group, but they are very tired.

Doering noted colleges are reporting a decrease in applications for nursing programs, with potential students hesitant to enter an often strenuous and stressful field.

Finding solutions

Gundersens Edge innovation team assisted in the findings of the workforce report, conducting over 125 hours of interviews with more than 200 nurses, listening to their concerns, frustrations and needs. The hospital took the information to help formulate plans to attract new staff and keep current employees within the health system with incentives, better work-life balance and other initiatives.

Gundersen opened up its weekend only policy to allow more individuals to take on Saturday or Sunday shifts for additional pay, with over 180 employees electing to work extra hours. This reduced the need for travel nurses, which, Doering said, keeps that work at home, and allows patients to interact with staff familiar to them and the area. Reducing the utilization of travel nurses also saves money.

Gundersen is engaging its employees in decision making and the development of solutions to improve their work experiences with the frontline innovation team.

Were listening to our own staff  they are amazing and they know what to do and how to do it but they need our support, Flisram said.

This includes honoring the sentiment that work should fit into life, not life should fit into work, and finding ways to create schedules that work for newer staff as well, rather than using the mentality that the most recent hires take on nights or weekends.

We are looking at how to change and shift our model to meet these needs, said Flisram.

Key is following the five essentials for workplace mental health and wellbeing, as outlined by the WHA: protection from harm, connection and community, work-life harmony, mattering at work and opportunity for growth.

Gundersens career development programs are addressing the last element, offering assistance to advance within the organization.

More people want additional challenges and to move up faster, said Flisram. We have to balance that with having enough patient-facing staff, but if we dont offer advancement opportunities they might leave for other organizations.

Added Doering, In general, we need to continue to anticipate growth, so we want to make sure to invest in our frontline staff.

To draw students and recent graduates into the organization, Gundersen has formed a strong network of connections with high schools and colleges, and offers five training programs, for sterile processing, pharmacy technicians, medical assistants, certified nursing assistants and  coming soon to La Crosse  for paramedics.

Some programs cover course fees and then on-site clinical training, and others offer education and training completion while working as a paid full time employee. Those in the pharmacy technician program, for example, after concluding training and taking an examination are promoted to a certified position within the Gundersen system.

There has been a shift where people are highly motivated to quickly enter the workforce, and they are finding it affordable with our supplemented education expenses or paid trainings, said Doering.

The WHA is looking to further speed up the hiring process by making the path to licensure less complex, and freeing up staff hours by reducing regulatory requirements.

Regulation is intended to ensure safe, high-quality care. Not all the rules improve care or safety (but) all of them require time and action by our health care workforce, the report states. An average size hospital dedicates 59 full-time equivalent workers to regulatory compliance, with one in four of those a doctor or nurse who could otherwise be seeing patients.

The WHA is also calling to leverage technology, using computers to automate processes such as scheduling and registration.

The opportunity to work with the WHA and other hospitals that participated in the report, Flisram said, will help shape, improve and enhance the workforce.

We will continue to partner to learn and share ideas, said Flisram. This benefits everyone.

6 changes that will help you stay healthy as you age 1. Embrace avocados. 2. Opt for plant protein several times a week. 3. Make nuts a go-to snack. 4. Incorporate veggies into every meal. 5. Enjoy berries as a daily staple. 6. Go ahead, enjoy some dark chocolate!
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will feature panel discussions and presentations centered around narratives on topics including race, gender, sexuality, disability and immigration with lessons for university curricula and the broader community Tuesday through Thursday as it hosts Social Justice Week.

If you go WHAT: UW-L Social Justice Week WHEN: Tuesday-Thursday WHERE: UW-L Student Union, 521 East Ave. N., La Crosse DETAILS: Find the full schedule land webinar links at www.uwlax.edu/diversity-inclusion/social-justice/social-justice-week/2023

The Strength of Our Stories: Reviving Our Communities by Amplifying Lost Voices is the title for this years schedule of 26 events.

So many peoples voices were lost, especially during COVID, said Caleb Colon-Rivera, co-chair on the UW-L Diversity and Inclusion programming committee. Now theres this surge of reviving those communities, letting them speak out and giving them a platform to speak out.

Lydia X. Z. Brown, an autistic disability rights activist, writer, attorney, educator and public speaker, will deliver a keynote address at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Student Union room 2130. Much of Browns work addresses violence toward disabled people at the intersection of multiple identities.

North Dakota State Rep. Ruth Buffalo, the first Democratic Native American woman elected to North Dakotas state legislature, will deliver a keynote address at 7 p.m. Thursday in Student Union room 3310. Buffalos address will address Native American rights including missing persons cases.

Events start at noon Tuesday with a free speech panel comprised of UW-L administrators, including Chancellor Joe Gow. Another noon presentation will present digital stories from the 2022 We Live in La Crosse project, which highlights multilingual and migrant experiences.

Events throughout the week include a Tuesday screening of the movie Even Our Dreams, centering stories of Zimbabweans with disabilities and a question and answer session with producer and womens right advocate Nyari Mashayamombe.

Faculty presentations include a discussion on transforming police into a human rights organization at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and voting barriers in Wisconsin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

A presentation and performance by local and regional jazz faculty at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Truman T. Lowe Center for the Arts will highlight historic and contemporary jazz works by women composers excluded from the jazz canon, from Lillian Hardin Armstrong to Laura Caviani.

The full schedule of events with livestream links can be found on the UW-L Diversity and Inclusion website. Registration is not required but available. Most events will be held in the UW-L Student Union at 521 East Ave. N.

Its open to the community, and wed love to have more people from the community on campus, said Colon-Rivera.
FRIDLEY, Minn. (AP)  President Joe Biden ventured to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to talk about factory jobs and contrast his agenda with the last guy who had this job. The last guy, as Biden calls Donald Trump, was simultaneously touching down in New York to become the first former president to be arrested.

The Biden White House, which has shied away from involvement in the legal spectacle surrounding Trump, hoped to turn the split-screen moment into a chance to showcase the presidents accomplishments and relatively drama-free administration. It represented a rehash of the choice that voters made in 2020  and might have to make again in 2024  as both men intend to seek the White House.

Biden offered himself as a veteran policymaker while Trump, ever the showman, aimed to use Tuesday's arraignment on criminal charges to generate campaign donations and fire up Republican voters.

Biden sought to highlight job growth and investments nationwide while pushing clean energy and manufacturing in the U.S. during his visit to engine maker Cummins Inc. The company announced in conjunction with his visit that its investing more than $1 billion in its U.S. engine manufacturing network in Indiana, North Carolina and New York to update facilities so they can produce low- to zero-carbon engines.

Dogged by high inflation, Biden said his policies and spending will position the U.S. for greater prosperity in the future that boosts the middle class.

The plan is to invest in America, in a literal sense, Biden said. Not overseas. In America. Invest in ourselves  and its working.

Trump left his Florida home for New York City, posting on Truth Social that the indictment  tied to payments made during his 2016 campaign  was part of a Witch Hunt against him. He later sent out a message that tried to fundraise off his predicament.

Biden's team saw Monday's trip to the Cummins facility as a way to sharpen the contrast with Trump. If Trump gobbles up attention, administration officials say, Biden wants his message to be squarely focused on the American middle class.

Stick to your message that you want to be talking about with discipline, said Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary. Whatever else is happening, you just have to keep talking about what it is that you want to talk about."

The president regularly highlights the CHIPS Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation and a roughly $375 billion climate bill  major bills that his administration steered into law before Democrats lost control of the House in last year's elections to Republicans.

Other members of Biden's administration are traveling to more than 20 states this week to buttress his message. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for example, went to Connecticut on Monday for a fireside chat at Yale University on the economic agenda. While the president blasted Trump's 2017 tax cuts for raising the deficit, Yellen panned them for failing to boost growth.

The treasury secretary said Trump's signature achievement has "not been very successful, even at promoting investment spending and growth. What the cuts did, instead, is tilt the tax code in favor of those with extreme degrees of wealth, according to Yellen.

If you take something like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, she said, "maybe that had some marginal impact on boosting private investment -- not obvious that it did. But it certainly raised the incomes of the wealthy individuals who received those huge tax cuts, and so it made the tax burden a lot less fair.

First lady Jill Biden was in Colorado to promote Biden's efforts to promote job training at community colleges and had other stops this week planned in Maine and Vermont. Her plans to visit Michigan later Monday were postponed because of an aircraft issue.

As the president returned to Washington, a large TV on Air Force One ran Trump headlines as Biden stood facing the screen in a conference room with his staff.
A missing Winona woman is now considered endangered, according to an alert Sunday from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

The bureau, along with the Winona Police Department, are working together to locate 26-year-old Madeline Jane Kingsbury, who was last seen Friday morning.

The alert stated Kingsbury has not had any contact with friends or family since she was last seen.

Residents and landowners of eastern Fillmore County have specifically been asked by the Fillmore County Sheriffs Office and the Winona Police Department to keep an eye out for activity possibly related to Kingsbury.

People in this area are asked to check their properties, along with any cameras on their land, for a dark colored Chrysler Town and Country van, signs of a disturbance or any other suspicious activity, according to a Facebook post made by the Fillmore County Sheriffs Office.

The post requests residents to focus on the timeframe of 8 a.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday. Eastern Fillmore County residents who may have information about her whereabouts are asked to call the countys sheriffs office at 507-765-3874, option one.

The Winona Police Department did not return a call before press time Monday afternoon seeking more information about the connection to that area.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension described Kingsbury as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 135 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Kingsbury is a mother of two and a clinical research coordinator at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, according to her social media.

According to the alert, the bureau and the Winona Police Department are actively reviewing and following up on information obtained during the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about Kingsburys whereabouts should call 911 or the Winona Police Department at 507-457-6288.

To give a tip about her whereabouts anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 507-457-6530 or go to winonaareacrimestoppers.com.
An important part of the Winona Community Foundations mission is realized though awarding community grants to meet the ever-changing needs of the community through a competitive process. Since the programs inception, its become an essential asset for local Winona area nonprofits.

There are currently two granting cycles each year  spring and fall. These community grants are broad and inclusive to meet the current community needs with the goal of helping local nonprofits make a difference in the Winona area.

How did the program begin?

The Community Grant Program began in 1988, one year after the foundation was created, in large part because of a direct gift from C. Paul and Irene G. Venables Foundation. The Foundation awarded two grants totaling $965  one to Winona ORC and one to Winona Civic Music. It was a small yet mighty start for the grant program.

After the recession in 2008, the foundations board made the executive decision to suspend the Community Grant Program to ensure the future of the Foundation.

In 2012, a generous and unexpected gift left in a will by Beverly Larson helped bolster the Community Grant Program again, starting back up in 2013.

In 2017, the board made the decision that a percentage of board-designated funds would go back out through the program. This decision tripled the amount of available funds for community grants from $27,903 in 2017 to $80,000 in 2018.

In 2021, the foundation celebrated two major milestones  reaching over $100,000 in total dollars available to grant out and reaching $1 million cumulative giving from the Community Grant Program since its inception. In 2022, the foundation was able to grant $148,595 to 23 local nonprofit organizations.

This cycle, the Winona Community Foundations Board of Directors awarded $55,240 to nine local nonprofits from the Community Grant Program. The following organizations received funding:

City of Lewiston: $6,872.50: to support replacing outdated and rusty swings at three of their parks to allow area youth, adults and families to have safe and quality equipment.

Dharma River: $4,500: to provide mental health support and skill building through Happiness Camps programming delivered in outdoor/natural settings.

Great River Shakespeare Festival: $3,000: to support their Pay-What-You-Will performances by subsidizing the reduced ticket price for three of these performances creating an opportunity for all community members, despite income level, to be able to attend a performance.

Home & Community Options: $5,958: to facilitate six-session workshops that provide education and support for caregivers in the community.

Lewiston Volunteer Ambulance: $4,883: To update their in-service training education program for volunteer clinicians and students in surrounding areas by providing low and medium fidelity simulation equipment.

Our Voices: $7,500: To support their 3rd Annual Juneteenth community celebration from June 16-17, 2023.

Winona County Dive Rescue Team: $7,500: to purchase new dry suits that allow the divers to safely dive in cold and freezing weather, as well as under ice, and protect them from other dangers such as rocks, rusty metal and fishing line.

Winona County Historical Society: $7,500: to create a new exhibit featuring Winona Lake Park Bandshell and the musical history of Winona County.

Winona Recovery Center: $7,500: to create a safe, supportive and chemical-free environment for individuals in recovery.

Creating a sustainable future

At its heart, the Foundation exists to serve as a permanent source of charitable dollars for the benefit of all who live, work, and play in this wonderful place we call home. These dollars come from people like you, who have a giving heart and a love for our community.

By contributing to the foundations community endowment, you are helping to build our community. The larger our community endowment gets, the greater impact we can have on our local nonprofits.

Funds to support the Community Grant Program are made possible in part through estate gifts made by Ramona L. Jezewski English and Wilmer & Beverly Larson. Community grants are also supported by individual donors and a percentage of Board designated funds including: the Thomas H. Laken Fund, the Sue & Jack Cornwell Fund, and the General Trust fund of the Winona Community Foundation.

For more information, please visit www.winonacf.org. You can contact our team directly at 507-454-6511 or wcf@winonacf.org. We look forward to reimagining the future with you!
Von der Leyen Wants To De-Risk EU on China since Xi Met with Putin

April 2, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said in a March 30 address to a meeting cosponsored by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics) and the European Policy Centre, that the European Union plans to reassess and de-risk relations with China, making Beijings position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict a crucial part of their future relations. How China continues to interact with Putins war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward, von der Leyen tried to threaten. She also called for bolder EU approaches to China, saying that China has become more repressive at home and more assertive abroad.

Von der Leyens speech prompted a strong reaction from the Chinese government. Wang Lutong, director general for European Affairs at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, tweeted on March 31: The EU side talks a lot about de-risking recently. If there is any risk, it is the risk of linking trade with ideology and national security and creating bloc confrontation. China is ready to work with the EU side to reject decoupling and promote global prosperity.

(Seeing how well the EU and NATO nations have de-risked their banking systems over the past decade or so while trying hard to avoid the threat of productive economic investment, the EU may have equal success with de-risking from a very productive China.)

Von der Leyen reportedly said that for the EU, decoupling from China was not advisable, being neither viable nor in Europes interest, but relations should be stress-tested and de-risked both politically and economically. She emphasized the March 21-22 summit of President Xi Jinping with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as, in itself, a great concern. She claimed that they wanted to drive geopolitical change around the world, as shown in Xis parting comment to Putin. But she quoted Xis actual commentRight now, there are changes, the likes of which we havent seen for 100 years. And we are the ones driving these changes togetherin which there was nothing geopolitical.

Lying further, von der Leyen said the Chinese Communist Partys clear goal is a systemic change of the international order, with China at its center. We have seen the show of friendship in Moscow which says a thousand words about this new vision for the international order.

RT reports von der Leyen as having hinted that the EU might abandon the pursuit of a major trade deal with China, which was agreed upon in 2020 but stalled by the European Parliament, referring to her assessment, beginning with

we have to recognize that the world and China have changed significantly in the last three yearsand we need to reassess the CAI [Comprehensive Agreement on Investment] in light of our wider China strategy. ... This is whyafter de-risking through diplomacythe second strand of our future China strategy must be economic de-risking. The starting point for this is having a clear-eyed picture on what the risks are. That means recognizing how Chinas economic and security ambitions have shifted. But it also means taking a critical look at our own resilience and dependencies, in particular within our industrial and defense base.

On April 5 von der Leyen, who de-risks without de-coupling, will travel to China, where she will join French President Emmanuel Macron in a threesome summit with President Xi Jinping. Macron, advice to de-risk aside, is heading a major business delegation to Beijing on April 4.
In much of Africa, traditional radio sets are widely used. Radios are more popular than smartphones and computers because internet service is not always available in many places in Africa.

The United Nations childrens agency studied school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said African countries south of the Sahara Desert had the highest percentage of schoolchildren who lacked internet during that time. Many students depended on solar-powered radio sets at home for their lessons.

Afrobarometer is a research group based in Accra, Ghana. It found that more than 80 percent of people in Africa own a mobile phone with access to a mobile phone network. But fewer than half have mobile phones with internet access. When asked, 28 percent of people in 34 African countries said they had access to a computer at home.

Afrobarometer said increasing information and communications technologies is important for most African countries, and for the continent as a whole.

The research group found radio is overwhelmingly the most common way of getting news in Africa. About 68 percent of respondents said they listened at least a few times a week, compared to about 40 percent who use social media and the internet.

Traditional radio sets are easier and less costly to use in comparison to internet service.

Many small radio sets now come with solar panels that permit people to listen to broadcasts even when they do not have electricity. Radios with a mobile phone charger and a light are popular. That kind of radio is very useful because electricity outages happen often in many parts of Africa and areas with internet can be far apart.

John Masuku has been a radio broadcaster for 50 years. He said many people trust information from their radio sets over other sources.

There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation, so people still want to checkif it is not said on radio then it is not fact. That is why radio is popular and celebrated in Africa, he said.

Broadcasts in local languages also get many radio listeners. Zimbabwes state radio and many community stations offer broadcasts in Shona, Ndebele and 12 other local languages, he said.

However, the way many people in Africa listen to the radio is changing as internet service improves. The number of people getting news at least a few times a week from social media, the internet, or both has almost doubled from 24 percent to 43 percent over the past 10 years, Afrobarometer found.

Stanley Tsarwe works in journalism studies at the University of Zimbabwe. He said the falling prices of mobile phones that can access radio stations is also changing how people listen to radio in Africa.

There is an ongoing convergence between radio and digital mobile technologies, especially the mobile phone, he said. Radio is integrating more rapidly with the mobile phone because it is much more accessible in Africa. The mobile phone is the future of radio in Africa, Tsarwe said.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Farai Mutsaka reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

mobile  adj. able to move from one place to another

digital  adj. using or characterized by computer technology

overwhelming  adj. very great in number, effect, or force

solar panel  n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

charger n. a device that provides electricity for computer, cell phones and other electronic equipment

converge  v. to come together and meet

integrate  v. to combine (two or more things) to form or create something

rapid  adj. happening in a short amount of time

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LEXINGTON  The Dawson County Commissioners approved soliciting bids for remodeling parts of the courthouse during their meeting on Friday, March 31.

The remodel involves the County Clerks room, the first floor bathrooms and turning the former court room space on the second floor into a new meeting room for the county commissioners.

Chairman Rod Reynolds said that he met with the architect on March 29 and that bid letting has been scheduled for April 12.

He said advertising for bids will run for three weeks and the bids will be opened with a recommendation being brought back to the commissioners the following week.

The first phase of the remodel will focus on the County Clerks office and bathrooms on the main floor. Reynolds noted they want to have work on the Clerks office done by October to be ready for election season.

The commissioners approved soliciting bids for the project.

The next item was to consider vacating a portion of County Drive 431 and Buffalo Road during their meeting on Friday, March 31.

The area in concern is north of Lexington, near the First Lutheran Church at Buffalo.

Road Superintendent Mark Christiansen appeared during the public hearing regarding the roads. He noted there would still be access to utilities in the area and the county will retain the right-of-way.

He said there is only one landowner in the area and there was no opposition noted by the public. The commissioners approved the vacation of the road portion.

Max McFarland with Macs Creek appeared regarding a special designated liquor license for an event that will be occurring on April 15. The commissioners approved the license.

The commissioners also approved changing the June 1 meeting date to May 31 and reviewed the first quarter PTO reports.

During the committee reports, Chairman Reynolds said dirt work on the new Road Department building in the southeast of Lexington should begin this week.

Commissioner Bill Stewart said a new air cooler will not be available until the end of May 2023, so the county may need to rent some coolers in the meantime.

Commissioner Rick Zarek on the technology committee noted he will be having a weekly meeting with TNT Cyber Solutions on Fridays. He also noted the county needs a fiber optic equipment upgrade as the County Assessors office had to wait several hours to pull a file for the state.

Zarek also noted the .gov email conversion that was approved is now in federal hands.

At 9:47 a.m., the commissioners voted to enter executive session to discuss litigation matters. The meeting was closed at 9:50 a.m., with no additional action being taken.

During the board of equalization meeting the commissioners approved requests for vehicle exemptions from Church of the Nazarene, the American Red Cross, Cozad Camping Ministry, The Church of God New Jerusalem and the Nebraska District Council Assemblies of God.

A tax correction was also approved for a parcel owned by Mailen Herrera Martin.
Children and families are invited to the YMCA at Gothenburg Health, the Don Sjogren Community YMCA in Holdrege and the Orthman Community YMCA in Lexington for FREE Healthy Kids Day events in April.

The Healthy Kids Day fun begins at the YMCA at Gothenburg Health (910 20th St.) on Wednesday, April 19, from 3-6 p.m. This event will include a Gaga Pit, 9square, bounce houses and snacks. It is a free event, and no registration is necessary.

Local and state organizations will come together in Gothenburg to promote healthy kids and families. Booths will include the Nebraska State Patrol, Gothenburg Fire, Gothenburg Health, Eastside Animal Hospital, Pony Express Family Dentistry, Gothenburg Eye Care, Gothenburg Discount Pharmacy, GECLC, First State bank, and many others.

The Gothenburg Y will host a Family Fun Color Run/Walk on Friday, April 28, in partnership with the Gothenburg Chamber of Comerce Spring Fling. Register by April 21 for an exclusive t-shirt. Register at the Gothenburg YMCA or on the YMCA app.

The Holdrege event takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, at the YMCA at 1415 Broadway. Free activities include bounce houses, games and community booths. Phelps Memorial Health Center will sponsor a food truck.

The YMCA Kids Duck Run encourages kids in grades K-6 to discover their potential and will begin at 6 p.m. Pre-registration is required for the Duck Run.

Following Healthy Kids Day, the Y will host a Duck Dive where participants can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses. Prizes will be awarded based on ducks selected from the pool.

The fun continues at the Orthman Y in Lexington (1207 N. Grant) on Friday, April 28, with a FREE meal of burgers, chips and a drink on a first-come, first-served basis. Activities will include bounce houses, Spider Mountain, vendors and more.

The first 200 kids at the event will receive a beach towel, sunglasses and sunblock courtesy of the YMCA.

This year, the Orthman YMCA is also partnering with Sixpence on this event.

Kids are invited to participate in the 1-mile Color Run at 5:30 p.m. The race is for children ages 4 to Grade 8. There is a registration fee for the race, which also includes a t-shirt if registered by April 20.

For more information, visit www.ymcaoftheprairie.org or stop by the YMCA at Gothenburg Health in Gothenburg at 910 20th Street, the Othman Community YMCA in Lexington at 1207 N. Grant or the Don Sjogren Community YMCA in Holdrege at 1415 Broadway.
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Two signature restaurants at MGM  Imperial Court at MGM MACAU and Five Foot Road at MGM COTAI, have been recognized for their culinary excellence with listings in the prestigious 100 Top Tables 2023 hosted by internationally renowned media, South China Morning Post (SCMP). This recognition serves as a testament to MGMs unwavering strive to strengthen Macaus position as a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Gastronomy, meanwhile promoting Chinese culture through gastronomy and craftsmanship.

Published annually, the SCMP 100 Top Tables guide names the best restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau, honors and celebrates the Food and Beverage industry of both cities. Coming to its 11th edition, the signature dining guide has been recognized as the definitive guide to the executive dining scene in Hong Kong and Macau.

Upon receiving the two recognitions, Geoffrey Simmons, Vice President of Food & Beverage at MGM, expressed his appreciation. Imperial Court, featuring Lingnan specialties and Five Foot Road of authentic Chengdu-Sichuanese cuisine are the two crown jewels of Macaus dining scene, both uniquely positioned to demonstrate the-state-of-the art of fine dining in regional Chinese cuisine, well-received by connoisseurs in the region. This recognition is a testimony to our pursuit of excellence in culinary and service and most of all, our desire to share the great stories of Chinese culture to guests from near and afar. We will continue to offer one-of-a-kind dining experiences with originality and innovation to elevate the Macau gastronomic landscape.

Essence of Lingnan Culinary Craftsmanship

Listed on the SCMP 100 Top Tables once again, Imperial Court serves enticing classic Lingnan culinary fare with a modern, reinvented twist. The grand dining room of restaurant is home to a signature ornamental column featuring a masterful craving of a dragon, which coheres with the exquisite Liuli (traditional colored glaze used by ancient Chinese royal families) tableware. While the menu pays tributes to the essence of Lingnan culinary culture, which are seasonality, balanced seasoning and focus on the original flavors of ingredients, Chef de Cuisine Homan Tsui also values creativity in his practice at Imperial Court, pushing him to continue expanding horizons of gastronomy enthusiasts. Taste the gem of Lingnan cuisine with the Crispy fried chicken skin with shrimp mousse and salted fish flakes, a handcrafted classic reinvented by Chef Homan to a whole new level.

Authentic Chengdu-Sichuanese Cuisine

Sichuanese restaurant Five Foot Road takes guests back in time to the Sichuanese fine dining experience of official banquets and soiree for the respected society held at the mansions of Chengdu back in the early 20th century. Stepping into the Chinese ornamented dining room with landscape paintings and poetry calligraphies, guests embark on a multi-sensory discovery journey with the most authentic delicacies that bring flavors beyond the public perception of fiery and hot. With nearly 40 years of culinary experience, Chef Yang Dengquan, Chef de Cuisine of the restaurant, delivers the daintiest side of Sichuanese authentic cooking with his combination of meticulous execution and high-quality ingredients, introducing the distinctive 24 flavors of Sichuan Cuisine to locals and tourists. Numerous classic Chengdu dishes served at the mansions of the old times are featured on the restaurants, including theStewed minced chicken bouillon with birds nest, which brings a long-lasting fragrance is known as the epitome of Chengdu cuisine.

For restaurants enquiry and reservation, please call (853) 8802 3888.
The citys casinos have recorded the best month in three years as gaming revenues surge 247% and Macau sees an influx of tourists following promotions in the neighboring regions.

Data from the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau shows gross gaming revenue in March has reached 12.7 billion patacas, topping the median analyst estimate of a 205% year-on-year increase, with the highest monthly takings since January 2020.

Although the figure was still approximately half of pre-pandemic levels, last months figures increased 23% month-to-month.

Between 2020 to 2022, casino operators lost USD1.6 billion as a result of the citys adherence to Chinas zero-Covid policy that prevented entry by tourists.

Tourist arrivals are currently on the increase.

Last month, on March 22, the city saw its highest count of tourist arrivals in three years at 96,011, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) announced in a statement.

The first 22 days of March, meanwhile, achieved an average count of 65,000 per day, which was 13.4% more than the daily average in February.

Casino operators are pledging to invest billions in non-gaming elements, as required by the new gaming law that came into effect this year.

However, the Fitch Ratings expects this to be slow, amid the operators moves in launching non-gaming offerings.

We expect the diversification into non-gaming industries to remain slow. Human capital constraints and skill gaps pose a key challenge for Macau to substantially reduce its high dependence on the gaming industry, said the institution in a report earlier.

Also, junket operators will remain sensitive to tight regulatory scrutiny in both Macau and mainland China.
The commemorative exhibition of the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Basic Law of Macau, organized by the Legal Affairs Bureau, the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Education and Youth Development Bureau, opened yesterday and will run for two consecutive months.

Unlike traditional photographic exhibitions, this exhibition uses interactive multimedia. It presents visitors with more than 350 photographs recording the significant changes that have taken place in Macau over the last 180 years. It includes historical photographs of important moments, such as the Sino-Portuguese negotiations, the signing of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the enactment and implementation of the Macau Basic Law.

In addition to offering guided tours at the exhibition site, the organizing body has also organized visits by teachers and students from various primary and secondary schools to deepen young peoples knowledge of the Basic Law and to increase their sense of national identity, according to a statement issued by the government.

The exhibition will continue from today until June 2 for two consecutive months, at the Science Center. There will be guided tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In addition to the exhibition at the Science Centre, itinerant community exhibitions will also be launched in the middle of this month, visiting community areas of Macau, Taipa and Coloane to raise awareness and publicize the Basic Law. On Sundays, the Macau Lawyers Association will provide legal consultation services to residents attending the traveling exhibitions. Staff Reporter
Li Hongzhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the National Peoples Congress Standing Committee, attended the SARs conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of Macau.

Li said over the 30 years after the promulgation of the Basic Law of Macau, particularly since its implementation on Dec. 20, 1999, the Basic Law has formed the constitutional foundation for the Macau SAR together with the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China, defined the constitutional order of Macau, and provided all-round legal guarantee for the development of various causes in Macau.

Well implementing the Basic Law of the Macau SAR is significant to writing new chapters for One country, two systems practices in Macau, Li said, adding that efforts must be made to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, practically implement the central authorities overall jurisdiction, firmly implement the principle of patriots administering Macau, and continue stepping up promotions of the Constitution and the Basic Law of the Macau SAR. Xinhua
Italy is temporarily blocking the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT in the wake of a data breach as it investigates a possible violation of stringent European Union data protection rules, the governments privacy watchdog said Friday.

The Italian Data Protection Authority said it was taking provisional action until ChatGPT respects privacy, including temporarily limiting the company from processing Italian users data.

U.S.-based OpenAI, which developed the chatbot, said late Friday night it has disabled ChatGPT for Italian users at the governments request. The company said it believes its practices comply with European privacy laws and hopes to make ChatGPT available again soon.

While some public schools and universities around the world have blocked ChatGPT from their local networks over student plagiarism concerns, Italys action is the first nation-scale restriction of a mainstream AI platform by a democracy, said Alp Toker, director of the advocacy group NetBlocks, which monitors internet access worldwide.

The restriction affects the web version of ChatGPT, popularly used as a writing assistant, but is unlikely to affect software applications from companies that already have licenses with OpenAI to use the same technology driving the chatbot, such as Microsofts Bing search engine.

The AI systems that power such chatbots, known as large language models, are able to mimic human writing styles based on the huge trove of digital books and online writings they have ingested.

The Italian watchdog said OpenAI must report within 20 days what measures it has taken to ensure the privacy of users data or face a fine of up to either 20 million euros (nearly $22 million) or 4% of annual global revenue.

The agencys statement cites the EUs General Data Protection Regulation and pointed to a recent data breach involving ChatGPT users conversations and information about subscriber payments.

OpenAI earlier announced that it had to take ChatGPT offline on March 20 to fix a bug that allowed some people to see the titles, or subject lines, of other users chat history.

Our investigation has also found that 1.2% of ChatGPT Plus users might have had personal data revealed to another user, the company had said. We believe the number of users whose data was actually revealed to someone else is extremely low and we have contacted those who might be impacted.

Italys privacy watchdog, known as the Garante, also questioned whether OpenAI had legal justification for its massive collection and processing of personal data used to train the platforms algorithms. And it said ChatGPT can sometimes generate  and store  false information about individuals.

Finally, it noted theres no system to verify users ages, exposing children to responses absolutely inappropriate to their age and awareness.

OpenAI said in response that it works to reduce personal data in training our AI systems like ChatGPT because we want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals.

We also believe that AI regulation is necessary  so we look forward to working closely with the Garante and educating them on how our systems are built and used, the company said.

The Italian watchdogs move comes as concerns grow about the artificial intelligence boom. A group of scientists and tech industry leaders published a letter Wednesday calling for companies such as OpenAI to pause the development of more powerful AI models until the fall to give time for society to weigh the risks.

The president of Italys privacy watchdog agency told Italian state TV Friday evening he was one of those who signed the appeal. Pasquale Stanzione said he did so because its not clear what aims are being pursued ultimately by those developing AI.

If AI should impinge on a persons self-determination then this is very dangerous, Stanzione said. He also described the absence of filters for users younger than 13 as rather grave.

San Francisco-based OpenAIs CEO, Sam Altman, announced this week that hes embarking on a six-continent trip in May to talk about the technology with users and developers. That includes a stop planned for Brussels, where European Union lawmakers have been negotiating sweeping new rules to limit high-risk AI tools, as well as visits to Madrid, Munich, London and Paris.

European consumer group BEUC called Thursday for EU authorities and the blocs 27 member nations to investigate ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots. BEUC said it could be years before the EUs AI legislation takes effect, so authorities need to act faster to protect consumers from possible risks. FRANCES DEMILIO & MATT OBRIEN, ROME, MDT/AP
The Macau Journalists Association demands the government better safeguard freedom of speech in its submission to the parliament on two bills being considered.

The two bills are the Amendment Bill to the Law on Safeguarding National Security and the Bill on Safeguarding National Secrets.

The submission pointed out that the proposed amendments include a new offence  overthrowing or undermining the root system established by the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China, which is Article 3.1 of the Bill.

The group cited the government as explaining previously that the root system refers to the framework pursuant to Article 1 and Chapter 3 of the Chinese Constitution, which the group finds to be an overhaul of Article 4 in the Bill. Article 4 concerns sedition and the incitement of sedition.

Therefore, the group questions the grounds on which incitement to undermine the root system established by the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China is found and the elements for the proposed offence.

Additionally, it demands the government clarify if the proposed provision will be applicable to scenarios such as expressing different political opinions, discussing the possible development of Macaus political system and criticizing policies or officials.

Moreover, they claim that the differentiation between criticism and sedition is unclear, meaning that there are grey areas that may confuse the public.

On the Bill on state secrets, the group first and foremost pointed out that the current version was mostly derived from the counterpart law of mainland China, with a vast number of new concepts and therefore more difficult to grasp.

In particular, the group pointed out, Article 9 of the Bill lists eight categories of classifiable information with broad scope. Under this, even non-governmental activities related to economic and social development may be considered state secrets.

For journalists who collect a large amount of information on a daily basis, the group explained, the ambiguity of definitions is a bottomless abyss, creating potential legal risks and pressures that will limit their sources of information and may result in self-censorship, which will eventually jeopardize the publics access to information.

As for what constitutes endangering national security or interests once [state secrets are] leaked, this critical concept has not been clarified by the authorities and is prone to subjective understanding. Future suspects may find it difficult to defend themselves.

The group concedes that, in most circumstances, members of the public do not need to know the actual content of state secrets, but stresses that they need a clear definition.

It also considers the proposed Article 9.1, which suggests that secrets in major political decisions be considered state secrets, contradictory to the fact that major decisions deserve scrutiny by the public and the press in particular. The group thus questions whether news materials reported today will be considered classified tomorrow.

With the Bill proposing classifying certain materials related to the economic and social development of Macau, the association pointed out that lawmakers should do their best to eradicate grey areas because the provision itself is confusing.

What is even more concerning, the association added, is that, in addition to tangible documents or carriers that must be marked as confidential according to the Bill, any officially recognized fact or action can be considered a state secret, regardless of its carrier or form (Article 2.2), which gives room to limitless legal interpretations.

The association suggests that matters that are required by local laws and regulations to be disclosed should not be classified as state secrets.
A new service operated by Bamboo Airways from Vietnam started operations yesterday, with an inauguration ceremony held at the Macau International Airport.

The Macau MTP Travel Agency Limited initiated the regular charter service with an agreement signed on Jan. 15 this year.

At the inauguration ceremony, Sou Hoi, managing director of the travel agency, said the flight was the first post-pandemic service between China and Vietnam.

He believes the inauguration of the flights, as well as expected improvements on visa requirements, will encourage people from Macau to visit Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnamese people will also be enticed to visit Macau.

The flight took a Macau tourism industry delegation to Nha Trang, to experience the destination as well as conduct an exchange with their counterparts in Vietnam. Efforts will be made to attract tourists from Vietnam.

From its inauguration yesterday until early November, the flight will see services on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Times for Nha Trang-Macau and Macau-Nha Trang flights are 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 5:40 p.m.

Bamboo Airways, Vietnams second private airline company, made its maiden flight in Jan. 2019. Its first international flight was between Da Nang and Taiwan Taoyuan. AL
When former President Donald Trump turns himself over to authorities in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, and is arraigned, the charges on which a Manhattan grand jury indicted him will likely be made public.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg obtained the indictment on March 30, 2023, following a grand jury vote, but the exact charges against Trump remain sealed. Multiple media sources are reporting the indictment alleges the former president committed business fraud.

I am a former prosecutor and law professor who studies the criminal justice system. While the complexities of Trumps case will continue to unfold, The Conversation asked me to break down the complex legal situation. Here are four key points to understand about the prosecution and what will likely come next.

1. Falsified business records are the key issue

From what we understand of the investigation, the charges against Trump appear to stem from a US$130,000 payment in 2016 by Trumps then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to an adult film star, Stormy Daniels. In return, Daniels promised not to tell the media about her alleged affair with Trump.

Media reports suggest that there could be about 30 counts against Trump, and at least some of those counts will be felonies.

Just the fact that there are so many counts does not mean that there are many different criminal events or kinds of crimes alleged. Prosecutors often charge similar, repeated conduct  for example, multiple drug sales  as separate counts. In this case, the multiple counts may refer to a series of business records that record the same or similar transactions. Or the charges may, indeed, span multiple alleged criminal events.

Media reports indicate that Bragg does not appear to be alleging that Trumps payment to Daniels was itself illegal.

Instead, Trump will likely be charged with falsifying business records for trying to hide the payment by lying about its nature in the records of the Trump Organization, his company.

Creating a false business record with the intent to defraud is a Class A misdemeanor offense in New York. But the offense can become a low-level Class E felony if Bragg can prove that Trump created false business records for the purpose of facilitating a second crime.

It is not yet clear what the second crime will be  or even that a second crime is being alleged  but possibilities include federal or state campaign finance violations or tax evasion.

2. Bragg will have to prove Trumps involvement, fraudulent intent

If there is a trial, the prosecution will have to put together a series of pieces to secure a conviction on each of the charges facing Trump.

First, the prosecution would have to prove that the Daniels payment was recorded by Trump officials as something clearly inaccurate. It is not enough to show that the payment was recorded ambiguously  like miscellaneous or even legal services. The business records at issue must be unequivocally false.

Second, it is not necessary that Trump himself created false records. The prosecution would just have to prove that Trump was the direct cause of the false entry  meaning someone followed his specific directions.

Third, the prosecution would have to prove that Trump created the false record for a fraudulent purpose and, to prove a felony, with the specific purpose of committing  or covering up  another crime.

This is important because there could be other potentially plausible reasons the defense might offer, including that Trump sought to avoid embarrassment to his family or himself. Another option is indifference, that Trump gave little thought to how the transaction was recorded. Thats why the details of the allegedly false records, and Trumps degree of involvement in their creation, will be central questions at trial.

Finally, for the felony offense, the prosecution would also have to prove that there was another crime that was either committed or covered up by using this false business record.

3. Its the most complex straightforward case in history

While everyone will be watching to see if this case is handled like other cases, differences are inevitable. For example, the New York Police Department and court officers will need to coordinate the arrest process with Trumps Secret Service agents.

Further complications will arise if there is any prospect of incarceration. Based on what we know now, there is little prospect that Trump will be jailed pending trial for this allegation of a nonviolent crime. And even if he is ultimately convicted, its still unlikely hell be locked up, based on the nature of the charges and his lack of a prior criminal record. That said, judges have broad discretion in determining sentences.

That is only a small window into the logistical challenges that await the Manhattan district attorneys office and the New York courts. If this were any other defendant, this would be a relatively straightforward case, the kind that make up the hundreds of cases in a typical prosecutors caseload.

However, Trump is not any other defendant. That means this is likely to be the most complex straightforward case in American history.

4. The judicial process will be a messy affair

Most low-level felony and misdemeanor cases are resolved before trial, especially when there is no obvious victim. Typically, the prosecution will offer a plea deal, perhaps including a term of probation, or even propose a diversion program with community service, for example, which will lead to a dismissal of the charges.

It will be interesting to see if Bragg makes an offer along those lines. Even if he does, defendants must typically admit guilt to take advantage of these arrangements, and Trump may refuse for political, personal or legal reasons to admit guilt.

So its likely the case will go to trial, a process that will be messy for many reasons  most importantly, the jury.

When choosing a jury in a criminal case, the trial judge is supposed to screen out potential jurors who are biased in favor of, or against, the defendant. Thats normally easy because the jurors have usually never have heard of the defendant.

But most potential jurors will have opinions about Trump and many will need to be excused from jury service because of a lack of objectivity.

In a trial with this much media attention, there will also be people who have strong feelings about Trump and want to be on the jury. Some of them may hide their biases. Thats a problem by itself.

Then, once the trial starts, the media attention will shine a spotlight on the selected jurors. If it becomes clear that the jurors lied or failed to disclose information in jury selection, that could be grounds for removing them from the jury in the middle of the trial. If enough jurors are removed, the case will end in a mistrial, sending everyone back to square one.

So, while there is a lot about this prosecution that isnt yet clear to the general public, one thing is clear  this will be a case with unprecedented attention and complexity. Jeffrey Bellin, William & Mary Law School, MDT/THE CONVERSATION
On this version of Hot off the Wire (posted April 3 at 4 p.m. CT):

Former President Donald Trump has arrived in New York from his home in Florida for his historic booking and arraignment. As he prepared to head into Manhattan, the nations largest city was bolstering security and warning potential agitators that it is not a playground for your misplaced anger.

A top official in Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner says an autopsy determined the cause of death for Irvo Otieno was positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints."

Residents across a wide swath of the U.S. are racing to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast.

Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A giant red spoon that was stolen from an Arizona Dairy Queen and sparked a mystery on social media was found and its partly thanks to Pokemon GO.

Riding terrific reviews and a strong word-of-mouth, the role playing game adaptation Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opened with $38.5 million in U.S. and Canadian movie theaters over the weekend. That is according to studio estimates Sunday, stealing the top box-office perch from John Wick: Chapter 4.

NASA has named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year. The first moon crew in 50 years includes the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will officially join the military alliance on Tuesday.

Grammy winners Tanya Tucker and Patty Loveless, along with hit country songwriter Bob McDill, are going into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Associated PressSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
TOKYO  Ryuichi Sakamoto, a world-renowned Japanese musician and actor who composed for Hollywood hits such as "The Last Emperor" and "The Revenant," has died. He was 71.

Japan's recording company Avex said in a statement Sunday that Sakamoto died on March 28 while undergoing treatment for cancer.

He was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014. In 2022, he revealed that he had terminal cancer, a year after he disclosed suffering from rectal cancer.

Sakamoto was a pioneer of the electronics music of the late 1970s and founded the Yellow Magic Orchestra, also known as YMO, with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.

Takahashi died in January. Despite his battle with cancer, Sakamoto released a full-length album "12" on his 71st birthday in January, stating that composing had a "small healing effect on my damaged body and soul," according to the official statement released with the latest album.

He was a world-class musician, winning an Oscar and Grammy for the 1987 movie "The Last Emperor."

Sakamoto was also an actor, starring in the BAFTA-winning 1983 film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence."

He was mostly based in New York in recent years, though he regularly visited Japan.

Born in Tokyo in 1952, Sakamoto started studying music at the age of 10 and was influenced by Debussy and the Beatles.

The statement from Avex said that despite his sickness, when he was feeling relatively well, he kept working on his music in his home studio. "To his final days, he lived with music," it said.

The statement expressed gratitude to the doctors who had treated him in the U.S. and Japan, as well as to all his fans around the world. It referenced the words Sakamoto loved: "Ars longa, vita brevis," which refers to the longevity of art, no matter how short human life might be.

Sakamoto also left his mark as a pacifist and environmental activist. He spoke out against nuclear power following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant meltdowns caused by an earthquake and tsunami.

He took part in rallies and made speeches in Tokyo, and was among a group of respected Japanese artists, like the Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe, who were not afraid to take an unpopular stand on political issues.

In a July 2012 rally, he got up on stage and read from notes on an iPhone, warning Japan not to risk people's lives for electricity.

"Life is more important than money," he said in Japanese, then added in English, "Keeping silent after Fukushima is barbaric."

He also appeared in advertising for Nissan electric cars, although he acknowledged he got a bashing for being so commercial. At his home in New York, he gets electricity from a company that relies on renewables, he said.

"How we make electricity is going to diversify, with fossil fuel and nuclear power declining," Sakamoto told The Associated Press in an interview in 2012.
DOVER, Del.  A voting machine company's defamation case against Fox News over its airing of false allegations about the 2020 presidential election will go to trial after a Delaware judge on Friday ruled that a jury must decide whether the network aired the claims with actual malice, the standard for proving libel against public figures.

Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled that neither Fox nor Dominion Voting Systems had presented a convincing argument to prevail on whether Fox acted with malice without the case going to trial. But he also ruled that the statements Dominion had challenged constitute defamation "per se" under New York law. That means Dominion did not have to prove damages to establish liability by Fox.

"The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that (it) is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true," Davis wrote in his summary judgment ruling.

The decision paves the way for a trial start in mid-April.

Dominion is suing the network for $1.6 billion, claiming Fox defamed it by repeatedly airing false allegations by then-President Donald Trump and his allies in the weeks after the 2020 election.

Fox's failure to reveal evidence contradicting the fraud claims "indicates that its reporting was not disinterested," the judge wrote.
Two 30-year-old Madison men were charged Monday in the Thursday shooting death of a 39-year-old man in the parking lot of a troubled housing project for the formerly homeless on the citys Far West Side.

Charles T. Washington White is charged with first-degree intentional homicide and being a felon in possession of a firearm, while Jarvyous D. Davis is charged with harboring or aiding a felon, possessing a firearm as a felon and bail jumping. According to a criminal complaint in the case, Davis told police he and the victim, identified in court papers as Scott L. Ellis, had been romantically involved with the same woman.

Davis also told police that he and Washington White are brothers, and both men told police that Ellis, who also went by Breezy, began reaching for a handgun in the waistband of his pants before Washington White shot him.

Dane County Assistant District Attorney Rafael J. Torres Rodriguez said during the bond hearings for the men on Monday that Washington White shot Ellis at least four times, and that Davis later hid the murder weapon for him. The Dane County Medical Examiners office found Ellis had been shot in both thighs, his abdomen and his pelvis.

Court Commissioner Jason Hanson set bail at $1 million for Washington White and $50,000 for Davis. Rodriguez had asked for $1 million for Washington White and $750,000 for Davis.

According to the criminal complaint:

Video surveillance from the Tree Lane building showed Davis and Washington White in the buildings second-floor hallway and then in a stairwell that overlooks the buildings parking lot, at which point Washington White appears to see a white Ford Crown Victoria that police say was associated with Ellis. He then gets Davis attention and points to the vehicle.

Video next captures them outside the building and Ellis retrieving a gun from the trunk of the Crown Victoria and putting it in his waistband. Ellis then shuts the door of the car and begins walking toward Davis and Washington White, who opens fire. Police do not report in the complaint seeing evidence that Ellis moved to draw his gun.

A relative described in the complaint only as TH then drove both Davis and Washington White to a home in the 800 block of Lothe Street in Sun Prairie, where the gun was later found under a bathroom sink.

Washington White initially denied to police that he was at the Tree Lane building but then admitted to being there after being shown the video footage. Davis initially denied to police that he had a gun until police showed him a photo of the gun found in the Sun Prairie home.

The Tree Lane site is home to Heartland Housing of Chicagos $11.7 million apartment building aimed at providing permanent housing with support services for 45 of the citys neediest homeless families. Opened in June 2018, the facility represented the citys second big experiment with a housing first approach to homelessness, but it has also required much police attention, often involving nonresidents, and has been designated a chronic nuisance.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Friday he couldnt say why the shooting happened outside the building but that the location was part of the motive for the shooting.

The Tree Lane property has seen a high volume of police calls since its opening. Police received 311 calls in the first eight months after it opened in 2018; 455 in 2019; 395 in 2020; 407 in 2021; 357 in 2022; and 91 in the first three months of 2023, records show.
Students at Holy Cross Lutheran School get a chance to play a musical instrument that most schools dont teach.

The seventh- and eighth-graders take a handbell music class for most of the school year. They sometimes play at regular church services at Holy Cross Lutheran Church or at chapel services and at other occasions.

I realized we are kind of lucky, eighth-grader Isaac Abraham said.

Besides the chance to play an instrument that few people ever pick up, some students said playing handbells also provides an opportunity to learn an instrument with ease.

Its a safe instrument to learn. Sometimes its really hard to learn other instruments, seventh-grader Addyson Brakmanis said. It is so stressful to learn how to do other instruments. This was so easy.

Addyson said when she started she was surrounded by people who already knew how to play handbells and if you mess up its OK. She likes that it is a way to express yourself.

Eighth-grader Delaney Collyard also said handbells were easy to learn to play, and music director Nedra Griffin is part of the comfort level because she is not hard on students.

You start playing, as soon as you get the tempo right, you feel right at home, seventh-grader Moses Martin said. It is surprising how easy it is to get into it and you still have this fantastic sound ... Youll be surprised how easy it is to have a lot of fun.

The music is super pretty, Delaney said. It is a super easy way to praise God through music.

Seventh-grader Claira Fregien said she first thought handbells were a weird instrument and they wouldnt produce much sound, but together they are cool and fun.

I like how it all comes together, eighth-grader Katelyn Starkenburg said. It is very rewarding that you get to play in chapel and church and everybody can see what youve been working on.

Handbells give students a chance to play an instrument even if they dont have the inclination or time to practice outside of school or dont have the money to purchase one, Griffin said.

It is a unique opportunity for the kids, Griffin said. For those kids, whether they are musical or not, it is just something different.

She said she circles the notes with markers  red for ones played with the right hand and blue for ones played with the left hand  so it makes it easier for students to play.

With bells, you are just ringing with your hands, she said.

Yet students are able to produce a beautiful piece, and that gets them excited, Griffin said.

It is a way for them to all be together and learn together, I am hoping in a fun setting, Griffin said. I love working with the kids.

Because of the number of students, they are divided into two groups that meet on different days. During the third quarter of the year, the students switch to choral pop singing as a choir to prepare for a performance in the Lakeside Fine Arts Festival. Beginning April 25, the handbell groups will begin practicing to play at the schools eighth-grade graduation ceremony.

For some occasions both groups will play, and at other times they alternate. In addition to playing at some regular Sunday services, once a month on average the students play handbells during the weekly Wednesday chapel service during the school year. They also play at the Veterans Day program at the school. Both groups play for the schools Christmas program, and one of the groups performs for the Sunday School Christmas program. Last year the students went out into the community and played in the chapel at the All Saints Assisted Living facility for the residents and staff.

When Griffin moved to Madison from Minnesota, she started playing in the adult handbell choir at Holy Cross Lutheran Church to become more involved in the congregation and because she loves music. But when the director of the schools handbell choir stepped down, she was asked if she wanted to fill that role, and for the past two years she has been directing the adult handbell choir. This year her role at the school expanded when she became the music director.

For last years graduation, Griffin separated the handbell musicians into seventh-grade and eighth-grade groups, and each played a different secular piece. The eighth-graders played The Lord of the Rings theme song, which was a detailed piece for them, Griffin said.

She said some of the students were really into the The Lord of the Rings book, and the music gave students the chance to use different techniques, such as striking the bells with a mallet, which gives a muffled sound. The students also used chimes, which have an external clapper mechanism, unlike handbells.

It is a very unique experience we get to do, seventh-grader Parker Griffin said. I just feel very blessed that I get to do this with all my friends and just praise God.
Dane County has added more people than any other community in Wisconsin since 2020, minting 5,600 new residents while the rest of the state struggled to even come close.

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau show the countys population growth continues after clocking in with a 15% increase, about 73,000 people, between 2010 and 2020.

Between July 2020 and July 2022, the county grew by 1%, bringing its total population to 568,203 residents, according to the census.

But, county by county, the vast majority of communities had far more modest changes in population. Statewide, Wisconsin lost residents during the past three years despite modest growth over the previous decade.

The county with the second-highest growth in residents was Waukesha, which added about 3,000 residents, a 0.73% increase. The suburban Milwaukee county was followed by St. Croix and Ozaukee counties, which added 2,143 and 1,396 residents respectively.

Milwaukee County accelerated its population decline, losing a staggering 20,000 people during the past three years. The states biggest county lost about 8,200 people over the previous decade.

Those losses spilled over into nearby counties, with Kenosha County losing about 1,400 people and Racine losing about 1,700.

Grant County lost about 1.4% of its population, around 700 people. Dodge County lost 1.2% of its residents, about 1,100 people.

Wisconsin lost around 3,700 people during the past three years after growing 3.6% between 2010 and 2020.
Recently, Wisconsin Watch revealed how members of the Wisconsin Legislatures powerful budget committee secretly hold up projects or programs they dont like.

They often do so, reporter Jacob Resneck found, without following a state law that requires the committee to schedule a hearing within 14 working days of such an objection. The hearings are designed to let the public, stakeholders and other lawmakers debate the merits of the expenditure.

And even in cases where a hearing is held, agencies and interested parties may not be allowed to speak.

The effect is a secretive pocket veto over projects and programs, ranging in recent years from $15.5 million for recreational access along the Pelican River, to a historic fraternity house remodel in Madison, to a $17.5 million program to encourage low-income Wisconsinites on Medicaid to become vaccinated  all without a public hearing or explanation.

Backers of some of these projects say they are left in the dark about who is objecting or why, with no opportunity to address concerns.

Theres no transparency to the process, obviously. We dont even know where to go, said Bart Kocha, director of a nonprofit whose grant to restore an historic mansion near Madisons Lake Mendota was secretly blocked without a hearing.

Republicans who run the Legislature have used the maneuver more frequently in recent years, Resneck found, especially to halt recreational or conservation projects. But these anonymous vetoes have been around for years, used by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

That doesnt make it right.

This stealth maneuver also opens the door to corruption. Imagine the power a lawmaker wields by single-handedly and secretly blocking a project that a person or group has worked months or years to bring to fruition. What would that lawmaker want in return for lifting the objection?

Quote box These anonymous vetoes have been around for years, used by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

This is not a theoretical threat.

In 2002, then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, was charged with extortion for pressuring backers and opponents of an historic preservation project to donate to state Senate candidates of Chvalas choosing. Both sides coughed up money to win Chvalas approval, according to the criminal complaint. The extortion charge was later dismissed as part of a plea deal, but Chvala still ended up being sentenced to nine months in jail for other offenses.

In his 2023-25 budget, Gov. Tony Evers is proposing to do away with this secretive process when it comes to conservation and recreational projects paid for by stewardship funds. But GOP lawmakers have already vowed to rip up the document and start over, leaving little chance the Legislature will adopt Evers idea.

This is not the only stealth move lawmakers use. They also can add anonymously authored amendments to the state budget, which carries its own opportunity for mischief.

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Councils Legislative Wish List includes a call to lawmakers to prohibit any rule, motion, bill or amendment from being introduced without a clearly identified sponsor and cosponsors.

Lawmakers have the chance to do the right thing  and finally let some sunlight into their murky budget process.
My phone buzzed with a news alert, which happens numerous times throughout the day.

This one, at 1:45 p.m. on Monday, was yet another mass shooting. My stomach turned queasy anticipating the details. I knew they would be horrifying  they always are. But I feared the worst  and as I read on, learning of the unthinkable deaths of three 9-year-old children at a Nashville elementary school, I was sickened, and right.

Shaken and absorbed by the tragic news, I looked up from my phone and found myself, of all places, at my sons elementary school.

I was there with other parents to watch his grade perform a jazz concert. I looked around at the other moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, smiling, laughing, chatting with each other  did they know the news? I hoped not.

As we waited for our kiddos to file into the common room and put on their show, I couldnt wait to take my son home after his concert. I needed to hug him, hold him, and keep him safe. I got to do that yesterday. The parents of three children in Nashville didnt. I cant imagine their heartache.

As parents, its also our job to protect our kids. And the mom in me is frustrated, saddened, and terrified as that job becomes harder and harder in the face of so much violence  and complacency.

The data is conclusive: mass shootings have surged over the past decade, up from 273 in 2014 to a nauseating 690 in 2021. This year, just a quarter of the way through, we are already at 131. This is appalling.

Gun-related deaths by suicide are up. Gun-related deaths by homicide are up. Last year, firearms replaced car accidents as the leading cause of death for children. How are we so willing to accept this menace to society?

As a law-abiding gun owner and former NRA member, I will be the first to say what many on the gun-rights side refuse to say: We have a gun problem. This is inarguable and obvious to anyone with a conscience and a calculator.

But Im sad to say, the prevailing political factors are not favorable to tackling this issue, a scourge that affects every single American and our declining quality of life.

Who could be optimistic that lawmakers will make any significant changes to our gun laws, even changes a majority of Americans want? Things like universal background checks, raising the age minimum to buy an assault weapon, high capacity magazine bans, and stronger red flag laws have been a bridge too far.

While President Joe Biden is renewing calls for an assault weapon ban, that prospect is pure fantasy. Very few, if any, Republicans will cross the NRA or their voters to support it. And even many Democrats are afraid to go that far, still haunted by the memory of 1994, when the GOP picked up eight Senate seats and 54 House seats in the midterms, just two months after Democrats passed an assault weapon ban.

The rights fetishization of guns over the past decade has turned assault weapons into political dog whistles and sacred cows, brandished proudly and, often, incongruously, as proof of their MAGA bonafides.

In 2021, Rep. Andy Ogles posted his family Christmas card, with them posing with rifles in front of a Christmas tree, to social media. Ogles Nashville district was the scene of the shooting.

Then, theres the creep of complacency, which, counterintuitively, seems to grow with every mass shooting, not recede.

Take Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, who told cameras on Monday that were not gonna fix it.

My daddy fought in the second World War, fought in the Pacific, fought the Japanese. And he told me, he said, Buddy, if somebody wants to take you out and doesnt mind losing their life, theres not a whole heck of a lot you can do about it. 

The idea that we just have to live with this is stomach-churning.

Its also a deeply sad commentary on the collapse of American values. We can no longer solve problems? Well surrender to the terrorism of mass shooters? Well sacrifice our children on the altar of assault weapons?

Theres no life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness for the families of the Nashville shooting, nor the families of tens of thousands of victims of gun violence every year. And the rest of us just have to wait, knowing there will be another  and hope its not in our backyard.
VATICAN CITY  Bundled in a long, white coat and battling a hoarse voice, Pope Francis presided over Mass in St. Peter's Square before tens of thousands of faithful on Palm Sunday, a day after he left a Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis.

The sun broke through the clouds during the Mass, one of the longest services on the Church's calendar, as Francis, red vestments placed over his coat, sat in a chair under a canopy erected in the square.

He took his place there after standing and clutching a braided palm branch in a popemobile that drove at the tail end of a long, solemn procession of cardinals, other prelates and rank-and-file Catholics. Participants carried palm fronds or olive tree branches.

Francis, 86, received antibiotics administered intravenously during his three-day stay. He last previous appearance in St. Peter's Square saw him conduct his regular Wednesday public audience. He was taken to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic that same day after feeling ill.

BRIEFLY

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Asa Hutchinson, who recently completed two terms as Arkansas governor, said Sunday he will seek the Republican presidential nomination, positioning himself as an alternative to Donald Trump just days after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in New York. Hutchinson said Trump should drop out of the race.

OKLAHOMA CITY: Three people were killed and three were wounded in a shooting inside an Oklahoma City bar Saturday night, according to police. One person was in critical condition and two others suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting around 9 p.m. at Whiskey Barrel Saloon, Lt. Jeff Cooper, a spokesperson with the Oklahoma City Police Department, said Sunday.

BLINKEN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a rare phone call between the diplomats since the Ukraine war, to immediately release a Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained last week as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan, the State Department said Sunday.

CYCLONE FREDDY: Weeks after massive Cyclone Freddy hit Mozambique for a second time, the still-flooded country is facing a spiraling cholera outbreak that threatens to add to the devastation. There were over 19,000 confirmed cases of cholera across eight of Mozambique's provinces as of March 27, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a figure that had almost doubled in a week.

TRAIN DERAILMENT: About 25 train cars derailed Sunday in northwestern Montana, with no injuries or evacuations reported, authorities said. The cars, which were not believed to be carrying anything hazardous, derailed near the town of Paradise, according to the Sanders County Sheriff's Office.

Associated Press
TALLINN, Estonia  Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus' borders with NATO neighbors, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Ambassador Boris Gryzlov's comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia's neighbor and ally. The announcement marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1.
CRIMINAL CHARGES

Donald Trump has become the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime, the culmination of a political rise defined by unprecedented scandal.

The vote of a Manhattan grand jury to indict the Republican former president on charges related to hush money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign catapults now-candidate Trump into a new era of legal risk and complicates his attempts to return to the White House.

Here's what to know about the indictment and the case: The former president could have a criminal record Trump now faces threats to his freedom after decades of legal investigations that have never resulted in serious consequences.

The Manhattan district attorney's office said that prosecutors had reached out to Trump's lawyers to arrange for him to surrender, which could happen Tuesday.

Trump is expected to appear at the prosecutor's office to be processed and fingerprinted and have a mug shot taken. He is also expected to appear in court, when a judge would list the charges and Trump would enter a plea.

He will have to contend with a criminal case while running again for the White House, taking time and attention away from the campaign trail  though neither the case nor a conviction would preclude him from seeking or winning the presidency in 2024.

The indictment comes as he is facing several other investigations that could lead to legal problems for the former president. Those pending cases, along with a civil trial that's scheduled to start in New York next month over a columnist's claims that Trump raped her in the 1990s, add to an ever-growing cloud of scandals surrounding him. Probe focused on money paid to women The grand jury in Manhattan had been probing hush-money payments at the height of the 2016 presidential campaign to two women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, one of the witnesses who testified, says he orchestrated payments totaling $280,000 to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to violating federal campaign finance law in connection with the payments.

Federal prosecutors said the payments amounted to illegal, unreported assistance to Trump's campaign. But they declined to file charges against Trump himself.

The Manhattan district attorney's office appeared to be investigating whether anyone committed crimes in arranging the payments, or in the way they accounted for them internally at the Trump Organization. But the specific charges remained under seal.

Trump maintains his innocence Trump, who denies the sexual encounters, called the indictment "political persecution" and an attempt to interfere in his presidential campaign.

Calling himself "a completely innocent person," he cast the indictment as the latest in a line of actions that he says are designed to "destroy" his Make America Great Again movement, including his two presidential impeachments and the FBI search of his home that turned up classified documents.

"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,'" he said in a statement.

Trump said in March that his arrest was imminent and called on his supporters to protest. He warned about "potential death and destruction" if he were charged. Trump did not repeat his call to protest Thursday, but police forces around the country are on guard for potential unrest.

Other investigations continue Beyond the Manhattan case, Trump is facing an array of other investigations.

On the federal level, the Justice Department is investigating the retention of top-secret government documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, and efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The efforts by many of the same players in the latter case were also the subject of a special grand jury investigation in Georgia. The panel's foreperson said the special grand jury recommended multiple criminal indictments, leaving it up to Fulton County District Attorney FaniWillis, a Democrat, to decide whether to convene a regular grand jury and pursue criminal charges.

With many serious cases looming around the other investigations, some legal experts have questioned the wisdom of the Manhattan case becoming the first to result in charges.

Trump's rivals condemn indictment Trump

Some Republican and independent voters could see the case as another example of baggage that has followed Trump for years and has been a distraction.

Republicans who are running against Trump or who are considering their own campaigns were quick to criticize the case and attack Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, even if they didn't address the underlying allegations against Trump.

Other Republicans rallied to Trump's defense. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said the House "will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of power to account."
TWIN FALLS  Thoroughbreds and mutts alike came together Saturday morning to partake in the College of Southern Idahos veterinary technology programs annual dog was fundraiser.

Dozens of dogs could be found sniffing around the recently constructed Veterinary Technology Building on CSIs campus. The money received will go toward everything from club activities to new equipment, second-year student Eliza Haeberle said.

A dog bath cost $25 or $35 for larger dogs. For an additional cost, dogs could get their ears cleaned and nails trimmed.

The Veterinary Technology building is next to CSIs Eldon Evans Expo Center on North College Road in Twin Falls.

PHOTOS: Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash Washing dogs for cash, annual fundraiser creates a splash
Sun Valley Resort preps to wrap up incredible season

Sun Valley Resort is coming to the end of the 2022-23 winter season, with its annual closing week parties this month, including the annual Easter Egg Hunt, the Baldy Bash Street Party, live music and other family activities.

Warm Springs will close Sunday, followed by River Run on Sunday, April 16, according to a Sun Valley news release.

What an incredible season weve had, with a robust calendar of events and amazing snow, Bridget Higgins, the resorts director of marketing and public relations, said in the release.

The Easter Egg Hunt in Sun Valley Village on Friday, beginning at 5 p.m., will open Easter weekend. The free event is open to children 10 and under will include over 8,000 eggs, plus an appearance by the Easter Bunny.

The Baldy Bash will follow on Saturday at the Warm Springs base area, featuring live music from The California Honrydrops, the Aaron Golay Band, a barbecue and other activities.

The closing weekend at River Run will include live music from Trevor Green on Saturday, April 15, beginning at 2 p.m., and DJ Luke Ross on Sunday, April 16, also beginning at 2 p.m.

For more information, go online to www.sunvalley.com.

DAR honors Burley chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America

The Burley chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution on March 29, the annual National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

DAR state representatives Wendy French and Janice Beller presented a flag and certificate to Chuck Driscoll, the VVA Burley chapter president, and lapel pins to each veteran and surviving spouse during a special ceremony in collaboration with the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration.

French and Beller were joined by other DAR members and state and local dignitaries to honor and welcome home the Vietnam veterans, according to a DAR news release.

Also:

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Idaho is $3.55 to start this week, down four cents from a week ago and 11 cents from a month ago, according to AAA Idaho

. The national average is $3.51, up seven cents from last week, though prices are expected to rise following OPECs surprise weekend announcement to reduce crude oil production by another 1 million barrels a day beginning next month.

The

Minidoka County School District will hold a free screening for children ages 3 to 5 on Friday, April 14, at the Minidoka Preschool Center, 310 10th St., Rupert. The screening includes speech and language, physical health, gross and fine motor skills, self-help abilities, social skills and pre-academic skills, vision and hearing. To make an appointment, call the Minidoka Preschool Center at 208-436-4727.

D.L. Evans Bank has appointed Katie Milam

as vice president branch manager at the Twin Falls Financial Center, 906 Blue Lakes Blvd. N. She is a member of The Optimist Club and serves as an ambassador for the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce.

 Times-News
The Philippines coastal communities are relentlessly pushing for sustainable practices that are primed to help preserve our marine resources. One such community, Hamilo Coast, is unwavering in its campaign to protect and preserve its picturesque sanctuary located in Nasugbu, Batangas.

A 40-hectare premier leisure resort complex, Hamilo Coast is only an hour and a half commute from Mall of Asia via the Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) and Ternate-Nasugbu road. A development of Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. (CDHI), a duly recognized SM Prime company, Hamilo Coast is a masterplanned community that features the idyllic Pico De Loro Cove, which integrates residential, resort, leisure, commercial, and institutional land uses.

SM Leisure Resort Residences Executives and Management team leading the Coastal Clean-Up at Hamilo Coasts Pico De Loro Cove in support of the companys advocacy to save the environment and marine life

Stepping up its game to protect and nurture the incredibly rich and breathtaking marine life surrounding it, Hamilo Coast recently renewed its partnership with the World Wide Fund of Nature Philippines (WWF). The collaboration will continue to expand and enhance the scope of its sustainability initiatives that have covered coastal resource management, ridge-to-reef management, solid waste management, mangrove reforestation, the use of renewable energy sources, and environmental awareness since the year 2007.

Hamilo Coast has always made an effort to preserve our marine resources, as it is not only a responsibility but a privilege to do so. Our partnership with WWF manifests our resolve to ensure that our community remains a safe haven for marine life, and that we continue to be a model for sustainable coastal development in the Philippines, shares Imee G. Francisco, vice president and head of CDHI Projects and Operations.

Hamilo Coast has gone beyond expectations to ensure that its slice of paradise remains pristine for the years to come. To fulfill this advocacy, Hamilo Coast currently engages in several marine and environmental activities in partnership with the local government and non-government organizations (NGOs).

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Leading such efforts is its collaboration with the University of the Philippines Bolinao Marine Lab, which provides training in the culture and ocean rearing of giant clams through the Giant Clams Restocking and Spawning Program. This activity is a conservation strategy that aims to improve the biodiversity and productivity of stressed coral reef habitats.

Next, with Hamilo Coasts beautiful and well-kept beach fronts as the favorite nesting grounds of Olive Ridley Turtles, the community regularly implements the Marine Turtle Conservation Program. In this undertaking, Hamilo Coasts Estate and Sustainability teams proactively monitor and protect the turtle nests until the eggs hatch, after which the hatchlings are immediately released into the ocean.

Hamilo Coast also continues to hold the annual Coastal Clean-Up Program, a highly effective collaboration between the management and employees of Costa Del Hamilo Inc. and the local government. The volunteers collect trash and debris from Pico Beach and neighboring coves, identify the sources of the litter, help change behaviors that cause pollution, and raise awareness on the extent of the marine debris problem.

As we strive to create a more sustainable future, we are proud of what we have accomplished and continue to do here at Hamilo Coast, Francisco relates. While we are very excited to do even more to preserve our aquatic biodiversity, we hope that we may also inspire other communities to do the same.

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Summer is literally just around the corner. And now that we can fully enjoy the summer season after two years of spending it in the comfort of our homes and worrying about long-list travel protocols, everyone is excited to look for the perfect travel destination to fulfill their much-delayed travel goals.

Well, in that case, Happy Hotels got your back in helping you choose the best travel destination as it officially launched its travel booking app.

Get ready to pack your beach essentials as the proudly-made Filipino app offers both local and foreign travelers the ease and convenience of booking hotels, bed and breakfast (BnBs), and dormitels across the country at their fingertips.

Many Filipinos are taking the opportunity to travel and go on a much-deserved vacation this summer

True to its mission, which is to Share Happy Moments with Happy Hotels, its CEO, Emmanuel Jason Lao explained that the newly-launched travel booking app commits to delivering memorable experiences that guests will have after their stay.

Designed to cater to the diverse travel needs of Filipinos and tourists visiting the country, the Happy Hotels app offers various accommodations and destinations throughout the Philippines, including popular spots such as Boracay, Siargao, Tagaytay, Metro Manila, and Cebu that cater to different preferences and budgets.

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One of its main features is the ability for users to see and browse through the nearest accommodations available in their current location through the Near Me section of the app.

Never miss the fun and adventure in the Philippines as the app also has the Calendar of Events feature that highlights all the festivals and fiestas across the country to help you on your next target destination.

Happy Hotels CEO Emmanuel Jason Lao

More than giving ease and a lot of options in booking hotels for travelers, Happy Hotels also supports local businesses.

Our goal at Happy Hotels is to empower local business owners and their workforce by providing them with a platform to expand their market and reach more customers, shared Lao.

We are dedicated to understanding the needs of the local market and offer a variety of accommodations that cater to various preferences and financial capabilities, he added.

Happy Hotels embodies the bayanihan culture of Filipinos as for every booking that app users booked, Happy Hotels will be donating 5 to 10 percent to the users charity of choice available in the charity options menu.

To help in promoting to patronize the local app, Happy Hotels tapped model and actor Fabio Ide as its brand ambassador, who has been living here in the Philippines for 13 years.

I am very, very honored to represent a brand that wants to empower local tourism here in the Philippines. And more than that, to help hotel owners and small property owners, and everyone whos been affected by the pandemic, started Fabio.

Happy Hotels brand ambassador Fabio Ide

The Brapanese model also shared what keeps him stay here in the Philippines.

When I came here the first time, it really was love at first sight. I fell in love with the place, with the food, but whats most important, I fell in love with the people. Filipinos have the best hospitality in the world, he added.

Happy Hotels Philippines booking app is now available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Start your summer itinerary now as users can enjoy the following promos from the Happy Hotels app: Vue Tagaytay  50 percent off; Asiatel Pasay  20 percent off; and Skytel Puerto Princesa  25 percent off.

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By Maricel V. Cruz

A bill has been filed at the House of Representatives proposing the establishment of a P10-billion fund to finance the treatment and care of indigent cancer patients.

Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte filed House Bill (HB) 7687 which aims to strengthen the existing cancer assistance fund mandated under the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (Republic Act 11215).

Duterte, who filed the bill along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Edvic Yap pointed out that despite the enactment of RA 11215 and the creation of this assistance fund, cancer patients from low-income households continue to bear the financial burden of their medical care and treatment.

Under the bill, their proposed P10 billion Cancer Medicine and Treatment Fund will be administered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) through its accredited government hospitals.

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The program shall be limited to indigent and underprivileged cancer patient beneficiaries to be identified by PhilHealth in close coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the bill states.

Following the creation of the Fund and the initial appropriation of P10 billion, the national government shall subsequently include the necessary amount necessary to continue and carry out the funds objectives in the annual budget of the Department of Health (DOH), according to the bill.

A study done by the University of the Philippines Manilas Institute of Human Genetics found that 189 of every 100,000 Filipinos have cancer. In comparison, four Filipinos die of cancer every hour, or 96 cancer patients every day.

Cancer, which affects all age groups, is now the second leading cause of mortality in the country after diseases of the heart and the vascular system, according to the UP study.

In 2020, over 150,000 new cases and 90,000 deaths were recorded. During the first half of 2021, over 27,000 deaths from cancer were recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or 9 percent of the total deaths during this period.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will attend the coronation of Britains King Charles III in May, the Palace and Philippine Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed on Monday.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos have accepted the invitation to attend the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6th May, 2023, Malacanang said in a statement.

Furthermore, the President and the First Lady have accepted the invitation of the Master of the Household, upon command of His Majesty, to a Reception to be given at Buckingham Palace in advance of the Coronation of Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort on Friday, 5th May, 2023 at 5:00 p.m., it added.

Locsin, the former Foreign Affairs secretary now envoy to the UK, said Mr. Marcos confirmed his attendance to the coronation during the wake of former Trade secretary Roberto Ongpin last February.

He said: Teddy Boy, Im coming in, but we have to leave at once because we have to catch the (ASEAN) Summit (in Indonesia). He is going to be here, Locsin was quoted as saying by the online news site ABS-CBN.com.

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Locsin added that President Marcos and King Charles know each other personally as they used to play polo together.

Months earlier, British envoy Laure Beaufils told CNN Philippines the United Kingdom would send an invitation to Mr. Marcos for his attendance.

Beaufils said the UK had sent the President a save the date notice for the coronation of King Charles, who succeeded his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey.

We would love to see the president in the UK, and he will be getting an invitation, the British ambassador to the Philippines said.

Beaufils also revealed there were key interests in the country that had been rising among British businessmen, adding the UK wants to be among the Philippines top investors.

Mr. Marcos missed Queen Elizabeth IIs funeral, attended by many world leaders. Representing the President was his sister, Irene Romualdez Marcos Araneta, accompanied by her husband, Gregorio Maria Araneta III.

Buckingham Palace earlier announced that the coronation weekend will consist of three days of ceremonial, celebratory, and community events.

Charles, at the age 74, became King after his mother, Britains longest-reigning monarch for 70 years, passed away, on September 8 last year.

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DOJ: Suspended solon in the middle of Degamo murder

Suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has emerged as the main mastermind behind the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Monday.

Using movie terms, Remulla said Teves appeared to be an executive producer while Marvin Miranda, one of the alleged masterminds arrested last week, was the director or casting director.

I said if it was a movie, Congressman Teves would be the executive producer and the producer, Remulla told reporters.

When asked if this means the congressman is the main mastermind behind the killing, Remulla said: He is. He appears to be.

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Last week, Remulla said Teves was in the middle of everything, even as he declared that the Degamo case was already 99 percent solved.

Remulla said he believes that Miranda was a mastermind and not a middleman.

He was the one recruiting people, he retrieved the firearms, and he was also involved in getting other people for the plan as well as coordinating the movements, Remulla said.

Remulla also said a person claiming to be Mirandas lawyer tried to talk to him but Miranda said he did not know him.

Former Justice undersecretary Reynante Orceo, who claimed to be Mirandas lawyer, said he was prevented from meeting his client when he went to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), where Miranda is being held.

The NBI has yet to comment on Orceos claims.

Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured when gunmen opened fire on the governors home in Negros Oriental on March 4 while he was distributing aid to his constituents.

Teves is being linked to the crime after suspects in the killing pointed to a certain Cong. Teves as the one who ordered the hit.

The congressman, who refuses to return to the country due to fears for his safety, earlier denied involvement in the killing of Degamo. He also appealed for investigators to consider all angles in the killing and not just focus on him.

Over the weekend, Teves lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio said his client made certain requests to ensure his safe return to the country. He also said it was too early for Remulla to claim that the case was already 99 percent solved.

Remulla earlier identified Miranda as a military reservist with a very strong connection with Teves.

Remulla said the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) would act as Mirandas lawyer in the meantime.

Miranda, who was arrested by the NBI on March 31, has been the subject of hot pursuit operations since March 4, Remulla said.

He said that Miranda is still under interrogation and no decision has been made if he will be placed under the governments Witness Protection Program (WPP).

Four suspects were arrested immediately after the Degamo killing and they have been charged before the regional trial court (RTC) in Negros Oriental.

Six other suspects who surrendered have been presented for inquest before the DOJ, which has yet to issue its resolution.

The Supreme Court (SC) had earlier ordered the Degamo case transferred to the Manila regional trial court.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., head of the special task force on the Degamo killing, said on Monday that the arrest of Miranda proved crucial in determining the name of the mastermind.

Reports said Miranda worked as part of the security team and as a bodyguard of Teves. Miranda also was previously arrested for the illegal possession of firearms.

Abalos said that Miranda, upon instruction of a certain boss idol, big boss, and kalbo, recruited the gunmen and provided them material support during the assassination.

Remulla later named Teves as boss idol, big boss, and kalbo.

Remulla also said that Teves was the one who relayed instructions to Miranda.

As of April 3, 11 suspects were under the custody of the NBI while one died during an encounter with police in Negros Oriental.

We are now at the tail-end of our quest for justice and hunt for the masterminds behind the death of Governor Degamo and eight others, and the wounding of many more victims, Abalos said.

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German Economy and Energy Minister Robert Habeck made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday to discuss Ukraines post-war reconstruction.

A ministry spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that Habeck had arrived in the Ukrainian capital but declined to give further details, citing security reasons.

German media reported that Habeck travelled by train, accompanied by a small business delegation.

According to Germanys top-selling Bild newspaper, Habeck told reporters at Kyivs train station that he was there to signal to Ukraine that we believe it will be victorious, that it will be rebuilt.

Ukraine will be an economically strong partner in the future, Habeck was quoted as saying.

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It is the first time Habeck, who is also Germanys vice-chancellor, has visited Ukraine since Russias invasion just over a year ago.

Many other German officials have made the trip already, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

Among those travelling with Habeck was Siegfried Russwurm, head of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

He said the trip was a signal to Ukrainians that the German economy stands by them, Bild reported.

The World Bank estimates that Ukraine will need at least $411 billion (380 billion euros) for its recovery and reconstruction.

The highest expected needs are in transport, followed by housing and energy.

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In a groundbreaking deal, Concentrix, a global leader in customer experience solutions and technology and the countrys largest private employer, confirms its plan to further expand in 2023 with a big move to Cebu Exchange.

This strategic partnership with ARTHALAND will see Concentrix bolster its leading local presence by adding Cebu Exchange, a PEZA-accredited office development on track to be the largest net zero carbon certified building in the Philippines. The expansion is expected to bring Concentrix site total in the country to 51, as the company remains committed to add more jobs as well as invest in superior and sustainable facilities for its growing staff.



Cebu City has become a popular location for businesses due to its highly skilled talent pool, superior regional accessibility, and more cost-effective alternative to Manila. In 2020, the city was named the 12TH most attractive BPO destination by the Tholons Global Innovation Index.

Cebu has always been an exciting market for the office sector, said Dom Fredrick Andaya, Senior Director of Office Services  Tenant Representation at Colliers. Sixty percent all provincial office transactions that we recorded in 2022 happened in Cebu, and a bulk of these were office lease transactions cornered by IT-BPM firms. Aside from the abundance of highly skilled workers, the availability of higher-quality buildings with sustainability features provides extra incentive for occupiers to locate and expand in the city. We are very happy and thankful to have facilitated this landmark partnership between Concentrix and Arthaland.

As part of the deal, Concentrix will take up a total gross leasable area of 16,686.73 sq.m spanning multiple floors of operations in Cebu Exchange later this year. It is the largest commercial transaction and office take-up in Southern Philippines among comparable transactions of the same volume and requirements.

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The partnership also underscores Concentrixs strategic Environmental, Social and Governance focus and Doing Right DNA, aligning with ARTHALANDs sustainability development goals, where the welfare of occupants is of utmost importance. The wellness features of Cebu Exchange is a testament to Concentrix being fanatical in caring for staff.

Cebu Exchanges reputation for sustainability, an important factor in Concentrix choice of facility, is also reinforced by ARTHALANDs sustainability projects outside its developments. ARTHALAND has an ongoing sustainable public school rehabilitation program in Cebu Island, which includes fixing roofs and adding solar panels, repainting public schools with low-VOC paints, providing low-energy LED lighting, and rehabilitation of toilet fixtures.

At Concentrix, we design, build and run the future of customer experience (CX). And as we continue to grow, we also reimagine the future of workspace  what kind of facility is needed by our teams today and those joining our organization tomorrow. We are thrilled to partner with Cebu Exchange in giving our teams the best sustainable and wellness-centered office space available in the market. Cebu Exchanges energy-optimized facility not only supports our environment conservation goal, but also provides our people with flexible spaces to be creative and social. It is critically important for us to prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of our staff while also being responsible for the health of our planet. As an industry leader, we proudly embrace the workspace of the future, today, said Amit Jagga, SVP and Country Leader of Concentrix Philippines.

We are delighted to welcome Concentrix to the Cebu Exchange. The combination of Concentrixs expertise in customer engagement and business performance, and Cebu Exchanges commitment to sustainability and wellness, is a powerful collaboration that will bring benefits to all stakeholders. We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership. said Oliver L. Chan, Senior Vice President of ARTHALAND.

Cebu Exchange has been pre-certified LEED Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council, achieved the highest 5-Star rating for its design from the Philippine Green Building Council, and the WELL Health-Safety Rating 2022 for Facility Operations and Management through the International WELL Building Institute. It is also registered and on track to receive (?) EDGE certification by the International Finance Corporation.

Through the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment of the World Green Building

Council, ARTHALAND has pledged to decarbonize 100% of its portfolio by 2030. ARTHALAND is the first real estate developer in Asia to do so and the first signatory from the Philippines. For more information, you may visit Cebu Exchange along Salinas Drive (in front of Cebu I.T. Park), Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines, email ask@arthaland.com, or visit www.arthaland.com.

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Huawei released its 2022 Annual Report on this Friday, announcing steady operations throughout 2022, having generated CNY642.3 billion in revenue and CNY35.6 billion in net profits.

Huawei continues to strengthen investment in R&D, with an annual expenditure of CNY161.5 billion in 2022, representing 25.1% of the companys annual revenue and bringing its total R&D expenditure over the past 10 years to more than CNY977.3 billion.

Huaweis Rotating Chairman Eric Xu

In 2022, a challenging external environment and non-market factors continued to take a toll on Huaweis operations, said Eric Xu, Huaweis Rotating Chairman, at the companys annual report press conference. In the midst of this storm, we kept racing ahead, doing everything in our power to maintain business continuity and serve our customers. We also went to great lengths to grow the harvest  generating a steady stream of revenue to sustain our survival and lay the groundwork for future development.

Also present at the event was Sabrina Meng, Huaweis CFO. She noted, Despite substantial pressure in 2022, our overall business results were in line with forecast. At the end of 2022, our liability ratio was 58.9% and our net cash balance was CNY176.3 billion. In addition, our balance of total assets reached one trillion yuan, largely composed of current assets such as cash, short-term investments, and operating assets. Our financial position remains solid, with strong resilience and flexibility. In 2022, our total R&D spend was CNY161.5 billion, representing 25.1% of our total revenue  among the highest in Huaweis history. In times of pressure, we press on  with confidence.

Huawei CFO Sabrina Meng

In 2022, revenue from Huaweis carrier, enterprise, and consumer businesses was CNY284 billion, CNY133.2 billion, and CNY214.5 billion, respectively.

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Huawei is a strong proponent of growing together with its ecosystem partners, and believes that openness and collaboration lead to shared success. The company has continued to open up its platform capabilities across its HarmonyOS, Kunpeng, Ascend, and cloud portfolio, focusing on improving developer experience as well as enabling and supporting its ecosystem partners on all fronts. Huawei currently works with more than nine million developers and over 40,000 ecosystem partners to fuel ecosystem-based innovation and create greater value for its customers.

2023 will be crucial to Huaweis sustainable survival and development, Xu noted. Plum blossoms tend to grow sweeter from a harsh winters freeze. Today, Huawei is like a plum blossom. While its true that we have considerable pressure ahead of us, we have what it takes to come out the other end  with opportunities to grow, a resilient business portfolio, a unique competitive edge, the enduring trust of our customers and partners, and the courage to invest heavily in R&D. We are confident in our ability to rise above any challenge that comes our way, laying a solid foundation for sustainable survival and development.

Huawei has been in the Philippines for 20 years, not only helped to build the digital journey in the country but also helped to cultivate ICT Talents.

Seeds for the Future is Huaweis global CSR flagship program. Launched in 2008, the program seeks to develop local ICT talent, enhance knowledge transfer, help participants better understand the ICT sector and stimulate their interest in it, and promote and encourage participation in building a digital community. The program has been in the Philippines for 8 years, more than 220 students joined the program. Jeziel Aijeleth Ramos, one of filipino students joined Huawei Seeds program in 2022, was selected as one of the Ten (10) Seeds for the Future Global Ambassadors, also the first one in the Philippines.

Huawei ICT Academy, another non-profit program globally, serves as a bridge between companies and colleges, helping to build a talent ecosystem for the ICT industry. Huawei partnered with almost 70 Philippine universities and established ICT academies.

In times of pressure, we press on  with confidence, Huawei said.

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TODAYS WORD is eighty-six. Example: The scoundrels were eighty-sixed by the skating rink manager after a group of young mothers complained about their behavior.

SUNDAYS WORD was rapscallion. It means someone who causes trouble, often in a mischievous way. Example: The Turner family all were known to be decent, upstanding citizens, except for Cecil, who was a bit of a rapscallion.

Summer music

Its not summer yet of course, but the summer music series have started back up.

It starts Friday night with the Uptown First Friday Series sponsored by the MHC Historical Society. Itll be held from 5:30-10 p.m. at the MHC Heritage Center & Museum, 1 E. Main St. (old Henry County courthouse). Admission is free. The band League of Ordinary Gentlemen will perform.

Cookout

Follow the Friday night music with a fun Saturday afternoon cookout. The Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity will host a free community cookout from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Refuge Temple Church. It will feature local vendors, booths with health care and mental health providers, free food, a bouncy house and, because its the day before Easter, an Easter egg hunt, of course!

Egg hunts

Easter egg hunts are thought to date back to the late 16th century, when Martin Luther, who established the Protestant religion, organized egg hunts for his congregation. The men would hide eggs for the women and children to find. This was symbolic of the Resurrectiondiscovering the empty tomb.

By the 17th and 18th centuries, egg-shaped toys were being made to give to children at Easter. Victorians gave eggs made of cardboard covered in satin and plush, and filled with gifts. The plastic eggs we use today became popular in the 1970s.

Isnt it ironic that Easter eggs, once used to represent fertility and rebirth, are now plastic, which is nothing but wasteful trash that is not biodegradable and harms, rather than represents, nature?

Todays chuckle

After years of listening to his wifes pleading, Tucker finally decided to go to church with her. He was astounded to be so excited by and inspired by the sermon that after church he went up to shake the preachers hand.

Pastor, that was the best damn sermon Ive ever heard, he said.

Well, thank you, said the pastor, but we dont use profanity in the Lords house.

Im sorry sir, but I cant help myself, Im just so damned inspired.

I must ask you, sir, please do not use that language in church.

Im sorry, Preacher, but I just wanted you to know it was so damned good I left $500 in the collection plate.

Overwhelmed with joy, the preacher pumped his hand and exclaimed, That was damned generous of you!

SUNDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: A group of kittens is called a kindle.

TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: A pounce, a glaring, a clutter and a clowder all refer to the same thing; what is it?
A drug dealer will serve up to 23-and-a-half years in prison after a multi-agency investigation led to his conviction, authorities said on Monday.

Dwayne Bullock, 41, of Newton, pleaded guilty in McDowell County Superior Court to conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine  400 grams or more and operating a continuing criminal enterprise.

On March 6, Superior Court Judge J. Thomas Davis sentenced Bullock to a prison term of 225 to 282 months.

In 2017, detectives with the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, Marion Police Department and agents with N.C. State Bureau of investigation launched a probe into the drug distribution activities of Bullock and his associates, the sheriffs office said in a news release on Monday.

The investigation concluded on April 18, 2018, with the execution of multiple search warrants in three different counties where detectives seized over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, four ounces of fentanyl and approximately $500,000 in cash.

The investigation was a multi-jurisdictional effort involving the McDowell County Sheriffs Office, Marion Police Department, the State Bureau of Investigation, McDowell County District Attorneys Office, Burke County Sheriffs Office, Morganton Department of Public Safety, Newton Police Department, N.C. State Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

One defendant in the case still faces an upcoming court appearance, the news release said.

Another strong sentence handed down for a drug distributor selling this poison in our community, said McDowell County Sheriff Ricky Buchanan. This was a great collaborative effort between local, state and federal agencies along with our District Attorney Ted Bell and his staff. We will continue to fight against the distribution of illegal controlled substances with hopes of disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations.

According to a check of the N.C. Department of Public Safetys offender database, Bullock has previous convictions for common law larceny, forgery, communicating threats, breaking and entering of a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a felon and other crimes.
Angola and Portugal will sign a cooperation agreement in the field of Public Finance, during a visit by the Portuguese Finance Minister Fernando Medina, who is on national soil, from Sunday 2nd April until Thursday.

The protocol includes technical cooperation actions to be developed by the two ministries, focusing on budgetary and fiscal issues, cash management, financing and public debt.

The document also stresses that it will contribute to the capacity building of services and technical staff, making use, for this purpose, of the expertise that the Portuguese party will offer on public finance management.
In Sudan, the signing of the agreement between civilians and the military has been postponed to April 6, an official announced last Saturday. This agreement is supposed to relaunch the democratic transition in the country and allow a return to the status quo before the October 2021 putsch.

The signing was initially scheduled for last Saturday, but its postponement was announced by Khaled Omar Youssef, one of the civilian officials dismissed and arrested during the coup of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, now spokesman for the political process that brings together military and civilian.

A dispute over technical issues related to the reform of the security forces forced the protagonists to agree to five more days of negotiations, until April 6, he explained. The final document of the agreement aims to outline the transition to a civilian government and eventually the election of democratic institutions. For weeks, the military, paramilitary and civilians have been discussing thorny issues, including transitional justice and security force reform.

The most problematic issue seems to be how to integrate the dreaded Rapid Support Forces (RSF), made up largely of ex-militiamen, into government troops. Against a backdrop of power struggles, it divides the highest-ranking leaders: General Burhane and his second-in-command, Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, known as Hemedti, the head of the RSF.

Composed of Janjaweed militiamen, accused of atrocities during the long and deadly war that began in 2003 in Darfur (west), the RSF have been accused of also being involved in the repression of the revolt against the dictator Omar al-Bashir, which was launched at the end of 2018 and which led to his fall in April 2019.
At least 45 soldiers landed in the city of Goma on Sunday, 2nd April. More contingents are expected to arrive.

South Sudanese soldiers are part of the military force of the seven-nation East African Community (EAC), created last June to stabilize the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

It is a region largely plagued by dozens of armed groups  a legacy of the regional wars that erupted in the 1990s and 2000s. In North Kivu province, M23 rebels have captured swaths of territory and advanced several dozen kilometers from its capital, Goma, since re-emerging in late 2021.

The EAC force  composed of Kenyan, Burundian, and Ugandan troops, as well as South Sudanese  is expected to oversee a planned withdrawal of M23 rebels.

Welcome to Goma, said an EAC force officer, addressing the new arrivals from South Sudan. You now find yourselves in a different operational environment  you need to be ready.

It is not yet clear how large the South Sudanese contingent will be, nor where it will be deployed. In December, South Sudan said it would send 750 troops to the DRC.

M23 first gained international prominence in 2012, when it captured Goma, before being expelled. But the Tutsi-led group resurfaced in late 2021, arguing that the government had ignored a promise to integrate its fighters into the army.

It then won a series of battles against the Congolese army and captured large parts of North Kivu, triggering a humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands fled its advance.
Moroccos commitment to the stability and development in Africa was highlighted last week before the UN Security Council during an open debate on the implementation of development policies to silence arms in Africa.

Morocco, in line with the high guidelines of King Mohammed VI, has made the development of Africa a priority of its foreign policy, and remains firmly committed to the principle of indivisibility of security and development on the continent, said Moroccos Permanent Representative to the UN, Omar Hilale during the debate that was chaired by the Head of State of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, whose country holds the rotating presidency of this UN body.

Hilale explained that conflicts in Africa have mutated from a conventional pattern to the involvement of terrorist groups and separatists, threatening the territorial integrity of states, but also international peace and security.

He stressed the imperative need to prevent these threats through increasing the chances of silencing the weapons on the continent by 2030, including through the dismantling of structures of recruitment, financing, housing and indoctrination of terrorists.

Referring to Moroccos commitment in Africa, the ambassador said that the Kingdom has more than a thousand partnership agreements with sister African countries, as part of an active South-South cooperation.

He also highlighted the role of the Mohammed VI Institute of Imams, Morchidines and Morchidates which provides training to African preachers to counter obscurantist thinking and violent extremism.

The diplomat noted further that Morocco, which currently sits on the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), remains convinced that there can be no security without development, nor development without security.

In this regard, the Kingdom, inscribes its action around the triptych: peace, security, development to ensure the prevention and a fortiori the management of conflicts and post-conflict reconstruction, said Hilale, recalling that Morocco hosted the first political conference of the AU on the promotion of the Nexus peace, security and development, from 25 to 27 October in Tangier, which has allowed, according to him, to fructify a precursory debate on the challenges that still plague the march of Africa towards development, including food and health security challenges.

The Moroccan Ambassador also pointed out that the Kingdom has submitted its national report for the year 2022 on progress made in the implementation of the AU Roadmap to silence arms in Africa by 2030, adding that this report supports the achievements and gains of the Kingdom in the various priority areas of the Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism of the Roadmap.

He urged the international community to redouble efforts to achieve the realistic goal of silencing arms in Africa by 2030, stressing the need to address and resolve the root causes of conflicts. Our actions should address security, economic, climate, religious and cultural challenges and other dimensions specific to the needs of security and stability on the African continent, he stressed.

In this regard, he called for combating poverty, hunger, and social exclusion, through economic integration and development of Africa, especially within the ideal framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

This high-level open debate, enhanced by the participation of several ministers, was an opportunity to reaffirm the need to see peace and security in Africa from a holistic angle, focusing particularly on economic and development challenges, in order to end conflicts on the continent.
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A Florida hospital surgical intensive care unit (SICU) improved clinical alarm management practices and reduced nurses' self-reported alarm fatigue, according to a study published in Critical Care Nurse .

"Implementing a Unit-Based Alarm Management Bundle for Critical Care Nurses" details how the 27-bed SICU at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, implemented a standardized approach to alarm management and improved nurses' knowledge for configuring the settings to better match the monitoring needs of individual patients.

Lead author Stephanie Bosma, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, an advanced practice nurse practitioner at the hospital, conducted the quality improvement initiative as the capstone project for her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at Keigwin School of Nursing, Jacksonville University, Florida. Co-author Roberta Christopher, EdD, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, EBP-C, NE-BC, CAIF, served as Bosma's DNP committee chair. She is an associate professor and lead DNP faculty at the nursing school and an advanced practice nurse.

"Clinical alarms are important, but they also contribute to a noisy hospital environment for patients and clinicians. With high sensitivity and low specificity, monitors can generate an overwhelming number of alarms, many of which are false or nonactionable alerts," Bosma said. "Our project gave alarm management skills much-needed attention and introduced a new tool to help staff maximize the benefits of clinical alarms."

A key aspect of the initiative was implementation of an evidenced-based, nurse-driven, patient-specific bundle as a way of standardizing alarm management. Called the CEASE bundle, the five-step tool addresses communication, electrodes, appropriateness, setup and education.

Communication focuses on working with colleagues (fellow nurses, respiratory therapists, providers and patient care technicians) to identify patient-specific goals, as well as determine when to suspend or silence alarms while performing care activities that induce nonactionable alarms

focuses on working with colleagues (fellow nurses, respiratory therapists, providers and patient care technicians) to identify patient-specific goals, as well as determine when to suspend or silence alarms while performing care activities that induce nonactionable alarms Electrodes targets proper skin preparation for daily ECG electrode and pulse oximeter changes

targets proper skin preparation for daily ECG electrode and pulse oximeter changes Appropriateness encompasses determining what is clinically indicated for the patient and choosing appropriate monitoring parameters with physician and interprofessional team members

encompasses determining what is clinically indicated for the patient and choosing appropriate monitoring parameters with physician and interprofessional team members Setup includes customizing alarm parameters for individual patients at the beginning of each shift

includes customizing alarm parameters for individual patients at the beginning of each shift Educationrelates to the need for continuing education on the clinical alarm monitoring systems

In addition to implementing the CEASE bundle, the project used a related audit tool during active rounding to assess compliance and ensure that nurses were checking alarm settings for each patient.

The CEASE bundle was introduced to nurses during their regular staff meetings, and descriptions were placed around the unit for easy reference.

A clinical alarms survey developed by Healthcare Technology Foundation was administered to all SICU nurses before and following implementation, with 70 nurses completing the initial survey and 60 completing the post-intervention survey.

The post-intervention survey included two additional questions specific to the intervention, finding that 82% of nurses reported that the CEASE bundle helped decrease their alarm fatigue and 83% reported the bundle was helpful and they would continue to use it.

Overall, implementing the CEASE bundle improved nurses' alarm management practices, perceptions and attitudes. Several indicators improved from baseline, including nurses reporting that setting alarm parameters was less complex, staff was sensitive to alarms and responded quickly, and there were fewer instances of alarms being missed.

The unit uses the Philips physiological monitoring systems, and Bosma arranged for a company representative to conduct educational drop-in sessions and offer hands-on experience with a monitor in an empty patient room from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. over two days. Of the 20 nurses who attended the training sessions, 95% indicated they felt confident and competent in using the equipment.

As a result of the project, alarm management skills and monitor training are being more formally integrated into the hemodynamic education already required for nurses at the hospital.

More information: Stephanie Bosma et al, Implementing a Unit-Based Alarm Management Bundle for Critical Care Nurses, Critical Care Nurse (2023). DOI: 10.4037/ccn2023418

Provided by American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
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For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that globally, the association between antibiotic consumption and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between human and animals goes both ways.

The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, reveal that using antibiotics in animals is associated with AMR in humans and using antibiotics in humans is associated with AMR in animals.

The study highlights the urgent need for an integrated, cross-domain strategy to tackle the spread of AMR, focusing on social development, poverty reduction and enforcing tighter rules on the use of antibiotics.

Kasim Allel, lead author and Associate Research Fellow in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) said, "AMR is a 'wicked problem' as conflicting priorities exist amongst an intricate web of stakeholders.

"A robust, cross-disciplinary and-species approach for AMR surveillance and control, which is not limited to a human-centered perspective, should be embraced among decisionmakers and local governments for better planetary health."

AMR is a major threat to global health, with resistant bacteria responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019. Incorrect use of antibiotics (which include antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals) is a key driver of the spread of AMR. Rising demands for animal-based food and products, as well as intricate and interlinked socioeconomic and environmental factors, are also highly influential.

In this study, an international team of researchers, including from LSHTM, investigated links between the global consumption of antibiotics and rates of AMR in humans and food-producing animals around 2018. The authors also considered the influence of socioeconomic, health and environmental risk factors.

As predicted, overall, greater consumption of antibiotics in animals is associated with an increased rate of AMR in food-producing animals, with higher rates of human consumption of antibiotics increasing the risk of AMR in humans.

However, the paper also uniquely revealed a global bidirectional relationship between humans and animals. Namely, greater consumption of antibiotics by animals is associated with an increased risk of AMR in human pathogens (defined as critical priority by the World Health Organization), while greater human consumption of antibiotics increases the risk of AMR in animals.

Despite recording low levels of antibiotic consumption, low- and middle-income countries, notably in Asia (such as Bangladesh, China and India), had the highest rates of AMR in food-producing animals, suggesting that antibiotic consumption may be a secondary risk factor to the spread of AMR in certain areas of the world.

Socioeconomic factors, such as income inequality or death rates due to unsafe hygiene practices or heart problems, also increased rates of AMR in humans.

Consistent with previous research, these findings highlight that factors that typically reflect lower socioeconomic status are associated with an increased likelihood of AMR in humans. The authors argue that this further emphasizes the importance of strong governance and anti-corruption within a "One-Health" context, which emphasizes the interdependency between animals, humans and the environment.

The team concludes that reducing antibiotic consumption alone will not be enough to fight the global spread of AMR. Instead, they state that integrated control methods focused on reducing poverty and supporting social development will be needed to prevent the transmission of resistance between humans and animals.

They also emphasize the importance of strengthening surveillance efforts, especially in low-and middle-income countries, and ensuring that livestock surveillance, for AMR in particular, mirrors surveillance in humans.

Laith Yakob, senior author and Taught Programme co-director of the Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at LSHTM, said, "This bidirectionality in antibiotic consumption and resistance among humans and livestock uncovered by our analysis offers novel opportunities for mitigating resistance. For example, it highlights the potential for targeting single One-Health components with interventions but having system-wide impacts.

"Designing interventions around this holistic picture of resistance will be essential in tackling what has rapidly become one of the biggest threats to global health. Going forward, we recommend tighter country policies and regulations on antibiotic use and prescription among animals and humans, as well as improved governance, transparency and accountability, particularly among countries with the highest disease burdens."
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Daycare can be a brutal start for some of our society's youngest and most vulnerable people.

A University of California, Riverside, study found that 16% of autistic childrenroughly one in sixare expelled from preschool programs, with the average age of rejected children being only 3.3 years old. The consequences for these children were chilling. Once they entered kindergarten, previously expelled children faced more conflict with and dependency on their teachers, among other difficulties, the study found.

"It's shocking," said the study's lead author, Jan Blacher, a distinguished research professor both in the UC Riverside School of Education and in the UCLA Department of Psychology. "These little kids were asked to leave school because they demonstrated behaviors directly related to their autism. So, they were being expelled from preschool for the very problems that they needed school for."

Autism characteristics, including difficulty with social communication and some repetitive behaviors, can be misinterpreted as forms of misbehavior, making autistic children more vulnerable to expulsions, the researchers found. Additionally, teachers may miss children's non-verbal attempts to communicate their needs, which heightens children's anxiety and can result in temper tantrums at such a young age.

"These are very young children who have no idea why they are being asked to leave school. And it leaves the kids in kind of a quandary," Blacher said.

Blacher and her co-author, Abbey Eisenhower, a professor at the University of MassachusettBoston in the Department of Psychology, based their findings pertaining to expulsion on reports by parents of 203 autistic children. Their paper, "Preschool and Child-Care Expulsion: Is it Elevated for Autistic Children?" was published in the journal Exceptional Children.

The autistic children were overwhelming expelled for behavioral issues.

"Teachers saw them as a problem but didn't understand that the problem was indicative of a disability, or something more systemic, that actually needed to be dealt with," Blacher said.

"Many of the expelled children were not identified as having a special need. That suggests to us that it never occurred to the teachers to refer them for assessment. So, part of it is a lack of teacher awareness of the prevalence of autism, and how it manifests in a very young age. Had they understood autism, they might have been inspired to deal with it, and say, 'Maybe I should have this child assessed.'"

Blacher and Eisenhower also found expulsion rates were higher at privately owned daycare centers, suggesting a greater need for policies and practices supporting inclusion in private settings.

Their alarming finding on daycare expulsions stemmed from a larger project, called Smooth Sailing, funded by a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Science to develop methods to improve the education of preschool and early grade autistic children. They have since conducted a pilot study (a randomized controlled trial) of a new autism-affirming intervention to help teachers better understand and help children with autism in general education classes. This work will be published in a forthcoming paper.

Blacher and Eisenhower are seeking additional funding for their Smooth Sailing inventions to be adopted by preschool and early childhood educators. Such interventions forge better relations between autistic students and their teachers, Blacher said.

"Kids who have good relationships with their teachers in early childhood settings do better academically, socially, and emotionally. They are less likely to be asked to leave school, and in high school, they are more likely to get better grades and graduate."

More information: Jan Blacher et al, Preschool and Child-Care Expulsion: Is it Elevated for Autistic Children?, Exceptional Children (2022). DOI: 10.1177/00144029221109234
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Psychologists can be found in the public system (for example, schools, hospitals, public health offices), but increasingly are choosing to work in private practice, fee-for-service, clinics. Credit: Shutterstock

Rural Canadians face mental health concerns to the same degree as their urban counterparts, but rural communities have less access to psychologists, and that access may be eroding. Psychologists can be found in the public system (for example, schools, hospitals, public health offices), but increasingly are choosing to work in private practice, in fee-for-service clinics.

Despite increasing discussion about investment into accessing mental health services, as trainers of psychologists, we are observing fewer psychologist positions and reduced focus on retaining psychologists within the public mental health system in Canada.

Not addressing these issues may have detrimental results for Canadians, such as:

receiving services from non-psychologists who may not have the needed expertise to address present mental health challenges

participating in a two-tier system where only those who can pay for mental health care can receive it; and

exacerbating these issues for rural Canadians.

Where is the public investment in Canadians' mental health?

Problems retaining psychologists are particularly evident in rural regions, where issues like professional isolation, role confusion and burnout are contributing to a crisis in mental health care access.

Rural clinicians are reporting increased demand for mental health services. This might be quickly interpreted to signal a higher degree of distress rates. However, it might instead be a sign that there are not enough psychologistslet alone integrated inter-professional mental health teamsto meet rural Canadians' needs.

In rural settings, specialized mental health services are often not locally accessible, particularly in terms of early screening, treatment, tertiary care, teletherapy, integrated health services and community approaches. All these approaches have been suggested by policymakers to improve mental health service access in rural spaces.

Access to needed services for all Canadians is central to the Canada Health Act. So where are they for rural Canadians?

While the Canadian government has announced billions in additional funding for mental health care and addictions, experts and practitioners acknowledge that the public system has not kept up with needs.

This leads us to ask: is mental health a responsibility of publicly funded health care, like a broken leg or cancer? Or has it fallen into a category of services that are necessary yet have limited coverage, such as dental care? The lines delineating what constitutes health seem arbitrary.

Sarah Kennell, director of public policy at the Canadian Mental Health Association, has stated, "We can no longer continue to view mental health as not on par with physical health."

Investment is needed so that we can address the exodus of psychologists exiting the public system for private practice.

What is a psychologist?

Psychologists are experts in mental health and provide essential services in identifying and treating behavioral disorders and difficulties. In collaboration with physicians and nurse practitioners, both of whom can prescribe pharmacological therapies, best outcomes for mental illness treatment are observed when medications are paired with evidence-based psychological interventions.

Psychologists are a regulated profession requiring graduate training, clinical supervision and comprehensive examination to enter practice, and continuing professional development to sustain competency over their careers. Psychologists have at least six to twelve years of focused post-secondary training accredited by provincial boards that align with national standards for competent and ethical practice.

Within rural areas, psychologists may often be asked to provide a range of services that are beyond their training and expertise. This results in a rural practice of psychology that is generalist in nature, requiring rural psychologists to know a little about a lot.

Rural psychologists also need to work collaboratively with other health-care providers and mental health practitioners including counselors, social workers and physicians. Noting of course, that these professions are also disproportionately allocated to urban settings.

In the public system, many psychologists are frustrated by a failure to appropriately distribute responsibilities between licensed psychologists, and other practitioners and counselors with minimal training in therapy. That means resources are poorly deployed and people may not get a suitable mental health practitioner for their needs.

This results in fewer psychologists working in the public system and subsequently more opting to work in private practice.

Ultimately, this movement means that experts in mental health are accessible only to those who can afford them. Further, the private system tends to provide service in an out-patient setting to clients who are generally functioning in their day-to-day lives, whereas the public system serves a wider range including inpatient and high-needs care.

This exodus of psychologists from the public system results in a service-expertise mismatch, in that psychological care is more available to mild to moderate mental health concerns through private practices, and less psychological care is available for severe to profound cases within the public system.

Brain drain to Canada's cities

Our team observes that these impacts are more directly felt within rural spaces in Canada. Rural citizens often find it difficult to access psychologists who work within the public system. Many psychologists have increasing wait lists, and are administratively forced into assessment-only diagnostic practice, preventing opportunities to provide direct therapeutic services. Once a diagnosis is made, counseling therapy is provided by less-trained practitioners.

Issues of isolation also impact the availability of psychologists in rural areas. This contributes to the burnout experienced by several rural psychologists, resulting in their leaving the rural or public system within five years of practice, further exacerbating the disproportionate prevalence of psychologists between rural and urban/suburban regions.

Our team is concerned the rhetoric of increased investment in mental health does not address the systemic issues impacting psychologist engagement in the public system. Ultimately, leaving these issues unaddressed may further erode both access and standard of care for those seeking mental health services, and limit services to those who are able to pay for them. Rural Canadians are already affected.

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Acute VNS in mouse model and monitoring their heart and respiration rate as biomarkers for stimulation efficacy. (a) schematic diagram of the acute VNS in the mouse model, (b) zoom-in schematic diagram of the acute VNS in the mouse model, (c) optical image of the acute VNS in the mouse model, (d) mouse heart rate change as the function of stimulation current at channel 1, (e) mouse heart rate change as the function of stimulation current at channel 2, (f) mouse respiratory rate change as the function of stimulation current at channel 1, (g) mouse respiratory rate change as the function of stimulation current at channel 2, scale bar =1 mm. Credit: Acta Biomaterialia (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.01.026

West Virginia University engineers are taking a major step into "bioelectronic medicine," a cutting-edge approach that uses electric current as a treatment for pain and disease, with the development of MouseFlex. The device will facilitate research into a technique called "vagus nerve stimulation" or VNS.

The vagus nerve is responsible for involuntary body functions such as heart rate, breathing and digestion.

Because VNS trials on mice must happen before new bioelectronic treatments can be tested on humans, the MouseFlexa tiny electrode that has been formed into a cuff shape, like the cuff of a shirt sleevefits around the vagus nerve of a mouse and delivers electrical impulses.

According to its developers, the MouseFlex outperforms existing technology when it comes to withstanding both the electric current flowing through it and the handling it sustains during the course of surgery.

The MouseFlex electrode created by WVU researchers will advance testing of vagus nerve stimulation, a cutting-edge bioelectronic treatment for conditions that range from epilepsy to arthritis to hypertension. Here Justin Vankirk, a doctoral candidate in mechanical and aerospace engineering, releases microfabricated MouseFlex electrodes from a silicon wafer and solder-integrates leads to the device for electrochemical testing. Credit: WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit

Biomedical engineer Tao Sun, a research assistant professor at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, said the MouseFlex not only enables more effective rodent trials of VNS treatments, but its design could be adapted for humans.

"This research is important because our flexible electrodes remain functional after electrical stimulation," Sun said. "They achieve intimate contact with the mouse vagus nerve and they tolerate surgical handling. The MouseFlex will immediately benefit neuroscientists and researchers in neural engineering, but patients with drug-resistant disease are the long-distance beneficiaries."

The study results appear in the journal Acta Biomaterialia.

The chronically implantable MouseFlex, developed at West Virginia University, device features specialized leads and connector systems. Credit: WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit

"Vagus nerve stimulation is used for patients with conditions such as drug-resistant epilepsy," said Loren Rieth, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

"VNS devices treat those conditions by stimulating the left vagus nerve in the neck, adjusting nerve signals that coordinate the function of the body's organ systems. The vagus nerve links your brain to organs such as the heart, lungs or stomach. The name 'vagus' refers to 'the wanderer,' as the nerve branches and spreads to connect those organs with your brain."

Rieth said human vagus nerve branches in the neck "are about a 10th of an inch in diameter and have roughly 100,000 nerve fibers. Cooked spaghetti is a good analogy for the size and 'softness' of the vagus nerve in humans, but our research deals with the vagus nerve in mice, which is 20 times smaller: the diameter of a thick strand of hair. The MouseFlex electrodes that fit around that nerve are about 10 times thinner than a human hair."

Due to the small size of both the mouse vagus nerve and the electrodes, it has been challenging to interface with the nerve and challenging for the electrodes to remain stable throughout the process of electrical stimulation.

Sun said he was surprised by how well the MouseFlex met those challenges.

"Robustness of electrodes on this level is rare and very exciting," he said. "All MouseFlex electrodes remained functional after one billion cycles of electrical stimulation at eight milliampsthe most aggressive electrical stimulation I've seen to date in peer research."

"After we performed the surgery, then removed the electrodes and cleaned them, the electrochemical performance largely reversed to the level it had before the surgery, which means that these electrodes do tolerate surgical handling. That's quite important for clinical studies and for commercialization."

WVU researcher Loren Rieth demonstrates the electromechanical tester that can be used to characterize the lifetime of electrical leads connecting neural electrodes to stimulators. Credit: WVU Photo/Paige Nesbit

Rieth estimated that roughly 125,000 people around the world have VNS stimulators for epilepsy or depression. However, a new condition being evaluated for VNS treatment is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the body's joints.

One companySetPoint Medicalis conducting a multicenter clinical trial on VNS to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and Dr. Peter Konrad, chair of the WVU School of Medicine Department of Neurosurgery within the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, is leading one of the clinical trial sites at Health Sciences.

"If treatment for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis works and devices are approved for that purpose, then the number of VNS patients will likely increase significantly," Rieth predicted, pointing to other widespread medical conditions with the potential to respond to bioelectronic treatment, including reactive airway disease and heart disease.

"VNS systems don't have major safety concerns," he said. "The surgery to place the electrode and stimulator does have risks, but neurosurgeons follow well-established procedures. There can be side effects such as voice changes from stimulation, which for epilepsy happens every few minutes, but these rarely require turning off the stimulator. Of course, new treatments might have different safety concerns, and that is a critical part of the Food and Drug Administration's review process."

Sun noted several additional conditions for which vagus nerve stimulation using flexible electrodes like the MouseFlex shows promise: depression, obesity and high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

"For many drug-resistant patients, reliable and safe vagus nerve modulation opens new avenues to effective treatments with few or no side effects," Sun said. "And our MouseFlex technology could also interface with nerves besides the vagus nervethe sciatic and sacral nerves and the spinal cord, for example. Stimulating the spinal cord is effective for managing chronic pain and could restore lost motion capability for paralyzed patients."

More information: Tao Sun et al, Flexible IrOx neural electrode for mouse vagus nerve stimulation, Acta Biomaterialia (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.01.026 Journal information: Acta Biomaterialia
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Polygenic prediction of gestational duration. Mean (95% CI) gestational duration for each decile of the gestational duration polygenic score (n = 3,943). Only spontaneous deliveries were considered. PGS, polygenic score. Credit: Nature Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01343-9. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01343-9

New knowledge of the genetic factors behind premature delivery and gestational duration has now emerged. Findings presented by a major international study under the aegis of the University of Gothenburg include the ways in which, before birth, the woman's and the unborn child's genes have mutually antagonistic effects.

These results, now published in the journal Nature Genetics, enhance the potential for long-term development of drugs to induce parturition (birth) andeven more importantlyachieve the goal of preventing preterm births.

Globally, preterm (or premature) birth is the most frequent immediate cause of death among newborns and children aged up to five years; and the earlier the parturition, the higher the risk. "Preterm birth" refers to delivery before the 37th week of pregnancy. Most births take place in gestation week 39 or 40.

Bo Jacobsson, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and senior consultant doctor at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, led the study. His previous advances in this area were already acclaimed.

New understanding of mechanisms

The minimal margins in a human birth set us apart from other mammals. A woman's pelvis barely allows a fully grown fetus to pass through; in contrast, a female chimpanzee's pelvic passage, for example, has twice the diameter as that of her young.

The process preceding a human birth is thus extremely critical, and to enhance understanding of the processes governing when the onset of labor takes place, it is human beings specifically who need to be studiedin this case, the genetics of the woman and her unborn child.

The present study surpasses its predecessors in size and breadth. This time, some 90 researchers from the Early Growth Genetics Consortium (EGG), an international network, took part. Just over 20 international birth cohorts comprising a total of 279,043 individuals studied, were included.

"The results have given us more routes to understanding how labor is initiated, both at full term and in premature labor. In samples, we were able to identify numerous previously undiscovered genetic variants associated with the timing of parturition, and these provide unmatched insights into the underlying biological mechanisms," Jacobsson notes.

Maternalfetal genetic deal

To understand whether gestational duration is determined by the genes of the woman or the fetus, we examined 136,833 cases. These involved either the combination of both parents and their offspring or the woman and her offspring, enabling the effects of the woman's and the child's genome respectively to be distinguished with greater precision.

The first author of the study, Pol Sole Navais, is a researcher at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy. He describes how the findings support the hypothesis of genetic conflicts between mother and child.

"What we see is that there might be a conflict between the genomes of the woman and unborn child respectively when it comes to the duration of pregnancy. Genetically, the woman's genes favor earlier onset of labor to expel the child, for her own survival, while those of the unborn child favor extension of the pregnancy to gain weight. So, they reach a kind of compromise deal," he says.

In the long run, the research has two aims: to develop drugs that can prevent preterm birth, and to mitigate or boost contractions during delivery. According to the researchers, their study results show that studies on human genetics are a good way to find conceivable targets for these drug therapies.

More information: Pol Sole-Navais, Genetic effects on the timing of parturition and links to fetal birth weight, Nature Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01343-9. www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01343-9 Journal information: Nature Genetics
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The rationale of the self-charging battery for tumor therapy. (A) Positive electrode material of the battery in the discharging mode is able to effectively reduce the oxygen and results in the production of ROS and hydroxyl ion. With the persistent consumption of oxygen, sustained hypoxia environment can be created, which is able to make full use of HAPs to kill tumor cells. (B) Demonstration of structure of the self-charging battery. (C) Different battery miniaturization approaches are presented, including layered battery (version 1), gel battery (version 2), and fiber battery (version 3). Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3992

Despite decades of research and tens of billions of dollars for research and treatments worldwide, the battle against cancer continues.

Progress has been made through conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and drugs. But these treatments, often painful and costly, can create troublesome side effects. Healthy body cells can be adversely affected and cancers vanquished in one spot may reappear elsewhere.

Newer technologies have allowed doctors to implant minuscule drug delivery systems into body tissue that more precisely target infected areas. But issues with biocompatibility and permeability remain challenges.

Now researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai say they may have a better approach to combating cancer. In a paper published last week in the journal Science Advances, Fan Zhang and Yongyao Xia reported that an implantable self-charging battery that consumes oxygen can zero in on cancer cells and help kill them.

Tumor cells generally have low oxygen levels, a condition known as hypoxia. This has provided medicine with an attractive target and a clear goal: Design a drug-delivery system that seeks out a low-oxygen environment and supplement it with cancer-killing medication.

Previously, this approach had only limited success due to inadequate or uneven hypoxia levels in solid tumors. But Zhang and Xia said their approach targets the environment of the cell rather than the cell itself.

"Using implantable devices to regulate tumor microenvironment 'in situ' may be a more effective way for cancer therapy," they said.

The knew that if they could increase the degree of hypoxia, a tumor site would be more easily identifiable. So they designed a self-charging salt-water battery that can "persistently regulate oxygen content  in a tumor microenvironment."

The battery is part of a two-stage approach to eradicating tumors. It increases and maintains the state of hypoxia while tumor-killing drugs designed to identify cancer cells in low-oxygen regions are deployed. By limiting drug application to the low-oxygen regions, there is little or no impact on healthy oxygen-rich cells.

In a small study, the battery/drug approach completely eliminated tumors in 80% of the mice.

According to Zhang, the battery can continuously consume oxygen within a tumor cell for more than 14 days.

"This work is a crossover study between battery technology and biotherapy," Xia said. "[It] not only provides a new treatment method for anti-tumor therapy, but also creates a precedent for batteries in biomedical applications."

The authors of the report say despite early impressive results, more research is needed. Although no serious side effects were noted in the mouse study, standards for humans are stricter. Compatibility with human tissue must still be confirmed. But the researchers say the technique holds great promise for application in other devices.

"The battery components are biocompatible, which minimized the harm of battery implantation," they said. "Moreover [there is] great potential to develop other therapeutic devices, such as electrochemiluminescence, wearable devices, interventional therapies, inflammatory microenvironment regulation, and electric nerve stimulation."

More information: Jianhang Huang et al, A self-charging salt water battery for antitumor therapy, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf3992 Journal information: Science Advances

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Comparison of cancer incidence rates of individual cencus tracts with Louisiana, all cancers combined, 2010-2019. Credit: Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract 2010-2019 (2023).

LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) has published the sixth report of statewide cancer incidence rates by census tract. The publication, which reports 2010-2019 combined cancer incidence data, found that 81% of the census tracts in Louisiana met publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria.

For the Louisiana census tracts meeting the criteria, the incidence rates for all cancers combined and for specific cancer types were compared with the corresponding rates for the entire state. The numbers of census tracts with statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared to the rates for Louisiana varied by cancer type. "Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract 2010-2019" is available online.

The release of cancer incidence data is governed by the federal patient privacy law and federal standards for producing valid data. To protect patient confidentiality, HIPAA prohibits publication of health information by geographic area when the underlying population is 20,000 or less. The United States Cancer Statistics standards for generating reliable cancer incidence rates require case counts of 16 or more to report. To increase the number of census tracts meeting the publication criteria, LTR combined 10 years of data2010-2019.

The cancer incidence rate is the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases in a specified population during the specified years, usually expressed as the number of cancers per 100,000 population.

Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a parish. Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people. Of the 1,148 census tracts in Louisiana, 933 met the publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria.

For all cancers combined, of the 933 census tracts meeting the publication criteria when 2010-2019 data were combined, 124 census tracts from 38 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared with Louisiana, and 107 census tracts had lower incidence rates.

The census tract with the highest incidence rate that is statistically significant for all cancers combined in Louisiana is 22071013400, which is in the Central Business District/Warehouse District in Orleans Parish. The rate is 893.5 per 100,000. There are 26.0 cases on average per year among a population of 2,524.

The second statistically significantly higher rate is also in Orleans Parishthe Desire Neighborhood (22071013700). The rate is 738.8 per 100,000. There are 14.8 cases on average per year among a population of 2,200.

The third statistically significantly higher rate is found in Lafourche Parish in the Brule area near the town of Thibodaux (22057020702). The rate is 731.8 per 100,000. There are 19.5 cases on average per year among a population of 3,172.

There are census tracts with a statistically higher cancer incidence rate than Louisiana for all cancers combined in Acadia, Ascension, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Catahoula, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Results for the most common specific cancer types include:

Prostate Cancer: Of the 477 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 45 census tracts in 19 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 42 had lower rates.

Cancers of the Lung and Bronchus: Of the 849 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 80 census tracts in 34 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 67 census tracts had lower rates.

Female Breast Cancer: Of the 520 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 26 census tracts in 11 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 18 census tracts had lower rates.

Colorectal Cancer: Of the 706 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 49 census tracts in 27 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 19 census tracts had lower rates.

Cancers of the Kidney and Renal Pelvis: Of the 224 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 27 census tracts in 22 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Findings for other cancer types include:

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Of the 138 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 21 census tracts in 10 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Urinary Bladder Cancer: Of the 141 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 32 census tracts in 19 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Melanoma of the Skin: Of the 141 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 75 census tracts in 17 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Pancreas: Of the 36 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 6 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Leukemia: Of the 47 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 7 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Oral Cavity & Pharynx: Of the 35 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 13 census tracts in 11 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Thyroid: Of the 55 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 19 census tracts in 13 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Corpus Uterus: Of the 6 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 1 census tract in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct: Of the 10 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 7 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

Myeloma: 1 census tract meeting the publication criteria in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana.

"Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States even during the COVID-19 pandemic," notes Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, MPH, Professor and Director of the Louisiana Tumor Registry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health.

"According to the National Center for Health Statistics data, the number of cancer deaths surpassed the number of COVID-19 deaths in both 2020 and 2021. The timely publication of this cancer report underscores our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality and timely cancer data for cancer control, prevention and cancer research. We would like to extend a well-deserved shout-out to everyone at the hospital and regional registries in Louisiana. Their hard work made this report possible."

LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry is a statewide population-based cancer registry authorized by law to collect data on all reportable cancer cases occurring among Louisiana residents. A registry serves as an official count of a specific thing and its associated identifying information.

A cancer registry systematically collects data on reportable cancers, which includes patient demographics, cancer type, stage at diagnosis, and the first course of treatment, as well as survival. This information is used to answer questions such as: Are more or fewer people getting colorectal cancer from one reporting period to the next?

LTR's job is to collect high-quality cancer data, which guide and support cancer prevention and control activities, as well as many other cancer-related programs and research. Policymakers, state health departments, cancer control programs and other qualified health professionals decide if further action is warranted based on the LTR data.
Senior Chinese diplomat meets Japanese FM

Xinhua) 09:12, April 03, 2023

Wang Yi, 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, meets with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Sunday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China-Japan relations are generally stable at present, but there are noises and interferences from time to time. The fundamental cause is that some forces in Japan deliberately follow the erroneous China policy of the United States and cooperate with the U.S. side to discredit China and make provocations on issues concerning China's core interests, which is short-sighted, wrong and unwise.

Noting that China maintains continuity and stability in its policy toward Japan, Wang said China is willing to work with Japan to build bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era based on the four political documents between the two countries.

It is hoped that the Japanese side will act upon the important consensus that the two countries are cooperative partners and do not pose a threat to each other, and work together with the Chinese side to improve and develop China-Japan relations, Wang said.

For his part, Hayashi said that Japan stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of two countries, build constructive and stable bilateral ties, and achieve win-win as well as all-win results.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
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Key features of the OmicsPred portal for accessing genetic scores of multi-omic traits. a, Organization of genetic scores on the portal. b, Example of how biomolecular traits and their genetic-score-related information can be explored. c, Example of how summary statistics of training and validation cohorts are presented. d, Example of how validation results and genetic-score models can be downloaded. e, Example of how validation results and trait-related information can be visualized. Credit: Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05844-9

Work by an international research team led by Yu Xu and Michael Inouye at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, has resulted in a unique resource for predicting multi-omics data directly from genotypes. The details of how the team developed the OmicsPred resource are in an article, "An atlas of genetic scores to predict multi-omic traits," published in the journal Nature. A Research Briefing on the study is published in the same journal issue.

There is a vision of the future that includes a device like the medical tricorder in "Star Trek," a hand-held device or an app incorporated into a mobile device. After a quick and painless scan just by waving the device over the afflicted area, comes the prognosissuch as Barclay's protomorphosis syndrome, a pernicious DNA disease that makes one de-evolve in the most intriguing science-fiction way possible. While a device of this type remains science fiction, many of the medical tricorders' capabilities already exist in the form of bulky lab equipment and databases spread across the fields of omics.

Thorough investigation of disease, or disease susceptibility, requires a lot of different omicsgenomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. The collection of multi-omics is costly and data-intensive, making it somewhat rare within research. These fields of knowledge are in databases full of detailed analyses of human cell functions and disease associations. Additionally, many multi-omics studies have been targeted at specific subset populations to interrogate disease mechanisms. A broader capture of multi-omics could confirm inferred knowledge and discover hidden biological pathways.

Xu and colleagues used a machine-learning approach to create genetic scores for 17,227 biomolecular traits from 48,813 healthy blood samples that can predict the levels of 13,668 RNA transcripts, 2,692 proteins and 867 metabolites. The genetic scores were then validated in seven diverse, independent cohorts.

The OmicsPred team anticipates that this new resource will be widely useful in investigating multi-omic traits and associations with biological traits. All the genetic scores from the study have been made public through the web portal omicspred.org, and the scientific community is invited to use it to predict multi-omic traits from genotypes in their own data sets.

Currently, the molecular traits that these scores predict only reflect the heritability and variability in the training data set, which was derived from healthy blood donors of predominantly white European ancestries. The creators plan to enhance and refine the range of genetic scores available in the OmicsPred resource and expand the ancestral diversity with updated training data sets.

More information: Yu Xu et al, An atlas of genetic scores to predict multi-omic traits, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05844-9 Genome-based scores predict thousands of molecular traits in humans, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00721-x Journal information: Nature

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After double vaccination with the live attenuated vaccine (A), the nasal mucosa in the hamster model is very well protected and shows hardly any changes from SARS-CoV-2 (B). The combination of live and mRNA vaccines (C) is also very effective, but the virus still finds small sites to attack (stained brown) in the nasal mucosa (D). In comparison, double intramuscular vaccines perform much worse in terms of protecting the nasal mucosa (E+F and G+H). They allow the virus to damage the upper tissue layers. Credit: Anne Vo, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universitat Berlin

Coronaviruses spread primarily through the air. When infected people speak, cough, sneeze or laugh, they expel droplets of saliva containing the virus. Other people then breathe in these airborne pathogens and become infected themselves. A research team in Berlin decided to try to fight the virus that causes COVID-19 where it first takes hold: the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, throat, and lungs.

To do this, the scientists developed a live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that is administered through the nose. In the latest issue of the journal Nature Microbiology, the interdisciplinary team describes how this live attenuated vaccine confers better immunity than vaccines injected into muscle.

Already in the fall of last year, two nasal vaccination formulations were approved for use in India and China. These contain modified adenoviruseswhich typically cause respiratory or gastrointestinal illnessesthat are self-attenuating, meaning they either replicate poorly or stop replicating altogether, and therefore never trigger disease. Other live nasal vaccines are currently undergoing development and testing around the world.

Protection at the site of infection

The benefits of a nasal vaccine go far beyond just providing an alternative for people afraid of needles. When a vaccine is injected, it infers immunity primarily in the blood and throughout the entire body. However, this means that the immune system only detects and combats coronaviruses relatively late on in an infection, as they enter the body via the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. "It is here, therefore, that we need local immunity if we want to intercept a respiratory virus early on," explains the study's co-last author Dr. Jakob Trimpert, a veterinarian and research group leader at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universitat Berlin.

"Nasal vaccines are far more effective in this regard than injected vaccines, which fail or struggle to reach the mucous membranes," says Dr. Emanuel Wyler, another co-last author. He has been researching COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic as part of the RNA Biology and Posttranscriptional Regulation Lab, which is led by Professor Markus Landthaler at the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbruck Center (MDC-BIMSB).

In an ideal scenario, a live intranasal vaccine stimulates the formation of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) directly on site, thus preventing infection from occurring in the first place. IgA is the most common immunoglobin in the mucous membranes of the airways. It is able to neutralize pathogens by binding to them and preventing them from infecting respiratory tract cells. At the same time, the vaccine stimulates systemic immune responses that help provide effective overall protection from infection.

"Memory T cells that reside in lung tissue play a similarly useful role to antibodies in the mucosa," explains Dr. Geraldine Nouailles, an immunologist and research group leader at the Department of Pneumology, Respiratory Medicine, and Intensive Care Medicine at Charite. "These white blood cells remain in affected tissue long after an infection has passed and remember pathogens they have encountered before. Thanks to their location in the lungs, they can respond quickly to viruses that enter through the airways."

The co-first author draws attention to one of the observations the team made during their study: "We were able to show that prior intranasal vaccination results in the increased reactivation of these local memory cells in the event of a subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Needless to say, we were particularly pleased with this result."

Local immunity impedes viral infection

The scientists tested the efficacy of the newly developed intranasal COVID-19 vaccine on hamster models that had been established by Trimpert and his team at Freie Universitat Berlin at the beginning of the pandemic. These rodents are currently the most important non-transgenic model organisms for research into the novel coronavirus, as they can be infected with the same virus variants as humans and develop similar symptoms. They found that after two doses of the vaccine, the virus could no longer replicate in the model organism.

"We witnessed strong activation of the immunological memory, and the mucous membranes were very well protected by the high concentration of antibodies," Trimpert explains. The vaccine could therefore also significantly reduce the transmissibility of the virus.

In addition, the scientists compared the efficacy of the live attenuated vaccine with that of vaccines injected into the muscle. To do so, they vaccinated the hamsters either twice with the live vaccine, once with the mRNA and once with the live vaccine, or twice with an mRNA or adenovirus-based vaccine. Then, after the hamsters were infected with SARS-CoV-2, they used tissue samples from the nasal mucosa and lungs to see how strongly the virus was still able to attack the mucosal cells. They also determined the extent of the inflammatory response using single-cell sequencing.

"The live attenuated vaccine performed better than the other vaccines in all parameters," Wyler says. This is probably due to the fact that the nasally administered vaccine builds up immunity directly at the viral entry site. In addition, the live vaccine contains all components of the virusnot just the spike protein, as is the case with the mRNA vaccines. While spike is indeed the virus's most important antigen, the immune system can also recognize the virus from about 20 other proteins.

Better than conventional vaccines

The best protection against the SARS-CoV-2 was provided by double nasal vaccination, followed by the combination of a muscular injection of the mRNA vaccine and the subsequent nasal administration of the live attenuated vaccine. "This means the live vaccine could be particularly interesting as a booster," says the study's co-first author Julia Adler, a veterinarian and doctoral student at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universitat Berlin.

The principle of live attenuated vaccines is old and is already used in measles and rubella vaccinations, for example. But in the past, scientists generated the attenuation by chancesometimes waiting years for mutations to evolve that produced an attenuated virus. The Berlin researchers, on the other hand, were able to specifically alter the genetic code of the coronaviruses.

"We wanted to prevent the attenuated viruses from mutating back into a more aggressive variant," explains Dr. Dusan Kunec, a scientist at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universitat Berlin and another co-last author of the study. "This makes our live vaccine entirely safe and means it can be tailored to new virus variants," says Kunec, who was instrumental in developing the vaccine.

The next step is safety testing: The researchers are collaborating with RocketVax AG, a Swiss start-up based in Basel. The biotech company is developing the live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and preparing a phase 1 clinical trial in humans. "We are thrilled to be at the forefront of developing and manufacturing the live attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine as a nasal spray at RocketVax. Our goal is to rapidly scale-up production and advance clinical development towards market access to provide protection against post-COVID symptoms for all. We see great potential in the market for seasonal nasal vaccines," says Dr. Vladimir Cmiljanovic, CEO of RocketVax.

The future will show which nasal vaccine will ultimately provide better protection. The manufacturers of the nasal adenovirus vaccines developed in India and China have not yet applied for approval in Europe. But one thing is clear to the scientists: since they are administered as nasal sprays or drops, nasal vaccines are a good option for use in places with limited access to trained medical staff. They are also inexpensive to produce and easy to store and transport. Last but not least, live attenuated vaccines such as this one have been proven to provide cross-protection against related viral strains, and thus presumably also against future SARS-CoV-2 variants.

More information: Jakob Trimpert, Live-attenuated vaccine sCPD9 elicits superior mucosal and systemic immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters, Nature Microbiology (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01352-8. www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01352-8 Journal information: Nature Microbiology
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Comparison of Percentage of Patients Receiving an Opioid and Variables of Intensity: All Delivery Types, Pre and PostCOVID-19 Onset in March 2020 A, Share of postpartum women filling an opioid prescription in a given month. B, Mean number of opioid prescriptions per woman. C, Mean morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day supplied, conditional on filling an opioid prescription. D, Mean days supply, conditional on filling an opioid prescription. Each dot represents the measure over a monthly period. The solid diagonal lines and dashed lines represent the forecasted values from our time-series model and the associated 95% CIs, respectively. The vertical dotted blue line corresponds to March 2020. Credit: JAMA Network Open (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6438

Women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic filled significantly more prescriptions for opioid medications, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

Published in JAMA Network Open, the study found that 38% of more than 460,000 women who gave birth from July 2018 through December 2020 were prescribed opioids for postpartum pain management.

But there was a significant increase in the number of prescriptions filled for women giving birth during COVID. And the opioids they were prescribed were also higher strength than those given to women who gave birth prior to the pandemic.

"A lot of women receive opioids for treatment of pain during the postpartum period, but they are a particularly vulnerable group because many of them haven't used opioid medications before," said Emily Lawler, co-author of the study and an assistant professor in the School of Public and International Affairs. "That makes them high risk for potential opioid abuse."

The findings are especially concerning given the uptick in opioid overdose deaths during the pandemic, when they surpassed 100,000 deaths annually, the researchers said.

Opioids typically last resort for pain management but may not have been during COVID-19

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends health care providers use a stepwise approach to pain management for postpartum mothers. First, they start with a basic pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If that doesn't alleviate the pain, physicians move to a low strength opioid, such as codeine or tramadol.

But the association also recommends that those prescribed opioids not take them for extended periods and be switched to over-the-counter pain medications as soon as possible.

"Prior to the pandemic, opioid prescriptions were decreasing not only in terms of the number of women prescribed opioids but also the strength of the opioids being prescribed and the number of days covered by each prescription," said Shelby Steuart, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in the School of Public and International Affairs.

"But right after the COVID-19 lockdowns happen in March 2020, we saw a sharp spike in opioid prescription fills," she continued. "We don't know whether physicians were writing more opioid prescriptions or if more women were just taking their prescriptions to the pharmacy and filling them, but it is concerning."

It's possible physicians were concerned that they wouldn't see their patients as frequently during the lockdown and COVID surges and were attempting to compensate for that, the researchers said. But it's also possible that the anxiety from the pandemic exacerbated women's feelings of pain, prompting them to fill their prescriptions when they may not have prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

"It's really critical for this population to be in continued contact with health care providers because they are at high risk of chronic pain," Lawler said. "It is important to appropriately manage pain, but postpartum women who do develop opioid use disorder are much harder to connect to treatment. And we need to be aware that there is potential for this group to become addicted to opioids, and we need to be on the lookout to connect them to treatment if needed."

More information: Shelby R. Steuart et al, Comparison of Postpartum Opioid Prescriptions Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic, JAMA Network Open (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.6438 Journal information: JAMA Network Open
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Government-assisted refugees were less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than privately sponsored refugees, found a new study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Canada has 2 main pathways to resettle refugees: government assistance and private sponsorship by family members or non-family volunteers.

To determine whether refugees receive adequate prenatal care (defined as initiation of prenatal care by 13 weeks' gestation; receipt of a minimum number of prenatal care visits, as recommended by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada; and receipt of a prenatal fetal anatomy ultrasound between 16 and 21 weeks' gestation), researchers looked at data from ICES on 2775 pregnant government-assisted and 2374 privately sponsored refugees in Ontario, the province that receives almost half of the country's refugees.

Researchers found that over the study period (20022020), government-assisted refugees were less likely to receive adequate prenatal care services than privately sponsored refugees (62.3% v. 69.3%), a difference that remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders.

"Our findings suggest that private sponsorship plays a role in facilitating prenatal care use, and that government-assisted refugees may benefit from additional resettlement support related to health care navigation," writes Dr. Astrid Guttmann, senior scientist, ICES, and a pediatrician and senior scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Ontario, with co-authors.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that privately sponsored refugees and nonrefugee immigrants were more likely to have adequate prenatal visits than long-term residents of Canada.

"Increased visits related to perceived or higher medical need or need for counseling may be reasons for more visits in the privately sponsored refugees and nonrefugee immigrant populations," writes Dr. Andrea Evans, ICES Fellow, pediatrician at CHEO, and investigator at the CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario.

The authors suggest that education and language may be barriers limiting access to prenatal care for government-assisted refugees, and this finding could be useful for increasing access to health care.

More information: Receipt of adequate prenatal care for privately sponsored versus government-assisted refugees in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study, Canadian Medical Association Journal (2023). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.221207 Journal information: Canadian Medical Association Journal
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Thanks to its characteristics, it is particularly valuable for biomedical research: the silk of the golden orb-weaver spider from Tanzania is more tear-resistant than nylon, more elastic than steel, extremely heat-resistant and waterproof, and has an antibacterial effect. Credit: MedUni Vienna/Radtke

The treatment of nerve injuries with the aid of nerve guidance conduits has led to the desired regenerative success in some, but by no means all, cases. In a recently published study, a research team from MedUni Vienna and the University of Oxford has used silk as a promising material for repairing severed nerves.

In their experiments with silk from silkworms and spiders, the scientists also gained new insights into the effects on silks on neuronal healing processes. The study results have just been published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials and could significantly advance therapeutic options in peripheral nerve reconstruction.

In the search for improved therapeutic options for nerve injuries, the team led by Christine Radtke, head of MedUni Vienna's Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, produced in collaboration with researchers of the University of Oxford nerve conduits from two different types of silk: silk from silkworms was used for the tubes, while silk from spiders was used to fill them.

The function of these conduits was investigated in an animal model: as the experiments showed, the severed nerves adapted to the novel silk nerve guidance conduits and grew along the silk threads over the defect distance until the severed nerve endings were successfully reconnected. "As part of our study, we not only succeeded in nerve repair, we were also able to analyze the components of the healing process in detail," says first author Lorenz Semmler from the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery at MedUni Vienna, summarizing key study findings.

For example, the studies confirmed that the tubes made of silkworm silk are equipped with a porous wall to ensure the necessary exchange of nutrients and waste products, which is important for the functionality of the nerves. In addition, information was obtained about the molecular structure of the tubes, which is responsible for their stability and avoidance of kinking and rupture. It was also shown that cells crucial for nerve regeneration adhere to both types of silk, which is a prerequisite for regeneration to proceed. "Our study is an important step in regenerative neuroscience," emphasizes study leader Christine Radtke in advance of future clinical trials that will confirm the current results.

Spider silk for nerve regeneration

Nerve guides made of various materials, such as chitosan or collagen, have been an important surgical tool for nerve repair for about three decades. These are tubes that are sutured to both ends of an injured nerve to bridge the disrupted nerve canal. Under optimal conditions, these tubes can already support the growth of nerve fibers and cells, but currently they can only bridge only small gaps.

To improve the method, scientists have discussed the use of filling material as a guiding structure inside the tubes. These should serve as a "handrail" for the damaged nerve, along which the regenerating tissue can orient itself and grow. "In our study, it turned out that peripheral nerves function well when such threads are made of silk, with spider silk apparently being preferred for the guide rails," Semmler says. Therefore, the scientific team is already working on the next step to explore the potential use of spider silk in human peripheral nerve injuries.

More information: Lorenz Semmler et al, SilkinSilk Nerve Guidance Conduits Enhance Regeneration in a Rat Sciatic Nerve Injury Model, Advanced Healthcare Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202203237 Journal information: Advanced Healthcare Materials
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Experiments on mice show that animals with the activated TLR4 gene develop neuroinflammation and cognitive loss. When TLR4 is deactivated by medication or genetic changes, cognitive function is preserved. Credit: Fabricia L. Fontes-Dantas

Patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome often experience cognitive and memory impairments. A new study by researchers from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and UniRio provides insight into the mechanism behind this phenomenon.

The study suggests that the Spike protein, responsible for the virus's entry into human cells, could be responsible for memory loss in post-COVID-19 syndrome. The study also identifies TLR4 receptor as a potential therapeutic target for the symptoms.

The study, published in Cell Reports, involved experiments with mice, where the researchers infused the Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 into the brains of the animals. The results showed that the infusion induced delayed memory impairment, similar to post-COVID-19 syndrome in humans. The scientists observed an increase in the quantity and activation state of microglia, a type of brain cell involved in the innate immune response, and whose role is essential in neuroinflammatory diseases.

The study leaders, Claudia Figueiredo and Giselle Passos from the UFRJ's School of Pharmacy, explained that the activation of the TRL4 receptor by the viral protein induces neuroinflammation, leading to the elimination of synaptic proteins by microglia through a phagocytosis process. This results in memory impairment.

The phenomenon was observed in both mice and humans, and patients with polymorphisms in the gene related to TLR4 were found to have a higher risk of developing late memory impairments after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The researchers concluded that the Spike protein has a central role in the development of cognitive changes after COVID-19 and suggested that TLR4 is a promising target for the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies to avoid or treat memory loss caused by SARS-CoV-2.

More information: Fabricia L. Fontes-Dantas et al, SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein induces TLR4-mediated long-term cognitive dysfunction recapitulating post-COVID-19 syndrome in mice, Cell Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112189 Journal information: Cell Reports

Provided by Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (INBEB)
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Many parents think that they are protecting their children by smoking on the porch or next to the window in a room. However, a new study by Tel Aviv University finds that, in contrast to such beliefs, restricting smoking to the porch does not protect most children from exposure to tobacco smoke.

In a unique Israeli study, the research team tested for the presence of nicotine in the hair of children whose parents smoke. Among parents who restrict smoking to the porch or outside the house, the findings are extremely worrisome: among six out of 10 children tested, nicotine was found in their hair.

The researchers emphasize, "In Israel, home porches should be regarded as part of the environment of the home. Smoking next to a window or in another specific place in the home does not protect most children from exposure. Our recommendations are unequivocal: to reduce children's exposure to tobacco smoke, smoking should be entirely avoided within a range of 10 meters from the house. Likewise, in open areas, smokers should maintain a distance of at least 10 meters from the children."

The study was led by Prof. Leah (Laura) Rosen from the School of Public Health in the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University. The study was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

In the study, the team tested children's level of tobacco smoke exposure by testing hair samples of children for the presence of nicotine. This provides an estimate of the amount of exposure to tobacco smoke over the past months. Analysis of the data showed that among smoking families who restricted smoking to the porch or outdoors, and did not smoke inside the house, 62% of the children were exposed to tobacco smoke.

It was noted that in the first stage of the study (which was published about two years ago), the research team tested for the presence of hair nicotine among children of smoking parentsand then it was found that 70% of the children of smoking parents had measurable hair nicotine. Now, as described above, the researchers examined the data by location of parental smoking.

Prof. Rosen stated, "It is known that smoking outside the house, even when the doors and windows are fully closed, does not completely protect children from exposure to tobacco smoke. The Israeli situation is of great concern because in many cases, porches in Israel are directly adjacent to the living areas and may even be partially open some of the time; the proximity allows smoke to drift from those areas to the interior of the house. The parents mistakenly believe that the porch offers a 'safe' place to smoke.

"In fact, the children are likely to be directly exposed when they come out to the porch and someone is smoking, or when smoke drifts into the house. Once in the home, the smoke is absorbed into the environment, for example, into the furniture or walls or rugs, and is then gradually discharged into the air over weeks or months. Further, this residual smoke, known as third hand smoke, can be absorbed into the body from the environment via swallowing or through the skin, especially among infants and small children.

"In addition, smoking parents transmit the toxins from the tobacco smoke on their skin, on their hands, in their hair, on their clothing. Therefore it is recommended to brush teeth, wash hands and change clothes after smoking, before contact with children."

Prof. Rosen notes that this new information is directly relevant to Case 1416/21 on neighbor smoking, which is currently being heard in the Supreme Court. The appeal against the Ministries of the Environment, Health, and Interior concerns the tobacco smoke that penetrates apartments as an environmental hazard, a claim that is supported by the definition of an environmental hazard in the Clean Air Law, the Hazard Prevention Law, and the Penal Code.

Prof. Rosen said, "The results of this study show that among smoking families, restricting smoking to the porch does not protect most children from exposure to tobacco smoke. Therefore, the Health Ministry's approach, which opposes protection for individuals from smoke incursion into their own homes in order to protect the smokers' children, does not protect the children of smokers, and in addition it can cause substantial harm to neighbors and the children of neighbors. We ask the Health Ministry to reconsider its stand in light of these findings.

"The State of Israel must make the reduction of parental smoking a national goal and invest the appropriate resources in this issue. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions regarding when and how the exposure occurs. Eighty-five percent of tobacco smoke is invisible and our sense of smell is not reliable, so many parents mistakenly believe that they are protecting their children while in fact they are exposing them to substantial health risks. As a society, we must safeguard citizens and distance everyone from the risks of tobacco smoke exposure, especially infants and children, pregnant women, and all vulnerable populations."

More information: Laura J. Rosen et al, Tobacco Smoke Exposure According to Location of Home Smoking in Israel: Findings from the Project Zero Exposure Study, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023). DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043523 Journal information: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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Credit: LightField Studios/Shutterstock

In the spring of 2022, a pediatric gastroenterologist treating children in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow issued an alert to Public Health Scotland (PHS), warning of an unusual outbreak of hepatitis cases in her clinic.

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, and is usually caused by viral infections, toxins (including alcohol), medications, autoimmune conditions or inherited conditions. Hepatitis is unusual in children and when it does occur, cases are generally isolated.

The children had presented to hospital mostly with a history of gastrointestinal illness weeks earlier, with jaundice, and in some cases with severe liver failure. PHS initiated an urgent investigation of these cases which were noted to affect children of nursery or primary school age, most of whom had been otherwise fit and healthy.

PHS officials informed their counterparts in England at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who noted that they too were seeing an increase in such cases.

The UK public health agencies alerted the World Health Organization (WHO), and by the summer of 2022, more than 1,000 children around the world were reported to have been affectedthe majority in Europe and the Americas. Around half of the European cases occurred in the UK.

The consequences for some children were severe: 22 died and 46 required a liver transplant.

We still don't fully understand what caused this outbreak, which has now subsided. But three new studies published in Nature offer important clues.

A real-time investigation

As soon as the alert was raised, PHS engaged a team of experts to investigate the outbreak in Scotland, while a UKHSA technical science group was assembled in England.

Children who had been diagnosed with hepatitis were invited to give blood samples with consent from their parents or guardians. The scientists looked for viruses that commonly cause hepatitis in children, as well as for rarer conditions and toxins.

These tests didn't reveal a clear cause, although it was noted that many of the children had tested positive for the human adenovirus F41 (HAdV F41)a common cause of gastrointestinal infection in children, but not hepatitis.

Credit: The Conversation

Samples from the Scottish children were then transferred to the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for Virus Research, where my colleagues and I investigated further. Our center has expertise in the use of next generation sequencing (called metagenomic sequencing) to look for new or emerging viruses that are not routinely identified in NHS diagnostic tests. In parallel, samples from affected English children were sent to University College London (UCL) for similar testing.

Both laboratories identified that most of the children with hepatitis had evidence of a virus called adeno-associated virus 2 (AAV2) in their bloodstream, and also in the liver samples from those children who had required a liver biopsy. For example, we detected AAV2 in 26 out of 32 cases of hepatitis, compared with only five out of 74 healthy children we studied as a comparison group.

HAdV F41 was also detected in several (but not all) cases, in blood, liver and gastrointestinal samples.

AAV2 belongs to a group of viruses called Dependoparvovirus. It is known to replicate in the liver, but to do so it usually requires a "helper" virus such as an adenovirus like HAdV F41 (hence its name), or other viruses such as herpesviruses. AAV2 has not previously been found to cause illness.

In our research, we were able to see AAV2 in diseased liver cells using a technique called in situ hybridisation. We also measured the immune response to AAV2 in affected children, and found most of these children had evidence of IgM antibodies in their bloodstream, which indicates a recent infection.

Our results suggest that AAV2 may have been the cause of this outbreak of hepatitis in children. However, as it co-occurs with adenovirus infection, it could be that HAdV F41 is responsible as well. Further studies will be required to confirm which virus is the most likely cause.

Working with experts around Scotland, we also found that most of affected children had an underlying genetic susceptibility. Some 93% of the children with hepatitis carried a gene that's linked with the immune response directed by T cells, compared with 16% in the control group. The presence of this gene means that hepatitis in these cases is likely to have been related to an over-reactive immune response.

What about COVID?

These research findings are published in two new articles in Nature, one from my team in Scotland and the other from the UCL researchers. A third study published in the same edition reports the detection of AAV2 in affected children in the US, also using metagenomic sequencing.

The UK and US authors concluded that changes in the circulation of viruses after COVID lockdowns may have increased the chances of children being exposed for the first time to multiple viruses. Our paper shows that a wave of adenovirus infection immediately preceded the pediatric hepatitis cases in Scotland, but samples were not available to look at the circulation of AAV2.

Interestingly, a recent publication from Ireland confirmed that both adenovirus and AAV2 viruses peaked in sewage samples taken from the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant in Dublin immediately before a similar outbreak of pediatric hepatitis in Ireland.

While these findings suggest strongly that AAV2, HAdV F41 and the immune response to one or both of these viruses underlie the cases of hepatitis seen around the world, larger studies are needed to confirm the findings. We also need to develop and test new treatments for affected children in case a new outbreak occurs.

More information: Venice Servellita et al, Adeno-associated virus type 2 in US children with acute severe hepatitis, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05949-1 , www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05949-1 Sofia Morfopoulou et al, Genomic investigations of unexplained acute hepatitis in children, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06003-w , www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06003-w Antonia Ho et al, Adeno-associated virus 2 infection in children with non-A-E hepatitis, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05948-2 , www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05948-2 Frank Tacke, Severe hepatitis outbreak in children linked to AAV2 virus, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-00570-8 , www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00570-8 Journal information: Nature

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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U.S. public health officials want high-risk individuals who haven't been vaccinated for mpoxpreviously called monkeypoxto do so before a potential resurgence of the virus in the coming months.

That surge could be worse than last year, federal modeling has found, but only about 23% of those at high risk for the virus have received vaccines, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most communities have had too few people vaccinated to avoid a potential outbreak and have a "greater than 35%" risk of the virus resurging, the CDC said.

"It's not us saying get more people vaccinated because we think it's a good idea. We need to get more people vaccinated because we know there's a linear relationship between how many people are vaccinated and the chance of not having an outbreak," Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, deputy coordinator for the White House's mpox response, told CBS News.

Those at highest risk include gay and bisexual men, and people who have multiple sex partners.

People who survived previous mpox infections may have some protection already, according to the CDC. The risk of reinfection could grow for those individuals, however, over time and if the virus mutates, the report noted.

"This is the time to do that little health check, that tune-up before we get into summer to make sure that we have all our ducks in a row," Daskalakis said.

Now is a good time to get the Jynneos mpox vaccine while cases are down, he added.

"People with two doses should feel pretty confident that they're protected. But then always remember, if you have a lesion that's concerning, you should get tested because nothing is perfect," Daskalakis said.

Mpox cases are now reported at about one case a day throughout the United States. At their peak last August, there were 450 daily reported infections.

In its efforts to curb the virus, the CDC has created a new webpage that provides an mpox vaccine locator. To find a site near you, visit the MPOX vaccine locator.

"This is getting embedded into the fabric that we do to prevent sexually transmitted infections, like HIV. So it's moved back into a space that's more routine," Daskalakis said.

The study findings were published March 31 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Copyright  2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Daniel Oluwagbemileke Popoola, PhD, is hosting a podcast that encourages its guests to share their stories about the obstacles they have overcome along their paths to success. He hopes it will motivate dreamers.

Journey From $5 to MD, PhD Inspires Story Sharing Podcast

Focus: Destigmatizing Grit and Empowering Dreamers

story by dirk hoffman

Fourth-year medical student Daniel Oluwagbemileke Popoola, PhD, hopes his podcast about the true paths to success will inspire and empower listeners.

I have found redemption in the arms of people who have encouraged and empowered me based on their experiences with the same or similar situations. My goal is to see people rise up to the fullness of their potential.  Daniel Oluwagbemileke Popoola, PhD Fourth-year medical student and creator and host of the Debriefing With The DOPe Doctor podcast

Speaking of his upcoming MD convocation in April, Popoola says It is a humbling privilege to see my childhood dreams finally come true after myriad obstacles. Born in Nigeria, Popoola has wanted to be a brain doctor since childhood and notes that his parents did not have much of an education, but they were determined to give my siblings and me that which they could not get.

He started attending medical school in Nigeria as a teenager, but had to drop out two years into his education due to a lack of funding after his father died of abdominal cancer.

But God has always showed up, as He did, when I won the visa lottery that same year. God has been very faithful, and in those moments when obstacles threatened to steal my dreams, He has always sent help, Popoola says. I came to this country at the lowest point in my life with $5 and a high school diploma and a crystal clear vision of becoming a doctor. The journey from $5 in the hands of an immigrant to an MD, PhD, was undoubtedly daunting. On several occasions, it felt impossible to continue and I contemplated quitting more often than I can count, he adds. I would not wish the pain and challenges that I have experienced on anyone, but they are some of the strongest motivations for my adamant commitment to the pursuit of success and passion to help others evade such experiences. While an undergraduate at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, he had a research poster accepted at a conference he wanted to attend. Popoola says attending that conference ultimately paved the way for him to attend graduate school at Binghamton University and earn a masters degree in psychology and a doctoral degree in neuroscience. However, the conferences cost was prohibitive, and he had to learn to knock down countless doors and learned to get comfortable with several rejections before meeting Kenneth Durgans, Ed.D, who eventually funded his conference registration fee and facilitated the funds for other attendance-related costs.



Helping Others Overcome Obstacles

Since returning from that conference, Popoola says, I have passionately sought ways to enlighten others to avoid similar struggles and that passion continues to grow with every subsequently surmounted obstacle. As Popoola debuts his podcast Debriefing With The DOPe Doctor hosted on his online motivational platform Success Clinic, he says the inspiration is the motivational power of story sharing.

According to him, the most inspiring, soothing and empowering pieces of advice he has received contained the phrase it is OK, I have been in your shoes, and came from mentors who shared their stories in an attempt to encourage him. When Popoola began his studies at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, he and his wife had two young sons. One day my son was in tears because he wanted me to spend about five more minutes with him before I left for school early in the morning, he says. I chose to go to campus, but when I got in the car, that guilt overwhelmed me, and I started crying. I was pouring out tears. Even when I walked into the building, I could not hold back those tears.

He remembers very clearly that Charles M. Severin, MD, PhD, emeritus professor, had heard about him crying and called him to his office.

He sat me down and told me he had gone through similar experiences when he was in medical school, Popoola says. He told me that sometimes he would have to take lecture notes to study while he was attending a sporting event his children were participating in. In between cheering for his child, he would be studying his notes in the bleachers.

The late Jonathan D. Daniels, MD, also took time to console Popoola.

He heard about it as well and the next time he saw me on campus, he pulled me into his office. He shared a similar story about raising his daughters when he was a medical student, Popoola says. He said sometimes you have to be selfish so you can be there for the people that you care about in the future.

Dori R. Marshall, MD, associate dean and director of medical admissions, also talked to Popoola about what it was like for her attending medical school while she was a mother.

These words calmed me down, knowing that these people had gone through this as well, he says. All of those people gave me the hope to pick myself up and continue pushing hard simply by sharing their stories. Subsequently, he decided to pay this forward by co-founding the PASS (Parents and Spouse Students) Club at the Jacobs School, which has expanded into a support group and resource that is currently serving its fourth cohort of medical students with family responsibilities.



Daniel Oluwagbemileke Popoola, PhD, records his podcast in a sixth-floor studio inside the Jacobs School building.

Paying it Forward Through Mentoring
A man pleaded not guilty last Tuesday to a federal charge alleging he caused the death of a woman in a car crash in Glacier County last summer.

Emil S. Day Chief, 41, of Great Falls, pleaded not guilty on March 28 to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Great Falls U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided.

Federal court documents accuse Day Chief of unlawfully killing a Native American woman on July 19, 2022, in Heart Butte on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Day Chief is in jail pending future court proceedings. He faces a possible maximum sentence of eight years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release if convicted, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The FBI, Montana Highway Patrol and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services investigated the case.
A Missoula man who was found to be carrying a pipe bomb and trafficking drugs was sentenced last week to more than six years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Matthew L. Jones, 43, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced to six years and six months of prison time on Friday, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Jones will also serve five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

Law enforcement stopped Jones on June 1, 2021, for a traffic violation in Missoula. According to the press release, he was absconding from probation and drove into oncoming traffic.

A search of his backpack by police (found in the car) returned heroin containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, dozens of distribution baggies and a pipe bomb, the press release stated. The pipe bomb was determined to be functional by an explosives expert.

Jones denied knowledge of the explosive and the backpack, reportedly saying they belonged to the car's previous owner.

"However, surveillance video showed Jones carrying the backpack when he checked into a hotel the previous evening," the press release reads. "Jones also possessed two cell phones, one of which contained multiple text messages indicating he was selling drugs, $1,060 cash, a silver coin and pre-paid cards."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula Police Department, Montana Probation and Parole, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration.
It was one of those rare fall days when everything clicked.

Megan Niklasen had wanted to hike to Iceberg Lake in Glacier National Park all summer, but every time she tried it was closed due to bear activity. Then she received a text alert the trail had reopened. She made plans for an early morning October drive from her home in Great Falls to take a solo hike before snow blanketed the high country.

It was the most beautiful, perfect day! she wrote in an email.

Niklasens 10-mile trek resulted in an award-winning photo of the lake, first place in the 14th annual Picture Wild Montana contest.

Water flow, reflections, clouds and mountain slopes create a visual swirl that enchants the viewer's gaze, wrote Luke Duran, art director at Montana Outdoors magazine and one of two judges for the contest. It's a fantastic photo  in perfect focus, excellent exposure and masterful composition. This photo is alive and alert.

Surprisingly, Niklasen shot it with her iPhone.

I decided to enter the photo contest on a complete whim, she said. It was my favorite one by far, and the hike was very special, so it means a lot to me to have that memory of being in such a spectacular place by myself.

Entries

Niklasens photo had a lot of competition. This year, 440 people from across the country submitted more than 1,700 photos to the contest, which was also judged by Chris Sawicki, Wild Montana Creative Services manager. The conservation group, Wild Montana, organizes the annual contest.

Earning second place was a shot by professional photographer Kevin League of Helena. While hiking in the Big Belt Mountains with his daughter he took a photo from inside a cave looking out.

Often we view wild places under Montanas vast skies and wide panoramas, but this scene reminds us that we can also view the wild almost from within  enrobed in mountains with only the trail before us, Duran wrote.

League said the closeness of the Big Belts makes them his familys favorite hiking location.

We love all of the canyons of the range, he said. Refrigerator and Trout Creek canyons are perennial favorites, but for longer hikes the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness is an underrated gem of an area to explore.

Tim Egan, of Dillon, won third place in the contest with his shot of Upper Miner Lake with the ragged peaks of the Beaverhead Mountains reflected in the water. The lake is located southwest of the community of Jackson in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Egan said he decided to enter the photo at the urging of his son, Andy.

I enjoy hiking and taking pictures all over Montana, but the East Pioneer Mountains, Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area and Big Hole Valley are some of my favorite places, Egan said.

Duran praised the photo for its composition, anchored by the spruce trees on the left.

Its a gorgeous photo with an inviting color palette of blues, greens and browns, all in perfect balance that expresses the spirit and signature features of Montanas wild places, Duran said.

On display

The top 20 photos will be featured in the halls of Benifis, a nonprofit healthcare provider in Great Falls, along with previous Picture Wild Montana photo finalists.

The contest was started by the nonprofit conservation group Wild Montana in 2009 to celebrate the states wild places.

We created the photo contest as a way for people to collectively celebrate the beauty of public lands in Montana, the relationship we have with wild places, and the profound experiences we can have there, said Ben Gabriel, executive director of Wild Montana.

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Niklasen has plans to continue exploring Glacier National Park. Although growing up in Nebraska and living in Iowa after college, she fell in love with the park when she and her husband vacationed there.

I have never felt that drawn to a place in my life, she said. I could not quit thinking about Montana and how badly I wanted to live there.

In 2021 the couple moved to Great Falls, putting Niklasen on the doorstep of the park.

A fan of hiking, she regularly leaves home as early as 3:30 a.m. to beat any crowds. Lucia, her Australian shepherd, accompanies her on the trail when shes not in the park where dogs are confined to developed areas.

I have three trips planned for this coming summer and even scored a reservation at the Sperry Chalet, Niklasen said of Glaciers rustic hike-in lodging facility. Second to that, I love hiking around Choteau where its less busy but very accessible to me.

Choteau provides access to the Rocky Mountain Front and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex  1,577 square miles of wild country including such iconic features as the Chinese Wall, a limestone barricade of rock rising 1,000 feet above the surrounding forest.

As a newbie to the state, Niklasen received an introduction to the regions hiking trails by going on Wilderness Walks, volunteer-guided treks of different lengths that Wild Montana organizes across the state.

I joined when we moved here so I could meet new people and explore places I normally wouldnt go by myself, she said. I will spend my whole life trying to explore the whole state!
ST. REGIS  Montana Rail Link is investigating a train derailment directly across the Clark Fork River from Quinns Hot Springs Resort, southeast of Plains.

At least one railcar carrying hazardous materials  butane, a form of liquefied petroleum gas  derailed around 9 a.m. Sunday, but MRL and local first responders confirmed that there was no release of hazardous materials. The only cargo known to have spilled was some powdered clay and multiple box cars of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer, in cans and bottles. There were no injuries in the derailment. No cars caught fire.

By 4 p.m. Sunday, crews were stringing a floating boom across the river to contain anything drifting downstream. That included a lot of beers.

At least 20 cars of a westbound freight train derailed, according to MRL Director of Communications Andy Garland and Plains-Paradise Rural Fire Chief James Russell. Motorists could see about 18 partially or fully derailed railcars from Highway 135, where law enforcement officers were trying to keep onlookers from blocking the road around blind curves. Some boxcars were overturned and four were partially in the Clark Fork River. More boxcars were derailed inside a century-old tunnel just east of the visible cars.

Garland said it was unclear how long it would take to remove the derailed cars and repair the stretch of railroad. The earthen grade at the site of the derailment appeared to have partially collapsed into the river, leaving rails strung in the air above.

The train derailed on an MRL line, but it was not immediately clear Sunday whether the train that derailed was owned and operated by MRL or another railway that runs trains on MRLs network.

Were just kind of digging into the investigation piece, Garland said at the derailment site Sunday afternoon. He explained that access is a challenge: Although the derailment is highly visible, it can only be accessed by vehicles traveling the single, blocked railroad track along the river, or by taking a boat across the river.

Russell said first responders were dispatched to the derailment at 9:31 a.m. In his 12 years with the department, this was his first train derailment. Eleven firefighters spread across six engines or trucks responded, he said, including a swift-water rescue team with a raft and jet skis. Whitewater Rescue Institute also had watercraft and personnel on scene Sunday.

Emergency response began by determining what was in the rail cars and if anything had leaked, Russell said. He said that he, Sanders County Dispatch and MRL were able to quickly and independently confirm each cars contents using the trains freight manifest, and then confirm their work with each other. Russell used an air monitor in addition to visual inspection to confirm that no butane was released from a derailed tank car carrying the highly flammable material.

The powdered clay initially caused concern, he said, because wind gusts Sunday morning blew the material into wisps that looked like smoke. It looked ominous when we got here, he said.

Biggest concern with an occupied area like Quinns is making sure life-safety concerns are being addressed, Russell said. Our local MRL guys showed up really fast. They had guys on the ground there right away.

Denise Moreth, Quinns general manager for the past two decades, said that front-desk workers Sunday morning heard a loud, rumbling crash, and then they heard the train derailment. Moreth quickly headed to the resort and remained there Sunday afternoon. First responders initially evacuated all 17 riverfront cabins at the resort as a precaution, she said. The evacuation was scaled back to seven cabins, for the next two days.

She estimated that at least four or five trains pass through daily. This was the first derailment in her many years at Quinns, she said.

One guest slept through it, she said.
Last Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution, introduced by Montanas Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, designating the first week of April 2023 as National Asbestos Awareness Week. The vote was unanimous.

Thats nice.

Dont get us wrong  we are heartily in favor of more asbestos awareness. We should all be aware of the deadly fiber that kills 40,000 Americans every year, its victims dying horrible deaths of cancer and suffocation.

As the resolution points out, Montana has suffered more than its share.

In and around Libby, hundreds of asbestos victims have died, are slowly dying, and due to the diseases latency period (often 40 years or more) are still being diagnosed regularly despite 20 years of heroic cleanup efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency.

In past years, we have praised earlier versions of this resolution and expressed the hope that they would lead, at long last, to a ban on importation, manufacture and use of asbestos-containing items.

But all of the asbestos awareness resolutions  and this is the 18th year of them  have not spurred Congress to take action and ban asbestos.

Also last week, yet another bill to ban the fiber was introduced by primary sponsor Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. It would ban the fiber that nearly 70 other countries have already banned  in the name of humanity.

Will Congress rustle up the gumption to take action on the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now bill?

Well see, but based on Congress ineffectual past performance, if Las Vegas were making book, the ARBAN bill would be a huge underdog.

As this is happening, EPA is ponderously working toward an administrative rulemaking ban that is really not much of a ban at all. It would only apply to one kind of the fiber  chrysotile  not to the considerably more deadly tremolite, Libbys proven killer, or to other varieties  and to only a handful of uses.

Many in Congress  including Daines  have cited the EPA process as a reason to temporize, to decline to sign on to a ban bill, thus avoiding risking the wrath of the chlor-alkali industry, which, in only a handful of its oldest factories, still uses asbestos to make diaphragms that filter water.

The industry has pleaded for more time to adjust to a ban, despite the fact that its modernized factories no longer use asbestos and despite the more damning fact that science, and thus industry, has known of the deadly nature of asbestos for a century or more.

Now it is time for both Sens. Daines and Tester to honor the memory and the suffering of their Libby constituents by co-sponsoring this ban bill. If that comes to pass, Sen. Daines will become the first Republican ever to sign onto true asbestos-banning legislation. And he will be a hero to many for that act of political courage.

Eighteen years of resolutions amount to nothing  almost an entire generation with no concrete steps to stop the exposure that all too often leads to a slow-motion death sentence.

We know now that thoughts and prayers wont get it done. Hard-nosed, effective, loophole-free legislation like ARBAN will.

If only Congress can find the gumption.
" " Abortion rights activists react in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. to the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling, which overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case, June 24, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

In Roe, a pregnant single woman named Norma Jane McCorvey  who at the time remained anonymous  brought a class action suit challenging the constitutionality of the Texas statutes barring abortion in most instances, except for rape or incest, or when it was needed to protect a womans life. She was joined in the lawsuit by a Texas physician, who argued that the laws were too vague. The lawsuit argued that Roe had a right to obtain an abortion. A federal court in Texas agreed with her, ruling that the Texas ban was unconstitutional.

Once the case reached the Supreme Court, the issues involved seemed so complex that the Court actually had both sides present arguments twice, in December 1971 and again in October 1972. In January 1973, the Court issued a 7-1 opinion, authored by Justice Harry Blackmun, which concluded that women had the right to abortion due to individual "zones of privacy" derived from the First, Fourth, Ninth and 14th Amendments, but that right had to be balanced with the state interest in protecting potential human life. To strike that balance, the Court decided that it was up to a woman and her doctor to decide whether or not to do an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the second trimester, the state had the authority to regulate abortions. Once a fetus reached the point of viability  the ability to survive outside the womb  the state could restrict or ban abortion except in instances where it was necessary to protect a womans life and health [sources: Strauss, Legal Information Institute, Temme].

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In 1992, a second Supreme Court decision, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, narrowly upheld Roe by a 5-4 decision. But the Court also scrapped the trimester framework and found that legal restrictions on abortion were acceptable as long as they didnt place an "undue burden" upon women [source: Shivaram].

Roe remained the law of the land for nearly a half-century. But it was doomed after Senate Republicans blocked Democratic President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court and held open the seat, enabling Obamas successor, Republican Donald Trump, to nominate Neil Gorsuch for the seat in 2017. Republicans approved two other Trump appointees, giving conservatives 6-3 control of the Court.

In May 2022, a leaked draft of an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito in a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization indicated that the conservative majority was ready to overturn Roe and Casey. A month later, the Court officially affirmed a Mississippi ban on abortion by a 6-3 vote and overturned Roe by a narrower 5-4 margin. Alito, writing on behalf of justices Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, found that Roe had been "egregiously wrong and deeply damaging" and that abortion was not a right protected either explicitly or implicitly in the Constitution. Instead, individual states have a right to decide whether or not to allow it [sources: Gerstein and Ollstein, Strauss, Williams and Gregorian, Howe, Stone].

The end of Roe seems likely to provoke a political firestorm, but it could be just the start of an even more bitter battle. Thomas, in a separate opinion, indicated that the Court should use the reasoning in Dobbs to reexamine other precedents, including those legalizing contraception, freedom to engage in consensual sex acts and same-sex marriage [source: Williams and Gregorian, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization].
" " NATO headquarters is located in in Brussels, Belgium, and serves as its political and administrative center. NATO

As we mentioned previously, NATO is the acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance of 31 independent countries that work together to implement the North Atlantic Treaty. NATO's 12 founding member countries include the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, followed by West Germany in 1955. Spain joined in 1982.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, several Eastern European countries joined, including the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia in 2004; and Albania and Croatia in 2009. Montenegro and North Macedonia were the last two countries to join in 2017 and 2020 respectively [source: NATO].

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When the founding members drafted the original treaty, there were disagreements on how many countries should join. The United Kingdom wanted to keep the NATO small and strong, but the United States wanted to include smaller, weaker countries  those more likely to succumb to the Soviets. France was most concerned with protecting its colonial territories, and Germany was a concern to all three countries [source: NATO].

Today, countries don't have to be members to work with NATO, however. Partnerships with non-NATO countries started back as far as 1991. The goal is to help these non-member nations become stable and democratic, with modern armed forces. Three partner countries have declared interests in NATO memberships: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine. Today, any European country can join NATO as long as it accepts the commitments and obligations of membership (more on that shortly).

Since 2016, for instance, Ukraine has worked with NATO through the Comprehensive Assistance Package and receives support of NATO allies according to NATO standards. This type of NATO cooperation is crucial to Ukraine's the ongoing democratic transition. In September 2020, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Ukraine's new National Security Strategy, which provides a distinctive partnership with NATO with the aim of becoming a nation member.

Finland is the latest country to join the NATO alliance. All 30 NATO countries ratified Finland's membership March 30, 2023, and the nation became the 31st member of NATO April 4, 2023, during a two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers.

NATO headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium, and serves as its political and administrative center. Representatives from member countries, as well as civilian and military experts, work there daily consulting on global security issues. More than 5,000 meetings are held there annually. All decision-making at NATO is done by consensus, which is a central value that was included in the creation of NATO in 1949.

Consensus decision-making means that there is no voting at NATO. Instead, discussions take place until all 31 member nations can come to an acceptable solution  and then it is deemed a NATO decision. Often that means some member nations "agree to disagree." The job of leading the consensus decision-making process falls to the NATO secretary-general [source: NATO].

The North American Treaty The North Atlantic Treaty was written and signed in 1949. It arose because of the growing strength of the Soviet Union after World War II (which ended in 1945). Right after the war, the Soviet Union consolidated itself under communism and strengthened its armies. At the same time, Europe was exhausted and in shambles. The United States implemented the Marshall Plan in 1948 to help rebuild Europe, but the European countries would not have the strength to fight against the Soviets. The United States and Canada would be needed to provide the force necessary to counter any attack from the Soviet Union.
In the immortal words of the late, great Kenny Rogers, "You got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em." If there's simply no way that you can afford the rental, even with a payment plan, it's probably not worth being dragged through a formal eviction. You might think that a drawn-out court proceeding will at least buy you some time, but that's not the case.

"Eviction cases go very quickly through the courts, almost as fast as a criminal case, and certainly faster than any other civil case," says Portman. "And most people don't want an eviction on their record. That's the kiss of death."

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That's why in the vast majority of cases, Portman says that tenants who receive a formal three-day or five-day termination notice (to pay up or leave) will just pack up and leave.

On the other hand, one reason that eviction cases are prosecuted so quickly is because the formal eviction process is so tightly regulated. Every state has its own eviction laws, but most of them require the landlord to serve notice to the tenant during every step of the process. If your landlord is new at this and tries to save money by not hiring a lawyer, you could be in luck.

"Landlords who try to do it themselves often screw it up," says Portman.

The bad news is that even if the landlord messes up the first time, they likely won't make the same mistake twice. It's important to recognize when the writing is on the wall and to avoid a formal eviction at all costs.

A landlord can also give you a "Unconditional Quit Notice" where you must leave immediately with no chance to pay up the rent (depending on the state you're in), but that's usually only if you've violated terms of the lease, such as damaged the property or sold drugs from it.
Editors note: Jack Becker is the editor of Caprock Chronicles and is a Librarian Emeritus from Texas Tech University Libraries. He may be reached at jack.becker@ttu.edu. Todays article is by Dr. David Murrah and is the third article in a year-long series celebrating TTUs centennial. Dr. Murrah authored last weeks article on the Lady Raiders 1993 Championship basketball season, which originally ran on March 4, 2018. The article was incorrectly attributed to Paul Carlson. The editor regrets this mistake.

William Curry Holden thought like an entrepreneur. In the spring of 1920, he was 24 years old and teaching school in Rotan, Texas. But he knew he needed to find a way to live in Austin so that he could attend the University of Texas. His solution: seek a seat in the Texas Legislature.

William Curry Holden

His campaign against two other young West Texans was nothing like todays mean-spirited politics. Instead, he offered the other two  Charles C. Thompson of Colorado City, and R. M. Chitwood of Sweetwater  the opportunity to tour the district with him in his Model T Ford. They all shared meals and gasoline and became good friends, and in time became permanently emblazoned in Texas Tech history.

Holden lost by a narrow margin to Chitwood, and, although his political career was short-lived, in his campaign, he strongly advocated for the establishment of a West Texas A&M. Holden did get to see his dream materialize three years later when Texas Tech was created by the legislature as an outgrowth of the West Texas A&M movement.

And, Holden found another way to get to Austin to get a graduate education, and fortunately for West Texas and Texas Tech, he returned to make a major impact on Tech and the regions history and culture.

William Curry Holden and his wife read by the fireplace in their home.

William Curry Holden was among the very first to research and to write West Texas history. He was one of the first archaeologists to identify important historical sites. And, because of his vision, he played a major role in the founding or development of Texas Techs four major historical and cultural institutions, the Museum of Texas Tech University, the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library, the National Ranching Heritage Center, and the Lubbock Lake Historic Landmark.

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Born in Limestone County, Texas in 1896, Curry Holden was two when his family moved to West Texas, where his father struggled in farming near Colorado City and later Rotan. Holden graduated from Rotan High School in 1914, and, after obtaining a teaching certificate from Stamford Junior College, he began his teaching career that would continue for the next 52 years.

While teaching public schools, Holden attended summer school at West Texas Normal at Canyon, and, then, in the fall of 1920, entered the University of Texas, where he completed a four-year program in just three years. In 1923, he became head of the History Department at the new McMurry College in Abilene, and while teaching there, he used his summers to earn two more degrees at the University of Texas, including his PhD in 1928.

Holdens academic success soon attracted the attention of the president of the new Texas Technological College at Lubbock, who hired Holden to teach both history and anthropology beginning in 1929. Id never seen a book on anthropology, Holden later confessed, so I got a book and stayed two jumps ahead of the students.

Holden Hall on the Texas Tech campus.

Holden soon became an internationally known anthropologist. In 1932, he began field studies of the Yaqui Indians of Sonora, Mexico, and subsequently wrote four books on the subject. He also directed archaeological excavations throughout West Texas and New Mexico. His most significant discovery came at his doorstep when he identified the great significance of the Lubbock Lake Site as being utilized by every human culture that has occupied North America over more than twelve thousand years.

As a historian, Holden was among the first to write about West Texas. By the time he was 38, he had written three books, Alkali Trails, Rollie Burns, and The Spur Ranch, which still remain as definitive works in social and ranching history. In all, Holden wrote 12 books.

Holden also had a brilliant career at Texas Tech, serving as head of the combined departments of history, anthropology and sociology, as well as dean of the Graduate School, and was instrumental in the establishment of Techs Ph.D programs in four fields, including history. And, for 36 years, he served as director of the West Texas Museum.

In that position, he achieved almost the impossible; first, he secured funding in the midst of the Great Depression to build a basement headquarters for the museum; in 1950, he raised funds for its completion, a building that became an imposing structure on the circle at Texas Tech. In all likelihood, it became the first building on the Tech campus to have been built because of the vision and energy of one person.

Holden's doctoral dissertation, Alkali Trails, published in 1930.

Interestingly, by the late 1960s, Texas Tech had named dormitories for the two candidates who had run against Holden in his 1920 campaign for the legislature. Charles Thompson, who became a member of the Texas Tech Board of Directors in 1937 and served as its chair from 1944 to 1957, was honored in 1958 when the school named Thompson Hall, for him. Similarly, R. M. Chitwood, who became the schools first business manager in 1924, became the namesake for Chitwood Hall, constructed in 1967.

And so, when in 1972, Texas Tech renovated and enlarged the West Texas Museum building, it was only appropriate that it be named for the third member of that 1920 campaign, William Curry Holden. Today, Holden Hall still stands as a permanent memorial to the tall, lanky kid from Rotan, who died in 1993, and whose tombstone in the Lubbock Cemetery records him as being simply a pretty fair country school teacher  with vision.

What a vision it was.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caprock Chronicles William Curry Holden: Founder of West Texas Museum
Courtesy of Target Agua Bendita x Target

Searching for the perfect new outfit or swimsuit as the weather heats up? Look no further than Target.

Fashion lovers know the store's designer collaborations are one of the best ways to scoop up high-quality pieces for a great price and add some flair to your closet and now, Target is back with a new Spring Designer Collection featuring the work of three female-founded brands.

Within the capsule collections, you'll find everything from resort wear that'll make you want to book a plane ticket to the Caribbean ASAP to the perfect accessories to complement your style.

"Target has a long history of bringing to our guests the world's best designers at amazing prices and our partnership with Agua Bendita, Fe Noel, and RHODE is another great example of that," said Jill Sando, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer at Target. "These are bold, distinctive, women-founded brands inspired by their own roots and cultures and I know our guests will absolutely love them."

People Chica got an exclusive look at the collection before its launch and had the opportunity to chat with the designershere's what you need to know about each brand and their fabulous pieces.

Courtesy of Target Agua Bendita x Target

Agua Bendita

Catalina Alvarez and Mariana Hinestroza started their brand with mere scraps of fabric, which they mixed together patchwork-style to make bikinis for their friends to wear in tropical Cartagena. Now, their designs are celebrating their native country's beauty on a global scale.

"The collection is inspired by Colombia, in all the biodiversity, in all our flowers, our colors, our fauna, and the beauty is that we can show it to women all around the world. It's incredible, a dream come true," says Hinestroza.

"When we chose the name Agua Bendita, which means 'holy water,' we were thinking of an empowered and self-confident woman who radiates happiness and that feels good in our pieces," Alvarez adds.

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The culmination of their creative efforts adds up to an effortlessly chic collection of swimwear and breezy dresses, jumpsuits, and sets that can easily go from the beach to a night out.

Courtesy of Target Fe Noel x Target

Fe Noel

Get ready to stand out with the Caribbean-inspired textiles created by Brooklyn-based designer, Fe Noel.

"The woman [who wears this collection] lives out loud. She has personality, she has style, and she wants to make the most out of life," shares Noel.

One of their most emblematic pieces is the "Panty Pant," a trouser that brings an element of high fashion to the accessible retailer with its ruched seam that follows the curve of the hips to create a one-of-a-kind design.

From color-blocked prints inspired by her Grenadian roots to electric green palm tree bikinis, you'll be ready to embrace the brand's tropical vacation vibes.

Courtesy of Target RHODE x Target

RHODE

Known for their vibrant prints and whimsical dresses, best friends Purna Khatau and Phoebe Vickers' brand has managed to gain its own cult following, but Target helped them venture into a brand new categoryswimwear.

"Target knows their customer so well. It was a wonderful collaboration because we were able to just create whatever we wanted, and they made it happen," Khatau shared.

"We wanted [the collection] to feel really timeless and be true to our RHODE DNA, so a lot of the design elements are taken from pieces in our main collection while being completely distinctive," Vickers added.

Among the swimwear and sundresses, you'll also find macrame purses, carryall totes, and hats that are perfect for some fun in the sun.

The Agua Benita, Fe Noel, and RHODE collections will be available on Target.com and in select Target stores beginning Saturday, April 15, while supplies last.

Sizes range from XXS-4X and most items are $35 and under.
Officers on patrol in Morganton say they took some drugs off the street this weekend after two separate traffic stops.

On Saturday, officers with the Morganton Department of Public Safety pulled a vehicle over after learning its occupants had outstanding warrants for arrest, according to a press release from the department.

Officers searched the vehicle and found what they described as a large quantity of narcotics, paraphernalia and cash inside the car, the release said.

Amber Dawn Harris, 36, of Morganton, and Wesley Jacob Jordan, 35, of Morganton, both were charged with two counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine and fentanyl), possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver a schedule II controlled substance, and simple possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, the release said.

Harris and Jordan were each served with an outstanding order for arrest from Catawba County, according to the release.

Harris has previously been convicted of obstructing justice, larceny and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, according to records from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Jordan has previously been convicted of uttering a forged paper/instrument/endorsement, possession of a schedule II controlled substance, driving while impaired and resisting an officer, NCDPS records showed.

Harris bond for the charges Saturday was set at $55,000 secured, the release said.

Jordans bond was set at $25,500 secured, the release said. He appeared to have posted bond by Monday afternoon, according to jail records.

On Sunday, officers took another man into custody after they said they found more than 11 grams of methamphetamine in his possession, according to a separate press release from Public Safety.

Todd Alan Setzer, 40, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession with intent to manufacture, sell, deliver a schedule II controlled substance, the release said.

The charges against Setzer came after officers stopped a vehicle he was driving and found him in possession of multiple baggies of narcotics, the release said.

Officers seized a total of 11.2 grams of methamphetamine, along with drug paraphernalia, the release said.

Setzer has previous convictions of possession with intent to sell a schedule II controlled substance, possession of a schedule II controlled substance and communicating threats, NCDPS records showed.

Setzer still was in custody Monday afternoon under a $20,000 secured bond, jail records showed.
New environmental group to protect lake (Friday, April 6, 1973)

A citizens group representing eight counties in western North Carolina has organized and established an environmental organization called the Lake James Environmental Association Inc.

The objectives of the organization will be to foster, protect and enhance the environment and ecology of Lake James and its tributary waters.

The group elected officers and approved a constitution and bylaws at a meeting held March 28. Finley W. Davis of Morganton will serve as president; George J. Verbruggen of Nebo will serve as vice-president; James F. Monahan of the Lake James community will serve as treasurer; and C.C. Vandenburgh of the Lake James Community will serve as secretary.

The first project of the association will be to fight against the building of a sewage disposal plant on the Catawba River by the city of Marion. The proposed plant would be located approximately two miles from the entrance to Lake James. The association reemphasized the law which states that the lakes, rivers and streams belong to the people, and it is the right of the people to demand that they be free from pollution.

Department store to reopen bigger and better (Wednesday, April 4, 1973)

The grand opening for the newly enlarged and redecorated Lazarus will begin Thursday and continue through Saturday, co-owners Harry Lee Wilson Jr. and James B. Carr have announced.

The store will give away $400 in gift certificates and 25 free tickets to Carowinds during the grand opening celebration. There also will be favors for the first 200 customers.

The expansion brings the total square footage of the store to 16,000 square feet. The entire store has been re-carpeted and fitted with new fixtures and seating arrangements. Most departments have been enlarged and enhanced. Additional parking spaces have been created.

Lazarus was opened in Morganton in 1893 by Issac and Nathan Lazarus, two brothers from Baltimore, Maryland. Harry Lee Wilson Sr. joined them in 1903 and worked at Lazarus until his death in 1958.

We believe we now have a store that will last for another 10-15 years  at least until the 1980s, the current owners said.

Local bakers cake wins big (Tuesday, April 3, 1973)

For the second year in a row, Joseph R. LoCicero, food service manager of Grace Hospital, has walked away with first-place honors in Class B at the North Carolina Food Show in Charlotte.

LoCiceros hand-decorated cake won him the trophy for the class designated for institutions, such as hospitals and schools. The cake featured an all-edible butterfly made from a sugar mixture. The design of the butterfly was copied from the largest known butterfly in the world, found in the Solomon Islands. It has a wing spread of nine inches. A large lily-type flower on top of the cake was made of royal icing in white. Small roses in white, yellow and pink buttercream icing completed the decoration.

An exhibition piece shown by LoCicero, also all edible, depicted a womans head wearing a mask. Made of sugar, it took nine pounds to fashion it.

High school band to perform at Disney World (Thursday, April 5, 1973)

The Morganton High School Band will embark on a five-day trip to Disney World on Saturday.

Fifty-three band members in 10th through 12th grades, along with 10 adults, will make the trip. The band will march in parades and perform a concert at the famed amusement park on Monday.

The band auditioned by tape recording early in January to earn the invitation to perform at Disney World. The Morganton Band Boosters Association provided most of the funds for the trip.

This will be the final out-of-town performance for the band. Their last trip of note took place approximately a decade ago when band members traveled to New York for the Worlds Fair.

Council president approves sentence  Letter to the editor (Thursday, April 5, 1973)

This is an open letter to Judge Fentress Horner:

I noted in the March 28 issue of the Morganton News Herald that you sentenced a man to 30 days in jail, suspended upon payment of costs and picking up 24 beer cans.

We highly commend you for your action and recommend that other 25th District Court judges apply the same type of punishment for persons found guilty of littering. I think the majority of people in Morganton would approve of your sentence, except they would have approved a much stronger sentence, such as picking up all the litter along a 100-yard stretch of roadway or a large bag of litter, rather than 24 beer cans.

The amount of litter along our bypass roads is a disgrace to the community and speaks poorly of our citizenship responsibilities. If it takes tougher action by our law enforcement officers and judges to solve the problems, you have our heartiest blessing.

- Dr. Clifford M. Stamper, president of the Burke County Environmental Council
A Valdese native and former state senator was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Former State Sen. Clark Plexico has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Gov. Roy Cooper, presented by his father-in-law, Claude Sitton, of Morganton, in recognition of Plexicos many years of service to North Carolina.

The award is considered to be the highest honor that a North Carolina governor can bestow, and is made to those who have made significant contributions to the state through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.

The ceremony was held earlier this year via Zoom in order to include family, friends and former colleagues from a dozen countries scattered across four continents from places in Plexicos varied and international career, including England, France, Spain, Finland, Egypt, Tunisia, Georgia, Nigeria, Vietnam, Cambodia and Mexico, as well as five different states in the U.S. Participants included Plexicos children, all living abroad, and other family members from Morganton, including his wife Juleigh Sitton, stepdaughter Allison Wall, and in-laws Claude and Jo Sitton and Jaye Sitton.

Plexico is the son of the late Rev. Clyde Plexico, former pastor of the Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Valdese, and the late Miriam Plexico, and he is a graduate of Valdese High School.

He was elected to four terms in the N.C. Senate, representing the southwestern part of the state, and chaired both the Education Committee and the Education Appropriations Committee with responsibility for two thirds of the state budget. Plexico also was a leader in energy conservation, election reform and economic development.

He continued advocating for these issues as state president for Law & Government Affairs for AT&T, working successfully to convince the company to contribute more than $1.5 million to Smart Start, the states early childhood initiative.

Plexico also accompanied Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr. to Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, China and Mexico to expand the states international economic ties. Later, as founder and president of International Strategies Inc., he served on many boards, including the N.C. Public School Forum and N.C. Center for International Understanding, and was a delegate on educational missions to India, Denmark, Mexico, Japan and China to learn the positive aspects of their educational efforts and to share these lessons learned in North Carolina.

In 2009, Plexico became the country director in Uzbekistan for the National Democratic Institute, leading efforts to build democratic practices in the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. He brought a delegation of members of the Uzbekistan parliament to North Carolina to meet with state political leaders, including then-Attorney General Roy Cooper. Plexico believed the Uzbek delegates could learn a great deal from watching democracy at work in his home state, and that North Carolina elected officials could share their experiences with leaders from one of the worlds newest emerging democracies.

He later led NDI efforts in Afghanistan including working with former warlords to encourage their participation in legitimate political efforts. Recently, he has been working to evacuate and resettle Afghans who spent years working on behalf of U.S. organizations.

Plexico is a founder, facilitator and faculty member of the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy and facilitator at the Middle East Leadership Academy and the Southeast Asia Leadership Academy, working with the next generation of global leaders and helping them make connections with leaders in the US, always serving as an advocate for North Carolina.

He continues to lead seminars worldwide on effectively managing cross-cultural challenges and conducting business in different parts of the world, and is a tutor for Oxford Universitys International Negotiations Program in Bangkok, Thailand.

Plexico serves as a political commentator for various news organizations, including Al Jazeera English News Network, and writes guest columns for US newspapers from his perspective as a Tar Heel working and living abroad. He currently resides in Tulum, Mexico, with his wife, Juleigh Sitton.
Prosecutor Ben Krakowka described the case as bizarre. The circumstances included two co-conspirators trying to kill a man by dosing his food and drink over time with antifreeze.

In November, defendant Brice Allen Boyd of Anaconda pleaded guilty in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County District Court to separate counts of attempted deliberate homicide and sexual intercourse without consent.

Boyd, 38, recently received two 100-year sentences to Montana State Prison, with one sentence tied to the rape of an 11-year-old girl and the other to trying to poison a man with antifreeze.

Judge Ray Dayton presided.

The sentences will run concurrently, and Boyd will serve at least 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. He must also complete sex offender treatment before being paroled.

His accomplice in the poisoning, Katheryn Florence Schimming, 39, is serving 10 years in the Montana Womens Prison in Billings. Court records show she joined Boyds efforts to poison Jeffery Shuck, who was her ex-husband, by giving Shuck excessive doses of prescription medications and by aiding and abetting the antifreeze poisoning.

Shuck has been described in court documents as suffering from schizophrenia.

Prosecutors said the poisonings occurred during the summer of 2021.

A woman who lived with Schimming told police she had witnessed the doctoring of Shucks food by Boyd on several occasions, either pouring the antifreeze into beverages or using a syringe to inject it into solid food, records show. She said she also had observed Shucks reactions  becoming ill and vomiting after unknowingly ingesting the antifreeze, according to court documents.

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol.

According to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, ethylene glycol ingestion can cause serious or fatal toxicity. It can affect neurological function, respiration, cardiovascular performance and more, including liver and kidney function.

Court documents report that Shucks medical records showed a marked decrease in kidney function during the time in which Schimming was aiding Boyds poisoning effort.

Court records reported that witnesses said Schimming wanted to get rid of Shuck and that Boyd was jealous of the relationship Schimming had with him.

As part of a plea agreement with Schimming, prosecutors agreed to dismiss four felony counts of intimidation and to recommend a prison sentence of 10 years.

On May 11, Schimming entered an Alford plea to a charge of conspiracy to commit the offense of deliberate homicide. Under an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the state likely has enough evidence for a conviction.

Krakowka praised the investigative work of law enforcement officers in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, including Officer Matthew Ives, Detective Thomas Allison and Detective Kristopher Vauthier.

When the case was brought to me initially they made me promise not to reject the case until they told me the entire story because it was so unbelievable, Krakowka said. Indeed, it seemed unbelievable until they started providing me with corroborating evidence and statements.
WAPELLO  An update on the initial March 27 meeting of the Emergency Medical Services System Advisory Council of Louisa County was provided to the county board of supervisors by Supervisor Shawn Maine during Tuesdays regular board meeting.

The nine-member council was formally established by the supervisors on Feb. 21 and tasked with developing a referendum question on creating a local tax to support emergency medical services in the county.

Most of the discussion on the tax has centered on helping to finance the current ambulance services in the county, which earlier had been declared essential county services.

The proposed tax would be based on an existing state law that allows an essential services property tax of up to 75 cents per $1,000 taxable valuation, an income tax surcharge of 1% or a combination of the two to be assessed.

Maine, who attended the March 27 meeting, indicated little initial support among the council for the income tax surcharge. Any referendum question would require a 60% voter approval.

He said one of the key issues to be addressed was obtaining current and accurate budget information from the Wapello Community Ambulance Service (WCAS), Louisa County/Columbus Junction Ambulance Service (LCAS) and the Morning Sun Ambulance Service (MSAS).

He also told Supervisors Brad Quigley and Chris Ball the services had been asked to provide a 10-year plan for future capital improvements and needs.

Another council meeting is tentatively planned for April 10, and Maine said he was hopeful the services would have provided the financial and planning information by then.

Meanwhile, the board also met with MSAS Director Tom Bryant, who requested the supervisors cover the $125,000 cost the service incurred to remount its ambulance.

Bryant pointed out the supervisors had recently committed to providing financial support to the other two services and said he felt the MCAS should receive similar assistance.

Quigley said he did not support paying the MSCA to cover a 6-year-old expense but would be willing to consider helping on a new proposal.

Columbus SRO OK'd

The final step to establishing a school resource officer (SRO) in the Columbus School District was completed by the board during its meeting on Tuesday, when a 28E agreement with the school was approved by the board.

Under the five-year agreement, the school will pay 75% of the cost, with the county contributing 25%. A minimum of $55,000 over the agreement period will be paid to the county by the city of Columbus Junction to cover a portion of the countys costs.

During previous discussions, officials indicated that, depending on training and other potentially variable expenses, the startup costs for the position could be around $89,200, with projected $95,800 in regular program costs in the first year.

Between Year 2 and Year 5 of the agreement, the regular annual costs are expected to increase $1,500.

The county already has agreements for similar SRO positions in the Wapello and Louisa-Muscatine school districts.

Other action

The board also met with Woodland Mobile Home Park owner Cody McCleary and agreed trash and other debris had been cleaned. However, the supervisors pointed out school officials had reported a loss of 10 students related to their families leaving the park and questioned McCleary over reports of water and other problems.

He insisted the families had failed to pay rent and had been evicted.

The board also met with County Engineer Adam Shutt, who presented the secondary roads departments most recent five-year plan.

A resolution approving a Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget amendment was also approved by the board, following a public hearing that drew no comments.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  Former President Donald Trump was planning to leave Florida for New York on Monday for his expected booking and arraignment the following day on charges stemming from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign  answering for a criminal case unlike any his country has seen.

Trump, already in the midst of a third presidential campaign to try and reclaim the White House he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020, said he will leave his Mar-a-Lago club and fly on his private plane to Manhattan around noon and spend the night at Trump Tower before turning himself in to authorities on Tuesday.

Trump Tower was open but authorities were planning to close nearby streets as Trump came and went, and additional security was also in the works. They've taken steps to close and secure the courthouse floor where the former president is set to appear for an arraignment Tuesday afternoon.

Trump supporters, including one of his staunchest defenders in Congress, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, planned a rally in New York late Tuesday morning, probably before Trump would have to stand before a judge as part of the arraignment.

Trump and his aides were eagerly embracing the expected media circus, which might even involve network television helicopters tracking his progress from Mar-a-Lago to the airport for his flight to New York. After initially being caught off guard by news of the indictment when it broke Thursday evening, Trump and his team are focused on using what they call a weak case against Trump to his advantage.

Demonstrators supporting Trump began gathering as the Florida sun was just rising at a West Palm Beach shopping center on the way to the airport, hours before he was set to pass along the route.

Boca Raton firefighter Erik Solensten and his retired colleague, John Fischer, got an early start putting up banners. One was 30 by 6 feet (9 by 2 meters), picturing police officers and firefighters saying, "Thanks for having our backs, President Trump."

"We are fire-rescue. We are prepared and don't like to wait for things to happen," said Solensten, who took a vacation day to show support for Trump. "He needs morale just like everyone else needs morale. He's done more for this country than any 10 presidents combined."

Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week. The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments, arguing that the case against him is politically motivated.

No former president has ever been indicted and, given Trump's still active campaign for president, legal and political implications are colliding in an unprecedented ways. Trump spent the weekend golfing and meeting advisers but his campaign says it has raised more than $5 million since word of the indictment broke.

Top Republicans, including some of Trump's potential rivals in next year's GOP presidential primary, have decried the case against him. Biden and leading Democrats have largely had little to say about it.

Solensten said it is wrong that Trump is being charged with a crime stemming from an alleged tryst with a porn star long before he was in office. He said investigators should instead be looking at Biden's son, Hunter, and his business dealings, which committees in the Republican-controlled House have already begun examining.

"To me, those acts are treasonable," Solensten said of the Bidens. "But it's a walk."

Photos: The scene ahead of former President Trump's arrest

***

Photos: Donald Trump through the years Talking politics With Melania 'How to Get Rich' On the course At Doral Sarazen Cup With Serena USS Iowa Debating Jeb Bush Las Vegas debate In Biloxi Campaign rally Winning South Carolina She's with him Signing autographs Another debate Waving to supporters In Arizona The Trump family At the convention The nominee The ticket Showing her support In Mexico Debating Clinton Casting his vote Election Night In the Oval Office Mitt Romney The inauguration Thumbs up Taking the oath Waving goodbye Armed Forces Ball James Comey Trump to lay out his agenda to Congress Thanking school children Medal of Honor recipients Justice Anthony Kennedy swears in Neil Gorsuch Easter Egg Roll Super Bowl champs Little Sisters of the Poor Russian foreign minister, ambassador At the Western Wall Meeting the pope Wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington National champs Congressional shooting At the White House Congressional Picnic Go, Cubs, go Departing the White House USS Gerald R. Ford joins the Navy The eclipse 9/11 anniversary Trump addresses world leaders at U.N. General Assembly Las Vegas shooting Trump visits Puerto Rico Trump meets Kissinger With Trudeau Medal of Honor Happy Halloween National Christmas Tree Lighting Celebrating GOP tax plan March for Life State of the Union School shootings State dinner With Olympians Greeting a guest Freed Americans Historic summit With Kim Kardashian West In Washington Trump North Carolina Debating Joe Biden Election Night 2020 Jan. 6 Leaving the White House
Des Moines Register. April 2, 2023.

Editorial: As session winds down, legislators should let ideas stand or fall on their own

Lawmakers might convince themselves that policies they support justify unusual procedural maneuvers. But theyre violating the spirit of the state constitution and democratic government.

We have reached the final four scheduled weeks for the 2023 Iowa Legislature. Kudos to the Iowa Supreme Court for issuing a timely notice to lawmakers that it will not indulge one of their worst end-of-session habits.

The problem is the notorious practice of resurrecting policy proposals that did not advance earlier, or even introducing new ideas, as amendments to bills that must pass in order to appropriate the money that keeps the state operating. Last year, it was a rewrite of the law governing open enrollment in public schools. In 2008, Democrats who controlled the House, the Senate, and the governors office exempted some public hospital building projects from state oversight.

The Christmas-tree bill nickname for the catch-all standing appropriations measure reflects this vice, in which Republicans and Democrats alike have engaged.

Such amendments rob the public of a meaningful chance to give feedback and lawmakers of the opportunity to give careful scrutiny to new provisions. Its not unusual for these add-ons to appear publicly for the first time after most Iowans go to sleep and then move all the way through final approval before they wake up.

The Iowa Constitution requires that bills have a single subject

Smashing completely unrelated things together in a bill violates the Iowa Constitution, although the states courts have granted lawmakers lots of deference on how they conduct their affairs. Its bad enough when this method appears to be a shortcut  taking a policy that most lawmakers would vote for as a standalone bill and bypassing public input and debate.

The constitutional violation crosses into subverting the will of the people when the threat of holding up adjournment is used to muscle through an unpopular policy. This is called logrolling, and a blatant 2020 example prompted Supreme Court justices to throw up a stop sign March 24.

The short version: Republicans in 2018 passed a bill overhauling utility regulation in Iowa. Most public attention was focused on how the bill gutted energy efficiency efforts. But the original version of the legislation would have essentially shut out companies not already operating in Iowa from building new electricity transmission projects. The provision was removed during another all-night debate, and the bill passed.

The restriction was reintroduced on its own in early 2020, but the bill never advanced, and that should have been the end of it for the year. Then the language returned, in the standings bill, at about 1:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in June 2020, hours before lawmakers completed two weeks of work to tidy up affairs during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats balked and got vague or misleading answers when they asked about its provenance and its usefulness. This is, by far, the worst example of the legislative budget process that we could possibly do. Its one bill instead of nearly a dozen, chided Sen. Todd Taylor, D-Cedar Rapids.

To no avail: The transmission-project restriction was passed, Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to use her line-item veto on it, and it became law.

LS Power, a company that has challenged many similar right of first refusal laws in other states, sued in Iowa as well, focusing on the state Constitutions requirement that all bills shall embrace but one subject, and matters properly connected therewith; which subject shall be expressed in the title. Most lawsuits like this are unsuccessful, with judges and justices giving lawmakers wiggle room to manage their own affairs. LS Power failed in lower courts because it wasnt clear the company had actually been injured.

The circumstances of these shenanigans, however, persuaded the four Supreme Court justices who heard the case to temporarily put the law on hold. We are skeptical that any single subject could encompass the breathtaking sweep of matters included in H.F. 2643, wrote Justice Thomas Waterman, later adding of the utility section, We are not surprised the ROFR lacked enough votes to pass without logrolling. The provision is quintessentially crony capitalism.

Normal procedure shouldnt be casually set aside

Lawmakers might well be able to convince themselves that doing what they think is right justifies legal but unusual procedural maneuvers if they are the difference between a law passing or failing. We saw this in January when, in service of Reynolds $300 million-a-year private-school-scholarships program, Republican lawmakers invented a committee, made a valid-for-this-bill-only rule to bypass another committee whose chair opposed the program, and structured amendments in a way that blocked opponents from suggesting revisions.

But those lawmakers are implicitly saying that the process used in most of the Legislatures work is valuable only so long as it doesnt impair their personal goals. Thats disappointing. It thwarts the spirit of the state constitution and democratic government.

With this judicial rebuke in mind, Republican leaders need to structure their plans for April to give policy ideas individual hearings and leave them out of budget bills. And if they dont, Reynolds ought to take a stand for good government and show more willingness to wield her veto pen.

END
A court in Moscow has ruled that a woman suspected of involvement in a bombing that killed a Russian military blogger should remain in custody for two months pending the probe. Sunday's blast killed Vladlen Tatarsky. He was an ardent supporter of the war and filed reports on the fighting from the front lines in Ukraine. Tatarsky died while leading a discussion at a cafe in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Russian authorities described the bombing as an act of terrorism and blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for orchestrating it. Twenty-six-year-old Darya Trepova was ordered by the court Tuesday to remain in custody until June 2.
Kevin Sitati, an associate Pastor at Deliverance Church Saika, spoke to Turning Point about his difficult upbringing and the odds he had to beat to become a corporate manager.

Briefly introduce yourself.

My name is Kevin Ngeywa Sitati. Im 39 years old. A husband to one wife; Grace. A father of three; two girls and one boy (Blessy 10, Angel 5, and Kibali-Junior 1 month old). Im an associate Pastor at Deliverance Church Saika, on Kangundo Road Nairobi Eastlands. Im the fourth born in a family of eight.

What was your experience growing up, and how did it shape your life?

My childhood life was relatively hard. Our home was more of a training centre than just a place to live. I was born on December 11, 1983, in Bungoma county in Lutonyi village. I grew up in a polygamous family set up where both families lived on one homestead. We lived almost like a single unit and with the number we were, this came with its own package of challenges. We had to grapple with the scarcity of resources from food, money for school, and so we grew up with a survival-for-the-fittest kind of mentality. I attended Kimilili RC Boys but later transferred to Kimilili FYM primary school. My mother was the headteacher of the school. I later joined Chesamisi Boys high school in 1999 and stayed with my uncle who was a teacher in the same school. Back at home, my father owned a photo studio in Kimilili town, he also practiced small-scale farming and was also in the matatu business. My siblings and I inherited our fathers guitar-playing talent at an early age, and this made the church an interesting place not to miss.

How was life after school?

I managed a C+ in high school and with the help of my uncle, I secured a chance at Kenya Polytechnic now the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) where I pursued a Diploma in Applied Biology and later followed it up with a Higher Diploma in the same field. Most of the time lunch was a luxury. For me to manage it, there was a woman who used to hawk chapati and juice in school at lunchtime. I offered to help her sell and in return, she would give me a chapati or two and juice for lunch. This was a good deal. However, I worked hard on my academics since my uncle who was working in a big company had promised that if I did well, he would help me secure a place there. This was my greatest motivation.

What did you do next?

After five years of diploma and higher diploma, the big job didnt come as expected. Unfortunately, the course I had done was not as common then as it is now, so most places you would seek a job they didnt understand where you would exactly fit. So I began to seriously tarmac since I was no longer staying with my brother. One day a friend who I used to train guitar, requested me to accompany him to see a lady who used to buy clothes from him in Nairobi.

When we got to her house in South B, the lady kept on apologising to us that the house was dirty because the house help had left. I saw this as an opportunity for a job and so requested that she could let me in as a house boy. She first did not think I could manage; however, she gave me the benefit of doubt and asked me to begin a few days. Thats how I landed the job as a house boy. I was not residing there, so I could only go three days a week with a start-off salary of Sh300 a day. She later agreed to increase it to Sh400.

At what point did you begin to see transformations in your life?

While working as a houseboy, I got an opportunity through a friend to play the keyboard for a certain preacher who was from the US. Later, I began to offer private piano and guitar classes. After a year I got a job at a pharmaceutical company and this was the beginning of an illustrious career in the industry. Through a member of the youth group in our church, I got a teaching job in a secondary school at Kayoles Mihango area. Soon after, I got a job as a microbiologist and went up the ranks, getting better jobs in other companies. In religious circles I was promoted to be a pastor in our church overseeing the youth and the worship team.

What is your parting shot to people going through challenges?

Life is like a buffet. It will serve you all types of meals on the table. Its upon you to know what to pick and what to leave. What you consume from it will determine if you live a successfully healthy life or a defeated one.
A police officer died Saturday night after an angry mob attacked him for intercepting marijuana in the Kaler area of Nyatike Sub-County, Migori.

The officer, stationed at Kaler patrol base, was on night duty with his colleague when he intercepted a boda-boda ferrying weed at around 9 pm on Saturday.

The Sunday Standard reports that Migori police commander Mark Wanjala confirmed the incident saying the boda-boda rider raised an alarm after he was caught attracting a crowd that attacked the officer.

The boda-boda man had a motorbike which was carrying bhang and they arrested him. One person raised the alarm and the community came to his rescue, Wanjala said.

The Migori police boss claimed the mob also attacked the officer with machetes, and cut him several times on the head before stabbing him.

Attempts by the officers colleague to scare away the mob by firing in the air bore no fruit. He escaped unhurt.

The injured cop was later rushed to Ombo Mission Hospital in Migori town where he succumbed to his injuries.

We have launched our investigations into the matter, Wanjala said.
Samson Suko Muteti survived an elephant attack nearly two decades ago but his life has never been the same again. He spoke to the Standard about his ordeal and his frustrating search for justice from the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS).

What exactly happened on a fateful day?

It was 2005; I was tending my farm at the Taita-Taveta irrigation scheme and interestingly I saw an elephant on the farm. I suppose its one of those that were wandering from the nearby Tsavo national park.

What was your immediate reaction?

The elephant did not see me at first; so I took my phone and dialed the wildlife officers who failed to turn up.

What happened next?

Unfortunately; the elephant saw me; I was alone; it began charging towards me; I tried to run away as fast as I could. It caught up with me, and using its trunk, trampled on me several times; I felt intense pain, then my limbs went numb and I cant remember what happened after that because I passed out

And when you regained consciousness?

I just found myself at the hospital; Taita-Taveta district hospital. I found out I was taken there by my neighbour. They had seen what transpired at the farm but they could not do anything at that time.

According to them, the said elephant had thought that I had died, because when I passed out, it placed twigs and tree branches, leaves all over me and went away. I was later transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital and later another private hospital for specialized treatment.

Which part of the body was affected by this incident?

My main body organs include the kidney, backbone, spinal code, manhood, and pancreas. The doctors informed me that my health condition was at risk and that survival was not going to be easy.

How long did you stay at the hospital before being discharged?

I stayed at the hospital for close to 9 years, accumulating huge bills which were cleared by well-wishers. However, I am still taking medications to date and some of them I can not afford so I have to keep it that way. I am praying for well-wishers to chip in so that I continue with my medication for complete healing.

How did this experience affect your life overall?

Most of my essential body organs are not functioning which means that I can not do any job. I am reduced to a pauper and I now depend on well-wishers for survival.

Have you ever sought help?

Yes, I have tried but the challenge is money; every lawyer I have tried to engage with needs some money which I dont have. However, I have taken my case to my senator and I am hopeful that he will follow through with the situation and gets things sorted. All I want for now is compensation for the medical expenses and the loss I have gone through all these years.
The wife of The Deputy President Pastor Dorcas Rigathi says she is committed to the formation of national widows Sacco that will help the women access funds to develop their lives.

Speaking in Loitoktok Kajiado County when she met widows groups under Osigili Nkoliaei from Kajiado South Pastor Dorcas said her office will work towards getting grants to help the Sacco in funding widows empowerment activities.

Under her patronage she says the Sacco will have 47 chapters across the country to help them form cooperatives that will not only help them own lands but also own houses.

We need to move away from the widows just borrowing and relying on help from others but owning their lands and houses through such a Sacco, she said.

Pastor Dorcas also called on the women to help her achieve her agenda in saving the boy child by helping the government in the fight against drugs in their areas by rooting out those in the drugs business.

We cannot have our boys dying every day because people are giving them poison and we know who are making those poison, and who are people who are supposed to help the widows and the society but we are shielding them to thrive in our society, she said.

She expressed concerns over the increased number of boys in the streets adding that her office is working on a rehabilitation programme of the boys.

Pastor Dorcas said the empowerment of the boy child will also help in the fight against female genital mutilation in parts of the country. She says the vice will be dealt with and the society helps in changing the mindset of men (Boys) to respect women and understand a woman who has undergone a cut is not any better.

Kajiado County Commissioner Felix Watakila said some parts of the county are still experiencing FGM.

On LGBTQ Pastor Dorcas emphasized her position saying that the country will not be pushed by western cultures and bend its culture, laws and beliefs.

On LGBTQ, we are not apologizing, we have our stand known. They (Foreigners) can continue with their culture and we continue with ours but they should respect ours.When we go to their countries we also respect their culture and therefore they should also respect our culture, she said.

Speaking during the event Kajiado County First Lady H.E.Edna Lenku said some cultural practices have resulted in the widows in the county losing lands and property.

The event was also graced by County MP Hon.Leah Sankare, Kajiado South MP Hon.Parashina Sakimba, and Kajiado County Commissioner Felix Watakila among other leaders.
American Canyon has a message for the state  if you don't believe we can meet our state housing mandate, just look at the homes already being built.

Watson Ranch subdivisions are going up. Apartments are being built along Highway 29. The city must make room for 622 homes by 2031 under a California mandate and says it has 1,556 planned.

Yet the California Department of Housing and Community Development lists American Canyon as out of compliance for the city's required general plan housing element. The City Council approved the element for submission on Jan. 31.

American Canyon's assertion that it has plenty of homes in the pipeline isnt enough. The state wants to be convinced the houses will actually be built by 2031.

Show the citys ability to realize housing plans, give anticipated timelines for final approvals and provide other additional information, the state agency wrote to the city.

As a result, American Canyon is attempting to convince the state that its home-building track record is for real.

We will be sending HCD photos of recent construction actually underway, which should address their need for clarification, city Community Development Director Brent Cooper told the Napa Valley Register in a recent email.

He speculated at a recent Planning Commission meeting that California is skeptical because of what it is experiencing with other cities.

"American Canyon is really a special place, and I don't think the state understands that, but perhaps they will soon," Cooper said.

About 44% of California communities are listed as out of compliance on a state HCD website. Locally, Napa County and its five cities were all listed as noncompliant as of Friday.

Unlike many cities, American Canyon isnt faced with the often controversial task of rezoning land for housing to meet the state mandate. With Watson Ranch, its Broadway plan for Highway 29 and Oat Hill, it has enough housing sites already.

Fortunately in American Canyon, we are able to satisfy our regional housing needs with projects that are already approved and under construction, in some cases, Cooper told the City Council and Planning Commission earlier this year.

The city is reaping the benefits of years of planning, with Watson Ranch proposals dating back to 2006, Cooper said.

HCD has other quibbles with American Canyons draft housing element. The City Council and Planning Commission are doing some cleanup work to resolve things.

For example, the agency is targeting city growth controls dating to the 1990s that tie housing construction to highway and other infrastructure improvements. That might conflict with the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, the state said.

On Tuesday, the City Council will decide whether to delete its 1990s-era growth controls instead of arguing.

Doing so would not abandon rational planning, Cooper wrote to the City Council. What is important is that city land use, mobility and other policies work together to connect growth with infrastructure.

Implementing such actions as impact fees for traffic, water and parks helps pay development-related costs. The California Environmental Quality Act plays a role in evaluating proposed development and associated infrastructure needs, he wrote.

There are other ways the city can more appropriately manage its growth, Cooper told the Planning Commission on March 23.
Since pulling herself out of homelessness a decade ago, Nadia Johnson has worked tirelessly to achieve what no one else in her family has accomplished: owning a home in the Bay Area.

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Johnson, a manager at a local Starbucks, and her husband Andre, a driver for a private bus service, now rent a two-bedroom duplex in the Contra Costa County suburb of Rodeo with their 13-year-old daughter, Raiena.

The couple has been saving to buy a house of their own in the working-class community known for its sprawling Phillips 66 oil refinery. But their modest incomes make it nearly impossible to qualify for a mortgage, even in one of the more affordable parts of the increasingly unaffordable Bay Area.

Were trying to own a little piece of Rodeo, just a little bitty piece, said Johnson, 48. I just want to be able to leave something to my grandchildren.

Buying a home, a crucial steppingstone to wealth that can be passed down over generations, has long been a struggle for Black families like Johnsons, who are left to cope with the lasting impacts of the Bay Areas historic housing discrimination  including racist lending practices and property agreements. But as local real estate prices have soared over the past two decades, homeownership has gotten even more out of reach for many Black residents, furthering deep-rooted economic disparities.

In 2019, just 34% of Black households in the nine-county Bay Area owned their homes, down from 41% in 2000, according to researchers with the Bay Area Equity Atlas. White homeownership, meanwhile, dipped by only a percentage point to 63%. Black residents make up about 6% of the regions population. White residents make up roughly 40%.

Napa wants to be a "pro-housing" city Napa will attempt to get more housing money by becoming a state-recognized pro-housing city.

The homeownership gap widened in all nine Bay Area counties between 2000 and 2021, according to a Bay Area News Group analysis of census data. Black households consistently had among the very lowest homeownership rates of any racial group.

The benefits afforded to homeowners  including home equity, tax breaks and access to good schools  can exacerbate inequality when theyre not shared across the population, said Carolina Reid, a housing researcher with UC Berkeley. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the nationwide homeownership gap is one of the main reasons Black households have less than one-tenth the wealth of white households. Local data was not available.

In the Bay Area  where the median single-family house price now tops $1 million  barriers to homeownership have prompted many families to move from historically Black neighborhoods in cities such as Oakland and East Palo Alto to far-flung parts of the region and state, boosting commute times and pulling them away from friends and relatives.

Between 1990 and 2018, the Black population dropped 40% to roughly 97,000 in Oakland, while soaring more than 1,000% to nearly 23,000 in Antioch on the northern edge of Contra Costa County and 5,000% to over 18,300 in Elk Grove outside Sacramento, according to an analysis by news publication CalMatters.

Alameda County, home to the Bay Areas largest Black population, saw the gap between Black and white homeownership increase by 4% between 2000 and 2021, according to the Bay Area News Group analysis. The homeownership rate among the countys Black residents, who were hit hard by the late 2000s foreclosure crisis, dropped from 36% to 31%. White homeownership dipped from 62% to 61%.

Santa Clara County, meanwhile, saw the largest widening of the homeownership gap in the Bay Area. Black homeownership cratered from 40% to 26%, while White homeownership dipped from 65% to 63%. The steep spike in the homeownership gap could be because home prices in Silicon Valley soared higher than most everywhere else in the region, Reid said.

Experts agree the glaring imbalance can be traced back to racist local, state and federal housing policies that lasted well into the 1960s.

Reid pointed to redlining, the process by which the federal government effectively denied home loans to minority communities, and racially restrictive covenants, which prohibited people of color from owning properties throughout the Bay Area and across the country.

Such practices excluded entire communities from the housing market, which prevented many Black families from amassing generational wealth and moving to areas with more opportunity, reflected in patterns of segregation that persist today.

Without more intentional policies to undo the legacy of discrimination, were never going to get to equity or parity in closing that racial homeownership gap, Reid said. She called for reforms to eliminate bias that continues to exist in financial and housing market systems.

Just last month, a Marin City couple reached an out-of-court settlement with a real estate appraiser they alleged undervalued their house because they are Black. And earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a $31 million settlement with a Los Angeles-based bank accused of redlining.

Montana Gabrielle Hooks, a Black real estate agent in Oakland, said its not uncommon for Black homebuyers to remove family photos or African American art to avoid appraiser discrimination.

Its a known, unspoken fact that Black homeowners that are going through the appraisal process are aware of, Hooks said.

To combat that discrimination, Hooks works with Oaklands Young Realtist Division, a group that teaches students about homeownership and pursuing a career as a real estate agent. If more of us are Black, then we will be able to reduce some of that racism that Black homebuyers and Black homeowners feel.

In recent years, local governments and nonprofits have also started efforts to help Black homebuyers cover down payments and closing costs. State officials are pushing cities to build more affordable homes. And a state Reparations Task Force is considering payments of up to $360,000 to many Black Californians, partly as compensation for past housing discrimination.

Such a payment could make all the difference in helping Johnson and her husband buy a home.

Shes proud of how far they have come since escaping homelessness. The couple now has 13 years in recovery from addiction, steady jobs and two cars. But long working hours are taking a toll on their health, and Johnsons worried they may run out of time to buy before retirement. Still, she remains confident theyll find a home that can stay in their family for years.

I know if I work hard enough, it can be done, Johnson said. Im going to keep trying until somebody tells me yes.

Harriet Blair Rowan contributed to this report.

How the US compares to other countries on policies that could mitigate homelessness How the US compares to other countries on policies that could mitigate homelessness The relative dearth of US housing stock is a primary impediment to aiding the unsheltered homeless America has traditionally been a house-centric society, which presents a distinct hurdle to advancing the housing of the homeless The US lags behind most other developed nations in public housing Overburdened housing costs create inequity for low-income residents
The struggle for international recognition of this horrific crime continues. President of Cyprus

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE: The United States is deeply concerned about Azerbaijan's actions

Valerie Boyer: Turkey has started a new war of aggression in Armenia and Artsakh

Azerbaijan's decision to set up checkpoints in the Lachin corridor contradicts EUs call to reduce tensions

Russian Defense Ministry noted Azerbaijan's unilateral and uncoordinated actions

Foreign Minister of Artsakh Meets with Head of the Republicans Group of the French Senate

France commemorates 108th Anniversary of 1915 Armenian Genocide: Macron

Commemoration ceremony was held in Amsterdam near the monument dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide

PACE Rapporteur wants to visit Lachin corridor

Trudeau on Armenian Genocide Memorial Day: Canada will continue to promote peace and justice

Greece PM on Armenian Genocide: We are against any act that incites discrimination, violence against humanity

European People's Party on Armenian Genocide: We urge Turkey to acknowledge reality of past

Italy MP: International organizations access to Karabakh for humanitarian aid should be facilitated

PACE pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims with minute of silence (VIDEO)

Representation at ECtHR: Armenia will apply to International Court of Justice regarding Lachin checkpoint matter

Yeghishe Kirakosyan: Armenia will apply to International Court of Justice regarding Lachin checkpoint issue

Levon Aronian: Message of remembering and demanding must be directed towards ourselves

Biden: We renew our pledge to never forget Armenian Genocide

Armenian Genocide commemoration event held in Istanbul

Russia ambassador, embassy military attache lay flowers at Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (PHOTOS)

Peskov on setting up Azerbaijani checkpoint at Lachin corridor: Situation not easy, requires extra effort

Greece president: We honor Armenian Genocide victims memory

Russia calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to immediately return to existing agreements

Armenian Genocide victims honored at PACE chamber courtyard (PHOTOS)

Bruno Retailleau on Armenian Genocide victims: They are our victims also

Artsakh MFA: Armenian people are again facing threat of new Genocide

France senator: We should help Armenia arm itself

Karabakh president: Today more than ever we need to turn words into action

Greece FM: Preserving Armenian Genocide victims memory is minimum duty of all humanity

Sotk gold mine of Armenia inactive for 10th day due to periodic Azerbaijani shooting

Colorado declares April 24, 2023 as Armenian Genocide remembrance day

Ambassador: France stands with Armenia to commemorate victims of 1915 Genocide (PHOTOS)

Karekin II: Azerbaijan's goal is to de-Armenianize, take over Karabakh

US Congressman Adam Schiff to introduce bill recognizing Karabakh independence, sovereignty

Karabakh MFA: Any proposal to discuss Azerbaijans illegal demands is tantamount to condoning its genocidal policy

Karabakh president pays tribute to Armenian Genocide victims

Catholicos visits Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan

Armenia ex-President Sarkissian: We must be able to move forward without retreating from our identity, history

Armenia army General Staff chief: We are doing positional improvement work at Tegh village

Nathalie Loiseau: No one should approach risk of new violence against Armenians lightly 108 years after Genocide

Armenia MFA: Armenians in Karabakh are facing danger of genocide, ethnic cleansing even today

Netherlands ambassador expresses support to Armenians in the words of great poet Hovhannes Tumanyan (VIDEO)

Georgia Armenians hold torchlight procession in Tbilisi

PM Pashinyan, other state officials visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan (PHOTOS)

Kristina Kvien: No US sanctions against Azerbaijan at the moment

MFA: France condemns setting up of Azerbaijani checkpoint at Lachin corridor, demands to reopen corridor

Karekin II: Fight for just cause of Armenians, contribute to prevention of genocidal acts and crimes

Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan: Bloody scimitar which has now become Bayraktar hangs over our people again

Armenia PM: This is best moment to think about past, present, future

Armenian Genocide Memorial entrance closed

108 years later: It is Armenian Genocide victims commemoration day

State minister: People of Karabakh have right to demand from players to make clear assessments, take steps

US 'deeply concerned' by Azerbaijan's checkpoint in Lachin corridor

Edmon Marukyan: Peaceful Armenians of Artsakh taken hostage by Azerbaijan

Kanaani: Iran's military program is solely defensive

Ministry of Defense of Armenia: The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan has spread disinformation

Erdogan: Putin to take part in fuel delivering ceremony to Akkuyu

Security Council of the Republic of Artsakh makes a statement

Kosovo Serbs boycott local elections

An Armenian serviceman was lethally wounded in a position in Sotk

Armenians in Great Britain remember Armenian Genocide victims

Azerbaijan establishes checkpoint on Lachin-Stepanakert road

Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day rally in Berlin

Azerbaijan blocks Hakari bridge on Artsakh-Armenia border

Faro Palace in Marseille in Armenian tricolor

Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Green Sunday

AK Party office in Istanbul attacked

Spain shipping Leopard 2 to Ukraine

Teenager hit by Toyota car

Russian citizens evacuated in Khartoum

Turkey represents Iranian interests in Albania

US military evacuates diplomats from Sudan

Armenian PM Pashinyan visits memorial

Fire breaks out in Martuni town

The Foreign Ministry of Artsakh: The Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan released another provocative statement

Blackout threat at major events in France

Young men lost in Artsakh found

Baku "worries" for Armenia

Updated Turkey earthquake death toll

Greek City Times: India and Greece conduct exercises
Edmon Marukyan, Ambassador-at-Large of Armenia and Chairman of the Bright Armenia Party, during meetings held at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Parliament of the United Kingdom, briefed on the negotiation process of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Marukyan wrote about this on Facebook.

"At the invitation of the British John Smith trust and the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, I participated in the discussions in Oxford and London devoted to the challenges of our region.

"Within the framework of the visit, I met with high-ranking officials of the foreign policy department dealing with South Caucasus issues at the MFA of the United Kingdom, to whom I have presented information about Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin corridor, non-implementation of the decision of the UN International Court of Justice, and the latest actions of the Azerbaijani authorities.

"At the meeting organized for British think tanks in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, I have presented the details of the negotiation process of the peace treaty and the recent actions of Azerbaijan, as well as the positions of the Republic of Armenia on the matters being discussed," Marukyan wrote, in particular.
Polish authorities have sent several MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Marcin Przydacz, Secretary of State and Head of the International Policy Bureau of the Polish presidential office, on Monday informed about this on the air of RMF radio.

"As far as I know, several MiG-29 fighters have already been sent [to Ukraine]," Przydacz said. "As far as I know, that process has already been completedif we talk about the transfer of the first part."

According to him, the Polish army plans to replace the aforesaid fighter jets with more modern ones in the next few years.

Poland has 28 MiG-29 fighters, which are located at Malbork military airbase.
Mher Sahakyan, an MP of the opposition "Armenia" Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia who was detained for hitting Vladimir Vardanyan, a lawmaker from the ruling majority "Civil Contract" Faction of the NA, was released today from detention.

Sahakyan was greeted with applause. Opposition MPs Ishkhan Saghatelyan and Gegham Manukyan were also among those who met him.

On March 31, it became known that an incident had taken place between Vladimir Vardanyan and Mher Sahakyan at the closed meeting of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs.

Regarding the incident, the "Civil Contract" Faction had informed that the police had received a report that Sahakyan had made baseless remark to Vardanyan for speaking in a loud tone, then approached and hit Vardanyan's eyebrow once with an object in his hand, as a result of which Vardanyan had fallen.

Criminal proceedings have been launched into this incident.

Sahakyan was detained on suspicion of committing a crime and was taken to a Yerevan police precinct.

Vardanyan was taken to hospital. He has been recognized as an injured party in this incident.
After the meeting between the representatives of Armenia and Azerbaijan, a considerably better situation has been created in terms of position. Ruben Rubinyan, vice-speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenian, said this in an interview with RFE/RL Armenian Service, referring to the events that took place at the Tegh-Kornidzor section last weekend.

Rubinyan recalled that the alternative road connecting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Armenia was in operation until the new road passing near Kornidzor village of Armenias Syunik Province was ready. From April 1, the alternative road stopped working and the new road was put into operation, and since, as the NA vice-chairman said, the alternative road was under the control of Russian peacekeepers until now, there were no positions at the Tegh-Kornidzor section of the border, neither by Armenia, nor by Azerbaijan, and, naturally, there was a need for positions.

The Rubinyan went on to say that there was an agreement that there shall be border guards from both sides in one part of it, but there were misunderstandings, as a result of which the Azerbaijani army units were deployed 300 to 500 meters further at five points.

Reflecting on the statement of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, Rubinyan noted that the representatives of the NSS and the relevant structure of Azerbaijan met in that sector, and as a result, the situation improved considerably in terms of position or deployment.

According to him, the respective work will continue.
The sending of EU monitors to the Armenian side of the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the immediate aftermath of the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia in September 2022 and later the deployment of the longer-term EU civilian monitoring mission is an EU important engagement in our region. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said this at Mondays joint press conference after his meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu, in Bucharest.

Mirzoyan added: We see it as a valuable tool to enhance human security on the ground, to contribute to peace and stability in the region. I would like to specify that we appreciate Romanias valuable contribution to the EU respective discussions. Continuing the topic of regional security and stability, I should mention that we touched upon the recent developments in the South Caucasus. I briefed my colleague on the existential challenges and threats that both the Republic of Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are facing.

He said: Regrettably, the blockade of the Lachin corridor since December 2022, intimidation as well as other actions of Azerbaijan aimed at forcing the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh to leave their homes, the systematic policy of ethnic cleansing are the response of Azerbaijan to the calls of the international community to address the issue of the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Along with many targeted calls and demands of international bodies, I would like to stress the legally binding Order of the International Court of Justice issued on 22 February against Azerbaijan. The Court has found that there is an imminent risk of irreparable harm to Armenians rights under the Convention for Elimination of Racial Discrimination and ordered Azerbaijan to take all the necessary measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions.

It should be mentioned that the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor is not the only blatant violation of the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement. There is almost no single provision of the Statement that isnt violated by Azerbaijan. Along with the continuously holding of the Armenian prisoners of war as hostages as well as demands of an extraterritorial corridor through the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijan fails to ensure that internally displaced persons and refugees shall return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions under the control of the Agency of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan continues its hate speech and the warmongering rhetoric on the highest level as well as systematic aggressive actions on the ground and the occupation of around 150 sq km of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.

We believe that our partners, the international community have an important role to play by using the respective tools and mechanisms, including sending an international fact-finding mission to the Lachin corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Dear colleagues,

Armenia has repeatedly announced its readiness for constructive dialogue with Azerbaijan in an environment free from hate speech, preconditions and warmongering rhetoric, for the sake of sustainable peace and security in the South Caucasus. Armenia has strong political will to reach peace and stability in the region, and despite all difficulties we continue the talks with Azerbaijan in good faith.
With the initiative of the Democracy Development Foundation (DDF), about 20 civil society organizations of Armenia submitted a joint letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, calling on the Commissioner's office to take immediate measures regarding the human rights emergency in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are writing to bring your attention and request your urgent intervention in what we believe to be a pressing human rights emergency in Nagorno-Karabakh in the face of a growing risk of military escalation, leading to possible crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. We request that you consider an urgent OHCHR mission to Nagorno-Karabakh as well as Lachin corridor, the only lifeline that connects Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the world with a view to monitor rights to life, food, health, peace, freedom of movement as well as a range of other rights. We also believe it would be extremely important to launch a longer-term monitoring mission along the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan, given how the rights of local communities in Armenia have been impacted following the September 2022 attack of Azerbaijan against Armenia proper, which resulted in occupation of certain bordering territories of Armenia, states the letter.

Joint letter is signed by Democracy Development Foundation, International Service for Human Rights, Association of Women with University Education Social Organization, For Equal Rights NGO, Analytical Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation, Coalition of Domestic Violence Support Centers, Disability Rights Agenda NGO, Helsinki Citizens Assembly-Vanadzor NGO, Journalists Club Asparez NGO, Law Development and Protection Foundation, Peace Dialogue NGO, Protection of Rights without Borders NGO, Public Journalism Club NGO, Regional Centre for Democracy and Security, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center NGO, Union of Informed Citizens NGO, Women Resource Center NGO and Womens Support Center NGO.

We strongly believe that consistent international attention and a physical presence on the ground are crucial to stabilizing the situation and preventing human rights atrocities and possible ethnic cleansing, and the High Commissioner should play a leading role here. Without proper attention and intervention, there is a risk of discrediting human rights mechanisms designed to prevent serious human rights abuses.

Our recommendations are publicly condemn the blockade of the Lachin corridor, including during relevant sessions of the Human Rights Council, request and organize an urgent OHCHR mission to Nagorno-Karabakh as well as Lachin corridor to monitor the rights to life, food, health, peace, freedom of movement, and other rights and publish the findings of this mission as well as brief States, such as at an inter-sessional meeting of the UN Human Rights Council, request and deploy a longer-term monitoring OHCHR mission along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan as a preventive measure against the further use of force and human rights abuses. In contrast with the EUMA, such a mission would have an explicit human rights mandate and provide independent public reporting on the human rights situation on the ground and would seek to have a mandate also in Azerbaijan, also says the letter.
Finland will become the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday, immediately preceding a two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

"We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole," he told reporters in Brussels.

This information was confirmed by the office of the President of Finland, stating that the country will become a member of NATO on Tuesday. They added that President Sauli Niinisto will go to Brussels to attend the official ceremony of Finland joining the alliance, which will take place at the NATO headquarters.
The Council of Europes (CoE) Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has made public on Monday its Fourth Evaluation Round Second Interim Compliance Report on Armenia, which deals with corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament (MPs), judges, and prosecutors, the CoE informed.

According to the assessment by GRECO, Armenia has made some progress toward the recommendations to prevent corruption among prosecutors, MPs, and judges.

GRECO concluded that 9 of the 18 recommendations offered in 2015 were implemented satisfactorily, and another 9 were partially satisfactorily implemented.

One recommendation that has been sufficiently implemented concerns the mandatory training of all prosecutors on ethics and corruption issues, as well as the provision of confidential counseling within the framework of the prosecutor's office.

As per GRECO, the overseeing of the declaration of assets by MPs, judges, and prosecutors is also satisfactory.

Unlike in 2019, Armenia's commitment is no longer assessed as generally insufficient.

Also, GRECO has asked the Armenian authorities to submitby no later than May 31, 2024a new report on the implementation of the other recommendations.
23:39

Delhi recorded 293 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, with the positivity rate rising to 18.53 per cent which meant nearly one out of every five people tested turned out to be positive, according to data shared by the city health department.





Two Covid-related deaths were reported. The health bulletin, however, mentioned that the primary cause of the deaths was not coronavirus.





The city's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 26,532.





Delhi saw 429 Covid cases on Sunday, the highest in over seven months, with a positivity rate of 16.09 per cent and one death.





It logged 416 cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent.





The city recorded 295 coronavirus cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 12.48 per cent.





On Wednesday, the national capital logged 300 cases and two deaths, while the positivity rate was 13.89 per cent.





Delhi had recorded 214 cases with a positivity rate of 11.82 per cent on Tuesday, 115 cases with a positivity rate of 7.45 per cent on Monday, and 153 cases with a positivity rate of 9.13 per cent on last Sunday.





The Delhi government is keeping an eye on the spurt in Covid cases in the national capital and is 'prepared to face any eventuality', Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said on Friday.





Addressing reporters after chairing a review meeting on the Covid situation in Delhi, Kejriwal had said there was no need to worry for now and that the city government was taking all required steps.





Delhi has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases in the country.





The number of fresh cases had seen a decline over the last few months in Delhi, and it had dropped to zero on January 16, the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.





With the fresh cases, Delhi's Covid tally has increased to 20,11,034. The data showed that 1,581 Covid tests were conducted on Sunday.





A hundred of the 7,989 beds are occupied in dedicated Covid hospitals in the city, while 1,022 patients are in home isolation, the health department said.







The number of active cases of the infection currently stands at 1,406, it added.





Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge.







However, they maintain that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of the vaccines.





They also say this rise in the number of cases could be a result of more people getting themselves tested for Covid as a precaution when they actually get infected with the influenza virus and develop fever and related symptoms.





The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said the rise in the number of influenza cases is due to the Influenza A sub-type H3N2 virus.





The H3N2 virus is leading to more hospitalisation than the other sub-types. The symptoms include a runny nose, persistent cough and fever. -- PTI


Photo: The Canadian Press

McDonalds has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform corporate employees about layoffs, according to a published report.

The Wall Street Journal cited an internal email from the Chicago fast-food giant saying U.S. corporate staff and some employees overseas should work from home while the company notifies people of their job status.

McDonalds declined to comment on the report early Monday. The report said McDonalds would inform its employees this week about staffing decisions that are part of a broad restructuring of the company announced earlier.

Though the U.S. labor market remains strong, layoffs have been mounting, mainly in the technology sector, where many companies over-hired after a pandemic boom. IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter and DoorDash have all announced layoffs in recent months.

There have been cuts in other sectors as well.

Yet most of those job cuts are at corporate offices. There are still shortages of workers to fill service jobs, such as those at McDonald's restaurants.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have forecast the unemployment rate may rise to 4.6% by the end of this year, a sizable increase historically associated with recessions.

McDonald's has more than 150,000 employees in corporate roles and in company-owned restaurants. About 70% of those employees are based outside the United States.

The company reported its global sales rose nearly 11% in 2022, while sales in the U.S. climbed almost 6%. Total restaurant margins rose 5%. In its latest annual report, it cited difficulties in adequately staffing some of its outlets.

McDonald's had warned employees in January that layoffs would be coming as the company tried to get more nimble, innovate more quickly and break down walls between its global markets. In a January memo to employees, McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company was evaluating roles and staffing levels in various parts of the company.

We have historically been very decentralized in some areas where we reinvent the wheel way too often, Kempczinski said during a January conference call with investors. And I think the other thing Ive seen is we havent been as sharp around our global priorities, and so theres been proliferation of priorities.

In one market, Kempczinski said he had recently discovered a list of 300 separate priorities.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 (ANI/TP): The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Mumbai announced today that Ranu Vohra will be taking over as the President of TiE Mumbai from April 2023 onwards for a period of two years. Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma will be the President Elect for the same period. TiE Mumbai has made significant positive strides over the past 24 months in all aspects of its operations and outreach to entrepreneurs. In the last 2 years TiE Mumbai has seen tremendous transformation, new energy with strategic vision and direction to foster entrepreneurship in the ecosystem. Post pandemic, TiE Mumbai successfully managed to migrate from digital space and moved back into the world of physical meetings, events and catch ups. Welcoming Ranu Vohra and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Amit Mookim, Past President, TiE Mumbai said, "Over the last 2 years, TiE Mumbai's charter member base has grown 2x. TiE Mumbai's revenue base through a mix of TiEcon, Open Innovation programs, Membership has grown by 2x and is slated to grow to 3x revenue by the end of this year. Today we are tightening our Governance Structures, building a Robust Team, Board and Charter Members with a 3-5year Vision and Leadership in mind. Ranu and Apoorva have been a part of the TiE Mumbai leadership and the TiE network for a long time. They together are well positioned to scale TiE Mumbai even further and continue this growth trajectory." Commenting on his election, Ranu Vohra, President, TiE Mumbai said "TiE Mumbai has been the crucible for innovation and for entrepreneurs to interact, learn from one another and build more sustainable, robust businesses. Mumbai continues to offer significant advantages to the growing cohort of entrepreneurs and in offering a great start up ecosystem, which is so vital for companies to start and prosper. TiE Mumbai will be central to entrepreneurs as they go along in the journey to become more meaningful and responsible corporate citizens for the country. Besides, as the financial capital of India, Mumbai offers companies the resource they need the most as they build on their value proposition. My vision is to continue its rich legacy and bring Mumbai higher on the country's startup map through TiE. I would like to thank the Past Presidents and the current Board of TiE for electing me to this position. I would also like to thank the outgoing President, Amit Mookim, in strengthening TiE and continuing the rich legacy despite a tough COVID environment." In the past two years, under the leadership of Amit Mookim, TiE Mumbai has made tremendous progress and has achieved several feats. TiEcon 2022 was an overwhelming success with 27 Unicorns, 3600 Delegates, 1500+Startups and a fantastic mix of Leaders and Officials. This was a major boost to the startup ecosystem and TiE Mumbai's memberships, thus creating a healthy surplus for the organization. During the height of the pandemic, TiE Mumbai pivoted to starting Open Innovation programs for corporates. TiE Mumbai helped these corporates from Designing, building value for startups, executing the program (cohorts) to holding a demo/graduation day as a part of entire exercise. Today, TiE Mumbai is viewed as one of the successful partners in India to help corporates in their Open Innovation Strategy and Programs. It won the "Most Innovative Program" among all the other chapters at the last Rome Retreat. It has also organized several Thought Leadership Series, investor connects and venture investing classes during this period. TiE Mumbai Special Interest Groups viz. Fintech, Healthcare, Food Network. Media and Retail created excellent value for Start-ups. TiE Mumbai has also been highly active in engaging with other chapters both in India and across the globe. TIE Mumbai's intra-chapter index has gone up notches over the past couple of years. Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, President Elect, TiE Mumbai added, "We are witnessing a staggering growth momentum in the Startup sector in India. I am very excited about my new role at TiE Mumbai, which will help me contribute to this trajectory. I congratulate Amit Mookim on an extremely successful tenure at TiE Mumbai. I look forward to closely working with Ranu Vohra and the board to continue this momentum with a focus on structured mentoring thus adding value to the various stakeholders by fostering entrepreneurship, boosting innovation, knowledge sharing and funding. TiE Mumbai is at an inflection point in its current journey, ready to scale up and take on more initiatives to address the larger issues of our ecosystem." "In their new roles, Ranu Vohra and Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma will together charter the path of building a concrete leadership team for the Startup ecosystem with a 5-year view. Their combination works significantly well since Ranu brings with him his rich experience with late-stage startups coupled with solid investments in that space while Apoorva adds immense value as he has built a strong investment network for early to growth stage companies. Their combination covers the entire breadth of the industry effectively." said Harish Mehta, Author - The Maverick Effect, Co-Founder & First Elected Chairperson -NASSCOM, Chairman Past Presidents Council- TiE Mumbai, Founder and Chairman - Onward Technologies Ltd. The new leadership team will further leverage TiE Mumbai's presence and initiatives, and strengthen the startup connect with the investor, government, corporate and trade networks and build knowledge and agenda driven programs to enhance Mumbai's presence as a preferred destination for startups. Profile of Ranu Vohra Ranu Vohra is the co-founder of Avendus Capital, a leading financial services organization, and currently serves as its Executive Vice Chairman. He along with his fellow co-founders has been responsible for Avendus' overall growth over the last 23 years. He has spent the last 28 years in the Indian financial services industry concluding several marquee transactions in investment banking and private equity. He is based in Mumbai. He has worked alongside several notable entrepreneurs in helping them chart their growth journeys, capital raising, M&A, restructuring and in reaching their goals for success. Prior to co-founding Avendus, Ranu worked with a Tampa (USA) based technology and media investment bank, Communications Equity Associates (CEA) and Hinduja Finance, a diversified financial services firm. He holds an MBA degree from FMS, New Delhi and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from IIT, New Delhi. Profile of Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma an Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Visionary is a founding father of the startup ecosystem in India and has been mentoring & investing in startups since 2002. He has curated, incubated, and led seed investments of over 100 startups to date. He co-founded Venture Catalysts, 9Unicorns, Elev8, and Beams Fintech Fund. Dr Sharma has been awarded by The President of India, Ratan Tata & Narayan Murthy for his milestone contributions to the startup movement in India. He holds a Ph.D. in Incubation. The Economic Times ranked him among the top 10 most active angel investors for three consecutive years. The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. Since 1992. TiE has been supporting entrepreneurs by offering education, mentorship, networking and funding opportunities. The mission of TiE is to foster entrepreneurship globally through the 5 pillars of TiE : mentoring, networking and education, funding and incubation. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community. TiE's focus area is to generate enable the next generation of entrepreneurs. There are currently 11,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 60 chapters across 17 countries. TiE's mission is to foster entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking, and education. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community, TiE's focus is on generating and nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs. Media Contact Jacqueline Patel 9967040369 jacquelinepatel@yahoo.com This story has been provided by Techpro Ventures. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/TP)
The second Empowerment and Progression of Women's Economic Representation (EMPOWER) meeting under India's G20 Presidency is scheduled to be held during Tuesday-Thursday at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The inception meeting was held on February 11-12 in Agra. The G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women's Economic Representation (EMPOWER) is an alliance of G20 business leaders and governments that aims to accelerate women's leadership and empowerment in the private sector. "The G20 EMPOWER 2023 under India's presidency aims to take forward India's women-led development agenda," the Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a release on Monday. Women's Empowerment is not just an issue of social justice, it is also an economic imperative. Together, the G20 members represent more than 80 per cent of the world's GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and 60 per cent of the world's population. "Given its key role in the global economy, the G20 holds a strategic role in securing future global economic growth and prosperity. It also has a huge potential to deliver on women's empowerment and gender equality," the release said. The theme of the meeting in Kerala is "Women's Empowerment: A Win-Win for Equity and Economy". The side events on 4th April will also take up very important issues in the form of panel discussions on Enabling 'School-to-Work' Transitions and Career Development Opportunities; Investing in an Enabling Infrastructure to Support the Care Economy; Navigating Corporate Culture for Women Empowerment. Also, an exhibition designed and curated by the National Institute of Fashion Technology is being organised alongside the main event to showcase women's engagement in the cultivation and production of tea, coffee, spices and coir, work of women-led farmer producers organisations and indigenous toys, handloom and handicrafts crafted by women as well as ayurvedic and wellness products. The exhibition will have digital features that will provide an immersive experience to the audience, the ministry said. "In addition to the sessions, a visit to Kerala Arts and Crafts village (KACV) has been planned which will expose the delegates to Indian arts & crafts and will provide an opportunity to the participants to interact with the crafts persons. Cultural programs will be organised in the evenings which will present an engaging glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of India. Local cuisine and millet-based food will also be served during the events for participants to experience the traditional practises and fine cuisine of India." (ANI)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 (ANI/BusinessWire India): NIVEA India has secured the coveted title of India's No. 1 Trusted Skin Care Brand according to research conducted by TRA - a premier brand intelligence and data insights firm. Emerging as the winner for the third time in a row, the victory reinforces the company's commitment to trust, care and quality. The Brand Trust Report 2023, which represents the views of consumers and influencers across 16 Indian cities, ranked NIVEA India at the No:1 position. This accolade is a testament to the brand's consistent efforts to provide consumers with products of the highest quality and its dedication to building enduring relationships with consumers and shoppers based on trust. With this recognition, NIVEA India continues to reinforce its position as a leading brand that is synonymous with reliability and excellence. The recent recognition by TRA also serves as a testament to the loyalty consumers have placed in NIVEA India over the years, which has propelled the brand's ambition to become Emerging India's Most Loved and Trusted Skin Care Brand. For generations, the organization has been dedicated to providing skin solutions that cater to the diverse needs of Indian consumers. The portfolio of caring Skincare products from NIVEA spans categories from body lotions, sun care and skin creams to personal care, offerings like Deo Roll-ons, Body washes and Men care products. The brand offers consumers a vast selection of formats, textures, and innovative solutions tailored to address their unique skin concerns and moisturizing needs. NIVEA India's ability to adapt to modern times while retaining its core values is a hallmark of its enduring success. With each new product, the brand continues to evolve and invent, ensuring that it meets the ever-changing needs of the Indian consumer and delivers healthier-looking skin with each use. Expressing his gratitude towards the recognition, Neil George, Managing Director NIVEA India, commented, "Trust is the cornerstone of a successful brand and the recognition of NIVEA as the most trusted skin care brand in India for the third time is a testament to our relentless commitment to quality and consumer satisfaction. With over 111 years of expertise in the field, the brand has dedicated countless resources and efforts to develop a deep understanding of the diverse preferences of consumers and has consistently delivered high-quality, modern and effective skin care solutions that meet the rapidly shifting market landscape and lifestyle behaviours. Winning this certification represents an important milestone in our journey to become India's most loved and trusted skincare brand and reaffirms our commitment to establish long-lasting relationships with our customers and build a loyal fan base." Congratulating the brand on to this achievement, N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research remarked, "By prioritizing the needs and preferences of its customers in every aspect of its operations, NIVEA India has been able to establish itself as a trustworthy and reliable brand with a loyal and satisfied customer base that values the brand's commitment to quality and care. This strong foundation has made the brand a natural choice for Indian consumers when it comes to their skin care requirements." This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Motorola's pioneering spirit has proven to be a critical part of progressing the mobile industry to what it is today. From delivering the world's first commercially available 5G-upgradable smartphone to the first clamshell smartphone, we have a rich heritage in rewriting how people access and experience innovation. But perhaps the most defining moment in mobile tech history came exactly 50 years ago on April 3, 1973, when Martin Cooper, former Motorola VP and Director of R&D, used the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to make the world's first commercial mobile phone call from Sixth Avenue in New York City. It marked a pivotal point in time for society as we no longer had to sit by a landline or wait for a page to ensure we didn't miss a call. It meant we could communicate with anyone, any time, from anywhere. "When I made the first public portable cell phone call on April 3, 1973, I knew it was only the beginning; that Motorola and the cellphone industry were starting a revolution in personal communications," said Martin Cooper. "Since then, there have been a huge number of pivotal innovations, many of them created by Motorola. The first fifty years were only the warm-up. There will be many more exciting advancements that will transform humanity." First Call at 50: An interview with Martin Cooper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMcWkGMdBM 50 years later, we're proud to say that Motorola has continued to be at the forefront of a number of other industry-defining technologies, patents, and game-changing innovations that have shaped the world as we know it. We've come a long way since the release of the DynaTAC 8000X, which measured more than a foot long and weighed almost 2 pounds at the time. Some examples include the original RAZR V3, a device that came to market in the early 2000s, a time when mobile design had become predictable. Popular for its unique clamshell design and thin appearance, RAZR V3 continues to be a globally iconic piece of technology today. "Having been at Motorola for over 20 years, I've had the opportunity to bear witness to many of these iconic innovations," said Sergio Buniac, President of Motorola. "Innovation is in our DNA. We've revolutionized the industry countless times and we're eager to continue to play this pivotal role in shaping the industry's future." On April 3, 2019, the moto z3 combined with the 5G moto mod TM became the world's first commercially available smartphone to connect to 5G. Since then, we've been determined to democratize 5G technology bringing blazing-fast 5G speeds to the mid-tier through our moto g family. We've also been key in pushing the boundaries of alternative form factors. In 2019, we launched the world's first clamshell smartphone - the motorola razr - which brought consumers portability without sacrificing the functionalities of a full-sized smartphone display. We've also introduced innovations like the neckband, a wearable 5G device that redefines the role of the smartphone by allowing you to display content to more immersive screens around you. And most recently, we unveiled a rollable smartphone concept device. Looking ahead, we're excited to continue to test the boundaries of mobile technology and look forward to sharing more in this space. Prashanth Mani, Executive Director, Motorola Mobility Asia Pacific, added, "Motorola has been at the forefront of meaningful consumer innovation in the mobile industry, for over 50 years. We constantly challenge the status quo and have been behind several global firsts - from the world's first 5G capable smartphone to the world's first clamshell smartphone, constantly devising ways to empower consumers with enriching experiences. With over 50 years of leadership in innovation, we are uniquely positioned to set new trends that transform the lives of our consumers as we look at disrupting the future of mobile technology." We started the year with the launch of an all-new and exceptional variant of the motorola edge 30 fusion - Viva Magenta, the world's first smartphone in the Pantone color of 2023 which saw incredible love and exceptional consumer demand in India. To commemorate the love received, on this special occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first commercial phone call, fresh stocks of this premium smartphone have been made available on Flipkart. Link to the website: https://www.motorola.in/50-years-page Be sure to follow along on Instagram (@motorolain), Facebook (@motorolaIN), Twitter (@motorolaindia) and LinkedIn (@motorolaindia) to not miss any important updates. Legal disclaimersCertain features, functionality and product specifications may be network dependent and subject to additional terms, conditions, and charges. All are subject to change without notice. MOTOROLA, the Stylized M Logo, MOTO and the MOTO family of marks are trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (c)2023 Motorola Mobility LLC This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
The bill was passed today amid ruckus in the Parliament as the opposition parliamentarians raised slogans on the Adani-Hindenburg issue and continued with their demand for a joint parliamentary committee-led probe on the issue.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday without much debate.

Deals with a transaction value of more than Rs 2,000 crore, according to the Bill, will require the approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

"...if the value of any transaction in connection with acquisition of any control, shares, voting rights, etc., exceeds Rs 2,000 crore, it would require filing a notice of combination before the commission and to empower the Central Government to exempt certain transactions from the requirement to file combination notice under the Act," the amendment bill read.

It also proposed to reduce the timeline for the commission to pass an order on such transactions from 210 days to 150 days.

Also, it sought to broaden the scope of anti-competitive agreements.

Reportedly, the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2022, during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, and subsequently, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance for examination. (ANI)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 3 (ANI/NewsVoir): slice, India's leading consumer payments and lending company has announced the strategic appointment of Eugene Karthak as an Independent Board Director and S Vishvanathan as Advisor. With the fintech industry poised for revolutionary change, the appointments come at a crucial time for slice as it pursues its ambition to become a one-stop app for all things payments. Rajan Bajaj, Founder & CEO of slice, warmly welcomed the new board member and the advisor, stating, "We are delighted to have Eugene and Vishvanathan join the slice family. As we navigate this pivotal stage of growth, the guidance of these seasoned and accomplished leaders will be instrumental in steering slice towards its objectives. With their combined expertise, we can enhance our corporate governance practices and learn from their vast experience." Eugene, former Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, brings over three decades of experience in banking regulation, supervision, Information Technology, financial inclusion, currency management and more. Prior to assuming office as the Executive Director of RBI, he was the Regional Director of RBI for Sikkim, Karnataka, and Delhi offices respectively. He was closely associated with CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) for over 6 years to guide investigations of bank frauds in India and internationally. Mr. Eugene is currently the Director of the Indian Institute of Bank Management, a premier training institute for bankers. At slice, he will focus on providing strategic advice and promoting robust corporate governance. On joining slice, Eugene expressed his enthusiasm, "I am excited to join one of the youngest and leading fintech companies as India's fintech movement expands exponentially. My goal is to help implement the finest governance strategies and ensure slice remains at the forefront of this movement." S Vishvanathan, a banking and finance veteran with 37 years of experience, led the State Bank of India as the Managing Director and as Director on the Central Board. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and CEO of SBI Capital Markets Limited. At slice, he will guide strategic decision-making in line with the company's mission and vision. Vishvanathan shared his thoughts on his new role, "The collaboration between banks and fintechs is essential for the future of financial services. slice has created a unique offering in this space, recognising the importance of inclusive partnerships to lead India's financial services industry. I am eager to contribute to this association and optimistic about forging a strategic roadmap for both the company and the ecosystem." slice recently overhauled its product offerings to deliver a comprehensive payments experience with products like slice borrow, slice mini, and slice UPI. The company joined India's prestigious Unicorn club in November 2021 after raising USD 220 million in its Series-B fundraise, co-led by Tiger Global and Insight Partners. slice, the simplest way to pay. slice is India's leading consumer payments company focused on providing financial services to India's youngsters. With more than 12 million registered users, slice is a market leader in this rapidly growing segment. The company aims to build a smart, innovative, and transparent financial platform to redesign the financial experience for millennials and GenZ. slice app brings a fast and simple way to make payments for millions of its users, be it credit or UPI. slice's purpose is to make the world better at using their time and money, with the singular focus on providing the best consumer payments experience. Backed by leading investors such as Tiger Global, Insight partners, Advent International, Blume Ventures, and Gunosy Capital, slice has cumulatively raised $290mn in its series A, B, and B1 rounds. For more information, please visit www.sliceit.com. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
Billionaire vaccines tycoon Cyrus Poonawala is keen to move into his palatial Mumbai home which has been stuck in bureaucratic hassles for the past eight years. As per certain media reports, Poonawala, 81, the Chairman of Serum Institute of India Ltd (SII) had bought the property from the US Government, which was running its Mumbai Consulate there till 2011. The US government had purchased it in 1957 on a 999-year lease from the last ruler of Wankaner, Maharana Raj Shri Pratapsinhji Saheb of the Jhala Dynasty. Wankaner was a princely state (located in modern-day Gujarat, near Morbi) founded in 1620, and the last Maharana built his luxurious royal Mumbai home in 1933. The sprawling property spread over two acres on the Arabian Sea shore with a built-up area of around 50,000 sq. feet, known as Wankaner House, was renamed 'Lincoln House', and the US Consulate functioned there till November 2011. A few years after the Mumbai mission moved to a bigger premises in the Bandra Kurla Complex, the US government and Poonawala struck a deal of around Rs 750 crore for the property in the posh Breach Candy area of south Mumbai. Later, it transpired that the ownership of the land was unclear with both the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Defence staking claim, and the deal was kept on hold, and the Indian and US governments are attempting to iron out the differences. A miffed Poonawala told a foreign publication that "the government of India is not providing any rationale for holding it up", and suspects that it doesn't want the huge amount (around $120 million) to go to the US. Although officials are not ready to comment, the green signal is probably stuck owing to a technicality pertaining to the notice of the sale within a specified time-frame on the transfer of the lease rights. Until the deal is cleared - probably by the PMO - Poonawala will continue to live in his Pune home and long to possess and occupy the palatial house worth a fortune in Mumbai. --IANS qn/vd ( 360 Words) 2023-04-03-19:34:05 (IANS)
Malaika Arora has come a long way after she met with a car accident last year. On Sunday, she shared a video and penned a gratitude note. Taking to Instagram, Malaika dropped a video featuring important moments. From dancing on sets, posing with Karan Johar, chilling with her dog, fun moments with her sister Amrita, videos with boyfriend Arjun Kapoor to doing a car stunt. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqh0UuFu9lh/ Sharing the video, she wrote, "A second chance at life...another dance with life!One year since my accident, yet one year of sheer gratitude in my heart for this magic called life!While it took me some time to overcome what had happened with me, the second chance that i got itself supersedes any shred of fear or shock left in my heart." Malaika added, "Today, as I look back upon this day after a year, i just feel happy and content about where i am today. Love and light to everyone who's dealing with a difficult situation in life right now. Always remember, it will get better! #gratitude #livelifetothefullest." The accident took place on April 2 last year, when Malaika was returning from Pune and some cars collided with each other near Khalapur Toll Plaza on the Mumbai-Pune highway. She suffered injuries in a car accident and was hospitalised at the Apollo hospital in Navi Mumbai. Talking about her personal life, Malaika is in a relationship with Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor. Malaika and Arjun have been dating for quite some time now. However, it was not until a couple of years ago that both decided to make their relationship public. Even after all the trolling because of the 12-year age gap between them, Malaika and Arjun never fail to shower on each other on social media. On the work front, she recently made a digital debut with Disney+ Hotstar. Malaika gives fans access to her life through unfiltered conversations in an all-new show 'Moving In With Malaika'. (ANI)
Actor Nayanthara and filmmaker Vignesh Shivan who welcomed their twin sons last year in October. Finally, has revealed the full name of their children. A video has surfaced only in which actor Nayanthara can be seen revealing the full names of her twins. https://twitter.com/nayancafe/status/1642478280556314625? During the event, when Nayanthara was asked to reveal the full names of her boys, she said "My first son is Uyir Rudronil N Shivan and my second son is Ulag Dhaivag N Shivan." Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan married in Chennai on June 9, 2022. It was an intimate wedding with only their close friends and select guests, including Shah Rukh Khan, AR Rahman, Suriya, and Rajinikanth, in attendance. Four months after their wedding, they welcomed their sons via surrogacy. The news was shared by Vignesh on his Instagram handle where he shared pictures of his twin newborns named Uyir and Ulagam. In the images, the duo was seen kissing the feet of their babies. He captioned the post by writing, "Nayan and Me have become Amma and Appa. We are blessed with Twin Baby Boys. All Our prayers, our ancestors' blessings combined with all the good manifestations made, have come 2gethr in the form Of 2 blessed babies for us. Need all ur blessings for our Uyir and Ulagam. Life looks brighter and more beautiful. God is double great." Meanwhile, on the work front, Nayanthara will be seen starring in director Atlee's next action thriller film 'Jawaan' along with Shah Rukh Khan. The upcoming film is all set to hit the theatres on June 2, 2023. (ANI)
Taking to her Instagram story, Neha dropped a couple of pictures from her Maldives trip to wish her son.

In the first picture, the actor can be seen holding Guriq in her arms and captioned it, "our baby...1.5 year old today...my heart is smiling."

In the second picture, Mehr and Guriq can be seen playing.

Recently, Neha and Angad went on a vacation to Maldives with their kids.

She shared more pictures on her feed and captioned it, "Take us to our favourite part of the... where the sun shines bright and everything feels right!!! #springbreak."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqkGflhN7Mr/

Neha and Angad married in a private ceremony in New Delhi in May 2018. The couple was blessed with their first daughter Mehr in November of the same year. They welcomed their second child Guriq in October 2021.

Guriq means one with God, one from God, and saviour of the world. The doting mother has also created a new Instagram account handle under the name of Guriq.

On the work front, Angad and Neha were recently seen as a couple in an comedy-drama 'Social Distancing' penned by author Chetan Bhagat. (ANI)
Photo: The Canadian Press Premier David Eby shakes hands with Housing Minister and government house leader Ravi Kahlon during a swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Victoria, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. The British Columbia government has introduced a multibillion-dollar plan to construct more homes sooner in an attempt to build its way out of the housing crisis. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

The British Columbia government has introduced a multibillion-dollar plan to construct more homes as quickly as possible in an attempt to build its way out of the housing crisis.

The so-called Homes for People plan starts with a $4-billion investment over three years and commits to $12 billion over a decade with incentives to build, laws to curb speculation and financial help for renters and homeowners.

This is in addition to the plan the NDP government introduced in 2018, that it says has built more than 74,000 homes towards a promise of 114,000 units over a decade.

The latest proposal focuses on building more townhomes, duplexes and triplexes through zoning changes, offering forgivable loans for homeowners to build and rent secondary suites at below market rates, and constructing thousands of homes for renters, Indigenous Peoples and students.

More homes will be built near public transit and the government will launch a plan to use public land for construction of affordable homes.

The government says it will bring in a flipping tax to discourage speculation, beef up enforcement of short-term rentals, and streamline and modernize the permit process to cut costs and speed up approvals.

Actions in the plan also aim to build a housing market that puts people ahead of profit with measures to crack down on speculators and profiteers and get the proceeds of crime out of the real estate market, the government says in a news release.

Reducing homelessness is a key part of the plan, with a proposal to add 3,900 new supportive housing units and 240 complex care spaces.

It will also include teams designed to quickly respond to encampments and support those who are living outdoors.

Some municipalities in B.C. still don't allow secondary suites, but the government says that will change.

"Starting later this year, legislation will be introduced to make secondary suites allowed in every community in the province. In addition, in early 2024, homeowners will be able to access a forgivable loan of 50 per cent of the cost of renovations, up to a maximum of $40,000 over five years," the government says.
The Jain community around the globe will celebrate the Mahavir Jayanti festival on April 4, this year. Believers will visit Jain temples, follow Lord Mahavir's teachings and also spread them. Let's learn about the significance and rituals associated with the festival. Story behind the festival Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir who was given the name of Vardhaman in his childhood. Lord Mahavir was born in 615 BC in a royal family who at the age of 30 decided to renounce sensual pleasures and leave royalty. He practised austerities and meditated for 12 years in a forest to achieve 'Kevala Jnana.' He then propagated the Dharma known as Jainism. Significance of Mahavir Jayanti The birth anniversary of Mahavira is celebrated with joy and excitement by the Jain community across the globe. Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism who spread peace and harmony through his teachings. The core teachings of Mahavira are non-violence, non-stealing, chastity and non-attachment. Indrabhuti Gautama was the main disciple of Mahavira who wrote his master's teachings for the benefit of the world. Rituals of Mahavir Jayanti Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated with rituals like praying at Jain temples, processions, singing hymns adoring Lord Mahavira, fasting to purify the body and soul, charity, cultural programs and lectures by religious scholars and leaders. The festival of Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated with great devotion by the Jain community to highlight the significance of Jainism in the world, especially in India. The key teaching of ahimsa parmo dharma or non-violence is of great significance in the world today. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, Vicky dropped a motion poster of Sam Manekshaw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqj4es2oUi1/

Sharing the video, "Remembering Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw on his 109th Birth Anniversary. Thank you for being born. #Sambhaadur in cinemas 1.12.2023."

Helmed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, 'Sam Bahadur' is the story of India's war hero and first Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw which also stars Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh in the lead roles.

The film is all set to hit the theatres on December 1, 2023.

Talking about the film, Vicky said, "I am fortunate to portray the role of a real-life hero and patriot who is still remembered and loved for his contributions to our country. There is a lot to learn and take back as an actor. With the amount of prep and hard work the whole team has put in, I am sure the audiences will be thrilled to watch Sam's mesmerising journey to making India what it is today."

Meanwhile, Vicky will be next seen in director Laxman Utekar's next romantic comedy film with Sara Ali Khan and in a yet-to-be-titled film alongside Triptii Dimri.

The Vicky-starrer is a co-production of Prime Video with Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective. It is touted to be an eclectic mix of drama, emotions and a dash of comedy. (ANI)
Taking to Instagram, Chris dropped the trailer which he captioned, "You only get one shot at a second chance. EXTRACTION 2 debuts globally June 16, only on @Netflix. #TylerRakeLives."

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqk0GjND8bK/

In the trailer, the 'Avengers' actor shared a glimpse of a single-take-action sequence in which he could be seen fighting with the goons.

Soon after the 'Thor' actor shared the trailer of 'Extraction 2' fans flooded the comment section with red heart and fire emoticons.

"Here comes the mighty Thor," a fan commented.

Another fan wrote, "Wooow wooow y mas wooow."

"This looks so dope! I'm counting down the days," a user wrote.

"Finally The Wait Is Over This Movie Will Be Insane," a user wrote.

Helmed by Sam Hargrave, the film will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 16, 2023.

Released in 2020, 'Extraction' was a big hit. It featured black-ops mercenary Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) travelling to Bangladesh to rescue the kidnapped son of a drug lord. At the end of the film, Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) took a bullet to the neck while protecting the child. The climax made fans wonder if Tyler Rake survived.

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda was also a part of the first instalment of the film.

Upon its release, the film was viewed on Netflix by an estimated 90 million households.

Chris Hemsworth will reteam with director Sam Hargrave for 'Extraction 2' which is produced by Joe and Anthony Russo via their AGBO banner, from a script by 'Avengers: Endgame' filmmaker Joe Russo, who also penned the first instalment of the film. (ANI)
The actor shared that although grappling with a tight timeline, he intended to pay a visit to the city's Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is the only national park in the city limits globally, however a possible interaction with an unwanted friend deterred him from doing so.

Speaking on the sidelines of a media event organised for 'Citadel', Richard told the media, "I had planned on visiting the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai but I've been told that leopard lurks in there somewhere so, I guess I'll have to refrain from going there."

Adding onto that, his 'Citadel' co-star Priyanka Chopra shared that he has a really packed schedule so he won't be able to see many places in India.

'Citadel' is set to drop on Prime Video on April 28.

--IANS aa/uk/

( 180 Words)

2023-04-03-21:08:03 (IANS)
Officials said that the accused, identified as Faiyaz Qadri, was arrested by BKC police after a video of him performing a 'wheelie' stunt with two women seated on his two-wheeler in Mumbai streets went viral on social media on March 30.

The video showed the man performing a bike stunt with two pillion riders, one in front and the other in the rear without a helmet.

On March 31, a case under IPC section 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide not amounting to murder) was registered at BKC Police station against Faiyaz and the two women on the basis of the video.

According to the Mumbai Police, the accused Faiyaz Qadri was arrested in Saki Naka by the BKC police under whose jurisdiction the incident took place.

"Police arrested him from his Antop Hill residence, based on the bike's registration number. Upon investigation, it was found that the video is of December 2022," Mumbai police said.

"The accused has a criminal history and was also externed from Wadala TT PS limits for a year," police said while adding that efforts to identify and trace the two women are on. (ANI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Sunday hailed ISRO for successfully conducting the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) and said this is a proud moment for the nation. Taking to Twitter CM Bommai said, "Accolades to @isro & @DRDO_India for successfully conducting the autonomous landing of India's first reusable rocket in Chitradurga, Karnataka. We are one step closer to the realisation of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle. Proud moment for the nation. Aatma nirbhar Bharat even in space." Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded ISRO for successfully conducting the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) and said this achievement takes India one step closer to realising an Indian reusable launch vehicle. "A great team effort. This achievement takes us one step closer to realising an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle," PM Modi tweeted. On Sunday, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) informed that it successfully conducted the autonomous test landing mission of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Karnataka's Chitradurga. A statement issued by ISRO said, "India achieved it. ISRO joined by DRDO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX) at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR), Chitradurga, Karnataka in the early hours on April 2, 2023." According to the statement, the RLV took off at 7:10 am by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force. The release of RLV was autonomous. Then using the Integrated Navigation, and Guidance and control system, the RLV completed an autonomous landing on the ATR at 7:40 AM. With that, ISRO successfully achieved the autonomous landing of a space vehicle. The statement said, "The autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a Space Re-entry vehicle's landing high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path as if the vehicle arrives from space. LEX utilized several indigenous systems. Localized Navigation systems, instrumentation, and sensor systems, etc. were developed by ISRO." "ISRO had demonstrated the re-entry of its winged vehicle RLV-TD in the HEX mission in May 2016. The re-entry of a hypersonic sub-orbital vehicle marked a major accomplishment in developing Reusable Launch Vehicles. The LEX began with an Integrated Navigation test in 2019 and followed multiple Engineering Model Trials and Captive Phase tests in subsequent years", reads the statement. Along with ISRO, Indian Air Force (IAF), Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC), Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), and Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) contributed to this test. With LEX, the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle arrives one step closer to reality, said the ISRO officials. (ANI)
The arrested criminals were identified as Sanju and Manjeet.

According to the police, both were involved in the murder in Sonipat, Haryana.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has busted a gang of imposters posing as officials of the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) and extorting money in the Outer North district in the national capital.

Police have arrested six persons including Dimple Panchal (38), Sonu Sahni (35), Vinod (45), Mohit (32) years, Mukesh (49), and Deepak Tyagi (38), accused of posing as officials of Delhi Police AATS and extorting hefty sums.

According to Delhi Police, "On March 31, information was received in AATS, Outer North District, that one gang, posing as police personnel are extorting money in the name of AATS from various persons in the Bawana Industrial Area."

Immediately, police said, a team was constituted to nab the accused.

The six accused were arrested on the spot, police said, adding that one uniform of Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) was recovered.

"The accused persons were arrested and on further interrogation, they disclosed that they were impersonating AATS Staff and used to extort money from bootleggers," Delhi Police said. (ANI)
In the state of Manipur lies a history steeped in battles, courage, and the indomitable spirit of its rulers. As a landlocked region, Manipur has seen its fair share of challenges. Yet, its people have long fought to protect their sovereignty, and their story is one that deserves recognition. The geographical location of Manipur, coupled with its diverse and vibrant culture, made it an attractive target for the expansionist Mughal Empire. It was during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century that Manipur first came under the Mughal radar. A series of events unfolded, eventually pitting the resolute Manipuri kings against the colossal power of the Mughal empire. Pamheiba, later known as Maharaja Garibniwaz, was the first Manipuri ruler who made his presence felt on the Indian subcontinent. Ascending the throne in 1709, Pamheiba reigned during a tumultuous period marked by external invasions and internal strife. It was under his rule that the kingdom of Manipur engaged in its first major battle against the Mughals in 1724, resulting in a victory for the Manipuri forces. While the Mughals struggled to establish a foothold in the region, Manipur continued to strengthen its defences under the reign of its next ruler, Gaurisiam. He was a relentless warrior who adopted guerrilla warfare tactics to keep the powerful Mughal forces at bay. Gaurisiam's military acumen and unwavering determination played a crucial role in thwarting multiple attempts by the Mughals to annex Manipur. The next significant ruler, Jai Singh or Rajshree Bhagyachandra, had an equally remarkable impact on Manipur's history. His reign, which began in 1759, marked the apex of Manipuri's resistance against the Mughals. In the Battle of Khongjom in 1764, Jai Singh's forces faced off against the Mughals, led by Mir Jumla III. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Manipuri army managed to repel the Mughal invaders and protect their kingdom. Jai Singh's reign was not only marked by his military prowess but also by his contributions to the cultural development of Manipur. He is credited with the creation of the famed Ras Lila dance, a classical dance form that is an integral part of Manipuri culture even today. Jai Singh's multifaceted legacy has left a lasting imprint on the history and culture of the region. The final ruler in our chronicle of valiant Manipuri monarchs is Ching-Thang Khomba, or Maharaja Gambhir Singh, who came to power in 1825. He ascended the throne during a period of political instability and turmoil, as Manipur was embroiled in a bitter conflict with neighbouring Burma (present-day Myanmar). Ching-Thang Khomba displayed exceptional leadership, forging alliances with British India to drive out the Burmese invaders and restore order to his kingdom. Following his victory, Ching-Thang Khomba continued to focus on fortifying Manipur's defences against potential aggressors. He initiated a series of reforms and infrastructure projects, including the construction of forts, to bolster the kingdom's military capabilities. His reign marked a period of relative peace and stability, allowing Manipur to flourish culturally and economically. (ANI)
Chennai police on Monday arrested an assistant professor at Chennai's Kalakshetra's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts based on complaints of sexual harassment against him. Hari Padman, the dance professor was booked by the Adyar police on March 31 after a former student filed a complaint against him. "Chennai Police arrested Kalakshestra Professor Hari Padman following the complaint of sexual harassment from a former student. He was booked by Chennai Police on Friday," said police officials. According to Chennai police officials, Padaman was booked under various sections of the IPC sections including sexual harassment and relevant sections of the Women Harassment Act. The case has been registered under sections 354 (A), 509, 4 of the Woman Harassment Act, the police said. The action came days after students of Kalakshetra Foundation's institute accused him sexual harassment. Following the action, the Kalakshetra students' union which had been protesting over the delay in action against the professor and others, stopped their protest. Kalakshetra students on Friday evening released a video saying that they have withdrawn their protest and also thanked the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson, media, law and order and other official bodies. Students Union of the institute had written to the Union Culture Ministry demanding action against the Director and the Head of the Dance department of the institution. Earlier on March 31, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said in the State Assembly that legal action will be taken against those found guilty if the allegations are confirmed. The chief minister was responding to a special attention-grabbing resolution in the Legislative Assembly regarding the sexual harassment allegation at the Kalasetra Foundation. The resolution was put forth by opposition MLAs - Balaji of VCK, Velmurugan of VUK, Selva Perundagai of Congress and others. "Government conducting a proper investigation into this matter and if the charges are confirmed, legal action will be taken against whoever is at fault. It will be taken compulsorily," Stalin told the Assembly. "All measures are taken to ensure the safety of women protesters. Tamil Nadu police did not receive any official written complaint from the Kalakshetra student union," said Stalin. Earlier on March 30, the Kalakshetra Educational Institute was shut after a protest by students over the lack of action against the professor. (ANI)
The CM left for Delhi on Sunday afternoon for the meeting scheduled at 11 am today.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, along with holding discussions on plans for the state's development, the CM will also invite Prime Modi to visit Uttarakhand when the gates of the Chardham are opened later this month.

CM Dhami will be on a two-day tour of Delhi, informed the Chief Minister's Office.

The CM will also meet Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav at 2 pm and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 5 pm later in the day, it added.

Earlier, on March 31, Dhami thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Central government, saying that Rs 23.28 crore was sanctioned to Uttarakhand under the Agriculture Development Scheme and a further Rs 34.66 crore was released as a financial incentive under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), by the Central government.

In December 2022, CM Dhami held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in the national capital and discussed development-related issues. (ANI)
Photo: Colin Dacre

A man is dead after a head-on crash involving a tractor trailer on Highway 1 outside of Revelstoke

Emergency crews were called to the crash at 10 p.m. on March 28, about 47 kilometres east of the city.

BC Highway Patrol says they believe a white 2021 Toyota Camry sedan with two occupants was traveling eastbound on the Trans-Canada Highway when, for unknown reasons, it crossed the centre line and into oncoming traffic.

This resulted in a head-on collision with a white 2019 Freightliner tractor trailer, said Const. Mike Moore of BC Highway Patrol.

The passenger in the Toyota Camry, a 55-year-old Ontario man, was found dead at the scene. The deceased mans son and driver of the vehicle, a 20 year old also from Ontario, was taken to hospital by helicopter with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

The 48-year-old male driver of the Freightliner tractor trailer from Alberta was uninjured.

The crash resulted on the closure of Highway 1 in Glacier National Park for 10 hours while an investigation took place.

If you witnessed the collision or have dash-cam video of the collision, please contact BC Highway Patrol Revelstoke at 250-805-2111 and refer to file 2023-1160.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi who will be in Gujarat today to move Surat court for challenging his two-year jail term in a defamation case, and said that the Congress leader is going with his family and some chief ministers "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" of the OBC community. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the group of Congress leaders including the chief ministers of some Congress-ruled states will create "mayhem" in the name of appealing against the lower court's order convicting Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark. "Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the 2-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra said in a press conference. Patra's reaction came after Rahul Gandhi is to file an appeal today in the Sessions court in Surat against his conviction and a two-year jail sentence in a criminal defamation case. Congress expects that the court will take up the matter today itself. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach court at around 3 pm. The BJP leader asked if the Congress leaders who will accompany Rahul Gandhi for the appeal want to "pressurise" the judiciary. "Rahul Gandhi, is it not true that you used a casteist remark against the OBC community? You called them a thief and abused them. You are going to Surat with your family, and some chief ministers with pomp and show. Do you want to pressurise the judiciary? Appealing is a democratic right. You are going to augment the insult that you have thrown to the OBC community by going and staging this kind of protest in Surat. Are you trying to pressurise the Indian judiciary through these gimmicks of yours?" Patra said. Further slamming Rahul Gandhi over his "arrogance", the BJP leader alleged that he was not ready to apologise to the lower court for his remark. "The lower court had given him (Rahul Gandhi) opportunity to apologise, but he denied stating that he is Rahul and he will not apologise. Rahul and responsibility never go together. Why is this arrogance? The Supreme Court had pulled him up for his remarks over Narendra Modi. He wasn't ready to apologise in Supreme Court, but the court made him apologise in written in the form of affidavit," Patra said. "Rahul Gandhi did not apologise to the lower court in Surat. Today, he is going to Surat with his family to repeat and add to the insult to the OBC community," he added. The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in the defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark in 2019 in Karnataka. (ANI)
Bulldozers deployed by the Indore Municipal Corporation on Monday demolished illegal construction at the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple, where last Thursday, 36 people were killed after its floor caved into a stepwell. District administration officials and police personnel were present in strength as bulldozers rolled in. The floor of a stepwell of the temple located in Patel Nagar of the city caved in during a Havan on the day of Ram Navami. The mishap occurred at the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple around 11am on March 30 when a havan was being organised on the occasion of Ram Navami festival. The roof of the stepwell on which devotees were sitting collapsed. Rescue operations began and continued for around 24 hours till Friday afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced ex gratia for the kin of those who died and compensation for those injured. A total of 36 persons died and 16 people were rescued in the incident. The bodies were brought from all around to Patel Dharamshala in the city and after that they were taken to Muktidham (crematorium) by ambulances and Gujarati community buses. CM Chouhan and his cabinet ministers also inspected the rescue operation at the site of the incident. He said that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident and action will be taken against those found responsible. "An FIR was registered, and a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the incident. Action will be taken against those found responsible. The current priority is the rescue operation. The injured will be treated free of cost. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced the ex-gratia amount to the victims. We have ordered an inspection of such step-wells and borewells across the state," Chouhan said. Indore Commissioner of Police (CP) Makrand Deoskar said, "A case has been registered against the President, Sewaram Galani and Secretary, Murli Sabnani of temple trust under IPC section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder)." Besides, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) had issued notices regarding illegal construction at the stepwell of the temple. As no action was taken on the matter, two officials of the municipal corporation, Building Officer P R Aroliya and Building Inspector Prabhat Tiwari were suspended by the IMC Commissioner Pratibha Pal on Friday. (ANI)
Following the reports of alleged sexual harassment cases with girls during college fests, Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal on Monday summoned Delhi Police and Delhi University officials to appear before the commission. According to the official notice, they have to appear with details of guidelines and systems that they have built to ensure such cases will never happen in the future. "NOW THEREFORE you are hereby summoned to appear before the Commission for this purpose aforementioned on 06/0412023 at 02.00 PM. If you fail to comply with this order without lawful excuse, you will be subjected to the consequences of non-attendance as provided in law," read the official notice from DCW. This is in reference to the incident of sexual harassment against girls in some colleges of Delhi University. "In 2020, some people forced their way into Gargi college premises during a fest and molested the girl students. Again, in 2022, some male students forced their way into Miranda College and harassed the girl students. These incidents are emerging repeatedly in colleges of Delhi University which raise serious concerns regarding the safety of girl students therein, especially during a college fest," read the notice. Earlier on March 29, the DCW chief took suo moto cognisance and issued notice to the Delhi Police and Indraprastha (IP) College principal on reports of sexual harassment with students during a fest organised in the college. The matter pertains to March 25, when it was reported that some boys entered the college during a fest organized therein and harassed the girls. Also, the boys allegedly tried to enter the hostel of the girl students. DCW chief Maliwal stated, "The incident is extremely unfortunate. We have seen a number of cases in the past wherein girl students have been harassed by antisocial elements who have forcibly entered colleges, especially during the fest. I have issued notices to Delhi Police and college authorities." "The accused must be arrested immediately and action should be taken against persons responsible for a lapse in security. Delhi Police and Delhi University must work together to ensure that such incidents never happen again," she added. The Commission has demanded a copy of the FIR registered in the matter along with details of the accused arrested. The Commission has also sought details of security arrangements made by Delhi Police and college authorities during the fest. The Commission has sought an explanation for the lapse in security during the fest along with details of action taken against persons responsible for the lapse in security. The commission has asked the college and police to provide copies of communication made in this regard and sought an action taken report by 03.04.3023. (ANI)
Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has hit out at the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) accusing it of "harassing, raiding and arresting the opposition leaders." Addressing a rally in Sambhaji Nagar on Sunday he also alleged that the BJP "took corrupt people from opposition parties to their party." "If something is said to PM Modi, then OBC is insulted. The PM said that efforts are being made to malign his image, then what about our image? Opposition leaders are being harassed, raided and arrested. BJP took corrupt people from opposition parties to their party," said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. Thackeray further alleged that the BJP is trying to steal the identity associated with his father late Bal Thackeray. "BJP is trying to steal my father. If they have guts they should come to Maharashtra with PM Narendra Modi and I will come with my father's name. BJP won't survive after the voting," he added. Group clashes took place in Sambhaji Nagar on Ram Navami. A mob of more than 500 people allegedly attacked policemen on March 29, the night after some youths clashed with each other. The incident, which lasted about an hour, took place in the Kiradpura locality, which is home to a famous Ram temple. "Sambhajinagar police arrested a total of 28 accused and another 50 persons have been identified till now in connection with Kiradpura violence case," Sambhajinagar Commissioner of Police CP Nikhil Gupta had said. Earlier on Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena's 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in Thane. The yatra comes amid the efforts by the ruling coalition to play up Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments on Veer Savarkar following his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Rahul, who was disqualified as an MP after being convicted in the criminal defamation case over his 'Modi' surname remark, on March 25, had said, "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis don't apologise to anyone." The BJP and ruling Maharashtra ally Sena had slammed Rahul's remarks while the chief of the rival Sena camp and former CM, Uddhav Thackeray, too, voiced concerns over it. (ANI)
BJP on Monday termed as "drama" and an attempt to put "pressure" on the judiciary by Rahul Gandhi ahead of the Congress leader's appeal of the Surat court's order on a 2019 defamation case related to the 'Modi surname' remark. "They (Congress) are doing a drama to threaten the judiciary. I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country..." Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament today. His remarks came as Rahul Gandhi embarked for Surat from Delhi and according to sources is expected to reach court at around 3 pm and file an appeal against his conviction. Congress expects that court will take up the matter today itself. The Congress leader is expected to be accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other top leaders. Earlier in a tweet this morning, Rijiju said, "Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama." The union minister said, "What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics." Union Minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Congress. "India won't tolerate the insult of backwards...Earlier, PV Narasimha Rao, P Chidambaram, DK Shivakumar went to jail too, how many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country?," Thakur asked. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi going with his family to the court is a repeat of the Congress leader's insult of the OBC community and will add to it. Patra alleged that the group of Congress leaders including the chief ministers of some Congress-ruled states, who are accompanying Gandhi will create "mayhem" in the name of appealing against the lower court's order convicting the former Waynand MP in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark. "Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the two-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra said in a press conference. Patra also asked if the Congress leaders who will accompany Rahul Gandhi for the appeal want to "pressurise" the judiciary. "Rahul Gandhi, is it not true that you used a casteist remark against the OBC community? You called them a thief and abused them. You are going to Surat with your family, and some chief ministers with pomp and show. Do you want to pressurise the judiciary? Appealing is a democratic right. You are going to augment the insult that you have thrown to the OBC community by going and staging this kind of protest in Surat. Are you trying to pressurise the Indian judiciary through these gimmicks of yours?" Patra said. Further slamming Rahul Gandhi over his "arrogance", the BJP leader alleged that he was not ready to apologise to the lower court for his remark. "The lower court had given him opportunity to apologise, but he denied stating that he is Rahul and he will not apologise. Rahul and responsibility never go together. Why is this arrogance? The Supreme Court had pulled him up for his remarks over Rahul Gandhi. He wasn't ready to apologise in Supreme Court, but the court made him apologise in written in the form of affidavit," Patra said. "Rahul Gandhi did not apologise to the lower court in Surat. Today, he is going to Surat with his family to repeat and add to the insult to the OBC community," he added. The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark in 2019 in Karnataka. (ANI)
A dog of an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer went missing from Bilua area in Gwalior district following which "missing posters" were pasted in the area and the police are engaged in a search for the last three days. The dog went missing on Friday (March 31). According to the sources, two dogs of the IAS officer of the MP cadre posted in Delhi were being taken from Delhi to Bhopal. On Friday night, the staff carrying the dog by car stopped at a dhaba near Bilaua to have food. While the staff members were having food, both the dogs escaped from the car. After the search, the staff caught one dog but failed to find the other one. After that, the staff informed the IAS officer in Delhi about the incident over the phone. After that the Gwalior police along with staff of the Gwalior zoo started searching for the dog. Missing posters have been also pasted on the surrounding Dhabas. Dabra Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Vivek Sharma said, "Some people came to a dhaba in Bilua area when their dog escaped by jumping from their car. They were going from Delhi to Bhopal. A complaint has been registered and nearby restaurants and shops have been informed." "Posters have also been put up at various places, in which it has also been announced to give appropriate rewards to the one who finds the dog," Sharma added. Jaipraksh, the owner of the dhaba from where the dog went missing, said, "On Friday night a vehicle stops here, the staff members eat food and during this one of the dogs goes missing. That dog belongs to an officer because the officer himself came here along with the police as well as other personnel in search of the dog the next morning." "When the dog was not found, posters were put up to search for it. In which it was mentioned that appropriate reward will be given to the person who tells about the missing dog," he said. (ANI)
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party for remarks over Rahul Gandhi's visit to Surat for an appeal against his conviction, and said that the saffron party has a problem with anything that the former MP does. Chowdhury said that Rahul Gandhi will not bow down before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "On one side, the BJP says why does Rahul Gandhi not go to the judiciary for his case, and when he does, the BJP has a problem with it. Rahul Gandhi has said that he will not get afraid. He will not bow down before Amit Shah, Modi. He will go before the judiciary itself," the Congress MP said while speaking to ANI. Earlier today, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra remarked in a press conference, "Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the 2-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Speaking on the violence in West Bengal, Chowdhury said, "TMC and BJP are doing politics of polarization and this is leading to communal violence in Bengal...CM says action will be taken but nothing is being done." While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "When BJP realises it is getting weakened, then they incite riots and polarise people. It is the deed of BJP." Earlier today, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived at the residence of Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi will on Monday file an appeal in the Sessions court in Gujarat's Surat against his conviction and a two-year jail sentence in a criminal defamation case. Congress expects that the court will take up the matter today itself. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach court at around 3 pm. The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark in 2019 in Karnataka. According to sources, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will accompany the former MP to court. Besides Priyanka, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel along with Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi are likely to accompany Rahul Gandhi. Also, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat are expected to join the group. The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?" After the Surat court's verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha following his conviction in the case. Congress has protested aggressively against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification inside the Parliament as well as outside it. Congress along with other opposition parties had held a 'black dress' protest against the government over Rahul Gandhi and Adani issue. They had marched from the Parliament complex towards Vijay Chowk together in an attempt to show unity. Rahul Gandhi also received an eviction notice from the Lok Sabha secretariat, to which he said that he would abide by the notice. Congress MPs will hold a meeting at 10.30 am in the Congress Parliamentary Party office to chalk out strategy for the day. The party MPs have been asked to wear black clothes during the meeting. After the disqualification of Rahul's membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition players around it in the wake of Rahul's loss of membership from the Lower House. (ANI)
Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged that the violence in West Bengal on Ram Navami is planned and sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Raut alleged that there are riots in the states where the elections are nearing and the BJP is fearing a loss. "The violence happening in Bengal is planned, sponsored and targeted by BJP...Wherever elections are nearing and BJP is fearing their loss, or where BJP government is weak there are riots," he alleged while speaking to ANI. His remarks come after fresh clashes and stone pelting erupted during the BJP Shobha yatra in West Bengal's Hooghly on Sunday evening. Earlier on Thursday, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire. Following the violence in Howrah during Ram Navami celebrations, the West Bengal government on Friday handed over the probe to Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A special team led by Inspector General of Police, CID Sunil Choudhury has initiated the investigation. West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over violence in the state during Ram Navami celebrations. He said another attack was made on the Ram Navami procession at Rishra in Hoogly district on Sunday where BJP MP and All India Vice President Dilip Ghosh was participating. "Along with the Ram Bhaktas he too was attacked by stone pelting. His vehicle was torched and incidents of arson happened as police stood still as mere spectator which strenghten our allegations that there is definite support from the ruling party TMC and section of the administration led by Mamata Banerjee who has already issued several statements in favour of the miscreants belonging to the minority community," Majumdar said. Meanwhile, allegations and counter-allegations continued to fly between the ruling TMC and the principal opposition party BJP on the issue. Soon after the reports of the violence Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to the Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on the issue. In fact, the union home secretary has sought a detailed report from the state on the violence. Earlier, a case was registered against Goshamahal legislator, T Raja Singh at Shahinyathgunj police station for allegedly provoking the public to disturb the peaceful atmosphere during the Sri Ram Navami Shobha Yatra held in the city. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the government's extensive support for various externally aided projects and special assistance schemes for capital projects, including the approval of the Jamrani Dam project for the development of the state. Thanking the state for giving the responsibility of three important meetings of G20, said that the working group meeting of the Chief Scientific Adviser was successfully organised in Ramnagar. The Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister for Chardham Yatra, Adi Kailash and Mayawati Ashram located at Lohaghat. In the meeting with the Prime Minister which lasted for about an hour, the Chief Minister discussed various issues related to the development of the State and sought the Prime Minister's guidance. In informing the Prime Minister about the relief and displacement works of the landslide victims in the Joshimath area of Chamoli, the Chief Minister said, "An economic package of Rs 2942.99 crore is required for landslides. In the said package, the construction of 150 pre-fabricated houses, site development work, and affected allowance are important for temporary relief and accommodation to the affected." He said that compensation for residential and commercial infrastructure, compensation for lands of families falling in the unsafe zone, permanent rehabilitation of affected persons and acquisition and development of land and repair and restoration of affected departmental infrastructures are included. The work of stabilization and redevelopment of Joshimath is also to be done. CM Dhami said that the Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Center has been set up by the state government and will advise on landslide improvement and management at the national level as a centre of excellence. The centre has started functioning in Joshimath, a roadmap has been prepared for the affected landslide, disaster-affected risk area. The Chief Minister said, "Recommendation was given in the meeting of the Public Investment Board organized by the Finance Ministry for the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project." The Chief Minister also urged the Prime Minister to get financial approval for the Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. (ANI)
The airline said that the aircraft did a normal landing at Bangalore airport.

The flight inspection was done and later took off to its destination where it landed this morning.

"Etihad Airways flight EY237 from Bangalore International Airport to Abu Dhabi on April 2, returned to Bangalore Airport shortly after take-off due to a technical issue. The aircraft performed a normal landing in Bangalore. The required technical inspections were completed, and the flight continued to Abu Dhabi, where it landed early this morning," Etihad Airways said.

Earlier on April 1, a full emergency was declared at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after a Dubai-bound FedEx aircraft suffered a bird hit soon after take-off, according to airport officials.

Airport officials stated that the FedEx aircraft was hit minutes after it took off. FedEx is a courier/cargo aircraft. (ANI)
Photo: Contributed

The fungus that causes white nose syndrome in bats has been detected in B.C. for the first time.

The B.C. government says it was found in bat guano in the Grand Forks area.

The provincial government says that since the fungus arrived on the west coast of the United States in 2016, they have been monitoring for its arrival in B.C.

The Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship says it is working with multiple partners to implement enhanced surveillance for the disease, as well as reduce threats to bat habitats.

The public is asked to contact the BC Community Bat Program or the Ministry of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship with any information on the location of winter bat roosting sites, unusual behavior such as flying during the day, and observations of dead bats.

First discovered in New York state in 2006, white nose syndrome has spread to 38 states and eight provinces. The associated mortality is responsible for three Canadian bat species being listed as "endangered" under the federal Species at Risk Act.

The fungus is primarily spread by bat-to-bat contact. The fungus doesn't affect humans, but people may spread fungus spores through the movement of contaminated clothing and gear, or through accidental translocation of bats.

There is currently no proven prevention or treatment for white nose syndrome.

Anyone who discovers a sick or dead bat should never pick it up with their bare hands.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Monday visited the Lok Nayak Jayprakash Hospital to review the Covid-19 preparedness in the hospital. During his visit, he also interacted with the patients and took their feedback related to the health facilities in the hospital. "I came to see the Covid-19 preparedness in the hospital. This hospital caters to a larger patient load so inspected the Outpatient Department (OPD). Now we will hold discussions with the doctors and also review the status of oxygen plants in the hospital." Bhardwaj told ANI. He further stated that the Covid-19 situation is under control in the state and citizens should exercise precautions prescribed by the government. "There is no panic situation. The variant has high transmissibility but it is less severe. The public should follow relevant health and precaution guidelines," he said. Saurabh Bhardwaj further mentioned that the health department will remain vigilant to stop the bribery in Delhi Government hospitals. "We recently heard the reports of bribery being taken in Safdurjung hospital. It is a very big hospital of the central government. Many small hospitals refer their patients to Safdurjung hospital. These bribery practices should be completely curtailed. In our hospitals, we will strongly examine the patient registration details and will especially look for those cases where a patient registered later and got treated before the sequence. If caught then serious action will be taken," he said. Earlier on Sunday Delhi registered 429 fresh Covid cases with a positivity rate of 16.09 per cent. (ANI)
CPI MP Binoy Viswam on Monday wrote a letter to Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging him to order a high-level inquiry into the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train fire incident, and to release maximum compensation for the deceased persons' families. Binoy Viswam said, "I am writing to express my deep concern and sadness over the recent tragic incident near the Elathur railway station in Kerala. As you may be aware, a passenger had set fire inside a boggy in the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train, resulting in burn injuries to at least eight people. Subsequently, three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman were found dead on the tracks near the railway station". "This is an extremely distressing incident, and I urge you to take immediate action to address the situation. Firstly, I request you to form a high-level enquiry to investigate the circumstances leading up to the incident and to identify any lapses in the security and safety measures on board the train. It is important to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future and that passengers can feel safe while travelling on trains". CPI Upper House MP from Kerala urged Ashwini Vaishnaw to release maximum compensation for the family of the deceased. "I urge you to release maximum compensation for the family of the deceased.The loss of a loved one is an irreparable loss, and it is important to provide adequate support to the family members during this difficult time. I request you to ensure that the compensation is released at the earliest and that the family members are provided with any other necessary assistance," he added . Viswam further said, "I believe that it is crucial for the railway department to take immediate and effective action in this matter which deserves a humanitarian approach. I hope that you will take appropriate action to address the situation". (ANI)
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to "cool a little bit" after the latter's remark about the West's "bad habit" of commenting on other countries. "I have known him for a long time and consider him as a friend but on this issue I think we need not be so thin-skinned, I think it's very important that as a government we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge my friend Jai to cool a little bit" said Tharoor. On Sunday, during an interaction in Bengaluru, the foreign minister had said "the West thinks it has a God-given right to comment on internal matters of other countries." Jaishankar made the above remarks during a Sunday morning 'Meet and Greet' interaction organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park. The Foreign Minister was responding to a question on remarks by Germany and the United States on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament. "I will give you the truthful answer (on why we see West commenting on India). There are two reasons. It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if they keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening," Jaishankar said. He added, "The second part of the truth - In our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India, and (urging) America and the world (by saying), why are you standing by doing nothing? So if somebody from here goes and says why are you standing by and saying nothing, then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, and part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing." (ANI)
BJP MLA Biman Gosh on Sunday wrote to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose seeking their intervention and the deployment of central forces in West Bengal after the violence erupted in Hooghly during Ram Navami celebrations. In his letters to them, Bhartiya Janta Party MLA Biman Gosh said that violence on the Ram Navami procession near Rishra Bara Masjid on Sunday was an act of pre-planned vandalism. On Thursday also, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire. "The Ram Navami procession on reaching Rishra Bara Masjid faced a deliberate and pre-planned attack including stone pelting use of swords and bombs," he said in the letter. BJP MLA further accused police of being inactive when violence was taking place during the Ram Navami procession. "The police force was completely inactive when the people attending the procession were beaten up and started charging the Hindus in the procession," he wrote. "Now police have become overactive to book the Hindus in place of protecting them. People who attended the procession are now abandoning their houses and their lives are at stake," he added. He further requested the deployment of central armed police forces in the state. "I strongly demand the intervention of the West Bengal Governor and Home Minister and deployment of central armed police forces," he said. BJP MLA also said that he was also attacked by a group on Sunday in Rishra, Hooghly. He took to Twitter and said," Today I was attacked by Jihadi Group in Rishra, Hooghly. I sincerely request the Governor of West Bengal & Central Home Minister to act immediately, in order to control the deteriorating Law and Order condition of Rishra, Hooghly." In this regard, West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar also on Sunday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah over violence in the state during Ram Navami celebrations. "In continuation to my earlier letter dated March 31 regarding the communal attack on the processions of Ram Navami in Howrah and Dalkhola, it is further informed that the attack has not yet been stopped and is occurring in different parts of West Bengal," Majumdar wrote in his letter to Shah. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday gave necessary guidelines while reviewing the management of stray and destitute cattle shelters and the current status of milk production/collection in the state in a high-level meeting. As per an official statement, the state government is making continuous efforts for animal welfare and protection. Many schemes are being run by the government for the encouragement of all cattle rearers. It should be ensured that the eligible people get the benefits. "Respecting public sentiments, necessary arrangements have been made by the state government for the protection of the destitute/stray cattle and for their fodder straw. At present, more than 11.33 lakh cattle are protected in 6719 destitute cattle protection sites. Under the special campaign conducted from January 20 to March 31, 1.23 lakh cattle were protected. It should be ensured that stray cattle are taken care of in all the rural and urban areas of the state," it read. CM Yogi said that most of the cattle have been protected in Sambhal, Mathura, Mirzapur, Shahjahanpur, Santakbirnagar, Amroha, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Farrukhabad districts. Ongoing planned efforts for cow protection are yielding good results. Similarly, better management of destitute cattle should be done in all the districts in a phased manner. "The funds made available to all destitute cattle sites for fodder husk and other necessary works should be made available directly to the cow-shelter sites. DBT must be utilised. While verifying the cattle from the 25th to the 30th of every month, the report will be sent to the district administration by the Animal Husbandry Officer and ADO Panchayat/BDO at the development block level. After this, the report will be sent to the government by the Chief Animal Husbandry Officer and Chief Development Officer by the 5th of the next month." He said that it should be ensured that the amount which is meant for the cattle, is put to good use. Not only dry straw but green fodder should also be given to the cattle. Take the cooperation of the local people. The purchase of bran/husk should be paid as soon as the money is received. "Large conservation centres are being set up in the state for the protection of cattle. So far, 274 large cow protection centres have become functional. In the next six months, the remaining 75 large cattle breeding sites should be prepared. This will provide great convenience to the common man," said Yogi. He said that Caretakers should be posted at the cow protection sites. Cows should also be taken for a walk from time to time. In case of illness/death of cattle, the caretaker will ensure all necessary arrangements. "The Mukhyamantri Sahabhagita Yojana, run to protect cows, has yielded promising results. So far, more than 1.77 lakh cattle have been handed over to the common people under this scheme. And for the availability of milk to families with malnourished children, 3,598 cows have been given under the Nutrition Mission. An amount of Rs 900 per month should be made available every month to all the families serving the cattle. There should be no delay in this. Funds should be sent directly to the family through DBT. Sub-Divisional Officer should be nominated at the local level for cattle verification," he said. "In 50 per cent of the total wood used at the funeral site/cremation ground, upla / goitha (cow dung cakes) should also be utilised. The cow dung cakes will be made available from the destitute cow shelters and the income generated will be used in the management of that cow shelter," said Yogi. Availability of 'Cattle Catcher' vehicles should be ensured at all 17 Municipal Corporations and District Headquarters Municipalities. The state government is determined to provide quality milk and milk products to the general public at a reasonable price while ensuring remunerative prices for the milk producers associated with the state's cooperative milk societies. "Due to continuous coordinated efforts, milk committees in the state have done unprecedented work in milk production, collection, sale etc. This has increased the income of our livestock farmers. Organizations like Balinee Milk Producers have done exemplary work. Further expansion should be given to the formation of milk committees in all the districts. The role of women can be important in this," he said. The state government has decided to set up new dairy plants in Kanpur, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh and Prayagraj districts with the help of the private sector. Necessary action should be taken in this regard as per the decision of the Council of Ministers. "The E-commerce portal paragdairy.com is proving useful for the online sale of milk and milk products. Online milk and milk products are being sold through Parag Mitra in urban areas of the state and women's self-help groups in rural areas. So far 71,068 consumers, 89 women self-help groups and 215 Parag Mitras have been added through the e-commerce portal. Trade of about Rs 6 crore has been done through the e-commerce portal. Necessary efforts should be made to make it stronger," he said. As per an official release, Uttar Pradesh is the leading state in milk production. The Nand Baba Milk Mission scheme has been implemented to provide milk producers with the facility of selling their milk at a reasonable price in the villages by forming milk co-operative societies in the villages. It has got good results. More and more milk producers should be given its benefits. There is a need to increase the programs for cattle breed improvement. Large cow-shelter sites established on the development block can be useful for this work. "Wide publicity should be given to the toll-free helpline number for emergency assistance to cattle rearers. Any animal husbandry can get a consultation from the doctor here anytime. Farmers in rural areas should be given maximum information about this service so that people can take advantage of this service," he said. CM Yogi said that the subjects related to animal husbandry, milk production, sale, breed improvement etc. should be reviewed weekly by the concerned departmental minister. Set goals, and work towards achieving them. (ANI)
Banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent (ULFA-I) has called the threat by Pro-Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of Sikh for Justice (SFJ) to Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma "unfortunate and misunderstood." Assam Police on Sunday tightened the security of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma after an audio clip purportedly of a pro-Khalistan leader threatening him surfaced. In the purported audio clip, the pro-Khalistani leader allegedly said, "This message is for Assam CM Himanta Sarma. Your government is harassing and torturing pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Assam. And also torturing those who are in jail. Listen carefully CM Sarma, the fight is between pro-Khalistan Sikhs and Indian regime...We are seeking liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation through a peaceful democratic process of Khalistan referendum. Sarma, if your government is going to torture and harass Sikhs, you will be held accountable." In the audio clip, the man claimed that he is Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of banned outfit SFJ. ULFA-I Chief Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom, in his open letter to Sikhs For Justice said, "United Liberation Front of Asom - Independent (ULFA-I) would like to address the leadership of the pro-independence Khalistan-backed Sikhs for Justice that the alarm you have sent to the Chief Minister of Assam by telephone seems unfortunate and misunderstood, we feel it." "There is no room for the brutal torture of the eight members of Khalistan and Waris Punjab De who were recently brought from distant Punjab and imprisoned in Dibrugarh jail and we have not seen any news that is contrary to the customs of the Tholgiri (indigenous) people of Assam," the letter stated. "We believe that the situation in Assam will remain similar to the environment of 1984. Therefore, the Tholgiri people of Assam know the history of the Sikhs, love the revolution and understand the essence of the freedom struggle," the letter further added. "ULFA-I has urged the leaders of 'Sikhs for Justice' to refrain from issuing such undesired remarks and remember the role of the political leaders and people of Assam in that terrible situation of the past," the letter noted. "We received an audio clip today in which a man posing as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun was threatening Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He alleged that the Sikh community in Assam is being harassed and treated unfairly. We have registered a case," Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh told ANI. "The audio clip seems to be of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun by preliminary estimation. This will be confirmed after the investigation report. Chief Minister's security arrangements have been further beefed up. Further investigation is on," added the DGP. Meanwhile, Assam Police alerted all Superintendents of Police of all districts and the Commissioner of Police, Guwahati. Notably, Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23 demanding the release of one of his close aides, Lovepreet Toofan. Earlier on Thursday, pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh surfaced in a new video and said he was not "a fugitive" and will soon "appear in front of the world". This new video came after the radical preacher, who is being chased by police released an unverified video calling on the "Sikh sangat" to come together if they want to "save" Punjab. (ANI)
Enforcement Directorate's (ED) fresh action in Chhattisgarh has stroke a 'war of words' in the political arena here as Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel called the raids a politically motivated move. At the same time, the BJP rejected the allegations and questioned the role of those arrested by the central agency in the politics of Congress. "BJP questioned two officials (who were arrested by ED) against whom the central agency conducted a probe under the most stringent law in the country. As nothing was found against them, the case has been given to the state for undertaking the probe," said CM Baghel, questioning that if they (ED) would have found anything concrete, the question of forwarding the case to the state would not arise. Baghel stated this while talking to the media at Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur on Monday.Following the letter received from the ED Director, the state government has launched a probe but what about the letters we have sent to the agency requesting to probe the chit fund and NAN (civil supplies corporation) scam, said Baghel.When would the ED, which is probing the NAN scam, reveal who is CM sir and CM madam and when they will conduct a probe against people indulged in chit fund scam, questioned the Chhattisgarh CM. "Congress and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel are repeatedly levelling allegations on ED that their actions are political. I wanted to ask them businessman Suryakant Tiwari, officer Saumya Chaurasia and IAS Sameer Vishnoi, who were arrested by ED in connection with an alleged coal levy scam, were holding which post in Congress," said IAS-turned-politician OP Choudhary, who is a BJP spokesperson. He said what relations these people have with the politics of Congress and if they don't have any connection with the ruling party then why is CM Baghel not taking action against them? The name of the officer was also not removed from the government website, Choudhary alleged.It may be recalled here that earlier, in the case, ED had arrested IAS Sameer Vishnoi, businessman Sunil Agarwal and Suryakant's uncle Laxmikant Tiwari on October 13. ED arrested Suryakant Tiwari on October 30 and on December 2 the federal agency arrested Saumya Chaurasia. On December 9, ED filed a prosecution complaint against Suryakant Tiwari, IAS Sameer Vishnoi, Laxmikant Tiwari, Sunil Agarwal and others before the PMLA Special Court, Raipur. The money laundering investigation was launched after the ED took cognisance of an Income Tax department complaint. The financial crimes probe agency in October carried out multi-city raids in the state as part of its probe. The ED on March 29 had carried out searches against Congress leader and Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, his brother Anwar Dhebar, liquor businessman Baldev Singh Bhatia alias Pappu Bhatia and others. (ANI)
Highlighting the tourism potential of Darjeeling that hosted second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday said the Himalayan town is going to be "darling" as far as the world is concerned. Around 130 G20 delegates are in Darjeeling for the second meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group. On the sidelines of the meeting, West Bengal Governor hosted all G20 delegates to lunch at Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling on Monday. "We take this as an opportunity to present the best of India before the rest of the world. This is an attempt to hold infinity on the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. India has arrived..." Governor Bose told ANI. "Delegates have shared their experiences of India. They shared their experiences about Darjeeling. Darjeeling is going to be darling as far as the world is concerned," he added. In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the G20 Secretariat and the Government of West Bengal organised several cultural events for the delegates and invited countries at Mall Road in Darjeeling, where each delegate was overwhelmed by the way India hosted them for three days in Darjeeling. "I like the Dance and myself danced during the performance... India is full of colour and I like the weather of Darjeeling," Felix De Paz, Director General, Tourism, Spain told ANI. Indonesian Ambassador Ina Hagginyas Krishnamurthy said she relished the food during her three-day visit to Darjeeling. "I used to think that Indonesian food is very spicy, but Indian food is also very spicy and I loved it," she told ANI. Asked whether Darjeeling will attract tourists from across the world, Ambassador of Mexico said, "The head of UNESCO is from Mexico and I am going to tell him that Darjeeling is the best city. Himalayan train is recognised by UNESCO too." The Ambassador of Singapore Simon Wong Wie Kuen was also overwhelmed by India's hospitality and told ANI that, "I am going to ask our maximum tour operators to explore Darjeeling and I am sure more tourists from Singapore will visit this lovely place," Simon Wie kuen Wong told ANI. G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla, being a native of Darjeeling, took the opportunity to give a brief tour guide to all ambassadors and delegates to highlight the importance of Darjeeling during the three-day visit. (ANI)
Delhi's Saket court on Monday adjourned the hearing on arguments on charges against accused Aftab Poonawala in the Shraddha Walkar murder case in view of the lawyers' strike in lower courts. Aftab was produced physically. The next date for the hearing is April 6. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Manisha Khurana Kakkar after noting that the counsel for the accused sought adjourned in view of the lawyers' strike in the District court of Delhi. Lawyers remained absent from work in protest of the alleged murder of advocate Virender Narwal in the Dwarka area. On Shraddha Walkar murder case, the court took on record the copy of the judgement filed by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad and Madhukar Pandey and supplied copy to the defence counsel. The court granted liberty to the counsel of the accused to file a copy of any judgement, if he wished to file. SPP Amit Prasad submitted that there is a clear judgement that the charge under section 201 of IPC can be framed against the person who destroys the evidence to shield the main offender as well against the person who committed the main offence. The court also took note of the reply filed by the lockup incharge. He stated that the accused is being kept separate in the lockup and during transport to the court. On the last date, the counsel for accused Aftab had argued that the charges of murder and disappearance of evidence can't be framed together. These charges can be framed alternatively. Delhi police opposed the contention and sought time to place Judgements. Advocate Akshay Bhandari had argued that either I (Aftab) can be charged for murder or for disappearing the evidence. The accused can not be charged for murder and disappearance of evidence under sections 302 and 201 of IPC together, the counsel argued. It can be framed alternatively. He argued that the accused can be charged with the offence of murder under 302 IPC or he can be framed for the offence of shielding the main offender under section 201 IPC. Advocate Bhandari argued Mere saying that I (Aftab) am guilty of murder is not sufficient. They have statements of eyewitnesses only. The Prosecution has to show the manner in which the crime was committed. SPP Amit Prasad rebutted that the joint charges can be framed under section 201 for disappearing the evidence. He also submitted that the relied upon a chain of evidence, statement of witnesses, record of past events and circumstances, forensic evidence, manner of offence etc were submitted before the court. The counsel for accused Aftab Poonawala after speaking with him had submitted that the accused had been ill-treated by other jail inmates. He has a gums bleeding problem. The court had issued directions to the lock up incharge and jail superintendent for ensuring the safety and security of the accused. This matter is related to the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawala on May 18, 2022. Delhi police have concluded its arguements on the charge of murder and disappearance of evidence against the accused. (ANI)
Chennai Customs in a tweet said, "Based on Intel, one pax who arrived from Colombo by flight UL-121 on 30.03.2023 was intercepted by Customs. On search of his person, gold of 24K purity totally weighing 697 grams valued at Rs35.81 lakh was recovered/ seized under the Customs Act, 1962."

Last week, Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs department seized foreign currency valued at Rs 55.83 lakh at Chennai airport and nabbed two passengers carrying the foreign currency, said the official Twitter handle of Chennai customs.

On the basis of profiling done by the officers of the Customs AIU batch, two passengers bound to Singapore by Flight SQ529 were intercepted. 0n examination of their baggage, foreign currency valued at 55.83 Lakh was found concealed in their baggage and the same was seized under the Customs Act, 1962. Further investigation is underway.

In another incident, a passenger coming from Abu Dhabi to Kochi airport by flight 6E 1404 was intercepted at the green channel.

During the examination of the said passenger, 4 capsules of gold in a compound form weighing 1063 grams in total concealed inside his body were recovered and seized. The accused has been identified as Muhammed, a native of Kunnamkulam in the Thrissur district, said a source from custom department. (ANI)
So far, much of the spotlight in the Outcome Health trial has focused on co-founders Rishi Shah and Shradha Agarwal, who were once stars of Chicagos tech community.

But on Monday, an attorney for the third defendant in the case, Brad Purdy, got his shot at defending Purdy in closing arguments. Purdy was formerly Outcomes chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

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The trial is in its 10th week, and Monday was the fourth day of closing arguments, after attorneys for the government, Shah and Agarwal took their turns.

Government prosecutors allege that when Shah, Agarwal and Purdy were at Outcome, they lied about how many doctors offices had Outcome screens and tablets that could run drug company ads. Prosecutors allege the three then used those false numbers to overcharge drug companies for advertising and inflate revenue figures used to get cash from lenders and investors, in what became a $1 billion fraud scheme.

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Purdy, Shah and Agarwal now face charges of bank, mail and wire fraud. Shah also stands accused of money laundering, and Purdy of making false statements to a financial institution. All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Like other defense attorneys in the case, attorney Theodore Poulos argued that a fourth Outcome executive, Ashik Desai, was to blame for the fraud, not Purdy. Poulos said Desai lied to Purdy about falsifying return-on-investment reports because Brad wasnt in it with him, and lied about an alleged phone call between him and Purdy that Poulos said never happened. Theres no phone record to corroborate Desais assertion, he said.

Desai has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Desai struck a plea deal with prosecutors that they would recommend no more than 10 years in prison if he cooperated with them and testified truthfully.

He was facing many, many years for what he had done, and there was only one way out, Poulos said of Desai. He fed (government prosecutors) certain critical lies about the people upstairs because he knew thats what they wanted to hear.

Poulos noted that the case involving the three defendants is complex, with about 1,500 exhibits in the forms of emails, voice messages and other documents and communications.

During prosecutors closing arguments, they highlighted several communications involving Purdy, including one in which Desai told him about heavily inflated metrics related to ads running on tablets and another in which an analyst told him that certain tablet metrics were not real.

But Poulos told the jury to pay attention to the many communications on which Purdy was not included.

There are so many communications in these 1,500 that Brads not on, Poulos said. There was so much he didnt know.

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Poulos also cautioned jurors not to assume that Purdy was in on the fraud because he was the chief operating officer and chief financial officer. He repeatedly emphasized Purdys youth at the time and lack of any accounting background.

I think youve seen and heard from evidence in this case that those titles did not accurately capture or convey what those titles might mean in a more mature or established company, Poulos said. It was just a title.

Poulos also argued that Outcome often sold drug companies contracts on a weighted average basis, meaning they expected that the number of screens on which ads would run would average out over time.

If its weighted average  theres no reason to think hearing about an under delivery at some point in time is the red flag, oh my God, were committing fraud, Poulos said.

Poulos is expected to continue with his closing arguments Tuesday. The jury might begin deliberations later this week.
"We are hoping that PM Modi holds between 15-20 rallies in Karnataka ahead of May 10 polling," a senior BJP leader told ANI.

The BJP, which is ruling Karnataka and is hoping to return to power, will be pitching for growth under the "double-engine government".

PM Modi would likely visit the state this weekend, his first visit since the announcement of assembly election dates and eighth visit to the state this year. He will visit in Mysuru.

A Karnataka BJP MP said that the party has strong organisational base in the state.

"The biggest factor that stands out for us is the commitment of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre which has ensured that peace and development goes hand in hand in the state," the MP said.

In the run up to the state polls, BJP appointed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its election incharge. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and TN BJP chief Annamalai are co-incharges.

Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai is heading the party's campaign committee. The election management committee is headed by union minister Shobha Karandlaje.

The counting of votes for the assembly polls will take place on May 13. (ANI)
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea for a pan India enquiry into an alleged financial fraud in the working of the Kisan Credit Card system for farmers with the connivance of bank officials. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Aravind Kumar granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the Reserve Bank of India with his grievances. The bench said that it is open to the petitioner to make a representation with the concerned Ministry by giving details in respect of what he claims to be financial fraud in the working of the Kisan Credit Card System. "It is not possible under Article 32 of the Constitution of India to hold some kind of an enquiry on the general allegations made by the petitioner and the petitioner should know better before proceeding with the matter as he is a man well versed with the law being a qualified lawyer," the apex court stated in its order. The order of the apex court came on a plea filed by advocate Chandra Shekhar Mani alleging that the Centre has failed to protect the rights of the farmers as financial frauds have been committed in the Kisan Credit Card system by bank officials with the connivance of scammers. The lawyer further stated that there are several FIRs in different regions of the country against such corrupt practices by bank officials of different branches and prayers for a Pan India enquiry about the illegal disbursement under this head. The apex court, which appointed senior advocate Jayant Mehta as amicus curiae in the case to assist it, was informed by him that except for two incidents of fraud, others are general allegations about the working of the Kisan Credit Card system. "We are informed by amicus curiae that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would be the regulator to whom such a representation should be made. We are sure that RBI will process it in accordance with the law," the order of the top court added while dismissing the plea. (ANI)
Directorate of Enforcement has provisionally attached two immovable properties of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd worth Rs 31.50 crore under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a case relating to irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra Chawl Project at Goregaon. The attached assets are in form of lands held by Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Sarang Kumar Wadhawan directors of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd at Goa. According to ED, the total proceeds of crime generated by Directors of Guru Ashish Constructions Pvt Ltd through illegal activities was approx. Rs 1039.79 crore. ED has initiated an investigation under provisions of PMLA, 2002 on the basis of FIR registered by EOW, Mumbai against Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, Rakesh Kumar Wadhwan, Sarang Kumar Wadhwan and others on basis of a complaint filed by Executive Engineer, of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. Patra Chawl, in the Siddarth Nagar area of Goregaon, a western suburb of Mumbai, went for redevelopment in 2008. It had over 670 tenants, and the housing units were spread across 47 acres. Patra Chawl was originally a barrack constructed by the British during the Second World War and was used as a military camp. In 2008, MHADA took up the redevelopment project and appointed Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited (GACPL), a sister concern of the real estate company Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), to rehabilitate over 670 tenants and redevelop the locality. ED further said that an investigation under PMLA revealed that Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd was entrusted with the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl Project for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants. During the relevant time, Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, Sarang Wadhwan and others were the Directors of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. A tripartite agreement was signed between society, MHADA and Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. According to the agreement, the developer was to provide the flats to 672 tenants and develop flats for MHADA and thereafter remaining area to be sold by the developer. The directors of Guru Ashish Constructions misled MHADA and sold the FSI to 9 developers and collected net amount of approx. Rs 901.79 crore without constructing the rehab portion for 672 displaced tenants and the MHADA portion. Further Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd also launched one project, ' Meadows', and collected the booking of around Rs 138 crore from flat buyers. During the further course of the investigation, it was revealed that Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan diverted these through bank accounts of HDIL and/or its group companies viz GACPL, Sapphire Land Development Pvt Ltd, Satyam Realtors etc which finally reached the personal bank accounts of Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhwan after multiple layering. During the period 2011-2016, proof of concept of Rs 38.5 Crore from the account of Rakesh Wadhawan was utilized for pre-payments of the instalments against an availed loan of Rs 28.5 crore from India Bulls Housing Finance Ltd. The loan was availed at a floating interest of 18.5 per cent for acquiring 2 plots of the area of 1250 square meters and 15300 square meters in North Goa worth Rs 31.50 Crore during 2011. A payment of Rs 2 crore was also made to the seller of the plots from the personal account of Sarang Wadhwan. Further investigation is under progress. (ANI)
In a written reply to a question asked by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Poonam Mahajan and Congress MP Ramya Haridas, the Centre has said that it has no plans right now to set up fast track courts for undertrials. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju replied, "The setting up of subordinate courts and its functioning including Fast Track Courts (FTCs) lies within the domain of State Governments which they set up as per their need and resources in consultation with respective High Courts. Presently, there is no proposal to set up fast track courts for undertrials." In another question asked by several MPs on the number of Undertrial Review Committees (UTRCs) set up in the country and if they have been able to reduce the number of undertrial prisoners and reduce the time spent by them in prisons in the country, Rijiju said, "During the year 2021 and 2022, a total of 17,020 and 35,480 inmates /Undertrial Prisoners (UTPs) were released pursuant to recommendations of the UTRCs. The UTRCs review a total of 14 categories of cases of prisoners for recommending release." The centre informed that at present a total of 677 UTRCs were functional across the country." The minister has also said in his reply, "Campaign namely "Release_UTRC@75" for release of prisoners by the UTRC to commemorate the 75thIndependence Day in India, was conducted from 16th July 2022 to 13th August 2022." During the recent interaction between CJI DY Chandrachud and MPs from the standing committee for Law and Justice, a key point of discussion was ways to lessen the burden of undertrials, who have been languishing in jail for a long time, even without being able to get justice from a court of law. As per the records, the number of under trials, cutting across jails in the country comprise 75 per cent of the total number of persons jailed. (ANI)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politburo member, Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, on Monday challenged the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and "dared" him to declare candidates for all 175 Assembly segments. "Is the YSRCP president and Chief Minister, Jagan Mohan Reddy, dare enough to declare candidates for all the 175 Assembly segments in the State," asked the TDP politburo member while talking to media on Monday. Bonda Umamaheswara Rao expressed confidence that whenever elections are held for the Assembly the TDP will sweep the polls. "The situation for the YSRCP has come to such a pass that majority of the sitting MLAs are not willing to contest on the party ticket and the YSRCP has to search for suitable candidates," Bonda Uma said. "This apart, the recent survey conducted by the IPAC revealed certain shocking facts that the ink people are no longer reposing faith in the YSRCP and Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy," he stated. "Particularly after this IPAC report, the sitting MLAs are not coming forward to recontest the elections. All this is because of the inefficient administration and large scale corruption of Jagan," Bonda Uma added. "While Jagan himself has announced that he is not going to give party tickets to at least 40 sitting MLAs, some have announced that they will not be in the race at all," he pointed out. Stating that Perni Nani, Dharmana Prasada Rao and Chevireddy Bhasker Reddy are among those who are not ready to contest the elections again on the YSRCP symbol, he said, "I am now asking the Chief Minister whether he can announce the names of the candidates of his party for all the 175 Assembly segments." "Also, Perni Nani should tell the people of the State as to how many problems Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy has solved though he made more than 20 visits to New Delhi in the past four years," he added. "The people have totally lost faith in this Government and the IPAC report itself revealed that the party will confine itself to a single digit in the coming elections," he remarked. Questioning the Chief Minister's promises made to the voters, the TDP politburo said, "Jagan has minted lakhs of crores by selling poor quality liquor that claimed thousands of lives. The TDP is already prepared to defeat the YSRCP whenever the elections are held." (ANI)
Hari Padman, the dance professor at Chennai's Kalakshetra's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts who was arrested on Monday in an alleged sexual harassment case, was produced to Saidapet Court. He was questioned by Police Officials at MGR Nagar Police Station since morning. Before being produced in court, he was taken from MGR Nagar PS to Saidapet Government Hospital for a medical examination. Later he would be produced before Saidapet Court. Hari Padman, the dance professor was booked by the Adyar police on March 31 after a former student filed a complaint against him. "Chennai Police arrested Kalakshestra Professor Hari Padman following the complaint of sexual harassment from a former student. He was booked by Chennai Police on Friday," said police officials. According to Chennai police officials, Padaman was booked under various sections of the IPC sections including sexual harassment and relevant sections of the Women Harassment Act. The case has been registered under sections 354 (A), 509, 4 of the Woman Harassment Act, the police said. The action came days after students of Kalakshetra Foundation's institute accused him of sexual harassment. Following the action, the Kalakshetra students' union which had been protesting over the delay in action against the professor and others, stopped their protest. Kalakshetra students on Friday evening released a video saying that they have withdrawn their protest and also thanked the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson, media, law and order and other official bodies. Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts will remain closed till April 6 due to students' protest here demanding action against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed the students. The Students Union of the institute had written to the Union's Culture Ministry demanding action against the Director and the Head of the Dance department of the institution. Earlier on March 31, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said in the State Assembly that legal action will be taken against those found guilty if the allegations are confirmed. The chief minister was responding to a special attention-grabbing resolution in the Legislative Assembly regarding the sexual harassment allegation at the Kalasetra Foundation. The resolution was put forth by opposition MLAs - Balaji of VCK, Velmurugan of VUK, Selva Perundagai of Congress and others. "Government conducting a proper investigation into this matter and if the charges are confirmed, legal action will be taken against whoever is at fault. It will be taken compulsorily," Stalin told the Assembly. "All measures are taken to ensure the safety of women protesters. Tamil Nadu police did not receive any official written complaint from the Kalakshetra student union," said Stalin.Earlier on March 30, the Kalakshetra Educational Institute was shut after a protest by students over the lack of action against the professor. (ANI)
The Indian Army on Monday organised the third General Sundarji Memorial Lecture at Manekshaw Centre to commemorate the memory of one of India's foremost military thinkers. The event was organised under the aegis of Mechanised Infantry Centre and School (MIC&S) and Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). It was attended by serving and retired officers of the three Services as well as literati and various think tanks. The lecture remembered the dynamic and visionary General K Sundarji, the 13th Chief of the Army Staff, who is also fondly called as the 'Father of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment'. In his keynote address, Lieutenant General Suchindra Kumar, Vice Chief of the Army Staff said that the Nation has upheld its global image as an emerging leader by taking responsible roles at various occasions especially during pandemic; and the Indian Army stands fully committed and prepared to fulfil the Nation's expectations wherever possible. The speakers for the event were India's former Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Shyam Saran and Lieutenant General Raj Shuka (retired) member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and former Army Commander; who spoke on "India's Role in Shaping the Emerging World Order" and "Addressing National Security Challenges" respectively. The informative talks were followed by a question and answer session, wherein the audience interacted with the speakers on both the contemporary topics. (ANI)
The magistrate on Monday sent Hari Padman, the dance professor at Chennai's Kalakshetra's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts to judicial custody till April 13 in an alleged sexual harassment case. Magistrate Subramanian ordered judicial custody for 11 days to the Kalakshestra Professor. According to police sources, "Four witnesses have come forward and given evidence against the Assistant professor Hari Padman who is accused of sexual harassment in Rukmani Devi College of Fine Arts of Kalakshetra Foundation." Hari Padman would be kept in Puzhal Central Jail, the sources said. Hari Padman, who was arrested on Monday in an alleged sexual harassment case, was produced in Saidapet Court. He was questioned by police officials at MGR Nagar Police Station since morning. Before being produced in court, he was taken from MGR Nagar PS to Saidapet Government Hospital for a medical examination. Hari Padman, the dance professor was booked by the Adyar police on March 31 after a former student filed a complaint against him. "Chennai Police arrested Kalakshestra Professor Hari Padman following the complaint of sexual harassment from a former student. He was booked by Chennai Police on Friday," said police officials. According to Chennai police officials, Padman was booked under various sections of the IPC sections including sexual harassment and relevant sections of the Women Harassment Act. The case has been registered under sections 354 (A), 509, 4 of the Woman Harassment Act, the police said. The action came days after students of Kalakshetra Foundation's institute accused him of sexual harassment. Following the action, the Kalakshetra students' union which had been protesting over the delay in action against the professor and others, stopped their protest. Kalakshetra students on Friday evening released a video saying that they have withdrawn their protest and also thanked the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson, media, law and order and other official bodies. Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts will remain closed till April 6 due to students' protest here demanding action against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed the students. The Students Union of the institute had written to the Union's Culture Ministry demanding action against the Director and the Head of the Dance department of the institution. (ANI)
According to officials of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, the fire broke out in a room of the Central Clinical Laboratory on the first floor of the old building of the government-run hospital.

The GMCH authorities immediately informed the fire service about the incident and four fire tenders were engaged to douse the flame.

Later, the firefighters brought the situation under control.

The fire triggered panic among the patients and attendants at the hospital.

GMCH Superintendent Abhijit Sarma said, "there is no casualty in the fire incident and all patient's nearby rooms have been evacuated immediately."

"We have doubted that an electric short circuit is the cause of the fire. The fire broke out in a laboratory room and a few types of equipment, and one fridge were damaged. We will conduct an inquiry on it," Dr Abhijit Sarma added.

On the other hand, fire services officer S H Sikdar said that, after receiving the information they rushed to the spot and doused the flame. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sent a special message to the Ambanis on the launch of the cultural hub Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai. "It is heartening to learn about the opening of the NMACC in Mumbai. Heartiest congratulations and greetings to everyone associated with the Cultural Centre on the occasion," the PM said in the message. Lauding Nita Ambani, the PM said that this endeavour will go a long way in making our art and culture accessible to a larger section of society and at the same time also encourage a vibrant socio-cultural interaction between different parts of the country and the world "It is indeed commendable that Smt. Nita Ambani Ji is leading this endeavour of the Ambani family with the aim of popularising our arts and culture. This showcases the unique Indian phenomenon of staying rooted to one's roots while also being committed to progress," PM Modi further said. Modi also wished the best for the opening of NMACC. "May this cultural centre showcase to the nation and the world the pride of place art and culture have in our society. May the centre help in bringing together artists and art lovers from different parts of the country and the world," he wrote. Modi also said that he was positive that this Cultural Centre will provide a platform to budding artists and performers to showcase their talent, which in turn encourages more people to take up art professionally. "India is a vibrant, flourishing culture that has thrived for thousands of years. Our ancestors entrusted us with a rich treasure - be it language or literature, values or festivals, art or architecture, culture or cuisine," he said. The letter further said that today, in every domain, the world is looking towards India to provide holistic solutions and leadership in many different domains, from nature to culture, from health to environment. At such a time, naturally, Indian culture and its various manifestations, such as music, dance, cinema and art are being welcomed worldwide and receiving unprecedented affection. "To impart greater momentum to this development, institutions that showcase and popularise our culture are crucial. I am positive that the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre will play an important role in this noble endeavour. The nation's Amrit Kaal is an opportunity to draw inspiration from our resplendent heritage and build an inclusive, strong and self-reliant India which celebrates its culture," he said adding, "May this Cultural Centre showcase to the nation and the world the pride of place art and culture have in our society." (ANI)
Ma Ying-jeou visits Hunan University

Xinhua) 09:13, April 03, 2023

Ma Ying-jeou (center L) speaks during a discussion between a group of students from Taiwan led by him and faculty members and students of Hunan University at the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha, a data computing institute located in Hunan University, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, April 2, 2023. Ma Ying-jeou led a group of Taiwan students to Hunan University on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

CHANGSHA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, led a group of Taiwan students to Hunan University on Sunday morning.

Ma and other guests visited the thousand-year-old Yuelu Academy on the campus, a prestigious ancient academy that was founded in 976 and became part of Hunan University.

They then reviewed the history of the Chinese people fighting the Japanese aggression at a former site where a ceremony to accept Japanese invaders' surrender in parts of the Hunan Province was held in 1945.

At the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha, a data computing institute located in the university, about 60 students across the Taiwan Strait communicated with each other, having heated discussions about carrying forward the Chinese culture and other topics, including employment and starting businesses.

The people in Taiwan and on the mainland share the same culture and ethnic identity, Ma said, noting that it is vitally important that both sides of the Strait adhere to the one-China principle.

"It is hoped that based on this precondition, efforts will be made to reduce estrangement and hold sincere exchanges across the Strait," Ma said.

Ma Ying-jeou (7th L, front row), leading a group of students from Taiwan, poses for a photo with faculty members and students of Hunan University at the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha, a data computing institute located in Hunan University, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, April 2, 2023. Ma Ying-jeou led a group of Taiwan students to Hunan University on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Only 48% of U.S. workers say they use all their vacation days, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Spring break is here, and summer vacations are just around the bend. But while increasingly stressed-out U.S. workers say having paid time off is critical, many still dont even take all that theyre allowed.

Only 48% of U.S. workers say they use all their vacation days, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center. Those who dont take all their time off say its because they dont need it, or they worry about falling behind at work or feel badly about co-workers carrying their load. A few even think vacation time hurts their chances for promotions or could cost them their job.

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There is growing anxiety in the labor force with layoffs spreading, hiring slowing and organizations cutting perks and other costs. Last week, the job site Indeed said it was reducing headcount because its simply too big for what lies ahead  an excuse used by many companies to justify recent cutbacks. Its no wonder that workers are exhausted.

Throughout the pandemic, we saw a surge of people leaving their jobs because of burnout and stress, said Christy Pruitt-Haynes, global head of talent and performance at NeuroLeadership Institute, a workplace consultant. We have also seen a steady decline in employee engagement. In other words, she said, Vacation time is more important than ever.

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The rise of remote work has also contributed to people taking less time off, according to Paaras Parker, chief human resources officer at Paycor, which makes software to help manage workforces. Doctor appointments, for example, can now be done virtually or by popping out quickly from a home office, instead of using up an entire vacation day.

Still, Pruitt-Haynes said the biggest thing that keeps most Americans from taking an extended break is simply fear.

U.S. employees have been conditioned to believe if you arent at work, you are lazy or at risk of being replaced, she said. We also have been taught that to get more you have to work more, and since we all want more, we tend to prioritize active work over other things in our life.

Private-sector employees in the U.S. get an average of 15 vacation days after theyve been working for five years, rising to 20 days after two decades on the job, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Separate research has shown that Europeans, who typically get more vacation days than Americans, feel less guilty about taking them.

About 80% of all private-sector employees in the U.S. get paid vacation, according to government data. In the Pew survey, which included more than 5,900 U.S. workers, more people said paid time off was extremely important to them than those who said the same about employer-sponsored health insurance, retirement programs, or paid family or medical leave.

But even unlimited PTO may not ultimately lead to more vacation days, Pruitt-Haynes said. A more effective policy would be to institute a minimum number of days that employees are required to take off, she said.

When a company actively demonstrates that they are interested in prioritizing true self care for their team members, which is about boundaries not just bubble baths, then employees quickly recognize that, she said.
A total of 248 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours with active cases standing at 3,532 in the state.

One person died due to Covid-19 infection in Maharashtra on Monday, informed the state health department. On Sunday the state reported 562 new cases of COVID-19.

The recovery rate in the state is currently standing at 98.13 per cent. A total of 79,93,613 patients have recovered out of which 203 patients were discharged on Monday.

The State Health officials also informed that RT-PCR tests are regularly being done at the airport.

The Screening of international passengers arriving at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur airports has been started from December 24, 2022.

All passengers are being thermally scanned and at least 2 per cent of random samples are taken for Covid testing.

Out of 8,66,46,434 laboratory samples, 81,45,590 have tested positive for Covid-19 till Monday.

Earlier a total of 562 new cases were recorded and three deaths were confirmed for Covid-19 infection in Maharashtra on Sunday.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued revised guidelines for Covid-19 in the wake of the surge of cases in the past week across the country.

"Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of COVID-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," revised guidelines said.

"Seek immediate medical attention if difficulty breathing, high-grade fever/ severe cough, particularly if lasting for more than 5 days. A low threshold is to be kept for those with any of the high-risk features," guidelines discussed and prepared in January said. (ANI)
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday took a swipe at the present state government terming it a 'non-performing' government. Referring to the state government presenting a tax-free state budget for the 2023-24 financial year with an outlay of Rs1,83,950 crore, an increase of 11.6 per cent in comparison to the previous year, he said that it is a "show-off budget". "It was a useless and a show-off budget, there is nothing useful in it, it is a jobless budget," he said while addressing the media on Monday. He further said that the Khattar government takes the loan to repay the loan "It follows one policy. Take a loan, drink ghee and no one asks after death. It's a non-performing government. Only takes the loan to repay the loan," he added. On the compensation of the farmers of Haryana, Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that the Haryana government should give compensation of Rs 25000 per acre to the farmers, that too within 15 days. Responding to Rahul Gandhi getting bail, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that they (Congress) will definitely get success in this legal battle. "It is a legal process. There were many shortcomings in the hearing regarding Rahul Gandhi, with which we did not agree. We will definitely get success in this legal battle," Hooda said. A sessions court in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he filed an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 2019 "Modi surname" remark in which he has been sentenced to two years in jail. Rahul Gandhi reached Surat where he filed an appeal seeking a stay on his conviction by a Surat magistrate court for the defamation case. (ANI)
Following the leak of the class 10 Telugu question paper of the School of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination, leaders and cadre of the National Students Union of India staged a protest at the SSC board in Hyderabad against the state government. The NSUI activists demand a detailed probe into the matter. Amid the protest held by NSIU leaders, Telangana Police arrested two teachers on this issue. This comes after a paper leak case was reported in the state, where the class 10 Telugu question paper of the School of Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination was allegedly leaked on Whatsapp, said the officials. Informing about the paper leak incident, Thandur, Mandal Educational Officer Shekar Goud said, "Today first question paper of the class 10 Telugu SSC examination got leaked and went on doing rounds in Whatsapp before the examination began." According to officials, a teacher who was an invigilator at the exam centre had allegedly shared a photo of the SSC Telugu paper with his colleague who further shared it. The police said, "Today the Telugu SSC exam was being conducted. This exam paper is of 80 marks. In the exam centre at Tandur, an invigilator after the commencement of the examination, sent a photo of the question paper to his colleague who is also a teacher." "The exam starts at 9:30 AM and the incident took place at 9:37 AM. The teacher who received the question paper sent the paper to the local media by mistake. At 11:30 AM, we have seen that this paper is circulated in the media and we registered a complaint," added the police. The accused have been identified as Banjappa and Sammappa, informed the police. "Both teachers are in our custody. The case is registered under 409 Indian Penal Code and Telangana Public examination prevention of malpractice act," says Vikarabad SP Koti Reddy.(ANI)
He said this while inaugurating an exhibition names, 'Drug Usage in youth' as part of 'Ente Keralam- Mega Exhibition' organised by the State Government.

He further said that "students, including girls, are the targets of such mafias. It is the responsibility of every individual not only the Police and Excise Departments to fight against the drug mafia and save society. For that, children should be educated against drugs at an early age."

The seminar was jointly organised by the State Police and the Excise Department.

The Mega Exhibition was organised by the State Government as part of the two-year celebrations of the LDF Government.

K Sethuraman, who took charge as Kochi City Police Commissioner on January 1st 2023, asserted earlier while joining that, "our priority is to ensure that no child from now on becomes an addict to drugs. That is our goal. We will work to ensure that." (ANI)
Nagaland's capital Kohima will host B20 Conferences in the North East Region under India's G20 Presidency from April 4-6. The conferences will be organised in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of External Affairs and North Eastern State governments for exploring partnerships among business communities. According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the conferences would aid the development of critical sectors of the economy in the North East and would facilitate economic growth. The B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum representing the global business community. It is among the most prominent engagement groups in G20, with companies and business organizations as participants. The Northeast region of India has been of significant focus for B20 India initiatives, with four conferences planned across the region to showcase the vast potential and opportunities within the region. The first three conferences held in Imphal, Aizawl, and Gangtok have been successful in their objective of highlighting the untapped potential of the Northeast, said the Commerce and Industry Ministry statement. Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in Agriculture and Food Processing, Tourism, and Information Technology will be the main theme of the forthcoming conference, which will take place in Kohima, Nagaland, from April 4-6, 2023. On this theme, addresses and plenary sessions will be held at the conference, along with business to business (B2B) and business to government (B2G) meetings. The state administration will bring attention to the major developments and activities in these fields while highlighting investment opportunities. After the delegates arrive on the initial day of the three-day conference, dinner and a cultural program will take place at the Capital Cultural Hall. The B20 conference will be held on day two, followed by B2B and B2G meetings. The State government has also organised excursions and site visits. This includes a tour of the mini-Hornbill festival, an excursion to a WWII museum and a visit to a Heritage Village, Kisama Village. The third day will bring the event to a close with a trip to the Kohima War Cemetery and the departure of the participants from Kohima. (ANI)
The accused in the case filed a petition in the Bombay High Court and calls the arrest illegal.

On April 1, a special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act rejected their bail plea.

In their petition filed in the HC through advocate Manan Sanghai, the Jaisinghanis claimed that their arrest was "illegal".

"Police had violated section 41 (arrest without warrant) and 41A (notice of appearance issued by investigating officer) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while arresting, and hence, the sessions court's remand order should also be quashed," the plea said.

Anil and Nirmal were arrested in Godhra on March 19.

Based on a complaint by Amruta Fadnavis, the Malabar Hill police on February 20 booked Anil and his daughter Aniksha for allegedly trying to bribe and blackmail the complainant after threatening to make public some audio and video clips that would make it appear that the latter was accepting favours from Aniksha. (ANI)
Taking note of violence at large scale that took place in different parts of the country during Ram Navami festival, Hindu Front for Justice Trust moved an application in Supreme Court seeking to direct the concerned State governments to determine the loss incurred by the persons who sustained injuries and lost their valuables in the attacks committed by miscreants in observing Ram Navami. The plea was moved by Hindu front for Justice Trust through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain. The application was filed in the ongoing petition dealing with hate speech. The applicant mentioned about the large scale violence that took place in different parts of the country, namely, at Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur (West Bengal), Sasaram and Nalanda (Bihar), Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Vadodara (Gujarat) and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand). "The Muslim mob attacked, committed arsons, damaged the vehicles, pelted stones, assaulted Hindu devotees taking out the religious processions ie Shobha Yatra of Lord Ram," the applicant said and cited various hate crimes were committed on Ram Navami Day ie March 30. The applicant mentioned the speech of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and submitted, "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had warned the members of Hindu community for taking out any procession from Muslim denominated areas as some area of the State has been earmarked only for Muslims and nobody can enter there." The applicant submitted that it is constitutionally permissible for Hindus to take out religious procession maintaining law and order situation through public road, irrespective of the fact as to which community resides in that area. The warning given by Chief Minister shows her partisan attitude in favour of Muslim Community, the applicant said. Therefore, Hindu front for Justice Trust, sought to direct the the concerned State governments to recover the loss caused to the persons committed in connection with Ram Navami festival from miscreants after due verification, the plea said. Hindu front for Justice Trust, in the application also sought to direct the State governments to take preventive measures so that in future the incident of attacks or disturbing the Shobha Yatra on Ram Navami festival and other festivals may not take place. The Trust also sought direction to the State governments to allow Hindu devotees to take out processions in peaceful manner from public road and such request be not rejected only on the ground that area in question is a Muslim dominated area. The applicant submitted that the members of the Muslim Community in order to create disharmony committed Hate Crimes by pelting stones at procession and also hiring hoodlums to attack the innocent devotees out of sheer hatred against Hindus. The applicant submitted that the respective State government have failed to maintain law and order position and to protect the people's right to worship and celebrate religious function in peaceful manner. It further sought to direct the State governments to provide full protection to the processions taken out on Ram Navami Day or other religious processions by Hindus. The applicant sought to direct the Chief Secretaries of the concerned State governments to submit report regarding the causes which led to mob attacks and violence committed on Shri Ram Shobha Yatra on March 30, 2023. The applicant also sought to direct the respective State governments to register FIR into the incidents occurred on March 30 and initiate criminal proceedings against the culprits. Hindu front for Justice Trust also sought to direct the State governments to comply with the guidelines issued in case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs Union of India to prevent hate crimes. (ANI)
Youth Congress in Chhattisgarh will launch a postcard campaign to register their protest against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the parliament. "Through this postcard campaign, we wanted to ask a few questions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi which includes how much funds Adani had given to BJP, financial assistance received by Adani through you (referring to PM Modi) and how Adani become the second richest person in 8 years," said the state's Youth Congress president Akash Sharma. Sharma informed this while addressing a press conference in Raipur on Monday. The campaign will be carried out in 90 constituencies and over one lakh postcards containing these three questions will be sent to the Prime Minister, said Sharma, adding that each postcard will carry the name, address and mobile number of the sender. Along with Youth Congress workers, the campaign will mark the active participation of MP, MLAs, presidents of District Congress Committees and others, added Sharma. Sharma further alleged that a qualified MP of the country has been disqualified from the parliament for raising questions related to Adani. Earlier on March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha after a Surat court sentenced him to two-year imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark. (ANI)
Rajya Sabha on Monday passed the Competition Amendment Bill, 2023 even as the opposition forced adjournments in the two Houses of Parliament over its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row. The Competition Amendment Bill, 2023 was passed amid din the Rajya Sabha. It was last week passed by Lok Sabha without debate amid sloganeering by opposition members. The two Houses have been seeing repeated adjournments since the start of the second half of the budget session. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm and then for the day. The Competition Amendment Bill, 2023 seeks to amend the Competition Act, 2002, to regulate mergers and acquisitions based on the value of transactions. The government has made several significant amendments. In view of making the assessment for combinations time-bound and quicker, the bill proposes that the overall time-limit for such assessment to be reduced from the existing 210 days to 150 days from the date of filing of combination notice by the parties. Further, prima facie opinion be framed on combination notifications within a time period of 30 days from the receipt of such notice, failing which the combination shall be considered as deemed approved; The bill introduces size of the transaction test in terms of 'value of transaction' as another criterion for notifying combinations. All deal values involving acquisitions, mergers and amalgamations exceeding Rs. 2000 crore having target enterprise in India shall be notified to the Commission for approval before their consummation. The bill proposes a Green Channel route for certain combinations which shall be eligible for deemed approval in a trust-based framework, upon the filing of a combination notice.De-minimis exemption for combinations below a certain threshold (measured in terms of asset or turnover) to be provided through rules has been proposed to be included in the Act itself. Currently, only factors namely, wholesale price index or fluctuations in the exchange rate of the rupee or foreign currencies, are considered relevant for the revision of combination thresholds. Other factors have been provided through official amendments to factor in situations like global competitive scenarios or revision of thresholds in other jurisdictions. Government after considering all these factors may also keep the thresholds at the same level. At present, the Government has the option only of either enhancing or reducing the thresholds by way of notification.The bill proposes changes in certain definitions like that of 'enterprise', 'relevant product market', 'Group' and 'Control'. The scope of anti-competitive agreements would be widened to include agreements other than vertical and horizontal agreements which are anti-competitive in nature. A party which participates or intends to participate in the furtherance of an anti-competitive horizontal agreement would be covered along with parties to such an agreement.The bill proposes a limitation period of three years for filing information before CCI to ensure that only genuine cases that adversely affect competition in the market are considered by the Commission.The bill provides for enhancing the scope of inter-regulatory consultations on matters raised before the authorities (CCI and other regulators), to bring more certainty for businesses.A leniency-plus framework is proposed to incentivize the parties in an ongoing cartel investigation to disclose information regarding other existing cartels. The existing provision for fine or imprisonment under the said Act by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) would be replaced with punishment for contempt, in accordance with the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, and word 'fine' to be replaced with 'penalty' in some other provisions of the Act which empower the Commission to impose penalties for various non-compliances. For greater transparency and participation of stakeholders in making sub-ordinate legislation, it has been proposed that CCI may issue regulations only after public consultation. Meanwhile, Congress continued its protests as part of its campaign against the government on the Adani issue, "to save democracy" and in support of party leader Rahul Gandhi who has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a Surat court. All India Fishermen's Congress held 'Parliament March' in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi.Fishermen's Congress chief Armstrong Fernando said they will hold "night marches" outside Raj Bhavans in solidarity with Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi on Monday moved a Surat sessions court against his conviction in the criminal defamation case over his Modi surname remarks at Kolar in Karnataka in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The court granted bail till the disposal of the appeal to Rahul Gandhi in the defamation case and said it will hear his plea for suspension of conviction on April 13. (ANI)
Calling the Enforcement Directorate (ED) a political competitor of opposition parties in the country and dubbing it as 'BJP ED Morcha' and 'BJP IT Morcha', Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, who faced ED action, on Monday alleged that the central agency is on 'Mission Lotus'. "The way ED is working here it seems like the agency is on Mission Lotus," alleged Congress leaders. The conference was jointly addressed by the Chairman of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Girish Dewangan, Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, chairman of Chhattisgarh State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Sushil Sunny Agrawal and businessman Achal Bhatia on Monday. "ED has conducted several raids across Chhattisgarh but the central agency did not reveal the properties they unearthed. Moreover, the agency did not make any revelation about the recovered cash. I want to tell ED to spot 'Operation Lotus' which they are undertaking at the behest of their political masters," alleged Dewangan. They are taking action against those who are close to the Congress party and the government, he alleged. "Although I am the chairman of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDM), neither anyone in the family is linked to the business of coal nor CMDM has any work related to coal. It is beyond my understanding why the raid was conducted at my address," said Dewangan. During Congress's plenary session important responsibilities were given to me and to destabilize the event, they conducted the raid at my address, alleged the CMDC chairman, adding that the raids were politically motivated. The central agency should make public the information related to recoveries made for my address, he said. BJP is worried and scared with the fact that Congress will again form the government in Chhattisgarh, therefore they are trying to intimidate us, alleged Dewangan. The sleuths of ED have ransacked the house of mine, as well as my brother, on the pretext of search, alleged Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, adding that the party will launch an extensive protest if the agency will continue such action. Meanwhile, Sunny Agrawal alleged that the central agency asked him to join BJP to evade such raids. Similarly, businessman Achal Bhatia alleged that when ED found nothing at his residence, the sleuths of the central agency started enquiring about the Chief Minister's son. It may be recalled that ED had recently conducted multiple raids in Chhattisgarh reportedly covering addresses linked to Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, Congress leader Ramgopal Agrawal, industrialist Kamal Sarda, IAS Anil Tuteja, businessman Baldev Singh Bhatia alias Pappu Bhatia and others. Reacting to the allegations of Congress leaders, former minister and BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already made it clear that he will neither eat nor let anyone eat. This is the reason why the central agencies are running a campaign against corruption with complete transparency. ED's raids covering the addresses of people belonging to the ruling party in Chhattisgarh are part of the same commitment. Earlier on March 28, ED reportedly carried out search operations at separate locations in Raipur at the office belonging to a Congress leader Ram Gopal Agarwal at Gore Parisar under Civil Lines police station and residence of industrialist Kamal Sarda at Shankar Nagar in mining and alleged coal levy scam. CRPF personnel remained present at both locations as the ED officials conducted raids. (ANI)
After months of anxiety for Americans and furious outbursts from Donald Trump, the former president is set to come to New York City on Monday following his historic indictment, the latest chapter in his shocking political career and turbulent relationship with his hometown.

After flying from his Mar-a-Lago, Fla., home, he will stay at Trump Tower on Fifth Ave. in Midtown ahead of the Tuesday afternoon arraignment on charges expected to stem from his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

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He plans to head straight back to Mar-a-Lago to give public remarks, he announced Sunday.

Former President Donald Trump arrives to board his airplane for a trip to a campaign rally in Waco, Texas, at West Palm Beach International Airport, March 25, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Evan Vucci/AP)

New York City has been on edge since the ex-president announced last month that he expected to be indicted, with local authorities receiving unfounded bomb threats and a pro-Trump woman arrested for flashing a knife at passersby outside Manhattan courts.

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Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been bombarded with racist emails and death threats, the Daily News reported.

To date, members of the media have far outnumbered pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators outside the Manhattan criminal courts, where Trump will turn himself in, though the authorities have been tightening security ahead of the big day.

As he expected the indictment last month, Trump warned of death and destruction if hes brought up on charges.

Cops are ready to mobilize to either the courts or Trump Tower, the NYPD said last week.

But so far, officers have not been told to come in on their day off to support cops preparing for the potential protests.

A team of Secret Service agents toured the courthouse Friday to plan the former presidents path to and from the site, the Washington Post reported. Dozens of agents are expected at the courthouse during Trumps arraignment.

Due to security concerns, Trump wont undergo a notorious perp walk for the arraignment, sources previously told The News.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Trump will deliver remarks Tuesday, April 4, in Florida after his scheduled arraignment in New York on charges related to hush money payments, his campaign announced Sunday. (Alex Brandon/AP)

Court officers at Manhattan Criminal Court are in a heightened state of readiness, as they have been for the past two weeks, New York State courts spokesman Lucian Chalfen said Friday.

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Trump faces nearly three dozen charges, according to the New York Times and CNN. Trump will find out whats in the sealed indictment along with the rest of the world when he appears in court on Tuesday.

He plans to plead not guilty on Tuesday.

All the Tuesday stuff is still very much up in the air, other than the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, not guilty, his lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNNs State of the Union on Sunday.

Hopefully, this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this, the attorney added.

Its not yet known if State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan will allow cameras for the first criminal arraignment of a former president in U.S. history.

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Local pols demanded audio and video access on Sunday.

The public has the right to witness this moment in history, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said at a press conference.

There is no time to waste in flinging open the doors of the courthouse behind us to the media, to New Yorkers and to Americans, the Manhattan Democrat added as he touted legislation that would mandate camera access at state courts.

While the extent of this weeks demos could not be known, at least one flame-throwing protester promised to descend upon the city.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said shed join the New York Young Republican Club at a Tuesday protest at Collect Pond Park, paces away from the Manhattan criminal courts.

The Georgia Republican promised to exercise our First Amendment right to protest the unprecedented political persecution of President Trump.

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With Molly Crane-Newman
With months left before the state goes to the polls, and ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, the BJP in Rajasthan is focusing on social engineering by appointing three leaders from the Brahmin, Rajput and Jaat communities in key posts. After appointing Chittorgarh MP C.P. Joshi as the Rajasthan BJP President, the party on Sunday named Rajendra Rathore as the Leader of Opposition, while Satish Poonia has been appointed as Rathore's deputy in the Assembly. While Joshi is a Brahmin, Rathore is a Rajput leader while Poonia hails from a Jaat background. If political experts are to be believed, all these appointments seem less organisational and more related to caste arithmetics of Rajasthan. In the last 10 days, the BJP has tried to bring its social engineering back on track in Rajasthan by making these three new appointments. The appointments also give many political signals. Brahmin, Vaishya and Kshatriya are the core voters of the BJP in Rajasthan. This is the reason why BJP's social engineering is now visible in this direction months before the elections. By making Joshi the state unit chief, BJP has tried to lure the Brahmin community, while naming Rathore as the Leader of Opposition is an attempt to win over the Rajput voters. Also, by appointing leaders from the state such as Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker and Gulab Chand Kataria as the Governor of Assam, the BJP has reached out to the Vaishyas. Senior BJP leaders and political experts told IANS that all these strategies are meant for the Assembly elections as well as for next year's Lok Sabha polls. Striking a balance between all the big leaders, BJP has appointed them to different key posts. As things stand now, only Vasundhara Raje is among the prominent leaders on whom the BJP's central leadership has not been able to take any decision yet. Experts believe that the Raje factor will play a significant role, both in the Assembly elections and next year's Lok Sabha polls. In such a situation, all eyes are set on what role she gets and where she is accommodated so that the party succeeds in its social engineering plan. Rajasthan BJP Secretary Laxmikant Bhardwaj told IANS, "We lost the elections by a thin difference of 0.5 per cent in 2018. This time, we have lured the Rajputs who had boycotted the polls last time over the Padmavat and Anandpal issues. Also, Brahmins were silent, while the Gujjar votes went to the Congress. However, this time we are catering to each class and hence it's for sure that we will win the polls with record seats." --IANS arc/arm ( 457 Words) 2023-04-03-21:38:03 (IANS)
Three women employees work in the association's Podanur office. The police said that some unidentified persons sent obscene text and audio messages to the mobile numbers of the association between March 30 and April 2.

These messages were sent from two mobile numbers which are now switched off. The police have registered a case after association leader Shabeer lodged a complaint with the Podanur police station.

The police said that they will investigate the case with the support of the cyber crime wing of Coimbatore city police.

--IANS aal/arm

( 136 Words)

2023-04-03-22:06:02 (IANS)
Russia's Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Monday, claimed to have hoisted the country's flag on Ukraine's Bakhmut city hall, and said that they have technically captured it, TASS reported. Giving details about the incident, Prigozhin said, "April 2, 23:00 precisely. Behind me is the building of [Artyomovsk's] city administration. This Russian flag is for Vladlen Tatarsky, [the Russian military reporter killed in a blast in St. Petersburg on Sunday]," according to the TASS agency citing the Telegram channel of the Wagner Group founder's press service. 'In grateful memory,' is written on this flag. "Technically we have captured Bakhmut," Prigozhin added. He further noted that the commanders of Russian units that captured the city hall and the entire central district "will carry and place the flags". "The adversary remains in Western blocks," he added, according to TASS Agency. Vladlen Tatarsky, who is a war correspondent and a blogger, was killed on Sunday in an explosion at the country's second-largest city of Saint Petersburg, Interior Ministry confirmed, TASS reported. The ministry's press centre said, "At 6:13 p.m. on April 2, 2023, the police received information about a blast in Universitetsjaya Embankment 25. As a result, one person was killed. It was war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky. Sixteen people were wounded." Vladlen Tatarsky was widely known at the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine as he used to post daily videos titled Vecherny Vladlen. In the videos, he used to analyze the course of the operation and advised the mobilized. Apart from that, he shot a video from the event in the Kremlin when Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech on the accession of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR), the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to Russia, according to TASS agency. In the latest development of the attack, a spokesman for the law enforcement agencies said that the explosive device that went off in a cafe was stuffed with striking elements, the blast targeted war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky. "The makeshift explosive device that went off in a St. Petersburg cafe was stuffed with striking elements. The target was war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky," the spokesman said. (ANI)
New York City officials plan to close key streets in lower Manhattan as a security measure if former US President Donald Trump is indicted when he appears in a court here on Tuesday, reported ABS News. The US Secret Service is coordinating security plans with the New York Police Department in the event that former President Trump is indicted and arraigned in an open courtroom in Manhattan, according to sources. Both agencies discussed logistics, including court security and how Trump would potentially surrender for booking and processing, according to sources briefed on the discussions, reported ABC News. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said on Twitter on Thursday that "NYPD and other law enforcement agencies have been planning and coordinating intensively for this moment. New York City is ready. If there is a Trump mob, they have lost the element of surprise." Earlier Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was "confident" the city is prepared for any protests related to a potential indictment of the former president. "We are monitoring comments on social media, and the NYPD is doing their normal role of making sure there is no inappropriate actions in the city," Adams said Monday at an unrelated press conference. "We are confident we're going to be able to do that." Trump is expected to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon, the first former US president to be indicted. A grand jury convened by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who had been investigating Trump's role in hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, determined on Thursday that there was enough evidence to bring criminal charges against him. Trump, who is running for the Republican nomination for next year's presidential race, has denied any wrongdoing and called the probe and the indictment a partisan attack. Bragg is a Democrat. A team of Secret Service agents accompanied by New York Police Department officials toured the courthouse and its entrances on Friday, apparently mapping the former president's transit through the building. Writing on his Truth Social platform Saturday, Trump called for protests against what he said was his expected arrest Tuesday, reported ABC News. Online posts indicate there appear to be a handful of small protests being organized by different grassroots groups. On Sunday a small group of pro-Trump demonstrators gathered on the bridge connecting Palm Beach to the mainland. They said they would return with more people on Tuesday or sooner if Trump were to be indicted, according to reports. An intelligence bulletin issued Sunday by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C., and obtained by ABC News, says that some extremists consider the possible indictment of Trump a "line in the sand." "Potential criminal justice actions taken toward a former US president -- or actions perceived to be taken toward the former president -- remain a 'line in the sand' for Domestic Violent Extremists (DVE) communities and thus have the potential to manifest in violence toward government targets or political officials," said the bulletin from the DC Fusion Center, a threat intelligence group within the agency. The FBI is warning local and state police agencies around the country about concerns related to a possible indictment of Trump, but the bureau says it doesn't have any additional information. "The FBI continues to closely monitor a potential Indictment of the former President which open-source reporting has indicated may occur in the coming week," the FBI said in a warning obtained by ABC News. The US Capitol Police also issued their own assessment regarding potential violence, saying that they have seen "no current indication of threats directed at the US Capitol or Members of Congress" as it relates to Trump. (ANI)
Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk is set to commence his 3-day trip to India from Monday. During the king's visit, both sides will review the bilateral cooperation between the two countries and further advance the bilateral partnership. The Bhutan king will be accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding. The Bhutan King's visit comes at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. His visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and during his visit, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan. India has long been Bhutan's top trading partner and continues to be the primary source of investments there. In November 2021, the Indian government formalised the opening of seven new trade routes for Bhutan's bilateral and transit trade with India, new market access was provided for allowing the formal export of 12 agri-products from Bhutan to India, and various special exceptions/quotas for export are also provided. India has been extending economic assistance to Bhutan's socio-economic development since the early 1960s when Bhutan launched its Five Year Plans. For the 12th Five Year Plan, India assisted Bhutan with Rs 4500 crore for various multi-sectoral project-tied assistance, small development projects, Direct Budgetary Support, etc. In line with our 'Neighbourhood First Policy', new market access has been opened for five agri-commodities from Bhutan to India (Areca nut, Mandarin, Apple, Potato, and Ginger), and three commodities from India to Bhutan (Tomato, Onion, and Okra). The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations. It is important to note that some of the high-profile visits will be made by prominent individuals, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022. Moreover, in January 2023, Bhutan was also visited by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Welcoming the delegation, the President said that we deeply value the multifaceted and unique friendship between India and Bhutan. The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least developed countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034. In line with India-Bhutan unique and special relations, India ensured a continuous supply of trade and essential items to Bhutan, despite COVID-19-related lockdowns. In special assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic - 13 consignments of medical supplies, the first country to receive Covishield Vaccines. The revised Bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan came into effect in 2017 and would be valid for ten years. The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007. The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. Moreover, India is foraying into new avenues of bilateral cooperation with Bhutan such as Space Cooperation, Smart Agriculture, Youth and Sports, startups, Renewable energy and Digital Development, to help the Royal Government of Bhutan realize its vision of prosperity for all. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], April 3 (ANI/WAM): In line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a second UAE aid ship, carrying over 2,000 tonnes, arrived at the Port of Latakia as part of the UAE's post-quake recovery plan in Syria under "Operation Gallant Knight/2." The Ministry of Defence's Joint Operations Command announced the largest aid ship of its kind, which ran by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC). It carried more than 2,215 tonnes including 1,040 tonnes of food supplies, 600 tonnes of relief and medical assistance and 573 tonnes of building materials. Dr Hamdan Musallam Al Mazrouei, Board Chairman of the ERC, said the assistance underscores the UAE's efforts in alleviating the human suffering caused by the earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkiye. He affirmed the UAE leadership's keenness to provide the best services to the brotherly Syrian people in order to overcome this human ordeal. "The ERC will continue to scale up its humanitarian response for the best interest of the quake-affected people in Syria and Turkiye as part of ''Operation Gallant Knight / 2''. We are acting and moving in different directions to relieve the suffering caused by the disaster,'' he said, noting to the engagement of the ERC's ''Bridges of Good'' humanitarian campaign in the relief operations in Syria and Turkiye. The assistance will be delivered to the beneficiaries in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, he added. Eng. Amer Ismail Hilal, Governor of Latakia, lauded the UAE's tireless efforts to relieve the quake-affected people in Syria and its solidarity with the Syrian people since the early phases of the disaster. The UAE launched "Operation Gallant Knight / 2'' to provide assistance for the peoples of Syria and Turkiye following the devastating quakes that struck the two countries in February. (ANI/WAM)
Two women have been arrested in Iran after a man attacked them with yoghurt, apparently for not wearing the hijab at a store in the northeastern city of Shandiz, according to a video and report published by the Mizan News Agency, the state-run media for Iran's judiciary, reported CNN. Video of Thursday's incident shows a man approaching one of the women who is unveiled and speaking to her before proceeding to grab a tub of yoghurt from the store and throwing it, hitting both women in the head. The video shows a male staff member removing the suspect from the store. The two women were arrested after being issued an arrest warrant for failing to wear the hijab in public, according to Mizan News Agency. Iranian officials said the incident is under investigation, and the male suspect has been arrested for a disturbance of order, reported CNN. Meanwhile, President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that the hijab was the law in Iran. "The important matter is that today we have a legal mandate. The legal mandate makes it mandatory for everyone to follow the law," said Raisi. "If there are people who say that they do not share this belief of ours (the mandatory hijab), then this is a place for scientific and cultural centers as well as schools to discuss this and convince them," Raisi added. Iran's Ministry of Interior said that the "hijab is an unquestionable religious necessity," according to a tweet from the agency on Saturday. Under Iran's Islamic sharia law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women are obliged to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise their figures. Violators have faced public rebuke, fines or arrest. Describing the veil as "one of the civilizational foundations of the Iranian nation" and "one of the practical principles of the Islamic Republic," an Interior Ministry statement on Thursday said there would be no "retreat or tolerance" on the issue. It urged citizens to confront unveiled women. Such directives have in past decades emboldened hardliners to attack women without impunity. Iranians have taken to the streets nationwide in protest for several months against Iran's mandatory hijab law, and political and social issues across the country, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police in September. Women have burned their headscarves and cut their hair, with some schoolgirls removing them in classrooms. Those arrested for participating in anti-government demonstrations have faced various forms of abuse and torture, including electric shocks, controlled drowning, rape and mock executions. (ANI)
Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. External Affairs Minister who received him at the airport said the visit will further strengthen the "close and unique ties" between the two countries. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership." The Bhutan king is accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials. During his visit he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu The visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan. The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding. The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022. Moreover, in January 2023, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan. Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Welcoming the delegation, the President said that India deeply values the multifaceted and unique friendship between the two countries. The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034. The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007. The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. (ANI)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday demanded a response from the federal government in a plea filed by former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan seeking the revocation of his security, reported ARY News. Chief Judge Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court heard the matter. After 'threatening' statements from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the former prime minister filed a petition at the IHC. The top judge inquired at the start of the session, "Is Imran Khan being denied security as a former prime minister?" The interior ministry revoked Imran Khan's protection, according to Faisal Farid's advocate's response to the IHC CJ question. The IHC sent letters to the federal government and the Interior Ministry, requesting a response by April 6. The former prime minister is facing many charges and has been complaining about the federal government's "non-provision" of protection despite life threats. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has already notified of security SOPs for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan's court appearance. The government and police in Islamabad have been asked to ensure strict security on March 9 during PTI chief Imran Khan's court appearance. The IHC also requested a list of 15 names from the PTI chief's lawyers and 5 names from the Attorney General's office and the Inspector General of Police in Islamabad. Earlier in January this year, the Islamabad Police withdrew security from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan's residence, Bani Gala, in the federal capital and the caretaker government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) also recalled the K-P security personnel guarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, The News International reported. The security has been withdrawn when Imran Khan is accusing the former president and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari of hatching a conspiracy to assassinate him by giving a contract to a terrorist outfit, Express Tribune newspaper reported. Khan while holding a news conference from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore via a video link, termed the alleged conspiracy 'Plan-C' for which he accused Zardari of paying money to a terrorist outfit to carry out the assassination attempt, the Pakistan-based newspaper reported. Notably, 50 police personnel from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were deployed for Khan's safety after the Wazirabad attack on him. As per reports, following the appointment of the caretaker Punjab chief minister on January 22, the provincial government sent a letter to the KP government on January 24 to withdraw Khan's security, The News International reported. "Bani Gala is the former prime minister's private residence. He has not been staying in Islamabad for the past several months," a spokesperson for the capital's police said. In Khan's absence, the spokesperson said, police from Islamabad and other provinces cannot be deployed over there. Frontier Corps and KP Police, as per the sources, were also withdrawn, the Daily Times reported. PTI leader Shibli Faraz, while talking to the media, confirmed the news and said that a letter had been received from the Punjab government in which the security of Imran Khan has been withdrawn. Faraz said that the former premier's security is "his right" and that if "something happens to Imran, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and puppet government will be responsible". (ANI)
Experts from different parts of the world have urged G7 leaders to ask Chinese President Xi Jinping to stop his "ongoing project of colonial boarding schools in Tibet," Central Tibetan Administration reported. Experts also raised concerns regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet. Experts while deliberating on the subject "China's Colonial Practices and Threat to the Cultural Identity of Tibet" in an international webinar discussed various human rights issues raised recently by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). The webinar held on March 31 was jointly organized by the Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement (CHASE) and Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), as per the Central Tibetan Administration report. The experts who participated in this webinar included John Jones, Policy and Research Manager of 'Free-Tibet' of the United Kingdom, Marco Respinti, a senior Italian journalist and Director-in-Charge of newspaper 'Bitter Winter' and Rinzin Choedon, National Director of 'Students for a Free Tibet India' from Dharamshala. During the webinar, Professor Aaayushi Ketkar of the Special Centre for National Security Studies at JNU and a scholar in international relations and security handled the question-answer session. Vijay Kranti, a veteran Tibetologist and Chairman of CHASE moderated the webinar, according to the report. During the webinar, Rinzin Choedon focused on the ongoing Chinese campaign of forcibly pushing Tibetan children into a chain of residential schools which are established and run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Tibet. Choedon said, "These schools are being systematically run by the Chinese Communist Party to brainwash the entire new generation of Tibet with the aim of eradicating the very identity of Tibet." She further said, "Already more than one million Tibetan Children have been forcibly taken away from their families and lodged in these schools. This is a matter of concern not only for the people of Tibet but for entire humanity because it has the potential of completely wiping out a rich culture which belongs to the whole world," as per the Central Tibetan Administration report. Rinzin Choedon said that they have been raising the issue on various forums for some time. She called it a matter of satisfaction that the human rights body related to the UN have started raising this issue. Rinzin said that the process of wiping out Tibetan identity has gained special momentum since Chinese President Xi Jinping has come to power, as per the report. Rinzin said, "The process of destroying Tibetan culture and identity has been already going on since decades in Tibet. But unfortunately this campaign has become more tense under President Xi's rule," The Central Tibetan Administration reported. Marco Respinti presented an analysis of the recent report of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations (CESCR) which was published during its recent 73rd session on March 6. He said that CESCR raised many issues like forcible resettlement of Tibetan nomadic herders, closure of ongoing Tibetan language schools run by the Tibetan society, large-scale campaign to eradicate Tibetan culture and language, sinicization of Tibetan society, especially by enforcing the coerced boarding school system on Tibetan children; and suppression of other human rights of Tibetan people. Speaking on China's denial of the charges made by CESCR, Marco Respinti said, "Over the last few years, the CCP's position has in fact become quite indefensible even for the most pro-PRC partisan. It is in fact impossible to hide the CCP's misdeeds." He said that CCP changed its own narrative on its own crimes a number of times. However, the impossibility of hiding facts influenced China's reactions. He further said that Beijing has been responding to accusations by saying 'so what' and called it "called alarming." During the webinar, Marco Respinti said that CCP will "continue with its threat to and persecution of Tibet's cultural identity" until the world does not take measures to stop it. John Jones informed the participants about how his group 'Free-Tibet' in the UK and many other Tibet support groups in Europe and US are running a campaign to stop the American company Thermo Fisher Scientific from supplying DNA testing kits to the Chinese police department. (ANI)
The four defendants charged in the ComEd bribery scheme are, from left, consultant Jay Doherty, lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, retired lobbyist Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. (Chicago Tribune photos)

The far-reaching federal investigation into an alleged scheme by ComEd to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan was heating up in early 2019 when two key players described how it worked in startlingly blunt fashion.

We had to hire these guys because Mike Madigan came to us, Michael McClain, the speakers trusted confidant, told lobbyist John Hooker on the call. Thats how simple it is. So if you want to make a federal court suit over it, OK. But thats how simple it is.

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The recording was among a series of damaging FBI wiretaps played in the ongoing ComEd Four bribery trial Monday showing in vivid detail how McClain served as the key go-between for the utility and Madigan, handling everything from mundane hiring requests and ward disputes to high-level strategy for major energy legislation.

On another call from February 2019, McClain boasted to an Exelon executive hed been doing assignments for Madigan for 25 years and youve never read about me in a newspaper.

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Im pretty discreet, McClain said on the call.

Listen to the audio:

The recordings, which were played back-to-back for an hour without a witness on the stand, featured a whos who of Madigans most trusted associates, including 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, former state Rep. John Bradley, former top staffer-turned lobbyist Shaw Decremer, as well as the speakers son, Andrew.

In addition to talk about the subcontractor arrangement, the calls captured McClain and his co-defendants and colleagues obsessing over who might replace him as the person assigned to keep ComEd in Madigans good graces, since McClain had ostensibly retired from lobbying.

There is no one right now that I can actually tell our friend, This is the lead (person), and when you call that guy will snap to, or that gal will snap to, and know what to do and get back to you, McClain told Hooker and another co-defendant, Anne Pramaggiore, on one call. Theres no one in the company that has that kind of smack right now.

Listen to the audio:

The issue of who would replace McClain also was on the mind of Madigan himself. In two separate calls played for the jury, the speaker asked McClain who was going to be his point person on a bill being pushed by ComEd affiliate Exelon Generation.

Whos gonna drive the bus, do you have an answer on that? Madigan asked McClain in a telephone call on Feb. 26, 2019.

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McClain said he intended to use Will Cousineau, one of Madigans top lieutenants whod recently moved on to a lobbying gig. OK, all right, Madigan responded.

Listen to the audio:

Charged in the indictment are McClain, 75, Pramaggiore, 64; Hooker, 73, and Jay Doherty, 69, a lobbyist and consultant who formerly led the City Club of Chicago.

The indictment alleges the defendants schemed to shower Madigan allies with jobs, contracts, internships and legal work to woo the now-indicted Democratic ex-speaker into looking favorably at ComEds Springfield agenda.

Among those allegedly receiving payments: Former 13th Ward Ald. Frank Olivo, precinct captains Ray Nice and Ed Moody, and Mike Zalewski, the former alderman of the 23rd Ward.

The defendants attorneys contend 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.

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McClain and Madigan are charged in a separate corruption case that is tied to the ComEd scandal.

The recordings that prosecutors played Monday came as the trials fourth week got underway, and helped buttress the testimony of the governments star witness, Fidel Marquez, a former ComEd senior executive who cooperated with authorities in exchange for leniency.

Marquez, who was on the witness stand over five days, testified Monday that when he became ComEds top government affairs executive in 2012, a plan was already in place to pay Madigan associates as subcontractors with Dohertys consulting company.

After being confronted by the FBI in January 2019, Marquez flipped and agreed to make secret recordings of colleagues. In a ruse created by investigators, Marquez went to each of them asking for input on what he should tell incoming ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez about the subcontractor arrangement.

Marquezs request set off a series of phone calls, including the one played in court Monday where McClain told Hooker that someone should be transparent with Dominguez and tell him how things operate.

On that call, made on Feb. 20, 2019, Hooker boasted that their plan to use Doherty as a go-between was the best way to do it and was clean for all of us.

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Right, McClain responded. We dont have to worry about whether or not, Im just making this up, whether or not (Zalewski) is doing any work or not. Thats up to Jay Doherty to prove that. ... Were not monitoring his workload; whether or not Zalewskis earning his five grand a month. Thats up to Jay Doherty.

Hooker reminded McClain that they had come up with the plan, and that Madigan thought it was great.

Several of the calls portrayed the defendants as less than thrilled with Dominguez, a former federal prosecutor from New Jersey who was unaccustomed to how things worked in Springfield.

McClain told Pramaggiore and Hooker on one recording from Feb. 20, 2019, that he doesnt trust Dominguez because I dont think he really respects Madigan.

I wouldnt trust Joe, he warned. I would trust Joe to think that this is a quid pro quo and that hes wired.

Pramaggiore chimed in, saying Dominguez was just thinking about his next job.

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McClain added that he wouldnt mind having a daddy talk with Dominguez, and if he wanted to fire him, Thats fine.

My instinct is that I come up to Chicago and I sit down with Dominguez and I say, Now look-it (expletive), if you want to pass this bill, this is what it requires. So, either youre gonna play in the tier-one game here, or youre gonna keep playing in your tier-two game here ... but this is like serious business, its millions of dollars.

Later, on the phone with Andrew Madigan, the speakers son, McClain said he was driving back from Springfield, where hed met with Dominguez and closed the deal on keeping the subcontracts with a consulting firm owned by City Club of Chicago President Jay Doherty.

McClain expressed annoyance to the speakers son that too many lobbyists forget that Mike Madigan is the real client.

Before the recordings were played, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber handed the defense a small victory by barring another wiretapped call where Madigan and McClain allegedly laughed about how much some of their cronies had made.

On that tape, Madigan says to McClain, Some of these guys have made out like bandits, Mike. Oh my god, for very little work too, McClain responds.

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Patrick Cotter, McClains attorney, argued the remarks were not directly tied to people whose hirings are focused upon in the case.

In late testimony Monday, prosecutors called Janet Gallegos, Dohertys administrative assistant for nearly 20 years, who testified about a series of increases in Dohertys ComEd contract every time a new subcontractor was added.

Invoices showed by the prosecution indicated Dohertys $20,000-a-month contract with ComEd had grown to $37,000 monthly by the time Moody was hired in 2014. That amount appeared to include $3,500 more than what Doherty was paying for the subcontracts, though Gallegos testified she did not know where the extra money was going.

The Moody contract continued until about the time he became a county official, first as a Cook County Board member and then as recorder of deeds.

Prosecutors have said Moody was shuffled on to the lobbyist firm of former state Rep. John Bradley, the Democrat from Marion who previously served on Madigans leadership team.

In early 2015, Doherty instructed Gallegos by email to be sure all of the checks to Olivo, Nice and Moody were recorded and that they should be classified as client expense: Com Ed.

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Gallegos said she would note that at the end of the year on profit and loss statements.

Earlier Monday, Marquez, the prosecutions star witness, wrapped up five days of testimony following a flurry of defense questions designed to undermine his cooperation in the wide-ranging probe.

Marquez, 61, a former senior vice president for ComEd, mostly held firm despite the efforts to knock him off stride, explaining that his deal to cooperate with the government was to tell the truth no matter how it affects the case.

On Thursday, Marquez was hammered with questions about his decision to become a government mole and make secret recordings of his colleagues after being confronted by the FBI in January 2019. Marquez pleaded guilty to bribery conspiracy and is expecting prosecutors to recommend a sentence of probation.

He testified on redirect Monday that his deal with the government did not depend on whether the defendants are found guilty or not guilty, only that he provide truthful testimony.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu also pushed back on defense suggestions that Marquez was doing the governments bidding to save his own skin.

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Did you make those guys say what they said on those recordings? Bhachu asked at one point, referring to the four defendants across the room.

I did not, Marquez answered.

In cross-examination of Marquez earlier Monday, Dohertys attorney, Michael Gillespie, drilled down on a video recording Marquez made of a meeting with Doherty in February 2019, shortly after Marquezs cooperation began.

The recording is particularly damaging to Doherty because he talks at length about the subcontractor arrangement and tells Marquez candidly that he should not touch it, since ComEds money comes from Springfield.

In his questioning, however, Gillespie pointed out that Marquez was the one who interjected the idea that Doherty was talking about rate hikes, insinuating that the government was twisting an innocent comment by Doherty.

Gillespie also asked about Olivo and Zalewski, who were put on Dohertys contract at Madigans behest.

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Marquez agreed that as ex-elected officials, the aldermen were useful as lobbyists on specific projects, and that Doherty never said in their recorded meetings that any subcontractors were brought on to pass bills in Springfield.

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Bhachu, on redirect, fired a series of questions specifically about any work Zalewski did.

Did he make a single phone call for you? Bhachu asked.

No, Marquez said. He also agreed Zalewski never attended a meeting or wrote a single report.

Fair to say he did absolutely zero? Bhachu asked.

That would be fair, Marquez said.

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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

rlong@chicagotribune.com

[ ComEd Four trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury ]

ComEd Vice President Fidel Marquez in 2012. (Warren Skalski/ for the Chicago Tribune)

Retired lobbyist Michael McClain exits the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in downtown Chicago during the ongoing "Comed Four" bribery conspiracy trial, March 28, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

[ ComEd Four bribery trial: What you need to know ]
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the speaker of Israel's Knesset, Amir Ohana and the parliamentary delegation on Monday in New Delhi and discussed bilateral ties between the two countries. The two leaders discussed strengthening India-Israel ties and promoting cooperation in I2U2. "Glad to welcome Israeli Knesset Speaker @AmirOhanaand parliamentary delegation in South Block today. Discussed strengthening India-Israel ties and promoting cooperation in I2U2, Jaishankar tweeted. The External Affairs Minister further underlined that connectivity, renewables, food security, start-ups, tourism and culture could enrich the agenda of the two nations. Moreover, the Israeli Speaker also called on Vice President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Parliament Hous today. Taking to Twitter, the official handle of the Vice president of India wrote, "A Parliamentary delegation from Israel, led by Hon'ble Speaker of Knesset, H.E. Mr Amir Ohana called on the Hon'ble Vice President & Chairman Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar at Parliament House today. @AmirOhana @MEAIndia" On Friday, Israel's Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana called India one of Israel's closest and dearest friends. He called it a distinct pleasure to have been invited to India. Knesset Speaker made the statement during a meeting with Parliament Speaker Om Birla. "It is a great honour for me to be here with you today. This is indeed not only my first visit to India but also the first visit of any speaker of the Knesset in an official visit to India. And it is my distinct pleasure to have been invited specifically to India, one of Israel's closest and dearest friends and the world's largest democracy," Amir Ohana said. Amir Ohana also spoke on the Jews community living in India, and said, "Jews have lived peacefully in India for thousands of years, and those Jews who came to Israel from India served as a solid bridge between our two nations. It is actually one of the only nations on earth where Jews could live peacefully for thousands of years without any recognition of antisemitism, which is an unknown term in this country and we are thankful for that." The Israeli Parliamentary Delegation led by Amir Ohana called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at Parliament House on Friday. At the outset, Birla welcomed the delegation to India and said that Israel and India have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations. Notably, the Israeli Parliamentary Delegation, which is on an India visit till April 4, was jointly invited by the Vice President and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of Lok Sabha. (ANI)
Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed stressed on the depth of bilateral relations between the two countries, which are nurtured by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein.

For their part, Al-Fayez and members of the Jordanian-Emirati Brotherhood Committee expressed their pride at the strength of relations between the two countries in all fields, particularly in parliamentary matters, and their aspiration to continuously strengthen ties.

In this regard, attendees noted high-level coordination between the UAE and Jordan and harmony between the two countries' positions that serve common interests.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral cooperation and various issues of mutual interest.

The importance of bolstering parliamentary cooperation through meetings, increased visits, the exchange of experiences, and an emphasis on shared positions between the two countries was also stressed. (ANI/WAM)
The United States has rallied its European allies behind a USD 60-per-barrel ban on purchases of Russian crude oil, but one of Washington's closest Asian allies, Japan, has begun buying the oil at prices higher than the cap, reported Wall Street Journal. Japan persuaded the US to make the exception, claiming that it was necessary to ensure access to Russian energy. The concession demonstrates Japan's reliance on Russia for fossil fuels, which observers say has contributed to Tokyo's reluctance to fully support Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Despite the fact that several European countries have reduced their reliance on the Russian energy supply, Japan has increased its purchases of Russian natural gas in the last year. Japan is the only country in the G-7 group that does not supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida was the last G-7 leader to visit Ukraine after Russia invaded the country. Kishida has stated that the G-7 summited he is hosting in his hometown of Hiroshima in May will show solidarity with Ukraine. Tokyo has stated that it is committed to assisting Kyiv but is unable to deliver weaponry due to longstanding export limitations imposed by the cabinet, according to a report in Wall Street Journal. Chief government spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, "We absolutely will not allow Russia's outrageous act, and we are imposing strict sanctions on Russia in order to stop Russia's invasion as soon as possible." The oil purchases, while tiny and permitted by the US, indicate a breach in the US-led campaign to impose a global USD 60-per-barrel cap on Russian crude oil purchases. A report in Wall Street Journal read, the cap works because oil-buying countries, even if they are not allies of the United States, often require insurance and other services from companies based in the United States or one of its allies. The G-7, the European Union, and Australia have agreed to rules that prohibit those companies from providing services if a buyer of Russian oil pays more than USD 60 per barrel. Last year, the countries agreed to an exemption from the cap through September 30 for oil acquired by Japan from Russia's Far East Sakhalin-2 project. A Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry official stated that Tokyo intended to ensure access to Sakhalin-2's major product, natural gas, which is liquefied and shipped to Japan. The official said, "We have done this with an eye toward having a stable supply chain of energy in Japan." He added a small quantity of crude oil is extracted along with the natural gas at Sakhlain-3 and needs to be sold to ensure liquefied natural gas, or LNG, production continues. He said, "The price is decided by negotiations between the two parties." Russia accounts for around one-tenth of Japan's natural-gas imports, most of it from Sakhalin-2, and the quantity purchased by Japan last year was 4.6 per cent greater than in the earlier year. This contrasts with Germany, which relied on Russia for 55 per cent of its natural-gas imports prior to the war and was able to survive a complete cutoff by quickly remodelling its import infrastructure. Germany's economy increased faster than Japan's previous year, defying predictions of a German recession caused by the cutoff of Russian gas. A professor at Temple University's Japan campus, James Brown said, "It's not as if Japan can't manage without this. They can. They simply don't want to." "Japan should move to withdraw from the Sakhalin projects eventually if they're really serious about supporting Ukraine." Two Japanese companies, Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp, jointly own a 22.5 per cent stake in Sakhalin-2 and successfully pushed to maintain the stake last year with backing from Tokyo when Russia's government under President Vladimir Putin restructured the project and installed a new Russian operator. According to official trade records, Japan purchased approximately 748,000 barrels of Russian oil for a total of Yen 6.9 billion in the first two months of this year. At the current currency rate, that equates to USD 52 million, or slightly less than USD 70 per barrel. Russia exports millions of barrels of oil every day, therefore Japan's purchases represent a negligible portion of total Russian output, as per Wall Street Journal. Japan produces almost no fossil fuels and relies heavily on imported natural gas and coal for much of its electricity. Authorities have stated that giving up access to Russian liquefied natural gas would be counterproductive because Russia could sell the LNG to China. In addition to the price cap, the United States and many of its allies have effectively prohibited the import of Russian oil into their own countries. For months, US officials have claimed that the cap has generally succeeded in reducing Russia's oil revenue while stabilising global oil markets. This year, Russia's budget has suffered as the price of its crude has declined, while global oil benchmarks have stabilised as Russian output has reduced only a little. In addition, the United States and its allies have imposed two additional price limitations on Russian petroleum goods. Japan has pursued energy linkages with Russia since the Soviet Union's demise, in part to further its goal of reclaiming a group of northern islands taken by Soviet forces in 1945. Shinzo Abe, the late Prime Minister of Japan, met Putin more than a dozen times in the hopes of securing a territory deal and a formal Japan-Russia peace treaty, which was never signed after World War II, Wall Street Journal reported. (ANI)
Dubai [UAE], April 3 (ANI/WAM): Landmark Group announced that it will be contributing AED5 million towards the "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramzan sustainable food aid endowment fund. Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the campaign aims to create sustainable solutions and implement effective programmes to fight hunger and support underprivileged populations. Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman of Landmark Group said, "The UAE has become known for launching inspiring humanitarian drives during Ramzan. Our contribution to the largest Ramzan food aid endowment fund reflects our commitment to giving and represents Landmark Group's philosophy of creating exceptional value for all lives we touch." "The campaign is particularly significant at a time when tens of millions of people struggle with hunger and food insecurity. Every little contribution to this endowment fund will positively impact the lives of the vulnerable, including children, refugees, displaced persons and victims of crises and natural disasters," she added. The "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign is a testament to the UAE's commitment to its humanitarian responsibility, and its keenness to extend help and aid to communities everywhere in their time of need. It is a practical example of its community's long-held values of giving, compassion and solidarity, evident by the contributions of philanthropists and leading humanitarians. (ANI/WAM)
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced that Finland will become a full member of NATO on April 4. His remarks came after the Turkish Parliament on March 30 voted in favour of Finland's application to join NATO. Speaking in a press conference on Monday, Stoltenberg said, "This is an historic week. Tomorrow, we will welcome Finland as the thirty-first member of NATO. Making Finland safer and our Alliance stronger." He further said, "We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole," according to the statement released on NATO's website. He added, "Sweden will also be safer as a result." Jens Stoltenberg said that allies in 2022 made a decision to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO and noted that Finland's accession has been the fastest ratification process in NATO's modern history. He said that tomorrow NATO will hold the NATO-Ukraine Commission with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv and the military alliance's support for Ukraine. Stoltenberg said that he welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace plan which upholds the principles at the heart of the UN Charter. On Friday, Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Turkey's decision to ratify Finland's membership in NATO. He said that Finland's inclusion will make the country "safer" and NATO "stronger." Stoltenberg said, "I welcome the vote by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to ratify Finland's membership in NATO. All 30 NATO Allies have now ratified the accession protocol. And I have just spoken with President Sauli Niinisto to congratulate him on this historic occasion." On Thursday, the Turkish Parliament on Thursday voted unanimously in favour of Finland's application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), while also continuing to block Sweden from joining the military alliance, CNN reported. The vote in the Parliament fulfils Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "promise" to allow Finland to become part of the military alliance, as per the news report. Turkey was the last NATO member to approve Finland's accession. Following the vote, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country is "ready to join NATO." In 2022, Finland and Sweden submitted applications to join NATO. A majority of NATO members welcomed the applications of Finland and Sweden except for Turkey and Hungary. Turkish President Erdogan accused Finland and Sweden of housing Kurdish "terrorist organizations." Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Finland and Sweden were disseminating "outright lies" about his country's rule of law record, as per the CNN report. Later, the two nations softened their stance on Finland's accession. However, Hungary and Turkey continue to remain opposed to Sweden becoming part of NATO. (ANI)
Thousands of people from different minority communities in Pakistan on Thursday took out a protest rally in front of the Sindh Assembly against forced conversions. During the rally, they raised slogans against forced conversions, prayed for Issac Samson, who has been missing since February 29, 2012, and put up banners of Hindu girls who had been abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. The media recently reported that target killings of minorities continue unabated in Pakistan. A Christian man was recently shot dead in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Saturday, in what officials say is the second incident of target killing of minorities in the last 24 hours, reported The Khorasan Diary. According to police, Kashif Maseeh was gunned down by armed motorcyclists on his doorstep. On Friday, a Sikh shopkeeper was gunned down in Peshawar in a similar manner. There have been no respoorasan Diary.nsibility claims for the attacks. Sikh Minority shopkeeper Dayal Singh was killed by gunmen in the Dir Colony of Peshawar. Peshawar Police said that Dayal Singh was sitting at his shop when unidentified motorcyclists killed him and fled around 3 pm on Friday. Minorities have faced continuous violent attacks in Pakistan. A Pakistani Hindu doctor Dr Birbal Genani became a victim of target killing near Layari in Karachi while returning home from his clinic on Thursday, Dunya News reported. Former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director of health and eye specialist Dr Birbal Genani was shot dead by unknown assailants in Karachi on Thursday, Geo News reported. Last week, Hindu shopkeepers were assaulted in Pakistan for allegedly "violating the Ramzan Ordinance" by eating, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The police officer in a video that went viral on social media, was seen roaming the Ghotki district with a stick in his hands. The police officer thrashed Hindu restaurant owners including Hindu men who were reportedly preparing biryani for delivery orders in the local market. Meanwhile, Sindhi Hindus carried 15 points to the Sindh government to ensure the protection of Hindus in the province. (ANI)
Poland has delivered "several" MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine, the Polish President's foreign affairs adviser Marcin Przydacz said in an interview with Polish radio RMF FM, CNN reported. Earlier on March 16, Poland said that Warsaw will send the aircraft, which were about to be decommissioned by the country's air force, as per the news report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Poland on Wednesday, according to Przydacz. Poland announced it would send the aircraft, which were about to be decommissioned by the country's air force, on March 16. At that time, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poland is still using Mi-29 aircraft in the defence of Polish airspace. Duda said that Poland can announce with confidence that Warsaw will send MiGs to Ukraine. At the time, he said, "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," according to CNN report. Andrzej Duda further 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 announced that Poland will replace them with deliveries of "south Korean FA-50s and American F-35s." Ukraine has been urging its allies to provide them with deliveries of fighter jets. So far, only Poland and Slovakia have promised to provide 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. In March, Ukraine received its first British main battle Challenger tanks and other Western-made armoured vehicles, CNN reported citing Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. In a Facebook post, Reznikov said that Ukraine received Challengers (main battle tanks) from the United Kingdom, Strykers (infantry fighting vehicles) and Cougars (infantry mobility vehicles from the mine-resistant ambush-protected family) from the United States, and Marders (infantry fighting vehicles) from Germany, according to CNN report. Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while expressing gratitude to Ukraine's security personnel called the situation near Bakhmut "extremely hot," according to the statement released by Ukraine President's office. While making a video address on April 3, Zelenskyy said that next week will be especially important for Ukraine's defence and added that they are already making preparations for scheduled events and decisions. "I am grateful to our warriors who are fighting near Avdiivka, Maryinka, near Bakhmut... Especially Bakhmut! It's especially hot there today! Near Bilohorivka, near Kreminna and all our other cities, towns and villages of Donbass. The resilience of everyone is the resilience of the whole of Ukraine, helping everyone in a position nearby is helping the whole of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in a video address. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today held a meeting with Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Jaishankar noted that Bhutan King's vision for strengthening the unique partnership with India is "deeply appreciated." Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar stated, "Deeply privileged to call on His Majesty the King of Bhutan today evening. His Majesty's vision for Bhutan's future and for strengthening the unique partnership with India is deeply appreciated." On Monday, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived in India for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who received him at the airport said the visit will further strengthen the "close and unique ties" between the two nations. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership." During his visit to India, the Bhutan king is accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials. During his visit, he will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. The visit of the Bhutan King is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. The MEA noted, "India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust." The MEA said that the Bhutan King's visit will give a chance to both nations to review bilateral cooperation and to further advance the close bilateral partnership, including economic and development cooperation. The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022. Furthermore, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan in January this year. Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. While welcoming the delegation in February, President Murmu said that India deeply values the multifaceted and unique friendship between the two countries. She noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034. Notably, the basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007, according to MEA. The bilateral ties between India and Bhutan have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries. (ANI)
With its decision to categorize COVID-19 as a common disease, Japan on Monday announced to end the current border control measures on foreign tourists from May 8, Kyodo News reported. Travelers arriving at five major airports -- Narita, Haneda, Chubu, Kansai and Fukuoka -- will be subject to the new framework, which is set to start when the legal status of COVID-19 is downgraded to the same category as seasonal influenza early next month. With an aim to normalise social and economic activities, Japan government will simultaneously start a new genomic surveillance program, under which entrants with symptoms such as fever are tested voluntarily to detect new infectious diseases, as per Kyodo News. Currently, foreign tourists are required to present certification of three COVID-19 doses or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure. The end of the COVID-19 border controls, which were first implemented in February 2020 and are regarded by some as the most stringent among the Group of Seven industrialised nations, is anticipated to aid in the revival of inbound tourism in Japan, where it fell to a fraction of the record 4.8 trillion (USD 36 billion) in 2021. Japan tightened border restrictions by prohibiting entry of nonresident foreigners and requiring returning Japanese citizens and foreign residents to quarantine at certain facilities, once the country started to experience cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in November 2021, read a report published in Kyodo News. In late December, Japan introduced blanket COVID-19 testing for all arrivals from mainland China amid an explosion in infections in the country after Beijing drastically relaxed its stringent "zero-COVID" policy that had involved lockdowns and quarantines, read a report published in Kyodo News. In early January, it further tightened border controls for visitors from the region by requiring proof of a negative test, but in March, however, the Japanese government ended the blanket testing for such visitors but started random testing at airports after finding that the number of those testing positive for COVID-19 had dropped. Government officials claim that it takes a few weeks for test participants to receive their genetic test results. Ahead of the across-the-board lifting of border control measures, Japan will ease those on all arrivals from mainland China from Wednesday and give them the option of entering the country by presenting proof of being inoculated with three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, it added. (ANI)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday issued a notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for summoning former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case without following the standard operating procedure (SOPs), Geo News reported. The IHC took up the pleas filed by Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, challenging the call-up notices of February 17 and March 16 issued by NAB. The court announced the verdict later while issuing notices to NAB for its response. In the petition, Bushra Bibi requested the court that the NAB's call-up notices should be declared illegal. The petition has requested the court to stay the inquiry by changing the investigation till the final decision of the Toshakhana case and also stay the disciplinary action against the petitioners based on the call-up notices. The division bench headed by Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the pleas. Khawaja Haris, the counsel representing Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, said that the NAB's notices did not mention in which capacity the information was being sought, as per the Geo News report. Advocate Haris said, "Providing complete information about the notices is mandatory for NAB as per the judicial orders." At the counsel's statement, Aamer Farooq asked about the procedure of serving notices as per the latest NAB amendments. Responding to the query, the lawyer said, "The Amendment Act says the NAB must establish a reason and communicate it [to the receiver] for summoning someone." Farooq asked whether former Pakistan PM Imran Khan received the summons. The lawyer then presented the NAB's call-up notices issued to Imran Khan in court. The lawyer said that they were not provided with information in the notices, according to Geo News report. The lawyer said, "We weren't provided information in the notices. It only mentioned that it was about an inquiry against public office holders." He further said that the Cabinet Division and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were also involved in the Toshakhana gifts case. The Islamabad High Court's Chief Justice then asked if Imran Khan appeared before the NAB authorities in response to these notices. The lawyer responded, "No he (Khan) did not" and further said, "He sent a written response only." Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz asked whether the NAB took any action against Khan over his response. The lawyer responded, "No, it did not." The court asked the NAB prosecutor to present his arguments, as per the Geo News report. The Islamabad High Court's Chief Justice asked whether notice had been served to Khan again. At this, the NAB prosecutor informed the court that a reminder had been sent to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan. (ANI)
Detainees including Percy Hicks, front right, listen while University of Chicago students speak about voting rights and mayoral candidates during a workshop, March 21, 2023, at Cook County Jail. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Chicagos most active voting precinct has an unlikely cornerstone. A big chunk of its voters dont cast ballots at an elementary school gym or a library  they vote from jail.

Voting at the Cook County Jail has risen sharply since the jail added pioneering in-person polling places in 2020. Incarcerated voters say they feel more heard as voting rights groups work to educate and register inmates, and politicians are taking note of the increasingly involved voters.

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The sprawling facility at 2700 S. California in Little Village became the first jail in the country to operate as a precinct with in-person voting in March 2020, according to the Cook County sheriffs office. Inmate voting soared following the addition.

In February, 1,553 incarcerated individuals voted in the city and countys elections, up from 434 voters when inmates could only vote via absentee ballots during Chicagos April 2019 runoff election, said Cook County sheriffs office spokesman Matt Walberg.

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Just over 50% of the jails registered voters cast ballots, Walberg added. That rate trounced the nearly 36% February turnout of registered voters citywide.

[ Cook County Jail set for in-person voting despite COVID-19 setbacks: Its also about social justice, its about fairness, its about hope ]

Its definitely evolved, Cook County Jail Executive Director Jane Gubser said. Where we are today, were very proud of it, giving more opportunities to people and getting them more involved.

The inmates and voting advocates the Tribune spoke with said issues like safety, education and public transportation matter to the jails voters.

For several weekend days during election seasons, the jail, which houses around 5,500 inmates, operates multiple polling places throughout its many massive divisions set up in collaboration with election authorities. Any inmates who are not currently serving a sentence  which includes nearly all Cook County Jail inmates, the vast majority of whom have not yet faced trial and who are registered  can cast a ballot. Same-day registration is offered too.

Previously, ballots would be taken to inmates who would fill them out. The ballots would then be collected by jail staff and turned in to the mailroom.

But thanks to the jails burgeoning voting push, guards now escort inmates seeking to vote to a physical polling place, sometimes via the jails underground tunnels. They cast ballots inside blue voting booths, like so many other Chicagoans.

Its really important because people who are detained pretrial are left out of the equation, Gubser said.

The jail director said she views voting as an essential way people affect policies and advocate for their rights. Anyone who wants to vote should be given the opportunity to, she said.

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The efforts of advocacy groups to facilitate voting by educating and registering voters have made inmates casting ballots feel confident in their choices and proud of their participation, Gubser said.

A detainee votes at an early voting polling place inside Division 11 of the Cook County Jail, March 25, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Groups including Chicago Votes and Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights have worked to push voting rights inside the jail, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners spokesperson Max Bever said. He praised their work.

Everyone who is eligible to vote should have access to the ballot box, Bever said. In February, 629 inmates used same-day registration, he said.

Those efforts lit up an otherwise drab white-cinderblock room in the jail on a mid-March Tuesday morning as students from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics Bridge program worked to inform inmates on how to vote and what would be on the ballot.

The students passed out information sheets, including question and answer pages from the two mayoral candidates.

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A healthy democracy works when everyone who has the right to vote expresses that right, undergraduate Estrella Hernandez told the two dozen inmates wearing the jails loose, khaki uniforms.

The students went over the history of voting and disenfranchisement. Most jail inmates have the right to vote, they explained.

People released from jail on parole or probation can cast ballots, they said. However, inmates currently serving a sentence in a federal or state prison, county jail or who are out on furlough cannot vote, they added.

So, even if youre on bail or bond, youre subject to electronic monitoring, you are held in pretrial detention or youve been recently arrested but not convicted, you still retain your right to vote, Hernandez said.

The inmates posed basic questions, the ones that hassle all voters and are only trickier to answer in jail.

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How would we know weve registered? one asked.

An online tool allows people to see whether they are registered, Hernandez said, but prohibitions on inmates access to the internet might prevent them from using it.

Other inmates wanted to know where Paul Vallas and his mayoral runoff opponent, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, stood on different issues. They wanted to know the candidates positions on public transportation, what they thought about affordable health care, how they feel about the SAFE-T Act and who endorsed whom.

Has he ever given out free gas or anything like that? one inmate asked about Johnson and Vallas. Business owner Willie Wilson, known for his gas giveaways, comfortably won the jails precinct with 30% of the vote during the February election.

The students trod lightly as they responded to the political probes, avoiding preferences for either candidate in their answers..

Were not here to tell you who to vote for or what to vote about, but that you can do it and, if you are so inclined, that you should, sociology masters student Lizzie Lewandowski said.

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Percy Hicks studied the candidate handouts closely as the students spoke. After the information session, he said the voting discussion made him think about kids. Be it safety or schools, public policy always comes back to them, he said.

Hicks, 42, plans to vote in the mayoral runoff but declined to share for whom.

Ive got my people out there, Hicks said. I think my voice is going to be heard.

He says the most important issue Chicago faces is crime. A greater focus on mental health would help, added Hicks, whose records show he is awaiting trial on drug charges.

Crime tops inmate Amjad Asaads concerns too. The father of a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, Asaad said he voted in February and plans to vote again to make it a better Chicago, a safer world for our kids to grow up in.

He isnt sure who hell vote for but liked hearing that Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, has ties to police.

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That makes me feel safe, Asaad said. If theres no safety, there is no future.

Asaad, 39, appreciated the University of Chicago students coming in to share voting information. People taking the time to help him vote makes him feel like somebody, he added.

Youre not even guilty until youre actually proven guilty, said Asaad, who faces vehicular hijacking and weapons charges. Theres so many people who are incarcerated that need to be heard.

And heard they are. Ald. Monique Scott, who is well-positioned to win a runoff for the 24th Ward City Council seat after being appointed to the position in June, said she is well aware that the jail precinct is the most active precinct in her ward.

While many jail inmates are registered at their homes and not the jail, many of the detainees use the jails address as the address for their voter registration. The 1,165 votes from the jails precinct, which also includes some land north of the jail, more than doubled the 24th Wards second-highest precinct vote total.

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Scott said many inmates may vote because it gives them something to do. But the detainees also have important concerns about the community, she added.

Theyre constituents. They all have a right to vote, Scott said. Every person should have a right to vote ... Everybody should be treated human.

Scott says she can do little to affect jail policy because the jail is run by the county, not the city. Still, she reached out to acquaintances who work at the jail to learn more about the issues inmates face. As a result, she plans to advocate for better food at the jail, she said.

While its hard to do much as an alderwoman for people who are under the jails supervision, Scott said she can serve them by addressing the issues they and people outside the jail care about, like cleanliness and road quality.

Scott said she was bothered that turnout in many precincts was smashed by people who dont even have freedom. But inmates voting doesnt trouble her, she said.

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After the voting information session, Hannah Kaplan, a University of Chicago public policy masters student who also volunteered, called it crazy that the Cook County Jail became the first in the country to work as an in-person voting precinct in 2020.

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To say that people in jail have the right to vote but then not have a polling place in a jail is still effectively taking away the right to vote, she said.

Voting is linked with lower rates of recidivism, fellow student Lewandowski added.

People arent in jail forever, she said. People get out. People come home. And people should still be able to engage with the things that are going to shape their community.

Some inmates stop Hernandez after the information sessions and tell her they didnt know they could vote before, she shared. For the students, the jail visits break through anything you read on a page.

When people have access to this tool, they do want to vote, Hernandez said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said India has decided to work closely with other Central Asian countries on cultural exchanges and to strengthen age-old cultural linkages to bind the people of the region together. It has been decided that the participating countries will organize a culture program of one country in another, to showcase the culture of all the countries together. The minister on Monday virtually hosted the first India-Central Asia Culture Ministers' Meeting. "This was the first meeting. In the coming days, we have decided to work closely with other central Asian countries on cultural issues. Have decided to meet regularly," the minister told ANI. The minister said that last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said all countries of Central Asia should work closely and with cooperation on every subject. "Based on the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first meeting of the Central Asia culture ministers has come to an end. All the ministers have given various suggestions with enthusiasm to work together on this culture exchange, to organize a culture program of one country in another, to showcase the culture of all the countries together. A draft statement was also circulated by the Central office," Reddy said. The meeting also saw the participation of the Culture Ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, according to a release issued by the Ministry of Culture. According to the release, the India-Central Asia Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January last year laid emphasis on promoting cultural cooperation for better understanding of culture between the Central Asian countries and strengthening age-old cultural linkages which bind our people together. The meeting, today, followed the resolution of the Leaders to promote cultural cooperation for better understanding of culture between the Central Asian countries and strengthening age-old cultural linkages of the region. The ministers presented their perspective to take forward their leaders' commitment for further strengthening of cultural cooperation in the region. At the end of the meeting, the Indian side proposed a Joint Statement in testimony to the first India-Central Asia Culture Ministers Meeting. The participants agreed to convey their consent at the earliest to acknowledge the meeting and its continuance at regular intervals, according to the official press release. (ANI)
The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday expressed its "deep concern" over the "arbitrary suspension" of social media accounts of several journalists and media organisations in Punjab over the last few days and noted that the state government's actions "under the pretext of maintaining security" undermine press freedom. In a statement, the Editors Guild said that the official Twitter account of BBC Punjabi was withheld on March 27, though it was restored later in the day and social media accounts of a senior staffer at the Indian Express as well as some other prominent journalists were also suspended in a similar manner. "This has been part of the larger restrictions on internet services as well as orders of suspension of several social media accounts other than that of journalists, by the Government of Punjab since March 17th, as part of the man-hunt to arrest the radical preacher Amritpal Singh," the statement said. The Editors Guild said it is concerned that in the suspension of all these social media handles, no due processes were followed and they were carried out against the principles of natural justice. "In the judgment of Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, the Supreme Court of India had expressly laid down that all reasonable efforts must be made to identify and notify the people whose information is sought to be blocked before access is restricted, as well as a right to appeal. No such process seems to have been followed in any of these shutdowns. "Notwithstanding the fact that some of the accounts were later restored, or for that matter that many of the accounts suspended may not have been that of journalists or those associated with news organisations, the Guild is concerned that under the pretext of maintaining security, the state government's arbitrary actions undermine press freedom," the statement said. The Editors Guild said the widespread action against journalists and the larger media fraternity has created an atmosphere of fear in Punjab that is not conducive to free and fair journalism. "We urge the state and central governments as well as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to act with restraint in all such cases, and base action if required on due diligence based on facts and in adherence to processes laid down by the Supreme Court of India," the statement said. "We also urge MeitY to release all the orders of suspension in the public domain, in the interest of transparency and the spirit of the law," it added. (ANI)
Dalai Lama, the 14th spiritual leader of Tibet, has identified a boy as the latest reincarnation of the Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the faith's leader in Mongolia, and this decision irritates China, Brooke Schedneck writes in Asia Times. In the attendance of more than 5,600 people at the March 2023 ceremony in Dharamsala, India, Dalai Lama identified a young boy to be the reincarnation of the Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche. The writer of this article, Brooke Schedneck is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Rhodes College. Due to the tense relations between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government, however, recognizing someone as the reincarnation of a Buddhist figure is not only religiously significant but politically fraught. Today, the process to select the next Dalai Lama has remained uncertain. After China forcefully took over Tibet, in 1959 Dalai Lama flew to India and set up a government in exile. The Dalai Lama is revered by Tibetan people, who have maintained their devotion over the past 70 years of Chinese rule. China, who wanted to take complete control over Tibet, not just geographically but also culturally, detained Dalai Lama's choice for the successor of the 10th Panchen Lama, named Gendun Choeki Nyima when he was 6 years old in 1959, Brooke Schedneck said. Since then China has refused to give details of his whereabouts. Panchen lama is the second most important tulku lineage in Tibetan Buddhism. After the 11th Panchen Lama was detained, Tibetans protested against the Chinese government. Responding to such protest, China appointed its own Panchen Lama, the son of a Chinese security officer. The panchen lamas and Dalai Lamas have historically played major roles in recognizing each other's next incarnations. China also wants to appoint its own Dalai Lama. But it is important to Tibetan Buddhists that they are in charge of the selection process. Looking at the threats from China, the 14th Dalai Lama has made a number of statements that would make it difficult for a Chinese-appointed 15th Dalai Lama to be seen as legitimate. For example, he has stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama might not be needed anymore. However, he has also said it is up to the people if they want to preserve this aspect of Tibetan Buddhism and continue the Dalai Lama lineage. The Dalai Lama has indicated that he will decide, on turning 90 in four years' time, whether he will be reborn, according to Asia Times. Another option the Dalai Lama has proposed is announcing his next reincarnation before he dies. In this scenario, the Dalai Lama would transfer his spiritual realization to the successor. A third alternative, Tibetan spiritual leader, Tenzin Gyatso, has articulated is that if he dies outside of Tibet, and the Panchen Lama remains missing, his reincarnation would be located abroad, most likely in India. Experts believe the Chinese government's search, however, would take place in Tibet, led by the Chinese-appointed panchen lama. Finally, he mentioned the possibility of being reborn as a beautiful woman but after this comment, he received widespread criticism in 2019, his office released a statement of apology and regret for the hurt he had caused. The Dalai Lama is confident that no one would trust the Chinese government's choice. The Tibetan people, as he has said, would never accept a Chinese-appointed Dalai Lama. The US government has expressed support for the Dalai Lama. In December 2020, the US Senate passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act, which recognizes the autonomy of the Tibetan people. The Biden administration reiterated in March 2021 that the Chinese government should have no role in the Dalai Lama's succession. According to the author, the announcement or identification of 15th Dalai Lama will take place outside of Tibet and under the watch of international media and a global Tibetan diaspora - with much at stake. (ANI)
One person was killed when a bus carrying migrant workers crashed head-on into a tanker truck on a highway, a Florida sheriff said.

The bus, which had 38 people on board, was traveling westbound on a highway around 6 a.m. on April 3 when it crashed in Fort Meade, according to a news release from the Polk County Sheriffs Office.

For unknown reasons, the bus crossed into the eastbound lane and struck a tanker head-on, deputies said. The tanker was carrying 8,400 pounds of unleaded fuel, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference.

One person on the bus died at the scene, the release says. Nine other people from the bus were taken to nearby hospitals, according to deputies. The driver of the tanker truck was also injured and taken to a hospital.

The bus was bringing workers to pick strawberries in Plant City, about 45 miles northwest of where it crashed in central Florida, the sheriffs office said.

Authorities did not release any information about the person who died.

A photo shared by Polk County Fire Rescue showed a bus resembling a school bus turned nearly onto its side with the front heavily damaged.

Some fuel from the tanker leaked onto the highway, the release says. The remaining fuel was being transferred to another truck.

The bus is owned by Outlook Harvesting in Winter Haven, according to the sheriffs office. A supervisor at the company did not return a message left by McClatchy News.

All crashes are gut-wrenching, Judd said during the news conference , but when you see that theres a group of folks who were on their way to do hard work that most of society wont do so that we can have the ability to have fresh fruit, and for reasons unknown at this point in the investigation the driver careens over the center line head-on into another vehicle, its very sad.

Judd said the sheriffs office would be following up with the passengers on the bus to see if they would need services and would also notify their countries of origin, but he added those who werent injured can be expected to go back to their normal routine of work and life.

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Fort Meade is about 50 miles southwest of Tampa.

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A former president of the United States will appear before a court in New York City on Tuesday to be arraigned on criminal charges  a first of its kind event in American history.

The arraignment of former President Trump will be a spectacle, as the man leading GOP presidential polls for 2024 visits his former hometown in the midst of a widening primary fight.

Trumps indictment is seen by many as providing a boost for his nascent efforts at reelection, with Republican allies and foes starkly criticizing what theyve labeled as a politically-motivated prosecution.

A grand jury in New York voted to indict Trump in connection with his alleged role in hush money paid amid his 2016 presidential campaign to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her allegations of an affair, which Trump denies.

There are a number of unanswered questions related to the matter, with Trump expected to surrender to prosecutors in Manhattan on still-unknown charges.

Here are some of the biggest questions, and what we know about the answers.

Where is Trump and how is he getting to the courthouse?

Trump traveled Monday to New York before his arraignment and will stay at his Trump Tower overnight before heading to the courthouse for surrender late Tuesday morning.

The arraignment is scheduled for 2:15 p.m.

What will be public?

Its not entirely clear what will be public and what will be behind closed doors.

A number of media outlets have requested that Judge Juan Merchan, who is set to preside over the case, allow a limited number of photographers, videographers and radio journalists inside the courtroom during the former presidents arraignment. The news outlets that have asked for the permission include The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.

Merchan is expected to issue an order on whether he will allow the cameras in the courtroom on Monday.

He invited lawyers for both Trump and the district attorney to submit any concerns they may have about the presence of cameras by 1 p.m. Monday.

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What is an indictment?

An indictment is formal notice to an individual that its believed theyve committed a crime. For felony charges, a grand jury examines evidence and votes secretly on whether theres sufficient evidence that a crime occurred. A grand jury in New York voted to indict Trump last week.

The indictment includes basic information, but specific charges are typically revealed at an arraignment. An indictment is not a conviction.

What is an arraignment?

An arraignment is a criminal defendants first appearance in court.

At this initial hearing on the case, Trump will hear the specific charges against him read by the judge. Hell be asked how he wants to plead  and his attorney Joe Tacopina has already said his team plans for Trump to plead not guilty.

What charges will Trump face?

The charges Trump will face are unknown for now, though its possible the indictment will be unsealed when Trump appears in court.

The media outlets that have requested the access of cameras in the courtroom have also asked the judge to unseal the indictment before the arraignment. It is unclear whether Merchan will grant the request ahead of Trumps arrival at the courthouse.

Some reports have suggested that Trump could face dozens of charges, but the precise number is a mystery.

Will he get a mugshot  and will that be released?

Trump is expected to have his mugshot taken, but New York law discourages the public release of booking photos in most cases without a legitimate law enforcement need to release the image.

However, the former president would still be able to release the photo on his own, according to the Albany Times Union.

Trumps longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who was jailed for his involvement in the hush money payment to Daniels, said on Sunday he thinks Trump will absolutely go through the formalities of being fingerprinted and getting his booking photo taken.

Will he be handcuffed?

Tacopina, who represents Trump, said over the weekend that much about Tuesday was still up in the air, including whether the former president will face a perp walk, but that he doesnt expect Trump will be handcuffed.

Tacopina said Sunday he hopes the arraignment process is painless and classy.

The Manhattan district attorneys office has reached out to Trumps team to coordinate the court appearance, which has included deliberations with the Secret Service.

Will he be released?

Trump is expected to be released after his arraignment and has set plans to speak at his Palm Beach residence later on Tuesday.

The former president will likely be free to travel after the arraignment because the charges against him arent expected to include any violent felonies.

Are protests expected?

Ahead of the indictment, Trump had called on his supporters to protest his anticipated arrest, which stoked worries about possible violence and prompted even some in Trumps party to stress that any protests should stay peaceful.

No widespread demonstrations took place, but authorities have been taking precautions surrounding the indictment and arraignment.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said over the weekend that shell take part in a protest coordinated by the New York Young Republican Club around noon on Tuesday, before the 2:15 p.m. arraignment.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) on Monday warned Greene and the protesters to be on your best behavior.

Secret Service agents have been involved in preparations for Trumps Tuesday appearance, according to The Washington Post.

Will the judge issue a gag order in the case?

Merchan could impose a gag order, which would block Trump, his legal team and witnesses from publicly discussing the case.

Gag order violations mean a party could be held in contempt of court. Legal observers say a gag order is uncommon, but that it has been done before.

Will Trump make any public comments?

Trump is set to give remarks from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday night, indicating hell jet back to Palm Beach just after his expected appearance in Manhattan earlier that day.

Hes slated to speak at 8:15 p.m., just six hours after his arraignment.

Assuming there is no gag order, Trump will likely talk about the indictment and the case to some degree. If there is a gag order, its an open question to what degree Trump will talk.

It is unclear whether Trump will speak from Manhattan before or after his expected court appearance on Tuesday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 16-year-old boy was on a ride with friends when he fell from a Jeep without doors, according to local news reports.

Officers with the Houston Police Department were called to a Kingwood neighborhood late Saturday, April 1, KHOU reported.

Authorities learned the teenager took his seatbelt off and held onto a strap instead, according to KIAH. Police said the strap broke before he was tossed from the vehicle.

He was with four friends at the time of the incident, KTRK reported.

The teen was rushed to Texas Childrens Hospital in critical condition, KIAH reported.

Authorities do not expect charges to be filed, according to KHOU. An investigation is ongoing.

Kingwood is about 30 miles northeast of Houston.

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West Lafayette Police Department

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A rash of thefts from cars and stolen vehicle reports ended about 4:45 a.m. Sunday with the arrest of a 15-year-old West Lafayette boy and a 16- year-old Lafayette boy.

Police suspect the two juveniles were stealing from cars in the New Chauncey area starting March 26, according to a West Lafayette police news release. Police also suspect the boys of stealing two cars from the area, one of which had a handgun locked inside it.

The boys are suspected of leading Lafayette police on a chase in the second stolen vehicle.

Both cars later were recovered, but police did not recovered the handgun in the stolen vehicle, according to the news release. After the juvenile's arrest, police found the stolen sidearm and many of the other items stolen from various vehicles in the New Chauncey area, police said.

Because of the thefts, West Lafayette police began concentrated patrols in the New Chauncey area, and about 4:45 a.m. Sunday, officers saw two people near a car behind a home near Lutz Avenue and Rusk Street, according to the news release. The juveniles were attempting to steal the car but got it stuck and ran away, police said.

The case has been referred to the juvenile justice system for possible prosecution.

Police said the case remains open and ask anyone with information about these theft or anyone who might be a victim of a recent theft in West Lafayette to contact the West Lafayette Police Department at (765) 775-5200.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 2 boys suspected of car thefts in New Chauncey area
Alison Thomas.

ASHEVILLE - Two more people have been charged and arrested in a case where a woman's body was found in the Nantahala National Forest, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office.

In a March 23 Facebook post, the Sheriff's Office announced that the U.S. Marshals Service had arrested 29-year-old Shawn Adkins of West Virginia. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder, according to the Sheriff's Office.

On March 31, "Law enforcement personnel from the Union County Sheriffs Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Transylvania County Sheriffs Office arrested 39-year-old William Mulenex of Brevard" in connection to the case, according to another post from the Sheriff's Office. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Two other suspects in the case, who were arrested earlier in the investigation, all face first-degree murder charges now, the Sheriff's Office said.

"All suspects charged and arrested in this case remain in custody at this time," the March 31 post said.

Past reporting: Missing woman found dead in Nantahala National Forest; homicide suspected

More: Asheville police: Violent crime up across city, property crime down in 2022

The two new arrests bring the total number to five announced.

The Sheriff's Office has said that Alison Thomas, 37, was last seen on Feb. 13 on Flint Ridge Road in northeastern Union County. Deputies, detectives and crime scene detectives began investigating her disappearance on Feb. 17, the day it was reported, according to the agency. She was found dead in the Nantahala National Forest, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.

Ryan Oehrli covers public safety, breaking news, courts and other beats for the Citizen Times. Comments? Questions? Tips? Send them to coehrli@citizentimes.com or 252-944-6816. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 2 more charged in Nantahala National Forest homicide case
Two workers were killed at John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday in a construction accident, authorities said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, said in a statement it received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble shortly after 11 a.m.

Emergency services responded to the scene in an attempt to rescue the workers, who were declared dead at the scene, officials said.

The Port Authority said in an update to USA TODAY the workers were relocating utility lines "in the vicinity of cogeneration plant to support the increased energy needs of the JFK redevelopment project."

The identities of the deceased workers and their employer are pending next of kin notification, authorities said.

A spokesperson for the city's fire department told the Associated Press it happened in a trench near the airport's busy Terminal 7. The emergency response resulted in airport traffic delays for over three hours, the airport said. Flight operations were not affected.

The Port Authority said a stop order was issued for all construction at the airport and will remain in place "until safety reviews have been conducted."

"The Port Authority is conducting a thorough investigation and will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies," the statement read.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul offered her condolences on Twitter to the loved ones of the people "tragically killed".

My thoughts are with the loved ones of two people tragically killed while working on a construction site at @JFKairport earlier today. @PANYNJ is conducting a thorough investigation of the incident.  Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 3, 2023

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Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 construction workers killed at John F. Kennedy International Airport
Two construction workers died at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Monday morning after both were trapped under rubble at a construction site on the property, officials said.

The workers were trapped in a trench for more than an hour after an accident at an airport construction site that involved some kind of collapse, CBS New York reported, which recorded aerial footage of the scene outside the generating facility that provides power to JFK. The incident happened at around 11 a.m. local time, according to airport officials.

Video footage shows numerous first responders crowded around what appears to be a long and narrow ditch cordoned off by planks, while the arm of a bulldozer parked near the edge reaches downward.

Both individuals trapped in the trench were transported to a hospital after being pulled out, CBS New York reported, but neither survived their injuries.

The Port Authority, the agency that oversees regional transit in New York and New Jersey, confirmed the deaths of both workers in a statement released Monday afternoon, as did the airport.

At approximately 11:08 a.m. today, PAPD received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble at JFK International Airport. PAPD ESU, FDNY and EMS responded to the scene. Both workers have been confirmed dead. (1/2)  John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) April 3, 2023

Details about the construction site incident and how a collapse may have occurred are still unclear. According to the Port Authority statement, officials "received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble at JFK International Airport" on Monday morning and the Port Authority dispatched its own police officers to respond to the scene along with New York City firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.

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All construction at JFK has been stopped in the wake of the incident. The Port Authority said it "is conducting a thorough investigation" into what happened and "will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies."

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Good morning, Chicago.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere Sunday morning to survey damage caused by the Friday tornado that killed one man and injured more than 40 adults during a metal concert.

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Later in the day, he held a news conference in Robinson, a city of roughly 7,200 people about 290 miles southeast of Belvidere. Three people were killed and eight others injured in the Robinson area, which is located in Crawford County.

Twelve tornadoes tore through Illinois Friday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed.

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This is a devastating day for the families of the deceased, Pritzker said at the afternoon news conference, flanked by various state and Crawford County officials. There are no words that can alleviate the pain of such a tragic and sudden loss.

With more severe weather predicted for Election Day, the Chicago Board of Elections urged voters to early vote Monday or vote early in the day Tuesday. The weather service is forecasting damaging winds, hail and potential tornadoes Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Read the full story.

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Mayoral candidates Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, left, and Paul Vallas, right, Jan. 23, 2023 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Since Feb. 28, the Chicago Tribune has sent reporters and photographers around the city to follow mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson as theyve pressed their case to voters.

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 >

Weve watched them campaign in churches, community centers, train stations, art galleries and restaurants, from the Far South Side to Austin and Edgewater. Here are two stories from the campaign trail.

The four defendants charged in the ComEd bribery scheme are, from left, consultant Jay Doherty, lobbyist and former ComEd executive John Hooker, retired lobbyist Michael McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. (Brian Cassella and Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The shockingly abrupt end to House Speaker Michael Madigans nearly four-decade reign over Illinois politics was only two years away when a trio of key players in the ongoing ComEd Four trial gathered in early 2019 for a secretly recorded conference call.

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Unaware of the bribery investigation swirling around them, Anne Pramaggiore and Michael McClain were planning a bright future in Madigans good graces. First, though, they had to hash out a problem: Who was going to be their new point person to maintain the cozy relationship with Madigan and keep the legislative wins coming?

Real estate broker Molly Sundby, left, gives a tour to a prospective buyer, March 19, 2023, at the Cirrus condominium building in Lakeshore East. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Spring is typically a time when the number of real estate transactions starts to pick up again after the slower winter months. But this year, Chicago-area buyers are facing historically low levels of available homes, as more sellers stay on the sidelines because of high mortgage rates and fears that the tight supply of homes might make it difficult for them to find another place to live.

Chicago Cubs baserunner Dansby Swanson is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (0) at second base on a steal attempt to end the first inning of a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on April 2, 2023. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Jameson Taillon has a theory on the evolution of starting pitching. Innings are making a little bit of a comeback, the Chicago Cubs starter recently told Paul Sullivan. I think innings are kind of sexy again.

If Taillon is correct, it means more starters lasting later in games before giving way to the parade of relievers and the pendulum swinging back to the pre-analytics era.

Taylor Mason, who started Taylor's Tacos as a catering and pop-up operation more than 8 years ago, now has her own brick-and-mortar shop located in the 1500 block of Taylor Street in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

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After a three-year hiatus because of COVID-19, Pensacola and its Japanese sister city, Gero, have resumed student exchange visits just in time to mark the program's 30th anniversary.

The Pensacola-Gero Exchange Program was started in 1993 when a superintendent of what was then Hagiwara, Japan, and an American educator teaching English in Japan came to Pensacola with the goal of creating an exchange program relationship between the cities.

The program is part of the larger Sister Cities International program. Groups of students visit their respective sister city, stay with host families, and teach and learn about one another's cultures through games, language and activities.

Laverne Baker, treasurer of Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida, said she cherishes how much love is generated between host families and the exchange students every year.

Japanese exchange students take turns with the gavel while sitting on the Pensacola City Council dais during a visit to City Hall on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

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It's just beautiful to watch that exchange of humaneness between each other, Baker said. It doesn't matter if you speak, if you can smile, you're thoughtful, polite, it just grows and its beautiful to watch.

Gero last week sent 15 eighth-grade students to spend a week in Pensacola to learn about the history, culture and language of the United States.

Mirei Kusakabe was one of the students, and during her first visit to the United States she went to the beach and saw dolphins, visited Brown Barge Middle School and was even able to present a gift to Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves.

I enjoyed Brown-Barge Middle School. We showed them Japanese culture, so in my case, calligraphy, Kusakabe said. It is difficult to explain but I enjoyed it.

The exchange program started with the University of West Florida as a conduit and eventually Brown-Barge was incorporated as a magnet middle school to work with junior high schools in Japan to facilitate student exchanges.

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Hagiwara eventually joined with several other small villages and joined the larger city of Gero in that area of Japan, and continued the sister city relationship with Pensacola.

From the archives: Pensacola Sister Cities International celebrates global family

Japanese exchange student Mirei Kusakabe presents Pensacola Mayor D.C. reeves with a gift during the student visit to City hall on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

During their week in Pensacola, students from Gero visited places like UWF, the walking trail around Blue Wahoos Stadium, Historic Pensacola Village and City Hall.

Even during the gap between the last student visit in 2019, Brown-Barge and Gero continued to send videos and gifts to each other to keep the spirit of the exchange program alive.

During Hurricane Ivan, Gero actually sent funds to help Pensacola recover and Pensacola has also sent funds to help Gero recover during floods.

Tyler Bryant, a Japanese-language teacher at Brown-Barge Middle School, watches over the program in Brown Barge and also visited Gero when he himself was a middle school student at the school.

He said the program benefits both countries since many local students may have never left Pensacola and many Gero students have never left their mountainous and countryside area. The students learn a valuable skill because even though they only speak a limited amount of their sister city's language, they can still communicate and forge friendships.

Those friendships and those bonds are created with very limited proficiency in any language, but they're there. So students learn how to communicate using different means and learn how to create common ground with people from different cultures and backgrounds, Bryant said. And I think it really does help tear down any types of biases or barriers that they may have in students and really open up their eyes to how big of a global world we live in."

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola and sister city Gero Japan resume student exchange program
First-grade teacher Abigail Zwerners student pulled a gun from his pocket and shot her about an hour after he showed the weapon to another child at recess, according to a new lawsuit.

School officials are accused of ignoring multiple warnings about the 6-year-old boy that day, including how Zwerner had reported the student was in a violent mood at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia on Jan. 6, a complaint says.

Zwerner, 25, ultimately survived the shooting that left her with bits of the bullet stuck in her chest and in need of hand surgeries, according to an April 3 news release on the lawsuit from Breit Biniazan law firm.

Seeing an open wound on your body and remembering how you got it is pretty traumatizing.  I think its been helpful now that theyve scarred over, but its still a reminder that hey this happened to you. This is what your bodys been through, Zwerner told Savannah Guthrie in an interview on NBCs Today show on March 21.

She believes the bullet fragments will always remain in her chest, she said during the interview.

Now, shes filed a $40 million lawsuit against the Newport News school board and former school superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton and former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker in Newport News Circuit Court.

Attorneys Kevin Biniazan and Jeffrey Breit of the Breit Biniazan law firm are representing Zwerner, alongside attorney Diane P. Toscano of the Toscano Law Group.

McClatchy News contacted a Newport News School Board official for comment on the lawsuit on April 3 and didnt immediately receive a response.

Essentially, this child was a ticking time bomb on school property and the administration chose to ignore the problem, Breit said in a statement.

Following the shooting, the Newport News school board chose to fire superintendent George Parker III, according to the Associated Press. Ebony Parker resigned from her position as assistant principal and Newton is no longer the principal but still works for the school district, the outlet reported.

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McClatchy News contacted Newtons attorney for comment on April 3 and didnt immediately receive a response. Attorney contact information for George Parker III and Ebony Parker wasnt immediately available.

No charges have been brought regarding the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

The boys history of random violence leading up to the shooting

Two days before Zwerners student shot her, the boy grabbed her phone and smashed it on the floor and shattered it, according to a complaint. He was suspended for a day and returned the day of the shooting, the complaint says.

At school, he had a history of random violence, with which all defendants were familiar, the complaint says.

His history includes how he had previously attacked students and strangled a teacher while in kindergarten, according to the complaint. He was removed from Richneck for the remainder of that year and sent to another school over his violent behavior, the complaint says.

He returned to Richneck for first grade in the fall of 2022, according to the complaint.

On the day of the shooting, his mom dropped him off and left, the complaint says. Prior to this, the school required a parent to accompany him each day for the first half of the school year due to his violent tendencies, the complaint says.

Around lunchtime around 11:30, Zwerner warned assistant principal Ebony Parker the boy was in a violent mood that day, had threatened to beat up a kindergartner during lunchtime, and angrily stared down a security officer in the cafeteria, the complaint says.

Ebony Parker is accused of ignoring these concerns, according to the complaint.

Soon afterward, two students told a school reading specialist that the boy had a gun in his backpack  which the student denied when he was questioned by the specialist, according to the complaint.

During recess, Zwerner told the school reading specialist she saw her student take something out of his backpack before recess and put it in the pocket of his hoodie, the complaint says.

The reading specialist searched the boys backpack in the classroom and didnt find anything before telling Ebony Parker about the concerns, according to the complaint.

Ebony Parker is accused of telling the specialist that the boys pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing, the complaint says.

When recess ended at 1 p.m., another student was crying and told another first-grade teacher that Zwerners student had showed him a gun in his pocket during recess and threatened him not to tell anyone, according to the complaint.

Afterward, Ebony Parker was told about this latest information but, according to the complaint, took no further action.

A guidance counselor then asked if he could search the boy for the gun, but Parker is accused of forbidding staff from doing so, according to the complaint. Virginia law would require a principal to immediately contact police about the reports of a weapon on campus, but she did not do so, the complaint says.

Shortly afterward around 1:59 p.m., Zwerner was sitting at her reading desk in class when the child pulled out the gun and shot her, according to the complaint.

The assault was not directed at her because she was an employee of Richneck Elementary Schoolbut was instead personal to her, the complaint says.

Zwerner is suing the defendants on several counts, including negligence, and demands a trial by jury.

Abigail Zwerner deserved more from the school system and now she will live with the results of their neglect for the rest of her life, Breit, her attorney, said.

Zwerner told Guthrie during the Today show interview that shes simply trying to stay positive as she recovers from the shooting.

Ive gone through a lot of obstacles and challenges, she said. Some days are not so good days where I cant get up out of bed. Some days are better than others where Im able to get out of bed and make it to my appointments.

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Floridas Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues.

The reports are public information.

During the most recent inspections in Manatee County, lack of employee handwashing, unsafe food temperatures and dirty equipment were among the issues that caught the attention of inspectors.

Here is what they found:

The WingHouse Bar & Grill, 2015 60th Ave. E., Ellenton

Wings were hot held at a temperature less than 135 degrees. Corrective action was taken.

Trash bags were blocking access to an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken.

A manager or person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification.

No soap was provided at an employee handwash sink in the bar area.

There was no hot water provided at multiple handwash sinks.

Single-use foil pans were stored on the floor. Corrective action was taken.

The interior and shelving of a reach-in cooler was soiled.

A case of chicken tenders was stored on the floor of a walk-in freezer. Corrective action was taken.





An employee item was stored on a prep table. Corrective action was taken.

Multiple cutting boards were damaged and no longer cleanable.

The restaurants current license was not displayed.

The interior of an ice machine was soiled with black, mold-like substance.

A follow-up inspection was required.

Las Maracuchas, 3501 14th St. W., Bradenton (food truck)

A manager or person in charge lacked proof of food manager certification.

There was no proof of required food safety training for any employees.

There was no proof provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.

Single-service utensils were stored unprotected from contamination. Corrective action was taken.

The business license numbers were not displayed on the vehicle.

A follow-up inspection was required.

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Thai Wasabi, 5250 E, S.R. 64, Bradenton

Cooked chicken, pork, scallops, squid and noodles were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees in a reach-in cooler. A stop sale was issued for the items due to temperature abuse. A person in charge discarded them.

There was no proof provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.

A spray bottle containing a toxic substance was unlabeled. Corrective action was taken.

Chicken was thawing without running water. Corrective action was taken.

Floors were soiled under cooking equipment.

The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit the next day.

Hungry Howies Pizza & Subs, 5726 Ranch Lake Blvd, Lakewood Ranch

During a follow-up visit for previous violations, an inspector found unresolved issues, including no proof of required food safety training for any employees.

Another follow-up visit was required.

Grand Buffet, 4848 14th St. W., Bradenton

An employee washed hands with no soap in a dishwashing area. An inspector advised on proper handwashing. Corrective action was taken.

Raw pork was stored over cooked ham and raw beef was stored over cooked hot dogs. Corrective action was taken.

Wiping cloth sanitizing solution exceeded the maximum concentration allowed. Corrective action was taken.

There was no proof provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.

Cooked chicken and cooked beef that were being held for future use were not date-marked. Corrective action was taken.

Hood filters were soiled with grease.

An employee preparing food at a sushi bar was not wearing a hair restraint. Corrective action was taken.

There was an accumulation of debris inside a warewashing machine.

The restaurant met inspection standards.

Mi Havana Latin Cafe & Catering, 1144 Whitfield Ave., Sarasota

An employee handled raw bacon and then changed gloves without washing hands. Corrective action was taken.

An employee handled a trash can and then handled clean equipment without first washing hands. Corrective action was taken.

A can opener blade was soiled. Corrective action was taken.

Items were blocking access to an employee handwash sink. Corrective action was taken.

Beans that were being held for future use in a reach-in cooler were not date-marked. Corrective action was taken.

Walls in warewashing and food prep areas were soiled.

The interior of a microwave was soiled.

There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in the interior of an ice machine.

The restaurant met inspection standards.





Caddys Bradenton, 801 Riverside Dr. E., Bradenton

Seafood chowder that was being reheated had not reached 165 degrees for at least 15 seconds within two hours. A stop sale was issued due to temperature abuse, and the food was discarded.

A cutting board was soiled with black, mold-like substance. Corrective action was taken. The cutting board was removed.

A handwash sink was used as a dump sink and to store soiled dishes. Corrective action was taken.

There was no proof provided that food employees were informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.

Walk-in cooler shelves were pitted with rust.

Gaskets on multiple cooling units were soiled with mold-like substance.

Hood filters were soiled with grease.

Two employees were preparing food without hair restraints. Corrective action was taken.

Two employees with facial hair were not wearing beard guards while preparing food. Corrective action was taken.

The restaurants current license was not displayed.

There was an accumulation of mold-like substance in the interior of an ice machine.

The restaurant met inspection standards.

Editors Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a snapshot of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and high-risk establishments tend to be inspected more frequently.

When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed at www.myfloridalicense.com.

The Bradenton Heralds weekly dirty dining reports list restaurants where inspectors found issues that might concern the average diner  such as unsafe food temperatures, employee hand-washing issues or moldy drink machines  regardless of whether or not the businesses passed inspection.
Oprah Winfrey's personal pedicurist told Insider the signs to spot a bad manicure or pedicure. anatoliy_gleb/Getty Images

Insider spoke to Gloria Williams  Oprah Winfrey's personal pedicurist for more than a decade.

Williams gave us the ultimate guide on how to spot a bad manicure or pedicure.

Those blue jars of disinfectant are a big no-no, and you should always get a base coat.

Gloria Williams has been Oprah Winfrey's personal pedicurist for more than a decade.

Williams first crossed paths with Winfrey in the spa at her production company, Harpo Studios. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Williams told Insider that she first crossed paths with Winfrey while working in the spa at Harpo Studios  Winfrey's production company  nearly two decades ago.

She then asked Winfrey's glam squad if she could give the TV legend one of her pedicures. Two years later, in 2009, Winfrey decided to make Williams her personal pedicurist.

"She said, 'That's it, only Gloria is doing my feet,'" Williams recalled. "And the journey began."

Williams  who says Winfrey "loves earth tones"  now runs Footnanny, a line of premium foot-care products that have appeared on Winfrey's "Favorite Things" list for the last eight years in a row.

Williams has been in the nail business for more than 30 years, so she knows how to spot a great  or terrible  manicure or pedicure.

Williams has also done pedicures for Michelle Obama and Lady Gaga. Gloria Williams

Winfrey isn't Williams' only famous client. She's also tended to the toes of Michelle Obama, Julia Roberts, and Lady Gaga, among many others.

Since Williams is a seasoned nail expert, Insider asked her how to spot the signs that you're about to have a bad manicure or pedicure.

And, reader, she didn't hold back.

You walk into the spa and see that the technician has run your foot basin with no liner.

The lining in a basin protects feet from cross-contamination. Wihteorchid/Getty Images

Williams told Insider that lining the basin protects your feet from cross-contamination. Plus, it's also required by law in most states.

So if you see an unlined foot basin, maybe it's best to go to a different place.

That jar of bright-blue disinfectant for the nail tools? That's also a big no-no.

Williams said your nail tools should come out of a fresh packet, not a jar of disinfectant. Igor_kell/Getty Images

Williams said it's a bad sign if the technician takes their nail tools  like the nippers and clippers  from a jar of sanitizing solution.

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"It should come from a packet  a sanitized packet," she added.

And make sure your nail file is fresh too.

Nail files should also be brand-new. Svetikd/Getty Images

"If they go to use a nail file on your toenails and they've used that on someone prior to you, you're about to have a bad pedicure," Williams said.

You should also pay attention to how the towels are treated.

It's a bad sign if a technician uses a towel they've dropped on the floor. Flavio Coelho/Getty Images

If someone at the spa or salon drops a towel on the floor and still uses it anyway, Williams said that's a major red flag.

If they clean your nail or polish with their own fingernail, run.

Williams said your fingers should be cleaned with an orange wood stick (pictured) or disposable brush. Voyagerix/Getty Images

"It should be done with an orange wood stick or a disposable cleaning brush," Williams said. "Not a reusable one."

Make sure the technician doesn't have too much nail polish on the brush.

If your polish is running, it's a bad sign. RuslanDashinsky/Getty Images

If the polish is running, that's another sign you're not going to have the best mani or pedi.

You should always get a base coat before the color goes on.

Your manicure or pedicure should always have a base coat, no matter the polish. Anetlanda/Getty Images

"Polish without a base coat, that's number one!" she said. "I've seen places where I'm like, wait a minute, they didn't put a base coat? You have to have a base coat!"

"Regular polish or gel polish, if they go to polish your toenails with no base coat, that's it," she added. "And they're doing it so you come back and spend more money."

And a top coat is just as important.

A top coat is also essential for a good mani or pedi. Petrenkod/Getty Images

"You've got to have a top coat," Williams said. "But sometimes the base and top coat might be the same, and that's OK."

Read the original article on Insider
Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal at left, is competing against former Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative. Protasiewicz has spoken openly about her support for abortion rights and opposition to Republican gerrymandering.

Judge Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal at left, is competing against former Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative. Protasiewicz has spoken openly about her support for abortion rights and opposition to Republican gerrymandering.

MILWAUKEE  Wisconsinites are set to elect a new justice to the states Supreme Court on Tuesday.

State Supreme Court races are often sleepy affairs, not least in Wisconsin, where they occur in the springtime  months away from elections with greater turnout.

But this particular race has extraordinarily high stakes, eliciting an accordingly larger share of attention and resources.

The contest, prompted by the impending retirement of conservative Justice Patience Roggensack, will determine whether conservatives continue to hold a 4-3 majority on Wisconsins highest court, or if liberals hold the balance of power on the bench.

Wisconsin Democrats, who are all in for liberal Judge Janet Protasiewicz, see the chance to strike down a state-level abortion ban from 1849, undo Republican gerrymandering, and safeguard the battleground states election process ahead of the 2024 presidential and congressional elections.

Republicans rooting for conservative Daniel Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, believe they are locked in a similarly apocalyptic fight to prevent what they see as activist judges from overruling a host of bills passed by the states duly elected lawmakers.

A decade of conservative reforms hang in the balance, and the crown jewel of all of that is the maps because of the impact it could have.a Milwaukee-area Republican strategist

As a result, spending in the race has exceeded $45 million  three times the previous national record in a judicial election. And it is by all accounts, a neck-and-neck race.

The combination of a tipping point election for control of the state Supreme Court and its relevance for hot-button issues like abortion rights and gerrymandering, make this maybe the biggest Wisconsin Supreme Court race that weve ever had, said Robert Yablon, a constitutional law professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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In fact, because of the potential effect of the races outcome on gerrymandering and elections, the impact of Tuesdays contest could extend far beyond Wisconsins borders. Specifically, how the Wisconsin Supreme Court adjudicates election law disputes could determine the outcome of the presidential election, and the fate of the states gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps could decide which party controls Congress.

A decade of conservative reforms hang in the balance, and the crown jewel of all of that is the maps because of the impact it could have, said a Milwaukee-area Republican strategist, who requested anonymity to protect professional relationships. We could not only have the maps change and that could affect the legislature, but it could also flip the [U.S.] House [for Democrats].

Protesters make their way to the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda during a January march in support of overturning Wisconsin's near total ban on abortion.

Protesters make their way to the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda during a January march in support of overturning Wisconsin's near total ban on abortion.

Abortion On The Docket

Its hard to believe now, but when Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, he carried the state of Wisconsin by nearly 14 percentage points. At the time, the state had a Democratic governor and two Democratic U.S. senators; five out of its eight U.S. House members were Democrats.

Since then, Wisconsin has undergone one of the most remarkable rightward shifts in the country. When Republican Gov. Scott Walker won in 2010, he moved swiftly to gut the states labor unions  a key source of Democratic donations and field power  and ensure that the states new congressional and legislative maps favored the GOP. By the time Donald Trump narrowly won the Badger State in 2016, it was already a place where conservative politics had been ascendant for years.

Discontent with Trump among many Republicans and independents helped Democrats oust Walker in 2018 and flip the state for President Joe Biden in 2020. And in 2022, the backlash to the U.S. Supreme Courts June decision striking down a federal right to abortion helped keep the governors mansion in Democratic hands.

But if the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs opinion provided a momentary political jolt for Wisconsin Democrats, it also demonstrated the limits of the partys recent gains.

Following the judicial ruling, an 1849 law criminalizing abortion took effect in Wisconsin, prompting doctors and clinics to stop offering the procedure in the state.

As Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) speaks in 2019, Republican state legislative leaders look on behind him. GOP leaders often refuse to engage with Evers' proposals.

As Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) speaks in 2019, Republican state legislative leaders look on behind him. GOP leaders often refuse to engage with Evers' proposals.

Wisconsins antebellum abortion ban  passed one year after Wisconsin became a state  makes it a felony for anyone to perform an abortion, unless it is to save the mothers life. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. People found guilty of violating the law can be punished by up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Wisconsin Republicans, who have large majorities in the state legislature, thwarted Democratic Gov. Tony Evers attempts to repeal the law or subject abortion policy to a referendum. The Republican legislatures typical method for dispensing with the special legislative sessions that Evers convenes is to ceremonially gavel the session in, and gavel it to a close moments later without voting on any of Evers proposals.

Perhaps feeling the political heat for their opposition to abortion rights, Wisconsin Republicans have more recently tried to position themselves as amenable to compromise. In March, GOP lawmakers proposed legislation to create exceptions for rape and incest, and clarifying medical exemptions, but Evers has said he will not entertain proposals that fall short of the abortion rights guaranteed in the U.S. Supreme Courts 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.

Instead, Democrats hope to defeat the 1849 law in court. Immediately after the Dobbs decision, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat first elected in the same 2018 wave as Evers, filed a lawsuit to stop the 1849 law from being implemented. He argues that the law is unenforceable because, among other things, a 1985 Wisconsin barring abortion after fetal viability implicitly recognized a basic right to an abortion, and thus should supersede the old 1849 law.

Kauls lawsuit, filed against county prosecutors who might enforce the 1849 law, is still making its way through the lower courts, and is expected to eventually come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

That has made abortion rights  and the fate of Kauls lawsuit  the most important issue in the race to fill Roggensacks seat.

But running as a pro-choice judicial candidate is trickier than it sounds. Wisconsins code of judicial conduct forbids judicial candidates from stating how they would rule in specific cases that might come before them.

So Protasiewicz, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge who previously worked as a prosecutor, has spoken about her values as a way of signaling to voters what they can expect from her tenure. Those values are a dominant theme in her TVads, which inform voters that Protasiewicz believes, Women should have the freedom to make their own decisions on abortion. She also has the support of major pro-choice groups like EMILYs List and NARAL Pro-Choice America, though she has said that the endorsements were not the product of any promises she made to deliver a particular outcome.

Any decision that I render will be made based solely on the law and the Constitution, she said during her sole televised debate with Kelly on March 21.

Your values  whether you think there should be abortion rights or shouldnt be abortion rights  have nothing to do with whether something is constitutional.Rick Esenberg, president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty

But Kelly and his allies maintain that Protasiewiczs discussions of her personal views reflect an attempt to interpret the law based on desired policy outcomes.

Your values  whether you think there should be abortion rights or shouldnt be abortion rights  have nothing to do with whether something is constitutional, said Rick Esenberg, president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative nonprofit law firm.

For her part, Protasiewicz has pushed Kelly to answer for the endorsements he has received from anti-abortion groups like Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right to Life, which typically ask their candidates to commit to fighting for abortion restrictions.

If hes elected, I can tell you with 100% certainty: That abortion ban will stay on the books, Protasiewicz told HuffPost in an interview at the Milwaukee offices of a campaign consultant.

Kelly, who was appointed to fill out the remainder of a state Supreme Court justices term in 2016 and lost his bid for a full term in 2020, has insisted that those groups pledges do not apply to judicial candidates.

The conversations we had were this: Will you pledge to follow them? Will you uphold the Constitution? Will you do the job of a justice and simply use existing law to decide the cases that come before the court? he said during the debate.

Charlie Sykes, an anti-Trump conservative based in the Milwaukee suburbs, isnt buying it.

He has spent the entire campaign making it absolutely clear how he would rule on everything, Sykes said.

Indeed, last week, at an event hosted by former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, Kelly assured a conservative audience that they would not have to worry about how he would rule on a host of conservative priorities, such as gun rights, gerrymandering and voter ID laws.

Daniel Kelly had a number of tense exchanges with Janet Protasiewicz during their sole televised debate. They both accuse one another of promoting judicial activism.

Daniel Kelly had a number of tense exchanges with Janet Protasiewicz during their sole televised debate. They both accuse one another of promoting judicial activism.

Attorney For The GOP With Ties To Election Deniers

The two candidates disagreement over abortion mirrors a larger fight over the extent to which either of them is a partisan judge.

Thanks in part to the $8 million she has received from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Protasiewicz has developed a massive fundraising advantage over Kelly, spending $13 million to his $2.4 million. The liberal billionaires George Soros, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), and Oklahoma couple Stacy and Lynn Schusterman, have each given the state party $1 million in the final weeks of the race.

Protasiewicz has promised to recuse herself from any case involving the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, though conservatives argue that she would have to deal with liberal groups closely aligned with the state party.

And while Kelly is receiving less direct help from the Republican Party, he is receiving major, partisan conservative support through other means.

For one thing, Kelly has welcomed the Republican Party of Wisconsins mobilization of voters on his behalf, which counts as an in-kind contribution. And an array of conservative outside groups backing Kelly have helped offset Protasiewiczs direct fundraising edge with multimillion-dollar advertising blitzes of their own. The Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce Issues Mobilization Council, a big business umbrella group, has spent $5.8 million in support of Kelly  and Fair Courts America, a group bankrolled by billionaire Republican mega-donor Dick Uihlein of Illinois, has spent another $5.2 million on his behalf.

Dont you think there should be a Supreme Court justice who isnt going to vote to overturn the 2024 election results if they dont come out the way that he wants?Judge Janet Protasiewicz, liberal candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court

Kelly, however, has taken the most heat for his work advising the Republican Party of Wisconsin on election issues before and after the 2020 presidential election. The former chairman of the state GOP told the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol that he had consulted Kelly about plans to ready an alternate slate of electors that would have effectively flipped the states votes to Trump. Kelly has said repeatedly that he was asked only if he was apprised of the so-called fake electors scheme, and he told the party leader that he was not.

Protasiewicz does not believe him. She is seizing on Kellys participation in the state and national Republican parties election integrity events ahead of the 2022 midterm elections as evidence of his sympathy for election deniers, and a complicated instance in which he un-recused himself from an election law case that ended up involving campaign donors as evidence of his corruption. Kelly has also declined to promise that he would recuse himself from cases involving the Republican Party of Wisconsin, opting instead for a case-by-case approach to recusals.

Whats more, in late March, Kelly appeared with Scott Presler, a right-wing activist who attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6, 2021, that gave way to the U.S. Capitol riot, calling the rally largest civil rights protest in American history. Kelly has said he is not really familiar with [Preslers] background regarding Jan. 6, but called Preslers organizing in Wisconsin invaluable.

Dont you think our elections should be fair and free? Dont you think there should be a Supreme Court justice who isnt going to vote to overturn the 2024 election results if they dont come out the way that he wants? Protasiewicz told HuffPost. Thats what I think will happen if Kelly wins.

The judicial campaign has clearly taken a personal toll on Protasiewicz, who said she was leading a comfortable life as a local judge before deciding to run. When HuffPost met with her, she had just hired a private security team to trail her due to the growing number of nasty, threatening phone calls and written messages she had been receiving from angry conservatives.

But Protasiewicz maintains that she would not be running if she did not believe that democracy was on the line.

Its not all about me, she said of her decision to run. This is really about our state. Thats why Im doing it.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), seen here in 2010, transformed Wisconsin politics, not least by drafting legislative and congressional maps favorable to the GOP.

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), seen here in 2010, transformed Wisconsin politics, not least by drafting legislative and congressional maps favorable to the GOP.

Asking For A Fair Shake

Democracy is also often the word on Wisconsin Democrats lips when it comes to the critical issue of gerrymandering.

To Protasiewicz and many Democrats, the impact of Republican gerrymandering in the state legislature is obvious. Wisconsin is a closely split state in which Democrats regularly win statewide office, but Republicans still have a nearly two-thirds majority in both state legislative chambers. In 2016, a Stanford University political scientist and statistician found that the 2011 map, upon which the current maps are closely based, was a stronger Republican gerrymander than all but four maps drawn anywhere in the United States between 1972 and 2014.

I dont feel as though Im going out on any legal limb when I say that the maps are unfair  bottom line, Protasiewicz told HuffPost.

Kelly, who represented Republican state lawmakers when they were defending their gerrymandered 2011 maps in court, maintains that its not the job of the state Supreme Court to determine whether the maps are fair or not. Instead, he argues that the redistricting process is fundamentally political in nature, and that the court is tasked solely with determining whether maps adhere to the state constitutions legal requirements that each district be contiguous, contain an equal number of people, be as compact as practicable, and comply with the federal Voting Rights Act.

You address the legal questions that relate to the map, but leave the political questions to the legislature where they belong, he said during the debate.

Wisconsins new state legislative and congressional maps have already been heavily adjudicated in the state Supreme Court  and should a new ideological balance take hold on the court, it is likely they will be once again.

By November 2021, Evers and Republican lawmakers had reached an impasse on adoption of new maps, sending the issue to the courts. The conservative majority on the state Supreme Court subsequently ruled that it would not pick a map based on partisan fairness, and would instead prioritize maps with the least changes from the 2011 maps that had been enacted by the democratically elected legislature.

After a legal back-and-forth in which the state Supreme Court temporarily ruled in Evers favor in March 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the state courts selection of Evers state legislative maps, while allowing his congressional maps to stand. The conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had not adequately considered whether Back voters right to political representation might be accommodated without the seventh majority-Black Assembly district that Evers had included in his proposal.

Instructed to pick a map using narrower parameters, the conservative majority on the state Supreme Court adopted GOP state legislators redistricting proposal.

Theres no way that a fairer map involves it being gerrymandered to hell and back for Democrats.Joe Zepecki, a Milwaukee-area Democratic strategist

Protasiewicz has said she feels comfortable associating herself with the dissenting liberal opinion in that ruling, since the state Supreme Court has already weighed in on the matter. In that dissent, Justice Jill Karofsky, who defeated Kelly in 2020, argues that the conservative justices had failed to consider how the state legislatures map engaged in a racially motivated effort to pack more Black voters into fewer districts in a way that violated Black voters constitutional rights.

Should Protasiewicz win, forging a liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, its likely that the court would consider entirely different standards for what kinds of redistricting is permissible. While Evers congressional map became law, he drew it under court orders to draft a map with the least changes relative to the heavily gerrymandered 2011 map.

A liberal majority on the high court could open the door to congressional maps with more competitive seats than the present map, where Republicans currently hold six out of the states eight U.S. House seats. Given the precariousness of the Republican majority in the U.S. House, where the GOP has a nine-seat edge over Democrats, it could contribute to a Democratic takeover of the chamber.

Theres no way that a fairer map involves it being gerrymandered to hell and back for Democrats, said Joe Zepecki, a Milwaukee-area Democratic strategist. There will be more competitive districts.

In addition, more competitive House seats could in turn drive up Democratic turnout in the statewide elections in 2024. That could help Biden win the state for a second time, as well as bolster Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwins bid for a third term in office.

Accounting for all of those factors, the outcome of the judicial race will have a massive impact for 2024, the Milwaukee-area Republican strategist told HuffPost.

Democrats have also long lamented the impact of the states numerous voter ID laws and ballot restrictions on the rights of marginalized groups.

Many of those laws have survived liberal challenges thanks to the conservative state Supreme Court majority. Ahead of the 2022 elections, for example, the state Supreme Court upheld the legislatures prohibitions on voters using drop-boxes to vote or delegating someone else to submit their ballot for them. Disability rights advocates maintain that these new restrictions create burdensome obstacles for voters with disabilities who relied on surrogates and drop-boxes.

In fact, thanks to those changes and other restrictions adopted after the 2016 election, Wisconsin is now the fourth most difficult state in the country in which to vote, according to a Cost of Voting Index compiled by a group of academic researchers.

Republicans have conspired for years to rig Wisconsins electoral laws to depress turnout in Milwaukee specifically, said Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Should a more liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court reconsider existing voting restrictions, both major parties believe it could redound to Democrats advantage, albeit less significantly than new maps.

Democrats have pretty much tipped their hand that they see this as a policy-making opportunity, Ben Voelkel, a spokesperson for Kellys campaign, told HuffPost. Thats a complete misattribution of the role of the judiciary.

Wisconsin Democrats maintain, however, that any electoral benefits they reap would be a byproduct of fairer and less doctrinaire judicial rulings, rather than an end in itself.

Were just asking for a fair shake  an independent court that looks at the rule of law, Wikler said.

Protasiewicz (right) speaks during a live taping of the liberal podcast,

Protasiewicz (right) speaks during a live taping of the liberal podcast, "Pod Save America," in Madison, Wisconsin, on March 18. National groups have converged on the state ahead of Tuesday's election.

Scramble For The Suburbs

Like so many midwestern swing states, Wisconsin has undergone a partisan realignment in the past decade. Rural, working-class areas where Democrats were competitive for decades prior to 2010 have trended steadily Republican. And in the wake of Trumps election and the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, many historically Republican suburban communities around Milwaukee have shifted substantially toward Democrats.

Since wealthier and more educated residents tend to vote more frequently, those voters movement toward Democrats appears to have improved the partys performance in Wisconsins low-turnout springtime elections.

In addition, the Madison metropolitan area, which is both very liberal and highly educated, has grown dramatically in size in recent years.

The sheer shape of what happens in spring elections has really evolved as the coalitions have changed within right versus left, Zepecki said.

As a result, statewide Democratic candidates, or liberal Supreme Court contenders backed by Democrats, have won four out of the five last springtime elections.

The $45-million question is whether the issues of abortion rights, election denial, and more competitive legislative maps remain salient enough in the minds of both Democratic base voters, and persuadable moderates  especially women  to replicate the partys winning formula in Tuesdays race.

If abortion remains as dominant an issue as it was in November, Protasiewicz is in a very, very strong position, Sykes predicted.

HuffPost encountered some evidence that the issues of abortion rights and election fairness were motivating infrequent Democratic voters to turn out.

Colleen Kuesel, a marketing professional who lives in the Milwaukee suburb of Mequon, consistently votes for Democrats, but this is the first springtime election in which she is participating.

Democrats have pretty much tipped their hand that they see this as a policy-making opportunity.Ben Voelkel, a spokesperson for Kellys campaign

Asked why, she replied, The crazies that are running.

Who did she have in mind?

Daniel Kelly, whos running for Supreme Court here, is a Trumper and supported the Jan. 6 events and is against abortion, said Kuesel, who voted for Protasiewicz.

Perhaps sensing that a fight over abortion policy is not likely to end well for Kelly, the conservative candidate and his allies have sought to shift attention to the issue of crime. Kelly and groups backing him have run a steady stream of TV ads depicting Protasiewicz as soft on crime, including one spot that deliberately emulates the then-presidential candidate George H.W. Bushs infamous Willie Horton ad in 1988.

Protasiewicz insists that the attacks cherry-pick cases and obscure crucial context. Every single case you look at the serious nature of the crime, the need to protect the public, and the character of the defendant, she said during the debate with Kelly. That is what I evaluated in each and every case.

Protasiewicz has even gotten some vindication for her claims that the attacks on her criminal justice record are dishonest. For example, two recent spots aired by the pro-Kelly groups Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and Fair Courts America, respectively, blast Protasiewicz for sentencing a rapist to 2 1/2 years of prison and 2 1/2 years of community service.

But the woman who survived the rape objected to the ads, saying that they were re-traumatizing her and that they failed to note her support for the sentence. TV stations subsequently took the advertisements down at the behest of the Protasiewicz campaign, which threatened legal action on the grounds that the ads were defamatory.

When speaking to his base, Kelly and his allies have also warned that a win for Protasiewicz could endanger more than a decades worth of conservative legislation, including the states strict voter ID laws, permissive gun laws, and Act 10, former Gov. Walkers bill restricting public-sector unions collective bargaining power.

Don Waldvogel, a retired salesman in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, is a staunch Republican and an avid listener to influential conservative talk radio host Dan ODonnell.

Waldvogel said he was kind of halfway on abortion rights, because he is not totally opposed to the practice being legal, but he is concerned about Act 10 and other bills being overturned.

I just dont like to see things overturned by the Supreme Court in the woke way, he concluded.

Related...
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz participate in a debate on March 21 in Madison, Wisconsin. Morry Gash / AP

Voters in Wisconsin will have their say on Tuesday in whats being dubbed the most important election of the year for abortion rights.

On Tuesday, voters will cast ballots for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Though the state Supreme Court is technically nonpartisan, the outcome of this race will determine the ideological balance of its judges, directly affecting the future of abortion rights in the state as the court is expected to weigh in on whether an 1849 law banning abortion should remain on the books.

When the US Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, there was a lot of talk about the issue of abortion being sent to the state legislatures. In fact, that's wrong: Ultimately, the question goes to the 50 state supreme courts, each of which has to interpret its state's constitution, Howard Schweber, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told BuzzFeed News.

After the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last June, the issue of reproductive rights has taken center stage in state elections. Last summer, voters in Kansas rejected an attempt to strip abortion protections from their state constitution, and during last falls midterm elections, voters in several states , including Michigan and Kentucky, defended reproductive rights on the ballot.

In Wisconsin, when Roe was overturned, the 1849 ban, which prohibits all abortion in all cases except to save the pregnant persons life, once again took effect. The states Democratic attorney general, Josh Kaul, with the support of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, sued to overturn the ban and pledged not to enforce it while the legal challenge continues to make its way through the courts. Still, many abortion providers in the state stopped performing the procedure because of ambiguity around its legality.

Kaul and Evers won reelection in November after campaigning on their support for abortion rights. The case is now expected to go before the state Supreme Court in the next year or two, and the justices will have the final word on whether the 1849 ban remains the law.

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The election has become one of the most closely watched contests in the country, with former president Barack Obama encouraging Wisconsinites to get out and vote. It has also broken spending records as the most expensive state Supreme Court election in US history, with nearly $29 million going to political ads, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Poll worker Pranee Sheskey puts up a sign for the first day of early voting on March 21 in Madison, Wisconsin. Morry Gash / AP

Though conservatives have held a 43 majority on the state Supreme Court since 2008, Wisconsin is traditionally a swing state, and the last six presidential elections have been decided by less than a percentage point. The outcome of Tuesdays vote will no doubt contribute to shaping the 2024 election landscape.

Not only will the Wisconsin Supreme Court hear the case on the abortion ban, but the court will also determine whether the states legislative districts will be redrawn, among other things.

The two candidates running on Tuesday are conservative Daniel Kelly, a 58-year-old who served on the state Supreme Court from 2016 to 2020, and liberal Janet Protasiewicz, a 60-year-old Milwaukee County circuit judge who also spent decades as a prosecutor.

Neither candidate has said explicitly how they would rule on the legal challenge to the 1849 abortion law, but they have given indications about where they stand on the issue of abortion rights.

Protasiewicz has been a vocal supporter of abortion rights and has regularly attacked Kelly by asserting that he will uphold the ban. Protasiewicz is backed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and Emilys List, a national group that seeks to elect women who support abortion rights. In addition, over 300 medical professionals across the state of Wisconsin have voiced their support for Protasiewicz.

One of my personal values is that people should have a right to make a decision in regard to their reproductive healthcare decisions and choices, Protasiewicz said at a campaign stop in eastern Wisconsin in March, according to the Washington Post . What I tell people is thats my value. Thats my personal opinion.

And last month, during an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio , Protasiewicz said that she couldnt make any specific comments as to what she would decide regarding the 1849 abortion ban if elected, but I have been very, very clear that my values are that women have the right to choose.

Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz participate in a debate on March 21 in Madison, Wisconsin. Morry Gash / AP

Her opponent, Kelly, is endorsed by three of Wisconsins top anti-abortion groups and, according to the Associated Press , has done legal work for Wisconsin Right to Life. In a resurfaced blog post from 2012 , Kelly stated that abortions involve taking away human lives and that abortion rights are supported by Democrats in order to preserve sexual libertinism.

During the only debate between the two candidates, Kelly said that his endorsements from anti-abortion groups do not mean that he would rule a certain way on the 1849 abortion law.

"I had no conversations with those organizations about how I would rule on any issue, including the abortion issue," he said. "I understand what the court is supposed to do, and that's resolving legal questions. So those endorsements had nothing to do with the pledges that are required of those who run for political office."

According to a 2022 poll conducted by Marquette University Law School, 27% of Wisconsities supported abortion being legal in all cases, while 31% said it should be legal in most cases. Abortion rights supporters also point to the reelection of Evers and Kaul last fall as proof that voters are mobilizing on the issue.

"Its not hyperbole to say that this election will decide the very nature of freedom for generations of Wisconsinites and will determine whether the Supreme Court gives a fair hearing to challenges of Wisconsins archaic 1849 abortion ban and gerrymandered legislative districts, as well as resolve profound questions around voting rights and democracy, said Haley McCoy, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Protesters make their way to the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda on Jan. 22 in Madison, Wisconsin. Morry Gash / AP

In January, the annual Womens March took place in Madison, Wisconsin , in an attempt to draw attention to the election.

"The open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court will undoubtedly determine the balance of power in the Court and the fate of abortion rights in Wisconsin and nationwide, Rachel Carmona, executive director of the Womens March, told BuzzFeed News in an emailed statement.

The fight for reproductive rights now lies in the states, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court election is just another example of how our fight is Bigger Than Roe, she added. Make no mistake: this seat will determine the future of abortion rights in the state.

Officials in Wisconsin are preparing for a record turnout. Already, the February primary, where the Supreme Court seat was the only statewide race on the ballot, broke primary election records with around 960,000 people casting ballots  nearly 21% of the Wisconsin voting population.

For Tuesdays election, early voting began on March 21, and polls will close at 8 p.m. CT.

The stakes could not be higher, said Schweber, the political science professor. If you are a pro-life voter, you have waited your entire life for this chance; if you are a pro-choice voter, you are confronted by the possibility of losing essentially all rights to abortion in the state.

More on this
WASHINGTON  Newly announced GOP presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson has a strategy for dealing with Donald Trump if the Republican who has a penchant for name-calling decides to attack him: call it out and absorb the blows.

Trump is known for cutting down his opponents with withering insults and tough-to-shake nicknames, but the former Arkansas governor says he's ready to take on the former president.

"I have no doubt that he will, whenever you become a threat, and all you can do is answer it, and also absorb some of the blows," Hutchinson told USA TODAY on Sunday. "The voters are pretty smart. They know Trump's tactics and how he approaches things."

Hutchinson said he expects voters to "see through" much of Trump's rhetoric and make their own decisions.

"You have to have, in the end, a confidence in the voters and how they handle negative attacks," Hutchinson added.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson greets attendees at the Vision 24 National Conservative Forum March 18, 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Trump did not immediately comment on Hutchinson's 2024 announcement, and his campaign did not respond to a request for comment. The former president instead used his social media presence to take digs at another likely challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and bemoan the legal proceedings that led to his recent indictment.

Even without an acknowledgement from Trump, Hutchinson's announcement on Sunday that he is joining the fight for the GOP nomination jolted the race that has largely revolved around the ex-president.

Hutchinson, who will formally launch his bid on April 26, said he's running because he disagrees with President Joe Biden's policies on energy, border security and the economy.

"Now, secondary to that is, who the Republicans are going to put up as our nominee, and who can best lead the country," he said, "and I don't believe that is Donald Trump, because of how democracy was undermined on January 6, how his focus on the past has dominated the discussions and how he seems to lead with chaos versus the best interests of the country."

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Trump is set to be arraigned on Tuesday on criminal charges stemming from the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into a hush-money payment made by the ex-president's former legal fixer to cover up an alleged affair.

He is also under investigation in Georgia for pressuring an official to find enough votes to overturn his 2020 election loss and by a special counsel who is reviewing Trump's conduct amid the Jan. 6 insurrection and his handling of classified documents.

'Non-Trump' candidate: GOP ex-Gov. Asa Hutchinson jumps into 2024 presidential race, brands himself 'non-Trump' candidate

Early test: Asa Hutchinson first GOP candidate to enter 2024 race after Trump indictment: Why it's different

Trump facing 'serious' investigations

Hutchinson has said he views the legal drama as a "distraction" to the GOP's efforts to win back the White House and encouraged Trump to drop out of the race.

But the former U.S. attorney said Sunday, as he made a concerted effort to win over Trump's voters and explain his own rationale for running, that he thinks the issues involving the Republican frontrunner will be decided by the electorate.

"Nobody wants to see a former president indicted, and I think these issues ought to be resolved at the ballot box," he told USA TODAY. "And I think that's ultimately where they will be resolved. And that's one of the reasons that I'm in the race."

Hutchinson said the issues at stake in the other cases are "more serious," based on what is known at this point, than the document fraud charges.

"I think the issues that are being investigated in Georgia are serious, as well as the investigation that's being done for the handling, or mishandling, of classified information," Hutchinson said.

The former federal prosecutor said he would not have brought the New York case. "So we're waiting to see what the facts are, but I have not been impressed," he said, "with the likelihood of success in that case thus far."

Although he is opposed to the former president becoming the party's standard-bearer in the 2024 election, Hutchinson also says he is not "anti-Trump" and views the distinction as being unhelpful to directing support away from the former GOP leader.

"I just see anti-Trump as not recognizing some of the good things that happened in his administration and failing to recognize that he has a base of support that are simply conservatives that want a bright future for our country, and I don't want to distance those voters. You want to appeal to those voters," he said.

Hutchinson said he is "in a different lane" than not only Trump but other announced candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and unannounced contenders such as former Vice President Mike Pence.

"We're going to strike the differences and we're all going to be campaigning, but I don't consider myself anti-Nikki Haley. I don't consider myself anti-Mike Pence. I consider myself as a competitor and with a unique voice in this race," he said.

Who is Asa Hutchinson?:What to know about the former GOP governor running for president

Exclusive interview: Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson: Trump should quit 2024 presidential race if indicted

Hutchinson sees a pathway through Iowa, Super Tuesday states

The unpredictability of this particular election cycle, with charges and investigations pending against Trump and potential candidates holding off on their announcements, helped motivate Hutchinson to present himself as an alternative choice in a race that surveys show the former president may win.

He said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu's decision will affect the relevance of the first-in-the nation primary state for other candidates as they decide how aggressively to compete there. South Carolina is also in flux, he said, because of Haley's candidacy and the possibility she'll be duking it out in the state with South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

"Iowa is the first state, but it's also the state that right now does not have any favorite son or daughter that's running, and so that's an open environment. I think that means that it's an important state for me but also for other candidates," Hutchinson said.

It traditionally holds the GOP's first caucus and is followed by contests in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Trump came in second in Iowa in 2016, then cruised to a victory in the next three.

The dynamics of the 2024 race could create an opening on Super Tuesday, when a large portion of the contests are held, for a sleeper candidate to surge.

"And I do think that when you look at the narrowing of the field as time goes on that you're going to be looking at the Super Tuesday states, and that includes California. And so people shouldn't look for this to be wrapped up in February. It will continue a while," Hutchinson said. "And the strategy will develop depending upon who else gets in there and where the best chances to collect delegates will be."

DeSantis is the only potential candidate whose support has rivaled Trump's in the early months of the competition. He is anticipated to address his 2024 plans after Florida concludes its legislative session in May.

In an interview with USA TODAY last month, Hutchinson said he disagreed with DeSantis' handling of Disney, saying "it's not the state's business to dictate to companies in minutiae of what their policy should be."

He said Sunday after he announced his candidacy that while he expects DeSantis to run, he is focused on his own campaign strategy and messaging.

"It's very early in this presidential cycle, and so time will tell, and all I'm going to do is not go after somebody else. I'll try to show distinctions in our policies but want to be able to focus on a very optimistic view of our future," he said.

That does not mean that Hutchinson, who left office in January after serving two terms as governor, will shy away from making his case to voters when the time comes about why they should choose him over the Florida politician.

"Because I would make a better leader for this country," he said.

Francesca Chambers is a White House Correspondent for USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter @fran_chambers.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Absorb the blows: How Asa Hutchinson says he'll handle Trump in 2024
SAN MARTIN JILOTEPEQUE, Guatemala (AP)  The last Ana Marina Lopez heard of her husband, the 51-year-old Guatemalan migrant told his family that he was being detained by Mexican immigration agents at the U.S.-Mexico border.

That was two days before a fire in an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez claimed the lives of at least 39 migrants and left more than two dozen injured.

Then his name appeared on a government list of the fire victims, but not specifying whether he was among the dead or the hospitalized. That has left Lopez and her daughter back in their small western Guatemalan town clinging to hope that he may be alive.

And they aren't the only ones.

As images of the devastating blaze consume news broadcasts and social media, families scattered across the Americas are reeling in agony as they await news of their loved ones. The pain and uncertainty felt by families underscores how the effects of migration ripple far beyond the individuals who embark on the perilous journey north, touching the lives of people across the region.

Ana Marina Lopez, wife of Guatemalan migrant Bacilio Sutuj Saravia, who was at a Mexican immigration detention center during a fire, cries during an interview at her home in San Martin Jilotepeque, Guatemala, on Wednesday, March 29. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said migrants fearing deportation set mattresses ablaze on March 27 at the center, starting a fire that left more than three dozen dead.

In Juarez, Mexico, a sister waits for news of her Venezuelan brother who's been sedated and intubated in a hospital.

In Honduras, families sit stunned after watching video of guards hurrying away from a growing cloud of flames and smoke in the immigration detention center.

And in Guatemala, Lopez cradles a photograph of her husband in a cowboy hat unsure if he is alive or dead.

"This shouldn't be able to happen. (Migrants) are people, they are humans," Lopez said, her voice shaking. "What I ask for is justice. They aren't animals and can't be treated as such."

Little is known about the cause of Monday night's fire, and authorities are investigating eight people, including a migrant, who may have started it.

When Lopez's husband, Bacilio Sutuj Saravia, departed on his journey north in mid-March, he told her he was going to Mexico for tourism. Sutuj, who ran a small transport business with two pickup trucks, waited until he was in Mexico to tell her that his intention was to cross to the U.S. to see their daughter and two sons.

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More: Mexican president faces protest in Juarez over deadly fire at immigration center

However, he never had the chance. Getting off a bus in Juarez's station on Saturday, immigration agents detained him.

Lopez learned of the fire from television news reports. Their children had been unable to reach Sutuj since a brief call he made Saturday saying he had been caught.

"The authorities should be there watching them and taking care of them, not fleeing and leaving them locked up and burned. That pains me," Lopez said.

In the rolling coffee-dotted mountains of western Honduras, the three families horrified by the surveillance video are awaiting confirmation of the fates of their sons. The three friends had set out together for the United States from their small town of Proteccion. Like many in the rural area, the men planned to work and send money back to support their families.

They met a smuggler in San Pedro Sula, a major point of departure in northern Honduras, who took them to Mexico.

On Tuesday the three men's names  Dikson Aron Cordova, Edin Josue Umana and Jesus Adony Alvarado  were among those to appear on the government's list of victims without any details of whether they were alive.

"You want to be strong, but these are hard blows. They're unbearable," said Jose Cordova Ramos, father of 30-year-old Cordova. "We're waiting for real news that would be the first and the last, as they say, if they are alive or dead."

Their concern is matched by anger from watching guards run away from growing flames and thickening smoke rapidly encapsulating migrants.

Another father rambles off questions: Who started the fire? How did they get fire in there? Did a guard give a lighter to someone inside?

"They didn't want to do anything," Jose Cordova said of the guards.

Aftermath: 5 arrested in deadly Juarez fire at migrant facility

In Ciudad Juarez at the U.S.-Mexico border, 25-year-old Venezuelan nursing student Stefany Arango Morillo has been left with the same pit in her stomach.

She and her brother Stefan Arango Morillo, both single parents, migrated from their northern Venezuelan city of Maracaibo in February, leaving behind three young children between them with their mother in hopes of claiming asylum in the U.S.

Joining a rising wave of Venezuelans heading to the U.S. border, the siblings traversed seven countries in a month's time to reach Ciudad Juarez.

A Venezuelan migrant attends a memorial Mass at the Juarez cathedral a day after dozens of migrants died in a fire at a Mexican immigration facility.

Together, they attempted unsuccessfully each day to register through a smart-phone app for an appointment to apply for asylum in the U.S.

But their quest came to an abrupt halt Monday, when Stefan was detained by Mexican immigration authorities and placed behind bars in the detention center that hours later would turn into an inferno.

Stefany, searched desperately for her 32-year-old brother, fearing the worst when she received a text from his phone inside a private hospital. He was alive, but his injuries from smoke inhalation made it nearly impossible for him to talk.

In the hospital, Stefan's health deteriorated, and the aspiring physical education teacher was transferred to the hospital emergency room in a coughing fit.

Hours later, his sister pushed into the bustling hospital and planted a kiss on her brother's forehead shortly before he was sedated and intubated.

"He's playful, but also has a strong will," she said.

In the hospital waiting room she cries as she calls relatives in Venezuela, delivering the news. But as she waits, she clings to hope that she can bring him back home.

"This is a like a life lesson," Stefany said. "And believe me that I know and have faith that my brother, that he'll get out of there and also keep fighting for our dream."

___

Lee reported from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Escalon from Proteccion, Honduras. Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky contributed to this report from Mexico City.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Across Latin America, Juarez migrant center fire left families reeling
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) tore apart Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for what he described as a cowardly action in the wake of a Manhattan grand jurys indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Schiff criticized DeSantis following the governors pledge that Florida wouldnt assist in an extradition request due to his claims that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had a political agenda and that he was backed by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a popular subject of conservative outrage.

The Democrat told MSNBCs Jen Psaki, a former press secretary in President Joe Bidens White House, that DeSantis vow shows hell say and do anything in hopes of increasing his chances for success in the 2024 presidential campaign.

It says also a lot about the state of the GOP and that is you have to attack the justice system, you have to speculate about motives, you have to assume the worst and  in that statement, as well  you have to disregard the law, Schiff said.

Schiff, a Harvard Law School graduate like DeSantis, added that the Florida governor certainly knows better about the law.

He knows what his obligation is to extradite someone who is accused of crime in another state. Hes not a stupid person and he understands this very well, Schiff said.

Im reminded of something Adam Kinzinger, my colleague on the Jan. 6 committee, said when he said its not that he and Liz Cheney are so courageous, its just that theyre surrounded by cowards. And this is kind of a cowardly action by Ron DeSantis to try to compete with Donald Trump on Trumps own turf.

Related...
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, joined by NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, hosted a briefing Monday regarding security preparations ahead of former President Donald Trump's arraignment, saying that as of midday Monday "there has been no specific, credible threats to our city at this time" and everyday life should continue as normal.

"Control yourselves," Adams warned at City Hall, recognizing anticipated protests and the unique nature of the situation. "New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City. And although we have no specific threats, people like [Georgia Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, says she's coming to town. While you in town, be on your best behavior. As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are."

"As the mayor stated, there are no credible or specific threats to New York City at this time," Sewell said. "New Yorkers may see an increased police presence in parts of the city and should anticipate intermittent road closures over the next few days, particularly in Manhattan. To avoid delays, I too urge everyone to use mass transit when possible."

"Our job is to facilitate and safeguard the rights of people to express themselves and those going about their daily activities," the police commissioner added. "But I will remind everyone that violence and destruction are not part of legitimate, lawful expression, and it will never be tolerated in our city. But people we serve know this just as they know that the NYPD will be out there today, tomorrow and every day to make sure that they are safe."

BIDEN JETS TO MINNEAPOLIS FOR CLEAN ENERGY SPEECH AS NATION AWAITS TRUMP ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK POST-INDICTMENT

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell hold City Hall briefing ahead of former President Donald Trump's arraignment.

"As you all know and all aware, Donald Trump will be in New York City tonight through tomorrow. His presence is expected to draw a lot of attention from media, spectators and protesters alike," Deputy Mayor Philip Banks said, opening the press conference. "New York City, as always, will be prepared. The NYPD and our entire public safety apparatus [are] always prepared. We are working closely with all of our partners to ensure everyone's safety tomorrow. And we are asking for the public's help as well in maintaining a safe environment that allows New Yorkers to continue their day-to-day lives with minimal interruption and  neither dangerous nor criminal behavior will be tolerated."

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The former president said in a Truth Social post Sunday night that he would head to Trump Tower in Manhattan on Monday. Trump is expected to be arraigned at Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday.

TRUMP LAWYER SAYS HE EXPECTS TO MAKE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES FROM MANHATTAN GRAND JURY INDICTMENT

"I really have a lack of concern," Adams said ahead of Trump's expected arrival in New York. "I know how well the New York City Police Department is able to pivot and shift based on the circumstances that they are facing. And we are prepared. The police commissioner gave me a briefing. She understands that this is a unique situation."

The details of Trump's indictment are still under seal but are expected to relate to alleged 2016 "hush money" payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, which the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has been investigating for five years.

Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told CNN on Sunday that he expects to file a motion to dismiss whatever charges the grand jury has indicted Trump for in this case.

Trump is expected to arrive at the New York City courthouse at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, hours ahead of his scheduled arraignment in front of Judge Juan Merchan at 2:15 p.m. The proceedings are expected to take 15 to 30 minutes, with extensive security around the building expected to search everyone in the courtroom twice.

Trump is likely to use a side entrance to the building, though the exact details of his arrival will not be known even by the court until shortly before his arrival for security reasons.

Fox News' Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Associate professor Valerie Goss leads a group of Chicago State University faculty and staff during their strike on the CSU campus on Monday, April 3, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune)

About 160 faculty and staff at Chicago State Universitys employee union will go on strike Monday after almost a year of bargaining to secure a fair contract, union officials said.

Members of CSUs chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois (CSU UPI, Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 4100) had previously voted to authorize a strike if the university administration didnt take significant movement at the bargaining table. Yet disagreements continued over workload issues and compensation.

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After Saturday negotiations didnt lead to an agreement, union members decided to take to the picket lines. No additional bargaining sessions between CSU UPI and university administrators are currently confirmed.

We have made it clear all along that we expect the CSU administration to prioritize the needs of our students by offering fair and equitable compensation for the faculty who serve them, said Valerie Goss, president of CSU UPI, in a news release. Even as our strike deadline approached, they refused to do so. The administration has pushed us to this point  we didnt want it to come to this. Now we must do what is necessary to provide our students with the education and support they deserve.

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Union members from other institutions have also expressed disappointment with the progress, or lack thereof, of yearlong negotiations with school administrations.

[ Strikes looming at 3 state universities: Weve already exhausted a bunch of other steps ]

CSU is the only Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois, and as such, low-income and first-generation college students make up more than 50% of its student body. Union members said the administration is disinvesting in the students who need them most. As the lowest-paid professionals in the state in comparison to peer institutions, Goss said, CSU UPI members are concerned about retaining faculty and adequately supporting students.

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 >

Union members will picket on the CSU campus, 9501 S. King Drive, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Monday, with a rally and news conference scheduled for noon. Picketing will take place at 95th and King Drive, and the rally and press event will be by the flags in front of the Cook County Administration Building. Besides CSU UPI speakers, other guests will attend the rally, including American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and John Miller, UPI president.

CSU officials, who have been bargaining with CSU UPI since June 6, released a statement Friday ahead of Saturday negotiations: We remain focused and eager to return to the bargaining table to work toward a new agreement and to avoid an unnecessary strike. We have contingency plans in place should the Union choose to take this action, but we remain hopeful it will not come to that. No one will win during a strike.

Strikes are looming at two other state universities  Eastern Illinois University and Governors State University  as employee unions say they feel like they have exhausted other steps after a long time at the bargaining table. CSU, EIU and GSU all serve special student populations  the latter is a Minority Serving Institution and an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution.

At campuses across Illinois, faculty and staff are telling university administrators that they need to get their priorities straight, said Miller, president of UPI, the local union for the CSU, EIU and GSU chapters. The presidents of these universities have the resources to provide what students, faculty and staff need, but are investing in other priorities. Our members are standing up for our students.

Union members at EIU are scheduled to have an all-day bargaining session Monday and another session April 7, which will steer their unions next steps. After union members overwhelmingly voted on March 10 to authorize a strike, the unit filed its 10-day notice with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.

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Union officials at GSU said students there have an increased need for advising assistance, yet school advisors are overloaded, some with as many as 500 students. An additional bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday, and GSU union members could strike as early as April 7.

adperez@chicagotribune.com
Adnan Syed. JONATHAN ERNST/Reuters

The Appellate Court of Maryland recently ruled to reinstate the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, the subject of the Peabody Award-winning Serial podcast. The move comes after Syed was freed in 2022. Here's what you need to know about the case.

What is the background?

In 1999, about a month after she disappeared, the body of Hae Min Lee was discovered in a Baltimore park. Lee, an 18-year-old high school student, had been strangled to death. During the investigation into her murder, cell phone data led the police to Syed, Lee's ex-boyfriend. He was eventually arrested and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The following year, a jury found Syed, who was 17 at the time, guilty of murder, robbery, kidnapping, and false imprisonment in connection with Lee's death, The New York Times reports. Syed was sentenced to "life plus 30 years in prison", The Washington Post says. "He and his attorneys waged a long but unsuccessful battle in appellate courts to have his conviction overturned."

Fourteen years after his conviction and numerous failed appeals, the Serial podcast "raised doubts about the facts around the case," the Times writes. The series revealed "the existence of an alibi witness," Asia McClain, who claimed she was with Syed at the library at the time of the murder. She said she had been willing to testify on his behalf, but his lawyer never contacted her. The podcast also "questioned the credibility of the cellphone tower records and revealed that physical evidence gathered in 1999 was never tested for Mr. Syed's DNA," per the Times. The series was downloaded over 100 million times in its first year, "bringing widespread public attention to the case."

In 2015, Syed was granted a new hearing to present new evidence, which led to the courts granting a new trial. The decision to give him a retrial was held up in 2018 and then reversed the following year. That year, an HBO docuseries, The Case Against Adnan Syed, revealed that DNA tests performed at the defense's request did not reveal anyone else's DNA on Lee's body or belongings.

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Prosecutors from the Baltimore City state's attorney's office began to review the case in 2021. The following year they requested that Syed's conviction be vacated since they'd "lost confidence in the integrity of his convictions." The judge granted the request in September 2022, setting Syed free, the Post says.

Why exactly was the conviction reinstated?

On March 28, the Appellate Court of Maryland ruled that the lower court violated the right of Lee's brother, Young lee, to be notified of the hearing in time to appear in person, subsequently reinstating Syed's conviction, per the Times. The appeals court ordered the trial court to have a new hearing on the motion to vacate, which would give her brother enough notice to attend in person, "unlike the previous hearing, which he joined via Zoom." The appellate court also called for a more "transparent" hearing, "suggesting to prosecutors that they lay out, in more detail, the evidence and reasoning for undoing the conviction," the Post explains.

Erica J. Suter, Syed's lawyer, said the pair planned to appeal the appeals court's decision to the Supreme Court of Maryland, per the Times. "There is no basis for re-traumatizing Adnan by returning him to the status of a convicted felon," Suter said in a statement. "For the time being, Adnan remains a free man." She added: "Ensuring justice for Hae Min Lee does not require injustice for Adnan."

Will he go back to prison?

The appeals court issued a 60-day stay of its ruling to give both sides time to figure out how to move forward, meaning Syed will not be required to return to prison immediately, David Sanford, one of Mr. Lee's lawyers, told the Times. While the court's decision was "stunning and surprising," Doug Colbert, a law professor who briefly represented Syed in 1999, told the Times, it's unlikely the new hearing will change the outcome of the case. "It's really difficult to envision something new occurring at the do-over proceeding," Colbert said.

Still, Vox says, the new ruling might "serve as a useful reminder to the court to prioritize victims' rights  even in a case where it appears a wrongful conviction may have occurred." The decision is good news for "those fighting for a greater voice for crime victims," the Times writes. "It is precedent-setting," victims' rights lawyer Paul Cassell told the Times. "I think what this case shows is when the spotlight is on, and when attorneys are available to assert victims' rights, then victims' rights are respected."

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Young woman coughing

Credit - Science Photo LibraryGetty Images

How many times do you cough a day? Do you cough more when youre indoors or outside? Or more often after you eat? Or at night?

Chances are, your cough memory might not be that accurate. But all of that information about your coughing patterns could be an untapped resource to better understand your health. Coughs may be benign ways to clear a little extra phlegm, or they could be early signs of more serious conditions such as asthma, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), or even lung cancer.

In the era of precision health, its ironic that such a problematic symptom is simply unmeasured, says Peter Small, chief medical officer at Hyfe AI, a company that boasts a database of more than 700 million cough samples, the largest in the world, that researchers are analyzing for potential medical use.

There is power in cough information, and the ubiquity of cell phones and wearables with recording devices mean that apps can increasingly capture and analyze that data. Companies like Google Health see even basic information such as getting an accurate count of the number of times a person coughs a day as a useful resource, and part of a larger need to collect and chronicle more health information to refine the way doctors diagnose disease and manage treatments in the future. Its a sea change to have a common device, the smartphone, which everyone has sitting by their bedside or in their pocket, to help observe your coughs, says Jamie Rogers, product manager at Google Health.

More from TIME

Rogers and his team are taking advantage of improved recording technology and powerful algorithms to distinguish coughs from background noise, and to isolate one persons cough from anothers. That ensures that the data collectedall via the microphone on smartphones or wearablesis specific to an individual and actually means something for that person. In the not too distant future, Google is aiming to capitalize on cough monitoring in three ways: helping people determine how environmental factors such as allergens and pollution can affect their health; giving them a heads up when there are spikes in the number of coughers in their area, which could be a sign that the risk of picking up an infectious disease like flu or COVID-19 is higher; and alerting people with chronic conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when their cough patterns change ahead of an episode of distress.

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The science is moving very fast, says Joe Brew, CEO of Hyfe AI. A couple of years ago, nobody could tell you anything about coughs. Now there are several dozens of publications, and companies working to use cough information in diagnosis.

What coughs can reveal about your health

Even collecting basic information on the number of coughs people have in a day, and when and where they cough most, could reveal a lot. Hyfe AI is conducting studies to confirm what doctors have mainly inferred about those connections to this pointthat people with asthma are more likely to cough outdoors during allergy season, or indoors in poorly ventilated spaces, for example, and that people who cough more at night or after meals are more likely to have GERD. There is a tremendous value in simply empowering patients and doctors with this information, says Small. Its going to transform the whole clinical approach for this common and chronic symptom. Patients will come in, have the data on how much they are coughing, and the physician can suggest a treatment based on that information to see if it makes the coughs better.

With artificial intelligence known as acoustic AI thats now able to parse apart information from hundreds of thousands of cough samples, its becoming possible to think of coughs in the same way we think about blood pressure, blood sugar, and body temperature. Collect enough samples, gather enough data, and patterns begin to emerge.

Hyfe AI has several products built from its AI-based algorithms that can distinguish cough sounds from other noises with up to 99% accuracy. One is a free demonstration app, CoughTracker, that users can download to track the number of their coughs. The coughs recorded on this app are not stored, unless participants join a research study and consent to having their data collected. Using CoughTracker, for example, researchers led by scientists at University of Navarra in Spain are testing whether tracking coughs through digital apps can predict incidence of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, influenza, asthma, and COPD.

The company is also studying how such data can help predict the prognosis of respiratory illness. In a recent study conducted with COVID-19 patients hospitalized at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital and at the Montreal University Hospital Center, for example, scientists used Hyfe AIs research app and learned that the more a patient coughs, particularly at the beginning of their infections, the better their outcomes; the less a patient coughs, the more advanced their respiratory illness might be, alerting doctors that they might need more intensive interventions.

Hyfe AI is also developing a wrist wearable loaded with the cough-detecting algorithm, called Cough Monitor, that it hopes to submit for Food and Drug Administration approval in early 2024. Early data from the company show that the device can accurately detect cough sounds from background noise, and track the frequency of coughs from an individual wearer.

For now, Hyfe only collects cough data from participants in such research studies who consent to participate and provide their cough data to the scientists. The free app records cough audio but only stores it on a users phone, and does not upload any of the data to the cloud or share it with the company, so data from the app is not being used to improve Hyfes algorithm. Googles cough monitoring, available through the Digital Wellbeing app for Android phones, takes the same approach. The audio data only exists on the phone itself, and is not uploaded to the cloud.

But going forward, Hyfe, Google and others with cough-monitoring apps will want to capture more data from users in order to analyze it more deeply; those versions will have to address privacy issues, and request consent from users if the companies want to collect their cough data for purposes of improving or developing new algorithms. In order to improve and develop additional cough monitoring technologies, Rogers says Google Health may consider partnerships with researchers to license its technology to build new models based on data collected with users consent.

Using coughs to diagnose disease

Beyond the initial utility that chronicling the frequency of coughs can provide, the ultimate goal is to mine cough data to see if distinct signatures materialize that would distinguish, say, a flus cough from a COVID-19 one, or lung cancer from allergies. Hyfe is currently developing another device, Cough Watch, a wrist-based wearable that is only available in research trials, which uses deeper AI algorithms designed to test whether its possible to use cough data to help diagnose different conditions.

Google Health also sees potential in using cough data for diagnosing disease, beyond recognizing the differences between wet and dry coughs, or between hacking coughs and wheezes. If you asked me a year ago, I would have said I was skeptical about [using coughs for screening or diagnosis,] says Dr. Lawrence Cai, a medical specialist in mobile sensing at Google Health. When I was in medical school, never ever did they teach us that we could listen to somebody cough and identify whether that person has TB (tuberculosis), COPD, or a tumor. But I keep seeing more and more studies of people coughing into a microphone, and an algorithm can detect whether somebody has TB with 95% specificity and sensitivity, or if someone has pneumonia or an exacerbation of COPD.

More work needs to be done before such diagnostic uses are clinically viable, but that possibility could be especially powerful in remote parts of the world with limited health resources, where people have less access to technology such as X-rays to diagnose TB. Using a smartphone app to screen the coughs of people who live far from health care resources to determine if they are likely caused by TB, for example, could identify those people who could benefit from the long and costly visit to a health care facility to receive treatment. In places like India, for instance, where the government hopes to eradicate TB by 2025, a cough app could identify areas where infections are flaring up so health authorities can direct resources such as health care personnel and treatments to those regions.

If digital cough monitoring became more available, the information could even help people with COPD, asthma, or allergies to prevent severe episodes that require costly and intensive medical treatment. In several years, says Rogers, understanding changes in coughs could help everyone become more proactive about our health as we rely on cough apps to alert us when pollen and allergy counts are high, or when were coughing more and might be infected with a bug. Our phones are perfectly capable of offering that insight to us, he says.
Henri Murison said he was looking forward to developing a stronger relationship

Joint ventures to attract visitors could bring the Isle of Man and the north west of England closer together.

The Chamber of Commerce held an event with the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) to discuss new ways the two regions can work together.

NPP CEO Henri Murison said visitors "shouldn't be missing out on what the Isle of Man has to offer".

He said tourists to the island could integrate short stays in the north west to "mutual benefit", he added.

Mr Murison said they would be looking at "events that might cross the Irish Sea and bring visitors to both here and to parts of the north west or the wider north of England".

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris, who attended the event at the Comis Hotel, said he wanted to "create closer ties between Morecambe and the Isle of Man."

He said the island was "intrinsically linked" to Morecambe with the longstanding ferry link at Heysham.

David Morris said the Heysham Port should be a "gateway" to the Isle of Man

A northern Eden Project, based on the original attraction in Cornwall, is planned for Morecambe.

Mr Morris said that project could link Morecambe and the island through "our new green credentials that we're creating in the area".

Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce President Kristan McDonald said the island was "closer to the north than the north is to London" and "capitalising on that seems a very natural thing to do".

He said the Eden Project Morecambe would would be an asset for both areas.

Kristan McDonald (left) and Rebecca George said they wanted to create a "legacy" from the event

Chamber CEO Rebecca George said Friday's gathering of Manx businesses with representatives of the NPP was "just the beginning".

She said: "We wanted to work with Northern Powerhouse initially to think about how we can start really collaborating, forging those links."

It was "incredibly important" to "create a legacy" from the event, she added.

Why not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to IsleofMan@bbc.co.uk
Sydney International Airport (Getty Images)

Air Vanuatu customers face several days of delays after its only Boeing 737 plane broke down, leaving passengers stranded in Auckland, Sydney and Port Vila.

Passengers will face delays for at least another few days, the airline said after the plane broke down on Friday.

The flight, which was due to take off from Brisbane and land in Port Vila, was cancelled due to a mechanical issue, which took the aircraft out of service.

Air Vanuatu operates one 737-800 aircraft, which flies all mid-haul routes from Port Vila, including to New Zealand and Australia.

The aircraft is currently in Australia awaiting parts that are being sourced with support from Boeing offices in the US and Australia, the airline said in a statement on Monday.

The airline said flights are unable to be resumed until the timeline for replacement parts is confirmed by Boeing.

This has resulted in a weekend of flight cancellations, and passengers are stranded across the network.

Passengers have expressed their frustration that a replacement aircraft could not be found. One passenger tweeted: So apparently the plane we are meant to be flying home on tomorrow has mechanical issues and is being flown tonight to Australia for repairs so theres a high chance we wont be flying out tomorrow.

Yes Air Vanuatu only has one big plane for flights to Aus.

The airline said it has reached out to all available sources to charter a replacement aircraft but has not been able to find one due to the busy travel period of Easter weekend and the school holidays.

An Air Vanuatu flight to Port Vila due to take off from Sydney Airport at 11.15am today was cancelled, according to Sydney Airports website. Meanwhile, there are no Air Vantuata departures from Aukland listed for today on the Aukland Airport website.

Passengers have been accommodated by the airline in hotels and provided with a full refund policy, and tickets will be reimbursed for passengers who no longer wish to travel, the airline said.

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Stranded passengers are also asked to contact travel agents or service providers through whom tickets were booked to access refunds.

Air Vanuatu said it expects to shortly confirm some very limited services to return guests to their home ports, using aircraft and crew from Nauru Airlines and Solomon Airlines, and will announce the flights later today.

The airline has also booked guests on Virgin services, however, these are very limited as the airline has only just begun flying to Vanuatu and is only flying from Brisbane, Air Vanuatu said.

The airline said: We understand that this is a huge disappointment to our guests and that this has caused a great amount of stress to many people including our tourism industry partners. We deeply regret the situation and will do all we can to support our guests and their needs.
Airport security

London City Airport has scrapped the 100ml liquid limit by using high-tech scanners which also allow electronics to be kept in hand luggage at security.

Travellers can now carry on up to two litres of liquid, and toiletries no longer have to be put in separate bags.

It is the second UK airport to use this technology in all its security lanes, after Teesside introduced it in March.

The government has set a June 2024 deadline for most UK airports to install the machines.

London City Airport has brought in the C3 scanners which takes high-resolution 3D images of bags.

Passengers at other airports currently have to remove items such as tablets, laptops and liquids from hand luggage for security checks.

The current rules were introduced in November 2006, at the end of a ban on liquids in the cabin, when British police said they had foiled a plot to blow up as many as 10 planes using explosives hidden in drinks.

London City Airport started trialling the new technology more than a year ago and went live with four of the new X-ray machines, similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, on Tuesday.

Chief operating officer Alison FitzGerald said screening staff had been retrained to use the technology, which presents 3D imagery, and the public can be assured it is safe.

Alison FitzGerald says the new system will speed up movement through the airport

"The level of processing now through the X-ray is even more secure than it was previously and the machine has the ability to differentiate between a non-dangerous and a dangerous liquid."

The machine would still reject images it was not happy with, she said, but it would allow staff to focus on potential threats while allowing items such as water, shampoo and perfume to go through.

It would also speed up the "door to gate" process with estimates of a 30% increase in passenger numbers, Ms FitzGerald added.

"The whole process is quicker on the basis that previously you needed to empty your bag and put that in multiple trays whereas now it's one bag in one tray and you don't need to take everything out," she said.

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Which? consumer expert Harry Kind said while it was the "beginning of the end" of a system introduced 17 years ago, people should not assume it was a rule change across the board.

"It's really important passengers actually check what the rules are for the airports they're flying from and flying to," he said.

But crucially it should reduce waiting times. Many travellers reported delays of up to an hour at security, and in a recent Which? survey 7% said they had missed a flight because of queues, Mr Kind added.

"This change will make a massive difference and reduce the number of people missing flights and losing out on their holidays just because they've got a too big bottle of shampoo."

London City Airport was already the fastest of the UK airports it surveyed for security times, with an average of 12 minutes, he added.

The largest of the UK's airports are rolling out the next generation technology on a gradual basis.

Heathrow trialled 3D scanners in 2017 and said with more security lanes than any other airport installing the new machines was "always going to be complex and take longer".

Gatwick is currently trialling one lane with next generation technology and a spokesperson said passengers should continue to follow all existing rules.

Other airports told the BBC they had no specific date for completion but would be in line with the government deadline of June 2024.

The technology has already been in use by airports in the US, such as Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago's O'Hare, for a number of years.
Steven Gonzalez, 30, from Alamogordo was found guilty March 22 of 2nd degree murder for the killing of Eddie Artiaga Jr., whose body was found dismembered and decapitated inside Gonzalez's home, police said.

Gonzalez was first indicted on murder charge June 7 of last year, with a superseded indictment that saw prosecutors accusing him of tampering with evidence on the case, according to 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office.

Steven Gonzalez mugshot

After a three-day jury trial before Judge Steven Blankinship, 12th Judicial District Attorney, Scot Key announced on March 22, an Otero County Jury found Gonzalez, guilty of 2nd degree murder, tampering with evidence, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Artiaga was reported missing Sept. 18, 2020.

Alamogordo police and the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office Major Crimes Unit said Artiaga's body was found Sept. 25, 2020, inside Gonzalez's home, at the 700 block of Post Avenue in Alamogordo, after executing a search warrant to the house they had previously responded to a call about suspicious items inside the house, according to court documents.

Steven Gonzalez indicted in 2020 homicide

According to court records, when officers were called to the home the first time, they found containers on the kitchen counter with what appeared to be blood.

After arriving the second time with a search warrant the officers found several 5-gallon buckets containing body parts.

It was learned through an investigation by the 12th Judicial Major Crimes Unit that Gonzalez shot Artiaga Jr., in the head with a .22 pistol.

Police said Gonzalez put all the parts and organs in 5-gallon buckets and other containers which he stored in his home.

Gonzalez was scheduled for a sentencing hearing before the Otero County District Court and Judge Steven Blankinship, at 1:30 p.m. April 27, and could face up to 41 years in prison.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Alamogordo man convicted of murder after body parts found in home
Some neighbors say the mural outside of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters in Altadena is offensive and are asking for it to come down. The artist and the coffee shop want to keep it. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

It started as an idea to help foster more public art, after a few new murals in the Altadena community were so well-received.

Victor Ving  who worked on the recent Altadena-themed murals  thought the side of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters' building facing Lincoln Avenue could be the perfect spot to highlight other local, talented artists.

The owners of the local coffee shop jumped on board with the idea, deciding to sponsor a rotating mural project for a new black-and-white design each year.

But when the project's second installation went up in mid-February, it almost immediately sparked controversy, and even outrage, from neighbors and others in Altadena's west side. They say the violent image of broad-shouldered figures engaged in conflict, some using weapons, is triggering and offensive  especially for an area that for decades dealt with dangerous gang wars and violence.

I dont believe in censoring art, I dont believe in canceling art, but I believe theres a place for every art piece  this is not the place," said She She Yancy, whose home sits feet from the public mural. Its a gut punch every time I pull in and out of my driveway because Im reminded of the nightmare of the gangs."

Yancy and a growing crowd of neighbors are calling to have the mural taken down.

But the coffee shop owners and the mural's artist stand by the work, calling it a provocative piece intended to prompt conversation, introspection and is subject to everyone's unique interpretation.

I cant be the guardian of subjectivity. Its not my job to tell people how to interpret art," said Cleon Peterson, the muralist who lives in Altadena. "I try to be a positive influence. Im not trying to hurt people. ... [But] any good art causes a reaction in people.

"I think its a measure of something that is impactful," he said.

The piece showing figures using knife-like objects is the latest in a long line of public art that has sparked fierce scrutiny  forcing community leaders to try to strike a balance between creative freedom and sensitivity. In recent years, officials at a Chula Vista charter school covered an image showing former President Trump's bloody, severed head for being too violent, and in Koreatown, neighbors successfully lobbied for a school mural to come down because it reminded some of the Japanese Imperial battle flag from World War II.

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Its a never-ending debate. This happens worldwide, in every neighborhood, Ving said. "Its public art; not everyone will be happy about it."

The concerned residents have gone to the town council to seek reprieve, but council members say they have no authority over the mural.

For better or worse, the county has very loose restrictions on the type of murals that can be displayed here, said Altadena Councilmember Chris O'Malley, who represents the district with the mural.

He said the council is working to conduct a more thorough survey of residents who live near the mural to determine if further action should be taken.

Cheri Costley, who lives not far from the mural, said the violence in it hits too close to home. Her nephew died in a gang-related shooting in 2011, not far from the mural, and years earlier her sister died after her home  just down the street  was in flames from a Molotov cocktail, part of what officials at the time called a deadly gang war in Los Angeles' suburbs.

"For us to be healing from all the gang violence and for this to come up and be violent," Costley said. "I dont believe that its for this community."

"It's a gut punch every time I pull in and out of my driveway because I'm reminded of the nightmare of the gangs," says She She Yancy, standing in front of the mural outside of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters that she wants removed. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Yancy, a lifelong Altadena resident, said her family also experienced violence while living in the area. She said she worries how such a piece could affect the community, especially young children who often pass the mural heading to and from two nearby schools.

"I hate talking about it, but the Altadena Blocc Crips ruled this area. ... We lived it," said Yancy, who remembers decades of living in fear of gang violence. As a Black person, I take offense to it. I see men who are painted black, stabbing and killing each other."

Yancy said she was open to compromise, reaching out to the coffee shop owners and the artist, asking if the image could be displayed without the weapons. She and her neighbors have offered to pay to have it painted over, but the coffee shop owners said they have no plans to change the piece until its year installation is up.

"For those unhappy with the work, the mural changes annually to promote local art in our neighborhood," the owners of Unincorporated Coffee Roasters wrote in a recent statement. "We strive to feature different styles and artists with different points of view. ... We acknowledge that Cleon [Peterson's] work can be interpreted differently than intended but we stand by his artistic expression and encourage the conversations that arise from the art."

Peterson's work has been featured worldwide, and he even has a very similar mural on the side of Brooklyn Bagel Bakery in Historic Filipinotown, which has remained on display for more than three years. Yancy said she has nothing against his work and acknowledges his talent, but wishes he had chosen a more positive piece for her neighborhood, like the one he painted underneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris  which depicts similar-style figures, but intertwined in different ways without weapons.

Peterson said he empathizes with people's past trauma, but said his piece is almost mundane compared with the amount of other violence in the world, whether in video games or on the nightly news.

Its a bummer, and I feel a little bit like I'm the one being attacked," Peterson said. I just tried to do something nice in the neighborhood.

"Whenever you do anything in this world theres going to be criticism  I try to do what I think is right," he said.

He said his work is a social criticism on power and violence, and isn't intended to incite anything but conversation or reflection.

The idea is to look at the image and look within ourselves and look at our own actions," he said. The work is about power, and in a way, this kind of initiated a conversation about power in the neighborhood. ... In a sense its done its job.

Ving, who is working to help identify artists for the shop's murals, said he's modified the project's guidelines to not allow religion, racism or depictions of violence, in addition to profanity or nudity.

Im responding to the community already," Ving said. He said he's empathetic to community members who have dealt with past violence but also worries about setting a precedent for this project and future art.

Im so torn with this," Ving said. "It starts to tie our hands and not be really representative of the mission of this, which is to give artists creative freedom and foster public art.

But not all neighbors have been upset by the painting. Rosalinda Hernandez said she often walks to the coffee shop and sometimes will work there for a change in scenery.

She's not one to get offended, she said, but isn't surprised some might not like the weapons depicted.

I could see why other people would be against the mural," Hernandez said. I just look at it as art. ... Art is beautiful. I think its nice because everybodys idea of art is very different."

Ving said no matter how it plays out, he's hopeful the community can move forward together.

Its sparked a discussion and hopefully a positive one in the long run," Ving said. "Whether or not this stays or goes away, a lesson is learned for everybody. ... Its provocative, but thats what arts supposed to be."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Amazons spending on labor consultants soared to $14.2 million last year amid its effort to quash union drives within the company, according to a Labor Department filing.

Thats more than triple the total from the previous year, when Amazon first began to confront organizing efforts at its warehouses. An Amazon warehouse in Staten Island became the first to unionize in April 2022, but the e-commerce giant successfully quashed organizing efforts at other locations.

Large corporations frequently hire anti-union consultants who craft and carry out strategies to persuade workers against voting to form a union.

Amazon held numerous anti-union meetings that workers were required to attend and plastered vote no posters at its warehouses  both common tactics. A federal judge ruled in January that Amazon violated labor laws by threatening to withhold wage increases if workers voted to form a union.

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Amazon wrote in the filing that the consultants were hired to assist the company in expressing the companys opinion on union representation, and to educate employees about the issues, election process and their rights under the law.

Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards said that the usually large union elections at Amazon facilities required increased communications with workers. She added that Amazon in September invested $1 billion into higher hourly wages for customer fulfillment and transportation roles.

Solike many other companieswe also work to ensure our employees are fully informed about their rights and how decisions about outside representation could impact their day-to-day lives working at Amazon, Hards said.

The companys spending on anti-union consultants dwarfs that of other companies. Starbucks was the top spender in 2021, shelling out $4.3 million, while the next highest figure came in at less than $2.7 million, according to a new report from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

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The Economic Policy Institute estimated that companies spend more than $400 million annually on anti-union consultants. But the think tank noted that the data is incomplete because loopholes in the law allow companies to avoid disclosing their spending by stating that consultants are merely providing advice.

Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) told former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz last week that the company is refusing to disclose its spending to anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson. The coffee chain has drawn criticism from lawmakers for its anti-union tactics that in some cases have drawn labor law violations.

And guess what, under federal law, Starbucks is able to write off those costs as a run-of-the-mill business expense, meaning taxpayers are subsidizing union-busting in the United States, Casey said.

Updated 3 p.m.

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A graduate makes their way to the staging area during the 2021 Mt. Sac graduation in Walnut, Calif. on June 11, 2021. Credit - Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register/AP

Back around 2010, soon after the financial crash tanked the economy, Americans unflagging faith in higher education started to falter. By 2011, more than half of college graduates were unemployed or underemployed. If a bachelors degree was a golden ticket for some, for many others it wasnt much.

The economy rebounded and the popular conversation faded, only to be revived again by the epic fallout from a once-in-a lifetime global pandemic. This time, the college degrees comeuppance has been more profound. It may also be more durable.

In 2019, Americans ranked preparing for college tenth on a survey conducted by Populace, a nonpartisan think tank, which asks respondents every year to rank answers to the question what is the purpose of education? In 2022, respondents ranked it 47 out of 57 items.

The value proposition of college may not be what it once was, says Todd Rose, co-founder of Populace and author of Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions.

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Hes clear that the data dont say its not valuable but rather a prioritization of careers, and the pursuit of meaningful work has surpassed it. People want it to be on the menu, but not to be the menu.

They want it to be an option, but not the point, Rose explains. They want more opportunities, they want their kids to have a wider range of outcomes.

In 2009, 70% of recent high school graduates enrolled in college. In 2021, that figure was 61.8%, about where it was in 1994. What happened?

In the Populace study, the number one skill for the fourth year in a row was students develop practical tangible skills such as managing ones finances and preparing meals. Other highly-ranked measures included thinking critically to problem solve and make decisions and demonstrating character. Being prepared for a career ranked sixth, up from 27 before the pandemic.

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Weve gone from pursuing the American Dream to pursuing more doing, perhaps because the act of doing different things helps us to better understand what kind of work we want to do. College is a necessary and valuable pathway for many careers; it can help learners expand their worlds and try out different identities in it. It can be transformative for individuals and families, especially first generation college students. And it should be a foregone conclusion that primary and secondary education prepares all students for the option of going to college.

But just as not everyone is cut out to be a pilot, or a plumber, not everyone needs to spend two or four years studying. Students interests vary widely, and their flourishing will require more recognition by all of us that human variation is a feature and not a bug. We got to 70% by way of social engineering, not choice. Campaigns extolling higher education as a way to work smart rather than working hard, with images of a dirty plumber next to a shiny college graduate did not factor in the price of tuition and the time and skills needed to complete a college degree.

There are also structural reasons underpinning our nations newfound hunger for skills. An unusually tight labor market means employers are less inclined to require degrees. What started with techremember Peter Thiel of PayPal telling everyone to ditch college and become a billionaire like him?has now spread to reach even the public sector, with Pennsylvania being the latest state to drop the college degree requirement for most state jobs. Harvard Business Review last year estimated that 1.4 million jobs will be available to workers without college degrees in the next five years (Jobs do not require four-year college degrees. Employers do, the report says, noting employers are changing their minds.). Even Barack Obama is tweeting about unnecessary college degrees. Just under two thirds of Americans do not have a Bachelors degree, and many careers dont require it.

The alternatives now available for learning and training are far richer than they used to be. Before the pandemic Coursera added about two million new learners a quarter; since the pandemic, thats increased to five million per quarter, with 113 million registered learners. That platform offers courses in everything from computer science to the secrets to happiness; skills and academic training for businesses to offer employees; and degrees. According to internal search data at Google, over 50% of degree searches in 2022 were for nontraditional pathways.

Degrees are only part of the landscape, says Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University, which educates 4,000 students in its residential campus and 181,000 online. There are now a broader range of providers and of credentials.

Too many Americans cannot afford the time it takes to get a degree, or the astronomical price tag of it. Affordability and employment are the top priorities for Americans when it comes to higher education.

The U.S.s mistake was not in lionizing higher education, which is a noble pursuit, but in stigmatizing the alternatives. In Germany and Switzerland, half to nearly two thirds of students pursue vocational education. Classroom learning does not end, but changes.

If we want to focus on helping young people prepare for meaningful work, we dont need to declare the college degree dead. Colleges are excellent at developing many of the power skills (formerly known as soft skills) that employers want to hire for: including analytical thinking, active learning and complex problem solving. Graduates advance science and build knowledge. And data continue to show that college graduates earn more, are employed at higher rates, and tend to have a stronger sense of identity than those with only a high school degree. A 2016 Pew Research Center report states that 77% of workers with a postgraduate degree and 60% of workers with a bachelors degree believe their jobs give them a sense of identity, versus just 38% of those with only a high school diploma or less.

Identity and purpose are not goals to be scoffed at a moment in history when despair and despondency seems the coat we wear too often. But the reality is that there are many ways to build identity and purpose, of which a college degree is one, and many pathways to good earnings, especially when the fastest growing jobs require specialized expertise (vaccine specialist; diversity and inclusion manager, customer marketing manager).

Even if the purpose of a degree is not simply to prepare for work, at the end of four years and tens of thousands of dollars spent, it is imperative students find sustainable work. Too many dont make it through, and cant get a good job afterwards.

A staggering 38% of students who start college or university do not finish, leaving them saddled with debt and no degree. The main reasons include costs, stress and uncertainty. One-fifth of college students are parents, and around 40% work, making the balance of work and study tricky. Plenty of people will still flock to university but those universities can certainly better help those who start a degree to finish it. They could also offer a broader range of credentials and in a more compressed time scale.

Rose also argues the data showing better earnings and life satisfaction may be lagging. Sometimes theres a pretty important threshold event that changes things pretty fundamentally either about what people want, or the value proposition of the thing. He believes that threshold event was Covid and that the desire to prepare more thoughtfully for finding and securing meaningful work is a fundamental change in values that will not wane with the job market.

The college landscape may change as the economy does. Periods of high unemployment have typically tracked with higher levels of enrollment in higher ed. According to The Common App, the most common way U.S. students try to get to college, the number of applicants is up 20% for 2023, compared to 2019.

But what COVID offered us beyond a sometimes-unsatisfactory view inside the black box of education was a rethinking of priorities. Whats an education for? If its to prepare for meaningful work, and meaningful lives, an arms race toward college, affordable for only the elite, is not a sustainable way forward. Young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, the result of a global pandemic, a burning planet and the ubiquity of brain-addling technology. We should offer them a broader set of opportunities and pathways to realize their future selvesincluding, but not extolling, the college degree.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -American Airlines said Monday it will join other major carriers in temporarily cutting some New York City area flights this summer after the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily relaxed some minimum flight requirements.

American is reducing the frequency of flights between LaGuardia Airport and Dallas, Miami, Kansas City and St. Louis as well as the Newark Liberty International Airport-Chicago route.

Last month, the FAA agreed to requests of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to temporarily return up to 10% of slots and flight timings at congested New York LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, citing air traffic controller shortages. The carriers agreed to cuts on the condition they not be backfilled.

Air travelers could face another rough summer as carriers struggle to meet burgeoning flight demands after the pandemic.

JetBlue Airways said after the FAA announcement it "began reviewing options for reducing our flight schedule at JFK and LaGuardia airports to help ease constraints on the system."

The airline added "it is disappointing to reduce flights for customers as they plan their summer holidays and as New York City works to rebound from the pandemic."

The FAA said it will give airlines "the ability to reduce operations during the peak summer travel period, which are likely to be exacerbated by the effects of Air Traffic Controller staffing shortfalls." Airlines can lose slots at congested airports if they do not use them at least 80% of the time.

The FAA expects airlines to minimize impacts on passengers, including operating larger aircraft.

Airlines have already cut about 10% of scheduled flights this spring to address performance issues, said trade group Airlines for America.

The FAA said staffing at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control remain below targets. Last summer air traffic control staffing was a factor in delays of 41,498 flights from New York airports.

The agency said it will reassign about 100 square miles of Newark airspace to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control later this year to address staffing issues.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Richard Chang)
Associate professor Valerie Goss leads a group of Chicago State University faculty and staff during their strike on the CSU campus on April 3, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago State University chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois stood on the picket lines Monday after almost a year of negotiating for better wages. More than 70 union members held green and white signs with the words on strike for a fair contract at 95th Street and King Drive in Chicago.

We are here until we get a fair contract, said CSU UPI Chapter President Valerie Goss. I feel a little frustrated and disappointed that we were not able to get the administration to provide us with a fair contract, but in terms of the energy here  it is great. And in terms of commitment, it is inspiring. We are hoping our voices can make a difference.

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CSU UPI members previously voted to authorize a strike if the administration refused to make significant movement at the bargaining table. After unsuccessful negotiations April 1, members decided to go on strike for as long as it takes. Picketing will occur on campus from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day the union is on strike.

While union faculty is on strike, classes, labs and university support are mostly functioning as normal, CSU officials said, advising students to attend all classes and labs unless told they are canceled.

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To start off the rally with more than 30 faculty and students gathered around her, Goss noted the increasing financial inequity at CSU.

Their disinvestment in our faculty you know is a direct disinvestment in our students, Goss said. This disinvestment is a disregard for our students. Its showing disrespect for our students  its showing that you dont prioritize the students. How can you have the best for our students without providing the best for our faculty?

CSU is the states only Predominantly Black institution, and colleges and universities that are designated as PBIs have low-income and first-generation college students as more than 50% of their student body.

Our students come from Black and brown communities, Goss said. I dont understand why is it that these students, our students, have to endure faculty being paid less than any other institution. There is not an equitable picture here at the moment.

A better, fairer contract would help retain current faculty, while also pushing recruitment efforts forward, she added.

CSU UPI members are particularly frustrated that CSU President Zaldwaynaka Scott  who has not been present at any bargaining sessions  received a 16.03% increase in the 2022-23 academic year, yet the administration refuses to offer employees even modest increases.

According to Scotts 2022 contract obtained by the Tribune, her annual base salary is $425,000 with a discretionary bonus not to exceed $25,000.

CSU administration has been officially bargaining with CSU UPI since June 6, 2022, with large differences in the parties positions when it comes to the universitys finances. The Illinois Federation of Teachers said another bargaining session is scheduled for Tuesday.

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The union is determined to strike, despite it being unclear how a strike would produce a better outcome than continuing good faith negotiations or interest arbitration, officials said in a statement Monday. CSU has intently listened to the union and carefully considered each and every one of its requests. We have achieved agreement on significant issues, including workload, office hours, parental leave, and other points as they were raised during our bargaining sessions. Yet the financial realities at the university remain.

IFT President Dan Montgomery criticized university leadership for dragging their feet.

No one goes on strike for their own pocketbook, no one goes on strike just because they want another half percent raise  you go on strike to defend your profession and your institution, Montgomery said. And thats what this president doesnt understand. Negotiations for a year? Shame on them. How long does it take to get a contract? You could do it in a day if you wanted to!

UPI has 3,000 members in education in Illinois, Montgomery said. We are all here with you, he added.

UPI members at Eastern Illinois University and Governors State University have also been bargaining with their respective employers to secure fair contracts for several months, with strikes at both state universities looming if talks end unsuccessfully this week. EIU is scheduled to have a bargaining session April 7, while union members at GSU have an additional bargaining session scheduled for Thursday and could strike as early as April 7.

Zee Space, a CSU graduate student in clinical and mental health and a member of the Black Student Psychological Association, expressed her concerns over inadequate support for CSU staff.

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They choose to work here so that students like me and thousands of other students receive an overall quality education  for that I cannot be silent, Space said. If you want to make a change you must have a seat at the table, and today I sit at the table on the side of faculty and staff.

Tara Stamps, speaking on behalf of the Chicago Teachers Union, told striking members of CSU UPI not to be afraid of withholding their labor until an equitable contract is reached.

We are fighting for the respect of our profession, the profession that we went to school for, she said. I think about everything these young people have gone through just to be at this university  neighborhood violence, school closures, disinvestment in the community  everything they have survived already.

Stamps cited union workers across the city and country striking for fair contracts and better working conditions, including at Starbucks, Amazon and CTU.

Where there is people there is power, she said. Do not leave that table until you get everything you came for.

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zsyed@chicagotribune.com
"American Idol" contestant Sara Beth shocked judges when she quit the show during Sunday's episode.

Sara Beth's abrupt exit came after she claimed she was embarrassed over a joke Katy Perry made during her audition that many labeled as "mom-shaming."

For the second round of the singing competition, Sara Beth performed Polices "Roxanne." After singing during the Hollywood Week round, the 25-year-old announced she was quitting the show.

"This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance, because my hearts at home," she said, according to Yahoo! "So, Im going to get home to my babies. They kind of need me."

"American Idol" contestant Sara Beth has quit the show shortly after Katy Perry made a joke many considered to be "mom-shaming."

AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT CALLS KATY PERRY'S MOM-SHAMING JOKE HURTFUL' AND EMBARRASSING

Sara Beth also shared a video of herself on Instagram confirming she wouldn't be returning to the show and revealing she'd been "scouted to audition."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"They reached out to me," she explained. "And I'm so GRATEFUL. I've never had this much support with singing. And it's mindblowing and so humbling and has made me realize how badly I want to do music. 6 months ago, I didn't know that yet."

"But I'm also allowed to make hard choices that are best for me," Sara Beth continued. "I took a chance on something big and said yes to a huge and VERY UNEXPECTED opportunity that was presented to me, and while it may not have been for me  in the process found myself again, met the most talented people I've ever had the HONOR of meeting (many of which are now close friends) and fell in love with music again."

Sara Beth did not return Fox News Digital's immediate request for comment.

Katy Perry attempted to convince Sara Beth to stay.

After Sara Beth announced her decision, Perry and the judges called her back to give her the opportunity to stay and move on to the next round.

"I know life is scary," Perry told her. "I also know that its easier to walk away than to be rejected. But self-love is just as big as motherly love. Dont leave the competition."

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"Youve opened a door you thought youd never open, and you got a yes," she added. "And you may get another yes in the future. Do not give up."

But Perry's words didn't change Sara Beth's mind.

"Im really humbled and grateful, and Katy had some really nice things to say. It would be nice if my kids were a little older. I understand how big of an opportunity this is," she said, according to Yahoo! "But I still kind of want to get home. I am sure when I get home, I will regret it and be like, Man, you should have stayed."

ORLANDO BLOOM REVEALS KATY PERRY RELATIONSHIP CAN BE REALLY, REALLY REALLY CHALLENGING

During her audition, Sara Beth surprised judges when they learned she was a 25-year-old mother of three. Perry noted that she looked so young and fake fainted.

"If Katy lays [sic] on the table, I think Im going to pass out!" Sara Beth said.

Perry responded, "Honey, youve been laying on the table too much!"

Fans seemed to take issue with the "mom-shaming" comment and Sara Beth addressed it on social media.

"There was a joke that was made that's gotten some attention, and Ive gotten a lot of people reaching out to me asking how Im feeling," she said.

"At the start of my audition before I sang, I mentioned that I have three children and was a young mother, and Katy Perry made a joke that wasn't super kind."

Sara Beth continued: "It was embarrassing to have that on TV, and it was hurtful and that's that. But I did want to take this opportunity to just say that I think that women supporting and uplifting other women is so cool, and I think that mom shaming is super lame and I think that it's hard enough to be a mom, and it's hard enough to be a woman."

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom share a daughter  Daisy Dove.

Perry herself is a mother to 2-year-old Daisy Dove, who she shares with fiance Orlando Bloom. The two got engaged in 2019 and have yet to officially tie the knot after postponing their wedding in 2020.

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"American Idol" viewers shared their thoughts on the comment via Twitter.

"Boo to Katy Perry for mom shaming Sara Beth," one viewer wrote. "Insinuating that she has been laying on the table too much to have 3 kids by age 25. A young mother following a dream while raising her children should be raised up not put down. #AmericanIdol."

"I really do not like how Katy Perry just treated Sara Beth on #AmericanIdol I dont watch this show at all and my tv was already on the channel but what I witnessed was not right," another wrote. "They let Katy Perry bully this woman on live national tv before she even started singing. So ugly."
By Simon Lewis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even before Russia detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich on Wednesday, the Biden administration was at an impasse over another American held by Moscow: Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian prison.

With relations between the world's two largest nuclear powers strained to the breaking point by Russia's war in Ukraine, officials in Washington have for months been unable to reach a deal to free Whelan, convicted by a Russian court of espionage in 2020.

Whelan was left out of a December prisoner exchange that saw the United States and Russia trade WNBA star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout, a convicted arms trafficker. That prompted the administration's critics to accuse it of unfairly favoring a celebrity and giving adversaries incentive to grab more U.S. citizens.

An earlier swap was conducted in April 2022 for Trevor Reed, another former U.S. Marine.

Paul Whelan's brother, David, has welcomed Reed's and Griner's releases even though both were detained after his brother. But he told Reuters in response to a question about any potential swap for Gershkovich that it would be "unacceptable" for the administration to again strike a deal that leaves Paul behind.

"I would be very disappointed in the U.S. government if they decided to bring home someone who had not spent as much time as my brother," David Whelan said in an interview.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a news briefing on Thursday the Whelan and Gershkovich cases should not be compared. Washington continued to engage with Moscow on Whelan's case through a channel established by Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021, he added.

"(Whelan's) release continues to be an absolute priority," Patel said.

Contacted on Saturday, Patel declined to elaborate on why the two cases should not be linked.

Russia's security service has, without providing evidence, accused Gershkovich of gathering information classified as a state secret about a military factory.

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Contacted over the weekend by Reuters, the Russian foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on what impact, if any, Gershkovich's detention would have on the Whelan case.

On Sunday, in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asked Blinken to "respect the decision of the Russian authorities" who say Gershkovich was caught "red handed," according to a summary of the call from Russia's foreign ministry.

In previous cases of Americans detained in Russia, Moscow has emphasized the need to let its justice system run its course before considering the possibility of any exchange, and has said negotiations should not take place in public.

The Wall Street Journal has denied Russia's claims and called for Gershkovich's swift release. A spokesperson for the newspaper did not respond to specific questions for this article.

Reuters was unable to reach Gershkovich's family for comment.

WRONGFULLY DETAINED

The detention of Americans overseas is a growing problem for the United States. Foreign policy experts say some governments - including Iran, Russia and North Korea - use arbitrary detention as a negotiating ploy.

Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy, a frequent critic of President Joe Biden, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that Gershkovich's arrest, coming after the swap for Griner, showed "when the president pays ransom, they'll go after and take more Americans."

Biden on Friday called on Russia to release Gershkovich. The White House has said the espionage charges leveled against the journalist were "ridiculous."

To ensure a focus on the most urgent cases, the State Department designates some of the Americans held abroad "wrongfully detained," a step that moves a case to the jurisdiction of the special envoy for hostage affairs and opens the door for additional resources to be directed at winning their release.

Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker told CNN on Friday she was "optimistic" Gershkovich would soon get that designation.

"When that happens, that's official recognition that the charges against him are bogus and after that things, we hope, could move a bit more swiftly," Tucker said.

Whelan is the only American detained in Russia with that designation. Lawyers who work on cases of U.S. citizens detained overseas have also been pushing for the administration to also designate Marc Fogel, a teacher who like Griner was charged with cannabis possession in Russia, as wrongfully detained.

The State Department has called for Fogel's release on humanitarian grounds and says it continually reviews whether such cases meet the requirements for "wrongfully detained." A department spokesperson declined to comment further on the lack of a designation. Fogel's family was not immediately available for comment.

The Biden administration has secured the release of at least 25 "wrongfully detained" Americans. More than 30 other U.S. citizens are still being held abroad with that designation.

David Whelan said while Gershkovich's detention might divert U.S. government attention away from his brother's case it could also provide impetus for a joint swap involving both Americans.

"I'm on the fence about whether this is likely to help Paul's case or hurt it," he said.

On Sunday, Blinken called for the "immediate release" of both Americans.

Tom Firestone, former resident legal adviser at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, said he expects the Biden administration will designate Gershkovich as wrongfully detained fairly quickly and seek a prisoner exchange alongside Whelan.

"Despite tremendous efforts they have not been able to get Whelan out," Firestone said. "Now they're going to have to double those already substantial efforts to try to get two people accused of espionage out."

A State Department spokesperson did not respond to a question about the additional efforts now required.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis; additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Steve Holland; Editing by Don Durfee, Rosalba O'Brien and Lincoln Feast.)
By Aziz El Yaakoubi

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's unpredictable crown prince is pushing hard to realign Middle East dynamics, engaging with old foes and orchestrating OPEC oil cuts like the ones on Sunday which took the global market by surprise.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MbS, has signalled he is prepared to go it alone without the help of the United States to pursue Saudi interests, whether it means re-establishing ties with U.S. adversaries like Iran, or removing supplies from the oil market and angering consumers.

The strategy is designed to create conditions enabling Saudi Arabia to focus on MbS's vast economic transformation plan, Vision 2030, in which he has poured hundreds of billions of dollars, hoping it will open the conservative kingdom to business and tourism amid rising regional competition.

The strategic shift began in 2019 after the devastating attacks on Saudi Aramco's oil facilities - after which Riyadh questioned U.S. security commitments to the region - and gained momentum after Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, analysts say.

The kingdom hopes to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire, they say.

"Saudi Arabia is moving from disengagement towards engagement to allow it to focus on pushing ahead on Vision 2030," said Saudi analyst Abdulaziz Sager.

The kingdom has gone into diplomatic overdrive, restoring relations with Iran and agreeing to a rapprochement with Syria in its quest to rebuild regional alliances, instead of leaning entirely on the United States, its long-time big power ally.

Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit that Riyadh is hosting in May, three sources familiar with the plans have said, a move that would formally end Syria's regional isolation.

'UNWISE MOVE'

The kingdom also announced a decision to join the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a sign that it is cultivating a long-term relationship with Beijing at the expense of the United States.

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A Saudi official said the United States and China are both very important partners for Riyadh.

"We certainly hope not to be part of any competition or dispute between the two superpowers. We are not a superpower, but what we are is an important player in the region and global economy," the official, who declined to be named, said.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday Riyadh remains a strategic partner for Washington even if the two did not agree on all issues. Washington and Riyadh are working on addressing common security challenges, he said.

Riyadh's increasing assertiveness extends to oil policies.

On Sunday, the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies including Russia (OPEC+) announced further production cuts of about 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd), drawing U.S. disapproval.

The Gulf Research Center, a Saudi-based think-tank, said the OPEC cuts show major oil producers can free themselves from U.S.-Western pressure and pursue an independent policy that puts their national interests first.

"Were in a Saudi First oil market now. Producers dont just earn more, they enjoy far more geopolitical leverage when markets are tight," said Jim Krane, a research fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.

MENDING FENCES WITH IRAN

In a significant deal brokered by China, Riyadh reached an agreement with Tehran to revive diplomatic relations, after years of bitter rivalry that have fuelled conflict across the Middle East.

Elisabeth Kendall, a Middle East expert at Cambridge's Girton College, said the abrupt U-turn might have been spurred by the escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran.

"Saudi likely hopes that by thawing relations with Iran, it will avoid getting caught up in another regional conflict, thereby removing the risk of another direct Iranian attack on its infrastructure, such as the crippling 2019 attacks on Aramco," Kendall said. Iran denied responsibility.

On Sunday, Israeli forces carried out air strikes on Iranian outposts in Syria, the Syrian defence ministry said. Western intelligence sources said a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based were hit.

The attack, the latest in a series on Iranian military facilities in Tehran's close ally Syria, raised the spectre of a broader regional confrontation that would put U.S. Gulf allies in the line of fire should military operations escalate.

Previous air strikes on Saudi oil sites, and on a United Arab Emirates fuel depot by Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi forces, have laid bare the uncertainty surrounding the U.S. security stake in its Arab allies, prompting Riyadh to push for de-escalation with Tehran and diversify its security partners.

There has never been any serious dialogue, either within the U.S. government or with the Saudis, on the conditions under which Washington would come to the defence of Saudi Arabia should it be attacked, said Bilal Saab, Director of the Defence and Security Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

"The Saudis dont want to be in a shooting war between Iran and the United States. They dont trust that Washington will protect them," Saab said.

Riyadh's growing ties with Beijing have raised security jitters in Washington, which says Chinese attempts to exert influence around the world will not change U.S. policy toward the Middle East.

Shadi Hamid of the Brookings Institution in Washington said Saudi Arabia's view that the U.S. is increasingly disengaged from the region is not entirely wrong.

"The crown prince has decided to hedge his bets, both as a concession to reality but also as a way of provoking the U.S. to pay more attention to its security concerns," Hamid said.

"The U.S. has been annoyed but has not retaliated in any way, which in turn has emboldened Saudi Arabia to continue deepening its relationship with America's chief adversaries."

(Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi, additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous and Maha El Dahan; editing by Michael Georgy and Mark Heinrich)
By Rachna Uppal and Lisa Barrington

DUBAI (Reuters) -The United Arab Emirates' commitment to a long-term strategic relationship with Israel should survive political turbulence, analysts say, after one of the most right-wing governing coalitions in Israel's history prompted widespread anger. A series of recent moves and comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has infuriated the public in much of Arab world, and drew condemnation from the UAE, including over Israeli settlement policy in the occupied West Bank.

However, economic and trade cooperation - a key driver of the UAE's 2020 normalisation of relations with Israel which broke with decades of Arab policy towards the Palestinian cause - has deepened.

On Saturday a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the countries entered into effect, removing or reducing tariffs on more than 96% of products, UAE state news agency WAM said.

Signed in May 2022, and deemed a "historic moment" by the UAE ambassador to Israel, it is Israel's first free trade agreement with an Arab state. UAE energy giant ADNOC last week announced it was part of a $2 billion joint bid for half of Israeli offshore natural gas producer NewMed Energy.

This would follow the purchase in 2021 by Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Energy of a 22% stake in Israel's Tamar gas field for about $1 billion.

"(The NewMed Energy bid) demonstrates a long-term investment in Israel's energy sector, which shows how strategic the relationship has become," Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at Chatham House, and co-author of a new report on IsraelUAE normalisation, told Reuters.

"And it ties in UAE interests into European energy security, which will act as a ballast against the EU's strong push on net zero targets," he added.

The UAE was the first Arab state to open diplomatic relations with Israel in almost three decades in a U.S.-brokered deal, which also included Bahrain, known as the Abraham Accords. The pact was driven by shared concerns about Iran and is part of a broader regional realignment of alliances. But political developments have tested the diplomatic relationship.

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In addition to Israel's settlements decision, which the UAE condemned, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich saying there was no such thing as a Palestinian people prompted anger across the Arab world.

This comes against the backdrop of huge domestic strife in Israel over judicial reforms, and Prime Minister Netanyahu, who headed the previous government when the Abraham Accords were signed, has yet to visit the UAE.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation did not respond to a request for comment on political strains on the relationship.

Israeli government officials said the bilateral relationship was "growing stronger" and referenced the recent trade deal, when asked why Netanyahu had not yet visited.

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Israel, largely cut off economically and politically from its Middle East neighbours, sees the relationship as a way to access new commercial opportunities in the Gulf and beyond. The UAE is advancing cooperation with Israel in the finance, energy, security, technology, and water security sectors.

Recent moves to push ahead on trade and investment signal to businesses on both sides that political strains should not dampen appetite for economic ties.

Bilateral non-oil trade volumes between the two countries reached over $2.5 billion in 2022 and the UAE hopes to grow this to $10 billion by 2030.

"Israeli politics are definitely difficult and there are a lot of ups and downs. But the Abraham Accord is a strategic decision, it will continue despite whatever goes on in Israel," Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political commentator in the UAE, said.

Dubai International Chamber, which opened a Tel Aviv office in December, says there are already about 1,000 Israeli businesses operating in the UAE.

On Thursday, Israel also announced an additional seven weekly flights between the two countries on top of the dozens already operating. The Israeli CEPA is part of a wider UAE strategy towards global partnerships to bolster and diversify its economy.

A meeting of the strategic I2U2 grouping of India, Israel, the UAE, and the U.S., an economic cooperation group created last year - still went ahead in February in the UAE.

"There are going to be stresses and strains in the relationship and even cause to question its durability," Chatham House's Quilliam said.

"No matter how bad things get though, the economic dimension of the partnership will sustain it through rough patches".

(Reporting by Rachna Uppal and Lisa Barrington; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Andrew Tate has issued a response after being hilariously mocked in South Park.

Tate, a former kickboxing world champion, who has amassed millions of followers for his misogynistic online content, is currently under arrest in Romania facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang.

On Friday (31 March), Tate won an appeal against jail detention, and was placed under house arrest.

The former Big Brother contestant was originally detained in late December in Bucharest, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, with none of the four yet to be formally charged in the case. All four deny the allegations.

South Parks latest episode, titled Spring Break, depicted Tate via character Alonzo Fineski, a toxic masculinity coach who is revealed to be a wanted sex trafficker.

Alonzo is shown to have a shaved head and wear faded sunglasses as well as be a cigar smoker  an image clearly based on Tate.

In the episode, Alonzo is told: I think I need to explain something to you. Im just trying to combat the messages that the liberal left is putting out to young men about their male instincts being toxic.

Later, when he is arrested, someone calls him a Romanian sex trafficker.

In response to the episode, Tate wrote on Twitter: When I will be proven innocent, I look forward to help create the greatest South Park episode of all time.

The Independent has contacted Comedy Central, which airs South Park, for comment.

Andrew Tate responded to being source of South Park mockery on Twitter (Twitter)

In February, South Park made headlines after sending up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

The episode centred on a prince and his wife  based on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle  who decided to move to the fictional South Park, Colorado town. The prince is seen promoting his book, titled Waaaagh, as they embarked on a we want privacy tour.

Reports initially suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were planning to sue over the series. However, these were shut down by the couples spokesperson, who called the rumours baseless and boring.
The latest shooting on Interstate 95 in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area sent a driver to the hospital and put 15 bullet holes into his Mercedes SUV on Monday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The gunshot wound left the driver with what FHP termed non-life threatening injuries. All 15 bullet holes in the car were on the drivers side, FHP said.

Troopers said they found the SUV crashed into a tree off the right side grassy shoulder of the southbound lanes near U.S. 441 after 4:15 a.m. No one was with the Mercedes, but the driver turned up at Jackson North with a gunshot wound shortly after.

No information has been released on the shooter.
Several areas of Kansas including Wichita are poised to see yet another round of high fire danger Tuesday.

The National Weather Service in Wichita issued a wind advisory and red flag warning for most of Tuesday. A high temperature of 84 is expected with wind gusts of up to 55 mph.

A red flag warning signals that the combination of high temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts could spark a fire that could spread rapidly and become difficult to contain.

These strong winds will affect portions of central, south central and southeast Kansas.

A fire weather watch has been issued for much of the State of Kansas for Tuesday. Outdoor burning should be avoided. #kswx pic.twitter.com/9PSGAXibos  NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) April 2, 2023

A chance of severe storms also looms over part of the state from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday. Large hail, damaging winds and maybe a tornado or two will primarily affect southeast Kansas with the greatest threat in far eastern Kansas, according to a hazardous weather outlook report.

Severe storms are possible Tuesday afternoon/evening across far eastern Kansas. Be sure to have multiple ways to receive weather information, and check back for updates to the forecast. #kswx pic.twitter.com/XiPifwXo1m  NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) April 3, 2023

The wind advisory is in effect from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday and the red flag warning from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to the National Weather Service web page on watches, warnings and advisories.

It should be cooler Wednesday, with 55 degrees for a high, wind speeds between 16-20 mph and wind gusts around 30 mph. Temps for Thursday and Friday are forecast to be in the 60s.

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Friday saw grass fires erupt northwest of El Dorado. Some city residents were asked to evacuate as fire crews fought to put out the fires. A portion of the Kansas Turnpike near El Dorado was closed and about 250 elementary schools students were evacuated as a result of the fires.

Sedgwick County is currently under a burn ban for April. During this time, no open burns permits will be issued and no current permit holders will be allowed to burn.
The name of a New York state park may deter parkgoers from visiting the 436-acre site, according to state lawmakers who are fighting for a name change.

Donald J. Trump State Park, which sits east of the Hudson River in Westchester and Putnam counties, should be renamed after anyone else, according to state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg.

The two lawmakers have reintroduced a bill informally called the Anyone But Trump Act that aims to designate a new name for the park, a March 22 news release on the legislation said.

The parks association with the former president is contributing to its neglect and sparse visitation, Hoylman-Sigal and Levenberg argue, according to the release.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation was unable to estimate how many people visit the park as it doesnt track its visitation numbers, a spokesperson told McClatchy News.

The lawmakers new push to rename the park came a week before a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on charges related to how hes accused of paying porn actor Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair they had before the 2016 election, the Associated Press reported.

I have received many unprompted messages from constituents who are dismayed at driving past signs for Donald J. Trump State Park, Levenberg, who has launched an online survey asking for public opinions on renaming the park, said in a statement.

Frankly, it is triggering for many people to have a daily reminder of the hatred and vitriol Donald Trump unleashed in our nations politics, Levenberg added. Having ones name on a park or a sign along our roadways is an honor, one that Donald Trump does not deserve, given his behavior.

Specifically, the bill would direct the state parks commissioner to conduct a legal review of the re-designation of the park, and should it be within the offices authority, rename and otherwise improve the park for the enjoyment of the public, according to the text of the bill.

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In June 2021, the bill passed in the New York state Senate, according to the release. Now, the two lawmakers hope itll pass in both houses.

Park doesnt appear on list of New York State Parks

New York has 180 state parks offering a range of amenities from hiking, boating, camping and more.

Though a state park, Donald J. Trump State Park isnt officially listed on the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservations website.

The park was named after Trump in 2006 when he donated the land to New York, the state Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation spokesperson told McClatchy News.

Its managed as undeveloped open space, and is open to passive recreation such as hiking and birdwatching, the spokesperson said.

The park hasnt received much funding since 2010 and isnt regularly used, according to Levenberg.

She believes it has the potential to become one of the most prestigious parks in the state  but the Trump association may negatively impact its potential, she said in her online survey.

CBS New York recently spoke with local residents who have mixed feelings about removing Trumps name.

I think theyre wrong. They shouldnt do it. Bad idea to change it, John West, of Yorktown Heights, told CBS New York. Because the man took his own time and money to donate this park to New York State.

Another person, Richard Elkind, told the outlet that changing the parks name is a very good idea.

I would have taken it off a long time ago, Elkind told CBS New York.

In the news release, Hoylman-Sigal argued to correct the parks name, noting that its named after a twice-impeached president.

New York State has always been known for welcoming and embracing people of all cultures and backgrounds, and even our park system reflects these values. The names of these parks and green spaces should do the same, the bills memo states.

Could Trump indictment hurt his 2024 chances  or help? What polls have found

Trump says his arrest is imminent. Only one other president has been arrested  in 1872
By Padraic Halpin and Kate Holton

DUBLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - A quarter of a century after unpalatable compromises ended decades of bloodshed in Northern Ireland, some of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement hope that deal can help inspire a route out of the region's near-permanent political crisis.

In April 1998, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern helped Irish nationalists and British unionists craft an intricate powersharing deal that paved the way for militants on both sides to lay down arms.

The peace has utterly transformed the region, largely ending three decades of bitter violence that killed 3,600.

But the devolved powersharing government was struggling even before Britain's vote to leave the European Union altered the delicate political balance on the island of Ireland, and some fear the current boycott by the region's once-dominant Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) could prove fatal.

Those who remember the repeated false dawns of 25 years ago are more sanguine.

"Nothing's ever irresolvable" said Blair, summing up the stubborn optimism many developed working in Northern Ireland at the turn of the millennium.

"Today... it's still very fraught but I think there's a depth to the process. There are roots that have been put down that I don't think anyone on the island of Ireland really wants to disturb," he told Reuters in an interview. "People realise that to go back to the past would be a complete disaster."

PRINCIPLE OF CONSENT

One source of the current political crisis is the sense that Brexit and its fallout have upset some of the balance of the 1998 deal - specifically the principle of cross-community consent embodied in a requirement for major legislation to be supported by a majority of both nationalists and unionists in the devolved assembly.

Nationalists, who are mostly Catholic, say Northern Ireland was wrenched from the EU in a UK-wide vote even though its smallest region voted 56% to 44% to remain.

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Unionists, who are mainly Protestant and largely backed Brexit, say the imposition of trade barriers with the rest of the United Kingdom in a bid to avoid a hard border with EU-member Ireland was done without their consent.

That prompted the DUP to collapse powersharing a year ago, a position it has doubled down on in recent weeks in the wake of a reworking of post-Brexit trade rules under a compromise known as the Windsor Framework brokered by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

With the DUP saying it won't return until major changes are made to the deal, and London and Brussels ruling that out, there appears no room for compromise. One DUP lawmaker said the EU-UK deal had effectively "ripped up" the 1998 accord.

The DUP was the only major party not to participate in the 1998 negotiations, but it later joined the powersharing government and went on to supplant the more moderate Ulster Unionists as the main voice of Protestant voters.

"There is an exhaustion and frustration," at the DUP's repeated objections, said Ahern, Irish prime minister from 1997-2008.

"But I've always looked on this in a pragmatic way that if there's a problem, try to fix it and I think we have to try and fix it. It's doable. It's bordering on the ridiculous, but let's try and do it."

STALEMATE

Many have identified the compulsory coalition that gives the largest party on either side of the sectarian divide the power to pull down powersharing as a key stumbling block to progress.

That, coupled with the rise of the Alliance party, which identifies as neither nationalist or unionist, has sparked calls for an overhaul of a political architecture premised on a society divided in two.

"There's no such thing as status quo. You're either going forwards or backwards," said Ahern, who believes a review is needed. "If you stand still, what happens is eventually you fall over."

The rules around devolution have already been changed in 2006 to overcome an earlier suspension.

But Blair said all sides must "proceed really carefully" with any reform and that the Brexit row has to be solved first.

'NEW ARCHITECTURE'

Gerry Adams, another key player in the 1998 talks as head of the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, said he would be "very, very dilatory about making changes to the Good Friday Agreement".

But he said if the DUP, the key rival of his Sinn Fein party, does not re-enter government, other options would have to be considered.

"If they are not going to do so, then let them tell us that and then we'll all move forward into a different architecture because there can be no going back to what's described as direct (British) rule," Adams told Reuters.

Adams, who has always denied membership of the IRA, is also optimistic, but for a different reason: his party has said it expects the British government to call a referendum on Northern Ireland breaking away from British rule within a decade.

The 1998 agreement requires London to call such a vote if it seems likely a majority would back Irish unity.

"Sands are shifting," said Adams.

Despite the current crisis, "a space has been opened up where people can moderate our differences politically", the former Sinn Fein leader said.

"We have been able to develop a pathway to change which will lead to greater change, I believe, in the time ahead."

(Additional reporting by Amanda Ferguson in Belfast; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alex Richardson)
A provincial government official in Argentina was beaten, kicked and pelted with stones Monday by a group of bus drivers protesting the death of a colleague.

Buenos Aires province's security minister, Sergio Berni, 61, was attacked when he arrived at a protest by bus drivers against unsafe working conditions in La Matanza, on the outskirts of the capital.

Berni is seen bleeding from the face and staggering to his feet after falling during the attack, which was broadcast live on local television.

He was eventually removed by police who took him to hospital.

Eight police officers and three bus drivers were injured in ensuing clashes, according to the emergency services.

The protest was sparked by the death of bus driver Daniel Barrientos, 65, who was shot by two delinquents who boarded to rob passengers in the early hours of Monday.

"We have already arrested the perpetrator," of that crime, Berni told the crowd before he was whisked away, adding that work was being done to guarantee drivers' safety.

Bus drivers downed tools Monday on the main lines covering the western parts of greater Buenos Aires, an area of some 14 million inhabitants.

nn/dm/llu/mlr/dw
Martin Cooper holds a contemporary copy of the original cell phone he used to make the first cell phone call on April 3, 1973 in New York City. The problem with mobile phones, he said at his home in Del Mar, Calif. on March 20, 2023, is that people look at them too much. (Valerie Macon/Getty-AFP/AFP via Getty Images)

Like skyscrapers, improv comedy or even a good hot dog, the cellphone was born in Chicago but quickly claimed by New York City as its own.

Motorola executive Martin Cooper was standing on Sixth Avenue just blocks from Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan on April 3, 1973  50 years ago today  when he dialed his Chicago-built cellphone prototype. The 2.5-pound, 10-inch-long models inspiration came from a bespoke, two-way radio system that the company created in the 1960s for the Chicago Police Department.

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Cooper officially claimed the first-ever cellphone call in history when Joel Engel  his rival at AT&T  answered.

Motorola's DynaTAC 8000X, introduced in 1983, was the world's first commercial portable cellular phone. (Motorola)

Joel was very polite to me, but to this day hes not sure he ever got that phone call, Cooper said. But he doesnt reject the possibility that he did get it. And I dont blame him for that.

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Soon anyone with a cellphone would be able to make phone calls while riding in a taxicab or bus, walking down the street, sitting in a theater or other building, or shopping, the Tribune wrote the next day.

Cooper and seven others share U.S. Patent No. 3,906,166, published Oct. 17, 1973, for a Radio Telephone System, which included both the phone and the tower network to connect it.

Though it would be another decade before Motorola sold the DynaTAC 8000X to the public for more than $12,000 in todays money, Coopers call was the start of a technological revolution.

The 94-year-old recently spoke with the Tribune during an interview, which, ironically, was not conducted on a phone but via Zoom. The conversation, edited for clarity, is below:

Q: In your book (Cutting the cord: The cellphone has transformed humanity) you say that the best precursor to the cellphone was a two-way radio system Motorola built for the Chicago Police Department in the 1960s. What gave you the idea to cut the cord on that mechanism?

Police officer Michael Capesius holds a new portable two-way radio being field tested for Motorola at East Chicago police station on March 21, 1967, in Chicago. (Val Mazzenga/Chicago Tribune)

A: That system was the most modern of any police department in the world. Police superintendent (O.W.) Wilson was trying to revolutionize the Chicago police force. They were in trouble at the time.

[ The Summerdale Scandal and the case of the babbling burglar ]

Every police officer was stuck in a car  it kind of isolated them from the people. So (Wilson) asked if there was some way to get his officers better connected but still be mobile enough to move out of their cars.

So to me, this was heaven because at that time I had been promoted to work in portable products. Until then, our whole business was two-way radios in cars. We were trying to sell to people the freedom to be anywhere  we just had to come up with the technology to do this.

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And so we created a special radio just for (Wilson). It was a portable handset  a little brick that had a microphone and antenna  that attached to the officers shoulder. A wire connected the handset to a speaker that the officer wore on his belt. And that little detail made the model work in both the car and on the street.

It turns out that this really was a cellular system.

Q: What made it cellular?

(Chicago Tribune, June 4, 1984)

A: We have a lot of little cells (a series of geographic areas  each with its own electronic device that receives and transmits signals  that are connected to create a communications system) throughout Chicago now. Hundreds of cells. When youre talking in any one cell you are using a transmitter in the middle of that cell. But if you move to another cell, then the call just automatically moves to another transmitter without you even being aware of it. You just have a continuous conversation. It really is wonderful technology.

I think I get it.

Its very good that you dont understand it  because you shouldnt. The value of technology is that the person using the technology doesnt need to know how it works. They can just take advantage of it.

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Q: Was part of the challenge then, in creating a cellphone, figuring out how to make it so that the phone could move efficiently from cell to cell?

A: That was the big challenge in cellular. For the police department that was not a challenge.

The typical police conversation  police officers are very disciplined  is less than 15 seconds. The conversations are short, so they would never move from one cell to another quickly.

When people talk to each other on the telephone, the average conversation is two and a half minutes. You can move a lot in two and a half minutes. When you drive through Chicago now, you could be in a different cell every 10 seconds.

Q: Where did your innovative thinking come from?

A: Im not sure  were not going to make this a psychology session. In my early years, though my folks were entrepreneurs and they both worked really hard. They were immigrants from what today is Ukraine.

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I spent a lot of time alone and became an avid reader, dreamer and science fiction advocate. I like to tell people that Im an engineer and engineers are supposed to be fixing todays problems, but Im a pretty good futurist so I have a different way of thinking. My tendency is to look in the future and, without todays restrictions, think about how would I want the world to be and then try to move in that direction. But if you spend too much time in the future, then youll never get anything done.

Q: That said, now take me back to the past. What was it like prepping for the April 3, 1973 press conference in New York City where you were going to introduce reporters to the cellphone?

(Chicago Tribune, April 4, 1973)

A: Oh, well, you just cant imagine. It was a miracle what my team did  just incredible. The number of brick phones that they had to make over a period of three months. To have the right new antenna we had an all new frequency band to be able to talk and listen at the same time. We operated over hundreds of radio channels.

All of these things had been done previously in big boxes. We had to put all that into a small handset.

Today, an iPhone has a couple billion transistors in one little chip. We were using individual transistors wired up by an engineer with a soldering iron.

We were at the Hilton (Midtown) hotel in New York in the two-story penthouse suite, which used to be where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed. It had a big fancy bed and a piano. Our engineers were sitting there in this great environment fixing things on this (prototype) because it wasnt quite right.

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I told reporters that we are going to demonstrate the freedom that the cellphone is going to bring to people. Lets do it out on the street.

Recognizing the unreliability of our phone, we had two of them and an engineer was standing by just in case my phone failed.

And, amazingly enough, I dont know if you know about New Yorkers, but theyre not friendly like Chicago people. Youre invisible to them when youre walking down the street. And here they have this person standing there talking on what looks like a strange telephone, and there were people stopping and looking at us.

Q: Who did you call and what did you say in the first cellphone call?

A: You know, not everybody welcomed our view of what the future of the world would be. AT&T  no I shouldnt call it AT&T because it was a very different company then  Bell Labs was ready to introduce cellular telephony. But their version of that was car telephones. Can you believe that?

Q: Which Motorola already had, right?

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A: Yes. We had been trapped in our homes and offices by a copper wire and now theyre going to trap us in our cars. We just didnt think that was right.

But the Bell system went ahead with their version of this thing, which was the car telephone, and the guy that ran their program was Joel Engel.

I didnt figure out who I was going to call until the last minute, and it occurred to me, Why dont I call Joel?

Q: Did he answer?

A: I called up Joels phone and, amazingly, he answered the phone.

I said, Hi Joel, its Marty Cooper.

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He said, Hi Marty.

I said, Joel, Im calling you on a cellphone  a real cellphone. A personal, handheld, portable cellphone.

Q: You mention in your book that you wanted to work for Bell after college, but werent yet qualified to do so. So how did it feel to rub it in his face a little bit?

A: Well, as you can tell, it was a very good feeling.

Q: There were many different designs produced by your team for the cellphone prototype including a flip phone, one nicknamed banana and another called the shoe. Why did you ultimately go with the brick design?

Motorola industrial product designer Rudy Krolopp helped develop the DynaTAC model.

A: We had three months to come up with a design before the demonstration. The more complicated the phone (design) was, the more things that could break.

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We took a vote and everyone on the team decided to go with the simplest version. What could go wrong with the brick?

The guy who designed it was Rudy Krolopp. He took his whole team and put them on this project and never charged a nickel to my department. The guy who built it was Ken Larson. Don Linder was the guy who actually put the phone together.

I was just the luckiest person in the world to have a team of brilliant people.

Q: How did you choose the name for it? DynaTAC?

A: DynaTAC stands for Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage. That was my dream  when you traveled throughout a city, you were dynamically changing channels all the time.

Q: Ive seen conflicting reports on your inspiration for the cellphone  was it Star Trek or Dick Tracy? Dick Tracy was first published in the Chicago Tribune so I hope you say that.

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Tribune cartoonist Chester Gould draws his Dick Tracy comic in an undated photo. (Chicago Tribune)

A: The idea of a person using this thing with a device on your wrist, youll be happy to know that it was Dick Tracy.

When I got the job of running Motorolas portable products division, my one objective was to make a wrist phone. Sure enough, at one point, I made one but it was huge.

[ Vintage Chicago Tribune: Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy and the rise of newspaper comics ]

Q: You mentioned earlier there are two DynaTAC prototypes. Where are those now?

A: Well, one of them is in my office. The guy who built it took the insides out and put them inside a Lucite cylinder. And the other one, Don Linder  who was the real engineer for it  hes got it. Someday I hope he contributes it to the Smithsonian.

Q: The time between when you made the first phone call and when the phone became available to the public was about 10 years. Who was your target audience for it? Who did you think would buy it because the model was very expensive when it hit the market, correct?

(Chicago Tribune, Oct. 16, 1984)

A: Thats exactly right. The portable cellphone in 1983, when they first introduced the thing, it cost almost $5,000. In 1983 dollars, it would be like $12,000 today.

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Aside from that, it didnt work that well. The cells were a little too big so you had to be in a good coverage area in order to make a call.

Q: In Wall Street, the 1987 movie, Michael Douglass character walks on a beach while making a phone call on a DynaTAC 8000X. When did you realize that people were not only becoming receptive to this technology, but that soon everyone would have one?

A: We didnt believe that when we started out. But we also knew at $12,000, not many people would buy it.

Guess who were the first people who benefited from the cellphone? Think about it for a second. Real estate agents do two things  show homes or answer the phone when somebody wants to buy a home. The cellphone meant they could do both at the same time.

Today, about two-thirds of people in the entire world have a cellphone. And a majority of them are using those cellphones because theyre essential to their existence  its how they make money, stay alive, keep in touch with people.

By the way, I want to mention that my wife Arlene Harris, who is much smarter than I am, invented the system by which most people in the world use their cellphones  prepaid cellular. When people buy their cellphones, it doesnt come with airtime. She invented the concept where you buy the phone, then pay for the time as you use it.

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Chicago businessman Ed Lang conducts business out and about in August 1989. (Gerald West/Chicago Tribune)

Q: As you said, everybody has a cellphone now. Did you ever imagine how many different functions the cellphone would have? We use it like to take pictures, to take videos, to order food and to track our steps. Did you ever envision that, one day, wed be able to do this much with it?

A: Oh, not at all. We were so proud of all the technological breakthroughs we made just to place a person-to-person call. But my excuse is that in 1973 there was no Internet, right? There were no cordless phones. The digital camera had not been invented yet. So, it would have been a stretch for us to imagine that you could ever squeeze all of those features into this small device.

Q: What type of cellphone do you use? Do you have any favorite apps?

A: Whenever a manufacturer comes out with new features on a cellphone, then they are always guaranteed a sale because I have to try out the latest thing. Now, Im using an iPhone. I have several hundred apps thinking someday I might use that, but really I only use about a dozen of them regularly.

The reason that I like the iPhone specifically is Im very aggressive about physical fitness. You have to be if you want to try to stay alive. I work very hard at that. My iPhone connects to my iWatch, which is waterproof. Would you believe that my watch not only measures how fast Im swimming, it also knows what stroke Im swimming? It knows how many laps I swim and when I stop. Its quite amazing and thats just one application.

The second thing thats very important to me is my hearing. I was in the Navy and I used to fire pistols that made huge noises so I pretty much destroyed my hearing. I wear hearing aids that when you call me on my iPhone, the signal goes right through the iPhone and into them.

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I have another app that measures my sleeping habits and tells me exactly how many hours of deep REM sleep I get  and criticizes me when I dont go to sleep on time. Thats one of my favorite apps.

Q: I think I need to start monitoring my health on my iPhone then, too, if thats a feature that you enjoy  and look forward to being bugged by your phone or your watch whenever youre not doing your normal routine.

A: Yeah, exactly. I am critical of the modern phone just because of that. You know, the phone has become an extension of you. So why should you have to customize your phone by selecting among 4 million apps, which is how many there are in the Apple Store.

There really ought to be in your phone an artificial intelligence that knows you, knows your personality and has watched you for a few weeks in order to figure out exactly what you want and need in a specific app  it would even go find it or manufacture it for you. In the next 10 years, youre going to find cellphones will be much easier to use.

Q: Have you been tempted to type your name into an artificial intelligence chatbot and see what it tells you about yourself?

A: Ive done that, as a matter of fact. I created a thing called the Law of Spectral Efficiency, which is a very technical thing. People call it Coopers Law. So, for the fun of it, I went to ChatGPT and said, Could you tell me what Coopers Law is and who created it?

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It ended up with a pretty good answer, but it said the law was created by H. Seymour Cooper who lives in Georgia. I responded, My name is Martin Cooper and I created Coopers Law.

ChatGPT said, Well, youre right. But then it said it was a totally different thing.

Artificial intelligence has a little ways to go, but it still does some incredible things. Its another place where people are going to have to learn how to handle new technologies  and its not going to be easy.

Martin Cooper, a former Motorola executive who made the first cell phone call in New York City on April 3, 1973, stands with a prototype of a DynaTAC (Dynamic Adaptive Total Area Coverage) cell phone at his home in Del Mar, Calif., in this undated photo. Why did his team choose the "Brick" design for it? "We had three months to come up with a design before the demonstration," he told the Chicago Tribune. "The more complicated the phone (design) was, the more things that could break." (Remy Haynes)

Q: What advice do you have for creative thinkers, futurists, like yourself?

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: Well, Ive been very lucky to be associated with people who have taught me a few things. The founder of Motorola once made a comment that I live by: Do not fear failure, reach out. I have lived by that. I have had more failures than you could imagine  even in my history at Motorola. I also, fortunately, had enough successes so they tolerated me for 30 years. But the ability to reach out is essential, the ability to take risks. And you just have to know the satisfaction that comes out of having an idea of seeking it out and having a world accept it  there is just nothing more glorifying and satisfying than that.

Q: What do you think the cellphone of the future will be like?

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A: I think that what we call a cellphone today is going to be very different 10 years from now and 20 years from now. Besides artificial intelligence, its going to have all kinds of devices that measure things in our body, anticipate diseases and zap them before they become diseases. No diseases. Can you imagine a world with no disease?

I think, too, that the whole nature of education is going to change because students will have access to all the information in the world. And teachers will have to teach more important things like how to discriminate between good and bad information, about ethics and things of that nature. So, were only at the very beginning of how the cellphone is going to contribute to the future of humanity.

Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicagos past.

krumore@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @rumormill
The Armys best shooters took to the grass recently and plinked their way to excellence in marksmanship at the U.S. Army Small Arms Championships.

The week-long competition, which ran from March 12-18, included ROTC cadets and soldiers from all Army components pushing to earn top honors.

The competition, colloquially known in Army circles as the All Army, is hosted by the Army Marksmanship Unit each year at Fort Benning, Georgia and tests soldiers ability to use both primary and secondary weapons systems in a live-fire event, solve problems and think critically under stress, according to an Army release.

Officials told Army Times that more than 250 shooters competed in this years event. Those competitors included 90 active-duty soldiers, 47 Army National Guard soldiers, 69 Army Reserve soldiers, 39 ROTC cadets and eight Air National Guardsmen.

Maj. Samuel Freeman with the South Carolina Army National Guard won the overall all Army individual champion title. He also took top honors for both the individual rifle and pistol championships.

Maj. Ian Swisher with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard took second place home to the keystone state.

And 1st Lt. Zachary Reed with the Utah Army National Guard grabbed the overall bronze and won 1st place in the multi-gun championship.

On the group side, the Utah Army National Guard team took first in the multi-gun competition category and second place in both the pistol and rifle team categories.

Those team members included Reed, Sgt. 1st Class Kayle Buchanan, Sgt. Maxim Nikerson and Sgt. Kade Jackovich.

The South Carolina Army National Guard team won the Rifle Team Champion title while the New Hampshire Army National Guard team secured the Pistol Team Champion title.

Several personal stories emerged through the days of competition.

The father-son duo of Col. Andrew Clark and Pfc. Quinlan Clark competed in the event. The elder Clark, who serves as commander of the Armys Security Assistance Training Management Organization at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, attended the 2022 annual match and competed this year to improve his marksmanship skills.

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Growing up, I understood the value of marksmanship as a hunter and a competitive shooter in college, the colonel said in the release. And in the Army, I have never been satisfied with the average level of marksmanship, and throughout my career I have competed on my own. I earned the Presidents Hundred Tab on my own, with my own training.

Priv. 1st Class Quinlan Clark (left) and his father, Col. Andrew Clark, commander, competed and trained side by side at the 2023 U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, an annual, live-fire marksmanship event hosted by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit at Fort Benning, Georgia. (Michelle Lunato/Army)

The younger Clark, an infantryman with Headquarters & Headquarters Company, 2-35 Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, grew up shooting with his dad, but saw this competition as bringing a new level to his shooting.

This is a great opportunity for other privates, or lower enlisted like myself, to go out there and prove what they can do and take that knowledge back to their units, and spread that wealth, the private said in the release.

While each share personal goals of improving their shooting, one must be better, right?

When asked who was the better shot, the father and son just looked at each other and laughed before Col. Clark graciously added, Well, I have been doing it longer, according to the release.

Not to be outdone, a pair of Army ROTC cadet sisters also competed in the annual match and its 11 different courses of fire.

Cadets Hayle Mayer and Jesse Mayer, both with the Texas A&M University ROTC, sought to raise their marksmanship skills through competition.

Jesse participated in the previously, while it was Hayles first attempt.

I think both times that I have come here, I have really grown as a marksmanjust learning the basics, what I am capable of, watching improvement each year, and just learning how complex marksmanship is. Its been really incredible each time, Jesse said in the release.

Cadets Hayle and Jesse Mayer, with Texas A&M Reserve Officers' Training Corps, take a moment for a picture during the Bullseye Pistol Match at the 2023 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia March 12-18. (Michelle Lunato/Army)

As part of their ROTCs Ranger Challenge Team, the pair competed in the Army Marksmanship Unit training event to gather experience and knowledge that they could later share with other cadets.

And to strengthen their abilities before they head to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

We all want each other to do the best that we can, Jess said. We are very competitive with each other, but also very supportive I think  we balance each other out.
An astronaut from North Carolina is going to the moon.

NASA announced the members of the Artemis II team on Monday, and Christina Koch is one of the mission specialists who will take part in the first trip back to the moon in over 50 years.

Artemis II is tentatively set to launch a crew of four astronauts in November 2024. The Orion spacecraft will go up, and perform a flyby of the moon before returning back to Earth. This comes after NASAs first Artemis mission, which successfully tested the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft with a lunar orbit in 2022.

Koch grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and ended up going to high school in Durham. She then went on to earn degrees in electrical engineering and physics, along with a master of science degree, all from North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

This is Kochs second spaceflight, according to NASA. She was also part of a historic all-female spacewalk.

Back in 2020, Channel 9 spoke with Koch while she was aboard the International Space Station. Her research at the time was also part of future missions to the moon and to Mars.

Koch will be joined by pilot Victor Glover, commander Reid Wiseman, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen. The crew will be performing checks on the spacecrafts life support systems and propulsion, along with testing optical communications on board the Orion craft.

They're going to the Moon! Introducing the #Artemis II astronauts:



Reid Wiseman (@astro_reid), Commander

Victor Glover (@AstroVicGlover), Pilot

Christina Koch (@Astro_Christina), Mission specialist

Jeremy Hanson (@Astro_Jeremy), Mission specialisthttps://t.co/Hy1110MOEi pic.twitter.com/SeETL5iURu  NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) April 3, 2023

This will be the first trip back to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

(WATCH: Channel 9 speaks with record-breaking NC astronaut as she prepares to return to Earth)
Photo of traffic in Paris



Rental e-scooters, once heralded in Paris, France as a potential way to boost the citys climate efforts, are set to be banned following a referendum.

E-scooters are set to make a final French exit from the City of Lights. Residents of Paris, France have overwhelmingly voted to ban the electric micro mobility rentals in a Sunday referendum.



Turn-out was low: Just 103,084 people (about 7.5% of registered voters) showed up to weigh in. But among that subset, electric scooters proved profoundly unpopular. More than 89% of people cast their ballots against the continuation of self-service e-scooter rentals, according to results posted to the citys website.

Read more

The vote doesnt impact privately owned, personal scooters nor e-bikes, but does hurt the three self-service scooter rental companies operating in the French city: Lime, Dott, and Tier whose e-scooters have proliferated around Paris in recent years. There, as in many metropolitan areas around the world, the battery-powered micro mobility devices have stirred controversy and introduced some novel city-planning and regulatory conundrums since their arrival.

In 2022, 34 people died in France while riding e-scooters or similar devices, according to the countrys national road safety department. The agency also noted that over that same time period, 570 others had been seriously injured in e-scooter or micro mobility accidents. These injuries and deaths have risen precipitously from about zero in 2018, to the present-day stats, per the safety department, despite regulatory efforts to boost scooter safety.

In 2019, a law passed requiring e-scooter riders wear high visibility clothing, mandated that they ride with the flow of traffic, and introduced hefty fines for speed limit violations, according to the BBC. Still though, the human toll has continued to rise.

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In addition to the safety issues, opponents of the devices also commonly point out that their dockless nature leads to scooter-clogged sidewalks, public spaces, and roadway hazards. Often, e-scooters have ended up polluting parks or even the bottom of waterways (like Pariss Seine), where theyre dumped. Paris previously instituted fines for riding and improperly parking e-scooters on sidewalks, but again that seemed to do little to address the issue, per the BBC.

Often proponents of e-scooters argue they are a more environmentally friendly means of transport than cars and other gas-powered vehicles. Theyve also been touted as a way to improve transit connectivity and transportation accessibility. However, these arguments may not hold as much water in Paris, which is generally walkable and already has extensive, high quality public transit that people use.

A recent city-sponsored study showed that, without e-scooters, people would most often default to traveling via another type of low-carbon transportation like biking, walking, or hopping on the metro, according to the New York Times.

Though this weekends vote is technically non-binding, per another New York Times report, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she intends to abide by public opinion. This evening, the Parisians who spoke overwhelmingly spoke out against self-service scooters, Hidalgo said in the citys press statement. Their very clear message now becomes our roadmap. With my team, we will follow through on their decision as I promised. The mayor has been a recent leader in the push against the rental scooters, and has previously described them as a nuisance, according to NYT.

Scooter operators contracts expire at the end of August in Paris, and they wont be renewed. Beginning September 1, there will be no more self-service scooters in Paris, Hidalgo said.

Though many European cities have embraced e-scooters as yet another means of transit, the tides of opinion and policy have seemingly begun to shift. Earlier this year, Barcelona temporarily banned bringing e-scooters onto public transportation following an incident where one of the vehicles burst into flames on a local train in 2022. Paris new ballot measure could set a precedent elsewhere among major European tourist destinations.

In one notorious 2022 incident in Rome, Italy, a pair of American tourists managed to deal 25,000 in damage to the citys Spanish steps, a historical and cultural site in the Romes old center.

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SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia banned TikTok on Tuesday from all federal government-owned devices over security concerns, becoming the latest U.S.-allied country to take action against the Chinese-owned video app.

The ban underscores growing worries that China could use the Beijing-based company, owned by ByteDance Ltd, to harvest users' data to advance its political agenda, undermining Western security interests.

It also risks renewing diplomatic tension between Australia and its largest trading partner after things eased somewhat since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took office in May at the head of a Labor government.

TikTok said it was extremely disappointed by Australia's decision, calling it "driven by politics, not by fact".

The ban will come into effect "as soon as practicable", Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement, adding that exemptions would only be granted on a case-by-case basis and with appropriate security measures in place.

With Australia's ban, all members of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network - which consists of Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain and New Zealand - have banned the app from government devices. France, Belgium and the European Commission have announced similar bans.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, in testimony before the U.S. Congress last month, repeatedly denied the app shares data or has connections with the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok's Australia and New Zealand General Manager Lee Hunter said TikTok should not be singled out.

"There is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms," Hunter said in a statement.

The Australian newspaper late on Monday reported Albanese had agreed to the ban after a review by the Home Affairs department.

Dreyfus confirmed the federal government had recently received a "Review into Foreign Interference through Social Media Applications" report and that its recommendations remained under consideration.

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TRADE TALKS 'GOING WELL'

The ban comes on the day Australian and Chinese officials held talks in Beijing in a bid to normalise trade as the World Trade Organization prepares to release findings into an Australian complaint on barley tariffs.

"Things are going well, but of course, it'll take some time to turn this ship around," Trade Minister Don Farrell told Sky News, referring to prospects for improving trade relations.

In 2018, Australia banned China's Huawei from providing equipment during the rollout of its 5G network, riling China. Ties soured further after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19.

China responded by imposing tariffs on Australian commodities.

Australian lawmakers can still use TikTok on personal phones but some, including federal Government Services Minister Bill Shorten and Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews, have decided to delete their accounts.

Victoria state will also ban the app on state government-owned phones, a government spokesperson told Reuters.

While TikTok comes under mounting pressure over the potential Chinese influence over the platform, it also faces criticism over its influence on children.

TikTok has said the administration of President Joe Biden demanded its Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a potential U.S. ban.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham, Renju Jose and Lewis Jackson; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel)
By Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday he would not "get carried away" after his Labor party defied the odds to snatch a seat from the opposition at a by-election, a 100-year first, even as voters battled higher living costs.

Labor's Mary Doyle won the weekend by-election for the lower house federal seat of Aston in Melbourne's eastern suburbs with a swing of more than 6%, in a blow to the conservative Liberal-National opposition coalition in one of its traditional strongholds in Victoria state.

Albanese said the government's focus on making a practical difference in people's lives resonated with voters, who understood the spike in living costs was because of global supply chain problems linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.

But despite calling the election result "a historic win", Albanese said his government would remain grounded.

"This was a significant victory ... but we don't get carried away with this," Albanese told ABC Radio in an interview.

The last time the opposition lost a by-election to a government candidate was in 1920, in the Western Australia state goldfields electorate of Kalgoorlie.

The by-election in Aston was triggered after former Liberal minister Alan Tudge, who won with a slim 2.8% margin in the 2022 general election, quit politics due to personal reasons.

Albanese, who is set to finish a year in power next month, has enjoyed high approval ratings since becoming prime minister. A newspoll published by the Australian newspaper on Monday showed him stretching his lead to 58% as the preferred leader, eclipsing opposition leader Peter Dutton's 26% support.

The survey of 1,500 voters also showed Labor extending its lead on a two-party preferred basis to 55%, against the opposition's 45%.

The by-election win comes a week after Labor returned to power in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state. The win means the party now governs at state and federal levels across Australia's mainland, leaving island state Tasmania as the conservative outlier.

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The former principal of an Australian ultra-Orthodox Jewish School, Malka Leifer, was found guilty of sexually abusing two former students by a Melbourne court on Monday, local media reported.

Leifer, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was extradited to Australia from Israel in 2021 after fleeing the country in 2008 when the accusations surfaced.

After a six-week trial, a jury found 56-year-old Leifer guilty of 18 sexual offences including rape, indecent assault and penetration of a child aged 16 or 17, according to state broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC). The jury cleared her of nine other charges, ABC reported.

The former principal of Adass Israel School pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The County Court of Victoria, where the trial was held, and a lawyer for Leifer did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Three sisters, Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, accused Leifer of sexually abusing them between 2003 and 2007, when they were teenagers. The court found Leifer guilty of offences against Erlich and Sapper but not Meyer.

She abused the three of us for so many years and while todays verdict may not properly reflect that, today Malka Leifer was finally held accountable," said Sapper outside the court on Monday.

"She is guilty and she will be held accountable. Justice was served today.

Between 2014 and her extradition in 2021, Leifer fought her return to Australia, including with a submission of mental illness. An Israeli court in 2020 found Leifer was "faking" mental disability and was fit to stand trial.

The three sisters alleged the offences took place on school grounds, in locked staff offices, on school camps and at Leifer's home, reported the ABC.

Sentencing will follow.

(Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man whose death last month at a Virginia mental hospital has sparked outrage and led to second-degree murder charges against 10 defendants, died of positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints, a medical examiner's office said Monday.

Arkuie Williams, the administrative deputy in the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, confirmed the cause of death findings to The Associated Press after attorneys for Otieno's family first shared them in a statement. The manner of death was homicide, Williams wrote in an email.

Otieno, who struggled with mental illness, died March 6 after he was pinned to the floor while being admitted to Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County.

Video released earlier this month showed sheriffs deputies and hospital employees restraining a handcuffed and shackled Otieno for about 20 minutes after he was forcibly led into a hospital room. For much of that time, Otieno was prone on the floor, pinned by a group so large it blocked the cameras view of him at times.

Personnel who realized he appeared limp and lifeless eventually began resuscitation efforts, the video showed.

The official cause and manner of death is not surprising to us as it corroborates what the world witnessed in the video," family attorneys Ben Crump and Mark Krudys said in a statement. "In a chilling parallel to George Floyds killing, Irvo was held down and excessively restrained to death, when he should have been provided medical help and compassion. It is tragic that yet another life has been lost to this malicious and deadly restraint technique.

Seven deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno's death.

The local prosecutor who brought the charges has previously said in court that Otieno was smothered to death.

No additional information from the autopsy beyond the cause and manner of death can be released by the medical examiner's office, Williams said.

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Otieno was laid to rest last week. Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and other speakers at his funeral said his death shows the need for mental health and policing reforms.

Otienos family and their attorneys have said Otieno was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement, days before he was taken to the state hospital. He was first taken into police custody in Henrico County March 3, when he was transported to a local hospital for mental health treatment under an emergency custody order.

Police have said that while at the local hospital, he became physically assaultive toward officers, at which point they arrested him and took him to a local jail, something Otienos family says should never have happened given that he was in need of treatment. On the afternoon of March 6, he was transferred to the state hospital, which has a unit that provides care for people admitted from jails or by court order.

Some of the attorneys for the defendants charged in his death have said their clients were only trying to restrain Otieno. Otienos family and their attorneys have said he posed no danger to them and was simply trying to breathe during the encounter at the hospital shown on video.

All defendants have been granted bond and court records show pre-trial hearings in April or May.

AP sought comment on the medical examiner's findings from defense attorneys for each of the defendants. Attorneys Emily Munn, Emilee Hasbrouck and G. Russell Stone, declined to comment.

Attorney Ed Riley, who represents one of the deputies, said he couldn't comment on the merits of the findings without having seen the full autopsy report. He said he worried that public statements from the attorneys for Otieno's family as well as other public disclosures in the case, including the video, could hinder the defendants' right to a fair trial.

Other attorneys did not respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

___

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report.
A car traveled hundreds of feet down a sidewalk before striking a family out for a walk, killing a baby in a stroller, California authorities reported.

The 54-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs after the crash in Las Flores on Sunday, April 2, California Highway Patrol officers said in a news release.

A 2017 Hyundai Sonata driven by the San Clemente man left the road and struck the family at about 4:15 p.m., CHP officers said.

A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman, both of Rancho Santa Margarita, were seriously hurt, the release said. Their 11-month-old baby was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Officers ask that anyone with information call 949-670-7030.

Las Flores is a community of 39,000 people in Orange County about 50 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Quick-thinking driver gets kids off school bus before blaze, California officials say

68-year-old dies in crash down embankment onto beach picnic area, California cops say

Firefighters rescue 16 stranded on SeaWorld roller coaster, California officials say
A court in Bangladesh granted bail to a journalist on Monday after his detention under a controversial digital law prompted outcry.

Shamsuzzaman Shams, 38, a staff correspondent for the Prothom Alo newspaper, was arrested at his home on Wednesday after a politician filed a complaint over a story on the country's cost-of-living crisis.

Shams was freed from the Dhaka Central Prison just outside the capital at 6:30 pm (1230 GMT), Tipu Sultan from the Bengali-language daily told AFP.

"He secured bail from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court earlier in the day," he said.

A separate case under the same law against both Shams and the paper's editor was criticised by local and international rights groups, political parties and journalist unions.

UN rights chief Volker Turk has called for an immediate moratorium of the Digital Security Act, which he said was being used "to arrest, harass and intimidate journalists and human rights defenders, and to muzzle critical voices online".

According to records acquired by Amnesty International, between the law's enactment in October 2018 and June 2021 at least 2,646 cases were filed, with almost 6,000 people accused and 2,607 arrested.

On Saturday, Bangladesh's foreign ministry said in a statement that Shams had been arrested over "'child exploitation' as he offered ten taka to a 9-year-old boy and then expressed his own views in the name of that child".

The case filed against Shams, however, makes no reference to child abuse charges, but is related to the Digital Security Act.

Minister for Law Anisul Huq on Sunday hinted that the government may soon amend the act.

"We admit that there are some misuses and abuses (of the Digital Security Act). If necessary, we will make amendments to avoid these," he told reporters.

But he also insisted that a law to combat cybercrimes was still needed "everywhere in the world".

After his release from jail on Monday, Shams told reporters that the DSA should be suspended.

mma-sa/lb
Stocks were up Monday morning as the latest failures in the financial sector receded further in the markets rearview mirror.

But lawmakers in both parties are saying additional congressional action on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank  including a subpoena of former CEO Greg Becker  is necessary.

How Congress is tackling the problem: Banking legislation piles up as wobbly market evolves

I certainly think the CEO and the leadership of SVB should be subpoenaed. If you look at their stock transactions, these guys offloaded a lot of worthless equity, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) told The Hill on Thursday before lawmakers headed out for two weeks of district work.

They had to know it was worthless. They made off like bandits, but of course the American taxpayer got stuck with the bill, he said.

If we subpoena them, and I hope that we will subpoena them, I expect theyll show up, Vance said. I suspect the SVB bailout and crisis is going to be a main focus in April and May.

Why senators want to grill the former SVB chief

Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) speaks with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

Becker sold more than $3.5 million in SVB stock 11 days before his bank was shuttered by U.S. banking authorities, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Two days later, Treasury officials announced that depositors at the bank would be bailed out by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) at levels well above the $250,000 insurance cap, in some cases into the billions of dollars.

U.S. authorities said they did this because they said the failure of SVB, along with the cryptocurrency-focused Signature Bank, presented a systemic risk to other U.S. banks that could lead to additional bank failures.

But Becker himself argued against the characterization of his bank as systemically important in 2015 in order to push back against Dodd-Frank regulations that were eventually rolled back in 2018.

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Some Democrats and supporters of stricter bank rules believe the loosened regulations could have helped stave off SVBs failure.

Rollback blowback: Yellen says Trump administration decimated financial oversight

Becker also argued it wasnt SVBs size that should exempt it from a systemic risk classification, but rather its business model and inherent risk profile.

He added that SVB had invested in risk systems, hired additional highly skilled risk professionals and set up an independent risk committee on its board of directors  none of which proved to be helpful in averting the banks eventual collapse.

I think that Silicon Valley Bank is unique in the banking system, Banking Committee member Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told The Hill Thursday. Their sheer size put out ripple effects, but I think we saw a lot of that stress play out the week after.

Asleep at the switch

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman For Supervision Michael Barr gives an opening statement during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on March 28 to discuss the recent bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank along with the federal response.

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman For Supervision Michael Barr gives an opening statement during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on March 28 to discuss the recent bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank along with the federal response.

Im looking forward to the administration admitting they were completely asleep at the switch on supervisory and regulatory, Tillis said.

Senators said they were looking forward to the results of an investigation into the failure of SVB and why regulators failed to prevent it, a probe that is being led by Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr.

Heat on the Hill: House lawmakers roast regulators over failed banks

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill he thought new legislation could be warranted.

If we did one banking bill this year, well only do one. We may not do one, but if we do one, well only do one, he said. Lets get the report and that report will point the way either toward administrative fixes or legislative fixes.

Kaine added that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and ranking Republican Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) have a good working relationship. So lets just get the report and then well decide what to do.

President Biden has said the FDIC needs to be able to punish the bosses of failed banks more severely under the law, calling for Congress to limit their pay, fine them and ban them from further work in the banking business.

The toll: FDIC spent $20 billion to handle Silicon Valley Bank collapse

Joe Biden has asked for a bill to do clawbacks, and thats exactly what Senator Hawley, Senator Braun, Senator Cortez-Masto and I have just been given, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told reporters last week.

Warren also has a proposal with Tillis to increase the legislatures power over the Federal Reserve, which as a central bank is supposed to be an independent monetary authority.

Her plan would allow the Banking Committee access to some of the Feds supervisory information.

These reforms would strengthen congressional oversight of the Fed and other financial regulatory agencies, while still explicitly maintaining the Federal Reserves independence on monetary policy issues, a write-up of her proposal reads.

Roadblocks in the House

House Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) is seen during a hearing to discuss Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powells semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress on March 8.

Any such legislation could face a difficult road in the Republican-led House, where Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) has sounded a reluctant tone on new legislation following the collapses of SVB and Signature.

McHenry has received more than $275,000 from Signature Bank and has been leading a House inquiry into its failure.

McHenry reportedly attended a fundraiser thrown for him by Signature just weeks before the bank failed.

Before we draw conclusions on regulations or changes to law, we need to establish the related facts, McHenry said during a March 29 hearing of the Financial Services Committee on the bank failures.

Lawmakers doubt that the latest bank failures will force the banking industry toward more risk-averse behaviors, due to the incentive structures and the assumption established after the 2008 financial crisis that Congress will come to the rescue of failed financial businesses.

If you become heavily levered, your return on equity does not change, but the volatility goes up, Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.), who sits on the Financial Services Committee, told The Hill in an interview in December.

And if you are a CEO who is compensated with asymmetric risk then that if you have a really profitable quarter you get a huge bonus, and if it all goes south and your firm disappears, you just retire to the Hamptons.

You have a rational incentive to lever up and get in as risky a position as possible, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The last time a U.S. speaker of the house met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the visit prompted extensive blowback in China. The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), as Chinas military is formally called, responded briskly, conducting days of military exercises around the self-governed island. These were no normal military exercises either. PLA ships and aircraft surrounded Taiwan at six separate points in what could only be described as a dress rehearsal for a hypothetical blockade. Missiles were launched over the island, with some of them landing in Japans exclusive economic zone.

Tsais expected meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California this week isnt expected to generate the same kind of military retaliation from the PLA  a high-ranking politician traveling to Taiwan is more provocative to Beijing than a Taiwanese president doing the same on U.S. soil. After all, multiple Taiwanese presidents have made brief stopovers to the United States on their way to other destinations. Flying to the U.S. isnt some new development for Tsai either; this will be the seventh trip during her presidency.

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The difference with Tsais current trip, however, is that it comes at a time when U.S.-China relations are at their most perilous since the two countries established formal diplomatic ties almost 45 years ago. Washington and Beijing spent decades flirting with each other as partners and possible friends. Now, the terms partners and friends arent even in the vocabulary. Strategic competition has replaced strategic empathy.

The U.S. is convinced that China is intent on displacing it as the worlds leading power and actively working to destroy the U.S.-dominated international system. U.S. defense officials categorize China as the pacing threat, while U.S. generals frequently come to Congress for more resources in order to outcompete the PLA. Being tough on China is a political winner as well  look no further than the House Select Committee on China, which was approved by an overwhelming bipartisan vote at the beginning of the 118th Congress.

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[ Daniel DePetris: How does the US-China relationship continue after the spy balloon saga? ]

So while its true that Tsais sojourn to the U.S. isnt unprecedented, its also true that Washington cant assume China will sweep the trip under the rug. U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believe that Tsais meeting with McCarthy on U.S. soil wont produce the same animus in Chinese policy circles that Pelosis trip to the island did. But the truth is U.S. officials have limited information to work with and dont have a good idea of how Chinese President Xi Jinping will react in any given situation.

Its one reason the Biden administration is attempting to make Tsais events in New York and California as low-key as possible. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke to his Chinese counterpart about the trip ahead of time, Tsais events are behind closed doors, and senior State Department officials are treating the entire affair as an inconsequential phenomenon. The idea behind this is to lower the temperature in the hope Xi wont feel the pressure to respond militarily.

The administration may wind up disappointed. If there is one issue China feels most passionate about, its Taiwan. Xi is hardly the first chairman of the Chinese Communist Party to remind U.S. officials about Taiwans importance to the Chinese nation, but Xi has certainly gone above and beyond his predecessors. Reunifying Taiwan with the Chinese mainland is an integral component of Xis national rejuvenation campaign, and he has repeatedly referenced Taiwans status as a core red line. Any hint of pro-independence tendencies on the self-ruled island wont be greeted kindly in Beijing, and any attempts by outside powers (particularly the U.S.) to encourage such tendencies will be treated as a provocation.

Washington ignores this at its own peril. As if to underscore the point, nine Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Straits median line separating the island from the mainland as Tsais U.S. visit got underway. The entire Taiwan issue is a geopolitical game of cat-and-mouse, where U.S. meetings with Taiwanese officials, billions of dollars in U.S. arms sales to the island, and off-handed comments by President Joe Biden himself feed into Chinas worst-case assumptions about Washington chipping away at the status quo. Meanwhile, every Chinese military drill is viewed in Washington as yet more evidence of a virtually inevitable Chinese invasion. The feedback loop is counterproductive and potentially dangerous.

One must therefore address the elephant in the room: Is McCarthys pending meeting with Tsai providing more fuel for that potentially dangerous feedback loop? Is there a benefit to the meeting we arent seeing?

Protesters opposed to Taiwanese independence gather at a hotel where Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was expected to arrive in New York, March 29, 2023. (Seth Wenig / AP)

Politically, of course, there is a benefit. McCarthy wants to show hes just as supportive of Taiwans democracy as his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi. He wanted to make the same trip as Pelosi did eight month earlier but was warned by the Taiwanese government that it may not be a great idea given the current regional dynamics. No U.S. politician wants to be seen snubbing a Taiwanese official, lest they be perceived as weak on China. The top Democrat in the House, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, already had face time with Tsai when she landed in New York. There is no plausible scenario whereby McCarthy, the top Republican on Capitol Hill, doesnt keep up with his Democratic counterpart.

Yet lets not be under any illusions: the McCarthy-Tsai meeting in California wont be substantive, nothing tangible will be agreed on, and the specifics of what will be discussed wont be released due to the diplomatic sensitivities with the Chinese. The session will throw yet another obstacle in a bilateral relationship already teeming with them, from Chinese spy balloons and the war in Ukraine to infrastructure.

U.S. officials are having difficulty getting their Chinese opposites on the phone. This weeks events wont help the cause.

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Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
A Barnstable man has been sentenced to at least a decade in state prison for stabbing his ex-girlfriend 20 times on Aug. 28, 2021, according to Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois.

Michael Harrington, 35, received a prison sentence of 10 to 12 years from Barnstable Superior Court Judge Gregg J. Pasquale on Wednesday, immediately after Harrington's guilty plea to charges of armed assault to murder, aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in violation of an abuse prevention order and assault and battery on a family or household member.

Harrington's ex-girlfriend survived the attack.

Michael Harrington, right, is escorted into the main session courtroom at Barnstable District Court Aug. 20, 2021, for his arraignment on charges in the stabbing attack on a woman outside her Barnstable home two days earlier. He was sentenced to 10-12 years on Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges related to the attack.

"We had asked for a higher sentence and while we're disappointed a higher sentence wasn't given, we respect the court's decision," Assistant Cape and Islands District Attorney Russell Eonas said, adding that prosecutors recommended a sentence of 12 to 15 years.

At about 1:30 a.m. on the day of the incident, Barnstable police Officer Nelson Souve was dispatched to a Barberry Lane home in Marstons Mills for a well-being check, according to the police report on the incident.

The person who called the police had been on the phone with Harrinton's ex-girlfriend, before calling 911. During the call with the victim, it sounded like she was being attacked before the phone disconnected, according to the report.

Barnstable police called to scene for wellness check, found woman suffering from stab wounds

At the house, Souve heard a woman screaming for help. She was lying on the lawn by the front steps, covered in blood, according to the police report. Souve requested additional units and Centerville-Osterville-Marstons Mills Fire and Rescue.

The woman said, He stabbed me, according to the police report. When asked who, she said, Mike Harrington, according to the report.

She was treated for numerous stab wounds, including on her abdomen and chest. She also had a cut across her jawline stretching down to her chin, a large wound on her left arm and a cut on her right thigh, according to the police report.

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A prosperous future?: Spreading the gospel of financial literacy and generational wealth to Cape Cod teenagers

She was flown by medical helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston for treatment.

Police searched Harringtons residence at Viola Lane after finding the victim but he was not there, according to the police report. He was taken into custody later that day at Dowses Beach in Osterville at about 9:30 p.m.

The case was investigated by Barnstable police and the victim witness advocate was Deb McCoy.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

Get the Cape Cod news that matters delivered to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Barnstable man gets 10- to 12-year sentence for stabbing ex-girlfriend
The Episcopal School of Acadiana  which is coming up on 44 years of operation in August  honored its first headmaster at its Cade campus Monday.

The Rev. Charles Rodney Smith was ESAs headmaster from 1979 through 1981, the schools first two years of operations. During his time, he helped orchestrate the move of the school from the basement of the First Baptist Church in Lafayette to the nearly 100-acre property in Cade where the upper school resides today.

The work of Fr. Smith and ESAs founding Board of Trustees and faculty formed a legacy that continues to influence ESA to this day, said Paul Baker, ESAs current headmaster. ESA maintains its emphasis on academic excellence, spiritual growth, and a community of trust grounded in an Honor Code. Our current mission - to instill in every student the habits of scholarship and honor - is a reflection of the values the school embraced in 1979.

Catholic Charities of Acadiana holding relief drive for Mississippi tornado victims

We thank Fr. Smith and his colleagues for laying the groundwork for this institution, which has become a valuable asset in the Acadiana community and an incentive for families and businesses considering a move to our region.

Smith attended The Episcopal Seminary of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, before becoming the assistant headmaster at St. Andrews Episcopal School in Jackson, Mississippi, and Trinity Episcopal School in New Orleans. Smith then moved to Lafayette to serve as the headmaster of Ascension Day School, which was an elementary and middle school at the time.

In a news release, ESA said it was during his time as the head of Ascension Day School that Smith saw a need for an Episcopal upper school in Acadiana.

ESA opened in August 1979, originally operating sixth through twelfth grades. The school opened with 11 teachers and 87 students in grades sixth through ninth, with plans to expand by one grade over each of the three years.

Which Louisiana cities are the worst for pollen allergies this year?

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Over the years, ESA grew to include a lower school with Pre-K through fifth grades. The original lower school opened on the grounds of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in 2004 before moving to its current location  the former LAFCO Boats Company  in 2010.

The upper schools campus  located amidst the oak trees and sugarcane fields in Cade  was donated to the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana by the Smedes-Jardine family to create an Episcopal school.

Rod envisioned a challenging curriculum and a faculty who cared deeply about each child and about helping students find and develop their talents, said Bill Lasseigne, a 1985 ESA alumnus who has spearheaded the effort to honor Smith for his contributions to ESA.

Rod provided me and my ESA classmates an academic context and a thoughtful process to understand religion, and through his actions brought the value of a spiritual foundation to life. He created a sense of wanting me to be the best person I could be  for myself and those around me.

CONSIDER SUBSCRIBING TODAY: Help support journalists like William Taylor Potter

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Episcopal School of Acadiana honors first headmaster
Commuters stopping at a train station in Akita prefecture in Japan can stop to buy bear meat.

The meat is dispensed through a vending machine for about $17 for half a pound.

The meat comes from bears captured by a local hunting club, and processed at a slaughterhouse nearby.

Japan just took convenience to the next level with a bear meat vending machine at one of its train stations.

At the Tazawako bullet train station in Semboku city, Akita prefecture, commuters can stop by a vending machine and purchase hunks of meat from a freshly slaughtered bear, per a Japanese news outlet, The Mainichi.

The machine features signs that say "open 24 hours," "black bear," "bear meat" and "2,200 yen for 250 grams," The Mainichi reported.

Priced at about $17 for half a pound, the meat comes from bears captured by a local hunting club. The dead bears are processed at a slaughterhouse in the city, per The Mainichi.

The Mainichi (Japan Daily News) (@themainichi) April 2, 2023

The vending machine was installed by people associated with the Soba Goro restaurant, which has an outlet at the Tazawako bullet train station, per The Mainichi. Soba Goro is trying to turn bear meat into a souvenir from Akita prefecture, a representative for the restaurant told The Mainichi.

A Soba Goro representative told The Mainichi that bear meat "tastes clean, and it doesn't get tough, even when cold."

"It can be enjoyed in a wide range of dishes, from stew to steaks," the representative told The Mainichi.

The machine's operators estimate that 10 to 15 packs of bear meat are sold weekly through the grab-and-go vending machine. But the meat's availability depends on whether it is bear hunting season, per The Mainichi.

Bear encounters in Japan have been on the rise from an estimated 4,800 in 2009 to over 20,000 in 2020, The Guardian reported, citing statistics from the Japanese environment ministry.

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And more bears are wandering out of the forests and into the cities because they're running out of food to eat, Yuko Murotani, president of Japan's Japan Bear and Forest Society, told The Guardian in 2020.

"If they can't find enough acorns in the mountains, they will inevitably search for them in places where there are people," Murotani said.

Shinsuke Koike, a bear expert at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, told The Washington Post in 2021 that killing bears that wander into cities is the only way to get rid of them.

"Once a bear is in a residential area, in order to avoid any accidents, extermination is really the only way," Koike told The Post. "Tranquilizing guns will usually take up to 10 to 30 minutes for effectiveness, so in the process, the bear could act up in panic leading to further incidents."

Meanwhile, bear meat is not the only exotic produce available in Japanese vending machines.

In late January, a Japanese whaling company set up three vending machines in a city near Tokyo that dispensed whale sashimi, whale bacon, whale skin, whale steak, as well as whale meat, the Associated Press reported.

Representatives for Soba Goro did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
People walk past a Bed Bath & Beyond store in New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Former Bed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton is suing the company, alleging non-payment of his severance agreement.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in New York, also sets up a full-throated defense of his failed turnaround strategy.

Bed Bath & Beyond said Thursday it needs to raise up to $300 million in new funding to avoid bankruptcy.

The number of former Bed Bath & Beyond employees not receiving severance payments is now larger by one.

A lawsuit filed Friday in New York on behalf of former CEO Mark Tritton, who was replaced last June by Sue Gove, says the company stopped making payments on the $6.7 million severance package in January.

In addition to seeking damages, the suit is also a full-throated defense of Tritton's tenure and legacy at the helm of the struggling housewares giant.

A representative for Bed Bath & Beyond told Insider the company does not comment on legal matters.

Tritton's legal filing contains a "surprising" level of detail about the business, GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders told Insider.

"It reads like a justification of Tritton's leadership. It's almost like he wants to defend his record and say, "Hey, I'm not to blame for all of this," Saunders said.

Almost a full page of the 12 pages of text is devoted to highlighting the advantages of private label merchandising  otherwise known as store-brand  and Tritton's expertise on the subject from his time at Target, where he launched more than 30 brands.

Mark Tritton, former CEO of Bed Bath and Beyond Bed, Bath, and Beyond

One of Bed Bath & Beyond's biggest problems in 2019, the suit says, was its failure to have a serious private-label strategy and Tritton was specifically hired to give it one.

The failure of that strategy was not his fault though, the suit says.

When the pandemic hit in 2020 and more people worked from home and stimulus checks flowed freely, the suit says the company saw its first sales growth since 2016.

The suit adds that the company was expecting private-label sales to represent nearly a third of its business "in the near term."

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Store managers in multiple states told Insider the company was at that time ending many of its longstanding purchasing agreements with national brands in favor of its in-house offerings.

But then the Delta variant emerged, snarling up supply chains and keeping customers out of stores.

"Since BBBY became more reliant on fewer manufacturers to produce BBBY's private label brands, BBBY had limited solutions to ensure inventory was available for consumers. Indeed, during the 2021 Christmas season, BBBY ran short of its 200 bestselling items," the suit said, calling the challenges "beyond anyone's control."

Tritton, the suit says, was simply doing the job he was hired to do and is still entitled to his bonus of two-years' salary, plus bonus, paid out in installments over 24 months, regardless of claims that the company is "strapped for cash."

But Bed Bath & Beyond's filings with the US Securities Exchange Commission on Thursday  a day before Tritton's suit was filed  say that the company could go out of business in the next 12 months and needs to raise up to $300 million in a new stock offering.

And the timeline is looking much, much shorter than that.

Because Bed Bath & Beyond must file its annual report to the SEC by April 26, it needs to have $700 million worth of shares available for trading in the previous 60 days in order to continue qualifying as a "well-known and seasoned issuer," Farrell Fritz attorney Alon Kapen told Bloomberg.

That's a tall order for a company with a current market capitalization of $45 million, shares trading at 38 cents, and fourth-quarter sales down nearly 50% compared with last year, according to preliminary figures.

Given the dire financial straits the company is in, Tritton may not see another dime from Bed Bath & Beyond, but that might not be the ultimate reason he filed the suit.

Correction: April 4, 2023  An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of attorney Alon Kapen and misstated the source of a quote attributed to Kapen.

If you are a current or former employee of Bed Bath & Beyond or Harmon who would like to share your story, please get in touch with Dominick via email. Responses will be kept confidential, and Insider strongly recommends using personal email addresses and non-work devices when reaching out.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Judy Blume's work has become beloved for its forthright honestyand garnered plenty of controversy for its refusal to gloss over topics like sex and periods. Credit -

For over 50 years, Judy Blumes books have been a beacon for young readers, offering guidance through the endlessly confusing experience of growing up. Blume, considered by many to be the patron saint of YA narratives, has written more than 25 books for young readers since she made her debut with The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo in 1969. Over the course of her career, Blumes trailblazing books have set new standards for what literature for kids and teens can look like. Her work has become beloved for its forthright honestyand garnered plenty of controversy for its refusal to gloss over topics like sex and periods. A long-awaited film adaptation of her most famous novel, Are You There, God? Its Me, Margaret.which follows an 11-year-old girl as she navigates a move, a new school, and her changing sense of selfwill premiere on April 28.

Blume may be best known for her books for and about girls on the brink of puberty, but she has long written for a diverse readership, giving people of all ages a chance to see themselves in her stories. For the youngest of readers, Blume has published picture books like The Pain and the Great One, which addresses the tensions of sibling rivalry with humor and heart. Her grade-school novels like Blubber and Iggies House give readers the chance to explore tough topics like bullying and racism. In her YA books, from Deenie to Tiger Eyes, Blume writes frankly about menstruation and masturbation while also tackling big experiences like the loss of a parent. And, in her handful of books for adults, Blume takes a straight look at the complexities of life and love.

From picture books to adult novels, here are the best Judy Blume books to read at every age.

Ages 5-8

The Pain and the Great One

In this playful picture book, Blume tackles the all-too-relatable issue of sibling rivalry with warmth and humor. Centering on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the Great One, a strong-willed 8-year-old sister and the Pain, her pesky 6-year-old little brother, the book is a clever story about the trying (and sometimes tender) relationship between siblings who are determined to find out which kid is more beloved by their parents.

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Buy Now: The Pain and the Great One on Bookshop | Amazon

Read More: 10 Questions with Judy Blume

Ages 6-8

Freckle Juice

For Andrew, a second grader, theres nothing more attractive than the prospect of having freckles, a seeming solution to never having to wash his face. Andrews desire for freckles is so great that he pays his sly classmate for a recipe for freckle juice, a nasty concoction of fruit juice and condiments. The potion does not give him freckles, but it does teach him an important lesson about being happy in the skin youre ina message thats as valuable for adults as it is for kids.

Buy Now: Freckle Juice on Bookshop | Amazon

Ages 8-9

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Blume returns to the ever-relevant topic of sibling rivalry with the Hatcher brothers9-year-old Peter and his precocious 3-year-old brother, Farley, whos affectionately nicknamed Fudge. Fudges irrepressible antics are by turns endearing and infuriating to good-hearted Peter, who feels that his brothers outrageous mischief makes him, by comparison, a fourth grade nothing.

Buy Now: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing on Bookshop | Amazon

Read More: Are You There God? Its Judy Blumes New Novel for Adults

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

In this spin-off of the Fudge series, the Hatchers 10-year-old neighbor Sheila must summon all the courage she can when her fathers job takes her family away from the city for a summer. In the suburbs, Sheilas sense of self is tested. She likes to think of herself as fearless, but soon shes confronted with her own limitations, from cynophobia (fear of dogs) to aquaphobia (fear of water)and Sheila has to figure out which version of herself she wants to be.

Buy Now: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great on Bookshop | Amazon

Ages 8-12

Iggies House

In Iggies House, Blume doesnt shy away from having a tough conversation about race. The book centers on Winnie, a soon-to-be sixth grader who develops her own values and discernment after observing the racism that her next-door neighbors, a Black family, face after moving into her all-white neighborhood. Through addressing white flight and prejudice, Blume offers young readers an approachable way to begin discussing privilege and discrimination.

Buy Now: Iggies House on Bookshop | Amazon

Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself

The spunky, imaginative protagonist of this novel is insatiably curiousand, Blume says, the closest of her characters to herself. In Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, Sally, the youngest daughter of a rowdy, loving family, has endless questions about the world and the people around her as she navigates a temporary but seismic move from New Jersey to Florida after her brother gets sick. Blume offers an endearing story about a girl whose greatest adventures involve seeking out answers for herself.

Buy Now: Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself on Bookshop | Amazon

Ages 9-11

Blubber

Blume provides a clear-eyed take on the problem of bullying with Blubber, a cautionary tale told from the perspective of a would-be mean girl. Fifth-grader Jill joins in when the powerful and popular Wendy and her band of followers begin tormenting another student, Linda, about her weight. While Jill isnt the instigator of Lindas abuse, she becomes a willing participant, preferring to pile on the cruelty rather than to defy Wendy. But soon the tables turn. Jill discovers what its like to be on the other side of bullying, and learns hard but important lessons about friendship and respect.

Buy Now: Blubber on Bookshop | Amazon

Read More: The 100 Best YA Books of All Time

Ages 9-12

Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret.

There may be no other text as roundly associated with puberty as Blumes beloved Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret. The seminal book centers on 11-year-old Margaret, whose life is upended by her familys move from New York City to suburban New Jersey right before she starts sixth grade. In suburbia, aided and abetted by her new friends, including the precocious Nancy, Margaret is consumed by uncertainties. Shes ambivalent about religion and anxious about getting her first period, her first bra, and her first crush. In writing Margaret, Blume created an infinitely relatable heroine for any girl on the brink of puberty, validating the confusion, hopes, and fears of generations of pre-teens.

Buy Now: Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret. on Bookshop | Amazon

Ages 12-17

Deenie

Growing up is rarely easy, and with Deenie, Blume explores coming-of-age with vulnerability, telling the tale of a young girl who discovers who she wants to be and what her future can look like after an unexpected medical diagnosis. For 13-year-old Deenie, the future is far from a priority, even though her overbearing mother is hyperfocused on ensuring that she becomes a model. Deenies far more interested in being a normal seventh grader and making the cheerleading squad. All of that changes, however, when shes diagnosed with scoliosis and instructed to wear a body brace for the next four years. As Deenie adjusts to her new normal, she becomes increasingly aware of the world around her and how she might move through it as an adult.

Buy Now: Deenie on Bookshop | Amazon

Tiger Eyes

Blume addresses grief with a tender and nuanced touch in Tiger Eyes, a novel that centers on 15-year-old Davey as she reels from the shocking death of her father. Daveys dad was shot in a holdup at his convenience store in New Jersey. After her grief-stricken mother moves the family to New Mexico to stay for a few months with relatives, Davey struggles to adjust to the new realities of her life, finding unexpected comfort and insight in new friendships.

Buy Now: Tiger Eyes on Bookshop | Amazon

Read More: Judy Blume on Why Trigger Warnings Maker Her Blood Boil

Ages 14-17

Forever

Blumes most controversial book, Forever, is also one of her most realistic, depicting the heady, bittersweet feelings of first love. High school senior Katherine is preparing for college when she meets and begins dating her classmate Michael, and they swiftly fall for one another. Their whirlwind romance leads to Katherine having sex for the first time and getting on birth controla plotline that led to Forever becoming one of the most-banned books in the U.S. Blumes frank representation of love and physical intimacy was groundbreaking, offering young-adult readers a clear example of empowered sexuality.

Buy Now: Forever on Bookshop | Amazon

Adults

Smart Women

Blume confronts the challenges of modern love with Smart Women, her second novel for adults, which centers on friends Margo and B.B., two divorcees looking for love after failed marriages. The friends find comfort in commiserating with each other about their bad dates and strange bedfellows, much to the chagrin of their respective teenage daughters. But, while both women are hopeful for fresh starts, things get complicated when Margo falls for B.B.s ex-husband.

Buy Now: Smart Women on Bookshop | Amazon

Summer Sisters

Though Summer Sisters is chock full of romantic affairs and sexual escapades, the true love story of the novel is between the two main characters, best friends Caitlin and Vix. The two meet in a sixth-grade classroom and become summer sisters after a season spent together at Marthas Vineyard, leading to an annual vacation tradition. Though they come from disparate backgrounds, they develop a deep and complex relationship that weathers life changes, love affairs, marriages, and children, until a shocking love triangle threatens to rock the foundation of their decades-long friendship.

Buy Now: Summer Sisters on Bookshop | Amazon
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Congressional Progressive Caucus released its executive agenda for Biden last week.

It included reinstating and strengthening the gainful employment rule, which protects student-loan borrowers from unaffordable debt post-graduation.

Biden delayed implementation of the rule until 2024 and is expected to put out a proposal this month.

Protections for student-loan borrowers made the cut in progressive lawmakers' extensive agenda they created for President Joe Biden.

Last week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, released its 2023 executive action agenda for Biden, which called on him to use his executive authority to make progress in five areas: holding corporations accountable, raising workers' wages, lowering costs of essential items, continuing investments in the climate, and advancing racial and gender equity.

When it comes to holding corporations accountable, student-loan borrowers entered the mix. The agenda called for Biden to crack down on predatory for-profit colleges, and doing so included reinstating and bolstering the gainful employment rule  an Obama-era regulation that cut off federal aid for schools that offer career and certificate programs that leave students with excessive student debt compared to their post-graduation earnings.

Former President Donald Trump's Education Secretary Betsy DeVos repealed the rule in 2019, and lawmakers want Biden to reinstate it as soon as possible.

"The Department of Education should protect students by expediting and strengthening a reinstated Gainful Employment rule," the lawmakers wrote in CPC's agenda, adding that the department should also "inform applicants if they are applying to an institution on the low-value college list that risks leaving students with high debt and low earnings prior to administering financial aid."

As Insider previously reported, Biden's Education Department delayed reinstating the rule until July 2024 at the earliest, with a spokesperson saying at the time that the "administration is committed to preventing a future student debt crisis by holding colleges and universities accountable if they leave students with mountains of debt or without good jobs."

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"The Gainful Employment rule is a cornerstone of our ambitious regulatory agenda," the spokesperson said. "We look forward to publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking in Spring 2023 to produce the best, most durable rule possible to protect students and borrowers."

While the department's proposal for the rule is expected in April, lawmakers and advocates want it put in place quickly to once again have a safeguard for student-loan borrowers as they enroll in programs they might not be able to pay off. In February, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders joined a group of Democratic colleagues in urging Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal in a letter to "take immediate action to publish and implement the rule as soon as practicable to ensure harmful actors are held accountable for enrolling students into low-quality programs."

The bad actors the Democrats referenced are often for-profit institutions that have been accused of engaging in misleading behavior that led students into taking on unaffordable debt. For example, after major for-profit chains like ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges shut down, Biden's Education Department wiped out student debt for the borrowers who attended those schools due to fraudulent behavior that left many with debt and no degree, or a useless degree.

Along with reinstating gainful employment, lawmakers and advocates have also called for the executives of for-profit schools to be held liable for costs when the school shuts down, rather than taxpayers and borrowers. That's something the department has already made headway on  last month, it released new guidance on putting a rule in place to allow the Education Secretary to hold executives financially liable for the cost of unpaid debts defrauded students took on.

Now, lawmakers and advocates await the department's gainful employment proposal. With limited resources and a lot on its plate, from implementing reforms to targeted repayment and forgiveness programs, it's unclear when exactly the department will implement the new rule, but as Warren wrote in a recent letter, "further delay of the GE rule only will prolong the timeline for when poorly performing institutions could face penalties, exacerbating these institutions' harmful impact on students who are enrolled in these schools."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- OPEC+s surprise move to cut 1 million barrels a day of oil production is poised to raise US fuel prices just as President Joe Biden is expected to launch his re-election campaign. He has a limited range of options with which to respond.

Most Read from Bloomberg

1: Tap the Strategic Reserve

Biden may go for another release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The emergency stockpile was created in the 1970s after the Arab oil embargo. Its holding about 371 million of barrels, according to Energy Department data, around half the SPRs capacity, largely due to a historic release of 180 million barrels last year to tame surging gasoline prices in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

The administration has made refilling the SPR a priority, but it has been hampered by factors that include maintenance at two of the reserves four sites. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has said the government isnt able to release oil from the cache and refill it at the same time, so an emergency sale would likely further delay any plans for replenishment.

Still, theres nothing to stop another sale, said Kevin Book, managing director of ClearView Energy Partners, a Washington consulting firm. President Biden has taken ownership of gasoline prices in ways other presidents before him have not, Book said. If he continues that, it creates possibility for more interventions.

2: Pressure US Producers

Dont be surprised if there are more political attacks on the US energy sector, which has ignored repeated pleas from Biden over the past year to accelerate production increases, and received tongue-lashings for making record profits. For all the rhetoric, domestic oil output continues to grow slowly, with the industry reluctant to ramp up drilling and risk a repeat of previous boom-and-bust cycles.

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Since the US cant really force the hand of the OPEC+ members, the proverbial whipping person will be the domestic oil and gas industry, said Timm Schneider, an analyst who runs The Schneider Capital Group LLC.

The Energy Department referred a request for comment to the White House National Security Council. We will continue to work with all producers and consumers to ensure energy markets support economic growth and lower prices for American consumers, a spokesman for the council said. Were focused on prices for American consumers, not barrels, and prices have come down significantly since last year.

3: Back NOPEC

The White House hinted last year, in response to OPEC+s unexpected decision to cut production by 2 million barrels a day, that it could back legislation that would allow the US to take the dramatic step of suing OPEC nations. Ultimately, the administration backed off from supporting the bill  the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC  amid warnings of the effects it could have on diplomatic relations and the defense industry.

4: Export Curbs

Other levers the Biden administration has at its disposal include limiting the export of gasoline and diesel. The White House considered that option last year as a potential means to tame pump prices, which reached an all-time high in June, but it never pulled the trigger. Analysts said moving ahead with the curbs could backfire and actually lead to higher prices in some parts of the US.

If we go into the summer with gasoline at $4 a gallon, I would think they would also revive consideration of product export restrictions, said Bob McNally, president of consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official. If this leads to an overtighting of the oil markets  as they say in the Navy, stand by for heavy rolls.

Requiring oil companies to store more fuel in inside the US  mandatory stockpile requirements that were considered last year in response to previously low fuel inventories  is an option that could return to the table as well if gasoline prices remain high, McNally said.

5: Do Nothing

Standing pat is also very much an option, said David Goldwyn, an energy envoy under former President Barack Obama and now the president of consulting firm Goldwyn Global Strategies.

This looks like a market-based cut from OPEC, which does not require an administration response, Goldwyn said. OPEC is anticipating slow demand growth. This years congressionally mandated sale has not hit the market and OPECs action is probably designed in part to counteract that.

--With assistance from Jordan Fabian.

(Adds comment from analyst in 10th graph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
President Biden on Monday said he has faith in New York Citys police ahead of potential unrest in the city surrounding former President Trumps Tuesday court date.

No, I have faith in the New York Police Department, Biden said to questions about whether hes concerned about unrest.

The president added on Monday that he also has faith in the legal system. His comments came as he toured a Cummins facility while in Minnesota for remarks about his economic agenda.

The New York Police Department has ramped up security to prepare for Trumps arraignment and has already taken precautionary measures, like ordering every member of the department to report in full uniform on Friday, NBC reported.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference on Monday warning Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and others planning to join protests on Tuesday to behave themselves.

As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind, Adams said. If one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable.

Greene said she will join a pro-Trump rally, organized by the New York Young Republican Club, which has said it will be a peaceful protest.

On Friday, Biden declined repeatedly to comment on the indictment. The White House also said it wasnt given advance warning that Trump would be indicted last week.

Trump traveled from Florida to New York on Monday and will head to the courthouse Tuesday morning for his arraignment, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

A grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump on criminal charges for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign. The indictment follows an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) that centered on a $130,000 payment fixer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
It's Monday, readers. I'm Paayal Zaveri, and welcome to the first week of April.

We're now officially a quarter of the way through the year. That's a good reminder to make sure you plan some vacation time this year. Nearly half of all American workers don't take their PTO, according to the Pew Research Center.

Obviously, that's less than ideal. Just take a look at how much better work-life balance is for workers in the UK, Australia, and France, where workers get much more time off.

So moral of the story, take your PTO. And here's some quick tips on how to prepare for your vacation (or staycation), so it's actually restful.

It's also my last day on the newsletter. I'll be handing things over to my colleague Asia Martin tomorrow. But we've got plenty of tech news to talk about today, the theme of which seems to be cost-cutting.

Let's get started.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Meta logos among a pile of trash on a blue background

Tech companies have chased short-term fads in a desperate attempt to win the favor of Wall Street investors  and it's making the online experience worse.iStock; Marianne Ayala/Insider

1. Tech's new watchword: revenue per employee. As tech companies continue to focus on efficiency, it's clear that one metric is the most important: revenue per employee. After years of over-hiring, tech companies are now looking to squeeze the most efficient performance from each worker, my colleague Hasan Chowdhury reports.

Meta has declared a "year of efficiency," and Amazon's CEO said the uncertain economy means it needs to be "streamlined in our costs and headcount." So it's no surprise Big Tech continues to conduct layoffs.

These firms are in this predicament because while they hired a ton of new people over the last few years, their revenue didn't increase accordingly. In other words, they got bigger but not necessarily better.

It's likely part of why some are accusing Big Tech firms of hiring employees to do "fake work" over the last few years.

Story continues

These charts show why Amazon, Meta, Alphabet and others are cutting jobs at a rapid pace.

In other news:

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a panel at the CEO Summit of the Americas.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

2. Google's cost cutting hits office perks. Google is reducing the hours of some office cafes and consolidating some of its microkitchens. It's also looking to make its data centers and servers more efficient, and find efficient ways to train its AI models. Here's the full memo detailing the cost cutting.

3. Meta is pushing a return to the office. Meta has stopped offering remote work as an option in its new job postings. Meta says the move is temporary. But it's another sign that tech companies are drifting away from pro-remote work policies.

4. Apple's smart goggles could launch the entire extended reality market. Google, Meta, and Microsoft have all failed to make their AR and VR devices into mainstream successes. But Apple's smart goggles could be the answer the industry needs.

5. Tesla is behind on its solar roof goal. Tesla has installed around 3,000 solar roof systems since launching the program in 2016. That's well behind stated goals to install 1,000 per week. Dive into why Tesla's having trouble hitting its target.

6. Google's AI chatbot will improve soon. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company's Bard AI chatbot will be improved soon. He also shared his thoughts on people's concerns around AI. Read why he's still optimistic on AI.

7. The deadline for EV tax credit is approaching. If you want to buy an EV and take advantage of the tax credits, you only have until April 17. After that there are new rules for which cars qualify for tax credits and how much you can get. Get all the details.

8. AI enthusiasts gather in "Cerebral Valley." As AI startup founders flock there, San Francisco's Hayes Valley has been nicknamed "Cerebral Valley." Last week dozens of AI enthusiasts gathered there for a summit hosted by journalist Eric Newcomer. Here are the top takeaways.

Odds and ends:

A Google Pixel 7 phone laying on a desk, next to a Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds.

Google

9. Comparing the Google Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 7 Pro. Google's Pixel phones are a popular alternative to Apple's iPhone. If you can't decide between the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, here's Insider's side by side comparison.

10. Bill Gates is betting on self-driving cars. Bill Gates predicts that self-driving car technology will reach "a tipping point" within the next decade. Once that happens, they'll be as revolutionary as the personal computer, he says.

What we're watching today:

ICYMI: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted. This week should bring more updates on the case and how it moves forward.

The annual H-1B visa lottery closed last week. Those selected for the highly coveted high skilled work visa can submit applications as of April 1. We'll be watching to see how it all shakes out.

Curated by Paayal Zaveri in San Francisco. (Feedback or tips? Email pzaveri@insider.com or tweet @paayalzaveri) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former US Attorney General William Barr said Trump would likely be "difficult to prepare" to testify in court. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Barr knocked Trump as a man who would be "difficult to prepare" to testify in court.

He said it would be a "particularly bad idea" for Trump to testify because he "lacks all self-control."

Trump is expected to be arraigned on April 4 after he was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday.

Former Attorney General Bill Barr said it would be a "particularly bad idea" for former President Donald Trump to take the stand in New York because the latter "lacks all self-control."

In a Sunday interview with Fox News' Shannon Bream, Barr was asked whether Trump would personally defend himself in court if his indictment went to trial.

"I'm not his lawyer, generally I think it's a bad idea to go on the stand," Barr replied. "And I think it's a particularly bad idea for Trump because he lacks all self-control, and it would be very difficult to prepare him and keep him testifying in a prudent fashion."

Fox News Sunday (@FoxNewsSunday) April 2, 2023

A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Trump is expected to surrender and be arraigned in New York on April 4. He was indicted on Thursday by a grand jury.

The Manhattan district attorney is currently investigating Trump in connection with an election eve hush-money payment that Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

While Barr did have a hot take about how Trump might be a loose cannon on the stand, he did spend much of his Sunday interview slamming the indictment, calling it an abuse of the judicial system for political purposes.

"It's the very essence of the abuse of the prosecutive function, which is pursuing a person rather than pursuing a real crime," he told Bream.

On Friday, he told Fox News host Larry Kudlow that the indictment "is an abomination."

"The case is held together by chicken wire, paper clips, and rubber bands. It's a lousy case," Barr said.

Story continues

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on March 11 defended his office's investigation into the hush-money payment, saying it is based on "evidence and the law."

Barr served as attorney general under Trump from February 2019 to December 2020 and was considered a close Trump ally.

But their relationship fell apart toward the end of Barr's tenure, and the two have since been feuding. Barr's 2022 memoir, "One Damn Thing After Another," repeatedly described Trump as a difficult boss who would throw tantrums, often go off track, and listen only to yes-men.

In response to Barr's book, Trump called the former attorney general "slow-moving," "pathetic," and "weak."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nonprofit organizations and volunteers have been stretched thin, working at the front lines to help more than 5,000 newly arrived migrants. We acknowledge the city and state are doing their part; however, the $20 million the City Council recently approved primarily for shelter services is just a lifeline.

Migrants continue coming to Chicago, and we need to think long term about how we invest in organizations that provide vital services to these immigrants.

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As members of the Illinois Latino Agenda, we are part of a coalition that advocates for the well-being of all Latinos in Chicago, including those recently arrived. Not only do we advocate through the ILA, but also, through our organizations the Latino Policy Forum and the Resurrection Project, we have convened the Welcome to Illinois coalition to better coordinate help for migrants.

The newly arrived migrants will contribute to the social fabric and economy of this city, state and nation. We know this because immigrant contributions to the U.S. economy are well documented and bear repeating: recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, often known as Dreamers, pay more than $6 billion in federal taxes and more than $3 billion in state and local taxes annually.

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In Illinois alone, immigrant household income reached $71.6 billion in 2019, and immigrants paid $20.4 billion in state, local and federal taxes. New Americans in Chicago contributed $4.4 billion to the federal government and $1.6 billion to state and local taxes.

[ Jose Munoz: Runoff candidates have to put in the work to win over Latino voters ]

At the Black and Brown Futures mayoral event March 20, we were pleased to hear that both candidates, while having different approaches, agree to support the recently arrived migrants and keep Chicago a sanctuary city because at the end of the day, immigrants are contributors to our economy and embedded in the social fabric of neighborhoods.

Candidates were asked, As mayor of Chicago, are you committed to maintain Chicago as a welcoming city, working with the Welcome to Illinois Coalition, state government, nonprofit providers and advocates to develop a plan to address the migrant crisis? More specifically, will you continue to invest sufficient and adequate resources to support new arrivals to Chicago in areas such as legal services, housing assistance, mental health care, as well as funding for staff to carry out this work?

Both candidates responded with a resounding, Yes.

Commissioner Brandon Johnson shared that he wants to create an Office of Migrant Protection and Integration that is adequately staffed with culturally competent bilingual and multilingual staff members who are familiar with the existing infrastructure and can cut through the existing red tape. Paul Vallas wants to work with the nonprofits on the front lines to create a strategy that supports their ongoing efforts and guarantees migrants have access to the resources they need as they begin their new lives in Chicago.

[ Editorial: Our bedsheet ballot is here. ]

We are ready to partner with you. Whether its helping Johnson recruit staff and leadership for his Office of Migrant Protection and Integration or collaborating with Vallas to create a sustainable strategy to aid migrants, the Illinois Latino Agendas 26 leaders from the states largest Latino-serving organizations stand ready to be a resource to Chicagos next mayor.

ILAs leaders stand prepared to support the next mayor of Chicagos immigration agenda. That agenda should include not just addressing the immediate needs of newly arrived migrants but also working strategically to fight for comprehensive immigration reform for all immigrants. We need to work shoulder to shoulder with the next city administration to hold our federal public officials accountable to not only address this current crisis but also prevent the next one.

Raul Raymundo is CEO of the Resurrection Project, a social impact organization. Sylvia Puente is president and CEO of the Latino Policy Forum, a public policy and advocacy institution. They both are Illinois Latino Agenda members.

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Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Welcome to The Press Room, a semi-regular weekly roundup of the major stories and happenings of the 2023 Delaware legislative year.

This weeks edition focuses on a bill expanding abortion access in Delaware, the big weed vote and an update in the Fox News defamation lawsuit.

As always, send story tips, feedback, ideas or gossip to me at mnewman@delawareonline.com.

Follow me on Twitter at @MereNewman.

The big abortion barrier in Delaware

Despite Delaware codifying abortion access, it still remains difficult for people to actually get an abortion in the First State.

One reason is because of the Medicaid barrier: Medicaid, which insures about 16% of women ages 19-64 in this state, covers the cost of an abortion only in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. Abortions can cost upward of $715.

House Majority Whip Melissa Minor-Brown, a Democrat from New Castle, recently introduced legislation that would require insurers, including Medicaid, to provide coverage for the termination of a pregnancy. There would be no copay, deductible or cost-sharing requirement.

POST ROE: In a post-Roe America, abortion remains legal in Delaware. But is it accessible?

It includes a key exemption: A religious employer would be able to get an exclusion if the legislation conflicts with the organizations bona fide religious beliefs and practices, according to a news release. If the bill passes, it would go into effect in 2024.

Dozens of people gather adjacent to the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Wilmington to protest the potential Supreme Court ruling that would likely make abortion illegal in large parts of the United States Tuesday, May 3, 2022.

I reported on this issue last year, just after the U.S. Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade. I interviewed Minor-Brown, a former Planned Parenthood employee, about this idea. At the time, she signaled she hoped to introduce legislation like this.

If you could see the amount of women who just came there because they needed help and didn't have the money, she told me at the time.

Fox News defamation lawsuit to go to trial

A Delaware Superior Court judge ruled on Friday that the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit Dominion Voting Systems has waged against Fox News and Fox Corp. will go to trial in April.

Story continues

Judge Eric Davis, in his opinion, denied the summary judgment motions submitted by Fox News and Fox Corp. It was a significant setback for Fox because Davis rejected many of the arguments its lawyers made during the summary judgment hearing. Dominion did have some minor wins, with the judge granting certain aspects of its motion and denying others.

For example, Dominion proved that Fox aired false information about the company, Davis wrote, and its role in the outcome of the election, on its broadcasts.

FOX NEWS TRIAL: Delaware judge rules $1.6 billion Fox News defamation case to head to trial in April

The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true, he wrote.

Davis denied Dominion summary judgment relating to actual malice, writing that this issue needs to be determined by a jury. This legal standard is key in proving defamation occurred. Dominion would have to prove that Fox knowingly published false information about the voting machine company or recklessly disregarded information showing that the claims were not true.

The trial, which could become one of the state's highest-profile cases ever, is set to begin April 17.

Delaware Senate votes to expand tenants rights

The Delaware Senate last week passed a bill that would give tenants the right to representation during eviction proceedings.

The legislation, which received an overwhelming amount of bipartisan support, has been seen as a main priority for Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, a Democrat representing Newark and Bear, has tried to pass this legislation in 2021 and 2022. Unlike previous years, the governor recently vocalized support for this bill.

BACKGROUND: 2 years after this blind man was wrongly evicted, what's happening with suit, tenant bill?

If it passes, it would also create a pretrial diversion program with the hopes of resolving tenant-landlord disputes before they reach the courtroom. According to a 2020 University of Delaware study, before the pandemic, about 14 tenants in Delaware were evicted from their homes every day, which is just higher than the national average.

Big weed energy

Delaware lawmakers have passed legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana and allow dispensaries to grow and sell weed in the First State.

And now, its a waiting game.

Gov. John Carney has been vocally against recreational marijuana for years. He vetoed the legalization bill last year and the Democratic-controlled Legislature failed to override it. So what will he do this year? Still unclear.

He has three options: He could sign, veto or let the bill become law without his signature.

INSIDE LEG HALL: Delaware lawmakers vote to legalize recreational marijuana. What will the governor do?

Spokeswoman Emily Hershman, just before the Senate vote, said in a statement that the governor continues to have strong concerns about the unintended consequences of legalizing marijuana for recreational use in our state, especially about the impacts on our young people and highway safety.

He knows others have honest disagreements on this issue, she said. But we dont have anything new to share today about how the Governor will act on HB 1 and HB 2 if they reach his desk.

How Delaware is trying to decrease roadway fatalities

Last week, the governor and lawmakers announced a legislation package to curb the states increasing number of roadway deaths.

Delaware roads have become increasingly deadly. Traffic fatalities in the state have increased from 117 in 2020 to 139 in 2021. Last year, there was a record-tying 165 deaths. Heres what the bills consist of, per reporting from my colleague Ben Mace.

Speeding violations of 90 mph or more would include reckless driving charges.

Open containers of alcohol would be banned in most vehicles.

Drivers would be required to change lanes or reduce their speed while approaching any stopped vehicle on the shoulder or roadway displaying some type of warning signal.

Helmets would be required for motorcyclists in the first two years after receiving their motorcycle license.

Revisions to child safety seat requirements.

The state would allow revolving or flashing green lights on state-owned snowplows to increase visibility.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: This bill could break down the state's major abortion access barrier: Delaware politics
The family of a Czech billionaire killed in a helicopter crash two years ago is suing the aircraft operator, claiming negligence may have led to the accident.

The heirs of Petr Kellner, who was killed in the crash along with four other people, have filed a lawsuit in Alaska and are seeking an investigation into the "potential negligence" which may have directly or indirectly caused the fatal incident, according to Bloomberg.

In the lawsuit, Mr Kellner's widow Renata Kellnerova names both the operator and the participants in the rescue mission as defendants.

The family  worth $12.4bn according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index  said they wanted to wait to file a lawsuit until US authorities finished their investigation into the crash.

However, the investigation is still ongoing. The family moved to file the lawsuit before the two-year statute of limitations expired on 27 March.

The family owns nearly all  98.9 per cent  of investment company PPF Group NV. Their assets total more than 40bn euros ($43.4bn) across industries that include financial services, telecom, media, biotech, real estate, and engineering.

Ms Kellernova is the company's largest shareholder with a 59.4 per cent stake.

The company's founder, Mr Kellner, died two years ago when an Airbus AS350 B3 helicopter crashed near the Knik Glacier in Alaska. The billionaire businessman was on a heli-skiing adventure at a remote lodge approximately 40-minutes flight time from Anchorage.

The Czech Republics richest man Petr Kellner was killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska on 27 March 2021, leaving five dead and one person injured, the Alaska State Troopers announced. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash. EPA/PPF GROUP HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES (EPA)

Benjamin Larochaix of France, two of the lodges guides, Gregory Harms and Sean McManamy, and the helicopters pilot, Zachary Russell, were also killed in the crash, according to the New York Times.

One person survived the crash.

Mr Kellner was reportedly a frequent guest of the luxury Tordrillo Mountain Lodge, which offered weekly ski packages for $15,000 per person at the time of the crash.

This news is devastating to our staff, the community in which we operate and the families of the deceased, the lodge said at the time. In 17 years of operations, this is the first time weve had to face an event of this measure.
A bipartisan group of senators from Western states embarked Monday on a downstream tour of the Colorado River  in a show of support for the seven states tasked with negotiating consumption cutbacks.

The tour, which began near the rivers headwaters in Colorado, will include stops at critical infrastructure sites and meetings with local stakeholders in both the Upper and Lower basin.

Were in the middle of a 1,200-year drought, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who organized the tour, said at a Monday press conference. Were going to have to find a way for the Upper Basin and Lower Basin states to come together.

Deliberations among Colorado River basin states are currently at a standstill after dragging on for nearly a year  since Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton called for an increase in water conservation measures last June.

Touton is accompanying Bennet on the tour, along with Upper Basin Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). The Upper Basin includes Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, while Arizona, Nevada and California make up the Lower Basin.

We will be joined as we proceed down the river by other members of the U.S. Senate in the Lower Basin states, Lummis said at the press conference.

Well be working with them to inform ourselves about these unique partnerships that will make up the future of the Colorado River for all of us, she added.

The lawmakers are all members of Hickenloopers Colorado River Caucus  a bipartisan cohort of senators from all seven states who intend to help local leaders agree on reductions.

Theres no Republican or Democratic water, Hickenlooper said on Monday. Were all in this together.

Following Toutons June call for cutbacks, the seven basin states missed an initial mid-August deadline to present a unified plan. They then agreed to a new target date of Jan. 31  aware that the Bureau could impose cuts itself if they again failed to do so.

Story continues

What ended up materializing were two rival proposals: a joint deal from six out of the seven states and a separate offer from California.

The six-state proposal focuses on spreading the burden for evaporation losses. As the Colorado Rivers biggest user, California would face the biggest cuts in this scenario.

The Golden States plan, which includes larger reductions for Arizona than for California, relies on voluntary efforts and adheres to the legal terms of a century-old water rights compact.

With regards to the ongoing standoff, Touton said on Monday that the best solution is one that includes all the states and the growers and the tribes, as well as sound science.

Hickenlooper, meanwhile, described an energy and optimism that the states will be able to come to an agreement.

Were going to get here, some way or another, he said. Well get a seven-state solution.

That solution, the senator continued, should involve a shared level of sacrifice from all parties.

Theres genuine consensus that the original compact was made on faulty science. And you know, its 100 years old, Hickenlooper said.

Bennet expressed similar hopefulness about such an agreement, noting that the states have a shared understanding about the 1,200-year drought.

While this years wet winter has provided some relief, Hickenlooper stressed that this is not a long-term solution.

Instead, he explained, the weather gives us a little more time to figure out what the solutions will be.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Central Florida driver of a traffic infraction ended up in hot legal water for very different reasons.

According to the Volusia County Sheriffs Office, around 12:40 a.m. Thursday, a deputy attempted to pull over a red, four-door Kia that went through a stop sign in front of Edgewater Condominiums in Deltona, about 30 miles north of Orlando.

READ MORE: Florida stripper arrested for attacking ex with money, cops say

A Facebook release from the agency says that the driver then pulled into a 7-Eleven and crashed into a trash can by a gas pump.

Deputies approached the 24-year-old driver, who was on foot. They say he refused a command to sit against the vehicle, placing himself in a bladed stance, with one foot in front of the other and the body at a defensive angle. The suspect then tried, unsuccessfully, to run away, according to the police report.

Deputies quickly caught up to the suspect and escort him to the ground, reads the complaint. When he attempted to stand up, more than $2,000 in cash fell out of his pockets.

READ MORE: He was pulled over for an expired tag in Florida, then cops looked in the car

A more thorough search of his clothing and cars interior led to the recovery of a large quantity of drugs  including 68 grams of cocaine, 37 Oxycodone pills; six amphetamine pills; and 370 grams of cannabis  and he was placed under arrest, according to deputies.

The Deltona man was hit with a variety of charges, including trafficking in cocaine; possession of narcotics with intent to distribute; leaving the scene of an accident with property damage; and resisting arrest without violence.

He was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail in nearby Daytona Beach on $41,000 bond.

A total of $2,690.88 was recovered from the illicit stash, which was subsequently laid out on a table in a picture on the agencys FB post.

Commenters thanked the sheriffs office and complimented the deputies on a job well done.

Great stop, wrote in one classic-movie fan. Just like Forrest Gump quoted from his mom, life is like opening up a box of chocolates, you never know whatcha gonna get.
A 22-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of stabbing a man 27 times, Colorado officials told news outlets.

The Denver Police Department said officers arrived March 28 to an apartment complex in the city where they found Patrick Lane, 54, dead.

Officers were called by one of Lanes friends who had found his body, according to The Denver Post. When they arrived at the unit, they reportedly found blood around the body and in the kitchen.

McClatchy News reached out to Denver police on April 3 and is awaiting a response.

A woman seen on security footage wearing blood-stained clothing has been identified as a 22-year-old who has been arrested for investigation of first-degree murder, according to The Denver Post.

According to the arrest affidavit obtained by KMGH, Lane suffered 27 stab wounds to the back of his head, the left side of his neck, arm, torso and upper leg.

Detectives believe the man was dead for days before he was found, according to KDVR.

On March 31, an anonymous tip was given to police identifying the suspect, whom McClatchy News is not naming as she has not yet been formally charged, according to KMGH.

After receiving the tip, police found the woman, who reportedly had two outstanding arrest warrants, was already in custody, according to KMGH.

The Denver district attorneys office will decide the official charges in Lanes death, according to KDVR.

Husband stabs wife to death during Bible study at his sisters house, Minnesota cops say

Pitchfork attack left man with multiple stab wounds to the head, Florida cops say

75-year-old Lyft driver fights for life after customer repeatedly stabs him, MI cops say

Intruder slashed 75-year-olds throat, then spent night on his couch, MA officials say
Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy - Getty Images



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Its been three years since Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson, was published, and in the intervening years, political, cultural, and racial divisions have intensified. According to a report by PEN America, from 2021 to 2022, more than 1,600 books were banned in school districts across the nation. The impact on children, the educational system, and culture will reverberate for years to come.

Oprah Daily spoke to Isabel Wilkerson about book bans, including that of Caste, which has been removed from some libraries and just came out in paperback.



How did you find out that your book was banned?

My name came up in social media when The Washington Post ran a piece last spring about a library system in Texas that shut down all its libraries, and when the libraries reopened, Caste had mysteriously vanished.

How did it make you feel? What did you do? Is there anything you can do?

I was saddened but not surprised. These bans only affirm the forewarnings in the book. Were in a period of backlash and retrenchment, which the book attests to and foreshadows. The only thing I can do is to keep pressing forward in my work, knowing that we cant run from history and that the truth will win out in the end.

Putting aside your own work, what do you think of the situation overall?

In writing Caste, I had to do a tremendous amount of research into India and Germany during the Nazi era. The Nazis studied the United States Jim Crow laws in creating the Nuremberg laws. We are coming perilously close to the spirit of what they were doing in another century with the banning of books. Its revisiting a past that we should never want to experience again.

This is coming at the worst possible time for us as a nation. We have an existential crisis in our demographics, politics, policing, and womens reproductive rights. Were a country on parallel tracks, and from responses to my books (The Warmth of Other Suns and Caste), I can see that some people are hungry and thirsty to understand the history of how we got here and what we can do. Then you have another segment thats closing the door as quickly as others are pushing it open. It becomes yet another symbol of how deeply divided we remain and how these enduring divisions have managed to intrude upon us in this century. As were looking back at previous centuries to understand this one, we are, at the same time, replicating much of what we thought was in the past.

Story continues

Is there anythinganything at allthat can be seen as positive?

As someone whose book has shown up on some of these banned-books lists, I would say that as a writer who obviously works hard to create this work, every book on some level is a labor of love, so it sometimes can feel personal. However, it brings more attention to the necessity of reading and knowing our history. In an odd kind of way, it elevates those books that it seeks to hide.

What do you wish you could tell the parents who want the books banned, and those whove been fighting to keep books on shelves?

To those who want to ban books, I would say, as most parents know, the best way to get a child to do something is to tell them they cant do it.

To those fighting the ban, I would say they have a tremendous amount of power and influence in this crisis because many of the book bans are originating with parents. That means parents who believe in the value and necessity of books and knowledge, who want their children to know history and all its perspectives, who are in the majority, must stand up. We may be reluctant participants in a debate we didnt want to be in, but this is the time to resist.

I open Caste with a description of a photograph taken in Germany shortly after the Nazis came to power. Its a scene outside a shipyard where hundreds of people are standing, arms raised in the Nazi salute. Theres one man with arms crossed, not participating. I ask, what would it take to be that man in previous eras, and what would it take to be that man now? Some people will read that and be inspired and emboldened. There might be others who look upon it as something of an abstraction because those extremes, in our view, are not the same at all. But the essential question is still eternal, which is, how do you respond when you may be one of only a few people who can see what others cannot? It requires tremendous fortitude and conviction about what is right and what is best for humanity. Everyone is called upon to stand for what they believe in at a time like this. If we dont stand up now, then we will have an even harder time resisting whatever else may be coming.

Shop Now Caste (Oprah's Book Club): The Origins of Our Discontents amazon.com

What is the lesson here?

We cannot escape our history; it is with us whether we recognize it or not. Our inheritance is like a preexisting condition. You can pretend diabetes or alcoholism doesnt run in the family, but at some point, you will have to deal with it. You must deal with the consequences of history whether you acknowledge them or not. Its like covering your ears, not wanting to hear what makes you uncomfortable, what threatens you or your place in societythats how I look at it.

Im really struck by how the extremes are testing the limits of a supposedly free society. Many of us are just aghast, for example, that Florida is considering monitoring teenage girls menstrual periods. Thats a dystopian level of authoritarianism which is hard to fathom, and yet it is happening. It builds slowly and barely perceptibly, and if youre not attuned to what is going on and you dont act soon enough, then its so much harder to rectify something once its already on its path. Each critical situation that creates this standoff is a test of what we believe in and our awareness of what can happen. History is essentially a cautionary tale for humanity. The reason Im such an advocate for history is that you cant solve what you cant see, and you cant fix what you havent identified.

What does the future hold?

The demographics are on a course of change by 2045 to a configuration no one alive has ever seen, in which the historic majority will be in the minority. Some of what were seeing in book bannings is a response to that, or its preliminary tremors in advance of a major change. This is not the time to know less about our country but to know more. That means every decision, every single thing that we do, could set the stage for what kind of country this ultimately becomes.

Caste came out in hardcover just weeks after George Floyd, and now the paperback is coming out just weeks after Tyre Nichols; theyre like bookends to our culture. People often say that we are making progress. Yes, in some ways, there is progress, but what have we learned? How far have we come? These are the enduring questions because we seem to be going in a circle. All of this goes back to the divisions and hierarchy weve inherited as a nation. Closing ourselves off to information and history is not the solution. We need to overcome our divisions by opening up, not shutting down, discussion.

Isabel Wilkerson won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1994, as Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times, making her the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism. Her debut work, The Warmth of Other Suns, won several awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Anisfield-Wolf Award for Nonfiction, and was shortlisted for both the Pen-Galbraith Literary Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Her latest work, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, is a national bestseller and the 86th Oprahs Book Club pick.

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Correspondence of the priest of the UOC MP

The agency said that during the inspection of a citizen of Ukraine born in 1969, border guards found Pro-Russian materials.

The man is a native of Russia but has been living in Ukraine for a long time, said the State Border Guard Service. He was hiding his passport from the border guards because of the stamps for crossing the Russian border.

Read also: Ukrainian Orthodox Church appeals to Zelenskyy to halt eviction from Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

"It turned out that he was a priest of the UOC-MP," the statement said.

His cell phone contained the numbers of operators of the aggressor state, pro-Russian correspondence, and requests for information on traveling to Russia.

Read also: Archimandrite Hovorun discusses ways Orthodox churches might hold Russian Patriarch Kirill to account

In the correspondence, the man complains that "his son, alas, feels Ukrainian because of his grandfather, Russia is no place for him... unfortunately."

He was handed over to the SBU for further investigation.

Earlier, in Chernivtsi Oblast, a priest of the UOC-MP was suspected of helping draft dodgers escape mobilization.

dpsu.gov.ua

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
At the entrance to the city of Kyiv, border guards of Ukraine have seized compromising materials while conducting filtration of two citizens of Ukraine.

Source: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

Details: During the search of a Ukrainian citizen born in 1969, border guards found compromising materials that proved his pro-Russian views.

The border guards discovered that the detainee was Russian but has been living in Ukraine for a long time. He was hiding his foreign passport from law enforcement as it contained the markings about crossing the Russian border.

He turned out to be a UOC-MP priest. His mobile phone contained numbers of Russian mobile operators, messages of a pro-Russian nature and search requests for information on how to leave the country for Russia.

In the messages, the detainee complains that "his son, unfortunately, considers himself a Ukrainian like his grandfather, Russia is not where he wants to besadly."

In addition to this, the border guards found anti-Ukrainian information in a messenger app that belonged to a man from Luhansk Oblast born in 1985. The gallery on his mobile phone contained video footage from a concert held in support of Russia.

The detainees were handed over to members of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) for further filtration measures.

Background: On 24 March, it was reported that Ukrainian border guards had detained a priest with strong connections to Russia and invalid documents at the entrance to Kyiv.

On 21 March the border guards reported that a UOC-MP priest who supported the Russian occupiers had been detained at the entrance to Kyiv.

In December 2022, a priest with an anti-Ukrainian stance was discovered at the entrance to Kyiv during a search of the bus from Kharkiv to Kyiv.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's leftist government on Monday abolished a human rights medal that former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro had named after the daughter of the country's last monarch, replacing it with a prize named after a Black writer and abolitionist.

The medal will now be named after Luiz Gama, who was a leader of the movement to abolish slavery in Brazil in the 19th Century.

When slavery was finally abolished in 1888, Brazil was a monarchy ruled by the Braganca family of Portuguese origin, but the monarch was ill, so his daughter Isabel signed the abolition decree.

Bolsonaro established the Princess Isabel Order of Merit just days before he left office last year, naming it after a figure that Brazilian conservatives traditionally praise for ending slavery.

The government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva established a human rights ministry as soon as it took office in January and has now created the prize named after Gama.

"It is not that a white person cannot be part of the anti-racist struggle, but about recognizing an abolitionist Black man as a defender of human rights," deputy minister Rita Oliveira said in a statement.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Josie Kao)
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sent his top foreign policy adviser to speak to Russian leader Vladimir Putin about potential peace talks to end the war in Ukraine, CNN Brasil reported on Monday.

"It would be an exaggeration to say the doors are open (to peace talks), but it's not true to say they are totally closed," the envoy Celso Amorim told CNN Brasil in an interview published on its website.

Amorim, who was Lula's foreign minister from 2003 to 2010, said he met with Putin for an hour on Thursday at the Kremlin as part of the previously unannounced trip.

Two government officials told Reuters that Amorim stopped in Paris on his way back to Brazil, but they provided no details of his engagements there.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on Amorim's trip. The president's office did not reply to a request for comment.

Lula has proposed creating a group of countries to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in a war that has raged for more than a year.

Amorim said he had lunch with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who will visit Brasilia on April 17, and was received by Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and international affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov.

"There is no magic solution. But there will come a time when, on one side or the other, a realization will emerge that the cost of war - not just the political cost, but the human and economic cost - will be greater than the cost of the concessions needed for peace," Amorim told CNN Brasil.

"My sense is that this moment has not arrived yet, but it could arrive sooner than expected," he added.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Brad Haynes and Jonathan Oatis)
PP-DB, GERB-UDF neck-and-neck to win Bulgaria's parliamentary elections: exit polls

Xinhua) 09:38, April 03, 2023

People wait to vote during Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections at a polling station in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 2, 2023.(Xinhua/Lin Hao)

The exit poll by Alpha Research said that PP-DB was expected to have 26.4 percent of the votes, against 25.5 percent for GERB-UDF.

SOFIA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Two coalitions, We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) and GERB - Union of Democratic Forces (GERB-UDF) were neck-and-neck to win Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to exit polls.

The exit poll by Alpha Research, one of the leading agencies for social and political research in Bulgaria, which was announced on the Bulgarian National TV, said that PP-DB was expected to have 26.4 percent of the votes, against 25.5 percent for GERB-UDF.

Bulgarian President Rumen Georgiev Radev votes during the country's early parliamentary elections at a polling station in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)

The other exit poll, by Gallup International, and announced on the Bulgarian National TV, said that PP-DB was leading the elections with 25.6 percent of votes, while GERB-UDF took 24.8 percent.

Alpha Research said the two coalitions were followed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) with 13.9 percent, Revival party with 13.5 percent, and BSP (Bulgaria Socialist Party) for Bulgaria coalition with 9.2 percent.

According to Gallup International, Revival party gained 14.2 percent of the votes, followed by MRF with 13 percent, BSP for Bulgaria coalition with 10 percent. And another party, There Is Such A People (ITN), managed to have gained 4 percent, a threshold required to enter the country's 240-seat parliament.

The official results, including the distribution of seats, are expected to be released on Thursday.

A man votes during Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections at a polling station in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)

The National Assembly, or the parliament, is Bulgaria's legislative body. It also elects the government by a simple majority, and has a four-year term -- except in certain circumstances such as when it is unable to elect a government.

This is Bulgaria's fifth parliamentary elections in two years. The previous elections were held on Oct. 2 last year, but the legislature was dissolved after the parliamentary parties failed to form a ruling majority.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Over the last three years, Gov. J.B. Pritzkers administration and the state legislature have made big investments in higher education, and its paying off. Illinois is not seeing just encouraging overall post-COVID-19 increases in our freshman enrollment numbers but also large increases in the number of Black and Latino students attending our public colleges and universities.

After two decades of bad news about Illinois disinvestment in higher education and as college systems across the country experience enrollment declines and political threats, we should savor this hope for the future of our state. Whether this is the start of a trend that sets us up for an inclusive and booming economic future or a little spike in an otherwise downward trajectory will depend on what the Illinois legislature does next.

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During his annual budget address in February, Pritzker showed he intends to keep his promise to continue reinvesting in higher education by recommending another $100 million increase in Monetary Award Program (MAP) funding for 2024. We strongly urge the legislature to include this in the budget. This would represent a 75% increase in funding since 2019 and could be game-changing for our students. Now that funding levels are projected to enable all eligible students to receive grants, award amounts would meaningfully increase to up to $8,500 per student, making college more affordable by covering on average 55% of community college tuition and 38% of public university tuition.

Combined with Pell Grants, this would make college tuition-free for nearly all low-income community college attendees  thats more than 50,000 students.

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[ Editorial: Best of times at University of Chicago, worst of times at Northeastern Illinois, and agony for applicants ]

Its important to remember that the past 20 years have given us little to celebrate for Illinois higher education. Over this period, college and university appropriations were nearly halved, and MAP grants were cut by more than $100 million as college prices rose, denying 1.7 million need-based grants to eligible students. These funding decreases were punctuated by the 2017 budget impasse, in which universities nearly closed and students didnt know whether they would receive the MAP grants they needed to stay in college.

As a result, no state lost more public university students from 2008 to 2018 than Illinois, while our community colleges weathered similar declines. Just as matters were improving, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, exacerbating the deep inequities our institutions have seen for decades, particularly when it comes to our students of color and those from low-income households.

Weve begun to see a turnaround in the last few years, which has been punctuated by bold funding increases for our students and our colleges. We need the state legislature to now do its part to ensure that this historic increase in MAP funding gets passed. This increase represents an investment in providing our students an affordable path to a college degree and ultimately better economic opportunities. Colleges and universities are the engines by which many of our students gain the knowledge, skills and credentials they need to go on to achieve their dreams, support their families and contribute to their communities. By investing in our students, were also investing in our states future prosperity.

While funding is necessary, its not enough to truly ensure every student has what they need to earn a college degree. We must also distribute institutional funding in an equitable way, giving each and every university the resources they need to help students succeed. Currently, there is no system or formula by which Illinois distributes its allocated funding for institutions each year.

This is why the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding is just a few months away from making a crucial recommendation for an equitable funding model for our states public universities. We must not wait until that formula is agreed upon, passed in legislation, implemented and scaled  that will take time.

There are steps that lawmakers must take now to get our state started down the road to a more equitable distribution of funding. The legislature should follow the Illinois Board of Higher Educations recommendation and distribute the proposed 7% increase in appropriations based on the number and concentration of low-income students a university enrolls. This model was used during the pandemic when distributing emergency funding and is a good stopgap method to use while we work on a long-term solution, one that does not continue to compound existing inequities in our distribution model, especially given these historic increases in funding.

The future vitality of Illinois is dependent on these continued investments in our students, colleges and universities, but the funding must be distributed where it is needed most. If the Illinois legislature does right by our students this legislative session, our state will continue down the path of creating a future in which every community can thrive and where every student can afford a college degree. We cannot allow the alternative.

Lisa Castillo Richmond is executive director of the equity-focused nonprofit Partnership for College Completion, a member of the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding and a founding member of the Coalition for Transforming Higher Education Funding.

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Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Brooke Shields has spoken about how her first kiss was with a 29-year-old actor when she was just 11.

In the new Hulu documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, the actor, now 57, opens up about the exploitation and sexualisation she experienced as a child star.

Shields appeared as a child sex worker in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, directed by the late French filmmaker Louis Malle.

For one scene, Shields had to kiss actor Keith Carradine (Dexter; Nashville), who was in his late twenties at the time.

In the documentary, Shields describes the incident, recalling that Malle grew frustrated at the face she pulled while kissing (per TVInsider).

According to Shields, Carradine took her to one side and offered reassurance.

Hey, he said to me. You know what? This doesnt count. This is all make-believe, she said.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, the documentarys director Lana Wilson said: This is a moment I wanted to feature and unpack because, even if child Brooke was fully cognisant of the role she was playing, and even if she realized that acting was pretend, I cant help but think: This is an actual 11-year-old girl having to kiss an actual 29-year-old man.

That inescapably is real. And the impact of that is real, too. Eleven-year-old Brooke expressed discomfort during the filming of this moment, but that discomfort was not taken seriously by the director.

Brooke Shields pictured on 29 March 2023 (Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the documentary, Shields opened up about being sexually assaulted in her twenties, allegedly by a Hollywood executive.

She also confessed that she didnt know why her mother consented for her to star in Pretty Baby and pose nude for a magazine at the age of 10.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields premieres on Hulu in the US on 3 April, and will arrive on Disney Plus in the UK on 4 April.
Jimin, a member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, has made history as the first South Korean solo artist to land the number one spot on the top US songs chart, Billboard announced Monday.

The single "Like Crazy" debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week, bumping Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" out of the top spot, where it had reigned for eight weeks.

"Jimin is the first South Korean soloist to score a No. 1 hit on the #Hot100, thanks to 'Like Crazy,'" Billboard tweeted.

The song, off Jimin's first solo album "Face," is the 66th track to debut at the peak of the Hot 100 chart, which dates back to 1958 and combines all-genre US streaming, radio play and sales data, the industry tracker reported.

"Face" hit Billboard's main albums chart at No. 2, making it the highest-charting album by a South Korean solo musician and beating fellow BTS member RM's "Indigo," which reached No. 3 in December, industry outlets reported.

BTS is considered South Korea's biggest-ever cultural phenomenon, selling out stadiums around the world and dominating the charts while raking in billions for the country's economy and building a global legion of fans known as ARMYs.

But the K-pop juggernaut announced a hiatus last year due to South Korea's required military service.

All able-bodied men in South Korea must serve at least 18 months in the military and, after a years-long debate about whether BTS deserved an exemption, Jin, the oldest member of the group, enlisted last year.

Before the pause, BTS bagged six No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and all seven members of the boyband have reached the top songs chart with solo tracks, Billboard said.

Before BTS's dominance, South Korean rapper Psy's global hit "Gangnam Style" peaked at No. 2 in 2012, according to Billboard.

sw/bgs
Zdancewicz

Dr. Alissa Zdancewicz has been elected the 83rd president of the Florida Podiatric Medical Association.

Only the fourth woman in Florida and the first woman from the Sarasota-Bradenton region to hold the office, she oversees the policymaking board that serves Floridas podiatrists, doctors who specialize in the treatment of the lower extremity.

Originally from Chicago, Dr Z, as she is called by her patients, practices in Bradenton and Sarasota. A partner in West Coast Podiatry Center, in Bradenton, she enjoys helping her patients stay healthy and active.

She previously served as president of the Manasota Podiatric Medical Association.

Teaching future doctors is also a passion of Dr. Zs. She is on the faculty of Manatee Memorial Hospitals Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Residency Programs.

Her duties will include working with various FPMA committees creating the vision and budget for the next year, traveling the state, representing over 1,000 podiatric physicians and surgeons, and promoting the benefits of scientific advancement in the treatment, prevention and alleviation of foot and ankle problems.

Dougherty

Fleshner

Mary Dougherty and Irene Fleshner, RN, have joined the board of trustees at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital. Both are leaders in the community and in their professional roles.

They will advise hospital leadership on quality and operations. The board follows standards set by the Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals.

Dougherty is the executive director of the Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, which represents commercial contractors in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

Fleshner, RN, MHA, recently retired as principal with Reno, Davis and Associates, Inc., where she provided consulting services to health care organizations, suppliers and professional associations.

She spent 15 years as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer with Genesis Health Care.

Levison

Barbara Levison, of Proeger & Associates, Inc., has earned the Fellow of the Leadership Academy designation from the Aging Life Care Association.

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This designation recognizes those Aging Life Care Professionals who have demonstrated themselves to be advanced practitioners and experts in the field of Aging Life Care/Geriatric Care Management.

Fellows maintain a strong commitment to the mission, leadership, programs and activities of ALCA. Levison currently serves as the advisor to the ALCA Florida Chapter board of directors.

Proeger & Associates, Inc. is an Aging Life Care management company in Sarasota.

Doe

JMX Brands, the leading retailer of Amish furniture at https://www.dutchcrafters.com, recently recognized Steve Doe with the Category Manager Award at the companys annual awards ceremony for the second year in a row.

Product Management and Innovation Manager Seth Carter presented the award, which was created to recognize the hard work and impressive results of a specific product category manager whose contributions have served a vital role in the organizations success.

Doe joined JMX Brands in 2018 as a furniture specialist and became a category manager with responsibility for the dining room category in 2019.

He is also chairperson for the sustainability committee at JMX Brands. He led the initiative to install solar panels at the company headquarters and DutchCrafters Showroom, in Sarasota.

Houseworth

Gulfside Bank has hired Gary Houseworth as vice president and financial center manager for a full-service bank to open in Sarasota in 2024.

The bank has agreed to terms on a lease for a building to be constructed in a new commercial development east of Interstate 75 on the south side of Fruitville Road, near Fruitville Commons.

Houseworth has spent the vast majority of his 30-plus-year career working for local community banks in Sarasota.

He is a graduate of Riverview High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from Florida State University.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: "Dr. Z" to represent podiatrists statewide; new trustees at Doctors
SHANGHAI  Local and international retailers expressed excitement over Shanghai Fashion Week, where they discovered local designers that presented standout shows reflecting local culture.

During the pandemic local brands balanced art and commerce with wearable products that were somewhat lacking in conceptual appeal, which LMDS Eric Young called a form of involution, an anthropological phenomenon that creates homogeny in the market.

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But with Chinas reopening, creativity is back in full swing, with designers such as Oude Waag, Susan Fang, Ao Yes and Mark Gong staging surprisingly creative shows that buyers said were on par with global standards.

Entrance of Mode, Shanghai Fashion Weeks official trade show.

Ao Yes performance-based presentation was outstanding, the atmosphere was contagious, said Veronica Yakubov of En Culture, a fashion boutique based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

With international buyers returning to Shanghai after a three-year hiatus, the 10-day-long fashion week was bustling with fresh energy.

Buyers were excited to discover local talent such as Raxxy, Ao Yes and Shuting Qiu that creatively incorporated technology into its design.

Down jackets designed by Raxxy also caught my eye, incorporating woven inspiration, coupled with excellent quality at an affordable price point, said Raphael Deray, mens luxury and designers buyer at Printemps.

Raxxys design itself and the fabric patent they own are both great breakthroughs, which is also rare in China, added Shiyun Chen, buyer for the Yours Fashion and Lifestyle Shop in Singapore.

Ontimeshow, the largest fashion trade show during Shanghai Fashion Week.

Machine-A founder and buying director Stavros Karelis said the retailer will increase budgets this season to introduce many of these designers to our customers and audience in London and internationally.

Still, while optimistic about the outlook, many local retailers chose to remain cautious, with Labelhood buying director Jillian Xin saying the retailer would meticulously plan our budget to work with brands in a more meaningful way.

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Showroom operators also noticed that the market is warming up.

Meimei Ding, founder of DFO, a showroom that represents international brands like GCDS, Tibi, Christian Wijnants, System, Stine Goya and Fiorucci, noted that the market is gradually recovering very well this season, and this is reflected in our visitor data. Our foot traffic and customer conversion rate are now back to where they were before the epidemic.

Wuhan-based fashion showroom HCHs founder Hu Chunhui added that local buyers are paying more attention to the quality and sustainability of the brands now due to the backlog of products caused by last years epidemic, and the fact that it will take some time for the market to rebound.

Here, retailers from China, Europe, Singapore and Israel talk about outstanding collections, their favorite fashion moments, and the overall impression of Shanghai Fashion Week.

A look from Penultimates fall 2023 collection.

Eric Young, buyer at LMDS

Favorite collection: It is pleasant to see Penultimate in Shanghai, it is a breath of fresh air. Designer Xiang Gao is not limited by the domestic markets involution and expresses her ideas in a surprising way every season. She presented a humorous season. I walked out of her showroom with a big smile on my face. At Rui, you can feel that the world the designer is building has become more expansive while also expanding her commercial offerings. But at the same time, her identity is very much present. With female-related issues, a hot-button topic, designer brands like Rui, whose thinking is truly based on a female-centric way of thinking, will have more opportunities to develop in the market.



Best show format: An hour on a yacht sailing down the Huangpu River with Jacques Wei felt memorable and refreshing, which also felt like a form of anti-involution.

Must-have item(s): Samuel Gui Yangs dress is elegant and recognizable; Penultimates Japan-inspired pieces are cute and humorous; Jacques Weis furry items are chic and bold; Yueqi Qis Y2K sweaters.



Impression of the week: You can obviously sense that the three-year pandemic is now behind us, its memories fading quickly. Its good to see the international media and buyers back in town. At the same time, I hope more quality designer brands can come out of Shanghai Fashion Week. Commercialization is, of course, also crucial and indispensable, but the spirit of high-energy, original creations is also very important. This season, some designers spent a lot of money mounting a show with many looks that felt very Paris Fashion Week deja vu  not OK.

Budgets up or down: Same as last season.

Shuting Qiu fall 2023

Stavros Karelis, buying director at Machine-A

Best collection: Shuting Qiu

Best show format: Oude Waag, Mark Gong, Susan Fang, Staffonly

Must-have item(s): Ian Hylton black silk-wool blend Chinese blazer; Chen Peng puffer jacket; Kod Kuce silver ring; Lama Hourani gold ring with diamond and ruby; VII Victor Wang cape coat; Bad Binch TongTong bomber jacket; Empty Behaviour mules; Yueqi Qi denim with black print jacket; Rui animal tube top; Ximon Lee leather hooded top; Caroline Hu pink shredded knit with roses top and skirt; Zimo jacket with buttons and Ruohan knit.

Impression of the week: Shanghai Fashion Week was so rich in local and international presence, full of unique discoveries and a great place to reconnect with designers and brands that I have been working with for many years. However, seeing them in their own city helps me to fully realize and understand in depth their world, their community and their source of creativity. It was one of the most interesting and enlightening fashion weeks that I have recently been to.

Budgets up or down: The budget is definitely up for brands we plan to buy for both our stores in London and Shanghai. We cannot wait to introduce many of these designers to our customers and audience in London and internationally as well as create beautiful synergies for our Shanghai store.

Oude Waag fall 2023 showroom at Ontimeshow.

Will Zhang, founder of SND

Best collection: Louis Shengtao Chens whole collection seemed more complete than before, and the choice of fabrics is also richer. As a semifinalist in the LVMH Prize, Louis has quickly gained global recognition, which means his clothes will gain more visibility on the shop floor.

Best show format: At Oude Wagg, this seasons installations and meat-shaped stone theme really caught my eye. The show was divided into black, blue, green, burgundy and salmon pink, which left a considerable impression. Items like the corsets and dress pants were really memorable.

Must-have item(s): Oude Waag corseted bodysuit.

Impression of the week: The energy and vibrancy of the fashion week have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. The number of people attending the shows and visiting the showrooms was definitely higher than last season. This gives me confidence that the industry will recover really fast.

Budgets up or down: Same as last season

Ordudiordu fall 2023

Raphael Deray, buyer for men ready-to-wear, luxury and designers, retail and e-commerce at Printemps

Best collection: Ordudiordu designs with great detail, especially its all-black suits. Down jackets designed by Raxxy also caught my eye, incorporating woven inspiration and excellent quality at an affordable price point. Chengguang Wangs design initially seems traditional, but it incorporates innovative silhouette, interesting cutting and fun details.

Impression of the week: The international fashion market is set to recover after a few years of pandemic-related disruption. I see that many Chinese designer brands have already gone to Paris, London and Milan fashion weeks. Many British, French and American fashion boutiques are already actively working with these brands.

With Shanghai Fashion Week opening up to overseas buyers again and more and more Chinese brands beginning to understand how to embrace the overseas markets, I think the future is full of possibilities and Im very much looking forward to subsequent collaborations.

Rui fall 2023

Sherry Huang, founder of ENG

Best collection: Rui, Didu, Windowsen

Impression of the week: I felt a great confluence of the old and the new, the local and the global, just like the coming spring, where everything is sprouting all at once. I appreciate brands with a global vision, such as Didu, Windowsen and Rui. They are all portraying their own version of culture via their brand identity and the clothes they carry, unafraid to break through conventional wisdom, to innovate and to face challenges from different markets, which I think are the real charms of the brands.

Fashion does not need to be labeled by their nationality. Shanghai Fashion Week itself is an authoritative international stage, it welcomes all brands from all over the world, and it is a breeding ground for a growing number of emerging brands. With both the global market and the China market returning to normal life, there will be more communication between China and the world. The market will get more competitive, but usher in fresh blood faster.

Tommy Zhong fall 2023

Jiajue Yin, cofounder of XC273

Best collection: Tommy Zhongs collection marked a transition from an independent designer to a serious commercial brand, combining his signature focus on print with wearable silhouettes. This season is his most balanced collection to date.

Best show format: Comme Moi  their shows consistently impress. Presented as see now, buy now, it breaks the rules of typical shows at SFW and provides what is needed for fans of Comme Moi; independent, elegant and energetic, much like the brand founder Lu Yan herself. This season, the collection was relatively pared back, focusing on the wearers inner confidence.

Must-have item(s): Soft Mountains pearl earrings. We have long appreciated Ziweis work, and this piece, in particular, was a great success because of Chinese actress Dong Jies livestream on Xiaohongshu on the final evening of the fashion week.

Impression of the week: We can feel that the overall market is returning to normal, masstige and high-end consumption should see more obvious growth in the second half of the year. We expect the high-end market to return to pre-pandemic levels more quickly.

Xin Tokyo Showroom

Benny Zhu, founder of Element

Impression of the week: This season, both the number of participating brands and the number of visitors are significantly more than in the previous season, I discovered some new brands in showrooms, and we are seeing the vitality of Shanghai Fashion Week being restored.

I was very impressed by Xin Tokyo Showroom at Mode this season. I discovered the unisex brand Shinyakozuka, Bodysong and Saby. With the pandemic basically over, we are confident about the retail recovery  it will be a time that established brands can cultivate a new group of shoppers and explore new ways of shopping.

Jillian Xin, head buyer of Labelhood

Best collection: Raxxy

Impression of the week: 2022 has been a challenging year for many designers, but its great to see that most designers have shown incredible resilience. I also felt that many designers are relatively less willing to take risks this season, with the commercial aspect of their works becoming a little more apparent.

But in my opinion, its more important than ever for designers to stay original and stand out with innovative design. For example, Raxxy, a brand I saw at Mode, has built up a unique approach to its brand rather than sticking to the rules. We are cautiously optimistic about fall 2023, we want to be more focused and meticulously plan our budget to work with brands in a more meaningful way. Its also worth mentioning that it was really great to meet the designers again and see their work in person. Despite technological advances, nothing can replace the in-person experience in Shanghai.

Ao Yes Fall 2023

Veronica Yakubov and Dan Pollak, buyers for En Culture, Israel

Best Collection: Redemptive, Ao Yes, Judy Hua

Best show format: Ao Yes performance-based presentation was outstanding, the atmosphere was contagious. We heard from one of its designers, Austin, that this seasons inspiration came from Chinese girls active on the global stage, which left an impression.

Impression of the week: We have always been interested in Chinese designers. In our selection, we try to blend overseas influence with Middle Eastern cultures. Asian designers are always open to innovation via technological means or creative themes. We saw a lot of innovative fashion techniques being used in their work. Even if their patterns and silhouettes are traditional, they are combined with new technologies to show a different look.

To satisfy the curiosity of our core clientele, we are constantly trying to find new designs and designers. We see a lot of fresh and exciting brands and new collaboration opportunities at Mode. We are ready to present our core customer base in Israel with more new Chinese designer brands.

Mark Gong Fall 2023

Shiyun Chen, buyer of Yours Fashion and Lifestyle Shop, Singapore

Favorite collections: I was impressed by Raxxy, whose design and color scheme are bold and unusual. The design itself and the fabric patent they own are both great breakthroughs, which is also rare in China.

Best show format: Mark Gong, who showed at Labelhood, put on an impressive show with intoxicating music and stellar stage design. Its presentation is as good as what you see in London, Milan and Paris.

Impression of the week: Chinese designers have revolutionized the expression and presentation of fashion, which has been an eye-opener for me. In particular, the development of VR and AR technology has also enhanced the sensory experience for buyers. Another thing is that Chinese consumers, their understanding and acceptance of fashion itself, from avant-garde, Y2K and subculture to diversity, have shown a lot of new potential. Chinese brands are still very strong, and I believe many local fashion brands will be showing their works on the world stage in the future.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
The copious amount of rain and snow that accelerated Californias drought recovery has triggered the states next public health concern  and this one sucks your blood.

Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle and California suddenly has a lot of it. More water means an increase in the transmission rate of the vector-borne disease West Nile Virus, that killed 13 residents last year, according to state data, last updated March 23.

I think the real question is: What happens next?, said director Dr. Chris Barker with the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases.

If the weather remains cool and wet through the spring, the growing season could be pushed back, creating more water for mosquitoes but a delay in their activity. If the weather dries up over the next couple of months, agricultural production could start sooner and so would mosquito season.

Thats what makes it complicated to say whether drought or wet conditions are worse for mosquitoes, Barker said.

And in some sense, theyre both bad.

West Nile Virus in California

West Nile Virus  transmitted from birds to humans and animals  is common in the U.S., but especially in California with more than 7,600 human cases since 2003. In recent years West Nile transmission rates have been low, meaning lower immunity which is ripe for an epidemic.

If it starts drying out relatively soon, that would probably be worse from a human health standpoint, Barker said.

Laboratory director Dr. Sarah Wheeler with the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District said its early, but still very likely to see hungry adult mosquitoes searching for blood to kick-start their reproductive cycle. Once the warm weather settles, the ankle biters will begin to lay eggs along the surface of stagnant water and flooded areas.

If the right species  Culex pipiens or Culex tarsalis  with the West Nile virus pierces your skin and sucks your blood, you will become infected. You are at the highest risk for exposure to the virus during the dry, warm months like July and August.

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Especially if youre on your back patio enjoying the nice weather making it easy for mosquitoes to find you, Wheeler said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, eight out of 10 people infected with the West Nile Virus are asymptomatic. Roughly one in five people develop a fever as well as a headache, body aches and joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea and rashes.

In extreme cases, fatigue can last for months and patients need to be hospitalized. People over 60 as well as those with certain medical conditions are at greater risk for illness.

No vaccine or medication is specifically targeted for the West Nile virus, according to the CDC.

How to curb mosquito activity

Though annoying to most humans, mosquitoes have an ecological role to play.

Beyond pollination, the cold-blooded insects serve as a primary food source for several animals like hummingbirds, birds, dragonflies and turtles, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Its a balancing act...you can cut down the population, but there is a cost, said Dr. Lynn Kimsey with UC Davis Bohart Museum of Entomology which hosts nearly 8 million specimens of mosquitoes.

To decrease the number of mosquitoes around your property, dump any standing water. If you are seeing a lot of mosquitoes and live in Sacramento or Yolo counties, call Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District at 800-429-1022.

The control district is opening ditches for water to drain properly along roadways and using mosquito fish and larvicide to curb the spread of adult insects.

If you can, avoid being outside at dusk and dawn as that is the peak mosquito activity. DEET, an active ingredient found in many insect repellents, is the most effective repellent for mosquitoes, Barker said. A natural remedy is the oil of lemon eucalyptus, just be sure to reapply in regular intervals.

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 discovery of a seriously wounded teen along a Florida road has been linked to two homicides, including one person found in a submerged car, according to the Marion County Sheriffs Office.

Sixteen-year-old Layla Danielle Silvernail remains hospitalized, the sheriffs office said in a news release.

How the cases are related has not been released.

The investigation began at 10:52 p.m. Thursday, March 30, when callers led deputies to Silvernail along the side of SE 183rd Avenue Road outside of Ocklawaha, officials said. The area is about 60 miles northwest of Orlando.

Layla was transported to a hospital and is in critical condition, officials said.

On Friday morning, callers alerted deputies to another body near the intersection of SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court, officials said. The victim, a man, was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound at the scene.

His body was found in a dumpster, station WCJB reports.

The car was then discovered around 12:40 p.m. Saturday, April 1, near the intersection of Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace, the sheriffs office says.

Deputies located a vehicle partially submerged at the edge of a nearby body of water, officials said.

A search of the interior of the vehicle and located a third victim, who was deceased. This female victims name is also being withheld at the request of her next of kin.

A cause of death for the woman has not been released.

Identities of the two dead have not been released.

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Fabian Cancellara delivers his verdict on Pogacar's win at the 2023 Tour of Flanders

I wrote before the Tour of Flanders that if Pogacar could drop Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert then it would be something huge. And he did it. What he achieved today, the way he rode, will go down in history.

For Tadej, the harder it gets, the easier it gets. What I mean by that is, when it's a hard race, the strength of the strongest rider will show, and the others will blow earlier. The better you are, the less you have to worry. If you are tired, the others are more tired. Mentally, you need to be strong, but the harder it is for everyone, the easier it gets for you.

This Tour of Flanders was just hard all the time. It was a crazy race, right from the start - even before the start, with the terrible weather in the last days. Then you do the first 100km in two hours and everyone is on the limit when they should be letting a breakaway go.

The wind was stronger than expected and that had an influence. It looked so nervous in the bunch, and the first part of the race was just a crash festival. The first hours were just so intense, and this definitely has an impact later on, especially when you're racing for 274km - longer than usual for a Tour of Flanders.

More from Fabian

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Perfect Opening Weekend creates a luxury problem for Jumbo-Visma

The second thing is that once the race is already hard, Tadej makes it harder by accelerating from the bottom to the top of every key climb. This is a Tour de France winner and he needs to use every single inch of uphill to his advantage, to turn it into a watts-per-kilo game as much as possible. The Oude Kwaremont is the prime example - the longest climb in the race. They did it three times and there was barely a cobblestone on which he wasn't attacking.

I definitely expected Tadej to go full gas from the bottom to the top to drop everybody on the last lap, but I didn't expect him to go straight away on the second time up. Given the situation of the race, he sort of had to.

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That dangerous big group had gone away and gained three minutes. I thought 'surely it's not over'. I actually said out loud, 'no, it cannot be over'. Then UAE moved up and went full gas on the Kwaremont, the race explodes, and Tadej is gone. When Laporte joined him, the race looked super interesting - he was on the front foot but it was a gamble.

In the end, it comes back and Tadej still does the forcing on Koppenberg, Wout drops on Kruisberg, Mathieu drops on Kwaremont, and it's over. What more can you say? There is simply no argument that the strongest guy won the race. He is the deserving winner of the Tour of Flanders.

Wout van Aert was the most disappointing of the so-called 'Big Three'. In my opinion, the best team today in how they rode were Jumbo-Visma. The only thing was that in the end, Wout could not finish it off. Putting Nathan Van Hooydonck up the road and not working was a nice move, then sending Christophe Laporte up to Tadej after the first Kwaremont was even better. At that point in the race, Mathieu was forced into defence mode.

But I don't know what went wrong. I saw Wout riding a lot at the back, even at the start. Riding at the back with that wind and that craziness, I don't know if this was a good idea. Maybe it's the wrong karma. To win a bike race, you need to have the legs but I also believe in karma, I believe in searching your luck in the front.

For Wout, the wait goes on, but I still believe he will win the Tour of Flanders. Next year he will be 29 - the same age that I won it for the first time.

As for Mathieu, I don't know how much he was playing today. There were a couple of times when he was a bit dropped - once when he had a chain problem on the Taaienberg and another time when he didn't look as strong as he turned out to be when he dropped Wout on the Kruisberg. The first time up the Kwaremont, or even on the Koppenberg, I don't know if was it was playing - to make people wonder if he's not feeling good - or if it was on purpose. In the end, the attack he did on Kruisberg was quite impressive. I think he surprised everyone there, for sure. Wout was certainly caught off guard and so was Tadej. With the legs he had, he would not have had to close any gap if he had been expecting that acceleration for Mathieu.

Perhaps Mathieu ultimately paid for this effort on the Kwaremont, but then again, he probably needed to do it, because they needed to catch those guys out in front. I thought he rode a good race but in the end, he was beaten by a better rider on the day.

As for the rest, I was curious to see who would go in the early moves. Well, it turns out a lot of them. Realistically, anticipation was the only way to stand a chance out there, and lots of riders set out with the same battle plan. The guys in that front group emptied themselves and can all walk away with their heads held high. People questioned the possibility of beating the Big Three, but we were not so far away from that.

A special mention for Mads Pedersen. The way he rode, the guy deserved to be on the podium because he dared and he tried. Of course, he paid for that effort, but he was the guy who took the risk, so it's a deserving guy up there on the podium with Tadej and Mathieu.

A footnote, that was quite a special move from DSM, going so slow on the Kortekeer and then sprinting. Nice try, but in the end I saw no DSM at all in the front.
Michal Drastich had set up cannabis growing operations at two properties in Hull and was thought to have a stash with a street value of up to 42,600. (Reach)

A drug dealer caught with more than 42,000 of cannabis has been spared jailed partly because "prisons are full".

Judge John Thackray KC told Michal Drastich that had his case come to court earlier he would have been handed a custodial sentence.

Drastich had set up cannabis growing operations at his home and a separate rented house where officers found drugs, growing equipment, mobile phones, and cash during a co-ordinated raid.

The 39-year-old, of Hailsham Street, west Hull, admitted possessing cannabis with intent to supply, producing cannabis and acquiring cash as criminal property on 4 June, 2021.

Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, prosecuting, said that police went to Drastich's home to execute a search warrant at 7.55am. His partner and a three-year-old child were there.

Michal Drastich avoided being jailed partly because "the prisons are full", a judge said. (Reach)

Another search warrant was executed at the other property that had been rented by Drastich for around a year and the property had to be made safe by Northern Power Grid because the electricity system had been bypassed.

The cannabis growing included one lot of 30 plants and another of 15 plants. Cash hauls involved included 400 and 165.

The potential estimated street value of the cannabis found at Drastich's home was between 17,895 and 28,770. The potential yield of the cannabis at the rented house was between 8,700 and 13,920.

Upon arrest, Drastich told police: "I don't smoke weed  maybe once a year."

Drastich was given a two-year suspended prison sentence at his sentencing at Hull Crown Court as well as 200 hours' unpaid work, a six-month 10pm to 6am curfew and 15 days' rehabilitation.

Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Drastich, from the Czech Republic, had kept out of trouble since the incidents. He had been working and was "sober" and giving negative alcohol tests, she said, and had no significant previous convictions.

Judge Thackray said that there had been a long delay in finally bringing the matter before the court and this was now a factor to be taken into account when sentencing. He said if the matter had come to court promptly, Drastich would probably have been jailed.

He said the problem of overcrowding in prisons was now a significant factor for the courts and could be taken into account if offences were non-violent and non-sexual and it was borderline whether a suspended prison sentence could be imposed.

"I have got to take into account the fact that the prisons are full," said Judge Thackray. "He can be punished in the community."

Drastich was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, 200 hours' unpaid work, a six-month 10pm to 6am curfew and 15 days' rehabilitation.
NEW BEDFORD  The island nation of Cape Verde, or officially as of 2013, Cabo Verde, is over 3,000 miles away from New Bedford. But as Cape Verdean President Jose Maria Pereira Neves looked out of an upper-level window at the Whaling Museum on Saturday afternoon, the world didn't seem so big, according to his speech.

"I was in the window with the mayor watching the harbor and I saw that Cape Verde was right there on the other side," Neves said through a translator as he spoke in Creole to a stand-room-only auditorium.

"So now that theyre much closer, how can we continue working together to make Cape Verde even bigger?"

From Cape Verdean flags hanging from homes and rear-view mirrors, to the popularity of Cape Verdean food like cachupa and wearing of "conta di ojo" beads, spending time around New Bedford will reveal that many Cape Verdean-Americans are proud of their roots. During Saturday's appearance, President Neves' essential message to local Cape Verdeans was that the island nation is just as proud of them.

Get some background: Cape Verdean president to visit region, strengthen ties with Diaspora

"It's all its territory that is small, but it has a soul the size of the world," said Neves. "Its because we have Cape Verdeans spread across the world that brings greatness to our nation."

Mayor Jon Mitchell speaks with the President of Cape Verde, Jose Maria Pereira Neves, as they look out onto New Bedford Harbor during a visit to the Whaling Museum where the president honored prominent members of the Cape Verdean community.

Whaling City was an important stop

New Bedford was Neves' first stop to make public appearances during his current trip to the U.S.  or "Presidency in the Diaspora," as his administration has called it  which was rather fitting, as Neves explained: "... we have distinguished the museum because this is a symbol of the arrival of Cape Verdeans, and we came to New Bedford because here is one of the first ports of arrival of Cape Verdeans.

"... Cape Verde has grown, its developed and its a better developed country precisely because of this diaspora."

Story of America inspired Cape Verde, president says

Since establishing its independence on July 5, 1975, Neves said the development of Cape Verde has been greatly inspired by the U.S., which had become home to Cape Verdean immigrants long before attaining its own independence.

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"We were inspired by the Declaration of Independence of the United States to build a better life, and to open the way to freedom, and for us to be a lot happier," he said.

Get the latest local news: Officials release cause of deadly New Bedford rooming house fire. Here's where it started

"The contributions of the diaspora have been very important to these ideas of freedom, democracy and development, and as such, this presidency is precisely to affirm this idea of transnationality of Cape Verdeans."

President of Cape Verde Jose Maria Pereira Neves gives a bronze plaque to Amanda McMullen, director of the Whaling Museum, thanking the museum for its dedication in celebrating the Cape Verdean whalemen.

But Neves said he doesn't want Cape Verdean-Americans' pride as U.S. citizens to diminish in favor of their Cape Verdean roots. On the contrary, "the best way to be great Cape Verdeans is to continue to be great American citizens," he said, rousing a standing ovation.

Local Cape Verdeans honored

Among those in attendance were a number of local Cape Verdeans who Neves honored with special recognitions and medals. They included Joseph Moniz and Virginia Gonsalves, who also delivered speeches; Alexandre Furtado; Yvonne Smart; Dana Barros; Pastor Elizeu Lima; Fredson Gomes; Ana P. Novais; Benjamin Pinto Monteiro; and surviving members of world famous R&B group Tavares, also known as The Tavares Brothers.

"By distinguishing them, we are really distinguishing all Cape Verdeans in the United States of America," Neves said.

President of Cape Verde Jose Maria Pereira Neves speaks during a visit to the Whaling Museum in New Bedford where he honored prominent members of the Cape Verdean community.

Before the event began in the auditorium, Neves also presented the Whaling Museum with a plaque for its work documenting and preserving important pieces of Cape Verdean history from the whaling era.

Check out this cool local story: Taylor Swift's new tour has a New Bedford connection. Here's how.

Looking ahead

During his speech, Neves revealed that Cape Verdean officials hope to organize "a great convention" in the U.S. celebrating the 50th anniversary of Cape Verde's independence, coming up on July 5.

Plans for the remainder of his U.S. tour include visiting other sites around Massachusetts, including Bridgewater State College, as well as stops in Connecticut and Rhode Island where there are large Cape Verdean communities.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford honors locals at New Bedford Whaling Museum
By Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter

The Idaho Legislature on Friday completed most of its work and now awaits the governors decision on a number of outstanding bills, including one that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The House and Senate recessed until Thursday, giving lawmakers an opportunity to return next week and address potential vetoes from Gov. Brad Little before officially adjourning.

Little has five days, excluding Sunday, after a bill clears the Legislature to sign it into law or veto it. If he takes no action before the deadline, the bill becomes law. Legislators can override a veto with a two-thirds majority vote by each chamber.

Read my full story on some of the controversial bills Little will have to consider.

One outstanding bill? Harmful materials

Idaho libraries and schools soon could be sued for allowing minors to obtain books, films and other media that depict sexual content deemed harmful for kids.

The Legislature on Friday advanced the bill to Little. The bill would allow the guardian of a child who was able to obtain harmful material from a library to claim $2,500 in statutory damages for each instance the material was obtained.

Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said the bill would create age-appropriate separations between library material. It requires that library officials take reasonable steps to restrict access of material to minors to avoid liability, according to the legislation.

But opponents said the bills definition of harmful material is too broad. Parents should be responsible for ensuring their kids dont access inappropriate content, they said, and the civil bounty could be abused.

Heres my full story.

Track other bills

The Idaho Statesman has kept an eye on the high-profile bills as they go through the legislative process. You can find the latest updates here.

If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend or colleague, and they can sign up here.
On March 24, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure with the deceivingly innocuous introduction, To ensure the rights of parents are honored and protected in the nations public schools. Make no mistake: This bill is a proverbial wolf in sheeps clothing and will have devastating effects, including right here in Illinois.

House Resolution 5, known as the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which was introduced by a Republican, passed almost entirely along partisan lines and purports to protect parents rights to participate in our public education systems by increasing transparency in curriculum, school funding and safety efforts. Employing language covered in a veneer of neutrality, the measure claims to ensure that schools will make sufficient information available for parents to actively participate in essential decisions regarding their childrens education.

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A more sinister intent lurks beneath the bills surface. The true purpose of the legislation is revealed by many of its elements, including a proposed requirement that school districts provide parents a list of books and other reading materials available in the library of such school; and the opportunity to inspect such books and other reading materials. This is an onerous requirement that is meant to create an inroad toward oppressive oversight of materials deemed objectionable by regressive extremists.

Far from a well-reasoned effort to increase parents rights with regards to their childrens education, this proposal seeks to censor materials and combat diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in K-12 schools and institutions of higher learning. These extremist policies align with efforts to control the narrative and scope of American history taught in our schools and further marginalize and endanger students and educators of color, LGBTQ+ students and their communities.

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In addition to opposing H.R. 5, House Democrats introduced House Resolution 219, which expresses support for educational environments, curricula and materials that are inclusive and free from discrimination, and safeguards the rights of students and parents. This resolution explicitly advocates the creation of educational environments that are physically and psychologically safe for all students, teach an accurate version of our countrys history, and prepare students to think critically and participate in our multiracial and multiethnic society.

This seemingly distant legislative battle playing out in Washington stands to deeply affect communities across the country. It also evidences the deep and visceral incursion of partisan politics into one of our most essential, and theoretically nonpartisan, social institutions  public education.

In Illinois, this ideological battle is on full display in Tuesdays elections as residents throughout the state vote in mayoral and school and library board elections.

Local school and library board elections, nonpartisan by design, now are subject to credible threats from candidates intent on furthering exclusionary policies such as book bans and opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The Democratic Party of Illinois has made an unprecedented commitment of $300,000 to combat them.

Here, as in many other states, extremist school and library candidates advance superficially neutral platforms. These candidates often call for transparency in school materials and claim to prioritize efforts to raise test scores as an avenue for challenging continued implementation of social-emotional learning and culturally responsive materials and curricula. They argue these materials and curricula reduce time spent on what they identify as the real aims of education.

But what truer aim of education can there be than to share an honest, age-appropriate and culturally relevant accounting of our history and its impact on our present with all our children in order to prepare them to meet the unavoidable challenges they are inheriting?

As Maya Angelou wrote in her poem On the Pulse of Morning: History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again.

Herein lies the inconvenient truth of these attempted legislative and electoral assaults on our public school system. These are regressive attempts to control the narrative and arrest progress. They principally hurt historically marginalized students and educators by perpetuating the erasure of our history and lived experiences and hurt all students by robbing them of the opportunity to bravely grapple with the realities of our nations painful history of systemic racism so as not to relive it.

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Our diversely rich school communities deserve inclusive, honest education free from unwarranted restrictions that deny the historical legacy of, and present-day harm caused by, racism. And the vast majority of public-school parents of diverse backgrounds agree, as evidenced by a recent poll conducted on behalf of the American Library Association. It found that more than 80% of parents believe in protecting the ability of young people to learn about and understand different perspectives presented in books.

It is everyones responsibility to continue our countrys arduous and too-often halting march toward genuine diversity and inclusivity in our institutions. To meet this responsibility, we must demand accountability from the individuals responsible for educating our children and young adults and protect a public education system that is honest, inclusive and affirming for all students.

Beatriz Diaz-Pollack is director of education equity at the nonprofit Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, which focuses on racial equity and economic opportunity. Diaz-Pollack works to address educational disparities in public schools and advocates for secure access to a high-quality education for all students.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Written in 1845 by Prosper Merimee, Carmen tells the story of a Spanish soldier, Don Jose, who is ordered to arrest Carmen, a gypsy woman he instead runs away with, taking on the life of a vagabond. Eventually, their romance runs its course and Jose kills her.

In 2022, French dancer and director Benjamin Millipied (Black Swan) released a new take on the classic story in which the title character, played by Melissa Berrera, is a Mexican runaway who crosses the border into America after her mother is murdered. The border patrol all seem to be ruthless killers  that is, except for Marine Corps veteran Aidan (Paul Mescal), a soulful-but-violent lead suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In the trailer, Aidan throws in with Carmen after shooting a fellow border patrol agent  Carmens would-be killer. The pair then flee to the desert to find Masilda (Rossy De Palma), the best friend of Carmens mother and owner of La Sombra night club in Los Angeles  a place they see as a refuge from their tormented pasts.

Dreaming. Loving. You have to be free. Dance, Masilda says in the trailer.

Its unclear whether this Carmen will meet the same end at hands of Aiden as Merimees lead. With his tendency toward brutality illustrated in the trailer  the use of veteran PTSD to explain a characters penchant for violence is as stereotypical as it is shallow  its possible that music and dance arent enough to save him from the same fate as Don Jose.

Carmen premieres in theaters on April 21.
This line of white granite cookware is nonstick and PFOA-free!

Nonstick pans are the best vessels for cooking foods like pancakes, eggs or fish without the risk of them adhering to the pan. But most nonstick pans are covered in Teflon, which can be toxic if consumed. This is more likely if the pans were made before 2013, as they contain PFOA, a chemical that may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. Most cookware in the US made after that year should be PFOA-free, but if youre shopping around for nonstick cookware, it doesnt hurt to look for non-Teflon alternatives.

CAROTE Carote Granite Induction 10-piece Cookware Set - Nonstick PFOA-Free $90 $150 Save $60 with coupon This 10-piece set of nonstick cookware is made from white granite. That ensures that its nonstick surface is PFOA-free and safe for the whole family! Save $60 with coupon $90 at Amazon

Enter this Carote set of nonstick pans. Made from eco-friendly white granite, this entire line of nonstick pans is PFOA-free. How nonstick are these pans? Well, you can simply wipe them clean with a damp paper towel, thats how slick they are. Theyre also suitable for use on all stoves, be it gas or induction. All of these qualities and more have made this the #1 bestseller in kitchen cookware sets on Amazon. Plus, it's currently 40 percent off once you add the $10 on-page coupon.

This particular 10-piece set includes 9.5-inch and 11-inch frying pans, a 2.4-quart saucepan with lid and steamer, a 4.3-quart casserole pot with lid, a 4.5-quart saute pan with lid, plus a white silicone turner.

On top of being a #1 bestseller on Amazon, it also has over 5,900 five-star reviews. "These pans are attractive, perform very well, and are a phenomenal value," said one. "I bought two sets of these non-toxic pans to replace my mismatched, higher end, Teflon-type pans that claim to be non-toxic but use a coating very similar to Teflon. These pans are not just a pretty face, but heat evenly, conduct heat very well, and clean easier than any pan Ive ever used!"

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A protester holds a sign as Pope Francis takes part in a public event in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Friday, July 29, 2022, during his papal visit across Canada. (Dustin Patar/The Canadian Press via AP)

Opinion. Thursday was a historic news day for Native Americans.

While most of the country  perhaps the world  was focused on news about the first-ever indictment of a former President of the United States, many in Indian Country were more concerned with a statement from an obscure, academic-sounding department of the Vatican.

The joint statement of the Dicasteries for Culture and Education and for Promoting Integral Human Development on the Doctrine of Discovery came early Thursday in Michigan. The statement was historic because it repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery, which for almost 500 years provided the basis for Europeans nations to justify and legitimize their taking of Indigenous lands throughout the world, including in the Americas, Africa, and Australia.

Scholars have argued that the doctrine originated in a series of papal bullsor decreesthat granted permission to colonial powers such as Spain and Portugal to seize lands in the New World  providing the people living on the lands were not Christians.

Thursdays statement cites three papal bulls: the Bulls Dum Diversas (1452), Romanus Pontifex (1455) and Inter Caetera (1493). The latter decreed in 1493, one year after Columbus first arrived in what are now known as the Americas.

The historic statement was welcomed news until you got past the headline and began to read the 9-point statement. Upon examination, the statement lacks real teeth in that the Vatican fails to accept accountability and admit its sins for a doctrine set forth in the name of Christianity or, more specifically, the Catholic Church.

Some Native American friends who are well-versed on the topic compared the repudiation to Pope Francis apology last year in Canada for the horrific deeds committed against innocent Indigenous students in residential schools. In that apology, Francis blamed individuals versus the Catholic Church. Similarly, Thursdays statement denied that doctrine was never fully sanctioned by the Church.

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In what could have been a groundbreaking and historic repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery, the Vatican instead released a series of political statements that sought to rewrite history, shield the Catholic Church from legal liability and shift the blame for the Doctrine of Discovery to governmental and colonial powers, Mark Charles, author of Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery, said to Native News Online.

Two-thirds into the document, the sixth point reads: The doctrine of discovery is not part of the teaching of the Catholic Church. Historical research clearly demonstrates that the papal documents in question, written in a specific historical period and linked to political questions, have never been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.

While the Catholic Church still chooses to deny their sins, the truth is that governments around the world have long justified their taking of the Indigenous lands because of the doctrines Christian authorship.

The government of the United States was heavily influenced by the doctrine in 1823, when the U.S. Supreme Court used it as the basis for its ruling that Indigenous people had only the rights of occupancy, not ownership, over lands on which they dwelled. This made way for non-Natives to seize Native lands across the country and commit acts of genocide that led to the near annihilation of our ancestors.

As recently as 2005, the Doctrine of Discovery was used by the Supreme Court to justify limiting the expansion of the Oneida Nation in the Sherrill v. Oneida Nation of New York case when Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cited it in the majority opinion she crafted. The Court, she wrote, must prevent the Tribe from rekindling the embers of sovereignty that long ago grew cold.

Its unfortunate that Justice Ginsburg failed to recognize that the Doctrine of Discovery was created to extinguish our sovereignty  and millions of our ancestors. Even today, we still live with the consequences of those decrees written a half-millennia ago. But Im also reminded that the embers of some fires can burn for months or even years.

I am grateful to the Creator that some of our ancestors survived so that we are still here as tribal nations, in spite of the sins of the Catholic Church.

Thayek gde nwendemen - We are all related.

About the Author: "Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net."

Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
A group of House Democrats is secretly crafting a fallback plan to avoid an economy-rattling debt default.

The White House wants no part of it.

The rogue band of moderate Democrats has spent weeks constructing a break-glass deal with centrist Republicans in case the country goes all the way to the brink on the debt ceiling. As the summertime deadline for action approaches, theyre worried a prolonged standoff could lead to fiscal disaster.

But Biden officials and party leaders, however, see it far differently and are bristling at the attempts at a compromise, according to four lawmakers familiar with the discussions. Their partys message to those plotting centrists: Your efforts are unlikely to succeed and risk hurting our goal of a clean debt ceiling increase.



The intraparty friction is growing as Washingtons debt crisis gets less theoretical and more urgent with each passing week. And the freelancing Democratic centrists may not have helped their cause by getting involved just as party leaders began seeing a political advantage in the fiscal fight  as long as they can keep the onus on Speaker Kevin McCarthy to unveil a plan that might pass the GOP-controlled House, with unpopular spending cuts likely to be attached.

We're gaining ground because of [House Republicans] inability to put together a plan," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a brief interview. I'm certainly willing to entertain a mix of things on the budget. Not on the debt ceiling."

A White House official said the administration has "not spoken to the Problem Solvers about this." Centrist Democrats, however, say they've been made well aware the effort isn't likely to win any endorsements from party leaders  and have decided to forge ahead anyway as the debt impasse sparks high anxiety, with Congress gone until April 17.

Biden and McCarthy have had zero recent contact on the debt other than jabs exchanged through the press, despite the jittery U.S. banking sector further rattling the situation. Democratic leaders say theyll accept only a clean debt limit bill, but emboldened House Republicans insist that would never pass their chamber.

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Complicating it all: Republican leaders wont yet describe precisely what they want in exchange for their votes to raise the nation's borrowing ceiling. Schumer, in response, has taken up the chant show us your plan for more than two months and counting.

Enter that group of moderate Democrats, who have privately met with GOP centrists since February , in defiance of their leadership. Their talks remain in the early stages, and two lawmakers familiar with the discussions said they have not honed specific details yet.

One centrist Democrat, who along with others addressed the talks on condition of anonymity, observed that youve got party leaders in both houses that dont want us to talk to one another.

They're not listening to those nudges to stop talking: None of us work for the White House. We work for our constituents. And they should start talking and negotiating, said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), who co-leads the centrist Blue Dog Coalition.



Centrist Republicans involved in the discussions call them a recognition of what Biden and most Hill Democrats have denied  McCarthys GOP simply wont accept a clean debt hike. And as two months have passed since McCarthys last sitdown with Biden, moderate Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said hes one of those working within the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus because weve got to have a plan B.

With debt limit talks stuck in a mud puddle, House Republicans have seemingly abandoned plans to introduce a budget this spring, which could springboard the talks. That's because GOP leaders are struggling to coalesce around a viable blueprint thanks to their members ever-expanding wish list and the realization that, for some hardline conservatives, there may be no level of austerity that would cut deep enough.

McCarthy and his team still want to draft their own package of deficit-reducing proposals, which his advisers say would mix ideas such as social program cuts with policies to increase U.S. energy production or tighten border security. Even so, the House GOP may not be able to unify behind such a plan.

They don't have a working majority, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said.

Those dynamics have convinced Schumer and Biden administration officials that theyre winning the public messaging battle over the debt ceiling. And so they're increasingly content to hold the line on their demand for a clean increase to the borrowing limit.

The White House has jumped at opportunities to hammer Republicans over their proposed spending cuts, terming one set of demands from the House Freedom Caucus a "five-alarm fire."

While most lawmakers expect the standoff will drag into the summer, Biden allies have circulated recent remarks from centrist members like Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) expressing concern over the prospect of a debt ceiling crisis  hopeful that more Republicans are deciding it's not worth the fight.

Theres starting to be more appreciation that the full faith and credit of the United States is not a source of leverage, a White House official said.



But Senate Republicans across the Capitol arent fleeing McCarthys foxhole yet. The most active deal-cutting senators are either sitting out or in the dark.

The only hints of an idea I hear is an effort among [House] Republicans to come up with something they can vote for and send it over here, said Romney. I dont know of any bipartisan [effort] here. Not with me.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also said shed heard nothing of the Problem Solvers work.

I don't think you can expect a lot of movement on an issue like that until you start getting a little bit closer," Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said, adding that Democrats "want to run out the clock" but the strategy might not work: "I don't think that they have that option."

The Biden administration insists it wont shift course. In a sign of the White Houses growing confidence, aides quickly brushed off McCarthys demand for a second meeting, arguing that theres little point in the two men sitting down until Republicans decide among themselves what they want.

While Biden has not completely ruled out talking with McCarthy before Republicans publish their own budget, theres little desire among aides to do anything that might help the speaker unite his fractious conference.

How does he win here? one economic adviser to the White House said of McCarthy. They dont really have a strategic plan.

The White House has yet to weigh in formally on the ongoing centrist discussions about a backup approach. But there's little doubt that its at odds with Biden's preferred strategy. If anything, one adviser suggested, the likelihood that the moderates' effort implodes or fails to win over either party's leadership may only end up illustrating how far apart the two sides are.

Back in the Capitol, several Democrats said its worthwhile to discuss alternatives and broadly urged Biden to restart talks with the GOP.

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), another member of the Problem Solvers, said its on both Biden and McCarthy to come up with a plan. Otherwise, its going to be a disaster. It already is, right?

Jennifer Scholtes and Caitlin Emma contributed to this report.
Tensions are running high in the final days of Chicagos mayoral race, in a contest that has laid bare divisions between local Democrats over some of the partys most contentious national issues.

As Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson vie to become the next leader of Americas third-largest city, supporters have dialed up their rhetoric, with one police union official warning of blood in the streets if Johnson, a progressive, wins over the moderate Vallas.

The Tuesday race, one of the most closely watched of the 2023 cycle, has highlighted disagreements over issues like policing and education, while endorsements from Democratic leaders have largely separated along ideological lines.

I think that they do represent two, quite frankly, stark different visions of the Democratic Party, said veteran political operative Victor Reyes, whos supporting Vallas.

While some strategists caution against looking at municipal elections strictly through a national lens, many observers are watching the Chicago mayors race to gauge the mood of the electorate as Democrats prepare to face another presidential cycle.

The practical elements of city elections have also put an intense focus on candidates different approaches to addressing voters everyday concerns. Moderate Democrats argue that urban voters have started rejecting candidates who seem too far left, with some citing the election of New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), a former police officer, as a striking example. Vallass backers are hoping he will have similar luck.

I do think that some of these cities are starting to push a little bit back against a far-left agenda, Reyes said, referencing Johnson as someone who he says fits that bill.

But progressives view him differently. They believe the Cook County commissioner is a better fit for the city, arguing hes the more authentic Democrat. Liberals have taken issue with the fact that some of Vallass donors have donated to Republicans in the past, given that hes running for an office that oversees a largely Democratic electorate. Vallas has also taken heat for an endorsement he received from the Fraternal Order of Police.

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I have more faith in his ability to do that, said Democratic analyst Marj Halperin, whos supporting Johnson, about the possibility of offering unity. I dont see how Paul Vallas can unite the city when hes funded by conservative Republicans.

In the weeks leading up to Election Day, they have underscored the contrast among Democrats when it comes to tackling the issue of public safety. Vallas has pushed to have more manpower for the police force, potentially restoring their presence to as many as 13,500 cops. Hes also proposed having a stronger police footprint on city transit.

Douglas Wilson, a Democratic strategist who worked on former President Obamas 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, said Vallas has to be very careful about how he shares his plan for crime and policing with voters.

Hell have to say something to the effect of We need police reform, but we also have to be able to recruit more good police so we can fight crime and keep these crime levels down because folks are dying out there, Wilson said.

Johnson has instead advocated for training and promoting some 200 more police detectives and deploying mental health professionals to respond to some crisis calls when appropriate.

But some believe that Johnsons style could be more easily subjected to Republican attacks.

Projecting an argument that could come from the eventual GOP opponent, Wilson said that Republicans may argue: In the city where there has been high levels of crime, progressives won and that just shows progressives are not tough on crime.

Theyll try and use that as fodder nationwide, he said.

Underscoring the tensions surrounding the issue of policing, John Catanzara, a Chicago police union official, warned there would be a mass exodus of police officers in the streets should Johnson win, and that there would be blood in the streets, according to The New York Times.

The national attention to schooling is also a flashpoint in the race, with both candidates offering different visions for financing public education and tackling declining enrollment. Both have first-hand ties to the issue. Vallas was the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, the fourth largest school system in the country, while Johnson is a former teacher and organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union.

Their personal connections have sparked some disagreements over school funding, police presence on campus and school choice. Vallas is a choice advocate whos supportive of having police in schools and has endorsed funneling money to institutions directly. Vallas has also criticized the CTU for school closures during the pandemic.

Johnson has opposed adding charter schools and rejects student-based budgeting, which relies on enrollment, instead advocating for fully funding schools.

Support for charter schools has waned in recent years, but still has some prominent supporters including former Obama Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who endorsed Vallas in the race.

Vallas has also sought to make the Chicago Teachers Union an issue, criticizing school closures during the pandemic. Johnson, however, has defended those closures, telling the Chicago Sun-Times in an interview earlier this year, We wanted to save lives.

The death toll in the Black community and the Brown community was horrific. Anyone that believes that our intentions were anything other than saving lives somehow missed the entire episode of a 100-year pandemic, he added.

Progressives believe Johnson has struck the right balance.

Regardless of party and stature, anyone supporting Paul Vallas is supporting the destruction of public education in Chicago as we know it given his record, Rahna Epting, executive director at MoveOn, told The Hill. Seeing establishment Democrats play into the fear mongering of Republicans and putting our values on the back burner by lining up behind MAGA friendly Paul Vallas is deeply disappointing.

Beyond the two most pressing policy differences, the two mayoral contenders have also attracted high-level endorsers, who they hope can boost their candidacy by drawing new eyes to the race and help inspire turnout.

Johnsons allies are hoping thats the case. He has seen some of the partys biggest names get behind his bid. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are both supporting his campaign along with several House liberals.

Sanders hosted a rally for Johnson on Thursday evening, telling supporters that he predicts this is going to be a close election and the deciding factor will be voter turnout.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), who typically supports the more moderate Democrat in primaries, also threw his weight behind Johnson. The influential congressmans stamp of approval is important because of the recent weight it holds. His support of President Biden in 2020 lifted him up at a critical moment, and he has since backed other successful candidates in the Midwest.

Vallas has also amassed some prominent names, including Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who described Vallas as a thoughtful leader who can strengthen Chicagos economy and create jobs.

No matter who wins the election, strategists suggest uniting the city  including its Democrats and unions  will be a daunting task.

If Brandon Johnson wins, how will he deal with the FOP? If Paul Vallas wins, how will he deal with CTU? For the wellbeing of Chicagoans, we need a mayor to have a functional relationship with both police and teachers, said Tracy Mayfield, a former advisor to Mayor Lori Lightfoots (D) 2019 campaign.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Chinese balloon that flew across the United States this year was able to gather intelligence from several U.S. military sites and transmit it to Beijing in real time despite the Biden administration's attempts to block it, according to a report from NBC News.

The high-altitude balloon was able to make multiple trips over some of the sites before it was shot down on Feb. 4, at times flying in a figure-eight formation, NBC said, citing two current senior U.S. officials and one former senior administration official.

The FBI continues to assess parts of the Chinese spy balloon recovered after it was shot down in February, Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Monday.

The Pentagon maintains that measures it took to prevent China from acquiring intelligence from sensitive military sites mitigated the balloons effectiveness, Singh said.

The Chinese high-altitude balloon was able to make multiple trips over U.S. military sites before it was shot down on Feb. 4, at times flying in a figure-eight formation, the NBC report said.

The balloon provided little additive value beyond what China already has, she said. China also operates spy satellites.

White House spokesman John Kirby declined to confirm the balloon's movements but told reporters that it "absolutely had self-maneuvering capability ... from remote operators."

"That wasn't a new development for this balloon, and it didn't come as a surprise to us that it had that capability," he said.

Kirby said the U.S. is still analyzing what was recovered.

The spy balloon entered U.S. airspace near the Aleutian Islands in late January, crossed into Canada and reentered the continental United States. Among the sensitive sites it passed by were nuclear missile fields in Montana.

A U.S. F-22 fighter jet shot down the balloon off the shore of South Carolina. Military officials waited until it was over water, they have said, to prevent debris from falling on people or buildings.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China spy balloon gathered information from military sites: report
Chris Christie continues to make bashing former President Donald Trump one of his most frequent pastimes, now taking aim at his reaction to the indictment.

Trump's campaign team has boasted millions in fundraising since the Thursday afternoon indictment news, and his competitors and potential 2024 hopefuls have largely lined up to support him against what they say is a politicized prosecution.

But Christie, the former New Jersey governor who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020 and prepared him for debates, isn't buying any of this as a political win for the former president.

Trump's reaction to the indictment, which has mostly been delivered in all caps, is all "bravado"  and "baloney," Christie said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

All this bravado from the Trump camp is bologna. Hes going to be charged officially on Tuesday. Hes going to have to be mugshotted, fingerprinted and hes going to face a criminal trial in Manhattan, @GovChristie says. https://t.co/URjxfsEZdl pic.twitter.com/impnqTXoE2  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 2, 2023

Previous coverage: Chris Christie says President Biden fumbled Nashville shooting response with ice cream joke

FILE - Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. Christie, who is mulling another presidential run, said on March 27, 2023, while speaking in New Hampshire, Republicans need a candidate who can execute a quick takedown of former President Donald Trump.

Christie on Trump arraignment: 'You can't make that a good day'

Christie, who spent 7 years as a prosecutor, also criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against Trump as "weak" and not the best use of resources in New York.

Nonetheless, the case has brought the first indictment for a former U.S. president, and Christie isn't convinced by any positive or optimistic political spin from the Trump campaign.

"Hes going to be charged officially on Tuesday," Christie said. "Hes going to have to be mugshotted, fingerprinted and hes going to face a criminal trial in Manhattan. You can't make that a good day under any circumstances."

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Christie's latest comments come after a town hall last week in New Hampshire, where he slammed Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  all potential presidential candidates in 2024.

The former New Jersey governor said the country needs someone with guts to take down Trump.

And though he implied he had the intestinal fortitude to do it, Christie hasn't announced a run. He said he expects to make a decision in the next month or two.

2024 watch: Chris Christie slams Trump, DeSantis, Pence in New Hampshire, considers 2024 GOP campaign

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: Chris Christie says Trump 'bravado' on indictment is 'baloney'
Chris Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger had a baby, Eloise, in May 2022.

The actor said he smoked cigars with his father-in-law, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to celebrate.

Pratt said that he got a lung infection after smoking a Cohiba with Arnold.

Chris Pratt is already having a very busy year with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" arriving in theaters within a month of each other, but he's also found time to relax with his family.

The star married his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, back in 2019 and in May 2022 they celebrated the birth of their second child, Eloise Christina Schwarzenegger Pratt.

Pratt's wife, Katherine, is the daughter of famous bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the "Guardians" star recently told "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" what it's like having Arnie as his father-in-law.

Pratt pointed out that Schwarzenegger isn't called grandpa in the family, explaining: "He goes by Opa. You know, he's Austrian. German. Opa is 'grandfather' in German. So he goes by Opa."

When Fallon said that Schwarzenegger taught him how to smoke a cigar, Pratt said that he couldn't say no to smoking with "The Terminator" and "Total Recall" star.

He said: "Yeah, he kind of taught me too. I mean there's nothing manlier than Arnold Schwarzenegger smoking a cigar. And when you're part of, you know, bringing his granddaughter into the world, he comes and brings you a cigar. And he's like, 'Let's go out and smoke these.'"

Pratt said that although he has asthma, he wasn't going to turn Arnold down.

He said: "And I was like, 'Okay,' but I have asthma so I don't like cigars. And I was like, 'You got it, Arnold!' And Katherine's like, 'What are you doing?' I was like, 'I'm fine, I'm gonna be okay.'"

Pratt joked that he played it off cool, but he woke up the next morning not feeling too great.

The star said: "So, I go and smoke the cigar and I'm like, 'This is good. Hmm. Oh, yeah. Cohiba? Nice.' And then woke up the next day. Massive lung infection."

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He added: "There's peer pressure, and then there's Arnold Schwarzenegger pressure."

Read the original article on Insider
A Christian college in Michigan is ending its partnership with a Florida school that got attention for its policy on teaching students about Michelangelo's David statue. "Hillsdale College is no longer affiliated with Tallahassee Classical School," which previously held a license to use Hillsdale's curricular materials, the college said in a statement.

The license linking the schools has been revoked and will expire at the end of the school year.

Tallahassee Classical School, a Christian school that opened in 2020, gained attention when its former principal, Hope Carrasquilla, resigned after parents were angered that sixth graders were shown a photo of the nude Renaissance sculpture David.

While some parents found the sculpture of a nude man "phonographic," it is considered one of the most iconic pieces of Renaissance art. The school's board chair Barney Bishop told CBS News that David is taught to students every year, but the administration notifies parents first and this year, a letter was not sent out.

Bishop said 97% of parents agreed to the lesson this year, but the 3% of parents who did not agree were "entitled to have that opinion."

Hillsdale College, a Christian liberal arts college in Southern Michigan, says it "provides a classical scope and sequence to many schools across the country as a free resource."

"To set the record straight: This drama around teaching Michelangelo's 'David' sculpture, one of the most important works of art in existence, has become a distraction from, and a parody of, the actual aims of classical education," the statement reads. "Of course, Hillsdale's K-12 art curriculum includes Michelangelo's 'David' and other works of art that depict the human form."

The college said it does not train the staff at its partner schools and its relationships are "founded upon a mutual understanding about the aims of education."

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Bishop said Carrasquilla was asked to resign over a number of incidents, and he claimed she blamed the David incident so the whole truth wouldn't be reported. Still, the incident gained widespread attention  even prompting the mayor of Florence, where David is on display, to extend an invitation to the former school official.

The charter school sends letters home before any potentially controversial lesson is taught, Bishop said.

Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, was signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, allowing parents to weigh in about school lessons. The bill limits discussions on gender and sexuality in schools. Several other recent bills in the state seek to limit what is discussed in school settings  including one that limits teaching about menstruation.

Trump boards flight for New York to face indictment

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Christina Koch, a graduate of N.C. State University who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, will be one of four astronauts to fly around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Koch will join American astronauts Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the Artemis II mission, NASA announced Monday from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The mission is estimated to take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late 2024.

The mission will not involve astronauts actually landing on the moon, but it is considered a test flight for the later Artemis III mission that will see the first woman and person of color land on the moons surface. That mission is planned for 2025.

Want to know more about Koch, her ties to North Carolina and her history-making career? Weve compiled information about her from previous coverage by The News & Observer, NASA and N.C. State.

Heres what to know about astronaut Christina Koch.

Who is Christina Koch? Astronauts ties to NC

Koch is originally from Michigan, but grew up in Jacksonville, near the North Carolina coast.

She attended White Oak High School in Jacksonville before attending the North Carolina School of Science and Math, a residential, public high school in Durham that is part of the UNC System.

Koch attended college at N.C. State University, receiving bachelors degrees in electrical engineering and physics in 2001. She also holds a masters degree in electrical engineering from the university.

 Koch is the first graduate of N.C. State to go to space.

 She spoke at the universitys virtual commencement ceremony in 2020. During that ceremony, she received an honorary Ph.D. from the university.

 Koch took a memento of N.C. State aboard the International Space Station in 2019, a printed circuit board with an etching of the wolf mascot wearing an astronaut helmet.

Christina Koch will be a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission to the moon in 2024. She took part in the first all-woman spacewalk in 2019. She grew up in Jacksonville, NC, and graduated from N.C. State University.

 Koch will be the only professional engineer aboard the Artemis II mission, NASA director of flight operations directorate Norm Knight said at the Artemis II crew announcement.

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As the only professional engineer in the crew, I know who Mission Control will be calling on when its time to fix something on-board, he said.

Koch describes herself as an avid photographer, and she has shared photos of her time in space on social media  including her first time seeing her home of coastal North Carolina.

It took my breath away as it came into focus. My first glimpse of coastal North Carolina from space. Its a special thing to see from above the place where you grew up--the ocean that first inspired my fascination with things that make me feel small & planted the seed to explore, Koch tweeted in 2019.

It took my breath away as it came into focus. My first glimpse of coastal North Carolina from space. Its a special thing to see from above the place where you grew up--the ocean that first inspired my fascination with things that make me feel small & planted the seed to explore. pic.twitter.com/OZoqiOVtRR  Christina H Koch (@Astro_Christina) April 22, 2019

Christina Kochs record-breaking, history-making career

Koch got her start with NASA at the agencys Goddard Space Flight Center, completing the NASA Academy program there in 2001. She then worked as an electrical engineer at Goddard early in her career.

Koch was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of NASAs 21st astronaut class, then completed astronaut candidate training in 2015. She was assigned in 2018 to her first space flight, a long duration mission on the International Space Station that launched in March 2019.

Expedition 60 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA works inside the Quest joint airlock cleaning U.S. spacesuit cooling loops and replacing spacesuit components.

The Artemis II mission wont be Kochs first time making history as an astronaut.

Koch holds the record for the longest single, continuous spaceflight by a woman, a distinction she earned spending 328 days aboard the International Space Station between 2019 and 2020. The previous record was 289 days.

Koch was also part of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, installing a solar power system for the International Space Station with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

Knight of NASA introduced Koch at the Artemis II crew announcement by noting that she is no stranger to breaking records.

You have already made your mark in the remote corners of our planet. You have already been in the history books as a record-setting astronaut, Knight told Koch on stage. Youre a trailblazer and a role model for every generation to come. Youve already been advocating and uplifting children in your community, and I know that you are just getting started.
Election judge Marisol Diaz, center, helps a voter feed her ballot into the machine at Lawn Lanes bowling alley in Chicagos 23rd Ward on Feb. 28, 2023. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago voters will head to the polls again on April 4 to cast their ballots for mayor and city council in runoff races.

Below are the Chicago Tribune Editorial Boards endorsements for the runoff election. See endorsements in the Feb. 28 elections here.

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Click here for our bedsheet ballot, which you can download and print before heading to the polls.







In our view, Paul Vallas is the candidate best positioned to tackle the citys existential problem of violent crime, and to do so without regard to where in the city you live. As Vallas has said on the campaign trail, the right to live without fear of attack against person or property should be viewed as an inalienable human right.

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City Council

Now, 14 aldermanic seats are at play in the April 4 runoff, with incumbents looking to defend their seats in six of those races. Will the embrace of the status quo on the council continue, or will voters opt for more fresh faces?

Here are our endorsements for aldermanic races in the upcoming runoff, which applies to wards in which no candidate received more than half of the vote in the Feb. 28 election.
A Virginia woman was stabbed to death inside a Washington DC hotel room while on a trip to see a concert in the city, according to police.

Christy Bautista, 31, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was found dead inside the Ivy City Hotel on Friday evening, says the Metropolitan Police Department.

Suspect, George Sydnor Jr, 43, was also discovered inside the hotel room and was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Mr Sydnor is described as being of no fixed address, and investigators have not yet given any motive behind the killing, which took place in the Northeast area of the city.

Officials say it is not believed that the victim knew the suspect and they are investigating why he was in the hotel room.

Bautista was found unconscious and unresponsive, according to police.

Washington DC Fire and EMS personnel pronounced Bautista dead at the scene and her body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Cincinnati police identified the latest homicide victim in Cincinnati.

We now know the identity of the latest homicide victim in Cincinnati.

Mack Dorsey, 31, was found shot in the 2200 block of Vine Street just before 8 p.m. Saturday, Cincinnati police said in a news release Sunday.

Dorsey was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and pronounced dead shortly after.

Police said Saturday night they were looking for two suspects involved in a shooting near the Talbert House in Mt. Auburn.

The investigation by the Cincinnati Police Departments Homicide Unit is ongoing.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 513-352-3542.

This report was provided by Enquirer media partner FOX19.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati police ID Mt. Auburn homicide victim
(REUTERS)

On the morning that Donald Trump landed in New York to face charges in connection with hush money payments to a porn star, a small number of his supporters gathered outside of Trump Tower to denounce the case against him.

Dion Cini, wearing a t-shirt with the words ULTRA EXTREME MAGA emblazoned on the front, was typical of the small crowd assembled outside of his NYC residence on Monday morning.

The indictment isnt really against Trump, its against America, he said.

Its an argument that Trump himself has made many times since it became clear he would face criminal charges here, and one he made throughout his presidency. But in this case, at least its not one that has resonated beyond his supporters.

Beyond the circus of the arraignment, beyond Mr Trumps multi-pronged effort to squeeze every last drop of publicity and fundraising dollars from this spectacle, and beyond the historic nature of the day, there is a rather simple story to tell here: it is that the filing of criminal charges against the former president is solidifying his hold on the Republican Party at the same time it distances him from the greater public.

That story is told in two polls released after the indictment was announced. A CNN poll from Monday morning found that 60 per cent of Americans approve of the indictment; that number includes 62 per cent of independents. Even 21 per cent of Republicans surveyed said they supported the indictment. Meanwhile, a separate poll conducted after the indictment dropped showed his lead over his nearest Republican primary rival, Ron DeSantis, surge by 26 points.

Mr Trump won the nomination for his party in 2016 by sucking up all the oxygen in the room  in every room. His outlandish statements and attacks on his rivals allowed him to dominate the news agenda to the extent that every other candidate was constantly forced to react to his latest outrage, leaving them unable to rise above the pack.

There now appears to be a very straightforward way for him to do the same again in 2024, a year in which he faces his first serious challenge from within his own party since winning the nomination eight years ago.

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Without publicly declaring his intention to join the race, Mr DeSantis has been running a shadow campaign for the presidency, travelling around the country ostensibly to tour his semi-autobiographical book. His strategy of not confronting Mr Trump head-on while engaging in the same confrontational culture war attacks on liberals appeared to work, for a while. In early March, one poll showed him pulling ahead of the former president in several swing states.

That changed when the indictment landed. Any gradual shift of support towards Mr DeSantis appears to have been abruptly halted by the same kind of grievance narrative that propelled him to power in the first place.

Mr Trump told his supporters the filing of criminal charges against him was AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY.

A subsequent fundraising read: The Deep State will use anything at their disposal to shut down the one political movement that puts you first. But I promise you this: This Witch Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden.

Republican leaders quickly rallied around the former president in the full knowledge that the price of failing to show unwavering loyalty would be the withdrawal of his support and an effective banishment from the partys centre of power to the political wilderness.

Mr DeSantis himself could not avoid showing fealty and condemning the charges, calling the indictment un-American and threatening to refuse to cooperate with any extradition from Florida.

Mr Trump was also able to raise $7m from his loyal supporters in the wake of the indictment, according to his campaign.

On Monday, the day before the indictment, every news channel played rolling coverage of Mr Trumps journey to his jet in Florida, his arrival in New York and his route from the airport to his tower. That wall-to-wall coverage will continue tomorrow, and the next day. Mr DeSantis has been robbed of oxygen, and Mr Trumps persecution story has once again become the Republican Partys raison detre.

But there is an underlying issue here for the Republican Party. Mr Trump has never won the popular vote. He lost his last election, in which he ran as an incumbent, with all the trappings of the White House. In between that loss and today, his supporters raided the US Capitol, he has been impeached, his party fumbled a midterm election they should have won, and now their nominal leader faces criminal charges. Not only that, but there are likely more charges to come, relating to other investigations into his efforts to overturn the election and handling of classified documents.

This week will be a circus. Mr Trump will be the subject of every bulletin and broadcast and he will likely make millions more dollars in fundraising before he leaves New York. He will emerge from this round of legal peril in a stronger position to win the Republican primary.

What doesnt kill Trump will make him stronger, but in the long run, it may make his party weaker.
Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukraines Minister of Culture, has stated that there are civilians on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra [Kyiv Monastery of Caves  ed.] who may be there illegally.

Source: Tkachenko on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "We know that clergy, monks and some seminarians remain, but there are also some civilians, the nature and legality of whose stay on this territory raise some doubts.

On the premises of the Lavra there is a whole production workshop [production of furniture and candles  ed.]. It could be employees of these enterprises. As well as people unknown to us who arrived there in the last 2-3 days."

Details: As he states, the commission of the Ministry of Culture is to try again to come to the Lavra and start an inventory in order to return the management of the lower Lavra to the state.

If supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate [UOC-MP] do not interfere with the work of the commission, the inventory will be completed in 2-3 days.

Meanwhile, a video broadcast from the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has been started on the UOC-MPs Facebook page.

Background:

In March 2023, the National Reserve Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra terminated an agreement with the UOC-MP on the free use of the monastery. On 30 March, the clergy of the UOC-MP had to leave the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, although they did not want to do so and therefore filed a lawsuit against the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. The court dismissed the claim.

A commission from the Ministry of Culture, which was supposed to take an inventory of the property of the Kyiv Cave Reserve, was twice prevented from entering the monastery by priests and parishioners of the UOC-MP.

Pavlo, the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), threatened journalists with violence and prevented them from doing their work. The Union of Journalists of Ukraine reported mass violations of journalists' rights near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Meanwhile Avraamii (Lotysh), Archimandrite of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra of the UOC-MP, joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and asked its head, Metropolitan Epiphanius, to approve him as acting abbot of the monastery. Epiphanius agreed, and UOC-MP Metropolitan Onufriy banned Archimandrite Avraamii from serving for going over to the OCU.

On 1 April, the Shevchenkivskyi Court of Kyiv placed Pavlo (Petro Lebid), the former abbot of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, under round-the-clock house arrest until 30 May on suspicion of inciting inter-confessional hatred and justifying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Local collaborators are preparing to participate in the so-called "elections" in the occupied left-bank part of Kherson Oblast. The Russian Federation is planning to hold sham elections there in autumn.

Source: Vladyslav Nazarov, spokesman for the Operational Command Pivden (South), on Telegram

Details: Nazarov reported that currently three Russian parties - Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia), the CPRF and the LDPR - have registered regional branches with legal addresses in Russian-occupied Ukrainian cities of Henichesk and Melitopol.

Nazarov noted that several newly created party branches have had their leaders "imported" from the Russian Federation and occupied Crimea.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A Collier County school bus driver accused of inappropriately touching a student on a school bus remains in custody Monday.

Collier County Sheriffs Office detectives arrested Tomas Andres Cabrera-Diaz, 57, of Cape Coral, after an investigators said he inappropriately touched a student's breast on his school bus.

Cabrera-Diaz is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation.

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The complainant told a school district employee that her bus driver, Cabrera, touched and kissed her left breast over her clothing around pickup Thursday. Neither the district or deputies provided additional information, including the student's age.

Detectives, in coordination with our Youth Relations Bureau and the School District, obtained a copy of the surveillance footage from the school bus. Detectives said the footage shows Cabrera-Diaz intentionally touching and kissing the victims left breast over her clothing.

Detectives arrested Cabrera at his residence Friday.

"Upon learning of the allegations, CCPS immediately removed Mr. Cabrera from all routes and terminated his employment with the District," Jennifer Kupiec, spokesperson for the school district, wrote in a statement. "The matter is currently under criminal investigation and the District is cooperating with CCSO."

Court records indicate he remains in custody Monday afternoon. No bond information was available before publication.

He's next due in court April 24 for his arraignment.

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.

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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier school bus driver arrested, fired after student's complaint
The La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo

The Colorado Department of Corrections is defending a controversial "honor house" at Pueblo's La Vista Correctional Facility, where inmates are allowed to order items from Walmart and Amazon, and come and go from their cells frequently.

A former Denver district attorney characterized the perks of the program as unwarranted for offenders expected to serve punishment for violent crimes  a sentiment shared by 10th Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner.

However, Annie Skinner, a spokesperson for the department of corrections, said the treatment is an effective tool in reducing inmate recidivism.

"These types of incentive units are not new in the department, and are being utilized in prisons and jails across the country," she said.

"The old-school way of operating prisons was to make them harsh and punishing environments, but what corrections professionals across the world have grown to understand is that the best way to reduce recidivism is to provide opportunities for incarcerated individuals to make positive changes while they are incarcerated, to work towards achieving additional privileges, provide pro-social engagement, and to support them in preparing to transition from prison back into a home environment."

Skinner said the honor house affords women who have exhibited positive behavior behind bars an opportunity to live in a unit that better prepares them to transition back into a community, including ordering and preparing food, living in a more communal environment, doing laundry, and maintaining healthy exercise habits.

"We do have some women who live in the unit who have long-term or life sentences. These women will be participating in the unit as part of a mentorship program, and will be able to give back by assisting other women in preparing for return to the community," Skinner said. "It is also important to provide purpose behind the walls for individuals who have long sentences because that keeps our facilities safer for staff and inmates."

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Women who are interested in living in the Honor Unit must submit an application and meet requirements regarding institutional behavior and programming compliance, and undergo a "detailed review" by staff, Skinner said. If cleared by staff, Honor Unit residents then interview the applicant before final placement in the unit.

The program has its detractors however. Former Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey told CBS News Colorado that participation by certain inmates, including those convicted of murder and sexual assault, was "outrageous."

"These are people the victims think belong behind bars for the rest of their lives. This doesn't sound like they're behind bars to me," Morrissey said to CBS News Colorado. "It sounds like a five-star hotel."

Chostner, Pueblo's DA, stated while he did not have much to add himself, he agreed with Morrissey's comments.

"This doesnt purport to be the jail experience that I think people expect when one is sent to confinement," Chostner said.

Skinner noted, however, that efforts such as the honor house have a demonstrable effect on recidivism.

"CDOCs efforts to implement a rehabilitation model for inmates has been helping to reduce the recidivism in our state. In fact, our most current three-year recidivism rate was 31.0%, which is the lowest it has been since 2004."

The idea that harsher prison conditions do not reduce recidivism is backed by scholarly studies.

In 2007, a study by MK Chen of the Yale School of Management and Jesse Shapiro of the University of Chicago found that "Inmates housed in higher security levels are no less likely to recidivate than those housed in minimum security; if anything, our estimates suggest that harsher prison conditions lead to more post-release crime."

A study by the Social Science Research Network found similar results.

Questions, comments, or story tips? Contact Justin at jreutterma@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayreutter1.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Colorado prison system defending 'honor house' at La Vista Correctional
Acclaimed artist and Columbus native Amy Sherald is among the 12 artists in the 11th season of the PBS TV series Art in the Twenty-First Century  and she will be the first one featured in the premiere episode, April 7 at 10 p.m.

The Emmy-nominated documentary series profiles what the producer, Art21, calls groundbreaking contemporary artists in three one-hour episodes.

While recent seasons focused on the connections between artists and the cities in which they live and work, Art21 wrote in a news release, our current moment asks us to consider the communities, cultures, and commitments that artists carry with them regardless of where they call home.

Columbus connection

Sherald, a 1991 graduate of St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School in Columbus, credits Geri Davis, the schools late art teacher, for planting a seed that inspired her career.

And her career skyrocketed to pop culture fame when former first lady Michelle Obama selected Sherald in 2017 to paint her official portrait. Sherald is the first Black woman chosen for such an honor.

Former first lady Michelle Obama and artist Amy Sherald, right, unveil Michelle Obamas official portrait at the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery, Feb. 12, 2018, in Washington.

In 2020, Sheralds portrait of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman fatally shot by police in Louisville, Kentucky, graced the cover of Vanity Fair magazines September issue.

Chadd Scott wrote in a 2021 article for Forbes magazine, Amy Sheralds portrait of Breonna Taylor may prove to be the most important painting of the 21st century. A brilliant artist at the top of her game. A beautifully, powerfully, sensitively rendered picture of a tragic figure. Simultaneously traumatic and hopeful. A singular statement managing to condense a world gone mad into one image.

In 2016, the Smithsonians National Portrait Gallery awarded Sherald first prize in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition for her oil on canvas titled Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverances). She is the first woman and the first African American to win the competition that was established in 2006.

The piece depicts a young girl with gray skin and black facial features, wearing white gloves and holding an oversized teacup and saucer while standing front and center against a nondescript naturalistic blue-red background, the North Carolina Museum of Art wrote during its 2018 exhibition there.

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Sherald told the museum Alice in Wonderland was the inspiration for the painting.

Thats where the teacup is coming from  bending temporal space and thinking of yourself outside of how the world sees you, she told the museum. The painting originated as a creation of a fairytale, illustrating an alternative existence in response to a dominant narrative of black history.

In its description of her work, Smithsonian magazine wrote, Sherald creates innovative, dynamic portraits that, through color and form, confront the psychological effects of stereotypical imagery on African American subjects. Her subjects are often set in whimsical, nondescript settings with surreal details that add a bit of satire.

The dreamlike backgrounds create what the artist refers to as the amorphous personal space of my own existence within the context of black identity and my search for ways to clarify and ground it. Using light gray paint, Sherald omits skin color so her subjects appear both realistic and otherworldly.

Sheralds paintings have been popular at auctions as well. The Bathers (2015) sold for $4.2 million in 2020, and Welfare Queen (2012) sold for $3.9 million in 2021.

New seasons first episode

Simpson, Da Corte and Lind-Ramos will be featured along with Sherald in the new seasons first episode as they build new and exciting visual worlds and question the monuments and icons that came before, Art21 said in the news release. This hour explores artists who reflect on the aesthetic traditions and histories we encounter daily. Their work expands our visual vocabulary to reflect a changing society.

In these artists practices, the often rigid boundaries of expectation are put aside in favor of new ideas, unorthodox approaches, and playful propositions for who and what symbolizes a culture. Their freedom and innovation give audiences permission to build new and unexpected worlds of their own and inspire empathy, connection, and critical thought.

In the episode, Sherald describes her Columbus roots and how old family photographs influenced her artistic style. The episode also shows Sherald visiting the Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University, where she recounts a sixth-grade field trip in which she viewed Bartletts Object Permanence (1986) and was inspired to become an artist.

Sherald told ArtNet.com in September 2019 it was the first real painting I ever saw in my whole life.

In the painting, Bartlett, a white man, depicts himself as Black.

The image of a young black man looking at me, just seeing myself in that work was powerful, she told ArtNet. I still feel the same about it and its still a great part of my inspiration as a figurative painter. Its a reminder that there need to be more images out there existing in the world that can offer other children and people that same experience that I had in that moment when I first saw that painting in a museum.

The following is a Q&A the L-E conducted via email with Sherald, who resides in the New York City area:

Q: How do you feel about being featured in Art in the Twenty-First Century?

A: Its the kind of thing where if Art21 calls, you answer. I spent so much time as a young artist developing my voice and finding my world by watching Art21. It felt like an organic and natural experience to be working with them, and it was enlightening to see my artistic process play out on screen.

Q: What do you hope viewers get out of watching your episode?

A: Our world is created through still and moving images. Art makes anything possible! So many paintings came to life over the course of filming the episode. I hope that it gives viewers and especially young artists a chance to witness that experience and be inspired to create for themselves.

Q: How did the publicity from painting Michelle Obamas portrait change your life and your art?

A: It didnt change my art but it facilitated an expansive forum and context for the work. I love that its used to educate children about art history and themselves.

Q: How did growing up in Columbus influence your life and your art?

A: For the episode, I was able to go back to Columbus, to my childhood home and reflect on the journey that Ive been on. I would spend afternoons in our family room with photo albums and photographs that anchored me in my history and fostered a deep sense of who I am, and who I should be no matter where the world takes me.

Theres a very special moment in the segment where Im looking with my mom at the black and white photograph of my grandmother Jewel that continues to inspire so much of what I do. Her photograph is always a reminder that the visual legacy I realize through my paintings has been with me since the beginning and keeps me grounded in what I do.
Pumpjacks on the McKittrick oil field in California. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Whats striking about passage of Gov. Gavin Newsoms legislation to penalize Big Oils alleged greed is the sea change it represents in California policy.

A century ago and well past World War II, the oil industry could do no wrong in California. It was encouraged to drill, baby, drill. And this burgeoning state reaped the economic benefits.

In fact, California is still the only major oil-producing state that doesnt impose an extraction tax for pumping the goo out of the ground. Oil companies do pay property taxes on underground reserves. But its a much lighter hit than an extraction tax.

In 2006, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have taxed extraction and raised $1 billion annually. The oil industry waged a $95-million opposition campaign. Three years later, the Legislature passed an extraction tax but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it.

Now, Californias governor rails about greedy oil companies fleecing motorists  lying and gouging Californians to line their own pockets.

The bill Newsom signed last week authorizes the California Energy Commission, which he appoints, to regulate oil refinery profits. It can establish a cap on profits and sock refineries that exceed it with what he calls a price-gouging penalty.

This governor brags about bringing Big Oil to their knees.

Newsoms scorn  and the Democratic-dominated Legislatures  is in sharp contrast to the hospitable cheering-on that the oil industry heard from Sacramento throughout most of the 20th century.

Only one Democratic lawmaker voted against Newsoms bill and she was promptly punished by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). New Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains presumably represented her oil-rich Kern County districts views by opposing the measure. The speaker then yanked her off the influential Business and Professions Committee.

That wouldnt have happened in the past on an anti-oil bill.

But today, bashing and voting against the oil industry apparently plays well with Democratic voters in deep blue California.

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First, people are concerned about climate change and planet-altering greenhouse gas emissions spewed by gasoline automobiles.

In a poll last year by the Public Policy Institute of California , about half the people surveyed said theyd considered buying an electric vehicle. And by 3-to-1, they prioritized developing alternative energy  wind, solar, hydrogen  over expanding oil and gas production.

Second, theres greater public angst over oil company actions that hit motorists directly. We pay far more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline  $2.61 more at one point last year when our cost at the pump exceeded $6.

Compare that with the 25 cents or so I initially paid for a gallon of gas in the 1950s when oil was a welcomed job producer in California.

Part of the difference between what we and the rest of the country pay is attributable to state and local taxes . There are also fees to fund environmental programs, mostly to fight climate change. And theres the cost of mixing a special anti-smog blend of fuel.

But those costs dont account for all the extra price at the pump. Now, the Energy Commission will have the legal authority to dig into refineries books and discover the mystery.

And maybe it can find out why just before every three-day weekend  especially during highly traveled summer months  the pump price suddenly escalates. But I think we already know that answer: Oil companies can get away with it because we need to fill up.

Back in the day, oil played a huge role in developing California and boosting workers into the middle class.

In 1903, California became the No. 1 oil-producing state in the nation. We traded that position back and forth with Oklahoma up until the Great Depression when a glut developed because people didnt drive so much. Oil production slowed, then escalated again during World War II. But today were only the seventh-largest producer of crude oil.

In the 1920s, much of the Los Angeles Basin was covered with a forest of wooden oil derricks. Many of us still remember an active oil well on the Beverly Hills High School campus. Derricks dotted the Summerland Beach area just south of Santa Barbara.

California pumped 36% of the nations oil in 1923. Today, 100 years later, its down to 3%. Those in power can hardly wait, it seems, to rid the state of its remaining production .

My own family has directly experienced the dramatic change in public policy and attitudes toward oil.

My dad left his familys depressed Tennessee farm in the 1920s because he heard there were decent paying jobs in Californias booming oil fields. There were.

A large Skelton clan came with him  his dad, brother, two uncles and some cousins. Most went back to Tennessee farming when oil companies laid off workers during the Depression. Fortunately, my dad stayed and I was born in exquisite Santa Barbara.

With only an eighth-grade education  there was no high school near his isolated farm  Dad supported a family on an oil workers pay, rising through the ranks from roustabout to toolpusher and finally assistant foreman at Shells Ventura lease. We were proud of him.

I even became an oil worker my first summer out of high school. But I took a 33% pay cut to work for the Ventura Star-Free Press the next summer. My best investment ever.

Ive had my own evolution on oil: Moving from strong support of offshore drilling to adamant opposition because of repeated, calamitous spills.

Today, one of my dads granddaughters  my daughter  is trying to rid California and the world of fossil fuel because, she believes, it threatens to destroy the planet. Shed like to eliminate her grandpas occupation.

Shes a Biden administration advisor trying to find clean-energy jobs for fossil-fuel workers.

Dad probably would have been fine with that, but cautioned her not to be rambunctious. Gas cars are going to be around for a while yet.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Crews are investigating after a tractor trailer struck a Commuter Rail bridge in Dedham Monday afternoon.

The Dedham Fire Department says the truck was too tall to go under a bridge in the area of East Street and Grant Avenue and struck the overhang. The crash caused extensive damage to the roof of the semi truck, which was travelling up from Miami.

Unfortunately this is a common occurrence, Deputy Chief William Walsh said. People just ignore the signs... and unfortunately this is what happens.

There were two men in the vehicle at the time of the crash, neither of which were injured.

Engineers are on scene assessing the bridge.

Traffic delays are expected in the area while crews continue to investigate.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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Changes are coming to two Northwest Side wards, though just one of them is guaranteed a new alderman.

The 30th Ward will definitely get a new face in the City Council, but both candidates in the runoff are linked to well-known political figures. Jessica Gutierrez is the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, and political newcomer Ruth Cruz has the backing of retiring Ald. Ariel Reboyras.

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The 36th Ward, meanwhile, might see incumbent Ald. Gilbert Villegas return for a third term. But the ward itself bears little resemblance to its longtime boundaries after aldermen drastically reconfigured it in a fit of political pique during last years ugly citywide remap fight. Chicago Teachers Union-backed candidate Leonor Lori Torres Whitt is trying to take him out.

[ Chicago ward map proposal blasted as backroom deal and a loss for citys Latinos; agreement means voters wont decide on new boundaries ]

The races in the two wards share more than just some boundary lines. Political allegiances are also playing a role.

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After Luis Gutierrez endorsed Villegas in his unsuccessful run in the Democratic primary against Delia Ramirez for the U.S. Congress last year, Ramirez and some of her left-leaning allies have thrown their support to Cruz in the 30th Ward aldermanic race versus Gutierrezs daughter.

In the 36th Ward race, Villegas is hammering Torres Whitt because she had full homeowner property tax exemptions for two properties on the same block in Humboldt Park last year. Property owners are allowed only one such exemption, which lowers the tax bill for the home to which it is applied.

During an interview with the Tribune, Torres Whitt said she was entitled to the exemptions. But after the Tribune made inquiries, the Cook County assessors office last week sent Torres Whitt and her husband a notice informing the couple they apparently owed $736.67 for an exemption they should not have received for one building.

While that amount is minuscule given the size of local property tax levies that go to Chicago Public Schools and other government organizations, Villegas said its a matter of principle.

Its hypocritical for her to talk about education and schools while she illegally claimed multiple homeowner exemptions, reducing the amount of money schools receive, he said. Its dishonest.

[ Want to know what ward you live in? Explore the Tribune's interactive map. ]

Torres Whitts husband, Booker Whitt, said in a statement that the two exemptions were a mistake. He didnt realize he was entitled to only one at a time, he said, and the assessors office advised him to apply the exemption to one property without informing him he would need to remove it from the other.

He said they paid as soon as they received the notice. An assessors office spokesman confirmed the payment came in.

Torres Whitt sits on the CTU Executive Board and teaches Spanish at Monroe Elementary School. She said she is better positioned than Villegas to represent the new ward, which resembles a teeter-totter slanting from the Far Northwest Sides Dunning neighborhood all the way southeast to the West Town area.

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[ Shaped like a playground seesaw, new 36th Ward brings three challengers looking to knock off incumbent ]

I get to bring to City Council a set of lenses that no one else has, she said. It is important for me and for the people I represent to be able to understand the Chicago that everyone lives in. When I think about what this ward looks like, everyones lived experience is different.

Growing up in Humboldt Park and attending public schools, Torres Whitt said, she and her siblings and friends had lots of after-school programs and activities at parks to give them something to do. Making Chicago neighborhoods safer by pushing for more of those kinds of investments to keep kids off the streets would be a focus if she gets elected, she said.

Villegas noted hes already championed programs such as the citys guaranteed income initiative that help address the root causes of violence. And he said hell continue his commitment to funding police at the proper levels.

[ Insane. Obviously wrong. Not a good thing. The new 36th Ward would stretch from the Far Northwest Side to West Town, baffling its future residents. ]

City Council colleagues redrew the 36th Ward as part of the decennial U.S. census remap process while Villegas fought unsuccessfully as chair of the council Latino Caucus for more majority-Latino wards. Hes now running for reelection in a convoluted district that includes lots of voters who dont know him as well as those hes represented for the past two terms.

While Torres Whitt is backed by the CTU and its allies, Villegas got an endorsement from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and the Get Stuff Done political action committee, which is chaired by a former adviser to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The Get Stuff Done PAC, which is an independent expenditure committee that cant coordinate with candidates, reported spending $48,257 on behalf of Villegas candidacy so far, and $7,500 to oppose Torres Whitt, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. The Chicago Teachers Union PAC has spent $70,285 on mailers supporting Torres Whitt, according to the campaign finance records.

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Villegas got 46.5% of the vote in the four-candidate first round race, while Torres Whitt got 30%.

30th Ward aldermanic candidate Ruth Cruz greets parents in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood, March 21 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Jessica Gutierrez, an aldermanic candidate for the 30th Ward, greets people during a campaign event, Feb. 19, 2023, at Lago Banquet Hall in Belmont Cragin. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The 30th Ward, meanwhile, twists from Belmont Central north through part of Portage Park and east into Old Irving Park. Its an open seat, but the race is in many ways a familiar one.

The bad blood between Jessica Gutierrez and Reboyras is getting a second straight airing. Reboyras beat her 52% to 48% in the 2019 runoff, then announced he was retiring at the end of this term after two decades on the council.

Hes putting his support and money behind Cruz, a Roosevelt University administrator whos in her first political campaign. Reboyras has contributed $10,000 to Cruz, according to campaign finance records.

Both candidates are jabbing at each other for their connections. Cruz said Gutierrez is riding on her fathers coattails.

Were done with old dynasties. Were done with political families, Cruz said of Gutierrez. Were now in an era, in a time when the community comes first.

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Gutierrez countered that Reboyras wants Cruz to continue his failed policies.

Hes retiring? Hes not really retiring. Hes putting in a puppet in the 30th Ward, and weve seen it time and time again in Chicago, Gutierrez said. She is his hand-chosen, his hand-picked choice.

Gutierrez got nearly 38% in the four-candidate first round election this year, while Cruz got 27%.

Reboyras has never been considered one of the City Councils more progressive members, but with Ramirezs endorsement Cruz also has picked up some progressive backing in her campaign.

Im building a coalition, uniting people across the board, Cruz said.

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools, meanwhile, endorsed Gutierrez, which she said reflects her work to build unity in the ward.

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Were going to have to work with some of these organizations, Gutierrez said. Listen, the truth is that Black and brown children are the majority of the students in attendance at charter schools. Charter schools are not going anywhere, and I think theyre going to need leadership in their community to sit at that table too. And thats what Im going to provide for them.

jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @_johnbyrne
Ukrainians mobilized for training

Read also: Russia mobilized 500,000 people in 2022, Bloomberg reports

NV has collected the most salient initiatives that could soon become law.

De-mobilization after 18 months

Draft law

European Solidarity MP Oleksiy Honcharenko submitted a bill (No. 9142) that allows for demobilization of soldiers that have served for 18 months during wartime. They will be entitled to a five-year deferment between mobilizations.

Soldiers will not be forced to demobilize, allowing those willing to continue serving, Honcharenko said.

Consideration stage

Read also: UOC-MP priests assault soldier, 1 year since Bucha freed, exclusive w/Zhytomyr Mayor

The draft law was submitted to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence for review on March 29.

Background

According to the current legislation, demobilization must be announced by the President after the end of martial law (currently extended until 20 May).

As the war drags on past the one-year mark, soldiers mobilized in the first days of the invasion are exhausted, having spent so much time away from their families.

They remain, however, critical for Ukraines defense capabilities, as its difficult to replace experienced troops with newly-mobilized soldiers.

Read also: Former Kosovo president and guerrilla chief Hashim Thaci to face war crimes trial in The Hague

In December 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a similar proposal in a petition addressed to him.

Military Medical Commissions

Draft law

Read also: Zelenskyy to visit Poland on April 5

A group of Ukrainian MPs suggested changes (No. 9154) to the work of military medical commissions (MMC) by amending Article 70 (Fundamentals of Ukrainian Healthcare Legislation).

The bill proposes to increase the number of institutions that can set up an MMC. Currently, only territorial recruitment centers (military enlistment offices) and medical institutions of the security and defense sector can host a MMC. The bill proposes to add state and municipal healthcare facilities to the list. The bill also envisages a push to digitalize MMC operations.

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Consideration stage

The draft law was submitted for review to the Ukrainian Parliamentary Specialized Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Health Insurance on March 29.

Background

Read also: Russians to step up use of aviation in Ukraine, Rada security committee member says

In over one year of war, it is obvious that the current military medical institutions cannot cope with the influx of people liable for military service who are sent for medical examinations, as well as soldiers wounded on the frontline.

Soldier Myroslav Otkovych posted on Facebook on Jan. 27 about the bureaucracy and inefficiency a Lviv hospital, where wounded soldiers were forced to stand in a long line just to get a rehabilitation leave. He wrote his number in the line was 502, and another soldier in line told him that he had come there for 21 consecutive days.

The Ombudsman's Office recognized this situation violated the rights of the Ukrainian military service members.

Read also: Ukrainian ombudsman shows Russian POW detention conditions

Deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov said that Ukraine plans to reform MMCs by introducing digital document management and automating process so that injured soldiers dont have to stand in long lines.

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov and Health Minister Viktor Liashko also said that MMCs would be reformed to remove bureaucratic and corruption risks.

Read also: Which American companies continue to supply electronics to the Russian military-industrial complex?

Electronic Draft Papers

Draft law

Mobilization centers may use modern digital technologies for informing Ukrainians liable for military service that they need to report to a territorial recruitment center.

The issue has become especially relevant due to the large number of internally displaced persons in the country, Fedir Venislavskyi, sitting member of the Committee on National Defense, Security, and Intelligence, and Presidential Parliamentary Representative, said.

It is hard for the territorial centers to find people who moved from their place of registration and have not registered for military service at their actual residence address.

Read also: EUs top diplomat slams Chinas position paper

The database of phone numbers of men of military age had been "almost finished" before the full-scale invasion began. "Its technically possible to verify an online mobilization notice has been delivered," Venislavsky told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on 29 March.

Consideration stage

The parliament is considering the idea, but the draft law isn't ready yet.

Background

The intention to improve the mobilization procedure has been discussed since the beginning of the invasion.

Read also: Russia mobilizes 20,000 troops every month, Ukrainian intelligence says

Current laws stipulate that summonses are handed to a person for them to come to the territorial center to verify their personal information. This significantly complicates the work of the military due to imperfect databases, lack of resources, and massive internal migration.

One of the ideas was to distribute the notices through Diia (Ukraines e-governance app). Volodymyr Arap, a Kharkiv Regional Territorial Recruitment Centre military commissar, said that the nationwide database of men aged 18 to 60, could soon be transferred to Diia, indicating that everything is moving toward digital mobilization notices.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation, however, has stated that there will be no summonses issued through the app.

Evaders database

Draft law

The creation of a registry of persons who intentionally evade mobilization was also announced by Venislavsky.

Should a person liable for military service fail to report to a territorial recruitment center twice in a row, the recruitment center will have the right to make their personal data public  name, surname, and other identification details. Should the person fulfil their obligation, the information will be removed from the registry.

Read also: 1 in 4 Ukrainian evacuees in Polish employment database have found work

The disclosure of personal data can put public pressure on a person who evades a summons to the territorial center, the MP believes.

Nevertheless, the proposal is in direct conflict with Ukraines existing personal data protection laws.

Consideration stage

Read also: Shoigu promises Russian invasion forces more ammunition amid shortages

The details of the legislative initiative are still being finalized, with a draft law to be ready in a month or two, Venislavsky said.

Background

Avoiding mobilization (e.g., travelling abroad) by men of conscription age is a hot topic on social media and part of Russias psyops. That said, Ukraines Armed Forces have said that draft dodgers are not an acute problem.

"We have counted, and there are not many of them  less than 1% of those who have been brought to both criminal and administrative responsibility, of those who received summonses. Those who do not appear are not always evaders. They may have many reasons for this," Roman Horbach, Head of the Personnel Department of the Ground Forces Command told NV.

Read also: Deputy Defense Minister warns of Russian attempts to disrupt mobilization efforts in Ukraine

With rumors of a ramped-up mobilization ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive and Russias plans to mobilize another 400,000 men, Ukraines Defense Ministry said that there are no waves of mobilization and the process continues gradually, according to 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
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department

Authorities revealed Monday that Nashville mass killer Audrey Hale fired off 152 rounds during the assault at the Covenant School that left six dead and sent a church community into mourning.

The shocking detail emerged in the Metropolitan Nashville Police Departments latest update on their investigation, which also revealed that Hale plotted the massacre for months in writings found inside his car and home.

[Hale] documented, in journals, [their] planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School, police said in a news release Monday.

Nashville Shooter Amassed an Arsenal Despite Being Under Doctors Care

Cops say Hales writings have been turned over to the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit in Quantico, Virginia, which is working with local detectives to determine what drove Hale to slaughter three kids and three staffers at his former primary school.

While a precise motive hasnt been discovered, police said theyve determined that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers.

Hales motive has been a mystery from the start. Nashville Police Chief John Drake initially speculated that 28-year-old Hale, who attended the private religious school as a kid, held resentment toward former teachers there. Its since been revealed that Hale was devastated by the recent death of a close friend, was under the care of a doctor for an emotional disorder, and had sent a series of dark messages to a friend just before the assault began.

On the day of the shooting, March 27, Drake said Hale left behind a manifesto that was being studied by detectives, but its contents havent been made public.

The barrage of bullets fired by Hale came from two assault rifles and a handgun, cops said Monday. The three weapons were part of a seven-gun arsenal Hale had legally amassed behind his parents backstashing the weapons throughout the Nashville home they shared, Drake said last week.

Hale was gunned down by two Nashville officers just 14 minutes after he broke into the school by shooting through locked glass doors. Police said Monday those officers each fired four shots, killing Hale at the scene.

Story continues

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Rob and Lindsey Burrow pictured outside the Rovers Return with Peter Ash and Daniel Brocklebank

Rugby League legend Rob Burrow said he hoped Coronation Street's storyline about Motor Neurone Disease (MND) would help raise awareness of the condition.

The ex-Leeds Rhinos star has visited the famous cobbles to meet with the actors at the centre of the plot.

Burrow, who was one of the people who inspired the storyline, has sought to raise awareness of the condition since being diagnosed in 2019.

He said he hoped showing the affects of MND would make "a big difference".

"I'm blown away from the response I've had, but Coronation Street will have the awareness on a whole new level," said Burrow.

"I think people who are looking for someone who will acknowledge the amount of work and time that goes into a patient with this horrible disease, I think that this will help bring it home."

MND affects the brain and nerves and causes weakness that gets worse over time.

There is no cure for MND, but there are treatments to help reduce the impact on a person's daily life.

The soap will follow the impact of MND on builder Paul Foreman and his partner

His wife Lindsey said: "I think not having to explain over and over again what MND is, just bringing it into people's living rooms will have a massive effect.

"I'm a massive Coronation Street fan, I grew up watching it with my mum and dad, so to be here actually on the cobbles is quite surreal."

The storyline, which was also inspired by Rugby Union player Doddie Weir, will follow the impact of MND on builder Paul Foreman, played by Peter Ash.

"We've been working on it for some time now," he told BBC Breakfast.

"There's been a lot of work, a lot of research, just making sure we get it right.

"It's going to be quite a long journey."

Lindsey Burrow has said she is a "massive fan" of the soap

Paul's partner Billy Mayhew is played by Daniel Brocklebank, who has been an ambassador for the MND Association (MNDA) for the past 20 years after his grandfather died from the disease.

"I will have a huge amount of experience to draw upon and hopefully that will help the realism of telling the story," he said.

"It's doubly special, to not only be able to raise awareness, but also to commemorate all the people that I've known over the last 20 years and the association who work tirelessly to try and find a cure.

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"I know that my grandfather would be more than happy for me to be discussing it, it's a subject very close to my heart."

Tanya Curry, MNDA chief executive, said the MND community were "so grateful" for the storyline because "awareness is everything and the education is everything".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk
Country music star Kelsea Ballerini used the opening segment of country musics CMT Awards show to pay tribute to the victims of last weeks school shooting in Nashville, Tenn.

On March 27, 2023, three 9-year-olds  Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs  along with Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill walked into the Covenant School and didnt walk out, Ballerini said at the top of the award ceremony. The community of sorrow over this, and the 130 mass shootings in the US this year alone, stretches from coast to coast.

The 28-year-old shooter was also killed by police after opening fire last week inside the private Christian elementary school in Nashville.

Ballerini also shared her personal experience with gun violence, saying that she witnessed a classmate die in a shooting at her Knoxville, Tenn., high school in 2008.

I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment because on August 21, 2008, I watched Ryan McDonald, my 15-year-old classmate at Central High School, lose his life to a gun in our cafeteria, Ballerini added.

Ballerini, who hosted the annual country music award show alongside fellow country music star Kane Brown, said the broadcast was dedicated to everyone affected by gun violence in America.

Tonights broadcast dedicated to the ever-growing list of families, friends, survivors, witnesses, and responders, whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence, Ballerini added.

I pray deeply that the closeness and the community that we feel through the next few hours of music can soon turn into action, like real action that moves us forward together to create change for the safety of our kids and our loved ones.

The Nashville shooting has once again spurred efforts among Democrats to pass federal gun control legislation, while Republicans have largely resisted those proposals.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-N.Y.) last week pressed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to hold on a vote on common sense gun safety legislation.

The American people, regardless of political affiliation, overwhelmingly support common sense gun safety measures, Jeffries wrote in a letter to McCarthy. The House should do likewise.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The first floor community area, on a tour of the new headquarters and campus of CoverMyMeds, Monday May 17, 2021.

CoverMyMeds released more detail Monday on the impact of last week's layoff announcements on its Columbus staff.

The healthcare technology firm said less than 200 of its approximately 1,800 Columbus employees would be impacted by the cuts.

"Columbus, Ohio remains an important location for CoverMyMeds, and its where well strategically hire and grow the business," the company said in a statement sent to The Dispatch.

The company, a division of the healthcare giant McKesson Corp., told its staff on Wednesday that 815 positions would be eliminated, becoming the latest of several Columbus tech companies to announce layoffs.

CoverMyMeds said last week it was closing its Arizona office but otherwise did not say where the cuts would occur.

The company on Monday also said it would remain involved in its central Ohio charitable efforts.

"We are also committed to continuing our support for many incredible nonprofit organizations across Columbus through funding efforts, board service and volunteer work, in addition to our continued support for Columbus City Schools and Columbus Franklinton and Hilltop neighborhoods to help advance their specific initiatives," according to Monday's statement.

CoverMyMeds' tax deal challenged

CoverMyMeds' layoff announcement prompted Columbus Mayoral candidate Joe Motil to challenge the tax break received by the company for its new Franklinton headquarters.

Under the terms of the tax incentive, approved in July 2018, CoverMyMeds received a 15-year, 100% property-tax abatement worth up to $77.7 million for its new corporate campus along McKinley Avenue. The company opened the first of its two new buildings on the site in 2021 but has since sold both buildings.

As part of the deal, the city also agreed to return 30% of city income tax withholdings on new CoverMyMeds employees for up to eight years (35% for any new employee who lives in Columbus). That incentive is worth between $4.5 million and $5.3 million.

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In exchange, CoverMyMeds promised to retain and relocate 592 jobs to the new headquarters and create 1,032 new jobs with payroll totaling $76.4 million within five years.

The Columbus Board of Education signed off on the deal, agreeing to forego $55.6 million in property-tax revenue in exchange for a portion of the income-tax revenue the new jobs would generate.

These are performance-based incentives," said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther's spokesperson, Robin Davis. "If you dont perform, you dont receive the incentive. Period. Companies are audited yearly to assure they are meeting performance commitments in their incentive agreements.

How many Columbus employees will CoverMyMeds retain?

Motil suggested that CoverMyMeds violated the terms of the agreement because the layoffs will drop its Columbus employment below the 1,624 employees required by the deal.

Citing the employment website Zippia, Motil said CoverMyMeds employed 1,336 workers in Columbus in February.

In its Monday statement, company spokesperson Angela Tavrell said the number is far higher. I addition to the 1,600 or so employees remaining in Columbus after the layoffs, some CoverMyMeds workers in Arizona and Louisville have the option to relocate to Columbus.

"Our Patient Support Center will move its primary location to Columbus. Patient Support Center employees from our Scottsdale, Arizona, office who are not impacted by a role elimination will have the opportunity to voluntarily move to Columbus with relocation support from CoverMyMeds or work from home," the company said Monday.

"Additionally, Patient Support Center employees from our Louisville, Kentucky, office who are not impacted by a role elimination will have the choice to continue with Louisville as their office location and work from home when they choose, or voluntarily move to Columbus with relocation support from CoverMyMeds."

How are tax deals reviewed?

Sheldon Goodrum, spokesperson for the city's Department of Development, said all tax incentive deals in the city are subject to review by the city's Tax Incentive Review Council. Tax deals throughout the county are also tracked by the Franklin County Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC).

"This is why we have the tax review council," Goodrum said. "If an agreement needs to be amended or rescinded, we can do it. We can look at what the agreement calls for, and whether the terms of the agreement are being met."

The bulk of the city's tax deals are included in eight Community Reinvestment Act neighborhoods, 49 Enterprise Zones and 96 Tax Increment Finance districts, according to last year's county TIRC report. An estimated $16.5 million was foregone in taxes in the city deals last year, in addition to $45 million in diverted taxes for Tax Increment Finance districts.

The TIRC recommended last year that the city remind 25 companies with tax deals, including CoverMyMeds, of the importance of filing timely and complete reports with the city.

In addition to the city tax breaks, CoverMyMeds also received several state tax credits for its expansions, starting in 2010 with credits worth $546,055, in 2014 for credits worth $482,288; in 2018 for credits worth $19.4 million; and last year with credits worth an estimated $6.8 million.

What does CoverMyMeds do?

CoverMyMeds was founded in 2008 to provide physicians and pharmacists across the country an online service to get quick insurance approvals for new prescriptions. According to the company, the service has been used more than 200 million times.

CoverMyMeds is a profitable part of the $50 billion Texas healthcare company McKesson Corp., which bought CoverMyMeds in 2017 for $1.4 billion. For the nine months ending Dec. 31, CoverMyMeds had revenue of $3.2 billion and profits of $400 million.

In his note announcing the layoffs to employees, however, CoverMyMeds President Kevin Kettler said the company needed to make changes "to continue on a path of long-term sustainable growth."

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: CoverMyMeds shares how layoffs will affect Columbus staffing
The Firefighters and Company Federal Credit Union has started its yearly journey to donate hundreds of carbon monoxide detectors across the area.

The credit union, formally known as Dayton Firefighters Federal Credit Union, has been donating CO detectors to communities for the past eight years, according to a release from the City of Xenia.

Last week the Xenia Fire Division was one of several departments that received a donation of detectors. The citys website says the division was given 75 carbon monoxide detectors.

>>Re-grand opening held after fire causes significant damage to Riverside car wash

We are thankful for this very important donation, said Xenia Fire Division Chief Kenneth Riggsby. Carbon monoxide detectors save lives, and we want to make sure they are available to anyone who needs one.

This year the credit union plans to donate 750 CO detectors across Montgomery, Greene, and Miami Counties.

It is exciting to see this program grow year after year and hear how much the departments appreciate and look forward to the donation to help their residents, said Shannon ONeill, Marketing Manager for the credit union.




A collection of search and rescue workers labor to remove an injured woman for the Organ Mountains on April 1, 2023.

LAS CRUCES  Rescue crews recovered an injured hiker over the weekend, the second person to require help descending an Organ Mountain trail in two weeks.

Vic Villalobos, a Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue member, said crews got the call to respond before noon on Saturday, April 1. Villalobos said a woman in her mid-20s injured her ankle on the Aguirre Springs Pine Tree Loop. Villalobos said crews located the hiker about two miles up the trial.

Villalobos said crews hiked into the area and were able to head out after about five hours. Villalobos said the hiker did not need to be taken to the hospital. Unlike a rescue effort the previous weekend, Villalobos said the Aguirre Springs Pine Tree Loop was a much simpler area to perform the rescue.

Last week, a hiker injured his ankle near the Grey Eminence peak in the Needles area. According to a Las Cruces Fire Department news release, that rescue lasted into the night and took around 11 hours.

Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue, Organ Mountain Technical Rescue, Dona Ana County Search and Rescue, New Mexico State Police, Las Cruces Fire Department, and White Sands Fire Department assisted in the rescue effort.

New old tips for adventuring in the Organs

Crews transported an injured woman along the Aguirre Springs Pine Tree Loop area on April 1, 2023.

On Friday, the Las Cruces Fire Department released updated tips and advice when hiking in the Las Cruces area. The updated guidance includes:

Know your capabilities and the terrain in which you will be in.

Plan your trek carefully and consider weather reports, the expected duration and other conditions you might face during your adventure.

Never hike, bike, backpack or adventure alone.

Keep groups together unless it is essential to separate for survival.

Follow all signage and refrain from straying from established trails.

Carry a fully charged cellular or satellite phone in case of an emergency. Avoid depleting a cell phones battery by overusing the camera function.

Pack a power bank and the proper cord to recharge a depleted cell phone battery.

Carry a flashlight and extra batteries even if your hike is during the daytime.

Avoid pushing daylight to take in a glorious sunset or full moon. Once the sun sets, following trails and finding your bearings on unknown terrain is difficult.

Take plenty of drinking water and food to sustain you during the trek. Remember, warm daytime temperatures and relatively high elevations expend energy quickly.

Wear or carry proper attire for the trek. Its best to dress in layers that can be easily removed  or added  depending on conditions.

Wear a hat or proper head covering.

Wear boots or hiking shoes that are comfortable and suitable for the terrain to be covered.

Be aware of changing weather conditions and the potential for flash floods from rain upstream from your location.

Be extremely cautious of setting or using fire.

Beware of more active snakes during warmer weather and as daytime temperatures rise. Snakebite victims should seek help immediately.

Beware of wild animals that frequent the Organ Mountains and other nearby areas: bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, foxes, deer, and African oryx. Never approach or attempt to handle a wild animal.

If hiking with a dog, consider its needs and safety requirements for the trek.

Refrain from allowing your dog to run off-leash as it might give chase to wild animals and could quickly become lost or injured.

Stay within the limitations of your vehicle (or your driving skills).

Ensure your vehicle, tires, and spare tire are in good condition for the terrain.

Monitor your fuel gauge to ensure you do not run out of gasoline.

Stay on developed roads or dedicated tracks.

Respect signage and avoid driving onto private properties or dedicated wilderness areas.

Do not attempt dangerous water crossings.

Properly wear seatbelts or harnesses at all times when the vehicle is in motion.

If stranded, it is recommended first to try calling for help. Abandoning a vehicle and walking for help could be more dangerous than staying put and waiting for help to arrive.

Tell a friend or relative where you are going and when you expect to return. If you have yet to return by the designated time, they should know to contact authorities.

Dispose of waste properly and use the Pack it In  Pack it Out motto to help keep wild areas pristine.

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Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.

What else is happening in the Mesilla Valley?

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Crews rescue woman in Organ Mountains
Update, April 2023: The 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office has expanded the CIRT protocols to also initiate multi-agency investigations into certain use of force cases. Read more about the updated protocols here: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2023/04/03/how-the-critical-incident-response-team-investigates-use-of-force-larimer-county/70064762007/

Original: When an officer fires a weapon in Colorado and someone is killed or injured, state law requires a multi-agency team to investigate.

The Eighth Judicial Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT, was formed in 2015 in accordance with a new state law requiring a multi-agency team to investigate "an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death."

Here's how police shootings are investigated in Larimer County and the Eighth Judicial District.

Which agencies are involved?

Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department and the Larimer County Sheriff's Office take turns being the lead agency for police shooting investigations. Each year, the responsibility rotates to a different agency.

Agencies involved in the investigations include: Windsor Police Department, Timnath Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Estes Park Police Department, Colorado State University Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office.

An agency cannot investigate itself. For example, if it is the Larimer County Sheriff's Office's turn to lead investigations and a deputy is involved in a shooting, a different agency will lead that particular investigation.

How does a CIRT investigation begin?

The team is automatically and immediately activated when a police officer is involved in a shooting. The agency that employs the officer or officers involved in a shooting is responsible for alerting the team.

If agencies are unsure if the CIRT should be activated, they would call the Larimer County District Attorney, who would make the decision.

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CIRT can also investigate incidents involving officers that result in serious injury or death, including car crashes, as well as incidents in the Larimer County Jail.

Who is on the CIRT team?

CIRT team members are assigned based on their desire and qualifications. Here is how the teams are structured:

Three team commanders: These are officers with a command rank of lieutenant or higher, from three different agencies.

Incident commander: One of the three team commanders will take on this role on a rotating annual basis.

Team leaders: These must have a rank of sergeant or above; the incident commander will identify one team leader who will have primary oversight of the investigation and one who will have primary oversight of the crime scene.

Team members: All law enforcement agencies in the Eighth Judicial District are eligible to join the CIRT. Team commanders will determine the size of the team.

Involved agency liaison: A representative for an agency that does not have a team commander.

What is the CIRT investigation process?

Immediately after an officer is involved in a shooting, the agency that employs that officer calls on CIRT and notifies the district attorney's office. The team arrives on scene, and team members will collect evidence from the scene and log it with the agency overseeing the investigation. The officer involved in the incident should be processed and interviewed, if possible, at their agency, according to CIRT policy. Team members will file reports through the agency that employs them, not the agency overseeing the investigation. When the investigation is complete, CIRT team members present the findings to the district attorney. The district attorney makes a finding on whether the officer involved should be charged with a crime. If no charges are filed, the district attorney must publicly release a report explaining the district attorney's findings and why the officer was not charged. If the district attorney refers the case to the grand jury, the district attorney must release a statement disclosing the general purpose of the grand jury's investigation.

What happens with the officers involved in shootings during these investigations?

Most often, officers are put on paid administrative leave while the CIRT investigation is ongoing.

Officers are sanctioned by their individual agencies, not the CIRT investigators.

Internal investigations are independent from CIRT investigations.

This story might be updated with answers to additional questions you have. Send your other questions regarding Critical Incident Response Team investigations to sswanson@coloradoan.com.

Sady Swanson covers crime, courts, public safety and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support our work and local journalism with a digital subscription at Coloradoan.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado police shootings: How Critical Incident Response Team works
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said a parking garage attendant who was wounded wrestling a gun away from an alleged thief and shooting the suspect will not face charges at this time, according to FOX 5 NY.

Moussa Diarra, 57, was initially charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the incident that unfolded Saturday morning. Diarra had noticed a man peering into cars on the second floor of the West 31st Street garage in Manhattan when he confronted him and asked what was in his bag.

The suspected thief, Charles Rhodie, 59, then pulled a gun out and Diarra attempted to grab the weapon. Diarra was shot twice during the fight for the gun before turning the firearm around and shooting Rhodie.

Rhodie was also charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and burglary in connection with the incident.

NYC GARAGE WORKER CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER SHOOTING ARMED THIEF

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said the parking garage attendant who was wounded wrestling away a gun from an alleged thief and shooting the suspect will not face charges.

Diarra's case will be dismissed by Bragg pending further investigation, the district attorney's office told FOX 5 on Sunday. The charges against Rhodie, who has at least 20 previous arrests according to the New York Post, will remain.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Diarras lawyer, Charles Clayman, said his client is pleased with the result.

"I think what [police] wanted to do was sort things out, and both men had been shot," Clayman told the Post. "And they just didnt have time just to start talking to witnesses at that point. By this morning, people understood exactly what had happened, what a hero and victim my client was. Obviously not the perpetrator."

Moussa Diarra's case will be dismissed by District Attorney Alvin Bragg pending further investigation.

NEW YORK CITY WOMAN ABDUCTED, RAPED IN HANDCUFFS AND LEG SHACKLES ON BUS FOR HOURS: POLICE

Diarra and Rhodie were transported to a hospital in stable condition after the incident Saturday morning.

The New York City Police Department said the decision to charge Diarra was made using guidance from the district attorney's office, the Post added.

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"We were in constant touch with the DA, and I just think that the police on the scene felt that that was the right thing to do," Clayman said to the NYP. "And then things would be sorted out by the DA, and I believe thats what happened."

The New York City Police Department said the decision to charge Moussa Diarra was made using guidance from the district attorney's office.

The initial charges against Diarra drew similarities to an incident last July where Manhattan bodega clerk Jose Alba was charged with murder after a confrontation with an angry customer who came behind his counter and assaulted him. Alba stabbed and killed the attacker in self-defense but was charged with murder and sent to the Rikers Island jail.

Alba spent nearly a week in jail until the murder charge was dropped due to intense public pressure.
It can feel embarrassing, and its not always a natural position to be in, but its nothing that youre doing wrong (iStock)

I am not someone who has to be encouraged to go for regular smear tests. I wouldnt say Im exactly enthusiastic about the procedure  I hardly count down the days  but Im grateful to be able to have it, and grateful especially for the peace of mind it provides. Particularly after a scare with abnormal cells a few years ago. But at my last smear test, I spent 20 minutes gritting my teeth and blinking away tears of pain as the nurse tried again and again to find my cervix. Eventually, she had to give up and rebook my appointment. My wonky uterus has made things tricky before  apparently a tilted cervix can be harder to find  but this was the first time Id had a smear test that proved basically impossible to complete.

In the name of demystifying the process and reducing anxiety around smear tests, were bombarded with the message that they are quick and simple. And they are, for many women and other people with cervixes. But Ive since started wondering if, actually, we might need more awareness for the minority of people  like me  for whom turning up to our scheduled appointment is only half the battle.

Disabled journalist Cathy Reay is another woman with a tilted uterus. She also suffers from vaginal prolapse, meaning smear tests are at best deeply uncomfortable and at worst not possible at all. Typically, one smear test for me needs three attempts by several different healthcare workers before they manage to successfully complete it, she explains. Theres a bit of embarrassment and shame around having internal organs and parts that dont look and perform as they should.

This is particularly acute when the prevailing narrative is that smear tests are no big deal  a narrative that even well-meaning medical professionals can perpetuate, as Reay has found. Ive heard dismissive and inappropriate things, almost jokingly, such as Ah, so youre the problem patient, she says. This can be so jarring when youre going through something this vulnerable and sensitive.

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But while it can feel isolating and stigmatising to be the person for whom smear tests are tough, I suspect  anecdotally, at least  that more of us are problem patients than we might think. Helen Hyndman is a nurse service coordinator at the Eve Appeal  one of the UKs leading gynaecological cancer charities. Shes keen to point out that a whole host of medical conditions and life circumstances can make smear tests more complex. Everything from conditions like endometriosis or vaginisimus [where the muscles of the vagina tighten up when the speculum is put in] to the aftermath of sexual abuse, or even the menopause and vaginal dryness, can have an impact, she says. Its not actually that unusual at all for things to not be straightforward.

Certainly this has been the case for Scotland-based Taylor Mulholland, who has polycystic ovary syndrome. She wonders if some residual trauma from her history of invasive tests in her teens might in part explain why her own smear tests have been difficult. My first standard smear test was unsuccessful, she says. It was rescheduled and redone with a smaller speculum, which worked, but only just. [And] if your first test isnt that standard 10-minute appointment youre led to expect, it can feel really daunting. It was incredibly painful too.

There does need to be more information to stop women feeling bad if it cant be done

The other issue is that you can start to feel as if youve failed when the expectation of a quick and easy appointment proves anything but. When Taylor talks of judging herself after appointments like these, Im reminded of all the times Ive wondered if I should relax more, or put up with more pain, in the name of getting things done. Maybe theres something in the word test itself that reinforces these feelings?

But Dr Fionnuala Barton, GP and menopause doctor at The Menopause Medic, is keen to remind women that smear test complications are not some moral failing on their part. Remember the failure is not with the person having the smear in any way, she says. Some days things just do not work. Hyndman agrees: It can feel embarrassing, and its not always a natural position to be in, but its nothing that youre doing wrong.

So other than remembering its not actually our fault, what else can we do when smear tests prove tricky? Consider asking for a double appointment if you are worried things will take longer and you dont want to feel rushed, says Dr Barton. She also suggests taking a friend or family member along for moral support, and pre-informing the practitioner of any previous difficulties  particularly when rebooking tests. And if speculum examinations for cervical smears are repeatedly difficult, then you can ask to be referred to local gynaecology services, she says.

Hyndman points out that there are lots of adjustments that can be made during the smear test itself. Speculums come in lots of sizes, she says. You can ask for a smaller one, or to look at it first, if that helps reduce any anxiety. You can do breathing exercises, or try different positions, which can be particularly useful with a tilted cervix. If your vagina is dry, you can ask for an oestrogen pessary to make things less painful. You can even listen to a podcast or music on your phone. And if youre really dreading it, ask for an appointment to talk things through and make a plan before the main appointment. This is about you and whats best for you, and it isnt one-size-fits-all.

Of course, to be able to access these adjustments, women and others with cervixes need to understand that theyre available in the first place  a catch-22 that Reay understands all too well. It wasnt until I started sharing my experiences that I realised it was really inappropriate that Im never offered stirrups to steady my legs and keep them in position through the test, she says. Ive had to go to sexual health clinics and hospitals for smear tests, because my local GP office cant complete the test successfully. But despite smear tests being historically very difficult for me, Im always expected to go to my GP first.

Theres zero awareness of what happens when you dont fit the standard smear test expectation (iStock)

Mulholland shares these concerns about a lack of information around options. Theres zero awareness of what happens when you dont fit the standard smear test expectation, she says. I got very lucky because I had a good gynaecologist. When my next routine smear test appointment came around, she suggested it was done under sedation at the same time as I was having a coil fitted. But I only found out it was a possibility because of her.

Hyndman also acknowledges there is more work to be done when it comes to making women aware of their options. There does need to be more information to stop women feeling bad if it cant be done, or like they have to put up with it being painful, she says. We want you to have your smear test because it prevents cervical cancer, but we also want to give the right knowledge and support so that it works for you.

For my own part, a rebooked appointment with a specialist doctor, and a change of speculum, enabled me to have a successful test. But not knowing about my options meant I endured an anxiety-inducing few weeks between those two dates. And while I understand the importance of normalising smear tests to encourage attendance, perhaps we also need to normalise the expectations around them. For me, the scary thing is not a difficult smear test, but the idea that Im some sort of medical anomaly. There is power  and comfort  in realising Im not alone after all.
The following items were taken from area police department reports and releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

Darien

Retail theft

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Isha Wilkins, 28, of the 700 block of W. James Street, Villa Park, was charged with attempted retail theft over $300, at 3:45 p.m. March 20.

Traffic violations

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Kamron Lipscomb, 21, of the 00 block Hampshire Court, Bolingbrook, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, operating uninsured motor vehicle and speeding over statutory limit, at 6:55 p.m. March 22.

Ahzami Xhamilton, 27, of the 5300 block of W. Monroe Street, Chicago, was charged with possession of cannabis by driver and issued a warning for failure to wear seat belt, at 9:57 p.m. March 22.

Gregory Zolo, 41, of the 2200 block of Donegal Drive, Darien, was charged with driving while license suspended, unlawful display of registration and operating an uninsured motor vehicle, at 1:07 p.m. March 23.

Jeremy Dahlgren, 27, of the 20W300 block of Pleasantdale Drive, Lemont, was charged with driving while license suspended, driving with expired license plates and failure to yield turning left, at 3:35 p.m. March 24.

Alfredo Gonzalez, 34, of the 300 block of Lionel Road, Riverside, was charged with driving while license suspended, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, speeding, and given a warning for driving with expired plates, at 8:11 a.m. March 26.

DUI

Starr Williams Weatherspoon, 32, of the 2100 block of Hitching Post Lane, Schaumburg, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to yield to emergency vehicle and possession of open alcohol by driver, at 3:50 a.m. March 24.
New York Police Department officers around Manhattan Criminal Court, on March 31, 2023. (Hilary Swift/The New York Times)

WASHINGTON  Former President Donald Trumps expected appearance Tuesday in a Manhattan court is a volatile moment for the country with an unpredictable outcome, but law enforcement officials have not yet seen indications of a disruptive, organized backlash akin to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

The New York City Police Department, state law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service have been coordinating efforts, while increasing intelligence gathering and mobilization. The police, for instance, sent a stand-ready order to about 35,000 officers, a force larger and better trained than some national armies.

Even as Trumps coming arraignment reflects a different set of circumstances, the response is informed by lessons learned from the Capitol riot and from the challenges posed by the nationwide protests against police violence in 2020. They include the need to deploy forces quickly when threats pop up on social media, and the importance of sharing intelligence among agencies in real time, officials have said.

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At the moment, they are not seeing those threats, and the department has a lot of experience coordinating with the Secret Service and the court system, so that effort is not terribly concerning, said Kenneth Corey, who retired late last year as chief of department, the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the New York Police Department.

But there are still big unknowns  mainly the protesters, he added. Who shows up? How many show up? What kind of mood are they in?

There is no guarantee law enforcement will detect every threat, even if the agencies involved work seamlessly. There could be concealed efforts or lone wolves motivated by incendiary messaging who will lash out, as was the case shortly before the Capitol was breached, when a pair of pipe bombs were found outside the nearby headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees.

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But the FBI has not identified any specific threats, two officials with knowledge of the situation said. Because of that, the bureau, which was criticized for not publishing a bulletin before the Jan. 6 riot, has not distributed an intelligence bulletin to law enforcement, one of the officials said.

As of Sunday, neither law enforcement officials nor outside experts have picked up evidence that Trumps defenders or detractors are gearing up for a major event on a day when a man elected to the nations highest office will be booked in lower Manhattan.

The citys police department, which has a sprawling, sophisticated intelligence operation that developed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has tracked isolated threats on social media, but it has yet to detect larger plans that might spur violence or mass disruption.

The NYPD continues to monitor all activity, but there are no credible threats to the city at this time, Fabien Levy, the press secretary for Mayor Eric Adams, said in an email.

It is not clear whether Trump plans to make a statement in New York after he is indicted, which could change that dynamic. But even if he does, the circumstances leading up to his court appearance Tuesday are markedly different from those in the run-up to the Capitol attack.

For starters, there are few, if any, signs that the overt coordination of mass protests that characterized the weeks and months before Jan. 6 have taken place.

Justice Department officials believe part of the reason is that the prosecutions of Jan. 6 suspects has helped deter those most likely to instigate violence.

More than 1,000 people who entered the Capitol or breached its grounds on Jan. 6 have been already charged with crimes, and hundreds more remain under investigation. Moreover, some of the chief organizers of the pro-Trump rallies that preceded the attack were swept up in the Justice Departments vast criminal inquiry, and some like Ali Alexander have said they have little interest in rallying on Trumps behalf this time.

Thus far, Trump has not made any specific call to action for Tuesday. Doing so could be problematic for him: One of the possible crimes the Justice Departments special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating is Trumps role in egging on protesters to disrupt congressional certification of President Joe Bidens victory.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

While Trump encouraged protests last month to TAKE OUR NATION BACK in announcing that he expected to be arrested, he has yet to issue a demand comparable to his Dec. 19, 2020, post on Twitter explicitly summoning supporters to a rally in Washington on Jan. 6. Be there, will be wild! he said at the time.

Efforts to muster big crowds to support the presidents false claim that he won the election were hardly hidden.

In the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, Trump supporters staged two rallies that brought thousands of people into the streets and created momentum. Those events  one in November 2020 and the second in December  were planned by a large crew of organizers, including Alexander, who were skilled at mobilizing crowds and promoting Trumps central message to Stop the Steal of the election.

Those events included large contingents from the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys, many of whom organizers had brought in to serve as bodyguards or to perform event security. Several members of those groups, including some of their top leaders, have either been convicted of  or are now standing trial for  serious crimes connected to Jan. 6, among them, seditious conspiracy.

There was no sign that either group had any plans to rally in support of Trump when he appears in court.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Before Jan. 6, pro-Trump chat boards like the TheDonald.win quickly filled up with comments by posters discussing plans about building gallows, occupying the Capitol, chasing lawmakers through the tunnels of the building and committing other forms of violence.

Advance Democracy Inc., a nonprofit that conducts public interest research, issued a report this weekend that determined that Trumps supporters had not used the successor to the TheDonald.win  a website called Patriots.win  to make any clear-cut plans to engage in violence or even to discuss organizing large-scale activities surrounding his indictment in Manhattan.

Instead, the report found scattered comments both in pro-Trump chat boards and on wider social media sites calling for violence against Manhattans district attorney, Alvin Bragg, and the members of the New York City Police Department.

This cannot go unpunished, one commenter wrote shortly after the news of Trumps indictment emerged. The DA needs to pay dearly.

New York City Police, despite a reputation as one of the worlds premier departments, has had problems with responding to mass protests in the past. Officials were forced to revamp their training procedures after the chaotic and violent demonstrations spurred by the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

But the department has more experience in dealing with crises and mass demonstrations than its counterparts across the country, with ample personnel to respond to the kind of scenario that the Trump indictment might pose.

The Capitol Police, by contrast, is significantly smaller, with about 2,000 officers who have limited resources and experience. Moreover, the force had to rely on the FBI for intelligence  and the bureau failed to alert their partners of the threat of mass violence or the seditious conspiracies, blinded by a narrow focus on lone actors and a misguided belief that the threat from the far left was as great as that from the far right. Even the Capitol Police, which had correctly identified Congress as the target on Jan. 6, failed to prepare for that day adequately, deploying too few officers and failing to erect the physical barriers that would have helped protect Congress.

Theres a difference in scale with the NYPD  they can push a button and get 1,000 officers, said John Miller, the departments former deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism, who served as a senior official at the FBI.

Then if that isnt enough, they can push the button again, and get another 1,000 without too much trouble, he added.

Some of Trumps most extreme supporters seem to recognize this fact.

NYPD wont fall as easily as Capitol police did, one person wrote in a March 20 post on Patriots.win. There needs to be multiple events to scatter and distract them. Be careful though. NYPD are brutal and even more so when protecting one of their own. They have militarized units that are trained to round up and kill.

Robert Reilly, a former FBI agent in New Jersey who handled domestic terrorism cases, said the city itself is not as fertile a protest ground for conservative activists who were able to mobilize easily in Washington and during the violent neo-Nazi protests in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

This is New York City, he said. Youre not going get the protests you would in Charlottesville or the Capitol. It is too far and too many tolls and nowhere to park.

(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

The FBI is acutely aware of what unfolded on Jan. 6 as the federal agency charged with stopping terrorism. The bureau is capable of deploying tactical teams, as it did on the day of the Capitol attack, and arresting those intent on committing violence. And agents and analysts alike on the bureaus terrorism task forces are tracking the longer-term reaction of extremists on the right who may be mobilized to commit violence by the Manhattan indictment. Those extremists could become increasingly agitated by investigations into Trump by Smith and the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, who could file charges stemming from the presidents efforts to overturn Bidens narrow victory in the state.

Even as he acknowledged the irony, Reilly said the FBI should have better insights into right-wing threats thanks to Jan. 6.

The FBI should be monitoring the human intelligence that agents have developed in far-right extremist groups, he said. The fringe benefit of the investigations and arrests of Jan. 6 have given the bureau the opportunity to interview thousands of the people the FBI otherwise would not have contacted. Youve now developed a vast amount of intelligence and informants from those interviews.

Yet if Jan. 6 is not an accurate template for the potential threats surrounding Trumps court appearance, a better one is what unfolded in August after the FBI descended on Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, and hauled away hundreds of classified documents.

After the search, top Republicans like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned that violence could ensue. Trump told Fox News that people are so angry at what is taking place, adding that terrible things might happen.

Almost immediately, they did.

Three days after the search, an armed man from Ohio tried to breach the FBIs field office outside Cincinnati. Later, after the man was killed in a standoff with local police, investigators found social media posts he had written encouraging people to go to Mar-a-Lago and, if needed, murder federal agents.

I recommend going, and being Florida, I think the feds wont break it up, one of the messages read. IF they do, kill them.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
A series of lightning strikes spidered across the New York City skyline the evening of Saturday, April 1, a few of which stretched from the World Trade Center into the clouds above in a dazzling display.

The upside-down lightning was no April Fool's joke as thunderstorms moved into the Northeast on Saturday evening, the northern edge of the storms clipping past the Big Apple.

Flashes like the ones seen Saturday evening are called "ground to cloud" lightning strikes and often originate at the top of man-made buildings, according to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell.

Nature's power on display!  A lightning bolt struck One World Trade Center over the weekend, which was captured by #EarthCam from multiple angles! Head to https://t.co/w3DpNuJ5AF to watch your favorite cameras across the globe live - You never know what you'll see! pic.twitter.com/nDBEBfsYWg  EarthCam (@EarthCam) April 3, 2023

"New York City was on the northern edge of the storms, so there wasn't a lot of lightning," Ferrell said. "Only two cloud-to-ground lightning events were detected by Vaisala's lightning sensors in Manhattan, but strikes that are initiated by towers wouldn't appear in that count."

This wasn't the skyscraper's first encounter with lightning, either. Between 2015 and 2020, lightning struck the One World Trade Center 189 times, ranking number two in the nation for major city towers.

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The storm that spawned the lightning was a part of the same system that left over two dozen dead in the South and Midwest on Friday. According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Dombek, it moved eastward in two parts, the first of which was mostly rain. The second half, however, was more reminiscent of the system's history of destruction.

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"The main piece of that system came eastward with a pool of colder air aloft and a lot more instability," Dombek said. "Things got very active in a hurry late Saturday and Saturday evening."

The second half of the storms turned severe, and there was at least one storm-related death in Delaware.

A confirmed tornado was located near Bridgeville in Sussex County, Delaware, shortly after 6 p.m. local time, moving east at 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Following the destruction, Leonard DeMalto, a spokesman for the Delaware State Police, told ABC News that one person was confirmed dead after a home collapsed amid the storms.

As of 8 AM Monday, here is a summary of where we currently stand with storm damage assessment. 6 tornadoes have been confirmed so far and additional surveys are planned for today. More details are in the linked public statement: https://t.co/C1CBSEeCrb #NJwx #DEwx #PAwx pic.twitter.com/oEP8tHXPys  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 3, 2023

The NWS office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, confirmed at least five other tornadoes and said there are three damage sites still under investigation.

Only two tornadoes have been rated -- one that started in Cinnaminson and ended in Moorestown, New Jersey, and a second that tracked from Wrightstown Township to Newtown, Pennsylvania. Both were listed at EF1 strength with estimated maximum winds of 100 and 105 mph, respectively.

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.
The death of a Black man at a Virginia hospital that led to murder charges against 10 deputies and hospital workers was a homicide that was caused by asphyxia with restraints, authorities said Monday.

The cause of Irvo Otienos death March 6 was positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints, the state chief medical examiners office said in a statement. The death of Otieno, 28, was ruled a homicide, the medical examiners office said.

Video capturing some of the final moments of Otienos life at Virginias Central State Hospital shows officers and medical staff members appearing to pile on top of Otieno before he eventually stops moving.

Otienos family and his attorneys have said he was in a mental health crisis.

His death led to second-degree murder charges against seven sheriffs deputies and three hospital workers.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Mark Krudys, who represent the Otieno family, said in a statement Monday that the cause and manner of death are "not surprising to us as it corroborates what the world witnessed in the video.

In a chilling parallel to George Floyds killing, Irvo was held down and excessively restrained to death, when he should have been provided medical help and compassion," the statement said. "It is tragic that yet another life has been lost to this malicious and deadly restraint technique.

Surveillance video shows officers dragging Otieno  who appears to be handcuffed and shackled at the ankles  into an admissions room, initially moving him toward a table before they lay him on the ground and restrain him.

As many as 10 sheriffs deputies and medical staff members at the hospital crowd around Otieno on the floor as several others stand nearby. The scene is so crowded that Otieno can hardly be seen at that point, and it is unclear what exactly is happening or how deputies and medical workers are interacting with him.

A Virginia prosecutor last month charged seven Henrico County sheriffs deputies and three staff members at the hospital with second-degree murder. A grand jury indicted them March 21.

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It is unclear what was said during the encounter, because the video has no audio. Prosecutors have said state police investigators were told Otieno had become combative during admission.

After Otienos family and their attorneys were shown video of the encounter, Caroline Ouko said her son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog.

Four of the deputies who restrained Otieno weighed at least 250 pounds, with the heaviest weighing 320 pounds, according to court documents.

The prosecutors office has said deputies took Otieno to the hospital at 3:58 p.m. to be admitted. Instead, he died of asphyxia due to being smothered to death, thanks to having at least seven people ... on top of him and holding him down, Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said at a court hearing last month, according to courtroom video broadcast by NBC affiliate WWBT of Richmond.

Otieno had initially been arrested March 3 after Henrico County police officers responded to a possible burglary call, the police department has said.

Officers placed Otieno under an emergency custody order, the department said. Virginia law says such orders are used in cases of mental illness.

Officers then took Otieno to Parham Doctors Hospital, where a crisis receiving center was located, and the police department said he became physically assaultive towards officers. He was taken to a jail managed by the Henrico County Sheriffs Office, where he was served with several charges, including three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct in a hospital and vandalism.

Image: US-POLICE-HOMICIDE (Ben Crump Law / AFP - Getty Images)

The police department said officers had also responded to another incident the day before, on March 2, for a reported suspicious situation in which the complainant said he was concerned about his neighbors behavior. The neighbor was identified as Otieno, police said. The call was reclassified as a mental health problem, and no charges were filed, it said.

State police were called to investigate Otienos death around 7:30 p.m. March 6, days after the initial arrest.

Henrico County Sheriff Alisa Gregory has said in a statement that the office was cooperating fully with the investigation of the Virginia State Police.

Separately, we are conducting our own independent review of this incident, the statement said.

Otienos family, which has roots in Kenya, has said he was a selfless person who cared about fairness. He was also a hip-hop artist who could write songs in five minutes, his relatives said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Conservative ranchers have expressed sympathy for Kelly. The border is out of control, says John Ladd, a rancher near Naco, Ariz. (Adriana Zehbrauskas/The New York Times)

KINO SPRINGS, Ariz.  Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea was slipping across a ranchers land near the border with Mexico when the shooting started. Im hit, he said, before his eyes rolled back and he crumpled face down by a mesquite tree.

To the sheriff in rural Santa Cruz County, Arizona, this account, relayed by a witness, and other pieces of the investigation into the shooting death of Cuen-Buitimea seemed to make the next steps clear. The sheriffs office arrested George Alan Kelly, the rancher suspected of firing the fatal shot, and charged him with murder.

Then the angry calls started pouring in.

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This is garbage.

Its a travesty of justice.

Since when do illegals have rights?

To conservative ranchers and far-flung immigration critics who seized on the case as it ricocheted across social media, Kelly, 74, was the real victim in a murky tale of death and justice in Arizonas politically volatile borderlands.

The shooting Jan. 30 aggravated tensions over the surge in cross-border migration. Many in Santa Cruz County are horrified by the killing, and view the growing number of migrants as a humanitarian crisis. Cuen-Buitimea, 48, a Mexican man, was unarmed and was crossing the border into the United States without legal permission in search of work, law enforcement officials said. But Kellys supporters and some fellow ranchers see the incident as evidence of an invasion of migrants and drugs along the 2,000-mile border that threatens their security.

Cuen-Buitimeas death has added to a bloody toll of widely publicized killings along the border, and a sense of the peril on both sides.

In September, two American men were accused of opening fire on a group of migrants who had stopped for water at a pond outside El Paso, Texas. In March, two Americans were fatally shot during a brazen kidnapping in Matamoros, Mexico, that highlighted the rampant violence on the Mexican side of the border.

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Law enforcement officials say the shooting on Kellys ranch occurred after a group of migrants traversing the high desert nearby spotted a Border Patrol vehicle and scattered. When two men ran onto Kellys 170-acre ranch, the authorities say, Kelly fired his AK-47 rifle at them, hitting Cuen-Buitimea in the back.

In court papers, Kellys lawyer offered a sharply different account, saying that Kelly and his wife were eating lunch when they heard a gunshot. Kelly went to his porch to investigate, the court papers say, and in the distance he spotted a group of camouflage-clad men with assault rifles crossing his property. He fired warning shots over their heads after one of the men pointed a rifle at him, his lawyer said in court documents.

Kelly and his lawyer, Brenna Larkin, declined to comment for this article.

Kelly pleaded not guilty in March to charges of second-degree murder and assault, and he has been released on a $1 million bond. A trial has been scheduled for Sept. 6.

Larkin has disputed whether Kelly fired the fatal shot. In a court hearing, she appeared to raise the possibility that Cuen-Buitimea might have been killed in a conflict between rival gangs.

The question of security for ranchers living along the border is a complex one. Most migrants are looking for work, or seeking to escape dangerous conditions. Yet that flow of families and young migrants is often managed by networks of smugglers controlled by organized crime groups, including some of Mexicos most violent cartels. Ranchers in remote areas say they feel especially vulnerable because they are isolated.

Some ranchers have responded to rising numbers of migrants entering the country illegally by setting out water for them in the desert. Others use game cameras to track groups threading their way up ravines and arroyos. Some ranchers say they bring rifles for self-defense against traffickers when checking on their stock.

The border is out of control, said John Ladd, a rancher outside Naco, Arizona, who said he had found 16 migrants bodies on his land and had seen people with 30-foot ladders scaling sections of border wall by his ranch. Everybodys just sick of it. When you think your lifes threatened and your wife  everybody has a certain point where enough is enough.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

After Kelly was arrested, scores of people from Virginia to Florida to California rallied to his defense and raised $425,000.

The history and economy of Santa Cruz County, whose population is 80% Hispanic, are rooted in the ties of Ambos Nogales, the twin cities that straddle the border wall. Every day, thousands of people from Nogales, Mexico, cross legally into Nogales, Arizona, trucking in tomatoes and electronics, or walking in to shop and visit relatives.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Although overall crime rates in Nogales, Arizona, are higher than statewide averages, violent crime is lower. And crime is scant in the outlying rural areas of Santa Cruz County, including the Kino Springs area where Kellys ranch sits, according to state data. The whole 50,000-person county often records one or two homicides a year.

Its a very peaceful and tranquil area, said Sheriff David Hathaway, an elected Democrat. He said he and his wife take sunset walks not far from where the shooting happened.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

But in a court hearing, other law-enforcement agents described the area around Kellys ranch as a high-crime area where drug smuggling was on the rise.

Outside Nogales, the land on the United States side of the border quickly turns rugged and remote, studded with ranches and wide-open public lands. Miles of new border wall abruptly end when they reach riverbeds and canyons, which serve as crossing points for migrants and smugglers.

At least 894 migrants died along the entire southern border in the last federal fiscal year  a 58% increase from the previous fiscal year, according to the U.S. Border Patrol Missing Migrant Program.

To Kelly, the mesquite-fringed stretch of land where the shooting occurred represented a late-life dream when he and his wife bought the property in 2002.

The Kellys planned to build a resort where wealthy tourists might pay as much as $1,000 a night to go horseback riding, hike or stargaze, according to court records. But the resort never materialized.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Kelly called the Santa Cruz Sheriffs Office several times in the early 2000s to report gunshots on his property, a break-in, and tampering with his gates. In 2005, he reported seeing a group of migrants on his land, and said that when two of the men approached him after he yelled at them to stop, he used his pistol to fire a warning shot into the air, according to a report from a sheriffs officer.

Kelly also made regular calls to the Border Patrols rancher liaison officers, according to court testimony.

Kelly was a stranger to many commercial ranchers in the area. Some called him a hobby rancher in contrast to larger operations that graze hundreds of cattle.

All the ranchers Ive talked with have never known him, said Jim Chilton, a rancher and border-wall proponent in Arivaca, Arizona.

Chilton said that he regularly sees clusters of backpack-carrying people crossing his land, but he said they tend to avoid his house.

Ive never fired a shot, but Im armed at all times, he said, adding that he had sympathy for Kelly: I can understand his frustrations with people coming through his place.

In a self-published 2013 novel, Far Beyond the Border Fence, Kelly conjured the persona of a border rancher named George who patrols his war zone ranch. George gets into gunfights with traffickers and heads into Mexico to rescue abducted family members.

Cuen-Buitimea, 48, grew up in an adobe house in the impoverished farming village of Buaysiacobe in the Mexican state of Sonora, according to his relatives and friends there. He had crossed into the United States illegally and been deported at least three times between 2011 and 2016, according to court records.

Jesus Molina, a friend, said that Cuen-Buitimea lived with his two oldest daughters in Nogales, Mexico. He occasionally returned to Buaysiacobe, about 350 miles south of the border, where his mother and other relatives lived. In Buaysiacobe, he worked in the onion fields and would hang out with friends at a local tire-repair shop, Molina said.

In court filings, Kellys lawyer claimed that Cuen-Buitimea must have been a smuggler  whether of people, or drugs, or both  because investigators had found a two-way radio with his body, some 100 yards from Kellys house.

Officials of the sheriffs office in Santa Cruz County said they believed Cuen-Buitimea had been heading to Phoenix to seek work as a roofer, and that they had not found any evidence that he had been a trafficker.

Court records say that a witness told investigators that he and Cuen-Buitimea were making their way through the area when a man with a rifle opened fire without a word of warning.

Kelly called the Border Patrol to say he was being shot at, and was returning fire and pursuing a group of men, according to testimony from law enforcement officers. Responding officers searched the area but did not find anyone.

Toward evening, Kelly told a sheriffs dispatcher that he had found Cuen-Buitimeas body. In a recording of the 911 call obtained through a public records request, Kelly says he is hesitant to talk on the phone, and tells the dispatcher he discovered an animal laying face down.

An animal? the dispatcher asks.

An animal, Kelly replies. And you know what an animal is  its not a vegetable or a mineral. Its a body, and you know what Im talking about.

In legal filings, Kellys lawyer has called witness statements highly suspicious and has said they are contradictory and do not match the physical evidence.

Supporters of Kelly who have spoken to his family say that he and his wife have left the ranch house in Kino Springs because they are worried about their safety. The dirt road leading to the property is blocked by a locked gate and a sign that says, No Trespassing.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
MEXICO CITY (AP)  The death toll in a fire last week at a migrant detention center in a Mexican border city has risen to 40, after one of the injured men died while being flown to a specialized hospital in Mexico City.

The federal public safety department confirmed the death Monday.

Mexico had previously turned down a U.S. offer to help provide medial treatment to the injured, most of whom suffered smoke inhalation, saying they were too ill to be moved. But the department said a medical decision was made to fly some of the injured to a specialized respiratory hospital in the capital.

The fire in Ciudad Juarez injured 27 men, 23 of whom remain hospitalized.

Six people have been charged with homicide in the fire, including an inmate accused of igniting it and officials who failed to get victims to safety. The fire allegedly started when a small group of migrants protested against a feared deportation, and at least one set mattresses on fire.

That migrant, along with three officials from the National Immigration Institute and two private security guards at the detention center, face charges of homicide and causing injuries. The federal prosecutors office says it also is investigating others for possible misdeeds.

The migrant accused of starting the fire suffered only slight injuries and already was released from the hospital, presumably into custody. One of the private security guards has not yet been arrested.

A video from a security camera inside the facility shows guards walking away when the fire started inside the cell holding migrants and not making any attempt to release them. It was not clear whether those guards had keys to the cell doors.

There have been years of complaints about poor conditions and human rights violations at migrant detention facilities in Mexico, including inadequate ventilation, food and water, and overflowing toilets.

There also has been evidence of corruption throughout Mexicos immigration system, in which everyone from lawyers and immigration officials to guards have taken bribes to allow migrants out of detention.

Little has been done up to now to address these concerns.
A house is destroyed from a tornado in Covington, Tenn., Saturday, April 1, 2023. Storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes have killed at least 32 people in the South and Midwest. | Patrick Lantrip, Daily Memphian via Associated Press

The death count for tornadoes over the weekend went from an estimated 18 to a confirmed 32 when a storm passed through southern and midwestern regions of the U.S.

Storms previously reported by the Deseret News spawned several tornadoes, causing casualties in possibly 11 different states, according to AP News.

Related

What happened?

Multiple news outlets have reported on the casualties of the tornadoes.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders had already declared a state of emergency and alerted the National Guard before the National Weather Service classified a tornado in Arkansas as an EF3 with winds of up to 165 mph, 30 miles long and 1.3 miles wide, USA Today said.

AP News said at least five people in Arkansas were killed, along with nine others in a Tennessee county, five in Indiana and four in Illinios.

The Apollo Theatre, a concert venue in Belvidere, Illinois, was hosting 260 people for a heavy metal concert when the roof collapsed. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said 48 attendees were hospitalized. Frederick Livingston Jr. did not survive, his son Alex telling WSL-TV I couldnt save him, per AP News.

Reuters said six states reported 15 deaths total from the storm and tornadoes.

Three Tipton County schools about 30 miles from Memphis are closed Monday because of damaged property or power outages, according to CNN.

Jennifer Hobbs, mayor of Wynne, Arkansas, told CNN that the tornado destroyed homes and killed at least four people, leaving the county in need of resources beyond their means to recover from damage.

USA Today said the weather service office in Little Rock, Arkansas, predicted severe weather in the near future. A strong storm system will approach the area from the west, and thunderstorms are expected to develop Tuesday through Wednesday morning.

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Government response

President Joe Biden released a statement on the natural disasters that took place, giving comforting words and outlining a series of actions he will take to help those affected.

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Ive directed my team to bring every element of the federal government together to help with immediate needs and long-term rebuilding, he said.

Sunday morning, Biden issued an expedited major disaster declaration for those affected in hard-hit Arkansas to receive federal assistance sooner.

Biden has also reached out to several government officials in the affected areas, letting them know that my administration will do everything we can to help, as long as it takes, per the statement.
In historic action, fish have been caught more than 5 miles under the ocean's surface and filmed even deeper by a joint Australian-Japanese scientific expedition.

The expedition's chief scientist Alan Jamieson posted on Twitter Monday two snailfish were caught in traps set about 5 miles underwater in the Iza-Ogasawara Trench, south of Japan.

Jamison, professor at The Oceans Institute and the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Western Australia, said both the catch and filming took place during a two-month voyage by a team from the University of Western Australia and the Tokyo University of Marine Science.

New deepest fish record set



Our CEO, Professor Alan Jamieson has just broken the previous record for the deepest-ever fish, with this recent observation of a snailfish in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, near Japan.



The deepest fish observed now sits at 8336m! https://t.co/lCUDhInfK7  ArmatusOceanic (@ArmatusO) April 1, 2023

Filmed in the Iza-Ogasawara Trench

The snailfish was filmed in the Izu-Ogasawara Trench, near Japan, according to Armatus Oceanic.

The snailfish, of the Pseudoliparis belyaevi species, are the first to be caught below 26,000 feet , Reuters reported.

It wasn't immediately known how big the fish are, but the outlet reported species have been reached lengths close to 4.3 inches.

More coverage from USA TODAY

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

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snailfish is deepest ever fish caught after Australia-Japan expedition
Delta Air Lines will stop serving the University Park Airport in June, airport officials said Monday.

The airline had added capacity when it began flying twice daily from State College to New Yorks LaGuardia Airport in January on bigger regional jets than it used for previous service to Detroit.

Delta will suspend flights from State College on June 5 due to a personnel shortage, airport officials said in a statement. Delta has reduced flights by 10-15% nationwide because of a lack of pilots and crew members, an issue being felt across the airline industry.

At the University Park Airport, bookings have increased as travelers resume pre-pandemic travel plans.

Were certainly disappointed on behalf of our many travelers, but recognize the challenges faced by the airline industry, Centre County Airport Authority Executive Director James Meyer said in a written statement. Were optimistic that this will be a temporary measure, and when Delta is able to reinstate service to State College, they will return with flights through Detroit and future destinations like Atlanta could be added to the schedule.

When Delta leaves the market, commercial travelers will be served by American (which offers flights to Philadelphia) and United (which offers flights to Chicago and Newark).

Delta spokesperson Drake Castaneda confirmed in an email that the airline will temporarily suspend service from State College. The last Delta Connection flight between State College and LaGuardia will be June 4.

Delta continues to evaluate the regional market, monitoring regional carrier pilot availability and customer demand. Affected customers will be proactively notified by Delta and re-accommodated accordingly, Castaneda said. We apologize to customers for any inconvenience these changes may cause.

Delta will continue to offer service from Harrisburg to hubs in Atlanta and Detroit.

The airlines departure from State College will mark the 17th city it has left during the pandemic, according to The Points Guy  including Erie and Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania. United has left 38 markets, including Erie, while American has cut 18 markets.

Airport Director Bryan Rodgers struck an optimistic tone in a statement Monday.

University Park Airport has been a crucial part of the economic growth of this region for decades, and we will continue to provide outstanding and convenient travel options, Rodgers said. We are always exploring options for new travel partners, and we expect to see options open up in the future as the travel industry returns to more normal conditions.
The West agreed to help Ukraine with ammunition to effectively counter the Russian Federation

Oslo will provide 155-mm artillery shells and Copenhagen will provide the appropriate fuses, the ministry reported.

"Ukraine has a significant need for artillery ammunition," stated Norwegian Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram.

Norway will contribute where we can. It is important for both Europe's and Norway's security that Ukraine succeeds in standing up to Russia's attack.

Read also: Denmark cancels fencing tournament due to Russian participation

This will be in addition to the Caesar air defense systems provided by Denmark, he emphasized.

Australia also plans to supply Ukraine with 100 remote weapon systems (RWS) worth up to $80 million over two years, according to Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems.

The contract includes spare parts and related services.

Read also: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway pool their air forces together

Remote weapon systems are used by several military services in Australia, North America, Europe, and Asia. They can be integrated into a variety of vehicles and platforms and are used in a wide range of missions. The Australian assistance provides for full combat readiness as the crew operates the system while protected inside the vehicle.

Norway and 17 EU countries signed an agreement on March 20 to jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine and their own national stockpiles. The agreement is to purchase 1 million rounds of ammunition, said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Spain will soon join this initiative.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced on March 24 that the total number of countries participating in the munitions-purchasing program had increased to 20.

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
Blindsided by a decision by the Disney-aligned governing board to undercut his authority over the special taxing district that oversees development at Walt Disney World, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday ordered an investigation into what he said appears to be self-dealing and other ethical violations.

Disney has defended the actions of the Reedy Creek Improvement Board, and on Monday Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger shot back. Addressing questions at the companys annual shareholders meeting he called the governors attempts at retaliation for Disneys speaking out against the states gender identity legislation passed last year as anti-business and anti-Florida.

DeSantis said the decision by the Reedy Creek Improvement District to enter into last-minute development and restrictive covenant agreements with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S., Inc, was designed to usurp the authority of the successor board he had appointed, DeSantis wrote in a letter to Melinda Miguel, his chief inspector general.

He asked her to launch a civil and criminal investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement into the actions of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District board. Based on initial observations of his legal counsel, he said, the board engaged in inadequate notice, lack of consideration, improper delegation of authority, and ethical violations, such as conflicts of interest and self-dealing.

DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said the agreements are likely invalid, and all legislative options are back on the table, although he did not specify what that may entail.

Disney has stood by the actions of the Reedy Creek board, saying in a statement last week that all agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Floridas Government in the Sunshine law. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the DeSantis investigation.

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Iger said Monday that the company will invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs at Walt Disney World over the next 10 years. He also took a jab at the governors criticism.

A year ago we took a position on legislation  and, while we may not have handled it well  the governor got very angry with the position we took, he said during the virtual meeting. ...A company has a right to freedom of speech just like an individual does...Our point is, that any action that thwarts those efforts simply to retaliate against a position the company took sounds not only anti-business, but anti-Florida.

Outgoing board approved long-term agreements

The conflict began in February, days before Florida legislators voted to advance the governors proposal to take control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. At a publicly-noticed meeting with news reporters present, the district board voted to sign a series of agreements that undercut the authority of the DeSantis-appointed board, which has been named the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

In addition to no one noticing the implications of the vote until last week, no one also called attention to the fact that the agreements remain in effect until 21 years after the death of the last descendant of King Charles III, the king of England.

The governors response has been expected since last week, when the board he appointed announced that it had been outmaneuvered.

This essentially makes Disney the government, said Ron Peri, one of the five members of the new board appointed by DeSantis. This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.

READ MORE: Disney outmaneuvered DeSantis new governing board, but a legal fight is brewing

DeSantis staff last week said the agreements between Disney and the former board may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void, and the governor hinted that legal action would follow. You aint seen nothing yet, the governor declared on Thursday.

Now, questions remain as to whether the agreements were in line with Florida law, whether the state and Legislature can retroactively overturn them, and how far the governor can go to interfere in the property rights of a private company.

The agreements leave in place the local land-use regulations that favor Disney for the next 30 years, and the set of restrictive covenants limit what the DeSantis-aligned board can do with Disneys property.

Broad state land-use laws may be at issue

A challenge would take a change in how we understand local government law in order for Disney to lose because it really follows that local government development act very closely, said Jake Schumer, a municipal attorney in the suburban Orlando law firm of Shepard, Smith, Kohlmyer & Hand in an interview with the Herald/Times.

The reaction from the governors allies on the board, however, was to fight the move in court.

After the board discovered the Reedy Creek boards maneuver, the DeSantis-aligned board agreed to hire four law firms, whose fees will be paid by the tax revenues into the district by Disney.

The law firms include Cooper & Kirk, a Washington, D.C., law firm the DeSantis administration has paid at least $5.8 million to defend his culture war policies attacking Big Tech, vaccine passports on cruise ships and limits to felons voting.

The board also hired the new Tallahassee law firm of Lawson Huck Gonzalez, which was launched earlier this year with Alan Lawson, a retired Florida Supreme Court justice, and Jason Gonzalez, a leader in The Florida Federalist Society. And the board approved two Orlando firms to pursue the challenge  Nardella & Nardella and Waugh Grant.

Last week, Attorney General Ashley Moody also intervened, sending a public records request for all communications between the former members of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and Disney officials.

DeSantis indicated in his letter that he wants any violations referred to the appropriate authorities.

The inspector general and the Legislature

These collusive and self-dealing arrangements aim to nullify the recently passed legislation, undercut Floridas legislative process, and defy the will of Floridians, he wrote in the letter to Miguel.

As chief inspector general, Miguel is charged with conducting independent audits and investigations but her role is not entirely independent of the governor. He appoints her, and she reports directly to him.

Although DeSantis appears ready to ask the Legislature to intervene, the presiding officers had mixed reactions when asked about it last week.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said legislators would take a look at it, but she did not anticipate doing anything in the near term.

House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said that he was not sure what the Legislature could do and said he was fully supportive of the governor taking action.

Whats happened is disingenuous to say the least, Renner said, adding it involved a lack of candor.

What DeSantis asks to be investigated

The governors letter asks the inspector generals investigation to focus on the following:

 Reedy Creeks adherence to applicable Florida civil and criminal laws and ethics requirements;

 The qualifications of Reedy Creeks prior Board of Supervisors and the legal validity of their actions;

 The involvement of Walt Disney World employees and agents in the execution of Reedy Creeks actions;

 Any financial gain or benefit derived by Walt Disney World as a result of Reedy Creeks actions and Reedy Creeks justification for such actions;

 All Reedy Creek board, employee, or agent communications related to Reedy Creeks actions, including those with Walt Disney World employees and agents;

 All Reedy Creek board, employee, or agent communications related to House Bill 9-B, Reedy Creek Improvement District, Orange and Osceola Counties, and the Central Florida Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@miamiherald.com and @MaryEllenKlas
A 24-year-old Joliet man was shot to death Saturday in the parking lot of an Alsip business while another man was shot and killed Friday in Chicago Heights, according to authorities.

Alsip police said they responded to a report of shots fired at about 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a business in the 4800 block of 111th Street.

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A man, identified by the Cook County medical examiners office as Trevale Robinson, was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday.

Robinson, of the 1300 block of Justice Lake Drive in Joliet, had suffered multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the office.

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Alsip police Lt. Todd Gutkowski said detectives are reviewing information including surveillance camera images. He said Robinson was a victim of a straight ambush in the parking lot, and said there was no altercation leading up to the shooting.

Police said a group of people in two vehicles were part of the shooting and fled the scene. Gutkowski said police as of Monday do not know how many people may have fired shots, and could not say whether anyone of interest had been identified.

Separately, a 24-year-old Chicago Heights man died Friday after being shot multiple times in the 1540 block of Edgewood Avenue, according to the medical examiner.

Nicholaus Cooper, of the 0-99 block of East 24th Street, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 1 p.m., and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the office.

Additional information about the shooting was not immediately available.

mnolan@tribpub.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Monday, giving the governor another legislative victory as he prepares a campaign for president.

The governor signed the bill in a private ceremony in his office. His only immediate public comment was, Constitutional Carry is in the books, which he said in a three-paragraph news release.

The new law will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be required to carry concealed guns in public. It takes effect July 1.

The arguments over the legislation were divided along political lines, with Republicans saying law-abiding citizens have a right to carry guns and protect themselves. They say most people will still want to get a permit because it will allow them to carry concealed weapons in states with reciprocal agreements and to be able to purchase guns without a waiting period.

However, Democrats and gun safety advocates -- pointing to mass shootings in Florida like the massacre at the 2016 Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland  say the new law will only make the state more dangerous.

I am pissed," Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, told reporters during an online news conference. I will chase him down across the state as well as possibly across the country ... because Ron DeSantis today put his signature to a bill that guarantees there will be more Jaimes.

And he said signing the bill behind closed doors makes DeSantis a coward.

Somebody in Florida may die ... because of this legislation. That will be because of you, Ron DeSantis, Guttenberg said. I understand why you hid today ... You are a weak, pathetic, small-minded individual.

Nearly 3 million Floridians have a concealed weapons permit. While a background check and three-day waiting period will still be required to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, they are not required for private transactions or exchanges of weapons.

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DeSantis has said he thinks Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesn't appear the Legislature will pass such legislation this session.

The bill signing comes five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed a bill creating gun restrictions after 17 students and faculty were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Under DeSantis, momentum has swung back toward expanding gun rights rather than placing limits on them, which has earned him praise from gun rights advocates.

"Government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families, Republican Sen. Jay Collins, who sponsored the bill, said in a news release.

It also comes one week after six people were killed in a Nashville school shooting, a point made by President Joe Biden's administration.

It is shameful that so soon after another tragic school shooting, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. This is the opposite of common-sense gun safety.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a measure that will allow Florida residents to carry guns without a state permit  but falls short of what some gun-rights activists sought.

DeSantis signed the legislation behind closed doors in the governors office, with news of the bill signing being released first to Fox News. He had pledged during an appearance last week at a Georgia gun store that he would act quickly on the proposal, which passed the Florida Legislature on Thursday.

You dont need a permission slip from the government to be able to exercise your constitutional rights, DeSantis, a Republican, said at the time.

Florida becomes the 26th state to allow residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit. The new legislation gives DeSantis another victory to tout as he gears up for an expected presidential campaign.

Here in the free state of Florida, government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families, said state Sen. Jay Collins, a Tampa Republican and sponsor of the legislation.

While DeSantis and other Republican backers have described the legislation as constitutional carry, supporters of gun rights have repeatedly called on GOP legislators to go further by allowing people to carry guns openly.

DeSantis has said he supports open carry, but top Republicans in the state Senate  including Senate President Kathleen Passidomo  oppose such a policy. Passidomo has cited the opposition of many of Floridas sheriffs as a prime reason for her stance.

The governor is weak if he cannot even get his own super majority legislature to add part of his agenda, which is open carry, to the permitless carry bill, said Matt Collins, a gun rights supporter and former lobbyist for gun-rights groups. "It's embarrassing for him. Its failed leadership and it hurts his chances in the upcoming presidential primary.

Democrats, meanwhile, sharply criticized the approval of the gun measure.

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Hiding behind closed doors and standing shoulder to shoulder with the NRA, Ron DeSantis just signed legislation that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns, Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. DeSantis knows this legislation could be dangerous for Florida families and thats why he signed this bill with none of his usual produced fanfare.

The White House called the governor "shameful" for signing the bill following the Nashville school shooting.

"This is the opposite of commonsense gun safety," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The people of Florida  who have paid a steep price for state and Congressional inaction on guns from Parkland to Pulse Nightclub to Pine Hills  deserve better."

Florida law currently makes it a felony if someone carries a concealed weapon without a permit. There are more than 2.6 million people with concealed weapon licenses who must go through training and a background check first.

The new law, which takes effect on July 1, does not end the permitting program but instead makes it optional. Bill supporters contend many Floridians will go through the permitting process because other states recognize the licenses.

State Sen. Lauren Book, the Senate Democratic leader, also faulted Republicans for pushing ahead with what she called a nonsensical, reckless policy due to the governors political ambition.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed into law a bill that lets people carry guns without a permit and without any training.

John Velleco, executive vice president of Gun Owners of America, said the governor signed the bill Monday morning in the Capitol, in front of a group of about 20 people.

The bill, which will take effect on July 1, has faced attacks on both sides of the gun debate. People from gun safety advocacy groups have said allowing people to carry concealed guns in public without training, and removing an additional background check, will make the public less safe.

People who are otherwise prohibited from carrying a gun under state and federal law  like people with felony records and certain disqualifying misdemeanors  would still be barred under the legislation.

READ MORE: Florida just approved a new gun carry law. What to know about whats allowed  and not

Second Amendment advocates have criticized the bill for not going far enough, saying that without allowing people to openly carry guns in public, the bill isnt a true constitutional carry measure as DeSantis guaranteed and as the Legislature has hailed.

Gun advocates pleased but still want more

Velleco said the governor said that it was a great day for Floridians Second Amendment rights, and said DeSantis noted that more than half of the states in the country will now have permitless carry measures.

We think its a step in the right direction, said Luis Valdes, the Florida director of Gun Owners of America. Permitless concealed carry is a good thing. But its not the constitutional carry that we were promised.

DeSantis has said he supports open carry, but legislative leaders remained firm on continuing Floridas prohibition against open carry in nearly all circumstances.

READ MORE: Pro-gun and anti-gun groups dont like permitless carry bill Florida is considering

House Speaker Paul Renner previously said that he supports open carry but that there was concern among his caucus and in the Senate about it. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has been more firm in opposition  saying that Florida sheriffs have told her they oppose open carry, and she trusts their judgment.

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The legislation passed 76-32 in the House and 27-13 in the Senate, largely along party lines. Nearly all amendments put forward on the bill by Democrats failed.

Gun-control advocates react

The legislation also includes certain school safety measures. Some Democrats have accused those portions of the bill of being a cynical attempt on the part of Republicans to make the legislation harder to vote against. Passidomo has disagreed with that notion, saying the school safety components came up in early conversations with members where she recalled telling them weve got to take care of the kids.

Permitless carry policy hidden in a Public Safety bill does not make our communities safer, Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, D-Parkland, said in a statement. This is a wildly unpopular bill, which is probably why it was signed quietly, behind closed doors, and with no fanfare.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who advised on school safety components of the bill and led the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission that was formed after the mass shooting at the high school, said the bill has nothing bad in it, and as far as Im concerned, everything good in it.

Gualtieri said the argument that permitless carry will make it harder for law enforcement is a farce, because the law requires people to carry ID with them. He said officers can run that ID and see if someone has a disqualifying offense, in the same way they could check someones permit before.

Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Miami, an adviser with the gun safety advocacy group Giffords, said the bill was putting criminals above our children. Mucarsel-Powell said thousands of people have been denied a concealed-carry permit for not meeting eligibility, and that those people would now be celebrating.

People who still would like a concealed-carry permit  for instance, if they want to carry concealed weapons in other states  can still get one. Bill sponsor Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, has said he believes many people will keep their permits.
LAS CRUCES  A Santa Teresa man faces a slew of charges after police said he shot a Sunland Park police officer twice before turning himself in.

Tony Gomez, 33, stands charged with one count of kidnapping, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery against a household member, and assault with intent to carry out a violent felony. Gomez is also charged with three counts of child abuse, three counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, three counts of shooting at a dwelling, and one count of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

The 16 charges stem from an allegation that Gomez attacked a woman he lived with, then shot a police officer while dressed in military-grade combat equipment before surrendering himself on April 1. Gomez remains in jail as of the publication of this article. A spokesperson with the Third Judicial District Attorneys Office confirmed the office intended to request a judge hold Gomez in jail until trial.

The wounded Sunland Park police officer was taken to an area hospital, according to a news release from the New Mexico State Police. The officers injury is non-life threatening, the release said. A news release from Sunland Park Police Department described the officer as a 23-year veteran. The release said the officer was released on April 2 and is expected to recover fully.

According to an affidavit written by an NMSP investigator, police believe the incident began when Gomez attacked a woman he lived with on the 5000 block of Megan Street in Santa Teresa. Police did not disclose the nature of their relationship in the affidavit or news releases about the incident. Gomez used the muzzle of a rifle to bash the womans legs and fired twice at her head, police said.

Both shots missed allowing the woman to flee and call 911. She told police she and three children in the house hid inside a locked bathroom while the incident unfolded. Before police arrived, Gomez equipped himself with a military-grade bulletproof vest, ammo, a handgun, a rifle and a helmet.

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When the SPPD officer arrived, police said Gomez fired at least two rounds into the officers body. The officer was able to retreat to safety as others came. Gomez surrendered a short time later after barricading himself inside, police said.

Gomez is scheduled for a first appearance in the Dona Ana County Magistrate Court Monday afternoon.

Justin Garcia covers public safety and local government in Las Cruces. He can be reached via email at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com, via phone or text at 575-541-5449, or on Twitter @Just516Garc.

What else is happening in the Mesilla Valley?

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Details emerge in shooting that wounded Sunland Park police officer
Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags be lowered to half-staff this week in honor of a Springfield Township police officer and a Cincinnati resident who died in a car crash Friday.

United States and Ohio flags at public buildings and grounds in Hamilton County, the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts and the Rhodes State Office Tower will be lowered per the order, a press release said. Other Ohio public buildings and grounds can use their own discretion.

The governor issued the order Saturday and it will remain in effect until sunset on the day of the last funeral, which the Springfield Township Police Department said will be Thursday.

Fatal crash: Funeral arrangements announced for Springfield Twp. officer killed in on-duty crash

What we know: Springfield Township police officer, other driver killed in a crash

Gov. Mike DeWine ordered flags be lowered to half-staff in honor of Springfield Township officer Tim Unwin and North College Hill resident William Dunson.

Why are flags in Cincinnati and Ohio at half-staff?

Springfield Township Police Chief Rick Bley said 31-year-old officer Tim Unwin was responding to assist another officer Friday morning at the time of the crash. Bley said Monday the North College Hill collision occurred as multiple police jurisdictions responded to an "officer needs assistance call."

Unwin and 50-year-old North College Hill resident William Dunson were killed in the crash.

William Dunson, 50, was also killed in the crash.

A visitation for Unwin, who had been a police officer for four years, will take place Wednesday at Spring Grove Funeral Home. Dunson will also be honored.

It is not yet clear what caused the accident, and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is leading an investigation. Officials said the probe won't be finished until later this week at the earliest.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why are flags at half-staff in Cincinnati and other Ohio locations?
DINWIDDIE  The countys top prosecutor said Monday she is asking the federal Department of Justice to get involved in the case of the 10 Henrico County deputies and three Central State Hospital security guards accused of killing a Henrico County man while in custody.

Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said in an email to The Progress-Index that she will be in contact with the feds this week to see what I can do to get them on board.

The feds, and perhaps only the feds, have enough resources to give this case what it deserves at every stage and with every issue, Baskervill said in the email.

Baskervill

Baskervill also confirmed she will not seek re-election as commonwealths attorney when her term is up at the end of 2023. She said she made that decision last fall well before Irvo Otienos death.

She was first elected in 2015 and re-elected four years later. In both instances, she ran unopposed.

Otieno, 28, died March 6 in an admissions area of Central State Hospital where he had been taken by seven Henrico deputies. Surveillance video from the admissions area showed the deputies and three security guards restraining Otieno with their bodies for around 12 minutes after the deputies claimed he had become combative with them.

The state medical examiner released the official cause of death Monday -- positional and mechanical asphyxia [suffocation] with restraints. The ME also ruled Otienos death a homicide.

Each of the deputies and security guards was indicted last month on charges of second-degree murder.

In a statement released by their offices, Otieno family co-counsels Ben Crump and Mark Krudys said the ruling corroborates what the world witnessed in the video.

In a chilling parallel to George Floyds killing, Irvo was held down and excessively restrained to death, when he should have been provided medical help and compassion, the attorneys said. It is tragic that yet another life has been lost to this malicious and deadly restraint technique.

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The suspects are deputies Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Tabitha Rene Levere, 50; Brandon Edward Rodgers, 48; and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30; and hospital employees Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg, Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie.

More: Mother of Irvo Otieno 'happy' with indictments of deputies, hospital staff charged in his death

More: Mourners remember Irvo Otieno: Big-hearted, always kind, budding rapper, reason for change

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: Dinwiddie prosecutor will ask feds for helpwith Otieno murder case
Edith Makra and team have been hard at work putting a new solar-power-focused spin on the old think global, act local maxim.

Since 2017, her two-person office at the Illinois-based Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has been helping more than 50 Chicago-area cities, towns and villages that want to expand access to local solar power via SolSmart, a Department of Energyfunded program.

Plenty of communities in Illinois wanted to participate, Makra said. In 2018, more than 100 members of the caucus had signed on to a broad sustainability pledge and were looking for opportunities to do something to boost solar adoption without making major capital investments or taxing already busy staff, she said. SolSmarts eligibility criteria for potential partners met those requirements.

SolSmart provides free technical assistance to cities, counties and other local government organizations that want to support and expand the growth of solar. So far, the SolSmart program has helped nearly 500 communities across the U.S. streamline permitting, overhaul zoning, train workers and engage residents in solar programs  and now its doubling in size.

Earlier this month, SolSmart announced plans to expand to 500 more local governments and regional organizations through 2027, backed by $10 million in funding. Along with this new scale, SolSmart is widening its scope beyond rooftop solar to include other Biden administration priorities, including supporting community-solar development and improving equitable access to solar energy.

The magic for the communities [is] that it allowed them to do what they have to do  regulate development, engage with communities and ensure public safety  more effectively, and with great results, Makra said. Of the more than 50 local Illinois governments participating, many have reduced solar-permitting turnaround times to just three days; a few have also seen requests for solar installations grow more than a hundredfold, she said.

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The DOEs broader goal with the program is to reduce solar soft costs, which include everything that isnt the cost of the solar panels, inverters and other hardware involved. Those include the costs of acquiring customers and permitting, installing and financing solar projects, and can account for two-thirds of the total cost of typical solar installations.

Cutting soft costs isnt just an important way to lower the all-in cost of expanding solar. Its also vital to making solar accessible to communities that have lacked the money and know-how to obtain it.

There are a lot of best practices out there, said Michele Boyd, a program manager at DOEs Solar Energy Technologies Office. How do we get them to communities that want to increase their solar market?



Diverse community needs, shared templates



Communities partnering with SolSmart have taken a number of different paths to leverage their grant funding.

Some have trained permitting and inspection staff on the latest tools, such as DOEs SolarApp permitting platform or virtual home inspections, which can dramatically cut solar inspection time and cost. Many of them, such as Ohios Cuyahoga County and Michigan City, Indiana, have teamed up with solar cooperatives such as Solar United Neighbors to pool neighborhood buying power for rooftop solar. Others have formed local solar-workforce development programs, like northwest Indianas Soul Power Project, or theyve focused on bringing solar to rural areas, as Pennsylvanias Centre Region Council of Governments is pursuing.

Many communities say that SolSmart served as a launchpad to broader clean energy activities, said Theresa Perry, program director at the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, one of the two nonprofit organizations that manage the SolSmart program.

They may be working on a resilience plan, which is not part of the SolSmart program, but grows from that, Perry said, as with the microgrid projects being pursued by five rural municipalities in Puerto Rico, the territorys first SolSmart participants. Or they may be working on supporting EVs throughout the community, as Illinois Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has done with the recent launch of an EV readiness program for its municipal members.

Fundamental improvements in solar permitting and inspection are an important foundation for this kind of work. In Illinois, communities participating in SolSmart collected data on their permitting costs and timeframes, Makra said. That data provided baselines for improving those processes, including creating a new standard template for solar permitting  a big bonus for solar developers and installers eager for predictable rules and regulations from town to town, Makra noted.

SolSmart guidance also helped participating municipalities review their zoning ordinances, which can sometimes present unexpected barriers to residents who want rooftop solar.

A lot of communities are not aware of the barriers to solar theyve put into their zoning ordinances, such as rules requiring special exemptions to install solar, Perry said. SolSmart provides a standard process for communities to identify and remove some of those barriers.

Putting up a web page with all the information that customers and solar installers might need is another simple step that can significantly boost adoption, said Scott Annis, a senior program manager at the International City/County Management Association, the other of the two nonprofits chosen by DOE to manage SolSmart.

You should be easily able to find on one government website everything you want to know about solar, he said, offering examples from SolSmart communities from Olympia, Washington to Pulaski County, Virginia. Consumer protection, resources on solar financing options and summaries of state policies for solar access  have as many resources as you can.

Making solar accessible for all

SolSmart also announced it will adhere to the Biden administrations Justice40 Initiative, which pledges to direct 40 percent of federal climate-related funds to historically disadvantaged communities, DOE's Boyd said. In addition, it is supporting community efforts to expand solar for multifamily housing, low-income resident participation in community solar, and building pathways for local minority and women-owned businesses to install solar, she said.

Its up to the communities to determine that pathway, Boyd said. We dont tell them what to do. But when they decide what they want to do, we help them do it.

SolSmart participants have previously laid out some of the challenges for extending solar to underserved communities in a 2021 webinar.

Neal Denton, a sustainability officer for Santa Fe, New Mexico, noted that the city had cut rooftop solar permitting fees to $40 and put permitting checklists online to make the process easier for people. But its still developing ways to help city residents work with banks and credit unions to obtain low-interest loans for solar installations, which is a significant barrier for some people.

Alon Abramson, director of residential programs at the Philadelphia Energy Authority, highlighted his groups work on making low-cost solar leases available to city residents. But some residents arent able to install solar even if financing is lined up because their homes require underlying repairs, he noted  a problem that must be addressed by funding home retrofits that precede solar installations.

SolSmart has been taking steps to make its already no-cost technical assistance much more accessible to communities that have fewer resources, to make it less of an administrative task to participate, Perry told us. If they have to write a memo, theres a template thats already there.

Thats all part of the broader DOE goal of building a more solar-friendly environment that reduces soft costs for local governments as well as residents and developers, Annis said. We understand theyre quite busy and often under-resourced, he said. We can go in and help them implement these best practices. And if you can do that, you can save your staff time  this is a cost-saving measure as well.


Former US President Donald Trump has been consulting lawyers at Trump Tower in New York City as he prepares to face history-making criminal charges.

He has been under investigation over hush money paid just before the 2016 election to a porn star who says they had sex. He denies wrongdoing.

Extra security measures are in place with the authorities expecting protests outside the Manhattan court on Tuesday.

Mr Trump, 76, is the first ex-US president to face a criminal case.

"WITCH HUNT," the Republican wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly before travelling from his home in Florida to New York on Monday - a journey which drew blanket coverage across the US news channels.

On Tuesday morning, dozens of police and court officers, as well as Secret Service agents, are expected to escort Mr Trump through the streets of New York to the Lower Manhattan court complex.

The charges he faces will be disclosed in full at the hearing, which is scheduled for about 14:15 local time (19:15 BST). His lawyers have already said he will plead not guilty.

The former president is expected first to surrender at the office of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg.

Once Mr Trump is fingerprinted and processed by officials, he is considered under arrest and in custody. He will then be arraigned in court - meaning the charges will be read out and he will plead.

Mr Trump has been under investigation over a $130,000 (105,000) wire transfer by his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

A BBC infographic showing possible next steps after Donald Trump's arraignment, in which he plans to plead not guilty

Mr Trump has denied a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels.

Hush money agreements are not illegal, but the Manhattan prosecutor has been investigating whether business records were falsified in relation to the payment.

Mr Trump faces at least one felony charge in the case, according to US media. Other reports suggest there are about 30 counts in his indictment.

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Media outlets lobbied Judge Juan Merchan to allow cameras inside the court, a motion that was opposed by Mr Trump's legal team because they said it would "create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment".

But on Monday night, Judge Merchan ruled that some press photographers will be allowed to take pictures for several minutes before the arraignment formally starts.

The former president is expected to be released on bail and to return to his Florida home Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday evening, where he plans to deliver remarks at 20:15 local time.

His trip on Monday lunchtime from Palm Beach to Manhattan was closely watched by millions.

Trump supporters protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office

Live trackers followed his plane - painted in red, white and blue with "Trump" in big letters on the side - throughout the nearly four-hour flight from West Palm Beach to LaGuardia Airport in Queens.

Anticipating his arrival, the intersection around Trump Tower - the former president's Manhattan residence - was thronged with New Yorkers and tourists alike.

Dozens of media crews had set up camp on every available corner while at least five news helicopters hovered high over Fifth Avenue.

Mr Trump waved at media and the crowd before walking in to the skyscraper under tight security, just after 16:15 local time (20:15 GMT).

A protester near Trump Tower

He is understood to have spent Monday evening at Trump Tower consulting with legal advisers, a team that grew with the addition of Todd Blanche, a white-collar criminal defence lawyer and ex-federal prosecutor who previously represented onetime Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Mr Trump's 2024 White House campaign has raised over $8m since news of the charges against him broke last week, according to his team.

At a news conference on Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned any potential "rabble-rousers" to "control yourselves".

Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene plans to hold a pro-Trump rally near the court on Tuesday.

Unlike the days preceding the Capitol riot in 2021 by Trump supporters, New York officials say they have not seen any influx of protesters to the city in recent days.

President Joe Biden, at an event in the state of Minnesota on Monday, told reporters he had no concerns about unrest in New York, saying: "I have faith in the New York Police Department."

With additional reporting from Kayla Epstein in New York

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In every major court battle Donald Trump has waged, the former president has reverted to a now-familiar script: cue the legal tsunami.

With Trump facing a criminal indictment in New York, legal analysts expect defense attorneys to act quickly  and loudly  in pursuing a dismissal, a possible change of venue and perhaps a challenge to the judge slated to preside at his arraignment.

Trump attorney Joe Tacopina has maintained that the legal team is "not considering anything until I see the indictment," which is set to be unsealed Tuesday.

Yet the former president has already suggested that the judge, Juan Merchan, may be biased against him.

Lawyer battle: Lawyers for Donald Trump, Michael Cohen square off in fight for credibility in criminal case

Trump lands in New York: Former president heads to historic court date Tuesday

Merchan, the acting Supreme Court justice in Manhattan, presided over the fraud trial of Trump's namesake real estate company and the related Trump Payroll Corporation. The case ended with a conviction in December and $1.6 million in fines.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York City on April 3, 2023.

Trump exec cuts ties with lawyers: Former Trump Organization exec Allen Weisselberg cuts ties with attorneys

Judge in Trump case: Juan Merchan, judge in Trump Organization trial, expected to preside at Trump arraignment

The judge also oversaw the sentencing of former Trump financial chief Allen Weisselberg, whose testimony in the fraud case helped secure the convictions.

"The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME," Trump said on his social media site shortly after the indictment was disclosed Thursday.

A combination of images shows Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, left, and former President Donald Trump.

Legal analysts said there was no shortage of avenues to pursue for a defendant known for his efforts to slow-walk the legal process, especially when he has been at possible risk.

"It is an understatement to say that (Trump) has a litigious style," said Joshua Ritter, a former Los Angeles County prosecutor. "You're going to see challenges to everything, every step of the way."

Story continues

Ritter said defense attorneys could follow their client's lead and take direct aim at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whom Trump has publicly disparaged as motivated by political animus.

Trump indicted: Trump is first ex-president to be indicted. But he's not the first to run indicted, or convicted

Trump fundraising off indictment: Trump raises over $4 million since indictment; appearance expected Tuesday: recap

Stormy Daniels

An attempt to disqualify the prosecutor or the judge, Ritter said, is probably a a losing argument. But attorneys may try to make the case nonetheless in an attempt to appeal to a different audience: the court of public opinion.

"I do not see this thing going smoothly from this point on," Ritter said.

If the charges, as expected, center on the falsification of business records related to the 2016 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged affair years earlier, Sarah Krissoff, a former federal prosecutor, said Trump lawyers will likely explore claims that the alleged violations are too old or exceed the statute of limitations of two to five years, depending on the specific charges.

But even then, Krissoff said, there are exceptions to the law that allow for the extension of the time limits that could play in favor of prosecutors.

Trump, Stormy Daniels and #MeToo: Two women dealt a blow to Donald Trump's power. In a post-#MeToo era, will he fall?

Perhaps the most anticipated of Trump's pretrial actions is a possible challenge to holding a trial in Manhattan, where a jury would be drawn from a Democratic political stronghold and where Trump maintains a particularly outsized profile.

"The presumption is always that you will be tried fairly where you are charged," Krissoff said. "Trump is so well known that it wouldn't matter whether the trial was held in Manhattan or Prague."

Cyrus Vance Jr., the former Manhattan prosecutor who launched the initial Trump inquiry, said the defense also could seek a delay to accommodate the 2024 election and prepare an assault on the credibility of the state's key witness, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

File photo taken in July 2021 shows Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. arrives at his office. Vance says ghost guns pose a major challenge for law enforcement agencies investigating gun violence.

"Of course, Cohen will be attacked heavily," Vance said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But the flip side of that, of course, is Cohen worked for Mr. Trump. And they obviously had a working relationship. So we often find in criminal cases that the witnesses who are involved aren't necessarily ... priests or nuns."

On the eve of his arraignment, the Trump campaign announced a new addition to the former president's legal team.

Todd Blanche, an experienced white collar defense lawyer from New York, will join Trump's group, led so far by Tacopina.

More: Dismissed: New York fraud charges against Paul Manafort thrown out

Paul Manafort arrives in court in New York on June 27, 2019.

Blanche's past clients also are no strangers to Trump, including Paul Manafort, the former president's campaign manager.

Manafort was charged in New York on similar fraud offenses that were the basis of two prior convictions in federal court. Blanche led the legal team that won the dismissal of the state fraud charges in 2019.

At the time the charges were dismissed, Blanche also raised the specter of a political prosecution.

"We have said since the day this indictment was made public that it was politically motivated and violated New Yorks statutory double jeopardy law, Blanche said, referring to the similar charges brought both in federal and state court. "This indictment should never have been brought, and todays decision is a stark reminder that the law and justice should always prevail over politically motivated actions.

Contributing: Josh Meyer

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump New York charges: Ex-president likely to unleash legal assault
Donald Trump arrived in New York Monday afternoon, in anticipation of his arraignment Tuesday as the first former president ever charged criminally.

Tuesday live blog: Trump set for historic arraignment as first former president facing criminal charges - live updates

Trump announced he will speak at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday from Mar-a-Lago, a chance to make his case in the court of public opinion as well as in the 2024 presidential race. He got another rival Sunday when former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared his candidacy.

Trump is expected to have his mug shot and fingerprints taken, have the formal charges read and then plead not guilty loudly and proudly, his lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNNs State of the Union on Sunday. But the details havent been nailed down because the Secret Service will accompany Trump, he said.

More: Lawyers for Donald Trump, Michael Cohen square off in fight for credibility in criminal case

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on Monday.

Witnesses before the grand jury have described hush-money payments Trump directed former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to make to silence two women who claimed to have had sex with Trump before the 2016 election.

Legal experts expect a combination of misdemeanor charges alleging falsification of business records about the payments, combined with a felony such as a campaign finance violation. But Trump has denied wrongdoing and Tacopina said there is no documentation of false business records.

Here is what we expect in the case to start the week:

Trump surging past DeSantis post-indictment: poll

Donald Trump's criminal charges don't appear to have hurt his chances at winning the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll released Monday shows the former president ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by 26 percentage points with a commanding 57% to 31% lead. The last survey had Trump leading DeSantis by 8 percentage points.

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The survey of 1,089 voters was conducted a day after a New York grand jury indicted Trump, and shows 54% of Republicans and GOP leaners want Trump to be the nominee. About 33% of GOP voters want "someone else."

Overall, 42% of Americans said they approve of Trump being indicted. Another 39% say they disapprove, and 19% say theyre not sure.

 Phillip M. Bailey

Trump arrives in New York ahead of arraignment

Donald Trump landed at La Guardia airport in New York about 3:27 p.m. after flying up from his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago for his arraignment set for Tuesday.

Trumps motorcade from Mar-a-Lago to Palm Beach International Airport rolled along streets lined with people taking pictures and waving U.S. flags.

Cable networks including CNN and MSNBC covered the landing live.

 Bart Jansen

Trump adds a lawyer to his defense team

Donald Trump expanded his legal team a day before his scheduled arraignment in New York City.

Todd Blanche, an experience white collar defense lawyer from New York, will join Trump's existing legal team, his campaign said.

Blanche's past clients include Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager who in 2019 faced state charges that included falsifying business records. A judge dismissed those charges.

 David Jackson

New York mayor warns Trump protesters, Marjorie Taylor Green to control yourselves

New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday urged potential protesters for Donald Trumps arraignment  he singled out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.  to be on their best behavior and threatened anyone who becomes violent with arrest.

While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves, Adams said. New York is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.

He said there were no specific threats. But he said people like Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, are expected to visit the city. New York Young Republicans announced she would attend a 10:30 a.m. rally Tuesday at Collect Pond Park.

While you are in town, be on your best behavior, Adams said.

 Bart Jansen

Stormy Daniels getting death threats since Trump indictment, she says

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels says she is kind of numb now that the hush-money investigation stemming from her alleged affair with Donald Trump in 2006 has led to his criminal indictment  and that it has prompted death threats against her.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told the Times UK that the charges by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office amount to a vindication of her efforts to hold the former president accountable. But in her first interview since Trumps indictment last Thursday, she said the as-yet-unspecific charges have put her in more personal danger than ever before.

The first time it was like gold digger, slut, whore. You know, liar, whatever and this time it's like, I'm gonna murder you,  she said of the threatening messages she has been getting.

 Josh Meyer

Trump's 757 takes flight for New York

Donald Trumps distinctive Boeing 757, which he calls Trump Force One with his name on the side and a U.S. flag on the tail, took off from Palm Beach International Airport about 1 p.m. Monday en route to New York.

Trump is heading back to New York for his scheduled arraignment Tuesday. He faces unspecified charges after he was indicted Thursday.

Cable networks such as CNN, Fox News and MSNBC covered the departure live.

-- Bart Jansen

Trump departs Mar-a-Lago bound for New York

People lined the Florida streets along Trumps route, taking video with their phones and waving U.S. flags, as his motorcade of black SUVs drove past on the way to the Palm Beach airport.

In New York, a few people stood outside Trump Tower, where the former president plans to spend the night before his scheduled arraignment Tuesday.

Brent Dey, 55, a videographer from Atlanta, posed on the crosswalk near Trump Tower holding a copy of the New York Times' Friday edition, with the headline "Trump Indicted," as his wife took his photo.

Dey and his family arrived Saturday to see Broadway shows and he wanted to commemorate the historic nature of Trumps indictment.

We need to return back to debates about policy, and debates about how the differing parties view moving this country ahead, he said. Not making ourselves a cult of personality around one person.

-- Eduardo Cuevas and Bart Jansen

Lawyers for Trump, Cohen each bank on credibility in arguing charges

Tacopina and Cohens lawyer, Lanny Davis, foreshadowed the fight over credibility Sunday in any eventual trial.

Tacopina called Cohen a convicted liar who "is constitutionally incapable of telling the same story the same way twice." Tacopina said there is no documentation of Trump falsifying business records, the central charges anticipated in the indictment, which remains under seal.

I know there is no such evidence, Tacopina said. Michael Cohen is a pathological, convicted liar.

Davis said Cohen and other witnesses have provided testimony and documentation. Cohen has already been imprisoned in part because he arranged for $280,000 in hush payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress, and Karen McDougal, a Playboy model.

Michael Cohen submitted a lot of documentation, Davis said. There are other documents from other people and other testimony from other people.

Protesters gather outside Trump Tower on Friday, March 31, 2023, in New York. Former President Donald Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury the day before, an historic reckoning after years of investigations into his personal, political and business dealings and an abrupt jolt to his bid to retake the White House.

Trump lawyer expects 'painless and classy' arraignment

Tacopina said he's participated in hundreds of arraignments but never had the Secret Service involved before. He doesn't expect to make detailed legal arguments because the charges will be freshly unveiled.

Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible," Tacopina said.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will explain the charges in detail, but legal experts don't expect all the evidence behind the charges to be revealed.

Trump has criticized the judge, Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case against the Trump Organization. But Tacopina said he had no problem with Merchan.

"I have no reason to believe the judge is biased," Tacopina said.

Cyrus Vance Jr., the former Manhattan district attorney, told NBC's "Meet the Press" the judge would seek firm control over the case.

Hes going to want to set a firm trial date. Hes going to want to maintain firm control over all the parties," Vance said. That could end up in some flare-ups between the parties and the court.

File photo taken in July 2021 shows Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. arrives at his office. Vance says ghost guns pose a major challenge for law enforcement agencies investigating gun violence.

Trump to speak Tuesday at Mar-a-Lago

Trump's campaign announced he would deliver remarks Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. at Mar-a-Lago.

He has been posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, his criticism of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and what he calls a politically motivated prosecution. But the speech will be a chance for voters  and potential jurors  to hear his reaction to the charges.

Vance expected Cohen to be "attacked heavily." But Vance warned against allegedly breaking any other laws, such as obstruction of governmental administration, which could strengthen a case some observers consider "not the strongest."

It can change the jurys mind about the severity of the case theyre looking at," Vance said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump lands in New York, arraignment Tuesday - recap
Marikay Peter Witlock works on a project in her studio space at Union Street Gallery, along with artist Mary Ann Trzyna. (Francine Knowles / Daily Southtown)

Artists and staff at Chicago Heights-based Union Street Gallery often hear from first time visitors, Wow, I didnt know you were here. Youre a hidden gem.

As it has done since its founding in 1995, Union Street Gallery continues to shine a light on the arts in the south suburbs and serve as a resource for artists, notes Julian Graham, gallery director.

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Its Spring Invitational Exhibition, which runs through Saturday, features 44 works of art from 30 artists, from the Chicago metropolitan area. The exhibition includes paintings, photography, ceramics, collages and mixed media. The variety is what makes the show strong, Graham said.

There wasnt a specific group we were targeting, he said. We were targeting anybody who was willing to be involved. Making it easy and accessible was the goal.

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Daveed Holmes, a photographer with an image displyed in the Spring Invitational Exhibition at Union Street Gallery. (Francine Knowles / Daily Southtown)

Digital photographer Daveed Holmes, who specializes in photographing dancers and performers, has a photo titled Triumphant Reemergence. It was shot at sunrise and features costumed veteran dancer Sirene de Paradis. The photo is meant to convey the message that no matter where you are in your career, whether young or 20 to 30 years in, you can still reemerge to do something new, said Holmes.

Theresa Hammons said her mixed media, brightly colored abstract art creation titled Cooped Up and Chaotic was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hammons teaches visual art at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights and became a member of the gallerys board about six months ago, she said. She used water color markers and oil pastels to create her piece, which features multiple images including a woman coming out of a tulip near colorful renderings of leaves.

I was reflecting on mental health and the impact COVID has had on our lives, especially our social lives, she said of her creation, which is also meant to be playful. Nature has kept me grounded in all the chaos.

She said her work has been featured in Washington State and Michigan, when she resided there.

Union Street Gallery is the first to feature Holmes work. He said the gallery is an asset to artists in the south suburbs.

When you think about art, you really dont think about Chicago Heights, he said. But there are a lot of artists here. The great thing about this gallery is its in the heart of the Southland. Its a great way to showcase our work.

The gallery seeks to benefit artists and the community, said Graham.

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Were trying to champion the arts in a place that desperately needs it, he said. Arts accessibility is really important. The arts should be accessible to the everyday person. Artist participation should also be very accessible.

While there are other art galleries in the south suburbs, Union Street Gallery, housed in a three-story historic landmark building at 1527 Otto Blvd., is unique, Graham said.

Julian Graham is the gallery director at Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights. (Francine Knowles / Daily Southtown)

We have artist studios on every floor, he noted. We have two floors of exhibiting space, which is unusual for the south suburbs. We have ongoing classes for different subjects. Theres the opportunity for people to create their own events here. You can join our guild.

The guild is a group of artists that meet monthly.

They talk about what they are working on, different opportunities for artists local and otherwise, and its kind of like a monthly way of keeping up with a smaller community of people who are looking to build their network, Graham said.

The gallery offers free tours for schools, colleges and nonprofit groups. It also offers tours for other groups from whom it requests donations.

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The gallery leases the building from the city of Chicago Heights and is funded by grants, donations and the leasing out of its 15 artist studios.

Landscape pastel artist Marikay Peter Witlock, who has studio space, has been with Union Street since its founding. She said the gallery is a true gem.

This is an underserved community and has been for decades, she said. For Chicago Heights to have a professional gallery and studios for professional artists is just about unheard of. Nobody expects it. We have been able to bring in school groups, public and parochial, to come in and see the exhibits.

Many of the kids cant get to the Art Institute of Chicago, she stressed. But In Chicago Heights, they have the opportunity to see art work not just from the community, but from the region, surrounding states and sometimes national shows, she said.

Little kids, high school kids, community colleges, its great for them to have a resource like this right in their backyard, she said.

Witlock shares studio space with pastelists Jean Lewis and Mary Ann Trzyna. Tryzna said artists are able to learn from other artists at Union Street.

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Jean Lewis, a Glenwood resident and former art teacher, with some of her art in her studio space at the gallery. (Francine Knowles / Daily Southtown)

Lewis, a Glenwood resident and pastel artist, taught art for 30 years at schools in the south suburbs, elementary through high school, she said. She has participated as an artist at the Park Forest Art Fair for nine years and has taken sessions in pastel art from Witlock.

Lewis said growing up she loved to draw, and in the fourth grade, a drawing she did of a deer caught the eye of her teacher.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

She showed it to the class and went on and on about it, and she told me to go next door to show the other fourth grade teacher and class and they went on and on.

That 15 minutes of fame helped fuel her passion. Lewis, who holds a bachelors degree in art education from Northeastern Illinois University, is focused on painting portraits and drawings of children from Kenya and Mali.

She said through a relationship she has with The Zakat Foundation of America and Matanyas Hope, that do humanitarian work in the countries, she has been able to view photos of the children and families theyve worked with. Those photos inspired her to create portrait and figurative paintings, she said.

I just love the human figure, especially faces, she said.

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The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, go to unionstreetgallery.org.

Francine Knowles is a freelance columnist for the Daily Southtown.
Donald Trump is flying from his estate in Florida to New York ahead of his scheduled court hearing on Tuesday.

The former US president faces charges relating to hush-money payments made to a porn star before the 2016 election.

Police erected barricades outside Trump Tower over the weekend, with demonstrations expected both there and at the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

Mr Trump, 76, is expected to arrive on Monday evening and will spend the night in Manhattan.

Follow live updates: Trump flies to New York on eve of court appearance

The exact charges he faces are not yet known but they will be read in full when he appears at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building at around 14:15 (19:15 BST) on Tuesday.

Some reports suggest the indictment includes around 30 charges related to a $130,000 (105,000) pay-out to adult film star Stormy Daniels that was made in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair in 2006. The pay-out was made just before the 2016 presidential election, which Mr Trump won over Hillary Clinton.

Two people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press Mr Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records - including at least one felony offence, which would be a more a serious charge.

"On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse," he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday. "America was not supposed to be this way!"

The former president is being escorted by members of the US Secret Service and will reportedly fly to New York's LaGuardia Airport aboard his personal plane.

After spending the night in Trump Tower, where extra security measures have been put in place, he will travel to the courthouse with a large Secret Service detail and surrender voluntarily. He is not expected to be handcuffed.

The former president will be fingerprinted as standard arrest procedure, and investigators will complete the usual paperwork and check for outstanding warrants. It remains unclear, however, whether he will be photographed - and provide a mugshot - before the hearing.

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He will appear before a judge, who will read the indictment - the set of charges - to him. His lawyers have already said he will plead not guilty.

A group of news organisations, including the New York Times and the Associated Press, have asked that cameras be allowed into the courtroom during the hearing. They have also asked the judge to unseal the indictment and make it public due to the "overwhelming public interest".

Mr Trump's personal plane is on standby for his midday departure from West Palm Beach

Mr Trump is expected to be released on bail and will return to his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening, where he plans to deliver remarks at 20:15 local time.

He is the first US president in history to be charged with a crime, but has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The years-long investigation has been led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a registered Democrat, who Mr Trump says is leading a "political prosecution" aimed at damaging his run for the presidency in 2024.

"We're ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him," one of his lawyers, Joe Tacopina, told ABC News on Sunday.

Mr Trump's prospective court appearance comes as he faces numerous other criminal investigations.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported that federal investigators had gathered new evidence suggesting Mr Trump may have obstructed the investigation into the handling of top secret documents at Mar-a-Lago. Mr Trump denies wrongdoing.
When news broke last week that former President Donald Trump had been indicted, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly issued a statement saying in part, Were a country of laws, and nobody is above the law.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Rep. Ruben Gallego and many other elected officials issued similar statements.

It is what people in their positions are supposed to say.

And they may even believe it. Although, if so, Id guess they believe it in the way Francis Church, editor of The New York Sun, believed what he told 8-year-old Virginia OHanlon, whod written him a letter in December 1897, when he said, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Donald Trump is not going to prison.

Hes not going to hell, either, not if we are to believe the right-wing evangelical pastors still supporting him.

Trump gets a totally different set of rules

Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, in Waco, Texas, Saturday, March 25, 2023, while en route to West Palm Beach, Fla.

Not only is the former president above our laws, he is also, apparently, above Gods. Which is odd, since that isnt how evangelical pastors reacted to the wayward behavior of former President Bill Clinton.

Trump is different, however.

That difference was pointed out by Michael Rea, a philosophy professor at Notre Dame and former president of the Society of Christian Philosophers, in an essay he did for Salon.

The gist of Reas treatise is succinctly explained by the headline: How the evangelical movement became Trump's b----  and yes, I know what that word signifies.

Evangelicals are not the only ones, of course.

Its true of the entire Republican Party, most of whom reacted to the indictment in a way much different from Kelly or Sinema or Gallego.

Trump sycophants become Trump soothsayers

Republicans responded to the indictment not only as sycophants, but as clairvoyants, with the power to foretell their Dear Leaders innocence even before the specific charges in the indictment are made public.

For example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the closest thing to a rival that Trump has, tweeted, The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.

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Trumps former Vice President Mike Pence told CNN, The unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage.

A playmate: Arizona's connection to Trump's legal woes

Arizona Republican Reps. Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane all condemned the indictment, with Gosar tweeting, This is clear and brazen political persecution. I proudly stand with Donald J. Trump.

Theyll do the same, no doubt for any subsequent indictments of Trump.

Also, persecution?

The former president is not, as some people believe, being prosecuted for having slept with porn star Stormy Daniels and buying her silence, but for allegedly breaking campaign finance laws and, according to reports, more than 30 other violations.

Yes, Virginia, Trump has many Santa Clauses

In addition, he faces a Justice Department investigation into his handling of classified documents as well as his possible role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. There is also an investigation in Georgia concerning Trumps alleged attempts to overturn President Joe Bidens victory in that state.

Its serious. Its a lot.

But even those of us who do not possess ESP are prescient enough to know Republicans will react to any future indictments in the same way they did this one.

We also could have predicted that within a day of being indicted by the New York grand jury, Trump would have collected $4 million in contributions to his campaign.

In that sense, the Suns editor Francis Church was right when he wrote, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

It seems there are lots of them these days. They, too, are often colorfully attired and sport fancy red caps.

Theirs say MAGA on them.

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

For more opinions content, please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Donald Trump is not only above our law. He's above God's
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump and his allies began a two-day effort Monday to make a political spectacle out of an unprecedented legal event: the arraignment of a former president.

Trump jetted from South Florida to New York City during the afternoon, starting a journey that will include his arraignment Tuesday afternoon and a speech that night back in Florida.

It is also expected to include political rhetoric, as Trump and aides plan to constantly condemn the indictment and promote his 2024 presidential candidacy during his travels to and from the courthouse.

Trump did not speak publicly Monday but did spend time on his social media platform Truth Social attacking the indictment and seeking to raise money off it. "If you are doing poorly, as so many of you are, do not send anything," he said in one post. "If you are doing well, which was made possible through the great policies of the Trump Administration, send your contribution."

The indictment:Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges. What we know

Seedy and simple:Trump indictment: Amid seedy but simple allegations, critics decry case as politically motivated

The Trump campaign been fundraising off the indictment all along and claimed Monday it has raised more than $7 million since the news broke Thursday.

Some details are still being developed, Trump campaign aides said, but here is some of what his trip entails:

Trump flew to New York on Monday

A motorcade carrying former President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he leaves Trump International Golf Club, Sunday, April 2, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Trump  accompanied by his Secret Service detail as well as staff members  left his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla., and arrived at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan late in the afternoon.

Television cameras from across the world were trained on Trump's plane at a South Florida airport, and video of his motorcade to the airport and his boarding of the plane were flashed across the world.

In New York, television tracked the Trump motorcade from LaGuardia airport to Trump Tower.

More: https://www.youtube.com/embed/y6k05vHKFjI

Story continues

Trump to go to NY courthouse Tuesday

Trump's trip to the courthouse was expected to come sometime Tuesday morning, aides said, and details were still being worked on.

One of those details: whether Trump will appear before supporters expected to gather at the courthouse to protest the indictment. The protests have triggered security concerns, and authorities could get Trump into the courthouse via underground entrances.

Opinion: How strong is the case against Donald Trump? Here's why Alvin Bragg better get it right.

Will Trump have a perp walk?

Former President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while in flight on his plane after a campaign rally at Waco Regional Airport, in Waco, Texas, Saturday, March 25, 2023, while en route to West Palm Beach, Fla.

Trump's attorneys downplayed the idea that the former president would be subject to a "perp walk," which is typically when a defendant is escorted into the courthouse accompanied by law enforcement officials for the benefit of photographers.

"Hopefully, this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this," said Trump attorney Joe Tacopina, speaking on CNN's "State of the Union."

Will Trump have fingerprints and a mug shot taken?

Once inside the courthouse, Trump is expected to be treated like most defendants: He will be booked, fingerprinted, DNA-swabbed and seated for mug shots that will no doubt be flashed across the world.

The arraignment is the only legal matter specifically scheduled: 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, when Trump is expected to plead not guilty.

Media organizations are asking to televise the proceedings. There is no resolution of that matter.

Shortly after that, Trump will depart New York for Mar-a-Lago to deliver the only currently scheduled political event: the 8:15 p.m. speech Tuesday.

Trump team presses the politics of case

Along the way, Trump and allies can be counted upon to campaign against the indictment, claiming the case that involves hush money and campaign finance laws is a politically motivated attack.

The Trump team plans to use interviews, public statements and social media posts and to focus much of its political attack on Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Running against the law:Donald Trump's biggest campaign foe? A string of investigations - and possible indictments

Lawyers battle:Lawyers for Donald Trump, Michael Cohen square off in fight for credibility in criminal case

Over the weekend, the Trump campaign released a "polling memo" saying Republican voters are rallying around him. The memo claimed Trump received "a significant increase over his opponents in full-field and one-on-one primary election ballot tests."

Other 2024 Republicans weigh in

Most of the Republican presidential aspirants who plan to challenge Trump also have criticized the indictment, though there is at least one exception.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who announced Sunday that he will seek the nomination for 2024, said Trump should exit the race while under indictment.

"I do think thats too much of a sideshow and distraction," he told ABC's "This Week." "And he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process, and there is a presumption of innocence."

Polls show divide on Trump's strategy

The arraignment and surrounding events may be just a phase of Trump's political-legal battle: He also is under investigation in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta over the handling of classified documents, his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.

Early polls after the New York indictment show a divided electorate as Trump plans his political strategy.

According to an ABC News/Ipsos poll released Sunday, 88% of Democrats say Trump should have been charged, and 62% of Republicans say the former president should not have been charged.

The poll also shows that a plurality of Americans are taking the indictment seriously: 50% of Americans think the charges against Trump are serious, and 35% say they are not serious.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump is planning to turn his arraignment into a political show
Donald Trump Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

After years of investigations, Donald Trump has become the first former president in United States history to be criminally indicted, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg readies a host of charges related to Trump's alleged hush money payments concealing his affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Although Trump has steadfastly maintained his innocence in the face of these "unthinkable" allegations, the mere fact that he stands officially accused of breaking the law has placed him at the center of an ongoing debate over how these charges will affect the 2024 presidential election; already Republicans have begun rallying around the current frontrunner for their party's nomination, while Trump himself has used the indictment as a springboard for a renewed fundraising push to "to defend our movement from the never-ending witch hunts and WIN the WHITE HOUSE in 2024."

But as dramatic, and historic, as this has all been so far, it is just one part in a larger legal whirlwind  one which Trump has deftly avoided (and in some cases even utilized for his own purposes) for years, but which now threatens him on multiple fronts. Here are the four major judicial challenges he now faces:

The Stormy Daniels hush money payments

There's an irony of sorts to the fact that Trump's first criminal indictment is perhaps also his most mundane; while the exact charges remain non-public, they are widely reported to focus on his paying $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in order to buy her silence on their alleged sexual relationship during the 2016 presidential election, as well as potentially other similar payments to other paramours. In particular, The New York Times reports, prosecutors under Bragg are looking into whether the then-candidate "falsely accounted" for that money when he reimbursed his former attorney Michael Cohen, who facilitated the transaction.

Moreover, because the alleged hush money payment occurred within the context of the 2016 election, prosecutors are potentially exploring whether election laws were broken as well.

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While the Daniels hush money payments may or may not be proven to directly relate to electoral politics, Trump faces a potential indictment in a separate district attorney's investigation that is inextricable from his time as president.

2020 election subversion in Georgia

It's been nearly a year since Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fanni Willis empaneled a grand jury to investigate alleged efforts by Trump and his allies to manipulate voting results in the 2020 presidential election in the hopes of overturning his electoral loss in that state. In that time jurors have heard from 75 witnesses, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and attorneys John Eastman and Jenna Ellis, while they probed incidents such as Trump's personal call to Georgia's Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanding he "find" more than 11,000 votes in his favor.

While Willis has not announced any official charges from that investigation yet, a series of heavily redacted documents released in mid-February pointed to a "majority" of grand jury members recommending prosecutors pursue "appropriate indictments" for alleged perjury committed by witnesses. Jurors also found that "no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election," undercutting Trump's rationale for involving himself in the state's electoral count.

Speaking with the New York Times later that month, jury forewoman Emily Kohrs confirmed that the number of people recommended for charges was "not a short list," and that "You're not going to be shocked" by any of the names.

Federal investigation into Jan. 6 and classified documents

Following months of stymied negotiations between the National Archives and Trump over the latter's unlawful possession of presidential documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, FBI agents dramatically raided the former president's home in Aug. 2022, uncovering a host of classified material allegedly including state secrets regarding both China and Iran. In the wake of that raid, and the ensuing public furor, Attorney General Merrick Garland named former Justice Department Prosecutor Jack Smith as a special counsel to spearhead the DOJ's investigation into both the document handling, as well as Trump's role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

In the five months since being named special counsel, Smith has compelled testimony from a number of figures including former Vice President Mike Pence, while simultaneously suggesting that Trump may have misled attorneys over how he had handled and kept classified documents in his home.

While the exact timeline and scope of Smith's dual pursuits remain unclear, he is working under a congressional recommendation made by the House Select Committee to Investigate Jan. 6 that the Justice Department charge Trump with obstruction of an official proceeding; conspiracy to defraud the United States; conspiracy to make false statements; and inciting, assisting, or aiding or comforting an insurrection.

Author E. Jean Carroll's lawsuits over alleged 1990s rape

Trump also faces not one but two civil lawsuits from former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who alleges the former president raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman's department store dressing room during the mid-1990s. Trump has denied the allegations, calling Carroll "not my type" in 2019, and then a "hoax" and "con job" three years later. While Carroll has sued for defamation twice, following each of Trump's comments, her second suit also carries a battery claim following a newly enacted New York state law expanding the statute of limitations for alleged victims of sexual assault to seek damages.

Citing the similarities between both suits, both Carroll and Trump's legal teams had requested in March to combine the two cases into a single lawsuit. That request was denied by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has maintained the scheduled April 25, 2023 court date for the second suit. An appeals court is currently deliberating over whether Carroll's first suit (made while Trump was still in office) can proceed.

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The Bradenton Police Department is making sure drivers dont block intersections during traffic jams by handing out driving citations.

Its happened to everyone. Youre driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic and sitting at a green light. Youre hoping the cars that already crossed can inch forward just a teensy-weensy bit so you can cross before the light turns red. You decide to cross but don't quite make it fully, blocking the intersection for oncoming traffic.

More: What to know about the new effort to open Midnight Pass in Sarasota County

In case you missed it: Bradenton officer fired after investigation of allegations against police chief

Bradenton police officers have given more than 40 drivers tickets last week alone for blocking the white-boxed intersection on 9th Street West near 6th and 8th avenues while making left-hand turns. The fine for blocking the intersection is $166 in Manatee County.

Drivers block the intersection by entering an intersection before backed-up cars on the other side move forward.

Police officials said that blocking the box during a red light can block cross traffic and prevent mobility in crosswalks and bike lanes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bradenton Police gives tickets to drivers who block intersections
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Ada County Sheriff's Office

After four failed marriages, Lori Vallow finally seemed to finally find her soulmate in doomsday author and former grave digger Chad Daybell.

From the moment they flew to Hawaii and tied the knot in 2019weeks after his wife died under mysterious circumstances and while her two children were missingthey were inseparable. But when Vallow, 49, goes on trial this week, she will be doing it alone because 54-year-old Daybell requested in January that their cases be severed, and a judge agreed last month.

Legal experts say that could actually benefit Vallow as she tries to convince a jury that she is not responsible for the murders of her daughter Tylee and son J.J. and did not conspire with Daybell to kill his previous wife, Tammy. The self-proclaimed prophetess defense can try to pin all the blame on the man she once appeared to worship.

When ones life is on the table anything goes, John Paitakes, a criminal justice professor at Rider University and a former New Jersey State Parole Board member, told The Daily Beast.

Even though one may think that they are in love and inseparablewhen it comes to saving themselves and perhaps being found not guilty or getting a lighter sentence, I have seen after 50 years working in criminal justice how fast they can turn on the co-defendant regardless of their relationship.

That relationship is at the core of the sensational case, which unfolded across many months like a surreal saga full of apocalyptic scenarios and an ever-growing list of suspicious deaths.

Rexburg Police

Prosecutors allege that Vallow and Daybell, consumed by their doomsday-obsessed religious beliefs, planned the deaths of 7-year-old J.J. and 17-year-old Tylee, whom they referred to as zombies. Then they allegedly plotted to kill Tammy Daybell for insurance and Social Security funds.

Jury selection in Vallows portion of the case begins Monday at the Ada County Courthouse. Hundreds of residents have been summoned and the process is expected to take several days.

Story continues

The trial itself is expected to last six weeks and will be closely watched around the world; the case has already spawned a documentary, podcasts, and thousands of lurid headlines. If convicted, Vallow faces a maximum sentence of life in prison since the judge took the death penalty off the table last month. Daybell, whose trial will be set after Vallows is completed, may face the death penalty.

I think separating the two cases really helped both Lori and Chad, Rich Robertson, a private investigator who has been tracking the case since he was hired by the estranged husband of Vallows niece in 2019, told The Daily Beast. Now, the defense just has to focus on picking apart the prosecutions case, which will be methodical and focus on whatlike what happened to the kids for examplemore than why behind the murders.

Vallow and Daybell first met in 2018 after she became a fan of the doomsday novels he wrote for a largely Mormon audience. A love affair prompted her to move from Arizona to Idaho, where he lived with his wife.

J.J. and Tylee vanished that fall. She was last seen on a Sept. 8 trip to Yellowstone National Park with Vallow and her brother, Alex Cox. Her young half-brother, J.J., was seen days later when Vallows friends were visiting the house. The next morning, friends say, Vallow claimed that her son had been acting like a zombie and that her brother had taken him.

I did exactly what I thought the Lord was instructing me to do, Vallow said in a December 2019 call to a friend, Melanie Gibb, which was played in a pre-trial hearing. I promise you I have done nothing wrong in this case.

J.J. Vallow Rexburg Police

Vallow and Daybell initially claimed that the children were living with relatives in Arizona but otherwise stonewalled police and hightailed it to Hawaii.

Their strange behavior brought a barrage of media attention that soon exposed a slew of suspicious eventslike her estranged husbands death at the hands of her brother and Tammys sudden demisealong with their extreme cult-like beliefs.

Vallow and Daybell were arrested in Hawaii in February 2020, extradited to Idaho, and eventually charged with the children's deaths. Four months later, authorities found Tylee and J.J. 's remains on Daybells Idaho farm.

Details of how the children died were not clear, but court documents revealed that J.J. was buried in a pet cemetery, while Tylee was dismembered and buried in a fire pit nearby. Authorities suggested that the children died around Sept. 22, 2019and that Coxwho had died of supposedly natural causes by thenwas also involved in the disposal.

The state will put on a methodical, detailed case that will horrify people in a lot of ways but it wont be as lurid as the stories that have come out of this whole thing, Robertson said.

Chad Daybell Fremont County Sheriff

Prosecutors will also lay out the evidence they have collected to show that Vallow was part of a plot to get rid of Tammy, who was found dead in the Idaho show she shared with Daybell on Oct. 19, 2019. Before her death, prosecutors allege, Daybell increased her life insurance policy.

Investigators exhumed Tammys body in 2021. While authorities have not yet revealed her cause of death, her children told CBS 48 Hours that their father is being framed and that their mother died of asphyxiation.

Asphyxiation doesn't necessarily mean smothered," Mark Daybell said. According to my understanding, it just means the breath was interrupted. And in the end, she wasn't able to breathe. And according to that, there's more facts we need. We don't just say, 'Oh, well, bye, Chad.' No there's still love, there's still connection.

This is not Vallows only criminal case. She is also facing conspiracy to commit murder charges in Arizona in connection with her previous husbands July 2019 death. Her brother, Cox, claimed he shot Charles Vallow in self-defense; Cox died of a blood clot on Dec. 12, 2019.

Experts say the prosecution does not need to prove the motive for the slayings, but without doing so, it may be hard to convince jurors that a mother planned the deaths of her own kids.

The jury will want an explanation from the prosecution as to why she would kill her own children, Ambrosio Rodriguez, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who is not connected to the case, told The Daily Beast. A failure to do so might be problematic for the prosecution.

But Rodriguez notes that the prosecution has amassed a lot of evidence against Vallow, who will have to explain how she could flee to Hawaii while her children were supposedly missing. Her behavior, Rodriguez said, is a piece of evidence that will haunt her.

Paitakes said the defense may try to lean into the fact that Vallow was deemed declared mentally unfit to stand trial for nearly a year before she was deemed restored to competency and fit to proceed last April.

I think the mental competency issue is the best defense based on prior psychological exams which have gone back and forth, Paitakes said.

Rodriguez said he would expect Vallow to take the stand in an attempt to convince the jury that she would never hurt her children.

I expect her to testify and be crucified by the prosecution during cross-examination, he added. This case will be a roller coaster.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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LGBTQ activists and supporters before a committee hearing on HB9, a Tennessee bill that restricts drag performance, on Feb. 14, 2023.

LGBTQ activists and supporters before a committee hearing on HB9, a Tennessee bill that restricts drag performance, on Feb. 14, 2023. Credit - Ray Di PietroShutterstock

Late Friday, about four hours before Tennessees first-in-the-nation law restricting drag performances was set to go into effect, a federal court intervened.

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker, a Trump appointee, issued an order blocking Tennessees law for 14 days. Parker made clear that the temporary injunction may be extended due to concerns about the law and the damaging effects it could have on drag performers, including the Memphis drag theater troupe Friends of Georges that challenged the law.

If Tennessee wishes to exercise its police power in restricting speech it considers obscene, it must do so within the constraints and framework of the United States Constitution, Parker wrote. The Court finds that, as it stands, the record here suggests that when the legislature passed this Statute, it missed the mark.

The decision is the latest in a series of fast-moving events that have changed the climate for LGBTQ individuals living in Tennessee. In March, state lawmakers passed the law that prompted Fridays injunction. It added male and female impersonators to a list of performers who cannot be seen by those under the age of 18 in Tennessee. Those accused of such an offense more than once would face felony charges and jail time.

More from TIME

Brice Timmons, the civil rights lawyer who represented Friends of Georges in the lawsuit, spoke with TIME late last week about what prompted the complaint, why the law represents a serious threat to drag performers, and core American ideals. He regards Tennessees law as a warning sign about the state of American democracy and a telling indicator of what uber-conservative politicians would like to accomplish in the near future. Among the possibilities Timmons illuminated that no other person Ive spoken with about the law has: convicting drag performers of felony crimes, many but not all of whom are LGBTQ individuals, would grow the already over 470,000 residents, nearly 10% of adults in Tennessee, banned from voting.

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What follows is our conversation edited for clarity and length.

Why do you think that all of this is happening now?

The playbook for turning a liberal democracy into a totalitarian state is to take an angry vocal minority who feels disenfranchised, whether they really are disenfranchised or not, then give them an outgroup to blame all of their troubles on.

The very first books that Nazis burned? Studies about sex and gender. So I personally believe that attacking drag performers is particularly insidious, because even within the LGBT community, its a relatively small group of people. And because it is this sort of flamboyant and silly art form, it makes the issue seem a little flamboyant and silly as well.

Read More: You Dont Silence a Drag Queen

When you pair that with the legislation that passed at almost exactly the same time, you can see that theres a pattern here of targeting people who are gender and sexuality nonconforming. Theyre a group that some people, especially people in the rural South, simply dont understand. And they are, historically, very, very politically weak.

If they had targeted gay white men, this game would be over. But by picking this tiny group within a group, they can achieve some goals

Lets return to why Friends of Georges sued.

Because, in significant part, their mission has always overtly included getting drag out of the closet.

This is an art form, and we should be treating it like a serious art form. And we should do it in a way that people who dont hang out in bars and nightclubs can view it. They also wanted to prove that it could be a family-friendly kind of thing.

Everybody involved with Friends of Georges is either a performer or someone who actively puts on the show. So these are all people who risk prosecution under this law. And this is an organization that I think really felt a profound need to stand up to this legislation because its designed to falsely say your art form hurts children.

This is very much the Anita Bryant playbook. These people sound more and more like the John Birch Society every day. The conspiracy theories, the [claim that] an evil cabal of child-molesting devil worshippers quietly and secretly run the world. This stuff is just completely insane.

But its not new. Anytime you want to demonize somebody, the quickest way to do it is by saying that they are coming for your children. We saw it directed at Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden and every other major figure in the Democratic Party, to the point that somebody walked into a pizza parlor with an AR-15 because they thought that there was a child-trafficking ring in the basement.

Are you saying that the same conspiracy theories that undergird QAnon are involved in Tennessees law restricting drag performances?

Yes. Its important to remember that these sort of power mongers within the Conservative Union  thats what I call the far right  their first victims are their followers.

What do you mean?

Because they have to convince these people to believe in a wholly separate reality. Before they can persuade them to do something absurd, what is the quote? Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.

Theyre taking a group of people, people who in many cases are operating at an information deficit due to years of effort at defunding our education systems, creating parallel education systems that are not founded in critical thought, that reject science, and otherwise depriving people of access to knowledge  more importantly, depriving them [of the] necessary skill sets to understand that knowledge  then telling that group of people all of your problems are because of other people.

Read More: Tennessee Passed the Nations First Law Limiting Drag Shows. Heres the Status of Anti-Drag Bills Across the U.S.

And the more embroidered you make these claims, the more their followers get caught up in it and the more their perceptions of the world begin to deviate from actual objective reality.

Bringing it back around to this lawsuit, that is why the First Amendment is so crucial. It is maybe the only thing that can save us from this nosedive out of democracy.

Theater troupe Friends of George's perform a scene from "George's Truck Stop and Drag Bar" at the Evergreen Theatre in Memphis, Tenn., in Dec. 2018. Courtesy of Friends of George's

Why is the First Amendment so critical in holding back the rising tide of policies and practices that you and some others have described as totalitarian or fascist?

Critical-thinking, sensible, rational people, people with a desire to live in a better world, we have to be able to tell stories about how that can happen. And when you start burning books, limiting forms of expression, art, that tend to cause people to question what theyve been taught  and drag certainly is one of those things, it is subversive by nature  while simultaneously allowing conspiracy theories to run amok on Facebook, what you do is you deprive those people who have an aspirational view of the future of the tools necessary to argue their case. And you leave in place the tools necessary for reactionaries to continue to undermine public discourse and give the leaders of those groups more and more ability to turn the world into whatever it is they want.

All of this can happen while having their followers believe that they remain entrenched in some form of war against a group of people who, by the time this is all over, are not merely out of power or even less powerful than [when] they started, they are probably being completely oppressed.

Returning to a state in which people are constantly oppressed and persecuted for merely being different  that is a necessary component of totalitarian regimes.

Those are big claims. When I started reading the lawsuit, I, of course, noticed it was filed under whats known as the Klu Klux Klan Act, the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Please explain how Tennessees new drag restrictions violate this law?

When we talk about the Klu Klux Klan Act, were usually talking about the Civil Rights Act of 1871, section 42 USC Section 1985, not 1983. But 1985 is the section that relates to conspiracies between private actors and public actors to deprive people of civil rights through private action, whereas 1983 is about deprivations of civil rights brought about by government actors. The first was put in place to target the Klan. The second was put in place to target state governments, local governments that were in place, obviously following the Civil War, who created the Black Codes.

I try to be really careful about comparisons between the struggles of groups. But are you saying that Tennessees drag-restrictions law approaches the level of infringement on peoples basic rights that the Black Codes did?

I dont know that the two comparisons are terribly useful.

The goal [of the laws supporters] here is to get a foot in the door for two reasons. The first is to start discriminating against LGBT people in law again. Literally just a few years ago, we were looking at cases involving the First Amendments freedom of religion clauses, the Free Exercise Clause being used to target affirmative efforts to end discrimination against LGBT people. Thats been accomplished, to a significant significant part. Now, were seeing a much more radical effort to return to a time when the government could overtly use discriminatory legislation to target this specific group of people.

The second purpose of this legislation is to introduce the idea, to set a precedent, that a legislature has the right to decide that something is obscene because it is, in their minds, consistent with whatever set of prevailing values they have. And we know in this case that these are values that are grounded in an extremely right-wing, narrow view of evangelical Christianity.

Read More: What to Know About the Gender-Affirming-Care Bans Spreading Across the Country

Since the 1970s, we have defined it [obscenity], very narrowly. If they can push the window just a little bit, then that is laying the groundwork for them to begin defining it more and more and more broadly. What they would eventually like to do is to challenge the Miller Test for obscenity, the test that says its not obscene unless it is specifically sexual in nature and appeals primarily to the prurient interest, that it is not fit for essentially, for anyone to see and that it is completely without any redeeming quality, scientifically, politically, socially, artistically.

The Miller test makes it hard to declare something obscene, because we dont want this subjective idea of what is or isnt OK to control our public discourse. We dont want that decided by a party that takes power and then changes the rules about what you can and cant say or express in some way, in public.

Am I understanding correctly, the core legal grounds for this suit are that Tennessee lawmakers and those who enforce it have violated or will violate the First Amendment rights of drag performers, in particular the performers with Friends of Georges?

Yes.

And youre arguing that this imposes an obligation to parent or protect other peoples children on the performers?

I havent really framed it that way.

How would you frame it?

It deprives parents of the ability to parent their own children the way they see fit.

People who passed this law absolutely do not care about what Im about to say. But imagine that you are a gay couple who want to share their cultural history with their kids through drag performances in public parks, with drag queens that are family friendly, drag queens in ball gowns, dressed like Dolly Parton. This law calls into question whether that could happen without somebody committing a crime. And anybody who tells you that the law isnt intended to do that, thats a lie.

All you need to look at is the fact that every [June] Pride festival but one in the state of Tennessee has canceled all of their drag performances. Thats whats happened already.

You need only look at the statements of the bill sponsor Representative Chris Todd, saying that drag itself was per se child abuse. When asked, How do you know that the drag performances at Jackson, [Tenn.] Pride were going to be harmful for children or inappropriate for minors? he said, it is designed, designed, to groom and recruit children into that lifestyle. What hes really saying is that somebody might see a drag performance and think, I have questions about my own sexuality and gender identity.

Many people will ask, dont governments have the authority to prohibit minors from buying, seeing, or engaging in certain things?

When we talk about the First Amendment standard being slightly different for what is or isnt appropriate for minors, the Supreme Court has been very clear, you cant nerf the world to the point that were tailoring everything to whats OK for toddlers or 3-year-olds.

The laws you can pass are laws that age-restrict things that would be inappropriate for somebody who is 17 years and 364 days old.

So what Chris Todd is worried about, what this law purports to restrict, or at least according to its own sponsor, is risk. It is designed to abate the risks that exist in his mind that a senior in high school might see a drag performance and think, Oh, maybe Im different too. Maybe my ideas that Ive been told about gender and sexuality, maybe those dont fit with how I feel.

The goal here is to shove everybody back in the closet: drag performers, that senior in high school, everyone who has questions or other ideas about their own gender identity or sexuality, or just how they want to present themselves.

Im going to continue to play devils advocate here for a moment. There are people who will say you are overreacting, that your description of what can happen if art forms like drag are restricted is overwrought, too alarmist, and therefore, untrue.

Well, first of all, Im not a politician. Im a civil rights attorney. And my job is to make sure that those people in the mushy middle never have to worry about these issues. Because it is people like my clients, who are at sort of the fringes, who are most vulnerable.

Where we are now is the place where you stop totalitarian encroachment. It wasnt the middle-of-the-road people that pushed for our existing free-speech laws. Without the people at the fringes fighting for their rights, the internet could not have existed, or certainly not as we know it. The Supreme Court decided in 1997 that indecency provisions were unconstitutional. And it did so predicated on not what ordinary, mainstream society wanted to discuss. Those decisions were predicated on litigation brought by pornographers.

We dont draw the line of acceptable speech at what the 25th percentile of the mainstream likes. And thats how we ensure that everybody whos in that middle gets to say what they want. That exists for them because we draw the line right at the edge of what we think is acceptable and we dont make too many value judgments about the quality of somebodys speech.

Where have courts drawn the line?

[They] say, OK, what is so bad that there is no possible way to justify it?

Item No. 1, child pornography. And its because in order to make the information you plan to distribute in the first place, you have to abuse a child.

We also can say that there are certain things that are so utterly without redeeming social value, that even if the person making them didnt technically violate any laws, we ban this. Snuff films. Theyre simply revolting, horrible, and dangerous.

We can say we need to draw the boundary at things that implicate our national security. You dont, if you have specific information available on the movement of troops in a war zone, have total freedom there.

The way that we have talked about this is through an analysis called strict scrutiny, which means that when you regulate speech, youve got to ask key questions. Does this further a compelling governmental interest, things like the actual physical protection of children, national security? So, you also see why this Tennessee law is designed, written, to link the restrictions on drag performance to children, when it clearly has very little to do with children.

So thats why the next part of the strict-scrutiny analysis is really, really important here. Any law that regulates speech because of a compelling government interest has to be as narrowly tailored as possible. Are we acting sufficiently to protect minors from this material that at least a significant number of people believe is indecent and inappropriate for children to see? And are we doing it in a way that doesnt stop people from communicating whatever message theyre trying to communicate, even if its as simple as, hey, I think this looks hot.

What would you say to the person who says your argument against the law comes down to drag queens and kings should have the same protections as pornographers?

I think drag queens ought to be entitled to at least the same as pornographers, because drag queens, by definition, are not doing pornography. Right now this law attempts to reframe drag performances as harmful, and claims to only regulate performances that are harmful to minors. But now weve got to ask what is harmful to minors and there are definitions in the statute, but these definitions are very vague. And frankly, the kinds of things that the statute defines as harmful  minors having access to strip clubs  thats already illegal. The only reason to add drag performers to this list is to send a message to the performers and to the public and to any young LGBT person out there thinking about coming out or performing or expressing themselves in a way that doesnt conform to what these folks, these legislators, think gender ought to look like.

And that is bad enough, but making it a felony? Then you are talking about taking away somebodys right to vote.

Oh wait. Tennessee is a state that takes the right to vote away from convicted felons.

Thats right, in a lot of cases.

And this [Tennessee] law is based on what it calls community standards, which is a legitimate First Amendment term. But community standards in the local judicial district where these folks are performing means that there are 31 judicial districts here. So, well have 31 different or similar standards if this law stands. And that cannot possibly be a reasonable interpretation of the First Amendment, that the law can vary inside of a state.

But heres the other thing the law does thats so disturbing. It doesnt actually tell you what is prohibited. It simply says anything that runs afoul of these community standards. Now, youll find some obscenity ordinances will say things like, you cannot display the female breasts below the areola. But it has to be that specific to pass First Amendment muster. Because everybody has got to know what it is that they can or cant do to avoid being charged with a crime. Every law enforcement officer has to know.

Well, most drag shows dont involve the removal of any clothing, that I am aware of. But youre saying its necessary to be that specific. Why?

If its not clear, it allows police officers to use their subjective judgment to decide whether something is or isnt obscene. And we do not want to live in a society with morality police. Because we can look across the ocean and see there are ample people in the world who believe that it is indecent for women to go about without their hair covered.

Now, in Tennessee, the people who support this new law tend to be the same people that are railing against their fear that somebody is going to try to impose shariah law in the United States. And they do seem to be awfully, awfully content, imposing something shockingly similar.

OK, so I understand your point about what courts have said about when and under what conditions free speech or expression can be restricted. But there are also loud parents who say the world is dangerous and they need help.

First of all, what about the parents who have a different set of values? This is taking away parents rights to make decisions for their children. So, I also want to ask parents, if you are parenting your children effectively, and explaining to them your values and how the world works, and giving them the tools they need to be successful, why do you need the legislature to get rid of entire categories of people or materials or ideas in public view?

I dont think theyre really concerned about their ability to protect or raise their children. I think that they are interested in oppressing people and they are using their parenthood as a badge as to why they should be allowed to do that.

The Supreme Court had a great, great response to that argument.

Oh, really?

Youll find this in Reno v.the ACLU. We cannot reduce what is appropriate for the mailbox to what is appropriate for the sandbox.

What does the person who says, Look, its not that big of a deal for drag performances to be limited to indoor venues where everyone is 18 or older need to know?

People in that middle, who dont have to care, they frequently, as a political group, appear to have power. And financially, economically speaking, they typically have a good life. So of course, its very easy for those people not to be alarmist because the line of what is the line of what kind of oppression is acceptable? its got to move a long way before it gets to them.

What those people need to recognize is the pattern. They come for the most just not necessarily a despised minority, at least by most people, but a fringe minority thats a relatively small group with virtually no political power.

Once they get that, they can take another step.
An impatient customer wreaked havoc at a McDonalds drive-thru in Central Florida early Sunday morning.

At approximately 3 a.m., officers were dispatched to the fast-food joint on Frontage Road after receiving calls about two men fighting there, according to a news release from the Lakeland Police.

While officers were en route, dispatchers received updates from the reportee that shots had been fired.

READ MORE: They were popping wheelies on a dark Florida road. Cops were there, too

Upon arrival, cops saw a minivan in the roadway directly in front of the restaurant. Inside was a 28-year-old woman, who had been shot multiple times, and a 34-year-old man rendering aid. (The names of the victims are being withheld in accordance with Marsys Law.)

The woman was transported to a local hospital in stable condition with serious injuries; the male declined medical treatment at the scene for a minor injury. The suspect, later identified as Calvin Sousa, had already fled the location in a white vehicle, authorities say.

Officers were told that prior to the alleged incident, the victims were in line waiting for their order, which had been delayed due to an error.

READ MORE: He was pulled over for an expired tag in Florida, then cops looked in the car

The suspect, who was in his car behind the victims, became upset and began honking the horn and yelling.

Thats when both the male victim and Sousa got out of their respective vehicles and engaged in a physical altercation. After the brief tussle, both returned to their cars and began to exit.

As the minivan was pulling out of the parking lot, the suspect reportedly pulled up to the passengers side and fired multiple shots into the vehicle.

Through witness statements and evidence gathered, officers were able to identify the suspects vehicle, and track him to a home in Highland City, about eight miles south.

The 28-year-old initially refused officers commands, barricading himself inside the house, but eventually exited before being taken into custody.

Sousa was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and improper exhibit of a firearm.
Palestinian and Israeli forces battled in the air and on the ground Monday, with a drone downed and missiles fired over Gaza, and two militants killed in the occupied West Bank in what the army called a raid targeting gun attack suspects.

Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip said they fired missiles at an Israeli warplane after it shot their drone down.

The violence followed a weekend of deadly incidents which ended a relative calm since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan 10 days ago.

France's foreign minister discussed the "deterioration of the situation in the West Bank and rising tensions in Jerusalem" in a phone call with her Israeli counterpart, the French foreign ministry said.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, "two martyrs (were) shot by the occupation", the Palestinian health ministry said. It later named them as Mohammed Abu Bakr and Mohammed al-Hallaq, without giving their ages.

At their funeral processions, an AFP journalist saw thousands of Palestinians, among them dozens of masked, armed men, march through the streets of Nablus, parading their bodies. Gunshots were fired in the air.

Local militant group the Lions' Den claimed the two men as members and confirmed in a statement that its fighters had been involved in "confronting the (Israeli) occupation forces' storming of the city of Nablus".

The Israeli army said it carried out the raid to apprehend two individuals linked to a shooting attack last month in which two Israeli soldiers were injured in the West Bank town of Huwara.

"During the activity, a number of armed gunmen fired at the forces who responded with live fire," the army statement said.

Two people were arrested, it added.

Israeli forces have carried out regular raids in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War -- including several in the militant stronghold of Nablus, where the Lions' Den emerged over the past months.

- Gaza missiles -

The Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, said in a statement that it "mourns the martyrdom of two Palestinian freedom fighters" in what it called Israel's "storming" of Nablus.

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Hamas said it had fired "a number of surface-to-air missiles" at an Israeli war plane after it shot down one of the group's drones.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military confirmed to AFP that "a number of shoulder-fired missiles were launched toward the fighter jet", adding that "no injuries were reported and no damage was done".

After a relative lull in violence since Ramadan began on March 23, three Israelis were injured in a ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday.

Soldiers killed the alleged perpetrator.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Israeli police shot dead an Arab Israeli who they alleged had grabbed a policeman's gun and fired it in the Israeli-annexed Old City of Jerusalem.

His family disputed this version of events.

During a phone call, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna reminded her Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen of "the necessity of refraining from all unilateral measures, particularly in the matter of settlements", the foreign ministry in Paris said.

It also cited the need to "respect the commitments" made last month in Egypt, and the previous month in Jordan, when Israeli and Palestinian officials agreed to restore calm.

The West Bank is home to hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers who live in state-approved settlements considered illegal under international law.

About 230,000 Israelis live in annexed east Jerusalem, along with at least 360,000 Palestinians who want to make the sector the capital of their future state.

But Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014.

Since the start of the year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of at least 91 Palestinians, 15 Israelis and one Ukranian, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians including minors and two members of the Arab minority.

str-gb/jjm/fz/dab/it/ami
Deaths due to drug overdose among people aged 65 and older in the US quadrupled over 20 years, according to a new study that calls for improved mental health and substance use disorder policies in the country.

Researchers, including those from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US, assessed data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database to estimate annual overdose deaths among seniors from 2002 to 2021.

They compared demographics, specific drugs, and whether the deaths were intentional, unintentional, or undetermined.

The analysis, published recently in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that fatal overdoses quadrupled from 1060 in 2002 to 6,702 in 2021 with the highest rates reported among Black people at 30.9 per 100,000.

The dramatic rise in overdose fatalities among adults over 65 years of age in the past two decades underscores how important it is for clinicians and policymakers to think of overdose as a problem across the lifespan, study co-author Chelsea Shover from UCLA said.

Updating Medicare to cover evidence-based treatment for substance use disorders is crucial, as is providing harm reduction supplies such as naloxone to older adults, Dr Shover added.

Scientists found that nearly three-fourths of the unintended fatalities involved illicit drugs such as synthetic opioids like fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines.

They also found that in 2021, 1 in 370 senior deaths stemmed from overdoses, with about 57 per cent of those involving opioids, 39 per cent from stimulants, and about a fifth involving a combination of both.

Researchers said alcohol poisoning deaths also rose from 10 (less than 0.03 per 100,000) to 281 (0.5 per 100,000) in 2021.

About 13 per cent of overdoses in 2021 were intentional while 83 per cent were unintentional, scientists said, adding that 4 per cent were undetermined, and 5 per cent were homicides.

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Among intentional overdoses, they found that prescription opioids, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, antiepileptics, and sedatives were used in nearly two-thirds of the cases.

Even though drug overdose remains an uncommon cause of death among older adults in the U.S., the quadrupling of fatal overdoses among older adults should be considered in evolving policies focused on the overdose epidemic, they wrote.

Current proposals to improved mental health and substance use disorder coverage within Medicare, for example, applying mental health parity rules within Medicare, acquire greater urgency in light of this studys results, researchers added.
Whats Speak Out?

Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 100 words and give your first name and your hometown.

We will never resolve the debate over the assault weapon ban. We can put men on the moon, build airplanes that fly 50,000 feet, build massive skyscrapers and build vehicles that drive without human presence, but we cant stop school shootings. Our government spends $1.6 trillion a year. Lets spend whatever it takes to protect our children and school personnel. Every school should be staffed with two armed police officers, one at each entrance and one at each exit.

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Dan, Beverly

Perhaps the greatest example of folks voting for issues and candidates against their own best interests is a cop being against gun reform. Why a police officer would ever want more guns, and more deadly guns, in the hands of folks who clearly shouldnt have these weapons is beyond me. A police union that has not promoted gun reform, in the best interest of their own officers, is not worthy of their support.

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Denny, Orland Park

Im sure making all guns illegal would be the solution, after all, look how well making narcotics and murder illegal has worked! Guns are not the problem, mentally deranged people are.

Dan, Palos Heights

Since President Biden has taken office, he and his administration are spending money like a bunch of drunken sailors. Hes given Ukraine how many millions, then Janet Yellen goes and gives Ukraine how many more millions. Now Vice President Kamala Harris is in Africa giving them a hundred million for what, she should be taking care of our borders. Whos going to pay for all this money theyre giving away? I know who, our grandchildrens, grandchildrens grandchildren. Use that money for the USA.

Suzie, Orland Park

Congratulations to Diana Spyrka for her 50 years of service to the Chicago Ridge Animal Welfare League as stated in the article March 30. Only good comments were made by Chris Higens, who is now the board president. My experience was three years ago with Higens and her husband. Go search Chicago Ridge Animal League and read the comments. Sounds like the same staff is still there. Maybe Spyrka should check the comments and do something about the staff rudeness. Poor animals cant get a forever home.

JK, Oak Lawn
Duke Energy, Krispy Kreme and Bank of America have their headquarters in Charlotte, but they all incorporated in another state. Same goes for homegrown Raleigh tech firms Pendo, Bandwidth and, until it was acquired by IBM, Red Hat.

Raleighs First Citizens Bank made headlines for its acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank, but First Citizens is actually registered far outside the Triangle.

Many of North Carolinas most well-known companies arent, in a sense, North Carolina companies. Like thousands of firms based around the country, they incorporate in Delaware.

The small coastal state maintains a national reputation as the place companies form. Delaware has more business entities (1.8 million) than residents (1 million). It is home to two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies. In 2021, more than 90% of U.S. initial public offerings were registered in the state.

I come from the corporate capital of the world, President Joe Biden said during his recent visit to Durham. More corporations are incorporated in Delaware than every other state in the union combined.

Startup founders in North Carolina say investors treat a Delaware incorporation as a prerequisite to give money. Clerky and StripeAtlas, two popular platforms entrepreneurs use to establish companies, both fix Delaware as their only location.

Businesses dont need to have a real presence in Delaware to incorporate there. The law requires them to hire a registered agent who lives in the state and to pay an annual state franchise tax. But even visiting the state isnt necessary.

So, why Delaware? Can North Carolina do more to get companies to incorporate here? And does it matter?

What makes Delaware a corporate hot spot?

In short: courts, taxes, privacy and laws.

Many applaud the states corporate statutes, the Delaware General Corporation Law, for being dynamic yet predictable.

The Delaware legislature allows the Delaware Bar Association to annually review these laws for potential revisions. And under the state constitution, corporate laws can only be changed by a supermajority in the legislature, insulating the statutes from standard partisanship.

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Having clarity on what the rules are makes the game easier to play, said Lawrence Hamermesh, a corporate law professor at Widener University in Delaware. The statute is broadly enabling, in the sense that it authorizes a wide, indeed almost unlimited range of internal governance structures.

By incorporating in Delaware, companies also gain access to its business court, the Delaware Court of Chancery, which has established a wide breadth of case law since the state adopted its general corporate statutes in 1899. By comparison, the North Carolina Business Court was only created in 1996.

Delawares corporate courts dont have jury trials, which adds to the predictability of case outcomes.

People are familiar with Delaware corporations, Hamermesh said. And they get that way from the time theyre in law school, because thats what corporate law is taught in law schools around the country. Its all accepted.

Duke Energy spokesperson Neil Nissan told The News & Observer the utility company incorporates in Delaware for its well-established records on corporate laws and the states tax characteristics for both the corporation and our shareholders.

I come from the corporate capital of the world, President Joe Biden said during his visit to Durham on Tuesday. More corporations are incorporated in Delaware than every other state in the union combined. Kaitlin McKeown/kmckeown@newsobserver.com

Jason Caplain, general partner and cofounder of Bull City Venture Partners, said every company in his Durham funds portfolio files as a Delaware C corporation.

There are many advantages including tax and liability, he said. Delaware C corporations also allow for two classes of stock and for stock options, which are used by companies to provide additional incentive to employees. Additionally, Delaware is really fast for filings and case law is very mature and understood.

Delaware actually maintains an 8.7% corporate income tax rate, which is higher than in many states (including North Carolina), but out-of-state companies that dont do business in Delaware arent required to pay. And there is no inheritance tax on stocks owned by non-state residents.

The Delaware loophole

Delaware law also affords companies greater privacy, or  depending on how you look at it  secrecy.

When a Delaware firm files financial reports, only the name of its registered agent and a contact person must be disclosed, allowing executives and shareholders a layer of anonymity if they desire.

Some have criticized this policy for establishing the Delaware loophole, which allows companies to create opaque shell companies to store what would otherwise be taxable assets in other states.

Companies can set up a Delaware holding company, and because intangibles, like trademarks, are not taxed in Delaware, then they can funnel profits via that holding company and thereby avoid paying state tax, said Hal Witzman, a University of Chicago adjunct professor and author of the book Whats the Matter with Delaware? How the First State Has Favored the Rich, Powerful, and Criminal  and How It Costs Us All.

During a podcast in June, Witzman described the Delaware loophole as an elegant tax dodge.

Do NC companies need to incorporate in Delaware to succeed?

In many cases, no.

While Bank of America and Duke Energy file in Delaware, others like Lowes and Truist Bank incorporate in North Carolina. Many Triangle companies register locally too, including the Durham semiconducting chip manufacturer Wolfspeed, which President Joe Biden recently visited.

From a purely corporate standpoint, generally speaking, what we tell our clients is there really is no practical difference (to incorporating in Delaware) in terms of privacy, in terms of the treatment of law, in terms of taxation, said William Bray, a founding partner at the Charlotte business law firm Bray & Long.

The North Carolina Business Court doesnt have the same history as the Delaware Court of Chancery, but Brays partner Jeff Long said the Tar Heel court has grown in both size and stature.

I think its growth is evidence that lawyers and individuals have grown more confident and comfortable in going to the Business Court to have their matters heard, he said.

In 1996, a judge named Ben Tennille launched the North Carolina Business Court from a modest courthouse office in High Point. Since then, the court has added four more judicial positions and today has offices in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh.

North Carolina General Statutes entrusts the business court to hear and decide complex business cases. Over the past three years, the court has taken on 344 new cases according to its latest legislative report.

Some in Delaware have taken notice.

North Carolina, with its business court, has done I think the most of any other state to at least approach the institutional advantages that Delaware has in its Court of Chancery business court, Hamermesh said. But outside of North Carolina, I dont think people learn North Carolina corporate law.

According to data provided by the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, the state has seen a 70% increase in new business formations since 2019.

But do investors demand Delaware incorporation?

Many times yes, though not always.

When North Carolina companies seek money or mergers, those with the money often say a Delaware incorporation is essential.

Its pretty much part of the basic checklist if you want to raise venture capital, said Scot Wingo, a Triangle investor who founded the mobile car care startup Get Spiffy.

Peter Goldstein, a Raleigh resident who cofounded the San Francisco-based software firm Valimail, said companies stand to lose out if they buck convention and incorporate outside of Delaware.

You are trying to be as normal as possible, he said. You want the (mergers and acquisitions) team from your potential acquirer or the deals team from an investor to look at you and say, You look like every other deal Ive done from a financial structure perspective. You fit in the square.

First Citizens Bank is photographed in Raleigh, N.C. on Monday, March 27, 2023. Kaitlin McKeown/kmckeown@newsobserver.com

Bill Spruill, a prominent Raleigh entrepreneur and investor, pushed back on Delaware incorporation being the absolute for startups.

And he would know. Last May, Spruill completed one of the most profitable exits in Triangle history when Global Data Consortium, a company he cofounded a decade prior, was acquired for $300 million.

Being a North Carolina corporation was just fine for my business, he said. It didnt prevent us, arguably, from raising capital. It doesnt prevent you from executing at all on your business.

Does NC lose out when its companies incorporate in Delaware?

A direct way North Carolina is affected by Delawares corporate stature is in missed revenues.

The North Carolina secretary of state charges businesses $125 to incorporate. Then each year, business corporations and limited liability companies must file annual reports that cost $23 and $200 online respectively. It might not add up to much relative to the state budget, but it is something.

Some bankruptcy lawyers in North Carolina mentioned they miss out on potential clients who are based locally but incorporate in Delaware. And critics of Delawares corporate laws, like Witzman, argue that all states stand to lose out on tax revenue so long as the Delaware loophole remains open.

But overall, many say the impact on the Tar Heel State is minor.

We see minimal impact, said Liz Proctor, spokesperson for the N.C. Secretary of State. North Carolina has spent decades building a strong infrastructure for business that supports a top-ranked business climate and economy, according to many industry publications. In North Carolina, we continue to use short turnaround times for formation and open and free access to corporate information as a competitive advantage.

As Zach Milburn, CEO of the Raleigh home building startup Nomad, pointed out, incorporating somewhere and being headquartered somewhere is completely different.

Ive never been to Delaware in my life, he said.

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.

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This 2010 file photo shows bottles of abortion-inducing drugs. Most abortions in the U.S. are now done through medication  rather than surgery. (Charlie Neibergall/ Associated Press)

The Comstock Act of 1873 is a relic, the work of an anti-vice crusader, Anthony Comstock, who lobbied Congress to prohibit, among other things, the mailing of any obscene, lewd, or lascivious written material. The act, formally known as An Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, obscene Literature and Articles of immoral Use, also forbid the mailing of any article or thing, designed or intended for the prevention of conception, or procuring of abortion.

Over the decades, federal courts have narrowed the interpretation of this blunderbuss of a law, finding it ran into 1st Amendment issues. Congress removed the prohibition on contraception in 1971. And federal courts have agreed since the early 20th century that the law does not prohibit all mailing of items for an abortion, according to a December 2022 opinion from the Office of Legal Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Attempts to repeal the Comstock Act have been unsuccessful, but it is so antiquated that its considered a zombie law  one that lies mostly dormant on the books, rarely used.

But once the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade and numerous states enacted severe abortion restrictions or near bans, abortion opponents rooted through the federal code to reanimate the Comstock Act, arguing that it prevents the mailing of medication abortion pills everywhere.

The most commonly used form of abortion is medication pills. They are relatively easy to get and the Food and Drug Administration has recently made them easier to get by allowing telehealth medical appointments for abortion and also allowing pharmacies to get certified to sell  and mail  abortion pills.

All this has made medication abortion a target for abortion opponents determined to wipe out an easily accessible form of abortion. They have sued the FDA in federal court, arguing that medication drugs have not been studied adequately and need to be taken off the market. (A ruling on that case could come any day.)

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After Walgreens announced that it would get certified to sell abortion pills last month, 20 state attorneys general wrote the company warning them, among other things, that it was illegal to send out the abortion pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, in the mail.

But its not. So says the legal counsel for the Justice Department. In a December opinion responding to a request from the U.S. postmaster general, the counsel concluded that the law does not prohibit the mailing, or the delivery or receipt by mail, of mifepristone or misoprostol where the sender lacks the intent that the recipient of the drugs will use them unlawfully.

The opinion makes it clear that both the courts and Congress interpret the law to refer to unlawful abortions  and that theres no way that the Postal Service (or any other common carrier or express service which are also under this edict) could know why anyone is using the pills. Misoprostol in particular is used for a number of other medical reasons.

For example, the pills could be going to states (such as California) where abortion is protected and available through the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Or they could be going to a state where abortion is widely banned except when the health of the pregnant person is at risk, or in cases of rape or incest. Or they could be intended for other medical uses.

"Therefore, the mere mailing of such drugs to a particular jurisdiction is an insufficient basis for concluding that the sender intends them to be used unlawfully, the Justice Department's opinion says.

This legal advice probably wont stop antiabortion state lawmakers from citing the Comstock Act to pass laws prohibiting the mailing of medication abortion into their states. (Missouri bans the mailing of abortion pills  but it's already under a near total abortion ban that would supersede any ban on medication abortion mailing.)

Of course, the Biden administration wouldn't enforce that law against the U.S. Postal Service. But what these state restrictions  and threats from state attorneys general  do is intimidate pharmaceutical companies into not selling abortion pills through mail-order and healthcare providers into not even trying to send out medication even though the federal government has said it is legal to do so.

Antiabortion lawmakers are not attempting to uphold the law. Instead, abortion opponents want to weaponize a 150-year-old law that shouldn't even be on the books to further their goal of taking away a right to reproductive healthcare. No one should give in to their threats.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
DONBAS, UKRAINE  Sector clear, calls out the instructor, Artyom, to his student Yevhen. The latter man shifts his rifle slightly, its long British-made barrel resting just above the ground as Yevhen lays prone.

Target in sights, he says in Ukrainian as he rests his crosshairs on a man-shaped metal panel in the quarry below a half-kilometer away. He pulls the trigger: a sharp crack, and the smell of gunpowder in the air. Artyom continues to peer through his binoculars into the quarry.

Target hit, he says, with a note of approval.

Artyom and Yevhen are training here at a makeshift firing range in eastern Ukraine, just a few dozen miles from the fierce battle for the city of Bakhmut, keeping sharp for when their deadly skills will be called on again. Its early March, and around Bakhmut, both sides are dug in behind armor or mud, sheltering from 24/7 artillery fire, and occasionally darting from cover to open fire on an enemy trench position. The two snipers go-to guns in that type of fight are Kalashnikovs  a weapon well-suited to unleashing a wall of ammunition at close range.

Ukrainian forces running out of shells, equipment in fight for Bakhmut

Over the last six months, there hasnt been much use for snipers  the frontline has been changing quite a bit, Artyom says. Instead, we have largely been working as saboteurs: planting mines, destroying train tracks before the enemy can capture and use them, and carrying out reconnaissance for raids.

But when the Russians have spent their energy on the latest offensive, make camp and take a knee before the next one, the snipers will take to the shadows again, to take them out.

The men have repurposed a deserted stone quarry for their target practice  a wide, rock-strewn depression gouged out of miles of farmers fields clogged with mud from the springtime thaw. Yevhen is younger, having joined Ukraines armed forces as Russia invaded last year; he is now honing his skills in long-range firearms. Artyom is a professional sniper, having worked in this role since he joined Ukraines army in 2016.

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Top-of-the-line rifles

For todays session, each man has a personalized, top-of-the-line sniper rifle to work with. Yevhen to a .308 calibre Accuracy International model; Artyom prefers his Italian-made .338 Victrix Scorpio V. The Western, NATO-style loadout of each marksman is an evolutionary shift from the Soviet approach that characterized Ukraines armed forces in years past.

The U.S., UK, Canada  these countries are the pinnacle of modern equipment, Artyom says, his outfit bristling with optics and auxiliary gear. What they use, we try to emulate. The two men spoke anonymously because they were talking without Ukrainian army permission, in order to speak freely about the course of the war.

While most of their countrymen are fighting in large, coordinated maneuver formations of tanks, artillery and infantry, the two snipers are part of the elite light-infantry force striking from the shadows, using some of the most advanced equipment in Ukraines arsenal. Their operations helped drive Russian forces out of western Ukraine in the opening weeks of the 2021 invasion, picking off senior enemy officers at long range, inspiring fear, and confusion among the ill-prepared and disorganized Russian ranks. Its their tactics that NATO chiefs are studying, as a playbook to what U.S. and other troops might face, should Moscow attack NATO territory.

Yevhen fires his rifle, a .308 Accuracy International, at a training range in eastern Ukraine. The Western, NATO-style loadout of each marksman is an evolutionary shift from the Soviet approach that characterized Ukraines armed forces in years past. (Thomas Mutch/Special to Military Times)

That kind of warfare was particularly vital in the first six weeks of the Russian invasion as well.

As Russian armored units lumbered through the Ukrainian countryside in late February and early March 2022, the conditions for the sniper warfare that had dominated the not-so-frozen conflict along the frontlines in Donbas since 2015 evaporated.

Instead, mobile strike teams capable of taking on isolated Russian columns, often operating without the requisite infantry cover, became the priority. Composed of both veteran and irregular partisan fighters, small teams of Ukrainian infantry inflicted outsized losses on Russian units.

While neither Yevhen nor Artyom ever worked behind Russian lines, they admit that there was hardly such a thing as proper frontlines in those hectic first weeks, before Moscow abandoned the fight for northern Ukraine to focus on Donbas.

In the months that followed, Arytom redeployed to Donbas as well. He describes several close brushes with death since then.

Sniper duels are just a silly thing from the movies, Artyom says. When [the Russians] really want to get us, they use mortars  or if were really unlucky, white phosphorus. The latter substance  an incendiary agent whose use as a weapon is banned in most cases by international law  was deployed against Artyom and his comrades in the village of Bilohorivka just last month. Everything was on fire. We were lucky to escape that time, Artyom says.

For Artyom, the war didnt start with Russias full-scale invasion last February. A native of Kramatorsk, he was living in that city when Russian-backed separatists occupied it for several months in 2014  an experience he credits for his desire to join the armed forces.

Back in 2014, I was a normal guy, just working in a heavy machinery factory, he says. What happened was almost surreal. I couldnt believe that just 20 guys can capture a whole city  that 500 policemen can just defect or flee, Artyom says of the Russian separatists brief capture of Kramatorsk during Russias seizure of Crimea.

He aided Ukraines armed forces during the 2014 occupation, providing them with coordinates of separatist troops and bases. It was pure chaos in those days  gangs looting stores, kidnapping people. I couldnt imagine that happening to the rest [of Ukraine]. Those days affected me a lot, Artyom says. He joined the army two years later.

Artyom has served in Ukraine's armed forces since 2016, fighting in battlefields across the country in the past year. Photo by Thomas Mutch.

Battle for Bakhmut

Despite his specialized equipment, the expert sniper says his weapon of choice these days in the fighting around Bakhmut is not his cutting-edge Western rifle, but rather, a simple Kalashnikov automatic, equipped with a thermal scope.

Believe it or not, this, with the proper optics is the most effective weapon Ive used in this war, Artyom says, holding up his go-to machine gun. A sniper rifle costs $20,000 or $30,000 dollars and can kill only one Russian quickly. An AK can defend against an entire assault. His record in a single engagement? 15 enemies eliminated in about three hours. We didnt expect them to react so calmly once we started shooting, but they just kept milling around in the same area, Artyom says.

Neither Artyom nor Yevhen knows where their next deployment will be. All they are certain is that it wont be in Bakhmut, the city where six months of brutal fighting has brought Russian troops to within a few kilometers of encircling the Ukrainian defenders.

Theres not much need for snipers in Bakhmut, Yevhen says. Its the kind of battle that is decided by artillery and regular infantry. Theres no sense to risk highly specialized troops when shelling will kill you just as easily, he says.

But Artyom has a few interesting ideas for assignments further down the road.

Since were specialists, we get to choose a lot of our own missions, he says. Id like to go next to either the forests of Belarus or the mountains of the North Caucasus. Ukraine isnt the only country that needs to be liberated from the Russians.
Elon Musk. Getty Images

Elon Musk cofounded OpenAI  the ChatGPT creator  before leaving in 2018.

He reportedly called one intern a "jackass" after he questioned his decision to pursue AGI at Tesla.

And an OpenAI executive later had a "jackass" trophy made for the intern to commemorate the quarrel.

Elon Musk reportedly called an intern at OpenAI a "jackass" after he questioned whether Musk had thought through plans to develop AI tech at Tesla, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Musk, who is currently the world's second-richest person, cofounded the company behind ChatGPT in 2015, but quit in 2018 after he grew frustrated with the lack of progress, and his offer to take charge was rejected.

Musk reportedly told staff he thought Tesla had a better chance of achieving artificial general intelligence  the point at which AI is as capable as humans.

But one intern challenged Musk on whether he'd thought through the safety implications of developing the controversial technology elsewhere, per the report. Then Musk "grew visibly frustrated" and called the intern a "jackass," the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.

An OpenAI executive later had a "jackass" trophy made for the intern to commemorate the quarrel, presented to him on a pillow, the newspaper reports.

"You've got to have a little fun," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told the Journal. "This is the stuff that culture gets made out of."

Musk used the same insult in a Twitter Space last December to disparage a former Twitter software engineer who questioned his prediction that the social-media company would need to do a "total rewrite" of the code.

In the past few months, Musk has been critical of OpenAI on Twitter.

In December 2022, he said of ChatGPT: "The danger of training AI to be woke  in other words, lie  is deadly." And in February, accused the company of being "a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft."

"Most of that is not true, and I think Elon knows that," Altman responded on the "On With Kara Swisher" podcast, adding: "he's a jerk."

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ChatGPT became the fastest-growing app in history by reaching 100 million users in just over two months, per a study from UBS.

And contrary to Musk's prediction five years ago, OpenAI has been leading the race to achieve AGI  prompting Google to issue a "code red" over the chatbot's rise. The search giant also faced criticism from its employees over its Bard chatbot, who described it as "rushed" and "botched," per CNBC.

As well as its self-driving software, Tesla has been working on a humanoid robot called Optimus. It was showcased at the company's AI Day last year and Musk said it should go on sale by 2027, per CNET. Musk seemed to be less confident about the company's role in the technology's future in 2022, tweeting: "Tesla AI might play a role in AGI."

Tesla and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Both Ashley Park and her cousin Justin H. Min have starred in hit Netflix shows. Netflix / Christos Kalohoridis / Netflix

"Emily In Paris" star Ashley Park said she was almost cast as her real second cousin's wife.

Park and "Umbrella Academy" Justin H. Min discovered they were related in 2019.

Park said on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" they had to tell the casting directors about the relation.

"Emily in Paris" star Ashley Park said that she was almost cast as her real-life cousin's wife in the upcoming Netflix show "Beef."

The new comedy-drama, which premieres on Thursday, follows two people who plot revenge after being consumed by a road-rage incident. Both Park and her second cousin Justin H. Min appear in the series, along with several notable Asian-American actors such as Steven Yeun and Ali Wong.

While discussing her role on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" on Friday, Park recalled how her agent had to tell the show's casting directors that Min and Park are related.

"There's another character in this show played by Justin Min," Park recalled. "The part they were first considering me for... the amazing showrunner, Sunny, he was considering me to play this character's pregnant wife. We have the same agent, Kevin, and Kevin was like: 'Oh wait, they're, like, very related.' They were like, 'Wait, really?'"

Park continued: "My mom's name is Sarah Min. That's her maiden name  and so we were like, 'No, we're like very much blood-related.'"

Park said that this isn't the first time the second cousins have almost been cast as love interests.

"We've been asked to play love interests a couple of times so we need everyone to know that me and Justin are blood-related," the "Girls5Eva" star said. "We should not be playing husband and wife or lovers. That is not great."

In the end, Park was cast as a different character.

"I ended up with the part that I really loved that was very different from something I've played, but thanks to us being blood-related. Thanks, Justin," she said.

Ali Wong in "Beef." Andrew Cooper/Netflix

In "Beef," Park plays a "passive-aggressive" stay-at-home mom.

Park and Min only learned about their blood relation a few years ago after reuniting in 2019. During an interview on Character Media's YouTube platform, Park and Min explained that they found out they were related after Min starred in the Netflix hit show "Umbrella Academy."

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Park recalled that she was going to meet up with her Broadway friend, Emmy Raver-Lampman, who mentioned that she was bringing along her "Umbrella Academy" costar, Min.

When Park mentioned this to her mother, her mother looked up the show and started to "connect the dots" since she shared a surname with the "After Yang" actor.

"Then she went through her archives and found photos of her own wedding where my older brother was a ring boy," Min then explained. "So, your mom started texting you photos. You sent those photos to Emmy. Emmy sent those photos to me, and as I was driving to Emmy's house, I'm just getting photos of my childhood and my brother and I'm like, 'How do you have these photos? What is happening?'"

Park said the revelation was "hilarious" because Asian Americans are often asked if they are related when they have similar last names, but this is the one time when it was actually accurate.

"Beef" premieres on Netflix on Thursday.

Read the original article on Insider
A 23-year-old Fresno woman pleaded guilty Monday to stealing more than $70,000 from customers while she was employed at a bank, prosecutors said.

Lladira Hernandez in April 2022 was hired as a customer service representative at a Fresno-based bank, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

She began stealing bank account information of multiple customers she helped over the phone, and used it to pay bills for herself and others, prosecutors said. That included mortgage and car payments, as well as phone bills.

Hernandez transferred more than $45,000 from two customer accounts to her own account before quitting from the bank in August, the release said.

She was caught on surveillance video withdrawing the money from her account, prosecutors said.

Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ana de Alba on Sept. 5, and she faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, the release said.
The family of a University of Idaho student murdered last year has shared the special way theyre honouring their sons legacy.

Ethan Chapin, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle and Kernodles roommates Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were brutally stabbed on 13 November at their off-campus rental home. Washington State University PhD student Bryan Kohberger was arrested on 30 December in Pennsylvania and is now awaiting trial in Idaho for the murders.

Families of the victims are unable to speak about the case with the media due to a gag order in place, but Ethans parents Stacey and Jim Chapin have opened up about a heartwarming initiative started by their sons coworkers at the Tulip Valley Farm, where Ethan worked before he graduated high school.

The tulip planting field has dedicated a yellow and white tulip mix to the memory of the slain student, and named it Ethans Smile. The proceeds will go to a foundation created by the Chapins, which will support students at Ethans high school who are planning to attend the University of Idaho.

A tulip became something tangible and something that people can grasp on, Ms Chapin told the TODAY show. We realised that by creating a foundation we can give scholarships back to kids to be able to follow their dreams. And thats the best thing we could do in his honour.

Reese Garner, one of the workers at the tulip farm who came up with the idea, said he was one of the lucky kids who got to work in the tulip farm with him and that Ethan had the best smile. You couldnt see it and not instantly smile back.

The tulip farm is also selling sweatshirts, t-shirts, and stickers to commemorate Ethans life and his impact on many lives.

The family of Ethan Chapin, one of the victims in the University of Idaho murders, open up about how they have found a unique way to plant lasting memories of their son. @GadiNBC shares their story. pic.twitter.com/TcJfWfcrqU  TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 3, 2023

Ethan loved people and he was an inclusive kid. He loved great adventures, Ms Chapin told the TODAY show. Ethan was the kid who other kids would call and find out when he was in the work schedule because everyone wanted to work with [him]. When this happened, the kids decided that they needed a way to honour him.

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Ethans fraternity Sigma Chi also started a scholarship in his honour, which will be presented annually to a deserving undergraduate member of the Gamma Eta Chapter. The fundraiser has already reached its goal of $125,000, with Ethans mother and grandmother matching donations up to $10,000.

Last week, authorities investigating the quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list related to one of the officers involved in the case. The findings could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.

In this photo provided by Stacy Chapin, triplets Ethan, Maizie and Hunter Chapin pose in front of a tulip field

Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.

Mr Kohberger 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.

Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre 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.
BEIJING (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit China from April 5 to 7, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Monday, a trip that immediately follows her comments that the bloc's relations with Beijing had become strained.

Von der Leyen, who is travelling to China alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, said last week that Europe needed to "de-risk" diplomatically and economically with China which was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad.

While the EU has clashed with China over issues ranging from its cosy relations with Russia to alleged human rights abuses in recent years, Beijing remains one of the EU's biggest trade partners.

"It is important that China and the EU uphold the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, overcome disruptions and difficulties, and focus on consensus and cooperation," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

"China stands ready to work with the EU and take this visit as an opportunity to further tap the potential to address global challenges and provide more stability and positive energy to a world fraught with uncertainties," she added.

Von der Leyen will meet with Macron for a working lunch on Monday to discuss issues including Russia's war on Ukraine, the energy sector and preparations for their trips to China, including their joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

(Reporting by Andrew Hayley in Beijing; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Jacqueline Wong)
EVANSVILLE  Vanderburgh County residents who live in areas represented by Rep. Wendy McNamara, Rep. Tim O'Brien or Rep. Matt Hostettler have been out of luck during Meet Your Legislator events this year.

None of those lawmakers have shown up in 2023 to answer questions at the monthly event from constituents. This means they have also missed their chance to give updates on the work they're doing in Indianapolis.

One Saturday in January, February, March and April is designated for residents to fill the Browning Room at Central Library for the event, sponsored by multiple groups but heavily facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana.

One of the three lawmakers, Hostettler, told the League he would not be able to attend due to a religious conflict on Saturdays. The Courier & Press reached out to McNamara and O'Brien for comment via their press secretary.

"As a legislator, I believe staying connected to constituents is the only way to best represent the voices and values of our district at the Statehouse," McNamara said. "From attending forums hosted by the local chambers of commerce, Indiana Farm Bureau, local FOP, rotary clubs and beyond, I regularly make myself available to those in Vanderburgh and Posey counties."

More:Local teachers don't back 'divisive' bill on student pronouns. Most local lawmakers do

She also said constituents could reach out to her anytime to share feedback, by sending an email, calling or scheduling a meeting.

O'Brien said this year he has attended event with the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, Farm Bureau and the Youth and Government program through the YMCA, as well as had meetings with "hundreds of constituents."

"I represent two counties, and each have legislative forums that often happen during conflicting times," he said. "To me, working for and with the good people of District 78 is my number one job as state representative, and it's something I do each and every day."

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The League of Women Voters told the Courier & Press lawmakers are given the dates in December and asked to place them on their calendars.

There is only one more session left for 2023, on April 8.

A part of the Courier & Press' request for comment sent to McNamara and O'Brien asked if they would be attending on April 8. Neither representative answered.

Who is invited and who attends?

No lawmaker has a perfect attendance record over the past five years, but it's clear which consider it a mainstay on their calendar.

A follow-up email from Vicki Small, president of the local League of Women Voters, shows she sent a message March 22 thanking Rep. Ryan Hatfield and Sens. Jim Tomes and Vaneta Becker for attending the March session.

"We had around 95 people attending," she stated, "and everyone was grateful to be able to share opinions on important legislation with you."

Small then continues on to remind the legislators of the final session April 8. The email was sent to Becker, Tomes, Hatfield, O'Brien, McNamara, Hostettler and Warrick County Rep. Cindy Ledbetter.

More:'Raw pornography:' Sen. Tomes' Senate Bill 12 draws vocal support, opposition

Rep. Ryan Hatfield and Sens. Jim Tomes and Vaneta Becker have perfect attendance for 2022 and 2023, so far.

O'Brien made it to the sessions in February and March 2022, months during which he was campaigning for reelection.

McNamara hasn't attended a Meet Your Legislators event in Vanderburgh County since January 2020. She was running for reelection at that time. Hostettler last attended at that same session.

Vanderburgh County lawmakers attendance over the past five years:

2023

January- Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

February- Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

March- Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

2022

March - OBrien, Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

February - OBrien, Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

January - Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

2021

None held

2020

March - Hatfield and Tomes

January - Hostettler, McNamara, Becker

2019

April - Hostettler, Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

March - Tomes and Becker

February - Hatfield, McNamara, Hostettler, Becker, Tomes

January - Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

2018

March - Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

February - Hatfield, Becker, Tomes

Meet Your Legislators is often well attended. Lawmakers are asked questions on a variety of topics that are moving through the Indiana Statehouse, as well as issues that have stalled, but are still on voters' minds.

Many come ready with a specific bill number, others will want to talk in general about utility rates, healthcare or education. Not every question is able to be asked during the hour-long program, but for lawmakers who are there, constituents are able to come up to them after to chat if there is time.

There's also a mix of political opinions in the room, both from lawmakers and attendees. During the March session, questions were asked about vaccines, teacher retention, CenterPoint bills and a variety of other topics.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville's Meet Your Legislators: Where have all the lawmakers gone?
In 2019 Michelle set up the H-ABC foundation (Collect/PA Real Life)

A scientist who diagnosed her own daughter with an incurable genetic disorder has set up a foundation to raise funds for research towards clinical trials and started a biotech company to develop a new treatment in a bid to save her life.

Dr Michelle Teng, a medical scientist and geneticist, founded the H-ABC Foundation after diagnosing her daughter, Sofia, 11, with a genetic disease that affects the nervous system, in 2016.

The mother-of-three also launched biotech business SynaptixBio in 2021 and the company has since secured a designation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, and entered into a licensing agreement with the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia to develop a treatment.

Michelle, who lives in Caversham, Berkshire, with her husband, Alan, 44, a managing director, and their three children, Sofia, Olivia, three, and Lyra, three, hopes human clinical trials which are set to start in 2024 will halt the progression of her daughters degenerative disease.

Michelle said: Im doing everything I can to help my daughter, its in my instinct as a geneticist to find a solution.

We raised 200,000 through the foundation but that doesnt even come close to the money needed to fund medical research like this, we need real capital, realistically around 13 million to fund this new drug.

Im staying hopeful that Sofia will be able to receive the treatment, as it will save her life.

For Michelle, it was not until Sofia was about two and a half that she started to notice she was not hitting her milestones.

Michelle said: We realised around that time that she wasnt actually walking independently, she was holding on to things or needed assistance, so we took her to see a doctor.

(PA Real Life)

Michelle says that with her training as a geneticist, she knew there was a neurological problem at the root of Sofias walking issues.

It took three years of appointments and scans before Sofia was diagnosed with TUBB4a leukodystrophy, an incurable genetic disorder that affects the nervous system.

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Symptoms of TUBB4a leukodystrophy include seizures, deafness, poor co-ordination, loss of balance, involuntary movements and speech problems.

I was saved by my own rational thinking because I think I would have just spent many, many days crying otherwise

Dr Michelle Teng

Michelle said: My hunch was right, it was related to her neurotransmission.

After finding out the condition, I did my research and further diagnosed her with H-ABC, or hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, an extreme form of TUBB4a leukodystrophy.

Unfortunately there is no cure for H-ABC and, if untreated, Sofias mobility will deteriorate, with most people with the condition living to their teens or early 20s.

The news was a devastating blow for Michelle and her family, but she says she immediately became focused on finding a solution.

It took a long while before we got to the answer, but there is a measure of relief that you know at least what you are dealing with, but also great denial because she was such a sprightly, happy child, she said.

As a scientist, I tried to put my rational hat on. I think for most families, if you havent got the scientific background, it would have been very terrifying. I cant even imagine how, for most parents, receiving that news must feel like.

(PA Real Life)

It is every parents nightmare but for me, I think I could hold on to the fact that I understood the condition and that meant I could potentially find a way forward to treat the condition or look at different therapeutic options that are out there.

In a way, I was saved by my own rational thinking because I think I would have just spent many, many days crying otherwise.

People with the condition can also develop seizures, muscle contractions, hearing and speech difficulties, uncontrollable limb movements and paralysis, while others who have developed motor skills in early childhood can regress.

Babies and children who develop the mutation often face an early death.

In 2019, Michelle set up the H-ABC foundation as a way to raise money for the research being conducted at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

At the moment Sofias mobility is affected by the disease, and she uses a wheelchair and walking aid to move around.

Im staying hopeful that Sofia will be able to receive the treatment, as it will save her life

Dr Michelle Teng

If untreated, her condition will deteriorate but Michelle hopes that a new drug will halt the progress of this deterioration.

She said: Its a horrible thing for a parent to witness their child go through but I remain hopeful that we can find a solution.

Human clinical trials are set to start next year at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and I suspect Sofia will be one of the first patients to receive this treatment when it is ready.

(PA Real Life)

But setting up a foundation isnt enough because you need proper capital to develop a drug, that is the painful reality.

Its not something one individual can change but we rely on investors to get this research moving.

Im doing everything I can to help my daughter, and will continue to search for a solution.

It is every parent's nightmare but for me, I think I could hold on to the fact that I understood the condition

Dr Michelle Teng

Michelles biotech company, SynaptixBio, is now also developing the worlds first treatment for the condition.

Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) therapy, which has previously been used to treat conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy, is believed to dramatically improve the quality and life expectancy of leukodystrophy patients.

Dr Dan Williams, chief executive and co-founder of Oxford-based biotech business SynaptixBio, said: The new approach provides the potential to stabilise, improve quality of life and extend life expectancy in children suffering from the condition.

Im doing everything I can to help my daughter, its in my instinct as a geneticist to find a solution

Dr Michelle Teng

Successful prevention of leukodystrophy progression would be a revolutionary life-saving and life-enriching treatment.

This project will change peoples lives. The research and development of a clinically-proven treatment for TUBB4a would be a real game-changer for patients and their families.

There is a real chance to improve the lives of leukodystrophy sufferers. We want to ensure that dream becomes a reality.

For more information visit: www.synaptixbio.com and www.h-abcfoundation.org.
The following items were taken from area police department reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

Elmhurst

Burglary

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An unlocked vehicle in a driveway on the 100 block of North Walnut Street was reportedly entered overnight between March 23 and March 24.

An unlocked vehicle on the 200 block of North Elm Avenue was reportedly entered between 7 p.m. March 23 and 9 a.m. March 24. Nothing was reported missing.

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Cannabis

Tyler Wentworth, 23, of the 100 block of North Lincoln Avenue, Addison, was cited for possession of cannabis, disobeying a traffic control device and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident at 1:43 a.m. March 25.

Jerami Miranda, 33, of the first block of MacArthur Drive, Northlake, was charged with driving with a suspended drivers license, driving without insurance, possession of cannabis by a driver and improperly tinted windows at 9:24 p.m. March 25.

Zahary Jefferson, 20, of the 500 block of Savannah Lane, Bolingbrook, was cited for possession of cannabis at 12:26 a.m. March 26.

Javonte Brown, 27, of the first block of West 60th Street, Westmont, was cited for unlawful possession of cannabis and for improper window tinting at 12:13 a.m. March 27.

Cesar Pineda, 24, of the 1200 block of Kings Circle, West Chicago, was cited for possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle at 4:15 p.m. March 27.

Criminal damage

Graffiti was observed on a barricade in the Addison parking deck, 149 N. Addison Ave., by an officer patrolling at 4:48 p.m. March 24.

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Someone reportedly keyed the passenger side of a vehicle parked at Elm Creek Apartments, 3 Elm Creek Dr., as reported late in the evening of March 28.

Criminal trespass

Isabel Pacheco, 34, of the 8700 block of South Buffalo Avenue, Chicago, was charged with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle at 12:45 a.m. March 24. [See traffic item below.]

A resident reported someone entered her vehicle on the 100 block of North Myrtle Avenue between March 23 and March 27. Nothing appeared to be missing, but a Chase card was left in the vehicle.

Damage to city property

An unknown offender damaged five decorative lights around the mausoleum in Glos Park, 170 E. Park Ave., overnight between March 23 and March 24.

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Deceptive practice

A resident reported on March 4 sending money to an unknown suspect in response to a deceptive Facebook message.

A resident was told she had won money in a sweepstakes but needed to send money to get her winnings. The deception was discovered before she lost any money. Reported between March 21 and March 23.

Disorderly conduct

Antonio Mancha, 48, of the first block of King Arthur Street, Northlake, was charged with befouling property at 6 p.m. March 24 after police said he admitted to public urination in a parking lot in the 500 block of West North Avenue.

Ari Perez, 30, of the 2000 block of North Lawler Avenue, Chicago and Laura Castaneda, 22, of the 500 block of Green Oaks Court, Addison, were cited for disorderly conduct at 8:44 p.m. March 28 after they were located in a stairwell of the Addison parking deck, 149 N. Addison Ave., by an officer responding to a call of suspicious persons.

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DUI

Robert Molina, 36, of the 400 block of Myrick Avenue, Addison, was charged with driving under the influence, improper lane use and speeding at 1:33 a.m. March 25.

Ashley Mendoza, 29, of the 2400 block of Haymond Street, River Grove, was charged with obstructing justice, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, failure to yield to emergency vehicles, possession of open alcohol by a driver, improper lane use and driving without insurance at 4:46 a.m. March 25.

Diashawnie Griffin, 32, of the 1200 block of North Lamon Avenue, Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence, possession of cannabis by a driver, possession of open alcohol by a driver, improper lane use and speeding at 1:57 a.m. March 27.

Ana Pena, 31, of the 4600 block of Kirchoff Road, Rolling Meadows, was charged with driving under the influence, driving without insurance, improper backing and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident at 11:55 p.m. March 29.

Mark Ross, 34, of the 3500 block of Holland Park Lane, Port Huron, Michigan, was charged with driving under the influence, driving with a revoked drivers license, possession of cannabis by a driver, driving without insurance and (improper) stopping in the roadway at 12:26 a.m. March 30.

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Identity theft

A resident reported a check mailed in early March was altered.

A resident reported on March 29 that an unknown offender opened a credit card account using the residents information. No money was lost and credit bureaus were notified.

Theft

Angela Marie Pinski, 48, of the 200 block of North Cardinal Avenue, Addison, was charged with retail theft at 1:56 p.m. March 21 after allegedly stealing merchandise from four local businesses.

Rita McGill, 40, of the 300 block of West North Avenue, Elmhurst, was charged with retail theft at 11:13 a.m. March 20 in connection with a March 20 incident in Kohls, 303 S. Route 83.

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A Ring doorbell was reported taken from a house under construction on the 200 block of South Fair Avenue between March 6 and March 27.

A catalytic converter was reported taken from a vehicle in a lot of Elmhurst Terrace Apartments, 493 W. St. Charles Rd., between 9:10 p.m. March 26 and 9 a.m. March 27.

Traffic

Ruth Chacon, 26, of the 100 block of Silver Lane, Melrose Park, was charged with driving without a valid drivers license and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident at 4:15 p.m. March 23.

Isabel Pacheco, 34, of the 8700 block of South Buffalo Avenue, Chicago, was charged with driving without a valid drivers license and without insurance at 7:52 p.m. March 23. [See criminal trespass item above.]

Brandon Rudolph-Kimble, 35, of the 600 block of Mall Drive, Schaumburg, was charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving with a suspended drivers license and driving without insurance at 5:29 p.m. March 24.

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Omar Alba, 47, of 200 block of Parkview Drive, Northlake, was charged with driving with a suspended drivers license and improper display of registration at 2:58 p.m. March 25.

Diover DeSantiago Velez, 22, of the 300 block of West St. Charles Road, Lombard, was charged with driving without a valid drivers license and speeding at 10:05 p.m. March 25.

Jose Hernandez Lopez, 32, of the 400 block of West Division Street, Villa Park, was charged with failing to yield at an intersection, improper lane use, driving without a valid drivers license and driving without insurance at 3:52 p.m. March 26.

Lakayla Day, 18, of the 600 block of North Irving Avenue, Hillside, was cited for leaving the scene of an accident and for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident at 6:34 p.m. March 26.

Tyjuan Reese, 28, of the 2400 block of West Van Buren Boulevard, Chicago, was charged with driving with a suspended drivers license, improper display of registration and driving without insurance at 11:19 p.m. March 28.

Darnisha Wilson, 22, of the 400 block of North Lawler Avenue, Chicago, was cited for disobeying a stop sign, driving without a valid drivers license and driving without insurance at 10:15 p.m. March 29.

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In the same incident, Marie Mays, 19, of the 5000 block of West 19th Street, Cicero, was cited for possession of cannabis by a minor.

Graydon Megan is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
NEW YORKFormer President Trump arrived at Trump Tower in Manhattan Monday afternoon ahead of his arraignment, now just one day away.

The former presidents motorcade pulled up at approximately 4:10 p.m. to the 58-story skyscraper, where Trump is expected to stay the night.

Dozens of the former presidents supporters gathered along 5th Avenue outside the barricaded building, carrying Trump campaign signs and flags, hoping to gain a glimpse of the former president alongside the swarm of media cameras as he returned to Manhattan.

Trump departed his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida midday and flew to LaGuardia Airport on his Boeing 757 plane. Armed vehicles then drove him into Midtown Manhattan.

Some supporters gathered along the street near his Mar-a-Lago estate as the vehicles rolled by, and dozens more were waiting for Trump by the airport, waving flags and cheering as the motorcade arrived.

The former president traveled with a handful of campaign aides to New York City, including top advisers like Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita and Jason Miller.

On Tuesday, Trump will travel the 3.5 miles downtown to Manhattan criminal court, where he will appear in front of a judge for his arraignment and become the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

A grand jury voted Thursday to indict Trump on criminal charges for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.

The indictment, which remains under seal, follows an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) that centered on a $130,000 payment fixer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels shortly before the election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Central Valley farmers and academics gathered to discuss how to produce food amid a changing climate.

They talked March 30 about efforts already underway to capture carbon and other harmful emissions. And they acknowledged that farming might wither in some spots but other ventures could arise on the land.

The Maddy Institute and several partners sponsored the Future of Agriculture in California summit, held live at Fresno State University and online. About 700 people took part, including UC Merced and the state universities in Turlock and Bakersfield.

Experts agreed that Earth is generally warming, meaning more severe droughts in California, punctuated by heavy rainfall years like 2023. The problem is compounded by over-pumping of groundwater.

Some aquifers have pollutants that could harm local drinking water, said Angel Santiago Fernandez-Bou of the Union of Concerned Scientists. He suggested ending farming within a mile of these mostly low-income towns. The land could shift to uses such as solar panels, wildlife habitat and groundwater recharge in wet years.

It is very difficult being a farmer, Fernandez-Bou said. We know that we dont have enough water in California to sustain our current practices and we will have to cut some agriculture somewhere.

Fernandez-Bou is a senior climate scientist for the nonprofit group, based in Cambridge, Mass. He previously worked for UC Merceds Sierra Nevada Research Institute.

Of the states farmland, 10% to 15% could be retired under a mandate for sustainable pumping by about 2040, said Jennifer Pett-Ridge, a senior staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

She also noted that California might capture more carbon by sowing deep-rooted perennials on rangeland now dominated by shallow annuals. And she mentioned agrivoltaics, where crops grow under solar panels, conserving water while shading workers from the sun.

The summit also featured the Smart Farm at UC Merced, which soon will provide 45 acres for research and food sales. The technology will include measuring how much carbon a plant captures, along with efforts to conserve water, reduce chemical use and make tasks easier for workers.

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The Stanislaus 2030 initiative got a plug at the summit from Karen Ross, California secretary of food and agriculture. It aims to create up to 40,000 well-paying jobs in turning crop and other waste into energy and materials.

Ross also praised the almond industrys effort on the wood left after trees decline in productivity. It has long been burned in the open. An increasing amount is being chipped up and tilled into the soil.

Ross also noted how dairy manure is being converted into climate-friendly fuel.

If we could change every truck that drives up and down 99 and 5, we would have an immediate improvement in air quality and reduce the asthma rates for children in the Valley, she said.
By Maggie Fick

LONDON - The EU is revamping laws governing the 136 billion euro ($148 billion) pharmaceuticals industry aimed at reviving investment and boosting access to affordable drugs at a time when health budgets have been drained by the costs of treating COVID-19.

Shortages of critical drugs from antibiotics to painkillers this winter and the COVID pandemic exposed problems caused by declining manufacturing in Europe, complicated supply chains and a lack of preparedness for a global public health emergency.

Brussels has faced growing pressure to fix this.

The reforms however pit the industry - from big pharma to biotech start-ups which together represent about 1.5% of the bloc's GDP - against patient groups, with little consensus other than a need to overhaul outdated rules.

The Commission aims to publish a draft - the biggest overhaul of existing medical laws in two decades - on April 26.

A Commission spokesperson said: "The Commission will put forward a balanced and patient-centred proposal, whilst fully supporting an innovative and competitive industry."

Here's what we know based on a draft reviewed by Reuters:

SHORTER PROTECTION

Brussels plans to shorten the period of intellectual property (IP) protection companies receive to develop and sell drugs and treatments in Europe. How much time will be cut from the period before generics can enter the market is unknown.

But in an attempt to improve access to medicines across the EU, the Commission will offer companies an option to gain back at least one year of exclusivity for a product if they launch it at the same time in all 27 member states.

Under the existing 2004 law, companies get up to 10 years of protection. If the EU health regulator approves a new use for the medicine, they get another year, bringing the total to 11.

Drugmakers like Denmark's Novo Nordisk and Germany's Bayer, and biotech firms criticise the plan.

They say Europe is already losing out as a destination for research and development (R&D) and innovation is suffering.

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Big pharma lobby EFPIA says R&D investment in Europe has fallen by 25% over the past 20 years.

Cuts to market exclusivity would damage work on so-called orphan drugs which treat rare conditions affecting fewer than five in 10,000 people in the EU, they warn.

MORE TRANSPARENCY

Companies may be obliged to disclose R&D costs and public funding received for a new drug when filing for regulatory approval. This information might be made public.

Consumer groups, who say pharma companies exaggerate costs to justify high drug prices, welcome this, particularly after Brussels ceded to drugmakers' requests to keep terms of COVID vaccine contracts secret.

A MODERN REGULATOR

Several proposals aim to streamline the European Medicines Agency (EMA), reducing the number of scientific committees and cutting the time the regulator takes to review new medicines. The review period is on average nearly double that of U.S. authorities.

The agency may establish a "regulatory sandbox" to rapidly test innovative technologies and treatments, potentially easing the path to market for companies with novel products.

The industry hopes to see paper leaflets for medicines replaced by digital ones, cutting production costs. Consumer groups warn this risks patients having inadequate information about prescription drugs.

TACKLING DRUG SHORTAGES

The reform will propose that companies notify the EMA earlier of shortages or withdrawals of their products and hold bigger stocks of medicines deemed essential, such as the antibiotics in shortage this winter.

Brussels believes this will help avoid future shortfalls, but companies say it is difficult to predict supply issues months ahead.

Instead, companies want the EU to establish a bloc-wide database on medicine consumption to help forecast surges in demand like those that contributed to this winter's crisis.

The draft also may propose empowering the agency to grant compulsory licences, which would halt market protection for some medicines in the event of a public health emergency.

ANTIBIOTICS DEVELOPMENT

After decades without a breakthrough in antibiotics discovery, the EU wants to incentivise drugmakers to invest in developing new ones. Experts warn the problem of drug-resistant "superbugs" is growing and could spawn a global emergency worse than the COVID pandemic.

Companies bringing a new antibiotic to market may get an additional year of exclusivity in the EU for another medicine they have on the market.

Fourteen member states have written to the Commission, criticising the idea as costly and harmful for consumers as it could disrupt the generic drugs market.

WHEN WILL THE CHANGES BECOME LAW?

Not soon.

Once the Commission publishes the draft, the European Parliament, Commission and member states will thrash out final details.

Lawyers representing industry don't expect legislation to be adopted before 2025. Next year's EU elections may delays things further.

($1 = 0.9181 euros)

(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Additional reporting by Philip Bleckinsop in Brussels; Editing by Josephine Mason and Giles Elgood)
(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday following his indictment on criminal charges after a probe into hush money paid to a porn star.

Below is an explanation of what it means to be indicted and arraigned, and other key terms related to Trump's case.

INDICTMENT

An indictment is a court document containing charges that were voted on by a grand jury, a group of people who decide whether a prosecutor has enough evidence to pursue criminal charges.

An indictment formally charges a defendant with a crime and provides a basis for legal prosecution.

Following an indictment, a defendant is given formal notice of the charges, a right enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

A defendant can then be formally arraigned on whatever charges are brought. Law enforcement officials fingerprint and photograph most defendants facing arraignments.

ARRAIGNMENT

An arraignment is where a defendant is brought to court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, which is generally guilty or not guilty.

A judge or prosecutor typically reads the charges aloud. A defendant is usually represented by lawyers, especially in cases that are high-profile or could lead to jail or prison.

If a defendant pleads not guilty, a judge will typically accept the plea and schedule the next court appearance, and perhaps a tentative trial date.

If a defendant pleads guilty, the judge will impose punishment, typically at a later date.

Trump's lawyers have said he will plead not guilty on Tuesday.

Lawyers for some defendants who plead not guilty may engage in plea bargaining, where they negotiate a guilty plea with prosecutors to avoid a trial. Defendants would typically plead guilty to some but not all charges they face.

BAIL

Judges in New York state criminal court have three options for bail: They can set bail, order a defendant released without bail, or order a defendant's detention.

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The purpose of bail in New York is to ensure that a defendant returns to court, without taking into account the risk a defendant may cause further harm. In 2019, New York ended cash bail for most cases involving misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, such as Trump's case.

GAG ORDER

A gag order is when a judge prohibits lawyers, parties and witnesses from talking about a case in public.

Gag orders are common in criminal cases. That is especially true when there is a risk that someone may make statements that could incite violence, be viewed as threatening to prosecutors or witnesses, or taint the jury pool.

A defendant who violates a gag order in New York can be held by a judge to be in criminal contempt, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. A judge will typically warn a defendant before issuing a contempt citation.

If a gag order is imposed against Trump, he can appeal and argue that it undermines his First Amendment right to free speech as he runs for president.

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub and Jonathan Stempel; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis)
TOPSHOT-RUSSIA-EXPLOSION

Russian police investigators inspect a damaged 'Street bar' cafe in a blast in Saint Petersburg on April 2, 2023 that left leading Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky dead. Credit - Olga MaltsevaAFP via Getty Images

Darya Trepova, a woman suspected of involvement in a blast at a cafe in central St. Petersburg on Sunday, will appear in Moscows Basmanny District Court Tuesday as part of her pre-trial detention. The explosion killed Vladlen Tatarsky, one of the countrys leading pro-Kremlin bloggers, and wounded 40 others.

On Monday, Russian authorities released a video of Trepova admitting to handing a statuette that later blew up. In the video, Trepova does not say she knew there would be an explosion, nor admit any further involvement. The circumstances around which Trepova spoke in the video are unclear.

Russian law can carry a life sentence for terrorism.

Tatarsky, a pseudonym for Maxim Fomin, was a prominent military blogger whose vocal support of Russias war efforts had earned him more than 560,000 followers on Telegram.

Tatarsky had been conducting a meet and greet at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River, where he was the guest of a pro-war group called Cyber Front Z, when the blast occurred. A video shared by Mash, a Telegram channel linked to Russian law enforcement, showed Tatarsky being handed something minutes before the explosion.

Russias Interfax news agency reported that Trepova had previously been detained for her involvement in anti-war rallies.

As more information emerges, heres what we know about the blast so far.

What caused the explosion in St. Petersburg?

Russias Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg said forensic experts were on the scene to identify what caused the explosion. The committee described the case as murder by a publicly dangerous method.

Russian media said a woman gifted Tatarsky with a box containing a bust of him, which they believe contained an explosive device that blew up. Cyber Front Z, which organized the event, said that their safety precautions for the high profile event proved insufficient.

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Yevgeny Prigozhin, who leads the Wagner mercenary group fighting in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe where the blast occurred.

Who is Vladlen Tatarsky?

Tatarsky was born in Ukraine, according to Russian media, and has fought on the side of pro-Russian separatists since 2014.

Tatarsky gained notoriety as one of Russias most prominent nationalist military bloggers, issuing support for the war as well as criticism of military failures.

The Tatarsky pseudonym comes from the protagonist of a Russian novel Generation  by Victor Pelevin. The story follows a failed Moscow creative in 1990s post-Soviet Russia amid widespread corruption under Boris Yeltsins leadership.

The pro-war blogger often traveled with Russian troops on the front line. He was also present at a Kerlin ceremony in September where Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed four Ukrainian regions in the southern and eastern portions of the country.

Speaking in a video message recorded during the ceremony, he said: I congratulate everyone, everyone who waited till this moment. We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone we need. Everything will be as we like, he said.

What we know about Darya Trepova

The 26-year-old Trepova was identified as a suspect by Russias interior ministry and detained on Monday. According to Russian media outlet TASS, Trepovas home in St. Petersburg was searched by law enforcement on Sunday and her mother and sister were reportedly questioned.

This grab taken from video released by the Russian Interior Ministry Press Service on Monday, April 3, 2023, shows Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident suspected of involvement in a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe. Russian Interior Ministry Press Service via AP

Court documents obtained by CNN show Trepova was previously arrested for participating in a rally when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

She spent 10 days in custody over attending the anti-war rally, the Associated Press reported.

While Trepovas husband Dmitry Rylov was a member of the opposition Libertarian Party of Russia, the political party issued a statement via Telegram denying any direct connection to Trepova herself.

Rylov told the independent Russian publication The Insider that he believes Trepova was really just set up and used.

Who is behind the attack?

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova blamed Ukraine, saying that Tatarskys profile had won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime, but no evidence has been presented over who carried out the bombing.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian politician and adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time, as breakthrough of ripe abscess.

While on a tour of Ukraines northern Chernihiv region, Zelensky declined to make any comment about the blast. About St. Petersburg. Im not thinking what is going on in St. Petersburg, or in Moscow. They have to think. Russia have to think about their cities. Im thinking about our country. And our cities, he said.

Wagner Groups Prigozhin warned against blaming Kyiv for the blastand that it was likely a group of radicals not linked to Ukraine.

The blast marks the second killing of a pro-war figure on Russian soil since the war in Ukraine began. Last September, Darya Dugina, the daughter of the ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin credited as the architect of the invasion, died when a bomb exploded in her vehicle.
An ancient bison was frozen inside Siberian permafrost for up to 9,000 years until the melting ice coughed out its mummified body in summer 2022.

Now scientists in Russia hope to clone the ancient beast from its tissue samples.

After scientists retrieved the mummified bison, they donated it to the Mammoth Museum of the M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University for research, according to a March 13 news release.

Though the carcass is incomplete, its forelimbs, head and part of its chest were well-preserved, meaning scientists were able to perform a necropsy to remove the brain and take samples of its skin, wool, muscles and soft tissues, the release said.

That led researchers to believe they may be able to clone the bison from the preserved cells, officials said.

Scientists believe the bison was between 1.5 to 2 years old when it died, estimating/ it lived between 8,000 and 9,000 years ago based on the geological ages of a similar species of bison discovered in the area in 2009 and 2010, scientists said in the release.

The bison were found in the Verkhoyansk region of Khaastaakh in northeastern Russia, and researchers want to return there this summer to search for more fossilized remains.

You might think cloning a long-extinct ancient being sounds like the plot of another Jurassic Park movie. And some skeptics think it could be a long-shot, LiveScience reported.

In my view, it is not going to be possible to clone extinct animals from tissues like this, Love Dalen, a paleogeneticist at Stockholm University in Sweden, told the outlet.

Even though the tissues are exceptionally well-preserved, the DNA within them is likely too degraded to be cloned, Dalen told the outlet. He suggested sequencing the bisons genome and combining it with DNA from the extinct species and from living bison.

It wouldnt be the first time scientists have tried to reverse a species extinction.

Scientists at the TIGRR Lab and Texas-based de-extinction company Colossal are trying to bring the Tasmanian tiger back to life, McClatchy News previously reported.

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Scientists have also successfully cloned arctic wolves in China, McClatchy News previously reported.

And on March 28, Australian food company Vow announced it produced lab-grown woolly mammoth meatballs as it works toward a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat production, McClatchy News previously reported.

But for now, the woolly mammoth meatballs are not considered safe for us modern humans to eat.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the Mammoth Museum of the M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University.

Woolly mammoth meatball? Australian food company reveals extinct meat grown in a lab

Can genetic engineering bring the extinct Tasmanian tiger back? Texas firm is trying

What does a cloned arctic wolf look like? Watch these adorable pups play in China
By Padraic Halpin and Amanda Ferguson

BELFAST (Reuters) - On April 7, 1998, the head of Northern Ireland's largest unionist party drafted a letter to the British prime minister announcing that he was leaving talks and that the latest attempt to end three decades of bloodshed in Northern Ireland was over.

Three days later one of the most significant peace deals of the late 20th century had been signed.

The anecdote was recounted by former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who only recently learnt that Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble had put in writing how close he was to walking away.

"I didn't know he (Trimble) actually did that until the other day," Ahern, Ireland's prime minister from 1997 to 2008, told Reuters in an interview near his home in north Dublin.

"That's how serious it was."

Trimble's near walk-out typified - in the words of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair - the "extraordinary rollercoaster" of the days and long nights leading up to April 10, when the historic agreement was struck between Irish nationalists seeking a united Ireland and pro-British unionists wanting to remain part of the United Kingdom.

As Northern Ireland prepares to mark 25 years of peace, Blair, Ahern and former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams recalled the tense mood in the cramped group of buildings at the seat of the local Northern Ireland government where the talks were held.

A deal looked possible one minute but in tatters the next.

"When we turned up in Belfast that April, the thing was in a state of collapse so I didn't think we would get an agreement. Sometimes it would be on, sometimes it would be off," Blair said in an interview in London.

Many unionists, drawn mostly from the Protestant majority, would not talk directly to representatives of Sinn Fein, the political ally of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), and instead used the two prime ministers, who joined the local politicians during the final days, as middlemen.

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Adams, who had been banned from speaking on British airwaves until just four years earlier, his words instead dubbed by actors, said his best discussions with unionists "was always in the men's room because that was the only time that they were on their own".

Ahern said the turning point came a day after Trimble drafted his letter to Blair. The Irish leader shifted Dublin's position sufficiently to get the key unionist leader back on side.

Trimble would go on to share the Nobel Peace Prize with nationalist leader John Hume, whose party was the main voice of minority Catholic voters at the time.

"It went from 6:30 in the morning hitting the wall to ending up that night... I won't say done and dusted but certainly moved along," Ahern said, referring to back-and-forth negotiations through Wednesday, April 8, during which he had also flown back to Dublin for his mother's funeral before returning to Belfast.

"ALTERNATIVE WAS MAYHEM"

The compromise struck in the early hours of Friday acknowledged Northern Ireland's constitutional status as part of the UK, but also that a united Ireland could come about if a majority voted for it. It introduced a powersharing executive, reformed the Protestant-dominated police force and led to the disarming of paramilitary groups.

The agreement, which ran to fewer than 40 pages, has largely ended three decades of violence that killed more than 3,600 people and made Northern Ireland unrecognisable economically and socially 25 years on, Blair, Ahern and Adams say.

"If you look at Northern Ireland today and you compare it with how it was, it's a world of difference," Blair said, pointing to a doubling in income per capita among the region's 1.9 million people and in the number of tourists who visit each year.

Once conflict-ridden Belfast is now "a great and thriving city", he said, noting that leaders such as Adams and Trimble had had to show huge courage and skill to bring their communities on side while critics were willing to "cry betrayal".

"I was reading that half a million people have been born since the Good Friday Agreement was agreed," Adams told Reuters in a building in Belfast's nationalist Falls Road that was subjected to multiple attacks during the "Troubles".

"So that's half a million people - unless they have had personal or family experience of the conflict - that know nothing about it at a personal level. That a great boon."

There have been shortcomings too.

More than 90% of schools in Northern Ireland remain segregated along religious lines, as is housing in many areas, entrenching some of the decade-old divisions, while politics has lurched from crisis to crisis.

"It (the agreement) is seen worldwide as being massively successful and one of the few peace processes that has worked. I find myself always looking at the bits that didn't work," Ahern said.

"(But) I think maybe people forget the dilemma that we were facing was that if we didn't get the Good Friday Agreement done, the alternative was back to the mayhem... It's made an enormous difference to the island."

(Additional reporting by Kate Holton, writing by Padraic Halpin, Editing by Alex Richardson)
A Federal Aviation Administration official has intervened in a plan from Tennessee Republicans to take charge of Metro Nashville Airport Authority board appointments, according to a letter provided to The Tennessean.

The proposed bill, SB1326/HB1176, has received majority support from the Senate and is scheduled to be heard in the House on Tuesday.

But FAA Office of Airport Compliance and Management Analysis Director Kevin C. Willis said the agency "has questions regarding the potential impact of the transfer of the appointment authority of all board members from the mayor of the local community to state-appointed officials."

The bill has been politically contentious because it would take power away from Nashville's Democratic mayor, who currently appoints all MNAA board members. If approved, the 11-member commission would include 10 members appointed by state leaders and one appointment left for the mayor.

Willis' letter was written and addressed to MNAA CEO Doug Kreulen on Friday. It comes after former FAA official Kirk Shaffer told state legislators that the bill could create legal chaos at Nashville International Airport by violating a federal rule that requires FAA approval for significant changes in airport operations.

Kreulen, who is also president of the Tennessee Association of Air Carrier Airports, responded Sunday, according to a copy of his letter provided to The Tennessean. He said the board has "conducted significant legal review" of the state legislation and concluded that it does not violate federal aviation regulations.

FAA officials did not immediately comment on whether the agency would block the legislation.

The MNAA issued a statement about the legislation, saying the board's goal has been "to respect the legislative process" and that they have "served as an educational resource" to local and state officials.

"During our 53-year history, the Metro government has appointed top civic and community leaders to help guide the Authority. Regardless of the appointing authority, we are confident that the Airport Authority will continue to provide outstanding service to the citizens of Tennessee and all the surrounding states.

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"The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority is committed to providing a world-class airport to meet the needs for passengers today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

Excepts from both letters:

Kevin C. Willis, director of FAA's Office of Airports Compliance and Management Analysis, wrote to Metro Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen: "While the FAA views the matter of who governs the airport as a local decision, only the FAA has the authority to issue an airport operating certificate under 49 U.SC.  44706 as implemented by 14 CFR Part 139 or approve the transfer of the Federal obligations to another eligible sponsor, if applicable, and to assure that all terms and conditions of grants agreements are satisfied. The FAA has questions regarding the potential impact of the transfer of the appointment authority of all board members from the Mayor of the local community to State-appointed officials, including the impact of such a transfer on the airports Federal obligations, operations and existing financial arrangements, including those with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. The FAA would like to discuss the potential impact on the Airport Authority and the Airports. The FAA looks forward to working with the parties to resolve all possible issues involving Federal concerns or requirements. We are available to discuss these items at your convenience."

Metro Nashville Airport Authority CEO Doug Kreulen's response to Kevin C. Willis, director of FAA's Office of Airports Compliance and Management Analysis: "Youve indicated that its your understanding that if these bills were to become law, they 'could be viewed as a substantial change impacting the governance of the Airport Authority.' However, beyond saying that it 'could' have that impact, you provide no explanation as to how it 'could' happen. Your letter then goes on to summarize the FAAs 'Policy on Evaluating Disputed Changes of Sponsorship.' You later acknowledge that 'the FAA views the matter of who governs the airport as a local decision.' MNAA has conducted significant legal review of the legislation and MNAA has concluded that, as currently written, the bills do not change the ownership, sponsorship, governance, or operations that would trigger the FAAs policy. I agree with the FAAs position that this is a local decision. Since the legal entity, MNAA, is not changing, I will continue to run the airport under the guidance of the MNAA Board, which is and will be appointed pursuant to state law. With regard to scheduling a meeting to discuss this legislation, I can make myself available at your convenience."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: FAA intervenes in dispute over Nashville Airport leadership
Social media users in Kenya have shared a screenshot of a purported press release from the US Department of Treasury announcing sanctions against the East African nation's deputy president and three other ruling party members. The alleged statement claims that their US visas were revoked over their supposed links to "sponsored violence during anti-government protests. However, this is false: US Treasury spokeswoman Morgan Finkelstein confirmed to AFP Fact Check that the department did not issue any such statement. The four politicians do not appear on any US sanctions list.

On March 30, 2023, as anti-government protests called by Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga entered the third day, a screenshot of a press release purportedly from the US Department of Treasury was shared online claiming the countrys deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and three other politicians from the ruling party had been sanctioned for "sponsoring violence".

This comes after Odinga accused Gachagua and politicians in the ruling party of hiring goons to cause mayhem during the demonstrations (see archived link).

CHOICES have CONSEQUENCES" We do this again today PATRIOTS! #MaandamanoThursdays (sic), opposition lawmaker, Junet Mohamed tweeted.

A screenshot of the false tweet, taken on March 30,2023

The same claim was repeated in more than 50 Facebook posts, including here, here and here.

The screenshot mimics the format of statements on the US Department of Treasury website but omits social media contact details, which usually appear below the headlines of press releases and above the date.

A screenshot comparing statement format on the false press release, right, and Treasurys website

However, the press statement purported to reveal new sanctions against four Kenyan politicians is fabricated.

Hoax statement

A search on the US Treasury website revealed no such document and spokeswoman Morgan Finkelstein dismissed the claim as false.

This is not true. Thats not a Treasury release, Finkelstein told AFP fact Check.

At the same time, a search of Kenyans appearing on the US sanctions list (archived here) revealed nine individuals but none of them include the four politicians mentioned in the claims - Gachagua, Trade Minister Moses Kuria and lawmakers Kimani Ichungwa and Ndindi Nyoro.

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Additionally, the US embassy in Kenya dismissed (archived here) the press release as fake.

The political heat in Kenya is at an all-time high amid anti-government demos led by Odinga who has accused President William Ruto of stealing last year's election and of failing to control the surging cost of living.
The claim: Russians are retreating from Ukraine after US Navy crosses the Turkish straits

A March 12 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows a compilation of footage of warships and military personnel.

Even the Ukrainians shocked- US Navy finally crossed Turkish Straits! Russians are retreating! reads the videos caption.

The video was viewed more than 100,000 times in less than a month. The claim was also shared on YouTube.

Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

No U.S. Navy ships have crossed the Turkish straits into the Black Sea, according to military spokespeople. And there are no credible reports of a Russian retreat as this claims; Russian forces are occupying several Ukrainian cities as of March 30, a report from the Institute for the Study of War shows.

No US Navy warships have crossed the Turkish straits, military confirms

The Turkish straits consist of three bodies of water  the Bosporus, the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara  that connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, according to the Stockton Center for International Law. The straits play a key role in the war between Russia and Ukraine due to the proximity to both countries, Foreign Policy reported.

But no U.S. Navy ships have crossed the Turkish straits, Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. James Adams told USA TODAY.

Fact check: Experts say images showing Putin's arrest are fake

And there are no U.S. Navy ships in the Black Sea, the body of water the Turkish straits provide access to, said Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Garron Garn.

Though the U.S. did sail a ship  the USS Nitze  in the Sea of Marmara in February, it did not cross the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea, the U.S. Naval Institute reported.

On Feb. 28, 2022, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Turkey closed access to the Black Sea through the straits for all countries, multiple news outlets reported. There are no credible reports Turkey has reversed its decision.

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The 1936 Montreux Convention gives Turkey exclusive control of access to the Black Sea via the Mediterranean, a report from the Stockton Center for International Law states.

No evidence Russia is retreating from Ukraine

As of March 30, Russia still controlled many regions in eastern Ukraine, including Melitopol, Donetsk and Luhansk, according to an interactive map from the Institute for the Study of War.

A similar map maintained by the Center for Strategic and International Studies as well as news reports from outlets such as Reuters and the New York Times confirm the Russians are not retreating.

The video attached to the post provides no evidence to support the claim.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, US ship did not cross Turkish straits into Black Sea
Elmhurst police officers responded at approximately 9:30 a.m. Wednesday (March 29) to Visitation School in Elmhurst after school administrators reported that a student had brought three rounds of ammunition to the school.

Investigation determined there was no weapon involved and that the student brought the rounds to show other students. As a precaution, the school, at 851 S. York St., was placed on soft lockdown while police and school administrators investigated.

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The ammunition was recovered and police said there were no additional concerns. The lockdown was lifted and normal school operations resumed later Wednesday.

School officials became aware of the matter after another student told a parent and the parent contacted school administrators. The Elmhurst Police Department continues to investigate this incident, but noted since the student involved is a juvenile, no further information involving the student will be released.

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Police maintained an additional presence during school arrival and dismissal times to reassure students and parents. Officials thanked the student who witnessed and reported the situation for telling a parent and keeping the school safe.

Visitation School educates about 400 students in grades Kindergarten through eighth grade. A woman who answered the telephone Friday in the school office declined to comment on the incident or the schools spring break schedule before hanging up.
Ahead of former President Donald Trumps expected booking and arraignment in New York City on Tuesday, social media users are accusing Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, of having poor prosecutorial judgment in other cases.

But some posts distort Braggs decisions, from falsely accusing him of ignoring a case his office is prosecuting to misleadingly suggesting he should investigate a case outside his jurisdiction.

Heres a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: News footage about the unprovoked and deadly shooting of a man on the New York City subway in May 2022 provides an example of the real crime in Manhattan that Bragg should be prosecuting.

THE FACTS: The Manhattan DAs office is prosecuting the suspect in this case, according to records and communications from Braggs office.

Bragg announced in June 2022 that a grand jury had indicted the suspect, Andrew Abdullah, on murder and weapon possession charges after he allegedly killed 48-year-old Daniel Enriquez aboard a Manhattan-bound Q subway train the previous month.

Court and inmate records show the 26-year-old Abdullah is being held without bail in a prison ward at Bellevue Hospital, with a court appearance expected on April 12.

The misleading claim spread across Twitter over the weekend after Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican, tweeted news coverage of the shooting.

Heartbreaking! Greene tweeted Saturday. Shame on Alvin Bragg for being not prosecuting real crime in Manhattan!

Redmond Haskins, a spokesperson for the Legal Aid Society, a nonprofit-public defender organization, confirmed Abdullah remains held in custody on the murder charge. He declined to comment further.

___

CLAIM: Bragg is charging a New York City parking garage attendant for attempted murder after he shot an alleged armed robber.

THE FACTS: Braggs office isnt prosecuting Moussa Diarra, a Manhattan DA spokesperson and Diarras lawyer confirmed to the AP.

Charles Clayman, Diarras lawyer, said video of the altercation was eventually located and sent to the DAs office, clearing his client of wrongdoing.

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Theres no attempted murder charges and there never will be because my client was the hero and the victim, not the perpetrator, he said by phone. Thats the whole story.

But that didnt stop social media users from spreading false claims about the incident.

New York City is a Joke: Manhattan Prosecutors Charge Victim of Assault With Attempted Murder, wrote one Twitter user in a post that was liked or shared more than 12,000 times as of Monday.

The shooting happened early Saturday morning when Diarra confronted a suspected thief in the parking garage where he worked, which is in midtown Manhattan.

Charles Rhodie, 59, shot the 57-year-old twice before Diarra was able to wrestle the handgun free and fire back, according to police. Both were hospitalized and initially charged with attempted murder, assault and gun possession.

Rhodie was also charged with burglary. Its not clear what charges hell ultimately face or whether he still remains hospitalized. Spokespersons for police and Braggs office didnt respond to follow up questions and a lawyer for Rhodie couldnt be identified.

___

CLAIM: Bragg should investigate surveillance footage showing several male suspects beating and robbing a female victim in New York City.

THE FACTS: This March 2020 attack happened in Crown Heights, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, outside Braggs jurisdiction.

The 15-year-old said she was walking home when a group of males approached her and started to punch her and kick her, police said. The suspects fled with her sneakers and a cellphone.

In New York City, each of the five boroughs has its own top prosecutor, who oversees criminal prosecutions in that borough. This crime fell into the Brooklyn district attorneys jurisdiction, Brooklyn DA spokesperson Helen Peterson said in an email.

The attack occurred in March 2020, nearly a year before Bragg entered office as Manhattans first Black district attorney in January 2021.

Twelve underage defendants in the case went to family court, Peterson said. A thirteenth defendant pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to six months in jail.

___

Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed to this report.

___

This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
PRISTINA (Reuters) - Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci went on trial at the Kosovo war crimes tribunal on Monday accused of responsibility for killings of civilians during the 1998-99 uprising against Serbian rule when he was guerrilla commander.

Here are key facts about the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander who helped guide his ethnic Albanian-majority nation to independence and served as head of state before resigning to face a war crimes indictment.

* Born on April 24, 1968, Thaci embraced the Kosovo national liberation cause in his teens, becoming head of the students' union at the University of Pristina before joining the large Kosovar diaspora in Switzerland in 1995, studying history and international relations in Zurich.

* Thaci returned from abroad and became one of the senior figures in the KLA, which emerged in 1997 to launch a guerrilla war for statehood, capitalising on disappointment with a decade of futile passive resistance to Serbian repression.

* At peace talks in Rambouillet, France in 1999, Kosovo's Thaci-led delegation signed a Western-brokered proposal to end hostilities but Serbia refused to endorse the deal, and weeks later NATO launched a bombing campaign that drove Belgrade's armed forces and security police out of Kosovo.

* With NATO peacekeeping forces ensuring calm and the United Nations overseeing steps towards democracy and rule of law, the tall, strapping Thaci won election as prime minister in 2007 after two failed attempts.

* In February 2008 Thaci proclaimed independence of the small Balkan country. Kosovo's statehood has been recognised by more than 100 countries, mainly Western, but not by former master Serbia or Russia and China.

* In 2010, a two-year investigation commissioned by the Council of Europe issued a report accusing Thaci of involvement in an organised crime ring responsible for killing opponents and trafficking organs taken from murdered Serbs during and after the late 1990s uprising. He denied any wrongdoing.

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* Under pressure from its U.S. and EU benefactors, Kosovo formed a special court in 2015 to look into allegations of war crimes by the KLA. To ensure immunity from political pressure and safety for witnesses, the court was based in The Hague and is staffed by international judges and prosecutors.

* The tribunal issued a war crimes indictment against Thaci in November 2020, prompting him to resign as president following four years in office and his transfer to the tribunal's detention centre in The Hague.

* During his time as a KLA leader and Kosovo statesman, Thaci worked closely with many Western leaders. Joe Biden, when he was U.S. vice president, called him "the George Washington of Kosovo", and Thaci was en route to a meeting at Donald Trump's White House when his indictment was announced.

* Thaci and other former veterans of the late 1990s uprising continue to be idolised by Kosovars. Photos of Thaci and others facing similar charges in The Hague are displayed across the country with the inscription: "Heroes of War and Peace."

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(Reuters) -Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a bomb attack in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in which some 30 other people were wounded. Here's what we know so far.

WHO WAS TATARSKY?

Tatarsky  real name Maxim Fomin - was among the best-known members of an influential group of military bloggers who have provided a running commentary on Russias war in Ukraine. Although frequently scathing about the defence establishment, they have been enthusiastic cheerleaders for the war and avoided direct criticism of President Vladimir Putin. Tatarsky, 40, was among those who publicly demanded that Russia pursue the war even more aggressively. For example, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Kherson after Russia retreated from the city last November, Tatarsky demanded to know why Moscow had not taken the chance to assassinate him with a drone.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAFE?

Tatarsky was giving a talk to an audience of about 100 people on Sunday evening at an event organised by a group called "Cyber Z Front", whose name refers to the letter 'Z' that Russia has adopted as a symbol of the war. According to Russian news outlets, the explosion took place several minutes after a woman calling herself Nastya presented Tatarsky with a bust that she said she had made of him.

WHO IS THE SUSPECT?

Russias state Investigative Committee said on Monday that Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old woman from St Petersburg, had been arrested. The interior ministry earlier placed her on its wanted list but gave no further information about her.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE MOTIVE?

Tatarsky was the second high-profile war propagandist to be assassinated in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The first was Darya Dugina, the journalist daughter of a prominent ultra-nationalist figure, who was killed by a car bomb near Moscow last August.

The killing is an attack on the hardline pro-war camp in Russia, and sends a warning to other members of this group that they could be targeted anywhere. Tatarsky had survived extensive reporting trips on the wars front lines but was killed hundreds of miles away, in the heart of Russias second city.

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Tatarsky also had ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group fighting for Russia in Ukraine and also the former owner of the cafe. Prigozhin is a highly divisive figure who has frequently argued with the defence establishment, accusing it at times of starving his men of ammunition and denying them credit for advances.

WHO COULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE ATTACK?

No one has produced clear evidence, but some Russians have pointed the finger at Ukraine. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the part of Ukraine's Donetsk province that is occupied by Russia, said: "The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime. It needs to be destroyed, there's no other way to stop it." Prigozhin, however, said he would not blame Kyiv.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, wrote on Twitter that it had only been a matter of time - "like the bursting of a ripe abscess" - before Russia became consumed by what he called domestic terrorism.

(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
When 13-year-old Anthony Sanchez arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Sunday, he wanted to be prepared for each step of check in. No surprises, his mother said.

Anthony has autism and can be shy at the beginning of new experiences. Traveling through busy airports and waiting in crowds to board a flight can be overwhelming for her son, Jessie Sanchez said.

The family was one of more than 60 who visited DFW on World Autism Day for an American Airlines mock flight for children with disabilities.

Sanchez said Anthony was a little overwhelmed going through check-in and security, listening to TSA officers explain taking off his shoes and patiently waiting for his mom behind him. As the experience continued, Anthony became more comfortable and his personality started to come out as he greeted every flight attendant who approached him.

The first time Anthony traveled, he had a meltdown in the airplane bathroom because he was anxious about flying and eager to arrive at their destination, said Sanchez, who also works at American Airlines. She said it was challenging as a parent, because she didnt want to bother other passengers around them.

As a mom with a child with autism, it is sometimes really stressful to fly, Sanchez said. I think yesterdays event helped him out and showed him how smoothly things can go and how busy things are.

The goal of Sundays mock flight was for Anthony and other children to become more comfortable with the sensory experience of checking in and going through airport security, waiting for a flight in a crowded space and getting on the plane to taxi around the tarmac.

American Airlines began the program, Its Cool to Fly, in 2014 and hosts the mock flight annually. The aircraft never lifts off the tarmac, but the pilots tell the children to prepare for takeoff as they speed up the aircraft.

Sanchez said the experience showed her that no two children with autism are the same. While some kids cheered and became excited at the nearly full plane going faster, others pointed out the window or became scared.

Everyone just wanted to help the children out, Sanchez said. The experience was important to her family, because she wants to make sure every child with a disability feels comfortable traveling, Sanchez said.
Suzanne Heywood spent a decade on the Wavewalker - Tereza Cervenova | Suzanne Heywood

Suzanne Heywood was six when her parents suddenly announced over breakfast at the family home in Warwick that they would all spend the next three years sailing round the world, retracing the third and final voyage of Captain Cook. They would journey first to South America, then apartheid South Africa, over the southern Indian Ocean to Australia, from Fremantle around to Sydney, on to Tasmania, across to New Zealand, before finishing in Hawaii, to mark the 200th anniversary of Cooks murder by Hawaiian natives.

I cant think of a better education than sailing round the world, said her father, Gordon Cook (no relation, but a Yorkshireman like the captain). He was a good sailor but not one who had crossed the globe. With Suzanne and her younger brother Jon, their mother Mary  who suffered from seasickness and was ambivalent about boats  and Gordon, there would be a crew on board (which was to change along the way, until it largely comprised untrained volunteers).

It was, by any stretch of the imagination, an ambitious plan, one that would turn out to be a long nightmare for a girl who boarded happy and healthy, and escaped 10 years later feeling depressed and fighting for her right to be educated. My father wanted to be a hero and my mother wanted to be with my father, and once you get those two pieces in place, it was kind of as simple as that, explains Heywood today.

It was not the sailing that was the problem; there is something magical about sailing, which other sailors will understand. It was that the choice of voyage was incredibly dangerous and the way in which it was done, with a certain foolhardiness around the details: taking a novice crew on board, never seeming to have any backup, the length of distances travelled involving such small children with no real provision to look after us. We were stateless and invisible.

While the trip had initially been funded by selling the family home (as well as a family-owned hotel) and vital sponsorship from the hotel group Trust House Forte (complete with its logo on the mainsail), this changed with time. The sponsorship ended and the money ran out. Fees paid by travellers joining the vessel as crew (in the loosest sense)  eager to use it as a means of transport  became vital to the continuation of the voyage.

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In England before Dads big announcement

The family set off in July 1976 from Plymouth Sound on Wavewalker, a 70ft schooner. There was only one working childs life jacket, which went to Jon. Suzanne, by then seven, and her brother would be tutored on board by their parents, both qualified teachers. They would re-enter the UK education system three years later, Gordon and Mary told them.

But Suzanne was not to return to the UK until December 1986, aged 17, her childhood over. The children were overruled in a family vote about whether to end the trip in Hawaii (two years behind schedule) when she was 12, and another four years were spent sailing the Pacific. Family relations became strained beyond being bearable, her relationship with her mother toxic, and her attempts to receive an education increasingly desperate.

After a decade at sea, she was offloaded by her parents in New Zealand, with little money or food, tasked with looking after her brother while they sailed away. In desperation she had telephoned Childline, and finally boarded a flight back to England funded by her father.

You walk away from a childhood like mine with various scars, she says. I have physical scars but I also have emotional scars.

The family in their finest clothes after their Bon Voyage lunch

Today, we meet in her double-fronted home in Balham, south London, on the eve of the publication of her book Wavewalker: Breaking Free, eight years in the writing and an astonishing almost day-by-day account of that hazardous journey and its legacy. Suzanne Heywood, 54, officially Lady Heywood, is petite (her sex and her stature were held against her on the boat), yet there is a quiet fierceness about her. In 2018 she was widowed, with three teenage children to look after. Her late husband was Lord Jeremy Heywood  the famously intellectually brilliant civil servant, cabinet secretary from 2012 to 2018  whom she met while working at the Treasury in 1994. He died aged 56, of lung cancer. Four prime ministers spoke at his memorial.

Falling in love with him had brought all the emotional security Suzanne had longed for: One of my big emotional scars was this fear of being abandoned because I was repeatedly abandoned by my parents. I had felt very secure with Jeremy. I knew whatever I did he would never leave But with my parents, I never had that security of knowing that it would be OK. To challenge them in the way that I [eventually] did in a world where I had no resources and I was on my own was very frightening.

Her husband, she writes, combined formidable intelligence with the kindness and warmth that were so absent in my childhood. Her grief surfaces more than once during our conversation, but its not complicated, she says, fighting back tears. When I finally had 12 sessions of therapy I thought it might raise all these issues of abandonment again, of somebody I love disappearing, but Jeremy did not mean to go. I spent half a session talking about him and 11 and a half talking about my parents.

She has an unplaceable accent, a little Australian, the only country in which she received a small period of conventional education in a school. From correspondence courses on board Wavewalker, against the odds, she got herself to Oxford, then Cambridge for a PhD, then the Treasury and after that McKinsey & Company. She would become one of the management consultancys first female senior partners in the UK. She is now chief operating officer of Exor and chair of CNH Industrial and Iveco Group.

Embracing Dad after we were reunited in Australia

Where we sit there are L-shaped sofas and plump cushions. Everything is clean and organised, a long way from life on Wavewalker, where Christmas presents were washed away by storms. Order in adulthood has replaced chaos in childhood, as is often the case for children brought up with uncertainty.

People often say to me when they learn of my story, But you seem so normal! And I am normal in some way, but I am also an outsider.

The story she tells  which is from my point of view, she acknowledges  is about the power of the family myth of the journey versus her reality. Her mother died in 2016, she has been estranged from her father since 2019 because he objected to her writing the book, and she has not spoken to her brother for some time. His experience of the boat was not the same as mine. He was the favoured child. He wasnt expected to do chores like I was  he helped on deck and didnt have the same overwhelming desire to study. He didnt feel the deprivation in the same way that I did.

The family sailed 47,000 nautical miles (the equivalent of travelling twice round the globe). It was, according to her parents, a decade of adventure and privilege, an unusual childhood spent encountering different cultures, golden beaches, flying fish, sperm whales and albatrosses that had jumped on board, and meeting Taufaahau Tupou IV, then King of Tonga.

But the reality for their daughter was bleak: hunger; fear (she still has nightmares); violent storms; two shipwrecks; a gendered division of labour, in which she was expected to clean and cook below with her mother, to feed the crew; and a profound disregard for her need to learn.

Im not afraid to die if were all together, her father told the children. Heywood remembers him throwing her a gun to help repel a group of men trying to get on board. It is a glimpse, through one lens, of exciting derring-do  but through a mothers eyes the memory is chilling.

Within months of setting off, she almost did die, when Wavewalker hit a storm in the Indian Ocean and she was thrown against the roof of the cabin. The boat nearly sank. She sustained a fractured skull, a broken nose and a blood clot that threatened brain damage. She was operated on seven times by a doctor on the remote Ile Amsterdam, which their father somehow found because he was an expert navigator, using Wavewalkers big, heavy compass. There was no proper pain relief during the procedures on her skull: I dreaded going to sleep and woke most mornings in a damp sweat from my night terrors. Eventually, she left the island on a container ship with her mother and brother to catch up with her father, who had sailed on ahead in the damaged boat.

Wavewalker tied down to the reef

As a child I had started to write a diary because I had such an odd grip on reality. The things that I saw were not always aligned with the stories my parents would tell, which were always, Werent we lucky? and, You had such a privileged childhood. Today, we call it gaslighting. I was literally bobbing around on the ocean with very few stable points of reference

Now, as an adult, I would have got off that boat three years in. Until then, there was a myth that wed all chosen to be there. Then came the family vote in Hawaii.

Children are humans. They have a right to an education and a right to a social life. There is a UN mandate for children that was clearly breached in multiple ways by my parents.

I didnt have a passport, I didnt really remember any relatives in the UK. I had no money I had no ability to do anything apart from this increasingly pervasive sense that I couldnt get schooling and was miserable. There was no attempt to make any provision of space or even help me get my schoolwork back [from PO boxes]. If there are two meta themes in the book, they are the transformative power of education and this question of the rights of a child versus the decisions made by their parents. I leave it up to the reader to make their mind up.

She created a canvas cave inside a sail in which to hide and read, and imaginary fellow pupils too. It was a teacher on her correspondence course who helped her get into Oxford to study zoology. A don spotted something original in her essays. (She later told Heywood that shed played a rare wild card letting her in.)

Oxford was not easy with her bizarre background and a lack of parental support, emotional and financial. I think until I got my PhD, I had a point to prove, she says. After that, nobody really cares about your childhood.

While food was often limited on longer voyages, there was almost always tea

She arrived at university with little more than her diaries, a photo album, a carving from Marovo Lagoon and two childhood comfort toys, Teddy and Barnaby, who had survived the trip too. She shows me one of the pictures she kept. She is on the deck of Wavewalker, hair in plaits, one arm round her fathers neck, the other waving to the reporters who gathered at various points to capture the family on their brave adventure. It was taken at the beginning: she is still young  and smiling.

By the time Jeremy was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, Suzanne was two years into working on the book. She set it aside to write his biography, What Does Jeremy Think?, published in 2021 and a bestseller. Before he died, he made her promise to return to Wavewalker. He also gave his blessing for her to meet somebody else: It was one of a few tricky conversations we had.

She now has a new partner, James, in business like her and father to three teenage boys. They met via the internet a year or so ago, when she felt ready. Her children, Jonny, 21, and twins Lizzie and Peter, 19, are all at university  Cambridge and Oxford  which her husband did not get to see. That is hard, she says.

But what I did take from my childhood is massive resilience I actually fought [my parents] and got away. In some ways, that gives you a huge strength.

With one of the crew

There was, nevertheless, an emotional hurdle to overcome with the book. She had to confront her parents about her version of events (she does, in fact, draw on memories of crew members too). My family would never ever talk about [any] of it. Whenever I tried, the line would be, Dont  it upsets your mother.

Her relationship with her mother never really recovered from the voyage. The crew noticed. She wouldnt speak to me, or would refer to me as her in front of me. She really disliked me and favoured my brother. We were playing that out in a very enclosed space where I had nowhere to escape. I can see in my diaries all the upset and unhappiness that rises through my teenage years.

The first draft of the book was bland, because I knew if I went near [the truth] it would offend my parents and if I offended them the whole world would collapse. But they were reacting very badly even to the idea of me writing anything, and I suddenly realised it would make no difference. I decided to write it honestly.

Labelling cans turned out to be important

After her mothers death, from a heart attack (her parents had returned to the UK in 1991 and ran an internet book company), Heywood found a letter on her parents computer called Sue End. It followed a meeting where she had asked her mother questions. Her father told her to bin it as it had been written in anger. The letter was full of threats and insults. She threatened that if I went ahead with the book, she would write nasty things about me and Jeremy, and try to ruin his career. She also said that I was educationally poor. It was horrible, horrible but helpful  and it set me free.

I was never going to get an explanation. She felt no regret, no remorse whatsoever and she was just a very strange person who really, really disliked me. I do think her death makes [the book] easier but I was going to do it anyway.

The therapist told me that when you are a child, you dont question if your world is a good world or a bad world because if you decide it is a bad world, that your parents are not nice people for whatever reason, you are questioning your entire existence. But when you are an adult and have your own life, you can question it. I have my children. I have my friends, Jeremys family who I am very close to. I can live with that now.

Suzannes father conducting another round of press interviews

She has sent two letters to her father as an olive branch. She says she loves him and does not require an apology. He does, at various points in the story, help her, such as paying for her flight home. As a child, she idolised him, and it is sad how the voyage was to destroy this.

Heywood is a bit nervous about his reaction to the book. He can be quite aggressive. But I decided long ago that writing a version that didnt upset them would be so neutered that it would almost not be worth writing.

She holds no grudge against the boat. Wavewalker was always a she. She was my home. I loved her. She saved our lives. There is definitely a huge emotional connection to her.

As part of the process of writing the book, Heywood conquered her fear of the sea by learning to sail, passing the Yachtmaster Offshore exam in 2016. She also attempted to track down Wavewalker, caught in a cyclone while anchored at Malolo Lailai island in Fiji. The boat was never found but she discovered its compass. It sits on a shelf in her study, a reminder perhaps of her strength in getting away to a new life.

Hanging around in Hawaii making friends with cats

Nothing would ever be as terrifying again. In 2021, Heywood threatened to take the Government to court over the handling of a review into the lobbying scandal following the collapse of financier Lex Greensills Greensill Capital. My experience on the boat and standing up to my parents in a quiet way, and then keeping it very fact-based, enabled me to stand up for Jeremy.

Lex Greensill had been brought into the Cabinet Office by Jeremy as an unpaid adviser in 2012. After Jeremys death, she has argued, his name was used in attempts to scapegoat [him] to distract attention from the actions of others. David Cameron, post-premiership, by then a highly paid advisor to Greensill Capital, had been able to lobby the Government intensely in an attempt to secure support for the firm during the pandemic. Im not sure they knew who I was. I think [Nigel Boardman, the lawyer running the review] thought I was just a widow.

In her study, along with the compass, are various framed scrolls. Before his death, Jeremy became Lord Heywood of Whitehall and was then appointed Knight Grand Cross (GCB), the highest honour in the Order of the Bath. The ceremony was in a hospital meeting room. Heywood shows me the family coat of arms, which they designed together. In the middle, a boat bobs at sea, with two white sails.

She smiles: She had to be in there.

Wavewalker: Breaking Free, by Suzanne Heywood, is published by William Collins on 13 April, at 20. Pre-order at books.telegraph.co.uk
While Gov. Ron DeSantis schedules a book tour of early presidential primary states to promote The Courage to Be Free: Floridas Blueprint for Americas Revival, the Legislature is implementing his blueprint for Florida at an unprecedented pace.

The first week of April is the halfway mark of the Legislatures annual 60-day session and already lawmakers have passed and DeSantis signed a bill to create one of the countrys largest taxpayer funded private school voucher programs.

Big ticket items or ones that may include a hefty price tag traditionally are held up in committees until the horse trading and session ends when a state budget is finalized. But not this year.

Lawmakers have also sent, and DeSantis signed an $800 million affordable housing plan, and a tort measure supporters say will lower the cost of property insurance even as it spurred a lawsuit logjam with tens of thousands of lawsuits flooding the offices of court clerks in the days before the law could take hold.

A measure to loosen restrictions on firearms and allow permitless carry of guns also bulleted through the legislature and is now on the way to the governor's desk.

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One stop away from his desk is a missile aimed at his chief faceless nemesis  so-called "woke ideology"  a bill that prohibits public investment in corporations with environmental, social governance policies.

Also one vote away from his desk are bills to impose stricter regulations on labor unions, and a constitutional amendment to make school board races partisan.

Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a press conference to sign the Live Local Act at South Street City Oven Bar and Grill in Naples on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

A six-week abortion ban appears to be on a glide path, And teed up for action over the next four weeks are expansion of DeSantis 2022 signature achievement  the Parental Rights in Education Act, reviled by critics as the Dont Say Gay bill  along with a record-spending state budget larded with $2 billion in tax cuts.

Story continues

Florida LGBTQ advocates: Expanding so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law says 'quiet part out loud'

Florida governor calling the shots

DeSantis, House Speaker Paul Renner, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo all said on sessions opening day that the three were pretty much in agreement on major initiatives.

I dont know if well have all of the governors priorities done by Holy Week (week 5 of a nine-week session) but were going to have it done, said House Speaker Paul Renner after the House approved and sent to the Senate, a gun bill effectively repealing concealed weapons licenses.

Renner said lawmakers were moving quickly to get the governors priorities done.

It will be, I think, a monumental session. Some of what the governors proposed is monumental and we support it 100%, said Renner.

Democrats, now dwarfed by a Republican supermajority, complain the legislature has become a subsidiary of DeSantis yet=announced presidential campaign.

House Democratic Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Tampa calls the 2023 session The Ron DeSantis Show, because Republican leaders have highlighted culture war issues of sex, the marginalization of rights for different groups, and guns to generate media buzz.

They want everybody focused on the distractions and pay no attention to what is not there, said Driskell.

House Speaker Paul Renner said House Republicans are 100% with Ron DeSantis

Whats not there, said Driskell are bills to address the lack of affordable health care, steep increases in rent, and support for public education.

This just seems to be the new way of doing things. We dont have a separate and equal branch of the legislature. Were just an extension of the governors office. We move what he wants us to move, said Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton.

A compliant Legislature enables DeSantis to travel to early presidential primary states Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, and to plan later trips to bigger states like Ohio and Pennsylvania as a chief executive who knows how to get a legislature to do his bidding.

He gets things done that America needs done, said Carol Hall, a retired federal worker who showed up an hour early for a DeSantis book signing in Tallahassee.

Why DeSantis has so much power over Florida legislature

A governor routinely leaving the Capitol while lawmakers work on his initiatives is an unusual situation, according to Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida and a coauthor of Politics in Florida," an analysis of Floridas rise as the nations most racially and ethnically diverse swing state.

Usually the legislature at least sought to have some independence from the executive branch, but it seems like not much this time around, said Jewett, who once served as a congressional staffer to former Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney.

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The result is an emerging narrative of DeSantis as the man in the arena fighting to empower the common man at the expense of the elites and corporations that have betrayed them, said Jewett.

DeSantis emergence as the Republicans chief culture warrior occurred during the pandemic, said Jewett.

He broke from the pack, so to speak, when he bucked national policy by lifting restrictions earlier than other states and attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was leading the federal response. DeSantis was attacked by the national media but saw his popularity and campaign donations increase.

He ended up raising more money than any governor in American history, said Jewett about the $200 million DeSantis raised for his 2022 reelection campaign.

DeSantis then soared to a reelection victory by a 19-point margin after being first elected by four-tenths of a percent margin in 2018.

Your margin of victory is a source of political power, said Jewett.

Polls, politics and policy collide

The initiatives DeSantis has pushed since the pandemic are designed, according to him and his supporters, to curb the excesses of different groups identified as the root of the problems everyday Americans face.

Jewett said DeSantis has demonstrated a knack for articulating this resentment in finding groups to set up as enemies and then attacking them.

If those damn transgender people would just stop having drag shows, America would be back to normal. If those illegal immigrants didnt keep coming over the border your life would be better, said Jewett are the kinds of arguments being made at the Capitol.

Former President Donald Trump once served as DeSantis' mentor, now the two may compete for the GOP presidential nomination

Polls place DeSantis second to former President Donald J. Trump in a GOP presidential primary race. He trails Trump on average by 15 points in numerous polls this past month, but places more than 20 points ahead of a bevy of declared and possible candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney.

Only Trump and Haley were announced candidates until Sunday, when former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson threw his hat in the ring. Political pundits are projecting DeSantis will join the race in June, once the legislative session has ended.

The decision cant come soon enough for Democrats who are outnumbered 2 1 in the House and Senate and left to protest in committee and floor speeches that the legislative process in Florida has been hijacked by a potential presidential candidate.

Many of the decisions he has made and policies that he has pursued seem geared toward the potential Republican presidential primary voter as opposed to say the average Floridian, said Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Miami.

Fast and Furious: The 2023 Legislative Session

Passed and Signed

Passed and Awaiting Governor's Signature

Permitless Carry: HB 543 Does away with background checks, training, and fees for a concealed-carry weapons license in Florida.

One Vote Away from Governor's Desk

On Tap for Second Half of Session

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahasse

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida legislative session: DeSantis racks up big early wins. Here's why
"Father of the cellphone" Martin Cooper told AFP he is "devastated" that pedestrians use their phones while crossing the street. Eloy Alonso/Reuters

"Father of the cellphone" Martin Cooper says he is "devastated" by pedestrian phone use, per AFP.

Cooper joked that the one or two pedestrians getting run over by a car may teach phone users a lesson.

The engineer's comment comes 50 years after he invented the world's first Motorola cellphone.

The "father of the cellphone" says he is "devastated" when he sees people staring at their phones while crossing the street.

"They are out of their minds," Martin Cooper, a former vice president of Motorola who invented the first cellphone in 1973, told the AFP News Agency in an interview.

The risk of a potential accident, the 94-year old said, may teach them a lesson.

"After a few people get run over by cars, they'll figure it out," he joked.

Cooper told AFP that we are still at the "mindless staring phase" with our phones. The issue, he said, is that people look at their phones too much.

And of course, that's dangerous while crossing the street on a cellphone. A 2022 study on how pedestrians use their phones found that 14.4% of pedestrians don't pay attention to traffic when crossing. Researchers involved in the study called the phenomenon an "emerging road safety issue."

Cooper's comment comes 50 years after he made the first phone call with a cellular device from a Manhattan sidewalk in 1973. In 1984, Motorola released the world's first commercial cellphone known as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000, a 10-inch, 2.5-pound device first sold at a whopping $3,995  or $12,000 today, Cooper told the Chicago Tribune reported earlier this month.

Cooper didn't expect the cellphone would evolve from strictly a talking device to a smart phone that could take photos and videos, order food, and track daily steps, he told the Tribune.

Roughly five decades later, endless scrolling and screen addiction are now common behaviors among smartphone users.

Despite the safety risks, Cooper told the AFP he isn't worried about the longterm dangers of unfettered cellphone usage. He believes cellphones have the power to boost productivity and improve users' quality of life.

Story continues

"The cellphone has now become an extension of the person," he said.

Cellphones even have the potential to "conquer disease," and "revolutionize" education and healthcare, he added.

"Each generation is going to be smarter," he said. "They will learn how to use the cellphone more effectively."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Within the ornate majesty of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., is a Statuary Hall that features two representative figures from each state of the union. Since 1931, one of the two statues representing California has been a bronze of Father Junipero Serra.

For those of you unfamiliar with Father Serra, he was a Spanish Franciscan friar who founded nine of the 21 Catholic missions across California. History, however, has fought it out over Father Serras legacy in recent years.

In 2015, he was canonized by Pope Francis, in part, for saving the souls of indigenous peoples in 18th-century California. But scholars, academics and advocates for indigenous people have branded Serra a ruthless colonizer.

Opinion

Serra did not just bring us Christianity. He imposed it, giving us no choice in the matter. He did incalculable damage to a whole culture, Deborah A. Miranda, a Native American and a professor told the New York Times in 2015.

Consequently, Father Serra is seriously out of favor in California. Yet he enjoys the limelight of a perch in the U.S. Capitol, the site of an insurrection where mobs of unpleasant people have since been convicted of crimes committed on Jan. 6, 2021.

Californias other statue in the capitol is a very chipper-looking President Ronald Reagan, who just keeps defying historians attempts to characterize him, hence his statues bubbly demeanor since his installation in 2009.

I prefer to think of Reagan as more representative of Californias vast B-movie contributions rather than of the presidency. (He was from Illinois anyway.)

Since Serras statue at Californias Capitol Park was unceremoniously pried off its pedestal in 2020, and a 5-ton statue of Christopher Columbus and Queen Isabella was removed from inside the Capitol the same year, other historically problematic statues have also gone to um wherever used, out-of-favor statues go.

If these statutes could talk, one could imagine them bemoaning their lost status with other disgraced statuary of Confederate generals, slave-owning Founding Fathers and assorted monuments of racist civic leaders that were sent packing by the whims of history.

Story continues

The afterlife is storage for a defunct statue.

The search for Serras replacement has generated a bit of comment, but how would our state agree on one when California has, shall we say, vastly disparate interests?

Not that the U.S. Capitol Statuary Hall is all that picky about who stands in there. A 2022 Washington Post investigation found that artwork at the U.S. Capitol including statues, paintings and other works honored 114 enslavers and 13 Confederates.

I am sure they were greeted warmly by their fellow insurrectionists on Jan. 6.

I propose a California Statuary Hall. We could fill it with elections, like primaries. We spent $250 million on the 2021 gubernatorial recall, so why not just keep the fun rolling?

Of course, this would provide a lot of work for lobbyists who would promote Dead Historic Yet Acceptable Figures. We could be vastly entertained by the spectacle while characters like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel funded insane candidates.

Were not going to be able to have a convention to decide this. Its gotta be an open ballot, with the top two finishers going head-to-head in the general.

I called a buddy who worked for a nationally historic figure from California who is no longer with us. I asked him if anyone was engaged in any lobbying on behalf of suitable statuary figures with California ties.

Thats not our mission, he gamely observed.

No, we have to throw this out to the people. Let Jackie Robinson slug it out with Sally Ride in the biggest March Madness bracket ever. Maya Angelou can easily take out Vin Scully, right? Joan Didion vs. David Crosby?

See? This is hard, and I havent even mentioned politicians yet. The Bee has a readers survey where you can participate in a poll on who should represent California in the U.S. Capitol, and we welcome your suggestions.

Richard Nixon vs. Pat Brown? Oh, duh. Brown won in 1962. Game over. Hmm. Earl Warren vs. Kevin McCarthy? Kevin McCarthy is physically alive, but his soul is dead.

Anyway, the legislature should make this happen. Im sure they can agree, right?
The Air Force has loosened its restrictions on body fat for new recruits, one of the latest moves to grow the pool of potential applicants amid the militarys recruiting crisis.

In the past, men and womens bodies needed to be 20% or 28% fat, respectively, to be eligible for service. That benchmark is now 26% for men and 36% for women, Air Force Recruiting Service spokesperson Leslie Brown said Monday.

The American Council on Exercise categorizes as obese those with body fat percentages over 25% for men and 32% for women. The old Air Force benchmark fell into the range of acceptable fat, according to the organization.

Air Force to start tracking height-to-waist ratios in April

Officials changed the body fat standard based on the recommendation of a team, led by Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, that was formed to look at recruiting challenges. They anticipate that 50 to 100 more people could join the Air Force each month as a result, Brown said.

The change reflects an attempt to adapt to the national obesity crisis that has stymied military recruiting compared to earlier, svelter decades.

A Johns Hopkins University study published in 2021 and updated in February found that more than half of Americans age 18-25 are overweight or obese, based on their body mass index. BMI is one measure of body composition that is calculated by dividing a persons weight by their height.

The percentage of Americans in that age range with a BMI indicating a normal weight dropped from about 70% to 34% between 1976 and 2018, the study found.

Pandemic pounds push 10,000 Army soldiers into obesity

Last month, Air Force personnel boss Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller told congressional lawmakers the service expected to miss its fiscal 2023 active duty recruiting goal by around 4,100 people. The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve project they will fall short by about 4,600 and 3,600 recruits, respectively.

Halfway through the fiscal year, the active duty Air Force has brought in less than 50% of its goal of 26,877 new airmen for 2023. Around 11,200 recruits have come in so far, Miller said.

Story continues

Weight isnt the only factor holding the Air Force back. A strong civilian job market and a lack of interest in the military have become major roadblocks among young Americans, recruiting officials say. And the Pentagon still has dozens of other health restrictions, from eczema to diabetes to antidepressant use, that could disqualify applicants.

Whatever their body composition when they join, new airmen will be subjected to the same annual fitness tests and standards as everyone else.

Can this new Air Force recruiting team turn interest into enlistments?

This month, the Air Force is beginning its new body composition test that relies on a persons height-to-waist ratio, rather than measuring abdominal circumference to judge their health. The service cautions that excess belly fat can increase a persons risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and musculoskeletal injuries.

To calculate the ratio, service members are instructed to wrap a measuring tape around the narrowest point of the abdomen  the midpoint between the lowest rib and the top of the hip bone, the Air Force said. Divide that number by height in inches.

People meet the new standard if that totals less than 0.55, or are considered high risk if they exceed 0.55.

While people wont be punished for at least a year if they dont pass, commanders can still reprimand troops for missing subsequent tests or appointments. And if an airman isnt in better shape after 12 months, the service will send them to a formal fitness program and consider taking administrative action, including separation.
One person was killed and four were injured during a late-night shooting at a hookah lounge in North Carolina, police said.

The Fayetteville Police Department responded to a call of a shooting at the business just before 11 p.m. on April 2, according to a news release.

When officers arrived, they learned a fight happened in the hookah lounge, two people were shot inside, and then three more were shot in the parking lot, according to the release.

Anthony Bradshaw, 30, was found dead in the lot when officers arrived, and four others were injured, police said. One was in critical condition, and the others had minor injuries, according to the release.

Police have not announced any suspects in the shooting, which is still an active investigation, according to the release.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective J. Nevitt at 910-703-3499 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

Fayetteville is about 65 miles southwest of Raleigh.

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Turkiye's 1st nuclear plant reflects Ankara's willingness to deepen energy ties with Moscow

Xinhua) 09:40, April 03, 2023

Photo taken on Aug. 18, 2022 shows the Akkuyu nuclear power plant constructed by Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in the southern Turkish province of Mersin. (Xinhua)

ANKARA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye is set to inaugurate the first unit of its Russian-built nuclear power plant in late April by loading nuclear fuel, a step towards boosting national energy security and strengthening energy ties with Moscow, experts said.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, currently under construction in Turkiye's southern Mersin Province, will be the country's first nuclear power plant. Akkuyu will be operational for 60 years, plus a possible 20-year extension, until its decommissioning.

During an interview with private broadcaster ATV on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the fuel-loading ceremony will be held on April 27 in Akkuyu.

Power production at the plant is set to begin later this year, likely in late October, public broadcaster TRT reported last month, citing energy ministry officials.

Erdogan also said on Wednesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin might either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference.

In 2010, the two countries reached a deal to let Russia's state company Rosatom build and operate the Akkuyu plant, which is designed with four nuclear reactor units, each with a capacity to generate 1,200 MW of electricity.

Under the deal, the Akkuyu plant was to be constructed with a Russian capital of 20 billion U.S. dollars.

The construction began in 2018 and is scheduled to complete in 2026. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce annually 35 billion kWh of electricity to meet approximately 10 percent of domestic electricity needs, Erdogan said in March 2021 at the groundbreaking ceremony of the plant's third unit.

Turkiye aims to take steps for a second and third nuclear plant "as soon as possible", Erdogan also said in September that year.

"Turkiye's electricity energy needs are growing and will continue to increase considerably in the coming years," Murat LeCompte, an Istanbul-based energy expert, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He said that nuclear energy is effective because the amount of energy it provides is incomparable with other traditional sources.

Photo taken on Aug. 18, 2022 shows the Akkuyu nuclear power plant constructed by Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom in the southern Turkish province of Mersin. (Xinhua)

According to the lastest data from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, coal has a 34.6-percent share in Turkiye's electricity generation, followed by natural gas, 22.2 percent, and hydropower, 20.6 percent.

"Most of Turkiye's energy sources are imported, with a heavy cost on the country's finances, therefore a nuclear plant operating on its soil will contribute to the nation's energy security," said LeCompte.

Turkiye is heavily dependent on imports to meet its energy needs, with Russia being a large source for years.

Russia's share in Turkiye's natural gas imports was 33 percent in 2019 and 2020, declining from more than 60 percent in 2005, according to data released by the energy ministry in February.

The Akkuyu plant has deep political significance for Turkiye aside from its aspiration toward energy independence, as the project symbolizes the growing relationship between NATO member Turkiye and Russia.

"The fact that a huge and very strategic project with 100 percent Russian capital is built in a NATO country is extremely symbolic in reflecting the diversifying and deepening dimension of Turkish-Russian relations," Kerim Has, a Moscow-based analyst on Russian affairs, told Xinhua.

The inauguration of Akkuyu comes at a time when NATO and European Union countries have imposed sanctions on Russia for launching its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

Ankara has refused to sanction Russia, with which it has strengthened cooperation in some sectors over the past few years despite Western criticism.

"When the Western bloc is imposing sanctions on Russia, the construction of Akkuyu is not disrupted. It demonstrates Ankara and Moscow's willingness to maintain their ties despite differences on the Ukraine conflict," Has said.

According to the analyst, Akkuyu can also serve as a project to help prevent ups and downs of Turkiye-Russia relations in the long run, especially in a global world order currently characterized by major transformations.

The nuclear plant is also important for Erdogan politically, as he is running as a presidential candidate for the May 14 general elections, while the country is struggling with economic woes and the huge recovery costs of the Feb. 6 earthquakes, according to analysts.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Glenview House at 1843 Glenview Road was still in business on March 25, 2023 in downtown Glenview. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

The economic bookends of the downtown Glenview Road restaurant district are shifting.

As a new Ballyhoo Hospitality restaurant is planned at 1739 Glenview Road just west of Waukegan Road, news that Glenview House closed permanently on March 27 has people wondering about the opposite end of Glenview Road near the railroad tracks.

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The owner of historic Glenview House and of the same building at 1843 Glenview Road has not returned emails.

Late last month, Nick Philippas of Glenview, comanaging partner of Glenview-based North Branch restaurant, tried to buy Glenview House.

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The rumor was kind of true, Philippas told Pioneer Press.

Philippas wanted, to redo it, with history-inspired renovations, keeping it Glenview House, but both parties couldnt agree on a purchase price.

The Village of Glenview was told Glenview House was closing and that the building is not changing ownership. The current owner plans on remodeling.

Thank you Glenview for a great 12 years! states the Glenview House website.

Glenview House at 1843 Glenview Road was still in business on March 25, 2023 in downtown Glenview. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Meghan Kearney, Glenview Chamber of Commerce executive director, spoke with the Glenview House owner who plans to reopen the restaurant in early 2024.

Im intrigued to see what develops, Kearney said. Its a great space for a new spot if it became for sale.

Meanwhile, restaurants near Glenview House who bested the COVID-19 pandemic will have to keep defending their economic end of Glenview Road while Glenview House revisits itself.

At the March 7 Glenview Board of Trustees meeting when the Ballyhoo Hospitality deal was unanimously approved, Trustee Tim Doron said, People are starved for this in this town.

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And kudos to those restaurants that are down there now, and Gusto, and Grandpas, and Glenview House and Forza (Meats), hanging on, and like, defending the hill  waiting for reinforcements, Doron said. This is a reinforcement.

Public investment is needed to leverage private investment, Doron said, quoting a document justifying spark site redevelopment.

Then came Glenview Houses sudden social media splash announcing permanent closure, confusing some who thought it was final.

Grandpas Place (1868 Prairie St.), Gusto Italiano Ristorante (1834 Glenview Road) and Glenview Grind (1837 Glenview Road) are Glenview House neighbors.

To develop 1739 Glenview Road, in February 2022, the village purchased land (Scot Cleaners) for $295,000. Earlier this year, the village bought more land behind Oil Lamp Theater for $175,000. Both purchases were cobbled together for a restaurant site, wooing Ballyhoo.

Ballyhoo will purchase the village-owned approximately 6,000 square foot property for $10 requiring $10,000 in earnest money.

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On March 7, Ballyhoo received a village grant of $1.75 million and must pay back a $2.25 million village restaurant loan at 2 % over 15 years. If Ballyhoo defaults, the property returns to the village.

Under the 15 year repayment with interest, after property, home rule and state sales taxes, the village projects being ahead by $400,000 plus.

Scott Thomson of Arlington Heights, Grandpas Place manager, said, Im not surprised, that Ballyhoo received what it did.

Scott Thomson of Arlington Heights, manager of Grandpas Place (1868 Prairie St.) in Glenview, tends to business at the restaurant on March 28, 2023. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

All of them give, every community gives, Thomson said,   deals to get people in there.

Andrew Karas of Glenview, Gusto Italiano Ristorante owner said, I think its (Ballyhoo) great for the downtown, but, No, Im not, Karas added, when asked if he is happy about Ballyhoos incentive package.

When I first heard of it, I was like, in shock, I couldnt believe it.

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Karas wished the village had given him a chance at a grant, land ownership, plus a low interest loan that critics argue is way below market rate.

I think I deserve that after 23 years in this town, Karas said.

Years ago, when Karas opened for business, I didnt get anything from the village, but theyre bending over backwards for them (Ballyhoo), and they bent over backwards for The Glen (Town Center), Karas said. They left us out to dry.

Making a point is Andrew Karas of Glenview, owner of Gusto Italiano Ristorante in Glenview (1834 Glenview Road) on March 28, 2023. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

Weve been on our own, Karas said, with minimal, help from the village, but I guess there are a lot more bigger pockets.

I think thats the difference, Karas said, adding the Ballyhoo incentives were, very generous, I cant believe how generous.

The founder of Ballyhoo Hospitality who resides in Wilmette, is, new to this town, Karas said.

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They havent been here before, they just arrived and all the sudden, the doors are wide-open. Why is that?

Im just hurt, Karas said.

About four years ago, Cathy Schiltz, a Glenview resident since 2001 and Glenview Grind owner, co-launched Friends of Downtown Glenview, now a 501c3 organization.

Center, Cathy Schiltz of Glenview, owner of the Glenview Grind, confers with employees at the register of the Glenview Grind (1837 Glenview Road) in Glenview on March 28, 2023. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)

While, I am happy, about Ballyhoo, Schiltz, as a business tenant, was not offered an opportunity for land ownership to replace renting.

Or even any kind of grant money would have also helped me to do things that I would like to do, Schiltz said, but, you know, that wasnt the case, right?

I was not asked by the village.

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Schiltz said the Glenview Grind received PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) money but did not receive COVID-19 relief from a January 2021 village restaurant financial assistance program. Other Glenview restaurants did, Schiltz said.

During the pandemic, Glenview Grind, stayed open, Schiltz said.

Meghan Kearney pointed out, Business owners can benefit from various incentives such as facade and tenant improvement grants that were approved in 2022.

The village plans to establish new incentive programs from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds for eligible businesses that missed out on PPP or other funding from hardships due to COVID, Kearney said.

With a drive-through, Glenview Grind expanded its menu and has a beer and wine license.

Toasting aside, Schiltz welcomes Ballyhoo to Glenview Road.

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Its what the residents want, Schiltz said. I want to keep a great relationship with the village.

Thats very important to me, Schiltz added, and a good relationship with all my neighbors here on Glenview Road.

I do love this community.

Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Filipino tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od has become the oldest person to ever appear on the cover of Vogue at the age of 106.

Vogue Philippines announced last week that Whang-Od would be the magazines cover star for its April 2023 issue. Whang-Od, also known by Maria Oggay, is based in Buscalan, a mountain village in Cordillera Region, which is based in the island of Luzon in the Philippines, according to the publication.

The magazine also praised the artist on Instagram for how her works symbolises the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit.

Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribesignifying strength, bravery, and beautyon the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan, the magazine wrote in the post alongside a picture from Whang-Ods cover photoshoot.

Starting her career at age 16 with her father as her mentor, Whang-Od was the only female mambabatok, a traditional Kalinga tattoo artist, of her time. As of 15 years ago, she started working with thousands of customers from outside of the Cordillera Region.

Per Vogue, she has now travelled to neighbouring villages to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who have crossed or about to cross a threshold in their lives.

When visitors come from far away, I will give them the tatak Buscalan, tatak Kalinga for as long as my eyes can see, Whang-Od told Vogue in the Butbut language.

Whang-Od is often referred to as the last mambabatok, since these tattoo artists can only pass on this craft within their bloodlines, perVogue. While she didnt have any children, her grand-nieces, Grace Palicas, 26, and Elyang Wigan, 23, will become a part of the next generation of mambabatoks.

I was the first child to learn how to tattoo. I just observed what she did, Grace said, as she was chosen to be Whang-Ods apprentice at age 10. When I left for college in 2015, Elyang was next to learn so that she could help Apo when so many tourists were coming.

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Back in 2017, Whang-Od first spoke to CNN Travel about her work and how shes been training her grandnieces.

The tradition will continue as long as people keep coming to get tattoos, she said. As long as I can see well, I will keep giving tattoos. Ill stop once my vision gets blurry.

She added: [My friends who gave tattoos] have all passed away. Im the only one left alive thats still giving tattoos. But Im not afraid that the tradition will end because [Im training] the next tattoos masters.

Regarding its April 2023 cover star, Vogue Philippines editor-in-chief, Bea Valdes said choosing Whang-Od was a unanimous decision among the magazines staff.

We felt she represented our ideals of what is beautiful about our Filipino culture, she told CNN. We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve, and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity.

Before Whang-Od, Oscar-winning actor Judi Dench was Vogues oldest ever cover star. She was featured in the British publications June 2020 issue at the age of 85.
Flag of Finland

This will be a "good day" for the security of Finland, the Nordic countries, and NATO as a whole, he said.

"This is a historic week, Stoltenberg began.

Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st NATO member, making it safer and our Alliance stronger. We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters.

Read also: Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway pool their air forces together

Read also: Hungary ratifies Finland's NATO accession

Finland, along with Sweden, simultaneously applied to join NATO in May 2022 amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Late on March 31, Turkey became the last country to ratify Finland's accession to NATO. A few days earlier, the Hungarian parliament okayed Helsinkis bid.

At the same time, Sweden is still awaiting the consent of the two countries.

Stoltenberg said in an April 3 speech that in any case, Finland's accession to NATO would provide more security for Stockholm.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Finland is set to become NATOs 31st member, doubling the military alliances border along Russia in a strategic and political blow to President Vladimir Putin.

As will all NATO members, Finland will benefit from the collective security guarantee of Article 5: "an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all."

The Finnish flag will rise between the French and the Estonian flags in a ceremony afternoon ceremony, completing the fastest accession process in the organization's recent history.

NATO has said that it has no immediate intention to step up its presence in Finland. Some members have deployed troops there for war games over the last year.

SWEDEN BECOMES LEGITIMATE TARGET BY JOINING NATO, RUSSIAN ENVOY SAYS

Such assurances will fall on deaf ears in Moscow. Putin has long howled against NATOs expansion eastward and partly used that as a justification for his country's war with Ukraine.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that Moscow would bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country

FILE: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference on Annual Report of 2022 at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on March 21, 2023.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Putin waged war against Russia with the aim of pushing back NATO but got "the exact opposite."

Finland has substantial, well-trained armed forces with elite troops capable of operating in the sub-zero temperatures of the high north. The Nordic country also has a large reserve army and is investing heavily in new equipment, including dozens of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

FINLAND'S SANNA MARIN LOSES PM RACE FOLLOWING CONTROVERSIAL PARTYING VIDEO

Alarmed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022. Neighboring Sweden also applied, but its accession process will take longer.

The addition of Finland helps to complete NATO's geographical puzzle by filling in a major gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in Europe's north.

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The NATO logo is pictured inside the new North Atlantic Council meeting room at the new NATO headquarters during a press tour of the facilities as the organization is moving from its old headquarters to the new building in Brussels on April 19, 2018.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland's membership, will hand the official document enshrining its approval to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

NATO's top civilian official said he will then invite Finland to hand over its own signed documents, to complete the procedure.

All 30 allies signed Finland's and Sweden's accession protocols soon after they applied. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably to crack down on Kurdish groups. Hungary's demands have never been explicit.

NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join, and the vast majority of members are keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts hold their next summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Finnish soldiers joined 15 other nations at a Nato military drill last year. The alliance will be stronger with them, Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday - Jonas Gratzer/Getty Images Europe

Finland's formal joining of Nato will make the military alliance stronger, Jens Stoltenberg, its secretary general, said on Monday, as he dismissed Vladmir Putins threat of stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Turkey, the last country to have ratified Helsinkis membership, will hand its official texts to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday as Nato foreign ministers gather in Brussels.

Finland will then be invited to do the same and there will be a flag-raising ceremony at Nato's Brussels headquarters in the afternoon.

"President Putin went to war against Ukraine with the clear aim to get less Nato," Mr Stoltenberg said. "He's getting the exact opposite."

Finland has an 810-mile (1,303 kilometres) border with Russia, meaning Natos frontier with Russia will roughly double in length once Helsinkis decades of non-alignment ends.

We will welcome Finland as the 31st member of Nato making Finland safer and our alliance stronger, Mr Stoltenberg said. "We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole.

Jens Stoltenberg, the Nato general secretary, speaking in Brussels ahead of meeting of foreign ministers on Tuesday - Anadolu Agency

In response, Alexander Grushko, Russian deputy foreign minister, said Moscow would strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions.

In the event that the forces and resources of other Nato members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russias military security," Mr Grushko said.

It came after Russia vowed at the weekend to move its tactical nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus, placing them at Nato's threshold.

However, Mr Stoltenberg dismissed the threat.

"So far, we haven't seen any changes in their nuclear posture that requires any change, changing our nuclear posture," the Norwegian told a news conference in Brussels. We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security.

Regardless, he added there are no signs that Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war.

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Allies were prepared to step up their support for Ukraine further after already sending 57 billion in military aid to Kyiv, he said.

On Tuesday, Sauli Niinisto, the Finnish President, will travel to Brussels to take part in the accession ceremony after elections in which Sanna Marin, a prime minister who championed joining the alliance, was defeated.

Finland was supposed to join the alliance at the same time as Sweden. Both applied for membership at the same time after Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Swedens bid on hold

But Turkey and Hungary have kept Swedens bid on hold. Ankara believes the country is a safe haven for Kurdish dissidents it considers terrorists, which Stockholm denies, and has demanded their extradition.

Budapest has cited Stockholms criticism of Viktor Orban, Hungarys prime minister, who is accused of backsliding on democratic norms and cracking down on gay rights.

Nato must agree unanimously for new members to join. Nato diplomats said they thought that Hungary would approve Swedens bid to join the alliance if Turkey also moved to do so.

Mr Stoltenberg said that he would work hard to get Sweden into Nato as soon as possible. Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member, he said.

Officials hope Sweden can join before Joe Biden, the US president, and fellow alliance leaders meet in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on July 11-12.
Finland on Tuesday is set to become the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the largest military alliance in the world.

The historic moment comes after Turkey last week decided to allow Finland to move ahead on joining NATO without its neighbor Sweden.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said it was a historic week as the alliance will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters, marking a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.

He also said that he hopes Sweden will join NATO in coming months, though that seems far from certain.

All members of the alliance must approve any new members, and Turkey has put the hold on Stockholms bid in what experts view as a power play by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

This is the nerve-wracking part, that its really not clear what the timeline is, said Elisabeth Braw, an expert on European defense issues at the American Enterprise Institute. To a large part its about political theater, which makes it so unpredictable.

Heres how the process works, how Finland got through and whats ahead for Sweden.

The process so far

Finland and Sweden for decades have kept a stance of non-alignment with NATO to avoid tensions with Russia, which sees the alliances expansion as a security threat. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia.

But after Russian President Vladimir Putins unprovoked attack on Ukraine last year, the two Nordic countries quickly ditched their neutral status and applied for NATO membership in May.

Helsinki and Stockholm later that summer were formally invited to join the alliance, with most NATO members approving their applications within weeks.

Under the accession rules, however, any member can veto a new country from joining, and Turkey and Hungary stalled the process.

Ankara insisted Finland and Sweden take a tougher stance against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered a terror group by Turkey and the European Union.

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The three countries took halting steps toward a compromise  in June signing a memorandum of understanding to address concerns by Ankara  and last week Turkeys parliament unanimously ratified Finlands accession to NATO, the last member country to do so.

Whats next for Sweden?

Western officials have expressed optimism that Sweden will soon join its Nordic neighbor in entering NATO, preferably ahead of a leaders summit set for July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

But Turkey has not indicated whether it will approve Swedens NATO membership, which has been stalled since January.

And Hungary, the second-to-last NATO member to approve Finlands accession, found there to be an ample amount of grievances that need to be addressed before it ratifies Swedens bid, government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said last week, as reported by Reuters.

Speaking to reporters last week, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian affairs Dereck Hogan said U.S. officials want both Hungary as well as Turkey to move forward with Swedens accession just as soon as possible  certainly by Vilnius to have all of this wrapped up, if not sooner.

He added that Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will be in Brussels on Tuesday for Finlands accession, will meet with his Turkish counterpart on NATO expansion, a major subject of our public as well as private engagements.

Also keeping things up in the air is Turkeys presidential elections in May. Many have speculated that Erdogan is purposely holding back support for Sweden due to domestic political reasons ahead of votes.

I think this is a win-win situation for him, especially at a crucial time a few weeks before the presidential elections, said Mathieu Droin, a NATO expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. It helps Erdogan to present himself as a magnanimous leader.

Hungary, meanwhile, has never made its demands clear, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban accusing Stockholm and Helsinki of spreading outright lies about his country.

Still, even if talks continue to drag out for Sweden, it doesnt mean the country will be any less safe, according to Droin.

I think it doesnt change dramatically the security landscape, he told The Hill. Sweden has already been very close to NATO [and] in the past few years has integrated even closer. Its also fair to remember that there have been security warranties given by other NATO allies to Sweden, but also the European Union.

How Russia has reacted

News of Finlands impending membership did not appear to sit well with Russia, which this week pledged to boost its own defenses near the countries shared border should NATO send any troops into the Nordic nation.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on the state-controlled RIA Novosti news agency, as reported by The Associated Press.

In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take additional steps to ensure Russias military security.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Finlands Prime Minister Sanna Marin lost her bid for re-election as she and her party saw a defeat in the general election by conservative and far-right rivals, reports said Monday.

Marins Social Democratic Party (SDP) came in at third place in race with razor-thin margins after 20.8% of Finnish voters threw their weight behind the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) and 20.1% of voters backed right-wing populist party The Finns.

Marins party secured 19.9% of voters support in the Sunday election.

FINNISH PM SANNA MARIN UNDER FIRE AFTER PARTY VIDEO SURFACES

While Marin lost out on another term as prime minister, no party is in the position to form a government on its own as each party secured roughly 20% of the vote.

"Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party," Petteri Orpo, leader of the center-right party who secured the general election and is the most likely next prime minister of Finland, said.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Marin, 37, is one of Europes youngest leaders and has received wide recognition for her support of Ukraine amid Russias invasion and in Finlands impending ascension into NATO.

But the young politician also received some backlash earlier this year after video footage was released showing the prime minister dancing and partying with friends.

The leaked video caused some headache for Marin after opposition leaders demanded she take a drug test.

FINNISH PRESIDENT SAULI NIINISTO ADDRESSES HUNGARY, TURKEY'S OPPOSITION TO FINLAND JOINING NATO

The prime minister pushed back on the demands and maintained she only drank alcohol and partied "in a boisterous way," reported the BBC.

"I danced, sang and partied  perfectly legal things. And I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs]," she said following the footages release.

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin speaks with members of the media in Kuopio, Finland, Aug. 18, 2022.

It is unclear if the video resulted in serious opposition from Finnish voters that could have affected the race for prime minister.

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Finlands position when it comes to chief international policies like the war in Ukraine are unlikely to change under new leadership, and on Monday Orpo told the Associated Press, "We cannot accept this terrible war."

"To Ukraine: We stand by you, with you," he said. "And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear."

"And the message to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose," Orpo said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Easter is Sunday, April 9 - less than a week away. While Christians see holiday as holy and spiritual, others see it as a time for family and friends. Hams are a common sight on Easter tables, along with other springtime sides. Hopefully, you havent spoiled your appetite with chocolate and jelly beans from the Easter Bunny!

However, if cooking is not your thing, and you would rather focus on seeing loved ones and a time of celebration, then finding the perfect restaurant for brunch or dinner is probably on your to-do list. We've got you covered: here are five places worth checking out in eastern Connecticut serving either an Easter brunch or Easter Specials.

Canggio Restaurant Head Chef and Owner Julio Cancho holds a plate of home fries with egg, and toast, one of the dishes to be offered during the Easter brunch.

Canggio Restaurant/Bar, 20 Lafayette St., Norwich

Along with its regular menu, Canggio, a Peruvian and Japanese fusion restaurant, will offer an Easter brunch for the first time. Some offerings include stuffed French toast, sweet and savory crepes, frittatas, including Italian and Peruvian frittatas. Standard fare is also an option, like waffles, sandwiches, steak and eggs. The crepes and frittatas are the most popular with customers. The restaurant will only be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is requiring reservations, said head chef and owner Julio Cancho.

Some of the offerings Canggio Restaurant has for Easter brunch: Waffles, Home Fries with Eggs and Toast, and Clam Hash and Egg. To the left is an Italian Bloody Mary.

Golden Greek Restaurant and Pub, 474 Putnam Pike, Dayville

Golden Greek will be serving a special limited menu on Easter, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The restaurant recommends reservations. Some of the specials of the one page, 20 item menu include ham, a turkey dinner, and lobster. Usually , the Golden Greek serves a lot of ham and ribs, but the appetizer lamb lollipops are also popular. Also, the entrees come with access to an unlimited soup, salad and bread bar, General Manager Merissa Guerin said.

Its all good, she said.

Olde Tymes Restaurant, 360 W. Main St., Norwich

Since Olde Tymes stopped their dinner service during the pandemic, the restaurant brings back some of its most popular dinner items for holidays, including Easter, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dinners include ham, rack of lamb, and prime rib, which customers have frequently requested. The dinners also come with three sides, from a list of 14, including clam chowder, mixed vegetables, and more. The restaurant will also have its regular Sunday breakfast items. People will often make reservations, as noon to 2 p.m. will be busiest, Owner Rodney Green said.

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Well be happy to see you, he said.

More: See what eastern Conn. restaurants received in Restaurant Revitalization Funds

Riverview Restaurant and Lounge, 632 N. Main St., Moosup

Riverview will feature an extended menu, including seafood, Italian fare, and chef specials including roast pork and leg of lamb, as the restaurant has done for 45 years. Dinners also come with an unlimited soup and salad bar. Theyll also have their regular drinks and desserts. Reservations are encouraged for Easter, and anytime, said bartender Donna Marie.

Anytime youre going out, even if its a Tuesday night, call and make reservations,  she said. The staff is so limited in a lot of places.

More: Local restaurants face losing outdoor patrons amid pandemic restrictions

Tullis Tap House, 259 Preston Road, Griswold

This year, Tullis will serve Easter specials instead of an Easter brunch. Some of the specials include Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon, Crispy Duck Bao Buns, Bombolino Monte Christo, Chicken-Fried Rabbit and Waffles, and Baked Alaska. Some of these specials, including the Avocado Toast and the Bombolino, are variations on specials theyve offered before. The regular menu will still available. The restaurant doesnt take reservations, but large parties can call to check how busy things are, as Sundays are always a busy day, said Chef Calvin Silva.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Five eastern Connecticut places serving Easter dinner or brunch
People who live in Flagler County will be able to participate in a new safety initiative.

On Thursday, the Flagler County Sheriffs Office announced it would start a Real Time Crime Center in the Cloud with Connect Flagler County.

Residents and local businesses would be free to register their security cameras to help reduce crime and solve cases quicker.

Read: Volusia County launches security camera database, helps public safety

The Fusus online portal will show detectives if video evidence is available at a specific location.

Registration will not give the sheriffs office live video access but only a location when an incident occurs.

Read: Man arrested in the deadly shooting of a Casselberry father, entertainment promoter

The sheriffs office will keep users information and video files confidential.

Continuing to build a real partnership between our residents and businesses and our Sheriffs Office is the key to a successful public safety strategy, said Sheriff Rick Staly. This new platform will enable us to operate more efficiently to create a safer community for our residents and replaces our prior Silent Guardian program.

Read: Orange County task force meets again to address gun violence

People who would like to volunteer for this program can do so here.

Volusia County Sheriffs Office has also chosen to participate in a similar program.

Watch the video below:

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Flint residents will have to wait months longer to receive their shares of a $626.25-million settlement stemming from the lead poisoning of the city's drinking water in 2014 and 2015.

Checks are not likely to be issued to Flint residents from a $626.25-million legal settlement related to the drinking water crisis until the end of this year.

Though U.S. District Judge Judith Levy gave final approval to the settlement with the state of Michigan and other parties in 2011, glitches in the claims administration process have created delays.

More: For Flint residents poisoned by lead, long wait for lawsuit settlement money continues

More: Federal judge gives final approval to $626.25M settlement in Flint water crisis

Here is what Flint residents should know, based on a report filed Thursday by attorney Deborah Greenspan, who is assisting U.S. District Judge Judith Levy:

About 45,000 Flint claimants, who have filed more than 55,000 separate claims, should begin receiving notices related to those claims, either personally or through their attorneys, starting in late April or May and over the following several weeks. That's months later than what was projected last year.

The notices will say whether the claim has been approved in the specified category and whether there are any deficiencies in the documentation provided. There will then be time for administrative appeals or to potentially rectify problems with what was sent earlier.

Claimants could start receiving payments around the end of this year.

Although there have been delays in the claims review process, Levy has said checks could not have been issued in any case while appeals were pending. On March 17, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected objections mostly related to attorney fees. But on Friday, one group of appellants asked for that decision, made by a three-judge panel, to be reviewed by the full panel of all 6th Circuit judges.

There may be somewhere around $400 million to distribute to plaintiffs after attorney fees and claims administration costs are paid.

The Flint drinking water crisis began in April 2014, when a state-appointed emergency manager switched the city's drinking water source to the Flint River and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality did not assure that needed corrosion control chemicals were added.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: When will Flint residents get their shares of record legal settlement?
Tax season is upon us, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody continues to warn Floridians that scammers will use all kinds of tactics to steal their money.

Moody continues her 2023 Tax-Season Scams Series by warning Floridians about Tax Refund Recalculation Schemes.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Scammers know that millions of taxpayers are hoping for large refunds and may anticipate and prey upon these expectations with fraudulent refund recalculation messages.

You should always be skeptical anytime someone offers you free moneyespecially through a text or social media message. This is a common tactic during tax season as scammers utilize the excitement of receiving money back from the IRS to steal sensitive banking or identification information from taxpayers, Moody said. As we continue our Tax-Season Scams Series, I want to make sure Floridians know how to avoid falling prey to this scam.

Read: NASA reveals astronauts who will fly around moon for Artemis II mission

Moody is providing tips for taxpayers to help spot the difference between legitimate refund messages and fraudulent ones.

Below is an example of a fraudulent tax refund recalculation message. Here are some key things to look for to spot a fake message:

Read: McDonalds shuts corporate offices amid layoffs, reports say

The messages will usually be riddled with links and attachments that may contain malware or phishing schemes.

Unsolicited messages promising a tax refund recalculation should be reported to the Internal Revenue Service at phishing@irs.gov.

Read: It keeps getting worse: Florida property insurance rates set to jump up to 60%

The IRS released online tools to help track tax refunds.

You can use the Wheres My Refund? webtool or download the IRS2Go mobile app to check the status of a refund.

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The following items were taken from Glenview Police Department reports, news releases and records. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

BATTERY

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Joy La Rosa, 26, of the 1500 block of Plymouth Place in Glenview was charged with battery March 28. She was arrested following the investigation of an incident reported March 1 in the 600 block of Waukegan Road. She was released on bond.

UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS

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Jonathan Seiva, 19, of the 600 block of 6th Street in Northfield was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver and failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash March 29. He was arrested following an investigation of an incident in the 1500 block of Topp Lane. He was released on bond.

THEFT

Angelo L. Pacheo, 25, of the 2900 block of Lake Street in Chicago was charged with retail theft March 25. He was arrested following the investigation of an incident in the 2500 block of Waukegan road. He was released on bond.

Three individuals entered a retail business in the 2200 block of Willow Road, took more than 40 items and left without paying March 24.

Two individuals entered a retail business in the 2500 block of Waukegan Road, took a large amount of over the counter medications and left without paying March 24.

BURGLARY

A Glenview resident reported an unknown individual or individuals forced entry into the side door of a residence in the 1400 block of Glenview Road and stole personal items from the home March 25.

An unknown individual or individuals cut a fence in the 2000 block of Lehigh Avenue, gained access to the property and stole tools from four vehicles March 25.

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A Mason, Ohio, resident reported an unknown individual or individuals stole the catalytic converter from their vehicle while it was parked in the 4500 block of West Lake Avenue between March 25 and 26.

A person affiliated with a business in the 2000 block of Lehigh Avenue reported a man shattered the drivers side window of a company vehicle and stole tools from inside the vehicle March 27.

Four men entered a closed business in the 1600 block of Waukegan Road and stole two vehicles from inside the business March 26.

STOLEN VEHICLE

A resident in the 0-100 block of Branch Road reported a man entered their vehicle parked near their home and drove it away March 23. It is unknown whether a spare key was left inside.

FORGERY

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A Glenview resident reported March 21 checks deposited in the mail were intercepted and cashed to different people in different amounts.

A Glenview resident reported March 23 a check deposited in the mail was intercepted and cashed to a different individual in a different amount.
A Florida orthodontist who seemed to go missing, leaving patients owing thousands on incomplete dental procedures, has turned up in a county jail.

Manuel Alejandro Gutierrez-Rodriguez was arrested on 24 March and sent to Pinellas County jail for violating the conditions of his probation related to a 2022 reckless driving conviction, WFLA reports.

Patients of Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguez say his sudden disappearance left them in the lurch. The doctors Tampa clinic was seen with mail piling up behind the front door, and its website is offline.

Traci Hillring was in the middle of a $5,000 procedure for teeth straightening when Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguez disappeared, forcing her to find another provider and pay an extra $2,500.

Its frustrating. I was hoping to be done with this, she told WFLA. Hoping to stop making payments toward [my treatment} and moving on without having to wear trays every day would be nice.

She said shes hoping the orthodontist can offer some sort of refund.

The Independent has contacted Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguezs lawyer for comment.

Another patient, Carlos Jimenez, told the Tampa Bay Times he paid $5,200 for custom teeth alignment.

When I called him, his assistants gave me excuses, he said. Sometimes they told me that they didnt have the proper materials or the distributors were late with the orders.

More than a dozen patients have gotten together on social media and are demanding a refund, the paper reports.
One person died Monday and 10 others were injured when a semi-tanker truck and a bus carrying migrants to work collided with each other in Florida.

A migrant labor bus carrying 38 people to strawberry fields in Plant City crossed a center line and collided head-on with a tanker truck hauling 8,400 pounds of fuel on U.S. Router 98 around 6 a.m., Polk County authorities said.

MEXICO MEDICAL TOURISM BOOMS AS AMERICANS RISK LIVES FOR SURGERIES

One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a crash between a semi-tanker truck and a migrant labor bus in Florida.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said one person on the bus died. Ten others, including the driver, were injured and taken to various hospitals.

Judd said he did not know the conditions of the patients.

"All crashes are gut-wrenching, but when you see it is a group of folks who are on their way to do hard work that most of society wont do so that we have the ability to have fresh fruit, and for reasons unknown at this point in the investigation, the driver careens over the center line, head-on into another vehicle. Its very sad," Judd told reporters.

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He said most of the survivors should be able to resume normal activity. Authorities will notify their loved ones in their home countries so they may receive services from there as well as in Florida.

A semi-tanker truck and a migrant worker bus with 38 people on board collided on Monday morning.

The road was closed for several hours but reopened around 2:30 p.m., Fox Tampa reported.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; a logo of the NAACP at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (Photo illustration: Jack Forbes/Yahoo News; photos: Mario Tama/Getty Images, Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Florida arm of the NAACP wants its national board to issue a travel advisory for the state, urging Black people to avoid visiting or moving to the state of Florida in response to a slew of proposals put forth by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that they say target Black history education and other diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the Sunshine State.

All of this is a tipping point, Yvette Lewis, the NAACP Hillsborough County Branch president, told Yahoo News. We encouraged more people to vote and that didnt work because [extremist Republicans] gained more power and this is where were at. We had to take a strong stand because it has gone too far.

Lewis, who leads the largest chapter in the state, presented the idea of an advisory to the NAACP Florida State Conference late last month after feeling as though all other options had been exhausted, and the group voted unanimously in favor of it. The recommendation will be reviewed by the national board of the NAACP when it reconvenes next month.

Then-Attorney General Eric Holder speaks at the NAACP National Convention in 2013 in Orlando. (Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

But some critics are concerned that an advisory will have unforeseen consequences on the very group that its intended to help: Black Floridians.

Riche J. Daniel Barnes, an anthropology and African American studies professor at the University of Florida, told Yahoo News that she believes an advisory does exactly what government officials want, which is to keep out those that disagree with them and foster an exclusive environment of only like-minded individuals.

If the people I came here to work with and build community with leave, which they have already started, I am encouraged to do so as well, she said.

Florida is home to more than 22 million people, 17% of whom are African American, according to the latest census data. Barnes, a recent transplant herself, believes that telling Black people not to visit or live in Florida sends the wrong message.

This is political theater, she said, adding that a more solution-oriented response requires more people in the form of voters and more dollars in the form of economic prosperity and potential campaign contributions for [minority candidates] in communities of color.

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DeSantiss response to proposed advisory

DeSantis has scoffed at any notion that a travel advisory would be effective, calling it a joke during a news conference the day after the NAACP state conference.

We will see how effective that is, he said. Our country goes through all these stupid fights. This is a stunt to try to do that.

When asked by Yahoo News for further comment, DeSantiss deputy press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, said, The governors comments stand on their own.

DeSantis, who is widely expected to seek the 2024 GOP nomination for president, speaks to Iowa voters on March 10 in Des Moines. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

DeSantis and Republican elected officials within the state have been aggressively targeting diversity efforts. Last spring DeSantis signed the controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, dubbed by opponents as the Dont Say Gay bill, which banned public school teachers from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity in class. Shortly after, he signed the Stop WOKE Act, which placed limits on how race and gender can be discussed in classrooms at public colleges and universities. Months later, in January, this led to the banning of AP African American studies courses for their teaching of critical race theory, an educational movement that aims to contextualize recent and historical events in a framework of systemic racism (the College Board later revised the course).

For NAACP leaders in Florida, the weight of these targeted pieces of legislation has only been exacerbated in recent months with the banning of certain school books and movies deemed inappropriate for their discussion of sexual identity and coverage of race.

This man is working to remove the word diversity altogether, Lewis said. Just when we think we have arrived, they kick us and knock us down. And this isnt just a Black persons issue, its an everyone issue.

Melba Pearson, a Miami-based civil rights and criminal law attorney specializing in policy, calls the travel advisory a last resort. As the legal redress chair for the NAACP South Dade Branch, Pearson said its the organizations responsibility to warn Black residents and visitors that Florida is no longer a safe or welcoming place.

It is something that we do not come to lightly; this is after weve tried all other methods of advocacy, education, and dialogue, Pearson said in an email to Yahoo News. All diplomatic routes have been exhausted, and hopefully, the threat of losing the millions of dollars of disposable income that Black tourists bring to Florida every year will reignite dialogue leading to policy change.

Police patrol Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Fla., in March 2021. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

But many supporters of DeSantis see the advisory as something more than a stunt. Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds called it dangerous.

It continues this division in our country, Donalds said during an appearance on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight late last month. Were a great state, were open to everybody. We dont want indoctrination ... but we teach Black history, we allow Black businesses to thrive. ... This is a joke.

Travel advisory precedent

If successful, this would be the second time a statewide advisory was put forward.

The first was in 2017, when the organization issued a travel advisory for Missouri to warn Black visitors that their civil rights could be violated if they entered the state. This move came after multiple incidents, including a Black man dying while being held in a Missouri jail and the passing of S.B. 43, which made it harder for employees to prove unlawful discrimination based on race or gender.

The NAACP also cited a number of incidents of discrimination toward young African American men and women on college campuses that went unaddressed. This all came just three years after the fatal police shooting in Ferguson of 18-year-old Michael Brown, whose killing sparked public outcry and became the catalyst of many present-day protest movements.

While there is no data publicly available to quantify the impact of that first advisory, Pearson said, spreading knowledge about the issues facing Black people, particularly in Florida, is paramount.

We have always felt that knowledge and education is power; empowering people to make their own decisions with the requisite information is our core mission, she said. That is something that will never change.

An entrance sign for Florida A&M University. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Florida State Conference chair Adora Obi Nweze said in a statement that there is no feel good version of the inequities that Black Americans in the state have faced and continue to face on a daily basis.

Our question to Governor DeSantis is, What sort of future are you fostering for Black Americans throughout Florida while eradicating our historical contributions to this nation? she said.

Black-owned businesses weigh in

Black-owned businesses in tourist-heavy regions may be the hardest hit if an advisory is put into effect.

Vickie Jones, owner of JonesEz BBQ in Fort Myers Shores, told WINK News, a CBS affiliate in southwest Florida, that she believes her restaurant would fare well regardless because of how long its been a staple in the community, but shes hesitant to embrace the message behind the advisory altogether.

As a black-owned business? I cant say dont come to Florida, because I am in Florida, she said. And I like unity. I like community. I like for us to be together and have a voice.

Shannea Akins, owner of Nikkis Place Southern Cuisine in Orlando, said that despite having built a strong reputation for almost two and a half decades, she feels like any kind of advisory would be devastating to her business.

It would be very, very detrimental to us because everybody who comes from out of town, they really do support us in a way that some of our locals cant support all the time, she told WESH, an NBC affiliate in Orlando.

As a native of Tampa, Lewis, the Hillsborough County chapter president, sees the possible hit to Black-owned businesses as a sacrifice worth making.

[Black business owners] are going to have to stand for something, she said. If you continue to sit down and say, Itll pass through, well get over it, its going to get worse.

A man waters the plants in the Roots in the City urban garden in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Lewis also believes this is a great opportunity for Black people within the state to begin patronizing more Black businesses.

If youre serious about change, then this is a time for all of us to come together, she said. If its important to keep that hotel running, then trust me, it will be important for them to get Black folks to work and for Black folks to maintain their job.

While Barnes, the UF professor, understands the impetus behind the travel advisory, she feels that its effects are shortsighted at best.

It is difficult for me to see how telling people not to come will bring forth help, she said. We need more people to stay here, move here and see a reason to make changes here. Most of the help that is needed is in the form of votes.

Cover thumbnail photo illustration: Jack Forbes; photos: Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images
By Gabriella Borter

(Reuters) - Florida's Republican-led Senate passed a bill on Monday to outlaw most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, bringing the state a step closer to joining others across the U.S. South in banning almost all abortions.

Florida currently has a law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is being challenged in court. Republicans in the state House of Representatives and Senate filed concurrent bills last month to restrict the procedure further, starting at six weeks of pregnancy.

The Senate approved its bill with a vote of 26-13. The House's near-identical version of the bill advanced out of committee on Thursday and a floor vote is likely in coming days. Either bill could be approved by the other chamber and sent on to the governor's desk for signing as soon as this week.

The bills make exceptions for abortions in cases of rape and incest and in cases when the mother's life or health are at serious risk, not including psychological health.

With Republicans controlling the legislature and governorship in Florida, a six-week ban is likely to become law. Governor Ron DeSantis, who is expected to challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has signaled his support.

The fate of the legislation also depends on how the state supreme court rules in a challenge of the 15-week ban. A group of abortion providers has argued it violates the state constitution.

A six-week ban would restrict abortion access across the U.S. South, where most other states have already banned the procedure at early stages of pregnancy. Patients have been traveling to Florida from across the Southeast to end their pregnancies since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, gutting federal abortion rights.

Data from Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration showed that the number of out-of-state abortion patients rose 38% in 2022 compared to 2021.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and David Gregorio)
A bill banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy passed the Florida Senate on Monday, moving it one step closer to the governors desk.

Amid shouted protests in the Senate chamber from the bills opponents, the Senate voted 26 to 13 to pass the Heartbeat Protection Act. Two Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the legislation.

House Republicans are expected to approve their own version of the bill in the coming days, and a final bill will likely be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

DeSantis last year signed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. That law is currently being challenged in the state Supreme Court as a violation of the states right to privacy, and a decision is not expected until next month at the earliest.

DeSantis is widely expected to use his second term as governor as a springboard to launch a presidential campaign, and the policies he endorses as governor will likely preview his national platform.

The six-week ban includes limited exceptions if the person obtaining the abortion is a victim of rape or incest. But the exception would only be allowed up until 15 weeks of pregnancy. The person would also need to prove they are a victim by providing a copy of a restraining order, police report, medical record, or other court order or documentation.

The bill would also require medical abortion pills to be dispensed in person by a physician and would ban abortion care by telehealth, including mailing abortion medication.

Health care providers who violate the ban could be charged with a third-degree felony, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Florida is the only state in the Southeast that allows abortion even up to 15 weeks. States including Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana moved to ban abortion outright in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
On Monday, the upper chamber of the Florida Legislature voted 26-13 in favor of a bill that will ban abortion at the six-week mark, around the time an unborn child develops a heartbeat.

Florida already has a law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, which is being challenged in court. The six-week ban passed Monday will now move to the Florida House, where it is expected to pass as soon as this week. Governor Ron DeSantis has also signaled he is ready to sign a heartbeat bill.

SB 300 make exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or human trafficking. It also allows for an exception when the mothers life or health is at serious risk. The exception does not cover psychological conditions.

If signed into law, its implementation will depend upon how the Florida Supreme Court rules on the existing 15-week ban. The laws challengers argue that it violates Floridas Constitution.

Katie Daniel, policy director for the advocacy group SBA Pro-Life America, hailed the bills passage as consistent with the will of Floridians and a real victory for the pro-life movement.

Sixty-two percent of Floridians support protecting unborn children from abortion when their heartbeat can be detected, including 61% of Independents and 58% of women. Floridas life-saving heartbeat protection legislation not only represents the will of people by bringing the Sunshine State into line with 19 other states that protect babies with beating hearts, but also by funding vital services for women and families, said Daniel.

Nearly one quarter of Floridas abortions were sought for social or economic reasons last year. Research also shows over 60% of women who have abortions report pressure, whether because of finances, a male partner, or other source  surely we can all agree that is not what free choice looks like, she continued.

The bill will also allocate $25 million in funds to pregnancy resource centers to support women in need.

More from National Review
Sanna Marin, leader of the Social Democrats, speaks to members of the media after an early vote tally at the Parliament Building in Helsinki, Finland, on Sunday, April 2, 2023.

Put away your rave outfits, pour out your beers; Finland is going back to normal, I guess.

Sanna Marin, the countrys cool 37-year-old prime minister, who became the worlds youngest head of state in 2019, will no longer be in power following Sundays elections, where her party lost by less than a percentage point.



Read more

While were mourning the loss of a head of state who really understands work-life balance, Marin is gracefully passing the torch. Democracy has spoken, the Finnish people have cast their vote, and the celebration of democracy is always a wonderful thing, Marin said in a concession speech on Sunday.



Sanna Marin says democracy has spoken as she concedes defeat in Finland election

Marin first caught the my attention when she had to apologize for partying. No, she didnt drive drunk as a result of too many shooters, but she did leave her work phone at the office, go out dancing, and miss a text saying shed been exposed to covid. We love a woman who respects working hours! Still, Marin was contrite: I am very sorry for not understanding that I needed to isolate after a possible exposure despite being double vaccinated, she wrote on social media, per BBC News.

Her story was supported around the world. Danish women supported her by sharing their own photos and videos of themselves partying. It turns out women, no matter their country of residence, get it! We all need to cut loose!

I would also like to commend Marin for weathering every-day sexism without punching anyone in the face, as I might have done in her position. In November 2022, for instance, a male reporter asked Marin and then-New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern if they were meeting because they were both youngish women, like there couldnt be any other reason for two world leaders to be conversing other than just having a lady goss session. My first question is if anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age? Ardern replied, referencing John Key, who was New Zealands prime minister for eight years. Points were made.

Story continues

Media sexism is still so rife. Women in politics are measured by a different yardstick. Also women are seen to not have gravitas so their accomplishments made trivial in this way. What a question to ask a Prime Minister. pic.twitter.com/nf3nj99PJw  Prof. Pragya Agarwal @drpragyaagarwal@mastodon.ie (@DrPragyaAgarwal) November 30, 2022

Marins general enjoyment of life didnt get in the way of her government making some big accomplishments, of course. Her country is in its final steps to joint NATO after putting in an application in May 2022. The Finnish flag will be raised at NATO headquarters on Tuesday, as it joins the alliance as its 31st member nation. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg characterized this path as the fastest ratification process in NATOs modern era on Monday.

Marin is likely to be succeeded by Petteri Orpo, 53. Adieu to our cool Nordic prime minister! Her reign was certainly fun while it lasted

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Former President Donald Trump waves from a motorcade as he arrives at South Floridas Palm Beach International Airport on Monday. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

While Tuesdays arraignment of former President Donald Trump marked the first time a former U.S. president had ever been charged with criminal offenses, it likely wont be the last. By summers end, Trump could be charged in no fewer than four separate criminal investigations.

In fact, while Trumps indictment stemming from his $130,000 hush money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels represents a legal threat to the former president, the others may carry a greater risk of serious consequences, including a possible prison sentence.

Heres the latest on the three other investigations that could result in more indictments for Trump.

Georgia election interference

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis at her office in Atlanta in 2021. (John Bazemore/AP, File)

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will soon decide whether to charge Trump with multiple crimes for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. As Yahoo News reported in late February, Willis and her team are going over the possible charges they may file against Trump and his associates with a fine-tooth comb. An indictment could come in the next few weeks and may contain multiple criminal counts.

Because there is such a tsunami of potential counts that the DA could bring, the proper analytical frame is to ask whether shell bring a laser-focus, narrow case or is she going to bring a sweeping, broad case, attorney Norm Eisen told Yahoo News.

At the center of both potential prosecutorial approaches to charging Trump is his infamous phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, in which Trump urged him to find enough votes to flip his loss in the crucial swing state. Trump has insisted that he did nothing wrong in the perfect phone call, but according to Eisen it would be an especially prominent part of the prosecutions case should Willis pursue a narrowly tailored indictment.

If she brings more of the laser-focused case, the anchor of that case and the most dangerous to Trump is the solicitation of election fraud because it fits his solicitation of Raffensperger to just find 11,780 votes that did not exist like a hand fits a glove, Eisen said.

Story continues

Eisen helped author a November report by the Brookings Institution, where he is a senior fellow, that laid out the possible charges in the Georgia case, including solicitation to commit election fraud, intentional interference with performance of election duties, interference with primaries and elections, and conspiracy to commit election fraud.

Trump and his allies also launched a plot to draw up a slate of false electors in Georgia so as to keep Joe Biden from receiving the states Electoral College votes. That effort included meetings held between Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Georgia lawmakers. According to the Brookings Institution report, charges from that campaign could include making false statements, improperly influencing government officials, forgery in the first degree and criminal solicitation.

If Willis decides on a more sweeping indictment, she will likely use Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, Eisen said.

There she would claim that the Trump campaign essentially became a racketeering enterprise and that acts like soliciting those state votes and soliciting those fake election certificates were the basis for advancing this much larger conspiracy, he said.

Id guess she goes the RICO route, Eisen speculated. Its tougher to prove. It sweeps in more evidence. Its tougher on the jury because it requires them to sit for longer. Theres challenges that come with the RICO route, but the payoff in terms of commanding the jurys imagination and securing the most serious penalties is substantial.

In Georgia, that payoff would further complicate Trumps ability to conduct a presidential campaign.

Given the nature, the severity, the sweep and the scope, the Georgia case and the federal ones are the ones where jail time is more likely, Eisen said.

Jan. 6 investigation

This exhibit from video released by the House Jan. 6 committee shows Trump recording a video statement at the White House on Jan. 7, 2021. (House Select Committee via AP)

In the ongoing federal grand jury investigation into Trumps role in the Jan. 6, 2021, effort to overturn the 2020 election results, Trumps lawyers have failed to convince federal judges that his conversations with aides, family members and associates are protected by executive privilege.

The latest defeat came last week, when U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence was required to testify before the grand jury convened by special counsel Jack Smith.

Pences lawyers have argued that since he was acting in his role as president of the Senate during the certification of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, he could not be compelled to testify in a case involving the executive branch.

Were currently talking to our counsel about the balance of that decision and determining the way forward, but I have nothing to hide, Pence told reporters last week while traveling in Iowa.

The ruling follows another in late March by Judge Beryl Howell that cleared the way for testimony from aides such as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former Trump personal aides John McEntee and Nick Luna, former national security adviser Robert OBrien, former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, former speechwriter Stephen Miller, former acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli and former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe.

While Trumps legal team is expected to appeal Howells ruling, executive privilege claims are harder to uphold in matters involving potential criminal acts. Meadows, for instance, also fought a subpoena to appear before the Fulton County grand jury in Georgia but lost that battle and eventually testified.

A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., has been listening to a mountain of evidence in the case and could soon decide whether to indict Trump for a range of charges that include obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States and insurrection.

Classified documents at Mar-a-Lago

Security agents at the entrance to Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on March 31. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)

Smith is also investigating whether Trump may have directed others to obstruct the return of classified documents to the National Archives and the FBI that he kept in violation of federal records laws at his Mar-a-Lago home. On Monday, citing unnamed sources, the Washington Post reported that Justice Department and FBI investigators had compiled evidence showing that Trump was behind such an effort, including directing others to mislead federal authorities.

Far from being similar to the recent discovery of classified documents at the homes of President Biden and former Vice President Pence, both of whom say they immediately handed over classified materials and have been cooperating in ongoing DOJ investigations, Trump sought out advice from lawyers and advisers on how he might hold on to the restricted documents, the Post reported. Evidence has also emerged showing that after receiving a subpoena for the return of classified materials, Trump looked through boxes at Mar-a-Lago where they may have been kept. Given a chance by Fox News host Sean Hannity to knock down the reporting that he personally went through the boxes containing classified documents, Trump seemed to do just the opposite.

Hannity: I cant imagine you ever saying: Bring me some of the boxes that we brought back from the White House. Id like to look at them.



Trump: I would do that!



Hannity: Alright, let me move on...



Trump: I have the right to take stuff! pic.twitter.com/lAWOibvMxw  No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) April 3, 2023

Judge Howell also ruled last month that Trump lawyer M. Evan Corcoran must sit for questioning before the Washington grand jury investigating the handling of classified documents. His testimony before the grand jury, which took place on March 24, lasted over three hours.

As with all the cases in which Trump faces indictment, the former presidents associates and staffers are being compelled to provide potential evidence against him. To date, dozens of Mar-a-Lago staff members have appeared before the grand jury.

Members of the Secret Service detail assigned to protect Trump have also been called to testify, Fox News reported Monday.
Editor's note: Here is an edited excerpt from the Forgotten Coast portion of "Discovering Floridas Coast: From the Emerald Northwest to Miamis Biscayne Jewel and Beyond", a new book by Doug Alderson, published by Pineapple Press. There will be a book release party at 6 p.m. April 6 at Midtown Reader.

Doug Alderson Head Shot

The Forgotten Coast has a wealth of history and one seems to run into it at every turn, whether it is meeting one of the coasts old timers, climbing the reconstructed Cape St. George Light or the original Crooked River Lighthouse near Carrabelle, touching old-growth coastal slash pines on St. George Island that were once cat-faced to collect sap for turpentining, or witnessing the many eroding Indian middens on St. Vincent Island that are spilling out into Apalachicola Bay.

And along Highway 98 near Lanark Village, it is easy to envision U.S. soldiers training for amphibious assaults during World War II. Camp Gordon Johnson, located along the mainland side of Apalachicola Bay from 1942 to 1946, trained a quarter of a million men in amphibious operations. Due to bugs and heat, the camp had a nickname for their location that no chamber of commerce representative would dare whisperHell by the Sea.

Diving pelicans at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

It was a tough place to be, but in retrospect, it was good because it really conditioned us for the battles we fought in New Guinea, the Netherlands and the East Indies, recalled former camp resident Henry C. Allan in "Tallahassee Magazine." You can learn all about it at the Camp Gordon Johnson Museum in Carrabelle.

The trademarked name of this coast  Forgotten Coast  is relatively new, coined in the early 1990s by the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce to attract tourists seeking a quiet retreat. The name proved successful. Visitors are increasingly finding this stretch of shore to their liking. Unspoiled coastal peninsulas, wild barrier islands, dynamic bays and estuaries, and unmarred vistas of salt marsh, tree islands and winding tidal creeks stretch from Mexico Beach to St. Marks, and all invite exploration.

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The tall dunes of Cape San Blas in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park make for a fitting bookend on the western end of the Forgotten Coast. The cape is a long thin tail of land, curling around St. Joe Bay and tapering into the Gulf. It is perhaps the wildest peninsula left in Florida, extending over eight miles. The dunes on the Gulf side are up to three stories tall.

Windswept palms at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 11, 2020.

When standing on top of one of those high dunes, the peninsula appears to be a still sea of green, gray and white. The interior is made up of tough bonsai-like pines, twisted shrubs and fragrant wild rosemary. The plants stubbornly try to survive against torturing winds, salt and storms, and some dont make it, especially near the dunes. Over time, the dunes will move and roll like slow moving waves, robbing roots of essential soil, seeming to freeze their dying gasps in mid-air.

Hurricane Michael walloped this section of coast and nearby Mexico Beach in 2018 and the region is slowly recovering. Michael was only a tropical storm when it moved into the Gulf of Mexicos unseasonably high 84-degree waters on October 7, 2018. But then Michael began to gain strength  a Category 1, then a 2. By the morning of October 11, Michael was a Category 5 hurricane and bearing down with 160 mile-an-hour winds and a 20-foot storm surge. An announcer on the Weather Channel promised a swamp of destruction. The storms barometric pressure was approaching that of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Mexico Beach, Panama City and even inland communities such as Marianna experienced catastrophic devastation. Everything is just gone! exclaimed a woman in Mexico Beach.

Nick Hoopell, a Marianna man described the hurricane as a bomb going off. Three trees fell on his house in a ten minute span of time. We were breaking down, he said in a Tallahassee Democrat article. We were crying. I mean no one was prepared for this. We stood in the room. We prayed. Every time you wanted it to stop it would hit harder and harder and harder.

Hurricane Michael was the worst storm to hit the Florida Panhandle in recorded history, and it closely followed the highly destructive Florence that hit the North Carolina coast the previous month. It goes to reason that if the oceans are still warm by the second hottest September on record, a tropical storm could turn into a hurricane overnight, and ramp up to be a killer.

But the Forgotten Coast and all of Floridas coast for that matter has seen many hurricanes over time. People rebuild or move inland. Barrier islands shift and slowly regenerate dunes, trees, sea oats and other vegetation. Birds and animals rebound. Peaceful scenes return, the destruction nearly forgotten. The coast is dynamic.

Deer at Cape San Blas.

The largest island along the Forgotten Coast is the triangular shaped St. Vincent, completely undeveloped and protected as part of a 12,492-acre national wildlife refuge. Native American names for this large land mass are not known. The current name was given by Franciscan friars in 1633 while visiting Apalachee Indians in the area.

After the Apalachee Indians were dispersed, killed or captured by the English and their Creek allies in 1704, Creek and Seminoles Indians hunted and occasionally occupied the island throughout the latter half of the 1700s and early 1800s. They lost the island in 1811 as part of the Forbes Grant, a land for debt exchange in which the Indians forcibly gave up millions of acres of North Florida. Unlimited credit was alive even then until Indian hunters fell hopelessly behind despite traveling weeks at a time away from their families in search of deer skins, their primary trade commodity.

The Nature Conservancy purchased the island in 1968 for $2.2 million and later sold it to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for establishment as a wildlife refuge. Primitive weapons hunts of native deer, hogs and the sambar deer occur in fall and winter. The endangered red wolf was reintroduced in 1990 whereupon wolf families freely roam the uninhabited island, the only wild wolf population in Florida.

To the east of St. Vincent, St. George and Dog islands mark the end of a chain of barrier islands that have been formed by sediments deposited by the Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers. The numerous wild islands east of Ochlockonee Bay are chunks of land that have been isolated by a millennia of rising sea levels, thus the reason why their shapes are not as elongated. St. George Island State Park and Bald Point State Park are natural highlights.

Dawn paddler along Piney Island near Panacea.

It is along the Forgotten Coast and Nature Coast where sea level rise is most apparent, partly because there are few sea walls or other man-made structures to mask it. Palms, cedars, slash pine and other trees are toppling over or they are standing skeletal and bleached, like erect corpses.

There is very little sign of young trees growing along the coastal fringes, so marsh will likely take over many coastal forests or, increasingly, mangroves will move in from the south, gaining footholds where they never before existed. Shockingly, the change is happening in just a generation or two and its not difficult to project how these shorelines might appear in fifty or a hundred years.

The barrier islands of the Forgotten Coast form a border around the massive Apalachicola Bay, the recipient of waters from the Apalachicola River, Floridas largest in terms of water volume. I once joined a group of high school students in putting out various seine and plankton nets into the bay and was amazed to discover that every ounce of water teemed with life. We found numerous species of fish and thousands of tiny shrimp and zooplankton. This place where fresh and salt water mixed together felt like a living organism, thus one reason it is a massive spawning area for shrimp and many types of fish that are enjoyed in seafood restaurants throughout Florida.

The seafood capital of the Forgotten Coast is the town of Apalachicola and it has also emerged as the cultural anchor. Once a bustling port city where steamships brought in cotton, lumber, turpentine and other products from upriver communities, the town is now a center for both seafood harvesting and distribution and businesses that cater primarily to tourists and seasonal residents.

Besides shopping and eating fresh seafood, one can stroll through downtown Apalachicola where many pre-Civil War homes and buildings still stand, including the red brick structure where the Apalachicola Sponge Exchange once thrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One visitor commented that several buildings could easily grace the cover of a Faulkner novel. And with the towns stately live oaks and grand vistas of water and marsh, Apalachicolas culture is also intertwined with natural beauty, much like the rest of the Forgotten Coast.

If you go

What: Book release party for "Discovering Florida's Coast," $24.95 paperback

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6

Where: Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road; visit midtownreader.com

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee author Doug Alderson explores Florida coast in new book
Two former hospital employees are accused of stealing an urn while they were at work.

Anilus and Rosnie Frederic are charged with theft, they are also facing a felony charge for removing the cremated remains of a baby from the urn.

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Channel 2s Cobb County Bureau Chief Michelle Newell spoke with the family, who was excited to become parents, but six months into their pregnancy, their world came crashing down.

We had a stillbirth. When she got cremated we talked to the people at the burial place, and they put her inside a bear, said Keiran Massey who is the father.

The Masseys took the bear to Kennestone Hospital for emotional support. Kierans wife was there for treatment. The bear was gone when she got out of the shower.

Hospital staff found the bear inside of a trash can the same day, but the urn was gone.

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I was upset, shocked, everything. We cried all night that night honestly, just thinking about everything, said Mr. Massey

Police think someone stole the bear while the Masseys sheets were being changed. According to the arrest warrant, the Frederics were working in the laundry room at the hospital the same day. The incident occurred in January, but the Frederics were recently arrested and charged, and both bonded out.

Im feeling very peaceful right now. A bunch of stuff came off my shoulders knowing that they were arrested, said Mr. Massey

Police were able to find the urn and return it to the Masseys, but the ashes are gone.

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Just knowing that we lost her and losing the ashes all in one is very painful. Why? Why would yall do that? said Mr. Massey.

A Wellstar spokesperson released the following statement:

When these allegations were originally presented to Wellstar, Wellstar immediately investigated them. All personnel matters are confidential, but Wellstar can confirm that these individuals no longer work for Wellstar and that they never worked in a location where patients receive clinical services.

IN OTHER NEWS:
Unveiling a new street sign honoring the late Wadell Brooks and Daisy Brooks are, from left, Wadell Brooks, III, Daisy Brooks and North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr. (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun)

In 1996, the corner of Sherman Avenue and Argonne Drive in North Chicago was named Honorary Dr. Daisy Brooks Drive as a tribute to a woman who worked tirelessly with her late husband, Wadell Brooks, Sr., for the youth of North Chicago, Waukegan and Lake County.

City officials named the street in her honor nearly two decades after Daisy Brooks started her first day care operation, and more than a decade before former President Barack Obama handed her the Citizens Medal Award  the nations second-highest civilian award.

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While Daisy Brooks was caring for both young children while their parents worked and mentoring teens who were wards of the state into self-sufficiency as young women at Daisys Resource and Development Center, her husband got people involved in the community.

North Chicago Ald. Kenneth Smith, 5th Ward, talks about a new portrait of Wadell and Daisy Brooks, held by U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park. (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun)

Whether through his work with the NAACP, Rotary International, the Urban League and as both a local radio and television broadcaster  telling people what was right with the community and poking fun at its flaws  Wadell Brooks, who died in July, played a key role throughout the area, as well.

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Daisy Brooks, North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., and Wadell Brooks III, unveiled two new signs at Sherman and Argonne Friday with Honorary Dr. Daisy Brooks Drive on top and Dr. Wadell Brooks Drive beneath it, lauding the couples contributions to the community.

He kept us honest. He reported what was happening in our community, Rockingham said of Waddell Brooks. When I brought my children there, I knew they were safe, he added, referring to the day care center. I felt they were home.

Rockingham said the Brooks work went far beyond North Chicago and Waukegan. Signs of what they accomplished abound around the area, centered at Sherman and Argonne near the Mt. Sinai Institutional Baptist Church, where he was a trustee.

Just look at Sherman Avenue, Rockingham said. The day care center was there. It was where young ladies went who needed help. It was all generated by the Brooks. They helped people all over Lake County.

Daisy Brooks talks to the crowd after a North Chicago street corner was named for her and her late husband, Wadell Brooks. (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun)

With her husbands name on the corner along with her own, Daisy Brooks said she is pleased he was added. Though they accomplished a number of things on their own, they were a team on many projects, she said.

Im very happy to see this, Brooks said. He worked with me from the beginning, and it looks good to see his name up there, she added after the speeches and unveiling, as she looked at the new signs.

A special moment came for the entire family when Daisy Brooks got a call from the White House in 2010 to learn she was one of 6,500 people under consideration for the Citizens Medal Award. She was told there would be an announcement coming in the next few weeks

She said she would let me know, Books said. I didnt think I would be one of them out of 6,500 people. Then I got another call that I was getting the award. I was so excited that they thought I deserved it. They flew my family to Washington for the ceremony.

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The Brooks help and mentoring went beyond young people in Lake County. When U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, was first running for Congress in 2011, he said he walked into an event at the Foss Park District in North Chicago and saw an empty seat at a table.

I asked if I could sit there, Schneider said. It was the Brooks table. They took me under their wing. They mentored me, and shared their vision for the future of working toward a better North Chicago.

Listening to speakers at the unveiling of a street sign honoring Wadell Brooks and Daisy Brooks are more than 100 people inside and outside a tent, including Daisy Brooks, second from left in the first row. (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun)

Angela Walker, an assistant governor of Rotary International who worked with the Brooks for a number of years, said talking about them posed a challenge because, how do you improve on perfection. She found the solution.

When you do what they have done for so many, you are elevated to perfection, Walker said.
Former California State University chancellor Joseph I. Castro will resurface on Tuesday at Cal Poly, and likely find that much of the furor over a resignation linked to his handling of sexual harassment allegations when at Fresno State and retreat rights in the largest public university system in the nation has waned.

There still are hints out there, a few flyers shredding Castro and his controversial yet contractually guaranteed retreat to a tenured professor position in Cal Polys Orfalea College of Business.

Walk into the McPhee University Union and on a board along with the typical postings for a college campus  notices for tutoring services, climate action, taking control of your financial future and a roommate wanted, female only, at $600 a month  there is a well-crafted flier with a photo of Castro.

A red X covers his face, running corner to corner of the frame. Students? This man with a history of covering up gendered violence is coming to teach at Cal Poly! it states.

Another flyer on that board challenges university President Jeffrey Armstrong, calling on him to rescind Castros appointment.

The opposition was much more vocal when Castro stepped down more than a year ago. The Academic Senate at Fresno State, which he led from 2013 to 2020 before ascending to leadership of the 23-campus CSU system, was first in line, declaring a lack of confidence in its former president to enter the faculty of the CSU.

The Academic Senate at Cal Poly passed a similar resolution, asking Castro to recognize the chaos he is creating by joining the faculty and to not use his retreat rights. In the context of asymmetric power dynamics in academia, particularly in the light of the mismanagement of sexual harassment and Title IX, his presence at Cal Poly will generate a chilling effect on our campus and classroom climate, according to the resolution.

The Associated Students board of directors at Cal Poly passed a resolution urging Castro to turn down the faculty position, and a petition was circulated on campus among students.

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That sentiment can be found on the Cal Poly campus, in pockets.

Cal Poly obligated to honor retreat rights

My personal thoughts are that he should have been taken out of the entire CSU system, said Jessica Steward, an electrical engineering major. Its appalling to me that he made it on campus. As far as the campus reaction to it, I think there is a lot of apathy. I think the people who would be politically involved, who actively care and would take steps to protect the people that Castro affected, theyre upset, but I dont really see a whole lot of campus pushback and I think thats why it was allowed to happen. Pretty disappointing. Pretty aggravating.

There could possibly be legislation that would make it so if some faculty of CSU is verbally abusive, hate-speech abusive, commits a form of sexual assault, that they might be able to be permanently removed from the system and that sounds nice. But in the meantime we have one of the worst people in the CSU system right now sitting on campus.

When asked for comment about Castro and the spring quarter, Armstrong and Damon Fleming, dean of the Orfalea College of Business, deferred.

Dr. Castros retreat rights to a tenured professor position in Cal Polys Orfalea College of Business were established by the CSU under terms of his appointment as chancellor in September 2020, and Cal Poly is obligated to honor those rights, a university spokesman said.

The reality of Castro sitting in a rather spartan office on the fourth floor of the Orfalea building could perhaps kindle calls for his removal from a campus that railed and rallied once before when Armstrong in 2020 attempted to make a tone-deaf hire of Paulette Granberry Russell as vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion.

Granberry Russell, who rescinded her acceptance of the position, had been Title IX coordinator at Michigan State when Larry Nassar sexually abused hundreds of women and girls under the guise of medical treatment.

But on Tuesday, Castro will teach his first class: Business 476, Leading Social Innovation in Organizations. Theres a required textbook  Frontiers in Social Innovation. Its $50 new, $37.50 used at the university bookstore.

The first session is at 12:10 p.m., in Room 113 of the Orfalea College of Business.

A second starts at 2:10 p.m., same place.

With space for 40 students and a waiting list with room for 99, there are 11 signed up for the first class and just eight for the second, according to the office of the registrar at Cal Poly.

The class was last offered in spring 2021, remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It had 24 students enrolled then. In spring 2020 the four-unit class had 31 students enrolled.

I am excited to join the Cal Poly faculty and I look forward to teaching and learning from the talented and diverse students, Castro said, in a brief statement to The Bee.

Bill in state senate takes on retreat rights, other issues in CSU

As the former Fresno State president starts the spring quarter at Cal Poly, the battle over the mechanism that Castro used to land there continues to be a flash point.

The CSU has taken steps to address retreat rights, barring administrators from retreating to tenured faculty positions if they have been fired or are under investigation for misconduct or policy violations. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, in February introduced SB 808, which if passed would create a greater transparency, accountability and oversight to the resolution of sexual harassment cases in the system, and in a hearing on Wednesday the senate education committee heard from witnesses leery of CSU executives policing their own system given its history.

CSU executives have spoken at length about how seriously they take the need for reform of Title IX incident handling and how we should just trust them to take the steps, said Andrea Terry, an assistant professor of communications studies at Sacramento State.

However, just a few weeks ago, the press broke stories about lawsuits against the interim chancellor over Title IX issues, so them telling us to just trust them to take action is not very comforting or convincing.

Terry, an alumna of Sacramento State and Cal Poly, opened her statement to the Senate Education Committee with a question: How many scandals do we need to experience?

Everyone who steps foot onto a CSU campus deserves to live, work and learn in a safe environment and we believe this bill is a first step in achieving that, said Terry Wilson, who was at the center of harassment and retaliation allegations at Fresno State and has filed one of two lawsuits with the university, the CSU board of trustees, Castro and former vice president of student affairs Frank Lamas named as defendants.

Wilson added, We know the state auditor has taken steps to review the CSUs mishandling of sexual harassment complaints and the CSU has also begun to change its policies. But codifying these efforts will ensure that they stand the test of time.
By Ismail Shakil

OTTAWA (Reuters) - NASA on Monday said Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will join a lunar flyby mission expected to take off for the moon in 2024 as part of an expedition that will make the former fighter pilot the first Canadian to explore beyond earth's orbit.

Hansen, 47, will be joined by three U.S. astronauts for a historic crewed mission to the moon that will be the first since the end of the Apollo program 50 years ago.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking to reporters in Quebec, said he was extraordinarily excited for Hansen.

"I've known him for a number of years and he is an exceptional individual and will do all Canadians proud," Trudeau said. "It's a great day for Canada."

The mission, Artemis II, will also include the first woman, Christina Koch, and the first African American, Victor Glover, ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission.

Hansen was born in the city of London in Canada's most populous province of Ontario and his aviation journey started at the age of 12 when he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron.

He served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force between 2004 and 2009, before being picked for an astronaut recruitment program by the Canadian Space Agency.

"All of our leadership ... all of those have added up to this moment where a Canadian is going to the moon with our international partnership and it is glorious," Hansen said after his selection.

Canada has had a few astronauts who have flown into space, including retired astronaut Chris Hadfield - the first Canadian to perform a spacewalk - but none have traveled beyond earth's orbit.

The crew members were announced by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency at an event near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The Artemis II mission will mark the debut crewed flight - but not the first lunar landing - of an Apollo successor program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon's surface this decade.

The kickoff Artemis I mission was successfully completed in December 2022, capping the inaugural launch of NASA's powerful next-generation mega-rocket and its newly built Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight that lasted 25 days.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The former district attorney for Manhattan has finally shed some light on why Donald Trump is just now being charged over allegedly criminal activity which occurred as far back as 2016.

Cy Vance appeared on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday to discuss news of the criminal indictment against the former president, which a grand jury voted to approve a few days earlier. During the interview, he was asked why his office did not empanel a grand jury during the Trump presidency to hear evidence related to Mr Trumps hush payments to Stormy Daniels.

Mr Vance replied that the Department of Justice, which typically holds seniority when it comes to investigating crimes, had asked his office to stand down its investigation into numerous aspects of the former presidents activities, presumably including the hush payments to Ms Daniels. Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen would end up going to prison as a result of those payments, which prosecutors argued were illegal campaign contributions for reasons of both their size and secrecy.

The exact charges Mr Trump now faces are set to be unveiled on Tuesday at his arraignment; it has been reported that he faces 32 counts in total.

Why didn't you charge the hush money case? asked host Chuck Todd. Why didn't you ever charge it in 2018, 2019, 2020?

[A]s I believe you know, I was asked by the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District to stand down on our investigation, which had commenced involving the Trump Organization, said Mr Vance. And as, you know, as someone who respects that office a great deal, and believing that they may have perhaps the best laws to investigate, I did so.

But Mr Vance went on to say that he was surprised by  and apparently disagreed with  the decision of federal prosecutors not to pursue criminal charges against Mr Trump over the matter at the time.

I was somewhat surprised after Mr Cohen pleaded guilty that the federal government did not proceed on the areas in which it asked me to stand down, said the former DA.

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The comments were surprisingly candid for a former prosecutor. Statements about internal deliberations leading to the decisions behind prosecutorial discrection are rare, even for retired professionals in the field. Much of the news about such deliberations in the current Manhattan case being headed up by Alvin Bragg has come in the form of leaks from individuals connected to the probe, which has infuriated Mr Trumps legal team and led to more accusations of bias.

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr Trump famously escaped any criminal charges stemming from the years-long investigation into his 2016 campaign; that probe famously ensnared a number of others connected to his first presidential bid, including his campaign chairman and first White House national security adviser. That decision enraged many Democrats who had been hoping the Justice Department would break its longstanding protocol and charge a sitting president with criminal offences.

The former president now faces a cascade of criminal and legal battles as he campaigns once again for the presidency, several of which stem from his actions taken to prevent Joe Bidens lawful victory in 2020.
Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr has suggested that Donald Trumps comments about Alvin Bragg could see him face even more charges in the hush money case.

Mr Vance  who launched the investigation into Mr Trump before he left office and was succeeded by Mr Bragg  told NBC News Meet the Press that he was disturbed about the former presidents comments in light of his criminal indictment.

Ive got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the district attorney Bragg, and even the trial court in the past week, he said.

And I think if I were his lawyer  and believe me, no one has called up to ask for my advice  I would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offence like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering with or by threat or otherwise the operation of government.

And I think that could take what perhaps we think is not the strongest case  when you add a count like that, put it in front of a jury, it can change the jurys mind about the severity of the case that theyre looking at.

As well as potential obstruction charges, Mr Trump could also face charges of making threats to the prosecutor or he could be placed under a gag order to prevent him speaking further about the case.

Both before and in the days after his criminal indictment, Mr Trump has rolled out the violent rhetoric about the man who is pursuing criminal charges against him.

In one Truth Social post prior to the indictment, he shared an image of himself wielding a baseball bat next to Mr Braggs head.

In another, he warned there would be death and destruction if he was to be indicted.

The former president had claimed that he was going to be arrested on 21 March and called on his supporters to TAKE OUR NATION BACK in an irate Truth Social post.

The date came and went with no charges and only a handful of pro-Trump supporters gathered outside the Manhattan Criminal Court to protest the looming indictment.

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Then on Thursday 30 March, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges over hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels days just before the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg leaves his office in New York on 30 March 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Now, he will appear in New York on Tuesday 4 April to be arrested on what is said to be around 30 criminal charges.

New York is bracing for his arraignment, with a heavy police presence and barricades erected around Manhattan Criminal Court where he will appear to face charges.

Multiple law enforcement agencies including the FBI have been working on security plans amid concerns of potential unrest.

The former president announced on Truth Social that he is heading to the Empire State on Monday ahead of Tuesdays historic day  where he will become the first current or former US president to ever be arrested and charged with a crime.

I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York, he wrote.

On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!

Like all defendants facing criminal charges, he will be processed, with his fingerprints and mug shot taken.

Mr Trump is then scheduled to appear for his arraignment before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15pm on Tuesday.

The former president has indicated it will likely only be a fleeting court appearance as he expects to be back at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to deliver a prime-time address just hours later at 8.15pm ET.

It is currently unclear what Mr Trump is charged with but multiple reports say that he is facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud. The charges are expected to be unsealed at his arraignment.

Mr Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina continued the fighting talk as he said the former president was gearing up for battle over the case.

Hes someone whos going to be ready for this fight, Mr Tacopina told ABCs This Week on Sunday.

Were ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him.

He added: Hes gearing up for a battle. This is something that, obviously, we believe is a political persecution and I think people on both sides of the aisle believe that. Its a complete abuse of power.

Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating whether Mr Trump falsified the Trump Organizations business records when his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made the payment of $130,0000 to Ms Daniels.

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.

Cohen was convicted of tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations related to the payments to Ms Daniels. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

In recent weeks, the probe ramped up with both Cohen and Ms Daniels testifying before the grand jury.

Mr Trump was also invited to testify. Though it was an invite he unsurprisingly turned down, it was a strong sign an indictment was on the way.

But  despite his rampant Truth Social posts and his legal team going on a media blitz over the past few weeks  Mr Trump is said to have been caught off guard by news of the indictment.

Since then, he has blasted the charges, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the judge expected to oversee his case in furious Truth Social posts fuming about what he claims is political prosecution and a witch hunt.

The unprecedented indictment makes Mr Trump the first current or former president to ever face criminal charges in the history of the US.
Former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, the son of Guatemalan immigrants, has been named chief executive officer of Democrats for Education Reform and its affiliate think tank, Education Reform Now. He takes over the leadership role from Shavar Jeffries, who oversaw the organization for eight years before stepping down in January to become KIPP Foundations CEO.

DFER promotes education reform-minded Democratic leaders who push for innovation and accountability in schools with an eye toward improving equity, teacher preparedness, public school choice, data transparency and accountability. They support those who wish to make higher education affordable for all. The organization, founded in 2008 at a time of greater consensus around education reform, seeks these goals in a fractured 2023 political landscape where schools have become fodder for the culture wars.

Help The 74 secure a bright future. Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Elorza, 46, a Harvard-educated lawyer, served two terms as Providence mayor, from 2015 to 2023. Former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, now U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Elorza called for an outside review of Providence Public Schools after its 2018 test scores showed abysmal passing rates in math and English. The results released by Johns Hopkins University were damning, paving the way for a state takeover.

Elorza made national headlines in 2019 by bringing his 15-month-old-son to work with him in City Hall. He said in December he would not send the boy to his citys troubled public schools.

The law school professor sat down with The 74 last week, just before his new job was announced, to talk about growing up in an immigrant community, building consensus in education around what works for students and who he can rely upon in Congress.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The 74: Tell me about your parents.

Jorge Elorza: They came from Guatemala in the mid-1970s, fleeing the civil war. They came here to Providence because there were a lot of factory jobs in the textile and jewelry industry. They were undocumented for the first 12 years of my life. (They became citizens in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagans amnesty policy.) My father dropped out of school in the 7th grade and my mother in the 5th grade. Thats a big part of my story. Even though I was born and raised here, I identify so strongly with immigrants because thats the household that I was raised in and thats the community where I grew up.

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You say immigrant families put a tremendous emphasis on education, yet you floundered in K-12 before eventually graduating from Harvard. Do the problems/obstacles you faced back then have relevance today?

All (immigrant families) place their hopes and dreams on public schools. Id love to say I was that model student that always listened to their parents and was just destined for success. But the reality is I didnt have a sense of direction as a young person: I got rejected from every college and university I applied to. When I was 17 years old and graduated from high school, that was a big pivot point for me in my life. I had to decide whether I was going to work in the factory with my parents, aunts and uncles or get my act together. And so thats when I applied to community college.

You say part of your struggle was that your parents, who worked opposing shifts to manage child care, were not able to help you with schoolwork in part because of the language barrier.

My father never spoke too much English. They would come home after work, we would have homework and they could only help us to a certain point.

Related: After One City Experiments With Toddlers Wearing Recorders and Sees the Number of Words They Hear Grow 50%, 5 More Mayors Will Pilot Innovative Word Gap Program

You attribute part of your success to your ability to score a seat at a coveted magnet school. It was a guidance counselor who urged you to take the admissions exam.

So, you had to sign up for the test and then they had sent several papers home, but if they were in English, my parents couldnt read them. My guidance counselor had seen something in me, some potential, and literally came and picked me out of my chair, took me to his office and he made me sign to register.

Elorza and children celebrate improvements at Father Lennon Park in Providence, Rhode Island, in June 2021. (City of Providence)

Youre plagued by the arbitrary nature of that success.

What if I happened to be absent that day or if an emergency came up and my guidance counselor just didnt have the chance to get me? My entire life would have been completely different. We want to live in a world where every kid succeeds as a matter of course. But the reality is that so many kids who do succeed, succeed by overcoming all of the odds and, frankly, by just being fortunate at key moments in their lives.

Will your own ethnic background play a role in your leadership?

Im absolutely a product of my upbringing and my past. When I think about the importance of education, I think about my friend Juan, one of the most brilliant, smart, sharp kids I have ever met in my life. He had those critical moments in his life where it was a combination of bad decisions and being unlucky. Juan is still a very good friend. He has a great family. He works hard every day, but hes a laborer. He should have been a doctor.

I think about my friend Jose  who had grown up next door, who was a year older than me and who I always looked up to. I found out that he had been murdered. I think that many of those stories, unfortunately, are still being recreated today  kids with limitless potential, having that potential either cut short or never being allowed to fully blossom.

The nation has been politically fractured for years. Where do you see consensus in education?

Speaking about my community here in Providence, the number of Black and Latino families that support charter schools, for example, and that support common sense education policies that research has shown works, is extraordinarily high. Part of the challenge we have is lifting up their voices to make sure that voice on the ground is whats driving public perception within the Democratic Party.

For example, theres a lot of support for high-impact tutoring programs, especially as were coming out of COVID: Dedicated 1-to-1 tutoring that can help us not only make up that lost learning time, but also make learning gains. Those are things that are strongly supported across the board.

We also very much support summer learning programs that go beyond remedial to actual enrichment classes. Many of our students fall behind: They lose about two months of learning during the summer when other families move forward.

Theres also mental health investments that make a lot of sense and pathways that can connect our students to careers.

And you note these programs dont just have support in Providence, but far beyond. Who are your allies now?

Whats different today than say, 10 years ago, is that theres this critical mass of progressive and reformers of color. There are organic, grassroots efforts out there: Theres so much energy around this work. Part of my job as a leader of this organization is to organize and harness that enthusiasm and energy that we see at the grassroots level and amplify their voices so they drive more and more of the national conversation in this space.

Your organization works with the National Parents Union, The Education Trust, Unidos, KIPP, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, Educators for Excellence, Alliance for Excellent Education and others. But who are your friends in Congress?

Sen. Cory Booker has been an early supporter and hes been steadfast throughout. Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut has been an amazing champion of this work  and Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (of Washington state). Weve identified about 200 elected champions around this work throughout the country.

Related: The 74 Interview: Democrats for Education Reforms Shavar Jeffries on the Blue Wave, the Politics of the Possible & Grand Bargains

Democrats have lost ground in education as Republicans have succeeded in using race, gender, immigration-related and transphobic rhetoric to whip up their base. How do you manage that environment?

On the one hand, you have Republicans who are infatuated with their culture wars right now: Republicans want to ban books while Democrats want to teach kids to read them. What we want to do is speak to the real issues as problem solvers.

I get extremely frustrated hearing the way that education is being exploited for political gain and this is part of the performative aspect of politics today. But as Democrats, were going to continue to focus on the substance of it, call out things that are not working and propose solutions that are proven to work. And ultimately thats what people want.

Three members of the San Francisco school board were recalled in 2022 after focusing on issues like renaming schools rather than core academic concerns as their city suffered through the pandemic. Do Democrats and progressives miss the mark?

Ill tell you what I know. Families want high-quality education options for their kids and they want them now: Theyre just not getting enough of them. We see families continuing to apply for the charter lotteries and oftentimes in excess of 10 applicants for every one seat thats available. Its really clear what families want most and what they care most about is great public schools for their kids.

Our job is to make sure that our focus remains on that, that we continue, in our party and in this movement, to always be about substance. That doesnt mean being blind to the issues happening in society  but in order to meet the moment and what our families are demanding, it always has to be about ensuring that there are great public school options for our kids.
Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, speaks at a news conference in Moscow, Russia, on November 13, 2018. Pavel Golovkin/AP

Igor Girkin was formerly an FSB officer and leader of militants in Ukraine. Now he's a war blogger.

He has criticized Russia' war strategy, saying on Sunday that Russia is sleepwalking toward defeat.

Girkin said that Russian society was not prepared for such a "long, protracted" war.

Igor Girkin, a former Federal Security Service officer who once led a group of Russian militants in Donetsk, said in a YouTube video that Russia is sleepwalking toward military defeat.

Girkin, who is also known by his alias "Strelkov," is now a prominent war blogger who has criticized the Russian military strategy in Ukraine.

In a YouTube manifesto, reported on by the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda, Girkin said on Sunday that the situation on the frontline has an "extremely negative" impact on the Russia's ability to win the war.

"I'm not afraid to say that we are heading towards military defeat," Girkin said, adding that the Russian economy, military, and political system were unprepared for such a "long, protracted war."

He claimed that the Russian media "glosses over" the war's detrimental effects on the country.

It follows comments by chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley last week in which he said Russians are "struggling in a big way," with the country's army failing to make any military progress in the past three weeks and its forces being undertrained.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Russia's economy is also struggling, evidenced by a budget squeeze, a decrease in investment, and predictions that the economy is entering long-term regression.

Though Girkin is pro-war, he has been critical of the impact of the invasion of Ukraine on Russia.

According to Bellingcat, he has called for the full mobilization of Russia's population, a more aggressive war effort, and has generally been critical of Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu.

In February, Girkin criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin's national address about the war with Ukraine for blatantly ignoring Moscow's "failures" and "defeats."

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Ukrayinska Pravda reported that Girkin played a major role in the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The media outlet said that Girkin stated that he had "forcibly" made local deputies vote for secession from Ukraine after arriving in Crimea with armed militants in February 2014.

Girkin later led a group of militants to seize administration buildings in the Donetsk city of Sloviansk and declared himself the "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)

He was dismissed from a position of authority in the DPR in August 2014 when 298 people died after a Malaysia Airlines flight was shot down.

Girkin and three others were charged with murder by Dutch prosecutors. They were later found guilty and issued life sentences.

In October 2022, Ukrayinska Pravda reported that Girkin was believed to be fighting for Russia in Ukraine. According to The Institute for the Study of War, he illegally joined the Donetsk People's Republic battalion.

His wife, Myroslava Reginskaya, posted a photo of the couple, in which Girkin was wearing a military uniform. Several prominent Ukrainians offered substantial cash rewards for whoever captured him, per Ukrayinska Pravda.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Fort Worth entrepreneurs are facing major barriers to business and now the city of Fort Worth is looking to implement changes to solve that problem, experts say.

In November, a report shared during Fort Worths fifth-annual State of Entrepreneurship luncheon revealed that it can take an aspiring restaurant owner in Fort Worth up to 63 steps to open a new dining establishment, with a total cost of more than $4,200. While startup permitting fees generally cost less in Fort Worth than other major U.S. cities, the number of different fees is larger than nearly 20 other cities, according to the report conducted by nonprofit organization Institute for Justice.

Five months later, Institute for Justice and the city are partnering to improve Fort Worths licensing and permitting process for new small businesses. A town hall is scheduled for Wednesday for community members, small-business owners and Fort Worth entrepreneurs to discuss their experience with inspections, permitting and regulations.

The goal is to refine the process for small businesses moving forward.

The small business and entrepreneurship town hall is 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Riverside Community Center on East Belknap Street in Fort Worth.
Former US President Donald Trump has arrived at a New York City courthouse, and will shortly be arraigned.

This will be the moment when the criminal charges against him - the first against a US president - will be made public.

Mr Trump denies any wrongdoing.

Here's what to look out for:

1. What are the actual charges against Trump?

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating a $130,000 (105,000) payment made by Mr Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels, which was made to keep her quiet about an alleged affair.

This is not illegal, and Mr Trump has acknowledged reimbursing Mr Cohen for the payment.

However, when he reimbursed Mr Cohen, the record for the payment says it was for legal fees.

Prosecutors say this amounts to Mr Trump falsifying business records, which is a misdemeanour - a criminal offence - in New York, and we expect the charges to be related to that.

Mr Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina said last week that he believed the case against Mr Trump could include 30 separate charges - possibly because each cheque that Mr Trump wrote to Mr Cohen would be counted separately.

2. Will one of the charges against Trump be a felony?

In New York, fraud can be a felony - a more serious crime - if the lie was made with the intent to conceal or commit another crime. Sources close to the case have told US media that they believe at least one of the charges against Mr Trump could be a felony.

What could that be? Most signs point to breaking campaign finance rules - Mr Cohen has already been convicted for breaking campaign finance rules and tax evasion in connection to the payment.

Stormy Daniels was paid keep quiet about an alleged affair with Donald Trump

This would mean prosecutors believe that Mr Trump tried to hide his payments to Ms Daniels because he didn't want voters to know they had an affair - the payments were allegedly made in the weeks before the 2016 election, and so it is possible they could be considered a part of his campaign.

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Most felony fraud cases carry a maximum of about five years in prison, although it is common for convicts to be sentenced to just probation, or a fine.

Even if convicted, it is highly unlikely that the former president could be legally prevented from running in a future presidential election, and Mr Trump has made clear he will not abandon his 2024 White House campaign.

3. Could there be an additional charge relating to another case?

Prosecutors have asked at least one witness questions about a $150,000 payment made to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy magazine Playmate of the Year. Ms McDougal has claimed she had a relationship with Mr Trump in 2006.

The money was paid by the National Enquirer, a tabloid magazine, in what media have reported was an attempt to keep her story from being published by any other outlet.

It's not clear if she was questioned to bring separate charges, or to establish a pattern of behaviour by Mr Trump relating to the Stormy Daniels case.

4. How strong is the case against Mr Trump?

The indictment is expected to set out what prosecutors believe Mr Trump has done, with some information as to how and when, and from that we will get a sense of the case they have built against him.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office routinely prosecutes people for falsifying business records, but convicting a felony charge could be more challenging, said Norm Eisen, an expert on law, ethics and anti-corruption at the Brookings Institution.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg would have to prove that Mr Trump knew he was breaking the law and that he falsified business records with the aim of helping his presidential campaign.

Mr Bragg could point to a specific New York election law that bars candidates from conspiring "by unlawful means" to advance a campaign, said Jerry Goldfeder, a New York election and campaign finance lawyer.

Mr Trump's lawyers say the payments to Ms Daniels were made to shield his family from false allegations, and were unrelated to his campaign. Ms Daniels was threatening to cancel her previous nondisclosure agreement to keep the alleged affair a secret, according to The Washington Post.

"He had to pay money because there was going to be an allegation that was going to be publicly embarrassing to him," Mr Tacopina said.

His defence team is likely to continue to rely on this argument, legal experts said, but it could be challenged based on the timing of the payment.

That could "suggest that it was the campaign that motivated it, not the desire to keep her from embarrassing him", said David Super, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
France could be the next European country to legalise euthanasia for the terminally ill after President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for a law on a "French model on the end of life" within months.

The president tasked government with drafting a new law "by summer's end" after a public consultation showed openness to decriminalisation.

Macron's intervention marks a welcome change on an issue close to his heart, after facing months of protests over a massively controversial pension reform.

The committee of 184 French citizens -- which had been tasked by the presidency with drawing up a non-binding recommendation -- on Sunday approved legalising "active assistance to dying".

Meeting the committee on Monday, Macron told members that their opinion would constitute a "starting point", but warned the government would not necessarily follow their suggestions.

"I do not promise you we will pick up one or another of your conclusions. They will take their course," the 45-year-old centrist said.

Macron said caveats to any legalisation should include the need to "guarantee the expression of the enlightened and free will" of a patient, and the incurable nature of their mental or physical suffering.

Until now French patients in pain wishing to end their lives have had to travel abroad, including to neighbouring Belgium.

So far in France, a 2005 law has legalised passive euthanasia, such as withholding artificial life support, as a "right to die".

A 2016 law allows doctors to couple this with "deep and continuous sedation" for terminally ill patients in pain.

But active euthanasia, whereby doctors administer lethal doses of drugs to patients suffering from an incurable condition, is illegal.

Assisted suicide -- whereby patients can receive help to voluntarily take their own life -- is also banned.

- European precedents -

France's national ethics committee last year said it was open to the terminally ill receiving "active" help in dying.

The consultation committee on Sunday said three quarters of its members were in favour of "active assistance to dying" -- meaning active euthanasia or assisted suicide under certain conditions.

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It said it was "essential" that a patient be fully capable of discernment, or evaluating and making such a decision.

Its members were unable to agree on guidelines for cases in which patients had lost their full mental capacity, or were children.

A growing number of countries have over the past few decades opened the door to assisted dying for those in need.

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise both active euthanasia and assisted suicide on April 1, 2002 for patients actively choosing to end "unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement".

Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain have since followed suit, while Switzerland -- which prohibits euthanasia -- has for decades allowed assisted suicide.

The Netherlands and Belgium have expanded the law to decriminalise euthanasia for some terminally ill children, with the consent of their parents.

- Most French in favour -

Up to 70 percent of French people are in favour of active help in dying, according to a survey of 1,000 people published on Sunday by newspaper Journal du Dimanche.

But just 36 percent said they would actually consider it for themselves if they were suffering from a painful and incurable illness.

Since being elected in 2017, Macron has often been accused by critics of an imperious, top-down style of governing, a feeling that contributed to sparking the "Yellow Vest" protests of 2018 and 2019.

After winning a second term last year, the former investment banker vowed to carry out "broad national consultation" on a variety of topics.

But critics say his government has largely ignored the results of a previous citizen brainstorming session on climate change.

In recent weeks, he has faced growing public anger over the divisive pension reform his government forced through the hung lower house of parliament, fuelling unrest across the country.

Opinions are also divided over euthanasia and assisted suicide in the National Assembly.

Most on the left and a part of the centre back legalisation, but the right is mostly against.

burs-ah/sjw/cw
The Tri-Cities was hit with a surprise spring snow shower with enough snow falling to stick to the ground in many areas of the three cities.

And there were reports of considerably more snow in the Horse Heaven Hills of Benton County and near Pendleton and Walla Walla.

The Benton County Sheriffs Office asked drivers to stay off the roads Monday morning in the Horse Heaven Hills, where the snow was several inches deep on the roadway.

The roads are slick and there are areas of whiteout conditions, the office posted to social media.

The snow level  the elevation at which precipitation falls as snow rather than rain  dropped below 500 feet in the Tri-Cities area.

Some parts of the Tri-Cities are as low as 400 feet.

The Benton County Sheriffs Office asked drivers to stay off roads in the Horse Heaven Hills Monday morning.

With temperatures just above freezing in the Tri-Cities by 9 a.m., much of the snow quickly melted. But Rattlesnake Mountain remained coated in white.

The snow likely will be the last of the winter weather until the end of the year.

By Easter Sunday temperatures are forecast to warm up by 20 degrees to a high of 73 in the Tri-Cities, according to the National Weather Service.

The high Monday was forecast at 51 with an overnight low just below freezing as a storm system with some snow in the morning giving way to rain moved through the Tri-Cities.

A wet heavy snow covers the roofs of homes just south of the Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick as a spring snow storm blankets many areas around the Mid-Columbia.

Highs were forecast to climb to the 60s Thursday with a chance of rain through Friday night.

Tri-Cities Easter forecast

The weather outlook for public Easter egg hunts Saturday was good, with only a slight chance of showers and a high that should come close to 70.

Easter should be partly sunny.

Tri-Cities residents traveling to the Seattle area for the Easter weekend should have wet, but not snowy roads on Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass if they wait until Friday.

Snow showers are possible until then, but should not be heavy, according to the weather service.

A wet heavy snow covers cars parked outside off Southridge Boulevard in Kennewick early Monday morning as a spring snow storm blankets many areas around the Mid-Columbia.
Editors note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com.

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Stupidest thing Ive ever seen

Long Grove is the joke of the country with this covered bridge thing. Ive never seen such stupidity in my life. All they have to do is raise the thing so its legal height. And if they want to put a swinging sign underneath it or a picture or something, at least it wouldnt get damaged. This is ridiculous. You guys are a joke. Its a roadway into the town, for Gods sake. Take the bridge down, for all I care. Thats ridiculous. Dont even report on this. This is the stupidest thing Ive ever seen.

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Save our country

I hate to think that Americans have lost the will to do something about our national gun problem. The GOP seems to think that the right to own a gun is more important than the lives of our children. Our national obsession to own guns has turned into a cancer, and it is weakening every aspect of our society. More guns in the hands of kids, and people who dont know how to handle their fear or anger. If you want to do something about gun violence, vote more Democrats into office and save our country.

You cant fix stupid

In Washington D.C., crime is up 67%. The crime bill was sent to President Biden for his approval to help the police fight crime. President Biden vetoed the bill. I guess you cant fix stupid. Lets vote this idiot out of office.

Kill the cartels

Lake County News-Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

The cartels have been kidnapping and killing Americans crossing into Mexico. I think its about time the United States military goes down and kills the cartels. That would get rid of a major problem and President Biden, if you had any backbone, would give it the OK.

It will happen to you

What theyre doing to Trump is a bunch of bull. Lies, lies and more lies, but then again our country is doomed besides Trump. This is a prime example  and it will not be the first and it will not be the last  because this country has set up presidents, and this can happen to you people on the Democratic side. And it will happen to you.

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This is getting crazy

This is in regards to Shoot it down: I dont care if Bruce Jenner had the surgery or not. Hes still, by biology, a man. He will never be a woman. And youve got nothing better to do but install two types of toilets in the bathrooms. What is this country coming to? And this stuff is going on right here in Illinois. Dont you think its time when you go to the polls to maybe consider voting Republican and stop this craziness? This is getting crazy.

Run, fight, hide

If the Republicans are pro-life, why dont they wear pictures of babies on their lapels instead of long guns? Obviously, theyre promoting mass shootings, not pro-life. When is it enough? We teach our kids in schools: run, fight, hide. A 9-year old is supposed to fight off somebody with an AR-15?
Marlene Schiappa arrives to the 48th Cesar Film Awards at L'Olympia on February 24, 2023 in Paris, France. Francois Durand/Getty Images

French minister Marlene Schiappa appeared on the April cover of Playboy magazine.

Her colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, criticized the move, CNN reported.

Schiappa, a women's rights activist, defended her choice to pose for the magazine on Sunday.

French minister Marlene Schiappa is being criticized by her colleagues for posing on the cover of the French edition of Playboy magazine.

Schiappa posed for the April issue of the magazine wearing a white outfit, per The Telegraph. Playboy interviewed the French politician on women's and LGBTQ rights, the outlet reported.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told Shicappa, who is the minister delegate in charge of citizenship, that posing for Playboy "wasn't appropriate, especially during this period," a source close to the prime minister told BFMTW.

France is in the middle of a political upheaval after the government pushed through a move to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64. More than a million people in France protested the decision, setting fires and smashing storefront windows.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the LFI party, criticized Schiappa on Saturday, tweeting that Schiappa posing for Playboy was one sign of France "going off the rails."

Shciappa responded in a tweet on Sunday, saying that it's a woman's right "to have control of their bodies."

"Defending the right of women to have control of their bodies, that's everywhere and all the time," she wrote. "In France, women are free. With all due respect to the detractors and hypocrites."

Before her position as a minister delegate, Schiappa was the Secretary of State for Gender Equality. During that time, she proposed legislation that outlawed cat-calling. Lawmakers approved the law in 2018.

Playboy editor Jean-Christophe Florentin told AFP news agency that Schiappa was "compatible" for the magazine "because she is attached to the rights of women and she has understood that it's not a magazine for old 'machos' but could be an instrument for the feminist cause."

Read the original article on Business Insider
April is underway, and there is an assortment of upcoming astronomical events ranging from a planetary alignment to spring's inaugural meteor shower. The first big night sky event of the month is about to unfold, and it will be quite easy to spot.

The full moon will rise on the evening of Wednesday, April 5, into the morning on Thursday, April 6, the first full moon since the vernal equinox on March 20, which marked the official start of astronomical spring.

A full moon rising over MIssouri. The full moon rises beyond downtown buildings Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A common nickname for April's full moon is the Pink Moon, although the moon will not glow in pink hues on Wednesday night.

The nickname can be traced to the emerging flora following the winter months. Specifically, the Pink Moon is named after the wildflower ground phlox, which is one of the first flowers to bloom in North America and has pink and purple petals.

April's full moon is also known as the Frog Moon, Breaking Ice Moon, Sugar Maker Moon and the Broken Snowshoe Moon, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

Wildflower ground phlox

Stargazers can catch the Pink Moon rising in the eastern sky after sunset on Wednesday evening. It will glide across the sky throughout the night before setting in the west around daybreak.

The moon may appear slightly bigger around moonrise and moonset compared to when it is high in the sky, but NASA said that this is simply an optical illusion.

"The Moon illusion is the name for this trick our brains play on us," NASA explained, "Photographs prove that the Moon is the same width near the horizon as when it's high in the sky, but that's not what we perceive with our eyes."

NASA added that the science isn't settled on why humans perceive the moon to be bigger when it is near the horizon, but regardless, people should enjoy the moon and the beautiful sights in the night sky.

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An aerial shot shot showing the damage to the roof of the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois

A GoFundMe page has been launched to support the family of the man killed when a tornado ripped the roof off the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois, during a Morbid Angel show on Friday night. The fan has been identified as 50-year-old Frederick Forest Livingston, Jr.

Writing on the GoFundMe page, Livingston Jr.'s niece Brittany Mills wrote, "It is with great sorrow that we have to share the unexpected passing of Fred Livingston Jr. On March 31st, a tragic event at the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, Illinois led to the loss of a great man. Fred was an amazing man that leaves behind his three sons, Alex, Fred III, and Shane, along with the rest of his family that cared about him deeply.

"Our family still cannot comprehend this unexpected tragedy and we are asking for donations to help with the costs that come along with losing a family member. On behalf of our family, we greatly appreciate any support that can be offered to help get us through this tough time."

Morbid Angel shared the GoFundMe page on social media, saying, "We want to personally send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our deceased brother in Metal, Fred Livingston Jr."

Livingston Jr. was killed when a tornado hit the building, causing a section of the 100-year-old building's roof to collapse onto the crowd below. 40 people were injured.

One of the fans at the show, Christina Johnson, told the New York Times that staff had been ushering people into the venue's basement for their safety before the tornado struck, and was standing by the merchandise table when the roof collapsed.

"I saw people lifting the roof off of people, and I saw people getting dragged out, Johnson said.

Local police chief Shane Woody told the Chicago Tribune that the scene was, "Chaos. Absolute chaos. When first responders got there, they tried to control the chaos as best as possible. We tried to go in and save as many people as we possibly can and bring them to safety as best as we can.

A candlelit vigil for Livingston Jr. was due to be held at the Apollo Theater last night. The building has now been condemned. At the time of writing, more than $30,000 had been raised by the GoFundMe campaign.
Professor Carlos Brown instructs a class in Spanish at Los Angeles City College, where students learn to become home healthcare providers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

When a friend asked Andrea White Rubio if she was interested in caring for an 84-year-old man with early dementia and diabetes during the pandemic, she considered her job options. She had scrambled for months, working as a fruit vendor or going door to door selling shoes from a catalog.

She agreed and, after two years on the job, found a new calling.

I have always had direct contact with people, but this time my mission was to be able to help people, many whose families cannot help, the 50-year-old said. I think God put me on that path.

Thats how Rubio found herself in a classroom at Los Angeles City College on a recent Friday, learning how to become an in-home support worker. But there was something distinct about this class: It was taught entirely in Spanish.

Professor Carlos Brown, left, teaches Flor Aguirre, center, and Andrea White, who are learning how to lift a sitting person, in Spanish. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

In a move to boost sagging community college enrollment and address student demand for job-ready education opportunities, Los Angeles Community College campuses are experimenting with a new genre of courses taught in the native language of students  Spanish, Korean, Russian. Students can take courses to become automotive technicians, or improve their understanding of child development and keyboarding skills.

The college in East Hollywood is among seven campuses that have expanded such courses this spring, tripling the number to 63 over a year ago.

In 2016, California eliminated a two-decade-old law barring schools from offering bilingual instruction. But such instruction has seldom made its way into higher education. Teaching classes in another language  rather than a bilingual course in which half the instruction is taught in English  is still relatively uncommon, said Yasuko Kanno, chair of the language and literacy education department at Boston University.

Many adult immigrants who are not proficient in English might want to get job training or certification in college but are prevented from doing so because of language barriers, she said. Taking those classes in their own language broadens work opportunities and can prepare them for jobs in their own communities.

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For adult immigrants, this is really a game changer, she said, adding she is not aware of any statistics that track how many colleges provide content courses in languages other than English.

Most of the students in professor Carlos Brown's class on becoming in-home support providers are immigrant women who recently arrived in the United States, or who have returned to school after raising children. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

For now, the Los Angeles Community College District is offering non-English instruction only for courses that don't count toward credit for an associates degree  vocational classes in which students can earn certificates in a trade, or classes that prepare them for a GED.

The hope is to one day offer classes required for an associates degree in languages other than English, said Gabriel Buelna, a member of the district's board of trustees.

Weve always been a multilingual society in California, he said. Were stuck in education policies that say English-only. Were beginning the process in community colleges of redefining the relationship between language and higher education.

In 2006, the state community college chancellor issued a memo that said community colleges may offer classes in non-English languages to students who are not proficient if they are also enrolled in an English acquisition class.

Buelna said it is unclear if the state would help subsidize for-credit classes taught in languages other than English. The district is also trying to determine if credits from classes taught in non-English languages would transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

In the Los Angeles district, the new "in-language" classes are tuition-free, with students only paying the cost for books and other materials.

The community college district is taking the issue up with state lawmakers  Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) is sponsoring a bill on behalf of the district that would authorize community colleges to offer courses taught in languages other than English without requiring students to simultaneously learn English.

Buelna said the demand for non-English classes is clear. In survey responses from more than 2,500 students, 74% said they spoke Spanish at home and 66% said they are interested in taking courses not taught in English.

About 55% of students who participated in the survey were Latino, and nearly 60% were first-generation students. About 60% of students in the district are Latino, 9% are Black, 6% are Asian and 2% are multiethnic, according to state data. The district also educates mostly first-generation students.

Patricia Gandara, a research professor of education at UCLA, said she is not aware of any legal restrictions that would prevent community colleges from providing instruction in languages other than English.

Evelia Damian, center, and other students learn to become in-home healthcare providers during class at Los Angeles City College. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

She once supervised a UC Davis doctoral student from Mexico who completed his dissertation in Spanish.

"If a students stronger language can be used, that increases their understanding of what is going on, Gandara said

Controversy over non-English instruction erupted in the 1980s when the English-only movement pushed for local and federal laws that mandated English as the national language. Proponents feared that English would be displaced by other languages, especially Spanish.

But decades later, attitudes about non-English instruction are shifting as dual-language programs in K-12 public schools have gained popularity.

We have very strong communities in Armenian and Korean, as well as Spanish and other languages, Gandara said. These communities are interested in their kids being able to speak the language of the community as well as English. So I think that very much has a big impact on attitudes.

At Los Angeles City College, Vanessa Salitrero, a student enrolled in the in-home support service course, said she feels more prepared to work in the field by learning skills in Spanish.

If I take the classes in English, I will capture half of what they teach me since it is not my first language, she said.

Two decades ago in Mexico, Salitrero sacrificed her goal of becoming a lawyer to care for her sick grandparents. She now cares for her aging parents and hopes to eventually share her caregiving abilities with others.

Professor Helen Jang, foreground, teaches students to provide in-home support services in a class taught in Korean. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

I like this career because it makes me remember how beautiful it is to serve, she said.

Professor Carlos Brown said most of the students are women who have recently immigrated to the country or are returning to school after their children have finished school.

Some want a career change, but others are preparing to become caregivers to their parents or other family members. Several students, he said, have also opted to enroll in the version of the class taught in English.

"They're learning something on Friday, and then Monday they hear the same class in English," he said.

The courses are a path to more stability for Flor Aguirre. The 46-year-old said she struggled to find a job after immigrating to the United States less than a year ago, despite holding college degrees from a university in Guatemala and building a successful sales career there.

Im still learning English, and I dont want to get stuck because of it, said Aguirre, who immigrated with her husband so their 17-year-old daughter would have more life opportunities. I also understand that learning this course in English is paramount, but for now this is what I can move forward with.

The appeal of classes taught in Korean draws Young Sook Cho to Los Angeles City College from her home in Bakersfield once a week. She makes the commute with two other people from Kern County every Tuesday to take the in-home support course.

Our English isnt perfect, so its hard to understand those classes in English, said Cho, who said she learned about the class from friends at her Korean American church.

Student Yvonne Yoo, second from left, participates in a demonstration with professor Helen Jang, left, on how to help a person who is choking during a class on in-home supportive services, taught in Korean at Los Angeles City College. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

During a recent class in which students learned how to position clients so they dont suffer from bed sores and muscle breakdowns, Cho worried she might not be able to find Korean-speaking clients where she lives.

Her professor, Helen Jang, quickly assured her, If you knock, it will open.

Jang, who has taught the course in Korean since 2010, said many students develop confidence by learning in their primary language. She also carves out time for students to reflect on the struggles they may share as immigrants.

Whenever I have the chance, I let them express  living in America, how difficult it is, she said. I also want them to get healing  through this class.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Authorities feared they might have a bigger scam on their hands when an Erie man accused of unsuccessfully attempting to cash a stolen and altered business check more than a week ago said he and others had gone to several other banks to cash fraudulent checks.

Those fears were realized, according to criminal charges that a Pennsylvania State Police investigator filed late last week.

Erie resident Jamie A. Thomas, 28, and Georgia residents Jeremy Ivory, 35, and Jemal Strozier, 30, face charges including multiple felony counts of theft and receiving stolen property on allegations they stole and altered five checks belonging to an Edinboro business and successfully cashed four of them around Erie County on March 23.

The charges were filed on Friday in the office of McKean District Judge Denise Stuck-Lewis.

The checks were cashed a day before the Millcreek Township Police Department accused Thomas, Ivory and Strozier of attempting to cash a check stolen from another Edinboro-area business at a bank in Millcreek before responding police officers caught them and took them into custody.

More: Authorities probe bigger scam after Georgia pair, Erie man nabbed in check cashing try

At the time of the apprehensions on March 24, Millcreek police and other area law enforcement agencies said they were looking into whether the trio had stolen and cashed other business checks around the area. Thomas had told Millcreek police that the other suspects picked him up a week earlier and together they went to several banks in Pennsylvania and Ohio to cash checks that were written in Thomas' name, investigators wrote in the criminal complaints.

Pennsylvania State Police investigators have charged an Erie man and two residents of Georgia with cashing a series of checks that were stolen from an Edinboro business and altered at Northwest Bank branches around Erie County on March 23, 2023.

Visits to Northwest Bank branches

In the case a state police investigator filed against Thomas, Ivory and Strozier on Friday, authorities accuse the trio of stealing checks belonging to a machine shop in Edinboro and altering and cashing four of them. The checks were cashed in less than two hours on the afternoon of March 23 at different Northwest Bank branches in the Erie area, according to the criminal complaints.

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Each check was for $3,865.87. One was cashed at a Northwest branch on West Ridge Road in Fairview Township, one was cashed at a branch on West 26th Street in Erie, one was cashed on Douglas Parkway in Summit Township, and the fourth was cashed on Marketplace Drive in Washington Township, the investigating trooper wrote in the affidavits of probable cause.

In each case, Thomas told employees of the banks that the checks were a payroll item, according to the affidavits.

On the morning of March 24, an attempt was made to cash another check stolen from the Edinboro machine shop, which was made out for $4,565.87, at a Northwest branch in Union City. The bank did not cash the check as staff contacted the owner of the Edinboro machine shop and learned that the check was fraudulent, according to information in the affidavit.

Check-cashing attempt in Millcreek

Millcreek police accuse Thomas, Ivory and Strozier of attempting on the late afternoon of March 24 to cash a check stolen from an Edinboro-area trucking company and made out for $3,500 at an Andover Bank branch on Zimmerly Road in Millcreek.

Investigators said officers were given a description of a vehicle possibly involved in the incident and they located it behind a nearby Country Fair store. They recovered the stolen check, which was made out to Thomas, according to information in the criminal complaints filed in that case.

Thomas, Ivory and Strozier were each arraigned March 25 on felony forgery and other charges in the Millcreek incident. Ivory and Strozier were placed in the Erie County Prison on $50,000 bond, and Thomas was jailed on $25,000 bond, according to court records.

Ivory and Strozier were arraigned Friday on charges in the Pennsylvania State Police investigation and were returned to prison on an additional $50,000 bond, according to court records. Court records did not list Thomas as being arraigned on the new charges as of Monday morning.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Georgia men, Erie resident accused of altering, cashing stolen checks
Trent Lehrkamp. Erika Keller

A Georgia teen was put on a ventilator after he was assaulted at a party, police said last week.

Trent Lehrkamp said it would take a "long time" to get over the trauma, WSAV reported.

Police previously told Insider that it's "aggressively" investigating and building a criminal case.

A Georgia teenager who was put on a ventilator after he was assaulted at a house party said it will take months for him to heal from the trauma, according to multiple reports.

Trent Lehrkamp, of Glynn County, Georgia, was dumped unconscious in front of an ER last week covered in spray paint and urine, police said, according to Insider's Grace Eliza Goodwin.

The 19-year-old, who had been hanging out with a group of his peers at a house party, was only breathing six times a minute and had a blood-alcohol content that reached a near-fatal .46, police added.

In a new audio clip shared by WSAV reporter Brett Buffington on Sunday, Lehrkamp said he was "alive and doing well, and recovering."

"Just know it's going to be a long time for me to get over this, through the trauma," he added. "But one day, hopefully within the next few months or so, I might be back. But, justice will be served."

Before the house party, Lehrkamp thought he was going to have a "casual night" with friends, according to a GoFundMe set up by a friend, Erika Keller.

"Trent wouldn't know until it was too late that these were not friends, but vile and abusive perpetrators who would go on to torture, humiliate, and assault him in inhumane, terrifying ways for hours," Keller wrote.

It is unclear what exactly happened. But photos from the party, which were shared on social media but have since been removed, appear to show Lehrkamp unconscious in a chair, surrounded by teens posing, The Daily Beast reported.

He is covered in an unknown liquid, the outlet said. Police later said that he was intoxicated from a mix of alcohol and "controlled substances," Insider reported.

Lehrkamp's family have said that it is up to the teenager to decide "if he wanted the police involved," WSAV reported.

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While no charges have been made yet, local police, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and now the FBI, previously told Insider they are working to gather evidence and build a criminal case.

According to the latest GoFundMe update, Lehrkamp's family said the 19-year-old is now at an out-of-state facility where he will be "receiving the absolute best care possible  mentally, physically, medically, and emotionally."

"He will be receiving a whole body recovery for as long as he needs," the update said.

Read the original article on Insider
Robert Habeck, the German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy, arrives in Ukraine for political talks.

Source: European Pravda, citing Spiegel



Details: Habeck arrived in Kyiv on Monday morning with a small delegation of German business representatives. The talks will focus on Ukraine's restoration and cooperation in the energy sector.

Upon arrival at Kyiv's railway station, Habeck said his visit could send a clear message to Ukraine "that we believe it will win, that it will be restored, and that Europe is interested in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future."

This is Habeck's first trip to Ukraine since Russian troops invaded the country on 24 February last year. His current trip was scheduled for last fall but then had to be postponed due to the Russian winter offensive in Ukraine, Habeck said. "Now is the time," he said.

During the trip, he told reporters that a number of specific investment decisions have already been made and others are still being prepared.

Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), who is accompanying Habeck as one of several business representatives, called the trip "a signal to Ukrainians that the German economy also supports them".

In addition, many German companies are still operating in Ukraine, and it is important to understand their problems and focus on restoring the country. "And this restoration begins now, not after the peace agreement is signed," he said.

Background: Germany may engage in projects to modernise the Ukrainian gas transportation system to transport hydrogen.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has arrived in Ukraine on a surprise visit, Germany's energy and economy ministry said on Monday, in his first trip to the country since the outbreak of war.

On the agenda is the reconstruction of Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since Moscow invaded the country in February 2022, and cooperation in the energy sector, the Spiegel news magazine reported.

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the visit, saying Habeck, who also serves as minister for energy and the economy, arrived in Kyiv early on Monday.

The spokesperson did not give further details, citing security precautions.

Following initial criticism of its hesitancy to supply heavy weaponry to Ukraine, Germany has become one of the country's key military backers, most recently providing Kyiv with 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks, considered some of the most potent weapons in the West's arsenal.

Ukraine's energy sector has repeatedly come under Russian attacks during the conflict, at times leaving millions of people without power.

The war also triggered an energy policy overhaul in Berlin, which was forced to look for alternative energy partners after abandoning its close economic relations with Russia.

(Reporting by Rachel More in Berlin; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
Robert Habek has supported Ukraine since the beginning of the Great War

Habeck said that the purpose of the trip is to "give Ukraine hope" that the country will be restored after the war. DW said that the economy minister would hold political talks.

The talks will focus on cooperation in rebuilding Ukraine's energy infrastructure, reported DW. Habeck was accompanied by a small German business delegation.

Read also: Germany delivers 18 Leopard 2s to Ukraine  German Defense Minister

This is the German Vice Chancellors first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Read also: Another batch of military aid from Germany arrives in Ukraine

On the same day, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic-Buric also arrived in Kyiv.

"Pleased to welcome Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic-Buric in Kyiv," First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Emine Dzheppar, wrote on Twitter.

Thanked for CoEs initiative to establish the Registry of Damages caused by Russian aggression. We discussed further steps needed to restore justice and hold Russian war criminals accountable.

Habeck has been making regular statements in support of Ukraine. He has also promised Kyiv further arms supplies.

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
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.  The U.S. Navy will submit another force structure analysis to Congress by mid-June that is likely to show a requirement for more ships compared to todays target of 373 and actual inventory of 296, according to the services top officer.

During the Navy Leagues annual Sea Air Space conference here, Adm. Mike Gilday told Defense News on Monday that he believes the ongoing assessment will show the need for a larger fleet based on what I see on a day-to-day basis with respect to demand, the wargames that I participate in, and what I believe to be the importance of the naval force in a maritime fight.

As for the changing composition, he said the 2022 National Defense Strategy and classified force size and construct documents will inform the study.

We see those guidelines come alive in defense planning scenarios that are really foundational to the analysis we do, he said, without addressing what those changes may be.

Gilday last week told senators that with respect to not only the size but the composition of the fleet, I would expect that to change from the last report, particularly in terms of composition.

He added, in response to a question from Senate Appropriations Committee defense panel ranking member Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine: I cant see it getting any smaller than 373 manned ships.

Collins noted in her question that the upcoming study must be submitted directly from the Navy to Congress, without being filtered through higher-ups at the Pentagon, to empower the CNO to convey the true requirement for a naval force.

The size of the fleet has been a major point of contention between the Navy and lawmakers in recent years. The Navy has for years conducted studies showing the need for more than 300 ships, then for 355 ships, and now for 373. The actual size of the fleet, on the other hand, has shrunk during that time. Lawmakers have pushed to buy more ships than the Pentagon-approved budgets have asked for across the last two presidential administrations, and lawmakers have pushed back against Navy plans to decommission ships early that have become too worn down and challenging to repair.

Gilday said at the hearing last week that right now, we have 56 ships under construction and another 76 that are under contract. We cant buy back time: For 20 years we were focused on ground wars, and understandably so. But the Navy wasnt the priority. We started keeping old ships. Keeping old ships that are not usable or workable is not going to make us a strong navy.
The following items were taken from the Lincolnwood Police Department reports and press releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

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A 2020 Honda Odyssey was reported stolen March 21 from the 3700 block of Touhy Avenue, police said. The Odyssey was valued at $30,000.

A 2019 Chrysler 300 was reported stolen March 22 from the 4700 block of Touhy Avenue, police said. The vehicle was valued at $15,000.

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CRIMINAL TRESPASS ARREST

Genarris Williams, 19, of the 7600 block of South King Drive, Chicago, was arrested March 22 for criminal trespass to vehicle after an incident on the 6800 block of McCormick Boulevard, police said. He was taken to bond court with no further information available.

RETAIL THEFT ARREST

Wilder A. Zuniga-Puerto, 23, of the 300 block of North St. Louis Avenue, Los Angeles, was arrested March 24 for retail theft following the discovery of stolen items from a store in the 3300 block of Touhy Avenue, police said. He was taken to bond court with no further information available.

WARRANT ARREST

Vidal Harper, 29, of the 5000 block of Adams Street, Chicago, was arrested March 23 on an outstanding in-state warrant after he was stopped in the 3700 block of Touhy Avenue, police said. There was no further information available.
A proud older sisters video of her younger brothers Ivy Day results has gone viral on TikTok.

Tawana (@tawanarauruswreck) shared a video of her brother Tinaye as he found out which Ivy League schools accepted him. As Tawana waits anxiously on the other end of the video call, Tinaye and the rest of her family await the result of each application while next to him.

At the start of the video, Tinaye discovers the University of California, Berkeley and Dartmouth College rejected him.

While Tinaye seems apprehensive to continue, their father appears calm and collected.

Well get what we want, well get what he want, he says with a smile on his face.

Tinaye finds out hes been waitlisted at Yale University and Princeton University, before learning that hes been accepted to Harvard University. Instantly, Tinaye and his family rejoice.

Oh my god! Oh my god! Tinaye says before telling Tawana that he got into Harvard. Their father is recording a video of his own, elated, while presumably zooming in on his sons online acceptance.

You got into Harvard?! Tawana asks.

Next up, Tinaye opens acceptance letters from Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania. Once again, their familys reaction is priceless as they cheer loudly and proudly.

Is this real? Tinaye asks.

Dad is a manifesting king. Well get what we want

With more than 19.6 million views and 3.5 million likes in just three days of posting, Tawanas video of Tinayes Ivy League decisions has gone viral, and rightfully so. While commenters are ecstatic about Tinayes acceptances, theyre also deeply endeared by Tinaye and Tawanas fathers reactions.

Your dad every acceptance : WOOOO WOO YEAAH, one user wrote.

You could see the family supported him throughout, the celebration was great but the thats okay before was also amazing. Congrats, another replied.

Dad is a manifesting king, Well get what we want,' someone commented.

As college admissions decisions roll in, high school students continue to record their reactions, both the good and the bad. Tinayes family reminds us of the importance of supporting rather than criticizing your child, sibling or friend during this especially stress-inducing time.

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The post Girl records her brothers Ivy Day reactions, and its the sweetest thing weve seen all day: Dad is a manifesting king appeared first on In The Know.

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Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

One of Scotland's oldest and best-loved theatres has been taken over by new owners.

The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow has been bought by London-based Trafalgar Entertainment for an undisclosed sum.

The 1,449-capacity Renfield Street venue was one of the last privately run theatres in Scotland.

Opening in 1904 as a music hall, the venue has played host to stars including Harry Lauder, Charlie Chaplin, Billy Connolly and Lulu.

The Pavilion has a unique place in Glasgow's entertainment scene, putting on home-grown productions, well-attended pantomimes and national music tours.

The auditorium, with its rococo plasterwork and mahogany fittings, has been described as "pure Louis XV" by the team which has run the theatre for the last five decades.

Chris McGuigan, from Trafalgar Entertainment, surveyed the newest addition to his company's theatrical portfolio from a vantage point in box number one.

"You can feel the history, but you can feel the love which has gone into maintaining it," says the company's commercial director.

"We are proud to become custodians of the Pavilion."

The theatre is the first in Scotland to be acquired by Trafalgar Entertainment, which also has theatres in Australia, England and Wales.

The Covid pandemic took its toll on the theatre

Rather than see the neighbouring Kings and Royal Theatres as competition, the new owner is keen to embrace them.

"It's theatreland, isn't it? West End and Broadway both have multiple theatres which can co-exist," says Mr McGuigan.

"The more you have to offer, the better it is for theatregoers.

"It's a resilient sector and in a cost-of-living crisis people still want to go out and enjoy themselves."

The Pavilion has had to be resilient over the past century. Two world wars, changing tastes, the cost-of-living crisis and the pandemic have all taken their toll.

The theatre was flooded in the 1990s and smoke-damaged by a fire in the neighbouring Victoria's nightclub in 2018.

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The theatre was damaged in the Sauchiehall Street fire in 2018

And as one of the last family-run, independently owned theatres, it has had to fight harder than most to win over audiences.

Manager Iain Gordon, who has worked in the theatre since 1977, has taken retirement - but the small core staff at the Pavilion, including his son Jamie, will continue under the new management.

"Where we feel we can bring benefit is operationally," says Mr McGuigan.

"Whether that's back of house compliance, health and safety or stocking the bar, there are opportunities around economy of scale.

"Even something like buying in the loo rolls can make the difference to economic sustainability."

One area of where the Pavilion will retain its individual approach is in pantomime, which has been produced in the theatre since the 1920s.

Sir Billy Connolly has performed at the theatre over the years

This year's show Treasure Island will go ahead as planned with a Scottish cast and crew.

And there could be scope for other in-house productions.

Chris McGuigan points to Myra's Story, a small Irish production which has built of a word-of-mouth following as the sort of show the Pavilion will continue to host - and he's keen to talk to anyone with ideas.

The theatre has a good track record in small Irish shows which grow into global hits. Look no further than Mrs Brown, which began at the Pavilion as a play in June 1999.

Mr McGuigan promises "a weightier programme", with shows like Rocky Horror and Jersey Boys on top of what's already programmed.

The self-proclaimed National Theatre of Variety will continue to offer something for everyone.

"It's a fun palace. It's a variety programme and this is an opportunity for the Pavilion to do more of what it does best."

Country and western singer Sydney Devine's portrait hangs in the theatre

One idiosyncrasy which has not yet filtered through to the new owners is the cult of Sydney Devine.

The country and western singer had such an attachment to the Pavilion, it was nicknamed the Devine Shrine. After his death in 2021, it became the focus for floral tributes.

His portrait is one of a number which still hangs in the Pavilion's basement bar.

Audiences will be divided about the need to remember that particular chapter in the Pavilion's past.

As for the Grand Old Lady of Renfield Street, there's life in the old girl yet.
A powerful Senate Republican is demanding answers from a private-equity backed hospital in southeast Iowa amid revelations that a male nurse practitioner at the facility sexually assaulted nine female patients there in 2021 and 2022.

The facility, Ottumwa Regional Health Center, is part of Lifepoint Health Inc., a hospital system headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, and owned by Apollo Global Management, the huge private-equity firm in New York co-founded by Leon Black.

The incidents at the Ottumwa facility came to light late last year after the overdose death in the hospital of Devin Caraccio, 27, a certified nurse practitioner who was a contract employee at the hospital, according to its spokeswoman. After he died on the job in October, the Ottumwa police accessed his cellphone, finding photo and video evidence that he had assaulted the patients, according to a police department investigator, Jeremy Tosh.

The police department said in a statement in December that It is suspected that all of the victims were asleep, or in a state of unconsciousness when the assaults took place. Two of the victims have not yet been identified; two were under 18, Tosh said in an interview last week.

Eight-term Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa sent a letter last month to the hospital, Lifepoint Health and Apollos chief executive, Marc Rowan. In it, he asked whether financial practices had reduced money for patient care and may have facilitated the sexual assault.

Chuck Grassley (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images file)

One of Grassleys questions was whether Apollo contractually shields itself from liability for activities that occur at hospitals it invests in, operates or manages. He also asked Apollo to detail its expertise regarding rural or non-urban hospitals.

A spokeswoman for Apollo said: Our funds are investors in Lifepoint and we are responding to the questions from Senator Grassleys office.

In addition to Ottumwa Regional, Lifepoint has more than 60 acute care hospitals in 17 states, including Arizona, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The facility in Ottumwa, a town of 25,000, is one of many rural hospitals owned by Lifepoint; it is the only hospital in the 432-square-mile county of Wapello.

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Rural hospitals have experienced considerable financial pressure in recent years, alleviated somewhat by government relief funds disbursed during the pandemic. According to research from the KFF, a nonprofit group formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation, median operating margins at rural hospitals before the pandemic were 1.5%, versus 5.2% for nonrural facilities.

In a statement, Cara Clouse, a spokeswoman for Ottumwa Regional Health Center, said the facility is committed to the safety and well-being of its patients.

The heinous acts of this former contractor clearly violate our policies and values, and our hearts are with all those affected by his misconduct, she said. Ottumwa Regional continues to cooperate with law enforcement, and we have adopted a number of reforms to further strengthen our controls and security to safeguard those we serve and prevent rogue bad actors.

A Lifepoint spokeswoman said that the company is deeply disturbed by the terrible acts committed by a contractor at Ottumwa Regional Health Center, and that the company is implementing new policies and reforms to help ensure patients and their families are protected.

Over the past decade, private-equity firms like Apollo have spent hundreds of billions of dollars buying up health care businesses, including nursing homes, hospital staffing companies and physician practices. To finance these purchases, private-equity owners typically burden the companies they buy with debt, then slash the companies costs to increase earnings and appeal to potential buyers down the road.

In the business of health care, the drive for profits can run counter to the goal of helping patients, critics say.

Caraccios assaults on patients raise "serious questions with respect to whether these hospitals have the right resources or if they are being loaded with overwhelming amounts of debt to the point where they are forced to shift money away from patient care, Grassley wrote in his letter. It also went to the CEO of Lifepoint Health; the chief executive of Warburg Pincus, another private-equity firm that owned Ottumwa Regional Health Center before Apollo bought it; and the CEO of Medical Properties Trust, a real estate investment company that had conducted a financial transaction involving the facility.

Apollo bought the Ottumwa facility in 2015 from Warburg Pincus, and it became part of RegionalCare Hospital Partners. A flurry of transactions followed: The next year, Apollo merged RegionalCare with Capella, another health care company, and in 2018 Apollo merged those operations with Lifepoint Health.

Then, in 2019, Medical Properties Trust bought the real estate under 10 Lifepoint hospitals, including Ottumwa Regional, leasing them back to the facilities. Private-equity firms often conduct such transactions, generating cash for themselves and their partners from the sale of real estate underlying the facilities, but often saddling the hospitals with increased costs in rents.

The sale and leaseback of the real estate in Ottumwa does not appear to have added to the facilitys rental costs, according to a person briefed on the transaction.

Nevertheless, such transactions are a concern to Grassley. The constant selling and reselling of hospital assets by private equity, private capital, real estate investment trusts (REITs), and other related entities raises questions with respect to whether these financial maneuvers have negatively impacted the resources and thereby the care our nations rural hospitals provide to their patients, he noted in his letter.

The Lifepoint spokeswoman said: The actions of this one disturbed individual do not reflect who we are, our core values, or how we operate any hospital and in no way can be linked to Ottumwa Regionals financial standing. Lifepoint is proud of the substantial investments we have made since becoming a part of the Ottumwa community in 2018, including the more than $31 million in facility and technology updates and for physician recruitment and retention.

A spokesman for Grassley said the investigation by his office is ongoing. The recipients of his letter were asked to respond by Friday, March 31. The spokeswoman for the hospital declined to comment on the letter.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The rocky road running past dilapidated homes ends abruptly at a thick, five-metre-high metal barrier -- the end of the European Union, and Greece's border with Turkey.

The grey waters of the Evros River, the natural border between the two countries, now flow alongside the imposing fence topped with barbed wire.

Athens erected the 37.5-kilometre (23-mile) barrier in 2020 after tens of thousands of migrants tried to break through this remote northeastern area, clashing for days with Greek security forces.

With the country headed into a tight general election next month, the conservative government has vowed to extend the barrier another 35 kilometres by the end of the year.

On Monday, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi went so far as to tell private broadcaster Skai TV that his conservative party wanted to extend the fence across the entire 200 kilometres of the Greek-Turkish border.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, fighting to hold onto power at the May 21 ballot box and facing calls to resign over the country's worst rail tragedy that killed 57 people, is pressing his tough-on-migration policy hard on the campaign trail.

It is a message that plays well in the poor, agricultural border area.

Residents vividly recall the 2020 migration scare when, in a spat with the EU, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his forces would no longer stop asylum seekers from travelling to the border.

"If the fence hadn't been built, we would have been in Kabul here!" one 50-year-old man from Feres told AFP, declining to give his name.

- 'Attempted invasion' -

"We went (to the border area) with our guns. We had to secure our houses," he added, recalling the 2020 clashes.

"We fired two or three times in the air."

Mitsotakis visited the area last Friday, hoping to find sympathetic voters as he seeks to divert attention away from the train crash and the cost-of-living crisis.

"A sovereign country must have ways to protect its borders efficiently," he said.

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He likened the 2020 surge of migrants to "an attempted invasion" in which "tens of thousands of illegal migrants" sought to enter Greece "often through the use of violence".

Greek soldiers now patrol the area equipped with cameras, high-tech radar and drones.

"I have lived here for 45 years, and I can confirm that (migration) flows ceased after the wall was built," said Athanassios Pamousis, chairman of nearby Poros village.

Greece and Turkey have for years traded accusations involving the mistreatment of migrants in the area.

Turkey and rights groups accuse Greece of pushing back asylum seekers across the border.

- 'Prefer a factory' -

Athens denies this, despite numerous testimonies from alleged victims.

In October, 92 mainly Afghan and Syrian migrants were found almost naked and bruised near the river. Greece said Turkish army vehicles had left them there. Turkey denied this.

Greece says extending the barrier by the promised 35 kilometres will cost around 100 million euros ($109 million) and wants the EU to provide funding -- a move that some member states oppose.

"It is about time for the European Union to seriously consider providing European funds for these types of projects, because after all, we are contributing towards European security," Mitsotakis said Friday.

Nikos Chatzimagioglou, the owner of a perfume shop in the nearby town of Feres, calls the construction of the barrier "a good cause."

"Every day, foreigners would go by. Not just one or two, but groups of 50 or a hundred. If you are not from here, you cannot understand," he said.

Mitsotakis' main opponents, the leftist Syriza party, accuse the prime minister of using anti-migrant rhetoric to court voters from nationalist and far-right rivals.

Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos says some 265,000 migrants were barred from entering the country illegally last year.

But Chatzimagioglou says the main problem in the area is not migration, but poverty.

"If you ask me if I prefer a wall or a factory, I prefer a factory," he told AFP.

yap/jph/jm/fb
Five weeks after Greece's worst rail disaster, which killed 57 people, partial service resumed on Monday on the main train line linking Athens and Thessaloniki, the country's second-largest city.

The route was the scene of a head-on collision on February 28 between a freight train and a passenger train with more than 350 people on board, many of them young students.

The crash triggered weeks of angry protests and is set to weigh heavily on the general election in May, in which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking to retain his post.

In a bid to reassure passengers, Transport Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis travelled on the first train between Athens and the central town of Kalambaka on Monday, along with the head of the rail network company (OSE) and representatives of privatised train company Hellenic Trains.

"Our duty is to have a rail service that lives up to everyone's expectations, a modern rail service that can develop and be among the best in Europe," Gerapetritis told the media.

"It's the government's duty. But it's also a debt we owe to the victims of this tragic accident whose lives were so unjustly cut short."

While the disaster has been in part blamed on the stationmaster on duty near the site of the crash in Tempe, central Greece, it has also highlighted government delays in modernising rail safety systems.

After initially imputing the tragedy to human error, Mitsotakis subsequently acknowledged the train system was plagued by chronic failings.

He has vowed, if re-elected, to install electronic safety systems on the rail network by the end of September.

OSE head Panagiotis Terezakis cautioned on Monday that overhauling the system would be a long-term undertaking.

"These chronic defaults can't be rectified overnight. It takes time," he told AFP.

Some safety measures have already been put in place -- trains have been slowed down, there are fewer services per day, and each station now has two station managers and two engineers on duty.

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"An enormous effort has been made to ensure all the contracts for signals and remote controls are completed on time, so that by the end of September we will have a network that is completely safe and meets international standards for passenger protection," Gerapetritis said.

He added that the government was cooperating with its French and German counterparts to modernise the Greek rail network.

The crash prompted weeks of service shutdowns but passenger services between Athens and the international airport resumed on March 22 and freight trains between the port of Piraeus and Thessaloniki began running again a week later.

mr/giv/gil/jmm
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is offering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a piece of advice before he launches a widely expected White House bid: Talk to all the press.

I think journalism is really important  And I think our First Amendment and freedom of the press is something that we have to protect and we also have to respect it. So if I could give him advice, I would say: Talk to all the press, Greene told Semafor in an interview published Monday.

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Greene, a Trump-aligned Republican firebrand, spoke with the outlet following her interview on CBS 60 Minutes that aired Sunday. In that appearance, Greene acknowledged she no longer likes the term fake news.

I am one of the few members of Congress that would defend your freedom, Greene asserted on the program. Im not going to be one of those people out there yelling fake news, fake news. Ive said it before but Ive kinda decided that I dont like it.

The GOP lawmakers advice for DeSantis to speak to all press comes after the Florida governor has publicly clashed with some that are outside of the conservative sphere; he has said hell be boycotting NBC and MSNBC and pursuing state legislation that would weaken legal protections for journalists.

Greene has grown increasingly close to former President Trump and has reportedly seen herself as a possible vice presidential pick for him in 2024. Meanwhile, Trump said at a rally last month that he would fight like hell for Greene if she ran for Senate in Georgia.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Students from Alliance Leichtman Levine Family Foundation Environmental Science High School rally at Pershing Square as part of global strikes in 2021 to demand climate action. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Generation Z seems like a paradox: far more open to diverse viewpoints and compromise than older Americans, but also in some ways more dogmatic.

Will young people extinguish the flames of political polarization or fan them? As their values clash with those of the oldest generations hoarding power, the fires of extremism crackle louder and expand.

Its impossible to predict what 69 million Gen Zers will do. But it doesnt take a crystal ball to see that as the arsonist GOP elders double down, young people will be more inclined to burn things, too.

Still, theres hope. Gen Zers can negotiate differences better than perhaps any prior generation; some call them Plurals because of their pluralist nature. Theyre the most racially and ethnically diverse voters. Theyre more likely to identify as LGBTQ: 20% of them, compared with 11% of millennials and only 3% among older people. Theyre averse to binaries, be it man-vs.-woman or citizen-vs.-illegal. A quarter are Latinx. Theyre less likely to be immigrants than millennials, but more likely to be children of immigrants  cross-border in culture and identity.

Theyre digital natives, born between 1997 and 2012, when surfing the Web was already mainstream. They prefer TikTok to TV. Liberal-vs.-conservative cable news pundits are a bore next to social medias multiverse of raw commentary. Social medias negative impact has been greater on this group than any other. Depression, anxiety and feelings of loneliness  made worse by the pandemic  are big challenges. Yet many Gen Zers are demonstrating a remarkable resilience, channeling their sense of unease into advocacy for the most vulnerable.

They share millennials progressive ideas on social issues, but are more likely to support radical policies, such as reparations for descendants of enslaved people. Theyre more likely to believe the government should do more to help people. They believe in advocating for the Other, except when the Other is a bully.

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You either have sensitivity to people or you dont, Mariah Allen, an 18-year-old Black student at Loyola Marymount University, told me ahead of her class on Bad Bunnys activism. If you dont, youre kind of being excluded.

Like other Gen Zers, Allen grew up on stories about teenagers rebelling against oppressive governments, from Hunger Games to the Divergent series. Perhaps thats why theyre more politically engaged than millennials were at their age. While millennials came of age on Harry Potters lessons of a communitys importance, Gen Zers immersed themselves in worlds of uprisings. Weve been reading political commentary since like middle school, she said.

In last years midterm elections, Gen Zers helped Democrats win in nearly every battleground statewide race and grew the Democrats majority in the U.S. Senate. They were key to President Bidens 2020 victory despite their qualms about him. Even though theyre more likely than older generations to be disillusioned with both political parties, they vote.

If we dont vote, nothings going to change, Ethan E Carter, an 18-year-old Latino classmate of Allens, told me. Incremental change over radical change must be prioritized cause its better than no change.

Theyre pragmatic progressives who see too much at stake for an all-or-nothing approach. They wont compromise their values, but theyre not afraid to compromise on the perfect solution in order to make progress, John Della Volpe, polling director at the Harvard Kennedy School of Politics, told me.

Yet, theyve been vilified as anti-American. Theyre less likely than older people to say that the U.S. is better than all other countries, but the unpatriotic label is unfair given their civic engagement. They care about the country. They value the diverse reality of who Americans are; theyre not interested in preserving an America thats monolithic in culture or politics.

The election of Donald Trump was a turning point for these young adults, akin to the 9/11 terrorist attacks for millennials. Gen Zers realized as kids that American exceptionalism was a lie. As immigration enforcement deported their parents and police tear gassed them at racial justice protests during a pandemic, many had a sense of deja vu for the dystopian teen dramas they once read. They were prepared.

They turned out to vote and deployed their social media accounts as political weapons. They used TikTok to sink a Trump rally and Olivia Julianna, a 19-year-old in Texas, trolled Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and used his name to raise $2 million for abortion funds. Some experts warn of a revolution brewing within Gen Z. But they arent destroyers; theyre coalition builders.

Generations come in cycles: an ideological generation like the Boomers; a reactive one like Gen Xers who reject fanaticism; a civic-minded one like millennials who want to help the community; followed by an adaptive one that finishes what the civic one started.

Thats what Plurals are, Morley Winograd, a longtime expert on young voters and generational change, told me. Theyre kind of millennials on steroids. Theyve not only learned to negotiate, live and succeed in a pluralistic, non-majoritarian world, but theyre not tolerant of people who want to go back to the days of dominance by one group.

In Los Angeles, a younger City Council is already demonstrating some of those qualities  pragmatism and less interest in labels and division. Theyre focusing on renters and public transportation. In the Council District 6 special election on April 4, all seven candidates are younger than 40 and reject the zero-sum politics of former Councilwoman Nury Martinez, who resigned after making racist comments. Im not a mean girl, candidate Marisa Alcaraz, 35, told me. Shes inspired by Selena Gomezs Kill Em With Kindness, a worthy theme song for Gen Z.

Of course, not everyone agrees about this generations spirit of inclusiveness.

In her forthcoming book Generations, Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, argues that Gen Z is becoming more extreme and intolerant. Gen Z has gone the way of older generations, increasingly moving to the poles of political belief, but they are doing so sooner in life, she writes.

She cites a survey by Monitoring the Future showing a rise in the percentage of 12th-graders who identify at the extremes of political ideology. The share of those who identify as very conservative doubled from 4% nearly four decades ago to 8% today. Those who identify as very liberal or radical rose from 9% to 16%.

And there is cause for worry, as seen on some college campuses with students shouting down political opponents and controversial speakers  a tactic that tends to strengthen the other sides extremism. But the youngest voters openness to compromise at the ballot box should temper such concerns.

Generations move like murmurations, with every individual shaping the trajectory of the mass by swaying their closest neighbors. Every Gen Zer has the power to change the course of their peers. Every conversation counts.

Bianca Valentin, a 21-year-old student at Loyola Marymount University, recalls that in her first year in high school, her class was a microcosm of polarization. Some students were devastated by Trumps election; others were dismissive of that reaction. It led to a lot of fighting. The administration sent concerned letters to parents.

As I got older, the same girls who were telling me not to cry that Trump was elected then became very liberal, Valentin recalls. She attributes the change to conversations students had in person and on social media. The teens shared videos and other content about how policies were affecting them and built political empathy. We all got to the root of like, OK, were all human beings, she said.

Getting past polarization affects their electoral choices. Many Republicans, particularly older ones, see Gen Zers as impinging on their political power. Young peoples fluidity with identity may be foreign to them, but they will have to contend with it. Although most white Americans older than 30 voted Republican in the midterm elections, 58% of whites under age 30 voted for Democratic House candidates.

At the same time, younger Republicans are becoming more socially liberal than their parents. A full 54% of those under age 45 believe Americas openness to immigrants is essential, while only a third of those older than 45 think so, according to an analysis of October 2022 Pew Research data by Michael Hais, who co-authored three books with Winograd.

Gen Z Republicans are more likely than their older counterparts to acknowledge that Black people are treated less fairly than whites today: 43% say this, compared with 30% of Republican millennials and 20% of Republican Gen Xers.

By contrast, among Democrats of all ages, views on social issues are aligning. Its really the Republicans who are more divided at this point, Hais told me. There is a widening generational rupture on the right as youths of all backgrounds learn to co-exist and care about one another. Younger people are more willing to work together across a variety of lines: age, generation, party, race, he said.

Gen Zers and millennials will represent nearly 40% of votes in the 2024 election. Millennials are the first generation that hasnt become more conservative with age, and Gen Zers are following in their progressive footsteps.

The GOPs future, whether it accepts the reality or not, will depend on winning over this generation. As long as Gen Zers fight apathy and cynicism about politics, they may come to wield far more power than they think they have.

@jeanguerre

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Gwyneth Paltrow has been praised for her classy and gracious response to her lawsuit accuser after she was found not responsible for their ski collision.

On Thursday, the Goop founder was filmed leaving the courtroom after a Utah jury ruled that she was not liable for the 2016 incident involving accuser 76-year-old Terry Sanderson. As she exited the courtroom, after being awarded her $1 countersuit and the cost of her legal fees, Paltrow could be seen bending down to whisper something in Sandersons ear.

According to Sanderson, who spoke with reporters following the verdict, the actress told him: I wish you well, to which hed responded: Thank you, dear.

The retired optometrist, who was seeking $300,000 in damages from Paltrow for injuries he said he sustained during a crash at the high-end Deer Valley Resort near Park City, Utah, in February 2016, also told Extra that he thought Paltrows parting sentiment was very kind of her.

Paltrows accuser was not the only one who had kind words to say about her farewell message, as fans, who have been following the oftentimes-bizarre trial closely over the last two weeks, also praised the actor for her graciousness.

Gwyneth Paltrow left the court hearing with some grace. It was sweet of her to say I wish you well to her accuser. Im impressed, one person tweeted, while another said: I love her! So classy through and through.

Wow, shes a saint. Thats very big of her to be so gracious, someone else claimed.

As Gwyneth Paltrow walked out of the courtroom after hearing she won her civil case unanimously, she walked by the person who sued her for hundreds of thousands of dollars and bent down and said "I wish you well"........we should all strive to be more kind like this...  Adrian (@OtterAdrian) March 31, 2023

Others found amusement in the sentiment, which has quickly turned into a meme, with some alleging that Paltrow could use the message in future Goop branding, such as for the name of one of her infamous candles.

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Only a matter of time before Gwyneth Paltrow releases a I wish you well Goop candle, one person joked, while another said they are hoping for I wish you well with Gwyneth Paltrows face on a T-shirt sponsored by Goop.

Only a matter of time before #GwynethPaltrow releases an I wish you well Goop candle  Georgia Shepheard (@G_Shepheard) March 31, 2023

I wish you well.



 Gwyneth Paltrow  your crush (@ayematthias) March 31, 2023

The actresss parting wish for Sanderson also inspired others, with some claiming they planned to use the remark in their own day-to-day encounters.

Normally I do not like Gwyneth Paltrow at all, but her saying I wish you well to the doctor who tried to grift her after she won her dollar in court is iconic and I will be saying it to anyone who tries to wrong me henceforth, one person claimed.

Normally I do not like Gwyneth Paltrow at all, but her saying I wish you well to the Dr who tried to grift her after she won her dollar in court is iconic and I will be saying it to anyone who tries to wrong me henceforth.  Allie   (@alliejayne_) March 31, 2023

Gwyneth Paltrow whispering "I wish you well" to the guy who sued her and lost is pure troll behaviour, iconic  Kate Ng (@etaKatetaKate) March 31, 2023

I've not seen anything so terrifying in my life as Gwyneth Paltrow saying "I wish you well" pic.twitter.com/TkgLYI095r  dave    (@mrdavemacleod) March 31, 2023

Someone else tweeted of Paltrows exit: This is so boss, while another fan referenced the actresss role as Pepper Potts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as they claimed Paltrow was channeling her character in real life. Just as Pepper Potts would have done, they wrote.

After two hours and 20 minutes of deliberation, jurors concluded Thursday that Sanderson, who claimed the crash left him with multiple injuries, including permanent traumatic brain injury, was 100 per cent at fault for the ski accident.

Following the ruling in her favour, Paltrow said she was pleased with the outcome.

I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity. I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case, she said.

As for his thoughts on the outcome, Sanderson told Extra he was very disappointed, before seemingly alleging the lawsuit was made more difficult by Paltrows celebrity.

You get some assumed credibility from being a famous person Who wants to take on a celebrity? No wonder I hesitated. Its difficult. Who wants to do that [with] someone who learns lines, learns how to play someone elses part and be believable, be credible, wins awards? Who wants to go on that path, he said.

A juror in the case later said that Paltrow didnt win because shes famous, but because the decision was based on evidence.
Gwyneth Paltrow's attorney James Egan captured more than a win for the actress during her nearly two-week ski collision trial.

Egan, who served as the second lead attorney for the Goop founder, gained internet fame as viewers of the trial noticed his professionalism and began comparing him to Clark Kent.

"I LOVE this Clark Kent lawyer for defendants side (James Egan) He is on it. I think this is the reason why Owen's law office is predominantly younger lawyers  they're fresh skin in the game," one Twitter user wrote.

Egan reacted to the comparison after a jury decided Paltrow was not at a fault for a 2016 ski collision with retired optometrist Terry Sanderson. The actress had been sued by Sanderson, who claimed Paltrow skied into him and left him severely injured.

James Egan has become an internet heartthrob after helping win Gwyneth Paltrow's ski collision trial.

GWYNETH PALTROW WINS SKI CRASH LAWSUIT

James Egan displays a poster showing brain scans during the nearly two-week Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial.

"I have heard that. It's weird," the lawyer told "Extra" host Billy Bush when asked how he felt about being compared to the Superman character Clark Kent.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Egan currently serves as a partner at Epperson & Owens in Salt Lake City, Utah. He first joined the law firm in February 2016. The young attorney graduated in 2014 from Brigham Young University with his law degree. He also attended the University of Utah where he earned a bachelor's degree with honors in English and political science.

GWYNETH PALTROW'S LAWYERS ARGUE SKI COLLISION ACCUSER'S PERCEPTION OF CRASH DOESN'T MATCH REALITY

Egan is married and a father to a 1-year-old son.

He told Bush that he was on his way to "see [his] 1-year-old son" immediately after the verdict was read on Thursday, March 30.

"He had his birthday during the trial. I haven't seen him. He just learned to walk," Egan said.

The attorney is also a musician and has released two albums on Spotify.

"Clark Kent AKA James Egan @jamesremains is a great musician," a social media user wrote. "Loved listening to his piano playing during the trial breaks. Is there anything he can't do?"

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"I very much hope that @jamesremains (James Egan, the awesome lawyer the internet has dubbed Clark Kent) takes off in his musical career after this trial," another added. "Would be well deserved. I'm not at all sure how someone has time to kick a-- at law and music."

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Egan mostly plays the piano, but has previously shared a video of himself playing bass guitar.

Egan responded to an article titled "Gwyneth Paltrow's Young Attorney James Egan is an undiscovered star, and not just in the courtroom" on Twitter.

"This is so unexpected," he wrote. "Thanks for the generous words about my music."

Egan did not return Fox News Digital's immediate request for comment.
Donald Trumps top adviser in New Hampshire says the former presidents supporters in the crucial early-voting state are starting to wake up.

"The Trump supporters have been in hibernation, and were just waking them all up," Steve Stepanek tells Fox News. "Its pretty exciting to see the enthusiasm and the energy that people have."

New Hampshire was the state that boosted Trump toward the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and eventually the White House. After narrowly losing the Iowa caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Trump crushed his rivals a week later in the New Hampshires presidential primary, which rocketed the then-business mogul and reality TV star toward the nomination and accelerated the thinning of the GOP field of candidates.

Four years later, the incumbent president demolished his long shot primary challenger  former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld  84% to 9% in New Hampshires Republican nominating contest.

2024 FRICTION: FORMER TRUMP STAFFERS JOIN NEW PRO-DESANTIS SUPER PAC

Fast-forward to 2023, and as the former president runs a third time for the White House his campaign is placing many chips on strong finishes in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina  the first three states to vote in the Republican nominating calendar.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"We're starting right here as a candidate for president," Trump said in January during a stop at the high school in Salem, New Hampshire, as he headlined the state GOPs annual meeting.

During his visit, which came more than two months after the former president launched his 2024 campaign, Trump said: "I look forward to returning many times" and predicted that "one year from now we will win the New Hampshire primary and the with the help of the good people of this state ... well take back the White House."

WHO'S IN AND WHO'S ON THE SIDELINES  YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

But Trump hasnt returned to New Hampshire since making that first  and only  stop on Jan. 28.

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Stepanek, a former state lawmaker and businessman who co-chaired Trumps 2016 campaign in the Granite State and who earlier this year finished up four years steering the state party committee, told Fox News that the former president is expected back later in the spring.

Former President Donald Trump gives the headline address at the New Hampshire GOP annual meeting, in Salem, New Hampshire, on Jan. 28, 2023. Trump is joined by outgoing NHGOP chair Steve Stepanek (right), who is joining Trump's campaign as a senior adviser in New Hampshire.

While the Trump campaign had already started staffing up in Iowa and South Carolina, Stepanek this past week made his first hire in New Hampshire, bringing on board Trevor Naglieri as state director. Naglieri, who has some experience working in the field in New Hampshire, is also a veteran of the campaigns of 2016 Trump rivals Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

But as of now, the Trump campaigns operations for all of the early states will be steered out of Iowa, and thats not sitting so well with some Trump supporters in the Granite State.

"It rubs the activists the wrong way," a veteran of the Trump 2016 campaign in New Hampshire told Fox News.

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL SHOWS IN THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE

The operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said that he and others "feel like the successful team from 2016 has been largely abandoned."

"I think activists in the state that are sitting back, waiting to see how the field forms. I dont think theyre solidly for Trump just because they were Trump people before," the operative added.

The sign outside the New Hampshire capitol in Concord honors the state's cherished century-old tradition of holding the nation's first presidential primary in the race for the White House.

Theres been a dearth of polling so far in the Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire, but the latest two surveys  one public and one private  indicate Trump as the frontrunner. Surveys this early in an election cycle are far from a reliable prediction of primaries in 2024, though, and New Hampshire voters are known for making up their minds at the last minute.

Asked whether New Hampshire is still Trump country, longtime Granite State-based Republican consultant Jim Merrill answered that "its open to question. Id say he starts with a head start, but other folks are on his heels here."

"I think he has to come back and has to earn it. It remains to be seen if hes going to do that or not," added Merrill, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns.

Matt Mowers, a veteran of the Trump 2016 campaign who later served in the State Department during the former presidents administration and who was the 2020 Republican nominee in New Hampshires First Congressional District, said that Trump has "got a locked-in base of support, but its not a majority. And I think a majority right now are listening to all the candidates."

Mowers, who has ties to former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley  who declared her candidacy six weeks ago  as well as to Trump and to potential contenders former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, is staying neutral as the field emerges.

"Whether it's President Trump, whos going to have to come back to New Hampshire and campaign the New Hampshire way  handshake to handshake  or others who are either running right now, like Ambassador Haley or people thinking about running, like Gov. Christie, theyre all going to have to do it the New Hampshire way," he said.

Veteran New Hampshire conservative activist Greg Moore emphasized that "New Hampshire is full of tire-kickers. We love to put candidates through their paces, and Donald Trump is no exception to that. Hes going to have to work just like any other candidate who wants to win New Hampshire. Hes certainly shown he can do that. He did that in 2016 pretty handily. And he has, without question, the best infrastructure of any candidate, so hes well positioned."

But Moore, the longtime state director for influential conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, highlighted that Trump is "still going to have to prove himself to New Hampshire voters, just like every other candidate.

Juliana Bergeron, one of the two New Hampshire committee members on the Republican National Committee and a former Cheshire County GOP chair, doesnt see her state as a lock for Trump. "I do think theres room for somebody like a [former Vice President] Mike Pence or Nikki Haley," she told Fox News.

Bergeron, who as an RNC committee member is staying neutral in the nomination race, said that he thinks Republican voters in New Hampshire are "looking for a new generation of candidates."

While Republican voters in New Hampshire will play a large role in determining the winner of their states GOP presidential primary, theres another factor in play in the state.

Independents and undeclared voters in New Hampshire can vote in either major partys primary. And if, as expected, President Biden seeks a second term in the White House, many independents who cast ballots in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential primaries in New Hampshire may vote instead in 2024 in what will likely be a much more competitive GOP primary.

"The real issue is, will there be enough independents who take Republican ballots to change it," former state attorney general Tom Rath told Fox News.

Rath, a longtime GOP consultant and veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns, noted that "independents will matter a lot in New Hampshire . . . theyre now in play in the Republican ballot, and that changes the primary electorate a great deal."
The following items were taken from Morton Grove Police department bulletins. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.

Hit and run

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Zachary Rodriguez, 22, of the 7000 block of Emerson Street, Morton Grove, was arrested March 19 for leaving the scene of an accident following a hit-and-run at the intersection of Dempster Street and Central Avenue, police said. A court date is set for April 21.

Other traffic violations

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Pitor Fraczek, 31, of the 3600 block of New England Avenue, Chicago, was arrested March 22 for speeding more than 35 mph over the posted speed limit and driving recklessly at the intersection of Dempster Street and Oak Park Avenue, police said. A court date is set for May 1.

Akinola Oke, 52, of the 7100 block of Ridge Avenue, Chicago, was arrested March 22 for speeding 26-34 mph over the posted speed limit and driving recklessly at the intersection of Dempster Street and Central Avenue, police said. A court date is set for May 1.

Theft

Christian Lupas 46, of the 3800 block of Wallen Avenue, Lincolnwood, was arrested March 23 for removing an item without payment from a business on the 6300 block of Oakton Street, police said. A court date is set for April 20.

Joshua Perva, 29, of the 4000 block of Troy Avenue, Chicago, was arrested March 25 for switching the price tags on an item and paying for a different item at a business on the 6300 block of Oakton Street , police said. A court date is set for April 20.

Driving under the influence

Sergey Repnoy, 38, of the 8500 block of Winnemac Street, Chicago, was arrested March 24 for driving under the influence of alcohol on the 8500 block of Austin Avenue, police said. A court date is set for May 1.

Jesus Navarette, 36, of the 1300 block of Cherokee Avenue, Round Lake Beach, was arrested March 26 for driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated driving on a revoked license, police said. A court date is set for April 21.

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Identity theft

A complainant residing on the 5800 block of Warren Street stated he called his bank after trying to use his debit card and having it declined, and was told there had been recent transfers totaling $17,500 from his account, police said. He said his identity had been taken from a copied SIM card, leading to the fraudulent activity, police said.
Kosovo's ex-president Hashim Thaci, whose war crimes trial begins in The Hague on Monday, is a former rebel leader who fought for Kosovo's independence and dominated the young nation's democracy for years.

For over two decades, Thaci has played a central role on Kosovo's political scene, making his name during the 1998-1999 war with Serbia as the political leader of the pro-independence ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

The tall, silver-haired 54-year-old -- who also served more than seven years as prime minister -- saw his popularity soar when he helped oversee Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, just three months after winning an election.

But his image was tarnished by a 2010 Council of Europe report that linked him to organised crime and politically motivated murders of Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians during and after the war.

In the years since, he has also faced accusations of corruption, clientelism and cynical politicking that have blighted Kosovo's first decade of independence.

But it was the war-era allegations that abruptly ended his presidency and have seen him spend the past two years waiting behind bars to stand trial.

Thaci resigned as president of Kosovo in 2020, after a judge in The Hague confirmed an indictment against him for crimes including murder, torture, illegal detention, enforced disappearances and persecution.

"These are not easy moments for me and my family, and for those who have supported and believed in me in the past three decades of our struggle for freedom, independence and nation-building," he said when he announced his resignation.

- 'George Washington of Kosovo' -

Born on April 24, 1968, in the Drenica region of western Kosovo -- a hotbed of separatism among Kosovo's ethnic Albanian community - Thaci was involved in passive resistance to the Belgrade authorities from the early 1990s as a student.

He later moved to Switzerland, home to a large Albanian diaspora, where he studied history.

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Together with ultra-leftists in the diaspora, he became frustrated by the policy of peaceful opposition to Belgrade's repression of ethnic Albanians followed by late Kosovo president Ibrahim Rugova.

Instead, he corralled other like-minded ethnic Albanians into an underground guerrilla army, the KLA, to take on the forces of then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Thaci earned the nom de guerre of "Snake" during the conflict, when he served as the KLA's political leader.

More than 13,000 lives, mainly ethnic Albanians, were lost in the war that ended after NATO intervened in 1999, ousting Serb forces and establishing United Nations administration over Kosovo.

Thaci then downed his guns and donned a suit to join politics, leading then US vice president Joe Biden to once hail him as the "George Washington of Kosovo".

He only won elections in November 2007 after the death the previous year of Rugova, who was regarded as the father of the nation and had proved unbeatable in all post-war polls.

Three months later, under Thaci's leadership, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia.

He has since remained at the heart of power in Kosovo, notably becoming president in 2016, despite accusations of corruption from his critics.

He has always denied any wrongdoing during the war, describing it as a "just" rebellion against Serbian repression.

"Political mistakes in peace I could have made, but war crimes, never," he said in 2020, fulfilling his promise that he would "immediately resign" if an indictment against him was confirmed.

"I will not face justice from this office," he said.

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A former headmistress was found guilty on Monday of sexually assaulting two sisters at an ultra-orthodox Jewish school in Australia, 15 years after she escaped arrest by fleeing to Israel.

Malka Leifer was guilty on 18 charges, the jury said, including raping a student during a sleep-over and sexually assaulting another teenage pupil during a school camp.

She was cleared of a further nine charges.

Leifer was the principal of the Adass Israel School in Melbourne when she was first accused of sexual assault in 2008.

A dual Israeli-Australian citizen, Leifer fled to Israel before she could be arrested, sparking a drawn-out court battle spanning more than 70 extradition hearings.

The fugitive mother-of-eight was finally flown back to Australia in 2021 and was put on trial in February this year.

Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Leifer sexually assaulted three sisters who were studying at the Adass Israel School, which is part of a reclusive Jewish sect on the city's outskirts.

After a seven-week trial, and seven days of deliberations, the jury convicted Leifer of sexually assaulting two of the sisters.

Leifer, who has maintained her innocence throughout, sat with her hands folded and stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read.

- Abuse of power -

Leifer's abuse "held us hostage for many years", said one of the sisters, Dassi Erlich.

"Today we can start to take that power back that she stole from us as children," she told reporters outside the court.

Another sister, Elly Sapper, said justice had been served.

"She abused the three of us for so many years and while today's verdict may not properly reflect that, today Malka Leifer was finally found accountable," Elly Sapper said.

The court heard how Leifer had abused her high standing within the Adass community to prey on the sisters.

According to an indictment, Leifer raped one student in 2006 after inviting her home to "sleep over for kallah lessons" -- a kind of pre-wedding etiquette class that includes sexual education.

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On other occasions Leifer told the students she was preparing them to be wives, prosecutor Justin Lewis told the court in his opening statement.

"This will help you for your wedding night," Leifer said after one sexual assault, according to Lewis.

"This is what is good for you," she allegedly said during another incident.

Leifer fled Australia in 2008 after one of the students confided in her therapist about the sexual assaults.

She eventually settled in the ultra-orthodox Emmanuel settlement in the occupied West Bank.

- Secretly filmed -

Australian police filed charges against Leifer in 2012 and requested her extradition from Israel two years later, sparking a lengthy legal saga.

Leifer claimed that crippling depression had left her catatonic and that she was mentally incapable of standing trial.

The extradition process was suspended -- until a private investigator secretly filmed Leifer going about her daily chores, apparently unafflicted by the mental illnesses she had claimed.

She was eventually extradited to Melbourne in 2021.

Defence lawyer Ian Hill previously said Leifer denied "all of the criminal conduct alleged by each of the complainants" and that her interactions with the students were "professional and proper".

"We deny that they are telling the truth," he said.

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Yulee Primarys custodian, Mrs. Barbara James, was nominated for the Cintas Custodian of the Year and a winning prize of $10,000. She has been selected in the top 10 for this national honor.

The Cintas Corporation will award $10,000 to the winning custodian and $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid products and services to the winners school.

On top of the winning prize money, the winners school will receive a facility assessment and consulting package from ISSA, The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, valued at $30,000 and enrollment in the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Fundamentals Online Course.

The nine finalists who round out the Top 10 will receive $1,000 each on behalf of Cintas, a cleaning supply package from Rubbermaid and complimentary tuition to one ISSA Cleaning Management Institute (CMI) virtual training event, valued at $1,500.

New to this years competition, the Top 3 finalists will also receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to the ISSA Show North America in Las Vegas in November where theyll be celebrated for their accomplishments.

Barbara James has been selected for this opportunity and needs your help in voting for her.

You can vote HERE on their website. Voting will last until April 14.

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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.
The robots are here to protect and monitor you.

Shoppers at Lowe's stores throughout the Philadelphia region will now be greeted by robocops that record 360-degree HD video, detect thermal anomalies, and scan license plates in the parking lot.

Customers share the store aisles with something like a plastic egg, standing 5'2" and weighing just under 400 pounds. Lowe's K5 robot patrol model, designed in Silicon Valley, automatically recharges, and even during "break," the cameras and sensors are still rolling.

Experts say it's just the start of a robot security force, which could become commonplace in the next few years. And the data collected by these machines could also be used to monitor consumer behavior like when you shop, the clothes you wear, and vehicle you drive. First, though, humans will have to become much more comfortable  and, in some cases, less hostile  to the machines.

In 2015, the HitchBOT, a Canadian hitchhiking robot that traversed Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, was attacked and "decapitated" on the streets of Philadelphia. So far, humans seem more interested in taking selfies with the Lowe's security bot and posting funny videos to YouTube and TikTok.

For subscribers: Buckingham's historic General Greene Inn for sale. What could replace it at York and Durham roads?

More: How an employee allegedly stole $2.4M from Bensalem gaming company

Robot security at stores, casinos, college campuses

Lowe's contracted with the California-based Knightscope for its robot guards and a pilot program in the Philadelphia region. This news outlet was unable to reach officials at Lowe's for comment on current and future robot locations after emails sent Friday and Monday.

Knightscope said its robots are now patrolling banks, casinos, college campuses, hospitals, data centers, and some community parks. Southeast of Los Angeles, the city of Huntington Park has machines labelled as "robocops" patrolling some public spaces.

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Robots could be soon be everywhere, said Stacy Stephens, chief client officer for Knightscope.

"Knightscopes technologies are already deployed from Hawaii to North Carolina, but were likely five years off from being ubiquitous," said Stephens. "Our autonomous security robots can be seen today protecting the places people live, work, study and visit, including hospitals, malls, casinos, hotels, airports, and schools."

The robots aren't designed to replace human security or police, Stephens said.

Yet, company brochures compare its robots to humans. Knightscope's machines are described as "workaholics," who perform 24 hours per day, seven days a week, and dont complain about it.

The shift to robotics is inevitable, said Cathal Walsh, chief security officer for Guidepost Solutions, a global security consultant.

After the pandemic and labor shortages, companies are looking to robots to perform routine tasks, said Walsh. "Robots do an exceptional job as an eyewitness with multiple cameras," Walsh said. "It captures so much information without relying on someones memory."

"Its not going to replace all humans, but theres definitely an equation here," Walsh added. "People will become more accepting of the technology. As culture adapts and the price point comes down, we will see many more of these robots. Well see them at the malls and large corporate campuses."

Yet robots will also provide companies with much more than security, said Gregory Hatcher, a cyber security consultant and former senior network engineer for the U.S. Army Special Forces. Robots will help collect consumer data on "pattern of life" for companies seeking to sell products, Hatcher said.

"We have to wonder where is all this data going," said Hatcher.

Robots are also very likely to replace some human labor, he added. "To say that (artificial intelligence) and robots aren't replacing jobs is just inaccurate. This is the new normal."

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Robot security guards at Lowe's, other stores could soon be everywhere
Do you know someone who is always late? (Getty)

Everyone has a friend who is always late, someone who turns up puffing and panting to every social event and constantly misses flights and meetings.

But scientists believe they might understand why  and how it's possible to put an end to poor time-keeping.

People who are late tend to underestimate the time it takes them to travel, University College London's Hugo Spiers told Live Science.

He said: "It is likely that there's a mechanism in the brain that causes some people to be late for meetings because they underestimate the time it will take them to get there."

It is to do with the hippocampus, a part of the brain that helps us remember when to do something and how long it takes, Spiers believes.

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

Other experts have suggested that being familiar with a journey may make us underestimate how long it takes.

Emily Waldum, of Campbell University in North Carolina, said: "If we have a lot of experience performing a task, we are more likely to underestimate how long it will take."

Some researchers believe that some people are actually 'born to be late', or with a personality type that means they find it hard to be punctual.

But there could be more complex psychology at work, according to Alfie Kohn in a 2017 article in Psychology Today.

He said: "Maybe tardy arrivers enjoy the attention they get from making an entrance and breathlessly describing to the assembled group whatever detained them on this occasion.

"Or maybe such people are simply indifferent to the effects of making others wait for them, a symptom of a more general egocentricity. They're caught up in their own needs and preferences and fail to take the perspective of others  a prerequisite, perhaps, to making an effort to be on time."

Read more: Why economists worry that reversing climate change is hopeless

But Kohn said that for some people  especially those who inconvenience themselves, by missing flights, for instance  it may be a defect that they struggle to control.

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"I suspect that those who chronically show up late don't do these things. Perhaps they have a tendency to lose themselves in whatever they're currently doing and don't discover what time it is until it's too late."

But how can late people make themselves arrive on time? One key thing could be to stop trying to multi-task.

Dr Jeff Conte, of San Diego University, also said that personality differences mean that people who are often late tend to underestimate how long tasks will take.

If you try and take on several things  such as finishing work, getting dressed, and putting the children to bed  you'll be even later.

Watch: How the universal feeling of grief lights up our brain
One of the ponds at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area.

The calendar says that its spring, but winter just doesnt seem to want to give it up. With the fickle Indiana temperatures this time of year, I decided I needed to hike somewhere a little different for a change. So I headed down to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Greene County.Goose Pond provides quality wildlife viewing and opportunities on 9,098 acres of prairie and marsh habitat. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources purchased the property in 2005 with the help of The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, Indiana Department of Transportation, United States Fish & Wildlife Service and many other organizations.

There have been over 260 species of birds documented at Goose Pond. And with 30 miles of levees to hike on, there are a lot of opportunities to get a glimpse of wildlife at this place. (A levee is a small, continuous ridge that surrounds fields or marshes that are irrigated or that hold water). Visitors are required to sign-in at the office or at any self-service center on the property.I drove down to Goose Pond on a sunny but chilly Sunday afternoon to see what I could see. With over 9,000 acres to explore, I figured I would get to see something with wings! And I enjoy late winter hikes as the landscape is very different during the winter months as compared to the warmer seasons.

I stopped at one of the viewing areas that I had been at before. I had good luck in the past viewing different waterfowl in this area.

I parked my car and headed across a levee to narrow the distance between myself and the pond. I walked slowly and quietly as to not startle any birds that might be nearby.

As I was nearing the pond, I could see some of the birds off in the distance. Many of them were becoming skittish and were flying to the other side of the pond. They had definitely become aware of my presence.

I began to walk slower and I stopped to take a few photos. They kept their distance and I decided to just stand still and watch. It seemed to be working as a few coots starting swimming in my direction.

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Coots are dark grey to black in color with a bright, white bill and forehead. Youll find them eating aquatic plants in almost any body of water. This made sense as I was standing on a levee with marshy-type plants, rushes and cattails, and other aquatic plants. When they swim, the look like small ducks and they often dive under the water, as these were doing. To my delight, a long line of coots started swimming around the corner until I must of counted a hundred or more.

I was thrilled to see any feathered friends so I stood at my post for what seemed a hour to watch these birds and their antics. When they dove under water, it looked like they were doing little somersaults. Soon they were on their way to the next pond, but the show wasnt over yet. I started seeing more than a few snow geese flying overhead, some flying quite low and in a V-shaped formation. Before long there were many. I took a video of them flying over. It was almost like they were putting on a show for me, an audience of one.

It was a Sunday afternoon that I would not soon forget. It turned out to be a good day for bird watching.

I got in a good hike while at Goose Pond as well as the time spent with nature. It was a great day at Goose Pond! To get to this place: from Spencer, take Ind. 231/67 south for 29 miles and then turn right on West Broad Street. In 475 feet, turn right on West Street. In 0.4 miles, turn left on County Road 200 South. In 4.1 miles, turn left on Ind. 59. In 2.8 miles, turn right on County Road 400 South. The office is located at 13540 West County Road 400 South. A quote for your week: Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures, and the whole of nature and its beauty.  Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist, Nobel Prize winner, 1879-1955 Until the next trail,Susan

This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hiker spends day observing birds at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area
History professors are wary of political influence over the content of their courses, worry heightened by proposed legislation in North Carolina, according to interviews with five professors at Charlotte-area colleges.

On March 22 the N.C. House passed a bill that would require a U.S. history course for graduation from community colleges and universities.

In a largely party-line vote, Republican proponents argued its important to educate students about traditional documents such as the U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address. They cited one example of a young person who, when asked to describe the Gettysburg Address, responded Whos Mr. Gettysburg? Democratic opponents expressed fear the law could lead to limits on how history is taught.

Another proposal by the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees to create a new School of Civic Life and Leadership is provoking controversy, with some professors saying it would lead to required content that undermines the facultys role in overseeing academics.

A similar debate has been building nationally as politicians in Florida and elsewhere have sought to prescribe how parts of history are taught, notably African American history.

A certain type of history

History courses are necessary, but I think politicians need to stay out of our universities, says Jurgen Buchenau, a history professor and director of capitalism studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. They dont want history to be taught. They want a certain type of history to be taught. Theyre not telling us what we need to do in math or chemistry.

Sarah Griffith, a history professor at Queens University of Charlotte, says most people agree history is important. If they didnt think it was important, they wouldnt fight so much about it.  They know who gets to be a part of history and who doesnt get to be part of history is incredibly powerful.

Griffith adds that she is terrified by laws passed by some other states that provide penalties for professors who dont follow prescribed content for history courses. One of her greatest joys as a teacher, she says, is sparking conversations in class that cause students to think. If we cant think, if we cant ask questions, if we cant be curious, to me thats a scary place.

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Dan Aldridge

Dan Aldridge, professor of history and Africana studies at Davidson College, predicts, When people without any expertise, but a lot of opinions, try to regulate what happens in colleges and schools, it will lead to educational decline.

Even though as a private school, Davidson wouldnt be affected by state laws prescribing course content, Aldridge says, Were in solidarity with the people in public schools. We dont want our partners in public schools constrained by politicians trying to tell you what you can and cannot teach.

In April, Aldridge is scheduled to participate in a conference with the chairs of black studies departments in North Carolina public and private colleges to discuss politicians efforts to regulate how Black history is taught.

Required reading

House Bill 96 is the Republican-sponsored legislation that would require at least three credit hours in American history or government to get a bachelors degree from the UNC system or an associates degree from a community college. Students would be required to read the U.S. and North Carolina Constitutions, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, Dr, Martin Luther King Jr.s letter from Birmingham Jail, at least five essays from the Federalist Papers and the Gettysburg Address. University chancellors and community college presidents could be removed if they failed to implement the new requirement.

The bill is now being considered by the Senate.

In late January the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution requesting that the university administration accelerate the development of a School of Civic Life and Leadership to develop skills in public discourse for promoting democracy and benefiting society. But faculty members at the university say theyve been left in the dark, and now the institutions accreditor has promised to determine if the board has overstepped its appropriate role, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Common ground on history requirement

Queens University history department chair Barry Robinson leads a small group discussion. I do not think that it is in the best interest of students for legislatures to micromanage what goes into the course curriculum, Robinson said.

Like the other Charlotte area history professors interviewed, Barry Robinson, history department chair at Queens, supports requiring students to take at least one history course. But he says, I do not think that it is in the best interest of students for legislatures to micromanage what goes into the course curriculum.This raises questions about academic freedom, a keystone of higher education, that are sure to be problematic for many educators.

David Williams, vice provost for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Belmont Abbey College, says its reasonable for a colleges board of trustees to expect that curriculum broadly reflect the institutions mission, identity and strategic goals, but boards of trustees should not be writing syllabi.

History is something of a battleground, Williams adds. When history becomes political, when people are arguing in the present about the present implications of the past, especially in this country, where so much of the history is wound up with race-based slavery. Present fights and present theories wind up clouding the past.

Robinson of Queens notes that politics has influenced the discipline of history since it started to be written down, and interpretations of history have likewise affected politics. The recent debate, he adds, reflects tension between historians who seem to have worked to acknowledge the voices of people who were traditionally left out of the historical record and politicians who seem to view this effort as an attack on their understanding of U.S. history or a negative critique of the status quo.

Not our job to indoctrinate

The history professors interviewed agreed students should be exposed to all parts of history.

Its not our job to indoctrinate students, says Buchenau of UNC Charlotte. Its our job to teach students different perspectives and have them decide what they think.

Williams of Belmont Abbey says, When I taught politics, one of the proudest things I did was to teach in a way that people couldnt tell which side I fell on. Its just gotten harder to do it but it can still be a goal.

At Davidson, The Deliberative Citizenship Initiative encourages students to debate their views on topics such as abortion, the civil rights movement and current political insurgencies.Were trying to encourage and understand the views of others, without seeing them as deadly enemies who must be silenced, says Aldridge.

Buchenau of UNC Charlotte says the controversy over politics influencing history hasnt changed the way he teaches the subject. I think it has emboldened some parents and their children to basically try to get me to not teach some of the things that I do, particularly about race, class, and gender. But I try to not let that bother me. I try to give students the best-rounded experience that I can.

Our universities are the envy of the world because theyre independent. There are a lot of countries where the universities are not free, including countries we study, Buchenau adds. I just show students what happened when there was censorship and political interference. Im a history professor. I dont talk so much about current events, but I talk about other times and other places and then let the students draw their own conclusions.

Palmer Magri and Sam Carnes are students in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news.
Nothing gets by Diana Manzella from her home office perch overlooking the south Kansas City cul-de-sac where she lives. So when her mail carrier started missing delivery days a few months ago, she noticed.

Manzella, 66, a self-described details-oriented person, was signed up for Informed Delivery, a United States Postal Service program that sends a heads-up about mail on its way. But early this year, the lag between notification and delivery began growing longer; sometimes the mail never came at all.

Its very sad, because what are we supposed to do? Were supposed to rely on them. Theyre supposed to follow the law and deliver our mail and yet we cant get anybody to come on a regular basis. Its a hit and miss, Manzella said.

Across the Kansas City metro, complaints about the mail have been mounting for months. In conversations among neighbors and on social media sites like NextDoor, reports of late, missing and erratic mail delivery have piled up.

For Manzella, it was important tax documents that never came. One day, she finally got a post office manager on the phone.

I was on hold for about 10 minutes. She came back, she goes Ive got quite a bit of mail here, Manzella said. I said, you get it to me today.

Some residents know exactly when the problems began  pinpointing the start of their issues to the departure of a longtime carrier or the new year. Manzella said her neighborhood never had any problems until her long-time mail carrier retired last year.

Others just have the clear sense that what was once a consistent and reliable service is now something less.

Prairie Village resident Mary Bertoldie said delivery times have grown later in the day and often occur after dark. She described not receiving any mail for a couple days recently only to finally get a thick stack of it.

I thought, OK, theyre just not delivering it every day, said Bertoldie, who is retired and in her early 70s.

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of President Joe Biden signing the Postal Service Reform Act, which changed how the Postal Service pays retiree benefits, providing it with a one-time financial boost of $57 billion. The law also guaranteed six days of Postal Service delivery each week, restricting its ability to reduce service in the future.

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Members of Congress from Kansas and Missouri  and across the country  have been demanding for months that USPS meet its legal obligation to provide six-day service and hammering the agency for shortfalls. The widespread frustrations have led lawmakers to send numerous letters recounting constituent complaints.

In Kansas City, Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and Republican Rep. Sam Graves have jointly pushed USPS to address delivery problems. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has also highlighted continued delays. Cleaver and Graves announced last week the USPS Office of Inspector General has agreed to investigate.

Whatever is happening or not happening is causing mass disruption, Cleaver said in an interview.

In response to questions from The Star, a USPS spokesperson directed reporters to a Dec. 1 letter the Postal Service sent to Cleaver and Graves.

We have worked continually to improve and stabilize service performance, USPS government relations representative James D. Reedy wrote to the congressmen.

Reedy added that temporary personnel shortages may occasionally affect delivery and hamper our ability to provide 6-day delivery in some areas of the country without saying directly whether the Kansas City region had fallen short.

Postal service has long-term financial problems

The USPS has long been under financial strain. In the last fiscal year, the Postal Service had an adjusted loss of $473 million, a number that excludes the one-time financial benefit of the Postal Service Reform Act. In May 2022, the Postal Regulatory Commission noted that USPS hasnt had a profitable year in the past decade but that the new law would have significant effects on its financial position.

Under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former logistics company CEO and major GOP donor, the USPS has embarked on a 10-year transformation called Delivering for America. At the center of the plan is a push to remake the Postal Service into a financially self-sustaining operation.

DeJoy was appointed postmaster general in May 2020 by the USPS Board of Governors, which at the time was controlled by Trump appointees. President Joe Biden has now appointed a majority of the board. Postmasters general dont serve fixed terms, but are hired and fired by the board. The White House has been critical of DeJoy, and its not entirely clear why the Biden-majority board hasnt moved to replace him.

DeJoy triggered a national outcry in 2020 when he rolled out a host of changes ahead of the 2020 election that included removing collection boxes, cutting retail hours and consolidating processing facilities. DeJoy was a major ally of President Donald Trump, who had attacked mail voting. The USPS, under immense pressure, shelved the changes weeks before the election and agreed to prioritize the delivery of election mail.

But in the two and a half years since, USPS has continued its overhaul. And amid a tight labor market, which the Postal Service says has contributed to staffing shortages, and high inflation that has sent costs rising, delivery problems have emerged.

In Kansas and Missouri, 90.1% of first-class mail with a two-day delivery standard arrived on-time, according to an online performance dashboard maintained by the USPS Office of Inspector General. Thats above the national average of 89.7% but below the target of 93%.

Performance in the two states drops significantly for mail with a three-to-five day delivery standard. Only 77.8% of mail arrived on time, compared to a 90.28% target rate. Kansas is among the 10 worst-performing regions for this delivery standard, along with Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota, Colorado-Wyoming and Tennessee.

The service has gotten terrible, Paul Rockwell, a Shawnee retiree, said bluntly.

At least twice, mail related to his mortgage has disappeared, Rockwell said, prompting him to stop paper billings. His cell phone bill has also arrived late, in some cases leaving him with just two or three days sometimes to make payment.

In recent months, Ive heard from far too many Kansans who rely on the Postal Service for their medications, bills, and business operations that their mail is being delayed or not delivered at all, Rep. Sharice Davids, a Democrat who represents much of the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro, said in a statement.

Davids, whose mother is a retired postal worker, promised to keep pushing to ensure Kansans feel the benefits of the postal reform law.

Numerous Kansas City residents have complained of postal service delivery problems in recent months.

USPS, unions blame staffing

For Fairway Optical Products in Kansas City, delivery delays can quickly lead to financial consequences.

President Steve DesBien said that while mail is often placed into the business P.O. box on time, its physical location on The Paseo may not get mail for days at a time. DesBien said hes working on online payments, but more than half of the revenue still arrives through the mail in the form of checks.

If I dont get my cash, I cant pay my employees and I cant pay my vendors, DesBien said.

Postal workers and USPS both blame staffing problems for service disruptions. But while the Postal Services leadership emphasizes the difficulty attracting applicants amid low unemployment, workers fault on-the-job conditions and a lack of support from management.

Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union, said service problems are widespread, affecting all corners of the country. More than a decade ago, the USPS began using more non-career positions, which arent as attractive initially and have fewer incentives to foster a long-running career  leading to more turnover, he said.

Add to that ingredient the way people are treated once they get there. And weve just had too much abuse, too much of a toxic work environment, Dimondstein said in an interview. Its not new in the post office, but its getting worse.

Toni Robinson, president of APWU Local 67, which represents postal workers in the greater Kansas City area, said a lack of training has contributed to a churn of employees and efficient operations. A USPS Office of Inspector General report released in early 2020 before the pandemic found that the turnover rate of non-career positions across the entire Postal Service was nearly 39%.

Robinsons local union represents about 1,250 employees, including area clerks, maintenance staff and tractor-trailer drivers. Mail carriers are represented by a separate union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, which declined to comment.

The biggest issue is training, getting even the management staff to understand the United States Postal Service because a lot of them do not, they havent been here long enough to know how to run the Postal Service, said Robinson, who has worked for the Postal Service since 1985.

The Star asked USPS spokesperson Mark Inglett to identify the severity of staffing shortages in the Kansas City area and the primary drivers of shortages. The spokesperson referred to the Dec. 1 letter to Cleaver and Graves.

Unfortunately, the Kansas City region, like many other areas of the country, has had trouble hiring the appropriate number of personnel. In Missouri, the unemployment rate is 2.4 percent, and 2.6 percent in the Kansas City region, where employee availability issues have led to inconsistent service, Reedy wrote in the letter.

Reedy wrote that USPS was working aggressively to hire an additional 80 career carriers and 43 substitute carriers. Employee availability has been the main factor affecting delivery in the Kansas City region and other parts of the country, Reedy wrote.

A postal service worker moves mail at a Kansas City area post office.

Should Congress do more?

Paul Steidler, a senior fellow at the Lexington Institute, a Virginia-based center-right think tank, said the Postal Service is constrained in the rates of pay it can offer, making it more difficult to recruit workers in metro areas. Still, Steidler, who has studied the USPS and supply chains, said the Postal Service could transfer workers on a temporary basis to address severe problems.

The Postal Service had more employees last year  516,760  than any year since 2012. At the same time, first-class mail volumes continue to decline and are at their lowest point since the early 1970s.

Its not a particularly busy time of year. Its not the Christmas season, its not the election season, Steidler said. It really should be fixed and should have been fixed a long time ago.

Cleaver floated in an interview the idea of reviving a U.S. House committee tasked with overseeing the Postal Service. The House Post Office and Civil Service Committee, begun in 1946, was discontinued in 1995 after Republicans retook control of the chamber the year before.

The issues with the Postal Service have risen to the point where it is time to re-establish the committee, Cleaver said. He added that challenges within the Postal Service require near-daily attention.

It is a massive, massive problem and weve got to deal with it, Cleaver said. I know that most people thought that day was over when we needed to have a committee and now I think we need it more than ever.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver has urged the United States Postal Service to improve delivery in the Kansas City area.

Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, said hes been thinking about whether mail processing centers need to be reopened in Kansas. Numerous Kansas centers have been shuttered over the years.

Moran said every week his staff provides him with a list of issues constituents have raised with his office and every week, mail problems make the list. He said he understands the challenges posed by short staffing, but indicated USPS cant cite that forever.

Thats a problem that lots of businesses face, but its a problem that every business needs to solve. So it cant be an excuse very long, Moran said.

In the meantime, the complaints continue to roll in.

Sharon Lockhart, an 80-year-old Leawood resident, said she receives a lot of mail because she has durable power of attorney for a cousin. She also gets mail, often junk, meant for deceased family members.

In recent months, days sometimes go by without Lockhart receiving any mail. She suspects its because it hasnt been delivered.

Her mail has been erratic enough recently that when spoke with The Star on Tuesday, she expressed surprise that she had actually gotten regular delivery over the past week.

I had mail on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. Now thats unusual, Lockhart said.

Manzella, the south Kansas City resident, said she has done everything she can to try to improve delivery for her and her neighbors, including reaching out to Cleaver. She expressed gratitude that lawmakers are fighting our battle for us.

But her days of turning to the Postal Service may be over.

I barely keep stamps around here. Im not going to use the post office. If I can send it some other way, I will, Manzella said. I dont trust them. Theres no trust in the post office today.
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras' government deployed soldiers across the country as part of a plan to fight criminal groups, authorities said Monday, with official images showing hundreds of soldiers being commissioned for the project.

The move comes after leftist President Xiomara Castro implemented a partial state of emergency last December in pockets of the country's largest cities, led mainly by members of the police.

"In this new stage we have the task of ending drug trafficking, crime and also capturing the leaders of maras (violent street gangs) and gangs. We will guarantee peace for the life of the Honduran people," Defense Minister Jose Manuel Zelaya said at a ceremony.

He did not specify the numbers of troops involved in this new deployment, though hundreds were seen at the commissioning ceremony in images shared by the government on Twitter.

The armed forces will assume security responsibilities in seven of the country's mostly semi-urban departments where drug cartels operate and cocaine leaf plantations have been discovered, according to the government outline.

The state of emergency, which suspends some constitutional rights, is set to last until April 20.

"People and criminals respect the military more than the police," Reinelda Lopez, a domestic worker, told Reuters, adding that she has been the victim of assault twice and now only goes out to the streets if necessary.

The move shows a change in tact by Casto, who has previously criticized the role of the military in previous administrations and pledged to "demilitarize citizen security" during her presidential campaign.

Honduras registers an average of 10 homicides a day, according to security authorities.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
Demand for rental property pushes up average rent to 1,184 a month. Photo: Getty

Asking rents for new tenants hit a record high in March, with the average rent for a tenancy in the UK standing at 1,184 a month.

London continues to lead as the most expensive city to live in the UK, with tenants in the capital facing an average rent of 1,979 per month.

Read more: How much pension you need and how to build it

When London is excluded, the average rent in the UK is 993 per month, up 1% from the previous month, referencing and rent guarantee firm Homelet, which processes approximately a million tenancy applications every year, said.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has again called for a rent freeze for tenants to be implemented in the capital.

Rents are rising fastest in the North West of England, with tenants experiencing a 1.6% increase from last month, with average rents rising to 639 per month.

Our private rental market cant continue like thisits not sustainable for Londoners who are struggling with other rising costs too.



The Govt must allow me to freeze rents in the capital. https://t.co/3oRGUWCRbX  Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 2, 2023

As every region of the country reports a month on month rental price rise, its fair to say that demand for rental properties remains exceptionally high, Andy Halstead, CEO of HomeLet & Let Alliance, said.

It had been interesting to observe a few months of decreased prices in London, but the capital appears to have recovered from a slight dip, in line with rises across the country.

Given the insufficient housing stock and continued rising rents, rent guarantee becomes ever more essential for landlords and letting agents.

Read more: UK tenants hit by rising rents amid house price increase

Overall, the average rent in the UK is now 1,184 per month, a 0.8% increase from last months average of 1,175.

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The data from Homelet also shows that the number of suspicious or fraudulent tenancy applications has increased by 10% over the past 12 months to some 50,000 "red flag" references in total.

Watch: Am I wasting my money by renting?

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
The second-ever fire engine to be deployed in Niles has returned to the village from Wisconsin, where it had been in the hands of a private collector. - Original Credit: Handout (Courtesy of the Village of Niles / HANDOUT)

A 1941 fire engine has returned to Niles after a long sojourn in Wisconsin, village officials announced March 28.

The vehicle, which Fire Chief Marty Feld told village trustees was the second fire engine ever used in Niles, had been in Birchwood, Wisconsin as part of a private collection.

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The collection owner contacted the village and asked if officials would be interested in purchasing it, spokesperson Mitch Johnson told Pioneer Press.

Fire Department staff spent time determining if it was ours, eventually finding a Village document with the original vehicles [identification] number, Johnson wrote in an email to Pioneer Press. We compared it to the vehicle for sale and it matched.

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The village paid $5,000 for the engine and another $500 in fuel costs to Lin-Mar Towing to bring the engine back to Niles, Johnson said.

The vehicle is in excellent condition, Johnson said, and will be part of future parades and special events in the village.

According to information posted on the village website, the first fire wagon in the village was a hand-drawn apparatus known as Blue Boy. It now resides at Fire Station #2 at the intersection of Dempster Street and Cumberland Avenue, the website states.

Information in the villages 1999 Centennial History book states that the fire department partially retired Blue Boy to part-time service in 1910 following the purchase of a horse-drawn pumper.

Around the time that the 1941 Pirsch would have been in use in Niles, the Niles Fire Department was raising money for an ambulance, eventually purchased for $6,000.

Niles established a full-time fire department in 1953, according to the centennial history. It had hired its first full-time firefighters in 1947, establishing their salaries at $225/month in 1948 for a combination of firefighting and custodial work.

Neighboring Park Ridge also has its own vintage fire engine from 1934. Also a Pirsch, the truck returned to the city in 2020 following decades with the Memphis, Tenn. fire department. To return it here, the Park Ridge Historical Society purchased it for $20,000. That truck was taken out of service in 1955, according to prior reporting.
Experts explain why it's important to teach kids about physical, intellectual and invisible disabilities. (Image: Getty; illustration by Quinn Lemmers and Nathalie Cruz; animation by Kyle McCauley)

In the United States its estimated that 4.3% of children, and up to one in four adults, has some form of disability. That means that most children will encounter someone with a disability when they are still very young.

Yet, many parents shy away from having discussions about disability. I find my friends dont talk to their [typically developing] children about disability at all in fear of getting it wrong, says Daya Chaney Webb, a parent of a disabled child and advocate with Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint. And Whitney Stohr, a parent of a disabled child and advocate with Little Lobbyists, says that even parents who talk about diversity with their children overlook disability as part of that broader discussion.

Why it's important to discuss disability with kids

Advocates recommend having these conversations early. I grew up watching kids and adults alike recoil from my brother simply because he looked a little different, and spoke a little differently from them," says Melissa Hart, who grew up with a brother with Down syndrome, and is a former special education teacher and author of two books featuring disabled characters. "The younger kids are when we have conversations about people with physical and intellectual disabilities, and the more we create compassion and extend a hand in friendship, the better for us all."

These conversations can also help demystify disability for naturally curious children.

Kids are fascinated by anything that looks different from what they're used to seeing," says Trish Allison, author of How to Respond to Disability Curiosity from Kids and the founder of DEI for Parents. "It could be someone in a wheelchair, someone stimming [engaging in self-stimulating behaviors, typically involving repetitive movements or sounds] or a blind person with a service dog. The type of disability doesn't matter to them. It's the fact that it's something out of the ordinary that makes them curious. It's a natural instinct  not a judgment."

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This tracks with the experience of James Catchpole, author of What Happened to You?, a book based partially on his experience of living with one leg. Childrens brains are primed to learn the rules for how the world works," he says. "In my case, little ones have only just worked out that legs normally come in pairs  so of course the sight of me blows their minds. What? say their brains. People come like that, too?!

According to Allison, its important that parents answer kids questions. Its how they learn, she says, adding that its much better for children to get answers from their parents rather than using their imagination to fill in the blanks.

Hart suggests explaining to your child that people with disabilities are human beings with likes and dislikes and desires and hobbies and goals just like everyone else. Thats something even very young children can understand.

"Kids are fascinated by anything that looks different from what they're used to seeing," one expert says. (Image: Getty; illustration by Quinn Lemmers and Nathalie Cruz)

How parents can start the conversation

Allison recommends opening a discussion about disability by asking kids what theyve already learned. Otherwise, they might tune out because you're telling them something they already know, she says.

Instead of trying to engage kids in a serious, sit-down discussion Allison recommends having short, casual discussions whenever seems appropriate. Hart thinks that the best time to talk to children about disability is when a real-life opportunity arises, whether that is when your child sees a person with a disability at the park or on television.

Parents should be candid in explaining to their kids that brains and bodies work in all different ways, and people  regardless of whether they look and act similarly to, or different from, our children  deserve respect, compassion and friendship, Hart adds.

Allison says to keep conversations simple at first. She recommends telling children that a disabled person has a body part  that works differently than ours. Other than that, they're just like you and me. Its also important that children understand its crucial to treat all people with disabilities as people first, she adds. Allison explains that many disabled people do not think of the disability as their identity. That means someone who is a teacher and uses a wheelchair might first think of themselves as a teacher rather than a wheelchair user.

According to Allison, parents must acknowledge that people with physical disabilities do look different. If you dont acknowledge this, Allison says your children probably wont trust anything else you say about the subject.

Conversations may become more complex as children get older and start asking more questions. When this happens, children might wonder about invisible disabilities that are not immediately apparent. Invisible disabilities include intellectual disabilities and some physical disabilities, such as someone with a prosthetic leg under their clothing. Allison recommends explaining that invisible disabilities are real disabilities so people with invisible disabilities deserve the same kindness and respect as someone in a wheelchair.

Reinforce the message

If parents want their children to accept and include people with disabilities they need to be the example, says Allison. Just talking isn't enough. If you say something is important, but your child doesn't see you behaving in a way that matches your words, they know its not actually that important to you, so why should it be important to them? says Allison.

There are many ways parents can do this. First, Allison says that parents need to be aware of their own biases. If you behave in ways that demonstrate you're fearful of disabled people, even though you say youre all for disability equality, your child will notice and emulate your behavior, she says. Second, Allison says that parents need to be proactive and take a stand when they see someone being treated unfairly. Third, Allison says that parents need to respect accommodations. There are many accommodations that give people with disabilities equal access, including accessible parking spots and larger bathrooms. You can show respect for those accommodations by praising them instead of acting annoyed, recommends Allison.

Hart tries to put this into practice. Including people with physical and intellectual disabilities in our circle of friends brings a richness and a diversity that can be incredibly rewarding to all, she says. Hart recommends that parents figure out which children in their neighborhood arent getting invited to playdates and parties and start extending invitations.

Parents should also consider having book and toy collections that represent disability.

If disability is a part of childrens books and toys from when theyre first read to or played with, then [there] wont even need to be a deliberate conversation about disability, says Catchpole.

Kristen Souza, a licensed mental health counselor, says that toys and books are a great way to teach kindness and to also help your child become a critical thinker. Moreover, introducing books and toys that portray children with disabilities in a positive light is a great way to control the narrative as a parent and to get ahead of the questions [children] will inevitably ask you, she says.

Hart recommends using picture books and television programs that represent people with varying disabilities authentically and respectfully. Mainstream television shows like Sesame Street, Firebuds, Arthur and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood feature characters with disabilities so they arent hard to find.

Instead of books that focus only on someones disability Allison says to look for books with people with disabilities fully integrated into the storyline. Hart also recommends books that integrate characters with disabilities naturally into stories for kids to show that disability is not something to be ashamed of or hidden.

Children's entertainment, toys and books can also help expose kids to disability representation. (Image: Getty; illustration by Quinn Lemmers and Nathalie Cruz)

The Diverse Book Finder website is a good place to start. Librarians and booksellers often have good recommendations as well. Reading together is a wonderful way to inspire conversations about people who may look or act differently from your child, explains Hart.

Diversifying your childs toy collection is also a good step towards opening a discussion about disability. Whether your child prefers a remote-controlled person in a wheelchair or a doll that uses a hearing aid, toys are a good way to introduce disability to children early. Hart took this approach with her daughter. When she came across kids at school who used the same devices, she was already familiar with physical disabilities and thought nothing of reaching out a hand in friendship, she says.

Catchpole emphasizes the importance of a diverse toy and book collection. As a disabled person, you can feel the difference between What on earth is that? and Hes like the kid in my book!' he says.

Learn the rules of etiquette

There are specific etiquette guidelines to consider when teaching children how to engage with people with disabilities, says Allison.

According to Allison its important that children know that disabled people do not want to be seen as objects of pity. Parents should also use positive terms when talking about disability, she says. Instead of saying someone in a wheelchair cant walk, explain that wheelchairs help people move around and give them freedom.

Parents should also teach children to treat medical devices with respect, says Allison. Do not pet a service dog without asking and do not move someones wheelchair without their consent. Children may be eager to help when they see someone with a disability, but Allison emphasizes that its important to ask the disabled person if they want help before you help."

But how should parents respond if their child stares at someone with a disability, or loudly asks whats wrong with them? According to Brianna Leonhard, a special education teacher certified in profound intellectual disabilities and autism, children are naturally curious but not naturally judgmental. They see a difference, but they do not inherently judge it as a flaw. She says that scolding children for being curious or staring paves the way for children to view people with disabilities differently or to avoid them completely."

Hart, who grew deflecting invasive questions about her brother, suggests that parents simply and kindly apologize to that person before taking your child to a quiet place to discuss why what they said might be hurtful and discussing how to approach someone with a disability, starting with a genuine hello. She also recommends finding a positive example, in that moment, of a person with the same disability. Parents can then open a discussion of what the person with a disability might like to do and how the disability might affect the persons life.

Children should also not be prying about someone's health. Catchpole emphasizes that its important to respect the privacy of disabled people. When the prevailing consensus is that a curious child should just ask! then the burden is on the disabled [person] to just answer," he explains. "Think for a moment what that means. A visibly disabled [person] will encounter a curious child many times every day."

Moreover, stopping a disabled person to ask questions singles out their differences in public and its the most personal question a person can be asked, says Catchpole. He adds that while parents teach their children not to ask strangers personal questions, they often exempt disabled people from this basic rule but they shouldnt.

According to Catchpole, most children who are curious about what happened to a disabled person will accept a simple explanation along the lines of bodies work in all sorts of different ways, and thats OK with an explanation that its OK not to know what happened to the person. Parents can explain in a general way that some people are born with one leg, some lose a leg because of an accident or illness and some use a wheelchair because their legs work in different ways.

In the end, the most important lesson when explaining disability to kids is that all people, no exceptions, deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Depending on their age, hopefully they'll be able to take that concept and apply it to other groups of marginalized people, says Allison.

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
Nearly 1,800 flights were canceled and thousands more were delayed in the U.S. over the weekend as severe storms battered states in the midwest and south, leaving more than 30 people dead.

According to online flight tracker FlightAware, 796 scheduled flights in the U.S. were canceled on Sunday and another 974 on Saturday. Thousands more flights were delayed: 8,555 on Sunday and 4,401 on Saturday.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport saw the most flights cancelled on Sunday, with 86, and MinneapolisSt. Paul International Airport had the most cancellations on Saturday, with 71. Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and D.C.s Ronald Reagan National Airport were also among the most impacted.

The flight cancellations come as severe storms ripped through parts of central and southern U.S. over the weekend, with tornadoes believed to have hit at least eight states.

Thirty-two people were confirmed dead as a result of the severe storms, according to the Associated Press.

President Biden approved on Sunday a disaster declaration for Arkansas, where at least five people were killed by the severe weather. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) declared a state of emergency on Friday and activated the states National Guard.

Theres nothing we can do to heal the hole left in the hearts of far too many families who lost loved ones this weekend, but we will be there every step of the way as they rebuild and recover, Biden said in a statement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday urged former President Trump to keep on fighting ahead of his scheduled arraignment on Tuesday in New York City.

Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you, @realDonaldTrump, Orban wrote on Twitter, sharing an image of the two leaders shaking hands.

Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury in connection with hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid his 2016 campaign, making him the first U.S. president, current or former, to be indicted on criminal charges.

Trump, now , is set to appear in court on Tuesday for.

Trump, who is the GOPs leading 2024 presidential candidate, insists the Manhattan prosecutors case is politically motivated, an accusation echoed by many in the Republican party. Democrats have generally hailed the indictment as evidence that nobody is above the law.

Orban, who has eroded democratic freedoms during more than a decade in power, is a Trump ally celebrated by U.S. conservatives. He appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference last summer to criticize the Biden administration and Brussels, the seat of the European Union, telling the audience that we must take back the institutions in Washington and in Brussels.

The Hungarian leader has also cast himself as a defender of traditional values, blasting LGBT ideology and illegal immigration.

The Hungarian prime minister has also argued that Trump offers the hope for peace in Russias war on Ukraine. Trump, too, has suggested he has the solution for the conflict, now in its 14th month, but has not divulged details on what that might look like.

Trump hosted Orban at the White House during his term as president, and the two met up last year. Trump endorsed in his reelection bid last year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hurricane Ian is officially the most expensive storm in Floridas history, with a price tag of $109 billion in damage.

Thats the staggering loss from tens of thousands of homes and buildings in Southwest Florida damaged by Ians fierce winds and storm surge  and more than a thousand totally wiped away. Roads and bridges, including the Sanibel causeway, crumbled into the sea. As far away as Broward County across the state, a tornado spawned at the storms edge tipped over planes at a small airport, causing a couple million in damages.

A new National Hurricane Center report with the official numbers from Ian put the final death toll at 156 dead and found that at one point the storm did reach Category 5 strength before roaring ashore slightly weaker. The report, released Monday, is a comprehensive look at the hard numbers around Ian, including wind speed, storm surge height and rain totals.

It also discusses the hurricane centers forecast for the storm, which critics say didnt give Southwest Florida enough time to prepare and evacuate ahead of the storm. The NHC analysis acknowledged Ian was challenging and found that tracking forecasts tend to be biased to the left, away from the coast, but also that cone of uncertainty included Southwest Florida in the days before landfall.

Some key top findings:

Category 4? Or 5?

Hurricane Ian first made landfall in Cubas Pinar del Rio Province as a Category 3 hurricane, destroying 60% of the housing in the area. It stayed a Category 3 as its eye passed over the Dry Tortugas in the Florida Keys before continuing to strengthen in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Originally, the NHC believed Ian only strengthened to a Category 4 before it hit Florida but researchers now say it actually reached Category 5 in the Gulf with sustained winds topping 160 miles per hour.

Hurricane Ian blasted Pine Island like never before. The community is sticking together

It weakened slightly before landfall in the barrier island of Cayo Costa, the report said, and likely hit Florida as a strong Category 4.

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Researchers estimate it stayed a Category 4 for its second landfall on the mainland in Punta Gorda shortly later. But they cant know for sure, since key equipment couldnt stand up to Ians power.

An SUV is submerged in a canal behind a house on Lagoon Road in Fort Myers Beach Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The car and massive amounts of other debris littering the area are the result of Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in the Southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.

Because of instrument failure, no reliable surface observations exist from the coastal areas where the eyewall came on shore, the report read.

By the time Ian reached Floridas west coast, it was down to a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds around 70 miles per hour.

The financial toll

In total, NOAAs National Centers for Environmental Information estimates that Ian did $112.9 billion of damage in the United States, making it the third-costliest storm on record.

Most of that damage  $109 billion of it  happened in Florida. That makes it the states most expensive storm in history. That number reflects the tremendous number of buildings devastated in Ians high winds and relentless storm surge.

In Fort Myers Beach alone, an estimated 900 structures were totally destroyed, and 2,200 were damaged. In Lee County, at least 52,514 structures were impacted, of which 5,369 were destroyed and 14,245 received major damage, the report said.

That price tag will likely continue to tick up as more insurance claims and lawsuits roll in.

The Matlacha bridge damaged during Hurricane Ian begins to be repaired on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

Lives lost

Although it was thought to be far higher at one point, the official final death toll from Hurricane Ian is now 156, with 66 of those deaths directly from the storm. Of those, most were from storm surge, with 41 deaths. The vast majority of those (36) occurred in Lee County.

This does not include people still missing since the storm, including 11 from a migrant boat headed from Cuba to the U.S. and a live-aboard couple from the Keys.

Their father, 87, evacuated for Hurricane Ian. Rattled by storm surge, he died in his car

Record storm surge

At its highest point, researchers estimated Hurricane Ian sent 15 feet of water above ground crashing into Southwest Florida. But the measurements came in slightly below that figure.

The single highest recorded point was 12.7 feet over water at Fort Myers Beach Pier, which was nearly wiped out by the storm.

Fort Myers Beach and Estero Island caught the brunt of it, as even early damage estimates revealed, with 10 to 15 feet of storm surge above ground.

How high was Hurricane Ians storm surge? These scientists hunt down the answer

The eastern portions of Sanibel were pummeled with nine to 13 feet of water, and Pine Island, Cape Coral and communities along the Calahoosahatchee River saw six to nine feet.

The Keys saw only one to three feet of surge, still enough to flood multiple homes and make some roads impassable. Northeast Florida, where Ian exited, saw three to five feet of surge.

Researchers with the USGS and NWS measured high water marks from Hurricane Ians storm surge and found heights as tall as 15 feet above the ground.

Record rain

Although Ian may be best known for the havoc it wreaked on the southwest coast, inland Central Florida saw more rain than some places have ever experienced, leading to more than 250 water rescues.

The highest rainfall total was in Grove City in Charlotte County at 27 inches, but inland Florida saw 10 to 20 inches of rain.

Hurricane Ian brought a maximum of 27 inches of rain, with about 10 to 20 inches falling across central Florida.

Historic storm surge. Record flooding. Ians lesson in the rising risk of hurricanes

A questioned forecast

This report noted that the hurricane centers official forecast exhibited a left-of-track bias for most of its forecasting for Ian, and was outperformed by some of the major storm models in the short term, including ones run by the United Kingdom and other outside forecasting groups.

On average, the report said, the NHC performed better than average for the soonest part of the forecast, the 12 and 24-hour mark, as well as the 120-hour mark. Forecasters did about average for the 36-hour and 48-hour mark and did worse than average for the 72 and 96-hour mark.

Ever since the storm, critics have pushed back on the NHC for its initial forecast, which showed a likely landfall in Tampa Bay. That led to a mass evacuation of the Tampa Bay area and less attention to more southern coastal spots.

The National Hurricane Centers forecasts for Hurricane Ian consistently fell to the left of where the storm ended up making landfall, although the cone of uncertainty did include the landfall spot in Cayo Costa the entire time.

Just a few days before landfall, the forecast bent right, putting more of southwest Florida in the cone of uncertainty and taking the pressure off Tampa Bay. With less time to evacuate, many in the hardest-hit parts of the state chose to stay.

The hurricane centers report did not get into the controversy, but it did stress that the forecast track cone of uncertainty did contain the landfall location for all advisory cycles.

Folks misunderstand hurricane cone of uncertainty, study shows. Time for a change?

In general, storms that parallel a coastline tend to be more challenging to predict because a small change in heading can cause large differences in the landfall location. Ian was an example of this particular challenge, the report said.
Cary McMullen

From the time of the Reformation, evangelicals have had an uneasy relationship with art, even religiously themed art. In the 1500s, Protestant zealots decided that statues, paintings, even stained-glass windows that depicted biblical scenes were idolatrous. Known as iconoclasts (from the Greek, image breakers), they took it upon themselves to destroy as much of this art as they could get their hands on. In more recent times, evangelicals have regarded with suspicion or hostility any book, film or artwork that doesnt conform to strict moral standards.

The recent controversies about banning certain books from school libraries is largely driven by this evangelical fervor. So in a sense, it shouldnt have been a surprise that the principal at Tallahassee Classical School was forced to resign last week because parents complained after a sixth-grade art class was shown Renaissance-era art that depicted nudes, notably Michaelangelos statue, David.

Lest we accuse the school and the parents who complained of mere puritanism, consider that David shocked Catholic officials at the time it was created, and Queen Victoria of England found the copy of the statue standing in a British museum offensive. In both cases, a metallic fig leaf was fashioned and strategically placed so Davids (ahem) goods wouldnt be on public view.

Superficial headlines and late-night show jokes aside, this and related episodes actually represent a retreat from a 20th-century evangelical movement that did not shy away from engagement with the arts.

Some context about Tallahassee Classical School.

It is one of numerous schools around the country (including Geneva Classical Academy in Lakeland) that is part of a network organized by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan. The idea is to foster an education that returns to a foundation  well-versed in literature, history, modern science, mathematics and the fine arts. The curriculum even requires the study of Latin.

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(Full disclosure: Our son taught history at a classical school for a couple of years after he graduated from the University of Florida.)

To be sure, there is a Euro-American worldview here, with heavy emphasis on Western civilization and on American history and civics as its best example. There also isnt much room for diversity. A Native American student at a classical school in North Carolina was told recently that he had to cut his traditional braids because they didnt conform to the schools dress code. Troubling shades of colonialism.

The curriculums intellectual rigor attracts a certain kind of evangelical refugee from the public schools. They are the spiritual heirs of Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984), an American pastor, author and thinker, who ran a retreat center in Switzerland. Schaeffer was mostly interested in explaining and defending Christianity in the modern world, but he believed that in order to do that, Christians should engage and examine every aspect of culture, including the fine arts.

Although a fundamentalist, Schaeffer had a kind of intellectual courage. He taught a generation of evangelicals to be fearless in what they read and saw, in history, philosophy, fiction, film, etc., in order to compare it to Christian values. For example, Schaeffer probably would have admired the artistry of David while regarding it as a reversion to a pagan idealization of the human body instead of David as a servant of God. This is not iconoclasm  Schaeffer never advocated destroying or censoring such images or ideas  but rather observation and critique.

At Tallahassee Classical School, some parents didnt get the memo, in more ways than one. According to the chairman of the schools board of directors, parents were supposed to be advised that the sixth-graders would be, um, exposed to nude figures, but werent. But when one of the parents called David pornography, then that parent didnt understand the philosophy of Tallahassee Classical School, simply falling back on moralistic tropes.

Which raises the further question of whether there is a retreat among evangelicals to the kind of cultural isolationism that Schaeffer argued against  a new iconoclasm. Will populist evangelicalism shout down its culturally engaged twin? If so, then evangelicals will be poorly equipped to articulate their point of view in a way that commands respect rather than ridicule among the top circles of business, academia and government. And theyll be left to wonder why no one takes them seriously.

Cary McMullen is a retired journalist and the former religion editor of The Ledger. He lives in Greensboro, NC.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: The new iconoclasm in Tallahassee
The number of Illinois counties at elevated COVID-19 community levels remained relatively low this week, state officials reported.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated 13 Illinois counties at a medium COVID-19 community level Thursday, including Greene, White, Pike, Adams and others. For the second consecutive week, no counties were at a high level.

St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Clinton, Bond, Washington, Randolph, St. Louis City and St. Louis County were all at low levels.

The CDCs COVID-19 community levels are updated Thursdays and based on metrics from the past seven days, including new hospital admissions per 100,000 people, average percent of staffed, inpatient beds occupied by COVID patients and new cases per 100,000 people.

People in high community level areas are advised to wear a mask indoors and on public transportation, and the federal agency says people at a higher risk of severe illness should consider precautions in medium-level areas.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 7,879 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths for the week ending March 26.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated 13 Illinois counties at medium levels March 30, 2023.

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra wrote in a March 31 statement Illinois residents should assess their risk for COVID-19 complications.

I am once again pleased to see COVID-19 community levels remain relatively low, Vohra said in the statement. As we enter the spring season, I encourage Illinois residents to discuss their risk for serious illness with their medical provider and perform safe public health practices to protect themselves and their loved ones.

COVID-19 in St. Clair County, across Illinois

The CDC reports St. Clair Countys weekly COVID-19 case rate dropped to 50.83 per 100,000 individuals this week, compared to 55.84 last week. The countys hospitalization rate has remained stable at 6.3 people hospitalized per 100,000 residents.

The portion of staffed, inpatient hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients declined from 3.5% to 2.5% this week.

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Intensive care unit availability was at 14% in southwestern Illinois as of Thursday, IDPH reported. That equates to 13 available ICU beds out of the regions capacity of 93 beds.

Test positivity was at 2.37% in St. Clair County as of March 27, the CDC reports, while the rate of tests performed spiked by 43.55% as of March 23.

Statewide, 20% of ICU beds are available and Illinois weekly case rate is 48.4 per 100,000 people, according to IDPH.

As of Thursday night, IDPH reported 840 Illinois residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, including 104 patients in the ICU and 26 people on ventilators. IDPH reported three COVID-19 deaths in Madison County for the week, and none in St. Clair.

Vaccines in Illinois

In Illinois, more than half of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19, but less than 20% have received a bivalent booster, according to the CDC.

Here are the latest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Illinois:

79.1% of Illinois total population has received at least one dose

71.4% have completed the primary vaccination series

19.9% have received a bivalent booster vaccination

In St. Clair County, COVID-19 vaccination rates are lower:

74.4% have received at least one dose

65.8% have completed the primary vaccination series

14.5% have received a bivalent booster vaccination

Information about vaccination and testing is available online in St. Clair County.

Note: Some CDC data, such as test positivity rates, the number of tests performed and weekly case rate, update on different days. IDPH data and CDC data may not update at the same time, so metrics may vary across agencies.
The longtime boyfriend of a University of Idaho murdered student and her surviving dog have been pictured meeting her newborn niece.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were brutally stabbed to death at the young womens off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November. Bryan Kohberger, a Washington State University PhD student who lived 15 minutes away from the crime scene, has been charged with the quadruple murders.

Although a gag order in place bans family members from speaking about the case with the media, Goncalves family have been sharing updates about their life in the aftermath of the unthinkable tragedy on their Facebook page.

On Friday, the grieving family offered a glimpse of Kaylees longtime boyfriend Jack DuCouers visit with his dog Murphy to their home in Coeur dAlene. The Goldendoodle has been living with Mr DuCouer after it was found unharmed inside the home where the gruesome crime took place.

During the visit, Mr DuCouer and Murphy met Kaylees newborn niece Theodora MaddieKay Stevenson, whose middle name honours Kaylee and her best friend Madison. The baby was born in March to Kaylees older sister Alivea, who had asked both victims to be bridesmaids at her wedding.

Jack & Murphy came by tonight and picked out so many nice things. We will be donating the rest to our local animal shelter early next week. Jack also met our sweet MaddieKay tonight, so much love. Much love friends, the post read.

Last month, the Goncalves family announced on the Facebook page that they had created an Amazon wishlist for Murphy at the request of many fans following their life updates. They said at the time that they intended to donate most of the dog toys to their local shelter.

(Facebook)

(Facebook)

Kaylees mother Kristi Goncalves also shared that she was overcome with emotion when opening the gifts.

[We] opened treats and read messages for HOURS yesterday. We cried and cried. We could feel Kaylee right there with us, she wrote. We are so grateful to all of you. There are no words to express how we feel. Its mind blowing and extremely emotional. Thank you!

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In January, Mr DuCouer launched an Instagram account for the pooch which has since gained over 110,000 followers. He has since posted mementoes of Murphy with Kaylee and Madison and recent pictures of the dog.

Last week, authorities investigating the quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list related to one of the officers involved in the case. The findings could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 (Instagram)

Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.

Mr Kohberger 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.

Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre 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.
Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, speaks in favor of her bill to prohibit limited services pregnancy centers from engaging in deception when it comes to sharing information about abortions. It passed after heated debate.

A rush of legislation passed before a Friday deadline in the Senate included proposals aimed at protecting those seeking reproductive health care in Illinois.

The first of these proposals, Senate Bill 1909, would give the states attorney general explicit authority to crack down on limited services pregnancy centers, which are also known as crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs.

The bill, which was pushed by the attorney generals office, bars CPCs from engaging in unfair methods of competition or deceptive acts or practices.

The proposal passed on a partisan 36-19 vote after heated debate.

Crisis pregnancy centers are a type of facility that offer services to expectant parents which may include counseling, aid such as free diapers or limited medical services such as ultrasounds. They are often non-profits associated with national or local groups that oppose abortion.

CPCs are the subject of ongoing national debate because they sometimes divert women seeking abortions from receiving them.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has recommended that state funds in general should not be used to support these organizations. It also recommended states should strengthen consumer protection laws against false or misleading advertising to hold the industrys more nefarious actors accountable.

Patients report being misled into going to crisis pregnancy centers  sometimes even receiving exams and ultrasounds  thinking they were visiting another clinic that offers the full range of reproductive care. This is an extreme violation of trust and patient privacy that should not occur in our state, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release earlier this week.

The Crisis Pregnancy Center Map, a project of professors Andrea Swartzendruber and Danielle Lambert of the University of Georgias Department of Public Health, identifies 97 CPCs in Illinois. The Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights focused research group, found that in 2017 there were 40 abortion providers in Illinois.

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The bills sponsor, Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said it clarifies existing powers of the office of the attorney general, which already has authority to prosecute consumer fraud. Opponents criticized the bill on that front, saying it gave the attorney general too much authority.

Were going to have the same entity making the rules, deciding what the fines are, and then collecting those into their own coffers, said Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro. I dont know any other circumstances that we do that in.

Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy, suggested the measure could be used to prevent volunteers at CPCs from sharing their religious beliefs on abortion.

And this overreach just goes to the point that if you don't believe the way the majority party believes in this state you're wrong and we're going to go after you, she said.

Villanueva said the bill is not intended to punish providers of obstetrical or gynecological care simply because they do not perform abortions.

Health care providers will not be subject to enforcement under this bill, as long as they do not employ fraud, deception and misleading practices to interfere with or prevent another from accessing comprehensive reproductive health care, she said.

The bill has drawn criticism from outside the legislature as well.

At an anti-abortion rally in front of the Capitol last week, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Springfield Diocese encouraged protestors to continue to fight against abortion measures in the state.

Every year, over 10,000 out-of-state residents now come to Illinois for abortion, often at taxpayer expense. And that number has been increasing dramatically since June of 2022, when Dobbswas decided, said Paprocki said. In states such as ours, we cannot relax our pro-life efforts now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.

Others have already promised to fight the bill in court.

This bill is flagrantly unconstitutional, and if it becomes law, we will immediately file suit to protect pro-life organizations right to free speech, Peter Breen, the head of litigation for the Thomas More Society, said in a statement Friday morning.

Illinois has passed several laws protecting abortions in recent years, including making it a right under state statute. Theyve all faced similar Republican opposition as the measures that passed with only Democratic support this week.

Another of those measures was Senate Bill 1344, which would ensure that insurance providers cover medication abortion, hormonal therapy and HIV medication. It passed the chamber Friday on partisan lines.

The bill would also exempt reports from the Abortion Care Clinical Training program from being subject to the Freedom of Information Act. The program, established last year, gives grants to fund abortion training programs at community-based provider sites.

Villanueva sponsored that bill as well, noting the exemption clarifies existing law and keeps program participants safe.

We already know that reproductive rights providers have been under attack, have been harassed have been abused, and in some cases murdered, Villanueva said. So when we strive to clarify laws in the state of Illinois in order to make sure that people are not put under duress in a situation or harassedWere trying to protect people which was the original intent of the original bill.

Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the governors office already has administrative rulemaking authority to exempt any sort of information that could pose  a threat of any sort to someone.

The reality is, we already have the authority on that point, Curran said. Its up to the governor to act. The governor, for three months, has not acted on this point.

The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1907, which would require state colleges and universities to provide wellness kiosks. These would be vending machines to provide wellness products with the explicit requirement that emergency contraception be among the items offered. This is also sometimes known as the morning after pill or Plan B.

The bill, also sponsored by Villanueva, passed 38-19 on Thursday. Republicans criticized it, with Tracy calling it frivolous.

All three measures head to the House for further consideration.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide, as well as hundreds of radio and TV stations. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Illinois lawmakers approve measure about crisis pregnancy centers
Michelle Collins is terrified to go into her kitchen

Michelle Collins says she is terrified to enter her kitchen every morning because of the grey squirrels which have been living in her house for the last three years.

Evading the efforts of pest controllers, they have chewed up her doors and skirting boards and have eaten her dogs' food.

The 39-year-old gym owner said they go into her kitchen at night, leaving her at the end of her tether.

Michelle, from Kilwinning in Ayrshire, said: "I never imagined squirrels could do this to my home, it's unbelievable what they can do.

"I've tried everything but nothing is working. I feel terrorised by them.

"I'm terrified to go into my kitchen every morning."

Grey squirrel up close

Michelle told BBC Scotland she became aware of the problem when she started hearing a noise in the walls, then noticed piles of sawdust at doors and skirting boards.

"I live near woodland and they jump off the trees, on to my car port and then on to my house," she said.

"There is a hole where they have dug under my porch and are coming up the inside of my walls."

She keeps her dogs' food in the conservatory, which is off the kitchen - and the squirrels had chewed through the door to get to the food.

"I now put the food away when I go to bed, but in the morning I've found the towel I've used to stop up the gap is pulled out and chewed too."

She said a pest controller had given up after trying everything to catch the squirrels.

Pest controllers are not allowed to trap and kill grey squirrels living in guttering or roofs - but once they enter lofts or other rooms in a house they can be exterminated.

Squirrels chewed the door between Michelle's kitchen and her conservatory

Pest controller Scott McIntyre, who covers Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife, said he had seen the "nightmare damage" that could be done by squirrels.

"The worst was a woman in Fife who had every electrical cable chewed, so she had to have her whole house rewired. The damage they caused cost 30,000.

"Another woman in Edinburgh had her cables chewed through in her converted attic, and I've seen them chew through from attics into bedrooms.

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"What they can do to a house can be devastating."

His technique is to scare squirrels out of houses before blocking up the holes.

But he said that on one occasion he was attacked by three male squirrels which he had cornered in an attic.

"They jumped on me and tried to claw and bite me, but usually squirrels run away when I go into attics."

Squirrels have chewed Michelle's skirting boards

BBC Scotland has spoken to a number of people who have experienced squirrel problems in their homes.

Jacqueline Hewitt, 49, from Gracemount in Edinburgh, said a pest controller had been to her house, but she could still hear scratching in her roof.

"He put down nine trays of poison and they were all eaten when he checked two weeks later.

"He told us squirrels can be vicious so to be very careful. We haven't dared to look in the attic.

"We don't know where the hole is so we can't get it blocked up.

"My daughter has been having nightmares that they are in her bed and she thinks they are going to come through the walls. The scratching sound is terrible."

Alayne Costello, from south Edinburgh, said there had been an issue with squirrels in her house since she moved in a year ago.

She said: "They chewed right through the lead flashing around my skylight and during the storms before Christmas it meant I was flooded.

"All the insulation was soaked, the wall in my hall was damaged as well as my bathroom. It has been a nightmare."

Josh Galera said he checks roofs for gaps that squirrels use to enter homes

Nan Dickson, 75, and her husband Gerry, 85, have lived in Edinburgh's Mortonhall area for 43 years.

Nan said: "We have had squirrels for the first time and the noise of them jumping above our heads is horrible. We have been worried about the damage and they gnawed through the eves.

"When my husband went into the attic one of the squirrels stuck its head out of the hole and we were very stressed.

"We have been shocked at what they have done."

The British Pest Control Association said there were thousands of call-outs every year because of squirrels.

"This is in part due to the damage they cause to your home and the noises squirrels make at night - which can be very distressing.

"As their numbers have increased in the UK, so has the damage they cause," it said.

It said there were no poisons which could be used by the public.

However, the association did recommend attempting to seal all entry points to a property.

Josh Galera, 20, the owner of Precise Roofing in Edinburgh, said he recently helped a customer who had seven squirrels living in her house.

He had discovered that the verge at the edge of the roof was not screwed in.

"It was flapping open and squirrels were getting in. We screwed the dry verge into the fascia so their access point into the roof was closed."
(Bloomberg) -- An Indian court suspended a two-year sentence for opposition leader Rahul Gandhi until it hears his appeal in a defamation case.

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The court fixed April 13 as the next date to start hearing arguments on Gandhis request to stay a conviction that led to his disqualification from parliament, said Kirti Panwala, a lawyer for the Congress party leader. Gandhi is currently out on bail.

A court in the western city of Surat on March 23 had sentenced him to two years in jail for allegedly making derogatory remarks in 2019 about Prime Minister Narendra Modis surname but suspended the sentence for a month.

Gandhi, the scion of Indias Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty that ruled the country for decades after independence, was quickly removed from parliament after his conviction. He also faces the risk of being barred from contesting national elections due next year.

Indian law stipulates that anyone sentenced to serve two or more years of jail time cannot run for elections for six years after they complete their prison term. However, if Gandhis conviction is stayed or he is eventually exonerated, his parliamentary seat should, by law, be returned.

A member of parliament from the island district of Lakshadweep recently had his membership reinstated after a court suspended his criminal conviction.

The legal developments are an immediate setback for the 52-year-old politician who has positioned himself as a challenger to Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party  even though his Congress party has been routed in two consecutive national ballots.

However, Gandhis conviction by a court in Modis home state of Gujarat has also angered several opposition parties, indicating that the Congress leader could use the setback to try and gain a political edge. The BJP has said the law is equal for everyone.

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To revive his Congress party, Gandhi recently completed a 2,170-mile trek from Indias southernmost tip to the icy north of Kashmir. After his ouster from parliament, he vowed to keep questioning Modi on his alleged ties to business tycoon Gautam Adani, who has been battling allegations of fraud and market manipulation from a US short seller. Adanis conglomerate has denied the report.

--With assistance from Eltaf Najafizada, Abhijit Roy Chowdhury and Atul Prakash.

(Updates with appeal filed in court.)

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Five garages along 76th Avenue in Merrillville were boarded up Saturday after strong winds ripped off their roofs during Friday night's storms. Meteorologists determined a tornado did the damage. (Christin Nance Lazerus / Post-Tribune)

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado struck the Merrillville/Hobart area during heavy storms Friday night and is investigating whether a tornado touched down in Portage and/or Valparaiso as well.

The Merrillville area had tree damage, downed power lines and utility poles, and fences knocked down by the storm, as well as damage to homes, including a tree that fell on a house, according to weather service and town officials.

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Meteorologists can determine whether damage is from a tornado or heavy winds by the direction the debris was blown, NWS meterologist Kevin Doom said, adding if debris are erratic, the cause is likely tornadic and not straight line winds.

The weather service made its determination of the Merrillville/Hobart area Sunday night, though did not have details about the path of the tornado and other metrics yet on Monday afternoon. The weather service, Doom said, also was in contact with trained spotters and first responders in Portage and Valparaiso.

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We havent made a determination yet whether it was tornadic or straight line winds in those communities, Doom said, adding he expected that to come by the end of the day Monday.

With another line of severe storms expected Tuesday, he said, meteorologists had a narrow window to make that determination.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, NIPSCO said on its power outage webpage that crews and contractors continued to work to restore electricity to the 320 customers who did not yet have power, down from more than 27,000 customers at the height of the storm.

Mark Shgeckells, left, and his girlfriend Joni Smith clear downed trees near Stone Avenue and Cooley Street in Portage, Indiana Saturday April 1, 2023. The area suffered many downed trees and other damage following an intense storm Friday night. (Andy Lavalley for the Post-Tribune) (Post-Tribune)

The majority of the customers were in Portage.

Due to the substantial amount of damage requiring individual repairs, we expect power to be restored for the majority of those outstanding customers, who reside primarily in Merrillville, Hobart and Portage, by midnight Monday, the utility said online. Some customer outages may extend into late evening on Tuesday, April 4, due to the extensive damage. We continue to recommend that you make plans to keep yourself and your family safe during this extended outage.

The weather service reported a wind gust of 74 mph at Porter County Regional Airport on Friday night.

The Merrillville tornado, an EF-1 with winds between 86 and 110 mph and considered weak according to the National Weather Services website, was the 16th identified in the Chicago and Northwest Indiana area Friday night.

Ross Township Trustee Eric Blackman Sr. said he was busy Monday as his office continues to offer assistance to residents impacted by the tornado. Ross Township has 49,000 residents in Merrillville, on Crown Points north side and on the south side of Hobart.

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His office provided assistance for two families to stay in hotels over the weekend but the phone is ringing off the hook now.

Blackmans office has been communicating with the Merrillville Fire Department and the American Red Cross, among other entities, since the storm hit, including assisting with search crews to make sure people with disabilities and older folks could safely get out of their homes.

Town officials said in a release that the Madison Meadows and Forrest Hills neighborhoods were most damaged by the tornado.

Its very hard to give you an actual number (of residents impacted by the tornado), Blakcman said. Were still getting calls from people in need.

The Dean and Barbara White Community Center remains open as a warming center, town officials said. The center is located at 6600 Broadway, and it is open until 11 p.m. Anyone who needs to use the facility after 11 p.m. can go to the Merrillville Police Department at 7820 Broadway and get in contact with an officer who can assist them.

Additionally, those in need of support are encouraged to visit the Trustees Office at 26 W. 73rd Ave. or call there at (219) 769-2111; the office also is taking donations to assist residents. The Red Cross can be reached at 1-800-RedCros.

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With more storms forecast for Tuesday, Blackman said, we put a plan in place in case, God forbid, anything like this happens. Well be on standby.

Lance Bella, director of the Porter County Emergency Management Agency, said he had staff taking notes and pictures of storm damage in Portage and Valparaiso to assist the weather service in its determination of whether a tornado or tornadoes struck here as well.

The staff also are trained weather spotters, he added, and were sending their information to the weather service, which would combine that with other data they have and get a picture of what maybe happened, Bella said.

Emergency sirens in Porter County came on at 8:59 p.m. Friday after they were triggered by the National Weather Service because of the storm path, Bella said, adding that 99% of the time, thats what triggers the sirens.

In all, 24 of the countys 52 sirens sounded, he said, adding that while Portage received the other storm warnings throughout Friday night, the sirens there did not go off because the weather services computer program didnt see Portage as the path of the storm.

Straight line winds dont trigger it, Bella said. Rotation doesnt mean tornado, it means theres rotation in the clouds.

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A meteorologist with the NWS said Saturday that rotation had triggered the sirens for Porter County.

alavalley@chicagotribune.com
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny marks Harrison Ford's fifth and final turn as Indiana Jones

Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm Ltd.

Indiana Jones' last ride will begin in France.

On Monday, Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm announced that Harrison Ford's upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny  the first Indiana Jones film since 2008  will have its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, May 18.

The film, expected to be Ford's final entry in the long-running action adventure series, will screen out of competition at the festival, according to a press release.

Director James Mangold (Ford vs. Ferrari) said in a statement Monday that he brought his first film, 1995's Heavy, to that year's Cannes Film Festival as he shared his excitement for the new movie's premiere.

"Twenty-eight years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle," Mangold said in the statement. "My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you!"

Related:Harrison Ford Returns to Iconic Role in Action-Packed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Trailer

Jonathan Olley / Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm debuted the first trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny back in December, showing off Harrison Ford's return as the legendary archeologist as he sets off on a new adventure.

The trailer revealed that Ford, 80, will appear as he did in the original trilogy in the new film's opening sequence via de-aging technology. The initial scene will be the only one in which the star is digitally de-aged, as the film flashes back to 1944 before moving to 1969, when the movie's main story takes place.

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Lucasfilm Ltd.

Related:Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford Hugging at Oscars 2023 Is Going Viral 38 Years After Temple of Doom

Ford previously played the character in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, all of which were directed by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg, 76, and George Lucas remain executive producers on the new movie.

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The sequel also stars Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen.

Following its world premiere in France, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny hits theaters June 30.

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Read the original article on People.
As long as Republican Party voters remain solidly behind the former president, he could still become the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and even be reelected to the Oval Office.

Donald Trump faces a legal nightmare amid the Manhattan district attorneys historic indictment of him on criminal charges in New York. But one thing that remains uncertain is whether an indictment or conviction will politically harm the former president.

District Attorney Alvin Braggs office has more than two dozen indictments against the former president  including at least one felony offense  according to reports, for his actions related to business records connected to a $130,000 hush payment to an adult film star. The payment is believed to have been made to allegedly conceal an affair ahead of Trumps 2016 presidential election.

However, contrary to what some Americans might think, an indictment or conviction for a crime does not disqualify a person from running for president.

Former President Donald Trump arrives April 3, 2023 at Trump Tower in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

As constitutional law experts have pointed out, the only requirements for a presidential candidate are that they be at least 35 years old, born in the United States or have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

Nothing in the constitution prevents Trump from pursuing a second term in the White House.

This means that as long as Republican Party voters remain solidly behind Trump, he could very well still become the 2024 GOP presidential nominee and even be reelected to the Oval Office if he manages to outperform President Joe Biden in a hypothetical second faceoff in November 2024.

We all know that doesnt stop him from running for president, U.S. Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, a former impeachment manager in Trumps second impeachment trial in 2021, told theGrio.

However, the delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands said though Trump is allowed to run for president, she believes that rather than the indictment being something that propels him forward, there are going to be independents and some Republicans who want nothing to do with him even more strikingly than they presently feel moving forward.

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The Democratic lawmaker believes there are Americans who want to turn a page on that dark part of our history and want a president who is going to be accountable for himself, bring integrity, as well as continue to work in the interests of everyday Americans, she said, adding, Not trying to squash legal battles that he is personally brought on himself.

Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) questions Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig on March 17, 2022 during his testimony before the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Similarly, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., said Trump has already damaged himself politically based on his behavior after the 2020 election, referring to the former presidents false claims of voter fraud in the presidential election, the fallout of which included a deadly, violent attack on Jan. 6, 2021 on the U.S. Capitol.

Bowman also cited the results of the 2022 midterm election as evidence of Trumps weakened political power. When you look at the 2022 red wave that never happened, when you look at all of the endorsees of Trump and all of the MAGA Republicans that ran nationwide  most of them lost, he said.

Still, Trump will still be emboldened, he acknowledged. He is a privileged, rich white man who was formerly a president  [and] any white men with power in America is going to feel like they are Superman and they can do and say and accomplish anything they want.

Supporters of former President Donald J. Trump pose with a demonstrator who identifies himself as Steven Daniel Wolverton dressed like the Q-Anon Shaman on March 21, 2023 outside of Trump Tower in New York City. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Political consultant Shermichael Singleton, who has worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, told theGrio that news of an indictment has not stopped the Trump campaign from fundraising millions of dollars. Not only have we seen an increase in fundraising numbers for the former president, but weve also seen the solidification and solidarity around him, thus boosting his poll numbers, he said.

Singleton pointed out that Trumps closest potential 2024 competitor in the Republican Party, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has seen his numbers decline.

Democratic strategist Alencia Johnson said the Manhattan indictment would ultimately make Trump look like a martyr to his base of supporters  a narrative she believes Trump welcomes. He wants to be walked up into a courthouse with handcuffs so that he can say to them, look what theyre doing to us, Johnson told theGrio. He has a way of riling up his base and throwing and hiding his hands.

However, she points out that Republican lawmakers and leaders would like to move on from Trump.

They are saying it in private, she shared. But publicly, they are still supporting him because he has a very large base that they need in order to win.

However, Republican lawmakers and leaders would like to move on from Trump, she noted. They are saying it in private, she said. But publicly, they are still supporting him because he has a very large base that they need in order to win.

Johnson also pointed out that Trumps indictment has the ability to rile up Democratic and moderate voters as much as it does Republican voters. As we saw in 2020 and the 2022 midterms, the majority of the American people, though, are tired of Trump and that gives us even more momentum to defeat him in 2024.

Gerren Keith Gaynor

Gerren Keith Gaynor is the Managing Editor of Politics and White House Correspondent at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Will indictment hurt Trumps presidential campaign? appeared first on TheGrio.
A man was detained Monday afternoon after police say he shot another hours earlier near a McDonalds in Miami Beach.

The suspect was spotted at 15th Terrace and Alton Road, Miami Beach police said Monday evening in a news release. Officers also say they recovered a firearm he was carrying.

The victim, a homeless man, remains in critical condition at Jackson Memorial Hospitals Ryder Trauma Center, cops said.

Police found the wounded man around 3 a.m. Monday near the McDonalds on the corner of 16th Street and Alton Road.

After the shooting, police say, a man was seen running north on Alton Road.

Traffic on Alton Road between Lincoln Road and 16th Street was affected for several hours.

Authorities didnt release additional details.

Anyone with information about the shooting can reach out to Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys either online or by calling 305-471-8477 (TIPS).
A new suspect in the disappearance of American student Annie McCarrick was found to have lived in the same Dublin neighborhood as her after the case was upgraded to a murder investigation.

McCarrick, originally from New York, went missing on March 26, 1993 after last being seen taking a bus to Enniskerry. She had told a friend she was planning on going to the Wicklow Mountains for the day.

McCarrick's case was upgraded to a murder investigation last month after authorities received a new undisclosed lead, with news now emerging that a man who lived in McCarrick's Sandymount neighborhood in Dublin 4 has been identified as a suspect in her killing.

The man has yet to be arrested, but sources have told the Irish Mirror that authorities are building a case against him while also maintaining "an open mind." They also told the outlet new searches and digs are expected to begin in the next several days or weeks.

PENNSYLVANIA POLICE ON 1989 COLD CASE TEAR DOWN PRIME SUSPECT'S HOUSE

"Some significant information has come forward which has seen the case being upgraded from a missing persons case to a murder," the source told the Irish Mirror. "They have already earmarked certain areas of interest which they want to look at."

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Annie McCarrick's case was upgraded to a murder investigation last month after authorities received a new undisclosed lead, with news now emerging that a man who lived in McCarrick's Sandymount neighborhood in Dublin 4 has been identified as a suspect in her killing.

Sandymount has become the main geographical focus for investigators, as authorities move away from the theory that McCarrick was last seen at Johnny Foxs pub in Glencullen, Dublin.

Superintendent Tim Burke and Detective Superintendent Eddie Carroll speaking to the media at Irishtown Garda Station, Dublin, on the investigation into the disappearance of Annie McCarrick.

WHO KILLED MARIA TELLES-GONZALEZ? WOMAN FOUND MURDERED IN DITCH ON MURDAUGH TURF IN 1995

Detective Superintendent Eddie Carroll revealed during a press conference last month that investigators are intent on finding a purse McCarrick was seen carrying in CCTV footage shortly before her disappearance. The purse was never found, prompting investigators to believe the unknown assailant kept the item.

Detective Superintendent Eddie Carroll speaking to the media at Irishtown Garda Station, Dublin, on the investigation into the disappearance of Annie McCarrick.

"I am appealing to those persons, 30 years later, to please come forward and speak to the investigation team,' he said during the conference. "I want to speak with any person who has any information on the large brown handbag which it is believed that Annie was in possession of when she went missing."
By Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi

RAMALLAH, West Bank/GAZA (Reuters) -Israeli forces killed two Palestinian gunmen during a clash in the occupied West Bank on Monday, militant factions and medics said, and shot down a drone over the Gaza Strip that the ruling Islamist group Hamas claimed as part of its arsenal.

Tensions have been running high as Muslims mark the Ramadan holy fast month during a surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The latest shootings happened during a raid by the Israeli military in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The Lion's Den, a coalition of Palestinian gunmen in Nablus, said one of its members was killed while battling the incursion. A second slain gunman was claimed by the Fatah faction.

The military said its soldiers shot several gunmen after coming under fire in Nablus. There were no Israeli casualties.

During the raid, the Israeli military detained two people suspected of assisting a Palestinian who carried out a March 25 drive-by shooting that wounded two troops, the military said. The car used was also seized, it said.

In Ramallah, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, accused Israel of trying to "drag the region into a cycle of violence and instability".

Over Gaza, the southern coastal enclave, an Israeli warplane shot down a unidentified flying object, the military said. The object had not crossed into nor threatened Israel, it added.

Gaza residents heard explosions overhead.

Hamas said one of its "Shehab" drones, while on a training flight, had been shot down by Israel's air force. Hamas said it responded by firing anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli planes. The military confirmed that, saying no planes were hit.

In a 2021 statement, Hamas described the Shehab, which is around the size of a model aircraft, as an explosives-bearing suicide drone.

Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction.

Around 90 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed by Israeli forces in 2023, the Palestinian health ministry said. Fifteen Israelis and a Ukrainian have died in Palestinian attacks, Israel's foreign ministry said.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Conor Humphries, Hugh Lawson and Frank Jack Daniel)
Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians Monday in a morning raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, in what the army described as "counterterrorism activity".

"Two martyrs shot by the occupation (Israel) in Nablus," the ministry confirmed in a brief statement, without elaborating on their identities.

The Israeli army said it had carried out the raid to apprehend two individuals linked to a shooting attack in which two Israeli soldiers were injured last month in the West Bank town of Huwara.

"During the activity, a number of armed gunmen fired at the forces who responded with live fire. Hits were identified," the army statement said, adding that two individuals were arrested.

Israeli forces have carried out a number of deadly raids in the flashpoint city of Nablus in recent months with the emergence of a militant group dubbed the Lions' Den, which has been blamed for a number of attacks on Israeli targets.

In a Monday statement, the Lions' Den said its members were involved in "confronting the occupation forces' storming of the city of Nablus".

The raid came two days after a peak in violence that saw two killed in confrontations with Israeli forces, amid fears of escalation in the conflict during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Since the start of the year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of at least 90 Palestinians, 15 Israelis and one Ukranian, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians including minors and two members of the Arab minority.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

str-gb/jjm/jsa
By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will delay the dismissal of his defence chief, announced over a week ago after the minister called for a halt to the government's flagship justice overhaul, a source close the matter said on Monday.

Netanyahu announced he was firing Yoav Gallant on March 26, following Gallant's public call to pause the bitterly contested plans for the judiciary, which opened social divisions he said were affecting the military and threatening Israel's security.

The plan, which would see a tightening of government control over judicial appointments and give parliament the power to overturn many Supreme Court decisions, triggered unprecedented nationwide demonstrations, some involving military reservists saying they might refuse call-ups.

With tensions running high during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the Jewish Passover, Netanyahu decided to hold off on replacing the former navy admiral until an unspecified time.

"Due to the present security situation, the issue of the firing of the Defence Minister will be determined at a later date," a source close to the prime minister's office said.

The news of Gallant's abrupt dismissal, during a period of exceptional tension in the occupied West Bank and continuing concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, triggered immediate mass protests, with tens of thousands pouring into the streets after the announcement.

As the protests continued amid mounting international alarm, Netanyahu relented and suspended the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

Political sources said there have been efforts in recent days to end the rift between Netanyahu and Gallant, whose potential firing had set off alarms within the ruling Likud party, the armed services and among Israel's Western allies.

Gallant and Netanyahu made a public appearance together on Monday evening during a visit to a military base to toast troops for the Passover holiday.

"The most important thing, I'll say it this way, is to leave politics at the base gate, to come together to defend the strength of Israel," Netanyahu said.

(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Conor Humphries and Nick Macfie)
By Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante

ROME (Reuters) -Italy is determined not to lose any of the money it is entitled to from the European Union post-pandemic recovery funds, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday.

Italy is due to receive roughly 200 billion euros ($217 billion) in grants and cheap loans through 2026, making it the EU scheme's largest beneficiary in absolute terms.

However, it is falling behind both on targets agreed with Brussels in return for the aid and also on spending money already received.

"I'm not worried about the delays on the Recovery Fund, we are working a lot on this," Meloni told reporters on the sidelines of an event in the northern city of Verona, blaming problems on previous governments.

"I don't take into consideration the possibility of losing the funds."

Her remarks came after Riccardo Molinari, leader of the co-ruling League party in the lower house of parliament, told the Affari Italiani news site that Italy should consider no longer using some of the EU loans since it was having trouble spending them.

The European Commission has frozen a 19 billion euro ($20.65 billion) fund instalment for Italy, requesting clarification over Rome's efforts to meet the conditions linked to the money.

Scope Ratings told Reuters on Monday that significant delays in Italian efforts to meet the targets in its recovery plan would likely lower the country's medium-term growth prospects, with a negative impact for its credit rating.

Meloni said there was no reason to sound the alarm, although some of her ministers recently warned it would be impossible to finalise the whole investment programme on time.

EU Affairs Minister Raffaele Fitto said last week that some projects simply cannot be completed by 2026.

To gain some flexibility, Fitto previously said the government was in talks with Brussels to replace some schemes in its original recovery plan.

These would be replaced with less ambitious programmes that can be completed on time, while the original ones could be financed by separate European Union funds that can be spent until 2029.

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The government is also seeking from European Union authorities around 6 billion euros under the so-called REPowerEU plan to completely wean itself off Russian gas and boost efforts to make its economy greener.

($1 = 0.9206 euros)

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante; Editing by Alvise Armellini, Andrew Cawthorne and Hugh Lawson)
Update: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office released a statement that there was no threat at the Avenues Mall after an investigation.

According to JSO, an initial call came after a mall patron reportedly saw someone wearing what they believed to be inappropriate attire. For example a tactical vest over clothing, or an outfit resembling fatigues.

The mall requested JSO to search the building for security, emptying the building of shoppers and employees.

After a search, Officers did not reportedly find anything, or anyone wearing the outfit that the caller described.

This is an ongoing story and will be updated when details arrive.

Original: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is responding to a call of a possible bomb threat at the Avenues Mall.

JSO said nothing has been found at this time.

Viewers are telling Action News Jax that the mall is being evacuated; JSO said the decision to evacuate would be up to the business.

Action News Jax is at the mall, where officers are stationed at each entrance.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

People in the parking lot are telling Action News Jaxs Nick Gibson there was a bomb threat.

One woman told Gibson that this has been going on since before 4 p.m. and they arent letting people back inside now.

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government would continue to strongly demand that Beijing releases an Astellas Pharma employee detained in China, as fears remain over the safety of China's business environment.

The government also requested consular visits with the detained man and would provide support, including contacting his family, Kishida told an Upper House budget committee meeting.

Kishida's comments came after the country's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his Chinese counterpart on Sunday and urged China to promptly release the detained Japanese man, who was in his 50s.

Tokyo has not heard an explanation for the detention from Beijing, according to Japan's foreign ministry.

The lack of clarity over what prompted the detainment has left other Japanese business people on edge, a Japanese expatriate in China told Reuters.

"There's a general sense of anxiety ... everyone understands that they could be detained at any point," he said, describing a rollercoaster of emotions experienced by fellow expatriates. He declined to be named for this article.

Beijing has said it would "handle (the case) according to the law" in response to Hayashi's request for the man's release.

"Unless we know how and why this person was detained, there's a possibility the authorities could say that whatever we're doing on a daily basis is illegal," the Japanese expatriate said.

He said that in recent years, Japanese businesses in China have struggled to navigate transfers of data, including production data from their own factories, across borders under the National Security Law, saying it was a legal grey area.

The detained Astellas employee has worked in China for over 20 years, according to the Nikkei daily. The Yomiuri newspaper described him as an "Astellas executive."

Astellas confirmed to Reuters that its employee had been in detained in China but declined to give further details of the man or the circumstances of his detainment.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Bernadette Baum)
It collapsed a theater in Illinois. Tossed cars in Little Rock, Arkansas. Flattened homes in Tennessee. And left thousands without power in New Jersey.

The storm system that tore through the Midwest, South and mid-Atlantic on Friday and Saturday carved a path of destruction that encompassed an area from Wisconsin to Delaware, south to Mississippi, killing at least 32 people in seven states. Scores more people were injured, and communities were left reeling Sunday as they assessed the damage and continued cleanup efforts.

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[ Gov. J.B. Pritzker visits Belvidere and Robinson following emergency disaster proclamation: a devastating day for the families of the deceased ]

Here is what we know about the storms and their impact.

Was the storm system unusual from a weather perspective?

It is not uncommon to see powerful storms make their way across the middle of the country in the spring, according to Colby Pope, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Little Rock. But the number of tornadoes that this storm produced was unusual, he said.

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Trained spotters reported nearly 100 locations where tornadoes were spotted or had caused damage Friday and Saturday, according to the weather service. The exact number of individual tornadoes might not be known for days. A storm system producing 20 to 30 tornadoes is pretty common, Pope said. But the total for this storm, spread across multiple states, was a cut above what meteorologists considered a normal outbreak, he added.

John Allen, associate professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University, cautioned that the final count of actual tornadoes is often far lower than the initial estimate: One tornado could be tracked multiple times in different areas. He said that he expected the total to be in the mid-50s, a figure that he said might emerge every year or two. Overall, Id say that its not outlandish to see one of these events in the spring, he said.

To Jake Sojda, a meteorologist for AccuWeather, the storm system was out of the ordinary because it had two bulls-eyes, one farther north centered on Illinois, and another that focused on Arkansas. Usually, you have the greatest risk really concentrated in one area, he said. To have two separate areas that had such a significant risk for tornadoes  that is definitely more uncommon.

However, the reach of this storm system was far from the most extreme. For comparison, Pope pointed to the record-breaking 2011 super outbreak of tornadoes. Over a four-day period that April, a storm spawned hundreds of tornadoes across more than a dozen states, killing more than 300 people. One of the tornadoes grew to 1.5 miles wide and traveled more than 80 miles, ripping its way across Alabama and destroying huge swaths of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, he said.

Although scientists have drawn links between climate change and other weather phenomena like hurricanes, heat waves and droughts, they have not established a clear relationship between a warming planet and tornadoes. But they say climate change may be playing a role in making some tornado-spawning storms more powerful.

Little Rock was the most populated area that was hit

Arkansas capital, a city of about 205,000 people, saw extensive property damage, particularly on the west side of Little Rock in areas filled with businesses and apartment buildings. The tornado sheared off roofs, shattered storefronts, downed power lines and upended cars.

Billy Roehrenbeck, owner of Pulaski County Title Co., a three-story brick building in Little Rock, said 50 employees huddled in a bathroom behind the elevator bank at the front of the building as the tornado tore through. The only things that are not touched are the steel, the slab and the glass in the back, he said.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden declared Little Rock a major disaster area, freeing federal funding to support local recovery efforts.

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The storm injured dozens of people, but as of Sunday the city had not reported a fatality. One person was killed in the storm in North Little Rock, a city just across the Arkansas River.

Wynne, Arkansas, about an hour west of Memphis, reported at least four deaths. While some areas of Wynne remained largely untouched by the tornado, homes in an area known as Ward IV were severely damaged or even leveled, and many were left without power or water. Neighbors said they had excavated one woman from the rubble of her house after she tried to wait out the storm with her family. And power supply companies from three states came to help in the battered area.

Tennessee has suffered the most deaths from the storm

At least 15 people in the state have died as a result of the storm, according to authorities.

In McNairy County alone, seven victims were initially reported Saturday. Two more victims were discovered after volunteers and officials conducted door-to-door welfare checks. At least 72 homes were destroyed, McNairy County Mayor Larry Smith said.

Gov. Bill Lee was among the officials who went to Adamsville, in McNairy County, early Saturday evening. They climbed over fallen trees and branches and walked through the muck of mud and debris as they surveyed the damage and talked with residents. There are 26,000 people in the county, which is roughly 110 miles east of Memphis.

Nell Daniel, a 97-year-old who lives alone and is hard of hearing, was watching television in her home in Adamsville when the storm came through Friday about 9:30 p.m. She could not hear the tornado siren or what the meteorologist was saying on her television. But she saw the lightning and read the words on her screen: Take Cover Now!

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Daniel grabbed her cane and made it to the bathroom. She shut the door and sat down on the toilet, while the tornado tore off the roof and burst windows in other parts of the house. About a mile away, Daniels granddaughter Robyn Pettigrew frantically tried to get to her grandmothers house.

With streets clogged with emergency vehicles and debris, she was not able to get to Daniel until around 4 in the morning. Pettigrew learned from a neighbor that she had taken Daniel into her home.

On Saturday, relatives and friends came over to salvage what they could. Every room in the house was wrecked, except for two: the kitchen and the bathroom where Daniel had sought shelter.

In Illinois, a collapsed theater led to a frantic rescue effort

In Belvidere, Illinois, a city of about 25,000 people less than 90 miles from both Chicago and Milwaukee, the storm caused a full roof collapse at the historic Apollo Theatre, killing at least one person and injuring 40 people during a metal band concert Friday night.

When the roof came down, the downtown theater went dark, debris flew and concertgoers screamed. Then began a scramble to rescue people under the rubble.

I didnt know what happened, said Gabriel Salas, 45, who was among the attendees. But I just felt like I needed to help. Salas and others followed the sounds of screaming. They dug through rubble and pulled out any bodies they could.

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Boone County Emergencys managing director, Dan Zaccard, credited concertgoers efforts. They acted quickly to remove debris from people, he said. There was an effort from concertgoers and bystanders to help each other, and that did help us a lot.

The outcome could have been much worse. Shawn Schadle, the citys fire chief, said that there had been 260 people inside the building; that its front awning had also collapsed; and that emergency workers had dealt with gas leaks, an electrical fire behind the venue and an elevator rescue around the same time.

The storm affected more than a dozen states

Fatalities were reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

On Sunday, more than 240,000 customers were without power from Arkansas to New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Pennsylvania, where more than 75,000 customers were without power, appeared to bear the brunt of the outages.

In areas where there were no tornadoes, powerful wind gusts caused damage in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New York, Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey. The weather service received several reports of wind damage Saturday, including a tree that fell on a house in Steuben County, New York.

In the north, on the cold side of the storm system, snow blanketed cities with several inches of snow, including Oakdale, Minnesota, where the weather service said more than 12 inches of snow were recorded. The storm also led to power outages in the state, and Sunday nearly 10,000 customers were without electricity in the Twin Cities area.

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The same system caused high winds in Oklahoma on Friday, prompting what the weather service described as a dangerous wildfire outbreak in northern and central portions of the state. Nearly 100 fires broke out, destroying more than 40 homes and burning thousands of acres.

Another dangerous storm system is expected this week

This next storm system, forecast for Tuesday, could bring the potential for a few strong tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind gusts from Texas to Illinois, the weather services Storm Prediction Center said.

There are two areas of concern for that day: One stretches from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southern Missouri, and another takes in northern Missouri, southeast Iowa and much of Illinois.

In these regions, where more than 18 million people live, the center said that the risk of severe weather was enhanced, the third-highest category on a five-level risk scale.

Marc Chenard, a weather service meteorologist, said that the risks from the storms Tuesday signal similarities to the storm system that tore through several of the same states Friday and Saturday.

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A woman whose brother was murdered and secretly buried by the IRA has said US President Joe Biden should be told about the "horrible limbo" facing the families of the so-called Disappeared.

Mr Biden is due to visit Northern Ireland this month to mark 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement.

Dympna Kerr said he had to know about what she described as the "unfinished business" of the peace process.

Her brother Columba McVeigh is one of the four remaining Disappeared cases.

The 19-year-old, from Donaghmore in County Tyrone, was abducted and murdered by the IRA in November 1975. His body has never been found.

The search for his remains resumed on Monday at Bragan Bog in County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

His sister said that her family hoped he would be found this time.

But she added: "Those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Please make it this time."

'I don't need to know who they are'

Speaking at Bragan Bog on Monday, Ms Kerr said she has "great memories" of her brother.

"I would be the happiest woman alive to walk in behind his coffin into Donaghmore chapel, celebrate that funeral mass with him, walk out behind it, carry it up and see it being lowered into the grave beside our mum and dad. That's it."

She said she prays for those who have information on her brother's whereabouts to have the strength and courage to come forward.

"I don't need to know who they are, I don't want to know who they are.

"If they do that, I'll keep praying for them, even after we find him."

The remains of 13 of the 17 so-called Disappeared have been found by investigators.

But four cases remain unsolved - they are Mr McVeigh, Joe Lynskey, Seamus Maguire and Army officer Robert Nairac.

The Provisional IRA has admitted responsibility for 13 of the murders and the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) said it carried out one.

Story continues

Joe Biden is due to visit Northern Ireland this month to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

Ms Kerr said that the US president should be made aware of the plight of the families that have yet to find their murdered relatives.

It is understood that Mr Biden's visit to Northern Ireland will begin in Belfast on 11 April.

"President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process and President [Bill] Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared," she said.

"But President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business.

"There are Irishmen and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

"It has to end."

Ms Kerr said she wanted a resolution to the family's "endless nightmare".

The search for Mr McVeigh is being carried out by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR).

It was looking for him in Bragan Bog last autumn but the search was put on hold when bad weather set in and the bog became too dangerous to work on.

On Monday, the ICLVR's lead investigator Jon Hill said: "If his remains are here, if he was buried here, we will find him.

"We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment and we've proven it in other cases.

"No doubt we have the knowledge and experience to recover his remains."

'Strictest confidence'

Mr Hill said there is an area of around two acres that the commission will be searching, however the evolving terrain remains a challenge.

"This area has changed so much over the years since back in 1975, it would have looked completely different to the way it does now... it's changed dramatically.

"It looks very different so people's memories won't be what they were, the area doesn't look the way it did, so it's completely understandable, although disappointing, that we haven't found the right spot as yet."

Mr Hill said the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement has taken the investigation forward "dramatically" by encouraging people to come forward with information.

He appealed for anyone with knowledge on Mr McVeigh's disappearance to contact the commission, adding confidentiality is paramount to their operations.

"Any information that comes to us is treated in the strictest confidence and will never be used for any other purpose than to find the remains and return them to their family," he said.
A Johnston County school board member who has come under fire in the past year has been charged with extortion, felony obstruction of justice and three counts of willfully failing to discharge his duties.

Ronald Johnson, who was fired as a police detective by the Smithfield Police Department, was indicted Monday by a Johnston County grand jury.

The case is being prosecuted by the Special Prosecution Section of the state Attorney Generals Office. Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle brought state officials into the investigation because she said she had a conflict of interest. She said she could be called as a witness to testify against Johnson.

Johnsons first appearance in Johnston County Superior Court is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

The investigation into Johnson has looked into accusations including sending inappropriate texts, violating school board policies and using police equipment for personal use..

Johnson has been publicly censured twice by the school board.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
Matteo Jorgenson at the 2023 Tour of Flanders

Matteo Jorgenson set his sights on a top five but came away from the Tour of Flanders more than satisfied with a top 10. After 274km of racing over the unfamiliar and unforgiving terrain of the Flemish Ardennes, he had emptied the tank - got it all out, as they say.

"I swear to you, if the Paterberg was 10 metres long, I would not have been there," Jorgenson said at the finish in Oudendaarde.

"To be honest, I had literally nothing left. Anytime I passed threshold I'd feel my legs full up with lactate. So I'm happy with ninth."

Jorgenson, who won the Tour of Oman in February and placed eighth overall at Paris-Nice in March, made a storming debut in the Cobbled Classics with fourth at last Friday's E3 Saxo Classic, a perennial marker for Flanders. It proved to be no fluke, with the Idaho native racing positively, aggressively, and mixing with the top one-day races in the world.

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E3 was one thing, but nothing could have prepared him for the chaos of the opening phase of this Monument Classic, which was marked by splits, crashes, and a relentless pace that prevented a breakaway from forming for more than 100km.

"It was really on from start to finish. There were literally five minute of chill time then just pure chaos. I was involved in the mass pile-up [caused by Filip Maciejuk after 120km], had to wait and change bikes then get Brough back to the bunch. Then it was just a lot of suffering."

Jorgenson got back in but missed the boat when a crucial move - containing several second-tier contenders - went on Molenberg with just over 100km to go. No bother, he surged across to it in the Berendries a few kilometres later.

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"On the Molenberg I was too far back going in, I missed the selection, which was a mistake - I just didn't have anyone there to position me, so got swarmed," Jorgenson explained.

"I knew I needed to make it to that group because every team was represented but us, so I went on the Berendries. I just went full gas bottom to top. I made it across but this cost me everything. It was probably two minutes completely all-out. From then on, on every cobbled climb I felt this effort."

The dangerous group, which also contained Jorgenson's compatriot Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) gained some three minutes on the bunch, but that quickly receded once eventual winner Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) went on the rampage in the final 50km.

The Slovenian shot to a solo victory over the Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg, with Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) following alone, while Jorgenson hung in to form part of the seven-man group hunting for the final podium spot on the run-in to Oudenaarde.

"In the sprint, no [nothing was possible]. I'd have had to get ahead. I knew I had to do something but it was headwind and I had nothing in the legs so in the end I'm happy with ninth.

"Neilson was super strong," he added. "In the final he was playing around with us and I was making him pull through - I would take him off the back a bit so he couldn't skip pulls - but in the end he has a way better sprint."

Sunday's result and performance only confirmed Jorgenson's potential for the cobbled Classics, adding a new dimension for a Movistar team who have traditionally neglected these races, not to mention for himself.

The 23-year-old, who came through the Hot Tubes Development Team in the US, has showcased his all-round abilities in the ever-improving early years of his career. With some eye-catching results in week-long stage races leading to his breakthrough as a GC rider in Oman, Jorgenson only added another layer to his potential on Sunday.

"I love these races," he stated passionately. "They really make you a better bike racer. They take a lot of character to make it through them. I'd love to come back."
Julia Wheeler told pupils about her 'friends with benefits' relationships and labelled one a 'b*tch'. (Wales News)

A teacher has been struck off for swearing at pupils and bragging about her sex life.

English teacher Julia Wheeler swore at schoolchildren and told them about her "friends with benefits" relationships.

A fitness to practice hearing was told that Wheeler wrote "b***h" next to one pupil's name on a mark sheet - and even circled the word.

Assistant headteacher Catherine Tobin said concerns about Wheeler were raised at Pencoed Comprehensive School in Bridgend, South Wales, when 10 schoolchildren made statements against her.

Students claimed the 40-year-old called them "d***heads", "b*****ds", and "f*****g b******s", at Pencoed Comprehensive School in Bridgend, South Wales.

They also said she "shouted in their faces" at the school and "pushed chairs onto the floor" in the classroom.

One pupil said Wheeler reduced them to tears saying: "She once shouted at me so much I cried."

The Education Workforce Council panel heard Wheeler started teaching at the school in September 2020 but complaints were made just eight months later.

Tobin said pupils claimed Wheeler told them about a personal relationship which she described as "friends with benefits."

Pupils claimed the teacher called them 'd***heads' and shouted at some until they broke down in tears. (Wales News)

They said she also referred to another member of staff as a "d***head" during a series of inappropriate comments between January and May 2021.

Tobin told the hearing she had interviewed most of the pupils and that the allegations were "the first time she had heard anything like it" in her 30 years in education.

Tobin was also made aware of a mark sheet used by the school's management to track pupils' progress which included Wheeler's writing.

She said that written next to one pupil's name was the word "b***h" with a circle around it.

Tobin said: "In no way would I anticipate anybody to refer to a learner by that term. It was wholly inappropriate."

The hearing was told Wheeler said the mark sheet was "never intended" to go any further than her and the colleague who gave it to her.

Story continues

She was sent a letter that a disciplinary meeting was to take place in July 2021 - but an agreement was made to end her employment in February the following year.

Julia Wheeler 'showed no remorse' ahead of the hearing at the Education Workforce Council in Cardiff. (Google Street View)

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Presenting officer Sara Lewis said Wheeler's conduct had negatively affected pupils and there had been "no expression of genuine regret."

Wheeler denied all allegations of unacceptable professional conduct by using inappropriate or derogatory behaviour towards pupils.

Panel chair Steve Powell said Wheeler's belief was that the allegations were a "witch hunt" to "get her out."

He said her behaviour had shown a "deliberate and reckless disregard" for pupils and colleagues and had had a "direct impact on some pupils".

Wheeler has been banned from teaching for two years following the Cardiff hearing.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A federal jury in San Francisco on Monday ordered Tesla Inc to pay about $3.2 million to a Black former employee after he won a racial harassment lawsuit against the electric-vehicle maker, far less than the $15 million he rejected last year in opting for a new trial.

The verdict came after a week-long retrial in the 2017 lawsuit by plaintiff Owen Diaz, who in 2021 was awarded $137 million by a different jury. A judge agreed with that jury that Tesla was liable but said the award was excessive. He ordered a new trial on damages after Diaz declined the reduced $15 million award.

Diaz had accused Tesla of failing to act when he repeatedly complained to managers that employees at the Fremont, California, factory frequently used racist slurs and scrawled swastikas, racist caricatures and epithets on walls and work areas.

The jury on Monday awarded Diaz, who worked as an elevator operator, $175,000 in damages for emotional distress and $3 million in punitive damages designed to punish unlawful conduct and deter it in the future.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a tweet said "the verdict would've been zero" if the judge had allowed the company to introduce new evidence in the retrial.

Musk added: "Jury did the best they could with the information they had. I respect the decision."

The company has said it does not tolerate workplace discrimination and takes worker complaints seriously.

Bernard Alexander, a lawyer for Diaz, urged jurors during closing statements on Friday to award him nearly $160 million in damages, and send a message to Tesla and other large companies that they will be held accountable for failing to address discrimination.

Mr. Diazs outlook on the world has been permanently changed, Alexander said. That is what happens when you take away a persons safety.

Tesla's lawyer, Alex Spiro, countered that Diaz was a confrontational worker who had exaggerated his claims of emotional distress, and said his lawyers failed to show any serious, long-lasting damage caused by Tesla.

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Theyre just throwing numbers up on the screen like this is some kind of game show, Spiro said.

Lawyers for Diaz did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the verdict.

CASE SEEN 'FAR FROM OVER'

The verdict was surprisingly low considering the egregious conduct for which Tesla was found liable, said Ryan Saba, a Los Angeles-based employment lawyer who was not involved in the case.

But it could be cut even further because punitive damages are typically capped at no more than nine times the amount of damages for emotional distress and other injuries, Saba said. The punitive damages awarded by the jury on Monday were nearly 20 times the damages for emotional distress.

I expect both sides will appeal, Saba said. This case is far from over.

Diaz testified last week, tearfully recounting various incidents during the nine months that he worked at the Fremont factory. Diaz said the job made him anxious and strained his relationship with his son, who also worked at the plant.

Lawyers for Tesla highlighted what they said were inconsistencies in Diaz's testimony and repeatedly raised the fact that he did not lodge written complaints to supervisors. Diaz testified that he verbally complained to managers numerous times and discussed his complaints with Tesla human resources officials.

The EV maker is facing similar claims of tolerating race discrimination at the Fremont plant and other workplaces in a pending class action by Black workers, a separate case from a California civil rights agency, and multiple cases involving individual workers. The company has denied wrongdoing in those cases.

Diaz had sued Tesla for violating a California law that prohibits employers from failing to address hostile work environments based on race or other protected traits.

The first jury in 2021 awarded Diaz $7 million in damages for emotional distress and a staggering $130 million in punitive damages. The award was one of the largest in an employment discrimination case in U.S. history.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick last year agreed with the jury that Tesla had broken the law, but said the award was excessive and cut it to $15 million.

Orrick said Diaz had worked at the factory for only nine months and had not alleged any physical injury or illness warranting a higher award.

On Friday, Orrick denied a motion by Diaz's lawyers for a mistrial. They claimed Tesla's legal team violated Orrick's bar on introducing new evidence in the retrial by questioning Diaz and other witnesses about incidents where he allegedly made racist or sexual comments.

Orrick said those questions were related to other incidents discussed in the first trial, and that Diaz's lawyers had not shown that the questioning prejudiced the jury.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New YorkEditing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Matthew Lewis)
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  As the trial of a woman charged in three killings in what prosecutors say was a doomsday-focused plot began Monday, attorneys asked potential jurors if they would have trouble being impartial after viewing autopsy photos of children.

This is a case that deals with murder. This is a case where two of the alleged victims are underage children, prosecutor Rob Wood told the panel of potential jurors, warning them that some of the evidence would be emotionally charged.

Prosecutors charged Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, with conspiracy, murder and grand theft in connection with the deaths of Vallow Daybell's two youngest children: 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and big sister Tylee Ryan, who was last seen a few days before her 17th birthday in 2019. Prosecutors also have charged the couple in connection with the October 2019 death of Chad Daybell's late wife, Tammy Daybell.

The investigation garnered worldwide attention and was closely followed in the rural eastern Idaho community where the bodies of the children were found buried in Chad Daybells yard. As a result, Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce moved the trial more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) east to the city of Boise.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, but only Vallow Daybell's trial begins Monday. The cases have been severed, and Chad Daybell's trial is still months away. Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison if convicted.

It isn't necessarily easy to look at, Wood said of the autopsy photos.

One potential juror said she had two elementary school-aged children, and she believed it would be difficult for her to look at that sort of evidence. Still, she said, she would try to put her feelings aside and remain impartial if selected for the jury.

Another member of the prosecution team, Rachel Smith, asked the potential jurors if they could convict someone of conspiring to commit a crime even if they didn't take part in every part of the crime itself.

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The driver of the getaway car is as guilty as the bank robber. Does that make sense to everyone? Smith asked. Yes, the panel of potential jurors agreed.

Authorities summoned 1,800 potential jurors to the courthouse in late March, requiring each of them to complete a 20-page questionnaire in hopes of winnowing out anyone unable to fairly try the case. On Monday morning, defense attorneys and prosecutors began questioning the remaining jury pool members in an effort to pick 12 jurors and six alternates to hear the case.

Jury selection could take a few days, and the trial itself could take up to eight weeks.

A line to enter the Ada County Courthouse stretched outside the building before proceedings began Monday. Four other trials were also being held at the courthouse, and jurors stood alongside news reporters as they all waited to pass through metal detectors and security screening.

Court administrators have anticipated a lot of interest in the case, setting up a special parking area for TV news trucks and cordoning off an area in front of the building for photographers and others.

Idaho law, like most states, seeks to shield jurors' identities. Roughly 42 journalists and other onlookers were seated in a separate room to watch the jury selection process through a video streaming system, the cameras positioned to show Vallow Daybell and her defense attorneys Jim Archibald and John Thomas; the prosecutors Rob Wood, Lindsey Blake and Rachel Smith; and 7th District Judge Steven Boyle.

Vallow Daybell sat between her defense team. She leaned forward to listen to the questions posed to the jury pool. She occasionally appeared to take notes as the potential jurors spoke.

One potential juror said she watched several seasons of the fictional television crime show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which focuses on how forensic experts and crime scene investigators solve often gruesome crimes.

Smith asked if her avid CSI-watching would affect her feelings about the evidence from experts and crime lab technicians during the case.

You may not know exactly how they died, Smith said about the victims in the case. Would anything in that make it difficult for you to sit in judgment on a case? No, the potential juror said.

Prosecutors say the Daybells espoused strange doomsday-focused beliefs to further their alleged plan to kill the kids and Tammy Daybell to collect life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits.

Police documents detailed interviews with family members and friends who said the couple led a group that met to pray, believing they could drive out evil spirits and seek revelations from beyond the spiritual veil. Vallow Daybells close friend Melanie Gibb told investigators that the couple believed people became zombies when they were possessed by evil spirits.

The group would spend time praying to get rid of the zombies and believed, if they were successful, the possessed person would physically die, freeing their trapped soul from limbo. Vallow Daybell called JJ and Tylee zombies several times before they died, Gibb told investigators.

Idaho law enforcement officers started investigating the couple in November 2019 after extended family members reported the children were missing. During that period, police say the couple lied about the childrens whereabouts. The children's bodies were found buried on Chad Daybells property in rural Idaho.

The couple married two weeks after Chad Daybells previous wife died unexpectedly. Tammy Daybells death was initially reported as resulting from natural causes, but investigators had her body exhumed after suspicions grew when Chad Daybell quickly remarried.
NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland  The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will need a more resilient supply chain to ensure the military can keep it flying in a future, highly contested war, the Air Force officer in charge of the program said Monday.

The F-35 program was set up with a just in time supply chain, where parts arrive right before theyre needed and little inventory is stockpiled, Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the program executive officer, said during a panel discussion at the Navy Leagues Sea Air Space conference being held this week in National Harbor, Maryland.

In the private sector, Schmidt said, that kind of efficient supply chain works well for keeping costs low. But in a future war involving highly contested environments, it could lead to disaster, he said.

When you have that [just-in-time] mentality, a hiccup in the supply chain, whether it be a strike  or a quality issue, becomes your single point of failure, Schmidt said. We need to look at, what does right look like in the future, to give us more resilience in a combat environment.

Bridget Lauderdale, vice president and general manager of the F-35 program for the aircrafts main manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, said the company has focused more on trying to forecast the demand cycle, so it can better predict when it will need parts.

A lot of those materials take lead time to prepare, even when you do have funding and even when you have repair capacity, Lauderdale said.

To create the resilient supply chain necessary to fly the F-35 in the future, Lauderdale said, the military services and the defense industry are going to need to work more closely together.

The F-35 enterprises sustainment network is enormous, Schmidt said, encompassing airplanes operating from 27 bases and 10 ships. Nine nations fly the F-35 operationally, and there are 17 countries in all taking part in the program.

Schmidt said the international nature of the F-35 program will provide opportunities for the U.S. and other partner nations to work together and more efficiently maintain their jets.

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In a few years, were going to be flying between 500 and 600 F-35s in Europe, and less than 100 of those are going to be U.S. fighters, Schmidt said. What a huge opportunity that is to leverage each others logistics and maintenance environments.

At the same time, he said, the F-35 program needs to work on ensuring it can get the right parts and other materials to the right places, so those maintenance hubs can do the necessary work on the planes.

Huge win

Schmidt acknowledged that the program was a little bit late in standing up depots to handle the sustainment capacity the F-35 will need, adding that as the Pentagon was negotiating with Lockheed on lots 15-17 last year, it opted to use some of the money to pay for more depot capacity, instead of buying an unspecified number of additional fighters.

Thats a huge win, he said. I think once we can really figure out this global sustainment enterprise, to make sure that we can meet all the demands of all the countries  getting that right is a huge focus area of mine.

The F-35 program, including the heavy maintenance depot at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, has made great progress in fixing an engine shortage, which at one point was a top degrader dragging down readiness rates. Schmidt said. A little more than a year ago, 48 F-35s were without engines, he said. Last month, that number was down to one.

The commander of Tinkers Oklahoma Air Logistics Complex told Defense News last year that the base had overhauled its processes, hired more workers and acquired new tools and equipment to repair more of the fighters F135 engines.

F-35 maintainers are also getting more data they can use to assess the health of the fighters engines, without having to go through the time-consuming effort of pulling the engines out of the plane to do a closer inspection.

Were seeing over a 50% increase in reliability in terms of engine-on-wing time, Schmidt said. Im anxious to see how that really plays out over the life of the program.
Justine Bateman is getting candid about younger women feeling the need to get plastic surgery to alter their appearance.

During her appearance on "Today" on Monday, Bateman, 57, said that the desire for plastic surgery in younger generations boils down to one thing: fear.

"I think that everybody has a completion to this sentence: 'I'm afraid if people think I look old then therefore ,' and for different people, it's different things," she told co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

"Some are afraid they'll lose their job or never get a job or not get a mate or no one's going to listen to them or whatever," Bateman continued.

JUSTINE BATEMAN GETS CANDID ON AGING AND THE IDEA THAT WOMEN'S FACES ARE BROKEN AND NEED TO BE FIXED

Justine Bateman feels "sad" for the younger generation of women who feel pressured into plastic surgery.

"My position is: That fear existed before your face started changing. So, it's an opportunity to take care of that fear so it's not leading you around by the nose and making you make other decisions that are not you, taking you off track," she said.

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Bateman said that younger women who are considering having work done on their face might not specifically be trying to avoid looking older but rather trying to avoid feeling how some older people may feel about their looks.

"They see all these older people going, 'Oh, I've got to change this, I've got to change that, I'm so afraid, I'm so afraid,'" Bateman said. "And I think the young women are going, 'I don't want to feel like that. I don't want to feel terrified that my face is getting older.'"

In March, the "Family Ties" star was a guest on "60 Minutes Australia" where she said she feels "sad" for younger women who feel the pressure to change how they look.

"When you say, Is there beauty in aging? arent you really saying, Do you think its possible for other people to find aging beautiful?" Bateman said. "And like, I just dont give a s---."

During the appearance on the Australian show, Bateman discussed the temptation women face to have plastic surgery.

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"Family Ties" actress Justine Bateman is embracing how her face looks, saying she doesn't care about beauty standards.

"Sure, you can do all of that, and then I feel like I would erase not only all my authority that I have now, but also I like feeling that I am a different person now than I was when I was 20," Bateman said of her own experience with aging naturally.

JUSTINE BATEMAN SHARES BACKSTAGE ANTICS ON 'FAMILY TIES'

In an interview with Fox News Digital in October, Bateman discussed her book, "Face: One Square Foot of Skin," which is a collection of stories from 47 women who Bateman interviewed regarding how they feel about aging and the pressures to continue to look young as they age.

Bateman was inspired to write the book after she Googled herself to find some old comments that were made about her, and the Google auto-complete function assumed she was searching "Justine Bateman looks old." This shocked her because she never thought of herself that way.

Justine Bateman attends the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in 2022.

"It affected me more deeply and for a longer period of time than I expected it to," Bateman told Fox News Digital. "I dug in and had to understand why that affected me like it did, and then once I did, I thought, 'Why do we even have these ideas in society that a woman's face is broken and needs to be fixed?'"

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During the interview, Bateman, whose brother is actor Jason Bateman, hypothesized that people fear that if they look old, they risk not getting the job they really want or losing the job they already have, and essentially be passed over for opportunities for someone who looks more youthful.

Justine Bateman is the sister of actor Jason Bateman. The siblings are pictured here in 2003.

In her opinion, this could stem from different childrens stories such as "Cinderella," "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty" where "most of the villains are old women." She thinks these stories subconsciously planted specific fears surrounding aging, a fear she thinks is important to understand.
A girl was charged with arson weeks after a suspicious fire at a high school in Columbia led to an evacuation, the Forest Acres Police Department said Monday.

The fire happened March 16 at A.C. Flora High School, police said in a news release. The Richland 1 school is near the intersection of Forest Drive and North Beltline Boulevard.

No one was injured, police said.

The fire was started in a girls bathroom near the schools main office, according to the release.

A suspicious fire at a high school in Columbia is being investigated, police said.

The fire and smoke were contained to the bathroom as the blaze was put out with a fire extinguisher, but the Columbia Fire Department did respond to the school and assist, police said.

Investigators found a paper towel dispenser had been set on fire inside a girls restroom, according to police.

The bathroom was damaged, police said. The school was evacuated for the safety of students, faculty and staff, according to the release.

The juveniles name is not being made public because of her age.

Both the girl, who was charged with third-degree arson, and her family cooperated with police and she turned herself in to authorities Saturday, according to the release.

Information about a motive for the arson was not available, but police said the fire was an isolated incident.

A suspicious fire at a high school in Columbia is being investigated, police said.

We are relieved no one was hurt in what could have been a potentially dangerous situation, Police Chief Don Robinson said in the release. Let me say this loud and clear  criminal damage to property at our local schools will never be tolerated in Forest Acres.

After being charged, the juvenile was released to the custody of her parents, and she will have to appear in Richland County Family Court for criminal prosecution, police said.

We are thankful for the joint effort from the Columbia Fire Department, the Richland County Fire Marshal, the Richland County Sheriffs Department and their (school resource officer), the Flora faculty and staff who acted quickly, and to our investigators for their thorough handling of the case, Robinson said. We are also thankful for the cooperation we received from the suspects family that concluded with a peaceful arrest.
The Kansas House rejected a plan on Monday to give Republicans and Democrats the option of holding a presidential primary next year at taxpayer expense amid bipartisan opposition.

State senators had fast-tracked a plan to offer the two major parties a one-time chance to dump the traditional caucus system in 2024 in exchange for a higher-turnout primary. While President Joe Biden is expected to run for reelection on the Democratic side, Republicans anticipate a potentially large field that includes former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But concerns over the cost and the appearance of using public money to aid political parties appeared to doom the effort during a short debate on the House floor. The House rejected the measure, HB 2053, in a 56-64 vote after the Senate passed it 28-12.

Election officials had estimated a state-run primary would cost up to $5 million if both parties chose to hold a primary. Speaking to her colleagues in the House Republican caucus, Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, urged a no vote.

Theres a lot of programs that would like that $5 million, she said.

Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican, called the legislation a one-time spend just for junk.

Kansas has held party-run caucuses for decades with only limited interruptions; the last state-run primary was in 1992.

Rep. Brandon Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, said some Democrats had expressed concerns that the bill didnt include a three-day grace period for the arrival of mail ballots following Election Day, like current law. Still, primaries encourage more people to be involved  I wish this would go beyond just the 2024 election, he said.

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Fort Leavenworth Republican who chairs the House Elections Committee, acknowledged concerns about cost, but emphasized the ability of a primary to improve voter turnout.

I think that the payoff is voter access, Proctor said. Neither party  is going to be able to bring the infrastructure that the state and the counties can bring to improving voter access.

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After the vote Proctor said the House would hold a vote to reconsider on Tuesday and that efforts were ongoing to shift enough no votes to yes.

Some Republicans have voiced concern with the ability of the Kansas Republican Partys new chairman, Mike Brown, to handle a caucus, which are complex logistical operations. For his part, Brown, a former Johnson County commissioner who promoted election conspiracies during his failed run for Kansas secretary of state, had signaled a preference for a primary in a newsletter to Kansas Republicans.

The bill would have authorized a state-run presidential preference primary for both parties on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The date comes after Super Tuesday on March 5, when numerous states will hold primaries and caucuses simultaneously. The parties would have had the choice to out of a primary by providing notice by Dec. 1.
Election judge Jerome Gay puts out early voting signs as voters wait in a short line outside to vote as early voting begins on March 20, 2023, for Chicagos runoff election at the Chicago Board of Elections Loop Supersite, 191 N. Clark St. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The threat of severe weather Tuesday has officials urging Chicago residents to vote early in the day for the runoff election to decide 14 ward representatives as well as the citys new mayor.

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The National Weather Service Chicago forecast a chance for severe storms on Election Day in the afternoon leading into the evening, including the potential for destructive winds, damaging hail and a few tornadoes, according to a Twitter post Monday morning.

[5:10 AM 4/3] There is a potential for severe storms Tues. PM/evening, however uncertainty exists in whether storms will develop. (1/4) #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/oSHQhLC4df  NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 3, 2023

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The National Weather Service said a warm and moist atmosphere Tuesday afternoon and evening will produce conditions that could lead to severe storms, but strong warm air coming in could prevent thunderstorms from developing. Potential outcomes range from no storms in the Chicago area to a few storms with hail and tornadoes capable of extensive damage.

Weather service meteorologist Matt Friedlein said that Chicagoans should expect the first half of the day to be gloomy and crummy, and that the warm front in the afternoon will bring a chance for scattered thunderstorms.

If we get those thunderstorms, theyre very likely to be severe given the setup. So thats just something for people to watch, check in with the forecast, Friedlein said. If theres any watches issued, think about (your) plans for going to the polls. Especially late in the day and in the early evening, those last couple hours of poll time, watch for the potential for some severe weather ... Consider going earlier.

The high and low temperatures Tuesday will sit just around the low to mid-60s, according to the weather service.

All 50 ward early voting sites and the Board Supersite (191 N. Clark) will be open as vote centers on Election Day. All locations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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A strong cold front is expected to move across the area Wednesday morning, the weather service said, which if slowed, could cause scattered thunderstorms after sunrise and may become severe east of Interstate 55 late Wednesday morning and early afternoon. The high Wednesday is expected to be around 70 with the low quickly cooling down to the low 30s.

Highs on Thursday and Friday will be around 50 paired with sunny and dry skies followed by lows in the 30s on both days.

Severe weather hit the area earlier in the weekend, and the weather service confirmed a total of 16 tornadoes in its coverage area in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared a state disaster proclamation over the weekend for Boone County, which includes Belvidere; Crawford County; DuPage County in Chicagos western suburbs; Sangamon County in the Springfield area; and Marion County in south-central Illinois. These counties will be prioritized by the Pritzker administration to receive state help to aid in their cleanup and recovery efforts.

DuPage County on Monday issued a disaster declaration after an EF-1 tornado hit Addison Friday night. An EF-1 tornado also blew through Belvidere on Friday night causing a roof collapse at a metal concert at the Apollo Theatre that left one dead and 40 other adults injured.
Speaking on the Kansas Senate floor last week, Sen. Cindy Holscher told a story she had never shared publicly in her life  one that she had not even told her own parents.

The Overland Park Democrat told her colleagues that when she was a young girl a man who worked as a farmhand for her family attempted to sexually assault her, catching her alone and urging her to play Simon Says like adults with him.

He was using his words and my trust as a form of manipulation to endanger me, Holscher said. He said your friend Julie plays this game with me.

For four years, Holscher has led an effort in the Kansas Legislature to reform the states statute of limitations on child sex crimes. The bill passed by the Kansas Legislature this week would allow police to pursue criminal cases indefinitely and give survivors until they turn 31 to file a lawsuit as well as three years after a criminal conviction. It now heads to Kellys desk.

When she began working on the issue, she didnt yet recognize her experience as an attempted assault, categorizing it instead as a creepy situation shed brought on herself as a child.

It was after she heard stories from survivors that she realized their abusers had used similar tactics to the farmhand.

I havent felt comfortable talking about abuse that almost happened, Holscher said in an interview. People can understand why its taken me that long then hopefully they can understand why its taken so long for other survivors to really speak about what happened.

After repeated setbacks the bill earned unanimous approval from the state House and Senate.

Republican Reps. Bob Lewis, Mark Schrieber and Jeff Underhill helped Holscher advocate for the bill in the House.

Speaking on the House floor Lewis, an attorney who represents survivors in cases in other states, explained the dynamics that keep survivors from coming forward until later in life.

The bill will help at least some survivors recover their agency, Lewis said.

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Advocates had initially sought the elimination of the statute of limitations for the civil and criminal statute of limitations, but the legislation extending the time frame was passed as a compromise with Republican leaders in the Senate.

The real goal here is to put perpetrators away from kids where they cant cause any more harm, Sen. Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican, said while speaking in favor of the bill on the Senate floor.

Holscher credits the progress this year with added attention to the issue prompted by the completion of the Kansas Bureau of Investigations probe into clergy abuse and unyielding efforts by survivors within Topeka.

Over the past four years survivors have met regularly with lawmakers about the issue. This year they set up a table on the statehouses ground floor nearly every morning when the Legislature was in session.

The table was positioned so that nearly every office holder and staff member would need to pass it while walking from their office to the parking garage.

Lesa Patterson-Kinsey, who was abused by her father growing up, said she could tell when she began meeting with lawmakers this year that things were different. For years when she met with lawmakers they listened politely to her story but never acted. This time, she said, they were asking questions and engaging in the conversation.

It seemed like legislators were ready, Patterson-Kinsey said.

Patterson-Kinsey said there is a sense of validation that the policy will likely become Kansas law. But, it is far from the end.

We hope it makes Kansas a place where predators dont want to live, Patterson-Kinsey said.

The bill which the House passed Monday still leaves a hard limit on civil lawsuits and will leave behind many survivors who lack the evidence for a criminal conviction but were not ready to report until late in life.

Susan Leighnor is one of those survivors. Growing up in Hutchinson Leighnor was abused by four priests. Until she was in her 60s Leighnor had no memory of the abuse. Shed repressed the memories and hadnt reported as a child because her abusers told her she would go to hell.

Leighnor says she is disappointed by the lowered limit for civil cases in the compromise bill but plans to continue pushing the issue, and hopes for a constitutional amendment that would allow lawsuits for cases that predate the mid-80s.

I want justice for all of those older survivors, Leighnor said. We live with this every day.
A Keene State student has been arrested after allegedly threatening a member of Congress.

According to court documents, Allan Poller is facing a federal charge of threat in interstate communication.

Poller is accused of leaving a voicemail for a representative of Congress after midnight early Wednesday morning that included a threat.

Court documents did not state the name of the U.S. House representative who received the voicemail.

If you keep on coming for the gays, were gonna strike back and I guarantee you, you do not want to f--- with us, Poller said.

We will kill you if thats what it takes, Poller added, according to an affidavit.

According to the documents, Poller was stopped by Keene campus security outside a classroom and Poller admitted to leaving the voicemail.

Poller said he did not actually plan to harm anyone and does not own guns. He added that he was emotional and intoxicated when he left the voicemail.

Keene State does not have a comment at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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In December, as state lawmakers returned for their second special session in less than a year to deal with property insurance, the analogies for the state of the market for some reason all reverted to medical.

Were just trying to triage, Senator Linda Stewart said.

Just trying to stop the bleeding, Representative Fred Hawkins said.

Now months later, as things have continued to deteriorate, the medical analogies have returned, our sister station WFTV in Orlando reports.

Its now at stage four, said former State Senator Jeff Brandes. Its going to take 18 to 24 months for things to start to stabilize, and in the meantime, it is going to get much worse.

Read: Affidavit: Father of boy found in alligators mouth stabbed childs mother after party

This week, the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance voted to move forward on a 14.2% rate increase for its 1.2 million policies. The rate request is above the statutory guidelines of 12%, indicating the pressure on the state-backed carrier.

Under former Governor Rick Scott, Florida paid insurance companies to take policies off the books from Citizens to help stabilize the market and reduce exposure for the state-backed insurance carrier of last resort. Florida could start to do the same thing now; however, Governor Ron DeSantis and the legislature have not indicated that is something they are considering right now.

Meanwhile, private carriers have gone before the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation requesting rate increases up to 60%.

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The containment system has failed on rates, and rates are going through the roof, and they are all justified rate increases, especially Hurricane Ian and what is going on in the reinsurance space, Brandes said.

Reinsurance, the insurance that insurance carriers buy to protect themselves from high claims, has been a major concern for years, with carriers going into receivership as they struggle with costs.

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In May, the Florida Legislature set aside $2 billion to help cover reinsurance, adding another $1 billion in December. The state has also passed several laws to limit the ability of homeowners to sue for claims while also curtailing the assignment of benefits and one-way attorneys fees. The plan from state leaders was to create an environment where large private carriers, who have all but abandoned the state, would return.

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That has not happened.

I dont think youre going to see any new capital into the market until after hurricane season, Brandes said.

Despite the rising rates, there is a level of optimism that things could level out in 2024. Experts, including former senator Brandes, say the moves taken by the state in 2022 should help stop the massive price hikes, although admitting it is unlikely prices will ever decrease

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Canadian meteorologist Kelsey McEwen is hitting back at an outfit shamer once again, (Photo via Instagram/ @kelseymcewen)

Kelsey McEwen isn't giving haters a second thought.

On Sunday, the Canadian meteorologist for CTV's "Your Morning" shared a powerful message with her Instagram followers in response to a negative comment she received from a viewer about her on-air outfit.

In the Instagram Reel, McEwen posed in a white, single-sleeve shirt and black trousers, behind on-screen text showcasing two remarks on her appearance.

"Kelsey looks like a Greek goddess in that white outfit," one fan wrote, while another viewer had very different feedback for McEwen.

"Who lets you go on TV dressed like that? You're not clubbing. You're a sad excuse for a weather girl," they commented, to which McEwen replied:

"They'll love you, they'll hate you. So ignore them all and be your own number one fan," the text overlay on the screen read.

The TV personality doubled down in her caption, and explained that because it's impossible to please everybody, she chooses not to try.

"Some like their tea strong. Some want it with sugar. Some like fruit flavours. Some dont like it at all," she penned. "Youll never be able to be everyones cup of tea. It would be exhausting trying to be. So instead, take that energy, and figure out what you like, and do that. Do you."

She then thanked those who were "triggered" by the exposure of her bare shoulder.

"Honestly, thank you to those so triggered by the sight of a womans bare shoulder and arm. It reminds me of how much more work there is to do," McEwen concluded.

In the comments, fans rallied behind McEwen and praised her for defending herself.

"People who post these types of messages must be living very sad lives. You are beautiful and a joy to watch every morning," an Instagram user wrote.

"I'm sensing some pretty obvious misogyny from whoever left that comment because your outfit is perfectly appropriate for your job, and stunning. Good for you for speaking out!" a commenter chimed in.

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"What is wrong with people? If you cant say something nice then dont say anything at all. I think you look fabulous!" a fan commented.

One person joked: "I think you should wear crop tops to really give them a heart attack. Youre gorgeous."

In February, McEwen fired back at a Twitter user for shaming another one of her on-air outfits.

"Welcome back @KelseyMcEwen #WeatherGirl from @YourMorning," the comment reads. "How come none of your cohorts haven't told you #PantyLines #CamelToe #BubbleButt #RedIsNotYourFriend."

Listen, I own my body, camel toe & bubble butt included. Your words bring me zero shame. Your feelings about my body & outfit are a you problem, not a me problem.



And red? Red is 



The only thing that isnt my friend here, is you. https://t.co/qB9nIXiizp  Kelsey McEwen (@KelseyMcEwen) February 21, 2023

McEwen replied to the tweet, letting the commenter know that she feels "zero shame" about her appearance.

"Listen, I own my body, camel toe and bubble butt included," she penned. Your words bring me zero shame. Your feelings about my body and outfit are a you problem, not a me problem. And red? Red is [fire]. The only thing that isnt my friend here, is you."

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
(From left) Leela, Shanawas, Sreedharan and Jafferkhan grew up together with two other siblings

A new film on a Muslim woman from the southern Indian state of Kerala who raised three Hindu children has brought attention to the family's unusual story. BBC Hindi's Imran Qureshi spoke to the siblings who inspired the film.

When Jafferkhan first watched Ennu Swantham Sreedharan (Yours Truly, Sreedharan), he says he was moved to tears.

But it was his brother Sreedharan, sitting next to him at the screening, who ended up "crying uncontrollably".

Jafferkhan and Sreedharan, both of whom use only one name and are 49 years old, are not biologically related - Jafferkhan is a Muslim and Sreedharan is a Hindu.

But ask Jafferkhan what Sreedharan means to him and he says: "He is a brother. No, he is much more than that. He is always around me. I don't know who he is he is a saathi [companion].

The woman who brought them together - Jafferkhan's mother, Thennadan Subaida - died in 2019. Her story, a heart-warming reminder of humanity triumphing over religious differences, has found resonance at a time when tales of polarisation and communal disharmony are regularly reported in India.

Subaida took in Mr Sreedharan and his two older sisters - Ramani and Leela - in 1976 after their mother died while giving birth to a fourth child who also didn't survive. The children's mother, Chakki, was a domestic worker in Subaida's house.

The brothers say that Subaida did not legally adopt the children as the laws around it were not as strict at the time. They add that they didn't have relatives willing to take care of them, and that their father had given permission to Subaida, saying he was "incapable of taking care of them".

Subaida already had two sons - Jafferkhan and his elder brother Shanawas - at the time, and gave birth to a daughter, Joshina, four years later. The children grew up together in perfect harmony.

Subaida, pictured here with Shanawas's son Fawas

Their story first made headlines in 2019 after Subaida's death - Sreedharan, who was working in Oman at the time, had written an emotional tribute to his umma (as Malayali Muslims call their mother) on Facebook, asking friends to pray for her "grand welcome in heaven".

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The post caught the attention of many people who wondered why a man with a Hindu name was calling his mother umma.

"They asked, 'who are you, a Hindu or a Muslim?' It is quite understandable because my name was Sreedharan,'' he said.

The questions were endless and sometimes nasty. But Sreedharan answered them all patiently even under the weight of grief.

He also emphasised that neither Subaida nor her husband Abdul Aziz Haji had ever asked their adopted children to convert to Islam.

"It was painful for me. My parents always taught us that caste and religion do not matter,'' he says.

"Goodness is what we need. It is we humans who make changes in the belief system."

That's the philosophy by which Subaida lived her life and raised her children.

Leela, now 51, says her mother would take her to the temple "whenever she wanted" - transport facilities weren't as developed at the time, so they usually went together in a group during festivals.

"My umma would always say it didn't matter if you practised Hinduism, Islam or Christianity. Each religion teaches us the same thing, which is to love and respect everyone," Sreedharan says.

His siblings also have many stories about their childhood.

Shanawas remembers the day his mother returned home carrying two-year-old Sreedharan.

"Leela and Ramani were behind her. My mother said that they would live with us now since they had no one to take care of them," he says.

After that, they were all one family.

Shanawas recounts stories of the children sleeping next to each other on the floor; and the joy they felt when Joshina was born four years later.

Growing up, the bond between Sreedharan and Jafferkhan deepened and they "were like twins" who did everything together.

Shanawas and Jafferkhan say the siblings rarely fought, even though "Sreedharan was their mother's clear favourite" and often received special treatment.

"Unlike me, Sree [Sreedharan] would run all the errands and was very honest. Maybe that's why Umma loved him more," Jafferkhan laughs.

A still from Ennu Swantham Sreedharan, which has not released in theatres yet

The siblings say they also learnt important life lessons from their parents. For instance, Shanawas remembers how their mother would go out of her way to help people irrespective of their caste, class or religion.

"Anyone could approach my mother and ask for money for education, marriage or health reasons and she would arrange it somehow - often by taking informal loans which she paid back by selling some of her ancestral land," he says.

These stories form the backbone of Ennu Swantham Sreedharan, directed by Siddik Paravoor.

Paravoor was among the many people who were inspired by Sreedharan's facebook post about Subaida.

"There is so much of humanism in this story that the society needs to know,'' he says, adding that he attempted to capture the beauty of human relationships through the movie.

The film had a special screening at a theatre in Kerala on 9 January. Paravoor is now trying to raise funds for its commercial release.

The siblings, who live in different cities now, say there couldn't be a better tribute to their mother.

"I have only good memories of my umma. It hurts to realise these memories were finite, but I am happy that a film will now remember it,'' Leela says.

"It was only when umma passed away that we realised that people saw a difference between us," Shanawas says.

"But we are the same even now."

BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.

Read more India stories from the BBC:
Greg Perrone, president of the Greater Bakersfield Republicans Assembly, sees former President Trump's indictment Thursday as the left's attempt to disqualify him from the 2024 election. Perrone said he'd view Trump's actions negatively if the former president is found guilty. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

Before a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former President Trump in connection with an alleged hush-money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters how he thought the American people viewed the case.

"I think in your heart of hearts you know, too, that you think this is just political," McCarthy said during a March 21 news conference. "And I think that's what the rest of the country thinks, and we're kind of tired of that."

But back home in McCarthy's Bakersfield congressional district, the reaction is more nuanced. Some think it's about time, while others wonder if the time has passed.

For Republicans here  many of whom have long supported McCarthy and think the 15 rounds of voting he endured for the speakership made him stronger  last weeks indictment is as Trump has described it: a politically motivated witch hunt meant to keep him out of office.

The left has a batting average of zero against Donald Trump, said Greg Perrone, president of the Greater Bakersfield Republican Assembly, a conservative group involved in local politics. Whatever is possible to do to make sure he cannot run for president, theyre going to do that.

Perrone said he would view Trump's actions negatively if he is ultimately found guilty. But like other conservatives, he pointed to a Thursday tweet from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who wrote that "everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence," as a sign that Trump may not get fair treatment.

The law says innocent until proven guilty. But here's the former speaker of the House saying he has to prove that he's innocent, he said. I think that definitely typifies the sentiment of the left: He's clearly guilty. Now he's got to prove it that he's not.

A Quinnipiac poll conducted March 23-27 found that 62% of Americans surveyed  including 93% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 29% of Democrats  believed Manhattan Dist. Atty. Alvin Braggs investigation was mainly motivated by politics. The same poll, however, found that 57% of those surveyed thought criminal charges should disqualify Trump from running for president again.

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"I think they're just out to get [Trump], because I think they don't want him in office," says April Verhoef, who manages the market and runs a local farm. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

That range of views was on display Saturday morning at the F Street Farmers Market near downtown Bakersfield, where vendors and shoppers on opposite ends of the political spectrum bought and sold vegetables, eggs, honey and baked goods.

I think they're just out to get [Trump], because I think they don't want him in office," said April Verhoef, who manages the market and runs From the Farmhouse, a local farm.

Another vendor, 59-year-old baker Brenda Fallot, said that based on the information she had so far, she thought the investigation into the alleged hush-money payment was "stupid."

"I don't really care that he had an affair with anybody. It's none of our business," said Fallot, a two-time Trump voter who said she has backed presidential candidates in both parties over the last few decades, including former presidents Clinton and Obama. "And he's not the first president to have done it."

"I don't really care that he had an affair with anybody. It's none of our business," says Brenda Fallot, who sell goods at the market. "And he's not the first president to have done it." (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

But Margaret Govea, a 60-year-old director of a university student health program who lives in Bakersfield just outside McCarthys district, said she thought the Trump indictment was a long time coming. She believes the speaker's longtime support of Trump comes down to ambition.

He thinks that Trump is a way to get more power, so hes willing to do things to support Trump, thinking that Trump will support him, she said. And weve seen that that doesnt always happen.

Deborah Saldana, a 48-year-old logistics manager who supports Trumps indictment and described herself as liberal, said the former presidents backing doesn't benefit McCarthy. But she acknowledged that the alliance has bolstered McCarthy's standing among some Bakersfield voters.

To me, its not a selling point, but for some people it is, she said. If you're on that wagon, then you love [Trump]. But for me, I wouldn't want to be endorsed by Trump.

Trump, who is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in New York, became the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution after he was indicted Thursday. The exact charges are unknown, but the case is focused on a $130,000 payment former Trump attorney Michael D. Cohen made to Daniels in an attempt to cover up an alleged affair between the porn actor and former president.

The hush-money case is one of several concurrent investigations into the former president. Two federal probes run by Special Counsel Jack Smith are looking into Trump's handling of classified documents after his presidency and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. In Georgia, Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis is investigating Trumps efforts to overturn the states results from that race.

"He thinks that Trump is a way to get more power, so he's willing to do things to support Trump, thinking that Trump will support him," Margaret Govea says of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). "And we've seen that that doesn't always happen." (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

Enrique Garcia, 34, a DJ who lives in a part of Bakersfield that falls within the district of GOP Rep. David Valadao, said it was disheartening to have a House speaker from his area who is so closely allied with Trump.

Once everything came out that was bad with Trump, Kevin McCarthy should have just dropped him, he said.

Garcia added that Trump "should've been in trouble a lot sooner."

"I think it's about time," he said.

Taryn King, a 32-year-old hairstylist from Bakersfield, said she was surprised Trump was charged.

I didn't think it was gonna happen, but I'm happy about it for sure, she said.

Her mother, however, wasnt convinced it needed to happen.

I am not a Trump supporter. I don't like him for a lot of other reasons, said Charlotte Newman, a 53-year-old program supervisor. But this is just not necessary. We just need to move forward.

Newman described herself as nonpartisan and stressed that she doesnt support Trump running for or becoming president again. At the same time, she said, the alleged hush-money payment at the center of the indictment is in the past.

I feel like, possibly, it's at the point where, is this just a witch hunt? she said.

Many Republicans are hoping most Americans will see it that way. Trumps argument that investigations into his conduct are an attempt to keep him out of power has resonated with his base, forcing even political rivals such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to defend him. Meanwhile, McCarthys fate appears inextricably linked with the former president.

As reports of the indictment loomed, McCarthys loyalty was put to the test yet again as he tried to balance criticizing Bragg and his investigation with tempering Trump's incendiary rhetoric.

Mandie Selman, who went fishing with her niece, said she is a fan of the House speaker: "He's really stepped up his game to show the American people that he's in it for the American people, and not just a paycheck." (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

After Trump claimed that he would be arrested last month and urged supporters on his Truth Social platform to PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK, McCarthy stressed that Trump didn't mean it in a "harmful way."

At the same time, the speaker has called on conservative committee chairmen  including close Trump ally Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who heads the Judiciary panel  to investigate whether Bragg used federal funds in his investigation. In recent days, Bragg has forcefully defended himself from the chairmen's accusation that his probe was politically motivated.

Back in Bakersfield, voters who make up Trump's base  and McCarthy's  want to see the speaker continue to back the former president.

Mandie Selman, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mom who spent Saturday afternoon at a local park fishing for trout with her niece, said shes a fan of McCarthy, who she believes has been taking a stand against the policies of the Biden administration.

I will say hes a better House speaker than he was the representative from California," she said. "Hes really stepped up his game to show the American people that hes in it for the American people, and not just a paycheck.

In Selmans view, McCarthy has supported Trump in the past, and is doing so now. She urged him to keep going.

McCarthy needs to stand up and stand by Trump like he has before, she said. Dont be pushed over or persuaded.

"Loyalty is everything," Marjorie Waclawski says of the House speaker. She considers the indictment "another hoax." (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

Marjorie Waclawski, a 72-year-old retired administrative assistant from Bakersfield who was with her grandsons at the park, said "of course" McCarthy should stand by Trump.

Loyalty is everything," she said. "There are a lot of people who are sitting there defending Trump because they see [the indictment] for what it is, that its another hoax. It's bunch of trumped up garbage.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- The most expensive race for a state Supreme Court seat in US history has given Democrats a chance to workshop ways to keep abortion rights front and center after some victories in the 2022 midterms.

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Liberal Democrats hope to take control of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years Tuesday with a win by Janet Protasiewicz, who is favored over Republican-backed Daniel Kelly, after the state Democratic Party and outside groups poured money into the race.

Democrats see a Protasiewicz win as key to holding on to the state in future elections after Donald Trump won in 2016 and President Joe Biden flipped it back in 2020. And, with abortions unavailable in the state since last summer, they said they believe the issue is key to getting her onto the bench.

Wisconsin has a 19th-century law on the books that entirely bans abortion, the legality of which will make its way to the state Supreme Court this summer. Getting Protasiewicz on the bench might be the only path to restoring abortion access to the level in place before the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling last June.

While Democrats can win statewide, they are locked out of any hope to regain control of the state legislature or win more US House seats by what political scientists say are some of the most gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps in the country.

In ads and campaign events, Protasiewicz has made clear that she supports abortion rights, earning the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin and EMILYs List.

With more than $28 million in TV and radio ad buys, the race has already broken records, with the tracking site Medium Buying estimating that 60% of all ads were pro-Protasiewicz, beating those in favor of Kelly by a significant margin.

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The two candidates also sparred over abortion in their only one-on-one debate in late March. After Protasiewicz said that she could say with 100% certainty that Kelly would allow the 1849 total abortion ban to stand when it comes before the court this summer, he responded angrily.

This seems to be a pattern for you, Janet, just telling lies about me, he said. You dont know what Im thinking about that abortion ban. You have no idea.

Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, has argued that Protasiewicz has been improperly vocal on the issue, noting judicial candidates are expected to refrain from saying how they would vote on specific cases.

For his part, he has said abortion should be decided by the state legislature, both chambers of which have been led by Republicans since 2011. Kelly has previously done work for Wisconsin Right to Life.

Anti-abortion groups are also active in the race, but they are relying on less-public efforts, reaching out to supporters through text messages, phone calls and direct mail rather than TV ads and rallies.

A November poll by Marquette University Law School found that 81% of registered Democrats were very concerned about abortion policy, identifying it as their top issue, compared to just 33% of Republicans.

Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who has been holding rallies for Protasiewicz across the state with Women Win Wisconsin, a group that backs reproductive rights, said abortion is all voters want to talk about with volunteers who knock on their doors.

Were even hearing this in small towns, she said. This is what theyre talking about in the coffee shops and the hardware stores.

That follows a trend seen in other states last year, when anti-abortion referendums were defeated in Kansas, Kentucky and Montana, while abortion-rights measures passed in California, Michigan and Vermont.

Barry Burden, director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that Tuesdays results will be a test of Democrats strategy.

If abortion looks like a winning issue for Democrats, youre going to see them use that going into next year, he said.

Biden has signaled that he will campaign on the issue in an expected reelection bid and has pledged to sign a bill codifying abortion rights into law. GOP frontrunner Donald Trump appointed three of the justices who overturned Roe, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is backing a state effort to ban abortions after six weeks with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother up to 15 weeks.

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Chip Coleman and Martin Troyer make homemade pancakes at the 2022 Sonnenberg Mennonite Church pancake breakfast fundraiser.

SUGAR CREEK TWP.  For a quarter of a century Sonnenberg Mennonite Church has hosted a pancake breakfast to support various missions across Wayne County.

This year is no different.

The church will host its 25th annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, at 14367 Hackett Road, between Kidron and Dalton.

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Donations of any amount will get supporters a plate of pancakes, sausage and maple syrup, said Ken Neuenschwander, outreach and service chairman for the church.

All proceeds will go toward Sonnenberg Mennonite Church outreach, benefitting several area-based missions like Camp Luz (152 Kidron Road) and others that help regions beyond Wayne County like Bridge of Hope in Liberia and the Orrville-based CAMO (Central American Medical Outreach), which has worked to benefit Honduras.

"All proceeds will go toward these missions," Neuenschwander said. "All of the food for the event is supported by volunteer efforts, so the money will not go toward the pancake breakfast."

Dine-in or drive-thru options

Dine-in and drive-thru options are available for donors when entering the parking lot, he said. Both require a donation of any amount.

Regardless of how one gets breakfast, everyone will get the same options: pancakes made from scratch, homemade sausage and locally produced syrup. For drinks, coffee and orange juice are available.

To take home something extra, anyone can purchase additional syrup and sausage at the venue.

Feeling the impact

For Haroldo Nunes, the executive director of Open Arms Hispanic Ministries in Orrville, the pancake breakfast is an important event for various missions and Mennonite organizations in the Wayne County area.

Not only does it bring communities together, he said, but it raises essential funds for vital programs.

"Sonnenberg is a great partner for us because it allows these programs to continue operating," Nunes said. "We only have two fundraisers a year; that's one in the fall and this one in the spring."

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'Becoming an American:' Wayne County group to host dialogue on 'broken' immigration system

At Open Arms, Nunes and his small team of three rely on donations from these events to help Hispanic immigrants seeking asylum, citizenship or visas.

And his team also helps with day-to-day issues that crop up, he said. This ranges from driving children to schools or families to medical appointments and acting as a translator.

"We help people pay rent or their bills," Nunes explained. "We never give the full amount, so they pay a portion. This way we work as a partnership."

The funds from the breakfast, he said, will support those who need it most.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County church to host April 15 pancake breakfast fundraiser
Strewn across Levert Smiths apartment floor are boxes and Rubbermaid bins filled with her cherished belongings. All her life shes always had her own space but things are about to change.

Since 2019, Smith has lived at Crest on Providence apartments near the intersections of Providence Road and Sardis Lane. In that time she has faced repeated maintenance issues, she said. In January, she wanted to end her lease, but was told by the landlord she would not be allowed.

Now suddenly, she has to be out in May when her lease is up.

In March, Smith and her neighbors in the 473-unit complex received letters notifying them they would not be able to renew their leases. Its very short notice for many families, residents told The Charlotte Observer. Many are worried amid the citys affordable housing crisis, they wont be able to find decent housing and could end up homeless once displaced.

While the property is not classified as affordable based on a specific area-median income, many units are priced well below comparable apartments in the same 28270 zip code.

Earlier in the year, Smith searched for apartments when she first considered leaving. One bedroom apartments were going for nearly $1,400, she said  about $275 higher than she currently pays. She decided to stay put until she could save more money.

The thought of moving now is very stressful.

Its killing me, Smith, 69, said. I dont have anybody here.

Earlier this year, Levine Properties, which manages Crest on Providence, filed a rezoning petition for Providence Road. The plan would replace a portion of what Levine Properties considers dated housing with upgraded units. More than 100 apartments at Crest on Providence would be renovated, the Charlotte Observer previously reported.

Colleen Brannan, a property spokeswoman, said the 55-year-old complex had reached the end of its economic and physical life and must be replaced. Levine Properties is working with city housing agencies, conducting one on ones and hosting housing fairs to assist residents.

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All have been given a 60-day notice with the option of 30 more if they need it, Brannan said in an email to the Observer.

This is home.

Smith, a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools educator, has lived in her current unit since September after moving from a previous unit due to mold. In February, she resigned from her job due to respiratory issues, she said.

She is still passionate about teaching. Smith tutors some 25 kids each week, including many of her neighbors children. Its the community feel shes developed in her years there.

Her current unit is not better. In her closet, aluminum foil covers the pipe of a cooling unit. She also can point to a mud-colored stain on her ceiling that she believes is a sign of mold.

Smith doubts the new units will be for working class people like herself. It has been disappointing to see how current residents are treated.

Despite maintenance and mold problems, she has enjoyed the community she built in Charlotte, she said. But in the coming months, her plan is to move in with a relative in Winston-Salem.

This is where I wanted to be, Smith said. This is home.

A torn community

Bertin Mangongo, another Crest resident, said he first heard the rumors in February about the leases, he wasnt worried. A decision of that magnitude would come through official channels, he said.

But the March letter that came was troubling. He would have to find a new apartment by August. He said residents now have to fend with a lack of available affordable housing and rising rents, all without the disposable income to move. He has not found a new apartment yet.

They put us in a very stressful situation, Mangongo said.

Isaac Sturgill, attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina, said developers often give properties face lifts to charge higher rent. Sometimes developers move tenants out to do the needed work. Other times they do the work while the tenants remain, raise the rent and give them an ultimatum to pay the new rent or leave.

We see these situations a lot unfortunately, he said.

But theres not much protection for private tenants, he said. A private landlord does not have to give good reason or cause to refuse to renew someones lease, he said. And unless stated in the lease there is not a statutory guideline on how much notice should be given, he added.

Its really at the whim of the landlord and the market, Sturgill said.

Median rents across Charlotte rose by an average of 4.2% to $1,900, The Observer previously reported. The 28270 ZIP code  which includes Crest on Providence Apartments  had a median rent of $1,920.

John Fuller, a 35-year-old resident of Crest on Providence, said its the type of prices hes seeing as he looks for apartments. Hes lived with his family in the apartment for five years. But their lease is now expected to end in August.

Fuller said he is worried about finding a new affordable unit. He currently pays around $1,300 for a two-bedroom apartment. Hes also is concerned that moving would require his children to change schools.

Im disappointed because its a community my family and I grew to love, he said.

Being uprooted out of the blue is a tough pill to swallow, he said. Residents could have also been notified last year before renewing their leases, he added.

But there was nothing, Fuller said. Nobody was talking about any of this.

Alycia Fuller, his wife, said its clear who developers want in the area. The complex is filled with hardworking Black and brown people, she said. Some are entrepreneurs like her, she added. She owns Galloways Plate, a meal prepping catering company that services the area.

But near the neighborhood homes sell for nearly $1 million, she said.

We know the demographic theyre pushing in and the demographic theyre going to push out, Alycia Fuller, 32, said.

John Fuller said it could push many families of color to Charlottes outskirt areas. He worried others could end up homeless, he said. As for will his own family remain in Charlotte he has a simple answer: If we can.
Do you know what kind of safety officers the public schools in your area have?

Heres a look at how districts and colleges around Stanislaus County are keeping their students safe:

Some districts have school resource officers (SRO), and others have school safety officers (SSO).

SROs are sworn officers from local police departments, according to the Education News Organization. These officers can work part time or full time on school campuses. Nearly all SROs carry firearms and handcuffs and have the power to make arrests.

SSOs do not carry firearms. They protect students from themselves and intruders and offer safety education, according to the online learning platform Study.org.

Modesto City Schools

MCS employs eight SSOs to patrol campuses across the district, spokeswoman Linda Mumma Solorio said. They are not armed but do have the authority to detain people.

Turlock Unified School District

Pitman and Turlock high schools employ SROs, according to TUSDs director of communications, family engagement and outreach, Marie Russell. The officers also work with the elementary and middle school campuses, according to the City of Turlock website. The two SROs currently listed are Officers Mark Alberti and Matt Ulrich.

The children learn to trust these officers in a way that they may not be able to in any other normal police interaction. It is our goal that the children at these schools look to the School Resource Officers as a constant and reliable presence on campus and in their lives, according to the citys website.

Ceres Unified School District

CUSD spokeswoman Beth Jimenez said the district uses SROs.

Patterson Joint Unified School District

Ken Fitzgerald, director of student support services, said Patterson JUDS has one full-time SRO, contracted with the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, who is available to support all district school sites. It also has multiple SSOs across campuses, who are able to respond to student fights and have specialized training but do not carry any weapons like guns or pepper spray, he said.

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Riverbank Unified School District

In January 2023, the Riverbank City Council approved the reinstatement of an SRO from the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, according to meeting records. The district originally eliminated the position because of budgetary constraints. RUSD and the city agreed that the school district will pay the city $130,000 annually for the SRO.

Barbara Brown, RUSD director of student services, said the district also contracts with Interquest Detection Canines to inspect high schools and charter schools for middle school students.

The private company reaches out to Brown over text, at random, and she is responsible for alerting principals whose campuses the dog handlers plan to visit.

A lot is about alcohol and drugs, but they also tend to hit on gunpowder items, firecrackers and ammunition. When (the dogs) go to the classroom, the teacher takes the students outside the classroom. The students are supposed to leave their stuff in the classroom, said Brown.

Oakdale Joint Unified School District

Superintendent Dave Kline said OJUSD has an SRO, contracted with Oakdale Police Department, who serves all schools in the district.

California State University, Stanislaus

Stanislaus State is approved for 14 sworn, armed and academy-trained police officers, including himself, University Police Chief Clint Strode said. Many of the officers have been former students of the university.

The California State University board decided to arm its officers in the 1970s, Strode said.

One of the big differences between the CSU and the community college is that we have a 24-hour population of several hundred individuals  roughly 700 full-time residents, he told The Bee.

Modesto Junior College

MJC has 48 unarmed security officers ,said Chief Roland Gallardo, director of district public safety. The college calls the Modesto Police Department for emergencies.

Gallardo said MJC looking into getting armed officers for the campus.

Former Bee staff writer Adam Echelman contributed to this story.

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
At least 21 killed, over 130 injured after tornadoes, storms hit multiple U.S. states

Xinhua) 09:49, April 03, 2023

This photo taken on April 1, 2023 shows properties damaged by a strong tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States. (Photo by Yan Sun/Xinhua)

The latest "intense supercell thunderstorms" are only expected to become more common in middle and southern U.S. states, as temperatures rise around the world, experts say.

HOUSTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people have been killed and more than 130 others injured after strong tornadoes and deadly storms struck multiple midwestern and southern U.S. states Friday into early Saturday, authorities said.

According to CNN, more than 50 preliminary tornado reports were recorded on Friday in at least seven U.S. states.

Four people died and dozens more were hurt when a confirmed strong tornado tore through Wynne, the county seat and largest city of Cross County, Arkansas, according to local media outlet Region 8 News.

There was "total destruction throughout the town" and dozens of residents were trapped following the tornado, said Wynne Police Chief Richard Dennis on Friday night.

One person died and at least 50 people were sent to hospitals in Little Rock, Arkansas, after a violent tornado caused severe damage on Friday afternoon, according to Pulaski County officials.

This photo taken on April 1, 2023 shows properties damaged by a strong tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States. (Photo by Yan Sun/Xinhua)

"Close to 2,600 structures have been impacted," Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. told CNN on Saturday.

At least seven people were killed in McNairy County, which is located in southwest Tennessee, State Governor Bill Lee said in a statement.

A 50-year-old man was killed on the scene when the roof of the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere, northern Illinois collapsed on Friday night. Up to 40 others were taken to hospitals, with at least two of them in critical condition, officials said.

Three others were killed following the collapse of a residential structure in Crawford County, southern Illinois, according to Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Kevin Sur.

Also on Friday night, three people died while multiple residences and the volunteer fire department were damaged in Sullivan County, Indiana, State Police Sgt. Matt Ames said.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb on Saturday declared disaster emergencies for Sullivan and Johnson counties.

This photo taken on April 1, 2023 shows properties damaged by a strong tornado in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States. (Photo by Yan Sun/Xinhua)

Fatalities were also reported in Alabama and Mississippi, and tornadoes also caused damage in eastern Iowa.

From northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, including Chicago and Milwaukee, tornado watches extend nearly 1,000 miles all the way to Mississippi and Texas, affecting tens of thousands of people on Friday, according to AccuWeather.

It could take days to determine the exact number of tornadoes, said Bill Bunting, chief of forecast operations at the Storm Prediction Center.

There were also hundreds of reports of large hail and damaging winds, said Bunting, adding that "that's a quite active day ... but that's not unprecedented."

Just one week ago, a massive tornado leveled a town in the southern U.S. state of Mississippi, claiming 25 lives. The 26th death was reported in Alabama during the same round of turbulent weather.

The latest "intense supercell thunderstorms" are only expected to become more common in middle and southern U.S. states, as temperatures rise around the world, experts say.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A woman walks past downed tree limbs on her property along Main Street on April 1, 2023, in Belvidere. Tornado-strength winds on Friday swept through the area and damaged the Apollo Theatre on nearby State Street, whose roof and marquee sign collapsed during a concert, injuring at least 40 people and causing one fatality. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Severe weather is possible in the Chicago area Tuesday afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

A considerable amount of uncertainty exists about these potential storms, but damaging hail and a few tornadoes are possible, and meteorologists will be monitoring changing weather conditions.

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A tornado with wind gusts from 90 to 100 mph that tore through Belvidere Friday night and led to a fatal roof collapse. The National Weather Service also reported a tornado traveled 1.6 miles from Lombard to Addison in DuPage County on Friday night, and on the same night in downstate Crawford County, a tornado touched down near New Hebron, killing three people.

Saturday evening, Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an emergency disaster proclamation to unlock immediate assistance and provide public safety support for communities across Illinois impacted by Friday nights tornadoes and severe weather.

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During this time of year when volatile weather can often occur, here are 10 important things to know about tornadoes.

1. A tornado watch is less severe than a tornado warning.

The National Weather Service issues a tornado watch when conditions could lead to the development of tornadoes. A tornado watch can last several hours and will be issued in advance of the actual formation of a tornado. During this time, residents of the area should be prepared to seek shelter if conditions worsen.

A tornado warning takes place when a tornado has already formed and been detected by radar or sighted by spotters. In this event, people in the designated area should seek shelter immediately. A tornado warning can be issued without a watch being issued first. Warnings are normally issued for about 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.

As of Monday morning, there were no tornado warnings in effect in Illinois because there were no storms capable of producing tornadoes anywhere in the state, said Jeffrey Frame, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois.

During a tornado warning, residents will be alerted by a siren sounding a single tone. In Illinois, these sirens are tested at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. If the possibility of severe weather exists on this date, officials may change the test time.

2. Illinois is no stranger to tornadoes.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 Heavy equipment operators view a crushed vehicle under a downed roof across the street from the Apollo Theatre, April 1, 2023, in Belvidere. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Illinois averaged 54 tornadoes per year based on 1991-2020 data. But there were none in 1919 and 1933, and as many as 124 in 2006.

Kevin Doom, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the state with the most tornadoes per year has historically been Texas. In 2022, the state had 159 tornadoes.

[ [Dont miss] Officials confirm tornado hit Belvidere just before deadly roof collapse at metal concert ]

3. When to expect a tornado.

Spring is the peak season for tornadoes, and April, May, and June are the most common months, but they can happen any time there are thunderstorms with strong winds.

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Although tornadoes can form at any time of day, most tornadoes take place in the afternoon and evening between 4 and 9 p.m.

Nearly 60% of all tornadoes between 1950 and 2020 in Illinois occurred between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and most tornado-related injuries occurred between 2 and 5 p.m., according to a study conducted at the University of Illinois.

4. How clouds can change from thunderstorms to tornadoes.

A car is flipped over in front of a house along 77th Street after a tornado tore through the area as seen on June 21, 2021, in Naperville. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Tornadoes come from supercell thunderstorms, and a tornados power depends on the power of the storm.

They often develop from severe thunderstorms in warm, unstable air ahead of cold fronts. When warm and cool air combine in a storm, warm air rises and cool air falls. This vertical movement creates spin, which leads to the tornados funnel-like cloud.

Robert Trapp, also a professor of atmospheric sciences at University of Illinois, said that the weather system that brought storms over the weekend is very similar to the weather system that is moving through the U.S. right now  from Iowa into Illinois.

He is with a team of researchers called PERiLS, which is working to understand these storm patterns. They focus on pinpointing where tornadoes may form in thunderstorm clouds that span hundreds of miles.

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But tornadoes can strike any place at any time, explained Frame. Tornado formation is a result of geographic conditions  large bodies of water that provide a source of moisture, like the Gulf of Mexico, can start the process.

[ [Dont miss] Tornadoes touching down in new areas; season is starting sooner and lasting longer, experts say ]

5. How to measuring the severity.

The National Weather Service rates tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita scale from an EF-0 to an EF-5. The scale assigns each tornado a rating based on wind speed and related damage. The EF-0 storms have a top 3 second gust speed of 65 to 85 mph, while EF-5 storms reach over 200 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service rated the storm that caused a roof to collapse in Belvidere an EF-1 with wind speeds between 90 and 100 mph.The storm that traveled from Lombard to Addison was also rated an EF-1.

6. Take shelter immediately during a tornado warning.

Jaden Preslar and David Callahan look through the debris of tornado damaged homes in Adamsville, Tenn., on April 1, 2023. (Jamar Coach/AP)

During a tornado warning, experts recommend going to a shelters lowest level  a basement, closet or center hallway. Windows should be avoided.

If you are in a vehicle during a tornado, the National Weather Service recommends that the best course of action is to drive to the nearest place of shelter.

Skyscrapers arent immune to tornadoes, as some Chicago residents may believe. If youre in a tall building during a severe weather event, it is essential to move to the ground level in a place with no windows.

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Plan ahead, said Trapp. If you know that your area is a heightened risk, maybe rethink your plans to go to the movies.

7. How to get prepared.

Tornado experts recommend making an emergency preparedness kit for your home. The following items are applicable to all human-made or natural disasters:

Nonperishable food and water for several days

First aid kit, prescription medication, hygiene products

Flashlight with extra batteries

Battery-powered or hand crank radio to receive weather information

Phone and phone chargers

Cash

Change of clothing

Sleeping bag or blankets

Important documents including identification, insurance, etc.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also recommends preparing a communication plan in case of a major weather event. The National Weather Service advises organizations to hold routine tornado drills and practice emergency procedures regularly.

8. How to prepare your pets.

Chris Bullock holds her dog, Dewey, on April 21, 2022, as she sits on the stump of the tree that fell on her son's home, which originally stood behind her, in Dawson Springs, Ky. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

Pets should be placed in crates or kennels and brought with you to your designated tornado-safe area, according to the American Humane Society. If you are able to evacuate, the organization recommends you take your pets with you.

Before the storm, make your tornado shelter safe for pets by removing dangerous items. Also put together a pet emergency preparedness kit in advance of severe weather.

9. Historical tornadoes in Illinois.

Illinois has experienced two of the worst tornadoes in the nations history: the infamous Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, which resulted in 695 deaths, 2,000 injuries, and $130 million in property damage; and the Mattoon tornado of May 26, 1917, which resulted in 101 deaths, 638 injuries, and $55 million in property damage.

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Its been a number of years since a significant tornado has hit the immediate Chicago area.

[ [Dont miss] Photos: Violent F-4 tornado hits Belvidere in 1967 ]

10. Whats coming?

The National Weather Service meteorologist confirmed that there is a high level of uncertainty around Tuesday nights weather. While there is a possibility no thunderstorms will form Tuesday evening, he said that if there are storms, they are likely to be severe.

He encouraged the public to keep a close eye on the weather Tuesday night.

Assume that the storms will pop up, Doom said. Because if they do, they will be on the stronger side.
On 6 May 2023, the UK will crown its first new monarch in 70 years at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla.

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Charles, formerly the Prince of Wales, ascended the throne and became the King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.

The eldest child of the late Queen is the longest-serving heir apparent and the oldest person to accede to the throne at the age of 73. He has three younger siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

During his time as the Prince of Wales, Charles became known for his environmentalist stances and his work raising awareness about climate change and sustainability. He is also known for being an outspoken supporter of small businesses and family-owned farms in the UK.

The Kings coronation ceremony will take place in Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that the coronation will reflect the monarchs role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.

As we look towards a new era of the British monarchy, many British people are reflecting on Charles life. The monarch was born on 14 November 1948 at 9.14pm to the then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

When Charles was just four, his grandfather King George VI died and his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, took the throne. The following year, Charles became the first heir apparent to attend school instead of receiving education through a private tutor, when he attended Hill House School in west London.

Later in life, Charles attended Philips former schools, Cheam Preparatory School in Hampshire and Gordonstoun in the Scottish Highlands. His time at the latter is said to have been marred by experiences of bullying, which he reportedly described as absolute hell.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, who was Head Boy here, pictured during a visit to Gordonstoun School, where she opened their new Sports Centre, Scotland, July 24th 1967 (Getty Images)

However, the royal praised the school as an adult, telling told The Observer Magazine in 1974 that talk of his unhappiness while studying was exaggerated. In 1975, he said in a speech to the House of Lords: I am always astonished by the amount of rot talked about Gordonstoun and the careless use of ancient cliches used to describe it. It was only tough in the sense that it demanded more of you as an individual than most other schools did  mentally and physically. I am lucky in that I believe it taught me a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities, he continued.

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Charles went on to study archaeology and anthropology at Trinity College in Cambridge University, later changing to history for the second part of his degree. He also spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth to learn how to speak Welsh.

In 1969, he was invested as Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle. Charles gave the first two paragraphs of his speech in Welsh before switching to English. He said: It is with a certain sense of pride and emotion that I have received these symbols of office, here in this magnificent fortress, where no one could fail to be stirred by its atmosphere of time-worn grandeur, not where I myself could be unaware of the long history of Wales in its determination to remain individual and to guard its own particular heritage.

Charles knelt before his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, during his investiture as the Prince of Wales in 1969 (AFP via Getty Images)

But Charles speech came at a time when anti-English sentiment in Wales was particularly high and caused concern among government officials. In 2000, cabinet papers revealed that members of former prime minister Harold Wilsons government were worried that Charles had made speeches that boosted Welsh nationalism, with Welsh secretary George Thomas suggesting that the young prince had been influenced by Welsh nationalists.

This perhaps marked the beginnings of Charles reputation for being a political royal  a departure from the sovereigns traditional role in staying out of politics. Last year, the Financial Times wrote that so much more is known about many of King Charles views, because he, while Prince of Wales, has been active in promoting his causes with ministers and allowing his opinions to become known.

Charles personal life has seen many twists and turns over the years. From his failed marriage to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, to his current troubles with his youngest son Prince Harry, the Kings private life has been laid bare far more times than he would likely have approved of. His marriage to Diana was blemished by the couples incompatibility and bitter feuds, as he maintained his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles and Diana became increasingly paranoid and unhappy while living in Buckingham Palace.

(Getty Images)

More than a decade after they wed in 1981, former prime minister John Major announced Charles and Dianas legal separation in Parliament in 1992. They were formally divorced on 28 August 1996, after the Queen formally advised them the previous December to end the marriage. When Diana tragically died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, Charles flew to the French capital with her sisters to retrieve her body and accompany it back to Britain.

People close to Charles and Camilla have said that Charles was much happier with Camilla than Diana. The pair continued their relationship and, in April 2005, married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. Camilla is the Queen Consort and will be crowned alongside Charles at the coronation ceremony this spring. Photographer Arthur Edwards, who has photographed the royal family for The Sun for more than 40 years, said that Charles was contented after marrying Camilla. Edwards added that Camilla brought a whole new meaning for Prince Charles as well as a spring to Charles step.

Charles and Camilla on their wedding day in 2005 (Getty Images)

But while Charles love life has settled, his family relations remain tense when it comes to his youngest son, the Duke of Sussex. In the years since he stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, Harry has revealed many details about life behind the closed doors of Buckingham Palace and within the Institution. In his recent memoir, Spare, the duke laid bare a number of grievances, including accusations of the royal family leaking and planting unsavoury stories about his wife, Meghan Markle, to distract the media and public from negative stories about other members of the family.

Harry has two main criticisms of his father. In an ITV interview ahead of the release of Spare, he said: [Charles had] always given an air of not being quite ready for parenthood: the responsibilities, the patience, the time. Even he, though a proud man, would have admitted as much. But single parenthood? Pa was never made for that. To be fair, he tried. Harrys second criticism was that too often your interests are sacrificed to his interests, certainly when it comes to the press.

(Getty Images)

Charles reputation as an environmentally and politically aware royal was cemented during his time as the Prince of Wales. But in 2018, he told the BBC that when he became King, he would cease to be a self-described inveterate interferer and meddler. Im not that stupid, he said at the time. I do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign. So, of course I understand entirely how that should operate. As his reign officially begins, Britons will perhaps see a different, more regal side to Charles that will be a far cry from the past 70-odd years.
Jurgen Klopp says he is not afraid of the axe after a spate of Premier League casualties but admits struggling Liverpool must deliver as he prepares his team to face managerless Chelsea.

Liverpool, who fell agonisingly short of winning an unprecedented quadruple last season, are eight points off the top four after Saturday's painful 4-1 loss at defending champions Manchester City.

Klopp takes his team to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday after the weekend sacking of Graham Potter, hours after Leicester parted ways with Brendan Rodgers.

Antonio Conte left Tottenham "by mutual agreement" last week.

There have now been 13 managerial departures in the English top flight this season -- a new record.

"I think the elephant in the room is probably why I am still sitting here in this crazy world," Klopp said at his pre-match press conference on Monday. "Last man standing."

The German admitted the current season had been a disappointment for the club, who are used to winning silverware.

"I'm aware of the fact that I'm sitting here because of the past and not because of what we did this season," said Klopp. "If this was my first season it would be slightly different."

But he said he was not fearful over the future, even though his team, eighth in the table, face an uphill task to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"I don't think that Graham was afraid but there's no need to be afraid," he said. "I'm here to deliver. I'm not here as a talisman or for murals on a house wall.

"I'm here to deliver. I know that 100 percent. There's nothing else in my mind."

Klopp, 55, who has been Liverpool manager since 2015, reiterated his commitment to the club.

"I'm fully in," he said. "There's no doubt about that. We have to sort it. We cannot just continue playing like we do from time to time, not always, thank God, but from time to time and that's not allowed really.

"I'm really disappointed about us that we do these kinds of things but it has happened so now we have to find a way out and that's what we are constantly working on."

jw/ea
Gaston County Schools

The Gaston County Board of Commissioners met with the Gaston County Board of Education on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are five things that were discussed:

Safety

School safety is a priority, according to superintendent Jeff Booker. There was extra law enforcement in schools on Monday after news of a school shooting in Tennessee. "Yesterday at four o'clock, I receive a text from the county police chief saying, 'I'm sure you're alarmed,'" Booker said. "The chief was already talking about what we were going to do to show presence in our schools, because everybody was going to be looking."

Payroll

Fifteen percent of W2 tax forms sent to school district employees had some form of errors, but most of those W2s have been redistributed. Booker talked to the Board of Commissioners in detail about the range of complicated problems the district has had with the Oracle payroll system, which have resulted in teachers and other school staff missing paychecks or seeing money wrongfully deducted from paychecks they did get. Commission Chairman Chad Brown said that he wants to see those problems resolved. Booker, notably, did not discuss the fact that the school district is being sued by the North Carolina Association of Educators over the problems with Oracle.

New school

Commissioner Bob Hovis wants to see the district build a new high school between Bessemer City and Cherryville. Booker said Hovis said a lot of things he agrees with, but added that he feels they are giving all students adequate opportunities.

More discussion

The Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education will each send two representatives to meet with one another and discuss issues affecting the school district, including payroll, school safety, and more.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gaston County holds joint meeting with school board
A screenshot of a video showing the moment Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky received the statue that the Kremlin says exploded. Ren-TV / Vkontake

Video shows Russian military blogger receiving statue that Russia says exploded, killing him.

Police arrested the woman who they alleged gifted the statue.

The Russian Interior Ministry released a video interrogating the woman about the incident.

A video circulating on social media shows the moment Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky received a statue that the Kremlin says exploded, killing him and injuring dozens of others, at a St. Petersburg cafe on Sunday.

The video, posted by Ren-TV/Bkontake and shared by BBC, shows Tatarsky taking the statue out of a cardboard box, holding it, and putting it back down next to him.

According to CNN, a witness corroborated the event.

"The host at the stage took the figurine from the box and showcased it. Vladlen held it for a bit," the witness said of the moments before the cafe explosion. "They put it back, and shortly after the explosion happened I was running, and my ears were blocked. There were many people with blood on them."

The Investigative Committee of Russia alleges the statue contained an explosive device equal to 200 grams of TNT, Russian state media outlet TASS reported.

Leonid  Ragozin (@leonidragozin) April 2, 2023

The Investigative Committee of Russia also alleges that a woman named Darya Trepova delivered the figurine to the cafe.

CNN reported, citing Ria Novosti, that one witness said: "This woman sat at our table. I saw her from the back as she was turned away. When she gifted him the figurine, she went to sit in a different place by the window and forgot her phone at our table."

Trepova, 26, was arrested on Monday. The Investigative Committee of Russia told TASS and other reporters that Trepova was a member of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization founded by Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.

Shortly after the arrest, the Russian Interior Ministry released a video interrogating Trepova. The video shows Trepova admitting she handed over the statue, BBC reported. The BBC reported that Trepova may have been recorded under duress.

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"I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky's murder," she said when asked if she knew why she was arrested, the BBC reported. "I brought the statuette there which blew up."

When interrogated about who gave her the statue, Trepova asked if she could talk about it at a later time.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KSI found fame with The Sidemen and regularly appears in their videos

YouTuber turned boxer KSI has apologised for making a racial slur in a recent YouTube video.

The British rapper, real name Olajide William Olatunji, also says he will be taking a break from social media.

He made the slur during a video with his YouTube group, The Sidemen, where they were playing a Countdown challenge.

From his selection of letters, KSI created a four-letter derogatory word for people of South Asian origin.

"There's no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn't have said it and I'm sorry," the 29-year-old tweeted.

"I've always said to my audience that they shouldn't worship me or put me on a pedestal because I'm human.

"I'm not perfect, I'm gonna mess up in life, and lately I've been messing up a lot."

The video has since been deleted from The Sidemen's social media, and the group have been criticised for laughing after KSI said the slur.

The Sidemen also tweeted later on Monday, apologising for the "completely unacceptable and inexcusable" slur.

"The fact the incident was made light of on the show was wrong and compounded the hurt," they added.

Newsbeat have contacted representatives for KSI for further comment.

Aisha thinks it's "disgusting" that KSI and The Sidemen didn't see anything wrong with the word

But some of KSI's fans say they aren't convinced by his apology, and can't believe the video made it to YouTube.

"This word has so much hate and anger behind it," Aisha, 21, tells Newsbeat.

"I feel like his younger audience don't see anything wrong with it and that's disgusting.

"The fact that he just said it so calmly and casually, with his friends just laughing about it, I just find it so disgusting how they saw nothing wrong with that word.

"And his apology, I just don't think it's genuine, either."

Hamza, who has been a fan of KSI, says he's surprised the slur wasn't edited out the video.

"The fact that it made it on to YouTube, many people watched that numerous times and said 'Yeah, that's fine'," the 27-year-old tells Newsbeat.

"And I think that's worth noting, because again it just speaks of a normalisation of a certain type of racism."

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KSI and Logan Paul have gone from boxing foes to energy drink partners

Teacher and broadcaster Mehreen Baig also criticised KSI for the slur, saying: "This isn't comedy."

"This is horrifically disappointing from KSI and his crew," she tweeted.

"So many of my students look up to these guys and they're casually throwing around a word that has consistently been used to bully and attack South Asians."

KSI found fame with The Sidemen and is regularly involved in sketches on their YouTube channel, which has more than 18 million subscribers.

It comes after he featured at WWE's Wrestlemania this weekend as a mascot in a giant Prime suit - a nod to his hugely successful energy drink.

He was accidently put through a table by his former rival - and now Prime business partner - Logan Paul at the event.

In March 2021, KSI apologised for using "transgender slurs" in the past, tweeting: "Honestly didn't even know they were slurs. I know now though."

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Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

The charges against the priests fall under Article 179 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal detention, desecration, or destruction of religious shrines), law enforcement representatives stated.

The Ministry promised to file a lawsuit to remove barriers to the use of the property.

Read also: What will happen to the Moscow Patriarchate monks at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra?

ROC-U Lavra eviction update

The ROC-U was supposed to vacate the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery on March 29, after its 2013 lease agreement was terminated by the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve  a state entity. The termination reversed a decision made by the government of then-president Viktor Yanuvkoych, who is wanted for high treason, which leased out the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra to the ROC-U in perpetuity.

However, ROC-U priests did not vacate the territory of the monastery upon the leases termination, continue to hold services at the site.

Read also: SBU releases intercepts of Lavra abbot Metropolitan Pavlo parroting Kremlin propaganda

They have twice refused to admit the Culture Ministry's property transfer commission to the site.

ROC-U leadership, led by Lavra Abbot Petro Lebid (Metropolitan Pavlo), accused Ukrainian authorities of issuing an "ultimatum." They stated that the eviction notice is illegal, and have challenged it in court  though the court ruled that the ROC-U does not have the right to remain on the property during the duration of the appeal.

ROC-U priests have also been spotted stealing relics from the property, with one priest saying, in a comment to media, that they plan to take "everything but the relics" from the Lower Lavra.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The L.A. County Civilian Oversight Commission plans to study the Sheriff Department's use of less-lethal weapons; specifically, Tasers. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Two years after a sheriffs deputy fired a Taser at a handcuffed man outside his family's home, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office declined to file charges because it is unclear if the officer shocked him unintentionally, then lied about it in a report, or if the action was an intentional use of excessive force.

The former charge is a misdemeanor; the latter can be a misdemeanor or a felony.

After reviewing video of the April 2021 incident and witness statements, prosecutors decided they had insufficient evidence to prove either charge beyond a reasonable doubt, according to a February memo recently obtained by The Times.

Now, the matter will go back to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for an internal investigation that could lead to disciplinary action. Adam Marangell, general counsel for the Los Angeles Sheriffs Professional Assn., said he and his deputy client were pleased that prosecutors correctly chose to decline this case.

Yet criminal justice experts say the case illustrates the difficulty of scrutinizing officers use of less-lethal weapons, which can be as chaotic and complicated to analyze as that of firearms but typically receives less public attention.

There are some genuine logistical challenges to figuring out when the officers use of a Taser may have been excessive, said Jacinta Gau, a University of Central Florida criminal justice professor. But less-lethal force is not routinely or systemically documented in a way that the public can access, evaluate or hold officers accountable for  and the most simple explanation is that, typically, nobody died during it.

The Sheriff's Department's use of one type of less-lethal force, Tasers, is set to come under more scrutiny. In March, the Civilian Oversight Commission put out a call for public input on the issue.

Theres obviously been some settlements around this area in the last five years, said commissioner Luis Garcia. But the thrust of it was just recognizing the use of Tasers as a less-than-lethal practice the Technology Ad Hoc Committee wanted to look at.

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In 2021, the county paid $2 million to the family of a man who died in 2018 after deputies shocked him with a Taser . Last year, the county agreed to pay $3.8 million to the family of a man who died in 2015 in Willowbrook after being shocked by a deputy. A few months later, the county settled for more than $16.2 million after a Maywood man died when he was beaten and tased by deputies responding to a call from his mother, who said he was in the midst of a mental health crisis.

The April 18, 2021, incident detailed in prosecutors' February memo began when two Lynwood deputies responded to an early-morning call about a family disturbance. The caller said his brother had broken into the home and refused to leave. The alleged intruder  who is not named in the memo  hadnt lived there for about five years.

The caller said his brother was usually on drugs and unpredictable. This time, the caller feared that his brother would assault their elderly grandmother.

The deputies went to the backyard and started calling the mans name. When they spotted him, they ordered him to come out with his hands up.

He refused, and as the standoff unfolded, two more deputies  John Hunziker and his partner  arrived. Not long after that, the man came out with his hands up but refused to turn around. Three deputies moved in for a team takedown while ordering him to stop resisting.

In a second, in a second, the man said, according to the memo.

Im going to tase you, Hunziker warned. The man wriggled on the ground and started to kick at another deputys legs and lower back, so Hunziker shocked him three times, prosecutors wrote.

The man screamed that he couldnt breathe and kept kicking. The deputies put him in handcuffs.

I cant breathe, he repeated. Dont do that again.

At that point, the man stopped kicking, but the deputies didnt remove the Taser prongs from his shirt. Seconds later, Hunziker shocked the man a fourth time.

The fourth tasing appears accidental, the memo said. Video shows that the deputy didnt aim the stun gun that time and, according to the memo, seemed surprised that it had gone off.

Prosecutors said the only evidence the fourth shock was intentional appeared in Hunzikers report, where he wrote that he deployed the weapon because the man appeared as if he was going to kick again.

Despite the chaotic arrest, the man sustained only minor injuries and was jailed for three misdemeanors: two counts of resisting arrest and one of aggravated trespass.

Seven months later, the Sheriffs Department sent the case to the district attorneys office so prosecutors could decide whether to file criminal charges.

There are two reasonable conclusions to draw from the circumstantial evidence, prosecutors wrote in their analysis. Hunziker discharged the taser accidentally, or Hunziker discharged the taser intentionally. Based on the totality of the circumstances, the more reasonable conclusion was that it was an accident.

That meant that a charge of assault by a public officer didnt fit. To charge Hunziker with making a false statement in a report, prosecutors would have to prove that the final shock was not intentional, but it wasnt clear that they could do so.

This incident presents a situation where it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the fourth Tasing was intentional, and thus constitutes excessive force, or that it was an accident and Hunziker made a material false statement in his police report, the memo concluded.

To Sean Kennedy, who chairs the Civilian Oversight Committee, the case illustrates that prosecutors can be a barrier to untangling issues of deputy accountability.

The memo, he said, shows how far the D.A. will go to avoid concluding that a deputy made a false statement. Aside from the prosecutors own conclusions about the chain of events, Kennedy said, the fact that one of the other deputies, whose hands were shocked during the fourth tasing, made no mention of it in his report is further evidence of an intentional coverup.

The district attorney's office did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

Garcia said a report that will include the newly collected public commentary will go before the commission, which can consider moving forward with additional study.

Updates:

11:41 a.m. April 3, 2023: This article was updated for clarity. Although stun gun and Taser are sometimes used interchangeably, in this instance the devices in question are Tasers.



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A controversial proposal by Los Angeles County Board members to "decarcerate" jails was withdrawn from Tuesdays agenda after opposition from the public and law enforcement.

The agenda item was titled "Los Angeles County to take Actionable Next Steps to Depopulate and Decarcerate the Los Angeles County Jails."

FILE: The Men's Central Jail, operated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on Tuesday, July 7, 2020.

Introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis, the proposal outlined that it would "Declare the state of mental health services and overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jails a humanitarian crisis, requiring the County to move with all deliberate speed on meaningful solutions; and prioritize decreasing the number of individuals entering the Los Angeles County Jails."

The board was set to discuss the proposal during Tuesdays meeting. But Solis said she withdrew the proposal after hearing concerns raised by the public, law enforcement, and other board members.

LOS ANGELES POLICE ID SUSPECT IN TRADER JOE'S PARKING LOT SHOOTOUT

"[S]ince the motion was published, my office has received concerns from a variety of stakeholders  those who feel the motion is not doing enough and those who feel it is doing too much," Solis said in a statement, "To that end, I will be referring the motion back to my office so that I can continue to gather input from all stakeholders."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital has reached out to Horvaths office for additional comment.

Had the proposal been passed, the local sheriff would have been instructed to review its bail thresholds and to cite and release "individuals with aggregate bail amounts set at $50,000 or below."

Inmates attend a life skills class at Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles, California. REUTERS/Jason Redmond

The Los Angeles Superior Court would also be directed to "implement the Emergency Bail Schedule that was in place at the height of the COVID pandemic" to "prioritize increased opportunities for pre-trial release."

Last week, prison reform activists protested near the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, calling for the closure of the Mens Central Jail in the downtown area of the city.

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They demanded that the Board of Supervisors commit to a closure timeline that would shutter the jail by March 2025. The protests came after it was reported that three inmates in L.A. died over the court of one week  including in the Mens Central Jail.

Solis argued that the countys numerous federal consent decrees and settlement agreements had gotten expensive and complex  a situation compounded by "horrid and inhumane" jail conditions.

"The County is at a point in which immediate action must be taken. However, the authority and responsibility to close Mens Jail does not rest solely with the Board of Supervisors," she said. "The board of Supervisors has limited jurisdiction and authority over the safe decarceration and diversion of those in County jails, as the authorities lie largely with the Los Angeles Superior Court, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the Los Angeles County Sheriff."

Fox News Emma Colton, Bill Melugin, and Alexandria Hernandez contributed to this report.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is considering a plan to "decarcerate" jails by citing and releasing anyone with bail at $50,000 or less, city documents show.

An agenda item has been added to the board's Tuesday meeting titled "Los Angeles County to Take Actionable Next Steps to Depopulate and Decarcerate the Los Angeles County Jails," Fox News has learned

The measure was introduced by Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis, both Democrats, and only has one public comment attached to it.

The proposal outlines that it would "Declare the State of mental health services and overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jails a humanitarian crisis, requiring the County to move with all deliberate speed on meaningful solutions; and prioritize decreasing the number of individuals entering the Los Angeles County Jails."

If passed, the local sheriff would be instructed to review its bail thresholds and to cite and release "individuals with aggregate bail amounts set at $50,000 or below." The Los Angeles Superior Court would be directed to "implement the Emergency Bail Schedule that was in place at the height of the COVID pandemic" in an effort to "prioritize increased opportunities for pre-trial release."

3 HOSPITALIZED AFTER EMERGENCY CREWS RESPOND TO ATTACK AT LA-AREA JAIL

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Inmates attend a life skills class at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles.

The vice president of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, Eric Siddall, slammed the agenda item as "dangerous."

CALIFORNIA TRANSFORMING SAN QUENTIN STATE PRISON WITH EMPHASIS ON REHABILITATION

"The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) motion to gut parts of the criminal justice system without input from stakeholders is dangerous and recklessness," Siddall told Fox News. "The authors sought no advice from those who know and understand public safety issues. They seek to lower the jail population without addressing the root causes of crime or protecting the public."

An inmate stands in his cell at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles.

He said that under the proposal, law enforcement officers would be directed to cite and release suspects accused of illegally carrying a firearm, and those arrested on charges such as domestic violence, possession of child pornography, residential burglary, robbery or assault with a firearm.

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EX-LOS ANGELES SHERIFF ALEX VILLANUEVA TORCHES OVERSIGHT REPORT ON ALLEGED 'DEPUTY GANGS': 'POLITICAL HIT JOB'

Activists in Los Angeles called for the closure of the Mens Central Jail in the downtown area of the city last week, protesting near the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Thursday morning, according to KTLA.

The Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail is seen in Los Angeles, Feb. 16, 2021.

They demanded that the Board of Supervisors commit to a closure timeline that would shutter the jail by March 2025. The protests came after it was reported that three inmates in L.A. died over the course of one week, including one in the Mens Central Jail.

Siddall added in his criticism of the agenda that it does not include how to "protect the community from violent criminals."

"This catch-and-release program comes without any plan or infrastructure to protect the community from violent criminals apprehended by law enforcement. Further, it creates no lockdown facilities for the mentally ill. This program benefits no one, except for career criminals. We need to make sure the most dangerous offenders dont get out, that first-time offenders dont come back and that those with serious mental illnesses get appropriate care and help. This does none of that," Siddall said.

Horvath's and Solis' respective offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the agenda item and Siddall's criticisms.

The board is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Update:

The deputy killed by the car crash has been identified as Detective Sergeant Nicholas Pepper, 44.

What started as a routine traffic violation stop by the Houma Police Department became a high speed pursuit that stopped near Lafourche Crossing in Thibodaux. During negotiations with the driver, Pepper was blocking traffic with his vehicle. The Chevy Tahoe accelerated and rammed Pepper's vehicle injuring him.

Pepper was pronounced dead at Thibodaux Regional Health System. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries.

Nick epitomized all that is honored and revered in a peace officer, said Sheriff Webre. The tremendous outpouring of love and gratitude from the community is truly appreciated. I ask that you continue to keep Sergeant Nick Pepper and his family, as well as our sheriffs office family, in your thoughts and prayers.

The late Detective Sergeant Nicholas Pepper, 44, who lost his life, Sunday, April 4, when a suspect rammed his vehicle. Pepper began his career at the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office on October 15, 2007. He served his entire career in the investigations division, most recently as a supervisor in adult investigations.

Nicholas Pepper began his career at the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office on October 15, 2007. He served his entire career in the investigations division, most recently as a supervisor in adult investigations. According to law enforcement, Pepper was an integral part of nearly every major criminal investigation in Lafourche Parish for more than a decade.

Before his LPSO career, he spent time with the Houma Police Department and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriffs Office, part of a law enforcement career that spanned nearly 24 years of service. Peppers wife, Christie, is employed through the Lafourche Parish Sheriffs Office as an investigator for the Lafourche Parish District Attorney. He also leaves behind two daughters, Patience and Gracie, and a son, Nicholas Jr.

Prior Story:

A Lafourche Parish Deputy died after police say a suspect rammed the deputy's vehicle.

The incident happened Sunday morning and the suspect is in custody. The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office is not releasing the name of the deputy or the suspect at this time. Louisiana State Police are investigating the crash and the criminal investigation.

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The suspect has been identified as male, and is currently hospitalized. No other information has been released from any of the agencies involved at this time.

According to a news release by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, the department received a call just before 4 a.m. Sunday morning about a car chase with a suspect fleeing from the Houma Police Department.

The pursuit led law enforcement through the Lafourche Crossing in Thibodaux where the suspect stopped. According to the release, during negotiations with the suspect, the person accelerated his vehicle into the deputy's car.

The deputy was rushed to a nearby hospital and later died.

We are all processing and grieving this horrific and tragic death of one of our own," said Sheriff Craig Webre. "We are with the family providing them with support and prayers at this unbelievably difficult time. We ask for the communitys love, prayers and support as well.

Further information, including the deputys name, will be released at a later time.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Deputy killed suspect rams police car following chase
Since it was first published in 1981, the magazine Duzhe (Readers) has been many people's daily reading. Its condensed articles cover a wide range of areas of knowledge and topics, widening readers' vision of the world while becoming one of the most popular magazines in the country.

The bi-monthly magazine introduces people to literary beauty and the depth of thought. The magazine also serves as a platform where artists are able to showcase their gift by creating related illustrations. More than 300 artists have illustrated over 20,000 works to add artistic glamor to the magazine's 780 issues over four decades, according to its publisher, Duzhe Publishing and Media Co, which is based in Lanzhou, Gansu province.

Now, an exhibition is putting the spotlight on how illustrations have given added meaning to the magazine by showing some 250 such works that have been featured in it. Duzhe Illustration Art Works Touring Exhibition is running at the Beijing Fine Art Academy through April 9, as the first stop of a national tour. It shows the magazine's art and editorial elements, and the advancement of illustrations in the course of the country's reform and opening-up.

Works on show come with small boards on which original pages provide the text  short stories, essays, poems and critiques  and the illustrations, enabling the audience to sense the chemistry between words and images. It shows how far and wide the editors at Duzhe have reached, along with artists across the country.

Li Xiaolin, a professor of printmaking at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, is among those whose gift was spotted by the magazine.

Li took up illustration classes while pursuing a master's degree at the CAFA. His works were included in a book of his teacher's, and caught the attention of Duzhe's editors who contacted him.

"Then I began to receive commissions from the magazine. I have made nearly 2,000 paintings for it over the past 25 years," says Li, whose works are on show.

He says artists enjoy freedom when creating for the magazine.

"It is not a must that we illustrate precisely what the content is about. We are not to explain, but to visualize the atmosphere being delivered, and to extend the implications. This is especially true with essays and poetry," he says.

Li says earlier he sometimes had to have his job done in one or two days, and mail his work by postage service when the computer was still a luxury item to most people, but these days, all he needs to do is simply take a shot of his work with a mobile phone, his "reliable assistant", and send the picture to the magazine's editors.

He says the long-term collaboration between the magazine and its contributors, based on mutual trust, is evident at the exhibition, which covers a variety of styles and approaches of expression.

"People can see works that are realistic and abstract, colorful and in black and white. Aesthetically, the quality is steady, which is one of the reasons why the magazine has been successful."

A number of illustrations have been provided by professional artists like Li, while there are also amateurs whose creativity and imagination became known to people through their work for the magazine.

An issue, dated October 2007, published an essay and a drawing by Wei Erqiao, a cardiologist at the school hospital of Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang province, who died of lung cancer two months earlier, at age 43. Between the lines, Wei narrated the changes in his feelings for life, art and belief after being diagnosed with the disease. The late doctor liked drawing since childhood, and developed a habit of painting on prescription pads during night shifts. His works look simple but are humorous and insightful. He drew over 7,000 illustrations, including several for Duzhe that are also on show.

The works of Qiu Jiong, who graduated in physics from Nanjing University and now works as a comic and illustration artist, was inspired by Han Xizai Gives a Night Banquet, a master scroll painting made more than 1,000 years ago. Qiu has reenacted the banquet scene  showing the host, guests and performers  to go with an article on versatile figures in Chinese history.

Qiu says he likes to draw "embarrassing moments" in real life, or scenes in which he would put together figures from different periods of time and generate dramatic tension. He says he hopes to evoke shared feelings in the audience and engage in a mind-opening journey.

Liang Xiaosheng, the noted author and a regular contributor to Duzhe, attended the exhibition opening on March 16, and said he came to see the works of his favorite artists. He said the birth of the magazine was out of a wish to enrich the cultural life and spiritual world of young people in Lanzhou, and was "a miracle", as it is based in deep northwest, and not in Beijing or Shanghai.

"I began to read Duzhe in my 40s, and now, in my 70s, I am still reading it. I have kept dozens of issues of it at home," he says. "I'm getting old, and still a faithful reader."
More cases involving law enforcement's use of force will be reviewed by the 8th Judicial District Attorneys Office now that the office has expanded on the state-mandated Critical Incident Response Team protocols.

Though the 8th Judicial District  which covers Larimer and Jackson counties  has had a multi-agency investigation protocol since 2005, the Critical Incident Response Team was formed in 2015 in accordance with a new state law requiring a multi-agency team to investigate "an incident involving the discharge of a firearm by a peace officer that resulted in injury or death."

When an officer fires a weapon in Colorado and someone is killed or injured, state law requires a multi-agency team  the Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT  to investigate.

In the 8th Judicial District, the district attorney's office has expanded its CIRT protocols, requiring all use-of-force cases resulting in the serious injury of anyone involved be reviewed by the district attorney's office to see if a full CIRT investigation is necessary.

Here's what the multi-agency team will investigate moving forward and how it works:

What does CIRT investigate?

CIRT is a multi-agency response team under the 8th Judicial District Attorneys Office charged with investigating shootings and incidents resulting in serious injury or death when they involve police.

The 8th Judicial District Attorneys Office expanded its CIRT protocol in August to require law enforcement agencies to consult the district attorneys office in all cases involving an officer and a member of the public when either party is seriously injured, whether or not a firearm was used, in an effort to be more transparent, according to a news release.

Public trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system is vital to the safety and fairness which we all endeavor to ensure in our communities, 8th Judicial District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin said in a news release about expanding the protocols. ... Expanding our review to include all incidents causing serious injury will ensure the public can trust these significant events are being taken seriously and reviewed independently.

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Other cases involving serious injury or death  including in-custody deaths or vehicle crashes  have previously been investigated by CIRT.

More: Justice center improvements for Spanish-speaking community benefit all, task force says

What would be investigated under the expanded CIRT protocols?

Prior to this, critical incidents could include incidents where a person was seriously injured  like an October case investigated by CIRT in which an undercover Fort Collins police officer was seriously injured while working a case in Loveland. With this protocol change, cases like these that involve serious injury will be required to go through the CIRT process. Before the change, it was up to the law enforcement agency involved in the incident if they wanted to consult with the district attorneys office.

The new protocol has also broadened and encouraged additional consultations when matters of public trust may be at issue, the district attorneys office said in a news release.

Under the expanded protocol, the Karen Garner case wouldve been flagged for consultation by the district attorneys office because of Garners injuries, district attorneys office spokesperson Brianna Jones told the Coloradoan. Preventing similar instances of excessive force getting covered up was part of why McLaughlin wanted to revise the protocols, Jones said.

While not every such injury would result in a full CIRT investigation, mandating the consultation means we will ensure an independent and unbiased look, Jones said in an email.

What is a CIRT consultation?

A consultation is a discussion with the involved agency, the district attorneys office and other CIRT commanders from participating law enforcement agencies about what occurred, the severity of the injuries, what evidence exists and what criminal charges might apply, Jones said. A full CIRT investigation can be invoked if necessary.

McLaughlin typically requests the police reports and body-worn camera footage from cases that are consulted but dont immediately lead to a full CIRT investigation, Jones said, and if a later review raises concerns, a full CIRT investigation can be invoked at that time.

The law: How this Colorado lawyer is paving her own way in civil rights law

Which law enforcement agencies are involved?

Fort Collins Police Services, Loveland Police Department and Larimer County Sheriff's Office typically take turns being the lead agency for police shooting investigations.

Agencies involved in the investigations include: Windsor Police Department, Timnath Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Estes Park Police Department, Colorado State University Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and the Larimer County District Attorney's Office.

An agency cannot investigate itself. For example, if it is the Larimer County Sheriff's Office's turn to lead investigations and a deputy is involved in a shooting or other qualifying incident, a different agency will lead that particular investigation.

What is the CIRT investigation process?

Immediately after an officer is involved in a shooting or other qualifying incident, the agency that employs that officer calls on CIRT and notifies the district attorney's office. The team arrives on scene, and team members will collect evidence from the scene and log it with the agency overseeing the investigation. The officer involved in the incident should be processed and interviewed. When the investigation is complete, CIRT team members present the findings to the district attorney. The district attorney makes a finding on whether the officer involved should be charged with a crime. If no charges are filed, the district attorney must publicly release a report explaining the district attorney's findings and why the officer was not charged. If the district attorney refers the case to the grand jury, the district attorney must release a statement disclosing the general purpose of the grand jury's investigation.

What happens with the officers involved in shootings during these investigations?

Most often, officers are put on paid administrative leave while the CIRT investigation is ongoing.

Officers are sanctioned by their individual agencies, not the CIRT investigators.

Internal investigations by individual agencies are independent from CIRT investigations.

How can you find out the results of CIRT investigations?

The district attorneys office publishes decision letters summarizing each investigation at its conclusion. Letters are posted online at larimer.org/da.

McLaughlin announced in March he will start hosting virtual town halls at the conclusion of each investigation so the public can ask questions, depending on the results of the investigation. If criminal charges are filed against anyone involved, the town hall may be modified or canceled, according to the district attorneys office. Recordings of those town halls will also be available online.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How the Critical Incident Response Team investigates use of force
The Idaho Legislature is awaiting Gov. Brad Littles decision on a number of bills before they adjourn for the session. Among them are three controversial bills that were watching with particular interest that we urge the governor to veto.

Here are the three bills were keeping a close eye on and why:

Library bounties

Bill: House Bill 314

What it does: Establishes a bounty system that allows parents to sue a library if their child comes into possession of library materials that they find objectionable.

What we think: Just the threat of a lawsuit and its accompanying legal costs likely would have a chilling effect on libraries. Afraid of being sued and spending thousands of dollars to defend themselves, library boards and directors likely will remove any books or materials that contain even a mention of a same-sex couple or a work of literature that contains a description of a sexual encounter. Library shelves would be stripped of such works as The Bluest Eye, Catcher in the Rye or even something as mundane as Captain Underpants.

That appears to be the point.

Little should veto the bill under the argument that a small minority of puritanical interests could bankrupt a library district by filing lawsuits under this new law or create such a chilling effect that libraries remove dozens if not hundreds of materials from their shelves.

What others say about it: As Blaine Conzatti of the Idaho Family Policy Center explained at a recent event, These lawsuits are probably going to cost between $25,000 to $200,000 per incident, right? You have a couple of those, thats going to be a significant hit to the school district or library districts budget.

What did the governor do? Little vetoed the bill, arguing the bills ambiguity will have unintended consequences for Idaho libraries and their patrons, he wrote in his veto letter. This legislation makes sweeping, blanket assumptions on materials that could be determined as harmful to minors in a local libarary, and it will force one interpretation of that phrase onto all the patrons of the library.

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And, yes, the governor recognized this bill for what it is: a bounty system. Allowing any parent, regardless of intention, to collect $2,500 in automatic fines creates a library bounty system that will only increase the costs local libraries incur, particularly rural libraries.

Could the House and Senate override a veto? Its possible but seems highly unlikely. House Bill 314 passed the Senate, 26-9, a supermajority that could override a veto by Gov. Little. It passed the House, 42-26-2, which is five votes shy of the supermajority threshold. House members are under no obligation to vote the same way they did before, but historically the House and Senate have tended to lose rather than gain votes when attempting a veto override.

Criminalizing gender-affirming care

Bill: House Bill 71

What the bill does: Criminalizes doctors for providing gender-affirming care for children 17 and younger who are experiencing gender dysphoria. The bill includes bans on surgeries, which arent happening in Idaho, as well as any other care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which are approved by the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Providing gender-affirming care would be punishable as a felony with up to 10 years in prison.

What we think: Little should veto the bill and push the Legislature for a more reasonable compromise banning surgeries but allowing other gender-affirming care. We have heard over and over again from those who know best that this is bad legislation. We side with them.

What others think: Several parents have shared their first-hand experiences with providing gender-affirming care and handling gender dysphoria. One Republican legislator even shared her own personal story of a relative who is transgender  and she still voted for the bill.

Little would have been on firm ground vetoing this bill, arguing that it inserts government into a medical decision among parents, their children and their doctors. This bill promises to be subject to court challenges. The governor apparently was not swayed by the overwhelming testimony of transgender citizens and their families who just want to be left alone by the government in making their own medical decisions. In addition, he could have argued that it will be too expensive and risky for the taxpayers to defend in court.

What did Little do? Little signed this bill, arguing that society plays a role in protecting minors from surgeries or treatments that can irreversibly damage their healthy bodies,

Could the Legislature have overridden a veto? Probably not. The bill passed the House, 56-13-13, enough to override a veto, but it passed the Senate, 22-12-1, two votes short of the veto override threshold.

Criminalizing interstate travel for an abortion

The bill: House Bill 242

What would it do? It would make Idaho the first state in the country to criminally charge those who help pregnant minors get an abortion in another state. Its often referred to as a ban on interstate travel, a point that could become a subject of legal trouble for the bill, if Gov. Little signs it. Since abortion is banned in Idaho, pregnant minors might seek an abortion in neighboring states, such as Oregon, Washington, Montana or Wyoming.

What others think: Bill supporters have called it human trafficking, which trivializes the actual problem of human trafficking. Far-right Republican state Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle, said the bill didnt go far enough because it didnt criminalize parents or guardians.

What we think: This bill is a violation of the U.S. Constitution and is an extreme government overreach into a citizens right to interstate travel. If abortion is to be a state decision, Idaho has no say in whether someone obtains an abortion in a state that allows abortion. Little should veto this bill under the conservative argument that it will cost the state taxpayer dollars attempting to defend it in court  and that it will likely lose.

What did the governor do: Little signed the bill, arguing that the bill seeks only to prevent unemancipated minor girls from being taken across state lines for an abortion without the knowledge and consent of her parent or guardian.

Could the Legislature have overridden a veto? House Bill 242 passed the Senate, 27-7-1, and the House, 58-11-1, both enough to override a veto, but veto-proof majorities have a history of evaporating when put to the test.
President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife Sister Wendy Nelson wave to attendees upon leaving the Conference Center after the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 2, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

President Russell M. Nelson challenged Latter-day Saints to change a contentious world by modeling peacemaking and dignified dialogue, then announced plans for 15 new temples on Sunday at the 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The new temples will be built in eight new countries. The church now has 315 temples announced, under construction and in operation or under renovation.

A major hallmark of President Nelsons half decade as church president is the consistent calls for civility, bridge building and unity. His Sunday morning talk was a ringing crescendo for his elevation of peacemaking and condemnation of contention, which he labeled evil.

Contention is a choice, he said. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.

Related

He asked Latter-day Saints and others to act to change the world one interaction at a time.

How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue, he said.

Let us as a people become a true light on the hill  a light that cannot be hid, he said. Let us show that there is a respectful way to resolve complex issues and an enlightened way to work out disagreements.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

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Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

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Ryan Sun, Deseret News

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Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

The five sessions of conference included 32 speakers giving 33 talks across two gray, cloudy days at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Attendance was capped at 15,000 for each session due to parking and accessibility issues during the renovation of the Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square.

President Nelsons invitations

In addition to asking Latter-day Saints to lead out as peacemakers, President Nelson closed the conference on Sunday afternoon with additional invitations to:

Study the church Come, Follow Me curriculum this week about the final week of Christs life and his Resurrection.

Study the resurrected Christs appearance to the people of the Book of Mormon.

Come unto Christ for relief.

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I plead with you to come unto him so that he can heal you! He will heal you from sin as you repent. He will heal you from sadness and fear. He will heal you from the wounds of this world.

Learn more about his Atonement, his love, his mercy, his doctrine, and his restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to him. Follow him, he said.

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Reflecting the pure love of Christ

President Nelson said many communications today are full of vulgarity, insults and venomous contention in a polarized era. Contention is evil, he said.

He expressed concern about people who malign those who do not agree with them. He denounced anger, hostility and contention as useless, saying they persuade and build no one and never lead to inspired solutions.

Instead, The pure love of Christ is the answer to the contention that ails us today, he said.

True disciples of Christ are identified by how compassionately they treat others, he said.

The Saviors message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade and inspire  no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.

President Nelson said church members should root out contention in their homes and congregations.

My dear brothers and sisters, how we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work and online really matters. Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way.

If a couple in your ward gets divorced, or a young missionary returns home early, or a teenager doubts his testimony, they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in your words and actions.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Palm Sunday and Easter

The days sessions began with recognition that it was Palm Sunday, marking the beginning of the week leading up to Easter Sunday. The days 14 speakers maintained the theme throughout the day.

Today is Palm Sunday, President Nelson said. We are preparing to commemorate the most transcendent event ever recorded on earth, which is the Atonement and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of the best ways we can honor the Savior is to become a peacemaker.

Were grateful to begin this sacred Easter season with each of you and pray that our hearts will be turned to our Savior Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, said President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency.

President Nelson called Easter the most important religious observance for followers of Jesus Christ.

The week beginning with original Palm Sunday was the most important week in human history, said Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Are we continually grateful for the incomparable Atonement of Jesus Christ? Do we feel its purifying power, right now? That is why Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of Salvation, went to Jerusalem, to save us all.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson issued an invitation regarding the week that included Christs triumphal entry into Jerusalem, his suffering in Gethsemane, death on the cross and Resurrection.

Let us resolve never to forget what Christ endured to redeem us, he said. And let us never lose the overwhelming joy we will feel once again on Easter as we contemplate his victory over the grave and the gift of universal resurrection.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Latter-day Saints believe in Christ

Two the churchs most senior leaders declared their own and the churchs position on the centrality of Jesus Christ to Latter-day Saint doctrine and faith.

We believe in Christ, President Oaks said.

He gave a unique talk, spending almost all of it quoting Christ. In all, Christs words  more than 1,300 of them  covered six pages. President Oaks quoted 34 teachings shared by Christ in the Bible and Book of Mormon.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of our testimonies, said President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

I love him. I believe him. I testify that he is the resurrection and the life, he said.

President Ballard said his testimony has comforted and strengthened him since his wife, Barbara, passed away four-and-a-half years ago.

I have learned what matters most is our relationships with Heavenly Father and his Beloved Son, our families and our neighbors, and allowing the Spirit of the Lord to guide us in those relationships so we can testify of the things that matter most and last longest.

He issued an invitation to people to bear testimony of Christ more often, about what they know, believe and feel about him.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

From Palm Sunday to peace and rest today

Imagery from that original Palm Sunday illustrated one apostles call for Latter-day Saints to promote peace.

Jubilant disciples spread out their garments and palm leaves along Christs path that day and praised God for sending their king, said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

May we today, on this Palm Sunday, spread out our robes of love and palm leaves of charity, walking in the footsteps of the Prince of Peace as we prepare to celebrate this coming Sunday the miracle of the empty tomb, he said.

He issued an invitation to Latter-day Saints and other Christians to promote the peace available through Christs Atonement and Resurrection.

Followers of the Prince of Peace should endorse that peace, Elder Soares said.

As his followers, we are his peculiar people, called to proclaim his virtues, promoters of the peace so generously offered through him and his atoning sacrifice.

This peace is a gift promised to all who turn their hearts to the Savior and live righteously; such peace gives us the strength to enjoy mortal life and enables us to endure the painful trials of our journey.

Another important aspect to emphasize, and one that has direct implications on our discipleship and how we promote the peace of the Savior, is the manner in which we treat each other.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Bond together as one in Christ, and abide in him

Like President Nelson, Elder Christofferson spoke about overcoming an an extremely contentious world.

The key to unity, he said, is to bond as one in Christ.

He said:

We are too diverse, and at times too discordant to be able to come together as one on any other basis or under any other name. Only in Jesus Christ can we truly become one.

By putting on Christ, it becomes possible either to resolve or to lay aside differences, disagreements and disputes.

Unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony.

It is only in and through our individual loyalty to Jesus Christ that we can hope to be one  one within, one at home, one in the church, eventually one in Zion, and above all, one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Latter-day Saints should strive to abide in Christ, because he promised he would abide in those who do, said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

We abide in Christ as we are firm and steadfast in our devotion to the Redeemer and his holy purposes, in times both good and bad.

The covenant connection we have with our Heavenly Father and his resurrected and living Son is the supernal source of perspective, hope, power, peace and enduring joy; it also is the rock-solid foundation upon which we should build our lives.

Elder Bednar said Christs followers should seek to build that bond through prayer, doctrinal study, the sacrament and serving and ministering to others. He also asked them to ask, seek, knock, and learn for (your)selves by the power of the Holy Ghost other meaningful ways we can make Christ the center of our lives in all that we do.

Filling the mind with Christs power

Latter-day Saints also should intentionally fill their minds with the power of Jesus Christ, said Elder Neil L. Andersen, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Filling ones mind with his power means thoughts of him are always present. By focusing attention on him, everything is viewed through love for him and less important distractions fade.

My prayer at this Easter season is that we will more consciously shape, strengthen and secure this preeminent thought of Jesus Christ in the chambers of our soul, allowing it to eagerly flow into our mind, guiding us in what we think and do, and continually bringing the sweet joy of the Saviors love.

As your mind has caught hold firmly and forever upon this thought, and as you focus your life more fully on the Savior, I promise you that you will feel his hope, his peace and his love.

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Additional speakers

Other speakers on Sunday included President Camille N. Johnson, the Relief Society general president; and Elders Kevin R. Duncan, Kazuhiko Yamashita, Vern P. Stanfill, W. Mark Bassett and Ahmad S. Corbitt of the Seventy.

See talk summaries for every conference speaker here.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles watched the conference from home for a second straight day. He and his wife, Sister Patricia Holland, tested positive for COVID-19.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed

The choir performed Glory to God on High, My Redeemer Lives, Secret Prayer, Guide Us, O Thou Great Redeemer, This is the Christ and I Believe in Christ in the morning session.

In the afternoon session, the choir sang, Rejoice, the Lord is King, I Stand All Amazed, Called to Serve and I Know That My Redeemer Lives.

The new temple locations

President Nelson said new temples will be built in the following places:
Heres a look at how Pennsylvanias members of Congress voted over the previous week.

Along with the weeks roll call votes, the House also passed the following measure by voice vote: the Undersea Cable Control Act (HR 1189), to require the development of a strategy for eliminating the availability to foreign adversaries of products and technologies for deploying undersea telecommunications cables.

The Senate also passed the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (S 777), to increase, effective Dec. 1, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.

HOUSE

PARENTS AND SCHOOLS: The House has passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act (HR 5), sponsored by Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., to make federal funding for local elementary and secondary schools contingent on them notifying a students parents of their rights regarding awareness and oversight of the schools policies, finances and procedures. Letlow said: This bill aims to bring more transparency and accountability to education, allowing parents to be informed and, when they have questions and concerns, to lawfully bring them to their local school boards. An opponent, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., called the bill an educational gag order across the nation which will prevent students from learning and prevent teachers from teaching. The vote, on March 24, was 213 yeas to 208 nays.

YEAS: Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks; Mike Kelly, R-Butler; Scott Perry, R-York; Lloyd Smucker, R-Lancaster; John Joyce, R-Blair; Guy Reschenthaler, R-Washington; Glenn Thompson, R-Howard; Dan Meuser, R-Luzerne

NAYS: Reps. Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Chester; Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery; Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia; Matt Cartwright, D-Lackawanna; Susan Wild, D-Lehigh; Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Delaware; Summer Lee, D-Allegheny; Chris Deluzio, D-Allegheny

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ORGAN HARVESTING: The House has passed the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act (HR 1154), sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., to direct the president to impose sanctions on foreigners who traffic in organs taken from people forcibly, and have the State Department revoke the passports of people convicted of forced organ trafficking crimes. Smith said Chinas annual taking of organs from tens of thousands of young adults, including for transplantation into senior Communist Party officials, showed no signs of abating, which is why we and the rest of the world need to step up and punish such cruelty. The vote, on March 27, was 413 yeas to 2 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

STATUS OF CHINA: The House has passed the PRC Is Not a Developing Country Act (HR 1107), sponsored by Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., to direct the State Department to advocate that international organizations stop classifying China (PRC) as a developing country, which results in beneficial treatment by those organizations. Kim said: We cannot let the PRC continue exploiting countries in need and take unfair advantage of international treaties and organizations. The vote, on March 27, was unanimous with 415 yeas.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

LNG EXPORTS: The House has agreed to an amendment sponsored by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., to the Lower Energy Costs Act (HR 1), to express the sense of Congress as criticizing the denial of permits for the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal that would have been built on the Oregon coast. Boebert said: A West Coast LNG export terminal would have shaved critical days and significant costs off exports to Asia, eliminated threats associated with hurricanes and reduced our reliance on the Panama Canal, which causes significant uncertainty and delays. An opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., said it would be wrong for Congress to judge the decision made by Oregons government to reject the permit applications for Jordan Cove. The vote, on March 29, was 221 yeas to 208 nays.

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

FOSSIL FUEL TAX INCREASES: The House has agreed to an amendment sponsored by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., to the Lower Energy Costs Act (HR 1), to express the sense of Congress as criticizing the tax increases on oil and natural gas proposed in President Joe Bidens fiscal 2024 budget request. Hern said the increases will kill jobs, raise fuel prices and leave America more dependent on foreign oil. An amendment opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., said the oil and natural gas industry could weather the tax increases because in 2022 six of the industrys largest companies made $200 billion and spent billions to enrich their shareholders with stock buybacks and dividends, all while gouging American drivers at the pump. The vote, on March 29, was 228 yeas to 206 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

NAYS: Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

NATURAL GAS STOVES: The House has agreed to an amendment sponsored by Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., to the Lower Energy Costs Act (HR 1), to bar the Energy Department (DOE) from implementing regulations to block the sale of natural gas-fueled stoves to consumers. Palmer said such restrictions would increase cooking costs and be a direct attack on all natural gas use in the country and another example of the Biden administrations desire to control every decision we make. An opponent, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., said: This amendment would bar DOE from finalizing any future efficiency standards for gas stoves, locking consumers into less efficient appliances that are certainly more costly to use. The vote, on March 29, was 251 yeas to 181 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Wild

NAYS: Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

CHINA PURCHASES OF FARMLAND: The House has approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., to the Lower Energy Costs Act (HR 1), that would bar Chinas Communist Party from buying American farmland or land used to generate renewable energy. Westerman said: Our countrys food security and energy independence are at stake, and we must take action to protect our critical resources. The vote, on March 30, was 407 yeas to 26 nays.

YEAS: Fitzpatrick, Kelly, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Perry, Boyle, Cartwright, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser, Wild, Scanlon, Deluzio

NAYS: Lee

ENERGY POLICY: The House has passed the Lower Energy Costs Act (HR 1), sponsored by Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., to make a variety of changes to federal energy policies. Changes include: faster regulatory reviews of energy development projects, barring the president from banning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of wells, removing some restrictions on oil and natural gas imports and exports, and ending several federal programs subsidizing measures such as building energy efficiency improvements. Scalise said of the need for the bill: A lot of the infrastructure that we need to make this country grow is being held up right now from a lot of radical regulations on the left and outside groups that dont want American energy. A bill opponent, Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., called it a move to triple down on allegiance to Big Oil, give away more federal land, invite more offshore drilling, unleash more pollution into our water and our air and our land, and leave the taxpayers footing the bill. The vote, on March 30, was 225 yeas to 204 nays.

YEAS: Kelly, Perry, Smucker, Joyce, Reschenthaler, Thompson, Meuser

NAYS: Fitzpatrick, Evans, Houlahan, Dean, Boyle, Cartwright, Wild, Scanlon, Lee, Deluzio

SENATE

PANDEMIC RESPONSE TREATIES: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to a bill (S 316) that would have required Senate ratification before the U.S. joined any convention or agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response reached by the World Health Assembly, which is part of the World Health Organization. Johnson said Congress should no longer allow the administration to go ahead and negotiate agreements that can have a dramatic impact on our sovereignty and bypass the Senate entirely. An opponent, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said the bill should remain focused on the Iraq war and not include extraneous matter such as would be introduced by the amendment. The vote, on March 28, was 47 yeas to 49 nays.

NAYS: Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

NOT VOTING: Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.

MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to a bill (S 316) that would have stated that the president retains authority to use military force against Irans military and its actions against U.S. soldiers in the Middle East. Cruz said the amendment was needed because I dont want to give an excuse for the Biden administration, the next time Iran attacks, to do nothing in response. An opponent, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said it would be a mistake to authorize escalating action against Iran via a briefly considered amendment to an unrelated bill. The vote, on March 28, was 41 yeas to 55 nays.

NAYS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

AFGHANISTAN INVESTIGATION: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to a bill (S 316) that would have established a Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan in Congress to make an investigation into the U.S. militarys withdrawal from Afghanistan in summer 2021. Scott said the select committee was the best way to have accountability for the mistakes that created Americas most stunning, unforced, and humiliating defeat in decades. An amendment opponent, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said the bill is not the right venue for establishing a committee of this nature. The vote, on March 28, was 33 yeas to 62 nays.

NAYS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

OVERSIGHT OF UKRAINE AID: The Senate has rejected an amendment sponsored by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to a bill (S 316) that would have established an Office of the Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance, to be charged with overseeing the use of aid sent to Ukraine in its war with Russia. Hawley said having a single government watchdog handle oversight would help avoid repeating the billions of dollars of waste that occurred during the war in Afghanistan. An opponent, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said there are already 64 ongoing or planned audits and reports on U.S. assistance to Ukraine, making the amendment unnecessary. The vote, on March 28, was 26 yeas to 68 nays.

NAYS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

IRAQ WARS AUTHORIZATIONS: The Senate has passed a bill (S 316), sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., to repeal the 1991 and 2002 resolutions that authorized use of military force against Iraq. Kaine said the 2002 resolution in particular was rushed through the Senate without proper deliberation before embarking on a lengthy war. An opponent, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said keeping the resolutions would enhance congressional oversight of military actions against Iran-backed militias in Iraq. The vote, on March 29, was 66 yeas to 30 nays.

YEAS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

REGULATING WATERWAYS: The Senate has passed a resolution (HJ Res. 27), sponsored by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., to disapprove of and void an Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency rule issued this January that defines Waters of the United States (WOTUS). Such waters would be subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act. A supporter, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said overturning the rule was needed to ensure agricultural producers and other stakeholders have the regulatory certainty to take care of our nations land and water resources, the lands and waters that we love. An opponent, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said of the WOTUS rule: This commonsense, science-based approach recognizes that pollution upstream can have downstream impacts, so we must protect the system to safeguard downstream communities and our environment. The vote, on March 29, was 53 yeas to 43 nays.

NAYS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

ENDING NATIONAL COVID EMERGENCY: The Senate has passed a resolution (HJ Res 7), sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., to end the national emergency in response to COVID-19 that was declared by President Donald Trump on March 13, 2020. A supporter, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said: It is time to end any and all authoritarian control and unilateral spending decisions without congressional consent. The vote, on March 29, was 68 yeas to 23 nays.

YEAS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Richard Verma to be deputy secretary of state for management and resources. Verma, U.S. ambassador to India during the Obama administration, is Mastercards chief legal officer and head of global public policy. A supporter, Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said Vermas long public sector career, which includes service in the Air Force, the Senate and the State Department, will help him be an effective leader who can advance the departments modernization agenda. The vote, on March 30, was 67 yeas to 26 nays.

YEAS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman

INDUSTRIAL BASE POLICY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Laura Taylor-Kale to be assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy. Taylor-Kale has been a senior official at the World Bank, an official in the second Obama administration, and most recently was a Council on Foreign Relations research fellow for innovation and economic competitiveness. The vote, on March 30, was 63 yeas to 27 nays.

YEAS: Casey

NOT VOTING: Fetterman
The lawyers representing Virginia first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner, who was shot by her 6-year-old student in their classroom earlier this year, filed a $40 million lawsuit on Monday.

The complaint, filed in Newport News Circuit Court, contends that the district and school administrators shrugged off multiple warning signs, including from other staffers who told Richneck Elementary School's then-assistant principal Dr. Ebony Parker that the boy might be carrying a gun the day of the Jan. 6 shooting.

The filing, which also names the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III and former principal Briana Foster Newton, alleges they were aware the boy "had a history of random violence," but failed to take appropriate action to protect Zwerner. While in kindergarten, the same child was accused of strangling another teacher a year prior. And while on the playground, the complaint says the boy pulled the dress of a female student who had fallen and "began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher."

The boy had been transferred to a different institution in the district but was permitted to return for the next school year when he was enrolled in Zwerner's class.

VIRGINIA TEACHER SHOT BY 6-YEAR-OLD STUDENT IN CLASSROOM SAYS SHE'LL NEVER FORGET THE LOOK ON HIS FACE

Abby Zwerner was shot in her classroom on Jan. 6 by a 6-year-old student.

Last fall, he was placed on a modified schedule for "chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers," the lawsuit says, according to NBC News. Due to "his violent tendencies," at least one parent was supposed to attend school with him.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed," the suit says. "Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy."

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The complaint details how two days before the shooting, the child received a one-day suspension for grabbing Zwerner's phone and smashing it into the ground.

He returned Jan. 6, when Zwerner again warned the assistant principal the child was in a "violent mood" and threatened to assault a classmate. The child was not accompanied by a parent that day, and the school did not assign an alternative one-on-one companion. Other teachers warned Parker their students spotted the boy with a gun at recess, but the assistant principal allegedly "forbade" them from searching the boy's backpack a second time, believed his pockets were too small to hide a handgun and said his mother would pick him up at dismissal.

"Abby is a courageous young lady," Zwerner's attorney, Diane Toscano, said in an appearance on NBC's "Today." "So brave. You were able to hear from her two weeks ago. She is really pushing through. Every day is different and challenging. Shes going to be dealing with this for her entire life. The physical, the emotional trauma, but she is ready for what were doing today. Were going to hold those accountable for what happened to her. For the tragedy that was completely preventable."

VIRGINIA TEACHER EMAILS REVEAL 'BEHAVIORAL DIFFICULTIES' WITH 6-YEAR-OLD WHO SHOT HER: REPORT

Richneck Elementary School teacher Abigail Zwerner sat down with NBC for an interview after being shot by her 6-year-old student in the classroom.

"We know for a fact that there were at least three opportunities for them to stop this from happening," Zwerner's second attorney, Jeffrey Breit, told host Savannah Guthrie. "And how many people were involved in the decision-making will be a part of our discovery, obviously. But right now, the allegations are, and we believe the facts will support, the fact that they knew that they had three complaints and then eventually a teacher comes down there and says one of the students has actually seen the gun. At that point in time, you have a ticking time bomb in the school and the school failed to do anything about it."

Zwerner's attorneys said the lawsuit challenges the school board's argument that the shooting comes as an assumed risk of being a teacher and is a worker's compensation matter.

"No 6-year-old student is really going to be a risk of shooting a teacher. Its not a part of their job. Its not a night 7/11 worker. And so I think the workers comp defense will fail," Breit said.

"Thats what theyve maintained up until today. That is just part of the job. Its an assumption of the job that a first-grade teacher is going to be shot by their own student, a 6-year-old," Toscano added. "That is unacceptable. Thats outrageous. And thats not what happened here."

Residents of Newport News hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Richneck Elementary School first-grade teacher Abby Zwerner. Her attorneys filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school district and administrators.

"At this time, the Newport News School Board has not yet received the legal documents. When the School Board is served, we will work with legal counsel accordingly," the Newport News School Board said in a statement to Fox News Digital Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery. As we have shared, as a school community, we continue to recover and support one another. We have been working in partnership with our community to address safety and security, student behavior and family engagement."

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our most important priority," the statement added. "The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools."

Zwerner, 25, said the gunshot went through her left hand, rupturing the middle bone, index finger and thumb.

It entered her upper chest, where scarring and bullet fragments remain. Prosecutors did not pursue charges against the boy.

"Theres some things that Ill never forget, and I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me," Zwerner told NBC on March 21, the first time she spoke out following the shooting. "That's something that I will never forget. It's changed me. It's changed my life."

"I was terrified. In that moment, my initial reaction was, Your kids need to get out of here. This is not a safe classroom anymore. And then you need to go find help for yourself,'" Zwerner said. "That was pretty shocking itself, but I just wanted to get my babies out of there."

Guthrie noted how the police chief afterward commended Zwerner's actions as heroic, as the teacher safely evacuated the other students and made it to the office before collapsing.
At least three people were shot in downtown Atlanta overnight, police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.

Atlanta police shared this information with Channel 2s Darryn Moore who is near where these shootings took place in downtown Atlanta.

APDs Captain Christian Hunt said that at least three people were hit by gunfire in the Old Fourth Ward area of Jessie Hill Dr, John Wesley Dobbs, Piedmont Ave and Edgewood Ave all near the campus of Georgia State University.

In the Edgewood Ave shooting, someone shot through a drivers side window. That person then drove to Grady and ran inside the emergency room for help, according to police.

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None of these three incidents were believed to have been deadly.

Police said they will have an update on these shootings sometime Monday morning.

Do you feel safe living here? Channel 2s Audrey Washington asked GSU student Kenneth Majors.

Not really, but it is what it is you know, Majors responded.

Georgia State University President M. Brian Blake issued a statement Monday reading: Moving forward, Georgia State University, working closely with the City of Atlanta, will further increase its police presence in the area, limit guest access in on-campus university housing and will work even more closely with off-campus property owners to stop these events.

TRENDING STORIES:

Tune into Channel 2 Action News This Morning to learn the latest on these shootings.

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A group of civilians from Bakhmut emerged from an armed personnel carrier in east Ukraine's frontline town of Chasiv Yar on Monday with a few belongings, a dog and a cat.

A woman, who gave her name as Lyuba, was crying as she clutched her shivering chihuahua, Margot.

Visibly shocked, Lyuba kept repeating: "We should have left earlier".

"We thought that such a thing wouldn't happen," she said, referring to the raging hostilities and their last-minute escape.

Asked if many civilians were left, she said: "We were in a cellar. We didn't see anyone."

Numerous tanks and armoured personnel carriers were rolling through the town, coming back and forth from the front.

The fight for the industrial city of Bakhmut has become the longest and bloodiest battle of Russia's year-long assault on Ukraine.

Earlier Monday, the Wagner mercenary group, which has led the assault for Bakhmut, claimed it had captured the city's town hall.

Most of Bakhmut's pre-war population of around 70,000 people fled the town a long time ago.

Ukrainian troops say it is hard to say how many civilians still remain in Bakhmut, with estimates ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 people.

A group of soldiers fighting for the city had brought Lyuba and the other evacuees some 17 kilometres (11 miles), around a half hour ride.

Lyuba said she wanted to get to Ukraine's second largest city of Kharkiv "the sooner the better".

The group were moved to cars to continue their journey.

They were going to the city of Kostyantynivka, around 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, where they would be able to get food and stay overnight in a centre for internally displaced, a soldier said.

An incoming shell whistled overhead as they left.

- 'Under control' -

Bakhmut "is at war, there's shooting," one of the soldiers evacuating the civilians shrugged as he smoked a cigarette.

The evacuees were two family groups and a single woman, he said.

The soldiers are actively fighting and do not go in search of civilians to evacuate, he said, but "they just come and say they want to get out".

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Another soldier, his face splattered with mud, said this was the second time in a week that they were bringing out civilians.

People stay in Bakhmut so long because "they hope that everything will be OK," said the soldier, who also did not want to give his name.

"But this is a battle for every building. The chance that their housing will stay undamaged is very low."

The soldier said they retained "easy access to Bakhmut".

He pooh-poohed the most recent claim by Russia's Wagner paramilitary group that it had captured the city hall in Bakhmut.

"It doesn't matter. Raising a flag doesn't mean they've taken the city," the soldier said.

"The situation is under control," he insisted.

"As far as our sector is concerned, the enemy tried to go on the offensive, but they suffered losses. Around 30 were killed and that's it. In our sector, they aren't trying any more.

"In other sectors, the situation can be complicated," he added.

In any case, "if the city (Bakhmut) is taken, we'll get it back," the soldier said, giving the example of the southern city of Kherson captured by Russia and later liberated.

Russia's defence ministry has not confirmed it has full control of the city.

am/as/cw
WASHINGTON  Leonardo DiCaprio took the witness stand Monday in the case against former Fugees member Pras Michel and told jurors that his team vetted a key "Wolf of Wall Street" investor, accused of stealing billions of dollars.

Michel is accused of conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions using foreign money, witness tampering and failure to register as a foreign agent of the Chinese government.

DiCaprio was on the witness stand for about an hour, answering questions from both sides, about his dealings with Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman and international fugitive.

Low is accused of stealing billions from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

The prosecution's case against Michel is focused on his work for Low, who has been charged as a co-defendant but remains at large.

The Justice Department has filed lawsuits seeking to seize assets tied to 1Malaysia Development Berhad, saying that more than $3.5 billion was misappropriated and used to buy real estate, art, a yacht and a jet and to help finance movies such as The Wolf of Wall Street.

DiCaprio starred in and co-produced the 2013 blockbuster movie "The Wolf of Wall Street."

DiCaprio said he understood Low was a "prodigy in the business world," but still had his representatives and lawyers vet this investor "to see whether the financing was good or not and safe to accept."

Low's funding covered the "financing of the film, payment of the cast and crew" and everything that goes into moviemaking, according to DiCaprio.

DiCaprio has previously said, in a statement, that he's cooperating with the Justice Department to determine whether he or his foundation ever received any gifts or charitable donations directly or indirectly related to these parties, and if so, to return those gifts or donations as soon as possible.

In this Washington, D.C., trial, which began last week, Low and Michel are accused of conspiring to use straw donors to funnel millions of dollars of the businessman's money to the 2012 campaign of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

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DiCaprio recalled Low telling him once that the financier planned on donating $20-30 million to the Democratic Party in 2012, which had Obama at the top of the ticket. The actor remembered saying wow, thats a lot of money at the moment.

Michel and Low are also accused of lobbying the Trump administration, on behalf of Beijing, to extradite a Chinese dissident living in America, prosecutors said.

The dissident, Guo Wengui, was never extradited, but he was arrested this month and federally charged with fraud and money laundering, prosecutors said.

Michel, best known as part of the 90s hip-hop group the Fugees, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, the most serious of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Alexandra Bacallao reported from Washington, D.C., and David K. Li from New York City.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Click here to read the full article.

Hong Kong-based apparel manufacturer and supplier Lever Style generated enormous demand for its services last year, with the company seeing revenues vault ahead 51.2 percent in 2022 to a record $217.2 million. Net profits were a robust $14.5 million.

In a Nutshell: As apparel brands still seek to offload the massive inventory glut that piled up last year and consumers rein in spending, executive chairman and CEO Stanley Szeto told CNBCs Squawk Box that he expects buying to be curtailed in 2023.

Were not immune to that macroeconomic effect unfortunately, Szeto said, indicating that the company already felt the impacts in the second half. However, the executive chairman highlighted the companys fast-response, high-mix, low-volume business model as an advantage in todays climate, in that the process can significantly accelerate production times while eliminating excess inventory for apparel brands.

For 2022, one area Lever Style can look back at fondly is its ability to triple its profits, going to $14.5 million from $4.3 million in the year prior. Helping that push, the company maintained gross margin at a relatively stable level, slightly increasing to 28.3 percent in 2022 from 27.6 percent in 2021. Diluted earnings per share totaled 2.28 cents, up from 2021s 0.68 cents.

The manufacturer, which has partnered with brands like Bonobos, Stitch Fix, Spanx, Columbia Sportswear and Hugo Boss among others, saw its largest revenue increase across suits, soft wovens and bottoms in 2022.

Bottoms represented 30.4 percent of Lever Styles total revenue in 2022, taking over for the former leader, outerwear, which represented 29.4 percent of sales in 2021. Bottoms saw revenue nearly double 93.1 percent year over year to $66 million, while outerwear is now the second largest category at Lever Style, jumping 14 percent to $48.2 million.

Suits saw the largest revenue increase by far with an increase of 177.5 percent to $19.5 million, while the second-largest jumpsoft wovenscame in at 105.5 percent to $13.3 million.

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Shirts generated $45.1 million in 2022 revenue, marking a 40.6 percent sales boost from 2021. Sweaters had the smallest growth for an individual category at 7 percent to $6.8 million.

The lone sales decline for Lever Style came via knitwear, which had a 4.8 percent dip to $9.3 million.

Lever Styles others category soared 63.2 percent to $9 million in 2022.

In a statement on LinkedIn, Szeto noted that the companys stock price as of last Thursday was up 128 percent over the prior six months. Despite the rally, Szeto noted that the apparel production firm is trading at only around four times 2022 earningsan indication that the companys shares still have runway for growth if even earnings stood still.

Already having made five acquisitions since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Szeto believes more M&A activity is on the horizon for Lever Style.

With a healthy balance sheet and a net cash position, were in a strong position to take advantage of the industry downturn when more business owners may wish to bow out, Szeto said in the post.

Lever Style had a cash position of approximately $12.8 million to close 2022, a swing from the net debt of approximately $4.7 million that was recorded in 2021. Cash and cash equivalents of the group as of Dec. 31, 2022, approximately $23.5 million, up from $19.9 million in the year prior.

As of the same date, Lever Style had available banking facilities of approximately $55.9 million to fulfill working capital requirements and to finance the purchase of raw materials and payments to contract manufacturers.

The Lever Style earnings report also included another interesting nugget. While the company had two businesses representing more than 10 percent of total revenue each in 2021, that number has dwindled to just one. One undisclosed customer more gained significant share, contributing $41.8 million to revenue, 113.3 percent above the prior-years $19.6 million contributed.

CEOs Take: During his Squawk Box appearance, Szeto also touched on Lever Styles ability to adapt as more businesses are diversifying their sourcing origin. The apparel manufacturer was able to nearly double our Vietnam production volume between 2021 and 2022, the company said in its earnings report.

China has become a pariah a little bit in the West, and so a lot of our Western customers are asking us to move production out from China, to Southeast Asia, South Asia and so forth, Szeto said. Luckily, with an asset-light business model, our company is able to do that. I think because of that agility, were able to grow much stronger in the past couple of years than the industry on average.
Lily Wu, a former television news reporter, announced Sunday that she is running for mayor of Wichita. And Pete Meitzner, Sedgwick County Commission chairman, said he will back Wu instead of entering the race.

Wu, a political newcomer, has amassed a broad coalition of supporters. About 300 people showed up for her Sunday afternoon campaign kickoff event, representing a wide spectrum of civic leaders and personalities she has covered as a reporter at KAKE News and KWCH, from Wichita Public Schools Superintendent Alicia Thompson to former Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael ODonnell.

People are going to start noticing theres something very unique about our campaign, Wu said. You can see it in this room. My support comes from a very diverse group of people from all walks of life and every corner of our city. We all have one thing in common. We all love Wichita.

The TV screen is too small to contain a woman like Lily Wu, said local news veteran Larry Hatteberg, who worked with Wu at KAKE early in her career. You could tell this woman was different, Hatteberg recalled. There was a quiet power that accompanied her wherever she went.

The crowd of supporters at Brick & Mortar Venue on Sunday included several leaders of influential business groups, including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Wichita Partnership.

Wu said the city should be more collaborative with private businesses large and small.

Youll see city and business working together all for Wichita to compete regionally and to attract new industry, investment and people, she said.

Wu said she wants to Wichita to be a more open and transparent government.

All too often, our faith in local government has been weakened by scandals, concerns of corruption and immaturity, Wu said. We need a refreshing leader who promotes collaboration and protects our hard-earned tax dollars. As mayor, Ill restore integrity and civility to City Hall.

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Wu, who changed her party affiliation from Republican to Libertarian in 2022, is running on increasing funding to public safety, including the police department, which has more officers than in the past but continues to struggle to hire enough officers to fill the budgeted positions.

The Wichita Police Department has between 65 and 70 unfilled positions right now, Wu said. That is unacceptable, and one is too many. As mayor, Ill prioritize staffing our public safety departments and empower them to serve more effectively.

Wu supporter Todd Ramsey, founder of Apples & Arrows marketing company, said he thinks she would make an excellent mayor.

I believe the role of mayor is one of spokesperson and bridge builder and champion for our city, Ramsey said. A mayor isnt in the position to create policy or push a political agenda. They are one of seven votes on the city council. They are not an administrator. From what I understand of Lilys background . . . I think that she would be a great champion for Wichita. She has the ability to attract people from all political spectrums, from all walks of life, and I think she would be a great representative for our city.

Wu joins a crowded field of high-profile candidates challenging Mayor Brandon Whipple in the August primary.

Save Century II founder Celeste Racette, City Council member Bryan Frye and former City Council member Jared Cerullo have announced plans to enter the race.

Meitzner, a Republican who previously held a seat on the City Council with fellow Republican Frye, said he was weighing a run for mayor until about a month ago, when he had a sit-down conversation with Wu. She impressed him so much that it made his decision not to run an easy one. He said he is supporting Wu because she brings a fresh perspective to local government.

Bryans a good guy, Meitzner said. I think Bryan or Lily would make a fine mayor. But the difference is just her youthfulness and the energy. But I like Bryan a lot. Were friends, and if he wins, itll be great. Ill work with him for sure.

Guest speakers at Wus kickoff event included Meitzner; Junetta Everett, chairperson of the Kansas Health Foundation; and Jon Rolph, Kansas Board of Regents chairman, CEO of Thrive Restaurant Group and vice chairman of the Greater Wichita Partnership, an economic development group that receives city and county subsidies to attract businesses to the area. Rolph also backed the Lyndy Wells write-in campaign in 2019, which pulled in nearly 17% of votes in the mayoral race.

This city has great momentum right now, Rolph said. I feel like weve started to make the turn away from a dying rust-belt manufacturing city and into the manufacturing community of the future. I feel like people are proud and beginning to feel more and more proud about calling Wichita their home. And having a fresh face and fresh energy coming as mayor, its the perfect time for Lily Wu to be running for mayor.

Its unclear if the Kansas Chamber of Commerce will pick sides in the race.

Wus campaign treasurer, Bill Pickert, is on the executive committee of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and a managing partner at FORVIS, one of the states largest accounting firms. Frye works for the Kansas Chamber as the senior director of investor relations.

If elected, Wu would be the first Asian-American mayor in Wichita and the second woman to win a citywide race for mayor.

The primary election on Aug. 1 will narrow the field to two candidates, and Wichita will pick its next mayor on Nov. 7.
Made-in-China vehicles are gaining overseas popularity, which is expected to drive exports that serve as a major pillar of the country's economic growth.

In the first two months this year, ships loaded with 682,000 vehicles left China for overseas destinations, up 43 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Those vehicles' combined value totaled 96.83 billion yuan ($14.1 billion), up almost 79 percent year-on-year. In the same period, China's total exports added up to 3.5 trillion yuan, up 0.9 percent year-on-year. In other words, auto exports accounted for 2.8 percent of the country's total exports.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects the auto industry to increase its share of China's exports in the future, adding vehicle exports this year will rise by at least 20 percent year-on-year to 3.73 million units.

The CAAM's confidence sprang from the fact that China overtook Germany as the world's second-largest vehicle exporter in 2022, delivering 3.11 million vehicles to overseas buyers.

The industry's top association attributed the export surge to foreign manufacturers' insufficient supplies in respective local markets and, more importantly, Chinese companies' advantage in electric vehicles.

To seize the opportunities, local authorities in coastal regions including Shanghai and Guangdong province are working to facilitate exports that are recovering in the post-COVID-19 era.

"We are experiencing rapid growth in NEV exports and we expect our measures will help grow the volume and optimize the structure of our foreign trade," said Hu Hong, deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong provincial government, on March 20.

Nansha in the South China province is one of the country's busiest ports for vehicle exports.

In late March, an NYK Line ship loaded with 3,600 electric Neta Vs made by Hozon left the port for Thailand and neighboring countries, making the largest single shipment among Chinese NEV startups.

Days earlier, Chinese logistics company Anji unveiled a route from Ningde, Fujian province, where SAIC produces its MG vehicles, to Lazaro Cardenas, a port city in Mexico.

The 13,500-kilometer voyage will take around 23 days, three to five days less than the previous method of transporting the vehicles from SAIC's Ningde plant to Shanghai and then shipping them.

Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM, said made-in-China vehicles have shaken off their stereotypes thanks to their competitive edge in electrification and cutting-edge onboard features.

"Destinations of exports tell something. Our NEVs are selling well in new destinations where we failed to get a foothold previously, like Europe," said Chen.

New York-listed Chinese startup Nio entered Europe in 2021 with Norway as its first stop. In 2022, it expanded into four other European countries including Germany and Sweden.

Its electric sedan ET7 was named late last year as the best model in the "Medium and Upper Class" category in the 47-year-old Golden Steering Wheel competition in Germany.

The award made Nio the first Chinese automaker to win the much-coveted accolade, which is usually won by German and Japanese brands.

SAIC Motor, China's largest carmaker by sales, expected the deliveries in March of its hatchback MG4 Electric to reach 10,000 units in Europe.

There are now around 40,000 orders in Europe to be delivered, said Zhao Aimin, executive vice-president of SAIC International.

Zhao said one important ingredient of SAIC's success in overseas markets is to offer competitive products based on an understanding of local customers' demands.

"Every week I have a four-hour meeting with our research and development colleagues," said Zhao, who offers feedback gleaned from direct exchanges with overseas car buyers and potential customers.
PARIS (AP)  A Lebanese-Canadian academic who is the lone suspect in a 1980 bombing outside a Paris synagogue will go on trial Monday, nearly 43 years after four people were killed and 46 wounded in the unclaimed attack.

French authorities identified Hassan Diab as a suspect in 1999. They accuse him of planting the bomb on the evening of Oct. 3, 1980, outside the synagogue where 320 worshipers had gathered to mark the end of a Jewish holiday.

Diab, 69, has denied involvement in the attack and said he was at a university in Beirut at the time of the western Paris bombing. His supporters and lawyers in France and Canada claim Diab has been wrongly pursued by the French judicial authorities as a victim of a mistaken identity.

French investigators attributed the synagogue attack to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-Special Operations. Canada authorized Diabs extradition to France at the end of 2014. He spent three years in pretrial detention but anti-terrorism judges then ordered him freed from French custody due to a lack of evidence, and he returned to Canada.

Frances court of appeal ruled in January 2021 that Diab must stand trial on terrorism-related charges. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence. A verdict is expected by April 21. He lives in Ottawa and will be tried in absentia.

Survivors of the attack and victims families are expected to attend the proceedings in Paris. For them, the long path to trial may be justice delayed but at least its not justice denied, their lawyers told The Associated Press ahead of court proceedings. The victims' attorneys say the trial will serve as deterrent for future terrorist acts and antisemitic sentiments.

Its a positive development that the trial is taking place, even if he (the suspect) will not be there and even if he is acquitted, said Bernard Cahen, a lawyer for two families who lost loved ones.

David Pere, a lawyer for a then-14-year-old victim who was celebrating his bar mitzvah at the time of the attack, said the path of justice must be followed," even after more than four decades of investigation and legal drama. There is a suspect in the attack, and Pere said his client wants to hear what Diab has to say in court, even if only through his lawyers.

A terrorist attack is something that haunts you every day of your life, Pere said. A trial is a result (of an attack) not a revenge for it.
(Reuters) - On April 10, Northern Ireland marks the 25th anniversary since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which largely ended three decades of conflict in the British-ruled province.

Following are some key developments in the history of the province and the peace process:

1921 - Ireland is partitioned, with the southern 26 counties becoming the independent Irish Free State, later the Irish Republic, and the northern six remaining under British rule. The new Northern Ireland parliament, at Stormont outside Belfast, is dominated by pro-British Protestant "unionists", who will control it for the next 50 years.

1968 - A civil rights campaign by Catholics protesting against discrimination gathers momentum. Sectarian rioting erupts in Belfast, Londonderry and elsewhere.

August, 1969 - As civil unrest worsens, British troops are deployed for the first time.

March 30, 1972 - With violence intensifying, the unionist government at Stormont refuses to hand over responsibility for law and order to the central government. Stormont is suspended and direct rule from London imposed.

Dec. 9, 1973 - After a year of talks and elections for a new Northern Ireland assembly in June, the Sunningdale Agreement is announced establishing a powersharing government in Belfast. Unionists object to elements of the deal meant to foster co-operation with the Irish Republic.

May 1974 - Powersharing collapses amid hardening unionist opposition, violence and a general strike and direct rule resumes.

March 1, 1981 - Bobby Sands, the leader of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the Maze Prison, refuses food, beginning a new hunger strike by republican prisoners demanding "political" status. Ten will starve themselves to death before the strike is called off in October.

April 11, 1981 - Sands is elected as an MP to the British parliament in a by-election in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. He dies on May 5.

Nov. 15, 1985 - Britain and Ireland sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the most significant development in relations since partition. Both agree there will be no change in Northern Ireland's status without the consent of the majority of its citizens, while the Irish government is given a consultative role in the province's administration for the first time.

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Jan. 11, 1988 - John Hume, leader of the moderate nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, then the leading party among Catholic voters, begins a series of talks with Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA's political ally Sinn Fein.

Aug. 31, 1994 - The IRA declares a "complete cessation of military activities".

Oct. 13, 1994 - The Combined Loyalist Military Command, speaking on behalf of the main loyalist groups the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), also announces a ceasefire.

Nov. 30, 1995 - U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Northern Ireland.

Feb. 9, 1996 - The IRA ends its ceasefire with a bomb attack at South Quay in London's Docklands, killing two people.

May 30, 1996 - Elections held for a Northern Ireland forum ahead of all-party talks. Sinn Fein attracts 15.5%, its biggest share of the vote, though the British government has said the party will be excluded from talks unless the IRA ceasefire is restored.

May 1, 1997 - Tony Blair is elected British Prime Minister in a landslide victory for his left-of-centre Labour Party.

July 20, 1997 - The IRA renews its ceasefire.

Sept 9, 1997 - Sinn Fein enters multi-party talks at Stormont.

Oct 13, 1997 - Blair meets Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness for the first time.

Jan. 9, 1998 - Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam visits the Maze Prison to meet UDA prisoners in an attempt to change their recent decision to end their support for the peace process. She succeeds.

March 26, 1998 - Talks chairman George Mitchell, a U.S. senator from Maine, sets an April 9 deadline to reach a deal.

April 10, 1998 - After negotiations continue through the night, the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, is signed.

Sources: Reuters, Ulster University CAIN archive

(Compiled by Alex Richardson; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
A jogger on a trail in rural Maine found herself being chased by a cow, police said.

While preparing for an afternoon run on March 31 in Farmington, a 43-year-old woman was charged by a cow, according to a news release from the Farmington Police Department.

The animal barreled into her, flinging her into the air with its horns, police said.

The woman escaped by running to nearby trees for cover.

A 911 call was made around 3 p.m. and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene to evaluate the womans injuries, police said.

She sustained a minor laceration that required stitches.

The cows owner captured the cow after arriving at the scene. A large pig was also secured, police said.

Charges may be filed against the animals owner, police said.

The animal control officer will do an investigation and report and he will decide whether or not to charge the owner, a representative for the Farmington Police Department told McClatchy News.

As to where the large pig came from, I have no idea, the representative said.

Cows kill an average of 20 Americans per year, most of whom are farm workers, according to Heifer International, a nonprofit.

Farmington is about 40 miles northwest of Augusta.

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Find live updates on Day 2 of the trial here.

Its the first day of the highly anticipated jury trial of Lori Vallow Daybell.

Dozens of possible jurors, reporters, court staff and members of the public made their way through security at the Ada County Courthouse early Monday morning.

Roughly 1,800 potential jurors were summoned by 7th District Judge Steven Boyce and were asked to fill out a jury questionnaire, KTVB reported. Those questionnaires were then looked over by both Vallow Daybells defense team and the prosecution to narrow down the enormous jury pool. The questions asked to the potential jurors were not available to the public.

The remaining jurors, in small groups, will be asked questions by the defense, prosecution and the judge this week until the respective legal teams have settled on a 12-person jury and six alternates. The public is not allowed in the courtroom during jury selection, also known as voir dire, and instead, reporters and family members are watching the process through a live stream in a separate room inside the Ada County Courthouse.

Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell  whose trial date has not been set  have been charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of her two children, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow, and three counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Chad Daybell was accused of first-degree murder in the death of his former wife, Tammy Daybell.

Vallow Daybell was also charged with conspiring to kill her former husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona.

READ MORE: Lori Vallow Daybells murder trial begins Monday in Boise. Heres what you should know

10 A.M.  2 jurors excused because of work concerns

Roughly an hour into jury selection, two male jurors were excused because of concerns about their jobs and the extensive length of the jury trial. The trial could take up to 10 weeks.

The first juror said that his employer wouldnt pay him more than two weeks of paid vacation. The other juror, identified as 314, also cited work concerns and added that he had a planned vacation in May and wasnt sure if hed be able to get a refund.

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Boyce excused both jurors.

Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood began questioning a small group of jurors and asked that the jurors answer the prosecutions questions with brutal honesty.

He also pointed to the fact that some of the evidence in the case, such as autopsy photos, will be emotionally charged because the trial involves the killing of two underage children  16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua Jaxon JJ Vallow. Wood asked whether the potential jurors could remain fair and impartial, given the childrens deaths.

A female juror raised concerns about whether she could remain neutral because she wasnt aware children were involved in the case. Another male juror said that while he didnt want to see autopsy photos, he could remain fair and impartial.

10:45 A.M.  Prosecution: We might not know exactly how one victim died

Attorney Rachel Smith, a Missouri-based attorney who is working with the prosecution, asked the jurors whether they could convict someone of a crime even if they didnt commit every single part.

The driver of the getaway car is as guilty as the bank robber, Smith said.

Smith, while questioning the potential jurors about their expectations of evidence, said that while they know the victims  Tylee, JJ and Tammy Daybell  were killed, they might not know exactly how one of the victims died. Its unclear which victim she was referring to.

She also asked jurors if they watched CSI. Smith specifically asked whether they could find someone guilty of a crime if there wasnt certain evidence presented  and whether they expect clear-cut evidence often shown on TV shows. None of the jurors raised major concerns.

11:15 A.M.  Another juror excused; live stream shut off

A third juror has been excused. The female juror said she had upcoming military training during the trial, and that her supervisors said the Navy training took precedence.

The live stream  which is how reporters and the public are watching the jury selection process  has been shut off as jurors are being asked questions by the attorneys and judge individually.

Noon  First jury pool group temporarily excused

Two additional jurors were excused, though the reasons werent clear since they were questioned while the cameras were turned off. Boyce excused the first small group of jurors, which will be called later in the week after the attorneys get through enough of the small jury groups.

The court has recessed for lunch and will be back at 12:30 p.m.

1:15 P.M.  2nd group of jurors brought in; 5 were excused

A second group of roughly 15 to 10 jurors were brought into the Ada County Courthouse to undergo the jury selection process  again. Out of those potential jurors, five raised concerns about their ability to be a juror on the case because of the length of time and personal issues, including housing and health problems.

Two of the jurors had loved ones who were recently diagnosed with cancer. Another juror only has 10 days of paid vacation. The fourth had a history of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and was concerned about the case complicating his mental health issues. The last juror was living in her car.

Boyce excused all five of them from the case.

3:15 P.M.  2 more jurors excused

After roughly an hour of sealed jury selection, two more potential jurors were removed. Its unclear why they were dismissed, but any questions asked to the jurors individually have been behind closed doors, or in this case, closed screens.

The live stream footage in the first-floor courtroom, which is where media is watching jury selection, was turned off as jurors were asked private questions along with any questions about their knowledge of the case. Questions about jurors prior knowledge of the highly publicized case was done individually so that their answers dont taint the other jurors. Its unclear why the media was unable to watch this portion.

3:30 P.M.  Court staff addresses media concerns

Fourth District Judge Steven Hippler addressed media concerns about why portions of the jury selection process were hidden from the public. As the two groups made their way through the jury selection process, the jurors were asked a variety of questions. Some of those questions needed to be asked privately because of their sensitive nature. But jurors were also asked about media coverage or prior knowledge of the case behind closed doors.

Hippler explained the reason they had originally handled those questions together was because the jurors needed to answer those types of questions individually. By answering questions publicly about media coverage or prior knowledge of the case, the responding juror could impair the other jurors.

But Hippler acknowledged that the public and the media didnt need to be shielded from that and said they would open those questions up to the public. The court will also be providing transcripts to reporters sometime Tuesday with any information that was missed Monday.

4 P.M.  42 potential jurors are needed

The prosecution, defense and judge will need to whittle down the jury pool to 42 potential jurors. From there, 18 total jurors  12 jurors and six alternates  will need to be selected at the end of the jury selection process.

A prosecution spokesperson said that once 42 potential jurors are selected, the other undisclosed number of jurors will be dismissed.

5 P.M.  Circumstantial evidence and cookies

Smith, an attorney with the prosecution, asked two female jurors if they could be fair jurors since they were both mothers. Throughout the roughly seven-and-a-half hours of the jury selection process, potential jurors with children were asked about their ability to deal with the case, seeing as two of the victims were underage.

The two female jurors in the third jury pool group said theyd be able to remain impartial.

Smith also raised concerns about circumstantial evidence and used cookies to explain it. She said that if a child steals a cookie from the cookie jar  but their parents didnt see them steal the cookies  did they still steal the cookies?

One female juror, after some back and forth with Smith, said that while she understood the concept, she wasnt sure she could certainly say that the child had stolen the cookie. The juror was dismissed.

Check this story for live updates on Vallow Daybells trial.
Los Angeles police have identified the suspect in a shooting that left one person dead, and three others injured Saturday afternoon.

The shooting unfolded in the parking lot of a Trader Joes in the West Hills section of Los Angeles around 3:45 p.m.

Los Angeles Fire Department vehicles responded to a shooting scene in a Trader Joe's parking lot in West Hills.

The victims arrived and met with the suspect  identified 34-year-old Mark Connole of Woodland Hills  for what police believe was a drug deal.

An argument ensued and shots were fired. Three people sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedics pronounced a fourth victim dead at the scene.

The suspect was seen fleeing the area in a red Honda. A short police pursuit ensued before the driver pulled over and was taken into custody. Connole was booked at Van Nuys jail on suspicion of murder. His bail has been set at $2 million.

LAPD arrested a suspect accused of fleeing the shooting scene in the parking lot of a Trader Joe's in West Hills.

The deceased victim was a 45-year-old man, FOX 11 reported, citing officials. His identity is being withheld pending notification to the family.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Alan Hamilton with the LAPD told the outlet that some involved in the shootout may also be gang affiliated and other arrests could be pending.

Anyone with information on this incident is being asked to contact the LAPD Valley Bureau Homicide detectives at 818-374-9550.

Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
A new fundraiser lets people display their love for the Boise Foothills trails on a T-shirt that funds much-needed trail maintenance.

For Mark Woychick, who created the fundraiser, shirts were an obvious choice to address a growing problem.

Woychick, of Boise, started making shirts to celebrate Boise parks and the tree-planting City of Trees Challenge a few years ago. He was inspired by his brother Dan, a graphic designer who created Love Minneapolis Parks to donate the citys park system. Dan also created the designs for Love Boise Parks and, most recently, the T-shirt benefiting Ridge to Rivers, which manages Boises trail system.

Woychik said hes an avid trails and Greenbelt user, running, walking or hiking every day. Over the years hes noticed the beating the trails take during inclement weather.

Boise Foothills trails are largely built on clay-heavy soil, which is prone to rutting and erosion when wet. For years, Ridge to Rivers has asked trail users to avoid the routes when theyre wet or muddy, but people continue to churn footprints and bicycle tires that harden into dangerous ruts.

The trails are in need of some love at this point, Ridge to Rivers executive director David Gordon told the Idaho Statesman in an email. Many are still muddy or snow-covered, while others are slowly drying. Some in particular were hard hit this winter during muddy conditions and they will likely remain rougher than they were previously.

Woychik said he saw an Idaho Statesman article in January about extensive trail damage. Woychik, wondering what he could do to help, reached out to Ridge to Rivers about developing the T-shirt fundraiser.

You see (the damage) and kind of shake your head or ask, How does this keep happening? Woychik said. I thought we can try to do something positive with it.

Woychiks T-shirts launched March 24 on his website, LoveBoiseParks.org. The olive-colored shirts feature a green design encouraging people to protect and share our open spaces. They cost $25 but are discounted to $22.50 through the April 16 pre-sale run. Ten dollars from each shirt sale goes to the Ridge to Rivers Heritage Trust Trail Maintenance and Construction fund.

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Woychik said hell order inventory when the pre-sale ends and stock some extra supplies based on demand. The shirts will continue to be available through his website, along with his parks shirts.

Gordon said its the first time Ridge to Rivers has had a T-shirt fundraiser. The donations will go toward materials for trail projects, matching funds grant applications or specific trail contract payment.

Woychick said he hopes the shirts remind people to stay off wet, muddy trails and use Ridge to Rivers Facebook and website trail condition reports.

I dont think anybodys out there deliberately trashing the trails, Woychick said. I think its just a matter of awareness.

So far, Woychick said, the response for the fundraiser has been good. He said if theres enough demand for the shirts, he may try different color combinations, types of shirts or new designs. He also said other products, like bumper stickers, could be options in the future.
The Lowell Police Department arrested a student who was found with a firearm inside his school on Monday morning.

Officers responded to Career Academy on Smith Street around 11:30 a.m. for a report of a male student having brought a gun into the school.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with school staff members and were advised that the firearm was located in the students jacket, which he had allegedly entered the school with, then left in the Main Office, according to police.

The student, not being identified at this time, was placed under arrest without incident. He is being charged with carrying a firearm without a license and carrying a firearm in a school.

Authorities said as a precaution, NEMLEC police K-9s, trained in the detection of firearms, were brought in to sweep the school with negative results.

The safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to the Lowell Police Department, said Interim Police Superintendent Barry Golner. We will continue to work with the Lowell Public Schools to insure the safety of the school community.

Students and parents can expect to see an increased police presence and added security measures in the coming days at the school.

No additional information has been released.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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National Public Health Week starts April 3. In recognition, a northwest Louisiana school of allied health is taking time to nurture its community.

This year the American Public Health Association has marked this week as a time for people in public health to celebrate cultures in health. On the National Public Health Week website, the association said, "we learn from the communities we're born in and that we build together."

"Public health embraces so many areas of health," said LSU Health Shreveport School of Allied Health Professions assistant professor Dr. Deborah Gurgel Smith.

Smith serves in many capacities at LSU Health Shreveport, but her passion is to serve the community. So, when the American Public Association announced this year's National Public Health Week, she said she knew exactly what to do.

Smith said that culture is something that she is very passionate about because it goes hand and hand with public health. Public health focuses on improving and protecting the health and well-being of communities.

Smith said that one of the biggest goals right now for the CDC is to reach out to communities that don't have access to healthcare. "The challenge in reaching out to minority groups in Louisiana is understanding their culture, if you don't understand the culture and their needs, you cannot reach out to them," she said.

For this National Public Health Week, Dr. Smith has organized a whole week of activities that teaches LSUHS students the importance of health in their school community as well as their outside community in Northwest Louisiana.

Dr. Deborah Gurgel Smith, assistant professor at LUS Health Shreveport, on March 29, 2023.

What does National Public Health Week look like at LSUHS?

On Monday, students will celebrate mental health awareness and will wear green in solidarity. A therapy dog will also come to campus that day and while students sit with the dog, they can do puzzles and color.

"We are behind the public health efforts to improve mental health," said Smith.

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On Tuesday, LSUHS will have a walk with the whole day revolving around health and nutrition. "It's going to be more like a food day," said Smith.

Women's health will be Wednesday's focus. Students will be able to participate in a wellness fair that will test students' blood pressure and BMI.

Thursday and the final day of LSUHS Public Health Awareness Week will involve the community of Northwest Louisiana through a partnership with the Providence House. These two partners will host a blood drive.

LSUHS has a goal to end the cycle of homelessness. "We treat communities," said Smith. "Our goal is prevention, promotion and treatment for our communities."

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: LSU Health Shreveport offers public health outreach to community, school
Luxury watchmakers are using Snapchat and bitcoin to woo Generation Z, unused to wearing something on the wrist, believing younger buyers could become a powerful driver of sales growth for top-end timepieces.

Millennials (born between 1980 and the late 1990s) and Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2010) are taking an early interest in luxury goods, according to a study by management consultants Bain & Company and the Italian luxury brands association Altagamma Foundation.

Their spending is expected to increase three times faster than that of other generations by 2030, it said.

At last week's Watches and Wonders trade fair in Geneva, where 48 brands such as Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe showed off their latest creations, Swiss watchmakers were well aware of the trend.

"It is very important that once a year we showcase that wearing a watch is trendy, and even something for the youngest generation which is not used to wearing watches," Rolex chief executive Jean-Frederic Dufour said during the annual fair.

The sector needs to reach out to a generation "used to seeing everything on a screen", he said.

On a stand dedicated to innovation, representatives from the Snapchat instant messaging app showed off an application that lets people try on watches virtually, via a smartphone or tablet.

It adapts to the user's wrist to try on, for example, Cartier's flagship models, and even allows them to customise the colours of Hublot watches.

In a nod to this generation, Hermes presented a collection with designs inspired by its silk scarves, including one representing a princess on horseback taking a selfie photo.

- Wealth transfer -

"The younger generation -- contrary to popular belief -- have more economic power than any generation that preceded them," said Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst with Swiss investment managers Vontobel.

"They are earning more, saving more, and investing earlier and at a higher rate than previous generations."

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An interesting yet still underestimated phenomenon is coming down the line, he added.

Millennials and Generation Z "are poised to be on the receiving end of a massive wealth transfer in the coming two decades, projected to total more than $80 trillion through 2045 for the US only", he said.

In the nearer term, however, this generation is stifled by soaring housing costs, with Morgan Stanley analysts noting that according to the US census, almost half of US young adults aged 18 to 29 still live with their parents -- a level not seen since the 1940s.

"They simply have more disposable income to be allocated to discretionary spending", the analysts said.

On the other side of the Pacific, H. Moser chief executive Edouard Meylan said that a "younger, more digitalised" clientele was emerging in Asia.

"More than 50 percent of sales in China are to Gen Z and Millennials," he told AFP.

The brand has also carried out sales in bitcoin, including a 350,000-Swiss franc ($380,000) watch that sold for 10 bitcoins, which was then the equivalent price when the digital currency was booming.

"We filmed the transaction," said Meylan.

- Apple Watch opened doors -

According to Morgan Stanley analysts, so-called icon watches -- the flagship models of major brands -- "resonate particularly well" with a generation quick to post pictures of their purchases on Instagram.

They want "instantly recognisable products", especially so for watches given that they "rely much less on logos and monograms than leather goods and ready to wear".

Some, on the other hand, "want to stand out with a watch that others won't have", said Christophe Hoppe, a Frenchman now living in Australia, where he founded the Bausele brand after a career in watchmaking in Switzerland.

"We had lost this generation with mobile phones, but found it again with the Apple Watch," he told AFP.

He recently teamed up with social media influencers to sell a $1,200 model online.

"They got back into the habit of wearing something on the wrist with connected watches, and now they want something else," he said.

noo/rjm/nl
The Macon Water Authority announced last week that its drinking water is free of harmful so-called forever chemicals.

State environmental regulators tested water samples at public utilities across Georgia last fall as part of a study of the prevalence of PFAS, a class of manufactured chemicals that the EPA announced nationwide limits on last month.

The Macon Water Authority is one of a small number of utilities in Georgia that has already been treating its water to remove PFAS using a filtration method called granular activated carbon, which it first implemented in 2000 at the Frank C. Amerson Jr. Water Treatment Plant.

The lab results and data collected on PFAS from our most recent testing, which were included in the states PFAS Study, provide good news for our customers, said Gary McCoy, the utilitys director of water treatment, in a press release. We continually take water samples and conduct water quality tests at a rate thats 10 times whats required by our regulatory agencies, because we want to do all we can to make sure our drinking water is clean and safe for our customers.

PFAS have been identified in a wide range of commercial products, including waterproof clothing, shampoo, nonstick pans, dental floss, and toilet paper. Manufacturers began using them in the 1940s.

The EPAs new limits on PFAS in drinking water, which have yet to go into effect, come after scientists recently found exposure to the chemicals can cause liver cancer and other diseases.

PFAS are commonly referred to as forever chemicals due to the extremely long amount of time it takes for them to break down naturally.

The chemicals are at the heart of a lawsuit in northern Georgia, where the city of Rome has accused Dalton Utilities of polluting the Oostanaula River  Romes main water source  with PFAS.

Dalton Utilities treats the wastewater in Dalton, a city upstream of Rome that hosts a large carpet manufacturing industry, which has been identified as a source of PFAS.
Senior Chinese officials have called for efforts in global cooperation to advance the development of the new energy vehicle sector that is gaining momentum around the world.

Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said on Saturday that the country will expand high-level opening-up to promote global efforts in electric, smart and low-carbon development.

Wan made the remarks on Saturday at the annual China EV 100 Forum held in Beijing.

International brands are old friends of China and they are welcome to contribute to the NEV sector's development, said Wan, former minister of science and technology.

He also proposed deepening cooperation between nations via bilateral or multilateral organizations including the World New Energy Vehicle Congress.

At the same forum, Xin Guobin, vice-minister of industry and information technology, said the auto industry is "global in nature" and the NEV sector requires more cross-regional and cross-industry cooperation.

China will stick to the principle of open and win-win cooperation to build a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment, and strengthen cooperation with different countries in NEV technologies, trade as well as standards and legislation, said Xin.

The year 2022 marked a milestone for the global NEV sector, with sales soaring 63.6 percent year-on-year to exceed 10 million units, and more than half of them were sold in China, said Mary Warlick, deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency.

She expects China to continue its role as a major driver of the sector, where global sales are expected to reach at least 30 million by 2030.

While most of the current NEV sales in China are from local Chinese brands including BYD, international carmakers are speeding up their efforts.

German premium carmaker BMW said it will present the biggest-ever lineup of NEVs at the Shanghai auto show in April. This year, it will offer 11 electric models in China, its largest market worldwide.

Shao Bin, president of BMW China Automotive Trading Co, said around half of the company's global sales will be NEVs by 2050.

In terms of carbon neutrality efforts, only green electricity is used at BMW's production base in Liaoning province and 37 non-production sites across the country.

Volkswagen, China's best-selling international carmaker, is expected to invest 15 billion euros ($16.3 billion) in e-mobility with its Chinese partners by 2024. By 2030, it aims to electrify most of the group's portfolio in the country.

Stefan Mecha, CEO of Volkswagen China Passenger Cars Brand, said: "I have never seen a country develop as quickly as China. The momentum of transformation towards e-mobility in China is unstoppable." He expects one in three vehicles sold in China this year to be an NEV, up from one in four in 2022. Last year, the carmaker's electric vehicle sales in China soared 68 percent year-on-year.
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Monday said he was prepared to negotiate with China over a maritime dispute between the two countries, days after a think tank reported Chinese patrolling close to a Malaysian offshore gas project.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have some overlapping claims.

The issue was raised between Anwar and Chinese President Xi Jinping in China last week as Malaysia has energy exploration projects in the area, Anwar said at an address on Monday at the prime minister's department.

Anwar did not specify which dispute or which area of the South China Sea.

"In that area there is a similar claim from China. I said (to them) that as a small country that needs oil and gas resources, we have to continue. But if the condition is that there must be negotiation, then we are ready to negotiate," Anwar said, without elaborating.

China claims about 90% of the South China Sea via a U-shaped "nine-dash line" on its maps that cuts through the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of five Southeast Asian countries.

That line was declared invalid as part of an international arbitration ruling in 2016, which Beijing does not recognise.

Malaysian state oil company Petronas operates oil and gas fields in the South China Sea within Malaysia's EEZ and has in recent years had several encounters with Chinese vessels.

Those include a month-long standoff between a Chinese survey ship and an oil exploration vessel contracted by Petronas in 2020, which China had said was conducting normal activities.

The U.S. think tank, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), in a report last week said a Chinese coast guard vessel was for the past month operating near Petronas' Kasawari gas development off Malaysia's Sarawak state, and came as close as 1.5 miles of the project. A Malaysian navy ship was in the area at the same time, AMTI said.

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The vessel, CCG 5901, the world's largest coast guard vessel, was last active in Indonesia's Tuna Bloc gas field and Vietnam's Chim Sao oil and gas field, AMTI said.

The Kasawari field holds an estimated 3 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves and is expected to start production this year.

Malaysia's navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Petronas declined to comment.

China foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Monday said they were not aware of the specific incident but said the coast guard operated within China's jurisdiction and its conduct was beyond reproach.

(Reporting by A. Ananthalakshmi; Additional reporting by Andrew Hayley in Beijing and Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Martin Petty)
By Rozanna Latiff

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's parliament on Monday passed sweeping legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offences punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences, a move cautiously welcomed by rights groups.

Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when it first promised to abolish capital punishment entirely.

The government, however, faced political pressure from some parties and rowed back on the pledge a year later, saying it would retain the death penalty but allow courts to replace it with other punishments at their discretion.

Under the amendments passed, alternatives to the death penalty include whipping and imprisonment of between 30 to 40 years. The new jail term will replace all previous provisions that call for imprisonment for the duration of the offender's natural life.

Life imprisonment sentences, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will be retained.

Capital punishment will also be removed as an option for some serious crimes that do not cause death, such as discharging and trafficking of a firearm and kidnapping.

Malaysia's move comes even as some Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up use of capital punishment, with Singapore last year executing 11 people for drug offences and military-ruled Myanmar carrying out its first death sentences in decades against four anti-junta activists.

Malaysia's Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh said capital punishment was an irreversible sentence and had been an ineffective deterrent.

"The death penalty has not brought about the results it was intended to bring," he said in wrapping up parliamentary debates on the measures.

The amendments passed apply to 34 offences currently punishable by death, including murder and drug trafficking. Eleven of those carry it as a mandatory punishment.

More than 1,300 people facing the death penalty or imprisonment for natural life - including those who have exhausted all other legal appeals - can seek a sentencing review under the new rules.

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Dobby Chew, executive coordinator at the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, said passage of the amendments was a good first step towards total abolition of capital punishment.

"For the most part, we are on the right track for Malaysia - it's a reform that has been a long time coming," he said.

"We should not deny the fact that the state is killing someone and whether the state should have this kind of power... having the mandatory punishment abolished is a good time for us to start reflecting about it."

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Additional reporting by Ahmad Luqman Ismail; Editing by Ed Davies, Martin Petty)
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday that Malaysia was prepared to negotiate the South China Sea dispute with Beijing to safeguard the country's energy exploration efforts.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually -- despite an international court ruling that Beijing's assertion has no legal basis.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have overlapping claims in the sea, while the United States sends naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters.

Anwar -- who was on a visit to Beijing recently -- said the "sensitive" issue was raised at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping as Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas has its largest oil platform in the disputed area, as well as several exploration projects.

"I said, as a small country we need the resources, (like) oil and gas, we have to continue (exploration projects)," Anwar said during a monthly speech to staff at the Prime Minister's Office.

"But if the condition is that there must be negotiations, then we are ready to negotiate."

The premier did not provide further details on the conversation with Xi.

While asserting their claims in the South China Sea, Chinese authorities in recent years have ramped up its development of artificial islands, including outfitting some with military facilities and runways.

Regional nations have also accused Chinese vessels of harassing their fishing boats.

In 2021, Malaysia summoned Beijing's envoy to the Southeast Asian country in protest after Chinese vessels entered its maritime economic zone in the disputed sea.

Earlier that year, it scrambled fighter jets to intercept 16 Chinese military aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the South China Sea.

skc/jsm/dhc
Phoenix police.

Phoenix police arrested a man in connection with a Saturday night shooting in south Phoenix that left a man dead.

Police identified the suspect as Joseph Aguilar, 36, who was booked into jail on charges of second-degree murder and misconduct involving weapons. The identity of the victim was not released by police.

According to police, officers responded to a shooting call near 51st Avenue and Baseline Road shortly after 11:30 p.m. Officers found a man in his 20s lying on the ground with a gunshot wound, police said.

Phoenix firefighters also arrived at the location and took the man to a hospital where he later died.

Detectives were at the scene investigating. The police department asked anyone with information to call the Phoenix Police nonemergency line at 602-262-6151 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.

The investigation was ongoing, police said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Joseph Aguilar arrested on suspicion of deadly Phoenix shooting
Update: John Killough Jr. was sentenced to 12 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections on April 3, 2023. Killough pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or catastrophic injury as part of an agreement with prosecutors, court records show.

A lug nut cover, mere inches in size, led police to arrest a man accused of being behind the wheel of a truck, fatally striking 11-year-old Kyson Beatty, and driving away, according to court records.

Indianapolis police on Sunday announced the arrest of 52-year-old John Killough Jr., just over a week after Beatty died. Marion County prosecutors charged him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator.

Related: Police arrest driver accused of crash that killed 11-year-old Kyson Beatty

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on Dec. 11 responded to the crash minutes before 4:30 p.m. and found Beatty in the middle of the intersection at Wicker Road and South Tibbs Avenue. Police reported Beatty had been driving a small motorcycle.

Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead.

Detectives in the affidavit said a chrome-colored lug nut cover was found in the road. They said in the affidavit that it likely came from a vehicle with large tires.

Kyson Beatty died after being struck by a vehicle at South Tibbs and Wicker Road. He was 11. The vehicles driver fled.

The lug nut cap and a 911 caller who reported they saw a construction truck driving away led police to theorize the vehicle that hit Beatty was a truck.

Detectives pulled surveillance footage they said showed a rollback truck with two large tires strapped on the bed driving west on Wicker Road about 15 minutes before police found Beatty. At 4:28, minutes before people reported the crash, police said the video showed the truck driving on Wicker Road again. The tires had moved forward and a skid-steer loader was loaded in the back.

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Detectives said several witnesses then reported seeing a rollback truck in the area at the time of the hit-and-run, including one person who said they saw the truck swerve as if trying to dodge something as it continued driving east.

Police sent pictures of the truck to media Dec. 12. A man contacted police to tell him the truck belonged to his business, the affidavit said. The man told police he had been trying to track down the truck but none of his employees knew what happened to it.

Indianapolis police would like to speak to the driver of this vehicle in connection with a hit-and-run crash Dec. 11, 2021, at South Tibbs Avenue and Wicker Road.

He then told detectives he also couldnt get ahold of one of his employees  Killough. The man thought Killough may had been avoiding him and possibly drove the truck the weekend Beatty died.

Investigators said surveillance footage from the business later showed Killough getting into the driver's side of the truck about a half hour before the crash. They learned Killough is a habitual traffic violator for life, according to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Police found the truck after Killough told them he parked it near a farm in Johnson County. Detectives in the affidavit noted the truck had scuff marks on a front tire and a lug nut cover was missing from one of the front wheels. Investigators later determined the covers on the trucks wheels matched the lug nut cover they found at the scene.

Another man in the truck at the time of the crash told detectives he saw something "streak" across the truck's path. He said Killough swerved to the right and he heard a thump.

The man said Killough cursed, claiming he may have hit someone, then said he couldnt be caught driving the truck. He said Killough then shifted gears and sped away.

Contact Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com or 317-503-7514.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: John Killough sentenced in hit-and-run that killed Kyson Beatty
Phoenix police.

A man died and a teenager was hospitalized after a Sunday night shooting near 13th and Fillmore streets in Phoenix, according to police.

Phoenix police said officers responded to a shooting call at the location around 8:30 p.m. but did not find the victims or the suspects. A witness told police a teenager was shot and was taken to a gas station on 16th and Roosevelt streets.

Police found the teenager at a Circle K station and took him to a hospital with an injury that was not life-threatening, according to police.

Police later learned another person, identified as 35-year-old Gerardo Chavez, was also shot. A witness rushed Chavez to a hospital where he later died, police said.

The suspect fled before police arrived. No arrests were made, police said.

The Phoenix Police Department asked anyone with information to please call Phoenix police or Silent Witness if they wish to remain anonymous at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.

No further details were available.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man dead, teen hospitalized after central Phoenix shooting
MUNCIE, Ind.  Authorities say when an Indiana man went on a crime spree last summer, repeatedly robbing employees at massage spas, one of his stops was in Muncie.

Davis Richard Miller, 26, was charged last week in Delaware Circuit Court 4 with armed robbery, intimidation, criminal mischief and two counts of criminal confinement.

Muncie police said Miller, at the time wearing a mask, entered Thai Spa Massage, 912 W. McGalliard Road, on June 29, 2002, and at first held a handgun to an employee's head and demanded money.

While inside the business, he allegedly damaged two interior doors. When a female employee ran from the building, Miller allegedly pursued the woman and forced her to return.

More: Deputies: Muncie man arrested after robbery, chase, crash

However, that gave another employee an opportunity to call 911.

Miller then left the scene after taking "some money that was laying around the shop," according to a police report.

Court documents identify Miller as a resident of both Spencerville  in DeKalb County, about 95 miles northeast of Muncie  and Worthington  in southern Indiana's Greene County, about 135 miles southwest of Muncie.

The armed robbery charge is a Level 3 felony with a maximum 16-year sentence, while the confinement and intimidation counts are Level 6 felonies carrying up to 30 months in prison.

In August, state police contacted Muncie detectives and said they had arrested Davis in Vincennes in connection with two holdups at a massage spa in that southern Indiana city, and that he had also admitted to committing the Muncie robbery.

According to an affidavit filed last week, "the whereabouts of Davis R. Miller (are) currently unknown."

However, records indicate Miller is being held in the Knox County jail in Vincennes.

Miller  charged last August with armed robbery and intimidation in Knox Superior Court 1  on March 3 pleaded guilty to at least one of those charges.

He also faces armed robbery counts  stemming from holdups at massage spas in Fort Wayne  in three cases filed last fall in Allen County. There are warrants pending in each of the Allen County cases.

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Miller was also charged with resisting law enforcement in Allen County last June.

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: Police: DeKalb County man robbed employees at Muncie massage spa
Police cars with lights and sirens.

A man died on Saturday night following a three-car crash involving a red-light runner on 35th Avenue and Union Hills Drive in Phoenix, according to Phoenix police.

Police identified the man who died as Mark Oale, 60.

Police said a teenager driving a truck was going west on Union Hills Drive and did not stop at the red light when he reached the intersection at 35th Avenue. The truck crashed into Oale's car, who was going south on 35th Avenue, police said. Oale's car was then pushed into another vehicle that was stopped at the intersection.

Police said officers found Oale at the location with serious injuries and took him to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The driver of the truck and the driver of the other car had minor injuries, police said. None of them showed signs of impairment.

Police did not say whether arrests have been made and no further details were available.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man killed after teen driver ran red light in Phoenix
NEW PHILADELPHIA  New Philadelphia police are investigating the reported shooting of a 33-year-old man late Sunday afternoon.

Capt. Ty Norris said the location of the shooting is not known. He said police have received contradictory information. The complainant failed to appear at the police station for a requested interview Monday, Norris said.

The man was shot in the ankle with a small-caliber weapon, Norris said.

He said the victim refused treatment by the Uhrichsville Fire Department rescue squad, and was to be taken by family to Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Dover. He went from Union Hospital to Aultman Hospital in Canton for treatment.

A deputy from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff's Office spoke to the victim at Aultman Hospital in Canton. The law enforcement officer said the incident took place in New Philadelphia.

New Philadelphia police checked an address in the 300 block of Eighth Drive NE. In a report, they said video showed an agitated man walking away. Their account said he walked south on Eighth then west on Fair Avenue.

New Philadelphia police checked areas in the northwest and southwest sections of downtown to look for evidence of a shooting, but reported finding none at either location.

Police were contacted about the incident shortly before 5 p.m. Patrol officers concluded their work at 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Man, 33, treated for gunshot wound at Canton hospital
Two people are facing charges connected to countless thefts across 10 counties, many within the Miami Valley.

Derek Grimm, 34, of Columbus, and Morgan Carder, 25, of Bradford, were indicted by a Miami County grand jury on counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy, theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence and breaking and entering, according to Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak.

>> Law restricting use of phones while driving goes into effect Tuesday; What to know

Grimm was indicted on 33 counts of theft, while Carder was indicted on 10.

Their alleged crime spree spanned from November 2021 to March 2023.

The pair targeted construction sites, tool trailers, and storage sheds, Duchak said.

Theyre accused of stealing upwards of $100,000 worth of construction equipment and tools across the following 10 counties:

Miami

Darke

Shelby

Auglaize

Montgomery

Logan

Fayette

Delaware

Fairfield

Franklin

>> Employee injured after chemical accident at Tipp City Meijer Distribution Center

Miami County detectives worked with law enforcement agencies in each affected counties to charge Grimm and Carder. Duchak said it was decided by all involved that the two would be prosecuted in Miami County.

Grimm is currently booked in the Miami County Jail on unrelated charges. Neither his or Carders next court dates have been announced.




You are here: Business

The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28, said the organizers Monday.

The summit is co-sponsored by authorities including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the National Development and Reform Commission, and the provincial government of Fujian.

Arranged events will reflect China's plan for the overall layout of the country's digital development unveiled in February, Cao Shumin, deputy head of the CAC, told a press conference.

An exhibition will be held as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society, said Cao.

The summit will also include a digital product exposition as a trading platform for global buyers and suppliers.

China has pledged effective interconnectivity in digital infrastructure, a significantly improved digital economy, and breakthroughs in digital technology innovation, according to the plan.
The terrace. The Corcoran Group

A three-story 1920s red-brick building in Manhattan is on the market for $7.5 million.

Architect David Ling turned the first floor into his home and office with a floating bed and waterfall.

The 6,500-square-foot property includes a cellar, an open-aired rooftop, and a working fireplace.

When architect David Ling was looking for a new home and office, a three-story red-brick building in Gramercy Park seemed like the right spot  even if it was a little too big.

A Google Maps Street View screenshot of the facade of the NYC loft. Google Maps Street View

Ling only really needed one floor for his architectural practice and his personal life, but couldn't resist the quaint 1920s home.

He ended up buying the property for $740,000 in 2000, per listing records.

"I have a history of buying spaces that are larger than I need and then renting them out," Ling told Insider. And that's exactly what he did with the Manhattan home: Ling kept the first floor for his own use and leased the upper two levels out.

"I like the idea of sharing my space as a resource so that somebody else can use it and enjoy it too," Ling said.

But after 23 years, Ling is putting the 6,500-square-foot building on the market for $7.5 million.

A view of the living space on the first floor. Antoine Bootz for David Ling Architect

Ling first listed the property for sale for $7.99 million in April last year, per listing history. It's been listed at $7.5 million since mid-March.

Stefania Cardinali, a real-estate agent with The Corcoran Group, holds the listing.

Houses in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan have a median listing home price of $1.9 million, per data from real estate platform Realtor.com. There are currently 210 homes for sale in the area, with prices ranging from $369,000 to $14.9 million.

The $7.5 million loft is in the mid-price range.

Ling wanted a space that would inspire his work, and the first floor  his residence  has a moody, minimalist interior that's reminiscent of an art gallery.

The kitchen counter on the first floor is inspired by the monolith in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." Antoine Bootz for David Ling Architect

For instance, the kitchen counter is inspired by the monolith in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey."

"My work is my life and my life is my work, so there's not a real sharp division between them," Ling told Insider.

Story continues

Most of the furniture on the first story, like the built-in cabinets and tables, was made from timbers that he salvaged from the site of the home, Ling said.

They had been left behind by the previous occupants, who were artists under the Works Programme Administration (WPA) that President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented during the Great Depression to help craftsmen find a living, he said.

"Two of those WPA artists bought the building and occupied it from the 1940s until I bought it," Ling said. "The wood was already there and we just refinished it. There was more labor involved, but we reused what we had, and so there was zero waste."

A drawbridge-style walkway separates the office at the front of the house from the living space at the back.

An overview of the living space on the first floor. There is a blue feature wall at the end of the space, right by a shallow moat that's below the floating bed and waterfall. Antoine Bootz for David Ling Architect

To create a contrast between the exposed brick and rough woodwork, Ling opted for a semi-reflective floor. He originally wanted to use aluminum, but opted for an acrylic mirror as it was less expensive, Ling said.

"I had it hand-sanded to give it a sort of matte but luminescent quality," Ling added. "When the light hits it, it also reflects on the ceiling and creates this splintering of light rays that gives me an aquatic feeling."

The waterfall and the skylights above the floating bed are ways for Ling to have access to nature despite living in the city.

The waterfall cascades down into a shallow moat that separates the rest of the first floor from the steel staircase that leads to the floating bed. Antoine Bootz for David Ling Architect

"Water is interesting because it really follows its own rules, about how it flows and how it reacts to light. All those things are kind of magical to me, so I really enjoy being around water," Ling said. "I think it has to do with the sound as well."

The waterfall can be turned on and off, and the volume of water can be adjusted with a series of valves, Ling said.

He doesn't use the waterfall all the time, and especially not during the summer when it's humid, Ling said.

"I mainly use it in the winter, or I'll turn it on when there's a party or something that I want to celebrate," Ling said. "In the winter when the humidity is low, I almost want that added humidity because your skin kind of dries out."

While Ling let his imagination run wild when designing the first level, he adopted a more conservative approach when decorating the upper floors.

An overview of the second floor. The Corcoran Group

"I really just cleaned up and kept the original character of the second and third floor because they were going to be rented out," Ling said.

Ling says he knows that not everyone will agree with the way he chose to decorate his part of the home.

"It's not for everybody, but it's definitely for me," Ling said. "The ground floor is really my laboratory for ideas. I don't expect anybody to live like me, but I do feel that I have the right to live in my own world."

When Ling bought the property in 2000, he allowed one of the widows of the previous owners to rent the space and live there up until her death.

One of the bedrooms on the second floor. The Corcoran Group

Ling's loft has been featured in a 2018 Netflix series titled "Amazing Interiors."

Apart from New York, Ling has an office in Florida too. He says that the reason he's selling the property now is because he is spending less time in New York.

"I'm also at a life stage where I don't need to have that much space. I've got two other properties, and I don't need to have that much stuff," Ling said.

The third floor is currently being leased out to an artist, who's using it as his studio.

The third floor is currently being rented out to an artist, who is using it as his studio. The Corcoran Group

Ling preferred to keep the rent amount private.

The property would be suitable for someone who enjoys being able to work from home and have a large space with interesting architectural elements, Ling said.

"An ideal buyer would hopefully appreciate the existing building and its character. I don't expect them to live the way I do, but that they understand where I'm coming from," Ling said. "Certainly somebody like me would be a good fit."

The building class and zoning rules allow for commercial and residential use, so the future owners have the option to create a mixed-use space too, Cardinali, the real-estate agent, told Insider.

"There's very rarely anything in life that doesn't have a trade-off. And my priority was space, light, and sculpture because that's what I love," Ling said.

The terrace. The Corcoran Group

Ling says he is aware that some people think his love for art dominated function.

"Although actually, I think it functions fine. I like to cook and the kitchen works well. I like to sleep and I don't have any abnormal sleep habits like falling out of bed," Ling added. "I think it's just a treat for my eyes. And after 23 years, I still love being in the space."

Read the original article on Insider
Editor's 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.

Discussions about confiscating frozen Russian assets and using them to rebuild Ukraine have been ongoing since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

The argument is heard from both Ukraine and its Western partners: Russia must pay for the damage it has caused.

As of November 2022, the EU and its G7 partners have frozen over 300 billion euros ($325 billion) of Russia's Central Bank reserves and 19 billion euros ($20.6 billion) in assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs.

However, the freezing of assets does not necessarily mean their confiscation.

In accordance with international law, Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves are protected by sovereign immunity, and the involvement of oligarchs in the Kremlin's criminal regime still needs to be proven in court.

The way out is to change national legislation in countries where Russian oligarchs keep their money in order to develop a legal mechanism to transfer seized assets to Ukraine. Despite existing legal challenges, there has recently been some progress in this regard.

The West should accelerate the process so as not to lose the opportunity to rebuild Ukraine without spending its taxpayers' money.

Viktor Nestulia: How to build trust for Ukraines recovery 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. Vladyslav Rashkovan, the alternate executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), very accurately formulated Ukraines key task: to win Kyiv IndependentViktor Nestulia

Canada, U.S. take the lead

Canada and the U.S. have demonstrated a leading role in the confiscation and transferring of Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine.

Canada was the first Western country to implement a mechanism to redistribute sanctioned property  in a record two months.

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In December, Ottawa announced that it would start the process of seizing around $26 million from Granite Capital Holdings Ltd., a company owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Canada's experience proves that legal tools exist and can be applied quickly, which should serve as a clear example for other states. Canada's model for seizing Russian oligarchs' assets is already being carefully studied by the U.K. government.

Washington has achieved even greater results.

In February, Manhattan federal court ruled to confiscate $5.4 million worth of assets from Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev due to the evasion of sanctions imposed on him for financing Russian proxies in occupied Crimea in 2014. The Malofeyev case was the first in which the assets of one of Putin's cronies would potentially go toward Ukraine.

The move was based on a Senate-approved amendment to the budget for 2023, which legitimizes a mechanism for confiscating and seizing private Russian assets. The amendment also gives the U.S. Attorney General the ability to transfer these funds to the U.S. State Department, which could then potentially transfer them to Ukraine.

While the amount confiscated is vastly disproportionate to Ukraine's losses, the Malofeyev case demonstrates the potential for civil forfeiture to be a promising legal instrument.

The challenges ahead

Despite prior success, it is difficult to use the legal mechanism applied to the Malofeyev case as a broad tool for all Russian assets frozen by the West.

Each case related to the confiscation of private property requires detailed investigations into the evasion of sanctions, which can take months. Confiscating assets from Russia's Central Bank, which is protected by sovereign immunity, is even more complicated.

The international community must change the system of protection for foreign states' sovereign funds that are kept abroad.

A possible option is to conclude a comprehensive international treaty, which would have supranational enforceability and provide a legal justification for confiscating assets. The European Commission, for example, is currently considering an EU-wide agreement on regulating the seizure of Russian assets.

There are also mechanisms that do not rely on supranational treaties.

In 2022, the U.S. confiscated assets from Afghanistan's Central Bank after the Taliban seized power. Nearly $7 billion was transferred to support the people of Afghanistan and compensate the victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001. A decree by U.S. President Joe Biden was enough to suffice at the time.

The EU must demonstrate leadership

EU member states have the largest share of frozen Russian assets, but there is still no specific legal mechanism for their confiscation.

Among Ukraine's key allies in fighting against Russia's aggression, the EU is trying to improve legislation to criminalize the evasion of sanctions but its efforts remain insufficient.

One of the main reasons is the lack of consensus among member states. Ukraine's traditional friends  Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and the Czech Republic  are opposed by Hungary, which has slowed down decision-making. There is also Germany, who prefers to stay "neutral."

Despite existing internal differences, the situation in the EU may soon be changed due to the more decisive actions of Canada and the U.S. Allied countries usually follow Washington's example.

Dorogan, Keatinge: Preparation is key  securing Ukraines reconstruction Editors Note: The opinions expressed in our op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. The destruction wrought by the Kremlins illegal and barbaric war in Ukraine is senseless and will require hundreds of billions of dollars of Kyiv IndependentOleksii Dorogan

The world must step up its confiscation efforts

Western states should intensify their efforts to confiscate Russian assets for several reasons.

First, the war will end sooner or later  the more weapons and support that Ukraine's partners provide, the faster it will happen.

The question of reconstruction will immediately arise, requiring multibillion-dollar investments. Since the start of the war, Ukraine's allies have allocated billions in support to Ukraine. The EU has committed 18 billion euros ($19.5 billion) for 2023 alone.

Such large-scale expenditures are a significant burden on the budgets of EU and G7 countries. Therefore, the fairest and most convenient option would be for the Kremlin and its oligarchs to pay for the mass destruction incurred in Ukraine. To do this, the necessary legal grounds must be ready in time for Ukraine's victory.

Second, making Russia pay is in line with achieving justice. Such measures would serve as safeguards against future wars and a warning to all aggressors that they would face similar consequences.

Third, the loss of Russian oligarchs' billion-dollar fortunes could provoke a crisis among the Russian elite, which could lead to a change in leadership in Moscow.

Fourth, the West should demonstrate leadership and act from a position of strength toward the aggressor without looking back at the Kremlin's reaction.

Democracies have looked back at Russia for too long, fearing potential consequences. However, this past year's events have shown the absurdity of such an approach and revealed a long-known truth: fear, indecisiveness, and appeasement of the aggressor only encourages further criminal acts. That Russia understands only the language of power is a lesson that is long overdue.

Finally, these strategic issues demand a united Euro-Atlantic front. It is essential for the EU not to delay and show solidarity with its Atlantic partners.

While the Kremlin has counted on a lack of consensus among Western partners, the West has demonstrated unprecedented unity and solidarity with Ukraine, particularly in the military sphere. Now, we must prove our common decisive position on issues regarding the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Despite the complexity of such legal processes, the confiscation of Russian assets is only a matter of time. The ice has broken overseas and, sooner or later, Russia will pay for its aggression against millions of Ukrainians.

Alongside a special tribunal targeted at Russia's leadership, large-scale asset seizures will strengthen the belief that every criminal act that occurs within the international arena has its consequences.
The southern elevation for Ox Tail Inc.'s proposed marijuana shop at 1600 Pine Grove Ave. is shown. The operator was seeking one special use permit from Port Huron planning commissioners.

Proposals for marijuana businesses, vacation rentals downtown, and a neighborhood coffee and slider joint are slated to go before Port Huron planning commissioners on Tuesday.

The packed agenda for the meeting, slated for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Municipal Office Center, 100 McMorran Blvd., will start with public hearings for three separate special use permit requests to separate pot shop operators.

Mark Aubrey, the agent for Exhibit Cannabis Co LLC, is asking for two of them to open both a marijuana retail store and consumption lounge at 1033 River St., while Ox Tail Inc. is seeing one for its own retail front at 1600 Pine Grove Ave.

Both were among the dozens of applicants but just seven entities to be awarded two dozen medical and recreational licenses in early 2021 before a massive host of lawsuits against the city stalled the process for two years.

Meanwhile, developer Larry Jones is also seeking a special use permit to operate some of the residential units in the soon-to-be-completed Wrigley Center, 318 Grand River Ave., as short-term rentals, similar to Airbnb or on Vrbo.

And local entrepreneur Dale Moses is asking for a building at 1340 Water St. to be rezoned so he can continue his Whiskey Coffee Company, which began without the citys OK earlier this year.

The first-floor layout for the Exhibit Cannabis marijuana shop is shown for 1033 River St. The operator was seeking special use permits from Port Huron's planning commission for retail and a consumption lounge.

Marijuana businesses propose projects on city's north side

A St. Clair County Circuit Court ruling in January rejected complaints contesting the scoring process prescribed to the city to decide whod get the initial marijuana licenses.

Now, some entities have carried their claims to the Michigan Court of Appeals, where its expected to continue over the next few months after complaints were ordered to be consolidated in February.

Al Francis, the citys attorney covering marijuana litigation, said any of the original licensees can move forward with the development process, but that its at their own risk.

Theyre all aware of the appeal and that, theoretically, (St. Clair County) Judge (Cynthia) Lane could get reversed and that may impact their own licenses, he said.

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Ox Tail Inc. is tapping the Ernest Camera Shoppe on Pine Grove for its pot business, while Aubrey has looked at a small office building on the Black River and west of 10th Street.

Chris Aiello, an Ox Tail partner, has said previously being on a main strip with lots of parking and space to do curbside sales was originally part of what made their location attractive. Architect Bill Vogan is their projects special use applicant with plans showing the circular structure dubbed Moses Roses.

Aubreys plans show a conversion of the riverfront building with first-floor retail and an upstairs office.

Both need special approvals in an area zoned for general business.

The Wrigley Center Lofts on Michigan St., in downtown Port Huron, on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. The Wrigley Center Lofts are all two bedroom, one bathroom units featuring stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, LED light fixtures, a fireplace and a 1,400 square foot area for a washer and dryer.

More vacation rentals downtown?

Jones request, according to his special use application, is technically for all 36 units.

But the developer said only a small number would be used as such at a time. As of Thursday, he said they have 30 of the units leased out.

Instead of going in front of (planning commissioners) to do two here and then do one over there and one over there, it was just the whole 36, Jones said. Our intention is not to turn it into an Airbnb or a hotel. We have two units that we want to save for, say, bridal parties or the bands (wholl play the Wrigley). Things like that.

The Wrigley Center is located in the citys central business district.

Jones short-term rental push would follow those OKd nearby for developer Gene Harrison, whod Airbnb plans for his project on East Quay Street.

A sign advertises the newly-operating Whiskey Coffee Company at 1340 Water St. in Port Huron. As of Tuesday, March 7, 2023, owner Dale Moses hadn't gotten final zoning approvals from the city but was hoping the support from neighbors would help move the business forward.

Neighborhood coffee joint needs rezoning

Moses is requesting the small building at 1340 Water St., which is at the intersection with 14th Street at the top of the Harrison Point, to be reset as a B-zone as a neighborhood business. Currently, its zoned for single- and two-family homes.

Moses previously received special use permission last October to operate an office and storage for another business at that site. However, he later told the Times Herald he reacted to neighborhood support in deciding to open the Whiskey Coffee setup, also capitalizing on his own passion to serve good beverages, as well as make other food, such as sliders, for customers.

Hed temporarily shut down the business earlier in March after a temporary license from the county health department expired.

But according to his social media, he appears to have since returned to some operations.

For more on planning commission items, visit http://porthuroncitymi.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Marijuana shops and more: What's on tap for Port Huron planning commissioners?
CBS News

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The 60 Minutes interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was yet another example of how the mainstream news media has proven it cant handle the moment.

Im not someone who thinks that interviewing MTG is inherently problematic because it platforms her. MTG is a member of Congressshe already has a huge platform, and ignoring her isnt going to make her go away. Shes obviously newsworthy.

Likewise, I am not suggesting that 60 Minutes was somehow trying to mainstream or normalize Greene. What I am suggesting is that our antiquated 20th century figures and institutions (yes, with its still consistently high ratings, name recognition, and prestige60 Minutes is still one of the closest things we have to a broadly respected institution that remains in this country) are no longer equipped to respond to the challenges of the moment. The sooner we admit this, the sooner we can fix it.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Tried Being Normal, but Quickly Realized Its Just Not Her Jam

If you watched Sunday nights episode, you know what I mean. What you saw was an interviewer who was likely air-dropped into a segment that was prepared and staged by a crack production team, using an antiquated style of semi-confrontational interviewing thats ineffective on a politician as oft-removed from reality as Greene.

If 60 Minutes once made powerful people squirm and melt down, it now makes them boast, It wasnt so bad!as Greene told Semafor after the segment aired. I dont call you guys fake news. I used to, Greene also said.

Whether she will hold to her newfound civil respect for the Fourth Estate will be put to the test on Tuesday, when shes scheduled to appear in New York to protest the witch hunt against Donald Trumpthe same day Trump is set to be arrested, booked, and arraigned on charges relating to his payoff to a porn star with whom he allegedly had a brief affair. (Whether MTG uses the phrase fake news or not, Im willing to bet there will be some Jan. 6-style media is the enemy of the people rhetoric!)

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Part of 60 Minutes appeal is (like another CBS institution, The Price Is Right) the format is almost exactly the same in 2023 as it was in 1973.

You probably already know all the beats of the tired, worn formula. Heres the part of the segment where MTG listens to mean things people have tweeted about her. Heres b-roll video of MTG lifting weights (see, shes just like us!). Heres MTG and Lesley Stahl walking down the street in MTGs Georgia district.

I mean, an AI bot could have produced it.

Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Many extremely online progressives were livid with the lack of pushback from Stahl. Instead of tough follow-up questions, we got shots of the long-time CBS News correspondent furrowing her brow and making faces, presumably, to let us know when she didnt agree.

To her credit, Stahl did ask Greene about some of her crazy past comments, such as referring to Democrats as pedophiles. Greene went on to rationalize the slur by explaining that Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children. This left Stahl essentially speechlessher comeback consisted of saying, wow, and then, okay. Mike Wallace, this was not.

A better-equipped reporter (and lets be clear, while Stahl was once a reporter, but at this point in her distinguished career, she is more of a TV news personality than a dogged muckraker) might have landed a coup de grace here. One suspects that ex-Axios reporter Jonathan Swan would have lit MTG up as he did with Trumpasking devastating follow-ups, armed with receipts. Instead, the interview just sort of moved on without much meaningful combat. Someone watching at home could be forgiven for thinking that Stahl and Greene simply agreed to disagree.

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Perhaps the most controversial missed opportunity came when Greene denied her past comments about the Parkland school shooting. I never said Parkland was a false flag, MTG insisted on air. The shows producers added a video clip of a tweet where MTG agreed with someone elses tweet calling Parkland a false flag planned shooting. But that evidence went unremarked upon at any point thereafter in the segment. This was, shall we say, a missed opportunity.

Stolen Youth: The Anti-Woke Book Thats Afraid of Everything

Stahl tried to put Greene on the spot by telling her that 60 Minutes had fact checked her Parkland comments, but Green quickly hijacked the moment, asking if Stahl had also fact checked all my statements from kindergarten through 12th grade. Stahl never bothered to point out that what Greene might have done 30 years ago in high school (Greene is 48) is not the same as suggesting a school shooting that happened in 2018 was a false flag.

As a conservative who has long criticized liberal media bias, it feels weird to chastise the mainstream media for finally giving a Republican a softball interview.

But the goal should not be for the MSM to go from unfairly attacking Republicans to wrongly coddling them. The goal should be to inform the viewers and accurately portray the subject. If the goal of those weightlifting clips was to help us find the real MTG, well, that didnt happen.

Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Greene is not a normal Republican or member of Congress. She is not a normal person. She is a conspiracy theorist who has advanced a conspiracy theory about 9/11, suggested Barack Obama was a Muslim, and that the Clintons are guilty of murder. And of course, theres the QAnon thing, the Jewish space lasers thingbut we dont have all day.

Were witnessing a larger systemic issue here. Instead of relying on the same old packages theyve been producing since Gerald Ford was in office, 60 Minutes (and the mainstream media, writ large) should rethink everything.

They can start with this: Instead of using media personalities and TV hosts who formed their opinions about politics decades ago, its time to pass the torch to a new generation of journalists who are well-sourced, real-life reporters, and not afraid to ask tough follow-up questions. For whatever reason, interviewers who are not from the United States (see the aforementioned Australian-born Swanor British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan) seem to have fewer reservations about asking uncomfortable follow-up questions.

Trump Wouldnt Dare Pick MTG to Be His VP

This doesnt mean the MSM should hire journalists who are more liberally biased; it means finding journalists who are more aggressive, more prepared, and just plain better at their jobs.

Right-wing populists like Greene have long argued that American institutions such as the mainstream media and establishment elites are decadent and soft and impotent.

The irony is, as 60 Minutes demonstrated, theyre right.

Whatever the institution is that you want to preserve, doing so will require fighting to keep it. Otherwise, it wont survive this moment.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene said she stood by her earlier claim that Democrats are a party of paedophiles" who sexualised children during a "60 Minutes" interview with host Lesley Stahl.

When the far-right Republican was asked about her past comments, such as calling the Democrats a "party of paedophiles", Ms Greene responded: "I would definitely say so."

"They support grooming children," Ms Greene, 48, said in a pre-recorded interview that was aired by CBS News on Sunday.

"They are not paedophiles," Stahl responded. "Why will you say that?"

Ms Greene defended her stance: "Democrats support  even Joe Biden, the president himself  children being sexualised, having transgender surgeries."

"Sexualising children is what paedophiles do to children."

Her response evoked an eye-roll from Stahl, who sighed and said "wow OK" before asking the next question.

In April 2022, during an appearance on Dr Gina PrimeTime show, Ms Greene said: The Democrats are the party of pedophiles... the party of princess predators from Disney... the party of teachers... trying to transition their elementary school age children.

Marge Greene tonight: The Democrats are the party of pedophiles .. the party of princess predators from Disney .. the party of teachers .. trying to transition their elementary school age children. pic.twitter.com/MMowXlIYM9  Ron Filipkowski  (@RonFilipkowski) April 6, 2022

Ms Greene was asked by Stahl if she can get her point across without name-calling, to which she said: "I would ask the same question to the other side. Because all theyve done is call me names and insult me nonstop since Ive been here.

60 Minutes asked MTG why she calls Democrats Groomers



Her 10 second answer leaves reporter *gasping*



pic.twitter.com/Q2ZwgCN07a  Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 3, 2023

They call me racist. They call me antisemitic, which is not true. Im not calling anyone names. Im calling out the truth basically, she added.

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Paedophile? asked Stahl again.

Paedophile  call it what it is, Ms Greene added.

In the interview, the Georgia representative tore into her party as well, calling out a number of GOP lawmakers for not carrying out Donald Trumps priorities when he was in office.

They failed us, Ms Greene said, naming former house speaker Paul Ryan, GOP senate leader Mitch McConnell, senator Lindsey Graham, and Mitt Romney.

Well the president doesnt control everything," she added when asked why none of the blame falls on Mr Trump.

The feature-length interview conducted by Stahl was criticised for providing space for the far-right Republican to express her obscure views.

"Dont get me wrong: I respect Leslie Stahl. But that interview she just did with Marjorie Taylor Greene was truly terrible," tweeted Victor Shi, the youngest delegate for President Biden in 2020.

"Little to no pushback. She let MTG get away with lie after lie. That just simply is not how you interview a fascist. Just so disappointing."

Dont get me wrong: I respect Leslie Stahl. But that interview she just did with Marjorie Taylor Greene was truly terrible. Little to no pushback. She let MTG get away with lie after lie. That just simply is not how you interview a fascist. Just so disappointing.  Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) April 2, 2023

Stahl interviewed Greene as if she were just another someone unusual member of Congress with some out-there ideas. Showed MTG some of her worst stuff, and MTG just waved it away, and Stahl let it all slide, wrote Tom Nichols from The Atlantic.

Stahl interviewed Greene as if she were just another someone unusual member of Congress with some out-there ideas. Showed MTG some of her worst stuff, and MTG just waved it away, and Stahl let it all slide.  Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) April 2, 2023

Meanwhile, Ms Greene has claimed that Democrats want civil war and launched a personal attack on adult film star Stormy Daniels as Republicans lashed out after the Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump.

Mr Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records in connection to a $130,000 hush money payment to Ms Daniels made by then-Trump fixer Michael Cohen.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene became annoyed during her recent spotlight segment on CBS News' 60 Minutes, complaining that "people never focus on anything good" about her.

Ms Greene became defense during her interview after CBS News' Leslie Stahl began asking her to account for various statements that were either untrue, hateful, or promoted conspiracy theories.

Ms Stahl asks Ms Greene if she ever apologised to the victims of the Parkland school shooting for allegedly suspecting the event was a "false flag" attack.

Ms Green rejected the claim that she ever denied that the shooting happened and insisted that she believed that school shootings were serious events.

"I never said Parkland was a false flag ... I've never said that. School shootings are horrible. I don't think it's anything to joke about," she said.

Ms Stahl reminded Ms Greene that the journalists at CBS News came to the interview prepared and had fact checked everything they were asking her ahead of time. Ms Greene was then presented with an image of a Facebook post in which she responded "Exactly!" to another user that claimed Parkland was a "false flag planned shooting."

After Ms Stahl reminds her that the journalists fact checked her, Ms Greene becomes even more defensive, asking if the 60 Minutes crew has "fact checked all my statements from kindergarten through 12th grade and in college? And as I've paid my taxes and never broken a law. ..."

She then asked sarcastically if 60 Minutes was going to ask her about her speeding tickets, which  intentional or not  suggested an equivalency between breaking the speed limit and suggesting the government orchestrated and conducted a mass shooting at a high school in Florida.

Ms Greene complained that the interview was engaging in the "same attacks people have attacked me with over and over and over." That remark prompted Ms Stahl to explain that it was in Ms Greene's best interest to respond and set the record straight, noting that her controversial comments are "what she's known for."

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The congresswoman bristled at that, claiming the only reason she is "known for" those comments is because "people constantly focus on it but never focus on anything good about me."

Despite Ms Greene's complaints that Ms Stahl was  like her other detractors  only focusing on the negative, the 60 Minutes piece was criticised on social media for being too soft on the lawmaker and "legitimising" her.

"Youre legitimizing a ghoul who harasses victims of school shootings, @60Minutes. But yeah, @LesleyRStahl, youll get tons of attention!" actor Bradley Whitford wrote on Twitter. "Not great for a generation traumatized by gun violence. Shame on you."

Youre legitimizing a ghoul who harasses victims of school shootings, @60Minutes. But yeah, @LesleyRStahl, youll get tons of attention! Not great for a generation traumatized by gun violence. Shame on you. https://t.co/UBY4s5IHeS  Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) April 1, 2023

The segment followed Ms Greene as she toured her home district in Georgia. Fans were shown flocking to her as she and the 60 Minutes crew travelled throughout the district.

The show also highlighted Ms Greene's CrossFit routine, including footage of her working out while she chatted with Ms Stahl.

Mary Trump, Donald Trump's niece, expressed a similar distaste for the segment as Mr Whitford, offering up her own "fixed" headline for the segment.

American insurrectionist, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has no shame and isnt afraid to share her opinions, no matter how despicable and anti-American they are," she wrote. She sits down with former-journalist Leslie Stahl [sic], who does her level best to normalize Greenes fascism. DONT WATCH tonight!
Marlon Wayans is honoring his father, Howell Wayans, and his legacy following the death of the Wayans family patriarch.

On April 1, the 50-year-old writer, actor and comedian announced his father, who was 86, had died and penned a heartfelt tribute for him on Instagram.

He uploaded a picture of his dad giving him a kiss on the cheek as they both held up peace signs.

Legend, he began in the caption. When i was a child I asked my Dad what did you want to be when grew up? He simply said I wanted to be a man.

Marlon Wayans recalled being confused, wondering why his father did not want to become a lawyer, doctor or actor since every boy becomes a man.

The actor wrote that his father corrected him and explained what it means to be a man.

My Dad said A man takes care of himself and his responsibilities. His family is always FIRST.' From that day on I wanted to be a MAN, Marlon Wayans wrote.

He continued, Thank you Pop for being an example of a Man to all your boys. I pray all young black boys can grow up to be a Man like you. Baby boy loves you.

The Air actor said whenever he needs his dad he will look to his Bible for Howell Wayans love and support.

He also asked his father to pass a message to mom Elvira Alethia Wayans, who died in 2020.

Tell her her babies miss her, he said.

He then praised his parents for being his two angels.

I feel yall lifting me already. If theres a heaven i know you sitting in VIP sippin the best wine jesus can make he wrote at the end of the post.

His nephew Craig Wayans left an uplifting comment under his uncles post.

We aint lose but god gained an angel he said. He lead his life with the word of god.

Marlon Wayans further celebrated his father in a second Instagram post. He shared a photo of the patriarch sitting next to a glass of red wine.

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My man 50 grand. Every time I sip a good wine Ill think of you, he wrote in the caption.

Howell and Elvira Wayans led the talented family and shared 10 children together: Marlon, Diedra, Shawn, Damon, Keenen Ivory, Dwayne, Kim, Elvira, Nadia, Vonnie and Devonne.

Craig Wayans, the son of producer Diedra Wayans, honored his grandfather on his Instagram page as well.

He has a firm seat next to jehovah he said in a post on April 1.

In a second post, the actor and television producer added, Love you pops! Jehovah just gained another strong soldier.

In her Instagram tribute, Diedra Wayans said, My Heart is Heavy. I thank God for allowing Us to have so many years of love, memories and great parents.

She applauded her parents for never giving up on their children.

Back together again. I can only imagine the joy yall experienced seeing and holding each other again, she added. Miss yall already. Until we meet again our love is for Infinity.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Vito Perrone, a candidate applying for the position of superintendent at Easthampton Public Schools, had his job offer pulled because he addressed two female colleagues in an email as ladies.

In the midst of hammering out details related to his superintendent contract with the school district located just north of Springfield, Mass., Perrone sent an email to the School Committee chairperson Cynthia Kwiecinski and Suzanne Colby, an executive assistant, with the fateful introductory greeting.

The salutation was interpreted by Kwiecinski as a microaggression made all the more damning because of the fact that [I] didnt know that as an educator [it] was a problem, Perrone told the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

I was shocked, Perrone told the local newspaper. I grew up in a time when ladies and gentlemen was a sign of respect. I didnt intend to insult anyone, he said.

During a fundraising event at the high school shortly thereafter, Perone was informed that executives decided to rescind the employment offer. While Kwiecinski and fellow committee member Marin Goldstein have declined to publicly comment on the matter citing confidentiality, Perrone decided to publicize the incident on Saturday.

I dont want people to think I was not willing to negotiate in good faith. I have chosen not to just leave it as negotiations stalled. I would rather share my truth, my sadness and disappointment and try to find a way forward positively, the administrator who was willing to take a $14,000 pay cut for the position, told the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

Perone, who was the principal of Easthampton High School from 2009 to 2015, remains deeply frustrated at the missed opportunity.

Honestly, I am truly, truly disappointed that I wont be in Easthampton in that building, he said. Im just sad.

Kwiecinski has stated that the School Committee will reconvene on Tuesday night to discuss the continued search for the unfilled superintendent position.

More from National Review
Hello and welcome back to Max Q!

In this issue:

Isar Aerospace's new funding

Boeing's Starliner crewed flight test delayed again

News from Virgin Orbit and more

German launch startup Isar Aerospace has scored $165 million (155 million) in new funding as it races toward the inaugural flight of its Spectrum small rocket later this year.

The company, founded in 2018, is one of a handful of European startups looking to fill the gap in the launch market on that continent. There are just two European rockets flying today: the heavy-lift Ariane 5, built by ArianeGroup, and Italian aerospace company Avios Vega launch vehicle.

But Isar CEO Daniel Metzler told TechCrunch that European governments are waking up to the geopolitical and economic upsides to sovereign launch capabilities.

If you take a look at the European Union, even Germany itself, theres a strong focus on the automotive industry. [The space industry] is a huge opportunity at the same time to build up another economical pillar that can be extremely profitable, he said.

Image Credits: Isar Aerospace (opens in a new window)

The first crewed flight test of Boeings Starliner capsule is facing yet another delay, with NASA officials saying Wednesday that it is now targeting no earlier than July 21 for launch.

The space agency and Boeing blamed the delay on certification issues related to the capsules parachute system and other verifications on Starliners components and capabilities, as well as scheduling constraints with other missions scheduled to fly to and from the International Space Station (ISS).

Steve Stich, NASAs program manager for the commercial crew program, told reporters that NASA and Boeing need to complete an additional ground test on the parachute system, as well as a test of Starliners abort system. Stress testing of the flight and guidance, navigation and control systems and additional testing with crew are due to be complete by the end of this month.

Story continues

The Starliner spacecraft is in really good shape, Stich told reporters during a media briefing Wednesday, adding that its largely ready for flight.

Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Prepares for Orbital Flight Test-2

Image Credits: Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

More news from TC and beyond

Astra said it had 278 firm orders for its Astra Spacecraft Engine and confirmed it was on track to commence test flights of Rocket 4 later this year. The company ended the last year with $103 million cash on hand. (Astra)

China is preparing to deploy its own 13,000-satellite broadband mega constellation later this year. (SpaceNews)

Dawn Aerospace received certification from New Zealand regulators to begin the flight campaign of its Mk-II Aurora spaceplane. (Dawn Aerospace)

Impact Observatory closed a $5.9 million seed round to scale its data and intelligence products, which use a highly accurate, real-time map of the world and AI to generate insights. (Impact Observatory)

Lockheed Martin established a new wholly owned subsidiary it's calling Crescent Space Services, which will be focused on providing lunar infrastructure as a service. (TechCrunch)

NASA's Kathy Lueders is retiring from her position as head of human spaceflight, and will be replaced by the current deputy administrator of space operations (and former astronaut) Ken Bowersox. (Kathy Lueders)

Planet acquired satellite data analysis company Sinergise for an undisclosed amount. (Planet)

SpaceX had an unusual scrub and subsequent delay for the launch of a batch of Tranche 0 satellites for the Space Development Agency. (SDA)

Starfish Space , an on-orbit servicing startup, scored a $3 million contract from National Security Innovation Capital, part of the Defense Innovation Unit. (Payload)

United Launch Alliance encountered some hardware anomalies during load testing of the Vulcan Centaur rocket, with ULA CEO Tory Bruno saying on Twitter that an investigation is underway. (Tory Bruno)

Virgin Orbit is laying off 85% of its workforce after failing to secure more funding, a sudden (and rather sad) end to the two-week "operational pause" the company enacted earlier this month. (TechCrunch)

Max Q is brought to you by me, Aria Alamalhodaei. If you enjoy reading Max Q, consider forwarding it to a friend.
Ihor Kolomoisky

Read also: Ukraines largest airline UIA stops flights of all aircraft amid shareholder dispute

Aron Mayberg, who has been determining UIA's development over the past 10 years, has left the list of its founders, NV Business was told by three sources in the aviation industry. Now, the airline's future will be decided by the second group of shareholders, the most notable of whom is Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky.

Major changes at Ukraines once-leading airline

On February 9, a landmark event took place: Capital Investment Project, one of UIA's shareholders, pulled Aron Mayberg from the airline's Supervisory Board, according to the company's official announcement. Along with him, Oleksandra Nikitina, a partner at Ecovis Bondar & Bondar, a law firm known for its cooperation with UIA and personally with Mayberg, left the supervisory board. She was recalled by another shareholder  Ontobet Promotions Limited (Cyprus).

Until that moment, Mayberg had been heading the airline's supervisory board for many years.

Read also: Germanys Continental selling its business in Russia

Another important change took place at the end of 2022. On Dec. 30, Hanna Borysonnik was elected UIA President. Prior to UIA, her resume included work in several Dnipro-based companies, including Aquatera, which is owned by Kolomoisky and his business partner Hennadiy Boholyubov.

The official owners of UIA have not changed for many years. They are the Ukrainian Capital Investment Project and the Cyprus-registered Ontobet Promotions Limited. These companies, at least until recently, were owned by two groups of shareholders. The first one is represented by Mayberg. The second one was revealed by Kolomoisky himself in 2019. According to him, he personally owned about 25% of the company's shares at that time. Among the other co-owners, he named Pavlo Ovcharenko, who headed Ukrtatnafta until 2022.

Borysonnik's appointment is important because of the peculiarities of corporate governance at UIA, which are enshrined in the shareholder agreement between the co-owners.

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"Let me put it this way: the voting representatives of the shareholders on the appointment of the company's president are guided by my point of view," Mayberg explained in an interview with NV Business in early 2022.

"And the voting representatives when appointing the vice president for finance are not guided by mine.

Simply put, it was Mayberg who chose whom to appoint as the head of the company, and Kolomoisky's group chose the CFO. Prior to her appointment as UIA CEO, Borysonnik was Vice President for Finance. That is, by the end of 2022, Kolomoisky's reach has extended to the top position in the company.

These developments effectively draw a line under Mayberg's more than 10-year reign at the carrier, following the privatization of the UIA's controlling stake in 2011.

Aron Mayberg has withdrawn from UIA's shareholders, a source familiar with the airline's operations confirmed to NV Business on condition of anonymity.

Kolomoisky's position has obviously strengthened. Oleksandr Khmarskyi and Herman Klimko took the place of Mayberg and Nikitina on the supervisory board. The latter is known for his participation in the authorized capital of two companies  Balance Group and Transnova (together with Dmytro Kriuchkov). These companies are involved in multimillion-dollar lawsuits with the state-owned Centrenergo, which Kolomoisky was interested in purchasing several years ago.

Read also: SBU seizes assets of Russian businessman who funded Russian aircraft, missile tests

However, we should not expect the Dnipro businessman to become a direct owner of Mayberg's stake. Since 2017, a London court has imposed a worldwide freeze on Kolomoisky's and Boholyubov's assets at the request of Ukraines state-owned PrivatBank. It is highly likely that the seizure may extend to new acquisitions.

Mayberg and Ihor Kolomoisky could not be reached for comment.

What's left of UIA

Read also: Canadian Court awards $90m compensation to relatives of UIA Flight PS752 victims

In recent years, even before the full-scale war with Russia, relations between Mayberg and Kolomoisky's group have been tense. The parties had different visions of the airline's development, Mayberg told NV. In addition, he faced difficulties when trying to fire the now ex-executive director of UIA, Yevhen Dykhne. He challenged the dismissal in court and claimed that he was close to both shareholders, not just Mayberg.

The turbulence UIA found itself in affected its financial results. Until 2020, the company showed billions in losses and only in 2021 earned UAH 366.9 million ($13.45 million) in net profit. It did not publish a report for 2022.

The carrier's website states that its fleet includes 25 aircraft. But this is most likely outdated information. According to the State Register of Civil Aircraft of Ukraine, UIA operates 15 aircraft. It is unknown how many planes UIA actually has today. "13 of the company's aircraft remain at Ukrainian airports," Mr. Dykhne told NV Business in an interview. Part of the former fleet was gradually withdrawn by the lessors.

In August 2022, Kyrylo Zvonarev replaced Dykhne as president. In October, due to a conflict between the owners, the company completely stopped flights, Avianews quoted the head of the airline's trade union, Oleksandr Polyanskyi, as saying.

Read also: Top Ukrainian official accuses Iran of terrorist act in downing UIA Flight PS752

Did Mayberg's departure help UIA?

In early March 2023, Avianews recorded the transfer of three aircraft from the UIA fleet to the fleet of another carrier, Windrose. They are owned by a leasing company associated with Kolomoisky, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Volodymyr Kamenchuk, the official founder and CEO of Windrose, has previously confirmed cooperation with Kolomoisky's group, according to Liga.net. Besides him, Anastasia Hornostayeva, the former manager of the Novotroitske Ore Mining Company (owned on parity by Kolomoisky and Rinat Akhmetov) had signing authority in this company. Earlier, Windrose took over the planes of the bankrupt Dniproavia.

Does this mean that UIA may disappear? Legally, the company will continue to exist, says one lawyer specializing in aviation law.

Read also: Russian businesses are flocking to Turkey, report shows

"It is needed to settle issues with contractors, work with insurance companies, and most importantly, to conclude (court proceedings in) the case of the plane that was shot down during the Tehran-Kyiv flight in 2020," the source explained.

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
Ma Ying-jeou (center L) speaks during a discussion between a group of students from Taiwan led by him and faculty members and students of Hunan University at the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha, a data computing institute located in Hunan University, in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, April 2, 2023. Ma Ying-jeou led a group of Taiwan students to Hunan University on Sunday morning. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, led a group of Taiwan students to Hunan University on Sunday morning.

Ma and other guests visited the thousand-year-old Yuelu Academy on the campus, a prestigious ancient academy that was founded in 976 and became part of Hunan University.

They then reviewed the history of the Chinese people fighting the Japanese aggression at a former site where a ceremony to accept Japanese invaders' surrender in parts of the Hunan Province was held in 1945.

At the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha, a data computing institute located in the university, about 60 students across the Taiwan Strait communicated with each other, having heated discussions about carrying forward the Chinese culture and other topics, including employment and starting businesses.

The people in Taiwan and on the mainland share the same culture and ethnic identity, Ma said, noting that it is vitally important that both sides of the Strait adhere to the one-China principle.

"It is hoped that based on this precondition, efforts will be made to reduce estrangement and hold sincere exchanges across the Strait," Ma said.
(Reuters) - Burger chain McDonald's Corp is temporarily closing its U.S. offices this week as it prepares to inform corporate employees about its layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

In an internal email last week to U.S. employees and some international staff, McDonald's asked them to work from home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually, the report said. It is unclear how many employees will be laid off.

"During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organization," the Chicago-based company said in the message viewed by the Journal.

McDonald's also asked employees to cancel all in-person meetings with vendors and other outside parties at its headquarters, the report added.

McDonald's did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a comment.

The fast-food chain said in January that it would review corporate staffing levels as part of an updated business strategy, which could lead to layoffs in some areas and expansion in others.

McDonald's is expected to begin announcing key decisions by Monday.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru; Editing by Josie Kao)
A leading group of medical experts says the term excited delirium should not be listed as a cause of death. Critics have said the term has been used to justify excessive force by police.

The National Association of Medical Examiners had been one of the last to take a stand against the commonly used but controversial term. In a statement posted on its site March 23, the association said excited delirium or excited delirium syndrome should not be used as a cause of death. The statement has no legal weight, but will be influential among medical examiners.

Critics have called the terms unscientific, rooted in racism  and a way to hide police officers' culpability in deaths. The American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association do not recognize excited delirium as a diagnosis. Yet some police training materials have described it as a potentially fatal collection of symptoms including elevated temperature, unexpected strength, hallucinations and extreme agitation.

Excited delirium is often used when theres a death associated with a physical altercation between a citizen and law enforcement," said Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., who chairs the pathology department at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief medical examiner from 2014 to 2021. Its not a real explanation for the death."

Medical examiners have ruled that excited delirium caused or contributed to police-related deaths including the 2020 case of Daniel Prude in New York, the 2019 death of Julius Graves in Missouri, and the 2017 death of Adam Trammell in Wisconsin. The term came up during the 2021 trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, whom jurors convicted in the death of George Floyd.

Medical examiners investigate unexpected deaths, conduct autopsies and determine causes. Some already had been moving away from excited delirium in favor of listing the multiple causes that can contribute to such deaths, including police restraint, drug use and medical conditions.

Story continues

Dr. Joyce deJong, president of the medical examiners' association, said the groups statement stemmed from growing concerns that the phrase might be used to justify excessive force by police and might be used disproportionally when the deceased was Black.

Anything we can do to avoid perpetuation of a phrase that might be causing harm, said deJong, a medical examiner for 12 counties in Michigan.

For families mourning the loss of a loved one, an excited delirium ruling could cause confusion over a term theyd never heard, or anger about what they consider a way to cover up excessive force.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, which provides training and litigation support for officers, said the group's statement could lead to more investigations of police officers.

He said that the behaviors associated with excited delirium are often triggered by the use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines and that they will continue regardless of what we call it."

In another notable move away from the term, the Minneapolis Police Department has agreed to bar its officers from directing paramedics to inject sedatives such as ketamine into individuals they believe are experiencing excited delirium. The move came in a court agreement announced Friday by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which alleged the practice had been part of a pattern of racially biased policing in the city in recent years.

___

Johnson reported from Washington state; Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Hey, everyone! Drew here. Hope you got your week started on a good note!

Many people help make a school run well.

We want to honor those unsung heroes in the Charlotte area. Have someone in mind? Let us know!

Were looking for public, charter and private school employees or volunteers in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Rowan, Cabarrus, Stanly, and Union counties in North Carolina.

On to your news.

Residents from Hidden Valley and surrounding neighborhoods gather at Sugar Creek Library to meet the Charlotte Observer editors and reporters on Jan. 19, 2023.

Beginning this month, The Observer will be at the Allegra Westbrooks Regional Library. We will be in residency there for the next six to eight weeks to learn more about this community, the issues they care about and to cover it in ways weve never done before.

To kick things off, the branch will host Meet the Charlotte Observer Staff tonight from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 2412 Beatties Ford Rd. We invite you to come and tell us about your neighborhood and your concerns. Bring your questions and conversation and learn more about how we do our jobs.

We look forward to seeing you there!

A crash took down powerlines along Pineville-Matthews Road Monday, April 3, 2023. The road was expected to be closed for more than 12 hours.

An early-morning crash that took down power lines along Pineville-Matthews Road is expected to block the road until 7 p.m. tonight, according to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

CMPD has yet to release details about the crash at noon today. The department is asking drivers to avoid the area  just east of the intersection of Carmel Road and Pineville-Matthews Road  while crews work to repair the power lines.

Julia Coin continues to update this story.

Night Swim Coffee will open a location at The Joinery on Brevard Street in Charlotte.

Night Swim Coffee is expanding yet again.

Its fifth location will open in Charlotte at The Joinery on April 15. It will be located in what is being called Charlottes first trail and transit focused apartment building, built with sustainable living and walkability in mind.

Story continues

Heidi Finley shares more details.

Christina Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and graduated from N.C. State University, will be part of the first crew of astronauts to travel around the moon in more than 50 years, NASA announced Monday.

An astronaut from North Carolina is set to head back to space, only this time, shes shooting for the moon.

Christina Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, N.C., and graduated from N.C. State University, will be part of the first crew of astronauts to travel around the moon in more than 50 years, NASA announced today.

She will be a part of the Artemis II mission which is set to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late 2024.

Korie Dean has more on the out of this world news.

5. Some more stories to read

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The Artemis 2 crew: Astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Christina Koch.

The next phase of NASAs return-to-the-Moon program is underway, with the space agency naming the four-person Artemis 2 crew who will fly around the Moon and back.

In 1972, NASA astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt visited the Moon as part of the Apollo 17 mission. No human has been back since, but we now know the names of the four astronauts who will finally revisit the lunar environment, hopefully late next year.

Read more

NASAs big reveal

Screenshot: NASA TV

Todays event took place at Johnson Space Centers Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. NASAs entire astronaut corp was present for the crew unveiling, as were a number of politicians, including Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canadas very energetic minister of innovation, science, and industry. NASA administrator Bill Nelson did the honors of introducing the four chosen astronauts.

Reid Wiseman

Photo: NASA

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman will serve as the Artemis 2 commander. Hes been to space before, having served as flight engineer for Expedition 41 in 2014, when he stayed on board the International Space Station for 165 days. Wiseman, a decorated fighter pilot, joined the NASA astronaut corp in June 2009.

Reid Wiseman on the International Space Station

Wiseman during a spacewalk on October 7, 2014.

During his stint aboard the ISS, Wiseman and his crewmates performed a record 82 hours of research in one week, doing work in such areas as medicine, human physiology, Earth science, and astrophysics. He also accumulated nearly 13 hours of spacewalking experience.

Reid Wisemans journey to the Moon

Wiseman inside a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft shortly after landing, November 10, 2014.

The Baltimore-born Artemis 2 mission commander was previously chief of NASAs astronaut office. For Artemis 2, he and his three crew members will buckle up inside Orion and travel around the Moon and back for a 10-day journey. The mission will serve as a critical test of key technologies needed for the Artemis 3 mission, in which two astronauts will walk on the lunar service.

Story continues

Christina Koch

Photo: NASA

Christina Koch, Artemis 2 mission specialist, will make history by being the first woman to venture beyond Earth orbit and visit the lunar environment. A native of Grand Rapids, she will bring her knowledge of electrical engineering to the mission, along with her extensive experience working in space.

Christina Koch holds a longest spaceflight record

Koch inside a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, June 2, 2019.

Koch became an astronaut in 2013 and served as the flight engineer on ISS Expeditions 59, 60, and 61 from February 2019 to December 2019. She holds the current record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, which stands at 328 days. Koch also done research work in Antarctica and Greenland.

Christina Koch on the International Space Station

Koch during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020.

Koch also made history by participating in the first all-women spacewalk, which she did in October 2019 with NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. Shes clearly no stranger to space, and along with her technical and science background, is an excellent choice for the Artemis 2 mission, slated for November 2024. The one thing Im most excited about is that we are going to carry your excitement, your aspirations, your dreams with us on this mission, Koch said during NASAs announcement event on Monday.

Victor Glover

Photo: NASA

California native Victor Glover will serve as Artemis 2 pilot and will become the first person of color to travel beyond Earth orbit. Artemis 2 will be Glovers second stint in space, his first being a trek to the ISS during the SpaceX Crew-1 mission in November 2020.



Victor Glover on the International Space Station

Glover inside the ISS, November 17, 2020

Glover holds degrees in general engineering, flight test engineering, systems engineering, and military operational art. A Navy pilot, Glover has been stationed in the United States and Japan, both for combat and peacetime operations. During Expedition 64/65, Glover participated in three spacewalks, including a stint to repair a broken ISS camera.



Victor Glover

Glover sorting through cargo on the ISS, November 30, 2022.

Glover, the father of four children, became a NASA astronaut in 2013. The space agency promised that Artemis would include more diversity, and with the inclusion of Glover and Koch, NASA is staying true to its word. For the sequel to Artemis 2, Artemis 3, NASA has promised that a woman and a person of color will be chosen to walk on the Moon.



Jeremy Hansen

Photo: NASA

Jeremy Hansen will serve an Artemis 2 mission specialist. The Canadian fighter pilot became a Canadian Space Agency astronaut in 2009 and is currently one of only four active Canadian astronauts.



Jeremy Hansen, Canadian astronaut

Jeremy Hansen (far left) along with other astronauts during a NEEMO training mission.

Hansen is a current crew member of NEEMO 19an underwater habitat off Key Largo, Florida, where astronauts train for deep space exploration. His education is in physics, with a focus on satellite imaging technology. By sending Hansen to the Moon, Canada will become just the second country to send an astronaut beyond Earth orbit.



NASAs Artemis 2 crew

Photo: NASA

The Artemis 2 crew is set. We must now wait patiently for the mission to blast off. The plan is for NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to deliver the Orion spacecraft on a trajectory to the Moon sometime in late 2024. The Artemis program has been wonderful so far, and now we can finally put some faces to the name.

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PHOTO DATE: March 29, 2023. LOCATION: Bldg. 8, Room 183 - Photo Studio. SUBJECT: Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. PHOTOGRAPHER: Josh Valcarcel

Official crew portrait for Artemis II, from left: NASA Astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman (seated), Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Credit - Josh Valcarcel  NASA  Johnson Space Center

Time was, there were 24 living astronauts who could boast of having visited the moon. The years and mortality have taken their toll, and half a century on, that rarefied fraternity has dwindled to 10 very old men. Today, however, NASA took a big step toward adding to their ranks, announcing the names of the four astronauts who will fly around the far side of the moon on the Artemis II mission scheduled for launch sometime in November 2024.

The crew is made up of three Americans and one Canadian astronaut, and includes the first woman and first person of color to visit the moon. They will fly a 10-day journey that will swing them once around the far side of the moon, taking them farther into space than any astronauts have ever traveled before. The current distance record is held by the crew of Apollo 13, who reached a distance of 401,056 km (249,205 mi.) from Earth during the one swing their crippled spacecraft made around the lunar far side in April 1970.

Artemis IIs 10-day mission follows the successful 25-day, uncrewed lunar mission of Artemis I, which launched on Nov. 16, 2022, and proved the mettle of NASAs new Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket, and the Orion spacecraft. Most dramatically, the Artemis I mission successfully tested the ability of Orions heat shield to withstand the blistering 2,760 C (5,000 F) heat of reentry through Earths atmosphere. The Artemis II crew will rely on that protection at the end of their mission when they slam into the atmosphere at a translunar speed of 40,200 km/h (25,000 mph). If all goes as planned on Artemis II, Artemis III will return astronauts to the lunar surface perhaps as early as 2026.

But thats for later. Today, at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, NASA revealed the crew that will barnstorm the moon, sending humans to the lunar vicinity for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

Story continues

More from TIME

The largest most powerful rocket in the world is going to propel them onward and upward into the heavens and then to the moon, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, in a pre-announcement address. Then, with phrasing borrowed from President John Kennedys promise to land astronauts on the moon before the end of the 1960s, and with a nod to todays international collaboration that has seen 15 countries work together to build and maintain the International Space Station (ISS), and will see a citizen of Canada become the first non-U.S. citizen to make a lunar journey, Nelson added: We choose to go back to the moon and then on to Mars and were going to do it together. Because in the 21st century, NASA explores the cosmos with international partners.

The crew chosen to make this first lunar trip in more than two generations is a considerable one. It includes:

Christina Koch

A mission specialist for Artemis II and a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Koch is an electrical engineer who began her space career at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in 2001. Selected as an astronaut in 2013, she launched on her first journey to space in 2019, spending 328 days aboard the ISS, marking the longest continuous space flight by a woman. Koch participated in half a dozen spacewalks, three of which were the first all-female spacewalks.

And as the only professional engineer in the crew, said Joe Acaba, head of the astronaut office, during the announcement of Kochs selection, I know who Mission Control will be calling on when its time to fix something on board.

Jeremy Hansen

Also serving as mission specialist for Artemis II, Hansen, hailing from London, Ontario, is a tactical fighter pilot who graduated in 1999 from the Royal Military College Saint-Jean in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. He was selected by the Canadian Space Agency as an astronaut in 2009 and has had a long wait to be tapped to fly. Artemis II will mark his first mission to space, and at the announcement event this morning, he quickly took the opportunity to thank the people who made the opportunity possible for him.

It is not lost on any of us that the United States could choose to go back to the moon by themselves, he said. But America has made a very deliberate choice over decades to curate a global team. And that in my definition is true leadership. A Canadian is going to the moon. That makes me smile when I say that.

Victor Glover

Mission pilot for Artemis II, Glover, of Pomona, Calif., is a Naval flier and test pilot, who flew missions off the USS John F. Kennedy in support of the war in Iraq. Selected as an astronaut in 2013, he launched to the ISS in November 2020, spending 168 days aboard and participating in four spacewalks. Glover will be the first person of color to travel to the moon, though he did not take note of that historic fact in his remarks today. Instead, he applauded the work of the generations of astronautsat one time all whitewho preceded him into space.

Human spaceflight is like a relay race, he said, and that baton has been passed from generation to generation and from crew member to crew member, from the Mercury Gemini, Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, Mir, the shuttle, the International Space Station, commercial crew, and now the Artemis missions. When we have the privilege of having that baton, were going to do our best to run a good race to make you proud.

Reid Wiseman

Commander of the Artemis II mission, Wiseman, a Baltimore native, received a Masters degree in systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore. He was commissioned in the Navy through the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1997 and flew combat missions in both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Selected as an astronaut in 2009, he spent 165 days aboard the ISS in 2014 and conducted two spacewalks. The first person to command a mission to the moon since the late Gene Cernan in 1972, Wiseman had few words to say to the assembled crowd when that honor was announced this morning, simply commenting, It is great to see this diverse international group. Awesome to be here with you guys.

There might be less of the once-voluble Cernan and more of the taciturn Neil Armstrong in Wisemanand if so, that is not a bad legacy. The commander of Apollo 11 and the first man on the moon, Armstrong knew a thing or two about how to lead a crew on a historic and perilous mission. That burden will fall to Wiseman now. And as for the joy of the experiencethe sheer wonder of flying out to the moon and seeing it up close for the first time in so many decades? It was left to Koch to give voice to that.

My fellow astronauts know that one of the questions we get all the time is, Are you excited? she said. Were going to hear the words Go for launch on top of the most powerful rocket NASAs ever made and were going to ride that rocket for eight minutes into Earth orbit. Were going to stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion. And then if everything looks good, were heading to the moon. It will be a four day journey, continuing to test out every bit of Orion, going around the far side of the moon before heading home, going through the Earths atmosphere at over 25,000 miles per hour and splashing down in the Pacific. So am I excited? she asked in rhetorical summation. Absolutely.
The Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a flyby of the Moon. NASA

On April 3, 2023, NASA announced the four astronauts who will make up the crew of Artemis II, which is scheduled to launch in late 2024. The Artemis II mission will send these four astronauts on a 10-day mission that culminates in a flyby of the Moon. While they wont head to the surface, they will be the first people to leave Earths immediate vicinity and be the first near the Moon in more than 50 years.

This mission will test the technology and equipment thats necessary for future lunar landings and is a significant step on NASAs planned journey back to the surface of the Moon. As part of this next era in lunar and space exploration, NASA has outlined a few clear goals. The agency is hoping to inspire young people to get interested in space, to make the broader Artemis program more economically and politically sustainable and, finally, to continue encouraging international collaboration on future missions.

From my perspective as a space policy expert, the four Artemis II astronauts fully embody these goals.

Crew members of the Artemis II mission are NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA

Who are the four astronauts?

The four members of the Artemis II crew are highly experienced, with three of them having flown in space previously. The one rookie flying onboard is notably representing Canada, making this an international mission, as well.

The commander of the mission will be Reid Wiseman, a naval aviator and test pilot. On his previous mission to the International Space Station, he spent 165 days in space and completed a record of 82 hours of experiments in just one week. Wiseman was also the chief of the U.S. astronaut office from 2020 to 2023.

Serving as pilot is Victor Glover. After flying more than 3,000 hours in more than 40 different aircraft, Glover was selected for the astronaut corps in 2013. He was the pilot for the Crew-1 mission, the first mission that used a SpaceX rocket and capsule to bring astronauts to the International Space Station, and served as a flight engineer on the ISS.

The lone woman on the crew is mission specialist Christina Hammock Koch. She has spent 328 days in space, more than any other woman, across the three ISS expeditions. She has also participated in six different spacewalks, including the first three all-women spacewalks. Koch is an engineer by trade, having previously worked at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center.

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The crew will be rounded out by a Canadian, Jeremy Hansen. Though a spaceflight rookie, he has participated in space simulations like NEEMO 19, in which he lived in a facility on the ocean floor to simulate deep space exploration. Before being selected to Canadas astronaut corps in 2009, he was an F-18 pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

These four astronauts have followed pretty typical paths to space. Like the Apollo astronauts, three of them began their careers as military pilots. Two, Wiseman and Glover, were trained test pilots, just as most of the Apollo astronauts were.

Mission specialist Koch, with her engineering expertise, is more typical of modern astronauts. The position of mission or payload specialist was created for the space shuttle program, making spaceflight possible for those with more scientific backgrounds.

A collaborative, diverse future

Unlike the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s, with Artemis, NASA has placed a heavy emphasis on building a politically sustainable lunar program by fostering the participation of a diverse group of people and countries.

The participation of other countries in NASA missions  Canada in this case  is particularly important for the Artemis program and the Artemis II crew. International collaboration is beneficial for a number of reasons. First, it allows NASA to lean on the strengths and expertise of engineers, researchers and space agencies of U.S. allies and divide up the production of technologies and costs. It also helps the U.S. continue to provide international leadership in space as competition with other countries  notably China  heats up.

The crew of Artemis II is also quite diverse compared with the Apollo astronauts. NASA has often pointed out that the Artemis program will send the first woman and the first person of color to the Moon. With Koch and Glover on board, Artemis II is the first step in fulfilling that promise and moving toward the goal of inspiring future generations of space explorers.

The four astronauts aboard Artemis II will be the first humans to return to the vicinity of the Moon since 1972. The flyby will take the Orion capsule in one pass around the far side of the Moon. During the flight, the crew will monitor the spacecraft and test a new communication system that will allow them to send more data and communicate more easily with Earth than previous systems.

If all goes according to plan, in late 2025 Artemis III will mark humanitys return to the lunar surface, this time also with a diverse crew. While the Artemis program still has a way to go before humans set foot on the Moon once again, the announcement of the Artemis II crew shows how NASA intends to get there in a diverse and collaborative way.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University.

Read more:



Wendy Whitman Cobb is affiliated with the US Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. Her views are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Defense or any of its components.
Nick Ut/AP Images

Walgreens has nearly 8,900 stores in the US and filled 819 million prescriptions last year.

The pharmacy's customer loyalty percentage is slightly above that of chief competitor CVS.

Walgreens' average customer is a white suburban baby boomer earning over $80,000 per year.

Walgreens is one of the leading drugstore chains in the US and Europe, with worldwide sales of $132.7 billion last year. The company estimates that 78% of the US population lives within five miles of one of its pharmacies, and it filled 819.6 million prescriptions in 2022.

The retailer, founded in 1901, is based in Deerfield, Illinois. Walgreens which also owns Duane Reade and other health brands, has about 8,900 retail locations across the US and Puerto Rico. The company also has 124 standalone clinics.

Slightly less than two-thirds of all US shoppers are Walgreens customers, according to data from the analytics firm Numerator prepared for Insider.

Numerator found that Walgreens' typical shopper is a white suburban baby boomer who has a college education and an annual income of more than $80,000. The brand is also very popular among Black and Latino shoppers with similar education and income.

The typical customer visits Walgreens a little more than once a month on average  about 16 trips per year  and picks up 4 products for a total cost of $23.25 per trip, Numerator found. Their annual spend is about $384.

Prescription medication constitutes 74% of Walgreens' US retail revenue, and the drugstore offers a variety of over-the-counter medical supplies, personal-care items, food and beverages. These front-of-store sales account for the remaining 26% of retail revenue.

Nearly 86% of Walgreens shoppers visited the store in 2021 and 2022, a loyalty percentage slightly higher than that of chief rival CVS. Last year, the pharmacy added a new customer to replace each one that stopped shopping with the brand, indicating a stable customer base overall.

Like CVS shoppers, Walgreens customers have an affinity for M&M's and Reese's candies and Hallmark greeting cards, but prefer Coca-Cola sodas where CVS customers prefer Colgate toothpaste.

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Some of their favorite categories to buy from the pharmacy include candy and soft drinks, as well as first-aid supplies, cough and cold remedies, and digestive health products. Just 1.3% of a Walgreens shopper's total dollars are spent at Walgreens, compared with 11% of their spending at Walmart.

Read more typical shopper profiles:

Read the original article on Business Insider
Meghan at the Invictus Games, at the Hague last year. (Getty Images)

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is to be given a Women of Vision Award by the Ms. Foundation for Women  the oldest women's foundation in the US.

Meghan will be given the award on 16 May by feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem, who was also a co-founder of Ms. Foundation, for her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".

Previous recipients of the Women of Vision Awards include Hilary Clinton, iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Academy Award nominated director Ava DuVernary.

The president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation  Teresa C. Younger  said of the news: "We are thrilled to announce this years honourees for the Women of Vision Awards and to celebrate 50 years of progress and power" and that all the recipients are "incredible leaders and we are grateful to be able to shine a light on their many accomplishments and tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the country and the world."

Meghan making the keynote address at the One Young World Summit in Manchester last September. (Getty Images)

The Women of Vision Awards 2023 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ms Foundation and the gala will take place in the Zeigfield Ballroom, New York City.

Read more: Meghan and Harry knew 'they would be ostracised' for calling out Royal Family racism, says Kerry Kennedy

Over the last 50 years the Ms. Foundation has invested over $90m in grassroots gender equity projects and more than 1600 organisations to help work "for change on a grassroots level in order to build power and advance democracy."

Other honourees include LaTosha Brown in her capacity as co-founder of Black Voters Matter, her community organising and for her political strategy work.

Harry and Meghan were also given the Ripple of Hope Award at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award gala last year. (Getty Images)

Wanda Irving, co-founder of the Dr Shalon's Maternal Action Project and Kimberley Inez McGuire, the executive director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, will also be honoured as this year's grantee partners.

Read more: What's next for Harry and Meghan?

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Abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna will receive the Marie C. Wilson Emerging Leader award and Rebekah Bruesehoff is the recipient of the Free to Be You and Me Award for her work advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.

This isn't the only honour the Duchess has received recently: her podcast series Archetypes was given a Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

In a statement on the Archewell Foundation's website, Meghan said she was grateful for this "prestigious honour" for her podcast.

Watch: Why Prince Charles admitted to his affair - and how the world reacted
Meridian has made dozens of fastest-growing cities in the U.S. lists over the past couple of years, and the U.S. Census reported that the Boise suburb made the list of the Top 10 fastest-growing cities.

That growth has not slowed down since the 2020 census. And the Meridian planning staff still receives multiple development applications per day, said Caleb Hood, planning division manager for the city.

One of the hot spots for development is near the corner of Ten Mile and Franklin roads, near the Ten Mile off-ramp from Interstate 84. The area is especially popular for townhouses, lofts and apartment complexes.

Ten Mile, Franklin and that vicinity, thats where were seeing quite a bit of multifamily, Hood said in a phone interview.

The popularity of multifamily applications is new for Meridian, which has long been a city of single-family homes and commuters.

In an interview with the Idaho Statesman, Hood mentioned several apartment and townhouse projects along Ten Mile Road. The area has been popular since the opening of the Interstate 84 interchange at Ten Mile in 2011, but recently the types of development applications, which typically were for single-family subdivisions, have changed.

Our residential has slowed down, said Hood, who noted the city categorizes apartments and townhouses as commercial developments. Theres no doubt about it, we are doing less permitting with residential.

What projects are going up in Meridian?

Outer Banks, a subdivision located at Franklin and Ten Mile, plans to bring 364 apartments, 126 flat apartments and 26 townhouses to the area. It was approved last year and is in the permit process with the city, with plans for three buildings. The developer is 10 Mile Franklin LLC, a Sacramento-based company.

The townhouse buildings would be three stories and 15,398 square feet apiece, each with 8 units.

Another development, which was approved by Meridian Planning and Zoning on March 2, includes 44 single-family homes, 18 townhouses and one apartment building. The developer is the Conger group, a Boise-based company, and the location is 4250 W. Franklin Road.

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Hood said that like the Conger project, many apartments and townhouses are going up near Compass Charter School, a public charter school that opened in 2019 near Black Cat and Franklin roads.

Corey Barton, Idahos largest homebuilder, has plans for apartments along Ten Mile, near Pine Avenue, which is north of Interstate 84. Barton plans to build 216 apartments at 3500 W. Pine Ave. Called the Foxcroft Apartments, they would comprise nine three-story buildings, each with 24 apartments, the Statesman previously reported.

Commercial development catching up to rooftops

Hood said he wasnt worried that the citys single-family permits are down. He said commercial development is catching up with the last wave of residential we had over the past several years.

The amount of residential we approved ... is really sustaining the commercial, Hood said. Theres a little bit of a lag with the commercial following the rooftops. 

Another development trend Hood has noticed recently is that with nearly every restaurant, drive-thrus are the thing. He said the majority of commercial applications in Meridian have that component.

Meridians development hot spots are also popular locations for chain restaurants. A Noodles and Co. was recently approved along Ten Mile. And some of the chains are the first for the Treasure Valley, such as the eagerly awaited In-N-Out location.

This gives us control: City of Eagle makes final decision on massive annexation

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Orlando Maldonado Perez, 26, is one of those who died in the fire at a migrant centre in Ciudad Juarez

When Orlando Jose Maldonado Perez sent his family in Venezuela a message a week ago on Sunday, he was upbeat and full of hope.

The 26-year-old had arrived in Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican city just across the US border from El Paso, Texas, just four days previously.

His dream was to make it to the United States, and now he felt he was close to achieving it. Excited about the prospect, he had sent his mother a voice message saying he could see the border fence.

Orlando was keen to avoid any trouble, his sister Mileyvi told the BBC. His aim was to cross into the US legally to earn a living so he could provide his six-year-old son with a better life.

So mindful was he of his safety that he decided to pool the little money he had left with a couple of fellow Venezuelan migrants, to rent a room rather than stay in a hostel, where he feared there could be "aggro".

When his family read on Tuesday morning that a deadly fire had broken out the previous night in a migrant centre in Ciudad Juarez, they did not worry at first, thinking he was safe in the room he had rented.

It was not until Wednesday morning that other relatives spotted Orlando's name on the list the Mexican government had published of the 68 migrants who had been inside the facility at the time of the fire, and alerted his parents.

The family found out from Orlando's friends that he had been detained by Mexican migration officials on Monday at a street corner in Ciudad Juarez, where he had been selling sweets to be able to continue paying for the room he had rented.

Soldiers guarded the centre after the deadly fire

Under Mexican law, anyone whose migration status is irregular can be detained. Orlando was taken to a centre run by Mexico's Migration Institute just south of the bridge on the US-Mexico border.

As well as housing offices where migrants are processed, the building also has areas where migrants are held behind a locked cell door.

It was in the men's cell where a fire broke out on Monday night, which killed 39 of the 68 migrants inside, including Orlando.

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His 32-year-old sister Mileyvi says that not only was his family in total shock at the news, but also at the way they found out about her brother's death - from concerned relatives who spotted his name on the list of victims.

"No official, neither Venezuelan nor Mexican contacted us," she told the BBC from the state of Tachira in Venezuela on Friday.

Mileyvi says that when she contacted the Mexican embassy in Caracas and the Venezuelan embassy in Mexico, she was asked to provide photos of her brother to aid with the identification of his body.

She says that at the time she was also not told where the body of her brother was, or what the cause of his death was.

Nor was the family offered any psychological support, she says, after they had seen video from a surveillance camera, which shows the moment the fire broke out and which has been widely circulated on social media.

Read: Video of deadly Mexico fire causes outrage

In it, three uniformed officials can be seen walking out of the room, appearing to leave the migrants behind as the flames spread and the area quickly fills with thick smoke which obscures the camera.

The video appears to show uniformed staff failing to open a locked door as the fire starts

The video has no sound, so it is not possible to ascertain what, if anything, was said as the blaze erupted. It is also unclear what the uniformed staff are doing when not on camera.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the fire had been started by one of the migrants as a protest "when they had learned they would be deported".

The migrant suspected of starting the fire has been arrested. Four migration officials and a private security guard accused of failing to free those behind bars have also been detained.

The Mexican president said there would be a thorough investigation and "no impunity" for those responsible.

Meanwhile, the Maldonado family is trying to come to terms with the fact that Orlando is dead.

Orlando had tried to call his mother daily, to keep her informed of his trek north

With the number of fatalities provided by the Mexican authorities going up and down and up again in the days after the fire, Orlando's family at first were still hoping against hope that he could still be alive.

"I kept holding out hope that he was alive, because hope is the last thing you lose," his sister said.

After all, Orlando had survived other dangerous parts of the journey north. He had successfully crossed the thick jungle that separates Colombia and Panama, known as the Darien Gap, on foot.

Read: 'Too dehydrated to cry' - a lethal trek for migrants

Mileyvi says it was not until Friday evening - four days after the fire - that she finally received a call with official confirmation of her brother's death.

She and her parents are haunted by the surveillance footage showing the migrants trying to open the locked door of the cell.

"He was robbed of his life, he couldn't even fight for his life, he was locked up and left to die.

Orlando's parents and his sister Mileyvi say they are heartbroken

"He always wanted to do everything the legal way, to get permission to enter the US legally to join his older brother there, then get a work permit so he could earn and save enough to come back to Venezuela to open a car repair shop here.

"My mum is in pieces, she never thought Orlando's life would come to an end in such a cruel way, when he was so close to achieving his dream," Mileyvi says, struggling to hold back the tears.

"I want people to understand that those who died are not just numbers, they're 39 human beings who had dreams and goals. They are leaving behind parents, siblings and children, and they didn't deserve to die this way."
A total of 8,487 police officers from China's immigration administration organs were awarded medals in commemoration of their exemplary work in guarding China's border regions.

The medals were presented by the National Immigration Administration and its subsidiary immigration administration departments.

This marks the first time the country presented the medal, an honorary award for immigration administration workers. It was established after being approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

As per regulations, from this year on, the medals will be awarded annually to immigration administration police officers who have served in remote and harsh areas of border regions. Officers who have given 10, 20 and 30 years of service will be awarded bronze, silver and gold medals respectively.
Michelle Obama says being othered as a child helped propel her aim to be the best first lady.

We cannot pretend that kids dont see when theyre being devalued, because anytime it happened to me as early as kindergarten, I knew it, Obama told David Letterman in a preview clip from Audibles Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, obtained exclusively by ITK.

The full podcast episode is poised to be released on Tuesday.

I knew in second grade that the second grade teacher thought we were all dumb and not worth it because she didnt organize the class. She wasnt giving us homework, Obama said, adding that the educator didnt think the kids she was teaching were worthy.

During the podcast, recorded during her nationwide promotional tour last year for her book The Light we Carry, Obama, 59, described her mother as being receptive to her complaints about the teacher.

I had a mother who believed in my voice, she said.

What happened was my mother went up to that school, and thats what mothers do  they go up to that school, Obama said to chuckles from the audience.

There were a handful of us who got tested  we were advanced. Not only were we smart, but we were smarter than smart, and we got skipped to the third grade, the former first lady said.

But there were only three of us. And I thought, what happened to the rest of the kids in that second grade class that didnt have a mother who could advocate for them and didnt have kids who could test out?

The experience, the Chicago-raised former lawyer said, helped shape her.

The world has made me practice liking myself. And that is a tool for young people: You cannot wait for somebody to see you. Because first of all, there are people who dont even know you exist. They dont even know your pain. They dont know your struggle, she said.

This just isnt race, Obama told Letterman, This is if youre poor, if you live outside in a rural county, if you are not in the best school system, if you are a woman. There are many ways to be othered in this world. And for some of us, when it happens, it breaks us.

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Instead, Obama said it fueled her work in the White House and the launch of her Lets Move! anti-childhood obesity and Joining Forces military families initiatives.

For me, I just happen to be that smart aleck kid that was like, Oh, Ill show you. I will show you. You doubt me, Ill work harder, she exclaimed.

So by the time I got to the White House, I was like, Oh you dont think Im gonna be the best first lady that you have ever seen? I am going to work so hard, Obama said, her voice growing louder.

Im going to launch so many initiatives, she continued. Im going to be all over the world. You just wait!

Audible  Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast  The Hill Exclusive Clip

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Lizbeth Diaz

CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO (Reuters) -Eduard Caraballo screamed for help.

Thick suffocating smoke was filling the cell where he was held with over 60 other migrants in northern Mexico, but there was no way out. The single door was locked shut.

"We screamed for them to open the cell door, but no one helped us," Caraballo, 26, said through tears during a phone interview from his hospital bed.

One by one people began to die, he said.

In total, 40 people were killed in the fire last Monday in one of the deadliest migrant tragedies in years.

Mexican prosecutors say they are investigating the fire as a possible homicide and arrested five people last week in connection with the incident. The probe is focusing on why the male migrants held at the center appeared to be left in their cell while the fire burned, while women detainees were safely evacuated from a neighboring cell.

Officials blamed the fire on a migrant who allegedly set mattresses alight to protest their imminent deportation.

A short video circulating on social media - appearing to be security footage from inside the center during the blaze - showed men kicking on the bars of a locked door as their cell filled with smoke.

Three uniformed people can be seen walking past without trying to open the door. Investigators have said the video is part of the probe.

Mexico's National Migration Institute, which ran the center in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Caraballo's account.

Caraballo, a Venezuelan migrant, said he survived by soaking his sweater in water, covering his face, and moving to the bathroom at the back of the cell.

As the fire started, all the lights went out, he recalled.

"When I saw everything begin to fill with smoke, I worried a lot about my family," he said. "My God, don't let me die."

The last thing he remembers were desperate screams, and how, using a "heavy object" someone finally bashed open the door of the cell.

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"They pulled me by the hand, I think it was a firefighter, and they helped me out, others were already dead," he said, crying.

Caraballo was transferred on Saturday to a hospital in El Paso after he and his family received humanitarian parole to enter the United States. He is still on oxygen and being treated for smoke exposure.

He is anxious to get better so he can be fully reunited with his family and start a new life in the United States.

Like millions of others, Caraballo and his family fled Venezuela's economic and political crisis, setting off for the United States last October.

The young father was the first to be able to cross into the United States, via the government's CBP One scheme which allows some migrants to formally enter the United States, but returned to Mexico in February after his infant daughter fell ill.

He never imagined it might cost him his life.

Caraballo was detained around midday last Monday and locked in the cell. As the fire broke out his wife was waiting outside, expecting him to be released.

"I could hear my wife's screams from the ambulance they loaded me into, then I lost consciousness," he said. "It was hell."

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Aurora Ellis)
It is understood Miles Routledge is being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. (PA)

Three Britons are currently being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

One of the men is charity medic Kevin Cornwell, 53, from Middlesbrough, according to the Presidium Network, a UK-based non-profit organisation that supports communities in crisis.

It said Cornwall and another unnamed man were arrested by the Taliban in January.

The third man, who was arrested on a different date, is understood to be Miles Routledge, a self-styled "danger tourist".

Who is Miles Routledge?

Routledge, the self-styled "Lord Miles", is a 23-year-old from Birmingham who spends his time travelling to the world's most dangerous places.

In his Twitter bio, the former Loughborough University physics student states: "I go to the most dangerous places on Earth for fun!"

Miles Routledge travelled to Afghanistan in 2021 while it was being taking over by the Taliban. (PA)

He has more than 150,000 followers on Twitter and more than 59,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.

Where has Miles Routledge visited?

Routledge travelled to Ukraine shortly after it was invaded by Russia last year, and has also visited South Sudan, Chernobyl and Brazil's Snake Island.

Videos posted on his YouTube channel also show him crossing the US/Mexico border and spending two days homeless in New York City.

Hasn't Routledge been to Afghanistan before?

Yes. Routledge was evacuated from Afghanistan by British Armed Forces in August 2021 after the Taliban seized control of the country.

He had posted updates on social media about his travels after the Taliban takeover.

Watch: Government 'in negotiations' to free Britons held by Taliban, says home secretary

Routledge said he chose Afghanistan because he enjoyed "dark" and "extreme" tourism.

Routledge was hailed by his supporters but criticised in some quarters for his trip.

He claimed he encountered Taliban members during his trip and that he had seen dead bodies in the street and shielded from gunfire in a Nato safe house in Kabul.

He was extracted to Dubai in what he described as a British Army plane.

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Miles Routledge is one of three Britons being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. (PA)

He posted at the time: The happy ending: landed in Dubai thanks to the brilliant people at the British army. All safe!

He posted updates about the trip on Facebook, streaming site Twitch and the 4chan discussion board.

He travelled to Kabul as an alternative to a beach holiday, having looked up the most dangerous places to visit in the world and picked it off a list.

Has there been any contact with the three men?

Routlege's mother, Susan, said she has not been allowed to speak to him.

She told the Mail on Sunday: "I'm distraught. It is so worrying. I just want help to find out what has happened to him and make sure he is okay.

Read more: Mother of danger tourist detained by Taliban 'desperate to know he is safe'

"If I can get a message to those who are holding him, I just want to ask them to tell him he has my love and support.

"I am just desperate to know that he is safe. He keeps travelling because he loves it, he's only young and he's just finding himself after finishing university. I just want him to keep safe."

The families of Cornwell and the other unnamed man have been able to speak to them in an "emotional" call.

Scott Richards, co-founder of the Presidium Network, said on Twitter: We can confirm the men have spoken with the family, the conversation was unscripted, and that they are being treated fairly.

The family was able to speak for one minute to one minute and a half and to speak freely, clearly what is an important and emotional call.

Miles Routledge pictured in Kabul during his trip to Afghanistan in 2021. (PA)

Richards said the call represents tremendous progress in the situation, adding: The details of that call are private but we understand a great relief to the family.

The relief Kevins family expressed after hearing his voice for the first time in three months not knowing if he was well brought a sense of peace and gave them hope that this situation will be resolved soon.

What is being done to help the three Britons?

On Sunday, home secretary Suella Braverman suggested the government is in negotiations regarding the three men.

The two men being assisted by Presidium were detained by Taliban secret police on 11 January.

Presidium said the two men are being held because of a "misunderstanding" over a missing licence for a weapon in a safe in Cornwell's room.

It is unclear how long Routledge has been held for.

Braverman told Sky News: Anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution.

If there are risks to peoples safety, if theyre a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that theyre safe.

And the government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure peoples safety is upheld.

Pressed on whether negotiations are currently happening, Braverman replied: If there are problems and if there are safety concerns to British individuals abroad then the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) will be working actively to ensure people are safe.

Richards said the men are being held in a general directorate of intelligence facility for foreigners.

An FCDO spokesman said: We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.
Mine That Star has been a consistent force around New Mexico racetracks in his career and on Sunday that continued on the final day of winter/spring horse racing at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

Mine That Star, who was the 8-5 post time favorite, took control of the 62nd running of the 1 1/8th miles, $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap in the final third of the race and won by more than three lengths over Zestful in a time of 1:49.55 for trainer Nancy Summers and jockey Ken Tohill.

The win was Mine That Star's eighth in 20 starts. The half-brother to 2009 Kentucky Derby winner, Mine That Bird, also has two second-place and two third-place finishes and earned $93,000 on Sunday for owner Judge Lanier Racing (Tom McKenna et al).

Mine That Star won the Sunland Park Handicap on Sunday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino with jockey Ken Tohill aboard.

Mine That Star, who is the 6-year-old, Kentucky-bred son of Pioneer of the Nile, has now earned more than $420,000.

"There have been some ups and down, but he's really been consistent in his career," Summers said. "He ran a great race to finish out the meet."

Tohill ended the Sunland meet on a high note as well. Last week he won the Sunland Derby aboard Wild On Ice.

"Mine That Star is a remarkable animal," Tohill said. "Nancy was happy with the way he was training and I'm thankful for the opportunity, it makes my job fun. Sunland has been good to me, I've had a chance to shine here."

Kj Little Duce Coup won the 63rd running of the West Texas Futurity on Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

Quarter horse roundup

Sunland Park's leading quarter horse trainer Wes Giles put another stamp on his outstanding season, sending out Kj Little Duce Coup and jockey Adrian Ramos to a thrilling victory in the 63rd running of the $282,925 Grade II, West Texas Futurity on Saturday.

Owned by John Lee, W. Kathy Lee and I. Ruben Mares, Kj Little Duce Coup dueled on the front end with Lets Leave and Kj Flying Cowgirl. The 2-year-old Arizona-bred gelding by Apollitical Jess got his nose down on the wire, winning by a neck with a final time of 15.21 seconds for 300 yards.

Kj Little Duce Coup won his trial heat here in his career debut on March 11. Saturday's win keeps his record intact after two lifetime starts with earnings approaching $140,000.

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Think On It, sent off as the post time favorite under Sergio Becerra, Jr., finished sixth.

Crispyn won the 27th running of the New Mexico Spring Futurity on Saturday at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.

In the richest quarter horse race of the meet, trainer Manuel Rodriguez sent out Crispyn and jockey Alan Hernandez to an impressive win in the 27th running of the $365,727 New Mexican Spring Futurity, for 2-year-old New Mexico-breds.

Owned and bred by MRB Racing, LLC, Crispyn battled on the lead throughout and held off a late rally from post time favorite Miss Hi Tide to win by a neck, racing 300 yards in a final time of 15.21 seconds.

The son of A Royal Jess was the fastest qualifier for the New Mexican Spring Futurity when trials were held on March 10. He has now won both of his career starts, with earnings topping $182,000.

Sent off as the second choice on the board at odds of 3-1, Crispyn paid $8.40 to his winning backers.

Fincher's horse with big effort at Oaklawn

Sunland Park based trainer Todd Fincher found success at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas on Saturday. His 3-year-old filly, Olivia Twist, ran third in the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes. Olivia Twist was 50-1 at post time and David Cabrera was the jockey.

More: Sunland Derby news Longshot Wild On Ice wins Sunland Derby at odds of 35-1

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mine That Star, Kj Little Duce Coup cap Sunland Park racing with wins
Another Big Ears Festival is in the books, and the experience was as stimulating as ever.

The adventurously programmed festival in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, was again attended by music fans from far and wide who share a common craving for an unparalleled listening and cultural experience.

With Knoxville venues on display for the world to see, the sonic experience delivered diverse doses of musical moments captured in time by Knox News.

Continue scrolling through the photographs and read their captions to experience Big Ears Festival, held March 30 through April 2.

Big Ears Festival 2023

The math seems off. How could a festival founded in 2009 be celebrating 10 years in 2023? At a welcoming ceremony held at the Knoxville Museum of Art, founder Ashley Capps shared a part of Big Ears Festival history. Most recently, the downtown Knoxville event took two years off in 2020 and 2021 due to challenges caused by COVID-19. Another three years were taken off between 2011 and 2013 until the festival was reorganized with the help of local partners who understood the deep cultural value offered by an event of this magnitude and diversity. "This is our 14th anniversary, I guess you might say, but it's the 10th festival. So, we're calling it 10 years," Capps said. "The festival, in many ways, started in this very room. ... I have to pinch myself sometimes to think about how from that very small first year, how the festival has continued to grow and gain momentum year after year after year  very organically, very steadily and, since COVID, very, very quickly. It's been quite an exciting wave to ride."

Big Ears Festival 2023

Big Ears Festival takes place across 18 venues in downtown Knoxville, from cathedrals to theaters to the Mill & Mine, pictured here. One of the beauties of Big Ears is not just the quality of these venues but their proximity to each other. Attendees are able to pop in and out of performances with ease, making the festival more of an exhibition where music lovers can choose their own adventure. Don't feel like using a ride share? Knoxville offers free parking on weekends and after 6 p.m. The city also has a free downtown trolley, which was expanded and ran every 15 minutes during the festival to connect all the downtown venues.

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Big Ears Festival 2023

Knoxville native Adeem the Artist has been riding their own wave since "White Trash Revelry" began appearing on "best-of" lists by Rolling Stone and Billboard. Their music has been praised by Brandi Carlile, a queer country musician in her own right, while artists including Jason Isbell, Josh Ritter, American Aquarium and fellow Big Ears Festival artist the Mountain Goats have invited them to open at their respective shows. Adeem took the Mill & Mine stage wearing a dress March 30, the same day a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against Tennessee's impending "drag ban." Adeem addressed the issue during their set March 31 at Southern Railway Station, noting that the previous night's attire was not a political statement. "I just like to wear dresses," they said. "I believe that things will get better because we're here. I love being trans. I love being trans because what I mean when I say I'm trans is that I am myself. Nothing else. Trans is the word that somebody else gave me to differentiate myself from them. I didn't come up with that. I'm just Adeem."

Big Ears Festival 2023

Even though Talking Heads founder David Byrne was not booked for a musical set, his talk at the Tennessee Theatre on March 31 was one of the most-anticipated performances of the weekend. That's according to the Big Ears Festival app, which regularly alerted attendees throughout the weekend of at-capacity venues and secret shows. The focus of the talk: "Reasons to be Cheerful," Byrne's nonprofit online magazine whose focus is on "smart, proven, replicable solutions to the world's most pressing problems," according to its website. "We want to make sure (our stories) are not unique to a specific person, place or culture" Byrne said at Big Ears. "We don't want to write about something that could only happen in this one village or town or city or whatever. The unspoken idea is the things that we write about will, maybe  this is the dream  that maybe somebody will read about it and say, 'Oh, we should do that in my town.'"

Big Ears Festival 2023

One of the biggest changes at Big Ears Festival 2023 was the addition of Knoxville Civic Auditorium as a venue. Typically, the more popular acts perform at the largest, most notable venue. In previous years, that was the Tennessee Theatre, with a capacity of roughly 1,600 people. But Andrew Bird took the Knoxville Civic Auditorium stage on March 31 in front of 2,500 seats  mostly full  with a violin in hand, a revolving gramophone and an entrancing light show. Improvisation and collaboration are among the cornerstones of Big Ears Festival, and Bird continued the long tradition of working with other artists on the festival bill. Bird performed "Left Handed Kisses," recorded with Fiona Apple, during his captivating set. While Fiona Apple was not in attendance, he invited to the stage Sam Beam, whose Iron & Wine set took place at the auditorium earlier in the day. Similarly, Beam had invited Joey Burns of Calexico to the stage during his performance.

Big Ears Festival 2023

While standing in line to enter venues, it's hard not to notice the conversations among attendees  people from all over the world who regularly repeat the belief that Big Ears Festival is one of the most uniquely programed musical events in the country. Tank and the Bangas, a New Orleans hip-hop, soul and funk collective, graced the same Mill & Mine stage as bluegrass mandolist Sierra Hull and Italian electronic composer Caterina Barbieri, among others, throughout the weekend. Tank and the Bangas, who rose to stardom by winning the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk competition, made their return to Knoxville for Big Ears after performing at the final Rhythm N' Blooms festival held downtown in 2019. The group also performed a stripped-down Big Ears set at Jackson Terminal, which served as festival headquarters and offered free performances open to the public throughout the weekend.

Big Ears Festival 2023

The price of a $400 ticket breaks down to $100 a day, which is right in line with the price of a single ticket to a single touring show. But Big Ears has made a point to offer free programming for locals and those who cant afford that price, expanding the exposure of arts in downtown Knoxville. Los Lobos was among the bands on the festival bill that also played a free set at Southern Railway Station, the stopping point for the Big Ears Parade  also free. We have so many wonderful artists with us this weekend, and already planning is going into 2024, Capps said March 30. During COVID, we had a moment to pause and really think about what we were doing and why we were doing it. And It was during that time that our relationships in the community and the importance of those relationships really came into focus.  That is really what keeps me going at this particular point.

Big Ears Festival 2023

While Big Ears is known for hosting musicians who are masters of their craft, the festival also has a reputation for what some might generally call weirdness  though, often, those descriptors go hand in hand. Prime example: Shara Nova, who performed as My Brightest Diamond at The Point church March 30. The performance began as Nova walked in wearing a Britney Spears shirt and mask while towing a trunk of costumes. She enticed the crowd to laugh and cry in unison, even offering a box of tissues for those who played along. Changing costumes between nearly every song  a raincoat, a bikini shirt and a disco ball hat  she sang over prerecorded songs and offered goodies in the form of sheep masks and rainbows. This performance represents the essence of Big Ears Festival, where outside-the-norm artistry is profoundly celebrated.

Big Ears Festival 2023

Big Ears Festival 2022 experienced record attendance and had a $36.1 million impact on the Knoxville economy. The 2022 event was the first sell-out festival that wasn't canceled, with 5,000 ticket attendees each day  roughly 2,000 more per day than 2019 when people from 48 states and 22 countries visited Knoxville for the weekend. Festival organizers said prior to the 2023 event that sales were outpacing last year, and well soon have a breakdown of attendance. In the meantime, one thing is for certain: I like to tell people that we bring the world to Knoxville, but we showcase Knoxville to the world, Capps said.

Knox News photo journalist Caitie McMekin contributed to this photo story.

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Instagram @knoxscruff. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Big Ears Festival photos from musical acts in downtown Knoxville
Missouri lawmakers have advanced a set of bills to bar health care providers and medical students from performing pelvic, prostate and anal exams on patients who are unconscious and did not consent.

Two bills in the Missouri House and Senate received unanimous support from lawmakers, and if enacted, would prohibit health care providers from conducting pelvic, prostate and anal exams on patients who are unconscious or under anesthesia and who did not give explicit and informed consent. The Missouri Senate voted 33-0 in support of the senate bill on Thursday, and the Missouri House of Representatives voted 157-0 on a similar bill earlier this month.

Both bills would still need the other chambers approval to head to the governors desk.

According to Fox 2 News, 29 states still allow these kinds of exams to be performed on anesthetized patients.

These kind of exams could be intrusive for some patients who did not give consent, especially those who have experienced sexual assault in the past. A New York Times article in 2020 described how a survivor of sexual abuse was given a pelvic exam by a medical student while she was under anesthesia after she said she did not want students to be involved in her care.

A 2005 study found that about 75 percent of medical students at the University of Oklahoma performed pelvic exams on patients under anesthesia, and the same percent said that they did not believe the patient consented to the student-given exams.

A similar study conducted in 2022 found that 84 percent of students performed at least one pelvic exam to a patient under anesthesia, but 67 percent said that they never or rarely witnessed an explicit explanation that the student could perform the exam while the patient was under anesthesia.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended in 2011 that pelvic exams on anesthetized patients for purely teaching purposes should only be done with the patients informed consent.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
While negotiating the state budget last week, Missouri House Republicans voted to defund all of the states public libraries. As the proposal moves to the Missouri Senate, public librarians are worried about how the draconian move would hurt the communities they serve.

The attempt to completely defund public libraries actually began with Senate Bill 775, legislation that was intended to provide more rights to sexual assault survivors.

Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin hijacked the bill and included an amendment that banned educators from providing sexually explicit material to students. Like many similar proposals, the wording was broad and unclear. The bill became law, and just a few months later, conservative parents began using it to target books with LGBTQ themes, smearing books about gender or sexual identity as pornography.

The new law led to 300 books being removed from schools across the state between last August and November, according to PEN America.

In February, the ACLU of Missouri, the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association filed a lawsuit against the state, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment.

Republicans decided to retaliate against MLA, a nonprofit organization of professional librarians, for joining the lawsuit. Their proposal: cut the $4.5 million allocated to public libraries each year.

I dont think we should subsidize that effort, Republican House Budget Chairman Cody Smith said. We are going to take out the funding and that is why.

But neither professional organizations named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit receive state aid, which goes directly to the libraries, and the ACLU of Missouri is paying for the lawsuit.

Theyre choosing to punish librarians for exercising their right to question their government, Katie Hill Earnhart, the executive director of the Cape Girardeau Public Library, told HuffPost.

Theres job assistance, access to computers, passport applications, free tax help, warming and cooling centers for houseless folks. Were doing way more than just checking out books.Otter Bowman, president of the Missouri Library Association

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Books have becomethe target of conservatives ire over the last few years. As racial justice protests swept the nation after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Republicans whipped up fear among white parents over what their kids were learning about race in their classrooms. Over the last few months, conservative attention has shifted to books with LGBTQ characters and themes.

The Missouri state government is constitutionally required to provide aid to public libraries, so its unlikely that Republicans will successfully strip away all funding. But librarians are still worried there could still be drastic cuts that would require some libraries to curtail services or close their doors.

I think its more of a political statement to completely zero it out, but there is a valid fear that there would still be a significant cut, Otter Bowman, the president of the Missouri Library Association, told HuffPost. Theres a greater sense of urgency that this could be real.

The amount of funding each library receives from the state varies, but no library would be immune from defunding or drastic cuts.

My library wouldve received around $26,000, which is about 20% of our buying budget, Earnhart said. Wed either have to find excess funds somewhere ... or wed have to reduce the number of items we can buy.

Earnhart said her library is lucky to have other funding sources  if the state pulls its funding, it wont have to close its doors. Libraries in rural areas wouldnt be as fortunate.

They dont have the tax base that cities do, Bowman said. Rural libraries would have to cut hours, and staffing and their collections  which are already minuscule.

Libraries in these areas are often community hubs that offer a variety of resources to residents  not just woke childrens books, as conservatives tend to argue.

Theres job assistance, access to computers, passport applications, free tax help, warming and cooling centers for houseless folks. Were doing way more than just checking out books, Bowman said.

Bowman said shes concerned about the long-term impact of anti-library policies: The rush to pass new laws restricting what materials librarians can provide to patrons has led to a decline of people who even want to join the profession.

We like to serve people and were obviously not in it for the money, but attacking us is making it really hard to keep people, she said.

Its unclear how the Republican-controlled Senate will vote on the budget. In the past, such extreme bills used to be seen as wishful thinking for far-right legislators. But in recent months, the culture wars have become top priorities for Republican lawmakers  defunding the entire public library system is now a mainstream proposal.

Across the state, librarians are ready for whatever comes next.

If were gonna get cut, Bowman said, were not gonna go quietly.

Related...
A Missouri Republican is targeting county library boards ability to levy taxes, only a week after the House cut all state aid for libraries.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, a Harrisonville Republican, would allow county commissions to reverse a county library board of trustees decision to hold an election on a proposed tax increase.

It would also allow the county commission to remove members of the library board for conduct prejudicial to the good order and effective operation of the library, or for other good cause.

The hearing came after the House approved a budget last week that cut all $4.5 million in state aid meant for libraries in retaliation for two library groups filing a lawsuit that challenges a state law that bans certain materials in school libraries.

Brattin said the motivation for the bill is specifically to address issues within the Cass County Public Library Board of Trustees and establish more accountability for the appointed board.

Ryan Johnson, a Cass County commissioner, was the only person to testify at the hearing. Johnson cited two issues he had with the library board, one being a 2021 incident when the commission asked the library to move a controversial book out of the childrens section, but the library board voted to keep the book where it was.

The book, titled Its Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley, is meant for kids aged 10 and older. It is about sexual and emotional health, relationships, puberty and sexual orientation.

Dan Brower, the director of the Cass County Public Library, said the library extensively vetted and reconsidered the book, but found it should remain in the juvenile section, which has books for kids aged 7 to 12.

Its not that the library is protecting the book, the librarys protecting the readers because libraries have always stood for the First Amendment and peoples freedom to read, Brower said.

Brattin attacked the decision, saying its not suppression of anything or banning, which is what always seems to be the narrative. Instead, he argued it was about age-appropriate placement.

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Everybody has to be good players and good actors, especially when we have libraries that are putting obscene content in childrens section and want to fight back against moving them just to a different section, Brattin said.

Another issue was a voter-approved tax levy that allotted more property tax revenue to the library than to the roads and bridges department.

If you look at state statute, its true right now theres no review process, no vetting whatsoever, Johnson said. The appointed board can simply put a tax increase on the ballot at any time that they care to. And the commission has no say whatsoever even though it is an appointed board.

Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, pointed out that even if it was not reviewed, the tax levy was approved by voters.

Brower said the bill would allow one political subdivision to override the authority of another political subdivision. He said library boards should not be intimidated to make decisions that the county commission doesnt agree with.

Then perhaps the county commission can say, Well,I didnt like that decision. You three are off. And they could say thats for good cause, Brower said. How do they define for good cause?

This bill in combination with the House slashing state aid in the budget is indicative of a nationwide issue of libraries being targeted, Brower said.

Brower said the library could try to ask voters for a tax increase but if the county rejects their attempt and they dont have enough funds to keep the library going, they have no more options.

It really takes away our locally governed power as a library district, Brower said.

Cody Croan, the legislative committee chair for the Missouri Library Association, , said the point of library boards being appointed instead of elected positions is to make the process less political. Croans organization is one of the library groups involved in the lawsuit challenging the law banning certain material in school libraries.

It absolutely enables retaliation against the library. And that is exactly a response to people wanting to control whats going on the library shelves without referring to the community at large, Croan said of the proposed legislation.

Regina Greer Cooper, the executive director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District, said the bill would not apply to the library because it is a city and county library, not just a county one. However, she said if the bill passes, she would be worried how the laws may change in the future.

When did libraries become public enemy number one? Cooper said. Libraries do great things and they provide wonderful services for anybody that lives in their jurisdiction for free.
Marty Cooper, with the phone he used to make the first mobile call

On 3 April 1973, Marty Cooper stood on a corner of Sixth Avenue in New York and took a phone book from his pocket.

He then punched a number into a large, cream-coloured device and put it to his ear while passers-by stared at him.

Mr Cooper, an engineer at Motorola, rang his counterpart at rival firm Bell Laboratories, to triumphantly tell him he was calling from "a personal, handheld, portable cell phone".

He recalls there being silence on the end of the line.

"I think he was gritting his teeth," says the 94-year-old, laughing.

Bell Laboratories had been focusing on developing a car-based phone instead, he says. "Could you believe that? So we had been trapped in our homes and offices by this copper wire for over 100 years - and now they were going to trap us in our cars!"

A commercial version of the Motorola phone, first used by Mr Cooper, is owned by the Mobile Phone Museum.

Needless to say, Mr Cooper and Motorola did not agree this was the way forward - and history has proved them right.

The basics of how that first call worked haven't changed much. The phone converts your voice into an electric signal, which modulates a radio wave. The radio wave goes to a mast; the mast sends your voice to the person you are calling, and by reversing the process, that person can then hear you speak.

Except there weren't really many masts back then... But you get the idea.

Today's mobile phones, however, are unrecognisable when compared with that early Motorola model.

The commercial version of Marty Cooper's prototype, the Motorola Dynatac 8000X, was released 11 years after that first call, in 1984. It would cost the equivalent of 9,500 ($11,700) if bought today, says Ben Wood, who runs the Mobile Phone Museum.

"Basically, it was just dial the number and make the call," Mr Wood explains.

"There was no messaging, no camera. Thirty minutes of talk-time, 10 hours to charge the battery, about 12 hours of stand-by time and a 6in (15cm) antenna on the top."

It also weighed 790g (1.7lb) - nearly four times the weight of the iPhone 14, at 172g.

Zoe Kleinman, with some mobile phones from the 1980s and 90s

However, Mr Cooper remains unimpressed with the design of the handsets of 2023 - although he concedes he never predicted phones would one day be handheld "supercomputers", with cameras and internet access.

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"I think today's phone is suboptimal. It's really not a very good phone in many respects," he says.

"Just think about it. You take a piece of plastic and glass that's flat - and you put it against the curve of your head; you hold your hand in an uncomfortable position; when you want to do these wonderful things that it can do, you have to get an app [first]. "

He believes, in the future, artificial intelligence will either create, or select, phone owners' apps for them, depending on their individual needs.

He also believes one day the device will monitor our health, maximise our productivity and improve our lives immeasurably.

At one point he even suggests they might help eliminate wars.

"The cell phone is not going to do it by itself," he admits. "But it will be the central part of this great future."

Despite his complaints about its modern counterparts, it seems, secretly, Mr Cooper remains enthralled by the device he first held to his ear on that New York street corner 50 years ago.

"We are still at the very beginning of the cell phone revolution," he declares.

Follow Zoe Kleinman on Twitter @zsk.
SouKeyna Diouf believes that the fashion and beauty industries should actively engage with individuals of all demographics.

SouKeyna Diouf believes that the fashion and beauty industries should actively engage with individuals of all demographics.

Duringthetime SouKeyna Diouf was studying biochemistry at Howard University  and volunteering in hospitals in Senegal in the interim  she found that people were really engaging with her posts about beauty and fashion. A proponent of inclusion in the beauty world, she examined what it truly meant to see beauty outside of what the western world perpetuated. As her following grew, she began to think about how she could use her platform to direct resources to a cause she already considered her lifes work.

When we think of models, we think of body types that we aspire to have or certain physical features that we aspire to have, said Diouf, a Senegalese American model and public health advocate. People pay so much attention to those they look up to. What if everyone who had all this attention used it to channel attention to something much more important?

Diouf feels energized by the evolving role of models and influencers. Could we really go from just selling products and perpetuating westernized beauty standards to becoming agents of change where it truly matters, she wondered?

Early on in the pandemic, the U.N. Global Health advocate began to partner with brands more intentionally  in particular, ones that supported her in the fight to eradicate malaria, a life-threatening disease that is preventable and treatable but persists, especially in developing countries. Malaria advocacy has been her mission since contracting it as a teenager after failing to use a bed mosquito net at night. That net can literally be the difference between life and death for some people, Diouf said.

Diouf recently participated in Hourglass Cosmetics Unlocked Satin Creme Lipstick campaign, which featured a collective of inspiring women who use their platform to galvanize the masses and advocate for an important cause that affects their communities. Additionally as part of the campaigns Impact Day, the company donated a portion of their revenue to United to Beat Malaria, an initiative that provides bed nets and other life-saving supplies to communities that need them.

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Diouf vividly remembers the fear that consumed her when she had malaria. Her health declined so swiftly that she bid her final farewells to her family, she told me. Im relatively small already, but I lost so much more weight within the span of a week. I could see my ribs, she said. She only experienced a robust recovery thanks to her access to good health care. The turbulent experience made her reflect on those who dont have that access.

The disease, transmitted through bites from infected mosquitos, once existed everywhere but has been largely eradicated in the U.S. and other areas due to advances in sanitation and medicine. In 2021, the World Health Organization reported 247 million cases of the disease globally. Of those cases, 95% came from regions in Africa. There were 620,000 deaths reported from malaria during that year  and likely many more that went unreported. Many of those who survive the disease have severe cases that are both devastating and life-changing.

That infuriates me. Weve effectively been able to eradicate malaria in places like the United States. Why is it still endemic in places like where I come from? Diouf asked.

Of course, the simplest answer is privilege. The journey to dismantling white supremacist systems looks different for every activist. For Diouf, it involves not just addressing colorism in the beauty industry, but shedding light on global health disparities. And that can be as simple as slaying in a red lip with a powerful message behind the look.

And so Diouf wants to work within her lane to encourage fashion and beauty industries to actively engage with individuals of all demographics. She wants to see structurally marginalized communities in print ads, sure. But she also wants to be part of conversations around addressing social issues such as the disparity in health outcomes and access.

I have had malaria, and you can relate to me. I think eliminating all the ways that we are different ... naturally increases empathy, Diouf said. And if we increase empathy, all the changes that we wish to see in the world will definitely come.
China has significantly raised awareness about posthumous organ donation among its people and improved its organ transplantation technologies, with the number of registered organ donors reaching nearly 6.2 million and the number of annual organ transplants continuing to rank the second-highest in the world, officials and experts said last week.

However, they said that China still has a much lower rate of organ donors  the number of donors per million of the population  when compared with some developed countries, and hospitals capable of conducting transplantations are unevenly distributed.

More efforts are needed to boost awareness, direct quality medical resources to the grassroots and step up social assistance for those in need, they said.

Data released by the Red Cross Society of China shows that nearly 1.54 million people registered as organ donors last year, compared with around 1.52 million in 2021 and 1.01 million in 2020.

The total number of registered donors now exceeds 6.18 million, and the majority are young and middle-aged adults, age 45 and below, said Hou Fengzhong, head of the China Organ Donation Administrative Center, which is administered by the Red Cross Society of China.

"Public awareness about organ donation has markedly increased," Hou said during an event paying tribute to organ donors held in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, from Thursday through Saturday.

In 2010, China began a voluntary organ donation trial program. In 2015, voluntary posthumous donation became the only legal source of organ transplants in the country. The program has conducted 135,000 organ transplants involving about 44,000 posthumous organ donors in 13 years.

Progress 'no easy task'

Guo Yanhong, director of the National Health Commission's medical emergency department, said that last year, China completed nearly 17,600 organ transplants, thanks to about 5,600 donors, up 5.2 percent and 6.75 percent, respectively, from 2021.

"Having achieved this progress in spite of COVID-19 outbreaks was no easy task," she said.

Since 2016, the numbers of organ donors, organ donations and transplantation surgeries in the country have continued to rank the second-highest in the world and the highest in Asia.

"Through evaluations of surgical complications, we also see that the quality of organ transplantations in China ranks high in the world," she said.

However, Guo noted that the number of organ donors per million people in China stands at around 3.98. The United States and Spain have the highest number of about 41 donors per million.

"There are 183 hospitals qualified to conduct organ transplantations (in China), which are not enough to meet the demands of a large population," she said.

Guo called for mobilizing the whole society to raise awareness about organ donation, improving fairness, transparency and efficiency of its organ procurement system and directing high-quality healthcare resources to community levels.

She also called for building an effective assistance system for organ donors and their families, as well as for poor people in need of organ transplants.

Hou, head of the China Organ Donation Administrative Center, said the center will further boost awareness drives and provide convenient registration services. This year, the number of new registered donors is expected to exceed 1.2 million.

The center will also further ramp up memorial activities for organ donors and intensify humanitarian care for their families, Hou said.
Chelsea Torres used keep her conjoined twin daughters, Callie and Carter, concealed under a blanket in their stroller.

When they were babies it was hard for me. People would stare and take pictures. I actually ended up smashing someones phone, Torres, 30, tells TODAY.com. It was just easier to hide them.

But a lot has changed since then.

Callie and Carter are now 6 years old, and more visible than ever. To raise awareness about differences, Torres shares photos and videos on social media of the kindergartners as they navigate life with a shared body.

Youll see us at the mall and at expos. Were always out doing something. During the summer, we live at the pool, Torres, a pharmacy technician in Blackfoot, Idaho, says.

Callie and Carter are connected from the sternum down. They have separate hearts and stomachs, but share a liver, intestinal tract and bladder. Each girl controls one leg.

Conjoined twins are estimated to occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Approximately 70% of conjoined twins are female and most are stillborn or die shortly after delivery.

"Carter needed oxygen for two hours, but that was it," Torres says. "The only reason they spent five weeks in the hospital is because we were waiting on a special car seat to arrive."

Torres says she and her husband, Nick, have no plans at this time for Callie and Carter to undergo separation surgery.

Nick and Chelsea Torres with their children Callie, Carter, Jaysin and Mykah. (Nakona Frederick Photography)

They dont have any health issues, Torres says, adding that 24-hour surgery is extremely risky. Their age is also a factor: Callie and Carter turned 6 in January.

Doctors recommend doing it before the age of 4, because they wont remember the pain, Torres explains. She notes that neither Callie nor Carter has ever expressed a desire to be separated.

They don't know any other way of life," Torres says. "When people ask if they want to be separated, they're like, 'Huh? Why?'"

Dr. Steven Stylianos, who is surgeon-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital and has not treated the Torres twins, says that separation surgeries in cases like theirs generally have good survival rates.

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"It's a very demanding operation, but since they have separate hearts, heads and brains, they're in good shape," Stylianos tells TODAY.com. "If they survived their birth, they usually can be separated with high expectations."

Stylianos says that conjoined twins can live out a normal lifespan.

"It's heartbreaking at the end. One of the twins will get an illness that is deemed non-survivable. In many instances, the healthier twin will be offered an emergency separation surgery, but they'll say, 'No, I'll go with my sister,'" Stylianos says.

Though Callie and Carter are identical twins, Torres says their personalities could not be more different. She describes Callie as really girly, while Carter could not care less about lip gloss, and gravitates towards video games and her 9-year-old brother, Jaysin.

When the girls need a break from each other, one will put on headphones and watch TV on a tablet.

We try to give them their own time, even though theyre kind of like stuck together, Torres says.

Callie and Carter, who get around in a wheelchair, are learning to walk in physical therapy. (Courtesy Chelsea Torres)

For Torres, the most challenging thing about having conjoined twins is having to sew all their clothes. She'll buy two dresses, shirts or jackets, cut them up, and stitch them together.

Callie and Carter have also grown out of their custom car seat.

Shriners Hospital for Children in Salt Lake City, Utah has a car seat clinic for children with special needs, but Torres says the next available appointment isn't until September.

Stuff like that is frustrating," Torres says.

But she prefers to focus on the positive, like how Callie and Carter love school  and each other.

They caress each other's legs. Sometimes when Carter is anxious, shell draw a circle on Callies leg with her finger and just keep following it, Torres reveals.

The sisters get around in a wheelchair, and are learning how to walk and coordinate their movements in physical therapy. At the moment, they are able to take 40 steps.

Torres says she is hopeful about their future. Through social media she's connected with adult conjoined twins, who drive, date and have fulfilling careers.

"Yes, they're going to have challenges, but I know they're going to be just fine because they have each other," Torres tells TODAY.com.

Related video:

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
If you're noticing more purple than usual recently, it's for a reason. April marks Month of the Military Child, a monthlong campaign to recognize military kids, and their strength amid the specific challenges they face, by using the color purple to celebrate.

According to the Department of Defense, there are more than 1.6 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parents service.

Military kids are tough, Adriene Engstrom, military spouse and mother of two, tells TODAY.com. Through moves, transitions and even caregiving, they see the light and opportunity in everything.

Engstrom, who works with Blue Star Families  an organization that helps raise awareness of the distinctive challenges of military family life  says that military life is especially challenging for children of service members.

We often forget about their potential struggles and Month of the Military Child asks us to take that moment, celebrate their strength as supporters and recognize how this adventure likely looks through their eyes, she says.

What Is Month of the Military Child?

April is designated as Month of the Military Child, a celebration of the important role children play in the military community. Schools nationwide participate in "Purple Up For Military Kids" and engage in activities that honor the sacrifices made by children of service members.

This year marks the 36th anniversary of Month of the Military Child, which was created by former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1986. The color purple is used because it represents all branches of the military.

Military families experience separations from their service member for a number of reasons beyond deployment including: temporary duty travel (TDY), training, and geo-baching, a common scenario where a military family separates, leaving the spouse and kids in one location while the service member reports for duty in another.

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"It is important to put a spotlight on military kids, because they sacrifice so much that allow their parents to selflessly serve," Karissa Poe, a Blue Star Families chapter director in Tampa, Florida, tells TODAY.com. "They often have to sacrifice having their parents at milestones, birthday celebrations, school activities, and so many other celebratory events."

According to a recent study of 9,300 military families, the impacts of service on family life continues to be a top concern for active-duty families, with time away from family as a top five issue for active-duty, National Guard and Reserve family respondents.

The study also found that one in three active-duty family respondents (32%) with at least one child enrolled in grades K-12 for the 2021-2022 school year had a child (20 years or younger) experience bullying on school property in the 12 months prior to survey fielding. And 16% of active-duty family respondents with at least one child in grades K-12 report their child (or children) does not currently receive mental health care, but they would like them to receive it.

Suzy Malloy, a Navy spouse and mother of three, tells TODAY.com that military kids often have to reinvent themselves with each move.

"Making friends isnt easy; imagine being the new kid every two years. Their support system is ripped apart (and) every school in this nation is run so differently than the next that they have to learn everything over again," Malloy says. "Society and our communities need to know that military kids, although resilient, need a little shout-out once a year to say thank you to them."

Related video:

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Get Sacramento's newest Food and Drink news delivered to your inbox

Sign up here to receive our free weekly Food and Drink newsletter, written by The Sacramento Bee food reporter Benjy Egel. You'll exclusively receive an early look at the latest news on restaurants, bars, festivals, dishes and everything else in Sacramento's fast-changing food scene.

Is dry weather around the corner after months of rain? If so, Sacramento-area residents will step out to plenty of new restaurants.

At least 28 restaurants opened around the Sacramento region in March, from an East Sacramento cafe with a Southern bend to a Brazilian-style steakhouse in El Dorado County.

Four restaurants opened in Roseville, three in Folsom and Davis and two in Carmichael and Elk Grove. Granite Bay, Rancho Cordova, Diamond Springs, Placerville, Auburn, Fair Oaks and El Dorado Hills each added one apiece.

Related story lead image

About the Writer

Benjy Egel, a Sacramento native, covers local restaurants and bars for The Bee.

Best Dim Sum (8675 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay): Best Dim Sum introduced familiar Chinese brunch and dinner items such as siu mai, chow fun and sweet-and-sour pork to Granite Bay Village shopping center.

Bradshaws Sandwich Shoppe (3591 Bradshaw Road, Sacramento): Try a French dip, chipotle chicken sub or Cubano on sourdough at this Rosemont sandwich station.

Burger Shack (4545 Manzanita Ave., Carmichael): This all-American, locally-owned fast food spot with a drive-thru replaced Dairy Heaven with bacon cheeseburgers, crinkle-cut fries and banana splits.

Cafe 33 (1840 Fulton Ave., Sacramento): This charming cafe in Arden Arcade serves Peets Coffee alongside housemade French cakes, cookies and crepes.

Davis Sushi & Fusion (1260 Lake Blvd., Suite 103, Davis): Need casual Japanese food to-go? Try donburi bowls, teriyaki platters or sushi rolls from this new spot in Westlake Plaza Shopping Center.

Dog Haus Biergarten (1501 Blue Oaks Blvd., Roseville): Loaded hot dogs, burgers and beer are the things to get at this Pasadena-based chain, which made its first foray into the Sacramento area with this location in west Rosevilles Campus Oaks Town Center.

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Druthers Coffee & Waffles (533 53rd St., Sacramento): Sweet potato waffles met Southern hospitality when this East Sacramento cafe opened on March 11, specializing in New Orleans-style dark roast coffee with chicory syrup.

Frannys Farm Table (311 Main St., Placerville): Youll find a mix of American classics (chicken pesto sandwiches, spaghetti with housemade meatballs) and New American fun (jambalaya fettuccine, artichoke hearts battered with a local IPA) at this farm table.

Fuentes Steakhouse (4232 Fowler Lane, Suite 101, Diamond Springs): El Dorado Countys new Brazilian-style steakhouse can feed you brunch items, tapas or all-you-can-eat rodizio meat platters.

Hacienda Real (702 Sutter St., Folsom): Hacienda Del Rio is gone after more than 30 years, but Plank Craft Kitchen + Bar owner Michael Sanson has opened its successor in the same Folsom Historic District space, serving Mexican dishes and cocktails.

Happy Mochi (612 4th St, Davis): Mochi doughnuts and Korean-style hot dogs (corn dogs adorned with sweet or savory toppings) have become trendy, and Happy Mochi added to that in Davis with its March 10 opening.

Its Sushi (5030 Foothills Blvd., Roseville): Fukumi Restaurant Group opened its all-you-can-eat sushi spot in Foothill Junction shopping center on March 1, with sashimi burritos and bulgogi fries among the a la carte items.

Kitchen 15 (1630 K St., Sacramento): You can get fried chicken chilaquiles, Nutella waffles, ahi poke salads and more at Ed Davids new fast-casual breakfast and lunch spot in midtown.

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue (3291 Truxel Road, Suite 6, Sacramento): This Honolulu-based chain brought its plate lunches (a main such as kalua pork or loco moco, along with rice and macaroni salad) to South Natomas.

Mabels Farm Box (227 E St., Suite 3, Davis): Shelly Dunnings pop-up business now has a downtown Davis storefront in which to sell curated charcuterie boxes and individual ingredients from local producers.

Mexico Lindo (1410 E. Roseville Parkway, Suite 140, Roseville): Fans of Andres Valencia and Daniel Gutierrezs existing El Dorado Hills restaurant can now visit Palisades Plaza for Mexican dishes such as pollo borracho, vegan empanadas or mahi mahi tacos.

Nekter Juice Bar (7450 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 120, Elk Grove): Acai bowls, smoothies and juices are on tap at Nekter, which opened its sixth area location in The Ridge shopping center on March 25.

Pizza Factory (13470 Lincoln Way, Auburn): This Oakhurst-based pizza chain expanded to Auburn on March 14, a month after opening a new Rocklin location.

Steves Pizza (9385 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 100, Elk Grove): This 45-year-old local pizza chain closed an Elk Grove location in early 2022, but new franchisees brought it back where Its A Grind Coffee House had previously been.

Taqueria Los Cantaritos (242 Vernon St., Roseville): The second location for this Mexican restaurant (the original is in North Highlands) brings mariscos and carne asada back where Nelas Mexican Restaurant had been in downtown Roseville.

Teaspoon (1171 Riley St., Folsom): Sweet options include macarons, coffee cake and Peruvian chocolate brownies at this boba chain that chose Folsom Central shopping center for its third area location, with two more planned in downtown Sacramento, Elk Grove and the El Dorado Hills Town Center.

The Caring Kitchen (3084 Sunrise Blvd., Suite 15, Rancho Cordova): Delaney Polidoris gluten-free, mostly-vegan, keto-friendly bakery opened March 18 after a successful string of pop-ups throughout the last couple of years.

The Melt (330 Palladio Parkway, Suite 2025, Folsom): This San Francisco chain beloved for its grilled cheeses, cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese skillets opened its first standalone area restaurant in Folsoms Palladio shopping center. Outposts can also be found in Local Kitchens food halls in Davis and Roseville.

Thirtyfour Mexican Cantina (1100 O St., Sacramento): Originally founded as a food stand, this Mexican eatery opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant where Vallejos had been in downtown Sacramento.

TJs Tacos (5312 Hazel Ave., Fair Oaks): TJs specializes in Tijuana-style street tacos, featuring meats grilled over mesquite wood, big globs of guacamole and corn tortillas.

University of Beer (5090 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento): Nate Yungvanitsaits beer bar and kitchen opened its sixth area location on March 15, replacing Track 7 Brewings The Other Side in East Sacramento.

Vacanza Romana (2023 Vine St., Suite 101, El Dorado Hills): This Italian restaurant is the newest project for El Dorado County restaurateurs Nick and Alexia Dedier (Milestone Restaurant & Cocktail Bar, Almighty Bistro, Chx Shop), replacing their Asian fusion restaurant Stick House.

Yerevan Bar & Restaurant (7600 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael): Yerevan is one of the few area restaurants to specialize in Armenian dishes such as lahmacun (pizza-like flatbread), khashlama (lamb stew) and lula kebabs.
5,008,482 Ukrainians have registered for temporary protection or similar national protection schemes in European countries.

Source: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeess report

Details: According to UN data, between 31 January to 28 March, the number of Ukrainian citizens who acquired official protection status in European countries increased by 185,000. The UN received information about Ukrainian refugees from national governments.

Most Ukrainians with the status of temporary protection live in Poland  1.577 million. Germany ranks second in terms of the number of Ukrainian refugees, with 922,000 of people. 502,000 Ukrainians have found refuge in the Czech Republic.

More than 191,000 Ukrainian refugees live in Great Britain.

Over 173,000 Ukrainians have been granted asylum in Italy and over 171,000 in Spain.

Over 123,000 Ukrainians have stayed in Romania. 112,000 citizens of Ukraine have received temporary protection in Slovenia.

Reportedly, in total, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, more than 8 million Ukrainian refugees have been registered on the territory of Europe. Later, some of them returned home or left for other countries around the world.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  While residents across parts of the South and Midwest pummeled by deadly storms and wildfires sifted through the wreckage of their homes Monday, forecasters warned of more severe weather and fire danger in the days ahead across much of the same region.

The fierce storms that spawned tornadoes in 11 states killed at least 32 people as the system that began Friday plodded through Arkansas and traveled northeast through the South and into the Midwest and Northeast.

Here's a look at the severe storms over the weekend and what's expected in the days ahead:

WILDFIRE DANGER REMAINS HIGH

On the western side of the storm lines that developed Friday were extremely dry conditions in Oklahoma that combined with high winds to fuel several large wildfires that forced interstate closures and sent residents fleeing from their homes.

More than 40 homes were destroyed across Oklahoma, including 30 in an area near the town of Guthrie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City, where firefighters had urged residents to evacuate.

With their eyes burning and the heat of the flames circling them, Jessica Garinger and her family ran around their 10-acre (4-hectare) property with hoses Friday to save their family home built by Garinger's great-grandfather in Guthrie.

The wind was so terrible it was just like a blowtorch, and once we would get certain areas put out it would just reignite, she said.

While neighbors evacuated, Garinger said her father, Jim, did not want to leave behind his cherished home, so she and her sister raced to help him. With the help of firefighters, they fought the flames until about 2 a.m., leaving with blisters, scrapes and small burns. Several of the homes nearby burned down.

Its a miracle that we were able to save the property, Garinger said.

The threat of fire danger remains high Tuesday across portions of far western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, northeast New Mexico and far southeastern Colorado, with low humidity, dry vegetation and wind gusts expected up to 70 mph (113 kph), according to the National Weather Service.

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MORE SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST

Forecasters say more severe weather is forecast for Tuesday afternoon and evening across parts of Arkansas, Missouri into southeastern Iowa and west central Illinois.

That could initially start as isolated supercells with all hazards possible  tornadoes, wind and hail  and then over time typically they form into a line (of thunderstorms) and continue moving eastward, said Ryan Bunker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

The same conditions that fueled last week's storms  an area of low pressure combined with strong southerly winds  will make conditions ideal for another round of severe weather Tuesday into early morning Wednesday, Bunker said.

Those conditions, which typically include dry air from the west going up over the Rockies and crashing into warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, are what make the U.S. so prone to tornadoes and other severe storms.

DEADLY STORMS BEGAN IN ARKANSAS

Arkansas was among the first states hit by the severe weather Friday when a tornado dropped from the sky and tore through the states capital, Little Rock, destroying homes and businesses, splintering trees and tossing vehicles. At least five people were killed in Arkansas, including four deaths in the rural community of Wynne, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee.

Tennessee recorded at least 15 deaths, including nine fatalities in McNairy County, east of Memphis, said Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Elsewhere, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert, resulting in at least one death. The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

National Weather Service survey teams that earlier confirmed the presence of tornados in New Jersey and Delaware over the weekend said Monday that a tornado also touched down in Pennsylvania. The tornados were generated as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the region Saturday night. Forecasters said one EF-1 tornado with peak wind speeds of 95 to 105 mph (153 to 169 kph) touched down in Wrightstown and traveled almost 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) to Newtown in Bucks County.

Four other storms were confirmed in New Jersey and one in Delaware, where a person was found dead in a heavily damaged home. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency said it was the first tornado-related death in the state in 40 years.

Nationwide, there were more than 800 severe weather reports over the weekend, including reports of hail, high winds and tornadoes, Bunker said.

___

Associated Press reporters around the country contributed to this report, including Beatrice Dupuy in New York, Ron Todt in Philadelphia, Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, Kimberlee Kruesi in Adamsville, Tennessee, Harm Venhuizen in Belvidere, Illinois, and Corey Williams in Detroit.
More service members will soon qualify for a new allowance thats designed to help them put food on the table.

Defense officials plan to change eligibility rules for the Basic Needs Allowance in July, increasing the income eligibility cap to 150% of federal poverty guidelines, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during a March 28 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

Thats six months before DoD is required by law to make the change. The higher income cap will allow us to help more families, Austin said.

In a related move, two members of the House have introduced legislation to make the Basic Needs Allowance tax exempt.

Mandated in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, the allowance serves as a safety net for military families to help combat food insecurity. It went into effect in January, and currently goes to troops whose total family income is less than 130% of federal poverty guidelines, which, in addition to total family income, are based on household size and location.

In the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers included a provision raising the income eligibility cap for the allowance to 150% of federal poverty guidelines, which would allow more families to qualify. DoD is required to implement the new provision by 2024, but the law allows them to do it earlier.

Initial screening by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy found 85 service members who may be eligible. The Army issued its guidance on Feb. 27 and has begun screening its soldiers.

Based on Defense Department estimates, the higher income cap would increase the number of active duty families who might be eligible for the allowance to about 2,400.

Allowance for the most at-risk military families begins to take shape

One sticking point is that the Basic Allowance for Housing is counted as income by DoD when calculating eligibility. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, asked Austin whether he would consider removing BAH from the calculation for the Basic Needs Allowance.

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We will do whatevers feasible or what were allowed to do by law, Austin replied.

Military family advocates have argued that BAH should be excluded when calculating total family income for the nees allowance, but Congress left it up to DoD to determine whether to include it. Defense officials have since agreed to exclude the housing allowance for some service members  but only in high cost-of-living areas as determined by defense officials.

DoDs own surveys show that 24% of our service members experience food insecurity, Gillibrand said. Last year, I met with military families on Staten Island who spoke about the challenges they face in basically putting food on the table to feed their kids.

However, very few service members are considered eligible for Basic Needs Allowance  since [the housing allowance] is included in family income calculations.

Without a change, the needs allowance will remain out of reach for families who need it the most, said Eileen Huck, government relations senior deputy director for the National Military Family Association.

Lawmakers call for tax exemption

Meanwhile, two congressmen have proposed legislation that would make the Basic Needs Allowance tax exempt.

Taxing support meant to help the most vulnerable undermines the purpose, said Rep. Steve Womack, R-Arkansas, who introduced the proposal March 22 with Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Michigan. BNA should be treated like other military benefits outside of earned income, which is exactly what this bill prescribes.

Military members deserve to receive the full value of their military benefits, said Kildee. The Basic Needs Allowance, which helps support thousands of service members and their families, is not income and should not be subject to income taxes.

Family advocates support the efforts to make the BNA tax free.

Congress intent in authorizing BNA was to put more money in low-income military families pockets, not to increase their tax burden, said Huck.
Five children missing from Washington state were found and rescued as authorities took their parents into custody in Mexico, U.S. officials said on Friday. The parents, identified as Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, became the first fugitive couple to appear on the U.S. Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted list in February, after almost two years on the run.

Casian-Garcia and Medina, who were wanted in connection with various child abuse offenses, including suspected sex trafficking, and the murder of a child in Washington state, set off an international manhunt and in 2021 allegedly fled to Mexico, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, right, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina. / Credit: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The couple now faces charges for the murder of a child as well as multiple counts of child sexual abuse, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children announced after their arrest. The pair will remain in custody of Mexican authorities while they await extradition back to Washington, according to the agency. The five children who were found and rescued have been returned to the U.S. and placed in protective custody.

"We are so thankful that all five missing children have been rescued safely," said John Bischoff, who oversees the Missing Children Division at NCMEC, in a statement included with the agency's announcement.

"The crimes that Araceli Medina and Edgar Casian-Garcia are charged with are heinous and we commend the unwavering dedication of law enforcement," Bischoff's statement continued. "This successful rescue is a testament to the critical importance of collaboration and community involvement in safeguarding our most vulnerable population."

Authorities began to investigate Casian-Garcia and Medina after they discovered two abandoned girls, later identified as Casian-Garcia's biological daughters, then 8 and 3 years old, at a gas station in Tijuana in late 2020. The children allegedly showed signs of "severe physical and sexual abuse," the Marshals Service said, and they were taken into protective custody in Mexico as an investigation eventually got underway in Washington.

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Police say that Casian-Garcia and Medina took four of his biological children and an infant they share together with them when they fled to Mexico in 2021. At the time, their 7-year-old son Edgar Jr., was missing, according to NCMEC. Although the couple initially told investigators, prior to fleeing the country, that the child was staying with relatives in California, authorities earlier this year found human remains near their home in Washington that they later identified as belonging to Edgar, Jr.

The eastern Washington branch of the U.S. Marshals previously offered a $25,000 per person reward to anyone who could offer information leading to the arrests of Casian-Garcia and Medina. They face charges for aggravated murder in the first degree, four counts of rape of a child in the first degree and three counts of assault of a child in the first degree, according to the agency.

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A California woman is facing homicide charges after her baby died during an at-home delivery.

Kelsey Carpenter, 33, was charged with murder and child endangerment after her newborn Kiera died during a home birth in 2020, The Guardian reported. Ms Carpenter, who was by herself when her water broke two weeks before her scheduled due date, reportedly cut the umbilical cord and tried to breastfeed Kiera before passing out.

When she woke up, she realised Kiera was not breathing and called 911. San Diego prosecutors are now building a case against the mother of three, who lost custody of her two other children due to past drug use.

After regaining custody of her youngest child and becoming pregnant with Kiera, Ms Carpenter sought treatment at a facility, where she was prescribed buprenorphine for withdrawal symptoms. An autopsy determined that Kieras death was an accident associated with methamphetamine and buprenorphine exposure and unattended delivery.

Experts hired by Ms Carpenters defence argue that Kiera died as a result of blood loss before or after birth. Her lawyers are also citing a state bill that exempts people from being charged for the decisions they took during pregnancy if the outcome is an abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth.

Following the tragedy, Ms Carpenter was questioned after she was briefly treated at a hospital. She was charged with murder and arrested in March 2021 before being released on bail.

She was taken into custody again in January after failing to appear in court.

I am still stunned and horrified that a person could have the biggest tragedy of their life and lose a child who was loved and was so wanted, and then be charged with such a horrible crime, she told The Guardian over text messages from jail. I had cherished the idea of this baby and was totally committed to becoming the best mother I knew how to be. I mourn every day for Kiera.

Ms Carpenters mother, who has custody of Ms Carpenters eldest child, says that prosecutors and media outlets inaccurately portrayed her daughters story, prompting a wave of harassment and threats.

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I was fearful for her safety, and all of this was happening while she was trying to mourn Kiera, Shande Carpenter told The Guardian.

Ms Carpenter told the outlet that she had prepared and researched for the home delivery. She said she opted for an at-home birth after losing custody of both her children when they tested positive for drugs at the hospital after birth.

I did not want to risk losing my third child to the system, Ms Carpenter said. I love my babies and hoped to provide a sibling to them. I had imagined my sons being her big brothers and protecting her and showing her love.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have argued that Ms Carpenters alleged delay to phone first responders and her decision to cut the umbilical cord led to Kieras death, despite no medical evidence.

The District Attorneys office told The Guardian in a statement: Carpenter is not being prosecuted for her decision to have a home birth or substance use. This is not a case involving abortion, stillbirth, or any other pregnancy outcome. This is a case about a newborn baby who died as a direct result of a parents acts and omissions after the babys live birth.
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

MOTOR VOTER PROGRAM LED TO MORE PEOPLE REGISTERING

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is the most widely used method of voter registration in the state, according to a new study from the Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID)at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

The DMV launched its motor voter program in April 2018, and through the 2020 general election, 43% of new registrants in the state had done so through that agency, according to the report. Just under 40% registered online and less than 17% used other methods.

However, that hasnt necessarily led to greater turnout, the study found.

Despite major gains in voter registration, particularly for Black, Latino, Asian American and youth demographics, only 68% of those who registered through the DMV voted in the 2020 general election. That is 16.7 percentage points lower than those who had registered online during the same period.

What these data tell us is that while the California New Motor Voter law has helped broaden access to elections through registration, it doesnt translate into the same gains in voter turnout, said CID Director Mindy Romero in a statement. The program does not eliminate the need for sustained and effective voter outreach and engagement efforts, especially for groups historically underrepresented at the ballot box.

You can read the full study here.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

MAGA extremists insist their attacks on LGBTQ people are only about the children. Thats a lie. These ideologues are trying to create a moral panic about children  dredging up false claims that LGBTQ people are a threat to kids  to justify broader attacks on our community.

- Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, via Twitter.

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Though Lesley Stahl opened her controversial sit-down with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Sunday reading back a string of insults to the congresswomans face, the momentum for a confrontational interview couldnt quite be sustained.

In voiceover, Stahl went on to call Greene smart and fearless, and ended the segment by pondering the question of whether the secessionist, QAnon-adjacent lawmaker would be able to expand her brash MTG brand beyond the right-wing populist base.

To open the 60 Minutes interview, which was filmed prior to Donald Trumps indictment, Stahl told Greene: We looked up some words that have been said about you Crazy, Q-clown, Looney Tune, unhinged, moron. Pretty ugly stuff.

Looks like the average troll in my Twitter feed, Greene replied evenly. So, I dont really care.

Then the congresswoman took the opportunity to double down on some of her own verbal taunts. When Stahl prompted her on a prior claim that the Democrats are a party of pedophiles, Greene hastened to confirm the baseless assertion.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she stands by some of her unfounded, polarizing claims, like Democrats are a party of pedophiles" and the 2020 election was stolen. https://t.co/33pUe30EDl pic.twitter.com/lYHaNKMYJN  60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 2, 2023

I would definitely say so, she said. They support grooming children.

They are not pedophiles, Stahl said, in one of the interviews rare instances of pushback. Why would you say that?

DemocratsDemocrats support, even Joe Biden, the president himself, supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries, Greene spewed, invoking an alt-right applause line that has been repeatedly debunked. Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children.

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Wow. OK, Stahl replied. But my question really is, cant you fight for what you believe in without all that name-calling and without the personal attacks?

Marjorie Taylor Greene came to Congress with a social media history replete with QAnon conspiracy theories. Now, shes a top Republican fundraiser and close adviser to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. https://t.co/NWfOcvKqH7 pic.twitter.com/xeaIVKlnNY  60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 2, 2023

The segment also featured Greene showing Stahl around her conservative, largely white, working-class district, complete with clips of fans rushing up to gush over and embrace their congresswoman on the street. (Her constituents agree with her on the issues and like the way she fights for her beliefs, Stahl opined over the footage.) A portion also showed Greene, a CrossFit fanatic, pumping iron in the gym as she spoke to Stahl.

Greene also dug in her heels on past social media activity, refusing to apologize for liking Facebook comments declaring that Nancy Pelosi should be shot and that the Parkland school shooting was a false-flag operation.

Other people also ran my social media. I dont think I did that, she said, when asked about the Pelosi comment.

Are you saying that you dont stand by whats on your social media? Stahl asked.

About a minute in, Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she never said Parkland was a false flag and gets fact checked. A post of hers is shown on the screen while she is denying it pic.twitter.com/pRfkO4f4kj  Acyn (@Acyn) April 2, 2023

Well, of course I stand for whats on my social media, Greene shot back. But at times notyoure not always in control. We have all kinds of people that work on our social media.

When Stahl tried to ask about her stance on Parkland, Greene insisted, No, I never said Parkland was a false flag. No, Ive never said that, as the program displayed screenshots of her activity showing otherwise.

But as Stahl attempted to tell Greene that the 60 Minutes team had fact-checked her, the congresswoman bulldozed over her, demanding, Have you fact-checked all my statements from kindergarten through 12th grade? And in college? And as Ive paid my taxes, and never broken a law, and the onlyI got a few speeding tickets. Do we need to talk about those too?

Greene went on to compare Stahl to her online detractors, complaining that the focus was never on anything good about me, leading the CBS host to back down. Let me button this up and well move on, Stahl said.

The choice to interview Greene was hit with scathing backlash when it was first announced by CBS News earlier this week, with critics decrying the platforming of a virulent conspiracy theorist who, in the aftermath of the Nashville school shooting that left six people dead, called for more guns in schools.

Youre legitimizing a ghoul who harasses victims of school shootings, @60Minutes. But yeah, @LesleyRStahl, youll get tons of attention! Not great for a generation traumatized by gun violence. Shame on you. https://t.co/UBY4s5IHeS  Bradley Whitford (@BradleyWhitford) April 1, 2023

Youre legitimizing a ghoul who harasses victims of school shootings, @60Minutes, The West Wing actor Bradley Whitford tweeted on Saturday. But yeah, @LesleyRStahl, youll get tons of attention! Not great for a generation traumatized by gun violence. Shame on you.

Hours before the interview aired on Sunday night, Mary Trump, the former presidents niece, tweeted, Hey, @60MinutesI fixed it for you. In a photoshopped screenshot of a 60 Minutes tweet promoting the interview, Trump had tweaked the copy to read: American insurrectionist, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has no shame and isnt afraid to share her opinions, no matter how despicable and anti-American they are.

She sits down with former-journalist Leslie Stahl [sic], the rewritten text continued, who does her level best to normalize Greenes fascism. DONT WATCH tonight!

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A crash involving multiple vehicles disrupted traffic Monday night in front of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

ALSO READ: 1 shot at Ramsey Creek Park in Cornelius, police say

Video from the scene shows at least four vehicles involved while a police officer apprehends someone.

A Channel 9 photographer was at the intersection and it appeared to be the end of a high-speed chase.

Airport officials recommended people allow extra time if they were using the entrance on Wilkinson Boulevard.

Channel 9 reached out to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for more information.

 Multi-vehicle wreck at the airport entrance. Allow extra time if coming to the Airport.  CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) April 3, 2023

Two people had minor injuries.

This is a developing story, check back at wsoctv.com for updates.

VIDEO: Transportation secretary speaks about runway safety at Charlotte airport
Petersburg Police New Cover Art

PETERSBURGPolice have arrested two suspects in relation to the shooting that took place yesterday night in Walnut Hill.

Yesterday, police received a call at around 9:50 p.m. about multiple persons shot on the 1900 block of Varina Ave. Officers found three victims on the scene, one female and two male suffering from injuries. They were transported to the hospital, with the female in critical condition and the males in a stable condition.

Later on, a fourth victim named Stephen Ramos arrived in the hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. Police identified him as a suspect in the shooting. After being treated and released from the hospital, police charged Ramos with three counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle, discharge weapon in public, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Police arrested a second suspect, Stanley Nobles, and charged him with obstruction of justice and transportation of a firearm by felon.

Both Ramos and Nobles are currently in jail pending their court appearances.

If anyone has more information regarding the shootings, call the Petersburg/ Dinwiddie Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212 or online at www.p3tips.com.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Multiple people shot in Petersburg's Walnut Hill; two suspects arrested
Patients of Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center of South Carolina, which closed abruptly in February, will be able to retrieve their medical records from another doctor, the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said Monday.

The dermatology center, located at 5046 Highway 17 Bypass South, Suite 103, in Myrtle Beach, closed Feb. 17 without notice to its patients, according to a department statement.

The closing came before the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners which ruled Monday that Dr. Brandon Coakleys office could become the lawful custodian of the records. Coakleys office is at 5046 Highway 17 Bypass South, Suite 200.

The dermatology center was set to reopen on Feb. 20 under new ownership, but the transfer of ownership did not take place, according to the medical board order.

The center was previously owned by Joseph Masessa, who died in a plane crash in November 2019. Masessas practice continued to be operated by a family member, who was not a licensed physician in South Carolina, according to the order.

The family member employed licensed practitioners who treated patients at the center, although some practitioners were only at the practice site once a month.

After the center closed, no one contacted the patients in accordance with the boards policy regarding Closing of a Medical Practice, according to the order. In addition, the family member, who lives in New Jersey, did not contact the medical board about the closing.

Numerous patients contacted the local media in the area about their inability to obtain their records so that they could continue to receive treatment. Patients have gone more than 40 days with no ability to obtain their records, according to the order.

Many of those patients have cancer, according to the order, and have been unable to obtain their records to seek further treatment of their conditions, which may have resulted in treatment delays or necessity for repeat biopsies.

The order states that because the family member who took over the practice is not a physician it is doubtful that he legally owns the medical records. The board ruled that because Masessa is deceased, and because the board finds there is no responsible party who currently has custody of these records, the board has the authority to appoint a custodian of these records.
By Steve Gorman

(Reuters) -NASA on Monday named the first woman and the first African American ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission, introducing them as part of the four-member team chosen to fly on what would be the first crewed voyage around the moon in more than 50 years.

Christina Koch, 44, an engineer who already holds the record for longest continuous spaceflight by a woman and was part of NASA's first three all-female spacewalks, was named as a mission specialist for the Artemis II lunar flyby expected as early as next year.

She will be joined by Victor Glover, 46, a U.S. Navy aviator and veteran of four spacewalks who NASA has designated as pilot of Artemis II. He will be the first Black astronaut ever to be sent on a lunar mission.

Rounding out the crew are Jeremy Hansen, a Royal Canadian Air Force colonel and first Canadian ever chosen for a flight to the moon, as a mission specialist, and Reid Wiseman, another former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, named as mission commander. Both are 47.

All three NASA astronauts chosen for the Artemis II mission are veterans of previous expeditions aboard the International Space Station. Hansen, an astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency, is a spaceflight rookie.

The Artemis II quartet were introduced at a pep rally-like event attended by journalists, local elementary school students and space industry leaders, televised from Houston at the Johnson Space Center, NASA's mission control base.

"The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is humanity's crew," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on stage. "We are going."

U.S. President Joe Biden privately called the four on Sunday to congratulate them, the White House said.

Artemis II will mark the debut crewed flight - but not the first lunar landing - of an Apollo successor program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon's surface later this decade and ultimately establishing a sustainable outpost there as a stepping stone to future human exploration of Mars.

Story continues

The kickoff Artemis I mission was successfully completed in December 2022, capping the inaugural launch of NASA's powerful next-generation mega-rocket and its newly built Orion spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight that lasted 25 days.

The objective of the 10-day Artemis II journey around the moon and back, is to demonstrate that all of Orion's life-support apparatus and other systems will operate as designed with astronauts aboard in deep space.

Artemis II will venture some 6,400 miles (10,300 km) beyond the far side of the moon before returning, marking the closest pass humans have made to Earth's natural satellite since Apollo 17, which carried Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to the lunar surface in December 1972.

They were the last of 12 NASA astronauts - all of them white men - who walked on the moon during six Apollo missions starting in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

LUNAR FLIGHT PLAN

At its farthest distance from Earth, Artemis II is expected to reach a point more than 230,000 miles (370,000 km) away. The typical low-Earth orbit altitude of the International Space Station is about 250 miles above the planet.

Carried to Earth orbit atop NASA's two-stage Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Artemis II crew will practice manual maneuvers with the Orion spacecraft before handing back to ground control for further tests and the lunar flyby portion of the mission.

After looping around the moon, Orion will use gravity of the Earth and moon to send it on a propulsion-free return flight lasting about four more days, ending in a splashdown at sea.

If Artemis II succeeds, NASA plans to follow a few years later with an unprecedented landing on the moon's south pole with astronauts, one of them a woman, on Artemis III. Further crewed missions would follow about once a year.

Compared with the Apollo, born of the Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet space race, Artemis is a broader based program, enlisting commercial partners such as Elon Musk's SpaceX and the space agencies of Canada, Europe and Japan.

It marks a major redirection of NASA's human spaceflight ambitions beyond low-Earth orbit after decades focused on flights to and from the space station.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Bill Berkrot)
The crew of Artemis II. MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images

NASA on Monday revealed the four astronauts who will perform a flyby of the moon in 2024, marking humanity's first return to the lunar body since 1972.

The four crew members heading to the moon are American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, the agency said in a press release. All are in their 40s, and Hansen is the only one who has not yet traveled to outer space.

The mission, dubbed Artemis II, will be the first crewed flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft. While an exact date for the launch has not been scheduled, it will likely come no earlier than "late 2024," The Associated Press reported.

However, unlike the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, which actually put humans on the moon, Artemis II will not land on the lunar surface. In fact, it won't even enter the moon's orbit, AP noted  rather, the Orion spacecraft will simply fly around the moon and slingshot back to Earth on a 10-day flight. Artemis II is intended to be the first step towards lunar landings which will occur beyond 2024.

This is not to say, though, that the flight may not still be historic, as the mission will send the crew beyond the moon, and "potentially further than any human has traveled in history," CNN reported. However, the exact distance of the trip has not yet been determined, and NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton told CNN this will depend on "the day of liftoff and the relative distance of the moon from the Earth at the time of the mission."

"The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

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(Independent)

Nasa has announced the first four astronauts who will head back to the Moon, as part of its Artemis programme.

Christina Hammock Koch will be the mission specialist, and the first woman chosen for a lunar mission; Jeremy Hansen will serve in the same role; Victor Glover will be the missions pilot and the first person of colour on such a trip; and Reid Wiseman will be its commander.

(Nasa)

Some of that crew have already conducted pioneering space missions. Ms Koch holds the record for the longest continuous time in space by a woman as well as being part of the first all-female spacewalk, for instance.

The four were chosen by Norman D Knight, Nasas head of flight operations. He helped announced the new team, alongside Nasa administrator Bill Nelson, at an event on Monday.

Nasa hopes they will be the first astronauts in a programme that hopes eventually to land on the Moon  and then use that as a base to head to Mars.

The objective of the Artemis II flight, a 10-day, 1.4-million-mile (2.3-million-km) journey around the moon and back, is to demonstrate that all of Orions life-support apparatus and other systems will operate as designed with astronauts aboard in deep space.

The flight is targeted for as early as 2024.

As planned, Artemis II will venture some 6,400 miles (10,300 km) beyond the far side of the moon before returning, marking the closest pass that humans have made to Earths natural satellite since Apollo 17, which carried Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to the lunar surface in December 1972.

They were the last of 12 NASA astronauts who walked on the moon during six Apollo missions starting in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Edwin Buzz Aldrin.

At its farthest distance from Earth, Artemis II is expected to reach a point more than 230,000 miles (370,000 km) away, compared to the typical low-Earth orbit altitude of the International Space Station, about 250 miles (420 km) above the planet.

Carried to Earth orbit atop NASAs two-stage Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the Artemis II crew will practice manual maneuvers with the Orion spacecraft before handing control of the capsule back to ground control for further tests and the lunar flyby portion of the mission.

Story continues

The outbound journey would culminate with Orion looping around the moon, then using both the Earths and the moons gravity to send the spacecraft on a propulsion-free return flight lasting about four more days, ending in a splashdown at sea.

If Artemis II is a success, NASA plans to follow up a few years later with the programs first lunar landing of astronauts, one of them a woman, on Artemis III, then continue with additional crewed missions about once a year.

Compared with the Apollo program, born of the Cold War-era U.S.-Soviet space race, Artemis is broader based, enlisting commercial partners such as Elon Musks SpaceX and the government space agencies of Canada, Europe and Japan.

It also marks a major redirection of NASAs human spaceflight ambitions beyond low-Earth orbit after decades focused on its Space Shuttles and the International Space Station.

Additional reporting by agencies
Artists concept of a NASA Artemis astronaut on the Moon.



Artists conception of an Artemis astronaut working on the lunar surface.

Not since 1972 has a human set foot on the Moon, but NASA is aiming to change that through its ambitious Artemis program. The lunar missions kicked off on November 16, 2022 with Artemis 1, and now the space agency is preparing its astronauts for bigger and bolder missions to the Moon.

On December 14, 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt said goodbye to the Moon. As they drifted toward Earth, it likely never occurred to them that humans wouldnt return to the lunar surface for another half-century or more. But this is precisely where we find ourselves today, with the Apollo missions firmly in the history books.



Read more

What is NASAs Artemis project?

Artemis is the program that finally promises to rekindle lunar exploration, as NASA seeks to land a woman and man on the Moon by no earlier than 2025. But theres a lot more to Artemis than just plopping two people onto the lunar surface. This time, NASA plans to build a sustainable presence on and around the Moon, and to use the program as a stepping stone to the next giant leap: a crewed mission to Mars.



NASAs Space Launch System rocket on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center.



NASAs Space Launch System on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Announced in 2017, Artemis will enable human expansion across the solar system, according to NASAs Artemis Plan. The Artemis era could involve as many as 11 lunar missions (some crewed and some uncrewed), of which six are currently under development (Artemis 2 to 7)



Long-term goals include the construction of the Lunar Gateway (the first space station in orbit around the Moon) and the installation of Artemis Base Camp (a surface station). Both commercial and international partners will be involved, the latter of which will include the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Story continues

Why did NASA choose the name Artemis?

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the Moon and the hunt and the twin sister of Apollo, so its a nice call-back to the original crewed lunar missions. In fairness, however, Artemis is a superior name choice for a lunar mission, as Apollo is the Greek god of the Sun. The new name, it could be argued, is a timely correction to a potentially sexist oversight.

Why is NASA going back to the Moon?

Through NASA, the United States is aiming to lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities, according to a Space Policy Directive signed on December 11, 2017. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations, the White House memorandum continues.

Or more simply, the return to our natural satellite is about fostering new scientific discoveries, investigating potential economic benefits, and inspiring a new generation of explorers, according to NASA.

Indeed, theres still lots to learn about the Moon, such as the nature of its origin and its geochemical composition. Importantly, Artemis astronauts are set to explore the Moons south polar regions in search of water icea key enabler of a sustainable human presence there. Artemis could also carve a path to the commercialization of the Moon, whether it be space tourism or the mining of resources such as rare-earth elements and helium-3.

Artemis mission overview, showing expected advancements on the surface and in lunar orbit.

The part about Artemis being a stepping stone to Mars is also crucial. The technologies and learnings accrued over the course of these missions should make it possible for NASA and its partners to eventually launch a crewed mission to the Red Planet.



What technologies are needed for Artemis?

NASA and its partners, both private and public, are in the midst of developing a slew of new technologies. The Orion spacecraft that will take astronauts to the Moon and back is already developed, as is NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, which successfully performed its maiden flight during Artemis 1. But practically everything else still needs to be built.

The Axiom Space spacesuit for Artemis.

Other key technologies include three different lunar landers (two of which are to be provided by SpaceX), a lunar spacesuit known as xEMU (a prototype of which was unveiled by private partner Axiom Space on March 15, 2023), an unpressurized lunar rover, the aforementioned Lunar Gateway (which itself will involve multiple elements), and a host of exploration ground systems.



How much will Artemis cost?

Artists conception of an Artemis surface mission.

A lot. An Inspector General audit from November 15, 2021 found that $40 billion has already been spent on Artemis and that NASA can be expected to spend a total of $93 billion by the end of 2025. Alarmingly, the same report claimed that the first four launches of SLS/Orion will cost an estimated $4.1 billion apiece. Should NASA not be able to reduce this cost, the space agency will face significant challenges to sustaining its Artemis program in its current configuration, the Inspector General warned.

Is SpaceX a part of Artemis?

Yes, SpaceX is playing a key role in Artemis. In April 2021, the Elon Musk-led company signed a $2.89 billion contract with NASA to provide a lunar lander for the missions. A second SpaceX contract was awarded in November 2022 for the company to build a second lunar lander, but with upgrades. The company is intending to leverage its upcoming Starship rocket for the platform, which will require the gigantic rocket to perform a vertical landing on the lunar surface.

Conceptual image showing a SpaceX human lander design.

Prior to this, the Starship lander will have to re-fuel in low Earth orbit and link up with Orion to perform the astronaut transfer in lunar orbit. The required technological complexity seems daunting, and we eagerly wait to see if the SpaceX team can pull it off. That said, NASA is seeking a second lunar lander from a yet-to-be determined commercial provider not named SpaceX.

Has NASA chosen astronauts for the Artemis missions?

NASA has said that all active NASA astronauts are eligible to take part in the lunar program. On April 3, 2023, NASA announced the names of the four astronauts who will take part in Artemis 2, namely NASA astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

The names of the four Artemis 3 astronauts have not yet been announced and likely wont be until the conclusion of Artemis 2.

When did Artemis 1 launch?

The inaugural launch of NASAs Space Launch System occurred on November 16 at 1:47 a.m ET. NASA rolled the rocket back to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 4, and had been planning to launch the rocket on November 14, but a tropical storm forced a two-day delay. Some caulk-like material came loose as a result of the storm, but mission managers concluded that it wouldnt jeopardize the launch.

For this mission, an uncrewed Orion spacecraft traveled to the Moon and returned to Earth some three-and-a-half weeks later, without performing a lunar landing. Artemis 1 served to test the fledgling rocket and Orion capsule, setting the stage for the crewed Artemis 2 mission.



Overview of Artemis 1.

Artemis 1 saw the deployment of 10 low-cost cubesats and included a trio of manikins designed to measure vibrations and space radiation, along with a vest for protecting astronauts against ionizing radiation. The mission was deemed a big success despite some minor problems, including unexpected blackout periods and unusual wear and tear on Orions heat shield.



NASA attempted to launch Artemis 1 on two prior occasions, both resulting in a scrub. The first scrub on August 29 was cancelled after a faulty sensor erroneously indicated that an RS-25 engine had not reached the target ultra-cold temperature required at launch, while the second scrub on September 3 was the result of an unmanageable hydrogen leak. A hydrogen leak was detected during the first launch attempt, but engineers were successful in resolving the problem.

Following a successful cryogenic tanking test on September 22, NASA targeted September 27 for the third SLS launch attempt. The appearance of Hurricane Ian forced a postponement, sending the megarocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for shelter.

When is the Artemis 2 launch?

The Artemis 2 crew: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen.

Artemis 2, in which an Orion capsule complete with human crew will travel to the Moon and back without landing, is currently scheduled to happen no earlier than November 2024. The 10-day mission will be very similar to Artemis 1, save for the presence of the four-person crew consisting of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman (commander), Christina Koch (mission specialist), and Victor (pilot) Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen (mission specialist).

When is the Artemis 3 launch?

Artemis 3 is currently targeted for no earlier than late 2025. In March 2022, NASAs inspector general said the launch probably wont happen until 2026 at the earliest on account of the delayed development of the lunar spacesuit.



The plan is to land a man and woman near the Moons south polar region, where they will spend nearly a full week exploring the lunar surface. The two remaining crew members will stay aboard Orion. Should all go as planned, an unpressurized rover and other equipment will be placed on the surface in advance of the mission. At least four spacewalks are planned, with a priority placed on the search for water ice. NASA has also said it will choose a person of color for the moonwalks.

As part of the Artemis program in general, NASA expects to launch the first two Gateway elements in 2025: the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO). A SpaceX Falcon Heavy will perform the lifting duties, but an exact date for launch has not yet been announced.

When is the Artemis 4 launch?

Conceptual view of Lunar Gateway (left) and the Orion spacecraft.

The fourth Artemis mission is currently planned for September 2028. Four astronauts will launch to the Lunar Gateway, where they will continue to build-out the lunar outpost. The current plan is to send a European Space Agency astronaut to Gateway and use SpaceXs second human landing system to deliver the two-person crew to the surface. As before, SLS will perform the launching duties and Orion will serve as the spacecraft.

The mission will deliver the I-Hab habitat module to Gateway, which at that point will consist of the initial space station elements, namely the Power and Propulsion Element and Habitation and Logistics Outpost. I-Hab, a joint project of ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will eventually serve as the main habitat for astronauts when staying on board Gateway. A lunar landing was not expected for this mission, but NASA changed its mind in October 2022, saying astronauts will be sent down to the surface during Artemis 4.

When is the Artemis 5 launch?

Artemis 5 should launch in September 2029. The plan is to send four astronauts to Gateway and then deploy two crew members to the lunar surface with a yet-to-be announced lunar lander. The astronauts will once again explore the south polar region of the Moon. For this mission, the plan is to equip the astronauts with a lunar terrain vehicle, otherwise known as a Moon buggy.



The mission will also seek to deliver ESAs ESPRIT (European System Providing Refueling, Infrastructure and Telecommunications) to Gateway. ESPIRIT will supply enhanced communications, refuelling and a window somewhat like the European-built Cupola observatory on the International Space Station, according to ESA.

When is the Artemis 6 launch?

NASA expects to launch Artemis 6 in September 2030. A key goal of this mission will be to deliver an airlock to Gateway. A crewed lunar landing is also anticipated, but the specific lunar lander has not yet been chosen.

When is the Artemis 7 launch?

Artemis 7 is currently planned for September 2031. The specific lunar lander for this mission has not yet been announced, but the mission could involve the first-ever pressurized rover. By this point, sustained crewed operations on Gateway should begin in earnest.

What will happen next?

Artemis missions 8 through 11 are still in the proposal stage, so were not entirely certain as to when theyll launch or what will be involved.



Artists conception of a late Artemis era mission.

These late Artemis missions will expand in both scope and ambition and will likely see the installation of a lunar habitats, a pressurized mobile home, among other elements designed to enable humanitys sustained presence on the Moon. By this stage, lunar adventures could last as long as 45 days.

Should the Artemis program unfold as expected, NASA can then plan for a crewed trip to Mars. The current expectation is for a crew to land on the Red Planet in the late 2030s or early 2040s. A crewed expedition to Mars and back, without a landing, could happen in 2033 to take advantage of an ideal orbital alignment between Mars and Earth.

And from there, the rest of solar system awaits. But it all starts with Artemis.



This article was originally published on May 14, 2022.

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Carrying the Orion spacecraft, Nasa's Artemis 1 lifts off from launchpad 39-B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in November. (Getty Images)

Nasa has revealed the four astronauts who will fly around the Moon next year will include both the first Black man and the first woman to embark on a lunar mission.

Victor Glover and Christina Koch will be joined by Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen, the US space agency announced at a ceremony in Houston, Texas, on Monday.

Their 10-day mission, called Artemis II, is set to launch in late 2024 or early 2025.

It will see the four-person crew circle the Moon before returning to Earth.

They will not actually land on the lunar surface, but another Artemis mission scheduled for 2025 is set to return Nasa to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Read more: There might once have been life on the Moon

From left to right: Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch and Reid Wiseman. (Nasa)

Artemis I sits on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center before lift-off. (Getty Images)

Artemis II aims to test Nasa's life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft.

Eventually Nasa hopes to establish a base on the Moon.

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said: "Space is hard. You have to wait until you know that it's as safe as possible, because you're living right on the edge.

"So I'm not so concerned with the time. We're not going to launch until it's right."

Read more: Astronomers find closest black hole to Earth

Nasa has estimated the cost of the whole Artemis mission at $28 billion.

The mission is part of the agency's plan to put the first woman on the Moon.

It would mark the first time people have walked on its surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972.

Just 12 people have walked on the Moon  all of them men.

Nasa flew six manned missions to the surface of the Moon, beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in July 1969, up to Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt in December 1972.

Watch: Nasa announces four astronauts to go to moon
NASA announced Monday a naval aviator will lead an upcoming mission around the moon, bringing humans deeper into space than has been achieved in more than five decades.

Navy Capt. Gregory Reid Wiseman will serve as the commander for the Artemis II mission, scheduled for November 2024 at the earliest. The journey will mark the first crewed lunar mission for the space agency since the Apollo program ended in 1972.

Wiseman is set to be joined by Navy Capt. Victor Glover, who will serve as the flight crews pilot, as well as NASA astronaut Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, a colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers  the Artemis generation, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said at a news conference at NASA Johnson Space Centers Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.

On their roughly 10-day mission, the crew will orbit the moon aboard an Orion spacecraft using a Space Launch System rocket. NASA test launched the space capsule back in November 2022.

Destined for the moon, NASAs Artemis rocket blasts into space

The Artemis program looks to build toward further moon missions later this decade, which NASA says will include landing the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface. The space agency is targeting a 2025 launch date for that mission, known as Artemis III.

Before being selected as an astronaut in 2009, Wiseman commissioned to the sea service through the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1997, according to his NASA biography. The Baltimore, Maryland, native deployed twice to the Middle East and later served as a Navy test pilot. More recently, he held the most senior position among NASAs astronaut corps.

This will be Wisemans second trip to space after serving aboard the International Space Station in 2014. It will also be his fellow naval aviator Glovers second space flight, having previously piloted NASAs SpaceX Crew-1.

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Prior to being selected as an astronaut in 2013, Glover deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, later becoming a test pilot, according to his NASA biography. The California native has accumulated 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 aircraft, over 400 carrier arrested landings and 24 combat missions.

Our #Artemis II pilot is @AstroVicGlover!



Victor Glover is part of our 2013 class of @NASA_Astronauts and was the pilot for NASAs @SpaceX Crew-1 mission. Hes logged 3,000 flight hours in more than 40 different aircraft, and will pilot @NASA_Orion around the Moon. pic.twitter.com/P0zJ8pwaeL  NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2023

Of the 41 active NASA astronauts, more than half have at least some military experience. Across the services components, at least 10 space explorers have or are serving with the Navy, six with the Army, four with the Marine Corps and seven between the Air Force and Space Force.
NASA is to reveal the names on Monday of the astronauts -- three Americans and a Canadian -- who will fly around the Moon next year, a prelude to returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in a half century.

The mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to take place in November 2024 with the four-person crew circling the Moon but not landing on it.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025 -- more than five decades after the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface and eventually launch a voyage to Mars.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said this week at a "What's Next Summit" hosted by Axios that he expected a crewed mission to Mars by the year 2040.

The four members of the Artemis II crew will be announced at an event at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The 10-day Artemis II mission will test NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket as well as the life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft.

The first Artemis mission wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon.

During the trip around Earth's orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

Nelson was also asked at the Axios summit whether NASA could stick to its timetable of landing astronauts on the south pole of the Moon in late 2025.

"Space is hard," Nelson said. "You have to wait until you know that it's as safe as possible, because you're living right on the edge.

"So I'm not so concerned with the time," he said.

"We're not going to launch until it's right."

Only 12 people -- all of them white men -- have set foot on the Moon.

mav-cl/bbk/dw
NASA unveiled the crew on Monday for its first human mission to the Moon in more than 50 years - including the first woman and Black man to voyage into deep space.

Christina Koch, a NASA astronaut who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, will be a mission specialist on next year's Artemis II flight around the Moon.

NASA's Victor Glover, a naval aviator, will pilot the Orion spacecraft that circles the Moon in November 2024, becoming the first Black man to take part in a lunar mission.

Rounding out the crew are veteran NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, 47, the mission commander, and Jeremy Hansen, also 47, a former fighter pilot now with the Canadian Space Agency.

The three Americans and one Canadian will become the first astronauts to venture that deep into space since the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

The Artemis II flight is a prelude to returning humans to the Moon for the first time in a half century and an eventual mission to Mars.

The three American astronauts have all spent time on the International Space Station (ISS) while Hansen, the Canadian mission specialist, will be making his first space flight.

The four astronauts, dressed in blue flight suits, were introduced by NASA administrator Bill Nelson at an event at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"The largest, most powerful rocket in the world is going to propel them onward and upward into the heavens," Nelson said.

Koch, 44, an electrical engineer, spent a record 11 consecutive months in space and took part in the first all-female spacewalks while on the ISS.

"Am I excited?" Koch said. "Absolutely!"

The 46-year-old Glover said Artemis II is "more than a mission to the Moon and back."

"It is the next step that gets humanity to Mars," he said.

- Mars by 2040 -

Wiseman, the mission commander, said the diverse crew was made up of "exceptional operators."

"We're just all professional explorers," he told AFP.

"We are representing our nation," Wiseman said, but "we need the entire world to go along with us."

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Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada's minister of innovation, science and industry, attended the event and said his country "could not be more proud" to have a Canadian on the crew for the flight.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025 -- more than five decades after the final Apollo mission.

Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface as a stepping stone for an eventual voyage to Mars.

Nelson, the NASA chief, has said he expects a crewed mission to Mars by the year 2040.

The 10-day Artemis II mission will test NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket as well as the life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft.

The first Artemis flight wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon.

During the trip around Earth's orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

Only 12 people -- all of them white men -- have set foot on the Moon.

mav-cl/dw
NASA officials held a special event Monday to reveal the four astronauts it plans to send on a mission around the moon and back.

The Artemis II mission will mark the first time in more than 50 years humans will return to lunar orbit.

Artemis II is aiming to launch from Floridas Space Coast as soon as November of next year.

The mission will also set the stage for NASAs next moon landing.

Watch: NASA shares results of Artemis mission review in preparation for next crewed flight around the moon

The Artemis II crew will consist of three NASA astronauts and a Canadian astronaut.

Nasa astronaut Christina Hammond Kock was the first to be named to take part in the Artemis II mission.

Kock will serve as a mission specialist on the historic flight.

Watch: To boldly go: NASA reveals new spacesuits for planned Moon landing mission

She will be joined by fellow NASA astronaut Victor Glover who will serve as the pilot of NASAs Orion spacecraft.

This landscape of mountains and valleys speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASAs new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth.

This side-by-side comparison shows observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light, at left, and mid-infrared light, at right, from NASAs Webb Telescope.

Stephans Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, is best known for being prominently featured in the holiday classic film, Its a Wonderful Life.

NASAs James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webbs First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail.

NASAs James Webb Space Telescope has captured the distinct signature of water, along with evidence for clouds and haze, in the atmosphere surrounding a hot, puffy gas giant planet orbiting a distant Sun-like star.

This image provided by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows Stephan's Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies captured by the Webb Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument

This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, combined the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope's two cameras to create a never-before-seen view of a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), this combined image reveals previously invisible areas of star birth.

FILE - In this image provided by NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope is released into space from an Ariane rocket on Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus.

FILE - This 2015 artist's rendering provided by Northrop Grumman via NASA shows the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus.

FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021 photo released by the European Space Agency, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus.

FILE - In this April 13, 2017 photo provided by NASA, technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The telescope is designed to peer back so far that scientists will get a glimpse of the dawn of the universe about 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with sharper focus.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman was picked to serve as commander of Artemis II.

Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen was also selected as a mission specialist for the 10-day space voyage.

Watch: NASA collects data from mannequins to study impact of solar radiation on future astronauts

Artemis II will test NASAs human deep space exploration capabilities and help meet the goal of a future journey to Mars.

See more in the video above.
Audrey Hale spent months studying, mapping and planning to "commit mass murder" at Covenant School, an act perpetrated alone, police said.

Hale fired more than 150 rounds during the March 27 shooting, Metro Nashville Police said Monday in a news release a week after the incident.

Three 9-year-old students  Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney and staff members Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak and Mike Hill were killed before officers killed Hale.

According to MNPD, investigators found the detailed plans in journals collected from Hale's car and bedroom.

"The writings remain under careful review by the MNPD and the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia," the Monday release says. "The motive for Hales actions has not been established and remains under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit."

Hale studied the actions of other mass murderers, police said.

Hale was under the care of a doctor for an "emotional disorder," MNPD Chief John Drake said last week. The chief added that Hale's parents thought he had one firearm but had sold it. Officers found seven firearms at Hale's home.

The first 911 call from the school came at 10:12 a.m. Dispatchers fielded 26 calls in total for the shooting, mostly from people inside the school. Callers noted sounds of gunfire, others shushed children as they whimpered softly in the background.

15 minutes of terror: How the Covenant School shooting and Nashville police response unfolded

In surveillance footage from the school, Hale pulls into the school's parking lot and remains parked for about 10 minutes. Hale then approaches a side door, dressed in camo pants and a vest and shoots out a glass door to gain entry to the school. Hale then patrols the halls, climbing a staircase to the second-floor.

Hale fired 126 rifle rounds and 26 rounds from a 9mm handgun.

Officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo fired the killing shots at Hale.

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Body camera footage from the officers showed a quick and precise response. In video from Engelbert's camera, a staff member directs the responding officers to the second-floor. Police cleared each classroom on the bottom floor before one-by-one climbing the steps to the second floor.

At least 10 gunshots echoed down the halls before the officers made it to the vestibule where Hale was standing.

Engelbert fired four rounds at Hale from his rifle. Collazo, who was to the right of Engelbert, fired four rounds from his service weapon.

About 10 minutes after the first call came in to 911, Hale was dead.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville police: Covenant shooter planned for months, acted alone
The shooter in last week's deadly attack at a private Christian school in Nashville planned it for months, police said Monday.

Audrey Hale outlined plans "to commit mass murder at The Covenant School" in journals police found in the shooter's car and bedroom after the March 27 attack that killed six people, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.

Police previously said the shooter, a former student at the school, had carefully planned the attack with detailed maps and surveillance.

Police have not yet established a motive, but say the shooter considered the actions of other mass murderers.

"The writings remain under careful review by the MNPD and the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia," the police department said.

Authorities have said that a sense of resentment may have played a role in the attack that killed three adults and three 9-year-old students.

Police said the shooter, who acted alone, fired 152 rounds  126 of them 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 of them 9 mm rounds.

The shooter fired into a door to gain access to the school and was killed by officers.

Officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo both fired at the attacker, each discharging four rounds.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, were killed along with substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, school head Katherine Koonce, 60, and custodian Mike Hill, 61.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Flowers, balloons, and other items in memory of victims of the mass shooting are left at the entrance of the Covenant School on March 29. Seth Herald / Getty Images

The shooter who opened fire on a grade school in Nashville planned the attack for several months, investigators said Monday.

Audrey Hale, 28, wrote those plans in journals kept at home and had "considered the actions of other mass murderers," the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department said in a brief update.

Hale acted alone, and police said a motive for the shooting is still under investigation.

Hale was fatally shot by police after killing three 9-year-olds and three adult staff members at the Covenant School. Friends and law enforcement said Hale was transgender, and according to a LinkedIn profile, used he/him pronouns. A friend told ABC News that Hale recently transitioned and was going by Aiden.

Police have said that the shooter previously attended the private Christian school, which teaches preschool through sixth grade. In a car that the shooter drove to the school, police found writings that detailed plans "to commit mass murder." More of such writings were later found in Hale's bedroom, investigators said.

The journals are being reviewed by the police and the FBI.

Hale stormed the school building on the morning of the shooting armed with three firearms, which were purchased legally, police chief John Drake said.

According to police, Hale was seeing a doctor for an emotional disorder at the time but was not on law enforcement's radar.

Drake previously said that the shooter wrote a manifesto containing a map of the Covenant School, a drawing of how to enter the campus, and "the assaults that would take place." The manifesto also included the names of several other locations, but Drake declined to say if those places were targets as well.

The Nashville police's homicide unit is leading the investigation into the shooting. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is reviewing Hale's fatal shooting by police.

More on this
As a public service, The Tennessean has made this content free. Continue to follow updates in our new blog here.

Recap: Three children and three adult staff members were killed Monday at Covenant School in one of Tennessee's deadliest school shootings. Audrey Hale, 28, entered the school at about 10:11 a.m. armed with a rifle. Officers who responded to the scene killed Hale about 14 minutes later. Video footage shows a timeline from when Hale first got to the school until police fired the fatal shots.

911 calls from inside the school released Thursday by Metro police give more details as to the timeline of the shooting, as do a pair of officer radio clips released by police.

Gov. Bill Lee said Friday he would propose a measure to increase school security measures statewide and was open to the idea of considering something similar to red flag laws, which has been enacted in other states including Florida.

15 MINUTES OF TERROR: 15 minutes of terror: How the Covenant School shooting and Nashville police response unfolded

EXCLUSIVE: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee moves to boost school safety funding, open to some gun reform after shooting

Hundreds gather in Tennessee Capitol over gun control

Hundreds have already packed into the Tennessee Capitol, with more waiting to get through security, ahead of floor sessions Monday night. Many are parents who brought their young children. The crowd chanted What do we want? Gun control. When do we want it? Now! House members will be arriving soon and will have to pass through the crowd to get to the chamber.

Civic TN Coalition demonstrating at state capitol

Hours after students walked out of school to protest the Covenant School shooting at the state capitol, another group of protesters took to the capitol with a group of students singing "I want to learn by ABCs."

Walking for hope

Roxanne McClain is a mother and grandmother. As speakers from March For Our Lives addressed the crowd she sat on the capitol steps cheering.

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McClain has written, texted, and emailed every legislator at both the state and federal level.

She said she can't explain to her own 9-year-old grandson why he lives in a world where people in positions of power act so irresponsibly.

"I cant fathom a world where our legislators will say, 'We're with you, our thoughts and prayers are with you, we're here to assist if we can - and they do nothing!" Said McClain. "They do absolutely nothing, they're not here to assist us. They're here to fill their pockets and to support the NRA and to support laws that by any imagation are irrational and unfathomable!"

McClain struggled to speak about her grandson.

"How do I tell him, 'You dont have to be afraid to go to school next year?' The two windows that you have walking into your school look just like the ones at Covenant School," she said.

"I don't know if I have hope yet but I'm walking toward that."

March for Our Lives

Thousands of students, parents, caregivers and concerned Tennesseans marched Monday to the state capitol demanding action to gun laws in response to the Covenant School shooting.

MNPS leader praises students for honoring victims

MNPS Director Adrienne Battle said she was proud of the students who participated in "walk-in" rallies hosted across the district on Monday.

She called the rallies honoring the victims of the Covenant School shooting and advocating for action and change, "meaningful and poignant."

I appreciate all the school teams and student government associations who quickly worked together to hold these events in a way that allowed for an equitable and safe venue for students to build school community and voice their hopes and concerns," Battle said.

The district did not have an official count on the number of students who walked out to join the March for Our Lives rally that ended at the state capitol. Thousands attended the rally. MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted said they will not receive disciplinary consequences if they work with their parents and school to follow attendance or checkout procedures.

Battle also said she appreciated the students who attended the Capitol rally, and that the vast majority appeared to do so by working with the parents and schools to follow protocols.

While most students arent of age to vote, their voices in this conversation matter greatly, and I hope lawmakers and officials will listen and hear their calls for action and change as we work to build a safer society for all," Battle said.

Wilson County Schools protest Covenant Shooting

Wilson County Schools spokesperson Bart Barker said about 200 students from Green Hills High School walked out Monday. There were around 25 students from Mt. Juliet High School.

Barker said he wasnt aware of any other school walkouts within the Wilson County school district.

Absences and tardies are subject to school policy and will be handled accordingly regarding today's walkouts, Barker said.

Democratic lawmakers stripped from committee assignments

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, stripped two Democratic lawmakers of their committee assignments on Monday as punishment for their role in a protest and demonstration in support of gun control at the Capitol.

Sexton took the action against Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville. On Thursday, Jones and Johnson, along with Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, interrupted a debate about an education bill to lead protesters in calling for gun control. Pearson does not serve on any committees.

The three House Democrats approached the podium without being recognized to speak  breaching the chambers rules of procedure.

With a bullhorn, the three led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform. At no point did any demonstrators make their way onto the House floor.

Sexton immediately recessed the chamber, halting legislative business for nearly an hour before it resumed, and ordered security to clear the House galleries.

Sexton said other sanctions, including expulsion, will be considered.

The last time the House expelled a sitting lawmaker was in 2016 when the chamber voted 70-2 to remove then-Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, from the House for alleged sexual misconduct. At the time, it was the first expulsion since 1980 and only the second since the Civil War.

Last year, for the first time in its history, the Tennessee Senate voted to expel a senator, stripping Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, of her elected position following her federal conviction on federal wire fraud charges.

Gov. Bill Lee wants to beef up school security

Serious conversations on how legislatures strengthen school safety bill that was already in budget prior to Covenant School shooting.

"Today is the next step , but it is not the last step," Lee said.

But Lee would not commit to backing any gun reform this year.

More: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee moves to boost school safety funding, open to some gun reform after shooting

"There is a desire to find a way forward that protects kids in schools and in a better way than we have today," Lee said in response to the thousands of young people who marched to the Capitol on Monday. "We care very much about them coming home safely, and we will work together to find agreement on a way to move forward."

In the budget proposal, Lee is asking for $30 million to expand statewide homeland security network with 122 agents serving students at both public and private schools.

Here is a breakdown of the bill proposal.

$140 million to establish a School Resource Officer grant fund to place a trained, armed security guard at every public school.

$20 million for public school security upgrades.

$7 million for private school security upgrades.

$8 million for additional school-based behavioral health liaisons across the state.

Police release details on Hale's deadly attack

Metro Nashville police said Monday afternoon Hale fired 152 total rounds, 126 from a rifle and 26 nine millimeter rounds from a pistol they carried in mass shooting. Police also said Hale acted alone.

More: Nashville police: Shooter fired 152 rounds in Covenant shooting, acted alone

Police officer Rex Engelbert fired four rounds from his rifle and fellow officer Michael Collazo fired four rounds from his department-issued nine millimeter pistol, according to MNPD.

Police say Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers. Evidence collected from Hale's vehicle and bedroom show journal entries planning the attack on Covenant School months in advance.

The MNPDs Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into the murders of the six victims. The Cold Case Unit is working with the TBI in the investigation of the fatal police shooting.

Father of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting speak out

Nikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire on students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the Miami suburb of Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, 2018, killing 17 people and injuring another 17.

The father of one of those children spoke out in Nashville during Monday's protest.

Im not asking you to break the law, Im asking you to break the norm, said Manuel Oliver, father of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.Oliver urged students, teachers and parents to practice civil disobedience.Im not asking you to break the law, Im asking you to break the norm, he said.He also called for universal background checks, red flag laws and the banning of assault weapons.

Speaker Cameron Sexton backtracks on Jan. 6 comparison

Following protests last week, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, initially compared the events in Nashville to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in Washington D.C.

You had people outside the chamber who rushed the state troopers to try and get inside the chamber, Sexton said last week in a radio interview.

There is no evidence anyone rushed state troopers. THP reported no arrests or damage on Friday.

By Monday, Sexton backtracked, writing on Twitter his Thursday comparison to Jan. 6 was directed at three Democrat lawmakers, not the peaceful crowd of protesters.

Hume-Fogg student loud and proud

Jasmyn Milliken, a senior at Hume-Fogg and an organizer of the protest said they heard of the protest being organized by March For Our Lives and wanted to participate.

They were told that if they participated they would be suspended or face other disciplinary action such as having diplomas held and after school detention.

They organized the protest to begin off of school property as a way to abide by the rules.

"We're going to be loud we're not going to be silenced." She said. "We're hoping to send the message that youth stands for gun reform, we want to live to see the future, we want our loved ones to see the future."

Vanderbilt professor, MNPS board member speak out at protest

Eric Dyson, a Vanderbilt professor a media personality, stepped up to the microphone during the protest. Guns are weapons of mass destruction, especially AR 15's which needs to be banned," he said. "Dont ban books. Ban the idiotic, white supremacist, right-wing ignorance.On Monday, Dyson suspended his own class at Vanderbilt's Divinity School so students could attend the protest, not just to talk about God, but to talk about justice.Cheers erupted from the audience as he blamed toxic masculinity and transphobia.

Abigail Tyler, a Metro Nashville Public School's board member, parent and former teacher, asked students to raise their hands if they remember a time before lockdown drills. Hardly anyone raised their hand.I am so sorry  but were here to remind them that you are worth protecting, she said.She urged people to vote and to find out what candidates support common sense gun laws and support them.

Students protest in Cordell Hull

Dozens of students entered Cordell Hull and are now staging a sit in outside the office of House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville.

They screamed Kids are dying, do you care as Tennessee Highway Patrol shut the office doors.

Theyre joined by Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, who is facing sanctions as severe as expulsion for leading protest chants from the House floor on Thursday.

The students began pounding on the floor in time with their chant.

"Blood on your hands," they yelled. "Blood on your hands."

MNPS student: 'I'm tired'

At least 1,000 students and staff packed into the gym at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High around 11 a.m. Student speakers took to the podium in front of six chairs with white bows on them  one for each victim of the Covenant shooting.

As student Trey Madison read a poem he wrote, students took turns lighting six candles.

"I'm tired," Madison's began. "I'm tired of turning on the news and seeing another bloody massacred that could've been stopped."

Madison expressed exhaustion, anger and hope alike as at those gathered sat with silently with somber faces. Some had their heads in their hands, some had arms around each other, others wipe away tears as a few sniffles rippled through the crowd.

"The ball is in our court for as long as the bullet is still in the chamber," Madison said. "Do not let those precious children have died for nothing. Do not let those selfless teachers have died for nothing."

Madison continued to press for a call to action as the poem ended.

"We are the future. It's time to take it back," Madison said. "I'm tired. I'm angry. I'm hopeful. I'm done."

Nashville college students join the debate

More protestors from Belmont and Vanderbilt universities arrived at the Capitol doubling the size of the crowd. Many of them also wore red and held signs denouncing gun violence.As they ascended the steps of the Capitol building, they chanted.

What do we want? Gun control," they yelled. "When do we want it? Now!

Others slowly passed through security inside the Capitol and started chants in the rotunda.

Several young people stood at the top of the steps inside, overlooking the line of protestors waiting to pass through security.

Do your job! they chanted at lawmakers passing by.

About 300 students have a police escort down Broadway during a planned walk-out protesting gun violence in the wake of the Covenant Shooting. pic.twitter.com/O0ndRquvH8  Kirsten Fiscus (@KDFiscus) April 3, 2023

Students walk-out to protest at Capitol

Students from Nashville area schools walked out Monday to protest at the Capitol in the wake of the Covenant School shooting last week. High schoolers from Hume-Fogg walked the half-mile to the Hill chanting and carrying signs.

Hey Hey, Ho Ho, the NRA has got to go," they said.

State Rep. Justin Jones joined in with the crowd as hundreds gathered outside the Tennessee Capitol in misting rain to demand gun reform from state lawmakers. The lawmaker last week interrupted House proceedings to demand actions as protestors chanted in the rotunda outside the chamber doors.

At 10:13 a.m., the same time the first 911 call came in about the shooting, protestors sat for a moment of silence. Some bowed their heads and clasped their hands together in prayer.

"No one here, no one in that building should be able to do their job. No one in that building should be able to vote on anything else or even bills that regard this without thinking about the lives that have been lost last week, last year or for the many years this has been happening and nothing has been done about it," a student said at a bullhorn on the steps of Legislative Plaza.

Hillsboro High School students: #ProtectOurStudents

About 16 students sat on stage in the Hillsboro High School auditorium. Many of them were involved with student government and helped to plan the rally in support of The Covenant School.

At 10:13 a.m., students began streaming into the auditorium and filling the seats. A PowerPoint presentation was projected on the stage showing the message: #ProtectOurStudents.

Many students, both on stage and in the audience, wore bright red shirts for the six victims of The Covenant School shooting.

Hillsboro is home to more than 1,200 high school students grades 9-12.

Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School hold "walk-in"

About a dozen students who had parental permission to walk out gathered near the main office of Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School at 9:53 a.m.Over the loud speaker, a womans voice read: Hallie Scruggs, age 9.The remaining students gathered in their advisory rooms, where they met with teachers who track with them for their entire career through high school.The school had plans through the morning for a walk-in as an alternative to the walk-out, including a rally.

The names of the other victims were read over the PA as students settled into their rooms. A special video address by MNPS Director Adrienne Battle was shown as the walk-in events got underway.Sophomores inside Cindy Montgomerys classroom were each given a piece of a red paper heart to write their feelings and thoughts in the wake of the shooting. A few worked to tape the heart together as others finished writing their messages.Wish youd listen, one read.Students should never fear for their safety, another said.Another message elaborated more: The government should care more about the lives of 9-year-olds than the rights of gun owners. Will I be next? Those kids had so much life ahead of them. Its not fair. Ban assault weapons.

Around a dozen students gathered at the front of the school to sign out. Students were allowed to walk out if they had proper permissions. The rest are in their advisory classrooms, with teachers they track with their entire HS career. Im in Mrs. Montgomerys room. pic.twitter.com/okq0JvOtSn  Rachel Wegner (@rachelannwegner) April 3, 2023

Community Foundation fundraiser exceeds $600k

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee established the Caring for Covenant Fund to manage donations to the school "because of the outpouring of love from our generous and thoughtful community," CEO Hal Cato said last week.

As of this morning, the foundation has raised about $601,860 from 3,840 donations, an average of about $156 per gift.

Donations can be made at www.cfmt.org/covenant.

Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School students: 'We demand action'

Students at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School began their planned walk out with a demonstration outside of the school Monday.

A small group of about 30 students gathered behind the school about 9 a.m. Many of them wore red as a way to honor the victims of The Covenant School.

One student organizer, Wyatt Bassow, took his shirt one step further adding the phrase I dont want to be your statistic, and added a target on his back.Student and teachers are filled with the fear of losing their lives yet they do nothing  They dont care about us, so we have to make them care. We demand action, one of the student speaker's said.In our age range the number once cause of death is not car accidents but homicides by guns  Im afraid to be out here and going to school in this country where guns are so easy to access, student Nathan DeWitt said.

Demonstrations have begun outside of Hume Fogg High School where students are protesting for gun reform and red flag laws. pic.twitter.com/VHxH8uwjiV  Diana Leyva (@_leyvadiana) April 3, 2023

Walkouts against gun violence expected Monday

March For Our Lives, a prominent national nonprofit advocating against gun violence, is organizing a student walkout for Monday morning. The organization is encouraging area students to walkout of classrooms at 10:13 a.m. and meet at the Capitol at 10:45, where demonstrators will call on legislators to support gun reform.

Protesters demonstrate during a Rally of Parents and Kids to End Gun Violence outside the State Capitol Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn.

Ahead of the student walkout, Students at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School are planning a demonstration outside the school starting at 9 a.m. The demonstration will lead into the March For Our Lives walkout. Hume-Fogg students are planning the demonstration ahead of time so they don't walk out of classes and potentially face discipline, according to an Instagram post.

Organizers of the Hume-Fogg event ask students to not step on Hume-Fogg's grass, stairs or upper parking lot. Also, speakers who are already signed up will not speak about Metro Nashville Public Schools or potential discipline related to the walkouts. "This is focused on gun reform," an organizer said on Instagram. Participants are encouraged to wear red.

A rally for elementary-age kids and families is also planned at the State Capitol later on Monday starting at 4 p.m. "Our goal is to remind lawmakers of the lives that are at stake if they do not take action," said a post advertising the rally. "This is a peaceful rally with singing and chanting." Clergy and teachers are also welcome, and participants are encouraged to wear orange.

Demonstrators gathered Thursday at the State Capitol and on Saturday in Franklin to protest gun violence.

Comfort kits for Covenant School

Kris Wylder, a local Realtor and social-media personality, set out with a simple plan after the shooting at Covenant School  take care of those families.

What began as comfort kits for one Covenant class turned into $30,000 raised. Now, she hopes to schedule therapy dog and equine therapy sessions for Covenant School students and staff.

"It just kept growing and growing," she said. "Once a month we will check in with the families to provide anything that can offer comfort."

Wylder is still accepting donations via her Venmo account: kris-wylder7. She's reachable on Instagram @running.wylder.

Rutherford County Schools closed Monday for safety review

The Rutherford County Board of Education announced Saturday that all schools in its jurisdiction will be closed Monday for security reviews.

Director of schools Jimmy Sullivan said principals, teachers and support staff will use Monday to "debrief the situation that occurred in Nashville and review all safety procedures before students return," in a message to parents, students and staff.

Last Monday's shooting prompted questions from parents and staff, Sullivan said, so his staff made the decision to extend Spring Break by a day to review those practices and policies.

Who were the victims of The Covenant School shooting?

Police identified the victims of the shooting on Monday afternoon as:

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville shooting latest updates: Students flood Capitol for protest
The 28-year-old who carried out a mass shooting at a Nashville religious school reportedly planned the attack months in advance, according to city police.

The shooter, identified as former student Audrey Hale, acted totally alone, according to police, but her journals recovered after the attack reportedly show she planned for months to carry out the attack.

Nashville police said in a statement on Monday that it is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers, while planning the crime.

In the collective writings by Hale found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at the Covenant School, police said.

Hale reportedly considered other locations  public schools  for an attack, according to police reviews of her journals.

Law enforcement officials also revealed that Hale primarily used 5.56 rifle rounds  firing 126 shots  as well as 26 9mm pistol rounds.

Six people were killed in the 27 March attack, including three nine-year-old students.

The children killed were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs. The schools custodian Mike Hill, 61, a substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, the schools headmaster, were also killed.

Evelyn reportedly was killed trying to help other students escape the school.

Audrey Hale This handout video grab image courtesy of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released on March ... (Getty)

Police reviewed Hales writings and determined that the attack was calculated and planned based on what they found.

They also found that Hale was being treated for an emotional disorder but still managed to legally purchase seven guns, which she hid at her home.

When police arrived at the school on the day of the shooting, Hale was positioned on an elevated floor and began firing at the arriving police from a large window.

Nashville police quickly entered the building and shot Hale when they encountered her, ultimately killing her 14 minutes after she first entered the school.

Police have still not determined a motive in the shooting.

The Nashville attack is the deadliest school shooting since 21 people, including 19 children, were killed in Uvalde, Texas last May.
Two tornadoes swept through Rutherford County within minutes of each other, the stronger of the two blowing upwards of 130 mph, the National Weather Service said.

In a Monday statement, the NWS classified the Saturday morning tornadoes as an EF-1and an EF-2. At least two other tornadoes, both EF-3, touched down in west Tennessee killing nine people in McNairy County and destroying 72 homes officials said.

The first tornado in Rutherford County began in Marshall County near Chapel Hill about 1:15 a.m. and traveled about 13 miles to Eagleville. The storm maxed out at about 110 mph and was estimated to be about 150 yards wide.

According to the NWS report, the tornado took down trees, caused minor to moderate damage to homes in the area before growing stronger and blowing five train cars off tracks and heavily damaging homes on Beasley Road as it made its way to Rutherford County.

More: 'We have to find mom': In one storm-ravaged Tennessee county, families cope as help pours in

At 1:41, 10 minutes after the first tornado dissipated, a second, stronger one spun up in Murfreesboro six miles from downtown, the NWS said. The tornado continued for 17 minutes traveling 16 miles and was estimated to be about a quarter of a mile wide. The tornado dissipated in Woodbury in Cannon County, the NWS said.

When the tornado touched down near County Farm Road it took down several trees and fences and caused minor damage to homes in the area. As it gained strength to an EF-1 near Highway 70 west of Old Woodbury Pike, one home took significant damage and several out buildings suffered as well, the NWS said.

Once the tornado reached the Readyville community, it was an EF-2 destroying several homes and businesses. The Readyville Mill and The Corners on Stones River, two historic properties, were heavily damaged, according to the NWS.

No fatalities or injuries were reported as a result of the tornadoes in Rutherford County, the NWS said.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: National Weather Service: Two tornadoes recorded in Rutherford County
Dmytro Kuleba

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will hold important talks in Brussels in regarding preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July, Nikolenko said.

Read also: Kuleba says Russias upcoming presidency of UN Security Council is a bad joke

Issues such as strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, acquiring new arms and ammunition production, increasing Russian sanctions, creating a special tribunal for the Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and securing humanitarian aid will be brought to the table.

Read also: Ukraines accession to EU, NATO guarantees Europes security for decades, says FM Kuleba

Hungary has blocked NATO-Ukraine ministerial meetings since 2017, after disagreeing with a Ukrainian law that provides for education in Ukrainian language. Budapest claims that this law infringes on the rights of the Hungarian minority to receive education in Hungarian language, though independent investigations have found that the law still provides for instruction in minority languages.

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
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.  The U.S. Navy is testing technology developed as part of its secretive Project Overmatch using the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group in the waters off California, according to the chief of naval operations.

Adm. Mike Gilday told the Navy Leagues Sea-Air-Space conference, going on this week in National Harbor, Maryland, that the project is in full swing right now with the strike group, which typically has an aircraft carrier, at least one cruiser and a couple of destroyers, a carrier air wing and thousands of personnel.

Observations have so far indicated that the endeavor is on track, in terms of the objectives that were seeking and where we want to go with it, Gilday told conference attendees April 3, without providing details.

Project Overmatch is the Navys contribution to Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, the Pentagons multibillion-dollar pursuit of seamless battlefield connectivity across land, air, sea, space and cyber. Since its 2020 inception, the project has been blanketed in secrecy  a condition experts say is necessitated by always-spying China and Russia.

Project Overmatch: US Navy preps to deploy secretive multidomain tech

The Navy is seeking $192 million for Project Overmatch for fiscal 2024, less than the $226 million enacted for the effort this year, budget documents show.

Service officials late last year teased the deployment of Project Overmatch capabilities aboard a carrier strike group, with Rear Adm. Doug Small, the leader of both the project and Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, describing the move as the starting gun.

Additional carrier strike groups are expected to follow.

We hope to scale that based on what we hope to see out of that experimentation in the next coming months, Gilday said Monday.

Defense News reporter Megan Eckstein contributed to this article.
Interview: Learning Mandarin has tangible benefits, says UK university head

Xinhua) 09:51, April 03, 2023

BELFAST, Britain, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Considering the importance of China in the world today, students may find multiple benefits in learning Mandarin through the on-campus branch of the Confucius Institute, Paul Bartholomew, the vice-chancellor of Belfast-based Ulster University, told Xinhua recently.

According to Bartholomew, learning Mandarin can significantly enhance students' chances of landing a high-quality job with international significance after graduation. And seen in a broader context, the better people and nations can communicate with one another, the easier it becomes to join forces for the common good across language and cultural divides.

Bartholomew believes that as we all share one planet, we need to share the challenges this planet presents us with. But, "how can we share those challenges if we can't talk to one another?" He asked.

"So absolutely, the knowledge of languages and a shared culture and perspective are important for people to understand each other, so that together we can all take responsibility for our shared future," he stressed.

As part of the cooperation between the two sides, Ulster University has partnered up with several Chinese universities, including the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology.

"We are a university of, and for, the world and China is a major player in the world," both regarding the size of its population and its economy, stressed Bartholomew.

Therefore, "our university has seen the tremendous opportunity to work with China. We already do so with partnerships with institutions in China. And we'll continue to do that," he said.

Bartholomew's visits to China have left him impressed by the friendly and warm welcome he received from Chinese people. "My impression of China is that Chinese people are really wonderful," he told Xinhua.

He also spoke highly of the diligence of Chinese students taking part in the exchange programs hosted by Ulster University.

"Many of them are high-performing students, who do very well on our programs here. I think it's very impressive," he said.

He also stressed the importance of strong interpersonal relationships, which helped to maintain the partnerships the university has with Chinese institutions throughout the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A cooperation based on personal relationships allows better mutual understanding, better sharing of perspectives and acknowledging that we all share one planet, therefore we have a responsibility to work together for the solutions that our planet requires," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) International Conference Center in Boao, south China's Hainan province, March 26, 2023. [Photo/CFP]

The 2023 Boao Forum for Asia, often dubbed the "Asian Davos," exuded optimism about the global economy's future. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, joined by politicians, ex-officials, and business leaders such as IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva, centered discussions around building a more resilient future without succumbing to great power competition. Li emphasized China as the second largest economy in the world, stating its commitment to "injecting new impetus and vitality into global economic development." The message came with caution over how potential chaos and conflict in the Asian region, especially the Asia Pacific, must be avoided at all costs. By positioning China as an "anchor for world peace," the forum presented a roadmap for collective economic prosperity.



The reasons for this optimism are clear. The forum hosted dozens of business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman, and HSBC CEO Noel Quinn. Participating political leaders included Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The distinguished attendees were briefed on the Chinese economy's trajectory toward recovery following the optimization of COVID-19 measures. The recovery presents opportunities for foreign direct investment to resist the global economic downturn.

Premier Li's emphasis on China's openness to the world is a crucial takeaway. As the global community grapples with the ongoing Ukraine crisis, harmful economic decoupling from the United States targeting China's tech sector and supply chain issues, countries worldwide stand to benefit from the continued opening up of the world's second-largest economy and investor-friendly policies. Trends in 2022 indeed point in the right direction. FDI inflows to Beijing reached $189.1 billion, an increase of 12% in 2022 compared to 2021. The IMF also projects China to contribute one-third of global economic growth this year. Foreign corporations will benefit considerably from further access to the Chinese market.

Positive trends aside, promoting regional connectivity without camp politics, bloc confrontation and militarization was also high on the agenda at the forum. Premier Li called for extensive cooperation with the 10-member ASEAN bloc to build on the existing partnership, where trade grew by 15% in 2022 alone.

Similarly, on the concept of democratic accountability, which stands in stark contrast to the American concept of leveraging democracy to demonize systems in other countries, there was agreement among all stakeholders at the forum that values and ethics while dealing with partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally, must remain paramount. For example, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that democratic accountability urges leaders to provide improved living standards and practice good and effective governance.

Another key aspect of an ideal world order discussed at the forum was advocating for big powers to act responsibly to ensure that non-political economic cooperation remains unfettered, untainted and unaffected. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that Asia's promise relies on powers such as China and the U.S. managing their differences and pursuing cooperation instead of confrontation.

For this to happen, however, negative portrayals of China in American discourse must stop. Baseless propaganda demonizing Beijing and undercutting its economic significance for countries in the region cannot detract from realities such as the near-universal participation of member states in the Belt and Road Initiative and how the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has played a positive impact in boosting world trade. The RCEP pact, which entered into force at the start of 2022, includes China, ASEAN, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea, accounting for $1.87 trillion in trade in the same year. It is slated to expand to align with other comparable trade and investment pacts, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The understandings reached, the goodwill expressed and the commitment to pursuing a world order devoid of great power politics, polarization and Cold War were the hallmarks of the 2023 Boao Forum for Asia. Global economic development and collective prosperity are certainly possible if the spirit of the forum is carried forward.

Hamzah Rifaat Hussain is an assistant research associate at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
Christina Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and graduated from N.C. State University, will be part of the first crew of astronauts to travel around the moon in more than 50 years, NASA announced Monday.

Koch will join two other astronauts from the United States and one from Canada on the estimated 10-day Artemis II mission, which will test the Orion spacecrafts systems to confirm they can perform and operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space, NASAs description of the mission states.

The Artemis II mission is estimated to take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late 2024.

The mission will not involve astronauts actually landing on the moon, but is considered a test flight that will pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is intended to land the first-ever woman and person of color on the moon. That mission is planned for 2025.

Kochs involvement in the Artemis II mission will mark the first time a woman has embarked on a lunar mission, but it wont be the first time the astronaut has made history.

In December 2019, she broke the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, going on to spend more than 300 days in orbit. Earlier in 2019, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk, installing a solar power system for the International Space Station with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

Christina Koch will be a mission specialist on the Artemis II mission to the moon in 2024. She took part in the first all-woman spacewalk in 2019. She grew up in Jacksonville, NC, and graduated from N.C. State University.

President Joe Biden called to congratulate the four Artemis II astronauts Sunday, thanking them for their service and for inspiring people around the country and globe.

At Mondays announcement, Norm Knight, director of NASAs flight operations directorate, praised Kochs dedication and drive.

With a work ethic and willingness to lend a hand that only someone who spent summers working on a farm growing up can have, your relentless drive is unmatched, Knight said on stage at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

You have already made your mark in the remote corners of our planet. You have already been in the history books as a record-setting astronaut. Youre a trailblazer and a role model for every generation to come. Youve already been advocating and uplifting children in your community, and I know that you are just getting started.

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Meet the first member of our #Artemis II Moon crew: mission specialist @Astro_Christina!



Christina Koch visited the @Space_Station in 2019, where she took part in the first all-woman spacewalk. She began her career as an electrical engineer at @NASAGoddard. pic.twitter.com/mi82SayXUm  NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2023

Who is Christina Koch? Astronauts ties to NC

Koch is originally from Michigan, but grew up in Jacksonville, near the North Carolina coast.

She dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a child, The News & Observer previously reported, gazing up at the night sky through her familys telescope in their backyard. She never grew out of that dream.

No one told me I couldnt do it, Koch told The N&O in 2019. And so that dream kept right on growing and growing.

She attended White Oak High School in Jacksonville before attending the North Carolina School of Science and Math, a residential, public high school in Durham that is part of the UNC System.

Koch attended college at N.C. State University, receiving bachelors degrees in electrical engineering and physics in 2001. She also holds a masters degree in electrical engineering from the university. Her background in engineering will likely come in handy on the Artemis II mission, Knight of NASA said during Mondays announcement.

As the only professional engineer in the crew, I know who Mission Control will be calling on when its time to fix something on-board, he said.

Koch is the first graduate of N.C. State to go to space. She spoke at the universitys virtual commencement ceremony in 2020, where she received an honorary Ph.D.

Koch was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of NASAs 21st astronaut class, then completed astronaut candidate training in 2015. She was assigned in 2018 to her first space flight, a long duration mission on the International Space Station that launched in March 2019.

On that mission, Koch demonstrated her long-held passion for photography and love for North Carolina when she posted to Twitter a photo of the Outer Banks from space. She also took with her on the mission a small memento representing N.C. State, a printed circuit board with an etching of the wolf mascot wearing an astronaut helmet.

Koch was The News & Observers Tar Heel of the Month in August 2019, which honors people who have made significant contributions to North Carolina and the region.

The Artemis II crew will go to the moon for the first time since 1972. They are, clockwise from the top, Victor Glover, pilot; Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Koch, mission specialist.

What is Artemis II mission? Koch explains

At Mondays announcement, each of the four selected astronauts  Koch, plus Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency  gave remarks about being selected to the Artemis II mission.

It is an honor to be here, Koch said before thanking the astronauts families, NASA colleagues and administrators and the trailblazers that came before the Artemis II group.

Koch acknowledged that she and fellow astronauts are always asked if they are excited before a mission. Then she explained the details of the mission ahead, including where the astronauts will fly:

The mission will begin with the crew launching from Kennedy Space Center, where they will hear the words go for launch, on top of the most powerful rocket NASAs ever made, the Space Launch System, Koch said.

Map and flight path of NASAs Artemis II mission, expected to launch in 2024.

The crew will ride that rocket into Earth orbit for eight minutes, and wont go to the moon right away, she said.

Were going to stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion and even see how it maneuvers in space. And then, if everything looks good, were heading to the moon.

Koch said the journey will cover a quarter of a million miles, with the crew going around the far side of the moon before heading home, going through the Earths atmosphere going more than 25,000 miles per hour, and splashing down in the Pacific.

So, am I excited? Koch said. Absolutely.

Dream achieved: NC State grad breaks record for longest space flight by a woman

As moon landing anniversary arrives, astronaut Christina Koch makes history of her own
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Las Cruces Public Schools to bridge a wide connectivity divide that kept many of the districts low-income students from accessing the internet from home  which is crucial to students learning and long-term success, experts say. LCPS relied upon a hefty influx of federal funding and an extensive outreach campaign to get families connected. The district headquarters, 505 S. Main St., is seen here in early March 2023.

This story was published in partnership with the Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative.

LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces Public Schools maneuvered the early chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic with a variety of funding partnerships and extensive outreach to bring nearly all of its 24,000 students online at home  overcoming a huge digital divide that had previously gone unaddressed within the states second-largest district.

The multi-pronged effort relied upon rigorous outreach to understand families needs; deployed equipment where it was needed; and tapped into a variety of online connections, from cable-based internet to cell tower-based hot spots to satellite internet. LCPSs collective efforts, combined with significant federal aid, mean that its lowest-income families are able to get high-speed internet for free  something that continues today.

Students reliance upon the internet at home has grown over the decades. Even before COVID-19, about six in 10 eighth-graders nationwide reported they used the internet every day or almost every day to do their homework, according to the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The pandemic forced LCPS and other school districts to address a problem that previously had languished: that many families lacked equipment like laptops, access to high-speed internet, or money to pay for internet subscriptions. Unprecedented federal pandemic relief dollars have helped to fuel solutions to the challenge. But uncertainties remain about whether  or to what degree  the measures will continue after pandemic relief aid begins to drop off.

After thousands of New Mexico students were sent home in March 2020, school administrators realized the extent of disconnected families because the state-mandated lockdown forced students to attend all classes virtually  something thats difficult without a reliable internet connection and downright impossible without a connection at all.

The digital divide in Las Cruces was of a different nature than one just 10 miles south in the much-more rural Gadsden Independent School District. In Las Cruces, broadband and cell phone tower infrastructure are much more robust than in the sister district covering southern Dona Ana County.

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That means high-speed options are much more readily available for LCPS students. Despite better options, LCPS families cant always afford to pay for them, or they lack adequate technology to connect. This especially matters because students lacking high-speed internet access in their homes have been found to lag behind their better-connected peers academically, according to several studies. A 2020 Michigan State University report stated that students with high-speed internet access at home have more digital skills, higher grades,

and perform better on standardized tests, such as the SAT, the report stated, adding that students who cannot access the internet from home or are dependent on a cell phone for internet access do worse in school and are less likely to attend college or university.

Digitally disconnected families often must drive to places with free Wi-Fi, like fast-food restaurant parking lots, to allow their kids to tap into the internet, said Jennifer Nevarez, director of the Community Learning Center, part of a statewide coalition to bring internet affordability to students and families across the state.

There are issues of income and access to internet connectivity, she said.

LCPS: 2,200 homes lacked internet

The problem is familiar to school districts beyond Las Cruces. New Mexico is among the worst-performing states for internet access for students, according to one study, which reported that the state has the sixth-highest proportion of K-12 students living in areas where no broadband internet is available.

A 2021 study found that 40 percent of K-12 students in New Mexico did not have an adequate connection and more than a quarter of them, 28 percent, did not have either an adequate internet connection nor a device to connect online, according to by the Southern Education Foundation, Boston Consulting Group and Common Sense  a research institute that focuses on technology recommendations for families and schools. Further, the report states, 65 percent of students statewide did not have affordable broadband internet available to them.

The New Mexico Department of Information Technology and the Dona Ana Broadband coalition identified in a 2022 study a host of internet issues facing families. The coalition used promotoras  bilingual community workers who serve as liaisons between governments and at-risk families  to confirm the problems.

Their in-home visits to LCPS communities found that families were using only cell phones for their internet or were dealing with landlords who prohibited wiring for internet connections because it involved making holes in the walls. Others dealt with slow and unreliable speeds or service that was too expensive for them. Some parents reported that students had to visit relatives to use the internet.

As part of LCPSs assessment prompted by the pandemic, some 2,200 addresses in the Las Cruces Public School community indicated that they did not have access to the internet. That figure did not count cell phone access, said Josh Silver, the districts chief technology officer.

So, that's a family that may have had a cell phone to get online but no other way to access the internet, he said.

A new sense of urgency

Even before COVID-19, LCPS had tried to address the equipment side of the problem. Money had been set aside to equip every student with laptops and to do a refresh of the technology we had, said district spokeswoman Kelly Jameson.

The crisis brought on by the pandemic  which forced classes exclusively online for the first time ever, and therefore mandated reliable internet connections for students  added a heightened sense of urgency. It also laid bare how many families lacked an internet connection.

So it was a race to see who was connected, who was not connected, and how we were going to bridge that gap, Jameson said.

In the days and weeks following the state-mandated lockdown, the district had to engage all of its gears to ensure families were connected and had the resources they needed for remote schooling, Jameson said. It started with a massive outreach and information-gathering effort. Often, teachers were on the front lines of understanding families needs.

"I have worked in a number of organizations, and I have never seen anybody mobilize as quickly as the public school district did," she said. This was teachers spending hours upon hours making phone calls, going down a checklist to see what students needed, and then taking that and putting it in a spreadsheet for schools.

LCPSs IT department then pulled together spreadsheets from all of the districts campuses, 40 in total, and coordinated the distribution of laptops and hot spots to students who needed internet devices. Hot spots, which communicate with cell phone towers, allow students to use their devices like laptops to access high-speed internet from their homes. Some families lacked transportation to schools to pick up equipment and related items, so district staff volunteered to hand-deliver them to homes, according to Jameson.

The district had to find ways to pay for the extra expenses on the spot, LCPS officials said. It couldnt wait for the usual bureaucratic processes  like placing formal requests for new funding  to pan out. We had to do it and figure out how to pay for it later, because the need was immediate, Jameson said.

"In the beginning of the pandemic, she said, the district was absorbing the cost to get students connected.

Where did the money come from?

In April 2020  a few weeks after the pandemic closed schools  the city of Las Cruces allotted $1 million to support local non-profit organizations and other essential service providers being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting aside $150,000 for LCPS to use to connect students to the internet.

We are fortunate that the city of Las Cruces has substantial savings that can be used during emergencies such as this, said Mayor Ken Miyagishima.

More funding eventually rolled in, including:

With money from the federal pandemic relief measure called the CARES Act, the state of New Mexico launched its GEER fund  the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund. LCPS received $407,871 for internet services from that in November 2020.

LCPS received $6.6 million in federal funding in 2021, including $77,000 for wireless hot spot services, according to Carla Ragan, LCPS executive director of federal programs for students. (These hot spots tend to work better for students in urban areas than in rural districts due to the more robust cell tower infrastructure that exists in cities.)

In November of 2022, the district spent another $54,085 on hot spots, according to Ragan.

Another development that helped LCPS families get connected happened around the start of the pandemic. Comcast, a multinational telecommunications company that offers cable TV and internet, offered a low-cost monthly internet essentials package to students who were enrolled in the national school lunch program, received housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP or other financial assistance programs. The cost is $9.99 per month.

Then, LCPS tapped into another federal pandemic relief program, the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides $30 vouchers for low-income households to pay for internet subscriptions. (Notably, this federal program is available to homes without students, too.) Paired with the Comcast program, the lowest-income households ended up with free cable-based internet  accommodating many of the households who were offline at the pandemics start.

In addition to helping families plug into whats essentially free cable internet, LCPS has issued some 230 mobile hot spots to students. Another two students are using Starlink internet because they live in very rural areas. Starlink is a high-powered, satellite-based internet provider thats effective in remote places, but its also relatively expensive.

According to a New Mexico Public Education Department news release, the department purchased 800 devices to provide satellite-based internet access to families in remote parts of New Mexico and has received nearly 700 requests for them, the release stated.

The Starlink devices cost about $500 apiece. The department is also paying for one year of service for each family at $99 per month.

The end result of the LCPSs combined efforts is that they believe they have provided internet services to every student who has requested assistance  whether it is through government assistance programs or hot spots  closing a so-called homework gap that had long existed. Thats believed to be most of the student population. But some whove not expressed their need for online access from home may be falling through the cracks.

Silver said it is difficult to state precisely whether all students are connected because it is a very fluid situation that is changing all the time.

The number of hot spots checked out to students is generally interpreted by the district as meaning that a student does not have high-speed internet at home, he said.

That number continues to go down, he said, which probably means more students are using the Affordable Connectivity Program through the district and accessing cable-based connectivity.

Statewide, $31.4 million of the Affordable Connectivity Program  went to 50,333 New Mexico students to help pay for high-speed internet.

An additional $10.5 million provided 87,569 New Mexico students with digital devices, either hotspots, laptops, or Chromebooks. About 10,000 students needed both high-speed internet and a digital device.

We are down to the absolute hardest-to-reach homes and families, but we havent given up, said New Mexico Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus in a statement he released last July. If we cant get fiber there, we try hot spots. If hot spots arent powerful enough, maybe we can get them up on satellite. We are working with every New Mexico family to be sure every child has the 21st-century tools they need for learning, Steinhaus said.

Silver said that, as critical as LCPS has been in helping to fund and coordinate high-speed internet access for its students and their families, the real goal is to empower families to have this access beyond the public schools.

This is really a community opportunity, he said.

Internet access a fluid situation

One of the biggest lessons learned as LCPS sought to understand the connectivity needs of students and families during the pandemic, Silver said, was the realization that internet access is a very fluid situation that is changing all the time.

Sometimes barriers to access stem from geography  living too far away from infrastructure to pick up a signal. Sometimes a family is too poor to purchase an internet package or is experiencing temporarily difficult financial times. Other times, families have no access to an affordable internet provider.

It is very hard to categorize a home or a family or a student as having permanent internet access or not, Silver said.

His advice for school districts is to continuously research the Affordable Connectivity Fund, be aware of affordable satellite internet technology options, and to always have wireless hot spots on hand to help address the fluidity of students internet access.

Even if we had 100 percent connectivity out there, we would still have hot spots in our building because there is still a need for those because of students visiting relatives, or other unforeseen factors, Silver said.

Jameson added that a strong effort is needed to reach every family, and that, in a crisis like the onset of the pandemic, letters and advertisements alone dont work.

"The biggest takeaway that we've had is that nothing can replace personal communication, she said. Getting on the phone and calling families and asking them what they needed, going out there, and assessing how we could move technology quickly to families."

Its unclear whether LCPS has assessed any academic impact from its large-scale efforts to connect students to high-speed internet. Officials have not responded to a request by SNMJC for information about this.

In Michigan, an in-depth study compared students with adequate internet access at home to those without, which included access through a cell phone only, and found that students with stronger access have significantly higher GPAs; finish more of their homework; have stronger digital skill sets; do more educational work outside the classroom, like reading books and articles online; and have better access to support from their peers, like seeking help with assignments.

The collective educational impacts that arise from a lack of high-speed internet at home could harm students future academic and career prospects, according to the report.

Spanish-speaking families missing out

LCPSs massive effort to get students online was not without its hurdles. Early on, those challenges included a number of lost students, who district officials could not locate once they no longer were attending in-class instruction. Across Las Cruces schools, those students numbered about 300, according to Jameson. They may have enrolled in other districts or charter schools, sought GEDs, or started working to pull in extra income for their families. After plenty of investigation, the district has been able to account for all except a couple of dozen students who have not communicated with LCPS since losing touch with the schools, officials said.

In addition, families that speak primarily Spanish have encountered hurdles in understanding the options for internet assistance that are available to them or in communicating with district officials if they have questions. Other families include undocumented migrants who are fearful about signing up for internet assistance programs because they worry about their status being discovered.

Academics, looming funding cliff pose challenges

Even with the large-scale efforts by school officials across New Mexico to get families online, concerns remain that students nationwide fell behind academically during the pandemic.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nations Report Card, tested hundreds of thousands of fourth and eighth graders across the United States last year. It was the first set of tests given since 2019 and, as noted by Fortune.com, is seen as the first nationally representative study of the pandemics impact on learning. Test scores dropped throughout the country, but New Mexico fared the worst. (LCPSs data was not specifically included in the report, due to its focus on larger urban districts.)

Though Las Cruces students have returned to in-person instruction, the extensive measures that equipped their homes with high-speed internet remain in place, at least for now. But looking into the future, LCPS officials see a cliff. They understand that the unprecedented amount of federal and state emergency funding during the height of the pandemic may not be sustainable.

When that funding ends, the district is going to have to figure out how to sustain itself, or dial things back, Jameson said. In education, once you give students programs and resources, it is difficult to take those things away. So the district is now shouldered with a dilemma of: How do we continue this without the funding that were used to?

As a part of securing that funding, Jameson said that the district has met with state lawmakers to see how the future might look for district funding.

The Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative reached out to state Reps. Nathan Small and Doreen Gallegos and New Mexico Sen. Willam P. Soules.

Soules, a member of the states senate education committee, said he was teaching part-time when the pandemic started, and it was the hardest teaching I had ever done because of the unexpected tasks of making sure students were online, in addition to the regular course preparation. He said he understands school districts concerns about future funding. Hes optimistic about funding for schools in the upcoming budget.

There is a real commitment, and we now have the opportunity, so lets do education well and right, he said.

Neither Small nor Gallegos returned phone calls requesting comment.

Reyes Mata III is a freelance journalist working with the Southern New Mexico Journalism Collaborative to cover COVID-19 and pandemic recovery from a solutions-reporting lens.

Others are reading:

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Nearly all LCPS families have internet now, thanks to COVID-19 efforts
A church, Molotov Cocktail and suspect Aimenn Penny

Federal prosecutors have charged an Ohio man they say is a neo-Nazi with the group White Lives Matters Ohio in connection with the firebombing of a church that planned to host a Drag Queen Story Hour. Authorities allege that the man participated in a protest in the state earlier in March, where armed white supremacists and other far-right extremists converged on a park where a drag queen was reading to children.

Aimenn Penny, 20, is charged with malicious use of explosives and possessing a destructive device.

According to the authorities, Penny allegedly attempted to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland in Chesterland, Ohio, on March 25 using Molotov cocktails.

The church had advertised hosting a Drag Queen Story Hour event on April 1, but Penny took offense and threw firebombs at the building in hopes of destroying it.

An affidavit filed in court states that Penny admitted to FBI agents that he intended to burn down the building to protect children from a perceived threat of drag queens.

Evidence against Penny includes location data from his cell phone that shows it was pinging off towers that coincided with pinpointed times and locations in connection with the case, according to officials.

The suspect also admitted to having Molotov cocktails and explosives, and he explained how he made them.

Penny stated that night he became more and more angry after watching internet videos of news feeds and drag shows in France and decided to attack the church, the affidavit reads.

A search of his residence turned up far-right extremist materials. The FBI found a handwritten manifesto that contained ideological statements, a Nazi flag, Nazi memorabilia, a White Lives Matter of Ohio t-shirt, a gas mask, blue painters tape, and gas cans.

Furthermore, the FBI investigation revealed that Penny had participated in an anti-drag protest that featured armed neo-Nazis, Patriot Front members, the Proud Boys, and other radical groups who protested a Drag Queen Story Hour at a public park in the Ohio town of Wadsworth near Akron on March 11.

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Penny, prosecutors said, joined members of the group who carried flags with swastikas and yelled homophobic slurs at the drag queen event while wearing military-style gear and carrying a gun.

In October, he was interviewed by the police after distributing racist flyers and making claims that black people were the "problem" and that a civil war was imminent, according to the affidavit.

The church was initially critical of police when law enforcement failed to specify direct threats but seemed to imply that protecting the event was going to cost more than it was worth.

When our event organizers and our pastor met with law enforcement officials to discuss the status of safety planning, officials couldnt point to specific, direct threats  or wouldnt share them, church representatives wrote on Facebook.

Local law enforcement officials cited escalating tensions regarding drag queens and trans issues as concerns revolving around the event, according to church leaders account of a meeting held in advance of the event. Following the Nashville shooting, violence was feared. However, discussions about money dominated the meeting.

Our organizers were asked how police officials could justify to their trustees such a large expenditure to keep the LGBTQ community safe. We ask, how can you justify denying an expenditure keeping the LGBTQ community safe? We understand these hate groups use financial terrorism as a tactic to force police agencies to take sides in situations like these; but choosing the side of the outside hate groups instead of members of this community they are sworn to protect sets a dangerous precedent for future targeted acts like these, they wrote.











Whatever concern there was between law enforcement officials and church representatives, it had been resolved by the time the event took place Saturday. Church officials thanked law enforcement forces after the event.

A huge THANK YOU is due to the Chardon and Chester Police Departments, as well as the Geauga County Sheriffs office for their incredible and overwhelming support and protection of the local citizens attending the Drag Story Hour at the church today, the church wrote on Facebook.

The number of cruisers we hear were present, the swat-style vans, the Chagrin Falls tactical mobile unit which we were told was parked nearbythis overwhelming presence would have put caution in the mind of any group hoping to make an opportunistic threat, the post said.









Saturdays event at the church went off without a hitch, with only one protester clad in black showing up and sitting outside the church doing nothing, according to local news site cleveland.com


cnsphoto via REUTERS

The nose knows, as the saying goes, and a new study suggests this may be the case for immunologic knowledge against the COVID-19 virus, too. A team of German researchers gave hamsters an intranasal vaccine for COVID-19, finding the nose spray outperformed mRNA shots in protecting the hamsters from the Delta variant. They see potential for the vaccine as a booster, particularly against wily future COVID variants that are beginning to escape the immune system.

The research was published on April 3 in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Existing COVID-19 shots that require a jab in the arm (like those made by Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines) prepare immune cells in the bloodstream to recognize and mobilize antibodies and the rest of the immune system quickly against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, warding off subsequent invaders with quick precision before an infection can develop. The problem is that this process isnt immediate. We know that SARS-CoV-2 shows up first in the mucosal membranes of the respiratory system. A vaccine that equipped immune cells in the nose, throat, and lungs would theoretically be able to respond faster to infection then one that needs to start in the bloodstream.

This New Nasal Swab Test Can Predict Whether COVID Patients Will Be Hospitalized

Nasal COVID vaccines arent a new idea, or even an untested one. In fact, inhalable COVID-19 vaccines are already approved in China and India, and over a hundred more are in clinical or preclinical testing. Not only might these vaccines be an effective alternative for us needle-phobic members of society, theres some evidence that they might work better than intramuscular shots for a respiratory disease like COVID-19.

In the new study, the researchers gave hamsters a live version of the coronavirus, genetically edited to weaken it. This is whats called a live-attenuated vaccine, and its known to be a safe method of immunization. Examples of live-attenuated vaccines include chickenpox, yellow fever, and MMR shots. Another key advantage of an intranasal live-attenuated shot is that the recipient builds immunity against the entire virus, not just one portion (as is the case for the approved intramuscular vaccines, which recreate the spike protein.) As new variants of the coronavirus continue to emerge, a whole-virus shot could be just whats needed for ongoing protection.

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Could This Nasal Spray Protect Frontline Workers From COVID-19?

Once given various combinations of their intranasal shot and mRNA intramuscular vaccines, the hamsters were intentionally exposed to the Delta coronavirus variant. The live-attenuated vaccine outperformed the rest in preventing viral infection and its consequencesincluding pneumonia and lung inflammation. The best combination, the researchers found, was a primary sequence of two intranasal sprays, followed by an mRNA shot and one moral intranasal spray. These findings suggest that a live-attenuated vaccine could be a promising booster candidate, complementing most peoples existing immunity from intramuscular shots.

A Swiss startup called RocketVax AG is currently preparing the intranasal spray used in the study for a Phase I clinical trial in humansthough an exciting step, future studies will be needed to see if an intranasal vaccine passes the sniff test.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A late-night house fire in Hyde Park has left 2 adults, 2 dogs, and an infant displaced.

According to Boston Fire, crewers were called to the home on Davison St. in Hyde Park a little before 1 a.m.

Everyone was able to get out but two adults, an infant, and two dogs are displaced.

There are no injuries to report.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Late last year, Nintendo announced that it would be establishing a joint venture called Nintendo Systems with mobile developer DeNA, and now the company has officially launched, right on time. So what exactly will Nintendo Systems make? Things are still murky. There is an official website but that is about where the information ends. A press release from November states that the company will work to strengthen the digitalization of Nintendos business and create new value-added services.

Nintendo and DeNA have been closely tied together since 2015 , as the latter developed a number of mobile titles based on Nintendo IPs. This relationship allowed for the release of popular smartphone games like Super Mario Run, Mario Kart Tour and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, among others. So one likely outcome here is that the just-announced Nintendo Systems will develop and publish forthcoming mobile titles.

There is another, less-glamorous, option. In addition to developing mobile games, DeNA also handles some of the infrastructure regarding Nintendo Accounts services. Nintendo has stated that they will continue to use dedicated Nintendo Accounts moving forward into new console generations, so the new company could just be a way to keep everything in-house.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea said Monday it simulated a nuclear attack on South Korea with a ballistic missile launch over the weekend that was its fifth missile demonstration this month to protest the largest joint military exercises in years between the U.S. and South Korea.

The Norths leader Kim Jong Un instructed his military to hold more drills to sharpen the war readiness of his nuclear forces in the face of aggression by his enemies, state media reported.

The South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the short-range missile being launched Sunday into waters off the North's eastern coast, which reportedly came less than an hour before the U.S. flew long-range B-1B bombers for training with South Korean warplanes. The North characterizes the U.S.-South Korea exercises as a rehearsal to invade, though the allies insist they are defensive in nature. Some experts say the North uses the exercises as a pretext to advance its weapons programs.

Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said the missile, which flew about 800 kilometers (500 miles), was tipped with a mock nuclear warhead. It described the test as successful, saying that the device detonated as intended 800 meters (yards) above water at a spot that simulated an unspecified major enemy target, supposedly reaffirming the reliability of the weapons nuclear explosion control devices and warhead detonators.

The report said the launch was the final step of a two-day drill that also involved nuclear command and control exercises and training military units to switch more quickly into nuclear counterattack posture, properly handle nuclear weapons systems and execute attack plans.

The exercise was also a stronger warning to the United States and South Korea, who are undisguised in their explicit attempt to unleash a war against the North, KCNA said.

Photos published by state media showed Kim walking through a forest with his daughter and senior military officials and a missile the North described as a tactical nuclear weapon system soaring from the woods spewing flames and smoke.

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Saying that his enemies are getting ever more pronounced in their moves for aggression, Kim laid out unspecified strategic tasks for further developing his nuclear forces and improving their war readiness, KCNA said. This indicated that the North could up the ante in its weapons demonstrations in coming weeks or months.

Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson of South Koreas Defense Ministry, said its clear North Korea with its ramped-up testing activity is making considerable progress in nuclear weapons technology. He did not provide a specific assessment about the Norths claim about the successful warhead detonation.

North Korean photos indicated the latest launch was of a solid-fuel missile apparently modeled after Russias Iskander mobile ballistic system that the North has been testing since 2019. The missiles are built to travel at low altitudes and be maneuverable in flight, which theoretically improve their chances of evading South Korean missile defenses.

While these missiles have been mostly fired from wheeled vehicles, North Korea has also tested them or their variants from railcars, a submarine and a platform inside a reservoir. Photos of the latest test suggested the missile was possibly fired from a silo dug into the ground, highlighting the Norths efforts to diversify its launch options and make it harder for opponents to identify and counter them.

South Koreas military said the launch took place at a mountainous northwestern region near Tongchangri, which hosts a site where the North conducted long-range rocket and satellite launches in previous years.

North Korea likely has dozens of nuclear warheads, but there are differing assessments on how far the North has advanced in miniaturizing and engineering those weapons so that they could fit on the newer weapons it tested in recent years.

While the North after six nuclear tests may be able to place simple nuclear warheads on some of its older systems, like Scuds or Rodong missiles, it will likely require further technology upgrades and nuclear tests to build warheads that can be installed on its more advanced tactical systems, according to Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Koreas Science and Technology Policy Institute.

Sundays short-range launch was the Norths fifth missile event this month and the third since the U.S. and South Korean militaries began joint exercises on March 13. The allies' drills, which are to continue through Thursday, include computer simulations and their biggest springtime field exercise since 2018.

The North so far in 2023 has fired around 20 missiles over nine different launch events. They included short-range missiles fired from land, cruise missiles launched from a submarine, and two different intercontinental ballistic missiles fired an airport near Pyongyang as it tries to demonstrate a dual ability to conduct nuclear attacks on South Korea and the U.S. mainland.

The latest ICBM test last Thursday preceded a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who agreed to resume security dialogues and take other steps to improve their oft-strained relations in the face of North Korean threats.

North Korea already is coming off a record year in testing activity, with more than 70 missiles fired in 2022, as Kim accelerates his weapons development aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and negotiating badly needed sanctions relief from a position of strength.

In response to the most recent ICBM launch, the U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency open meeting Monday morning at the request of the United States, United Kingdom, Albania, Ecuador, France and Malta. Security Council resolutions have long banned North Korean ballistic missile activity, but permanent council members Russia and China have thwarted punishment or further sanctions in recent years.

The U.N. Security Council held an informal meeting Friday at which the U.S., its allies and human rights experts shone a spotlight on what they described as the dire rights situation in North Korea. China and Russia denounced the meeting as a politicized move.

North Koreas U.N. Mission called the meeting about our non-existent 'human rights issue unlawful. It also said the U.S. held Fridays meeting while staging the aggressive joint military exercise which poses a grave threat to our national security.

___

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

___

Find more AP Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland  Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martins Skunk Works and Raytheon Intelligence and Space are teaming up to bid on the Navys next command-and-control aircraft, to be used if a nuclear war breaks out.

The E-XX would replace the Navys fleet of 16 E-6B Mercury aircraft, which carry out a mission the Navy refers to as TACAMO, for Take Charge and Move Out, that allows the president, the secretary of Defense and other national leaders to communicate with and control forces such as nuclear missile-armed submarines.

The E-6B fleet is aging and must be modernized, the Navy said in fiscal 2024 budget documents released last month.

Jane Bishop, Northrops vice president and general manager for global surveillance, said Monday that the team working on the E-XX pitch has knowledge and experience on weapon system integration and battle management command and control, and will also include Crescent Systems Inc. and Long Wave Inc. Bishop spoke a briefing for reporters at the Navy Leagues Sea Air Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Raytheon would provide integrated communications systems for the E-XX, and supports the current TACAMO program.

It remains unclear what other companies might compete for the Navys E-XX program.

The Navy decided to use the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules, a version of the C-130 with 15 feet added to the fuselage, as the platform for its TACAMO aircraft, said Henry Cyr, Northrop Grummans director for multi-domain command and control capture programs.

The stretched C-130 will be the right size for for the mission and will fly better than the E-6, he said.

The Navy wants the E-XX to use Collins Aerospaces very low frequency radio system. The budget request calls for $213.7 million for TACAMO modernization, which would pay for three test aircraft. Cyr said the Navy will likely buy nine more planes in total and plans to award a contract for the E-XX in the first quarter of fiscal 2025.

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Northrop officials expect the Navy to release its requirements for the aircraft in the coming months.

The Navy wants a quick transition, so the E-XX likely wont bring significantly new technologies to the table, aside from more advanced radios and computing systems. The goal, Cyr said, is to take already-existing technologies and field them in a new air frame as soon as possible.

This is not intended to be a new technology demonstration, he said. It is intended to take existing capability that can be fielded in the near term.

TACAMO is a cant-fail mission, too important to endanger by experimenting with something unproven, Cyr said.

The nuclear command and control communication business, it is more important to do 100% of the time correctly than to maybe take a little bit of risk on developing new technology, he said.
In a recent interview, It and It: Chapter Two star Bill Skarsgard was asked a Pennywise for his thoughts on donning the devilish clown makeup for the upcoming prequel Welcome to Derry.

Skarsgard revealed he has no involvement in it but offered his advice for the next actor to terrorize kids from sidewalk gutters.

IT Stephen King Bill Skarsgard

Brooke Palmer/Warner Bros. Pennywise the Clown

"As of now, I'm not currently involved with it," Skarsgard said of the Pennywise prequel on Jake's Takes. "If someone else gets to do it, my advice would be: Do it your own. Make it your own. Have fun with it. What I found pleasurable about that character is how abstract he was."

Skarsgard highly recommended reading Stephen King's "cocaine-binged book" on which the 2017 film and its 2019 sequel were based.

"There's so so many tantrums and abstractions that you can kind of sit and decipher and that's what I did with the character," the John Wick: Chapter 4 actor said. "The book is really a gift in that way. So if someone would take it on, just go through the book and find all the clues. They're so out there that you can kind of make your own conclusions to them."

Welcome to Derry, the working title for the prequel, will be based on King's 1986 horror novel, which first introduced the evil simply known as "It" that terrorizes the small town of Derry, Maine.

The prequel will expand upon director Andy Muschietti's most recent movie adaptations, with Muschietti and his sister Barbara, who produced both It films, developing Welcome to Derry with Wonder Woman writer and It: Chapter Two co-producer Jason Fuchs.

"I'm excited that the story of Derry, Maine's most haunted city, is continuing, and I'm glad Andy Muschietti is going to be overseeing the frightening festivities, along with a brain trust including his talented sister, Barbara," King said of the prequel. "Red balloons all around!"

Welcome to Derry will air on HBO Max.

Related content:
The Russian military has issued a memo to soldiers being sent to Ukraine, most of which is devoted to the ideological justification for the war.

Source: Meduza, a Russian Latvian-based news outlet

Details: A map of Ukraine is drawn on the cover of the brochure issued by the Western Military District: Crimea is not on it, and the territories of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts are marked in red [other areas occupied by Russia are not marked in any way  ed.].

The memo from the Russian military asserts they are convinced that the US has decided to "destabilise" Russia, faced with a "deficit of resources". Accordingly, the United States wanted to "suck all the juice" out of Russia.

Therefore, according to the authors of the brochure, they are trying to conquer Russia "with foreign hands" and "dismember" it.

"Western countries are no longer satisfied with Russia's honourable capitulation. Their goal is to plunge the country into chaos and anarchy, destroy statehood and dismember the country," the memo says.

The Russian invaders are also convinced that "active Nazis" and the perpetrators of "numerous bloody crimes of the Kyiv regime" deserve only to be "brought to justice".

Reflecting on the Russian retreat in the fall of 2022, the authors of the memo cite Stalin's notorious order No. 227, better known as "Ni shagu nazad!" ["Not one step back!"  ed.]. The document, signed by Stalin, prohibited soldiers from retreating without an order, ordered to "exterminate" "panickers and cowards" on the spot, and introduced barrier detachments as part of the armies and penal units, where, by decision of the command, military personnel who committed a violation of discipline "due to cowardice or instability" were sent.

Two unnamed contract soldiers told the news outlet that before the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, no such memos were distributed to the Russian military.

One of those who fought in Ukraine last spring and soon left the service spoke briefly about the content of the brochure: "Goebbels-style [indoctrination - ed.], what can I say. We didn't have such [memos - ed.]: we had to enter Kyiv in 12 hours."

Earlier: As of 3 April, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have killed about 175,160 Russian invaders.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, April 2, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Sunday.

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and important Asian countries, Li said maintaining and developing China-Japan relations benefits not only the fundamental interests of the two peoples but also regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

Li called on the two sides to review and abide by the principle of the treaty to firmly develop a lasting China-Japan relationship featuring peace and friendship.

He called on the Japanese side to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the treaty as an opportunity to meet China halfway, enhance communication and cooperation, properly handle differences, stay clear of disruptive risks, and keep expanding the positive side of bilateral relations to jointly build a relationship that meets the demand of the times.

Li pointed out that major issues of principle, such as history and the Taiwan question, are the bedrock of the political foundation of China-Japan relations, which call for sincere, cordial, and careful settlement.

Noting that China and Japan are important economic and trade partners, Li said the two sides should and can make the pie of economic and trade cooperation bigger.

He called on the two countries to enhance cooperation in the digital economy, green development, fiscal and financial sectors, as well as medical and elderly care services to achieve high-level mutual benefit and win-win results.

Li welcomed Japan to continue to deepen cooperation with China and share China's development benefits.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will jointly safeguard free trade, practice true multilateralism, actively promote the process of regional integrity, maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and contribute to regional and global development.

Japan and China have great cooperative potential in a wide range of areas, said Hayashi, adding that Japan is committed to promoting cooperation with China.

Hayashi said Japan is willing to work with China to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship as an opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, and keep carrying out dialogue and communication to build constructive and stable bilateral relations.
PBS

Fans of Call the Midwife are accustomed to characters coming and going on occasionover the course of the show's 12 seasons, it's had more than a dozen nurses and nuns on the midwifery rosterbut that doesn't make it any easier when beloved characters bow out of the show for good. So it was only natural when nurse Lucille Robinson (played by Leonie Elliott) decided to return to Jamaica in this season's second episode for an indefinite period, fans started to worry that this could be a permanent goodbye for the character.

Sadly, that appears to be precisely the case. Elliott, who has played Lucille since season 7, announced in February that she would indeed be departing the series. In a Twitter post, she shared a sweet message to fan and the Call the Midwife team, writing, "Thank you all for embracing Lucille and rocking with me on this journey, it is with a heart full of love and appreciation that I embark on pastures new. Having spent six years on a truly wonderful show, with a fantastic team, I have fallen deeper and deeper in love with Lucille. I feel honoured to have represented the pioneering Windrush generation and their incredible impact on British society."

Over and out, precious! Xxx pic.twitter.com/OK4qS1tH8a  Leonie Elliott (@Leonie_Elliott) February 27, 2023

She added, "I would like to say a massive thank you to the brilliant cast and our uber talented creative team: Heidi Thomas, Pippa Harris and Annie Triclebank. Thank you again for all your support, it is hugely appreciated. Super excited for what's coming next!"

But though Elliott may be gone for the foreseeable future, Elliott has also hinted that the door may not be entirely closed for future appearances on the show. "You'd have to ask the producers," she told Radio Times. "It would be lovely to pop up and see what's happening with Lucille in Jamaica."

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Considering that Call the Midwife was recently picked up through season 15, there could still be opportunities to see just that.

As for what her departure means for Cyril, Lucille's husband on the show, played by actor Zephryn Taitte, no official announcements have been made yet, but Elliott herself is in favor of the character remaining on the show. "I think there should always be a place for Cyril, Zephyrn Taitte is a wonderful actor," she told the publication.

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Reuters

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called on Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and other protesters to behave as they descend upon the city for President Donald Trump's arraignment on Tuesday.

Greene, a Trump fanatic, declared over the weekend her intentions to come to New York City and protest outside Manhattan Criminal Court as Trump is arraigned on federal charges on Tuesday.

The Georgia Republican said specifically shell be joining the NYC GOP outside the courthouse, where hundreds are expected to convene as Trump becomes the first U.S. president to be criminally charged and arraigned.

People like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, has stated shes coming to town, Adams said in a press conference on Monday announcing safety protocols. While youre in town, be on your best behavior.

Adams insisted that any violence or vandalism would be met with strict punishment, no matter who you are. The mayor said the city has not received any concrete threats that suggest violent protests are imminent, but said the city and its police force are prepared for anything.

While there may be some rabble-rousers coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simplecontrol yourselves, Adams said. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.

Adams called Trumps court date a major historical event that will take place in the city.

Trump said he plans to leave his South Florida estate at Mar-a-Lago and fly to New York City on Monday. The next morning, hes expected to be ushered to Manhattan Criminal Court and be arraigned, fingerprinted, and have a mugshot taken.

The ordeal comes after a grand jury investigating Trumps alleged role in a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels decided to indict him.

Fears of a violent protest in New York City have been a concern of authorities for weeks, particularly with Trumps recent pivot to embrace the Jan. 6 insurrection and those who carried it out.

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Reportedly at the center of that pivot is Greene, wh's urged Trump to lean in on the Capitol riot by tying it to the sense of political persecution that is widely felt within the MAGA base.

Adams and New Yorks police commissioner, Keechant Sewell, said in their join press conference that New Yorkers should continue with their Tuesday as usual, but to expect road closures throughout Manhattan.

Our job is to facilitate and safeguard the rights of people to express themselves and those going about their daily activities, Sewell said. But I will remind everyone, violence and destruction are not part of legitimate lawful expression, and will never be tolerated in our city.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) handed down a warning to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) after she said she plans to appear at a pro-Trump rally in New York on the day of the former presidents arraignment: Be on your best behavior.

People like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech  she stated shes coming to town, Adams said at a press conference on Monday. While youre in town, be on your best behavior.

Greene said she will join the New York Young Republican Club for a peaceful protest on Tuesday as former President Trump is expected to appear in court after being indicted last week in the investigation into hush money paid to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Greene said Sunday on Twitter she was going to be protesting this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference.

Trump and his allies have framed the indictment from the New York grand jury as a political witch hunt targeting the now-presidential candidate, making him the first sitting or former president to face criminal charges. But Greenes decision to attend the protest marks a reversal by the firebrand lawmaker, who initially shot down the idea of demonstrations.

I changed my mind because we  its our First Amendment right, Greene said in an interview with Semafor. And we have a right to protest. And its so absolutely horrible what Alvin Bragg has done, and hes truly crossed the line with our justice system.

Adams said New York authorities would not tolerate violence at any of the protests in the city.

As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind, Adams said. If one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable.

Adams also said that there had been no specific, credible threats in the city and urged New Yorkers to go about their days tomorrow in a normal fashion.

Greene said she would reject any violence, saying on Twitter those who resort to violence are not one of us, you are one of them.

I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA [Make America Great Again] but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us, Greene said. You are not one of us, you are one of them.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hundreds gathered Monday morning at Mayfair Church of Christ in Huntsville to honor the life of Officer Garrett Crumby, a former member of the Tuscaloosa Police Department who was killed last week in the line of duty.

Friends, family, community members and law enforcement officers from across West Alabama and Huntsville, where Crumby served with the Huntsville Police Department, joined Monday's service to pay their respects to Crumby.

"There are not enough words we could use to fully describe Garrett, his work ethic, his kindness, thoughtfulness, and his drive to help others," Deputy Chief Scott Hudson of the Huntsville Police Department said during the service.

After the ceremony, a procession led Crumby's body for burial at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park, 5434 Old Birmingham Highway.

Crumby was praised by his fellow officers for his heroic actions on March 28, when he and another officer responded to the report of a shooting. Family and friends described Crumby as a humble, kind and self-less person.

April 3, 2023; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; People standing beside Alabama Highway 216 pay tribute as the police motorcade escorting the body of slain Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby for burial at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park passes through five points Monday. Crumby, a former Tuscaloosa Police officer was killed in Huntsville in the line of duty March 28.

Hudson, who read Crumby's obituary during Monday's service, said that it was unfortunate that many people will learn about Crumby only through his death.

"His life had much more meaning than the words in an obituary. His police service of 10 years in two different communities in this state can continue to impact us all," he said.

More: 'We are heartbroken': Tuscaloosa leaders mourn death of Huntsville police officer

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle thanked Crumby for his service both on- and off-duty and said he was someone who has given the "ultimate sacrifice" for the community.

"Garrett Crumby stood in front of me two-and-a-half years ago, he raised his right hand and he swore to protect and to serve this community after doing the same in Tuscaloosa for six years. And as he swore to protect and serve this community, he did it on a 24-hour basis. He did it during his time that he worked [and] did it during his time that he was able to give back to this community," Battle said during Monday's service.

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Courtney Crumby, one of Cumby's three sisters, shared a story from the late officer's childhood of how he often dressed in a Batman costume and was "fully committed" to the character's heroic nature.

April 3, 2023; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; The police motorcade escorting the body of slain Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby for burial at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park passes through five points Monday. Crumby, a former Tuscaloosa Police officer was killed in Huntsville in the line of duty March 28.

"I want to say that without a doubt, he was really a true hero. And he was always destined to be one. He really did have plans to save us all. From what, at that age, I don't know," she said.

Crumby, 36, died after he was shot by a man who barricaded himself in a Huntsville apartment. The other officer, Albert Morin, was also struck by gunfire and remains in the hospital in serious condition, but is expected to survive, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Secretary Hal Taylor told the Associated Press.

Jail records show that Juan Robert Laws, 24, was arrested by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and booked into the Madison County Jail on a charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. He was being held without bond.

Crumby was born in Starkville, Mississippi, on Aug. 4, 1986. He was raised in Tuscaloosa and was a 2004 graduate of Hillcrest High School. He served the Tuscaloosa Police Department for eight years as a patrol and field training officer. He worked at TPD from November 2013 until accepting the job with Huntsville Police Department in August 2020. He worked for HPD's west precinct and was known by fellow officers for his positive attitude and willingness to learn.

A funeral was held Monday for Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby, who previously served with the Tuscaloosa Police Department.

One passage in Crumby's online obituary summed up the dedication he had to his profession:

"In policing, officers often tell others they got their six, meaning they would always be there. Garrett represented that statement by showing up even when not called to respond. Garrett left a lasting impression on both Huntsville and Tuscaloosa police and their communities."

Crumby is survived by his wife, Taylor Campbell Crumby; father, William R. Crumby; mother, Janet Sherman; grandparents James and Sammi Sherman; sisters Jennifer Crumby, Courtney Crumby and Casey Wright (David) and 10 nieces and nephews.

Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Officer Garrett Crumby remembered for work ethic, kindness for others
Oklahoma City police investigate the scene of a shooting that occurred Saturday night at Whiskey Barrel Saloon in Oklahoma City.

A southwest Oklahoma City bar shooting that killed three and wounded three more was the outcome of a fight between several biker gangs, Oklahoma City police said Monday.

Numerous people exchanged gunfire during the fight, which took place around 9 p.m. Saturday at the Whiskey Barrel Saloon, according to police. One suspect, who was also wounded, has been booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a murder complaint. He has not been formally charged.

Police said the investigation is still in the early stages and more arrests are possible.

Some victims of OKC Whiskey Barrel Saloon shooting identified

Oklahoma City police investigate the scene at Whiskey Barrel Saloon in Oklahoma City following a Saturday evening shooting.

Police have identified most of the victims, including two of the deceased as Francisco Tanajara, 38, and Eric Oberholtzer, 29. Police are still waiting on next-of-kin notification for the third deceased victim.

Felicia Wallace, 35, and Clayton Owens, 36, also were wounded. Wallace was working the karaoke booth at Whiskey Barrel during the incident and was "severely injured," according to a meal train and fundraiser for the family.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC shooting at Whiskey Barrel Saloon started by biker gang fight
Oklahoma City police have no suspects and no arrests following a deadly shooting on Saturday night.

Three people were killed at the Whiskey Barrel Saloon in Oklahoma's capital city. Three more were injured.

A spokesperson for the police described the scene as chaotic and said the bar was full of patrons when gunshots rang out.

The police say they suspect the incident may have been a shoot-out between rival biker gangs.

Witnesses say at least three masked gunmen entered the building and began shooting, according to local media reports.

Police responded after receiving a shots-fired call around 19:00 local time (01:00 GMT), they say.

The shooting suspect - or suspects - fled the scene before police arrived, police spokesperson Jeff Cooper told BBC's US media partner CBS News on Sunday.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene while the other three were transported to nearby hospital, one in critical condition, Lt Cooper said.

The Whiskey Barrel Saloon is a neighbourhood bar loved by customers who told local media it was the kind of place where "we hug each other when we get here. We hug each other when we go home. It's a true family here."

Saturday night's shooting added the beloved bar to the growing list of locations home to mass shootings in the US - which the Gun Violence Archive defines as four or more people shot or killed in a single incident. As of Monday, the archive had recorded 136 mass shootings in the US since the beginning of the year.

"Quit the killing," said Lisa Harvey, one of the bar's regulars. "One of the guys that passed was a father. These people are fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, friends, loved ones. Just stop, just stop."
For a long time, national retailer Tuesday Morning was one of the more popular discount home decor stores in Wichita.

It expanded from smaller, older stores into newer, larger spaces, but now both of Wichitas Tuesday Morning stores have closed.

The west-side store a couple of blocks north of the northeast corner of 21st and Maize Road closed in 2020 less than three years after moving to its new space.

Now, the Tuesday Morning at Regency Lakes, at 21st and Greenwich, has closed, too.

The closure came with more than 250 Tuesday Morning closures nationally as part of the Dallas companys Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize.

Don Piros, a broker with Landmark Commercial Real Estate, is now trying to lease the 18,250-square-foot building, which he called an open space thats in a booming area.

Piros said he hopes to attract another national tenant to the property.
Durham police have charged a man with killing a coworker Monday morning at a store along Glenn School Road.

According to police, a man was shot in a business on the 1500 block of Glenn School Road, which is near Geer Street in northeastern Durham, just after 9 a.m.

On Monday afternoon, police identified the man as Byron Lamont Gainey, of Durham. He was 35 years old.

Gainey was taken to a hospital where he died, police said in a news release.

Saquan Evans, 42, of Durham, has been charged with murder in his death, police announced Monday afternoon.

Media outlets reported the business is a Dollar Tree store in a shopping center.

A preliminary investigation found two employees were arguing inside the store when one shot the other, the release stated.

On Monday morning, police took a Evans into custody for questioning. He is being held at the Durham County jail.

At least 13 people have been fatally shot this year, including two teenage boys who were killed near Brogden Middle School in March.

Anyone with information in Mondays shooting is asked to call Investigator C. Robinson at 919-560-4440 ext. 29415 or CrimeStoppers at 919-683-1200.
Wildlife officials worked to protect about one-fifth of the world's entire population of North Atlantic right whales swimming off Massachusetts Cape Cod coast on Friday.

Two patrol vessels safeguarded between 60 to 70 right whales  an endangered species with fewer than 350 North Atlantic that remain  from boat traffic, according to the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

A mother and calf were also spotted with the group, which fed outside the east end of the Cape Cod Canal in the Cape Cod Bay before traveling to another location by Saturday, according to officials.

On March 18, the Center for Coastal Studies' right whale aerial survey team spotted the first North Atlantic right whale mother/calf pair in Cape Cod Bay of the year. The mother is known to scientists as Porcia (#3293 in the North Atlantic Right Whale catalog).

In March, NOAA Fisheries documented around 80 right whales in Cape Cod Bay.

Rescue attempts for 8-year-old right whale

North Atlantic right whale #4545 was first seen with an entanglement in February off of Nantucket. She was spotted again on March 29 in Cape Cod Bay.

Meanwhile, attempts are underway to help an 8-year-old female right whale that became entangled in fishing rope and swam into Cape Cod Bay, Cape Cod Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

Scott Landry from the nonprofit Center for Coastal Studies told Cape Cod Times that her entanglement is "serious"  so much so that "without help, the entanglement will kill her. And it won't be a quick death."

Fishing gear a known killer

Entanglement in fishing gear is one of the greatest threats to the animal, according to NOAA, killing at least nine right whales since 2017  though right whale casualties are not well documented. Advocates have fought to try to force the federal government to protect the dwindling numbers of whales from the dangers they face, including vessel collisions and entangling fishing gear, in the warming waters off Canada and the United States.

Last Wednesday, a team directed by Landry managed to remove 200 feet of rope from the whale, known only as #4545 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium's right whale catalog, but she remains entangled.

He noted that the Provincetown-based team  which will continue monitoring sea and weather conditions for another attempt to untangle the whale  "worked very hard" to free the whale despite her attempts to evade crew members.

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The severely entangled right whale was initially spotted in February, but trained rescuers were unable to respond at the time because of distance and the lack of daylight.

More coverage from USA TODAY

Camille Fine is a trending visual producer on USA TODAY's NOW team.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Endangered North Atlantic right whales seen feeding by Cape Cod
PANAMA CITY BEACH  A coffee shop on the Beach is getting some major attention after being recognized by one of world's most popular review websites.

In a recent article, Yelp ranked its Top 100 best places to eat in Florida this year, and The Pour in Panama City Beach claimed the 58th spot. Yelp notes the restaurants were ranked "using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023."

Here's what we know about the local establishment, which sits at 12902 Front Beach Road.

Who's up for fish fry? Here are 6 Bay County eateries that serve great fried fish

A vacation worthwhile: 12 attractions to explore in Panama City Beach

Restaurant inspections: No Bay County restaurants get high-priority violations, one aces inspection

What makes The Pour special?

Though The Pour might at first glace appear to be a traditional coffee shop, it doubles as a nonprofit organization that Panama City Beach Ministries uses to raise money for The Ark, a transitional-housing shelter located on the same property.

Yelp recently released its list of the Top 100 best places to eat in Florida this year, and The Pour in Panama City Beach came in at No. 58.

"A lot of people who come into the coffee shop don't event know that it's also a nonprofit that funds transitional housing to locals in Bay County," said Kia Bennett, head manager of The Pour. "To a lot, it's just a cool, cozy coffee shop, but it's so much more than that."

Bennett noted The Ark currently houses about 120 people, many of whom were either recently released from jail or are recovering from addiction.

What food, drinks is The Pour known for?

Apart from its coffee, Bennett said The Pour is most known for its cinnamon rolls, which she described as being "out of this world."

The shop also offers a "secret latte" dubbed "the Teddy Roosevelt," which boasts honey, vanilla and cinnamon flavors.

"It was a special a few years ago, and we still always get people coming in just kind of hearing about it," Bennett said. "Obviously, it pairs wonderful with our cinnamon rolls."

What are Bennett's thoughts on The Pour making Yelp's list?

While Bennett did not know until talking with the News Herald that The Pour made Yelp's list, she hoped the publicity would help more people learn about the coffee shop and it's mission.

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"I'm amazed, and I'm shocked," she said. "I think it's such a cool blessing. It's kind of blowing my mind a bit. I think that's very, very cool, and I just think it's well deserved because this spot is very, very special, and I don't think it's just the coffee that makes it great.

"I know we serve good coffee, good baked goods and we always have smiling faces, but it's seriously so much more than that."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: The Pour in Panama City Beach ranks 58th on Yelp's Florida rankings
 Flash

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. Wang Yi presided over the closing meeting here on Friday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud agreed in a phone call on Sunday to meet in the coming days.

The Iranian foreign minister expressed satisfaction with the "positive trend" of the bilateral relation, highlighting Tehran's determination to promote its good-neighborliness policy, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

The Saudi foreign minister, for his part, stressed the necessity of constant contact and meetings between the two countries' officials, describing the ongoing trend of measures by Tehran and Riyadh as "positive and satisfactory."

The foreign ministers also discussed the latest condition of the agreement signed between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Beijing on March 10 on the normalization of diplomatic relations and reopening of the embassies and missions within two months.

This was the third phone conversation between the two top diplomats in the past weeks following the signing of the agreement, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

The ministry, however, did not specify the date and venue of the upcoming meeting.

In another phone conversation in late March, the two foreign ministers had exchanged views on holding their bilateral meeting in the fasting month of Ramadhan, which will end in late April.

Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic ties with Iran in early 2016 in response to the attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed a Shiite cleric.
Donald Trump. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump is expected to pose for a mugshot ahead of his Tuesday arraignment in New York City.

But the image won't be released; under New York law, mugshots are not public record.

The mugshot won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.

Don't expect to soon see former President Donald Trump's real-life mugshot plastered all over the place.

The indicted former US president is expected to pose for a mugshot and be fingerprinted ahead of his New York City courtroom arraignment on Tuesday, but the photograph won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself.

Under New York law, mugshots are not public record.

In New York, authorities are prohibited from releasing a person's arrest or booking photos "unless public release of such photographs will serve a specific law enforcement purpose and disclosure is not precluded by any state or federal laws."

The New York Police Department told Insider it does not "disseminate mugshots unless we are looking to locate an individual."

It's possible that Trump's mugshot could be leaked as other prominent figures' booking photos have been in the past.

And according to criminal defense lawyers, nothing is legally barring Trump himself from making his mugshot  which will arguably be one of the most famous in history  see the light of day.

It's standard for defendants' lawyers to get a copy of their clients' mugshot either at their arraignment or ultimately through the pretrial discovery process, criminal defense lawyers told Insider.

The mugshot copy is typically "a black and white grainy photo," said high-profile attorney and former Brooklyn prosecutor Arthur Aidala.

Trump can do "whatever the heck he wants to do" with his mugshot or the discovery materials, white-collar criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor Jeremy Saland added.

If the public does get a chance to see Trump's mugshot, it could cement his status as an "outlaw" among presidents and make him a folk hero for some Americans, according to presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.

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"As a presidential historian, I've had a hard time connecting him to the tradition of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and the Roosevelts," Brinkley told NPR last week of Trump. "But Trump fits very easily into a narrative of folk heroes, like outlaw folk heroes like Al Capone and Dillinger, Billy the Kid."

"The public likes their outlaw figure sometimes, and I think that's where we have to look at President Trump at this point," Brinkley continued, adding that this is a "monstrous story of huge size and importance" given Trump is the leader of the Republican party and the frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

Trump became the first former US president to face criminal charges when he was indicted last Thursday by a Manhattan grand jury. While the charges he's facing have not yet been made public, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office was investigating Trump's finances, including his possible role in a hush-money payment that Michael Cohen  Trump's former personal lawyer  said he made to adult-film Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.

An attorney for Trump, Alina Habba, told CNN in an interview on Monday that the potential release of his mugshot is "not going to help anything" and that she has "a problem with the leaking of pictures."

"Mugshots are for people so that you recognize who they are. He is the most recognized face in the world, let alone the country right now, so there's no need for that. There's no need for the theatrics," said Habba.

And there's really no reason for Trump to publicly share his own mugshot, Saland told Insider.

"Other than politics, what's the benefit here? What does this do for anybody?" said Saland.

Meanwhile, fake artificial intelligence-generated images of Trump's mugshot and bogus photos of the former president's arrest have already spread like wildfire across social media.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Hi there, OnPolitics readers! Donald Trump arrived in New York today for tomorrow's arraignment.

Here's what we know about Tuesday's historic day and the events leading up to it:

The former president took Trump 757 to Manhattan from Florida for his arraignment, which follows his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury last week.

But Trump plans to be back in Florida tomorrow night for a speech at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

What is likely to happen at Trump's arraignment?: Trump is expected to be taken into custody and processed as all other defendants, which includes him having his mug shot and fingerprints taken.

Unlike other defendants, Trump is expected to be accompanied by his Secret Service detail.

The formal charges will be read during the arraignment, where Trump will plead not guilty loudly and proudly, Trumps lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNNs State of the Union Sunday.

What we know about the charges: While the charges have yet to be made public, legal experts expect a combination of charges, including misdemeanor charges alleging falsification of business records about the payments, combined with a felony such as a campaign finance violation.

The grand jury has been investigating Trump for hush money payments to two woman whove claimed to have had sex with the former president, including a $130,000 payment former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said he arranged from Trump to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence prior to the 2016 election.

Implications for 2024: While it has yet to be seen how this indictment affects Trump's status as the leading Republican presidential nominee, it doesnt stop him from being in the race.

Trump can still run for office despite being indicted, according to Jessica Levinson, founding director of Loyola Law School's Public Service Institute. Trump could still continue to run even if convicted, Levinson added.

 Stay updated with our live file: Donald Trump departs Florida in 757, headed to New York to face criminal charges

Story continues

 Keep reading: Donald Trump plans to turn his arraignment into a political spectacle. Here's how

 What else do we know?: Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges. What we know

 Get newsletter in your inbox: Don't miss our politics coverage. Sign up for OnPolitics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump arraignment: What we expect on Tuesday
Sean Hogg was given community service because of new sentencing guidelines - The Crown

A man who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl has avoided jail following the introduction of SNP-backed justice reforms.

Sean Hogg, 21, was on Monday given just 270 hours of community service for attacking the child on various occasions between March and June 2018 at Dalkeith Country Park in Midlothian.

The judge in the case, Lord Lake, said that had Hogg been aged 25 or over when the offence was committed he would have been jailed for between four and five years.

However, new sentencing guidelines introduced last year state that offenders aged up to 24 should be dealt with more leniently by the Scottish courts, with prison sentences only to be given out as a last resort.

Lord Lake claimed that jailing Hogg, who was 17 at the time that he raped the school girl, was not appropriate due to his age and because he felt it would not contribute to [his] rehabilitation".

Total insult

The Scottish Tories, who opposed the introduction of the new sentencing regime, claimed the ruling was a total insult to the girl raped by Hogg and that the interests of sexual predators were being prioritised over their victims.

Campaigners against violence against women and girls also hit out at the worryingly lenient sentence, which prosecutors are entitled to appeal.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how Hogg, of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, threatened his child victim and pulled down her lower clothing in the park. He seized her by the wrists and caused the girl to carry out a sex act on him. He went on to push his victim's head down and raped her, court documents state.

The lack of a prison sentence is a total insult to the young teenage victim in this case, Jamie Greene, justice spokesman for the Scottish Tories, said. It once again reaffirms how misguided the SNPs sentencing guidelines are in reality and how judges hands are tied as a result.

Hogg was found guilty by a jury and was crying when he appeared in the dock for sentencing, only to be spared a jail term. New guidelines introduced in Jan 2022 state that offenders aged under 25 on the day that they either pleaded guilty or were found guilty should not be treated as harshly as older criminals.

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It is claimed that this is because younger people will generally have a lower level of maturity, and a greater capacity for change and rehabilitation. The guidelines also point to research which concluded that the brain did not fully develop until as late as age 30.

They were developed by the Scottish Sentencing Council, a body set up by SNP ministers in 2015. They were approved by the High Court in November 2021.

Whole-hearted backing

While the council is independent, then justice secretary Keith Brown last year offered his whole-hearted backing to the new rules, saying they complimented the SNP's "vision for youth justice".

He rejected claims that they amounted to "soft justice", instead describing the overhaul as "smart" and promising Scottish government help to "make sure it is adopted".

Lord Lake told Hogg that rape was one of the most serious crimes with his actions aggravated by his victims age and vulnerabilities. However, he claimed that he also had an obligation to consider Hoggs age as a factor.

Sandy Brindley, chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, said that her charity was ready to support victims.

This is an extremely serious case and we are shocked this perpetrator has not received a custodial sentence, she said. Given the gravity of this crime and the fact it was tried at the High Court, this sentence appears to us to be worryingly lenient.

A Scottish government spokesman said: Decisions on sentencing in individual cases are taken by the independent court within the legal framework where they consider all the facts and circumstances and the Scottish government does not comment on nor intervene in individual cases.

Sentencing guidelines are the responsibility of the independent Sentencing Council, the establishment of which was backed by all parties in parliament.
Tarrant County has withheld for weeks the results of an independent review of the autopsy report for Robert G. Miller, who died in 2019 after being pepper-sprayed multiple times during his booking in jail.

The review followed a Star-Telegram investigation that raised questions about Millers cause of death, which Tarrant Countys autopsy report listed as natural from a sickle cell crisis.

In December, the county commissioners contracted with an independent forensic pathologist from Illinois to reexamine the autopsy findings. The contract with J. Scott Denton expired Feb. 28.

More than a month later, county officials have remained silent on Dentons findings and have not released documents that the Star-Telegram has requested under the states public records law.

Miller, 38, was living in a camp off East Lancaster Avenue when Fort Worth police arrested him on outstanding misdemeanor warrants related to homelessness. He became upset when the officers didnt let him clean up his camp and kicked a police cars door, which elevated his charges and landed him in Tarrant County Jail, according to the Star-Telegram investigation of the case published in October.

Robert Miller was arrested by Fort Worth police on July 31, 2019, at his camp at the former Butler Place housing projects near downtown.

Once at the jail, sheriffs officers pepper-sprayed him at least three times at close range during booking, with officers later recounting that Miller had been combative. Miller, who had asthma, complained to a nurse that he couldnt breathe.

Sheriffs Sgt. Sheldon Kelseys statement about pepper-spraying Robert Miller in jail.

Jailers found him unconscious and face-down in his cell 38 minutes later. He died the next morning at JPS Hospital with inflamed lungs, a swollen neck and blood leaking from his ears and nose, according to medical records obtained by the Star-Telegram.

Medics treat Robert Miller in Tarrant County Jail after he was found unconscious. This image was included in the Texas Rangers investigative report.

Dr. Richard Fries, a forensic pathologist, conducted Millers autopsy at the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office. His finding of death by natural causes from a medical condition prompted the Texas Rangers to close its investigation into Millers in-custody death.

Millers family said he did not have sickle cell disease. Experts who spoke with the Star-Telegram after reviewing Millers medical records came to the same conclusion.

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One of them was Hannah Lichtsinn, an internal medicine doctor and sickle cell expert in Minnesota. Lichtsinn said the doctors at JPS Hospital tested Millers blood and noted his red blood cells were healthy, not anemic where they could deprive him of oxygen. Sickle cell disease is a hereditary blood disorder that can indeed cause sudden death, but it can be visibly diagnosed by doctors  almost always when someone is a child  and rarely exists in adults who dont know they have it.

I can tell you his kidneys were healthy until he had his cardiac arrest, Lichtsinn told the Star-Telegram, describing her observations from the hospital records. I can tell you that his blood counts were pretty normal until he had his cardiac arrest, and so was his liver. I can tell you that he wasnt on drugs. And I can tell you he didnt have sickle cell anemia.

After the contract expired for the independent autopsy review in February, The Star-Telegram requested public records related to the findings. Tarrant County officials have sent the request to the Texas Attorney Generals Office for an opinion on whether they can withhold the records.

County administrator G.K. Maenius told the Star-Telegram in March that he could not comment because of pending litigation. He was likely referring to a federal wrongful death lawsuit that Millers widow, Shanelle Jenkins, is pursuing against the Sheriffs Office.

Shanelle Jenkins holds a sign during a rally outside the Tarrant County commissioners meeting on May 10, 2022

But on Monday, a federal appeals court delivered a blow to Jenkins case, preventing her from proceeding with the lawsuit. Jenkins had sought to amend her complaint with new information about what happened to Miller in jail, but such cases must be filed within two years of a death.

Its unclear whether the ruling will prompt Tarrant County to release the autopsy records, since the litigation is no longer pending.

Jenkins lead attorneys in the case, David Henderson and Jennifer Despins, did not immediately return calls for comment Monday. Maenius said Monday he would have to touch base with the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office before he could comment.

A tear runs down Shanelle Jenkins cheek as she listens to family members describe what happened to Kelly Masten during a rally outside the Tarrant County commissioners meeting on May 10, 2022, to demand changes at Tarrant Countys jails.

The last time county commissioners spoke about Millers case was during a nearly two-hour closed session Feb. 21  a week before the countys contract with Denton ended. When the commissioners reconvened, they took no action.

Jenkins lawyers also have sought the results of the autopsy review have answers either.

Attorney Sebastian Van Coevorden said trying to get information has been like pulling teeth. He also has filed public records requests.

Its difficult because I have to explain to (Jenkins) that we do not know what is going on, he said. That we expected the contract to come out, or the medical examiners report come out, and at least give us a little bit more context.

Van Coevorden said he thought the public deserved to know whether the medical examiners office would give the same consideration to deaths behind bars as it does to other deaths across the county. The public should know the truth about what happened to Miller, he said, and whether the commissioners or county government has information that could shed light the death.

Justice will ultimately be the fact that the truth has come out, and that Ms. Jenkins fully understands the role that individuals of Tarrant County have in being responsible for Mr. Millers death, and it would be something that would be adjudicated by a court or at least acknowledged by the county, Van Coevorden said.
Isaac Kim, left, is a candidate for the Los Angeles City Council's District 6 seat. Here he speaks with Karen Shaw as he campaigns door to door. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Donations and union spending have created a lopsided contest in the race for former Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez's seat in San Fernando Valley.

Three of the seven candidates have raised significant amounts of money or are benefiting from outside spending by unions or corporations in Tuesday's special election.

The other four candidates face an uphill battle. They have far less funding, limiting their ability to buy glossy mailers or hire consultants to spread their message to voters in City Council District 6.

Isaac Kim, a first-time candidate who lives in Van Nuys and runs a men's skin and hair care company, raised just $20,175 through late March. He's relying on free labor to help run his campaign: Kim's mom is in charge of treasurer duties, while his campaign manager is working for free, he said.

Mailers, text messages and door-knocking help introduce him to voters. Still, Kim is realistic about his lack of resources.

"The fact of the matter is the more money you have, you have the capacity to reach more voters," Kim said.

Visibility is particularly important in an election expected to draw a low number of voters. As of Friday afternoon, 6,278 vote-by-mail ballots had been returned to the county, said L.A. County Registrar-Recorder spokesperson Mike Sanchez. In all, more than 118,000 registered voters were sent a ballot.

Imelda Padilla is a candidate for the L.A. City Council's District 6 seat. She has raised more than $90,000 in donations and secured more than $150,000 in public money through a city program that allows candidates who collect enough small donations from residents in the district to receive matching funds. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

In a boost for candidate Imelda Padilla, a committee associated with Laborers Local 300 reported spending $25,000 on television advertisements to support her campaign. The union represents construction, maintenance and plant workers.

Two outside committees are also backing Padilla and have reported spending a combined $92,300. One of the committees has received money from the American Beverage Assn. and PepsiCo.

Separately, Padilla has raised more than $98,000 in donations and secured more than $150,600 in public money through a city program that allows candidates who collect enough small donations from residents in the district to receive matching funds.

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Padilla spokesperson Lauren Perez-Rangel credited the candidate's support to her work with the L.A. Youth Council, the Sun Valley Neighborhood Council and other local organizations.

Imeldas edge comes from organizing in the district for the last 20 years, Perez-Rangel said.

Another candidate, Marisa Alcaraz, a top aide to City Councilmember Curren Price, has raised more than $161,200. Outside groups, including committees backed by United Food & Commercial Workers Local 700, the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters and a real estate development company, respectively, have reported spending a combined $110,825 to support her campaign.

Marisa Alcaraz, left, a candidate for the L.A. City Council's District 6 seat, speaks with Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo to a group of Alcaraz's volunteers in Panorama City. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Alcaraz worked on council legislation two years ago mandating that larger grocery store chains pay employees extra money because of their work during the pandemic. UFCW, which represents grocery workers, spearheaded the initiative.

UFCW 770 drew scrutiny in the District 6 race after the committee put out 14,200 mailers in support of Alcaraz that incorrectly stated she was endorsed by the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion.

Armando Varela, executive editor of La Opinion, called for a public retraction, noting the paper hasn't endorsed a candidate.

"We regret the error and offer our apologies to La Opinion," said UFCW spokeswoman Bertha Rodriguez. "We would like to clarify that our political action committee functions autonomously, without any direct affiliation or coordination with the Marisa Alcaraz campaign."

Edith Gonzalez, middle, and other volunteers head out to campaign for District 6 candidate Marisa Alcaraz, a top aide to City Councilmember Curren Price who has raised more than $100,000. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Katherine Tattersfield, volunteer field coordinator for candidate Antoinette Scully, said the incident "demonstrates why communications should come directly from campaigns so that there's accountability for messaging.

You can't unsend a piece of mail  the damage from this misinformation already reached voters, Tattersfield said.

Another District 6 candidate, Marco Santana, director of engagement at L.A. Family Housing, has raised more than $89,020 and received $115,578 in matching funds.

A committee associated with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which represents rank-and-file officers, has spent more than $70,400 opposing Santana. One mailer from the committee highlights Santanas opposition to 41.18, the city law that allows council members to designate areas as off-limits to homeless camps. It includes a quote from Santana in which the candidate said he would definitely look at repealing 41.18.

Other candidates, including Scully, a self-described police abolitionist, oppose 41.18. Scully has raised just $13,992, according to the latest filings.

Tom Saggau, a spokesperson for the Police Protective League, said that the union views Santana as the "most viable" of the candidates who oppose 41.18. The union supports the law.

Its not just cops" who support 41.18, Saggau said. For a lot of Angelenos, homeless encampments next to schools and day-care care centers are something that they dont want to see.

The police union spent heavily in last year's Council District 11 race, opposing candidate Erin Darling, who ultimately lost to Traci Park.

Santana, reacting to the mailer, said, "Im clearly a threat to those who want City Hall to stay the same and to have this council seat filled with an insider who will continue to put the politics before the needs of our communities.

Mailers, text messages and door-knocking have helped introduce Isaac Kim to voters. Still, he is realistic about his lack of resources. "The fact of the matter is the more money you have, you have the capacity to reach more voters." (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

"It is ironic that the PPL is attacking me since my public safety plan has always been to create ways that will allow LAPD officers to focus more of their time on preventing violent crime -something the PPL says it wants."

Meanwhile, candidate Rose Grigoryan, who runs a marketing company, has raised about $59,986. In an email, Grigoryan said she isn't "approaching special interests that I would owe something to later on."

Candidate Douglas Sierra, who formerly worked at management consulting firm Monitor Deloitte, has raised about $11,670, but spent more than $21,000, according to the latest filings.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Their power to dissolve the ozone layer shielding Earth from the Sun prompted a worldwide ban, but scientists on Monday revealed that some human-made chlorofluorocarbons have reached record levels, boosting climate-changing emissions.

Despite being banned under the Montreal Protocol, the five chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) measured increased rapidly in the atmosphere from 2010 to 2020, reaching record-high levels in 2020, according to the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

It said the increase was probably due to leakage during the production of chemicals that are meant to replace CFCs, including hydrofluorocarbons (HFOs).

Although at current levels they do not threaten the recovery of the ozone layer, they contribute to a different threat, joining other emissions in heating the atmosphere.

"If you are producing greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances during the production of these next-generation compounds, then they do have an indirect impact on the climate and the ozone layer," said co-author Isaac Vimont of the Global Monitoring Laboratory at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

CFCs are potent greenhouse gases that trap heat up to 10,000 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide -- the biggest cause of the global warming that drives climate change, according to data from the Global Carbon Project.

In the 1970s and 1980s, CFCs were widely used as refrigerants and in aerosol sprays.

But the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica as a result of their use led to the global agreement in 1987 to eliminate them.

After the Montreal Protocol entered into force, global concentrations of CFCs declined steadily.

- Ozone 'early warning' -

The study analysed five CFCs with no or few current uses, beginning at the point of their total global phase-out in 2010.

In 2020 all five gases were at their highest abundance since direct measurements began.

Those emissions have so far resulted in a modest impact on the ozone layer and slightly larger climate footprint, said co-author Luke Western of Bristol University and the Global Monitoring Laboratory.

Story continues

They are equivalent to the 2020 CO2 emissions of Switzerland -- about one percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the United States.

But if the rapid upward trend continues, their impact will increase.

The researchers called their findings "an early warning" of a new way in which CFCs are endangering the ozone layer.

The emissions are likely due to processes that are not subject to the current ban and unreported uses.

The class of industrial aerosols developed to replace those banned by the Montreal Protocol is to be phased out over the next three decades under a recent amendment to the 1987 treaty.

- Unknown source -

The protocol curbs the release of ozone-depleting substances that could disperse, but does not ban their use in the production of other chemicals as raw materials or by-products.

It was not the first time that unreported production had an impact on CFC levels. In 2018 scientists discovered that the pace of CFC slowdown had dropped by half from the preceding five years.

Evidence in that case pointed to factories in eastern China, the researchers said. Once CFC production in that region stopped, the draw-down appeared to be back on track.

The study said further research was needed to know the precise source of the recent rise in CFC emissions.

Nationwide data gaps make it difficult to determine where the gases are coming from and for some of the CFCs analysed there are no known uses.

But "eradicating these emissions is an easy win in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Western.

lp/rlp/yad
Paddington in Peru starts filming later this year. (Alamy)

Paddington (and his marmalade) are heading back to big screen once again.

The beloved bear, who has become a national treasure after affecting several generations of children  and lets face it, adults  with his heartwarming demeanour and optimistic outlook on life will return in Paddington in Peru.

Paddington hasn't been since 2017's Paddington 2 aside from a memorable appearance at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations last year but a third movie has been confirmed to begin shooting later this year.

Read more: Hugh Bonneville says 'Paddington 3' is 'in safe hands' ahead of filming

Though regular director Paul King is busy with Wonka, Paddington in Peru will be directed by Dougal Wilson, making his feature film debut.

Ben Whishaw is the voice of Paddington. (Alamy)

Here's everything we know about Paddington in Peru so far...

Paddington in Peru cast

There has been no official word but Ben Whishaw is expected to return as the voice of Paddington from the first two films.

Only in February, Whishaw suggested that Paddington in Peru wasn't going anywhere as he hadn't seen a script: I havent read this script and I dont even know when were due to shoot it. I dont know. I thought it would be happening by now, but I dont know. Its gone silent in the way that sometimes these things do. Maybe that just means theyre still working on it, or maybe it means its not happening, or you just dont know.

Hugh Bonneville as Henry Brown & Sally Hawkins as Mary Brown & Julie Walters as Mrs. Bird & Madeleine Harris as Judy Brown in Paddington 2 (Studiocanal)

There is also no confirmation on the existing cast members including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi.

In a report, Deadline expect the cast to be made up of a variety of new and existing cast while Florence Pugh has publicly declared her love of the films.

Grant has previously played down the chances of him returning as the villainous Phoenix Buchanan, saying: They probably will make another Paddington, in fact I think they are but no, Phoenix is happy in prison. He's got a special friend there. There's no breakout, not for Phoenix. He doesn't want one. He's loving it. He's dancing away with the other inmates.

Story continues

Paddington in Peru release date

While Paddington in Peru begins filming on 24 July, no release date has been confirmed by StudioCanal.

It's been six years since the release of Paddington 2 which began production in November 2016 so it would be a good estimate to expect Paddington in Peru to hit cinemas some time around Christmas 2024.

Paddington in Peru plot

Plot details for the film are being kept strictly under Paddington's red hat but if the title gives anything away, we will see the bear back home in Peru for the first time.

The previous two films were set in London so the film could feature Paddington in a new setting.

Who is making Paddington in Peru?

The Peru jungle as seen in Paddington (Studiocanal)

While Paul King has stepped out of the director's chair, he has still co-written the film and will serve as an executive producer.

King wrote the story with his collaborator on the first two films, Simon Farnaby and Mark Burton who co-wrote Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Ben Whishaw voices Paddington. (Reuters)

The screenplay comes from Burton, Jon Foster and James Lamont who scripted Paddington's Jubilee sketch with the late Queen Elizabeth II. The pair have also worked with Jimmy Fallon and Harry Hill.

The new director is Dougal Wilson who is best known for his work in advertisements and music videos. He has directed several of the John Lewis Christmas adverts and done music videos for artists such as Coldplay, LCD Soundsystem and Jarvis Cocker.

On handing over the baton to Wilson, King said: After ten years of working on the Paddington movies, I feel absurdly protective of the little bear, and Im delighted that Dougal will be there to hold his paw as he embarks on his third big screen adventure. Dougals work is never less than astounding: funny, beautiful, heartfelt, imaginative, and totally original. Aunt Lucy once asked us to Please Look After This Bear. I know Dougal will do so admirably.

Paddington in Peru will be the third film in the series. (Alamy)

In turn, Wilson commented on taking over from King: As a huge fan of the first two films, I am very excited (if not a little intimidated) to be continuing the story of Paddington. Its a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honours the love so many people have for this very special bear.

Watch below: Ben Whishaw has admitted he 'doesn't know' if Paddington 3 is happening
SHEBOYGAN - Floor-to-ceiling bookcases of neatly ordered cassettes and CDs line the walls of Vue Yangs basement  recordings of his Hmong Sheboygan Radio show that aired weekly for more than 35 years.

Yangs show finished in 2019, but since then, his recordings of music, traditional folktales and stories of how Hmong people live in Laos and in the U.S. have been playing online 24/7 so people can listen worldwide. Hell let the recordings run for a few more years, he said.

The radio show is one of many aspects of Yangs legacy since he moved to Sheboygan in 1981 to join his parents and siblings, who were among the first Hmong refugees to come to the city in 1976.

In Sheboygan, Yang helped organize a Hmong Mutual Assistance Association for the city and statewide. He and his wife, Paj, owned the Union Oriental Market (now Union Asian Market) grocery store for nearly 40 years. He spent years advocating to build the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial in Deland Park in the early 2000s, among other things.

The younger generation tend to forget what happened with their grandfather or grandmother, he said. They know where they came from, but the reason why they came to Sheboygan maybe is not in their head. So we try to remember what happened and carry out tradition through the next generations.

FILE - Vue Yang of Sheboygan, who heads the Hmong radio station inside Sheboygan North High prepares for a show Wednesday October 10, 2013, in Sheboygan, Wis.

Like many Hmong families, Yangs parents fled Laos after the U.S. Secret War.

Born in Laos the eldest in a large family, Yang escaped service in the CIA's Secret War when, after graduating high school, he received a Laos government scholarship to study in France in 1971.

His dad forced him to stay in school so he didnt have to join the army, Yang said. Yangs father, Col. Yong Chue Yang, as well as several of his uncles and cousins, served.

In 1975, the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam and the Secret War ended. Hmong people, who had been recruited to fight by the U.S., fled Laos to escape persecution by the new communist government.

Yangs parents and siblings made it to refugee camps in Thailand, and eventually people in Sheboygan sponsored the refugees to come to the U.S.

Story continues

So, my parents came to Sheboygan, and they did not know about Sheboygan, even Wisconsin. The reason why they came here (was) because of the good heart of the people in the Sheboygan area, he said.

Yang, still in France, received a masters degree in chemical engineering and worked for four years on oil drilling rigs in the Middle East before he moved to Sheboygan in 1981 to help other Hmong families coming to the city.

Colonel Yong Chue Yang, Vue Yang's father, served in a Special Guerrilla Unit during the Secret War.

More: Manitowoc's Nenglee Vang fled Laos with her mother and siblings in 1980. They sold embroidered items to survive.

From the climate to fair housing: Adjusting to Sheboygan

Yang remembers his grandfather arriving in Sheboygan for the first time one February. A couple feet of snow blanketed the city, and the trees were bare of leaves. His grandfather sent a message to relatives still in Thailand telling them not to come.

The temperature in Laos would always be 70, 80, 90.  We never have snow, Yang said. In his mind, he said, Oh no, were going to all die, because I do not have a place to grow rice.

But more Hmong refugees and immigrants came to Sheboygan from the late 1970s through the 1990s, leading to some learning and cultural adjustment for Hmong and white people in Sheboygan.

At the time, few Hmong people in Sheboygan spoke English, and many were unfamiliar with things like using U.S. money at the grocery store, Yang said. Thats one reason he opened his own store.

When they come to the store, we speak to them in Hmong, we explain the money, then they feel more confident to go shopping at local stores, he said.

Yang also served on the citys fair housing committee for 16 years.

We had a lot of interesting conversations, he said with a smile, saying landlords did not want to accommodate large families of around 10 people in one house. In Laos, people had a small house, but they stay all in that house. They will do the same here.

So after years and years, things are getting much better. Most Hmong that live in town, they own their own house, he said.

While Yang said there were some misunderstandings between Hmong families and white people in Sheboygan  for instance, being mistaken as Chinese  Sheboygan was a very peaceful city.

At the request of Mayor Richard Suscha in the early 1980s, Hmong families in Sheboygan started the tradition of marching in the Fourth of July parade dressed in traditional clothing.

I remember about 32,000 people came to watch the parade, and we were applauded from the beginning to the end, Yang said.

Vue Yang, of Sheboygan, stands in a wall filled with the accomplishments of his family, Wednesday, February 8, 2023, in Sheboygan, Wis.

The Sheboygan Area School District also worked to accommodate Hmong students learning English in middle and high school, some of whom had never been to school before, he said.

Now, a high percentage of Hmong students in Sheboygan and Wisconsin go on to higher education, into professions like lawyers, teachers and doctors.

Thats true of Yangs four children, who include two software engineers, a dentist and a college graduate with an English major.

Its hard to have one foot in both worlds, right, to have a more Americanized culture mixed in with a Hmong culture, but were getting by pretty well, said Vues son Christopher, who started a dental practice in Sheboygan in 2016. I think what I see is theres really nothing stopping the first- or second-generation Hmong people who want to succeed from succeeding. I think weve been very blessed here in America.

More: Here's how Sheboygan's Union Asian Market makes up to 1,500 egg rolls each day  the latest in our How Its Made series.

Veterans memorial, built after a long fight, one of Vue Yangs proudest accomplishments

FILE - Capt Cha Yeng Lee unveils a new memorial panel during Memorial Day at the Lao, Hmong and American Veterans Memorial, Monday, May 27, 2019, in Sheboygan, Wis.

Vue Yang and others  many of them veterans  started working on a veterans memorial project in 2000, by which time there were about 5,000 Hmong people in Sheboygan, Yang said.

The Hmong served with the U.S. Secret War in Laos, but nobody knew about it, he said.

When I built the memorial, I kind of thought, well, maybe I didnt serve in the army, but maybe I was saved to do something else  to recognize all those people who died serving the freedom. I had to tell their story.

The groups first plan, to build a monument in Fountain Park of two Hmong soldiers carrying a pilot, was rejected by the city council.

We were a little bit mad, saying Wow, we helped you keep freedom, we served with you, we protect your pilots, maybe sacrificing 10 soldiers for one pilot  and now in Sheboygan, we want to put a memorial to remember all those people, and you dont like it, Yang said.

When the group returned to the city council with plans for the $140,000 circular monument now at Deland Park, it passed with a large majority of votes and came to fruition with funding and other help from local organizations.

It was a long fight, it was controversial, there were some hard feelings among council members, Ray Hernandez, the former dean of the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, who designed the circular memorial, told the Sheboygan Press at its dedication in 2006. My approach was to be as non-confrontational as possible.

Yang said Hmong refugees didnt necessarily choose Sheboygan, they simply ended up here  but they ended up in the right place at the right time.

I like Sheboygan and I always tell people that, you know, Wisconsin is a good place to live.

Yang has been happily retired since handing the familys grocery store off to new ownership in early 2022.

We were busy for the past 40 years. And now we dont know what to do, he laughed.

More: 17 veterans die by suicide each day. These Sheboygan veterans aim to save lives and keep vets from believing theyre not worth anything.

More: Teddy Henderson is one of 41 graduates of Sheboygan Area Veterans Treatment Court. Here's how it helped him find hope after years of turmoil.

Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: From Laos to Sheboygan: Vue Yang tells story of helping Hmong refugees
Scooters are parked in Paris, Friday, 31 March, 2023 (AP)

Parisians have voted to ban for-hire electric scooters in a landmark referendum on shared transport.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the vote to remove roughly 15,000 e-scooters from the French capital sent a very clear message to the industry.

Figures from City Hall show that 89 per cent of voters rejected e-scooters, though turnout was less than 10 per cent of the citys registered voters.

We regret that Parisians will lose a shared and green transport option a spokesperson for the electric scooter provider Dott told The Independent.

The result of this vote will have a direct impact on the travel of 400,000 people per month, 71 per cent of whom are 18-35 year old residents. It is a step back for sustainable transport in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Ms Hidalgo hailed the vote as a success and repeated her vow to respect the outcome of the consultative referendum. The voters very clear message now becomes our guide, she said. With my team, well follow up on their decision as I had pledged.

Scattered around Paris, easy to locate and hire with a downloadable app and relatively cheap, the scooters are popular with both tourists and some residents.

In the five years since their introduction, however, many Parisians have complained that e-scooters are an eyesore and a traffic menace, and the micro-vehicles have been involved in hundreds of accidents.

I preferred to vote against, because in Paris its a mess, said 47-year-old railway worker Ibrahim Beutchoutak. The way its organised, the danger that it creates in Paris, the visual pollution, its not good.

General physician Audrey Cordier, 38, said: In my work, we see a lot of road accidents caused by scooters, so we really see the negative effects.

Some voters said they would have rather had tighter regulations than an outright ban.

I voted for [the scooters] because Im against the rather binary choice were given in this referendum. I dont want scooters to do whatever they want on pavements, but banning them is not the priority, Pierre Waeckerle, 35, said.

Story continues

Ms Hidalgo and some of her deputies campaigned to banish the free floating rental flotilla  so called because scooters are picked up and dropped off around town at their renters whim  on safety, public nuisance and environmental cost-benefit grounds before the capital hosts the Olympic Games next year.

E-scooter operators in Paris like Lime and Tier had launched ad campaigns on social media in an effort to encourage users to vote in the referendum.

The services will end at the expiration of the permits issued to providers, which are valid until 1 September.

Additional reporting from agencies.
E-scooters looming expulsion from Paris is a blow to the rapidly growing global industry.

Residents of Paris overwhelmingly voted to ban rented electric scooters, with 89% choosing to restrict the devices in a low-turnout municipal election on April 2. Only 100,000 Parisians voted, a fraction of those eligible.

The decision reflects a growing frustration with the public transit alternative, with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo describing the machines as a nuisance. The vote is a blow for e-scooter companies in a major global market, given that more than 20 million e-scooter trips were reported in Paris last year.



Read more

Its a great victory for local democracy, Hidalgo said at a press conference announcing the results, pledging that the scooters would be off the road by September.



The French National Academy of Medicine endorsed the ban, calling the ubiquitous devices a major health problem. The French National Road Safety Department said that more than 500 people in France were seriously injured while riding an electric scooter last year.

Currently, only a handful of e-scooter companies are permitted to operate in Parisestablished US player Lime, as well as European startups Dott and Tierall of which vigorously campaigned against the ban.

Representatives for the companies argued that the low voter turnout discriminated against young voters, who make up the majority of e-scooter users. They added that the three operators hoped to negotiate new regulations that could help avoid an outright ban.



E-scooter companies are also concerned that the vote could set a precedent for other big European cities to push ahead with similar restrictions, especially tourism hubs like Rome and London.





E-scooters in Paris, by the numbers:

20 million: E-scooter trips reported in Paris in 2022.

34: People who died in e-scooter accidents in France last year, when 570 were seriously injured.

3: E-scooter rental companies now operating in Paris. They must remove all scooters from the city by September.

Story continues

2018: Year Lime, the first major entrant into the Parisian e-scooter market, started renting in the city.

1: Cost ($1.09) to unlock a Lime scooter in Paris. After that, it costs 0.15 (16 cents) for every minute of additional riding.

1.90: Cost ($2.07) of a one-way metro ticket, including connections, in Paris.





What e-scooter companies are currently in Paris?

Lime: One of the first serious e-scooter players, Lime was founded in 2017 in San Francisco. It sells short-term rentals for bicycles as well as scooters, and is reportedly considering an IPO.



Dott: This Amsterdam-based heavyweight operates over 50,000 scooters in 35 cities across Europe. Dott reported a 94% annual increase in rides last year.

Tier Mobility: A German e-scooter and bicycle company, Tier rents its vehicles in 16 European countries and has raised more than $560 million in initial fundraising campaigns.





The Silicon Valley ethos behind the origin of e-scooters

Electric scooters have exploded in popularity around the world, appearing in major cities overnight as part of a shoot-first, ask-questions-later business approach taken by many Silicon Valleyinspired start-ups.



When Birdthe first large-scale renter of e-scooterslaunched in Santa Monica, California, in 2017, hundreds of vehicles appeared, literally overnight, without any invitation. No laws specifically banned Birds scooters; in fact, there werent any laws regulating e-scooters hired via an app. The company had found a legal gray area, and with it, lots of profit.

As Bird expanded across the US, as well as internationally, many dismissed the e-scooter as a novelty product. But it was low-cost transportation, tailor-made for navigating sprawling cities, and it had staying power. Within a year of its sneaky launch, Bird was valued at roughly $2 billion.



Within two years, Bird was in 120 cities worldwide and had spawned countless rivals hoping to cash in on the soaring demand. Now, e-scooters are common sight anywhere from New York to Shanghai.



Although there have been frequent calls for increased regulation, the Paris ban arguably represents the strongest obstacle yet for the rapidly growing industry. With the e-scooter market expected to reach $51 billion by the end of the decade, the ripple effects of the decision could be monumental.

Related stories:

 Spin is pulling out of cities that wont regulate e-scooters

 Safety fears singe Indias e-scooter market



 The world leader in bike-sharing is China

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Iran said its naval forces on Sunday detected an unauthorized entry by a U.S. Navy "spy plane" into the country's airspace and warned off the aircraft, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

After receiving the Iranian naval forces' warning, the U.S. Navy's EP-3E aircraft, flying above the Sea of Oman, left the country's airspace and returned to international air routes, Tasnim quoted the public relations department of the Iranian Army's Navy as saying.

There was no immediate comment from the United States.

The Lockheed EP-3 is an electronic signals reconnaissance variant of the P-3 Orion, operated by the U.S. Navy.
Alicia "Kozak" Kozakiewicz remembers thinking she wasn't leaving her captor's dungeon alive after four days of rape and abuse.

She was 13 years old when an online predator lured her from her parents' home in Pittsburgh on Jan. 1, 2002, drove her to Virginia and chained her in his basement.

"He put a locking dog collar around my neck and dragged me to his dungeon and raped me," Kozak told Fox News Digital.

"He chained me to the floor with this dog collar next to the bed. I was raped and beaten and tortured in that house for four days."

CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO 3,000 YEARS IN PRISON

As a 13-year-old in 2002, Alicia "Kozak" Kozakiewicz was tricked by an online predator, kidnapped in Pennsylvania and held captive in Virginia for four days before she was rescued by the FBI.

On the fourth day, Kozak said her attacker  whose name she won't speak  told her, "I'm beginning to like you too much. Tonight we're going to go for a ride."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"I knew in that moment there was nothing I could do," Kozak said. "I knew he was going to kill me."

As she accepted what she thought was her inevitable fate, Kozak thought about her parents "and how much they loved me."

U.S. ARMY VETERAN RECALLS NIGHT 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION WAS AMBUSHED BY ONE OF ITS OWN BEFORE IRAQ INVASION

"That's what kept me going, but I knew it was unlikely that I was going to make it out of there alive," she said.

Before that "ride" her captor promised, Kozak heard banging against the door and "angry voices shouting."

She didn't know at the time it was the FBI. There was originally an "all-clear," but she thinks she made just enough noise because one of the agents shouted, "Movement over there."

"I remember dragging that cold, heavy chain out, and trying to put my hands up but also trying to cover myself at the same time. I had no clothing on. I was staring at the end of a gun," Kozak said.

PENNSLVANIA POLICE ON 1989 COLD CASE TEAR DOWN PRIME SUSPECT'S HOME

The FBI returned her to the safety of her parents, who flanked their 13-year-old daughter wearing an oversized sweater and FBI hat in a photo splashed across the front page of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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"It was a miracle I was found," Kozak said. "Another way to say miracle is luck. And children's safety shouldn't be left up to luck."

Alicia Kozak is pictured after the 13-year-old was rescued by the FBI after four days with her captor.

Her captor livestreamed the abuse, and someone who saw the video recognized Kozak from a missing person poster from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and called police.

Kozak's case was one of the first widely covered cases of internet-related child abduction.

But the issue has only become more perverse and rampant in the 20 years since she was rescued.

WATCH: ALICIA KOZAK TALKS TO FOX NEWS DIGITAL

When Kozak was abducted, there was no Wi-Fi; it was all dial up. The internet was in its infancy.

Now it's an integral part of everyone's lives, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING: AUDREY HALE POLICE BODYCAMS RELEASED

Combine that with teens' and young adults' cravings to be social media influencers, and predators have access 24/7 to potential victims that they can groom and lure out as they did Kozak.

About 70% of kids in the U.S. would accept a "friend request" regardless of the sender, according to a 2011 FBI warning about child predators, and over 65% of online sex offenders use social media to gather information about their victims, according to FBI child crime investigations.

Alicia Kozak has been using her traumatic experience to help others and teach children about internet safety.

It happened in a high-profile case about two weeks ago, when a 13-year-old Texas girl was allegedly kidnapped by a man she was talking to online and later found in a shed in North Carolina.

"Kids on social media want to reach as many people as possible and making viral videos and become famous," Kozak said.

MISSING TEXAS 13-YEAR-OLD GIRL FOUND LOCKED UP IN NORTH CAROLINA SHED, MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING

"That's the new type of celebrity, and who doesn't want to be a celebrity? Who doesn't want to be discovered? But you're also discovered by predators who want to do harm, and kids don't pay attention to who is following them."

This is a "disturbing and tough-to-talk-about topic" that happens every day, said Kevin Metcalf, a former federal agent turned prosecutor and founder of the National Child Protection Task Force.

The shed on a North Carolina property where child abduction suspect Jorge Camacho was allegedly living with a captive Dallas teen.

About 2,300 children go missing every day in the U.S., according to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted Runaway and Thrownaway Children (NISMART), which said most of the cases are runaways or victims of familial abductions during custody battles.

Those victims typically live.

MURDER SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY DISMEMBERED MAN, TOLD GIRLFIREND THEY HAD TO LEAVE DUE TO THEIR MISTAKE

A study of children who went missing in 1999 found that about 40% of victims in "stereotypical kidnappings" have died, according to NISMART.

NISMART defines "stereotypical kidnappings" as "stranger or slight acquaintance transports a child 50 miles or more from home and either kills the child, holds the child for ransom or intends to keep the child permanently."

Alicia Kozak was found after her captor livestreamed her abuse and someone recognized her picture from a missing person poster.

"It's a public health problem that threatens childhood itself," Metcalf told Fox News Digital.

National stories like the Texas teen found in North Carolina "serve as a wake-up call for parents," Kozak said.

Metcalf and Kozak have been pushing lawmakers to adjust a privacy bill geared toward marketers that they argue will have unintended consequences on law enforcement's efforts to find abducted children.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM RECOUNTS HORRORS OF LIFE AT THE MERCY OF CRIMINALS

The congressional bill, known as the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), is intended to protect consumers from marketers.

"However, in its current form, ADPPA would have unintended consequences that could have potentially disastrous impacts on the fight against child exploitation, human trafficking and other heinous crimes," Metcalf wrote in an opinion piece on The Hill.

"Children's safety shouldn't be left up to luck," Alicia Kozak says.

Essentially, it would allow sex offenders and "would-be criminals" to force companies to delete information about them and hurt his task force, and other law enforcement groups, in their efforts to use information to track a down a missing child, he said.

"For instance, if a sex offender requests to have their information deleted from a database, they could then move undetected into another community, putting children in that area at risk," Metcalf said.

Kozak has joined the fight to close this loophole in the bill.

"Privacy is important, and we can all agree on that, but investigators don't use the same tools like marketers do," Kozak said. "Children's safety shouldn't be left up to luck. The fact is it's not just days that matter, it's minutes, it's seconds. Every second is a child's life ticking away."

FORMER HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIM ISSUES CHILLING WARNING: ALL KIDS ARE VULNERABLE

Since the traumatic ordeal, Kozak has become a motivational speaker, missing persons advocate and internet safety expert.

She works alongside the National Association to Protect Children to secure the passage of Alicia's Law, named after Kozak, in all 50 states, which provides funding to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program.

By creating this new revenue stream, Alicia's Law builds permanent capacity for child rescue teams  revenue that will not fall victim to yearly fights over cuts to the general budget.

A handful of states, including Virginia, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, Hawaii and Washington, have enacted Alicia's Law.
When Jesse Rizo heard the news about the Covenant School shooting, he knew what would happen next even though he was 1,000 miles away.

The media will come. White House officials will visit. GoFundMe campaigns will be launched. A foundation will be created. Lawyers will arrive.

He saw those events play out last May in his hometown of Uvalde, Texas, when a gunman killed 19 children and two adults.

Your first reaction is disbelief. It rips your heart one more time, Rizo said about hearing the news from Nashville. Then you get angry. The politicians had ample time to address this.

Schools shootings have become part of the American way of life. The three children and three adults that died on Monday in Nashville join an ever growing list that includes Alexzandria Bell, 15, of St. Louis, Justin Shilling, 17, of Oxford, Michigan, Dominic Blackwell, 14, of Santa Clarita, California, and Rizos 9-year-old niece Jacklyn Cazares.

She just wanted to be like her mom and aunts, Rizo said about Cazares. She would pose for pictures and put her hand on her hip like her aunts did.

Camila Gonzalez, 7, left, and Caitlyne Gonzales, 10, both of Uvalde, Texas, show Zoe Touray, 18, of Pontiac, Michigan, a mural of Robb Elementary shooting victim Jacklyn "Jackie" Cazares, 9, on N. West Street and W. Roberts Lane in downtown Uvalde on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022.

Since the mass shooting at Colorados Columbine High School in 1999, when 13 died plus the two perpetrators, there have been 376 school shootings in the United States, according to a database maintained by The Washington Post. The federal government does not track school shootings.

The Covenant School shooting on Monday was the 17th time this year that American children have gone to school and heard gunshots in their hallways.

Each school shooting, whether or not there are fatalities, changes a community. And it binds that city to a fellowship of survivors that stretches across the nation. The men, women and children who have survived school shootings have lessons for Nashville as the city grapples with the violence of this week.

The days after

On Monday morning, Ryan Ruffo sped away from his workplace toward the Covenant School, where his niece and nephew attend first and fifth grades.

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When he got to the church serving as a reunification center, he found his sobbing sister and her husband in a room surrounded by other crying parents. No one knew how many people had been killed.

Children were released three at a time starting with the youngest. His niece and nephew came out together.

"You could see it in their faces that they were not OK," Ruffo said.

Stephanie Cinque, as the founder and director of Resiliency Center of Newtown, has spent the last decade working with children who survived the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. She understands the effect the Covenant School shooting will have on Ruffo's niece and nephew.

"Children's innocence was lost that day," she said about Sandy Hook Elementary. "We need to give them the tools to become resilient and give educators the skills to become more trauma informed."

Flowers adorn a memorial to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in Newtown, Conn., Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)

A slamming door or an announcement over a PA could trigger a response in children and adult survivors.

Cinque, a social worker, said that on average 20% of the people who survive a school shooting suffer from PTSD.

After the Sandy Hook shooting, when 20 children between the ages of 6 and 7 were killed along with six adults, Cinque helped run camps where the young survivors could be kids again in a safe environment. The camps also provided mental health services.

Cinque has worked with other towns after mass shootings to create their own resiliency centers. Each one, she said, must be driven by the needs of its community.

"Right now, no decisions can be made. I mean, everybody is still in a fog," she said about Nashville.

And each time another mass shooting occurs, like the one this week in the Covenant School, Cinque gets more calls from people in Newtown who feel defeated and angry.

A shared tragedy can bring a community together, and that can salve the emotional wounds.

"People get traumatized alone, but people heal together," Cinque said.

Over time, however, that unity can unravel.

"Maybe relationships may become strained because they don't know what to say to people who maybe suffered greater loss. That's a survivor's guilt. It's more of a protective mechanism," she said.

Healing through activism

Survivors often turn to activism, which can also cause rifts in the community.

Rizo from Uvalde became a leading voice for the children who were killed. At times it put him at odds with his own neighbors and people beyond his home.

"If you feel the compassion to be called to action, you're going to understand it's a totally different realm," he said. "What makes sense to us will not make sense to the rest of the world."

Jesse Rizo and Juanita Cazares, family of Uvalde shooting victim Jackie Cazares, speak during the Department of Public Safety Commission meeting at DPS Headquarters on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022.

Already in Nashville, fissures have developed. On Wednesday, state representative Andy Ogles, whose 5th Congressional district includes the Covenant School, posted a Twitter thread that blamed anti-conservative rhetoric and constant attacks on Christianity for the shooting.

Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake confirmed at a news conference Wednesday that there is currently no motive found in the yet-unreleased writings left behind by the shooter.

Zoe Touray survived the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Oxford, Michigan. One of the four students killed was her friend Justin Shilling.

"I remember him being one of the sweetest people that I've ever met," she said.

Touray, now 19 and a first-year student at North Carolina A&T State University, has traveled around the country this year to meet with other gun violence survivors. She helped lead a group of Oxford high school students on a trip to Uvalde, where they spent time having fun with the younger students from Robb Elementary School.

"We are still children. These are still children," she said. "Hanging out with friends and doing stuff that you used to do is super beneficial."

Caitlyne Gonzales, 10, of Uvalde, Texas, left, who survived the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24, 2022, sits for a photo with Zoe Touray, 18, of Pontiac, Michigan, who survived the Oxford High School shooting on Nov. 30, 2021, in downtown Uvalde on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022.

That work helps her heal, and she hopes to continue it after she graduates from college.

Touray also became a political activist, decrying the Republican politicians in her home state of Michigan who have blocked gun control measures. "Gun violence is not a partisan matter, its a matter of life or death," she wrote in an opinion piece for the Detroit Free Press.

She knows not everyone takes seriously the political opinions of a teenager, even one who has survived a school shooting. And she admits she and other young survivor activists have not yet seen many victories in statehouses. But she is not discouraged.

"We're going to outlive a lot of these policymakers that are in office right now," Touray said. "The fact that we are so young means we can fight a little bit longer."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Survivors of U.S. school shootings offer advice for Nashville
A person was fatally shot early Monday outside a Kansas City restaurant following an argument, according to police.

Officers responded around 12:20 a.m. to Texas Toms, a fast food restaurant at 6950 Prospect Ave., where they found the unresponsive victim in the carryout area, Sgt. Jake Becchina, a spokesman with the Kansas City Police Department, said in a news release.

Emergency medical crews pronounced the person dead at the scene.

Police said they believe multiple people were in the carryout area when the victim was arguing with at least one other person and gunshots struck the victim.

Officers also believe multiple people were in the parking lot at the time, but most left before police arrived.

The killing was the 41st homicide in Kansas City this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. At this time last year, there had been 36 killings.

Police urge anyone who saw or heard anything to contact the homicide unit at 816-234-5043 or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. A reward of up to $25,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.
Eliza Anderson, Deseret News

Editors note: For an alternate perspective on this issue, read Democratic strategist Steve Pierces take on wokeness and the GOP.

Stop hitting yourself!

Its the classic taunt of a bully who takes the fist of his target and directs it back at him, making the chosen target seem like his own assailant.

Its a position conservatives often feel like were in when the left, having initiated its latest volley, turns around and accuses us of being the ones waging culture war.

David Turner, communications director of the Democratic Governors Association, recently told ABC News that Republicans, time and again, have overstepped where they think the average voter is and where most Americans are on mainstream issues and that this also applies to their hyper-focus on niche cultural war issues.

In reality, conservatives are typically responding to some novel attempt to unsettle long-held beliefs and/or to absorb yet another apolitical dimension of life into the political sphere. For holding to settled customs, or for believing that some spaces in life should avoid politics, we, on defense, suddenly become the aggressors.

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The rise of wokeness is no different. It is a debated phenomenon, and even a disputed term. In recent months, however, as conservatives have begun to push back against it, the left has begun either to water down the term and its permutations so that its essentially innocuous (or even allegedly popular) or simply to argue, as a recent Washington Post article did, that conservatives have weaponized woke and wokeism such that they now include a host of liberal policies and positions they dont like.

Such evasions elide the fact that wokeism is a real thing. Its definitions vary, and one can understand why its defenders and sympathizers might want to muddy the waters. But even they agree that being awake as a political metaphor initially grew out of the very real racism of 20th-century America, when the term connoted an awareness of the reality of contemporary discrimination.

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Woke in something like its expansive, modern sense took off about a decade ago, in the wake of protests over police brutality. At the time, many on the left were quite clear  and often enthusiastic  about what the term meant: to be radically, totally and personally aware of perceived structural injustices (particularly those purportedly tied to identity based characteristics), and committed to rectifying them, whatever one thinks they might be at a given time  and to fault anyone who disagrees either on means or ends as part of the problem.

As the leading edge of wokeness consists mostly of academics, journalists and activists, there is a special emphasis on alleged powers of symbols, ideas and even words. Wokeness is an elastic creed for a cause whose demands and stipulations seem to grow endlessly, and thereby to consume more and more areas of life.

That the left is now resisting the label, trying to defend it or attempting to confuse its critics suggests that conservatives have succeeded in making it a millstone. Why? In part, perhaps, because the left itself has changed. Where once institutions not directly tied to politics, such as the military, were content to stay in their lane, now they have seen fit to demonstrate left-wing bona fides. Where once fields such as mathematics and science were seen as relatively immune to political fads and faulted for when they deviated, now they are seen as implicated in oppression unless they give in.

And, generally speaking, where once political processes were the primary channels for political action, now more and more of life is subjected to the political realm  at the same time that ordinary political processes are seen as part of the problem.

Its not hard to see how wokeness, whatever attributes of it one examines, has led to this. By looking at reality totalistically, by deliberately blurring the line between the personal and the political, and by interpreting any perceived social injustice as evidence of an ongoing moral transgression, it leads quite naturally to the necessity for radical political action to challenge the status quo. And its limiting principle is nonexistent; whatever gains or progress are made on, say, racial equality are immediately pocketed as insufficient. And a political system that led to them but didnt address others becomes illegitimate, an obstacle to be overcome rather than a tool to be used.

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This creates many problems for the left, however. The easiest to point to are electoral consequences. Its not a hard-and-fast rule that woke politicians fail; indeed, in a media environment that rewards showboating and extremes, they can prosper, albeit at our expense.

But people still do tend to recoil from the excesses of wokeness. A recent HarrisX and Deseret News poll found voters were less likely to support candidates labeled as woke. And longtime Democratic political consultant James Carville put it bluntly in 2021: Wokeness is a problem and everyone knows it. Paradoxically, its adherents failures lead them not to reconsider but to double down.

But to focus on the electoral consequences is to ignore the deeper defect: namely, that the all-consuming tendency of wokeness makes people uncomfortable. And rightly so. Most Americans arent politics-obsessed weirdos of either stripe, and most of them get their deepest joys from things that arent related to politics. If wokeness intrudes upon their workaday lives, especially in a manner that escapes their active consent, then they will look to escape it, or to reject it.

There is a risk here for conservatives. The defenders of wokeness are right that simply describing anything conservatives dont like as woke will eventually make the term meaningless, though we would then have to invent another word for what would remain a real phenomenon. And wokeness is not the root of every problem, nor even of every deficiency of the left.

But there is, and will remain, both a moral and electoral upside for those conservatives who take a stand against the totalistic framework and implications of wokeness, who fight it where it has become entrenched in institutions that should not reflect some academic vanguards imagined consensus, and, above all else, who preserve the apolitical spaces where lifes true joys arise.

This does not mean affirming genuine injustice; it means defying the attempts of a terminally online, self-appointed elect to constantly redefine reality  think of the ongoing war on acknowledging differences between the sexes, for example  to suit its ends.

If the left keeps (metaphorically) punching us in the face and telling us to stop hitting ourselves, then it will be good for those who stand athwart the fist and say, OK.

Jack Butler is an editor at National Review Online, media fellow for the Institute for Human Ecology and a 202223 Robert Novak Journalism Fellow at the Fund for American Studies.
Zoe Petersen, Deseret News

Editors note: For an alternate perspective on this issue, read National Review Online editor Jack Butlers take on The Great Awokening and the GOP.

As the 2024 Republican presidential primary has begun to take shape, many in the party are flocking to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a potential alternative who could prevent Donald Trump from securing the GOP nomination for a third time.

While DeSantis has not yet formally entered the race, that hasnt stopped prominent Republicans from publicly pledging their support for the Sunshine State governor and basically begging him to run. For example, former Donald Trump appointee Ken Cuccinelli recently announced his own political action committee  complete with a fancy video  to back a potential DeSantis candidacy.

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But what I found notable about Cuccinellis move wasnt the announcement of his support. After all, DeSantis fanboys are a dime a dozen in professional GOP circles at the moment. No, I found myself fixated on a single line from his announcement video.

Cuccinelli ticks down a laundry list of what he considers DeSantiss accomplishments, before landing on one that literally made me cackle aloud to myself: Gov. DeSantis has acted to defend our children from Disney like no one in history.

On its face, this would have been a manifestly absurd, out-of-left-field statement even a few years ago. After all, Disney is an iconic American brand that has been beloved by millions of families for generations. In that context, trumpeting stood up to Mickey Mouse as a key resume line for a potential White House aspirant seems bizarre at best and completely unhinged at worst.

And yet, this is the Republican Party in 2023.

Over the past year, DeSantis has been one of the leading figures in the partys war on wokeness, even going so far as to declare Florida to be the place where woke goes to die. As governor, he has pushed a controversial policy agenda aimed at rooting out supposed wokeness from every facet of the state, including its laws, schools and businesses. And yes, that includes picking a high-profile fight with Disney, whose Orlando theme parks are one of the states largest employers and, perhaps most ironically, where DeSantis himself married his wife.

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As someone who appears to have designs on the Republican nomination for president, DeSantis has positioned his work on the frontlines of the war on wokeness as a defining plank of his rising public profile and, as a result, it stands to be the central thrust of his nascent 2024 messaging strategy. However, a slew of recent polls indicate that highlighting his culture war bona fides might not be the wisest political strategy for DeSantis  or any Republican candidate, for that matter.

A new Ipsos/USA Today poll found that a majority of Americans (56%)  including 51% of independents and even 37% of Republicans  continue to define wokeness as simply being informed, educated on, and aware of social injustices, while only 39% opt for the more GOP-friendly framing of the term as being overly politically correct and policing others words.

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A free tip for my Republican friends: If youve spent multiple years relentlessly attacking something and a solid majority of the public still defines it in primarily positive terms, it might be time to find a new boogeyman.

And that same problem extends to several key planks of what looks to be the GOPs anti-woke policy agenda.

DeSantis infamously opted to make Floridas education system one of the main battlegrounds in his anti-wokeness crusade. His so-called Stop WOKE Act and other initiatives have banned schools from teaching certain aspects of American history that deal with race and diversity  even going so far as to mandate the removal of books.

Similarly, DeSantis has also sought to prohibit diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory programs at the states public universities and other higher education institutions.

But those efforts appear to have backfired  particularly as DeSantis prepares to pivot to a national audience. In February, a national poll conducted by CBS News found that overwhelming majorities of Americans believe that books should never be banned for criticizing U.S history (83%), discussing ideas that some might disagree with (85%), discussing race (87%) or depicting slavery (87%).

On the contrary, more than 3 in 4 respondents (76%) said that schools should be allowed to teach about ideas and historical events that might make some students uncomfortable, with 68% saying that doing so would help students understand what others went through. In fact, a full two-thirds of Americans said that public schools currently teach too little about Black history, with an additional 24% saying that they teach the right amount.

Maybe its just me, but that sure doesnt sound like a nation crying out for DeSantis to ride in on his white horse and save their children from being taught about Black history while clearing out the school library.

And it doesnt end there. Most Americans also oppose DeSantis so-called Dont Say Gay law, which currently prohibits classroom lessons that touch on issues of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, and that the governor is now seeking to expand to all grades. In a 2022 ABC News/Ipsos poll, more than 6 in 10 respondents said they opposed such a policy (62%), while only 37% supported a prohibition.

Things arent going much better on DeSantis secondary battlefield: the business world. In February, the Florida governor proposed legislation that would see the state ban ESG investing  an investing framework that encourages the consideration of the environmental sustainability and social impact of a particular investment decision, in addition to traditional financial factors. True to form, the conservative echo chamber has followed suit, sinking a significant amount of energy and communications firepower into demonizing environmental, social and governance investments as an insidious form of woke capitalism.

But those efforts dont appear to be connecting with most voters. A recent poll from Climate Power reveals that 57% of Americans still dont even know what ESG investing is  so clearly those efforts are not breaking through. And whats worse for the GOP, when respondents are actually informed of what environmental, social and governance investing is, they believe financial managers should be able to take environmental factors into account when making investment decisions, by a 20-point margin. Ouch!

Even DeSantis personal battle royale with Disney  perhaps unsurprisingly  isnt exactly ingratiating him with normal, middle-of-the-road American voters. After facing a prolonged political assault by a national political figure, a November survey from The Economist and YouGov still found the company with a 55% favorability rating overall, helped along by a 56% mark among independents and a 67% rating among self-described moderates.

The same poll found DeSantis at just 38% favorability among all Americans, with independents (30%) and moderates (35%) viewing him even less positively.

If you cant win the middle, you cant win the White House  and the middle still likes Mickey Mouse.

No matter how you slice it, all of this adds up to a less-than-stellar start to the 2024 cycle for the GOPs messaging machine and the partys much-ballyhooed rising star. Republicans may believe they can ride this anti-wokeness crusade back to power in Washington  but the numbers say they should go back to the drawing board for a winning issue.

Steve Pierce, a contributing writer for Deseret, is a Democratic strategist and communications consultant who advises campaigns, causes and brands on matters of message and strategy. He currently works as a senior director at Bully Pulpit Interactive  a communications firm based in Washington, D.C.  and previously held roles with Priorities USA, Hillary For America and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, among others.
Petteri Orpo gives the thumbs-up to supporters (Alessandro Rampazzo / AFP via Getty Images)

Petteri Orpo, the leader of the centre-right National Coalition Party, is set to become Finlands next prime minister after Sundays election (April 2).

His party secured 48 of 200 parliamentary seats, pipping the 43 seats won by the Social Democrats  the party headed by incumbent PM Sanna Marin.

Mr Orpo said: Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party.

He will now face multiple challenges and opportunities, especially as Finland is set to join Nato from Tuesday. There is also a threat of a recession.

Mr Orpo will now look to form a government alongside backers.

Who is Petteri Orpo?

At 53, Mr Orpo is older than 37-year-old Ms Marin, who had been one of the worlds youngest premiers.

He has a masters degree in political science and served in the Finnish army before entering politics, becoming an MP in 2007. He served in various roles in the National Coalition before becoming deputy prime minister in 2017. Mr Orpo later became party leader.

He is married to Niina Kanniainen and has two children.

What are Petteri Orpos political views?

Mr Orpo is far more conservative than his predecessor and observers say the result means a power shift in Finlands political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new centre-right government with nationalist tones.

I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland, Mr Orpo told the AP.

And you know what is important for us? Its that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up Nato-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government programme.

But the direction of the countrys politics could depend on who enters a coalition with the National Coalition Party.

The main campaign policy of Ms Marins party was the Finnish economy, which was challenged by the conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.

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The National Coalition Party could court the right-wing Finns Party, but this will likely lead to a disagreement over immigration. Allies could come in the form of the Centre Party  but they may take some convincing that they would not be more effective in opposition.

How will Pettero Orpo handle Finlands Nato membership and what is his stance on Ukraine?

Finlands membership was confirmed last week, with Turkey backing Finland to join.

Ms Marin has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia and, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finlands successful application to join Nato.

Finland has a 1,300 km (810 mile) border with Russia, meaning Natos frontier with Russia will now roughly double in length.

Mr Orpo said: First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you. We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people, because they fight for us. This is clear.

He added: And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose.
The Philippines announced Monday the location of four additional military bases to be used by US troops, with one site near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.

The longtime treaty allies agreed in February to expand cooperation in "strategic areas" of the Philippines as they seek to counter China's growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and the building of Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

The 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, gave US forces access to five Philippine bases.

It was expanded to nine, but the locations of the four additional bases were withheld until Monday while the government consulted with local officials.

The four sites had been assessed by the Philippine military and deemed "suitable and mutually beneficial", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.

It said the bases would also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during disasters.

The US Department of Defense confirmed that the locations announced by the palace were the four new EDCA sites.

It also announced in a statement it would add to the "$82 million we have already allocated toward infrastructure investments at the existing EDCA sites", without specifying by how much.

Three of the sites are in the northern Philippines, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and an army camp in the neighbouring province of Isabela, the Philippine statement said.

The naval base at Cagayan's Santa Ana is about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Taiwan.

Another site will be an air base on Balabac Island, off the southern tip of Palawan Island, near the South China Sea.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba has publicly opposed having EDCA sites in his province for fear of jeopardising Chinese investment and becoming a target in a conflict over Taiwan.

But Philippine acting defence chief Carlito Galvez told reporters recently the government had already decided on the sites and that Mamba had agreed to "abide with the decision".

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The agreement allows US troops to rotate through the bases and also store defence equipment and supplies at them.

- China critical of deal -

The pact stalled under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who favoured China over the Philippines' former colonial master.

But President Ferdinand Marcos, who succeeded Duterte in June, has adopted a more US-friendly foreign policy and has sought to accelerate the implementation of the EDCA.

Marcos has insisted he will not let Beijing trample on Manila's maritime rights.

While the Philippine military is one of the weakest in Asia, the country's proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters would make it a key partner for the United States in the event of a conflict with China.

Beijing has been critical of the agreement, which its embassy in the Philippines said recently was part of "US efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country".

The Chinese embassy did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

The United States has a long and complex history with the Philippines.

They share a decades-old mutual defence treaty, but the presence of US troops in the Southeast Asian country remains a sensitive issue.

The United States had two major military bases in the Philippines but they were closed in the early 1990s after growing nationalist sentiment.

US troops return to the Philippines every year for joint military exercises, including Balikatan, which kicks off next week. With more than 17,000 soldiers taking part, it will be the largest yet.

cgm/amj/pbt
By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines identified on Monday four more of its military bases that the United States will get access to, almost doubling the number included in a defence agreement that seeks to advance a decades-old alliance between them.

The expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) underlines the Philippines' strategic importance to the former colonial ruler the United States, coming at a time of growing concern over China's conduct in the South China Sea and tension over self-ruled Taiwan.

The EDCA, signed in 2014 under U.S. President Barack Obama, allows U.S. access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing, but it is not a permanent presence.

The sites named on Monday are the Camilo Osias navy base in Sta Ana and Lal-lo airport, both in Cagayan province, and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela province and the island of Balabac off Palawan.

The locations are significant, with Isabela and Cagayan facing north towards Taiwan, while Palawan is near the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands equipped with runways and missile systems.

Defence chief Carlito Galvez called the sites "very strategic" and stressed the Philippines had a responsibility to the international community in the South China Sea.

"That's a trade route... where more or less $3 trillion trade passes (annually)," he said.

"Our responsibility to collectively secure that is huge."

CONFLICT CONCERNS

The decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to expand the U.S. access was made in February but the announcement of the sites was delayed by opposition from some local government leaders concerned about being caught up in a future conflict between the United States and China.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday's announcement. China has accused the U.S. of increasing tensions with its military deployments.

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Marcos' office on Monday said the four locations should "boost the disaster response" and help humanitarian and relief operations, adding defending the east cost was also taken into consideration.

"Their locations are in areas where they are needed," said Jay Batongbacal, a South China Sea expert at the University of the Philippines.

"It also provides us with coverage not only on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) but also on the Pacific side," he added.

The United States has committed more than $80 million worth of infrastructure at the five existing sites - the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu and Lumbia Air Base in Mindanao.

U.S. forces were evicted from Subic and Clark, the last and largest of their permanent bases in the Philippines, in 1992, amid a nationalist backlash. Ties were rebuilt after 2000, with multiple joint exercises each year.

(Addirional reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Martin Petty)
Phoenix police.

Just after midnight on Sunday, Phoenix officers attempted to pull over a vehicle near 7th Street and Victory Street where they were shot at multiple times, according to police.

It was unclear why officers were attempting to pull the vehicle over for. According to Sgt. Brian Bower, a spokesperson for Phoenix Police Department, the officers pursued the suspect car into the area near West Roeser Road and Central Avenue when the three occupants of the vehicle fled on foot.

Two of the three suspects were later detained, including one man and one male juvenile, police said. A third suspect remains outstanding as detectives continue to investigate, according to Bower.

No officers were injured during this incident.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix police vehicle shot at in vehicle pursuit
One person was killed Sunday when a pickup truck hit multiple objects in a late night crash on a Midlands road, according to the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The single-vehicle collision happened at about 11:30 p.m. in Clarendon County, Master Trooper Mitchell Ridgeway said Monday.

A 26-year-old Sumter resident was driving a 2009 Chevrolet pickup west on Loss Brook Road, according to Ridgeway. Thats in the Manning area, between Interstate 95 and S.C. 260.

The Chevy ran off the right side of the road and hit a utility pole, causing the pickup to flip over before it crashed into trees, Ridgeway said.

The driver died at the scene, according to Ridgeway.

The Clarendon County Coroners Office has not publicly identified the Chevy driver.

No other injuries were reported.

There was no word if the driver was wearing a seat belt.

Information about what caused the Chevy to veer off the road was not available, but the wreck continues to be investigated by the Highway Patrol.

Through March 26, at least 197 people have died on South Carolina roads in 2023, according to the state Department of Public Safety. Last year, 1,091 people died in crashes in South Carolina, DPS reported.

At least five people have died in Clarendon County crashes in 2023, according to DPS data. Last year, 15 deaths were reported in the county, DPS reported.
 Flash

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges.

During the phone conversation, Lavrov underscored the need to respect the decision of Russian authorities made under Russia's law and international obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov expressed opposition to attempts of U.S. officials and the Western media to politicize the legal case. He noted that "Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain classified information and collecting data constituting a state secret under the guise of a journalistic status" and his fate will be determined by the court.

In addition, Lavrov and Blinken touched upon some bilateral issues during the call, the statement said.

The Russian Federal Security Service announced on Thursday that it had detained Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg for "spying in the interests of the American government" and a criminal case had been launched.
A pair of images are circulating online with claims that they show US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrating Donald Trump's indictment. This is false; the White House confirmed to AFP that the images -- which appear to be created with artificial intelligence and show Harris with six fingers -- are inauthentic.

"Photos reportedly show President Biden celebrating in the White House as news broke of the Trump indictment," says the March 31, 2023 tweet shared in reply to a post from conservative activist Jack Posobiec, who then amplified the photos to his more than two million Twitter followers.

One image appears to show Biden dancing inside the White House. The other purports to show him and Harris hugging in a smiling embrace.

Screenshot from Twitter taken April 3, 2023

The pictures followed a New York grand jury's vote on March 30 to indict Trump over hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016, making Trump the first former or current US president to face criminal charges. The ex-president, who is vying to retake the White House in 2024, was expected to be arraigned in court April 4.

But the images are not real, the White House confirmed to AFP.

"They are inauthentic," White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in an April 3 email.

Reverse image searches returned no credible sources sharing the pictures as genuine.

On the contrary, the images include signs that suggest they were AI-generated. Harris's left arm appears to disappear beneath Biden's, for example, and her right hand has six fingers.

"The second image is clearly created with generation models such as Midjourney v5," Siwei Lyu, director of the Media Forensic Lab at the University of Buffalo, told AFP in an email. "Note that Harris' hand has six fingers -- the current generation models seem to have troubles getting the hands created correctly."

On March 30, the day the images were supposedly taken, Harris was in Tanzania as part of a three-nation tour of Africa. The vice president posted about the trip on Twitter.

Asked about the indictment outside the White House the following day, Biden repeatedly refused to comment.

AFP has debunked other AI-generated images, including here and here.
On the heels of losing two straight to the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates look to right the ship in Boston as they face the Red Sox for three games before their home opener on April 12.

The Pirates lost the rubber match against the Reds 3-1, after a pitiful offensive display as they went 0-8 with runners in scoring position.

Click here to read more from our sports partners at Sports Now Group.

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Former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto involved in altercation at Shadyside bar Man shot, killed by officers after police chase in Washington County PHOTOS: Pennsylvania State Police investigating officer-involved shooting in Washington County VIDEO: Children celebrate first day of trout season in Allison Park DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Plans have been unveiled for a solar farm capable of powering up to 190,000 homes in Lincolnshire.

Developer Low Carbon wants to build the farm, known as the Beacon Fen Energy Park, near Sleaford, between Heckington and Helpringham.

The proposals have been submitted to the government's Planning Inspectorate due to the size of the project.

If approved construction on the site would start "no earlier than 2026", the company said.

James Hartley-Bond, director of Low Carbon, said: "The UK government has made clear its plans for the country to reach net zero by 2050. Its aim is to increase the nation's solar capacity fivefold by 2035.

"If given permission, Beacon Fen Energy Park will be a significant step forward towards reaching this vital goal and securing sustainable energy for the country.

"The amount of electricity Beacon Fen Energy Park could generate exceeds 50MW and is therefore classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project."

Initial design and layout documents are expected to be released within the next week, with a public consultation due to be launched in "the coming weeks".

While the planning application will not be determined by North Kesteven District Council, the authority will be given an opportunity to comment on the plans.

Eight other solar farms are also planned across the region, including sites near Gainsborough, Boston, Horncastle and on the Rutland-Stamford border.

Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.
New York police officers. LEONARDO MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Authorities are bracing for Trump's arrival ahead of his historic arraignment on Tuesday.

NYPD erected barricades in front of Trump Tower and the courthouse in preparation for potential protests.

An NYPD spokesperson told Insider there are "no current credible threats" to the city. Here's what we know.

Police in New York are bracing for protests with barricades and street closures as all eyes are on the city ahead of former President Trump's unprecedented arraignment Tuesday afternoon.

"Officers have been placed on alert and the department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," an NYPD spokesperson told Insider in a statement on Monday. "There are no current credible threats to New York City."

Trump Tower. Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

An Insider reporter on the scene noted that there were barricades and "Do Not Park" signs placed by authorities near the Manhattan courthouse as of Monday morning. In addition to a large media presence, a mix of court and NYPD officers were also in the area. Trump Tower is also circled with barriers.

Trump is expected to surrender on Tuesday days after a grand jury voted to indict him on charges stemming from the Manhattan District Attorney's office investigation into an alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election  making him the first ex-president to be criminally charged.

The heightened security measures come after Trump previously called on his supporters to protest, a signal that was reminiscent of his statement before the January 6, 2021, deadly Capitol riot.

As Fox 5 New York reported, police cruisers were spotted outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office on Sunday. The office has been bombarded with a slew of phone calls with threats from pro-Trump supporters, a source told Insider.

Following the news of Trump's indictment on Thursday, the DA's office wanted him to surrender the next day, but the Secret Service, who will be by the former president's side during his court proceedings, needed more time to prep for his escort.

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Here is what we know so far

Trump plans to voluntarily present himself without a fight on Tuesday in Manhattan, his lead attorney previously told Insider. "It will be a smooth surrender," lawyer Susan Necheles told Insider.

Final arrangements for Trump's appearance were still being hammered over the weekend by courthouse staff, the Secret Service, and the New York Police Department, Necheles said.

Major media organizations are pressing Judge Juan Merchan, who will be presiding over Trump's criminal case, to unseal the indictment, citing "overwhelming public interest." Media orgs are also petitioning for video and audio equipment in the courtroom.

Trump will be fingerprinted and pose for a mugshot ahead of his arraignment, however, the photograph won't be made public because, under New York law, mugshots are not public record.

A law enforcement official told the Washington Post last week that agents have mapped out Trump's movement in and out of the courthouse and will escort him in his travels from Florida to New York.

Trump said he would fly to New York on Monday, spend the night at his apartment there, and jet back to Florida on Tuesday night after his arraignment to rally with supporters at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump maintains that he is being targeted. In a Truth Social post on Monday, the former president wrote: "WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country, is going to HELL!"

Read the original article on Insider
Melissa Vernik says she went to a brewpub in South End. When she was looking for a place to park her Jeep, she noticed towing signs in the parking lot.

Vernik says she played it safe and parked on the street, but when she returned to her parking spot, her Jeep was gone.

I had no idea where my car was, and I assumed it was stolen, Vernik said.

Tow companies are not allowed to tow from public streets, they can only tow from private property.

Vernik told Action 9s Jason Stoogenke she eventually found out a company called QC Impound towed her SUV to a lot a few miles away.

ALSO READ: After calling for a tow truck, man ends up with more damage and dispute over repayment

When we showed up, a guy gets out of a tow truck dressed like a police officer. Hes got a vest. Hes got a badge on. Hes got a gun, a taser, handcuffs, body camera, she said.

Another driver who says QC Impound also towed her car said the same thing and took a photo.

Both Vernik and police told Stoogenke the man identified himself as Agent Smith.

Officers say they figured out his real name, Patrick Shook, and arrested him.

They charged Shook with obtaining property by false pretenses for illegally towing from a public street, impersonating law enforcement, and resisting a public officer by providing false information.

Vernik says she had to pay almost $500 to get her Jeep back. For about a week and a half after the incident, I was having trouble sleeping. I felt  this man has all my information, she said. So I really did feel threatened by his behavior.

Shook is currently out on bond. Action 9 tried to get in touch with him on Monday but did not hear back in time for this report.

Action 9 suggests that drivers know what the current towing rules say.

If youre inside Charlotte city limits, here are some of the main ones:

- There must be signs posted on the property warning you about towing.

- The signs must be easy to read.

- The tow company must accept cash and two major credit cards.

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- The towing company has to have someone on-call who can release your vehicle within 45 minutes.

- You are entitled to retrieve your personal property from the vehicle.

- Tow companies cant tow your car from public streets, only private property. That said, police can have your car towed, but only if youre blocking a fire hydrant, for example.

Click here to read the full Charlotte towing ordinance.

(VIDEO: Drivers say tow company chained their car to the car next to it)
YouTube / I am Hasbulla Magomedov

Hasbulla Magomedov gained massive popularity after becoming a brand ambassador of the UFC.

However, the influencer came under fire as fans watched him yank and hit his cat in a now-deleted video.

The influencer responded to growing backlash last week, saying his cat is "feeling good."

The Russian influencer Hasbulla Magomedov, or more commonly known as Hasbulla, is defending himself after fans accused him of abusing an animal in a now-deleted clip.

In the short clip, originally posted to the 19-year-old's YouTube channel last week, the influencer can be seen pulling at a cat's ear before hitting the animal several times (content warning: the footage can be distressing for some viewers).

On Thursday, as backlash and concern grew, Magomedov responded with a video speaking in a local Dagestan dialect, saying his cat is "feeling good." On Friday, the influencer posted another video claiming he pulled his cat's ear "gently" and that he was punishing her for "misbehaving."

Magomedov is wildly popular on Instagram, with over 8 million subscribers. His earliest posts date back to late 2021, but he rose to cosmic fame over the last year after multiple collaborations with the UFC and NELK, the popular YouTube prank group. Magomedov is partly known for his achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism that gives him the appearance of a young child.

The controversial video was posted last Tuesday as a YouTube Short before it was deleted. The video gained a litany of concern and criticism on both UFC and cat community Reddit forums, although most posts have also since been taken down by moderators.

"He acts the same way he acts around fighters, hitting and kicking people he barely knows," one Redditor commented; "Disgusting. People like this have no soul," someone else said.

As more people watched the clip, backlash also moved onto other platforms, like Twitter. Many users have called his actions abusive and are viscerally angered by them. Many are also not accepting his statements justifying his alleged abuse.

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Some, however, felt the amount of moral outrage was excessive. "Bruh this 40lbs mf is not doing harm," one user tweeted. "The cat is literally chilling thinking he's petting it or smth."

"If he does that on camera imagine what he does to it off," one user wrote in response to Magomedov claiming his cat is fine.

Insider has reached out to Hasbulla for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
PORTSMOUTH  A gift from Portsmouths friendship namesake city in England, gifted decades ago, is slated for rehabilitation after falling into disrepair over the years outside the Portsmouth Historical Society.

The red telephone booth, or phone box, with four crowns emblazoned on it, has been a run-down fixture outside the former public library building. Marked telephone on each side despite having no telephone hooked up inside, it has been broken into and marred with graffiti over time. Glass panels are missing, red paint is fading and trash has been dumped inside it.

The city of Portsmouth is looking to have a run-down British red telephone booth, gifted by leaders from Portsmouth, England in 1984, outside the Portsmouth Historical Society, repaired and returned to the city this summer.

A run-down British red telephone booth has been a dumping ground for some as it stands outside the Portsmouth Historical Society.

In recent days, the telephone booth, given to Portsmouth, New Hampshire by Portsmouth, England years ago, has been wrapped up, preventing potential further damage as the city prepares to ship it off for an overhaul.

Monte Bohanan, a city spokesperson, said Portsmouth put out a request for proposals, seeking a firm to revive the telephone booth. The deadline for proposals closed Wednesday, March 29.

It is expected the company chosen to repair the dilapidated phone booth will take it away, fix the broken glass, clean it, repaint it and return it to the city in a few months, Bohanan said.

The phone booth outside the Portsmouth Historical Society, given to the city by Portsmouth, England, in 1984, is seen wrapped up Thursday, March 30, 2023, awaiting a project to repair it.

Whether or not the phone box returns to its original location or if it will move is yet to be determined, he added.

The request for proposals, however, indicates the refurbished telephone booth may be placed inside the modern-day Portsmouth Public Library on Parrott Avenue after it is repaired, giving it shelter and security from potential vandals.

More Portsmouth news: Neighbors turn out to oppose addition to $1.6M home in city neighborhood

The city is looking for work to be completed on the telephone booth in 90 days or less.

The scope of work, according to the proposal, includes preserving the original HMS Sirius ships crest on the interior wall, removing glass and remaining fittings, sandblasting, multiple coats of paint, reglazing the booth with safety glass in glazing frames, installing a push/pull safety glass panel, restoring hinges and door pull handle, and repainting the gold crowns.

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No, King Charles didn't give the phone box to Portsmouth

In 1973, amid the citys ongoing festivities to mark its 350th anniversary of settlement, a royal bachelor dressed in his Royal Navy uniform sailed into Portsmouth Harbor to meet with city leaders and residents in a multi-day stay.

The visitor aboard the HMS Minerva? None other than Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, who was proclaimed King of England last year following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, Britains longest-reigning monarch.

Members of the media surround Prince Charles as he arrives at Strawbery Banke for a reception in honor of Portsmouth's 350th anniversary in 1973.

More local news: Rye fisherman Keper Connell hooks consumer wave with his Gulf of Maine tinned tuna

A common misconception is the prince came bearing the gift of the red telephone booth, a myth debunked by written record. In 1993, the Portsmouth Herald reported the structure was a gift from Portsmouth, England, having sailed on the HMS Sirius amid its visit to New Hampshire in 1984, more than a decade after then-Prince Charles visited.

Tourists and other visitors taking a stroll through the citys downtown area must sometimes wonder whether theyre in Portsmouth, New England, or Portsmouth, old England, the article reads.

Portsmouth is looking to have a run-down British red telephone booth, gifted by leaders from Portsmouth, England in 1984, repaired and returned to the New Hampshire city this summer.

Portsmouths telephone booth is thought to be a K6 model, short for Kiosk No. 6, which was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott in honor of King George Vs Silver Jubilee in 1935.

More improvements coming to current phone box site

Located on the Islington Street side of the Portsmouth Historical Society building, the phone booth is in an area soon to see a new phase of construction. The next phase of the Islington Street corridor project is expected to kick off in early April and includes replacement of underground utilities, roadway reconstruction, curbing and sidewalk installations, and landscaping improvements, such as adding ornamental lighting, street trees and benches.

The work will continue to proceed in discrete sections in order to limit the impact to residents and businesses; and will be a large step in the revitalization of the West End neighborhood, a city description of the upcoming work states. The goal of this project is to create a complete street and will include improvements to the streetscape, traffic signals, utilities, pedestrian facilities, transit and vehicular roadway.

Construction on the next phase of the Islington Street project is likely to last into the fall, according to the city.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH to repair red phone box gifted by Portsmouth, England
Post, a Twitter alternative of sorts that's rethinking how publishers should engage with social media -- and how they should monetize their readership -- has opened its doors to the public. The startup, like others in this space, gained ground in the wake of Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter as many began to look for a new place to read and discuss the news or share their own thoughts with their followers. But Post doesn't want to be just another Twitter clone. Instead, its aim is to develop a platform where publishers can generate revenue from micropayments -- that is, where users pay some small amount of money to read individual news items.

This could include articles from traditional media outlets that would otherwise have been behind some kind of subscription-based paywall, but it could also include other types of media, like subscription newsletters, or even free and ad-supported content that's offered elsewhere. The latter has been the source of some criticism for Post, along the lines of "who would pay for news that you could get for free elsewhere?"

But that response conveniently forgets the miserable experience that is reading free news on today's web.

Ads and in-house promos are everywhere -- even in the middle of articles as you scroll down. Videos autoplay, often in their own pop-up windows. Cookie consent banners appear, trying to trick you into agreeing to hand over more data. Prompts to buy a subscription or sign up for the publishers' newsletter pop up over the top of the screen, forcing you to dismiss them.

Explains Post's founder and CEO Noam Bardin, previously CEO of Waze at Google, Post's partnered publishers have already found that users want to read news in their feed, rather than jumping out to external websites -- even if it's more expensive to do so.

Image Credits: Post screenshot

"You go to many news sites today and you get bombarded by these ads, email capture forms and subscriptions...you just wanted to read one article. And you wanted to read it because someone shared it. So, a one-time transaction, but you're bombarded," he says. "We think that with a great user experience, the right pricing and the lack of friction, we can add a new business model to the world of ads [or] subscription."

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Bardin tells TechCrunch that, when speaking with publishers, they generally agreed with the startup's thesis -- that the current subscription structure, outside of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal -- is not good for publishers. They acknowledged that the website traffic from social media shares doesn't often convert visitors to subscribers and that subscribers account for only a fraction of their larger readership.

"Everyone agrees there's a problem. No one wants to be first," he says, speaking of Post's initial struggles with publisher adoption.

The Post website itself first launched in November 2022 into a closed beta that grew to 650,000 people on its waitlist. Of those, 430,000 people actually created an account. That's when publishers took notice.

As Post now enters its public beta period, Twitter is bent on angering publishers by stripping their Verified badges if they don't pay. Post instead is offering to pay publishers. That has some draw. The company today has 25 premium publishers on board and several hundred in various stages. Some, like local news publishers, are waiting on additional functionality to be added to the platform.

At launch, Post has signed up partners including The Boston Globe, The Brookings Institution, Fortune, The Independent, Insider, LA Times, NBC News, Politico, ProPublica, Reuters, Semafor, SF Chronicle, MIT Technology Review, USA Today, Wired, World Politics Review and Yahoo Finance.

Image Credits: Post screenshot

Some of these outlets are posting manually, while others are experimenting with micropayments, and some are doing both. Those who have tried the micropayments option include Fortune, The Independent, LA Times, Reuters, MIT Technology Review, USA Today and Wired.

Bardin claims the average CPMs publishers are getting from Post's platform is $25 for a paid post. The highest article got a $300 CPM. But, he adds, publishers are also making an average of $1.30 CPMs from their free posts by way of donations and tips.

The micropayments platform Post users, which is powered by Stripe, allows users to buy a bundle of points in packets of 300 ($4.20) up to 10,000 ($126.70). As you get into the higher tiers -- 1,500, 5,000 or 10,000 points, you'll get a discount on your purchase. Post generates revenue by taking a small percentage of these sales, similar to Twitch.

Image Credits: Post screenshot

Bardin isn't sharing Post's current active user base figures but says that when people run out of their 50 free points gifted at sign-up, 80% have entered their credit card information to buy more. That's a promising number, but it's still early days for this startup. Twitter, after all, never gained mass market appeal and Twitter alternatives have an even tougher hill to climb as they try to attract a mainstream user base.

What a publisher chooses to charge for their articles is up to them -- we've seen as low as 1 point (see image on right), and as high as 89 points when scrolling our feed. Over time, Post plans to add other payment options, like "pay what you want" (which could also include paying nothing, if you choose), a "buy one, share one" option and an option where the first few articles per month are free.

The site, similar to pre-Elon Twitter, also has a number of rules around user behavior. It will kick people out for breaking them but doesn't yet know how it will draw the line between temporary and permanent bans. Its "freedom of speech" approach -- a matter of much consternation in the Elon era -- is fairly simple.

"When it comes to people, you do not have a right to be an asshole. That's not a God-given right in the Constitution. So, if you want to, go somewhere else. We don't need you. You don't have to be an asshole here."

In addition, Post aims to leverage AI technologies to personalize the news feed to its end users -- an idea also now being tried by Artifact, the news app from Instagram's co-founders. Post also expects that, as a news feed experience, many of its users won't be active content creators themselves. In fact, there's an old internet adage that says most people on a service consume content, but don't engage or create. Yet that large majority is often forgotten when services are being built.

"They don't publish. You don't hear them," says Bardin. But, he adds, "they, in many ways, are the audience."

"Seventy-five percent of Twitter users have never tweeted," he continues. "People use it to consume information, but it's built for the people creating the information...there are a lot of things that I think we would all have done differently with Twitter if we started out today."

Post's service as it stands today reflects that philosophy. It's more of a place to scroll and read the news but lacks the active conversations about the news that happens on larger platforms like Twitter, or even newer alternatives like T2 or Mastodon. But that engagement may come in time, as Post intends to eventually adopt ActivityPub -- the protocol that powers the open source, decentralized Mastodon and the broader Fediverse. As an interconnected app, Post could gain more active usage.

"We started out building on Mastodon...We love what Mastodon is doing," Bardin tells us. "And Bluesky is another approach, but the same concept," he says. "We will be adding integration with Mastodon and others."

That's still much further down the road -- it's not in the works for 2023, we understand.

"We just started the company in May. We've been around less than a year. We've got a lot of stuff we want to do -- we don't want to limit ourselves to supporting other protocols at this stage. Once we've built the core and we like it, then we can see exactly how these protocols can or cannot plug in," Bardin says.

Post quietly dropped its invite requirement a couple of weeks ago, but hadn't yet formally announced its public beta launch.

While the startup isn't talking about active usage, the site saw its traffic peak with over 5.19 million monthly visits in December 2022, according to data from Similarweb. That's since fallen to 921,000+ visits in March 2023 (as of March 27th). The firm estimates Post had around 946,120 total daily users in the last 28 days. Not bad for the crowded alt-Twitter market these days, where Mastodon now has 1.2 million monthly actives, for comparison.

Based in New York with a distributed team of 20, including co-founder Noel Baron, Post raised a seed round from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), as well as Scott Galloway, an NYU professor and tech commentator. Silicon Valley journalist Kara Swisher also said she advises the startup. The company isn't currently raising but is hiring.
President Russell M. Nelson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, greets conferencegoers in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City before the Sunday afternoon session of the 193rd Annual General Conference on April 2, 2023. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

President Russell M. Nelson released a new video about Easter on Palm Sunday, immediately after the end of 193rd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The video is titled, Forgiving others.

In it, he calls Jesus Christ the epitome of forgiveness.

On the cross, Jesus forgave his tormentors, President Nelson said via his Twitter account. This Easter season, think of someone whom you should forgive. I promise you that the Prince of Peace will bring you peace.

He said forgiving others is difficult when they have disappointed us, hurt us, cheated us or spread false rumors about us.

However, not forgiving others is poison for us. Grudges weigh us down. Angry disagreements separate us. Animosity and hatred can divide families. And yet the Saviors counsel is clear: If ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Forgiving others does not mean condoning sinful or criminal behavior or remaining in abusive situations, he said.

But when we choose to forgive others, we allow the Lord to remove the poison from our souls. We permit him to soothe and soften our hearts, so we can see others, especially those who have wronged us, as children of God and as our brothers and sisters.

On the cross, Jesus forgave His tormentors. This Easter season, think of someone whom you should forgive. I promise you that the Prince of Peace will bring you peace.https://t.co/WNZ1rPVOa2  Russell M. Nelson (@NelsonRussellM) April 2, 2023

President Nelson has released annual Easter messages on social media since he became the church president in 2018.

Related

For the past three years, he has issued Easter-based invitations to focus on Christ, invite others to celebrate Christ and to follow Christs example by striving to end conflict in their lives.

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2023

Latter-day Saints always celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, but this year will be slightly different, the First Presidency announced in a recent letter.

The First Presidency canceled all meetings on Easter Sunday (April 9) except sacrament meeting  the central, one-hour worship service in which members renew the covenants theyve made with Christ.

Easter 2022

Last year, President Nelson used one of his talks at the churchs early-April international general conference to encourage people to forgive and seek forgiveness. It was an invitation to follow Christ, whom he would call the epitome of forgiveness in his Easter social media post.

Easter 2021

While church meetings in 2021 were virtual, President Nelson invited people to make the week leading up to Easter a time of holiness focused on Christ.
A super PAC seeking to lure Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis into the 2024 Republican presidential race has raised $30 million since its launch early last month, according to a person familiar with the groups efforts.

The total is a sign of early fundraising momentum for the group, Never Back Down, which was formed last month by Ken Cuccinelli, a former senior official in the Trump administration.

Since its inception, the super PAC has hired several veteran political operatives, including longtime strategist Jeff Roe, who managed Sen. Ted Cruzs (R-Texas) 2016 presidential campaign and served as a top adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkins successful 2021 gubernatorial bid.

The group has also recruited talent from former President Trumps 2020 reelection campaign. Last week, the group announced that it had hired Matt Wolking, who previously headed up the Trump campaigns rapid response operation.

DeSantis hasnt announced a bid for the White House yet, though hes widely expected to in the coming months. Never Back Down is likely to serve as the main outside group backing the Florida governor in a 2024 Republican presidential primary.

DeSantis is a fundraising powerhouse in his own right. His state political committee is currently sitting on more than $82 million. That money is currently tied up in state accounts and could eventually be transferred to another entity, though not to any future federal campaign committee.

DeSantis has become a darling of GOP donors and has met with many of them in recent weeks ahead of an expected White House run. He hosted a retreat for donors and GOP officials in Palm Beach, Fla., in late February and has ramped up his travel schedule to include stops in key early voting states like Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Pro-Kremlin blogger killed in cafe explosion

A Russian pro-Kremlin blogger who was known for his support of Russias invasion of Ukraine was killed in an explosion on Sunday that authorities believe was inside a gift. Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maksim Fomin, was speaking at a cafe in St. Petersburg for the pro-war group Cyber Front Z when witnesses say they saw a woman give Tatarsky a small look-alike statue before moving to the back of the room.

This woman sat at our table. I saw her from the back as she was turned away. When she gifted him the figurine, she went to sit in a different place by the window and forgot her phone at our table, one witness told Russian state-owned domestic news agency RIA Novosti. The witness added, The host at the stage took the figurine from the box and showcased it, Vladlen held it for a bit. They put it back and shortly after the explosion happened I was running and my ears were blocked. There were many people with blood on them.

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Russias Interior Ministry said on Monday that they identified Daria Trepova as a suspect in Tatarskys murder after several eyewitnesses claimed the explosion went off after he received the figurine. Fontanka, a local news outlet reported that according to a witness, a woman introduced herself to Tatarsky as Nastya, a sculptor. Another witness told the local tabloid, Komsomolskaya Pravda that Tatarsky asked the woman to bring it to him after she said she wasnt permitted to bring the statue inside because of bombing fears, The New York Times reported.

Gizmodo was unable to independently verify the above claims.

Tatarsky was a radical supporter of the invasion of Ukraine and gained prominence after he attended a ceremony marking Russian President Vladimir Putins illegal claims of the annexation of four regions of Ukraine. At the time of his death, Tatarsky had more than half a million followers on his Telegram blog where he expressed criticism of any Russian setbacks in the war, citing flaws in Russias army.

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The Cyber Front Z pro-war group expressed their condolences to the victims and their families in a post on Sunday, CNN reported. The group wrote, During our regular event in a cafe we rented, there was a terrorist attack. We took certain security measures, but, unfortunately, they were not enough.

The Russian Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg opened a murder investigation and is trying to piece together what happened leading up to the explosion. According to CNN, at least 32 people were injured when the blast went off including ten people who are in serious condition.

Cyber Front Z added in the blog post, Separate condolences to everyone who knew the wonderful war correspondent and our good friend Vladlen Tatarsky. Now we are cooperating with law enforcement agencies and we hope that all those responsible will be punished.

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Missouris ban on lobbying by current lawmakers and legislative staff  and temporary ban after they leave office  doesnt violate the right to free speech, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Harpool ruled last week against former state Rep. Rocky Miller, a Lake Ozark Republican, and General Assembly employee John LaVanchy. Both men had sued to overturn the lobbying ban, which voters approved in 2018 as part of the Clean Missouri amendment to the state constitution.

The amendment prohibits current lawmakers and employees of the General Assembly from paid lobbying during their time of service and for two years after they leave office. Miller and LaVanchy sued in December 2021 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, alleging the ban violated the U.S. Constitutions right to free speech and petition.

The ban kept Miller from accepting a lobbying job with the waste management company Presidio in November 2021, though his two-year waiting period has now expired. LaVanchy, who works as a committee records specialist, is currently prohibited from paid lobbying under the Clean Missouri rules.

Harpool wrote in a written order that the Clean Missouri restrictions are a proportional and narrow limit intended to combat quid pro quo corruption and the appearance of corruption.

Finally, it remains unclear to this Court why any duly elected representative would take an oath to uphold the Missouri Constitution, knowing fully well the effect of the Lobbying Ban, and nonetheless claim an infringement of First Amendment rights, Harpool wrote. An important and indispensable fact of this dispute is that a conscious decision was made to accept the responsibilities of public office that included a two-year limit on the profit that one could obtain in exchange for lobbying.

This fact further differentiates the instant case from genuine violations of the First Amendment. Public service requires personal sacrifice.

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Cole Bradbury, an attorney for Miller and LaVanchy, said in an email that obviously we disagree with the ruling and plan to appeal.

Harpools decision comes as Missouri prepares to mark the 5th anniversary of the Clean Missouri vote later this year. The amendment banned all but the smallest lobbyist gifts and set-up a non-partisan redistricting process.

In 2020, voters approved another amendment totally eliminating gifts for legislators but repealing the redistricting overhaul. The Clean Missouri also allowed local officials to continue accepting unlimited lobbyist gifts.
ZNPP

Putin has repeatedly resorted to nuclear blackmail since embarking on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over thirteen months ago. During the first few days of the invasion, the Russian dictator signaled his readiness to engage in nuclear intimidation by very publicly placing his countrys nuclear forces on special alert. This was widely interpreted as an attempt to discourage any Western intervention.

Further thinly-veiled nuclear threats came in September 2022 as Putin sought to escalate his faltering invasion. Following a string of battlefield defeats and embarrassing retreats, he announced his countrys first mobilization since World War II before boasting of Russias unrivaled weapons of destruction and vowing to use all the means at our disposal to defend the country. I am not bluffing, Putin warned.

Read also: March 9 mass missile attack, Poland to transfer all MiGs, ZNPP out of power again

It is not difficult to imagine why Putin is now once again indulging in nuclear saber-rattling. In recent months, military aid to Ukraine has expanded to new levels and crossed multiple Russian red lines in the process. Western countries have agreed to supply Kyiv with state-of-the-art air defense systems, modern battle tanks, and jet fighters. Tellingly, Putin framed his plans for nuclear weapons in Belarus as a response to Britains decision to provide Ukraine with anti-tank ammunition that contains depleted uranium.

Meanwhile, Russias military fortunes in Ukraine have continued to deteriorate. The six-month campaign to bomb Ukraine into submission by targeting the countrys civilian infrastructure has ended in failure. Along the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine, a much-hyped Russian offensive has been underway since early 2023 but has failed to make significant progress while suffering disastrous losses. This is leading to the rapid demoralization of Putins army in Ukraine, with video appeals regularly posted to social media featuring groups of recently mobilized Russian soldiers complaining of suicidal tactics and high death tolls.

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There is also little cause for Russian optimism on the international front, where initial expectations of a weakening in Western support for Ukraine are rapidly evaporating. Indeed, during the early months of 2023, the democratic worlds commitment to Ukraine has looked stronger than ever. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a heros welcome during a brief trip to London, Paris, and Brussels. Weeks later, US President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv to emphasize his resolve to stand with Ukraine.

Why Putin is playing the nuclear card

There was more bad news for Russia in mid-March, when the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putins arrest on war crimes charges related to the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. While there is no immediate danger of the Russian ruler ending up in court, the indictment is a further humiliation that underlines Putins pariah status while weakening his position both at home and abroad.

Even the recent visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Moscow failed to lift the gloom. The summit produced few concrete gains for Putin while confirming his position as junior partner in what is an increasingly unequal bilateral relationship. Interestingly, one of the few security-related outcomes of the visit was a joint statement calling on all nuclear powers to refrain from deploying nuclear weapons beyond their national borders. Putins subsequent decision to place nukes in Belarus may well be an indication of his frustration over Chinas obvious reluctance to back Russia more forcefully.

Read also: IAEA chief contemplates Russia visit for nuclear talks after touring ZNPP

It remains far from clear whether Russia is capable of regaining the military initiative in Ukraine via conventional means. Kremlin officials have recently begun speaking of massive increases in military production, while rumors persist of additional mobilization waves to bolster the depleted ranks of Russias invasion force. However, this optimism is at odds with the realities on the ground in Ukraine, with the UK Ministry of Defense recently reporting that Russia is now deploying tanks and armored vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s to make up for previous losses. With limited access to sanctioned Western technologies, many analysts question the offensive potential of what will be a largely conscript Russian army of poorly motivated troops with limited training and outdated equipment.

This grim outlook helps to explain why Putin is playing the nuclear card. His nuclear threats may ring hollow, but they are too serious to be disregarded completely and he knows it. At the same time, the international community cannot afford to let Putins intimidation tactics succeed. If nuclear blackmail pays off for Putin in Ukraine and allows him to snatch a victory of sorts from the jaws of defeat, it will become a normalized element of international relations with devastating consequences for global security. Countries around the world will scramble to acquire nuclear arsenals of their own in order to avoid the fate of Ukraine.

Read also: Without ZNPP, Ukraine to continue living with electricity deficit

So far, the response to Putins latest bout of nuclear saber-rattling has been encouraging. US, EU, and NATO officials were united in their condemnation. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell branded it an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security, while Germanys Foreign Ministry accused Russia of another attempt at nuclear intimidation. Perhaps the most fitting commentary came from Kyiv, with Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak claiming Putins comments demonstrate that he fears defeat in Ukraine and has nothing to offer other than scare tactics.

We are likely to see such scare tactics increasingly in the coming months. With the Ukrainian military currently preparing to launch what promises to be their largest offensive of the war, Russias position could worsen significantly during spring and summer 2023. If he finds himself faced with the prospect of decisive military defeat, Putin will almost certainly escalate his nuclear blackmail to new levels of danger. At that point, the international community must unite to prevent Russia from dragging the world into catastrophe.

This story was originally published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin

As the Russian military leadership continues to flounder in the field, it is now crystal clear that, in invading Ukraine, they were totally unaware of the strategic intentions of the Kremlin. A massive deception by their political leaders was pulled over the eyes of the young Russian soldiers who believed they were entering the country as liberators. No wonder the UK Ministry of Defence now reports issues with heavy drinking among them.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has become a victim of his own hubris. He firmly believed his security services had infiltrated and undermined the Kyiv government; that a majority of the Ukrainian population were opposed to President Zelensky and favoured better links with Russia; and that his military was fit, capable and ready to mount a quick strike on Kyiv to effect regime change. Now, however, the prospect of defeat on the battlefield is becoming ever more likely and Putins grip on power ever more tenuous.

The Russian president knows that in order to justify his invasion, he must at the very least take and hold the four provinces that he declared to be forever Russia last autumn  and Crimea, of course. But on the evidence displayed so far, the latest, much-hyped Russian efforts in eastern Ukraine are likely to fail.

After months of attempts by the Wagner mercenary forces to take Bahkmut with horrifying levels of casualties, recent reports indicate that the Russians are now switching their attention to Avdiivka south of Bahkmut and towards the Kreminna-Svatove in the north, but these moves would seem to indicate that they are trying to stabilise their defensive lines rather than launch a fresh offensive. The Russian military might have already reached its culmination point.

If the Ukrainian operational command can construct a bold combined arms scheme of manoeuvre, then there is the possibility of delivering decisive blows this summer. A sustained offensive combining tanks, armoured infantry and self-propelled artillery supported by long range missile strikes and whatever close air support they can muster could finally destroy what is left of Russian morale and break the back of the Russian army.

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An army does not need to be defeated in detail. If its soldiers believe they are beaten, then they are indeed beaten and, as happened around Kharkiv last autumn, Russian young men are likely to turn and run. Such a collapse could prove to be the catalyst that sweeps Putin out of the Kremlin.

Perfectly reasonably, there are fears over who might replace him, but I suggest that the group of leaders most disaffected in Russia today are the military. If the Russian chief of the general staff, General Valery Gerasimov, can garner enough support and find the moral courage to act, this war could be over well before the second anniversary. It was probably through fear of this eventuality that Putin sent Gerasimov out of Moscow to assume overall command in Ukraine.

Whether it is Gerasimov who seizes Brutuss knife or not, Putins Julius Caesar moment is probably not that far away. For the sake of the Ukrainian people and the stability of Europe, Nato, the United States and the West must continue to give every support to Ukraine to end this appalling chapter of European history.

General the Lord Dannatt is a former Chief of the General Staff
Jacob Chansley, also known as the QAnon Shaman, inside the Capitol on January 6. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Jacob Chansley, a January 6 rioter known as the "QAnon Shaman," has been released from prison early.

Chansley is carrying out the rest of his prison sentence in a halfway house in Arizona.

His new roommates told The New York Post on Sunday they had no idea who he was.

Jacob Chansley, an Capitol riot defendant known as the "QAnon Shaman," has moved into a halfway house in Arizona after being released from federal prison early.

But his new roommates told The New York Post, who visited the premises on Sunday, that despite his notoriety, they had no idea who he was, saying that he is "quiet and [keeps] to himself."

"What? He put on the horns? Holy shit," Ernesto Leyva, one of Chansley's housemates, told The Post, referring to the distinct horns and bearskin headdress Chansley was pictured wearing to the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

Leyva added that Chansley is "alright" and that he lives in a room with six other people. The Arizona facility did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Another roommate, Shywanna Grimes, told The Post she wasn't aware of who Chansley was either, because she just got out of prison herself, adding: "I didn't watch TV."

"We all have a background," said Grimes, who was imprisoned for smuggling. "We are all human. We all make mistakes. We are not perfect."

Chansley was sentenced to 41 months in prison in November 2021 after pleading guilty to one count of obstruction of an official proceeding for his involvement with the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.

A prison spokesperson told Insider's Natalie Musumeci that he was transferred from Arizona's Federal Correctional Institution Safford to "community confinement" overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons' Phoenix Residential Reentry Management Office last week.

Chansley's projected release date from any kind of federal custody is May 25, the spokesperson added.

The attorney who handled Chansley's plea deal, Albert Watkins, previously told Insider that he attributes the early release "to be a function of the US Bureau of Prisons evaluating Mr. Chansley's eligibility for release based on the plea agreement, the sentence imposed, the model behavior of Mr. Chansley while confined, the programs he completed and a host of factors routinely taken into consideration by the US Bureau of Prisons."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Financial fraud and other online crime continue to present major threats to businesses, and they remain a key focus for regulators requiring more rigorous efforts to keep illicit activity at bay. Now, London-based Quantexa -- one of the big startups providing AI and other tools to major banks and others in financial services, governments and other major organizations to tackle these challenges -- is announcing $129 million in funding, a round that underscores how services like these are being viewed in the market today, and Quantexa's specific traction within it.

The funding is coming in the form of a Series E that values the startup at $1.8 billion. For some context, this is a major step up from its previous round nearly two years ago (in July 2021), a Series D of $153 million that was raised at an $800 million - $900 million valuation. (It's also a higher number than some thought the round would be: last week a report of Quantexa raising estimated that it would be "close to $1.5 billion".)

Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC -- which was also a major investor in Stripe's recent $6.5 billion round -- led this round, with participation from previous backers Warburg Pincus, Dawn Capital, British Patient Capital, Evolution Equity Partners, HSBC, BNY Mellon, ABN AMRO and AlbionVC. Prior to this round, Quantexa had raised $240 million.

The last six months have been such a tricky time for a lot of startups looking to raise money, but Quantexa is one of the small group that has bucked that trend.

CEO and founder Vishal Marria said in an interview that the round was oversubscribed and is coming at a time when the startup still has "between two and three years of runway" from previous rounds and cash it's generating from its business.

Part of the reason for the strong interest from investors is because of how the company has been doing.

The company's core products are in the area of risk and compliance -- for example tools to help verify user identities, detect money laundering and to carry out financial investigations. Alongside that Quantexa is using some of the same techniques to build out bigger user "graphs" for business intelligence and CRM purposes.

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Together these are used by hundreds of customers in some 70 countries, the company said, including major enterprise organizations like BNY Mellon, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Danske Bank, Vodafone and the Public Sector Fraud Authority within the U.K.'s Cabinet Office. Marria said that Quantexa has doubled its business in the last 18 months: "We've doubled the number of users, the revenues and the number of industries we target," he said.

Interestingly, Quantexa's fundraise comes in on the same day that another KYC startup, Fourthline, also announced a big round of $54 million. Fourthline's approach up to now (and going forward) has been to build everything it uses from the ground up. Quantexa is taking a different view: it builds but also leans heavily on APIs to work with whatever its customers might already have integrated into their platforms and operations.

What the two have in common is a fundamental view of how to use AI tools in tackling the issues of fraud, identity management and compliance: The techniques used by bad actors are sophisticated and too numerous for humans on their own to track, so machine learning, natural language, computer vision and other AI technology can be built to help in that task.

Quantexa's plan is to double down on that strategy: The plan will be to use the fresh funding, plus the money that the company already had in its coffers, to invest in building out new technology, but also to make acquisitions to grow inorganically. Given the number of interesting enterprise and big data startups that have emerged over the last several years, and the number that have found it hard to raise money and scale, there are a number of interesting targets.

Marria noted that a recent acquisition, of the Irish startup Aylien, points to the kinds of acquisitions Quantexa might make: Aylien's specialty was natural language processing (NLP) and advanced AI and working with unstructured data, he said.

Notably, Quantexa is not yet profitable, but Marria said investors are willing to be patient because the startup's been hitting so many of its other targets. "That gives the community confidence that our plan is accurate and we can deliver on it." The company is growing ARR at 140% (at Series D subscriptions revenues were 108%), and he projects that the company will make $100 million in revenues next year, turning profitable by 2025.
The Queen Consort's top tiara moments show a definite penchant for statement sparklers  and one favorite headpiece

getty (2)

March 2023

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Queen Camilla shimmered in the Greville Tiara at a state banquet in Germany during the first overseas visit of the new reign. The Queen Consort, 75, completed the look with Queen Elizabeth's diamond fringe necklace, the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II and a pair of dangling diamond earrings.

December 2022

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock Queen Camilla

Camilla sparkled in the Belgian Sapphire Tiara at a reception for the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace before Christmas. She paired the headpiece with its coordinating necklace and bracelet  a set straight from Queen Elizabeth's jewelry box.

November 2022

Chris Jackson/Getty; Toby Melville - WPA Pool /Getty Queen Camilla; Queen Elizabeth

So nice, she wore it twice! The Belgian Sapphire Tiara was the first tiara Camilla wore as Queen Consort following the accession of her husband King Charles III.

Camilla sported the striking piece, which previously belonged to her mother-in-law, for the first state visit of the new reign, welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa to the U.K. Camilla again wore the sapphire sparkler's coordinating necklace for the first spin  without the center pendant gem.

October 2019

Paul Edwards - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Camilla had not been photographed in a tiara for three years before the back-to-back sapphire tiara wear, as the royals scaled back their schedules when the coronavirus pandemic began.

In 2019, the then-Duchess of Cornwall attended the State Opening of Parliament in the Greville Tiara. The twinkling headpiece otherwise known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara was previously worn by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother  and seems to be Camilla's go-to.

The honeycomb headpiece came from the estate of society hostess Dame Margaret Greville and was inherited by Queen Elizabeth in 2002.

December 2017

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

In a favorite combination, Camilla paired the Greville Tiara with a four-strand pearl choker for the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace. The annual event is traditionally the palace's largest each year, welcoming over 1,000 guests including ambassadors, high commissioners and government officials.

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November 2015

Arthur Edwards - Pool/Getty

Charles and Camilla shared a look of love at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting banquet in Malta.

The Duchess of Cornwall glittered in her go-to Greville Tiara with a five-strand pearl choker set with a stunning pink topaz and diamond clasp.

June 2015

Duchess Camilla glimmered at a Royal Academy Annual Dinner in the floral Cubitt Tiara, which The Court Jeweller reports is a Shand family heirloom. She wore the delicate accessory for her wedding to her first husband Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973.

April 2013

Robin Utrecht - Pool/Getty

Charles and Camilla stylishly arrived at a diplomatic dinner in the Netherlands in black tie. The Duchess of Cornwall completed the look with the cherished Greville Tiara.

November 2013

Chris Jackson/Getty

Camilla was regal in the Greville Tiara at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where then-Prince Charles represented Queen Elizabeth and opened the event.

October 2005

Pool/Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

Six months after she married Prince Charles, Camilla had her first major tiara moment at a banquet at Buckingham Palace.

There, she sparkled in the swirling Delhi Durbar tiara, borrowed from Queen Elizabeth  only the third time the piece had been seen in public.

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Read the original article on People.
Dominic Raab has agreed to new laws to punish criminals for refusing to appear in court for sentencing - Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph

Dominic Raab is under pressure to fast-track new laws to punish criminals for refusing to appear in court for sentencing, after the killer of Olivia Pratt-Korbel would not enter the dock.

Thomas Cashman remained in his cell, with his lawyer telling the court the murderer believed the case was "turning into a circus" because prosecutors allegedly sang We are the Champions following his conviction.

Cashman, 34, was sentenced to 42 years while absent from the courtroom for gunning down the nine-year-old in her own home in Liverpool.

Former Cabinet ministers, victims and campaigners are now urging the Justice Secretary to urgently close the loophole that allowed Cashman to snub his sentencing and remain in his cell without any penalty.

Mr Raab pledged to make refusing to attend court an aggravating factor in sentencing, after the killer of law graduate Zara Aleena denied her family the chance to confront him.

On Monday night, former Home Secretary Priti Patel demanded that Mr Raab use the victims bill currently before Parliament to give judges powers to impose longer jail terms on criminals who compound the grief of families by refusing to appear in court for their sentencing. She said it was a stain on British justice.

She was backed by Sir Robert Buckland, the former Justice Secretary, who said refusals to appear should be treated as an aggravating factor in sentencing and indicative of a lack of willingness to cooperate with the authorities that has to be reflected in some way.

Ministry of Justice sources said Mr Raab was committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions.

They added: Olivia Pratt-Korbel and her family weren't able to hide from Thomas Cashman's crime - so he shouldn't be able to hide from justice."

The Justice Secretary is said to want to introduce a new law when parliamentary time allows but is resisting calls to include it in the victims and prisoners bill because changes to sentencing laws are outside the bills scope.

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However, Farah Naz, the aunt of aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena whose killer refused to come to court for his sentencing, said the Government needed to act quickly because refusal to appear was becoming a trend as word spread among prisoners that they could get away with snubbing courts and victims.

"This trend has to stop. It's their last bit of power. It's the only thing they can do once they have been convicted. They should not have any power, she told The Telegraph.

Thomas Cashman who murdered Olivia Pratt-Korbel was sentenced to serve at least 42 years

She met Mr Raab in February when she secured a commitment from the Justice Secretary to increase sentences and even the prospect of convicted criminals being physically forced to appear in court.

She said: I cannot imagine that they are not physically handled at various points when they are moved from prison to prison. So I dont know why they cannot be physically forced to appear in court."

Claire Waxman, London victims commissioner, who has campaigned for the law change for a year on behalf of the family of teacher Sabina Nessa whose killer refused to appear in court, said the Government had dropped the ball by failing to include longer sentences for no-shows in the bill.

She said: The Government has dropped the ball on putting victims at the heart of the criminal justice system by focusing on extending the scope of the Bill to include prisoners and parole board reforms. Its a shame they didnt choose to extend the scope to tackle an issue that deeply impacts victims and families.

We urgently need the Government to bring forward a policy that forces convicted criminals to hear their fate in court, so that at the very least, victims and their loved ones can feel that justice has been delivered and start their journey towards some sense of closure, Ms Waxman added.

Justice to victims

Sir Mike Penning, a former justice and policing minister, said he could not think of a better way to give justice to victims than to include amendments penalising offenders who refused to appear in court as part of the victims bill.

Whatever measures can be brought forward without lefty lawyers causing even more distress to the families, then I would support that in any way I can, he said.

Sentencing Cashman, Mrs Justice Yip said she regarded his refusal to appear as disrespectful. "The defendant has not acknowledged his responsibility for Olivia's death and so has demonstrated no remorse. His failure to come into court is further evidence of that," she said.

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Mark Baker, of Merseyside Police, said outside court that the "courage and bravery of Olivia's family and our witness is in direct contrast to the cowardice shown by Thomas Cashman."

Former minister Tim Loughton, a member of the home affairs committee, joined the call and said: That Thomas Cashman could not even pay her one ounce of respect to being in court to hear the consequences of his actions and has shown no remorse reinforces that society should show no remorse in locking him away for a very long time indeed and the law needs to be changed urgently to allow that.

Labour have also backed the move. Steve Reed, shadow justice secretary, said: Labour called for new laws on this back in April last year  but the Conservatives have dragged their feet and failed to act.
An image shows transient killer whales, or orcas, in Monterey Bay, California and a gray whale, labeled, also in California. Getty Images, Insider

Drone footage shows around 30 orcas attacking two adult gray whales in Monterey Bay, California.

It is rare for orcas to attack adult gray whales, which are much larger animals.

The man who captured the footage said the pod of orcas was trying to eat the other whales alive.

Drone footage captured an extremely rare instance of 30 orca whales attacking and trying to eat two adult gray whales off the coast of Monterey Bay, California.

Monterey Bay Whale Watch, a whale-watching tour company, shared the footage on Facebook over the weekend, noting that it is the first time in more than 30 years that an "attempted predation" by orcas on adult gray whales has been documented in the area.

The whale-watching company said that it's fairly common for orcas, also known as killer whales, to hunt vulnerable gray whale calves. But, in this instance, it was two adult gray whales being attacked.

Evan Brodsky, the company's cinematographer who captured the footage, told KSBW Action News that the pod of orcas was trying to eat the gray whales alive.

The attack lasted around six hours, he said, per the news outlet.

Marine biologists with the company observed the attack, and said they were able to gain further insight into the "unique hunting strategies of the pod," as well as the "rarely seen defensive strategies of the two grays."

One video shows the orcas surrounding the two larger whales, with pools of blood visible in the water.

Orcas are significantly smaller than gray whales. An average gray whale weighs up to 78,000 lbs and is about 48 feet long. Orcas are usually under half that size, and just a fraction of the weight  around 11,000 lbs.

While the attack lasted hours, the orcas were ultimately unsuccessful. They backed down once the grey whales made it to shallow water near the beach, the whale-watching company said.

It added that the gray whales were badly hurt during the attack.

In 2017, a pod of orcas killed four gray whales near Monterey Bay in just a week, including a calf and its mother. The Guardian reported at the time that the orcas worked like "a pack of wolves" to separate the mother from her calf.

Read the original article on Insider
I Voted Today stickers are seen on Thursday, March 30, 2023, at the Rockford Board of Elections office in Rockford.

It's almost time to vote in Tuesday's Consolidated Election featuring dozens of local government races across the Rockford area.

School board seats are up for grabs in Rockford, Harlem, Belvidere and Freeport school districts and many others.

Depending on where you live, you may be voting for city council or village board representation as well as park district and community college boards.

There are a handful of referendums on the ballot, too.

Here are some things to know before you head out to your polling place.

More: Voting early in Rockford-area April elections? Here's what you need to know

Am I registered?

You have to be registered to vote in Illinois. You can look up your voter registration record and verify that your information is correct using Illinois' voter registration lookup tool.

Can I still register to vote?

While the grace period to register to vote by mail or online has passed, there is a grace period to still register in person at your local elections office now through Election Day. Grace-period registration must be done at an election office, permanent polling place or other site approved by the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Who can register to vote?

To register to vote in Illinois, you must:

Be a citizen of the United States.

Be a resident of Illinois and of your election precinct at least 30 days before the next election.

Be at least 18 years old on or before the next election.

Not be serving a sentence of confinement for a criminal conviction (but you can vote if you have been charged but not convicted, have completed your sentence, or have been released on parole).

Not claim the right to vote anywhere else.

Can I still vote by mail?

Yes. The deadline has passed for ballots to be mailed to you, but if you requested a ballot be sent to you in the mail for mail-in voting, you have until April 4 to put the ballot in the mail and return it to your local election office. Ballots must be postmarked by April 4 to be counted.

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Where is my polling place?

If you do not know the location of your polling place, as long as you know your zip code and address, you can find it by visiting the Illinois State Board of Elections website or your local election office.

Do I need an ID to vote?

Illinois does not require residents to produce identification as most registered voters have already submitted their drivers license number, state ID number and the last four digits of their social security number. First-time voters who registered by mail and did not submit their drivers license and social security numbers are required to produce identification when voting.

First-time voters who do not have a state ID or drivers license are permitted to produce an alternative form of identification such as a utility bill, government check, bank statement, residential lease, student ID, or government document.

What time do the polls open and close Tuesday?

All polls in Illinois open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

What if I can't make it to my polling place on Tuesday?

In the City of Rockford, voters can cast ballots before Election Day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the Rockford Board of Elections, 301 S. Sixth St.

If they cannot make it to their polling place or choose not to vote there, city voters also can vote at the Rockford Board of Elections office on Election Day.

In Winnebago County, voters can vote before Election Day from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the County Administration Building, 404 Elm St., Suite 104, Rockford.

In Boone County, early voting continues from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at the Boone County Administration Building, 1212 Logan Ave.

In Stephenson County, early voting continues from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Stephenson County Clerk and Recorder Office, 50 W. Douglas St. in Freeport.

How do I know if my vote was counted?

When you slide your ballot into the vote tabulating machine, and it is not returned to you, your vote has been counted.

If you voted by mail, you have the ability to verify that your ballot was received and counted by contacting your local election authority. To find your local election authority, visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

Still have questions?

In the city of Rockford, visit voterockfordil.gov or call 815-987-5750.

If you live in Winnebago County, visit: clerk.wincoil.gov/election-information or call 815-319-4252.

Boone County residents can visit: boonecountyil.gov/government/departments/clerk___recorder/voter_and_election_information.php or call 815-547-4770.

If you live in Stephenson County, visit: stephensoncountyil.gov/government/county_clerk_and_recorder/elections.php or call 815-235-8289.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Ready to vote? What you need to know this Election Day
Wales' red squirrels face being wiped out by a deadly virus unless a vaccine is developed, campaigners have warned.

The pox killed up to 80% of red squirrels over winter at one of just three sites where they can still be found in Wales.

Nearly 11,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Welsh government to fund vaccine research.

The Welsh government said it would look at "emerging evidence and opportunities to best support populations".

Invasive, non-native grey squirrels carry squirrel pox virus, but are not affected by it.

Dr Craig Shuttleworth, an honorary research fellow at Bangor University, said there were only about 1,000 red squirrels left in north Wales, mostly on Anglesey.

There are tiny populations at Treborth, near Bangor, and in the Clocaenog forestry near Ruthin, Denbighshire.

There is also a project to restore the squirrels to Ceredigion, but the numbers remain small.

"We've got 1,000 and believe it or not, that's a conservation success," said Dr Shuttleworth.

"When we started on Anglesey we only had 40, now we've got about 800, potentially a few more. But they are under threat, a massive threat."

There has been a successful programme to cull all the grey squirrels on Anglesey, to protect the reds, but this has proved almost impossible to repeat on the mainland.

Dr Craig Shuttleworth says squirrel pox is the biggest threat facing native red squirrels in Wales

It led to the Treborth red squirrels almost being wiped out in November and December after coming into contact with grey squirrels carrying the pox virus.

The virus rapidly develops in the reds, causing cuts, blisters and growths on the skin. It is highly infectious and kills them in about three weeks.

Dr Shuttleworth said "we don't need a grey squirrel to set foot on the island for pox to come here" as reds moved between Anglesey and Gwynedd on the mainland.

He is convinced a vaccine could help prevent further deaths and help rebuild the population across the UK.

According to the Red Squirrels Northern England group, there are now only 290,000 squirrels left in the UK.

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"We are asking the Welsh government to take the lead, to be daring and to start funding vaccine research again," said Dr Shuttleworth.

A petition to the Senedd calling for the move has attracted 10,700 signatures, which means it will now be considered for a debate.

Work on a vaccine was under way at Scotland's Moredun Institute until funding dried up in about 2010.

Dr Colin McInnes, who led the original research programme, said there was "still quite a bit of work to be done", including how it would be delivered and how much protection it offered.

Those backing the vaccine bid believe it would be money worth spending, with Dr Shuttleworth estimating tourists coming to see the squirrels was already worth about 1m a year.

"What about the wellbeing value?" added Dr Shuttleworth.

Hugh Rowlands has been dubbed "The Squirrel Whisperer"

One person who knows more about this than perhaps any other is Hugh Rowlands, a retired Army veteran from Llangefni on Anglesey.

He has post-traumatic stress disorder after his time in the military and seeing the red squirrels at a nature spot has changed his life.

"It's very rewarding. It used to stop me getting in trouble with the law," he confessed.

"I come here maybe five times a week for hours on end and just sit with the squirrels and feed them.

"If a grey squirrel came in here and these squirrels disappeared, I would be absolutely devastated - there's no two ways about it."

Hugh has now spent so much time in the area, the squirrels come out when they hear his voice, knowing food will follow.

It earned him the nickname "The Squirrel Whisperer of the Dingle" from the television wildlife expert Iolo Williams.

But he is sceptical: "I think it's this Welsh accent of mine they hear, and I just talk and talk and they come down."

Responding to the petition lodged with the Senedd, a Welsh government official said: "We welcome the important work being carried out by people to protect this vulnerable species.

"We have seen some positive progress for increasing numbers of red squirrels in Wales but there is much more to do."
The new generation of AI tools makes it a lot easier to produce convincing misinformation. Photo by Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

From fake photos of Donald Trump being arrested by New York City police officers to a chatbot describing a very-much-alive computer scientist as having died tragically, the ability of the new generation of generative artificial intelligence systems to create convincing but fictional text and images is setting off alarms about fraud and misinformation on steroids. Indeed, a group of artificial intelligence researchers and industry figures urged the industry on March 29, 2023, to pause further training of the latest AI technologies or, barring that, for governments to impose a moratorium.

These technologies  image generators like DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, and text generators like Bard, ChatGPT, Chinchilla and LLaMA  are now available to millions of people and dont require technical knowledge to use.

Given the potential for widespread harm as technology companies roll out these AI systems and test them on the public, policymakers are faced with the task of determining whether and how to regulate the emerging technology. The Conversation asked three experts on technology policy to explain why regulating AI is such a challenge  and why its so important to get it right.

To jump ahead to each response, heres a list of each:

Human foibles and a moving target

Combining soft and hard approaches

Four key questions to ask



Human foibles and a moving target

S. Shyam Sundar, Professor of Media Effects & Director, Center for Socially Responsible AI, Penn State

The reason to regulate AI is not because the technology is out of control, but because human imagination is out of proportion. Gushing media coverage has fueled irrational beliefs about AIs abilities and consciousness. Such beliefs build on automation bias or the tendency to let your guard down when machines are performing a task. An example is reduced vigilance among pilots when their aircraft is flying on autopilot.

Numerous studies in my lab have shown that when a machine, rather than a human, is identified as a source of interaction, it triggers a mental shortcut in the minds of users that we call a machine heuristic. This shortcut is the belief that machines are accurate, objective, unbiased, infallible and so on. It clouds the users judgment and results in the user overly trusting machines. However, simply disabusing people of AIs infallibility is not sufficient, because humans are known to unconsciously assume competence even when the technology doesnt warrant it.

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Research has also shown that people treat computers as social beings when the machines show even the slightest hint of humanness, such as the use of conversational language. In these cases, people apply social rules of human interaction, such as politeness and reciprocity. So, when computers seem sentient, people tend to trust them, blindly. Regulation is needed to ensure that AI products deserve this trust and dont exploit it.

AI poses a unique challenge because, unlike in traditional engineering systems, designers cannot be sure how AI systems will behave. When a traditional automobile was shipped out of the factory, engineers knew exactly how it would function. But with self-driving cars, the engineers can never be sure how it will perform in novel situations.

Lately, thousands of people around the world have been marveling at what large generative AI models like GPT-4 and DALL-E 2 produce in response to their prompts. None of the engineers involved in developing these AI models could tell you exactly what the models will produce. To complicate matters, such models change and evolve with more and more interaction.

All this means there is plenty of potential for misfires. Therefore, a lot depends on how AI systems are deployed and what provisions for recourse are in place when human sensibilities or welfare are hurt. AI is more of an infrastructure, like a freeway. You can design it to shape human behaviors in the collective, but you will need mechanisms for tackling abuses, such as speeding, and unpredictable occurrences, like accidents.

AI developers will also need to be inordinately creative in envisioning ways that the system might behave and try to anticipate potential violations of social standards and responsibilities. This means there is a need for regulatory or governance frameworks that rely on periodic audits and policing of AIs outcomes and products, though I believe that these frameworks should also recognize that the systems designers cannot always be held accountable for mishaps.

Combining soft and hard approaches

Cason Schmit, Assistant Professor of Public Health, Texas A&M University

Regulating AI is tricky. To regulate AI well, you must first define AI and understand anticipated AI risks and benefits. Legally defining AI is important to identify what is subject to the law. But AI technologies are still evolving, so it is hard to pin down a stable legal definition.

Understanding the risks and benefits of AI is also important. Good regulations should maximize public benefits while minimizing risks. However, AI applications are still emerging, so it is difficult to know or predict what future risks or benefits might be. These kinds of unknowns make emerging technologies like AI extremely difficult to regulate with traditional laws and regulations.

Lawmakers are often too slow to adapt to the rapidly changing technological environment. Some new laws are obsolete by the time they are enacted or even introduced. Without new laws, regulators have to use old laws to address new problems. Sometimes this leads to legal barriers for social benefits or legal loopholes for harmful conduct.

Soft laws are the alternative to traditional hard law approaches of legislation intended to prevent specific violations. In the soft law approach, a private organization sets rules or standards for industry members. These can change more rapidly than traditional lawmaking. This makes soft laws promising for emerging technologies because they can adapt quickly to new applications and risks. However, soft laws can mean soft enforcement.

Megan Doerr, Jennifer Wagner and I propose a third way: Copyleft AI with Trusted Enforcement (CAITE). This approach combines two very different concepts in intellectual property  copyleft licensing and patent trolls.

Copyleft licensing allows for content to be used, reused or modified easily under the terms of a license  for example, open-source software. The CAITE model uses copyleft licenses to require AI users to follow specific ethical guidelines, such as transparent assessments of the impact of bias.

In our model, these licenses also transfer the legal right to enforce license violations to a trusted third party. This creates an enforcement entity that exists solely to enforce ethical AI standards and can be funded in part by fines from unethical conduct. This entity is like a patent troll in that it is private rather than governmental and it supports itself by enforcing the legal intellectual property rights that it collects from others. In this case, rather than enforcement for profit, the entity enforces the ethical guidelines defined in the licenses - a troll for good.

This model is flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of a changing AI environment. It also enables substantial enforcement options like a traditional government regulator. In this way, it combines the best elements of hard and soft law approaches to meet the unique challenges of AI.

Four key questions to ask

John Villasenor, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Law, Public Policy, and Management, University of California, Los Angeles

The extraordinary recent advances in large language model-based generative AI are spurring calls to create new AI-specific regulation. Here are four key questions to ask as that dialogue progresses:

1) Is new AI-specific regulation necessary? Many of the potentially problematic outcomes from AI systems are already addressed by existing frameworks. If an AI algorithm used by a bank to evaluate loan applications leads to racially discriminatory loan decisions, that would violate the Fair Housing Act. If the AI software in a driverless car causes an accident, products liability law provides a framework for pursuing remedies.

2) What are the risks of regulating a rapidly changing technology based on a snapshot of time? A classic example of this is the Stored Communications Act, which was enacted in 1986 to address then-novel digital communication technologies like email. In enacting the SCA, Congress provided substantially less privacy protection for emails more than 180 days old.

The logic was that limited storage space meant that people were constantly cleaning out their inboxes by deleting older messages to make room for new ones. As a result, messages stored for more than 180 days were deemed less important from a privacy standpoint. Its not clear that this logic ever made sense, and it certainly doesnt make sense in the 2020s, when the majority of our emails and other stored digital communications are older than six months.

A common rejoinder to concerns about regulating technology based on a single snapshot in time is this: If a law or regulation becomes outdated, update it. But this is easier said than done. Most people agree that the SCA became outdated decades ago. But because Congress hasnt been able to agree on specifically how to revise the 180-day provision, its still on the books over a third of a century after its enactment.

3) What are the potential unintended consequences? The Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 was a law passed in 2018 that revised Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act with the goal of combating sex trafficking. While theres little evidence that it has reduced sex trafficking, it has had a hugely problematic impact on a different group of people: sex workers who used to rely on the websites knocked offline by FOSTA-SESTA to exchange information about dangerous clients. This example shows the importance of taking a broad look at the potential effects of proposed regulations.

4) What are the economic and geopolitical implications? If regulators in the United States act to intentionally slow the progress in AI, that will simply push investment and innovation  and the resulting job creation  elsewhere. While emerging AI raises many concerns, it also promises to bring enormous benefits in areas including education, medicine, manufacturing, transportation safety, agriculture, weather forecasting, access to legal services and more.

I believe AI regulations drafted with the above four questions in mind will be more likely to successfully address the potential harms of AI while also ensuring access to its benefits.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: S. Shyam Sundar, Penn State; Cason Schmit, Texas A&M University, and John Villasenor, University of California, Los Angeles.

Read more:



S. Shyam Sundar has received funding for his research from National Science Foundation and Meta.

John Villasenor is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Cason Schmit 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.
Editor's Note: The following is part of a class project originally initiated in the classroom of Ball State University professor Adam Kuban in fall 2021. Kuban continued the project this spring semester, challenging his students to find sustainability efforts in the Muncie area and pitch their ideas to Deanna Watson, editor of The Star Press, Journal & Courier and Pal-Item. This spring, stories related to health care will be featured.

MUNCIE, Ind.  Residents living in low-income neighborhoods are at a higher risk of developing health conditions like obesity, smoking-related illnesses and psychological distress. The Commonwealth Fund reported in 2018 that the health of people in low-income neighborhoods often suffers because the residents cannot afford housing, food or proper childcare.

Jack Sharpe gets his blood pressure checked by Erica Boggs, an IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital employee Feb. 23, 2023. Sharpe and his wife, Phyllis, walk in the Muncie Mall every day for their daily exercise.

According to HealthCare.gov, being considered a low-income individual in Indiana in 2022 equates to an annual salary of $13,590 or less. For a family of four, that amount increases to an annual income of $27,750 or less. As reported by The Commonwealth Fund, higher crime rates in low-income neighborhoods may increase the risk of psychological distress and bodily harm while also discouraging physical activity for both adults and children.

Medical care is one important part of someone's overall health, but we also know social factors such as safety, transportation, education and finances play a large role in health, said Suzanne Clem, the vice president of community engagement at Open Door Health Services in Muncie, Indiana.

According to Open Door Health Services 2021 Annual Report, Open Door provided services to 20,489 individuals. A majority of those patients were residents of Delaware County, which has one of the highest poverty rates in Indiana, Clem said.

Diabetes, hypertension (or high blood pressure), low-birth weight, addiction and mental illness continue to be challenges affecting under-resourced neighborhoods and counties in a disproportionate way, said Clem.Hypertension

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Various organizations, including the Ross Community Center, the 8twelve Coalition, Open Door Health Services and the Healthy Lifestyle Center in Muncie come together to educate the community on how to be healthy. For example, twice a year, Open Door Health Services partners with the Healthy Lifestyle Center to host a health fair for the community to come and learn about proper nutrition, exercise and other ways to live a healthy life.

Billy Ward Sr. and his wife, Mary, had their blood pressure checked and walked multiple laps in the Muncie Mall on Feb. 23, 2023. Its healthy to have these events. On Fridays, they bring doughnuts and coffee, Ward Sr. said. Its safe out here. Im glad they let us walk inside when the weather is bad.

In the Black neighborhoods, there is a prevalence of very resistant hypertension. Avoiding salt is a great, first thing to do, said Dr. Lynn Witty, the outreach coordinator at the Healthy Lifestyle Center in Muncie.

Witty has worked at the Healthy Lifestyle Center since April 2019. Hypertension is a common health condition caused by eating cheap, unhealthy, fatty foods made easily accessible to people who live in low-income neighborhoods. To teach the community how to eat healthy, Witty hosts cooking classes for families.

(Cooking classes) remind people that eating nutritious food can be less expensive. You get good, healthy meals, and you can start to teach your kids how to cook because youre spending time together in the kitchen, said Witty, a Ball State University alumna. A lot of these parents work, and they have very little time.

The best place really to do more than one thing  eat together and eat healthy  is the kitchen.

The cooking classes are Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. in two of the kitchen classrooms at Ball State Universitys College of Health building. Witty said she will be hosting these cooking classes at the YWCA in the next couple of months. Anyone is welcome to join free of charge.

Smoking-related illnesses

According to the Indiana State Health Assessment & Improvement Plan for 2022-2026, unless smoking rates are further reduced, an estimated 151,000 Indiana youth will ultimately die prematurely of smoking. In September 2022, Indiana ranked No. 9 in the top 10 states with the highest smoking rates, according to Healio News, at 19.2%. The highest-ranked state was West Virginia at 23.8%.

(There are) lots and lots of smokers in our communities, and people a lot of times don't actually think about quitting. Smoking leads to emphysema and bronchitis, said Witty. A lot of people like to deny their shortness of breath because of their smoking and theyll say, Oh, it's because I'm getting old.

Along with Open Door Health Services and Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Witty hosts free tobacco-cessation classes  both individually and in groups. Witty said she hosts individual cessation consultations at convenient times for the client at the Healthy Lifestyle Center, and the cessation support group meets on Mondays from 5-6 p.m. in Room 116 at Ball State Universitys College of Health building. Witty asks that people RSVP to the Healthy Lifestyle Center beforehand so that she knows how much food to bring to these meetings.

Substance abuse and mental illness

In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on overdose deaths across the United States. WFYI Indianapolis reported that Indiana had an estimated 2,755 deaths from drug overdoses  a record high for the second year in a row.

Theres a lot of different things that fuel addiction, but you can say that same thing about there being a lot of things that fuel mental illness, said Cory Matters, a licensed social worker who does clinical therapy in Muncie, Indiana.

Having grown up in Muncie, Indiana, Matters said he witnessed a lot of the problems associated with people who are having a harder time.

I eventually ran into my own challenges with substance-use issues and issues with the criminal-justice system just due to the nature of the difficulties I was going through, said Matters.

Being a graduate from Ball State Universitys masters program in social work, Matters handles medically assisted treatment, substance-use-disorder cases and other kinds of mental illnesses. As a social worker, Matters said he uses dialectical-behavior therapy to enhance his clients ability to know that they have control and autonomy over their own lives. Matters said his dialectical-behavior therapy has four main pillars: interpersonal relations, emotional intelligence, tolerance to stress and mindfulness.

When you enhance your understanding of these aspects of your life, it gives you a better sense of control over the parts of your life that can improve upon, said Matters. I'm trying to mainstream the treatment of substance-use disorder along with so many other disorders because it is the disease that people feel in their lives that causes anxiety, depression and mental illness in the first place.Matters said its important for people to define substance-use disorder as a disease of choice, not a moral failure.

This stigma is ultimately causing death and a higher mortality rate for the people who are struggling, said Matters. We need to be more understanding of what people are going through to give them an opportunity to move forward.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Report: Health conditions disproportionately harm low-income residents
Riviera Beach has selected Michael A. Coleman to serve as its new chief of police. Coleman, a former police captain in Delray Beach, will succeed Nathan Osgood.

Riviera Beach named a former police captain in Delray Beach to serve as its new police chief.

Michael A. Coleman, 54, will succeed Nathan Osgood, whose two-year tenure ended a year ago when he resigned following a pair of investigations found that he deviated from proper procedure in ordering the release of a city councilman who had been arrested on a charge of domestic-related simple battery.

Osgood is now suing Riviera Beach, arguing that the city has refused to release telephone records that would indicate he did not violate procedure in ordering the release of Councilman Douglas Lawson after his arrest in August 2021.

Coleman worked for the Delray Beach Police Department for 20 years and served as the city's director of neighborhood and community services before resigning in 2019. He is a combat veteran, having served in the U.S. Army during the Gulf War.

"I am honored to have been selected as the new police chief of Riviera Beach," Coleman said. "I am committed to working closely with the community and the department to ensure the safety and security of all residents."

Riviera's new police chief selected from a list of five finalists

Riviera Beach City Manager Jonathan Evans selected Coleman to lead the city's Police Department from a list of five finalists, one of whom, Joshua Lewis, is a 26-year veteran of the department who served as interim chief after Osgood's resignation.

Evans had said he expected the city to name a new chief in February. But, in March, the search process was re-opened after the city said there was an error in the application process. The city did not say what that error was or who had committed it.

City Councilman Tradrick McCoy had filed suit against Riviera Beach in February, alleging the city violated Florida's open meetings law when the public was not allowed to attend a meeting held by a police-chief screening committee.

Coleman takes over the department at a challenging time.

Port of Palm Beach to once again ship cars to Haiti; why is the business so lucrative?

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Does Riviera Beach need its own high school? One school board member is on a mission

Osgood had supporters in the department, as did Lewis. Riviera Beach reported to the state Department of Law Enforcement that, in 2022, violent crime had decreased by nearly 24 percent from the previous year and had dipped to a 31-year low.

But high-profile crimes still draw headlines and tar the city, angering residents.

Evans said he is confident Coleman is the right man for the job.

"We are excited to have someone of Mr. Coleman's caliber join our team," Evans said. "His leadership skills and extensive experience in law enforcement will be invaluable to our department and the Riviera Beach community."

What is next for Joshua Lewis, who had served as interim chief?

In both government and the private sector, it is not uncommon for high-ranking leaders to resign if they are not successful in pursuing the top job.

There is, however, no indication that Lewis plans to step down. In announcing Coleman's selection, Evans praised him.

Joshua Lewis

"Interim Chief Joshua Lewis has served in a challenging role over the past year, and I want to thank him for his dedication to the Riviera Beach Police Department," Evans said. "His leadership has been invaluable in ensuring the safety of our community, and I am grateful for his continued commitment to this important work."

Riviera Beach noted Coleman's extensive experience in Delray Beach as one of the reasons he's a good fit for the chief's position.

"During his tenure there, he created one of the most recognizable community policing units in the country and eliminated crime through arrest and programming," the city said in a press release. "He led sworn and non-sworn employees in serving a total population of over 67,000 by developing comprehensive policies and strategies, including assistance from probation and parole, State Attorneys Office, local, state and federal agencies."

What happened in 2019 with Coleman and grant funds?

After his stint in the Delray Beach Police Department, Coleman became the city's director of Neighborhood and Community Services.

He resigned from that position in June 2019 after Delray Beach officials told him three agencies  the state attorneys office, the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics and the countys inspector general  were investigating whether he and an assistant had misused grant funds.

Coleman and the assistant later filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, arguing that there were no investigations and that it was city officials who called on the three agencies to review charges they made against Coleman and his assistant.

The state attorney declined to pursue charges, and the commission on ethics concluded there is no legal sufficiency to conduct a full investigation. Its preliminary work found that Coleman and his assistant did nothing improper.

This was a travesty, John Whittles, a lawyer who represented the pair, said at the time. The city tells them they are under investigation and they better resign, when the city is the one requesting these agencies to investigate them. This decision shows they did nothing wrong.

After his career in Delray Beach city government, Coleman worked as executive director of Roots and Wings, a nonprofit children's literacy group based in Delray Beach.

Riviera Beach said Coleman "has demonstrated exceptional skills in community outreach and community policing programs," adding that he "created an integrated network of strong relationships with community organizations, educational institutions, local businesses, and governmental agencies. Mr. Coleman is also recognized for his outstanding performance, situational problem-solving, and integrity."

Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter @waynewashpbpost. Help support our work; subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Riviera Beach selects Michael Coleman to serve as police chief
(Bloomberg) -- Rogers Communications Inc. has finally gained control of Shaw Communications Inc., emerging from two years of legal battles, family intrigue and government lobbying to complete one of Canadas biggest-ever corporate takeovers. Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri doesnt want to look back.

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The tortuous path to getting the deal done was longer than we would have expected, Staffieri said in an interview. Now its time to move on  starting this week, when hell meet with Shaw staff in Calgary and Vancouver and begin combining the cable and internet providers with a goal of wringing out at least C$1 billion ($745 million) in costs.

The sheer size always introduces complexity, he said. So its going to be about, how do we keep this simple and focused on the things that are going to matter most?

His list of priorities includes integrating the two companies networks, spending billions to expand wireless coverage and 5G services and making it easy for customers of Shaw to do business with Rogers.

Read More: Rogers Seals Shaw Merger as Canada Approves After Two Years

Rogers unveiled its C$20 billion friendly offer for Shaw in March 2021, uniting two billionaire families to create an enterprise that will be nearly as large as rival BCE Inc. The companies told investors they expected to close the deal by mid-2022, but it was delayed when Canadas antitrust czar, Matthew Boswell, decided to wage a legal battle against it. He lost, and on Friday, the Canadian government gave approval, with conditions around jobs in Western Canada, network investment and consumer pricing.

In the middle of that two-year period, Staffieri was fired as chief financial officer.

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He had been caught in a power struggle involving members of the Rogers family and Joe Natale, the CEO who put together the Shaw deal. The family feud wound up in court, where Edward Rogers, the son of the companys late founder, gained control of the board, which then turfed Natale and brought Staffieri back in November 2021, this time as CEO.

Hed been unemployed for less than two months. His first priority was clear: get the Shaw deal done.

Staffieri took some criticism for his handling of the merger. In early 2022, the Canadian government made it clear that it wouldnt allow Rogers to buy Shaws Freedom Mobile business because it would eliminate the No. 4 wireless provider in key markets, including Toronto and Vancouver. Divesting that business was the only option. But Rogers negotiated first with private equity players instead of Montreal-based Quebecor Inc., the largest and strongest of Canadas regional wireless and cable companies.

From the governments point of view, Quebecor was the best solution to the antitrust problem. Rogers and Shaw ultimately agreed to sell it to the Montreal-based company for C$2.85 billion in a deal that also closed Monday.

Staffieri said he has no regrets at all about how the company and its advisers managed the process.

As it became clear that the government wanted to maintain a fourth wireless competitor, we quickly looked to buyers of Freedom and presented credible options, he said.

Rogers shares fell 2% on Monday in Toronto; theyve dropped 4.8% since Thursdays close. The company released new financial guidance on Friday morning for free cash flow of C$2 billion to C$2.2 billion this year, including the Shaw assets. That was unchanged from its earlier, pre-merger projections.

Rogers isnt looking at other asset sales, Staffieri said, because its confident it can meet its pledge to quickly cut its leverage ratio to less than five times without them. In a years time, youll see a company that is leading in market share and translating that to strong cash flow growth, with a healthy piece of de-levering the balance sheet.

(Updates share price. An earlier version corrected the second paragraph to fix an incorrect reference to the day of the Calgary and Vancouver meetings.)

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With little fanfare, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Monday allowing residents to carry a concealed loaded weapon without a permit.

DeSantis signed the bill in a nonpublic event in his office with only bill sponsors, legislative leaders and gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association, in attendance.

It was a notable departure for a governor who regularly holds splashy news conferences and bill-signing ceremonies.

Florida is now the 26th state to pass some form of permitless carry legislation. The signing comes one week after six people, including three children, were gunned down at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

This is a momentous step in the Constitutional Carry movement as now the majority of American states recognize the Constitution protects the right for law-abiding Americans to defend themselves outside their homes without fees or permits, Randy Kozuch, interim executive director of the NRA-ILA, the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association, said in a statement, which included a picture of the event. The carry movement began decades ago and the NRA has been working to get this legislation passed throughout America. Therefore, today is indeed a day to celebrate.

Opponents of the proposal have said that it will increase gun violence and that it was telling that DeSantis did not hold a public-signing ceremony like he has done in the past for other high-profile bills.

Governor DeSantis just signed permitless carry into law behind closed doors, probably because he knows its dangerous and unpopular, tweeted Giffords, a gun safety group founded by former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords, who is a gun violence survivor.

The group spent more than $125,000 on a media campaign opposing the bill.

DeSantis office issued a brief statement hours after the bill was signed, saying only that Constitutional Carry is in the books.

Governor Ron DeSantis signs House Bill (HB) 543 on April 3, 2023. (flgov.com)

Even as DeSantis pushed the proposal ahead of his expected bid for president, public polling on the issue has shown it to be widely unpopular with both political parties. Last month, a poll conducted by the University of North Florida showed 77% of the 1,492 respondents were somewhat or strongly opposed to the permitless carry legislation, a number that included 62% of Republicans.

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Not only is there bipartisan opposition to this constitutional carry bill, but folks seem to feel passionately about it with the majority (67%) saying they strongly oppose the bill, Michael Binder, the director of the University of North Floridas Public Opinion Research Laboratory, said when the poll was released. Even among Republicans, most people are against carrying weapons without a permit.

The White House also weighed in Monday with a statement saying what DeSantis did was "shameful."

"It is shameful that so soon after another tragic school shooting, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, which eliminates the need to get a license to carry a concealed weapon," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

The legislation, which passed the state House and Senate on mostly party-line votes, got pushback on both sides of the political spectrum. While Democrats framed the proposal as dangerous and said it would increase gun violence, ardent Second Amendment rights supporters pushed the Legislature to include a provision that would allow people to openly carry firearms.

DeSantis had said he would support open-carry legislation but did not advocate for it as forcefully as he has on other issues. During lengthy committee hearings on the bill, Second Amendment groups lined up and blasted Republican lawmakers for not including the open-carry provision, criticism DeSantis was not immune from.

If the governor cannot get a very friendly Legislature to add open carry to this bill, then how do we think he will try to convince Congress to act on anything if he were to become president? Matt Collins, an open-carry supporter, told a Florida Senate committee last month. If open carry isnt added to this bill, it shows political impotence on the part of Gov. DeSantis.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Daniel Dubois has vowed to hit Oleksandr Usyk like nobody has, hinting that a rumoured fight between the heavyweights is nearly official.

Usyk was in talks with Tyson Fury over a bout to crown an undisputed champion later this month, but negotiations collapsed in March, leading Usyks promoter to suggest that Daniel Dubois would be next for the Ukrainian.

Usyk, 36, holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles, and Briton Dubois is the mandatory challenger for the WBA belt.

Time to get what Ive been working for my whole life, Dubois, 25, tweeted on Monday (3 April).

@usykaa you are a good champion but nobody has hit you like I will. See you soon. #AndTheNew.

Olympic gold medalist Usyk is unbeaten as a professional, with his last two wins having come against Anthony Joshua. Usyk outpointed AJ in 2021 to become unified champion and retained the titles against the Briton with another decision win last August.

Time to get what Ive been working for my whole life.@usykaa you are a good champion but nobody has hit you like I will.



See you soon. #AndTheNew  Daniel Dubois (@DynamiteDubois) April 3, 2023

Meanwhile, Dubois has won four fights in a row since suffering the sole defeat of his pro career in 2020, when he was stopped by compatriot Joe Joyce. Last time out, Dubois beat Kevin Lerena in December, fighting through a knee injury to finish his opponent in Round 3.

With that result, Dubois moved to 19-1 (18 knockouts). Meanwhile, Usyks record stands at 20-0 (13 KOs). The southpaw previously reigned as the only undisputed cruiserweight champion of the four-belt era.
From her century-old home, Susan Burns has watched the sun set over her cousin's field every day for 75 years. Now her cousin has agreed to have solar panels installed on the field, and an unhappy Burns finds herself in a fight.

Huge solar farms are being planned in this corner of Missouri, and as in other rural areas of the United States, residents sometimes are yanking the welcome mat.

Foreseeing vast expanses of solar farms replacing cropland, Burns began raising the issue with other community members at the Baptist church across the road.

She fears much may be at stake: "(I) lose my view. I lose my health. I lose my safety."

A group has formed around Fulton to fight the solar installations, as has happened in rural areas across the country. And this emerging grassroots movement is slowing the transition to low-carbon electricity in the world's largest economy.

- Land registry -

"I want to live and take care of my farmland. And the idea that my cousin, who lives across the road, would be turning his farmland into an industrial area was very disturbing to me," Burns told AFP from her country home.

With a dozen other volunteers, Burns organized a public meeting to sound an alarm. As people walked in, a petition awaited their signatures, and activists invited the curious to study a land registry map with three areas highlighted showing proposed solar farms.

"If we unite, we can stop this," said Joe Burns, Susan Burns's son, before a crowd of about 100 in Fulton, the county seat.

- Threat to identity -

The US electricity grid generates 60 percent of its power from fossil fuels. The administration of President Joe Biden is trying to turn the tide toward renewable energy.

But grassroots protests against solar projects "will significantly delay America's commitment toward getting to net zero," said Jungwoo Chun, a lecturer on climate and sustainability at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Like other academics interviewed by AFP, Chun insisted that it would be an oversimplification to see the opposition as a simple matter of the NIMBY -- or "not in my backyard" -- dynamic.

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"Farmers have a particular identity," said Doug Bessette, an assistant professor at Michigan State University and co-author of several studies on the matter.

"It's hard work, it's dirt under your fingernails. And now if that land is... just basically laying fallow with solar panels on it for 20 years, that's a disruption to identity."

Differing visions have pitted farmer against farmer, and even divided families.

In the southern part of Callaway County, two neighbors nearly came to blows, said one, whose house may end up surrounded by solar panels.

- Do the math -

Leaning on his tractor, cattle farmer Mike Webb pointed to one of his parcels.

"That piece of ground just across the road here," he said, "I may make 250 to 300 bucks an acre on a good year.

"And then when someone comes around and asks me, 'Hey, we're willing to give you $1,000 an acre (per year) for solar panels, and give you a 2 percent increase per year for a 40-year contract,' it gets your interest," Webb said.

So he signed on.

"It should be my right to do what I want to do with my place," he said.

At a crossroads, with grain silos looming in the distance, a sign calls for a fight against solar projects.

"It drives me crazy," Webb blurted out as he walked past, denouncing the resistance of a "minority" of the population.

Here in northern Callaway County, word is that the first shovels for one of the three solar farms could come as early as this summer, although that is not confirmed by the Ranger Power renewable energy company.

The developer of the 250-megawatt project (enough to power nearly 43,000 homes) told AFP that its $300 million investment would, among other things, allow local homeowners "to sustain existing family farms."

"It's free money," said Webb, who is thinking about his retirement and about the day when some of his four children will take over the farm.

"Whether they like it or not, it's going to be an income for them. And you know, that's what matters to them."

ube/vgr/tjj/bbk/dw
Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee has accused the Ukrainian secret services and supporters of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation of murdering collaborator and propagandist Maxim Fomin, who called himself a "war correspondent" and went by the name Vladlen Tatarsky.

Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlet RIA Novosti

Details: The National Anti-Terrorist Committee of the Russian Federation has stated that the "act of terrorism" committed against Vladlen Tatarsky on 2 April in St Petersburg was planned by the Ukrainian secret services with the involvement of agents associated with Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.

According to the committee, the detainee, Darya Trepova, is an active supporter of the Anti-Corruption Foundation.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has said that investigators are establishing Darya Trepova's motives.

Meanwhile, Darya Trepova's husband has stated that he has no connection with the explosion in St Petersburg. This was reported by the Libertarian Party of Russia, to which he belongs.

Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Tatarsky's murder was an "act of terrorism" and the "Kyiv regime" could be behind it.

He said Vladimir Putin had been immediately informed of Tatarsky's murder, and that the investigation is taking "quite vigorous steps to detain the suspects".

Quote from Peskov: "There is evidence that the Ukrainian secret services may have been involved in the planning of this terrorist attack.

Russia is facing a Kyiv regime that supports terrorist activities. This is the regime that was behind the murder of Darya Dugina [a reporter working for Kremlin-aligned news outlet RT and the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, "Putin's ideologue"  ed.], the regime that is quite possibly behind the murder of [Maxim] Fomin. It is a regime that has been behind the murder of people for many years, since 2014."

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Background:

On 2 April, an explosion occurred in a cafe in the centre of St Petersburg that had previously belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group Private Military Company, killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky and injuring 30 other people.

Russian security forces have supposedly detained Darya Trepova, a resident of St Petersburg, on suspicion of murdering propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky. However, media outlets are reporting that she is still being searched for.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have suggested that forces inside Russia may have been involved in Tatarskys murder, and it could have been a "warning" meant for Prigozhin.

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Russian authorities said Monday they had arrested a suspect and concluded that Ukraine worked with backers of a jailed opposition leader to carry out the bombing attack that killed one of the countrys most prominent military bloggers.

Vladlen Tatarsky, an outspoken supporter of the war who helped shape the Kremlins anti-Ukrainian narrative, was killed in an explosion Sunday night as he held an event at a cafe in the center of St. Petersburg. The blast, which the Kremlin called a "terrorist attack," left more than 30 people injured.

The killing of Tatarsky, 40, left Russias pro-war establishment shaken and demanding retribution, as authorities moved swiftly to assign blame. Officials in Kyiv and Western military analysts suggested that the incident could have been the result of internal splits.

The Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement early Monday that it had arrested a woman by the name of Daria Trepova, 26, in connection with Tatarskys death.

Image: Russian citizen Darya Trepova interrogated in connection with a St. Petersburg car bombing on April 2. (Mvd Media / Zuma Press)

A release from the committee did not share any evidence linking Trepova to the incident, or any details about who she is, with the spokesman only saying that investigators were working with her to establish a motive.

Shortly after, Russias National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that Ukraines security services were behind the blast. It also accused agents working with jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption organization of being involved.

The counterterrorism agency said Trepova, a St. Petersburg native who had hours earlier been placed on a wanted list, was a supporter of Navalny.

Neither agency provided any evidence of the involvement of Ukraine or Navalnys backers in the explosion. Kyiv did not claim responsibility for the incident, but hinted that it could have been a case of domestic terrorism.

The arrest comes after Russian state media reported Sunday that a young woman allegedly handed Tatarsky a bust of himself, containing explosives, shortly before the blast.

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In a video shared by Russias Interior Ministry, a woman identified as Trepova is interrogated by an unknown man behind the camera. I brought a figurine that exploded to the scene, she says. Asked who gave her the figurine, she sighs and asks to share those details later before the video cuts off.

A 'useful' ultranationalist who rose to wartime prominence

Tatarskys death dominated the headlines in Russia, highlighting the prominence and near-celebrity status of military bloggers in a country in which independent media has been all but eradicated and the Kremlin tightly controls the war narrative.

Russian media reported that Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was born in Ukraine but fought on the side of pro-Russian proxies since 2014. After Moscow launched its full-scale invasion last year, he gained fame for his nightly reports from the front lines in Ukraine and analysis of Moscows war strategy.

He had amassed more than half a million followers on Telegram, a popular messaging app in Russia on which he shared his videos and thoughts.

Tatarsky was often critical of how Russias top military brass was handling the war, which he ardently supported. His last post on Telegram criticized Russian forces for not having the same drone munition capabilities as the Ukrainians as Kyiv is planning an offensive.

Known for his brash and often expletive-laden language, he made an appearance at the Kremlin event dedicated to Russias illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions last year. There, he recorded a video saying: Well defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it.

The blast that killed Tatarsky is reminiscent of another explosion that killed the daughter of a prominent Russian ultranationalist last August. Daria Duginas car exploded outside Moscow and Russias authorities quickly pinned her death on a Ukrainian national, but Kyiv dismissed it.

The killing draws attention to this new category of aggressive supporters of the war and those who take part in it, who, of course, are not journalists at all, but propagandists, said Andrei Kolesnikov, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

From the point of view of todays authorities and propaganda, these are extremely useful people, he told NBC News.

People like Tatarsky have risen to fame only because of the war, Kolesnikov said, and now is their moment to shine and make careers out of it, even though that prominence comes with risk.

Pro-military hawks blame Ukraine and urge revenge

No one has claimed responsibility for Tatarskys death.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakhorova quickly pointed the finger at Kyiv, while some pro-war hawks called on Moscow to avenge him and a prominent lawmaker urged vigilance against those "who are ready to kill Russian patriots."

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the influential owner of the Wagner mercenary group fighting in eastern Ukraine, said he had owned the cafe where the blast took place and handed it over to a patriotic movement for seminars. He called Tatarskys death a tragedy, but cautioned against blaming Kyiv for it  adding that it was likely a group of radicals not linked to the Ukrainian government.

An explosion tore through a cafe in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on Sunday, and preliminary reports suggested a prominent military blogger was killed and more than a dozen people were injured. (AP Photo) (AP)

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tweeted Sunday suggesting that domestic terrorism was to blame. Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he added.

Navalny's team also denied any involvement.

Navalny, an ardent Kremlin critic and anti-corruption activist who was poisoned with a nerve agent, is serving a nine-year jail term on fraud charges that he dismisses as politically motivated.

Responding to accusations from Russian authorities Monday, his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, tweeted that the Kremlin could be trying to implicate the opposition leader in terrorism to keep him in jail and out of politics forever.

The former chairman of Navalny's investigation foundation, Leonid Volkov, also tweeted that there is only one organization in Russia that engages in political assassinations, and that it is the country's powerful security agency, the FSB.

Its hard to seriously speculate who may have wanted Tatarsky dead, he said. In any case," he added, "the Russian side will come up with the evidence proving that Ukrainians did it.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Russia state media is reporting Monday that a female suspect has been taken into custody following an explosion at a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, that killed prominent pro-Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Tatarsky, a major proponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, died Sunday in an explosion that state media says left more than 30 others injured. He was participating in an event at a cafe in Russia's second-largest city.

"Russian Investigative Committee officers in cooperation with operatives detained Darya Trepova on suspicion of her being behind the St. Petersburg cafe blast," the TASS News Agency said.

"On Sunday evening, law enforcement agents searched Trepovas flat in St. Petersburg, where her mother and her sister were interrogated," the TASS report continued. "According to preliminary reports, it was Trepova who handed Tatarsky a statuette stuffed with explosives. She was later wanted by the police."

PRO-RUSSIAN MILITARY BLOGGER KILLED IN ST. PETERSBURG CAFE EXPLOSION

A well-known Russian military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, is seen in this undated social media picture obtained by Reuters on April 2, 2023.

TASS reported Monday that more than 200 grams of TNT detonated near the stage of the cafe, and investigators are still working the scene.

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The news agency previously reported that Trepova, a Russian citizen, was detained on Feb. 24 last year for allegedly participating in an unsanctioned anti-war protest, according to Reuters. That day was when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

Eyewitnesses say Tatarsky appeared to know the woman who gave him the figurine, according to Russian outlet RIA.

Tatarsky had traveled to the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine multiple times. He also visited the Kremlin in 2022 and filmed himself speaking about Russia's right to conquest.

"We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone as necessary. Just as we like it," he said at the time, according to the BBC.

BLINKEN DEMANDS RUSSIA RELEASE DETAINED WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTER IN RARE CALL WITH KREMLIN COUNTERPART

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Tatarsky gained popularity on the Telegram social media platform, where he had some 500,000 followers.

The group Cyber Front Z had rented out the cafe and later released a statement on the blast from its own Telegram account, the BBC reported.

"There was a terrorist attack. We took certain security measures but unfortunately they were not enough," the group wrote. "Condolences to everyone who knew the excellent war correspondent and our friend Vladlen Tatarsky."

Reuters reported that Russian media claimed Trepova was found at a St. Petersburg apartment of a friend of her husbands and was planning an escape to Uzbekistan before her capture.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also was quoted by TASS on Monday as calling the St. Petersburg blast a "terrorist act" and that Putin was "immediately informed" about it.

Fox News Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
The Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. Jarung H/Shutterstock

Russia said its journalists face attacks and "witch hunts" after the death of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Tatarsky was a pro-Kremlin military blogger who praised Russia's war in Ukraine.

The claims come days after Russia arrested WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage.

A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson claimed that the country's journalists face "witch hunts" and other forms of discrimination after the death of pro-Kremlin military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

The comments follow abuse of journalists in Russia and come just days after the widely-condemned arrest by Russian authorities of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for alleged espionage.

In a statement on Monday, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova addressed Tatarsky's death after an explosion at a St. Petersburg's cafe, praising the blogger and pointing fingers at Kyiv leadership.

"The professional activities of Vladlen Tatarsky and his service to the Fatherland caused hatred in the Kyiv regime. He was dangerous for them, but boldly went to the end, doing his duty," she said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also blamed Ukraine, calling the incident "a terrorist act," according to state-run media outlet TASS. Ukraine denied any role in the explosion.

Zakharova specifically addressed Tatarsky's coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine, saying that "it is thanks to the Russian war correspondents that the world sees truthful and timely footage and learns about what is happening in Ukraine." Russian leadership has taken steps to silence criticisms or observations outside the official narrative.

Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, gained popularity for his pro-war blogging on his Telegram channel. His comments calling for murder and looting at a Kremlin reception celebrating the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories last year garnered controversy. Photos of him posing with weapons while wearing fatigues in Ukraine were also widely circulated.

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Beyond these activities, some of which would appear to fall outside of what might traditionally be considered journalism, he played a role in Russia's offensives in the Donbas region in 2014, CNN reported, and an assault in Mariupol last year.

In her comments on Tatarsky's death, Zakharova also assessed the international reputation of Russian journalists, making broad claims about the discrimination they face that ignore Russian actions at home.

"They are being harassed, literally stigmatized with special markings on the digital platforms of American internet monopolies, and subjected to "witch hunts" in the Western media," she said, apparently referring to state media indicators for certain social media accounts.

These criticisms of how Russia's journalists are treated sharply contrast with the treatment of journalists in Russia, where reporters have been killed or jailed. The country's Federal Security Bureau detained American reporter Gershkovich last Thursday, alleging he had spied on behalf of the US. The WSJ and White House have denied these claims and made strong calls for his immediate release and return home.

According the WSJ, it's the first time Russia has brought a spy case against a foreign journalist since the Cold War.

"It's a new low in the US-Russia relationship," said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, according to the WSJ. He added that the arrest of this accredited American reporter "is really setting a precedent."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia defended itself Monday against a barrage of criticism over its presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April, insisting it will not abuse the position to defend its invasion of Ukraine.

"We do not abuse the prerogatives of the presidency," said the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia.

"One thing is the national position. The second thing is the role of the presidency of the Security Council," he said at a press conference marking Russia's assumption of the rotating position.

The situation provoked stinging criticism from Ukraine, which called it a "slap in the face to the international community," and from its allies.

"As you know, Russia is assuming its seat as president of the Security Council. Started on April 1. It's like an April Fool's joke," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador.

"But the truth of the matter is, it's a rotating seat. We expect that they will behave professionally," she said.

"But we also expect that they will use their seat to spread disinformation and to promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that," the ambassador added.

Ukraine and the West have for months been denouncing Russian "propaganda" over its invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.

Nebenzia said such criticism was in the "vein of the Western narrative", and in turn accused Kyiv's allies of spreading disinformation in particular about "the situation of Ukrainian children who were allegedly kidnapped from Ukraine and brought to Russia against their will."

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during the invasion.

The Russian ambassador called the warrant "stupid" and "illegitimate." He is organizing an informal meeting at the UN on Wednesday to address the issue.

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The presidency of the Security Council confers certain prerogatives in terms of setting the agenda for the body. But as a permanent member, Russia already has the ability to convene emergency meetings when it wants them.

The country holding the presidency also usually organizes two or three specific meetings on selected topics.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to chair one of them on April 24, on "the defense of the principles of the UN charter."

"Russia is in no position to talk about international law or the values of the UN," said deputy British Ambassador James Kariuki.

abd/jh/dw
Russia is expected to open propaganda centres for "de-Ukrainisation" in Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: National Resistance Center

Quote: "[Our] analysis of the information field of the [temporarily occupied territories] of Zaporizhzhia Oblast indicates that a deliberate campaign aimed at imposing Russian identity on the local population and forcing them to integrate into the socio-cultural space of the Russian Federation is being unrolled.

Yevgeny Barinov, head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of the Russian Federation, announced the opening of a network of the agencys offices on the [temporarily occupied territories] of Zaporizhzhia Oblast with the aim of strengthening Russian identity and international unity in regions that have only recently been freed from the oppression of Ukrainian propaganda."

Details: The newly established offices of the Russian Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs in Zaporizhzhia Oblast will focus on fostering the cooperation of local residents with Russian public organisations, the creation of "educational" programmes, and the implementation of "humanitarian programmes".

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Russia has arrested an anti-war protester they claim was involved in the blast that killed a pro-war military blogger at a St. Petersburg cafe over the weekend, according to the state-run media agency TASS.

Russian investigators put 26-year-old Darya Trepova on a wanted list and later detained her on suspicion of being behind the explosion that killed Vladlen Tatarsky, according to TASS. Law enforcement agents reportedly searched her St. Petersburg apartment and interrogated her mother and sister.

Tatarsky, a popular war blogger whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed in a blast during an event hosted by a pro-war group. Thirty others were injured, according to the latest TASS report, and Tatarskys death is being investigated as a murder.

A Russian law enforcement spokesman told TASS that an explosive device of about a soap bar size was hidden in a figurine that was presented to Tatarsky.

Russian authorities released video of Trepova admitting she handed over the statuette, BBC News reports, though the outlet notes that the footage was likely taken under duress and that Trepova does not say she knew the figurine would blow up.

Interrogated on who gave her the statuette, Trepova reportedly asked her interrogator if she could explain later.

Russias National Counterterrorism Committee said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services and noted Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, according to The Associated Press.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak appeared to suggest Ukraine was not behind the blast, writing on Twitter that domestic terrorism was emerging within Russia.

The cafe where the attack took place was reportedly owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private mercenary Wagner group, and used by the nationalist group Cyber Front Z.

Prigozhin said on Sunday he did not place blame on the Kyiv regime for the blast, but instead fingered a group of radicals.

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Tatarskys death comes about eight months after a car bomb killed the Russian commentator Daria Dugina, the daughter of prominent Russian nationalist philosopher Aleksandr Dugin. The U.S. has said it believes Ukrainian officials were behind that attack.

Russia is now in its 14th month of war on Ukraine, and casualty counts continue to mount on both sides of the conflict. The intensity of Moscows assault on Ukraines eastern front has appeared to be faltering.

Updated: 11:23 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Russias seaborne crude flows are soaring, with no sign that the Kremlins threatened output cut is having any impact on the amount available on the international marketplace.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The nations shipments surged by 1 million barrels a day to a new high of 4.13 million barrels a day in the seven days to March 31, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The less-volatile four-week average jumped to the highest since June.

Russia pledged to lower output by 500,000 barrels a day from last month through June in response to a Group of Seven price cap on the nation's crude sales. On Sunday, it extended the duration of the cut until the end of the year as part of a wider move by the OPEC+ producer group. Theres no evidence from the export figures that the initial cut has been implemented, raising questions about whether a real reduction will be made in the coming months.

Maintenance closures at Russias own refineries and the diversion to its ports of some crude volumes previously piped to Europe may have undermined the impact of any output reduction.

Separately, the price cap imposed on Moscows overseas crude sales will remain at $60 a barrel, with the mechanism seen as doing its job of keeping Russian crude flowing while hurting the Kremlins access to petrodollars. Russia still relies on Western insurers to cover more than half of the tanker fleet that exports its oil, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, suggesting that a large proportion of sales are being made below the cap.

The increase in seaborne flows seen at the start of the year, which is most apparent in the four-week average data, probably reflects the diversion of crude previously delivered to Poland and Germany through the Druzhba pipeline. Flows to Germany halted at the end of 2022 and deliveries to Poland dropped to about 60,000 barrels a day under the countrys last remaining supply contract with a Russian company.The loss of those pipeline markets means an additional 500,000 barrels a day of Russian crude is now being exported through the countrys ports, despite the European Union ban on imports of almost all of Moscows crude and refined fuels and the G7 price cap that together prompted Moscows threat to cut output.

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The combined volume of crude on vessels heading to China and India plus smaller flows to Turkey and quantities on ships that havent yet shown a final destination jumped to a new high of 3.29 million barrels a day in the latest four-week period.

As the ultimate destinations of cargoes loading in late January became apparent, flows to China rose to new post-invasion highs, and remained close to those levels in February. Historical patterns suggest that most of the vessels currently identified as Unknown Asia destinations and heading for the Suez Canal will end up in India.

Ship-to-ship transfers of cargoes in the Mediterranean continue apace. This has been most visible off the Spanish north African city of Ceuta and off the Greek coast near Kalamata. At least 55 cargoes have been transferred between ships in those two locations since the start of the year. The volume transferred off the coast of Greece, mostly in the Bay of Lakonikos, fell back in March to 6.4 million barrels, equivalent to 208,000 barrels a day, from a revised 9.7 million barrels in February. That compares with 5.8 million barrels, equivalent to 188,000 barrels a day transferred off Ceuta.

A tanker carrying a cargo of Russian crude remains anchored off the Ghanaian port of Tema more than a month after it arrived at the west African country. The National Petroleum Authority granted a delivery period for the cargo to be unloaded, but national security considerations have held up the process, according to people familiar with the matter.

Crude Flows by Destination

Crude flows in the week to March 31 jumped by 1 million barrels a day from the previous week to a new high of 4.13 million barrels a day. On a four-week average basis, overall seaborne exports rose by 256,000 barrels a day to 3.45 million barrels a day.

All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade. Those are shipments made by KazTransoil JSC that transit Russia for export through the Baltic ports of Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk.

The Kazakh barrels are blended with crude of Russian origin to create a uniform export grade. Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan has rebranded its cargoes to distinguish them from those shipped by Russian companies. Transit crude is specifically exempted from European Union sanctions.

Four-week average shipments to Russias Asian customers, plus those on vessels showing no final destination, rebounded above 3 million barrels a day after the previous weeks dip. Shipments rose to 3.16 million barrels a day in the period to March 31, compared with 2.99 million barrels a day previously.

While the volumes heading to China and India appear to have declined, history shows that most of the cargoes on ships without an initial destination eventually end up in one or other of those countries.

The equivalent of 555,000 barrels a day was on vessels showing destinations as either Port Said or Suez in Egypt, or which already have been or are expected to be transferred from one ship to another off the South Korean port of Yeosu. Those voyages typically end at ports in India or China and show up in the chart below as Unknown Asia until a final destination becomes apparent.

The Other Unknown volumes, running at 634,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to March 31, are those on tankers showing a destination of Ceuta, Kalamata or no destination at all. Most of those cargoes go on to transit the Suez Canal, but some could end up in Turkey. An increasing number are being transferred from one vessel to another in the Mediterranean for onward journeys to Asia.

Russias seaborne crude exports to European countries rose to 104,000 barrels a day in the 28 days to March 31, with Bulgaria the sole destination. These figures do not include shipments to Turkey.

A market that consumed more than 1.5 million barrels a day of short-haul crude, coming from export terminals in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic has been lost almost completely, to be replaced by long-haul destinations in Asia that are much more costly and time-consuming to serve.

No Russian crude was shipped to northern European countries in the four weeks to March 31.

Exports to Turkey, Russias only remaining Mediterranean customer, rose to a five-week high, averaging of 162,000 barrels a day in the four weeks to March 31.

Flows to Bulgaria, now Russias only Black Sea market for crude, rose to a five-week high of 104,000 barrels a day.

Flows by Export Location

Aggregate flows of Russian crude surged to a new high of 4.13 million barrels a day in the week to March 31. Jumps in exports from the Baltic, Pacific and Arctic was only partly offset by lower shipments from the Black Sea.

Figures exclude volumes from Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade.

Export Revenue

Inflows to the Kremlin's war chest from its crude-export duty rose by $14 million to an 11-week high of $56 million in the seven days to March 31, while four-week average income rose by $4 million a seven-week high of $47 million.

President Vladimir Putin has signed into law amendments to the way Russias oil price is assessed for tax purposes. From April, rates of mineral extraction tax and profit-based tax on oil companies will be calculated using a decreasing discount to prevailing Brent prices, rather than assessments of Urals crude. Export duty, which will be phased out at the end of 2023, will not be affected by the change.

The duty rate for March was set at $1.94 a barrel, the first increase since December, based on a Urals price of $50.51 a barrel during the assessment period that ran from Jan. 15 to Feb. 14. April will remain virtually unchanged, with export duty on crude set at $1.95 a barrel. Thats based on an average Urals price of $50.80 a barrel, more than $34 below the average Brent price during the assessment period of Feb. 15 to March 14.

Origin-to-Location Flows

The following charts show the number of ships leaving each export terminal and the destinations of crude cargoes from the four export regions.

A total of 38 tankers loaded 28.9 million barrels of Russian crude in the week to March 31, vessel-tracking data and port agent reports show. Thats up by 7.1 million barrels, or 33%, from the previous week. Destinations are based on where vessels signal they are heading at the time of writing, and some will almost certainly change as voyages progress. All figures exclude cargoes identified as Kazakhstans KEBCO grade.

The total volume on ships loading Russian crude from Baltic terminals jumped to a nine-week high of 1.77 million barrels a day.

Shipments from Novorossiysk in the Black Sea fell back from the previous weeks multi-month high, with flows dropping to 540,000 barrels a day.

Arctic shipments soared to a new high, with four Suezmax tankers loading in the week to March 31.

Flows from the Pacific rebounded from their lowest in more than three months. Eleven tankers loaded at the regions three export terminals in the week to March 31, up from seven the previous week.

India is continuing to take an significant volume of ESPO crude, accounting for nine out of 32 cargoes that loaded in March, compared with two out of a total 30 shipments in February.

The volumes heading to unknown destinations are all Sokol cargoes that have recently been transferred to other vessels at Yeosu, or are currently being shuttled to an area off the South Korean port from the loading terminal at De Kastri. Most of these are also ending up in India.

Note: This story forms part of a regular weekly series tracking shipments of crude from Russian export terminals and the export duty revenues earned from them by the Russian government.

Note: All figures exclude cargoes owned by Kazakhstans KazTransOil JSC, which transit Russia and are shipped from Novorossiysk and Ust-Luga as KEBCO grade crude.

Note: The next version of this story will be published on Tuesday April 11.

--With assistance from Sherry Su.

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(Reuters) - Russia will move its tactical nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus, the Russian envoy to Minsk said on Sunday, placing them at NATO's threshold in a move likely to further escalate Moscow's standoff with the West.

In one of the Russia's most pronounced nuclear signals since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago, President Vladimir Putin said on March 26 that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The two Slav neighbours are formally part of a "union state" and have been in talks for years to integrate further, a process that has accelerated after Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine last year.

The weapons "will be moved to the western border of our union state and will increase the possibilities to ensure security," Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, told Belarusian state television.

"This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States."

Gryzlov did not specify where the weapons will be stationed, but confirmed that a storage facility will be completed, as ordered by Putin, by July 1 and then moved to the west of Belarus.

Belarus borders to the north with Lithuania and Latvia and to west with Poland, all part of NATO's Eastern flank that has been bolstered with additional troops and military equipment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and Kyiv's other allies have said they were concerned about the possibility that Russia would send tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, with President Joe Biden saying it was "worrisome."

President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Belarus would also allow Russia to put intercontinental nuclear missiles there too if necessary.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Stephen Coates)
A man lays flowers at a makeshift memorial for Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, who was killed in the April 2 blast in a cafe, by the explosion site in Saint Petersburg on April 3, 2023. OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images

Russia praised a military blogger who died in a cafe explosion on Sunday for "doing his duty."

Kremlin officials blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Kyiv denied any role.

Vladlen Tatarsky had gained popularity for blogging about Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.

Russia praised military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky after he died in a cafe explosion on Sunday, saying he died "boldly" and was "doing his duty."

The statement comes from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who said on Monday that Tatarsky helped document "truthful and timely footage" about the war in Ukraine.

"It is thanks to the Russian war correspondents that the world sees truthful and timely footage and learns about what is happening in Ukraine. These are people who stand guard over the truth, which the world mainstream has already abused," she said.

Zakharova also pointed a finger toward Ukraine, saying Tatarsky's death was "deemed a 'success' by the Kyiv regime and its thugs."

"The professional activities of Vladlen Tatarsky, his service to the Fatherland aroused hatred among the Kyiv regime," she added. "He was dangerous for them, but boldly went to the end, doing his duty."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov also blamed Ukraine, calling the incident "a terrorist act," according to TASS.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, denied any role in the explosion, instead attributing Tatarsky's death to an "internal political fight."

"Spiders are eating each other in a jar," Podolyak tweeted. "Questions of when domestic terrorism would be become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time, as breakthrough of ripe abscess."

Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was a popular pro-war Russian military blogger. He covered Russia's war in Ukraine largely on his Telegram channel, according to CNN. Tatarsky also reportedly played a role in Russia's offenses in the Donbas region in 2014, CNN reported, and an assault in Mariupol last year.

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A widely-circulated video of Tatarsky from a Kremlin reception celebrating the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories last September shows the blogger praising Russian efforts in Ukraine.

According to a translation from CNN, Tatarsky said at the time: "I congratulate everyone, everyone who waited till this moment. We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone we need. Everything will be as we like."

Translations by Oleksandr Vynogradov

Read the original article on Business Insider
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Russias U.N. ambassador on Monday dismissed U.S. and European Union descriptions of its presidency of the Security Council this month as an April Fools joke and announced a meeting to be chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter, which Moscow is widely accused of breaking by invading Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters earlier Monday that the U.S. expects the Russians will be professional but will use their presiding seat to spread disinformation and promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that.

She and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell both called Russia's takeover of the council presidency an April Fool's joke.

Under Security Council rules, the presidency rotates monthly in alphabetical order among its 15 members. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters there will be no change in the rules of the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

He said Russia has been an honest broker during past council presidencies, a role which we value and cherish, and we are always trying to maintain it.

The council president presides over meetings and gets to decide the topics of key sessions, often presided over by foreign ministers and sometimes presidents. Lavrov on April 24 will preside over a session on "effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the U.N. Charter.

There are also required monthly meetings, including on the Middle East, which Lavrov will also preside over, Syria and other global hotspots, including Mali, Libya, Yemen, Haiti, Africas Great Lakes region and Colombia.

Nebenzia responded to the U.S. ambassadors expectation that Russia will spread disinformation about Ukraine by calling it a Western narrative and stressing that we think just the opposite.

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He said Russia plans to hold an informal council meeting on Wednesday on what Moscow claims is disinformation being spread by Western officials and media about the Ukrainian children taken to Russia. He said the aim of the meeting is to dispel this narrative that they were abducted.

The issue was put in the spotlight when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his countrys commissioner for childrens rights, accusing them of war crimes for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow called the warrants outrageous and legally void.

An Associated Press investigation first published in October found that the open effort to put Ukrainian children up for adoption in Russia was well underway. Ukrainian officials claimed at the time that nearly 8,000 children had been deported to Russia, but the exact number was difficult to pin down.

Britains deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, said Russia was in no position to talk about international law or U.N. values.

It is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, violating the most basic principle of the U.N. Charter  you dont redraw borders by force  and its president has been indicted by the ICC for the systematic abduction of Ukrainian children, he said.

The U.K. will keep using our seat on the council to challenge their illegal war, expose their disinformation, and protect the councils vital work tackling other threats to international peace and security, including across Africa and the Middle East.

Russias assumption of the council presidency also drew strong criticism from Ukraine and Baltic nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the bankruptcy of the Security Council and reiterated his call for an overhaul of the U.N. body and other global institutions.

Estonias U.N. Ambassador Rein Tammsaar, speaking also on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, called the Russian presidency shameful, humiliating and dangerous for the councils credibility.

Under Security Council rules, a member directly connected to an issue should withdraw from participation, and Nebenzia was asked if Russia would recuse itself when Ukraine was discussed.

No, he replied, indicating that the U.S., Britain and France, which have been supporting Ukraine, would have to withdraw as well.

The Russian ambassador recalled that following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.K. and U.S. held the council presidency consecutively that September and October.

Nobody raised the question of their legitimacy to hold the presidency, Nebenzia said. And nobody put on the table the question that they withdraw from discussing an issue that was perhaps the most hot and topical then.
(Reuters) - Russia will strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions in response to Finland's expected accession to NATO on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO last year after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland has a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia that will roughly double the transatlantic alliance's frontier facing Moscow.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that Russia was taking "adequate countermeasures" and would form 12 units and divisions in its western military district.

Grushko told RIA: "We will strengthen our military potential in the western and northwestern direction. In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security."

(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy was responding to a request for comment on a recent explosion at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed Russian pro-war propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky.

"I don't think about what is happening in Saint Petersburg or Moscow, Zelenskyy explained, according to the Ukrinform news agency.

Russia must think about it. I think about our country.

Tatarsky was killed on April 2 by an explosion at the Street Bar Cafe, owned by Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.

Read also: Russian partisans claim responsibility for assassination of Kremlin propagandist Daria Dugina

According to Russian media reports, the blast was caused by a bomb allegedly brought by 25-year Daria Trepova, who hid it in a statuette she gave Tatarsky as a gift. She was detained on April 3.

Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was a Ukrainian-born Russian propagandist from Donetsk Oblast, infamous for his openly anti-Ukrainian views.

He justified Russia's attack on Ukraine and stated that Russia would "defeat everyone, kill everyone, rob everyone, if necessary". During the blackouts across Ukraine, he said that "we [Russia] need to continue shelling" because "more people will die on operating tables".

Read also: Russian Defense Ministry says closure of airspace over St. Petersburg was training exercise

Tatarsky was convicted for bank robbery and imprisoned in the Ukrainian town of Horlivka in 2011, but escaped after the Russian invasion in 2014 to fight on the Russian side.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Sputnik/Alexei Babushkin/Kremlin via Reuters via third party)

Moscow will be enhancing its military presence in the west and northwest of Russia in response to Finlands accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Monday.

Finland will be joining the military alliance on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. Finland crossed its final hurdle last week when the Turkish parliament ratified its accession after several delays.

The Kremlin is already bristling at the news that the alliance, which was founded to provide security against the Soviet Union, is expanding to 31 members. Grushko said the country will be taking steps to ensure Russias security as a result of the expansion.

Part of the measures have already been announced. We will strengthen our military potential in the western and northwestern direction. In the event that the forces and assets of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security, Grushko said, according to RIA Novosti.

Its not the first time Russia has suggested it will have to recalibrate its military if Finland, which shares an approximately 800 mile-long border with Russia, joins NATO.

Putins Next Big Farce Is Happening Right Under Our Noses

Last year, when Finland and Sweden both moved away from non-alignment, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested Russia may need to reassess its military measures.

Everything will depend on how this (NATO) expansion process plays out, the extent to which military infrastructure moves closer to our borders, Peskov said.

Russias Foreign Ministry said at the time that the decision to join NATO definitely posed a threat to Russia.

At the time, though, Russian President Vladimir Putin worked to project a calm demeanor at the news.

As for the expansion, including the accession of two prospective new members, Finland and Sweden, I would like to inform you, colleagues, that Russia has no problems with these states, Putin said last May.

Story continues

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People lay flowers near the site of an explosion at the Street Bar cafe with the St. Isaacs Cathedral in the background in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, April 3, 2023. An explosion tore through a cafe in Russias second-largest city, killing a well-known military blogger and strident supporter of the war in Ukraine. | Dmitri Lovetsky, Associated Press

A Russian attack on Ukraine left at least six dead and eight injured on Sunday. Meanwhile, a deadly explosion in a Russian cafe Sunday is causing controversy after the blast killed a prominent pro-Russia blogger.

Russia blames Ukraine for bomb that killed pro-Russia blogger

An explosion in a St. Petersburg cafe killed a prominent pro-Russia blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.

Tatarsky was speaking at an event at the cafe where a woman gave him a bust of him. According to some reports, when he set the bust down, an explosion tore through the cafe, leaving around 30 people injured.

The woman who gave Tatarsky the bust, Darya Trepova, was arrested as a suspect in the attack, Russian authorities announced.

No one has claimed responsibility for the explosion, but Russia blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for coordinating the attack, The Washington Post reported.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that the explosion was a result of a Russian internal political fight, stating, Spiders are eating each other in a jar.

It begins in RF... Spiders are eating each other in a jar. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time, as breakthrough of ripe abscess. Irreversible processes and Troubles 2.0. await RF. While we will watch.    (@Podolyak_M) April 2, 2023

Russian strike kills 6 Ukrainian civilians

On the same day as the St. Petersburg cafe explosion, Russian shelling in Ukraine left at least six dead and eight injured.

Missiles and rockets hit the town of Kostyantynivka near near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, BBC News reported.

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraines presidential staff, stated on social media that the Russian attack damaged 16 apartment buildings, a preschool, private homes and more, according to The New York Times.
By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia's commissioner for children's rights, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges, is likely to brief an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council this week, according to a note seen by Reuters on Monday.

Russia, which holds the monthly rotating presidency of the 15-member body for April, told council members in a note that it plans to hold an informal meeting on Wednesday on Ukraine, focused on "evacuating children from conflict zone."

"Participants will hear 'first hand' information from the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights of the Russian Federation, as well as from children evacuated from the conflict area," read the note.

The commissioner is Maria Lvova-Belova. The International Criminal Court (ICC) last month issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova, accusing them of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, as well as the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since Moscow invaded on Feb. 24, 2022.

"They cannot invite a credible briefer because they do not have any credibility on this issue," Britain's Deputy U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki told Reuters in a statement. "Russian leaders have been charged by the ICC with unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. That is a war crime."

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday that the meeting briefers would be announced shortly. Such meetings are held at U.N. headquarters, but not in the Security Council chamber, and briefings can be done virtually.

'APRIL FOOL'S JOKE'

Moscow has not concealed a program 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.

Nebenzia told reporters last month that the informal meeting of Security Council members to be held on Wednesday had been planned long before the ICC announcement and it was not intended to be a rebuttal of the charges against Putin and Lvova-Belova.

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While a feature of Russia's presidency, members do not need to be the rotating monthly president to hold such meetings.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to travel to New York to chair formal Security Council meetings later in the month on the Middle East and on "effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the U.N. Charter."

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly has criticized Russia for violating the founding U.N. Charter by invading its neighbor and called for a "comprehensive, just and lasting peace" in line with the principles of the U.N. Charter.

Given Russia's Security Council presidency started on April 1, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters on Monday: "It's like an April Fool's joke ... We expect that they will behave professionally."

"But we also expect that they will use their seat to spread disinformation and to promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that," she said.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Don Durfee and Bill Berkrot)
Russia's Ministry of Defence is conducting a targeted information operation to restore the reputation of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, which has become synonymous with Russia's recent failures in Ukraine.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence update, as reported by European Pravda



Details: The activities of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade have been highlighted throughout March 2023 through some of the most extensive Russian helmet-cam combat footage yet released, as well as through a televised visit by a Russian propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov.

There were also public announcements that the formation is in "high spirits [with] a strong determination to achieve the set goals", as well as images showing the 155th being re-equipped with modified tanks.



In reality, the 155th has likely been reduced to combat its ineffective status at least twice in the last six months, due to being committed to tactically flawed frontal assaults near Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, the update reads.



The Russian Ministry of Defences effort to revive the brigades image likely reflects concern about the way in which its failures were being increasingly associated with Russian senior military leaders, states UK Intelligence.

UK Defence Intelligence has previously spoken about the role of alcoholism in Russia's war against Ukraine.

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Shahed drone

"Usually it is (in Russias) Bryansk Oblast, near the Seshcha airfield; they are launched in small batches of 10-15 UAVs of this type," said Ihnat.

Read also: Air Force reveals Russias new tactics in missile, drone attacks against Ukraine

He clarified that is Moscows tactic of scouting out Ukraines air defense grid and depleting the supply of anti-air missiles.

According to him, most Shahed drones are taken down, by mobile fire groups armed with flak machine guns and MANPADS.

Read also: Overnight Russian suicide drone attack launched from Russias Bryansk Oblast, Air Force says

The attacks usually happen at night, presenting an additional challenge to Ukraines defense forces  the mobile groups have to be armed with night vision devices, thermal imagers, and searchlights to help spot incoming targets.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/A.Savin

Russian exile and former parliament member Ilya Ponomarev, who once threatened to finish off Vladimir Putin from abroad, has claimed that the bomb that killed a prominent military blogger in a cafe in St. Petersburg is the work of Russian partisan rebels he has been cooperating with.

I know the people who organized the murder of Tatarsky, I had known about the preparations for the attack in advance, Ponomarev told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview on Monday. I welcome such actions they eliminate war criminals and their aides.

Ponomarevwho said he was offering financial and political support to the alleged Russian partisans who masterminded the bombing that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky on Sundayfirst made headlines in August 22, when he claimed that the same network of Russian rebels were responsible for the car bomb that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist.

This action, like many other partisan actions carried out on the territory of Russia in recent months, was carried out by the National Republican Army (NRA), he said of the August assassination on February Morning, an anti-Kremlin television channel he runs in Kyiv, where he has been living since he was banned from entering Russia in 2019.

At the time, Ponomarev read what was purportedly a manifesto from the group on his newscast, in which the alleged rebels vowed Putin will be deposed and destroyed by us. Now, the former lawmaker is again claiming that partisan rebels are targeting the Kremlin from within Russias own borders, adding that he has been providing financial support to the group.

Russian Woman Accused of Killing Pro-War Blogger With Boobytrapped Gift Is Arrested

The Daily Beast has not independently verified the authenticity of the claims from Ponomarev, whose widely-reported allegations about the Dugina bombings were met with both skepticism and support.

On Sunday, Russian authorities arrested 26-year-old Daria Trepova in connection with the bombing that killed Tatarsky at the Street Food Bar #1 Cafe, formerly owned by notorious Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. According to sources cited by Russian state media, Trepova, who was previously named on the Russian interior ministrys wanted list for a murder investigation, is accused of bringing a statue containing an explosive device that detonated in the cafe.

Story continues

Thirty-two people were also injured in the attack that killed Tatarsky. The Kremlin has since blamed the bombing on Ukrainian secret service operatives, who they claim are working in tandem with supporters of jailed opposition activist Alexei Navalny.

Pressed on his knowledge of the suspect and her alleged role in the bombing, Ponomarev said that he didnt personally know Daria and the specific degree of her involvement. In a video released by Russian authorities on Monday, which was likely made under duress, the 26-year-old was filmed saying she was at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky's murder... I brought the statuette there which blew up, but did not say that she knew the statuette contained an explosive device.

Police officers stand guard at the scene of the cafe explosion in which Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, (real name Maxim Fomin) was killed the day before in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Anton Vaganov/Reuters

War of words

In a Monday newscast of February Morning, Ponomarev and his colleagues pushed back on the use of the term terrorism to describe the cafe attack. While discussing the incident, Ponomarev declared that the number of Russian partisans was rapidly growing. There is an active group of anti-war activists, the war is a source of the violence, the fact that people like Tatarsky die, that is the consequence of the war the Kremlin started the war, performs acts of genocide and war terror in Ukraine, he said.

In the same broadcast, Roman Popkov, the exiled former leader of Russias far-left National Bolshevik party and Ponomarevs ally, said that the arrested suspect had followed him on social media, and that they had corresponded in the past. He also mentioned another recent attack on an FSB office in the Rostov region, saying Partisans were preparing for it for two months and FSB missed it. There was a big fire, explosions, I think it was an important point, that people who are not connected with anybody abroad managed to organize themselves and perform such a complicated act.

Darya Trepova, suspected of bringing explosives to the cafe where war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) was killed in an explosion the day before, is escorted inside the building of Russian Investigative Committee, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Investigative Committee of Russia via Reuters

Just a day before the explosion at the Saint Petersburg cafe, RosPartizan, a Telegram channel administrated by Popkov and his friends, had posted an ominous message asking followers to prepare for the attacks carefully, be brave and careful, by all means do not act in the regions where you live. Some Russia news outlets have accused Popkov of having recruited the suspect to carry out the attack. Shortly after the Sunday bombing, however, he took to his channel to say that I did not give Daria any orders, did not introduce her to Ukrainian intelligence. I am specialized in the coverage of the war and the partisan movement.

Ponomarevs February Morning colleague Matvei Ganapolsky told The Daily Beast he is convinced that the Kremlin still has no idea who is behind the attack, so they blame everybody at once, in reference to Russian authorities statements on Ukrainian agents and Navalvy supporters having planned the bombing. He emphasized that nobody in our team says we are in touch with Russian partisans, only Ponomarevthat narrative would have disqualified our news channel.

The Mystery Man Vowing Putins Friends Will Get Blown Up Soon

The veracity of Ponomarevs claims have been questioned by some Kremlinologists, including Moscow-based radical group expert Alexander Verkhovsky, who told The Daily Beast in August that of course there are anti-war partisan groups in Russia. They throw Molotov cocktails, blow things up, but cast doubt on any notion that they were united in some big army.

Others, like Russian political exile Olga Kurnosovawho has worked with Ponomarev to organize summits between Kremlin exiles in Polandare taking him more seriously.

If he says that he's known before the explosion who stood behind it, he definitely means it, she told The Daily Beast. His reputation among liberal Russians suffered a lot after the assassination of Dugina, which he claimed he had supported, so he is careful about what he says now.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A woman holds a banner during a daily demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine in Poland. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Russian fighter jets are ambushing Ukrainians in sneak attacks, an official told The Telegraph.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged the White House to send F-16 jets to fight back.

The Biden administration has so far refused to send F-16 fighters and MQ-9 drones to Ukraine.

Russian fighter jets are tricking Ukrainian pilots into sneaky "swarming" ambush attacks, according to a Ukrainian air force major, highlighting why the besieged country's president has continued his calls for more advanced air power aid from the United States.

"The Russians change tactics all the time, so the war isn't stable," Major Vadym Voroshylov told The Telegraph in an interview. "They make traps. They will send up a Russian jet alone, tricking the Ukrainian pilot into thinking there is only one jet. Then, two or three more will appear either side of it, effectively swarming the Ukrainian aircraft."

Voroshylov previously made headlines after he shot down two missiles and five drones during an attack on the city of Vinnytsia. He was declared a Hero of Ukraine and a photo of his bloodied face after he ejected from his jet also went viral.

"Right now, we can only hold the enemy but with F-16s we could control the airfield, as well as the seas and the ground to protect infantry," Voroshylov told The Telegraph. "We need more modern aircrafts to be better than the enemy."

The decorated pilot's calls for F-16 jets echo increasingly urgent requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House for improved military equipment such as F-16 fighters and MQ-9 drones to fight back against the Russian invasion.

"The Ukrainians have at times asked us for as many as 128 fourth-generation aircraft, a mix of F-15s, F-18s, and F-16s," Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, told lawmakers on February 28. Kahl said the subject had been discussed by President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during Biden's visit to Kyiv on February 20.

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However, despite the discussion, defense officials for the White House have so far refused to include F-16s in the nearly $100 billion in military and humanitarian aid packages that have been sent to Ukraine so far.

"That won't help them in this current fight," Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a March 28 hearing. "And will they have a capability at some point down the road? We all believe that they will, and what that looks like, it could look like F-16s, it could look like some other fourth-generation aircraft."

Representatives for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government of the Russian Federation, and the United States' Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian occupation forces attacked the Bilopillia hromada [an administrative unit designating the city of Bilopillia and its adjacent territory - ed.] in Sumy Oblast three times over the course of Monday, 3 April.

Source: Sumy Oblast Military Administration on Facebook

Details: The Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported that the Bilopillia hromada was hit with 14 mortar-launched bombs on 3 April; Russian forces also deployed grenade launchers to fire 100 projectiles on the hromada.

These attacks resulted in no damage or destruction.

The military administration also said that no new Russian offensive units have been detected in the vicinity of the Russian-Ukrainian border.

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Daria Trepova

Tatarsky  a pseudonym for the propagandists real name, Maxim Fomin  was previously a Ukrainian citizen from Donbas who had been sentenced in 2011 to twelve years imprisonment for his role in committing an armed bank robbery. He escaped following a battle between the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces near his prison in 2014, joining the Luhansk puppet militia. He rose to infamy after the start of the full-scale war, as he became a Russian military blogger  an assortment of pro-Russian commentators, typically with large followings on the Telegram messenger network, who claim to have military experience and provide propaganda-in-fused analysis of Russian military activities.

Read also: Conflict between Russian MoD and Wagners Prigozhin reaching climax

Tatarsky was killed when an explosion occurred at a cafe he was visiting in St. Petersburg  Street Bar, which is believed to be owned by Wagner mercenary company owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. Local news outlet Fontanka published a photo from the event, where Trepova can supposedly be seen entering the cafe. Russian media also published alleged CCTV footage which they claims demonstrates that Trepova brought a box into the cafe. Allegedly, an eyewitness at the scene claims to have seen Trepova present a statue bust to Tatarsky as a gift, before being asked to sit with the propagandist. Trepova is said to have to have left the premises shortly thereafter.

The Russian Investigative Committee claims that Tatarskys murder was allegedly planned by Ukrainian special services. For this purpose, they allegedly involved "agents from among the people who cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Foundation of Alexei Navalny, whose active supporter Trepova is. However, other experts speculate that this murder could have been the result of an internal showdown between the Russian Defense Ministry and Prigozhin, with whom Tatarsky was associated.

Read also: Daughter of Russian World ideologue Dugin killed in Moscow car bombing

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Russian media sources claim that Russian security security have also detained Trepova's mother and sister for questioning. According to the mother, she saw her daughter that afternoon shortly before the explosion, but did not notice anything strange in her behavior.

According to independent Russian media outlet Baza, Trepova is known among feminists and political activists in St. Petersburg as "Dasha Tykovka, after her Twitter handle. Trepova, an employee of a vintage clothing store in Moscow, had returned to St. Petersburg the day before the explosion took place. Other media sources claim that Trepova had tickets to leave Russia on the evening of April 2.

Two of Trepova's friends claim that she did not support the war, but did not hold radical" views.

According to Russian criminal databases, Trepova was detained in St. Petersburg at a protest on Feb. 24, 2022. She was also detained at rallies in support of Navalny in early 2021.

In Ukraine, Tatarskys death has been met with satisfaction by many Ukrainian netizens  in addition to his direct participation in hostilities on the Russian side, Tatarsky repeatedly called for looting in the occupied territories and openly preached genocide against Ukrainians.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Vladlen Tatarsky whose real name is Maxim Fomin was killed in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday - AFP

Vladimir Putin awarded Vladlen Tatarsky with a posthumous award for bravery on Monday as Russia blamed Kyiv for the bomb attack that killed the pro-war blogger.

The Russian president signed a decree to bestow the Order of Courage - one of Russias highest honours - on Tatarsky, in recognition of the bravery shown in the performance of his professional duty, the Kremlin said.

Russias security services quickly detained Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old woman who they said delivered the explosive device hidden in a statuette that killed Tatarsky as he spoke to supporters in a St Petersburg cafe.

Moscow claimed Ukrainian intelligence orchestrated the blast.

Russias National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, who has exposed official corruption and organised massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year sentence for fraud. Navalny has denounced the sentence as a political vendetta.

An associate of Navalny, Ivan Zhdanov, warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Mr Navalny's supporters as an "internal enemy.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, with Volodymyr Zelensky brushing off a question on the attack on Monday.

I dont think about what is happening in St Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, the Ukrainian President told reporters.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to Mr Zelensky, earlier sought to cast the bombing as the product of Kremlin infighting.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted late on Sunday.

Return to Soviet classics

On Monday, Mr Podolyak said Russia had returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

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Since the full-scale invasion began last year, Russian authorities have silenced dissenting voices by shutting down independent newspapers that have broken strict rules on covering the war, and jailing Putins critics.

But military bloggers like Tatarsky have played an increasingly visible role in the Kremlins propaganda strategy. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticised the countrys top generals amid a series of embarrassing battlefield setbacks for Russias forces.

The bombing on Sunday, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure.

TV commentator's assassination

Last year, Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator, was assassinated when a bomb exploded under the seat of her car outside Moscow. She was also awarded the Order of Courage shortly after her death.

Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation" in Ukraine.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Russian media reported that Ms Trepova's mother and sister were also interrogated by the security forces and that the Kremlin had asked the Uzbek authorities to arrest her husband, who is living in exile in Uzbekistan.

Tatarsky was a rabidly anti-Ukraine propagandist who posted videos from Russian forces fighting on the front line in Ukraine. He had 560,000 followers and was known to be a close ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Kremlins Wagner mercenary unit.

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky on Monday said he hoped Vladimir Putin would spend the rest of his life in a dark basement with a bucket.

Speaking in the village of Yahidne, north of Kyiv, where he and Robert Habeck, the German vice chancellor, travelled to mark the one-year anniversary of the liberation of the settlement from Russian troops, Mr Zelensky said: "After seeing all this, I hope the president of Russia will spend the rest of his days in a basement with a bucket for a toilet."

Soon after the invasion, the Russians forced 367 people - nearly the entire population of Yahidne - into a cramped school basement.

The villagers, including a six-week-old baby, were kept there for almost a month, and 11 of them died.

Mr Zelensky said the villagers who were held in the basement for 27 days recorded the names of those who died "so as not to forget them".

"And children wrote lines of the Ukrainian anthem," he added.
The Russians are a long way from capturing the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. There is active fighting going on near Bakhmut city hall.

Source: Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the East Grouping of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in a commentary to Reuters; Andrii Yermak, head of the President's Office of Ukraine, on Telegram

Quote: "Bakhmut is a Ukrainian city, and they [the Russians] have not seized anything and are very far from doing so, to put it mildly."

Details: Earlier, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch and founder of the Wagner Group, posted a video in which he claims that the Russian flag had been raised above the city hall building in memory of Vladlen Tatarsky, the pro-Russian "military leader". Prigozhin believes that the city has been de jure seized by the Russians.

Andrii Yermak has stated that the video posted by Prigozhin is fake and Bakhmut is a Ukrainian city. He advised Ukrainians to react calmly to fake news about a Russian "victory" which has not actually happened.

"They raised their flag over some public toilet. They attached their rag to the side of God knows what and said they'd captured the city. Whatever, let them think they did it," Cherevatyi remarked.

"Fighting is ongoing around the [Bakhmut] city hall building; the Russians have not seized anything in the legal sense," he specified.

Background: On 2 April, the Ministry of Defence called on Ukrainians to trust the military defending Bakhmut and assured them that the troops are responding to the current situation according to the principle of military expediency.

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Russians draw up lists of civilians from the Skadovsk district of Kherson Oblast for "evacuation" to the territory of Crimea and Russia.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "In the Skadovsk district of Kherson Oblast, Russian occupation authorities have begun compiling lists of people from among residents who agree to evacuate to Crimea or the territory of the Russian Federation."

Details: It is reported that the "evacuation" will be carried out voluntarily for now. First of all, women and children will be taken out.

Background:

The occupiers had announced evacuation from the city of Kherson before it was liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in November of last year.

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Years after the coronavirus pandemic began and campuses reopened, school districts across Sacramento began seeing the full consequences of learning gaps among K-12 students.

State testing results and online tools measuring success showed school leaders where students were facing dramatic setbacks. And administrators began working to close those gaps with COVID dollars and state funding.

Gov. Gavin Newsoms 2021-22 budget provided California schools with $2.6 billion for tutoring and interventions. And while additional assistance has been promising for students, some educators want to ensure those programs dont come to a halt when the funds dry up.

After the education finance law AB 130 allowed schools to expand learning programs, those institutions began to get creative with their approaches to address student needs.

For example, San Juan Unified allocated between $80,000 to $100,000 to each school to help with intervention after the pandemic began, said Thomas Kelly Elementary School Principal Josh Costa.

That funding helps pay for the districts 150 instructional assistants, three social workers, five on-site counselors, and 38 intervention specialists.

Instructional assistants are placed in classrooms from transitional kindergarten through second grade. Third and fourth graders also receive in-class assistance.

Students who are most in need receive 150 minutes of additional instruction and intervention a week in the mornings before classes begin for the day. Those sessions are funded by resources and COVID dollars that Thomas Kelly Elementary distributes among its students in need.

Brittney Groess, an intervention teacher at the school with more than 16 years of experience, said the small group work is making a difference.

Second grader Jaxon, 8, is tutored in reading by instructional assistant Brittney Groess on Thursday at Thomas Kelly Elementary.

Groess offers her students pre-assessments and post assessments in reading and literacy for each of the six units she offers her small groups. On their post assessment tests, most students are scoring higher, she said. And those who dont receive additional support and testing.

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Schools use online assessment programs including i-Ready and Lexia, along with state testing to measure student performance.

I pull each student individually one by one, Groess said. We see what they already know, and each child comes with individualized goals.

Groess said its been exciting to see some of the schools most vulnerable students accomplish those goals.

One student really struggled last year to learn his letters and his sounds, Groess said. He sees me five days a week, and he was below third grade level. But now he has grown leaps and bounds and he can write words. Its exciting to see that light bulb go off.

Statewide concerns

The states standardized testing program, California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, (CAASSP), restarted after taking a hiatus in 2019-20 due to the pandemic.

The results startled educators.

In 2019, 46% of San Juan Unified students met or exceeded state standards in English. In 2022, that number dropped to 42%, according to published test results.

Half of Californias students met or exceeded English standards in 2019, and that dropped to 47% in 2022.

In 2019, 37% of San Juan Unified students met or exceeded math standards. That number dropped to 29.5% in 2022.

About 40% of California students met or exceeded math standards in 2019, and that dropped to 33% in 2022.

Thomas Kelly Elementary wasnt any different. From 2019 to 2022, English test results dropped by 3.5% and math test results dropped by 2.8%.

On-campus interventions key

Costa is optimistic, as he sees the progress from interventions.

Some interventions have been so effective, some students with special needs have joined general education classrooms. Plus some students who need additional resource teachers now see those teachers four days a week instead of five days.

Costa credits the work of Groess and others who work with students one-on-one and in small groups.

Research shows that lessons are most effective if they are done by a teacher or a paraprofessional  not a parent. And one-on-one tutoring or small group instructions have positive impacts, according to the study.

At Thomas Kelly Elementary, small group instruction before school takes place thanks to COVID relief dollars that districts are still spending down.

Intervention teacher Brittney Groess gathers students for small-group reading instruction on March 30 at Thomas Kelly Elementary.

The program assists students with reading skills  a challenge that Thomas Kelly educators faced before the pandemic. The school receives Title I funding for its underserved student population.

About 60% of the student population at Thomas Kelly is socioeconomically disadvantaged, according to state records. About half of its student population scored below standard in English Language Arts, and 60% below standards in math.

Could money run out?

District officials are mindful that funding for interventions wont last forever.

Nearly all of the funds are directly allocated to paying for full time employees. Most of the programs the district uses for intervention were already purchased by the district through Title I funding.

Rafael Martinez, who helps San Juan Unified principals allocate and budget their funding for academic use, said the district has been strategic with its funds.

One of the things that I did as an English Language Arts coordinator was look at statewide studies and we saw there was an academic decline at the state level, Martinez said. We looked at how students were performing prior to pandemic. We did have student interventions, but the need is greater now.

San Juan Unified identified three areas that are critical to keep intervention support, social emotional support and instructional assistants at schools.

We are getting creative with how this is funded, said San Juan Unified spokeswoman Raj Rai. We recognize it and these programs are needed. And we will do what we can to make sure we can continue to provide that support.
(Bloomberg) -- Finlands Sanna Marin is set to lose her position as prime minister following an election upset, underscoring how her star power wasnt enough to offset concerns over a bloated budget and other domestic issues.

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The 37-year-old Social Democrat personally drew 35,600 votes on Sundays election  an 87% increase over her showing four years ago, but still not enough to defeat populist opponent Riikka Purra.

The worlds youngest sitting prime minister when she took office and head of a five-party cabinet led solely by women, Marin became wildly popular among millennials for her outspokenness and relatability. She frequently posted selfies and videos of herself exercising on Instagram, posed for Vogue and made global headlines after clips of her partying at a Helsinki nightclub went viral.

She also helped steer Finland through the process of joining NATO, one of the most significant foreign policy shifts in the countrys history. Days before announcing the decision to apply, Marin showed up at a high-stakes press conference in a funky leather jacket.

In October, a video of Marin dryly remarking that the best way to end the war in Ukraine was for Russia to leave Ukraine ricocheted all over the Internet, confirming to supporters that she was willing to voice opinions that other western leaders would not.

While Finns were pleased at the positive attention that came with having an international superstar as a prime minister, said Essi Poyry, senior researcher at the University of Helsinki, she added that Marin was a divisive figure domestically.

Even though she is popular in Finland, Poyry noted that there is a very loud crowd within the country that disapproves of her progressive values.

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Ultimately, international fame wasnt enough to ensure victory at home. After the election came to down to the issue of public finances, which critics accused Marin of mismanaging during her tenure, Finnish voters decided that the pro-business National Coalition opposition group and the anti-immigration Finns Party were better alternatives.

Marins stardom also siphoned away support from her cabinet partners, who struggled in Sundays elections. The Center Party of Annika Saarikkos Center Party secured the fewest seats in a century, the Left Alliance reported the worst results in its history and the Green Party had its worst showing since 2011.

Because the outgoing prime minister is so popular abroad, said Poyry, I have encountered surprise at the fact that not everybody loves Sanna Marin.

We have to remember, she added, that Marin is not politically accountable to people who do not live in Finland.

--With assistance from Philip Tabuas.

(Updates with details)

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A Sarasota attorney has been suspended for three years after he failed to respond to bar complaints, an arbitration petition, and purposely avoided being served an enforcement action and a malpractice lawsuit, according to the Florida Bar.

Mark D. Siegel was suspended on March 2, almost a year after the Florida Bar filed a complaint with the Florida Supreme Court, according to court documents. Siegel has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1983.

The complaint details how Siegel avoided being served an enforcement action after a grievance committee found he violated a condominium association's governing documents and won by default after Siegel failed to respond. The complaint also details Siegel avoided being served a malpractice lawsuit by a former client.

Calls to reach Siegel for comment about his suspension were not immediately returned Monday afternoon.

According to the complaint, the 12th Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee B found probable cause to file a complaint after The Landings South I Condominium Association Inc. filed a mandatory non-binding arbitration petition against Siegel on Feb. 15, 2021.

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The petition alleged that Siegel violated the associations policies by not maintaining a clean and sanitary unit. Siegel failed to respond to the petition, and the association was granted a default in the arbitration.

Mark Willett, a process server in the 12th Judicial Circuit, was assigned in May 2021 to serve a summons, a petition to enforce an arbitration award, and a final order after default to Siegel.

Over the course of two weeks, Willett attempted to contact Siegel at his office and home addresses, called and left voicemails, and left notes at both locations, court documents state.

In an attempt to speak with Siegel, Willett went to Siegels home on a Sunday in October 2021. Siegel answered and admitted hed been avoiding Willett and that he only came home on Sundays because he knew he couldnt be served then, according to the complaint. Siegel said he planned to avoid being served for years, the complaint states.

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Willett then tried to tell Siegel of another summons he had for him, but Siegel didnt want to know of any additional lawsuits.

The second summons was related to a malpractice lawsuit against Siegel by Mina Caccamise, who hired Siegel to represent her in a civil matter in 2018. Siegel filed a complaint in Sarasota County on behalf of Caccamise but then took no further meaningful action, the complaint states. In May 2019, the judge dismissed the case without prejudice.

Caccamises complaint alleged Siegel failed to represent her and failed to tell her the status of the case and its dismissal. Caccamise asked three times for more time to serve the complaint as Siegel appeared to actively be avoiding being served, the court document states. Caccamise retained Willett in November 2021 to also serve her complaint.

The complaint also alleges Siegel failed to respond to three letters sent by The Florida Bar in the summer of 2021. It wasnt until the day that the grievance committee was holding a meeting in late October 2021, in which Siegel could be found in contempt, that he responded. The committee found Siegel failed to show good cause for failing to respond to the bar inquiries, according to court documents.

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The Florida Bar filed a petition for contempt and order to show cause with the Florida Supreme Court in early November 2021. Siegel failed to respond, and the Supreme Court suspended Siegel on Jan. 20, 2022. The Florida Bar then filed the current complaint in April 2022. Siegel responded in June; court documents indicate.

In October 2022, Siegel filed a suggestion of bankruptcy, court documents indicate. He was advised that all future pleadings, motions, and notices have to be filed with the appointed referee and not the Supreme Court, court documents state.

The referee recommended Siegel was found guilty of violating 11 rules related to misconduct, competence, diligence, communication, expediating litigation, fairness to opposing party and counsel, and failure to respond to official bar inquiry, among other rules, court documents state.

Since Siegel was already suspended when a decision was made in the current case, his suspension was effective immediately.

Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: The Florida Bar: Sarasota-based attorney receives 3-year suspension
(Bloomberg) -- If ever there was any doubt over Saudi Arabias growing international assertiveness, Sundays decision to slash OPEC+ oil production put it to rest.

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Mere months after rebuffing President Joe Bidens pleas to pump more crude, an increasingly confident Riyadh is using its regional clout to carve out its own path. Whether in the fields of energy or diplomacy, through forging ties with former foe Iran and moving toward embracing Syrias pariah leader, its evidence of a determination to pursue Saudi priorities even if they run against Washingtons interests.

Saudi newspapers were brimming with self-assurance on Monday, asserting that Riyadhs course had been the right one all along. The commentary suggested that addressing a sinking oil price was more important than extending any favors to allies because it would reap longer-term benefits.

OPEC+ has succeeded now and in the past in stabilizing oil markets, and contrary to claims by Western and industrial states this has nothing to do with politics, former Saudi oil ministry adviser Mohammad Al Sabban said, according to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. The decision was preemptive and precautionary due to uncertainty in oil markets and increased risk of recession, he added.

Faisal Faeq, a former manager at state-owned Saudi Aramco, wrote in periodical Al-Majalla that OPEC+ had to act because tightening monetary policy in the West put artificial downward pressure on prices.

Saudi Oil Surprise Sets Prices Up for Bigger Rally: Energy Daily

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans willingness to act to secure stability, while coordinating energy policy with Russia and even sidelining the US in favor of its No. 1 rival China, underscores Riyadhs growing geopolitical influence as a fossil fuel superpower. His latest move also reflects an element of economic expediency, with the crude price slumping to a 15-month low in late March.

Story continues

The Saudis and OPEC feel that they have some bragging rights, Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House energy official, told Bloomberg Television. Theyre proud of their cut in October, they had a lot of naysayers.

MBS, as the Saudi crown prince is known, also calculates that the US wont risk a full rupture in relations with Riyadh, so will temper its response to any diversions in policy. The Saudis, who rely on the US for security, are still unwilling to pursue a complete breach with Washington.

American tolerance for this Saudi-first mentality is certainly more tested in a geopolitical environment where higher prices play into the hands of the Russians and the Saudi political posture aligns more with US strategic competitors, said Kristin Smith Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Saudi Arabia led the OPEC+ cartel by pledging a 500,000 barrel-a-day supply reduction. Fellow members including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria followed suit, while Russia said the production cut it was implementing from March to June would continue until the end of 2023.

After last years snub, the White House reaction was more restrained this time round. While the 1 million barrel-a-day reduction was ill-advised under current market conditions, the US will work with producers and consumers with a focus on gasoline prices for Americans, it said.

Karen Young, a senior researcher at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy, said it was too bad the US was criticizing Saudi Arabia for the OPEC+ decision when they both share the same concerns over Chinese economic growth. Moreover, we need to pay close attention to how Gulf-Russia relationships evolve, she said. There will not always be a rationale to help Russia.

New reality

Crown Prince Mohammeds foremost priority is ensuring his multi-trillion-dollar vision to transform Saudi Arabia stays on track. Thats driving his efforts to shield his country from any possible escalation as a result of US and Israeli tensions with Iran. While the US remains Saudi Arabias main defense and security partner and the No. 1 provider of military technology, the Saudis have grown less confident of Washingtons support in the event they come under attack.

Read more: Threats to Grand Plans Sent Saudi Prince to Seek Iran Deal

The US and other leading consumers have to get used to this new reality of a Saudi-first policy, said Kuwait University history professor Bader Al-Saif. Why would you expect a state to put other countries interests ahead of it? Its tempting to consider it politically instigated, but the economics backs up the production-cut decision, he added.

Oil prices rose and US gasoline jumped on Monday, in a blow to Bidens efforts to tame the cost of transportation fuels. Riyadh said the reductions were a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

Interpreting every Saudi production change as a political statement is a mistake, David Rundell, a former U.S. diplomat with decades of experience in the kingdom, said. The Saudis have an interest in maximizing oil prices over the long term, not the short term, he said. This requires a degree of price stability. In any case, he added, the days of you being with us 100% or against us are over.

Biden vowed after last years production cut that there would be consequences for Saudi Arabia, but the administration has yet to follow through. Riyadh has not only cast itself as an emerging power that stands up to Washington, but has become an even greater force in global energy markets since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Sundays decision isnt great for the US or China, so differs from the Iran deal mediated by China, according to Gregory Gause, a professor of international affairs at Texas A&M University. Rather, its a reflection of a Saudi foreign policy that sees the world as multipolar, giving Riyadh greater room for maneuver among the great powers, and that is very focused on maximizing short-term economic benefits, he said.

For Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London School of Economics, the Saudi move is part of a recalibration moment in the region. Middle Eastern rulers, no longer confident that the US has their back, are working to lower the tempo of geostrategic rivalries and tensions, and Saudi Arabia is no different, Gerges said. MBS and his regional cohorts look at the world and see China and India as the future, not the USA.

--With assistance from Matthew Martin and Verity Ratcliffe.

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A woman driving a stolen ambulance from Missouri was captured Saturday night in Illinois.

Sauget Police Chief James Jones said he could not release the womans identity because she had not been charged.

He said police stopped the ambulance,with emergency lights flashing, at Water Street near West Second Street, in Cahokia Heights about 11:30 p.m.

Sauget police heard an ISPERN (Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network) broadcast in reference to a black and red St. Louis city ambulance stolen from St. Louis that was currently crossing into Illinois on the Poplar Street Bridge, the chief said.  It took the Illinois Route 3 south exit headed towards Mississippi Avenue where our officers attempted to stop it. The emergency lights on the ambulance were activated.

A woman in her mid-30s was arrested, taken to the Sauget Police Department and released to officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Jones said. It is not known what charges she may face in Illinois.

Additional details about the theft of the ambulance were unavailable.
The president of Bob Jones University has resigned amid long-simmering disagreements with the chairman of the board and grandson of the universitys founder over the discretion of the fundamentalist Christian school in Greenville.

Steve Pettit was named president in 2014, the first non-Jones family member to hold the job since the school was founded by Bob Jones Sr. in 1927. He was succeeded by Bob Jones Jr., Bob Jones III and then his great-grandson, Stephen Jones. Bob Jones IV elected not to work at the school.

In a four-page letter to the board, Pettit said board chair John Lewis had created disunity on the board, held a meeting without telling staff and was not taking seriously a comment made by a board member that female students clothing and female student athlete uniforms accentuate their boobs and butts.

Pettit said he had heard the board member took photos of women without their permission.

He said he did not know if the information was true, but by law should have been turned over to the Title IX coordinator for investigation.

He also said he believed the board was not seeing and working on the schools financial difficulties and declining enrollment.

University spokesperson Carol Kierstead did not respond to a request for comment.

The university on Thursday issued a statement on social media thanking Pettit for his years of service and his love for students and the entire university community.

They quoted only the first paragraph of the letter in which he said, It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to serve as the president of Bob Jones University. My memories of the wonderful people, the incredible student body, and the perpetual blessings of God will linger with me throughout the rest of my life. Whatever good has happened it is because of the blessings of God and the humble service of His devoted people.

Pettit has worked to loosen some of the rules that have set Bob Jones apart from other universities, especially with regard to clothing and grooming.

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The university for decades did not allow women to wear pants or men to have facial hair.

Pettit also worked to have the university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission, an action long eschewed by the Joneses but started during the tenure of Stephen Jones. The previous leadership did not want to be ruled by an outside secular organization.

He also worked to have the universitys tax exemption reinstated after the IRS pulled it in 1976 because of the schools discriminatory racial policies, namely that people of different ethnicity and race could not date or marry.

Bob Jones University was founded in Bay County, Florida, then moved to Cleveland, Tennessee, before arriving in Greenville in the mid-1940s. Bob Jones Sr. was an evangelist, who said he saw young people during his travels with a need for religious-based higher education.
A Virginia first-grade school teacher who was shot in her classroom by a 6-year-old student filed a $40 million lawsuit against her school district, alleging administrators were told the boy brought a gun to school prior to the shooting and "had a history of random violence, yet did nothing to stop him from harming her.

The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, 25, filed the civil lawsuit Monday morning in Newport News, Virginia, Circuit Court, accusing her former schools superintendent, principal and assistant principal of multiple counts of negligence, gross negligence and reckless breach of assumed duty of care.

Zwerner's lawyers claimed in court papers that she suffered permanent bodily injuries as a result of being shot by the child on Jan. 6 inside her classroom at Richneck Elementary School.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Newport News School Board, former Newport News School District superintendent George Parker, the former school principal Briana Foster-Newton and former assistant principal Ebony Parker.

PHOTO: FILE - Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School Newport News, Va. Jan. 9, 2023. (John C. Clark/AP, FILE)

The child, who was not named in the lawsuit or by law enforcement officials, was not charged in the shooting. "We don't believe the law supports charging a 6-year-old with a criminal offense as serious as this one," Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn told ABC Hampton, Virginia, affiliate WVEC in a phone call last month.

Gwynn said that once his office has reviewed all of the facts of the case, they will determine if anyone else should be criminally charged in connection with the shooting.

MORE: Virginia school shooting: 6-year-old brought gun in backpack, fired during instruction

The legally purchased handgun used in the shooting was owned by the boy's parents, who released a statement in January saying, the "firearm our son accessed was secured."

"Our family has always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children," the parents said.

The parents said their son "suffers from an acute disability and was under a care plan at the school that included his mother or father attending school with him and accompanying him to class every day."

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"The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives," the parents said, adding that Zwerner has "worked diligently and compassionately to support our family as we sought the best education and learning environment for our son."

The lawsuit, which refers to the boy as John Doe, alleges that just two days before she was shot, Zwerner had a classroom altercation with the boy when he took her cell phone and slammed it on the ground, shattering it. Zwerner, according to the suit, took the boy to the lead teacher and called school security, who did not respond. She claims that when a guidance counselor came to her classroom, the boy called them a derogatory name and was suspended for a day.

On the day of the shooting, the boy showed up to class with his mother, who left the campus despite being required by the school district to accompany him at all times during the school day because of his behavioral issues, according to the lawsuit.

Zwerner claims in the lawsuit that in the hours before the shooting, she told Ebony Parker that the boy was in a "violent mood," had threatened to beat up a kindergartner during lunchtime and "angrily stared down a security officer in the lunchroom." The suit alleges the assistant principal took no action and even refused to look at Zwerner when she expressed concern.

Roughly two hours before the shooting, two students informed the school's reading specialist that the boy had a gun in his backpack, the suit alleges. But when the reading specialist asked him about it, the child denied he had a gun and refused to allow his backpack to be searched.

The instructor went ahead and searched the backpack while the boy was at recess, but didn't find a gun, according to the lawsuit.

When Ebony Parker was told the boy allegedly brought a gun to school, the administrator's response was that the child's "pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing," the suit alleges.

After other students reported the boy showed them a gun and Zwerner observed him removing something from his backpack before recess, at least two teachers asked Ebony Parker for permission to search the child, according to the lawsuit. Ebony Parker did not report the complaints to the police, forbade the teachers from searching the child and told them the boy's mother was returning to the school to pick him up, the lawsuit states.

Less than an hour later, Zwerner was shot inside her classroom while she was seated at a reading table, according to the lawsuit.

PHOTO: FILE - Children arrive at Richneck Elementary School for the first day of classes back at the school in Newport News, Va., Jan. 30, 2023. (The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE)

Zwerner was shot once in the incident. A bullet went through a hand she put up as the student fired and hit her in the chest, officials said.

Since the shooting, Zwerner has experienced physical pain, anxiety, depression and nightmares, according to the lawsuit.

The Newport News School District said in a statement to ABC News on Monday that it has not yet received the legal documents.

"When the School Board is served, we will work with legal counsel accordingly," the statement reads. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery. As we have shared, as a school community, we continue to recover and support one another. We have been working in partnership with our community to address safety and security, student behavior and family engagement."

The school district's statement adds, "The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our most important priority. The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.

George Parker, who was fired on Jan. 26, told The Virginian Pilot that he hasnt seen the lawsuit, but continues to wish Ms. Zwerner well and the best of health.

"I served diligently for five years, to the best of my ability," George Parker told the newspaper. "I wish both Newport News Public Schools and Ms. Zwerner well as we resolve this matter -- and I wish the student well, as well. But I hope that everyone can continue to move forward and make sure accountability is put in the right place."

Foster-Newton's lawyer, Pamela J. Branch, told ABC News she has received information that prior to the shooting, Zwerner was warned by a student in her class that the 6-year-old boy had a gun and alleged Zwerner told the student to sit down and be quiet.

"If this is true, Ms. Zwerner may have been able to avoid the injury she suffered and this will certainly impact her claimed damages. This information was never reported to Mrs. Newton," said Branch, adding that Foster-Newton is exploring the possibility of a countersuit against Zwerner.

"Mrs. Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zwerner and respond accordingly," Branch said.

James Ellison, the attorney representing the 6-year-old, said in a statement that "the allegations in the complaint in reference to the child and his family should be taken with a large grain of salt."

"We of course continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner's complete recovery. In that there is still the potential for criminal charges, there is no further comment," Ellison added.

Efforts by ABC News to reach Ebony Parker were unsuccessful.

MORE: Prosecutor won't charge 6-year-old accused of shooting teacher

Besides firing its superintendent following the shooting, the school board reassigned Ebony Parker to another job within the school district and Briana Foster-Newton resigned as principal of the Richneck Elementary School. The school board also voted to install metal detectors at all schools in the district.

The lawsuit alleged the student who shot Zwerner had a "history of random violence."

The lawsuit alleges, Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed." The court papers allege that often after the child was sent to administrators to be disciplined, he would be "sent back to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy."

In an interview last month with NBC's "Today" show, Zwerner said the shooting has altered her life forever.

"I will just never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me, Zwerner said. It's changed me. Its changed my life."

ABC News' Mark Guarino and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

School officials were told 1st grader had gun before he shot teacher: Lawsuit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Ma Ying-jeou honors ancestors in mainland's Hunan Province

Xinhua) 10:06, April 03, 2023

Ma Ying-jeou visits the tomb of his grandfather with his family in Shuangyang Village of Chaensi Town in Xiangtan County, central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2023. Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, and his family on Saturday morning visited the tomb of his grandfather in the mainland's Hunan Province and honored the family's ancestors at the site. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

CHANGSHA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, and his family on Saturday morning visited the tomb of his grandfather in the mainland's Hunan Province and honored the family's ancestors at the site.

The tomb is located in the county of Xiangtan in Hunan.

Ma and his four sisters stood in front of the well-preserved tomb and carried out a solemn ceremony based on local tradition to pay respects to their ancestors. Ma presented flowers and fruits as sacrifices and used a local Hunan dialect when reading an article to honor his grandfather.

After the ceremony, the family took photos at the site.

During an interview, Ma said that over the years he had always wished to visit the site and pay homage to his grandfather, and this wish had now finally been fulfilled. He also noted that cherishing respect for ancestors is "a very important part of our Chinese people's ethical education."

On his visit, when local people greeted him with saying "Welcome home," Ma used local dialect and answered "the Xiangtan boy is back!"

The family also visited a local ferry pier, the construction of which had been financed by Ma's grandfather and other locals in the 1910s, to provide a free ferry service for the public at that time.

Ma Ying-jeou makes a libation in front of the tomb of his grandfather in Shuangyang Village of Chaensi Town in Xiangtan County, central China's Hunan Province, April 1, 2023. Ma Ying-jeou, former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party, and his family on Saturday morning visited the tomb of his grandfather in the mainland's Hunan Province and honored the family's ancestors at the site. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Dr Joseph Dituri, an associate professor at the University of South Florida and a retired officer in the US Navy, moved into an underwater habitat on 1 March, 2023 (The Independent)

A scientist who has been living underwater for the last 30 days claims to have discovered a new species.

Former naval officer Dr Joseph Dituri is attempting to break a world record by spending 100 days in a habitat 30 feet (9 metres) below a Florida lagoon, testing how the body reacts to long-term exposure to extreme pressure. But one month into the experiment his team may have unexpectedly made a different scientific finding.

We found a single-cell ciliate, a single-celled organism that we believe is a brand new species to science, Dr Dituri told The Independent via video chat. People have dived in this area thousands and thousands of times  its been here, we just didnt look.

The specimen will continue to be examined by microbiologists to confirm that it is a new species. It is one of many discoveries that he is hoping to make by spending an extended amount of time beneath the waves, diving in the surrounding area and conducting experiments in a small lab set up in a 100-square-foot underwater capsule.

One month into the record attempt, Dr Dituri says he feels wonderful though scientists estimate he may lose around an inch in height during that time due to the pressure exerted on his body  in the same way that astronauts grow around 3 per cent taller after spending time in the weightlessness of space.

Dr Dituri is being monitored closely by medical professionals during his time underwater, frequently sending urine and blood samples up to the surface for analysis. He is also under psychological and psychosocial testing, while also performing ultrasound, electrocardiogram and stem cell tests.

The 55-year-old scientist is living 30 feet below the surface in a 100-square-foot habitat located at Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida (Dr Joseph Dituri)

One hypothesis is that the increased pressure  roughly 1.6-times that of the surface pressure  will lead to improvements in health, while also potentially having an impact on key indicators related to disease and longevity.

We know for sure that when youre exposed to about half the pressure that I am right now, you double the number of circulating stem cells, he says. I will have longer telomeres  potentially reversing ageing  and I will also gain bone density and muscle when Im down here.

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There have been some unexpected side-effects, with Dr Dituri saying that some bodily functions like urination are more difficult due to the increased pressure underwater.

19 psychological tests we do before during and after our 100 days of exposure to this Isolated Confined extreme environmenthttps://t.co/va5a5Lrv2A  Joseph Dituri, Ph.D. (@drdeepsea) March 24, 2023

The biggest risks may come when it comes time to resurface, as no decompression testing has ever been undertaken for such an extended period of time. In extreme circumstances, rapid decompression can lead to severe lung damage, paralysis or even death.

We kind of just hope this works out but we dont know, he says.

Having entered the habitat on 1 March, Dr Dituri will need to stay down there until 14 May to beat the current world record of 73 days.

Everyone keeps focussing on the world record but I dont care about the world record. I just want to live underwater  Id do it for 200 days if I could afford it, he says.

This is where we find the next great cure Its the coolest science in the world right now.
Scientists camped in the Arctic are set to start drilling to save samples of ancient ice for analysis before the frozen layers melt away due to climate change, mission organisers said on Monday.

Italian, French and Norwegian researchers are in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in what they called a race against time to preserve crucial ice records for analysing past environmental conditions -- planning to ship them all the way to the Antarctic for storage.

"Glaciers at high latitudes, such as those in the Arctic, have begun to melt at a high rate," said paleoclimatologist Carlo Barbante, vice-chairman of the Ice Memory Foundation that is running the mission.

"We want to recover and preserve, for future generations of scientists, these extraordinary archives of our Planet's climate before all the information they contain is completely lost."

The eight specialists on the mission have set up camp at an altitude of 1,100 metres on the crevasse-ridden Holtedahlfonna ice field and plan to start drilling on Tuesday, Ice Memory said.

They will extract ice in a series of tubes from as far as 125 metres (137 yards) below the surface, containing frozen geochemical traces dating back three centuries.

Analysis of chemicals in deep "ice cores" provides scientists with valuable data about past environmental conditions.

But experts warn that meltwater is leaking down and altering the geochemical records preserved in ancient ice beneath.

Ice scientists "are seeing their primary material disappear forever from the surface of the planet", Jerome Chapellaz, president of the foundation, told AFP.

"It is our responsibility as glaciologists of this generation to make sure a bit of it is preserved."

Human-caused carbon emissions have warmed the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century. Studies indicate that the Arctic is warming between two and four times faster than the global average.

- Antarctic 'ice sanctuary' -

One set of the ice tubes extracted will be used for immediate analysis while a second set will be sent to Antarctica for storage in an "ice memory sanctuary" under the snow, where the samples will be preserved for future generations of scientists.

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From their remote source, the ice cores will be transported by sea to Europe and later to the other end of the globe, for storage at a Franco-Italian Antarctic research station.

There, on territory protected by the Antarctic Treaty, they will be stored under the snow at minus 50C, where no power is needed to keep them cool.

"In coming decades, researchers will have new ideas and techniques to give voice to these archives," the researchers said in a statement.

"For instance, they may be able to isolate other information contained in the ice of which we are not aware today."

The team in Svalbard will work for three weeks in temperatures as low as minus 25C (-13 Farenheit), cutting and pulling out a series of cylinders of ice 10cm (four inches) wide.

The 700,000-euro ($760,000) mission, partly funded by the Italian research ministry, follows a series of earlier ice core extractions by the foundation, including operations in the Alps and the Andes.

Further core-drilling missions are planned in the coming years in Tajikistan and the Himalayas.

A study published in the journal Science in January said that half of the Earth's 215,000 mountain glaciers are expected to disappear by the end of this century due to climate change caused by humans -- even if the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is reached.

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These days, long-spined sea urchins are known as the gardeners of the sea. They tend the algae on the coral reefs they call home, making sure it never overwhelms their hosts. Spotting one on the Florida reef tract is a good sign that nearby corals are doing OK.

Decades ago, their reputation was a little different. They were viewed as damaging nuisances  to divers and to reefs.

The first time marine scientist Don Levitan saw the reefs near the U.S. Virgin Islands, they were blanketed in black  the coral covered by thousands of urchins spiked with sharp, poisonous spines.

It was so dense it looked like a reef of sea urchins, said Levitan, a professor at Florida State University. You couldnt even walk into the water.

That was in 1983, six months before a mysterious disease all but wiped out the population that reached throughout the Caribbean, including Floridas reef tract. The average mortality rate across the Caribbean, he said, was 95%. In the following years, it would become clear that too few urchins would turn out to be worse for reefs than too many of them.

Now, after decades of gradual recovery, the population of this specific type of sea urchin, known formally as Diadema antillarum, has dramatically declined again. A recent paper led by Levitan, published in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a die-off that began in early 2022 was equally devastating: 98% of the Diadema population was wiped out, once again.

That looms as another blow to struggling coral reefs across the entire region, including Florida.

Don Levitan, a professor of biological sciences at Florida State University, captures a sea urchin known as Diadema antillarum. Levitan is researching the cause and impact of two massive dieoffs of the Caribbean species.

Diadema are known as the billy goats of the sea. Their favorite food is the macroalgae that can clump along coral, cutting off the oxygen it needs to survive. Diadema are prolific grazers, and if there are enough of them around, they create little algae-free zones also called halos  around coral that help them survive.

The corals also give back to the urchins. They provide nooks and crannies to hide from hungry predators like triggerfish or hogfish.

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But Floridas corals arent in great shape these days. Climate change has made ocean water hotter and more acidic, causing coral bleaching. The widespread and devastating stony coral tissue loss disease has weakened scores of once-strong reefs. And plumes of pollution from leaky septic tanks and sewage spills are choking out coral with too many nutrients.

Thats why, Levitan said, they need all the help they can get from Diadema. But unlike other spots in the Caribbean, Florida saw some of the slowest recovery between the first die-off in the 1980s and the second recent one, so the natural population is nearly nonexistent.

This 2017 image from a Caribbean coral reef shows a healthy number of diadema sea urchins, which graze algae off coral reefs and allow for better growth.

Places like Florida, if you went diving or snorkeling in the Florida Keys between these two mortality events you just didnt see many Diadema at all, he said.

A collaboration of Florida scientists has been working to change that. Its been a long, slow process without much success or funding, scientists say, but some recent wins have given new hope to the mission of reviving this species.

Diadema nursery

The first hurdle is trying to get the darn things to reproduce  and grow up  in an aquarium.

Some of the best aquaculturists I know have been dabbling with these things for years, said Ken Nedimeyer, technical director of Reef Rescue USA. Most other urchins are easy to breed and raise, so easy, but Diadema are so hard.

And the first few attempts to release those painstakingly raised Diadema into the wild didnt exactly go well. Nedimeyer remembers one try 20 years ago where researchers loosed the urchins on a patch of restored reef. Within 24 hours, they were all gone.

Its taken scientists a while to figure out exactly what went wrong there, but the biggest culprit was likely the other neighbors on the reefs.

Researchers from Reef Rescue transplant elkhorn coral to a new coral reef site in 2019. In the picture, the purple-spined diadema sea urchins appear at healthy levels, a good sign for reef growth.

Theyre kind of like chocolate-covered peanuts. Everybody likes to eat them on the reef. Fish like em, crabs like em, Nedimeyer said. They just cant seem to get past the gauntlet of all the fish mouths trying to eat them.

Scientists have tried all sorts of things to fix that, including providing urchins with tiny undersea houses made of concrete or turned-over terracotta pots. In one experiment, researchers even tied fishing lines to the released urchins to track whether having a hiding spot nearby helped them avoid predators. (It did.)

After watching several ill-fated releases, scientists like Nedimeyer realized there was another factor at play. The urchins raised in captivity didnt behave like their wild cousins, and they were less equipped to survive.

In the aquarium, they feed them squishy algae, like romaine lettuce for a manatee. We have to teach them to chew, Nedimeyer said. In the process of chewing the algae off the rock, they consume some calcium carbonate from the rock that strengthens their spines.

Two Diadema antillarum rest on a Caribbean reef. The Caribbean population of this sea urchin has seen two massive dieoffs in the last few decades, which could have lasting impacts on coral reefs.

Nedimeyers lab is currently working on that part of the equation, using a batch of aquarium-raised Diadema from Joshua Patterson, a University Florida researcher based at the Florida Aquarium who leads the state in raising the urchins. Reef Rescue is trying to turn the pea-sized urchins into reef competent juveniles it can one day release into the wild.

These are one of the most important critters out there. Theyre critical for the Caribbean, Nedimeyer said.

At last, success

Some of the most recent advances are happening in Miamis backyard, at the University of Miamis Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science. Inside, rows of lit aquarium tanks hold dozens of baby urchins, their black spines waving in the current.

Diego Lirman, an associate professor within UMs marine biology and fisheries division, said his team has released two batches of lab-spawned Diadema from Pattersons lab to test sites near Miami Beach, with a third release planned for the summer.

Scientists are tracking the urchins to see if they stay on the reefs and survive, or if theyre gobbled up by hungry predators instead.

This 2017 image from a Caribbean coral reef shows a healthy number of diadema sea urchins, which graze algae off coral reefs and allow for better growth.

While those results wont be ready for some time, Lirman said hes heartened by the results of the latest paper he worked on, which was published last week in the journal of the International Coral Reef Society. In it, a team of researchers showed that their efforts to drop adult Diadema on five reef spots near Key Biscayne were successful.

Those sites saw a nearly 30% drop in algae cover after three months, and after nine months, about 40 of the original 200 urchins transplanted from Port Everglades and Government Cut remained at the Key Biscayne reefs.

Weve shown that they will stay for us, which is promising, Lirman said.

Urchins utilizing critically endangered staghorn corals for shelter one week after being placed on Rainbow Reef. These corals were restored in 2021 during the 100 yards of hope project. While urchins can help corals by eating algae, corals can also help urchins by providing valuable shelter.

However, the eventual goal is not to just move the urchins around but grow them in tanks and release them wherever theyre needed. At this point, Lirman said, scientists are just trying to use Diadema to help the struggling reefs. Theyre not attempting to resurrect the species.

The goal is not to get them to spawn, the goal is to get them to stay and clean the reef so our coral restoration can be successful, he said. At some point it would be nice to dump millions of competent larvae  thats a pipe dream right now.
(NEXSTAR)  The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is thriving, setting a record abundance for this time of year, according to a new report released Friday.

All that abundance  an estimated 13 million tons, University of South Florida (USF) researchers say  is bad news for beaches in the Florida Keys and the Caribbean this summer. As it washes ashore and rots, the algae smell like rotten eggs. It can cause breathing issues for people with sensitivities and asthma.

Satellite images show the 5,000-mile-long belt of seaweed growing denser, and the bloom hasnt even reached its peak yet. The USF researchers anticipate the seaweed masses will reach their largest size in June or July.

Satellite images show 5,000-mile seaweed belt creeping closer to US

The seaweed belt stretches from the west coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico, but researchers say the bloom isnt one continuous blanket of seaweed. The clumps and mats of loosely connected sargassum cover less than 0.1% of the oceans surface, the report said.

Still, even a portion of that 13 million tons of seaweed is enough to wreak havoc on beaches during the peak summer tourism season.

Major beaching events are inevitable around the Caribbean, along the ocean side of Florida Keys and east coast of Florida, although the exact timings and locations are difficult to predict, wrote the USF researchers.

In Florida, the biggest impact will be to the southeast coast, from Miami to Palm Beach, and the ocean side of the Florida Keys, Hu said. Floridas western side will be mostly spared, explained Chuanmin Hu, who tracks the belt as a researcher at USFs College of Marine Science.

Massive seaweed belt still on track to hit US: When will it arrive?

Only the portion between Panama City and Mobile Bay may receive some variable amount of seaweed, and this will be later in the year (perhaps May) if it does happen, Hu told Nexstar.

Satellite images taken in March show the bulk of the mass is still out in the Atlantic Ocean, but traces can be seen coming up into the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

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Some sargassum has already started washing up in Florida, the health department said, but the worst is still to come.

As previously predicted, although the peak month of June or July is several months away, there is already a sign that this years Sargassum bloom will likely be the largest ever recorded, with major impacts throughout the next few months, the report reads.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A second suspect was arrested and charged with murder in connection with a string of drug-facilitated robberies of men who visited gay bars in New York City that included two deaths, two senior law enforcement officials told NBC News on Monday.

Robert Demaio, 34, was charged with murder, robbery, grand larceny, identity theft and conspiracy in connection with the death of John Umberger, a 33-year-old political consultant, and in a separate incident in which an unidentified victim did not die, the officials said.

Umberger and Julio Ramirez, a 25-year-old social worker, were both found dead after visiting gay bars in Manhattans Hells Kitchen neighborhood last spring. Both had left the bars with at least one unknown person before their bank accounts were drained of thousands of dollars using facial recognition access on their phones, according to their family members.

Last month, the medical examiners office ruled their deaths as homicides caused by a drug-facilitated theft. Multiple drugs were found in their systems, including fentanyl, lidocaine and cocaine.

John Umberger; Julio Ramirez. (Linda Clary; Family photo)

The two law enforcement officials said that police obtained security video showing Demaio and Jayqwan Hamilton  one of three suspects police have named in connection to the homicides of Umberger and Ramirez  entering and leaving Umberger's temporary residence in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Through a search warrant, police also recovered two videos from Demaio's phone that showed Demaio at the site of Umberger's death, the officials added. In one of the videos, according to the two officials, Umberger appears to be unconscious, lying face up on a bed at his temporary New York City residence.

"It speaks volumes of the heartlessness of these people," Umberger's mother, Linda Clary, said of the videos. "That's what I find very troubling and why I don't think these people should be allowed to be amongst us."

Demaios detention follows the arrest of Jacob Barroso on Saturday. Barroso, 30, was charged with murder, robbery, grand larceny and conspiracy in connection with Ramirezs death and in a separate incident where the victim survived, police said Sunday.

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Barroso was arraigned Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court on murder and robbery charges. He pleaded not guilty and was not granted bail.

"We intend to fight this case vigorously," his attorney, David Krauss, said.

Several family members and friends of the defendants crowded into the courtroom Monday afternoon. Outside the courtroom, one of Barroso's supporters said he was "not a murderer. You guys got this backwards. We will prove his innocence."

A group of family members and friends of Ramirez were in the courtroom for the proceeding, and the victim's mother was seen crying.

"In addition to the unimaginable pain their family and loved ones are enduring, I know that many other New Yorkers have feared for their own safety when out experiencing New Yorks vibrant nightlife. These charges demonstrate that our career prosecutors have the skill, professionalism and dedication needed to solve these types of challenging cases.

On Friday, police said they believe Demaio, Barroso and Hamilton are among those responsible for a broader citywide robbery pattern that includes at least 17 victims. The incidents  which include Ramirezs and Umbergers robberies and deaths  occurred from Sept. 19, 2021, to Aug. 28, the spokesperson said.

From left, Jacob Barroso and Robert Demaio are arraigned separately in court in New York, on April 3, 2023. (Pool via WNBC)

An additional suspect was arraigned Monday afternoon on robbery, grand larceny and identity theft charges in connection with the string of robberies. Andre Butts, 28, was captured on security video buying sneakers with Ramirezs credit card, according to prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorneys office. Butts, who was arrested Friday and pleaded not guilty, is being held on $100,000 bail after he tried to flee during his arrest, prosecutors said.

Butts' arraignment follows last week's proceeding against Shane Hoskins, who was arraigned on felony larceny and identity theft charges in connection with the same string of robberies.

An indictment naming Hoskins, 31, and four other unidentified co-conspirators outlined a pattern where victims were incapacitated to the extent that their ability to perceive events became diminished, so that the suspects could then steal their victims cellphones and credit cards and use the physical cards and information stored on the victims phones to transfer money to themselves and make purchases.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell commended the teamwork between the NYPD and city prosecutors to bring forward charges.

These defendants showed a callous disregard for human life  and now, we are working to hold them accountable," Sewell said in a statement.

NBC News has spoken with several gay men who said they survived similar incidents from December 2021 to October 2022.

The New York City Police Department previously confirmed to NBC News that there are multiple groups of criminals committing these types of crimes against men visiting the citys gay bars. Police also said that comparable crimes were being committed against patrons of bars without any LGBTQ affiliation.

One separate group is suspected of committing similar crimes on 26 victims, two law enforcement officials told NBC News last week. Fashion designer Kathryn Marie Gallagher, whose death in July was ruled a drug-facilitated homicide by the medical examiners office, was one of the subsequent groups victims, the officials said.

Last week, the New York City medical examiners office also confirmed that it is investigating several additional deaths in similar circumstances to those of Ramirez and Umberger. It is unclear, however, if they were found dead after visiting gay bars or whether they were connected with Demaio, Barroso and Hamilton.

A spokesperson for the medical examiners office said they could not comment further due to the ongoing criminal investigations.

CORRECTION (April 6, 2023, 11:15 a.m.): A previous version of this article misstated the judges decision regarding monetary bail for defendant Jacob Barroso. The judge denied Barroso bail; she did not set bail at $3 million.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Watch the new trailer for Secret Invasion

Kyle Bradstreets Secret Invasion will be the first MCU TV show of Phase 5 when it lands on Disney+ June 2023, and it has the potential to be a massive hit.

The idea of giving Marvel mainstay Nick Fury his own standalone has been in the works since before the MCU even existed, but now, Samuel L. Jackson will finally get his time to shine.

Secret Invasion will continue the plot threads of Furys work with the Skrulls in Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, with the one-eyed, former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., returning as a more grizzled version.

Read more: Every upcoming MCU movie and TV show

For those disappointed that Captain Marvel revamped the shape-shifting Skrulls from villainous aliens into downtrodden refugees, Secret Invasion will introduce a rogue sect of those green-skinned baddies that will be more familiar to comic fans.

Secret Invasion release date

Samuel L Jackson stars in Secret Invasion. (Marvel Studios)

For those who cant wait to see how Nick Fury gets his groove back, Secret Invasion will stream on Disney+ from 21 June, 2023.

Similar to the likes of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki season one, Secret Invasion will consist of six episodes.

Read more: The actors with the most MCU appearances

Bradstreet, known for his work on Mr. Robot, will be joined by Thomas Bezucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (The Looming Tower) as directors. Like other Disney+ releases, Secret Invasion will likely drop episodes on a weekly basis.

Secret Invasion cast

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion. (Disney+)

Taking top billing, Samuel L. Jackson is back for his fourteenth MCU project. Weve seen a few shots of a dishevelled Fury, showing hes been through a lot since we left him in the depths of space.

Also back for more, Ben Mendelsohn reprises his role as good-guy Skull, Talos. The last time we saw Talos, hed been masquerading as Fury while the real one took a well-earned vacation in the cosmos.

Ben Mendelsohn as Talos/Keller in Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion. (Disney+)

It wouldnt be right without Agent Maria Hill by Furys side, so its no surprise Cobie Smulders is back as his second-in-command. While we know Fury was taking it easy in space, its less clear where Hill has been when Talos wife (Soren) was pretending to be her.

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In terms of other MCU staples, Martin Freeman and Don Cheadle also have a part to play as Everett K. Ross and James Rhodey Rhodes.

(L-R): Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill in Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion. (Disney+)

Ross had a major part to play in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and despite being arrested by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), he was then freed by Okoye (Danai Gurira). As for Rhodes, he had a minor part in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and is poised to lead the Armor Wars movie.

Read more: Armor Wars will 'surprise' Marvel fans

In terms of newcomers, we have some A-list talent in the form of Olivia Colman playing MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth. The Oscar-winning actor portrays a former ally of Fury, but if weve learned anything from the MCUs first four phases: its to trust no one.

Olivia Colman as Special Agent Sonya Falsworth in Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion. (Disney+)

Finally, the most intriguing casting is Games of Thrones Emilia Clarke, who has been confirmed to be playing Skrull radical G'iah, the daughter of Talos.

"Theres a kind of punk feeling that you get from this girl, Clarke told Vanity Fair. Shes a refugee kid whos had Talos for a dad, you know what I mean? Maybe the fact that we didnt know he had a kid up until this point tells you everything you need to know about their relationship.

Emilia Clarke and Kingsley Ben-Adir seen on set during filming of Secret Invasion in Halifax, England. (Gerard Binks/Getty Images)

Finally, we have our big bad  played by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The Peaky Blinders actor stars as Gravik, who is the leader of the rogue Skrulls in Secret Invasion.

Read more: Everything we know about Ant-Man 3

Happy Gilmores Christopher McDonald and True Detectives Carmen Ejogo also have mysterious roles, however, McDonald previously downplayed rumours hes playing Norman Osborn in the MCUs main canon.

Secret Invasion plot

Kingsley Ben-Adir as Rebel Skrull leader Gravik. (Marvel Studios)

According to the first look preview by Vanity Fair, Secret Invasion will follow Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury as he uncovers a conspiracy to install shape-shifting double agent Skrulls into positions of power across the globe. It's being described as a Cold War style espionage thriller that will also reveal more about Fury's mysterious past.

We were really inspired by shows like Homeland and The Americans, producer Jonathan Schwartz said. What you find is there are people that you trust or you think you can trustor you can only trust to a certain point.

After being allies with the Skrulls during the events of Captain Marvel, Fury had promised to find a home for the displaced alien race, but it's not gone well. In Secret Invasion, a sect of extremists arise, led by Kingsley Ben-Adir's Gravik who moves to take control of resources they need.

The title treatment for Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion. (Disney)

In the first Secret Invasion trailer, we see a disgruntled Hill calling Fury out for having avoided Earth for years, with the latter saying, Yeah, well, this is different. It looks like your typical otherworldly threat, but with Fury not even bothering to wear his signature eyepatch, this one is serious.

Read more: Why Namor can't have a solo movie

The official synopsis describes this as a crossover event, which would explain why the likes of Hill, Ross, and Rhodes are teaming up with Fury. Rhodey is warned he cant trust his security detail, while Talos looks at war with his own kind.

Speaking at Comic-Con 2022, Smulders said, You're never going to know who people are. Are they a Skrull? Are they a human? It's going to be a bit of a guessing game.

(Marvel Studios)

With anyone being a potential shapeshifter in disguise, we wouldnt be surprised if someone like Ross was exposed as a sneaky Skrull. Also, with Dermot Mulroney expected to play President Ritson, hes another major candidate.

MCU overlord Kevin Feige has said at least some of Secret Invasion is set during the Blip  which simplifies things  but with both Fury and Hull being dusted by Thanos snap, the bulk of the story cant take place here.

Given that Secret Invasion is set to release before Nia DaCostas The Marvels, its also likely the two projects are linked in some way.

Secret Invasion will stream on Disney+ from 21 June.

Watch Don Cheadle share a Secret Invasion update below
PORT ARANSAS, Texas  Take a look at the one that didn't get away  but definitely tried.

An exhausted Captain Tim Oestreich shows off his fishing pole, snapped in two by the beast of a fish lying below him.

Two captains and 3 mates proudly showoff the 676-pound tuna.

IT'S ON THE BOAT!' LARGE MAKO SHARK LEAPS ONTO FISHING CHARTER IN NEW ZEALAND

The 676-pound bluefin tuna battled all 16 anglers plus the five-person crew aboard the Dolphin Express charter fishing boat on March 24th. Each had to take turns during the two-hour tug-of-war to land the fish. Oestreich told Sport Fishing Magazine that some people would last only 2 to 3 minutes before they tired out.

"When one angler was done, I would call for fresh meat on the reel," he told Sport Fishing.

Dolphin Dock's Deep Sea Fishing calls the 56-hour-long trip the "Texas Safari." And their website says that the charter "is your destination for the Texas fishing trip of a lifetime."

WATCH: LOUISIANA FISHERMEN SURROUNDED BY SHARK FEEDING FRENZY

The 676-pounder battled for 2 hours.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The captain said the bait was only in the water for 10 minutes before the bluefin bit. Then the big fish dove and took 800 yards of line with it.

"That's almost half a mile straight down in about a minute," Osetreich explained to Sport Fishing.

Forty-five minutes later, the fishermen had reeled the fish back near the boat, but again, the tuna took off.

The captain tried to keep the fish moving to tire it out. The boat followed the running tuna for about 2.5 miles. After 45 minutes, the fish was again next to the boat. The surprise came when the fish took off again, snapping the rod in two.

Osetreich grabbed what was left of the rod and pulled the fish in by hand for 40 feet. He said it took 8 guys to lift the fish out of the water and into the boat.

SHE THINKS WERE JUST FISHING': VIRAL VIDEO OF FATHER-DAUGHTER FLORIDA FISHING TRIP REMINDS US TO PAUSE

Wahoo, yellowfin and a giant bluefin.

In the 4.5-day trip, the anglers also caught three yellowtail tuna each and 11 wahoo fish.

"When my arm recovers, I'd love to go again..... soon as I find a bigger freezer," wrote the guest on Facebook.

A different Port Aransas boat caught a 750-pound bluefin just a few days later.
Former President Donald Trump left his estate at Mar-a-Lago Monday afternoon and flew out of West Palm Beach to New York, where he is expected to be booked and arraigned on state charges the following day.

He is the first former president to be indicted after a grand jury brought charges, reportedly over hush-money payments made to an adult-film actress during Trumps 2016 campaign.

Former President Donald Trumps private plane takes off from Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2023.

A supporter of former President Donald Trump waves as he departs from Palm Beach International Airport on Monday, April 3, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

After appearing in court Tuesday in Manhattan, Trump expects to return to South Florida and give a speech at Mar-a-Lago in the evening.

Former President Donald Trumps motorcade, heading to Palm Beach International Airport, makes its way past a rally on Monday, April 3, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Former President Donald Trump waves as he heads to the stairs to board his private plane at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2023.

Trumps drive to Palm Beach International Airport was covered by media and watched by adoring supporters.

Doug Grove reacts at a rally before former President Donald Trumps motorcade makes its way to Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, April 3, 2023.

Erik Solensten attends a rally for former President Donald Trump on Monday, April 3, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The supporters gathered to see Trumps motorcade as it headed to Palm Beach International Airport.

Michael Zaiss and his daughter, Violet Zaiss, 1, attend a rally before former President Donald Trumps motorcade makes its way to Palm Beach International Airport on Monday, April 3, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A Donald Trump supporter gives the thumbs up to motorists passing by as she and other people waving flags and signs wait for the former presidents motorcade to pass them on their way to the airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2023.

A police officer controls a crowd of former President Donald Trumps supporters during a rally on Monday, April 3, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The supporters gathered to see Trumps motorcade as it headed to Palm Beach International Airport.
(Getty/iStock/W&N/Viking)

Alice Winn is talking to me about her debut novel, In Memoriam, a love story between two young officers set in the trenches of the First World War. Its not as if I could find primary sources for what gay sex was like at the front, she says, but it seems unlikely that it never happened.

She has a point. The homosexual feelings, if not the actual encounters, of officers such as Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen are clearly recorded in their poems and letters. In more concrete terms, 270 British soldiers were court-martialled during the conflict for gross indecency, as illegal homosexual activities were known. So yes, of course there was gay sex at the front.

Winns novel, which imagines these acts in an explicitly erotic way, is one of two new books that set out to challenge the stereotype of British masculinity in the 20th centurys two world wars. Luke Turners Men at War, released next month, is part-history, part-memoir, and explores the complex but underdiscussed spectrum of masculinity that defined the Second World War. Both books question the ideal of the straight, cisgender serviceman, who in films and fiction is too often portrayed as the only true hero of the conflicts. In these new accounts, fluid gender identities and queer sexuality are revealed to have been no barrier to courageous acts.

Winn, 30, a screenwriter living in New York, says that the initial inspiration for her book came from reading the digital archive of the newspaper at her old school, Marlborough, where Sassoon had also been a pupil. I devoured all the papers from 1913 to 1919 and it was like nothing else Ive ever read, she says. What fascinated her about the papers was the real-time reports of the war that older and former pupils sent back. At first they are all excited,and then they write about gallant deaths, and then it changes tenor as the horror sets in.

This rich archive provides much of the backdrop to In Memoriam, but in the foreground is the story of Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, two school friends whose sexual relationship blossoms just behind the front lines.

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I had also just read Goodbye to All That, Robert Gravess account of the war, so Graves and Sassoon form the DNA of Gaunt and Ellwood, Winn explains. I changed their personalities entirely, but planted some of their characteristics. While Sassoon had well-documented homosexual relationships, Graves, who married twice, was circumspect about his own sexual feelings towards other men, describing himself as a pseudo-homosexual who was honourably chaste and sentimental.

Henry Gaunt, who shares many similarities with Graves, shows no such inhibitions once hes confident his feelings are reciprocated. And Winn is clear that Grant and Ellwood are not simply confused adolescents, but homosexual men in love. They are also heroes who, like Sassoon and Owen, lead daring raids on enemy positions and are both awarded the Military Cross.

Perhaps because there are so many tough-guy movies and novels about the Second World War, the image of the heroic soldier or airman in that conflict is even more stereotypically male. This is the misconception that Turner aims to correct in Men at War.

As a child in the 1980s, Turner had a fascination for anything to do with the Second World War, lapping up jingoistic movies and building Airfix kits of fighter planes and bombers. However, as he began to explore his own fluid sexuality, he started to question the heroic ideal, wondering what roles men of less fixed sexual and gender identities might have played in the fight against fascism. His book presents some of the remarkable stories he has uncovered, threaded through with his own family history.

Luke Turner: I was very adamant that I didnt just want this to be a book about sexuality' (Neil Thomson)

I do feel that to be slightly outside the default, or normal, masculinity gives you an acute view on it, Turner tells me. And Ive never quite fitted into heterosexuality or homosexuality or, increasingly, bisexuality. So I find masculinity fascinating because I dont feel part of any group.

For Turner, the otherwordliness of wartime conditions represent a period in Britain when many people found themselves free of repressive social norms and able to explore their feelings more honestly. It was sexually a very radical time, he says. But what comes out most strongly from his book are not just the homosexual or bisexual experiences of war heroes, but an embryonic picture of the broad spectrum of masculinity that is still emerging today. I was very adamant that I didnt just want this to be a book about sexuality, says Turner. I wanted to include men who were heterosexual too but who sit outside expectations of a vigorous war-like masculinity.

So while the book includes the stories of gay men like RAF flying ace and Battle of Britain hero Ian Gleed, and the gay army officer and novelist Dan Billany, Turner also explores the lives of courageous men who did not conform to gender stereotypes. Among these is Bertram Warr, a young Canadian poet and pacifist who came to England before the war and who, after battling with his conscience, served in the RAF as a bomb aimer in night raids over Germany, one of the most dangerous jobs of the conflict. He was killed on a raid in 1943, leaving behind sheaves of existentialist verse.

In Memoriam author Alice Winn (Jamie Ting)

Another unconventional hero for Turner is Henry Danton, who became a ballet dancer after being dismissed from active service in 1940. Aged 101 (he died in 2022 at 102), Danton told Turner in an interview that he failed as an army officer because he had a psychological aversion to killing, although he wasnt a conscientious objector. He wasnt gay, says Turner, but he was so complicated; so confident in his body but knew he couldnt fight, but obviously so courageous that one evening he continued to dance onstage when a flying bomb came over and the whole audience was under the seats.

For Turner, a major impetus for writing the book is to protest against the way he feels the Second World War has been exploited for Brexit and Covid, and around the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, with veterans held up as a uniform type of British masculinity. Its not representative and does these men a real disservice, he says.

Some people in LGBTQ+ circles dont want queer people to be warriors. I think sometimes theres a feeling that thats aggressive hetero-masculine behaviour. But I think thats wrong

Luke Turner

Thats why I was keen to celebrate the role of the war in pioneering transgender surgery, continues Turner, whose book includes the story of Roberta Cowell, an RAF Spitfire pilot who transitioned after the war and became the first British trans woman to have vaginoplasty in 1951. The techniques that are now used in transgender surgery came directly from military science and I think thats an incredible story thats not really very well known.

Turner is aware of the potential controversies his book may stir up. Among them, he says, is that some people in LGBTQ+ circles dont want queer people to be warriors. I think sometimes theres a feeling that thats aggressive hetero-masculine behaviour. But I think thats wrong, as much as the homophobic view that queer people cant fight is wrong. Its also not an anti-war book, he says. I think you have to fight sometimes. I dont think there was any other way of stopping Nazism. I had to examine myself and ask if I was a pacifist, and the answer is no.

Both Winn and Turners books are now part of a growing history and literature that provide a corrective to past accounts of the kind of men who won the world wars. In Memoriam sits alongside the Regeneration trilogy, Pat Barkers series of historic novels in which Sassoon, Graves and Owen appear as characters, doing the valuable service of reminding us that the real-life queer men who inspired these books were just as likely to act heroically in the trenches as the straight men they fought alongside.

Meanwhile, Turners book joins MP Chris Bryants recent groundbreaking history, The Glamour Boys, which tells the story of the queer parliamentarians who opposed appeasement and then fought bravely against the Nazis.

At a time when masculinity is often described as toxic, Turner says his revisionist history instead presents it as something to be celebrated. I think that makes the book very contemporary, he says. Im holding it up and saying its not as binary as people assume. Theres a lot to be positive about here.

In Memoriam by Alice Winn (Viking, 14.99) is out now. Men at War: Loving, Lusting, Fighting, Remembering 1939-1945 by Luke Turner (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 18.99) is published on 27 April
Key Senate Democrats are pushing to make funding for next years Supreme Court term conditional on the creation of an ethics code.

The move comes after news broke last month that the third branch was requesting additional security funding from Congress due to increased threats. Since the release of a draft opinion in the Dobbs case, which ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade, the justices have seen a sharp rise in protests outside the Court building as well as their private residences.

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), chairman of the Senate subcommittee charged with writing the annual funding bill for the judiciary, said that he will use the upcoming funding bill to try to force the justices to abide by an enforceable code of ethics, according to the Washington Post.

The Supreme Court should have a code of ethics to govern the conduct of its members, and its refusal to adopt such standards has contributed to eroding public confidence in the highest court in the land, said Van Hollen. It is unacceptable that the Supreme Court has exempted itself from the accountability that applies to all other members of our federal courts, and I believe Congress should act to remedy this problem.

Lower court judges are often beholden to ethics rules that dont apply to the justices, with Van Hollen noting that he doesnt think the issue should be a partisan one. Van Hollen will need Republican support in the Senate to get his proposal through. While some Republicans in both chambers have expressed openness to ethics rules for the justices, nothing is guaranteed.

Senator Susan Collins, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations committee, questioned Van Hollens authority to use the power of the purse to sway justices. She told the Post that, in any case, the best venue for such a debate would be the Judiciary committee, not an Appropriations subcommittee.

Van Hollens comments come shortly after fifteen members of the Democratic caucus wrote to him and the subcommittees ranking member Senator Bill Hagerty (R., Tenn.). The signatories, which included Judiciary chairman Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.), argued that language ought to be attached to next years funding bill to force the Supreme Court to adopt transparent processes for recusals and for investigating ethics investigations.

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They are the only organization in the entire United States government that has no mechanism for investigating alleged ethics violations, Whitehouse told the Post. Its crazy.

One check that does exist against the justices and all members of the third branch is the Constitutions impeachment process.

The issue of adopting an ethics code has come up for debate within the Supreme Court in the past. The Post previously reported that the justices debated it for at least four years, but could not come to a consensus. Roberts and other justices have argued that they cannot be bound by all of the rules that apply to lower court judges because of their unique role in the constitutional structure as the ultimate decision-makers in the third branch.

As the court wades into more and more controversial issues such as abortion, scrutiny from Congress as well as the public has increased. Democrats have previously defended demonstrations outside the homes of the justices so long as they are peaceful. This is despite there being a federal statute which prohibits protests outside the homes of judges and jurors, who might be intimidated into changing their thinking on pending cases in response to such displays.

Republican senators on the Judiciary committee grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland in March on why he had failed to bring forward a single prosecution in connection with these protests.

The justices have had to up security in response and and they requested millions in additional funding from Congress in next years budget.

Later in March, Garland explained that he hoped the marshals he had assigned to protect the justices in the wake of the Dobbs leak wouldnt remain indefinitely.

The Marshals Service is also attempting to increase its budget by tens of millions in order to maintain its protective services, Politico reported.

In that end-of-March budget hearing, Senator Katie Britt (R., Ala.) said that her office had obtained training materials from a whistleblower that the marshals assigned to protect the justices had been discouraged from arresting protestors.

Avoid, unless absolutely necessary, criminal enforcement action involving the protest or protestors, particularly on public space, read one bullet point from the materials Britts office obtained.

More from National Review
Former councilwoman Mary Williams-Neal, who served two terms in Kansas Citys 3rd District, has died at the age of 75, the mayor said Sunday.

Williams-Neal represented Kansas Citys 3rd District from 1995 until 2003. She was appointed a Board of Parks and Recreation commissioner in 2019 and was still serving the city in that capacity at the time of her death.

Ms. Williams-Neal led an amazing life as a public servant, a business woman, a mother, a spouse, a parishioner, and friend, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas wrote Sunday evening on Twitter. She had a heart for the young and optimism for our future.

Lucas said that her life after politics was not about money or influence.

It was about doing her all to make life better for the people, he continued. We were blessed to have her love and works here in Kansas City for generations.

Im saddened to learn of the passing today of former Councilwoman Mary Williams-Neal.



A Mississippi native, Ms. Williams-Neal represented the east Kansas City-based 3rd District from 1995 until 2003 and has served as a Parks Commissioner since 2019. https://t.co/bagwgFiwlX  Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) April 2, 2023

In 1995, after working as property manager for the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance, Williams-Neal ran for public office and defeated former councilwoman Carol Coe for the 3rd District seat. She beat her again in 1999.

Current 3rd District Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson recalled first meeting Williams-Neal when Robinson was a teenager. Williams-Neal, a council member at the time, was holding a special meeting on gun violence, youth development and violence prevention.

Robinson called the former councilwoman, whom she considered a mentor, a positive but authoritative force with a vision for making the quality of life better for those living in the community.

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In this Oct. 18, 1996, file photo, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, then under construction near 18th and Vine streets, was a stop on a tour of the district for Mayor Emanuel Cleaver (right) and Mary Williams-Neal, 3rd District councilwoman.

Once elected to council herself in 2019, Robinson sought Williams-Neals leadership. They spoke as recently as a few weeks ago about how to uplift the voices of residents so they have agency in the future of their community.

She was just the community grandmother and the person that we relied upon for strength and guidance and encouragement, Robinson said. She was the standard as it relates to committing your life to service and also committing your life to family.

Williams-Neal continued to live in the 3rd District and work in the community, most recently volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Robinson said.

Kelvin Simmons, a former city council member for the 5th District and a Missouri Commissioner of Administration called Williams-Neals death a tragedy for Kansas City.

She was a strong, yet silent woman of a few words, but her presence was always known as it related to the 3rd District, said Simmons, who served alongside Williams-Neal on the council from 1997 to 2000. But I remember her most as a person that loved her family, and she had a total commitment to her family. And that was always first with her.

In this 2001 file photo, at a groundbreaking for the Transit and Child Development Center, 39th Street and Troost Avenue, Mayor Kay Barnes shoveled dirt into a toy loader run by Diavia Tabron, 4, as Councilwoman Mary Williams-Neal (right), assisted.

Williams-Neal grew up poor, one of 14 children in Mississippi. After graduating from high school at age 21  her education prolonged by working the cotton fields  she moved to St. Louis on her own to take college clerical classes.

In 1969, when Williams-Neal moved to Kansas City to be with her dying mother, she found her first job working at the old Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q on 47th Street.

There, she greeted customers with a familiar, Hi, may I help you?

It was a question she kept asking for the next half a century.

Family has not yet made public Williams-Neals cause of death. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

The Stars Glenn E. Rice contributed.
Photograph: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

It took the US consulate seven minutes to reject Nabil Ahmed Shabbirs visa application.

Shabbir, a British Shia scholar, had applied for his US visa to assist with the birth of his first child. His wife, an American Shia Muslim, wanted to have the birth in the US.

Related: Biden administration quietly resumes deportations to Russia

Shabbir hadnt even left the embassy gate after handing in his visa application when he got a text message saying it had been rejected.

Shabbir, whose work had brought him to the US dozens of times before this rejection in 2020, did not think obtaining a visa would be an issue.

Instead, he had to watch his firstborns birth via WhatsApp video.

Shabbir is one of numerous Shia scholars who have been repeatedly  and unexpectedly  denied entry to the US in the past decade, despite their prior travel to the country for work purposes, raising concerns that they are being deliberately excluded because of their religion.

Despite traveling to the US regularly for five years on a valid 10-year visa, Shabbir was stopped at the airport in 2019 and detained for five hours, facing questions about the intent of his visit.

He was traveling with his wife, but was asked why he had invitations from years ago from American organizations  which fed his suspicion that officials had gone through his email.

He was eventually allowed to enter, but once he returned from the US, he received a notification that his visa had been revoked.

This revocation  unceremonious, without a specific reason and out of the blue  fits a pattern that has been experienced by many Shia scholars.

Mohammad Ali Naquvi, cofounder and chair of the American Muslim Bar Association (AMBA), said his organization had documented denials or revocations of more than 50 Shia scholars in the past decade.

Some were denied entry as they were about to board a US-bound flight, some were denied entry after arriving in the country and forced to turn back despite having a valid visa  and some like Shabbir still remain in a limbo of administrative processing.

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It has a burden on the religious practice of Shia Muslims in the US, not being able to have the scholars here, Abed Ayoub, national executive director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said. Not being able to have your religious events because of immigration enforcement is very problematic.

The issue has been going on for a long time. Sheikh Jihad Ismail, an Australian Shia scholar, was about to board his flight to Albany from Dubai in 2014 when he was told he couldnt fly into the US. This threw him off, especially because he had visited the US nearly 20 times since 2002, giving talks and engaging with the Shia community in the country. His visa has been under administrative processing for six years. According to Naquvi, there are some administrative processing cases that go back nine years.

What we believe is happening is the consular officers at the state department are misreading this law Abed Ayoub of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

Both Ismail and Shabbir know numerous other scholars going through similar experiences. Ismail recalled the story of a friend who was recently made to return on the next flight after arriving in the US.

Many of these scholars are from English-speaking countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia.

There is no solid reason to which anyone in the community can point to explain why so many Shia scholars have been denied entry, but they say they have their suspicions.

Ayoub traces the issue back to the San Bernardino shooting in 2015, in which the shooters had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

This was followed by the Obama administration passing the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, which disqualified the visa waiver for applicants from 40 countries if they had made any trips to Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia or Yemen on a government assignment or military order.

This is tricky because Shia pilgrimages, including the ziyarah, take place in Iran and Iraq.

Nearly all Shia scholars have visited or regularly visit these countries, which automatically puts them under scrutiny under the law.

Because youre seeing a big number of individuals coming from visa waiver countries, what we believe is happening is the consular officers at the state department are misreading this law, Ayoub said.

What theyre doing, in our opinion, is yes, the individual may not qualify for visa waiver, but theyre holding the same standard in even issuing a visa, he added.

That still doesnt explain why Ismail was denied the visa in 2014, before the San Bernardino shooting, feeding further confusion among the scholars. Its clear that there is a pattern that holds true for all these instances, yet nobody can pinpoint the exact issue that would uniformly justify these cases.

This has a grave impact for Shia Americans, especially the current generation.

For a religion with a rich practice of cultural and knowledge exchange across borders, Shabbir said there is an immense value English-speaking scholars have in reaching the current generation, and these visa denials hamper that education.

If scholars like himself arent allowed to teach in the US, the other option for such exchange programs is to invite scholars from countries where they may not understand British or American culture, and the culture gap could become a barrier.

Those young people then find it very difficult to consolidate their faith and the culture they are living in, he said.

They see the western culture as something inherently bad, and if theyre going to be religious that means they have to be against western culture, he added. Whereas its not the case  but they wont know that until they are presented with a western scholar who has grown up through the system.

But there are signs of progress. Ayoub said the Trump administration assisted on some individual cases, and activists are now in talks with Biden administration officials who Ayoub said had been very receptive.

Those like Shabbir hope the doors open up soon. For him, beyond giving talks as a religious scholar, he misses the opportunity to visit his in-laws, with whom his wife has been staying for a few months to take care of her mother. This means he has to go months without seeing his wife or child.

Its not just the visa rejection, he said. Theres just so much more that ends up being attached to it.
An armed Native American takes cover in a trench between sandbags during the Wounded Knee Occupation, March 7, 1973. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

In 1973, hundreds of Native American activists occupied the town of Wounded Knee to demand the US government fulfill its treaties with tribes.

The siege galvanized the movement for Indigenous rights across the country.

The Standing Rock protests that began 7 years ago echo the resistance in Wounded Knee.

Fifty years ago, around 200 Native American activists seized the town of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. Their demands: the removal of a tribal president whom they accused of corruption, and for the US government to fulfill treaties with Native Americans.

The occupation on February 27, 1973, led by members of the grassroots organization American Indian Movement, lasted 71 days in what the US Marshals called the "longest civil disorder" in history.

The Wounded Knee protest also galvanized the movement for Indigenous rights across the country, drawing public attention to the government's history of injustice against Native Americans and their sovereignty. Sacheen Littlefeather cited the occupation in her controversial Oscars speech, and, decades later, many saw echoes in the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests at Standing Rock in April 2016.

"I didn't come up here to die. I came up here to live with this water," Vonda Long, from the Cheyenne River tribe in South Dakota, told Minnesota Public Radio at a Standing Rock protest in 2016. "I'm a Wounded Knee descendant, I done survived and I want my people to continue to survive."

Federal troops block the road to Wounded Knee during the standoff between 200 members of the American Indian Movement and the government, 1973. Agence France Presse/Getty Images

A history of injustice

The movement for Native American rights was driven by a long history of injustice, including poverty and police brutality.

In 1968, the American Indian Movement was founded to stop police harassment of Indians in the Minneapolis area. It emerged in the wake of the Indian Relocation Act of 1956, which was an effort by the US government to hasten the assimilation of Native Americans by encouraging them to leave Indian reservations for urban areas. Critics condemned the policy, which resulted in poverty, joblessness, and homelessness for relocated Native Americans.

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"People were in the gutter and they wanted to get up," journalist Kevin McKiernan, who covered the occupation for NPR, recalled AIM co-founder Dennis Banks saying.

Members of the American Indian Movement chant and beat a drum to sing for those who will man the outposts during the Wounded Knee Occupation. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

The organization became known for its highly visible demonstrations and publicity campaigns. It picked the Pine Ridge Reservation village in Wounded Knee  one of the poorest areas in the US at the time  for its historical symbolism: It was the site of a 1890 massacre, when federal troops killed anywhere from 150 to 300 Lakota men, women, and children.

Throughout 1890, the US government had grown concerned about the increasing influence of the Ghost Dance spiritual movement, which taught that Native Americans had been defeated and confined to reservations because they had angered the gods by abandoning their traditional customs. On December 29, 1890, the US Army surrounded a band of Ghost Dancers near Wounded Knee Creek and demanded they surrender their weapons. The ensuing fight led to the killing of hundreds of Native Americans.

The Wounded Knee massacre of Lakota Sioux Native Americans in December 1890. Universal History Archive/Getty Images

The legacy of Wounded Knee

When the American Indian Movement occupied Wounded Knee decades later in 1973, federal authorities descended upon the town. They exchanged gunfire, killing two Native men and wounding and arresting many others, and began negotiations with the protestors. The activists ultimately surrendered on May 8 after officials promised to investigate their complaints.

But Congress didn't take any major steps to remedy the broken treaties, although the Supreme Court did rule in 1980 that it owed the Sioux money for taking its land a century earlier. (The tribe has not accepted compensation, which was valued at $2 billion dollars as of 2022, because accepting payment meant the Lakota people would forfeit all claims to the territory in question, the Black Hills.)

The Wounded Knee occupation did usher in some gains for the Native American community, including legislation that protects their children from arbitrary removal from their homes; guarantees their rights to religion; and provides funding for the repatriation of Native American cultural items.

Native American protestors and their supporters during a demonstration against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Many of these protections have been jeopardized in recent years, most recently with the proposed construction of the North Dakota pipeline. But Native Americans have continued to oppose these efforts, just as they have for centuries.

"Every time there's a project of this magnitude, so the nation can benefit, there's a cost," Dave Archambault, the then-chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, told the Los Angeles Times in 2016. "That cost is borne by tribal nations."

Read the original article on Insider
A week after the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted to effectively throw out the district map Richard Patten created, the Arroyo Grande resident shared his process for drawing the map  and his opinions on the current liberal board majority.

In 2021, Patten submitted a map to be considered during the countys redistricting process  launching himself into local fame. He also participated in recent recounts of Board of Supervisors races.

That year, the board voted 3-2 to approve what became known as the Patten map.

Local group San Luis Obispo County Citizens for Good Government sued the county over redistricting in 2022, arguing that the Patten map split up communities of interest and advantaged Republican voters.

On March 21, the board voted to settle the lawsuit, agreeing to throw out the Patten map and pick a new one.

On Tuesday, supervisors planned to vote to set a hearing to pick a new map.

The Patten map, created by resident Richard Patten, dramatically redraws San Luis Obispo Countys supervisor districts by splitting the current North Coast into three districts with Los Osos in one, Morro Bay in another, and Cayucos, Cambria and the rest of the region in a district with Atascadero. It divides the city of SLO between two supervisors instead of three, but it does not have SLO represented wholly by one person, as has been the refrain of supporters of the plan. It also separates Oceano from Nipomo in a district that runs from the southern end of Pismo Beach to the edge of Morro Bay State Park and includes the Laguna Lake and airport areas of SLO. Santa Margarita is grouped with Templeton and Paso Robles, rather than neighboring Atascadero.

Does district map favor Republican candidates?

Three conservative supervisors  John Peschong, Debbie Arnold and Lynn Compton  voted to adopt the Patten map.

A Tribune analysis of the Patten map in 2021 showed that it packs Democrats into Districts 3 and 5  making it easier for Republican candidates to win Districts 1, 2 and 4 and maintain a conservative majority on the board.

The reshuffling of the districts ended with a conservative-leaning map.

For example, the liberal-leaning town of Oceano moved from District 4 to District 5, leaving District 4 with more conservative voters.

Edna Valley and the San Luis Obispo Country Club area also moved into District 4, adding more registered Republicans to the area.

District 2, formerly a coastal district stretching from Los Osos to the top of the county, also changed.

Under the Patten map, liberal-leaning Morro Bay and Los Osos were parceled out to other districts, while Atascadero  a more conservative inland city  moved into District 2.

From left, special recount board members Lucia Maceri, Rick Ulsh, Ann Tapper and Rochelle Freidman hand count ballots on Aug. 10, 2022 at the Clerk-Recorders Office. Standing are observers Richard Patten and a woman who declined to share her name. The recount was for the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors race between Lynn Compton and Jimmy Paulding.

Patten didnt draw the map to advantage any group, he said, even if it looks like it.

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No district was based on any political motivation, Patten said.

Patten, who is the District 4 chair of the SLO County Republican Party, said that his opinions are his own and not representative of any organization.

Patten said he didnt consult data on the political makeup of the county when he drew the map. In fact, he said hes still not aware of the local distribution of Democrats and Republicans.

I still dont know the political distribution by district. I never looked it up, Patten told The Tribune.

Supervisor Bruce Gibson, however, said he doesnt believe that Patten is unaware of the countys political makeup.

I find that preposterous, Gibson told The Tribune. Its quite clear that that map was crafted understanding where Democrats and Republicans live.

Patten said that California law prohibited him from considering the political makeup of the county while drawing the map, so he steered clear of political data.

Patten interpreted the law differently than the county did.

Though the California Election Code and Fair Maps Act bans the county from adopting a map specifically to advantage or disadvantage a political party, it doesnt prevent the board or other parties from reviewing partisan data along with other data, according to county counsel Rita Neal.

(Partisan data) is one of many factors to adopt a map, just like the communities of interest, just like geographic continuity, Neal said.

Why did SLO County man create district map?

Patten, who previously worked in computer programming, created his district map as a sort of retirement project, he said.

Sometimes retired people have too much time on their hands, Patten said. I read that any citizen can draw and submit a map, so I took the challenge.

Patten said he had been politically active through voting and investigating election integrity related to mail-in ballots, but wanted to get more involved.

I just needed something to do, he said.

Patten had some prior experience with maps, he said.

When Patten worked as a computer programmer, he analyzed how many people in a given area might be interested in buying his clients products, he said.

Patten drew the district map by himself, he said.

He denied accusations that he worked with the Republican Party of San Luis Obispo County on the map.

I found in my personal career ... that the less outside comments you have, or the less outside work that you take in, the better, Patten said, because there are so many different opinions about how things should be.

Besides, he said, the Republican Party is too busy raising money and staying afloat.

What I did was use my best judgment, Patten said.

Patten said he used two online map-building tools to design his map, but he refused to share the names of the tools.

I dont want anyone to scrutinize their business, he said.

Richard Patten, author of the Patten Map, steps away from the podium after he spoke to the counter supervisors. The SLO County Supervisors will vote on a redistricting plan for San Luis Obispo County.

Arroyo Grande resident : Designing districts was a math problem

As part of the process, Patten said he consulted the California Election Code, which has numerous rules including establishing substantially equal populations in each district and keeping communities of interest intact.

A community of interest is a population that shares common social or economic interests, the code says. This doesnt include political parties.

I looked at past maps and then you read through the rules and decide what to do based on what the rules say, Patten said. Im a rule follower.

Patten said he did his best to design the districts so the populations were similar to each other.

Its just a math problem, Patten said. You have so many people in the county and divide it up by five districts and you do the math and thats your basis.

He used roads, property lines and fence lines to draw the district boundaries, and did his best to keep cities and communities of interest intact, he said.

San Luis Obispo was the only local city that Patten split into two districts because its population is so large, he said.

In Pattens map, Cal Poly is located in one district  District 5. That was not the case in other potential district maps the board reviewed before choosing Pattens, he said.

Supervisor Bruce Gibson holds his head while commenting during the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors redistricting meeting on Nov. 30, 2021. The board voted 3-2 to throw out the current map in favor of a radically redrawn version created by Arroyo Grande resident Richard Patten.

Liberal supervisors ignore citizens, Richard Patten says

Patten said he doesnt have a preference over which map the board selects to replace his.

Whatever they want to do is fine, Patten said.

However, he expressed concerns that the boards three liberal supervisors voted to discuss the lawsuit in closed session on Jan. 24.

Neal said that its legal for the board to discuss lawsuits in closed session so as not to reveal their tactics to the other party in the lawsuit.

Patten said that the current liberal majority wont listen to voters who disagree with them.

The map is secondary to my concern, Patten said. We live in a country where its supposed to be a government by the people, for the people, of the people, but the people in this county are not allowed.

Patten said that the board listened to SLO County Citizens for Good Government because the group is liberal-leaning.

It was a ruse, Patten said of the lawsuit. Its set up by the Democratic Party to get (the map) off the table and get it redrawn.

SLO County Citizens for Good Government representative Linda Seifert, however, said that the lawsuit was a grassroots effort to repeal the map.

She noted that citizens unhappy with the map showed up to vote in 2022 for supervisor candidates who were outspoken about disagreeing with the map.

Gibson won by 13 votes in a conservative-leaning District 2, and Supervisor Jimmy Paulding also won narrowly in a conservative-leaning District 4.

Where process is utilized improperly, people are willing to come forward. I think a piece of Bruces victory in a district that was almost impossible for him to win was partly because of the redistricting issue, Seifert said. The way it was handled mattered to the people that came to vote. They dont want their government run that way.

Repealing the Patten map reflects the will of the voters, she said.

Patten didnt see the lawsuit in the same light.

The League of Women Voters and the Citizens for Good Government, do you think they would follow the orders of Bruce Gibson? Patten asked, though he did not present any evidence that the groups had coordinated with the supervisor.

He said the lawsuit had peculiarities in transparency, but wouldnt elaborate.

Gibson said he did not coordinate with SLO County Citizens for Good Government to create the lawsuit.

That is a completely unsurprising filtering of the facts, Gibson said. Citizens for Good Government spontaneously rose up. They raised close to $400,000 in two months, people were that outraged at the adoption of that map.
After 235 days behind bars, Curtis Eddie Smith, whom indictments allege was Alex Murdaughs accomplice in various money laundering, drug and fraud schemes, can get out of jail on $250,000 bond  if he behaves himself, a state judge said Monday.

Judge Clifton Newman said he would allow Smith, 62, a shaggy-haired disabled logger and truck driver, to go free pending trials on the criminal charges against him.

But, said Newman, if Smith violates conditions of his bond, he will land back in jail again.

If this bond is reinstated, Mr. Smith, there will be strict compliance with it, no deviation, no leniency, no latitude in any way, Newman told Smith.

I totally understand the importance of the letter of my bond, Smith told the judge during a 19-minute hearing at the Richland County courthouse.

Lawyers John Meadors and Don Zelenka from the state Attorney Generals office said they did not object to Smiths getting out on bond, in large part because he had agreed to testify against Murdaugh in Murdaughs recent double-murder trial. It turned out Smith wasnt called to the witness stand. Meadors also told the judge he believed Smith was being truthful with prosecutors.

But Smith will have to comply with strict rules governing his release, including wearing a GPS monitor at his own expense, taking drug tests and staying at home and only going to work. As a truck driver, Smith will be able to only drive certain known routes, the judge said.

Smith, wearing a blue and green plaid shirt and dusty brown khaki pants, nodded his agreement.

His lawyers, Aimee Zmroczek and Jarrett Bouchette, also told Newman that Smiths health was suffering and he had gained a lot of weight.

My sugars off the charts, blood pressures off the chart, Smith told the judge, who wanted to know how many pounds he had added.

About 55 pounds, said Smith, explaining that a lack of exercise had been responsible in large part for his weight gain. I havent been able to get any exercise. I work all day. I enjoy work, and I havent been able to do any.

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Newman revoked Smiths bond last August after hearing arguments from a state prosecutor that Smith had not been honest about the amount of money he had available to post bond. At a hearing last June, Smith had told the judge he had no money, but in fact, the prosecutor said, Smith had tens of thousands of dollars in bank accounts.

Smith had also traveled to places in the Lowcountry he was not supposed to while out on bond, prosecutors said.

An indictment last June against Smith accuses him of drug trafficking and running a longtime money laundering scheme with Murdaugh involving $2.4 million in stolen money.

At a hearing last June, the Attorney Generals chief prosecutor, Creighton Waters, told Newman that much of the $2.4 million went to buy drugs for Murdaugh, but a substantial amount of cash remained unaccounted for,

A Colleton County jury convicted Murdaugh, 54, last month of killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, after a highly-publicized six-week trial. The disbarred lawyer is now serving two life sentences without parole in a high-security unit in one of the S.C. Department of Corrections maximum security prisons. The corrections department has not disclosed the location.

Smith was not charged in the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

Murdaugh also faces nearly 100 other financial fraud charges including forgery, embezzlement, and money laundering involving numerous victims including clients, other lawyers, his former law firm and even his own brother, Randy Murdaugh. Trial dates on those charges have not yet been set.

Smith is one of several associates of Murdaugh caught up in the former lawyers various alleged schemes.

Last November, Murdaughs childhood friend, Russell Laffitte, the prominent ex-CEO of a regional Lowcountry bank, was found guilty in federal court in Charleston of numerous counts of financial fraud involving funneling money to Murdaugh. Laffitte has not yet been sentenced.

In March 2022, a close friend of Murdaughs from law school, Beaufort attorney Cory Fleming, was indicted on charges that he conspired with Murdaugh to steal millions of dollars in an inheritance scheme involving the death of Murdaughs late housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield. Fleming is out on bond and has not yet been tried.

Smith also faces insurance fraud charges in Hampton County that allege he took part in a botched suicide plot in September 2021 with Murdaugh, who wanted Smith to shoot him so Murdaughs surviving son, Buster, could collect $10 million in life insurance proceeds., officials said. Smith has denied shooting Murdaugh, who was slightly wounded in the incident.
Donald Trump was skewered on SNL after being indicted by a New York City grand jury on charges of falsifying business records.

The charges stem from payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from revealing an affair he had with her before the 2016 election.

Trump is reportedly facing more than 30 counts related to business fraud, sources told CNN after the indictment became public.

Find live updates about Trumps indictment here.

Naturally, SNL didnt hold back in their roasting of Trump in the latest episode, which aired on Saturday (1 April) and saw James Austin Johnson return as the former president.

Johnson, in character as Trump, said he would come clean and admit that he broke the law before swiftly declaring it an April fools prank.

Well, folks, it happened, I got indicted, or as I spell it, indicated, Johnsons Trump said, adding: Make no mistake, what the radical left is doing is worse than any crime I have ever committed.

He then added: Since the news of my possible imprisonment, Ive never seen Melania happier.

Also, just to set the record straight, I didnt even sleep with Stormy Daniels, but in many ways I did. And isnt it ironic that the first time I actually pay someone, they try to send me to jail. Thats why you dont pay people, folks. You never pay people.

Later in the episode, Mikey Day, as Trumps son Don Jr, says: It might be the last time I see you, to which Johnsons Trump replies: Farom your mouth to Gods ears.

James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump on SNL (YouTube)

Elsewhere on SNL, Colin Jost fell victim to an evil prank pulled by his Weekend Update co-host Michael Che, which Jost branded the meanest thing Che has ever done.

Meanwhile, host Quinta Brunson, creator and star of Abbott Elementary, called out sitcom Friends for its lack of diversity during her opening monologue.

District attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement on Thursday (30 March) that his office has been in touch with Trumps attorneys over his surrender.

His lawyers have indicated that he will surrender to New York authorities early next week.

The former president has fumed about the indictment in statements posted on his Truth Social platform since Thursday where he railed against the corrupt charges, claimed he cant get a fair trial in New York, and lashed out at Judge Juan Merchan who is assigned to the case.
A snowmobiler was rescued near Mount Baker over the weekend after being involved in an accident.

A Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Search and Rescue team received a request for a rescue at about 3:40 p.m. on Saturday, April 1. The helicopter was airborne by 4:30 p.m. and arrived at the accident scene just before 5 p.m.

The snowmobiler was found unconscious with a restricted airway, according to a naval station news release. The release did not identify the snowmobiler or elaborate on the extent of their injuries.

The search and rescue team hoisted the snowmobiler into the helicopter around 5:20 p.m. and airlifted them to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham by about 5:40 p.m.

This is the fifth mission conducted by the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station Search and Rescue team so far this year, including one MEDEVAC, one search and three rescues.
The fourth station of the cross is read by Chuck Weiss of Clinton, Mississippi, center, in front of the Department of Children and Family services as Vicky Bean of Springfield, right, holds a cross and Sister Marcelline Koch of Springfield watches during the 2022 Way of the Cross, which drew about 40 participants. Friday's walk starts at the Illinois Supreme Court building at Second and Capitol at noon.

Several Springfield churches and religious communities are sponsoring an ecumenical Good Friday Way of the Cross for Peace and Justice beginning at the Illinois Supreme Court Building at noon.

The two-hour prayerful walk recalls Christs passion and its connection with the sufferings of injustice experienced by people in the world today, such as war, racism, immigration, homelessness, imprisonment, economic justice and environmental degradation.

It is modeled after a traditional Catholic devotion popular during the Lenten season, the run-up to Holy Week and Easter, which is celebrated by many Christians on Sunday.

More: For Meares, anticipation replaces trepidation in trip back to Springfield

Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter, or Pascha, on April 16.

Last year's walk, the first since 2019 after being scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, drew 40 participants, said Rev. Dr. Bobbi Dykema, pastor of First Church of the Brethren.

One of the new congregations participating this year, Dykema said, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Each of the 13 stops, or stations, at a downtown building or marker connects to a particular social justice theme in a meditative way. At each stop, part of a hymn is sung and a reflection is given on the particular theme.

For instance, participants will be stopping at the Sangamon County Jail, at the county building complex at 200 S. Ninth St. It recalls Christ's arrest before his crucifixion.

"We're really seeking justice for all who are incarcerated, rightly or wrongly, that the truth may prevail, and justice be done," Dykema said.

A person is designated to carry a large wooden cross from stop to stop, a commemoration of Christ's journey to his crucifixion.

The original impetus for the walk, which has been around for about 30 years or so, came from the Springfield Dominican Sisters and the now-dormant Pax Christi group, Dykema said.

"It comes out of Catholic social teaching (originally)," she said.

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The walk is sponsored by Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church, First Church of the Brethren, First Presbyterian Church, Grace Lutheran Church and the Springfield Dominican Sisters.

For more information, call/text 217-652-8086 or contact Sister Marcelline Koch at smkoch@spdom.org.

The event will be held inside First Presbyterian Church in the event of rain.

The Rev. Dr. Bobbi Dykema, pastor at First Church of the Brethren in Springfield, center, reads the second station of the cross in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue at Fourth and Capitol during the Good Friday Way of the Cross in Springfield in 2022.

Cantata at St. John's ELCA

The St. John's Lutheran (ELCA) Church chancel choir will perform the cantata "The Living Last Words" in the sanctuary at 7 p.m. Friday.

Ruth Elaine Schram's dramatization imagines the responses of other witnesses at the crucifixion, creating short dramatic monologues for each, including Christ's mother, the disciple St. John and Roman soldiers carrying out the crucifixion.

St. John's is located at 2477 W. Washington St. in Springfield.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Social justice-themed Way of the Cross will wind through downtown Springfield
Court

Burglars have been convicted of up to 27 break-ins before being jailed, according to data obtained by The Telegraph that exposes the scale of soft justice.

They are escaping prison despite laws requiring judges to immediately jail them for a third offence, according to data obtained under Freedom of Information laws.

Criminals are also being convicted of up to eight knife offences before being jailed, even though one strike and out laws require immediate prison terms for a second offence.

Overall, the number of super-prolific criminals who have been spared prison even though they have been convicted of more than 100 previous crimes has tripled in the past 15 years to more than 250 a year.

The disclosures prompted demands by Priti Patel, the former home secretary, for automatic jail sentences for prolific offenders amid dismay at the soft justice by UK courts.

Ministers considered automatic prison sentences for prolific criminals when drawing up the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act two years ago.

They were advocated by Chris Philp, then a justice minister, but were rejected by Sir Robert Buckland, then the justice secretary. It was judged too difficult to define the cut-off point for jailing a prolific offender whose crimes were often low-level theft, drugs or anti-social behaviour below the threshold for prison.

The Ministry of Justices (MoJ) internal research shows just nine per cent of offenders are prolific, but they account for more than 10 million offences - around half of all the crimes dealt with by courts each year in England and Wales.

Yet the MoJ figures obtained by The Telegraph show there were 3,377 super-prolific criminals in 2021 who were not jailed, even though they had each been previously convicted of more than 50 offences. Of these, 258 had been convicted of more than 100 individual previous offences, but were still not jailed.

A simple scheme targeted at prolific offenders with clear law enforcement measures to lock them up is required, said Ms Patel.

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It is disgraceful to see the courts letting so many off with soft sentences. Laws have been put in place to send offenders to prison when they commit multiple crimes and victims of crime are being let down by judges and magistrates failing to use these laws to keep our streets safe.

Offenders who carry knives and who steal are dangerous crooks who should be locked up and not set free to roam our streets and commit more crimes.

Our police officers work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice and it is dreadful to see that work being undermined by the courts failing to jail crooks, burglars and dangerous offenders.

Harvey Redgrave, a former adviser to Sir Tony Blair at Number 10 and chief executive of crime consultancy Crest Advisory, said: These statistics paint an extremely worrying picture of a justice system that is at crisis point.

There is little point in politicians talking tough and passing new laws to toughen sentences when the ones we already have are being ignored.

It is an established fact that a small minority of prolific offenders drive a large proportion of total crime. These individuals are recycled through the system endlessly yet are neither being appropriately punished, nor rehabilitated.

Rather than treating every offence and every offender the same way, the justice system should prioritise lifetime offenders with a new targeted approach.

He cited the prolific and priority offenders (PPO) scheme, launched in 2004 but since scrapped, which slashed offending rates by up to 62 per cent. It targeted a cohort of serial offenders by bringing together the police, Crown Prosecution Service, courts and probation.

The Telegraph asked the MoJ to provide data on how many times an offender for 14 different crimes was convicted before they were jailed for the same offence.

It revealed that in 2020, the highest number of previous convictions for possessing a knife was eight. In 2021, it was seven, five in 2019 and seven in 2018.

This is despite the fact that anyone caught with a knife for a second time should automatically receive a six-month jail sentence under section 28 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.

For burglary, the figures were significantly higher. In 2019, the highest number of previous burglaries for which a criminal was convicted before being jailed was 27. In 2020, it was 20, in 2018, it was 18, and in 2021, it was 13.

Sir Robert said there were problems with automatic jailing of prolific offenders. One was that the offences they were committing were often minor such as thefts, drug-related offences or or anti-social behaviour that did not reach the threshold for jail.

The question mark really was whether there came a moment where you declared them a prolific offender and gave them a longer sentence, he said. It's not an easy thing to do bearing in mind the fact that unless the issues are linked to a particular crime, like dangerousness, it's difficult for the court to add more on just on the basis that the person is a prolific.

Sir Robert said an alternative could be prolific offender orders to strike at the root causes and prevent repeat offending by placing the criminal under close supervision, with probation officers in their face every day. On top of this, courts could have been told to add extra increments on prolific offenders sentences.

But, recalling the debate over the plans, he said: As usual, we came up against the issue of resources and timing and I wanted to get on with some major reforms which I did. So it's not something I wanted to file away and forget about. It was something I wanted to return to.

Instead, the Government tightened up the legislation by telling judges to automatically jail repeat knife criminals, burglars and Class A drug offenders unless there were exceptional reasons not to do so.

These harsher sentences will see more criminals convicted of repeat knife and burglary offences face time behind bars, said an MoJ spokesman.
(Bloomberg) --

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South Africas main opposition party said it will seek a pact with like-minded rivals to secure a majority in next years elections in order to sideline the ruling African National Congress and the radical Economic Freedom Fighters.

The Democratic Alliance needs coalitions for the time being if we want to take power at national level, as we must, said John Steenhuisen, who was reelected as party leader at a meeting near Johannesburg on Sunday. The pact will enable different organizations to work together and retain their own identities, while bringing an end to the petty squabbles and divisions that only benefit the ANC, he said.

The ANC has governed Africas most industrialized economy since the end of White-minority rule in 1994, but opinion polls show it risks losing its majority in 2024  a backlash over its failure to tackle record power outages and rampant poverty and unemployment. That would force it to enlist the support of one or more opposition groups if it wants to continue governing.

One alternative would be for it to enter into a partnership with Julius Malemas EFF, South Africas third-biggest party, which favors the nationalization of banks, mines and land. Such a tie-up  which has already taken place in several municipalities with disastrous consequences  must be avoided at all costs, according to Steenhuisen.

It will be doomsday for South Africa, he said. The DA will make it our number-one priority and do absolutely everything in our power to prevent an ANC-EFF doomsday coalition from taking power.

The DA garnered 20.8% support in the last national vote in 2019, the ANC 57.5% and the EFF 10.8%. While Steenhuisen previously indicated that his party would consider cooperating with the ANC, that option now appears to be off the table.

Story continues

Read more: South Africas Main Opposition to Weigh Tie-Up With Ruling ANC

The ANC has yet to spell out what it will do should it relinquish its majority. A panel led by David Makhura, the former premier of the central Gauteng province, drafted a discussion paper on coalitions and the ANCs top decision-making body will discuss the document when it next meets.

The DA allied with several rivals  including the EFF  after a 2021 municipal vote to wrest control of major urban centers from the ANC, but the ties-up have proved unstable and power has since changed hands in Johannesburg, the economic hub, and other towns. Opposition party leaders will have to come together to iron out their differences, according to Steenhuisen.

They need to agree on how the opposition ensures that the mightiest possible offer is placed before voters next year to change the face of our government and the fate of our country, he said. The DA has learned from its mistakes, and there were some good examples of it cooperating with like-minded rivals, including instances where they had agreed to abstained in municipal by-elections and encouraged their supporters to vote for each other, he said.

Former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, who left the DA to found rival ActionSA, welcomed Steenhuisens comments, but warned that all potential coalition partners must be treated on an equal footing.

Read more: Opposition Meltdown Puts South Africas Key Cities in Play

ActionSA has long maintained that to fix South Africa we cannot partner with those who broke it in the first place, said Mashaba, whose party won 16% of the vote in Johannesburg in its maiden municipal election in 2021. Instead, we need to unite those that believe in unseating the ANC behind a collective effort to do so.

Steenhuisen, 47, has been on a drive to reunite and grow his party after several of its high-profile Black leaders left. He secured a second term as leader after fending off a challenge by former Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse.

Helen Zille, a former DA leader, was reelected as chairwoman of the partys federal council, while Ivan Meyer was reappointed as federal chairman.

(Updates with comments from ActionSA leader in 10th paragraph.)

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SEOUL (Reuters) - The navies of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan will hold two days of anti-submarine exercises starting Monday to better counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities, South Korea's defence ministry said.

The drills will be staged in international waters off South Korea's southern island of Jeju, involving a U.S. carrier strike group led by USS Nimitz, which had arrived in the southeastern city of Busan last week.

The trilateral drills come as North Korea unveiled last week new, smaller nuclear warheads, vowed to produce more weapons-grade nuclear materials to expand its arsenal, and boasted of what it called a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone.

This week's exercises will use a mobile anti-submarine warfare training target to improve the capabilities needed to detect, track and destroy North Korean underwater threats, the ministry said.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Hirokazu Matsuno, told reporters that the drills are meant to promote trilateral cooperation to "deal with regional security concerns, protect our shared security and prosperity and show the three countries' commitment to strengthening the rule-based international order."

Asked about the drills on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: "The drills conducted by some countries around the peninsula are the main reason for the high tensions on the Korean peninsula. Relevant parties should create favourable conditions for the resumption of dialogue."

The three countries last held trilateral anti-submarine drills in September - the first time in five years - amid tension over North Korea's unprecedented number of missile tests.

(Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Additional reporting by Kantaro Komiya in Tokyo and Andrew Hayley in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle)
The office of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has officially confirmed Monday that the California Republican will meet this week with Taiwans president in his home state.

The bipartisan meeting between McCarthy and Tsai Ing-wen, which also will include members of Congress, will take place Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, his office told Fox News Digital in a statement.

China previously threatened "resolute countermeasures" if McCarthy and Tsai meet.

"There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters Monday when asked about the meeting. "As the Chinese side has repeatedly stressed, we strongly oppose any form of official interaction and contact between the U.S. side and Taiwan authorities."

OPINION: SPEAKER MCCARTHY, TAIWAN CAN COUNTER CHINA IF THEY LEARN FROM RONALD REAGAN

She did not elaborate when asked what retaliatory measures China is considering taking as a result of the meeting between McCarthy and Tsai.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Mao also said McCarthy needs to "abide by the one-China principle... refrain from sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces and avoid undermining the China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."

McCarthys office, when asked to respond to criticisms from China about the meeting, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Tsai is currently on a 10-day tour of the Americas.

TAIWAN SCRAMBLES JETS, SHIPS AFTER IRRATIONAL ACTIONS BY CHINESE MILITARY

Earlier in March, a report emerged that Tsai will meet with McCarthy on U.S. soil, instead of overseas, in order to avoid provoking China.

McCarthy previously said he wanted to visit Taiwan if elected speaker, according to the Financial Times, and Fox News Digital reported in January that the Pentagon was preparing for the California Republican to visit Taipei later this year.

Story continues

But now with relations between the U.S. and China increasingly strained, Tsai and McCarthy have agreed to meet in California.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi makes a speech after receiving the Order of Propitious Clouds with Special Grand Cordon  Taiwans highest civilian honor  from President Tsai Ing-wen on Aug. 3, 2022, in Taipei.

"We shared some intelligence about what the Chinese Communist Party is recently up to and the kinds of threats they pose," a senior Taiwanese official told the Financial Times in regard to what has been communicated to McCarthys team, adding that China is "not in a good situation right now."

In August last year, Nancy Pelosi became the first House speaker to visit Taiwan in 25 years, which set off a series of threats from China, including live-fire military drills in proximity to the island and accusations that the U.S. was using "dirty tricks" with the visit.

Fox News Lawrence Richard and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP)  Tedorian Gallano would like to buy a house for his wife and three youngest children in Hawaii, but real estate prices soared so high eight years ago he moved his family back to his childhood home outside Honolulu  and last year, his older brother followed suit.

Now, eight members from three generations of Gallano's extended family share one bathroom in a house that's so packed they've jerry-rigged an extra bedroom in the garage. Buying a home is pretty much unattainable for the average working family in Hawaii, the 49-year-old carpenter said.

We always seem to have these hot markets that drive the prices up, and then its the hardworking local families that cannot buy houses who are kind of left out, said Gallano, who's a member of the carpenters' union thats been active on the issue.

Gallano's situation is emblematic of the acute affordable housing crisis afflicting Hawaii, a problem so deep that there's now widespread concern that many of Hawaii's children won't be able to afford to live there as adults. Many residents are fearful their entire state  a diverse and culturally vibrant society with unique values and a complex identity  is being gentrified before their eyes as home prices soar.

The median price of a single-family home topped $1 million in most areas of Hawaii during the coronavirus pandemic and has declined only modestly since. The state has the fourth-highest per capita rate of homelessness in the nation after California, Vermont and Oregon. On Thursday, new data showed the islands experienced net population loss five of the last six years. In 2022, U.S. census data showed more Native Hawaiians live outside Hawaii than within.

Now, amid growing urgency, both the governor and Hawaii's legislative leaders are making housing a top priority.

In one of his first moves after taking office in January, Democratic Gov. Josh Green created a new housing czar to oversee the effort. One thing Chief Housing Officer Nani Medeiros is focused on is identifying roadblocks and redundant permitting at local and state levels that can hold up construction. The administration also wants to pour $1 billion into housing programs, including $450 million to subsidize the construction of affordable dwellings.

Story continues

Lawmakers have sponsored bills to trim bureaucracy, fund public housing renovations and encourage construction of dense housing on state land next to Honolulu's planned rail line.

Determined to find solutions, a college student taking a break during COVID-19 and a recent college graduate co-founded a nonprofit advocacy organization called Housing Hawaiis Future to lobby on the issue. Nearly 1,500 people have signed their pledge to back more housing.

It really bothers me that we are saying to the young people of Hawaii, Its great that you might have been born and raised and educated here, but now that youve become an adult, you have to leave and you cannot come back, said state Sen. Stanley Chang, a Democrat who chairs the Senate housing committee.

The departure of so many Native Hawaiians could dissipate Hawaiian values, like caring for the land, kuleana (sense of responsibility) and lokahi (working together), said Williamson Chang, a University of Hawaii law professor who is Native Hawaiian and not related to the senator.

Theres not a great effort to preserve Hawaiian values if you dont have Hawaiians. In other words, whos going to transmit these values? Who is going to teach these values? he said.

Some moves to shore up affordable housing by easing development regulations are being met with trepidation by conservationists, who warn that going too far in that direction could endanger the islands' world-famous ecosystems and farmland.

Wayne Tanaka, the director of the Hawaii chapter of the environmental and social justice nonprofit the Sierra Club, said efficiencies could expedite needed housing development, but the devil is in the details. He said the community must also consider the environment, water sources, food security and climate change threats, like severe drought and powerful hurricanes.

We dont want to just build, build, build and then all of a sudden we dont know how were going to feed ourselves when the climate crisis shuts down our harbors or dries up the places where we import our food from, Tanaka said.

Currently, housing construction is not keeping up with demand. Only 1,000 to 2,000 new housing units are being built in Hawaii each year. Those numbers are dwarfed by the 50,000 new units a 2019 state-commissioned study estimated would be needed by 2025.

In contrast, in 1973, Honolulu approved permits for some 13,700 housing units, and the states three other main counties approved more than 4,000, said Paul Brewbaker, an economics consultant with TZ Economics.

In extreme cases, developers face backlogs of years, or even decades.

Kauai County officials labored more than a decade obtaining state and county permits before they could break ground to build affordable homes on former sugar cane land.

Everett Dowling, the president of Maui developer Dowling Companies, said a developer cant begin work on other housing when its money is tied up in a project awaiting permits. Engineers, architects and lawyers also cant move on. And costs escalate.

The longer you hold a piece of property, the more you spend on it, the less affordable the housing becomes, Dowling said.

Housing director Medeiros said even with the new urgency, some of the reforms might not happen fast enough for her to be able to afford a home. But she hopes her 20-year-old daughter will be able to do so when shes 40 and my grandchildren hopefully, definitely will, she said.

Housing Hawaiis Future, the youth advocacy group, is also helping to get housing built now.

Evan Kamakana Gates, a Native Hawaiian who is attending Harvard University in Massachusetts, is one of the groups co-founders. Hes worried Hawaii might be unrecognizable when he returns home because the people who make it home may not be there.

Thats a real fear, he said. Being in Hawaii but losing it, in a sense.
Staffing woes at New York City jails means many injuries among detainees went unobserved last year, according to a draft Board of Correction report obtained by the Daily News.

During the first eight months of 2022, staffing problems in the troubled jails were so bad that correction officers witnessed only 17% of all incidents that led to serious injuries of detainees, the report found.

The alarming figure is contained in a wide-ranging board report on serious injuries in the jails that has been ready for months but has yet to be officially released, for reasons unknown.

The 17-page draft version marked confidential obtained by The News contains a rare bit of positive news about the often-beleaguered jail system  the Correction Departments ability to accurately report serious injuries has markedly improved since the board directed the agency to work more closely with jail medical staff.

Five years ago, DOC routinely undercounted the number of serious injuries by as much as two-thirds when compared with medical reports compiled by Correctional Health Services, the draft report said. In 2018, for example, just 399 serious-injury incidents were recorded.

But after the new board rule aimed at increasing data exchange took hold, the number of reported serious injuries climbed to a more accurate figure, the draft report found. In 2020, the agency reported 1,159 incidents  then 2,057 in 2021  according to the document.

Nearly all serious injuries to people in custody are now being reported by the DOC, which in turn has contributed to a dramatic increase in the total number of annual serious injury reports, the draft report concludes.

One lesson, the draft suggests, is that doctors are better able to accurately report data on injuries than correction officials.

That CHS can deliver a more accurate evaluation of the causes of injury in the city jails, despite having no investigative mandate or authority, is evidence of the barriers of mistrust that hinder DOC investigations, the draft report stated.

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The Eric M. Taylor Center, a jail plagued in the first eight months of 2022 with unstaffed posts, also had the highest rate of serious-injury cases in the same period. In all, 345 people suffered serious injuries in the Taylor Center during the period.

The Taylor Center units for detainees new to the island were among the most dangerous in the system and least well-staffed, the draft found.

On one July day, the Taylor Center had just 144 officers to work with 757 detainees.

The presence of uniformed staff in these units is essential to reduce the unacceptably high rates of serious injury occurring there, the draft report said.

While searches are key to catching weapons, the report says the vast majority of weapons are made from the jails themselves.

From January to March 2022, 90% of the shivs found by staff were made from pieces of the buildings. Plexiglass was the most common material, accounting for 489 weapons or a third of seizures.

In May 2022, DOCs action plan said it would install perforated metal window coverings to stop the use of Plexiglass for weapons, but that idea was pulled the next month, the draft report said.

Searches picked up more than 4,000 weapons from January to August 2022, but October still saw 46 slashings, one of the highest totals of the year.

Searches alone are not enough to stem the availability of sharp weapons in the jails, the draft report found.

As for why the final version of the report hasnt been released, some suggested it may be part of the effort by City Hall to tighten control on information about the jails.

By withholding it, they are only making it a lot more interesting, said a close observer of board operations.

The current board chairman, Dwayne Sampson, did not reply to requests for comment. Correction Department officials also did not respond.

The board still doesnt have one of its most important tools  remote access to jail security video. Correction Commissioner Louis Molina cut it off on Jan. 11, claiming the board had an agenda to portray the Correction Department in a negative light.

Board staff now have to make an appointment in advance at DOC headquarters to view specific video, but cannot record what they see, sources said.

Molinas move contributed to the resignation of BOC Executive Director Amanda Masters on Feb. 16. In her letter to the board, Masters called Molinas comments inaccurate and destructive.

Oversight is a necessary piece of good government, she wrote.
Starbucks has fired one of the workers who helped kick off a unionization effort at the company.

Lexi Rizzo, an eight-year Starbucks employee and shift supervisor, was fired from her store in Buffalo, New York, on Friday. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said Rizzo was fired after arriving a few minutes late for work. It claims the firing was retaliation for Rizzo's vocal support of the union.

Rizzo was one of the workers who first reached out to labor organizers in 2021 to unionize Starbucks stores. Since then, at least 294 of Starbucks 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Seattle-based Starbucks opposes the unionization effort.

Starbucks said Monday that Rizzo was fired for repeated and substantial violations of its attendance policy, including one instance where she arrived more than three hours late for a shift. Starbucks said it had documented six instances in which Rizzo missed more than four hours of work.

Our policies exist to maintain a welcoming environment for all partners and customers, and interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all, the company said in a statement.

Rizzo said in a statement that she will fight to be reinstated.

Rizzo's name appears repeatedly in a decision issued last month by a federal labor judge at the NLRB, who ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven fired workers in Buffalo after finding egregious and widespread misconduct by the company.

Among other things, the judge found that Starbucks was inconsistent in warning Rizzo about tardiness and illegally withheld pay raises for her and other supervisors. Starbucks is appealing that ruling.

Starbucks Workers United said two other union supporters in Buffalo and one in Eugene, Oregon, were also fired last week.

Starbucks can fire our leaders, but they cannot stop our movement or stop the public from seeing the truth, the union said.
GoFundMe

Starbucks fired a long-time union organizer only two days after Howard Schultz, the billionaire former CEO, was grilled at a Senate committee hearing over the companys illegal union-busting campaign.

Lexi Rizzo led the campaign at a Starbucks in Buffalo that was one of the first to hold a successful unionization vote, launching a movement that has spread across the country and involved thousands of Starbucks workers.

Rizzowho had worked for the company for seven years, according to a GoFundMewas fired from her job as a shift supervisor on Friday, according to the Buffalo News.

Starbucks Mogul Flips Out at Being Branded a Billionaire in Union-Busting Hearing

Rizzo was canned for repeatedly being late to work, Starbucks told the outlet. The union, Starbucks Workers United, said Rizzos firing is retaliation at its worst. Two other pro-union workers were also fired, the union said.

I have given every ounce of everything that I have to this company, Rizzo said in an emotional video posted to TikTok, My heart is broken.

Rizzo went on to take aim at Schultz, who appeared before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) last Wednesday.

You are a heartless monster and I dont know how you sleep at night, she said of Schultz, You have hundreds of thousands of people giving everything that they have so that you can make another dollar. And then you treat us like were dirt.

Democratic Senators confronted Schultz last week on eight rulings by administrative judges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that Starbucks had committed 130 labor law violations since the union campaign began in Buffalo in December 2021. Schultz denied that the company had violated the law.

Last month, a NLRB administrative judge found that Starbucks had committed egregious and widespread" violations of labor law when it fired six pro-union workers in Buffalo and Rochester. The company was ordered to rehire and compensate the workers.

Story continues

Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said as he opened the hearing. That union-busting campaign has been led by Howard Schultz.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Barrels line both north and south lanes on the Wooster bypass as the second phase of reconstruction gets underway.

WOOSTER  A state Route 83 improvement project is estimated to finish in October, and construction crews remain at work.

Alongside the usual daily lane closures from just south of U.S. Route 30 to Milltown Road, the Ohio Department of Transportation has announced new closures.

Road work ahead: ODOT construction projects coming to Wayne, Ashland & Holmes in 2023

Here's what you need to know for your daily commute.

New short-term lane, exit closures

The U.S. Route 30 eastbound exit ramp that leads to state Routes 3 and 83 north to Medina and Lodi will close Friday, April 7, for repairs, according to an ODOT advisory.

The recommended detour takes motorists east on U.S. Route 30 to the Apple Creek Road exit before turning left on Apple Creek Road. Reenter U.S. Route 30 westbound and travel to the Medina and Lodi entrance ramp.

State Route 83 reconstruction has begun, don't expect it to fully reopen until late 2023

This is a one-day closure.

The northbound passing lane on State Route 83 will be closed Monday, April 10 with a concrete barrier.

Two days later on Wednesday, April 12, the southbound lane will be closed with a concrete barrier.

Long-term closures

The southbound state Route 585 entrance ramp onto the Wooster bypass will be closed starting in early April for 90 days for reconstruction.

The state Route 83 southbound exit ramp to Route 585 Akron Road and Bowman Street will close starting Friday, April 14 for 90 days of pavement repairs.

The recommended detour is to continue south on State Route 83 following the East 250 and South 83 New Philadelphia and Millersburg signs. Take the exit ramp to U.S. Route 250 east and re-enter state Route 83 north to take the state Route 585 exit ramp.

The entrance ramp from state Route 585 Akron Road to state Routes 3 and 83 will close Friday, April 14 for 90 days of pavement repairs.

The detour route takes motorists on the state Route 83 north ramp before getting off on the Cleveland Road and Medina exit. Turn left onto state Route 3 and reenter Route 83 south.

Both ramps are estimated to open Sunday, July 16.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: SR 83 construction in Wooster: New lane, ramp closures start April 7
Indiana legislators started to tackle more pieces of priority legislation last week, including a proposed state constitutional amendment addressing how much leeway a judge can have when deciding to withhold bail from a defendant and a bill to overhaul high school curriculums. Plus, Gov. Eric Holcomb has his first transgender-related bill on his desk, with another one closely behind.

Here's everything that happened last week:

Indiana Statehouse: No bail for a misdemeanor defendant? It could happen under legislation moving forward

Withholding bail

Senate Joint Resolution 1, which would give judges the ability to withhold bail for certain defendants if they pose a substantial risk to the public," was amended and then passed 7-5 in a House committee March 29 to add language that the state must prove there is "clear and convincing evidence" that withholding bail is necessary to "reasonably protect the safety" of others.

In Indiana, murder and treason are the only two offenses that bail is automatically withheld.

To become law, it would have to go through two General Assemblies and a voter referendum before being amended into the states Constitution. The soonest voters would consider the proposal would be November 2026.

Property tax relief for gentrified neighborhoods

In light of drastic increases in property values in some neighborhoods in recent years, Senate Bill 46 would allow municipalities to establish zones within which homeowners who've lived in their homes for at least a decade can be eligible for a break on the property taxes they owe.

That break would be in the form of a credit, determined by the municipality, for homeowners whose property taxes went up more than 2% from the previous year.

Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis, introduced a similar bill two years ago that died in the House Ways and Means Committee. This year, Ways and Means voted 21-1 on March 29 to move it forward to the House floor.

Buffer zone around police

The House has agreed to amendments of a bill that would allow police to create a 25-foot buffer zone around investigating officers by a 68-26 vote March 28. The bill now heads to the governor.

Story continues

House Bill 1186 would consider a person who knowingly or intentionally approaches within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer, after being ordered to stop, as encroaching on an investigation. The crime would become a Class C misdemeanor.

The bills critics worry the proposal could be used to prevent civilians from observing police officers, particularly when it comes to officer use of force and brutality. The bill's author, Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, said her goal is to avoid more chaos at crime scenes by giving officers a law that creates a buffer.

Ban on transgender health care for minors

A bill that would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care for Hoosiers under the age of 18 is the first transgender-related bill to hit the governor's desk after the House passed it 65-30 on March 27.

Senate Bill 480, authored by Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, was the subject of hours of testimony on both sides as well as public protest. It passed each chamber among mostly party lines, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

Demonstrators rally outside the Indiana Senate Chamber on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, as the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee hears SB 480 at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. The bill, which passed committee 8-3, would ban gender-affirming medical or surgical treatment for minors.

Banning gender-affirmation surgery in prisons

A House bill that would prevent imprisoned people from using state tax dollars for gender-affirming surgery passed the Senate 38-9 on March 30 and now heads to the governor.

The Department of Correction doesn't currently provide this surgery for incarcerated people, except in one federal case that settled in 2022.

Republicans backing House Bill 1569, authored by Rep. Peggy Mayfield, R-Martinsville, say she wants to make sure it stays that way.

Conversion therapy

Senate Bill 350  a bill that almost died in committee earlier this session  passed the House employment committee March 30 by an 8-3 vote, along party lines.

Authored by Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond, the bill would prohibit local governments from enforcing any sort of ban on services provided by social workers, marriage and family therapists, addiction counselors or mental health counselors  including so-called conversion therapy. That's when therapists or counselors try to change LGBTQ clients gender identities and sexual orientations, often through faith-based mental health counseling.

Pharmacists may increase contraceptive access

After lawmakers restricted abortion access last summer, House Bill 1568 was intended to increase contraceptive access by allowing pharmacists to prescribe birth control pills, patches and rings to anyone over 18. The Senate Health and Provider Services committee voted 8-2 on March 29 to move the bill forward to the Appropriations committee.

The bill's author Rep. Elizabeth Rowray, R-Yorktown, and other advocates said the bill would reduce unplanned pregnancy rates and allow Hoosiers with limited access to health care have more control over family planning.

Donating unused prescription drugs

A House bill to establish a prescription drug donation program in Indiana passed the Senate unanimously on March 28, after having also gotten unanimous approval from the full House in February.

But the Senate sent House Bill 1017 back to the House with amendments that the bill's author, Rep. Stephen Bartels, R-Eckerty, doesn't agree with. He filed a motion to dissent on March 30. The bill may have to go to a conference committee to work out their differences.

Nationally, billions of dollars of medication are destroyed each year when patients, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, either move onto different medication or pass away. The bill would establish a repository for these unused drugs, which can then be redistributed to low-income Hoosiers.

Road funding in Indiana

House Bill 1049, which asks a study committee with taking a deep dive into Indiana's local and state roadwork needs, is heading to the governor's desk. It passed both chambers, and the bill's author, Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, agreed to the Senate's requested changes last week.

Meanwhile, the House roads committee heard testimony on March 28 but took no vote on Senate Bill 283, which would send about $8 million more road money each year to Indianapolis by correcting a glitch in the road funding formula.

Food delivery apps

A bill requiring food delivery apps to receive permission from local businesses before listing them as a pickup location and imposing penalties for violating their consent is awaiting a final vote on the Senate floor.

One lawmaker called House Bill 1279, authored by Rep. Robb Greene, R-Shelbyville, "one of the best bills of the session." Local businesses owners said it would help them have more control over their product and reduce issues that apps like Grubhub and Postmates cause.

Residential building commission

House Bill 1575, authored by Rep. Timothy OBrien, R-Evansville, assed out of the Senate Local Government committee 7-3 on March 30.

It would create a statewide residential building code commission staffed primarily by builders, developers, and Realtors, to let them regulate building safety, with the aim of reducing home building costs. It would have veto power on housing codes over the current Indiana fire prevention and building commission that sets codes for building safety.

'Windfall profit': Lawmakers who build homes file bills to help their industry

Critics have said its problematic that six of the ten seats on the residential building commission established by House Bill 1575 will be for representatives from the homebuilding, apartment or real estate industry, including both the Indiana Apartment Association and the Indiana Builders Association. Organizations responsible for building safety, including the International Code Council, are opposed to the bill, with some saying it would allow unsafe standards by allowing special interests to write building safety regulation.

State welfare program

Indiana has one of the lowest income eligibility caps for its federally-funded state welfare program, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, according to Senate Bill 265 bill sponsor Sen. Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute. And the state leaves tens of millions budgeted for welfare on the table because of the restrictive income limits.

The bill would raise the income requirement from its current 16% of the federal poverty rate up to 35% by 2027, and up to 50% thereafter. It passed out of the House Ways and Means committee on March 29 and now moves to the House floor for a vote.

Reinventing high school

House Bill 1002, a priority bill for House Republicans, would overhaul high school curricula and give students more work-based learning opportunities while in high school. It's part of an effort to knit closer together high school and employers.

The Senate Education and Career Development committee heard testimony on the bill on March 29 but have yet to vote.

State budget

The Senate heard testimony on the House Republicans' two-year, $43.3 billion budget proposal on March 30. The Senate will come up with its own proposal later on, and the two sides will hammer out a final agreement at the end of the session.

Gov. Eric Holcomb's proposed budget request gives significant increases into K-12 schools and higher education and fund a major overhaul of the states public health system. The House altered the budget to ramp up the education investment even more, but it pumps the brakes on the public and mental health funding requests. The budget also would speed up income tax cuts and expand the state's school choice program.

State budget: House GOP goes big on education, cutting taxes, pulls back on health dollars

Preparing for renewables and energy storage

Senate Bill 33, authored by Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, would direct the state's environmental management agency as well as the utility regulatory commission to produce a study on the best ways to decommission and dispose of solar panels and wind turbines. The bill unanimously passed the House March 27. It now heads back to the Senate with amendments.

House Bill 1173 sets forth some parameters around establishing or expanding battery storage systems in Indiana, and also establishes some training for local fire departments in the event of a fire or emergency at the facility. It passed the Senate unanimously on March 28.

Using best data for floodplain maps

Last year, the Indiana legislature passed a bill that required municipalities across the state to use the best available data and floodplain maps when deciding on building permits. These maps from the state Department of National Resources provide a comprehensive understanding of the state's flood-prone areas to reduce the risk of building in those locations.

While Senate Bill 242 would not eliminate the maps, it would remove the requirement that local agencies and administrators use them. Those in support say it could help lessen the burden on homeowners in these areas, but others worry it puts Hoosiers' safety and property at risk.

The bill, authored by Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, is awaiting a final vote on the House floor.

Wetlands back on the chopping block

Two years after a controversial bill that stripped protections for many of Indiana's wetlands was passed, the important ecological feature is again on the chopping block.

More: Environmental groups, Democrats blindsided by amendment further gutting wetland protection

Several organizations were surprised March 22 when an amendment was made to Senate Bill 414, a bill about residential sewage, that further reduces wetland protections.

The bill would redefine how wetlands are classified, making it easier for developers to build on wetlands, including those that are higher quality. An amendment to undo this change failed on the House floor, and the bill passed the House on March 28 by a 62-31 vote.

Protecting firefighters from PFAS

Two bills that would protect firefighters from harmful chemicals have been gaining traction in the House. A group of chemicals called PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," are widespread and long-lasting chemicals used to make products and coatings that are heat resistant and repel water and oil.

House Bill 1341, by Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point, which would require labeling in gear indicating whether it contains PFAS, passed the Senate unanimously on March 27 and will soon reach the governor.

House Bill 1219, by Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, which would establish a pilot program to test firefighters across Indiana for their exposure to PFAS, passed the Senate Appropriations committee unanimously on March 30 and heads to the Senate floor.

Energy reliability pitted against consumer affordability

As the grid and energy industry undergoes a major transition, many officials are worried about maintaining the system's reliability so customers can count on the lights turning on. A suite of utility-related bills this session is aimed at that topic and helping the state smoothly update and transform the power industry.

House Bill 1417 would establish a list of various costs that utilities are allowed to defer and then ask customers to cover later. They say this can help utilities pay for unplanned changes that come up in providing service. It's awaiting a final vote on the Senate floor.

Senate Bill 9 was amended in the House to include similar provisions as House Bill 1417. It allows utilities to begin doing work related to federal mandates without getting prior approval from the state utility regulator, and later seek recovery for those costs from customers. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill on March 22.

Others are reading: Concerns about blackouts in the Midwest pit renewables against fossil fuels

House Bill 1420 would give utilities first dibs on projects to upgrade and expand transmission infrastructure, which is needed to get the energy from where it's produced to where it's needed. But there are some questions on if this bill closes the competitive bidding process. It passed out of the House on Feb. 20 by a vote of 59-39 and has been referred to the Senate Utilities Committee, but has yet to be scheduled for a meeting.

House Bill 1421 would expand incentives for utilities to build natural gas plants by allowing the power companies to bill customers for the cost of constructing the plant while building it, rather than waiting until it's generating electricity. This bill was voted out of the Senate on March 21 by a 31-10 vote. The House concurred with the Senate amendments by a 65-28 vote on March 28.

Housing infrastructure loan fund

House Bill 1005, a bill to establish a revolving fund for local governments to provide infrastructure for housing development passed out of the Senate Appropriations committee 10-1 on March 30 amid opposition from housing advocates that it does not require housing to be affordable.

Water pipes, sewage lines, sidewalks, and other critical infrastructure are some of the costly things that housing developers need to build new homes. The fund aims to support this and lower the cost of building new housing, as part of a Statehouse push to address Indianas housing shortage.

Helping police in the era of permitless carry

A bill that would help Indiana law enforcement in the era of permitless carry has now passed both chambers after the House approved it 85-6 on March 22. It's heading to the governor.

Senate Bill 136 would make more information available to officers in the field to help them gauge whether someone with a gun has a criminal or court history that suspends their right to have a gun. Officers would have access from data from the states protection order registry and detailed information on someones criminal justice history.

Right after a disqualifying conviction is decided against a defendant, courts would also be required to report that conviction to state police. Officers will then be able to see that information when they run a quick background check on someone they've stopped or pulled over.

'Don't say gay' bill

House Bill 1608 was originally modeled on Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill but was amended in the House education committee to also prohibit the use of chosen names and pronouns by transgender students without written permission from their parents.

U.S. Congress: A federal bill on hot-button education issues moved forward. How your representatives voted

The bill would also require schools "out" transgender students who make such a request to their parents and allows teachers to continue using names and pronouns that match a student's sex assigned at birth, even if parents have requested otherwise. A Senate committee changed the bill to specify a teacher cannot be disciplined for following their "religious conviction" in ignoring name changes.

It passed the Senate education committee 9-4 March 22 along party lines. It now heads to the Senate floor.

Pet store bans

Senate Bill 134, authored by Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen, would roll back Indianapolis's live animal pet store ban as well as prevent cities from implementing any future bans targeting the sale of puppy mill dogs in stores.

While supporters say this bill protects responsible local businesses, opposition said it will allow illegal breeders to continue and takes a tool away from local governments.

The bill passed the Senate 29-18 in late February and had its first hearing before the House Agriculture and Rural Development committee on March 20, but the committee is holding it for a vote.

Indiana National Guard

A House bill that has split the usually unified veterans advocacy community is heading to the governor's desk, having been signed by the leaders of the House and Senate. It passed the Senate March 16 by a 34-13 vote.

House Bill 1076, authored by Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, would strip an Indiana National Guard member's ability to ask for a court-martial trial instead of a non-judicial punishment, which is the punishment a commander can decide after giving the soldier a chance to present their case. Another part of the legislation seeks to grant the adjutant general  the head of the Indiana National Guard  the ability to convene higher-level trials for serious crimes such as sexual assault, a power that currently lies only with the governor.

More: Veterans advocates oppose bills removing right to court-martial at Indiana National Guard

Marion County housing development

A basketball sits idly on Columbia Ave., Monday, Aug. 2, 2021 in the Martindale-Brightwood area.

House Bill 1157, a bill to expand for Marion County a powerful tool for incentivizing residential housing development, passed the Senate Local Government committee March 23 and now awaits a hearing in the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee.

Housing tax increment financing has been used by Indianapolis in four areas since 1988: Fall Creek Place, the Near Eastside, Barrington and Martindale-Brightwood. But it has been extremely narrow in use due to strict eligibility requirements.

The legislation fixes an unintentional limitation of Marion County from using the incentive program that happened because its redevelopment commission is governed by a different set of laws than other counties.

County health departments

Senate Bill 4, the bill carrying the recommendations of Gov. Eric Holcomb's public health commission to address Indianas poor health metrics, had its first lengthy hearing in the House Public Health committee on March 14, but hasn't had a vote yet. Authored by Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, the bill passed the Senate Feb. 23.

If funded, it would flood local health departments with more state dollars in exchange for opting into a new set of standards for what services local health departments must offer. Its an optional program, but state health officials say they hope all 95 local health departments  one for each county, plus Gary, East Chicago and Fishers  will participate.

Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston listens to a representative speak Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, on the first day of legislative session at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.

Highway work zones

Republican Rep. Jim Pressel's fourth attempt at getting the Indiana legislature to establish a pilot program testing speed cameras in highway work zones has been stalled on the Senate floor since mid March. It had passed the Senate transportation committee 8-1 March 14  the furthest his legislation has come.

Under the pilot program outlined in House Bill 1015, those who drive more than 11 mph above the speed limit when workers are present in a highway worksite could be fined up to $150 for repeated violations. Revenue collected would go to the state general fund.

Banning school library books

For several years, lawmakers have been attempting to remove schools from the list of entities eligible for a specified defense to criminal prosecutions alleging dissemination of material harmful to minors.

Supporters of Senate Bill 12 say it's needed to get pornography and other obscene, inappropriate materials out of school libraries and to protect children. Opponents say it amounts to book banning and seems to target LGBTQ youth.

The bill was passed by the Senate Feb. 28 and is awaiting a hearing from the House education committee.

Public pensions

Lawmakers in both chambers have filed and passed legislation that would prevent the states public retirement system from working with banks or investing in funds that prioritize environmental, social or governance policies, including those that have restrictions on certain industries, such as coal or firearm manufacturers.

House Bill 1008 was passed by the House Feb. 27, after getting held up by a fiscal analysis estimated that it would cost Indiana's Public Retirement System $6.7 billion over the next decade. An amendment was adopted, lowering the estimated cost to $550,000 annually. The bill, carried by Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport, is priority legislation for the House Republicans caucus.

A similar bill passed the Senate Feb. 20. Senate Bill 292 was authored by Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle.

Another bill, Senate Bill 268, would require the Indiana Public Retirement System to divest from Chinese companies. It was passed Feb. 28.

Funding mental health support

Senate Bill 1, Republican Sen. Michael Crider's mental health bill, passed the Senate unanimously on Feb. 13 and is moved to the House.

The bill would establish a framework to strengthen the state's community mental health centers and 988 suicide and crisis hotline. A $30 million appropriation to these clinics was stricken from the bill and will become a Senate budget request instead.

The money would help the clinics receive federal funding opportunities and to send help or provide a safe space when people call the 988 suicide hotline. A House budget request would establish a $1 service charge on phone bills to help fund 988 response services.

Exempting military reserves from income tax

A House bill that would exempt active duty military from the individual income tax in Indiana passed its first Senate committee unanimously on March 7. Because it would impact state revenues, it now goes to the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy committee.

The Legislative Services Agency estimates revenue loss to the state would grow up to $22 million by 2028. But House Bill 1034's author, Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, believes the impact wouldn't be so severe because, as it stands today, these active duty military often abandon Indiana as their home state to avoid the income tax. The Veterans Coalition of Indiana puts the number of veterans who leave the state at 3,400 a year, and says retaining those soldiers and their families would keep dollars in Indiana's economy.

The House passed it unanimously Jan. 19.

Spectators watch Indiana's oath of office ceremony Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.

Eliminating physician noncompete clauses

Senate Bill 7, which proposes getting rid of noncompete clauses for physicians, passed the Senate 45-5 on Feb. 7 and is waiting for a hearing in the House.

Authored by Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne, the bill's sweeping proposal would go against common industry practice in the hopes of removing barriers to competition and, theoretically, lowering prices for consumers. Noncompete clauses are often written into doctors' employment contracts to restrict them from working at a different hospital within a certain geographic area after they leave their current job to protect the bottom line of the employer they are choosing to leave.

More: Eyeing health care costs, Indiana lawmakers want to ban doctor noncompetes

The physician shortage and health care affordability is in such disarray in Indiana that Republican senators moved the bill forward despite some describing it as "extreme" in its current form.

Decriminalizing HIV exposure

A bill seeking to bring Indiana law up to speed with medical science on the spread of HIV passed the House 78-19 and is waiting for a hearing in the Senate.

Laws on the books since the 1980s single out people living with HIV and give them stiffer penalties for certain acts, from donating blood or semen to spitting on another individual. The modern scientific consensus today is that HIV cannot be transmitted through spitting, and people living with HIV can safely give blood if they're being treated and have an undetectable trace of the virus.

House Bill 1198, authored by Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, would eliminate those stiffer penalties  felonies  for people living with HIV.

Residential tax increment financing

In an effort to address the state's affordable housing shortage, a bill that removes requirements for using tax increment financing for housing development passed out of the Senate 28-19 on Feb. 2, moving onto the House. Senate Bill 300 strikes the requirement that school boards affected by tax increment financing programs approve them before they can happen.

It removes the current requirement that an area have less than 1% of its total houses be equal to the average of new houses be built in the previous three years before it can establish a TIF area.

Opponents said that the bill does not require the new homes to be affordable, takes away the right of school boards, which rely upon property taxes, to oppose TIF districts.

Holding nonprofits accountable

A bill to expand the Attorney General's legal authority to hold nonprofit corporations accountable for mismanagement passed out of the House 77-19 on Jan. 30. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.

House Bill 1075 comes after Attorney General Todd Rokita's prolonged fight last year against a negligent nonprofit corporation landlord that failed to pay water bills despite collecting tenants' rent in Indianapolis, leading to the water utility company cutting off water to apartments.

A similar bill, Senate Bill 278, was heard in the Senate Judiciary committee on Jan. 25 to criticism from committee chair Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, who said it might harm small nonprofits that are well-intentioned but poorly managed. It passed unanimously out of the Senate on Feb. 28. It now moves to the House for consideration.

Others are reading: AG Todd Rokita faces probe by state disciplinary commission. Here's what comes next

Protesting outside homes

On Feb. 21 the Senate passed by a 29-16 vote Senate Bill 348, which would make protesting or picketing outside a residence with the intent to harass a class C misdemeanor. Protestors would face arrest if law enforcement asks them to leave and they ignore the command.

A Class C misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of 60 days in prison and a $500 fine. It's the least severe misdemeanor possible in Indiana.

The bill, authored by Sen. Scott Baldwin, R-Noblesville, is now in front of a House committee.

Vehicle tax

Indiana could pass a first-of-its kind bill to tax semi-trucks running on alternative fuels to make up lost revenue INDOT uses for roadwork. House Bill 1050, authored by Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie, would also increase a registration fee for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The bill passed the Senate transportation committee 8-1 on March 14 and is now headed to Appropriations.

Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Statehouse roundup: Here's what happened March 27-31
My family of three stayed in a two-room suite at Disney's Swan Reserve. Carly Caramanna

I'm a theme-park journalist who visits Disney World monthly and has stayed at every resort.

My party of three used Marriott Bonvoy points to stay in the Swan Reserve's fireworks suite

It costs about $600 a night and was the most luxurious space I've ever stayed in at Disney World.

I'm a frequent Disney World visitor, and I've stayed at all of its hotels.

My family used Marriott Bonvoy points to pay for our suite. Carly Caramanna

I've been visiting Disney World for over 30 years, and I've stayed in all of its resorts  from the budget-friendly All-Star Music to the luxurious Animal Kingdom Lodge.

My favorite property is the Swan and Dolphin, which includes the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve hotels. The Marriott-owned hotels partnered with Disney to operate as official on-site resorts and provide transportation to the parks.

Swan Reserve has a more boutique feel than the other properties, with just 349 rooms. The modern property boasts a pool, restaurants, and rooms that offer perfect viewing of nearby fireworks at both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

My family used Marriott Bonvoy Points to book a two-room, signature Epcot-view fireworks suite, which typically costs about $600 a night.

We were able to check into our room early.

Swan Reserve is a newer resort at Disney World located across from the Swan and Dolphin. Carly Caramanna

Swan Reserve, located across the street from the Swan and Dolphin complex, opened in 2021. All three resorts share a walking path to Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

The property offers on-site parking, but we took a Lyft from Orlando International Airport. We were pleased to learn that our room was ready early, but luggage storage is available to guests when that's not the case.

Guests staying at Swan Reserve have access to a private resort pool as well as the larger amenities across the street at Swan and Dolphin.

I was surprised by the size of the suite.

Our suite offered a spacious set-up for my entire party. Carly Caramanna

I've stayed in various rooms across Disney World  including Disney Vacation Club villas  and this was one of the most spacious setups.

Although my party was only three people, the suite's maximum occupancy is four guests, and there was more than enough space for one more.

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The entryway opened to a large dining-room area with a TV and a dining table for four. This area also featured a coffee bar, mini fridge, and microwave.

The furnishing and artwork were modern-contemporary with touches of bold colors.

The living room had floor-to-ceiling windows that offered great views.

We had a view of Epcot from our suite's floor-to-ceiling windows. Carly Caramanna

Just through the dining room was a large living room with a sofa bed, cozy chair, and table. It was outfitted with Florida-inspired artwork and a 65-inch television that came with premium movie channels.

But the best part of the living room was the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered views of the Swan and Dolphin hotels, Epcot, and other Orlando sights.

We had a perfect viewing of Epcot's evening fireworks show.

The suite had two bathrooms.

Having two bathrooms in our suite was a luxury while traveling with three adults. Carly Caramanna

Our suite had a full bathroom and a half bath.

The half bath was off to the side of the dining room and had a toilet, large mirror, and sink. I loved the modern decor and vibrant wallpaper, which made the small space pop.

Having the second bathroom was a game-changer with multiple adults getting ready in the mornings and evenings.

The main bedroom felt extravagant.

The king-sized bed was incredibly comfortable and luxurious. Carly Caramanna

I absolutely loved how spacious and welcoming the bedroom was.

It was outfitted with a king-sized bed situated on a leather frame. Above the headboard hung a large, modern painting. The pillow-top mattress and overstuffed pillows made it one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in.

The room also had a desk, a large TV, a dresser, two marble-topped nightstands, a love seat and ottoman, and plenty of closet space.

It was complete with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered the same views as the living room.

The main bathroom was larger and has a shower.

The bathroom offered soaps, hair supplies, and a hair dryer. Carly Caramanna

The bathroom attached to the main bedroom had a single vanity and a spacious waterfall shower.

The vanity had a large mirror that was useful when getting ready for the day. It was fully stocked with luxurious bathroom soaps, hair supplies, and a hair dryer.

We spent time exploring the hotel.

Stir offered fantastic martinis. Carly Caramanna

The theme parks were just a 10-minute walk away, but we also enjoyed spending time around the resort.

A highlight was Stir, the lobby lounge that features a selection of handcrafted cocktails. During our visit, there was a live musician performing in the space.

We enjoyed delicious martinis in a relaxing setting that felt removed from the theme parks. Guests at Stir can also order some things from the nearby full-service restaurant, Amare.

My party also enjoyed dinner at Amare.

The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant had delicious flatbread. Carly Caramanna

We had a great dinner one evening at Amare, an upscale Mediterranean-inspired eatery with an expansive open-air kitchen.

My favorite parts included wine pairings from its globally focused list and the signature Amare flatbread topped with leek, potato, and savory Gruyere cheese.

I also visited the on-site coffee shop.

The seating area was both spacious and welcoming. Carly Caramanna

In my experience, most Disney World resorts don't have a dedicated coffee shop, so I was pleased to find Grounds at Swan Reserve.

It offered a selection of breakfast items, pastries, and drinks. There was even cold brew and nitro cold brew on tap.

The cafe had a spacious seating area that was vibrant, colorful, and highly decorated.

The Swan Reserve pool was small but lively.

Swan Reserve's pool had a bar and lots of lounging options. Carly Caramanna

Swan Reserve's pool was small but full of energy. It had a poolside bar and lots of lounge seats.

We spent most of our time across the street at the larger Swan and Dolphin pool complex, which offers a water slide and multiple bars.

Swan Reserve now ranks as a top resort for me at Disney World.

Our stay at the resort felt very upscale and relaxing. Carly Caramanna

The resort felt deluxe and tranquil, making for a welcome respite after a hectic day in the parks.

The overall vibe and amenities felt upscale  plus we liked that everything we needed, from coffee shops to pools, was available on-site. It was also really convenient being able to stay within a few minutes of my two favorite theme parks.

I loved having the convenience of multiple on-site food options. We could even order room service, which isn't available at most Disney-owned resorts.

My family loved our time at Swan Reserve, and the fireworks suite is one of the best rooms we've ever stayed in.

Read the original article on Insider
People from U.S.-based nonprofit organization avaaz light candles beside teddy bear in Schuman Roundabout. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

Vladimir Putin has been charged with war crimes for abducting thousands of Ukrainian children. Why is he doing this? Here's everything you need to know:

What are the charges?

The International Criminal Court recently accused Putin and his top children's rights envoy with unlawfully seizing and moving thousands of children out of their home country. That's a violation of multiple U.N. human rights conventions. Of the thousands of war crimes linked to the Russian president, this is one of the easiest to substantiate. Ukrainian children ranging from infants to 17-year-olds are known to have been deported to Russia or Russian-occupied territory, most of them without their parents. Human rights officials and Ukraine's government say the number of minors taken is at least 16,000 and may be as high as 400,000. Russian propaganda portrays the abductions as humanitarian "evacuations" to get children out of harm's way in besieged Ukraine. But Ukraine and human rights organizations say the children have suffered physical and sexual abuse, the severing of family ties, and indoctrination in pro-Russia "re-education" camps. "They change their citizenship, give them up for adoption under guardianship, commit sexual violence, and other crimes," said Ukraine's Children's Rights Commissioner Daria Herasymchuk. "It's an act of genocide."

How do the kidnappings take place?

Russian forces have used a variety of tactics. As far back as 2014, Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk stopped groups of dozens of children at checkpoints, took them away from parents and adults, and funneled them across the border. During the war, children have been separated from their parents through phony "evacuation orders" and in filtration camps. Russian troops have also scooped up children from schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Orphanages in pre-war Ukraine held more than 105,000 children  more than in any other European country except Russia  but 90 percent of those children had living relatives. In some cases, Russian-backed puppet governments in occupied territories took over the orphanages and arranged for the rapid transfer of children into Russia.

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What happens to them?

Some are swiftly put up for adoption, with Russia offering its citizens between $300 and $2,000 in state aid per child. The government has staged photo-ops in which dazed children are welcomed with teddy bears, gift baskets, and hugs from strangers. Under a decree signed by Putin last May, they're then fast-tracked for Russian citizenship. At least 6,000 children have landed in at least 43 re-education camps. Desperate to get their children away from the shelling, some Ukrainian parents in occupied territory agreed to send them away for short stays at what were depicted as rehabilitative summer camps, only to have the children held hostage. They have been shuttled to camps as far away as the Pacific coast  closer to Alaska than Ukraine.

What's known about the camps?

Their purpose is to erase all remnants of the children's Ukrainian identity and turn them into patriotic Russians. Inessa Vertash of Beryslav in occupied Kherson Oblast reluctantly let her 15-year-old son, Vitaliy, attend a Russian camp at the urging of his school's headmistress. After two relatively pleasant weeks, he was moved to another camp that, he said in a rare phone call home, was "like a prison." Attendees were beaten for refusing to sing the Russian national anthem, sexually abused, and psychologically manipulated. "They told the children: Your parents have left Ukraine and are never coming for you," Vertash said.

What is Russia's goal?

Ethnic cleansing. Putin wrote an infamous essay in July 2021 arguing that Ukrainian nationhood was a 20th-century fabrication, and that Ukrainians and Russians are "one people"  all of whom are Russian, whether they admit it or not. He later used this ideology to justify the invasion and attempted takeover of Ukraine. The kidnappings appear to be an attempt to replenish a dwindling Russian population, depleted by a low birth rate, aging, extensive emigration, and the carnage of the war. This meets the U.N.'s 1948 definition of genocide, which in addition to mass killings includes "forcibly transferring children of the group to another group" and "deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part."

Can the children be saved?

About 320 have been returned so far, and the Ukrainian government has asked foreign governments and international organizations for help in retrieving more. But Putin last month said he plans to expand, not abandon, the "Happy Childhood" program in coming months, and Russia makes it as difficult as possible for parents to recover their children. In some cases, it has barred anyone but a child's legal parent from picking up a child in Russia. Since Ukraine currently bars adult men under 60 from leaving the country, that often means only the mother can make the dangerous, prohibitively expensive journey into Russia via a third country to pick up her children. Olga Lopatkina managed to recover six of her nine children from occupied Donetsk after months of effort and negotiations. The children had been told to forget her. "Doesn't Russia have its own kids?" she said. "I have no idea why they need ours. I guess it's just to hurt us."

Putin's cuddly child-snatcher

In addition to Putin, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights. The 38-year-old wife of a Russian Orthodox priest, Lvova-Belova has proved adept at putting a sweet, motherly face to the government's policy of abduction. She claims to have hugged more than a thousand children and has personally accompanied "evacuations" of youngsters from occupied Ukraine, which often end in well-publicized handovers to adoptive families. Russians, she has said, are uniquely equipped to provide "shelter" and "warm them with care and love." In addition to Lvova-Belova's five biological children, her family includes 18 adoptees. One of them, 15-year-old Filip, was brought over from Mariupol last spring. "I realized that I couldn't live without this child," she said. At first the teen was vocally pro-Ukrainian. But by the time he became a Russian citizen last September, Lvova-Belova claims, he'd learned to be thankful for "his great Russian family."

This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.

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The cosmic phenomenon known as STEVE is shown in this image captured by citizen scientist Neil Zeller on July 17, 2018. | Neil Zeller via NASA

STEVE, a cosmic phenomenon that some are calling a distant cousin to the northern lights, could have an increase in sightings in upcoming years, according to scientists.

Originally named after the mysterious hedge in the childrens animated film Over the Hedge by aurora photographer Chris Ratzlaff, scientists later gave the name an acronym standing for strong thermal emission velocity enhancement.

The lights are most commonly seen in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Those who have witnessed STEVE in the night sky will get a visual of a bright purple ribbon accompanied by a green picket fence-like light show.

In an interview with Michigan Live, Mike Murray, program director and astronomer at the Delta College Planetarium, explained that there is still a lot unknown about STEVE:

STEVE is now understood to be an atmospheric phenomenon caused by superheated gases about 280 miles up. Murray notes that typical auroras occur much lower in altitude. STEVE could be a flood of high-energy electrons flowing into the ionosphere. The friction of these electrons with the atmosphere superheats the air molecules into a plasma. The electrons are likely moving at 10,000 mph to 15,000 mph, Murray said.

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STEVE is seasonal and happens predominately around equinoxes. Although it has gained more attention in the last few years, one of the most well-documented instances of STEVE happened in 1891.

On Sept. 11, 1891, across Ireland and the United Kingdom, the phenomenon was described as a luminous band stretching from the eastern horizon to the west  like a straight tail of a large comet, per Explorersweb.

Amateur photographer and citizen-scientist Donna Lach said you dont have to be a specialist to contribute to research on STEVE. Other citizen-scientists, like Lach, share their sitings of STEVE on websites like Aurorasaurus, that allow people to compare their images of STEVE and connect photographers with scientists.

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According to The Washington Post, Solar activity is expected to be on the rise over the next few years, researchers say, so there could be good opportunities for the public to spot STEVE.

Because few are aware of STEVE, people often confuse it with Aurora Borealis, often called northern lights. According to the Post, It appears about 30 minutes after the aurora begins to brighten. Lach said she finds STEVE by looking off the western edge of the aurora. STEVE can be blocked out by a bright aurora, though, especially if its close to it.
Brussels  NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg vowed on April 3 that the alliance would continue supporting Ukraine despite Russia's "dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric."

He added that Kyiv can win the war and become a full-fledged NATO member one day.

Responding to the Kyiv Independent at a news conference, Stoltenberg said that "NATO's position remains unchanged and that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance."

NATO's long-time leader emphasized that the "main focus" now is to ensure that Ukraine remains a sovereign, independent nation in Europe.

"The first step toward any membership of Ukraine to NATO is to ensure that Ukraine prevails, and that is why the U.S. and its partners have provided unprecedented support for Ukraine," he added.

Can Russia afford to commit to a years-long war? When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out war against Ukraine, U.S. intelligence claimed that Russian forces planned to sweep Kyiv within days. More than 13 months on, Ukraines defenses still stand firm. But Ukrainians are now faced with a different threat  the Kremlin appears to Kyiv IndependentKatie Marie Davies

"I cannot give you an exact date, but what I can say is that allies are extremely focused on ensuring that Ukraine prevails," Stoltenberg told the Kyiv Independent.

He added that the allies continue to provide a "consistent level of support" for Ukraine and demonstrate that "NATO's door remains open."

Stoltenberg's comments about Ukraine's seemingly far-away prospects of joining the 30-member alliance come six months after President Volodymyr Zelensky applied for a fast-track NATO accession following Russia's said annexation of four Ukrainian regions in September.

Despite the NATO leader's reassurance that Ukraine is set to join the alliance one day, the prospects of membership are low until Russia's war against Ukraine comes to an end.

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Ukraine has long aspired to join NATO, while the alliance had kept the country at arm's length even before Russia's invasion.

Speaking on April 3, a day prior to the NATO foreign minister meeting, Stoltenberg said that Ukraine needs to implement reforms  from fighting corruption to modernizing the defense sector  to move closer to NATO.

According to Stoltenberg, in the upcoming meeting, member nations will be discussing an "urgent need" to continue lethal and non-lethal support for Ukraine.

"A lot has already happened, but we need to do more, and we need to work on this from a more multiyear, long-term perspective" to help Ukraine against "Russia's brutal war of aggression," Stoltenberg said.

At the meeting on April 3, Finland will officially become a NATO member, and Sweden is set to follow a similar step in the near future, Stoltenberg said.

The two countries applied to join NATO a few months after their neighbor Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"It is not for Moscow to decide who is going to be a member of NATO or not," Stoltenberg said.

'Dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric'

As Russian President Vladimir Putin escalated his nuclear threats against the West, NATO vowed that it would not be "intimidated."

In his latest series of nuclear threats against the West and Ukraine, Putin said Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for training. He claimed the decision was made due to the U.K. Defense Ministry's recent decision to supply Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium.

"We are not transferring our tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but we will deploy them and train the military, like the United States in Europe," Putin said in an interview with a Russian state-controlled news outlet on March 25.

A few days later, the Belarusian defense ministry responded that it was ready to host the arsenal to strengthen its "defense capabilities."

Putin's threats caused an immediate condemnation from the West and Kyiv, with White House National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby saying on March 28 that "we are watching this as best we can," but no movements have been detected yet.

Stoltenberg said on April 3 that NATO monitors Russia's movements "very closely." He added, "so far, we haven't seen any changes in their (Russians') nuclear posture that requires a change in our nuclear posture."

"We will not be intimidated, and we will continue to support Ukraine," Stoltenberg said.
The SWAT team has taken an assault suspect into custody after a more than 14-hour standoff at a house in the 900 block of South Topeka, just south of downtown Wichita.

The suspect, who has not yet been named, had been inside the house since police responded to an assault call around 1 a.m. Monday.

The suspect has been taken into custody and we will provide a media release when we have more information, public information officer Chad Ditch said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Police had blocked off traffic for several blocks in both directions, as well as cross street access to Topeka from south Broadway.

Ditch said the assault victim was outside the house when police arrived. She has since been taken to safety.

They arrived on the scene and learned from the victim, a 28-year-old female, that she was assaulted by a 52-year-old male from within the residence, Ditch said.

He said the suspect and victim are known to each other but police have not yet established the nature of their relationship.

Officers learned that the suspect was still inside the residence, possibly armed, so they surrounded the house at that point, Ditch said.
On the press tour for this season of Succession, Brian Cox has been saying something shocking. Logan Roy, he has suggested, is a very misunderstood entity because hes a lonely man And his big Achilles heel is that he loves his children. Reading this, I was determined to keep Coxs observation in my mind as I embarked on the new series, even though try as I might, I could not think of many obvious examples of the Roy patriarchs love being demonstrated in the previous three seasons of the show.

I suppose I had imagined that, like many very wealthy people, Logan saw his children as a possible investment  that like a historic King, he had hoped to produce conquerors and warriors and tacticians, and had accordingly been extremely disappointed to end up saddled with an impotent sex goblin, a quasi-liberal girlboss, an extremely sad white rapper, and whatever Connor is.

Evidently, as Cox plays it, there is more to Logans relationship with his children than this transactional flow, and while its a cliche to say that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference, its a cliche for a reason. If last week saw the Roy siblings apparently achieving victory over their father in the marketplace, this week we see a different kind of battle in the family. It would be a stretch to say that anyone involved emerged victorious, but thats Succession for you.

Its like Jaws, if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws

Fresh off their idiotic idea for The Hundred last week (Substack-meets-Masterclass-meets-The Economist-meets-The-New-Yorker), the Roy siblings have gathered around the television to imagine how they might decide to reimagine Pierce Global News. So many olds, where are the hotties? Roman (Kieran Culkin) mutters, Romanly. Kendall (Jeremy Strong), still identifying as a Buddhist and a Good Guy, believes that the channel should have a focus on Africa every day just whats happening in Africa. That sounds like homework, the show, Shiv (Sarah Snook) grumbles, thereby adjourning this particular meeting of the Brain Trust.

Elsewhere, their furious father, still fuming from the loss of PGN in last weeks episode, has arrived at the ATN offices looking, per cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), like if Santa Claus was a hitman. Logan rants and raves a little, and then says that he would like to give a speech for his employees. The speech, which he delivers from an undignified stage made out of printer paper boxes, is a barnstormer, and what follows are some hair-raising selected highlights:

I want to know that were killing the opposition. I want to be cutting their throats! Our rivals should be shaking in the backs of their chauffeured cars because they cant believe what we did! So f***ing spicy. So true. Something everyone knows, but nobody says. Because theyre too f***ing lily livered.

They cannot believe what we said, and the fact that we f***ing said it. The f***ing jam smears on the highway. Now, anyone who believes that Im getting out, please shove the bunting up your ass. This is not the end. Im going to do something better. Something faster, lighter, meaner, wilder, and Im going to do it from in here with you lot. Youre f***ing pirates!

Cox as a Jaws-like Logan in Succession episode 2 (Sky)

If anyone knows f***ing pirates and the way they operate, its certain to be Logan Roy. He was not born rich, having clawed his way up to billionaire status with blood underneath his fingernails and bone shards in his teeth, and his alienation from his children is so total because fundamentally speaking, he belongs to an entirely different and more brutish species.

It is meant to be amusing when he self-identifies as a man of the people shortly before he gets up to make the speech, but in a sense, the speech itself proves that its true  we see a flash, furious and galvanising, of the kind of energic and merciless man he must have needed to be when he was not yet enough of a big dick to delegate his business to a hundred other people, and the monologue has something of the Shakespearian battle scene about it.

Contrast this with Romans whining, childish threat to an assistant when he learns that Logan has denied him access to the family chopper: Im going to set aside several hundred thousand dollars, and Im going to dedicate it to destroying your life, how does that sound? In theory, it is a Logan line. In practice, it sounds like the words of a spoilt child who has no tactical intelligence beyond the threat of throwing his money at a problem  a Little Lord Fauntleroy whose soft hands have not once been splintered by a rung on a career ladder.

Eggwatch

Time now to return to coverage of Successions buffoon prince; its himbo Jimmy Stewart; its MVP with the least corporate value of all time. I am, of course, talking about Cousin Greg, who is introduced in this weeks episode watching his uncle prowl the floor of ATN, and nervously informing Tom (Matthew McFadyen) over the phone that Logan is just moseying terrifyingly moseying. I imagine that the writers of Succession get a little thrill every time they land on a new perfect bit of Greg-ese, and if the essential structure of these jokes  Greg, a faltering millennial idiot, for some reason has the cadence and vocabulary of a retired university professor circa 1954  tends to repeat itself, Nicholas Brauns ability to nail his line deliveries means that the bit never gets stale.

Disgusting brothers Greg and Tom (Sky)

This week, Greg the Egg cracks several more of the proverbial while trying to make a workplace omelette, having been given the task of telling Logans girlfriend-cum-assistant Carrie (Zoe Winters) that her dreams of TV stardom are a bust. Tonally bizarre, fumbling, and full of arm sweeping, the tape shes made as an audition for presenting the news on ATN is so ridiculous that it has swept the building, prompting furtive titters from the staff.

This is an incredibly delicate piece of diplomacy, Tom informs Greg, when the two realise they must put an end to Carries career in TV news before it even begins. Its like Israel and Palestine, except harder, and much more important. Proving that he ought never to be roped into any matter of international diplomacy, Greg panics in the moment and invents a focus group comprised of a bunch of grandpas and little twerps to blame for Carries failure to launch, after first offering to give [her] a heads up on the download on what the murmurs are. (That Greg himself is sort of simultaneously a grandpa and a little twerp might help explain why these two demographics came immediately to mind.)

If this focus group isnt real, Carrie snarls, not buying it, Im going to take you apart like a human string cheese. Greg, who does more closely resemble a string cheese than any other character currently on television, merely gulps.

The rats are fat as skunks

Marriage, at least in the universe of Succession, continues to look like the worst idea on the planet: this week, Shiv discovers that her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Tom, has conflicted every decent lawyer in America out of action, in a move she recognises as her fathers handiwork.

Later, arriving at the rehearsal dinner for Willa (Justine Lupe) and Connor (Alan Ruck)s wedding, Roman, Shiv and Kendall run into the bride, drunk and escaping, having announced to the entire wedding party that she cannot marry Connor. Just toss her another ten grand, Roman suggests, brightly, to his brother. Or a snowmobile and some teeth-whitening vouchers. Connor, who may or may not have recently heard a Bruce Springsteen song for the first time, announces his desire to go to a dive bar where the customers are chicks, and guys who work with their hands, and grease, and sweat from their hands, and they have blood in their hair. I dont like these guys, Roman sniffs. They sound like a medical experiment gone wrong.

Regardless, the Roy siblings do end up spending an evening slumming it, with Connor ordering what any regular joe would have  just a Belgian Weiss beer. If his father can still maintain a slight claim to being a man of the people, Connor continues to behave like a man from outer space.

Shivs conviction that her father has been meddling in her divorce has galvanised her into action, and she has begun to scheme in order to hit back. It is the eve of the board vote at Waystar Royco which will decide on the companys acquisition by the eccentric Swedish tech baron Lukas Matsson, and she is determined to join forces with two board members and sometime-frenemies of the Roys, Stewy Hosseini and Sandi Furness, to delay the sale. Ostensibly, her position is that Logan has not negotiated fiercely enough, and that there is more money to be made; in fact, she may be risking the sale going through at all, and in doing so dooming the immediate cash injection she, Roman and Kendall had been hoping to receive.

Shiv in a karaoke booth in Succession episode 2 (Sky)

Kendall, more easily persuaded to lash out against his father, quickly comes around to her side of the argument, leaving Roman on his own. Inevitably, the sibling squabble reaches crisis point on Connors supposedly cheering night out at the dive bar, when Shiv notices that Roman has received a text from Logan, and demands to read his phone.

It transpires that Roman had texted Logan wishing him a happy birthday, and in what both Shiv and Kendall characterise as a betrayal, ended the text message with take care. What was I supposed to say? Roman asks in disbelief. Happy birthday, hope you fall down a flight of stairs s***head? Tired of listening to his brothers and his sister fighting, Connor poutily insists that everyone relocates to a karaoke bar; he ends up sadly crooning Leonard Cohens Famous Blue Raincoat for them in a private room with bisexual lighting, a spectacle Roman describes as Guantanamo level s***.

It would be easy to imagine that this scene might be the most excruciatingly vulnerable in the episode, and that the audiences tolerance for emotional masochism had been tested to the limit  in fact, moments later, Connor reveals that he has told Logan about Roman, Shiv and Kendalls Machiavellian scheming vis-a-vis the Waystar deal, and that Logan is now on his way to meet them, leading to a family confrontation that is one of the most tense and most affecting in the history of the show.

Logan does not scream, or shout; he does not call them f***s, or ingrates. He says that he is sorry that they missed his birthday party, leading Kendall, spluttering with disbelief, to ask: Did dad just say a feeling? As ever in Succession, the shifting uncertainty of the shows psychological terrain makes it easy for the writers and the actors, both, to booby-trap their audience with sudden bursts of melancholy or cruelty, and the experience of seeing Logan appear to express genuine tenderness is so unusual and unnerving that it leaves the viewer in the same position as it leaves his children: we have no idea what we ought to believe.

You are such dopes, he tells them, when Shiv and Kendall insist that all they want is more money. You are not serious figures. I love you, but you are not serious people. His tone when he calls them dopes is soft enough that for a fleeting moment, he sounds just like any other father playfully teasing his children. Between not and serious people, Cox leaves a small, pregnant pause, and his dampening eyes appear to focus on another place entirely, as if an unhappy realisation about why his children are the way they are is washing over him like a terrible tidal wave.

When Logan leaves, his tail practically between his legs, he launches into a rant about New York that is not really about New York at all. The rats are as fat as skunks, he fumes, referring obliquely to his bratty kids. They hardly care to run any more! Cast your mind back to last week, and remember that he called them rats then, too  then think about the old saying about rats and sinking ships, and consider whether the ship in this particular instance is the company of Waystar Royco, or the family.

The good thing about having a family that doesnt love you is that you learn to live without it, Connor, horribly and heartbreakingly, tells his siblings as Kendall and Shiv begin to gloat about how much they have hurt Logan. Youre all chasing after dad saying love me, love me, pay me attention. Youre f***ing love sponges, and Im a plant that grows on rocks and lives off insects that die inside of me. It is absolutely no surprise that after they all leave the karaoke bar, Roman slinks off  love me, love me, pay me attention  to be with his father, and it is no surprise, either, that his father immediately tries to recruit him for ATN.

You really want me? Roman asks, and Logan, perhaps simply knowing what Roman wants to hear but perhaps also meaning it a little, answers: More, Romulus. More. I need you. How much anyone needs anyone in the Roy family is, of course, anyones guess.
Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, has ordered a combat readiness check of the Armed Forces of Belarus.

Source: the Ministry of Defence of Belarus

Quote: "The measures are complex and are set to determine the commands capability to control subordinate military units and subunits while they are on high alert, and the readiness of military units to complete tasks as directed in due time."

Details: During this "check", military equipment will be moving across Belarus, and there may be a temporary traffic restriction for civilian vehicles on public roads and terrain areas.

Background:

On 31 March, Lukashenko said in a message to the Belarusian people that NATO countries were preparing for an invasion of Belarusian territory.

Lukashenko said during his address to the Belarusian people that Russian troops in the country are subordinate to him, not the President of the Russian Federation.

Overall, the majority of Lukashenkos address to the nation was not about Belarus but about Russia's war against Ukraine. He repeatedly emphasised the need for negotiations between Zelenskyy and Putin, and also made some threats about nuclear weapons and the fact that Russia has not yet deployed its military machine at full strength.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A super PAC backing U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has hired two South Carolina political operatives ahead of the senators potential 2024 presidential run.

Matt Moore, who previously chaired the South Carolina Republican Party, and Mark Knoop, who served as Gov. Henry McMasters 2022 campaign manager, have joined the Opportunity Matters Fund Action political action committee, according to a news release.

Their hirings were first reported Monday by the Charleston Post and Courier.

This is the latest move that those around Scott are gearing up for his jump into the 2024 presidential race.

Scott has not said whether he will seek the White House, but he has made visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, states that kick off the GOP nominating process. He also is slated to give donors an update of his political plans later this month.

So far the GOP 2024 pack includes former President Donald Trump, former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

Former Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican and chair of Scotts PAC, said in the release hes excited for Knoop and Moore to join the group.

Mark Knoop

They know the Palmetto State better than anyone and will play a vital role as we talk with South Carolinians about Americas future and the role leaders like Tim will play in it, Gardner said.

Knoop and Moore join the super PAC, which raised $37 million during the 2022 election cycle according to the nonpartisan Open Secrets, a group that tracks money in politics, roughly 10 months before the South Carolina holds the first-in-the-South presidential primary.

Moore is currently the managing partner of public relations and political strategy firm First Tuesday Strategies and was as GOP chairman from 2013 to 2017. He also previously worked as Scotts state director for his Senate office.

Mark and I will lead a team focused on sharing Sen. Scotts opportunity agenda and inspirational vision throughout the state, Moore said in a statement. Whether its building grassroots support or through earned and paid media, OMFA plans on having a strong presence in South Carolina.

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Matt Moore

Knoop is the owner of campaign management company Forward Communications & Strategies in Columbia. He previously worked on campaigns for U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, and was Attorney General Alan Wilsons 2018 campaign manager. He also was former Texas Gov. Rick Perrys S.C. field director during his 2012 presidential campaign.

South Carolinians  and Americans as a whole  are hungry for the kind of hopeful and transformational leadership that Tim Scott can bring, Knoop said in a statement. Im proud to join Cory and the team in this fight for more freedom and opportunity for all.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters

A suspect has been detained in connection with a bombing that killed a notorious pro-Russia military blogger in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

Vladlen Tatarsky died in the blast as he gave a talk at the Street Food Bar #1 Cafe. According to a source cited by Russian state media, Tatarskyreal name Maxim Fominhad been handed a statue as a gift that may have contained the explosive device. The figurine was reportedly designed to look like the Ukraine war hardliner.

Thirty-two people were also injured in the explosion.

A video of Tatarsky/Fomin opening the figurine/statue gift that allegedly blew up & killed him today. Its cool, golden, he says.

(Sota, who shared the video on telegram, warns Russians not to comment b/c any statement can be used to fabricate a terrorism case against them) pic.twitter.com/PPje5uxCwV  Paula Chertok (@PaulaChertok) April 2, 2023

On Monday, Russias Investigative Committee announced the arrest of Daria Trepova in connection with the attack. Trepova, 26, had earlier been placed on the Russian Interior Ministrys wanted list as a murder investigation was opened. Russias National Anti-Terrorism Committee says it has established that the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services and involved people collaborating with the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation.

According to Russias RBC, Trepova had previously taken part in an anti-war rally in St. Petersburg in February 2022 and had been arrested for 10 days as a result. Sources cited by the outlet claimed investigators havent ruled out the possibility that Trepova may have been used to commit a terrorist act and might not have guessed that the figurine contained an explosive device.

Dmitry Rylov, Trepovas husband, told SVTV News that his wife was innocent. I believe my wife was framed, Rylov reportedly said, though he did not say by whom. Im pretty sure she would never have been able to do something like that on her own. Yes, Daria and I really do not support the war in Ukraine, but we believe that such actions are unacceptable. I am 100 per ent sure that she would never have agreed to this if she had known, Rylov added.

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RBC also claimed that Trepova had previously corresponded with Tatarsky and had attended other events in which he had participated. In an earlier report, witnesses to the bombing said a woman who introduced herself as Anastasia handed the statue to the events host, who in turn gave it to Tatarsky.

She spoke about herself, said that her name was Anastasia, that at some other meeting she gave him either postcards or drawings. He remembered her, witness Nikolai Mamonov, who said he was sitting at the third table from the stage in the cafe, said. He added that after the explosion, Everyone ran to the exit in a crowd and everyone was screaming.

There was an explosion in one of the restaurants of St.Petersburg, allegedly owned by Prigozhyn, Wagner PMC founder. Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarski, who was there at this moment, is reportedly killed. pic.twitter.com/K56i3btuZY  Iuliia Mendel (@IuliiaMendel) April 2, 2023

The bar where the deadly blast took place was once owned by Yevgeny Prigozhinthe founder of the Wagner mercenary group currently attempting to seize control of the town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. In a video late Sunday, Prigozhin claimed the bitterly contested town was now legally under Russian control as he purportedly raised a Russian flag bearing the words in good memory to Vladlen Tatarsky at Bakhmuts city hall.

Before his death, Tatarsky had amassed nearly 600,000 followers on Telegram for his extreme advocacy for the invasion of Ukraine. He had even previously criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military commanders for failures during the illegal war. Among his most infamous comments was a remark he made in the Kremlin in September as Russia illegally annexed four regions of Ukraine.

I congratulate everyone, everyone who waited till this moment, he said. We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone we need. Everything will be as we like.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for Sundays bombing. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter that it was only a question of when domestic terrorism would become part of internal political conflict in Russia, adding: Spiders are eating each other in a jar.

Tatarskys death comes after the August killing of Darya Duginathe daughter of Russian propagandist and Putins spiritual adviser Alexander Dugin. Dugina, 29, was killed in a car bomb in Moscow that was suspected to have been intended for her father, with the Russian Federal Security Service also blaming Ukrainian special services for the attack.

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Police investigate the scene of a shooting in a West Hills shopping parking lot that left one person dead and many others wounded in West Hills. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Police Department on Sunday identified one of the four suspects involved in a shooting Saturday afternoon that left one man dead and three others wounded in a San Fernando Valley parking lot.

Homicide investigators said Mark Connole, 34, of Woodland Hills was booked at Van Nuys jail on suspicion of murder, and bail has been set at $2 million.

Police said the incident occurred about 3:45 p.m. Saturday during a dispute over an alleged gang-related drug deal in the parking lot of Fallbrook Center, a retail complex in the 22900 block of Vanowen Street that is home to a Target, Home Depot, Walmart and Trader Joes.

Connole allegedly produced a handgun, police said, and began firing at the victims, three of whom sustained injuries that weren't life-threatening and were transported to a hospital for treatment.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced a fourth victim dead at the scene. The victims identity is being withheld pending notification of the family, police said.

As officers arrived on the scene, Connole allegedly fled in a red Honda and was spotted by a police helicopter. Officers in the airship saw him switch vehicles and directed police in patrol cars to the area to block an escape.

Connole was detained after a short pursuit and taken into custody without incident, police said. A firearm was recovered and he was arrested, police said.

In a statement on Sunday, police said, detectives have canvassed the area and are investigating all leads. Detectives request the assistance of any witnesses present at the Fallbrook Shopping Center during the incident to come forward.

Any persons who captured cell phone video of the altercation before the incident or the shooting are requested to notify detectives, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact LAPD Valley Bureau Homicide detectives at (818) 374-9550. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org .

Times staff writers Richard Winton and Melissa Gomez contributed to this report.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Darya Trepova, a suspect in the murder of Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, has been detained in St Petersburg, Russia.

Source: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation; Fontanka local news agency

Quote from Russias Investigative Committee: "Darya Trepovahas been detained on suspicion of involvement in an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg by officers from the Investigative Committee of Russia, together with operational services."

Details: According to Fontanka, a young woman has been detained in a rented apartment in the Vyborgsky District of St Petersburg.

At the same time, RBC, citing a source in the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry, reported that Trepova might not have known that the statuette she gave to Tatarsky contained an explosive substance.

As the source states, the criminal investigation department does not rule out that the young woman was used to commit a terrorist attack.

He also said that Trepova had previously contacted Tatarsky and attended events with his participation.

Dmitry Rylov, the suspect's husband, said that she had been framed and that she "absolutely did not understand the purpose" of the bust figure she had given to the propagandist Tatarsky.

Background:

On 2 April, an explosion occurred in a cafe in the centre of St Petersburg that had previously belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group Private Military Company, killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky and injuring 30 other people.

The ISW stated that the killing of the propagandist "may have been intended as a warning to Prigozhin (the founder of the Wagner PMC), who has been increasingly questioning core Kremlin talking points about the war in Ukraine and even obliquely signalling an interest in the Russian presidency, whether in competition with Putin or as his successor".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reference to the attack that he doesn't think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russia's internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russia's second-largest city, officials said. Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her SUV outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of Tatarsky that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking as he removed a wrapper to reveal the gold-colored bust of a man wearing a helmet, What a handsome guy!

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism. Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on Feb. 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

Designating the case as a terrorist act gives authorities more power to pursue their investigation, increases the maximum punishment and limits the rights of suspects.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

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According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but didnt know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, the Kremlin's fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organized massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Navalny's supporters as an "internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her SUV blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation" in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St. Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Zelenskyy told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Tatarsky was born in Ukraine's industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticized the military brass.

Putin saluted Tatarsky posthumously Monday with a bravery award.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 will have a whole new look this fall with one aim in mind: bring together investors, founders and technologists who have specific industry interests -- all under one roof at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Disrupt has always been big. But this year we're folding TC Sessions, the standalone industry events that are traditionally held throughout the year, into the big annual tech event.

Disrupt will have six industry tracks, each with its own stage, including AI, fintech, hardware, SaaS, security and sustainability. Yup, sustainability, a category that will combine transportation, climate tech, smart cities and renewables.

What the heck is sustainable tech, anyway? In our experience, it's a moving target. The term is arguably many things: aspirational, a misnomer, a buzzword and a catch-all for products and services that are less environmentally destructive than doing business as normal.

To us, the goal of sustainable tech is simply to do less harm to the planet (thus sustaining something close to life as we know it). Yet, how to achieve that goal  without resting on piecemeal tweaks and greenwashing  is a rich and messy topic worth probing.

That is what we aim to do on the Sustainability Stage  discuss material ways to mitigate the damage we're doing, while interrogating bullshit and distractions along the way.

The stakes have never been higher. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said with the release of its sixth major assessment, "keeping warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels requires deep, rapid and sustained greenhouse gas emissions reductions in all sectors." The tech industry must do its part by drawing down scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, cleaning up its pollutive supply chains and accelerating the transition to renewables.

Disrupt in particular is all about startups. The specific areas we're eager to dig into this year via panels and fireside chats include: fixing the broken U.S. power grid, examining how cities will adapt to more frequent extreme weather events, mitigating fast fashion's environmental toll and rethinking some of the world's most-loved beverages.

Book your early-bird pass today and save $800 to the startup event of the year. Prices go up May 12.
Louise Sheppard said the design of the building helped staff's wellbeing

Insurance giant Zurich has officially opened its new headquarters in Swindon, with hopes it will kick-start a wider regeneration of the town centre.

It is the first new office block in the town for three decades and has been designed to enhance staff's wellbeing.

Chief of staff, Nigel Emson, said its modern features were drawing workers back to the office post-pandemic.

"People want to come in here... people feel proud to be part of Zurich in Swindon", he added.

The company has been in the Wiltshire town since 1970 and has now signed a 20 year lease to use its new central office, Unity Place.

'Low risk'

Swindon Borough Council is now Zurich's landlord, having bought the building for 35m to lease it back to the company.

Responding to questions about the level of risk it exposes the council to, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: "There aren't many tenants who'd say 'I'd like to sign a 20 year lease' and this is probably about as low risk as you're going to get with a 20 year lease with a company the size of Zurich."

MP Justin Tomlinson said the new headquarters were "amazing"

Zurich UK's chief executive, Tim Bailey, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "We've been here for over 50 years, we've got a terrific talent base employing over 1,000 people in the Swindon area.

"It's a really important location for us and I'm really proud to be part of this town."

He said he hoped the move would encourage more investment in Swindon town centre.

The building is awash with modern features including a leisure area for staff to relax and a roof garden

The building claims to be one of the most environmentally-friendly buildings in Wiltshire with hundreds of plants fed by rainwater as well as beehives and swift bird boxes on its roof.

Head of workplace services, Louise Sheppard, was involved in its design and said she enjoys coming into the office every day.

"Fundamentally it's about wellbeing, having [the natural features] as a destination for staff when they come in," she explained.

Ms Sheppard said the plants, herb garden, bird boxes and beehive "brought in that sustainability, that natural feel"

Grace Evans, 26, was tempted to commute down the M4 from Bristol to take a job at Zurich.

"For me Swindon's actually a lot more accessible than Bristol," she said.

Story continues

"Swindon's actually quite a nice place to be. It does need a bit more redevelopment which is what they're all working on."

Grace Evans said the building's "lovely" roof garden was "a great place to go with friends and colleagues"

Opening the building, South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland called it "all part of the changes we all want to see in our Swindon town centre, and that's why this building is such an important catalyst for that growth".

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
GENEVA (AP)  The Swiss attorney generals office says it has opened a probe into the events surrounding embattled bank Credit Suisse, which is to be taken over by rival UBS.

Switzerland's government and financial regulators helped engineer the hastily arranged, $3.25 billion agreement that was aimed in part to help calm worries about the global financial system and will leave the country with a single huge global bank.

The attorney general's office said Monday that it wanted to proactively fulfill its remit and its responsibility to contribute to a clean Swiss financial sector. It said that it has set up monitoring that would enable it to get involved immediately if any offenses were committed that come under its auspices.

The office said the probe falls short of a formal investigation and is not a criminal inquiry. The office was responding to an emailed request Monday for comment after the Financial Times reported about the probe over the weekend. The statement made no reference to UBS.

Prosecutors said they want to gain an overview of the events surrounding Credit Suisse and to secure and evaluate the available information to analyze and identify any relevant offenses. It stressed that it cannot anticipate the result of the clarifications it has set in motion and didn't identify any specific possible offense.

The takeover of Credit Suisse has drawn both praise and criticism in the prosperous country of about 8.5 million people.

Before the bank marriage was orchestrated on March 19, Credit Suisse was hemorrhaging deposits, shareholders were dumping its stock and creditors were rushing to seek repayment.

The bank has faces years of troubles that predated financial turmoil spurred by the collapse of two U.S. banks, ranging from losses on hedge fund bets to fines over failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian drug ring and not reporting secret offshore accounts that wealthy Americans used to avoid paying taxes.
Jaime Lee - Hearst Owned

The talk of the town (read: your FYP) as of late has been reality TV, and more specifically, Netflix's Love Is Blind, where two stars/agents of chaos have emerged. From the dramatic and unexpected IRL reveals to *that* love triangle in the pods, contestants Irina Solomonova and Zack Goytowski have really been providing the juice.

We've just been hit with a bunch of new season 4 episodes (hallelujah!), but we have to talk about the previous cliffhanger. The episode title  Paradise Lost  tells you everything you need to know about the growing tensions. But what's even more interesting is the remarks made regarding men's shaving and body standards more generally.

Irina and Zack's connection, while in the pods, was flourishing. But things began to crumble when they have their first introduction IRL. "I'm completely shocked. I had no idea what Zack looked like and it's going to take me some time to get used to. I thought he would be a little more normal," Irina said. Red flag numero uno. The pair were then hitting Mexico for what became a short-lived vacation, where more cracks became apparent. Their interactions were awkward and evasive. The build-up was clearly, shall we say, cringe. It then culminated in an increasingly frank chat about the fact that Irina wasnt super attracted to Zack IRL

2023  Netflix - Netflix

"It's been absolutely horrible. It's been f*cking horrible!" Zack said. They were going toe-to-toe on how bad their union was.



This is where it all got a bit... eek. "Im not going to pinpoint and be like Oh, well, you did this, you shaved your arms and legs Im not going to sit here and point all these things that I dont like about you, Im not going to do that", Irina dobbed in.

In response to this, fans took to Twitter in agreement with her. The tweet below is an example of some opinions shared:

Realizing zack from love is blind shaves his arms and legs pic.twitter.com/JvUdDIrP4n  sj (@yeaasarah) March 28, 2023

Of course, everyone will always have their own preferences when it comes to what they find attractive in a partner. I, for one, am prone to a short King. But perpetuating stigma around men and the removal of their body hair for beauty standards in 2023 is so not in.

Story continues

Body hair removal has long been engrained as the norm for women in western society. And still, it's only been in recent years that we've seen this societal expectation rejected and celebrated at select times. Just take Phoebe Bridgers as a prime example of someone seen to be embracing their armpit hair; she attended the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards last week, where she stepped out with unshaven 'pits. And ofc, Phoebe is a conventionally attractive pop star.

Frazer Harrison - Getty Images

The same outdated, gendered aesthetic ideals are inverted when it comes to men. Experimenting with body hair removal doesn't fit into the hyper-masculine, rigid beauty standards. Male grooming habits are mocked, ridiculed, and used to emasculate men on a different level. Just look at how Love Island's Haris was torn apart for his tweezed eyebrows.

In a 2019 survey conducted by the research agency OnePoll on behalf of the body grooming brand, BAKblade, it was revealed that over half of men admitted feeling "embarrassed" about their body hair. The statistic emerged in a survey of 2,000 men which found that 55 per cent of all respondents said they felt ashamed of their body hair, with one in five saying they feel this way "often".

Additionally, nearly one-third of men surveyed (31 per cent) said theyve avoided swimming before out of embarrassment of their body hair, while another one in four (27 per cent) said theyve avoided the gym. 44 per cent of the men surveyed consider it "unmanly" for men to practise good grooming habits.



As always, it's important to understand the practical, cultural, and societal layers of a decision to keep or remove one's body hair. In Germany, for example, it's common among younger men to strive toward as little body hair as possible, shaving their armpits. Many keep their pits hairless in a bid to keep body odour at bay, too.

For some, a dialogue about shaving one's armpits may seem a trivial topic, but it's important to stay aware of how people  not only on TV but in wider society, too  are moving through an apex of beauty standards, masculine norms and social media judgement.

You know your body best. This perceived social stigma of male grooming need not be negative any more!



Follow Lia on Instagram.





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Journalist Roman Popkov, who has been accused by Telegram channels, citing "sources", of being an accomplice in the murder of propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, is denying his involvement.

Source: Popkov in a comment to the Russian Investigative Journalism Project The Insider

Quote: "Just now, I saw all these wild messages from garbage Telegram channels. What I want to say is: this is complete nonsense, and this is a lie. I know Dasha Tykovka (Trepova) from Twitter, shes a long-time follower of mine on there and on my Telegram channel, and I dont even remember when we last interacted. Of course I didn't give her any orders to blow up this fiend, and I didn't do this kind of operation."

Details: Popkov suggested that the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), in whose hands Trepova is now, could force her to "confess to anything", and that if she mentioned him, she did it under pressure.

Popkov believes the authorities have a grudge against him because he supports opposition leader Alexey Navalny and is a pro-Ukrainian journalist.

Note: In 2020, Roman Popkov was arrested for 15 days in Belarus for participating in protests against the Lukashenko regime.

Popkov also left the Russian Federation and has actively opposed the war in Ukraine.

Previously: On 3 April, Darya Trepova was detained in St Petersburg on suspicion of murdering Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky. At the same time, sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation say that Trepova might not have known what was in the statuette that exploded shortly after she gave it to Tatarsky.

Background:

On 2 April, an explosion occurred in a cafe in the centre of St Petersburg that had previously belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group Private Military Company, killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky and injuring 30 other people.

Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee has accused the Ukrainian security services and supporters of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation of murdering Vladlen Tatarsky.

The Navalny Foundation responded that the FSB killed Tatarsky itself.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Russian officials and propagandists were quick to accuse Ukraine of killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky (real name: Maxim Fomin), although forces inside Russia may have been involved in his murder, state analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.



Source: ISW report



Details: Analysts cite the words of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner PMC, who said that he would not blame the "Kyiv regime" for the deaths of Vladlen Tatarsky and Alexander Dugin's daughter Daria, who were killed in an explosion near Moscow in August.

"Fomins assassination at Prigozhins bar is likely part of a larger pattern of escalating internal Russian conflicts involving Prigozhin and Wagner," the report reads.

ISW states that "Fomins assassination may have been intended as a warning to Prigozhin, who has been increasingly questioning core Kremlin talking points about the war in Ukraine and even obliquely signalling an interest in the Russian presidency, whether in competition with Putin or as his successor."

The ISW also believes that the Russian authorities are likely to use Fomin's murder to increase self-censorship among Russian civil society representatives who question Russia's success in the war in Ukraine.

"The assassination is already deepening a divide within the Russian milblogger space, which may ultimately be beneficial to the Kremlins efforts to consolidate control of the information space," the ISW states.



Background:

On 2 April, an explosion occurred in a cafe in the centre of St Petersburg that had previously belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group Private Military Company, killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky and injuring 30 other people.

Russian media outlet Interfax reported that Russian security forces had detained Daria Trepova, a resident of St Petersburg, on suspicion of murdering propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky.

However, the Fontanka news agency states that the suspect is still being searched for.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Today Show

The first-grade teacher who was shot by one of her students has filed a $40 million lawsuit against administrators of the elementary school, saying they were warned multiple times that the child had a gun but did nothing about it.

The teacher, Abigail Zwerner, was shot in her classroom on Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia. The 6-year-old student who shot her had behavioral problems and "a history of random violence," the lawsuit states.

According to the lawsuit, Ebony Parker  the school's assistant principal, who resigned after the shooting  "essentially ignored" numerous warnings that day that the boy was believed to be armed.

Teachers concerns with [the boy's] behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed," the lawsuit states. "Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy.

Zwerner and other faculty members allegedly spoke to Parker several times the day of the shooting to express concerns about the boy, who was known for exhibiting "violent tendencies." Two days before the shooting, the lawsuit states, the boy had grabbed Zwerner's cellphone, refused to give it back, and then "slammed the cellphone on the ground so hard that it cracked and shattered," and was suspended for one day as a result.

The previous school year, he had been removed from school after he strangled and choked a teacher," but was allowed back for first grade as long as he was accompanied by a parent.

But on Jan. 6, the boy's mother allegedly left after bringing him to school. He was in a "violent mood" that day, Zwerner told Parker, having threatened to beat up a kindergartener during lunchtime, and angrily stared down a security officer in the lunchroom." Parker allegedly had no response, refusing to even look up at [Zwerner] when she expressed her concerns"  a reaction "consistent with her reputation among teachers."

Story continues

"She was well known by teachers working in Newport News to ignore and downplay concerns expressed by teachers, and to demean teachers working in schools in which she was an administrator," the lawsuit states.

Later that day, a second teacher spoke to Parker, saying two students had told her the boy had a gun, according to the lawsuit. She told Parker she'd searched his backpack while he was away at recess and found nothing, but that before recess, Zwerner had seen him remove something from his backpack and put it in his sweatshirt pocket. Parker replied that the boy's "pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing," the lawsuit states.

A third teacher went to Parker after a student, who was "visibly upset and crying," told her the boy had shown him a gun in his pocket during recess and "said he would hurt him if he told anyone." Still, Parker did not act, allegedly responding that she was aware of the threat" and that the boy's backpack had already been searched.

Two more teachers then spoke to Parker, one of whom asked if he could search the boy to see if he was carrying a gun on his person. According to the lawsuit, Parker "forbade [the teacher] from doing so and stated that [the boy's] mother would be arriving soon to pick him up.

Less than an hour later, the boy shot Zwerner in the chest.

In March, over three months since she was shot, Zwerner said she still thinks about the shooting every day and has nightmares about it.

"I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me," she said in an interview with the Today show. "It's changed me; it's changed my life."

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, her attorney, Diane Toscano, said Zwerner "has endured four surgeries and still has a bullet lodged inside her."

The Newport News school division had a duty to Abby. But they failed her miserably that day," Toscano said. "As a result of their inaction, Abby was shot by a six-year-old student, and she will never be the same."

Toscano continued, "In addition to holding the school division accountable for its failures, this lawsuit is a means to deliver justice for Abby in this tragic but entirely preventable situation."

In addition to Parker, the Newport News School Board is named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, as is George Parker III, the district's superintendent, and Briana Foster Newton, the school's principal.

The superintendent  who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BuzzFeed News  was voted out by the school board after the shooting, according to WTKR. Newton was reassigned to another position in the school district, CNN reported.

In a statement to BuzzFeed News, the Newport News School Board said it has "not yet received the legal documents" but would work with its lawyers when it does.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery," the board said. "As we have shared, as a school community, we continue to recover and support one another. We have been working in partnership with our community to address safety and security, student behavior and family engagement.

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our most important priority," the statement continued. "The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.

Pamela J. Branch, an attorney representing Briana Foster Newton, said Newton would "vigorously defend any charges brought against her."

"In addition, we are exploring the possibility of a countersuit as it has been brought to our attention that prior to the shooting, another student in Ms. Zwerners class warned her in class that the six-year-old shooter had a gun and Ms. Zwerner allegedly told the student to sit down and be quiet," Branch said. "If this is true, Ms. Zwerner may have been able to avoid the injury she suffered and this will certainly impact her claimed damages."

Zwerner's attorneys called that allegation "absurd" in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

"It sounds like the principal is now blaming Abby for getting shot. That is absurd. The unheeded warnings to the school administration were clear and the timing of when they knew the threat was on school property is spelled out in our complaint. - Toscano & Breit

The boy, whose parents previously said has an "acute disability," was under a care plan that required the presence of a parent with him in class every day. After the shooting, he was taken to a hospital to "[receive] the treatment he needs."

"The week of the shooting was the first week when we were not in class with him. We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives," the unidentified parents said in a statement through their attorney, James Ellenson.

The gun the boy used belonged to his parents, but was kept "secured" in the home, they said. They did not say how he accessed the gun on the day of the shooting.

Due to the boy's young age, Newport News prosecutors have said they will not file criminal charges against him, but have not yet decided if any adults will be charged.

"Our heart goes out to our son's teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school," the parents said.

"We continue to pray for his teachers full recovery, and for her loved ones who are undoubtedly upset and concerned," they added. "At the same time, we love our son and are asking that you please include him and our family in your prayers."

More on this
A police officer directs traffic at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, after a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher.

A police officer directs traffic at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, after a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher.

An elementary school teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student has filed a $40 million lawsuit, accusing administrators at her Virginia school of repeatedly ignoring warnings that the student was armed with a gun and had a history of random violence.

Abigail Zwerner filed a lawsuit against Richneck Elementary Schools former principal, former assistant principal, the Newport News School Board and the former superintendent on Monday, accusing them of gross negligence and failure to report the weapon to authorities on Jan. 6.

She has endured four surgeries and still has a bullet lodged inside her, said Zwerners attorney Diane Toscano. In addition to holding the school division accountable for its failures, this lawsuit is a means to deliver justice for Abby in this tragic but entirely preventable situation.

The shooting occurred only hours after staff and teachers raised concerns to the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, about the boy having a gun, the lawsuit states.

Parker later resigned, the school boards superintendent was fired, and the school principal was reassigned.

A representative for Newport News Public Schools told HuffPost on Monday that the district had not yet received the lawsuit and would decline to comment until it could review the suit with legal counsel.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery, the districts statement read. The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.

Abby Zwerner taught first grade at this Newport News school. A 6-year-old student shot her once in the chest and hand in her classroom.

Abby Zwerner taught first grade at this Newport News school. A 6-year-old student shot her once in the chest and hand in her classroom.

According to Zwerners lawsuit, the students parents were required to accompany him during the school day because of his violent tendencies, but on the day of the shooting, they did not. The school had instituted this requirement after the child was removed from school for allegedly strangling and choking a teacher in kindergarten. He also allegedly touched a female classmate inappropriately after pulling her dress up when she fell down on the playground.

Story continues

Teachers regularly expressed concerns about the student to the schools administration, Zwerners lawsuit states, but the childs parents said they did not agree with placing him in special education classrooms where there were children with behavioral issues.

Two days before the shooting, the school suspended the student for a day after he allegedly smashed Zwerners phone on the ground, causing it to crack and shatter. When he returned to the school on Jan. 6, he did so in a violent mood, the suit claims.

According to the lawsuit, the child also threatened to beat up a kindergartener during lunch and angrily stared down a security officer in the lunchroom, which Zwerner reported to the assistant principal. Then, just before noon, two students informed a reading specialist that the child had a gun in his backpack.

The staffer confronted the boy about the gun, the lawsuit states, but he denied having one and refused to show her his backpack. Later, the staff member searched the childs backpack while he was at recess, but she did not find a weapon.

The reading specialist then went to the assistant principal and told her that the child had allegedly told classmates that he had a gun and that Zwerner had seen the boy remove an object from his backpack before recess. Parker dismissed this concern, according to the lawsuit, saying the childs pockets were too small to hold a handgun.

Another child was later seen crying and told a teacher that the student had shown him a gun and threatened to hurt him if he told anyone. The suit says the teacher then contacted the front office, which relayed this information to Parker, who again dismissed the concern, reasoning that the childs backpack had already been searched.

Upon hearing about a possible gun, a guidance counselor and administrator at the school asked Parker if he could search the child for a firearm, but Parker said no, stating that the childs mother was on her way to pick him up, according to the lawsuit.

Around 2 p.m., the boy pulled the gun out of his pocket and shot Zwerner as she sat in her classroom, authorities said.

The childs parents later publicly apologized to Zwerner in a statement. They said that they are responsible gun owners and that the firearm their son brought to school had been secured, though they didnt explain how the child got access to it.

Local prosecutors said the child will not be criminally charged in the shooting because of his age, though Newport News police Chief Steve Drew told CNN that charging the parents is certainly a possibility.

Related...
Tears for Fears is returning to concert stages this summer with a stop at Wheatlands Toyota Amphitheatre.

The July 29 date is a stop on the duos 22-city The Tipping Point Tour, Part II. Opening will be Cold War Kids.

The duo of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal first drew fame with MTV-era chart-toppers Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Sowing The Seeds of Love.

Tears for Fears North American summer tour concludes with Southern California stops in Palm Springs and at the Hollywood Bowl.

Toyota Amphitheatre is at 2677 Forty Mile Road in Wheatland.

Presale tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Public sales are 10 a.m. Friday.
By Clara Denina and Pratima Desai

LONDON (Reuters) -putting down for author to review and revise -dg

Copper and zinc miner Teck Resources on Monday rejected an unsolicited $22.5 billion bid from Glencore Plc, citing reluctance to expose its shareholders to thermal coal, oil, LNG and related sectors.

New York-listed shares of Teck jumped 19.6% on Monday, their largest daily rise in two years. London-listed shares of Glencore closed down 2.6%.

Glencore's all-share offer represents a 20% premium to Teck's closing stock price on March 26, when the bid was made privately. The proposal includes a plan to simultaneously spin off the companies' thermal and steelmaking coal businesses and rebrand the remaining company as GlenTeck.

Glencore Chief Executive Gary Nagle, asked in a conference call with investors if a sweetened deal was possible, said: "We should not be talking about that. This is not a takeover, but a merger."

Some analysts saw room for a higher offer.

"We do see a compelling strategic rationale for this combination," said Chris LaFemina, an analyst at Jefferies. "Based on Glencore's response, we believe a higher offer is likely. However, based on the Teck press release it is not clear that a modestly higher price is all that is necessary."

Teck said it worries any combination of the two companies would expose its shareholders to Glencore's large thermal coal business, an unwanted oil trading business and significant jurisdictional risk, all of which would reduce its value.

"The board is not contemplating a sale of the company at this time," Teck Chair Sheila Murray said in a letter to Glencore's board.

Teck said more value could be created through a restructuring proposed earlier this year in which the Vancouver-based miner would spin off its steelmaking coal unit to focus on copper and other industrial metals. A vote on this proposal is scheduled for April 26.

Story continues

After the separation, Teck's metal-focused unit plans to be known as Teck Metals Corp, while the divested unit would be listed in Toronto as Elk Valley Resources Ltd.

Teck believes its base metals business, once fully independent, would have a much better chance of attracting a competitive bid than the company in its current form, according to a source familiar with management's thinking.

Addenda Capital, which holds about 1% of Teck's shares, said it supports Teck's existing plans. "The (Glencore) bid is too low for us to have any interest," Addenda's Todd Kapala told Reuters.

Analysts at Scotiabank said they believe the chances of any deal with Glencore to be "extremely low."

"We view the Glencore offer as an opportunistic bid designed to take advantage of the current dislocation in Teck shares related to the proposed near-term business separation," they said.

Canada's Keevil family controls Teck through its dominant ownership of 'A' class of shares, which have more voting power than the numerous 'B' class shares held by institutions, could make any further merger discussion hard.

Norman Keevil, chairman emeritus of Teck Resources, agreed with Teck's rejection of Glencore's offer.

"Now is not the time to explore a transaction of this nature, and I have the utmost confidence in the board's and our management teams' strategy to maximize value for ... shareholders after the separation," Keevil said.

This is not the first time Glencore and Teck have talked about a possible spinoff and merger of their coal businesses. Informal discussions in 2020 broke down.

Glencore's Nagle said that under this proposed deal, the new GlenTeck would be listed in London and could produce around 3 million tonnes of copper annually, making it one of the world's largest miner of the red metal used in rechargeable batteries and charging stations for electric vehicles.

Copper assets are major targets for mining companies hunting for minerals needed for the energy transition.

The merged coal company would be primarily listed in New York, Nagle said, based on the feedback received from investors and appetite for such a company there.

Nagle added that he did not envisage major antitrust issues.

(Reporting by Clara Denina, Pratima Desai, Divya Rajagopal, Ankit Kumar, David Carnevali and Mrinalika Roy; Editing by Arun Koyyur, Tomasz Janowski, Ernest Scheyder, Paul Simao, Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio)
GoFundMe

A 19-year-old Georgia teen who was hospitalized and put on a ventilator in the ICU after a horrific alleged hazing incident has spoken out for the first time since the attack, describing how he has a long road to go towards being fully recovered from the traumawhile promising that justice will be served.

Trent Lehrkamp was dumped in front of the ER after being brutally abused by a group of his peers on Tuesday night. The teen thought he was going to have a casual night with friends, according to a GoFundMe set up to help out with the teens medical expenses.

Instead, he was covered in spray paint and other substances at a house party, according to the Daily Mail, and had 23 times the legal amount of alcohol in his system when he was dropped off at the ER. He was apparently deemed inconclusive to life, according to reports. The teen was put on a ventilator but was eventually able to breathe on his own, and is now in recovery.

Photos from the party that began to spread on social media appear to show Lehrkamp unconscious in a chair, surrounded by teens and covered in an unknown liquid.

Trent wouldnt know until it was too late that these were not friends, but vile and abusive perpetrators who would go on to torture, humiliate, and assault him in inhumane, terrifying ways for hours, his GoFundMe page says.

According to the latest update on the page, the family has confirmed Lehrkamp is settling in at an out of state facility where he will be receiving the absolute best care possible  mentally, physically, medically, and emotionally, organizer Erika Kelly wrote in a Sunday update. He will be receiving a whole body recovery for as long as he needs.

GoFundMe

Kelly sent a message from Lehrkamp, saying he wants everyone to know he is thankful for the well wishes, the love and support that you all have shown to him. He wants you all to know hes alive and well but has a long road to go towards being fully recovered from the trauma.

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He is hopeful that through the support hes going to receive over the next few months, that he may be back to normalcy. And he states, Justice will be served.

Kelly shared photos from the family which they say show genuine happiness from Trent as he is reunited and spending time with his family.

EXCLUSIVE: A message from Trent Lehrkamp himself as he continues his recovery, now at an out of state facility. Justice will be served. @wsav #TrentLehrkamp #JusticeForTrent pic.twitter.com/ehD6IXAjT3  Brett Buffington (@BrettWSAV) April 2, 2023

The message echoes an audio message sent to WSAVs Brett Buffington, where Lehrkamp states: Just know its going to be a long time for me to get over this, through the trauma.

According to the WSAV report, the family notes that is is up to the teen to decide if he wanted the police involved. The report also notes Lehrkamp is not on the autism spectrum, after incorrect online reports surfaced.

The Glynn County Police Department said last week it was aware of those responsible, with investigators interviewing the involved parties and individuals who were identified by cellphone evidence. No charges have yet been laid.

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Tesla first unveiled the Cybertruck in 2019, claiming production would begin in 2021 (Tesla)

Tesla has teased a crash test video of its long-awaited Cybertruck, leaving some buyers frustrated at the delays that have blighted the all-electric vehicle.

The 36-second video, which was posted to the firms Twitter account on April Fools Day, shows crash test dummies sitting in a Cybertruck heading towards a wall, but never actually hitting it.

Just like the truck! It never arrives, wrote one Twitter user in a comment below the video, which has received more than 12 million views .

Another wrote: Yeah, if you could stop teasing the Tesla community and I, thatd be great.

Tesla first unveiled the bulletproof truck in 2019, offering customers the chance to be among the first to buy one by placing a $100 reservation fee.

An estimated 1.5 million people paid the deposit, with the electric car maker initially targeting production in 2021.

Various delays have blighted the Cybertrucks release, including shortages in sourcing components and issues with fitting Teslas 4680 batteries to a larger vehicle.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been spotted in public driving a prototype of the vehicle, which he describes as an armoured personnel carrier from the future.

The futuristic-looking vehicle comes with six seats, ultra-strong panels and 3,400kg of towing capacity. Tesla claims it will also be capable of accelerating from 0-100kph in less than 3 seconds.

Production is taking place at Teslas Texas factory, where the company is attempting to meet the vast amount of pre-orders.

Mr Musk previously said that there had been more orders of the first Cybertrucks than we could possibly fulfil for three years after the start of production.

None have yet been shipped to customers, with exact details of the final production still to be confirmed.

Walked whole Cybertruck production line at Giga Texas for several hours earlier today  gonna be awesome, Mr Musk tweeted on Sunday. Feels like the future.
(Bloomberg) -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha appealed to voters to back his bid to retain power as the Southeast Asian nation kicked off the election process with candidates registering to contest next months poll.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Prayuth, who has been in power since leading a coup in 2014, led his United Thai Nation Party candidates to register for the May 14 election in Bangkok on Monday. Representatives of other parties also began filing their candidacy for whats shaping up to be a battle between pro-democracy groups and pro-establishment parties.

You have to choose a party or a candidate who can manage the countrys crisis, Prayuth, who is his partys top prime minister candidate, told Thairath TV in an interview. Its not about promises but whether they can be achieved. And who has done it before? Me.

Even though the constitution will limit his stay in office to another two years, Prayuth said it would still be a valuable period for him and his party leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga would be ready to take over from him.

Thailands biggest political party Pheu Thai, linked to ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, pledged to rewrite the nations military-drafted constitution if it wins the election. The promise is part of the partys six-point road map to restore democracy unveiled over the weekend.

The party, which is leading in pre-poll opinion surveys, said it will also propose an anti-coup bill alongside the charter process. To reform the military, the party said it will abolish conscription and make services voluntary as a first step to keeping the army out of politics and ending the cycle of coups.

Although pre-election surveys project opposition parties holding an edge, the rules are stacked in favor of military-backed groups. Thats because the 2017 constitution gives the 250-member Senate, comprising mostly of establishment allies, the power to vote alongside the lower house until 2024 to pick the next prime minister.

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Pheu Thai, which is bidding to win more than 300 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, enjoys nearly 50% approval rating in recent opinion polls. Thaksin-linked parties have won the most seats in every election since 2001, only to be unseated from government by the army or the courts. The party is rooted in poor, rural regions in the north and northeast and has long riled Thailands urban establishment and royalist elite.

More than 52 million voters will elect lower house members in a return to the two-ballot system that will see 400 seats up for grab in a nationwide first-past-the-post race and 100 being alloted based on the proportion of votes that each party receives.

(Recasts throughout.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The therapist said he worked with LGBTQ+ people. But it turned out to be more sinister.

The therapist said he worked with LGBTQ+ people. But it turned out to be more sinister.

At age 29, I finally admitted to myself that I was transgender and began seeking a therapist to write me the necessary letters of recommendation to receive gender-affirming health care. I was living in a small town in Idaho at the time, and I needed to find a therapist who specialized in working with transgender people. I searched my health insurance companys database and found only one therapist within a 50-mile radius of my zip code who was registered in this specialty.

I called his office, and he was cheery on the phone. When I asked if he worked with LGBT people, he said, Heck yeah. I scheduled our first meeting for the following week. When I hung up the phone, I marveled at my luck  his office was less than a mile away! Closer than the nearest grocery store!

On the day of my appointment, he welcomed me into his office and offered me a seat on the couch. Now that we were face-to-face, his cheeriness was amplified to a theatrical degree and betrayed a hint of nervousness. I wrote it off as the awkwardness that often accompanies first meetings.

I gave him the Cliffs Notes version of my past: where I was born, where I had gone to college, my occupation, and finally, why I was there. I was female-to-male transgender and ready to begin the medicalization process, but in order to do so, I would need letters of recommendation from a therapist with a masters degree, ideally someone who specialized in working with transgender people. Someone like him.

At that, he clapped his hands together enthusiastically. Before we get into things, he said, I want to give you an idea of how I work. Im like Mister Rogers. Im cool with everyone. He opened his arms as though embracing all of humanity. I work with people from all different walks of life. Veterans, divorced people, single people, LBG... Wait... Did I say that right?

He laughed, unable to recall the acronym in its entirety. I helped him by saying it and even forced a laugh to smooth over his blunder. My straight friends often stumbled over the acronym, so this didnt raise an immediate red flag.

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I just want you to know, he continued, I consider this first meeting to be like an interview. If youre feeling like were a good fit, thats awesome. But maybe at the end of this meeting, youll think to yourself, this guy is not for me, and youll want to look elsewhere. Thats totally cool too.

Well, I began, Im really just looking for someone who specializes in working with trans people, and you were the only therapist who popped up in my insurance database.

Oh, so youre stuck with me, he said jokingly.

I forced another laugh, hoping he would mention his past work with transgender people. But our meeting was well underway, and he wanted to get into the therapy aspect. With his notebook and pen at the ready, he asked me to talk about my gender dysphoria. And so I did, beginning with the memory of growing up in the 90s among religious homophobes who were seemingly everywhere.

Back then, I didnt know that transgender people existed. But even if I had known, coming out would not have been safe. When I went through puberty at age 12, I felt like my body was betraying me. This wasnt just adolescent awkwardness. It was an existential crisis that I could see no way out of. The best I could do was bury it and try to get on with my life. But burying it did not make it go away. Seventeen years later, my gender dysphoria had only gotten worse and was now taking such a severe toll on my mental health that ignoring it was no longer an option.

I must have talked for 20 minutes, and all the while, this therapist said nothing, keeping one of his eyebrows cocked as he jotted down notes. Never once did he nod along in understanding or mumble a word of sympathy.

Listen, he said when I was finished talking. Youre an adult, and I think its great that you can make your own decisions. When I get people in here, no matter who they are, what I try to do is to get them to take a step back. Especially when it comes to permanent decisions. I like to say its like getting a tattoo. Before you do it, you want to make sure you really want it, right?

My gaze was drawn to the tattoo on his ankle, just above his white tube sock. It was a generic wraparound design, the kind you see in every tattoo parlor window. The faded ink was in desperate need of a touch-up.

Every generation has its thing, he continued. When I was in high school, it was cool for people to pretend like they were gay. Nowadays, its gender. Its like people have nothing to push back against, so they try to make a political statement about their gender. I have kids coming in here wanting to change their names, change this, change that. It reminds me of this friend I had in high school. His name was John, but he wanted to change it to Spike and drop out of school to join a biker gang...

At this point, I should have stood up and run out of his office. But I was dumbstruck. This guy had told me over the phone that he worked with LGBT people, and my insurance database confirmed it. Surely there was a misunderstanding here. I had no political statement to make about my gender. Nor was I planning to change my name to Spike and join a biker gang. I couldnt think of a time in history when it was cool for people to pretend they were gay. And I was still struggling to understand the correlation between my gender dysphoria and a regrettable tattoo. But evidently, our brief session had come to an end. He was on his feet, telling me about another appointment he had to get to.

So, I said, finding my tongue again. Just to clarify, Im hoping to get the ball rolling on this medicalization process. Would you be willing to write me those letters at some point?

Im not going to help you hurt yourself, he said jokingly. But it wasnt a joke. He was completely serious.

At last, my veil of naivete lifted, and I understood that I was face-to-face with an undercover conversion therapist who was now collecting my $40 co-pay.

When I got home, I scoured the internet for any testimony corroborating my theory, but I found nothing. I revisited his website, hoping to find a clue that would point to his treachery. And yes, there it was, written under the specialties section of his homepage: LGBT issues. At least he had managed to spell the acronym right. But the word issues took on a whole new meaning now, and the more I stared at it, the more sinister it became.

By issues, he did not mean the issues many LGBTQ+ people face. Issues like bullying and discrimination and subpar healthcare. By issues, he meant that being LGBTQ+ was an issue. It was a problem that needed to be corrected.

This realization narrowed into needling self-reproach. Why hadnt I inquired about his past work with transgender people during our initial phone conversation? He probably would have stuttered, and that would have been enough of a red flag to have kept me from suffering through that nightmarish appointment.

I stewed over this for another moment before resuming my search for a therapist. I would not rest until I found someone legitimately trans-friendly who knew how to pronounce the LGBTQ+ acronym in its entirety.

After calling half a dozen therapists, I finally got ahold of one who practiced in a nearby city. On his website, he listed his specialties, one of which was working with LGBTQ+ people, specifically transgender people. But I wasnt about to take that at face value this time.

After introducing myself, I told him upfront that I was female-to-male transgender and planning to medically transition ASAP. When he expressed his support, I proceeded to quiz him.

How long have you worked with transgender people? I asked. Have you ever diagnosed gender dysphoria? Do you write letters of recommendation to help your transgender patients obtain hormones and surgery? Are you a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health?

After passing my quiz, he informed me that he was gay. I started to relax and confessed to him that I had been tricked into going to conversion therapy. He listened patiently while I recounted my experience, and when I was done venting, he expressed his sincerest sympathies. But then he confirmed the worst of my fears, telling me that he gets calls from transphobic parents all the time asking if he can fix their kids in therapy. When he tries to explain to these parents that being transgender is not something that can be fixed, they usually hang up on him and look elsewhere.

Convinced that I had finally found a legitimate therapist, I booked his earliest available appointment, fully prepared to drive an hour and a half to his office and pay whatever he charged me.

But my rush of relief was short-lived. Now that my search was over, I would need to warn others about Mister Rogers. I took to Google to find out how to report him to the state, but quickly discovered that Idaho is one of 21 states where conversion therapy is 100% legal. I sat with this disturbing fact for a moment, wondering if it would be fruitless to report him to the agency that handles these matters: the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses.

I found the website and the link that would allow me to file a complaint. But the website warned in an official notice that the complainant (me) could be summoned if an investigation ensued. Furthermore, I was advised to provide as much information as possible, including supporting documentation.

I had no hard evidence to prove that this Mister Rogers wannabe was practicing conversion therapy. It was my word against his, and I could find no trace of testimony that corroborated my accusation. Not to mention, he had all my personal information. SSN. Birthdate. Drivers License. Credit card number. And worst of all, my home address. What if he showed up at my door singing Wont You Be My Neighbor?

I decided against filing an official complaint, but to appease my conscience, I dropped an anonymous tip to the regional LGBTQ+ alliance. Then I reasoned with myself that I had done all I could and tried to put the experience behind me. My new therapist, despite living many miles away, became my strongest ally, writing the necessary letters of recommendation for me to begin the medicalization process and offering support as I strategized about coming out to my family members.

A year later, I finally did come out to them, biting the bullet to let them know that I was having top surgery in a few weeks. Speaking to each one of them individually and over the phone, their pearl-clutching reactions came as no surprise. This falling-out had been decades in the making, and I was well-prepared for it.

What I was not prepared for was my mothers campaign to get me into conversion therapy. Unable to exercise executive power over my life, she telephoned all the family members she could get ahold of to implore their help, reasoning that if enough people ambushed me, I would change my mind about changing my sex. I can only imagine that if she had known about the Mister Rogers wannabe, she would have telephoned him too.

Even if she could turn back the hands of time and wield executive power over my life again, all of her efforts to un-trans me would have been for naught.

After my session with the Mister Rogers wannabe, I felt my transness amplified to a new level. I was certain that it was more permanent than any tattoo and would transcend time and space, lasting forever in every dimensional existence.

I never did thank the Mister Rogers wannabe for helping me come to that epiphany. But I did end up reporting him to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses. Just my word against his, should I ever get called in to testify, which I doubt I will.

Nowadays, conversion therapists are sly. They do not use the methods of yore, like electroshock therapy and lobotomy. Instead, they use mind games and gaslighting, and, in the case of minors, sanctioned ambushes.

Because of the convenient fact that Im an adult, I was free to walk away from the Mister Rogers wannabe 40 dollars poorer. But many transgender kids arent so lucky. Until conversion therapy is outlawed nationally, charlatans like the Mister Rogers wannabe will continue to run amok, doing irreparable psychological damage to transgender kids.

Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch.

Related...
Donald Trump really is to blame

Ad hominem (Latin for to the person), wherein one attacks the character, motive, or some other attribute of the person making a statement, rather than dealing with the substance of the statement itself.

Its not Trumps fault for misappropriating campaign contributions to silence his relations with both a porn star and Playboy model (while Melania cared for their newborn son). The Republicans rally behind Trump to blame the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, for doing his job. The grand jury was fooled by a liberal.

Its not Trumps fault for being recorded telling Georgias Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger I just want to find 11,780 votes... The blame is entirely on the Atlanta area district attorney, Fani Willis. Again, the grand jury was duped.

Being impeached for the perfect black-mailing of Ukraines president to do us a favor was blamed on the House of Representatives.

Pences dereliction of duty is solely responsible for the Biden presidency.

Perpetrators of the Capitol riot are the victims of zealous federal prosecutors.

E. Jean Carroll is pressing rape charges, but Shes not my type.

The Washington Post tallied 30,573 false or misleading claims (lies) during Trumps presidency.

Forget Trumps crimes; just kill the messenger.

Michael Harrington, Pasco

Support child abuse awareness

April is Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It is important to raise awareness of child abuse within our community. Last year in Benton and Franklin counties there were 367 interviews conducted of alleged child abuse. This does not include cases that go unreported.

Community members can show support. One way to become involved is to simply talk about the issue of child abuse in our community. Bringing this issue to light can help others be aware and protect the children around them. If you suspect a child is being abused, report it! Reporting does not necessarily constitute a proven fact  it is raising a question about the condition or state of a child.

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Another way to get involved is to attend our community awareness events happening in April. The Support, Advocacy & Resource Center is organizing some child abuse prevention awareness displays which include The Clothesline Project, & The Little Hearts Project. Our Community Education Night which includes education for parents, and presentations for all ages of kids, will be held on April 27th, 2023 at Amistad Elementary School in Kennewick. All are welcome to attend!

For information, call SARC at 509-374-5391.

Denise Martin, Pasco

RSD board needs reset button

You would think that candidates for public office would be committed to obeying the laws governing the position they seek. Not so for Byrd, Bird, and Williams, who currently serve on the school board in Richland. Their plan to make schools more kid-friendly was to disobey state law and current health regulations with blatant disregard for science.

What a fine example to students they have set!

I am a former teacher and teacher leader in the Richland schools. I have found the current situation demeaning to the districts fine reputation, creating further divisiveness at a time when our students and communities need to come together once again and deal with our differences peacefully, wisely, and democratically.

Richland should require nothing less of their school board members. I would encourage all Richland voters to sign the recall petition. A signature on a petition neither indicates support nor rejection of the recall, but it does help provide Richland voters a chance to weigh in on the continued worthiness of Audra Byrd, Semi Bird, and Kari Williams to serve as school board members in Richland.

Pam Sebelien, Pasco

Remember civility amid RSD debate

As a 33-year resident of the Richland School District and a former member of the Richland School Board, Im writing to address the growing tension surrounding the recall issue.

One thing that my experience on the board imbued in me was a firm conviction that once sworn in, I was morally obligated to serve not just those who elected me, but also those who had voted against me. Sometimes that meant seeking compromise. When compromise wasnt possible, I was still obliged to seek understanding of the opposing viewpoint.

Unfortunately, there are those on both sides of the issue who do not feel that obligation. As a result, recent weeks have seen an escalation of threats, vandalism, demonization and pettiness, with plenty of blame to share between those opposed and those in favor of the recall.

I am asking the Richland School Board to go on record  by formal resolution, or the much louder platform of social media, and make a call for civility.

People need reminding that it is not our beliefs, but our actions, that separate participants in a democracy from an angry mob.

I hope the board will go on record as advocates for civility.

Scott Butner, Richland

Its time: Lets grow up, America

This nation, in sports, seems to worship winners. In other areas, we seem to have become a nation of wimps. The media is full of individuals who think they are victims when in most cases they are experiencing the results of their own poor choices Often the victim claims their problem was caused by drugs they took by choice. During the pandemic, folks were upset when they had to wear a mask. Richland has a school board with three members who tried to defy the law because their poor children had to wear a mask in school.

I think it is time for this country to grow up. My grandfathers education stopped at 13 when he was apprenticed to an uncle to learn carpentry. He managed to have a successful life as a contractor. My father was orphaned at 14 and had to work on his own to support his siblings. He eventually worked his way through college and managed to support his family. Instead of this continuous complaining, we should look at what is happening to people in the Ukraine, Turkey and Syria who have real problems and would look at ours as truly insignificant.

Ralph Curran, Richland

Project aims to help Ukrainians

It has been more than a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, displacing thousands of her citizens. While many have been able to escape the country, many are still trying to survive amid buildings reduced to rubble.

The need to help refugees from the fighting in Ukraine continues in this second year of conflict. Our Richland Knights of Columbus council is collecting donations to be sent over to councils in Poland, Ukraine and other non governmental organizations. All of these funds go directly to those affected by this war to provide temporary shelter, food, medical supplies, clothing and other humanitarian and religious needs.

A fund of $50,000 was set up and will match each dollar given to be put with donations from K of C councils throughout the country. So far over $20 million has been donated by caring people in our country, but the need is still very urgent.

If you would like to help meet this need, you can make a tax deductible donation online at: donate.kofccharities.org/team/429132, or mail a check payable to: Knights of Columbus Charities Inc, 7500 Chester Road, Richland, WA 99352.

God bless you for helping these suffering people.

Mary Sue Davis, Richland

Looks like weve got our answer

The Atlas Agro plant will require the amount of electricity of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR). Atlas Agro and SMR could be built simultaneously for the electricity needed to operate such a demand-intensive project.

The question:  But WHO will buy the SMR electrity? has just been answered.

Carl Holder, Richland
A 31-year-old woman was viciously attacked by three dogs while in her fathers backyard, according to police in Ohio.

Officers with the Austintown Police Department said they received multiple calls at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, including one about a female screaming for help.

When officers arrived in the area, a woman flagged them down and directed them toward where she heard yelling and dogs barking, according to a police report.

The officers spotted a woman in a backyard with three large dogs surrounding her, police said. She was on her back  covered in blood, mud and dog feces  while wearing only underwear as her clothes had been ripped off.

The officers jumped the fence to reach the woman and used lasers from their tasers to distract the dogs, according to the report. As two officers kept the dogs away, the third officer and a neighbor pulled the woman to the gate, which was locked.

While waiting for a pair of bolt (cutters) I used my personal tourniquet and applied it to the (females) leg due to severe dog bites around the knee area, an officer reported.

Authorities then got the gate open, and the woman was treated by EMS before being rushed to a hospital with severe injuries, according to the report.

Officers talked with the homeowner on the phone, and he identified the victim as his daughter, police said. He said his other daughter was on the way to his home.

The daughter arrived, police said, and she identified two of the dogs as her dads. The dad said the third dog belonged to a man from Youngstown, about 10 miles east.

All dogs were secured at the house, police said.

An investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not publicly released an updated condition on the woman as of April 3.

Austintown is about 70 miles southeast of Cleveland.

Womans young son runs for help as shes mauled to death by Great Danes, PA cops say

Dog attacks and kills its owners 58-year-old mom in Ohio backyard, police say

4-day-old girl dies after attack by her familys dog, Arkansas police say
Three people were killed in a head-on crash early Monday on westbound I-94 in Marengo Township.

MARENGO TWP.  Three people were killed in a head-on crash early Monday on westbound I-94.

Michigan State Police troopers responded to the two-vehicle crash near mile marker 115, east of 22-1/2 Mile Road, about 12:30 a.m. Monday, according to a release.

Troopers said a 42-year-old Massachusetts man was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-94 in a Ford pickup when he collided with a minivan traveling westbound.

The driver of the Ford pickup and two occupants of the minivan, a 46-year-old man from Indiana and a 4-year-old girl, died at the scene, police said. Names of the victims were not disclosed by police Monday.

Four additional minivan passengers, an adult and three children, were transported to local hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Three people were killed in a head-on crash early Monday on westbound I-94 in Marengo Township.

Investigation and cleanup of the scene resulted in the freeway being shut down for about five hours. Westbound lanes reopened to traffic about 5:45 a.m. Monday.

Troopers said it is unknown whether the driver of the Ford pickup was wearing a seatbelt. The deceased driver of the minivan and the other adult passenger were wearing seatbelts, but three children in the minivan were not in child safety seats or wearing seatbelts, police said.

Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Albion Police Department, Marshall Police Department, Calhoun County Sheriff's Department, Calhoun County Central Dispatch, Marshall Fire Department and the Marengo FireDepartment.

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call MSP at (269) 558-0500.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: MSP investigating triple-fatal crash on westbound I-94 in Marengo Twp.
Three people pleaded guilty to lesser charges and charges were dismissed against a fourth person in the only felony cases that resulted from last summers protests of Jayland Walkers shooting.

A fifth man arrested during an incident in which a motorcyclist claimed he was assaulted by protesters still has a case pending in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

Walker was shot and killed by eight Akron police officers June 27 after he fled by car and then by foot. He was unarmed, but police said he had fired a gun out of his car during the pursuit and that a weapon was found in his vehicle.

Walkers shooting has been investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and will be presented to a special grand jury in Summit County Common Pleas Court beginning April 10.

More: 'Solemn duty:' Ahead of Jayland Walker case, what we know about the grand jury process

Numerous protests followed the release of officers body-worn camera videos of Walkers shooting, resulting in dozens of arrests and officers using pepper spray or teargas a few times to disperse the crowds. Several fires were set in downtown Akron.

Most of the protesters faced misdemeanor charges like rioting and failure to disperse.

Motorcycle incident draws felony charges

The only felony charges were filed in an incident that happened on the night of July 26 in which a motorcyclist claimed he was stopped on High Street by Walker protesters. The 35-year-old man said he was assaulted by at least two men and needed hospital treatment.

More: Motorcyclist reports assault during Jayland Walker protests Tuesday in Akron

Police said a caravan of protesters stopped motorists and prevented them from driving through on High Street about 8:30 p.m. Police said two or more men came up behind the motorcyclist, who was in front of a High Street parking deck, and assaulted him, causing significant facial injuries. The motorcyclist was knocked to the ground and his motorcycle was damaged, police said.

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The motorcyclist took himself to Summa Akron City Hospital, police said.

Several videos at the site of the incident were posted on social media. In one video, people said the motorcyclist had endangered protesters, including children. The rider can be seen being yelled at as he tried to get back on his motorcycle.

Three men and two women were arrested for the incident and charged with aggravated riot, a fourth-degree felony, and disorderly conduct, a minor misdemeanor.

Two people plead guilty to lesser charge

A 25-year-old Akron man and 30-year-old Akron woman pleaded guilty Friday in Summit County Common Pleas Court to a reduced charge of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct.

Judge Alison McCarty will sentence the woman April 19 and the man May 17 and determine how much they owe the victim in restitution for the damage to his motorcycle.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Alison McCarty

Adam VanHo, who represented the woman, said he thought this was a fair resolution, especially because prosecutors found that his client was there but wasnt involved in the assault.

This was the right resolution, VanHo said. It fits what she actually did and I think shes learned a lesson.

Prosecutor dismisses case against Canton woman

Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Emily Hall requested Friday that the case be thrown out against a 24-year-old Canton woman due to insufficient evidence, according to court records.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, which means it could potentially be refiled.

A 35-year-old Akron man who was scheduled to go on trial Monday instead pleaded guilty to a lesser assault charge and disorderly conduct. He will be sentenced May 17.

Job Esau Perry, who represented the man, said he was pleased he and the prosecutor were able to work out his clients case without a trial. He said the motorcyclist shared some of the blame for what happened.

He should have turned around like everybody else did, Perry said. He decided he wanted to be bold and keep on going.

One mans case is still pending

A 30-year-old Akron man, who is the fifth person arrested for this incident, will have a pretrial before McCarty April 19.

The maximum penalty facing the people who pleaded guilty is 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, court costs and restitution.

VanHo said he hopes these cases serve as a warning for people who decide to protest after the grand jury decision in the Walker case that their actions can have consequences. Many people are concerned that the next protests could be worse that the ones last summer.

Hopefully, they will see this and realize this stupid stuff isnt a good idea, VanHo said.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron felony protest cases draw three pleas and one dismissal
Tijuana City Government announces an alternate route from garita el chaparral to Rosarito

Tijuana Baja California, March 31, 2023.- The Tijuana City Government, chaired by Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramirez, through the Secretary for Sustainable Urban Mobility (SEMOV), informs the public about the alternative route for those who need to travel to Playas de Rosarito, before the closure of South Cuauhtemoc boulevard.

Municipal authorities recommend to take Avenida Internacional until they reach the road distributor that connects with Playas de TIjuana, and then turn off towards Libramiento Rosas Magallon. Subsequently, they must continue straight along the Libramiento until they reach the Morelos Node area, and go to the exit towards Playas de Rosarito.

In the same way, to return from Playas de Rosarito to Tijuana, they must go along Benito Juarez boulevard, which connects with the highway to Tijuana and ends at the Morelos distributor, where they must take the incorporation loop to the Rosas Magallon bypass and drive to the junction with Avenida Internacional.

The Tijuana Government announces to take appropriate precautions and invites the visitors to enjoy responsibly this holiday season in Baja.

RELATED VIDEO: Reconoce AMLO trabajo de la alcadesa de Tijuana Montserrat Caballero
Michelle Skidelsky was checking her email when she noticed a strange message sitting in her inbox.

It was to her, from her  seven years ago.

When she was 13, Skidelsky used a website to write emails to herself in the future and picked random dates for the messages to send. One of them was in March 2023.

(Warning: The video contains explicit language.)

@michelleskidelsky i used futureme.org to do this!! dont let this fool you 13 year old me was rlly annoying  original sound - michelle

Skidelsky, who lives in Ontario, Canada, shared the adorable email from her past self on TikTok and said, Dont let this fool you, 13-year-old me was really annoying.

Young Skidelsky asked her future self if she enjoys her life and whether she went to school to be a doctor. Current Skidelsky answers, with a chuckle, that she is a communications major.

I am very well if that makes any difference, young Skidelsky wrote. If I was you and I found out that my past self was very well, I would be very happy.

Young Skidelsky asked her future self to go treat herself to a doughnut when she receives the email and tells her she knows she is capable of great things.

If your life has gone horribly wrong Im sorry, but your life was awesome at one point and dont regret making your life horrible because at one point it was everything you wanted, young Skidelsky wrote.

Wise, wise words, current Skidelsky said.

The adorable and witty TikTok has more than 3 million views and hundreds of comments.

This is incredibly cute, one viewer said. I love it and I love your 13-year-old self. Shes very sweet.

I did the same thing and sent her my letter when I was at my lowest, broke (and) depressed, another said. And received it years later the day I got engaged in Paris.

Why am I crying? a third added.

Skidelsky said she used the website futureme.org to write her letters, which viewers said they immediately flocked to so they could write their own.

Grooms crude wedding vows shock mom and horrify TikTok. Downright disrespectful

Story continues

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1,900-year-old Roman fortress  along the empires edge  unearthed in UK, photos show
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Tim Cook told GQ he believes in "engaging" even in "disagreement." Emma McIntyre/WireImage

Apple CEO Tim Cook told GQ that he believes in "engaging" even in "disagreement."

Cook made the remarks in reference to past meetings with figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Musk had previously met with Cook after tweeting about Apple, Do they hate free speech in America?

Tim Cook said he believes in the importance of discourse with figures who don't always agree with him, including Twitter CEO Elon Musk and former president Donald Trump.

Referencing his past conversations with Musk  who took issue with Apple in November over certain advertising practices  and then president Donald Trump, the Apple CEO said, "I feel very strongly about engaging with people regardless of whether they agree with you or not," according to a new interview with GQ.

"I actually think it's even more important to engage when there's disagreement," Cook told GQ.

That open personal approach may also carry significance for Apple's business dealings.

Cook's seeming rapprochement with Musk last year had followed the Twitter CEO's tweet in November: "Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?" Musk had also alleged that Apple had inexplicably "threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store," according to another tweet that day.

Then, just two days later, Musk posted a video at Apple's headquarters, tweeting more approvingly of Cook, and saying the Apple chief had helped clear their "misunderstanding."

Representatives for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday morning ahead of publication. Insider's email sent to Musk's Tesla and SpaceX email addresses did not receive a response.

Cook had also met with Donald Trump when, as president at the time, Trump was pushing for a series of tariffs on imports from China. In 2019, amid Trump's escalating moves on trade, Cook met with Trump, reportedly earning the then president's praise as a "a great executive" who "calls me and others don't," and possibly the moniker "Tim Apple."

Story continues

The discussions seemed to have paid off for Apple. In December 2019, the company managed to duck 15% tariffs that could have made signature products like iPhones and laptops more expensive.

A representative for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Cook addressed those types of interactions in the GQ story, telling the outlet, "The philosophy is engagement."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republican US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed he would meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, defying dire warnings from China that he was "playing with fire."

Tsai plans to stop over in the United States on her return from Central America, where she has met the leaders of Guatemala and is visiting Belize before meeting McCarthy.

His office said Monday the "bipartisan" meeting will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, just outside Los Angeles.

McCarthy had originally planned to follow the example of his Democratic predecessor as speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taiwan in August, prompting China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises around the island -- a self-governing democracy Beijing claims as part of its territory.

McCarthy's decision to meet Tsai in the United States was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for Taiwan but avoid inflaming tensions with China.

However, Xu Xueyuan, the charge d'affaires of China's embassy to the United States, told reporters last week that Washington risked "serious confrontation" no matter whether US leaders visited Taiwan or the reverse.

"The US keeps saying that transit is not a visit and that there are precedents, but we should not use past mistakes as excuses for repeating them today," she said.

She urged Washington "not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question," alluding among other things to last year's visit to Taiwan by Pelosi.

As speaker of the House of Representatives, McCarthy is the most senior Republican lawmaker and is second in line to the US presidency.

- 'Peace and stability' -

After arriving in New York last Wednesday ahead of her Central America swing, Tsai was greeted by flag-waving Taiwanese expatriates as she addressed a banquet.

"We have demonstrated a firm will and resolve to defend ourselves, that we are capable of managing risks with calm and composure and that we have the ability to maintain regional peace and stability," she told the dinner.

Story continues

Laura Rosenberger, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations, welcomed Tsai to New York but the State Department said it did not expect officials to meet her.

China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day and, under its "One China" principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei.

The United States remains Taiwan's most important ally -- and its biggest arms supplier -- despite switching its diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

The US stopover comes at a key time, with Beijing having ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016.

US media reported that around 20 US lawmakers planned to accompany the speaker to the meeting in California.

China has increased investment in Latin America, a key diplomatic battleground between Taipei and Beijing since the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.

Taiwan accused China on Sunday of using "coercion and intimidation" to lure away its allies after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang officially launched relations in Beijing.

On Monday in Belize, Tsai thanked one of Taiwan's few remaining allies for its diplomatic support amid "constant threats and pressure" from China, in an address to the tiny country's National Assembly.

Only Belize and Guatemala remain allies of Taiwan in Central America after Nicaragua shifted its allegiance to Beijing in 2021.

ft/sw/bgs
Its that time of year again. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and countless students and families are going on spring break.

That one week off every March or April is precious for travelers looking to get away and break from their winter-induced cabin fever by enjoying time with family and friends in the sunshine.

Warm, tropical paradises are traditionally the go-to destinations, but according to Clint Henderson, managing editor at The Points Guy, some vacationers are thinking outside the box  and off the beach  for their spring break plans.

Here are the top destinations for spring break, according to Henderson.

People enjoy a day on the beach in the seaside tourist resort of Playa del Carmen.

Some of the most visited destinations in Mexico include Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas and Cancun. According to Henderson, Cancun is probably the top spring break destination.

"Pretty much anywhere in Mexico is going to be really popular with spring breakers," Henderson said.

He noted that one of the reasons for Mexicos popularity includes being comparatively inexpensive. Plus, Mexico has many all-inclusive resorts, which have become increasingly popular over the years.

TRAVEL IN HIGH DEMAND THIS SPRING, EXPERT SAYS

Sandy beaches and palm trees planted for habitat restoration await visitors to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas.

Henderson added that a few locations in the Caribbean, such as the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, top the list of favorite spring break destinations for many of the same reasons.

The Bahamas also tend to attract spring breakers, but it tends to be a little pricier than the rest.

Whether in Mexico or the Caribbean, travelers looking to escape the winter blues will usually experience warm weather and sunshine. Additionally, since spring break happens before hurricane season, travelers spending their vacation in these countries don't usually have to worry about hurricanes.

People enjoy themselves as they walk along Ocean Drive on March 16, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida.

For those looking to vacation closer to home, a number of domestic destinations are tried-and-true  and surprising  favorites for spring breakers.

Perhaps the U.S. destination that rivals Mexico and the Caribbean in popularity during spring break is Florida. Miami Beach, in particular, has been a top destination, according to Henderson. Sunshine and beaches attract many travelers, who are able to enjoy average temperatures in the low to mid-70s during March and April in this beach town.

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FUN IN THE SUN: ESCAPE THE CROWDS WHEN PLANNING YOUR SPRING BREAK VACATION

College students play volleyball at the beach during the South Padre Spring Break tradition on March 19, 2022 in South Padre Island, Texas.

In addition to the Sunshine State, the Lone Star State also offers a fun spring break escape. South Padre Island, which is located on the Gulf Coast and on the southernmost tip of Texas, offers beautiful beaches, Henderson said. The average temperature on those beaches is usually in the low to mid-70s in March and April.

Out west, beautiful beaches can also be found in San Diego, another top spring break destination. During March and April, average high temperatures in San Diego are usually in the upper 50s and low 60s.

While most travelers are looking for sand and sunshine during spring break, many others are enjoying their week-long vacation in the snow.

Snow-capped mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Henderson said that one of the trends for this years break involves travelers going to ski resorts in places such as Lake Tahoe, California, and parts of Colorado. These resorts have received so much snow this year and later in the year than usual that they are able to stay open longer and into the spring break season.

The U.S. and the Caribbean undoubtedly draw the most attention when it comes to spring break plans. Henderson recommends, however, that spring breakers think outside the box when planning their trip.

"If you can travel for spring break internationally to places like Europe, this is really one of the best times a year to go," he said.

Holidaymakers lie in the low season on the beach of Arenal on the island of Mallorca.

He noted that the U.S. dollar is very strong right now, which means that travel budgets will go much further. Additionally, he said that prices in Europe are generally lower in the spring, due to fewer crowds.

"You've got Europe to yourself," he said.

Portugal and Spain top Hendersons list of European destinations for spring breakers. Lisbon, Portugal, usually experiences temperatures in the 60s during the day and 50s at night during April. In Madrid, Spain, temperatures are also usually in the 60s during the day in April, but drop into the 40s at night.

Just across the Mediterranean Sea in Africa, Morocco was another top recommendation of his for travelers. April temperatures in Casablanca, Morocco, are usually in the 60s and low 70s during the day and in the 50s at night.

Travelers move through one of the Transportation Security Administration lines at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

No matter where you travel for spring break, Henderson encourages vacationers to be aware.

For example, a number of travel warnings have been issued for parts of Mexico. Some advice Henderson offers includes:

Dont wear flashy jewelry.

Stay away from nightclubs outside the tourist zones.

Use a guide if youre leaving the cities.

Register with your local embassy or consulate.

Know the location of your nearest embassy or consulate.

Keep a picture of your passport and drivers license with you at all times.

Make sure you know that the Mexican 9-1-1 is the same as the U.S. 9-1-1.

An aerial view of the beach at Punta Cancun.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE HITTING THE ROAD FOR SPRING BREAK

For domestic travel, also be aware of the current situation.

In Miami Beach, for instance, the city commission plans to implement a curfew during the peak weeks of 2024 to deal with an increase in crime during spring break. According to WSVN-TV, some of the other measures the city commission enact include rolling back liquor sale hours during March and having some of the city's causeways shut down once crowds reach a certain level.

Being aware of considerations such as these will make travel plans to any spring break destination go much more smoothly.
Oleksandr Syrskyi

Syrskyi said he met with soldiers and commanders in the area, "who have debunked the myth of the invincibility of Wagner mercenaries and Russian paratroopers."

Read also: Russian attacks in Bakhmut decrease, Ukrainian military says

"The enemy is weakening and trying to cover up their failure with new fakes about the capture of Bakhmut," he stressed.

Read also: Invaders attempting to advance to Bakhmut city center, but failing to establish control

But the truth is that the successful work of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refutes all the efforts of Russian propagandists.

Earlier, Ukraines Operational Command East spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi said that Russian forces are "very far" from capturing Bakhmut, despite Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming the city was in Russian hands.

Read also: Wagner trying to break into Bakhmut center, enemy taking losses in fierce fighting, says General Syrskyi

According to the General Staff, as of the morning of April 3, the Russian army is focusing its main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka axes in Donbas.

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
Tracy Jones, mother of 23-year-old Keith Gaylord Jr., who was fatally shot Sept. 30, touches a photo of her late son as she talked with The Capital-Journal.

Keith Gaylord Jr. loved everybody, says his mother, Tracy Jones.

Born in the back seat of a station wagon, her son  whom she called "Keithy"  grew into a young man with a heart of gold and a talent for bringing people together, Jones said.

"He was just that kid who people just galvanized to, because he was such a personality," said Gaylord's uncle, former Topeka City Councilman John Nave.

Jones said she hadn't realized how many lives Gaylord touched in his 23 years until more than 300 people attended his funeral, held after he was fatally shot Sept. 30 in Topeka.

Those present included visitors from Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas City, Mo., who hadn't met Gaylord face-to-face but felt close to him after they connected over Facebook, Jones said.

Considering that Gaylord was so well-loved, his mother wonders why anyone would have wanted to kill him.

"I guess that after 23 years, God wanted him back," she said.

More: Bruce Joe Holloway Jr. charged with first-degree murder in death of Keith Gaylord Jr.

No one faces charges in fatal shooting of Keith Gaylord Jr.

Friends and family members of Keith Gaylord Jr. gather at Meadowlark Apartments, 1621 S.W. 37th Terrace, to seek information after he was fatally shot there Sept. 30.

Topeka police were called shortly after 10 a.m. Sept. 30 to the scene where Gaylord was killed and another person suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening at the Meadowlark Apartments, 1621 S.W. 37th Terrace.

Police subsequently arrested two men in the case, but only one was charged. The charges against him were later dropped.

Rosie Nichols, public safety communications specialist for Topeka's city government, referred questions about the case's current status this past week to Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay, who said late Friday afternoon he couldnt reveal specifics about an ongoing investigation.

More: Dujontez Owens becomes second man arrested in Topeka gunshot death of Keith K. Gaylord Jr.

Mother: 'I need a village to find justice for my son'

Tracy Jones, mother of Keith Gaylord Jr., wipes away tears as she talks about her late son's life.

Jones said it took a village to raise her son and it took a village to bury her son.

"Now I need a village to find justice for my son," she said.

Story continues

Jones said she feels convinced someone has the information police need to bring her son's killer or killers to justice.

She is imploring that person or people to come forward.

"If you know something, say something," Jones said. "Call CrimeStoppers. You don't even have to give your name. Because I wouldn't want any other parent to have to go through this."

Kagay said he has personally met with Nave to discuss the case and joins Gaylords family in its request for assistance from members of the public.

Anonymous tips may be made online at www.p3tips.com/128 or by calling Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007.

'Keithy always wanted to help everybody'

John Nave, uncle and godfather of Keith Gaylord Jr., wipes tears from his eyes while Gaylord's mother, Tracy Jones, looks down at a photo of Gaylord. (Photo: Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal)

Gaylord had a smile that "lit up the room," Jones said as she, Nave and Latoya Gant  Jones' daughter and Gaylord's older sister  met this past week with The Capital-Journal.

Jones' sister, Peggy Nave, is married to John Nave, who is executive vice president of the Kansas AFL-CIO. The Naves were Gaylord's godparents.

Gaylord was born July 29, 1999, after Jones went into labor and was taken by station wagon to Stormont-Vail Hospital.

"I gave birth to him in the back seat of the car in front of the hospital," Jones said. "He was a beautiful baby."

Latoya Gant, older sister of the late Keith Gaylord Jr., smiles through tears while talking about how he once helped out a homeless man even though he didn't have much to give.

Gaylord was among seven children Jones raised alone, she said.

He grew into a unique, bubbly, cheerful, smart, respectful, headstrong and determined young man, Jones said. She said he always gave 100% and was constantly bringing friends over to his family's house for dinner.

"Keithy always wanted to help everybody," she said. "He always wanted to feed everybody."

Keith Gaylord Jr. was excited to meeting Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly

Keith Gaylord Jr., left, was introduced to Gov. Laura Kelly by his uncle, John Nave. Nave, a former Topeka city councilman, is executive vice president of the Kansas AFL-CIO.

Gaylord graduated in 2018 from Topeka High School, worked at Target Distribution Center and was taking online courses from Allen County Community College, his obituary said.

Nave said he encourages young people not to be afraid to ask for things they want  "A closed mouth don't get fed," he said  and Gaylord took that to heart.

One day, Nave said, Gaylord told him, "Uncle, I want to meet the governor."

Nave brought Gaylord along to a labor-related reception also attended by Gov. Laura Kelly at Cedar Crest, the governor's mansion, where Nave introduced the two.

"He was in awe," Nave said. "He was in seventh heaven."

Nave said he also at that gathering introduced Gaylord to leaders in the state's labor community.

"He was so well-mannered," Nave said. "He went and shook everybody's hand."

Those leaders were impressed by Gaylord, and encouraged Nave to have him contact them regarding potential jobs or internships after he graduated from college, Nave said.

Keith Gaylord Jr. was trying to build his clothing brand at time of death

Stocking caps featuring Keith Gaylord Jr.'s brand are seen this past week on a table at his mother's home in Topeka.

Gaylord, who ran a small clothing business, was passionate about being an entrepreneur and "building his brand," Nave said.

Jones and Gant wore T-shirts Gaylord had designed and marketed as they talked with The Capital-Journal.

The wording on those shirts promoted the importance of self sufficiency.

"No handouts," one side said.

The other said: "Self made Self paid. I rather eat off my own plate."

Despite Gaylord's passion for self-sufficiency, Jones said her son tended to be generous  sometimes too generous  with the homeless.

Latoya Gant, his older sister, smiled through tears as she recalled how Gaylord, despite not having much to give, once took a homeless man to Walmart and bought him a wardrobe.

Jones recalled hearing another time that her son had given his last $100 to a homeless man.

"I told him, 'I think you need to stop,'" Jones said. "It's OK to help the unfortunate, but son, there's got to be a limit."

Son insisted on filling house to celebrate mother's 59th birthday

Jones said she discouraged Gaylord from inviting people over to her house to celebrate her 59th birthday, which was Sept. 20.

"Do it next year, when I'm 60," she said.

Still, thanks to Gaylord, Jones said she ended up with a house full of people that evening.

That evening was special, she said, because it marked their last celebration together.

Ten days later, Gaylord was killed.

"My heart is breaking," Jones said, her eyes welling up with tears. "My heart is broke. I'm only surviving because I have the other children and my grandchildren."

More: Charging affidavit in a Topeka homicide has been sealed from public view

Family recalls the funny story behind the 'Juanita' references

Keith Gaylord Jr. gave this leather bracelet as a gift to his mother, Tracy Jones, whom he affectionately called "Juanita."

Jones fondly recalled how a frustrating situation when Gaylord was 9 or 10 years old turned humorous, then affectionate.

"I had just gotten off work and he was at my ear, going: "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!'" she recalled. "I told him, "Stop saying 'Mom!'"

Gaylord asked Jones what he should call her.

She said she "tossed out a name," saying, "Just call me "Juanita."

"He'd called me that ever since," Jones said. "He'd text me and say: 'Juanita, what are you doing? Juanita, I'm hungry.'"

Jones showed The Capital-Journal a leather bracelet featuring a heart inscribed amid the words "Best mother in the world Juanita. Love Keithy."

She said, "Now I'll never hear him call me 'Juanita' again."

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Family remembers Keith Gaylord Jr., victim of unsolved Topeka homicide
BP shares surged as top crude producers announced an output cut that will exceed 1 million barrels a day. Photo: Luke MacGregor/Reuters

Shares in BP surged 4.15% in early London trade on Monday as investors weighed up the impact of top oil producers reducing crude supplies by around 1.16 million barrels per day from May until the end of the year.

As a result of the announcement by OPEC+ members, Brent crude (BZ=F) and West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) prices also surged on Monday, gaining over 5%, further supporting BPs share price.

The world needed a spike in oil prices like a hole in the head. Just as one of the pinch points in the global economy had started to ease, Saudi Arabia and its counterparts in OPEC have unveiled a surprise output cut, Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell, said.

The decision by the oil producers cartel, unusually taken outside of any officially scheduled meeting, represents a flexing of its muscles and potentially a pre-emptive move as it anticipates a drop-off in crude demand relating to the collapse of SVB and ensuing banking crisis.

Read more: FTSE 100 rises as oil stocks surge on Saudi cuts

Hewson also noted that rising oil prices could lead to higher energy and transportation costs.

The heavy exposure of the FTSE 100 (^FTSE) to energy and resources stocks is looking like an attribute again as index heavyweights BP and Shell help lift the index. It is telling that the more domestic focused and diversified FTSE 250 (^FTMC) is down a smidge on Monday, he said.

Shares in Shell also jumped on Monday following the OPEC+ crude production cut announcement.

Shell stock was up 4.03%, making the oil major one of the top FTSE 100 risers, along with BP.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: Markets in the UK opened the new quarter on the front foot, with the spike in the oil price boosting the shares of BP and Shell, in turn adding several points to the FTSE100 given the size of the indexs exposure to the oil and gas sector.

Indeed, there was a more general feel of a measured return to a risk-on approach, with some strength also seen in the miners and the more recently beleaguered banking stocks.

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Shares in HSBC rose 2.09% to make the bank one of the FTSEs top risers on Monday.

It comes after Credit Suisse (CS) highlighted a target price of 580p ($7.13) for HSBC stock, giving it a potential upside boost of 5.51% from its current price, in a research report on Friday.

Barclays also recently lifted its target price on HSBC shares from 780p to 840p and gave the company a buy rating.

Shares in Barclays (BARC.L), Lloyds (LLOY.L) and NatWest (NWG.L) were also up after the UK government said it was extending a trading plan to help sell down the taxpayers' stake in NatWest.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said: The British government is extending its trading plan to sell the remaining 41.5% stake in NatWest by two years until 11 August 2025.

Read more: UK manufacturing output returns to decline in March

In last months budget, the government confirmed it aims to fully privatise the lender, which was bailed out during the global financial crisis, by 2026. RBS was rebranded NatWest in 2020 as the bank tried to distance itself from previous scandals as well as its near-collapse in 2008.

Scholar further noted how the recent banking sector turmoil has sent shares in NatWest down by more than 10% over the past month.

This complicates the picture for the government which is trying to offload its stake at a time when investors are feeling nervous towards the sector. If the banking sector crisis fades over the coming weeks, we could see opportunistic buyers return to the market, picking up shares in NatWest and others at a discounted price.

However if further cracks in the system are revealed, banks could come under renewed selling pressure.

International Airlines Group (IAG) shares dropped by 1.95% on Monday, despite the group, which owns British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia, seeing its shares rise by 60% over the last six months.

The price drop also comes after analysts at Deutsche Bank (DBK.DE) and Barclays recently upgraded their ratings for IAG from neutral to buy.

However, IAGs recent deal to buy Air Europa could be playing on the minds of investors.

According to Iberian finance publication Finanzas, the debt IAG will face after the merger could rise to 2.8m (2.5m, $2.95m).

However, the group has insisted the acquisition will allow it to improve its position in the Latin American market and expand into Asia, while allowing its Madrid hub to compete with other major airports in Europe.

Watch: OPEC's surprise production cut made with caution  analyst

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Investment bank China Renaissance suspended trading in its Hong Kong-listed shares on Monday, saying the disappearance of its chairman meant it was unable to publish its annual results.

Bao Fan, the group's billionaire chairman and executive director, went missing in February and was later revealed to be "cooperating" in an official investigation -- sparking fears of a renewed crackdown on China's finance sector.

The bank, which specialises in the Chinese tech industry, announced Sunday that Bao's absence made it impossible to publish its audited 2022 results.

"At the request of the Company, trading in the shares of the Company on the Stock Exchange will be suspended with effect from 9:00 a.m. on Monday, 3 April 2023, pending the publication of the 2022 Annual Results," the bank said in a stock exchange filing.

Chinese authorities have not given any details on Bao's detention or the reasons for the investigation.

According to financial news outlet Caixin, China Renaissance president Cong Lin was taken into custody last September as authorities launched a probe into his work at the financial leasing unit of state-owned bank ICBC.

No further details have been shared about his case.

China Renaissance has become a global financial institution since its founding in 2005, with more than 700 employees and offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and New York.

The group has supervised the IPOs of several domestic tech giants, including e-commerce firm JD.com.

In 2015, Bao appeared on the Bloomberg Markets 50 Most Influential list, described as a "fast-talking" banker who had the ability to "arrange practically anything in China's vibrant tech scene".

Bao is not the first high-profile Chinese financier to fall foul of the authorities in recent years, with President Xi Jinping leading an aggressive crackdown on alleged corruption.

In 2017, Chinese-Canadian businessman Xiao Jianhua was arrested by mainland authorities, receiving a 13-year jail sentence for corruption last August.

Known to have close ties to top Chinese Communist Party leaders, the billionaire was reportedly abducted from his Hong Kong hotel room by plainclothes police officers from Beijing.

sbr-tjx/reb/qan
Donald Trump waves as he arrives at Trump Tower

Donald Trump is hunkering down in New York City ahead of his Tuesday court appearance, after a journey from Florida that drew blanket coverage from US news channels.

He faces unspecified charges in connection with a payment his lawyer made to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

The trip began earlier on Monday with a two-and-a-half-hour flight aboard his private plane from Palm Beach, as supporters cheered him on.

He faced a mixed reception from the crowd as he walked into Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Here's a more detailed guide on how each leg of his journey played out.

Step one - from beachfront residence to airport

Crowds wave support for Trump as he begins his journey

The former president, a New York native, currently resides at Mar-a-Lago, his sprawling beachfront residence and members-only club in Palm Beach, Florida.

He left home around 12:20 local time (17:20 BST) and travelled in a motorcade to Palm Beach International Airport.

There has been a small number of vocal supporters outside his Florida home since the indictment was announced, and they could be heard cheering him on during the journey.

The airport, which is 2.5 miles (4km) - or about a 15-minute drive - from Mar-a-Lago, has been used many times by Mr Trump since his move to the state,

Mr Trump was accompanied by US Secret Service agents. One official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Washington Post that "dozens and dozens" of agents would be required to ensure the trip is secure.

Step two - a personal plane to New York

The Trump team take off from West Palm Beach

Mr Trump flew from Palm Beach to New York's LaGuardia Airport on his private plane.

The aircraft, which has been dubbed Trump Force One, is a Boeing 757 that he purchased for a reported $100m (80m) in 2011.

It has been used as a frequent backdrop for his campaign rallies and was recently refurbished and given a fresh paint job - Trump's name features in large gold lettering.

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According to the New York Times' Maggie Haberman, several Trump aides - including senior adviser Jason Miller, spokesman Steven Cheung and campaign strategist Susie Wiles - travelled with him.

Mr Trump's son, Eric, also aboard the flight, posted photos on social media noting the wall-to-wall TV coverage of his father's movements.

The plane took off at 13:00 and landed just before 15:30. Its travel path in real-time was the most-tracked flight worldwide, according to the FlightRadar website.

The flight's destination, LaGuardia, is in the Queens borough of the city, which is on the other side of the East River from Manhattan.

The former president, as it happens, has less than positive feelings about LaGuardia. Or at least he did before a multi-billion dollar renovation was completed last year.

"You land at LaGuardia and you walk into a filthy terminal and you have broken terrazzo floors and that's all you have," he said of the airport in 2015.

Step three - from LaGuardia to Trump Tower

A media scrum awaits outside Trump Tower

From LaGuardia, Mr Trump headed to Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan in another motorcade. It's about a 40-minute drive through Queens, over the East River and then into Manhattan.

Mr Trump's personal helicopter was reportedly available to fly him from LaGuardia to Manhattan, but he opted to make the journey by road.

Trump Tower was the Queens-born businessman's primary residence from the 1980s until his permanent move to Florida was made official in late 2019. He attributed the move to being "treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state".

At Trump Tower, he reportedly met his legal team before spending the night in his gilded penthouse that spans the top three floors of the skyscraper.

A lawsuit filed last year by New York's top prosecutor alleged that Mr Trump repeatedly misrepresented the size of his apartment to multiply its value.

Step four - from Trump Tower to court

Map of New York

The former president's journey from Trump Tower to the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building will be a major security operation involving large numbers of police and Secret Service agents.

The journey itself is about a 30-minute drive south through Manhattan - but that time could be much less if there's a full police escort.

It's not clear if Mr Trump will make remarks to the media before he leaves Trump Tower or when he arrives outside court. Regardless, there will be a huge number of cameras and reporters waiting for him there.

New York police officers will secure the area surrounding the building and nearby roads will be closed off. Street parking will also be suspended for some time.

Mr Trump's path in and out of the building has reportedly been carefully mapped by Secret Service agents who visited the courthouse on Friday to assess the various routes.

Agents and officers will surround him as he enters and leaves in order to separate him from approaching members of the public, an anonymous law enforcement official told the Washington Post.

A coalition of media outlets has requested the judge to allow photo and video coverage of the arraignment, but Mr Trump's attorneys have said they oppose the move.

With additional reporting by Sam Cabral
ALBANY, N.Y.  Former President Donald Trump's arraignment on Tuesday will draw more cameras in Manhattan than perhaps any case in state history. The cameras just aren't likely to be in the courtroom.

Trump's case again highlights how New York has among the most restrictive laws in the nation banning cameras and broadcasts inside the courtroom in most proceedings, a law that dates back to the 1930s. The state Legislature has barely tinkered with it since then. Only Washington D.C. is more stringent on media coverage inside the court, according a report last year by the The Fund for Modern Courts, a nonpartisan nonprofit.

Some state lawmakers are making a renewed push to change the law amid Trump's high-profile appearance Tuesday in Manhattan Criminal Court.

As the media capital of the world  and the venue for the arraignment of Donald Trump  we must change this outdated law to allow the public to witness trials," said Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsors a bill to change the law.

Alina Habba, an attorney who has represented Trump in the past, said on CNN Monday morning that she's not strictly opposed to having cameras in the courtroom.

"I think it depends. I think this whole rigmarole, for lack of better words has been through leaks, which I don't appreciate as an attorney," Habba said.

"I think that transparency is very important. I'm going to leave that decision to the criminal team. But as somebody who has represented the president in court, I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, it's a good thing," she said.

While New York has banned cameras in the courts for a century, New York experimented with a change from 1987 and 1997. But while the limited allowance of electronic media coverage was applauded, it was not turned into a permanent law by the state Legislature.

The law is not unlike federal courts that prohibit video coverage of trials, and even the U.S. Supreme Court limits its oral argumentsto an audio livestream.

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Still, New York judges have some discretion to allow cameras in the courtroom. The law does not prohibit coverage of trial court proceedings when witness testimony is not being taken  so a judge could rule to allow for videos and photos for parts of Trump's case.

Attempts to allow for broader trial coverage in New York have been rebuked. In 2005, Court TV took a case to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, to broadcast trials, but section 52 of the state's civil rights law was upheld, and the case was kicked back to the Legislature for a law change  which hasn't happened, the Fund for Modern Court's review noted.





Public access is the bedrock of our justice system  but its promise is hollow if constrained by geographic proximity, workday availability and space constraints. Without cameras, the vast majority of the public is effectively denied access," Dan Novack, chair of New York State Bar Association's committee on media law, said in a statement.

Hoylman-Sigal said he is hopeful his bill, which doesn't have a sponsor yet in the state Assembly, could be adopted as part of the state budget that is being negotiated for the fiscal year that started Saturday. The bill would give judges discretion over what could be filmed, limiting the number of video cameras and still photographers.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, said he has been trying to push for legislation in Washington to allow cameras in federal courts. Doing so in New York would be a step forward, he said.

Transparency is essential to our democracy. Without televised access, the courts are effectively out of reach to most of the public. That is why I have long sponsored legislation to require cameras in the federal courts," Nadler said in a statement. "I hope that New York will follow the lead of other states and ensure that the public is able to witness important judicial proceedings in real time.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are largely considered the two frontrunners in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

But in New Hampshire  an early voting state that can make or break presidential candidates  Granite state voters aren't dead-set on any candidate.

On the ground in New Hampshire, GOP voters told USA TODAY that after President Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election and disappointing Republican performances in the 2022 midterms, theyre tired of losing; they want a candidate who can win.

Go deeper: New Hampshire Republicans don't want to lose again. GOP voters want 'new blood' in 2024

By the numbers, Trump and DeSantis lead the pack

Trump holds a massive lead in New Hampshire, earning 58% support in a hypothetical Republican primary, according to a poll conducted in early March by Emerson College.

Behind Trump in second place is DeSantis at 17%

Neil Levesque, executive director at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, chalked up those leads to name ID and Trumps familiarity as a former president, saying as the primary gets closer, the numbers will change.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5%.

Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee's Annual Meeting on January 28, 2023 in Salem, New Hampshire.

Haley and Christie embrace New Hampshire retail politics

New Hampshire is home to retail politics in its truest sense. It's a rite of passage for candidates to get up close and personal with voters  and almost necessary for any presidential hopeful to win the state primary.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie exemplified that when they made coinciding visits to the Granite State last week.

Republican presidential candidate, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley during a campaign stop Monday, March 27, 2023, in Dover, N.H.

Haley held two town halls in the towns of Dover and Salem on Monday and Tuesday respectively, where she delivered similar speeches and also allowed voters to ask her a few upfront questions, including how she plans to defeat Trump and unite the GOP.

In Manchester, Christie held a nearly two-hour long town hall where he blasted Trump and took questions from attendees despite not yet deciding whether he will make a run for the White House.

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie greets voters and students at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Monday, March 27, 2023.

Trump or DeSantis? N.H. voters say not so fast

Despite Trump and DeSantis' lead in early polling, GOP voters in the Granite State said that their minds aren't made up yet on any one candidate.

Alex Crucio, a 55-year-old Republican from Nashua, said if Trump wins the primary, he will vote for him in the general election, but right now, the GOP primary is a wide open race for him.

On Haley as a potential nominee, Ed Huminick, 70, from Dover, said he was impressed with Haley because shes not Trump.

Some voters dont know much about DeSantis because he hasnt held many face-to-face events with voters. Its a lot more fun to interact with candidates, Trina Brand, 53, from Derry, said.

More in-depth coverage: New Hampshire Republicans don't want to lose again. GOP voters want 'new blood' in 2024

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump or DeSantis for president? Not so fast, New Hampshire voters say
Leah Millis/Reuters

Donald Trump has outlined his travel plans ahead of his looming indictment, confirming on Sunday night that he will leave Mar-A-Lago, his Florida home, on Monday and make his way to Trump Tower in New York.

The next morning, the former president says he will appear at a Manhattan courthouse, where he is expected to be arraigned, fingerprinted, and photographed after a grand jury decided to indict him for his role in a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump took to Truth Social Sunday night to confirm his travel plans, writing: I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York. On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina, who has been doing the rounds across various media over the weekend, earlier told CNNs State of the Union program that all the Tuesday stuff is still very much up in the air, other than the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, Not guilty. Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this.

Tacopina told CNN his team still has yet to see the indictment, which remains under seal.

We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge and we will challenge, and of course I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because theres no law that fits this.

Trump on Truth Social: pic.twitter.com/oRUX0KHl6G  Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) April 3, 2023

Tacopina described Trump as gearing up for a battle and a tough guy, someone whos ready for this fight, on Sunday to ABCs This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

In a subsequent follow-up post Sunday night, Trump stepped up his attacks on Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg. The note appears to confirm earlier reports that Trump had told advisers he was planning to escalate attacks against Bragg, the DA who revived the Stormy Daniels case.

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The Corrupt D.A. has no case, Trump wrote, while claiming he continues to be a victim in the investigation.

He continued: What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!), and a Trump Hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.s Office - Unprecedented!

Speaking to NBC News Meet the Press on Sunday, the former Manhattan district attorney who began the initial investigation into Trump, Cyrus Vance Jr., warned the former president about furthering the criticism against Bragg.

Ive got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the district attorney, [Alvin] Bragg, and even the trial court in the past week," Vance said.

And I think if I were his lawyerand believe me, no one has called up to ask for my adviceI would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offense like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering with or by threat or otherwise the operation of government.

After his arraignment Tuesday, Trump plans to deliver a speech back at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. local time.

Trumps Romp With Stormy Daniels Spawned a Bunch of Losers

Hours earlier, Trump issued a plea to supporters on Truth Social on pleading for campaign money ahead of the 2024 presidential racewhile also bragging that he cant be bought.

We are now officially a Third World country, Trump says in the video, echoing comments he made in 2020 after losing the election.

Its very simple. They cant buy me and they cant control me and that scares them beyond belief, he continues.

Trump then asks for contributionsbut makes sure to note that his supporters are exempt if theyre doing poorly because of Bidens disastrous policies.

A grand jury voted to indict Trump on Thursday over his role in the hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels marking the first time a former American president faces serious criminal charges.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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By Karen Freifeld and Rich McKay

NEW YORK/PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) -Donald Trump, the ex-president and frontrunner for the Republican 2024 nomination, flew into New York City on Monday for an historic court appearance to face charges stemming from a probe into hush money paid to a porn star.

With New York taking security precautions and the mayor telling potential "rabble-rousers" to behave, Trump was due to surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Tuesday and will likely be fingerprinted prior to appearing before a judge for an arraignment where he will plead not guilty.

Trump, 76, is the first former or sitting U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Yahoo News late on Monday said Trump would face 34 felony counts for falsification of business records. Citing a single source briefed on Tuesday's arraignment procedures, Yahoo said none of the charges against Trump were misdemeanors.

Trump's plane - painted in red, white and blue with "TRUMP" in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail - arrived at LaGuardia Airport in Queens after a 3-1/2 hour flight from West Palm Beach near his Florida home.

Clad in a blue suit and wearing a red tie, Trump walked alone down a flight of stairs from the airplane and climbed into an SUV for a drive in a motorcade to Trump Tower in Manhattan, where upon arrival he waved to people and walked in without making public comments.

Beefing up his legal team, Trump hired Todd Blanche, a prominent white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, to join his defense, two sources familiar with the matter said.

Trump's lawyers opposed videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment, where a defendant is brought to court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, saying it would "exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case", detracting from dignity and decorum.

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Judge Juan Merchan late on Monday ruled that five photographers would be admitted before the arraignment started to take pictures for several minutes until they must stop, with cameras allowed in the hallways of the building.

The Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump heard evidence for months this year about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies having had any such relationship with her.

Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, when Manafort was hit with New York state fraud charges after being sentenced to prison for federal crimes.

The state charges were eventually dismissed and Trump pardoned Manafort before leaving office. Blanche also previously represented Igor Fruman, who was an associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

The specific charges in the indictment by a grand jury convened by Bragg, a Democrat, have yet to be disclosed. Trump has said he is innocent. He and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

A motorcade of several vehicles took Trump at midday from his Mar-a-Lago estate to the airport in nearby West Palm Beach. Trump climbed out of an SUV before he and members of his entourage climbed a set of stairs to enter his plane.

"WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL!" Trump posted on social media right before he left Florida.

Trump said on social media he would head to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

'OUR COUNTRY HAS FALLEN,' TRUMP CAMPAIGN ASSERTS

Trump's campaign raised $7 million in the three days after word of the indictment emerged last Thursday, senior adviser Jason Miller said. The campaign on Monday issued the latest in a series of fundraising emails, taking aim at the media's reporting on his indictment.

Remarks attributed to Trump in the email stated: "Our country has fallen. But I'm not giving up on America. We can and we will save our nation in 2024."

A court official said the arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Bragg will give a news conference afterwards. Trump will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

The New York case is one of several probes Trump faces.

A few dozen Trump fans cheered at the Florida airport and along the route he took to get there, carrying signs and flags.

"Our country needs him," said Cindy Falco, 65, of Boynton Beach, Florida. "He's pro-God, pro-family and pro-country."

Falco predicted exoneration, saying: "Nothing is going to stick to him."

Trump's detractors also weighed in.

"Isn't it ironic that they couldn't get Donald Trump for all of the crimes he's committed, except payment to a porn star?" said New Jersey resident Robert Hoatson, 71, outside of Trump Tower. "It always comes down to the lowliest of charges."

"It's a terrific day. I hope it goes well and that he is eventually found guilty," Hoatson added.

But among Republicans, Trump's lead has widened over rivals in the party's presidential nominating contest, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, conducted after news broke that Trump would face criminal charges.

Some 48% of self-described Republicans say they want Trump to be their party's presidential nominee, up from 44% in a March 14-20 poll.

MAYOR CALLS FOR PROTESTERS TO BE ON 'BEST BEHAVIOR'

New York police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building. Demonstrations were expected at those sites on Tuesday.

Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said there was no known specific security threat.

"While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow (Tuesday), our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," Adams told reporters.

"As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are," Adams added, specifically mentioning Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has announced plans to protest.

"Be on your best behavior," the mayor said.

Asked whether he was worried about unrest around Trump's arraignment, President Joe Biden, touring a factory in Minnesota, said, No, I have faith in the New York Police Department."

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Palm Beach, Florida and Karen Freifeld in New York; Additional reporting by Tim Reid in Henderson, Nevada; Jonathan Allen, Jeenah Moon, and David Dee Delgado in New York and Doina Chiacu in Washington; Writing by Will Dunham and Costas Pitas; Editing by Howard Goller and Stephen Coates)
Donald Trump prepared to fly Monday to New York for his historic arraignment on criminal charges, taking the United States and the office of the presidency into uncharted and potentially volatile territory.

The 76-year-old billionaire was indicted last week by a grand jury on a series of counts related to a hush-money payment made to an adult film star during the 2016 election campaign.

The Republican Party provocateur, who has already launched a 2024 White House bid, is the first sitting or former US president ever charged with a crime.

Trump said on his social media platform that he will decamp from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and fly at midday Monday to New York, the city where he was born and made his name.

"I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthhouse. America was not supposed to be this way!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

"The Corrupt D.A. has no case," he said of the Manhattan district attorney prosecuting the case. "What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial."

As part of his arraignment scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Trump will undergo the standard booking procedure of being fingerprinted and photographed, likely to result in one of the most famous mugshots of the modern era.

Trump, who plans to make public remarks Tuesday at 8:15 pm (0015 GMT Wednesday) from Florida, has denounced the legal proceedings as a "witch hunt" and "political persecution."

- 'Up in the air' -

The New York Police Department is on high alert ahead of the arraignment, with a potential for street protests by Trump supporters and detractors.

The force has ordered its 36,000 officers to be in uniform and ready to deploy, NBC News reported, citing official sources.

An arraignment is regular process, but there is no roadmap for a former president's surrender to court authorities.

And it remains to be seen whether the famously unpredictable Trump will follow the script, or find a way to upend events.

"It's all up in the air," Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said on CNN Sunday.

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But a "perp walk" -- in which a defendant is escorted in handcuffs past media cameras -- is unlikely for an ex-president under US Secret Service protection, Tacopina said.

"Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this."

But Trump is girding for battle, Tacopina added.

While the specific charges still remain under seal, the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg revolves around the investigation of $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump's former lawyer and aide Michael Cohen, who has since turned against Trump, testified before Congress that he arranged the payment to Daniels in exchange for her silence about a tryst she says she had with Trump in 2006.

Trump, who was already married to his wife Melania at the time, denies the affair.

But the Daniels case is only one of several investigations threatening Trump.

- Republicans unite? -

An independent prosecutor is looking into any potential role Trump played in the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, as well as his handling and keeping of classified documents after he left the White House.

In the swing state of Georgia, Trump is under investigation for pressuring officials to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 victory there -- including a taped phone call in which he asked the secretary of state to "find" enough votes to reverse the result.

Biden, knowing anything he might say could fuel Trump's complaints of a politically "weaponized" judicial system, is one of the few Democrats maintaining silence over the indictment of his political rival.

Republicans have largely rallied around Trump, including his rival in the party's presidential primary, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called the indictment "un-American."

But some Republicans bristled at the prospect of a twice-impeached president facing multiple legal probes seeking the party's nomination.

Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, who announced Sunday he is running to be the Republican presidential nominee, openly questioned such a strategy and urged Trump to quit the race.

"I do think that's too much of a sideshow and distraction, and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process," Hutchinson said.

"The office is always more important than the person."

mlm/bgs
Posts on Twitter claim Donald Trump's historic indictment in New York will bar him from entering the 2024 presidential race. This is false; even if the former president is convicted of a felony, this would not necessarily disqualify him from running for office under the US constitution, legal experts told AFP.

"MAGA who think that Trump being indicted is going to put him back in the WH (White House) must not realize that prisoners can't run for office," a March 30 tweet said, using the acronym for the slogan "Make America Great Again."

A screenshot of a tweet taken on April 4, 2023

In the hours following the former president's indictment -- a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime -- on March 30, social media users started speculating about Trump's potential disqualification from the 2024 race -- some tweets claiming that he could not run if he were sent to jail.

But the claims are incorrect. Trump's indictment does not disqualify him, nor would being convicted of a felony or serving a prison sentence.

The United States Constitution sets out who may serve as president as follows:

"No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

The constitution defines the "only legal qualifications" to run for or serve as president, said Nomi Claire Lazar, a professor of politics at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, Canada.

Research professor of law at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, Joshua Douglas, agreed that the constitution has limited criteria for disqualifying a presidential candidate.

"Whether someone has been indicted, convicted, in jail, etc are not one of those criteria," he told AFP.

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Running from prison

In some cases, a sitting president who has been convicted of a felony could in theory be impeached, Lazar said, "but nothing would bar them from running in the first place."

She added: "We have to imagine that the framers of the American Constitution probably never envisaged a scenario like the one America is currently facing."

Felons have run for office in the past.

In 1920, Socialist candidate Eugene Debs -- convicted of sedition for speaking in opposition to the draft in World War I -- ran for president from his prison cell, gathering almost a million votes.

In 1798, candidate for Congress Matthew Lyon, ran a campaign from his cell after being arrested for "acting in opposition to the President" and won. He took up his seat after his release from prison, representing the state of Vermont.

As recently as 2012, a convicted and imprisoned felon ran in the West Virginia Democratic presidential primary against then-President Barack Obama, and gathered approximately 41 percent of the vote, said Case Western Reserve University law professor Atiba Ellis.

"This shows that in a state without any form of disqualification provisions, a candidate could literally run from prison in that state's primary," Ellis told AFP.

Disqualification provisions

Ellis told AFP the constitution provides only two circumstances for the disqualification of a president.

One is impeachment and conviction of a sitting president for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors," he said.

But it presumes "the sitting president would be removed at the point of conviction by the Senate, and not before," and as a result having no impact on a felon from running for office.

The other condition is the disqualification for any United States official -- including the president -- who has engaged, abetted or aided acts of rebellion or insurrection against the United States.

"Much has been made of this clause over the past year in relation to whether former President Trump could run for office given his role in arguably inciting the January 6 insurrection," Ellis said.

The professor noted that several states have procedures where a voter may contest the eligibility of a candidate on the ballot, for reasons including their criminal record and added that "depending on the state, voters in that state could argue that a convicted presidential candidate should not be on their ballot."

Accordingly, a convicted felon can run for office, and, in theory, win a presidential election.

But voting is another matter, according to Ellis. "Even if there isn't a disqualification for running for office, most states have some degree of disqualification from voting upon a criminal conviction. This would mean that, ironically, a candidate could be eligible to run for president but could be ineligible to vote for themselves in the same election."

The New York case against Trump was set to be unsealed on April 4, 2023, revealing the charges against him. The former president has denounced the legal proceedings as a "witch hunt" and "political persecution."
Within hours of the announcement of the indictment against him on Thursday, former president Donald Trumps 2024 campaign swung into action, pushing out fundraising emails to his loyal supporters.

Railing against the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, Mr Trump promised in the email that this witch hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden.

Ever since I ran for president as a complete political outsider, the corrupt ruling class has tried to shut down our America First movement, the email reads.

The Deep State will use anything at their disposal to shut down the one political movement that puts you first.

The campaigns efforts appear to have paid off. A press release on Friday boasted that Mr Trump had raised more than $4m in the 24 hours following Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs unprecedented political persecution of the president.

Notably, the campaign claims that more than a quarter of the donations came from first-time donors.

While Republican lawmakers and potential presidential rivals have largely circled the wagons around Mr Trump, decrying the indictment as highly political  an apparently tearful senator Lindsey Graham made his own fundraising plea in one appearance on Fox News  the former president has been shuttered away at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach residence in Florida.

Other than an appearance alongside former first lady Melania Trump at the private members club at the centre of the property, Mr Trump has been furiously posting on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The posts have ranged from a stream of cable news clips of his allies voicing their support and decrying the indictment, to angry tirades against individual prosecutors  Mr Trump even attacked Mr Braggs Trump-hating wife in one post  as well as Judge Juan Merchan who has been assigned the case.

Judge Merchan presided over both the tax fraud trial of the Trump Organisation and the trial of the companys longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg in late 2022. The former president said he is appealing the assignment.

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Amid cries of election interference and kangaroo court, Mr Trump also posted a list compiled by the campaign of lawmakers, district attorneys, and other notable Republicans who have spoken out in his defence.

Notably missing from the list is Florida governor Ron DeSantis, his one-time ally, now foe and principal rival for the 2024 campaign, but who nevertheless had tweeted that the legal system was being weaponised to advance a political agenda.

In one of his more ebullient but still outraged screeds proclaiming his innocence, the former president proposed that after eight years of variously politically motivated investigations, hoaxes, scams, and witch hunts he must be the most honest and honourable man anywhere in the world as nobody else has ever undergone such scrutiny.

Despite such protestations, on Monday he will fly to New York, landing at LaGuardia Airport before spending the night at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. On Tuesday morning, he will report to the courthouse downtown to answer the charges against him. After processing, his case will be heard at 2.15pm in front of Judge Merchan.

In sync with his fundraising emails, Mr Trumps Truth Social profile features a tagline aimed squarely at his bases distrust of government and the Deep State that is fast becoming the centre of his campaign to return to the White House: Theyre not coming after me, theyre coming after you  Im just standing in their way.

If the Manhattan grand jurys indictment of the former president, or any of the other cases he faces, really do prove his undoing, he appears to go down swinging, and loudly.
Trump Indictment (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

One of former president Donald Trumps lawyers says releasing the mugshot that will be taken by New York authorities at his arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday is not going to help anything and should not be permitted.

Attorney Alina Habba told CNN on Monday that shes not opposed the presence of television cameras in the courtroom during proceedings against Mr Trump, who became the first ex-US president to face criminal charges after a New York grand jury indicted him for allegedly falsifying business records last week.

But Ms Habba said the ex-presidents mugshot should not be made public due to his status as a presidential candidate.

I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, its a good thing. I do have a problem with leaking of pictures, Ms Habba said. I think that because were in a campaign, because hes the leading GOP candidate, its not going to help anything.

She added that releasing the mugshot shouldnt be necessary because Mr Trump is an identifiable public figure whose face is recognised by people around the world.

Mugshots are for people so that you recognise who they are. He is the most recognised face in the world, let alone the country right now, so theres no need for that. Theres no need for the theatrics, she said.

In many states, mugshots taken at arrest are public records, which means they are accessible to anyone who requests them. In some jurisdictions, they are released on a regular basis by law enforcement authorities and are even published in tabloid-style publications.

But New York law does not recognise mugshots as public records, which means the release of Mr Trumps photograph would need to be specifically authorised.

A source close to Mr Trump told The Independent that the ex-president has in recent weeks discussed whether his booking photograph should be made available so his campaign can use it in fundraising and emblazon it on campaign merchandise.

One of his occasional legal advisers, retired Havard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, has said he has told the ex-president to sell such merchandise to boost his campaign coffers.
Supporters of Former President Donald Trump rally at Trump Tower in New York.

Supporters of Former President Donald Trump rally at Trump Tower in New York. Credit - Lev RadinPacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images

Donald Trump didnt choose to be indicted. He didnt pick the date hed have to show up in court. But once the Manhattan District Attorney filed charges against him, he began to choreograph the spectacle that would follow.

As Trump made the journey from Florida to New York on Monday to face the prosecution brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, supporters waved Trump flags along the road outside, news cameras followed his motorcade roll out of the gates of his Mar-a-Lago Club, and the major networks aired live footage of him at Palm Beach International Airport walking up the stairs of his newly refurbished red-white-and-navy-blue plane, which he has characteristically branded Trump Force One.

It was one of the few times since leaving office that Trump garnered the ubiquitous media attention he once enjoyed as presidentexcept it was all on his way to being booked for an alleged crime.

Trumps legal team spent the weekend negotiating the details of how and when Trump would turn himself in. The former president plans to spend the night in Trump Tower in Midtown before surrendering himself at the lower Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday, where he will be arraigned and forced to provide fingerprints and pose for a mug shot. Though New York does not normally release mug shot photos, Trumps is widely expected to leak.

Read More: Why You Should Beware a Flood of Fake Trump Mug Shots

Trumps supporters are already prepared to lionize the image. Well have a mug shot. For the record, it will be the most manly, most masculine, most handsome mug shot of all time, joked Hogan Gidley, a former Trump White House spokesman who still speaks regularly with Trump. I can say that definitely, before having even seen it.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in Manhattan on April 3, 2023. James DevaneyGC Images/Getty Images

After Trump appears before the judge, the indictment, which remains under seal, is expected to be made public. NBC News reported on Friday that Braggs office will bring roughly 30 counts against the former president.

Story continues

After the proceeding, Trump plans to fly back to South Florida and deliver a speech Tuesday evening from Mar-a-Lago.

Cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom, but a group of credentialled reporters will be allowed inside, in keeping with a longstanding New York state law. Its unclear if Trump will be photographed walking into the courthousea classic perp-walk momentor will instead be taken in through a private entrance.

Security throughout the day will be intense, with the streets around the courthouse blocked off. Trumps Secret Service detail is collaborating with the New York Police Department and the Manhattan DAs office to securely escort Trump into the building. Once he enters the doors, he will be under the domain of New York authorities and the court, according to Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service.

Decisions on courtroom accessibility for media and the public are up to the Court and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to provide as minimal of a disruption to the normal process as possible, Guglielmi tells TIME.

Throughout the day, there are expected to be protests in the city, one of which will be led by one of Trumps fiercest defenders in Washington: the firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, whos leading a Rally for Trump organized by the New York Young Republican Club starting at 10:30 a.m. in Collect Pond Park, not far from the courthouse.

The case centers on Trumps alleged role in making hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to stop her from going public with an affair she says they had. The allegations originate from his former attorney Michael Cohen, who claims that Trump knowingly falsified financial records to conceal a payout of $130,000 to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. In exchange, she agreed not to share her story to the National Enquirer on the eve of the election.

Cohen, who served jail time over the matter and other charges of fraud and tax evasion, made the payments to Daniels directly. But he says Trump later reimbursed him for those payments in a series of disbursements and then filed them as legal fees to cover up what amounted to a campaign expenditure.

A supporter of former president Donald Trump wears buttons and a shirt with a picture of Trump near Trump Tower in New York on April 3, 2023. Stefani ReynoldsAFP/Getty Images

Falsification of financial records is a misdemeanor under New York State law, but such a charge is elevated to a felony if the falsification is in furtherance of another crime. It is not clear yet what exact charges Bragg is filing against Trump.

Trump has called Bragg an animal and a psychopath on social media and has warned that his criminal prosecution could lead to civil unrest.

His indictment appears to have given him a substantial boost among Republican and Republican-leaning voters. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll conducted March 30 and 31 found Trump with a 26-point lead in a hypothetical match-up against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. That same poll showed Trump with an eight-point lead just two weeks ago. Meanwhile, scores of conservative leaders have rushed to Trumps defense, with GOP House members vying to force Bragg to testify on Capitol Hill.

Trump World is expecting that trend to pick up even more steam Tuesday, following the court proceedings, the historic, galvanizing image of Trumps mugshot, and his Mar-a-Lago speech later that night.

Sources say that Trumps remarks will hit hard on his accusation that Bragg is pressing charges against him out of political motivation, an attack that is designed to gin up righteous indignation and a sense of persecution among MAGA die-hards.

Read More: Your Questions About Trumps Indictment, Answered

In that vein, Trump wants to turn his indictment into a larger symbol, connecting himself with conservative Americans who feel targeted or alienated for their views. The fears and concerns of a weaponized government are now personified in Donald Trump, says Gidley, Trumps former White House spokesman. He can take that pulpit, that podium, and point out the fact that we are all victims of a government that has targeted each of us because we attend the wrong rallies, like the wrong tweets, go to the wrong movies.

Supporters of Former President Donald Trump rally at Trump Tower in New York. Lev RadinPacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images

The president is also planning to emphasize that Bragg campaigned for his position two years ago on going toe-to-toe with Trump, sources say. I certainly have more experience with [Trump] than most people in the world, then-candidate Bragg told The Wall Street Journal in April 2021.

Its a line of defense that GOP operatives believe can resonate with conservative Americans. He waits until President Trump essentially declares for the presidency, now were a few months before the debates and less than a year before the Iowa caucuses, Garrett Ventry, a Republican strategist, tells TIME. It just looks overly political, so I think its easy for the president to message that.

Trump announced his 2024 presidential bid in November 2022, unusually early for the cycle and only a week after the midterm elections when Trump-affiliated candidates suffered a series of bruising losses. The move led some to speculate that Trump wanted to become an official candidate early to complicate the multiple legal probes against him, including on his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his removal of classified documents from the White House.

But now, with an actual indictment in hand, Trump is attempting to turn what would be a nightmare for virtually any other political figure into an advantage.

He plans to really lean into his fight on this and the point that you cant have the Make America Great Again policies without him, a source familiar with Trumps thinking tells TIME. Theres no cover band, per se. Hes the main event.
Former President Donald Trump is planning on delivering remarks at Mar-a-Lago hours after his expected arraignment Tuesday. AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Donald Trump plans to speak at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday after his arraignment.

Experts say that Trump will most likely not face any travel restrictions from the judge.

A gag order, which could restrict how much he can say about the case, is more likely.

Following a historic arraignment in New York, former President Donald Trump will be hopping on a plane right back down to his Palm Beach club Mar-a-Lago Tuesday to deliver remarks, potentially on the legal process itself.

Trump will fly into New York Monday night, he said, then head to a Manhattan criminal court for arraignment on Tuesday afternoon. His attorney Susan Necheles told Insider that "it will be a smooth surrender."

On the day of the arrangement, there won't be a dramatic perp walk, and Trump likely won't be seen in handcuffs, Insider previously reported. The former president will have his fingerprints taken, along with a mugshot and a mandatory DNA cheek-swabbing.

After his arraignment, during which he will stand before a judge, hear the charges, and enter a plea, Trump said on Sunday that he plans to give a speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.

Legal experts, including a former senior staffer with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, said Trump will have to comply with conditions of release after his arraignment.

Ambrosio Rodriguez, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, told Insider that it would be highly unlikely that the president would put up bail, and would be "allowed to go and travel wherever he wants."

"It is safe to assume that Trump will be released on his own recognizance," Ambrosio Rodriguez, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, told Insider.

Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Joshua Ritter agreed, saying there was no reason to believe a judge would impose travel restrictions on Trump.

"It's also hard to argue that Trump is a flight risk," Ritter said. "You know, he's one of the most well-recognized people on the planet. I don't think there's a real concern about him returning to court at future dates."

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Trump hasn't said what his remarks will be about, but the former president may be limited on what he can say specifically regarding his indictment.

Duncan Levin, a former senior staffer at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, told Insider that it is "extremely likely that there will be a gag order in the case."

"Gag orders are very common in criminal cases, particularly in cases where there is an enormous amount of pretrial publicity like this one," he said.

Criminal defense attorney Rachel Fiset told Insider that it "would not be surprising" if Trump faced a gag order, but added that it would likely go both ways, meaning the DA's office would also have to comply with the order.

If a judge did restrict Trump's ability to speak about the case, Fiset said it was likely that Trump would "try to walk the line of what he can and can't talk about."

Rodriguez, on the other hand, said that he did not believe a gag order would happen at all.

"I don't think there's a gag order big enough to gag Trump," Rodriguez said. "Trump would just send a fundraiser email saying 'They're trying to silence me.'"

It is expected that the charges related to Trump's indictment will be unsealed during the arraignment. A source familiar with the case told Insider it is a felony indictment. Two sources told CNN that Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump is expected to be arraigned in New York City on Tuesday afternoon.

The embattled former president plans to race back to Florida immediately after and give a speech.

Trump is counting on having hundreds of supporters by his side post-arraignment.

Donald Trump plans to rush back to Florida on Tuesday night to rally with supporters at Mar-a-Lago  just as soon as he's done getting fingerprinted, having his mugshot taken, and entering a plea in a Manhattan criminal courtroom.

Never one to waste a crisis, the embattled former president is racing back to Palm Beach, Florida, to deliver a speech sparked by the indictment stemming from the alleged "hush money" paid to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump's 2024 campaign  which spent the weekend bombarding email inboxes with fundraising appeals titled "Tomorrow, I will be arrested" and "Yes, I've been indicted, BUT"  has announced Trump will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 PM ET.

Trump's arraignment is reported to start at 2:15 ET as he faces charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Trump's campaign has been cranking out fundraising appeals since news broke of his indictment. Screenshot

Trump announced on social media that he would fly to New York on Monday, and planned to spend the night at his apartment there.

Once he's done with the court appearance, Trump is expected to hop back on his jet and speed home for what's sure to be a fiery response to what he's repeatedly called a politically motivated "witch hunt."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Waco, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Trump's 2024 campaign said it raised $5 million in the 48 hours after he was indicted, per Axios.

A Trump official also said more than 16,000 people volunteered on Trump's website in one day.

On Sunday, Trump said in a message to supporters that he had "OUTRAISED THEM ALL!"

Former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign said it received $5 million in donations and 16,000 new volunteers in the 48 hours after Trump was indicted.

An unnamed Trump official told Axios that the former president raised an additional $1 million on Saturday, on top of the $4 million that the Trump campaign said it received on Friday.

More than 16,000 people also signed up to volunteer on Trump's website in the first 24 hours after his indictment, Axios reported, citing Trump's campaign spokesperson.

Volunteer activities listed on the website include poll watching, canvassing, door knocking, event volunteering, and making phone calls.

Trump was indicted on Thursday by a New York grand jury. The Manhattan district attorney is investigating a hush-money payment that Trump's personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, paid to the porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. Trump is expected to surrender and be arraigned in New York on April 4.

Trump has been fundraising aggressively in the last few weeks, even before the indictment was announced. He raised $1.5 million in three days from grassroots donations after wrongly predicting that he'd be arrested on March 21.

After he was indicted, his campaign continued to solicit donations in a flood of fundraising emails seen by Insider. The messages say that the Manhattan investigation is a "witch hunt" and political persecution, urging supporters to be a "founding defender" by sending cash.

One such email invited supporters to sign a "Thank You" card to Trump's family  then asked for donations. Another touted a white t-shirt with the words "I stand with Trump" as a reward for a $47 contribution.

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On Friday, Trump's campaign said it raised $4 million in the 24 hours after the indictment announcement.

More than a quarter of these contributions came from first-time donors, and the average donation was $34, the Trump campaign said.

In a Sunday message to supporters seen by Insider, Trump's campaign said that it had "OUTRAISED THEM ALL!"

Trump isn't the only politician raising funds off his indictment.

GOP Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri and the National Republican Congressional Committee also sent out donation requests based on the indictment, The New York Times reported. The Democratic Governors Association and other Democrat PACS have also broadcast fundraising messages mentioning the charges, per The Times.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Donald Trump. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

After his scheduled arraignment Tuesday in Manhattan, former President Donald Trump will return to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to deliver remarks during an event with supporters, his campaign said Sunday.

The exact charges against Trump aren't yet known, as the indictment is still sealed, but are connected to an investigation into a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump is expected to fly to New York City on Monday and spend the night at his home in Trump Tower, then surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Tuesday morning before being arraigned at the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building.

When he is booked, Trump will be fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken, an experience his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said during an appearance Sunday on CNN's State of the Union will "hopefully ... be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this."

Many of Trump's lawyers and aides were caught off guard last week by the indictment, The Associated Press reports, and some don't think Trump should speak with reporters after the arraignment. Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty and served prison time for campaign finance violations in connection with the hush-money payment to Daniels, told CBS News on Sunday he expects "complete and total mayhem" during the arraignment. "This is his worse fear: being mugshotted, fingerprinted, being referred to as a felon," Cohen said of Trump, adding, "he's petrified."

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Former President Donald Trump has hired a top white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, Todd Blanche, as his lead counsel to handle the Manhattan district attorneys criminal indictment of the former president.

Blanche, until recently a partner at law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, said in an email obtained by POLITICO that he was resigning from the firm because I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up.

Blanche declined to comment Monday. Trump is also represented in the case by Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina, lawyers who represented him during the investigation that led to the indictment.





Blanche, a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office, has previously represented Trump ally Paul Manafort as well as Igor Fruman, a onetime associate of Rudy Giuliani who pleaded guilty in a campaign finance case brought by the Manhattan U.S. attorneys office.

In particular, Blanches representation of Manafort may have caught Trumps eye. Blanche led the successful effort to get mortgage fraud and other charges brought by the Manhattan district attorneys office dropped after arguing they would amount to double jeopardy because the state charges covered the same conduct for which Manafort had already been tried on a federal level.

Manafort was charged by the previous Manhattan district attorney, Cy Vance, a Democrat.

Blanche was vocal during that effort in calling the indictment of Manafort politically motivated, a charge Trump has also levied at the current district attorney, Alvin Bragg, also a Democrat.

In his resignation email, Blanche said he was unable to take Trump as a client while remaining at Cadwalader, New York Citys oldest law firm and one of its most elite. Obviously, doing this as a partner at Cadwalader was not an option, so I have had to make the difficult choice to leave the firm.

A spokesman for Cadwalader didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The addition to Trumps legal team came as the former president is set to surrender Tuesday to the district attorneys office to face criminal charges connected to his alleged role in a scheme to reimburse his former lawyer for a hush money payment made to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, during the 2016 presidential campaign. After he surrenders, Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon to be arraigned.


Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty

When Donald Trump took the stage in Waco, Texas, for a campaign rally last month, the crowd had been warmed up with a startling spectacle: giant video screens showing footage of Trump supporters violently storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trumps presentation of the darkest day of his presidencyand one of the darkest in U.S. historyas a righteous hour to be celebrated marked the beginning of how central it will be to his 2024 presidential bid.

If anything, Trumps criminal indictment in Manhattan has only supercharged the ex-presidents plans to weaponize Jan. 6.

Underneath the surfacelargely at the urging of an increasingly influential Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), according to Republicans familiar with their conversationsTrump has prepared for his unprecedented legal conundrum by tying it to the sense of political persecution that is widely felt within the MAGA base in the aftermath of Jan. 6.

Trumps Rough History With the Judge Determining His Fate

In doing so, the thinking goes, Trump is able to not only strengthen his bond with core primary voters, but also drive a wedge between those voters and other GOP presidential contendersseveral of whom have loudly criticized Trump for his role in the Capitol violence.

Crucially, it all connects to Trumps current top objective in the 2024 race: to outflank his chief nemesis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis cant come out and say Jan. 6 was a terrible day in our countrys history akin to Pearl Harbor. Hed be done, a GOP strategist outside the Trump campaign but familiar with conversations around the tactical shift told The Daily Beast.

But he also cant be put in a place where hes defending Trumps actions, the strategist said.

In what should otherwise be a devastating low point for a presidential candidate besieged by a multi-count indictment on top of other legal woes, the Trump 2024 campaign thinks theyve found a way to turn the tables on the rest of the field by daring them to cross the GOP base over the hush money case and Jan. 6.

Story continues

Indeed, the emerging GOP presidential primary field has responded meekly to both developments. Candidates and would-be aspirants have largely stuck to attacking Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg with Fox News-ready attack lineswhile avoiding Trump's refocus on Jan. 6 altogether.

A savvy challengerDeSantis, for instancemight be expected to capitalize on Trumps extensive problems to prepare a knockout punch in the primary.

Instead, DeSantis declined to say anything negative about Trump following the indictmentor mention his name at allalready having paid a price for his initial response, in which he took a half-joking swipe at the ex-president over his involvement with a porn star. The Florida governor continues to slip to Trump in the polls, although hes posted stronger showings in some early states compared to his declining national numbers.

DeSantis Talks Tough After Indictment. Trumpers Unimpressed.

You saw evidence of how this shift can work last week when DeSantis was 95 percent of the way to a stand-up double with his statement and reaction to the potential indictment of the president, and then blew it by making a joke about the allegations, an outside adviser whos known Trump for decades told The Daily Beast.

A lot of Trump supporters, some of whom were on the fence and perhaps ready to move onthey saw that as disrespect, the adviser said.

Another sticking point in Trumpworld is a since-deleted tweet from DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern on Jan. 7, 2021, where he glibly reacted to the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt by Capitol Police with the quip: How to Fuck Around and Find Out 101.

Redfern and a representative for the DeSantis political operation did not return a request for comment.

Though Trumps indictment and the insurrection were unprecedented events, his defense is predictable as ever. Backed into a corner, Trump perennially depicts himself as the victim of political persecution. The cycle is familiar: generate outrage, dictate the tempo of the debate, repeat.

The fresh question this time around is how a field of rivalsmany of whom were forged in the new GOP that Trump createdwill respond, as they seek to snatch the mantle of party leadership from him.

Former Trump administration officials and likely 2024 rivals Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo kept their focus on Bragg, with Pompeo going so far as to accuse the Manhattan D.A. of undermining Americas confidence in our legal system.

Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, the only official candidate in the field who served in the last Trump administration, called the case more about revenge than justice in a tweet where she made sure to share a video of her on Fox News bashing Bragg.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, one of the brasher Trump critics within the party, was one of the rare figures to say hed wait to read the actual charges before commenting.

But Christie, Pompeo, and Pence all denounced Trump at various points over the insurrection, while Haley has largely steered clear after saying in 2021 the former presidents actions since Election Day will be judged harshly by history.

Theres no foe, however, that concerns Trump more than DeSantis. While the Florida governor continues to lay the groundwork for a possible 2024 bid, Trumps team saw an opportunity to shift its messaging, merging the Jan. 6 rhetoric and imagery with the looming indictment.

Judge Orders Pence to Testify Before Grand Jury Investigating Jan. 6

Notably, theres far less talk of the 2020 election conspiracies that proved to be such dead weight for Republicans in last years midterm elections.

Theres two things happening here: I think one is to try and not talk about the specific stolen election situation, because thats becoming less popular with voters, the GOP strategist said. The second part of it is trying to outflank DeSantis on the issue.

A key element of the messaging shift is Trumps increased focus on the state of his supporters charged with crimes stemming from their actions on Jan. 6.

In particular, Greene has been influential in steering the ex-presidents attention in that direction. The Georgia congresswoman has visited the Washington jail where some defendants are still behind bars awaiting trial; she has tried to publicize inhumane detention conditions faced by what she calls political prisoners.

A source familiar with Greenes conversations with Trump told The Daily Beast shes talked to him about the conditions at the jail.

Given Greenes long record of incendiary comments and fringe viewsincluding her recent advocacy for a national divorce to split up the unionRepublican observers are startled to see how effective shes become in the arena.

This is why a lot of advisers are concerned, potentially, [with] her... there's right-wing things you could talk about that are not Jan. 6, the GOP strategist noted.

Even in an early primary state like New Hampshire where Trump-backed candidates got swept in the midterms, theres a clear price to be paid for opposing Trump on Jan. 6.

A Trump Jan. 6 Song Tops the Sales Charts But Is Anyone Actually Listening?

Although Pence has gradually and methodically amplified his criticism of Trump over the insurrectionin which his own life quickly became endangeredthe former VP has kept his powder dry over the Manhattan indictment, calling it criminalization of politics. Starting with a soft launch of his criticism on Trump over Jan. 6 in June of 2021, Pence has yet to see any short-term benefit among Republican voters.

In the late March poll from Monmouth University, Pence had the highest unfavorable ratings of any potential candidate, and it had gone up nearly 10 points from February, to 37 percent. Trump, on the other hand, had a 71 percent favorable, 21 percent unfavorable rating in the survey of Republican and GOP-leaning voters.

The Pence campaign did not return an interview request for this story.

However noxious the insurrection and Trumps legal issues may prove to be in a general election, in the context of a GOP presidential primary, theyve made for a warped set of advantages for Trump and his allies.

When DeSantis flippant post-indictment comments really turned off a lot of people who are sick and tired of these garbage investigations theyre putting Trump and all of his supporters through, the source close to Trump argued, the rest of the field took note.

Its not funny.

Zachary Petrizzo contributed reporting for this story.

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By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump has widened his lead over his rivals in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating contest, even as he faces criminal charges in New York, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday.

Some 48% of self-described Republicans say they want Trump to be their party's presidential nominee, up from 44% in a March 14-20 poll.

Some 19% back his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, down from 30% last month. Other likely rivals polled in the single digits.

The online poll was conducted between March 31 and April 3, after news broke that Trump would face criminal charges related to hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election.

Trump is the first U.S. president to face criminal indictment. He is expected to plead not guilty at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday.

DeSantis in recent weeks has been buffeted by criticism over a March 13 statement in which he said that it was not a vital U.S. national interest to become "further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia."

Trump has stepped up his attacks on DeSantis, who has not formally announced his candidacy but is expected to run.

Some 71% of Americans, including 58% of Republicans, say it is believable that Trump paid porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has proclaimed his innocence and denied the affair, though he has acknowledged paying Daniels.

At the same time, 51% of poll respondents, including 80% of Republicans, said they believed the charges are politically motivated.

Those figures are largely unchanged from last month.

The survey of 706 U.S. adults has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for all respondents and plus or minus 4.5 percentage points for Republicans.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Andy Sullivan and Jonathan Oatis)
Former President Trump is expected to have a busy Tuesday, starting the day with his arraignment in a New York courtroom before flying back to Florida, where he is expected to deliver remarks later that evening.

Trump is expected to arrive at the New York City courthouse at 11 a.m. on Tuesday morning, hours ahead of his scheduled arraignment in front of Judge Juan Merchan at 2:15 p.m. The proceedings are expected to take 15 to 30 minutes, with extensive security around the building expected to search everyone in the courtroom twice.

Trump is likely to use a side entrance to the building, though the exact details of his arrival will not be known even by the court until shortly before his arrival for security reasons.

According to legal experts, Trump is likely to be fingerprinted and will take a mug shot, but there is not expected to be a "perp walk" or public arrival for security reasons. Trump is also unlikely to be handcuffed as a result of an arrangement made between the former president's legal team and the district attorney's office.

DEFIANT TRUMP ANNOUNCES FLORIDA EVENT JUST HOURS AFTER TUESDAY'S COURT APPEARANCE IN NEW YORK

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, right, had been investigating former President Trump for alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

"I imagine that he will have be fingerprinted and have his mugshot, though I don't think there will be a perp walk and I don't think he will be handcuffed or anything like that," Michael McDaniels, a professor at the Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, told NPR. "Until they can take him before a judge, and then he will enter a plea, he will be arraigned as we say, on the charges against him, and asked how he pleads to those charges."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The details of the indictment of the former president are still under seal but are expected to relate to alleged 2016 "hush money" payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, which the DA's office has been investigation for five years.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that the $130,000 payment for Daniels and the $150,000 given to McDougal amounted to improper donations to the Trump campaign and helped him win the 2016 election.

Story continues

McDaniels expects that Trump will loudly and boldly plead "not guilty."

"I don't know whether or not Donald Trump, with his age and stature, I don't know whether he'll ever go to prison or not, but certainly there is going to be a criminal justice process going forward against the former president," McDaniels said.

DESANTIS RIPS MANHATTAN DA BRAGG'S 'FLIMSY' TRUMP INDICTMENT IN NEW YORK SPEECH: AGENDA 'NOT THE RULE OF LAW'

About 50-60 members of the press are expected to be allowed in the actual courtroom where the proceedings take place. There will also be two backup courtrooms for security reasons, and reporters will be forced to stay in the courtroom after proceedings end as the former president is escorted out of the building.

What will happen after proceedings remains unclear. Trump will be able to decide for himself whether he wants to exit the building through a side entrance or out the front doors, with some sources expecting Trump to prefer to exit through the front doors.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, right, arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court.

From there, Trump has already announced that he plans to travel back to his Florida home to deliver remarks later Tuesday evening.

"President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 8:15PM EDT," according to a statement released by the former president Sunday.

However, exactly what Trump will be able to say in those remarks is still a mystery, with some legal experts arguing he is likely to be under a "gag order" following the arraignment.

A LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP'S ARRAIGNMENT SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TUESDAY COURT APPEARANCE

"I think it's not only a possibility, but it's extremely likely that there will be a gag order in the case," Duncan Levin, a former federal prosecutor, told Insider Friday.

In recent weeks, Trump has decried the case against him as politically motivated and designed to derail "Make America Great Again movement."

"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," Trump said in a statement last week. "From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats- the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country- have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement."

However, Levin believes Trump may be "very limited" in what he is able to say after the proceedings.

"This is a criminal case now, so the rules have changed, and the rules are no longer in his purview to make," Levin said. "He is a criminal defendant and, you know, we see hundreds of thousands of criminal defendants across the country every day who have a lot of rights stripped away from them and he is now one of them. These proceedings are going to change his life."

Former President Trump.

After Tuesday, it is unclear how long the case could continue to drag on. Matthew Galluzzo, a former prosecutor in the New York County District Attorney's Office, told NPR that Trump's legal team is likely to argue the former president cannot get a fair trial in Manhattan, where he is widely unpopular, and to push for a change of venue.

While similar cases would likely take a year to get to trial, Galluzzo argued that Trump's team may opt to delay the process and push it until after next year's election.

"If he can push this thing back until after the election then he can effectively win the trial that way," he said.

"They're not gonna make him an offer that he would accept," Galluzzo continued. "And I think more than anything he probably wants that public stage to play the victim, to have an audience."
Former President Donald Trump. Joe Maiorana/AP Photo

Donald Trump's lawyers asked to keep cameras out of the courtroom for his arraignment tomorrow.

They want to avoid "a circus-like atmosphere" for Trump, they said.

Trump has called for protests, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plans to host a rally outside the building.

Attorneys for Donald Trump told a New York City judge on Monday  ahead of the indicted former president's arraignment  that they don't want cameras in the courtroom because it will "create a circus-like atmosphere."

Trump's lawyers said in a letter to Acting New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan that he should deny the request by news outlets to allow cameras in the courtroom for Trump's Manhattan arraignment on Tuesday.

"We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," Trump's legal team wrote in the letter, the contents of which were first reported by CNN.

Trump himself has called for mass protests outside his arraignment, saying his prosecution is politically motivated. Longtime Trump ally and GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting a rally in a nearby park on Tuesday morning with a New York-based Republican political group.

The letter from Trump's legal team comes in response to a different letter, filed on Friday by a group of news organizations  including Insider  asking for photographers and videographers to have access to the arraignment.

"Here, the gravity of this proceeding  the unprecedented and historic arraignment of a former U.S. President  and, consequently, the need for the broadest possible public access, cannot be overstated," lawyers for the news organizations wrote.

In New York state courts, the use of cameras during certain court proceedings is normally left up to the judge overseeing the case.

Trump's attorneys said in their Monday letter that Merchan, the presiding judge, to take security concerns into account. The plans for Trump's court appearance depend on complex coordination between the New York Police Department, the court's security officers, and the US Secret Service, along with other law enforcement agencies.

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"As Your Honor is well-aware, this case presents extraordinary security concerns (including Secret Service-related concerns) and we submit that any video or photography of the proceedings will only heighten these serious concerns," Trump's attorneys wrote.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office, which is bringing the case against Trump, said in its own letter Monday that it would let the judge decide whether to allow cameras in the courtroom, according to CNN.

The district attorney pointed out that cameras were permitted during the arraignment of Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer, who was arrested on tax fraud charges in 2021 and found guilty at trial late last year.

In that case, Merchan allowed journalists to take photos for several minutes before the arraignment hearing got underway. Video footage was not permitted in the courtroom itself, but journalists were able to capture footage of Weisselberg being marched to his hearing.

On Monday afternoon, journalists began lining up to get into the courtroom for Trump's arraignment on Tuesday. In another letter, filed to court Monday, lawyers for the news organizations asked Merchan to keep the extraordinary public interest in mind as he decides whether to allow cameras in the courtroom.

"These space limitations are precisely why maximum press presence in the courtroom is necessary and why contemporaneous audio-visual coverage of the proceeding is crucial," the lawyers wrote. "Since the courtroom cannot fit the enormous number of people who are interested in this historic proceeding, it is the press who must serve the function  so essential in a democracy  of being the eyes and ears of the public."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tunisian President Kais Saied appeared in a video posted Monday on his official Facebook page, dismissing "mad" reports over his health following almost two weeks with no public engagements.

The North African country's main opposition coalition had pressed the government earlier to explain Saied's public "absence", saying it had information that he was sick.

"These people deserve nothing but contempt," Saied said in the video, referring to his political rivals.

"The president is absent for two or three days, he gets a cold and that becomes a problem, a power vacuum?"

Saied, 65, had not appeared in public or held any meetings since March 22, according to posts on Facebook -- the presidency's only official channel of communication.

The lack of statements or videos has sparked rumours over the state of Saied's health.

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Najla Bouden, the president said the reports reflected "a level of madness never seen before in Tunisia".

Earlier on Monday, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition told journalists: "We ask the government to address the Tunisian people and say if the president has health problems that have forced him to be absent."

Chebbi said Bouden would run Tunisia in the event of a temporary power vacuum, but that a permanent vacancy would present the country with a "great catastrophe" due to a legislative void.

In his video, Saied accused unnamed people of "trying to create crises" by talking of a power vacuum.

"These people have lost the plot, they're obsessed with power," he said.

Saied, who staged a dramatic power grab in July 2021 and has since ruled by decree, last year rammed through a constitution giving his office unlimited powers and neutering parliament.

Since February, security forces have arrested over 20 public figures, including top members of the opposition.

Those targeted include members of the once-powerful Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party and political activists, as well as lawyers, businessmen and the head of a popular radio station known for giving a platform to criticism of the president.

Saied has publicly alleged they were plotting against the state and labelled them "terrorists".

kl/fka/par/ami
MILWAUKEE (AP)  Brice Turang kept expecting the jitters to come as he played his first major league home game.

They never arrived.

Turang hit a grand slam for his first career homer, capping a seven-run fifth inning as the new-look Milwaukee Brewers opened their home schedule by routing the New York Mets 10-0 on Monday.

It's just another game, Turang said. It's baseball. Like I said, I just try to go up there, compete every pitch and win us a ballgame.

Shut out in their first 16 innings this season, the Brewers have scored 22 runs in their last 20 innings.

Brian Anderson also homered and Freddy Peralta pitched six innings of two-hit ball as the Brewers won their third straight with the first shutout victory in a home opener since beating Atlanta 2-0 in 2014.

Anderson spent his first six seasons with Miami before signing with the Brewers in the offseason. He was one of six hitters in the Brewers' starting lineup Monday who didn't play for the team at the beginning of the 2022 season.

It was awesome, Anderson said. Coming in here in this atmosphere, playing my first home game in Milwaukee was unbelievable. Brice might not have had any jitters, but I definitely did.

The day started poorly for the Mets when Carlos Carrasco received a pitch-clock violation before throwing his first pitch. That set the tone for the rest of an afternoon in which they compiled more clock violations (four) than hits (three). New York has lost 14 of its last 17 games at Milwaukee.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said the clock seemed to be at a different pace than it was during New York's season-opening series in Miami. Showalter acknowledged the Mets didn't adapt well to the change and said he'd be looking at video of each violation to see what went wrong.

Everybody's going through an adjustment period, Showalter said. It's umpires. It's clock operators. It's us. It's the teams we're playing. You'd better figure it out because it's not going away.

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Carrasco allowed a two-out RBI single to Jesse Winker in the third, gave up a two-run homer to Anderson in the fourth  Milwaukee's first home run this season  and left after walking Christian Yelich and Winker starting the fifth.

Carrasco's fastball velocity dropped from an average of 92.1 mph in the first inning to 89.9 mph in the fifth.

The Brewers poured it on from there.

Tommy Hunter replaced Carrasco and promptly allowed an RBI single to Willy Adames before walking Rowdy Tellez. After Winker came home when William Contreras grounded out, Carrasco walked Garrett Mitchell to load the bases.

Anderson singled home Adames, then Turang ripped an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center for a 417-foot blast extending Milwaukees lead to 10-0. Turang pumped his fist as he rounded first and raised his arms aloft as he headed to second.

Turang joined Bill Spiers (1989), Tim Unroe (1997) and Shaun Marcum (2011) as the only Brewers to hit grand slams for their first homers. He did it with his parents watching from the stands.

It's unbelievable, Turang said. They're my biggest supporters. They've always been there for me since I was a little kid. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Peralta said the scene made him emotional and reminded him of his own major-league debut, when he struck out 13 against the Colorado Rockies on Mother's Day with his mom in attendance.

I was about to cry when he hit the homer because it reminded me of my debut, Peralta said. It was crazy.

Peralta walked two of the first three batters he faced before settling down to hold the Mets scoreless. Peralta struck out seven and allowed three walks.

Bryse Wilson worked the final three innings and gave up just one hit to earn his second career save.

METS RELEASE RUF

The Mets released first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf and owet his $3 million salary for 2023 and his $250,000 buyout that was part of a 2024 club option. Any team can sign Ruf for the pro-rated share of the $720,000 minimum.

Ruf, 36, batted. 204 with a .307 on-base percentage, 11 homers and 45 RBIs in a combined 118 games for the Mets and San Francisco Giants last season.

UP NEXT

RHP Max Scherzer (1-0, 4.50 ERA) pitches for the Mets and LHP Wade Miley makes his season debut for the Brewers as this three-game series continues Tuesday night.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Two Idahoans were killed in a plane crash in Oregon near the Snake River on Sunday morning after taking off from Caldwell.

Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash and Lt. Ryan Downing spotted an airplane that appeared to be in distress before it crashed into a hillside in Oxbow at about 9:52 a.m., according to news release from the sheriffs office. The two men called dispatch to request help as they headed to the scene.

Ash and Downing led a ground search, assisted by bystanders and an Idaho Power employee. They found the crash site on a ridge above an Idaho Power complex in Hells Canyon and found no survivors, the news release said.

Police said they learned that the plane was piloted by Terry Richards, 43, and had Caleb Tennant, 24, as a passenger. Both men were Middleton residents.

The pair took off from the Caldwell Executive Airport and were flying to Lewiston, officials said.

The cause of the crash has not been determined.

Idaho Power allowed law enforcement to use its Oxbow office as a command center during the investigation.

We also sent a crew over there to monitor any fire activity just to make sure nothing flared up and posed any danger, and determine if we would need to maybe shut down any electrical equipment, Brad Bowlin, Idaho Power spokesperson, told the Idaho Statesman.

Bowlin said the wet conditions of the remote area meant there ended up being no fire danger.

We certainly feel for the families of those two guys, Bowlin said. Its a terrible, terrible way to lose somebody.

The Baker County Sheriffs Office was assisted by Pine Valley Rural Fire District, Halfway Ambulance, Baker Aircraft, Ada County Sheriffs Office, Baker County Search and Rescue, and the National Transportation Safety Board.

On behalf of the Baker County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Ash would like to extend his sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Richards and Mr. Tennant, the sheriffs office posted on Facebook.

The Baker County Sheriffs Office did not immediately return the Statesmans request for comment.
When Donald Trump went to a party in Hollywood to celebrate his new vodka brand in 2007, he allegedly had two dates. Neither one was his wife.

Nearly a decade later, when those same two women tried to sell their stories to tabloids shortly before his election, his team helped arrange two six-figure payments to buy and bury their stories.

The payments were actually illegal campaign donations, according to a Department of Justice case that had nothing to do with the alleged affairs and mirrors the charges that legal observers are expecting to come out of the New York grand jury.

The two women, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, are part of a series of professional women to take strikes at Trumps altar of power. Their stories may have dealt the harshest blow yet, the first sign that Trump could fall from grace in the post-#MeToo era similarly to Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose and Bill OReilly.

Over the years, several women sought to keep Trump out of the White House in the first place for accusations of sexual assault and harassment, or used their platforms to hold him accountable for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. The men closest to Trump have often stood by his side as his biggest defenders, helping him weather the storm.

Meanwhile, women who have taken him on have faced sexist attacks on their reputations. In the cases of Daniels and McDougal, salacious details of the affairs have filled full segments on late-night television shows, while news stories focus on their work histories with adult films and nude magazines instead of accounting and finance.

Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, poses and signs autographs at an adult entertainment store in California in 2018.

The truth or falsity, the affair, and the sexual relationship, really is completely beside the point for the purposes of the DA meeting their burden of proof, said Danya Perry, a criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York.

Lorraine Bayard de Volo, a professor of women and gender studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said she often thinks to herself, Oh, another woman when she sees someone speak out against Trump. She also notices they present themselves in a very grounded way.

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Maybe its a moral grounding that they know that they are in the right and they feel compelled to do what they already know is the right thing, Bayard de Volo said. So regardless of the political costs that they incur, theyre not ready to kind of sit with themselves if they dont do the right thing.

Trump indicted: How did Michael Cohen arrange hush payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal?

Opinion: How strong is the case against Donald Trump? Here's why Alvin Bragg better get it right.

Jessica Leeds, Jessica Drake, and Miss Teen USA contestants took on Trump

The moment for women to line up and accuse then-candidate Trump of sexual assault and harassment came about a year before the formal #MeToo movement started, amid a leaked "Access Hollywood" tape.

Trump bragged on the tape about how he aggressively pursued women for sex, including grabbing their genitals without their consent, prompting women to share stories detailing that pattern of behavior. He and his team responded with a combination of denials and attacks on the women.

Donald Trump, right, debates Hillary Clinton in St. Louis two days after the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

After Jessica Leeds told The New York Times that month that Trump groped her on a plane in the 1980s, he implied at a rally that she was not attractive enough for him to pursue. Believe me, she would not be my first choice, he said, and referred to her as that horrible woman.

After Jessica Drake accused Trump of grabbing her and a group of women with her and then kissing each of them without asking permission, Trump emphasized on a radio show that she was a porn star, quipping, Oh, Im sure shes never been grabbed before.

After Miss Teen USA contestants Mariah Billado and Victoria Hughes said Trump walked in on them while they were changing during the 1997 pageant, his campaign denied the allegations. But Trump had a decade earlier told Howard Stern on his radio show how he could go places other men couldnt because he owned the pageant, prompting Stern to say, Youre like a doctor.

Karen McDougal seen in 2010 in Florida.

Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels entered the scene during the 2016 campaign

McDougal, often referred to in newspapers only as a former Playboy model, had been trying to sell the story of her 2006 to 2007 affair to a tabloid since June 2016, according to court filings. By that August, the tabloid, at the behest of Cohen, paid $150,000 for the rights to her story. Cohen entered an agreement to reimburse $125,000 of that, but the tabloids chairman called off the deal.

The Wall Street Journal published a story on the affair, which she has described as consensual, four days before the 2016 election about how the National Enquirer shielded Trump from news of the affair with McDougal. She talked about the fear she dealt with in discussing the affair in 2018.

At this point I feel I cant talk about anything without getting into trouble, because I dont know what Im allowed to talk about, she told the New Yorker, speaking about a contract she signed to keep quiet. Im afraid to even mention his name.

Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, almost joined the pre-election chorus. Although she has not alleged a lack of consent in the affair from 2006 to 2007, she did attempt to sell her story in October 2016 to a tabloid, only to have Trump lawyer Michael Cohen jump in to buy her silence for $130,000, according to the Department of Justice.

She dealt with extensive sexual harassment after going public with the details of the affair and payment in 2018. In her book, Full Disclosure, she wrote, I sometimes think my job in porn prepared me for all this, because you can call me any name in the book and Ive heard it from some other judgy loser.

Michael Cohen took the heat while Donald Trump weathered the storm

Cohen would plead guilty to federal charges partially related to the scheme  illegal campaign donations, lying to a bank to get a loan to fund the payments, and illegally setting up a company to move the money around, among other things.

Federal law at the time limited campaign contributions from individual people to $2,700 per election and prohibits corporations from directly funding campaigns. (They need to set up political action committees.) But according to the Justice Department, Cohen's company reimbursed him for the payment to Daniels, and Cohen planned to reimburse the tabloid for the payment to McDougal.

Although Cohen would spend nearly three years in prison, Trumps career survived in the short term: He won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton; she would have been the country's first female head of state. When the Justice Department investigated his own role in the case, while he was president, prosecutors chose not to bring charges.

Women led the Republican backlash to Trumps role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack

Women lined up against Trump again in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The evidence has been shared with the Justice Department, which has appointed a special counsel to decide if charges are warranted, but no charges have been brought. Once again, women have faced reputational attacks.

The first Cabinet-level member of the Trump administration to announce her departure was Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. She said the event deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside. Trump now targets her with racist monikers like Coco Chow.

Elaine Chao, who ran the U.S. Department of Transportation under Donald Trump, is seen in 2020 in Maryland.

More: Trump's racist comment on Elaine Chao draws criticism from the right

At lightning speed, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., back in power after a 2018 deluge of women running for office, led her members to impeach Trump, accusing him of inciting the attack. Despite the effort, Trump weathered the storm again. He was not convicted in what was the second impeachment of Trump she brought while he was president. In November, he called Pelosi an animal at an Ohio rally, decrying, She impeached me twice for nothing!

Former congresswoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., went further than other lawmakers who broke with the Republican Party after the attack when she took a position as vice chair of the committee investigating the riot. She said her most important responsibility was to keep Trump away from the White House, even if she lost reelection. (She did.)

Liz Cheney has daddy issues, Trump ally Rudy Giuliani wrote during one of the committee hearings. The other members should resign in protest.

Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., seen in 2022 in Washington, D.C.

Trump team told witness Cassidy Hutchinson: 'You were a secretary'

The committees bombshell witness was Cassidy Hutchinson, a 25-year-old former White House aide who worked under chief of staff Mark Meadows. While Meadows was one of several men close to Trump fighting subpoenas to appear before the committee, Hutchinson fired her Trump-funded lawyer and hired her own before giving live testimony in front of television cameras.

Stefan Passantino, Hutchinsons Trump-funded lawyer, had told her she didnt know much about the events surrounding Jan. 6, according to a transcript of her deposition. The reasoning? You were a secretary, Hutchinson said Passantino told her. You had an administrative role. Everyones on the same page about this.

Trump wrote on his Truth Social page, I hardly know who this person, Cassidy Hutchinson, is, other than I heard very negative things about her (a total phony and leaker). He said he had rejected her from coming to Florida after the administration was over and called her bad news.

Cassidy Hutchinson, who worked for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, is seen in 2022.

Cheney took on the gender dynamics facing Hutchinson when she told ABC News, The committee is not going to stand by and watch her character be assassinated by anonymous sources and by men who are claiming executive privilege.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump aide who has spoken out on cable news channels since leaving the administration, wrote on Twitter in support of Hutchinson: Women who speak out against Trump will be smeared, defamed, threatened, & harassed in a way men never will.

Alyssa Farah, former White House director of strategic communications, is seen in 2020 in Washington, D.C.

Trump now faces accountability related to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal

The Manhattan grand jurys indictment is the most tangible accountability Trump has faced related to his relationships with women, even if the charges experts have been expecting will be related to finance and accounting.

Perhaps Trumps luck ran out because of the fortitude of Daniels and McDougal, whose work experience exposed them to sexism in a way even politics doesnt. Or maybe the issue got an assist when two men  Manhattans top prosecutor Alvin Bragg and lawyer Cohen, who testified in front of the New York grand jury  decided they wouldnt back down from the fight.

Perry, the former prosecutor, said Trump will face an uphill battle in fighting what she expects to be charges related to business fraud. Theres really no question that these payments were mischaracterized in the books. I dont even think you have to believe Michael Cohen for this. This was not a retainer for Michael Cohens services, and that seems pretty cut and dry.

Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, seen in 2018 in New York.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is seen in March.

Daniels and McDougal still face reputational attacks.

The first time it was like golddigger, slut, whore, whatever, Daniels told the Times of London on Friday about the vitriol she faced from the public after her payment was made public in 2018. And this time its like, Im going to murder you.

In the interview, Daniels said she was frightened for her safety.

And those are just the direct attacks.

Juliet Williams, the chair of the social science interdisciplinary program at UCLA, said shes seeing the term porn star appear in every major media outlet describing the case against Daniels. Its absolutely atrocious and is something that needs to be reckoned with  why that terminology is even considered appropriate. Who cares what her profession is?

Bayard de Volo said: You wouldnt see in the title, Debbie Smith, insurance company middle manager, or Stephanie Clifford, director of sales at Denver window company. Its only mentioned because thats more interesting than just saying her name.

Changing the narrative around Stormy Daniels?

Williams criticized this whole notion that whats scandalous here is that he had an extramarital affair with a large-breasted woman as opposed to the effort to manipulate the election outcome, adding, there are other narratives that are available to us in the 21st century.

Daniels offered one in her 2018 book, in which she wrote about how women come to her shows at gentlemens clubs with anger toward Trump who seems to be a stand-in for any man whos ever bullied them and how she built relationships with people in the gay community based on a mutual interest in standing up to bullies.

I started stripping in high school and still graduated with honors as the editor of the school paper, she wrote. I won the respect of a male-dominated industry as a screenwriter and director. And despite everything I did to stay out of it, I ended up in the middle of one of the biggest political scandals in American history.

Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels, seen in 2018 in New York.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Years after #MeToo, Daniels and McDougal strike at Trump's power
Two workers died Monday after becoming trapped in a trench at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Fox News Digital has learned.

The incident happened near the busy airports Terminal 7, according to the New York City Fire Department.

"Due to ongoing emergency activity, please expect roadway delays in vicinity of Terminals 5 and 7 at JFK Airport," the airport said in a tweet.

The incident happened Monday near JFK International Airport's Terminal 7.

Real-time traffic data from Google showed an access road closed off and heavy traffic along roads leading to nearby Terminal 5.

The fire department told Fox News Digital that units were asked to remove two workers from a trench, both of whom were declared dead at the scene.

"Due to heavy traffic at Terminal 5, departing passengers are recommended access Terminal 5 via free AirTrain from Lefferts Blvd or Federal Circle Stations," the airport later tweeted.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital has reached out to the New York City Police Department and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey  the airport's operator  for further comment.

The incident has not appeared to have impacted flights at the airport.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Fox News' Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.
Federal clean energy tax credits are accelerating a nationwide wave of coal plant closures, as those facilities can no longer economically compete.

Thats driving a wave of state-level legislation and national rhetoric from the GOP aimed at keeping coal plants online.

But cost concerns  as much as those around climate  mean that the carbon-intensive fuel is entering a period of long decline in the United States, according to the report by the nonpartisan Institute for Energy Economics and Finance Analysis (IEEFA).

Americans can expect an ongoing and deep restructuring of the U.S. coal industry as demand for the fuel continues to drop quickly, IEEFA found.

Coal use by U.S. power plants in 2023 is likely to be just half of what it was a decade ago.

The report, issued Monday, found that 173 coal plants are set to close by 2030  54 percent of the current fleet  and another 54 by 2040.

Those findings echo ones offered last week by the U.S. Energy Information Agency, which noted that 2022 was the first year that renewable power generation exceeded that from coal, as The Hill reported.

Last week Utah-based utility Rocky Mountain Power announced it would shutter its last two coal plants by 2032, joining a growing list of derelict coal plants around the country.

Last year, for example, the W.H. Zimmer coal plant in Moscow, Ohio, closed because the Texas-based company that owned it could no longer compete on price, and Duke Energy announced it would close all its coal plants by 2035.

Local residents are also concerned about the planned closure of an East Texas coal plant  because its Ohio-based owners cant justify the costs, according to Texas-based ABC-affiliate KLTV.

That matches campaign remarks made by President Biden last November, when he said, Were going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar power.

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[It is] cheaper to generate electricity from wind and solar than it is from coal and oil. Literally cheaper. Not a joke, Biden added.

If anything, he understated the case. Last summer, the Democrats passed a flat 30 percent federal clean energy tax credit, which replaced a tangle of continually expiring ad hoc tax credits.

With that discount now available for any new wind or solar installation  and increased regulatory scrutiny of pollution and climate impacts from coal  the economics of coal increasingly dont make sense, a series of recent reports by IEEFA and others have found.

The closures have spawned a Republican statehouse backlash across the Midwest reminiscent of Obama-era talk about the War on Coal.

In Indiana, for example, a state Senate bill would require power utilities to seek approval from the state oversight commission to close coal plants  and allow the commission to deny it, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Those concerns are generally framed around the reliability of competing renewables, which the GOP often argues are more likely to go offline.

To close early just to be  maybe more carbon friendly when your plant has another five or 10 years  thats probably what Im trying to get at until we have better battery storage, Indiana state senator Jean Leising (R) told the Capital Chronicle.

Similarly, the Texas GOP has blamed the states growing renewable energy sectors for disruptive blackouts in 2021 and 2023.

There is evidence that these concerns are obsolete: in both Texas and Germany, grid reliability has increased  and outages have decreased  in lockstep with the rise in renewables, according to Yale Environment 360.

With the federal tax credit, just one coal-fired power plant in the entire U.S. costs less to operate than it would to build new wind or solar, according to a January report by the think tank Energy Innovation. That plant is Dry Fork Station near Gillette, Wyo., a new coal plant that is both unusually energy efficient and right next to major coal fields.

Even with these, Dry Fork is barely scraping by, Michelle Solomon of Energy Innovation told Wyoming-based news outlet Buckrail.

That doesnt mean that the plants are unprofitable for their owners. Often, they continue to make money through regulatory carve-outs, rates guaranteed by the legislature or by simply passing the added costs on to customers, Buckram noted.

While coal is expensive and the dirtiest fuel in terms of air quality and climate damage, there are economic viability reasons to be concerned about the closure.

Moscow, Ohio, where the plant closed last year, may cease to formally exist in May, in part because of the crash in tax revenues caused by losing its largest employer are driving calls to merge with nearby municipalities, according to Ohio-based ABC affiliate WCPO.

The village has been here for over 200 years; theres a lot of history here, Moscow Mayor Tim Suter told WCPO. Theres a lot of people upset. It would be very sad.

The 173 coming coal plant closures will bring similar local-scale disruption to communities across 33 states, according to IEEFA.

Such disruption is one reason global groups like the United Nations and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have long argued that any just transition off fossil fuels must also offer public investment and new, well-paying jobs for the communities that produce them.

That transition must respect the contribution that workers in fossil fuel industries have made to todays prosperity, a 2017 OECD report found.

If the rising gains from the clean energy boom are shared, these communities will benefit too, Simon Stiell, director of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, told energy leaders in Oslo in February.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Leaders in Washington are debating the right to free speech on college campuses, and the role higher education institutions are playing in protecting or infringing on that right.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle argue free speech is being jeopardized at school and college campuses, but they disagree over the cause and how to fix it.

READ: Disney-DeSantis feud heats up at annual shareholders meeting

Republicans argue colleges are stifling conservative viewpoints by limiting guest speakers. Meanwhile, Democrats point to Republican-led states passing laws that restrict what can be taught in the classroom.

The GOP points to schools shutting down conservative guests. At Stanford University last month, protesting students stopped an appeals court judge from being able to speak by shouting over him. A school administrator allegedly supported the students in their protest.

Stanford University student Josiah Joner testified before a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing about that event, arguing that colleges should encourage diverse thoughts from different speakers.

READ: Artemis II mission: NASA names 4 astronauts to fly by moon

The incident demonstrates a disturbing trend in colleges. Joner testified. The hiring of administrators who are not committed to principles of free speech, or even the universitys own policies regarding free speech.

However, Democrats on the committee say new GOP laws on what can be taught in classrooms are the real threats to free speech.

For example, they point to laws passed in Florida, Mississippi and South Dakota that restrict how teachers can talk about racial justice.

READ: DeSantis signs bill to carry concealed guns without a permit in Florida

Republican politicians are weaponizing the first amendment to turn the clock back on our higher education system, defend only conservative speech, and undermine support for students most in need, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) said.

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Lawmakers also discussed calls to better protect college faculty members who say they have faced harassment and threats over their views on controversial speakers on campuses.

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.




The island nation of Vanuatu is estimated to contain about 83 islands. The U.S. announced it will open an embassy on the island country of Vanuatu on Friday. | Matthew Cornish

The U.S. will be opening an embassy in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific. Experts believe the move by the Biden administration comes as a means to blunt Chinas increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific, The Associated Press reported.

Consistent with the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the U.S. government to deepen relationships with Vanuatu officials and society, the State Department said in a statement.

The embassy located on Port Vila marks the fifth diplomatic mission of the U.S. in the South Pacific region to be opened or announced in the past three years, per the AP.

Vanuatu and calls to address climate change

Vanuatu has a population of 319,000 people across 80 different islands, according to Reuters.

The United States currently maintains diplomatic relations with the Government of Vanuatu but does not have an embassy in Vanuatu, according to the State Departments statement.

Related

Last year, Vanuatu was hit hard by storms that forced residents to move dozens of villages to higher ground, and the island nation has been notably outspoken on demanding greater effort by other countries to cut climate-wrecking pollution from burning coal, oil and natural gas, per the AP.

Where else in the South Pacific is the U.S. opening embassies?

Earlier this year, the U.S. reopened an embassy in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific after a 30-year absence, per Reuters.

It has also made announcements about opening embassies in Kiribati and Tonga in the South Pacific region, Voice of America reported.

The Maldives is the next country where the U.S. will be opening an embassy soon, per the AP.

Related
By Joice Alves

LONDON (Reuters) - Credit Suisse and UBS shares fell on Monday after Switzerland's federal prosecutor opened an investigation into the emergency merger of the two lenders.

The office of the attorney general said on Sunday that the prosecutor opened an investigation into the state-backed takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS Group last month, looking into potential breaches of the country's criminal law by government officials, regulators and executives at the two banks.

UBS and Credit Suisse were each set for their biggest daily decline in 10 days, falling around 4% in early trading before paring losses to stay down 2% and 1.8%, respectively at 1410 GMT. They underperformed the European banking index, which was up 1.2% on the day.

The banks declined to comment on the investigation.

The UBS takeover of rival Credit Suisse was engineered by Swiss authorities in a bid to rein in turmoil in global banking.

But the Swiss public and politicians have voiced concerns about the level of state support offered in the deal, with nearly 260 billion Swiss francs in liquidity and guarantees offered by the government and Swiss National Bank (SNB).

"The government underestimated how much antipathy the public in Switzerland have against the deal," said Michael Field, Europe Market Strategist at Morningstar.

"Comments in the media this morning about 30% of workforce being cut dont help either," he added.

Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger reported on Sunday, citing an unnamed senior UBS manager that the bank created by takeover of Credit Suisse is poised to reduce its workforce by 20-30%. The two banks combined have 120,000 staff worldwide and $1.6 trillion in assets.

Separately, data showed on Monday that sight deposits held by the SNB declined last week, suggesting that Credit Suisse and UBS may have cut back on use of emergency funds offered them.

The SNB, Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment on the changes in sight deposits.

(Reporting by Joice Alves, Editing by Louise Heavens and Deepa Babington)
The UK government is in negotiations over three Britons held by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the home secretary says.

So-called danger tourist Miles Routledge and charity medic Kevin Cornwell are among the three believed to have been held by Taliban secret police since January in separate incidents.

Anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution, Suella Braverman said this morning (Sunday).

If there are risks to peoples safety if theyre a British citizen abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that theyre safe.

The government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure peoples safety is upheld.

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WARSAW, Poland  Ukraine will acquire 100 eight-wheel-drive Rosomak armored modular vehicles from Poland for its armed forces, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced during a visit to the Polish plant that makes the vehicles.

The Ukrainian Army will buy from us 100 units of the Rosomak, which is produced in Siemianowice Slaskie. Rosomaks are top-shelf combat vehicles, Morawiecki said in a Facebook post on April 1.

Ukraine will pay for the vehicles with the use of the funds it has obtained from the European Union and the United States, according to the prime minister. Poland has been calling on its Western partners to further increase the funding to support Ukraines combat against the Russian invasion, Morawiecki said.

The value of the order was not disclosed by the politician.

The factory in Siemianowice Slaskie is operated by local company Rosomak S.A., a subsidiary of Polands state-run defense giant PGZ. The group produces the Rosomak under a license from Finlands Patria. Since 2004, about 900 vehicles in different variants have rolled out of the Polish plant.

In its combat version, the Rosomak can accommodate a crew of three, plus eight troops. The vehicle has a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62 mph), according to data from PGZ.
A wounded man with his arm in tourniquets groans with pain on an examination table as the anaesthetist reassures him: "That means the arm is alive."

Andriy, a Ukrainian serviceman, was injured Saturday morning near the frontline of Bakhmut, the scene of the heaviest fighting since Russia invaded last year.

He had been transported by army paramedics in an armoured personnel carrier to a point from which he was then taken to a medical stabilisation point in the Donetsk region in an ambulance.

En route, the medics stopped the bleeding caused by shrapnel from a mortar that ripped through Andriy's shoulder.

A team from the Da Vinci Battalion's "Ulf" (Wolves) medical unit then took over treatment inside the armoured vehicle.

Andriy grimaces as they get him on to a stretcher and into their ambulance for the drive to the stabilisation point.

Melted snow has turned the roads into muddy quagmires.

"The difficulty is this weather, because we can't drive fast," says the Ulf unit's 30-year-old surgeon, also named Andriy.

At the stabilisation point, basically a small clinic, medics lift the injured soldier onto a table in a foil blanket.

The anaesthetist, Oleg, talks reassuringly with him, since there is no equipment here for a general anaesthesia to make him unconscious.

- Tourniquet risks -

"Andriy, how are you feeling?" Oleg asks.

"I've had better days," Andriy replies, before retching and vomiting.

"It's a reaction to an antibiotic," Oleg says. "We're doing all we can so you get well."

The nurse, Liana, 25, wipes his face, asking, "Is it painful, very painful?"

Andriy has an open fracture on his shoulder and has lost "maybe 1.5 litres of blood", Oleg says.

Medics try to remove the tourniquets but fear he is still bleeding, and decide to leave them in place for the journey to a hospital in Kramatorsk, a city about 25 kilometres (15 miles) away.

Tourniquets are life-savers but leaving them on too long can cause the injured limb to die.

The Ulf surgeon Andriy says the main thing is for the patient to stay alive.

Story continues

Keeping a tourniquet on for three hours is "long", he acknowledges, but he is optimistic that the soldier's arm will be saved.

"We had a case where the guy had four hours (with a tourniquet) and the hand is now working," he says.

"Everything went very successfully," adds Liana.

- 'Non-stop' -

As the medical team debriefs outside, a call comes in -- another patient to collect.

This time, a dark-haired 18-year-old arrives in an armoured personnel carrier camouflaged with branches.

He is pale but walking: he has a concussion, which is treated with medicine and rest.

The medical team immediately recognises him: two weeks ago, he also suffered a concussion when the car he was travelling in flipped over.

These two patients take the day's total at the stabilisation point to seven.

"It's simply non-stop," says Andriy, though he is happy with the treatment of the seriously injured man.

"This is why our unit is good: all steps working perfectly, even in this weather."

Lyubomir, a medical assistant who helped bring the soldier Andriy in from the front line, says Russians "often shell us".

Brain injuries due to pressure changes caused by explosions are among the most common risks for Ukrainian soldiers in this war, Oleg notes, along with damage to arms and legs.

"We work 20 hours (a day), seven days, without rest," says the anaesthetist, who has worked at the stabilisation point since last summer.

"It's difficult work."

am/dt/giv/mca
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine said on Monday that Russian forces were "very far" from capturing the eastern town of Bakhmut and that fighting raged on around the administration building where the Wagner mercenary group claimed to have raised the Russian flag.

A spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command told Reuters that it was unclear where Russian forces had raised their flag and that they had falsely claimed to have captured the city.

"They raised the flag over some kind of toilet. They attached it to the side of who knows what, hung their rag and said they had captured the city. Well good, let them think they've taken it," the official, Serhiy Cherevatyi, said by telephone.

Bakhmut has been the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war, now in its second year, with huge casualties on both sides and much of the eastern city destroyed by bombardments.

The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said late on Sunday that his forces had raised the Russian flag over the administration building.

Prigozhin said that from a "legal" point of view, Bakhmut had been captured by Russia, an idea vehemently denied by Cherevatyi.

"There are battles around the building of (Bakhmut's) city council, they haven't captured anything in a legal sense," said Cherevatiy.

"Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that to put it mildly," he said.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Gareth Jones)
Key developments on April 3:

Ukraine denies Russian claims about seizing Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast

Poland delivers first MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

Zelensky on upcoming counteroffensive: Russians still have time to leave  otherwise, we will destroy them

Zelensky, European officials meet with Russian occupation survivors in Chernihiv Oblast

General Staff: Ukrainian military repels 45 Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine denied Russias recent claims of legally capturing Bakhmut, an embattled city in Donetsk Oblast, on April 2.

Ukrainian officials comments came after Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian state-backed private paramilitary company Wagner Group, said that his mercenaries had raised the Russian flag on the Bakhmut city hall.

Prigozhin said on April 2 that Bakhmut had been legally taken and the Ukrainian forces were concentrated in the western area of the city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff Andriy Yermak urged to calmly react to fakes inventing a victory, which does not exist in reality, adding that Bakhmut is Ukraine.

The enemy is weakening and trying to cover up its failures with new fakes about the capture of Bakhmut, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraines Land Forces chief, wrote in a Telegram post after visiting the Bakhmut sector on April 3.

Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said on April 3 that fighting raged around the government building in Bakhmut, contrary to Prigozhins claim about capturing it.

They raised the flag over some kind of toilet Let them think they've taken it, Cherevatyi told Reuters.

The General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces said in its evening update on April 3 that Bakhmut, alongside Avdiivka, Marinka, and their outskirts remain the epicenter of the ongoing fighting.

The Ukrainian military successfully repelled over 45 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on April 3, the General Staff said.

Russia has been trying to capture Bakhmut for over eight months, stepping up its efforts in the fall. Standing in ruins, the city is now nearly emptied of its pre-war population of 70,000 people.

Story continues

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 1  Why does Ukraine keep up costly defense of Bakhmut? This Week in Ukraine is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independents reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraines most pressing issues. Episode #1 is dedicated to Ukraines military strategy in Bakhmut, an embattled city in Donet Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

Zelensky, EU officials visit Chernihiv Oblast

On April 3, Zelensky alongside Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Council of Europe secretary general, and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck met with survivors of the Russian occupation in the village of Yahidne in northern Chernihiv Oblast.

Yahidne was under occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion until Russian forces withdrew from the area at the end of March 2022.

All three officials visited a school in Yahidne, where Russian troops kept almost the entire village population, 367 locals, including 50 children, in a small basement for 27 days. In total, 11 people died in this cellar, which was turned into a torture chamber. Locals recorded their names and dates of death on the basement walls.

Your testimony has allowed the world to learn about the tragedy that the Russian Federation, its military, and leadership, including the president, have brought to our land, Zelensky said when addressing the survivors.

Ukraine has been coordinating with EU officials to establish an international tribunal for Russian war crimes.

I can only add one more thing: having seen all of this, I can wish for the Russian president to spend the rest of his days in a basement with only a bucket for a toilet, Zelensky said at the school entrance in Yahinde.

Civilian forced to dig trenches for Russians: I wanted to jump on a mine and end it Editors Note: People interviewed for this story are not identified by their full names to protect their identities since they or their relatives still remain in Russian-occupied towns in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The native city of released prisoner Bohdan, which is still under Russian occupation, is al Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

Counteroffensive

Speaking of Ukraine's upcoming counteroffensive, Zelensky said on April 3 that Russian troops still have time to leave  otherwise we will destroy them. He said he could not get into specifics about the operation Ukraine was preparing.

Talks about Ukraines counteroffensive have been going on for months.

On March 25, Zelensky said Ukraine pushed back its spring counteroffensive due to a lack of weapons, including heavy military hardware and fighter jets.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the Estonian channel ERR on March 29 that Ukraine will likely launch its counteroffensive, planned in several areas, in April or May.

Season of offensives: What to expect from the spring campaign in Ukraine On the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, with the first days of March came the all-consuming mud. Videos of trucks and armored vehicles bogged down in fields heralded the arrival of a time traditionally known in Ukrainian as bezdorizhzhia, or roadlessness. Though the mud may present a brief challe Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell

Poland provides fighter jets to Ukraine

Poland has joined Slovakia in providing Ukraine with Soviet-built fighter jets.

Polish presidents foreign affairs adviser Marcin Przydacz said on April 3 that Poland had delivered the first batch of Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

According to my information, this process has already been completed, i.e., the transfer of this first part. Of course, there will be talks about possible further support, Przydacz told local radio station RMF 24.

Ukraine's Air Force confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Slovak-provided MiG-29 were already in Ukraine. With the Polish-provided MiG-29, the transferring process is underway, Yuri Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force, said.

These fighter jets are the first steps the West is taking to provide combat aircraft. We hope that there will be a second step, a third step, and so on, Ihnat told the Kyiv Independent on April 3.

Either Przydacz or Ihnat has not specified how many jets were supposed to be delivered from Poland.

Ukraine received the first four of the 13 MiG-29 jets from Slovakia on March 23, according to Slovakia's Defense Ministry.

Ukrainian authorities have called on allies to provide modern fighter jets to defend Ukraines airspace and more effectively counterattack the Russian troops on the battlefield.

So far, no country has pledged to send Western-built fighter jets, though several partners of Ukraine, such as the U.K., have not ruled out such a move.

On the battlefield

The General Staff reported in its update on April 3 that Russian troops had continued to focus their main efforts on offensives in the eastern Donetsk Oblast.

Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka's sectors remain Russia's top assault priorities.

Over the past 24 hours, Ukraine's military repelled more than 45 Russian attacks in these sectors and six times hit areas where Russian troops and means were concentrated in, the General Staff said.

Russian forces also shelled settlements in Sumy, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, while building up its defense capabilities in Ukraines southern regions, according to the report.

The military also said Russia is keeping its units close to the border in Russias Kursk and Belgorod regions.
Chinese defense minister meets Bangladesh Navy chief

Xinhua) 10:20, April 03, 2023

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu met with Bangladesh Chief of Naval Staff Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal in Beijing on Saturday.

Noting that China and Bangladesh are friendly neighbors, Li said China appreciates Bangladesh's firm support on issues concerning China's core interests.

China stands ready to expand new exchange areas and create new cooperation highlights with Bangladesh to make greater contributions to safeguarding the common interests of the two countries as well as global and regional security, Li said.

Shaheen said Bangladesh is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields, and jointly push bilateral military relations to a new height.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (1st R) talks with Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black (2nd L) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

BELFAST, Britain, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Officials and academics from Northern Ireland have expressed their willingness to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China during their meetings earlier this week with Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang.

The head of Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady said that Northern Ireland has long-standing friendly exchanges with China and attaches great importance to developing relations with China.

Northern Ireland enjoys strong technological advantages in fields such as green economy, financial services, and food safety, and has the geographical advantage as a bridge connecting the two major markets of the European Union and the UK, Brady added.

She welcomed Chinese companies to invest in Northern Ireland and expressed hope that hydrogen-powered buses, whiskey, and other products from Northern Ireland would enter the Chinese market.

Northern Ireland, Brady added, would also like to further expand exchanges and cooperation with China in education, culture, tourism, etc.

Zheng said that in recent years, China and Northern Ireland have carried out fruitful cooperation in business and trade, education, culture and other fields, bringing tangible benefits to both sides, and that cooperation in new energy innovations have great potential.

China, the ambassador said, welcomes more high-quality products from Northern Ireland to enter the Chinese market and more people to go to China.

He said that China also supports cities and institutions of the two sides to strengthen partnerships, encourages more two-way personnel exchanges, to boost practical cooperation and bring more benefits to the peoples.

In a separate meeting with Zheng, Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black said that in 2016, Belfast became a sister city of Shenyang in northeast China, and since then the two sides had made positive progress in mutually beneficial cooperation in business, trade, education, and culture.

Belfast is eager to promote cooperation between the two sides, and welcome more Chinese investors, students and tourists, Black added.

Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, said that his university attaches great importance to exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities and welcomes more Chinese students to study there.

The university values China's strength in research and huge potential of development and would like to further deepen cooperation with Chinese scientific research institutions, Greer added.

In his meeting with Zheng, Paul Bartholomew, vice-chancellor at Ulster University, said his university cherishes its cooperation with China and has established partnerships with many Chinese universities.

Ulster University, he added, looks forward to further strengthen the cooperation, and welcomes more Chinese students to study there.

Ulster University will continue to run the Confucius Institute and play an active role in promoting educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between Northern Ireland and China, he noted. 

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (R) meets with Paul Bartholomew (1st L), vice-chancellor at Ulster University, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (C), Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black (3rd R), and other guests sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" hand in hand in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (L) meets with Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

A child talks about his feeling of learning Chinese at Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (2nd L) and Paul Bartholomew (1st L), vice-chancellor at Ulster University, listen as the Ulster University Choir performs the Chinese song "I Love You, China," on campus in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (L) meets with Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) -Kyiv scorned Russian claims to have captured eastern Bakhmut on Monday, saying its foes had raised a victory flag over "some kind of toilet" and that Ukrainian forces had repelled nearly 20 attacks along the city's front line in the last 24 hours.

The battle for the mining city and logistics hub of Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, now in its second year, with many casualties on both sides and the city largely destroyed by bombardments.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary force spearheading the siege, said on Sunday his troops had raised a Russian flag on the city-centre administrative building even though Ukrainian soldiers still held some western positions.

"From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken," said Prigozhin, who has previously made premature claims.

But Ukraine's military said fighting was still raging around the city council building, as well as in other nearby towns.

"Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Reuters.

"They raised the flag over some kind of toilet. They attached it to the side of who knows what, hung their rag and said they had captured the city. Well good, let them think they've taken it," Cherevatyi added by telephone.

The Ukrainian armed forces General Staff said in an evening statement 45 enemy attacks had been repelled in total in the last 24 hours, with Bakhmut at the "epicentre of operations" along with the cities of Avdiivka and Maryinka further south.

"The enemy is attempting to take under full control the city of Bakhmut," it said on Facebook. "Ukrainian forces repelled nearly 20 enemy attacks along the front line."

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, told reporters in Washington that Ukraine was still fighting hard for Bakhmut, describing the battles as "quite, quite violent and quite close".

Story continues

"Even if the Russians do get it, it isn't going to change the battlefield dynamics from a strategic perspective," he said.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

FINLAND TO JOIN NATO

Lying on the edge of a chunk of Donetsk province under Russian control, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000 before Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian forces, bogged down in a war of attrition after a series of setbacks, are seeking a victory from their winter offensive but have suffered huge casualties around Bakhmut.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive - backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardware - is not far off but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses in the meantime.

Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, will join NATO on Tuesday, marking the completion of a swift journey into the Western military alliance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, officials said.

In response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Russia would strengthen military capacity in its western and northwestern regions, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

"In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security," he told RIA.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

DEATH OF BLOGGER

Moscow's ambassador to Minsk said on Sunday that Russia would move nuclear weapons close to its western border with Belarus - a move that would place them at NATO's threshold.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Moscow on Wednesday, a Russian envoy said.

Grossi would meet with a Russian delegation and discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, located in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine, near the front line of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special military operation", claiming Kyiv's ties to the West posed a security threat. Kyiv and the West call the war an unprovoked assault to subdue an independent country.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed. Russia has destroyed Ukrainian cities and forced millions of people to flee their homes, and it claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine.

In Moscow, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of organising the murder of a prominent war blogger on Sunday in a St Petersburg cafe and arrested a Russian woman shown in a police video admitting planting the bomb.

Ukraine blamed "domestic terrorism".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday paid tribute to nearly 400 residents of the village of Yahidne in north Ukraine who were held in a school basement under Russian occupation for 27 days before they were set free a year ago.

Asked about a Ukrainian counteroffensive, he said: "We will do it, and they have to know that we will do it, and they have time to go away, or we will kill them."

(Additional reporting by Nick Starkov, Ron Popeski, Lidia Kelly, Mark Trevelyan and Felix Light; Writing by Angus MacSwan and Nick Macfie; Editing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Cawthorne)
Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology  Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov

"There are no such talks now," the minister assured.

We are closely monitoring what is happening in other countries. But there are no such talks and no concrete actions in this direction yet.

TikTok has recently been in the spotlight in many countries. Czechia and the United Kingdom have banned the use of this social network on work phones used by officials.

Read also: TikTok continues shadow-promoting content in Russia, research shows

In the United States, the White House is threatening to block TikTok if its Chinese owners do not sell their shares, while TikTok's management is negotiating the sale of the social network.

Should the social network's executives fail to reach an agreement with U.S. authorities, TikTok may separate from its parent company ByteDance, reports financial news outlet Bloomberg.

Read also: Ukrainian soldiers videos winning over hearts on TikTok

Many countries are concerned that TikTok could be used by the Chinese authorities to gather information and influence public opinion. Over the past three years, TikTok has tried to assure U.S. government departments and agencies that the personal data of U.S. citizens is not available to the Chinese Communist Party.

However, TikTok processes at least some data from its overseas operations via servers located in mainland China, raising concerns that this data can be sequestered by the CCP.

The company has attempted to assure U.S. lawmakers that the Communist Party or its subordinate agencies cannot manipulate this data, though skepticism against the company remains high in Congress.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukrainian military personnel

The troops completed a five-week basic training course at the Toledo Infantry Academy as part of the European Union Mission for Military Assistance in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM).

Read also: Spain pledges EUR 14.5 million to bolster Ukraines food security efforts

On April 3, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles and the Chief of Defense Staff, Admiral General Teodoro Lopez Calderon, handed over training completion diplomas to the Ukrainian soldiers.

As of April 3, more than 600 Ukrainian soldiers have finished their military training in Spain.

Read also: Conscripts and mobilized soldiers  key points from new draft laws

This was the third batch of Ukrainian service members trained by the Spanish Armed Forces since November 2022. Spain previously said it has the capacity to train 2,000 Ukrainian troops a year.

Read also: Spain plans to send first six Leopard tanks to Ukraine after Easter

The program, which was approved by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, focused on five areas of expertise: basic training, marksmanship, urban combat, first aid, as well as skills to defuse IEDs and landmines.

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 parent is accused of hurling threats at school staff before biting a police officer outside her childs middle school, authorities in Georgia say.

Officers were called just before 10 a.m. Friday, March 31, about a disturbance at Beacon Hill Middle School in Decatur, according to the citys police department.

The 31-year-old woman, who has a student at the school, was in the front office speaking with administrators when things escalated, employees told police.

Unhappy with what she was being told, school staff said the parent started to spew expletives and threats at them, according to a news release. She then stormed outside, where she was met by police.

Outside of the school, the suspect continued to act loudly and boisterously, disrupting the school, officers said. The suspect was informed she was under arrest for disorderly conduct and disruption of a public school.

A struggle ensued, during which police said the woman struck an employee and bit an officer. She was eventually arrested and booked into DeKalb County Jail.

She faces multiple charges including battery, obstruction of a police officer, disrupting public school, disorderly conduct and possession of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, police said.

Authorities said the woman also had two outstanding warrants, though its unclear what they were for.

Decatur is less than 10 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta.

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A Unity Township woman is out $14,000 after a man told her that her McAfee account was credited for more than she was owed.

According to the Westmoreland County District Attorneys Office, the woman, 74, spoke with Pennsylvania State Police back in January about the theft.

The woman said she was contacted by an unknown man who said her McAfee account was credited $14,000 instead of $140. She was told to transfer the money from her bank into Bitcoin to return it.

Officials said the woman withdrew the requested amount of money from her bank account and was told to buy Bitcoin from a kiosk at the Lowrey Avenue Sunoco gas station in Jeanette.

The woman sent the receipt with the account number and other personal information to the man, officials said.

State police are investigating and urge residents to never give out personal information, never buy gift cards or send money electronically to someone you do not know, hang up and call police if it seems suspicious.

The Westmoreland County District Attorneys Office is assisting with the investigation.

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Missouri Supreme Court Judge Mary Russell, who attended Mizzou Law in the early 1980s.

More and more, women graduates of the University of Missouri School of Law have a presence in courtrooms across the state and nation.

First-year women students in the law school reached a majority in 2021 for the first time, at 51%. Last year, women students were 56% of the first-year class. As recently as 2018, women were 38% of first-year law students.

It's an important milestone, but just a start, said Paul Litton, interim dean of the law school.

"I see it as important progress," Litton said. "Women now outnumber men in the law school, but they're still outnumbered in the profession. We should celebrate the progress towards equal representation in the profession."

Women are just over 30% of Missouri judges, 138 of 422.

Attracting women students has been intentional, Litton said.

"When prospective students look at our law school, theyll see our student leaders are men and women," Litton said. "Women are leaders on our journals, in student organizations and on our competitive teams. We have distinguished and accomplished women attorneys on our faculty who are role models and mentors to our students."

Adding women attorneys and judges to the profession is important, he said.

Paul Litton, professor and interim dean at University of Missouri School of Law

"There are clients who want lawyers who understand them, who they think see the world as they see it," Litton said. "Our government leaders also come from the legal field. Women face implicit bias and unequal treatment in the legal profession, but with more women attorneys in leadership, mentoring junior attorneys, we would expect bias to decrease."

Mary Russell, a judge on the Missouri Supreme Court, graduated from the law school when one-third of the class was female, she said.

"We did realize we were in a non-traditional profession for women in a profession dominated by men," Russell said. "We had only one female professor, Rhonda Thomas, as a role model. She could talk about what it was like to be in the profession."

A variety of circumstances led her to pursue law, she said. She started out as a reporter for her hometown newspaper in Hannibal, covering courts.

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"A kind associate court judge explained the procedures and helped me learn the vocabulary," Russell said.

She also interned at the State Capitol and the U.S. Capitol, getting more exposure to the legal field.

"I was from a rural area," Russell said. "I had never seen a female lawyer, so I didn't know if I would be able to do it. I didn't have the confidence to speak in public."

The confidence came through the MU law school and in professional life, she said.

Seeking a first job at law firms had its hurdles, Russell said. She and other women applying for jobs would remove their engagement or wedding rings because they knew firms expected them to work endless hours with no consideration of a life outside of work.

She didn't apply at firms that already had a female lawyer, because the idea was the firm had filled its quota, she said.

She sees it as an obligation to mentor new women lawyers and law students.

"I love mentoring young people," Russell said. "I didn't get where I am without lot of help from both men and women."

Because there were so few women lawyers when she started, most of her mentors were men, she said.

"My biggest female mentor is Ann Covington, who was the first woman judge on the Missouri Supreme Court and was the first woman chief justice," Russell said.

Russell praised Covington, of Columbia, during a bicentennial talk on the Missouri judiciary in 2021 where Covington was in the audience.

"Many of us women on the court think of her as our godmother," Russell said at the time.

The increasing number of women students in the MU law school is something to be proud of, she said.

"I think it's fabulous," Russell said. "I know it's been a nationwide trend. When you consider our population, why shouldn't there be at least an equal number of women lawyers? I think having women lawyers and judges to help people just strengthens our profession."

In 2020, women outnumbered men in law schools nationwide for the fifth consecutive year, according to a report by Enjuris.

MU will continue making strides toward equality in the legal profession, Litton said.

"There are many benefits to equal opportunity," he said. "It's something we should celebrate."

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Number of women students increasing in the MU School of Law
Secret Service Trump Agnew (AP1973)

The last time Secret Service agents escorted a US leader to face criminal charges, they kept their mission a secret  even from their own bosses.

It was 10 Oct 1973, and just a few agents knew the history they would make in ensuring that Vice President Spiro Agnew appeared in a federal courtroom to enter a plea and resign from office.

It was a big day for the country, and a sad day, said Jerry Parr, one of those agents, in a 2010 interview. And we didnt tell anyone it was happening. For better and worse.

There is no secret the second time around: The Secret Service on Tuesday is expected to deliver former President Donald Trump to a New York City courtroom to be arraigned on state charges tied to hush money payments made in the weeks before the 2016 election. The event is sure to be a spectacle and Trump himself plans a news conference that evening.

While much has been made of Trump becoming the first former president to appear in court to answer an indictment, the Secret Service has been in a similar spot before. And there are lessons to be gleaned in how Parr and other agents helped Agnew navigate his final hours as the nations 39th vice president.

The main one: The agents allowed their admiration of Agnew, who died in 1996, to get in the way of properly doing their jobs.

Parr, who joined the Secret Service in 1962, wasnt sure what to expect when he was tapped a decade later to be the deputy chief of Agnews detail. The vice president had a reputation for being President Nixons attack dog and skewering political opponents as nattering nabobs of negativism, vicars of vacillation and pusillanimous pussyfooters.

Behind closed doors, however, Parr discovered that Agnew was nothing like his antagonistic persona.

He was actually a very nice man, said Parr in a series of interviews for a book on the agents life-saving role in the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt. All the agents really liked him.

An example of Agnews kindness occurred in 1972 when the Parrs threw a Christmas party for agents. Agnew insisted on coming so agents working on that shift could attend. Not many top government officials were that thoughtful, according to Parr, who died in 2015 at 85.

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To a unique degree the vice president and his wife, Judy (whom we called Mrs. A), recognized our humanity and appreciated our service, Parr wrote in his 2013 memoir,  In the Secret Service. To them, we were people and not furniture that came with the job.

Signs of Agnew's serious legal trouble emerged in August 1973 when the U.S. Attorney for Maryland informed Agnew that prosecutors were investigating the vice president for allegedly taking bribes as Marylands governor. It did not take long for news of the investigation to dominate front pages.

Suffering showed on his now-haggard face, Parr wrote. As summer passed into autumn, I frequently heard sighs and groans coming from the backseat of the car; sometimes the soft sound was Mrs. Agnew weeping as her husband tried to comfort her.

One morning, Parr said, the vice president grew upset when they drove past a platoon of journalists staking out his house in a tony Washington suburb. They just want to put me in jail, Agnew huffed.

Parr turned in his seat and jokingly told Agnew not to worry: He would go to jail with him. And well find someone to smuggle us a hacksaw blade in a pie, Parr added, so we can get you out.

Within a few weeks, however, Parr's boss, Samuel Sulliman, pulled him aside to explain that Agnew would soon be entering a plea to end the investigation. As part of the deal, he would have to resign.

Parrs job would be to escort Agnew to the Baltimore federal courthouse. Sulliman warned his deputy that he didnt know if we had to take him to jail after the (hearing), or not, and I should know that, Parr said. The judge could sentence him to prison.

Next, Sulliman gave Parr an order: He could tell no one about the trip, not even their superiors.

Upon learning that the vice president might resign, the Secret Service would be required to rush agents to protect the House speaker, next-in-line for the presidency. Such a move would draw the attention of reporters. Agnew didnt want news to leak before his resignation became official, and he asked his detail to keep it quiet.

I only knew about it because Sam told me, and Sam was sworn to secrecy, Parr said of his boss in a 2008 oral history. On Oct. 10, a warm Wednesday, the vice presidents motorcade made a quick stop at the White House where Agnew dropped off his resignation letter.

Next they headed to the Baltimore federal courthouse.

It was just after 2 p.m. when Agnew entered that courtroom, already filled with 50 reporters attending a hearing involving the vice presidents efforts to force journalists to reveal their sources of leaks about the Justice Department probe. Reporters gasped when they realized the significance of Agnew's appearance.

Agnews resignation was announced by his attorney, and the former vice president expeditiously pleaded no contest to failing to report $29,500 in federal taxes in 1967. In exchange, federal prosecutors declined to bring far more serious charges of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (The Justice Department alleged in court papers that Agnew accepted at least $87,500 in kickbacks in exchange for issuing no-bid contracts. A Maryland judge later determined that Agnew had accepted $147,000 in bribes over a two-year span).

Attorney General Elliott Richardson argued that leniency was justified due to the historic magnitude of Agnews resignation and felony conviction. The judge ultimately agreed with the attorney general, sentencing Agnew to three years of probation and ordering him to pay a $10,000 fine.

The hearing was surreal for Parr, who had chased his share of counterfeiters and fraud artists. He recalled feeling shock and disappointment in a man he had so admired.

Forty minutes later, Parr and other agents pushed their way through crowds of onlookers and reporters on their way to the motorcade. Before he could get settled in the front passenger seat, Parr said he heard his radio erupt with the voice of an irate superior.

The official demanded to know why the agency had not been informed Agnew was going to resign. Upon learning from news reports of Agnews departure, the agency had to scramble to find agents to protect Democratic House Speaker Carl Albert.

Something could have happened! the supervisor yelled.

In retrospect, Parr said, he had made a mistake in keeping the secret, writing that we had allowed ourselves to be drawn in, to the possible detriment of a protectee (Albert), the country, and our careers.

As they drove from the courthouse, the agent heard a murmur from the back seat. Listening carefully, he realized Agnew was reciting a famous Shakespearean soliloquy: All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.
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 Former DPR leader argues Russia is heading for a military defeat

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Over 60 homes and other buildings were damaged or destroyed by a tornado that traveled 14 miles through the Bridgeville, Greenwood and Ellendale area on Saturday evening, according to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.

The one death caused by the tornado, at a home that was destroyed on Tuckers Road near Greenwood, was the first tornado-related fatality in Delaware in 40 years, the agency said. The name of the victim has not yet been released.

The southern Delaware tornado was one of many produced by a line of severe storms that crossed the region Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service. Prior to hitting the Mid-Atlantic, the storms impacted Southern and Midwest states and caused at least 32 deaths in total, according to the Associated Press.

The National Weather Service announced Monday night that the tornado was an EF-3. An EF rating, or Enhanced Fujita Scale rating, is "based on estimated wind speeds and related damage," according to the National Weather Service website.

Saturday's tornado, which traveled 14.3 miles and was about 700 yards or .4 miles in width, hit peak wind gusts of 140 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It also marks Delaware's widest tornado on record, according to meteorologists.

In Delaware, storm damage was reported in New Castle, as well. Power outages peaked at 6,000 customers, according to the Delaware Emergency Management Agency. Most of the outages were restored Sunday.

Storm aftermath: 'Everything's gone': Victims and witnesses recount Greenwood-area tornado

Map: Follow Sussex tornado's 14.3-mile path. Homes and lives wrecked in 20 minutes.

'Outpouring of incredible support'

The effects of the tornado in Sussex were devastating, but ever since the storm hit, first responders and volunteers have been at damage sites en masse.

On Sunday, the Good Ole Boy Foundation and the Sussex Technical High School boys baseball team were two of many groups and businesses helping clean up. Others were handing out food and water to the volunteers.

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"Sussex County is an incredibly resilient place, where neighbors help their neighbors in need in times of crises," Sussex County Emergency Operations Director Joseph Thomas said in a news release. "We are so grateful for the spirit of volunteerism and outpouring of incredible support that is on full display right now.

On Sunday, April 2, Governor John Carney toured areas of Sussex County impacted by a tornado the day before. The home of Staci Warrington, right, was completely destroyed.

Gov. John Carney toured damaged areas Sunday.

"Today we learned again what we already know," Carney said in a news release after the tour. "Delawareans look out for each other."

The Delaware Emergency Management Agency is working with the Division of Public Health, the American Red Cross and other organizations to assist victims.

Anyone whose property experienced damage due to Saturday's severe weather should submit their information to the county at bit.ly/sussexdamage.

Those who need assistance or resources should contact the American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on Sussex County and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sussex County, DE tornado kills 1, damages or destroys 60 buildings
UPMC Executive Vice President and president of the health systems hospitals Mark Sevco is trading Pittsburgh for a key position at a big northern California hospital system.

Sevco will become COO of Sutter Health, a 23-hospital not-for-profit system based in Sacramento, California. Hell begin his job June 5.

Sevco has been key to the operations of the Pittsburgh-based health system for more than 30 years, beginning in 2021 as EVP and head of the organizations 40 hospitals in Pittsburgh and beyond. His role was oversight of each of UPMCs hospitals in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York.

Read more at Pittsburgh Business Times.

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JERUSALEM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli fighter jet downed "an unidentified aircraft" over the Gaza Strip on Monday, Israel's military said in a statement.

"The aircraft was spotted and monitored by Israel Air Force Aerial Control Unit until its interception," the statement read. It did not cross into Israeli territory and did not pose a threat at any stage, said the army.

The incident came a day after another unmanned drone crossed into Israeli airspace from Syria before it was intercepted. Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported that Israeli officials estimate that the drone was linked to Iran.

The Gaza Strip, a coastal Palestinian enclave, has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007 that has severely limited the movement of people and goods in and out of the territory. The blockade has been a major point of contention between Israel and the leadership of Hamas, an armed movement that runs Gaza. 
Canton Police Chief Helena Rafferty has a warning for parents: dont let your kids bring toy guns to school.

As a parent, its a lot to follow on social media, you dont always know what the latest thing going on is, so to be able to share that information with parents I think is critical, said Chief Rafferty.

Shes getting more and more calls about students carrying gel blasters or Orbeez guns around town.

In the contemporary times were living in, these guns can really look like a real gun to a police officer responding to this, said Chief Rafferty. And obviously with people with Manchester last week, Nashville last week, everything were dealing with, the guns on the top are usually black, and they look like a real weapon.

Chief Rafferty says these toy guns can easily be mistaken as the real thing, which would put students in danger, especially with the uptick in swatting calls at schools across the state following more school shootings nationwide.

They look like legit machine guns and its scary to think about the action that could be taken against these kids, said Gina Murry, a parent.

These gel blaster guns use small pellets that expand in water, but police say a new social media trend makes them even more dangerous when people freeze those gel pellets before firing them off.

Then it becomes a BB gun of sorts, its much more dangerous because it could take out an eye, said Chief Rafferty.

Chief Rafferty says any guns or even a replica is prohibited on all school property and students could face criminal charges for it.

She says not only as a police officer but also as a mom, she hopes other parents take this warning seriously.

I think its good police are sending these notices home to parents because lets be honest we dont know what our kids are doing when they leave the house, said Murray.

Chief Rafferty says the use of these toy guns will also be prohibited on all Town of Canton property, including town fields and the library along with schools.

Story continues

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will host a meeting in California on Wednesday with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, his office said, part of a sensitive U.S. stopover that has drawn Chinese threats of retaliation.

China, which claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet Tsai. She is on her first U.S. stopover since 2019, though Taiwanese presidents have regularly made such trips.

"On Wednesday, April 5th, Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be hosting a bipartisan meeting with the President of Taiwan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library," his office said in a statement.

The announcement is official confirmation of what had been a widely anticipated meeting.

It will be the first between a Taiwanese leader and a U.S. House of Representatives Speaker on U.S. soil, although it is seen as a potentially less provocative alternative to McCarthy visiting Taiwan, something he has said he hopes to do.

The White House has urged China to not use Tsai's "normal" stopover in the United States as a pretext to increase aggressive activity against Taiwan.

"During transits through the U.S., the President engages with American friends, in line with past precedents," Taiwan's de facto embassy in Washington said without elaborating when asked about the meeting.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Grant McCool)
(Bloomberg) -- The US, South Korea and Japan started joint naval drills off the Korean Peninsula in a move certain to anger North Korea, which fired its first missile over Japan in five years after similar exercises were held in 2022.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The two-day anti-submarine and rescue drills started Monday in international waters off South Koreas Jeju Island and included vessels from the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier group, South Koreas Defense Ministry said in a statement.

This anti-submarine exercise is prepared to improve the response capabilities of the ROK, US and Japan against North Koreas growing underwater threats and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, it said, referring to South Korea by its formal name.

Kim Jong Uns regime has pledged an unprecedented response to the drills and rolled out new weapons designed to deliver nuclear strikes on the US and the two allies, which host the bulk of American troops in the region. That response also included a new undersea drone it tested last month that it said could deliver a radioactive tsunami  a claim doubted by South Koreas military.

North Korea has warned the US and its puppet state allies were bringing themselves closer to a grave danger with the drills. It said its nuclear arsenal was ready to be used at any time to deter the war maniacs reckless moves.

They should think twice to truly avoid unlucky catastrophe and should be mindful that they will have to pay dearly for their rash acts, the official Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary Sunday.

In late March, Kim visited a facility charged with making warheads in a visit that underscored he has no intention of abandoning his atomic arsenal.

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Japan, South Korea and the US conducted joint naval training the last time a US Navy carrier group was off the peninsula in late September and early October. North Korea responded by firing a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan in October that traveled a distance of 4,600 kilometers (2,860 miles). That was the farthest North Korea had ever launched a missile.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader, has threatened to turn the Pacific Ocean into a firing range if joint drills arent halted. The rhetoric may be a hint that Pyongyang could start testing whether its nuclear warhead designs can withstand the heat of reentering the atmosphere, as it looks to increase its capability to deliver a credible nuclear attack.

North Koreas biggest benefactor, China, blamed the joint drills for stirring tensions on the divided peninsula. Relevant parties should create favorable conditions for the resumption of dialogue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.

--With assistance from Colum Murphy.

(Updates with comment from Chinas Foreign Ministry.)

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By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Monday welcomed plans by the World Bank to boost its annual lending by $5 billion to address global challenges including climate change over the next 10 years, but said it was pushing for more ambitious changes soon.

A senior U.S. Treasury official told Reuters the World Bank's governors were expected to endorse the long-awaited plan during their twice yearly meetings next week, while calling for the bank's management to outline firm plans for further reforms.

The United States, the bank's largest shareholder, has been pressing the World Bank for months to take bolder action to increase funding to help developing countries address climate change, future pandemics and other global challenges.

The World Bank provided $100 billion from 2020-2022 for global public goods, but estimates that developing countries and the private sector would need to spend far more - $2.4 trillion a year - to address such needs.

"We need to keep up the ambition. There is still so much more to do," the official said, adding that the United States was pressing the bank to map out concrete additional reforms, along with a timeline for implementation.

The Biden administration sees the bank's "evolution road map" as an "initial down payment on a series of important reforms," but wants further reforms implemented as possible instead of waiting for the bank's governors to meet in October, the official said.

"We would like for the bank to lay out a work plan of additional reforms, and a timeline on when those can be identified, discussed with the board and ultimately implemented and we'd like for that to happen on a rolling basis," they said.

The plans to be endorsed next week will boost the lending capacity of the Bank for International Reconstruction and Development, its middle-income lending arm, by about 20%, the senior official said, calling that "real money."

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Karim El Aynaoui, executive president of Moroccan think tank the Policy Center for the New South, said reforms of the World Bank and other multilateral development banks were long overdue and changes were needed to give greater voice to African countries and other developing nations.

"The world has changed since the inception of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In a context of heightened risks of fragmentation, shared challenges have grown more pressing and decisive," he said. His center joined with six others to create a new joint platform to analyze the reforms.

The Treasury official said the lion's share of the additional World Bank funding would come through a one-percentage point cut in its equity-to-lending ratio to 19%, moves toward issuance of hybrid capital, bilateral shareholder guarantees and adjustments in its statutory lending agreement.

The bank is also updating its mission statement to make clear that addressing global challenges is "an integral part of the bank's twin goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity," while reorienting its diagnostic tools to ensure that such challenges are reflected in their programs.

At the same time, it is working to leverage its balance sheet to mobilize more private capital, the official said.

Washington is still pushing the bank to implement the recommendations of an independent panel commissioned by the Group of 20 major economies, which said the World Bank and other multilateral development banks (MDBs) could free up hundreds of billions of dollars by easing their capital requirements.

"We will continue to ask for more," the official said.

U.S. officials are also working closely with other MDBs to advance reforms, including the Inter-American Development Bank, which adopted closely aligned measures at its annual meeting, including a push for more private capital.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Richard Chang)
Almost three months after Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot by a 6-year-old student, she filed a $40 million lawsuit Monday alleging school administrators shrugged off multiple warnings from staff and students who believed the boy had a gun and posed an imminent threat on the day of the shooting, and did so knowing the child "had a history of random violence."

The Jan. 6 shooting of Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News stunned the country as police announced the child's actions were intentional. The student shot her with a 9 mm handgun while she sat at a reading table in their first-grade classroom, according to officials.

The injured educator's complaint, filed in the Newport News Circuit Court, says Richneck Assistant Principal Ebony Parker chose to "breach her assumed duty" to protect Zwerner, "despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual."

Parker resigned in the wake of the shooting. She could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Also named as defendants are the Newport News School Board, former schools Superintendent George Parker III, whom the board voted to remove "without cause," and Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton, who was transferred to a different role within the district.

Zwerner, 25, is seeking a jury trial, noting in her suit that she suffers from "physical pain and mental anguish."

Newport News police praised her for managing to escort her class of about 20 students to safety even after she was seriously wounded in her left hand and chest.

Lawyers for Zwerner said Monday on NBC's "TODAY" show that the school leadership knew of at least three separate warnings that the boy was believed to have a gun and some other students reported seeing it.

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner poses for a portrait at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

Lawyer Jeffrey Breit disagreed with the idea that Zwerner's negligence suit should be a workers' compensation claim under Virginia law since theoretically, workers can't sue their own employers.

Story continues

But, he said, the shooting is "an exception" because "no 6-year-old student is going to be a risk of shooting their teacher. It's not part of their job. It's not a night 7-Eleven worker."

School knew of boy's behavioral issues

The lawsuit mentions new details about the boy, who is identified as John Doe, and an alleged pattern of troubling behavior.

While in kindergarten at Richneck in the 2021-22 school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and was removed from the school, according to the complaint.

That same school year, the boy also pulled up the dress of a female student who had fallen on the playground, the complaint says, and "began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher."

The boy was transferred out of Richneck and placed in a different institution within the district, but was allowed to return for the 2022-23 school year when he was enrolled in Zwerner's class.

He was placed on a modified schedule last fall after "chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers," according to the complaint. At least one parent was also required to attend school with him daily "because of his violent tendencies."

"Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed," the suit says. "Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy."

Warnings were allegedly ignored

On Jan. 4, two days before the shooting, the boy took Zwerner's cellphone and slammed it to the ground, shattering the device, according to the complaint. The boy was given a one-day suspension for the following day.

On Jan. 6, the boy returned to Richneck, but his mother did not stay with him during the school day as required, and the complaint says the school did not assign him a "one-on-one companion."

Between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Zwerner went to the assistant principal and said the student appeared in a "violent mood" and had threatened to physically assault a classmate. According to the complaint, Parker "had no response," and another teacher observed that the administrator "essentially ignored Plaintiff's concerns."

Meanwhile, another teacher was informed by two students that the boy had a gun in his backpack, the suit says. The teacher later informed Parker that she believed the boy had a gun and thought she might have seen him place an object in his sweatshirt pocket during recess and also searched his backpack, but found no weapon. Parker responded that the boy's "pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing," the complaint says.

Then, a third teacher told Parker after 1 p.m. that the boy showed another student the gun at recess, and that student told another teacher the boy "would hurt him if he told anyone," according to the complaint.

A fourth employee had asked Parker for permission to search the boy, but she "forbade" him, according to the suit, saying that the boy's backpack had already been searched and the boy's mother would be arriving to pick him up.

At 1:59 p.m., while Zwerner sat in her classroom at a reading table, the boy pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Potential criminal charges pending

In a statement Monday, the Newport News school board said it will "work with legal counsel accordingly" once the suit is received.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery," the board said. "As we have shared, as a school community, we continue to recover and support one another. We have been working in partnership with our community to address safety and security, student behavior and family engagement."

Since the shooting, the district has implemented metal detectors and installed a full-time security guard at Richneck.

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our most important priority," the board said, adding that officials "will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools."

George Parker III, the former schools superintendent, declined to comment about the lawsuit.

A lawyer for Newton, the former Richneck principal, could not immediately be reached for comment. Her lawyer previously said, "The fact of the matter is those who were aware the student had a gun on the premises that day did not report it to Ms. Newton."

Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn told NBC News last month that he would not seek charges against the boy, citing his age and inability to adequately understand the legal system, but said he was still weighing whether he might hold any adults criminally liable.

The family of the boy said in a statement in January that the weapon was "secured" in the home and that they have "always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children."

The family also said the boy has an acute disability and was receiving the "treatment he needs" under a court-ordered temporary detention at a medical facility.

The family's lawyer, James Ellenson, said Monday that the allegations in the complaint involving the 6-year-old "should be taken with a large grain of salt."

"We of course continue to pray for Ms. Zwerner's complete recovery," he said, declining to comment further since potential criminal charges are still pending.

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner poses for a portrait at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner looks through some letters and gifts sent to her by people across the country at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

The incident at Richneck  a rare example of a shooting perpetrated by a child under 10 at a U.S. school  came after two other shootings in Newport News schools in the past 18 months.

Overall, the number of school shootings reached its highest number in two decades during the 2020-21 school year, according to a federal report last June. A week ago, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, saw six people, including a substitute teacher and three young children, killed by a 28-year-old former student armed with two AR-style weapons and a handgun.

Diane Toscano, another lawyer representing Zwerner, said Monday that it is "outrageous" that a first-grade teacher such as her client should have to assume that being shot is part of the job.

"Her future is uncertain," Toscano said. "She loved being a teacher, loved teaching children, but the emotional trauma she sustained is just unbelievable."

Zwerner, during an interview on "TODAY" two weeks ago, said she is still in pain and has had to undergo multiple surgeries and grueling physical therapy. The bullet and bullet fragments are still lodged in her chest, she added.

While she declined to speak in detail about a motive for the attack, the memory of that moment remains etched in her mind.

"I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me," Zwerner said.

The injury to her left hand still makes the most simple tasks, such as making a fist, opening a water bottle and getting dressed, extremely difficult, and she said that doctors are still uncertain about whether the function in the hand will be fully restored.

"I'm not sure when the shock will ever go away because of just how surreal it was and, you know, the vivid memories that I have of that day," Zwerner said. "I think about it daily. Sometimes I have nightmares."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Almost three months after Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner was shot by a 6-year-old student, the injured educator filed a $40 million lawsuit Monday alleging school administrators shrugged off multiple warnings from staff and students who believed the boy had a gun and posed an imminent threat on the day of the shooting, and did so knowing the child had a history of random violence.

The Jan. 6 shooting of Zwerner at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News stunned the country as police announced the childs actions were intentional. The student shot Zwerner with a 9mm handgun while she sat at a reading table in their first-grade classroom, according to officials.

The complaint, filed in the Circuit Court for the city of Newport News, says Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker chose to breach her assumed duty to protect Zwerner, despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual.

Parker resigned in the wake of the shooting. She could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

Also named as defendants are the Newport News School Board, former schools Superintendent George Parker III, whom the board voted to remove without cause, and Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton, who was transferred to a different role within the district.

Zwerner, 25, is seeking a jury trial, noting in her suit that she suffers from physical pain and mental anguish.

Newport News police praised Zwerner for still managing to escort her class of about 20 students to safety even after she was seriously wounded in the hand and her chest.

Lawyers for Zwerner said Monday on TODAY that school leadership knew of at least three separate warnings that the boy was believed to have a gun and was told by another student they saw it.

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner poses for a portrait at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

Lawyer Jeffrey Breit disagreed with the idea that Zwerners negligence suit should be a workers compensation claim under Virginia law since theoretically, workers cant sue their own employers.

Story continues

But, he said, the shooting is an exception because no 6-year-old student is going to be a risk of shooting their teacher. Its not part of their job. Its not a night 7-Eleven worker.

School knew of boys behavioral issues

The lawsuit mentions new details about the 6-year-old boy, who is identified as John Doe, and an alleged pattern of troubling behavior.

While in kindergarten at Richneck in the 2021-22 school year, the boy strangled and choked a teacher and was removed from the school, according to the complaint.

That same school year, the boy also pulled up the dress of a female student who had fallen on the playground, the complaint says, and began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher.

The boy was transferred out of Richneck and placed in a different institution within the district, but was allowed to return for the 2022-23 school year when he was enrolled in Zwerners class.

He was placed on a modified schedule last fall after chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers, according to the complaint. At least one parent was also required to attend school with him daily because of his violent tendencies.

Teachers concerns with John Does behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed, the suit says. Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy.

Warnings were allegedly ignored

On Jan. 4, two days before the shooting, the boy took Zwerners cell phone and slammed it to the ground, shattering the device, according to the complaint. The boy was given a one-day suspension for the following day.

On Jan. 6, the boy returned to Richneck, but his mother did not stay with him during the school day as required, and the complaint says the school did not assign him a one-on-one companion.

Between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m., Zwerner went to assistant principal Parker and said the student appeared in a violent mood and had threatened to physically assault a classmate. According to the complaint, Parker had no response, and another teacher observed that the administrator essentially ignored Plaintiffs concerns.

Meanwhile, another teacher was informed by two students that the boy had a gun in his backpack, the suit says. The teacher later informed Parker that she believed the boy had a gun and thought she might have seen him place an object in his sweatshirt pocket during recess and also searched his backpack, but found no weapon. Parker responded that the boys pockets were too small to hold a handgun and did nothing, the complaint says.

Then, a third teacher told Parker after 1 p.m. that the boy showed another student the gun at recess, and that student told another teacher the boy would hurt him if he told anyone, according to the complaint.

A fourth employee had asked Parker for permission to search the boy, but she forbade him, according to the suit, saying that the boys backpack had already been searched and the boys mother would be arriving to pick him up.

At 1:59 p.m., while Zwerner sat in her classroom at a reading table, the boy pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Potential criminal charges pending

A spokeswoman for the Newport News Public Schools could not immediately be reached for comment Monday about Zwerners lawsuit. Neither the former schools superintendent nor a lawyer for Newton, the former Richneck principal, could also immediately be reached for comment.

A lawyer for Newton previously said the fact of the matter is those who were aware the student had a gun on the premises that day did not report it to Ms. Newton.

The school district previously said it cannot comment about allegations against school officials in an ongoing internal investigation nor share any information in the students educational record, citing the criminal investigation.

The district also said in a previous statement that the safety and well-being of students and staff members are its most important priorities.

We will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools, the statement said.

Newport News Commonwealths Attorney Howard Gwynn told NBC News last month that he would not seek charges against the 6-year-old boy, citing his age and inability to adequately understand the legal system, but said he was still weighing whether he might hold any adults criminally liable.

The family of the 6-year-old boy said in a statement in January that the weapon was secured in the home and that they have always been committed to responsible gun ownership and keeping firearms out of the reach of children.

The family also said the boy has an acute disability and was receiving the treatment he needs under a court-ordered temporary detention at a medical facility.

The familys lawyer, James Ellenson, said last month that they welcome the prosecutors decision not to seek charges against the boy and that they continue to pray for Ms. Zwerners complete recovery.

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner poses for a portrait at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

Virginia elementary school teacher Abigail Zwerner looks through some letters and gifts sent to her by people across the country at an undisclosed location in Virginia on March 20, 2023. (Carlos Bernate for NBC News)

The incident at Richneck  a rare example of a shooting perpetrated by a child under 10 at a U.S. school  came after two other shootings in Newport News schools in the past 18 months.

Overall, the number of school shootings reached its highest number in two decades during the 2020-21 school year, according to a federal report in June 2022. A week ago, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, saw six people killed, including a substitute teacher and three young children, at the hands of a 28-year-old former student armed with two AR-style weapons and a handgun.

Diane Toscano, another lawyer representing Zwerner, said Monday it is outrageous that a first-grade teacher such as her client should have to assume that being shot is part of the job.

Her future is uncertain, Toscano said. She loved being a teacher, loved teaching children, but the emotional trauma she sustained is just unbelievable.

Zwerner, during an interview on TODAY two weeks ago, said she is still in pain and has had to undergo multiple surgeries and grueling physical therapy. The bullet and bullet fragments are still lodged in her chest, she added.

While she declined to speak in detail about a motive for the attack, the memory of that moment remains etched in her mind.

I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me, Zwerner said.

The injury to her left hand still makes the most simple tasks, such as making a fist, opening a water bottle and getting dressed, extremely difficult, and she said that doctors are still uncertain about whether the function will be fully restored.

Im not sure when the shock will ever go away because of just how surreal it was and, you know, the vivid memories that I have of that day, Zwerner said. I think about it daily. Sometimes I have nightmares.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.

Related:

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday against school officials, alleging they were negligent in heeding warning signs that could have prevented the shooting.

Abigail Zwerners legal team announced that they would be suing the Newport News School Board and the schools administrators for what they called gross negligence and reckless disregard, seeking $40 million in compensatory damages.

The announcement said that the child in question had a history of violence and that school officials failed to address multiple warning signs on the day of the shooting that could have prevented this tragedy from happening.

Zwerner, 25, was shot in the hand and chest in January while teaching at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. She was hospitalized for two weeks before being released and is still in physical recovery.

According to the announcement, the child was on a modified school schedule in the fall after he had threatened other kids at recess and was required to have a parent in school with him. On the day of the shooting, there was no parent with the child, but he was still allowed to attend class, the announcement read.

Students and teachers had reported to officials that the student had a gun, but administrators allegedly refused to search the childs belongings, Zwerners team added.

Other staff members of the school said in January that Zwerner had repeatedly asked administrators for help with handling the student, but did not receive it, The Washington Post reported.

The Associated Press reported that the lawsuit names the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former school principal Briana Foster Newton and former assistant principal Ebony Parker as defendants.

George Parker was removed from his position by the school board in January as the school system faced backlash from how it handled the incident.

Zwerner is being represented by Diane Toscano of the Toscano Law Group, PC and Kevin Biniazan and Jeffrey Breit of Breit Biniazan, PC, according to the announcement.

Story continues

Essentially, this child was a ticking time bomb on school property and the administration chose to ignore the problem, Breit said in a statement. Everyone knows that this is unacceptable and we look forward to bringing this case before a Newport News jury to assess the facts for themselves.

We expect more from our school systems, particularly when our children are under their watch. Abigail Zwerner deserved more from the school system and now she will live with the results of their neglect for the rest of her life, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Abigail Zwerner, the elementary teacher shot by a 6-year-old student in January, filed a $40 million lawsuit in the Newport News Circuit Court against the school board and former senior administrators.

The filing explicitly named assistant principal, Ebony Parker, for breaching her assumed duty to protect Zwerner despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual.

Zwerners legal team insisted in an interview on Monday that leadership at the school, Richneck Elementary, were warned on at least three separate occasions that the student possessed a gun the day of the shooting.

On that day, over the course of a few hours, three different times  three times  school administration was warned by concerned teachers and employees that the boy had a gun on him at school and was threatening people. But the administration could not be bothered, Diane Toscano, a lawyer representing Zwerner, said during the press conference in late January.

The school superintendent, George Parker III, as well as Principal Briana Foster Newton, were also named defendants in Zwerners filing whom the teachers legal team argues were aware of the childs history of random violence.

The student was forced to transfer to another school during the previous academic year following several violent incidents. On various occasions, the boy was seen chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, as well as cursing at staff and teachers, the lawsuit outlines.

Concerns about the students behavior were regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed.

Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy, the lawsuit alleges.

In February, legal filings on behalf of Zwerner revealed that a fellow Virginia educator was choked to the point where she couldnt breathe by the student.

Story continues

I didnt feel safe the rest of the year because I knew if they didnt protect me when he choked me and I couldnt breathe, then they wouldnt protect me, my kids or my colleagues if he did something not as harmful, the teacher told the Associated Press on conditions of anonymity.

Theres some things that Ill never forget, and I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me, Zwerner told NBC in a March interview. Thats something that I will never forget. Its changed me. Its changed my life.

Zwerner suffered a gunshot wound to her left hand which ricocheted and entered her chest.

More from National Review
Last night, the venerable CBS news program 60 Minutes featured Lesley Stahls interview with Marjorie Taylor Greene. The show used 15 of those 60 minutes to introduce Greene to the handful of viewers who might not already be very familiar with the ultra-right-wing firebrand in Congress, and to present a gussied-up image of Greene in an attempt to reassure those on the fence about supporting her.

What the interview unfortunately accomplished was to normalize her, a woman known for her racist, antisemitic, anti-immigrant, transphobic and homophobic comments. Though Stahl tsk-tsked here and there, and called Greene (oh horrors!) glib, the only direct pushback came when Greene asserted that she believed, as shes repeatedly stated, that Democrats are pedophiles. They are not pedophiles, Stahl protested. Democrats support, even Joe Biden, the president himself, supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries. Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children. Greene of course retorted, and Stahl let that remark stand with just a wow and a head shake.

Those who, like me, hoped the interview would either not happen at all (saner heads at CBS prevailing), or that it would be a Mike Wallace style expose of this dangerous woman, were frustrated, disappointed and angry watching the puff piece. There was Marjorie strolling past her lovely Georgia home, chatting with Lesley, powerlifting at the gym (Shes so strong! So competitive!) There were photos of her in a hardhat on a construction site (Her successful family business!) and with her children. There was a clip from Trumps recent Waco rally, where he declared he would fight like hell for Greene if she ran for the Senate (Shes been boosted by the Former Guy!)

Greenes outrageous stance against the US involvement in Ukraine, one of her central shouting points, was only mentioned in a P.S, a three minute online 60 Minutes addendum to the interview, likely not seen by the majority of the shows core viewers.

What was the thought process here? By presenting Greene in a largely positive, or at least neutral, light, were the network honchos hoping to lure in some Fox watchers? Were they tying themselves in knots to appear fair and balanced by giving a chunk of airtime to someone who advocates for the US to divide into two countries, and who harassed David Hogg, a Parkland shooting survivor, on the street? Those extreme views and actions were just briefly alluded to, whereas in reality they are hallmarks of the MTG brand.

The poised, calm woman sitting opposite Lesley Stahl was a stark contrast to the nasty heckler who screamed, Liar! during President Bidens State of the Union address, who liked an online post suggesting Nancy Pelosi be murdered. The Marjorie presented last night was someone you might run into at the country club or a PTA function; you might disagree with her politics, but shes fundamentally OK (and her constituents just love her, so how bad can she be?).

For half a century, 60 Minutes has been a jewel in the network news crown. But the shows softball sit down with Marjorie Taylor Greene was a travesty. In these times, where truth itself has become a matter of degree and debate, CBS was less than honest, serving up an almost flattering portrait of a plain-spoken Southern gal who just happened to have been weaned on far-right talk radio. There is nothing positive or laudable about the things Greene is saying and doing in Congress. She is a disruptor and would-be destroyer of our democracy. By giving Greene more publicity, and softening her rough edges, the media are continuing down a perilous road that they began walking when they helped create the Trump phenomenon that led to his disastrous presidency.

Sometimes, to maintain your integrity, you have to sacrifice things like ratings. In this case, a long-respected broadcast news organization chose not to make that sacrifice. Not only did this interview chip away at the 60 Minutes jewel, it tarnished the whole crown.
GAZA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian authorities on Sunday condemned the Israeli cabinet's approval of setting up a national guard force by its national security ministry.

Stressing "the formation of the national guard will not frighten our people," spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in Gaza denounced the Israeli move.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) spokesman in Gaza also condemned the Israeli decision, describing it as "a dangerous development" in a press statement.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that the cabinet approved the establishment of the force.

A committee consisting of all security agencies in the State of Israel, the national security council and the relevant government ministries would discuss the responsibilities of as well as control over the force.

The committee has 90 days to submit its recommendations. 
The Seminole County Fire Department assisted with several brush fires this weekend.

In Volusia County on Sunday, crews helped battle flames threatening multiple homes near Lake Harney.

The multi-agency effort worked to stop a small fire from becoming a bigger issue.

Channel 9 has accompanied Seminole County Fire Rescue crews that put out brush fires for two days in a row.

Read: Seminole County firefighters increase staff, special equipment during weekend burn ban

Sundays fire was just a few hot spots left over burning in someones yard, and with dry conditions and no rain in the forecast for the next several days, fire officials say we will likely see more of this.

Smoke filled the air as a small brush fire burned feet away from homes.

Crews were able to get it contained quickly, but fire officials say the threat remains high.

Read: Burn ban remains in effect in Seminole County

The KBDI is the Keetch-Byram Drought Index, and thats the U.S. Forest Services way to measure the moisture in the soil and debris thats fallen, Seminole County Fire Lt. Dave Wiliams said. From yesterday to today, it jumped 6 points up to 525.

A multi-agency effort between Seminole and Volusia counties and the Florida Fire Service stopped the flames from erupting further and damaging dozens of structures at risk.

The small fire started in the front yard.

3:57pm today Seminole Co. Fire Dept. assisted Volusia County w/ brush fire at 861 Gopher Slough Rd - Lake Harney Woods. Over 25 units - SCFD, Volusia Co FS, Fla Fire Service, @SeminoleSO & @VolusiaSheriff assisted in controlling 2.5 acre fire. No structural damage or injuries. pic.twitter.com/UukDVPLlbQ  Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) PIO Media (@scfdpio) April 3, 2023

Read: These 4 local counties have issued emergency burn bans

Story continues

A homeowner who did not want to be identified shared the scary moments with Channel 9.

It was in a matter of maybe 20 minutes that it got all the way from there, all the way close to my house, they said. So, it was extremely fast.

During this time, the Seminole County Fire Department has added staff and teams deployed on woods trucks.

Read: This week, the heat will go on

The trucks allow firefighters to bring their own water supply to areas with no hydrants. The trucks are also much smaller, which helps crews squeeze into tight spaces.

Were gonna send a battalion chief, a woods truck, (and) a tanker as well, Williams said. So the quicker we can get people there when its smaller, the better chance we have at containing it and it doesnt go into (the) property.

Officials say Central Florida is in serious need of rain.

There is no precipitation expected. As that number increases, its going to have that extreme fire behavior, Williams said. Back in 98, we had the firestorm of 1998,, (and) the KBDI numbers were above 700. At this point, we are not at 700, but we are rapidly approaching that.

Seminole County fire officials said the burn ban would stay in effect indefinitely, and if you see anything burning, call 911 immediately.

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.
A college student at a polling site

A new law changing voting ID requirements makes it more challenging for out-of-state college students to vote.

House Bill 458 requires a photo ID to vote  meaning an unexpired Ohio drivers license, a state ID card, U.S. passport or military card  so out-of-state college students must get an Ohio issued ID card if they want to vote in Ohio.

But getting an Ohio issued ID card would invalidate their drivers license in another state.

Help The 74 secure a bright future. Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

Out-of-state college students are really hampered by this bill because the structure of this bill and the photo ID requirements for voting in person really puts out-of-state college students between a rock and a hard place, said ACLU Ohio Deputy Policy Director Collin Marozzi.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed HB 458, originally introduced by State Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp. in October 2021, into law on Jan. 6 and it will go into effect on April 7. This has been called one of the most restrictive voter-ID laws in the country.

But Ohio Secretary of States office doesnt see it that way.

Its not problematic, said Rob Nichols, the press secretary for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. Its not adding additional hurdles or anything like that.

The new law limits counties to one ballot drop box, shortens the window to request absentee ballot to one week before the election and absentee ballots must be received four days after Election Day. The law also mandates citizenship status on IDs and excludes county-issued veterans identification and college IDs from the list of IDs one can use to vote.

Out-of-state college students

The new law specifically puts hurdles in front of out-of-state college students, Marozzi said.

Out-of-state college students have just as much a right to vote in Ohio as any other eligible Ohio voter, he said. Whats at stake is this student population having a voice in their government. It is a fundamental aspect of American life for people to be able to have a say in their government.

Story continues

College students live on their college campuses at least nine months out of the year and should be able to easily cast a vote in the county they live in, he said.

Students can use a passport as a photo-ID, but Marozzi questions how many college students have a passport and, if they do, how many bring their passport to college.

If college students dont want to get a state-issued ID or a passport, their only other option is voting by mail and we know that can be a very arduous process, Marozzi said.

It requires planning ahead significantly, making sure that you are meeting all the request deadlines, and meeting those mailing deadlines, he said.

The new voter ID requirements puts out the unwelcome mat for out-of-state students coming to Ohio, said David Niven, a University of Cincinnati professor in the school of public and international affairs.

It probably hits college students as hard as any group within the state, Niven said. It really becomes a logistical dilemma.

How Ohio colleges are responding to the new law

Sierra Nathans, a graduate assistant for Bowling Green State University Votes, said college students already complain that the voting process is too difficult.

This one extra step will make it that much harder for people to want to do it, she said. Any steps you add to it are going to make people not want to do it. We should be making it easier (to vote), not harder.

BGSUs spring semester ends days before Ohios May 2 primary election and Bowling Green doesnt have any ballots on the primary, so Nathans said they are encouraging out-of-state students to vote in their home state for primary elections.

For the Nov. 7 general election, she said they recommend out-of-state students either get an Ohio state-issued ID card or register to vote using their home address and request an absentee ballot.

University of Cincinnati Votes recently hosted an information session for students on the new voting ID requirements.

They go to school here and they deserve to have the chance to give their opinion on a candidate, an issue, whatever is on the ballot when it comes time since they do go to school here in Ohio as well, said Callie Buchanan, a 19-year-old UC sophomore from Zanesville. It can lead to them not knowing what the restrictions are when they go to vote and then theyll get turned away at the polling place.

Ohio State University spokesperson Dave Isaacs said the university will develop guidelines for out-of-state students over the summer and is happy to work with individuals in the meantime who have questions.

The deadline to register to vote for the primary election is April 3. Early voting begins April 4 and ends April 30.

Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David DeWitt for questions: info@ohiocapitaljournal.com. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on Facebook and Twitter.
If you want to vote in the May 2 election, youre running out of time to register.

In the state of Ohio, registration is due Monday, April 3 if you want to vote in the special primary election next month.

Russ Joseph, deputy director for the Montgomery County Board of Elections, says if you miss Mondays deadline, you cant cast your ballot this May.

>> Ohio to launch statewide distracted driving awareness campaign ahead new bill

If you are registered and you choose to go out and vote, youll need more than just proof of residence or a utility bill to show you live in the state.

Theyll need to show us a state issued or government issued ID, so it could be a state drivers license, could be a federal issued ID, Joseph said.

Joseph says in this upcoming election voters will be making local decisions.

In the City of Dayton, there would be a primary for city commission race, he said. Then we have a primary race in Miamisburg for the municipal court judge.

This is why Joseph says it is important to get to your local polling location.

These kinds of elections in our local communities are the ones that really impact our daily lives as citizens here in Montgomery County, so its important for people to come out Joseph said.

You can register online or drop your forms off at your local county board of elections by 9 p.m.
Walmart has redesigned its website and app to boost its e-commerce sales. Walmart

Walmart unveiled a new website and app homepage that features glossy photos and live videos.

The redesign offers a "product-focused experience," according to Walmart's e-commerce lead.

Walmart's new website and app represent its latest move to try to gain ground on rival Amazon.

Walmart is making yet another play at trying to capture some of Amazon's e-commerce market share.

This time, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant unveiled a sleek new redesign of its website and app Monday, implementing a similar interface to its Seattle, Washington-based rival.

The website and app feature bigger, glossier photos, and snappy names for product categories and promotions, such as "spring for Easter must-haves" and "fun decor under $20."

Tom Ward, Walmart's chief e-commerce officer, wrote in a blog post Monday that the redesign "offers a more engaging way to browse and discover our incredible assortment."

"The new homepage offers a product-focused experience that better mirrors the way our customers love to shop, highlighting the items that matter most to them at any given moment," Ward said.

Ward added that the homepage features live video and mimics social media, allowing users to scroll through the offerings on the homepage just as they would scroll through Twitter or Facebook on their phones. Additionally, the redesign helps suppliers and third-party Walmart Marketplace sellers "showcase more relevant products," per Ward.

The move comes as Walmart tries to find the same lightning in a bottle that it captured during the early in the pandemic, when its e-commerce sales skyrocketed as many customers stayed at home and shopped online.

At the end of the company's second quarter in 2020, it reported e-commerce year-over-year sales growth of 97%. For comparison, Walmart's e-commerce sales grew a healthy, but not as remarkable, 17% year-over-year in the most recent quarter.

The move also represents Walmart's latest attempt to emulate Amazon's strategies. From establishing its own membership service, Walmart+, to rival Amazon Prime in 2020 to trying to bolster its marketplace for third-party sellers in recent years, Walmart continually tries to take a page out of Amazon's playbook in an attempt to one-up its rival.

What do you think of Walmart's redesign? Let reporter Ben Tobin know via email at btobin@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As Russias invasion of Ukraine forced them to flee their homeland more than a year ago, enrollment at a tiny New York City school grew with teen refugees seeking a place that felt like home.

The new students at St. George Academy in Manhattans Little Ukraine neighborhood say they are relieved to be attending classes where they can speak their native language and relate to peers  but adjusting to life in New York City has not been easy.

I saw the looks on these kids faces as we did tours of the school, said St. George Academy principal Andrew Stasiw. And we would walk by classrooms and they see people who sound like them and speak Ukrainian  there was a sense of comfort and relief.

Help The 74 secure a bright future. Your donation will help us produce journalism like this. Please give today.

But theres a new and different life off of St. Georges campus that lacks the schools reminders of home.

Gone is the pageantry of hearing people in the U.S. sing their national anthem and parade in solidarity as their country was bombed by Russia. Now they are navigating life in a city that feels unfamiliar.

As St. George Academy bought new lockers and textbooks for the Ukrainian students  many of whom are attending on full scholarships  the refugees have returned home to living situations that arent ideal: Some are without their parents who had to stay back and fight; others are living in shelters or in small, maxed out apartments.

And Stasiw has new worries  money. Now that enrollment has grown from 80 students to 140  currently including 33 refugee students  hes unsure how he can support them.

When the war first broke out, our efforts here were to raise money for Ukraine, Stasiw said. Now we need to raise money for our Ukrainian students that are here.

Welcoming dozens of new students put pressure on the small staff and building  so Stasiw got to work reshaping its landscape.

I had to hire additional teachers. I had to get additional lockers. I had to buy a lot more textbooks, Stasiw said.

Story continues

Related Ukraine to NYC: 3 Teens Talk About Friends Left Behind & New Lives in America

Meanwhile, the newcomers lives in New York City are far from what they expected.

They know New York City from the movies, Stasiw said, where its so beautiful and they just see Central Park, [the students] comment on how amazed they are by all the rats and violence  They suddenly dont feel like theyre safe.

One student currently lives in a homeless shelter with her mother, who often doesnt have money for food and frequents the schools small cafeteria for lunch.

Another student has been falling asleep in class most days. Shes sharing a small room with several people and an infant who keeps her up at night.

The new lockers St. George Academy scraped limited funds to buy are full of students belongings and several days worth of clothes because there is no storage space in their current dwellings.

Principal Andrew Stasiw looks at the pysanky  Ukrainian Easter eggs  his students made. (Meghan Gallagher/The 74)

Even though resources are stretched, Stasiw said he cant turn away the Ukrainian students who have seen things that would be unimaginable to their peers.

One student, Stasiw said, saw her city destroyed by missiles. Shes in shock.

That student is now living in a homeless shelter that initially enrolled her in a public school. She goes there  and she doesnt speak any English  and she gets bullied by three girls, Stasiw said.

Her mother came pleading to Stasiw to let her into St. George Academy, a high school, even though shes only in eighth grade.

We were able to offer her a uniform but she couldnt afford shoes. So I gave her $100 right before Christmas, Stasiw explained. But when she came back from their winter break, she returned the money to him. She says, some people we met gave us a free pair. They fit fine. Heres the $100 back. 

One Ukrainian parent asked if their daughter could live in the principals one bedroom apartment, because Stasiw lives nearby the school.

Theyre struggling, Stasiw said about his new students, but theyre not looking for a free ride.

Even with the school expanding and changing, Stasiw remains focused on the challenging college-prep curriculum. Their 12th-grade classes have always been the smallest, he said, because not everyone makes it to the finish line.

Were not an easy school  We offer a lot of electives that they have to take. Theyre going to take four years of computer coding. Theyre going to take four years of music, theyre going to take astronomy, philosophy, psychology, sociology  Freshmen take two languages their first year  Were still driving the curriculum.

Related Theyve Been Through the Worst: Grads at NYC Ukrainian School Celebrate & Ache

Behind the doors of the Academy are reminders of home  Not only is Ukrainian widely spoken but yellow and blue flags adorn most classrooms. For lunch, Stasiw will often treat his students to meals catered by neighborhood Ukrainian delis.

A classroom at St. George Academy (Meghan Gallagher/The 74)

But once the school day is over, the students are back out in the city they find so unfamiliar  and much different from the quiet countryside many came from in Ukraine.

I feel like New York is just scarier. Theres a lot of stuff going on in New York every day, said ninth-grader Olha Stanko, whose mother doesnt let her hang out with friends as late as she once did in Ukraine.

Its not as wonderful as I thought it was going to be, I thought it was going to be all high beautiful buildings and lots of parks, said ninth-grader Nazariy Lanyk.

In addition to the culture shock, Stanko said she spends more time than the average teenager worrying about her father who cant leave Ukraine because hes under 65.

I have my dad in Ukraine, which is pretty hard for me because I havent seen him in a really long time, she said. Thats the thing thats hardest for me the most. Ukraines my home and I want to go back there. Thats one thing a normal teenager doesnt have to go through.

A classroom of students raise their hands in response to the question, Who here is from Ukraine? (Meghan Gallagher/The 74)

Stanko was able to find comfort in reuniting with her best friend  Nicole Kozmey, who is now a 10th-grader at St. George Academy  a world away from the war in their home country.

Theyre not sure where theyll be in the next few years  if theyll graduate from St. George Academy or return home to Ukraine. But for now St. George Academy is hoping to keep being the place where they can focus on their education in the comfort of a Ukrainian community.

Research will tell you that if students are afraid, not comfortable, they wont learn, Stasiw said. So  that sense of warmth that they get from our teachers and from everybody in our small environment  I think thats made all the difference in the world.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  Disney CEO Bob Iger on Monday said any retaliatory actions by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature against the company that threaten jobs or expansion at its Florida resort is not only anti-business ... but anti-Florida.

Answering a question during an online shareholders meeting, Iger said that the Republican governor and lawmakers appeared to be retaliating against the company for exercising its constitutional rights when Disney last year criticized Floridas nicknamed Dont Say Gay legislation while Bob Chapek was helming the company at the time. The measure bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, as well as lessons deemed not age-appropriate.

In response, Florida lawmakers passed, and DeSantis signed, legislation revamping the government-like board that oversees Walt Disney Worlds 27,000-acre (10,926-hectare) property outside Orlando. Among the changes the legislation made was that the Florida governor got to pick the five supervisors of the governing board instead of it being controlled by Disney, as it had been in its previous 55 years.

During the shareholders meeting, Iger declared the companys love for the state of Florida, noting it was the largest taxpayer in the state and employed around 75,000 workers. The company has plans to make $17 billion in investments at Disney World over the next 10 years that will create an additional 13,000 jobs, he said.

Iger acknowledged that there may have been some missteps in how Disney initially responded to the Florida legislation  the company took its time in speaking out against it publicly, and only after Disney employees exerted internal pressure. But he said the company had a right to free speech, just as individuals do.

By taking on Disney, DeSantis attempted to further his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run.

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But the DeSantis-appointed supervisors said last week at the second meeting of the revamped board that their predecessors had pulled a fast one on them by passing restrictive covenants that strip the new board of most of its powers.

DeSantis on Monday asked Floridas chief inspector general to launch an investigation into the actions of the previous board.

DeSantis said in a letter to chief inspector general that any legal or ethical violations should be referred to the appropriate authorities.

Disney is again fighting to keep its special corporate benefits and dodge Florida law, DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said in an email. We are not going to let that happen. As Governor DeSantis recently said, You aint seen nothing yet.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP

Related...
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office and the Rochester Police Department have released redacted body-worn camera footage of the fatal shooting of Brendon Burns by officers on March 20.

Burns, 35, was shot multiple times and killed following a foot chase through the Park Avenue neighborhood in Rochester. The encounter was part of an escalating case related to two separate shooting incidents, according to police.

The footage released by the Sheriff's Office includes video from neighborhood residences, School #23, and MCSO body-worn cameras. Police officials identified the deputies who fired shots while attempting to take Burns into custody as Sgt. Christian DeVinney, Deputy Clayton Hillegeer, and Deputy Alexandra Baker.

The Rochester Police Department had two officers involved in the use of deadly force against Burns, according to police officials. One of those officers is assigned to an undercover position and was not wearing a body-worn camera per department policy. The second officers camera fell off, according to police officials.

More: Police fatally shoot man in Park Ave. neighborhood. What we know now

More: NY Attorney General investigates fatal shooting of Brendon Burns by Rochester police

The Rochester Police Department has identified the two officers involved in the shooting as Sgt. Kevin Leckinger and Officer William Baker, both of whom have been with the department since 2007. Both officers have been assigned to administrative duties while the New York State Attorney Generals Office and the Professional Standards Section continue their investigations, according to police officials.

Warning: The video footage may be disturbing to some viewers

The video footage released by the Sheriffs Office and Rochester Police Department can be viewed at the following links:

Monroe County Sheriffs Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuWrv6dnrS0

Rochester Police Department: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t8crfahlJc

Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Body cam footage of Brendon Burns shooting released in Rochester NY
Editors Note: This content contains details about the sexual assault of a person under age 18. If you know or suspect that anyone under 18 is being sexually or physically abused, call the Texas child abuse hotline at 1-800-252-5400. To learn more about how to identify signs of child abuse or neglect, click here.

Cody Atwood, 30, will go to prison for 18 years for the sexual assault of a young child.

Atwood pleaded guilty Friday in 30th District Court to three counts of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a child.

No caption

He initially had been charged with 11 counts related to sexual abuse of the child in incidents that began in 2014 when the child was four. When the child was eight, they told a forensic interviewer the Waurika, Oklahoma, man came into their bedroom and told them they were going to play the food game.

In affidavits filed in the case, the child described a game during which Atwood sought to trick the child into giving him oral sex. He would blindfold the child and bind their hands behind their back during the ruse.

But the child could see under the blindfold at times. Once, the blindfold fell off, and Atwood was standing in front of the child naked.

The child said Atwood used pajama bottoms to cover their eyes and a belt or rope to tie their hands, which the child said was painful.

Atwood could have faced up to life in prison on the charges.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Waurika man pleads to sexual assault of Burkburnett child
RICHMOND, Ind.  A Wayne County woman arrested Saturday is accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the accounts of a cemetery near Cambridge City.

Trisha C. Taylor, 43, of Cambridge City, had been charged Thursday in Wayne Superior Court 2 with theft, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison.

She had been on the board overseeing operations of the Lutheran Cemetery in Pershing  also known as East Germantown  an unincorporated community just east of Cambridge City along U.S. 40.

Another board member had reported to Indiana State Police last September that the company that performs maintenance at the cemetery had not been paid since 2021, and was owed about $8,000.

The board member expressed concern that the cemetery did not have nearly enough money to pay the maintenance company.

More: Richmond man who shook infant draws 10-year prison term

In 2014, the year before Taylor became cemetery board president, the bank accounts held a total of nearly $280,000, according to an ISP report.

It was later determined Taylor had closed the back accounts and also filed paperwork with the Indiana Secretary of State's office to dissolve the cemetery board, the report said.

A state police review of financial records concluded that Taylor  over a three-year period ending in January 2022  wrote checks on cemetery accounts, to herself and her husband, for a total of $117,751.

The report concluded the Taylors "received well over $150,000 of the cemetery's money" while she was the board's president and her husband was identified on the cemetery's superintendent.

Taylor's husband has not been charged.

During an interview with state police, conducted last October at the Centerville Police Department, Trisha Taylor maintained checks had been written to herself or her husband to provide cash for contractors who didn't wish to be paid with checks.

She also said the cemetery's financial records were maintained by officials at a nearby church. The church's pastor, however, said the church "had nothing to do with the cemetery," and that he and his wife "did not even know who Trisha Taylor was."

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The cemetery's funds had been raised through selling burial plots, "donations from families," money left to the cemetery in wills, and the cost of burials, the report indicated.

Taylor was apparently released from the Wayne County jail after posting a $15,000 bond. A trial date in her case has not yet been set.

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 Richmond Palladium-Item: Wayne County woman charged with stealing $150K from local cemetery
Hand pulling out a wet wipe

Wet wipes containing plastic will be banned in England under plans to tackle water pollution, environment minister Therese Coffey has told BBC News.

The ban on plastic-based wipes should come into force in the next year following a consultation, Ms Coffey said.

It is part of a wider plan to improve water quality in England, where no river or waterway is considered clean.

But opposition and environment groups criticised the plan as weak.

Wet wipes flushed down toilets cause 93% of sewer blockages including so-called fatbergs and cost around 100m a year to clear up, according to Water UK which represents the water industry.

Around 90% of wipes contained plastic in 2021, although there are now some alternatives available to buy. The plastics do not break down and over time the wipes become snagged and stick together, causing sewage to stop moving through pipes.

"Our proposal is to ban plastic from wet wipes," Ms Coffey told BBC News, adding that a short consultation needed to take place first. "It's a legal requirement to make sure that we can go ahead with any ban," she said.

Wet wipes can build up with other sewage causing huge blockages

The government first said in 2018 that it planned to eliminate plastic waste including wet wipes. In a 2021 government consultation on banning wet wipes, 96% of people said they supported the idea. Earlier this year the government decided against banning wet wipes, following another consultation.

In Wales a proposed ban on plastic in wet wipes has not yet been implemented. The Scottish government consulted on a ban but has not taken further action.

Some companies, including Boots and Tesco, have already stopped the sale of wet wipes which contain plastic from their shops.

The wet wipes ban is part of a broader strategy, called Plan for Water, which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) wants to improve England's water quality. It includes a potential ban on some types of so-called forever chemicals or PFAS, tackling pollution from farming and run-off from road traffic.

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Pollution from intensive farming, in particular from chicken farms, is the most common way rivers are being contaminated, according to a parliamentary report from 2022.

The government announced on Sunday that water companies could face unlimited fines for releasing untreated sewage into rivers and seas without good reason. Figures show an average of 825 sewage spills per day into England's waterways in the last year.

But environment charity River Action UK said the government had been "asleep at the wheel" for many years and had allowed rivers to "fill up with untreated human effluent and toxic agricultural pollution".

"How can Defra credibly announce "stronger regulation and tougher enforcement" when there is not one single commitment today by government to put its money where its mouth is and properly re-fund statutory environmental protection agencies?", CEO Charles Watson said.

Water companies, who spend millions of pounds clearing up blockages caused by wet wipes, are in favour of a ban.

In Yorkshire, wipes are the biggest cause of blockages and caused almost half of them in 2022, according to Yorkshire Water, which told BBC News it welcomed the proposed ban.

Opposition political parties criticised the government plans, calling them too little too late.

"This announcement is nothing more than a shuffling of the deck chairs and a reheating of old, failed measures that simply give the green light for sewage dumping to continue for decades to come," said Jim McMahon MP, Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary.

"This is the third sham of a Tory water plan since the summer. There's nothing in it that tells us how, if, or when they will end the Tory sewage scandal," he added.

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron called the announcement a "complete farce".

"Yet again the conservative government is taking the public for fools by re-announcing a wet wipe policy from five years ago. The government is all talk and no action," he said.

The Green Party said the government plans "leave the water industry in private hands able to profit from failure".

"The Green Party wants to see system change, with our water supply brought back into public ownership at the earliest practicable opportunity," said Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Singapore has elevated bilateral ties to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership during Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's recent China visit.

The agreement on upgrading the partnership is expected to chart the course for the future development of the relationship of the two countries.

It is Lee's first visit to China since 2019. From Guangzhou to Boao, and then to Beijing, he was among the first heads of foreign governments to visit China after the conclusion of China's annual "two sessions" in March.

Since the establishment of China-Singapore diplomatic ties, the bilateral relationship has been forward-looking, strategic and demonstrative, which has not only given a strong boost to the development and rejuvenation of the two countries, but also set a benchmark for countries in the region.

PROGRESSIVE PRACTICAL COOPERATION

On March 22, the 2023 Conference on International Industrial Cooperation (Singapore) and China's Machinery and Electronic Show was held in Singapore after more than two years of preparation.

The event is the first high-level international exhibition jointly organized by Chinese and Singaporean business communities since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The exhibition marked a breakthrough in promoting innovation, cooperation and win-win results, indicating that cooperation between Singapore and China has reached a new peak, said Kho Choon Keng, president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Over the years, programs such as the three government-to-government projects, the Guangzhou Knowledge City project, and the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative, have focused on the Belt and Road cooperation, as well as economy, trade, finance, public health and cultural exchanges, and continuously pushed bilateral practical cooperation forward.

Take the Suzhou Industrial Park in east China's Jiangsu Province, the two sides' first inter-government project that was started in 1994.

Today, the project has given birth to an industrial system featuring new-generation information technology and high-end equipment manufacturing. In 2022, it grossed a regional gross domestic product of 51.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Entering the 21st century, China and Singapore decided to build an environmentally friendly city in north China's Tianjin Municipality, pursuing more sustainable development and harmony between humans and nature.

As of now, the Tianjin Eco-City hosts a permanent resident population of over 120,000 and 14,000 market entities. The ecological restoration and water treatment experience in the region has been promoted and applied to many parts of China.

When China and Singapore marked the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic ties back in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping was invited to visit Singapore. During that visit, the leaders of the two countries agreed to build an all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times.

Witnessed by Xi and Lee during the visit in 2015, the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, the third government-to-government project, was launched.

The project covers key areas including financial services, the aviation industry, transportation and logistics, as well as information and communication.

As of November last year, a total of 218 commercial and government cooperation programs and 235 financial cooperation programs have been signed within the project, altogether amounting to more than 54.3 billion dollars.

FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR, GROWING EXCHANGES

On the evening of Feb. 6, the Royal Plaza Hotel on Scotts near Orchard Road, a bustling business district in Singapore, held a lively party to welcome the first Chinese tourist group after China resumed its outbound group travels.

"Chinese guests are coming back," said Sun Wenli, a Singaporean tour guide who served the Chinese tour group.

China and Singapore are friendly neighbors across the sea with a long history of amicable exchanges. In the early 15th century, Zheng He, a Chinese navigator of the Ming Dynasty, made several visits to places where today is Singapore on his ocean voyages.

During his 2015 visit to Singapore, Xi attended the official opening ceremony of the China Cultural Center. Designed by Liu Thai Ker, the master planner of Singapore, the center combines Chinese cultural elements and modern architectural design and has hosted a variety of cultural and artistic activities since its operation. It has become a bridge of friendship between the two peoples.

In January, following China's optimization of its COVID-19 response and gradual restoration of entry and exit, several Chinese provincial-level regions came to Singapore for tourism promotion activities.

"The development interests of Singapore and China are deeply intertwined and the cultural exchanges between the peoples of the two countries are very close," said Wong Yew Hoong, chairman of outbound service of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore.

"Young people in Singapore are increasingly interested in China, and we hope to make a difference in Chinese tourism," Wong said.

Local people's interest in Chinese literature is also growing. After the Spring Festival holiday, staff of Union Book, a Chinese bookstore in Singapore, put new books imported from China onto the shelves.

"Young parents in Singapore hope that their kids could learn more about Chinese culture, so the children's books we imported are very popular, especially those picture booklets introducing traditional culture," said Margaret Ma, managing director of Union Book.

HIGH-QUALITY COMMON DEVELOPMENT

In the blueprint drawn by the leaders of the two countries, high quality is the most distinct feature of the China-Singapore cooperation.

Strengthening the building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, deepening digital and green transition as well as improving third-party cooperation will greatly boost the quality of the overall bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

For example, the Guangzhou Knowledge City project now stands as an important carrier and innovative model of bilateral cooperation. Within this project, the two countries launched last June the China-Singapore Smart Park. The new move is committed to creating a global industrial ecosystem centered on biomedicine, new-generation information technology and artificial intelligence.

Renowned Singaporean institutions and enterprises including SP Group, DBS Bank, NCS Group, Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore (NUS) have settled in the park.

Singapore's convenient public transport is one of the symbols of the city-state. In recent years, more electric buses produced by the Chinese brands BYD and Yutong have been in operation in Singapore.

"China and Singapore can deepen cooperation in biopharmaceuticals, electronic technology, environmental protection technology, and renewable energy," said Chen Gang, assistant director of the East Asian Institute of NUS.

"China has made tremendous progress in solar and wind power generation, as well as electric vehicles research and manufacturing. The prospects for renewable energy cooperation between China and Singapore are promising," Chen said.

With the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the cooperation between China and Singapore in digital economy and interconnection has not only broadened the prospects for bilateral ties, but will also facilitate the sustainable development in the region.

Impressed by a Chinese company's project, Gu Qingyang, director of Chinese Executive Education and associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore, said it uses cloud technology to help start-ups in Southeast Asia create an ecosystem suitable for business development, enabling small and micro businesses to grow rapidly through technological innovation and international cooperation, which is of great help to these companies. 
The Defense Department on Monday announced the locations of four new naval bases in the Philippines, securing three of the spots in the northeastern part of the island to better counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

Locations of new U.S. military bases in Philippines

The U.S. will create two naval bases in the Cagayan province covering Luzon, the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago that lies directly across from Taiwan in the South China Sea.

Naval Base Camilo Osias will be located near the municipality of Santa Ana, Cagayan. The other base in Caguyan will be near the Lal-lo Airport.

Another military base, called Melchor Dela Cruz, will be located in Gamu, Isabela, also on the Luzon point.

A fourth military base will be located at Balabac Island in the province of Palawan, located in the western part of the Philippines near the Spratly Islands, a major archipelago in the disputed South China Sea.

Tensions between the US and China are high over fears that Beijing will seek to take control of Taiwan in the coming years. China has also angered its regional neighbors with aggressive efforts to assert control over the South China Sea, which is crucial to global trade.

Americas new bases in the Philippines will provide a major boost to the U.S. presence in the region, as part of efforts to neutralize Chinas influence.

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the expansion in the Philippines makes our training more resilient.

It is about creating regional readiness but also being able to respond to any type of disaster or any type of humanitarian disaster that could arise in the region, she told reporters at a Monday briefing.

Beijing has reacted angrily to the expansion of the U.S. military in the Philippines.

A spokesperson for Chinas embassy in the Philippines said the agreement will seriously endanger regional peace and stability and drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development.

Story continues

Creating economic opportunities and jobs through military cooperation is tantamount to quenching thirst with poison and gouging flesh to heal wounds, the spokesperson said after U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland traveled to the Philippines last month.

Washington already operates five military bases in the Philippines on a rotational basis, meaning they cannot station troops there permanently.

Those camps are located near Manila and in the south and east of the Philippines  but none were in the northern Luzon province, which is more strategically located.

The U.S. reached an agreement for the bases with the Philippines in 2014 called the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the four new military bases in February during a trip to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, but did not disclose the planned locations.

Austin at the time called it a big deal and a sign of the ironclad partnership with the Indo-Pacific nation.

The U.S. has already pledged $82 million for improvements at the existing five bases in the Philippines and intends to invest more funds to get the new camps up and running.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg (L) and President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) during a meeting in Kyiv. (Getty Images)

All members of the Nato alliance have agreed that Ukraine will eventually become a member, Nato's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg confirmed on Friday.

A day earlier, during his first visit to the country since war broke out, he had told reporters: "Let me be clear, Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family.

"Ukraine's rightful place is in Nato."

More than a year after Russia invaded the Eastern European country, Stoltenberg gave his strongest assurance that Ukraine would be granted membership to Nato - however nothing official has been agreed and no timeline provided, particularly given Nato's Article 5 pledge to defend member countries.

In a joint conference with Stoltenberg on Thursday, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said: We need something more than the kind of relationship we are having now. We will be in their alliance, we believe that is a guarantee of Ukraines security and a concrete guarantee.

Read more: Zelensky says now is the time for Ukraine to join Nato as alliance chief visits Kyiv

But while we await the membership and are not a member, we want to have very specific guarantees of security approved in Vilnius [the Lithuanian capital where Julys NATO summit will be held], if there is an opportunity to do that then we will be ready on our side.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the media about Ukraine potentially becoming a member of Nato. (Getty Images)

The move will no doubt increase tensions between Nato and Russia, which has previously listed the prevention of Nato expansion as a reason for military action in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg's comments came shortly after Finlan joined Nato in a move that doubled the alliance's border with Russia.

Previously, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had warned that Moscow would be forced to take "countermeasures" and would be "watching closely" what happens in Finland.

The Finnish army during shooting practice close to the border with Russia. (Getty)

He described Helsinki joining Nato as a "violation of our security and our national interests".

The Finnish parliament overwhelmingly approved a proposal to apply for membership to the military alliance in May 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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Sweden is also on the brink of joining the alliance after its parliament approved plans on 22 March. Sweden can become a full member country once all of the member countries have ratified its application.

What is Nato?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a political and military alliance of 31 countries.

Nato was set up in 1949 to protect members against the Soviet Union, with 12 nations initially signing up to the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington DC.

These countries were the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Portugal.

What is Article 5?

The collective defence clause of Nato's founding treaty  Article 5 of the Washington Treaty  is a provision that means an attack against one member is considered an attack against all of them.

This is a fundamental part of Nato and why it says it is a defensive alliance.

Nato says military operations are carried out under Article 5 or a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations.

If Ukraine joined Nato while the war with Russia was ongoing, this would likely trigger article 5 and therefore brings with it a huge risk of escalating the existing conflict.

Nato is now a political and military alliance of 31 countries. (Reuters)

Which countries are in Nato, and what date did they join?

1949: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the UK, the US.

1952: Greece, Turkey

1955: Germany

1982: Spain

1999: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland

2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia

2009: Albania, Croatia

2017: Montenegro

2020: North Macedonia

2023: Finland
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty

This reporting is featured in this weeks edition of Confider, the newsletter pulling back the curtain on the media. Subscribe here and send your questions, tips, and complaints here.

Gadfly reporter Simon Ateba adamantly claimed on Sunday night that hes the only White House correspondent who is not allowed to attend the White House Correspondents dinner later this month.

According to two people familiar with the situation, though, Ateba is peddling a patently false narrative.

Ateba, whose notoriety has only grown thanks to his disruptive press briefing outbursts and accusations of censorship by the White House Correspondents Association, tweeted that WHCA president Tamara Keith and the board wont let me buy a ticket for doing my job.

However, only news organizations with WHCA members are eligible to purchase ticketsthe groups main source of revenue. And as Ateba has recently acknowledged, his WHCA membership was rejected this year because he was unable to provide evidence he was employed by a legitimate news-gathering outlet. Ateba operates the site Today News Africa, appears to be its sole staffer, claims he makes no salary, and now touts himself as just an influencer.

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Sources further said that there have been far more ticket requests than seats available for this years dinnerleaving several actual WHCA members out in the cold as the event has been vastly oversold.

And despite Atebas assertion that the WHCA wont let me attend this year for doing my job, sources pointed out that theres nothing preventing another news org from inviting Ateba as their guest if they have an open seat.

Meanwhile, Atebas latest attempt to kick up dust comes as the White House looks to implement more stringent credentialing rules in order to curb briefing room chaos. The WHCA board declined to comment.

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When reached for comment, Ateba posted an unhinged personal attack to Twitter and issued a vague threat via email: You have been writing nonsense about me for sometime now. I wonder how much journalism you have done in your life. Im not interested in commenting or reading anything you write. Just remember that as you continue to write nonsense about me, I will write about you one day. So continue.

Thanks, Simon, we will!

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John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, said on Monday that Ukraine is still fighting hard for the eastern city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, despite Russian propagandists claims.

Source: Voice of America, citing Kirby during a press briefing on 3 April

Details: Kirby stressed that Ukrainian forces remain in Bakhmut, preventing Russian forces from taking the city.

Kirby stressed that the issue of Russias significant losses in Bakhmut has been widely discussed, as has the fact that the Wagner Group deploys recent recruits  many of them convicts  in the "meat grinder" of the battle for Bakhmut. Kirby said that this cruelty, and the sheer amount of human effort Russia has expanded in Bakhmut, are astounding.

Kirby said that Bakhmut holds a particular importance for Ukrainians and stressed that the US respects and understands this. He added that Ukrainian forces withdrawal from Bakhmut will not significantly alter the strategic dynamics on the ground.

However, Kirby continued, the battle for Bakhmut is still ongoing and Ukrainian forces have not been pushed out. Fighting is both fierce and close, he said.

Kirbys remarks responded to the video released by Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin on Sunday, 2 April. In the video, Prigozhin says that a Russian flag was raised above a key administrative building in Bakhmut, marking the citys "official" transition under Russian control.

In response, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stressed that Russia was far from capturing Bakhmut and said that fighting in the vicinity of the administrative building in question was still underway.

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CHICAGO (AP)  Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks says he was beginning his final round of chemotherapy on Monday.

Hendriks, battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma, made the announcement in an eight-second video shown prior to Chicago's home opener against the San Francisco Giants.

Happy opening day, Sox fans. Just want to let you know I'm starting my last round of chemo today so I'll see you guys on the South Side soon. Play ball, he said.

Hendriks, a three-time All-Star, announced the diagnosis in January.

General manager Rick Hahn said Hendriks and Garrett Crochet (left elbow surgery) are progressing, though the White Sox wont have a timeline on their returns until they begin rehab assignments. He said the two relievers are on the 15-day injured list rather than the 60-day IL for a reason.

We are headed the right away and currently have a very real chance of having them both back prior to 60 days into the year, Hahn said.

Hendriks was third in the majors with 37 saves and made his third All-Star team last season. He led the American League with a career-high 38 saves in 2021, after leaving Oakland to sign a $54 million, three-year contract with the White Sox.

Hendriks has 115 saves and a 3.81 ERA over 12 seasons with Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland and Chicago. ___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
The family of Ethan Chapin, one of the four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence last year, is volunteering to help sell tulips in his memory and honor his legacy.

Chapin, 20, worked at Tulip Valley Farms in Mt. Vernon, Washington, the year before his death, where his coworkers knew him for his big smile and loving energy.

Ethan Chapin with his siblings, Maizie and Hunter Chapin. (Courtesy Chapin family via KING-TV)

"Ethan was the kid that the rest of the kids would call and find out when he was on the work schedule because everybody wanted to work with Ethan," his mother Stacy Chapin told TODAY. "When this happened, the kids decided they needed a way to honor him."

Chapin's fellow coworkers created a yellow-and-white tulip bulb mix named "Ethan's Smile" after one of the 20-year-old's most memorable features.

"I was one of the lucky kids who got to work on the tulip farm with him," Chapin's friend and coworker Reese Gardner told TODAY. "He had the best smile, you couldnt see it and not instantly smile back."

The proceeds from the bulbs will go to a foundation Chapin's parents founded in his name to provide scholarships for students who attended his high school to go to the University of Idaho, his family said.

"The tulip became something tangible that people grasped onto," Stacy Chapin said. "We realized that by creating a foundation we can give scholarships back to kiddos to follow their dream, and thats the best thing we can do in his honor."

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (TODAY)

Chapin was found with multiple stab wounds in an off-campus residence on Nov. 13. His girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, and two of her roommates, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, were also found stabbed to death, rocking the small college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Authorities charged Bryan Kohberger, 28, in December with four counts of murder and one felony burglary count in connection with the deaths.

Kohberger was a PhD student studying criminology at the nearby Washington State University, just over the state line from Idaho, at the time of the slayings. He has said through a former attorney he believes he will be exonerated.

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Kohberger's next court appearance is scheduled for June, but prosecutors disclosed in a March 27 court filing an officer who was part of the murder case was involved in an internal affairs investigation.

Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (TODAY)

Prosecutors filed a protective order to keep the investigation out of the public. It's unclear what the internal affairs investigation involved, when it was launched or how central the officer was to the murder investigation.

Chapin's family can't speak about the case due to a gag order imposed by the judge in the murder case, but the Ethan's Smile tulips are blossoming this spring to keep his memory alive.

"I mean, that kid has touched more lives," Stacy Chapin said. "We say in our family if we touch as many lives as he did in his 20 years, this world would be a better place. He was, he was an amazing kid."

"I miss him. I miss him a lot," his father Jim Chapin added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Mug shots of John Edwards, Rick Perry, and Tom DeLay

Mug shots of John Edwards, Rick Perry, and Tom DeLay. Credit - U.S Marshals Service/Abaca Press/Reuters; Travis County Sheriffs Office/Getty Images; Getty Images

Mug shots are routinely taken when a criminal suspect is arrested. But for some high-level politicians who have found themselves looking at that camera lens, a lot of thinking goes into a key decision: whether or not to smile.

Most famously, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, and former U.S. Senator John Edwards all smiled in their mug shots. In all of these cases, the pictures represent a deliberate choice by the politicianand its one former President Donald Trump will be faced with on Tuesday when he arrives for his arraignment in New York. He has a split second with a picture that will be shown around the world, and its an opportunity to do something in the way he wants, says Stu Loeser, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers former communications director and former spokesperson for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Trump will go into this photo knowing that he is going to be a meme, both for his supporters and his detractors.

Read More: How Trump Is Negotiating the Details of His Indictment to Maximize the Drama

While the indictment remains sealed, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump, reportedly over his alleged role in a hush-money payment to Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels in her career as a porn star, during the 2016 presidential election. Clifford says they had an affair, but Trump denies that, and is expected to plead not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing.

Leonard Steinhorn, a professor at American University who specializes in political communication, predicts Trump will aim to convey defiance, indignation, and a sense that he can get all of his followers to identify with him as a victim of this so-called Deep State that he believes is persecuting him and by implication, persecuting his supporters. A look of defiance is basically communicating that he is going to stand up against all of the people who have power and are using it against him and his supporters.

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More from TIME

If Trump chooses to smile for the camera, hell fit into a history of smiley political mug shots going back nearly twenty years. It began with former Texas congressman and Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who grinned in an Oct. 20, 2005, mug shot after he was indicted on money-laundering charges. It was borderline shocking. That hadnt really been done before, says Loeser. But if you dont think youre guilty, dont act like people who are guilty.

The smile didnt help keep him out of trouble. Shortly after the mug shot, DeLay stepped down from his leadership post and then resigned from Congress in June 2006. In 2010, a Texas jury convicted him on charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. While he was sentenced to three years in prison, he was free on bail as he appealed the ruling. In 2014, a Texas appeals court upheld an earlier ruling that threw out the conviction.

Read More: How Trumps Mug Shot Could Fuel a Fundraising Boonfor Trump

In June 2011, former North Carolina U.S. Senator and two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was so smiley in a mug shot that multiple blogs joked that it looked like a dating profile picture. He pleaded not guilty to charges that he violated campaign finance laws by using almost $1 million in contributions to conceal a mistress who got pregnant with his child while he was running for President in 2008. Exactly a year after being charged, Edwards legal ordeal ended when a jury acquitted Edwards of a charge of accepting an illegal campaign contribution and deadlocked on five other charges.

Another Lone Star state politician who smiled in his mug shot: Rick Perry. On Aug. 19, 2014, the then-Republican Governor of Texas, smiled amid charges that he abused his power by pressuring a Democratic district attorney to step down by threatening to cut funding to her office. Perry called the indictment a farce, held a press briefing before he had his mug shot taken, and then tweeted a picture of himself at an ice cream parlor afterwards.

Governor Perrys public relations strategy is to present this indictment as one blow, low and foul, in an ongoing fight between a disgraced, partisan, Democratic, district attorney and a Republican governor fighting for common decency, the rule of law, and the sanctity of the Texas Constitution, Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University, told TIME in 2014. The case was dismissed in 2016.

Unlike DeLay, Perry, and Edwards at the time of their indictments, Trump is trying to make a comeback and running for re-election, so hell approach his mug shot with a unique set of considerations. Anyone in this position has to use this as an opportunity to try and solve their political problem, Loeser says of the thinking that will go into Trumps photo. Notes Steinhorn: Criminals often dont think about the message they want to send, because theyre not running for President of the United States.

Correction, April 4

The original version of this story misstated the type of jury that convicted Tom DeLay. It was a jury, not a grand jury.
Chicago mayoral candidates Brandon Johnson, left, and Paul Vallas greet each other before a debate, on March 21. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

CHICAGO  In 2009, President Obama tried to bolster Chicagos bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics by telling the International Olympic Committee how he had come to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities.

On Tuesday, voters in that city will select their new mayor, and what happens in this most American of cities could be a sign for the rest of America. The choice is between progressive Brandon Johnson and moderate Paul Vallas, who were the top two finishers in the first round of voting last month, which saw incumbent Lori Lightfoot finish third.

The two represent starkly different visions of the city, informed by starkly different backgrounds.

Johnson is a Black former teacher who now serves on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. In 2020, he proposed a Budget for Black Lives, which he has touted as a signature accomplishment. Now, Johnson is pushing for higher taxes and more expansive social services.

Vallas is the grandson of Greek immigrants who has touted his own managerial competence as a school reformer in Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Bridgeport, Conn. His top priority is hiring more police officers and bringing down the citys troublingly high rate of both violent and property crime.

This is a hope-versus-fear election, Ben Head, political director for Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who has endorsed Johnson, told Yahoo News.

The results could be one of the last and best barometers of the electorates mood ahead of the 2024 elections. What happens in Chicago could tell the national Democratic Party how much issues like crime continue to weigh on voters; how much bitterness lingers from pandemic-related school closures; how much progressive policy middle-class voters are willing to countenance.

Voters cast their ballots in a Chicago's mayoral election, Feb. 28. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

The April 4 runoff election for mayor of Chicago is a proxy war for the forces of reaction and transformation in our country at the moment, said Jackson Potter, a vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, which has invested heavily in Johnsons candidacy, in an interview with Convergence magazine. What happens here will have huge repercussions for whats possible, not just in city elections across the country, but in our national elections.

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Chicago  the nations third-largest city, with 2.7 million people  may be more indicative of the national mood than New York City and Los Angeles, which both elected new mayors in the last two years. Unlike those cities, Chicago is not a coastal destination for celebrities and global billionaires. But it is the most populous city in the Midwest, its population evenly divided between white, Black and Latino residents.

Although life here has become unaffordable to some, the contrast between Chicago and star cities on the coasts remains astonishing. A home, on average, costs $262,866 in Chicago, much closer to the national average of $354,649 than San Francisco ($1.23 million) or even Washington, D.C. ( $617,377).

Chicago is a place where middle class families can afford a nice place to live, Chicago-based political consultant Tracy Mayfield told Yahoo News. You can have just a beautiful neighborhood existence.

What homeowners in Bronzeville, a historic South Side epicenter of Black culture, and young professionals in fashionable North Side neighborhoods like Lincoln Park say about what they want for Chicago could prove relevant, as both parties gear their pitches to the suburbs of Philadelphia and the exurbs of Phoenix and other battleground regions of the country.

"I Voted" stickers at a polling place in Chicago, Feb. 28. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

Moreover, Chicago could serve as the site of next summers Democratic National Convention, potentially elevating the profile of the next mayor, who would likely have a speaking spot along with national figures including President Biden. (Obama, then a state senator from Chicagos South Side, first achieved national renown with his speech at the 2004 convention.)

The next leader will be a major political figure in the national conversation, Mayfield said. His policies could become a referendum on the partys broader priorities.

The contrasts between the two candidates could not be more stark.

Johnson and Vallas are both running as Democrats, but in 2009, Vallas told a conservative pundit that he is more of a Republican than a Democrat and that he would run as a Republican, were he to seek public office. He also previously opposed abortion rights, though he says he now favors reproductive choice. Throughout 2021, Vallas repeatedly appeared on conservative talk radio programs, mocking both President Biden and Obama, whose presidential library is currently being built on the South Side.

Even so, many establishment Democrats are wary of Johnson and his progressive ideas. Vallas has the endorsement of Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and Arne Duncan, who served as the education secretary in the Obama administration after a stint as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools and remains deeply involved in Chicago affairs.

By endorsing Vallas, Democrats are making clear that they view public safety as a top concern, not to mention a top electoral vulnerability. Though he has embraced ideas like school choice and outlined proposals to build more affordable housing, Vallas is inarguably the law-and-order candidate. If voters know anything about him, it is that, and perhaps nothing else.

Vallas message has been very simple, very clean, Chicago political consultant Thom Serafin told Yahoo News. If he wins (and Serafin believes that will be the case), its going to send a loud message to a lot of folks.

Conservatives have charged that progressive Democratic policies have made American cities unsafe. Republican attacks to the same effect have become concerning enough to President Biden that he recently took the surprising step of blocking the Washington, D.C., City Council from implementing a public safety reform bill that was seen as being overly lenient by conservatives and some moderates.

Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson at a recent campaign stop in Chicago's Sixth Ward. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Johnson has the support of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union. Vallas has the endorsement of the smaller local chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Police, which cannot provide the logistical or financial support of the CTU. Nevertheless, a vote of confidence from the police is a telling sign, comforting to some voters but potentially alienating to others.

If Paul Vallas is even a Democrat, hes at the far edge of the party. Hes called himself a Republican, said Head. At best he is in the Dan Lipinski wing of the party, Head argued to Yahoo News, an unflattering reference to a combative local congressman who was ousted in 2020 by a more liberal challenger.

So what does it mean for Democrats here and across the country that Vallas appears to hold a narrow lead heading into Tuesdays election?

Having unsuccessfully sought office several times before, Vallas became a frontrunner by focusing on Chicagos crime problem, including a sharp rise in murders around the time the pandemic began. Carjackings and car theft, which were previously prevalent in only the citys poorer precincts, have also become a citywide problem.

Johnson has been forced to explain  and renounce  his earlier support for shifting city funds away from police departments to social service agencies. At recent debates, he has grown frustrated at constant reminders by Vallas that he had supported the so-called defund movement.

Johnson has never been able to shake the defund the police issue, says Serafin, an issue that has even hounded Biden, despite his being an author of the 1993 crime bill and a centrist Democrat who never expressed support for defunding the police.

It's like getting paint on your hand, Serafin says. You cant get the paint off.

Vallas meeting with supporters at the Copernicus Center in Chicago on Saturday. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

When it comes to homicides, the overwhelming majority of victims in Chicago are Black. Murders with Black victims are the least likely to be solved by the police department. And there are longstanding allegations that cops are slow to respond when receiving calls from Black neighborhoods.

Frustrations with crime may explain why Vallas has received a surprising number of endorsements from Black electoral and religious leaders in Chicago, including from former Rep. Bobby Rush, a founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers. Discussing what it meant to have Rushs support at a recent City Club of Chicago forum, Vallas teared up.

A lot of progressives make the mistake of thinking that Black people are progressive: Not the folks who go to church twice a week, not the folks who are older and homeowners, political consultant Pete Giangreco told Yahoo News. The most middle-class people in the world are middle-class people on the South Side, he added, referring to a historically Black part of Chicago.

National polls suggest that Black voters are drifting away from the Democratic Party, potentially severing a decades-long allegiance.

Chicago has not elected a Republican mayor for a century, but even here there are hints of a split. When you go through the South Side, you go to Bronzeville, Englewood, Roseland, the depth of poverty and destruction, the disinvestment, the institutional racism  they have allowed it, said Devin R. Jones, a Black conservative who leads a local GOP chapter, of the citys Democratic leadership.

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union listen to speakers at a press conference outside of John Spry Community School, Jan. 10, 2022. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Schools are another wedge issue. The CTU fought against reopening schools into 2022, arguing that it was not safe to do so even after vaccines became available. While ardent supporters of the union  and of public sector unions more broadly  cheered the teachers recalcitrance, many Chicago parents grew frustrated.

The frustration could linger. The CTU flexed its muscle in keeping schools closed, Mayfield told Yahoo News. People are just scared they could do it again. A recent strike by teachers in Los Angeles, albeit brief, served as a throwback to the bitterness that marked the debate about reopening schools during the pandemic.

That very same bitterness helped power Republican Glenn Youngkin to an unlikely victory in 2021s gubernatorial race in Virginia, when he energized parents frustrated by school closures and uncertain about lessons on the history of systemic racism, which he described with the inaccurate catch-all term critical race theory.

In doing so, Youngkin came to serve as a kind of prototype for other Republicans who have embraced similar messages on education.

Vallas has been criticized for expressing his own reservations about how Black history should be taught, agreeing with one interviewer that learning about past oppression would turn Black children into criminals, earning comparisons to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an eager culture warrior.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and progressive mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson, right, rally the faithful at the Credit Union One Arena last Thursday. (Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

In the final day of the 2021 gubernatorial race in Virginia, powerful American Federation of Teachers leader Randi Weingarten campaigned with McAuliffe. She was in Chicago last week at a boisterous Johnson rally that featured Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the independent progressive superstar. Johnson has also won the backing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley, both Democrats from Massachusetts.

The last time I saw this kind of energy in Chicago, it was when Barack Obama was president, Weingarten said.

Yet for all their differences, both Vallas and Johnson have both been marching towards the middle since the first round of voting, in an effort to make themselves palatable to moderate voters.

Its not clear how convincing they have been. For a lot of normal Democrats, this is a choice between a Republican and a socialist, Giangreco said. Theres a big chunk of the vote thats like, I just want to vote for normal.

Biden is preparing to make that very case to voters once he announces his reelection bid, as most everyone expects he will do within a matter of weeks or months. Ahead of the 2022 midterms, he argued that MAGA Republicans beholden to former President Trump and opposed to reproductive rights and expanded access to affordable health care could not be trusted with congressional control.

The argument helped Democrats retain control of the Senate and prevail in key gubernatorial races.

In general, moderation seems to be good for candidates electorally, says University of Chicago political scientist Anthony Fowler. Theres lots of good evidence that when given a moderate option, voters typically choose the moderate option.
A man is in custody after being accused of shooting his cousin after an argument during which he asked him to leave his apartment, Tennessee cops said.

Jeremy Payne, 28, was charged with second-degree murder and employing a firearm with the intent to commit a felony, according to jail records.

Deputies said Payne was hosting his cousin in his Memphis apartment for a few days when the two began arguing on March 31, according to an affidavit.

Police did not specify what started the argument, but the situation escalated until the two became irate.

Deputies said Payne demanded that his cousin get out of his apartment, and he called his sister to come and pick up his cousin.

Payne, his sister and his cousin were moving his belongings into Paynes sisters vehicle while Payne and his cousin continued to argue, deputies said.

At one point, the two men threatened to kill each other, according to the affidavit.

Deputies said surveillance footage showed the two men turn face-to-face, continuing to argue, and then Paynes cousin turned away toward the vehicle.

Payne pulled out a handgun and shot his cousin several times, according to the affidavit, and his cousin fell to the ground.

Why? Why? Paynes cousin asked him, and Paynes sister was seen running to their cousin, deputies said.

Paynes sister said their cousin hadnt been clutching for a gun, and she called law enforcement, according to the affidavit.

Paynes cousin was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.

Deputies said Payne was taken into custody at the scene.

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Idahoans traveling along Interstate 84 from Boise to Twin Falls may want to grip their steering wheels a little tighter Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service in Boise issued a wind advisory for Southwest Idaho from 6 p.m. Monday until 3 p.m. Tuesday, and it warned of northwest winds from 25 mph to 35 mph, with gusts up to 55 mph.

Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects, the advisory reads. Tree limbs could be blown down, and a few power outages may result.

More than 4,000 Boiseans had to deal with an outage on Saturday that took Idaho Power several hours to repair, while a smaller outage briefly hit the eastern part of downtown Boise on Thursday.

The Weather Service forecast that Boise would have peak gusts of around 33 mph at midnight and maintain gusts of 30 mph through Tuesday. The blustery winds were hitting Southwest Idaho after a low-pressure system moved into the area Sunday night, meteorologist Josh Smith told the Idaho Statesman.

 Conditions will become breezy later today as a low pressure system dives southeast across the region.



A Wind Advisory has been issued for gusts up to 50-55 mph across SW Idaho this evening through Tuesday. The strongest gusts will be early Tuesday morning. #idwx #orwx pic.twitter.com/CS8lOpBfrd  NWS Boise (@NWSBoise) April 3, 2023

The winds were forecast to pick up steam as they barreled southeast. Mountain Home should see gusts of 48 mph Tuesday morning, while Twin Falls could reach 49 mph.

The advisory also warned of blowing snow. Although no snow was on the ground along I-84, Smith cautioned that blowing snow would be an issue in the Magic Valley, particularly along U.S. 93 south of Twin Falls.

There was also a small chance that Boise could receive a dusting of snow Monday night. The National Weather Service forecast a 20% chance of isolated snow showers on Monday. It then will be dry in the City of Trees until rain arrives Thursday.
Local patients pose for a group photo with An Peng (C), a Chinese doctor and standing committee member at the China Association for Acupuncture and Moxibustion General Hospital branch, at a Chinese clinic inside the Sudanese Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan, Feb. 15, 2023. (Chinese Medical Team to Sudan/Handout via Xinhua)

by Xinhua writers Li Rui, Wang Bingfei

KHARTOUM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Mohamed, a senior Sudanese military officer, felt that the pain in his knee joint was gone after visiting twice what he called "the magic needle room," a Chinese clinic inside the presidential palace in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

"Acupuncture is amazing and magic!" Mohamed, who requested to be identified only by his first name, told Xinhua, recalling the therapy of "warm needle acupuncture" that he received at the clinic.

The clinic, which was set up two decades ago, has been operating with the help of the consecutive teams of Chinese doctors sent to Sudan to provide medical assistance.

Before the treatment, Mohamed's left knee was sensitive to environmental coldness, a symptom called Cold Arthralgia in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Chinese acupuncturist at the clinic treated his knee with "warm needle acupuncture," in which fire needles are applied at strategic points on the body.

The practice of "warm needle acupuncture," which dates back to as early as China's Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), has long proven to be effective in treating certain pains in the body. After his amazing experience at the clinic, Mohamed recommended the "magic needle treatment" to his fellow soldiers.

Each workday, about 40 to 50 patients visit the clinic for traditional Chinese therapy, which combines acupuncture and moxibustion, a form of heat therapy in which an herb is burned on or above the skin to warm and stimulate an acupuncture point or affected area. Both treatments are known for their simple procedures and effectiveness.

Abdelaziz Ahmed Sadd, director of the medical unit at the Sudanese presidential palace, has cooperated with dozens of Chinese doctors at the clinic in the past two decades.

Sadd spoke highly of the TCM, which is gaining wider acceptance among the Sudanese. "Chinese acupuncture is an effective treatment with excellent results. Most of the patients who received the treatment have shown great improvement regarding the symptoms and reduced the use of medical drugs," he told Xinhua.

Acupuncture offers many physical and psychological benefits, such as pain relief, easing of depression and allergy, as well as curing facial paralysis and stroke, he said.

"China is a pioneer in acupuncture treatment, and the Chinese method is recognized globally. It has benefited mankind and contributed to the medical field," said Sadd, expressing the hope for increased cooperation between China and Sudan in the medical domains in the future.

"Good job, Chinese friend," most Sudanese patients would say so after receiving treatment at the clinic, said An Peng, a Chinese doctor and standing committee member at the China Association for Acupuncture and Moxibustion General Hospital branch, who has been working at the clinic for around 4 months.

Besides the clinic, An and other Chinese doctors also provide TCM services in the China-Sudan Omdurman Friendship Hospital near Khartoum, as well as the Abu Osher Hospital in central Sudan's Gezira State.

Sometimes they provide free services to Sudanese. During a volunteer event held in July 2022 at the Maiguma Orphanage in Khartoum, the largest orphanage in Sudan with about 300 orphans, the Chinese doctors taught the teachers there to use Chinese pediatric massage to treat indigestion and common illnesses of the children.

With a long history, pediatric massage is an important part of TCM. Based on the meridian theory of TCM, the use of special methods to stimulate children's specific acupoints could cure or prevent certain diseases.

On a wall of the orphanage, there hangs a poster of a proverb by Abolfath Bosti, a well-known Arab poet, that reads "a seed can blossom and bear fruits, spreading beauty everywhere."

An Peng said the proverb fits in describing the deeds of the Chinese doctors who have been offering free medical services in Sudan since 1971, passing friendship and love from China to the Sudanese people.

Since the arrival of the first batch of Chinese doctors in Sudan in 1971, China has so far sent to the African country a total of 37 medical teams that comprise more than 1,100 medical personnel. They have treated about 8 million Sudanese patients and conducted more than 200,000 major surgeries in total, according to official statistics. Enditem

(Zakaria Abdelnaeem Mohamed Hasabo contributed to the story.)

This photo taken on Jan. 11, 2023 shows the exterior view of Sudanese Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan. (Chinese Medical Team to Sudan/Handout via Xinhua)
Journalists outside Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trumps residence and private club, in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday, March 31, 2023, a day after the former presidents indictment. Republican legislation in Florida could soon sharply curtail press freedoms. (Josh Ritchie/The New York Times)

Gov. Ron DeSantis has long courted right-wing news outlets, while dismissing mainstream reporters as biased and untrustworthy. But legislation that would sharply curb press freedom in Florida is creating a rare rift between the governor and the media that have helped propel his rise.

The legislation, drafted at DeSantis urging as he inches toward a presidential bid, takes aim at several protections in state and federal law, including the decades-old Supreme Court precedent that makes it difficult for public figures to win libel lawsuits. The proposals are packaged in two bills moving through the Republican-controlled Legislature.

While public opposition has largely come from left-leaning and nonpartisan free-speech groups, forces traditionally aligned with DeSantis have in recent weeks begun raising alarm. They are warning that the governor and his GOP allies did not take into account how the bills would affect right-wing reporters and commentators, not just the mainstream outlets that have become punching bags for Republican politicians.

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The sword cuts both ways, Trey Radel, a radio talk show host and former Republican congressman, said late last month as he railed against the legislation on his evening drive-time show.

Radel argued that the two proposed bills could prompt a torrent of costly libel suits against conservative websites and talk and news stations such as the one that broadcasts his program, a Fox News affiliate in Fort Myers. Such litigation could put stations like his out of business, he added, and here is whos going to pay the biggest price politically: Ron DeSantis.

The legislation being considered in Tallahassee seeks to challenge the long-standing Supreme Court precedent known as New York Times v. Sullivan  which protects publishers of all sorts from defamation suits unless an error is found to be willful or the result of negligence. The legislation would also eliminate several protections for journalists in Florida, narrow the definition of a public figure, and establish the presumption that any statement from an anonymous source, including whistleblowers, is automatically deemed false.

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Throughout his political career, DeSantis has relied heavily on conservative media, slipping well-timed scoops to outlets such as Breitbart News and The Epoch Times and frequently appearing on prime-time shows on Fox News. He has cast mainstream reporters as hostile and suggested the news media has abused its protection afforded in the First Amendment.

At the end of the day its our view in Florida that we want to be standing up for the little guy against some of these massive media conglomerates, DeSantis said during a round-table event on defamation he hosted in February.

Marc Randazza, a First Amendment lawyer who has represented numerous right-wing outlets in libel suits, notes that the legislation would most likely have a chilling effect on the press. News outlets may think twice before covering difficult topics or criticizing public figures if an unintentional error could end in a costly judgment; it could also drive up insurance rates, forcing some companies to shutter.

Randazza, whose firm has represented Alex Jones, the broadcaster who faces more than $1.4 billion in legal damages for defaming the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, said he was urging his clients to write letters to DeSantis and the bills sponsors asking them to drop the legislation.

Im not an anti-DeSantis guy. Hes my top pick for president right now, but this legislation is moving in exactly the wrong way, Randazza said.

When you fashion a weapon you think can hurt your enemies, you shouldnt be surprised when it hurts you, too, he said.

A spokesperson for DeSantis, Jeremy Redfern, did not respond to questions about the rising pushback from the right. Redfern said only that it was encouraging to see the Legislature taking up the important topic of media accountability and joining the conversation that the governor began earlier this year.

Rep. Alex Andrade said he sponsored the House bill to bring back some reasonableness in the relationship between the press and the public.

The primary impetus for the legislation, he said, was to target the Sullivan standard. The sponsor of the companion bill in the Senate, Jason Brodeur, did not respond to a request for comment.

A wide range of voices have chimed in. On March 23, Rep. Cory Mills, a freshman Republican from Florida, sent a letter to the leaders of both houses of Floridas Legislature calling the proposals unpatriotic and warning that the bills would stifle all media voices  whether liberal, conservative or neutral  that your constituents have come to trust and rely on.

William Barr, the former attorney general under President Donald Trump, wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal last weekend attacking attempts to curtail press freedoms. There are precious few conservative news outlets as it is, he wrote, without making specific reference to the Florida legislation. Why make them more vulnerable to the multitude of left-wing plaintiffs lawyers?

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Last month, James Schwartzel, president of Sun Broadcasting, which owns the Fox affiliate where Radels show airs, sent an email to eight members of the Florida House, Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and DeSantis communications director, calling for the officials to KILL the House version of the bill.

The bill creates too much liability for our business to continue. We will change our conservative programming, and announcers will quit, Schwartzel wrote.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

On Saturday, The Gateway Pundit, a far right news site, published an editorial opposing the House bill, stating that if it is passed, there is no doubt that conservative media outlets will suffer. Even the founder of Floridas Voice, one of DeSantis most reliably friendly outlets, has come out against the legislation, tweeting last month that it would allow the left to weaponize this law against their enemies.

National media outlets have not spoken out publicly.

Newsmax, a right-wing network, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Salem Media Group, which produces conservative radio shows and podcasts.

Asked for comment, Fox News  which has argued for protection under the Sullivan precedent in its defamation suit filed by Dominion Voting Systems  pointed to a speech by Lachlan Murdoch in Australia a year ago. We must always be wary of the suppression of information, said Murdoch, the Fox Corp CEO. The contemporary thrill to cancel someone whose opinion you do not share is just the latest insidious form of censorship.

Concerns about the legislation arent limited to the press. Provisions in the bills would increase payouts to plaintiffs, while making it more costly for defendants to fight litigation. They would also allow defamation suits to be brought virtually anywhere in Florida, allowing for forum-shopping to increase plaintiffs chances of winning.

Those measures seem particularly tailored to encourage suits against ordinary people, rather than media outlets, who can also be hit by defamation suits but are far less likely to carry insurance coverage to protect them or to be able to afford the costs of litigation. The legislation, critics say, would lower the bar for a restaurant to sue a customer for a negative Yelp review, for example, or the president of a homeowners association to bring a case against a resident for posting a complaint on Facebook.

Americans for Prosperity, the influential libertarian-leaning group funded by Charles Koch, has come out against the legislation, arguing that it would open all Americans to frivolous lawsuits targeting their speech.

And Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which also receives Koch funding, said he believed the legislation was drafted with an eye on settling scores  real or imaginary  with news outlets that have been critical of DeSantis and other Florida Republicans.

Theres a starting point of animosity with the press and they are trying to use legislative power to take back territory they think theyve lost, Cohn said. But they havent fully thought through the consequences.

(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

At two recent hearings in Tallahassee, no member of the public testified in support of the bills, with dozens of people appearing to oppose it. Nonetheless, the bills Republican supporters show little sign of wavering.

DeSantis hasnt publicly endorsed the legislation. Still, his fingerprints are evident. In the February round-table talk on defamation, he discussed many of the measures that ended up in the bills and said the changes would contribute to an increase in ethics in the media.

And in January 2022, the governors office circulated proposed draft legislation similar to the bills filed this year.

That legislation was intended to invite challenges to existing Supreme Court precedent, according to an attached briefing note first reported on in The Orlando Sentinel.

Rachel Fugate, a First Amendment lawyer in Tampa, said some opponent to the bill are likely holding their fire, hoping that the legislation wont pass or, if it does, it will be tossed out by the courts. Conservatives in the state have been loath to directly take on the governor.

If they challenge the bills theyre going to have to take on DeSantis, Fugate said.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Daria Trepovah has been described by Russian state media as an opponent of the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine - east2west news

The woman suspected of assassinating a propagandist has confessed to delivering a bomb hidden inside a statuette, as her husband claimed the 26-year-old was set up by Russias FSB.

Speculation has swirled over who was behind the explosion in St Petersburg that killed Vladen Tatarsky, with the security services of Ukraine and Russia both having possible motives for wanting the blogger dead, amid Kremlin in-fighting over the war.

Russias notorious FSB security service was quick to announce it had detained Daria Trepova, who was described by Russian state media as an opponent of the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine.

'I brought the figurine that exploded there'

In a video released by a Telegram channel with close connections to the FSB, Ms Trepova is asked by her interrogator if she understood why she had been arrested.

Ms Trepova then sighs and confirms that she was being arrested in connection with the murder of Tatarsky.

I brought the figurine that exploded there, she said, before refusing to answer any more questions on camera.

Daria Trepova - east2west news

Another video from her arrest panned across a sculptor's studio in the building where Ms Trepova lived. Commentary suggested that this was where the hollowed-out bust that concealed the bomb that killed Tatarsky had been made.

But Dmitry Rylov, Ms Trepovas husband and a fellow activist, said that he thought his wife was being set up by the security services.

I am completely sure that she would never have been able to do something like this on her own, Mr Rylov told the SVTV News project. Yes, Daria and I do not support the war in Ukraine but we believe that such actions are unacceptable."

Video delivering a package to the cafe

Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels published several photos of Ms Trepova as well as a video of her delivering a package to the cafe where Tatarsky was killed. Eyewitnesses said that they saw Ms Trepova give a bust containing the bomb to Tatarsky before it exploded.

St Petersburg - ICRF Press Service/Handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The explosive was activated, most likely with the help of a radio signal, Baza reported. The bust of Tatarsky was an ideal way to disguise it as the IED easily fitted inside its hollow.

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Baza also said that the blast was directional, which means that the timing had to be accurate and that the person who pressed the detonator was watching the talk.

Quoting security sources, Baza said that Ms Trepova was a member of various feminist groups.

It also said that Ms Trepovas social media feeds showed that she had been fantasising about suicide since Russia invaded Ukraine and that, revolted by the Kremlin, she planned to leave the country, like hundreds of thousands of other Russians.

Russian media reported that Ms Trepova's mother and sister were also interrogated by the security forces and that the Kremlin had asked the Uzbek authorities to arrest Mr Rylov, who is living in exile in Uzbekistan.

Tatarsky was a rabidly anti-Ukraine propagandist who posted videos from Russian forces fighting on the frontline in Ukraine. He had 560,000 followers and was known to be a close ally of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Kremlins Wagner mercenary unit.

Mr Prigozhin owned the cafe where Tatarsky was killed. He has made several powerful enemies within Russian business, the Russian establishment and the Russian security services and some commentators have speculated that Tatarsky may have been killed as a warning to Mr Prigozhin.

Wagner flag raised over building in Bakhmut

Hours after the murder, Mr Prigozhin raised a Wagner flag over the main administrative building in Bakhmut, the town at the focus of fighting on Ukraines eastern front, claiming the capture of the town and paying tribute to Tatarsky.

This is the city administration building and this is the Russian flag. This is for Tatarsky, his good memory, he said in a grainy video shot on a camera with night-vision equipment.

Ukrainian commanders have denied that Wagner now controls Bakhmut.

Later, through his Telegram channel, Mr Prigozhin also said that he doubted official allegations that linked Ukraine to the assassination.

I would not blame the Kyiv regime for these actions. I think that there is a group of radicals unrelated to the government. That's how I would describe it, he said.

Despite denials from the Ukrainian government, Russias National Anti-Terorrism Committee blamed Kyiv for the murder of Tatarsky.

The murder was planned by the special services of Ukraine with the involvement of agents from among persons collaborating with the so-called Navalny Anti-Corruption Fund, it said.

Daria Trepova - east2west news

Ukrainian officials have dismissed this as nonsense and said that the murder was linked to fracturing inside Russia and domestic disputes.

Ms Trepova was briefly detained on February 24, 2022, the first day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at an anti-war protest.

Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was the second high-profile Kremlin propagandist to be killed in mainland Russia since the Kremlin ordered its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A car bomb killed Darya Dugina, a pro-war journalist, outside Moscow in August. The US intelligence services blamed Ukrainian special forces for killing Dugina.
A woman has revealed some of the tone-deaf things that people who come from money have asked her while she was in school, as part of a viral TikTok trend.

Jess, @spottieottiejess, started off by reflecting on her freshman year at her university in a video posted to TikTok last week. She noted that her family had a low income when she applied to school, so she got a full ride scholarship to a Boston University.

She went on to explain some of the crazy s*** that people said to her, including how she was told that she had so much work experience for a freshman and that shed been working forever. After sarcastically expressing her gratitude over this comment, she shared another experience where her peers asked her to join them at a fancy restaurant in Boston, and she told them she couldnt afford it.

However, she said that they didnt understand her remark, as she recalled that her peers responded to it by making a claim about her body.

They literally looked me up and down and said, Girl you can totally afford it, youre so skinny, she explained. They thought I meant the calories, that I couldnt afford the calories. They didnt think I was talking about money.

Speaking to The Independent, she expressed how isolated she felt at college because of some of the tone-deaf things that her peers said to her.

When I first attended Boston University, 10 per cent of the student body was in the top 1 per cent of America. I was incredibly fortunate for the opportunities BU granted me, but it was difficult to assimilate, she said. I was constantly shocked about how what I thought was considered wealthy was nothing compared to these students.

In her video, Hess recalled how one of her family members was bitter about her scholarship and told her that she was very privileged. She also said that this relative claimed that the real oppressed people were the upper middle class.

She noted that while she currently has a nice apartment, now that shes finished school, she still felt like people didnt realise how truly traumatising it was to live in poverty. More specifically, she said that she gained 50 pounds her freshman year because of a binge eating disorder, since she wasnt used to having access to food in a dining hall.

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In her video, Jess reflected on how she cried everyday during her freshman year because she didnt have health insurance. She also noted how she differed from her roommate, who she said wore Gucci flip flops when using the communal showers.

When you do have money, you dont think about it. When you dont have money, it literally affects every aspect of your life and will traumatise you forever, she said.

She continued to point out her previous choice of words, like finna, and how someone accused her of appropriating the way that people speak. After explaining that she grew up poor in Atlanta, she said that she spent the next year and half changing the way she spoke, because she didnt want to be seen as insensitive.

She then recalled how a friend complained to her about a job where she worked for her father, after doing an interview with his company. Jess pointed out why this complaint wasnt appropriate, considering the job she had at the time.

She got the job and complained every single week about how she had to work six hours, and it really pissed her off that her dad wasnt giving her more time off, Jess continued. And I was sitting there, like working 56 hoursat a gas station. I just couldnt be friends with wealthy people.

The TikTok user then said she felt embarrassed about going to a university with people who used different types of words and vocabulary than she did. She also recalled her first day at business school, where students said that their parents worked as biomedical engineers or successful real estate agents.

When it was her turn to say what her parents did, Jess said that her mother worked at a grocery store, to which her peers awkwardly responded with, Oh, very cool. She went on to confess how her finances throughout her childhood constantly broke [her] down at her university.

I was in survival mode for four years, she said. I dont remember any of my college education, which is very sad, because of poverty. And yet people are going to tell me that Im the one thats privileged because I didnt have to pay anything for school.

She recalled that while her peers talked about going on vacation during winter breaks, she said that she was working during that time. Jess also claimed that while people have called her a gold-digger for now wanting to mary someone whos wealthy, this is ultimately a choice that ties back to her childhood.

I grew up in extreme poverty, she said. And I made it. So yeah, excuse me for wanting to have better for me and my kids. Cause I grew up in a house where there was no food.

She noted that when her peers sarcastically welcome her to adulthood, she noted that she would prefer that it over her childhood. I was literally fending for myself at 16, she explained. This is actually pretty nice, I would never relive my childhood, ever.

She then noted that during Covid, her school gave her and some other students money to help them survive. And while she said those students felt bad about taking that money from people who really needed it, Jess utilmtely felt like they were the ones who needed it.

Jess concluded her video by acknowledging what shes learned from going to school with people who had more money than her.

I had to realise that I didnt have enough money that I thought I did, when I truly realised what wealth was, she said. If youre poor in university, take all those f***ing resources, yall. Take all of it. Ride them. Youre the one that theyre talking about when they say they need to give it to people that need it.

Speaking to The Independent, Jess discussed the most peculiar thing she learned from these experiences with her peers in college. I realised when talking with wealthy people at my university was that their consequences were not the same as mine, she said. With money, I observed that they could basically buy their way out of most mistakes, so some of them were careless about how their actions impacted others. If I made a mistake, my opportunities could literally be over in an instant.

She also reflected on how her video went viral and some of the kind comments received from people who could relate to it.

I really loved how cathartic and healing the space was under my comments section for viewers to share their experiences with poverty or attending a wealthy institution, Jess explained. I would hope that the biggest takeaway from the clip would be that there is strength in community.
A woman employed by the Board of Public Utilities for two decades is suing Wyandotte County over claims of disability discrimination.

Jill Ann Rogers has been employed with the county since 2003. In 2016, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which has limited her mobility.

According to the federal lawsuit filed Friday in the U.S. Court for the District of Kansas, her handicapped parking space was not close to the main entrance. Closer spots were available, but she was not permitted to use them because they were reserved for management and board members, the lawsuit said.

Rogers had been carrying out the responsibilities of acting purchasing director, but in March 2021, she was passed over for the position. The lawsuit said the decision was at least in part because of her disability.

Rogers receives chemotherapy treatment which leaves her immune system suppressed. For a time, she was allowed to work remotely. But then the board told her she would not be permitted to work remotely and she needed a doctors note to return to the office safely.

At the time, her doctor was not comfortable writing the note because of her compromised health, the lawsuit said.

She was forced to utilize leave using the Family Medical Leave Act.

In March 2022, the doctor approved her return to work. But the board refused to allow her to come back, the lawsuit said. As a result, Rogers is still employed by the board, but continues to be on long-term disability benefits, the lawsuit said.

Rogers has suffered lost wages, emotional distress, loss of career opportunities and deprivation of civil rights, the lawsuit alleges.

David Mehlhaff, a spokesman for the BPU, and Krystal McFeders, a spokeswoman for the county, said they were unable to comment on pending litigation.

The BPU has faced several lawsuits in recent years alleging racial discrimination.
Talk about a major color explosion that sparks the creative mind.

A house for sale in Twentynine Palms, California, is turning heads thanks to its vibrant color scheme running wild throughout the entire residence.

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom, 1,820-square-foot home is listed for $857,000 and even has its own name: The world-famous tile house.

These bedrooms are a hoot. You get two of them. It rents for $285 a night and sleeps 4. #FridayNightZillow You can read the reviews here: https://t.co/caC643nmTn pic.twitter.com/noDc808xwQ  Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) April 1, 2023

This is a sink. This one is creepy. #SinkZillow pic.twitter.com/PfSM2bfmcu  Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) April 1, 2023

Plenty of room. You get 15 acres of desert! #FridayNightZillow pic.twitter.com/cadJ2ID82a  Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) April 1, 2023

This artisan gem is a Mojave Desert cultural icon, located in the artsy community of Wonder Valley, the listing on Zillow.com describes. It was nominated as one of the top 3 most creative homes in the world by Airbnb in 2016. This home has been used in fashion magazine photo shoots and music videos.

Covered in artistic tile inside and out, this one-of-a-kind home takes assemblage to a new level as it whimsically blends pop-art, fine art, and spiritual references and artisan tile work into a very unique style, all its own. Every time you see it, youre bound to see something new.

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The home sits on 20 acres with views of the tourist-packed Joshua Tree National Park. Its also near a private water well, the listing says.

The main draw is that every room appears to be dramatically different  from its curious dining area, to its brighter than sunshine rays kitchen  nothing is really on repeat.

The tile house was featured on Friday Night Zillow, a Twitter segment that posts unique homes on the real estate market.

The World Famous Tile House in the Twentynine Palms desert is for sale for $857K. 4.96 rating on AirBnB. Eye candy dial goes to 11. Enjoy! tweeted Steven Dennis, the segments creator.

The thread went on to highlight different rooms throughout the house.

I love this colorful house, one person said.

The random mannequins would scare the crap out of me constantly, someone pointed out.

My first thought: Walt Disney threw up all over this house, another joked.

Not a boring room in the house, one person observed.

Twentynine Palms is 140 miles east of Los Angeles.

Estate for sale defines living on the edge. See the California home  if you dare

Tequila room? Yes, please. Check out the one in this $7.7 million California estate
They spent nearly a month crammed in the basement of a local school, forced out of their homes by invading Russian troops and held in conditions described as "worse than prison".

Soon after the invasion in February last year, the Russians forced 367 people -- nearly the entire population of the village of Yagidne north of Kyiv -- into a basement with no windows measuring less than 200 square metres.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said Ukraine would never forgive Russians for setting up a "concentration camp" in Yagidne a year ago.

The villagers, including elderly people and around fifty children were kept in the basement for 27 days.

The youngest prisoner was six weeks old; the oldest 93.

Eleven of the villagers died during the ordeal.

One of the survivors, Ivan Polgui, said the Russians did not explain anything when they arrived.

"They brought us to the basement and said they would take us somewhere else later," Polgui, 63, told AFP.

"We could only go to the toilet. It was worse than in prison," he added.

The basement had only a few chairs and planks that served as makeshift tables. There were no beds or mattresses, leaving people to sleep on the floor or sitting up.

- 'Animals' -

Polgui and others spoke to AFP as Zelensky and German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck travelled to the village located a two-hour drive north of the capital to mark the one-year anniversary of the liberation of the settlement from Russian troops.

"They came into houses with machine guns and forced everyone to the basement," said Valeriy Polgui, the 38-year-old son of Ivan Polgui.

"They gave us five minutes to gather everything we needed."

Fellow survivor, 60-year-old Valentina, said there was "wild fear" when the Russians came.

"They knocked on our door and broke it down. This fear did not leave me the whole time we were here and for a month afterwards," said Valentina, who declined to give her family name.

Speaking in Yagidne, Zelensky said he hoped that Russian President Vladimir Putin would spend the rest of his life in a dark basement with a bucket for a toilet.

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Addressing Ukrainians in the evening, the president called the Russian troops "animals," saying they set up a command post in the Yagidne school and used the civilians in the basement as a "human shield".

Valery Polgui said some people died from lack of oxygen in the small cellar.

"At first it was cold here, but then there were more people and there was not enough oxygen," he said.

He added that elderly people "lost consciousness from the lack of oxygen, lost their mind and died".

They were not allowed to immediately bury their dead.

"If a person died in the morning, we could ask to take them outside in the afternoon. To put them in the boiler room," Ivan Polgui said.

And if somebody died in the evening, "the corpses would lie there and children would walk around them".

Their names with the date of death were inscribed on a wall and door of the basement by the others.

- 'Afraid to come out' -

Valentina said it was difficult to breathe in the basement.

"People were walking, kicking up dust," she said, adding that condensation was dripping down from the warmth of their breath.

She said that people were getting ill, "many people had fever" and there were cases of chickenpox.

"There was no place to cook or eat. We organised a kitchen on the street," Valentina said.

After about a month, Russian forces withdrew from the suburbs of Kyiv.

Yagidne, which is located in the northern region of Chernigiv, was liberated on March 30, 2022.

Valery Polgui said they were still in the basement when Ukrainian forces arrived.

"All the people were afraid to come out because they did not know who was there," he said.

He said he would remember their liberation for the rest of his life.

"We were incredibly happy to see them," he added.

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The Los Angeles headquarters of the Writers Guild of America West. (Los Angeles Times)

The leadership of the Writers Guild of America is asking its 11,500 members to authorize a strike should they fail to reach an agreement on a new contract with the major Hollywood studios.

In a message to members, the guild's negotiators cited a lack of progress in talks that began last month.

"After two weeks at the bargaining table, they [the studios] have failed to offer meaningful responses on the core economic issues in any of the WGA's primary work areas  screen, episodic television and comedy-variety," the union's negotiators said. "They have listened politely to our presentations and made small moves in only a few areas, almost entirely coupled with rollbacks designed to offset any gains. In short, the studios have shown no sign that they intend to address the problems our members are determined to fix in this negotiation."

It is not uncommon for unions to seek a strike authorization from members in order to gain more leverage in bargaining. If approved by a majority of members, leaders could call a strike after the current three-year film and TV contact expires on May 1. Online voting runs April 11-17.

The union and the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, entered negotiations on March 20.

Hollywood has been on edge over rising expectations that writers will stage their first strike since one in 2007-08, which lasted 100 days and disrupted Southern California's production economy.

The WGA has proposed demands worth $600 million, including increases in minimum pay and increases in residual payments from streaming, along with increased contributions to its health and pension plans.

Writers argue that despite the streaming boom, their median pay has fallen in the last decade, citing a WGA report.

"The survival of writing as a profession is at stake in this negotiation," the WGA leaders said. "Over the past decade, while our employers have increased their profits by tens of billions, they have embraced business practices that have slashed our compensation and residuals and undermined our working conditions."

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The last time the union asked members to vote on a possible strike was in 2017. The union ultimately negotiated a new contract without a strike.

Representatives of the AMPTP had no comment.

Some prominent writers, such as "The Walking Dead" showrunner Glen Mazzara, were already taking to social media to express their support for the strike authorization.

"WGA members must demonstrate our willingness to fight for the contract writers need and deserve by supporting a strike authorization vote," he wrote in a tweet.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Wall Street Journal demanded the immediate release of journalist Evan Gershkovich Saturday following his arrest by Russias top security agency on espionage charges.

We know whats going on in the world because of the fearless reporting of journalists like Evan," the statement read. "Evans case is a vicious affront to a free press, and should spur outrage in all free people and governments throughout the world."

Who is Evan Gershkovich?: What we know about WSJ reporter arrested by Russia for espionage

"No reporter should ever be detained for simply doing their job, the newspaper added.

Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was detained in Yekaterinburg Thursday following accusations of spying on behalf of the U.S. government, Russias Federal Security Service said.

The agency alleged that the American journalist was acting on the U.S. orders to collect information about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military industrial complex that constitutes a state secret."

More: Russia arrests Wall Street Journal reporter for espionage

The Wall Street Journal vehemently denied all allegations against Gershkovich and called for his immediate release in a statement following the news of its reporters arrest.

The detention of Gershkovich, 31, marks the first time an American journalist has been arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War.

In a Sunday call, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the case with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the State Department said.

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The White House said Monday that Gershkovich's case has "everybody's attention," including President Joe Biden's.

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters that "conversations with the Russians will continue as appropriate" and the administration is doing everything it can to bring the reporter home.

Kirby added that the administration expects ''it's going to take a lot of hard work. That doesn't mean we're going to shy away from it, we'll do that work," he said. "And so it's got it's got attention all the way up to the Oval Office, in terms of how we can get him home."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Release of Evan Gershkovich by Russia, demanded by WSJ after arrest
McDonalds has closed its U.S. offices through Wednesday and told its corporate staff to work remotely as it prepares to announce a round of layoffs.

In a memo to workers posted on the website TheLayoff.com, the Chicago-based burger giant said it wanted to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period and would hold all notification meetings virtually. It told international corporate staff to follow guidance in their particular regions.

The company said in the memo that the layoffs are intended to make McDonald's more efficient.

"We have a clear opportunity ahead of us to get faster and more effective at solving problems for our customers and people and to globally scale our successful market innovations at speed," the company said.

McDonald's declined to comment on the memo or the layoffs on Monday. The memo was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Though the U.S. labor market remains strong, layoffs have been mounting, mainly in the technology secto r, where many companies over-hired after a pandemic boom. IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter and DoorDash have all announced layoffs in recent months.

There have been cuts in other sectors as well.

Most of those job cuts are at corporate offices. There are still shortages of workers to fill service jobs, such as those at McDonald's restaurants.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have forecast the unemployment rate may rise to 4.6% by the end of this year, a sizable increase historically associated with recessions.

McDonald's has more than 150,000 employees in corporate roles and in company-owned restaurants. About 70% of those employees are based outside the United States.

McDonald's shares rose just under 1% Monday. The company's revenue was flat at $23.2 billion for the full year in 2022, but its net income fell 18%, partly due to the sale of its business in Russia.

McDonald's warned employees in January that layoffs would be coming as it tried to get more nimble and break down walls between its global markets. In a January memo to employees, McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company was evaluating roles and staffing levels in various parts of the company.

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We have historically been very decentralized in some areas where we reinvent the wheel way too often, Kempczinski said during a January conference call with investors. And I think the other thing Ive seen is we havent been as sharp around our global priorities, and so theres been proliferation of priorities.

In one market, Kempczinski said he had recently discovered a list of 300 separate priorities.

___

This story corrects a previous version that said McDonald's has 150,000 corporate employees. It has 150,000 employees in corporate roles and in company-owned restaurants.
NEW YORK CITY  Rolling road closures. Checkpoints. And a whole lot of law enforcement.

New York City was bracing Monday for Donald Trump's Tuesday arraignment with a massive police presence as the eyes of the world focus on a Manhattan courthouse. Trump is the first current or former U.S. president to ever be criminally charged, and his supporters have tried to delegitimize the process and promised protests.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged protesters to remain peaceful, and specifically called out Atlanta congresswoman and far-right conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted she planned to join protests on Tuesday.

"While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," Adams said, name-checking Greene. "While you're in town, be on your best behavior."

Adams and New York City police officials declined to specify where or how many of the department's approximately 36,000 officers will be deployed Tuesday but cautioned residents to expect increased traffic, road closures and other inconveniences.

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Police monitor the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse April 3, 2023, a day before former President Donald Trump is to be arraigned after a grand jury voted to indict him last week.

What is New York bracing for?

Given that Trump supporters overran the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, New York City officials are wary of a repeat. So far, they say they've seen nothing to indicate a large number of outside protesters arriving in New York City. Adams said there are "no specific, credible threats" so far.

Trump plans to spend Monday night at his apartment in Trump Tower, and then will travel to the courthouse, where he'll be processed and released relatively quickly, according to experts. He plans to fly back to Florida afterward for a rally, but it's unclear whether he plans to make any public appearance in New York City before or after the arraignment.

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On Twitter, Greene promised to protest lawfully against the "unprecedented political persecution of President Trump." She said: "We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump."

LATEST NEWS: Donald Trump departs Florida in 757, headed to New York to face criminal charges

What are things like Monday?

Outside Trump Tower, journalists jostled for space as a crowd of Trump supporters waved flags and tourists and Midtown workers on lunch break snaked through police barricades, scaffolding, and occasionally standstill traffic. Two NYPD buses were parked across the street from the tower.

Queens native David Rem, 59, held up a red Trump 2024 flag on Fifth Avenue, next to metal barricades across the street from Trump Tower.

He said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg hasnt sufficiently prosecuted crimes in New York City. Rem said he felt there are many New Yorkers who continue to support Trump and are concerned about crime in New York City that Bragg hasnt addressed.

They won't speak, though, they're afraid. Theyre muzzled, Rem said, as a police officer motioned to people to keep moving down the sidewalk. I'm not afraid, and Im not muzzled.

One of those fellow New Yorkers was Ai Wang, 66, who stood outside of the Abercrombie & Fitch store across from Trump Tower. Having fled Beijing more than 30 years ago, the Queens resident worried about what she saw as political prosecutions that her family experienced in communist China.

"I want America to be a good country," she said. "In my eyes, this country is going down in the dump."

Nicole Beavers, 24, was visiting from Tampa, Florida, with her aunt Josephine Tamburello, a 45-year-old hairstylist.

"We love Trump and we love and support the NYPD," Tamburello said. "If anybody needs to be arrested its Hillary Clinton for her emails and Hunter Biden."

Christian Konopatzki, 26, walked down Fifth Avenue past the media scrum and gawkers wearing a red hat bearing with the number 45, a reference to Trump's presidency. Owner of a marketing firm, he lives in Trump Tower.

"I think its a witch hunt against him," he said. "Theyre doing everything to keep him from running again."

He is originally from Germany and moved to the U.S. from Dubai a year ago. He hopes Trump runs in 2024.

GREENE RESTRICTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Marjorie Taylor Greene restricted on Twitter after post on Nashville school shooting

Brent Dey, 55, a videographer from Atlanta, posed on the crosswalk near Trump Tower holding a copy of the New York Times' Friday edition with the headline "Trump Indicted," as his wife took his photo. He and his family arrived in New York City on Saturday to see Broadway shows, and he wanted to commemorate the historic nature of Trumps indictment.

Police officials said they are focused on being flexible and responsive to any concerns and remain in constant consultation with both the Secret Service and other law enforcement officials.

"We are prepared," Adams said. "New York City is always ready."

At Collect Pond Park across from the Manhattan Criminal Courthousewhere Trump will be arraigned Tuesday, there was plenty of media presence but little in the way of demonstrations.

More than a dozen satellite trucks were parked around the perimeter of the plaza, and at least two dozen camera crews from local, national and international media outlets were set up along the sidewalks and pathways.

A small handful of police stood around talking as officers monitored the scene from the courthouse side of the street.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump arraignment has New York City bracing for protests Tuesday
PHNOM PENH, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's anti-drug police have arrested two foreigners for allegedly trafficking illicit drugs, seizing over 40 kilograms of narcotics, the National Police said on Monday.

A Laotian man and a Vietnamese man, both aged 36 years old, were apprehended last Thursday at a shopping mall's parking area in the capital's Meanchey district after a probe for several months.

"Some 40.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and a Toyota Highlander were confiscated from the duo during the raid," the National Police said on its website.

The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker. Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grams of illicit drugs could be jailed for life.

According to the country's Anti-Drug Police Department, Cambodia nabbed 4,485 drug-related suspects, including 67 foreigners, during the January-March period of 2023, seizing a total of 240.8 kilograms of narcotics.

Most of the seized drugs are ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine pills, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and cathinone. 
Trump Tower circled with barriers ahead of Trump's arrival

Trump Tower is circled with barriers as security forces take measures ahead of former President Donald Trump's arrival for a court hearing in New York, on April 3, 2023. Credit - Mostafa BassimAnadolu Agency/Getty Images

New York City police are cordoning off streets and calling up officers as they brace for protests and counter-protests. Federal law-enforcement officials are tracking a surge of violent threats against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, including a typewritten death threat containing white powder. And on the online forums where the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was planned, former President Donald Trumps supporters are still debating how to best heed his call to Take Our Country Back.

Of all the unprecedented elements in Trumps indictment, law-enforcement officials face a particular challenge in preparing for the public arraignment of a formerand perhaps futureAmerican President who has warned of potential death & destruction if he is charged with a crime. The New York City Police Department, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, and Secret Service are among those making preparations and gauging the risks ahead of Trumps arraignment Tuesday in Lower Manhattan.

Here are some of the security considerations ahead of the historic arraignment and what officials are doing to prepare.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower in New York, on April 3, 2023. Alex KentBloomberg/Getty Images

New York Prepares

New York City is no stranger to planning for high-profile events, and law enforcement officials say they are prepared for any protests and mass media attention. Police have blocked some of the roads around the courthouse in downtown Manhattan where the former President is due to be arraigned on Tuesday. Officers have also erected metal barricades around Trump Tower, where he arrived Monday afternoon.

In a memo last week, New York City cops were ordered to patrol in uniform and prepare for possible mobilization, according to an internal memo obtained by local news channel PIX11. The department remains ready and available to respond to protests and counter-protests, the NYPD said in a statement, adding a reminder that firearms are not allowed at the courthouse, government buildings or protests.

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The New York City Police Department has said there are no credible threats to the city, and has focused on traffic closures, possible crowd control, and coordinating security logistics with the Secret Service, the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force, and local court officials.

Read More: Analysts Warn Violent Rhetoric After FBI Mar-a-Lago Search Is a Preview of Whats to Come

While so far there have been no signs of the kind of online organizing that would indicate large-scale protests in New York or elsewhere, some high-profile Trump supporters are planning to travel to New York. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would be there on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference. She is scheduled to speak at a rally organized by the New York Young Republicans Club, which held a previous protest last month which reportedly drew about 50 people.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on March 28, 2023. Drew AngererGetty Images

Threats to Public Officials

Law enforcement has tracked a spike in violent threats targeting Bragg. Since Trump first announced he expected to be indicted in mid-March, he has attacked Bragg as a Soros-backed animal and a degenerate psychopath that truly hates the USA.

Bragg has been targeted by several hundred threats, including death threats and racist attacks, according to reports. Last week, Braggs office received a typewritten letter threatening him with assassination and containing a white powder. (The substance was later found to be non-hazardous, according to the NYPD.)

Read More: He Betrayed Us: Why Trumps Call to Protest Is Flopping

Bragg isnt the only official in Trumps sights. The former President wrote and shared dozens of posts on his Truth Social platform over the weekend, some of them calling out judges and officials family members by name. (The NYPD did not respond to TIMEs question about whether those named in Trumps recent posts have been provided extra security).

Please know that your safety is our top priority, Bragg wrote in an email to staff last month first reported by POLITICO. 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.

Former president Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on April 3, 2023. Andrew Caballero-ReynoldsAFP/Getty Images

A very clear time and day

When Trump called on supporters to protest what he said was his impending indictment on March 18, there was little enthusiasm from the MAGA faithful. Many expressed a sense of betrayal, asking why Trump had abandoned the hundreds of supporters facing charges for heeding his call on Jan. 6, 2021, and seemed wary that any public protests would be a trap to arrest more of them.

But experts say Tuesdays arraignment presents a new security risk by attaching a specific date and location to Trumps previously vague calls for supporters to protest.

The danger increases the more we have a very clear time and day, says Lilliana Mason, a political scientist at Johns Hopkins University who analyzes polarization and political violence in America. There is a single day when he physically will be in a place and people will want to defend him, so thats a moment of higher danger than normal.

Read More: With All Eyes on Washington, the Real Far-Right Threat Has Moved On

Ultimately, law enforcement has warned that the most serious concerns are not mass protests but the possibility that one or two armed individuals could decide to act. After the FBI searched Trumps residence at his West Palm Beach resort last year, an armed man in Ohio who had been posting on pro-Trump forums tried to attack the FBIs field office in Cincinnati before being killed in a standoff with police.

We dont need very many people to engage in political violence to create a chaotic situation, Mason tells TIME.

This shift from public protests to individual threats and intimidation was visible on the pro-Trump social media groups, messaging apps and online forums where the planning for Jan. 6 took place.

A death threat on Bragg helps nobody in the MAGA movementso who benefits? one person asked on a popular pro-Trump forum. It puts him on notice and forces him to live in fear of the safety of his wife and kids, another user answered. If harm does [come] to him or his family others will think twice before trying to investigate Trump.

Other supporters in those forums dissented, arguing Trumps attacks and violent rhetoric calling for protests crossed the line. He needs to find a more veiled way to communicate his directives, one person wrote on a MAGA online board. Its clear he want the base to bring violence to his tormentors but you cant blast that out on social media. Its only going to bring more legal exposureHe needs to be more careful.
The signs up and its official: New York Old School Bagel & Deli will open later this spring at Carmel Village in South Charlotte.

Owner Mark Stordeur, a native New Yorker, promises his shop will serve freshly made bagels just like the ones found in the Empire State.

Im looking forward to sharing the comfort foods from New York with my neighbors in Charlotte, Stordeur told CharlotteFive.

And just what makes the New York bagel special?

In the past, Stordeur said, New York bagel makers attributed their bagels signature taste and texture to the water, which often had lower concentrations of calcium and magnesium. But these days, with more unified municipality regulations, the difference lies in how the bagels are made.

New York-style bagels are always kettle-boiled in water for a couple of minutes before theyre baked, which helps make a crackly crust on the outside and a warm, soft inside, Stordeur said.

Lots of other bagel shops take shortcuts by steaming the bagels or even buying them pre-made, Stordeur said. Ill be onsite every morning making bagels from scratch.

Stordeur, an entrepreneur who moved to Charlotte about two years ago, came up with his shops name and logo himself. It was important to have the old school authenticity and full New York experience, so he worked closely with mentor Robert Goldberg, who owns about 40 shops in New York, to learn family recipes, ingredients and other tips to help ensure success.

The shop will offer the full spectrum of bagels, including plain, sesame, blueberry, garlic and onion, along with seasonal specials, with fillers to include bacon, sausage, deli meats, lox and cream cheese spreads. New York hard roll sandwiches will be served at lunchtime, and cold cuts can be purchased by the pound.

The store is still about eight weeks from opening and has a coming soon sign out front. But thats not stopping curious potential customers from stopping by to ask about opening plans. Stordeur anticipates his shop will be warmly welcomed by neighboring businesses and communities.

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Im not the first bagel place here in Charlotte, but I know theres room for more and people are craving it, Storduer said. I know within my heart that Im giving you the same type of product you can find in New York.

Location: 7510 Pineville-Matthews Road, Charlotte, NC 28226

Cuisine: breakfast, bagels

Hours: 6 a.m.-4 p.m daily

Instagram: @new_york_old_school_bagel
Anthony Devlin / Getty Images

British YouTuber and boxer KSI has apologized for using a racial slur in a recent video for his YouTube collective, the Sidemen, posted Sunday afternoon.

The 29-year-old, whose real name is Olajide Olatunji, was featured in a special game of Countdown, where his team was challenged to create the longest possible word from the nine randomly selected letters.

I dont mean this maliciously, began KSI, seemingly aware that his suggestion had offensive potential.

Although the show censored it, the part-time boxer seemed to submit the word Paki, a racial slur typically directed at people of Pakistani origin.

The word Nope appeared on the screen instead.

The players in the room burst out into laughter.

Im sorry, but we need points, KSI said.

Nah @ksi youre not funny man you cannot say P*ki in any contextThese lot will do anything for content 07:49 PM - 02 Apr 2023

The video has since been made private on the Sidemen YouTube channel and can no longer be viewed publicly.

KSI, a frequent collaborator with Logan Paul, apologized for using the offensive term in a statement on Sunday night. He also announced his departure from social media over concerns that he had been messing up a lot."

"There's no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn't have said it, and I'm sorry, wrote the popular YouTuber, who has amassed 53 million followers across all his social media accounts.

"I've always said to my audience that they shouldn't worship me or put me on a pedestal because I'm human, I'm not perfect, I'm gonna mess up in life, he added.

I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video. Theres no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldnt have said it and Im sorry. Ive always said to my audience that they shouldnt worship me or put me on a pedestal because Im human. Im not https://t.co/6mYbqf9WK9 02:53 AM - 03 Apr 2023

The clip generated swift backlash from people online, who criticized everyone involved alongside KSI.

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"I had this racial slur thrown at me & got physical beats by racists for my entire childhood, DJ and presenter Bobby Friction wrote .

"Genuinely upset that @KSI (a guy my children love) did this & thought it was funny. The rest of them laughing can go f*** themselves too. People dehumanising brown people like it normal," he added.

This is horrifically disappointing from KSI and his crew, teacher Mehreen Baig wrote . So many of my students look up to these guys and theyre casually throwing around a word that has consistently been used to bully and attack South Asians. This isnt comedy.

Why was this green lit in the edit? Why did you think it's okay to say? Why are the rest of u laughing & not pulling him up on it? South Asian actor Islah Abdur-Rahman questioned .

KSI has often been criticized for encouraging harmful stereotypes and tropes about the Black community throughout his career as an online personality. In the controversial video deleted from the Sidemens social accounts, he appears on the mock game show under the team name The Negros.

The official account for the Sidemen posted its own apology statement today, accepting that all involved had behaved inexcusably.

We have reflected on this incident both collectively and individually and are truly ashamed that we let ourselves and you guys down in this way, the statement read.

More internet culture
By Alasdair Pal

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Yunupingu, one of Australia's most influential Indigenous leaders has died aged 74, his family said on Monday, months before a referendum on whether to recognise the community for the first time in the country's constitution.

Yunupingu is best known as a land rights activist, who was involved in having traditional ownership documents recognised for the first time by Australia's parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Yunupingu a "national treasure" who worked to unite Australia's leaders with its Indigenous community.

"Yunupingu walked in two worlds with authority, power and grace, and he worked to make them whole - together," he said in a statement.

"What he could see was not the reinvention of Australia, but the realisation of a greater one."

Australia's Indigenous community, known as Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples, have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, but have faced persecution and discrimination since colonisation by the British in 1788.

Born in 1948 in Australia's remote Northern Territories, Yunupingu also worked with successive prime ministers to draft legislation on Indigenous rights.

"Our father was driven by a vision for the future of this nation, his people's place in the nation and the rightful place for Aboriginal people everywhere," his daughter, Binmila Yunupingu said in a statement.

The Australian government last week took the first formal step towards holding a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the constitution and set up an Indigenous "Voice to Parliament" to advise lawmakers on matters that impact their lives.

Albanese has staked his reputation on a referendum on the issue to be held between October and December, with the vote expected to be closely fought.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton, whose Liberal party is yet to clarify its position on the referendum, called Yunupingu "one of our greatest Australians".

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Melbourne; Editing by Sonali Paul)
President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with Council of Europe General Secretary Marija Pejcinovic Buric and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, visited the school in Chernihiv Oblast where 367 local residents were kept in a basement by Russian forces for 27 days. (Photo: President's Office)

President Volodymyr Zelensky and two European officials met with survivors of the Russian occupation of Yahidne village in Chernihiv Oblast, the President's Office reported on April 3.

Yahidne was under occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion until Russian forces withdrew at the end of March 2022.

Zelensky, along with Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric and German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, visited the school where 367 local residents were kept in a basement for 27 days by the Russians.

Prior to the invasion, the village had a population of around 400 people, the President's Office wrote.

Fifty children were among the hostages and eleven people in total died, according to the President's Office. Residents made a record of each individual's name and date of death on the basement walls.

"Thank you for surviving and waiting for our warriors to arrive. Your testimony has allowed the world to learn about the tragedy that the Russian Federation, its military, and leadership, including the president, have brought to our land," Zelensky said when addressing the survivors.

Zelensky also stressed the importance of Ukraine's allies visiting the liberated regions of Ukraine and meeting with those who lived through Russian aggression, the President's Office wrote.

Ukraine has been coordinating with EU officials to establish an international tribunal for Russian war crimes.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on March 16 that 33 countries were already part of a "core group" working to establish the tribunal.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of over 16,000 Ukrainian children to Russia.

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.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that all the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will be liberated, so if Russian troops do not leave, they will be destroyed.

Source: Ukrinform news agency, quoting a statement made by the President during his visit to the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv Oblast, on 3 April

Quote from Zelenskyy: "Im not going to talk about specific things, because we cannot give the terrorists from the Russian Federation the opportunity to prepare for our methods and steps to liberation. But we will do it, and they should know that. They still have time to leave, otherwise we will destroy them."

Details: The President did not specify when the Armed Forces would be ready for the counteroffensive, but stated that the military was preparing "to be strong in battle and liberate our land".

It is also reported that on the anniversary of the liberation of the village of Yahidne, Zelenskyy visited a school basement where Russian invaders had held civilians hostage for almost a month.

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, German Ambassador to Ukraine Anka Feldhusen, and Andrii Yermak, the head of the Presidents Office, also visited the school with the President.

Looking at the place where the occupiers tortured local residents, Zelenskyy said he wished the Russian president would "spend the rest of his life in a basement, with a bucket instead of a toilet".

Background:

On 3 March 2022, Russian invaders entered Yahidne, Chernihiv Oblast. They drove the residents out of their homes and herded them into a school basement.

The occupiers kept 367 people, including 50 children and several babies, in the 197-square-metre school basement. The youngest was six weeks old.

11 villagers died, unable to withstand the inhumane conditions, and another 10 were shot by the Russians.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held an offsite meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Chernihiv to discuss preparations for the liberation of the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote: "Another [offsite] meeting of the Staff; the first took place in Dnipro, this one was held in Chernihiv. [Meeting participants discussed] key security issues at the front, in the northern regions [of Ukraine] and at the border.

The commanders of [different fronts] delivered reports. Generals Syrskyi and Tarnavskyi reported via a secure connection from the hottest areas of the front, rather than in person. The situation in Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka and throughout Donetsk Oblast [has been discussed], [as well as the situation in] Bilohorivka and all of Luhansk Oblast. Commander-in-Chief [of the Ukrainian Armed Forces], Chief of [Defence] Intelligence, Head of the State Border Guard Service, and representatives of the Ministry of Defence [were present at the meeting].

[It was a] comprehensive meeting. Thorough coordination. Thorough preparation for active operations to liberate Ukrainian lands."

Details: Zelenskyy said that his visit to Chernihiv Oblast was extremely difficult emotionally. He presented Chernihiv with the honorary award "Hero City of Ukraine" and also presented Ukrainian soldiers with awards.

Background:

After visiting a basement in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv Oblast, where Russian occupiers tortured local residents, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wishes Russian President Vladimir Putin to spend the rest of his life in the same conditions.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the Kremlin will not be able to use its UN Security Council membership, or its gas ties with Europe, to evade responsibility: it will be held responsible for every crime it commits in Ukraine.

Source: President Zelenskyys video address

Quote: "The Kremlin will not be able to hide behind a chair in the UN Security Council, gas pipes or anything else. [It] will certainly [bear] legal and rightful responsibility for every Russian crime committed on Ukrainian soil."

Details: President Zelenskyy stressed that Russia will be held responsible by the International Criminal Court, as well as by Ukrainian courts.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






In Chernihiv Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who is on a visit to Ukraine.

Source: Presidents website



Quote: "Thank you for the real results of your work and support for Ukraine. We are fighting on the battlefield for the values of democracy, our freedom and independence, for the future of our children, as well as for our historical values and cultural heritage. It is very important to protect them."



Details: Zelenskyy noted that the establishment of the UNESCO liaison office in Kyiv was a testament to the solidarity between Ukraine and this international organisation.

Zelenskyy informed Azoulay of the Ukrainian cultural sites that were destroyed and damaged by Russia, emphasising that their total number is about 1,190, as well as the theft and illegal export of Ukrainian cultural property from the temporarily occupied territories.

During the meeting, Azoulay handed the Ukrainian president a certificate of the inclusion of the historic city centre of Odesa on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Danger.

Zelenskyy expressed his belief in the importance of including other Ukrainian cultural heritage sites, including the historic city centre of Chernihiv, on the UNESCO list.

Background: In January, the historic city centre of Odesa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the killing of collaborator and propagandist Maxim Fomin, who used the name Vladlen Tatarsky and called himself a "war correspondent", is for Russia to think about.

Source: Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, citing a statement made by Zelenskyy during his visit to the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv Oblast on 3 April

Quote: "I don't think about whats happening in St Petersburg or Moscow. It's Russia that should be thinking about that. I am thinking about my country."

Background:

On 2 April, an explosion occurred in a cafe in the centre of St Petersburg that had previously belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner Group Private Military Company, killing "war correspondent" (military blogger) Vladlen Tatarsky and injuring 30 other people.

Russian security forces have supposedly detained Darya Trepova, a resident of St Petersburg, on suspicion of murdering propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky. However, media outlets are reporting that she is still being searched for.

Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee has accused the Ukrainian security services and supporters of Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation of murdering collaborator and propagandist Maxim Fomin, aka Vladlen Tatarsky, who called himself a "war correspondent".

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have suggested that forces inside Russia may have been involved in Tatarskys murder, and it could have been a "warning" meant for Prigozhin.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Afghans receive China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to needy families in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, April 3, 2023. Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the UNICEF to needy families in the country's central Bamyan province over the past week, an official said on Monday. (Photo by Ziaodin Azad/Xinhua)

BAMYAN, Afghanistan, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to needy families in the country's central Bamyan province over the past week, an official said on Monday.

Each family received a bag of 50 kg rice and 50 kg wheat provided by China and a pocket of soap and a health kit assisted by the UNICEF, said Provincial Director for Natural Disaster Management and Humanitarian Affairs Mawlawi Shakir Tahir, appreciating China and the UNICEF for sending humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan at a critical stage where a majority of Afghans are suffering from poverty.

The joint assistance of China and UNICEF has been distributed to 446 families in four districts, the official added.

Welcoming the humanitarian aid, a recipient Rajab Moahid told Xinhua, "We do thank both the UNICEF and China for helping us in such a critical situation."

China has supported Afghanistan over the past year with COVID-19 vaccines, winter clothes, tents, and foodstuff, which had been distributed among poor and flood-affected families in the South Asian country. 

Photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to needy families in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the UNICEF to needy families in the country's central Bamyan province over the past week, an official said on Monday. (Photo by Ziaodin Azad/Xinhua)

Photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to needy families in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan. Afghan authorities have distributed China-donated humanitarian aid and assistance provided by the UNICEF to needy families in the country's central Bamyan province over the past week, an official said on Monday. (Photo by Ziaodin Azad/Xinhua)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Poland on Wednesday, 5 April.

Source: The Office of the Polish President as European Pravda reports

Details: Marcin Przydacz, a representative of the Office of the President of Poland, said that Zelenskyy would, in particular, meet with Ukrainians currently living in Poland.

Quote: "On Wednesday, 5 April, we are expecting the official visit of the President of Ukraine to Poland. On Wednesday afternoon, the president will meet the Poles and Ukrainians living in our country at the Royal Castle," said a message on Twitter.

W srode, 5 kwietnia, spodziewamy sie oficjalnej wizyty Prezydenta Ukrainy @ZelenskyyUa w Polsce. Prezydent  w srode po poudniu na Zamku Krolewskim spotka sie z Polakami i Ukraincami przebywajacymi u nas  Szef @BPM_KPRP @marcin_przydacz w @RMF24pl. pic.twitter.com/mXnLIIk8kf  Kancelaria Prezydenta (@prezydentpl) April 3, 2023

Other details of the visit are not reported. Apparently, Zelenskyy will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

The visit will coincide with a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, which US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to attend.

It should be noted that Zelenskyy's previous visits abroad during the war were not announced.

Reminder: Ukraine will buy 100 Polish-made Rosomak armoured personnel carriers from Poland.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released an official autopsy result in the death of Irvo Otieno, confirming preliminary suspicions that the 28-year-old died by asphyxiation after 10 deputies and hospital workers piled on top of him.

Medical examiners ruled the manner of death as a homicide.

In releasing the cause of death, it was technically ruled as positional and mechanical asphyxiation with restraints, said Arkuie Williams, administrative deputy with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The announcement was released on Monday.

Otieno died on March 6 after being transported to Central State Hospital by deputies with the Henrico Sheriffs Office. There, Otieno was pinned down for more than 11 minutes while he was shackled and handcuffed.

Much of his treatment, which stemmed from a mental health episode, has been recorded on video, including his death at the state-run Dinwiddie County mental health facility.

Since then, seven deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with murder.

The medical examiners report confirms a preliminary report that was released this month.

In a press release, lawyers for the Otieno family broadcast the news, sharing a quote from Caroline Ouko, the mother of Otieno. All must know what they did to my son, said Ouko.

Otienos case has drawn national attention, with civil rights advocate Al Sharpton and lawyer Ben Crump coming to Virginia last weekend for a internationally televised funeral. Ouko has retained local civil rights lawyer Mark Krudys, as well as Crump, who has become nationally recognized since representing the family of George Floyd.

The official declaration confirms what all could see in the video. Irvo, while facedown and handcuffed at his wrists and shackled at his ankles, was not permitted to breathe, said Crump.

For over 11 minutes, the ten officer/hospital defendants pushed down hard on every part of Irvos body until he was limp and lifeless. We cannot continue to treat the mentally ill with such brutality. This must end; it must end now.

The official reports came out far more quickly than anticipated.

Typically, official autopsy reports from the medical examiners office take months to finalize. Those delays have been lengthened by understaffing at the office and a deluge of opioid-related deaths at the offices Richmond bureau.
A 43-year-old Council Bluffs man was sentenced last month to more than 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to child sexual exploitation.

Brandon Scott Holmes was sentenced on March 16 to 295 months in prison for pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The investigation began in 2021 after law enforcement found evidence that an IP address linked to Holmes was receiving child pornography via a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

In October 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Holmes' residence, where several digital devices were seized.

Forensic analysis of the seized devices identified thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Holmes also produced images and videos of child pornography.

There is no parole in the federal system. After serving his sentence, Holmes must serve a 10-year term of supervised release.
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MANILA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Philippine security forces clashed with rebels and militants over the weekend, killing four, including a soldier, and wounding two other soldiers, authorities said on Monday.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Hector Estolas said troops and police clashed twice with around 30 New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Rizal province, east of Metro Manila, on Friday, killing a soldier and injuring two others.

Police Brigadier General Allan Nobleza said police also clashed with alleged members of the criminal group Dawlah Islamiya during a raid in Lanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines on Sunday, killing three militants.

Nobleza added fighting broke out when police served an arrest warrant to a militant leader charged with illegally possessing firearms and explosives.

NPA rebels have been fighting the government since 1969. They concentrate their attacks on rural areas and have skirmishes with the military.

Military data showed that the NPA is estimated to have 2,000 members, significantly lower than its peak strength in the 1980s. 
Some 174 Nigerian Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have benefited from a European Union funded facility to produce high-quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and health-care related products.

The MSME companies have been empowered after three years of implementing the EU-funded program which was launched in response to Covid-19 containment measures, aimed to strengthen the capacity of selected local MSMEs/manufacturers across the six geo-political zones to upgrade production processes and adopt World Health Organization (WHO) standards and technical regulations to meet local demand and export to ECOWAS sub region.

The beneficiaries of the program, implemented by four United Nations agencies, were assisted and trained in intervention areas of quality management and SOPs, business linkage, production and equipment management, strategic marketing and business planning. Other area of the intervention includes women and youth mainstreaming, financial management, occupational health safety, labor standards and job creation.

In November 2020, the European Commission took a major step forward in boosting investment in Africa and the EU Neighborhood, helping to stimulate global recovery from the pandemic, by concluding ten financial guarantee agreements worth 990 million with partner financial institutions.

Together, these guarantees were expected to generate up to 10 billion in overall investment. For example, the InclusiFi guarantee with Italys CDP, totaling 60 million, was designed to support local businesswomen and businessmen in Sub-Saharan Africa and the EU Neighborhood, who have trouble accessing loans and capital to start or expand their business.

The 160 million AgreenFi guarantee program was signed with two French organizations to target small businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa and the EU Neighborhood, with a particular focus on MSMEs in the agricultural sector, in rural areas and those particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project consisting in shipping electricity from Morocco to the UK led by Xlinks has featured in the UK s government energy security plan, dubbed Powering UP Britain.

The policy paper sets out interest in the Xlinks project, a proposed large scale onshore wind, solar and battery electricity generation site in Morocco that would exclusively supply power to the GB grid via high voltage direct current subsea cables.

The Government is interested in the Xlinks project, a proposed large scale onshore wind, solar and battery electricity generation site in Morocco that would exclusively supply power to the GB grid via high voltage direct current subsea cables, reads the document.

The Government is considering  without commitment  the viability and merits of the proposal to understand if it could contribute to the UKs energy security, it said.

The UKs energy security is a vital national interest. So too, however, is the urgent need to stick to the Governments 2035 net zero electricity system target and avoid short-term thinking that may derail the transition to clean, abundant sources of energy, comments Simon Morrish, Xlinks CEO.

Therefore, we welcome the Governments determination to work with Xlinks to implement our renewable energy venture. This first-of-its-kind Xlinks Morocco  UK Power Project will meet up to 8% of the UKs electricity demand with renewable energy, reducing consumer bills and adding to security of supply in the process, he said.

The project is estimated to cost $22 billion. Xlinks will construct 7 GW of solar and 3.5 GW of wind, along with onsite 20GWh/5GW battery storage, in Morocco.
The European Union (EU) has granted Egypt $40 million earn-marked for the improvement of food security in the North African country, Egypts International Cooperation Ministry said in a statement.

The EU will provide the funds through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

Per the deal, the AICS will partner with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture to support the production of wheat and grains with 25 million and complete the information control system of wheat in Egypt with 15 million.

The grant comes within the framework of the EU-KAFI Contribution Agreement Under the EU Food Facility program, funded by a grant of 100 million. The projects to be funded by the remaining amount of 60 million are under discussion.

The food security support program strengthens Egypts efforts to address the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
Several members of the top commandment of South Africas ruling African National Congress party, ANC, have traveled to Russia at the invitation of Russias ruling United Russia Party, ahead of August 15th BRIC summit, scheduled in Pretoria, Africa News reports.

The ANC issued a statement last Saturday indicating discussions will focus on the recalibration of the global order to reverse the consequences of neo-colonialism [].

The South African ruling party considers United Russia Party as an ally.

South Africa, member of the BRICS which is composed of Russia, China, Brazil and India, has officially adopted a neutral stance in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Hosting the summit has been thorny issue for South Africa as Russias leader Vladimir Putin is expected to grace the gathering with his presence though under an arrest warrant issued against him in March by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The South African government has requested a legal opinion on how to address the arrest warrant, Africa News reports.
A court in Algeria on Sunday sentenced Ihsane El-Kadi, a prominent journalist in the country, to five years in prison, accusing him of receiving foreign funds with an aim to threaten state security.

In addition, the court ruled that Interface Media, which operates the news website Maghreb Emergent and Radio M station, be dissolved and pay a fine of $40,000.

On Sunday, the sixty-year-old journalist listened to the ruling of the judge in the Sidi MHamed court without any reaction.

During a court session on March 26, El-Kadi had asked the judge not to attend the pronouncing of the conviction, saying he knows the ruling in advance.

The journalist also refused to answer the courts questions saying that the conditions for a free trial have not been met and that the investigative judges decision to place him in pre-trial detention is illegal.

Journalists from Interface attended the court hearing on Sunday and they had assumed the verdict to be harsh.

El-Kadis lawyers said they are going to appeal the judgment within the required timeframe.

Ihsan had strongly protested being described as khabardji (an informant) by the countrys President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a television interview last February. His lawyers considered Tebbounes comments as directed to the judges, saying that the journalists indictment did not include the charge of espionage.

Article 95 stipulates a sentence of five to seven years in prison for anyone who receives funds, a gift or an advantage, by any means, from a state, an institution or any other public or private body or from any legal or naturalized person, inside or outside the country, to carry out or incite to carry out acts likely to undermine state security.

El-Kadis defense team had dismissed the foreign funding charges.

They said the only foreign transfer to El-Kadis company had been from his daughter who lives in the United Kingdom and who had transferred 30,000 British pounds to the company to pay the salaries of employees.

The arrest of El Kadi and the sealing of the headquarters of Interface Medias sparked a wave of solidarity among his colleagues and human rights activists in Algeria and abroad. A petition launched by the organization Reporters Without Borders to obtain his release has collected more than 10,000 signatures.

Recently, three United Nations special rapporteurs on human rights issues expressed their concern about violations of the right to freedom of the press and expression, as well as to a fair trial in Algeria.

In correspondence addressed to the Algerian authorities, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the fight against terrorism drew attention to the trial of journalist Ihsane El Kadi.

They expressed concern about the violation of fair trial standards during the arrest and detention of El Kadi, including his right of access to a lawyer and his right to be informed of the charges against him and of the reasons for his arrest.

We are also concerned about the ambiguous legal basis for the charges against El Kadi and the police search of the two independent media outlets, and that the legal action appears to be linked to their journalistic activities, the rapporteurs added.

UN experts also said they were alarmed by the de facto silencing of a critical journalist and the raid of two independent media outlets which have a negative impact on press freedom in Algeria.

In addition, the rapporteurs expressed their particular concern regarding the wider significance and negative implications of the situation of El Kadi, Radio M and Maghreb Emergent for freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Algeria, deploring among other things the chilling effect they can have on individuals, including journalists, media workers and human rights defenders, who wish to express themselves , demonstrate peacefully and participate in public and political life in Algeria.

According to human rights organizations, some 300 prisoners of conscience languish, some for more than three years and without trial, in Algerian jails.
Moroccos approach to dealing with religious extremism is a fundamental reference, said international expert and lecturer at German Leipzig Universitys Global & European Studies Institute, Gilad Ben Nun, describing this approach as successful.

An overview of Moroccos general approach to combating religious extremism gives a clear measure of the success of such efforts. The fact that many in Moroccos geographic neighborhood, including EU countries and the European Commission, consider its approach a fundamental reference on how to combat violent extremism speaks volumes, he said in a statement to MAP, in comments on recent arrests by Moroccan security services of extremists affiliated with Daesh.

Reviewing the challenges posed by the extremist threat, the expert stressed the effectiveness and rapid response of Moroccan security services.

Ben Nun also highlighted the specificities that distinguish Morocco in its successful engagements against religious extremism, as well as its holistic approach, combining security, economy, and confidence in governance.

In his view, Moroccos remarkable ability to combine security-based approaches with those related to economic development is one of the key success factors.

In addition, he said, there is the Kingdoms focus on infrastructure projects that generate jobs and prosperity for its people, coupled with strong popular confidence, and Moroccans pride in their long-standing constitutional monarchy.

If you add to this the natural tendency of Moroccan society to be tolerant, as well as its rejection of religiously motivated violencethere is fundamental societal support for decisive state action against extremists, said Ben Nun.
Morocco took part in the international forum on the rapprochement of cultures and human civilizations, held by the Foundation of the Three Cultures in Seville March 29-30.

Andre Azoulay, Advisor to King Mohammed VI and co-president of the Three Cultures Foundation, who led the Moroccan delegation to the forum, praised the efforts made by the Foundation at the levels of the historic city of Seville and the Mediterranean region to uphold the values of peace and coexistence between different cultures and civilizations.

The Moroccan delegation highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom in promoting the values of peace and tolerance between religions and cultures, referring, in this connection, to the historic visit of Pope Francis to Morocco in 2019 and the holding, in 2022 in Fez, of the 9th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum.

The delegation also highlighted the model of coexistence of the three monotheistic religions in Morocco, hailed internationally and based on full respect and consideration between the followers of these religions, and welcomed the role of the Foundation of the Three Cultures in the consolidation of dialogue, peace and tolerance among the peoples of the Mediterranean basin.

On the sidelines of the forum, the president of the Andalusian government, Juan Manuel Moreno, chaired the awarding ceremony of the Mediterranean Womens Prize 2022 that went to Leila Mezian Benjelloun, president of the BMCE Foundation for Education and Environment, in recognition of the efforts of the foundation in education and teaching in Morocco.
The U.S. embassy in Algeria has reacted to the sentencing of Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi to five years in prison, with two years suspended, for bogus charges to muzzle vocal critics of the ruling military junta.

Immediately after the announcement of the verdict over the weekend by an Algerian court, the U.S. diplomatic mission said: Freedom of expression is an UN-recognized fundamental right, showing U.S. anger over the continuing attack by the Algerian authorities of independent and critical voices.

The Biden Administration has and will continue to make clear that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are U.S. priorities worldwide, including in Algeria, underlined the U.S. embassy in its twitter account.

Ihsane El-Kadi was arrested on Dec. 23 at his home in Algiers. He was accused of receiving foreign funding for his media outlets. He was ordered to pay a fine of $5,200. His media company and radio station were closed, its assets seized and imposed a $7,390 fine.

El Kadis lawyers had denied the foreign funding charges and any wrongdoing. His arrest had been decried by human rights and media organizations. They say his imprisonment is part of a campaign of intimidation and harassment targeting people and organizations supportive of the Hirak reform movement.

Repression in Algeria has intensified since Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power in a 2019 election that was boycotted by millions of voters. There are now thousands of prisoners of opinion behind bars, the vast majority connected to the Hirak movement. Activists have also reported forced disappearances of prominent members of the reform movement.

Algeria is ranked 134th out of 180 countries in RSFs 2022 World Press Freedom Index.
The Health Information Technology board is composed of healthcare professionals in Nebraska. Two executives from Gothenburg Health have joined the HIT board. They are Dr. Anna Dalrymple, M.D., and Lynn Edwards.

The HIT board was created by Nebraska legislatures LB1183 in 2020 and was tasked with the responsibility of assuring appropriate application of health information technology, wide availability and access to data sources, and adherence to federal regulations involving privacy and security.

Board members are responsible for decisions, recommendations and oversight of the collection and use of data for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) and the Health Information Exchange (HIE).

Dalrymple serves as vice president on the executive board of the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians. She said she was asked to apply for a position on the board because they wanted a family practice physician in a rural area. I believe it is significant to have a rural voice for how information is used and protected in electronic data bases, she said.

Edwards professional membership in the Nebraska Health Information Association provided her with the awareness that volunteers were wanted and needed. She said she submitted a resume and qualifications. After being interviewed by a panel which included a senator and was televised, she was selected.

I am surrounded by very intelligent and qualified people. What I can provide is how these studies apply to the end user. Annas and my roles are different. She comes in as a doctor with a focus on utilization. I look at it differently because of my background with HIPAA and patient security, Edwards said.

The HIT board works in partnership with CyncHealth, aiming to dismantle the opioid crisis and monitor the PDMP. The HIT overview states the mission as: continues to evolve and must be flexible to change in order to remain a role model for PDMPs across the nation.

The board was formed in April 2022. Dalrymple and Edwards will serve for five years while attending quarterly meetings, at least half of which will be hosted in Lincoln. Dalrymple said meetings are typically related to approving requests for access to and overall governance of the databases.

For more information, visit gothenburghealth.org.

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Just ask Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg. Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

The more people criticize and second-guess the motives, skill, and strategy of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, the more certain it seems that he is about to strike a simple but devastating legal blow against Donald Trump. We wont know the precise contours of the case until the indictment is unsealed, but a look at Braggs style and record suggests that People v. Trump will turn out to be a straightforward case involving allegations of white-collar crime  the latest in a string of criminal and civil cases that have dogged Trump and his companies over the years.

Dont be distracted by lurid and dramatic details about hush-money deals and secret payoffs to a porn star and/or Playboy Playmate in the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign: Trumps alleged sleazy personal behavior (which he has strenuously denied) is almost certainly not the heart of the case. Falsifying business records, on the other hand, is a serious crime that, under New York law, can result in prison time. Trump, who is set to surrender in Manhattan on Tuesday, is expected to go through the same tedious, humiliating booking process as any other New York defendant  hell be read his rights, fingerprinted, photographed from the front and side for mug shots, and asked to enter a plea.

Trump and his followers continue to attempt to spin his looming indictment as the result of a politically motivated witch hunt based on a dubious legal theory. Senator Lindsey Graham called the case legal voodoo and political persecution on Fox News.

Bragg is expected to argue that hush-money payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels and/or exPlayboy Playmate Karen McDougal were made by setting up a fake retainer agreement with Trumps ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid the cash up front and later got reimbursed by Trumps company for nonexistent legal services. Creating phony business transactions to hide the payments could constitute the misdemeanor offense of falsifying a business record, with the intention of committing or concealing a second crime of not reporting what was, in effect, a campaign contribution. (New York election law defines a contribution as any thing of value, made in connection with the nomination for election, or election, of any candidate.)

This is where things get sticky for Trump. Falsifying a business record in order to commit or conceal a second crime would bump the matter up from a misdemeanor to a felony, punishable by one to four years in prison. In fact, New York courts have found that the second crime need not even be proved: Mere intent to commit or conceal a crime can be sufficient to make records falsification a felony.

And dont forget the devastating statements made by Trumps own Department of Justice about the hush money in the sentencing memo prepared shortly before Cohen was sent to prison. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments, the memo said. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1.

Individual-1 is you-know-who.

So Trump is in serious legal jeopardy, not least because his adversary, Bragg, is a dogged and meticulous litigator who has proved he can build complex white-collar cases. Years ago, as an assistant U.S. Attorney under Preet Bharara, Bragg successfully prosecuted misconduct by elected officials, including former State Senator Malcolm Smith, who ended up in prison. Bragg also prosecuted a slew of white-collar criminals as the states chief deputy attorney general, and he prides himself on not bringing frivolous cases.

Ive done cases involving multimillion-dollar money laundering by business people who were financing violent criminal enterprises, he said during a campaign debate in 2021. The only misdemeanor case Ive ever tried was two men blocking patients and staff going into Planned Parenthood. Ive been very judicious with the use of prosecutorial power.

During his time in the state AGs office, one of the prosecutions Bragg worked on was the Trump University case, in which students complained they were defrauded out of thousands of dollars by a for-profit venture that was not an actual university. (Trumps company ultimately closed its doors and settled the case by paying $25 million  about 90 percent of the tuition that had been received  without admitting wrongdoing.)

More recently, as district attorney, Bragg won a criminal conviction for tax fraud against the Trump Organization, resulting in the payment of a $1.6 million fine and the jailing of its CFO, Allen Weisselberg. Its likely that Braggs office acquired enough records, documents, testimony, and insight about Trumps business dealings to build out a new false-records case.

Commentators I know and respect, including Van Jones and Peggy Noonan, have lamented that the New York case is the wrong indictment at the wrong time.

Charging [Trump] in the Stormy Daniels case is below us  not below him, but us. The subject matter is below us. The nature of the charges is below us, Noonan wrote. Are we doing the wise thing? No. Hold your fire. Save the mug shot for Georgia, the handcuffs for Jan. 6. Those were real offenses against the country. Not Stormy Daniels, which was an offense against his wife.

A charge like this  a porn-star payoff seven years ago, somehow tied to the election but not really  it doesnt seem like the right way to go, Jones said on CNN. History is not going to judge Donald Trump based on Stormy Daniels. Theyre going to judge him based on the election, going to judge him based on the coup attempt.

I disagree. Putting aside the porn-star trivia, Trumps shady business practices are highly relevant to his history, his character, and his campaign for reelection to the White House. In addition to heading companies found guilty of criminal tax fraud going back 15 years, Trump was ordered by a court to dissolve his family foundation, pay nearly $2 million, and acknowledge illegally using charitable funds for political purposes.

Mr. Trump and the Foundation have admitted key facts about their illegal political coordination with the Trump campaign, including that a purported Foundation fundraiser in January 2016 was in fact a campaign event, State Attorney General Letitia James noted in 2019. That Foundation gave the Trump campaign complete control over the timing, amounts, and recipients of the $2.8 million raised through that event.

Trump himself, along with his businesses and his three eldest children, are currently the subject of a massive civil lawsuit by James, who is alleging years of business fraud and seeking $250 million as well as a permanent ban on any of the named Trumps doing business in New York State.

Trump has lost or settled so many damaging lawsuits that its easy to forget that he used his businesses to cheat before and during the 2016 campaign. But that is why we have a judicial system that uses courts, prosecutors, juries, judges, and meticulous rules of evidence and procedure to discover truth and hold the powerful accountable.

Trump, an expert at distortion and distraction, is betting that the public will focus on threats, theatrics, public outrage, and personal insults rather than a formal investigation of his actions.

Dont fall for it. Bet on Bragg.
HANOI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed in a truck crash in Vietnam's south-central coastal province of Phu Yen on Monday morning, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The accident happened at around 9:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) on provincial road DT 643 going through An My commune, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province, when the truck carrying watermelons slid down a steep slope, crashed into the side of a mountain and overturned, spilling the watermelons it was carrying onto the road.

Among the fatalities, at least four people were pronounced dead at the scene and five others were taken to the hospital for injury treatment, said the local traffic authorities.

Nine people, including the driver and passengers, were trapped inside the truck and had to be cut free from the vehicle by local police, Huynh Van Khoa, chairman of Tuy An People's Committee, told Vietnam Net.

Local government also reported another road crash, killing one, on the same day.

Further investigation is underway into the cause of the accidents.

More than 11,400 traffic accidents occurred in Vietnam last year, killing 6,384 people and injuring over 7,800, official data showed. 
One underrated scenario that would enable a right-wing authoritarian like Ron DeSantis or even Donald Trump to win the presidency in 2024 is that the Republican path will be cleared by an organization called No Labels. The semi-inscrutable organization, which is lavishly funded by anonymous donors, is planning a third-party candidacy that would almost certainly peel off enough moderate voters from the Democratic ticket to ensure a Republican victory.

Like a far-off meteor heading directly for Earth, a No Labels campaign is simultaneously distant yet disconcertingly likely to result in catastrophe.

The media periodically checks in on No Labels, which is putting its vast budget to use acquiring access to the ballot in every state with the goal of potentially fielding a moderate presidential campaign, and every report is slightly more unnerving than the last. The latest, via the Washington Post, notes that Uber-centrist William Galston has grown concerned enough to quit the organization.

Given the minuscule margins by which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020, any third-party campaign would likely enable Republicans to win another presidential election simply by consolidating the right-wing base.

No Labels insists it will only go through with a campaign if it is going to win. No Labels swears up and down it will not run a spoiler campaign. I just wanted to emphasize on the spoiler question: I would not be involved if I thought in any account that we would do something to spoil the election in favor of Donald Trump. Thats just not going to happen, said Benjamin Chavis Jr., an adviser to the group. We have very tight guardrails around this effort, promises Ryan Clancy, a senior adviser.

But can anybody trust that the groups guardrails, which seem to be a proprietary secret, would actually work? The Post provides several reasons to doubt it.

First, while it puts itself forward as an advocate of moderation and bipartisanship, No Labels refuses to concede that Joe Biden is an example of either. No Labels describes its protocampaign as a contingency operation against an extreme candidate by either party, and Joe Lieberman, one of the politicians associated with the group, refused to tell the Post whether a Biden campaign qualifies as the sort of contingency that would operationalize a No Labels campaign.

Indeed, the No Labels website specifically describes itself as an insurance policy against a Trump-Biden rematch. Larry Hogan, another No Labels figure, says, The vast majority of people in America are not happy with the direction of the country and they dont want to see either Joe Biden or Donald Trump as president.

Biden may not be everybodys cup of tea, but he has worked productively with Republicans to sign a surprisingly broad array of bipartisan legislation. His main partisan domestic initiative was essentially written by Joe Manchin, who is also involved with No Labels. It seems bizarre to create a group dedicated to promoting moderate, bipartisan legislation as a protest against a president who has actually accomplished those very goals.

Second, there is the murky but highly concerning involvement of the odious Mark Penn. While No Labels insists Penn is not involved with the group, the Post notes extensive surveys that No Labels has commissioned from HarrisX, a company whose corporate parent is overseen by [No Labels chief executive Nancy] Jacobsons husband, Mark Penn, a former adviser to Hillary Clinton who has distanced himself from the Democratic Party.

Penn, a former pollster for Bill and Hillary Clinton, was forced to leave the Clinton campaign in 2008 after insisting that Clintons personal image would not prevent her from winning the nomination and that Barack Obama was unelectable. Penn has been pushing for years to create a third party in the mold of his own fiscally conservative, socially liberal ideology. (Here he is predicting a party to emerge in 2010, and here he is again in 2011 blaming all of Obamas travails on his unfair attacks on the rich.)

What actually transpired was that Donald Trump proved Penns analysis was backward: The underserved market was composed of voters with socially conservative, fiscally liberal proclivities. Rather than analyze his own failings, Penn responded to Trumps election by lavishing him with praise as a pragmatic problem solver.

Third, the groups own polling suggests its candidacy would serve as a spoiler on behalf of Republicans. In December, it found an unnamed moderate third-party candidate would win just 20 percent of the vote, against 33 percent for Trump and 28 percent for Biden. This result, which is entirely intuitive given Bidens much greater reliance on moderate voters vis-a-vis Trumps, has somehow not discouraged the organization from plunging ahead.

All this leaves are the secret guardrails No Labels promises will stop the group from spoiling anything. But the very idea that a presidential campaign can be easily turned on and off in response to cool analysis of polling reality defies any practical understanding of how campaigns work.

In the real world, campaigns have to hire staff and recruit allies with promises that are not easily reversed. Once running, campaigns generate emotional connections. The staff and the campaign convince themselves of their virtue and the perfidy of their opponents. They insist they can save the country and then believe it. And they develop unrealistic beliefs about their own likelihood of overperforming the polls. None of those things can be easily turned off.

Whats more, the timing makes it difficult, if not impossible, to calibrate a campaigns effect. Most third-party campaigns collapse very late in the process. By the time No Labels realizes it is running a spoiler campaign, if that realization sets in at all, it will be too late to stop it.

The outside world has to trust the guardrails will be used responsibly by the very people who are constructing a political doomsday device.
The issue: It would be extremely awkward to have Harry and Meghan Markle front and center at the coronation months after the release of Spare, in which none of the royals come off looking great. But it would also pretty awkward if one of the kings two children wasnt there.

The Sussexes confirmed in early March that theyd been invited to the coronation via email, but they did not RSVP for months. There was a lot of unverified gossip about Harry and Meghan refusing to attend unless they got an apology (for how the royal family treated Meghan, not for requesting their presence at this solemn occasion via e-vite).

Status: On April 12, Buckingham Palace said Harry will attend, but Meghan will stay home.

Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the palace statement said.

Harry is expected to attend his fathers crowning ceremony, but not any other events during coronation weekend, according to People.
New hydrogen infrastructure is starting to materialize as the world seeks to accelerate its path to net zero. There are very few shortcuts to a sustainable future and simply switching existing oil and gas infrastructure to hydrogen is not always viable. At the heart of this challenge is physics, hydrogen has a high gravimetric energy density and a low volumetric energy density. This means that among options, hydrogen pipelines will be far better than vessels at moving hydrogen over short to medium range distances. Today, over 4,300 kilometers already exists for hydrogen transportation with over 90% located in Europe and North America. Rystad Energy estimates that there are about 91 planned pipeline projects in the world, totaling 30,300 kilometers and due to come online by around 2035.

In cases where hydrogen will be shipped (as hydrogen or its derivatives), it will eventually be distributed on land using hydrogen pipelines, which makes transport via pipelines a critical transportation mode for the gas. Hydrogen pipelines are already used to supply industrial hubs (at petrochemical plants for example). As supply scales up and moves from areas with abundant and renewable energy to demand centers, long transmission lines will be a necessity and these pipelines would require larger diameters and higher pressure for cost effectiveness and consequently higher steel grades

Globally, Europe is at the forefront of efforts to produce and import green hydrogen and its attention is now turning to building the necessary infrastructure to get it to demand centers. According to Rystad Energy research, Spain, France, and Germany are among the countries committed or considering cross border pipelines to facilitate energy flows, while the UK with its extensive gas grid finds itself in a fantastic position to switch from natural gas to hydrogen.

Related: The Clean Energy Subsidy Dispute That Could Define Europe's Future



The steady increase in pipeline projects for hydrogen is an early sign that the energy transition is gathering pace. Europe, with its extensive gas grid is well placed to make the jump. Switching infrastructure from gas to hydrogen is possible and cost effective. But the greatest barrier is not financial, but the physical properties of hydrogen itself which differ substantially from oil and gas. Says Lein Mann Bergsmark, senior analyst, hydrogen.

Europes hydrogen pipeline network will knit the region together

Hydrogen is a key pillar in the EUs decarbonization as laid out in its hydrogen strategy in 2020, and its deployment received a boost with the Fit for 55 package. It also plays a central role in the REPowerEU Plan to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports  which aims to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030 and import another 10 Mt in the same time frame. Considering proposed green hydrogen projects in the EU, we are currently at 7.9 Mt of local supply with startup by 2030 (or only 2.1 Mt from target), with nearby supply amounting to 1 Mt in the rest of Europe  primarily UK and Norway  and another 1 Mt in the Middle East. Additionally, 3.4 Mt of proposed projects are in Africa, which could supply the largest amounts of hydrogen to Europe  by ship or pipeline. To plan for the distribution of these within the bloc, the European hydrogen backbone (EHB) initiative, which is a group of 31 European gas transmission system operators (TSOs), has published a vision paper for the future hydrogen pipeline infrastructure. This is based on national analysis of availability of existing natural gas infrastructure, future natural gas market developments, and future hydrogen market developments.

According to the EHBs 2030 hydrogen infrastructure map, a total length of ~28,000 km in 2030 and 53,000 km by 2040 is envisioned in the 28 European countries involved. Currently, dedicated hydrogen pipelines that will be available by 2030 amount to 23,365 km, which is 83% of 2030 target. Rollout of hydrogen pipelines in Europe would be gradual and the project start of transmission or distribution pipelines will depend on the demand.

France, Spain, and Germany

Europe is taking the lead globally with pipelines planned on and offshore. The recently announced H2Med Barcelona-Marseille subsea hydrogen pipeline is budgeted to cost around $2.1 billion for a stretch of 450 km and it was recently announced that it will be extended to Germany too. Four grid operators  Spains Enagas, Portugals REN, and French pair GRT and Terega  are currently conducting technical studies, potential pipeline layouts and cost assessments. Germanys first offshore hydrogen pipeline project, AquaDuctus, will transport green hydrogen from offshore wind installations in the North Sea to Germany. The pipeline stretches over 400 km and according to one of its project partners, RWE, is said to be the most cost-effective option for transporting large volumes of energy over distances of more than 400 kilometers, compared to transporting power from a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission system. For this reason, the option to transport power onshore using power cables is excluded.

Greece

The West Macedonia pipeline is a new natural gas pipeline that started construction in Greece earlier this year. It was designed to be capable to safely carry 100% hydrogen at a later stage at high-pressure through high-strength steel pipelines with large diameters. Greek gas transmission system operator DESFA will operate this 163-km pipeline, which is part of the EHB initiative.

The construction of new dedicated hydrogen pipelines will be complemented with repurposing of existing gas networks. According to the EHB, 60% could be repurposed by 2040, while according to pipeline projects in the works, this currently accounts for 40%.

New build pipelines will be needed but may face a range of hurdles concerning traffic movements, construction management and environmental protection, especially if it stretches long distances and goes through residential areas. For example, Cadents new 125 km HyNet North West pipeline in the UK could hinder the development of the project. HyNet will produce, store, and distribute hydrogen, in addition to capture and store carbon from industry in the Northwest. The pipeline, which could be UKs first 100% hydrogen pipeline at scale, is set to distribute hydrogen produced at Stanlow Manufacturing Complex to several industrial gas customers across the region. However, the regulatory model for hydrogen pipelines in the country hasnt been agreed upon yet, and Warrington Council, one of the local authorities on the pipelines route, claimed it would disrupt a local housing development.

Repurposing of pipelines offers a compelling alternative from an economic perspective, and can be fast-tracked too, compared with laying down new pipelines. Europe has an extensive gas grid and repurposing this for hydrogen as gas declines will breathe life into a system that might otherwise have gone to rust. After modifications, repurposed steel natural gas pipelines can accommodate 100% hydrogen gas. However, when hydrogen is blended with gas, the percentage is restricted to about 20% where its end-use purpose is direct or indirect heating.

Repurposing natural gas pipelines

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Relevant studies estimate utilizing existing natural gas grids for hydrogen transport is four times more cost-effective than constructing new pipelines. There are only limited differences in operating expenses between a hydrogen transmission network based on repurposed natural gas pipelines and a hydrogen transmission network made up entirely of new pipelines. Given that transportation is generally heavier in terms of capital expenditure than operational costs, this could also be a reason why there is limited difference in transporting hydrogen instead of natural gas.

The feasibility of repurposing natural gas pipelines revolves around overcoming technical concerns related to pipeline transmission, which include hydrogen embrittlement of steel and weld, hydrogen permeation and leakage. The ability of hydrogen to dissociate on metal surfaces, dissolve into the metal lattice and to change the mechanical response of the metal leads to hydrogen-assisted fatigue and fracture, a process called hydrogen embrittlement, which poses a substantial challenge to existing steel natural gas pipeline. The small molecules of hydrogen can permeate the material resulting in leaks. To overcome the challenges of transporting hydrogen, coating, sleeves, and casing of material with adequate resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and permeation can be used, but to date this has not been tested on a commercial scale in transmission pipelines.

There is a strong potential for using reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTP) in distribution pipelines for hydrogen as RTP can be obtained in lengths that are substantially longer than steel, and the installation cost for RTP pipelines is around 20% cheaper than for steel pipelines. In the UK, 62.5% of the existing gas distribution network has been upgraded with polyethylene inserted into the iron pipe, and most of these networks are considered for future hydrogen use. Due to safety concerns, large parts of the distribution network of iron pipelines will gradually be upgraded as part of the UK iron gas mains replacement program and it is estimated that 90% of the legacy gas distribution network will use polyethylene by 2032. This means that serendipitously, the UK in a good position to fast-track distribution of hydrogen by pipelines when and where that is needed.

Nevertheless, a recent study by Open Grid Europe together with the university of Stuttgart, concluded that existing steel pipelines installed in the German gas network are hydrogen-ready and can already carry up to 100% hydrogen. They were found to possess no differences in terms of their basic suitability for transporting hydrogen compared to natural gas. This applies to all steel grades used in gas pipelines over Germany and in some other parts of Europe. As part of the research, samples of the types of steel used in German pipelines were subjected to exhaustive measuring methods that, in contrast to previous studies, considered additional variables such as the influence of hydrogen pressure. However, discussions with pipe manufacturers have shown that some of them find the studys conclusion optimistic. Hydrogen embrittlement may affect the pipes depending on their metallurgical and mechanical properties and the current condition of the pipe, after years in service. As a result, Rystad Energy expects more variability in terms of existing pipeline suitability to carry hydrogen. Even though this conclusion covers only pipes, and not the compression, valves, or other components, at best, gas pipelines can be made hydrogen-ready with relatively little effort compared to what was previously thought.

By Rystad Energy

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Following my recent article detailing Average Gasoline Prices Under The Past Four Presidents, I received a flurry of feedback. Some commenters were angry about a comment I made in that article that Russias invasion of Ukraine helped boost gasoline prices last year to record levels. If I can summarize the gist of the comments, it would be: You dont know what you are talking about. This is all Bidens policies. It had nothing to do with Russia or Ukraine. One person insisted that I dont understand the oil industry or oil refining, despite having spent years actually working in a refinery.

As I pointed out to some in response, I didnt delve deeply into causation of high gas prices in that article. But lets do that here. First, lets look at the average weekly retail gasoline price in 2022 (source), with several significant events highlighted on the graphic.

Average Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices in 2022. ROBERT RAPIER

We can see that gasoline prices began a steep climb within a week of Russias invasion. In the midst of that initial climb, President Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.) to ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas, and coal to the United States.

One can certainly debate whether this ban was the right move (and I warned about the implications beforehand in Russia Is A Major Supplier Of Oil To The U.S.), but there is no question that this decision had an impact on oil and gas prices.

Of course, correlation does not imply causation, so lets talk about what actually happened to impact gasoline prices.

The Russian oil we imported was largely finished products and partially finished products that were largely used to produce diesel in U.S. refineries. There are two high-demand seasons for diesel each year  spring planting season for farmers and fall harvesting season.

Related: Citi Doesnt See $100 Oil Despite Shock OPEC+ Cuts



So, we had a refinery disruption that impacted diesel production just before a high demand period. In addition, this came at a period of extremely high jet fuel (like diesel, jet fuel is a distillate) demand, as people started to travel in large numbers after being pent up for some long as a result of the pandemic.

That caused an even greater spike last year in distillate prices, and it forced refiners to respond. However, when refiners shift production toward distillates, it comes at the expense of some gasoline production. This negatively impacted gasoline production just as refiners start building up stocks heading into high-demand gasoline season (summer).

Note that this isnt just idle speculation. I had several discussions about these events with one of my former refinery managers, who explained exactly what the refiners were facing.

The other major event on the graphic is President Bidens decision to release an unprecedented amount of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as a tool to combat rising prices. This was a move I opposed, because I dont view high prices as the kind of emergency the SPR is supposed to protect against. That would be more of a significant loss of oil imports that threatens to cause shortages. This wasnt the situation last year, so I thought the SPR release was unwarranted.

But, as one of my critics argued The only reason prices went down last year was that President Biden used the SPR politically in an election year. Indeed, that probably helped reverse the price rise last year. At the same time, the withdrawals put the U.S. in a more vulnerable position with respect to our emergency oil reserves. Further, its easy to be cynical about this move, because politicians  of both parties  have often treated the SPR as the Strategic Political Reserve, to be used to placate voters upset with rising prices.

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All of this led to the historic price increases in 2022. There isnt one single cause, which is why some will say It was Bidens policies and some will say It was Russias invasion of Ukraine. Both are true, but neither is the exclusive cause. Russia invaded Ukraine, and in response, President Biden made an executive order that caused disruptions in the refining sector  even if many agree it was the right thing to do.

By Robert Rapier

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The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) of the OPEC+ group met on Monday and made the shock new production cuts official, with some of the major producers in OPEC and non-OPEC, including Russia, pledging a total of 1.66 million barrels per day (bpd) of cuts on top of the ones running since November last year.

The meeting, which just days before was expected to be a routine no-news affair, was only routine in acknowledging the cuts announced on Sunday, which sent oil prices rallying by more than 6% early on Monday with WTI Crude topping $80 a barrel again.

The meeting noted the voluntary production adjustment announced on Sunday by Saudi Arabia (500,000 bpd); Iraq (211,000 bpd); United Arab Emirates (144,000 bpd); Kuwait (128,000 bpd); Kazakhstan (78,000 bpd); Algeria (48,000 bpd); Oman (40,000 bpd); and Gabon (8,000 bpd) starting May until the end of 2023.

Other OPEC+ producers are also being encouraged to join the voluntary cuts, Amena Bakr, Chief Opec Correspondent & Deputy Bureau Chief at Energy Intelligence, reported.

The latest cuts come on top of the 2 million bpd cut announced in October 2022 until the end of this year and in addition to Russias announcement on Sunday that it would extend its 500,000 bpd cut to the end of 2023.

Russias Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia would cut 500,000 bpd through the end of 2023 to ensure predictability in the global oil market in a period of high volatility and unpredictability due to the ongoing banking crisis in the U.S. and Europe, the global economic uncertainty, and unpredictable and short-sighted energy policy decisions.

OPEC said on Monday that the JMMC meeting noted that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market, using the same wording as Saudi Arabia did in its own announcement on Sunday.

The latest cuts signal that OPEC and OPEC+ are now firmly back in control of the global oil market.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Climate modeling in recent years indicates that it is still hypothetically possible to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 C--the level sought by the Paris Agreement--even given currently committed fossil-fuel-emitting infrastructure as long as no new fossil-fuel-emitting infrastructure is built. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concurs with this view, with the IPCCs Sixth Assessment Report calling for ...no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects.

Unfortunately, the global energy crisis triggered by the pandemic as well as Russias war in Ukraine has highlighted the worlds inextricable relationship with fossil fuels, meaning the IPCC utopia is unlikely to be realized. Indeed, no less than seven major oil and gas projects have been unveiled worldwide since that report came out a year ago as nations intensify their pursuit of energy security. Another dilemma--the fast pace of transition to renewable sources only appears to be adding to the total energy supply but is not doing much to displace oil and gas demand to any appreciable degree.

At this point, its more realistic to try and pursue oil and gas projects that have a less negative impact on the environmentwhich makes this report more interesting. A first-of-its kind analysis by the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute has looked at greenhouse-gas emissions across entire supply chains and found that oil and natural gas fields in Russia, Turkmenistan and Texas are the worst polluters on our planet. According to the report, the dirtiest fields emit more than 10 times as much CO2 equivalent as the least emissions-intensive sites. The study looked at 135 global oil- and gas-producing resourcesaccounting for half of the worlds suppliesbased on a full life-cycle analysis of their 2020 emissions. Related: Citi Doesnt See $100 Oil Despite Shock OPEC+ Cuts



Gazproms Astrakhanskoye natural gas field was found to be the worst offender with the biggest footprint thanks to prolific leaks on its pipelines and other downstream infrastructure. Turkmenistans South Caspian basin is the second worst polluter while the Permian Basin in West Texas ranks third with the majority of their emissions coming from upstream production.

The report concludes that significant fossil-fuel emissions occur directly at the wellhead and during processing, refining, and transportation and not just at the point of combustion.

Oil-Climate Index Dirtiest & Cleanest

There are other tools that you can use to compare the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of different oil fields. The Oil-Climate Index (OCI) says it relies on consistent, comparable, and verifiable open-source data on crude oils, including oil assays that are reported out in a specified format. Going by the OCI, Canadian Oil Sands with their heavy, bituminous crude are some of the dirtiest oil and gas fields in the business.

According to the Oil Climate Index, Canadas Athabasca DC SO in Alberta Province has the highest GHG emissions at 736 kg CO2 equivalent for every barrel extracted. The oil field produces 144,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. This field produces extra-heavy, high-sulfur bitumen that is upgraded into a medium, sweet synthetic crude oil (SCO) before transport to the refinery. A DC (delayed coker) unit produces petcoke, which is used to upgrade this oil, with high heat and hydrogen associated with its refining. These processes make Athabasca DC SCO the most emissions intensive of all current sample oils on the Oil Climate Index.

From some perspective, the largest oil field on the OCI, Saudi Arabias Ghawar, emits 491 kg CO2 equivalent per barrel. Ghawar produces 5,000,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. According to the OCI, Ghawars relatively low GHG emissions can be chalked up to a combination of low upstream extraction emissions, low energy intensity during refining, and low end-product combustion emission.

Californias Midway Sunset is the United States dirtiest oil field, producing 725 kg of CO2 equivalent per barrel. Midway Sunset produces a sour, watery oil whose gravities range from medium to extra-heavy. Its one of the countrys oldest and largest fields in the San Joaquin Valley and has been in production for 120 years. Midway Sunsets high GHG emissions are large due to the high volume of steam injected into the reservoir to loosen and allow oil to flow, as well as the high water content in the wells meaning that extra energy is required to pump it out of the ground.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Texas Eagle Ford Volatile Oil Zone is one of the cleanest in the world, producing just 458 kg of CO2 equivalent per barrel. This field produces an ultra-light, sweet oil with production zones ranging from oil to gas. This oil zone exists in a gaseous phase while under pressure in the reservoir and has a higher gas-to-oil ratio than other resources from this play.

The U.S. Wyoming, Bakken No Flare and Texas Eagle Ford Black Oil Zone are also among the cleanest, with GHG emissions of 467 kg, 471 kg and 477 kg of CO2 equivalent per barrel, respectively. The Wyoming field produces a light, sweet oil from the Niobrara play in central Wyoming, with a high gas-to-oil ratio. Although the fields venting and flaring emissions are high, they are offset in part by natural gas that is captured upstream and exported.

OCI says that Bakken No Flares upstream GHG emissions are low when the associated gas is well-managed and not flared or otherwise released. The fields ratio of carbon to hydrogen is also relatively low while its refining and combustion emissions are likewise relatively low.

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The Texas Eagle Ford Volatile Oil Zone also produces a light, sweet oil with production zones ranging from oil to gas. The Eagle Fords moderate gas-to-oil ratio leads to moderate levels of GHG emissions mainly from venting and flaring.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Last weeks banning by the Baghdad-based Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) of oil sales made independently by the government of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan (KRG) in northern Iraq should be seen in the context of the Saudi Arabia-Iran relationship resumption deal done on 10 March. And that context is more easily explained if the deal is written not as the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal, but rather as the Saudi Arabia/OPEC-China/Russia/Shia Crescent of Power deal. The Shia Crescent of Power comprises most notably Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. Turkey (25 percent Shia and still furious at not being accepted fully into the European Union) is on the periphery of this group. The last part of the jigsaw was revealed exclusively by OilPrice.com just after the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal in a comment made by a very high-ranking official from the Kremlin that: By keeping the West out of energy deals in Iraq  and closer to the new Iran-Saudi axis - the end of Western hegemony in the Middle East will become the decisive chapter in the Wests final demise. Before the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal, everything the China-Russia axis had been doing in the Middle East had been to manoeuvre itself into a better position to usurp the influence of the U.S. and its allies in the oil and natural gas centre of the world, the Middle East. After the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal, China and Russia are where they want to be, and it is gloves off time. In terms of building up to this moment  that will see all powers of the northern region of Kurdistan gradually subsumed into those of the south to create one unified country again, governed out of Baghdad  Russia was the one who laid down the operational strategy in northern Iraq that was then replicated by China in southern Iraq a little later. More specifically, as analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets, after the overwhelming vote in Iraqi Kurdistan in September 2017 for an independent Kurdish state there were huge protests when the vote was ignored by Baghdad. These were violently subdued by forces from Iran and Turkey (both of which have their own sizeable Kurdish populations) and southern Iraq, at which point of chaos Russia moved in to take over Iraqi Kurdistans oil sector. It achieved this by three methods. First, it provided the KRG with US$1.5 billion in financing through forward oil sales payable in the next three to five years. Second, it took an 80 percent working interest in five potentially major oil blocks in the region. And third, it established a 60 percent ownership of the vital KRG oil pipeline running into Turkey through a US$1.8 billion investment to increase its capacity to one million barrels per day (bpd).

Related: Citi Doesnt See $100 Oil Despite Shock OPEC+ Cuts



It was then Russia that fomented discord between the KRG in the north and the FGI government in the south, principally by exploiting existing discontent on both sides with the budget payments-for-oil deal that had been agreed between north and south Iraq in 2014. This deal  which forms the basis for last weeks banning of independent oil sales from Iraqi Kurdistan - was that the KRG would export up to 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from the Kurdistan oilfields and Kirkuk via the FGIs Baghdad-based State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) in the south. In return, Baghdad would send 17 percent of the federal budget (after sovereign expenses) - around US$500 million at that time - per month in budget payments to the Kurds. This deal never worked properly, and Russia from 2017 sought to exacerbate this to create much greater discord between north and south Iraq through several methods also analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets.

At the end of 2020/beginning of 2021, China decided to use the same strategy in southern Iraq that Russia had used in the northern Kurdistan region. The Russians had used a massive flow of financing, through a huge prepayment deal for oil, as the first step in effectively taking control of the Iraqi Kurdistan oil industry. Mirroring this, Chinas Zhenhua Oil signed a US$2 billion fiveyear prepayment oil supply deal with the FGI in Baghdad. This development was extremely troubling for Washington for three key reasons. First, the deal was obviously straight out of the playbook that Russia had used to gain control over the Iraqi Kurdistan oil industry in 2017, as analysed above. Second, it was clear Russia and China were working closely together in Iraq in a manner not seen before there. Specifically, a key reason why Baghdad had so welcomed China into its southern oil and gas fields was because China had said that it might be able to ease tensions over the budget payments-for-oil deal by liaising with Russia. But it had been Russia since 2017 that had been firing up the Kurds to inflame these tensions. The third reason was that it was that in addition to the military elements that Russia had brought to its activities in the Iraq Kurdistan region, the huge new Chinese deal in the south was being done by Zhenhua Oil, an arm of Chinas huge defence contractor Norinco.

For a long time, it suited Chinas and Russias purposes to keep the north and the south of Iraq in a constant state of economic conflict centred on the 2014 budget payments-for-oil deal, as it was unwinnable from a legal perspective and could therefore be dragged out forever. According to the KRG, it has authority under Articles 112 and 115 of the Iraq Constitution to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Region extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005  the year that the Constitution was adopted by referendum. The KRG also maintains that Article 115 states: All powers not stipulated in the exclusive powers of the federal government belong to the authorities of the regions and governorates that are not organised in a region. As such, the KRG argues that as relevant powers are not otherwise stipulated in the Constitution, it has the authority to sell and receive revenue from its oil and gas exports. However, the FGI in Baghdad and SOMO argue that under Article 111 of the Constitution oil and gas are under the ownership of all the people of Iraq in all the regions and governorates. Consequently, they believe that all oil and gas developed across all of Iraq should be sold through official channels of the central Federal Government of Iraq in Baghdad.

Now, though, with Saudi Arabia now firmly added to its sphere of influence after years of building up the relationship with Riyadh, as also analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets, the China-Russia axis feels sufficiently emboldened to signal its true purpose: it is taking full control of the Middle East. Any choice cuts it wants from the best oil and gas reserves from anywhere in the region  across all countries with an allegiance to Sunni Islam leader Saudi Arabia or to Shia Islam leader Iran, which together is every country  are to be offered to Chinese and Russian companies in the first instance. There is no problem shipping or selling any of the oil and gas that China itself does not want, as sanctions currently are only on Iran, not Iraq, and these can easily be circumvented anyway, through methods also analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets.

The ultimate aim of China is as it has been since it began its economic growth spurt in the 1990s  to overtake the U.S. as the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP by 2030 at the latest  despite already being the worlds largest economy by purchasing power parity, the largest manufacturing economy and the largest trading nation. At around the same time, China needs to ensure that it has all the energy resources it needs to withstand any sanctions that may be imposed should it make good on President Xis instructions to the Chinese military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Helpfully as well from its perspective, having watched Russias invasion of Ukraine, China knows what not to do. Whether this particular ban of independent sales by Iraqi Kurdistan remains in place or not, China and Russia have laid down the marker that whatever happens now across all of Iraq will only happen with their blessing.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Natural gas prices in the United States fell to a 30-month low last week, dropping to $2 per mmBtu. And, while some producers have curbed drilling, the surplus isnt going away anytime soon.

Gas futures have plummeted by around 50% since the beginning of the year, marking a record decline for a quarter. The drop was primarily due to milder-than-expected winter weather, which has crushed demand for heating and utility companies to store more gas than usual.

Chesapeake Energy and Comstock Resources are among the major gas producers that have slashed output. Despite the drop in production, however, natural gas output from oil operations in shale fields will likely continue flowing.

Jacques Rousseau, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners LLC, explained, "About a third of U.S. gas production is associated gas - produced from oil wells," adding, "This production is unlikely to decline given current oil prices."

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data highlights record monthly oil output in the Permian this year.

Natural gas from the Permian has also reached record highs every month.

Despite the significant drop in gas futures, which currently stand at $2.01 per mmBtu, analysts suggest that the price still needs to be even higher to discourage output gains.

Morningstar Research energy strategist Stephen Ellis explained, "Gas prices are begging the market to cut back on supply."

The United States government has projected that gas production will reach 100.67 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this year, up from 98.09 bcfd in 2022.

Projected U.S. gas usage, including exports, is expected to ease to 107.3 bcfd this year from a record 107.4 bcfd in 2022.

This drop is despite an anticipated 14% bump in U.S. LNG exports, as Freeport LNG's export plant in Texas returns to production after an eight-month outage.

Freeport LNG consumes about 2% of total U.S. gas supply when operating at full capacity.

Despite the low gas prices, Baker Hughes Co data indicates that U.S. drillers have 160 rigs seeking gas, up 16% from the previous year. Gas output in the Haynesville shale field is also expected to reach fresh highs in March and April, despite Chesapeake and Comstock dropping rigs.

While low natural gas prices have led some producers to reduce drilling, the surplus of gas in storage and the rise in gas from oil wells suggest that output is likely to continue growing.

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Additionally, the mild winter weather and diminishing LNG export options have led to falling U.S. consumption, which may put further pressure on gas prices in the coming months.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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ROME, April 3 (Xinhua) -- There is a growing inclination among Chinese citizens to travel to international destinations and this is a significant development for Italy's tourism sector, a representative of Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) has said.

Cristiano Varotti, chief representative of ENIT in China, told Xinhua in a recent interview, commenting on China's resumption of outbound group travel to this European country with abundant tourist resources.

"The fact that Italy, as well as many other European countries, has been authorized as a destination for group tours from China is important news that we have been waiting for a long time," he said.

China has unveiled a second list of 40 destinations, including Italy, to which travel agencies and online tourism service providers can offer group tours from March 15.

Varotti said he was confident that the coming months will confirm Italy's position as a top travel destination for Chinese citizens. "The pre-pandemic numbers of Chinese tourists in Italy were significant, with annual growth rates in the double digits and great prospects for the future," he said.

Regarding the role played by Chinese tourists in the development of Italy's tourism industry, the representative said he was convinced that the Chinese tourist market has the greatest potential globally and that the impact on Italy's tourism industry could be really significant.

"There is a great room for growth. Even in terms of the composition of spending by Chinese tourists abroad, it is a market that has yet to reveal its full potential," said Varotti.

Varotti listed many elements in Italy's rich tourism offer that could make it an indispensable destination for Chinese tourists: the great art cities, with their historic monuments and shopping streets, as well as its natural wonders and experiences to get a taste of the Italian lifestyle.

He said he was also convinced that the new influx of Chinese tourists will benefit not only Italy's traditional destinations, such as Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice, but also new destinations, such as Sicily and the islands, the Alpine resorts or the small towns, which offer authentic and customized travel experiences.

In order to welcome the return of Chinese tourists, Italy's preparation work is ongoing, said Varotti, adding that the ENIT has begun to work with Chinese tour operators to restructure their offerings and develop new products.

"We are planning to stage a roadshow in China in the coming months to meet Chinese companies in person and to make ourselves available to them. There will be a lot of work to do in the coming months," he added. 
Oil from the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq may start flowing as soon as this week after KRG and federal government officials reached a preliminary agreement to restart exports, which have been cut off since March 25th.

"Following several meetings between the KRG and federal government, an initial agreement has been reached to resume oil exports jointly through Ceyhan [in Turkey] this week," Lawk Ghafuri, head of foreign media affairs for the KRG, wrote in a Twitter post.



Ghafuri said the agreement would remain in effect until the Iraqi Parliament approves the new oil and gas law governing oil exports and revenue from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. However, Turkey, which shut off the export pipeline immediately following the court ruling, would also have to approve the resumption deal.



On March 25th, the International Chamber of Commerce ruled in favor of Iraq against Turkey in a dispute over crude flows from Kurdistan, leading to Turkeys shutdown of the pipeline that runs from the Kurdish Fish-Khabur border to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Iraq had argued that Turkey shouldnt allow Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and Ceyhan without approval from the federal government of Iraq between 2014 and 2018.

While Baghdad and Erbil have been battling for years over the KRGs unilateral crude oil exports, which bypass the Iraqi federal governments oil marketer (SOMO), the situation intensified significantly a year ago, when the Iraqi Supreme Court ruling that a 2007 oil and gas law regulating the KRGs industry was unconstitutional. Since the election of a new Iraqi government in the fall, and until last week, there had been indications that Baghdad was easing up on its legal battle with the KRG.

Tensions heightened in February last year after the Iraqi Supreme Court made a landmark decision by ruling that a 2007 oil and gas law regulating the KRGs oil industry was unconstitutional.

Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who became Iraq's prime minister in October last year, has been working to quell tensions since taking office.

While this week now looks more promising for a resumption of exports, the shutdown of the Ceyhan pipeline last week prompted some oil companies to start shutting down production due to a lack of storage capacity. Norway-based DNO ASA on Wednesday said it had started an orderly shutdown of oilfields while exports remain suspended.

The international ruling takes some 450,000 barrels per day (0.5% of the global oil supply) off the market. Last week, those barrels drove a crude oil price rally.

An initial agreement does not mean there is any certainty that KRG exports will resume this week. There have been some indications that Turkey is hoping to reverse this leverage to pursue its own claims in the international court, which would hold up Ankaras approval of resumption.

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Crude oil prices rose further into the afternoon on Monday, trading at $85 for Brent crude oil around 4:30 p.m. ET, on the back of Sundays OPEC+ move that shocked the market.

Most analysts had assumed OPEC+ would stay the course and keep production plans steady, but a surprise decision from the group on Sunday shocked traders. The move came as a surprise to most, although in the Fall of 2020, Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman warned traders that whoever gambled on the market would be sorry.

We will never leave this market unattended. I want the guys in the trading floors to be as jumpy as possible. Im going to make sure whoever gambles on this market will be ouching like hell, Abdulaziz said in Septemer 2020. At that time, Brent was falling below $40 per barrel.

While Brent crude oil was trading around $85 per barrela $5.10 barrel gain on the day (+6.38%) WTI was trading at $80.52 per barrelup $4.85 per barrel (+6.41%). It is the highest price level in months for crude oil.

OPEC+ agreed on Sunday to cut production by another 1.16 million barrels per day, for a total cut of 3.66 million bpd. The White House said it was given advanced notice of the production cut plans, U.S. officials said on Monday. The Biden Administration said that it made its disagreement with the cut plans known when they were notified of the plans.

Most oil analysts have raised their price forecasts for crude oil for this year in light of the OPEC+ plans. Higher oil prices could lead to more rate hikes from the feds. Refining margins fell to the lowest level since February as crude prices rose.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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The surprise OPEC+ cuts are making oil balances look insanely bullish for later this year, provided that the global economy holds up, Amrita Sen, founder and director of research at Energy Aspects, told CNBC on Monday.

On Sunday, OPEC+ members, led by Saudi Arabia and other major Middle Eastern producers, announced a fresh combined cut of 1.16 million bpd until the end of this year, on top of Russia's announcement that its own 500,000-bpd cut until June would be extended to the end of 2023, too.

Saudi Arabia will cut 500,000 bpd of its production starting in May and is joined by OPEC heavyweights Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, plus OPECs Algeria and Gabon, and non-OPEC Oman and Kazakhstan.

Prices rallied on the news on Monday morning, and the U.S. benchmark WTI Crude bounced back to above $80 per barrel.

The latest cuts come on top of the 2 million bpd cut announced in October 2022 and running through the end of 2023.

All those cuts are expected to tighten the market further in the second half of the year. Tightening was already evident in some counter-seasonal drawdowns in March, Energy Aspects Sen told CNBC today.

The pure oil market fundamentals are not bullish, but they are ok, Sen added.

But as long as the economy is holding up  and thats a big if  and Energy Aspects already has a mild recession baked in, then it is looking a very, very bullish second half of the year, she noted.

Asked if we will see oil at $100 this year, Sen told CNBC I absolutely think we will see a $100 oil, yes.

Hours after OPEC+ announced the new cuts, Goldman raised its Brent Crude forecast to $95 from $90 at the end of the year. The bank also raised its Brent Crude forecast for 2024, now seeing it at $100 at the end of the year from an earlier projection of $97.

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Gabon, a small African oil producer and OPEC member, is days away from first oil at a new offshore development despite joining the surprise new OPEC+ cut of over 1 million barrels per day (bpd) announced on Sunday.

Gabon, which pumps around 200,000 bpd, will see in the next few days first oil from the Hibiscus / Ruche Phase 1 development campaign in the Dussafu offshore license, the drilling contractors and the operator of the license said on Monday.

Norway-based BW Energy said it had completed the drilling and completion operations on DHIBM-3H, the first production well of the Hibiscus / Ruche Phase 1 development. BW Energy has now handed responsibility for the DHIBM-3H well over to the production team, which will finalize preparations for production start-up.

Oslo and London-listed Panoro Energy, holder of the license, said that the well encountered good quality oil saturated reservoir sands in the regionally prolific Gamba formation and will now be put onstream in the coming days.

News of a new development offshore Gabon comes hours after the African OPEC producer, alongside the biggest OPEC producers in the Middle East, announced a total of 1.16 million bpd of fresh production cuts. Saudi Arabia, OPECs de facto leader and top global crude exporter, will cut 500,000 bpd and said that the move was a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

Apart from Saudi Arabia and Gabon, OPEC heavyweights Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait, plus OPECs Algeria, and non-OPEC Oman and Kazakhstan, announced the 1.16 million bpd cut beginning in May and lasting through the end of 2023.

Gabon has pledged to cut 8,000 bpd off its output.

Per OPECs secondary sources in the latest monthly report, Gabon produced 196,000 bpd of crude oil in February, versus a quota of 177,000 bpd before the cut announced on Sunday.

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Gabons share of the cuts is small and cannot compensate for the massive underperformance from other African OPEC members such as Nigeria and Angola.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Tesla reported Q1 2023 deliveries on Sunday, posting a figure of 422,875 vehicles delivered, beating most current consensus Wall Street estimates. The company delivered 10,695 Model S/X vehicles and 412,180 Model 3/Y vehicles.

Original analyst expectations were for 430,008 vehicles, according to Refinitiv data cited by Reuters. Multiple outlets are reporting the number as a miss (it was, compared to original estimates) and a beat (it was, compared to current lower-balled estimates).

This Q1 figure was a 36% increase year over year and a 4% increase sequentially, compared to the 405,278 deliveries the company posted in Q4 2022. Bulls are likely to see the beat as good news, while bears will likely argue that the "beat" wasn't enough given the drastic price cuts Tesla has put into place since the end of last year.

"We continued to transition towards a more even regional mix of vehicle builds, including Model S/X vehicles in transit to EMEA and APAC," the company's release said. Despite this mix change, the Model S and Model X are becoming dwindling contributors to Tesla's delivery bottom line.

Martin Viecha, Tesla's head of IR, said Sunday: "Sequential growth continues even in the first quarter."

Analyst Dan Ives weighed in, reminding people that the figure reported keeps the company on pace for a 1.8 million delivery goal it had set for the year. Ives suggested this longer-term goal could be what drives sentiment in the stock in the upcoming week.

Ben Rose, president of Battle Road Research, told the New York Times: While the precise impact of recent price cuts and tax credits are difficult to determine, both act as tailwinds for the company.

Tesla bull Gene Munster told Reuters: "If they wouldn't have done the price cut, it would have been ugly. I think what it tells you is the economy is getting tough. They showed an acceleration, but they didn't accelerate to the level that Elon had suggested it would."

In the beginning of March, we noted that Tesla cut prices on its Model S and Model X vehicles. This decision followed its investor day event held at the end of February, wherein Elon Musk stated that price cuts had sparked demand for more affordable models.

Musk claimed that the demand for Teslas was nearly unlimited and would increase significantly as the company made its vehicles more affordable. The recent price reductions for the S and X models implied at the time that these vehicles may not have experienced the same boost in demand as the rest of the lineup when the company reduced prices earlier this year. The Q1 figures seem to tell that same story.

In January, Tesla slashed the prices of its more affordable vehicles by as much as 20%, which enabled buyers to qualify for the tax incentive by putting the vehicles under a $55,000 cap. Musk directly addressed the price cuts during the investor day, stating: "We found that even small changes in the price have a big effect on demand, very big."

Recall, days ago we highlighted work from GLJ Research's Gordon Johnson, who slashed his delivery estimates due to pull forward of a "demand crush". Johnson is of the camp that the tailwind provided by price cuts is already growing weary.

He said days ago that consensus for the quarter currently sat at 418,756, suggesting a "beat" is on tap. He was accurate about beating that figure, but says that the 1.8 million target for the year may not be the incredible news the street is looking for.

"With our model pointing to an avg. 1Q23 price cut across all of TSLAs cars of -$6.0K/car, or -11.7% QoQ, vs. sales growth of just +5.2% QoQ," he said such a figure would be "nothing short of a disaster".

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"Even if TSLA gets to 1.8mn cars sold in 2023 (i.e., 450K cars/quarter of sales), things still look (very) bad from an earnings perspective," he wrote. Johnson's estimate was for $2.67/share in EPS versus consensus of $3.98/share for Tesla for the year:

So, taking an assumed 2023 profit per car of $9,196, then subtracting $4,500, one arrives at a new profit per car of $4,969. Then, applying the low-end of TSLAs guidance for 1.8mn cars sold in 2023, or $4,969 * 1.8mn, one arrives at a 2023 net profit of $8.452bn. Finally, dividing this number (i.e., $8.452bn) by TSLAs shares outstanding of 3.164mn, one arrives at an EPS of $2.67/share (vs. the current Consensus est. of $3.98/share, suggesting sharp cuts to TSLAs earnings are on tap through 2023), or 71.8x earnings, and a -27.0% fall in EPS YoY. Consequently, even with a ~450K delivery number, the 2023 outcome for TSLAs stock, as Consensus is forced to reckon with falling earnings, is likely (much) lower.

We'll wait to see if those numbers are eventually updated due to the new delivery figures.

By Zerohedge.com

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Via AG Metal Miner

The latest steel news reports that Indian steel production is expected to increase throughout 2023. The information comes directly from sector experts and the head honchos of steel companies themselves. So, aside from being welcome, it is an opinion with a fair amount of clout behind it.

According to research agency ICRA, steel demand in India was expected to register a double-digit growth of around 11.3% in FY2023. This came after an 11.5% growth rate recorded in FY2022. According to the research note, steel consumption growth in India remained strong throughout FY2023. This was mainly due to support from the Indian Governments push for infrastructure-led economic growth.

Moreover, the Governments capex outlay remains poised to increase by 37% year-on-year (YoY) in FY2024. For this reason, the ICRA revised its steel consumption growth estimate to 7-8% from 6-7%.

Do you know how to save money on your metal spend in a recessionary market? Join MetalMiners free April workshop,

Tata Steel CFO Confident in the Future of the Market

Many steel experts feel that steel consumption in India would only go up due to growth in infrastructure. In an interview with CNBCTV18, Koushik Chatterjee, CFO of Tata Steel, said like the international markets, Indian steel, too, faced many challenges last year. Nonetheless, he predicted that consumption would only go forward from here on.

Unsurprisingly, steel news outlets were quick to run with Chatterjees comments. According to him, one of the biggest factors impacting the steel industry was the opening up of China. With that happening alongside increased U.S. stability and European market changes, the low price of steel could be behind us.

Chatterjee also mentioned that we should see more balance in the market and less downward pressure on prices. Experts also feel the volatility witnessed after the Russian invasion of Ukraine a year ago has dwindled. European markets have settled down significantly, perhaps indicating that the worst is over for the steel industry.

MetalMiner just released its Annual Outlook quarterly update. The report consolidates our 12-month view and provides buying organizations with a complete understanding of the fundamental and technical factors driving prices. The report also includes a detailed forecast to use when sourcing metals for 2023. Learn more.

More Steel News: Russia and Vietnam Now Major Suppliers to India

The Indian Governments Production Linked Incentive (PIL) scheme has also boosted the steel sector. As per data from the Ministry of Steel, there are currently 57 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 27 companies to produce specialty steel. Under this scheme, the Government of India has approved millions of dollars to aid the steel sector. According to the latest steel news, the PLI Scheme should generate an additional 25 million tons of specialty steel capacity in the next five years.

Meanwhile, fresh data indicates that Russia is now the second largest exporter of semi-finished steel to India. Current estimates place the overall value at U.S. $52 million for April to February 2023. This represents a dramatic rise from a year ago, when that number was a flat zero.

According to this report by The Hindu Businessline, Russia has displaced Japan as the second largest supplier of hot rolled coils (HRC) and strips to the subcontinent. In the 11 months of FY23 0.23 MTS of HRC and strips had been imported from Russia. Again, this number was zero just a year before.The report went on to note that Russian steel shipments to India across all categories went over 500% for that same period. At 0.31 MT, this makes Russian the fourth-largest importing nation after Korea (2.03 MT), China (1.33 MT), and Japan (0.8 MT). Meanwhile, shipments from Vietnam also increased by 300%, reaching 0.29 MT. Because of the surge in exports from Russia and Vietnam, those two nations have actually managed to replace Indonesia and Taiwan as Indias go-to sources of steel products.

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Ukraine said on Monday that Russian forces were "very far" from capturing the eastern town of Bakhmut and that fighting raged around the city 
A ceremony on Wednesday, March 29, at the Omaha National Cemetery in Papillion marked the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. military combat forces from Vietnam in 1973.

An audience of more than 60 attended the annual National Vietnam Veterans Day observance, which featured speeches, the laying of a memorial wreath, a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps.

Our fallen heroes are the finest examples of our nations treasures, keynote speaker Jim Meyer said. Treasurers more valuable than our national monuments, and our Capitol Building or White House, all the acres in our National Parks and all the corn in the heartland. I dont think we often say than kind of thing enough.

Meyer is an Air Force veteran from the Vietnam era and the director of the Honor and Remember  Nebraska Chapter. Honor and Remember is a nationwide group dedicated to venerating departed service members, providing comfort and support to the families, and education.

In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a presidential proclamation designating the annual observance. More than 58,000 Americans died and 150,000 were wounded or injured during the Vietnam conflict.

While no words will fully be worthy of their service, nor any honor be truly befitting their sacrifice, let us remember that it is never too late to pay tribute to men and women who have answered the call of duty with courage and valor, said Jason Dolan, cemetery director.
TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  Russian strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday, ramping up his rhetoric amid tensions with the West over the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that his country plans to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The strategic nuclear weapons such as missile-borne warheads that Lukashenko mentioned during his state-of-the nation address would pose an even greater threat, if Moscow moves them to the territory of its neighbor and ally.

Belarus was a staging ground for Russian troops to launch their invasion of Ukraine a little over 13 months ago. Lukashenko, in office since 1994, delivered his annual address amid escalating tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.

Both he and Putin have alleged that Western powers want to ruin Russia and Belarus.

Putin and I will decide and introduce here, if necessary, strategic weapons, and they must understand this, the scoundrels abroad, who today are trying to blow us up from inside and outside," the Belarusian leader said. "We will protect our sovereignty and independence by any means necessary, including through the nuclear arsenal.

While Putin emphasized that Russia will retain control over the tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus, Lukashenko charged that he also will have a say.

Dont say we will just be looking after them, and these are not our weapons," he said. "These are our weapons and they will contribute to ensuring sovereignty and independence.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday denounced Putin's plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus as a reflection of Russia's battlefield setbacks and its increasing global isolation. Zelenskyy argued that it also means Lukashenko has yielded completely to Moscow's control, adding: "I think he no longer decides which weapons are located on his territory.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

While the deployment of Russian short-range tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe, it wouldn't make much sense for the Kremlin to station any of its strategic nuclear-tipped missiles on Belarusian territory. Those missiles have intercontinental range and can reach a target anywhere around the world from their positions in Russia.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was forced to leave Belarus under official pressure after challenging Lukashenko in the 2020 presidential election that the opposition and the West rejected as rigged, denounced Lukashenko's push for Russian nuclear weapons as a betrayal of national interests.

The deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus put the lives of Belarusians in serious danger and turns our country into a potential target for strikes, including nuclear strikes at the whim of the two dictators, Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press.

Russia's political and economic support helped Lukashenko survive months of major opposition protests, and he has grown increasingly dependent on the Kremlin.

Earlier in the address, Lukashenko called for a cease-fire in Ukraine. A truce must be announced without any preconditions, and all movement of troops and weapons must be halted, he said.

Ukraine's presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, quickly dismissed the proposal, saying that any cease-fire would allow Russia to stay in the occupied territories.

This is totally inadmissible, he tweeted.

Belarus and Russia have intensified their military cooperation since the start of the Ukraine war. Moscow has kept its troops and weapons in Belarus, although no Belarusian troops have participated in the fighting.

Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan all relinquished Soviet nuclear weapons, which were left on their terrotories after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Under the so-called Budapest Memorandum that accompanied giving up the weapons, Russia, the United States and Britain agreed to respect the territorial integrity of those countries.

Ukraine has repeatedly complained that Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and the 2022 invasion violate that agreement.

Lukashenko said Friday that he didn't want to lose his country's nuclear weapons, but was pressured into doing so by then Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Speaking about the possible deployment of Russian strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus in Friday's speech, Lukashenko said that a week ago he ordered his military to immediately put the former base for Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles in order to make it ready for use.

It's a highly technologically sophisticated structure, he said.

All the infrastructure has been created and is standing ready, Lukashenko declared. I'm sure that those measures will help sober up all those hawks across the ocean and their satellites for a long time ahead and force them to reckon with our people if they don't understand different language.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
NASA on Monday named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year, including the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission.

The first moon crew in 50 years  three Americans and one Canadian  was introduced during a ceremony in Houston, home to the nation's astronauts as well as Mission Control.

This is humanity's crew, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The four astronauts will be the first to fly NASA's Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later.

The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, will be joined by Victor Glover, an African American naval aviator; Christina Koch, who holds the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman; and Canada's Jeremy Hansen, a former fighter pilot and the crew's lone space rookie. Wiseman, Glover and Koch have all lived on the International Space Station. All four are in their 40s.

This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and its so much more than the four names that have been announced," Glover said.

This is the first moon crew to include someone from outside the U.S.  and the first crew in NASA's new moon program named Artemis after the twin sister of mythology's Apollo. Late last year, an empty Orion capsule flew to the moon and back in a long-awaited dress rehearsal.

Am I excited? Absolutely, Koch said to cheers from the crowd of schoolchildren, politicians and others. But my real question is: Are you excited?  she said to more cheers.

The Canadian Space Agency snagged a seat because of its contributions of big robotic arms on NASA's space shuttles and the space station. One is also planned for the moon project.

Hansen said he's grateful that Canada is included in the flight.

We are going to the moon together. Lets go! he said.

During Apollo, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972. Twelve of them landed. All were military-trained male test pilots except for Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who closed out that moonlanding era alongside the late Gene Cernan.

Provided this next 10-day moonshot goes well, NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by 2025 or so.

NASA picked from 41 active astronauts for its first Artemis crew. Canada had four candidates. Almost all of them took part in Monday's ceremony at Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field, a pep rally of sorts that ended with Wiseman leading the crowd in a chant.

President Joe Biden spoke with the four astronauts and their families on Sunday. In a tweet Monday, Biden said the mission will inspire the next generation of explorers, and show every child  in America, in Canada, and across the world  that if they can dream it, they can be it.

33 groundbreaking NASA missions in photographs 33 groundbreaking NASA missions in photographs Explorer 1 Apollo-Saturn Apollo 7 Apollo 8 Apollo 9 Apollo 10 Apollo 11 Apollo 12 Apollo 13 Apollo 14 Apollo 15 Apollo 16 Apollo 17 Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 Viking Voyager Interstellar Skylab Space Shuttle Shuttle-Mir Landsat Hubble Space Telescope Chandra Spitzer Space Telescope International Space Station Parker Solar Probe Juno OSIRIS-REx SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and Manned Crew Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter
U.S. life expectancy decline reveals deep-rooted challenges

Xinhua) 10:23, April 03, 2023

LOS ANGELES, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States continues to see a decline in life expectancy though the country has the highest healthcare spending among wealthy nations, reflecting systematic problems, inequality and other challenges.

The average American life expectancy was shortened by more than seven months in 2021, a historic decline for the second straight year, in the wake of an already large drop of 1.8 years in 2020, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The expected life span of Americans decreased to 76.4 years in 2021, logging its shortest level since 1996.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has driven most of the decline in life expectancy, a rise in accidental deaths and drug overdoses also contributed, as did deaths from heart disease, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, according to the newest report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

Excess deaths due to COVID-19 and other causes in 2020 and 2021 led to an overall decline in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021 of 2.7 years for the total population, according to the report published at the end of 2022.

Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University, characterized the diminution of life expectancy in the United States as "historic."

A new report released by the CDC also showed maternal mortality in the United States reached a high in 2021.

Mortality rates among U.S. children and adolescents are also on the rise, according to a paper published in the journal of the American Medical Association.

"This increase in all-cause pediatric mortality has ominous implications. A nation that begins losing its most cherished population -- its children -- faces a crisis like no other," said the paper.

"This is the first time in my career that I've ever seen an increase in pediatric mortality. It's always been declining in the United States for as long as I can remember," said Woolf, the paper's lead author. "Now, it's increasing at a magnitude that has not occurred at least for half a century."

While other high-income countries were also hit hard in 2020, most had begun to recover by last year.

Despite having the highest healthcare spending among peer wealthy nations, Americans die at younger ages across every demographic group compared to their counterparts in other wealthy nations.

"How could this happen? In a country that prides itself on scientific excellence and innovation, and spends an incredible amount of money on health care, the population keeps dying at younger and younger ages," National Public Radio reported.

Americans eat more calories and lack universal access to health care, the report said. But there is also higher child poverty, racial segregation, social isolation, and more, and even the way cities are designed makes access to good food more difficult.

The average lifespan of Americans has decreased also as a result of an increase in suicide which poses a high risk for younger people.

Murders and suicides involving guns have reached an all-time high in the United States. From 2020 to 2021, the rate of firearm homicides and that of firearm suicides both increased by more than 8 percent, according to a report released by the CDC last October.

Deep-rooted inequities and structural racism are also contributing more to ethnic breakdown in life expectancy than other rich countries, said a report of TRT World, an international news platform.

According to Ann Bullock, former director of diabetes treatment and prevention at the federal agency of Indian Health Service, Native American and Alaska native populations had the lowest life expectancy of any race or ethnicity at 65.2 years.

Indigenous peoples who already had high rates of chronic diseases due to poverty, prejudice and limited access to healthcare were more vulnerable in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a report of independent U.S. news outlet Common Dreams, Woolf emphasized what public health experts call "the U.S. health disadvantage," with Americans relying on a healthcare system driven by profit motives instead of public health, widespread access to guns, high levels of pollution, and economic inequality as risk factors contributing to the drop in life expectancy and overall poor health conditions compared to other high-income countries.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
GENEVA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The world should view China objectively and show appreciation for its prosperity, according to a guest commentary in Switzerland's leading German-language daily.

Instead of joining the Western campaign bashing China, "one would do well to seize the historic opportunity of a more stable world order with China's significant participation," author Urs Schoettli wrote in the Swiss daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ).

"Appreciation for a prosperous and proud China does not stem solely from altruism," Schoettli said in the article titled "China's belated quest for place in the sun" published earlier last month, adding that looking at China's long history is key when dealing with the country.

"It would help to say goodbye to the Eurocentric way of dealing with history. This also includes an acknowledgment that the world in the 21st century is not only politically and economically multipolar but also culturally multipolar," said the article.

The fact that the Western-style globalization that followed the end of the Cold War is fading also has to do with the lack of historical awareness among its main actors, Schoettli wrote in the commentary.

"Washington and Brussels, London and Berlin overlooked the fact that the dawn of the Asian century not only ushered in a new distribution of weight in the world economy, from which the West was also able to benefit greatly thanks to globalization," he said.

The NZZ, a German-language daily newspaper founded in 1780, is the oldest newspaper in Switzerland. 
LINCOLN  Gov. Jim Pillen announced Monday that Rob Jeffreys, until recently the corrections director in Illinois, is coming to Nebraska to lead the states prison system.

Jeffreys, who just resigned from his Illinois post at the end of March, will replace former Corrections Director Scott Frakes, who resigned in October. Diane Sabatka-Rine, a 40-year veteran of the department, has served as interim director since then.

Pillen announced a nationwide search for Frakes replacement back in December, before the governor officially took office. Of the seven other candidates he interviewed for the role, Pillen said, Jeffreys stood head and toe above the other applicants, primarily because of his experience, presence and integrity.

Jeffreys was clearly the standout candidate, Pillen said.

Jeffreys served as the Illinois corrections director for about four years, and prior to that served 24 years in Ohios corrections department as chief of staff and regional director. During his time in Illinois, he oversaw a continued reduction in the states prison population, from about 38,000 when he took the role in 2019 to roughly 29,500 in 2023, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

Nebraska will be a step down in terms of the size of the department he will lead  from Illinois system with 29,500 inmates, about 13,000 employees and a $1.6 billion budget, to Nebraskas system with just over 5,500 inmates, about 2,300 employees and a $294 million annual budget.

Jeffreys will earn a salary of $210,00 per year, lower than Frakes previous $255,000 annual salary. Jeffreys last posted salary was $182,300 per year, according to a Nebraska Examiner report.

Jeffreys said he was approached by a recruiter who led him into the Nebraska candidate pool. When his first trip to the state for an in-person interview was delayed due to weather concerns, he said Pillen cleared his schedule and met him at the airport when he arrived.

Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly said he was impressed by Jeffreys focus on recognizing the humanity of those residing in corrections facilities, something Jeffreys said he was also heartened to see prioritized by Pillens team. Kelly said he hopes Jeffreys will help lower Nebraskas recidivism rates, and ensure construction of department facilities.

As Nebraskas corrections director, Jeffreys will likely oversee the construction of a new $335 million, 1,512-bed prison, though lawmakers have yet to sign off on the funding. While in Ohio, Jeffreys said he supervised the construction of a new prison from the ground up and can bring his experience there to Nebraska.

Jeffreys will inherit a system plagued by issues that are echoed in obstacles he faced in Illinois and across the country, namely staffing shortages, aging infrastructure and overcrowding. Jeffreys remained tight-lipped about his plans to address those issues Monday, saying he wants to meet his fellow employees and see the facilities himself before he moves forward with any strategies.

I need to be able to put my feet on the ground, Jeffreys said.
JERUSALEM (AP)  As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put his contentious judicial overhaul plan on hold this week, he vowed to pass the package through parliament one way or another. But he may have a hard time keeping that promise.

This weeks about-face has left him weakened and coming up against a wall of opposition he has never before faced in a three-decade political career.

For nearly three months, hundreds of thousands of people have repeatedly taken to the streets week after week to demonstrate against the plan, crippling major highways and city streets as they accused him of pushing the country toward dictatorship.

Influential business leaders and security men came out against him. The countrys main trade union declared a general strike. Perhaps most worrying for Israel, key military reservists, first and foremost Israeli fighter pilots, threatened to stop reporting for duty. Key international allies voiced concerns and objections.

While Netanyahu has the support in parliament to push through the plan, the prospect of continued unrest along with economic, diplomatic and security damage proved too much for him to handle.

He understood that hes in a dead end, said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank.

Plesner said that Netanyahus pause this week did not mark a domestic peace accord between Israelis. Rather its a cease-fire, perhaps for regrouping, reorganizing, reorienting and then potentially charging ahead.

As Netanyahu tries to regroup, those obstacles show no sign of disappearing. If anything, his opponents appear to have been emboldened by the success of their protests.

The protesters who take to the streets are not stupid, the grassroots protest movement said Tuesday. The government will not be able to pass the judicial coup because the millions of citizens who have protested until now, will not give up.

While other protest groups said they would suspend their activities, they also said they were ready to spring back into action if necessary.

Much of Netanyahus predicament is rooted in his own legal woes. Since he was indicted on corruption charges in 2019, a string of former partners and allies have abandoned him, plunging the country into five rounds of elections in under four years.

When Netanyahu finally was able to secure a parliamentary majority after the most recent vote last November, he required the support of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties to form the countrys most right-wing government in history.

These partners have antagonized the United States and other Western allies, as well as Israels new Arab allies in the Gulf, by aggressively pushing for West Bank settlement construction and making controversial statements about the Palestinians. The nonstop crises have distracted Netanyahu from his traditional focus on security and diplomatic issues.

Domestically, these partners have alienated large swaths of the Israeli public, primarily secular, middle-class taxpayers, with demands widely seen as religious coercion or infringing on the rights of LGBTQ people, Palestinian citizens and other minorities.

Ultra-Orthodox partners, for instance, want to strengthen a system that grants them exemptions from compulsory military service in order to study religious texts. On Tuesday, Netanyahu's coalition pushed through a law allowing hospitals to bar the entry of bread into their facilities during the Passover holiday, when religious Jews do not eat leavened foods.

But the governments most controversial move so far has been the introduction of its judicial overhaul. Among its key components are proposals that would allow the ruling coalition to control the appointment of judges and give it the authority to strike down Supreme Court rulings it dislikes.

Netanyahus conservative allies say the bill is needed to rein in a system of judges who are unelected and overly interventionist in political issues.

But his opponents say the overhaul is a power grab that would weaken a system of checks and balances and concentrate authority in the hands of the prime minister and his extremist allies. They also say that Netanyahu has a conflict of interest in trying to reshape the nations legal system at a time when he is on trial.

The protests have brought Israels largest cities to a standstill, disrupted Netanyahus overseas travel and even forced his wife to flee a Tel Aviv hair salon under heavy police protection.

The public anger boiled over on Sunday after Netanyahu abruptly fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who had urged the prime minister to put the overhaul on hold, citing concerns about the damage to the military.

Within an hour, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across the country, blocking a major Tel Aviv highway and scuffling with police outside Netanyahus Jerusalem home.

The unrest continued Monday when tens of thousands of people protested outside the parliament in Jerusalem, while the Histadrut labor union announced a general strike. It was the first time the union has taken such action over a political issue, causing flights to be canceled and closing offices across the nation.

Then, Monday night, Netanyahu officially put his plan on hold until the summer session of parliament, which begins at the end of April. In the meantime, he said he would seek a broad agreement.

One way or another, we will enact a reform that will restore the balance between the authorities that has been lost, he said.

The general strike was quickly halted. Gallant remained on the job, and negotiations began Tuesday night between Netanyahus government and the political opposition. President Isaac Herzog's office, which is mediating the talks, said there was a positive spirit and meetings would continue Wednesday.

But a deal remains elusive and Netanyahu remains weak. New opinion polls released late Monday showed a sharp drop in support for the embattled prime minister  even with his Likud party.

A poll conducted for Channel 12 TV found that 58% of Likud voters opposed his firing of Gallant, compared to just 22% who favored it. Sixty percent of Likud voters supported the freeze of the overhaul plan, while 55% said Netanyahus performance as prime minister is bad. The poll surveyed 502 people and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

Anshel Pfeffer, a columnist with the Haaretz daily, said that Netanyahu will struggle to revive the plan. He said the coalition is now divided over the merits of continuing, while the grassroots opposition remains motivated by its successes.
The former Minister of transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi has rated himself his performance as a huge success in the first term of President Muhammadu Buharis administration.

During an interview on Channels Television in Abuja, Amaechi said his re-appointment as a minister for another term is at the discretion of the President. He said:

I have to be the President, I am not the President. The President will decide those who will come back. So its between God and the President. I dont know. I am not in a position to access my performance. (I consider myself) a huge success. What are the promises the President made? He promised security. At that time, the problem was Boko Haram. To a great extent, Boko Haram has been decimated, he stated.

Amaechi explained that the LagosIbadan railway will solve the constant gridlock on the Apapa road in Lagos.

According to him, before the traffic would be addressed, the Ibadan-Kano should be handled with goods cleared first before the decongestion can take place.
Signs are seen during a rally against war with Iran outside the Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

-U.S. sanctions directly target Iran's main source of income, oil sales and the banking sector, and ultimately local people's right to development and welfare, said Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Judiciary chief's deputy for international affairs.

- Sanctions, secondary sanctions and different forms of over-compliance have a serious negative impact on the country's economy, leading to "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian challenges," said a UN human rights expert.

TEHRAN, April 3 (Xinhua) -- As if suffering from one of the rarest skin disorders ever known, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), is not already painful enough to make life a living hell for seven-year-old Mohammad Rezaei, the inhumane U.S. sanctions are also rubbing salt into the wounds.

EB is a rare genetic condition that causes fragile, blistering skin. EB patients are often referred to as "butterfly children" because their skin is as fragile as a butterfly's wings. The blisters may appear in response to a minor injury, even from heat, rubbing or scratching. The disorder is so painful that the patients tend to liken their skin's burning sensation to that experienced in third-degree burns.

What makes the story of the Iranian EB patients even more heart-rending is that a significant portion of them are children like Rezaei.

Rezaei said his skin "easily gets injured and the consequent wounds and infections are very painful."

Despite being just a child, he knows very well the reason why he was, at least for the time being, doomed to suffer such a degree of pain and inconvenience. Due to the U.S. sanctions, there has been a lack of necessary dressings for children like him.

A very useful dressing produced under the brand name of Mepilex by the Swedish company Molnlycke can, to a good extent, alleviate these patients' pain and suffering, making life easier for them. In fact, these patients' survival depends entirely on the timely use of the dressing. However, the U.S. sanctions have deprived EB patients in Iran of this temporary yet palpable relief.

It came as over a dozen EB patients in Iran have reportedly died of the disease in the absence of the much-needed medical supplies. Others suffered from severe physical injuries, including amputation.

Iran has been under U.S. sanctions for the past four decades. The sanctions intensified following the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

People riding a motorbike pass an Iranian bank in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 28, 2021. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

Although the United States hypocritically claimed that humanitarian items, including medicine and foodstuffs, are not included in the sanctions list, its embargoes on Iran's oil exports and banking sector have, in practice, prevented the country from importing such goods.

With her little son bearing similar sufferings, Akram Ait urged those behind the sanctions and the consequent lack of access to Mepilex dressings in Iran to "put themselves for a second in our shoes."

"What would they do if their own children, relatives or acquaintances were suffering from the same disease?" she asked.

"Let's say there is no link of any kind between them and the patients, isn't a person worth (suffering) that much to get access to a simple Mepilex dressing that can be easily provided to him/her by them?" Ait added.

"They deny that person the right to have access to Mepilex dressings, which can to some extent help him/her live, although not very comfortably, a little bit more comfortably," she said.

Regarding the U.S. sanctions' negative impacts, Hamidreza Hashemi Golpayegani, an Iranian cleric and the founder of Iran's EB Home -- an NGO for children suffering from EB -- said, "Previously, we had easy access to the (Mepilex) dressings."

However, following the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, "we felt the intensity of the sanctions on us to a greater extent," he said.

"When the Mepilex dressings are applied to the wounds, they allow EB patients to wear clothes and remove the dressings from their wounds without detaching the flesh and skin and with less pain," said Hashemi Golpayegani, whose own daughter has been suffering from EB for the past 21 years.

"The dressings also help EB patients feel less irritation and enable them to lie down on their back when resting or sleeping at night," he said, adding that the dressings are, in a way, a very basic requirement of EB patients.

Hashemi Golpayegani at EB House once wrote a letter to Molnlycke, but the drugmaker replied it would not be able to provide the dressings needed for EB patients in Iran because they are sanctioned by the United States.

A woman shops at an old bazaar in port city of Bandar Abbas, Iran, Nov. 28, 2019. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

Over the past years, Iranian officials have frequently decried the adverse impacts of the U.S. sanctions on the humanitarian issues in the country, in efforts to raise the international community's awareness in this regard.

Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Judiciary chief's deputy for international affairs and secretary of the country's High Council for Human Rights, recently dismissed as "a big lie" the U.S. claims that humanitarian items are not included in the list of sanctions, saying such claims are not based on reality.



He noted that U.S. sanctions directly target Iran's main source of income, oil sales and the banking sector, and ultimately local people's right to development and welfare.

"This has seriously endangered Iranian patients' right to life and health," Gharibabadi said.

Tehran's cry has been echoed by UN human rights experts. After her visit to Iran in May 2022, Alena Douhan, UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, concluded that sanctions, secondary sanctions and different forms of over-compliance have a serious negative impact on the country's economy, leading to "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian challenges."

"Of particular concern is the significant challenge faced in the procurement and delivery of life-saving medicines and medical equipment, produced by foreign companies and destined for the treatment of rare diseases," she said in her report to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.

Douhan's report also challenged Washington's claim of so-called humanitarian exemptions.

The UN expert found that although the sanctions' documents announce that medicines and medical equipment are not affected due to humanitarian exemptions, their delivery to Iran is "severely undermined by the effects of sanctions on finance, trade, shipping and insurance companies, restrictions on international payments, and by foreign businesses' and suppliers' over-compliance."

"These constitute serious impediments to the enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of health by all Iranians," she said. 
The leaked audio of the telephone conversation between the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Church Worldwide, aka Winners Chapel, has continued to generate ripples.

While some observers said they were not surprised by how desperate Obi was in becoming president to the extent of weaponising religion without being mindful of the dangers involved, others said he had squandered his political fortunes because it would be difficult for adherents of other religions to trust him with his votes.

Obi came third after Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who came second in the February 25 presidential election won by APCs Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In the leaked audio, Obi was heard begging Oyedepo to help him get votes from Christians in South-West and Kwara State.

He stated that the votes were needed because the February 25 presidential election was a religious war.

Millions of Nigerians who commented on social media said they were grossly disappointed and would never trust Obi again.

Religious organisations contacted last night said the words coming from Obi were heavy.

Officials of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Jamaatu Nasril Islam (JNI), the Supreme Council of Sharia in Nigeria (NSCIA), among others, said they were studying the audio before deciding what to do.

Below is the conversation

Obi: Good morning Daddy.

Oyedepo: Praise the Lord, how are you Sir?

Obi: Fine Daddy, good morning Sir.

Oyedepo: Amen, in Jesus name we are going to get bright results.

Obi: Thank you Daddy, when I hear this, your call and prayers, Dad is very dear to me. Like I keep saying, if this works, you people will never regret the support.

Oyedepo: Amen! Amen! We look forward for Gods intervention.

Obi: Thank you Dad, I need you to speak to your people in South West and Kwara, the Christians in South West and Kwara, this is a religious war.

Oyedepo: I believe that, you know I did a release Nigeria Going Forward and I am coming with the second one today, but in the name of Jesus, this would be a success, you know what I said, Nigeria requires a strong and healthy personality, I said anyone whose source of wealth could not be verified should not have access to governance. So, all we are doing, we are appealing to the conscience of people to know where to go. But I want to assure you that the result will be favourable.

Obi: Thank you Daddy.

Oyedepo: So relax yourself, dont be apprehensive, are you in Lagos or Abuja?

Obi: I am in Onitsha now.

Oyedepo: So, youll be there for the election?

Obi: Yes Sir

Oyedepo: Very good, that is where to be, I say all Nigerians have equal stake, nobody has right to claim that he is dashing something to someone, we are coming out of it, so how is the East generally and the Middle Belt?

Obi: East is okay, Middle Belt is okay, but places like Kogi, Kwara and Niger are worrisome.

Oyedepo: We will get to Kwara.

Obi: Fantastic, I went to Kwara and visited Olofa of Offa who told me that nobody had ever come here, with you no problem but the Christian community in Kwara and Niger, and I am also working in Kogi same way.

Oyedepo: Okay then I will target this clip to them; I will make sure it gets them.

Obi: Thank you I will be looking forward to the release as well, please send it to me.

Oyedepo: Okay, I will do that, God bless you.

Obi: Thank you, Daddy.

Weaponising religion dangerous  Sheikh Khalid, Prof Kari, Nnamani

The Chairman, Islamic Research and Daawah Foundation (IRDF), Sheikh Mohammad Nura Khalid, has said that the leaked audio between Mr Obi and Bishop Oyedepo was unfortunate.

Popularly known as Digital Imam, Sheik Khalid, who is a former Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters Jumaat Mosque, Abuja told Daily Trust last night that it was unfair that religious leaders who supposed to lead the people right were manipulating religion for selfish interest.

According to him, it should be known to such people that Nigeria is a multi-religious country, thus the people must live together to bring out the country from the trauma it found itself.

There is insecurity, there is poverty, and there is grand corruption. Instead of them to work for workable solutions to the problems, they are trying to sing the song of inter-religious crisis in the name of playing politics. It is unfortunate, Khalid said.

On his part, an Associate Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Abuja, Abubakar Kari, said Obis utterances had the potential of doing incalculable damage to his rising political profile.

Obi has always been accused and seen by some as given to wilfully and deliberately playing the ethnic and religious card. These allegations and suspicion will likely intensify, no matter the genuineness of the tape, because politics is more about perception than reality.

As it is, many of Obis supporters and enthusiasts, particularly those outside his faith group, were embarrassed by the development. This may be politically costly for him now and in the future. Beyond merely dismissing the tape, he and his minders really need to do a lot to persuade friends, fans and foes alike that he is not what the alleged leaked conversation portrayed. Otherwise, he should forget about ever getting the support of those who felt offended by the alleged leaked conversation.

On whether the development will deepen mutual suspicion and recriminations between the two major religions, Professor said, The build-up to the polls witnessed unprecedented manipulation of the electorate and brazen and reckless mobilisation of voters by cavalierly appealing to their religious affiliations. All the major parties were complicit in that. This Obi-Oyedepo alleged conversation can only worsen matters.

Unfortunately, only moral suasion can be recommended in this circumstance. Politicians should retrace their steps forthwith. Their wanton manipulation of religion for political gain imperils the nation. Also, religious leaders should desist from being partisan and divisive. The conduct of many of them across the political divide raised the political temperature to a combustible level, and this is very dangerous. Religion and politics are a toxic mix any day.

On his part, a former Enugu State governor, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, said in a statement that, Peter Obi deflowered the virgin innocence of political patriotism and nationalism in Nigeria. He fed our people with the sacred apple and Nigeria may never be the same again.

What was in whispers and hush tones, Peter proclaimed loud in decibels in Cathedrals and Holy Sepulchres. The Roman Catholic dominant politics Peter mastered and foisted on Anambra people when he was a governor was a prelude to his nationwide campaigns, he said.

He also stated that Peters religious war in garbs of Labour Party politics were nationalised and universalised for all Christian denominations among Nigerians home and abroad.

Picking the pieces

However, some of Obis supporters had alleged that the audio was doctored despite admittance by the LP Presidential Campaign Council.

In a statement yesterday morning, Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign, confirmed the authenticity of the audio, but claimed it was taken out of context by critics.

He wrote: Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of private conversation between @PeterObi and Bishop Oyedepo. It is not surprising that these political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was making a religious statement.

Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said, All Nigerians have equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone. Peter Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the Christendom because the politicians of the other party are carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war.

Obidients slam Okonkwo

Meanwhile, some supporters of Obi yesterday took to their Twitter account handles to slam Okonkwo over his comment on the audio clip. For instance, a tweet with the handle, @Jidejay, alleged that Okonkwo is a mole in the Labour Party. He tweeted, Fellow Obidients, please pay no regard to Kenneth Okonkwos threadWe have it in good authority that hes a mole planted by APC to ruin our efforts.watch him behind Tinubu.

Another user of the microblogging site, @firstladyship, said: Kenneth Okonkwo is on his own! His thread is his personal opinion! I told him my mind, & relayed same to Peter Obi. The older generation should limit themselves to TV appearances; leave Twitter rebuttals for the Obidients. We are more than capable of trashing ALL APC Propaganda.(sic).

Another tweet,@jeffphilips1 said: Obidient youths are not angry with Kenneth Okonkwo for confirming a false video, theyre angry with him for not allowing them to manipulate the narrative around the tape.

Audio clip deep fake, says Obi-Datti Media Office

Also reacting, Diran Onifade, the head of the Obi-Datti Media Office, in a statement yesterday, described the audio as deep fake, alleging that it was another propaganda by the APC to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi; if the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully.

He said: Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe.

While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recourse to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them.

Ive never campaigned for any politician-Oyedepo

Bishop Oyedepo, in his reaction yesterday, neither denied the conversation nor confirmed it outright.

He said he had never campaigned for any politician during any election in the country.

He spoke at the churchs headquarters in Ogun State while speaking on the subject of faith.

Oyedepo said he never spoke to any group of people on behalf of any politician.

Nobody had ever told me what to say in this world. No. I have never campaigned for anybody or speak on anybodys behalf and I will not do that till I go to heaven.

There is no (political) party in this country that didnt come to me for prayers and for advice. I advised them, some, they didnt take. Those who chose to take it, they see results; those who said no, they are going about it (laughs). If you still come again, I will still tell you, it doesnt change, he said.

Obis presidential ambition dead-Tinubu campaign

The Minister of State for Labour and spokesperson for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign, Festus Keyamo, SAN, in his reaction to the audio yesterday, said God had exposed Obi for declaring a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, declaring his dream to become a president one day is dead.

Keyamo said, Having confirmed the authenticity of what is now known as the Peter Obi Yes-daddy audio, I think the real culprit here are the so-called men of God who allowed themselves to be used by an unscrupulous politician to seek to inflame religious passions in our dear country in the name of politics.

So, when they were telling their hapless adherents that they heard the voice of the Lord, it was actually Peter Obis telephone calls they heard and not Gods voice. This is deceitful, shameful and disgusting. Imagine a so-called man of God comparing notes with a politician as to what he said or what he would say on the pulpit in order to get him votes.

I hope this sufficiently embarrasses the men of God in Nigeria to forthwith desist from using the pulpit for politics and the Church-goers to stop being teleguided by their self-serving men of God.

As for Peter Obi who declared an election a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like ours, the real God has just exposed him and his dream to be Nigerias president one day has just died a natural death. Yes-daddy is now permanently etched in the consciousness of the nation and we will NEVER forget!

We know those who leaked the conversation with Oyedepo  Obis aide

Speaking on the matter, Obis media aide, Valentine Obienyem said he knew the person who allegedly leaked his principals conversation with David Oyedepo.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Obienyem said: I heard they set up a committee made up of some communications experts, headed by our prodigal brother from Nnewi. They are reviewing all calls Obi made in the last three years, and especially now to see if he mentioned interim government or anything that will make them prosecute him for treason when and if they take over.

Till now, they are yet to see any. The badly doctored conservation with Bishop Oyedepo released by our Nnewi prodigal brother is the much they have discovered so far. They edited out the Muslim-Muslim ticket that led to the discussion, where Obi said that in a society like ours, religious balancing was a necessary consideration and that their recklessness had made Christians to assume it was a religious war.

By Abbas Jimoh, Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Ademola Olonilua & Abdullateef Aliyu (Lagos)



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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2)  The widow of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo said an arrested key suspect considered by authorities as one of the masterminds in her husbands killing had targeted him since 2020.

According to Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, former army reservist Marvin Miranda was previously arrested in Caticlan Port in Aklan on June 29, 2020 after a stash of firearms and ammunition were recovered from him and two other supposed cohorts.

Natutuwa tayo dahil the puzzle is almost completed na. Almost kasi one of the masterminds talagang itong nahuli na si Marvin, Degamo said.

[Translation: We are happy because the puzzle is almost complete. Almost, because of the arrest of Marvin, who is really one of the masterminds.]

Degamo said Miranda is believed to be a hired killer of Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves.

Tapos nung makita namin ang mug shot parang ang address ay [doon] yata doon Bayawan City. All the more na naaano kami na it comes from the people from the south, sila Teves talaga ito. The mayor stressed.

[Translation: Then when we saw the mug shot, it seemed like the address was Bayawan City. All the more we believed, it comes from the people from the south, which is really the turf of the Teveses.]

The late governor had expressed concerns about his life in a letter sent to some senators in September 2020. He particularly cited Mirandas arrest at the Caticlan Port, whom he described as a henchman of the lawmaker.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on March 31 announced that the National Bureau of Investigation had arrested a key suspect in the killing of Governor Degamo. He, however, did not identify the suspect.

With the arrest, Remulla described the case as 99% solved.
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Armed gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Sunday, invaded and attacked the Christians Pentecostal Church located at Akenawe, Tswarev in Ukemberagya/Tswarev Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area of Benue State where a worshipper was killed while a pastor of the church and four worshippers were abducted.

President of the Gaambe-Tiev Youth Association (GYA), Dr. Hemen Terkimbi, who confirmed the attack in a statement on Monday morning, said five worshippers sustained injuries in the attack while four worshippers including the Resident Pastor, Rev. Gwadue Kwaghtyo, were abducted.

The invaders who were Fulani herdsmen, stormed the church when a healing service was being conducted by the Resident Pastor, Rev. Gwadue Kwaghtyo.

Among those that sustained severe injuries was the Acting Kindred Head of Akemkpa, Zaki Tyokase Ingyutu who was wounded on the head. They are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals in Ugba and Anyii.

READ ALSO: 2 months later, missing cabbie found dead in Lagos

The attackers also injured several of the victims, among them the traditional ruler of the community, Zaki Tyokase Ingyutu.

It is unfortunate that innocent and defenseless worshippers could be attacked on a Palm Sunday while worshipping God, Terkimbi said.

Also confirming the incident on Monday, Chairman of the Council, Mrs. Salome Tor said she has been informed of the attack.

From the information we gathered, the attack happened very early in the morning at a church in one of the wards where our people were praying when they were surrounded by Fulanis.

They killed one boy and butchered some others. Some of them are in the hospital already. They also took away some of the victims. The matter has been reported to the Police.
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Current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila is rumored to have been assigned the position of Chief of Staff for the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who will assume office as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29.

Sources within Tinubus camp confirmed the appointment with Gbajabiamila already discharging his duties as the CoS.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives has resumed unofficially, scheduling Tinubus activities and itineraries ahead of the May 29 inauguration.

He has technically resumed with him in Paris, and they are trying to work out process and plans, the source noted.

Also, Tinubus former Commissioner of Finance, Wale Edun, and the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, are rumored to be under consideration for important positions in the incoming administration.

READ ALSO: Sen. Obanikoro warns anti-Tinubu protesters

Furthermore, Tinubu has appointed Edu and Bagudu into his economic team, which he considered a critical sector requiring attention immediately he assumes office.

The source continued, Wale is supposed to be the coordinator of the economy, either as Finance Minister or the CBN governor. It is not clear yet what his plans are for Bagudu. But he has also been penciled in and is going to be operating at a very high and serious level in the administration.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has said the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will decide the date the fuel subsidy will be removed.

READ ALSO: Naira, fuel scarcity: Grand plot to sabotage Tinubus chances at polls Gbajabiamila

Festus Keyamo, the PCC spokesman revealed this on Sunday, disclosing that the next government would determine the terminal date for the subsidy regime.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recently said the country was spending over N400bn monthly on petroleum subsidy which it argued is largely unsustainable.

Keyamo said in a statement on Sunday that he had no doubt that the Tinubu administration would stop subsidy payments in accordance with the Buhari administrations plan.

The PCC spokesman also added that the FG decided on June 2023 as the formal end date for fuel subsidies because the budget did not include them past that time.

Why the FG targeted June (to end subsidy) was that the budget only provided for subsidy up to June. That was the reason. But the new government will decide when it wants to. Of course, you know that when a new government takes over, the country is at its beck and call. Yes, I agree that government is a continuum. But all policies are not a continuum.
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By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

There were serious gunshots on Monday when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State clashed in Port Harcourt, the state capital over the inspection of electoral materials.

This trouble according to an eyewitness, started when the APC Governorship Candidate in the March 18 poll, Tonye Cole and members of his party arrived the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state capital to inspection of materials used in the last election in the state.

The source said; Cole was forced to turn back by members of PDP who were already on ground at the INEC office before his arrival. The situation caused pandemonium as the PDP members demanded the joint inspection of election results and the Certified True Copies of result sheets for the just-concluded 2023 general elections.

The members of the Peoples Democratic Party had blocked both the waterlines and GRA areas of Aba road, the two major access points to the INEC head office. No car was able to drive through that stretch of Aba road from the ground lanes, while those on the GRA flyover are trapped because there is no exit route

247ureports gathered that the protest was led by the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie who was re-elected in the March 18 election and Samuel Nwanosike, the Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area.

It could be recall that the PDP won the governorship and State Assembly elections in Rivers State in the just concluded election.

However, the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly who jointly led the protest, demanded that INEC grant the party a joint inspection of the materials used in conducting the March 18 elections.

Meanwhile, apart from the demand for joint inspection of materials, some inscriptions on the placards displayed during the protest also request INEC to make available the Certified True Copies of results.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Region IV-A has launched on its own initiative an investigation into the alleged rape of an 18-year-old student by two police officers in Bacoor, Cavite last March 19.

The Commission regards rape allegations and other reports of sexual assault with utmost gravity and sensitivity, a CHR statement dated April 3 read. If the charges against the two suspected cops are proven to be true, they must be held fully accountable for their actions in accordance with the rule of law.

Charges of rape and an administrative case for grave misconduct were filed against Master Sergeant Rey Pogoso and Corporal Bryan Balajay at the Police Community Precinct 1 in Imus, Cavite.

Their issued firearms and PNP identification cards were also confiscated.

According to the Cavite Police Provincial Office, the victim, her boyfriend, the two police and three others were having a drinking session in her apartment. The two police allegedly raped the victim when her boyfriend left the apartment to buy more drinks.

Pogoso and Balajay, who were part of the Imus Police Station, are currently under police custody and underwent inquest proceedings last March 22.

The two policemen were also relieved from their unit to give way to the investigation and if found guilty, they will be dismissed from their position, Police Brigadier General Jose Melencio Nartatez, Calabarzon police regional director, said last March 23.

CHR calls upon the government, as the primary duty bearer for the rights of all, to take appropriate measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again and hold firmly liable those who commit such atrocious crimes, the CHR said.
Less than 48 hours President Muhammadu Buhari told the European Union and the United Nations that his administration has the capacity to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists in northeast Nigeria, amidst claims of technical defeat of the terrorists, the Boko Haram group launched a deadly attack at the weekend to falsify the claims of the president and demystify the warfare capacity of the government under his leadership. Two female suicide bombers had attacked a Mosque in Gwoza, Borno State, killing a 12-year-old boy and injuring 13 others.

Ironically, the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had on Channels Television programme at the weekend, remarked that Christians should be thankful to President Buhari because bombs have not exploding under his administration. The two female bombers, in their violent enterprise, may have ridiculed the presidential media adviser.

Reports indicated that the female bombers tried to force their way into the Mosque during the early morning prayers before some persons in the neighborhood raised alarm for interventions.

The report further indicated that residents suspected that the suicide bombers might have had access into the town during a wedding at the Palace of the Emir of Gwoza on Saturday.

The Borno State Police Command was said to have cordoned off the scene while soldiers from 192 Battalion have been deployed for vigilance.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said cooperation among different agencies is needed to address issues in the maritime industry, specifically the deficiencies raised by the European Commission after it decided to continue recognizing certificates of Filipino seafarers.

We hope that there will be inter-agency communication. It is not an exclusive problem of MARINA (Maritime Industry Authority), Joni Gesmundo, executive assistant of DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, told CNN Philippines The Source on Monday.

On March 31, the European Commission for Transport announced the development, citing Manilas serious efforts to comply with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) for seafarers.

However, the EU still pointed out six deficiencies that the Philippines should address. These are monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training, examination and assessment of competence, program and course design, availability and use of training facilities and simulators, on-board training, and issue, revalidation, and registration of certificates.

Gesmundo said relevant agencies need to be involved to address the deficiencies.

For example, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) can assist in assessing who are the qualified instructors in training schools, he said. Maritime authorities can also become trainers themselves, he added.

The PCG can also lend some of its vessels, especially to schools that do not have such facilities to train their students, Gesmundo said.

On Monday, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Prospero de Vera said in a statement that the agency is ready to work with MARINA and maritime higher education institutions (HEI) in implementing reforms based on the concerns cited by the EU.

CHED and MARINA have also implemented other initiatives to improve the countrys maritime industry, De Vera noted.

Initiatives on curricular reforms, examination and assessment, ship board training, and capacity-building training for CHED, MARINA and Maritime HEIs were undertaken, he said. A five-year moratorium on the opening of new maritime programs was imposed to make sure the review of all maritime schools can be undertaken before we add new ones.

The EU has expressed willingness to assist in addressing the deficiencies raised.

In December 2021, the EU warned that seafarer certificates issued by the Philippine government would be revoked if the country fails to comply with international standards.

Gesmundo said up to 63 areas of concern were earlier cited but MARINA was able to address majority of them.

On Sunday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. committed to solve the issues facing the countrys maritime industry, with the goal of developing world-class Filipino seafarers.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier warned that 50,000 Filipino seafarers in the EU are at risk of losing their jobs if the commission decided otherwise.
BLOOMINGTON  A man is accused of failing to register in McLean County having previously been convicted of murder.

Wayne M. Damron, 52, is charged with one count of violation of the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act.

Damron was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison in 1993 for the murder of 49-year-old Michael Grady. According to court documents, he failed to report in person to the Bloomington Police Department in March.

Damron, who is listed as homeless in court documents and on the state registry, was released Friday on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond and ordered to report to BPD to register in accordance with state law.

An arraignment was scheduled for April 13.

Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph Bryant Lewis Derek Roesch Justin M. Mata Marcus D. Wesley Phillip Tinch Trisha L. Hanke William B. Givens David L. Oliver Kenneth E. Funk Jordan R. King Holly M. Isaacson Kenneth L. Minton Tony L. Jackson Britley L. Hilger Jasmine L. Smith Jackie S. Claypool Noah R. Demuth Brandon L. Parsano Alexander N. Williams Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano Jaylin S. Bones Jordan R. King Dominique M. Banks Austin T. Daugherty Sandra M. Lewis Samantha E. Morris Nolan C. Love Nikkita L. Sandefur Katlin M.B. Wilson Eli C. Garozzo Tysean T. Townsend Curtis J. Byrd Noral K. Nelson Charles J. Tankson Davis, Micah S Livingston, Joshua D. Kevin L. Ewen Emmanuel K. Mpay Ahmad S. Manns Dylan R Mann Tony L. Jackson
NORMAL  Heartland Community College will host a business solutions showcase from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 20.

The event is a free seminar series to help employers and managers navigate the challenges of today's workplace.

A panel of industry experts will share recommended approaches on topics including emotional intelligence, stay interviews, employee brain health, neurodiversity and humor in the workplace.

Lunch will be included and there will be time for networking between sessions.

Speakers will include Carol Burrell, a learning and development professional; Kristi Glesne, HCC associate director of business and industry solutions; Eric Hoss, a communications and management professional; Jennifer Keith, president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor; Gary Ohler, president of Appex Partners LLC; and Christina Schulz, HCC director of business and industry solutions.

All sessions will be held on campus at 1500 W. Raab Road in Normal inside the Community Commons Building.

The showcase is free, but registration is required as seating is limited. Registration can be completed at heartland.edu/BusinessShowcase or by calling 309-268-8160.

Watch now: Photos from the HCC Funnyraiser Willie Thomspon, Crowd Favorite comedian Jolene Aldus HCC Executive Director of Development Chris Downing, HCC President Keith Cornille Patrick and Tracy Mainieri Kevin and Jamie Kilpatrick, Maggie and Josh St. Peters Paul and Christie Vellella Adam Weber, Allegra Thigpen Patrick Mainieri, Suzi Nafziger, Andrea Arduini DeeDee and Trevor Gearhart Gary, Frank and Angie Hoffman Sarah Fleming, Gavin Lee John Nafziger, Amber Gruenloh, Brad Glenn Larry Blumenstock, Dan and Angela Yandel Shelleigh and Kevin Birlingmair, Chris Downing Taylor Seal, Kadi Juris, Heather Goergen Adam Pemberton, Nicole Batkiewicz Annie and Scott Swanson Amanda Jones, Catherine Porter, Shelleigh Birlingmair Christina and Justin Boyd Ann and Ben Jeffreys Steve and Julie Kubsch Brian and Alexis Plath, Dr. Noelle and Brock Selkow Annie Swanson, Jennifer Bras Myra and George Gordon It was a sold out night Keith Baker, Meta Mickens-Baker, Tony Jones Annie Swanson, Sara Larsen, Scott Swanson, Jennifer Bras, Kim Schoenbein Jon and Laura Pritts Reena Rhoda, Brian Morfey Simon and Nicole Hoffman Justin and Amber Wilfley Cathy and Dennis Wentworth, Roger and Diane Finney
NORMAL  For the first time, a local committee's endorsements in Tuesday's election represent a new perspective: Illinois State University students.

Student Legislative Action Coalition (SLAC) is in its first official year as a group on campus, organizers said, and wants to help students get involved with advocacy in their community and the state. In the leadup to Tuesday's election, that has included working on endorsements with Responsible Cities political action committee, a nonpartisan group that endorses and supports local political candidates.

Our mission is to advocate for student rights, said Malia Pellgrini, SLAC's director of internal affairs.

Students, often living away from home for the first time, do not always know their legal rights when it comes to activities like voting or renting, she said. That is part of why SLAC has gotten involved with projects like advocating for bringing a grocery store to Uptown Normal and adding a 24-hour notice requirement for landlord visits to rentals in the town.

The group is nonpartisan and focused on advocacy, said Lawrence Landfair, SLACs executive director. There are a lot of political groups on campus, including student groups for both major political parties, but SLAC wants to focus on general advocacy on student-related issues.

We really want to emphasize the action in our name, Pellgrini said.

As part of that, the group has been working with ISU administration and Normal town officials on its projects. The group is in its first academic year as an official registered student organization, after organizing over the summer through virtual meetings.

It feels good to be building up the group and getting it going, said Pellgrini, a sophomore. For Landfair, a senior, the work helps leave something for future students. Attendance at meetings and events has varied, organizers said, but can run upwards of 20 students for some meetings.

Members of the group visited Springfield during the veto session last semester, giving them chances to talk with state legislators and their staff. This was mostly about building connections and meeting politicians and others involved in governing and running the state.

We were also able to fit in certain legislative issues that were passionate about, Landfair said.

SLAC and Responsible Cities members started meeting over the winter as they seemed to have common goals and values, and from there got involved in the endorsement process, said junior Kerem Tasdan, SLACs external advocacy director.

How can we have that student voice there in local elections? he said.

For Responsible Cities, it was also a chance to bring in a different perspective and foster a sense of engagement among young adults, said Vicki Varney, president of the PAC. While there might be some topics where their interests do not overlap, she felt that both groups were looking for candidates who want to make the community a better place.

We both wanted what was best for the community and we had more in common than not in common, she said.

Students were represented on most of the PAC's endorsement panels, helping to write questions and talking with the candidates ahead of the endorsements, Tasdan said. Throughout the process, he felt the committee was respectful of the students perspectives.

Our views and input as students was not just heard, it was acknowledged, he said.

The collaboration united two groups that may normally not have much overlap. Responsible Cities PAC includes generally adults from the community and SLAC represents college students, many of whom are not originally from the area.

The students are an important part of the community while they are here, Varney said. While Responsible Cities is mostly only active around elections, she hopes members can continue to mentor the SLAC students.

Tasdan expressed hope that the new ISU group's activities could encourage more students to become involved in local elections. That could translate into a stronger connection between students and Bloomington-Normal, making them more likely to stay in the area after graduation, he said.

Students are sometimes seen as only temporary residents of the Twin Cities, Varney said, but that is not always the case.

But we see that a lot of students come to Bloomington-Normal, see how wonderful it is, and stay, she said.
MARSEILLES  Four Illinois National Guard soldiers recently received Polish Armed Forces Medals.

Polish Army Col. Edward Chyla, commander of the Polish Territorial Defense Force Training Center, presented the bronze Polish Armed Forces Medal to four soldiers during a ceremony on March 25 at the Illinois Army National Guard's Marseilles Training Center.

The Polish Armed Forces Medal is approved by Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak. The Illinois soldiers received the medal for their work last May and June training Polish Territorial Defense Force Soldiers in Poland on mass casualty response and emergency medical care, use of the Javelin anti-tank system, and in sniper operations. Many of the Polish trainers have helped train Ukrainian soldiers as they fight off the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The four soldiers who received the medal include Drew Weaver, Elizabeth Hernandez, Albert Herda and Paul Herrick.

Capt. Weaver of Mahomet is commander of A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 106th Calvary Regiment in Pontiac. He is an Illinois State Police Trooper in his civilian life. He also served as the sniper officer-in-charge of the training team last year.

Sgt. Hernandez of Murphysboro is a senior medic for the headquarters of the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment based in Marion and a Jackson County emergency medical technician in her civilian life. She also helped train Polish soldiers in mass casualty response and emergency medical care last year.

Sgt. Herda of East Dundee is an electrical worker for RPM Building Solutions of Crystal Lake in his civilian life and a medic for the headquarters of the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment based in Marion in the military. He also helped trained Polish soldiers in mass casualty response and emergency medical care last year.

Sgt. 1st Class Herrick of Tinley Park is a full-time readiness noncommissioned officer for the 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment based in the General Richard L. Jones Armory on Chicago's south side. He is also a reconnaissance platoon sergeant in the 1-178th Infantry and assisted the Polish in Infantry training.

Chyla and his team conducted marksmanship training and observed U.S. Army range operations with Illinois Army National Guard 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team Soldiers at Marseilles before presenting the medals. They also attended a Gold Star Mission Banquet later that evening. Several Polish soldiers traveled to Illinois last year to participate in the organization's annual Gold Star 500 bicycle ride.

Best cities for military retirees Best cities for military retirees Highlights from the top 10 cities for military retirees Data and methodology
Episode 83: At its core, woke is a term that refers to being aware of social injustices and inequalities, particularly related to gender, race and ethnicity.

The word originated in African American Vernacular English in the 1940s, but it gained renewed popularity in the 2010s as a term used to describe a heightened awareness and understanding of systemic racism and social justice issues.

However, the term has also become a source of controversy and debate, with some criticizing it for being overused and losing its original meaning, while others embrace it as a powerful tool for promoting social change.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how this movement has affected society and how our focus on the culture wars often drowns out more important issues facing Americans.

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.
Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, has been recognised as the Outstanding Woman in Telecommunications at the African Women Awards 2023. The awards ceremony, held in Ethiopia under the theme The Role of Women in Business Propelling Africas Socio-Economic Renaissance, celebrates the achievements of exceptional African women leaders in various industries.



Patricias award is a testament to her exceptional leadership and dedication to the telecommunications industry, where she has made significant strides throughout her career. As the CEO of Vodafone Ghana, she has successfully navigated the competitive landscape and guided the company towards remarkable growth and innovation.



Under her leadership, Vodafone Ghana has introduced ground-breaking products and services, transforming the telecommunications sector in the country. Patricia has also overseen the expansion of Vodafone Ghanas network coverage, solidifying its position as one of the most extensive and reliable networks in Ghana.



Commenting on the award, Patricia said, This award is not only a humbling recognition of my personal journey, but also a testament to the incredible dedication and resilience of all women in the industry. As a leader, I am committed to inspiring the next generation of women in telecommunications. I believe that together, we can break down barriers and redefine the future of our industry.



Patricia is a champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. She has led initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion within Vodafone Ghana and the broader telecommunications industry.



The African Women Award aims to draw attention to the positive impact of African women on the continents socio-economic growth and development. By identifying and recognising exemplary African women like Patricia Obo-Nai, the awards aim to position them as role models for the wider female population across Africa.

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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Senior Psychologist, Professor Joseph Osafo has urged Ghanaians not to abuse nor beat people who attempt to commit suicide.



Professor Joseph Osafo noted that suicide is a mental health disorder that needs health and psychological as well as professional guidance and treatment.



The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.



Mental disorders, according to the WHO, are major contributors to morbidity, disability and premature mortality.



Prof. Osafo, speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, bemoaned the kind of treatment some Ghanaians mete out to people who try to take their own life.



He cautioned against terrorizing such persons or using any form of abuse to pump fear into them, stressing this doesn't help to discourage them committing suicide.



"When you find someone who wants to commit suicide, don't beat the person. If there's nothing you can do to help, you can call the Police...Anywhere suicide has been decriminalized, two or three things happen. [Number 1] People get the commitment or confidence to seek for help", he stated.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Mr. Kofi Baah Agyepong has told students of the Kumasi Senior High School, his alma mater, and all Senior High School students across the country to be motivated by themselves and be inspired by the lives of successful old students.



Addressing a large gathering of students and some old students of the Kumasi Senior High School on the school's careers and guidance day on Thursday, Mr Agyepong recounted his days back in the day on campus.



According to Mr. Agyepong, he resolved to make his course the choicest and became passionate about reading, communication and journalism from his early days on the 'Toronto desert' as the school is affectionately called.



He was mindful of his pursuit of an exemplary future and pursued that with all passion even in the midst of youthful exuberance that characterized student life in his day on the campus of Kumasi High school.



The CEO urged the students to mindful of the stress their parents and government have gone through to put them to this stage of their academic ladder and reward their parents by making the requisite grades through hard work and studious lifestyle.



"It is obvious that you may never meet some of the people you are sitting by here, for the rest of life, and so inasmuch as bonding and networking is as equally important, do not be guided by negative attitudes of friends, but focus on excelling and becoming successful in life. It is the only way, the school will recognize and invite you back", Mr. Kofi Agyepong said.



The Assistant Registrar at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Mr. Festus Nyame, who is an old student of Kumasi Senior High School, had early on taken the students through courses offered by the Universities, new trends of education and some additional relevant skills they should pursue.



As an old student, he also shared his experiences in the school.



Headmaster of the school, Mr. Bernard Hall-Baidoo, also addressing the gathering, reiterated that aside the classroom engagement; the most important assets in the world of work and career paths are positive attitudes, dedication, selflessness and hard work.



Mr. Hall-Baidoo eulogized Mr. Agyepong and Mr. Festus Nyame for their outstanding work to the development of Ghana and their immense contributions to their alma mater.



He also thanked the Career and Guidance Coordinator of the school, Mrs. Lydia Martins, for putting together such a remarkable programme together with the Students Representative Council.



Other guests who attended the function included the Director of Corporate Affairs for YEA, Emmanuel Kwasi Afriyie, Lawyer Ernest Opoku Nti, also from YEA, Akwasi Apraku Agyepong, an old student, and a host of other old students and dignitaries.

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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 Founder of the Society Influencers Foundation in Ghana led a national discourse on how Ghanaian businesses can grow irrespective of the political party in power.



Speaking with the media on the sideline at the dialogue themed "TRANS-POLITICAL BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN GHANA" at the University of Ghana Business School in partnership with the Society Influencers Foundation on 29th March 2023, Nii Marmah Boye noted that businesses that are purported to be associated to a political party that is not in power get victimized by the ruling party. This he noted influenced his decision to hold a national dialogue with stakeholders to find a lasting solution to local business victimization in Ghana.



" We decided to hold this dialogue because it's time we see Ghanaian businesses grow to the international market. We can't continue to collapse local businesses because they are perceived to be affiliated with a political party that is not in power; it must stop" He said.



Nii Marmah Boye also encouraged local businesses to operate legally to avoid issues with the ruling Government.



"I want to take this opportunity to encourage local businesses not to involve themselves in situations that will affect their businesses negatively. Sometimes, officials collapse their businesses for reasons that do not need them to close down their businesses however since a fault has been detected, they will stand on it to make a case." He opined.



He took the opportunity to call on all Governments to encourage local growth and participation in the African and international markets rather than frustrating their operations.



"We've heard on records how businesses are being frustrated due to the current business environment. Our environment doesn't encourage growth. You have to lick boots before you can succeed in business in Ghana. Why should we do this to ourselves? It is time Governments create the enabling environment to encourage business growth in the international market."



"We are looking forward to hosting an all-female panel in our next series since this was all male and then we end with Presidential aspirants to get their commitment so that we can hold them accountable if any of them assumes power and tries to touch any business illegally," He said.

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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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Ghanas leading travel and tour company, Adansi Travels as part of their 10 years anniversary today unveiled Samini for their local and Dubai chattered flight tours.



The tours will explore notable tourist sites in Ghana, Africa, Asia, Europe, Dubai Israel, Malaysia, and Singapore among others.



This is one of Adansis innovations in the quest to give travel lovers an experience worth having as part of their 10 years anniversary activities.



Adansi Travels which started a decade ago with a staff strength of 3 people in the Obuasi area, a suburb in Ghana has become a major tourist promoter, introducing locals to foreign tourist sites and foreigners to breath-taking local tourist sites in Ghana.



The name Adansi as said by the General Manager, Yaw Johnson was coined from the area the company started from. It was a dream to make people see and experience the beauty of nature across the world with a focus on local tourism. Today, we can say we are on course and with your support we are delivering on that promise. He said.



Managing Director of Adansi Travels Mr Gideon Asare took the opportunity to thank all their local and foreign partners for their valuable and unflinching support over the past 10 years.



He announced that, as part of their 10 years, travel and tourism lovers will explore the world with a focus on Ghana. As we mark 10 years, we will take you on an experience that is worth it, from Ghana to the world. We are taking you to discover Ghana like a place you have not seen before with our Western Escape Tour, Best of the North, Volta Tour, and Eastern Tour among others. Our aim is to dispel all the stereotypes about Ghana and sell us to the world.



He added that Adansi Travels has partnered with Emirates to fly Ghanaians to Dubai for a 10 days tour on a fully chartered flight and to party in the desert with Samini. Aside from Dubai, we are going to 10 cities in 10 nights on 1 tour. We will also go to Africa, Europe, Asia, Israel, Malaysia, and Singapore among others.



Ghanaian music icon Samini was unveiled at the event as the official artiste for the Dubai dessert party. He assured patrons of the best experiences and added his excitement about introduction of The Best of the North Tour. As a Northerner l, Im happy Adansi is taking you to my home, trust me, you will enjoy it . He asked all to visit Adansi and be a part of the experience.



Others present were renowned on-air personalities George Quaye and Lexis Bill as well as representatives from the airlines, other partners and some satisfied clients going on the Accra City Vibe Tour which cost only GHC 10.



In unison, the Accra City Tour participants present at the launch of Adansis 10 years anniversary asked all to join in to support local tourism and travel the world with Adansi.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  The government of Occidental Mindoro has suspended all classes in the mainland of the province from April 3 to 5 due to power outages that run from 16 to 20 hours a day.

Governor Eduardo Gadiano on Sunday issued the executive order, which covers all levels in both public and private schools.

The official said areas under the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperatives (OMECO) franchise continue to experience power interruptions, resulting in poor learning and working conditions in the area.

Taking into account the health and safety of all students and workers in all schools in the mainland of the province, it is imperative to issue this Order suspending all classes in all levels of public and private schools in the mainland of the province, his directive stated.

Nonetheless, teaching personnel are encouraged to provide continuous delivery of basic education through asynchronous learning, it added.

OMECO services the towns of Abra de Ilog, Mamburao, Sta. Cruz, Sablayan, Calintaan, Rizal, San Jose, Magsaysay, and Paluan.

Last year, the Department of Energy vowed to help improve coordination among power regulators to address power outages in Occidental Mindoro.
The Kwahu Nkwatia Nkosuohene, Nana Owiredu Wadie I has over the Weekend Shocked his 16 year old daughter with a customized car on her 16th Birthday.



There was tears of joy when the young lady Shockley Recieved the gift from the Benevolent Dad.



A lavish birthday party was organized in Accra for Princess Lillian Wadie, first daughter of the chief.



Ghanaian and Africas top afro pop reggae dancehall artist , Livingston Etse Satekla popularly known with stage name Stonebwoy (1GAD) was there to surprise funs who were present at the party.



The party was dubbed  Lilians 16th Disco Party was attended by classmates, friends and family of Lilian Wadie.



The surprised artist of the night was Bhim Nation President, Stonebwoy alias 1GAD.



Stonebwoy performed his hit songs back to back to thrill his audience who sang along amid dancing and screaming for more.



The birthday girl, Lillian Wadie , was just amazed by the show of love by his family and friends.





Videos emerging from the beautiful and entertaining birthday party however didnt not capture Lillians dancing moves.



Perhaps, Lillian was shy or needs more dancing lessons [on a lighter note].



The party was climaxed with a surprised birthday present by Nana Owiredu Wadie I, Chairman of Kabaka Foundation.



He surprised her daughter Lilian with a brand new customized Mini Cooper with the registration number LAB 16 - 23.



Birthday revellers at the event described the birthday party as one of the best this year a father has organized for his daughter or son .



Nana Owiredu Wadie I is businessman, contractor and a Philanthropist. He is also a cheerful giver to work of God in various churches.



Every year , he spends millions of Cedis through his KABAKA Foundation to support health, Education, Security, economic empowerment of the poor and vulnerable including persons with disability.



He has built Police station and baracks for Kwahu Nkwatia ,donated pick up to the Regional Police Command , built Kwahu Nkwatia Circuit Court complex, currently constructing modern neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) for Eastern regional Hospital, Koforidua.



Nana Owiredu Wadie I pays for medical bills of new mothers who struggle to to pay their bills after delivery every year.



Donates to widows and vulnerable every Christmas.



He recently took a brilliant but needy orphan who was hawking on the streets of Koforidua to pursue Doctor of Pharmacy at KNUST .



He recently mobilized and donated over ghc130,000 to support construction of a hospital and maternity facility by Koforidua Diocese of Anglican Church.



The kind gesture of Nana Owiredu Wadie I continue to attract blessings upon him and his family.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Angry Abaasa Technical Institute teachers in the Central Region have descended on some youth groups of the Enyan Abaasa community warning them to stop selling 'wee' otherwise known as marijuana to students of the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute.



Disciplinary Committee Chairman of Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute Mr David Edumadze addressing the chiefs and stakeholders in the community during a traditional council meeting, sounded the warning threatening action against unscrupulous offenders.



"Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute is doing well in the Central Region so help us do away with some of these problems," he urged.



The District Education Director of Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Mrs Sabina Aba Wilson, also appealed to parents to let their wards' education be of concern to them.



According to her, parents mostly refuse to meet their wards' basic needs all in the name of the Free Senior High School programme.



She said the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute is dear to her heart and is the reason she is appealing to the chiefs, stakeholders, non-Governamental (NGOs) and private individuals to support the institute for its development.



"Though the government is doing it's best to support the schools in the country, parents must also do their best by supporting the schools of their children," she noted.



She further noted that basic schools in the Enyan Abaasa Circuit are not performing to satisfaction but can do better if their needs are taken care of.



''Teachers in Enyan Abaasa Circuit are doing marvellously well but the parents should also support their wards to do their best," she said.



On his part, the Paramount Chief of Enyan Abaasa Traditional Council who also doubles as the Vice President for the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Kwamena Akonu, in an interview with Class 91.3 FM's Nana Tawiah bemoaned the state of the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute.



According to the chief, it seems the government has neglected the school in terms of development.



He explained that Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute as at now does not have a board of governors to see to the affairs of the school.



"The school needs toilet facilities, dormitories, classroom blocks, school bus and other development that will help in the running of the school," he noted.



The chief went on to honour the Minority Leader of Parliament who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency, Dr Ato Forson, and the immediate past Managing Director of Agriculture Development Bank Dr John Kofi Mensah for the philanthropic work they have done in the Enyan Abaasa community, Ajumako Enyan Abaasa District and Ghana as well.



The chief also commended them for helping the youth in the district secure jobs

















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Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of John Kufuor Foundation, says the winner takes all attitude and politics of exclusion have heightened unhealthy rivalry among political parties.



He said such rivalry encouraged parties in opposition to simply oppose and discredit the government of the day.



This rivalry has also led to the abandonment of projects initiated by preceding governments irrespective of the relevance and how much has been put into it and above all, it has led to a short-sighted approach to development, he said.



Prof Agyeman-Duah said this during a television discussion on the topic, Getting it right after 30 years. My case for Constitutional Review.



He noted that political party organisation and electoral politics in Ghana had been heavily monetised, with highest bidder often winning elections.



The Professor said the cost of participation and embedded corruption in party politics had excluded many individuals with promise, whether young or old.



He said another key area where party democracy in Ghana seemed to have flopped was with the actualisation of political participation.



Prof Agyeman-Duah said the 1992 Constitution invested so much power in the Executive at the expense of the other arms of Government, with presidential appointments becoming the means to creating jobs for party members and friends in Parliament.



Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Legal Practitioner and Researcher, said the 1992 Constitution had failed to deliver to Ghanaians the blessings of prosperity and equal opportunity and rather allowed a select few to prosper at the expense of all.



He said the 1992 Constitution should not be considered as untouchable and called for a new Constitution to restore faith in the project Ghana.



The Lawyer said a new Constitution was a process, not an event and an opportunity to rebuild societies beliefs and desires for change from the ground up.



The Constitution of the nation is much more than a simple road traffic law. It carries with it the hopes and aspirations of the people and when they have lost belief and hope, when they are no longer compelled by the moral authority of that document, the Constitution has lost its rhythm there.



It will forever mean very little to the Executive that swears an oath to uphold it and to the Judiciary that is called upon to interpret it, yet undermines it at every opportunity. When we call for a new Constitution, we are calling for more than the gathering of a few lawyers to produce for us another document without a soul but a document of our own making, he said.





Source: GNA









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Flag bearer hopeful of the governing New Patriotic Party, Alan Kyerematen on Sunday (2 April) visited the family of the deceased Member of Parliament for Kumawu to console them.



The late Philip Atta Basoah was taken ill last week and died at about 10 pm on Monday (27 March 2023) while receiving treatment at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.



Paying tributes to the man he described as a younger brother, Alan said he was saddened by the news about the lawmakers demise.



I can fully understand the hurts and sadness in this house, in this family and the NPP as well as the whole country but I just want you to know that God allowed this to happen and I pray he finds a way to comfort and console all of us, the former Trade Minister said.



Mr Kyerematen was joined by his campaign team to mourn the late NPP lawmaker.



Ashanti Regional Coordinator Team Alan and former MP for Manhyia North Collins Owusu Amankwah recounted the frustrations the late lawmaker encountered stressing that, that did not discourage him from serving his party and constituents.



Its a sorry sight-seeing all of us gathered to mourn someone who was humane to be treated in such a bad manner and for me, I am comforted that he knew God and would be in a good place now, the former MP stated.



For his part, the head of the family of the late MP Lawyer Asiedu Basoah thanked Mr Kyerematen and his team for the visit.



The death of the late Philip Basoah, he noted was a big blow to the family and members were yet to come to terms with the same.



He disclosed that the one-week traditional rites for the late MP would be held on the 27th day of April.



The family has met and decided that the one-week rites should be held on the 27th day of April 2023 and we believe by that time we would have settled on the final date for the burial and funeral of our late brother and MP, the family head stated.



Philip Basoah was born on 18 November 1969. He hailed from Kumawu in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.



He held a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana (2000) and also earned a Masters degree from the Paris Graduate School of Management in 2012.



He earned a medical laboratory scientists certificate in 1986, followed by GCE O levels in 1991 and A levels in 1994.



The late Philip Basoah was the project coordinator for the Ghana Education Service in the Ashanti Region. He also served as the district chief executive for Sekyere East between June 2005 and January 2009, under the aegis of the Ministry of Local Government.



He was previously a tutor at Agogo Senior High School, also in the Ashanti Region.



Philip Basoah was a lifelong member of the NPP.



In the 2016 Ghana general election, he won the Kumawu seat with 21,794 votes (or 78.2% of the total votes cast), against the NDC parliamentary aspirant, Emmanuel William Amoako, who secured 5,899 votes (21.2% of the total vote).



The aspirant running on the ticket of the Convention Peoples Party, Opoku Kyei Clifford, won 188 votes, or 0.7% of the vote.



In 2020, Basoah retained the seat with 14,960 votes (51.1% of the total votes cast). The candidate for the NDC, Bernard Opoku Marfo, secured 2,439 votes.













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The Member of Parliament for Nanton, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi, has explained that he was speeding towards Parliament last Friday night when his vehicle was involved in an accident.



In a dramatic turn of events, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nanton was involved in a car accident on Friday night, just hours before a crucial vote on the government's revenue bills.



The accident happened about one kilometre away from Parliament House.



He was the one behind the steering wheel of a pickup vehicle that was involved in the accident around 9pm at North Ridge near the Absa Bank clubhouse and the British High Commission.



Speaking publicly for the first time about the accident, the lawmaker admitted that he was speeding. He said his main focus was on how to get to Parliament when he was called and therefore did not see the other vehicle he run into.



He admitted he had been called to come to Parliament ahead of the crucial vote that night and so he was speeding.



In a radio interview with Accra-based Citi FM monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Tuferi said he did not see the other vehicle.



His vehicle somersaulted and landed upside down.



"I lost total control, the windscreen came down and that provided the window for me to come out of the car", he said and explained he came out of the car himself unaided.



He said it was some Parliamentary staff who first recognised him, put him in an Uber vehicle they were already riding in and sent him to Parliament. The distance from the accident spot to Parliament is about 1kilometre.



He said his immediate reaction after the accident when he came out of the vehicle was how to continue to get to Parliament to vote when he realised that he could walk and talk. So he left the scene while some of the Parliamentary staff stayed behind to take care of the valuables in his vehicle and the other victim until his niece arrived at the accident scene.



Mr Tuferi said he did not notice there was blood on him and was trying to get into the Chamber but some colleagues spotted him [Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu] and sent him to a washroom, where the nurses and the doctor came around and they cleaned him up and stitched a cut on the upper part of the right eye.



He said he was later put in an ambulance to go for further checks and that was when his vote was added to the crucial vote as the Whip from the Minority side came to the ambulance to verify he was the one.



He was taken to the hospital for a scan of the head and was detained overnight.



The next morning he was discharged and he travelled to Tamale to meet his constituents and interacted with them.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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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.
" " Author Salman Rushdie was attacked Aug. 12, 2022 before a speaking engagement at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York. Was the attack the result of the fatwa issued against him in 1989? Eric Fougere/Corbis/Getty Images

When news broke Aug. 12, 2022, that the writer Salman Rushdie had been attacked, many people immediately recalled the fatwa, or edict, calling on all Muslims to take his life, issued in 1989 by the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's Supreme Leader at the time. Khomeini accused Rushdie's 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses," of insulting Islam and blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad.

Violent riots and credible death threats sent Rushdie into hiding, and he spent the next nine years under British police protection. He did not emerge again until 1998, after Iran promised it would not enforce the fatwa, though it did not rescind it.

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According to several intelligence sources quoted by Vice news, Rushdie's 24-year-old alleged attacker, Hadi Matar, had been in contact through social media with members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the military branch tasked with protecting the country's Islamic political system. However, there is no clear evidence that Iran was involved. Whether Matar was inspired by the decades-old fatwa remains a matter of speculation.

Given wide media coverage of the fatwa against Rushdie, some may conclude that a fatwa always means a death sentence.

However, a fatwa rarely calls for death, can be issued by a variety of religious authorities and is mostly of interest to a particular Muslim individual or community. My explanation of fatwas is based on expertise developed over several years of researching the writings of a Pakistani Muslim theologian and on my collaborative academic work with scholars of Islamic jurisprudence.
" " New York Governor Kathy Hochul (left) with her husband, William J. Hochul Jr., shakes hands with Chief Judge Janet DiFiore (right) during her swearing-in ceremony at the New York State Capitol in Albany, New York, Aug. 24, 2021. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo handed over the reins of the nation's fourth most populous state to Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, a fellow Democrat who will become New York's first-ever female governor. ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

It's pretty ironic that New York finally got its first woman governor because a state attorney general's report found that Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women, some of them state employees. Cuomo, who served as governor since 2011, finally announced Aug. 10, 2021, that he would resign when it became clear any support he had evaporated and impeachment proceedings were all but certain. And as he stepped aside and Hochul was sworn in Aug. 24, 2021, history was made.

Lt. Gov. Kathleen "Kathy" C. Hochul was sworn in as the first woman governor in the state's long history. Having served as lieutenant governor since 2014, Hochul (pronounced HOH-kuhl), is well prepared for the job.

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" " Lieutenant Governor and incoming New York Governor Kathy Hochul gave her first press conference Aug. 11, 2021, at the New York State Capitol in Albany City a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he would be resigning. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Here are five things you need to know about the woman who is New York's first female governor:
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Dr. Veronika Overmeyer measures the pH value of the slurry. Credit: Veronika Overmeyer / University of Bonn

Ammonia released into the environment is a major problem. Agriculture is considered the most prolific polluterit is responsible for 95 percent of these emissions in Germany. The colorless, acrid gas is toxic in higher concentrations. It can moreover contribute to the eutrophication of water bodies and form particulate matter by reacting with other air pollutants.

Its conversion to nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is about 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide, is considered particularly problematic. Nitrous oxide is estimated to contribute around ten percent to global warming.

The EU therefore now imposes national ammonia emission limits on its member states. But how can these be achieved without farmers having to carry out extremely costly new constructions or conversions of their livestock buildings?

"Over the past three years, we have been testing a technology that can be used to retrofit existing barns," explains Dr. Veronika Overmeyer of the Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ILT) at the University of Bonn.

Acidified slurry for clean air

Together with their project partners, the companies SF-Soepenberg and Holscher + Leuschner, the researchers used a tried-and-tested method for this purpose: the acidification of slurry with sulfuric acid. Pigs and cattle are often kept on so-called slatted floors. Their excrements fall through slits in the floor into the slurry channel below. There they are stored until they are used as fertilizer at the beginning of the next growing season.

"Ammonia is continuously released from the fecal-urine mixture," Overmeyer says. "Adding acid causes ammonia to be present as ammonium, which cannot escape in a gaseous form and thus remains in the slurry." This mechanism has been known for a long time. In Germany, for example, acid is already added to some of the slurry when it is spread on the fields. However, this does not control the outgassing that occurs in the barn or during slurry storage.

Acidifying the excrements directly in the slurry channel can be dangerous under certain circumstances, as toxic hydrogen sulfide can be produced. "This is why we moved this process out of the barn," Overmeyer emphasizes: "Every few days, we pump the slurry into a special agitation tank where it is mixed with sulfuric acid. The freshly acidified slurry is then pumped back into the slurry channel."

This means it can continue to be stored in the barn, while at the same time reducing ammonia emissions. These fell by just under 40 percent in the study. If the method is optimized, values of even more than 60 percent are conceivable. Ammonia emissions from fertilization with the pre-treated slurry are also significantly lower. In addition, because the acidified slurry contains higher amounts of nitrogen and sulfur than normal, it has an even better fertilizing effect.

Good news for the climate

Another observation was also unexpected: Acidification also suppressed the formation of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas. 10 to 15 percent of man-made methane comes from slurry storage. "Our method enabled us to reduce methane emissions by two-thirds," explains Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Buscher from the ILT, who supervised the study. "So we're killing two birds with one stone."

The retrofit does not come for free. However, it is comparatively inexpensive compared to costly conversions or even new construction, with additional benefits for the farmer in the form of improved fertilization. Nevertheless, the solution currently falters on account of the German legislative situation. This stipulates that the addition of acid to stored slurry is only permitted if the slurry channel has previously been sealed with special liner.

"That makes the retrofit much more expensive," Overmeyer says. "Yet studies show that this measure is not necessary, because despite the slightly lower pH in the slurry, the walls of the slurry channels do not wear significantly faster."

Her hopes are now pinned on a new draft bill that proposes to abolish the statutory sealing requirement. However, this has been on the table for years and has not yet been passed into law. "I find this somewhat annoying," Overmeyer says: "On the one hand, we expect farmers to be more environmentally friendly, and on the other hand, we put obstacles in their way."

For her study, she spent a year and a half comparing two fattening pig barns (with and without slurry acidification) at the Faculty of Agriculture's Teaching and Research Station. "Long-term studies of this kind are a rarity, because they are so costly," emphasizes her doctoral supervisor, Prof. Buscher. "With the Frankenforst campus, we have one of the few facilities in this country where this is even possible."

The study is published in the Journal of Environmental Management.

More information: Veronika Overmeyer et al, Acidification of slurry to reduce ammonia and methane emissions: Deployment of a retrofittable system in fattening pig barns, Journal of Environmental Management (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117263 Journal information: Journal of Environmental Management
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Several Troodon females laid their eggs in communal nests. Credit: Alex Boersma/PNAS

An international research team led by Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, determined that Troodon, a dinosaur very close to modern birds, was a warm-blooded animal (an endotherm), but had a reproductive system similar to that of modern reptiles.

The scientists applied a new method which allowed for accurate determination of the temperature when the egg's carbonate shell was formed. Furthermore, the researchers showed that Troodon laid 4 to 6 eggs per clutch. As nests with up to 24 Troodon eggs had been found, the scientists conclude that several Troodon females laid their eggs in communal nests.

In millions of years and with a long sequence of small changes, evolution has shaped a particular group of dinosaurs, the theropods, into the birds we watch fly around the planet today. In fact, birds are the only descendants of dinosaurs which survived the catastrophic extinction 66 million years ago that ended the Cretaceous period.

Troodon was such a theropod. The carnivorous dinosaur was about two meters long and populated the vast semi-arid landscapes of North America about 75 million years ago. Like some of its dinosaur relatives, Troodon presented some bird-like features like hollow and light bones. Troodon walked on two legs and had fully developed feathery wings, but its relatively large size precluded it from flying. Instead, it probably ran quite fast and caught its prey using its strong claws.

Troodon females laid eggs more similar to the asymmetric eggs of modern birds than to round ones of reptiles, the oldest relatives of all dinosaurs. These eggs were colored and have been found half buried into the ground, probably allowing Troodon to sit and brood them.

An international team of scientists led by Mattia Tagliavento and Jens Fiebig from Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, has now examined the calcium carbonate of some well-preserved Troodon eggshells. The researchers used a method developed by Fiebig's group in 2019 called "dual clumped isotope thermometry."

By using this method, they could measure the extent to which heavier varieties (isotopes) of oxygen and carbon clump together in carbonate minerals. The prevalence of isotopic clumping, which is temperature-dependent, made it possible for scientists to determine the temperature at which the carbonates crystallized.

When analyzing Troodon eggshells, the research team was able to determine that the eggshells were produced at temperatures of 42 and 30 degrees Celsius. Mattia Tagliavento, leading author of the study, explains, "The isotopic composition of Troodon eggshells provides evidence that these extinct animals had a body temperature of 42C, and that they were able to reduce it to about 30C, like modern birds."

The scientists then compared isotopic compositions of eggshells of reptiles (crocodile, alligator, and various species of turtle) and modern birds (chicken, sparrow, wren, emu, kiwi, cassowary and ostrich) to understand if Troodon was closer to either birds or reptiles. They revealed two different isotopic patterns: reptile eggshells have isotopic compositions matching the temperature of the surrounding environment. This is in line with these animals being cold-blooded and forming their eggs slowly.

Birds, however, leave a recognizable so-called non-thermal signature in the isotopic composition, which indicates that eggshell formation happens very fast. Tagliavento says, "We think this very high production rate is connected to the fact that birds, unlike reptiles, have a single ovary. Since they can produce just one egg at the time, birds have to do it more rapidly."

When comparing these results to Troodon eggshells, the researchers did not detect the isotopic composition which is typical for birds. Tagliavento is convinced: "This demonstrates that Troodon formed its eggs in a way more comparable to modern reptiles, and it implies that its reproductive system was still constituted of two ovaries."

The researchers finally combined their results with existing information concerning body and eggshell weight, deducing that Troodon produced only 4 to 6 eggs per reproductive phase. "This observation is particularly interesting because Troodon nests are usually large, containing up to 24 eggs," Tagliavento explains. "We think this is a strong suggestion that Troodon females laid their eggs in communal nests, a behavior that we observe today among modern ostriches."

These are extremely exciting findings, Jens Fiebig comments, "Originally, we developed the dual clumped isotope method to accurately reconstruct Earth's surface temperatures of past geological eras. This study demonstrates that our method is not limited to temperature reconstruction, it also presents the opportunity to study how carbonate biomineralization evolved throughout Earth's history."

The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

More information: Tagliavento, Mattia, Evidence for heterothermic endothermy and reptile-like eggshell mineralization in Troodon, a non-avian maniraptoran theropod, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213987120 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  A recent map from a United States agency shows traces of oil spill from Oriental Mindoro reaching Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) reported on Monday.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supplied the map through the International Charter Space and Massive Disasters (Charter), which showed slicks reaching the island of Coron that covered a total of about 61.27 square kilometers.

The PhilSA said the map is still subject to field validation.

The slicks were spotted approximately 6.5 nautical miles (nm) east off of Coron and measures around 33 nm in length and 2.5 nm in width, according to PhilSA.

During major disasters, PhilSA activates the Charter on behalf of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and acquires satellite images for damage assessment and other disaster-response related activities, the agency said.

Oil spill threat moves from Verde Island to Semirara Island

Citing satellite data from NOAA, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday said possible oil slicks were also detected south and southwest of the sunken MT Princess Empress.

"May time na [There was a time] it shifted northeast, kaya [that's why] Verde Island became threatened. But our report today indicates it is southwest," PCG Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Admiral Rolando Punzalan Jr. said.

Due to these changes in the direction of wind and currents, Punzalan said the Verde Island Passage -- considered the global center of marine biodiversity -- is no longer under threat. The danger from the slicks has moved to Semirara Island in Antique, south of Oriental Mindoro, according to the PCG official.

Punzalan said mitigating measures continue to be implemented in Verde Island while a coast guard command post has been set up in Semirara Island in anticipation of the leakage possibly reaching the area.

US assists in oil spill clean-up

The US Coast Guard on Monday deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to collect information on the sunken oil tanker. The data will assist the local government in containing the oil spill, according to Commander Joel Ferguson, Executive Officer of the US Coast Guard National Strike Force Coordination Center.

Since its deployment, Ferguson said "the ROV was able to cut away some railings to give better access to the ROV that is operating some remedial actions as far as putting bags on potential discharge point.

Meanwhile, a Dynamic Positioning Vessel contracted by the US Navy arrived in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro on Monday to assist in the ongoing oil spill response operations.

The MT Princess Empress loaded with 900,000 liters of industrial oil sank off Naujan in Oriental Mindoro on Feb. 28. A month after, the Philippine Coast Guard said the sunken tanker is estimated to have already released close to half of the oil it carried.

The coast guard also reported last week that around 60% of areas affected by the leakage have been cleaned up.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on March 8 expressed hope that the oil spill will be cleared in less than four months.

Meanwhile, groups and concerned individuals have been calling for transparency and accountability amid clean-up efforts and the investigation into the firms responsible for the leak.

READ: There should be criminal liabilities in Oriental Mindoro oil spill  Remulla

CNN Philippines' correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this story.
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Credit: Brendan P. Kelly/University of Eastern Finland

The Saimaa ringed seal is not the only seal species suffering from global warming, as the habitat of seals living in the Arctic is shrinking as we speak, said Brendan P. Kelly, a marine ecologist focusing on sea ice environments, in his lecture on Arctic seal research.

Dr. Kelly holds the positions of Science Director of the Study of Environmental Arctic Change, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Senior Fellow in Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

For thirty years already, Dr. Kelly has spent a couple of months a year in the Arctic, living on ice and studying the life of seals. During this time, our understanding of different seal species has increased gradually, although it has been difficult to carry out a comprehensive census of the seal population. What we do know is that Arctic ringed seals number in millionsat least for now.

"Seals have existed for millions of years. They've made a bold evolutionary move, as leaving the water has meant being vulnerable to predators," Dr. Kelly notes.

And it is not just predators that threaten seals: humans and climate change do, too, as seal habitats are rapidly shrinking due to melting sea ice and snow. Animal extinction is nothing new under the sun, but the speed at which things are happening now is overwhelming.

"Greenhouse gases are increasing and causing our climate to warm. In the Arctic, warming takes place more than twice as fast as the global average. The ice cover is like a huge mirror that reflects sunlight back into space, and once that's gone, the dark ocean water warms faster and faster," Dr. Kelly says.

Artificial lairs pose a challenge in the Arctic

Dr. Kelly and his research group have conducted extensive research into the movement and behavior of seals. The aim is to find better conservation methods.

"Seals spend 80% of their time in the water. They can breathe under snow and in the snow caves they dig," Dr. Kelly says.

The fur of a seal pup provides little insulation from cold. The mother warms up the lairinsulated by snowas she comes in to feed her pup, but if the snow cover is too thin, the pups face predation and freezing if exposed on bare ice.

"In the Arctic, however, making artificial lairs is difficult due to the vast areas of ice habitat."

In the breeding season, female seals typically dive down to more than 100 meters in search of food, while males make shallower dives in the vicinity of the females' breathing holes.

Satellite monitoring of seals shows that a male seal can swim a distance of 2,500 kilometers and then return to its exact home habitat.

"Seals have a better signal on their GPS than us scientists," Dr. Kelly notes.

For Inuit, seals are part of a thousand-year-old culture

According to Dr. Kelly, seal conservation is not a straightforward question for Inuit people, because seals are an important part of their nutrition and culture.

"Inuit people are worried about conservation areas blocking their access to seals on ice, for example. However, we have managed to find some good and new ways of working together."

The Inuit have been hunting seals for thousands of years using dogs, for example, so they have huge amounts of knowledge about how seals live.

"This knowledge should be made more easily accessible to decision-makers and politicians in order for conservation measures to consider all sides," Dr. Kelly says.

"We academics have a terrible habit of burying information: we should be better at communicating our knowledge in plain language and in stories. On that front, we still have a lot of work to do."
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Math exercise for shells can be downloaded at https://www.manilsuri.com/assets/shell_patterns.pptx. Manil Suri, Author provided

When President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Math Awareness Week in April 1986, one of the problems he cited was that too few students were devoted to the study of math.

"Despite the increasing importance of mathematics to the progress of our economy and society, enrollment in mathematics programs has been declining at all levels of the American educational system," Reagan wrote in his proclamation.

Nearly 40 years later, the problem that Reagan lamented during the first National Math Awareness Weekwhich has since evolved to become "Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month"not only remains but has gotten worse.

Whereas 1.63%, or about 16,000, of the nearly 1 million bachelor's degrees awarded in the U.S. in the 19851986 school year went to math majors, in 2020, just 1.4%, or about 27,000, of the 1.9 million bachelor's degrees were awarded in the field of matha small but significant decrease in the proportion.

Post-pandemic data suggests the number of students majoring in math in the U.S. is likely to decrease in the future.

A key factor is the dramatic decline in math learning that took place during the lockdown. For instance, whereas 34% of eighth graders were proficient in math in 2019, test data shows the percentage dropped to 26% after the pandemic.

These declines will undoubtedly affect how much math U.S. students can do at the college level. For instance, in 2022, only 31% of graduating high school seniors were ready for college-level mathdown from 39% in 2019.

These declines will also affect how many U.S. students are able to take advantage of the growing number of high-paying math occupations, such as data scientists and actuaries. Employment in math occupations is projected to increase by 29% in the period from 2021 to 2031.

About 30,600 math jobs are expected to open up per year from growth and replacement needs. That exceeds the 27,000 or so math graduates being produced each yearand not all math degree holders go into math fields. Shortages will also arise in several other areas, since math is a gateway to many STEM fields.

For all of these reasons and more, as a mathematician who thinks deeply about the importance of math and what it means to our worldand even to our existence as human beingsI believe this year, and probably for the foreseeable future, educators, policymakers and employers need to take Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month more seriously than ever before.

Struggles with mastery

Subpar math achievement has been endemic in the U.S. for a long time.

Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that no more than 26% of 12th graders have been rated proficient in math since 2005.

The pandemic disproportionately affected racially and economically disadvantaged groups. During the lockdown, these groups had less access to the internet and quiet studying spaces than their peers. So securing Wi-Fi and places to study are key parts of the battle to improve math learning.

Some people believe math teaching techniques need to be revamped, as they were through the Common Core, a new set of educational standards that stressed alternative ways to solve math problems. Others want a return to more traditional methods. Advocates also argue there is a need for colleges to produce better-prepared teachers.

Other observers believe the problem lies with the "fixed mindset" many students havewhere failure leads to the conviction that they can't do mathand say the solution is to foster a "growth" mindsetby which failure spurs students to try harder.

Although all these factors are relevant, none address what in my opinion is a root cause of math underachievement: our nation's ambivalent relationship with mathematics.

Low visibility

Many observers worry about how U.S. children fare in international rankings, even though math anxiety makes many adults in the U.S. steer clear of the subject themselves.

Mathematics is not like art or music, which people regularly enjoy all over the country by visiting museums or attending concerts. It's true that there is a National Museum of Mathematics in New York, and some science centers in the U.S. devote exhibit space to mathematics, but these can be geographically inaccessible for many.

A 2020 study on media portrayals of math found an overall "invisibility of mathematics" in popular culture. Other findings were that math is presented as being irrelevant to the real world and of little interest to most people, while mathematicians are stereotyped to be singular geniuses or socially inept nerds, and white and male.

Math is tough and typically takes much discipline and perseverance to succeed in. It also calls for a cumulative learning approachyou need to master lessons at each level because you're going to need them later.

While research in neuroscience shows almost everyone's brain is equipped to take up the challenge, many students balk at putting in the effort when they don't score well on tests. The myth that math is just about procedures and memorization can make it easier for students to give up. So can negative opinions about math ability conveyed by peers and parents, such as declarations of not being "a math person."

A positive experience

Here's the good news. A 2017 Pew poll found that despite the bad rap the subject gets, 58% of U.S. adults enjoyed their school math classes. It's members of this legion who would make excellent recruits to help promote April's math awareness. The initial charge is simple: Think of something you liked about matha topic, a puzzle, a fun factand go over it with someone. It could be a child, a student, or just one of the many adults who have left school with a negative view of math.

Can something that sounds so simplistic make a difference? Based on my years of experience as a mathematician, I believe it canif nothing else, for the person you talk to. The goal is to stimulate curiosity and convey that mathematics is much more about exhilarating ideas that inform our universe than it is about the school homework-type calculations so many dread.

Raising math awareness is a first step toward making sure people possess the basic math skills required not only for employment, but also to understand math-related issuessuch as gerrymandering or climate changewell enough to be an informed and participating citizen. However, it's not something that can be done in one month.

Given the decline in both math scores and the percentage of students studying math, it may take many years before America realizes the stronger relationship with math that President Reagan's proclamation called for during the first National Math Awareness Week in 1986.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Geographic origin of coronavirus surveillance data included in our dataset. Observed prevalence (95% CI) in wild bats averaged over continents. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0688

Over the past 20 years, coronaviruses in wild bat populations have led to three major disease outbreaks in humans: SARS in 2002, MERS in 2012 and COVID-19. The latter triggered an ongoing global pandemic. In turn, this has focused greater attention on zoonotic diseases, infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.

One thing has become clear: human land use change is a major driver of pathogen transmission from wildlife to humansso called zoonotic spillover events. In part, this is a result of changes in the abundance and distribution of wild zoonotic hosts and of bringing wildlife into closer contact with humans.

Now a study led by Dr. Vera Warmuth from LMU's Department of Evolutionary Genetics reveals another important factor: their study clearly demonstrates that bats in human-dominated habitats are more frequently infected with coronaviruses than bats in less disturbed habitats. The paper is published in the journal Science Advances.

To arrive at this conclusion, the researchers statistically linked coronavirus infection data from more than 26,000 bats of over 300 species with land cover and land use data using a meta-analysis approach.

"Land modification often means a loss of important resources for wild animals. In the case of bats, these may be foraging grounds or suitable roost for hibernation," says Warmuth. The fact that such a loss of resources can lead to chronic stress in wild animals has already been shown on numerous occasions. If bats cannot find places to sleep or find less food in degraded or fragmented habitats, the associated chronic stress may weaken their immune system.

"The negative impact of chronic stress on the immune system of mammals is well known. Our findings clearly show that animals in disrupted ecosystems are more frequently infected. The more heavily an area is influenced by humans, the higher the probability of bats living in this area being infected with coronaviruses," Warmuth notes.

Predicted coronavirus prevalence in worldwide bats. Heatmap of predicted coronavirus prevalence conditioned on virus presence. Areas with insufficient data for extrapolation are indicated in white. Credit: Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0688

Three broad types of land use explain most of the effect of overall land use on the prevalence of coronavirus infections in bats: agriculture, deforestation and energy production, including mining. All three have previously been identified as a major threat for bats worldwide due to their negative impact on two of the most important habitats for bats: forests and subterranean features such as caves and mines.

Bats are important reservoirs for viruses and the main animal hosts of coronaviruses. The fact that ecological stress has a significant impact on the frequency of coronavirus infections in bats, suggests that successful management of spillover risk may require monitoring of not just the presence of pathogens in wildlife, but also the prevalence. "The models point to a handful of regions, especially in the eastern United States and in India, where closer monitoring activities could be especially important," co-author Professor Dirk Metzler adds.

More information: Vera M. Warmuth et al, Human disturbance increases coronavirus prevalence in bats, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0688 Journal information: Science Advances
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A germination test of soybean seeds. The team found that measuring RNA integrity detected aging in soybean seeds much earlier than using germination assays. Credit: Lisa Hill

Aging is a part of life, and plants are no exception. The life cycle of a plant is felt in gene banks that store plant materials, such as seeds. Plant materials in gene banks may be accessed by farmers, researchers, conservationists, and others for breeding. But for a gene bank to provide useful germplasm to growers, the seeds stored there must be alive when harvested. And as the stored seeds start to age, fewer and fewer of them live long enough to germinate. So, gene banks must continuously monitor stored seeds to ensure they haven't aged beyond their "expiration date" and lose ability to germinate.

In a new study, researchers successfully measured aging in stored soybean seeds by checking the integrity of RNA in the seeds. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins. The new method is faster and used less material than checking whether stored seeds germinate when planted, the current "gold standard" of measuring seed age and viability. The study was published in Crop Science.

"We could detect changes in seed age by measuring RNA integrity about five times sooner while using only a fraction of the seeds one would use for a germination assay," says Christina Walters, the lead author of the study. Walters is a researcher at the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Germination tests can also be expensive and need a lot of human resources. "Large seed collections simply don't have the resources to be testing and regenerating seeds unnecessarily," says Walters. But waiting too long between germination tests can also be a problem. The seeds may die between monitoring intervals and the collection would be completely lost. "So we thought, wouldn't it be great if we had a crystal ball that gave us certainty about seed age without needing to germinate?" says Walters.

Much like it's more famous "cousin" DNA, RNA occurs in strands of various lengths. Walters and colleagues measured the sizes of RNA strands in stored soybean seeds over several years. In previous research, they could detect changes in RNA fragment sizes before detecting other symptoms of aging or death in seeds. In this study, the researchers compared results of their RNA integrity measurements with results from germination tests.

The team found that measuring RNA integrity detected aging in soybean seeds much earlier than using germination assays. For example, changes in seed health could be detected within seven years of storage using the RNA integrity method. In contrast, using the same seeds, germination tests could detect changes after 1517 years. By that time, loss of seed viability was already problematic. "You actually want to catch changes in seed lots before they stop germinating," says Walters. Measuring RNA integrity could help gene bank managers do just that.

For soybean, the results from the RNA testing could be achieved with many fewer seeds. In some cases, significant declines in seed health could be detected with as few as 22 soybean seeds using the RNA integrity method. Detecting the same declines using germination assays would have used up hundreds of valuable seeds.

Walters and her team have used RNA integrity assays on a few other species in addition to soybean. "Measuring RNA integrity accurately predicts aging rates of these different species," says Walters. "Now we need to explore an even broader group of species."

Ultimately, Walters hopes these findings will help gene banks. "Sometimes gene banks are so much a part of infrastructure that they become invisible," says Walters. "But I think the service gene banks provide is fundamental to the future that we'll leave for our children."

More information: Hannah Tetreault et al, A power analysis for detecting aging of drystored soybean seeds: Germination versus RNA integrity assessments, Crop Science (2022). DOI: 10.1002/csc2.20821
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The location of the first two black holes discovered by ESAs Gaia mission in the Milky Way. This map of our galaxy was also made by the Gaia mission. Gaia Black Hole 1 is located just 1560 light-years away from us in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus and Gaia Black Hole 2 is 3800 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. In galactic terms, these black holes reside in our cosmic backyard. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Using data from ESA's Gaia mission, astronomers have discovered not only the closest but also the second closest black hole to Earth. The black holes, Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2, are respectively located just 1,560 light-years away from us in the direction of the constellation Ophiuchus and 3,800 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. In galactic terms, these black holes reside in our cosmic backyard.

The two black holes were discovered by studying the movement of their companion stars. A strange "wobble" in the movement of the stars on the sky indicated that they are orbiting a very massive object. In both cases, the objects are approximately ten times more massive than our sun. Other explanations for these massive companions, like double-star systems, were ruled out since they do not seem to emit any light.

Until recently, all the black holes astronomers knew of were discovered by emission of lightusually at X-ray and radio wavelengthsproduced by material falling in. The new black holes are truly black and can only be detected by their gravitational effects. The distance of the stars to the black hole, and the orbits of the stars around them, are much longer than for other known binary systems of black holes and stars. Those closer star-black hole pairs, called X-ray binaries, tend to be very bright in X-ray and radio light, and thus easier to find. But the new discoveries suggest that black holes in wider binaries are more common.

"What sets this new group of black holes apart from the ones we already knew about is their wide separation from their companion stars. These black holes likely have a completely different formation history than X-ray binaries," explains Kareem El-Badry, discoverer of the new black holes and researcher at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the U.S. and the Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. The research is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Gaia discovers a unique black hole. Credit: European Space Agency

Movement of billions of stars

The black holes were discovered using Gaia data. Gaia accurately measures the positions and motions of billions of stars. The movement of stars against the sky can give essential clues about objects that gravitationally influence these stars. These objects can include other stars, exoplanets, and also black holes.

"The accuracy of Gaia's data was essential for this discovery. The black holes were found by spotting the tiny wobble of its companion star while orbiting around it. No other instrument is capable of such measurements," says Timo Prusti, ESA's Gaia project scientist.

Gaia provided accurate measurements of the movement in three directions, but to understand more precisely how the stars moved away and towards us, additional radial velocity measurements were needed. Ground-based observatories provided these for the newly found black holes, and this gave the final clue to conclude that the astronomers had detected black holes.

Invisible black holes

Black holes are often not completely invisible. When material falls onto them, they may emit light in radio and X-ray. For Gaia's second black hole, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the South African MeerKAT radio telescope on the ground looked for this light, but they were not able to spot any signal.

"Even though we detected nothing, this information is incredibly valuable because it tells us a lot about the environment around a black hole. There are a lot of particles coming off the companion star in the form of stellar wind. But because we didn't see any radio light, that tells us the black hole isn't a great eater and not many particles are crossing its event horizon. We don't know why that is, but we want to find out," says Yvette Cendes who helped discover the second black hole and is an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US.

The new type of black hole does not emit any light, making them practically invisible, probably because they are much further away from their companion stars. Gaia BH1 and Gaia BH2 have the most widely separated orbits of all known black holes. The fact that they are also the closest known black holes to Earth suggests that many more similar black holes in wide binaries are still waiting to be discovered.

"This is very exciting because it now implies that these black holes in wide orbits are actually common in spacemore common than binaries where the black hole and star are closer. But the trouble is detecting them. The good news is that Gaia is still taking data, and its next data release (in 2025) will contain many more of these stars with mystery black hole companions in it," Yvette explains.

Gaia's next data release will be based on 66 months of observations and will contain improved information on the orbits of stars. In the meantime, astronomers will be busy figuring out where these black holes in wide orbits come from.

Kareem El-Badry points out, "We suspected that there could exist black holes in wider systems, but we were not sure how they would have formed. Their discovery means that we must adapt our theories about the evolution of binary star systems as it is not clear yet how these systems form."

"Gaia's Data Processing and Analysis Consortium is developing methods to identify astrometric binaries with compact companions. We expect to provide a good sample of candidates in the next Gaia data release," says team member Tsevi Mazeh from the Tel Aviv University. The scientific community looks forward to further expand this new population of dormant black holes.
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Processed pangolin scales. Credit: Yifu Wang

Pangolins, unique scale-covered mammals, are drastically declining in numbers across Asia and Africa, largely due to illegal trade. Part of the trade, both legal and illegal, supports the traditional Chinese medicine market, which has attracted conservation attention. The level of demand for pangolins and other animals in traditional Chinese medicine, however, hasn't been thoroughly studied.

In a new study published in the journal Nature Conservation, Dr. Yifu Wang, currently a postdoc researcher at the University of Hong Kong, investigated pangolin scale trade in China, interviewing staff in hospitals and pharmaceutical shops in two provinces (Henan and Hainan). Between October 2016 and April 2017, she and her team talked to doctors from 41 hospitals and shop owners and assistants from 134 pharmaceutical shops.

The research found pangolin scales and their derivatives were widely available in hospitals and pharmaceutical shops across Henan and Hainan Provinces. The legislation in place, however, has not been able to prevent ongoing illegal trade in pangolin products. Her team found that 46% of surveyed hospitals and 34% of surveyed pharmaceutical shops were selling pangolin scale products illegally.

"Existing legal trade allows 711 hospitals to sell pangolin products as medicine with regulations on manufacturer, package, and national annual sale quantity," explains Dr. Yifu Wang. "However, we show that pangolin scales are under heavy demand and unpermitted sellers are commonly found illegally selling pangolin products."

"Quantities of products traded by permitted legal sellers are estimated to greatly exceed the supply capacity of legal sources," she continues.

a Box plot showing reported sales quantities in hospitals and shops (N hospital = 20, N shop = 25) b scatter plot showing sale quantities and corresponding prices reported by hospitals (circles) and shops (triangles) (N hospital = 19, N shop = 25). Credit: Nature Conservation (2023). DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.52.95916

This widespread illegal trade, coupled with the very limited legal supply capacity compared to market demand, is concerning. The researchers point to the urgent need to reduce demand from traditional Chinese medicine on pangolin scales and revise the current legal pangolin scale trade system.

"We also highlight the importance of incorporating the traditional Chinese medicine sector into combating illegal wildlife trade and species conservation beyond pangolins," they conclude.

The researchers plan to continue investigating the pangolin scale market in China to understand the trade after COVID-19.

More information: Yifu Wang et al, The scale of the problem: understanding the demand for medicinal pangolin products in China, Nature Conservation (2023). DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.52.95916 Journal information: Nature Conservation
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Credit: University of Michigan

The federal government reported a 69% increase in illegally employed children since 2018.

Employers across various sectors have been caught or accused of employing underage children, and the Labor Department is calling for increased enforcement measures and higher fines for child labor violations as states push for the rollback of child labor laws.

University of Michigan experts discuss implications of child labor exploitation in the U.S.

Luis C.deBaca, professor from practice at Michigan Law, led U.S. government activities in the global fight against contemporary forms of slavery during the Obama administration. As Ambassador at Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the U.S. State Department, he updated statutes created after the Civil War and through the 13th Amendment to develop the victim-centered approach to modern slavery that has become the global standard for combating human trafficking.

"Most of the child labor statutes are more regulatory and companies are looking at systems of fines while the EEOC is more interested in age discrimination cases. Unfortunately, a lot of the time the remedy ends up being fines the company leverages as business costs," he said.

"There are several remedies but the reasons why states are trying to change the age requirements is to take away liabilities and remedies from people working on behalf of children. Instead of coming up with rational immigration reforms or making jobs better so that Americans want to do them, they are saying we are going to come up with a way to have children work.

"A lot of employers take advantage of a fairly well understood cultural response by many Latino communities of suffering in silence rather than standing up for one's rights against an unfamiliar power structure. A number of companies and big corporations have made a lot of money out of the fact that the Latino community is less likely to affirmatively go and make a formal complaint about things."

Chavi Keeney Nana, professor from practice at Michigan Law, has represented major multinational corporations and financial institutions in civil and criminal investigations before the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"Internal investigations are generally started either when the company's monitoring or compliance systems reveal potential issues with child labor or when there is an internal or external whistleblower," she said. "If the company acts on this information, it may start with an initial internal investigation (generally led by the general counsel) but will likely quickly pivot to engaging outside counsel.

"The (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) is a law in place since 1977 that prohibits the knowing exchange of 'anything of value'think money, lavish trips, paid and unpaid internships, kickbacksto corruptly get or maintain business from a foreign government official. In short, foreign or American companies that trade on the U.S. stock exchange or that have a principal place of business in the U.S., as well as foreign individuals that engage in corruption on U.S. territory, can be criminally or civilly prosecuted for engaging in bribery of a foreign official. The link to migrant child labor would be most direct if a foreign government had been recruiting them to work and facilitated some of their labor conditions."

Suzanne Perkins is a research investigator at the Research Center for Group Dynamics in the Institute for Social Research. She is an authority on how childhood experiences of violence exposure, abuse and neglect, and trauma can influence social and neurological development in children and adults.

"Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults, from 9 to 11 hours a night. Sleep is necessary for the system in the brain, often likened to a dishwasher, to do the job of washing out the unnecessary information we've picked up during the day," she said. "Working and going to school makes that rest impossible and overtired teens are more likely to have school failure, be unsafeboth in decision-making and as drivers and workersand have worse mental and physical health.

"Children and adolescents are vulnerable because they lack power, and children who are in the care of people that are not biologically related are at greater risk than most children. It concerns me that the (Department of Health and Human Services) has only recently started tracking multiple children at the same addressthose children are especially vulnerable. I am particularly concerned about the potentiality for sexual trafficking. HHS needs a better system for tracking children and supporting their growth."

Silvia Pedraza is a professor of sociology and American culture at the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and an expert on child labor exploitation, particularly regarding child migrants from Latin America and Asia.

"In the early part of the 20th century, when immigration from southern and eastern European countries was at its peak, many children were pressed into working by the poverty of their families, by their lack of education, by the lack of protection from their families, and by the greed of many industries, particularly the garment industry and industrial manufacturing," she said. "It seems that is happening again today, when immigration from Latin America and Asia is at its peak, particularly when in the last couple of years, the number of unaccompanied child migrants has risen enormously and industries such as meatpacking are greedy to benefit from their labor.

"It was not until 1938 that Congress passed a child labor law (Fair Labor Standards Act) that would later be upheld by the Supreme Court. It is important that Congress act again, particularly since states like Arkansas are pretending that this decision should be in the hands of the parents and that it does not constitute exploitation. Social scientists, historians and public policy academics can all try to pressure Congress to ensure that fair labor standards are federal standards, not in the hands of the states that seem so willing to ignore them."
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The vinyl chloride accident and the follow-up work should be taken. Credit: Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11783-023-1652-x

On February 3, 2023, a train derailed in the United States near East Palestine, Ohio, leading to the combustion of vinyl chloride. Following that accident, an international team of researchers undertook an in-depth analysis of the environmental consequences of the accident.

Their analysis is published in the journal Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering.

In their analysis, the team examined a series of questions related to the environmental risk and management of the chemical accident.

"We emphasized that it is unscientific to overestimate or underestimate the environmental risk of this event, and that an accurate environmental risk assessment requires comprehensive environmental monitoring data, which is currently far from complete. However, based on the chemical amount, nature, and combustion conditions, the potential environmental risks of the leaked chemicals and their combustion by-products deserve attention," said Bin Wang, an associate professor at Tsinghua University.

The first question the team explored was whether or not vinyl chloride should be burned on the spot after the train derailed. The team noted that moving the derailed chemical tank cars can be very difficult and dangerous, so it is better to deal with the chemical at the scene of the accident. There was a risk of explosion, which is more dangerous and uncontrollable than ignition.

The second question the team examined was whether or not the vinyl chloride burned under control in this accident. They noted that emergency responders carried out a "controlled combustion" after the train derailed. However even with controlled combustion, hazardous by-products can be generated. Because of the hazardous effects of vinyl chloride and its combustion byproducts, it was necessary to evacuate the local residents.

The third question the team raised was what environmental risk was caused by the combustion of vinyl chloride in this accident. They noted that publicly there were conflicting views about the environmental risk. Some believed that the risk was very high, fearing that the accident would pollute Lake Erie and the Ohio River, which provides drinking water for millions of people.

Others held the opposing view felt that the environmental risk was very small. Based on the view that the risk was small, the mandatory evacuation order was revoked on February 8, when monitoring showed that the water and air were safe. The team suggests that both of these opposing views might be wrong.

They note that the accident has surely caused environmental and health risks to some extent. While the pollution in the air would quickly decrease, chemicals in the soil and groundwater will continue to pollute the environment over a long period of time unless they are cleaned up.

The fourth question the team examined was what follow-up work should be done. At this point there is not enough information to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. Follow-up work that includes monitoring and evaluation, hazardous waste disposal, site remediation, and resident relocation is needed.

This comprehensive risk assessment and remediation will take time. While this assessment is happening, local residents should be relocated to avoid potential exposure to the toxic chemicals. If the assessment confirms that the environment is free of risks, then the residents can return to their homes.

"In this emergency case, there were actually no good solutions to simultaneously avoid explosion and environmental risks after the train derailment. Hence it is better to solve the chemical risks from the source. We also need to bridge the gap between chemical safety management and environmental risk management," said Wang.

The team notes that while modern industry and agriculture require the use of more and more chemicals, these chemicals can pollute the environment. They suggest ways to reduce the risks by substituting highly hazardous chemicals for more environment-friendly ones, through safer handling of chemicals, and with stricter transportation management.

Since long before the February 2023 train derailment, the research team has been engaged in research on environmental risk assessment and control of chemicals, including the chemicals themselves and their by-products.

"With regard to the emerging contaminant control action being carried out in China, we expect to be able to more closely link environmental pollutants and their source chemicals to coordinate chemical safety management and environmental risk management. We hope that our research and proposals can contribute to a healthy environment free of toxic chemicals," said Wang.

More information: Bin Wang et al, Insight of chemical environmental risk and its management from the vinyl chloride accident, Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s11783-023-1652-x

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University of Cincinnati researchers found that monk parakeets lose social standing during an absence. Credit: Hobson Lab

Monk parakeets take that saying to heart, according to new research by the University of Cincinnati.

These loud and gregarious parrots risk losing their hard-won social standing if they are absent from their flock for just eight days, biologists found. And the highest-ranking birds lose the most status during their brief absence, researchers found.

The study was published in the journal Behavioral Ecology.

UC scientists studied three groups of captive monk parakeets in 2021 and 2022. The study, led by postdoctoral researcher Annemarie van der Marel, focused on testing whether social history was a critical component in structuring how the parakeets gained and maintained their ranks within their groups. Researchers were able to identify each bird's status in the flock's dominance hierarchy by observing their interactions and quantifying rank using networks of aggression.

Van der Marel, a former postdoctoral researcher at UC, is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile where she is conducting research on social mammals. But monk parakeets are never far from her mind. Feral parakeets nest outside her home in Santiago.

"They're loud. They are very affiliative toward some members of the group but can be quite grumpy towards others. There's a lot of social drama," van der Marel said.

The field crew recorded 100,000 fights over two years of experimentation. They recorded a lot of data on the birds' efforts to increase or defend their social standing, said Elizabeth Hobson, a behavioral ecologist and assistant professor in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.

"Monk parakeets are very feisty. They fight all the time," Hobson said. "They generally don't have knock-down, drag-out fights, they're just constantly squabbling."

Typically, an aggressor will sidle up to another bird and threaten to peck it. Often, the other bird flees before the interaction becomes physical.

"We call it a displacement. It's clear who the winners and losers are," Hobson said

Once the hierarchy had formed in the social groups, the researchers removed birds of different social standing for eight days before returning them and observing their reintegration to the flock.

"We predicted that if there was something intrinsic about the bird that gave it high rank, it should have been able to waltz back in and easily retake its former rank," Hobson said.

Unlike some animal societies where the biggest individual is often dominant, researchers found that size doesn't matter as much among monk parakeets. Instead, they get ahead through sheer force of will.

"It's really striking to see a bird that had risen all the way to the top of the hierarchy have their rank fall so dramatically after being absent from the group for only about a week," Hobson said. "Because this loss of rank isn't associated with anything we measured about the birds, we think that rank loss is more likely the result of a change in social history, possibly because the removed birds were absent and couldn't fight to hang onto their spot in the hierarchy."

The new study also found that high-ranked birds had a much more difficult reintegration into their former groups. While lower-ranked birds also experienced a decline in status, it was not nearly as dramatic as in higher-ranked birds.

"The group treats them very differently," Hobson said. "In general, when we reintroduce the top-ranked bird, the group responds with a lot of aggression towards that reintroduced bird. A lot of bullying happens.

"But when we reintroduced a middle- or low-ranked bird, we didn't see nearly the kind of focused aggression on that bird as we saw in the top-ranked bird," she said.

Hobson said it's possible members of the flock don't perceive the lower-ranked birds as a threat to their own standing.

"When we take a bird out, there's a power vacuum and everything shifts to accommodate it," co-author and UC doctoral student Chelsea Carminito said. "When that bird suddenly comes back, the birds at the top don't want to relinquish their top rank and will defend their position."

Carminito is studying the behavior of monk parakeets to learn ways to improve their care and the care of other social birds in captivity and zoos and research centers.

"My interest is how to reduce stress in captive situations when you have to remove a bird," she said.

Van der Marel said the flock's social structure adapted quickly to the absence or loss of a single bird. In the wild, flocks occasionally lose individuals to predators or disease, so the remaining birds may be adaptable. Less common, she said, is when a high-status bird would return to the flock after a prolonged absence, perhaps from injury. These reintroductions seem to cause more havoc in the social group than removals.

"Monk parakeets have a very complex social system and demonstrate a lot of cognitive complexity," van der Marel said.

From Hobson's previous studies, researchers learned that monk parakeets in captive groups can have a keen understanding of their social order and can use this to be selective in picking which birds to target with aggression.

"They spend a lot of time and energy watching each other's fights and remembering the outcomes," Hobson said. "They appear to be aware of their ranks and the position of others in these hierarchies."

In dominance hierarchies, higher rank often confers better access to food and other resources. Hobson said it's not clear what advantages rank affords monk parakeets in the wild, where it's more difficult to study the social birds.

Hobson studied several dozen wild birds she captured and tagged in Argentina, but they would congregate with many others, making it difficult to identify where they fit in the greater social structure.

"In Argentina, people call the parakeets 'la plaga," which means the plague," Hobson said. "There are thousands and thousands of them.."

In her biology lab, Hobson is using bobwhite quail as a model system to study the formation of relationships and social structure. This year she also added aquariums of colorful bettas, which may also be able to use social information to structure their social interactions and aggression.

"The more similar we can make the experiments and analytical approach, the more potential we have to compare sociality in an apples to apples way across species," Hobson said.

More information: Annemarie van der Marel et al, Perturbations highlight importance of social history in parakeet rank dynamics, Behavioral Ecology (2023). DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad015 Journal information: Behavioral Ecology
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NASA's Orion space capsule splashes down in the Pacific after an uncrewed mission around the Moon.

NASA is to reveal the names on Monday of the astronautsthree Americans and a Canadianwho will fly around the Moon next year, a prelude to returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in a half century.

The mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to take place in November 2024 with the four-person crew circling the Moon but not landing on it.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025more than five decades after the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface and eventually launch a voyage to Mars.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said this week at a "What's Next Summit" hosted by Axios that he expected a crewed mission to Mars by the year 2040.

The four members of the Artemis II crew will be announced at an event at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The 10-day Artemis II mission will test NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket as well as the life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft.

The first Artemis mission wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon.

During the trip around Earth's orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

Nelson was also asked at the Axios summit whether NASA could stick to its timetable of landing astronauts on the south pole of the Moon in late 2025.

"Space is hard," Nelson said. "You have to wait until you know that it's as safe as possible, because you're living right on the edge.

"So I'm not so concerned with the time," he said.

"We're not going to launch until it's right."

Only 12 peopleall of them white menhave set foot on the Moon.

 2023 AFP
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  Malacanang Palace on Monday revealed the location of four new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites after Manila and Washington agreed to expand the deal last February.

These are the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana town, Cagayan; the Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo town, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu town, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) disclosed in a statement.

Upon completion, United States troops could be indefinitely stationed there on a rotational basis and could use the sites as storage and warehouse facilities.

READ: PH, US agree to boost American military presence, create 4 new EDCA sites

The Palace described the four locations as suitable and mutually beneficial EDCA sites. The PCO, quoting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said the sites would be scattered around the Philippines with the main goal of defending the countrys eastern coast.

The five existing EDCA sites are the Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro, Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and the Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan.

The US Department of Defense, on the other hand, claimed that the new sites would improve the ability of the armies of the US and the Philippines to work together and respond "more seamlessly" to shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, such as natural and humanitarian disasters.

The Pentagon said it will cooperate with its Filipino counterpart to rapidly pursue modernization projects at the new EDCA locations.

"The Department intends to expand funding on top of the $82 million we have already allocated toward infrastructure investments at the existing EDCA sites," the US agency said. "In addition to supporting Alliance commitments, these investments will also spur economic growth and job opportunities in their respective provinces."

It further guaranteed it will ensure its actions around EDCA sites are "responsive to the needs and priorities of local communities."

Malacanang said Marcos had spoken to local government unit (LGU) officials about the locations to convince them of the importance of the sites.

Cagayan Gov. governor Manuel Mamba earlier said he was not keen on hosting EDCA sites in his province.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

University of Queensland researchers have found African elephants use their acute sense of smell as a form of communication.

Professor Louw Hoffman from UQ's Queensland Alliance of Agriculture and Food Innovation co-led a study of elephants in wildlife parks in Malawi, which found that smell was used to distinguish characteristics including age, health, reproductive status and family relationships between elephants. The research was published in Scientific Reports.

"We tested the DNA, glands, urine and manure of 113 African elephants to identify family groupings," Professor Hoffman said.

"We found a number of chemicals were common to group members, but others that were unique to each individual.

"Elephants never mate with a sibling, even if they've been separated for years and can tell a strange elephant is close by from the smell of their manure or other excretions."

Professor Hoffman said social behavior also suggests elephants use odor to monitor other pachyderms, both within and outside their herd.

"We observed elephants greeting each other by squealing and flapping their ears," he said.

"We believe they're pushing their pheromones towards the other elephant as a sign of recognition.

"When elephants charge each other flapping their ears, rather than making themselves look bigger, we believe they're blowing their pheromones as a warning not to mess with them."

Professor Hoffman said elephants not only identify different smells quickly, but also retain them in their memory.

"Some of the animals in the study were bred in captivity, and one of the tricks they'd been taught was to take a tourist's hat and smell it," he said.

"When the tourist came back hours later the elephant would be able to immediately identify who the hat belonged to."

Professor Hoffman said elephants could be trained to sense many things, including blood and explosives.

"These findings show elephants are complex creatures, and sound is not their only form of communication," he said. "We see humans as the apex, but we now know elephants are one of many animals that have senses more finely attuned than ours.

"There is a lot we can learn from the elephant."

More information: Katharina E. M. von Durckheim et al, A pachyderm perfume: odour encodes identity and group membership in African elephants, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20920-2 Journal information: Scientific Reports
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The Svalbard Archipelago in northern Norway yields ice cores 125 metres deep.

Scientists camped in the Arctic are set to start drilling to save samples of ancient ice for analysis before the frozen layers melt away due to climate change, mission organizers said on Monday.

Italian, French and Norwegian researchers are in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in what they called a race against time to preserve crucial ice records for analyzing past environmental conditionsplanning to ship them all the way to the Antarctic for storage.

"Glaciers at high latitudes, such as those in the Arctic, have begun to melt at a high rate," said paleoclimatologist Carlo Barbante, vice-chairman of the Ice Memory Foundation that is running the mission.

"We want to recover and preserve, for future generations of scientists, these extraordinary archives of our Planet's climate before all the information they contain is completely lost."

The eight specialists on the mission have set up camp at an altitude of 1,100 meters on the crevasse-ridden Holtedahlfonna ice field and plan to start drilling on Tuesday, Ice Memory said.

They will extract ice in a series of tubes from as far as 125 meters (137 yards) below the surface, containing frozen geochemical traces dating back three centuries.

Analysis of chemicals in deep "ice cores" provides scientists with valuable data about past environmental conditions.

But experts warn that meltwater is leaking down and altering the geochemical records preserved in ancient ice beneath.

Ice scientists "are seeing their primary material disappear forever from the surface of the planet", Jerome Chapellaz, president of the foundation, told AFP.

"It is our responsibility as glaciologists of this generation to make sure a bit of it is preserved."

Human-caused carbon emissions have warmed the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century. Studies indicate that the Arctic is warming between two and four times faster than the global average.

Here's one we extracted earlier: scientists of the Ice Memory Foundation hold an ice core drilled in Chamonix, eastern France, in 2016.

Antarctic 'ice sanctuary'

One set of the ice tubes extracted will be used for immediate analysis while a second set will be sent to Antarctica for storage in an "ice memory sanctuary" under the snow, where the samples will be preserved for future generations of scientists.

From their remote source, the ice cores will be transported by sea to Europe and later to the other end of the globe, for storage at a Franco-Italian Antarctic research station.

There, on territory protected by the Antarctic Treaty, they will be stored under the snow at minus 50C, where no power is needed to keep them cool.

"In coming decades, researchers will have new ideas and techniques to give voice to these archives," the researchers said in a statement.

"For instance, they may be able to isolate other information contained in the ice of which we are not aware today."

The team in Svalbard will work for three weeks in temperatures as low as minus 25C (-13 Farenheit), cutting and pulling out a series of cylinders of ice 10cm (four inches) wide.

The 700,000-euro ($760,000) mission, partly funded by the Italian research ministry, follows a series of earlier ice core extractions by the foundation, including operations in the Alps and the Andes.

Further core-drilling missions are planned in the coming years in Tajikistan and the Himalayas.

A study published in the journal Science in January said that half of the Earth's 215,000 mountain glaciers are expected to disappear by the end of this century due to climate change caused by humanseven if the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is reached.

 2023 AFP
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Photometric evolution of SN 2019odp around the discovery epoch. Credit: Schweyer et al, 2023

An international team of astronomers has conducted follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations of a supernova designated SN 2019odp. Results of the observational campaign, published March 24 on the arXiv pre-print server, indicate that SN 2019odp is a massive and oxygen-rich supernova of Type Ib.

Supernovae (SNe) are powerful and luminous stellar explosions. They are important for the scientific community as they offer essential clues into the evolution of stars and galaxies. In general, SNe are divided into two groups based on their atomic spectra: Type I and Type II. Type I SNe lack hydrogen in their spectra, while those of Type II showcase spectral lines of hydrogen.

Type Ib supernovae (SNe Ib) are a subclass of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe. They are formed when a massive star, with its outer envelope of hydrogen stripped away, collapses under its own gravity. SNe Ib could be crucial to improve our understanding of the evolution of massive stars, post-explosion interaction, and properties of resulting supernovae. The presence of helium further distinguishes between the helium-rich Type Ib SNe and the helium-poor Type Ic.

SN 2019odp, also known as ZTF19abqwtfu, was discovered on August 21, 2019, as part of the Zwicky Transient Facility survey (ZTF). The supernova is located some 208 million light years away, in the spiral galaxy UGC 12373. Shortly after its discovery SN 2019odp was initially classified as a Type Ic-BL (broad-lined) supernova as part of the ePESSTO+ survey.

Now, new observations made by a group of astronomers led by Tassilo Schweyer of Stockholm University in Sweden suggest that SN 2019odp should be reclassified as a Type Ib supernova.

"We present and analyze observations of the Type Ib supernova (SN) 2019odp (a.k.a. ZTF19abqwtfu) covering epochs within days of the explosion to the nebular phase at 360 d post-explosion. ... Our observations include photometric observations mainly in the optical and low to medium-resolution spectroscopic observations covering the complete observable time-range. We expand on existing methods to derive oxygen mass estimates from nebular phase spectroscopy," the researchers wrote in the paper.

The observations detected the presence of helium in the ejecta of SN 2019odp, what suggests the Type Ib nature. Moreover, the spectra showcase lines with much smaller line widths than typically associated with Type Ic-BL supernovae, further supporting the Type Ib scenario.

However, the pre-peak spectra of SN 2019odp have great spectral similarity to Type Ic-BL supernovae as well as other transitional SNe. This, according to the astronomers, may suggest a common scenario for all these supernovae early on.

The study also found that SN 2019odp is a high-mass oxygen-rich supernova as its ejecta mass was estimated to be 47 solar masses and its oxygen mass was calculated to be at least 0.5 solar masses. Therefore, the results point to a progenitor, most likely a Wolf-Rayet star with a pre-explosion mass higher than 18 solar masses.

More information: T. Schweyer et al, SN 2019odp: A Massive Oxygen-Rich Type Ib Supernova, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2303.14146 Journal information: arXiv

 2023 Science X Network
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A view of Fairbourne from above, showing the Mawddach estuary and the mountains of Eryri in the background. Credit: Wozzie/Shutterstock

The impact of rising sea levels on our coastlines can be profound. A natural shoreline can respond to sea level rise and coastal erosion, provided the rise isn't too rapid.

Given enough time, flora and fauna may have a chance to adapt. But a coastal area which has been heavily developed will respond differently, sometimes with catastrophic impacts on both people and nature.

Fairbourne is a small village on the west coast of Wales and is the first place in the UK to have been assigned the long-term policy of "no active intervention" regarding its coastal defenses. That is when a decision is made not to invest in providing or maintaining sea defenses.

This has led to Fairbourne's inhabitants being described as "the UK's first climate change refugees" by news media.

In the UK, regional shoreline management plans (SMPs) are developed for managing coastlines from flood and erosion risk. SMPs consider the potential risks and select from a range of options, consisting of building new sea defenses, through to the aforementioned "no active intervention."

In Fairbourne's case, the SMP suggests it will neither be safe nor sustainable to remain in the village by around 2054. The intention is for the authorities to monitor and maintain the existing coastal defenses in the short and medium term.

Ultimately, the village may be decommissioned, although details are scant on what that means. It remains a contentious issue and the community continues to fight for increased support from government organizations.

At the turn of the 20th century, Fairbourne was just a cluster of houses on the Gwynedd coast at the mouth of the Mawddach estuary. Over the past 100 years, the village has expanded to around 460 properties. It has around 700 inhabitants and is popular with tourists.

Fairbourne is built on a low-lying floodplain. The village lies between cliffs and a natural gravel barrier which houses a sea wall, and is at risk from both coastal and river flooding. As the sea level around the Welsh coast rises, the village is at increased risk from coastal flooding.

Sea level rise drivers

There are two main factors which drive global mean sea level rise, both related to climate change. First, the addition of freshwater to our oceans from melting glaciers and ice sheets. And second, the expansion of ocean water as it warms up, which is a consequence of higher atmospheric temperatures.

The global mean sea level rose higher in the 20th century than in any other century during the last 3,000 years. The rate of global mean sea level rise in 2021 was the highest ever recorded. Uncertainty remains in the projections of future sea level rise but the latest estimate is that a global rise of up to approximately 1 meter by 2100 is possible.

The gravel barrier between Fairbourne and the sea is dotted with second world war concrete defence blocks. Credit: Mike Searle/Geograph, CC BY-SA

The response of a natural gravel barrier coastline to sea level rise is mainly controlled by the amount of nearby sediment and the rate at which the sea level is rising along that section of coast.

Where there is available mobile sediment, a barrier will move towards the land under rising sea levels. This process is called "roll-over," as sediments are pushed up and over the crest of the barrier towards the land.

However, if the barrier is prevented from moving or if the sea level rises rapidly, more significant structural changes can happen. First, the barrier tends to get steeper, which then promotes more energetic wave breaking.

In time, the barrier crest becomes vulnerable which can lead to it being breached. In the case of Fairbourne, which is behind such a barrier, a breach could result in the village being flooded.

Second, the barrier needs time to adapt to changes in sea level. When the level of the sea rises rapidly, the barrier cannot evolve quickly enough to keep up.

In Fairbourne, these factors combine to increase the flood risk to the community. The sediment supply to the gravel barrier is limited. To compound the issue, as the sea level rises, the water becomes deeper which leads to less available wave energy for pushing sediments onshore.

The potential for Fairbourne's seaward barrier to shift towards the land is limited by the lack of space. The barrier is somewhat trapped between the hard rock of the cliffs and the nearby Afon Mawddach.

What's more, the existing seawall fixes the crest of the barrier in place and therefore increases its vulnerability. Meanwhile, the sea level continues to rise.

Adaptation

Physical and environmental factors aside, sea level rise is a complicated socio-economic issue. Regardless of the financial cost, building coastal defenses is not always the best method of adaptation.

The UK's SMPs provide a strategic approach to coastal management and defense. However, retreating from the coastline, disbanding communities, abandoning homes and decommissioning villages such as Fairbourne really is the ultimate form of adaptation and so requires careful consideration.

Given around 10% of the world's population live in coastal areas fewer than 10 meters above sea level, this is a topic we're likely to be discussing a lot more in years to come.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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This image shows a visual representation of one of the highest-energy neutrino detections superimposed on a view of the IceCube Lab at the South Pole. Credit: IceCube Collaboration

How do astronomers look for neutrinos? These small, massless particles whiz through the universe at very close to the speed of light. They've been studied since the 1950s and detecting them provides work for a range of very interesting observatories.

There's IceCube in Antarctica, which uses a cubic kilometer of ice at the South Pole as its collector. Another neutrino detector, called KM3Net, is under development deep beneath the surface of the Mediterranean sea. It joins existing detectors around the world.

Now, a consortium of Chinese scientists has plans to develop another deepwater neutrino "telescope" that will be more extensive than any current technology online today.

According to lead researcher Chen Mingjun at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the facility will be the largest neutrino observatory in operation. "It will be a 30-cubic-kilometer detector comprising over 55,000 optical modules suspended along 2,300 strings," said Chen.

Why study neutrinos?

Neutrinos come from a number of sources across the universe. Astronomers know that energetic events produce them, such as a supermassive star explosion. Often, a rush of neutrinos alerts astronomers to the fact that a supernova has exploded. They reach Earth before the light from the catastrophic event can get here.

Neutrinos (along with cosmic rays) also come from the sun, from stellar explosions, from objects called blazars, and there were even neutrinos created in the Big Bang. On Earth, they emanate from the decay of radioactive materials beneath the surface, and from nuclear reactors and particle accelerators.

Neutrino astronomy is a way to use these particles (as well as cosmic rays) to search out their sources and understand the physics behind them. Neutrinos offer a chance for astronomers to "see" processes that they can't catch any other way. That includes activity in the sun's core, the hidden cores of galaxies, gamma-ray bursts, and the events in starburst galaxies.

How to detect neutrinos

Spotting and measuring these fast-moving, nearly mass-less particles isn't an easy task. They don't interact very easily with regular matter, which makes them difficult to pin down. Depending on where they originate, neutrinos can travel through many light-years of space before interacting with interstellar gas and dust, or a planet, or star. Once they do, they pass almost completely unimpeded. But, they do interact briefly with matter. That interaction produces other detectable reactions and particles.

Since they're such slippery objects, neutrino detectors have to have a large "collecting area" to detect enough for study. The first neutrino observatories were built underground. That isolated the detectors from local radiation "pollution." Detection requires extremely sensitive equipment and even the best ones on Earth only measure a relative few.

Some neutrino observatories use a fluid called tetrachloroethylene to "capture" clues to neutrinos passing through. You might know this material better as dry cleaning fluid. When a neutrino hits a chlorine 37 atom in the tank, it converts it to an argon-37 atom. That's what the instruments detect.

Another way to measure neutrinos is through what's called a Cherenkov detector. The name refers to Cherenkov radiation, which is emitted whenever charged particles such as electrons or muons move through water, heavy water, or ice. The charged particle generates this radiation as it moves through the detector fluid. That's the method IceCube, KM4Net, Lake Baikal, and others use. The Chinese underwater detector will improve on this method and go hunting for neutrinos on a much larger scale.

Linking neutrino and cosmic ray sources

The aim of building such an extensive telescope is to detect high-energy neutrinos, but Chen thinks that there may be a link to cosmic rays. He expects that the neutrinos the facility detects will contribute to solving a century-old scientific puzzle of the origin of cosmic rays.

In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that energetic particles constantly bombard Earth. Since then, astronomers have tracked neutrinos as well as gamma rays from space. In 2021, China's Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) in Sichuan province detected 12 sources of gamma rays. These probably came from the same sources as some cosmic rays.

Chen said one popular hypothesis is that the high-energy neutrinos and gamma rays are potentially produced simultaneously when high-energy cosmic rays originate. "If we can detect the two particles together, we can determine the origin of the cosmic rays," said Chen. The team wants to see if neutrino collisions in their detector produce secondary particles. These should emit light signals for their underwater detectors to see. Some research already hints at this possibility, and Chen believes that neutrino detection could trace the origin of this mystery space radiation.

Next steps

Most members of the team have spent years in the study of cosmic rays, particularly through project LHAASO. Now they're gearing up to do the same with neutrinos in a whole new facility. There's no doubt hunting extraterrestrial neutrinos from deep water will present new challenges. Underwater equipment and operations are very costly. In addition, the team has to develop a detector that can be completely waterproofed. However, work is underway, and the team just completed the first sea trial to test the detecting system at a depth of 1,800 meters underwater.
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Can you remember the first time you were harassed in a public space? What comes to mind? Can you remember how old you were, or what you were doing? Perhaps this is not something you have personally experienced, although we know 87% of young Australian women have been harassed in public.

We spoke to 47 adult women and LGBTQ+ people in our recent study on street-based and public harassment about their earliest memories of feeling sexualized, uncomfortable or unsafe on the street. Many mentioned they first experienced street harassment in their school uniforms. We heard variations of the phrase "it happened when I was in my school uniform" repeatedly from participants.

For many, street harassment began or became more frequent when they started wearing a high school uniform. Some participants, however, reflected on experiences from when they were even younger, wearing a primary school uniform.

Studies from the United Kingdom have shown 35% of girls wearing school uniforms have been sexually harassed in public spaces. Despite the importance of schools in the daily lives of young people, and the high rates of street harassment they experience, there's been surprisingly little attention paid to the harassment of young people in school uniform.

Findings from our new research show school-related harassment is a serious issue that has largely flown under the radar in Australia.

It happens beyond the school gates

We know young people experience sexual, homophobic and transphobic harassment from their peers and even teachers while they're at school.

But participants also told us about harassment occurring outside their school grounds. This was perpetrated by strangers (usually individual adult men, or groups of adult men), while they were in uniform and, therefore, clearly identifiable as school children.

This took many forms, ranging from catcalling, staring or leering, wolf-whistling, and being followed by men in cars while walking to school, through to public masturbation and men rubbing themselves against victim-survivors (usually while traveling to school on public transport), sexual assault and rape. As one interviewee told us: "walking from high school to home [] that's where most of the harassment I've experienced happened [] As soon as I stopped wearing a school uniform it happened less. So that's disgusting for a lot of reasons."

As another interviewee shared, these experiences were really scary not just because of what was happening at that moment but because the perpetrator "knows which school you go to" because of the uniform worn.

The 'sexy schoolgirl'

Why is it that young peopleand particularly young women and girlsare so routinely harassed in school uniform? We found harassment of schoolgirls was seen as being culturally sanctioned through the "sexy schoolgirl" trope. As one interviewee noted: "when you go on Google images and search for 'school boy' it will come up with a five-year-old boy but then 'school girl' it will come up with the sexy school girl costume."

Participants discussed being targeted because they were viewed as vulnerable and (paradoxically) as both sexually innocent and sexualized: "that was part of the allure for them [the perpetrators], the innocence of a schoolgirl, a fearful schoolgirl in that situation, was like hot to them, they were really getting off on it."

Another interviewee told us: "I went from being an innocent child to a child that felt uncomfortable and didn't know why I was sexualizedand I didn't understand it because I didn't understand what sex really was."

Because they were so young, many participants often lacked a framework or language to understand their experiences. For many, these experiences were also so routine they simply formed part of the background hum of everyday life.

It was often not until years after these formative experiences that participants were able to articulate them as sexual harm and reflect on the impacts.

Trying to avoid harassment

Across our interviews, many participants discussed changing the way they presented themselves or changing the routes they took to school. They often focused on changing their own behavior and made their lives smaller in an attempt to avoid further harassment. For example: "I started walking the long way. I started just going through the main roads, avoiding the back streets, even though it was a longer walk to be extra safe."

In the longer-term, participants commonly described feeling unsafe, hyper-vigilant, and distrustful of men in public spaces.

'What if there's a pedophile on the tram?': School responses

Unfortunately, the view that victim-survivors are responsible for their own harassment was often reinforced by schools if harassment was reported.

Numerous participants told us how they were reminded of school uniform policies (such as mandated length of skirts and dresses) when they went to teachers for help. One participant recounted an experience where her teacher asked: "Why would you wear your skirt like this [short]? Whose attention are you trying to get? [] what if there's a pedophile when you're on the tram home from school [] thinking 'this is the best day of [my] life.'"

Others did not seek help from their teachers because of this focus on students' appearance at schoolthey felt they would simply be blamed for what happened.

These types of responses teach young people to think street harassment and other forms of gendered violence are their fault. It also tells them their bodies are sites of risk that need to be managed and contained to avoid harassment.

School uniform harassment is not 'normal'

While schools and school-related contexts were often sites of harm for our participants, schools nonetheless have a vitally important role to play here. Harassment in school uniform should not be seen as a "normal" part of growing up.

There is an urgent need to provide young people with a framework to understand their experiences.

Educational efforts must challenge the idea that harassment must simply be endured. Instead, schools should help young people understand harassment as a form of violence, and offer safe and supportive spaces to talk with peers and adults about their experiences. This should be incorporated into existing sex and relationships education in an age-appropriate way.

Importantly, responses to harassment should never blame or implicate young people themselves. It's time for outdated practices such as measuring school uniform length to be relegated to the past where they belong.

In the words of one participant, "the length of my skirt is not influencing how much I learn."

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
By Nasratu Kargbo

The Communication and Advocacy Consultant for the Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act 2022 Sulaiman Storm Koroma said they are in a state of confusion about the whereabouts of the Act, explaining that neither Parliament nor State House has claimed to be in possession of the bill, which since enacted six months ago is yet to get the Presidents assent.

In an event held by the lead advocates Focus 1000 to engage CSOs on the 30th March 2022, He said Where is the bill, we are left in oblivion? asked Koroma. He said that they have made inquiries about the status of the bill, explaining that they went to parliament and were told that the bill has been taken to the president, whilst from the state house, they were informed that the bill has not reached State House.

Koroma stated that at some point they were informed that the president had signed the bill, however, when they went to get a gazette copy of the Act, they found out that it was not there.

He added that when they went to the Government Printing Press charged with the responsibility of printing such documents, workers there said theyd never seen such an Act.

We went again to parliament and engaged the Clerk of Parliament and he told us that he can tell us categorically clear that he sent the bill to the president, said Korma.

He explained that when the bill was enacted by parliament, there were protesters who are retailers who told them they will ensure the president does not sign the bill.

Acting Head of Programmes at FoRUT Alhassan Jalloh recommended that they as CSOs should do a request to the president for a meeting, stating that during the meeting they will get to know whether the Act is with him and if it is with him they will request that he signs it.

Jalloh spoke on the popularization of the Act, noting that it is their responsibility to educate the families and communities on all theyve learned about the Act, especially its implication.

Founder and Executive Director of Global Youth Network, Musa Khalili Koroma said: We call on you Mr. President to sign the Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act of 2022, tobacco kills human capital development.

Responding to CSOs, Parliamentary Counsel and Legislative Drafter Lynton Jones said if there is the will, the Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Austin Demby who sits in Cabinet every Wednesday with President Julius Maada Bio should have taken the message to him for his assent.

According to the Director of Non-communicable Diseases in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Santigie Sesay three thousand three hundred and thirty tobacco and nicotine-related deaths are recorded in the country annually.

He also stated that between 2016to 2018, the country recorded four thousand, one hundred and twenty-five new cancer cases in the country, adding that three thousand and two have died.

Just like the CSOs the Interreligious Council of Sierra Leone had also called on President J Bio to sign the Act, stating that the substance has destroyed and continues to destroy the lives of Sierra Leoneans.

The Tobacco and Nicotine Control Act was enacted in parliament eight months ago on the 3rd of August 2023 and is yet to be signed by the President.

The law seeks to protect smokers and non-smokers, it prohibits public smoking, sending children to purchase the substance, make sales to children amongst others. Penalties are also set to be levied on law breaks.

Sierra Leone is the 38th country in the WHO African region to have enacted a bill into law to protect its population against the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products.

Copyright (c) 2023 (31/03/23)
By Alpha Abu

68-year-old school teacher whose brutal killing some three weeks ago shocked the entire nation was yesterday laid to rest at the Ascension Town Cemetery in Freetown, a funeral that attracted teeming groups of mourners dressed mostly in black.

The funeral cortege of the late Gilis Edwin Ola Johnson from the Portuguese Town Church on Campbell Street where a service was held, passed through streets in the Central part of town and in front of his house, accompanied by pupils of various schools where he had taught.

A Pupil of Providence School, Arun Conteh is being held by Police as a prime suspect over the gruesome killing of Mr Johnson who had his throat cut inside his Victoria Street Freetown home.

Conteh in handcuffs was on Monday brought to the crime scene by Police who used an ambulance so as not to alert much attention, fearful of crowd trouble as the killing of the teacher had got emotions running high in the neighbourhood where he lived.

The Police after entering the house to solicit more evidence soon drove off just as crowds began to gather and Police backup arriving.

Mr. Johnsons body was found in a pool of blood in the afternoon of Saturday 11th March 2023. Neighbours said the suspect was seen leaving the house that day. Police said Conteh went to the Aberdeen Station and reported the killing of his teacher which he blamed on an Operational Support Division (OSD) officer.

Conteh was known by neighbours of Mr Johnson as he was frequent there. According to close family members, he attended private classes with other young people at Mr Johnsons residence and was said to be very close to the slain man.

Subsequent investigations led detectives to zero in on Conteh who was immediately arrested. A Police source told Politico that investigations are continuing.

Prior to the funeral, the Sierra Leone Teachers Union put out a notice calling on its members to wear black that day to mourn a fallen colleague.

Copyright (c) 2023 (31/03/23)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  Four detainees who escaped from the Malibay Detention Facility in Pasay City before dawn on Holy Monday are still on the loose, while six have been rearrested, according to police.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said escapees Joey Hernandez, Eden Garcia, Joshua Panganiban, Tirzo Galit, Christian Salvatierra, and John Michael Cabe were caught hours after they were discovered to have bolted from the facility in Malibay Police Sub-Station 6 along with four other persons under police custody (PUPCs).

Hernandez and Garcia were apprehended in Barangay 59, Pasay City at around 11:30 a.m., the NCRPO said. Both are facing charges for violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Robbery suspects Panganiban and Galit were rearrested later in the afternoon. Police said Panganiban was caught in Barangay Santa Ana in Taytay, Rizal, while Galit surrendered to authorities.

Salvatierra, who is also facing charges for violation of RA 9165, was captured at around 4:45 p.m. in Barangay Parian in Calamba City, Laguna through a joint operation of Pasay City and Calamba City police.

The latest to be rearrested is carnapping suspect Cabe, who was apprehended in Barangay San Dionisio in Paranaque City at around 8:40 p.m.

Four others who remain at large are facing illegal drug charges. Police identified them as:

- Richard dela Cruz (Violation of RA 9165)

- Carlo Magno Benavidez (Violation of RA 9165)

- Norman Deyta (Violation of RA 9165)

- Romeo Estopa (Violation of RA 9165)

Estopa wasnt among those initially identified by authorities as an escapee. However, photos later released by police included him instead of another suspect they previously named.

(Photo from the Southern Police District)

Authorities said they found out at 4:30 a.m. that the 10 PUPCs had cut through the metal grills of the detention facility.

Initial investigation disclosed that three of the prisoners managed to break the iron bar of the main facility then held and mauled the duty jailer and took his service firearm, cash money and assorted keys of the jail, the Southern Police District (SPD) said.

Meanwhile, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) ordered the temporary dismissal of Police Major Jerry Sunga  commander of Malibay Police Sub-Station 6  as well as of the designated jailer to give way to an impartial investigation.

The SPD also said administrative sanctions will be imposed on personnel found to have committed lapses that enabled the escape.

Papapanagutin natin kung sino man ang mapatunayan na may pagkukulang hinggil sa bagay na ito [We will hold accountable anyone proven to be responsible for this incident], NCRPO Regional Director Major General Edgar Alan Okubo said.

Manhunt operations continue, with Okubo saying he has ordered the capture of all escapees within 48 hours.

However, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Emi Calixto-Rubiano wants the PUPCs to be apprehended within 24 hours, the citys public information office said.

The local government added that the mayor is ready to give a reward of 30,000 per detainee to anyone who can provide information that will lead to their rearrest.

District Director Police Brigadier General Kirby Kraft urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the PUPCs to coordinate with authorities by going to the nearest police station or by contacting any of the following numbers: 09568005277, 09985987922, 09173661036.
GLENS FALLS  Business owners with outside dining permits will be expected to change how close their tables can get to the sidewalk this spring and summer.

Glens Falls Common Council members discussed the Public Right-of-Way Access Guideline at their most recent meeting. Public meetings have been set for Tuesday and Thursday to hear feedback from business owners that will be affected.

We found that as we got a new department going for Building and Codes that our old applications werent following whats called PROWAG regulations, Mayor Bill Collins said on Tuesday. We were, by accident, breaking the law or not following it to make sure 5 feet of space is on every one of our sidewalks.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Holden Meeting Room of Crandall Public Library, there will be public information meetings where city officials will consult on the changes with business owners.

At our next council meeting, you will have new encroachment permits to approve, Collins said.

Collins attributed the pandemic as the reason for the violations.

This really developed during COVID and when people really wanted to increase their clientele because they could only fill half of their restaurants. They were asking to move tables out and we were approving it, he said.

Collins said he had come to realization that businesses offering outdoor dining were in blatant violation, and a new system of guidelines has been created for the upcoming outdoor dining season.

The information meeting on Tuesday and Thursday will not only be for updates on what rules businesses must follow, but it will also act as a meeting for questions and concerns from the owners.

Some are going to be upset when they cant have as many tables that they have had, Collins said.

Other business

The Special Projects Committee received reports from city officials on overnight parking ideas. Fire Chief James Schrammel, Police Chief Jarred Smith, and Tom Girard, city Department of Public Works field operations manager, gave their opinions on the boards idea of trying to introduce overnight parking between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. at their meeting on Tuesday.

Diana Palmer, Third Ward councilwoman, spoke about the approval of American Rescue Plan Act funds to restore parks in the city of Glens Falls. The park upgrades will be completed in August of this year.

Open pickups for lawn debris will begin next Monday. DPW will begin pickups in Ward 3 and then proceed through Ward 2, Ward 1, Ward 4, and then Ward 5 before looping through the Citys Wards once again. The last day of spring pick ups will be on May 26.
As state budget talks continue past Saturday's deadline, lawmakers on Monday are expected to approve a temporary spending measure needed to make sure state employees don't miss a paycheck.

However, because the State Legislature is required to pass this stopgap budget "extender" without making any changes, Republicans in Albany are urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to use her leverage to include bail reform language in the bill.

"We don't make a habit of complimenting the governor. But I hope she sticks to her guns and, hopefully, she does put this piece of public policy in the extender," Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, an Oswego County Republican, told reporters Friday.

The offices of the governor and of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, on Sunday declined to directly address the question of the extender bill's language.

But at least one Buffalo-area state legislator said he doesn't expect to see the bail reform plan in this initial short-term spending bill.

"No, I don't think it's likely," said State Sen. Sean Ryan, D-Buffalo, on Sunday.

The Democratic governor and legislative leaders are in this position because they missed Saturday's deadline to approve New York's 2023-24 budget.

In addition to the usual negotiations over how much money the state spends  and what it spends it on  lawmakers are wrangling over two main gubernatorial priorities.

One, Hochul's plan to build 800,000 units of housing in New York over a decade, is hung up on a provision that would allow developers to bypass local zoning restrictions if housing growth doesn't occur fast enough in a given community.

The second is the hot-button issue of bail reform.

Hochul wants to amend a bail reform law passed four years ago that eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanors and some nonviolent felony charges.

Hochul  who also made amending the law a top priority in 2022 budget talks  this year is trying to change a provision she believes creates confusion for judges deciding whether to set bail for criminal defendants.

The governor wants to modify part of the 2019 law requiring judges to use the "least restrictive" means to ensure a defendant returns to court.

She said this would avoid confusion with other parts of the law giving judges greater discretion over whether to require bail in violent felony or serious misdemeanor cases.

Democrats who control the Assembly and Senate have resisted making further changes to the law and omitted Hochuls proposal from their one-house budget plans released in mid-March.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, a North Tonawanda Republican, on Friday slammed the Democratic-led Legislature for holding up the budget over Hochul's proposed change to the the bail law.

Ortt offered tentative support for an extender with no additional language or with the bail reform plan included. Republicans made crime an issue in the 2022 state elections and have called for an overhaul of the 2019 bail reform law.

"We are not looking to shut the state government down," Ortt told reporters. "And if that change was in there that would be something  while not far enough as far as I'd like to see it  but it's a move in the right direction."

With Saturday's budget deadline come and gone, lawmakers must pass an extender bill by the end of Monday if they want to make sure state operations continue and state employees get paid.

Michael Whyland, a Heastie spokesman, did not comment on what language Assembly Democrats expect the governor to include in her extender bill.

"We are still discussing the budget and expect to pass an extender on Monday," he said in an email Sunday.

Hochul spokesman Matthew Janiszewski also expressed confidence in the timely approval of a stopgap spending measure.

He did not directly comment on the inclusion of bail reform in the governor's extender and, instead, referred to Hochul's remarks Friday on her ongoing push for changes to the 2019 bail reform law.

"I'm very clear on what I'm looking for. Im looking to restore people's confidence in our system," she said at a news conference at the State Capitol.

Ryan noted legislative rules require the Assembly and Senate to accept, or reject, the governor's extender bill as is. But he said he anticipates Hochul will send a "clean" bill without bail reform.

"It would be highly unusual," Ryan said, for the governor at this early point in the process to force lawmakers to accept her plan or risk state employees going without a paycheck.

"Right now, I think all sides are negotiating in good faith," said Ryan.

He further expressed hope the budget is approved by Wednesday afternoon before the Passover and Easter holidays would bring a temporary halt to budget talks.

News Albany Bureau Chief Chris Bragg contributed to this report.
From The Post-Star in 1959

It was close competition, but Patricia Ann Selleck was the winner of nine contestants, all 5 foot or less in height, in the Miss Gidget of Glens Falls contest March 28, 1959, at The Rialto Theatre.

Because of a close vote three of the girls were called back out on the stage by Jack Mitchell, manager of the Rialto, who acted as master of ceremonies, in order that judges might take a last look at them before making the final decision, The Post-Star reported on March 30.

Selleck, the daughter of George Selleck, a Post-Star reporter in the 1930s and 40s, and later a Glens Falls mayors assistant, went on to marry Harold Bud Taylor on Sept. 3, 1961, and was a constant support in Buds career in insurance and politics.

Pat Taylor died March 23 at age 80.

The Miss Gidget of Glens Falls contest coincided with the screening at The Rialto of Gidget, the 1959 comedy starring Sandra Dee about a teen becoming immersed in California surfing culture.

Contestants appeared on stage in evening gowns, and each answered two opinion questions.

Selleck won an array of prizes from local merchants and a trip to New York City April 10-12, where she appeared on the nationally-televised The Dick Clark Show.

Dorothy Selleck, mother of Patricia, and WWSC radio announcer Charles Featherstone accompanied her on the trip.

Patricia Sellecks first local appearance after winning was at a Glens Falls junior high school hop to raise money for the Glens Falls Little League on March 30.

About 650 people, the largest crowd ever at a junior high dance, attended.

An added attraction to the evenings festivities was the personal appearance of the Jaguars, a local rock and roll group, and Karia and Eric Jansen, stars of the Teen-Age Barn television program on WRGB, The Post-Star reported on April 1.

Downtown: Magician Jack Disbrow of Glens Falls presented a program Moments of Mystery at a Glens Falls Rotary Club luncheon at The Queensbury Hotel.  April 3

Economic development: The Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce announced that the newly formed Warrensburg Shirt Co. would begin operation in about 30 days at the former Warrensburg Shirt Co. factory, which had been closed for about 18 months.

Mr. Knorr has announced that the firm will make a high quality shirt in several price ranges from $5 to $15, under the labels of various private brands.

The chamber was raising $1,500 to purchase storm windows for the plant in order to reduce heating costs.  April 4

Innovation: Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. was introducing electronic book keeping.

The operating efficiency of the bank will be markedly increased and more satisfactory service will be provided the public. The new machines will produce the banks and the customers records with an unprecedented degree of accuracy and speed. April 4

Social scene: Peggy Wendell won first prize in a dress-making contest conducted at a meeting of the Mohican Grange at Oneida.  April 3

Native son: Private Richard E. Cleghorn of Glens Falls conducted the 19th Army Band Chorus of Fort Dix, N.J. in a concert on the steps of the U.S. Treasury building on Wall Street in New York City.  April 1.

Editorial: Rock n Roll is dead. Mickey Mantle has been sold to Kansas City. Nikita Khruschev has just announced plans to purchase a seat on the Stock Exchange.

Fantastic? Unbelievable? Absurd?

No such thing! Today is, yes of course, April Fools Day.

How this fool-ishness ever began is still a little vague to historians, but the general concession is that a French ruler, Charles IX, can be pinned with most of the blame.

Seems he instigated a new calendar in the 16th century that made the year start on January 1 instead of April 1. Medieval jokers, accustomed to exchanging gifts on New Years Day, took to sending mock presents in April. ...

While the usual horseplay is going on today, there is still at least one fellow who refuses to horse around. The weather man predicts showers for the evening. April showers to be sure  and thats no foolin.  April 1

Quotable: The great of this earth were born adventurers. This is what has made progress  for each of us who has adventured  and that is what has made America.  George Matthew Adams Todays Talk column, April 4
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A fugitive featured on Americas Most Wanted whom authorities say hid in Mexico after he allegedly stabbed his former girlfriend to death in 1994 pleaded guilty last week to aggravated manslaughter, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said.

Francisco Martinez, 53, stabbed Patricia Boney more than 17 times in her Buena apartment before fleeing, staying in Mexico until he was extradited to Atlantic County last year, the Prosecutors Office said Monday in a news release.

Martinez pleaded guilty Thursday in a deal that calls for a 20-year prison term. Hes scheduled to be sentenced May 9, the Prosecutors Office said.

Hes been in jail since returning to the U.S.

Prosecutors say Martinez went to Boneys North Harding Highway apartment Feb. 25, 1994, to confront her after the two ended their relationship. Boney had moved on without a desire to reunite.

Martinez stabbed Boney while she lay in her bed in front of their almost 2-year-old child. Boneys 9- and 11-year-old children dialed 911 after finding her in bed covered in blood with their toddler brother.

Man wanted for 1994 murder in Buena extradited to Atlantic County MAYS LANDING  A man wanted in connection to a nearly three-decade-old homicide in Atlantic 

An autopsy, which noted multiple wounds to her arms and hands from the attack, said Martinezs weapon inflicted a roughly 4-inch wound that penetrated Boneys heart.

Boney was still alive when police arrived, prosecutors say, telling officers before she died that Martinez was her killer. She was pronounced dead at Cooper University Medical Center in Camden.

After attacking Boney, Martinez took off in Boneys 1982 Chevrolet Camaro, driving to Houston. The vehicle was located there March 8, 1994.

Martinez was indicted on charges of murder and unlawful possession of a weapon in 1994. He was the primary suspect since a warrant was issued for his arrest in June of that year, the Atlantic County Sheriffs Office previously said.

Martinez crossed the southern border after the killing, living undetected under a different name for over 25 years, investigators found.

For nearly three decades, Martinez was sought for Boneys death, at one point becoming the subject of an episode of Americas Most Wanted.

Atlantic County detectives tracked down Martinez to Mexicos Sinaloa region. The U.S. Marshals Office, Interpol and the U.S. Department of State located Martinez, returning him to New Jersey last May.

Several agencies, including the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, collaborated to locate Martinez and extradite him.
VENTNOR  Standing next to a 30-square-foot sand drawing of a humpback whale and her calf, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew and other speakers made a call to save the whales Sunday afternoon.

Van Drew, R-2nd, and state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, headlined a half-dozen speakers who once again opposed proposals for wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and other Eastern states, claiming the sonar testing has led to a rise in marine mammal deaths over the past four months. They spoke to about 500 people on the beach at Suffolk Avenue.

Since December, at least 20 whales, mostly humpbacks, have washed up along New Jersey and New York beaches.

Those whales  and I dont mean to sound corny  were a divine blessing from God to wake us the hell up and say weve got to do something. This is the real thing. We are really in trouble with this and weve got to fight, Van Drew said.

Some believe sonar testing by offshore wind energy companies surveying the ocean floor in preparation for wind farms miles off the coast is the cause for the spike in whale deaths and marine mammal strandings.

But representatives from state and federal agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, have said there is no evidence that the recent strandings and offshore wind activities are connected.

Polistina said he simply wants to know what is happening and begged researchers to pause sonar testing so experts can see whether the stoppage in work has an impact in stopping whale deaths.

This has been, in my 51 years in Atlantic County, one of the most frightening things we have ever experienced here, Polistina said.

Other speakers included Ventnor Mayor Lance Landgraf; Assemblyman Don Guardian, R-Atlantic; and marine biologist Trisha Devoe.

Some even sang the message. Johnny Higbee and the Blue Street Band performed their new song, Save the Whales, before and after the speakers. The song had many people clapping and raising their hands in the air, singing along to its catchy chorus.

Shavaun Gliksman, of Branchburg, Somerset County, was there with her sister-in-law, Rachael Gliksman, of Absecon. She has been attending rallies with Protect Our Coast NJ throughout the state, including the one Van Drew spoke at in Wildwood last month.

The support is definitely getting stronger, Shavaun Gliksman said. A lot of people still dont know about it, but I feel like thats kind of by design because a lot of the rules that were passed, the eminent domain type of things. Towns like Ocean City, even though theyre against it, Gov. (Phil) Murphy put an executive order out saying, We sold this land, you cant say you want out of it.

Edward Baxter, of Point Pleasant Beach, believes the sonar testing is the cause of these deaths.

Im witnessing firsthand, said Baxter, who has been a commercial fisherman for over 25 years. The governor has the statistics with the actual work theyre doing and what the impact is, and theyre not addressing it. ... Look at what youre doing and what the documents say and pay attention to it. Stop issuing permits to kill endangered species.

Some believe there is a more natural cause to these deaths, such as human-caused climate change, global warming and a change in the ecosystem.

Ed Blaine, 65, a commercial fisherman for over 50 years, believes sonar isnt the cause and instead blamed the more mild fall and winter this year, leading to a change in feeding habits.

Last month, eight dolphins were found beached near 52nd Street in Sea Isle City. Two died on the beach, and the other six were euthanized by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. Blaine said he believed the dolphins were feeding close to the shore during high tide and couldnt get past the sandbar when the tide lowered.

He also said an uptick in whale sightings while he fished in the ocean the past several months was evident.

Blaine did echo the sentiments of those in attendance that the offshore wind program should not happen, citing the potential hazards if the windmills were to break down or leak oil into the ocean. He doesnt want them in the way of his fishing, but he added there are billions of dollars at stake for the state and this plan is going to happen anyway.

Its coming, but dont sit here with this propaganda and this (expletive) trying to get yourself a step up in the next reelection, said Blaine, of Somers Point.

GALLERY: Save the Whales rally on Ventnor beach
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla thinks that the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo is now a closed case after the arrest of one of the alleged masterminds and eleven of the suspected assassins.

Meron pang at-large pero tapos na po. Nakita na natin kumbaga sa police case closed na ito. Prosecution na tayo pagkatapos, Remulla said at a press conference on Monday.

[Translation: There are still those at large but its done. We see with the police that it is case closed. We now go to the prosecution.]

But we know who masterminded it, at least two of them. We know who did it, yung labing-isang kasama [the 11 gunmen], he added.

Authorities have also taken account of 12 suspects linked to the killing. Eleven of the gunmen who allegedly participated in the March 4 shooting of Degamo are under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation. One was killed in a firefight with government forces on March 5.

READ: Suspect in Negros Oriental governor assassination killed in encounter  PNP

The two alleged masterminds Remulla named are Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and former Army reservist Marvin Halaman Miranda.

Using filmmaking roles as an analogy, Remulla described the congressman as the executive producer" while Miranda was the director and casting director behind the March 4 shooting.

Teves allegedly funded the planning and weapons used during the assassination. Remulla claimed that the lawmaker was also the one instructing Miranda.

Teves left for the United States last February 28. He has since refused to return to the Philippines despite calls for him to face the accusations against him. Due to his continued absence, the House of Representatives suspended him from his post for 60 days.

Miranda  reportedly Teves' long-time bodyguard  for his part recruited the gunmen, Remulla alleged.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos revealed that all 11 surviving suspects pointed to Marvin Miranda[s involvement].

The NBI arrested Miranda  who was trying to flee Negros Oriental  last March 31.

Remulla added that authorities had been searching for Miranda since the beginning of the investigation.

READ: Remulla: Rep. Teves appears to be main mastermind behind Degamo killing

However, despite Remullas sentiments that the investigation was nearing its end, Abalos said during the press conference that he thinks there are more masterminds behind the slay who have yet to be identified.
The National Weather Service will investigate whether a tornado set down in Mays Landing during Saturday nights storm.

Already, the weather service in Mount Holly has confirmed four tornadoes in the state and an Atlantic City waterspout during the severe weather outbreak.

A dislodged roof and numerous downed trees on and around Old Landis Avenue was enough reason to believe a tornado was possible in this section of Atlantic County, according to Alex Staarmann, meteorologist for the weather service.

As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, the weather service was still scheduling a time to go and survey the damage for a possible tornado.

When the investigation does take place, the weather service team will look to see whether the damage was fanned out in a circular motion, which indicates a tornado.

On the other hand, if the damage was all lifted in the same direction, this would mean the damage was caused by straight-line winds.

A derecho is a storm system that can bring this type of damage, but Saturday nights events were not the result of a derecho.

Survey teams will also inspect Cream Ridge in Monmouth County as well as Crosswicks in Burlington County for tornadoes there.

If all three are confirmed tornadoes, it would bring the total number of statewide twisters in the Saturday outbreak to seven.

Already, the weather service has confirmed tornadoes in Jackson, Ocean County, Howell and Sea Girt in Monmouth County as well as a tornado that ran from Cinnaminson to Moorestown in Burlington County.

The latter tornado had maximum winds of 100 mph, was 600 yards wide and traveled six miles. It was an Enhanced Fujita (EF) 1 rated storm.

This does not count the water spout that spawned just off Atlantic City, by Absecon Inlet, at 8:09 p.m. Saturday. Numerous eyewitness accounts describe a twister, its shape illuminated white by the citys lights.

Waterspout confirmed in Atlantic City, billboard tumbles in severe storms Saturday ATLANTIC CITY  The National Weather Service in Mount Holly confirmed a waterspout in South 

Ten April tornadoes have been documented in New Jersey since 1950. Four of them were Saturday, and the list has the potential to grow depending on the outcome of the investigation of the three additional sites.

If all three are classified as tornadoes, the seven total would be tied with Nov. 16, 1989, as the largest tornado outbreak in the recorded history of the state.

Regardless, Saturdays events were the most active start to the year in New Jersey in regard to tornadoes since 1950.

GALLERY: Saturday's storm damage in South Jersey
The state government has written a letter to the Pune Municipal Corporation seeking their opinion on splitting the municipal corporation to form a civic body. According to reports, the government has asked the civic bodys opinion on forming a new Municipal Corporation for Hadapsar and Wagholi areas.

Earlier the local political leaders including guardian minister Chandrakant Patil and local MLA from Hadapsar Chetan Tupe Patil had raised a demand to make a new Municipal Corporation for Hadapsar area. Guardian minister of Pune Chandrakant Patil had earlier written a letter to the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde urging to form a new Municipal Corporation for Wagholi and Hadapsar areas.

Patil during a political rally in Hadapsar last year had said that for proper development of these areas a new municipal corporation is the only solution. It may be noted that Pune Municipal Corporation is geographically the largest Municipal Corporation of the country. Besides, a total of 23 new villages were merged into its jurisdiction in 2020. Before that, the government had merged 11 more villages into its jurisdiction.

In a recent announcement, the state government has decided to demerge Fursungi and Uruli Devachi villages from the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation to make a separate municipal council.
Upcoming elections and political patronage are blamed for illegal hoardings and flexes sprouting up at different places in the city.

PMC, police pay no heed to citizens hoarding plaints as illegal banners, flexes keep dotting the citys skyline

By: Eeshwari Jedhe

PHOTOS: NIKHIL GHORPADE

Even after several complaints to the Pune Municipal Corporation and the police, several hoardings continue to deface the city skyline.

Puneites are annoyed by the festival, birthday, and sad demise banners that are put up everywhere by politicians or other influential people or organisations. Despite repeated complaints from residents, illegal hoardings, flex boards, advertisements, and billboards are mushrooming throughout the city, contributing to visual pollution, traffic jams, and encroachment on footpaths.

Last year on November 16, the PMC commissioner had issued a warning that if action is not taken against illegal flexes, banners and posters, a fine would be imposed on civic staff including the ward assistant commissioner and zonal deputy commissioner of the area. However, it appears that the warning has been completely neglected and ignored.

According to Dr Sudhir Mehta, lead and coordinator of Pune Platform for Collaborative Response (PPCR), While the civic administration is taking the necessary measures, I believe that given the rate at which these illegal hoardings, flex, etc. are cropping up due to upcoming elections, and political patronage, it is impossible for the administration to ensure compliance and take action at every instance.

He further said that over 3.14 lakh citizens are engaged with the #NOFLEX Campaign.

So unless we citizens join forces, and voice our collective condemnation against such actions, we will never be able to stop this menace. It is time for Pune to once again show the power of our collaborative approach. We strongly believe in the power of Samvaad, and we hope that our political leadership will also take cognisance of citizens plight and will take necessary actions immediately, Mehta said.

Qaneez Sukhrani, a petitioner in the public interest litigation (PIL) no.249/2014 and petitioner in contempt petition (CP) No.210/2018, said that she had sent several complaints and requested the PMC and the police to take strict action against the hoarding menace but to no avail. Even after repetitive complaints there is feign ignorance and authorities concerned are reluctant to take action against repeated offenders. The administration and the politicians give a deaf ear, she lamented.

Amit Abyankar, founder member of Sahakar Nagar Citizens Forum, said, The forum has sent multiple complaints regarding the unauthorised banners and posters to the PMCs WhatsApp complaint number. The birthday wishes banners are removed only after the celebrations are over. The bamboo sticks capture the quarter of the road and create traffic jams. The Vishrambaug ward office specifically does not take any action despite repeated complaints.

Despite repeated attempts, PMC officials could not be contacted on the issue.
Scott County officials have dropped the case against a Moline man accused of wounding another person with a screwdriver in February.

Calvin A. Lee, 54, used the tool on someone he was fighting with at about 5:30 a.m. on Feb. 20 in the 600 block of East 14th Street, Davenport, authorities initially alleged. During the fight, Lee overpowered the other person, punched him several times, then stabbed him in the face several times with the screwdriver.

As a result of these allegations, Lee faced a single charge of willful injury causing serious injury, according to court records.

District Court Judge Jeffrey Bert dismissed the charge against Lee on Wednesday as the result of a motion from the Scott County Attorneys Office, according to court records. That motion to dismiss stated there was insufficient evidence for the prosecution of Lee to continue.
Establishing Rock Island as a port district could be a game-changer for a city the governors office describes as economically distressed.

When some people think of ports, they imagine docks and shipping containers. But there is more to a port, including available state and federal money. That funding is one reason Rock Island is pursuing a port designation. Without it, cities like Rock Island are leaving money on the table, leaders say.

Illinois State Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, has filed legislation that would create the Rock Island Regional Port District Act, or Senate Bill 1897. The designation provides another way for the city to receive more infrastructure funding, all while encouraging the use of the waterways and other means of transportation to efficiently move goods.

"If you have a port district, you can apply for federal grants and other federal funding to make improvements within that port district," Halpin said.

Rock Islands port designation would encompass the entire city as a port district.

An administrative and governing body would oversee the port district, and the City Council would serve as the governing and administrative body.

According to the bill, those managing the port would oversee conditions within the district, adopt priorities and plans for redevelopment, issue permits for construction and deposit of sediments in, around or near navigable waters, locate and establish dock, shore or harbor lines, and regulate the anchorage, moorage and speed of waterborne vessels.

Having the entire city designated as a port district gives it the leverage needed for applying for more infrastructure grants, especially for areas that are in a state of disrepair.

Corn Belt Ports

Rock Islands port designation would become one of many within the Illinois Waterway Ports and Terminals, the Mid-America Port Commission and the Mississippi River Ports of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois port statistical areas  more commonly referred to as the Corn Belt Ports.

The Corn Belt Ports are above Lock & Dam 26 on the Mississippi River, from Dubuque to Peoria and all the way down to Quincy.

Together, the Corn Belt Ports make up the nation's largest inland port.

The Port Statistical Areas create a way to measure commerce in a given area, and the federal Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center tracks goods that move along the Mississippi River.

Shipping data is collected and maintained, reflecting each areas commercial productivity. Then, federal dollars and other financing are tied to how much commercial productivity is collected at a given terminal, such as a barge terminal.

Executive coordinating director of the tri-state Corn Belt Ports, Robert Sinkler, was a leading force in getting the sprawling network of ports along the Mississippi River a federal port designation in late 2020. Billions of dollars since the designation have been invested across the region for infrastructure updates.

"We've always said you can't invest in a port that doesn't exist," Sinkler said. "There are are a lot of federal and state funding programs out there for ports."

Grant funding is available through development entities and government organizations. At the state and federal level, Sinkler said, there are multiple programs, including set-aside funds by state departments of transportation.

Establishing Rock Island as a port district would open those financial doors to the city, providing them the opportunity to apply for and potentially receive funding for specific projects that are around, in or near port facilities.

Regionally, Savanna and Dubuque have taken advantage and are going after state and federal funds to make port-related infrastructure improvements.

Savanna was awarded $7 million for land acquisition, remediation and utilities in fiscal year 2021 through the Rebuild Illinois port facilities capital investment grant program.

In 2021, Dubuque was awarded $5 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Nationally Significant Freight & Highway Projects program. Funds are being used to improve the Gavilon marine port and rail facility at the Port of Dubuque.

For the first time in history, Sinkler said, the Quad-Cities will have a seat at the ports table. Until now, the area had the only interstate crossing on the Mississippi River without a recognized port on either side of the river.

"The Quad-Cities is the geographic center of the Upper Mississippi River Ports of Illinois and Iowa," Sinkler said. "We clearly are excited that there's another potential port joining the Illinois ports family."

The city does own a public port terminal in the industrial park off Illinois Route 92.

Located at 700 Mill St., the Rock Island Intermodal Marine Terminal helps transport freight from barge to rail to truck, using inland waterways. The city owns the terminal and leases it to Alter Logistics.

A dozen products are handled at the terminal, with fertilizer and salt for roadways being the most-transferred commodities.

Tom Streight, sales and marketing vice-president for Alter, said the company had operated at the Rock Island terminal since the early 1980s and had made a number of improvements, including a renovated seawall for barge access and a 40,000-ton fertilizer warehouse.

A port district designation for Rock Island, Streight said, would allow for more infrastructure improvements at the terminal. On the wish list are terminal upgrades, expansion of rail transportation and roadway improvements.

"Some of these federal grants are only available to governmental agencies like a port authority," he said.

The designation allows for more than just a terminal to receive funding. Infrastructure that is in, around or near port facilities that accommodate related traffic also qualify for funds.

Future investments

While Rock Island has not yet produced a full list of specific projects and related funding pursuits, the City Council has at least one on its list  improvements to the city-owned marina that needs millions in repairs.

Located upstream of the city's port terminal is Sunset Marina, which needs $16 million in repairs to address aging docks, dredging, and other infrastructure needs.

Council members in the past have gone back and forth on the wisdom and necessity of investing in the marina, and many have sought to find outside financial support. A port designation could be the ticket.

"We need to dredge the marina. We've been losing boaters and losing revenue because it is getting too shallow in there," Mayor Mike Thoms said. "We need to bring it back up to Class A standards to attract and bring revenue back into the marina."

A feasibility study done by Edgewater was shared with the council in February, which concluded: Much of the marina, especially the docks, are well past their useful life, nothing is ADA compliant nor are the electrical utilities up to current code, and there are ongoing problems with shallow water.

The study recommended the city maintain ownership but consider a third-party operator. It also recommended a full renovation and modernization of the marina.

But how can a small boat marina receive federal funds from a port designation?

Signed into law by President Joe Biden in late 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invested $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways. Millions of funds were set aside for different aspects of improving port infrastructure, including funds for small ports and marinas.

In other words, a port designation would allow the city to apply for significant funding for Sunset Marina through the Infrastructure bill.

"We need access to funds to maintain these things  to keep and retain the business and people that we have," Thoms said.

If approved, the port designation would become Illinois' 20th port district.

The bill has passed the Senate and is awaiting further consideration in the House before it is sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk.
Thomas ran as a write-in candidate for the 17th Congressional race in the 2022 General Election.

Debbie Murphy will represent the 1st Ward, Abdur Razzaque the 3rd Ward and Jessica Finch the 5th Ward in unopposed races.

Alderpersons will serve four-year terms.

Moline-Coal Valley School Board

With four open seats available, incumbent members Audrey Adamson and Justin Anderson are seeking reelection to the Moline-Coal Valley School Board.

Adamson has served in her seat since 2019, while Anderson was first elected in 2015.

Current board vice president Kate Schaefer and member Maria S. Trigueros are retiring.

Five other first-term candidates are vying for the open seats:

Michelle ("Mickey") Carter.

Ramona Dixon.

Lindsey Hines.

Jason Farrell.

Mariela Trevino

For more information on each candidate, watch the district's March 20 school board candidate forum on the "Moline Television" YouTube channel.

If elected, school board candidates will serve for four years. Terms begin 40 days after the election, per the Illinois code.

Rock Island City Council

All four incumbent alderpersons in Rock Island are running to retain their seats on the City Council. Wards 2, 4, 6 and 7 will be up for grabs.

Randy Hurt, 2nd Ward, is the only alderman running unopposed. He has been on the council since 2019.

Appointed to the council in January 2022 to finish former Alderman Daven Geenen's term, 7th Ward Alderman Bill Healy will face two challengers, including the city's 2022 Citizen of the Year, Quincy Davis. Rock Island High School teacher Yolanda Granberry Pugh is the other challenger.

Healy co-owns Bridges Catering and the Stern Center.

Mark Poulos, 6th Ward, is being challenged by owner of The Artsy Bookworm, Tamara Felden.

Poulos served as a Rock Island police officer for 33 years before retiring in 2010 and served as the police chief for five years in Coal Valley.

He also is the co-founder of Big River Rescue and Recovery Dive Team and teaches scuba at the University of Iowa, public safety diving at multiple agencies in the Midwest and manages Sentry Scuba in Moline.

A longtime higher-education instructor, Felden has taught as Augustana College and has served in administrative roles at Black Hawk College and the University of Chicago. After retiring at University of Chicago, she returned to Augustana as a part-time assistant professor.

She has lived in Rock Island since 1992.

Felden told a reporter she decided to run because she felt there was a lack of communication between residents and city government.

Ward 4 will see a match-up between incumbent Jenni Swanson and James Blue. Swanson was elected in 2019, coming into the role a few months before the start of the pandemic.

She said strong guidance and smart decisions made on behalf of the council allowed the city to persevere, despite the challenges.

"I feel Rock Island is turning the corner, and there's a lot of good things in the works," Swanson said.

Blue did not supply contact information on his candidacy filing nor does he have a campaign website or social media account.

Rock Island-Milan School Board

Rock Island-Milan schools have three board vacancies up for election.

Current board vice president Michael Matherly is running for reelection after joining the board in 2019. Another candidate, Jason Roessler, filed the necessary petitions and paperwork to run on the ballot.

The following individuals are running as write-in candidates:

Joshua Behn.

Nicole Durbin.

Naythan James.

Richard Phillis.

For more information on the 2023 candidates, view their responses to the "Candidate Questionnaire" form on the Rock Island Education Association's website.

Current board president Terell Williams and members Tracy Pugh and Gary Rowe are halfway through four-year terms that end in 2025. The board will appoint an individual to fill the late Dave Rockwell's seat for the remainder of his term after the April 4 election concludes.

East Moline

Wards 1, 2 and 4 in East Moline are all contested. A candidate did not file for Ward 6.

Incumbent for Ward 1 Alderman Ken Porter is being challenged by Olivia Dorothy.

According to her campaign site, Dorothy is an Urbana, Illinois, native. She has a bachelor's degree in natural resources and environmental sciences and a master's in environmental studies. In 2014, she married East Moline native Damon Gray.

She is a founding board member for the Quad Cities Farmers' Market and is a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities where she volunteers on the Environmental Justice and Grounds Committees.

Porter serves on the Board of Commissioners for the Greater Metropolitan Area Housing Authority for Rock Island County. He also is a minister at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

He also served in the United States Army and retired from MetroLINK in 2017.

Jeffrey Deppe is challenging incumbent Gary Almblade for Ward 2.

Deppe served on the Rock Island County board for eight years. He has spent the past 30 years as a union member with the Laborers Local 309 where he says he worked to protect equality and safety in the workplace.

Almblade has been an alderman since 2011.

Ward 4 will have a match-up between Benjamin James Stockwell, Michael Allison and Adam Guthrie.

East Moline School Board

East Moline has three school board vacancies this election, contested by one incumbent and four first-term candidates.

Incumbent Debra Faralli is running for reelection after serving in her seat since 2019.

First-term candidates vying for the open seats are:

Evelyn Gay.

Kimberly Dyer.

Ida DeBlieck.

Toccara Medina.

Dyer, Faralli and Gay have campaigned together as a "unity ticket" leading up to the election. More information on these three can be found on their Facebook page, titled "Elect Dyer, Faralli, Gay to EMSD 37 Board," or by emailing dfg4emsd@gmail.com.

DeBlieck and Medina appear to have campaigned together, dispersing joint campaign flyers funded by Joy PAC. The two have not put forth public contact information or social media accounts for campaigning purposes.

United Township School Board

United Township has three school board seats up for election.

Two incumbents, Vice President Sue Ickes and member Jami Gonzales, are in the race uncontested, alongside first-time candidate Debra Stevenson-Pattrick.

Ickes was first elected in 2007, while Gonzales joined the board in 2019.

Other Area school board races
WBBM-TV reported Sunday that the 36-year-old teacher has been charged with two felony counts of stalking and six misdemeanor counts including disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

According to a complaint filed by the mayor, the teacher showed up at Lightfoot's home four or five times between Wednesday and Thursday. He questioned the size of the Chicago Police Department unit that protects her. He was asked to leave several times but kept coming back.
A 17-year-old girl from Parmelee appeared in Pennington County Court on the adult docket on Monday morning for allegedly driving her vehicle at a Box Elder Police officer on Sunday and leading law enforcement on a chase in a relative's vehicle she was not permitted to use, according to prosecutors.

Kylee Young, who appeared in court in a Western South Dakota Juvenile Services Center uniform, is charged in a criminal complaint with felony aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, felony aggravated eluding, felony failure to stop in the case of an accident, misdemeanor possession of alcohol by a minor and misdemeanor speeding.

Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue referenced law enforcement reports in court on Monday that said Young tried to back into a Box Elder Police officer on Sunday after he pulled her over for going 47 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer was able to jump out of the way, but Young allegedly still hit two vehicles, including a police vehicle.

According to the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office, Young led officers on a chase that got up to 75 mph and ended when the vehicle hit a snow bank.

Because of the severity of the alleged felonies, Young appeared in adult court before Bogue. In South Dakota, juveniles over 16 years old charged with one of the five most extreme felonies, classes A, B, C, 1 and 2, are tried in adult court and are subject to adult penalties.

Aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated eluding are both class 2 felonies. If convicted, Young would face up to 25 years in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. Failing to stop at an accident, a class 6 felony, carries a maximum of two years in prison and up to a $4,000 fine. The misdemeanors have a maximum penalty of 30 days in the county jail and up to a $4,000 fine.

Bogue asked Young if she understood her rights.

"I feel like I have an understanding of them," she said.

Young could request a transfer hearing to have her case moved to juvenile court, which adds a layer of privacy to cases as well as different sentences.

The burden lies with the defendant to prove the court should move a case to juvenile court, according to state statute. During a transfer hearing process, the court holds an assumption it's in the public's best interest for the case to remain in adult court.

Young is entitled to a preliminary hearing before a judge where the state must prove there is adequate evidence to formally arraign her on the charges.

Bogue set Young's bond at $250 cash only, and the clerk's office scheduled a preliminary hearing for 1:45 p.m. on April 18. Preliminary hearings are cancelled in the event a grand jury hears the evidence and issues an indictment.
A Spearfish man was sentenced to five years in prison Monday for trying to receive child pornography in August 2021 after he was caught in a law enforcement sting.

About two dozen people sat in the federal courthouse in Rapid City to support 54-year-old Anthony Kemp at his sentencing hearing.

"This is alcohol at its worst," Kemp's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor told the court, also noting the change he's seen in Kemp during the more than 500 meetings he's attended with the group.

Kemp acknowledged the role of alcohol and addiction in his life, but said, "I am not using it as an excuse."

"I accept full responsibility. I committed this crime," Kemp told U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey Viken through tears before the judge sentenced him to five years in prison with five years of supervised release, the mandatory minimum.

Kemp will also have to pay a standard $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund ordered in every federal felony case and $4,000 assessment per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Viken waived any interest Kemp might accrue while in prison.

Kemp told the court he's not the same person he was when he was arrested thanks to his newfound faith in God, and he hopes to help others in prison.

Kemp is one of nine men arrested during a sting operation in 2021 during the Sturgis motorcycle rally. The sting is an annual routine collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement. Agents pose as children and communicate with potential predators.

The factual basis statement Kemp signed when he pleaded guilty said he messaged with Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Lawrence Propes, who posed as a 15-year-old girl.

The conversation began at about 9 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2021 on an online messaging app. The conversation moved to text and Propes told Kemp "she" was only 15 years old.

"After that, Kemp engaged in a sexually driven conversation with the undercover minor," the document stated.

The conversation included Kemp asking if the persona had gone through puberty.

He continued to message the agent the next day and agreed to meet in Rapid City, where he was instead met by law enforcement and arrested.

A federal grand jury indicted Kemp with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted enticement of a minor using the internet, and attempted receipt of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography in December 2022, and the government agreed to drop the other two charges.

Viken said the stings are designed to catch people before a real child is affected, "because there's so much damage done to real kids."

Despite the crime, Viken said he has "no doubt" Kemp won't commit the crime again.

"It's very positive to see the support you have," Viken said, referencing the people in the courtroom as well as 11 letters from people who know Kemp.

"You are dearly loved and supported by family and community," Viken said.

Kemp is held at the Pennington County Jail awaiting transportation to a Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence.
Its been over nine months since historic flooding devastated Red Lodge, but the town continues to heal as the spring season begins.

Resulting from a unique combination of seasonal factors, floodwaters ripped through the small tourist community, leaving behind washed-out roads and bridges, homes swept away, and tons of debris.

With the event approaching its one-year mark, reconstruction of the retaining wall against Rock Creek continues, hollowed-out homes still stand vacant and various Caterpillar machinery can be seen in neighborhoods along the creek.

When Red Lodge resident Amanda Cox returned home just east of Rock Creek on Sunday night June 12, she found her sun deck gone and the water level rising. At 2:15 (a.m.) we were getting a pound on our door telling us we have limited time to pack our stuff and get out because it was flooding pretty bad at that point, she said.

For the next three nights, she slept in her car with her husband and two dogs in the Red Lodge Airport parking lot before they could return home.

Her deck and a portion of her back yard were lost. But, it was worse for neighbors, some whose basements filled with mud and others who lost their homes entirely.

The terrible flood came a year after a devastating fire blackened nearby mountainsides and nearly roared right into town. And there have been floods and fires before that.

Now theres talk about another fire, another flood, another fire and a flood, Cox said. So, were a little worried, but well see what happens,

A toolbox for disasters

The June flash flooding has been described as a 500-year flood, caused by warm weather and heavy rains washing the late-season snowpack out of the mountains all at once.

This particular group of conditions has also been called an atmospheric river  heavily concentrated moisture in the lower levels of atmosphere  which are most common along the Pacific Coast. California has suffered 13 atmospheric rivers this winter, which have produced record rain and snow in parts of the state and caused billions in damage. But, those moist airstreams usually blow themselves out before they get to Montana.

So its rare for that much moisture to make it into our area and a flood of that nature is very rare, said NWS Billings meteorologist Julie Arthur.

Many of the washed-out structures in Red Lodge remain almost a year later, although the same cant be said of residents. With a population of 2,257 reported by the 2020 census, its been estimated that about 100 people permanently left Red Lodge due to a combination of property damages, a lack of sufficient relief and lingering trauma.

In total, about 100 homes in Red Lodge were affected, along with dozens of businesses and buildings, several washed out public and private bridges, tangled power and water lines, and partially destroyed roads.

Following an emergency declaration, some frustrated residents claimed state and federal aid was going more quickly to economic interests like reopening the Beartooth Pass and Yellowstone National Park than to local housing.

Following the flood, the total number of National Flood Insurance Plans with FEMA in Red Lodge was 18. Elsewhere, Cox said residents who had applied for flood relief were told by FEMA reps they were eligible for $6,000 to replace $100,000 due to their location on the local floodplain.

That might amount to a couple of things here and there but compared to the emotional damage thats been done, that replaces nothing, she said.

Cox added that the most significant aid to date has come from local volunteers and organizations. She recalled seeing pallets of water donated by Amazon Prime along with food donations brought in from Billings the very next day.

According to the Red Lodge Area Community Foundations annual report, more than $1.3 million had been donated to the Carbon County Disaster Relief Fund. It was distributed through four phases of grants to households, property owners, agricultural producers and disaster recovery navigators throughout Carbon County, according to executive director Tracy Timmons. The number of volunteers has decreased since the floods, but are now more specialized for home remediation work rather than removing muck.

More relief money available

Timmons noted there are still hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding yet to be distributed. Since renters are one demographic that have yet to benefit, she said they were looking there for its next phase of grants.

If theres anything to take away from all this, its all the sectors, all sides of the county coming together that really reinforce the human spirit, she said.

Coming off a significant wildfire season from the prior year, which was preceded by a year of COVID-19 challenges, Red Lodge was looking forward to a normal year of tourists and summer events. Despite the devastation that followed, Red Lodge mayor Kirsten Cogswell said that none of their annual events were canceled but rather new ones like the Red Lodge Summer Fest have begun as a result of various fundraising events last year.

That was started specifically to help the merchants recover from some of the losses from a lack of tourism, and I think its going to be a quite lovely annual event now, she said.

Most residents have remained pragmatic and are now better equipped for the unexpected. Since the floods, an improved system of communication has developed with local city and county officials and disaster coordinators holding weekly meetings along with regular public updates on any developments.

Timmons explained that during the beginning of the flooding, volunteers would agree to certain mitigation, communication and other roles using their personal resources and contact information which exposed their accessibility to hundreds  if not thousands  of people. Learning from this, they have since implemented centralized software for volunteer management.

Now we have a toolbox for disasters, she said.

In addition to a more prepared and organized response, there could also be more accurate forecasts ahead of similar events going forward. Arthur explained that part of the reason the flood came as such a surprise is because there was no data on record comparable to those specific conditions.

If its not in our climatological records, then our signals are not going to really pick up on that, so it makes it more difficult to forecast, she said. Although now that weve had one and if there were to be another one, we might have more data in our models that would lead us down the right path with that.

Working diligently

As far as public infrastructure is concerned, most flood remediation to date has focused primarily on road and bridge repairs though this focus may soon shift.

In conjunction with the Montana Department of Transportation, contractors Wadsworth Brothers and Wilson & Company began repairs in January on the retaining wall along Broadway Avenue where some of the most severe damage took place. Total repair costs have been estimated to be between $20-24 million with the intention of getting completed before the spring runoff begins.

In a February press release, FEMA announced that $1.5 million in public assistance funding had been approved for Red Lodge to date with future funding likely to be approved because of ongoing repairs that are needed and accrued volunteer hours recorded and submitted. Total hours recorded by the Red Lodge Area Foundation one month following the flood  which were subsequently submitted to FEMA  amounted to over 9,300.

Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture announced new funding for low-income residents in Carbon, Flathead, Park, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Treasure, and Yellowstone counties through the Rural Disaster Home Repair Program where qualifying residents can receive as much as $40,675 to assist with flood recovery costs.

Still cleaning up

Arguably the next biggest issue that has gone largely unaddressed is the vegetative debris resulting from the flooding. Red Lodge residents have reported uprooted trees caught and unattended south of the Rock Creek Resort north of town.

In February, Montana Disaster and Emergency Services announced 34 debris removal sites in Yellowstone, Park, Carbon and Stillwater counties had been selected and would soon begin through a collaboration between them, FEMA, selected contractors, and various state and county agencies.

In an online update, DES Recovery Program Manager Allison Taylor said they hope to begin removal in early April and finish by May with a hard deadline of June 16. Rock and sediment removal is a separate process and river data from before and after the flood must be collected before funding can be granted.

Due to the scope of this project, it does take a lot of work and it takes a lot of time, but were working diligently and were going as fast as we can, Taylor said in the update.

As far as Rock Creeks retaining wall is concerned, there may not be a hard deadline in place but its work carries on as if there is one. Repairs are expected to be completed in April or May, despite weather challenges like a recent storm leaving over three feet of snow in town.

Cox and other locals have noticed crews out working on repairs at least six days a week in recent months regardless of the conditions. Shes even seen them plowing snow out of their worksite when necessary.

I said to them one day, you guys are really hauling ass, she recalled. And they said back to me, yeah, its because we want to get this done by May.

Photos: A look back six months after the historic June 2022 flood Mike Kinsey house Flooding aerial Clark Fork of the Yellowstone flooding Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Flooding aerial Flooding aerial scenes on Thursday Glacier Lake Road Park City resident left with no answers 4 months after losing home in historic flood Fromberg still grappling with the effects of historic June flood Flooded Fromberg residents search for answers after historic flood Flooding damages homes in Fromberg, devastates residents as the Clarks Fork River sees historic flooding Flooding damages homes in Fromberg, devastates residents as the Clarks Fork River sees historic flooding Park City resident devastated as flooding destroys long-time resident's home Park City resident devastated as flooding destroys long-time resident's home Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge

Photos: Red Lodge surveys flood damage

Photos: Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge and surrounding region Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge Historic flooding devastates Red Lodge

Photos: Extreme flooding devastates Red Lodge and the surrounding region Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge Severe flooding devastates Red Lodge
Hong Kong: FSD academy open day on Apr 15

In response to and support of National Security Education Day, the Fire Services Department will organise an open day at the Fire & Ambulance Services Academy in Tseung Kwan O on April 15. Citizens can apply for admission tickets from today until April 5.

Activities will include the introduction of the department's efforts in safeguarding national security, a fire appliances parade, firefighting and rescue demonstrations as well as displays of training facilities, equipment and special vehicles.

It will also feature an exhibition on fire safety education, game booths, a recruitment experience area, as well as a demonstration of Fire Services working dogs.

The Fire & Ambulance Services Education Centre & Museum will also be open to the public on the day.

The open day will be held from 8.45am to 4pm. People can apply for a maximum of four admission tickets until April 5 using the latest version of the Fire Services Department mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, Google Play and Huawei AppGallery for free.

Tickets will be allocated by computer ballot and successful applicants will receive a notification through the mobile app on or before April 10. Children aged three or below do not require a ticket.

Call 2411 8825 for enquiries.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
So-called U.S. democracy hinders building stable political system in Libya

Xinhua) 10:24, April 03, 2023

TRIPOLI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- As the United States held the second "Summit for Democracy" this week, Libyans have expressed their doubts about the U.S. rhetoric of democracy.

Experts and citizens in Lybia have said that when they revolted against late leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011, they were hoping for stability and democratic transition, as promised by the United States. However, the North African country has since slipped into a state of insecurity and chaos.

NO BETTER LIFE

"Things have not changed for the better. Unfortunately, Libya has become a mess. Security is fragile, the economy is weak, and foreign interference continues," Mohamed Dakhil, a father of four, told Xinhua.

"Twelve years ago, I used to receive a monthly salary of 900 dinars (about 700 U.S. dollars), enough for a whole month and more. Today, I earn more than 2,000 dinars (about 400 dollars), but I cannot survive a whole month with this amount. The price of goods has reached the point of insanity," said the 49-year-old Libyan.

Naima Baraka, Mohamed's wife, bakes and sells traditional bread to help her husband pay the house rent and family needs. "I lost my three brothers in the war in 2011. All our conditions changed from bad to worse," she said.

Since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has struggled to make a political transition amid escalating violence and political division.

The United States claimed that it helped Libya get rid of Gaddafi so that Libyans could enjoy democracy and freely choose their government, but in reality, it caused chaos and insecurity and left Libyans facing a dark fate of non-statehood, Ismail Ben Gharsa, a 60-year-old Libyan who has five children, told Xinhua.

"We only want America and its Western allies to leave us alone, and not to interfere in our affairs, because we are able to choose the political system that is in line with our social and political traditions," he said.

FAILING U.S. DEMOCRACY

Noting that "the United States is always trying to show that it is a pioneer in democracy, human rights and public freedoms," Libyan political analyst Faraj al-Dali said it is not the reality because the United States "suffers from clear distortions in its system itself."

Meanwhile, "Washington should know very well that every country has a different identity and system that do not necessarily agree with it (Washington)," said al-Dali, adding that to respect democracy, one should not impose it by force.

Al-Dali's remarks were echoed by Jalal al-Fitouri, a law professor, who said, "America is trying to delude the world that it has a unique and strong regime." And it should not impose American democracy "by force, war, provoking strife and overthrowing regimes, as happened in Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries."

"The United States claims to be democratic while, in reality, spreads war and destruction in Libya and other Arab countries and steals their wealth under the pretext of combating terrorism," said 32-year-old Omar al-Sharef.

"The truth is that America is contradictory in its policies. How can the United States host a summit on democracy when it is originally a colonial country that lives on plundering the wealth of other peoples?" al-Sharef said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 3)  Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. appears to be the main mastermind and executive producer behind the assassination of Roel Degamo, while the director is already under arrest, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.

When asked in an interview if Teves was the main mastermind, Remulla said He is, he appears to be.

He also identified the key suspect earlier arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation as former army reservist Marvin Miranda and likewise tagged him as a mastermind in the slay.

READ:

Key suspect in Degamo killing falls, case now '99% solved'  Remulla

Degamo's widow says nabbed mastermind had plans to kill gov since 2020

Reporters asked if Teves and Miranda were connected. Remulla responded, I think there is a connection, a very strong connection.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos revealed in a Monday press conference that Miranda was a long-time bodyguard of Teves.

Furthermore, Abalos said that Miranda had a criminal record -- he was arrested on June 29, 2020 for illegal possession of firearms. He pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was sentenced to one to two years imprisonment.

Remulla likened Teves and Mirandas involvement in the assassination to movie production roles.

Kumbaga sa sine, siya [Miranda] yung direktor at casting director. Hindi lang ito sine kasi totoo nangyari ito eh. While Congressman Teves is the executive producer of the ano [assassination], Remulla said.

[Translation: Like in movies, Miranda is the director and casting director. But this isnt just a movie because this really happened. While Teves is the executive producer of the killing.]

Teves funded the planning and the firearms used during the Degamo killing while Miranda recruited the gunmen, Remulla alleged.

According to Abalos, the 11 gunmen under NBI custody also confessed that Miranda was given instructions by someone known to them as boss idol, big boss, and kalbo [bald].

Upon clarification from reporters, Remulla claimed that the individual instructing Miranda was Teves.

Last March 4, gunmen entered Degamos home compound and gunned down the governor and eight of his constituents, while 15 others were also shot, but survived.
After a mild and sunny weekend, another round of winter weather is on the way, this time bringing significant snowfall and high winds, and prompting the National Weather Service to issue blizzard warnings across western South Dakota.

Snowfall amounts of one to two feet are likely, with areas in the Northern Hills looking at 24 to 36 inches. For Rapid City, a foot to 18 inches is possible. Locally, heavier amounts should be expected across the area.

According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest snowfall should occur late Monday night into Tuesday morning. Accumulation and blowing snow should taper off Wednesday.

Most of western South Dakota will see winds from 50 to 60 miles per hour, causing blizzard conditions and making travel not only difficult, but dangerous and likely impossible at times.

South Dakota State Fire Meteorologist Dr. Darren Clabo said in a Twitter post that he wouldn't compare this incoming storm to Winter Storm Atlas (October 2013), calling this storm "huge, but different."

"This will be one of the worst snow storms central/western SD has will have seen in [a] decade," Clabo wrote. "Blizzard conditions, impossible travel and all of it during calving season. Prepare for a long duration shutdown."

In response to the incoming severe threat, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, Rapid City Police Department, Rapid City Fire Department and South Dakota Highway Patrol held a briefing Monday morning to warn locals and encourage forward-thinking preparation.

Pennington County Sheriff's Office Patrol Capt. Chris Hislip said storms of this magnitude require a ton of planning and interdepartmental cooperation.

"Plan ahead," said Chris Holbrook, patrol lieutenant, Rapid City Police Department. "Get to the store early today, if possible. Take care of all the necessities to prepare for the next couple of days, and know that if the roads become impassible in Rapid City for you, they are likely impassible for us as well, so bear that in mind before making the decision to venture out."

South Dakota Highway Patrol Field Operations Lieutenant Zac Bader addressed potential interstate closures, advising that secondary routes should be considered unsafe at the same time.

"If people don't adhere to the no travel advisories, it takes priority away from DOT to do their actual job," he said. "Now they have to assist us in rescue operations, which takes away from the other duties that they have."

Interstate 90 (both directions) is scheduled to close from the Wyoming state line to Wall (Exit 110) beginning at 8 p.m. Monday.

Conditions are forecasted to continually deteriorate overnight, with travel becoming extremely difficult to impossible. As the storm continues to move across the state, Interstate closures are expected to be extended, with multi-day closures anticipated.

Due to the expected length of this winter weather event, all motorists are advised to plan accordingly due to limited accommodations and truck parking in the communities of Wall, Kadoka, Murdo, Vivian and Chamberlain.

Interstate 90 within the Rapid City metro area (exit 55 to exit 67) will be open for local travel.

Anyone stranded out in the storm or needing assistance should expect delayed response times due to the weather.

"That response will definitely be delayed," Hislip said. "With blizzard-like conditions, no matter what vehicles you have, if you're out and you can't see where you're driving, that's a problem for anybody. Just heed the warnings and stay at home."

The winter weather forecast is forcing Rapid City offices to close on Tuesday.

City Hall, Rapid City Landfill, Rapid Transit Systems RapidRide and Dial-A-Ride operations, Rapid City Public Library, Roosevelt Swim Center, Roosevelt Park Ice Arena and The Monument will be closed.

There will be no city trash collections on Tuesday. The city plans to reopen on Wednesday and resume route collections where crews left off at the end of Monday. All recycling routes will be suspended until next week.

Box Elder City Hall will also be closed Tuesday, April 4, due to the anticipated severe weather. The City Council meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 6.

If travel conditions become unsafe for Box Elder road crews, winter maintenance activities may be suspended for a time and will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. City snow plowing is prioritized for Snow Emergency Routes as a primary focus.

Residents are encouraged to limit street parking where practical or required by law. The City may utilize short-term staging areas to temporarily pile snow in some areas, such as cul-de-sacs, for later removal.

Make sure you have a way to receive updates on the forecast, watches and warnings. The National Weather Service in Rapid City provides regular updates on its website (weather.gov/unr), Facebook page (NWS Rapid City) and Twitter (@NWSRapidCity). The NOAA Weather Radio livestream is available online at weatherusa.net/radio. Road conditions are available by calling 5-1-1 or visiting sd511.org.
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:

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Posts misrepresent rioter's actions in Jan. 6 Capitol attack

CLAIM: Footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol shows that Jacob Chansley, who participated in the riot sporting face paint, no shirt and a fur hat with horns, was "led through the Capitol by police the entire time he was in the building."

THE FACTS: Court documents and video footage from the attack on the Capitol make clear that Chansley, who is widely known as the "QAnon Shaman" and is one of the most recognizable Jan. 6 rioters, entered the Capitol without permission, was repeatedly asked to leave the building and was not accompanied at all times.

After Fox News host Tucker Carlson broadcast previously unseen Jan. 6 security footage on his Monday night primetime show, social media users began sharing segments from his program that misrepresented Chansley's involvement in the riot. "BREAKING: Never before seen video of January 6 shows Jacob Chansley, the QAnon Shaman, being led through the Capitol by police the entire time that he was in the building," reads a tweet that includes a clip from Carlson's show.

But the footage leaves out important context about Chansley's time in the Capitol that day.

A statement prepared by the Department of Justice, which was signed by Chansley and his attorney, provides a timeline of the rioter's movement in the Capitol. For example, the statement explains that Chansley entered the Capitol through a broken door as part of a crowd that "was not lawfully authorized to enter or remain in the building" and that he was one of the first 30 rioters inside. It goes on to note that although officers asked Chansley and others multiple times to leave the Capitol, he did not comply and actively riled up his fellow rioters. The statement describes Chansley's interactions with officers, but also points out that he "entered the Gallery of the Senate alone."

Chansley pleaded guilty in September 2021 to a felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. He was sentenced in November 2021 to 41 months in prison.

Asked about claims that protesters were led through the building, a Capitol Police spokesperson pointed The Associated Press to an HBO documentary about the riot, "Four Hours at the Capitol," in which an officer describes his encounter with Chansley, including how he asked the rioter and others to leave the Senate wing. Footage from the interaction appears in the documentary. "Any chance I can get you guys to leave the Senate wing?" the officer says as Chansley sits in the presiding officer's chair on the Senate Dais. A video of Chansley walking into the Capitol through the broken door is publicly available on the website of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger lambasted Carlson's segment on the Jan. 6 footage in an internal memo Tuesday. "Last night an opinion program aired commentary that was filled with offensive and misleading conclusions about the January 6 attack," Manger wrote. "One false allegation is that our officers helped the rioters and acted as 'tour guides.' This is outrageous and false."

 Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

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No, the military hasn't recorded a 500% increase in HIV cases

CLAIM: The U.S. military has recorded a 500% increase in new HIV infections since COVID-19 vaccines were introduced.

THE FACTS: The U.S. military has not recorded any such increase, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Defense. Conservative commentators are baselessly claiming that rates of HIV in the military have skyrocketed since COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out to sow suspicion about the shot.

"The Armed Forces of the United States recorded a five hundred percent (500%) increase in AIDS after administering the COVID-19 Vaccine to US Troops. The COVID-19 Vaccine is implicated," wrote Hal Turner, a right-wing radio host, on his website last week. Turner gave no evidence for his claims. He did not respond to a request for comment.

But figures from the Defense Department and the Congressional Research Service show that the 500% figure is massively exaggerated. Further, medical experts have repeatedly emphasized that COVID-19 vaccination has not been linked to developing HIV, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which is caused by HIV. Nor does a condition called "VAIDS"  vaccine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome  exist.

A total of 1,581 service members, including those in the National Guard and Reserves have been diagnosed with HIV infections since 2017, said Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Three-hundred and seventeen service members were diagnosed with HIV in 2017; 280 in 2018; 314 in 2019; 237 in 2020; 309 in 2021; and 124 in 2022. These rates are consistent with figures that were cited in a 2019 Congressional Research Service report. That report cited estimates from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center showing that approximately 350 service members are diagnosed with HIV annually.

COVID-19 vaccinations first became available to the public in December 2020. In 2021, 72 more cases of HIV were diagnosed compared to 2020, constituting a 30% increase  but nowhere near the 500% claimed. And in 2022, when the vaccine rollout was well underway, 185 fewer new HIV cases were diagnosed, marking a 60% drop from 2021.

Though Turner did not give the source of his data, it matches claims spread about other illnesses purportedly linked to COVID-19 vaccination among military members that have been shared in the past. In those cases, the numbers stemmed from what the bloggers and social media users said was "leaked" data from Defense Medical Epidemiology Database, or DMED, an internal database that documents medical experiences of service members throughout their careers. It is only accessible by military medical providers, epidemiologists, medical researchers and clinical support staff. However, Schwegman told the AP that the claims citing this database were flawed due to an error in the data for the years 2016 to 2020. The Defense Health Agency's Armed Forces Surveillance Division reviewed the data in the system, comparing it to the source data, and found that the total number of medical diagnoses from 2016 to 2020 that were accessible in DMED "represented only a small fraction of actual medical diagnoses for those years," said Schwegman. In contrast, the total number of medical diagnoses for the year 2021 were accurate, which temporarily made it appear that there was a disproportionate increase in medical conditions between the 2016 to 2020 figures and those reported in 2021. She said that the Armed Forces Surveillance Division has since corrected the data corruption.

 Associated Press writer Sophia Tulp in New York contributed this report.

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Hospital COVID payments tied to patient treatment, not deaths

CLAIM: U.S. hospitals are earning a $48,000 government subsidy for every patient that dies from COVID-19 in their care.

THE FACTS: Hospital industry officials and public health experts confirm the federal government provides hospitals with enhanced payments for treating COVID-19 patients, but the payments are only currently applicable to those on Medicare and aren't contingent on a patient's death.

Social media users are claiming American hospitals have a financial incentive to let people with coronavirus die under their watch. But hospitals have never been compensated by the federal government based on a patient dying of COVID-19 in one of their facilities, say industry officials and public health experts. During the pandemic, hospitals have received additional money for treating COVID-19 patients as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES, the 2020 law meant to address the economic fallout of the pandemic. But those increased payments don't apply to every COVID-19 patient treated in a hospital, just the ones under Medicare, which is the federal healthcare program serving people 65 and over.

Colin Milligan, a spokesperson for the American Hospital Association, confirmed that hospitals are currently eligible to receive a 20% increase in Medicare payments for caring for COVID-19 patients. "These patients are often very costly and time and labor-intensive for hospitals to treat," he explained in an email Wednesday. And despite what the social media posts claim, the enhanced COVID-19 payments aren't based on whether the patient lives or dies, experts said. In general, Medicare payments are based on the severity of the patient's condition and the types of treatments provided, said Juliette Cubanski, deputy director of Medicare policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. The average cost of a COVID-19 hospitalization for a Medicare patient is about $24,000, she said, citing claims data from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But the reimbursement for more severely ill patients  such as those placed on a ventilator for multiple days  is roughly $40,000, according to KFF's analysis. Social media posts citing a $48,000 subsidy for COVID-19 deaths appear to be taking that $40,000 average cost for treating the sickest COVID-19 patients and factoring in the special 20% reimbursement rate increase.

But Cubanski argued that's not a fair assessment of the potential payout to hospitals. "My understanding of the estimates from CMS is that they already include the 20% payment increase in the stated amount," she wrote in an email. "So the payment for an extreme case would be $40k including the 20% increase, not $40k plus 20%." Spokespersons for CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the agency, didn't respond to emails seeking comment this week. But President Joe Biden has announced the federal government's declaration of a public health emergency for COVID-19 will end on May 11. That means the enhanced Medicare payments  along with other measures the federal government enacted to weather the pandemic  will soon be a thing of the past.

 Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

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Florida blogger bill falsely tied to DeSantis

CLAIM: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants bloggers to register with the state or face fines.

THE FACTS: A bill filed in the Florida Senate  that DeSantis says he does not support  would require bloggers to register with the state and submit periodic reports if they are paid for posts about elected officials.

Social media users have erroneously claimed in recent days that DeSantis is in favor of the bill, which was filed last week and introduced to the Senate on Tuesday. But it was Republican Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur who filed the bill and DeSantis has not publicly supported the legislation since it was filed. DeSantis clarified his position on Tuesday at a press conference following his State of the State address.

"I see these people filing bills and then there's articles with my face on the article saying that oh, they're going to have to  bloggers are going to have to register for the state," he said. "And then it's like, attributing it to me. And I'm like, ok, that's not anything that I've ever supported, I don't support."

Brodeur's bill would require bloggers to register with the state of Florida if they are paid for posts about its governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet members or legislative officials. They would also have to file periodic reports with the state disclosing information such as who paid them and how much. Failure to file a report would result in fines of $25 a day, up to $2,500. The legislation states that it would not apply to content "on the website of a newspaper or other similar publication." Bryan Griffin, the governor's press secretary, confirmed to the AP in an email that DeSantis "does not support the bill." However, Griffin also explained that "the governor will ALWAYS consider every bill on its merits in final form if and when a bill passes the legislature and reaches his desk" before making a decision. The AP previously reported that DeSantis' office was not aware of the blogger registration legislation until it was filed. First amendment groups have argued that the proposal violates press freedoms.

 Melissa Goldin

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DES MOINES, Iowa  Teri Patrick bristles at the idea she wants to ban books about LGBTQ issues in Iowa schools, arguing her only goal is ridding schools of sexually explicit material.

Sara Hayden Parris says that whatever you want to call it, it's wrong for some parents to think a book shouldn't be readily available to any child if it isn't right for their own child.

The viewpoints of the two mothers from suburban Des Moines underscore a divide over LGBTQ content in books as Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds pushes an especially sweeping crackdown on content in Iowa school libraries. The bill she's backing could result in the removal of books from school libraries in all of the state's 327 districts if they're successfully challenged in any one of them.

School boards and legislatures nationwide also are facing questions about books and considering making it easier to limit access.

"We're seeing these challenges arise in almost every state of the union," said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. "It's a national phenomenon."

Longstanding disagreements about content in school libraries often focus this year on books with LGBTQ themes as policymakers nationwide also consider limiting or banning gender-affirming care and drag shows, allowing the deadnaming of transgender students or adults in the workplace, and other measures targeting LGBTQ people.

Keep scrolling for a list of 25 LGBTQ books that changed the literary landscape

The trend troubles Kris Maul, a transgender man who is raising a 12-year-old with his lesbian partner in the Des Moines area and wants school library books to reflect all kinds of families and children. Maul argued that those seeking to remove books take passages out of context and unfairly focus on books about LGBTQ or racial justice issues.

LGBTQ people are more visible than even five years ago, Maul said, and he believes that has led to a backlash from some who hope limiting discussion will return American society to an era that didn't acknowledge people with different sexualities.

"People are scared because they don't think LGBTQ people should exist," Maul said. "They don't want their own children to be LGBTQ, and they feel if they can limit access to these books and materials, then their children won't be that way, which is simply not true and is heartbreaking and disgusting."

In Louisiana, activists fear a push by Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry to investigate sexually explicit materials in public libraries  and recently proposed legislation that could restrict children and teens' access to those books  is being used to target and censor LGBTQ content.

Landry, who is running for governor, launched a statewide tip line in November to field complaints about librarians, teachers, and school and library personnel. Landry released a report in February that listed nine books his office considers "sexually explicit" or inappropriate for children. Seven have LGBTQ storylines.

In Florida, some schools have covered or removed books under a new law that requires an evaluation of reading materials and for districts to publish a searchable list of books where individuals can then challenge specific titles.

The reviews have drawn widespread attention, with images of empty bookshelves ricocheting across social media, and are often accompanied by criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican expected to run for president.

The state's training materials direct the reviews to target sexually explicit materials but also say that schools should "err on the side of caution" when selecting reading materials and that principals are responsible for compliance.

DeSantis said the state has not instructed schools to empty libraries or cover books. He said 175 books have been removed from 23 school districts, with 87% of the books identified as pornographic, violent or inappropriate for their grade level.

The Iowa legislation comes amid efforts there to keep a closer eye on public school curriculums and make taxpayer money available to parents for private school tuition. Reynolds, the governor, has made such proposals the core of her legislative agenda, telling a conservative parents group that their work was essential to guarding against "indoctrination" by public school educators.

Under a bill backed by Reynolds, the titles and authors of all books available to students in classrooms and libraries would be posted online, and officials would need to specify how parents could request a book's removal and how decisions to retain books could be appealed. When any district removes a book, the state Education Department would add it to a "removal list," and all of Iowa's 326 other districts would have to deny access to the book unless parents gave approval.

At a hearing on Reynolds' bill, Republican lawmakers, who hold huge majorities in both legislative chambers, said they might change the proposal but were committed to seeing it approved. The bill has passed a Senate committee and is awaiting a floor vote.

"The parents are the governing authority in how their child is educated, period," said Sen. Amy Sinclair. "Parents are responsible for their child's upbringing, period."

Patrick, a mother of two, expressed befuddlement about why anyone would want to make sexually explicit books available to children.

"I have to believe that there are books that cater to the LGBTQ community that don't have to have such graphic sexual content in them," said Patrick, a member of a local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a conservative group that has gained national influence for its efforts to influence school curriculum and classroom learning. "There are very few books that have ever been banned and what we're saying is, in a public school setting, with taxpayer-funding money, should these books really be available to kids?"

Hayden Parris, a mom of two from a suburb only a few miles away, understands the argument but thinks it misses the point.

"A kindergartner is not wandering into the young adults section and picking out a book that is called like, "This Book is Gay," said Hayden Parris, who is leading a parents group opposed to Iowa's proposed law. "They're not picking those books, and the fact that they can pick one out of several thousand books is not a reason to keep it away from everyone."

Sam Helmick, president of the Iowa Library Association, said communities should decide what's in their libraries and that it's important for children to have access to books that address their lives and questions. Helmick didn't have that ability as a child, and students shouldn't return to that time, she said.

"Can we acknowledge that this will have a chilling effect?" Helmick asked. "And when you tell me that books about myself as an asexual, nonbinary person who didn't have those books in libraries when I was a kid to pick up and flip through, but now publishing has caught up with me and I can see representation of me  those will be behind the desk and that's not supposed to make me feel less welcome, less seen and less represented in my library?"

25 LGBTQ+ books that changed the literary landscape 25 LGBTQ+ books that changed the literary landscape 1890: 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde 1928: 'Orlando' by Virginia Woolf 1928: 'The Well of Loneliness' by Radclyffe Hall 1936: 'Nightwood' by Djuna Barnes 1948: 'The City and the Pillar' by Gore Vidal 1952: 'The Price of Salt' by Patricia Highsmith 1956: 'Giovanni's Room' by James Baldwin 1962: 'A Single Man' by Christopher Isherwood 1971: 'Maurice' by E.M. Forster 1978: 'Tales of the City' by Armistead Maupin 1982: 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker 1982: 'Zami: A New Spelling of My Name' by Audre Lorde 1985: 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' by Jeanette Winterson 1991: 'The Gilda Stories' by Jewelle Gomez 1993: 'Stone Butch Blues' by Leslie Feinberg 2001: 'Edinburgh' by Alexander Chee 2002: 'Middlesex' by Jeffrey Eugenides 2006: 'Fun Home' by Alison Bechdel 2007: 'Call Me by Your Name' by Andre Aciman 2015: 'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara 2017: 'Less' by Andrew Sean Greer 2017: 'Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl' by Andrea Lawlor 2017: 'Freshwater' by Akwaeke Emezi 2019: 'We Both Laughed in Pleasure: The Selected Diaries of Lou Sullivan' edited by Ellis Martin and Zach Ozma 2021: 'Detransition, Baby' by Torrey Peters
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.

Both Silicon Valley and Signature banks had a strikingly high share of deposits above that amount: 94% of Silicon Valley's 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 won't pay anything ignores the fact that providing insurance to somebody who didn't pay for insurance is a gift," said Anil Kashyap, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. "And that's 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. "It's probably good for the short term in the sense that you don't 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.

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8 charts tracking the US economy




M A Hossain





Nepal is a small, landlocked country by two giant powers, China and India in South Asia. It is renowned for its diverse culture, Himalayan mountains and historical landmarks. However, the country has been scuffling with political instability since its multi-party democracy installed. Nepal has come across a political history of coups, unrest, and changes in government. In 1990, the country adopted a new constitution and King Birendra ceded power to the democratic government, But that change did not bring political stability where frequent changes in government and a lack of political consensus remains De ja vu. Nepal's current political situation is marked by a constitutional crisis, corruption, and political polarization, all of which have significant geopolitical implications.





Nepal adopted a new constitution in 2015, and it created a constitutional crisis, leading to protest and a blocked along the Nepal-India border. The Madhesi community in the Southern Plains claimed that the new constitution was discriminatory, divisive, and controversial. Corruption is another major factor contributing to political instability in Nepal. It is pervasive in Nepali polities and has rusted public trust in government institutions which challenging to build political consensus.





Political polarization is also a significant factor contributing to political instability in Nepal. The deep divide between left-wing and right -wing political forces has made it difficult to build consensus. That causes frequent changes in the government. In recent years, Nepal has experienced multiple changes in government due to internal political conflicts, legal challenges, and prolonged political crises. For instance, in December 2020, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved Parliament and called for a new election, leading to protest and a prolonged political crisis. Nepal's Supreme Court intervened and reinstated the dissolved parliament in May 2021.





In 2023, lawmakers in Nepal have elected a new President amid escalating political instability in the Himalayan nation. The incumbent coalition government, which has succeeded power for only a few months back, is proving to be fragile. Ram Chandra Poudel, a former parliament speaker and senior leader of the opposition Nepali Congress Party, elected as the new President, defeating his sole rival, Subhash Chandra Nembang.





This presidential election has triggered a dispute among the ruling coalition partners. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who assumed office in December 2022, supported Poudel, leading to a rift with the Communist Party of Nepal(UML), which supported its candidate, Nembang. This division ultimately resulted in the CPN withdrawing from the coalition, and Dahal losing the backing of three crucial political parties that were initially part of his government's composition.





Nepal's contribution to India's internal security framework warrants particular acknowledgement. It also acts as a safe haven for drug cartels, hawala agents, and human trafficking syndicates. Another issue of internal security pertains to the connection or association between Maoist factions operating in both India and Nepal. The Communist Party of India (Maoist) envisions a "red corridor" stretching from Nepal's southern border, which abuts the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, to the Western Ghats tri-junction of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.





China aspires to establish enduring physical connections between the two nations, capable of persisting beyond shifts in governance in Kathmandu. The prospect of reestablishing relations with a leader who previously condemned India as an "expansionist" entity and the US as an "imperialist power" will inevitably disappoint both New Delhi and Washington.





Nepal's political instability has significant geopolitical implications for the region. Being a buffer state between India and China, any instability in Nepal could affect its relations with its neighboring countries. India is Nepal's largest trading partner, and the two countries share deep cultural and historical ties. China, on the other hand, has been increasing its influence in Nepal through infrastructure investments and other projects. Nepal's strategic location between two of the world's most populous countries contributes its geopolitical importance.





The instability in Nepal may have an impact on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), of which Nepal is a member state. The political instability also has an impact on foreign aid and investment, which the country heavily relies on. Already, political instability has resulted in significant economic and social consequences, including negatively impacting its heavily reliant tourism industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the country's economic and development woes such as poverty, inequality, and infrastructure deficits.





The historiography of political instability in Nepal has been fraught with numerous attempts to combat it, yet they have been largely ineffective due to their failure to address the fundamental underpinnings of the issue. The conundrum of instability persists, casting a shadow over the prospects for Nepal's future. One potential solution to promote political consensus among Nepali political parties could be achieved through dialogue and compromise among political parties.




Kathmandu, 3 April: The UN Capital Development Fund, UNCDF, is partnering with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD, for coordinated action on adaptation to the impacts of climate change in the highly vulnerable Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). This mountainous region, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan, is the highest on the planet and temperature rises are already having devastating consequences on the environment and communities that live there. Current impacts include extreme water insecurity, rapidly melting glaciers and worsening floods and droughts.

UNCDF is the United Nations flagship catalytic financing entity for developing and least developed countries. Catalytic financing involves leveraging public finance to attract, or catalyse, further investments from the private sector, primarily for development projects. Such financing also aims to mitigate risks, distribute risks among multiple investors, aggregate small projects to combine resources, and endorse publicprivate co-investments.

This agreement is to be implemented through the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, or LoCAL, which was designed by UNCDF over ten years ago and is today a global mechanism for channelling climate finance to local governments for adaptation at the community level.

ICIMOD, established in 1983 and based in Nepal, works to harness collective strengths of its eight regional member countries and address issues that affect the entire region, including the impacts of climate change.

Were delighted to be joining forces with ICIMOD to scale up our adaptation activities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, said Sophie De Coninck, Global Manager, Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility, UNCDF. This is a region that is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change but where greater cooperation can, we believe, deliver impactful results for communities across the region.

At ICIMOD we are thrilled to be collaborating with UNCDF on this important and timely venture, says Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. Targeted climate adaptation is key to improving the lives and livelihoods of the millions of people living in the HKH, and the many more who rely on water and other resources from this region. Were hopeful that this partnership will focus our combined efforts on developing sustainable solutions for the region.

The memorandum of understanding signed between UNCDF and ICIMOD aims to enhance collaboration and cooperation of technical assistance and support to Hindu Kush Himalaya countries concerning climate change adaptation and mountain development, particularly at the local level, with a five-point focus:

Promoting awareness and cooperation

Technical collaboration

Capacity development Knowledge development

Joint resource mobilisation
Times and trends may change, but the work that the Metropolitan Business League does  and has done for the past 55 years  remains constant.

Advocacy, education, access to resources and procurement, tech support and funding are key components for any business to thrive. In addition, entrepreneurs need accounting, legal advice and marketing, so the thought of all these startup costs can be overwhelming.

For small, women- and minority-owned businesses, the needs are even more critical and support is usually more difficult to obtain because of a lack of corporate connections, as well as space at the table where decisions are made. Throw in a pandemic and the struggle becomes even more pronounced.

According to Floyd Miller, president and CEO of the MBL, the majority of Black and brown-owned businesses fail in the first 18 months, mostly due to a lack of funding.

Of course, supporting minority-owned businesses allows us to address equity issues and educate our members about generational wealth and the disparities that often exist throughout the business world as well, Miller said. By collaborating with our corporate partners, we are able to create awareness of these issues and help facilitate the change that is required to produce a more equitable environment.

Our mission from Day One has been to help these businesses become sustainable and continue to grow, he said. We recognize that businesses are one of the core components to a successful community. Our mission is to support them in any way we possibly can.

The MBL, founded in 1968 by a handful of Richmond business owners, now has more than 1,000 members throughout Central Virginia. Carla Childs, the daughter of MBL co-founder Garfield Childs, Sr., recalls how her father firmly believed that any profitable minority-owned business would reinvest those gains back into the community, resulting in a stronger local economy for all.

I was raised with the philosophy that women-owned and small and minority-owned businesses result in a more empowered community, Childs said. And today, its exciting to see so many women stepping into that space and owning it. In fact, its one of the fastest-growing categories in the United States and throughout the world.

According to Miller, nearly 60% of their members are women-owned businesses. He also said the organization is experiencing substantial growth in the entrepreneurial sector.

When I was graduating from high school, there were three choices: attend college, get a job or join the military, Miller said. Now, young individuals are looking for other options. Many of them would prefer to start their own business than have to work for someone else. There are just so many different paths available for them today.

Yes, the times may have changed, but business continues to occur, said Childs. And securing capital and making connections continues to play a vital role in the success of those businesses. Through it all, the Metropolitan Business League continues to help these individuals achieve their success, both for themselves and for us as members of the community.

Miller said the MBLs board members play a critical role in the success of the organization. All 19 of them are members themselves and are business owners and leaders in notable organizations throughout Richmond.

Board Chair Scottessa Hurte, CEO and president of Medical Staffing 360, said the MBL board is the most diverse board she has ever been involved with  and the most involved.

Our board is truly a working board, and very dedicated to this organization, Hurte says. And when I say dedicated, I mean we are out in the community every day having conversations with business owners and MBL members asking about their needs, maximizing what we can do for them. We want our members to feel like they belong.

For more information on how to register for an MBL business class or become a member, please visit thembl.org.
With expanding shoe prints in retail and online sales, Gwen Hurt is ready to grow Shoe Crazy Wine from a regional business into a national powerhouse.

Now in its growth phase, the company has become a multimillion-dollar entity, reaching $2 million in revenue over the past two years with retail sales now in far-off states such as Michigan, California and Hawaii.

Shoe Crazy originally made a name for itself in the regional market through its fruitful and sweet, or lightly sweet, varieties of wine for a softer palate that are largely targeted at women. By 2020, the now 9-year-old company was selling eight wines under names such as Sweet Harmony, Strawberry Passion and Melange Red Blend.

Since then, Hurt has not only expanded the companys footprint but also the product offering. Shoe Crazy now has adult beverage mixes of all kinds with seltzers, bourbon and vodka. It also partnered with Blue Bee Cider in 2021 to create Peach Madness, a peach-flavored apple cider.

The company is also branching into the world of moonshines.

Its an untapped market, Hurt said.

Moonshines will come in flavors such as sparkling peach and mango. The blueberry moonshine will dovetail with the companys recently released Blueberry Wine.

Hurt said the expanding line of products will consistently target sweeter profiles and styles that are easy to drink, without the need to be a seasoned wine connoisseur.

We found that our customers, thats what they want and what they are loyal to, Hurt said. When we launch a new product, its in that same scheme.

The plan now is to continue pushing into more national retailers and expanding the business beyond its current borders. The company has added about 400 retailers in the past three years for a total of 900 nationwide. Shoe Crazy Wine is available in Food Lion, Sams Club, Kroger, Target, Total Wine and local retailers, such as The Market @ 25th. Its also available in 36 states online.

The next step means taking on some of the most well-known brands in the category, such as Barefoot and Yellow Tail, which have serious resources behind them.

In consumer goods, you have to keep your product front of mind. And as a small business, thats our greatest challenge right now, Hurt said. I could produce product to put in every store in the country if I had to. But not every store in the country would want us because were not front of mind with the same marketing budget.

Shoe Crazy is righting itself after a pretty intense pandemic period that hit the business just as it was starting to grow. The company closed on a warehouse in Petersburg in December 2019, just months before COVID-19-induced business closures across the country.

In the beginning of its life, Shoe Crazy was too small of a name and had a tough time getting distributors to carry the product. Hurt decided to do the logistics herself and started a distribution arm of the company.

When the pandemic hit, Hurt said she lost priority to larger distributors who had 40% to 60% of the shelf space, in order to accommodate new social-distancing safety regulations.

We were shut down from March until August [2020]; I thought we were done, Hurt said. I had to let everybody go, and I was doing deliveries again.

Around September of that year, the constraints eased and Hurt was able to fulfill larger orders. She was able to bring a bulk of the workers back into the company as contract workers in 2021.

One of the saving graces during the pandemic, Hurt said, was that Food Lion kept expanding Shoe Crazy into more of its stores while it suffered in other retail outlets. Food Lion now makes up one-third of the companys total retail locations  around 350  in the Southeast region with a recent expansion into Georgia.

They said, If you can go out there and get to these store locations, we will activate your product in stores. Nobody else was giving us that opportunity. Hurt said.

And when it came to the placement, Hurt said Food Lion pushed them into eye-level or chest-level space  the most coveted shelf placement where a majority of sales are derived.

I didnt even make a pitch for that, Hurt said. And then as we transitioned from a wine company into an adult beverage company, Food Lion was a part of that because we had the revenue to be able to expand into a spirits line.

Outside of the Southeast, Shoe Crazy has continued to grow with other retailers as well as online.

Hurt is also eyeing a return to her dream of providing a living wage for workers at her 27,000-square-foot Petersburg warehouse. The Chesterfield County native specifically chose Petersburg due to economic factors such as its high unemployment rate.

At full capacity, Hurt said, the warehouse could employ from 50 to 100 logistics workers in jobs such as forklift operators and truck drivers. Today, Shoe Crazy employs four full-time workers and an additional nine on a contract basis. About 14,000 cases pass through that warehouse every month.

She estimated that it would take an additional 1,000 locations to be able to fully staff the warehouse space.

Shoe Crazy has grown substantially since the first year it added distribution into the mix. Hurt said it did about $14,000 in revenue that year.

The company also works with Republic National Distributing Co. and Johnson Brothers to help with distribution in more distant markets.

As the company grows, there will ideally be more revenue to hire people for the office jobs to take over some of Shoe Crazys sales functions. Hurt is currently the main force in getting accounts with more stores.

My ultimate goal is to replace me, so I can focus on growing out the business, Hurt said.

From the Archives: The construction of the Richmond Convention Center
The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has released an official autopsy result in the death of Irvo Otieno, confirming preliminary suspicions that the 28-year-old died by asphyxiation after 10 deputies and hospital workers piled on top of him.

Medical examiners ruled the manner of death as a homicide.

In releasing the cause of death, it was technically ruled as positional and mechanical asphyxiation with restraints, said Arkuie Williams, administrative deputy with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The announcement was released on Monday.

Otieno died on March 6 after being transported to Central State Hospital by deputies with the Henrico County Sheriffs Office. There, Otieno was pinned down for more than 11 minutes while he was shackled and handcuffed.

Much of his treatment, which stemmed from a mental health episode, has been recorded on video, including his death at the state-run Dinwiddie County mental health facility.

Since then, seven deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder.

The medical examiners report confirms a preliminary report that was released last month.

In a release, lawyers for the Otieno family broadcast the news, sharing a quote from Caroline Ouko, the mother of Otieno. All must know what they did to my son, Ouko said.

Otienos case has drawn national attention, with civil rights advocate Al Sharpton and lawyer Ben Crump coming to Virginia last weekend for a internationally televised funeral. Ouko has retained local civil rights lawyer Mark Krudys, as well as Crump, who has become nationally recognized since representing the family of George Floyd.

The official declaration confirms what all could see in the video. Irvo, while facedown and handcuffed at his wrists and shackled at his ankles, was not permitted to breathe, Crump said.

For over 11 minutes, the ten officer/hospital defendants pushed down hard on every part of Irvos body until he was limp and lifeless. We cannot continue to treat the mentally ill with such brutality. This must end; it must end now.

The official reports came out far more quickly than anticipated.

Typically, official autopsy reports from the medical examiners office take months to finalize. Those delays have been lengthened by understaffing at the office and a deluge of opioid-related deaths at the offices Richmond bureau.
Colorado boy recovering at home after being bitten by shark off Cancun beach

Cancun, Q.R.  A 10 year old Colorado boy is finally recovering at home after being bitten by a shark while vacationing in Cancun. The incident happened on a Cancun Hotel Zone beach March 17.

The family of three were on the beach when the two boys waded out into knee-deep water. The shark was brought close to shore on a large wave where he bit the left leg of the youngest boy.

Dillon A, 10, was rushed to Cancun hospital from where he was stabilized and eventually flown back to the U.S. with his mother Abby and older brother where he has since undergone surgery from what his mother said were extensive injuries.

Abby told U.S. media that the boys wanted to swim and jump into the waves, and within five minutes of them being in the water, the shark arrived on a large wave and bit her youngest son.

A fellow beachgoer, along with Dillons older brother and an on-duty Cancun lifeguard, ran to get him out of the water. He spent four days in Cancun hospital before being airlifted to a childrens hospital in his home state of Colorado.

His mother says he underwent four surgeries to repair two broken bones along with nerve damage severed tendons and a severed meniscus. He has since returned home where he will undergo physical therapy.

Hes done fantastic considering all that hes been through, his mother told U.S. media. The incident happened on the familys last day of vacation in Cancun.

According to Florida Museums Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary, in 2022, there were 108 shark-human interactions of which 57 were confirmed as unprovoked shark bites.

Dutch Shark Society reports a total of 40 shark bite attacks in all of Mexico in more than a century, 10 of which have been recorded in Cancun with the last one being in 2013. According to the organization, shark attacks in Cancun are extremely rare.
Kalibo, Aklan (CNN Philippines, April 3)  The local government of Malay will not issue a special permit to establishments planning to hold parties on Boracay Island on Good Friday.

Memorandum Order No. 2022-043 issued by Acting Municipal Mayor of Malay Nino Carlos Cawaling said the Business Permit and Licensing Office should not process special permits for parties and other activities with loud music in Boracay from April 7 to April 8.

"Hindi magbibigay ang LGU (local government unit) Malay ng special permits sa mga party o anumang aktibidad na may malalakas na patugtog simula 6:00 ng umaga ng Byernes Santo (April 7, 2023) hanggang 6:00 ng umaga ng Sabado de Gloria (April 8, 2023)," said the resolution.

[Translation: The LGU of Malay will not give special permits for parties or any activity where there will be loud music from 6 a.m. of Good Friday (April 7, 2023) until 6 a.m. of Black Saturday (April 8, 2023).]

Meanwhile, at a flag ceremony Monday morning, Malay police chief PLtCol. Don Dicksie De Dios expressed the readiness of the enforcers and force multipliers in Boracay and the entire municipality to respond to any incident.

Hopefully we will be able to achieve the zero-incidents expectation record once more, he said.
Governor inaugurates states first blue water treatment plant

Riviera Maya, Q.R.  For the first time, waste and wastewater will be treated to reduce the concentration of pollutants. Over the weekend, Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa inaugurated the states first blue water treatment plant.

She says the plant will be used to treat pit water, sludge and the special handling of grease in Quintana Roo. Each year, she says the plant will treat more than 54,000 liters of wastewater, avoiding contaminating the main environmental assets such as cenotes, underground rivers and the reef system.

Mara Lezama highlighted this fact for the care of the environment, since for the first time in Quintana Roo, there will be a physical-chemical treatment combined with a biological treatment, which will allow the reception of liquid streams with low, medium and high concentrations of pollutants.

With the inauguration of the plant, an agreement was signed for the investigation of groundwater contamination in the state.

It fills me with satisfaction because humanist governments look forward, not just backwards, she said.

The Governor of Quintana Roo explained that with the combined efforts of the State Government with the company Respel Ambiental, which built and will operate the Regional Center for Research and Waste Management (CRIMAR), it makes it possible to offer an optimal alternative for the comprehensive management of waste, as well as receiving and treating wastewater.

This new wastewater treatment plant, which is now a reality thanks to the combined efforts of the private initiative and the government, is an example of what we are going to achieve with the New Agreement for the Well-being and Development of Quintana Roo, she said.

This new plant helps reduce the environmental footprint, care for the environment, protect health, and care for the well-being of our community. Contaminated water from portable toilets, from controlled discharges into the sea such as those from boat services as well as residuals with high fat and oil content from restaurants, will be treated.
Mexico extradites cartel leader to face charges in U.S. court

Mexico City, Mexico  A criminal gang leader belonging to the Sinaloa cartel has been extradited to the United States. The extradition was made in compliance with the Extradition Treaty between Mexico and the U.S.

According to the Attorney Generals Office of the Republic (FGR), Jorge G was handed over to U.S. federal authorities at the Mexico City International Airport Sunday.

Jorge G was wanted in the Federal District Court of Columbia for narcotics, criminal association and brandishing and discharging a firearm.

Jorge G is accused of belonging to a criminal organization and one of the leaders of the Sinaloa cartel and is believed responsible for the trafficking of various amounts of drugs to the United States.
Puerto Morelos beaches free of sargassum as town prepares for Easter crowd

Puerto Morelos, Q.R.  The mayor of Puerto Morelos says they are ready for the arrival of thousands for the holidays. She says the directorates of Public Services and Zofemat continue to work every day to remove sargassum from beaches.

Leonel Salazar Trejo, head of Public Services, said with the Easter holidays, sargassum cleaning begins at 4:00 a.m. with two sweepers and two tractors in addition to the 40 people to manually remove the piled sargassum from the beaches.

We will be receiving a large influx of vacationers on our public beaches and we are prioritizing leaving them clear of seaweed in the 1.8 kilometers that corresponds to us for the safe enjoyment of all people, said the municipal official.

He also highlighted that Puerto Morelos is a favorite destination for vacationers due to the conservation of its beaches, since two, Ventana al Mar and Playa Sol, are Blue Flag certified.

Leonel Salazar pointed out that there has been a moderate to low landing of the macroalgae in recent days, which has seen them removing approximately 50 tons per day.

Puerto Morelos beaches are cleared of sargassum daily. Photo: Ayuntamiento de Puerto Morelos April 1, 2023.

We know that this phenomenon is here to stay and we are working with the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Ecology and Environment (SEMA) of the State on strategies to create the least impact such as the next placement of the barriers to continue protecting our beaches, he said.

Puerto Morelos Mayor, Blanca Merari Tziu Munoz, says the municipality is ready.

We are ready for our visitors to fall in love with Puerto Morelos so that each day they spend in this unique destination in the Mexican Caribbean is something unforgettable.

The natural wealth that we have, such as the largest reef on the continent and the second largest on the planet, which is located off our coasts, and the emblematic Ruta de los Cenotes, are part of the attractions that we have promoted in each of the tourist fairs that we attend, she said.
A workhorse tool serving the National Weather Services Blacksburg office is offline for maintenance so it can continue whirring weather data for another 20 years or more.

One of a nationwide network of 159 radars, the KFCX WSR-88D, which is located on a mountain in Floyd County, is down until April 10 while work is done to refurbish its pedestal, said Phil Hysell, warning coordination meteorologist in Blacksburg.

The Doppler radar is a really critical tool for the National Weather Service, Hysell said. The primary use of the Doppler radar is in our warning operations. It allows us to scan the skies, to see how storms are evolving over time.

The radar device spins above the tree line on an 82-foot stand, protected beneath a white dome from the elements that it measures. Hysell said it works by sending pulses of electromagnetic energy out and upward into the atmosphere.

As it scans, were sampling the atmosphere to see how much power is returned to the radar, Hysell said. From that, we can tell where precipitation is falling, we can tell the rate of precipitation, and we can also measure the winds inside that shower or thunderstorm.

Thats how the weather service knows when to issue warnings for severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and tornados. Those warnings save lives, Hysell said.

This life-saving instrument can continue to help us issue warnings for years to come, he said. Think about if you have a car youve been driving for like 25 straight years.

This daily driver just needs some fresh parts, said Justin York, electronics systems analyst for the National Weather Service in Blacksburg. Pedestal work that started this week is the third of four projects scheduled to expand the life of the radar, with a final installment coming later this year.

The pedestal is the actual stand up on top of the tower that the dish is mounted to, York said. This is a 20,000-pound steel tube, basically, filled with electronics.

And that equipment has been whirring up there for more than its expected lifespan of 25 years, he said. All that spinning and vibration starts to wear on a radar, after long enough.

In order to extend the life of this system, the best thing to do would be to pull the pedestal completely down to the ground and put in a brand new one that has been completely refurbished back on top, York said.

While the radar dedicated to the Blacksburg office is down, a nationwide mosaic of radars, plus a bunch of other tools, inform the regions meteorologists who record daily data, keep track of weather patterns and issue warnings across 40 counties in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina, Hysell said.

Another tool that we use here at the National Weather Service to collect weather data are our weather balloons. We launch those twice a day from our office, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Hysell said. Those weather balloons, with a radiosonde attached, collect wind, pressure and temperature data, all the way up to 10 to 12 miles above the earths surface.

The radar, balloons and other devices are what allow people to access some of the weather data that shows up on cell phone applications and internet search results. Its not just potentially life-saving information, its also useful to decide, how necessary is a rain coat today?

With spring arrived in Southwest Virginia, Hysell said people should remember to have a severe weather plan in place for home, work, school, and wherever else they congregate. April, May and June are peak months for tornadoes.

Through an app on your cellphone, through weather radio, make sure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings this severe weather season, Hysell said. Also in that plan, talk to your family and friends about where to go when a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued.

Work on the Blacksburg offices radar is part of an eight-year, $135 million program from the National Weather Service, United States Air Force, and Federal Aviation Administration to extend lifespans of the nations radars into the 2030s, an announcement said.

For weather information from your neck of the woods, go online to www.weather.gov/rnk.
Survivors of a retired Virginia Tech engineering professor who went missing in February announced his death in an obituary published Sunday.

Siegfried Holzer, 86, left his Christiansburg home Feb. 22 to visit a nearby store. Authorities later found the sedan he had been driving in Hardy County, West Virginia, about a three-hour drive from Christiansburg. The car had run out of gas. Ground and aerial searches turned up no sign of the alumni distinguished professor, who retired in 2002.

On March 22, human remains were found approximately 1.2 miles from the location of the car, according to the Hardy County sheriff. The remains were sent to the medical examiners office for positive identification.

The obituary published by his family indicated Holzers date of death as March 22. An immigrant from Austria, Holzer was an award-winning professor during his 30 years teaching at Virginia Tech.
A Monday morning fire at a Salem apartment building caused residents to be hurriedly evacuated, Salem Fire & EMS Department said. No injuries were reported.

Responding around 8:51 a.m. to a reported fire at the Oak Park complex on Otter Avenue, firefighters could see smoke from several blocks away, according to a news release. On the scene they found heavy fire and smoke coming from a third-floor apartment and flames reaching into the buildings attic.

The fire was controlled in about 30 minutes and 20 residents were evacuated from various apartments.

The building sustained significant fire, smoke and water damage estimated at $700,000, Salem Fire & EMS said.

Approximately 32 personnel from the Salem Fire & EMS Department and the Roanoke Fire & EMS Department responded to the call.

The Salem Fire Marshals Office determined the fire was accidental and caused by improper disposal of smoking materials.

The Red Cross is assisting approximately 32 residents who were displaced.
News of the flight was broken in April by NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. During a series of virtual press conferences held Friday, May 1, Bridenstine  and other key figures representing both NASA and SpaceX  spoke about the Crew Dragon's unprecedented task.

"This is a high-priority mission for the United States of America," Bridenstine told the media. "We as a nation have not had our own access to the International Space Station for nine years. At the same time, we've had American astronauts on the [International Space Station] for 20 years in a row."

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Stretching 357 feet (109 meters) long, the International Space Station is the largest man-made object in Earth's orbit. Crews stationed at the vessel perform a wide range of experiments in low gravity.

The International Space Station owes a great deal to NASA's Space Shuttle program. Green-lit by then-President Richard M. Nixon in 1972, this initiative gave the world its first reusable spacecraft. From 1981 to 2011, NASA sent astronauts into orbit on American-made shuttles. These were often used to transport portions of the International Space Station during its construction.

On July 21, 2011, the space shuttle era came to an end as the Atlantis orbiter returned from its final mission. With the program discontinued, ISS-bound astronauts grew dependent on Russian Soyuz rockets.

Then the law of supply and demand took over. For nearly a decade, no other rockets were capable of sending people to the International Space Station. All astronauts bound for that station had to be launched out of Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, a spaceport leased to the Russian government. And by April 2020, the Russians were charging $86 million to include foreign astronauts in their Soyuz missions.

Another Soyuz rocket launch is scheduled for October, and Bridenstine says NASA is currently in negotiations to book a seat. Nevertheless, it's hoped the SpaceX Crew Dragon will end this spaceflight monopoly.

"We want the [Russian-American] relationship in space exploration to remain strong," Bridenstine explained. "We see a day when Russian cosmonauts can launch on American rockets and American astronauts can launch on Russian rockets."

" " Illustration of the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket during the companys uncrewed In-Flight Abort Test for NASAs Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX
" " Snoopy, who already has previous spaceflight experience, will be working with NASA once again as a zero gravity indicator on the Artemis I mission to the moon. 2021 Peanuts Worldwide LLC/NASA

The Artemis I moon mission is scheduled to attempt its third launch Nov. 14, 2022, weather permitting of course. It's an uncrewed flight, meaning no humans will be on board, to test the Orion spacecraft's systems. If all goes well, astronauts will be cleared to use the Orion craft for future Artemis missions.

Uncrewed doesn't mean empty, though. Artemis I will have two passengers: Snoopy as a NASA representative, and Shaun the Sheep for the European Space Agency (ESA). Snoopy has spaceflight experience, as he previously flew on the Columbia space shuttle in 1990. I'm sure he'll give Shaun some pointers.

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Snoopy and Shaun aren't merely going for a joy ride thousands of miles into space, however. They have a job to do: They're zero gravity indicators. That means after Artemis launches and Snoopy or Shaun starts to float in the air, Artemis has reached the weightlessness of microgravity.

Snoopy, of course, is the wonderfully popular beagle created by cartoonist Charles Schulz in 1950. He'll be wearing a bright orange spaceflight suit made of the same material in the human suits, along with cute little gloves and boots. He'll even have an Artemis mission patch. Shaun will have a blue suit similar to those of ESA astronauts.

Why Snoopy, of all the cartoons in the world? In May 1969, the Apollo 10 mission "snooped" around the moon to check out the proposed landing site for the Apollo 11 mission that would land in July that year. The crew nicknamed the Apollo 10 module Snoopy, and the command module was nicknamed Charlie Brown after the dog's cartoon owner.

There are also the fabric hoods astronauts have long worn under their helmets. In the Apollo era, these had big pouches on both sides of the head to hold communications equipment. They were known as "Snoopy caps" because they looked like the beagle's black ears. Luckily for future Artemis astronauts, communications have come a long way in the past half-century, and the much smaller equipment no longer requires a bulky cap.

" " The specially trained woolly astronaut, Shaun the Sheep, has been assigned a seat on the Artemis I mission to the moon alongside his pal Snoopy. Axonoff/European Space Agency

Now That's More Accurate The Apollo missions to the moon were actually named after the Greek god of the sun. It makes far more sense for the new moon missions to be named after Artemis, Greek goddess of the moon and Apollo's twin sister. The missions will also land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Elizabeth Jones has been named Executive Director for the McLeod Health Foundation. In this role, Jones is responsible for leading all areas of fundraising and related activities for the McLeod Health Foundation while maintaining high standards of integrity in fundraising practices.

Jill Bramblett, who has served as Executive Director of the McLeod Health Foundation for nearly 23 years retired after 32 years of service to McLeod Health.

We thank Jill for her incredible leadership during critical years of development for our health system and commend her mentorship of the next generation of growth leaders, said Donna Isgett, president and CEO of McLeod Health.

With more than 14 years of non-profit experience, Elizabeth will lead the strategic vision of philanthropic support and leadership throughout the McLeod Health system. Elizabeths unique ability to cultivate authentic relationships with a wide range of community partners, as well as her seasoned leadership, will continue to advance the mission of the Foundation, which is to generate philanthropic support to perpetuate medical excellence at McLeod Health, said Isgett.

Jones began her career with McLeod Health in 2015 as a Development Coordinator for the McLeod Health Foundation. She most recently served as director, where she was responsible for the coordination of annual and major gifts by corporations, organizations and individuals. Additionally, she was involved in Foundation board leadership and development, donor growth and stewardship, building and maintaining successful giving programs and financial growth. Jones was also instrumental in expanding fundraising efforts for the McLeod Health Foundation.

She has led several successful campaigns and events, including A Light for Someone You Love Hospice Tree Lighting, Its Time Campaign and the campaign for the new Mobile Mammography Unit. She also assumed responsibility of the Planned Giving Program and the Dr. F.H. McLeod Legacy Society, increasing membership to more than 133 members. Her work with the McLeod Fellows program has been instrumental in developing new ambassadors for McLeod Health and new donors to the McLeod Health Foundation.

A native of Florence, Jones received her bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of South Carolina in 2007. She returned to her hometown to begin her career in development at the Francis Marion University Education Foundation. While working at FMU, she earned her master of business administration degree.

Deeply ingrained in philanthropic efforts both locally and at large, Jones is a member of the South Carolina Hospital Association, where she has just completed her term as President of the South Carolina Society of Hospital Fund Development and will continue to serve on that committee. She is also a member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and the South Carolina Association of Non-Profit Organizations. On a local level, Jones is actively involved in both the Junior League of Florence and the Kiwanis Club of Florence, where she serves as the Kiwanis Terrific Club Chair.

Jones resides in Florence with her husband Phil and their two sons, Coleman and Lucas.
 "Death by Withdrawal" | Main | Sentencing Project releases new fact sheet on "Incarcerated Women and Girls" 

April 3, 2023

Three Justices dissent from denial of cert in Louisiana capital case based on Brady issue

The Supreme Court issued this morning another order list with no new grants of certiorari and lots of cert denials. One of those cert denials, in the Louisiana capital case of Brown v. Louisiana, generated a short dissent by Justice Jackson, which was joined by Justices Sotomayor and Kagan. Here are excerpts from the dissent:

The central question before this Court is whether the prosecution violated Browns due process rights by failing to disclose this confession [by Edge, a codefendant]. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). Because the evidence was plainly favorable and material to Browns penalty phase, id., at 87, I would have granted certiorari and summarily reversed.... The Louisiana Supreme Court nevertheless held that Edges confession was not favorable to Brown because it did not specify who actually killed the victim, nor did it expressly state that Brown was not present or not involved. 347 So. 3d, at 836. The requirement that the withheld evidence must speak to or rule out the defendants participation in order for it to be favorable is wholly foreign to our case law.... We have repeatedly reversed lower courts  and Louisiana courts, in particular  for similar refusals to enforce the Fourteenth Amendments mandate that favorable and material evidence in the governments possession be disclosed to the defense before trial. See, e.g., Kyles, 514 U.S., at 422, 450453; Smith, 565 U.S., at 7677; Wearry, 577 U.S., at 392394, 396. This Court has decided not to grant Browns petition for certiorari, but that determination should in no way be construed as an endorsement of the lower courts legal reasoning. In my view, the Louisiana Supreme Court misinterpreted and misapplied our Brady jurisprudence in a manner that contravenes settled law.

April 3, 2023 at 09:51 AM | Permalink

Comments

I am not sure that this evidence is clearly material. While I know that evidentiary rules are a little more relaxed in the penalty phase, I also know that there is a big disagreement among courts about what qualifies as Chambers evidence. In my state, a statement from a codefendant in a multi-person offense is rarely viewed as Chambers evidence because our courts tend to view the part of the statement which is an admission against interest (I did it) as separate from the part that is exculpatory of the codefendant (John wasn't part of the plan).

Posted by: tmm | Apr 3, 2023 10:36:08 AM

Is that the standard? It has to be "clearly material?"

Edges confession was also material to the penalty phase

of Browns trial. The fact that Edge confessed without naming Brown or suggesting that he had participated in the

murder supplied independent evidence corroborating

Browns argument that he was not present during the murder and did not intend to kill the victim. Because Louisiana

law requires the jury to consider whether the defendant

was a relatively minor participant in the offense, as well

as [a]ny other relevant mitigating circumstance, La. Code

Crim. Proc. Ann., Arts. 905.3 and 905.5, Brown could have

used Edges confession to bolster his mitigation case. And

had Browns jury been presented with the confession, there

is a reasonable probability that at least one juror might

have viewed Browns culpability in a different light. See

Cone v. Bell, 556 U. S. 449, 475 (2009) (penalty phase materiality turns on whether, had the evidence not been suppressed, there was a reasonable probability that at least

one juror might have voted to imprison [the defendant] for

life rather than sentence him to death); see also Wearry,

577 U. S., at 392 (to be material, the suppressed evidence

need only be sufficient to undermine confidence in the verdict (internal quotation marks omitted)).

Seems material.

Posted by: whatever | Apr 3, 2023 11:30:31 AM

Whatever, you are assuming that it would have been admissible in the penalty phase. If admissible, it would corroborate the defendant's argument. But if it is not admissible, then it is not material. My point was that the Louisiana courts could have determined that the codefendant's confession was not admissible and, if it's not admissible, then it is also not material.

The Justice's terminology is "plainly material." That terminology reflects that this case is on appeal. At the trial court, the test is whether it is material. But to reverse the trial court, the appellate court has to find that the trial court erred with due deference to the rulings of the trial court. If the trial court's conclusions are merely debatable, that is normally not error. I am not seeing a significant difference between plainly material and clearly material. Other than that they are slightly different standards of review on appeal with plain error being an even higher standard than clear error.

Posted by: tmm | Apr 3, 2023 2:41:06 PM

It doesn't have to be admissible to be material. It just has to lead to admissible evidence that could support an alternative theory or add reasonable doubt.

Posted by: Da Man | Apr 3, 2023 3:33:37 PM

Post a comment
(CNN)  Pope Francis wearing a massive, white puffer coat. Elon Musk walking hand-in-hand with rival GM CEO Mary Barra. Former President Donald Trump being detained by police in dramatic fashion.

None of these things actually happened, but AI-generated images depicting them did go viral online over the past week.

The images ranged from obviously fake to, in some cases, compellingly real, and they fooled some social media users. Model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen, for example, tweeted that she thought the pope's puffer coat was real, saying, "didn't give it a second thought. no way am I surviving the future of technology." The images also sparked a slew of headlines, as news organizations rushed to debunk the false images, especially those of Trump, who was ultimately indicted by a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday but has not been arrested.

The situation demonstrates a new online reality: the rise of a new crop of buzzy artificial intelligence tools has made it cheaper and easier than ever to create realistic images, as well as audio and videos. And these images are likely to pop up with increasing frequency on social media.

While these AI tools may enable new means of expressing creativity, the spread of computer-generated media also threatens to further pollute the information ecosystem. That risks adding to the challenges for users, news organizations and social media platforms to vet what's real, after years of grappling with online misinformation featuring far less sophisticated visuals. There are also concerns that AI-generated images could be used for harassment, or to further drive divided internet users apart.

"I worry that it will sort of get to a point where there will be so much fake, highly realistic content online that most people will just go with their tribal instincts as a guide to what they think is real, more than actually informed opinions based on verified evidence," said Henry Ajder, a synthethic media expert who works as an advisor to companies and government agencies, including Meta Reality Labs' European Advisory Council.

Images, compared to the AI-generated text that has also recently proliferated thanks to tools like ChatGPT, can be especially powerful in provoking emotions when people view them, said Claire Leibowicz, head of AI and media integrity at the Partnership on AI, a nonprofit industry group. That can make it harder for people to slow down and evaluate whether what they're looking at is real or fake.

What's more, coordinated bad actors could eventually attempt to create fake content in bulk  or suggest that real content is computer-generated  in order to confuse internet users and provoke certain behaviors.

"The paranoia of an impending Trump ... potential arrest created a really useful case study in understanding what the potential implications are, and I think we're very lucky that things did not go south," said Ben Decker, CEO of threat intelligence group Memetica. "Because if more people had had that idea en masse, in a coordinated fashion, I think there's a universe where we could start to see the online to offline effects."

A quickly evolving tool

Computer-generated image technology has improved rapidly in recent years, from the photoshopped image of a shark swimming through a flooded highway that has been repeatedly shared during natural disasters to the websites that four years ago began churning out mostly unconvincing fake photos of non-existent people.

Many of the recent viral AI-generated images were created by a tool called Midjourney, a less than year-old platform that allows users to create images based on short text prompts. On its website, Midjourney describes itself as "a small self-funded team," with just 11 full-time staff members.

A cursory glance at a Facebook page popular among Midjourney users reveals AI-generated images of a seemingly inebriated Pope Francis, elderly versions of Elvis and Kurt Cobain, Musk in a robotic Tesla bodysuit and many creepy animal creations. And that's just from the past few days.

The latest version of Midjourney is only available to a select number of paid users, Midjourney CEO David Holz told CNN in an email Friday. Midjourney this week paused access to the free trial of its earlier versions due to "extraordinary demand and trial abuse," according to a Discord post from Holz, but he told CNN it was unrelated to the viral images. The creator of the Trump arrest images also claimed he was banned from the site.

The rules page on the company's Discord site asks users: "Don't use our tools to make images that could inflame, upset, or cause drama. That includes gore and adult content."

"Moderation is hard and we'll be shipping improved systems soon," Holz told CNN. "We're taking lots of feedback and ideas from experts and the community and are trying to be really thoughtful."

In most cases, the creators of the recent viral images don't appear to have been acting malevolently. The Trump arrest images were created by the founder of the online investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat, who clearly labeled them as his fabrications, even if other social media users weren't as discerning.

Developing safety practices

There are efforts by platforms, AI technology companies and industry groups to improve the transparency around when a piece of content is generated by a computer.

Platforms including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Twitter and YouTube have policies restricting or prohibiting the sharing of manipulated media that could mislead users. But as use of AI-generated technologies grows, even such policies could threaten to undermine user trust. If, for example, a fake image accidentally slipped through a platform's detection system, "it could give people false confidence," Ajder said. "They'll say, 'there's a detection system that says it's real, so it must be real.'"

Work is also underway on technical solutions that would, for example, watermark an AI-generated image or include a transparent label in an image's metadata, so anyone viewing it across the internet would know it was created by a computer. The Partnership on AI has developed a set of standard, responsible practices for synthetic media along with partners like ChatGPT-creator OpenAI, TikTok, Adobe, Bumble and the BBC, which includes recommendations such as how to disclose an image was AI-generated and how companies can share data around such images.

"The idea is that these institutions are all committed to disclosure, consent and transparency," Leibowicz said.

A group of tech leaders, including Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, this week wrote an open letter calling for artificial intelligence labs to stop the training of the most powerful AI systems for at least six months, citing "profound risks to society and humanity." Still, it's not clear whether any labs will take such a step. And as the technology rapidly improves and becomes accessible beyond a relatively small group of corporations committed to responsible practices, lawmakers may need to get involved, Ajder said.

"This new age of AI can't be held in the hands of a few massive companies getting rich off of these tools, we need to democratize this technology," he said. "At the same time, there are also very real and legitimate concerns of having a radical open approach where you just open source a tool or have very minimal restrictions on its use is going to lead to a massive scaling of harm ... and I think legislation will probably play a role in reigning in some of the more radically open models."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Puffer coat Pope. Musk on a date with GM CEO. Fake AI news images are fooling social media users."
Kevin Mazur - Getty Images

Leonardo DiCaprio's new movie Killers of the Flower Moon from director Martin Scorsese has confirmed a 2023 release date.

The upcoming film, which stars DiCaprio alongside Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Breaking Bad 's Jesse Plemons, is set to hit cinemas on Friday, October 20 this year.

Based on the best-selling non-fiction book of the same name from author David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon tells the real-life story of a series of brutal murders that took place during the early 1920s in Osage County, Oklahoma.

Apple TV+/Melinda Sue Gordon

Related: Timothee Chalamet reveals the advice Leonardo DiCaprio gave him

"Killers of the Flower Moon is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror," reads the official movie synopsis.

Scorsese serves as director for the upcoming movie from Apple Original Films, while Eric Roth takes on screenwriting duties.

The film, which also stars actors Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion and Tantoo Cardinal, is set to get a limited theatrical release in partnership with Paramount Pictures on October 6 before its wide release on October 20.

Back in 2021, Apple released a first-look image of DiCaprio in character as Ernest Burkhart and Lily Gladstone as his wife Mollie, an Osage woman.

Related: Leonardo DiCaprio had to be persuaded to join Titanic , shares James Cameron

In the still from the movie, Gladstone and DiCaprio can be seen sitting next to each other at a dining table in a scene that depicts the early stages of Ernest and Mollie's relationship.

Jesse Plemons takes on the lead role of FBI agent Tom White, the man responsible for investigating the murders. The role was initially intended for DiCaprio who later took on the secondary role as Ernest Burkhart, nephew to Robert De Niro's powerful local rancher.

Killers of the Flower Moon will release in cinemas on October 20, 2023.

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Believe it or not, Malaysia offers a lot of free, or extremely cheap services that you would pay a bomb for in other countries. (Photo: Getty Images)

By Natasha Joibi

Whether it's to do with traffic, politics or something else entirely, Malaysians are usually well-informed about things that are happening around the country.

That being said, there are still a lot of things that are happening outside of their circle that Malaysians may not know about. One of them is the free stuff the country has to offer, or close to free anyway.

With the rising cost of living, many may be unaware of their benefits, such as all the products and services that can be obtained for free or at minimal cost.

Here's a look at some of these:

Free education

Schooling is generally free in many countries in the region, including Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. So, Malaysians having access to free primary and secondary education in public schools, and subsidised tertiary education in public universities isn't out of the ordinary.

Even so, the government has made a lot of effort over the years to ensure that kids (and their parents) benefit from loads more free initiatives.

For example, starting this year, each student, regardless of their parents' income, is being given RM150 under the Early Schooling Assistance scheme.

Additionally, physical textbooks, already free from 2008, have been replaced by downloadable e-textbooks. This is far different from the case in Singapore, where prices have escalated by up to 7 per cent.

Incidentally, the Education Ministry also runs the Supplementary Food Programme (RMT) that is aimed at providing free daily meals to students from low-income households. Yes, RMT's implementation has courted some criticism, mainly for the government's allocation being reportedly inadequate. Nevertheless, increased funds have been promised.

Public healthcare

Healthcare in Malaysia isn't free. But at super low rates of RM1 and RM5 for outpatient and specialist care respectively, it's not to be shrugged off.

Granted, there are legacy issues pertaining to long wait times, healthcare worker welfare and dilapidated facilities. Nevertheless, there's no denying that Malaysia is one of the most affordable places in the region to seek good medical treatment.

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Also, did you know that basic treatment for contagious diseases such as dengue and tuberculosis is free of charge?

Yes, that doesn't include additional costs for consultation, blood tests and scans. However, even with all that factored in, charges come up to just a few hundred ringgit. That's a fraction of the exorbitant fees patients need to cough up at private healthcare facilities.

Public transport

Feel like exploring the Klang Valley for next to nothing? Well, just hop on the free Go KL City bus service, which connects Kuala Lumpur's outer residential areas to the city centre.

There's also the Smart Selangor Bus, which covers 43 routes. However, do note that while that service is free for citizens, foreigners will have to pay 90 sen.

If you happen to be in Johor, meanwhile, check out the Bas Muafakat service, which covers 70 routes around the state.

Also, planning to visit Penang? The Central Area Transit (CAT Bus), which goes around the George Town central area and other touristy spots, won't require you to open your wallet.

Sadly, the MRT and LRT prices in Malaysia are still not getting the 'free ride' treatment the KTM trains have. (Photo: Getty Images)

Separately, school students and persons with disabilities (PwD) can ride the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTMB) for free.

This service is available for Standard 1 to Form 6 students, and PwDs travelling on the KTM Shuttle Timuran Gemas-Tumpat-Gemas Sector, KTM Komuter Klang Valley Sector and KTM Komuter North Sector.

If you are simply visiting Penang and want a trip to the island, the ferry service from the mainland is also free until June 2023.

Water supply

Did you know that water supply is free (or almost free) for residents of some states in Malaysia?

Selangor initially provided free water to all households in the state in 2008. However, this exercise has been restructured as a targeted subsidy.

Still, households earning a monthly income of below RM5,000 are eligible for free water supply of up to 20 cubic metres.

Folks living in low-cost apartments, meanwhile, will continue receiving free supply until December 2024.

States like Johor and Penang also offer water rebates or subsidies to households earning within a certain income band.

This is also kind of similar in Kedah and Perak, while in Sarawak, every household enjoys free water for the first RM5 of their monthly domestic water bill.

Election freebies

The 15th general election (GE15) was historic for many reasons; from the highest voter turnout in Malaysian history, to 18, 19 and 20-year-old voters casting their ballots for the first time.

But GE15 also saw many businesses handing out freebies, discounts or vouchers to encourage Malaysians to come out and vote.

To claim these benefits, voters just needed to show the indelible ink marked on their index fingers. Some notable brands that encouraged voting with the aid of deals were Nando's, Taco Bell, A&W, TGI Fridays, Burger King, McDonald's, Tealive, Ikea, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) and Resorts World Genting.

Fitness buffs who voted were also entitled to free workouts at Fitness First, Celebrity Fitness and Chi Fitness gyms.

So why is this important when the elections were already done and dusted months ago? Well, only because there are six upcoming state elections.

And if history is any gauge, Malaysians will likely be able to look forward to discounts and freebies again.

Do you have a story tip? Email: malaysia.newsroom@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss. (PHOTO: Reuters/Jim Vondruska/Illustration)

SINGAPORE  The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has given the green light to Wegovy, a medication that has gained popularity on social media for its weight-loss benefits.

HSA told Yahoo Southeast Asia on Monday (3 April) that overweight and obese adults with at least one weight-related comorbidity - such as high blood pressure, Type-2 diabetes or high cholesterol - are eligible to take the drug, which is a higher-dose diabetic medication of Ozempic.

Both drugs contain semaglutide, a hormone that regulates blood-sugar levels and suppresses appetite, aiding in weight loss.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drugs, submitted separate applications under the two different brand names, based on their specific medical purposes.

Ozempic is used in the treatment of Type-2 diabetes, while Wegovy is prescribed for weight loss in patients who are obese. The dosage of both medications starts at 0.25 milligrams and gradually increases over several months, and are self-administered through a pre-filled injection pen.

The hashtag #ozempic on TikTok has more than 750 million views. (PHOTO:TikTok/Screenshot)

Growing popularity as a weight loss drug

Ozempic, which has been approved for use in Singapore since April 2021, gained traction last year after users and celebrities raved about its weight-loss attributes on TikTok. Its high demand has led to its shortage in the US, Europe, and Australia.

In Singapore, sellers on local e-commerce platforms have been trying to profit from the surge in demand, and this has led HSA to remove four listings of Ozempic and Wegovy since the beginning of this year.

"Anyone who contravenes the prohibition on sale of prescription medicines may face a fine of up to $50,000 and/or imprisonment for a period of up to two years under the Health Products Act, if convicted," HSA said.

It cautioned that these drugs contain potent ingredients that could cause adverse effects if taken without medical supervision, such as gastrointestinal issues, low blood sugar, liver and bile disorders, inflammation of the pancreas, increased heart rate and fatigue.

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However, HSA has not received any reports of adverse events related to using these medicines for weight loss.

Clinical discretion behind off-label use of registered medicine

HSA said that doctors may use a medicine outside of HSA's approval, but only if there is a justifiable medical indication that this is in the patient's best interest, and if the patient has been properly informed and has consented.

Consumers are also warned against obtaining medicines from overseas sources as they may be substandard, of poor quality, or fake.

HSA also reminded consumers to exercise caution when purchasing these drugs, and should purchase them only from licensed pharmacies or established retail stores to reduce the risk of poor quality or harmful products.

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.
When farmers need to expand their grain storage capacity, choosing the right storage solution requires intensive planning.

First, you must determine what bushel capacity you need and what your farm can accommodate.

Next, think about your current storage limits, what your future needs might be, your available footprint and budget, and if you're limited by height restrictions or power capacity.

Once this legwork is complete, you can determine precisely which grain storage options match your needs. Here are a few things to consider when developing a grain storage strategy.

Reasons to incorporate permanent grain storage structures

Most agricultural producers looking to add grain storage systems to their properties are considering permanent structures. Grain piles and temporary storage risk yield loss, while permanent structures protect crops and increase loading speeds.

Also, grain prices are typically higher during the marketing season than during the harvest, so successfully storing grain means more money for your hard-earned yield. Chief Agri's domestic sales manager, Shad Singleton, frequently sees another compelling reason to shift to a permanent storage structure. Often, it's labor, he says. Farmers need to develop a facility that requires the least labor to operate.

A Chief Agri solution for every operation

Chief Agri has served the agricultural community since 1961 and produces a full line of storage systems for grain and commodity crops that meet the needs of small farmers and commercial growers alike. From farm bins to hopper tanks and commercial storage bins, Singleton and Jose Meza, Chief Agri's district sales manager for Iowa, know Chief Agri's grain storage solutions inside and out.

Farm bins

Chief Agri produces a line of farm bins that are ideal for use on a small farm. Ranging in diameter from 15 feet, 6 inches to 49 feet, 6 inches, with heights ranging from 19 feet, 2 inches to 82 feet, 3 inches, theres an option suited for your operation. For many of our family-run farms, they're limited on how many people they have during the harvest, says Meza. On-site storage gives you better access to quality storage, so farm bins save time for a small or mid-size farmer.

Cutting corners to save money at the expense of storage capacity can cause issues in the long run. Grain that's safe in the bins is money in the bank, Meza says. By storing the grains safely and effectively, you can ensure that you don't run into issues with your yield down the line.

Commercial bins

Large commercial bins provide flexibility to accommodate the unknowns of fluctuating harvests and markets. Chief grain bins offer various roof options, including heavy-duty industrial roofs, to handle the farmer's peak loading capacity, expected snow loads and other environmental conditions. Most of these large systems are designed to be added onto easily, says Singleton. And you can respond to factors and trends that drive commodities.

Hopper tanks

Chief hopper tanks are multi-use and engineered to provide long-term reliability. They give farmers a convenient way to load trucks, as grain can easily flow out of the bottom when opened into an auger. Depending on the grain's moisture content and current conditions, you can add air to hopper tanks too. Just one-tenth of a cubic foot per minute should be fine, Meza says. However, they do have certain drawbacks. You're limited for bushel capacity, says Meza. They're not as big, storage-wise, but farmers can do multiple tanks and use the same auger.

Modular bin systems

Next in Chief's diverse line of storage systems are their modular bins, used across multiple industries. Designed to store dry bulk materials, feed ingredients, aggregates and grains, these modular bins keep products dry and clean with easy gravity retrieval.

We're doing a huge kitty litter facility right now, says Singleton. Coffee, sawdust  it can be used in many sectors outside the grain industry. With its modular design, there's no limit to how many units you can combine into the ideal system for your operations.

Temporary storage

Nowadays, even temporary grain storage systems are more sophisticated than they used to be. Chief offers three temporary storage solutions, including retaining walls and grain pile systems. While temporary storage can provide flexibility and lower storage system costs, Singleton cautions against relying too heavily on them. It's extremely labor intensive to clean up, he says, noting that the process requires numerous folks to run loaders and trucks simultaneously.

A personalized touch to grain storage solutions

Grain storage systems are complex and take careful planning. When you invest in a solution with Chief, you'll get a partner you can turn to throughout the entire process.

Chief Agri has an extensive network of dealers throughout North America. Your local Chief Agri dealer will help you build a detailed master plan to cover your long-term grain storage needs.

From start to finish, we're involved and provide personal attention, says Singleton.

For more information, visit agri.chief.com.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  One person is dead and three others were injured in a shooting during a drug deal outside a Los Angeles shopping center Saturday, police said.

Multiple suspects shot at each other during what police believe was a dispute during a narcotics deal in a parking lot at the Fallbrook Shopping Center in West Hills around 3:45 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said.

The deceased man was not immediately identified by police.

Three victims hit by gunfire were transported to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. At least two of those may face charges after their release from medical care, Hamilton said.

Three suspects were in custody Saturday evening and investigators believe the shooting involved gang members, he said.

Mark Connole, 34, of Woodland Hills, California, was booked at Van Nuys Jail on a charge of murder, police said in a statement Sunday.

Police recovered two firearms at the scene, Hamilton said.

We believe that all of the people involved in this dispute have been identified and we believe we have them either in custody or we have them where we can provide them medical care, Hamilton said.

An LAPD helicopter spotted a vehicle with windows shot out leaving the scene and tracked the vehicle, Hamilton said.

That suspect became involved in a hit-and-run traffic collision where they injured someone else and continued fleeing the area, Hamilton said. They subsequently switched vehicles and the air units saw them switch vehicles and directed ground units to the location where the suspect was fleeing.

There was a pursuit lasting two to three minutes before the vehicle pulled over. A female driver and the male suspect who fled the shooting scene surrendered and were taken into custody, Hamilton said.

The person who was injured in the hit-and-run accident was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
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SIOUX CITY -- A Remsen, Iowa, man has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for lying about his record when trying to buy a gun.

Dean Kohler, 56, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was sentenced Wednesday to 33 months in prison. He must serve three years on supervised release after completing his prison sentence.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Kohler was trying to buy a rifle from a licensed firearms dealer in Sioux City and lied about having never been found by a court to be mentally defective and that he was not subject to a protection order. A federal background check discovered Kohler was twice adjudicated as being mentally defective and at the time of the attempted purchase had a protection order issued against him. His criminal history includes operating while intoxicated, assault with a dangerous weapon and harassment.

When the background check prevented the sale, Kohler found a private party willing to sell him a gun.
SIOUX CITY -- A developer plans to construct a three-story apartment building on Sioux City's west side to serve low to moderate income families, as well as those experiencing homelessness.

Arch Icon Development renovated the Central High School Annex into the Aberdeen Apartments and the Everett Elementary School Building into an apartment complex. Now, the Woodbine, Iowa, developer intends to construct its $8 million Asher Apartments development on a vacant lot adjacent to the Everett School Apartments at 1300 W. Third St.

City documents state the Asher would offer five one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom apartments. The apartments would rent for $600 (1 bed), $825 (2 bed) and $925 (3 bed) a month on average.

Arch Icon is requesting $450,000 from the City of Sioux City in HOME/American Rescue Plan Act funding for the construction of three apartments, which would be set aside for the homeless for 15 years. The City Council will be asked Monday, during its weekly meeting, to approve a resolution of intent to enter into an agreement with Arch Icon for the purpose of providing a HOME Investment Partnerships Program American Rescue Plan Act forgivable loan.

"We ask that the $450,000 be provided as a 0%, 20-year cash flow forgivable loan," Darin Smith, principal for Arch Icon, wrote in a letter addressed to Neighborhood Services Manager Jill Wanderscheid. "This contribution of funding by the city will greatly improve our ability to secure an allocation of LIHTC (low-income housing tax credits) in August."

Arch Icon will be applying to the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) for LIHTC as the major source of funding for the development, according to the documents. The IFA awards points to developments with community funding contributions as a "boost in funding" for developments serving the homeless.

Each apartment would have a washer and dryer, refrigerator, oven, dishwasher and microwave. Three fully accessible apartments, a leasing office and separate office for case management would round out the first floor. Heartland Counseling has been chosen to provide supportive services to homeless individuals and families at the Asher for 15 years, according to the documents.

The development would also include a playground and 45 parking stalls.
WASHINGTON  Fights over increasing the nation's borrowing authority have been contentious in Congress, yet follow a familiar pattern: Time and again, lawmakers found a way to step back from the brink before markets began to panic and the nation risked a dangerous default on its debt.

But this year's fight has a different feel, some lawmakers say.

A new Republican majority in the House is itching for a spending showdown, and determined not to yield. They blame what they view as excessive federal spending for higher food and gasoline prices and the growing national debt.

Led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, they ruled out passing a "clean" debt ceiling increase even as the White House insists such legislation be passed without conditions. It's an impasse that shows no signs of easing ahead of this summer's deadline for action.

"Very worried. Very worried," was how Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a close McCarthy ally, described his outlook. "And frankly, I don't see how we get there at this point. There's no process set up, there's no dialogue, there's no discussion."

The political conditions are comparable to 2011, when a new Republican majority swept into power after a resounding election win and was determined to confront a Democratic White House and extract major spending cuts in return for a debt limit increase.

To resolve that stalemate, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Budget Control Act. The bill temporarily allowed borrowing to resume, set new spending limits and created a bipartisan "supercommittee" to recommend at least $1.2 trillion more in deficit reduction over 10 years.

Republicans and Democrats on the panel failed to compromise, however, triggering automatic reductions in spending.

But some damage was done. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services downgraded U.S. debt for the first time that year because it lacked confidence political leaders would make the choices needed to avert a long-term fiscal crisis.

In 2013, Obama took a different tack. He made clear early on there would be no negotiations on must-pass legislation to prevent a U.S. default, and he never wavered.

A partial government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, swiftly coincided with the prospects of a default. On Oct. 16, Congress passed legislation to end the twin threats and GOP lawmakers who demanded to roll back Obama's signature health care law got nothing for their efforts.

"We fought the good fight. We just didn't win," conceded then-House Speaker John Boehner.

Republicans say they are determined that Biden, who was Obama's vice president during both of those debt ceiling battles, will have to follow the path set in 2011  not the one set in 2013.

"President Biden is not President Obama, right?" said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the leader of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus. "His poll numbers are in the tank and they're going to keep going down."

The result, Perry said, is that Biden doesn't have the political standing to ignore House Republicans.

"Look, there's gonna be shrapnel all around, right," Perry said. "Everybody might take some wounds from it, but he's not walking out of this thing unscathed."

After a tumultuous start to the new Congress in which Republicans struggled to elect a speaker, they are taking great pains to show unity. Moderates and conservatives in the House are adamant: Biden must engage.

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia said what concerns him most is that some Republicans believe the damage from a federal default is manageable, rather than to be avoided at all costs.

"Some of these people are substituting belief for empirical evidence and don't accept the warnings of economists, Wall Street, Janet Yellen," Connolly said.

Breaching the debt ceiling is different than a federal government shutdown. The government can continue to operate once the Treasury has exhausted its cash-on-hand. But outgoing payments would be limited to incoming revenue. Not all payments could be made on time and in full. Many fear such an event would shake the foundations of the global financial system.

Some lawmakers don't believe the consequences would be that devastating. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., said breaching the debt limit without an agreement to increase it would force "prioritization of our spending."

"I'm not afraid of that, quite frankly," Good said.

In the Senate, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is encouraging negotiations. "I think Kevin McCarthy has been most reasonable," he said.

GOP leadership in the Senate has also voiced support for McCarthy's efforts. But some Senate Republicans say spending fights should be relegated to the annual spending bills that Congress passes to fund government agencies. An increase in the debt limit doesn't authorize new federal spending  it only allows borrowing to pay for what Congress has already approved.

"Look, if we have disagreements on spending, and if we have to close government to resolve things, so be it, but threatening a collapse of the U.S. and world economy without raising the debt ceiling is, in my opinion, a weapon that is too severe," said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

There have been roughly 80 deals to raise or suspend the borrowing cap since the 1960s. Romney noted that the debt ceiling was extended, with the help of Democrats, multiple times during Donald Trump's presidency.

"Of course, last time you had President Trump as the individual pushing to raise the debt ceiling, but somehow when we have a Democratic president, we find religion," Romney said.
GRAND ISLAND  Northwest Public Schools and its superintendent, Jeff Edwards, are facing a lawsuit stemming from an LGTBQ-driven decision to end the high schools student newspaper, the Saga.

Former Northwest student Marcus Pennell and the Nebraska High School Press Association are plaintiffs in the suit, which the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska filed in federal district court Friday morning.

According to a statement by ACLU of Nebraska, The lawsuit argues that school officials decision to shutter the newspaper violated plaintiffs First Amendment free speech rights on three counts: their right to be free of viewpoint discrimination, their right to be free of retaliation and their right to receive information.

The lawsuit seeks a judges declaration the district violated the law and award damages as the court sees fit.

Pennell is a former Saga staff member, who has since graduated. In April 2022, Pennell used his preferred name in the publication. The newspaper staff was subsequently reprimanded by school administrators and directed to use legal names.

Students on staff decided to produce an LGBTQ Pride-themed June issue, which contained three LGBTQ-related, student-written articles along with stories about a Northwest High School students national art honor and a movie review of Worst Roommate Ever.

The June 2022 Saga, often referred to now as the Pride issue, was published May 16, 2022. It turned out to be the school newspaper's final issue.

After news of the Saga's fate was made public last summer, ACLU of Nebraska submitted a public records request, which resulted in hundreds of documents, including emails and text messages.

In a May 17 email to Edwards, Northwest High School Principal P.J. Smith and Activities Director Matthew Fritsche, Northwest school board president Dan Leiser said: Ive read the publications in the Viking Saga. Im sure this is a revenge tactic from the pronoun thing a month or so ago  .

Later in the email, Leiser said, Im hot on this one, because its not OK. The national media does the same crap and Ive had enough of it. No more school paper, in my opinion. You give someone an inch, they take it a mile.

Northwest school board member Paul Mader sent an email that same day to fellow board members. In it, he included a photo of Pennells story about the dont say gay bill.

Has anyone read our school paper this month? Mader asked in the group email.

Staff and students were notified of the Sagas elimination on May 19.

The Grand Island Independent broke the Saga story Aug. 24, after a monthslong investigation.

In those public records obtained by ACLU of Nebraska, on Aug. 24 one school official said in a text to another, the article was very poorly written.

Edwards said in an email to a former Nebraska City student (where he was superintendent before coming to Northwest) the resulting controversy was due to an inaccurate article written by an over zealous [sic] reporter who misconstrued multiple facts.

At the time, the school's official response concerning the Saga's cancellation was "an administrative decision" and declined to further elaborate.

On Aug. 29, ACLU of Nebraska took action, issuing a demand letter to Northwest Public Schools. They alleged violations of the First Amendment and Title IX, which relates to gender equality.

According to ACLU officials, the district did not respond.

Attorneys on the case decided not to pursue the latter of the charges, said ACLU of Nebraska Legal and Policy Counsel Jane Seu, and opted to focus on the former.

To us the strongest  and most compelling issues are the First Amendment claims, Seu said. The First Amendment claims obviously embrace the underlying LGBTQ discrimination on the content of that speech.

(The First Amendment) is what we're focused on, but also knowing that this is an important opportunity to stand up for LGBTQ students.

Seu said of the charge surrounding the right to receive information, Weve also included (that) because we think thats an important part of this story. Your right to speak also includes your right to receive information and receive that speech.

Michelle Carr Hassler, associate professor of practice for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the NHSPA executive director.

Hassler said of the lawsuit, Its education, first and foremost. This is disrupting the education of aspiring journalists.

It also affects the education of student journalists not necessarily looking at journalism as a career, she added.

Theyre getting such a great experience with critical thinking and language and research and newspaper literacy.

Censorship  has such a demoralizing effect on everyone.

NHSPA is a statewide journalism organization welcoming high school journalism instructors and/or advisers of student publications in Nebraska.

Deposed Northwest Saga adviser Kirsten Gilliland was elected to the NHSPA board last year.

This case was particularly troubling to us, Hassler said of the Sagas cancellation. We felt like it had larger ramifications for scholastic journalism in Nebraska.

Seu was asked whether the case was about setting a precedent or achieving accountability.

With case law, this kind of shows  especially with what we got through open records  the blatant violations (of the right to receive information). It helps promote this constitutional right and the constitutional value of the First Amendment.

We hope this case has a good, long-lasting impact.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
(CNN)  Several media outlets, including CNN, have asked a New York judge to unseal the grand jury indictment against former President Donald Trump. The news organizations are also asking for permission to broadcast Trump's expected appearance in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday for his arraignment on the charges.

In their letter Friday seeking to make the indictment public, the media outlets told Judge Juan Merchan  who is slated to preside over the historic proceedings  that "the right of access is at its zenith when applied to the first ever indictment of a former U.S. president."

The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal are among the outlets making the request.

"And no higher values are served by keeping the indictment under seal. Aside from the fact that a former U.S. president is not a flight risk, maintaining the indictment under seal, despite the public disclosure of its existence, only fuels speculation as to its contents. Full disclosure of the indictment will enhance both the general public's and the parties' right to an accurate public understanding of the charges," the request said. "As such, former President Trump's indictment should be unsealed without delay."

If the judge does not grant the media outlets' unsealing request, it is expected that the indictment will be made public when Trump appears in court Tuesday.

With their request to broadcast those proceedings, the media outlets told the court that "the gravity of this proceeding  the unprecedented and historic arraignment of a former U.S. President -- and, consequently, the need for the broadest possible public access, cannot be overstated."

The news organizations are asking for a "limited number of photographers, videographers, and radio journalists to be present at the arraignment," and said in the letter that they are making "this limited request for audio-visual coverage in order to ensure that the operations of the Court will not be disrupted in any way."

"The News Organizations stand ready to work cooperatively with the Court to ensure that the public have an opportunity to observe this monumental and historical proceeding," the media outlets said, while proposing that the court hold a hearing on the matter if it would helpful to making a decision.

Merchan is expected to issue an order Monday on camera access in the courtroom for Trump's Tuesday arraignment. On Sunday, he invited lawyers for Trump and for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to submit by 1 p.m. Monday any concerns or objections to the media outlets' request to broadcast the arraignment.

Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in the indictment. The investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office began when Trump was still in the White House and relates to a $130,000 payment made by his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels in late October 2016, days before the presidential election, to silence her from going public about an alleged affair with Trump a decade earlier.

Trump has denied the affair.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Media organizations, including CNN, seek unsealing of Trump indictment and ask to broadcast Tuesday proceedings."
Nebraska lawmakers rejected an amendment Friday that would have given tax credits to renters as part of a major property tax relief package.

Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha offered the amendment during debate on LB243, which would provide property owners with more than $3 billion worth of property tax relief over the next six years.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, combines several measures that would increase Nebraskas two property tax credit programs, cap school property taxes and eliminate almost all community college property taxes.

The package represents the second piece of Gov. Jim Pillen's school aid and tax cut plan. The first piece, which would cut the state's top income tax rate by one-third and make other income tax changes, cleared first-round consideration Thursday.

A first-round vote on the property tax proposal is expected Monday, with debate about a proposed $305 million annual increase in state support for K-12 schools to follow.

Briese argued Friday that the property tax package addresses the biggest concern for most Nebraska taxpayers. He said it would help balance the state's tax system, under which Nebraskans pay more in property taxes than in either income taxes or state sales taxes.

"That is not fair and balanced," he said. "There really is a lot riding on this package."

Briese did not speak about Hunt's rental tax credit proposal. She argued that property taxes are incorporated into rents but renters, who are typically not as well off as homeowners, are never considered in property tax relief measures. She added that rents have increased steeply in the past year, while wages have not kept up.

"As a renter myself, it doesn't matter how much property tax relief we give, it never trickles down to the renter," Hunt said.

But Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte said renters do benefit from property tax relief because such measures keep rents from rising as fast as they might otherwise.

The amendment failed, with 30 senators voting against it and 13 in favor.

Earlier, Briese said that LB243 seeks to provide about the same amount of property tax relief as the income tax package is expected to reduce that tax. He pledged, along with Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who chairs the Revenue Committee, to continue working for equivalent tax relief.

Under the Revenue Committee amendment, the property tax package would ratchet up the size of Nebraskas long-standing property tax credit program, which uses state money to offset a portion of property owners bills.

The bill would gradually increase the program from $313 million this year to $560 million by tax year 2029, after which the credit program would grow by the same percentage as the assessed valuation of property statewide.

A second part of the package would remove a cap on the growth of Nebraskas other property tax credit program, often referred to as the LB1107 program for the bill that created it. It provides income tax credits to offset a portion of school property taxes paid.

By taking off the cap, that credit also would grow by the same percentage as the assessed valuation of property statewide. Briese said valuations have averaged 5.3% growth over the past decade.

The third part of the package would limit the growth of school revenues, with the goal of forcing schools to reduce property taxes when they get more state aid. Pillen has proposed boosting state school aid by providing $1,500 for every student and paying more to cover special-education costs.

Under LB243, schools would be limited to 3% annual growth in revenues, with some exceptions. The limit would apply to the combination of property taxes, state aid and other funding.

The fourth part of the property tax package would end community colleges' ability to levy property taxes, except for building needs, starting in 2024. The bill would replace those tax revenues with state aid.

State aid to the colleges would increase by 3.5% annually, with additional money available based on enrollment growth. Community colleges could levy property taxes to fill the gap if the state does not meet its funding obligations.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A Nevada judge postponed on Monday the trial for a former Dances With Wolves actor indicted in state court on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls for a decade in the Las Vegas area.

Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny said the trial in the case of Nathan Chasing Horse will begin May 1 in Las Vegas to give prosecutors and Chasing Horse's public defenders more time to iron out pending motions in the case. His trial had previously been scheduled for April 17.

A Clark County grand jury indicted Chasing Horse, 46, in late February on 19 counts that include charges of sexual assault of a child younger than 16, kidnapping, lewdness and child abuse. Chasing Horse, who is widely known for his portrayal of Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner's 1990 Oscar-winning film, has pleaded not guilty and invoked his right to a trial within 60 days of his indictment.

The former actor, who has been in custody since his Jan. 31 arrest, is due back in court Wednesday morning for a hearing on a motion asking Kierny to dismiss the sweeping indictment. Chasing Horse and his lawyers argued in their motion that two women identified as victims in Nevada wanted to have sex with him.

Prosecutors and police have said the abuse allegations against Chasing Horse date to the early 2000s and span two countries and multiple states. He also faces criminal charges in U.S. District Court in Nevada and British Columbia, Canada, as well as on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana.

Chasing Horse is accused of using his position as a self-proclaimed medicine man to gain access to vulnerable Indigenous women and girls and take underage wives. Authorities have described him as the leader of a cult known as "The Circle," whose members believe he has healing abilities and can communicate to higher beings.
On this day in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final speech, in Memphis, Tennessee. King spoke to marshall support of striking sanitation workers in the city, calling for boycotts and nonviolent action on their behalf. At the end of the speech he spoke of an earlier attempt on his life, and of the many death threats he had received, and suggested he might not live a long life. The very next day he was murdered by a supporter of George Wallaces segregationist presidential campaign.

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The United States is in the midst of a severe housing affordability crisis. Eighty percent of U.S. homes are now unaffordable to the average American, meaning that the monthly mortgage payment would eat up more than 30 percent of monthly wages. The number of renters spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent is higher than it has been in decades. Homelessness is at record highs, and high-cost cities have become so expensive that they are driving national migration patterns.

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Many analysts have concluded that the problem is a raft of local building restrictions that make creating new housing a long, uncertain, and expensive processand therefore a less frequent one, despite the significant demand. According to Freddie Mac, the country has a shortage of almost 4 million homes. Local and state reforms have begun to chip away at the problem, but Washington has sat largely on the sidelines. While the Biden administration claimed it would prioritize pro-growth jurisdictions in its transportation grants, the results have been mixed.

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Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, has been one of Washingtons most vocal advocates for increasing the housing supply. Last year, he created a special pool of money at the Department of Housing and Urban Development for jurisdictions that remove barriers to housing. Hes also the author, with Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, of a bipartisan bill, the Yes in My Backyard Act, which would require jurisdictions receiving certain federal housing aid to report back on how their zoning practices are limiting opportunities for new housing. In our interview, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, he discussed his Damascene moment on zoning reform, his fellow liberals blind spots on housing, and why Congress cant just tell your suburb to legalize apartments.

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Henry Grabar: You got this $85 million grant program put into the appropriations bill in December, which is for the identification and removal of barriers to affordable housing production and preservation. Is this Congresss first yes-in-my-backyard provision?

Sen. Brian Schatz: It is. This is the first federal program, and were very excited about it. As a Democrat, I come from a long tradition of progressivism based on helping people. But one of the areas where I think the Democrats have it wrong, traditionally, is that were actually creating a shortage of the thing that we say we want. We are making it incredibly difficult to create housing, and then we sort of puzzle through what to do about it. And the solution is very simple, in fact. We need to make it legal to build housing of all kinds.

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This should be attractive to people who are progressive, because we have a massive nationwide housing shortage. But also, people who are right of center should be attracted to the basic property rights argument, which is that, hey, its your landyou own it.

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What are the policies at the local level that are preventing us from building the housing we need?

Its minimum lot sizes, its restrictions on use, its bans on apartments, height restrictions. All of it. There are lots of programs that need federal subsidy, but theres not enough subsidy in the world to solve this problem. We simply need to make it legal to build the thing that we all say we want.

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For me, the seminal moment when I became an aggressively yes-in-my-backyard person was when I fully understood that zoningexclusionary zoning in particular, restrictive covenantscame right after Jim Crow was outlawed by the Supreme Court of the United States. Folks that wanted to continue the legacy of Jim Crow figured out a way to do that which would pass constitutional muster. And so all of that stuff was designed to keep primarily Black people out of affluent neighborhoods. Even though there are a lot of progressives and environmentalists who invoke the phrase Protect the character of our neighborhood, we need to note that history there is pretty dark.

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The problem, especially in high-cost areas, is that the only people who can get through the entitlement process and still make a profit are the people who, at the end of construction, are selling luxury condominiums or what we call gentleman farms, which are essentially fake farms. There are a lot of instances where a developer makes a choice to build a self-storage unit in an urban area rather than an apartment building. It is way easier to get a county to permit you to essentially rent out cubes to store stuff, and its very difficult to rent out cubes for people to actually have a place to live.

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Likewise, if people have rural land, getting it rezoned for residential purposes is very hard. Dividing a 35-acre property into these giant estates and letting someone from Silicon Valley have their third house, that usually requires almost no discretionary approvals from the government. So our system is upside down in the name of environmentalism. Theres nothing environmentally sound about sprawl. Theres nothing environmentally sound or progressive about preventing people from living anywhere near where they work.

One of the critiques thats often lobbied at YIMBYs is that a lot of the housing that gets produced goes to the higher end of the market. It sounds as if one of the points youre making is that the restrictions are so extreme that they have the effect of whittling down the type of housing thats produced into only the most expensive units.

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Thats exactly right. Nobodys thrilled about another luxury condominium coming up in downtown Honolulu. But the reason that only luxury condominiums are coming up in downtown Honolulu is they can throw $5 million or $8 million at consultants to get through the labyrinth of rules and regulations. If youre trying to renovate a 12-unit walk-up apartment on the corner of Kewalo and Wilder Avenue in Makiki in urban Honolulu, well, you dont have millions of dollars for consultants. So the stuff for working people doesnt get built. And the stuff for second and third homes still continues to pencil out. The status quo is working for wealthy landowners and homeowners and people who are on their second and third house when most people arent even on their first apartment.

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Lets talk about the grant program for a second. Its been called the baby YIMBY bill because its small relative to some of the other grant programs.

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Well, that hurts my feelings.

Not my words. Thats Reason Magazine. But, you know, a baby also grows into an adult, so theres a kind of optimism there as well. With tens of millions of dollars at HUDs disposal at an agency that has a budget of tens of billions, how does this money make an impact?

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Theres two ways to look at that. First of all, its a fair amount of money. Second of all, its not that much money across the country. I think the other part of this that is important is that its simply essential that national leaders start to talk about the housing shortage. Its too easy to say, Well, I see that theres a housing crisis, so why dont we increase the low-income housing tax credit? We can double it. And that would be fantastic. And I would support that. But [in Hawaii], youre talking about doubling the production from a few dozen units to maybe twice that. We have a 30,000-unit shortfall! The only way to solve this problem is not by doubling or tripling individual subsidies but by simply allowing people to do what theyre asking to do, which is to try to turn a profit providing housing. Every time theres a shortage of something in society, somebody figured out a way to make money providing that good or service. But in housing, weve made it illegal.

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A larger question about the approach, which is offering carrots to jurisdictions that do the right thing, is that so many of the most exclusionary policies are in the jurisdictions that have the least need for federal cash. How do you solve that problem if what youre offering is just incentives, or carrots, rather than some sort of stick?

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I think we have to start somewhere. And weve made good progress in a relatively short period of time. This movement is growing. Its true that some jurisdictions are going to be dead-enders and some jurisdictions may never reform their zoning laws, but the places that want to grow will grow. The places that want to be humane will be humane.

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One of my goals here is to make sure that the Democratic Party evolves on housing. I came from the environmental movement. I still belong to the environmental movement. And growing up, my first involvement in political activism was in stopping inappropriate development from ruining one of my favorite pieces of coastline on the island of Oahu. If you come from the progressive tradition, especially the environmental tradition, organizations coalesce around stopping things. And I think, in a new progressive vision, we are building clean energy, we are building housing, we are building physical infrastructure. And the left should own building. The left should own investing in our own communities. Theres nothing intrinsically progressive about stopping progress.

I want to ask you about the Yes in My Backyard Act, which would require recipients of Community Development Block Grantsa much larger program, which is $3 billionto submit reports on land-use policies. Given what youve been saying here, why not just cut to the chase and require any jurisdiction that receives CDBG funding to legalize apartments?

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Because Im not the czar of America, because its a legislative process, and because I dont have the votes for that.

Part of what were trying to do is depolarize this issue. There are some unusual left-and-right coalitions, and we want to move as fast as we can, but we dont want to strip the screw here. It took 50 or 60 years to build that thicket of laws and rules and regs and processes that make it so difficult to build. And I dont think it should take 50 years to unravel, but its not something we can achieve instantaneously.

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All right. Fair enough. That gets to the question of politics. This really riles people up, especially your fellow Democrats, as you just observed. Whats your argument to liberals who dont see anything regressive in telling developers to take a hike?

Well, its always attractive to tell anyone who is trying to make money that they should make less money. Im sympathetic on an instinctual level to that. One of the criticisms of the YIMBY movement really comes from socialists who believe that until we change capitalism, were not going to change housing. And Im not a socialist. I believe in capital markets, and I do not think all of housing should be provided by the government.

Others are just living in the contradiction that they are nominally liberal on all the thingsclimate and immigration and health care and LGBTQ rights and all the good stuff, but they also have a nice home and do not want other people to live next to them. And that is not a coherent political philosophy. Thats just a person thinking theyre liberal but they are not liberal about a basic question, which is: Do I want a nurse or a firefighter or a sanitation worker or a restaurant worker or an elderly individual or a disabled individual or a student to live near me? And if the answer is Well, sure, but only if they can afford this 1-acre lot, then youre not that progressive.

Housing has been basically ignored in every presidential election in recent memory, even as housing costs have reshaped the countrys social geography, eaten up wages, and created homelessness. Why is this such a back-burner issue?

I think its been a back burner because its considered local. But the change now is that its not just San Francisco and Honolulu and New York City and a few other places that are experiencing a shortage of housing. Its every place across the country. So, this is a national issue, whether we like it or not.
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If youre thinking of starting a photography business in 2023, you need the right equipment to get started. Each company and niche will have different needs. But there are several basic categories that most photographers will have to consider. This professional photography supplies list includes several categories as you set up and grow your business.

The Photography Industry in 2023

Professional photography is in high demand in several industries in 2023. Businesses require professional photos for everything from product pages to social media content. Photographers also produce content for real estate agents, and special events and some even sell images or provide direct services to consumers. There is a steady demand for these services. And many photographers can even take advantage of multiple income streams at once.

Why You Should Consider a Photography Business

If youre thinking of starting a business in 2023, here are some reasons to consider photography:

Multiple ways to make money with photography: Sell photos, offer paid sessions, or cover special events. There are tons of ways to use your skills in different niches.

Sell photos, offer paid sessions, or cover special events. There are tons of ways to use your skills in different niches. Low barrier to entry: Though you can get a degree in photography, its not required. Consider just taking a photography business course online or at a local community college instead.

Though you can get a degree in photography, its not required. Consider just taking a photography business course online or at a local community college instead. Express your creativity: Photography involves artistic expression. So it can be an ideal business for creatives.

Photography involves artistic expression. So it can be an ideal business for creatives. Time and location flexibility: Many photographers set their own hours and can take jobs and edit from the locations of their choice.

Many photographers set their own hours and can take jobs and edit from the locations of their choice. Sustained demand: Theres a high demand for professional photographers in a variety of industries, from event planning to product photography.

Essential Professional Photography Equipment List

Before you can launch your new photo venture, its time to invest in quality materials. The exact items you need may depend on your niche. For example, product photography equipment often differs from the items used to shoot portraits. If youre ready to kick off your photo business, here are some photography supplies to add to your list.

Cameras

A quality camera is the backbone of any photo business. Some photographers use just one device with multiple accessories. And others have multiple cameras, like a DSLR and compact digital camera, to use for different occasions. Here are some types you may use:

Camera Hardware

Once you have the camera, you may also need some hardware to complete your setup. Here are some common types of camera hardware to consider:

Tripods

The right tripod can stabilize your camera and make it easier to get smooth shots. There are also specialized versions for specific types of shots or videos, like 360 product photography equipment. Here are some different types to consider:

Photography Lighting

If youre shooting indoors or in low-light conditions, you may need additional lighting equipment to supplement your shots. Here are some of the best studio lights for photography and other lighting accessories to consider:

Camera Lenses

Camera lenses attach to DSLR and mirrorless cameras to provide a certain look for each shoot. Many photographers use different lenses for various types of shoots, since you want a different look for food photos than you would for landscape shots. Its also important to ensure that each lens matches your camera. Here are some popular varieties to consider:

Filters

Filters change the appearance of images by slightly distorting what colors or visuals are captured. For example, some create the illusion of a light flare, while others change the color. Here are some popular types:

Photo Accessories

These smaller photo accessories may also come in handy in some niche situations:

Backdrops

Backdrops provide a steady base for studio portrait photography or product photos. These products vary widely by size, color, and material. But here are some popular products:

Props

Photo props add interest to a variety of photos. Simple cubes are often used to enhance product photography. And silly photo booth props can

Studio Space

Studio space can be useful for photographers that take portraits, product photos, or staged photo shoots. This isnt really a product to purchase, but rather a service to book as needed or to rent on an ongoing basis. Check your local community for lease or on-demand rental options if you dont have enough space in your home or office.

Transportation

Many photography businesses also require reliable transportation to get to and from events or photo shoots. This can include your own personal vehicle or public transit options. However, secure transit is often preferred when carrying bulky and/or valuable photography equipment.

Smartphone

Even if you use a larger professional camera for most of your photos, a smartphone is essential for sharing images and marketing your business. Additionally, many modern smartphones include quality cameras that you can use for a variety of purposes. Some of the best smartphones for photography include:

Photo Editing Software

Once you take photos, the right editing software can help you polish them. There are a variety of options at different price points and skill levels. Here are some top options:

Computer

A computer can provide storage space, editing capabilities, and options for marketing your photography business. Here are some popular options for photographers:

Photo Printer

You may also need a photo printer to provide physical copies of your work to clients or in marketing materials. The following devices provide a high level of quality:

Camera Bag and Storage

Once you have all of your photography gear in place, youll need a camera bag or storage solution to keep everything safe. Here are some main options for getting your cameras and accessories where they need to go safely:

See Also: 50 Outdoor Business Ideas to Start in 2023

Cleaning Supplies

Its also important to keep your professional photography equipment clean. The following camera cleaning supplies can provide a thorough clean or help you while youre out on shoots:

Save with Quality Used Photography Equipment

Used photography equipment can help you save money when getting your business off the ground. Certain items, like photo accessories, backdrops, and camera equipment can all be purchased new. Just look for sellers with high ratings and clear images of the products youre purchasing.

What type of camera do most professional photographers use?

Most professional photographers use DSLR or mirrorless cameras from the brands Nikon, Canon, and Sony. Popular models in 2023 include the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sony a7III, and Nikon D850.

What is a professional photographers most important piece of equipment?

A photographers most important piece of equipment is a quality camera and lens. The best products vary based on your niche. But these items should be among the first you purchase.

Qualify for discounts, special offers and more with a Business Prime account from Amazon. You can create a FREE account to get started today.
Undercover agents were sent to watch a performance of A Drag Queen Christmas at The Plaza Live theater in Orlando in December in order to document whether children were being exposed to lewd acts.

Their report: Nothing to see here.

Besides some of the outfits being provocative [bikinis and short shorts], agents did not witness any lewd acts such as exposure of genital organs, the brief report stated, as reported by the Miami Herald. The performers did not have any physical contact while performing to the rhythm of the music with any patrons.

Agents took photos of three minors who appeared to be accompanied by adults.

Despite the report the DeSantis administration targeted the nonprofit that runs the venue and has threatened its liquor license.

Russell Cormican, a local attorney who specializes in First Amendment law, sees a larger goal.

The danger presented here is not confined to only the venue targeted in the complaint. When the government violates the First Amendment rights of a segment of its population the result is a chilling effect on others engaged in similar expression, he said. It is likely that other venues will shy away from presenting drag shows and that performers may elect to change their routines or abandon drag altogether. The fear of enforcement will cause people to curtail their constitutionally protected expression.

According to the Miami Herald, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation claimed Plaza Live had allowed children to see acts of sexual conduct, simulated sexual activity, and lewd, vulgar and indecent displays  in violation of state laws that ban showing lewd or lascivious materials to minors under the age of 16.

Losing its liquor license would be a devastating blow to The Plaza Live, potentially forcing it to shut down. The Herald pointed out that even though the complaints asserted the venue broke state decency laws, prosecutors have not filed any criminal charges. Instead the state is handling it as a license-compliance issue.

Carlos Guillermo Smith, a former Democratic state legislator from Orlando, told the Herald the report shows the outrage over drag shows is a hoax.

What you see here is the governor sending in investigators and then dismissing what the investigators have to say because it doesnt fit into his narrative, said Guillermo Smith, who now works for Equality Florida. Its more evidence that all of this  is contrived, its politically motivated. And its not about protecting children. Its part of an ongoing effort to marginalize LGBT people and their allies because thats the vehicle that will get him to  the GOP nomination.

Recently the DeSantis administration has revoked the liquor license of the Hyatt Miami over a drag show and is investigating the Broward Center for Performing Arts as well.

The actions taken by Gov. DeSantis and the DBPR are not only an affront to LGBTQ rights, but also show a complete lack of respect for the rights and freedoms protected by the First Amendment. Drag performance enjoys a long theatrical history and is an important part of gay culture. It is also a form of expression that receives protection from government interference under the First Amendment, Cormican said. "The reality is that these performances are no more explicit than a PG movie, a WWE wrestling show, or a beauty pageant swimsuit competition. The fact that DeSantis has singled out drag shows for this type of enforcement speaks volumes about his true motive.
The ECHR delivered its verdict.

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Welcome to your weekly commentary and overview of news from Slovakia. Fico and Kalinak fail to impress Strasbourg judges. The Teplaren attacker may not have been a lone wolf. And The Slovak Spectator has some tips on how to approach the Foreigners Police.

Last Week in Slovakia is taking Easter break next week, well be back with the next edition on Monday, April 17.

For daily updates on news from Slovakia, check out our Today in Slovakia newsletter, which we send directly to your inbox at the end of every workday.

Fico and Kalinak schooled by the ECHR

Robert Fico has lately been attracting international attention to the criminal investigations he faces in Slovakia  just not quite in the way he intended.

The former Smer party prime minister and his long-time right-hand man, Robert Kalinak, recently received a response from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to a complaint that they had submitted to the Strasbourg tribunal demanding that it uphold their claims against Slovakias current government and criminal prosecution bodies.

What offence had these institutions supposedly committed? Firstly, they had the temerity to investigate and even charge Fico and Kalinak with corruption while in office. Secondly, and perhaps even more damningly in the eyes of these former ministers, their successors in government had failed to prevent such inexcusable acts of lese-majesty. According to Fico and Kalinaks telling, they are at imminent risk of becoming political prisoners, victims of fabricated cases orchestrated by their political opponents (readers who have followed the recent indictment of another former leader this week, in New York, may recognise a familiar tone to these complaints).

Smer politicians have pursued this line for a long time now. They hold regular press conferences whose main point is to bash the police officers of the National Crime Agency (NAKA) as well as Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipsic and his subordinates.
Hungarian documents already available.

Translated versions of most used documents should help in offcial communication with offices. (Source: Unsplash)

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The Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is preparing informative exemplars of official documents in Hungarian, Ukrainian, English and German languages, in order to overcome the language barrier with clients.

From March 31, clients can find Hungarian exemplars on the Office's website. The translated electronic documents should provide help when filling official Slovak documents. In other words, they are not to be used in official communication.

More translated documents will come in near future.

Translated exemplars include the most frequently used documents such as applications, contracts, instructions, confirmations and other.

For the time being, the Office has published Hungarian-language documents that concern alimony, childcare allowance, and assistance in material need. They are highlighted in yellow on the website.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/one-person-injured-in-car-bomb-blast-in-damascus-1109059838.html

One Person Injured in Car Bomb Blast in Damascus

One Person Injured in Car Bomb Blast in Damascus

One person was injured as a result of a car bomb explosion in the west of the Syrian capital of Damascus, a local police source told Sputnik.

2023-04-02T23:25+0000

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2023-04-02T23:25+0000

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"The car exploded a few seconds after its owner parked it. As a result, one person was slightly injured, the car was completely burned down, and several cars parked nearby were damaged," the source said. Late on Sunday night, a Damascus police source told Sputnik that a car bomb exploded in the Mezzeh district in the west of Damascus. The source specified that reports of an alleged explosion near the Mezzeh Military Airfield were false.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/ankara-says-expects-positive-outcome-on-purchase-of-f-16-fighters-from-us-1109074651.html

Ankara Expects 'Positive Outcome' on Purchase of F-16 Fighters From US

Ankara Expects 'Positive Outcome' on Purchase of F-16 Fighters From US

Ankara is expecting "positive outcome" concerning implementation of its plans to purchase F-16 fighter jets from Washington once US President Joe Biden is able to resolve objections to the sale in the US Congress, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.

2023-04-03T10:33+0000

2023-04-03T10:33+0000

2023-04-03T11:10+0000

military

f-16

turkey

us

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"In fact, there is no such thing as complete blocking. We know that the [Biden] administration is making sincere efforts. They are determined to provide Turkiye with F-16 or kits required to modernize the existing Turkish aircraft. There are those who are against it in the Congress, but we know, that the administration is making effort regarding those who are against. We also expect positive outcome," Cavusoglu said, as quoted by Turkish broadcaster. At the same time, the top Turkish diplomat added that the Biden administration had first to convince the US Congress of the need for the deal, which could only be achieved through dialogue with the opponents. In April 2021, the United States excluded Turkiye from the F-35 program after Ankara purchased Russia's S-400 air defense systems. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said later that year that Washington had offered that Ankara buy F-16 jets instead, one generation behind the F-35s. However, the deal needs approval of the US Congress. The Biden administration has long been seeking a green light from the US Congress for the sale of F-16 fighters to Ankara, with the US State Department trying to convince lawmakers that the deal aligns with Washington's interests, but some congressmen strongly oppose the initiative. Against the background of the protracted negotiations in the US government, Chagri Erhan, a member of the Turkish Presidential Security and Foreign Policy Council, told Sputnik that Ankara could abandon the idea of purchasing F-16s from the US and consider replacement options, including the acquisition of Russian fighters.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230302/pentagon-us-advances-possible-619mln-sale-of-f-16-munitions-to-taiwan-amid-china-tensions-1107922689.html

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(CNN)  Starbucks has fired a Buffalo, New York, worker who "ignited a movement" from one of the first stores in the coffee chain to unionize, Starbucks Workers United said Friday.

The firing came the same week that former CEO Howard Schultz testified before Congress, where he was grilled by lawmakers for the company's labor practices and alleged union-busting.

Alexis Rizzo had been shift supervisor at the Genesee Street store in Buffalo for more than 7 years, the union said. That store was one of the first of two locations to officially win their union campaigns in January 2022 after the federal labor board certified its results. Rizzo was the worker who first contacted the union.

"This is retaliation at its worst," a statement from Starbucks Workers United said. The union noted two other employees were fired and a union leader was written up.

Rizzo said she was fired after her shift Friday for attendance and being late, discipline issues that stemmed from the beginning of the union campaign. She said she was fired after a few instances of being several minutes late to work, though the company said she had missed over four hours of work over six separate incidents.

Rizzo said she began "sobbing" when she heard. She said her partner is disabled after being hit by a car while riding a bicycle, so she is currently the sole provider for the household.

"This is not just a job," Rizzo said, adding she will fight "tooth and nail" to get reinstated. "I feel like I've lost everything. It's my family and my support system."

Her infractions are committed by many coworkers, she said -- some worse than her -- without any reprimand. She noted other union leaders in Buffalo have been fired.

"I guess I finally cracked and gave them the opportunity to retaliate against me, too," Rizzo said.

In a statement, a Starbucks spokesperson said, Rizzo "had been on a progressive disciplinary track." Starbucks said one of Rizzo's late arrivals, which happened after a final warning was issued, resulted in the store opening one hour late.

Rizzo, who has been working at the coffee chain since she was 17, said she was "set up to fail" to oversleep with the opening and closing schedule assigned to her.

Sanders and Schultz face off

"Instead of negotiating a first union contract as required by law, Starbucks has chosen to double down on its illegal union-busting by firing Alexis Rizzo," Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted Friday night, saying Rizzo "must be reinstated."

The pro-union senator placed pressure on Schultz's alleged union-busting tactics when he testified before the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on Wednesday.

"Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country," said Sanders.

Schultz noted during the hearing that the company's baristas earn an average of $17.50 an hour, which is more than the minimum wage in multiple states, "including, respectfully Chairman Sanders' [state]," referring to Vermont.

The three-time CEO asserted he prefers the company to have a direct relationship with its employees instead of going through a union, denying the company violated labor laws or that he was a union buster.

Nearly 300 locations have voted to join Starbucks Workers United. National Labor Relations Board judges found Starbucks has committed 130 labor violations and the agency has issued more than 70 official complaints against it. Starbucks has filed its own series of complaints against the union, and in his testimony before Congress, Schultz said the company considers these claims "allegations," not findings of fact.

Starbucks and the union have yet to sign a contract.

"What is outrageous to me is not only Starbucks' anti-union activities and their willingness to break the law, it is their calculated and intentional efforts to stall, stall and stall," Sanders said during the hearing.

In a statement, the union said, "Starbucks can fire our leaders, but they cannot stop our movement or stop the public from seeing the truth."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Starbucks fires Buffalo union worker who ignited a movement to organize."
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/au-mission-renews-commitment-to-seek-peace-and-stability-in-somalia-1109078041.html

AU Mission Renews Commitment to Seek Peace and Stability in Somalia

AU Mission Renews Commitment to Seek Peace and Stability in Somalia

The ATMIS has revitalized its commitment to bolster cooperation and establish partnerships in order to achieve peace and stability in the country on the mission's first anniversary.

2023-04-03T14:05+0000

2023-04-03T14:05+0000

2023-04-03T14:05+0000

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east africa

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african union mission in somalia (amisom)

amisom

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terrorism

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The ATMIS has revitalized its commitment to bolster cooperation and establish partnerships in order to achieve peace and stability in the country on the mission's first anniversary.According to a special representative of the chairman of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of the ATMIS, Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the efforts of the transition mission have led to a decrease in al-Shabaab's activities, with the security situation in Somalia relatively calm.The main goal of the ATMIS, which is expected to last until December 31, 2024, consists in preparing the Somali National Armed Forces for assuming responsibility for the security situation in Somalia.The head of the mission noted that international partners who have been supporting the mission since the beginning deserve special attention for their contribution.Along with that, he called on all Somalis to assist the security forces in order to achieve and maintain peace and security in the country.The countries taking part in the ATMIS include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.In early February, officials from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti held two meetings. The first involved the countries' defense ministers and military commanders, who discussed joint anti-terrorism efforts "in full cooperation with the Somali National Army, the ATMIS, and the non-ATMIS forces in Somalia" on February 1. The following day, the leaders of the four countries, who also met in Mogadishu, reached an agreement to "jointly plan and organize a robust operational campaign at the frontline states level, of search and destroy on multiple frontlines aiming at key al-Shabaab strongholds across the south and central Somalia," according to their statement.Somalia is known for having suffered atrocities committed al-Shabaab since the mid-2000s. While the country was engulfed in war, the terrorist group managed to seize vast amounts of territory, including parts of the capital city, but the group was pushed out by government and AMISOM forces in 2011.*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221128/ethiopian-djiboutian-atmis-peacekeepers-conduct-joint-military-exercise-1104791426.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/baby-steps-toward-peace-what-to-expect-from-russia-iran-syria-turkiye-meeting-in-moscow-1109055538.html

Baby Steps Toward Peace: What to Expect From Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkiye Meeting in Moscow

Baby Steps Toward Peace: What to Expect From Russia-Iran-Syria-Turkiye Meeting in Moscow

The past two months have witnessed dramatic changes in the Middle Easts security architecture, with Februarys devastating earthquakes sparking an outpouring of diplomatic and humanitarian support for war-torn Syria and giving rise to hopes that the US-led 12-year-old dirty war against the country may finally be reaching its end.

2023-04-03T05:00+0000

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2023-04-04T06:08+0000

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syria

turkiye

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The deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Syria, Iran and Turkiye are preparing to hold quadripartite talks in Moscow this week. The negotiations, expected to stretch out over two days, will be the first direct talks between Syrian and Turkish officials since December, when Moscow hosted the two countries defense and intelligence ministers  the first of their kind in more than a decade, to explore a possible normalization of ties.Officials in Ankara confirmed last week that Turkiye would take part in the negotiations, with an anonymous senior official saying the talks would constitute a continuation of the ministerial-level meetings that began during the normalization process. No significant decisions are expected, according to the official, given that there will be no ministerial-level participation at these particular negotiations.Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed Iranian participation in the talks during a press conference alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week, and said the rapprochement of the views of Turkiye and Syria will be their focus.Iran joined the Russian-led diplomatic normalization process in January, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying it was absolutely logical for Tehran to take part, since Moscow, Tehran and Ankara are all members of the Astana Process on Syrian peace.Regional RealignmentRussia, which enjoys friendly relations with both Syria and Turkiye, has spent months seeking to bring Damascus and Ankara closer to normalization after more than a decade of mutual animosity.We believe that the differences between Damascus and Ankara can be overcome, and will continue to assist the parties in finding mutually acceptable solutions in the interest of normalizing interstate relations between them and restoring traditional Syrian-Turkish good neighborliness, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Sputnik back in February.Russias commitment to restoring Syrian-Turkish ties was spelled out in a new foreign policy concept last week. The document, signed into law by President Putin on Friday, formally outlines Moscows commitment to reconciling differences relations between Syria and its neighbors, and in helping resolve and overcome consequences of armed conflicts in the Middle East in general.Russia, the policy says, will focus, going forward, on developing the full-scale cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran, providing comprehensive support for the Syrian Arab Republic, and deepening the multifaceted mutually beneficial partnerships with Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other Organization of Islamic Cooperation members.The restoration of Syrian-Turkish ties is key to this equation. When the CIA-led dirty war in Syria began in the early 2010s, Turkiye and other countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel joined the attempt to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, facilitating the flow of Islamist militants into the country, and the export of oil, ancient artifacts and other wealth out of it. Russias intervention in the conflict in 2015 helped slow these flows to a trickle, and Turkiye subsequently shifted gears to supporting rebels in Idlib province, and carrying out multiple military operations in Syria against Daesh (ISIS)* and US-backed Syrian Kurdish militants with suspected ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party  which Ankara designates as a terrorist group.Turkiye and its allies currently control about 10 percent of Syrias territory, and Damascus has repeatedly demanded their withdrawal (a demand Syrian authorities have also applied to US and Israeli forces). Emphasizing the significance of the issue to Damascus, President Assad said last month that he would not agree to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan until Ankara agreed to end its occupation.Wake Up Call for WashingtonLast month, China brokered a landmark normalization of relations agreement between long-time regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the US left sidelined from the negotiations and meeting the news with sour grapes.Meanwhile, Saudi and Syrian officials recently told US media that the two countries were nearing a Russia-brokered normalization of ties agreement. Syrian and Egyptian officials are also in advanced discussions on the full restoration of diplomatic relations, with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad traveling to Cairo for talks with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, on Saturday.In February and March, President Assad traveled to Oman and the United Arab Emirates  which became the first Gulf nations to take steps to restore ties with Damascus in 2019 and 2020, respectively, to discuss ways to boost ties and facilitate Syrias return to the Arab League.The normalization of Syrian-Turkish ties, as a key component of Syria's triumphant diplomatic 'return' to the region, could prove a devastating blow to US power, demonstrating that Washingtons dirty war tactics, and longstanding attempts to sanction Damascus into submission, are no longer a convincing argument to regional powers  even those with a long-standing tradition of close links to Washington. It will also prove a boon to President Assad, demonstrating his ability to withstand a dirty war against his country by some of the wealthiest and most powerful nations on Earth and live to tell about it.* A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/five-syrian-soldiers-injured-in-israeli-attack-in-homs-province-1109039540.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230331/full-text-russias-new-foreign-policy-concept-1108994715.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/militants-tried-twice-to-enter-govt-controlled-area-in-syrias-idlib-1109039295.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230327/white-house-no-change-in-us-footprint-in-syria-as-result-of-attacks-on-us-bases-1108842207.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/beijing-announces-readiness-to-use-macrons-visit-to-china-to-enhance-global-stability-1109077183.html

Beijing Announces Readiness to Use Macron's Visit to China to Enhance Global Stability

Beijing Announces Readiness to Use Macron's Visit to China to Enhance Global Stability

China is ready to use the upcoming visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the country to promote a strategic partnership between Beijing and Paris, as well as contribute to strengthening global peace and stability

2023-04-03T12:17+0000

2023-04-03T12:17+0000

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world

emmanuel macron

china

france

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"[Beijing is ready to] use this visit as an opportunity to facilitate new results of a close and long-tern comprehensive strategic partnership between China and France, in order to play a positive role in the healthy development of relations between China and the European Union, as well as to contribute to strengthening peace, stability and development in the world," Mao told a press conference. Xi will hold talks with Macron, the spokeswoman said, adding that the two leader would discuss the future development of Chinese-French relations, cooperation in various areas between Beijing and Paris, as well as between China and the EU, and exchange views on the relevant international and regional issues. As part of his trip to China, Macron will also meet with Li Qiang, the premier of the Chinese State Council, and Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the spokeswoman said, adding that apart from Beijing, Macron would also visit the city of Guangzhou in China's southern province of Guangdong.Earlier in the day, Beijing confirmed that Macron would pay an official visit to China from April 5-7 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. The French president said, in turn, that he had invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to accompany him during the trip.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/belarus-to-emphasize-partnership-with-russia-china-in-national-security-concept-1109092214.html

Belarus to Emphasize Partnership With Russia, China in National Security Concept

Belarus to Emphasize Partnership With Russia, China in National Security Concept

Belarus will reaffirm that its foreign policy is based on allied relations with Russia and strengthening partnership with China in its new national security concept, according to a draft published on Monday.

2023-04-03T21:08+0000

2023-04-03T21:08+0000

2023-04-03T21:08+0000

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belarus

china

russia

collective security treaty organization (csto)

european union (eu)

us

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"Its [Belarusian] foreign policy activity ensures the implementation of an independent course in the international arena. It is based on strategic allied relations with the Russian Federation, comprehensive cooperation with other friendly states within the framework of integration associations with the participation of the Republic of Belarus, strengthening the strategic partnership with the People's Republic of China and multifaceted interaction with other states that respect our views and interests," the draft concept said. The document also noted that Belarus is a full-fledged subject of international relations and an integral element of the system of regional and international security. At the same time, Minsk considers encroachment on territorial integrity, sovereignty and constitutional order, as well as sanctions to be the main threats to its national security. Its allied relations with Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) contribute to ensuring the military security of Belarus, which is sufficient for defense purposes, the draft said. Additionally, Belarus is planning to maintain a pragmatic dialogue with the EU and the US with a view to lifting sanctions and as a way to protect itself against external threats, the document read. The project has been approved by the Belarusian Security Council and presented for public discussion with the involvement of experts and academics.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/calls-to-execute-decisions-of-intl-bodies-against-russia-could-be-penalized-moscow-1109080971.html

Calls to Execute Decisions of Int'l Bodies Against Russia Could Be Penalized: Moscow

Calls to Execute Decisions of Int'l Bodies Against Russia Could Be Penalized: Moscow

Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Monday that it is proposed to introduce criminal liability for calls for the execution of decisions of international bodies, the activities of which are directed against Russia.

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

russia

russia

international criminal court (icc)

criminal

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"We are talking about the introduction of a ban on public calls for the execution of their decisions and cooperation with them These crimes should be punished with criminal liability. To this end, proposals are being prepared to introduce norms on punishment in the form of fines and imprisonment into the Russian Criminal Code," Volodin said. Relevant committees of the State Duma are preparing amendments that will ban the activities of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Russia. Earlier in the month, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, citing "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/russian-foreign-minister-accuses-icc-of-doing-wests-bidding-1108694288.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/death-toll-from-tornadoes-in-us-surpasses-30--1109060677.html

Death Toll From Tornadoes in US Surpasses 30

Death Toll From Tornadoes in US Surpasses 30

The death toll from the tornadoes that swept across the US South and Midwest has surpassed 30, while dozens of people were injured, The New York Times reports.

2023-04-03T03:12+0000

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weather

extreme weather

tornado

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On Saturday, CBS reported that the tornado death toll in the United States stood at 26. The New York Times said on Sunday that the death toll had gone up to 32, with fatalities reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, the latter accounting for 15 deaths. In Arkansas, five deaths have been reported. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has declared a state of emergency and deployed the National Guard. Tornadoes and severe winds swept across several parts of the US South and Midwest on Friday night, leaving over 400,000 people without electricity.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/defense-appeals-pre-trial-detention-of-wsj-reporter-gershkovich-in-russia-1109092717.html

Defense Appeals Pre-Trial Detention of WSJ Reporter Gershkovich in Russia

Defense Appeals Pre-Trial Detention of WSJ Reporter Gershkovich in Russia

His defense has appealed the court order on the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, suspected of espionage by Russian security services.

2023-04-03T21:51+0000

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2023-04-03T21:51+0000

russia

evan gershkovich

russian federal security service (fsb)

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"The court has received a complaint on the measure of restraint in respect of Gershkovich," a representative of the court said. On March 30, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Gershkovich, a WSJ Moscow Bureau correspondent, in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage in favor of the United States. According to the FSB, the journalist was collecting classified information about the activities of one of Russia's military-industrial complex firms. Later that day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow decided to place Gershkovich in pre-trial detention for two months until May 29. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the reporter had been caught red-handed, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Gershkovich's activities in Yekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism. The WSJ has denounced any charges against Gershkovich and demanded his immediate release. EU High Representative Josep Borrel, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and US President Joe Biden, among many other Western leaders, have condemned the journalist's arrest. Later in the day, Alexey Melnikov, executive secretary of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission, said that Gershkovich, currently held in Moscow's Lefortovo pre-trial detention facility, "has no complaints about detention conditions." Melnikov noted that Gershkovich, while in a quarantine cell, is undergoing a medical examination and tests for diseases, including chronic ones, as well as communicating with a psychologist. Melnikov also said that the journalist has a two-bed cell without a roommate yet, and his food meets the established standards. Gershkovich has already visited the facility's library, he added.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/egyptian-president-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-1109060410.html

Egyptian President Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Egyptian President Arrives in Saudi Arabia

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has arrived on a visit in Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian Al-Qahera News TV channel reports.

2023-04-03T00:59+0000

2023-04-03T00:59+0000

2023-04-03T00:59+0000

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egypt

saudi arabia

saudi arabia

abdel fattah al-sisi

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The Egyptian leader arrived in Jeddah late on Sunday night, Al-Qahera News said shortly after midnight. The visit comes amid Saudi Arabias and Egypts moves to ease tensions with Iran and Syria. On Saturday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Cairo to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. The two ministers had a closed-door meeting and then held talks with the countries delegations, agreeing to boost bilateral communication channels. Mekdads visit to Egypt marks the first visit by a top Syrian official to the country since 2011. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al Sisi could meet in the near future, after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing sources. The newspaper said that Damascus and Cairo are in advanced discussions to restore full diplomatic ties.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/german-mp-calls-to-expel-us-troops--they-dont-actually-want-allies-just-loyal-vassals-1109061268.html

German MP Calls to Expel US Troops  They Dont Actually Want Allies, Just Loyal Vassals

German MP Calls to Expel US Troops  They Dont Actually Want Allies, Just Loyal Vassals

Its time for US troops in Germany to go home, says one of the few remaining voices campaigning for the country to maintain its neutrality amid the conflict between Russian forces and the Zelensky regime.

2023-04-03T04:01+0000

2023-04-03T04:01+0000

2023-04-03T04:15+0000

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sevim dagdelen

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An influential German legislator has called for the removal of US service members from the countrys borders in a rousing address commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Marshall Plan.In a March 31 address, Left Party parliamentarian Sevim Dagdelen acknowledged that while "the main burden in the fight against German fascism was shouldered by the Soviet Union 400,000 US soldiers lost their lives" in the fight as well."And that is why," continued Dagdelen, "we also say: after 78 years, it is now time for US soldiers to go home," adding: "all other allies left Germany a long time ago."To this day, Dagdelen noted, "the US military bases behave like extraterritorial areas in which the [German] constitution does not apply."US troops have committed a number of gruesome crimes on Germany soil  many of which have never been formally adjudicated. Just five weeks ago, a former US soldier was charged with the murder of Private Amanda Gonzales at an Army base in Hanau, Germany in November 2001.But beyond the domestic criminality in Germany, she pointed out that Germanys relationship with the American government means "assistance is provided in US wars  lethal drone strikes and torture flights in breach of international law."Recalling the decision in 2010 for the US nuclear weapons to be withdrawn" from the country  a measure which she pointed out "has not been implemented" to this day  Dagdelen said "there was once a time when the Bundestag had more courage."And while those times are "long gone," the German parliamentarian said she "stands by [her] position [that] the US nuclear weapons must go."Its a position that she seemed to acknowledge puts her at odds with the mainstream sentiments in German politics."Now, Germanys federal government allows itself to be pushed directly into the line of fire by the US with supplies of Leopard tanks," Dagdelen stated.A recent bombshell report by Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh implicated top Biden functionaries in last September's bombing of the main artery providing Germans with cheap Russian gas. But the American government has appeared to stubbornly resist any efforts to investigate the cause of the blast, including a recent UN motion to probe the attack which was supported by Security Council members Russia, China and Brazil but ignored by the US and Germany.But the Wests my-way-or-the-highway approach has come at a cost, the legislator noted, and now "fewer and fewer countries around the world are prepared to accept" this arrangement. "And that is good news," she added, because "the foundation for a shared friendship should be respect for human rights and international law.""Why is the federal government refusing, even after 20 years, to condemn the US war of aggression in Iraq as a violation of international law?" Dagdelen asked."Why are you, [German Foreign Minister Annalena] Baerbock, not lobbying for the release of Julian Assange," the parliamentarian continued, noting that the jailed Wikileaks publisher "faces 175 years in prison in the USA for making US war crimes public.""Why did you not offer asylum to the dissident Edward Snowden?" she concluded.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/hungarian-foreign-minister-slams-lack-of-nord-stream-investigation-as-insane-1109080682.html

Hungarian Foreign Minister Slams Lack of Nord Stream Investigation as 'Insane'

Hungarian Foreign Minister Slams Lack of Nord Stream Investigation as 'Insane'

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto lambasted a lack of probe into the Nord Stream sabotage, calling it madness.

2023-04-03T17:14+0000

2023-04-03T17:14+0000

2023-04-03T19:14+0000

nord stream sabotage

peter szijjarto

hungary

russia

nord stream pipeline

nord stream

viktor orban

investigation

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Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has lambasted a lack of probe into the Nord Stream sabotage, calling it madness. The diplomat said that the perpetrators of the terror attack still haven't been brought to justice and urged for an impartial UN-led investigation.Szijjarto suggested imagining what the reaction of the US would be if someone carried out a similar attack on the American soil. Earlier, Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned of the consequences of attempting to disable the "southern pipeline," apparently referring to Turk Stream's branch running via Bulgaria and Serbia and delivering Russian gas to Hungary. The politician recalled the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, emphasizing that Hungary and Serbia would work together to prevent such incidents running across southern Europe.On February 8, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Seymour Hersh published an investigative piece, where he wrote that the Biden administration approved the operation to blow up the Nord Stream. According to Hersh, citing insiders, NATO diving units deployed bombs during BALTOPS joint exercise in July 2022 and then set them off three months later with the help of Norway.Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed with Hersh's version that the attack was perpetrated by US special services. In response to Hersh's bombshell report, US and German media rolled out stories almost simultaneously, pointing the finger at a "pro-Ukrainian group," which allegedly rented a yacht to blow up the pipelines in September 2022. The Russian side has blasted the media leaks as disinformation designed to divert attention from the real perpetrators, reiterating calls for a thorough and transparent probe into the attack.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230318/moscow-to-insist-on-receiving-nord-stream-probe-results-from-sweden-1108537392.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/germany-sweden-denmark-step-up-cooperation-on-nord-stream-investigation-1109027499.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/hungarys-orban-tweets-encouraging-message-to-trump-as-arraignment-looms-1109089573.html

Hungarys Orban Tweets Encouraging Message to Trump as Arraignment Looms

Hungarys Orban Tweets Encouraging Message to Trump as Arraignment Looms

Last week, Donald Trump became the first former president in US history to be brought up on criminal charges. The charges reportedly center around the illegal use of campaign funds to make a hush money payment to a porn star. Trump has vociferously denied any wrongdoing, insisting the charges are part of a wider political witch hunt against him.

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2023-04-03T18:20+0000

viral

viktor orban

donald trump

tweet

tweets

charges

support

encouragement

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed his support for Donald Trump on Monday, tweeting an image of the two men shaking hands and accompanying the photo with the words Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you, @realDonaldTrump.Orban is one of a handful of European leaders with whom Trump struck up a warm relationship during his presidency, with Trump giving the Hungarian leader the highest form of praise possible at a meeting in 2019, saying that Orban was probably like me.The prime minister has not shied away from tweeting at his conservative comrade from across the Atlantic from time to time, seemingly ignoring the implications regarding Budapests relations with Washington and the current US president, Joe Biden.Last year, Trump endorsed Orban ahead of Hungarys parliamentary elections, saying the prime minister had his complete support. Orban, who joined Twitter only last October, returned the favor in a meme tweet, writing shortly after joining the social media platform that there was one question on his mind  where is my good friend, @realDonald Trump?Trumps Twitter account was restored after a nearly two-year-long permaban was lifted by new Twitter boss Elon Musk in November, but Trump has yet to post, preferring his own platform  Truth Social.Orban has used his Twitter presence to post a series of mostly English-language messages addressed to international audiences, including Hungarys position on the conflict in Ukraine, photos from meetings with European leaders, and Budapests viewpoints at EU venues.Mondays tweet earned Orban praise from Trumps supporters, but sparked outrage among liberals and Trump-haters, who castigated the Hungarian leader and Trump as bad people and two Russophile homophobic racist hate spreaders grinning at the world.Orbans show of support comes a day before Trumps expected arraignment at a New York court on about three dozen federal charges related to the alleged illegal payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels, an ex-porn star, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.Trump has denied any wrongdoing, called his accuser a horseface, accused her of extortion, and charged the New York district attorney of going after him to try to knock him out of the 2024 race on false pretenses, similar to Russiagate or his twin failed impeachments. The former president has vowed to fight the charges. He is expected to give public remarks on the case from his Mar-a-Lago estate hours after his arraignment.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/trumped-up-charges-against-former-us-president-embarrassing-to-us-1109074092.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/new-york-police-step-up-security-at-manhattan-court-ahead-of-trump-arraignment-1109089423.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/inside-the-iskander-a-closer-look-at-russias-deadly-short-range-missile-1109080044.html

Inside the Iskander: A Closer Look at Russia's Deadly Short-Range Missile

Inside the Iskander: A Closer Look at Russia's Deadly Short-Range Missile

Russias Missile Troops began training their Belarusian counterparts in the use of the Iskander missile system on Monday. An undisclosed number of the mobile, nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missile systems were sent to Belarus late last year. What is it about these weapons thats driven NATO military planners up the wall? Sputnik explains.

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

2023-04-03T13:29+0000

analysis

iskander

iskander ballistic missile

iskander-m

iskander-m ballistic missile systems

iskander-e

iskander-k

missile

missile launcher

ballistic missile

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko have confirmed their agreement on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.On April 3, we start training crews. On July 1, we will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, Putin said in a television interview late last month. He added that Moscow has already handed Iskander missile systems to Minsk, and provided its ally with support to reequip combat aircraft to carry nuclear weapons.In an address last Friday, Lukashenko said that along with tactical nukes, Belarus would be prepared to consider hosting Russian strategic nuclear weapons if the security situation necessitated it. Lukashenko confirmed the receipt of the Iskanders, and the re-equipment of aircraft. Youve heard from the Russian president about our joint plan to create the necessary infrastructure on Belarusian territory. I would only like to clarify: all the infrastructure has been created and prepared, he said. Lukashenko suggested that hopefully, the measures taken by Moscow and Minsk would strengthen the allies defense capability and sober up the overseas hawks and their satellites.NATO officials predictably attacked Russia and Putin over his dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, while European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Russian nukes in Belarus would pose a threat to European security.Russian media questioned the sincerity of NATOs concerns, given that the US has placed more than a hundred nuclear weapons in half-a-dozen European nations  and not just tactical nukes, but B61 bombs with a blast yield of up to 340 kilotons. (The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which killed up to 215,000 people, had a kilotonnage of 15 and 25 kilotons, respectively.)What is the Iskander Missile System?The weapon at the heart of discussions about nukes in Belarus is the Iskander, a Soviet and Russian designed short-range missile system whose development began in the late 1980s. The system was created out of the need to create a new road mobile, nuclear-capable missile system which would be in line with the provisions of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), which banned ground-based nuclear missile systems in the 500-5,500 km range. The Iskander derives its name from Alexander the Great, the 4th century BC Macedonian king who is known in the nations of the Caucuses and Central Asia as Iskander.The first Iskanders were adopted into service with the Russian military in the mid-2000s. The system was developed by engineers at the KB Mashinostroyeniya, a Moscow region defense concern. Its missiles and ground equipment are manufactured by defense companies in Udmurtia and Volgograd.How Powerful is the Iskander Missile System, and is it Nuclear?Each Iskander launcher is capable of carrying two missiles which can be armed with a wide variety of conventional and nuclear weaponry, ranging from bunker-busting munitions and air-burst cluster fragmentation warheads to high-explosive fragmentation warheads and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) rounds. Warheads weigh between 480 and 700 kg. The systems nuclear warhead variant has a throw weight of up to 50 kilotons  classifying it a tactical nuke. The Iskander also has a cruise missile variant known as the Iskander-K. In an announcement on Russian plans to transfer Iskanders to Belarus last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that the delivered systems would be able to fire both ballistic and cruise missiles, and both conventional and nuclear rounds.How Accurate is the Iskander, and How Far Can It Reach?The Iskander missile system has a circular error probable (CEP) rating of between 30 and 70 meters, or 5-7 meters when equipped with a homing system. The system has a minimum range of 50 km, and a maximum range of up to 500 km. If deployed in northern, western or southern Belarus, Iskanders would be able to reach the Baltics, most of Poland, and most of northern Ukraine, respectively.In the wake of the US decision to rip up the INF Treaty in 2019, Russia may lift its self-imposed restrictions on the Iskanders flight range, and develop new ballistic or cruise missiles which would extend its reach by hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.How Many Iskander Missiles Does Russia Have?Russias arsenal of Iskander missile systems consists of 162 or more firing platforms, 150 of them in the ground forces, and 12 among the Navys coastal defense troops. The number of missiles of various modifications is kept under wraps, but is thought to be in the hundreds.How Much Do Iskander Missiles Cost?For obvious reasons, Russia doesnt advertise the cost of its Iskander missiles or launch platforms. Western and Ukrainian media have estimated the cost of an individual rocket at about $3 million, but have not provided compelling evidence to back up this approximation, with the estimate possibly a propaganda ploy designed to exaggerate the cost of Russias military operation in Ukraine.Can NATO Air and Missile Defenses Like the Patriot and THAAD Stop Iskander?During flight, Iskander missiles accelerate to speeds of up to Mach 7 (2.6 km per second), climb to altitudes between 6 and 50 km, and maneuver in flight to avoid enemy air defenses. The Iskander-K cruise variant engages in evasive maneuvers and flies low to the ground to avoid radar detection and allow them to get the drop on adversaries. US missile defense systems including Patriots and the Terminal High Altittude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles are designed to intercept ballistic and cruise missiles, including the Iskander, but this has yet to be tried in practice.The US announced plans to deliver Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine late last year, but the systems less than stellar performance against Saddam Husseins Iraq, and even against Yemens Houthi warriors, has raised questions about how the Patriot will perform against a near peer or peer adversary like Russia. That makes the Biden administrations Patriot delivery announcement highly risky.Does Iskander Deployment in Belarus Mean Russia is Preparing to Use Nukes in Ukraine?No. Russias nuclear doctrine expressly forbids the use of nuclear weapons, including tactical nukes, barring an existential threat to the countrys national security. Russias nuclear doctrine, published by the Foreign Ministry in June 2020, deems nuclear weapons of any kind exclusively a means of deterrence whose use would be considered only as an extreme and compelled measure in response to the enemy use of weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies, or a conventional attack so severe that the very existence of the state is deemed to be jeopardized. President Putin has hinted at the need to revise the nuclear doctrine to allow for preventative nuclear strikes  which would bring the doctrine closer to that of the Pentagon, but this proposal has yet to be laid down in writing.Do Iskander Missiles Pose Threat to Europe?No more so than the creeping deployment of NATO infrastructure near Russias borders, the storage of American nuclear bombs in European countries and Turkiye, or the construction of nuclear cruise-missile capable anti-missile systems in Poland and Romania.Before the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, Moscow repeatedly expressed its concerns to the US and NATO about the deployment of alliance nuclear and missile infrastructure near Russia, citing the short flight time of such weapons in the event of a conflict (measured in minutes). Growing discussion about the deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe echoes the security situation in Europe in the mid-1980s, when the US and the USSR had thousands of nuclear weapons pointed at one another. The key difference is that today, the standoff between the nuclear superpowers is taking place not in the heart of Central Europe, but right next to Russias borders.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230327/does-the-us-have-any-nuclear-weapons-in-europe-1108820891.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221119/all-missile-forces-re-equipped-with-iskander-m-missile-systems-russian-mod-says-1104420395.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230117/pentagon-ukrainian-troops-officially-begin-patriot-missile-training-at-us-military-base-1106438825.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221105/nato-not-planning-to-change-its-nuclear-deployments-stoltenberg-says--1103820829.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/iran-saudi-arabia-to-launch-joint-chamber-of-commerce-soon-1109088168.html

Iran, Saudi Arabia to Launch Joint Chamber of Commerce Soon

Iran, Saudi Arabia to Launch Joint Chamber of Commerce Soon

ran and Saudi Arabia are discussing the launch of a bilateral chamber of commerce following the decision to resume diplomatic ties, Keyvan Kashefi, a member of the Presiding Board of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, said on Monday.

2023-04-03T17:14+0000

2023-04-03T17:14+0000

2023-04-03T17:14+0000

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"Soon, the joint chamber of commerce of the two countries will be launched, which will be a significant step for advancing economic goals of Iran and Saudi Arabia," Kashefi was quoted as saying by an Iranian news agency.The two countries will also exchange business delegations as soon as they reopen their embassies, Kashefi added. He also underscored that the Iranian private sector welcomed the step taken by the government. Kashefi announced the plans to establish the Iranian-Saudi Arab chamber of commerce at the 82nd Meeting of the Council of Dialogue between the Public and Private Sectors held in Kermanshah province of Iran, where he also praised the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries as the most important political and economic event in the country in recent times. In the beginning of March, Saudi Arabia and Iran, with China's mediation, agreed to resume diplomatic relations, which were broken off in 2017 after Saudi Arabia's diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked following the execution of Nimr al-Nimr, a Shiite preacher.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230312/praising-iran-saudi-pact-china-says-agreement-will-help-rid-region-of-external-interference-1108316681.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/moscow-ankara-find-new-ways-to-extradite-criminals-1109076324.html

Moscow, Ankara Find New Ways to Extradite Criminals

Moscow, Ankara Find New Ways to Extradite Criminals

Russia and Turkey have worked out a new method of transporting extradited criminals via third countries, the General Prosecutor's Office told Sputnik.

2023-04-03T11:53+0000

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2023-04-03T11:53+0000

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The new method, which authorities explained to Sputnik, involves transferring extradited individual from a third country to Russia via Turkiye. According to the prosecutor's office, a Russian citizen accused of large-scale fraud and later absconded to Romania was arrested there by the Interpol and sent to Moscow through Turkiye after Russian General Prosecutor's Office sent an extradition request. The work on extradition of criminals, including the elaboration of new methods of their delivery to Russia, is going on with due consideration of the current political realities, the General Prosecutor's Office added. Turkiye has become the key link in Russia's extradition procedures and transit of criminals extradited to Russia by third countries, Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov said during his working visit to Istanbul in November 2022.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/nato-head-says-finland-to-join-alliance-on-april-4-1109075078.html

Russia to Boost Military Capabilities in Response to Finland Joining NATO on April 4

Russia to Boost Military Capabilities in Response to Finland Joining NATO on April 4

Finland will officially join NATO on April 4, and the country's flag will be raised at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

2023-04-03T11:20+0000

2023-04-03T11:20+0000

2023-04-03T11:56+0000

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Russia will boost its military potential in the western and north-western direction in response to Finland joining NATO on April 4, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Sputnik. According to the minister, Russia will take additional measures to ensure military security in the event of deployment of forces and assets of other NATO members in Finland.Earlier, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto announced that the country will join NATO on April 4."Finland will become a Member of NATO on Tuesday, 4 April 2023. President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinisto will travel to Brussels and attend an accession ceremony at NATO Headquarters," the statement said.Niinisto and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will deliver a speech at the event.Earlier, Stoltenberg confirmed that Finland will officially join NATO on April 4, and the country's flag will be raised at the NATO headquarters in Brussels."This is a historic week. Tomorrow, we will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of a ministerial meeting in Brussels, adding that the alliance "will raise the Finish flag for the first time ... at the headquarters."Finland and Sweden applied to become NATO members in May 2022, abandoning decades of neutrality, three months after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Turkiye and Hungary have been delaying the ratification process but softened their stance on Finland's accession in March. Ankara initially blocked Sweden and Finland's bids due to concerns over Helsinki and Stockholm's long-standing support for the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkiye views as a terrorist group and a grave national security threat. Following the Madrid-hosted meeting in June 2022 between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two Nordic leaders, Ankara dropped its objections. A security memorandum was penned to unblock Finland and Sweden's bid to enter NATO. However, the process again ground to a standstill for Sweden in January in the wake of the Quran-burning incidents at the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.Russian officials have repeatedly warned that the expansion of the Western alliance closer to Russia wouldn't make the region more stable or secure.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230323/president-of-finland-signs-law-on-countrys-accession-to-nato-1108721950.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/now-or-never-high-time-to-revive-russia-africa-cooperation-expert-insists-1109065741.html

'Now or Never': High Time to Revive Russia-Africa Cooperation, Expert Insists

'Now or Never': High Time to Revive Russia-Africa Cooperation, Expert Insists

It's high time for Africa and Russia to boost cooperation, Victorien Aloma, a Beninese doctor of economics and specialist in international economic relations, told Sputnik.

2023-04-03T10:30+0000

2023-04-03T10:30+0000

2023-04-03T10:30+0000

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expert

west

sanctions

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It's high time for Africa and Russia to boost cooperation, Victorien Aloma, a Beninese doctor of economics and specialist in international economic relations, tells Sputnik.According to the Beninese expert, the West's sanctions have had positive effects on the Russian economy. Conditions for Linking Up With AfricaHowever, in order to "reconnect with Africa", Russia needs to create a "business network with the continent's different countries," the expert suggests.Aloma has also stated that it is also necessary to support Russian companies so that they would invest in key sectors of the African economy.According to him, this implies the definition of a "conceptual basis of its foreign economic policy towards Africa", favoring a win-win economic and strategic partnership.How To Win Big In Africa's MarketHe points out, however, that Russian-made products could gain a foothold in Africa's market provided they have a competitive advantage over other items.Given Africans' interest in all kinds of goods, "it is up to Russian companies to choose how to target their products for positioning on the continent's markets".BRICS: A Link to Africa?BRICS, the club of major developing economies, can strengthen Russia-Africa ties, the Beninese analyst emphasizes.According to the economist, BRICS is bound to strengthen once member countries return to their original objectives. In this regard, the bloc's Development Bank "must know how to play its role as an international economic and financial institution for the establishment of a multipolar world and a new geopolitical order," the expert concludes.The four founding members of BRICS  Brazil, Russia, India and China - originally established the bloc in 2005 during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (the association was known as BRIC at the time). With South Africa joining in 2010, the group's name changed to BRICS.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/win-win-partnership--expert-on-africa-in-new-russian-foreign-policy-doctrine-1109023285.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/scott-ritter-us-complicit-in-ukraines-war-on-journalists-1109088860.html

Scott Ritter: US Complicit in Ukraine's War on Journalists

Scott Ritter: US Complicit in Ukraine's War on Journalists

On Sunday, April 2, 2023, the well-known Russian journalist/blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed in what appears to have been a targeted assassination.

2023-04-03T19:30+0000

2023-04-03T19:30+0000

2023-04-04T04:44+0000

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At the time of his murder, Tatarsky had over 560,000 followers on his Telegram channel, making him one of the most influential voices when it came to covering the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine.The Russian government has publicly condemned the attack, with Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemning the role played by the West, noting that the harassment of Russian journalists by the West constitutes a veritable witch hunt that represents an acquiescence, if not outright complicity, in the murder of persons like Tatarsky and Daria Dugina, the daughter of the noted Russian philosopher, Alexander Dugin, and a journalist in her own right.The double standard of the collective West, and in particular the United States, which prides itself for its ostensible support of a free press, has been put on display for all the world to see. In 2012, Marie Colvin, a war correspondent for The Sunday Times, was killed while covering the conflict in Syria. In February 2019, Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the US District Court in Washington, DC, awarded Marie Colvins estate damages in the amount of $300 million, claiming that Colvin had been specifically targeted by the Syrian government because of her profession. Judge Jackson further stated that The murder of journalists acting in their professional capacity could have a chilling effect on reporting such events worldwide, adding that a targeted murder of an American citizen whose courageous work was not only important, but vital to our understanding of war zones and of wars generally, is outrageous.The murder of Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky clearly represents the deliberate targeting of journalists operating in their professional capacity. Both Dugina and Tatarsky provided reporting that was vital to our understanding of war zones and war, and yet, because this understanding came with a Russian slant, the US government remains silent. The chilling effect which Judge Amy Jackson warned about is, it seems, to be embraced when those chilled speak Russian, or whose facts sustain a Russian narrative.The compassion shown Marie Colvin by the US government, in the defense of a free press, is exposed as a lie when confronted by the silence that followed the deaths of Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky. But this was to be expected  after all, the US is seeking the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange so he can be prosecuted for the crime of publishing so-called secrets that exposed war crimes and other official malfeasance on the part of the US government and military in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Putting a journalist in jail for 175 years (the maximum sentence Julian Assange would face if found guilty) is the same thing as a death sentence. Free speech, American-style, is not free  it comes with a heavy price, especially if one publishes material that runs against the US-backed official narrative.Both Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky were included on the notorious Myrotvorets kill list, purportedly promulgated by the Ukrainian Security Services, along with hundreds of othersmany of them minor childrensimilarly marked for death for the crime of speaking out against the policies of the Ukrainian government.To date, the US government has yet to condemn the Ukrainian government for targeting US citizens to die for exercising their Constitutionally protected right of free speech.If the US government wont protect its own citizens, one cannot expect it to speak out in the defense of the lives of non-US citizens designated for speech-related assassination.But this isnt simply a case of remaining silent in the face of crimes being committed by others. The US government is an active participant in the Ukrainian governments campaign to silence dissenting voices using whatever means possible, including targeted assassination. The US government funds, helps organize, and actively supports the work of the Center for Countering Disinformation, or CCD, a Ukrainian agency operating under the auspices of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The CCD publishes a so-called black list containing the names of persons designated by the Ukrainian government as facilitating "Russian propaganda," and designates those whose names appear on this list as information terrorists and war criminals who must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.Just to be clear, the US actively hunts down and kills persons designated as terrorists. To fund and support similar designations of its own citizens by a foreign government  Ukraine  known to arrest, torture, and murder dissenting voices means the US, implicitly, supports marking them for death.This is the truth behind the US silence in the face of the murders of Russian journalists like Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky. A nation founded on the principles of free speech cannot tolerate free speech when it is practiced by those who oppose the US-backed narrative. Rather than engaging these dissenting voices in fact-based debate, dialogue, and discussion, the US cognizant of the fact that their side could not prevail in such a contest  opts to silence these voices forever. For Julian Assange, this means life in prison.For Daria Dugina and Vladlen Tatarsky, this meant death.This is how you kill a free press. Hopefully the voices of dissent that remain will not be chilled by this result, but rather opt to double down on their commitment to pursue the truth, whatever the cost.I know I will.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/tatarskys-colleagues-recall-his-passion-patriotism-push-to-improve-russias-drone-capabilities-1109085087.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/targeting-the-unarmed-ukraines-grim-record-of-terrorist-attacks-1109074865.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220822/russias-fsb-ukrainian-special-services-behind-murder-of-daria-dugina-1099854294.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/so-youre-a-diplomat-really-germans-savage-foul-mouthed-warmongering-ukrainian-official--1109075314.html

So You're a Diplomat, Really? Germans Savage Foul-Mouthed, Warmongering Ukrainian Official

So You're a Diplomat, Really? Germans Savage Foul-Mouthed, Warmongering Ukrainian Official

Melnyk, who served as Ukraine's ambassador to Germany until last year, lashed out to the letter from German social democrats to Chancellor Olaf Scholz calling for dialogue to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

2023-04-03T15:30+0000

2023-04-03T15:30+0000

2023-04-03T15:30+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk prompted a wave of outrage on Twitter, as he spewed out foul language and disdainful comments responding to an initiative by several German politicians to lend a hand in the Ukraine peace process.The diplomat told the authors of the initiative, including historian Peter Brandt, the son of former Chancellor Willy Brandt, to "go to hell," calling it "absurd" and stating that "all" Ukrainians reject such calls.One social media user let Melnyk have it: "Then fight your bloody war alone! What's your son doing? Still not at the front?""Is your son already on the frontline or still in Berlin?" another user chimed in, taking a swipe at him, insinuating that his conscript-aged family member was hiding in the German capital from the hostilities."And you're actually a diplomat? Wow, I didn't know primates got that status," said another user, tearing into Melnyk's professional "diplomacy" skills."It's not the Ukrainians, your corrupt leadership clique rejects it. We'll wait and see (it will eventually happen) when the USA stops protecting you, then it's over in a moment. By the way, everything speaks for it, see Iraq, Libya, etc," one netizen said about the overall situation in Ukraine and its dependence on Washington.Previously, Peter Brandt wrote an open letter to German Chancellor Scholz, which was backed by 200 members of the Social Democratic Party, calling for peaceful negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine. The letter's authors argue that the majority of German citizens do not support the endless escalation of violence, and instead of militarism - diplomacy and peace are inevitable.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/ukraine-conflict-far-from-peace-amid-lack-of-diplomatic-effort-from-west---polyanskiy-1108889474.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/south-korea-us-japan-launch-joint-naval-drills-involving-uss-carrier-defense-ministry-1109068007.html

South Korea, US, Japan Launch Joint Naval Drills Involving USS Carrier: Defense Ministry

South Korea, US, Japan Launch Joint Naval Drills Involving USS Carrier: Defense Ministry

South Korea, the United States and Japan on Monday launched two-day joint naval exercises involving USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier in the waters south of the South Korean island of Jeju in response to the recent missile launches by North Korea, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.

2023-04-03T08:19+0000

2023-04-03T08:19+0000

2023-04-06T12:15+0000

military

democratic people's republic of korea (dprk)

us

south korea

drills

japan

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"Anti-submarine exercises were organized in order to enhance the ability of South Korea, the US and Japan to respond to the growing underwater threat from North Korea, including its ballistic missiles for submarines," the ministry said in a statement. The drills of this type are being conducted for the first time in six months after the previous exercises that took place in September 2022, the statement read. The joint exercises are expected to involve USS Nimitz (CVN-68) aircraft carrier and two destroyers, the ministry said, adding that South Korea would engage destroyers ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-992), ROKS Choe Yeong (DDH-981) and ROKS Dae Jo-yeong (DDH-977), as well as ROKS Soyang (AOE-51) fast combat support ship. Meanwhile, Japan will engage JS Umigiri (DD-158) destroyer. The drills will focus on detecting, tracking and fighting underwater threats from North Korea, as well as on information exchange and search and rescue operations, the statement read. The trilateral exercises of this kind were launched for the first time in 2008 and were taking place until 2016, being renewed last year after a seven-year hiatus. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) nuclear-powered aircraft carrier also took part in joint US-Japanese exercises from March 23-26 at the head of the ship strike force in the Philippine Sea. It later on to the South Korean coast where it participated in joint exercises with the ships of the South Korean Navy on March 27. The drills have been taking 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 the recent US-South Korean joint drills as a preparation for invasion.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/chinas-3-military-ships-move-toward-area-of-joint-us-japan-south-korea-drills-1108967726.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/south-sudanese-troops-arrive-to-support-eac-peacekeeping-mission-in-dr-congo-1109073304.html

South Sudanese Troops Arrive to Support EAC Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo

South Sudanese Troops Arrive to Support EAC Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo

On March 31, a contingent of 1,000 Ugandan soldiers joined the East African Community's (EAC) peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo's North... 03.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-03T14:08+0000

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2023-04-03T14:08+0000

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Under the direction of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), the first batch of the South Sudanese army arrived in Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Sunday, according to local media.The group, consisting of around 40 military personnel, were transported by a Kenyan army plane and will be deployed in Goma for peacekeeping operations.In late December 2022, South Sudan announced its intention to send 750 soldiers to the conflict-ridden region. At present, there are already Kenyan, Burundian and Ugandan soldiers deployed in the DR Congos North Kivu province.The arrival of the South Sudanese army came a few days after the deployment of about 1,000 Ugandan soldiers, according to the media, in the North Kivu territory of Rutshuru. South Sudan is the fourth country, following Kenya, Burundi, and Uganda, to join the EAC regional force, which seeks to end the violence in the DRC's east.On Sunday, the Ugandan contingent of the East African Community's Regional Force occupied the Congolese town of Bunagana, after the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels had left the area and handed over their bases, according to Captain Kato Ahmad Hassan, military spokesman for the Ugandan contingent.The regional force was established in June 2022 to intervene in the DRC's east and halt the advance of the Tutsi-led armed formation. In November of that year, a ceasefire deal was clinched, under which M23 insurgents have started withdrawing from some of the positions they captured in the eastern DRC.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230401/ugandan-troops-enter-dr-congo-as-part-of-east-african-regional-force-media-report-1109024238.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/suspect-in-deadly-st-petersburg-cafe-blast-detained-investigative-committee-says-1109067574.html

Suspect in Deadly St. Petersburg Cafe Blast Detained, Investigative Committee Says

Suspect in Deadly St. Petersburg Cafe Blast Detained, Investigative Committee Says

40-year-old Donetsk-born blogger, journalist and war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed in an explosion at a cafe in... 03.04.2023, Sputnik International

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The suspect in Sundays deadly St. Petersburg cafe blast that killed Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky has been detained, according to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.26-year-old Daria Trepova - a native of St. Petersburg - had been wanted as part of a criminal investigation into the deadly Sunday blast. Trepova, according to reports, had presented Tatarsky with a plaster figurine at the cafe, which, according to the preliminary investigation, could have contained an improvised explosive device.In February 2022, Trepova, who was born in 1997, got 10 days of administrative arrest for organizing an uncoordinated protest action "in violation of sanitary standards", according to media-cited data from Krasnoselsky District Court of St. Petersburg. Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky was killed on Sunday in a blast thought to have been caused by an explosive device brought into the cafe by a female patron. According to the Russian Ministry of Health, 32 people were injured, one died, and the condition of ten others has been assessed as grave. After the blast, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russian journalists were being intimidated by Kiev and its Western sponsors, "literally marked with special labels" on US social media platforms, and subjected to a witch hunt in Western media.Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, commenting on the death of the war correspondent, was cited as saying that, in his opinion, Russian citizens should report to the special services about cases of Ukrainian funding in Russia. He added:State Duma deputy Dmitry Kuznetsov has appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to consider the possibility of presenting Vladlen Tatarsky (Maxim Fomin) for a state award, posthumously.Tatarsky, 40, was a well-known former military commander and a war correspondent. Born in Makeevka, Donetsk region, Tatarsky's real name was Maxim Fomin a pseudonym he took from a novel by popular Russian author Viktor Pelevin.Tatarksy joined the Donbass People's Militia in the wake of the Maidan coup in 2014 and attempts by the new authorities in Kiev to crush independence-seeking forces in Donetsk and Lugansk by force. He served in the DPR's Vityaz Regiment, in the reconnaissance company of the LPR's Fourth Brigade, and in the DPR's Vostok Battalion. Tatarsky left the military in 2019, settling in Moscow. However, after Russia began its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he returned to Donbass, making a series of reports from the front.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/one-dead-six-injured-in-blast-at-st-petersburg-cafe-emergency-services-say-1109055835.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/who-was-war-correspondent-vladlen-tatarsky-1109057744.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/terror-attack-against-vladlen-tatarsky-was-plotted-by-ukrainian-special-services-moscow-says-1109070642.html

Kiev Regime Has Been Targeting People Since 2014, May Very Well Be Behind Tatarsky's Murder: Kremlin

Kiev Regime Has Been Targeting People Since 2014, May Very Well Be Behind Tatarsky's Murder: Kremlin

The 40-year-old Donbass-born journalist and war correspondent was killed in an explosion at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday. Russia's Investigative... 03.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-03T09:09+0000

2023-04-03T09:09+0000

2023-04-03T12:28+0000

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Russian President Vladimir Putin was immediately informed about Sunday's terrorist attack in St. Petersburg, and the active phase of the investigation into the attack is under way, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has announced."We wish a speedy recovery to those who suffered as a result of this terrorist attack and, of course, offer condolences to the family and friends of [Maxim] Fomin [Vladlen Tatarsky's birth name, ed.], who died as a result of this terrorist attack," Peskov told reporters on Monday.Earlier, in the day, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced that the April 2 attack that killed Vladlen Tatarsky was masterminded by Ukraine's special services.According to the committee's information, Ukraine's special services recruited agents for the journalist's killing from among supporters of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, a Russian non-profit established by opposition figure and vlogger Alexei Navalny. The Anti-Corruption Foundation banned in Russia as a "foreign agent" and an "extremist" organization.The suspect in the Tatarsky case, 26-year-old St. Petersburg native Daria Trepova, is an "active supporter" of the Navalny-tied group, the committee said.Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday. 32 people were injured in the blast, ten of them seriously. Russian media reported that the explosive device used in the attack was brought to an event attended by Tatarsky disguised as a figurine in a box, and presented to him as a gift.Tatarsky had a major following on social media for his reporting on the Ukrainian crisis, and combined his stories and analyses with reporting directly from the front lines as a war correspondent, and a drone operator. The journalist was a veteran of Donbass militias, where he served between 2014 and 2019.The Donbass is approaching the ninth anniversary of a brutal civil war-turned large-scale regional conflict, which began in the spring of 2014, several weeks after a US-backed coup d'etat in Kiev brought pro-Western political forces to power. The coup sparked large-scale protests across eastern and southeastern Ukraine. In the Donbass, local residents held referendums to join Russia, and set up militias to defend against Ukrainian military units sent to crush the rebellion. In February 2015, Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany negotiated an agreement meant to restore peace - involving the Donbass's gradual reincorporation into Ukraine in exchange for guarantees of broad autonomy. Last year, the former leaders of Ukraine, France and Germany each admitted that the peace deal was a ruse designed to give Kiev time to rearm and prepare for a broader conflict with Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/suspect-in-deadly-st-petersburg-cafe-blast-detained-investigative-committee-says-1109067574.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/moscow-on-vladlen-tatarskys-death-intl-organizations-ignore-kievs-threats-to-russian-journalists-1109057360.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/trump-arrives-at-trump-tower-on-eve-of-indictment-1109091963.html

Trump Arrives at Trump Tower on Eve of Indictment

Trump Arrives at Trump Tower on Eve of Indictment

Trump is expected to surrender himself to court authorities on Tuesday. The former president is facing criminal charges over a 2016 hush money scandal, in... 03.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-03T20:32+0000

2023-04-03T20:32+0000

2023-04-04T04:23+0000

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Donald Trump arrived at his Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan just before 4:15 PM on Monday where he is expected to spend the night before his arraignment on Tuesday. The 76-year-old former president was seen briefly waving as he left his motorcade and approached the multi-use skyscraper which is the location for the headquarters of the Trump Organization. On Sunday Trump announced plans to return to his Florida estate of Mar-a-Lago to give public remarks following the indictment. New York Mayor Eric Adams warned supporters of Trump to behave themselves during protests and rallies. The New York Police Department (NYPD) has increased security at the Manhattan Criminal Court in preparation for Trump's expected arraignment on Tuesday.Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has said that she plans to organize a demonstration on Tuesday with Jack Posobiec, an internet conspiracy fanatic, and alongside the right-wing commentator Graham Allen, in support of Trump. While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking of coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves, he added. New York is our home and not a place for your misplaced anger.On Monday President Joe Biden said that he has faith in the New York City Police Department (NYPD), when asked whether he has concerns about potential unrest after the indictment of former President Donald Trump."No, I have faith in the New York Police Department," Biden said.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/trumped-up-charges-against-former-us-president-embarrassing-to-us-1109074092.html

'Trumped-Up' Charges Against Former US President 'Embarrassing' to US

'Trumped-Up' Charges Against Former US President 'Embarrassing' to US

Donald Trump and his allies have called the charges against him part of the years-long "witch-hunt" against his political ambitions. Ed Martin and Garland Nixon said the former president was a threat to the military "deep state".

2023-04-03T13:35+0000

2023-04-03T13:35+0000

2023-04-03T16:52+0000

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The indictment of Donald Trump in New York is "embarrassing" to the US but driven by "deep state" fear of his peace-making stance towards Russia, two pundits have argued.New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced charges against the 45th president on Friday after a Grand Jury voted to indict the former president over claims he paid porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair between them.That has prompted the accusation from Trump, his allies and commentators that the prosecution is aimed at knocking him out of contention against President Joe Biden in the 2024 election.Ed Martin told Sputnik that the charges were "as trumped-up as you can imagine" and it was "really embarrassing to America that this has happened."He pointed out that Bragg was trying to "bump-up" a misdemeanour accounting offence to a felony as 'furtherance' of another crime under federal campaign finance laws, which was "not in his purview."Garland Nixon said the motives for Trump's indictment went deeper, to his "questioning of NATO" and the US military presence in South Korea."He wanted to get a deal with the North Korean leader and make and lower the tension on the Korean Peninsula," he said, which was a "valid and reasonable thing to do for America." The broadcaster said authorities were "weaponizing rage" against Trump so "the people will support the deep state quest" to prosecute him. "You heard what he's been saying, 'hey, we got to stop all this World War Three stuff and we've got problems in the deep state' that has to be stopped."Martin argued that while "the larger Trump vision is one that threatens a lot of power," during his four years as president he "failed on a number of things that we thought he would stand up to."But he disagreed with other pundits who say the indictment would only improve Trump's chances of returning to the White House in 2025, saying: "very rarely you get a knockout blow. It's death by a thousand cuts."Nixon said the indictment would garner Trump "a certain degree of sympathy," while Biden's foreign policy would to "get less popular, particularly with what's happened in Ukraine."He said Biden's continued support for Volodymyr Zelensky's regime in Kiev was "not a good idea" with "Donald Trump already having taken the position" that the conflict must end. For more in-depth analysis, check out our podcast Fault Lines.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/trump-announces-florida-address-to-be-held-hours-after-arraignment-tuesday-1109056922.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230402/trumps-lawyers-may-seek-to-move-ny-criminal-case-to-staten-island-in-hopes-of-less-biased-jury-1109041352.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/us-need-to-push-for-peace-in-ukraine-not-fund-proxy-war-with-russia-us-congresswoman-1109077378.html

MTG: US Needs to Push for Peace in Ukraine, Not Fund Proxy War With Russia

MTG: US Needs to Push for Peace in Ukraine, Not Fund Proxy War With Russia

The United States need to be pushing for peace in Ukraine, not funding a proxy war with Russia, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said during an interview.

2023-04-03T12:21+0000

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"We can't afford another foreign war," she said, pointing out that Ukraine was not a NATO member nation nor the 51st state of the US. Last April, Russia sent a note of protest to NATO on account of its weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov said that any such deliveries would be a legitimate aim of the Russian military and that the NATO are "playing with fire." Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. President Vladimir Putin said that the aim was to "protect people who have been suffering from torture and genocide under the Kiev regime for eight years," as well as the "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230330/us-house-committee-passes-resolution-to-audit-money-sent-to-ukraine-1108966822.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/us-scientist-sounds-alarm-about-incident-involving-american-nuke-at-dutch-air-base-1109087914.html

US Scientist Sounds Alarm About Incident Involving American Nuke at Dutch Air Base

US Scientist Sounds Alarm About Incident Involving American Nuke at Dutch Air Base

The Netherlands is one of a handful of European nations hosting nuclear weapons. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimates that about 20 American B61 nukes are held at the Volkel Air Base in the countrys south.

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The US and Dutch militaries may have suffered a recent nuclear weapons-related incident at Volkel Air Base and failed to inform the public about it, the Federation of American Scientists has reported, citing photographic evidence of a damaged B61 nuclear bomb being examined by troops.Its not clear when the photograph was taken, and a cursory examination of media reports shows no recent admissions by the US or Dutch governments about any accidents involving American nuclear weapons at Volkel Air Base.The researcher noted that judging by the image, the bomb appears to have been hit with significant force, speculating that it may have been hit by a vehicle during transit, or bent out of shape by the weapons elevator of the underground storage vault.The background details of the photo lead Kristensen to believe that the photo was taken in one of the protective aircraft shelters at the base, which have been featured in press photos put out by the Dutch military.The 312th Squadron of the Dutch Air Forces 1st Wing operates nuclear-capable F-16 fighters, with their US nuclear payloads placed under US control during peacetime, but made available to Amsterdam and NATO in the event of a war.Kristensen noted that if the photo is genuine, the US would likely classify it as an incident, which involves evident damage to a nuclear weapon or nuclear component that requires major rework, replacement, or examination or re-certification by the Department of Energy, rather than an accident, which is reserved by the Air Force to refer to incidents involving a nukes destruction or loss.A Pentagon spokesperson assured that the US maintains the highest level of standards for personnel and equipment supporting the strategic arsenal, and said US policy forbids the military from either confirming or denying the presence or absence of nuclear weapons at any general or specific locations. The spokesperson did not comment on the photograph.Washington did not follow in Moscows footsteps in removing its nuclear weapons from European soil after the Cold War, and is believed to maintain such weapons at about half a dozen bases across Western and Central Europe and Turkiye. NATO conducts annual "nuclear-sharing" drills known as "Steadfast Noon," and simulates the use of American nuclear weapons by allies.The B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb began to be produced in the 1960s, and since that time over 3,000 B61s of 13 different variants have been built. The bomb has a blast yield of between 0.3 and 340 kilotons (for comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotons of TNT). The bomb's newest variant, the B61-12, completed flight testing in 2020, and began production in late 2021. US media reported last October that the Pentagon wanted to accelerate the weapons deployment to Europe.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230327/does-the-us-have-any-nuclear-weapons-in-europe-1108820891.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230331/there-is-threat-of-global-nuclear-war-negotiations-needed-belarusian-president-lukashenko-1108985300.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221029/russian-ambassador-urges-us-to-bring-back-nuclear-weapons-stationed-abroad-1102817069.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230403/wapo-tweaks-story-about-rented-yachts-role-in-nord-stream-attack-as-it-proves-too-unbelievable-1109090353.html

WaPo Tweaks Story About Rented Yacht's Role in Nord Stream Attack After It Proves Too Unbelievable

WaPo Tweaks Story About Rented Yacht's Role in Nord Stream Attack After It Proves Too Unbelievable

Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hershs bombshell February story on the US and Norwegian militaries involvement in last years terror attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines were ignored or dismissed by Washington, with US and German legacy media eventually coming up with a far-fetched alternative explanation.

2023-04-03T19:14+0000

2023-04-03T19:14+0000

2023-04-03T19:28+0000

nord stream sabotage

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The New York Times March report about how a pro-Ukrainian group unaffiliated with any government rented a yacht and used it to plant explosives on the Nord Stream pipelines has apparently proven too incredible for anyone to believe, with the Washington Post tweaking the story to suggest that the yacht may have been just one of multiple vessels involved in the act of sabotage.In a story published Monday, unnamed officials with knowledge of an ongoing probe by German investigators told WaPo that Berlin now suspects that the Andromeda, the small yacht rented by the mysterious pro-Ukrainian group to lay hundreds of kilograms of explosives, may not have been the only vessel involved in the audacious attack on the Russian pipelines.Officials cited by WaPo expressed hope that the true purpose of the Andromeda in the attack might be revealed to provide further insight into the high-stakes, international whodunit that could eventually lead to those responsible and explain their motives, which remain unclear.Diving and salvage experts told the paper that placing explosives on Nord Stream would have been easier to pull off using autonomous underwater vehicles or small subs than using divers aboard a yacht, who would find it physically draining and time-consuming to lay charges over 200 feet below the surface in a crowded international shipping lane.Some officials quoted in the story also said the traces of military-grade explosives found aboard the Andromeda in the course of the German investigation may have been planted there to try to fool investigators, expressing doubt that skilled saboteurs might leave such glaring evidence of their guilt behind.It doesnt all fit, one senior European security official said. But people can make mistakes.Blame GameOther officials quoted by the paper pointed to whispering about possible Ukrainian or Polish state involvement in the attack on Nord Stream  something adamantly ruled out in last months New York Times story  which insisted the sabotage was carried out by a pro-Ukrainian group unaffiliated to Kiev an any way. Some officials said Poland arguably had a motive to sabotage Nord Stream, given Warsaws consistent criticism of the project.One senior European diplomat told WaPo that some in the West are no longer interested in finding out who blew up Nord Stream, damaged the $20 billion piece of energy infrastructure and deprived Germany and the rest of Europe of a secure and competitively priced source of Russian natural gas. Its like a corpse at a family gathering, the diplomat said. Its better not to know.Last months reporting on the Nord Stream attacks by the New York Times and German media brought new attention on the case in the wake of Sy Hershs reporting in February fingering US Navy divers and a Norwegian military aircraft as the culprits in the crime. Hersh dismissed the yacht story as stupid and accused Washington and Berlin of coordinating the Times false cover story featuring the mysterious Ukrainian trace.Russian officials have mostly refrained from commenting on the NYT piece, instead reiterating Moscows calls for an impartial international investigation. However, former president and Russian Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev couldnt help but respond to the Times piece, comparing it to a shoddy Hollywood drama with very poor casting and camera work, and a script thats boring as s***.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230328/sleboda-us-uk-and-eu-will-never-allow-impartial-probe-into-nord-stream-bombing-1108863112.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230312/nord-stream-blast-german-media-debunked-pro-ukrainian-group-story-the-same-week-it-appeared-1108320746.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230322/blackout-sy-hersh-says-us-germany-coordinated-nyt-false-cover-story-for-nord-stream-bombing-1108696791.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

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O'Brien Award-winning trotter Adare Castle kicked off her four-year-old campaign on a six-degree spring morning, Monday, April 3, with a winning qualifying effort at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Trotting home in :28.3 for the 1:57.4 qualifying win, Adare Castle caught fellow Ontario Sires Stakes graduate and late leader Sea Can, who was also making his seasonal debut from the Mark Etsell stable.

Driven by Etsell, Adare Castle landed in fourth behind stablemate Sea Can and Scott Young while Resolute Bay took command into the first turn with the parked outsider, Buck Dancer, pressing on into the wind though a :29.3 first quarter.

Buck Dancer cleared down the backstretch and reached the half in :59.4, but Sea Can swept first-over to take control during the third panel with Adare Castle in pursuit.

After hitting three-quarters in 1:29, the Etsell stablemates took off in a race of their own with Adare Castle getting the nod at the wire. Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion Safe Conduct finished 3-3/4 lengths behind in third while making his own seasonal debut for the husband and wife, driver and trainer team of Chris and Camilla Christoforou.

An O'Brien Award runner-up as a rookie, Adare Castle continued to rule in her sophomore season in 2022 as the top five money-earner in Canada and claimed divisional honours. The multiple Grand Circuit stakes winner boasts 14 victories and six second-place finishes from 22 lifetime starts for earnings topping $1.1 million.

Etsell  the cover feature for the April 2023 issue of TROT Magazine  shares ownership of the Muscle Mass-Pacific Ridge mare with Robert Newton, Graham Hopkins and Peter Porter.

One of the stars from the stable of two-time O'Brien Award-winning breeder Millar Farms also started her four-year-old season on a winning note during Monday's mega 14-race qualifying session. Velvet Stinger set fractions of :30.1, :59.1 and 1:28.2 en route to a 1:57 victory with James MacDonald in the bike. Five-year-old mare Shes Got It All finished three-quarters of a length back in second off a pocket trip while Atlantic stakes standout Therealprincess, winner of back-to-back Mohawk qualifiers in March, followed in third.

Trained by Nick Gallucci, the Bettors Delight-Our Hot Majorette mare earned the bulk of her $269,574 bankroll last year with eight wins including a Simcoe Stakes score.

Ontario Super Final champion Cold Creek Queso turned in the fastest mile of the morning, winning in 1:55 flat. Making his second qualifying start of his four-year-old season with Sylvain Filion in the bike, Cold Creek Queso followed in third most of the way and used a :27.4 final kick to defeat the pocket-popping Century Heineken by a half-length. Joelsyy Hanover finished two lengths back in third after leading through a :28.3 bullet first quarter and middle splits of :57.2 and 1:26.3.

Cold Creek Queso boosted his bankroll to $285,064 with a five-win campaign in 2022 that included a 1:48.3 career-best effort in Gold Series action. Murray Brethour trains the gelded son of Betterthancheddar-Machbethslady for Cold Creek Standardbreds.

The morning session also included a successful season debut from North America Cup eligible Brookdale Miki, who closed out a 1:56.2 wire-to-wire win with a :27.4 final frame for trainer Ben Hollingsworth and owners Douglas R. Polley and Douglas E. Polley. Jody Jamieson drove the Always B Mike-La Playa Brava gelding to the 3-1/4-length score over No Control.

Capping off the qualifiers, Aaron Waxman's six-year-old Down Under import Matai Louis N launched his North American campaign with a 1:57.1 victory in rein to Doug McNair for trainer Carmen Auciello.

To view Monday's complete qualifying results, click the following link: Monday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

A replay of the live stream from the qualifiers is available below.
Theres a new bandleader at Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command.

Same tune, new tone.

During congressional testimony last month, StratCom chief Gen. Anthony Cotton urged legislators to keep on track with the modernization of the aging U.S. nuclear triad as a counter to growing threats from Russia, China and North Korea.

Cottons message was similar to that of his predecessor in the StratCom command suite, Adm. Charles Richard. But while Richards rhetoric about the threats facing the U.S. grew more apocalyptic as he neared retirement last December, Cotton is taking a less aggressive approach.

He was very shrewd in the way he interacted with the senators, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, an arms-control group. He wasnt creating any enemies. He didnt come out landing hard on a particular path.

Cotton called the massive U.S. upgrade that includes development of new ICBMs, ballistic-missile submarines, strategic stealth bombers, and gravity bombs a once in every-other-generation event that will ensure we have capable forces into the 2080s, in a statement delivered March 8 and 9 to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

Later, during his testimony, Cotton labeled Russias invasion of Ukraine an attempt to undermine the rules-based international order ... by conventional forces backed with nuclear saber-rattling.

Chinas rapid nuclear expansion  including the current construction of hundreds of missile silos in its remote western desert  gives them an alarming number of offensive options that can negatively shape the environment before and during a crisis or conflict, Cotton testified, and is wholly inconsistent with the long-professed policy of minimal deterrence.

And North Korea, he added, continues to be a rogue actor and poses a threat to the United States and our allies.

Because of these threats, Cotton said, the modernization programs that we have today ... we have lost all margin and we must ensure that those programs are fully funded and executed.

In his three years at the helm of StratCom, Richard pulled no punches with his blunt warnings about the threats from Asia. Kristensen called him a gung-ho hard-liner.

He made waves in a speech to the Naval Submarine League in which he described the Ukraine war as only a prelude to the big one  a prolonged conflict with China, according to the defense website The War Zone.

As I assess our level of deterrence against China, the ship is slowly sinking, Richard said. As these curves keep going, it isnt going to matter how good our (operating plan) is or how good our commanders are, or how good our horses are  were not going to have enough of them.

The War Zone described Richards comments as absolutely some of the most dire we have heard from a top U.S. official in regard to the threat posed by Chinas growing military might.

Richards advice sometimes put him at odds with his own commander-in-chief. Last year he counseled Congress to move ahead with building a new submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile (called SLCM-N), a program initiated during the Trump administration but one that President Joe Biden planned to cancel. It is still on the drawing board, and Congress so far has preserved funding.

Christopher Yeaw, a nuclear deterrence analyst with the University of Nebraskas National Strategic Research Institute who was an author of the Trump administrations 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, said a weapon with the low-yield capabilities of the SLCM-N is needed because of Russias large edge in tactical nuclear weapons, and Chinas rapid gains.

Yeaw called them demonstrably dangerous rivals who wouldnt hesitate to exploit a gap in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

If you dont have an option to respond to a nuclear (threat) with a nuclear option, it looks to the adversary like youre unwilling to respond to nuclear strikes, Yeaw said.

Kristensen believes the U.S. doesnt really need an expensive weapon it has lived without for 30 years and would take years to build. He said the U.S. still has a low-yield air-launched cruise missile in its arsenal as well as effective non-nuclear weapons that are less likely to escalate a future conflict.

He said Russia and China have more shorter-range, lower-yield weapons because of their need to hit targets that are closer to their own frontiers  in places like Italy and Great Britain for Russia, and Japan and South Korea for China. In contrast, almost every potential target for a U.S. strike requires long-range missiles.

Theres a fixation on the weapon system. Its not the weapon, its communicating your intentions, Kristensen said. We have to be careful we dont try to mirror our thinking on our adversary.

In his congressional testimony, Cotton offered reassurances about StratComs current capabilities while deferring questions about individual weapons systems to a closed, classified hearing.

He didnt specifically back the SLCM-N, but he did cite the need for a low-yield, non-ballistic, non-generating weapon system  which, stripping away the jargon, matches the sub-launched cruise missile.

Under questioning by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, he acknowledged that SLCM-N would address our adversarys perceived advantage of limited use.

Last year, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer, also a Republican, brokered a bipartisan deal to continue funding for the program. In the March 9 hearing, she urged Cotton to use the unfunded priorities list to seek whatever is needed to counter new threats.

Many of the assumptions baked into fiscal year 2024 budget were made in 2021, she said. The geopolitical environment has significantly changed over the last two years.

Fischer asked Cotton about the need for the B83 nuclear gravity bomb, a 1.2-megaton monster from the Cold War. It packs three times the atomic punch of any other weapon in the U.S. arsenal and is about 80 times as powerful as the bomb that obliterated part of Hiroshima, Japan, near the end of World War II.

Though not designed as a bunker-buster, the B83s main purpose in StratComs modern war plans is to destroy underground command and control facilities, like the ones thought to be beneath Kosvinsky and Yamantau mountains in Russia. The Pentagon calls them hard and deeply buried targets, or HDBTs.

At one time, the U.S. kept 660 of the B83s in its arsenal, but now there are only about 50. They are scheduled for retirement in the late 2020s, and no replacement is yet planned. They will require a costly life-extension program if they are to remain ready for use.

In his testimony, Cotton told Fischer the Pentagon is nearing completion of a study on how to contend with HDBTs.

Whether conventional or nuclear, were going to have a strategy to figure out how to do that, Cotton said. Right now, the B83 is still part of my arsenal.

With Chinas military expanding and the U.S. and Russia in conflict over Ukraine, Yeaw doubts the wisdom of scrapping the bomb now.

In keeping the B83, the U.S. demonstrates commitment, he said. Is this really the right time for the U.S. to step back? That impression would embolden our adversaries.

Cotton advised Congress in a letter earlier this year that China had passed the United States in its number of ICBM launchers, causing alarm on the armed services committees. The U.S. has 450, including 82 in western Nebraska.

StratCom has projected that China will field 1,500 warheads by 2035. That number that is still far lower than the U.S. or Russia, which have inventories of more than 5,000 weapons.

Still, Kristensen counseled against panic over the Chinese buildup. He noted in a blog post theres no evidence that all of the silos seen on satellite imagery actually contain missiles  or that any missiles contain multiple warheads, as StratComs projections have assumed.

Kristensen said that projection depends on a lot of worst-case assumptions. And he said past Defense Department predictions regarding our adversaries nuclear strength have often proved to be inflated.

We have no way of knowing if the Chinese are going to churn out warheads at that steady rate, Kristensen said. To get to 1,500, you have to assume a worst-case scenario.

Photos: Offutt Air Force Base through the years 20190816_new_offutt_timeline001 20190816_new_offutt_timeline002 1952 SAC EMBLEM 20190816_new_offutt_timeline006 20190816_new_offutt_timeline007 1959 OLD MUSEUM 20190816_new_offutt_timeline009 20190816_new_offutt_timeline010 20190816_new_offutt_timeline011 20190816_new_offutt_timeline013 20190816_new_offutt_timeline014 20190816_new_offutt_timeline015 PJ/SAC MOVE.40626 2000 GAZEBO DEDICATION 2000 CLINTON VISIT 2003 NUCLEAR PROTEST 20190816_new_offutt_timeline019 20190816_new_offutt_timeline020 20190816_new_offutt_timeline021 20190816_new_offutt_timeline012 1696 20190816_new_offutt_timeline023 20190816_new_offutt_timeline024 20190816_new_offutt_timeline025 2019 C2F BATTLE DECK 2019 FLOODING
Congress is playing a critical role in pressuring the U.S. administration to take effective measures to prevent the rehabilitation of Assad, according to Syria TV.

Unsurprisingly, Arab authoritarian regimes are attempting to rehabilitate Bashar al-Assad within the Arab world. These regimes, who are seeking to normalize relations with him, share similar characteristics and practices. They are not governed by democratic systems where decisions are made through parliamentary deliberation and public opinion holds weight. Additionally, authoritarian regimes are typically conservative and resistant to change and fear any form of change that may disrupt their power.

The UAE may lead the normalization train with Assad, followed by several Arab countries, but who is preventing this normalization?

Unfortunately, the Biden administration is a bystander and claims to reject any normalization with Assad, but it is not working hard enough to prevent it from being verified in full view of the world.

The administrations actions have been hesitant and largely responsive to congressional pressure. The House of Representatives and Senate Foreign Relations Committees have been working diligently to exert pressure on the administration to cease any efforts to normalize relations with Bashar al-Assads regime. These committees have also pushed for accountability for the crimes committed against the Syrian people, calling for the implementation of two key congressional resolutions on Syria  the Caesar Act and Captagon Act.

After some delay, the U.S. administration has responded by imposing sanctions on individuals associated with Bashar al-Assads regime for their involvement in drug trafficking. The decision was made by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Department of the Treasury, which worked in coordination with its UK counterparts to designate certain individuals on the sanctions list. These individuals have been identified as supporting the Assad regime and engaging in the production and export of Captagon. The sanctions come in addition to the previously implemented Caesar and Captagon Acts.

According to the Treasury, Syria has become a major producer of the highly addictive drug Captagon, much of which is smuggled through Lebanon. The Treasury has stated its commitment to working with its partners to hold accountable those who support Bashar al-Assads regime through illicit drug trafficking and other financial means, which enable the regimes ongoing repression of the Syrian people. The Treasurys recent sanctions serve as a warning that such actions will not be tolerated.

The recent sanctions have targeted individuals who are close allies of the Assad family, including Khaled Kaddour, a Syrian businessman who has been designated by the Treasury Department as being close to Maher al-Assad. Maher al-Assad has also been designated under Executive Order 13572 of 2011, due to his role in the Syrian governments human rights violations against the Syrian people.

It is clear that Congress is playing a critical role in pressuring the U.S. administration to take effective measures to prevent the rehabilitation of Assad on the Arab or international levels. The Syrian community in America must continue to work closely with Congress to ensure that the administration remains accountable. These recent sanctions, which have exposed Assads regime as a gang involved in drug trafficking, as stated by the U.S. Treasury Department, should serve as a warning that the international community will not tolerate the continued oppression of the Syrian people.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The Israeli army has confirmed that it has heightened its state of security and military readiness along both the Syrian and Lebanese borders, according to Athr Press.

After the announcement of the downing of a plane that entered from Syria, the Israeli army raises the alert on its northern border

After the recent escalation by Israel in the Syrian conflict, which included numerous air raids resulting in the deaths of several Iranian military personnel and advisors, reports from Hebrew media outlets indicate that the Israeli military has raised its level of security and readiness.

According to a report from The National, the Israeli army has confirmed that it has heightened its state of security and military readiness along both the Syrian and Lebanese borders. The report also mentions that the deployment of helicopters and fighter jets has been observed in the area.

The heightened state of alert follows a report from the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth which claimed that a foreign aircraft was shot down on Sunday evening after penetrating Israeli airspace. Hebrew channel 12 also reported that the Israeli army believes the aircraft to be of Iranian origin, although no evidence to support this claim has been provided.

Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee tweeted: An unknown air piece entered Israeli airspace from Syria, and the object was shot down.

In the past few days, the Israeli entity has intensified its attacks on Syria, and within 72 hours carried out three attacks on sites in the vicinity of the capital Damascus and in Homs.
Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria.

Tehran has promised to retaliate against Israel but is focused in the meantime on diplomatic wins in the region, which might be a game changer.

Israel has ramped up its military strikes in Syria, but Iran may bide its time in responding and opt for a more calculated strategy that fits into its larger regional goals, analysts told Al-Jazeera.

Israel downs flying object from Syria as Iran vows revenge

Israel downed an unidentified flying object from Syria on Sunday, after firing missiles at Syrian and Iran-backed military targets earlier in the day. Tensions are high after several suspected Israeli attacks on Syria in recent days.

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Twitter at 3:04 p.m. ET that an unknown air piece entered Israeli airspace from Syria. The object was downed and did not pose any danger at any point, according to him.

The incident followed a suspected Israeli missile attack on Syria early Sunday morning. Syrias official news outlet SANA reported that Israel fired missiles at targets in the central city of Homs and surrounding areas, injuring five Syrian army personnel. Syrian air defenses shot down some of the missiles, according to SANA.

Syria has denied that Tehran, which militarily backs President Bashar al-Assad, has an extensive military presence in the country.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tehran reserves the right for a response at a time and place of its choosing while the government spokesman, Ali Bahadori Jahromi, tweeted that terrorist actions will not go unanswered.

At the same time, however, both Iran and Syria are taking steps to improve relations with their Arab neighbours, and because Iran has signalled it is still interested in talks with the West, its response to Israel might materialise over time, experts said.

Iran was behind drone incursion from Syria

According to the Israeli military, Israeli media, Iran appears to have been behind the launch of a drone that was shot down over Israeli airspace this week.

The army announced its conclusions on Monday, a day after air force helicopters and fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the drone when it entered Israeli territory from Syria. There were no casualties in the incident, but it added to the already heightened tensions between the two arch-enemies.

The interception happened shortly after Iranian state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Syria over the weekend had died of his wounds. That made him the second Iranian adviser allegedly killed by Israel in recent days.

Last week, Greece announced the arrest of two Pakistani operatives it said were planning an attack on a Jewish center in Athens. Israel has said Iran was behind the plot.

The Israeli military said Monday an initial inquiry determined the intercepted drone was Iranian. It said debris was still being collected and analyzed.

Syria seized business elites assets in Sheraton hotel shakedown

The Syrian government summoned members of the countrys business elites to Damascus Sheraton hotel and threatened them with arrest if they failed to pay into state coffers, in a move akin to the Saudi purge at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The shakedown started in September 2019, when dozens of Syrian businessmen were reportedly taken to the Sheraton.

There they were told to deposit US dollars into the central bank in order to help stabilise the Syrian lira, or they would not be released.

The method echoes a similar move by Saudi Arabias government, which in November 2017 targeted 300 princes, public figures and businessmen by holding them incommunicado at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh for weeks. Some detainees were tortured in the luxury hotel, and Saudi authorities later said around $100bn was handed over.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman justified his purge as an anti-corruption move to rid the kingdom of endemic graft.

Syria and Turkey begin talks toward restoring ties

Talks to restore ties between Turkey and Syria began on Monday in Russia, with the presence of Iranian officials, in a bid to push forward with reconciliation efforts, but experts predict this is merely the start of a lengthy process, UAE The National reported.

The process of engagement with Syria has started under the hosting and facilitation of Russia, later Iran joined the process  a quadripartite meeting on the level of deputy foreign ministers will be held on April 3-4 in Moscow, Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters at the Turkevi Centre in New York.

The deputy foreign ministers meeting is the prelude to planned talks between the foreign ministers of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Russia.

Russia, which along with Iran has supported Syrias President Bashar Al Assad in the civil war that started in 2011, has been pushing for reconciliation between Damascus and Ankara for months.

Assad willing to meet Erdogan on condition Turkey withdraws from Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit Turkey on Thursday for talks on Syria, Libya and other regional issues, Mr. Cavusoglu said.

The Turkish Foreign Minister said his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian had requested to join the talks between Turkey, Syria and Russia, and Ankara agreed.

Astana is the only surviving format [to address] Syria anyway, Mr Cavusoglu told a joint news conference with Mr Amirabdollahian last month, referring to peace talks in Kazakhstans capital.

Now we are planning a meeting between the four foreign ministers.

Moscow has been pushing for meetings between Syria and Turkeys foreign ministers and eventually their presidents.

Syria consults with Russia, Iran prior to the meeting

Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister in Moscow, Dr. Ayman Sousan met with Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, at the headquarters of the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

According to SANA, consultations and coordination took place between the two sides regarding the quartet meeting of the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran and Turkey, to be held on Tuesday.

Dr. Sousan stressed the need to end the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian territory, not to interfere in Syrian internal affairs, and to counter-terrorism in all its forms.

In turn, Bogdanov reiterated his countrys stance to continue working to ensure respect for Syrias sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

In the meanwhile, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sosan met the Iranian Foreign Ministers Senior Advisor for Special Political Affairs Ali Asghar Khaji.

Talks were held to maintain close coordination about quadripartite meetings between Russia, Syria, Iran, and Turkey.

The two sides agreed on emphasizing respect for Syrias sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and ending the illegitimate Turkish presence on Syrian territory.

Sousan also met in Moscow on Monday morning with Ali Asghar Khaji, Senior Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister for Special Political Affairs.

Talks during the meeting dealt with aspects related to the quadripartite meeting of the assistant foreign ministers of Syria, Russia, Iran and Turkey, in light of the joint coordination between the two sides.

Viewpoints converged on emphasizing respect for Syrias sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and ending the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian territory.

The meeting was attended by members of the Syrian and Iranian delegations.

HTS prepares camp to recruit minors in Syrias Idleb

North Press reported that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) has begun preparing a training camp for minors under the age of 18, to prepare Cubs of the Caliphate.

A military source affiliated with the HTS told North Press that the camp is located near the village of al-Qaysiyeh, southwest of Idleb.

The work will be completed before the end of April, with a capacity to initially receive 200 minors, with a training staff, the source added.

The source indicated that the focus will be on Sharia courses for a period of two months and one month for training on weapons.

The HTS, founded in 2017, controls the city of Idleb using its Salvation Government as a political and administrative umbrella since

20,000 Syrians return from quake-affected Turkey

Meanwhile, the number of Syrians returning to Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in northern Idleb from quake-affected areas in Turkey has reached 20,000 until Sunday night after the issuance of exemptions that was announced in mid-February.

The administration of Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey announced 29 Syrians entered on the 47 day after Turkish authorities allowed Syrians with temporary protection cards in the quake-stricken Turkish states to return, bringing the total number of arrivals to 20,000.

At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing nearly 50,000 individuals and injuring much more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.

Over 57,000 people arrived in northwest Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing in Idleb countryside, the Jarablus and Bab al-Salameh border crossing in the northern countryside of Aleppo, the Tel Abyad border crossing in northern Raqqa, according to daily statistics published by the administration of the border crossings.

Only Syrians who live in the quake-hit provinces of Gaziantep, Kilis, Kahramanmaras, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adyaman, Sanlurfa, Diyarbakr, Malatya, Adana, Elazg and hold the Kimlik are allowed to enter Syria.

The permit lasts at least three months and a maximum of six months. Syrian activists have expressed concern that Turkey will not allow their return.
WOODLAND  Two people were injured after fleeing a hit-and-run collision in Woodland Sunday evening, according to Washington State Patrol spokesperson Will Finn.

The agencys press release says a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old Woodland resident was traveling southbound on state Route 503, or Lewis River Road, when he failed to negotiate a corner and proceeded to take off from the roadway and crash into a wooden fence, injuring himself and his passenger.

Finn said the driver was fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash that occurred in the city of Woodland. The Woodland police declined to comment on the incident until their media representative returns to the office.

The driver, whose name is being withheld by authorities, could face a vehicular assault charge, according to the press release. The department reports drugs and alcohol were involved in the crash.

The driver was operating a 2003 black Infiniti which was later declared totaled by the Washington State Patrol. He was transported to St. John Medical Center for medical attention.

Both the 17-year-old driver and a 25-year-old passenger required medical attention.

Finn told The Daily News the passenger, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered a fractured jaw in the crash. He was sent by ambulance to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
TeamViewer is bringing a range of benefits to its channel partners in Asia Pacific via the newly launched partner program TeamUP. The program includes an easy-to-use and completely new, unified partner portal which goes live today that enables partners to take advantage of exclusive discounts, dedicated support, and comprehensive sales training, along with a broad variety of certifications.

The TeamUP program is designed for a wide range of partners, including resellers, distributors, managed service providers, and systems integrators. The key elements of the unified partner portal include a deal-registration-engine, a tailored learning portal, and a marketing material database, combined with insights into the current partnership status and the possibility to request benefits directly via the platform.

Sojung Lee, President, Asia Pacific at TeamViewer, expresses excitement about the launch of the new partner program and platform in the Asia Pacific region. Following the success of TeamViewers APAC Partner Summit 2023 in Bali, Indonesia, TeamViewer continues to enhance its channel ecosystem and bring unparalleled value to its partners. Our partners are the key to our success, Sojung explains. They bring valuable local expertise and networks that amplify our reach and help us deliver the best possible experience to our customers. We are thrilled to join forces with our partners to drive growth and create new opportunities in the Asia Pacific region.

The new, unified program is available for all TeamViewer partners, independent of the solution they are selling, including TeamViewers workflow-based productivity solution Frontline for the first time. It features three different tiers, Business, Premier and Champion, each with tailored discounts and benefits, like joint marketing campaigns and access to dedicated resources.

TeamViewers TeamUP program aims to improve collaboration with its channel partners and expand its reach in the Asia Pacific region, providing more opportunities for growth and success for both TeamViewer and its partners.
Sony has announced the FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens (model SEL50F14GM) as its newest addition to its acclaimed G Master full-frame lens lineup. This e-mount lens expands the Sony offerings with a premium 50 mm prime lens packed into a remarkably compact and lightweight design. Even at F1.4, FE 50mm F1.4 GM delivers first-class image quality, including high-resolution and naturally rendered bokeh known to Sonys top-tier G Master series. When paired with the latest Sony cameras, it is an ideal option for a wide variety of uses in both still and video including portraiture, landscape, travel, and wedding.

Mukesh Srivastava, Digital Imaging Head, Sony India, said, At Sony, we are evolving our products to the needs of todays content creators and are proud to announce the newest innovation with the FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens, the latest addition to the E-mount lens line-up. This prime lens is a great choice for both photography and videography use and delivers exceptional image quality at 50 mm, which is one of the most popular focal lengths. The versatile lens packs Sonys latest G Master technology in such a compact form factor.

1. Sharp imagery and beautiful bokeh

The advanced optical design and elements unique to Sonys top-of-the-line G Master series brings outstanding image quality to FE 50mm F1.4 GM. Spherical aberration control at both the design and the manufacturing stages contributes to beautiful bokeh. The lens offers naturally rendered bokeh with an 11-blade circular aperture and sharp realism is offered throughout maximum aperture range. Deep, creamy bokeh at F1.4 is ideal for a variety of shooting scenarios including making portrait subjects stand out from their surroundings.

FE 50mm F1.4 GM is packed with two XA (extreme aspherical) elements that effectively correct field curvature and most types of aberration. This lens is also designed with one ED (extra-low dispersion) glass element that suppresses chromatic aberration to maintain clear and sharp images without colour bleeding. The design combination of the XA and ED elements help achieve high-resolution throughout the entire frame. Sonys original Nano AR Coating II on the lens suppresses reflections even in a backlit scene.

In addition, the minimum focusing distance of FE 50mm F1.4 GM is just 0.41 meters and maximum magnification is 0.16x when autofocus is used. This level of close-up performance provides extra flexibility when shooting both stills and videos.

2. Remarkably compact design for maximum versatility

The FE 50mm F1.4 GM has Sonys most advanced optical design technology including the precisely positioned XA elements, high-thrust XD (extreme dynamic) linear motors, and the latest compact circular aperture unit. These elements are critical for realising a large-aperture, high-resolution lens that is only 80.6 mm in diameter, 96.0 mm in length, and 516 grams in weight. These measurements allow for a lens that is 33% lighter and 15% less volume when compared to conventional models with the same specifications.

The compact size of FE 50mm F1.4 GM paired with a Sony camera body makes this lens extremely versatile in both still and video shooting situations. With this type of mobility and low-light performance, this lens is a great choice for everything from portraits, landscapes, weddings, and travel. The compact size also makes it an ideal lens selection for gimbal and drone operation.

3. Fast, precise, and reliable autofocus

The FE 50mm F1.4 GMs autofocus is extremely fast and precise, making it an ideal choice for reliable content creation. The autofocus is as much as 1.9x faster than conventional models with the same specifications2. The lenss focus group is driven by Sonys high-thrust XD linear motors and incorporates an advanced control algorithm for smooth, responsive focus drive. When paired with the latest Sonys Alpha cameras, this lens can quickly acquire focus and track subjects, even when using the shallow depth of field available at F1.4.

The XD linear motors and control algorithm optimise response to control signals so that focusing is precise, and vibration is minimised for refined, quiet AF operation. This is extremely advantageous when shooting movies allowing movie subjects to be smoothly captured and tracked even when shooting at 120 fps or other high frame rates. The ability to leave focusing to the camera when shooting solo or with a small team can dramatically enhance efficiency and creative flexibility. The FE 50mm F1.4 GM features the latest lens technology to reduce focus breathing to ensure that the highest quality images are captured. In addition, FE 50mm F1.4 GM supports the breathing compensation function provided in compatible Sonys Alpha cameras.

4. Intuitive operability and outstanding reliability

The lens has been designed intuitively to help provide creators maximum workflow efficiency while shooting. Linear Response MF ensures that the focus ring responds directly and repeatably to subtle control when focusing manually. As an exciting evolution to the premium G Master line-up, FE 50mm F1.4 GM also features an iris lock switch, which is the first to ever to be offered on a Sony prime lens. Additionally, this lens features a 67 mm thread mount, allowing for a filter to be interchangeable with the FE 24mm F1.4 G Master and FE 35mm F1.4 G Master lenses.

Focus hold buttons and a focus mode switch provide extra shooting versatility for content creators. Customisable focus hold buttons are present in two locations, which can be further assigned to several other functions from the cameras menus. The focus mode switch makes it possible to switch between autofocus and manual focus on the fly, to quickly adapt to changing shooting conditions.

The FE 50mm F1.4 GMs front lens element features a fluorine coating that repels and allows for easy removal of fingerprints, dust, water, oil, and other contaminants. A dust and moisture resistant design provides extra reliability for outdoor use in challenging conditions. These additions allow creators to use the lens with confidence in almost any shooting environment.

Pricing and Availability

The new FE 50mm F1.4 GM lens will be available across all Sony Centers, Alpha Flagship stores, ecommerce websites (Amazon and Flipkart), www.ShopatSC.com portal and major electronic stores across India from 3rd April 2023 onwards.
The most defining moment in mobile tech history came exactly 50 years ago on April 3, 1973, when Martin Cooper, former Motorola VP and Director of R&D, used the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to make the worlds first commercial mobile phone call from Sixth Avenue in New York City. It marked a pivotal point in time for society as we no longer had to sit by a landline or wait for a page to ensure we didnt miss a call. It meant we could communicate with anyone, any time, from anywhere.

When I made the first public portable cell phone call on April 3, 1973, I knew it was only the beginning; that Motorola and the cellphone industry were starting a revolution in personal communications, said Martin Cooper. Since then, there have been a huge number of pivotal innovations, many of them created by Motorola. The first fifty years were only the warm-up. There will be many more exciting advancements that will transform humanity

First Call at 50: An interview with Martin Cooper:

Sergio Buniac, President of Motorola, said, Having been at Motorola for over 20 years, Ive had the opportunity to bear witness to many of these iconic innovations. Innovation is in our DNA. Weve revolutionized the industry countless times and were eager to continue to play this pivotal role in shaping the industrys future.
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Prototype of the flameless impingement oven built by Pawel Olszewski in the engineering and engineering technology department at UW Oshkosh. Olszewski recently was granted a U.S. patent for the oven, which mixes air and flammable gas in such a way that it creates heat without visible flame. Credit: UW Oshkosh

Pawel Olszewski, a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh associate mechanical engineering technology professor, recently was granted a U.S. patent for his flameless impingement oven, designed and built in the Teaching and Energy Research Industrial Lab (TERIL) on the Oshkosh campus.

Olszewski began the patent process back in 2019 with WiSys, the Wisconsin-based nonprofit dedicated to helping inventors protect their intellectual property, and received the news of approval in February.

Titled "flameless impingement oven," the invention is patent number US 11,585,601 B2, granted on Feb. 21.

Industrial ovenslike the ones this creation improves uponare used for a variety of purposes, including heat treating and melting materials like steel or aluminum. The benefits of the flameless impingement setup, Olszewski said, include faster heating to increase productivity; fewer emitted pollutants because the thorough heating reduces nitrogen oxides; and a reduction in fuel consumption with gases exhausted at lower temperatures.

The new oven arranges natural gas and air jets to directly affect the object being heated, substantially transferring heat by impingement transfer rather than by conventional radiation and thermally induced convection.

Because the air and gas are swirling at such speeds inside the oven"like a huge tornado," Olszewski explainedthe chemical reaction to produce extreme heat is occurring everywhere all the time.

The flameless impingement oven prototype features 25 air nozzles and 16 natural gas nozzles. Once ignited, the oven produces temperatures beyond 1,000 degrees Celsius. Credit: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

The chamber, which is a foot tall, a foot wide and a food deep, reaches temperatures beyond 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Everything mixes and the gas is always meeting the oxidizer," he said. "So when you look inside the furnace during the normal flameless operation, there are no flames. You have combustion but no flames. Natural gas oxidizes, it reacts with the oxygen, generates heat, but there is no flame."

The prototype was built in the TERIL on the third floor of the Halsey Science Center. The oven is the fourth unique industrial system built there and requires the other three to run: chilling, pumping and compressed air.

The idea can be traced back to when Olszewski was a post-doctorate fellow at the University of Michigan. While there, he worked with simpler flameless ovens. The ideas continued to swirl around in his mind and when he came to UW Oshkosh in 2014 he and his students began to create all of the industrial systems that allowed for the oven to exist.

"There is no single piece of the equipment that was purchased in the state it's in. Everything was purchased as a component," he said. "We cut whatever the frames, we organized our own control cabinets, everything here including the software that controls all of the systems."

What Olszewski is hoping for next is a local company to express interest so the idea can grow beyond the single prototype. He said any company that melts aluminum, cast iron, steel or even glass could make use of the technology. It can translate to more or less any size and ovens already in use could be retrofitted.

"I'm hoping it will catch somewhere," he said.

More information: Patent number US 11,585,601 B2: image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearc  downloadPdf/11585601

Provided by University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
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Susan Burns looks out on a neighboring field that may soon be covered in solar panels in Callaway County, Missouri.

From her century-old home, Susan Burns has watched the sun set over her cousin's field every day for 75 years. Now her cousin has agreed to have solar panels installed on the field, and an unhappy Burns finds herself in a fight.

Huge solar farms are being planned in this corner of Missouri, and as in other rural areas of the United States, residents sometimes are yanking the welcome mat.

Foreseeing vast expanses of solar farms replacing cropland, Burns began raising the issue with other community members at the Baptist church across the road.

She fears much may be at stake: "(I) lose my view. I lose my health. I lose my safety."

A group has formed around Fulton to fight the solar installations, as has happened in rural areas across the country. And this emerging grassroots movement is slowing the transition to low-carbon electricity in the world's largest economy.

Land registry

"I want to live and take care of my farmland. And the idea that my cousin, who lives across the road, would be turning his farmland into an industrial area was very disturbing to me," Burns told AFP from her country home.

With a dozen other volunteers, Burns organized a public meeting to sound an alarm. As people walked in, a petition awaited their signatures, and activists invited the curious to study a land registry map with three areas highlighted showing proposed solar farms.

"If we unite, we can stop this," said Joe Burns, Susan Burns's son, before a crowd of about 100 in Fulton, the county seat.

A solar farm covers a field in New Florence, Missouri.

Threat to identity

The US electricity grid generates 60 percent of its power from fossil fuels. The administration of President Joe Biden is trying to turn the tide toward renewable energy.

But grassroots protests against solar projects "will significantly delay America's commitment toward getting to net zero," said Jungwoo Chun, a lecturer on climate and sustainability at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Like other academics interviewed by AFP, Chun insisted that it would be an oversimplification to see the opposition as a simple matter of the NIMBYor "not in my backyard"dynamic.

"Farmers have a particular identity," said Doug Bessette, an assistant professor at Michigan State University and co-author of several studies on the matter.

"It's hard work, it's dirt under your fingernails. And now if that land is... just basically laying fallow with solar panels on it for 20 years, that's a disruption to identity."

Residents of central Missouri study a land registry map to see the location of proposed solar farms.

Differing visions have pitted farmer against farmer, and even divided families.

In the southern part of Callaway County, two neighbors nearly came to blows, said one, whose house may end up surrounded by solar panels.

Do the math

Leaning on his tractor, cattle farmer Mike Webb pointed to one of his parcels.

"That piece of ground just across the road here," he said, "I may make 250 to 300 bucks an acre on a good year.

"And then when someone comes around and asks me, 'Hey, we're willing to give you $1,000 an acre (per year) for solar panels, and give you a 2 percent increase per year for a 40-year contract,' it gets your interest," Webb said.

So he signed on.

"It should be my right to do what I want to do with my place," he said.

At a crossroads, with grain silos looming in the distance, a sign calls for a fight against solar projects.

Houses abut a solar farm near Columbia, Missouri.

Mike Webb drives his tractor in north Callaway County, Missouri.

"It drives me crazy," Webb blurted out as he walked past, denouncing the resistance of a "minority" of the population.

Here in northern Callaway County, word is that the first shovels for one of the three solar farms could come as early as this summer, although that is not confirmed by the Ranger Power renewable energy company.

The developer of the 250-megawatt project (enough to power nearly 43,000 homes) told AFP that its $300 million investment would, among other things, allow local homeowners "to sustain existing family farms."

"It's free money," said Webb, who is thinking about his retirement and about the day when some of his four children will take over the farm.

"Whether they like it or not, it's going to be an income for them. And you know, that's what matters to them."

 2023 AFP
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The ScrutinAI tool is used to detect errors in AI models or training data and to analyze the causes. In this example, an AI model for detecting abnormalities and diseases in CT images is being studied. Credit: Fraunhofer IAIS

The hype around ChatGPT has brought the topic of artificial intelligence and its impressive potential to the fore. At the same time, ensuring the quality and maintaining control of AI systems are becoming increasingly importantespecially when these systems take on responsible tasks. After all, the chat-bot's results are based on huge amounts of text data from the internet.

That said, systems like ChatGPT only compute the most likely answer to a question and output it as a fact. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems IAIS will be showcasing various assessment tools and processes that can be used to systematically examine AI systems for weaknesses throughout their life cycle and safeguard against AI risks at the Hannover Messe 2023 from April 17 to 21 (at the joint Fraunhofer booth A12 in Hall 16).

The tools support developers and technical inspection authorities in systematically evaluating the quality of AI systems to ensure that they can be trusted.

As the media omnipresence of OpenAI's new AI application ChatGPT shows, artificial intelligence has reached an impressive level of maturity. The chatbot, trained with data and text from all over the internet, responds to questions with answers that are difficult if not impossible to distinguish from text written by humans. This makes the AI system worth considering for a wide range of tasks in companies, whether it's marketing tasks, automating how customer inquiries are handled or generating media content.

Assessment tools for peering into the black box

However, public discourse has also called for caution. The criticism is directed at, among other things, the lack of transparency, such as the sources the chatbot generates its answers from. In particular, the predictions are dependent on the quality of the input data.

"This shows how important it is to be able to systematically assess the quality of AI applications. Especially this is true in sensitive fields of application such as medical diagnostics, HR management, finance, the applications used by law enforcement agencies or safety-critical areas, where AI systems must deliver absolutely reliable results. The AI Actthe European draft for regulating AI systemsranks these examples in the high-risk category and even requires mandatory assessment in these cases," says Dr. Maximilian Poretschkin, Head of safe AI and AI certification at Fraunhofer IAIS in Sankt Augustin, Germany.

"At this point, companies developing or deploying high-risk AI applications urgently need to address how they can ensure the quality of their applications."

Together with his team, he develops assessment tools and methods that examine and evaluate AI applications in terms of their reliability, fairness, robustness, transparency and data protection. The tools can be combined in a modular manner and are embedded in a software framework.

The development of prototypical assessment tools is supported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, among others, as part of the NRW ZERTIFIZIERTE KI (CERTIFIED AI) flagship project. The underlying assessment criteria are based on the AI Assessment Catalog, a structured practical guide published by Fraunhofer IAIS researchers in 2021.

Examining neural networks for vulnerabilities

The need for such assessment tools stems from the fact that AI applications often differ significantly from conventional software. The latter is programmed on the basis of rules, thereby enabling systematic testing of its functionalityi.e., whether the responses or outputs are correct in relation to the inputs. For AI applications, these procedures are in general not sufficient, especially if they are based on neural networks.

The ScrutinAI tool developed by Fraunhofer IAIS enables test personnel to systematically search for vulnerabilities in neural networks and thus assess the quality of AI applications. One specific example is an AI application that detects abnormalities and diseases in CT images. The question here is whether all types of abnormalities are detected equally well, or some better than others.

This analysis helps test personnel assess whether an AI application is suitable for its intended context of use. At the same time, developers can also benefit by being able to identify insufficiencies in their AI systems at an early stage and take appropriate improvement measures, such as enhancing the training data with specific examples.

It is conceivable that the tool could be used for many use cases. The above example could easily be replaced by an AI application that detects vulnerabilities and material defects in safety-critical components. In this case, too, it is important to establish whether all vulnerabilities are detected equally well or whether there are areas of the intended application domain for which the performance of the AI application is inadequate. "It's always about detecting insufficiencies in the neural network, albeit in different contexts," Poretschkin explains.

Assessing uncertainties

The uncertAInty method, developed by Fraunhofer IAIS and integrated into the framework, provides neural networks with a situation-dependent quality assessment function that they can use to evaluate their own certainty with respect to the prediction made.

"In highly automated AI decision-making, it is important to be able to assess how confident the AI is about the result it produces. To use a specific example, an autonomous vehicle must be able to reliably detect objects and people in its environment so that it can react to them appropriately. The uncertainty assessment helps in measuring how much you can trust the systems decision or whether certain fallback mechanisms need to be activated or if a human needs to make the final decision," says Poretschkin.

Therefore, the uncertAInty method constitutes an important building block for safeguarding AI applications so that they can be used in sensitive application contexts.

Comparing AI models

Lastly, the benchmarking tool is used to investigate which AI model is best suited for a particular task. "There's a glut of new AI applications that companies can integrate into their processes. Benchmarking helps them to make the right choice," says the researcher.

The tool has the functional capability, among other things, to measure the fairness of training data sets. This is crucial in the HR industry, for example, when it comes to AI applications that assist with the selection of new employees. In these situations, the AI application needs to be trained using balanced and statistically representative data sets to avoid disadvantaging groups of people and to ensure equal opportunities.

At the joint Fraunhofer booth A12 in Hall 16 at the Hannover Messe, the team from Fraunhofer IAIS will use an interactive demonstrator from the medical domain to show how the quality of an AI application can be systematically evaluated using the assessment tools. In addition, interested parties will find out how AI evaluation can be carried out in companies in practical terms.
Texas A&M will conduct a Silver Taps ceremony at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to honor three Aggies who recently died.

The students who will be honored are: Nathaniel (Nate) Neil Callaway, a sophomore studying agricultural economics from Whitney; Austin Michael Hodge, a senior studying sport management from College Station; and Christian Duvall Owen, a junior studying environmental studies from Edmond, Oklahoma.

The Silver Taps ceremony, which will be in the universitys Academic Plaza, will be broadcast on YouTube.

Silver Taps is an A&M tradition held on the first Tuesday of each month from September through April, if necessary, to honor current students who have died.

The first Silver Taps was in 1898 after the death of the universitys president, Lawrence Sullivan Ross, and it has changed little from that time. All campus flags are flown at half-staff on the day of Silver Taps, while a list of the names of those to be remembered is posted at the base of the flagpole in the Academic Plaza.
An often overlooked yet inherent part of the agricultural ecosystem, weeds can impact day-to-day life in ways one might not expect.

Weeds pose a significant problem to food and fiber systems by decreasing the quality and quantity of crop yields around the world. According to the Weed Science Society of America, the potential loss in value for corn and soybeans crops if not properly treated for weeds is $43 billion annually. Without weed control, estimates show that weeds could lower corn yields by 52% and soybeans by 49.5%.

As weeds develop resistance to herbicides, to meet the needs of the growing population, the world needs alternative approaches to conventional weed management practices.

Discovery and innovation within weed science

Weed science can be summed up as the study of plants that are out of place. More specifically, this branch of crop sciences seeks to understand how unwanted plants behave and to find effective ways of controlling them. The field of weed science applies to agronomic crops, but also to turfgrass, horticulture, pasture, forests, plant nurseries, right of ways, industrial areas and water bodies.

Primarily, we consider any unwanted plant that grows in agricultural fields or other managed ecosystems that competes with the desirable plant for resources such as nutrients, water, sunlight and space a weed, said Muthukumar Bagavathiannan, Ph.D., associate professor of weed science and agronomy in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Bagavathiannan leads a rigorous research group that is gaining national and international recognition in weed science research.

Bagavathiannans efforts in weed science focus on weed ecology and management. His goal is to understand the evolutionary biology and dynamics of herbicide resistance in weed communities and develop precision integrated weed management solutions for effectively tackling weed issues, especially by targeting weed seedbanks. Notably, his program utilizes digital technologies in precision weed detection and recognition, management and ecology.

Complementing his research efforts, he helps train and empower the next generation of weed scientists.

Finding a place researching the unwanted

Passion for weed science and agronomy and the desire to improve production agricultural practices unite Bagavathiannan, his fellow faculty members and their students. But the weed science program is the reason many students choose to further their education at Texas A&M University.

We are all passionate about weed science and want to make an impact in this field, said Sarah Chu, weed science doctoral student. Under Dr. Bagavathiannans direction, we are doing exactly that.

The interdisciplinary approach to weed science research taken by Bagavathiannan presents students with opportunities they would not find elsewhere, while his leadership encourages students to be curious and think outside the box. His approach to research and the reputation of the program are unique, attracting the best and brightest students from across the globe.

Several of Bagavathiannans graduate students competed at the 2023 Weed Science Society of America Meeting in Arlington, Virginia, recently. Chu and fellow graduate students Bholuram Gurjar, Sarah Kezar, Andrew Osburn and Gustavo Silva came home with awards and recognitions. They all say weed science has become a passion they will carry for many years to come.

I just knew I liked to work with plants and be out in the field, Silva said. I quickly found out I enjoyed learning about how weeds behave and overcome the standard weed control strategies. I knew there was always something new to learn about weeds and they are always a challenge, so I decided to get my masters at Texas A&M and stay for my doctorate in weed science with Dr. Bagavathiannan.

Gurjar said his passion for sustainable agriculture and the environment, and desire to find solutions to the negative impacts of herbicides and chemical weed control prompted his interest in weed science.

I come from a farming family where I grew up watching my father work hard to grow crops, he said. That inspired me to make a difference in the farming community by improving crop productivity and making the lives of farmers easier.

Osburn and Chu have similar stories.

Students outline their research focus

Chu is working toward her doctorate on harvest weed seed control methods. To protect the seedbank from incursions by weed seeds, she is creating a way to damage weed seeds that enter the combine during crop harvest. She is studying this method in cotton, wheat, rice and soybeans. She is also helping develop a newer form of control that implements blue light and a form of heat to kill weed seeds.

Gurjar is also working on harvest weed seed control, but in a different way. His research goal is to develop a pipeline for automatic weed detection in rice and turf and site-specific herbicide application using drones and ground robots. The objective is to reduce the weed seedbank replenishment using precision technologies, resulting in lower weed densities and higher crop yields the following year. Additionally, his research aim is to drastically reduce herbicide volumes compared to broadcast applications without compromising weed-control efficacy.

Osburns research focuses on one weed: annual bluegrass. He specifically focuses on addressing the herbicide-resistance epidemic in annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems.

Kezars research focuses on a specific weed that is highly adaptable, becoming resistant to more and more herbicides and can easily rob farmers of their cotton yields. Kezar is determined to help farmers by making sure fewer Palmer amaranth plants live to produce seeds.

In the meantime, Silva is focusing on improving how weed systems are managed. Weed system management implements several types of weed control strategies to reduce the chance of weeds adapting to one single method, like what is happening with herbicide resistance around the globe.

Not all weeds are bad

One behavior inherent to weeds is that they can quickly populate disturbed land. By doing this, they prepare the ground for more permanent plants like shrubs and trees, ensuring that a mature ecosystem can eventually grow there, said Silva. While this is problematic for farmers, it does not mean that every weed is bad. Some species have beneficial and even desirable properties.

Certain weeds are edible and used for medicinal purposes. For example, dandelion leaves and roots are used in salads, teas and herbal supplements to support liver function and digestion. And while clover may frustrate landscapers and homeowners, the plant is not entirely bad. Silva said it is one species of weed that can improve soil quality by adding organic matter, improving the soil structure and increasing nutrient availability.

Additionally, some weed species such as milkweed provide essential habitats and food for pollinators like native bees and monarch butterflies, which are critical to crop pollination and ecosystem health.

So, while people might assume every weed they see is problematic, it is important to remember that in some settings, weeds are good. Learning how to properly control weeds when they appear in the wrong setting is where Bagavathiannan and his students come in.

By exploring the interconnectedness weeds have with agricultural systems and better understanding their interactions with crops through cutting edge research, Texas A&M can help farmers safely, responsibly and economically continue to feed the world.
Its a horrible, horrible situation, and were not going to fix it.

There you have it: With that throwaway line to reporters on the Capitol steps last Monday, Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee summed up the Republican Partys deliberate impotence against an epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings that distinguishes this nation from just about all others.

Six of Burchetts fellow Tennesseans  three 9-year-olds and three adults roughly his age  had just been slaughtered at a private Presbyterian school in Nashville by the latest killer wielding assault weapons. The congressman was saying that we cant fix the problem of record shootings. Yet wont applies as well to Republicans.

Predictably, theyve stuck to their two-pronged agenda on gun massacres: thoughts and prayers. (Perversely, Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama, has another idea. His bill, which he unveiled at a gun store, would designate the AR-15 as the National Gun of the United States.)

Cant, wont  the fact is the Congress can do something and once did do something, to demonstrably good but short-lived effect. In 1994, a Democratic-controlled Congress and President Bill Clinton banned mass murderers weapon of choice, military-style assault rifles, along with the high-capacity magazines that so horribly compound the guns lethality.

It should try to do so again, as President Joe Biden has urged for the umpteenth time. That a Republican-majority House insists it cant or wont act is all the more reason to bring nationwide pressure on Congress to try.

The assault weapon ban enacted three decades ago was a personal victory for Californias then-freshman Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was motivated by a 1993 attack at a San Francisco law firm that left eight people dead, as well as by the 1989 shootings at a Stockton schoolyard that killed five kids and injured 27, plus a teacher.

But to secure enough votes back then, proponents had to compromise by exempting the assault-style rifles and magazines Americans already possessed. And, alas, they also had to agree that the ban would lapse after 10 years unless a future Congress and president extended it. Which, in 2004, a Republican-controlled Congress and President George W. Bush refused to do.

Yet the nations 10-year experiment with a limited ban on assault weapons and magazines left us with the evidence to argue today that such action works. Mass-shooting fatalities were 70% less likely to occur during the federal ban period, one review of evidence showed in 2019.

And heres what has happened with military-style assault weapons since the U.S. ban was lifted: record sales and record deaths.

Gunmakers manufactured and marketed AR-15s like never before, making it the best-selling rifle in the United States. Together with the gun lobby and their Republican cheerleaders, they capitalized on a post-9/11 fascination with the kind of tricked-out long guns used by American troops. They stoked gun nuts fears after Barack Obamas election that the first Black president would confiscate their firearms.

And they played to gun owners (toxic) masculinity, with one manufacturer promoting sales of its AR-15  the model used by the assassin of the Sandy Hook Elementary School first-graders  this way: CONSIDER YOUR MAN CARD REISSUED.

Its sickening. And it must stop.

After the annihilation of those 20 first-graders and six of their school guardians in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, many of us had some hope that federal action would follow. Instead, while manufacturing and sales grew, a proposed assault weapons ban died in the Senate, opposed by every Republican but one and more than a few swing-state Democrats. Of the 17 deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. since Sandy Hook, 12 have been carried out with assault weapons, according to The Washington Post, just as in the case in the Covenant School killings.

Assault weapons should be the pariahs of the gun industry; polls consistently show that most Americans want to outlaw them. Unlike bullets from typical handguns, the blast effect of an AR-15s shots fans out within a victims body, pulverizes tissue and leaves gaping holes on exiting. In other words, just as the military originally intended, the weapons are all-but-guaranteed killers.

The Washington Post, in new series on the AR-15, and with the permission of the victims families, used animation to show the unsurvivable wounds to 6-year-old Noah Pozner at Sandy Hook and to 15-year-old Peter Wang at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.

Yet the guns have only become more popular, iconic even for millions. Some Republicans in Congress walk around with pins of mini-AR-15s on their lapels. And the number of real assault weapons has spiked from an estimated 1.5 million at the time of the 1994 ban to as many as 20 million today, according to The Washington Post.

That stunning number is a real problem, of course, if the weapon is ever to be banned. But short of confiscating Americans AR-15s, an all-but-impossible task, a law prohibiting future sales and importation should include some provision for the government to buy owners guns and magazines  as Biden has proposed.

Another big problem is the Republican-packed Supreme Court. In a decision last June, the six conservative justices expanded gun rights so broadly that the president of one far-right group hailed it as a 4-ton wrecking ball against limits on firearms. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, for whose confirmation the National Rifle Association spent millions, once took umbrage at the use of the phrase assault weapon, to the gun lobbys delight.

Yet just as the opposition of Republicans in Congress shouldnt be a deterrent to advocating a national assault weapons ban, neither should the high courts pro-gun bias hold back advocates.

Leave it to the Republicans like Burchett to claim theyre powerless.
Huawei holds information tech exhibition in Botswana

Xinhua) 10:31, April 03, 2023

Visitors are seen at the Telecom Congress of Huawei in Gaborone, Botswana, March 31, 2023. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)

GABORONE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Huawei held its first Telecom Congress in Botswana from Tuesday to Friday, launching a series of network and data center solutions.

The four-day event drew more than 400 representatives from the government, telecom operators, enterprises, and universities to experience the latest industry technologies and solutions.

Thulagano Segokgo, Botswana's minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, expressed gratitude to Huawei for actively participating in Botswana's national digital transformation during the event and encouraged the company to bring more cutting-edge innovative technologies to Botswana.

For many years, Huawei has taken an active part in Botswana's planning and development of information and communication technology (ICT) so as to support the building of ubiquitous connectivity and the ICT sector in Botswana, said David Zhang, managing director of Huawei in Botswana.

"We hope to provide Botswana with high-quality 5G experience and digital intelligent transformation solutions," said Zhang.

During the event, Huawei held a forum on the theme of "ICT for Youth Development and Employment" to support Botswana's socio-economic development through talent cultivation.

Since 2019, Huawei has provided industry-leading ICT training to more than 100 Botswana university students through the programs of Seeds for the Future and Huawei ICT Academy, said Zhang.

In the future, Huawei plans to provide communications training for 100 Botswana students every year, he said.

Puntsho Pusoetsile, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, welcomed the plan and encouraged more enterprises to participate in local communications talent cultivation.

A visitor tries VR devices at the Telecom Congress of Huawei in Gaborone, Botswana, March 31, 2023. (Photo by Tshekiso Tebalo/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE  Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 432,300 shares, a decline of 15.6% from the February 28th total of 512,000 shares. Currently, 3.0% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 73,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.9 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $507.32, for a total transaction of $1,014,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,613 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $61,696,707.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $507.32, for a total transaction of $1,014,640.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $61,696,707.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO David Patrick Williams sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $523.25, for a total transaction of $2,093,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 20,443 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,696,799.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 9,000 shares of company stock valued at $4,686,450 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 4.03% of the companys stock.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Chemed in the third quarter valued at about $220,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Chemed by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,548 shares of the companys stock valued at $676,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in Chemed during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,746,000. Amalgamated Bank lifted its stake in Chemed by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 11,190 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,885,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its stake in Chemed by 198.5% during the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 7,324 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,197,000 after acquiring an additional 4,870 shares during the period. 91.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Stock Up 2.0 %

Shares of Chemed stock traded up $10.44 during trading on Friday, reaching $537.75. The companys stock had a trading volume of 99,545 shares, compared to its average volume of 67,194. Chemed has a 1-year low of $430.16 and a 1-year high of $539.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The company has a market cap of $8.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $512.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $495.35.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 24th. The company reported $5.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.30 by $0.09. Chemed had a net margin of 11.69% and a return on equity of 41.54%. The firm had revenue of $546.65 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $546.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.25 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Chemed will post 20.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 27th were paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 24th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.28%. Chemeds payout ratio is currently 9.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Chemed in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Chemed from $545.00 to $587.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 27th.

About Chemed

(Get Rating)

Chemed Corp. engages in the provision of healthcare and maintenance services. It operates through the VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. The VITAS segment offers hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers.

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Dingdong (Cayman) Limited (NYSE:DDL  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,940,000 shares, a decline of 14.5% from the February 28th total of 3,440,000 shares. Currently, 2.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,180,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Dingdong (Cayman)

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Dingdong (Cayman) during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Dingdong (Cayman) during the 3rd quarter valued at $37,000. Credit Suisse AG bought a new stake in Dingdong (Cayman) in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. CV Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Dingdong (Cayman) in the 4th quarter valued at $65,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Dingdong (Cayman) in the 2nd quarter valued at $85,000. 23.43% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Dingdong (Cayman) Trading Up 2.7 %

NYSE:DDL traded up $0.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $3.86. 581,374 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,119,866. The stock has a market capitalization of $911.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.66 and a beta of -0.18. Dingdong has a twelve month low of $2.43 and a twelve month high of $7.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $4.61 and a 200 day moving average of $4.35.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Dingdong (Cayman) ( NYSE:DDL Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 13th. The company reported $0.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $899.01 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $945.78 million. Dingdong (Cayman) had a negative net margin of 3.43% and a negative return on equity of 248.85%. Equities research analysts predict that Dingdong will post 0.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Dingdong (Cayman) from $7.00 to $7.50 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th.

About Dingdong (Cayman)

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Dingdong (Cayman) Limited operates an e-commerce company in China. The company offers fresh produce, meat, seafood, prepared food, and other food products, such as dairy and bakery products, snacks, oil, seasonings, and beverages. It operates as a self-operated online retail business primarily through Dingdong Fresh.

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Leonardo S.p.a. (OTCMKTS:FINMF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,680,000 shares, a decrease of 8.7% from the February 28th total of 5,126,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 6,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 742.9 days.

Leonardo Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:FINMF traded down $0.69 on Friday, hitting $11.51. 305 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,004. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $11.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.15. Leonardo has a 52 week low of $6.65 and a 52 week high of $12.48.

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Leonardo Company Profile

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Leonardo SpA engages in the aerospace, defense and security sectors. It operates through the following segments: Helicopters; Defense and Security Electronics; Aeronautics; Space, Defense Systems; and Other Activities. The Helicopters segment designs commercial and military rotorcrafts. The Defense and Security Electronics segment engages in the information management, sensors, and systems integration business, as well as delivers systems for critical missions, military sustainment requirements, and homeland security.

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Great Wall Motor Company Limited (OTCMKTS:GWLLF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 10,199,500 shares, a drop of 9.5% from the February 28th total of 11,275,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 20,399.0 days.

Great Wall Motor Stock Performance

OTCMKTS GWLLF remained flat at $1.21 during trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,999 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,879. The firms fifty day moving average is $1.33 and its 200 day moving average is $1.26. Great Wall Motor has a fifty-two week low of $0.87 and a fifty-two week high of $2.29.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, HSBC downgraded Great Wall Motor from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 17th.

About Great Wall Motor

Great Wall Motor Company Limited researches and develops, manufactures, and sells automobiles, and automotive parts and components in China, Russia, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, and internationally. The company offers pick-up trucks, SUVs, sedans, and energy vehicles primarily under the Haval, WEY, ORA, Tank, and Great Wall Pickup brand names; and unmanned vehicles.

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Royal Bank of Canada restated their outperform rating on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI  Get Rating) in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $25.00 target price on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, December 6th. They set an outperform rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $30.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $27.77.

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Albertsons Companies Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of ACI opened at $20.78 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.59, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.66, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.80. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $19.14 and a fifty-two week high of $36.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $20.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.71.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

Albertsons Companies ( NYSE:ACI Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 10th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $18.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.50 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 2.16% and a return on equity of 60.71%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 26th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 25th. Albertsons Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 19.83%.

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total value of $630,300.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,055,563.41. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total transaction of $630,300.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,055,563.41. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Omer Gajial sold 36,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.05, for a total transaction of $757,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,140 shares in the company, valued at $529,197. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. Diametric Capital LP bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $950,000. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $206,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $451,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $6,286,000. Finally, Axxcess Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $450,000. 65.58% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company's food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.

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Altice USA, Inc. (NYSE:ATUS  Get Rating) was down 6.4% on Monday . The company traded as low as $3.20 and last traded at $3.20. Approximately 3,512,948 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 14% from the average daily volume of 4,104,646 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.42.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ATUS. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Altice USA from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $7.00 to $5.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Cowen cut their target price on Altice USA from $21.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Barclays reduced their price target on Altice USA from $4.00 to $2.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. TD Securities cut their target price on Altice USA from $6.00 to $4.75 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Altice USA from $6.00 to $4.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $8.96.

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Altice USA Trading Down 6.1 %

The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.37. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $4.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.80.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altice USA

Altice USA ( NYSE:ATUS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.43) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.22 by ($0.65). The company had revenue of $2.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.40 billion. Altice USA had a net margin of 2.02% and a negative return on equity of 51.00%. Altice USAs quarterly revenue was down 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.56 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Altice USA, Inc. will post 0.18 EPS for the current year.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Altice USA in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Altice USA by 150.9% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,462 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 3,285 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Altice USA by 798.9% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 3,353 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 2,980 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co bought a new position in Altice USA during the 4th quarter worth $48,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Altice USA during the 4th quarter worth $49,000. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the companys stock.

Altice USA Company Profile

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Altice USA, Inc engages in the provision of broadband, pay television, telephony services, proprietary content, and advertising services. Its brands include Optimum, Suddenlink, Optimum Mobile, Altice Business, News 12 Networks, Cheddar News, a4 Advertising, and i24 News. The company was founded by Patrick Drahi in 2001 and is headquartered in Long Island City, NY.

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Shares of Kilroy Realty Co. (NYSE:KRC  Get Rating) have been given a consensus rating of Hold by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $48.38.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Mizuho cut their price target on Kilroy Realty from $55.00 to $48.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Kilroy Realty in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. They set a buy rating and a $41.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Kilroy Realty from $54.00 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Kilroy Realty in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded Kilroy Realty from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their target price for the stock from $53.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kilroy Realty

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Eqis Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Kilroy Realty by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. Eqis Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,111 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $847,000 after acquiring an additional 1,575 shares during the period. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Kilroy Realty by 70.5% during the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 147,975 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $7,743,000 after acquiring an additional 61,165 shares during the period. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System raised its holdings in Kilroy Realty by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 118,753 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $5,001,000 after acquiring an additional 767 shares during the period. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Kilroy Realty during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,527,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its holdings in Kilroy Realty by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 3,813,085 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $160,569,000 after acquiring an additional 342,868 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.86% of the companys stock.

Kilroy Realty Price Performance

Kilroy Realty Dividend Announcement

KRC stock opened at $32.40 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 2.09 and a current ratio of 2.09. Kilroy Realty has a 52-week low of $27.03 and a 52-week high of $79.06. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $35.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $39.37.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 12th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a $0.54 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.67%. Kilroy Realtys payout ratio is 109.09%.

About Kilroy Realty

(Get Rating)

Kilroy Realty Corp. operates as a self-administered real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, and management of office and mixed-use real estate assets. It owns, develops, acquires and manages real estate assets, consisting primarily of Class A properties in the coastal regions of Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Greater Seattle.

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Bluesphere Advisors LLC grew its position in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWF  Get Rating) by 15.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 86,992 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 11,866 shares during the period. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF comprises about 16.5% of Bluesphere Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest position. Bluesphere Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF were worth $18,637,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 1,242.7% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,894,163 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $608,932,000 after purchasing an additional 2,678,614 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 121.3% during the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 2,327,138 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $489,630,000 after purchasing an additional 1,275,425 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 17.2% during the 3rd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 2,333,846 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $491,035,000 after purchasing an additional 343,345 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 34.7% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 1,097,618 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $243,079,000 after purchasing an additional 282,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates grew its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF by 10.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 3,002,515 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $631,734,000 after purchasing an additional 281,737 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEARCA:IWF traded down $1.26 during trading on Monday, hitting $243.07. 557,946 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,724,692. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has a 1-year low of $202.05 and a 1-year high of $283.28. The company has a market capitalization of $63.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.14 and a beta of 1.07. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $233.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.75.

About iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth.

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Dycom Industries, Inc. (NYSE:DY  Get Rating) has earned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $125.80.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Dycom Industries from $88.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Dycom Industries from $124.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Dycom Industries in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Craig Hallum raised their price objective on shares of Dycom Industries from $110.00 to $124.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, March 2nd.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Dycom Industries

In other Dycom Industries news, VP Ryan F. Urness sold 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.90, for a total transaction of $313,170.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 26,242 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,490,365.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Dycom Industries news, VP Ryan F. Urness sold 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.90, for a total transaction of $313,170.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 26,242 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,490,365.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO H Andrew Deferrari sold 10,282 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.11, for a total transaction of $967,639.02. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 148,425 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,968,276.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 4.32% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Dycom Industries

Dycom Industries Stock Up 0.0 %

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Retirement Systems of Alabama grew its position in shares of Dycom Industries by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 38,826 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,634,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Dycom Industries by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 17,268 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,607,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA lifted its holdings in shares of Dycom Industries by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 7,082 shares of the construction companys stock worth $659,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Dycom Industries by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Howe & Rusling Inc. now owns 4,004 shares of the construction companys stock worth $375,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Radnor Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dycom Industries by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Radnor Capital Management LLC now owns 15,075 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,347,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.82% of the companys stock.

DY stock opened at $93.65 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.76 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 3.18, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93. Dycom Industries has a 12 month low of $76.21 and a 12 month high of $122.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $91.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $97.15.

Dycom Industries (NYSE:DY  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.66. The business had revenue of $917.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $815.89 million. Dycom Industries had a net margin of 3.73% and a return on equity of 16.43%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 20.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.02 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Dycom Industries will post 4.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Dycom Industries Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Dycom Industries, Inc provides contracting services throughout the United States. Its services include engineering, construction, maintenance and installation services to telecommunications providers, underground facility locating services to various utilities, including other construction and maintenance services to electric and gas utilities, and others.

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Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW  Get Rating) and City Office REIT (NYSE:CIO  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, risk and profitability.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Medical Properties Trust and City Office REIT, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Medical Properties Trust 0 6 3 1 2.50 City Office REIT 0 2 1 0 2.33

Medical Properties Trust currently has a consensus target price of $14.00, suggesting a potential upside of 70.32%. City Office REIT has a consensus target price of $13.00, suggesting a potential upside of 88.41%. Given City Office REITs higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe City Office REIT is more favorable than Medical Properties Trust.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Volatility and Risk

80.3% of Medical Properties Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 76.8% of City Office REIT shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.2% of Medical Properties Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.8% of City Office REIT shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Medical Properties Trust has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its share price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, City Office REIT has a beta of 1.62, indicating that its share price is 62% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Medical Properties Trust and City Office REITs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Medical Properties Trust $1.54 billion 3.19 $902.60 million $1.50 5.48 City Office REIT $180.49 million 1.53 $16.99 million $0.17 40.59

Medical Properties Trust has higher revenue and earnings than City Office REIT. Medical Properties Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than City Office REIT, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Profitability

This table compares Medical Properties Trust and City Office REITs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Medical Properties Trust 58.50% 10.25% 4.61% City Office REIT 9.41% 2.31% 1.06%

Dividends

Medical Properties Trust pays an annual dividend of $1.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 14.1%. City Office REIT pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.6%. Medical Properties Trust pays out 77.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. City Office REIT pays out 470.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Medical Properties Trust has increased its dividend for 8 consecutive years. Medical Properties Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

Medical Properties Trust beats City Office REIT on 14 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Medical Properties Trust

(Get Rating)

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities. The company was founded by Edward K. Aldag Jr., R. Steven Hamner, Emmett E. McLean, and William Gilliard McKenzie on August 27, 2003, and is headquartered in Birmingham, AL.

About City Office REIT

(Get Rating)

City Office REIT, Inc. is a real estate investment trust. It focuses on acquiring, owning and operating office properties located primarily in metropolitan areas in the Southern and Western United States. The company was founded on November 26, 2013 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Connective Portfolio Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of TechnipFMC plc (NYSE:FTI  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 93,000 shares of the oil and gas companys stock, valued at approximately $1,134,000. TechnipFMC comprises about 2.4% of Connective Portfolio Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James & Associates lifted its stake in shares of TechnipFMC by 18.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 266,995 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,069,000 after buying an additional 41,955 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in TechnipFMC by 334.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 49,994 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $388,000 after acquiring an additional 38,477 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in TechnipFMC by 11.6% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 9,915,455 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $76,845,000 after acquiring an additional 1,029,472 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in TechnipFMC in the 1st quarter valued at $172,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its holdings in TechnipFMC by 93.5% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 258,480 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,989,000 after acquiring an additional 124,906 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.52% of the companys stock.

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TechnipFMC Trading Up 3.9 %

Shares of FTI traded up $0.53 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $14.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,622,748 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,669,477. The companys 50-day moving average is $13.85 and its 200-day moving average is $12.07. TechnipFMC plc has a 52-week low of $5.47 and a 52-week high of $16.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

Insider Buying and Selling

TechnipFMC ( NYSE:FTI Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The oil and gas company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.03 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.67 billion. TechnipFMC had a negative return on equity of 0.38% and a negative net margin of 1.60%. TechnipFMCs revenue for the quarter was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.12) EPS. As a group, analysts expect that TechnipFMC plc will post 0.5 EPS for the current year.

In related news, Director Carvalho Filho Eleazar De sold 22,208 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.10, for a total transaction of $335,340.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 107,092 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,617,089.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.54% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on FTI. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of TechnipFMC in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. BTIG Research boosted their target price on shares of TechnipFMC from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of TechnipFMC from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of TechnipFMC from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Cowen upped their price target on shares of TechnipFMC from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TechnipFMC has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $15.45.

TechnipFMC Company Profile

(Get Rating)

TechnipFMC plc is an energy service company, which engages in the provision of solutions for the production and transformation of hydrocarbons. It operates through the following segments: Subsea and Surface Technologies. The Subsea segment engages in designs and manufactures products and systems, performs engineering, procurement and project management, and provides services used by oil and gas companies involved in offshore exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE:TD  Get Rating) (NYSE:TD) had its price target decreased by Cormark from C$105.00 to C$98.00 in a report released on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. Cormark also issued estimates for Toronto-Dominion Banks Q2 2023 earnings at $2.19 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $2.31 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.33 EPS and Q4 2024 earnings at $2.26 EPS.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from C$95.00 to C$103.00 in a report on Friday, December 2nd. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$96.00 to C$100.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$98.00 to C$93.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. CSFB cut their price target on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$97.00 to C$94.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank raised shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$99.76.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Trading Up 0.7 %

TD opened at C$80.95 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$87.34 and a 200 day moving average of C$87.48. The company has a market cap of C$148.14 billion, a PE ratio of 9.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.83. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 12 month low of C$76.40 and a 12 month high of C$103.13.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Announces Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be given a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. Toronto-Dominion Banks payout ratio is presently 46.72%.

In related news, Director Mark Russell Chauvin sold 42,576 shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank stock in a transaction on Friday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$88.45, for a total value of C$3,765,847.20. Following the transaction, the director now owns 185,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$16,432,241. In related news, Director Mark Russell Chauvin sold 42,576 shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank stock in a transaction on Friday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$88.45, for a total value of C$3,765,847.20. Following the transaction, the director now owns 185,780 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$16,432,241. Also, Senior Officer Riaz Ahmed sold 37,832 shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$89.01, for a total transaction of C$3,367,426.32. 0.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Toronto-Dominion Bank

(Get Rating)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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EnLink Midstream, LLC (NYSE:ENLC  Get Rating) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the eight research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $13.50.

ENLC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on EnLink Midstream from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on EnLink Midstream in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup upgraded EnLink Midstream from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $13.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Raymond James cut their target price on EnLink Midstream from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 16th.

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Insider Buying and Selling at EnLink Midstream

In other EnLink Midstream news, CFO Benjamin D. Lamb sold 210,000 shares of EnLink Midstream stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.38, for a total transaction of $2,389,800.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 497,107 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,657,077.66. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Benjamin D. Lamb sold 210,000 shares of EnLink Midstream stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.38, for a total transaction of $2,389,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 497,107 shares in the company, valued at $5,657,077.66. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Benjamin D. Lamb sold 180,000 shares of EnLink Midstream stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.75, for a total transaction of $2,115,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 707,107 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,308,507.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.84% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EnLink Midstream

EnLink Midstream Trading Up 0.7 %

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in EnLink Midstream by 179.8% in the 3rd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 4,477,283 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $39,803,000 after acquiring an additional 2,877,340 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in EnLink Midstream by 63.8% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,928,608 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $58,893,000 after acquiring an additional 2,697,480 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in EnLink Midstream by 78.4% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 4,687,686 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $57,659,000 after acquiring an additional 2,060,736 shares during the last quarter. Aventail Capital Group LP raised its holdings in EnLink Midstream by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. Aventail Capital Group LP now owns 5,445,946 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $66,985,000 after acquiring an additional 1,945,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SIR Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in EnLink Midstream in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,692,000. 44.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE ENLC opened at $10.84 on Monday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $11.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.52. EnLink Midstream has a twelve month low of $7.77 and a twelve month high of $13.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The company has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.65 and a beta of 2.56.

EnLink Midstream (NYSE:ENLC  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 14th. The pipeline company reported $0.33 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.14. EnLink Midstream had a return on equity of 12.62% and a net margin of 3.79%. The business had revenue of $2.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.83 billion. Research analysts forecast that EnLink Midstream will post 0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

EnLink Midstream Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 30th were given a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.61%. This is a boost from EnLink Midstreams previous quarterly dividend of $0.11. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 27th. EnLink Midstreams payout ratio is presently 67.57%.

About EnLink Midstream

(Get Rating)

EnLink Midstream LLC engages in transmission, processing and marketing of natural gas and crude oil. It operates through the following segments: Permian, Louisiana, Oklahoma, North Texas, and Corporate. The Permian segment includes natural gas gathering, processing, and transmission activities and crude oil operations in the Midland and Delaware Basins in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico and crude operations in South Texas.

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Equinox Gold (CVE:EQX  Get Rating) had its target price hoisted by National Bank Financial from C$6.00 to C$7.25 in a research report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. TD Securities cut their price target on shares of Equinox Gold from C$8.00 to C$7.50 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Cormark boosted their price target on shares of Equinox Gold from C$5.75 to C$7.50 in a report on Thursday. Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.50 to C$5.75 in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Haywood Securities cut their price target on shares of Equinox Gold from C$10.00 to C$9.50 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, National Bankshares boosted their price target on shares of Equinox Gold from C$6.00 to C$7.25 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Equinox Gold currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$7.33.

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Equinox Gold Price Performance

Shares of CVE:EQX opened at C$7.88 on Thursday. The companys 50-day moving average is C$7.88 and its 200 day moving average is C$7.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.28, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.94. The company has a market capitalization of C$892.46 million and a P/E ratio of -43.54. Equinox Gold has a fifty-two week low of C$4.25 and a fifty-two week high of C$8.90.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Equinox Gold Company Profile

In other Equinox Gold news, Senior Officer Sebastian Damici sold 24,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$5.45, for a total value of C$130,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 91,516 shares of the companys stock, valued at C$498,762.20. Insiders sold a total of 39,869 shares of company stock valued at $218,874 over the last quarter.

(Get Rating)

Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States.

Further Reading

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Franklin Covey (NYSE:FC  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by Northland Securities from $100.00 to $96.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. Northland Securities currently has an outperform rating on the business services providers stock.

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Franklin Covey in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Franklin Covey presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $72.00.

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Franklin Covey Stock Up 6.2 %

NYSE FC opened at $38.47 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $46.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $47.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Franklin Covey has a 52 week low of $34.00 and a 52 week high of $54.70. The company has a market capitalization of $534.73 million, a P/E ratio of 28.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.25.

Institutional Trading of Franklin Covey

Franklin Covey ( NYSE:FC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 5th. The business services provider reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.04. Franklin Covey had a return on equity of 18.97% and a net margin of 6.93%. The firm had revenue of $69.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $68.33 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Franklin Covey will post 1.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Franklin Covey in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Dorsey Wright & Associates bought a new stake in Franklin Covey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Franklin Covey by 61.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,022 shares of the business services providers stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in Franklin Covey by 289.5% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,075 shares of the business services providers stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 799 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. bought a new stake in Franklin Covey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $56,000. Institutional investors own 68.12% of the companys stock.

About Franklin Covey

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Franklin Covey Co engages in organizational performance improvement. It operates through the following segments: Direct Offices, International Licensees, Education Practice, and Corporate and Other. The Direct Offices segment includes sales personnel that serve the United States and Canada. The International Licensees segment focuses on international licensees royalty revenues.

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GMS Inc. (NYSE:GMS  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $62.00.

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of GMS in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Loop Capital cut shares of GMS from a buy rating to a hold rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $52.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Friday, December 9th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of GMS from $51.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, December 9th. Stephens upped their price objective on shares of GMS from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, December 12th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of GMS from $60.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, March 6th.

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GMS Trading Up 2.8 %

Shares of GMS stock opened at $57.89 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $57.90 and a 200-day moving average of $51.35. The stock has a market cap of $2.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.46 and a beta of 1.85. GMS has a 52-week low of $36.10 and a 52-week high of $62.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a current ratio of 2.53.

Insider Activity

GMS ( NYSE:GMS Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $1.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.86 by ($0.01). GMS had a return on equity of 34.16% and a net margin of 6.28%. The firm had revenue of $1.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.21 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.74 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that GMS will post 8.92 EPS for the current year.

In other news, Director John J. Gavin sold 9,816 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.52, for a total value of $594,064.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 15,513 shares of the companys stock, valued at $938,846.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director John J. Gavin sold 9,816 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.52, for a total value of $594,064.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 15,513 shares of the companys stock, valued at $938,846.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO John C. Turner, Jr. sold 1,526 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $59.50, for a total value of $90,797.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 63,110 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,755,045. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 12,218 shares of company stock valued at $736,983 over the last quarter. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of GMS

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GMS. Raymond James & Associates increased its position in GMS by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 29,964 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,491,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in GMS during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,434,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in GMS by 66.1% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,781 shares of the companys stock valued at $238,000 after purchasing an additional 1,902 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in GMS by 10.7% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 14,191 shares of the companys stock valued at $759,000 after purchasing an additional 1,373 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in GMS by 57.5% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 23,173 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,153,000 after purchasing an additional 8,460 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.34% of the companys stock.

About GMS

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GMS, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the distribution of wallboard and suspended ceilings systems and complementary interior construction products. It operates through the following segments: Geographic Divisions, Other, and Corporate. The firm offers ceiling products, including suspended mineral fibers, soft fibers, and metal ceiling systems primarily used in offices, hotels, hospitals, retail facilities, schools, and various other commercial and institutional buildings.

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Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE:GOL  Get Rating) shares fell 4.9% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $2.50 and last traded at $2.50. 65,143 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 96% from the average session volume of 1,630,977 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.63.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on GOL. UBS Group upgraded Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, March 20th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. They issued an underperform rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $5.25.

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Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes Trading Down 3.8 %

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $2.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $3.03.

Institutional Trading of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes

About Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 64,556 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $465,000 after purchasing an additional 2,340 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 85,750 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $618,000 after purchasing an additional 2,550 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes by 42.4% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 20,410 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $147,000 after purchasing an additional 6,076 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes by 442.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 7,700 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 6,280 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 92,286 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $246,000 after purchasing an additional 7,103 shares during the period. 0.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA engages in the provision of air transportation for passengers and cargo. It operates its business through the Air Transportation and Loyalty Program segments. The Air Transportation segment includes services for regular and non-scheduled national and international passengers, cargo, and mail bags.

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Greenleaf Trust boosted its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 69,435 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 5,870 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trusts holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $4,996,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 1st quarter worth approximately $332,000. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 111.5% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,052 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $150,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 53.2% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 165,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,075,000 after acquiring an additional 57,444 shares during the period. Ergoteles LLC bought a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,997,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 25.1% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 338,563 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $24,725,000 after acquiring an additional 68,018 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on BMY. Atlantic Securities boosted their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com started coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. They set an overweight rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $79.69.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE BMY traded up $0.40 on Monday, reaching $69.71. 2,030,592 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,084,723. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $65.28 and a fifty-two week high of $81.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $70.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $72.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $146.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.46.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $11.41 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.20 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 51.60%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.83 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.27%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 77.29%.

Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In related news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total transaction of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 236,104 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,625,163.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total value of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,625,163.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

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Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (NYSE:HVT  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,250,000 shares, a decline of 7.8% from the February 28th total of 2,440,000 shares. Approximately 16.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 138,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 16.2 days.

Insider Activity at Haverty Furniture Companies

In related news, President Steven G. Burdette sold 3,789 shares of Haverty Furniture Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.00, for a total value of $128,826.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 13,351 shares in the company, valued at $453,934. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, President Steven G. Burdette sold 3,789 shares of Haverty Furniture Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.00, for a total value of $128,826.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 13,351 shares in the company, valued at $453,934. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Clarence H. Smith sold 13,880 shares of Haverty Furniture Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.29, for a total value of $475,945.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 34,300 shares in the company, valued at $1,176,147. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 31,001 shares of company stock worth $1,069,260 over the last three months. 7.43% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Haverty Furniture Companies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Swiss National Bank increased its position in Haverty Furniture Companies by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 38,000 shares of the companys stock worth $1,042,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 42.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 16,025 shares of the companys stock valued at $439,000 after buying an additional 4,811 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Haverty Furniture Companies by 2.6% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 259,902 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,126,000 after buying an additional 6,490 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Haverty Furniture Companies by 31.5% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 63,376 shares of the companys stock worth $1,738,000 after acquiring an additional 15,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. boosted its position in Haverty Furniture Companies by 9.4% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 19,243 shares of the companys stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 1,647 shares during the last quarter. 87.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Haverty Furniture Companies Trading Up 0.4 %

Haverty Furniture Companies Dividend Announcement

Shares of HVT stock traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $32.03. The companys stock had a trading volume of 57,755 shares, compared to its average volume of 139,231. The business has a fifty day moving average of $34.27 and a 200-day moving average of $31.13. Haverty Furniture Companies has a twelve month low of $22.77 and a twelve month high of $38.85. The stock has a market cap of $517.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.10 and a beta of 1.41.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Haverty Furniture Companiess payout ratio is 21.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Haverty Furniture Companies from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th.

Haverty Furniture Companies Company Profile

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Haverty Furniture Cos., Inc engages in the retail of residential furniture and accessories. The company was founded by James Joseph Haverty in 1885 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Hoxton Planning & Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 53,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,475,000. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF accounts for 2.4% of Hoxton Planning & Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 49.9% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 23,240,103 shares of the companys stock worth $1,686,302,000 after acquiring an additional 7,733,455 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 62.2% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,164,482 shares of the companys stock valued at $229,616,000 after buying an additional 1,213,234 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 47.4% in the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 2,246,567 shares of the companys stock valued at $163,011,000 after buying an additional 722,390 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 75.9% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 1,616,441 shares of the companys stock worth $117,289,000 after buying an additional 697,332 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC raised its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 45.2% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 1,341,199 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,317,000 after acquiring an additional 417,585 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Up 0.7 %

EFG stock opened at $93.68 on Monday. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $67.58 and a 12 month high of $85.81. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $90.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $84.53. The company has a market capitalization of $11.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.87.

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

Further Reading

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Holders Technology plc (LON:HDT  Get Rating) insider Victoria Blaisdell sold 27,793 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 72 ($0.88), for a total value of 20,010.96 ($24,586.51).

Holders Technology Price Performance

Shares of LON:HDT opened at GBX 76 ($0.93) on Monday. Holders Technology plc has a one year low of GBX 70 ($0.86) and a one year high of GBX 128 ($1.57). The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 75.51 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 78.79. The company has a market capitalization of 3.21 million, a PE ratio of 950.00 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 2.64 and a current ratio of 3.50.

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Holders Technology Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be given a dividend of GBX 0.50 ($0.01) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.61%. Holders Technologys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,250.00%.

About Holders Technology

Holders Technology plc, together with its subsidiaries, supplies specialty laminates and materials for printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing in the United Kingdom and Germany. The company also operates as a lighting and wireless control solutions (LCS) provider. It operates in two segments, PCB and LCS.

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iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (BATS:FLOT  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $50.19 and last traded at $50.27, with a volume of 2479951 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $50.39.

iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF Trading Down 0.2 %

The businesss 50 day moving average is $50.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.33.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FLOT. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 122.7% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 112,302 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,674,000 after acquiring an additional 61,884 shares during the last quarter. Roundview Capital LLC boosted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 19.2% during the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 121,500 shares of the companys stock worth $6,138,000 after buying an additional 19,580 shares in the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. boosted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 976.0% during the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 3,228 shares of the companys stock worth $163,000 after buying an additional 2,928 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 9.0% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 118,015 shares of the companys stock worth $5,983,000 after buying an additional 9,772 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF by 126.2% during the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 81,715 shares of the companys stock worth $4,128,000 after buying an additional 45,589 shares in the last quarter.

iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF Company Profile

The iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks a market value-weighted index of USD-denominated, investment-grade floating rate notes with maturities of 0-5 years. FLOT was launched on Jun 14, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Leo Lithium Limited (ASX:LLL  Get Rating) insider Alan Rule purchased 100,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of A$0.51 ($0.34) per share, for a total transaction of A$50,500.00 ($33,666.67).

Leo Lithium Price Performance

Leo Lithium Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Leo Lithium Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in exploration and mining activities in Mali. Its project include the Goulamina lithium project that covers 100 square kilometres land holding in the Bougouni Region of southern Mali. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is based in West Perth, Australia.

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M. Kraus & Co acquired a new position in shares of General Dynamics Co. (NYSE:GD  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 943 shares of the aerospace companys stock, valued at approximately $234,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in General Dynamics by 3.7% in the third quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,163 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 0.5% in the third quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 7,503 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,592,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. TRUE Private Wealth Advisors lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 4.1% in the third quarter. TRUE Private Wealth Advisors now owns 1,070 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $227,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 3.7% in the third quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,220 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, White Pine Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of General Dynamics by 2.5% in the second quarter. White Pine Capital LLC now owns 1,961 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. 84.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at General Dynamics

In related news, VP Mark Lagrand Burns sold 27,600 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $226.93, for a total value of $6,263,268.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 56,909 shares in the company, valued at $12,914,359.37. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

General Dynamics Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:GD traded up $4.21 on Monday, hitting $232.42. The company had a trading volume of 384,838 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,201,320. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $228.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.59. General Dynamics Co. has a 1-year low of $207.42 and a 1-year high of $256.86. The stock has a market cap of $63.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.84.

General Dynamics (NYSE:GD  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The aerospace company reported $3.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.53 by $0.05. General Dynamics had a net margin of 8.60% and a return on equity of 18.93%. The business had revenue of $10.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.66 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.39 earnings per share. General Dynamicss revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that General Dynamics Co. will post 12.67 EPS for the current year.

General Dynamics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 12th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $1.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This is an increase from General Dynamicss previous quarterly dividend of $1.26. This represents a $5.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.27%. General Dynamicss dividend payout ratio is 43.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on GD. William Blair began coverage on shares of General Dynamics in a research report on Thursday. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $243.00 to $248.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com lowered shares of General Dynamics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Cowen upped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $260.00 to $285.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Susquehanna dropped their price target on shares of General Dynamics from $285.00 to $263.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, General Dynamics currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $267.15.

General Dynamics Profile

(Get Rating)

General Dynamics Corp. is a global aerospace and defense company, which engages in design, engineering, and manufacturing to deliver state-of-the-art solutions. It operates through the following business segments: Aerospace, Marine Systems, Combat Systems, and Technologies. The Aerospace segment designs, manufactures, and sells business jets.

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MGO One Seven LLC reduced its position in Bank of America Co. (NYSE:BAC) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 113,567 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 2,356 shares during the period. MGO One Seven LLCs holdings in Bank of America were worth $3,761,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 103,645,596 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,130,177,000 after purchasing an additional 38,870,780 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 1,356.6% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 20,390,322 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $615,788,000 after purchasing an additional 18,990,473 shares during the last quarter. Snider Financial Group boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 9,477.3% in the 1st quarter. Snider Financial Group now owns 14,448,357 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,956,000 after purchasing an additional 14,297,496 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of Bank of America by 3,474.6% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 11,658,881 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $480,579,000 after purchasing an additional 11,332,721 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors acquired a new position in shares of Bank of America during the 1st quarter valued at $395,481,000. 68.34% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

BAC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Bank of America from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Bank of America from $39.00 to $35.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Bank of America from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their target price for the company from $45.00 to $36.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Bank of America from $52.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered shares of Bank of America from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and reduced their target price for the company from $36.00 to $33.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $38.39.

Bank of America Stock Performance

Bank of America stock traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $28.43. 24,787,852 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 55,734,625. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $32.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.65. The firm has a market cap of $227.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.96, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.40. Bank of America Co. has a fifty-two week low of $26.32 and a fifty-two week high of $41.14.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $24.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.17 billion. Bank of America had a net margin of 23.93% and a return on equity of 11.41%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.82 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Bank of America Co. will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank of America Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.10%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. Bank of Americas dividend payout ratio is presently 27.59%.

Insider Activity at Bank of America

In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.27, for a total transaction of $3,600,200.58. Following the sale, the insider now owns 319,803 shares in the company, valued at $10,959,648.81. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 214,745 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.91, for a total transaction of $7,711,492.95. Following the sale, the insider now owns 214,747 shares in the company, valued at $7,711,564.77. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Matthew M. Koder sold 105,054 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.27, for a total transaction of $3,600,200.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 319,803 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,959,648.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Bank of America Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses.

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Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Hold by the nine research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $50.00.

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. StockNews.com started coverage on Portland General Electric in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised Portland General Electric from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $47.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 14th.

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Portland General Electric Trading Up 1.5 %

NYSE:POR opened at $48.89 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. Portland General Electric has a 1-year low of $41.58 and a 1-year high of $57.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.80, a PEG ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.56. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $47.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.24.

Portland General Electric Increases Dividend

Insider Transactions at Portland General Electric

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 27th will be paid a $0.4525 dividend. This is an increase from Portland General Electrics previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 24th. This represents a $1.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.70%. Portland General Electrics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 69.62%.

In related news, VP Brett Michael Sims sold 2,050 shares of Portland General Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total value of $96,350.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 10,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $515,966. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Portland General Electric

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA raised its stake in Portland General Electric by 50.4% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 70,636 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,414,000 after buying an additional 23,660 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in shares of Portland General Electric by 8.2% in the second quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 412,686 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $19,946,000 after purchasing an additional 31,161 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 35.2% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 720,092 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $34,802,000 after purchasing an additional 187,671 shares during the period. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Portland General Electric by 35.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 141,570 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $6,153,000 after buying an additional 37,334 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Systematic Financial Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Portland General Electric by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 247,994 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $10,778,000 after buying an additional 9,664 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.03% of the companys stock.

About Portland General Electric

(Get Rating)

Portland General Electric Co engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. The firm also sells electricity and natural gas in the wholesale market to utilities, brokers, and power marketers. It also serves residential, commercial and non-residential customers.

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Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU  Get Rating) have earned an average recommendation of Hold from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and seven have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $101.91.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Prudential Financial from $106.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Prudential Financial from $112.00 to $114.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Prudential Financial from $97.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated a neutral rating and issued a $106.00 price target on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th.

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Prudential Financial Trading Up 1.2 %

PRU stock opened at $82.74 on Monday. Prudential Financial has a 12-month low of $75.37 and a 12-month high of $122.54. The businesss 50-day moving average is $94.49 and its 200 day moving average is $97.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.16. The stock has a market cap of $30.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.00, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.41.

Prudential Financial Increases Dividend

Prudential Financial ( NYSE:PRU Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The financial services provider reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.57 by ($0.15). Prudential Financial had a positive return on equity of 13.31% and a negative net margin of 2.33%. The firm had revenue of $12.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.78 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.18 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Prudential Financial will post 12.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.04%. This is an increase from Prudential Financials previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Prudential Financials payout ratio is currently -126.90%.

Prudential Financial declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, February 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to purchase up to 2.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Prudential Financial news, EVP Andrew F. Sullivan sold 4,126 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.20, for a total value of $409,299.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,214,307.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, EVP Andrew F. Sullivan sold 4,126 shares of Prudential Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $99.20, for a total value of $409,299.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,214,307.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrew F. Sullivan sold 11,405 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.95, for a total value of $1,151,334.75. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,241,685. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Prudential Financial

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in shares of Prudential Financial in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 50,600 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,979,000 after buying an additional 5,126 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Prudential Financial by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 90,235 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $10,698,000 after buying an additional 5,452 shares during the period. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. grew its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 0.7% in the first quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 47,576 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,621,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Prudential Financial by 36.4% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 135,716 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $16,037,000 after acquiring an additional 36,184 shares during the period. 56.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Prudential Financial Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Prudential Financial, Inc engages in the provision of insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both individual and institutional customers. It operates through the following segments: PGIM, U.S. Businesses, International Businesses, Closed Block, and Corporate and Others.

Further Reading

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Rheinmetall AG (OTCMKTS:RNMBY  Get Rating) has been given an average recommendation of Moderate Buy by the nine ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $240.60.

Several research firms recently weighed in on RNMBY. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Rheinmetall from 220.00 ($236.56) to 250.00 ($268.82) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. UBS Group downgraded shares of Rheinmetall from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, January 20th.

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Rheinmetall Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Rheinmetall stock opened at $59.47 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $52.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.32. Rheinmetall has a fifty-two week low of $28.10 and a fifty-two week high of $59.94.

About Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall AG operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the production of automotive components and defense equipment. It operates through the following segments: Defence and Automotive. The Defence segment offers vehicle, infantry equipment, protection and weapon systems, air defense systems, function sequence networking as well as simulation hardware and software.

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Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by Berenberg Bank from GBX 6,700 ($82.32) to GBX 6,600 ($81.09) in a research note published on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

RIO has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($71.26) price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Citigroup downgraded shares of Rio Tinto Group to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, December 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a GBX 5,300 ($65.12) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group from GBX 6,900 ($84.78) to GBX 7,400 ($90.92) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group set a GBX 5,000 ($61.43) price target on Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 6,110.77 ($75.08).

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Rio Tinto Group Price Performance

Shares of RIO opened at GBX 5,436 ($66.79) on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of 67.95 billion, a PE ratio of 862.68, a PEG ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.72. The firms 50 day moving average price is GBX 5,843.38 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 5,516.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a current ratio of 1.63. Rio Tinto Group has a twelve month low of GBX 4,424.50 ($54.36) and a twelve month high of GBX 6,406 ($78.71).

Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

Insider Transactions at Rio Tinto Group

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 20th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 9th will be issued a dividend of GBX 185.35 ($2.28) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 9th. Rio Tinto Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6,409.45%.

In related news, insider Kaisa Hietala bought 500 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 5,313 ($65.28) per share, with a total value of 26,565 ($32,639.14). In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Kaisa Hietala acquired 500 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 5,313 ($65.28) per share, with a total value of 26,565 ($32,639.14). Also, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($72.76), for a total value of 128,329.74 ($157,672.61). 14.65% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Rio Tinto Group

(Get Rating)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities.

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Rogers Communications Inc. (NYSE:RCI  Get Rating) (TSE:RCI.B) has earned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the thirteen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $73.72.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Rogers Communications in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. National Bank Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$75.00 to C$78.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. UBS Group raised shares of Rogers Communications from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 6th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of Rogers Communications from C$76.00 to C$78.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, Desjardins reissued a buy rating on shares of Rogers Communications in a research note on Friday, February 3rd.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rogers Communications

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in RCI. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Rogers Communications by 117.4% during the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 5,857,386 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $273,931,000 after purchasing an additional 3,163,142 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in shares of Rogers Communications by 550.3% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 1,700,450 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $65,535,000 after buying an additional 1,438,968 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of Rogers Communications by 70.6% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 3,152,353 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $147,656,000 after buying an additional 1,304,977 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its position in shares of Rogers Communications by 19.1% in the 2nd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 7,914,046 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $379,225,000 after buying an additional 1,271,206 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Rogers Communications by 452.6% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,280,731 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $49,359,000 after buying an additional 1,048,976 shares in the last quarter. 45.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Rogers Communications Stock Performance

Shares of Rogers Communications stock opened at $46.36 on Monday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $47.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.62, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.51. Rogers Communications has a 12 month low of $36.23 and a 12 month high of $64.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.97.

Rogers Communications (NYSE:RCI  Get Rating) (TSE:RCI.B) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $3.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.08 billion. Rogers Communications had a net margin of 10.90% and a return on equity of 18.14%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Rogers Communications will post 3.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Rogers Communications Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.368 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Rogers Communicationss previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.18%. Rogers Communicationss dividend payout ratio is 58.63%.

About Rogers Communications

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Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The company offers mobile Internet access, wireless voice and enhanced voice, device and accessory financing, wireless home phone, device protection, e-mail, global voice and data roaming, bridging landline, machine-to-machine and Internet of Things solutions, and advanced wireless solutions for businesses, as well as device delivery services; and postpaid and prepaid services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands to approximately 11.3 million subscribers.

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Safestore (OTCMKTS:SFSHF  Get Rating) and Farmland Partners (NYSE:FPI  Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, risk and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Safestore and Farmland Partners, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Safestore 0 0 2 0 3.00 Farmland Partners 0 0 3 0 3.00

Farmland Partners has a consensus price target of $15.25, suggesting a potential upside of 42.52%. Given Farmland Partners higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Farmland Partners is more favorable than Safestore.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Safestore N/A N/A N/A Farmland Partners 19.07% 2.06% 1.03%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Safestore and Farmland Partners net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This table compares Safestore and Farmland Partners revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Safestore N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Farmland Partners $61.21 million 9.53 $11.67 million $0.16 66.88

Farmland Partners has higher revenue and earnings than Safestore.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

46.5% of Farmland Partners shares are held by institutional investors. 13.6% of Farmland Partners shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

Safestore has a beta of 0.89, suggesting that its stock price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Farmland Partners has a beta of 0.8, suggesting that its stock price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Farmland Partners beats Safestore on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Safestore

(Get Rating)

Safestore Holdings plc is a self-storage company. It provides self-storage solutions and the sale of ancillary products, such as insurance and merchandise. It operates based on geographical areas namely the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The company was founded by Frederic Vecchioli in 1998 and is headquartered in Borehamwood, the United Kingdom.

About Farmland Partners

(Get Rating)

Farmland Partners, Inc. operates as a real estate investment trust. the firm engages in the management and acquisition of farmland and land with agricultural development potential. Its property portfolio focuses on the primary crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton and the remaining land is used to grow specialty crops, such as almond, citrus, blueberries, vegetables and edible beans. The company was founded on September 27, 2013 and is headquartered in Denver, CO.

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Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,960,000 shares, a growth of 9.9% from the February 28th total of 9,060,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,670,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 3.8% of the companys shares are short sold.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Albertsons Companies news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total transaction of $630,300.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,055,563.41. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Albertsons Companies news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total transaction of $630,300.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 50,241 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,055,563.41. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Omer Gajial sold 36,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.05, for a total transaction of $757,800.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 25,140 shares in the company, valued at $529,197. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

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Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 195.6% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 244,265 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,122,000 after purchasing an additional 161,634 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 33,937 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,128,000 after purchasing an additional 1,435 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,023,813 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,043,000 after purchasing an additional 63,822 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,808 shares of the companys stock valued at $293,000 after purchasing an additional 1,360 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $207,000. Institutional investors own 65.58% of the companys stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock traded up $0.09 during trading on Monday, reaching $20.87. 1,232,842 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,950,097. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.66, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.42. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $19.14 and a 1-year high of $36.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $20.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.18 billion, a PE ratio of 8.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 0.57.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 10th. The company reported $0.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.19. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 2.16% and a return on equity of 60.71%. The company had revenue of $18.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.50 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 26th were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 25th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.30%. Albertsons Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.83%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ACI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $30.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. They issued an outperform rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $27.77.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company's food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.

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Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWO  Get Rating) by 10.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 95,095 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 9,309 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR owned about 0.22% of iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF worth $20,400,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of IWO. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 19,949.5% during the 3rd quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,596,010 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $260,000 after purchasing an additional 2,583,062 shares in the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp increased its stake in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp now owns 2,528,125 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $522,286,000 after purchasing an additional 332,609 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 174.7% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 302,593 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $77,388,000 after purchasing an additional 192,447 shares in the last quarter. LBJ Family Wealth Advisors Ltd. increased its stake in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 385.7% during the 3rd quarter. LBJ Family Wealth Advisors Ltd. now owns 135,486 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $13,013,000 after purchasing an additional 107,592 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF by 159.6% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 145,565 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $30,032,000 after purchasing an additional 89,497 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSEARCA:IWO traded down $0.79 on Monday, reaching $226.03. 160,308 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 455,060. The company has a market capitalization of $9.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.55 and a beta of 1.14. iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF has a 12 month low of $192.88 and a 12 month high of $262.30. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $230.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $223.01.

iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF Profile

iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Russell 2000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the small-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market.

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Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) has earned an average rating of Hold from the seventeen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and eight have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $23.56.

TOST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Robert W. Baird downgraded Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $26.00 to $24.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price objective on Toast from $21.50 to $23.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Toast from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Toast from $26.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group cut Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $26.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th.

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Toast Trading Up 4.3 %

TOST opened at $17.75 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $19.15. Toast has a 12-month low of $11.91 and a 12-month high of $26.03.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Toast ( NYSE:TOST Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported ($0.19) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.01). Toast had a negative net margin of 10.03% and a negative return on equity of 24.30%. The company had revenue of $769.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $753.13 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.46) earnings per share. Toasts revenue was up 50.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Toast will post -0.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In other Toast news, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $556,661.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,895 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,835,246.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CFO Elena Gomez sold 8,626 shares of Toast stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.05, for a total transaction of $155,699.30. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 101,843 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,838,266.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of Toast stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $556,661.10. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,895 shares in the company, valued at $1,835,246.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 384,675 shares of company stock valued at $8,516,086. Insiders own 20.16% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in TOST. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its stake in Toast by 214.5% during the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 28,674 shares of the companys stock valued at $479,000 after purchasing an additional 19,557 shares during the period. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC bought a new stake in Toast during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $3,453,000. Paloma Partners Management Co raised its stake in Toast by 215.1% during the 2nd quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co now owns 54,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 37,203 shares during the period. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Toast by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC now owns 22,693 shares of the companys stock valued at $379,000 after purchasing an additional 1,365 shares during the period. Finally, Amalgamated Bank raised its stake in Toast by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 55,758 shares of the companys stock valued at $932,000 after purchasing an additional 5,326 shares during the period. 50.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Toast Company Profile

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Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which allows guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex that is used for on-counter order and pay, as well as used as a server station, guest kiosk, kitchen display system, or order fulfillment station; Toast Go, a handheld POS device that enhances the table turn times through tableside ordering and payment acceptance; and Toast Tap, a card reader.

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Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. (NYSE:TPH  Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $25.70 and last traded at $25.53, with a volume of 124871 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.32.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on TPH shares. TheStreet raised Tri Pointe Homes from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Friday, December 9th. Wedbush boosted their target price on Tri Pointe Homes from $21.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Tri Pointe Homes in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. They set a market perform rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Tri Pointe Homes in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $21.00.

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Tri Pointe Homes Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.59 billion, a PE ratio of 4.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $23.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.63.

Insider Buying and Selling at Tri Pointe Homes

Tri Pointe Homes ( NYSE:TPH Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The construction company reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.48. The business had revenue of $1.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.26 billion. Tri Pointe Homes had a return on equity of 22.24% and a net margin of 13.40%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 25.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.33 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current year.

In other Tri Pointe Homes news, Director Constance B. Moore sold 39,589 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.15, for a total transaction of $916,485.35. Following the transaction, the director now owns 60,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,403,190.95. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tri Pointe Homes

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Tri Pointe Homes by 951.4% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,819 shares of the construction companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,646 shares during the period. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Tri Pointe Homes by 107.6% during the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,485 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 1,288 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Tri Pointe Homes during the 1st quarter worth $45,000. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Tri Pointe Homes by 30.4% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,275 shares of the construction companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Tri Pointe Homes by 500.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,209 shares of the construction companys stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 2,675 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.41% of the companys stock.

About Tri Pointe Homes

(Get Rating)

Tri Pointe Homes, Inc designs, constructs, and sells single-family homes and condominiums. It operates through the Homebuilding and Financial Services segments. The Homebuilding segment consists of six reportable segments: Maracay Homes, consisting of operations in Arizona, Pardee Homes, consisting of operations in California and Nevada, Quadrant Homes, consisting of operations in Washington, Trendmaker Homes, consisting of operations in Texas, TRI Pointe Homes, consisting of operations in California and Colorado, and Winchester Homes, consisting of operations in Maryland and Virginia.

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Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Victoria Gold (OTCMKTS:VITFF  Get Rating) in a research report report published on Thursday, The Fly reports. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock.

Separately, HC Wainwright dropped their target price on Victoria Gold from C$22.00 to C$21.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th.

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Victoria Gold Stock Performance

Victoria Gold stock opened at $6.62 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $6.73 and a 200 day simple moving average of $6.05. Victoria Gold has a 52 week low of $4.77 and a 52 week high of $13.45.

Victoria Gold Company Profile

Victoria Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, evaluation, and development of mineral properties. It project portfolio includes the Eagle Gold, Dublin Gulch, Eagle Extension, and Canalask. The company was founded on September 21, 1981 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Walker River Resources Corp. (CVE:WRR  Get Rating)s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as C$0.17 and last traded at C$0.17, with a volume of 173071 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$0.18.

Walker River Resources Trading Down 8.3 %

The firm has a market capitalization of C$6.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.00 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a fifty day moving average price of C$0.25 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.28.

About Walker River Resources

(Get Rating)

Walker River Resources Corp., an exploration stage company, engages in the identification, exploration, and evaluation of mineral properties in Canada. Its flagship property is the 100% owned Lapon Canyon gold project with 147 claims located in Nevada. The company was formerly known as Rhino Exploration Inc and changed its name to Walker River Resources Corp.

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Watsco Inc (NYSE:WSO.B  Get Rating) saw strong trading volume on Monday . 625 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 229% from the previous sessions volume of 190 shares.The stock last traded at $317.06 and had previously closed at $315.32.

Watsco Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $12.31 billion, a PE ratio of 20.46 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50 day moving average of $300.34 and a two-hundred day moving average of $281.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 1.02.

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Watsco (NYSE:WSO.B  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The construction company reported $2.35 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.58 billion during the quarter. Watsco had a return on equity of 25.17% and a net margin of 8.26%.

Watsco Increases Dividend

About Watsco

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 17th were paid a $2.45 dividend. This represents a $9.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.09%. This is a positive change from Watscos previous quarterly dividend of $2.20. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 13th. Watscos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 63.60%.

(Get Rating)

Watsco, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes air conditioning, heating, and refrigeration equipment; and related parts and supplies in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. It offers residential ducted and ductless air conditioners; gas, electric, and oil furnaces; commercial air conditioning and heating equipment systems; and other specialized equipment.

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Wooster Corthell Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:GBF  Get Rating) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 10,006 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the quarter. Wooster Corthell Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF were worth $1,027,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GBF. Raymond James & Associates raised its position in shares of iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF by 174.2% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 10,808 shares of the companys stock worth $1,226,000 after acquiring an additional 6,867 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF by 46.9% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,979 shares of the companys stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 951 shares in the last quarter. Beaumont Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Beaumont Capital Management LLC now owns 35,131 shares of the companys stock worth $3,985,000 after acquiring an additional 4,812 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF by 12.7% in the 1st quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 1,734 shares of the companys stock worth $197,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its position in iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF by 23.3% during the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 6,205 shares of the companys stock valued at $704,000 after buying an additional 1,171 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF Stock Up 0.6 %

GBF stock traded up $0.60 on Monday, reaching $105.78. 4,900 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,216. iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF has a one year low of $99.07 and a one year high of $113.93. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $103.51.

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF Profile

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of the United States dollar-denominated government, government-related and investment-grade the United States corporate bonds. The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Barclays U.S.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GBF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:GBF  Get Rating).

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The 850 employees of Grand Islands Case IH plant gathered Thursday to honor a customer who has purchased more than 200 Case IH combines over the last 35 years.

The customer was the Farris Brothers of Edson, Kansas. Representing the custom harvesting company was Rick Farris and his son, JJ Farris.

Also at the celebration were representatives of Hoxie Implement of Hoxie, Kansas, including company President Gerry Heim.

As custom harvesters, Farris Brothers crews follow the wheat harvest season from May to October from Texas to Montana. They also harvest other crops.

It is not uncommon for their combines to put in 700 to 900 hours during the harvest season.

At Thursdays celebration, Case IH honored the Farris Brothers, who had just purchased their 200th, 201st, 202nd and 203rd Case IH combines.

The company purchases the combines from Hoxie Implement. The combines are built in Grand Island.

It has been a tradition since 1987 when the Farris Brothers first started purchasing Case IH combines after their original supplier, Massey Ferguson, stopped manufacturing combines.

In the beginning, the combines came from Case IH plants in Grand Island and Moline, Illinois.

When the Moline plant ceased operations, all the Farris Brothers combines were manufactured in Grand Island.

The Grand Island plant manager, Dustin Alexander, said the event is a milestone for the plant and company for the amount of combines purchased by a single customer.

The Farrises have been loyal customers, Alexander said. Its a really positive connection between the company, the plant and our customers.

The recognition for the Farrises is not unique to the Grand Island plant.

Alexander said the celebration not only recognizes customer loyalty, but the workmanship and dedication to excellence of the plants employees.

We have the best workforce at this plant hands down, he said.

Alexander is a good example of employee dedication to the jobs they perform. He is the third generation of his family to work at the plant since it first opened in the mid-1960s. His grandfather and father both retired after years of working at the plant.

Its not a family-owned business, but you certainly get that impression here, he said.

He said one of the things the plant offers to customers who buy equipment made at the plant is the opportunity to come to or the plant where they can actually watch their product as its built and visit with the employees."

Then well actually give them the keys at the station that starts it and bring it to life for the first time, Alexander said. Well actually hand the keys to the customer because weve got that level of confidence with our employees.

That happened on Thursday as Rick Farris started up one of the four combines he purchased from Case IH that day.

Thats why weve been able to maintain some of these strong relationships with our repeat customers, Alexander said.

The Farris entourage was given a tour of the 1-million-square-foot facility where they viewed the assembly process of the combines they purchased.

More than 18,000 parts go into the manufacturing process of one combine thats made in one day. It takes 25 gallons of the famous Case IH red paint for each combine made at the plant.

Thirty-seven percent of the combines manufactured at the plant are shipped to customers overseas.

The Farris Brothers began custom harvesting during World War II. According to their website, it started with Gene Farris, who as a young man worked on mule pull type harvesters.

At the start of WWII, combines were in short supply. The material to manufacture combines was not available due to the war effort. So the few combines that could be built were only sold to people who would travel the country with them and contract harvest wheat for many farmers. In the first year of combine harvester rationing, Gene did not qualify as an established cutter. He than joined an established cutter, Roosevelt Rose Jones. Through this arrangement Gene was able to buy two Massy Ferguson combines. In years after that Gene was able to purchase rationed combines on his own.

To Custom Harvesters the brand of combine they run is a part of their identities. Prior to the Farris Brothers switching to Case IH combines in 1987, the company had been using Massy Ferguson since the late 1950s.

The brand of combines are important to customer harvesters as it affects the quality of the harvest, the efficiency of the operation and the cost of ownership.

Those were the qualities the Farris Brothers found in the Case IH combines as the combines did well under the sometimes grueling and demanding long hours and travel schedule they follow during harvest season.

Rick Farris said theres a mutual benefit between his custom harvesting business and the Grand Island Case IH plant.

Its really helped in our business because we have people, if we have a problem, we can call and get answers.

Farris son, JJ Farris, is the companys next generation. He considers the people of the Case IH plant in Grand Island as part of the family.

Theyve watched me grow up, he said. Theyve known me my whole life. Theyve always been good to us.
Northwest High School Viking Sagas staff members First Amendment rights were violated by school district actions, contends an American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska lawsuit filed Friday morning.

In spring of 2022, Northwest Public School District officials found fault with student-staffers using preferred pronouns in publication. One of those students is Marcus Pennell, a plaintiff in ACLU of Nebraskas suit. The district determined students could only use names as they appear on official district records, citing policies 6390 and 6391 (Controversial Issues), according to student interviews and a public records request filed by ACLU of Nebraska.

Afterward, the June issue of the student newspaper contained articles about LGBTQ issues.

On May 17, the day after the June issues publication, Northwest School Board President Dan Leiser sent a group email to Northwest Superintendent Jeff Edwards, Northwest High School Principal P.J. Smith and Activities Director Matt Fritsche.

Ive read the publications in the Viking Saga. Im sure this is a revenge tactic from the pronoun thing a month or so ago . Im hot on this one, because its not ok. The national media does the same crap and Ive had enough of it. No more school paper, in my opinion. You give someone an inch, they take it a mile.

The ensuing saga reads like a whodunnit.

*****

The Grand Island Independent was notified of the Sagas cancellation via email in late May.

Later that summer, Edwards told a reporter the decision to end the publication was based on curriculum. When asked who makes curriculum decisions for the district, Edwards said the responsibility rests primarily with principals and Northwest Director of Teaching and Learning Jeanette Ramsey.

When asked if she played a role in eliminating the Saga, Ramsey adamantly said she did not, directing The Independent to Edwards and Northwest High School Principal P.J. Smith.

In turn, Smith redirected to Edwards.

Leiser said at the time of the investigation, From my standpoint, (from) a board standpoint, Dr. Edwards filled me in on the situation a little bit. He didn't tell me everything. I guess I'm trusting the way he's handling it. He's got it under control.

Privately, conversations held by Northwest Public Schools officials about the June issue were markedly critical, as evidenced in email and text messages obtained through ACLU of Nebraskas public records request to the district.

On May 17, Leiser wrote in his email to Edwards, Smith and Fritsche: I have no clue what exactly the district spends on publishing the Viking Saga and that doesnt even matter  They are at school to learn grammar, proper English and writing skills. Not use the school as a platform for expressing their opinions, no matter the content of such opinions, especially when the district is funding it.

*****

On Aug. 24, following a months-long investigation including multiple public records requests, research and dozens of interviews, The Independent published an article detailing facts about the Saga and its end.

That day, Northwest school board secretary Robin Schutt responded to a text about The Independents article about the Saga, telling the person it was very poorly written. Schutt did not elaborate or provide specific pushback to the facts reported.

The other party mentioned the length of the Aug. 24 story.

Aint nobody gots time to read that. This aint Pulitzer stuff.

The other person also informed Schutt they told their friends to burn the issue containing the Saga article.

In a separate exchange, Leiser texted an unidentified recipient: So funny how much little research a news outlet will do before publishing. (Editor's note: As mentioned above, months of work went into the story before it was published. We stand behind our reporting.)

In the same exchange, Leiser was sent a message saying that a knuckle dragger lady called for a third time, presumably referring to a critic of Northwests action.

There were many other critics of the district. Dozens of emails from across the United States were sent to Northwest officials and documented in ACLU of Nebraskas public records request.

It is unclear who the knuckle dragger was.

Edwards said in an email to a former Nebraska City student (where Edwards was superintendent before coming to Northwest) the resulting controversy was due to an inaccurate article written by an over zealous [sic] reporter who misconstrued multiple facts.

He did not state what those "facts" were.

The only public statement released by the district, a letter to families and staff penned by Edwards and distributed Aug. 31, 2022, denied the Saga was even canceled, calling The Independents story incorrectly reported.

When decisions, such as temporarily pausing, not canceling, a school newspaper is made, there are many variables that go into this decision as a district  I can assure you, (the Saga decision) wasnt made because of one specific reason.

Following a Northwest Public Schools Board of Education meeting July 7, Edwards summed up the reason for the cancellation, repeatedly telling The Independent it was an administrative decision.

In Edwardss Aug. 31 letter, he stated: One of the greatest things about Northwest is the Culture [sic] that has been established over the years. A large part of that culture is the inclusiveness of the student body and staff at Northwest.

*****

Northwest English teacher Kirsten Gilliland tried.

The third-year teacher and journalism adviser had just turned 25 years old. The relatively rookie educator took on a battery of meetings with administrators and numerous email exchanges. She tried to help them understand.

A Northwest administrator delivered the preferred name edict to the Saga during class time.

We were all pretty upset about it, said Zoka Jenik, then a junior-year Saga staffer. To us it wasn't fair, first of all, and then secondly, it just didn't feel right to us not calling people by their correct pronouns.

There was shocked silence, Gilliland remembered. Immediately after (the announcement) Marcus went into the restroom, and was bawling. He was gone for quite a chunk of the period.

When asked, Pennell offered little detail about that moment. Jenik, then a junior at Northwest, remembers comforting their friend.

(Marcus) was someone who (knew) what I was going through, said Jenik, who is a member of the LGBTQ community.

I remember having to follow him into the bathroom, Jenik said. He was so upset about it. It just  it really hurt.

Soon after the controversy, Gilliland was relieved of her duties as Saga adviser.

I absolutely would have wanted to (continue), she said. I'm sure it wouldn't have been as fun. But .

Her role was given to fellow Northwest English teacher Alex Hull.

They replaced her for the same reason they shut it down, Pennell told The Independent.

Within a few months of Edwards Aug. 31 letter, Gilliland told The Independent the district said it would renew the Saga digitally at the beginning of the spring semester (Jan. 4).

Hull was contacted by The Independent at the time to confirm Gillilands statement. Hull declined to comment, referring questions to Edwards.

In March, the Saga was published online. That did not satisfy ACLU of Nebraskas demand letter, officials told The Independent.

*****

After the Aug. 24 Independent story published, the hallways were buzzing for about a week until things seemed to die down, Jenik said.

Little was said by the adults in the building, Gilliland remembered. For a while it was awkwardly quiet  nobody was talking about it.

Evidenced by Election Day 2022, voters gave little notice to the situation, Northwest Public Schools Board of Education incumbents up for reelection  Dan Leiser, Zach Mader and Robin Schutt  maintained their positions on the board.

During a regular-session board meeting Feb. 13, the Northwest school board approved a 2023-2025 contract for Edwards, moved by Artie Moeller, seconded by Robin Schutt. The motion passed.

On Feb. 23, Edwards responded to an email from The Independent requesting comment on the Sagas apparent return: No update now or in the future.

A call to Edwards after ACLU of Nebraska filed their suit Friday morning was not answered and the voicemail request for comment has not been returned.

The Independent attempted to contact an attorney mentioned in ACLU of Nebraskas public records request, whom Edwards emailed after said request, documents indicate. It is unclear if that attorney is representing or has represented Northwest Public Schools. The Independent reached out to the attorney named in the documents via email and cell phone March 31, but did not receive an immediate response.
The Central Nebraska Humane Society in Grand Island is teaming up with North Shore Animal League America in Tour for Life 2023, one of the world's largest cooperative pet adoption events.

In partnership with Rachael Ray's Nutrish, Tour for Life 2023 in Grand Island starts today (Monday) and runs through Sunday, April 9. During that time, CNHS is offering 25% off adoption fees for all dogs and $50 adoption fees for all cats. Approved adopters will receive giveaways as well.

Since the beginning of March, this year's Tour for Life has resulted in more than 28,000 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens being adopted into homes across the country.

Nationally, Tour For Life features weeklong events throughout March and April in collaboration with shelter and rescue partners in 66 cities/towns across 39 states, focusing on finding loving, responsible homes for the animals in their care. Animal League America mobile units and staff join rescue community friends at events in several locations along their route.

As the worlds largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization, Animal League America has saved more than 1.1 million lives, and it understands that "a rescue isnt complete until each animal is placed into a loving home. Our innovative programs provide education to reduce animal cruelty and advance standards in animal welfare. We reach across the country to rescue animals from overcrowded shelters, unwanted litters, commercial breeding facilities, natural disasters and other emergencies and find them permanent, loving homes."

For more information, check online at www.animalleague.org.

The Central Nebraska Humane Society, at 1312 Sky Park Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 308-385-5305.
This April, National Donate Life Month, CHI Health will pay tribute to those who have saved lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.

Hospital staff will raise the Donate Life flag in honor of its donors and donor families. The remembrance will include brief remarks and a prayer.

Two ceremonies are planned in central Nebraska. The first is at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 4, at the Emergency Room entrance flagpole, at CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney. The second is at 11:20 a.m. Friday, April 7, at the front entrance flagpole.

Guests are encouraged to dress in blue and green, which are the official Donate Life colors.

CHI Health also asks the public to join them by wearing blue and green on April 14 in honor of National Donate Life Blue and Green Day. This show of support will give hope to those waiting for a life-saving gift and help build awareness about the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Join the Donor Registry at: liveonnebraska.org/register.
LINCOLN  Leaders from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska will visit communities across Nebraska during a statewide listening tour in April and May.

The listening tour, which kicks off Monday, April 3, will present an opportunity for the public to share their thoughts and visions for the future of Nebraska, their communities and the states agriculture industry with university leadership like Mike Boehm, NU vice president for agriculture and Harlan vice chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The tour is being conducted in conjunction with IANRs Celebration of Innovation, which marks the 50th anniversary of IANR as well as the 150th anniversary of UNLs College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

"As we reflect on the first 50 years of UNLs Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, we also want to look toward the future, Boehm said. Nebraskans have a key role in framing IANRs next chapter, and this listening tour is an important step in co-creating our shared future vision.

Area stops on the tour include:

Hastings, Tuesday, April 4: Breakfast and round table discussion, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., The Lark, 809 W. Second St.

Ord, Tuesday, April 4: Lunch and round table discussion, noon to 1:30 p.m., Valley County Ag Complex, Extension Office, 801 S St.

Broken Bow, Tuesday, April 25: Dinner and round table discussion, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Kinkaider Brewing, 43860 Paulsen Road.

Columbus, Wednesday, April 26: Lunch and round table discussion, noon to 1:30 p.m., The Evans House, 2204 14th St.

Other sessions around the state are scheduled for April 3 in Beatrice, April 4 in Wayne, April 5 in Fremont, April 12 in North Platte, April 13 in Scottsbluff, April 24 in Valentine and May 2 in McCook.

These events are free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested for each participant.

For questions, please contact Jordan Slagle at jslagle10@unl.edu.
CARBONDALE  Mayor Pro Temp Carolin Harvey and Councilman Lee Fronabarger presented a proclamation and key to the city to Bob Odenkirk on Monday morning. The proclamation declared the day Bob Odenkirk Day in the City of Carbondale.

Fronabarger read the proclamation, then Harvey presented a framed copy to Odenkirk.

Look at that. This is so great! I love it; I love it, Odenkirk said.

Odenkirk is a 1984 SIU graduate. He came back to the Carbondale campus to receive two degrees during a ceremony at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 3, at Banterra Center. The first is a bachelors degree he earned as a student, followed by an honorary doctorate bestowed upon him in 2020.

He spent most of the day on campus talking to two classes of students and meeting with students, faculty, staff and university leaders.

Fronabarger thanked Odenkirk for the national publicity he gives Southern Illinois University and the city of Carbondale.

Harvey and Fronabarger gave Odenkirk a second plaque with the key to the city.

He joked that now he can go into any house or business and raid the refrigerator.

After thanking them for the honors, Odenkirk talked about his time as a student at SIU.

He said the town and university gave him time to find his voice and practice his comedy.

I needed a lot more growth as a person, he said. I thrived here. I even love the weather here, and I live in LA.

Odenkirk was scheduled to be the keynote speaker at spring commencement in May 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to give a virtual address. It was during that address he coined the phrase, I am a Saluki, you fools, and I will destroy you, which has become a popular T-shirt slogan worn by Salukis everywhere.

While at city hall, Odenkirk gave a short press conference, calling the honors super cool.

He said he was a little disoriented because the town is spread out. In his mind, places are a little closer together.

It feels like SIU. I seriously liked it so much, Odenkirk said.

In July of 2021, Odenkirk suffered a heart attack while filming an episode of "Better Call Saul," the incredibly popular "Breaking Bad" spinoff series.

I went to work one day and woke up a week later, he said when asked about the incident.

Odenkirk said that experience has made it important to visit places that have had an impact on his life, like Carbondale and SIU.

The places you love on earth, you come back and visit, he said.

Odenkirk said he has a lot of memories of Carbondale and SIU, mostly things the city council would not want him to share. He said the town had a pretty intense reputation that was well-earned.

I remember a feeling of not being pushed and space for me to try things, he said.

He is also glad some of the work he did on campus is not preserved. His show at WIDB was the work of a 19 to 20 year old who was inspired by Monty Python and Fireside Theater.

He spent years after SIU in Chicago continuing to mold himself as a comedy writer and performer.

Its a little mind-blowing, Odenkirk said.

In the mornings audience was 14-year-old Ethan Reinier of Carbondale, who is a big Bob Odenkirk fan.

Its amazing. Its strange to think I got to see a mentor, somebody on TV. Its hard to believe, Ethan said. Hes really nice.

Fronabarger said he has lived in Carbondale 30 years and they have never given anyone the key to the city.

Im happy that Bob Odenkirk is so pleased to receive this honor. He is genuinely thankful for the honor, Fonabarger said.
Tuesday, April 4, is Consolidated Election Day in Illinois. On Tuesday, voters will go to the polls to elect city and town officials, as well as members for school boards.

Union County Clerk Lance Meisenheimer said the consolidated election has more impact on the daily lives of voters than the general election.

If you own property or pay taxes or are in the community, this affects you more than who is president, he said.

Union County has a contested race for city council in Anna and village board in Jonesboro. They also have contested races for four school boards.

Jackson County has contested races for the Carbondale mayor and city council races, the Murphysboro Ward 2 commissioner, and Elkville, De Soto, Dowell and Gorham village boards, along with several school districts' school boards.

Williamson County has contested races for the Marion City Council, Carterville City Council and Herrin Ward 2 commissioner, as well as Cambria, Crainville and Pittsburg village boards. They also have contested races for school board in Goreville, Herrin, Johnston City, Marion, Thompsonville and Zeigler-Royalton.

Franklin County has contested races for Benton mayor and council, West Frankfort mayor, and village boards Zeigler, West City, North City, Valier and Christopher and Sesser commissioners. They also have contested school board races in Benton High School District 103, Benton District 47, Ewing-Northern, Christopher, Sesser-Valier and Thompsonville.

Other counties also have contested races for city councils, village boards, school boards, library districts and other local entities.

Polls across Southern Illinois will open at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.

Many counties have sample ballots, lists of polling places, results and more election information online.

Here are a few county websites for more election information:
(TBTCO) - Ong Michael Kokalari - Chuyen gia Kinh te truong VinaCapital, vua ua ra ban phan tich anh gia ve tang truong kinh te cua Viet Nam va cho biet, sau kho khan au nam, on at hang cua cac nha may cua doanh nghiep FDI co kha nang se phuc hoi vao nua cuoi nam.
Joe Biden pledged to forge a common action plan with the worlds democracies. In this region, that requires good balance and steady nerves. From GMF.

The second Summit for Democracy took place on 29-30 March, convened jointly by Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, the United States, and Zambia.

The United States hosted the first summit in December 2021, fulfilling Joe Bidens campaign promise that his administration would bring together the worlds democracies to strengthen our democratic institutions, honestly confront nations that are backsliding, and forge a common agenda. The governments participating then were expected to fulfill their summit commitments in a year of action up to the second meeting.

Russias full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has meant that this period for implementing the Summit for Democracy process has been one of war. The conflict has dominated the international agenda and used up a large amount of policy capacity for the United States and for its European allies. This context inevitably shapes any assessment of the flagship initiative to flesh out Bidens democracy agenda.

The Biden administration has framed the war as confirming its rhetoric of international politics being shaped by a conflict between democracy and autocracy. Certainly, it is a clear case of an autocratic regime unleashing an unprovoked aggression on a neighbor attempting to consolidate its democracy. It would be an irony  if probably a predictable one  if the war ended up undermining the administrations effort to revive the democracy agenda in this region and the U.S. role in support of it.

In December 2021, Joerg Forbrig and I edited a GMF collection of views from experts in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to gauge expectations of the Summit for Democracy and of U.S. democracy support in their countries. Sixteen months later, I surveyed our contributors to find out if these expectations were met and how the war in Ukraine had affected U.S. democracy engagement in the region. Overall, despite several positives, the picture is not bright.

Four broad points emerge when looking back at the 15 months since the first Summit for Democracy across a region directly affected by the war and in which the United States has taken renewed interest.

Pessimism About Democracy, Mostly

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen listen as U.S. President Joe Biden speaks from the White House during the virtual Summit for Democracy on 29 March. Photo by Jonathan Ernst via Reuters.

In some CEE countries, the democracy situation looks better today than it did in December 2021. In others, the picture is mixed. But there is pessimism about the direction in which things are heading in the majority. In these countries, the situation has either not improved or deteriorated when it comes to issues such as corruption, state capture, threats to the independent media, polarization, and domestic and foreign disinformation.

In a minority of CEE countries, not least Ukraine, civil society is playing a bigger role and gaining more recognition, but these are exceptions. In some, a still active civil society is giving a grace period to relatively new, more democracy-oriented governments. But the reform efforts of these governments are either slow, hitting obstacles, or running out of momentum. Meanwhile, in many countries there is disillusion about the state of civil society and its ability to drive democratic progress, with governments either ignoring it or attacking it.

Some of our experts also express a fear that the United States is underestimating their countrys democratic vulnerability and the risk that things could get worse.

Security Before Democracy, Mostly

The war caused by Russias kleptocratic autocracy would appear to confirm the systemic relevance of the democracy agenda the Biden administration set out in 2021, and offered an opportunity to merge this with the U.S. security agenda more than previously. But in practice this has not quite been the case when it comes to several CEE countries. In some cases, there has been no trade-off between U.S. security and democracy goals, but in many there is a degree of tension between the two.

Some of our experts note the negative image that is produced by the United States showing warmer relations with some not-so-democratic governments in the context of war-related diplomacy and in the interest of not worsening regional stability. On the other hand, some governments have been more mindful of Washingtons democracy concerns as they do not want to be seen by their security guarantor as going against its security interests.

In this revival of a traditional dilemma for U.S. policy, as in everything, the region is no monolith. In some front-line states in the war, there is little or no tension between more U.S. security engagement and the administrations democracy goals. In the Balkans, there is disappointment at what is seen as soft treatment of Serbias government for stability reasons, which risks making the United States look hypocritical when talking about democracy. In the South Caucasus, there are similar concerns with Washington seen as prioritizing stabilizing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict over democracy issues in Armenia and Azerbaijan, or as putting Georgias precarious geopolitical position ahead of its political problems.

More U.S. Engagement, Mainly Because of the War

In the aftermath of Donald Trumps presidency, or even in a longer perspective, U.S. engagement in Central and Eastern Europe has grown significantly since the first Summit for Democracy. For the regions democracy activists who had hoped for this and welcomed the Biden administrations initiative, even if they often did not have high expectations of it, the fact that the greater U.S. presence is mostly due to the war creates a glass-half-full situation. The war may have torpedoed, in the words of one expert, the U.S. democracy framing for some CEE countries, while in others the United States is our checks and balances, to quote another.

Washingtons new engagement in the region comes with a democracy component, but also in many cases with old questions about its priorities. In line with a long historical precedent, the United States has been able to take a tougher democracy line with governments less relevant to the war effort or with weaker political actors. With many countries, the Biden administration has taken diplomatic action, offered moral support, or launched new programs targeting rule-of-law problems, corruption, and weakness of independent media. But in some, the United States is seen as doing too little or moving too slowly. Another historical pattern that is evident is the important difference that individual U.S. ambassadors and embassy staff can make in furthering or not an administrations democracy agenda.

And, ultimately, while the United States greater engagement in CEE is welcome, there is a lingering question as to how long this will last, which raises the issue of the sustainability of any of its democracy benefits. This could depend on the course of the war, a change of administration in Washington, or a U.S. need to place a higher priority on Asia  or a combination of the three.

Good U.S. Intentions but Weak Execution

Overall, the consensus among our experts is that the Biden administrations agenda with the Summit for Democracy has been well-intentioned and brought some positives in Central and Eastern Europe but has been weakly executed. What is more, it is not clear that this can be attributed simply to the war in Ukraine taking place simultaneously.

For many of our experts, there have been more words than action by Washington in the whole process, which has also been too technocratic and government-centric. Some say the process has also been too concentrated in the hands of the White House and the State Department. In many countries, the year of action  to the extent that there has been genuine action by their governments on commitments made at the first Summit for Democracy  has involved civil society only superficially. In the words of one expert, this has just been box-ticking to please Washington.

A more critical view is that the initiative has turned out to be a non-issue for the CEE countries, compared to the attention it received back in December 2021. In this reading, whether due to the overwhelming need to deal with the war in Ukraine or to other shortcomings, the Biden administration has been unable to shape and sell a narrative around the Summit for Democracy process for the region. And if, as is rumored, the United States does not intend to be a co-host of an eventual third installment in 2024, this does not look promising for any lasting impact of the process on democracy in the region.



Nicolas Bouchet is a visiting fellow with the German Marshall Fund based in Berlin. He is the author of Democracy Promotion as U.S. Foreign Policy: Bill Clinton and Democratic Enlargement (Routledge, 2015).

This commentary originally appeared on the GMF website and is republished with permission.
A massive spring blizzard began to batter Wyoming on Monday, dropping heavy snow over much of the state.

The storm is expected to cover parts of the state in more than a foot of snow, and combined with high winds, could make travel difficult to impossible. Central Wyoming is forecast to be hit especially hard.

Here's the latest:

Closures

The city of Casper is closing for the rest of Monday and Tuesday, the city announced early Monday afternoon.

That means City Hall, Municipal Court, Casper Recreation Center, Aquatic Center and Ice Arena will be closed until Wednesday.

Metro Animal Shelter will also be closed to the public both days, though officers will still be working.

The closures won't effect police, fire department, water and sewer, snow removal and trash collection services.

As of Monday afternoon, Casper City Council still planned to convene for a regular meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the city council chambers.

The Bureau of Land Managements High Plains District announced earlier this afternoon that the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center and BLMs Casper Field Office will also be closed the rest of Monday and all day Tuesday.

Natrona County will be closing its non-essential offices 3 p.m. Monday, which it expects to reopen 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.The county is pushing back its Board of County Commissioners work session and regular meeting, as well as its Natrona County Detention Center Joint Powers Board/Hall of Justice Joint Powers Board meeting, to April 11.

Early school closures

Public schools in Natrona County will close early on Monday and will be conducted online Tuesday due to the massive blizzard hitting the state.

The district announced its decision late Monday morning after several inches of snow had already fallen over Casper.

The schedule for early releases includes:

middle schools at 12:30 p.m.

high schools at 1:24 p.m.

elementary, Woods and Midwest schools at 1:45 p.m.

Schools opened, college stayed closed

Natrona County schools opened on Monday despite the heavy snows on the first day back from spring break. However, Casper College opted to close its campus "out of an abundance of caution and deteriorating conditions," it said.

Blankets of snow

The National Weather Service is forecasting massive snow totals, even by Wyoming standards. A forecast released Sunday night indicated Casper and Wheatland could get 18 to 24 inches, Douglas could get 24 to 30 inches and and Rawlins could get 12 to 18 inches.

The storm is expected to continue dropping snow throughout Monday and into Tuesday.

A high-impact winter storm will move through southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska on Monday through Tuesday night. Extreme impacts are expected, especially in east central Wyoming through northwest Nebraska! #wywx #newx pic.twitter.com/YriYpjBE1S  NWS Cheyenne (@NWSCheyenne) April 3, 2023

A long and difficult winter

Wyoming has been battered by harsh conditions and heavy snow throughout the winter season. Theyve led to lengthy highway closures and made life difficult for local ranchers, whove had to contend with higher prices and mountainous snow drifts.

The weather has also been blamed for the increase in deadly crashes so far this year in Wyoming. Thirty-two people had died on Wyoming roads in 2023. Thats nearly double last years pace.

Wildlife, too, have felt the effects of the harsh winter. In a meeting Thursday in Pinedale, state wildlife officials said cold temperatures, deep snow and a rare disease have decimated pronghorn and mule deer populations.

Experts say the heavy snow could also result in minor flooding in parts of Wyoming, especially in the Saratoga and Sinclair areas, where the North Platte River runs undammed. But that high snowfall could also ease the lengthy drought that much of Wyoming has faced in the recent past.

PHOTOS: Riding along with the Wyoming Highway Patrol during a blizzard Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol Highway Patrol
Just before Christmas in December 1976, Roger Lee Ellis fled his hometown in Wisconsin to avoid a marijuana charge. His family never saw or heard from him again.

More than 46 years later, 37 states have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. Not Wisconsin, though, where first offenses for weed can result in a misdemeanor conviction punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. Subsequent offenses are considered felonies.

Ellis was 21 years old at the time he fled, known for his electronics abilities, love of music and interest in playing guitar and drums. His parents, Floyd and Elaine Ellis, would die before ever knowing what happened to their son. Their obituaries list their sons address as unknown.

Hiker

In 2004, 28 years later, on a rocky mountainside near the south-central Montana ski town of Red Lodge, an unidentified hiker reportedly discovered a human skull. Upon notification of the find, the Carbon County Sheriff organized a search party. Combing the large boulders and scattered pine trees clinging to the steep slope, searchers found a femur and pelvic bone in the same area.

Ellis remains had been found, but no one knew it yet. The victim, the sheriffs office said, had likely died of blunt-force trauma to the head. A homicide investigation was launched.

The bones were located just off the Beartooth Highway, a narrow white-knuckle roadway bordered by steep drop-offs that winds 3,000 feet up from a postcard pretty, glacier-carved valley to a nearly treeless mountain plateau. The bones had been scattered across a landscape that can be snow-covered from around Labor Day to Memorial Day  roughly nine months of the year  at an elevation of around 7,900 feet.

The landscape is close to the highest mountains in Montana and the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, untamed country that still contains a full complement of wild predators and scavengers, everything from cougars and bears to coyotes and foxes, that may have played a role in scattering Ellis remains.

Investigation

With little to go on, local, state and federal law enforcement did the best they could to find anyone to shed light on the investigation. How the police work unfolded is still unknown, as county and state investigators would not share any information on the case that is now nearly five decades old.

In an attempt to advance the investigation, in 2007 an FBI specialist used the skull to recreate what the victims face may have looked like. From that, law enforcement officers issued a news release with a photo of the reconstruction. The victim was identified as a young adult female of European ancestry. One distinguishing feature was an asymmetrical nose with one nostril higher than the other and may have had light brown hair.

While facial reconstruction may not create an exact match, it can portray a likeness of what this person may have looked like when she was alive, agent Len Knutson, of the Division of Criminal Investigation, said in 2007.

In an attempt to generate leads, billboards featuring the re-creation were erected along the same highway off which Ellis remains were found. In addition, 200 posters were handed out across Eastern Montana and northern Wyoming featuring the likeness along with requests for information.

Again the case languished until 2022 when DNA from the bones were analyzed. Finally, the remains could be tied to Roger Ellis.

Analysis

That the remains were initially believed to be around only 3 years old may be attributable to the cold climate of the mountains, speculated DNA expert Claire Glynn, an associate professor and director of the Forensic Genetic Genealogy Program at the University of New Haven. Another explanation is that the remains had been kept someplace else, and then moved from one location to another.

There are so many different variables  environment, temperature, soil, sunlight and the type of scavengers living nearby, she said.

Cold would help preserve the remains, and snow would block sunlight that deteriorates bone and tissue, Glynn added.

The initial misidentification of the remains as female is not necessarily surprising, she said, although there are commonly distinctions such as thicker bones in a male skull and a generally larger skull for men. Differences between male and female eye sockets are also usual, but these can be obscured by the age of the person and their ancestry, Glynn said.

Extracting DNA from 46-year-old bones is not ideal because of degradation, Glynn said, but scientists have become incredibly adept at the task. The oldest remains she has extracted DNA from were 300 years old and had rested at the bottom of the ocean.

Its a phenomenal, extremely powerful investigative tool, she said, adding that it has helped solve more than 500 cases in just the last five years.

Once extracted and analyzed, the DNA is compared to a database to which family members have contributed their DNA, not from public sites like 23andMe or MyHeritage that people have submitted DNA swabs to learn more about their ancestry.

We see some concern from the public that were able to see and replicate their genome, and thats not possible, Glynn said.

Identified

With the identification of Ellis as the Carbon County victim, the Sheriffs Office renewed its pleas to the public for any information.

There were several, countless leads of people all around the nation being like, Hey we have this case, then we would work with detectives from that agency and find this doesnt match with ours, Carbon County Sheriffs Detective Ben Mahoney told the Wisconsin Rapids Journal.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Mahoney at the Carbon County Sheriffs Office, at 406-445-7284 or bmahoney@co.carbon.mt.us. Calls to Mahoney for information on the case were not returned. County Sheriff Josh McQuillan deferred comment to discuss this newspapers request for more information and then did not return follow-up calls.

Investigators believe Ellis was hitchhiking when he left Wisconsin in December 1976, and suspect he was killed by the person or people with whom he was travelling. Its believed Ellis body was left in Montana as the killer or killers continued on.

Tracy Lewis, who knew Ellis, told MTN News Ellis may have been carrying a good deal of cash when he fled Wisconsin.

Investigators announced in a press release that a successful case will rely on information from those who knew Ellis in the 1970s, and are asking those individuals to come forward to help identify the perpetrator or perpetrators.

Montana has more than 400 similar cold cases. Nationwide since 1965, more than 340,000 cases of homicide and non-negligent manslaughter have gone unsolved, according to the FBIs Uniform Crime Report.

Wisconsin

Ellis was born in Wisconsin Rapids in 1954, a small community founded on the east side of the Wisconsin River. The community arose as a lumber town in the 1860s, eventually joining with its neighbor across the stream to create a flourishing paper industry.

Ellis is survived by his brother Frederick, of Onalaska, Wisconsin, and sister Cynthia of Wauwatosa.

His mother, Elaine, died in 2009 at age 93. His father, Floyd, died less than three years after his eldest sons disappearance. A World War II veteran, Floyd had served with the U.S. Army in France and North Africa from 1942-1945.

Floyd spent his most anxious moments in World War II while he was in Algiers, according to a Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune news story. While there, Floyd worked as a message center clerk in the St. George hotel, which was Allied headquarters in Africa and a prime target. Floyd reportedly had one very close call when the area was machine-gunned by a Nazi plane. He also saw an Allied ship loaded with mines blow up in the harbor.

Roughly eight years after returning from the war, Floyd married Elaine. For their honeymoon, they took a three-week wedding trip to places of interest in the western states.
A series of false active shooter reports rippled across Wyoming schools Monday morning, triggering law enforcement from across the state to respond to the suspicious calls.

Hoax calls were reported in Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Rock Springs, Buffalo, Sheridan, Cody, Rawlins, Star Valley, Cokeville, Newcastle and Crook County.

The Sheridan Police Department received a call around 8:55 a.m. that seven students had been shot at Sheridan High School, according to a press release. In Cheyenne, the police department received a report of an active shooter in the first-floor bathroom of South High School at 8:15 a.m.

Other police departments and districts reported similar calls that said active shooters were in school buildings. The majority came within an hour window between approximately 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.

While local law enforcement responded with urgency, the calls were suspicious from the beginning.

The Cheyenne Police Department said in a statement that the report about South High School came from a different area code. The caller to the Sheridan Police Department had an untraceable phone number and a foreign accent, the department said in a press release.

From the onset, there appeared to be indications that the originating report was unfounded and that the report was consistent with similar hoax situations that have been occurring nationwide, the Casper Police Department and Natrona County School District said in a joint release.

Major response

The calls put law enforcement in a bind. They needed to respond quickly, but they would also be doing what the caller wanted, giving some credibility to baseless fears.

We dont want to give any extra attention to false calls, but also student safety is our number one concern in these situations, said Amber Freestone, spokesperson for the Casper Police Department. We will respond with urgency every time.

The law enforcement resources dispatched to an active shooter call are extensive: The Casper Police Department, Natrona County Sheriffs Office, Mills Police Department, Casper Fire and EMS Department and Banner Health all reported to the Natrona County High School, the school district there reported.

The Sheridan Police Department will always react quickly to situations where students are involved no matter its skepticism about the information, said Capt. Tom Ringley, a spokesperson for the department.

We dont wait until the end of the call to deploy units to the school, Ringley said. As soon as we think there might be a threat, we deploy.

Alongside local law enforcement, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security received calls from emergency managers across the state about the incidents.

The office was passing along that information to the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the agencys Information and Analysis Team, said Ashley Paulsrud, a spokesperson for the Office of Homeland Security.

With a dozen communities targeted across Wyoming, any investigation will likely come from state or federal law enforcement.

Ringley said the Sheridan Police Department would work with other agencies with more resources on any attempt to track the caller or callers.

Vikki Migoya, a spokesperson for the FBIs Denver office, said the agency was aware of the sweeping threats and would collaborate with Wyoming law enforcement.

While we have no information at this time to indicate a specific and credible threat, we continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention, Migoya said.

Broad response

Natrona County High School went on lockdown briefly Monday morning due to a potential safety concern, officials announced.

The Casper Public Safety Communications Center received a 911 call at 8:23 a.m. about an active shooter at the high school and within two minutes it went into lockdown, the district said.

Local law enforcement reacted and swept the building while students and staff stayed locked in their classrooms. After clearing the campus and finding no threat, the Casper Police Department lifted the lockdown at 8:55 a.m.

There is NO verification of an active shooter on campus, the district said in a statement. ...Again, there was no verified active shooter on campus.

The school remained on heightened awareness before closing early due to hazardous road conditions and mounting snow in Natrona County.

In Cheyenne, Johnson Junior High School was also placed on lockdown as police responded to a report of an active shooter at South High School. Goins Elementary, Rossman Elementary and Triumph High School went into secure perimeter protocol out of caution, Laramie County School District 1 officials said in a message to families.

Cheyenne Police Department cleared South High School by 9 a.m., the department said in a statement. The threat was also a hoax.

Rock Springs High School went under lockdown after reports of an active shooter were made around 8:30 a.m., Sweetwater County School District No. 1 said in a statement.

All other district schools and the central administration building went into secure protocol, with no one entering or leaving the buildings.

The Rock Springs Police Department asked everyone to stay away from the high school, so that law enforcement can do their job, and we can keep people safe, the district said in statement.

By 9:55 a.m. the Rock Springs Police Department had released all of Sweetwater County School District No. 1 from secure hold after it found that the threat was not credible.

A false school shooter report also prompted lockdowns at Crook County schools in northeast Wyoming.

Some Crook County Schools went on lockdown as a precaution until it could be confirmed that our reports were hoax calls, the Crook County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. These swatting calls have been reported nationwide and several Wyoming agencies received the same calls this morning.

Similar incidents

The fake calls have been occurring across the Rocky Mountain region and followed similar patterns to those in other nearby states.

In February, at least a dozen Colorado school districts across the state went into lockdown after a series of anonymous phone calls warned of attacks on public schools, according to Reuters.

Last week several schools in Utah were also the victims of hoax calls about school violence.

Its just something thats going around and unfortunately we were the victims of it today, said Alex Farkas, a spokesperson for the Cheyenne Police Department.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder issued a statement Monday afternoon condemning the widespread fake calls.

These abhorrent incidents underscore the fact that school safety and security is always a critical matter, she said. The WDE has done a lot over the years working with school districts and law enforcement on best practices related to school safety and security. We will redouble our efforts going forward with a strategic focus on enhancing the capacity of our districts to respond to these types of incidents and keep our students and school staff safe.

On Twitter, Gov. Mark Gordon thanked law enforcement and school district staff across the state for their responses.

These incidents are traumatic for students and staff and endanger communities by utilizing law enforcement resources that may be needed elsewhere, Gordon said. I thank members of local law enforcement and school district personnel for their quick and professional response to these reports.

Though the calls Monday were a hoax, Freestone said they were an example of why the Casper Police Department continually drills for active shooter situations.

We are in a constant state of readiness, she said.

Gallery: Active Shooter Training in Wyoming Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training Willard Elementary School ALICE Training School Safety
GILLETTE  For Irene Gakwas family, the decision last week to revoke Nathan J. Hightmans bail while leaving the maximum penalties in play for each of three felonies he pleaded guilty to came as a sign of hope and relief after a year spent looking for answers and for Irene.

Hightman will await his sentencing hearing from jail after pleading guilty to three of the five felonies accusing him of financial crimes against his fiancee, Irene, who has been missing from Gillette since last February.

I was shocked. I was shocked, said Kennedy Wainaina, Irenes brother, after the change of plea hearing last week. Its an unexpected victory.

Hightman, 39, pleaded guilty to felony counts of theft, unlawful use of a credit card and crimes against intellectual property for taking $3,666.46 from Irenes bank account, charging $3,230.65 to two of her credit cards and deleting her Gmail account without permission.

District Judge James M. Mike Causey accepted the pleas and dismissed an additional count of theft and of crimes against intellectual property, per the plea negotiations.

In exchange for Hightmans cold pleas, he and his defense attorney, Dallas Lamb, and County Attorney Nathan Henkes, the prosecutor on the case, can argue for any sentencing up to the maximum allowed for each count.

The maximum sentence for each of the theft and unlawful use of a credit card convictions is up to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. The maximum for the crimes against intellectual property count he was convicted on is three years in prison and/or a $3,000 fine.

Collectively, Hightman could face up to 23 years in prison and $23,000 in fines at his sentencing hearing, which typically occurs within 75-90 days from the change of plea.

I think now I see light, Wainaina said. I see light at the end of the tunnel.

Hightmans bond was lifted at the change of plea hearing after arguments from Lamb and Henkes, putting Hightman in jail until his sentencing date.

He had been out on $10,000 cash or commercial surety bond since his May preliminary hearing in Circuit Court. He was handcuffed by two bailiffs and escorted from the back of the courtroom once the hearing ended.

I guess I didnt expect him to go out in handcuffs, Wainaina said. I didnt expect that. So when I saw that, its a small gesture, but to us it means a lot. We feel like were the victims but the last year we felt more like hes the victim.

Last time he came to court late, which was very disrespectful to us and to the judge, so today its good to see something happen to him, and maybe hell see it from our point of view.

During the hearing, Henkes said that the two sides agreed to recommend that Hightman pay $3,666.46 in restitution for taking money from Irenes bank account and $3,230.65 in restitution for the credit card charges.

Irene was last heard from on a video call with family on Feb. 25, 2022. The crimes Hightman pleaded guilty to occurred between Feb. 26 and March 19 of the same year. The investigation into Irenes disappearance began a day later, March 20.

Hightman has been named a person of interest in the police investigation into Irenes disappearance but has not been charged in connection to it.

The investigation into her disappearance is ongoing.

The change of plea removes the need for the 10-day trial that was scheduled to begin April 3.

In addition to the restitution owed, other court fees and fines may apply and be determined at sentencing.

While establishing the facts of the theft conviction, Hightman admitted to accessing Irenes Idaho Central Credit Union bank account without her permission and removing her money through multiple transactions.

Causey followed up to clarify if his intent was to deprive Irene of the money.

I wanted her to contact me, so yes, Hightman said.

For the unlawful use of a credit card conviction, he admitted to making purchases with two of Irenes credit cards. He said that most if not all transactions were made in Campbell County. During the questioning, he was asked if he had permission to use those credit cards.

As stated before, I wasnt in direct contact with her, so no, Hightman said.

As for the facts of the crimes against intellectual property conviction, Hightman admitted to accessing and deleting Irenes Gmail account, and reiterated that he had not been in direct contact with her, so he did not have her permission to do so.

Causey accepted his three guilty pleas and ordered a pre-sentence investigation report in advance of the sentencing hearing.

When considering what to do with Hightmans bond, the main questions were of whether he was a flight risk or a danger to the community.

Lamb argued that Hightman had been granted a $10,000 cash or commercial surety bond in May and remained out on bond without fleeing or violating his conditions for the time since then. Lamb said that although Hightman does not have ties to the community, he was a recent transplant, and that he showed over the course of his bond that he was not a risk to flee.

These were financial crimes direct to that one person in particular, Lamb said.

He said that Hightman has proven since May to have stayed within his bond conditions and that even if there was concern, it would be foolhardy to commit a violation when his sentencing is still undetermined, with maximum penalties in play.

Lamb asked to continue Hightmans bond conditions as they were.

Henkes said that the presumption of innocence had been lifted and convictions made, and raised the question of Hightmans job status as a reason to keep him detained until sentencing.

I dont know that Mr. Hightman has any employment, he said.

If Hightman was to stay out on bond, Henkes asked that his passport and other documents that could allow him to travel be held by the court.

Hes had ample time to get out of Dodge  hes had ample reason, Lamb said, citing the attention Hightmans case has received. He also said that Hightmans passport is his only form of ID, and that if it was taken, the court would have to figure something out there.

Lamb declined comment to the News Record while leaving the courtroom. Henkes also declined comment.
Although more people died than were born in Wyoming last year, the states total population still increased as hundreds of new people moved in.

The states total population grew by 1,898 people, or 0.3%, which is slightly less than the United States growth rate of 0.4%, the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information announced Friday. There were 581,381 people living in Wyoming as of last summer.

Lincoln County experienced the fastest growth, followed by Big Horn and Crook counties, the statement said. There were 16 counties overall that saw their populations grow.

Natrona County and Laramie County, the only two metropolitan areas in Wyoming, each decreased by 0.1%.

Two factors played a role in Wyomings growth  natural change and net migration.

Natural change is the difference between births and deaths, and net migration is the difference between people moving into and out of the state.

There were actually 2,494 people who moved into Wyoming, but there were 490 more deaths than births last year which offset the total population.

Perhaps its the first time in Wyomings history that the number of deaths outnumbered the births, according to Wyoming Department of Health records, Wenlin Liu, chief economist with the states Economic Analysis Division, said in the statement.

Wyomings population growth from natural change has steadily declined since 2008, as birth rates decreased and Baby Boomers got older.

The COVID-19 pandemic further decreased the numbers of births while driving up the number of deaths to around 6,000 annually for the last three years.

From 2014 to 2019, the state simultaneously experienced six consecutive years where more people left the state than moved in due to the downturn in the energy sector, the statement said.

Energy driven employment opportunity is always a leading factor for Wyomings migration trend, but the pandemic specifically played a large role in recent years, Liu said in the statement.

However, that has reversed. Many professionals with higher incomes and remote work capabilities chose to relocate to less populated and lower cost areas, such as Wyoming, during the pandemic, the statement said.

Wyomings state population has increased by 4,544 people since the 2020 Census.

The full Wyoming Department of Administration and Information report can be found on the agencys website.
The U.S. Geological Survey has benefitted from the work of numerous outstanding scientists who have furthered our understanding of how Yellowstone works. For example, Bob Christiansen mapped the caldera structures in the region and defined much of the geologic history, while Ken Pierce worked out the glacial history of the region and studied the trends of geologic processes, like faulting and uplift, that extend across Idaho to Yellowstone National Park.

USGS geologist Robert (Bob) O. Fournier was another such pioneer  a scientist who contributed greatly to our current understanding of the hot springs and hydrothermal systems of Yellowstone National Park. Bob passed away in January in Portola Valley, Californa, at the age of 91, leaving a legacy of discovery in Yellowstone that will inspire scientists for generations to come.

Bob received a B.A. from Harvard University in 1954 and a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1958 with a dissertation on the porphyry-copper deposit at Ely, Nevada  a deposit that was related to the hydrothermal system associated with ancient volcanism and presaged his work on modern hydrothermal activity in Yellowstone. He then joined the U.S. Geological Survey in Washington, D.C., studying the solubility of silica in water as a function of temperature, a theme that would persist throughout his long and productive career.

Bob is best-known for his leadership in developing various methods for determining subsurface reservoir temperatures from the chemical analysis of hot-spring waters, based on laboratory and field investigations, primarily in Yellowstone National Park. His work in the park began in 1962 when he served as a geothermal consultant to the National Park Service during bridge construction and road relocation at Beryl Hot Spring. After transferring to the USGS office in Menlo Park, California, in 1962 he joined a group led by Donald E. White to carry out research drilling in hot-spring areas of Yellowstone National Park. These unique and seminal investigations provided ground truth for the subsurface temperature and pressure conditions beneath Yellowstone hot springs, with bottom-hole temperatures reaching 240 C (464 F). Bob developed equipment and procedures to measure pressures and to sample water and gas from these wells, he maintained and ultimately decommissioned the wells, and he used the resulting data in his exploration of the geochemistry and dynamics of the Yellowstone hot spring systems. You can see a video describing how Bob helped to tame one of the research wells at Biscuit Basin, which had a blowout in 1992, at https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1014/.

His Yellowstone investigations, which continued throughout his career, provided the basis for his achievements as a world-renown geothermal expert. Bob considered Yellowstone his cornerstone of reality.

Bobs field work at Yellowstone was closely integrated with his ground-breaking research into chemical techniques to estimate geothermal reservoir temperatures and other characteristics. Notable were his development of the Na-K (sodium-potassium) and Na-K-Ca (sodium-potassium-calcium) geothermometers, which used the chemical composition of hydrothermal water measured at the surface to estimate the temperature of the reservoir of hydrothermal fluids beneath the ground. These tools, along with his silica geothermometer, have been adopted to better understand hydrothermal systems around the world. He also pioneered the understanding of models to estimate the temperature of the hot-water component in mixed waters and to predict underground conditions in hot spring systems  for example, whether a reservoir was steam or hot water. He even developed a better understanding of the processes related to movement of fluid from plastic into brittle rock in the transition zone between magma at depth and the overlying hydrothermal systems.

Bob was a leader in major international geothermal efforts as well. In 1975, he chaired the U.S. Organizing Committee for the 2nd United Nations Symposium on Geothermal Resources, a two-week meeting in San Francisco that drew some 1,100 participants from around the world. He also led advisory panels of international experts overseeing development of the Miravales geothermal field in Costa Rica and several geothermal fields in El Salvador. Finally, he served on many committees overseeing continental scientific drilling activities within the United States and elsewhere  efforts that led to a better understanding of the subsurface conditions in active volcanic areas.

Bobs passion throughout his career, though, was Yellowstone and the spectacular hydrothermal features found there. His work built a foundation upon which scientists today can better understand the conditions beneath the surface in these areas, which is important for understanding everything from geyser activity to potentially hazardous hydrothermal explosions.

For more about Bobs career and perspective  in his own words  check out the interview at https://www.usgs.gov/media/videos/inside-usgs-no-3-robert-fournier-yellowstone.
A Freeport family is grieving after one of their loved ones became the countrys latest road
For years now, restaurant developer Sam Fox has wanted to open a Tucson outpost of his popular fast-casual healthy eatery Flower Child.

But he could never find the perfect location.

That changed late last year when he bought the Old Chicago Pizza building at 2960 N. Campbell Ave., near Glenn Street. The building was demolished, and a new one built in its place to house Flower Child and Foxs pizza and rotisserie chicken restaurant Doughbird.

I was finally able to get the spot where I felt that it belonged, the Tucson native said last Friday as he was making plans to come home on Saturday, April 1, to test-drive the restaurant with a special family and friends event.

Flower Child, which features a menu of salads and bowls, many of them vegetarian and vegan, will open to the public at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 4.

Im excited to bring it there and show it off, said Fox, who launched his restaurant career in 1998 with the modestly upscale new American restaurant Wildflower at 7037 N. Oracle Road and grew it into an empire with 11 concepts and restaurants nationwide. Its always exciting to do new stuff in Tucson. Obviously Tucsons been an amazing supporter of us and my career, and really a foundation for who I am.

This is the first new Fox restaurant in Tucson since he opened Culinary Dropout at the old Grant Road Lumber Co. building in 2017. Two years later, Fox sold his Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts to Cheesecake Factory, which employs Fox and his company to create and open restaurants around the country.

Doughbird is expected to open in mid-May, Fox said. It will be only the third location for that concept, which he introduced in 2017.

This year, Fox will open a dozen restaurants, including the new margarita speakeasy Pushing Daisies in Nashville, Culinary Dropout locations in Charlotte and Atlanta and Flower Child restaurants in Houston and possibly San Antonio. Fox said he will open 15 restaurants in 2024.

Were poised for a lot of growth, he said.

In November, his 141-room boutique hotel The Global Ambassador will open at 4360 E. Camelback Road. The hotel, which will include three or four restaurant concepts unique to the hotel and a rooftop that he says will rival any in Phoenix, is located near Fox Restaurant Concepts offices on Phoenixs east side.
After a 14-year absence, Tucson Symphony Orchestra checked the box on Mahler's behemoth Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" Friday, March 31, one of two cornerstone events of the spring leg of the 2023 Tucson Desert Song Festival.

The second came Saturday, April 1, when Grammy-winning soprano Angel Blue made her Arizona debut with her Arizona Opera recital at Holsclaw Hall.

If you weren't among the audience filling two-thirds of Linda Ronstadt Music Hall on Friday or the near sellout audience at Holsclaw, here's what you missed.

TSO brings back glorious Mahler 'Resurrection'

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" is not something orchestras the size of the Tucson Symphony can program very often.

It requires a big choir, two soloists and nearly 100 musicians to make it worth the effort.

They wait until a special occasion, like when the TSO last performed "Resurrection" with George Hanson at the podium in 2009 to follow up on the historic release of the orchestra's first commercial CD in 2008.

On Friday, March 31, almost 14 years to the day later, Hanson's successor Jose Luis Gomez revisited the work for no good reason other than to give Tucson a chance to experience a truly remarkable piece of music.

"Resurrection" runs around 85 minutes with no intermission, a rollercoaster of pulsating emotions spread over five movements, from the sobering and somber funeral march to the soaring exclamation of the finale that felt like a soul rising from the body and ascending into the clouds.

Gomez's Mahler No. 2 added a gentleness to the opening movement. The baritone-voiced cellos and bass brought out a sense of brooding that made way for dramatic flashes and sorrowful moments of grief and reflection interrupted by bouts of pounding percussion and crashing cymbals accentuated by horns and winds and the increasingly frenetic strings.

The choir  numbering more than 100 mixed voices from the TSO Chorus under the direction of Marcela Molina and Benjamin Hansen, the University of Arizona Symphonic Choir directed by Elizabeth Schauer and Hansen's Helios Ensemble  came on stage after the first movement. Guest soloists soprano Kelley Nassief and contralto Emily Marvosh were tucked behind the violins.

Reminiscent of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 "Choral," you don't hear the choir until the end, introduced by the beautifully voiced Marvosh singing the "Urlicht" (Primal Light) to signal the beginning of the finale while the choir enters with a whisper. The voices tiptoed in and out throughout the prolonged orchestral part that included howling cries of despair and wildly fluctuating mood swings from the horns and percussion with the strings coming in to temper and then disturb the oncoming peace of the finale.

It's in the finale that we get to hear the beauty and power of that choir, complemented by the united voices of Marvosh and Nassief, who seemed to be initially overpowered by the instruments in her brief solo before finding her full voice in the duet.

Angel Blue's unforgettable Tucson debut

When folks recall internationally acclaimed soprano Angel Blue's Arizona debut recital, they might not remember every song she sang.

But they will remember that special voice and how Blue hit that soaring high note at the end of Schumann's "Stille Tranen" (Silent Tears) and let it hang there while the audience held its collective breath.

They will rave about her impressive soprano range and lush coloratura on a couple of Strauss songs and her joyful interpretation of Lee Hoiby's "The Lady of the Harbor."

Saturday's audience got to see what the rest of the world has come to realize since Blue landed on the world stage a decade ago: She is the kind of generational talent whose legacy will be enduring.

But her enormous vocal talents tell only part of Blue's story: The bigger story is how she connected with the audience, many of whom had only a passing acquaintance with her talent through her handful of PBS specials.

Blue, accompanied by pianist Bryan Wagorn, added two surprise guests to the lineup: longtime friends bass Matthew Anchel and tenor Terence Chin-Loy, who happened to be 90 minutes away in Phoenix doing Mozart's "The Magic Flute" with Arizona Opera.

As an encore, Blue invited three UA voice students  sisters Rebeckah Resare and Bethany Pehrson, and Nadari Hockenhull  on stage to join her in Puccini's famous "O mio babbino caro."
A group of Tucson artists have banded together to rejuvenate public spaces along one of Tucsons main streets, hoping to beautify and show their love for the historic city they call home.

The group, Alley Cat Murals, is organizing a community-driven public art project to paint six new murals across a prominent chunk of the city: the Speedway corridor.

The group plans to commission six local artists to design and paint murals along Speedway Boulevard between Park and Campbell avenues, a frequented strip near the university that leads toward the heart of the city. They hope to revitalize the walls within this gateway, exhibiting the diversity and uniqueness of Tucsons community of artists to both visitors and residents alike.

Allison Miller, a native Tucsonan and second-generation muralist, founded Alley Cat Murals more than a decade ago, and has spent much of her time since restoring dilapidated walls and murals in the community.

Public art encourages people to pay attention to the environment they occupy, according to Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit whose primary focus is advancing the arts in the United States. A report from the groups Public Art Network Council said public art can be essential when a municipality wishes to progress economically and to be viable to current and prospective citizens. Data shows that cities with an active and dynamic cultural scene are more attractive to individuals and business, the report says.

Miller said the Speedway Corridor Mural Project has been 10 years in the making. She wanted an opportunity to feature local artists and create art that would represent Tucson through the eyes of its creatives.

I want to feature six new artists, and it will be a way of highlighting how special it is that we have muralists, Miller said. Were a strong mural community, and weve really developed that over the last decade, maybe two.

The murals will be on walls along Speedway Boulevard above the underpasses, allowing drivers to easily view them as they pass by. Miller said a lot of visitors drive through this space, often University of Arizona students and their families, and these murals would showcase the work of Tucson artists.

Theres six of these walls. They all mirror each other, theyre all the same size, theyre right next to bus stops, Miller said. Theyre adorning a very annoying section of road that were all stopped at every stoplight, so theres some visual appeal to being able to see a mural when youre waiting for the red light.

In addition to the selected artists designing and painting murals, the Speedway Corridor Mural Project will facilitate paint-by-number events for members of the community.

For these events, a wall is sectioned off into a grid. Volunteers can come and paint in a square of the grid, and directly participate in the murals creation.

We all want to be creative, we all want to be artists, Miller said. Sometimes people feel a little intimidated by that process. But through our paint-by-numbers, anybody can paint these things, and well help you do it.

Many of the public artworks seen throughout the city have to be approved before they are created. Millers project, like other community-based projects, went through a public art donation process at the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona.

Abby Christensen, a public arts collection associate for the Arts Foundation, said donation-based projects like Millers go through an application process that asks practical questions including where it will be located, what materials are needed and how it will support the community. Then the public art and community design committee, made up of members appointed by city government representatives, reviews the application for approval.

Public art meets the community where the community is at, and making sure to engage the community in the creation of those projects is such an awesome way that the community is getting to determine their own space, Christensen said. Tucson has such a vivid history of public art, so its exciting to take part in that here.

Case studies and research have demonstrated that public art can offer critical benefits to residents, including improved public safety and well-being, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research. The institute also found that the communal nature of public art can give marginalized communities whove been historically excluded from the public sphere the chance for self-expression and participation in the arts.

To select the six muralists for the project, Miller is putting together a selection ommittee of local artists. She said her vision is to highlight six different artistic styles, but community engagement and the decisions of the committee will ultimately determine how the muralists are selected.

One local artist who has applied for the Speedway Corridor Mural Project is Ana Santos Acinas, who has worked with Miller in the past on mural projects at the Roskruge Bilingual Elementary School and the UA Poetry Center. She said over email she would love to be one of the selected artists, but is glad that the project offers an opportunity to all artists in the community who may be underrepresented.

The special thing about all this is that it is not only an artistic project, but a social one, Santos Acinas said via email. Its incredible to know that art is such a powerful tool, capable of bringing an entire city together.

Miller said that the biggest challenge is having enough funding to support the project. Alley Cat Murals seeks to raise a total of $18,000 through GoFundMe, organized in increments of $3,000 to pay for each selected muralists contribution to the project. With enough funding, Miller hopes the project will be completed by the spring of 2024.

Its kind of that civic engagement piece, Miller said. Where you can do it, you can change your community. You just have to get involved.
Security issues within Pima Countys finances last fiscal year included a fraudulent account used to steal nearly $43,000 from county taxpayers, a state audit revealed.

The Arizona Auditor General conducts yearly reviews of the countys financial accounts and reports potential issues. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, the countys Report on Internal Control and on Compliance had three findings staff have developed action plans to fix.

Of those findings, the Auditor General reported a fraudulent account stole $42,739 from the county after the procurement department failed to obtain a tax form to change the accounts log-in credentials for an online money transfer service.

An employee within a county-contracted construction company sent procurement staff faulty bank routing information, and staff failed to verify the change over the phone, County Administrator Jan Lesher said.

Within the next two weeks after the initial transfer, the county approved two more money transfers to the account for $1.5 million and $2.5 million, but the fraudulent accounts bank detected the scam and canceled the transfer, according to the report.

The audit said the money was stolen in part because the procurement department did not train its employees on required verification procedures to obtain an IRS W-9 and didnt complete other verification measures to ensure the transfer was genuine. Lesher said the county did receive the proper tax form but didnt verify the banking information changes with the company.

The Auditor General recommended the county conduct staff training on verification processes, require more forms of verification when resetting log-ins, and create a monitoring system within the self-service portal for vendors that work with the county.

Deputy Auditor General Melanie Chesney said the nature of the state-issued audits is to find all those monies (that) could have just been at risk of being stolen. Pima Countys audit, however, revealed an unfortunate instance where the monies actually were stolen.

When public monies are stolen because public officials are not doing the things that they should be doing, thats cause for concern, and of course, our auditing standards require us to report that in our public reports, she said.

Lesher said, weve now made sure that we have processes and checklists in place to ensure we dont do that again.

The report also outlined issues with previously reported news that former County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry submitted his retirement in July 2021 and returned to work to receive his regular salary on top of $12,228 in monthly pension benefits, unbeknownst to county residents and the Board of Supervisors. His regular salary totaled $114,110 from the date his retirement took effect on July 4, 2021, through his last paycheck issued on April 15, according to county payroll records.

The audit states the clandestine action left the board without the opportunity to evaluate the operational impact on the County and the direction it may have wanted to go in light of the County Administrators closely-held retirement, and also left the supervisors unaware Huckelberry would have to work less than 20 hours a week for half the year under his return-to-work status.

After learning about Huckelberrys retirement, the board adopted a policy in May that any employee who plans to retire within the state retirement system and continue to work for the county must notify the board at least 90 days before the retirement date.

The third audit finding said the county failed to properly monitor a subrecipient of its federal money. Lesher said the subrecipient was the city of Tucson, which received $1.6 million of the countys Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program funds that provide assistance to asylum seekers.

The report said the county issued reimbursement requests to the city but failed to closely monitor Tucsons spending of the federal monies as required for federal awards.

Lesher said the issue arose when Tucson went from being a contractor to a subrecipient, which triggered the need for closer monitoring. The contract outlining the new relationship began on July 1, 2022, even though the city was considered a subrecipient in June 2022.

When we have a subrecipient, we are required to monitor, and we should because they are providing programmatic services as part of the contract, Lesher said. I am very comfortable and confident that the city adhered to the requirements for that one-month period for which they were providing the service.

The county has contracted with a third-party agency to monitor subrecipient spending, according to the report.

We are responsible for a great deal of the publics money, and we strive to ensure that it is spent without any incidents of fraud. (The issues that) have been brought to our attention by the Auditor General have all been addressed, Lesher said. We have no sense that we have any concerns with those kinds of problems continuing.
Tucson Faith Christian Church Inc. has produced generations of children spanked from infancy based on its teachings, former members say.

One supporter of the church, which recruits on the University of Arizona campus, is a prominent pediatrician who teaches at the UA medical school and has served as chief of staff for the citys largest hospital, an Arizona Daily Star investigation found.

Dr. Merlin Channing Chan Lowe, Jr., chief of staff at Banner-University Medical Center from 2018 to 2020, did not reply to written questions about his ties to Faith Christian.

Public records show Lowe, 45, has been a member of Faith Christians board of directors since 2017. Former church members say he joined in the 1990s as a UA undergraduate before graduating from the medical school and completing his UA residency in 2006.

Lowe is one of nine Faith Christian leaders  including four pastors, four board members and the churchs top administrator  who did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this story.

The Star sent detailed requests to Lowe at two email addresses and a personal address. A reporter also called his UA office and spoke with his assistant, who said she would convey the request to check his email.

Lowe quits pediatric group

Until recently, Lowe was president of the Arizona chapter of a national group of childrens doctors opposed to corporal punishment  at the same time he served on the board of a church said to promote it.

Lowe resigned from the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, one day after the Star sought comment from the chapter on the conflict between his churchs teachings and the stance of the medical community.

Anne Stafford, CEO of the Arizona chapter, said the timing of Lowes March 7 resignation was coincidental and unrelated to the Stars inquiry. Lowes departure was prompted by his personal conflict with a statement issued by the Arizona chapter and other state medical groups in support of reproductive healthcare, she said.

Lowe also taught continuing medical education classes for other pediatricians through the Arizona chapter and stepped down from that role as well, she said.

UA College of Medicine spokesman David Bruzzese said the university does not make staffing decisions based on an individuals religious beliefs, nor does it ask about the religious beliefs of employees.

Binding of demons

On an audio recording of a 2011 church event, Lowe spoke shortly before the head pastor urged parents to start spanking babies early to keep demons at bay.

Part of the recording is publicly accessible on Instagram and former members confirm its authenticity. The Star reviewed an extended version of the recording.

Even young children are repositories of demons, senior pastor Stephen M. Hall warned parents. If your family life does not include the binding of demons, then your family is at risk to be taken by them.

Hall, 70, who has five grown offspring, described hitting his children in their cribs when they wouldnt go to sleep.

Back then, he said, doctors advised placing infants face down to sleep, though they now recommend babies sleep on their backs to prevent sudden infant death syndrome.

When theyre little, their head comes up, Hall said, describing a common behavior for infants who are face down and awake.

And their head would come up and when Id spank them Id hold their head down. Cause I could feel the will. Strong will.

Hall called on Lowe during the meeting to give a medical update to the church members and introduced him as a doctor. He asked Lowe to talk about the need for childhood vaccinations, but Lowe's comments are inaudible on the recording.

Obedience training

Since 2015, when the Star first reported on Faith Christian, reporters have interviewed a total of 10 former church members who said they left after having children and refusing to adopt Halls discipline methods.

Some former church members say they were taught to smack their babies with cardboard dowels stripped from the bottom of dry cleaning hangers.

UA alumnus John Bierman, 35, a campus minister for 10 years, said obedience training using wooden spoons began before children reached their first birthdays.

Training sessions were staged in which a crib blanket was spread on the floor and a baby placed atop the blanket. The mother or father, wielding a wooden spoon, would order the infant not to leave the blanket and was expected to spank them immediately if they did, he said.

Dont just show them the spoon. You have to use it, Bierman remembers church leaders saying as they stood by watching the ritual.

Bierman graduated with an interdisciplinary studies degree in math, philosophy and education in 2010, the same year his wife, Sierra Bierman, 34, earned a UA history degree. Both became campus ministers after graduation and left the church in 2021 with two daughters ages 4 and 2.

The way they wanted you, pressured you, to raise your children is insane, John Bierman said.

Who the Star sought out for comment The Star sought comment from nine church officials for this story, but none responded to multiple email requests or follow-up phone calls. Those who did not respond include four pastors  church founder Stephen M. Hall; Ian A. Laks, Halls second-in-command; Halls son-in-law Tyler M. Wachenfeld, and Geoffrey L. Scara, an associate pastor. Hall is the churchs president, Wachenfeld its vice president and Laks its secretary, public records show. All three also are members of the churchs board of directors. Four Faith Christian elders on the board also did not respond: Dr. Merlin Channing Chan Lowe, Jr., who teaches pediatrics at the UA medical school and joined the board in 2017; former Amphitheater High School principal Jonathan J. Lansa, who joined the church board in 2010 and now works for Tucson Unified School District; Dr. Jeffrey S. Lambert, an internist who practices at Tucson Medical Center and joined the board in 2021; and Christian T. Williamson, a board member since 2005 who earned a PhD in hydrology at the UA in 1998 and held senior positions at a firm that designs and manufactures large-scale water treatment systems.

Methods 'horrific'

Child abuse expert Dr. Roy Lubit called Faith Christians alleged discipline methods horrific  and I mean horrific.

Lubit, who is based in New York, is board certified in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. He has testified in lawsuits against cult-like groups that engage in abuse and has published papers about the lasting damage it causes.

The apparent intent to break a childs will is especially disturbing, Lubit said when the Star relayed the stories of former church members.

Children internalize how they are treated," he said. "When children are treated in this manner they are filled with pain and fear."

Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, has been studying corporal punishments effects on children for two decades.

The research is clear, she says: Spanking harms children and does not improve their behavior.

Out of hundreds of research studies, There are no studies that show its good for children, she said. It makes (them) more likely to be aggressive, to be anti-social, to have mental health problems, and we know now that it changes childrens brains.

Punishing pre-verbal children is futile because they arent yet capable of reasoning, Gershoff said.

A baby who is hit a lot in infancy will become very fearful and anxious. You can imagine a dog whos hit over and over, they just kind of give up, she said, a reaction known as learned helplessness.

Babies who lift their heads instead of going to sleep are not being rebellious or willful, she said. They raise their head because theyre trying to strengthen their head and neck muscles.

Hitting an infant for any reason is upsetting, she said. Hitting them for something thats biology like that just shows the people who recommend that have no sense of how children develop.

Booze 'became my medicine'

UA alumnus Nick Puente, who graduated in 2002 with a degree in journalism, was raised in the church and recalls growing up in a heavy-handed, fear-based, abusive environment.

As far back as I can remember, we were spanked, he said. That was a fundamental parenting technique.

As an adult, Puente said he abused alcohol to cope with unresolved trauma from childhood.

Booze became my medicine, he said. It became the way I dealt with a lot of painful memories.

After he quit drinking six years ago, Puente went on to earn a masters degree in counseling from Grand Canyon University. He now works at Cottonwood Tucson, an addiction treatment center, where he counsels victims of spiritual abuse.

Puente said hes had conversations about his painful childhood with his parents, who still grapple with the experience.

In their mind, they were doing what God wanted them to do, he said.

Cold and distant

Kathy Sullivan, whose son joined Faith Christian in 2013 as a UA freshman, said she felt relieved at first that hed found a wholesome activity at a school with a reputation for partying.

Before long, though, he became distant and cold during visits home to California. During his junior year he told his mother he planned to work for Faith Christian after graduation instead of using his UA business economics degree.

Thats when Sullivan, 63, started researching the church and learned troubling details from former members and their families. She filed a formal complaint with the UA Dean of Students office, which investigated but found no basis for disciplinary action against the church.

Fearing losing him completely, Sullivan focused on simply maintaining contact.

We just didnt talk about Faith Christian, she said. I do feel keeping that relationship alive was key. It gave him the ability to see outside of the Faith Christian framework.

Four years later, Sean Sullivan decided to leave the church.

Love-bombing

Now 28 and a mortgage loan officer in Dallas, Sean Sullivan says he can see in hindsight that freshman loneliness made him vulnerable to Faith Christians love-bombing  a tactic in which new students in particular are showered with attention and offers of instant friendship with a built-in social circle.

All of a sudden you have all of these nice people talking about Jesus who are bringing you to the barbecue, he said. You went from zero to 100 real fast. It's like, how do you give that up?

When church leaders heard about his mothers concerns, they cited the Bible to try to persuade him to stop talking to her, he said. Questioning church doctrine was forbidden, so pastors had near-total control over members lives, Sullivan said.

He said he gradually realized Faith Christians practices were negatively affecting him and other church members. He said he decided to leave after being exposed to different spiritual beliefs that felt less controlling and more authentic.

Since he quit in 2019, he said, Ive heard horror stories about families that get split over the church. He said hes grateful his parents stuck with him.

Some of his friends who left Faith Christian have abandoned their faith entirely, he said.

I think they just feel so damaged, he said. My heart breaks for them.

'Intelligent people do fall prey'

A common myth about cults and hyper-controlling groups is that smart people dont join them, according to a prominent cult researcher.

Intelligent people do fall prey to cults, psychotherapist Steven A. Hassan of Massachusetts wrote in a 2021 article in Psychology Today.

In fact, Hassan wrote, attracting smart people is a key survival strategy.

Cults thrive to the extent that they can recruit intelligent, dynamic people, he wrote.

Many have a hard time believing that bright, talented people could fall under the control of a cult. But cults intentionally recruit valuable people that are intelligent, caring, and motivated, he said. To the untrained eye, cult members can appear completely normal.

Families torn apart

There is plenty of heartbreak to go around, say former Faith Christian campus ministers Jeff and Lisa Phillips of Mesa, who now run an online harbor for the churchs lost souls.

Since 2013, they have served as volunteer administrators of a Facebook page supporting people who quit Faith Christian or one its six satellite churches.

Others have created an Instagram page.

No matter where former members come from geographically, their first concern is often the same, Lisa Phillips said: They are so relieved to realize theyre not crazy.

Parents who left with small children  as the Phillipses themselves did in 2010 after working in Tucson and at three Faith Christian satellite churches  find comfort connecting with others who defied the church by refusing to spank their offspring, she said.

Some of the Facebook pages 500 or so followers are adults trying to come to terms with being raised in the church and spanked throughout childhood, she said.

She said theyve also heard from hundreds of broken-hearted family members: aunts, uncles, siblings, parents and grandparents whose loved ones joined the church and cut off contact with the family.

There are grandmas who have not met their grandchildren, Lisa Phillips said. This has really torn families apart.

Jeff Phillips, who graduated from the UA in 1995 with a degree in political science, went on to earn a masters of divinity degree from Phoenix Seminary in 2013 and now works in administration for a Christian university. Helping those wounded by the Faith Christians practices has turned into a volunteer healing ministry for him and his wife, he said.

They try to help former members make sense of what happened, and to point them toward healthy churches, therapists, marriage counselors or whatever other assistance they may need, he said.

Jeff Phillips said its their way of trying to make amends for being part of the problem when we were leaders in these churches.

Their goal, he said, is to see Gods sheep find true shepherds.
The president of a private university in Minnesota that was criticized for firing a professor who showed a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in an art history class announced Monday that she is retiring next year.

Hamline University President Fayneese Miller said at a news conference that although the school has been in the headlines, journalists were reporting on a false narrative.

Issues arose in October when Erika Lopez Prater showed a 14th-century painting depicting the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art, after warning them beforehand and giving them an opportunity to opt out. In Islam, portraying the Prophet Muhammad has long been taboo for many, and a Muslim student in the class complained to the university.

Lopez Prater has since sued the liberal arts school in St. Paul over Millers decision not to renew her contract. Her attorneys didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Miller previously conceded that she mishandled the episode, but insisted Monday that the school believes in free speech.

Never has Hamline University violated anyones academic freedom, she said. I want to make that perfectly clear.

Miller said she wants to spend more time with her husband, who lives in Vermont. They didn't meet in person for more than a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she wants to make my family whole again.

Some local Muslim groups criticized Lopez Prater, but the national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country's largest Muslim advocacy organization, disputed claims that her actions were Islamophobic. The group said professors who analyze images of the Prophet Muhammad for academic purposes are not the same as Islamophobes who show such images to cause offense.

However, the group's Minnesota chapter on Monday repeated its position that the lesson was disrespectful, and condemned what they described as Millers forced retirement.

We believe that her support for Muslim students and her stance against Islamophobia ultimately cost her job, the groups executive director, Jaylani Hussein, said in a statement.

Faculty at the school were so upset about what happened to Lopez Prater that they called in a January vote for Miller to resign, objecting to what they considered a violation of academic freedom.

The faculty I talked to today, its not what people wanted, but its enough, Jim Scheibel, the Faculty Council president, said Monday.

He said Miller will partly be on sabbatical, and may help with the new president's transition. She officially retires on June 30, 2024.

Faculty, he added, recognize theres a lot of hard work that needs to be done.

The school's retirement announcement was filled with praise for Miller, who is the school's first Black president, describing highlights of her tenure and how she had created a reputation for Hamline as an institution that welcomes students from diverse backgrounds. Several student groups previously defended her in a letter to the student newspaper.

Board of Trustees Chair Ellen Watters said Miller's departure was not related to the Islamic art controversy and that her eight-year tenure is relatively long.

Hamline has been around for 170 years and we are determined to be her for another 170 years, he said.

Vice Chair Reuben Moore offered a similar assessment, saying he was saddened by Miller's retirement but excited about this huge opportunity for the school to double down on equity and inclusion on campus."

He described her as a wonderful human and amazing talent.

Although its not mentioned in the Quran, Islams ban on depicting the Prophet Muhammad has run firm through the centuries. Islamic tradition is full of written descriptions of Muhammad and his qualities  describing him as the ideal human being. But clerics generally have agreed that trying to depict that ideal is forbidden. The ban is further rooted in a wider prohibition against images or statues of human beings.

There have been exceptions. A rich tradition of depicting Muhammad emerged in miniatures and illustrations for manuscripts from around 1200 to 1700. The art is mainly from Turkey and Iran, where pictorial traditions were stronger than in the Arab world. The paintings often show traditional stories from Muhammads life, although in some the prophets face is obscured by a veil or a plume of flame.
Dallas Morning News. March 31, 2023.

Editorial: Texas fentanyl fight is getting bipartisan support

The Legislature is wisely cooperating to legalize testing strips.

There are few issues so pressing now as protecting Texans from fentanyl overdoses. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that fentanyl-related overdoses in our state rose by 399% between 2019 and 2021.

As more of the drug pours into the country, legislators must take action.

North Texans know first hand how deadly fentanyl is. The overdoses it has caused in schoolchildren around the area have devastated families. Our colleagues have reported about the teen deaths and hospitalizations linked to just one drug house in Carrollton. North Texans are also beginning to understand how much the fentanyl trade, with its roots in Mexican cartels, is tied to the area. Federal charges are now pending against a father and son in Plano who officials say are responsible for the largest fentanyl operation in the U.S.

Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and is often used to boost the effect of more expensive drugs. The CDC reports that, in Texas, over 5,000 people died from fentanyl between October 2021 and October 2022. Many of those deaths appear to include people who were never aware they were taking fentanyl.

Given the urgency, its heartening to see a bipartisan response in the Legislature. Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, and Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, are pushing to decriminalize fentanyl testing strips as well as other testing options to give people tools to check if the drug they are about to take contains fentanyl. This is a great example of the type of political leadership that is too often missing in our state.

Testing strips are presently considered drug paraphernalia under state law.

Johnson and Halls bill, Senate Bill 86, stems in part from Gov. Greg Abbotts willingness to rescind his initial opposition to legalizing testing strips last December. Reversals on policy are hard for politicians. This change of heart from the governor will save lives and spare some families from the heartbreak of losing a child or other loved one.

Closer to home, the willingness to move faster to address fentanyl was characterized in the response from Dallas ISD leaders. Last week, the board voted to amend its medical treatment policy. The change in policy now enables trained staff to administer the lifesaving overdose drug naloxone, a nasal spray also known as Narcan. The board also ensured all DISD schools have the drug stocked on campus. Other districts in North Texas are doing the same.

Fighting fentanyl deaths is not a Republican or Democrat issue. Its one that requires a cooperative and fast response from all. In a state so divided, this is an issue we must come together around.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 28, 2023.

Editorial: How did a disabled Everman child slip through the cracks? Pray hes found, demand answers

Endangered Missing Person Alerts are issued sparingly to ensure they get urgently needed attention. One issued last week has indeed done that, raising questions about whether a 6-year-old child with serious disabilities slipped through the cracks and, if so, how it happened.

According to Everman police, Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez has been missing since November. Though police initial sent out an Amber Alert, which is focused on likely abductions, this case has every bit of the urgency and peril. Child Protective Services has regularly been involved with his mother, how did the agency just realize, based on an anonymous tip received March 20, that he was missing? Should she have lost custody? Were any neighbors or friends aware of or curious about Noels disappearance? Should other social-service agencies or health care providers have raised alarms?

The case involves multiple countries, a deported biological father who is in Mexico, a relocated stepfather and remaining family who are either in Turkey or India. Everyone hopes there is a surprisingly simple explanation, but theres no time to lose. The Tarrant County District Attorneys Office should determine immediately if its time to build a case.

Noel has serious disabilities including a chronic lung disease that requires medical treatment and occasional oxygen treatment. While some family members said theyd seen the boy recently, Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said those claims were disproved, though he added that almost all of them have been highly cooperative with police.

After the CPS tip, police said, Noels mother Cindy Rodriguez-Singh, told them the 6-year-old was in Mexico with his father. When Texas CPS spoke to Noels biological father, they realized his mother had lied, because the father is confirmed to have been deported before his son was born.

Police also learned that Noels four siblings have been absent from school and their mother had asked Everman ISD about unenrolling them. Noel was not enrolled in school, but should that have raised red flags? So far, Rodriguez-Singh hasnt cooperated with police.

In addition to the CPS inquiries, Rodriguez-Singh and she also had an extensive criminal history involving alcohol-related offenses. Wed really like to talk to Mom, Spencer said Monday.

So far, theres no physical evidence that Noel has been harmed or taken anywhere. But that seems of little comfort.

What I do know is that a 6-year-old, severely disabled boy cannot be accounted for and is missing, the mother has not been willing to cooperate with investigators to help us simply assure the child is safe, and we desperately need the publics help, Spencer said Sunday.

Of all the Amber Alerts issued in 2021, the majority of kids were found to have been taken by family members, not strangers, and because of custody issues. Just one was due to human smuggling and four were due to criminal activity.

We hope, for Noels sake, that his disappearance is due to family issues gone awry, not malice. We hope he is found soon. Whatever happens, the public needs thorough investigation and answers to whether government failed a child so badly in need of protection.

Houston Chronicle. March 28, 2023.

Editorial: Tennessee and Texas wont protect kids from school shootings. Just drag shows.

Across the courtyard there was an Earth goddess painted by Don Rimx, her body made of sticks, her limbs splinted, her hair green, her face scowling. She wasnt like anyone youve ever seen on an American middle school wall, and at the same time there was a deep resemblance to the inner selves of countless children who have gleaned from the world that the adult world will not protect them, that they will have to save themselves and each other. Jeff Sharlet, The Undertow: Scenes From A Slow Civil War (Norton, 2023)

Journalist Jeff Sharlet, author of several books about our fractured nation, reports in his latest that he encountered the unsettling mural on a middle-school wall in inner-city Miami. What the image conveyed about our children, though, is not confined to one school or one part of the country. The image is apt in Colorado, in Connecticut, in California, in Florida, in Michigan, in Wisconsin, in Illinois, in Texas.

And now its apt in Tennessee, where three 9-year-olds and three adults died when a shooter blasted the lock off a door at a private elementary school in Nashville, church-related Covenant School, and started firing at human beings.

We have not, we will not, protect them. The list of states above  several, such as Texas, with multiple mass-shooting incidents  is not comprehensive.

Its spring. The grass and leaves are green, the bluebonnets riotous. Its spring, and were approaching the one-year anniversary of the Uvalde rampage. A teenager armed with a military-assault-style weapon invades an elementary school and massacres 19 children and two of their teachers. In our minds eye, we still see it.

We did not protect them. A new school equipped with the latest security measures does not protect them. A gun-obsessed nation cannot protect them.

Kimberly Garcia lost her 10-year-old daughter, Amerie Jo Garza, on that day in May. Our kids arent safe. Schools arent safe, she tweeted, hearing news of Nashville. My daughter wasnt safe, her life was taken from her. My son isnt safe and it keeps me up all night. How am I supposed to be OK with leaving him at school? Theres no way.

In another tweet, she asked, When is enough going to be enough?

When, indeed.

Garcia and other Uvalde parents and family members have been in Austin off and on during the past several months, imploring lawmakers to act. After all, Gov. Greg Abbott came to their little town soon after the shooting. He assured them he would take steps to protect the children.

He has not. He will not. And neither will lawmakers meeting in Austin right now.

We are tired, Garcias advocacy group, Lives Robbed, tweeted in response to the Nashville horror. We know that, for the families of the victims at Covenant, this hell is just beginning. We are with you. This is why we fight for change.

With all due respect to the Uvalde folks, they are naive. They dont realize  well, maybe they do by now  that their elected representatives already are hard at work protecting Texas children in a manner that has nothing to do with stopping the bullets and bloodshed in our classrooms.

State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, is pushing not one bill, but two, to make sure that our children are not exposed to men dressed like women. Drag shows, theyre called. Maybe theyre big in small East Texas towns like the one hes from.

State Rep. Nate Shatzline, a Fort Worth Republican ready to fight for Faith, Family, & Freedom, is carrying a similar bill in the House, despite a youthful escapade of his own in a black sequined dress. Uvalde parents have to realize that he and Hughes are busy. Busy protecting children, but only in a way they believe will protect their political careers.

State Sen. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, is busy, too. Like a North Texas cotton-grower, hes itching to plow through school libraries, hoeing out weeds of porn. We learned last week during a House Public Education Committee hearing that even the celebrated cowboy novel Lonesome Dove might not be safe from his weeding.

Patterson admitted that he hasnt read the classic by Texas native Larry McMurtry, but he assured his listeners that if its sexually explicit, it doesnt belong in a public-school library. Like an errant growth of Johnson grass, hed yank it out.

McMurtrys heroes, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call, are coarse and crude, for sure; whether theyre sexually explicit is open to arguing about  for those whove read the novel, that is. Theres no arguing that its a big book, a heavy book. If a kid got hit with a flung copy of Lonesome Dove, it would hurt. It would not hurt as much as a bullet fired from an AR-15, a bullet pulverizing every organ it touches as it plows through a childs slight body.

But how can we blame Patterson and his Republican cohorts for ignoring anguished Uvalde parents? When youre banning books, censoring school curricula, tormenting transgender children and suppressing ideas that might challenge comfortable assumptions, youre busy. You dont have time to fret about death.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our children these days are more likely to be shot to death than to die in a car accident. Statistics are unavailable for children dying after witnessing a drag show.

We have not, we will not, protect them from guns, even though we know what to do (or, at least, what to try). Universal background checks, red flag laws, a cooling off period after a gun purchase, safe storage, magazine limits, raising the age of purchase  some combination of efforts just might save lives.

It wont be happening in Texas anytime soon. It wont be happening in Tennessee, which vies with the Lone Star State for having the most permissive gun laws in the country. A Tennessee lawmaker told CNN a few hours after the shooting, I dont see any real role we can do other than mess things up. . . . As a Christian, youve got to change peoples hearts.

A Texan couldnt have said it better.

In 2018, after a 19-year-old opened fire on students and staff at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., murdering 17 people and injuring 17 others, students took it upon themselves to launch something of a childrens crusade. Founding an advocacy group called Never Again MSD, they made speeches, raised money and lobbied lawmakers in Tallahassee. A month after the massacre, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill allowing law enforcement to request an extreme risk protection order. The legislation also provided additional funding for armed school resource officers and allowed school districts to arm teachers.

Maybe the efforts of the Parkland young people, still continuing, are a reminder  a sober reminder in journalist Sharlets words that the adult world will not protect them, that they will have to save themselves and each other.

Caitlyne Gonzales seemed to understand this as she spoke on the steps of the Texas Capitol to a gun reform rally in February. The Uvalde survivor broke into tears as she described the shooting. Then she collected herself and said, I shouldnt have to be here but I am because my friends dont have a voice no more. Greg Abbott has done nothing to protect me or my friends.

In Austin and in Nashville, the adult world cant be bothered. The adult world is busy with more important matters.

San Antonio Express-News. March 30, 2023.

Editorial: Castner Range monument preserves, and opens, a scenic wonderland

Unseen but not unknown, Castner Range represented a hidden treasure in the West Texas town of El Paso.

That is about to change. What was once vivid only in the imagination will now become bright and gleaming in real life. The city cannot wait.

President Joe Biden has designated Castner Range as a national monument, protecting 6,600 acres that were once home to Native American tribes, including Apache and Pueblo peoples. The move has excited both scientists and tourists. It will help facilitate research into important archaeological sites, as well as the geology and wildlife of the area.

Were ecstatic about it, said Eric Pearson, CEO of El Paso Community Foundation, which helped push the designation. The region is just amazing, and its been a big team and a lot of years. And this is the culmination of that. Were very proud to be here today.

Biden also declared Avi Kwa Ame, 500,000 acres of land in Nevada considered sacred to Native tribes, to be a national monument. Both designations utilized the 1906 Antiquities Act to preserve national monuments on federal land. The assignations will prevent private development on the lands, while ensuring that the federal government will enact measures to protect the areas.

It brings me such joy to know that El Pasoans will soon be able to enjoy the beauty of this majestic, expansive landmark for years to come, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said.

While the designation was the product of a community effort decades in the making, the public must wait before it can enjoy the fruits of that labor. The range, a Fort Bliss training site from 1926 to 1966, remains full of unexploded munitions that must be removed. It will make the first time a national monument will be managed by a military branch since the 1930s; the Army and the White House will launch a management plan, including public engagements with Native American tribes, over the next two months.

Protecting Castner Range is not only protecting our mountains and wildlife, but its protecting our history, heritage and our legacy, Moses Borjas, a conservation advocate who is pastor of Living Covenant Church in El Paso, said in a statement.

Nature is a towering presence in El Paso  literally. The Franklin Mountains bisect the city, from the northeast to the southwest. They stretch from one end of town to the other, 14 miles long, three miles wide, with elevations reaching as high as a mile.

The range lies in the foothills of these mountains, which form an awe-inspiring backdrop. Mexican poppies bloom in the valley during the spring, producing a yellow carpet that seems as bright as the sun. The scene, which most El Pasoans have seen only through photos on the internet, is stunning

If a simple viewing on the internet evokes such wonder, imagine the majesty of the real thing, Will visitors feel a deep connection to the past, to the awe and reverence Indigenous peoples felt thousands of years ago? Will the land become a conduit to eternity?

When we conserve our countrys natural gifts, were not just protecting the livelihoods of people who depend on them  were protecting the heart and the soul of our national pride, Biden said in his declaration, adding that it is also telling our story that will be told for generations upon generations to come.

The president is right. Nature is not mute; it tells a story, a narrative as expressive as the best poetry. As Texans, we recognize the natural beauty of this state, from Big Bend to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park less than two hours from San Antonio. It is up to us, as caretakers of the land, to make sure the beauty  and narrative  are preserved.

ENE
MORIARTY, N.M. (AP)  Residents in the small community of Echo Ridge were told to evacuate Sunday due to a grass fire south of Moriarty in central New Mexico.

Torrance County Sheriffs officials said the fire was mostly contained by afternoon, but a size estimate wasnt immediately available.

The cause of the grass fire was unclear.

Echo Ridge is southeast of the small town of Moriarty which has only a couple thousand people.

Authorities said Echo Ridge residents were told to go to a shelter set up at the Moriarty Civic Center as a precaution.
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP)  Democratic Gov. Janet Mills will have to miss a visit by first lady Jill Biden this week because she has contracted COVID-19 for a second time, officials said.

Mills tested positive on Sunday and will isolate for a minimum of five days, consistent with state and federal heath guidelines.

Other than a scratchy throat, I feel fine, she said Sunday evening in a statement. I will work remotely over the next few days and I look forward to getting back to the office later this week.

Because of the timing, the governor will be in isolation when the first lady, a teacher, pays a visit to Southern Maine Community College in South Portland on Wednesday.

Mills, 75, also contracted COVID-19 in April 2022 and recovered quickly. She attributes being fully vaccinated and boosted for her mild symptoms and good prognosis.
Tulsa filmmaker John Swabs new release is One Day as a Lion, and it begins one day at a restaurant in Vinita.

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) has good intentions  he wants to rescue his son from incarceration  but that goal puts him in a predicament where he is tasked with being a hitman.

Powers parks his vehicle outside Clantons Cafe in Vinita to await his prey, Walter Boggs (J.K. Simmons). The amateur assassin fouls up the assignment and takes a waitress (Marianne Rendon) hostage. Powers learns the waitress has problems of her own, including a dying mother (Virginia Madsen).

Thanks to the botched hit, Powers becomes a target, but he remains focused on trying to find a way to lawyer up and help his son.

One Day as a Lion, shot in communities across northeastern Oklahoma, will be available in select theaters Tuesday, April 4. Among them: Circle Cinema, where Swab will be joined by producer Jeremy Rosen for questions following a 7 p.m. opening night screening. The film will be available on demand and digitally beginning Friday, April 7.

According to promotional material for the film, the crime comedy is a witty homage to Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers. Swab took part in a Q&A session with the Tulsa World in advance of the release.

This is the first film youve directed that you didnt write. Scott Caan wrote the screenplay. That had to be a different experience for you.

It was a little bit of a departure for me, but, overall, enjoyable, and Im proud of the end result.

How did this come about with Scott Caan?

Scotts agent is a friend of Jeremys. They go back a bit. He reached out to Jeremy with the script I think in hopes that Jeremy would want to produce it. I was not involved at that point. I dont think I had been brought up at all. Jeremy read the script. He liked it. He met with Scott. They got along. And somewhere in their discussion about making this potentially together, I came up. Scott then watched Ida Red, which he enjoyed, and from there I was brought in and read the script and got to do it with Scott and decided lets give this thing a go.

Obviously the script appealed to you or you wouldnt have done it.

The script has a lot of influences and themes and things that I grew up liking in movies myself, so it seemed like a natural fit.

One Day As A Lion has a little different tone than your previous films. You still hit some of your sweet spots, but its more comedic.

It is definitely more broad comedy. Its lighter fare. It was different in that respect, and Scott is known for being a good comedic actor. It was all good.

This is not your first time to work with people to have gained an Academy Award nomination or won an Oscar. You worked with Melissa Leo twice previously. Virginia Madsen was nominated for an Academy Award for Sideways. J.K. Simmons won an Oscar for Whiplash. How was your experience working with Virginia Madsen and J.K. Simmons?

It was great. They are both supremely talented actors. Any time you get to work with somebody who has that kind of prestige, its a learning experience and its special. Im very grateful they came down and gave us their time.

John Ford, the legendary director, had a stock company of actors he used repeatedly in his films. Youve sort of got a John Swab stock company. Frank Grillo, George Carroll, Billy Blair, Dash Melrose, Bruce Davis, Brett Swab, Bruce Roach and Danny OConnor are in this film, and they appeared in some of your past films.

These movies are hard enough to make. It makes it even harder when you have to do it with people you are not necessarily friendly with or dont get along with, so any opportunity we have to weave in some of our familiar faces and friends, we take the opportunity to do so because it just makes it more special for us and for them. We love the familial vibe that it brings to projects.

I think boxer Allan Green may be making his acting debut in this film. How did you wind up with Allan in the film?

Allan Ghost Dog Green. Local legend. I work out at the gym Allan is at every day and got to know him there. Also, Terrance Reed, who is an amateur Golden Gloves fighter, he also has a role in the movie. Terrance and Allan are both good friends of mine. They are super talented fighters, and they both did a great job in the movie. Terrance is the guy who kind of kicks Dash off the phone in the prison, and Allan obviously has the big monologue in the beginning where he is walking back and forth talking crap to the kids. I am super proud of both of those dudes. I look forward to the opportunity of weaving them into future projects.

I spotted an Easter egg. When Danny OConnors corrections officer character gives a candy bar to Dash, the name on the candy bar package is Candy Land, which was the title of one of your films.

Theres also another one where, at the end, J.K. is watching Candy Land on the TV. (Easter eggs) are all over the place. Jeremy and, its not really for anybody but ourselves and anybody else who catches that kind of stuff.

Tulsa, Stigler, Barnsdall, Sand Springs, Vinita and Bristow were shooting locations. You needed some rural locales?

Thats right. The new Oklahoma Film Incentive (program), there are uplifts to going outside the bigger city areas and into what are called rural county uplifts. The script called for it as well, but it was great to explore different parts of the state  Stigler in particular and the Haskell County Jail. Sheriff Turner down there was a real gentleman. I dont know if you have had a chance to talk to that guy, but he is a real character. We are proud of incorporating all those elements into this.

The film is dedicated to the memory of Magic Mark Ward, who some Tulsans will know, and James Caan, Scotts father, who passed away last year.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Scotts father, but he obviously had an enormous impact on Hollywood and anybody who knows and loves movies. And then Magic Mark is a legend here in town. Its so fitting for Mark. For him to have an in memory of card shared with James Caan, I dont think he would believe that was the case. But we loved Mark. He was a mascot for us  kind of like our spirit animal, I guess, on these movies. He is dearly missed. Its so sad that happened, and also that James Caan passed away as well.

How do you feel about the film?

People like it. People really enjoy this movie. I dont take that for granted because I have had movies that people dont like. I happen to love them all. I have a sweet spot and a love for every one of them for different reasons, but when people in the numbers they do like something like they do this, (including) Lionsgate, specifically, which is putting it in 51 screens, 51 theaters. Thats a big commitment to something. Its very flattering. I dont take it for granted. Its a dream come true to work for a company like that. Its validating. You are doing something right, I guess, if that is happening.

Im sure there is a compliment in here for you when I bring this up, but when I see actors in your films I am not very familiar with, it makes me want to see more of them.

The thing I like about the script is the characters are so rich. When its like that, its fun casting and its fun creating an ensemble because you want everybody you meet along this journey to be as equally vibrant and exciting and, in a way, be able to take over the movie on their own. Scott wrote some good characters, and we put together a great cast. I take that as a compliment because if you want more, then you liked what you saw.

Counting Candy Land and Little Dixie, this is your third film to come out since January. Youre either really efficient or the schedule just happened to line up where they all were released near each other.

I would say its somewhere between the two. Jeremy and I didnt plan on the releases. Thats out of our control. Thats more of a happenstance thing. That was not our doing. But at the rate and clip which we are making films, we are both super-driven guys who are aligned in the fact that we want to make things that we want to see, and we also want to keep getting better at it and keep getting bigger opportunities.

We only have so much time on this Earth. There is no end goal for me, but I want to keep growing and getting better at making movies, and I know he does, too. As long as we are working together on these things, we are going to continue to try to improve and get bigger opportunities as they come. We have built an efficient machine, and Tulsa is a big part of that.

Im sure youre working on more right now?

We are gearing up to shoot something here in June, and we are super excited about that.

Anything you want to say that you werent asked about?

I think I said it all. Im happy people are liking it. Its a movie that is meant to be enjoyed, so the fact that people are enjoying it is all I could have asked for.
Tulsa-based Branjae is one of 16 selected social change musicians who has a track (Free Facts) on a compilation album curated by Noel Paul Stookey of the folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary.

The album (Hope Rises II) is being re-released by Music to Life, a national nonprofit that connects socially conscious musicians with mentors, resources and training needed to realize their bold visions for community change, according to a news release. Stookey is a co-founder of Music to Life.

Hope Rises II, available at musictolife.org since November, is a sequel album that draws from artists across genres, geographies and generations. The album has been re-released in honor of Music to Lifes fifth anniversary.

A review panel of award-winning musicians, producers and industry leaders including eight-time Grammy-winning producer Elliot Scheiner and Latin Grammy-nominated artist Gina Chavez selected artists who demonstrate outstanding talent through original, message-driven songs.

Branjae said this about her song on the album: I began to look around the last few years at my environment, and I noticed a lack of individual thought. Everyone was being really manipulated by the medias ideas and the ideas that society in general puts in place. So I wanted to write a song that inspires us to open up, look at the whole picture and make decisions based on what we truly believe.

Branjae recently performed at SXSW 2023 and has been confirmed for 2023 NXNE. Plans for a North American Tour are in the works. The news release said to stay tuned for two EP releases in the coming year.
An appellate opinion handed down in a Tulsa County case has shaken trust in the justice system for the parents of a deceased teen motorcyclist but leaves the Sheriffs Office with hope for a second chance.

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals last week reversed and remanded a 2021 decision in Tyner v. Regalado, as well as the Tulsa County jurys judgment in excess of $1.6 million.

The jury recommended that the sum be awarded in damages to the family of Cobie Tyner, who was 18 when he was killed in a May 2017 head-on motorcycle crash near Chandler Park.

Tulsa County Sheriffs Deputy Andrew Titsworth made a U-turn on Avery Drive to pursue a motorcyclist who had, according to his radar, been going east at more than twice the legal speed limit of 50 mph.

Tyner, who was following that motorcyclist in excess of 50 mph, swerved to avoid the deputys car, which his family argued caused him to cross into oncoming traffic and crash into a Ford Fusion. He died at the scene.

In the lawsuit, the Tyner family alleged that Titsworth failed to look for oncoming traffic and made the U-turn in an area with a curve that makes it difficult to see other vehicles, giving Tyner inadequate time to avoid the collision.

Jurors found that negligence by Titsworth made for a 60% contribution to the crash, and the $1.65 million award was reduced to account for Tyners contributory negligence of 40%. It was later capped at $175,000 pursuant to the states governmental tort limits.

The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office appealed the jurys finding, and the appeals court found that District Judge Kelly Greenough, who presided over the trial, made the wrong decision when she reversed an earlier granting of partial summary judgment from former District Judge Jefferson Sellers, who retired before the trial.

Sellers had agreed with the Sheriffs Office that for trial, by law, the standard of care to be applied was reckless disregard for the safety of others, but Greenough did not instruct jurors in line with that ruling, saying testimony was markedly different by trial time.

The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office looks forward to re-presenting the facts of this tragic case to a Tulsa County jury, with the jury being instructed on the proper standard of review, TCSO General Council Tim Harris said. We respect the Appeals Court decision to remand the case for a new jury trial. We seek only truth and justice.

Smolen & Roytman, the law firm representing Tyners estate through his parents, Derek and Mona Tyner, said they are extremely disappointed with the appeals courts opinion and are considering all avenues of recourse, including asking the the Oklahoma Supreme Court to hear the case.

We believe the unpublished Opinion is erroneous and lacks sound reasoning, the firm said in a statement. The Court has unjustly reversed the Tyners hard-fought verdict and judgment.

The jurys verdict provided the Tyners with some sense of justice and vindication for the tragic and preventable death of their beloved son, Cobie. The Court of Civil Appeals opinion has reopened their wounds and shaken their trust in our system of justice. But they will not be deterred.

Make no mistake. We will not stop fighting for the Tyner family  and Cobies memory  until final justice is achieved.

The opinion had hinged on whether under law Titsworth was considered to be in pursuit when he pulled out after the first motorcyclist that sped by as part of the group with which Tyner was riding.

Oklahoma drivers are not to execute a U-turn unless and until it can be made safely without interfering with other traffic and not near a curve or the crest of a hill where their vehicle cant be seen within 500 feet from either direction.

A law enforcement officer in pursuit is exempted from such restrictions but still required to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and may still be held liable for the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others.

Titsworths testimony elicited some confusion about whether the definition of pursuit was being derived from state statute or Sheriffs Office policy.

Titsworth testified that, despite activating his emergency lights and pulling out after the first motorcycle in an attempt to stop it, he did not view himself to be in pursuit that day, ultimately explaining that he did not have a chance to decide whether the end result would be a traffic stop or if the driver of the first motorcycle would elude him.

Given Titsworths testimony, Greenough decided that pursuit was a fact question for the jury to determine, but the appeals court ruled that Titsworths opinion was irrelevant because he was operating within the exemptions of what state law clearly defines as pursuit.
Booker T. Washington High School was locked down for about two hours Monday and a suspect was taken into custody after a credible threat was made to student safety, school officials said.

Students reported around 9:05 a.m. that someone had threatened to "come over to Booker T. and shoot someone at our school," according to a message the school principal sent to parents.

School officials were made aware that the threat had come from a social media post from a girl in Bixby, who also posted a picture of herself with a gun and threatened to drive to the school with it, a Tulsa Police Department social media post states.

After reviewing the information, the on-site Tulsa Public Schools police officer suggested that the school go into full lockdown, according to the principal's message.

The Tulsa Police Department and a neighboring location of KIPP Tulsa Charter Schools were notified of the threat, said Emma Garrett Nelson, Tulsa Public Schools communications director.

Officers responded to the call around 10 a.m. and contacted the Bixby Police Department, which later took the girl into custody, the Tulsa Police Department social media post adds.

The lockdown was lifted around 10:50 a.m. when the school received word that the girl had been taken into custody, the principal's message says.

"Though our students are visibly upset, we are thankful that no one was injured and that our students had the presence of mind to report the threat to administrators to ensure that we were able to keep everyone safe at Booker T.," the principal added.

In a statement sent Monday afternoon, the principal said the girl is not a Tulsa Public Schools student.

"We are forever grateful that our students have the type of relationship with us that makes them comfortable enough to share information that they believe will help protect themselves, a friend, or all of us here at Booker T. We all play a part in keeping our schools safe and secure, and we are proud of the efforts of our students and staff today," the principal said.

Video: Nashville school staff members had guns during shooting, according to report
In all the talk about parents rights lately, absent is a discussion about parent responsibilities and rights of children. Thats purposeful.

The conservative movement sweeping the nation in various parents rights bills appears innocuous on the surface. These are sold as fighting for reviews of public school budgets, curriculum and books, access to teachers and the chance to address their school boards. Those are already in place and exercised daily in hundreds of Oklahoma districts.

This is really about giving a small number  sometimes a single person  the power to ban books, alter curriculum, force out LGBTQ+ kids before they are ready and rewrite history to keep it sanitized. Its about a culture war taken into schools under the ruse of rights, liberty and other patriotic words.

Last year, versions of parent rights bills were introduced in 35 states. Recently, U.S. House Republicans approved H.R. 5 (118), Parents Bill of Rights, with a 213-208 vote. No Democrats voted for it. About 32 states are considering their own Parents Bill of Rights legislation.

Race, sex and gender are the current triggers rooted in falsehoods and exaggeration. National pundits turned an obscure university graduate level perspective of study, critical race theory, into a bogeyman. Its never been used in elementary or common education, but that didnt matter.

The movement led to Oklahoma House Bill 1775, creating a chilling effect on teaching around issues of race and addressing inequities among students. It allows for district accreditation downgrades on the word of a single self-proclaimed offended person without due process for schools.

This year ushered in a slew of parents rights bills targeting LGBTQ+ students, including a measure that would make it illegal for school staff to use the name or pronoun of a students choice without written permission from parents.

What about parents who would kick their children out of the house? Or abuse them for this revelation? Or, what about homeless youth? Not all parents are accepting and open-minded. Not all parents are stable and well-adjusted.

Oklahoma has among the nations highest rate of adverse childhood experiences. Domestic violence in the state jumped 44% in a year and ranked No. 2 in women killed by men. In the last fiscal year, 3,353 Oklahoma children entered foster care due to child abuse and neglect.

The list could continue to show how families, particularly parents, are in crisis. Yet, the so-called parents rights laws dont consider these scenarios. There is no empathy for the kids caught in trauma.

Schools are often places of refuge for kids needing to express themselves, explore personas and figure things out. Its a place of trust and safety.

Parents are welcomed in schools, but they do not have a right to manage and operate them. Thats what this movement wants to change.

Some parents want the right to ban a book they deem inappropriate for all children, not just their own. They want the right to tell teachers how to refer to students. They want to eliminate clubs for LGBTQ+ students. They want to shut down discussions on race and gender. They want to dictate the kind of teacher training is provided.

At what point does one parents rights infringe upon another?

Parents do not have unending rights to do whatever they want regarding children.

Recently, the Oklahoma House took the parental rights debate to the next level, arguing whether parents can let school officials paddle their special needs child. Why any district would take on the liability of hitting a student baffles me. They voted to allow parents the right to let school officials take a paddle to their kids.

A growing chorus among conservative leaders is that parents are always right. If true, why not just abolish the Department of Human Services? Tell police to lower the priority on child abuse and neglect calls?

Obviously, parents do not have a right to beat their children. Children are not owned.

Parents do have a responsibility to keep children safe and provide appropriate, effective discipline. Parents have a responsibility to work with schools by ensuring kids do their homework and even volunteer for school functions.

There are far more responsibilities expected of parents than rights. That seems to have gotten lost in the demonization of schools, groups and others who disagree with certain political ideology.

The pithy always standing with parents claim falls apart when they turn their backs on parents with different opinions. They certainly ignore the pleas from parents of transgender children.

The stealthily written parents rights bills are not to protect children. Its about control and the dismantling of public education. Its a subversive way to sow discord, spread conspiracies and ramp up fear. Those are not rights worth fighting for.
Vietnam and Israel have announced that negotiations for their free trade agreement (FTA) already came to an end, paving the way for the two countries to strike the deal within this year. The announcement was made at a working session on Sunday between Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat during the Vietnamese trade officials visit to Israel, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade. Given their complementary economies and sharply increasing two-way trade, Vietnam and Israel are expected to reap enormous benefits from the deal, Minister Dien said. The Vietnamese trade official suggested the two sides boost cooperation and delegation exchanges to seek opportunities in trade and investment at trade fairs and expos held in the two countries. He also called on Israeli enterprises to invest in Vietnam, especially in fields such as industry, hi-tech agriculture, information technology, and green production, among others. Minister Dien requested the Israeli side to share its experience and technology in digital economy, digital transformation, and energy transition. The Israeli minister agreed to further implement cooperation and exchange activities between the two sides and bolster trade promotion events to create optimal conditions for both Vietnamese and Israeli businesses to make the most of the upcoming FTA. The conclusion of their FTA negotiations took place while Vietnam and Israel are set to celebrate their 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. Both sides stated that the Vietnam-Israel FTA will be a comprehensive deal of high-quality. The accord is expected to enhance their bilateral trade by lifting tariffs imposed on goods and removing non-tariff barriers, while promoting trade and investment activities. Israel is among Vietnams top partners in terms of trade, investment, and labor in West Asia. Israel is the third-largest buyer of Vietnamese products as well as the fifth-largest trade partner of Vietnam in the region. Last year, their trade reached US$2.2 billion, improving nearly 18 percent against the same period in 2021. Vietnam shipped over $785 million worth of products to Israel while importing $1.4 billion worth of goods from the latter that year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam and Israel have announced that negotiations for their free trade agreement (FTA) already came to an end, paving the way for the two countries to strike the deal within this year.

The announcement was made at a working session on Sunday between Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien and Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat during the Vietnamese trade officials visit to Israel, according to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Given their complementary economies and sharply increasing two-way trade, Vietnam and Israel are expected to reap enormous benefits from the deal, Minister Dien said.

The Vietnamese trade official suggested the two sides boost cooperation and delegation exchanges to seek opportunities in trade and investment at trade fairs and expos held in the two countries.

He also called on Israeli enterprises to invest in Vietnam, especially in fields such as industry, hi-tech agriculture, information technology, and green production, among others.

Minister Dien requested the Israeli side to share its experience and technology in digital economy, digital transformation, and energy transition.

The Israeli minister agreed to further implement cooperation and exchange activities between the two sides and bolster trade promotion events to create optimal conditions for both Vietnamese and Israeli businesses to make the most of the upcoming FTA.

The conclusion of their FTA negotiations took place while Vietnam and Israel are set to celebrate their 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

Both sides stated that the Vietnam-Israel FTA will be a comprehensive deal of high-quality.

The accord is expected to enhance their bilateral trade by lifting tariffs imposed on goods and removing non-tariff barriers, while promoting trade and investment activities.

Israel is among Vietnams top partners in terms of trade, investment, and labor in West Asia.

Israel is the third-largest buyer of Vietnamese products as well as the fifth-largest trade partner of Vietnam in the region.

Last year, their trade reached US$2.2 billion, improving nearly 18 percent against the same period in 2021.

Vietnam shipped over $785 million worth of products to Israel while importing $1.4 billion worth of goods from the latter that year.

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Vietnams petrol prices were revised up slightly at 3:00 pm on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance. The popular RON95 gasoline sells for VND23,125 (US$0.98) per liter, a mild rise of VND87, while the price of bio-fuel RON92 edged up VND60, at VND22,082 ($0.94) a liter. Diesel oil is priced at VND19,430 ($0.83) per liter, up VND128, while the prices of kerosene and heavy fuel oil fell. Each liter of kerosene is capped at VN19,037 ($0.81) per liter, down VND425, and each kilogram of heavy fuel oil costs VND14,429 ($0.61), a mild decline of VND50. During this fuel price adjustment, the two ministries decided to impose a surcharge of VND300 on each liter or kilogram of oil and gasoline products sold to replenish the national fuel price stabilization fund. Meanwhile, local fuel traders are not allowed to tap the fund. Since the start of the year, petrol prices have been adjusted 10 times, with six increases and three cuts. The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that it is working to amend some regulations related to Decree 95 and Decree 83 on fuel trading and price management, and will submit a report to the national government as soon as possible. Pursuant to Government Decree 95 amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree 83/2014, the prices of oil and petrol products are adjusted three times a month, with the 10-day adjustment cycle starting on the first day of the month. If adjustment dates fall on holidays and weekends, the revision will be done on working days. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnams petrol prices were revised up slightly at 3:00 pm on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Finance.

The popular RON95 gasoline sells for VND23,125 (US$0.98) per liter, a mild rise of VND87, while the price of bio-fuel RON92 edged up VND60, at VND22,082 ($0.94) a liter.

Diesel oil is priced at VND19,430 ($0.83) per liter, up VND128, while the prices of kerosene and heavy fuel oil fell.

Each liter of kerosene is capped at VN19,037 ($0.81) per liter, down VND425, and each kilogram of heavy fuel oil costs VND14,429 ($0.61), a mild decline of VND50.

During this fuel price adjustment, the two ministries decided to impose a surcharge of VND300 on each liter or kilogram of oil and gasoline products sold to replenish the national fuel price stabilization fund.

Meanwhile, local fuel traders are not allowed to tap the fund.

Since the start of the year, petrol prices have been adjusted 10 times, with six increases and three cuts.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that it is working to amend some regulations related to Decree 95 and Decree 83 on fuel trading and price management, and will submit a report to the national government as soon as possible.

Pursuant to Government Decree 95 amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree 83/2014, the prices of oil and petrol products are adjusted three times a month, with the 10-day adjustment cycle starting on the first day of the month.

If adjustment dates fall on holidays and weekends, the revision will be done on working days.

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A Bamboo Airways flight on Sunday afternoon carried 153 tourists from Macau, China to Cam Ranh International Airport in the south-central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa. This is the first flight to take travelers from China to Khanh Hoa after the country resumed outbound group tours to Vietnam on March 15, according to the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism. During their stay from Sunday to Friday, the visitors are scheduled to visit the VinWonders theme park, go on a city tour and an island tour, experience Samadhi spa services, and explore the Nha Trang night market. The local tourism sector is prepared to welcome back Chinese tourists. Enterprises in Khanh Hoa have prepared products and services to serve Chinese travelers, said director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Le Thanh. Nguyen Van Duong, director of Asia Tourist Trading and Travel Co. Ltd., headquartered in the provincial capital of Nha Trang, said before welcoming the tourist group from Macau, the company had worked with its Chinese partner and prepared products and facilities as required by the partner. During the tourists stay in Khanh Hoa, the company is committed to providing the most interesting possible experiences. The firm has developed new tourism products and got rid of uninteresting ones. A Bamboo Airways representative said China is an important source market, accounting for up to 70 percent of Khanh Hoas international visitors. Therefore, the airline and Asia Tourist will coordinate closely with local service providers to carry more Chinese tourist groups to Nha Trang. Statistics from the Department of Tourism indicated that Khanh Hoa welcomed over 2.5 million Chinese tourists, making up more than 70 percent of the provinces total international tourist arrivals in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vietnam. After a hiatus due to the coronavirus crisis, the province received some charter flights from China with a few visitors on board in early 2023. The Khanh Hoa administration expects to receive around four million tourists in 2023, including approximately 2.5 million domestic visitors and 1.5 million overseas visitors, with an estimated revenue of VND21 trillion (US$890 million). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A Bamboo Airways flight on Sunday afternoon carried 153 tourists from Macau, China to Cam Ranh International Airport in the south-central Vietnamese province of Khanh Hoa.

This is the first flight to take travelers from China to Khanh Hoa after the country resumed outbound group tours to Vietnam on March 15, according to the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism.

During their stay from Sunday to Friday, the visitors are scheduled to visit the VinWonders theme park, go on a city tour and an island tour, experience Samadhi spa services, and explore the Nha Trang night market.

The local tourism sector is prepared to welcome back Chinese tourists. Enterprises in Khanh Hoa have prepared products and services to serve Chinese travelers, said director of the provincial Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Le Thanh.

Nguyen Van Duong, director of Asia Tourist Trading and Travel Co. Ltd., headquartered in the provincial capital of Nha Trang, said before welcoming the tourist group from Macau, the company had worked with its Chinese partner and prepared products and facilities as required by the partner.

During the tourists stay in Khanh Hoa, the company is committed to providing the most interesting possible experiences. The firm has developed new tourism products and got rid of uninteresting ones.

A Bamboo Airways representative said China is an important source market, accounting for up to 70 percent of Khanh Hoas international visitors.

Therefore, the airline and Asia Tourist will coordinate closely with local service providers to carry more Chinese tourist groups to Nha Trang.

Statistics from the Department of Tourism indicated that Khanh Hoa welcomed over 2.5 million Chinese tourists, making up more than 70 percent of the provinces total international tourist arrivals in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vietnam.

After a hiatus due to the coronavirus crisis, the province received some charter flights from China with a few visitors on board in early 2023.

The Khanh Hoa administration expects to receive around four million tourists in 2023, including approximately 2.5 million domestic visitors and 1.5 million overseas visitors, with an estimated revenue of VND21 trillion (US$890 million).

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Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday in the Nordic country's parliamentary election as the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory in a tightly fought contest. The pro-business NCP was expected to win 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats, justice ministry election data showed with all ballots counted. National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo celebrates with supporters at the party's parliament election event in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters "We got the biggest mandate," NCP leader Petteri Orpo said in a speech to followers, vowing to "fix Finland" and its economy. He will get the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament as Marin's era as prime minister was expected to end. "We have gained support, we have gained more seats (in parliament). That's an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today," the prime minister said in a speech to party members. Finland's Prime Minister and Social Democrats leader Sanna Marin speaks during a news conference at the parliament on the day of the parliamentary elections, in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters Marin, 37, the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, but at home she has faced criticism for her partying and her government's public spending. While she remains very popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates, she antagonised some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education they see as not frugal enough. The NCP has led in polls for almost two years although its lead had melted away in recent months. It has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin took office in 2019. Finland's Prime Minister and Social Democrats leader Sanna Marin, National Coalition leader Petteri Orpo, and Finns Party leader Riikka Purra attend a Finnish parliamentary elections media reception at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters Orpo accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased. Orpo has said he will negotiate with all groups to obtain a majority in parliament, while Marin has said her Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but will not go into government with the Finns Party. Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist" during a debate in January - an accusation the nationalist group rejected. Citizens queue to vote during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters The Finns Party's main goal is to reduce what leader Riikka Purra has called "harmful" immigration from developing countries outside the European Union. It also calls for austerity policies to curb deficit spending, a stance it shares with the NCP. Most notable of Marin's foreign policy actions has been her push, along with President Sauli Niinisto, for the country to make a watershed policy U-turn by seeking NATO membership in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine. That process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all the Western defence alliance's 30 members approved the accession. People work as the counting of the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections continues at the Kallio administrative building in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters A citizen attends voting during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters People work as the counting of the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections continues at the Kallio administrative building in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters Officials start counting the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections at the Kallio administrative building, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters A citizen casts her vote during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters A Finnish flag flutters during the parliamentary election day, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters Election officials work as citizens attend voting during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters Finnish Prime Minister, Chair of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Sanna Marin poses for a selfie during her elections rally, ahead of the April 2 Finish parliamentary elections in Vantaa, Finland, March 31, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat on Sunday in the Nordic country's parliamentary election as the opposition right-wing National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory in a tightly fought contest.

The pro-business NCP was expected to win 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, narrowly ahead of the nationalist Finns Party with 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats on 43 seats, justice ministry election data showed with all ballots counted.

National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo celebrates with supporters at the party's parliament election event in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

"We got the biggest mandate," NCP leader Petteri Orpo said in a speech to followers, vowing to "fix Finland" and its economy.

He will get the first chance at forming a coalition to obtain majority in parliament as Marin's era as prime minister was expected to end.

"We have gained support, we have gained more seats (in parliament). That's an excellent achievement, even if we did not finish first today," the prime minister said in a speech to party members.

Finland's Prime Minister and Social Democrats leader Sanna Marin speaks during a news conference at the parliament on the day of the parliamentary elections, in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Marin, 37, the world's youngest prime minister when she took office in 2019, is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, but at home she has faced criticism for her partying and her government's public spending.

While she remains very popular among many Finns, particularly young moderates, she antagonised some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education they see as not frugal enough.

The NCP has led in polls for almost two years although its lead had melted away in recent months. It has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70% of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.

Finland's Prime Minister and Social Democrats leader Sanna Marin, National Coalition leader Petteri Orpo, and Finns Party leader Riikka Purra attend a Finnish parliamentary elections media reception at the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki, Finland April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Orpo accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased.

Orpo has said he will negotiate with all groups to obtain a majority in parliament, while Marin has said her Social Democrats may govern with the NCP but will not go into government with the Finns Party.

Marin called the Finns Party "openly racist" during a debate in January - an accusation the nationalist group rejected.

Citizens queue to vote during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

The Finns Party's main goal is to reduce what leader Riikka Purra has called "harmful" immigration from developing countries outside the European Union. It also calls for austerity policies to curb deficit spending, a stance it shares with the NCP.

Most notable of Marin's foreign policy actions has been her push, along with President Sauli Niinisto, for the country to make a watershed policy U-turn by seeking NATO membership in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine.

That process is now almost complete, with Helsinki expected to join within days after all the Western defence alliance's 30 members approved the accession.

People work as the counting of the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections continues at the Kallio administrative building in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A citizen attends voting during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

People work as the counting of the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections continues at the Kallio administrative building in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Officials start counting the advance votes of the Finnish parliamentary elections at the Kallio administrative building, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A citizen casts her vote during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A Finnish flag flutters during the parliamentary election day, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Election officials work as citizens attend voting during the parliamentary elections at the Kallio Library, in Helsinki, Finland, April 2, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Finland's Prime Minister and chairperson of the Social Democratic Party SDP, Sanna Marin campaigns, ahead of the parliamentary elections day on April 2, at the Tammela market square, in her hometown Tampere, Finland, April 1, 2023. Photo: Reuters
Malaysia's parliament on Monday passed sweeping legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offences punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences. Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when it first promised to abolish capital punishment entirely. The government, however, faced political pressure from some parties and rowed back on the pledge a year later, saying it would retain the death penalty but allow courts to replace it with other punishments at their discretion. Under the amendments passed on Monday, alternatives to the death penalty include whipping and imprisonment of between 30 to 40 years. The new jail term will replace all previous provisions that call for imprisonment for the duration of the offender's natural life. Life imprisonment sentences, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will be retained. Capital punishment will also be removed as an option for some serious crimes that do not cause death, such as discharging and trafficking of a firearm and kidnapping, according to the new measures. Deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh said capital punishment was an irreversible punishment that had not been an effective deterrent for crime. "The death penalty has not brought the results it was intended to bring," he said while wrapping up the parliamentary debates on the bill. The amendments passed will apply to 34 offences currently punishable by death, including murder and drug trafficking. Eleven of them carry it as a mandatory punishment. The move by Malaysia comes even as some Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up their use of capital punishment. Last year, Singapore executed 11 people for drug offences, government data showed, while Myanmar carried out its first death sentences in decades against four pro-democracy activists.

Malaysia's parliament on Monday passed sweeping legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty, trim the number of offences punishable by death, and abolish natural-life prison sentences.

Malaysia has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when it first promised to abolish capital punishment entirely.

The government, however, faced political pressure from some parties and rowed back on the pledge a year later, saying it would retain the death penalty but allow courts to replace it with other punishments at their discretion.

Under the amendments passed on Monday, alternatives to the death penalty include whipping and imprisonment of between 30 to 40 years. The new jail term will replace all previous provisions that call for imprisonment for the duration of the offender's natural life.

Life imprisonment sentences, defined by Malaysian law as a fixed term of 30 years, will be retained.

Capital punishment will also be removed as an option for some serious crimes that do not cause death, such as discharging and trafficking of a firearm and kidnapping, according to the new measures.

Deputy law minister Ramkarpal Singh said capital punishment was an irreversible punishment that had not been an effective deterrent for crime.

"The death penalty has not brought the results it was intended to bring," he said while wrapping up the parliamentary debates on the bill.

The amendments passed will apply to 34 offences currently punishable by death, including murder and drug trafficking. Eleven of them carry it as a mandatory punishment.

The move by Malaysia comes even as some Southeast Asian neighbours have stepped up their use of capital punishment.

Last year, Singapore executed 11 people for drug offences, government data showed, while Myanmar carried out its first death sentences in decades against four pro-democracy activists.
Paris voted overwhelmingly Sunday to banish for-hire electric scooters from the streets of the French capital, delivering a blow to operators and a victory for road safety campaigners. The referendum means the City of Light, once a pioneer in embracing e-scooter services, is set to become the only major European capital to outlaw the widespread devices booked on apps such as Lime. The city's residents were asked to weigh in for or against them in a public consultation organised by mayor Anne Hidalgo, with nearly 90 percent of the votes cast against, official results showed. "We're happy. It's what we've been fighting for over four years," said Arnaud Kielbasa, co-founder of the Apacauvi charity, which represents victims of e-scooter accidents. "All Parisians say they are nervous on the pavements, nervous when they cross the roads. You need to look everywhere," Kielbasa, whose wife and infant daughter were hit by an e-scooter driver, told AFP. "That's why they've voted against them." 'Not sustainable' Operators say they are being unfairly singled out as responsable for the often chaotic nature of Paris streets, where mayor Hidalgo has championed bikes and other forms of non-emitting transport since coming to power in 2014. Her administration welcomed e-scooter operators with open arms in 2018, but it has progressively tightened regulations since, creating designated parking zones, limiting the top speed and restricting the number of operators. But such measures have failed to convince residents, who often complain about reckless and drunken driving, as well as clutter on pavements. A spate of fatal accidents has also highlighted the dangers of vehicles that can currently be hired by children as young as 12. "I'm committed to respecting the choice of voters, purely and simply," Hidalgo told reporters as she voted on Sunday. The 63-year-old is now expected not to renew operating contracts for the city's three operators -- California-based Lime, Amsterdam-based Dott and Berlin-based Tier -- from August 31. She said on Sunday that their business model was "very expensive -- five euros for 10 minutes -- it's not very sustainable, and above all, it's the cause of a lot of accidents." The consultation will not affect privately owned electric scooters, of which 700,000 were sold nationwide last year, according to transport ministry figures. Around 100,000 journeys are completed each day in France on rented e-scooters in around 200 towns and cities. 'Against the current'? The ban represents a significant financial and reputational blow for the multinational operators and could encourage other cities to follow suit. Montreal outlawed all electric scooters for rental or private use in 2020, while Copenhagen banned rental versions in 2020 before bringing them back a year later with stricter conditions. E-scooter companies have backed tighter regulations in France, unveiled by the government last week, which would increase the minimum age to 14 and increase fines for offences such as driving with a passenger. "Of course, there are driving offences and dangerous behaviour. That's human nature, not the vehicle," Nicolas Gorse, managing director of Dott, told LCI television on Sunday. "What we need is to educate, detect and punish." Hadi Karam, general manager for France at Lime, told AFP last week that Paris was going "against the current" in seeking to ban rental e-scooters, citing recent decisions to expand them in Washington, New York, Madrid or London. "There's a trend towards these vehicles and this trend started in Paris which was a pioneer," he said. Operators offered free rides to customers who voted on Sunday and employed online influencers to try to drum up support among their mostly young users -- largely in vain judged by the high proportion of older voters seen in queues. "They're dangerous, both for those who use them and for pedestrians," Francoise Granier, a 68-year-old doctor who voted in the ninth district of the capital, told AFP. "And the police never intervene." Like her, IT worker Michael Dahan, 50, deplored the state of the capital's streets, saying: "If it was better regulated, I wouldn't be against... but you see people behaving in a crazy way." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Paris voted overwhelmingly Sunday to banish for-hire electric scooters from the streets of the French capital, delivering a blow to operators and a victory for road safety campaigners.

The referendum means the City of Light, once a pioneer in embracing e-scooter services, is set to become the only major European capital to outlaw the widespread devices booked on apps such as Lime.

The city's residents were asked to weigh in for or against them in a public consultation organised by mayor Anne Hidalgo, with nearly 90 percent of the votes cast against, official results showed.

"We're happy. It's what we've been fighting for over four years," said Arnaud Kielbasa, co-founder of the Apacauvi charity, which represents victims of e-scooter accidents.

"All Parisians say they are nervous on the pavements, nervous when they cross the roads. You need to look everywhere," Kielbasa, whose wife and infant daughter were hit by an e-scooter driver, told AFP. "That's why they've voted against them."

'Not sustainable'

Operators say they are being unfairly singled out as responsable for the often chaotic nature of Paris streets, where mayor Hidalgo has championed bikes and other forms of non-emitting transport since coming to power in 2014.

Her administration welcomed e-scooter operators with open arms in 2018, but it has progressively tightened regulations since, creating designated parking zones, limiting the top speed and restricting the number of operators.

But such measures have failed to convince residents, who often complain about reckless and drunken driving, as well as clutter on pavements.

A spate of fatal accidents has also highlighted the dangers of vehicles that can currently be hired by children as young as 12.

"I'm committed to respecting the choice of voters, purely and simply," Hidalgo told reporters as she voted on Sunday.

The 63-year-old is now expected not to renew operating contracts for the city's three operators -- California-based Lime, Amsterdam-based Dott and Berlin-based Tier -- from August 31.

She said on Sunday that their business model was "very expensive -- five euros for 10 minutes -- it's not very sustainable, and above all, it's the cause of a lot of accidents."

The consultation will not affect privately owned electric scooters, of which 700,000 were sold nationwide last year, according to transport ministry figures.

Around 100,000 journeys are completed each day in France on rented e-scooters in around 200 towns and cities.

'Against the current'?

The ban represents a significant financial and reputational blow for the multinational operators and could encourage other cities to follow suit.

Montreal outlawed all electric scooters for rental or private use in 2020, while Copenhagen banned rental versions in 2020 before bringing them back a year later with stricter conditions.

E-scooter companies have backed tighter regulations in France, unveiled by the government last week, which would increase the minimum age to 14 and increase fines for offences such as driving with a passenger.

"Of course, there are driving offences and dangerous behaviour. That's human nature, not the vehicle," Nicolas Gorse, managing director of Dott, told LCI television on Sunday. "What we need is to educate, detect and punish."

Hadi Karam, general manager for France at Lime, told AFP last week that Paris was going "against the current" in seeking to ban rental e-scooters, citing recent decisions to expand them in Washington, New York, Madrid or London.

"There's a trend towards these vehicles and this trend started in Paris which was a pioneer," he said.

Operators offered free rides to customers who voted on Sunday and employed online influencers to try to drum up support among their mostly young users -- largely in vain judged by the high proportion of older voters seen in queues.

"They're dangerous, both for those who use them and for pedestrians," Francoise Granier, a 68-year-old doctor who voted in the ninth district of the capital, told AFP. "And the police never intervene."

Like her, IT worker Michael Dahan, 50, deplored the state of the capital's streets, saying: "If it was better regulated, I wouldn't be against... but you see people behaving in a crazy way."

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What you need to know today in Vietnam: Society -- At least two people were killed and many others were injured when a bus crashed into a truck before smashing into a house in Gia Lai Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, on Sunday. -- Two people are dead and four others sustained injuries in an explosion at an automobile repair shop after a group of mechanics sawed an unexploded wartime bomb in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on Sunday. -- A 1.6-meter crocodile that unexpectedly appeared in a residential area was captured by locals in Bac Lieu Province, situated in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, on Sunday. -- A Bamboo Airways flight on Sunday brought 153 visitors from Macau, China to Cam Ranh International Airport, making it the first flight to bring Chinese visitors from Macau to Vietnam after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Business -- Burger chain McDonald's Corp is temporarily closing its U.S. offices this week as it prepares to inform corporate employees about its layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring, Reuters cited a report of Wall Street Journal on Sunday. -- Vietnam and Israel declared the successful conclusion of negotiations for their free trade agreement (FTA) on Sunday, setting the foundation for the two countries to sign the deal this year. World News -- Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by a bomb blast in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters. -- New York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump's expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday, Reuters reported on Sunday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

What you need to know today in Vietnam:

Society

-- At least two people were killed and many others were injured when a bus crashed into a truck before smashing into a house in Gia Lai Province, located in Vietnams Central Highlands, on Sunday.

-- Two people are dead and four others sustained injuries in an explosion at an automobile repair shop after a group of mechanics sawed an unexploded wartime bomb in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on Sunday.

-- A 1.6-meter crocodile that unexpectedly appeared in a residential area was captured by locals in Bac Lieu Province, situated in Vietnam's Mekong Delta region, on Sunday.

-- A Bamboo Airways flight on Sunday brought 153 visitors from Macau, China to Cam Ranh International Airport, making it the first flight to bring Chinese visitors from Macau to Vietnam after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Business

-- Burger chain McDonald's Corp is temporarily closing its U.S. offices this week as it prepares to inform corporate employees about its layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring, Reuters cited a report of Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

-- Vietnam and Israel declared the successful conclusion of negotiations for their free trade agreement (FTA) on Sunday, setting the foundation for the two countries to sign the deal this year.

World News

-- Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by a bomb blast in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine, according to Reuters.

-- New York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump's expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday, Reuters reported on Sunday.

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A tree in the yard of a middle school in downtown Ho Chi Minh City was uprooted, injuring one student and five adults on Monday morning. The incident occurred at Tran Van On Middle School in Da Kao Ward, District 1 at 7:00 am, when many parents were taking their children to the school. The tree suddenly fell onto one of the school walls, crashing into some people who were doing school drop-offs. Many parents quickly discovered the tree falling, so they stampeded away from the uprooted tree, while some failed to escape and were trapped in its branches. The uprooted tree left six people, including one student, injured and crushed nine motorcycles, according to a quick report sent to the district by the Da Kao Ward Peoples Committee. An ambulance transports an injured student to hospital after the student was hit by the uprooted tree at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Thanh / Tuoi Tre Le Thi Thanh Giang, principal of Tran Van On Middle School, said that the injured student was admitted to Childrens Hospital 2, and the students health is in stable condition. T., a parent of a student at the school, said that when taking his child to the school at nearly 7:00 am, he saw the fallen tree. Competent forces were present at the scene, he added. A representative of Childrens Hospital 2 said that the hospital admitted a patient who is a student at Tran Van On Middle School at about 8:00 am due to injuries caused by an uprooted tree. The student was unconscious, so doctors took a CT scan and X-ray to conclude whether the student suffered internal injuries, said the representative. The uprooted tree is identified as a Saman tree with a stump diameter of around one meter and decaying roots. Relevant agencies and the citys green tree park company are working to determine the cause of the tree fall. A photo shows an injured woman being put on a stretcher at the scene of an uprooted tree at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: C.T. / Tuoi Tre The falling tree crashes into several motorcycles at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre The fallen tree at Tran Van On Middle School in downtown Ho Chi Minh City exposes its decaying roots. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Employees of the citys green tree park company section the fallen tree at Tran Van On Middle School in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre At about 10:00 am on April 3, 2023, the road running through the scene of the uprooted tree was still blocked. A photo shows a worker of the citys green tree park company sectioning the uprooted tree. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A tree in the yard of a middle school in downtown Ho Chi Minh City was uprooted, injuring one student and five adults on Monday morning.

The incident occurred at Tran Van On Middle School in Da Kao Ward, District 1 at 7:00 am, when many parents were taking their children to the school.

The tree suddenly fell onto one of the school walls, crashing into some people who were doing school drop-offs.

Many parents quickly discovered the tree falling, so they stampeded away from the uprooted tree, while some failed to escape and were trapped in its branches.

The uprooted tree left six people, including one student, injured and crushed nine motorcycles, according to a quick report sent to the district by the Da Kao Ward Peoples Committee.

An ambulance transports an injured student to hospital after the student was hit by the uprooted tree at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Thanh / Tuoi Tre

Le Thi Thanh Giang, principal of Tran Van On Middle School, said that the injured student was admitted to Childrens Hospital 2, and the students health is in stable condition.

T., a parent of a student at the school, said that when taking his child to the school at nearly 7:00 am, he saw the fallen tree. Competent forces were present at the scene, he added.

A representative of Childrens Hospital 2 said that the hospital admitted a patient who is a student at Tran Van On Middle School at about 8:00 am due to injuries caused by an uprooted tree.

The student was unconscious, so doctors took a CT scan and X-ray to conclude whether the student suffered internal injuries, said the representative.

The uprooted tree is identified as a Saman tree with a stump diameter of around one meter and decaying roots.

Relevant agencies and the citys green tree park company are working to determine the cause of the tree fall.

A photo shows an injured woman being put on a stretcher at the scene of an uprooted tree at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: C.T. / Tuoi Tre

The falling tree crashes into several motorcycles at Tran Van On Middle School in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

The fallen tree at Tran Van On Middle School in downtown Ho Chi Minh City exposes its decaying roots. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

Employees of the citys green tree park company section the fallen tree at Tran Van On Middle School in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, April 3, 2023. Photo: Le Phan / Tuoi Tre

At about 10:00 am on April 3, 2023, the road running through the scene of the uprooted tree was still blocked. A photo shows a worker of the citys green tree park company sectioning the uprooted tree. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

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The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, on the prime ministers authority, on Sunday gave the investment certificate for an urban area project with a registered investment of nearly VND85.3 trillion (US$3.6 billion) in Cam Ranh Bay in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa. The investment certificate was granted at a conference to announce the provincial planning and investment plan in Khanh Hoa. The project was designed to cover some 1,300 hectares of land and accommodate 230,800 people. Upon completion, it will include around 8,500 detached houses, 10,700 villas, and 19,800 social houses. At the conference, the Peoples Committee of Khanh Hoa also gave the investment certificates for eight projects with combined registered capital of VND31.3 trillion ($1.3 billion). They are mainly social housing, tourism-services, and industrial production projects. In addition, the province inked memoranda of understanding with 16 investors who will study the feasibility of industrial park, traffic infrastructure, social housing, tourism, seafood farming, and information technology projects at an estimated cost of VND80.6 trillion ($3.4 trillion). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, on the prime ministers authority, on Sunday gave the investment certificate for an urban area project with a registered investment of nearly VND85.3 trillion (US$3.6 billion) in Cam Ranh Bay in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

The investment certificate was granted at a conference to announce the provincial planning and investment plan in Khanh Hoa.

The project was designed to cover some 1,300 hectares of land and accommodate 230,800 people.

Upon completion, it will include around 8,500 detached houses, 10,700 villas, and 19,800 social houses.

At the conference, the Peoples Committee of Khanh Hoa also gave the investment certificates for eight projects with combined registered capital of VND31.3 trillion ($1.3 billion).

They are mainly social housing, tourism-services, and industrial production projects.

In addition, the province inked memoranda of understanding with 16 investors who will study the feasibility of industrial park, traffic infrastructure, social housing, tourism, seafood farming, and information technology projects at an estimated cost of VND80.6 trillion ($3.4 trillion).

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Da Nang City in central Vietnam has issued an order to dismantle illegally-constructed buildings at a local stream to restore its status and wild beauty. Many ecotourist areas that have mushroomed along Luong Stream in Lien Chieu District are rushing to rehabilitate buildings and start work on new facilities to boost their business operations, blocking the flow of the stream and disfiguring its beauty. The Peoples Committee of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward in Lien Chieu District last Friday started dismantling the unlawfully-built constructions in the Luong Stream area. Many businesses and households have erected several tourist sites and camping venues along the stream with a length of two kilometers. Among them are large tourist areas which feature various facilities such as watchtowers, restaurants, restrooms, and suspension bridges. The flow of Luong Stream is blocked, spoiling its wild beauty. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre Most of the buildings are encroaching on the stream and changing the direction of the flow to create pools so that tourists can swim. Investors have concreted multiple locations in the stream area and built embankments to re-design the flow of the stream, spoiling the wild beauty of the waterway and the natural landscape. The ward is stepping up efforts to handle these illicit constructions. These businesses and households were asked to dismantle their facilities by themselves. However, if they fail to cooperate, local authorities will take coercive measures. As for the Luong Stream-Hai Van Park ecotourist area, which is the largest of its kind in the stream area, officials on March 31 decided to adopt coercive measures to demolish it. However, the owner of the facility, on the same day, mobilized workers, vehicles, and machines to proceed with the dismantling, promising to complete the work on April 6. Meanwhile, the owners of Thuy Lam Vien and Hai Van tourist areas are speeding up their work to demolish the illegal constructions. The flow of Luong Stream at the Thuy Lam Vien tourist area is blocked due to illegal construction. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Minh Hoang, vice-chairman of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that some households are active in tourism. These households had earlier been allocated forest land for a living due to their financial difficulties. Therefore, the ward will propose allowing them to continue doing business there legally, but it will still monitor their operations to ensure they follow prevailing regulations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Da Nang City in central Vietnam has issued an order to dismantle illegally-constructed buildings at a local stream to restore its status and wild beauty.

Many ecotourist areas that have mushroomed along Luong Stream in Lien Chieu District are rushing to rehabilitate buildings and start work on new facilities to boost their business operations, blocking the flow of the stream and disfiguring its beauty.

The Peoples Committee of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward in Lien Chieu District last Friday started dismantling the unlawfully-built constructions in the Luong Stream area.

Many businesses and households have erected several tourist sites and camping venues along the stream with a length of two kilometers.

Among them are large tourist areas which feature various facilities such as watchtowers, restaurants, restrooms, and suspension bridges.

The flow of Luong Stream is blocked, spoiling its wild beauty. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

Most of the buildings are encroaching on the stream and changing the direction of the flow to create pools so that tourists can swim.

Investors have concreted multiple locations in the stream area and built embankments to re-design the flow of the stream, spoiling the wild beauty of the waterway and the natural landscape.

The ward is stepping up efforts to handle these illicit constructions.

These businesses and households were asked to dismantle their facilities by themselves. However, if they fail to cooperate, local authorities will take coercive measures.

As for the Luong Stream-Hai Van Park ecotourist area, which is the largest of its kind in the stream area, officials on March 31 decided to adopt coercive measures to demolish it.

However, the owner of the facility, on the same day, mobilized workers, vehicles, and machines to proceed with the dismantling, promising to complete the work on April 6.

Meanwhile, the owners of Thuy Lam Vien and Hai Van tourist areas are speeding up their work to demolish the illegal constructions.

The flow of Luong Stream at the Thuy Lam Vien tourist area is blocked due to illegal construction. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Minh Hoang, vice-chairman of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that some households are active in tourism.

These households had earlier been allocated forest land for a living due to their financial difficulties.

Therefore, the ward will propose allowing them to continue doing business there legally, but it will still monitor their operations to ensure they follow prevailing regulations.

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Vietnam will be the host country for Mister Grand International 2023, organizer Voyage Group announced on Sunday evening. According to the contests official Facebook page, the competition is scheduled to take place in November this year, with designer and director Le Tran Dac Ngoc selected as the head of the organizing committee. Ngoc is also one of the four owners of the Mister Grand International pageant, marking an international beauty contest co-owned by a Vietnamese national, Voyage Group said in its announcement. Mister Grand International was first held in 2017 in the Philippines and will celebrate its sixth edition this year, recognizing men's qualities such as masculinity, sportsmanship, and social influence. Members of the organizing board of Mister Grand International 2023 in Vietnam pose for a photo at the announcement ceremony on April 2, 2023. Photo: T.Dieu / Tuoi Tre Vietnam had its first winner, Nguyen Van Tuan, at the competition in 2019. Tuan, however, has not engaged in many activities after being crowned. Therefore, the organizer has vowed to have the winner of Mister Grand International 2023 carry out many meaningful community projects around the world. Besides Mister Grand International 2023, several international beauty contests have been confirmed to be held in Vietnam this year, including Miss Grand International 2023, Miss Earth 2023, Miss Global 2023, and Miss Charm 2023. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam will be the host country for Mister Grand International 2023, organizer Voyage Group announced on Sunday evening.

According to the contests official Facebook page, the competition is scheduled to take place in November this year, with designer and director Le Tran Dac Ngoc selected as the head of the organizing committee.

Ngoc is also one of the four owners of the Mister Grand International pageant, marking an international beauty contest co-owned by a Vietnamese national, Voyage Group said in its announcement.

Mister Grand International was first held in 2017 in the Philippines and will celebrate its sixth edition this year, recognizing men's qualities such as masculinity, sportsmanship, and social influence.

Members of the organizing board of Mister Grand International 2023 in Vietnam pose for a photo at the announcement ceremony on April 2, 2023. Photo: T.Dieu / Tuoi Tre

Vietnam had its first winner, Nguyen Van Tuan, at the competition in 2019.

Tuan, however, has not engaged in many activities after being crowned.

Therefore, the organizer has vowed to have the winner of Mister Grand International 2023 carry out many meaningful community projects around the world.

Besides Mister Grand International 2023, several international beauty contests have been confirmed to be held in Vietnam this year, including Miss Grand International 2023, Miss Earth 2023, Miss Global 2023, and Miss Charm 2023.

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The house of Swiss-French doctor and bacteriologist Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin on Hon Ba peak in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has been designated a national cultural relic site by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. His house was built around 1914 on Hon Ba peak. According to the doctor's paper published in a journal of the Indochina Research Association about 109 years ago, he observed and searched for a path to climb the peak at an altitude of about 1,500 meters. From Yersins article One of Yersin's associates, named Krempf, did well on the exploration mission at the time. "Thanks to his skills as an excellent climber, he [Krempf] succeeded in circling the northern flank of the mountain. He is the first climber to set foot on the summit of the 1,500-meter mountain. This peak is called Hon Ba," Yersin wrote in the paper. The Swiss doctor's article also said at that time, the French Academy of Sciences awarded him a monetary prize he used to hire some people from the Thuong ethnic group to create a viable path connecting Suoi Giao to Hon Ba, crossing Suoi Ca, which eventually made it possible to set up a research laboratory. The research laboratory, located at an altitude of 1,578 meters, was a wooden house with two floors and a solid water tank. Dr. Yersin used it as a shelter to live and do research when he climbed Hon Ba peak for his work. However, the house was later abandoned and only its foundation remained. The story after 33 years In 2005, the Yasaka - Sai Gon - Nha Trang Joint Stock Company received permission from the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee to reconstruct the wooden house on the same foundation. The reconstructed house was modeled after the design of the original. Currently, the house is located in Hon Ba Nature Reserve, owned by the Hon Ba Nature Reserve Administration under the umbrella of the Khanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. On September 28, 1990, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism adopted Decision No. 993/QD recognizing the venerable historical complex in honor of scholar and doctor Alexandre Yersin in Khanh Hoa as a national heritage site. The complex includes a library at the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang; the tomb at Suoi Dau Plantation, where Yersin was buried at his request; and Linh Son Pagoda in Suoi Cat Commune, located near his burial site. In February 2023, the Khanh Hoa People's Committee submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to include Dr. Yersin's house on Hon Ba in the list of national relics. Born in Switzerland, Yersin (September 22, 1863 - March 1, 1943) studied medicine at prestigious institutes in his hometown, Germany, and France. He came to Vietnam in 1891 and spent nearly 50 years of his life working in Khanh Hoa. According to the Vietnam News Agency, the scientist is best known as the co-discoverer of the bacillus responsible for the bubonic plague in 1894. He discovered the Liang Biang Plateau, the site of the city of Da Lat now, in 1893 and founded the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang in 1895. Yersin was also the one who introduced the rubber tree and Cinchona ledgeriana, a medicinal tree, to Vietnam. He was the founder of Indochina Medicine School, which later became Hanoi Medical University and the Hanoi University of Pharmacy. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The house of Swiss-French doctor and bacteriologist Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin on Hon Ba peak in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa has been designated a national cultural relic site by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

His house was built around 1914 on Hon Ba peak.

According to the doctor's paper published in a journal of the Indochina Research Association about 109 years ago, he observed and searched for a path to climb the peak at an altitude of about 1,500 meters.

From Yersins article

One of Yersin's associates, named Krempf, did well on the exploration mission at the time.

"Thanks to his skills as an excellent climber, he [Krempf] succeeded in circling the northern flank of the mountain. He is the first climber to set foot on the summit of the 1,500-meter mountain. This peak is called Hon Ba," Yersin wrote in the paper.

The Swiss doctor's article also said at that time, the French Academy of Sciences awarded him a monetary prize he used to hire some people from the Thuong ethnic group to create a viable path connecting Suoi Giao to Hon Ba, crossing Suoi Ca, which eventually made it possible to set up a research laboratory.

The research laboratory, located at an altitude of 1,578 meters, was a wooden house with two floors and a solid water tank.

Dr. Yersin used it as a shelter to live and do research when he climbed Hon Ba peak for his work.

However, the house was later abandoned and only its foundation remained.

The story after 33 years

In 2005, the Yasaka - Sai Gon - Nha Trang Joint Stock Company received permission from the Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee to reconstruct the wooden house on the same foundation.

The reconstructed house was modeled after the design of the original.

Currently, the house is located in Hon Ba Nature Reserve, owned by the Hon Ba Nature Reserve Administration under the umbrella of the Khanh Hoa Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

On September 28, 1990, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism adopted Decision No. 993/QD recognizing the venerable historical complex in honor of scholar and doctor Alexandre Yersin in Khanh Hoa as a national heritage site.

The complex includes a library at the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang; the tomb at Suoi Dau Plantation, where Yersin was buried at his request; and Linh Son Pagoda in Suoi Cat Commune, located near his burial site.

In February 2023, the Khanh Hoa People's Committee submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to include Dr. Yersin's house on Hon Ba in the list of national relics.

Born in Switzerland, Yersin (September 22, 1863 - March 1, 1943) studied medicine at prestigious institutes in his hometown, Germany, and France.

He came to Vietnam in 1891 and spent nearly 50 years of his life working in Khanh Hoa.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, the scientist is best known as the co-discoverer of the bacillus responsible for the bubonic plague in 1894.

He discovered the Liang Biang Plateau, the site of the city of Da Lat now, in 1893 and founded the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang in 1895.

Yersin was also the one who introduced the rubber tree and Cinchona ledgeriana, a medicinal tree, to Vietnam.

He was the founder of Indochina Medicine School, which later became Hanoi Medical University and the Hanoi University of Pharmacy.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Successions Nicholas Braun, who plays Cousin Greg Hirsch, attended a screening of the US drama last night in Sydny.

The industry event was held at Hoyts Cinemas, Moore Park.

Succession continues Mondays on FOX Showcase and Binge.
UK crime drama Father Brown will return for an eleventh series.

Mark Williams will return as the crime busting priest with guest cast including Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who, The Hobbit), Ingrid Oliver (Watson and Oliver, Doctor Who), Ian Gelder (Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials) and John Light (Around the World in 80 Days, Murder in Provence).

Lorna Watson will also return as Sister Boniface, reuniting the fan favourite crime solving duo.

Head of Daytime and Early Peak, Rob Unsworth says: Father Brown continues to bring in a dedicated audience on BBC daytime and iPlayer as well as legions of fans across the world. Were thrilled to be bringing more of his adventures to screen in the eleventh series.

Executive Producer Neil Irvine says: After the warm reception and huge success of our tenth anniversary, were delighted to begin filming series eleven of Father Brown. This series we welcome another high calibre of guest cast in Sylvester McCoy, Ingrid Oliver, Ian Gelder and John Light as well as the brilliant Lorna Watson returning as Sister Boniface. Viewers can expect 10 episodes of twists, turns and unpredictable whodunnits to keep them guessing.

Mark Williams says: Its an honour to be returning to Father Brown for an eleventh series of warmth, drama and humour, as well as sleuthing with my partners in crime solving. Its also always a treat to film in the beautiful Cotswolds.

Series 11 picks up in 1955 where Chief Inspector Sullivan (Tom Chambers) and Mrs Devine (Claudie Blakley) have grown closer since we saw them last. Something which hasnt escaped the notice of Father Brown (Mark Williams) and Brenda (Ruby-May Martinwood).

With a food fayre to die for, a real life crime at a crime writing festival and a village rivalry that turns deadly at the local Olimpicks, theres plenty for the gang to be busy with. Father Brown and Sister Boniface become embroiled in a murder at an arts and crafts fair, while Brenda takes a trip in time to face ghosts from her past when an old friend, Dr McClurgy (Sylvester McCoy), reaches out. Meanwhile Father Browns frenemy Flambeau (John Light) returns with his estranged father, Gabriel (Ian Gelder), in tow and a dangerous mission in mind

Father Brown broadcasts in over 232 territories including ABC in Australia.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang urged Japan to refrain from supporting US efforts to suppress the Chinese semiconductor industry, while his counterpart pressed for the swift return of a Japanese citizen detained by Beijing.

Most Read from Bloomberg

During a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Beijing on Sunday, Qin said a chip blockade will only strengthen Beijings resolve to achieve self-reliance, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

In the past, the US ruthlessly suppressed the Japanese semiconductor industry, but now it is repeating its old tactics toward China, Qin said, according to the statement. Dont do to others what you dont want others to do to you.

He added that China looks forward to working together for better bilateral relations, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

Hayashis visit to Chinas capital is the first such trip by a top Tokyo diplomat in more than three years. It comes after China on March 31 condemned Japans introduction of restrictions on exports of 23 types of leading-edge chipmaking technologies. Japan tightened trade controls as its ally, the US, ratchets up efforts to limit Chinese access to key semiconductor knowhow.

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have frayed in recent years as Japan joined US-led moves to counter Chinas regional influence through institutions such as the Quad group, which includes Australia and India. Nonetheless, Japan has sought to maintain stable relations with its biggest trading partner.

Meanwhile concern is rising in Tokyo over the detention of an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. in China. Hayashi protested the detention and urged that the man be released in his meeting with Qin, as well as in discussions with Premier Li Qiang and top diplomat Wang Yi, according to statements from Japans foreign ministry.

Story continues

When conducting business and people-to-people exchanges, it is extremely important to have an environment where Japanese citizens and companies are able to conduct activities free from anxiety, he said. Seventeen Japanese have been detained in China since 2015, a foreign ministry official told parliament last week. Five are still in Chinese custody, of whom two have received sentences.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told lawmakers on Monday that his country would continue to call for the early release of the detained person.

The Asian neighbors face a raft of bilateral problems including a long-running standoff over disputed islands in the East China Sea. China has also expressed opposition to Japans plans to release treated waste waster from the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant into the ocean.

Hayashis visit follows an ice-breaking meeting between Kishida and President Xi Jinping in Bangkok in November. It also comes weeks before Japan hosts the Group of Seven summit, to which Kishida has invited a wide range of guest leaders from Asia and beyond, but not Xi.

Taiwan Issues

During the meeting, Qin also urged Japan to steer clear of issues related to Taiwan and keep away from those that could harm Chinas sovereignty. Many officials in Japan, who view Taiwans stability as key to Tokyos security, have expressed fears that China may one day seize Taiwan by force.

Peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation are the only right choice for China-Japan ties, Qin said.

On March 31, the two governments announced they had finished setting up a military hotline aimed at building trust and avoiding unforeseen incidents.

Regarding the case of the pharmaceutical companys employee detained in China over alleged espionage, Qin emphasized that the case will be handled according to the law. Hayashi said at a press conference Sunday that he urged China to quickly release the person.

--With assistance from Philip Glamann.

(Updates with Japanese government statements throughout.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- Glencore Plc sees $1 billion of value from adopting a joint approach to two giant copper mines in Chile as part of its proposed merger with Teck Resources Ltd.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Tecks Quebrada Blanca, or QB, mine is a key part of the Canadian companys appeal to Glencore. An expansion at QB is set to ramp up this year toward annual output of as much as 315,000 metric tons. In a March 26 letter posted on its website, Glencore said operating QB jointly with the nearby Collahuasi mine would add at least a $1 billion of value to the metals firm resulting from the merger.

Read More: Glencores $23 Billion Offer Rebuffed by Canadian Miner Teck

To be sure, Glencore mentioned sharing infrastructure rather than creating a single operation. The latter would require approval from Anglo American Plc, which has 44% of Collahuasi, and perhaps Sumitomo, which has a 30% indirect interest in QB. But if they were to combine, Collahuasi-QB would leapfrog Grasberg in Indonesia to become the worlds No. 2 copper mine  second only to BHP Groups Escondida in Chile.

A Glencore-Teck tie-up would also have ramifications for BHP in Peru, where the three companies are shareholders in the Antamina copper-zinc mine.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast of South Carolina (REUTERS)

A Chinese spy balloon was able to gather intelligence from several US military sites and send the information back to Beijing, officials said.

The high-altitude balloon was able to make multiple passes over some of the sites before it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, according to reports.

Two senior US officials and one former official told NBC News that the balloon could transmit the information back to Beijing in real time.

The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images, the officials said.

Reports claim that the balloons were equipped with a self-destruct mechanism that Chinese officials could possibly activate remotely.

Specialist salvage teams recovered critical electronics from the craft after it was downed by a US fighter jet earlier this year. Fragments included key sensors thought to be used for intelligence gathering, the US militarys Northern Command said.

The FBI has been examining the items for the past few months.

China denies it was a government spy vessel.

It flew over the US and Canada for a week before President Joe Biden ordered it to be shot down.

It was the first of four objects downed in US airspace over eight days.
E-vaporisers and components found in the Mandai warehouse unit (PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority)

SINGAPORE  Singapore authorities have seized its largest-ever haul of over 85,000 illegal electronic vaporisers and related components from a warehouse in Mandai last week.

Five suspected runners, aged between 20 and 33, were detained last Wednesday (29 March), and are cooperating with ongoing investigations.

The police and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) released a joint statement on Monday, hailing the successful operation which spanned more than 72 hours, adding that it "disrupted the operations of an illegal e-vaporisers supply chain".

The seizure surpasses the previous record set in 2021 when over $2.2 million worth of vapes and related components were seized. The authorities are assessing the value of this recent raid.

The Mandai warehouse was discovered after the police detained six people suspected of involving in the illegal trade of vapes.

This warehouse used to store vape products was discovered after the police detained six people suspected of involving in the illegal trade of vapes. (PHOTO: Health Sciences Authority)

Police detain six men in illegal e-vaporiser crackdown

On 28 March, the police received a call for assistance at a multi-storey car park in Montreal Link and found a van driver allegedly distributing parcels containing vapes to five people. The five people would then deliver the vape products to buyers.

A 27-year-old male driver and a 26-year-old man have been arrested for reckless and negligent conduct in relation to machinery. The driver was also charged with using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out his duty.

Four men aged between 22 and 27 are also assisting the authorities with their investigations.

HSA has stressed the import, distribution, sale, and offer for sale of harmful or imitation tobacco products - including shisha tobacco, smokeless tobacco, chewing tobacco such as Gutkha, Khaini, Zarda, e-vaporisers and their accessories - are illegal in Singapore.

First-time offenders may be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to six months. For subsequent offences, the maximum fine is $20,000, and the maximum jail term is 12 months.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

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Russian officials on Monday detained a 26-year-old woman over the St Petersburg cafe blast that killed high-profile military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was posthumously decorated by President Vladimir Putin. The arrest came as Ukraine dismissed Russian claims of victory in the eastern battleground city of Bakhmut and as Finland prepared to officially join the NATO military alliance on Tuesday, in a blow to Moscow. Follow our blog to see how the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

This live blog is no longer being updated. For more of our coverage on the war in Ukraine, please click here.

03:53am: Russia launches 17 drones on Ukraine, 14 destroyed

Russia sent 17 Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack Ukraine overnight, Ukraine's Air Force command said early on Tuesday, with its air-defence systems destroying 14 of them.

"In total, up to 17 launches of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) attacks were recorded, presumably from the eastern coast area of the Sea of Azov," the command said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

01:52am: Russian drones strike Ukraine's port of Odesa

Russian drones struck the strategic Ukrainian port of Odesa, local authorities said in the early hours of Tuesday, adding that "damage" had been recorded.

"The enemy has just struck Odesa and the Odesa district with attack UAVs," local authorities said in a statement on Facebook, referring to unmanned aerial vehicles. "There is damage," the statement said without providing further details.

12:00am: Lavrov says Russia may get 'tough' with hostile Europe

9:15pm: Putin bestows award on military blogger killed in bombing



Read more on FRANCE 24 English



Read also:

Western arms supplies no guarantee of a decisive victory for Ukraine

Ukraine decries 'symbolic blow' as Russia takes helm of UN Security Council

Bucha must become 'symbol of justice', says Ukraine's Zelensky
Kosovos former president, Hashim Thaci, has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial got underway Monday at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

Thaci, who served as commander-in-chief of the ethnic Albanian rebel Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), is accused together with three others of crimes committed during the 1998 to 1999 armed conflict against Serbian forces.

These include persecution, imprisonment, illegal or arbitrary arrest and detention, other inhumane acts, cruel treatment, torture, murder, and enforced disappearance of persons.

Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi, all former KLA leaders, have also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The insurgency eventually brought independence for Kosovo, which up until then had been a province of Serbia, and made Thaci a hero among his compatriots.

Its estimated that some 13,000 people died, most of them from Kosovo's 90 per cent ethnic Albanian majority, during the insurgency.

The war ended in 1999 when NATO bombed the Serbian capital, Belgrade, to stop the killings and expulsions of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo by Serb forces.

Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, a move which Serbia has refused to recognise.

Following the war, Thaci and his three co-defendants took up prominent positions in the government. He served as president from 2016, but resigned in 2020 following his indictment.

On Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets in Kosovo in a show of solidarity for the four men.
There are new warnings that a second tornado outbreak in a matter of days is possible across large parts the Midwest.

A severe storm is expected to sweep the region on Tuesday bringing powerful winds, hail and the threat of strong tornadoes in at least 16 states.

From southern California to New Mexico, and in southern Utah and Colorado, wind gusts could hit 50mph at points. This could create high risk of wildfire due to low humidity and dry vegetation from eastern Arizona to the Texas Panhandle on Monday, and across a swathe of the High Plains on Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall and flash flooding were possible in southeast Mississippi and southern Alabama on Monday while an impressive late season snowstorm was forecast across the Rockies through Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported. One to three feet of snow was expected in mountainous areas of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.

In the Midwest, communities were picking up the pieces from a huge storm on Friday which brought reports of dozens of tornadoes.

Wynne High school after it was damaged in Friday's severe weather in Wynne, Arkansas ((AP Photo/Adrian Sainz))

At least 32 people were killed after buildings were destroyed, roofs collapsed and vehicles flipped over in 11 states including Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri.

In Little Rock, Arkansas, neighbourhoods were reduced to rubble and hundreds of trees uprooted after a huge twister tore through through the middle of the state. Hail stones like ping-pong balls were reported across the region.

Several 18-wheeler trucks were blown over and forecasters with the National Weather Service in Little Rock were forced to take shelter, 4029TV reported. In the small town of Wynne, where the high school roof was torn off and windows shattered, at least four people died.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

In Belvidere, Illinois, the roof of a concert venue collapsed during a packed heavy metal show, killing one person and leaving dozens injured.

In Bridgeville, Delaware, a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes and killed one person on Saturday, state authorities reported.

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On Monday, 13,000 homes remained without power in Arkansas; 10,000 in both Louisiana and Texas; 15,000 in Ohio and 37,000 in Pennsylvania, according to utility tracker Poweroutage.us.

President Joe Biden made a major disaster declaration for Arkansas to make federal recovery funding available.

Jill and I are praying for everyone impacted by the devastating storms this weekend, Mr Biden said in a statement.

Theres nothing we can do to heal the hole left in the hearts of far too many families who lost loved ones this weekend, but we will be there every step of the way as they rebuild and recover.

A 170mph tornado tore across a vast stretch of Mississippi and Alabama last month. At least 26 people were killed and the town of Rolling Fork nearly obliterated.
Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade were also part of the performance, which celebrated the 10-year anniversary of CMT's Next Women of Country campaign

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Alanis Morissette is here to remind you about the talented women in country music.

The seven-time Grammy winner joined forces with Lainey Wilson, Ingrid Andress, Madeline Edwards and Morgan Wade at the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday to perform her 1995 hit "You Oughta Know" to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of CMT's Next Women of Country campaign.

Wilson, Wade, Edwards and Andress kicked off the song with a line each before Morissette  wearing a white T-shirt and flowing, sparkly black jacket with leather pants  eventually joined, and the women went on to blend their voices on the rest of the verses and choruses. As they performed, controlled flames burned behind them.

Check out PEOPLE's full CMT Awards coverage to get the latest news on country's big night.

Each artist who performed at the show alongside Morissette, 48, has previously been featured in the CMT Next Women of Country franchise. Edwards, 29, and Wade, 28, were part of the class of 2022, while Andress, 31, and Wilson, 30, were part of the class of 2019.

We love seeing these country queens come together for an ICONIC performance of You Oughta Know  pic.twitter.com/r0tbpEWYkp  CMT (@CMT) April 3, 2023

This year's CMT Women of Country class featured Alana Springsteen, Angie K, Ashley Cooke, Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Catie Offerman, Georgia Webster, Julie Williams, Kasey Tyndall, Kimberly Kelly, MaRynn Taylor, Megan Moroney, O.N.E. The Duo, Pillbox Patti and Roberta Lea.

Related:CMT's Next Women of Country Celebrates 10 Years and Introduces New Class: See All the Photos

Morissette spoke to PEOPLE last year about the lasting impact of her third album Jagged Little Pill and how it opened the door for women to musically explore  and celebrate  darker, less-discussed subjects, including their own rage.

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"I'm happy about the fact that, because I move a certain way on stage or sing a certain lyric, that it gives people permission to feel all the stigmatized feelings: anger, sadness, depression, anxiety, ambivalence  all of these feelings that we're told not to feel," she said at the time.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards are airing live at 8 p.m. on CBS from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

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Read the original article on People.
Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless and Bob McDill will be the Country Music Hall of Fames three 2023 inductees, it was announced in a news conference at the halls museum in Nashville Monday morning.

Tucker will be inducted into the hall in the Veterans Era Artist category, while Loveless will get her entree in the Modern Era Artist category.

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McDill is to be inducted in the Songwriter category, which is in rotation with the Recording and/or Touring Musician and Non-Performer categories, each coming up every three years.

Cheers went up at the announcement ceremony as well as around Nashville, as all three have long been favored for induction, and Tucker and Loveless particularly talked up as should-be shoo-ins for their historical importance as leading women in the genre.

Loveless had 41 singles place in the top 10 of the Billboard country chart, and 10 of those went to No. 1. She has not been in the limelight as much since her string of 90s smashes, but Loveless returned to it in a big way when she appeared on Novembers CMA Awards show, singing a duet with Chris Stapleton on Youll Never Leave Harlan Alive. It was almost universally acclaimed as the highlight of the telecast and immediately sent viewers back to nostalgically stream her past work, or discover it for the first time.

Tucker, of course, has been in the limelight for several years now, in as big a way as she has since her initial flood of 70s hits like Delta Dawn. Thats been thanks largely to her Brandi Carlile-produced While Im Livin' album, which won Tucker her first two Grammys; Carlile has made no secret of the fact that her ultimate goal for her hero/client was to see her get into the Country Hall of Fame.

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This may mark the first Hall of Fame slate in which the Veterans Era inductee is older than the Modern Era artist being voted in; Loveless is 66 and Tucker is 64. By the criteria that separate these categories, though, its not even close  Loveless did not release her first album until 1987, when she was 30, whereas Tucker got started as one of musics most renowned child stars in 1972, when she was 13.

Hall of Famer Vince Gill hosted the press-conference reveal, which was carried live on the halls YouTube channel, joined by Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern. Gill said it was particularly special to gather to honor greats, given that, as he said, weve had one of the worst weeks weve ever had in the history of this city, referencing the recent school shootings.

At the news conference, Tucker talked about making a visit with her father to Nashville when she was 9, and how the family was so poor, they couldnt afford $1.50 admission to get into the Hall of Fame, at its then-smaller location.

My dad was mad at me  and he said to me, he said, Youre never gonna be in the Hall of Fame. Youre never gonna make it, because he was trying to tell me that I gotta work a little more, a little harder. I remember that so well and I kind of just figured thats the way it was gonna be, because my daddy was always right. He took me to the Grand Ole Opry, and he said, Now, wouldnt you rather be up there doing it than sitting down here watching it? So I made a lot of decisions when I was a kid.  So theres one thing I wanna say, Tucker continued. Well, daddy, you werent hardly ever wrong. But this time you was wrong. But I wish you were here so much.

Besides crediting her father for motivating her, Tucker also gave thanks to two producers of her classic records, Billy Sherrill and Jerry Crutchfield. She also gave out her actual room number at the Lowes Hotel where shes currently staying. Were gonna be celebrating all night if yall wanna come over to the room, she declared.

Thats a one of a kind right there, said Gill of Tucker. Youre a blast. You make life fun.

Gill had a personal or professional connection with all three nominees. Loveless quipped, See there, Vince I told you itd happen, you and me singing together  a reference that flew over the heads of almost everyone but the emcee. Gill subsequently explained, That young kid right there was at my second or third Fan Fair She wanted to get my autograph. She goes, I like your singing. Someday Im gonna sing with you. Im going, Yeah. Right, sure, whatever. Turned out to be about the best (singing) partner I ever had.  If Ive got a little sister, youre it.

Before the announcement, Trahern led the assembled in a moment of silence for the loss of Hall of Fame members Jeff Cook, Jerry Lee Lewis and Loretta Lynn, as well as recently deceased Hall of Fame staff members Peter Cooper and Liz Thiels.

McDill is known for having his hits recorded by Don Williams, Ronnie Milsap and many others  and, finally, Gill himself. Said Gill of McDill, He has a song that, Ive carried in my back pocket for 40 years that I adore. Its called Last Dance at the Old Texas Moon. Do yourself a favor, go listen to that song. Bobby Bare did a version of it (in 1975), and I have a version of me playing it on a Rodney Crowell record of some sort that got released during COVID. That song has just been one of the greatest songs Ive ever known, and every time Id see Bobby, he goes, Yeah, yeah, I know you like my song. Why dont you cut it?'

The annual announcement of the Country Hall of Fames inductees is perhaps anticipated and taken even more seriously in the country community than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fames similar yearly announcement, if only because it selects its members in much smaller numbers than the Rock Hall, with only three or four coming in each year (and at least one of those usually a non-celebrity writer, session player or exec, to boot). The waiting list of universally acknowledged greats who havent gotten in is arguably much longer, making it a truly prized honor no one in Nashville circles takes for granted.

Last years trio of inductees were Jerry Lee Lewis, Keith Whitley and executive Joe Gallante. Lewis was alive and able to participate in the May 2022 press conference announcing his election, although he fell ill and was unable to attend the Oct. 16 medallion ceremony. He died less than two weeks after his induction became official, on Oct. 28.

Earlier in 2022, a belated medallion ceremony for the previous class of inductees was held in April, postponed due to the pandemic. That ceremony honored the Judds, Ray Charles, Eddie Bayers and Pete Drake. That ceremony was quote emotional, as Naomi Judd died by suicide the day before the event, with her daughter Naomi showing up in the immediate wake of the tragedy to accept the award.

Nominees are not made publicly known, and voting is done among specially selected members of the music industry and artist community.

These three honorees will join 152 others who have been inducted into the hall since it was instituted in 1961.

In a statement, Tucker said, Im more than proud to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was wonderful to have all three of my kids beside me when I got the news. The only way it couldve been any better is if my parents Beau and Juanita Tucker could have been there too. They are the reason and the root of all my success in music. And the fans  they are everything. When I walk in that Hall they will all be with me.

Each of our three new inductees has left a deep and distinctive stamp on our genre, said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, in announcing the honors. Tanya Tucker, originally from Texas, is a force of nature who has been blazing her way into our hearts since she was a teenager. Patty Loveless, who hails from the coal-mining hills of Kentucky, sings with mountain soul and makes music that blends tradition with invention. And Bob McDill from East Texas has written some of the most enduring and artful songs in our genre. They have all profoundly shaped our music, and we are honored and delighted that their achievements will now forever be enshrined in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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As Humphrey Bogart soberly opines in the movie's final seconds, the Maltese Falcon is "the stuff that dreams are made of"...and for a while, the Hollywood Dream Factory seemed just as obsessed with that cursed black bird as the avaricious trio that will do anything to get it in Dashiell Hammett's novel. Surely the three Warner brothers fell under its powerful spell. Why else would they film the book three times over the course of a single decade?! An early 1931 talkie with Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels came first, followed by Satan Met a Lady, a 1936 comic spoof that was so ill-advised it provoked Bette Davis to breach her Warner contract and flee to England.

Five years later, Warner dusted off the property again. While several oft-quoted maxims could explain the studio's willingness to continually recycle the tale ("If at first you don't succeed..." chief among them), "the third time's the charm" fits best. With Bogart as Sam Spade, Mary Astor as the duplicitous Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet in iconic supporting roles, writer-director John Huston's telling of The Maltese Falcon stands as the definitive version, as well as the quintessential private-eye film. And after it was released in 1941, no one in the movie industry - not even the Warner brothers - dared to touch the material again.

Every element of this magnificent motion picture is top-notch - direction, casting, music, photography - but the screenplay outshines them all. Huston brilliantly translates Hammett's terse yet lyrical prose into the language of celluloid, with images and dialogue that mirror the novel's every page. Sure, he takes a few liberties - softening Spade somewhat, cutting the final scene, and only hinting at another character's homosexuality (due, in part, to the era's rigid production code) - but the tone remains blessedly faithful to Hammett. Though a Rubic's cube might be easier to align than the tangled threads of this fascinating yarn, every tricky plot point, carefully constructed deception, and oblique relationship somehow finds its way into Huston's script, and the result is a textured tableau that requires several delicious viewings to fully digest.

If adapting The Maltese Falcon wasn't a challenge enough, the film also marked Huston's first foray into directing, and what an auspicious debut it would be. Mastering camera angles and continuity, deftly handling a big-name cast, and developing artistic flair often take years, but the 35-year-old wunderkind proved he had the goods right out of the gate, exhibiting the maturity and swagger of a far more experienced craftsman. With enviable ease, he merges the story's dingy settings, tough talk, and sordid actions with a satiny narrative style that seamlessly connects each scene. "Elegant" isn't a word often used in connection with this genre, but Huston - much like Martin Scorsese would do in his mafia films years later - makes the morally repugnant not just accessible, but also palatable, even beautiful.

The intrigue begins when a distraught Brigid (using an alias) enlists private detectives Spade and Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) to tail a shady character named Thursby, who might have abducted her sister. Archer quickly winds up dead (along with Thursby), and much to his cynical chagrin, Spade finds himself the prime suspect in their murders. He presses Brigid for answers, but she remains exasperatingly vague, and though he doesn't buy her damsel-in-distress routine, he has trouble resisting her vulnerable veneer.

Soon the oily Joel Cairo (Lorre) darkens Spade's door and hopes the detective can help him recover "an ornament that has been mislaid." That "ornament" turns out to be a jewel-encrusted statue of a falcon that has beguiled and eluded fortune-hunters since the 16th century...and now ensnares Spade in an ever-widening web of deceit. Brigid - along with Cairo and Kasper Gutman (Greenstreet), a rotund and ruthless collector - considers the priceless bird their Holy Grail and go to obscene and violent lengths to obtain it.

Though it's often difficult to process the convoluted plot (especially the first time through), concentrating too intently on all the twists, turns, and double-crosses makes one miss many of the subtleties that make The Maltese Falcon so rich and satisfying. The humor, atmosphere, pacing, and performances all need to be savored, as do the pitch-perfect supporting performances. In addition to the quartet of leads, Huston spices up his full-flavored brew with such fine players as Gladys George, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Elisha Cook, Jr., and Ward Bond, as well as the aforementioned Cowan. There's even a clever cameo by Huston's father, esteemed actor Walter Huston. (The son would direct his father to a Best Supporting Actor Oscar seven years later in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and 37 years after that would direct his daughter Anjelica to a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in Prizzi's Honor.)

Most importantly, The Maltese Falcon gave birth to the Bogart persona. Finally playing the hero instead of the heavy and given the chance to strut his inimitable and considerable stuff, Bogart burns his image into the lens and embraces the jumble of contradictions that would forever after define him - tough yet tender, cynical yet sensitive, droll yet serious, honest yet corruptible, noble yet selfish. Though he shares the screen with a formidable array of actors, two of whom (Lorre and Greenstreet) would never fully eclipse their superb performances here (or escape the subsequent typecasting), Bogart commands the screen and never relinquishes control, no matter how hard his scene-stealing colleagues try to wrangle it away.

The falcon may be elusive, but this classic film captures the essence of Bogart, Huston, and the hard-edged detective genre, and no matter what Brigid, Gutman, and Cairo may think, that's far more valuable than any jewel-encrusted black bird. Case closed.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray

The Maltese Falcon arrives on 4K UHD packaged in a standard case inside a sleeve. A standard Blu-ray that includes all the special features and a leaflet containing the code for the Movies Anywhere digital copy are tucked inside the front cover. Video codec is 2160p/HEVC H.265 with HDR and audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono. Once the disc is inserted into the player, the static menu with music immediately pops up; no previews or promos precede it.
U.S. an "empire of arbitrary detention" with worst human rights violations

10:33, April 03, 2023 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Freedom from arbitrary detention is a fundamental individual right stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) of the United Nations, and an important provision in international human rights treaties.

However, the United States has carried out arbitrary detention in total disregard of its domestic legal provisions and international treaty obligations, causing serious physical and mental harm to the people involved.

The shocking facts and truth that the country has carried out arbitrary detention have laid bare its hypocrisy and double standards with regard to human rights.

The U.S. detention of immigrants at its domestic facilities is a serious violation of the "no use of torture" rule.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security implements a policy of family separation at the U.S. border, which has caused severe suffering and torture to parents and children forcibly separated.

Women in custody at the Irvine County Detention Center in Georgia often suffered medical abuse and neglect.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement regularly places migrants in local jails and prisons, where they suffer various kinds of physical abuse.

There is no specific regulations in the U.S. on how long immigrants should be detained, so the length of detention is decided by the place of detention and economic factors, and some even become indefinite.

In February 2022 alone, more than 9,400 unaccompanied child immigrants were detained by U.S. border law enforcement and some 4,000 of them were held in border custody for more than 72 hours.

According to an article in Politico Magazine, from February 2017 to June 2021, more than 650,000 people detained by the Border Patrol were under 18. More than 220,000 of those children, about one-third, were held for longer than 72 hours.

The UN human rights authority has expressed strong condemnation of the arbitrary detention of immigrants in the U.S.

U.S. practices of arbitrary detention and torture scandals around the world are even more horrible.

The country had been using "prison boats" to hold terrorist suspects since the Clinton administration. As many as 17 warships may have been used as "floating prisons" by the U.S. from 2001 to 2008.

A "Cost of War" report published by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University reveals that after the 9/11 attacks, at least 54 countries and regions have participated in the U.S. black sites network, which has detained hundreds of thousands of people.

Under the excuse of the so-called "War on Terror," the U.S. has set up black sites in many other countries, covertly detained alleged terrorist suspects, and extracted confessions with torture and other ill-treatmentall of which are typical examples of its wanton destruction of the rule of law and violation of human rights.

Torture scandals have been constantly exposed in the notorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the Bagram prison in Afghanistan, and the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Beatings, waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation and other enhanced interrogation techniques are outrageous.

"We are still very far from a full acknowledgment of what took placelet alone accountability for it," The Guardian pointed out in an article, adding that no one was held accountable for systematic practices of torture and rendition in the U.S. black sites, and an honest reckoning is long overdue.

Facing the frequent exposure of serious human rights violations at U.S. "black sites" overseas, the U.S. government has continued to cover up and deny its crimes.

In December 2002, then U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved the use of a range of interrogation techniques at Guantanamo, including sensory deprivation, isolation and the use of vicious dogs. Washington blocked the information and impeded the revealing of findings by the International Committee of the Red Cross, and refused the recommendation made by the UN to shut down the prison.

According to the "Cost of War" report, four months after the death of Gul Rahman, who was held at Bagram prison and died of coldness and torture, the officer in charge of the interrogation was awarded a CIA commendation and $2,500 in cash awards.

In 2004, hundreds of prisoner abuse photos at Abu Ghraib prison were disclosed, but the U.S. military personnel, senior government officials and private military contractors involved have been spared trial. Only some low-level U.S. soldiers went through military trials and got convicted.

The U.S. government even has imposed economic sanctions and entry restrictions on the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor and other officials.

The U.S. has a long history of arbitrary detention and disregard of human rights both at home and abroad, reflecting a deep-seated political culture of racism and violence.

The rise of white supremacy in the country has exacerbated racial conflicts and led to frequent refugee crises in border areas. Race-based arbitrary detention tramples on the basic human rights of ethnic minorities and foreign immigrants. It further tears apart American society, creating social wounds that are difficult to heal.

The fact that the U.S. has arbitrarily detained illegal immigrants at home and set up a large number of "black sites" abroad to create cases of arbitrary detention reflects its deep-seated hegemonic and unilateralist thinking and violent political culture.

The arbitrary detentions of the U.S. at home and abroad tell the world that the country is in every sense an "empire of arbitrary detention" with the worst human rights violations.

The U.S. should face up to and reflect upon its own deplorable record with regard to democracy and human rights, stop politicizing democracy and human rights issues, stop interfering in other countries internal affairs in the name of democracy, and stop undermining the human rights of people of other countries.

(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)
The University of North Georgia (UNG) will honor a record 1,400-plus graduates in four ceremonies May 5-6. UNG President Bonita Jacobs, who is retiring at the end of June, will deliver the keynote address at all four commencement ceremonies.

"Serving as president of this amazing university has been one of my greatest privileges, and, as we conclude our Sesquicentennial year celebration, I look forward to celebrating this class of graduates and the university's 150-year tradition of producing professional, civic and military leaders," Jacobs said.

For the first time, UNG will hold a graduate ceremony. Set for 3 p.m. May 5, the ceremony is for all students earning master's, specialist and doctoral degrees, regardless of the college from which they are graduating. Almost 200 graduates will take part in that ceremony.

Three ceremonies honoring students earning undergraduate degrees are set for 7 p.m. May 5, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. May 6 as follows:

7 p.m. May 5

Mike Cottrell College of Business

College of Science & Mathematics

Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis

11 am. May 6

College of Arts & Letters

University College

3 p.m. May 6

College of Education

College of Health Sciences and Professions

The separate graduate-level ceremony is a major milestone for UNG. Research expenditures, the national standard for measuring research activity, will likely surpass $2.23 million this academic year  a 36% increase over 2016. This growth in research activity and the expanded scope of graduate degree programs have placed UNG on a trajectory to be classified as a Doctoral/Professional University by the Carnegie Commission in 2024.

Jacobs was appointed as president of then-North Georgia College & State University in July 2011, and, when the university consolidated with Gainesville State College to become the University of North Georgia in 2013, she became president of the multi-campus university. Today, UNG has campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee County. The university serves more than 18,000 students across its five campuses and online and employs more than 2,100 faculty and staff.

The first woman to serve as president at then-North Georgia College & State University, Jacobs was only the second woman to lead one of the country's six Senior Military Colleges, which include the Citadel, Norwich University, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and Texas A&M University.

Graduate and ticket information

Graduates are encouraged to arrive one hour before their ceremony dressed in their gown and cap with its tassel.

To attend, all guests 2 years old and older must have a ticket. Each graduate is issued a certain number of tickets, which can be printed or shown electronically, based on ceremony size.

Students who do not use their allotted tickets can donate them by emailing the Office of University Events at universityevents@ung.edu. After the ticket-claiming period ends at 11:55 p.m. April 12, any unclaimed or unused tickets will be electronically distributed to graduates who requested additional tickets. More ticket information is available on the commencement website.

For those unable to attend the in-person event, the ceremonies will be streamed live on UNG's Facebook page and the commencement website. UNG encourages everyone to celebrate their graduates with the hashtag #UNG23grad on social media.

Individual commissioning ceremonies for 40 members of the Corps of Cadets entering the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve this semester will be held May 4-5 at the Pennington Military Leadership Center. The events will recognize their service and leadership and formally mark their entrance into the military as second lieutenants. These graduates will also be commissioned collectively during the commencement ceremonies.
HA NOI  Many Vietnamese firms are going through rounds of layoffs as the global economic downturn shows no sign of abating since starting last year.

PouYuen Vietnam Company LTD is one of those that have felt the pinch of the economic retreat. The company has announced a plan to terminate 2,300 posts and trim ranks at its Sections C and D in the short term.

The situation was not better for Ampfield Vietnam Company LTD, which had to reduce headcounts on the payroll from 700 to 100. The company has cited falling orders as the cause of its actions.

"The economic downturn has triggered a sharp fall in orders, hitting us hard," said Vo Thi Sau, Amfield Vietnam's Union Leader.

She said the company was seeking new orders to pick up the operational slack. Its workers had to work in shifts to keep the ball rolling for now.

Dony Garment Company LTD, another clothing company, followed suit amid the wave of job cuts. It shed part-time workers and retained just enough full-time staff to have a skeleton crew.

Dony Director Pham Quang Anh said the move was part of the company's efforts to deal with the recession-triggered fall in orders. He also said some deals had fallen because their partners offered too low a bid price.

According to the HCM City's Union of Business Association (HUBA), orders from the EU, a major clothing importer, have dropped by 60 per cent. In contrast, orders from the US have fallen by around 40 per cent.

The weak demand has fueled unsold inventory and driven down bid prices. The aggregate unsold inventory level in textiles has reached nearly 25 per cent. Meanwhile, traders offer a bid price as high as half the usual.

A report prepared by the Vietnam Confederation of Labour (VCL) shows that, to date, around 500 companies have had to downsize their workforce amid the economic downturn, putting 640,000 workers on the line.

The wood-processing industry took the full brunt of the force, with 70 per cent of its workers either facing redundancies or having working hours cut. The manufacturing industry came next with 50 per cent, footwear around 25 per cent, and textiles 20 per cent.

Duong Thi Bich Thuy, a worker with a 17-year tenure at Ty Hung Company LTD, has never thought that she would be among those facing the axe. She was shocked and devastated when the bad news came.

She said she was already old, so finding a new job would not be easy. She hopes the authorities take measures to help those like her get a suitable job more easily.

Nguyen Van Tam, another worker with a 20-year tenure at PouYuen, felt frantic after the company's announcement of layoffs. While waiting for a decent severance package for his 20 years of service, he worked as a Grab rider to pay the bills.

Mass layoffs hit people hard and harder those in vulnerable groups, especially the old and the disadvantaged. Some return to their rural hometown to rely on family, and others take temporary jobs to make ends meet.

PouYuen's Union Leader Cu Phat Nghiep claimed that his company had exhausted all options to create enough jobs for everyone but to little results.

Stretched to its limit, the company has no choice but to lighten payroll to stay afloat. It seems tough, but there is no way around that.

The company has set aside VN275 billion (US$11.7 million) for severance pay to compensate the workers being let go in March. On average, they will be paid 80 per cent of their monthly salary for each year in service.

The pay could come to VN379 million per person for the longest-tenured workers. Apart from severance pay, workers will be paid a sum for their accrued untaken holiday entitlement and be entitled to unemployment benefits.

The union leader called for governmental job-matching efforts to help the workers come out of the layoffs on board.

Meanwhile, in Ty Hung Company, dismissed workers will leave with a golden handshake amounting to two months of their salary plus benefits. They will also receive assistance in job-searching from unions, VCL, and job centres.

Ty Hung's Deputy Director Pham Thi Ut said the dismissal of workers was inevitable because the company's monthly sales have plunged from 250,000 to 70,000 shoes. The company now has around 500 employees on the payroll.

HCM City's Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs said the fall in orders, which had led to mass job cuts, had been a circumstance beyond every firm's control.

Many firms, notably PouYuen, have offered their employees severance packages far higher than required by law, providing them with a good buffer between work and unemployment.

What is more impressive is that PouYuen has left certain vulnerable groups untouched by its restructuring. It has not terminated workers with children below the age of one, workers in financial distress, pregnant workers, or workers with disabilities.

The department claimed that it had stepped up the delivery of unemployment benefits and insurance payments to help job seekers cover their outgoings for now.

It has also requested job centres and vocational schools to offer more job-matching services and training to improve their chances of getting new jobs.

Unions are urged to dispense the VCL-initiated support packages to jobless workers between January 10, 2022, to March 31, 2023, and offer assistance to those on the breadline.

Employers are encouraged to retain workers as much as possible. Layoffs should only be used as a last resort.

HUBA has sent an appeal to the Government, calling for more measures to bail firms out to rein in the wave of layoffs. Those measures could include preferential loans, debt restructuring, tax cuts, and bond issuance support.

The union has also called on tax authorities to accelerate tax refunds to lift strapped-for-cash firms, especially wood-processing ones, out of their cash shortages.

HUBA Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Hoa suggested more trade promotion and business-matching activities to keep firms more commercially connected to foreign markets.

At the end of the day, higher sales from abroad would help them as much as the domestic stimulus. VNS
AN GIANG  The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang plans to soon build a freshwater storage system and infrastructure to serve agriculture in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle.

Speaking at a meeting with a working group from the Ministry of Planning and Investment to discuss the project last week, Tran Anh Thu, deputy chairman of the province Peoples Committee, said, in an allusion to climate change, that the deltas flooding season is no longer regular or consistent and so it is necessary to execute the project soon.

The storage system would supply irrigation water to the quadrangle, the countrys major food producing area, he said.

It would also help regulate and manage freshwater resources during the rainy and dry seasons, secure peoples livelihoods and protect the environment, he said.

The province has proposed to the ministry that the system should have a capacity of more than 32 million cubic metres, have an embankment of 42.6km and cover more than 3,050ha downstream of the Tra Su Sluice.

It is expected to supply water to around 30,000ha of farmlands in An Giang and Kien Giang provinces and Can Tho City, all in the quadrangle, a low-lying area in the upstream area of the delta.

With climate change, the delta is struggling with saltwater intrusion up its many rivers.

Pham Hoang Nam, head of the ministrys foreign economic relations department, said the project was vital and would help develop the quadrangle and protect the environment.

The province should draft it in detail and submit it to the working group, he said.

It should maximise the storage systems capacity and link it up regionally, he added.  VNS
Vietnams University Rankings (VNUR), the first of its kind, has been published based on standards and quality of higher education and international ranking principles. Le Van Ut, leader of Van Lang Universitys research group on scientific measurement and research policy, spoke with the online newspaper VietNamNet about the issue.

VNUR, the first of its kind in Viet Nam, has announced the top domestic universities for 2023. How do you evaluate the criteria of the rankings?

The rankings judge participating universities on six standards. They are accredited quality which makes up 30 per cent of the overall score, as well as teaching making up 25 per cent. Publication of scientific articles represents 20 per cent, science and technology Tasks and inventions 10 per cent, quality of learners with 10 per cent, and facilities, 5 per cent.

These criteria belong to two main functional groups of a university: research and education. With the standards, criteria and implementation of data collection and processing, VNUR's ranking results can be seen as elaborate and scientific.

The criteria reflects the quality of a university quite comprehensively. Data is collected from prestigious scientific databases in the US and university ranking data in Viet Nam. In particular, VNUR has used data that only experts know such as public data, enrollment schemes and applied research data.

The use of public data will certainly make an important contribution to the standardisation of public information from universities in the near future. Among the criteria, scientific research accounts for 30 per cent. Of that, 10 per cent is for domestic projects and inventions.

This meets the very earnest desire of the community. Many prestigious university rankings in the world have dedicated a very large proportion to international standard scientific research such as Times Higher Education (THE) with 65 per cent, SCImago, 80 per cent, Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and US News 100 per cent.

A remarkable point is that VNUR only spends 8 per cent for international scientific research journal (WoS) articles (or formerly known as ISI), 7 per cent for WoS publication efficiency and 5 per cent for WoS citations. Universities that only focus on publishing WoS articles are very difficult to get high rankings of VNUR. VNUR will likely help the academic community in Viet Nam to cool down when it comes up to the issue of low/high rankings through scientific research.

The interesting point is that VNUR has criteria or assessment methods such as integration of university ranking results of prestigious university rankings in the world; using the results of university accreditation from national to regional, international levels; using achievements from domestic scientific and technological tasks and inventions; using the entrance admission score, academic materials in the library. This is a very subtle approach of VNUR, and these differences have created a unique for VNUR.

What are the shortcomings of VNUR's criteria from your point of view?

There is always one university ranked higher than another other and vice versa although the statistics in terms of data may not differ much. However, the ranking for universities is always necessary because this is a very useful reference channel for the universities, parents, students and the whole society. In fact, it is very difficult to have a comprehensive university ranking, which means that it can satisfy all communities.

Controversy over university rankings is inevitable. However, it is more helpful to have practical input to make university rankings more complete, and the experts who preside over university rankings should also be open to improve shortcomings so that the next ranking results will be more optimal.

In my opinion, in the future, VNUR may consider the upgrade of evaluation criteria and implementation methods to improve the science and reliability of the rankings. Firstly, it is necessary to further consider the overlap between the criteria in standard 1, which accounts for 30 per cent. Secondly, it is necessary to consider more solutions to assess the quality of WoS publications. Thirdly, the use of criteria on research topics at all levels should consider the role of universities when participating in that topic and the weight of funding. And finally, it may not be possible to stop at the number of patents but to consider the transfer of those patents.

Why do some schools with no reputation emerge in the VNUR rankings while some other schools that have long been evaluated for quality are in very low positions?

This is a very good signal because it proves that Vietnamese universities, regardless of age, have begun to invest and make breakthroughs. VNUR's ranking is based on objective academic parameters, so it is generally fair.

There are old and very prestigious universities but have lower rankings than some young universities. These schools have received zero points for some criteria of accreditation. It is possible that these schools will improve their accreditation criteria and have higher rank.

There is a view that schools ranking high doesnt mean having good quality. What are your opinions on this?

The ranking is just a channel about the university quality based on a certain set of criteria, not an absolute tool to determine its quality.

Although universities have different rankings, the difference in scores is actually not significant.

It is possible that rankings have not yet determined a clear difference in quality between universities with close rankings. But if the rankings are quite far apart, it is a problem that needs to be solved.

It is inevitable that universities carefully study ranking tactics and implement solutions to get high rankings. This type of rating is very interesting, but unsustainable. A so-called sustainable ranking should be proportional to the overall quality of universities.

In fact, each individual needs achievements to survive and develop, so do universities. Achieving high ranking by prestigious rating agencies is very important. In the world, there have been many university presidents who lost their positions because their universities dropped in rank and there were universities that had to be merged because they did not have a rank.

However, the university rankings must be worthy of respect. Universities can choose a number of spearheads to break through, and have a synchronous development strategy to improve their shortcomings for sustainable development.

University rankings will increasingly improve evaluation criteria and implementation methods. Universities with unsustainable development strategies will soon be relegated to their actual ranking.

There is an opinion that rankings are a competition of universities with financial potentials. What do you think about this?

Any university must have its goals to join the rankings. It also focuses all resources to invest in development to achieve the set goals.

It is necessary to have an optimal development strategy. Money is necessary, but not the only factor. Its about its strategic vision and human resources.  VNS
SYDNEY  The State visit to Viet Nam by Australian Governor-General David Hurley at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong will deepen the goodwill and trust for the mutual benefit of both countries, said Dr Suiwah Leung, Honourary Associate Professor at the Australian National Universitys Crawford School of Public Policy.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, she said the visit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations is important at the governmental/diplomatic level and supported by those at other levels, adding that in the case of Viet Nam and Australia, their relations at the academic level have been highly significant.

She said when oi moi (Renewal) process was started in Viet Nam in the late 1980s, many talented Vietnamese scholars were chosen to come to the ANU to undertake studies in market economics. These scholars were funded by the Australian aid agency (AusAID), now part of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Upon completion of their studies, they returned home to their respective positions in the Vietnamese Government, academies and universities, and were largely responsible for implementing the various phases of economic reforms which resulted in Viet Nams becoming a middle-income country within about 20 years, and participating actively in regional and international organisations such as ASEAN and the World Trade Organisation.

Australian Government-funded scholarships in the region and in Viet Nam, in particular, have been generally regarded as one of the most effective forms of development assistance, she added.

The expert also said that rapid economic growth and development in Viet Nam has benefited both countries as Australian exports to Viet Nam have been growing at an average of around 12 per cent since 2013, and the export of education services, in particular, has seen more than 26,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia by 2019.

There is room, however, for improvement in the export of other services such as tourism and IT, as well as more investments in Viet Nam on the part of the Australian business sector.

Meanwhile, schemes such as the New Colombo Plan have enabled more than 4,500 undergraduate students from Australian universities to spend time in Viet Nam learning about its people, culture, language and ways of doing business which should, in time, enhance business contacts and investment flows.

The recent establishment of the Viet Nam-Australia Centre at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in Ha Noi is very much welcomed, and shows the degree of goodwill and trust that has developed between the two countries, she added.  VNS
ROME  The Carlo Urbani Museum, named after an Italian doctor who identified severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Viet Nam in 2003 and then died of the disease, has been officially opened in his hometown of Castelplanio, Italys Ancona Province.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on April 1, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), called Carlo Urbani a hero of the world and a symbol for the world's fight against diseases.

His contributions to preventive medicine and vaccination, as well as treatment in under-developed countries, are still valid today, Ghebreyesus said.

On this occasion, Ghebreyesus presented the museum with a commemorative board once located at WHO headquarters in Geneva.

Nguyen Thai Hoc from the Vietnamese Embassy in Rome emphasised that the event once again pays tribute to Dr Carlo Urbani, honouring his great valuable contributions to world health in general and his dedication to the cause of protecting peoples health in particular.

Hoc said as a WHO infectious disease expert in Viet Nam, Calos Urbani helped the country analyse and identify the viral agent that caused the SARS.

Through isolation and intensive care, he found a way to defeat SARS in a short time," he said. "His life is a testament to the deep friendship between Italy and Viet Nam.

In 2022, the Italian Government gave the late doctor the Knight of the Order of Merit to honour his great contributions to detecting, identifying and responding rapidly to new diseases.  VNS
HA NOI  The State visit to Viet Nam by Governor-General of Australia David Hurley from April 3-6 is expected to create new momentum for the bilateral ties, according to a scholar from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Nguyen Hong Hai, a researcher at the Centre for Policy Futures under the University of Queensland, said the visit, in the context of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (February 26, 1973) and the 5th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership (March 15, 2018) in 2023, demonstrates the importance Australia attaches to the milestones, as well as the consensus in enhancing high-level meetings and contacts, thus consolidating the mutual political trust.

During his visit, Hurley is scheduled to meet with top leaders of Viet Nam, hold talks with President Vo Van Thuong, and meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and NA Chairman Vuong inh Hue.

The researcher said that NA Chairman Hue also met the Governor-General during his visit to Australia four months ago, during which the leaders expressed their support for upgrading the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hurleys trip is also hoped to contribute to enhancing people-to-people exchange and send a message to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region at large that Australia pays great attention to its relations with Viet Nam and ASEAN.

The message is quite clear  Viet Nam holds a special position in Australias relations with the region  Hai said, citing former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as saying during his visit in 2019 that Viet Nam was a close friend.

The researcher noted his belief that the visit will contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations and opening up strong cooperation prospects between the two countries, while creating more foundations and momentum for them to soon achieve the goal of advancing the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership this year.

Moreover, the visit would give a boost to collaboration in other spheres like national defence and security, along with innovation, climate change response, energy transition, green energy and green economy, he said.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City is focusing on investment to create new tourism offerings, upgrade tour packages, and promote tourism activities to attract more international tourists.

Lieu Thi My Hanh, sales director of Les Rives Company said that starting from April to May 1, the business was fully booked by international tourist groups.

Most tourists choose tours to explore HCM City by river such as tours to Cu Chi tunnel, tours to Long An and Mekong Delta tours or half-day tours to explore the lifestyle along the Saigon River.

The company welcomed more than 200 international visitors this March and the number of visitors in April is expected to grow based on the number of tours booked per day.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communication Director of Fiditour Travel, said visitors to HCM City can book inner city tours.

The company is focusing on developing small tours around the city for groups of two or more people to meet the actual needs of tourists.

These tours focus on local cultural experiences for tourists, she said.

Recently, Binh Tay Market in District 6 has become an ideal destination which is popular with many foreigners due to its special architecture.

The market was originally built by a Chinese merchant, having been inspired by the traditional Chinese style.

Binh Tay is a site where outsiders can admire the ancient architecture, learn about the history of the market, as well as shop for goods at reasonable prices.

Stalls at the market stock a vast range of products in various shapes and sizes, thereby allowing visitors to experience part of the activities of a market, which is arguably the largest wholesale market of its kind throughout the southern city.

Many foreigners share that they are able to learn a lot about Vietnamese culture during their visit to Binh Tay market.

In addition, the citys downtown District 1 is cooperating with the construction sector to draw up a plan to develop nightlife in HCM City until 2030 with a vision to 2050 and a scheme to boost services, come up with solutions to restructure Ben Thanh Market in District 1, and rearrange trade and service activities on Le Loi Boulevard.

According to the citys businesses, more Chinese tourist groups will arrive in the city in April after China decided to include Viet Nam in the list of countries to which Chinese group tours can be conducted from March 15.

HCM City expects to welcome 5 million international visitors this year.

Though this goal is relatively modest compared to pre-pandemic levels, the local tourism sector is working to improve entry and visa policies as well as air and road transport links, and to promote tourism activities to welcome back a large number of foreign holidaymakers.  VNS
Vietnam and Israel on April 2 declared they had concluded the seven-year negotiations for the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).

The two governments will proceed necessary moves to complete signing the agreement in 2023. Vietnam and Israel are about to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the foundation of their diplomatic relations this year.

Vietnams Minister Nguyen Hong Dien said on April 2 that the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA) would bring the two nations better benefits and opportunities.

He said that Vietnamese and Israeli exports are supplementary to each other, and bilateral trade will enjoy robust growth in the future.

Minister Dien suggested that the two governments strengthen cooperation and exchanges of state officials and business executives to seek and explore collaborative chances in the joint trade fairs.

The Vietnamese official recommended that Israeli companies come and focus their investment in agriculture, high-tech agriculture, material industry, information and technology, green production, clean production, and industrial infrastructure development.

In exchange, he said that Vietnam needs Israeli businesses to share their experiences and abilities in the digital economy, digital transformation, and energy transition.

On his part, Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat agreed to continue cooperation activities, enhance trade promotions, and facilitate good conditions for the operation of Vietnamese and Israeli enterprises.

The Israeli official hoped to maximize the effects of the VIFTA when it takes full effect.

The two ministers said that the high-quality, comprehensive VIFTA would strengthen the Vietnam-Israel trading and economic relations by removing export tariffs, easing non-tariff barriers, and improving trade, services, and investment.

Israel is one of its major trade partners with Vietnam. The former is the third largest export market and the fifth largest trade partner to the latter in the West Asia region.

In 2022, Vietnam and Israel saw bilateral trade values increase by nearly 18% on-year to US$2.2 billion. Of the figure, Vietnam exported US$785.7 million worth of goods and services to Israel, while imports from Israel were worth US$1.4 billion.

Major Vietnamese exports included smartphones and finished components, aquatic and agricultural produce, footwear, and textile and garments.

Hanoi Times
Representatives from around 180 Japanese businesses and investors on April 1 attended a Tokyo workshop on Vietnamese real estate, during which many of them highly appreciated the potential of Vietnams property market.

The event was organised by Vinhomes - the largest commercial real estate developer in Vietnam - in collaboration with the Vietnam Groove Real Estate Business Investment JSC, with the aim of giving Japanese investors an overview of the Vietnamese real estate market.

Counsellor Tran Thi Thu Thin at the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan affirmed that the Vietnamese Government in general and the embassy in particular will always accompany and create favourable conditions for Japanese enterprises to make successful, sustainable and long-term investment in Vietnam, thus contributing to bringing the two countries relations to a new height.

Within the framework of the workshop, presentations and discussions were held to introduce investment potential and opportunities in Vietnam's property market, and to answer Japanese investors questions on the process and procedures for investment in real estate in the Southeast Asian nation.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondents in Tokyo, Nobuaki Higashi, head of the Overseas Business Department of Nomura Real Estate Development, said that his company appreciated the Vietnamese property market's potential, as the country achieved a high economic growth, at around 8.2% last year, and is in the golden population period.

Sharing the same view, Shin Aoki, an official from Japans Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), expressed his belief that there are more and more Japanese firms investing in Vietnam.

The UR is studying to cooperate with Vietnamese businesses to invest in apartments and housing in the coming time, and in townhouses and hotels in the future, he added.

vir
Japan will restrict the overseas sale of chip manufacturing equipment, joining the United States and the Netherlands in curbing the export of key technology to China.

The country announced Friday it would tighten exports of 23 types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The rules will take effect in July, according to Japans minister of economy, trade and industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura.

The ministry said it would require stricter procedures to export to about 160 destinations such as China, while 42 territories  including the United States, South Korea and Taiwan  are recognized by Japan as having adequate export controls in place.

All exports to countries not formally recognized will now require approval from the Japanese trade ministry, it added.

At a press conference, Nishimura said the new measures were aimed at preventing the equipment from being diverted for military use.

We will fulfill our responsibilities in the international community as a technology-owning country and contribute to maintaining international peace and security, he told reporters.

Source: CNN
To enhance its competitiveness and weather difficulties, Vietnam's shrimp industry is exerting stronger efforts and capitalising on every advantage to develop, according to insiders.

Businesses in the shrimp industry faced numerous difficulties in 2022 such as a lack of information about the global shrimp sector, certificate of origin issues, and high production costs. Currently, they are striving to secure better growth this year.

Having won favour with global consumers, shrimp products in Vietnam now have a new advantage as farming zones have been granted production unit codes and quality certificates, including VietGAP and GlobalGAP.

Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the ministry has asked businesses and farmers in the industry to fully comply with legal regulations on aquaculture, food safety, and animal health, including the Law on Fisheries. They were also requested to make production plans in case of drought, saltwater intrusion, environmental changes, diseases, and high input costs.

Aside from certified farming zones and incentives for farmers and enterprises to produce quality products, free trade agreements also give Vietnamese shrimp a competitive edge.

Some fishery experts said that under the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which came into force on August 1, 2020, import tariffs on most of Vietnamese goods, including shrimp products, have gradually been removed. The deal has provided a legal basis and also an opportunity for businesses to boost healthy and fair operations in European countries.

In addition, the success in entering demanding markets is also partly attributed to the development of ecological and organic shrimp products.

Ecological shrimp farming has developed mainly in mangrove forest areas where farmers only need to release shrimplets, monitor weather conditions, and ensure suitable salinity.

Thanks to favourable legal procedures and organic certification, shrimp products from eco-farming have been sold well in many markets.

Huynh Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Peoples Committee of the southernmost province of Ca Mau, which is home to the largest ecological shrimp farming area in Vietnam, said thanks to their quality, local shrimp products have managed to enter Europe, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and Japan.

Exports to Europe have grown 41%, Australia 85%, Canada 23%, the Republic of Korea 14%, and Japan 13%. These are positive signs for promoting the role of eco-shrimp products, he noted.

Tien said that apart from boosting exports and adherence to quality standards like VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), businesses should also make use of the domestic market to promote the stature of domestically produced shrimp. That will help the industry achieve this years export target of 4.3 billion USD./.

Source: VietnamPlus
BEIJING, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily: China's leading innovation hub pledged on Thursday to have "a long-term strategy" for its cooperation with Japan, and announced new incentives aimed at attracting more investment as the number of Japanese-funded enterprises in China's technological region passed 700.

Suzhou New District, in Jiangsu province, hosts a spring event on cooperation and exchanges with Japan on March 30 in Tokyo, Japan, celebrating Japanese-funded enterprises in the SND passed 700.

Mao Wei, Party chief of Suzhou New District, or SND, in Jiangsu province, made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese entrepreneurs in Tokyo.

"We will take cooperation with Japan as a long-term strategy for the development of the SND and we look forward to sharing with our Japanese friends the opportunities of openness, industrialization, innovation and green development," said Mao.

As one of China's first national high-tech zones, the SND has pursued developing high technology and achieving industrialization for the past three decades.

Data showed that the number of Japanese-funded enterprises in the SND has reached 703, with a total investment of over $20 billion, accounting for one-third of such enterprises in Suzhou. Among them, there are 18 Fortune Global 500 companies.

"It is because of this (innovation-driven strategy) and others that we could achieve creating nearly 8 percent of Suzhou's economic output with only 2.5 percent of the land area," Mao said.

The SND had carried out a series of initiatives to improve the quality and efficiency of services for Japanese companies.

"We will take the breakthrough of 700 Japanese-funded enterprises as a new starting point, focus on creating a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment to improve the long-term service mechanism, and provide professional and high-quality services for the investment and development of Japanese enterprises," Mao said, adding that companies that invest in the SND will be eligible for a range of benefits, including tax credits and grants.

Yuji Kokubo, a developer of neutron generators, said it chose to invest in the SND because it has a complete upstream and downstream industrial chain, a sound policy support system, a good financial business with upgraded industrial infrastructure and a professional service team.

Toshiaki Takeuchi, chairman of Nihon Dempa Kogyo, a crystal devices producer that set up the first wholly foreign-owned factory in the SND, said: "I have been deeply involved in the development of the SND for 29 years. During this period, I have received warm support from the government."

Source: China Daily
HCMC  After seven years and 12 rounds of negotiations over a free trade agreement, Vietnam and Israel have finally reached a mutually beneficial deal.

The two countries will have to finalize regulatory issues to prepare for the execution of the Vietnam-Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA), expected to take place this year.

The Vietnam News Agency reported that the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) and the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry had officially announced the conclusion of VIFTA talks.

As bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing strongly, VIFTA will benefit both Vietnam and Israel.

Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien proposed strengthening the coordination between ministries, departments, industries and businesses of the two countries to boost trade and investment ties.

Israeli businesses are encouraged to invest in Vietnam in sectors such as industry, hi-tech agriculture, materials, information technology, green production and infrastructure development, said the minister.

The Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, is committed to enhancing trade promotion and creating favorable conditions for businesses of the two countries to step up trade and investment cooperation as soon as VIFTA comes into force.

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trades portal showed that Israel is one of Vietnams most important trade partners as this country was the third largest buyer and the fifth trade partner of Vietnam in West Asia.

Last year, two-way trade between Vietnam and Israel reached US$2.2 billion, of which Vietnams exports to Israel accounted for US$785.7 million.
Vietnams tourism industry has grown rapidly over the past decade, with the country attracting millions of tourists from around the world each year.

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In 2019 alone, Vietnam welcomed over 18 million international visitors, contributing to the countrys economic growth and development. However, with this growth comes the challenge of managing the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities. One potential solution that has been implemented in other countries is a tourist tax, such as the Visitax in Mexico. Should Vietnam, that is very famous in Mexico, consider a similar tourist tax to manage the impact of tourism on its economy and environment?

What is the Visitax and how does it work?

The Visitax is a tourist tax that was introduced in Mexico in 2019. The tax is a flat rate and applies to all foreign tourists visiting the country. The revenue generated from the Visitax is used to fund tourism infrastructure, including the maintenance of historical and cultural sites, as well as conservation efforts.

Should Vietnam consider a similar tourist tax?

One argument in favor of a tourist tax in Vietnam is that it could provide a sustainable source of funding for the countrys tourism industry. The revenue generated could be used to improve tourism infrastructure, preserve historical and cultural sites, and fund conservation efforts. This could ultimately lead to a better tourist experience and a more sustainable industry in the long term.

Another benefit of a tourist tax is that it could help to manage the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities. By generating revenue from tourists, the government could invest in sustainable tourism practices and mitigate the negative impacts of tourism on natural resources and local communities.

However, there are also potential drawbacks to implementing a tourist tax in Vietnam. One concern is that it could make the country less competitive as a tourist destination, as tourists may opt for other destinations with lower taxes. Additionally, the cost of the tax may disproportionately affect lower-income tourists, who may be less likely to visit Vietnam if they are required to pay an additional fee.

Conclusion

The decision to implement a tourist tax in Vietnam is a complex one, with both potential benefits and drawbacks to consider. While a tourist tax could provide a sustainable source of funding for the tourism industry and help to manage the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities, it may also make the country less competitive as a tourist destination and disproportionately affect lower-income tourists. Ultimately, the decision should be based on a careful consideration of the costs and benefits and a thorough analysis of the potential impact on the tourism industry and local communities.
Ramesh Subramaniam - Director general Southeast Asia Department Asian Development Bank (left) and James Villafuerte - Principal economist Southeast Asia Department Asian Development Bank

But we cannot view ASEANs relative strength in the past three years as a reason for complacency. The pandemic and other shocks like the conflict in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions, and climate change exposed weaknesses in ASEANs global value chains (GVCs). Ignoring these risks could reduce the immense benefits ASEAN has gained from global trade and the resilience it continues to build.

Historically, ASEAN has always ridden out crises with an appropriate mix of good policy and market reforms, increasing external trade, and foreign direct investment. GVC links  the cross-border production networks that bring a product or service from conception to market  expanded and deepened as multinational corporations and offshore suppliers flocked to the regions manufacturing and assembly base, with its young and vibrant workers and better access to technology, knowledge, and innovation.

In fact, Southeast Asias GVC links weathered the pandemic better than expected. Agile businesses quickly shifted from just-in-time to just-in-case inventories and diversified suppliers and delivery routes. For example, many manufacturers in the region repurposed their plants to produce personal protective equipment and disinfectants to respond to their rising demand.

By 2021, GVC participation in the region had rebounded, topping 2019 levels. Machinery chains surged, followed by medium- and high-tech manufacturing and the business services most integrated into them. Government stimulus helped, along with easing mobility restrictions, strong consumer demand, surging e-commerce, and increased trade with China, South Korea, and Japan.

Jobs also played a strong role. More than one in four Southeast Asia jobs are linked to GVCs. In 2021, 76 million workers in nine Southeast Asia economies held GVC-related jobs, seven million more than in 2020. Many cite GVCs as a major factor driving the regions 2021 recovery.

However, the pandemic response also altered the regions competitive advantage based on cheap labour. This bedrock of GVC production needs to evolve to include the new skills needed in an increasingly technology-driven and environmentally sensitive world.

During the pandemic, consumers and businesses scrambled to overcome restrictions by adopting digital technologies and e-commerce. And these accelerated shifts will continue to transform GVC production and marketing. Reforms must therefore be paired with creativity, soft skills, and new business models, especially digitalisation. ASEAN needs to transform itself into a technology and knowledge hub.

It can only do this, however, if it creates a workforce with the right skill set. Governments urgently need comprehensive innovation and training policies. These should balance smart regulation, high-quality digital infrastructure, green growth, and investment across a broad range of skills development to allow workers to shift to higher value-added GVC jobs.

Another challenge is to ensure the recovery and future growth is green. GVCs must adapt and adjust to ensure they are environmentally sustainable. As a global factory for the world, more trade and deeper GVCs mean greater emissions and environmental damage. The region emits more greenhouse gases during production than most similar-sized regions.

Authorities need to consider climate goals in every policy, plan, and project. Investments in renewable energy and improved efficiency in linking power to consumption should be mandatory. Value chains should be simplified and shortened to promote economic, social, and environmental objectives.

Effective incentives are needed to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, set realistic carbon prices, plug carbon leakage, stamp energy labels on imported goods, and reduce trading costs for climate-smart and environment-friendly goods. Reforms are also needed to promote the application of digital technology in trade and transport systems to mitigate their carbon footprints.

Geopolitical tensions are drastically changing the type and tone of trade and investment policies among major trading partners. Regrettably, support for a more open, rules-based system has suffered. All these could unleash changes that disrupt Southeast Asias GVC links and progress.

To counter this new wave of challenges, ASEAN GVCs should evolve to become more green, enable firms to use greater technology, and train workers to shift to higher skills. It should better leverage intra-regional cooperation to seize new opportunities for regional and global integration. And it should keep borders open for trade  the only proven way to diversify and boost access to products, services, and business partners.

GVCs have helped ASEAN bring greater prosperity to its people. By embracing the right reforms, they will continue to do so.

Upgrading Vietnams export-led growth model Vietnams successful export-led development model was built chiefly on the low-value-added manufacturing sector. This strategy led to steady foreign direct investment inflows that rose from $2.4 billion in 2000 to $20 billion disbursed investment by 2020, mostly in manufacturing exports. As a result, the share of the manufacturing sector in GDP (as measured by value addition) rose from 17 per cent in 2010 to 24 per cent in 2020. The share of employment in the industrial sector grew from 21.7 per cent in 2010 to 32.6 per cent in 2020. Reflecting this economic transformation, the share of manufacturing exports rose from 82 per cent in 2010 to 96 per cent in 2020, fuelled by both a population dividend and Vietnams integration into the global economy, including its membership in 15 active free trade agreements and various global value chains for garments, shoes, and electronics. However, after a solid run, the traditional drivers of growth  accumulation of physical capital, demographic dividend, and manufacturing expansion, mostly in labour-intensive low-valued added sectors  are gradually running out of steam. The government developed the Socioeconomic Development Strategy for 2021-2030, where growth would be driven by increased value addition from productivity gains powered by the digital revolution, more efficient and greener technology, and the use of new and existing assets and resources. Increasing value addition in the industrialisation process would entail more servicification of manufacturing, as well as further development of enabling services sectors, including logistics, transport, financial sector services, and strengthening education services to build the necessary skills in future workers. In Vietnam, enhancing the sustainability of growth in the medium to long term will depend on deep structural reforms. Regulatory reforms would improve the business environment and spur business formalisation and competition, which would lift productivity growth and help further develop the domestic private sector to respond to demand from a growing middle class. These reforms could ensure resources go to the most productive firms by reforming the insolvency framework. They can also include measures to improve productivity of firms through more and more inclusive access to finance. Source: World Bank and ILO data

Central banks in ASEAN discuss economic priorities The ASEAN Central Bank Deputies Meeting (ACDM) took place on March 28 in Indonesia to discuss the priority economic deliverables (PEDs) in 2023.

ASEAN faces challenge in financial exclusion: Indonesian minister Indonesian Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani said on March 29 that financial exclusion remains a major challenge and also a crucial factor in ASEAN countries' economies, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

ASEAN looks towards net zero emissions The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility jointly held the Southeast Asia Development Symposium themed Imagining a net-zero ASEAN in Indonesias Bali on March 30.

High-level ASEAN seminar talks aligning policies for climate transition As part of the first ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM) 2023 in Bali on March 30, Indonesia organised a high-level seminar themed Aligning Policies for Climate Transition to support the message of sustainable development, one of the ASEAN priority economic deliverables (PED) this year.
Ho Chi Minh City Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank has announced its 2022 financial statements audited by PwC. For the first time, the bank posted before-tax profits of VND10.26 trillion ($437.24 million), fulfilling 105 per cent of the year's plan. The non-performing loans ratio was low, while operational safety indicators were among the best in the industry.

In 2022, HDBank recorded a total operating income of nearly $937.5 milllion, up 31.1 per cent over the same period last year. Credit activities along with services, cards, and digital banking also posted the high growth. The number of issued credit cards quadrupled while the value of card transactions tripled against last year. the number of e-banking transactions doubled with their value growing by six times to $32.39 million.

Consolidated pre-tax profit in 2022 reached $438 million, up 27.2 per cent compared to 2021 and fulfilling 105 per cent of the profit plan assigned by shareholders. The bank also recorded higher Return On Equity and Return On Assets than last year, at 23.5 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively.

HDBank's audited financial statements for 2022 also recorded a separate bad debt ratio of only 1.3 per cent and a consolidated bad debt ratio of 1.67 per cent. The bank's bed debt is low compared to the whole industry thanks to selective credit policy and effective risk management. The capital adequacy ratio according to Basel II reached 13.4 per cent, making HDBank among the group of banks with the highest capital adequacy.

The bank's total consolidated assets were worth nearly $17.74 million, up 11.1 per cent against the end of 2021. Outstanding loans topped $11.41 billion, an increase of 25.6 per cent.

HDBanks lending portfolio focuses on priority sectors and those that are key contributors to economic growth such as agriculture and rural development, SMEs, supply and distribution chains, green financing, and small business households.

HDBank owns only $183.19 million worth of corporate bonds, equivalent to just 1.6 per cent of total outstanding loans. The bonds all have mortgaged assets backing them and have been paid on time and fully. HDBank also has a low real estate loan rate of 7.9 per cent of total outstanding loans.

As of December 31, 2022, HDBank had 347 branches and transaction offices and nearly 24,500 financial transaction points. The bank and its subsidiaries have 16,326 employees, excluding around 2,000 security guards, with average earnings of $1,137 a month, 37.6 per cent higher than a year earlier.

The total remuneration for directors decreased to $357,980 from $464.522. Some HDBank leaders took voluntary cuts or used their remuneration for social activities.

In 2022, HDBank was honoured with 24 prestigious awards and titles from domestic and international organisations. The bank received the Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister, the Emulation Flag of the State Bank of Vietnam, and the Certificate of Merit from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City due to its great contribution to the state budget.

In addition, HDBank was recognised among Top 50 Prestigious and Effective Public Companies in 2022, Top 10 prestigious commercial banks in 2022, as well as Top 5 prestigious joint-stock commercial banks. Forbes magazine also named HDBank among the top financial institutions in Viet Nam.

Despite market fluctuations, the positive performance results once again affirm HDBank's ability to sail through challenges. The bank will continue to maintain high growth in what was a pivotal year with its new development strategy in terms of both scale and quality in the coming years.

HDBank welcomes new chairman HDBank has announced a resolution by its Board of Directors to elect Kim Byoungho  an independent member  as chairman with effect from April 29. The plan is to help take the bank into a new stage of development and stronger integration.

HDBank's profit before tax exceeds $240 million HDBank's profit before tax for the first half of the year exceeded $240 million, fulfilling 54 per cent of its annual budget. Its separate non-performing loan (NPL) ratio was only 0.93 per cent.

HDbank to participate in the credit institution restructuring programme With experience in the successful restructuring of credit institutions and its pioneering spirit, HDBank is getting involved in the compulsory transfer of weak credit institutions.
Indian billionaire couple Tuisha Seksaria and Gaurav Palrecha tied the knot at the Sheraton Grand Danang Resort & Convention Center in 2023. Photo: Veydaa Events

Vietnams natural wonders and amazing landscapes in Halong Bay and in Danang have become a glorious backdrop for several Indian weddings since the beginning of the year.

High-end resorts and luxury cruises in the two popular destinations have carried out top-dollar contracts for Indian weddings with an average of 400-700 guests  who often stay in the country for up to a week.

We see significant growth in the Indian market for the luxury travel industry," said David Ippersiel, general manager of Sheraton Danang.

Particularly in the last three months, Sheraton Grand Danang Resort & Convention Center has had the opportunity to welcome more than 700 Indian guests, which accounts for nearly a fifth of the total number of visitors it has served in the first months of the year.

"Almost half of these guests were from the Indian wedding group that we were honoured to host in January, Ippersiel added.

The Indian market is a rapidly growing one for Vietnam. In 2019 alone, 30 million Indian tourists travelled abroad, and Southeast Asia is ranked one of their top destinations. With the current growth rate, Ippersiel is confident that Danang can attract more Indian visitors in the near future, especially independent travellers during the summer and festival season later in the year.

If understood and serviced well, this will be a market that brings a lot of value to Vietnam's tourism industry, he noted.

In Halong, a super wedding was also held in February, with the ceremony taking place at Vinpearl Resort and Spa. Accompanying the couple were more than 500 guests, all of whom flew in from India for the occasion.

Getting outside of India and away from normalcy, friends and families revel in the special atmosphere. Photo: Veydaa Events



Satish Ramnani, director of Veydaa Events Co., explained that destination weddings like those in Halong and Danang are popular for wealthy Indian people because they can afford to invite a very select group of close family and friends to a beautiful destination, while offering them a unique experience which is not available in India.

"Getting outside of India and away from normalcy, friends and families revel in the special atmosphere. If there is a great place with a lot to offer, somewhere new and unique, thats where they want to go," he said.

Ramnani, who has organised close to 300 weddings in various destinations over the past 15 years, added that the numbers are only increasing. He said that there will be likely three more weddings he will bring into Vietnam towards the end of this year. Vietnams natural beauty, the sufficient infrastructure, economical transportation, and a wide range of hotel choices all attract wealthy Indian visitors, he added.

However, the language barrier, challenges with Indian food, problematic infrastructure, and a lack of attention to detail in regard to production could cause trouble further down the line.

With a large wedding, there are multiple vendors and companies involved, and the language barrier has been the main challenge and concern  even when using translators," Ramnani explained.

Secondly, local companies involved need to understand and pay attention to details such as different fabrics, decor, and taste.

"There are few production companies and I find them very expensive compared with those in India. If I'm making a costly structure, the idea is to reuse it multiple times. So, there has to be more organisational know-how and better inventory. Production is one of the key areas that requires a huge chunk of the overall budget, so that is something local companies and vendors have to really work hard on to tap this market, Ramnani said.

To gain more Indian tourists in Vietnam, Ippersiel suggested a collaboration with the government and other stakeholders.

"We will need to organise more in-depth cultural activities and festivals, as well as restore facilities and improve services at existing historical and spiritual sites. We will also need to cooperate with travel agents specialising in luxury tours from India in order to design more customised trips," he said.

"We will need to organise more in-depth cultural activities and festivals, as well as restore facilities and improve services at existing historical and spiritual sites," said David Ippersiel, general manager of Sheraton Danang.

"Resorts must also develop high-end spa, butler, and food services to better cater to the personalised tastes of Indian guests," he added.

To obtain an e-visa to enter Vietnam, Ramnani said Indian tourists currently have to wait a few working days.

"I would encourage Vietnam to provide visa-on-arrival for Indian tourists, like Thailand and Cambodia do. It would really help Vietnam to boost its traffic," he said.

India's phenomenal rise has created both millionaires and billionaires. According to the International Monetary Fund, Indias GDP grew by 6.8 per cent last year and the South Asian country has overtaken the UK to become the worlds fifth-biggest economy.

According to the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam, on average, each Indian visitor spends about $1,200 per trip, which is higher than British and Americans at $500-$700. Indian tourists also spend four times more than those from China and Japan.

They have a habit of staying at tourist destinations for a long time, generally around 12-15 days. Indian weddings normally span 10-15 days, and they frequently celebrate for a further 3-5 days in the country. During this time, families and guests for a wedding could book out an entire 5-star resort for the celebration.

Before 2020's restrictions, enormous Indian weddings started making waves at Vietnams most luxurious destinations. For example, in March 2019, the extravagant wedding ceremony in Phu Quoc between Kaabia Grewal, co-founder of a luxury fashion jewellery line, and Rushang Shah, son of the founder of US-based Embassy National Bank, was covered intensively by the Vietnamese media.

Attracting Indian tourists The number of Indian tourists to Vietnam saw impressive growth in 2022, and it is expected to accelerate further.

Common trade goals pulling India and Vietnam closer Advantages under the regional trade agreements between ASEAN and India could be a key driver of an increase in both countries trade turnover, and in Indian investment into the Southeast Asian market.

Vietnam Airlines to increase Vietnam-India flights by 30 per cent Vietnam Airlines will operate one flight per day between Vietnam and India from March 26, raising the number of its flights between the two countries by 30 per cent compared to the present.
The notion of conducting an official development assistance (ODA) project on the construction of an industrial cluster concentrating on waste treatment in Vietnam, from which to undertake information exchange and technology transfer between the two countries, was offered on March 31 by Kum Han Seung, the South Korean Minister of Environment.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Tuong Van and Deputy Minister Kum Han Seung. Photo: Ministry of Construction

Similar to Vietnam, South Korea had a period of fast economic expansion and addressed environmental issues by modifying its policies. Deputy Minister Seung said that based on this experience, South Korea is ready to help Vietnam secure the attainment of shared global objectives.

Early in December, Vietnam and South Korea created a comprehensive strategic alliance. At the 19th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for Economic-Commercial and Scientific-Technological Cooperation in October, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) stated that ODA and subsidies will be prioritised for healthcare, climate change, poverty alleviation, education and training, and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Vietnam is Korea's top-priority partner for development assistance, receiving around 20 per cent of Korea's overall funding in this area. According to the MPI, South Korea's yearly aid to Vietnam exceeds $500 million, of which 90 per cent is official development assistance and 10 per cent is grant aid.

According to MPI data, South Korea has pledged to offer Vietnam roughly $3.75 billion in ODA loans since the end of 2020, and there are presently 22 active projects employing this financing, totalling around $1.3 billion.

As pledged by the Vietnamese prime minister at COP26, Vietnam is advancing towards green and clean technology to realise the goals of green growth and zero emissions by 2050.

According to research from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, rubbish generated within homes in metropolitan areas grew by 10-16 per cent between 2016 and 2020. It totals around 35,600 metric tonnes per day, which accounts for about 55 per cent of the total across the nation.

According to this data, 71 per cent of the volume is handled by burial, 16 per cent is treated at composting facilities, and 13 per cent is burned.

Deputy PM advises Samsung to invest more in Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai received President of the Republic of Korea (RoK)s Samsung Electronics Park Hark Kyu in Hanoi on January 13 and suggested that the Korean firm expand its investment in Vietnam to tap opportunities from the sound partnership between the two countries in all fields.

Trade between Vietnam and Korea surges by $9 billion According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), bilateral trade between Vietnam and South Korea in 2022 exceeded about $87 billion, nearly $9 billion more than the previous year's total of $78.1 billion.
BRUSSELS  The blue-and-white Finnish flag will rise outside NATO headquarters Tuesday afternoon, making Finland a member and doubling Russias border with the worlds biggest security alliance.

The move is a strategic and political blow to President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATOs expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for his countrys war with Ukraine.

What we see is that President Putin went to war against Ukraine with a declared aim to get less NATO, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Hes getting the exact opposite.

Like all NATO members, Finland will benefit from the collective security guarantee that an attack on one is considered an attack on all.

NATO has said that it has no immediate intention to step up its presence in Finland. Some members have deployed troops there for war games over the last year.

Russia immediately warned that it would bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.

Finland has substantial, well-trained armed forces with elite troops capable of operating in the sub-zero temperatures of the high north. The Nordic country also has a large reserve army and is investing heavily in new equipment, including dozens of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

The Finnish flag rising between the French and the Estonian in a ceremony scheduled for 1330 GMT will complete the fastest accession process in the organizations recent history.

Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022. Neighboring Sweden also applied, but its accession process will take longer.

The ceremony falls on NATOs very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949.

It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole, Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday on the eve of a meeting of alliances foreign ministers in Brussels.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that Moscow would bolster its own forces in case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Grushko said, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency, although Russia is already having trouble marshaling forces against far-smaller Ukraine.

Finland shares a 832-mile border with Russia and unlike most members of the alliance, Finland did not cut defense spending and investment after the Cold War.

They have trained and built a large army over many years and maintain that high level of readiness. Finland is also a country with extremely high level of resilience, of preparedness throughout the whole society, Stoltenberg said.

The country also helps to complete NATOs geographical puzzle by filling in a major gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in Europes north.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand the official document enshrining its approval to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

NATOs top civilian official said he will then invite Finland to hand over its own signed documents, to complete the procedure.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the flag-raising ceremony along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATOs support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression, Haavisto said in a statement. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.

Left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin had championed her countrys NATO accession, and lost a chance at another term over the weekend, but joining NATO was widely popular and not seen as a factor in her loss.

Lars Kahre, an entrepreneur from Helsinki, said the countrys decision to abandon its military non-alignment was caused by the changes in Europe over the last year.

For a long time, we have been relying on our independence and neutrality and now we just realize that thats not the path of the future, he told The Associated Press. Now we need to look for new options for the future.

All 30 allies signed Finlands and Swedens accession protocols soon after they applied. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably to crack down on Kurdish groups. Hungarys demands have never been explicit.

NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join, and the vast majority of members are keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts hold their next summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member, Stoltenberg said, and he urged Turkey to quickly ratify the countrys accession protocol, saying: my position is that Sweden has delivered on the commitments they made.

Finland's NATO membership ACCEPTANCE LETTERS INVITATION SIGNATURES FULL MEMBERSHIP FINLAND-SWEDEN
For those interested in taking part in some of the worlds finest, organized aviation photography adventures, it is hard to imagine a finer team to work with than Rich Cooper and Steven Comber at the Centre of Aviation Photography. Better known as COAP, the team features a broad tapestry of exclusive opportunities across the globe for aviation enthusiasts to photograph their favorite subjects (whether ancient or modern) in magnificent settings from the air or on the ground. COAP recently organized a series of marvelous photo-sorties in Americas southwest, and we feel very fortunate to be able to share the following story and images

Privateering Over the Desert  COAP Action Report

by Richard Cooper with images from Steven Comber

Arizona is aviation rich. COAP was based out here for a week to undertake a number of air-to-air projects with owners and operators around the Phoenix area. Arranging and executing such flights is a logistics mountain, sprinkled with luck. I could list the barriers and challenges that need to be overcome, but there are just too many. You have to be professional, flexible and comfortable with uncertainty at every step. Nothing is guaranteed. Ever.

Our team based ourselves in Goodyear and worked our network along with Arizona-based Joe Copalman to establish a broad subject base. Wed made the decision early on not to work with the military this time, but concentrate on warbirds and contractors. Super pro guys that just love flying and have interesting stories to tell.

Our first day of action (after a relaxed couple of days visiting Flabob and Palm Springs) saw us climb aboard a Dillon Aero AB412. The dark gray beast headed out into the desert to drop us where no man had set foot to shoot their gunship testbed down low amongst the Arizona cacti.

The next day we strapped into a Caravan at Buckeye and launched to Casa Grande to brief the jovial crew of the Privateer, maintained and operated by Goshawk Unlimited. The field is out in the desert, yet had an oasis feel to it all. The briefing was smooth and the route was set for some stunning mountain backdrops. Its an absolute monster of a warbird that makes you smile and shake your head at every angle you look at her. With the weather having been so bad over here, there was a lot of colour on the ground, with the bulky silver machine standing out nicely against such a dramatic backdrop. Despite her massive size, the Privateer was surprisingly responsive and spritely in the air, diving around Mount Lemon and defying her age; a super experienced crew showing their mastery.

The next sortie was a mammoth orchestra of four sessions in two airspace locations involving four different aircraft. First up was the Dillon-owned T-33 in a strikingly colourful USAF Thunderbirds scheme. We positioned him over Lake Pleasant to make those details really stand out, with Steve Comber calling the shots to get the light and the backgrounds to match the beauty of the scene. Superb flying! Its all about the photography. Always!

The T-bird was then joined by Red Thunder with their two Yak-50s. Stunning! A beautiful flight, expertly flown. Looking down on the camouflage patterns against the desert fingers crawling into the lake below, it could have been a different planet. Extraordinary scenes.

The plush meter turned up a notch in terms of aviation for the third and final subject, with a gorgeous Learjet joining over the Estrellas mountains. One of the challenges in aerial photography is the often-found differential in airspeed and throttle response between the photo-ship and subject aircraft. This join took careful management for such an unusual subject, which darted smooth, white gold through the jagged rock faces.

We had planned two additional air-to-air photo flights that week, but sadly these did not materialise due to a handful of things on the What Could Ruin Your Day list. But we solidified these sorties for later in the year. Its not all about the flying either. Wed just come off the back of three extensive bought shoots in the UK preservation scene, which continued at the Pima Air & Space Museum  honestly one of our favourite places in the world.

Aaaand its not just about the aircraft, either. It may be a cliche, but the people you meet, the beers you raise and the steaks you savour together as a team are priceless. and thats what COAP is all about. The absolute best of both worlds.

So whats next? Well be back in the States in May, visiting the Seattle area and also engaging with the incredible Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. After that, itll be the fall, with a return to California, Nevada and Arizona in November for yet another journey of epic proportions!
Q: Why was New Amsterdam canceled? It was a smart and well-made program.

A: Several factors came into play, as Deadline.com reported last year when it was announced that the fifth season would be the last. Ratings had declined, for one thing, and that was more of a problem because the show was relatively expensive. Its ratings suffered partly from what Deadline called air-pattern challenges, meaning that events such as the Olympics and special programming kept it from airing week after week. The COVID-19 pandemic also threw a wrench into production. And there were signs of a creative decline, with one critic lamenting that the fourth and fifth seasons declined from the series that was so great in its earliest stages.

Q: I was watching the first episode of Season 3 of Superman & Lois and noticed that their son Jonathan Kent has been switched out for someone new. What happened?

A: Jordan Elsass, who played Jonathan during the first two seasons of the CW series, departed for what the studio called personal reasons. In June 2022, not long before the announcement of his leaving Superman & Lois, Elsass said in an Instagram post, Ive been struggling recently with a number of things all pretty much revolving around mental health and well-being, and he was getting help. Australian actor Michael Bishop now plays Jonathan Kent.

Q: Do you recall a show from 30-plus years ago where Tony Randall played a judge?

A: I do. It was The Tony Randall Show, which aired on ABC and then CBS from 1976 to 1978. (The Odd Couple, which so memorably starred Randall and Jack Klugman, had ended in 1975 after five seasons.) Randall played a widowed Philadelphia judge, Walter Franklin, serious about his work, sometimes a bit stuffy, but kind at heart, according to one reference book. The show came from MTM, home to The Mary Tyler Moore Show and other gems.

The Randall show was good work, and it deserved a better fate, then-MTM leader Grant Tinker said in his memoir, but off-camera conflicts led to its too-soon demise. By the way, just as Superman & Lois saw a change in its acting family, The Tony Randall Show underwent one: Devon Scott played Franklins daughter during its season on ABC, and Penny Peyser took on the role when it moved to CBS.

Q: Back in the 1980s, a local station broadcast a movie in prime time without commercials called Threads. It was a British movie about nuclear war and its aftermath in Europe. Given the situation with Russia today, I was wondering where a copy of that movie might be now.

A: Threads originally aired in 1984 and was one of several dramas about nuclear war in that period; others included The Day After and Testament, both in 1983. While it starts slowly, "Threads" is an especially graphic rendering of the physical impact of such a war. I watched it again recently on streaming service Tubi (with commercials). Other streamers listing it include Shudder and Kanopy; it is also for rent on Prime Video and for sale on DVD and Blu-ray.
CHARLES CITY  Authorities are pursuing federal charges for an Arizona man who was found with more than 2 pounds of crystal meth during a traffic stop in Floyd County.

An agent with the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement filed a criminal complaint on Friday seeking to charge John Trinindad Qualls, 42, of Tucson, with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Qualls is currently in the Floyd County Jail in Charles City.

According to court records, a Floyd County sheriffs deputy stopped Qualls Chevrolet Cruze on Highway 18 for going 88 mph in a 65 mph zone around 3 a.m. on Dec. 31. Officers found two bags totaling about 2.5 pounds of meth in the vehicle, records state.

Qualls told police he was traveling from Michigan to Clear Lake when he was pulled over. He was initially detained on state drug charges in the traffic stop.
WATERLOO  Police are investigating the possibility a car was intentionally set on fire early Sunday morning in the 400 block of Oneida Street.

A black 2013 Chevy Equinox was fully engulfed in flames when Waterloo Police and Waterloo Fire Rescue responded to the call at 1:04 a.m. near 425 Oneida St. from someone who was passing by the vehicle. First responders put out the fire and had the vehicle towed and impounded.
CEDAR FALLS  The Waterloo Christian School faithful gathered inside the Diamond Event Center for a Saturday night gala to reflect upon a significant milestone in the school's history.

Waterloo Christian marks 50 years of existence this year, and Head of School Ryan Hall took to the podium to give more than 300 attendees a glimpse into the past of the school formerly known as Walnut Ridge Baptist Academy, as well as set expectations for whats to come in the decades to follow.

Five decades ago, on April 1, 1973, a Walnut Ridge Christian Church committee held its third meeting to discuss plans for the future school, initially grades seven through 12. One of those members, Rich Hunter, happened to be at the gala.

Thirty students were enrolled for the first year, 80 in the next, before a decision was made in year three, 1975, to expand the school to kindergarten through 12th grade.

We wont go through every historical milestone of the next 47 years, but I think our history can best be described in this way: A long list of moments and decisions that required Waterloo Christian School to step out in faith, said Hall in prepared remarks.

What God asks of us in 2023 is no different than it was in 1973. To step out in faith. We do have one distinct advantage. We have 50 years of school history. And that history speaks over and over and over again of Gods good protection and provision.

He said the gala marked the beginning of a one-year celebration, not of man or of the school, but of God's work through Waterloo Christian School "and the work that he will continue to do."

"Its just our joy and privilege to be a small part of it. And you are a part of that work too," Hall told the gathering. "Whether that be through prayer, service, or generosity, you are a part of his work.

The school, now offering pre-K to grade 12 at its facilities at 1307 W. Ridgeway Ave., projects its enrollment will reach 450 students next school year, 100 more than the 350 enrolled this current year with students from six counties. It is the fastest growing school in Iowa over the past five years.

That was exciting to a lot of families in attendance.

The expansion piece of it is important. My husband and I are passionate about the outreach of the Cedar Valley and the families that can be reached in a Christian manner, said Korry Peters, one of the many mothers in attendance. Were excited to watch it grow and see more families become impacted.

Hall declared finding the space for future students is one of the most monumental challenges the school will face in the years to come. One of the most difficult conversations he has with families -- or what he called the worst part of his job -- centers around telling them the school has no room for their children.

He referenced other challenges related to the future, ranging from keeping students safe and "truly" creating a family-church partnership to the benefit of the children, to hiring enough qualified teachers, as well as staying on the course of helping students know truth, pursue wisdom and serve Jesus Christ.

Part of the expected enrollment bump will come as a result of the state-funded private school financial assistance package passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in January.

Attending the school in 2023-24 will cost qualifying families just $900 out of pocket for tuition set at $8,500. Before the new law, families would have been responsible for almost the entire cost.

My hope is the school will continue to be Christ-centered, and that it will grow in numbers, and grow in spirituality while training our young people, because as the one speaker said tonight, our children are the next generation, said Glen Groothuis, a father and grandfather of children and grandchildren who've gone through the school. "What we teach our children today is whats going to be in society tomorrow."
WATERLOO  The city of Waterloos Community Development Office will be hosting a renovator, remodeling and painting class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 19 at the Waterloo HazMat Regional Training Center, 1925 Newell St.

Preregistration is required and is limited to the first 25 participants registered. Training and materials are being offered at no charge to participants who perform work that disturbs painted surfaces.

The Lead Renovator, Remodeling and Painting rule was established by the EPA in 2008 and went into effect in April 2010. It aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repairs and painting activities.

Being RRP certified and trained is a requirement for individuals, contractors, property managers and others who may perform renovations and work that will distribute painted surfaces. It applies to work in homes and apartments that were built before 1978. Anyone who is paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified.

The class is set up to protect yourself and others from the dangers of lead exposure. If you are planning on bidding on any future community development projects, such as emergency repairs, lead paint grant homes, rental rehab loans and other programs, you must be certified if the building was built before 1978.

To register, contact the Waterloo Community Development Office at (319) 291-4429 or email Matt Chesmore at matt.chesmore@waterloo-ia.org.

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NASA on Monday named the four astronauts who will fly to the moon by the end of next year, including one woman and three men.

The three Americans and one Canadian were introduced during a ceremony in Houston, home to the nation's astronauts as well as Mission Control.

"This is humanity's crew," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The four astronauts will be the first to fly NASA's Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later.

The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, will be joined by Victor Glover, an African American naval aviator; Christina Koch, who holds the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman; and Canada's Jeremy Hansen. All are space veterans except Hansen.

"This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and it's so much more than the four names that have been announced," said Glover.

This is the first moon crew to include a woman and someone not from the U.S.  and the first crew in NASA's new moon program named Artemis. Late last year, an empty Orion capsule flew to the moon and back in a long-awaited dress rehearsal.

During Apollo, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972. Twelve of them landed. All were military-trained test pilots except for Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who closed out that moonlanding era alongside the late Gene Cernan.

Provided this next 10-day moonshot goes well, NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by 2025 or so.

NASA picked from 41 active astronauts for its first Artemis crew. Canada had four candidates.

33 groundbreaking NASA missions in photographs 33 groundbreaking NASA missions in photographs Explorer 1 Apollo-Saturn Apollo 7 Apollo 8 Apollo 9 Apollo 10 Apollo 11 Apollo 12 Apollo 13 Apollo 14 Apollo 15 Apollo 16 Apollo 17 Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 Viking Voyager Interstellar Skylab Space Shuttle Shuttle-Mir Landsat Hubble Space Telescope Chandra Spitzer Space Telescope International Space Station Mars Science Laboratory Parker Solar Probe Juno OSIRIS-REx Cassini-Huygens SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket and Manned Crew Mars 2020 Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter James Webb Space Telescope
Planned Parenthood North Central States has fired two members of the elected bargaining team in charge of negotiating wages, benefits and working conditions for hundreds of newly unionized employees across five states.

The other 11 bargaining team members have received final written warnings, which says they can be terminated immediately if they violate any other policy. Its a uniquely severe form of discipline that longtime employees say they hadnt heard of before.

Workers and union leaders at SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa say the terminations and disciplinary actions are based on trumped-up claims of misconduct that amount to brazen union busting.

I think its about mitigating the power and strength of the union, said Grace Larson, who was fired from her job as a licensed practical nurse at Planned Parenthood on Tuesday.

The discipline stems from an allegation that confidential information about the organization was shared in the unions private group chat.

Planned Parenthood managers apparently obtained a copy of the unions private group chat. The workers alleged breach of confidentiality had nothing to do with patient data, but rather about a previous employees termination and an effort by management to limit workers wearing union T-shirts on the job.

The violations happened months ago, and the union hoped to keep the inner turmoil under wraps to avoid embroiling a revered progressive institution in a public spectacle when its confronting new abortion restrictions across the country.

Yet the termination of Larson for alleged retaliation has forced the issue into public view. The union has filed complaints with federal authorities at the National Labor Relations Board.

Union leaders said they hoped for a collegial negotiating process with Planned Parenthood after workers voted to unionize last July. The union represents more than 400 nurses, administrative assistants and other workers across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North and South Dakota.

The organizations new CEO, Democratic state Rep. Ruth Richardson of Mendota Heights, was endorsed by labor unions including SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa.

On her campaign website, Richardson credits her dads union with saving them from economic ruin after he was injured on the job. Unions are under attack right now, but I am committed to standing with them as they did with me and my family all those years ago, her website says.

Yet union leaders say Planned Parenthoods hardball approach is reminiscent of giant corporations like Amazon, Starbucks and Tesla, which have waged expensive campaigns to prevent the proliferation of unions among their rank-and-file workers.

Ive never seen anything like this, said Phillip Cryan, executive vice president for SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa.

It has been really concerning to see the way that the organizations leadership has decided to treat the elected members of their bargaining team in ways weve literally not seen any other employer ever do, he said.

Richardson did not respond to emails seeking comment.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood shared a statement on behalf of Molly Gage, vice president of human resources, that said the organization would not publicly comment on individual personnel matters.

Planned Parenthood North Central States leadership is committed to bargaining in good faith with SEIU and strongly disagrees with any characterization to the contrary. We support the dedicated PPNCS employees across the affiliate as they preserve abortion access for the community and provide essential education and health services, the statement said.

The discipline stems from a falling-out in the bargaining committee that started late last year.

In November, the 14-member bargaining committee was meeting with Planned Parenthood leaders at a hotel in Des Moines to negotiate a labor agreement.

One night after negotiations, Ashley Schmidt says a co-worker became belligerent, slapped her across the face and accused her of making fun of me with your mind.

April Clark, who is a Planned Parenthood training specialist, witnessed the slap and told the Reformer it was hard enough to leave a handprint.

The Reformer is not naming the individual because no charges were filed and they were unable to be reached for comment.

Schmidt, a training specialist in Nebraska and Iowa, said the slap was unprovoked and came after years of bullying on the job.

Schmidt says she initially didnt bring the incident to the attention of the rest of the bargaining team because she didnt want to distract from contract negotiations. But then the next month, Schmidt says the co-worker became verbally abusive toward Schmidts 7-year-old daughter, calling the little girl unimpressive, unimportant and selfish.

And thats what finally got me to be like, I need to leave the bargaining team. I need to set a boundary, Schmidt said.

When she told the bargaining team why she wanted to step down, they decided to hold meetings with both her and the co-worker. In mid-January, they voted unanimously to ask the person accused of slapping Schmidt to resign from the bargaining team.

Within days of the person stepping down from the bargaining team, all the remaining members were placed under investigation and one member was fired, according to workers.

Larson, the former Planned Parenthood nurse fired this week, says she and other members of the bargaining team were told they had failed to report a breach of confidentiality, but told little else. She said her investigatory meeting with human resources lasted less than 10 minutes.

I didnt know what was going on, Larson said. They said that they couldnt tell us specifically what the accusation was  just that I had knowledge of wrongdoing and I did not turn it in.

The union was able to piece together that Planned Parenthoods managers must have received a copy of a private Signal group chat between the bargaining team and union staff. Union leaders say Planned Parenthood managers have quoted things said in the chat verbatim, though they have not said where they got the information.

In the chat, one person had shared private information about another employees termination as well as managements plan to enforce its dress code to crack down on workers wearing union T-shirts. That person was fired and the others believe they were disciplined for not reporting the alleged breach of confidentiality.

Clark, the training specialist in Iowa, says she was never told exactly what she was supposed to have seen in the group chat and failed to report.

It is a group chat with over a dozen people in it, and Im busy  I dont always see everything that goes through the chat, Clark said. I said, I want to see what youre saying I did because I dont know what youre talking about.

She said Planned Parenthood managers still give no specifics beyond failing to report a breach of confidentiality.

Each of the bargaining team members received a final written warning, including Schmidt. The final warning never expires, which means they could be immediately fired if they break any policy again.

Union leaders say it felt like hardball intimidation, even as negotiations progressed toward a labor agreement.

In March, Larson found out she was under investigation again.

She had sent an email from her personal account to a non-profit organization in Nebraska that also employs the Planned Parenthood worker accused of slapping Schmidt.

The co-worker is employed teaching young people about having healthy and safe relationships, and Larson thought they should be aware of the alleged slap.

I wanted them to be aware of this incident, Larson said. I felt its the right thing to do. And I still feel its the right thing to do.

Larson never heard back from the non-profit, but Planned Parenthoods human resources department received a copy. According to Larson, management informed her she was under investigation. On the advice of her therapist, she took a brief leave. When she returned, Larson said, management alleged she had retaliated against a coworker by sending the email, and fired her on Tuesday.

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa is fighting for Larsons job back. Theyre contesting the termination and filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

Im gonna keep up the fight, Larson said.

This story was originally published by Minnesota Reformer, which part of States Newsroom.
Damonte Ranch High School was under a temporary Code Red Lockdown while police investigated a reported threat at the school.

"Police have investigated and determined the threat to be false."

WCSD tells us a phone call about the possible threat was made after 10:15 a.m.

Our photographer on scene says that the school is allowing parents onto the campus grounds.

The lockdown was lifted less than an hour later.

"Turns out the report that was made was unfounded. School Police went through, cleared the building, made sure every room was safe and the school was - the lockdown was lifted - and the school is returning to normal operations now," says Charles Rahn, WCSD communications department.

"These kinds of things definitely highlight the importance of being vigilant. If you see something, make sure that you say something."

Other school districts within Nevada were also affected by possible threats, including Humboldt and Lander Counties.

Elko County School District says schools in Wells were "part of a cluster of swatting calls being made to various schools in the state and across the country today."

If you have any information that can help authorities, call or text your anonymous tip to Secret Witness at 775-322-4900.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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In 2022, we marked the calendar with a year of epic Northern California hikes.

Month to month, we worked our way through our bucket list, frolicking through wildflowers at Sunol Regional Park in April, edging around hot springs at Lassen Volcanic National Park in June, and swimming under waterfalls in Shasta-Trinity National Forest in May.

But by the end of our December hike at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, we still werent quite ready for the fun to be over. So, we put together a brand new bucket list, one for every month of 2023.

From Santa Cruz to Lake Tahoe, this years legendary hiking trails will (literally) take your breath away.

January: Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve to Natural Bridge State Beach (1.5-mile loop or 3 miles out and back) (Courtesy of @naturalbridgesstatebeach) While the rest of the world goes full weekend warrior in pursuit of their New Years resolutions this month, were easing into 2023 a little more gently. January is peak butterfly season at Santa Cruzs Monarch Butterfly Natural Preserve, where the flutterbys overwinter among the eucalyptus. An unexpected rebound in their populations over the last two years will have the trees on this gentle trail blossoming with their vivid orange wings through February. Park at the Natural Bridges State Beach visitor center then enter the preserve through the Monarch Boardwalk. Continue along the Monarch Trail to the Moore Creek Trail, passing through wetlands and down to the beach. Youll see the park's iconic natural rock bridge to your left but, if you time your visit for low tide, go right instead to check out the marine protected areas impressive tide pools. If you return to the parking lot straight from the beach, youll have covered about 1.5 miles. For a little more exercise, follow the trail back the way you came. // 2531 W Cliff Dr. (Santa Cruz), // 2531 W Cliff Dr. (Santa Cruz), parks.ca.gov

February: Point Reyes National Recreation Area, Alamere Falls (14.8 miles, out and back) (Courtesy of @siaasta) Alamere Falls, Point Reyes National Recreation Areas stunning 40-foot cascade, is one of just four in the U.S. to fall into the ocean. That makes it well worth the approximately 14-mile hike, especially in February when winter rains have fattened up the areas creeks and rivers. While early 2023's storms have the Palomarin Trailhead near Bolinas temporarily closed, you can still access the falls from the Bear Valley Trailhead (located 4.5 miles south of the Bear Valley Visitor Center near Five Brooks Ranch) if you're willing to add an extra mile to your trek. Follow the mostly flat trail south for 3.1 miles then make a left onto the steadily-climbing Glen Trail. Continue about 1.5 miles to the Stewart Trail where you'll turn right and walk for 1.2 miles (downhill!) to the Wildcat Campground. Walk the last mile to the falls along the beach. It can be dangerous to hike the final stretch when the tides are coming in so check the schedule to be sure you hit this section when they are low. When you've taken all the photos, retrace your steps back to the trailhead. // Bear Valley Trailhead (Point Reyes Station), // Bear Valley Trailhead (Point Reyes Station), nps.gov/pore

March: Joseph D. Grant County Park, Dutch Flat to Dairy Trail (5.7-mile loop) (Courtesy of @clbird) Scout out wildflowers in the rolling foothills of lovely Joseph D. Grant County Park. The historic ranch land has an abundance of colorful blooms beginning in March. From the main (paid) parking lot, head west on the Dutch Flat Trail then continue on to the Dairy Trail. After about 1.5 miles, youll come to a split. Keep right on the Brush Trail for 1.6 miles then stay left as it turns into the Eagle Trail and Lower San Felipe Trail. Finally, take a right at the Snell Trail and follow it for a little less than a mile back to the parking lot. // 18405 Mt. Hamilton Rd. (San Jose), parks.sccgov.org

April: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Fern Canyon to California Coastal Trail (8.5-mile loop) (Courtesy of @nox_vomica) Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is just as enchanting as it sounds. A World Heritage Site and the backdrop for several films including Jurassic Park, this gully is lined with 50-foot rock walls literally dripping with green. April, when the ferns are lush but the summer tourist season hasnt yet picked up (free parking permits are required May 1 to Sep 30), is an ideal time to visit. Its a one mile through the canyon but why stop there? Follow the Fern Canyon Loop to where it connects with the Friendship Ridge Trail. After about 2.8 miles, keep left and follow the West Ridge Trail to the California Coastal Trail, which runs past hidden waterfalls and grazing elk back to the Fern Canyon parking lot. //127011 Newton B. Drury Scenic Pkwy (Orick), //127011 Newton B. Drury Scenic Pkwy (Orick), parks.ca.gov

May: Garrapata State Park, Soberanes Canyon and Whale Peak Loop (4.7 miles out and back + 1.5-mile loop) (Coutesy of @anthonybiletsky) One of Big Surs least visited parks, Garrapata nevertheless has all the beauty of its more crowded neighbors. The Soberanes Canyon Loop swings you almost five miles through redwood groves, past a waterfall, and over ocean bluffs. There are top notch views of the coast and Carmel from many points on the trail but if its too foggy to see the sights, muster any energy you have left when you reach the parking lot for a quick 1.5 mile loop around Whale Peak, which gets you up close and personal with the Pacific. // 34500 Hwy 1 (Carmel-By-The-Sea), // 34500 Hwy 1 (Carmel-By-The-Sea), parks.ca.gov

June: Lake Tahoe, Eagle Falls to Eagle Lake (2.5 miles, out and back) (Courtesy of @eastsidewestside) Fair warning, unless you go early in the morning or near sunset, the trails to Eagle Falls and Eagle Lake are likely to be packed. But theres good reason to brave the crowds: This short hike is also one of Tahoes most beautiful, with views of Emerald Bay and a stopover at a classic alpine watering hole. Park at the Eagle Falls Trailhead then head up the stone-cut stairs to the waterfall, which should be roaring in June. Cross over the bridge and continue along an uphill trail surrounded by forest and rugged peaks just beyond. About a mile in, follow the sign to Eagle Lake then go left along the shore about 1/4 of a mile to a clutch of rocks with a spectacular view. Have lunch, swim in the icy water, then head back to the parking lot the way you came. // 138 Emerald Bay Rd. (South Lake Tahoe), // 138 Emerald Bay Rd. (South Lake Tahoe), fs.usda.gov

July: Pacific Crest Trail to Summit Tunnels (8+ miles, out and back) (Shoshi Parks) One of the most stunning feats of engineering ever accomplished in the U.S. is at the core of Julys hike. In the 1860s, Chinese immigrants carved tunnels through the impossibly hard granite at Donner Pass to connect California to the rest of the country via the transcontinental railroad. Today, though they are covered in a riot of graffiti, they are just as impressive as they were over 150 years ago. It is possible to park just a five minute walk from the Summit Tunnels but its much more epic to approach them via the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Start at the parking lot for the eastbound Donner Pass rest area. Step onto the PCT on the south side and follow it over fields of erratic boulders and switchbacks down to Donner Pass Road. Cross the road to the parking lot by the Summit Haus. From there, follow your eyes to the tunnels (dont forget to read all about them on signs tucked into the side of the parking lot). You can walk through as much or as little of the tunnels as you want, then turn around and follow the PCT back to your car. // I-80 Donner Pass Eastbound Rest Area (Soda Springs), // I-80 Donner Pass Eastbound Rest Area (Soda Springs), pcta.org

August: Yosemite National Park, Porcupine Creek to North Dome (10.4 miles, out and back) (Courtesy of @jeffreyvandyk) While August crowds mob Yosemite Valley, head to high country the where views are unreal and the foot traffic is low. On the trail to North Dome, youll see the national parks most iconic sights from a different perspective. Start at the Porcupine Creek Trailhead on a short paved path through a conifer forest. At each junction, follow the signs to North Dome. Close to four miles in, youll descend the rocky cliff to the foot of the rounded peak. Climb up to its summit for views of Half Dome and the heart of the park. On your way back, make a quick 1/3 mile detour to the natural arch Indian Rock (follow the sign). // Tioga Rd, 1.2 miles east of Porcupine Flat Campground (Yosemite), // Tioga Rd, 1.2 miles east of Porcupine Flat Campground (Yosemite), nps.gov/yose

September: Eldorado National Forest, Shealor Lake Trail (3.6 miles, out and back) (Courtesy of @thefarouk) The hike to Shealor Lake has everything you want on a Sierra Nevada trail: rock scrambling, spectacular views, and a cold clear lake for swimming and picnicking. Plus, with around 800 feet of elevation gain over less than four miles, its a great option for beginners and kiddos. Park at the Shealor Lake Trailhead then head through the forest and down the granite slopes. The 1.7 mile trail is marked by cairns but even if you get off track, the welcoming lake will soon light your way. When youve had your fill of summer sun, head back up the way you came. // Shealor Lake Trailhead, Hwy 88 (Pioneer), // Shealor Lake Trailhead, Hwy 88 (Pioneer), fs.usda.gov/eldorado

October: Angel Island State Park, Perimeter Loop (5.5-mile loop) (Courtesy of @brukdahl) October, when the skies are warm and clear, is the ideal month for a sea-to-land adventure at Angel Island State Park. Take the ferry from San Francisco or Tiburon to Ayala Cove then head clockwise along the paved Perimeter Road. Along the way, stop to explore the remnants of the US Immigration Station (Angel Island was once the West Coast equivalent of New Yorks Ellis Island), a Nike missile site, and several batteries and garrisons built in the late 19th century. Pro tip: Go while the Blue Angels are in town during the first week of the month and youll have the best vantage point in the entire Bay Area to see the jets fly. // Angel Island (Tiburon), // Angel Island (Tiburon), parks.ca.gov

November: Jack London State Historic Park, Sonoma Mountain Trail (7.5 miles, out and back) (Courtesy of @jacklondonpark) Call of the Wild author Jack London loved this slice of Sonoma so much, he bought a ranch there in 1905 and named it Beauty. Whats left of the writers home (a fire destroyed much of it in 1913) can still be visited before or after this breathtaking hike to the top of Sonoma Mountain. See Wine Country from above on the steep 3.75 mile Mountain Trail, which starts next to the parking lot at the London Cottage and House of Happy Walls Museum, and ends at the 2,370 foot summit. The trek will get your heart pumping but hang in there: Not only are the views worth it, the way back is all downhill. // 2400 London Ranch Rd. (Glen Ellen), // 2400 London Ranch Rd. (Glen Ellen), jackondonpark.com
Spring brings daffodils, warmer weather and an urge to clean.

Meg Pritchard admits that she ignored a lot of the deep-cleaning tasks at her home in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania  until the pandemic hit.

Pritchard, 57, had time to tackle big cleaning projects. She cleared out cupboards, closets and the refrigerator, scrubbing the shelves, vacuuming the dark corners and disinfecting surfaces. The amount of dirt and dust surprised her. Its amazing how much dog hair collects in the shoe closet, [and] there was a layer of detergent in the laundry sink that Id never noticed before, she says. 

Seventy-eight percent of households do spring cleaning every year, according to a 2022 survey by the National Cleaning Institute. Sixty-four percent said they would prioritize the kitchen, 61 percent would focus on the bedroom and 59 percent said theyd concentrate on the bathroom.

When you start spring cleaning, dont forget to clean these eight essential  and often ignored  areas of your home.

1. Coffee maker

Cream and sugar might not be the only things youre adding to your morning coffee. Microbiologists found 67 different types of bacteria in the drip trays of kitchen coffee makers. Cleaning your coffee maker wont just prevent illness  it will also improve the flavor of your daily cup of joe.

When you use a coffee maker daily, mineral deposits build up inside from your water, says Lisa McManus, executive editor at Americas Test Kitchen Reviews. Over time it acts like a blocked artery; the tubes narrow and the coffee maker gets slower and slower, which makes your coffee taste worse.

Descaling your coffee maker removes mineral deposits and bacteria. Aim to descale your machine after every 100 pots of coffee. McManus suggests using packs of 100 filters as a reminder; when the package is empty, its time to clean. 

Skip the vinegar and water, which can be too corrosive and might not work effectively. Instead, McManus suggests using gentle, commercially available descaling products. 

Put the powder in with water and run it through the coffee maker and then run a few brew cycles with just clean water to remove the descaling product, she says.

2. Dishwasher

Even if your plates and utensils look spotless, your dishwasher may be dirty. Researchers found that dishwashers often contained bacteria that were linked to health problems ranging from food poisoning to skin infections.
The challenges of fraud in America are in plain sight: Rarely does a day go by when each of us doesnt receive an illegal email, phone call or text that aims to steal from us. The nations annual fraud statistics are mind-numbing: billions of dollars lost by consumers, trillions of fraudulent calls and texts to our phones.

Less obvious are the efforts going on behind the scenes to fight what is arguably the biggest crime wave of all time. But in a wide range of interviews, we discovered a robust mix of activity focused on reducing the threats of fraud for all older Americans. Here are just a few scenes from the front.

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State and local fraud-fighting initiatives

States play a dominant role in the war on fraud, and they are responding with aggressive new measures. Some examples:

New York in December passed a law to require retail stores that sell gift cards to display warnings to customers about prepaid card scams and instructions on what to do if they spot a scam.

New Jerseys 2022 Stop the Fraud law requires retailers that sell gift cards to train employees to identify and respond to fraud.

In Wyoming, a measure signed into law by Gov. Mark Gordon (R) in February would allow banks and credit unions to put a five-day hold on a transaction they believe is part of a scam and report it to law enforcement.

On the enforcement side, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong (D) says that he and his peers in other states have been working in a bipartisan, multistate way to take on scams across their borders. One example: A coalition of 38 state attorneys general, working with the Federal Trade Commission, shut down a company called Associated Community Services that had used billions of automated robocalls to convince Americans to donate at least $110 million to fake charities.

Some cities and localities are also active in taking on scams. In the Greater Cleveland area, the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs runs a scam squad that teaches people how to spot and avoid scams, says Sheryl Harris, the agencys director.
It was an extremely hot summer day in Beijing. I had arrived in China from the United States the day before and had already scaled the Great Wall. This day was reserved for more outdoor sightseeing. We spent a long morning under the sun at the Summer Palace. The afternoon was reserved for concrete-clad Tiananmen Square and the expansive Forbidden City. At midday, it was a scorching 95 degrees, not counting the heat emanating from the pavement.

I hadnt been hydrating much since arriving because its not safe to drink tap water in Beijing. It was no surprise that once inside the Forbidden City, I started feeling thirsty. Water bottles were not allowed into the fortress, and there were no beverages for sale.

About 20 minutes later, my heart started palpitating. I went pale, and my mouth dried up. I went woozy and sidled over to collapse in the shade. I knew, from previous experiences with dehydration, that this was bad. I told the tour guide I needed to get to a hospital.

At the hospital, I was diagnosed with severe dehydration and heat exhaustion. Nearly four hours after I started feeling symptoms, I was put on an IV and ordered to stay the night. The next morning, an English-speaking doctor told me that my level of dehydration had been in the danger zone, that I was on the cusp of heatstroke and that not only was I depleted of water but also electrolytes, minerals essential for the body to function.

All the ingredients for a case of dehydration were there. Long plane flight, check. Intense exercise upon arrival, check. Brutal heat and bad air quality, check. Not enough water, checkmate.

Dehydration is a common enough scourge, even in daily life. Travel exacerbates its likelihood.

Older adults tend to be at a higher risk of being dehydrated, either because of underlying health conditions or the diuretic effects of medications they may be taking, says Kenneth Koncilja, M.D., a geriatrician at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Even so, no one, regardless of age, is immune. Dehydration can set in anywhere, anytime (for example, skiers may be affected due to high altitudes and heavy activity). However, according to Paul Takahashi, M.D., an internist and geriatrician at Mayo Clinic, a lack of liquid combined with summer temperatures create the perfect conditions not only for dehydration but for heat exhaustion or heatstroke as well.

According to Koncilja, the following are among the signs of dehydration:
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Malibu, CA, April 3, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - In this segment of The Ellis Martin Report we speak with Adam Smith, co-founder and VP of Business Development of Oroco Resource Corp. ( CVE:OCO ) ( ORRCF:OTCMKTS ).



Oroco Resource Corp. announces the assay results from drill holes S019 through S021 (1,553 m of drilling) of its South Zone drilling program at its Santo Tomas property located in northwestern Mexico and the South Zone cross-sections.



DRILL RESULT HIGHLIGHTS:



- Drill hole S020 (Plates SZ-46 & -47) returned 221.7m of 0.45% CuEq

- Drill hole S021 (Plates SZ-33 & -34) returned 145 m of 0.32% CuEq AND 89m of 0.34% CuEq



Richard Lock, Oroco's CEO, commented: "I am very pleased to say that the overall Santo Tomas 2022-2023 drilling program has validated my decision to join Oroco approximately one year ago. The project is clearly meeting my expectations as a highly attractive acquisition target and I look forward to this assessment being further substantiated with the upcoming release of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate and the Preliminary Economic Assessment which will follow."



SOUTH ZONE PROGRAM



The Company has now completed its current 21-hole South Zone drill program (12,154 m) designed to confirm and test the South Zone mineralized structures, with all results released.



Historical drilling, surface geological mapping, and the Dias Geo 3D Induced Polarization survey have defined near-surface mineralization projected to 400 m below the surface along 2,000 m of strike length in the South Zone.



While the current drill program only partly tests the South Zone, the historical drilling and the 2022-2023 drill program conclusively define an NNW to NNE trending zone of faulting, Laramide- age intrusion, hydrothermal breccias and mineralization along the entire two-kilometer long corridor south of North Zone drill hole N043.



- The northern segment of the South Zone, between drill holes N043 and S012, representing a 500 m long undrilled corridor, will be tested in a future drilling program.



- The middle segment of the South Zone extends from drill hole S012 southward to holes S002 and S007 (Plates SZ-49 to SZ-63). Drilling demonstrates a zone of moderate-grade, shallow- seated mineralization to a depth of 200 to 400 m below the surface along a strike length of approximately 700 m. Additional drilling is needed to confirm the continuity in this area.



- The southern segment of the South Zone extends southward from drill holes S002 and S007 along a strike length of approximately 800 m to drill hole S021. Drill holes S001, S003 to S004, and S015 to S021 (Plates SZ-33 to SZ-47) demonstrate the continuity of good-grade mineralization within a southwest plunging zone at least 300 m in width, extending from surface to 200-400 m in depth. As these drill holes test an area of the South Zone that begins within and extends beyond the historical resource, they potentially add significant tonnage to the mineral resource estimate being prepared to support the planned Preliminary Economic Assessment.



DRILLING RESULTS - SOUTHERN SEGMENT OF THE SOUTH ZONE



- Drill hole S019 (Plate SZ-36) returned two mineralized intervals.



- Drill hole S020 (Plates SZ-46 & -47) returned two mineralized intervals, of which the most significant is 221.7m of 0.45% CuEq.



- Drill hole S021 (Plates SZ-33 & --34) returned two mineralized intervals of 145 m of 0.32% CuEq and 89 m of 0.34% CuEq, which includes 25 m of 0.81% CuEq.



All drill holes tested the deposit approximately perpendicular to its structural attitude. Core intervals are within about 10% of true thickness. Assay results and cross-sections of all South Zone, North Zone and Brasiles Zone drill holes released to date are available at the Company's website.



Oroco is focused on the development of a large copper deposit at the Santo Tomas project in coastal NW Mexico. Santo Tomas hosts a multi-billion pound copper resource, defined by historical drilling and currently being confirmed by ongoing exploration drilling by Oroco. Copper mineralization at Santo Tomas is located at surface and therefore potentially amenable to low cost mining methods, is very well located with respect to the infrastructure that's essential to a large mining operation, and Mexico is among the world's top mining jurisdictions, with laws and trade agreements that protect the rights of mining companies.



Since commencing exploration and resource definition at Santo Tomas three years ago, Oroco has made a series of rapid advances, and the year ahead is rich with catalysts such as a formal resource definition and economic evaluation, each of which carries the possibility of a company valuation rerating.



These milestones will be achieved against the backdrop of a positive forecasts for the price of copper, possibly to historical highs as a result of dramatic shifts in metal's importance to industrial and consumer markets.



To listen to the Interview, please visit:

https://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/180PN21P



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/J402A9W3





About Oroco Resource Corp





Oroco Resource Corporation (CVE:OCO) (OTCMKTS:ORRCF), founded in 2006, is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a history of and expertise in the development of resource opportunities in Mexico. Oroco is led by a management team with significant experience in exploration, discovery, development and operations in the mineral sector.

Oroco's focus is on the confirmation and expansion of the historical resource of the Santo Tomas porphyry copper project in Sinaloa State, Mexico, while continuing its assembly of neighbouring mineral concessions and the acquisition of certain other rights associated with the project. Oroco has a controlling interest in 8,908.79 hectares of contiguous mineral concession that cover and surround the known core of the Santo Tomas mineralized structure as well as the potential extensions of the historical resource to the north and south. This controlling interest increases as Oroco funds the additional exploration and development of the project.

The Santo Tomas project is a copper porphyry deposit which is historically defined by a total of 106 diamond drill and reverse circulation drill holes, totalling approximately 30,000 m. In July of 1994, Bateman Engineering Inc. conducted an economic assessment of the Santo Tomas project based on technical work by a team that included Mintec, Inc., Mountain States Research and Development, Inc., and Minetek S.A. de C.V. Bateman completed this study, termed "Santo Tomas Project, Sinaloa, Mexico, Pre-Feasibility Study." Current drilling activity is intended to confirm the historical project data and to further define the extent and quality of the resource.

While the economic assessment by Bateman contains favourable metallurgical test results and engineering designs that remain broadly acceptable today, the Company considers these historical economic studies and associated mineral resource estimates to be only conceptual in nature until confirmed by current technical programs.

About The Ellis Martin Report

The Ellis Martin Report (TEMR) is an internet based radio program showcasing potentially undervalued companies to an audience of potential retail investors and fund managers that comprise our listening audience. TEMR is broadcasted on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel and The Opportunity Radio Network. CEO and company interviews are paid for by those represented on the program.
Firing NM museum heads a costly error

I AM the former executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and have every reason to retaliate against the Department of Cultural Affairs for abruptly giving me the ultimatum to retire or get fired in October of 2021, ending a successful lifetime of achievement with an abrupt dismissal.

I am not bitter because I had a soft landing. However, I found it laughable Cabinet Secretary Deborah Garcia y Griego would call her actions over the past five years decisive. Is it decisive to hire four directors at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in four years and fire every one? Or does it point to poor judgment and a lack of communication skills? It is also strange to hear her say she is fighting gender discrimination when so many of the people she let go or who left were near retirement age.

My point in writing is much broader than my professional or personal feelings about the secretary. We know unions protect the workers of the state and the governor is apparently protecting the secretary. Who is the advocate for executive directors of museums in New Mexico when they are let go without reason, discussion or warning? Directors in the private sector are not treated this way. And directors would not get away with this poor treatment of superiors or staff. There is a Code of Conduct in the state that everyone signs, but apparently this does not apply to department secretaries.

Executive directors often relocate  at their expense, I might add  to serve the state of New Mexico. They have been selected after a national search. They are hired for their knowledge of the institutions where they work. They are leaders who, by definition, are not always that good at taking orders from someone who has rarely spoken to them or visited their museums. Its time for legislators to take the authority for hiring and firing these leaders out of the hands of the department secretary who will not be around when chaos ensues at these various organizations, which it most surely will. The instability and loss of institutional knowledge this costs the state, not to mention the abrupt cancelling of expensive and time-consuming projects, is far higher than most taxpayers know.

Margaret Marino, Albuquerque

Albuquerque VA care failing our veterans

AS A veteran who has received health care services at the Albuquerque VA for over a year, I am deeply concerned about the state of health care for veterans in our community. The Albuquerque VA has failed to provide adequate care for service-connected disabilities, such as my need for migraine medication, which I have received without issue in other locations.

What is even more concerning is the attempt by politicians to pit Albuquerque veterans against rural and Indigenous veterans, as if one groups needs should be prioritized over the other. The truth is all these groups need access to quality health care, and we need to demand action now to improve the situation.

As a veteran who has experienced the failures of the Albuquerque VA firsthand, I can attest our politicians must prioritize our health care needs. We should not have to call our elected representatives, such as Sen. Martin Heinrich, just to receive the basic care we deserve. Our politicians should take proactive steps to improve access to quality health care for veterans in Albuquerque.

It is unacceptable I have been waiting for more than a year for my migraine medication. It is unacceptable veterans in Albuquerque are not receiving the care they need to manage their service-connected disabilities. It is unacceptable our politicians are more concerned with playing politics than addressing the real needs of veterans.

We need a health care system focused on providing quality care to all veterans, regardless of where they live. We need to prioritize the needs of our veterans and ensure they have access to the care they need and deserve.

As a community, we must come together to demand action from our elected officials. We need to hold them accountable for their actions, or inactions, and demand they prioritize our health care needs. It is time for our politicians to stop playing politics and start focusing on what really matters: the health and well-being of our veterans.

Dennis White, Albuquerque
Spring weather is here, and while theres still the possibility of a surprise snow and cold temperatures, we are fortunate to have the great outdoors to help us get over our winter cabin fever. Here are some great options for getting back outside.

U.S. Forest Service

The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands encompass 1.9 million acres. The four sky island ranger districts of Sandia, Mountainair, Magdalena and Mt. Taylor cover more than 1.6 million acres in New Mexico with elevations ranging up to 11,301 feet. The Cibola also has four wilderness areas: Sandia Mountain, Manzano Mountain, Withington and Apache Kid and administers four national grasslands: Black Kettle, McClellan Creek, Kiowa and Rita Blanca covering 263,261 acres in northeastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma and northern Texas.

Visit fs.usda.gov/cibola to find information on recreation sites, maps, passes, permits, reservations and more to help you plan your adventure. You will also find contact information for the ranger districts. The Supervisors Office is at 2113 Osuna Rd NE, (505) 346-3900.

N.M. state parks

According to the N.M. state parks reservation website, 70% of New Mexicans live within 40 miles of a state park. New Mexico has 35 diverse state parks  28 of which have camping facilities  to explore, including cool lakes, mountain forests, canyons, desert beauty, fascinating historical sites and even dinosaur tracks! New Mexico state parks offer family-friendly settings, endless recreational opportunities and hundreds of special events and educational programs each year. In 2008 the parks attracted 4.1 million visitors.

Two websites will help you find the information you need to make a plan. The N.M. Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department site, emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/, and the N.M. State Parks site, newmexicostateparks.reserveamerica.com/.

Albuquerque open space

There nearly 30,000 acres of major public open space for you to enjoy. Most well-known are the foothills and the bosque area that have miles of trails, but there is much more. Visit cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/open-space to find maps, upcoming events, educational programs and public programs for youth, families or adults. Many programs are free, with others having a small fee.

Visit the Open Space Visitor Center at 6500 Coors Blvd NW, Tuesday  Saturday, 9 a.m.  5 p.m. or call 505-768-4950. The Visitor Center has exhibits interpreting the natural and cultural resources of the area. There is a gallery of art and media of local, national and international artist.

Albuquerque city parks

Albuquerques Parks Division identifies over 288 park sites including city parks and dog parks. Visit cabq.gov/parksandrecreation/parks to find the list, including which parks can be reserved and any special conditions requiring a Park Use Agreement form. It is unfortunate some city parks are not family friendly at this time, and if you encounter issues you are asked to report problems to 311.

Rio Rancho parks and rec

Go to rrnm.gov/16/Parks-Recreation-and-Community-Services to discover nearly 50 parks, three outdoor pools, an aquatic center, recreation centers and miles of hiking and biking trails. Activities, events, open space and how to make reservations are included along with site-specific phone numbers. The main number is (505) 891-5015.

Los Lunas parks and rec

Go to loslunasnm.gov/106/Parks-and-Recreation for information on recreation, open space and parks. Along with descriptions of park amenities, programs, activities and how to make reservations you will find resources for youth, families and adults. Main phone number is (505) 839-3845.

Trail etiquette

Whether hiking, biking, walking the dogs, riding a horse, or alone or with a group, it is important to know the who has the right of way. According to nps.gov/articles/hikingetiquette.htm:

 Hikers going uphill have the right of way to those coming down.

 Bicyclists should yield to hikers and horses. In practice, the bikes are usually moving fast so hikers should be ready to move aside.

 If with a group, whether hiking, biking or riding, let those you encounter know how many are in your group so they can anticipate when they can get back on the trail.

 When encountering hikers with dogs, ask the human if it is OK to greet the dog. Each dog is different. If both of you have dogs, talk to one another. Even if your dog is good with other dogs dont assume a close encounter is the plan.

 The law is to keep your dog on a leash.

 Stay on the trails.

 Do not disturb wildlife. In the spring you may come across young animals. Leave them alone; the mother will be back.

 Leave no trace.

Join a group

Whether you are new to an outdoor activity or have been an outdoor enthusiast for years, you can find a group to join with a simple internet search. Pick the activity and search for the group in your area. Senior centers, community centers, recreation centers and sporting goods stores may also have groups to consider.
A Sunland Park police officer was shot and injured Saturday while responding to a domestic violence call, according to New Mexico State Police.

The officer, who has not been identified, suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital. The suspect, 33-year-old Tony Gomez, was taken into custody, according to a NMSP news release.

According to the NMSP release, Sunland Park Police responded to a domestic disturbance on Megan Street in Santa Teresa Saturday. Gomez  who police said was wearing a bulletproof vest  was reportedly outside the residence, shooting in an unknown direction while other residents remained inside the home, the release said.

The officer was wounded as he arrived on scene.

Police said Gomez barricaded himself inside the home and surrendered after a brief standoff. Hes facing charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of child abuse, kidnapping, seven counts of shooting at a dwelling/motor vehicle, criminal damage to property and negligent use of a deadly weapon.
SIZE DOESNT MATTER ON FALLING DEBRIS: DF emails New Mexico places no responsibility on truckers who drop gravel that causes damage to other vehicles. Yes, they have signs telling you to stay back 250 feet. However, in the 15 years Ive lived in New Mexico Ive had three windshields broken by gravel  once when passing a truck on the highway and twice when meeting a truck on a two-lane road.

On the other hand, it was recently reported police are trying to find the truck that dropped a water heater resulting in a fatality. My question is: How large does an object need to be for the driver to be liable for damage or injury caused by his/her unsecured load?

A local attorney says when it comes to stuff falling off a vehicle and damaging yours, size does not matter.

Antonio Moe Maestas, whos also an Albuquerque senator, explains the liability is based on good ol fashioned tort law.  The size of damage is irrelevant. Even a tiny pebble causing a cracked windshield is enough for liability.

WHAT DO I DO IF HIT? Maestas says in theory you can take a photo of the license plate, make a report, contact their insurance and recover the cost of replacing the windshield. Most times the truck is going faster than you and you dont think to chase it down. Your only option is to use your uninsured motorist coverage.

A dear childhood friend of mine got killed hitting a dishwasher in Interstate 25 while riding a motorcycle. It was near the Alameda exit northbound. All his wife could do was have the N.M. Department of Transportation check the cameras at the Big I and see if they could spot a possible truck.

TIE DOWN THAT LOAD: As for those hauling items to the landfill or elsewhere, Maestas says  when you go to the city landfill it charges you an extra fee if you dont have your load tied down with a tarp. Cops can also pull you over for not having a load tied down and give you a ticket. Professional truckers know what theyre doing. Its the guy whos moving his household items that is the problem. I dont know if its taught in drivers school, but basic safety protocols need to be followed. I dont think folks realize its a serious thing. Drive slow, stay off the freeway as much as possible, and if you have to be on the interstate, hug the right lane with your caution lights on. Tie red towels on anything hanging off the truck bed and ideally have a buddy driving behind you with his caution lights on.

Sadly, I have a feeling the idiot who dropped the water heater knows he killed someone. Its a small town.  Its rare that anyone would come forward. We could pass a law in Santa Fe that someone could come forward and not face criminal liability  and at least the wife gets an insurance policy, but a law like that would likely face a lot of opposition.

DISABLED VETERAN PLATES NOT OK IN HANDICAPPED PARKING: Richard Zupko, 95, called after a nasty parking lot encounter involving a shopper couldnt see his handicapped parking placard because of the sun visor. When Richard and his daughter showed it to him, the gentleman proceeded to tell them to get the hell out of the parking space because he was a disabled veteran.

And while we should all honor and respect those who have served our country, one has nothing to do with the other.

Back in 2011 the Motor Vehicle Division pointed out a vehicle must have a plate or a placard with the wheelchair symbol on it to legally park in a handicapped space, meaning disabled veteran plates without the wheelchair are a no-go.

For those disabled veterans who need handicapped parking, the MVD spokesman said:

When the disabled vet plate is approved for issuance based on the veterans disabled status by the Department of Veterans Services, DVS tells us if the veteran also qualifies under the limited mobility standard for handicapped parking. If the vet does so qualify, we issue a plate that includes the handicapped wheelchair symbol. That plate qualifies for handicapped parking so that it is not necessary for the veteran to also have a handicapped placard. However, if the vet does not qualify as mobility impaired, we issue a plate that does not include the handicapped wheelchair symbol and does not qualify for handicapped parking.

Editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; dwestphal@abqjournal.com; or 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109.
New Mexico is reaping the first fruits of a massive lawsuit the state brought against more than a dozen companies, alleging they garnered large profits selling narcotic painkillers that left many addicted.

Lawmakers recently appropriated $21 million to six state agencies and the University of New Mexico for services intended to help the state dig out of an opioid addiction crisis.

The appropriations are among the first expenditures from an estimated $500 million or more the state expects to receive over the next 20 years from settlements with some of the nationss largest corporations, said former Attorney General Hector Balderas, who filed the lawsuit in 2017.

In addition to the $21 million, local governments have also started receiving money from the settlements.

The funding offers New Mexico a unique opportunity to build a system for treating and preventing narcotic use and addiction, he said.

This really allows us to build a safety net that has never quite existed in New Mexico, Balderas said. The safety net can really target preventative and life-saving interventions that didnt quite exist in past generations.

The challenge now is to build treatment and behavioral health capacity that will allow New Mexico to make effective use of the money, he said.

We need a stronger behavioral health safety net, Balderas said. We dont have enough drug treatment providers in New Mexico. We need a very efficient way to deploy those services. All leaders really have to be at the table to design more robust delivery and intervention.

Attorney General Raul Torrez, who took office in January, estimates that New Mexico to date has reached settlements worth some $325 million with companies, including opioid manufacturers, distributors and retail pharmacies.

The companies that reached the largest settlements with New Mexico are Walmart, $150 million; Kroger, $85 million; and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, $36.7 million, according to data provided by Torrezs office.

Negotiations are ongoing with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Walgreens.

Corrections Department plan

The settlements list a range of approved uses for the funding. Among them is treatment for people in jails and prisons, and support for people transitioning out of the criminal justice system.

The New Mexico Corrections Department plans to use its $1 million appropriation to expand a pilot program that provides medically assisted treatment for inmates at the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility in Grants, said agency spokeswoman Carmelina Hart.

Medically assisted treatment, or MAT, uses opioid-replacement drugs such as Suboxone, a brand-name drug that can block the agonizing withdrawal symptoms that discourage people addicted to heroin or other opiates.

The pilot program at the correctional facility in Grants was funded by a $235,000 federal grant awarded last year.

The pilot program allows us to identify best practices and the necessary community resources to develop a safe and sustainable system for the state, Hart said.

NMCD will continue and expand operations of currently existing treatment programs for those incarcerated in a state correctional facility and in need of medication-assisted treatment, she said.

Health Department plan

The New Mexico Department of Health plans to use its $3.5 million appropriation to fill gaps in treatment for opioid use disorder, said Laura Parajon, the agencys deputy director. For example, the funding earmarks $1 million for tribal areas.

The Health Department remains in the planning stages, she said. But the agencys 52 public health offices will serve as an access point for expanding medically assisted treatments statewide, she said.

We do want to expand to regions that may not have the same access as the big cities do, Parajon said.

A pilot program based in Las Cruces that currently treats 125 patients will serve as a statewide model, she said. The program focuses on people who too often lack access to treatment, such as people in rural areas, Native Americans and the unhoused.

Medically assisted treatment too often is unavailable to people who cant afford to pay for it.

We know that people who have insurance or people who have access to care are going to more easily access MAT services, she said.

The agency also wants to focus on pregnant women and single parents as a way of curbing maternal deaths, she said.

Who else receives funding?

The four other agencies receiving funding so far are the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, $6 million; the Human Service Department, $6.5 million; the Children, Youth and Families Department, $2 million; and the Public Education Department, $200,000.

In addition, the University of New Mexico has received $1 million for its childrens psychiatric hospital for children and families affected by opioid use disorder and $800,000 for the hepatitis community health outcomes program.

The settlements call for the firms to pay New Mexico over a period of years that vary by settlement.

An allocation agreement calls for state agencies to receive 45% of settlement amounts.

In addition, New Mexico city and county governments will receive 55% under the agreement.

The suit was filed on behalf of all 33 New Mexico counties and 20 municipalities. Each local government will receive a share based on a formula. Albuquerque is slated to receive 22.75% of the local funding, and Bernalillo County, 18.6%.

Albuquerque to date has received about $4.8 million in settlement funding, said Katie Simon, a spokeswoman for Albuquerques family and community services department. None of the money has been spent, she said.

The city looks forward to putting these funds towards enhancing access to, and availability of, treatment for opioid use disorder, as well as the wraparound supportive services needed for recovery, Simon said.

Other uses include training for first responders, education and peer support, she said.
The family of a man who was in the midst of a mental health crisis when he was shot by Albuquerque police in the parking lot of the departments headquarters last year has filed a lawsuit against the city saying that there should have been services in place to help him that night instead of officers engaging him in an armed confrontation.

Jesus Crosby, 41, was clutching nail clippers with the file extended when he was shot by officers Alex Couch and Chance Gore, who both joined the force in 2020. Crosby was taken to the hospital, where he died.

In this well-lit area of the parking lot, it was reasonably apparent that the object was a pair of nail clippers, or at least that it was not designed for violence, the lawsuit states. Clinging to the nail clippers, in the grips of a severe mental health crisis, and trapped against the building by three officers aiming their weapons at him, Jesus was in dire need of the de-escalation practices and mental health interventions that the City had committed to implement, and should have implemented, beforehand.

The suit was brought under the New Mexico Civil Rights Act which allows lawsuits to be filed in state court to recover financial damages for violations of the state Bill of Rights.

It claims that the city violated Crosbys right to be free from unreasonable seizures  including unreasonable escalation of police force  and that it deprived his family of the right to associate with him. It also claims that supervisory failures, tactical errors, failures to take cover, increase distance, de-escalate or use less-lethal force and officers deviations from policies and procedures led to Crosbys wrongful death.

In addition to unspecified damages, the suit asks a judge to require that the city fully fund and staff a mental health intervention program to respond to people suffering from a mental health crisis and for the police department to make efforts to notify immediate family of those killed by police before releasing videos of the incident to the media. The Crosby family had not known that the videos of his death had been released two days before Christmas until the Journal called them.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said that the citys legal department has not yet seen the lawsuit and once it does so, it will respond in court.

As for contacting families prior to providing (on body recording device) video to the media, we will be doing that going forward, Gallegos added.

He sent the Journal a record of APDs Crisis Intervention Teams interactions with Crosby and his older brother.

The record details numerous attempts CIT detectives made to contact Crosby in the three months leading up to his death as well as a couple of times where they were able to speak with him  mainly while he was in custody of the Metropolitan Detention Center. The last time the detective talked with Crosby was on Nov. 2 when they said he was in clinical seclusion, speaking erratically and hard to understand. He was released from jail the next day.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 10, officers were called to arrest Crosby for criminal trespass at the prisoner transport center on 4th and Roma NW. When they arrived they found him across the street and tried to detain him, yelling for him to surrender and drop what they thought was a knife.

Crosby walked away, cursing at them, and about five minutes elapsed as more officers arrived and formed a force array  some carrying less-lethal weapons, others pointing their guns  in front of him. He shuffled back and forth.

Then, the last time Crosby shuffled forward, officers Couch and Gore shot him. Two other officers fired their Tasers simultaneously.

The lawsuit alleges that Couch and Gore should have received training to de-escalate such situations involving mental health crises in the field and either they did not receive that training or they did not follow it.

Within seconds of his arrival, Officer Couch threatened to shoot Jesus if he took one step, even though Jesus was fidgeting and distressed throughout the encounter, the suit states. Seconds later, Officer Couch declared that if Jesus took a step and Officer (Josh ) DeLeon did not tase him, then he (Officer Couch) would shoot him. As promised, when Jesus shuffled his feet and Officer DeLeon refrained from tasing him, Officer Couch opened fire.

Gallegos has said that an Internal Affairs Force Division investigation concluded that Couch and Gore followed policies when they used force, however training referrals were submitted for eight officers. He said IAFD also completed a misconduct investigation and its going through the discipline review process.

Additionally, APD announced last week that a working group tasked with reviewing the 18 shootings by officers in 2022 determined that in Crosbys case the officers did not de-escalate and missed an earlier opportunity to use a Taser in order to take him into custody.

Attorney David Fine, who along with his brother Mark Fine is representing the Crosby family, said he thought APDs recent announcements about changes it is making in the wake of the increase in shootings is incredibly self-serving.

Theyre not making the recognition that this was a shooting that was outside of APD policy, and it was an unnecessary death that could have been avoided, Fine said. So I think APD is saying all the right things from a public relations standpoint, theres just not a lot of reason to believe them, unfortunately.
Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reference to the attack that he doesnt think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russias internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russias second-largest city, officials said. Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her SUV outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of Tatarsky that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking as he removed a wrapper to reveal the gold-colored bust of a man wearing a helmet, What a handsome guy!

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism. Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on Feb. 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

Designating the case as a terrorist act gives authorities more power to pursue their investigation, increases the maximum punishment and limits the rights of suspects.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but didnt know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, the Kremlins fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organized massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Navalnys supporters as an internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her SUV blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St. Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Zelenskyy told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Tatarsky was born in Ukraines industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticized the military brass.

Putin saluted Tatarsky posthumously Monday with a bravery award.
MIAMI (AP)  Ten years ago this month, Sen. Chuck Schumer declared, We all know that our immigration system is broken, and its time to get to work on fixing it. Sen. John McCain quoted Winston Churchill. But it was Lindsey Graham who offered the boldest prediction.

I think 2013 is the year of immigration reform, the South Carolina Republican said.

It wasnt. And neither has any year since those Gang of Eight senators from both parties gathered in a Washington auditorium to offer hopeful pronouncements. In fact, todays political landscape has shifted so dramatically that immigrant advocates and top architects of key policies over the years fear that any hope of an immigration overhaul seems further away than ever.

Many Republicans now see calling for zero tolerance on the border as a way to animate their base supporters. Democrats have spent the last decade vacillating between stiffer border restrictions and efforts to soften and humanize immigration policy  exposing deep rifts on how best to address broader problems.

There are big questions about whether or not anything in the immigration family  anything at all  has the votes to pass, said Cecilia Munoz, who served as President Barack Obamas top immigration adviser and was a senior member of Joe Bidens transition team before he entered the White House.

The last extensive package came under President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and President George H.W. Bush signed a more limited effort four years later. That means federal agents guarding the border today with tools like drones and artificial intelligence are enforcing laws written back when cellphones and the internet were novelties. Laying the problem bare in the deadliest of terms was a fire last month at a detention center on the Mexican side of the border that killed 39 migrants.

Congress came the closest to a breakthrough on immigration in 2013 with the Gang of Eight, which included Schumer, a New York Democrat who is now Senate majority leader, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Their proposal cleared the Senate that June and sought a pathway to citizenship for millions of people in the country illegally and expanded work visas while tightening border security and mandating that employers verify workers legal status.

Democrats cheered a modernized approach to immigration. Republicans were looking for goodwill within the Latino community after Obama enjoyed strong support from Hispanic voters while being reelected in 2012.

Prominent supporters of the proposal were as diverse as the powerful AFL-CIO labor union and the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There was more momentum than there had been for large immigration changes that fizzled in 2006 and 2007 under President George W. Bush.

Still, Republican House Speaker John Boehner gauged support for the Gang of Eight bill in the GOP-controlled chamber in January 2014 and said too many lawmakers distrusted the Obama administration. By that summer, the bill was dead.

Obama then created a program protecting from deportation migrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children. The Supreme Court has previously upheld it, but the courts relatively recent 6-3 conservative majority could pose long-term threats.

Years after the creation of Obamas program, President Donald Trump called for walling off all of the nations 2,000-mile southern border, and his administration separated migrant children from their parents and made migrants wait in Mexico while seeking U.S. asylum.

Biden endorsed a sweeping immigration package on his Inauguration Day, but it went nowhere in Congress. His administration has since loosened some Trump immigration policies and tightened others, even as his party has seen Republican support rise among Hispanic voters.

Officials have continued to enforce Title 42 pandemic-era health restrictions that allowed for migrants seeking U.S. asylum to be quickly expelled, though they are set to expire May 11. The Biden White House is also considering placing migrant families in detention centers while they wait for their asylum cases, something the Obama and Trump administrations did.

Gil Kerlikowske, who was commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under Obama, said a lot of things are coming together at once, including Title 42 possibly ending, a spike in the number of South American migrants crossing through the treacherous rainforests of the Darian Gap between Colombia and Panama, and a 2024 presidential election ratcheting up the political pressure.

Two and a half years into the administration, there really hasnt been any announcement of what is our immigration policy, Kerlikowske said. Getting laws passed is almost impossible. But whats been the policy?

The League of United Latin American Citizens is so desperate for meaningful progress that it has begun advocating for a full moratorium of up to six months on U.S. asylum as a way of calming things at the border. Its president, Domingo Garcia, said that migrants know they are processed and allowed to remain in the U.S. for years fighting for asylum in court, and that authorities need to turn off the faucet to help strained border cities.

We need a total reset, said Garcia, whose group is the nations oldest Latino civil rights organization. I think that people on the far left are just as wrong as those who believe they should close the border and let no one in.

Bidens administration announced in early January that it would admit up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela for two years with authorization to work and make it easier to apply online. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas argues that the new rules are designed to weaken cartels who help migrants cross into the U.S. illegally.

Mayorkas said recently that officials aim to create lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to reach the United States to claim asylum and to cut out the smuggling organizations.

It appears to be working, for now. After federal authorities detained migrants more than 2.5 million times at the southern border in 2022  including more than 250,000 in December, the highest monthly total on record  the number of encounters with migrants plummeted during the first two months of this year.

But fewer crossings has created a backlog of thousands of migrants hoping to seek U.S. asylum waiting on the Mexican side of the border. Last months fire at a Mexican government facility began amid a protest by migrants fearing deportation. Some of those being held said theyd been attempting to apply online when they were rounded up by Mexican authorities.

Meanwhile, warmer months often see major increases in the number of migrants at the U.S. border. And activists say that Biden has sent mixed signals by continuing to enforce Title 42 and considering reopening family detention centers  a possibility that even top Democrats are now decrying.

We urge you to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors and abandon any plans to implement this failed policy, Schumer and 17 other Senate Democrats recently wrote in a letter to Biden that called family detention policies morally reprehensible and ineffective as an immigration management tool.

Republicans have blasted Bidens border crisis and, since Trumps rise, made gains among voters in some heavily Latino areas. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely expected to be the leading alternative to Trump in next years Republican presidential primary, flew migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, arguing that Democrats around the country were ignoring the crush of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In Miami, Nery Lopez was among a group of activists who recently mobilized to oppose a state bill that would punish people who transport migrants in the country illegally. Now 27, she was brought to the U.S. as a 4-year-old from Mexico and is protected from deportation by the Obama-era program.

Lopez said advocates were counting on the Biden administration to counter Republicans hard-line immigration policies.

People feel defeated. I feel defeated, she said. Its like we are going into the same cycle.

___

Weissert reported from Washington.
Taos Ski Valley will remain closed for the second day in a row, following a municipal water leak in the surrounding area.

At 9 a.m. on April 2, Taos Ski Valley posted on its website that due to a village municipal water distribution system failure, the resort does not have adequate water to operate today  we will remain closed until further notice.

The closure was caused by a leak stemming from a residence in the area  on its website, Taos Ski Valley, which has contributed $1.5 million to update outdated infrastructure in the Village of Taos Ski Valley, described the pipes as antiquated.

On Monday, the resort posted that the closure would be extended through the day at least.

The leaky pipes ultimately depleted the areas water system storage tanks, according to the Village of Taos Ski Valley website. Although water is still available from the nearby Phoenix Spring, its not sufficient to pressurize water lines to houses and retail in the area  and the resort itself, according to the Taos Ski Valley website. The spring is at a higher elevation and uses a different, undamaged water distribution system.

Due to the leak, the resort said it doesnt have enough water to support its restrooms or food service, among other services and operations.

The closure comes at an inopportune time, just days before the official end of the ski season at Taos: April 9. Besides shutting down access to the mountain by closing the lifts, many retailers and restaurants in the Village are also temporarily shuttered.

The Blake Hotel remains open, although occupancy and services are cut back.

Customers who bought lift tickets, rentals or snowsports lessons for April 2, 3 or 4 can receive full refunds by emailing contactus@skitaos.com or calling 888-262-8398.
Growing up in a rural community called Beaverhead in southern New Mexico, John Diamonds family used a generator for electricity and made calls using a radiophone.

A broker who sells farms and ranches, Diamond ultimately moved to the Elephant Butte area  in part because he needed better internet services.

There were several reasons but the biggest reason is I need to be able to communicate, he said.

Diamond spoke on a panel in Albuquerque on Monday with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and New Mexicos congressional delegation, who announced the state has received $40 million in grants for broadband projects.

Its a game changer for New Mexico, Diamond said. Its a game changer for agriculture, its a game changer for anybody in rural areas, because they can live the way that urban America has.

Funding for the project comes from a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that put money toward improving airports, bridges, roads and expanding internet service across the country. New Mexico alone has now received funding for 18 broadband projects. The bill will ultimately provide $65 billion for internet-related projects.

It really is our infrastructure moment for a generation, said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. We cant even begin to predict what thats going to mean for so many businesses and young people and New Mexicans who are going to be able to reach their full opportunity.

Three projects were announced Monday:

Western New Mexico Telephone Company Inc. is getting $24 million to provide high-speed internet to 206 people, five businesses and five farms in Catron County.

Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative Inc. is getting $13.9 million to provide high-speed internet to 550 people, 11 businesses and 48 farms in Chaves, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties.

E.N.M.R. Telephone Cooperative is getting $2.6 million to provide high-speed internet to a farm and 27 people in De Baca, Guadalupe, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Socorro and Union counties.

The delegation described the investments as a way to level the playing field and give people in rural communities the same opportunities as people who live in larger cities.

New Mexicans understand how interconnected we are, said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M. Even those people who are in Albuquerque are connected to somebody up in Rio Arriba or somebody in Clovis.

Vilsack said people from larger cities should support initiatives in rural areas, where much of the countrys food and fuel comes from.

Folks who live in cities already understand the significance and power of the internet. They have had distance learning opportunities, theyve had telemedicine, theyve had the ability to link with specialists across the country, Vilsack said. I think they understand its important to have those kinds of opportunities available throughout the country.

Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., said only 58% of homes in his district have fast internet.

Thats unacceptable, he said. Internet access is necessary for all aspects of our lives, including education, health care, and economic opportunity.

Vilsack said oversight of the money doled out from the infrastructure law will be provided through regular reports and deadlines for the specific projects and the Office of the Inspector General.

Were going to continue to work as a delegation with the secretary to make sure that these projects are carried out, and that (the projects) get to the places that need them the most, Vasquez said.
The National Hispanic Cultural Center has a new leader.

Zack Quintero was appointed as NHCC interim executive director on March 13.

I am truly humbled and motivated to be joining such a historic institution and remarkable team. What happens here at this Center comes from the very soul of our people in New Mexico, Quintero said. I grew up worshiping this place despite living 230 miles away from it. Together with our staff, I want to make sure this center is deeply rooted in promoting our local communities and culture, continuing strong relationships with our state partners, and standing nationally as the place for Hispanic leaders from all disciplines to call home.

Quintero, a Mesilla native, replaces former NHCC executive director Margie Huerta, who was relieved from her duties by the Department of Cultural Affairs in late January. Huerta was placed on leave in late-2022 before her dismissal.

Quintero had unsuccessful runs for both Albuquerque City Council in 2019 and State Auditor in 2022.

In 2020, he served as Federal Ombudsman for the State of New Mexico, a position he was appointed to by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who also appoints museum directors.

Quintero graduated from New Mexico State Universitys William Conroy Honors College, holding two degrees in economics and one in government specializing in international relations. Quintero is also a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law where he served on the executive board of the New Mexico Law Review, the Mexican American Law Student Association, and the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association.

Hes also maintained a strong connection with local and statewide Hispanic communities by having been actively involved with public policy, the arts, civil rights advocacy, and environment issues.

Quintero said his ties to the National Hispanic Cultural Center run deep.

His first experience at the National Hispanic Cultural Center was as a performer in the ballet folklorico ceremony that marked the opening of the Center in 2000. Since then, he has been a supporter of and frequent visitor to the NHCC, and has taken multiple classes on the Centers 20-acre campus.

There is only one National Hispanic Cultural Center within the United States, and to have it based in New Mexico is an honor, Quintero said. I will never stop working for the people of our state and I will give everything I have to make us proud.
Instagram Celebrity

The 'Bodak Yellow' hitmaker declares that she will check her Apple Pay after the blogger/YouTuber informs her social media followers that she is now debt free.

Apr 3, 2023

AceShowbiz - Cardi B had to check whether she truly got her $4 million from Tasha K. After the blogger declared that she already paid the money as she lost their libel case, the "WAP" hitmaker said she wanted to see if the claim was true.

On Saturday, April 1, Tasha informed her social media followers that she's now debt free. "PSA Winos I just paid off my 4 million dollar debt in cash [prayer hands emoji]," she wrote on Twitter.

It was unclear whether the statement was an April Fool's Day joke. Cardi, however, has responded to a blog reposting Tasha's tweet by writing, "Mhhhhmmmm [thinking man emoji]......let me check my Apple Pay."

Cardi won the case on January 24, 2022, after Tasha was found liable on three separate claims for "defamation of character, invasion of privacy through portrayal in a false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress." The Grammy winner was awarded $1.5 million in punitive damages, $1.3 million for her attorney's fees, $1 million for general damages and $250,000 for medical expenses.

Tasha then filed an appeal against the judge's ruling after admitting she doesn't have the money. When speaking to ALLBLK's "Social Society" last February, she confessed, "I ain't got it. Listen, I ain't got it. Don't ask me for no money."

Tasha, however, lost an appeal in the case, prompting her to publicly apologize to Cardi. "Damn Winos! We lost the appeal against Cardi B sad day. But I'm gonna be alright," she wrote on Twitter on March 21. "I appreciate all your love [and] support."

"Throughout this fight. Today we throw in the white flag. What happened will never happen again," she added. "To Cardi [and] her team, I apologize sincere. We live and learn."

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The population will enjoy a total area of 4,000 squares with different spaces, such as the simulation of a lunar environment with a ceiling height of 12 meters that will feature a Rover. In other spaces, there will be an elevator that simulates the movement and arrival on the launch pad of the rockets, an exhibition of more than 300 original NASA items and other spaces that are prepared.

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Instagram Celebrity

In a video shared on Instagram Story, the 'Tomorrow 2' raptress claims she got racially profiled by a hotel valet who didn't believe that a young girl like her owned a Mercedes.

Apr 3, 2023

AceShowbiz - GloRilla claimed she got racially profiled by a hotel valet. When sharing the story with her online fans, the "Tomorrow 2" raptress couldn't hide her anger as she drove her car.

In a video shared on Instagram Story on Saturday, April 1, the Memphis native said she was trying to get her Mercedes. When she told the valet her room number, the valet allegedly didn't believe that she owned the expensive car.

"What the f**k you mean?! B***h, give me my muthaf**kin' car," she recalled angrily telling the valet. "I just told you the muthaf**kin' number on the room."

"People are still so racist these days," Glo went on fuming. "How you gon' look at me and tell me this is not my muthaf**kin' car? The f**k?"

Glo, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, then noted that the valet probably looked at her clothes. She acknowledged that she only wore sweatpants when the incident happened, so it might be the reason why the valet didn't buy her claim.

Still, Glo insisted that it shouldn't have happened no matter how she was dressed. "I had to gon' lie to his b***h a** real quick. Hold on, I'm a billionaire stop playin' with me," she argued.

"The f**k? Who do you think you talkin' to? Do you know you talkin' to a muthaf**kin' billionaire?" she raged. "My peoples will sue you and this whole muthaf**kin' goddamn s**t. How you gon' tell me this ain't my car? Is you racially profiling me?"

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Facebook Celebrity

According to words on the Internet, the 'Danny Glover' emcee gains temporary release after spending nearly a year in jail to attend his older sister's funeral.

Apr 3, 2023

AceShowbiz - After spending nearly a year behind bars while awaiting trial in his ongoing RICO case, Young Thug has apparently been released from jail, albeit temporarily. According to reports, the YSL Records founder was let out of jail following his sister Angela Grier's death.

The words first spread through social media that Thugger gained a temporary release to attend his late sister's funeral with police escorts. A Twitter user posted, "They let lil Jeff come see his sister."

A fan was feeling happy for the 31-year-old, reacting to the news, "Awwww I was hoping they would." The person who posted the initial tweet then added that the rapper was wearing "a suit" and "Air Force ones" to the funeral.

Angela was laid to rest over the weekend. In a video which has circulated online, family and friends who gathered to send her to her final resting place all wore something pink, such as suits, headbands and flowers. Thug, however, was not seen among the crowd in the clip.

Thug's team has not confirmed his temporary release and alleged appearance at his sister's funeral. He also has not addressed the news of his sister Angela's passing.

The sad news of Angela's death came from her own family. On Saturday, March 25, Dolly White, another of Thug's sisters, shared on Instagram a photo of her late sister posing on the sidewalk. She was flashing a smile in the image, with the date February 28, seemingly to indicate when the picture was taken, written below the snap.

Dolly simply captioned it with several broken heart emojis and a crying emoji. She didn't reveal the cause of death, but the comments section was soon flooded with messages of condolences from celebrities and fans.

Metro Boomin wrote, "Here always my love." London on da Track penned, "Love u sis." Another musician, Be El Be, chimed in, "Saddened by the news sis. I'm praying and praying hard. I love each and every one of y'all. Always made me feel like family. Angela was the Big sis. Always kind and worked hard."

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Cover Images/Axelle Woussen Movie

Showing off her 11-year-old's ingenuity through social media, the 'Women Talking' director and Oscar winner offers fans a look at her convincing 'you must return it' letter.

Apr 3, 2023

AceShowbiz - Sarah Polley has been left shocked by her daughter's crafty April Fool's prank. Less than a month after taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay trophy from 2023 Oscars, the "Women Talking" director offered a look at the practical joke pulled by her 11-year-old through her social media platforms.

On Saturday, April 1, the 44-year-old filmmaker posted on both Instagram and Twitter a photo capturing a printed paper signed by Academy President David Rubin. Through the snap, it could be seen that the letter began by informing her, "Dear Sarah Polley, we say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake- you must return it."

"We are giving you one more week to enjoy its presence in your home, but after that period of time you must mail it back to LA, where we will give it to the rightful best adapted screenplay: All Quiet on the Western Front," the letter went on to read. "We are sorry for your loss, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar."

"In hindsight, we should have told you when we realized it, on the night on which the Oscar was given, but you must understand that we did not want another 'Year of the Moonlight.' and we also did not want it to get all over your local news, as the citizens of Toronto would probably be quite irritated, and we do not want this news getting out," it continued as referring to the 2017 "La La Land"/"Moonlight" blunder.

Fortunately, Sarah discovered that the letter was not sent by the Academy. Instead, it was created by her 11-year-old daughter. Alongside the photo of the fake letter, the actress-turned-filmmaker explained in the caption, "My eleven-year-old swung low for April Fools Day this year. #AprilFoolsDay."

Sarah's post on Instagram was quickly flooded with responses from fellow celebrities. Arielle Kebbel wrote in the comment section, "Brutal. But also, genius." America Ferrera chimed in, "Hahahaha!!! Genius. Mean genius." Director/screenwriter Gina Prince-Bythewood also praised, "This is a future comedy writer." Director Sian Heder, on the other hand, jokingly said, "My kids need lessons from your kids."

Also embracing the April Fool's prank was "All Quiet on the Western Front" director Edward Berger, who responded to Sarah's Twitter post by writing back, "Dear Sarah, to save on mailing costs as I live overseas the Academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly. I will follow up shortly. Ok with you? All best, Edward."

The interaction between the two filmmakers did not stop there. Sarah later replied to Edward by tweeting, "My kid says to tell you that it's already packaged and on its way." In return, Edward pointed out, "Thank you. Tracking number please. Would hate for it to get lost."

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Instagram Celebrity

The Houston rapper was gunned down on Thursday, March 30, just hours after bragging on Instagram about killing a man, who was trying to rob him in his own house.

Apr 3, 2023

AceShowbiz - The death of rapper BTB Savage has launched an investigation involving federal agents. Addressing the murder of the rising star, Houston PD Chief Troy Finner said during a press conference that federal partners have now stepped in to help solve the case.

BTB Savage, who is identified as Darrell Gentry by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, was gunned down in River Oaks on Thursday night, March 30. He "was driving a white Mercedes, when the suspects drove up in a black Subaru vehicle. Multiple shots were fired, and then two suspects got out of the vehicle and fled [on San Felipe] in an unknown direction."

"At approximately 6:10 PM, we received a call for service at a shooting in progress," Finner told the media during the press conference on Friday. "A drive-by shooting in the 2100 block of Mid Lane. As officers arrived, they quickly located an African-American male, which appears to be in his mid-20s, deceased on the scene. He was driving a white Mercedes vehicle."

According to an eyewitness, a black newer model Mitsubishi SUV-type vehicle with dark windows came up on the victim and began to fire. "Two suspects got out, the only thing we have on them is they were wearing all black with hoodies," the chief said.

Finner added that they believed it was "a targeted incident." He noted that a large team is currently working on hunting down BTB Savage's killers, but no arrests have been made so far.

BTB Savage was shot and killed just hours after bragging about killing a man, who was trying to rob him and his girlfriend at his own house. Earlier on Thursday, he posted a picture of him standing in a pool of blood of the man that he killed.

In an interview with VladTV, BTB Savage claimed he showed no mercy and told the suspect, who was pleading for help, "I don't give a (expletive) about you. You're going to die." When asked if he was concerned about retaliation, the 26-year-old said, "They might do what they do, but I'm going to get active. That's all that it is."

After his passing, his mother Bernita Ward said that she didn't approve of her son's online persona. After he posted the photo and did interviews, she warned him to stop doing such things. "I said take that off social media," Bernita told Houston's ABC13. "Let this family mourn in peace. They were taunting my son, though, telling him they were going to kill the family, make his momma cry, and kill his son. I told my son don't respond. Let it go. But, their family member came to rob my son."

"I want to encourage all the youth, stop the violence," Bernita added. "Stop the violence. Do something different with your life. I am fully aware of who my son is. The violence that takes place in these streets with these youth is so unnecessary. Kill your debt, kill the negativity. Don't kill each other."

BTB Savage left behind a 4-year-old son.

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Fatima Sana Shaikh who has always treated the audience with something new has recently attended the Adishakti workshop in Pondicherry to master her art. Be it exploring new genres to stepping into a new character, the actress is always up and ready for it. This is something well witnessed in her films and series be it, Dangal, Ludo, Thar, Modern Love: Mumbai, or any other, Fatima's screen presence has always won the hearts of the audience. To hone her skills and master her craft, the actress attended the Adishakti workshop in Pondicherry.

Recently, reports were rife about that Fatima was in Pondicherry for some time and now she opened up about her experience of attending the acting workshop and what were her thoughts behind the same. Fatima said, "When I started out, I had never been a part of any sort of acting workshops. I did not get an opportunity to go for one or experience theatre or anything related to performing arts, which is something I've been wanting to get on since a long. So now that I have got an opportunity to actually explore, I really want to utilize it, try different things, and want to learn something new."

Speaking on her workshops, she added, "So for me, Adishakti is like a new experience where I feel like a kid who is extremely excited to learn something new and eager to see what happens. The tools that I am learning, I can definitely use them as an actor in the future. It's nice to learn new things about your craft which will help me grow as an artist!"

On the work front, the release date of Anurag Basu's directorial Metro In Dino featuring Fatima was recently announced ie- 8th December. While on the other hand, the actress will also be seen in Sam Bahadur alongside Vicky Kaushal and Sanya Malhotra. Fatima also has Dhak Dhak in her future
The year 2023 has started on a rollercoaster note, with an accelerated adoption of generative AI, AI chatbots, and digital innovations. This is bringing in new operational efficiencies, stronger strategies, a far greater emphasis on building deep bonds with various stakeholders and consumers. In keeping with the current market ecosystem, technology and a human approach are seen as going hand in hand.

As part of our annual TRENDING NOW series, Adgully has been approaching key industry leaders to Crystal Gaze into 2023 to highlight the major trends and developments that they see dominating the industry in the year ahead.

In this interaction with Adgully, Rupesh Jain, Founder & CEO, Candere by Kalyan Jewellers, highlights the key trends that are expected to dominate the jewellery industry in India in 2023, major expectations from the year ahead, improving customer experience and retention, strengthening Canderes experimentation culture, and more.

Key trends dominating the jewellery industry in 2023

Rupesh Jain noted that the jewellery industry is witnessing the shift of brands to an omnichannel approach that allows consumers to start their journey online, browse creations of their choice offline and complete the purchase whenever and wherever they choose. According to him, the seamless channel integration also furthers meaningful consumer education, engagement, and experience.

He further noted that the industry is evolving with technological interventions causing a wave of change across sectors. To emphasise the customer experience, enterprises are leaping to another level to provide customised services and accessible interfaces for better purchase experience across both online and offline mediums, Jain said.

Major expectations

Listing the key expectations for the year, Jain said, We at Candere by Kalyan Jewellers look forward to less volatility in gold rates for the year ahead. Additionally, with the advent of technology and social media outlets, brands can aim to build a more personalised, transparent and trustworthy relationship with their customers, ultimately leading to increased brand loyalty and sales.

He pointed out that young cosmopolitan consumers of today have started to lean towards jewellery for the wardrobe, ones that are design-led and high on style. This shift is a direct consequence of the intensive year-round browsing leading to jewellery becoming a marker of individuality and style. Thus, this fresh wave of informed decision-making of consumers will give new-found confidence in virtually purchasing high-ticket price items like fine jewellery.

Retailers must be at par with the market trends to expand their offerings and consumer demographics and behaviour favouring the industrys shine, Jain added.

Key focus areas for Candere by Kalyan Jewellers in 2023

Our prime focus for 2023 would be to preserve the brands recognition and relevance among customers. While keeping at par with the evolving market, we will improve customer experience and retention, strengthening our experimentation culture. Additionally, we will continue penetrating further into the current distribution channels with our upcoming jewellery collection launches this year, along with establishing a few services like Digi Gold and Referral Plans for our customers complete jewellery buying ecosystem, Jain further said.
Kantar, the worlds leading marketing data and analytics company, today announces a new growth strategy for the APAC region. With the launch of a tailored platform in China and a digital strategy to quadruplicate the size of its Indian panel, the company expects to meet the needs of the dynamic Asian markets.



As Chinas privacy regulations evolve, operating in the country requires a hyperlocal focus to provide reliable data and a compelling panellist experience for its 7 million users. Kantars new platform is hosted in China and offers integrations with WeChat and Red Packet rewards  WeChat integrated cash transfer system, similar to PayPal. Localising servers, support, consultancy, and communications ensures sustainable growth in the country.



Jeff Tsui, Managing Director, Kantar Profiles  Greater China, commented: Meaningful insights are only possible with meaningful data. Our new local platform is a resilient service that meets new regulations to help brands collect compliant data anytime. Likewise, we want our panellists to have a best-in-class experience. Integrating our platform with WeChat and Red Packet does precisely that".



To increase the companys reach in India, Kantar is launching a new dedicated Hindi panel  the most spoken language in the country after English and implementing a two-part digital-first approach. From now on, all Indian projects will be online, and surveys will be designed for mobiles, using global standards. Both changes will broaden respondent access, ensuring a balanced demographic coverage across social class and geography, delivering four times the current panel capacity over the next two years to reach 40 million Indians.



Siddhartha Dutta, Managing Director, Kantar Profiles  Asia, said: India is on a journey towards becoming the second biggest market in the world. Its never been more important to infuse technology to expand our local capabilities and ensure high-quality data to become an indispensable brand partner for our clients worldwide.



Kantars Profiles Network is built with highly validated, permission-based panellists and utilises connected data sources to offer compliant insights. All Kantar panels utilise Qubed AI technology, Kantars advanced machine learning model for fraud prevention, to ensure optimal quality of panellists' interviews across over 100 markets worldwide. To date, Kantars antifraud technologies prevent four times more fraud than anyone else.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL/Kotak) today announced that it has launched a campaign to create awareness on Safe Banking practices, featuring veteran actor Gulshan Grover.

In today's digital age, it has become more important than ever to stay vigilant and keep ones personal information safe.

To raise awareness on the importance of safe banking practices, Kotak Mahindra Bank has chosen April Fools Day to remind customers that fraudsters don't wait for a specific day to strike  they are always on the lookout for new ways to fool people.

The message of the film is simple yet effective - always keep your guard up, be cautious of suspicious emails, messages & phone calls, don't click on links or download attachments from unknown sources, and if you come across any such scam, report it to the bank immediately.

Known for his ability to create an impact with his powerful character portrayal in Indian Cinema, Gulshan Grover, in this role, shows us how to stay one step ahead of fraudsters.

In this digital age, the importance of safe banking practices cannot be overstated, said Ms Elizabeth Venkataraman, Joint President  Marketing & Alliances, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. Fraudsters find ways to trick people into giving out their banking/personal details not only by creating panic or fear of getting their accounts blocked but also by luring one with too good to be true offers. When it comes to money, the Bank urges one and all to be cautious in sharing any sensitive banking information like account details, Debit/Credit Card numbers, CVV, OTP, PIN, passwords, etc., or click on suspicious links. Banks will never ask for such information. By following some simple rules, we can safeguard our confidential financial information and enjoy safe & secure banking experiences.
Zee24 TAAS, one of the leading Marathi news channels of Maharashtra, has been preserving communal harmony, taking into consideration the holy month of Ramazan and the recently celebrated Ram Navami festival.

A clash broke out between groups in the Kiradpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (earlier known as Aurangabad) on Wednesday night. Several police vehicles were set on fire and pelted with stones amid the violence. Several news websites and videos flashed breaking news headlines like Maharashtra: Twenty policemen injured in Sambhaji Nagar riot, Aurangabad violence: 1 dead, 7 arrested; SRPF deployed in city, 22 injured as clashes mar Ram Navami processions in several states were viral all over the internet, news apps , TV sets etc . However, inspite of having the LIVE video footage of the Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar riots, Zee24 TAAS took a conscious decision to not broadcast the riot video that were available with the channel.

Nilesh Khare, Editor& Business head, Zee24 TAAS, said, Zee24 TAAS news channel is known to be a reliable source. Exclusive program packaging on the destructive riots would help us earn highest viewership in the week gone by, but would negatively impact the law and order, hurting religious sentiments of diverse communities. So, our entire team of reporters and producers took a collective decision on avoiding the reportage of the riots.

Appreciating the entire team of Zee24 TAAS, Devendra Fadnavis, Home Minister of Maharashtra, said All videos of vandalism in Chhatrapati Sambhaji N agar riots were available with Zee 24 TAAS.

As a responsible news channel, Zee24 TAAS didnt broadcast a single video of this riot, even though all the videos are available since that morning. This did lead to maintaining peace, law and order in the state during Ram Navami and the ongoing Ramazan.
Nushrratt Bharuccha is currently shooting for her upcoming film Akelli. Stepping into the genre of thriller drama with the film seems like the actress is giving her all shooting for the film. While the actress has always kept her fans updated about her upcoming films and their progress, she has again dropped a picture from the sets showing the injury she got while shooting.

With a wound on her forehead and blood stains, Nushrratt shared a picture of herself on her social media that indeed shows the actress is dwelling on the tough time as she is shooting for her upcoming film Akelli. She jotted down the caption mentioning the name of the film - "Akelli"

While Nushrratt's fans are eagerly waiting for her upcoming films, the actress gave her fans a treat with her cameo appearance in Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar. Fans and the audience can not hold back their whistles when she comes on screen and is seen romancing Ranbir.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Apart from 'Akelli', Nushrratt also has 'Chhorii 2' in the pipeline.
Ten years after their global success with Lilyhammer, Netflix today confirms that creators Anne Bjrnstad and Eilif Skodvin (Lilyhammer, Beforeigners) and production company Rubicon will return to Netflix with the Norwegian drama series Salmon Island (working title). The series is set to be directed by Marit Moum Aune (Made in Oslo).

In Salmon Island we meet two families in a small coastal community in Norway, who are sworn enemies in the global salmon industry. The series, which taps into the contemporary zeitgeist, delivers a funny as well as dramatic portrait of the fish farming business.

Over the last few decades, fish farming has changed both the Norwegian coast and international food culture. The time feels right for a television drama about the operators in the industry, and its amazing that a global streaming service like Netflix has the guts to tell such a locally grounded story. Were pleased to be back with Netflix again after ten years and we cant wait to start filming.

Marit Moum Aune is one of Norways foremost directors, both for the stage and the small screen. We have collaborated with her on several stage shows, and were thrilled that she wants to make this series with us, says creators and writers Anne Bjrnstad and Eilif Skodvin.
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

Bern, 03.04.2023 - On 3 April, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, welcomed Aqqaluaq B. Egede, Greenland's Minister for Natural Resources and Justice, to Switzerland. Switzerland and Greenland have cooperated closely in research for many years, particularly in the field of polar research.

The talks between State Secretary Martina Hirayama and Minister Aqqaluaq B. Egede focused on strengthening research cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland. The meeting took place on the fringes of a trip to Switzerland by a Greenlandic delegation to discuss risk management in the Swiss Alps. The Greenlandic delegation also exchanged views with representatives of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

Switzerland and Greenland have maintained close and meaningful relations in research cooperation, particularly in polar research, for many years. In this regard, the work and dedication should be mentioned of ETH professor Konrad Steffen, who initiated this close cooperation by founding a permanent polar research centre, known as Swiss Camp, in Greenland. In 2020 he suffered a fatal accident on an expedition to Greenland, falling into a glacier crevasse near the Swiss Camp base.

Building on the Greenland delegation's visit to Switzerland, the Swiss Polar Institute and the Greenland Research Council are organising a scientific exchange forum in Greenland in mid-April. The intention is for the two institutions to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to further strengthen cooperation in the field of polar research. There are plans to hold a Swissnex event in Nuuk during this time.

Research cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland is promoted through a range of instruments, in particular those of the Swiss Polar Institute. The latter is receiving financial support from the federal government as a research institution of national importance between 2021 and 2024. In addition, since 2018 the Swiss National Science Foundation has funded around 20 projects in which researchers from Switzerland and Greenland work together.

Address for enquiries

State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

Communication

medien@sbfi.admin.ch

+41 58 462 96 90

Publisher

State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

http://www.sbfi.admin.ch




Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 03.04.2023 - Government officials and scientists from Greenland are in Switzerland from 3 to 5 April 2023 for a visit organised by the Swiss Polar Institute (SPI) and coordinated by the FDFA as part of its participation in the Arctic Council. The discussions will focus on the integrated management of natural risks and hazards.

A delegation from Greenland began a three-day visit to Switzerland on 3 April at the invitation of the SPI. Minister of Mineral Resources and Justice, Aqqaluaq Egede, heads the delegation, which also includes scientists. The programme includes meetings between officials from both governments and field visits to disaster-prone locations and villages in Switzerland. The purpose of the visit is to gain insights to strengthen Greenland's capacities in integrated risk and hazard management.

State Secretary Martina Hirayama, head of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), met members of the delegation on Monday 3 April. She underscored the importance of strengthening scientific cooperation between the two countries. The delegation was also welcomed by Ambassador Alexandra Baumann, head of the Prosperity and Sustainability Division at the FDFA and Swiss ambassador for the Arctic, and Markus Reubi, delegate of the Federal Council for the 2030 Agenda. . In the afternoon, the delegation met at the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in Ittigen with the deputy director, Paul Steffen, and experts in prevention and integral management of risks.

Long-standing cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland

The visit underscores the extensive scientific cooperation between Switzerland and Greenland. The two countries have cooperated on polar issues for over a century. The current round of exchanges is the result of a joint initiative between the SPI and the Greenland Research Council which was launched in 2022 through the Konrad Steffen Grant. The grant was established in memory of world-renowned Swiss glaciologist Konrad Steffen and builds on his legacy of research collaboration between Switzerland and Greenland.

Both countries face increasing natural risks from global warming-induced melting of glaciers and permafrost which threaten communities and infrastructures. In 2017, Switzerland was granted observer status on the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation issues of common concern, in particular sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 03.04.2023 - On Monday, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis met Ian Borg, Malta's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade during an official working visit to Ticino. Their talks focused on Switzerland's and Malta's non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council and bilateral relations.

Mr Cassis welcomed his guest on Monte Generoso overlooking Lake Lugano. The two ministers previously met in November 2022 when Mr Cassis paid an official visit to Valletta in his capacity as president of the Swiss Confederation.

Mr Cassis and Mr Borg also discussed the UN Security Council. Like Switzerland, Malta has a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 202324 period. The two ministers discussed Switzerland's forthcoming presidency of the Security Council in May. Malta held the presidency in February this year. Malta is a key partner in Switzerland's commitment to peace and security. The two countries are cooperating on efforts to counter the impact of climate change as a driver of conflict and promote the role of women as actors for peace.

Bilateral and EU cooperation

Relations between Switzerland and the EU were also on the agenda. Mr Cassis referred to the in-depth exploratory talks currently taking place between Switzerland and the EU in line with the Federal Council's objective to stabilise and develop the bilateral approach. In this context, Mr Cassis mentioned his meeting with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic on 15 March in Bern.

The two ministers also discussed the subject of migration and asylum and in particular the reform of the Schengen/Dublin systems, currently under discussion in the EU.

The two ministers also discussed the agreement between Switzerland and Malta which Mr Cassis signed in November during his visit to Valletta. The bilateral agreement governs the implementation of Switzerland's second contribution (CHF 1.3 billion over ten years) to certain EU member states  an investment in Europe's stability, security and prosperity. The agreement sets out the thematic focus areas for cooperation between Switzerland and Malta and provides for CHF 3.5 million in project funding until 2029. SwissMaltese cooperation will primarily be focused on healthcare.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Fifty-fifth anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey and fifteen years since the death of Arthur C. Clarke By Mark Wegierski

web posted April 3, 2023 Mark Wegierski looks at the groundbreaking film and its creators 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) arose out of the collaboration of Stanley Kubrick, clearly one of the most accomplished directors of the American cinema, and Arthur C. Clarke, one of the most renowned science fiction writers of our time (who passed away on March 19, 2008, at 90 years of age). Arthur Charles Clarke was born in Minehead, western England, on December 16, 1917, the son of a farmer. Among Clarkes main influences were H. G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon (the author of long cosmic histories stretching to the very far-future). The year 1968  which has been considered by many as one of the most crucial years of modern history -- was also an extremely rich year for science fiction movies, including, for example, the original Planet of the Apes. 2001: A Space Odyssey remains to this day one of greatest science fiction movies ever made. Its concepts, special effects, cinematography, and nearly everything connected to it, were incredibly pioneering, groundbreaking and unprecedented. It was one of the first truly intelligent American science fiction films  after decades of mostly b-grade schlock in that genre. It was indeed a highly intellectual movie, which required the intelligent engagement of the viewer. The beginning of the movie, set in deep prehistory, among the ape-men who are on verge of human consciousness, may bring forth varied reactions. At the beginning, the life of the ape-men is portrayed as difficult, but with an element of love. At one moment, we see a sort of Nativity scene, with father, mother, and child. Love therefore exists before the arrival of the monolith  which may be variously interpreted. The monolith does indeed bring increased intelligence to the ape-men  but also hatred. It may be noted that the ape-men who begin to use tools (that is, pick up large bones of animals in their hands), maliciously block the way of another group of thirsty ape-men who wish to drink from the stream, and that the first murder or possibly even genocide is carried out by the ape-men of increased intelligence. The famous music of Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) (inspired by Nietzsches groundbreaking philosophical work) may confirm the idea (somewhat related to that of Nietzsches) of the link between reason, evil, and technology  all of which represent the Nietzschean will to power. Representing the leap of millions of years, the large bone thrown into the air is transformed into a spaceship, taking us immediately to 2001! Some of the ideas possibly suggested by the prologue would seem rather problematic for a professedly traditionalist outlook. First of all, it suggests the inevitability of corrosive technological progress. Secondly, it moves the period of so-called organic life in love  the presumed aim of neo-traditionalist vision -- to such an early, virtually prehuman time. Should one really accept the idea that homo sapiens is a creature of prey  and nothing more? Is the seeming indictment of technological progress actually meant to be a scathing criticism of Western civilization, along the lines voiced at that time by persons like Susan Sontag? The actual world of 2001 is shown in incredible detail. There still exist Cold War tensions between America and Russia, which have now also been transferred to the Moon, where there are already large bases. The ability to portray and represent in great detail, how life in space or on the moonbase might look like, is a very strong aspect of the film. One example of this attention to detail is a white male astronaut glancing at an issue of Playboy of that year (which actually drew the hackles of feminist critics). Interestingly enough, the presence of white males in the films portrayal of the world of 2001 appears to be considerably more prominent and accentuated than has become the case in our own 2001 and subsequent years. One notable feature of the movie is the almost ballet-like portrayal of spaceships in flight, accompanied by stirring Western classical music. The third part of the movie shows the trip of the spaceship and its three-man crew in the direction of Jupiter. It is very realistically portrayed  so far from the more-or-less fantasy depictions of space travel in Star Trek and (especially) Star Wars. There begin problems with the Artificial Intelligence computer, which (or who) is guiding the ship The fourth part of the movie is a phantasmagoria of surrealism, which allows for very varied interpretations. Some interpret it as essentially the union of human beings with God, which ends with God coming to earth, in the form of the Star Child. However, it does not seem like a vision that would conform to most interpretations of the major human religions. In 1953, Arthur C. Clarke had published a novel, Childhoods End, which enunciated a rather cold, bleak vision of humanitys children becoming part of a cosmic supermind, while the despairing adults essentially commit suicide (any further children born would also have become members of the supermind). Clarke maintains a studied ambivalence whether this development could simply be considered as humankinds evolutionary destiny, or something rather more monstrous. Certainly, it is possible to see a considerable ambivalence about the monolith in the movie. It is interesting that Clarke was a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association, and a life-long skeptic about religion. While a brilliant speculative thinker, Clarkes understanding of the role of religion in history was a bit thin. For his funeral, he had given the instruction: Absolutely no religious rites of any kind, relating to any religious faith, should be associated with my funeral. One of his most famous statements was: The greatest tragedy in mankinds entire history may be the hijacking of morality by religion. It may be that this statement shows to what extent Clarke was centered on a scientific outlook, with comparatively little understanding of the way human history has actually unfolded. It seems that  while actions of considerable evil can be ascribed to religion -- at almost every point in human history, the better forms of human behavior (insofar as they occurred at all) were to a large extent also grounded in some kind of religious basis. Nevertheless, the statement shows that Clarke believed there are some behaviors that are more truly ethical than others, hence he is absolutely in favor of a certain ethic that is not just pure selfishness and pleasure-seeking at the expense of others. Thus, it could be argued by a defender of Christianity, that Clarke, after all, partakes in an ethical outlook that became possible only after Christianity had taken hold in Europe for a number of centuries, and had to some extent humanized persons away from merely unceasingly seeking power and pleasure for themselves. In one of his most famous short stories, The Star (1955) Clarke raises the disturbing quandary for a religious believer that an entire alien civilization may have been wiped out by a supernova which produced the Star of Bethlehem that heralded Christs birth. At the same time, the story brilliantly foresees the anguish that arises around the issue of abortion for Christians living in technologically-advanced societies that have done away with any kind of prohibitions on what becomes considered by most a routine medical procedure. Arthur C. Clarke was able to engage vast speculative faculties in regard to various technological possibilities. His scientific article in 1945 presaged communications satellites in geo-synchronous orbits decades before it became practically possible. He was also at the cutting edge of speculations in regard to the possible eventual transfer of human consciousness into electronic and machine form, suggesting that this was probably the only way that human beings could achieve millennial lifespans. He believed that such a transfer into electronic and machine form was probably the main direction of continuing human evolution. Its made clear in the book associated with the film that the Monoliths are exactly such beings, i.e., the conclusion to a long process of evolution by an ancient alien race. One might also note here that the movie was partially based on several of Clarkes earlier short stories, including The Sentinel (1948) and that Clarke was rather unhappy that the movie came out before the book, thus effectively making the book a novelization of the film, something which Clarke to some extent blamed on chicanery on the part of Kubrick. The book also makes explicit that the computers breakdown arises out of the demands of secrecy imposed by the mission to Jupiter. This could be considered a criticism of the so-called national security state and its prerogatives and priorities. About the best-known statement by Arthur C. Clarke is that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. There are indeed many interpretations one could put on this phrase, ranging from something like the fact of the putative enslavement of most human beings to technologies of which they have no understanding; to something like a suggestion that humankind's powers can be almost infinitely extended through technology. In 1989, two decades after the Apollo 11 landings, Clarke wrote: 2001 was written in an age which now lies beyond one of the great divides in human history Now history and fiction have become inexorably intertwined. Clarkes simple tombstone in Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon) (a country where he had lived for decades, partly for reasons of convalescence from his bout of polio in 1959) reads: Here lies Arthur C. Clarke  he never grew up and did not stop growing. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher, as well as science fiction and film aficionado. Home
Tazikis Mediterranean Cafe is 25 years old this month, pushing to further define its brand while at the same time reaching into different parts of the United States.

But in some ways, the last three years have shown that decisions made just before the COVID-19 pandemic equipped the company to not only weather the economic chaos of the short-term, but prepare for the future.

Its been about agility, CEO Dan Simpson said.

The last three years, weve seen the pandemic, a labor crisis and supply chain difficulties. The one thing thats made the difference is our willingness to adjust. We have a genuine group of bighearted people. There are some things we never want to change.

It was during a 1997 trip to Greece with his wife Amy that founder Keith Richards got the inspiration that led to their first restaurant at the Colonnade in Birmingham a year later.

Keith continues on as Tazikis chief culinary officer, and his influence shows as the chain continues to stretch the definition of Mediterranean cuisine.

For example, the lamb burger - not what youd usually find on the usual in Athens.

But griddle-cooked American lamb patties on a toasted kaiser bun with feta cheese, sliced tomato, grilled onions and peppers and a helping of Taziki sauce, sits comfortably alongside the roster of Greek salads.

Or an item recently tested in Birmingham and other cities - baklava cheesecake, combining cream cheese and sugar with flaky phyllo dough, honey and walnuts.

Dan Simpson is the CEO of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe. (Taziki's)

Simpson came on as the companys chief innovation officer seven years ago before his elevation to CEO. He said he never really aspired to be in the restaurant business.

But this is the hospitality business, which means its about people first before its about food, he said. This is a business thats ripe for innovation, ripe for figuring out how to be relevant.

Just five years ago, for example, Tazikis had more than 80 restaurants in 16 states, but it took some brainstorming and vision to figure out what the next step needed to be.

We had a great menu, but we didnt have a clear direction of how to bring this menu into different parts of the country where preferences are different, so it was about clarifying our menu and brand position, Simpson.

We had to ask ourselves, How do we do modern Mediterranean for the masses?

It took innovation, and flexibility, to navigate the sudden changes of the pandemic that began about this time three years ago.

Like other restaurants, Tazikis suddenly had to pivot to doing the lions share of its business through takeout and delivery. The company had already done most of that work before, in preparing its mobile app.

Now, about half of the chains customers arent in the chains dining rooms - theyre picking up orders, waiting for deliveries, or sampling the food through catering.

When Simpson joined the company, 80 percent of Tazikis business was dine-in, he said.

Were meeting our guests where they are, he said.

At the same time, Tazikis is looking at expanding into new territory. The chain has 21 stores in Alabama alone, and passed 100 locations nationally last year.

Simpson said the chain plans to continue growing across the Southeast and into other parts of the country, looking for likeminded restauranteurs.

Expansion is ongoing into Raleigh-Durham, Indianapolis, St. Louis, New Orleans, Denver, Cincinnati. Simpson said the chain has a clear path of getting to 150 units within the next five years, but only through focusing over the food, and developing its next generation of leaders.

Were expanding across Texas, and were talking about pushing into the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, he said. Were scheduled to open 12 to 15 more units this year.

However, the core culture, established by Keith and Amy Richards, must remain the same, he said.

A lot of restaurants have gone out of business over time, Simpson said. To see the endurance of the brand is really worth paying tribute.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia Republican, baselessly claimed in a 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday that the Democratic Party is driven by pedophiles.

The 14-minute segment, filmed before Trumps indictment, was the subject of controversy before the CBS broadcast, with critics questioning whether the congresswoman should receive the primetime platform.

Greene, a purveyor of wild conspiracy theories, has falsely asserted that former President Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim and that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is guilty of treason, adding that the crime is punishable by death.

They failed us. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said of the GOP in Congress. She blames traditional Republicans, not former President Trump, for not getting enough done. The president doesn't control everything, she said. https://t.co/0lodl8akpF pic.twitter.com/iS6HNbbS6M  60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 2, 2023

In a tweet on Friday, Adam Kinzinger, a Republican former congressman from Illinois, panned the programming decision as insane. Nikole Hannah-Jones, a magazine journalist, tweeted Saturday that the interview amounted to the type of normalizing that mainstream media did of segregationists.

After the broadcast began, Keith Olbermann, the liberal commentator, tweeted that the segment was a bad look.

CBS News did not immediately respond Sunday night to a request for comment on the criticism.

Though the segment had humanizing flourishes  Greene was shown lifting weights and speaking to constituents  the interviewer, Lesley Stahl, also grilled the Georgian on her views and statements.

At times, the conversation grew testy.

After Greene said that the Democratic Party advocates grooming children and that she would definitely call them a party of pedophiles, Stahl responded: They are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?

At another point, Greene said, I dont think we have a revenue problem in Washington. We have a spending problem.

Stahl replied, Thats glib.

Still, Greene praised Stahl, a veteran 81-year-old newswoman, in a Twitter post on Saturday.

It was an honor to spend a few days with the legendary icon Leslie Stahl, Greene wrote, misspelling Stahls first name. Leslie is a trailblazer for women in journalism.

And while we may disagree on some issues, I respect her greatly, Greene added.

Separately, Greene said Sunday that she would decamp to New York on Tuesday to protest the expected arrest of former President Donald Trump in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

60 Minutes, has rarely shied away from controversial subjects.

In the past, the program has interviewed Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber; Vladimir Putin, the Russian president; and Irans Ayatollah Khomeini.

_____

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The pilot killed in the medical helicopter crash was a veteran airman who was dedicated to saving lives.

Marc Gann, 63, was killed when Life Saver 4 out of Sylacauga crashed and caught fire Sunday evening in Shelby County.

He and two other crew members were onboard when the Eurocopter EC130 helicopter medevac went down off U.S. 280.

Gann and registered nurse, 43-year-old Samuel Russell, were killed.

Medic Amanda Daniels remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Marc lived by the motto, Its not the destination but the journey,' said his wife, Brenda Gann.

His journey involved a life dedicating his service to saving soldiers, saving lives and making a difference in this world.

Gann served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army where he was an attack helicopter pilot with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4. He was also a former Army Ranger.

The father of three joined the Life Saver crew in 2007. He flew the first flight out of Life Saver 4.

Marc loved his family, co-workers and community, his wife said.

She said she is thankful for the outpouring of love and support. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.

Marc Gann, 63, was the pilot of Live Saver 4 helicopter that crashed April 2, 2023, in Shelby County. (Special to AL.com)

Investigators with the NTSB and FAA were arriving at the scene Monday - on Bear Creek Road in the area of Mountain Oaks Drive.

NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said investigators will begin to document the scene, examine the aircraft, request any air traffic communications, radar data, weather reports and try to contact any witnesses.

Also, Holloway said, investigators will request maintenance records of the aircraft, and medical records and flight history of the pilot.

The crash, according to NTSB, happened at 5:55 p.m.

A preliminary report may be available in about 10 to 12 business days. A typical NTSB investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete and determine cause.

Shelby County Chief Deputy Clay Hammac said the ordeal began about 5:30 p.m. when the Life Saver helicopter was requested to assist the extraction of a patient who had been hiking in the area and suffered breathing problems and chest pains.

Deputies had set up a landing area for the helicopter.

A deputy then called 911 to report the helicopter had crashed.

One of the crew members was pronounced dead on the scene. Two others were taken to the hospital where a second crew member was pronounced dead.

The original patient  the hiker  was transported separately to a hospital.

Our deputies did the best they could to render aid, Hammac said. The helicopter was on fire.

A Life Saver helicopter crashed in Shelby County on Sunday afternoon. (Photo special to AL.com)

They did attempt to extract the flight crew and were very thankful for the help of our Chelsea Fire Department as well as the Cahaba Valley Fire Department which responded to the scene, he said.

Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said that whenever first responders answer that type of call, they know there is a possibility of something very bad happening.

It was an outcome that none of us want, Picklesimer said.

This flight crew on Lifesaver, theyre heroes and so our hearts go out to the families of these two flight members and a heartfelt thanks to my heroes, Chelsea Fire and Rescue and the deputies that responded, the mayor said.

Please remember these families that will be left behind and that have to deal with this tragic event.

Hammac called it a difficult time for those in the public safety profession.

We count ourselves as family of all first responders, fire, medical and law enforcement, the chief deputy said.

Many of us in this profession know these individuals who were involved so this affects us very deeply.
Five-time Space Camp alumna and veteran astronaut Christina Hammock Koch was one of four NASA astronauts named today as the first crew to return to the moon.

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced the three NASA astronauts and one Canadian who will fly an Orion capsule around the moon on the Artemis II mission. That mission is set for November 2024 and will test the systems ability to carry astronauts safely to the moon and back. One of the astronauts chosen, electrical engineer Koch, attended the popular camp in Huntsville every year from 1992 to 1996.

Koch is one of 14 astronauts who came to the camp in Huntsville to learn about space and the space program and participate in simulated missions and training. Eight astronauts came as children and two as college students. Two more who came as children are currently NASA astronaut candidates.

Koch was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina and resided in Livingston, Montana when she was picked to join the Astronaut Corps. She became a NASA astronaut in 2013 and set a NASA record for the longest spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days. She also participated in the first all-female spacewalks.

Space Camp was a place where I found out I wasnt the only one dreaming to be a part of of the space program, Koch said in an interview from aboard the ISS. I met lifelong friends and people from all over the country. My horizons were widened and I had a new perspective from which to measure my successes and guide my path. And I had incentive. Going to Space Camp was my reward for keeping my grades up.

Koch launched March 14, 2019 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft along with Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin and NASA Astronaut Nick Hague. She returned to Earth Feb. 6, 2020 landing in Russian on a Soyuz spacecraft with Roscosmos Cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov and European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Luca Parmitano.

Koch was a flight engineer on the space station. NASA said she and her crewmates contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical science and technology development. Koch went outside on six spacewalks, including the first three all women spacewalks, and totaled more than 42 hours outside the station. She has spent a total of 328 days in space.

.@Astro_Christina and @Astro_Jessica are scheduled for a spacewalk together on Oct. 21. They recently talked about how their accomplishments are viewed in terms of being female astronauts. pic.twitter.com/yTJ0kVH40f  International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 4, 2019

After returning to Earth, Koch worked as chief of the Assigned Crew Branch in the Astronaut Office. Before her selection for Artemis, she was the NASA Johnson Space Center Directors Assistant for Technical Integration.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville is home to Space Camp and the official welcome center for NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. Space Camp was founded in 1982 and has more than 1 million graduates.

The Marshall center has been NASAs propulsion center since the start of Americas space program. It designed, managed and tested the Space Launch System boosters that will take Koch to the moon. The center also verified the ability of the rockets core parts to survive space travel by putting pressure on each major booster section until it collapsed.

(Reckon reporter Abbey Crain contributed to this report)
California is reportedly considering dropping its travel ban to Alabama and 22 other states, replacing it instead with an advertising campaign encouraging acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTQ community.

State Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, introduced legislation that would end the ban that restricts state agencies, departments, boards and commission from using taxpayer funds to travel to certain states. Instead, it would create a donation-driven fund that would used to support a marketing campaign in support of the LGBTQ community.

When I was a teenager growing up in rural Virginia, the idea of being accepted as a lesbian was a foreign concept. Times have changed, but for so many in the LGBTQ+ community, the feelings of isolation and fear remain, Atkins said in a press release. Lifting the travel ban and putting a program in its place that would infuse inclusive, non-partisan messages in other states is a way that California can help build a bridge of inclusion and acceptance.

The current ban covers 23 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

California first implemented its travel ban in 2017. Alabama was among the first states added to the ban list due to the passage of a law allowing adoption agencies in the state to follow faith-based policies, including the option to not place children with gay couples.

The ban includes a number of exceptions, including if going to the other states is part of meeting contractual obligations, for health and safety or to obtain grant funding.

Atkins bill was introduced last week and must be approved by the state Senate and Assembly.
Jurassic Park might have been lying to us all along.

The Tyrannosaurus rexs terrifying toothy grin from the films may not have been an accurate representation, according to new research by an international team that includes Thomas Cullen, an associate professor of paleobiology at Auburn University.

A paper published Thursday by Cullen and a team of researchers concludes that therapod dinosaurs -- like T-rex and the velociraptors featured in the Jurassic Park films -- likely would have had fleshy lips covering their teeth instead of those menacing mandibles.

We started that project largely because you often see very different portrayals of these animals in the media and in other sources, where sometimes they have their teeth bared when their mouths are closed, Cullen said in a news release. And in other cases, you cant see their teeth at all when their mouths are closed because they have lips.

So, we were curious what evidence exists to support either of these scenarios.

A paper published in the journal Science on March 30, 2023 suggests that therapod dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex would have had lips like the one in this artist's rendering.Courtesy Auburn University

After examining things like tooth wear, the size and scale of therapod skulls and teeth, and comparing T-rex skulls to those of modern-day lizards and crocodiles, the researchers concluded that the heads of these ancient predators would have looked more like modern-day lizards than crocodilians with exposed teeth.

We reconstructed soft tissue anatomy, compared dental measurements and studied dental health and wear records to further uncover that what you are used to seeing on the big screen is not accurate, Cullen said. The teeth of these theropod dinosaurs did not experience wear and tear like a crocodile, and most likely had a lip-like covering.

The results of the comparison were published in the journal Science on Thursday.

The research team included Cullen; Kirstin Brink, assistant professor, Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Manitoba; Mark P. Witton, University of Portsmouth; and Derek Larson, collections manager, Royal BC Museum in Victoria, British Columbia.

Cullen said the lips likely would have been different from mammal lips that can move and form different expressions.

Dinosaur lips would be very different from our lips, in that although they would cover the teeth, they could not really be moved independently, couldnt be curled back into a snarl, or make other sorts of movements we associate with lips in humans (or other mammals), Cullen said. In this way, dinosaur lips would be more similar to those of many lizards or amphibians, even if we typically associate the structure of lips with mammals like ourselves.

The appalachiosaurus, an evolutionary cousin of T-rex discovered in Alabama, is also a theropod dinosaur, meaning it may also have had the fleshy lips covering its intimidating teeth.

The Appalachiosaurus Montgomeriensis on exhibit at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Ala.Dennis Pillion

The results of the study have not been universally accepted.

Thomas Carr, a paleontologist at College in Wisconsin, told The Washington Post that he found the study completely unconvincing.

Carr published a study in 2017 indicating that therapods had leathery, croc-like skin, which would suggest they were lipless.

Carr told Science that until someone finds a better preserved T rex skull, the debate will likely rage on.

I think the day will arrive where somebody will find a fossil mummy of a Tyrannosaur, Carr said. But in the meantime, we wont truly know.
Officer Garrett Crumby Funeral Funeral for fallen Officer Garrett Crumby. End of Watch: March 28, 2023. Posted by Huntsville Police Department on Monday, April 3, 2023

Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. today at Mayfair Church of Christ for slain Huntsville police officer Garrett Crumby.

Burial will be at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park on Monday, following the service in Huntsville.

Today, flags in Alabama are flying at half-staff, Gov. Kay Ivey tweeted this morning.

Crumby tragically lost his life last week while protecting his community. As he is laid to rest today, we honor him and pray for his family, Ivey wrote.

27 Huntsville Police Officer Garrett Crumby Funeral

Crumby, 36, died following a shooting Tuesday afternoon at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of Governors House Drive. Another officer, Albert Morin, 34, was seriously wounded by is expected to recover. An unnamed woman was also injured.

On Friday, police released a photo of Morin giving two thumbs up from his Huntsville Hospital bed, surrounded by Police Chief Kirk Giles and officers.

Crumby joined Huntsville police in August 2020 following seven years as a patrol and field training officer with Tuscaloosa police.
Ingalls Shipbuilding has announced it will receive another $1.3 billion from the U.S. Navy for the construction of LPD 32, the 16th amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class.

The total worth of the contract for the Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard stands at $1.54 billion.

Our shipbuilders are dedicated to delivering these ships to our Navy and Marine Corps partners, having done so for over two decades, said Ingalls president Kari Wilkinson.

This program is strong and has enabled the Department of Navy and Ingalls to establish a formidable capability based on a mature design, an ever-increasingly efficient production line, and a team of shipbuilders that keep the Navys critical industrial base network across the country strong.

Last June, Ingalls was awarded a $240 million advance procurement contract for LPD 32, allowing for the purchase of long-lead-time materials and advance construction. Materials were procured from a supplier network of nearly 400 companies in 30 states, according to the shipyard.

The as-yet unnamed ship will be the third of the new Flight II LPDs. The Flight II ships are replacing the Whidbey Island (LSD 41) and Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) class of amphibious landing ships.

Ingalls is the sole builder of the San Antonio class, with three currently under construction: Richard M. McCool (LPD 29); Harrisburg (LPD 30), the first Flight II LPD; and Pittsburgh (LPD 31), which began fabrication in September 2022.

Ingalls is Mississippis largest private employer and employs a large number of Alabama residents. The company is in the midst of hiring an additional 2,000 workers.
Chinese premier holds talks with Singaporean PM

Xinhua) 10:34, April 03, 2023

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for the visiting Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 1, 2023. Li held talks with Lee Hsien Loong in Beijing on Saturday. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with visiting Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Beijing on Saturday, with both sides vowing further efforts to enhance cooperation.

Noting Lee as an old friend familiar to Chinese people and one of the first batch of foreign leaders received by Li himself after taking office as the premier of the State Council, Li said this fully shows China and Singapore attach great importance to the bilateral relations.

During Lee's visit, both sides have agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to an "All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership." Li said China is ready to work with Singapore to make "high quality" the most distinct feature of cooperation and bring bilateral ties and pragmatic cooperation to a new height, to deliver more benefits to the two peoples and inject more positive energy into regional and global peace, stability and prosperity.

Li stressed efforts to take the substantive conclusion of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Work Programme for Subsequent Negotiations as an opportunity to facilitate two-way opening up of a higher level and the synergy of economic and trade policies of a higher standard.

The two countries should tap into the new potential of cooperation in various fields including digital economy, artificial intelligence and e-commerce, to help further upgrade major cooperation projects, said the premier.

He also urged efforts to give bigger play to the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor as the pivot of industrial and supply chains in the region, and foster an internationalized platform via China-Singapore cooperation to help boost economic recovery of the regional countries.

"China is willing to continuously deepen cooperation in education, culture, tourism, public health and other sectors with Singapore and work to bring personnel exchanges between the two sides back to normalcy as soon as possible," said Li.

Noting China always regards the ASEAN as a priority of neighborhood diplomacy and firmly supports the centrality of ASEAN, Li said China is ready to work with ASEAN countries including Singapore to promote the construction of ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA 3.0) and advance regional economic integration.

As China and Singapore are both firm defenders of economic globalization and multilateralism, Li said China is willing to join hands with the Singaporean side to jointly resist the attempts to politicize economic issues and overstretch the concept of national security, safeguard the stability and smoothness of international industrial and supply chains, and uphold a multilateral trading regime with the World Trade Organization as its core.

Hailing the extensive friendly cooperation as well as the profound mutual trust between the two countries, Lee said Singapore is ready to work with China to expand cooperation in such fields as finance, digital economy, green development, grain security and urban sustainable development, as part of the efforts to forge a paradigm of bilateral and regional cooperation and further advance ties.

Noting China as one of the most substantive cooperative partners of the ASEAN, Lee said all ASEAN countries support developing ties with China and hope to strengthen cooperation while harnessing the opportunities presented by China's economic recovery and expansion of opening up after the COVID-19.

Singapore welcomes and supports China's efforts to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and is willing to work with China to jointly uphold a fair, open and inclusive international trading regime.

After the talks, Premier Li and Prime Minister Lee witnessed the signing of documents on bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, science and technology, food, law, environmental protection and arts.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
9mm vs 45 ACP: The greatest pistol caliber debate By Chris Dwulet

web posted April 3, 2023 There are many great debates that grace the display cases of gun stores and internet forums about which personal defense ammo or firearm is superior1911 vs Glock, AR-15 vs AK-47, 30-06 Springfield vs 308 Winchester, and 9mm vs 40 Smith and Wesson to name a few. And although proponents of certain firearms/cartridges are often very stalwart in their positions, there are none that are so unrelenting, tenacious, and resolute in their position than those in the 9mm vs 45 ACP caliber debate. Many shooters will make the blanket statement that the debate over 9mm Luger and 45 ACP comes down to magazine capacity vs stopping power. However, this is a very apples to oranges approach when it comes to comparing these two personal defense handgun calibers. Let's take an objective look at the 9mm vs 45 ACP debate and compare the history, ballistics, advantages, and disadvantages of the two most popular self-defense handgun cartridges in the world. Load up your favorite Glock 17 magazines with your 9mm ammo of choice and get your 1911 oiled up because you are about to read the most objective 9mm vs 45 ACP caliber debate on the Internet. What is 45 ACP? Americas Two-Time World War Winning Handgun Cartridge The 45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) was developed by the renowned American firearms inventor, John Moses Browning, in 1904. The 45 ACP was an innovation, as many are, birthed from necessity. During the Philippine-American War, the US Cavalry became displeased with the lack of stopping power provided by their .38 Long Colt sidearms. The primary conflict that led to this discovery was the Moro Rebellion where cavalrymen were reporting Moro warriors soaking up shot after shot from their .38 Long Colt revolvers without stopping. The US Military concluded that bigger bullets with more stopping power were required, and that the ideal caliber for this duty was .45 due, in part, to the success of the 45 Long Colt. The previous standard-issue sidearm for the Cavalry was the iconic Colt Single Action Army revolver. Prior to this development, John Moses Browning had been working in tandem with Colt to develop a new 41 caliber for consideration. However, when this new order came from the US Military, Colt and Browning increased the caliber to .45. Initially, the new 45 ACP cartridge was designed to fire a 200-grain bullet at 900 fps. However, after some modifications by the Frankford Arsenal, Union Metallic Cartridge, and Winchester, the finalized version was adorned with a 230-grain full metal jacket (FMJ) fired at 850 fps. The final version of the 45 ACP mimicked the ballistic performance of the 45 Schofield and the 45 Long Colt but was significantly shorter. In 1906, Colt (using Brownings design) and 5 other firearms manufacturers submitted handguns for consideration. Only Colt and Savage Arms made the final cut in 1910. The resulting testing run by the US Military showed the Colt submission experiencing zero failures while the Savage sidearm had 37 stoppages. The Colt handgun was selected as the Model 1911. The Colt 1911 and the 45 ACP served in all branches of the US Military for the next 70+ years as the standard-issue sidearm and ammo. It carried us through World War I and II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. It was not until the 1980s that the military decided to update their service pistol and opted to move towards the Beretta M9 and the 9mm Luger cartridge. The 45 ACP and Model 1911 were the longest-serving cartridge and sidearm in US history and were still used in Special Forces units well after the adoption of the Beretta M9. The 45 ACP is well renowned for its stopping power, accuracy, and reliability. In general, the 45 ACP is a low-pressure round with SAAMI specs citing a maximum pressure of 19,900 psi (considerably less than 35,000 psi for 9mm). It is naturally subsonic, which makes it ideal for use with a suppressor/silencer or submachineguns. Your standard, off-the-shelf 230-grain full metal jacket (FMJ) Winchester ammo will have a muzzle velocity of 835 fps and muzzle energy of 356 foot-pounds of force. The 45 ACP is truly Americas Cartridge and it has a huge following both in the military, law enforcement, and civilian shooting circles. What is 9mm? The German Military Powerhouse The 9x19mm Parabellum was designed by the Austrian gunsmith Georg Luger in 1901. Luger derived the 9mm Parabellum from his previous design, the 7.65x21mm Parabellum. In 1903 he presented the 9mm Parabellum to the US military for consideration at the Springfield Arsenal and was in competition with Browning and the 45 ACP. The 9mm was not adopted by the US military until much later and was instead picked up by the German Imperial Navy and Army in 1904 and 1908, respectively. The 9x19mm Parabellum is also referred to as the 9x19mm NATO, 9mm Luger, or simply the 9mm. SAAMI specs list the maximum pressure for 9mm at 35,000 psi and standard 115 grain FMJ ammo will have an average muzzle velocity of 1180 fps and a muzzle energy of 355 foot-pounds. After World War I and through World War II, the 9mm Luger cartridge and its accompanying Luger P-08 handgun became one of the most popular handgun cartridges in Europe for both military and law enforcement. However, the United States was late to the party as it clung to the idiom, Bigger Bullets are Better and our beloved 45 ACP until the 1980s with the adoption of the Beretta M9 Service Pistol by the US Army. The popularity of the 9mm Luger really exploded in the United States during the 80s and 90s with the introduction of extremely reliable semi-auto pistols, such as the Glock 17, the Sig Sauer P226, and more recently the Springfield XD and the Smith and Wesson M&P. The 9mm has become synonymous with law enforcement and home defense for its high magazine capacity, stopping power using jacketed hollow point ammo (JHP), and low overall cost per round. 9mm pistols are extremely easy to come by and are relatively inexpensive as all major firearms manufacturers carry some offering for the 9mm cartridge: Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, Kimber, Springfield, Remington, Ruger, and Taurus, just to name a few! It has truly become the everyday carry (EDC) handgun of choice if you dont want to carry something more sizable and snappier like a 357 Magnum. With advancements in hollow point technology, the 9mm has solidified itself as the self-defense ammo of choice for the military, law enforcement, and the civilian concealed carry permit holder. 9mm vs 45 ACP: The Difference Between 9mm and .45 The 9x19mm NATO and the 45 ACP are two of the most popular semi-auto handgun calibers worldwide. Both have a devout following of die-hard shooters for good reason! They both excel as a self-defense round and, if your shot placement is good, will defend your life should that fateful moment arise. But can one be labeled as superior to the other? I doubt it. Your choice between loading up your EDC handgun with a 9mm Hornady Critical Defense round or a 45 ACP Winchester Ranger-T hollow point will depend a lot on YOU and your personal preferences. In the following comparison, we will look that the 45 ACP and the 9mm Luger with an unbiased eye so that You can make an informed decision on your next semi-auto pistol purchase. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Stopping Power One of the top three discussion points in the 45 vs 9mm debate is stopping power. Proponents of the 45 ACP are going to harp on the mystical concept of Stopping Power stating that the 9mm is underpowered and a heavier bullet is needed to stop a threat. Many an Internet forum is riddled with unsubstantiated reports of a bad guy soaking up shots from a police officer wielding a 9mm gun without even batting an eye. The 45 ACP is undoubtedly the superior cartridge when it comes to kinetic energy as it fires a heavier bullet, but how is stopping power defined? Although there is not a column in the ballistics chart for stopping power, the FBI testing protocol is widely accepted as the best real-world simulation for testing ammunition. The FBI Ammunition Testing Protocol was developed after the 1986 Miami Shootout where two FBI agents lost their lives. It was determined that the 9mm round the officers used was ineffective and spurned the FBIs decision to move away from the 9mm to the 40 Smith and Wesson (40 S&W) cartridge. For the purpose of this comparison, we will only discuss hollow point ammo as it is what you should be loading into all of your concealed carry handguns. Hollow point bullets will expand when they encounter soft tissue, decreasing the amount of penetration and increasing the amount of damage that the bullet will cause. FMJ ammo should not be used in your EDC pistol as a full metal jacket will not expand and likely over penetrate through the bad guy into an innocent bystander and/or through internal walls. For modern 9mm JHP ammo, penetration is around 13-15 inches on average. In contrast, 45 ACP hollow point ammo will typically penetrate inside the range of 12-14 inches. For the most part, both will penetrate the same amount. However, one major difference between the .45 and 9mm bullet is the amount of expansion that occurs when the hollow point opens up. In general, a 9mm round will expand from 0.355 to around 0.6, virtually doubling in diameter. In comparison, the 45 ACP will do the same, expanding from 0.452 to around 1, again doubling. This means that the 45 ACP will create a larger permanent wound channel inside the bad guy. In turn, causing additional blood hemorrhaging and increase the probability that an internal organ will be lacerated. Overall, the 45 ACP is a bigger, fatter, slower round than the 9mm resulting in shallower penetration for the venerable .45. However, thats not a bad thing as overpenetration is a real (legal) issue should you hit something you didnt intend. As the 45 ACP leaves a larger permanent wound cavity, imparts more momentum into the target, and has a tendency to not over-penetrate, its a fair statement that the 45 ACP has more stopping power than a 9mm. Advancements in hollow point technology have brought the 9mm bullet on par with the 45 ACP but the .45 is still just a bigger, heavier bullet and that cannot be contested. But this is only half of the story! Lets continue onto magazine capacity. 45 vs 9mm: Magazine Capacity Proponents of 9mm pistols love to cite the fact that 9mm magazines have a higher capacity than their 45 ACP counterparts, and they are 100% correct. Early magazine designs for the 45 ACP utilized what is referred to as a single stack design, meaning that one round sat on top and the other in a vertical orientation. However, as the 9mm is smaller, initial designs for 9mm magazines use a double stack design, meaning that the rounds are staggered in a diagonal pattern as they move up the magazine wall. The double-stack design allows for more magazine capacity at the cost of the magazine being wider. Right about now, the 45 ACP fanboys are clamoring in the comments section, screaming at the top of their lungs, Hey! We have double stack mags, too! And its true they do, however, they will never come close to the magazine capacity of a 9mm. Your standard Glock 17 magazine holds 17 rounds of 9mm ammo, while the Glock 21 magazine can only hold 13 rounds of 45 ACP. Being able to bring more ammo to bear in a self-defense situation allows you to stay in the fight longer before you have to result to hand-to-hand combat. This gives the 9mm a distinct advantage as any shooter will always pick more bullets over less. The military seems to agree with this concept based on their decision to switch from the 308 Winchester to the 5.56 NATO in Vietnam as well! However, please be aware of your state laws as some states like New York and California restrict high-capacity magazines. In this case, those higher capacity magazines might not be a true advantage so always be aware of what you are allowed to carry. However, all things being 2A Equal, the 9mm allows a responsible concealed carry permit holder or police officer to carry more ammo into a gunfight and that is a distinct advantage over the 45 ACP. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Recoil The 9mm Luger has approximately half the felt recoil of the 45 ACP, and this is the third major point of debate in the 9mm vs 45 ACP battle. The 9mm cartridge fires a lighter bullet at a higher velocity, whereas the 45 ACP fires a heavier bullet at slower velocities. As Newton taught us in high school, For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. (And you said youd never use physics in the real world!) This means that the heavier powder charge and heavier bullet in the 45 ACP is going to push back on the shooter harder than a 9mm. There is one caveat to this though, and that is firearm choice. A classic, steel-framed 1911 is going to be considerably heavier than a polymer-framed Glock 21, M&P45, or Ruger SR-45. That added frame weight is going to reduce the amount of felt recoil that is imparted into the shooters hands. This is the main reason why 1911 owners will often state that the 45 ACP doesnt have much kick to it. However, in general, 9mm handguns will have less recoil and allow for faster follow-up shots as shooters can get their sights back on target quicker. Less recoil also tends to lead to improved accuracy and shot placement. And as Im sure youre well aware, shot placement is the key to stopping a threat. Many shooters will find that they are more accurate shooting a 9mm and this is often due to less recoil. The gentler shooting 9mm allows shooters to focus on the fundamentals of shooting (trigger control, sight alignment, grip, stance) and develop good habits over bad ones like recoil anticipation. The FBI also agrees with this as they began phasing out their 40 S&W service pistols and moving back to the 9mm round in 2015. Their findings suggested that less recoil allowed their agents to reduce their split times (time between shots) which allowed them to end engagements quicker with better shot placement. Lower felt recoil is an advantage for the 9mm Luger as it makes the firearm easier to handle, allowing for better shooting fundamentals and follow-up shots. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Velocity and Accuracy Its incredibly difficult to compare the accuracy of two handgun calibers as it is largely dependent upon the shooter and the firearm used. Both the 9mm and the 45 ACP have won the Service Pistol competition at the National Matches at Camp Perry. All things being equal, there is no difference in accuracy between the 9mm and 45 ACP. However, there is one caveat and that would be muzzle velocity. As the 9mm round fires a lighter bullet at a higher velocity, it will have less bullet drop over distance making it the better choice for long range shots. Unless you practice like Jerry Miculek, its unlikely youll be taking shots with your 9mm over 25 yards. However, should the moment arise when a long-range shot is required, youll have to compensate less for bullet drop with the 9mm. Although the 45 ACP will not be the best choice for long-range engagements, its lower muzzle velocity makes it is an ideal candidate for suppressed fire. Being naturally subsonic and having lower chamber pressure, the 45 ACP is easier to suppress than a 9mm. There are subsonic (under 1000 fps) options for the 9mm with 147+ grain loadings that play nice with a silencer, but the 45 ACP is simply a joy to fire suppressed and most shooters prefer it in this role. 45 vs 9mm: Home Defense and Concealed Carry With advancements in hollow point technology, the gap between the stopping power between the 45 ACP and 9mm has been closed to an extent. However, the fact that the 45 ACP has lower penetration makes it an ideal choice for home defense. This means it is less likely that the bullet will penetrate through the bad guy, your internal/external walls, and into Little Johnny playing COD next door. Always know what your backstop is and what lies behind your target, as you are liable for every bullet you fire, even in a self-defense situation. However, in an urban setting, lower penetration while still penetrating deep enough to cause critical damage to internal organs is idealand this is what the 45 ACP offers. The added weight of 45 ACP firearms makes little difference when its stowed safely in your bedside gun vault. Furthermore, a heavier semi-auto pistol like a 1911 will soak up more of that 45 ACP recoil (and is also a viable club should you run out of ammo). This is not to say that a 9mm is insufficient for home defense, it most certainly will get the job done. You just run the potential for over penetration which is a possible liability issue. However, modern hollow points or frangible ammo minimize this risk and you should not feel insecure using a 9mm for home defense. Concealed carry is another issue entirely as there are more factors to consider when you are putting together your EDC. Handgun weight and width play a big role in comfort when you are going to concealed carry any firearm. And theres no denying that a 45 ACP handgun will be thicker and heavier than its 9mm equivalent. There are many concealed carry permit holders who EDC a 45 ACP every day, and if they are willing to take on the added weight then I say more power to you. However, for your average CCW permit holder, that 45 ACP is going to wear on them day in and day out. Thoughts will start creeping into their minds, Im just going to Wal-MartNo need to tote the 1911 today, its constantly digging into my thighEverything will be fine if I just leave it at home! And soon enough, that 1911 they swore theyd carry every day has been relegated to nightstand duty. The simple truth is a 9mm pistol is going to be easier to carry as it is lighter, thinner, and you can carry more ammo for it. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Handgun Availability and Price The 9mm and 45 ACP are the two most popular pistol calibers in the world. Every major firearms manufacturer who sells handguns has at least one semi-auto pistol dedicated to 9mm Luger and 45 ACP. The sky is the limit in terms of firearms design, size, grip angle, and construction material. This allows you to purchase a handgun that fits you like a glove. One upside for 9mm handguns is that they are typically cheaper than a 45 ACP offering of similar size. This is due to fewer materials being required for a 9mm as a 45 requires heavier construction to handle the increased recoil. Other than this one caveat, you should have zero issues finding a handgun in either caliber. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Ammo Availability and Price Ammo for both 9mm and 45 ACP is plentiful and easy to find. There are various offerings from FMJ, numerous jacketed hollow point (JHP) configurations, and even +p loadings. However, 9mm ammo is going to be about half the price of 45 as it fires a smaller bullet and requires less powder and brass for construction. This means you can practice with your 9mm more with less of a hit to the wallet. Buying in bulk is always smart, make sure to check out our stock of bulk 9mm ammo and 45 acp bulk ammo. 45 ACP vs 9mm: Reloading f you were to ask me what pistol cartridge a new reloader should learn on, the 45 ACP and 9mm are the two I would recommend. These two pistol calibers are the simplest to reload that Ive ever seen and there are a multitude of components for you to choose from to develop your ideal load. Do note that some 45 ACP brass casings are now using small pistol primers as opposed to large pistol primers. This means you will need to segregate your brass to not mix these two up during reloading. OR! Simply throw away the heretical small pistol primer 45 ACP brass because John Moses Browning designed the 45 for a large pistol primer and anything less is an afront to nature. Conclusion: Settling the 45 ACP vs 9mm Debate Its unlikely that the 9mm vs 45 ACP debate will ever be settled as shooters from both camps have dug their heels into their position and wont budge. Both cartridges offer distinct advantages and disadvantages that the individual firearm owner will need to weigh when making their final purchase decision. The 9mm Luger offers superior magazine capacity, low recoil, and lighter firearms allowing for easier carriage and the ability to put multiple shots on target in quick succession. However, the 9mm bullet is lighter and leaves a smaller permanent wound channel, although advancements in hollow point technology have helped resolve this issue to a point. The 45 ACP is a battle-tested round that won two World Wars and offers superior stopping power at the cost of reduced magazine capacity and added overall weight. Which round works best for YOU depends on your personal preferences and what role you want your new handgun purchase to fill. For EDC, 9mm is the preferred choice for many CCW permit holders. However, if you feel more comfortable carrying a 45 ACP then lock and load and carry it. Just understand that youll need to invest in a quality belt and holster to offset the added weight of a 45 ACP handgun. For home defense, a 45 ACP is the better choice as reduced penetration makes it a safer option for use in an urban setting. However, you should not feel outgunned if you must defend your home with a 9mm. No matter which pistol caliber you choose, you can rest assured that in the moment when you need your handgun to perform, the 45 ACP and 9mm will not let you down. Quality hollow point ammo will stop any assailant so long as your shot placement is sufficient. Therefore, you need to grab some FMJ ammo and hit the range to practice with your chosen caliber, so YOU are ready when the 9mm vs 45 ACP debate is a distant memory in the back of your mind. Shot placement trumps caliber selection every time, so be proficient with your EDC handgun and carry what you shoot best. Stay safe out there my CCW brothers and sisters. Chris Dwulet grew up in the heart of the Midwest (Indiana, to be precise, a storied land which gave the world both the machine gun and the mechanical corn picker, thus solving two of mankinds greatest age-old problems). He received his first experience with firearms in his grandfathers backyard, where he learned to handle a Remington Model 541 with astounding deftness. Indiana suffers from an empty can shortage to this day. This was originally printed in Ammo.com. Home
The construction of a train stop, and a track leading to it in downtown Mobile, is the final infrastructure issue that needs to be addressed before Amtrak can restart passenger trains along the Gulf Coast for the first time in 18 years, officials say.

Mobile is the only city along the route to New Orleans without infrastructure built to accommodate an Amtrak train. Other cities that are stops along the Gulf Coast route  Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis  have train stops or depots ready to go in preparation for Amtraks restart.

Related content:

Mobile last had a train station in downtown Mobile in 2005, when it was destroyed by storm surge from Hurricane Katrina. Amtrak has not operated routinely along the Gulf Coast since the storm.

The train needs a place to serve Mobile, said Marc Magliari, spokesman with Amtrak, describing Mobile as a key element toward Amtrak bringing service back to the Gulf Coast after years of planning, discussions, and negotiations with freight operators and the Alabama State Port Authority.

In terms of stations, Mobile is the last one to be finished, Magliari said.

He said that other capital infrastructure along the track can be finished while Amtrak trains are rolling along the Gulf Coast route. A federal grant indicated that a total of $225 million in capital projects are needed to the route for the twice-daily operation between Mobile and New Orleans to operate on a schedule of 3 hours and 23 minutes between the two cities. The service also includes the four stops in Mississippi.

I dont have any (notions) that Mobile is holding up the works here, said Knox Ross, chairman of the Southern Rail Commission that advocates on behalf of passenger rail opportunities in several Southern states including Alabama. I think its more that the railroads have to come together on an agreement to do improvements necessary to receive a train. I think everyone is working on that.

Preliminary talks

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson speaks to Alabama Media Group reporters Maggie Kates and John Sharp during a Q&A from the 10th floor of Government Plaza on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in downtown Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Amtrak officials and Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpsons administration met last week to discuss what a train stop, or a train station could look like adjacent to Cooper Riverside Park at the foot of Water and Government streets.

Candace Cooksey, a spokeswoman with Stimpsons office, described the meeting as preliminary to determine what we need to pull together and what our next steps are.

She said the citys attorneys and real estate officials are working with Amtrak to analyze the train stop site, and presumably determine some kind of lease agreement.

None of those decisions are made yet, Cooksey said. She said the anticipation is for Amtrak to restart along the route before the end of the year.

From that meeting, our agreement is wed connect our legal departments and real estate departments and get a survey done on the property, Cooksey said. Those are the initial steps. There is interest in getting more plans on paper.

Drawings are available on what a future train station will look like. In 2019, the citys former director of Real Estate Management unveiled several renderings of a future station that included overhangs to protect passengers from inclement weather, parking and enclosed passenger waiting rooms with restrooms. The proposal did not include a building with ticket booths.

The proposal also considered building the station completely off the main tracks, which is part of the current considerations. A 1,300-foot track off the main line was also part of those considerations.

We are digging up our previous paperwork and renderings to take another look at it, Cooksey said. Certainly, were revisiting those concepts.

CSX involvement

Alabama State Docks and rail yard in Mobile. Mobile photos 2021. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com).Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com

Mobile is only one part of the downtown project. CSX, according to a federal grant application in December, will lead the efforts in building a new rail line approximately 3,000 feet west of the main freight line.

That line is used by CSX and was a focal point of concerns during months of disagreements and negotiations before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The dispute, which lasted most of 2022, was resolved in November under a confidentiality agreement that prohibited the parties from disclosing much.

A CSX spokeswoman declined to comment about the Mobile project, citing the confidential nature of the settlement agreement.

A Consolidate Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program application in December for $179 million in federal funds disclosed some of the capital improvements needed along the rail line.

CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Port Authority, according to the grant application, will contribute $15.4 million toward the infrastructure improvements. The grant application does not disclose how much the Mobile work will cost nor its timeline for completion. Southern Rail Commissioners, for months, have said the Gulf Coast project will start in 2023.

Amtrak will contribute $6 million, and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana are allocating $23.1 million. Alabama has not committed any finances toward the project, though the Mobile City Council voted 6-1 in early 2020, to commit $3 million over a three-year period to support the project.

The total cost within the CRISI grant for the upgrades is $223 million, which encompasses 13 separate areas along the rail route including downtown Mobile. The projects include crossing improvements, siding extensions and turnouts  most of which can be completed while Amtrak is already operating along the Gulf Coast. The projects are expected to be wrapped up by 2026.
A police chase ended in fatal gunfire Monday afternoon in north Birmingham.

Few details have been released but a suspect is dead in a grassy area under the bridge near the Collegeville public housing community. That location is in the 3000 block of 30th Court North.

Sheriffs Deputy Chief David Agee said the pursuit began in Fairfield just before 2 p.m. Deputies, he said, were chasing someone with an outstanding warrant for kidnapping.

The pursuit ended when the black Infiniti came to a chain fence at the public housing community and could not go any further.

Three people reportedly then exited the vehicle. One of them was shot to death, and two others reportedly taken into custody.

Agee did not say if the suspect was armed or fired shots.

Family members of the slain man stood just yards from his body, which was draped in a white sheet. Visibly upset, his mother and others insisted the slain 28-year-old did not have a weapon or fire any shots. They also said they believe his wife falsely accused him of kidnapping.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will be handling the investigation.

Deputies and Birmingham police have cordoned off a large perimeter surrounding the area.
A second autopsy has been conducted on the body of Stephen Smith  the 19-year-old whose death investigation was reopened following the murders of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh  a lawyer for Smiths mother said.

Smiths body was exhumed and re-examined before being returned to its final resting place this past weekend, lawyer Eric Bland tweeted late Sunday.

Smith was found dead on a road in Hampton County, S.C., in 2015 in what officials originally ruled a hit-and-run. His death garnered new attention after the killings of the Murdaughs, for which ex-lawyer Alex Murdaugh was found guilty of murder last month.

Authorities reopened the investigation into Smiths death in 2021 but havent said what information from the Murdaugh case inspired them to do so. Last month, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said his death is now being looked at as a homicide.

A tremendous amount of planning went into this past weekend by a lot of people including the funeral home, coroner, [South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control], the excavators, doctors Dupre, Schultz and Haney and at least 12 SLED Officers, Bland wrote Sunday.

The biggest thanks goes to SLED Chief Mark Keel because without him this could not have gone on without a hitch. Chief Keel gave me his word and followed through on it.

Alex Murdaugh, who maintained his innocence, received two life sentences for the 2021 deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul. Surviving son Buster Murdaugh broke his silence about Smiths death last month to refute vicious rumors about his involvement.

These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false, Buster Murdaugh, 26, said through his lawyer. I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family. I am requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumors about me.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Alabama tornado count from the latest round of severe weather has gone up by one.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said over the weekend that an EF-1 tornado track has been found in Marion and Winston counties.

The latest tornado brings the total count from the Friday-Saturday round of storms to three. One of those was a top-end EF-3 tornado with 160 mph winds that resulted in one death and five injuries.

The newest confirmed tornado, which tracked through Marion and Winston counties, had top estimated winds of 110 mph. It had a path length of 17.05 miles and a path width of 675 yards. One person was injured.

The tornado touched down at 2:32 a.m. Saturday (April 1) on Marion County Road 348 south of Hackleburg. It rapidly strengthened and caused significant damage as it crossed Alabama Highway 253. The tornado continued east-northeast and destroyed a manufactured home near Chalk Mine Road.

The tornado crossed over the Fairview Community, damaging trees, and then headed toward the Lumbull Community. As it neared Bear Creek it caused significant damage along Alabama Highway 13, where a large metal building was damaged and winds were estimated near 110 mph.

The tornado crossed the highway and flipped a manufactured home, injuring its occupant. The tornado continued eastward and crossed into Winston County, causing minor damage to trees, a few homes and outbuildings. The tornado continued to cause damage near Posey Field and in a residential neighborhood. The tornado dissipated just north of County Road 68 just west of Alabama Highway 195.

This survey has been completed, and the final rating remains EF-1:



Rating: EF1

Estimated Peak Wind: 110 mph

Path Length /statute/: 17.05 miles

Path Width /maximum/: 675 yards

Fatalities: 0

Injuries: 1



Survey details:https://t.co/s8OScRTQQ4#alwx  NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) April 2, 2023

In addition to that tornado over the weekend there was an EF-0 in Etowah County near Sardis City. That tornado was blamed for two injuries.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said that tornado had top winds of 85 mph. It had a path length of 3.10 miles and a path width of 250 yards. The tornado touched down at 4:51 a.m. Saturday along Coosa Road and later lifted after crossing Broadwell Road near the Sardis Drive intersection.

The most powerful tornado of that event was an EF-3 that was blamed for one death in northern Madison County near the Tennessee border. It had top winds of 160 mph. The tornado had a path length of 12.10 miles and a path width of 215 yards, according to preliminary information from the weather service. It touched down at 3:09 a.m. Saturday in northern Madison County and tracked into Tennessee. The tornado also injured five people.

[April 1] Our survey team has found EF-3 tornado damage in northern Madison Co./southern Lincoln Co. as a result of last night's storms. Additional surveys will be conducted over the next few days and we will update social media with results of those accordingly. #HUNwx pic.twitter.com/Xh2eLKGuLr  NWS Huntsville (@NWSHuntsville) April 1, 2023

More strong to severe storms will be possible today in Alabama and again on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
Family and fellow officers gathered this morning in Huntsville to remember the life of slain police officer Garrett Crumby, recounting a humble life in public service cut short last week.

Crumby, 36, died following a shooting Tuesday afternoon at an apartment complex on the 4600 block of Governors House Drive. Another officer, Albert Morin, 34, was seriously wounded but is expected to recover. An unnamed woman was also injured.

Juan Robert Laws, 24, currently faces a charge of capital murder of a law enforcement officer. He is expected to face additional charges.

In the hourlong service at Mayfair Church of Christ, several shared memories of the Mississippi native, who came to Huntsville by way of Tuscaloosa police, and distinguished himself in a short time on the force before his tragic end.

Deputy Chief Scott Hudson of Huntsville police, who read Crumbys obituary at the service, said many would unfortunately only come to know Crumby through his death.

There are not enough words we could use to fully describe Garrett - his work ethic, his kindness, his thoughtfulness, and his drive to help others, Hudson said. His police service of 10 years in two different communities in this state can continue to impact us all.

Several speakers said Crumby, a humble guy, would have been embarrassed by the service. Stories of the officer included his interest in the weather - culminating in a celebrated meeting with Birmingham meteorologist James Spann -his time as a volunteer firefighter or in Huntsvilles bike unit, and as a police officer who conspired to drive the departments Mustang while serving the public.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle said Crumby was somebody very, very special who has inspired hundreds of emails and texts to officials, offering prayers for his family and praise for his service.

This community honors Garrett Crumby, this community honors the profession, Battle said.

One of Crumbys sisters remembered his life before law enforcement as a little boy in a Batman costume standing on the back of a couch, fully committed to the character.

He really did have plans to save us all, from what, at that age, I dont know, she said, laughing. He fiercely loved all of his family and friends.

Steven Barrett, a friend, remembered discussions that ranged from theological issues to comic book superheroes. During one conversation in particular, Barrett said Crumby told him what was important to him.

It doesnt matter how bad it gets out there, Barrett said Crumby told him. It doesnt matter what I deal with on a daily basis. Its that I show people that I care.

Crumbys supervisor for the last year, visibly emotional, stood with other fellow officers behind Crumbys casket, and told stories of how Crumby loved answering calls to the public. At times, he spoke directly to Crumby, saying how officers have replayed the day he died many times, examining how they responded.

Garrett, youd be proud to know your guys didnt hesitate to try to save you for one second, he said. You were never alone. Never.

Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles urged all members of law enforcement, fire and rescue, and medical profession to stand during the service, and several hundred in the congregation rose.

Why did we get in this business, if this is how it all ends, if this is what its all about? he asked.

Why are we doing this? Regardless if youre fighting fires, fighting crime, or providing medical care to save lives, you signed on because you care. You know there are people who depend on you. You signed on because you know youre making a difference. It would be chaos without you.
A Louisiana restaurant looking to expand across the Southeast is planning to open a Birmingham location later in 2023.

Kolache Kitchen currently has restaurants in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Key West.

Founded in 2013 near the LSU campus, Kolache Kitchen serves classic and specialty kolaches, boudin, breakfast tacos, sandwiches, empanadas and other treats.

Founder Will Edwards, a native of Texas, told the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report that the chain currently has seven locations. He opened the eatery only two years after completing classes at LSU.

Edwards is looking in other markets for franchise partners with past experience operating restaurants, preferably in managing multiple units.

One thing Ive noticed, people will call and inquire, but it takes a lot to see people who are really serious, Edwards told the outlet.
Madison City Schools Superintendent Ed Nichols received thunderous applause at the State of the Schools breakfast last week at the Westin when he announced new teachers in his district were going to receive a pay raise, a $10,000 relocation fee and a $3,000 signing bonus next year.

Just before the applause died down, he announced Im sorry, thats not us. Thats Mazda Toyota.

The applause turned into laughter when he made the reference to the hiring incentives of the automaker just a few miles down the from his schools.

Only, it wasnt a laughing matter for Nichols.

What Im going to give you is the starting teacher pay of $43,000 after a four-year degree, 25 third graders in your classroom, 18 minutes of going to the bathroom during the day, two extra unpaid hours after school that equals 10 more weeks of unpaid work, just in case you think they dont work in the summer, he said.

And you wonder why we dont have more teachers apply, Nichols said of filling teacher positions for the nearly 13,000-student school district, one of the fastest growing and top performing districts in Alabama.
An armed standoff involving two North Alabama law enforcement agencies ended this morning in Tennessee with two hostages freed and the gunman dead, officials said.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the incident began at 3 a.m. today with a vehicle pursuit that originated in Florence.

It continued on Alabama 20 through Lauderdale County, when deputies said the driver fired on them, according to a statement from the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies used spike strips to stop the vehicle, but the pursuit continued into Wayne County, Tenn., along Highway 69, then into Hardin County. The pursuit ended in the Walnut Grove community at about 3:30 a.m. when officers disabled the vehicle. The driver stayed inside, refusing to release two passengers.

TBI said the Jackson police SWAT team responded, and after negotiation, one passenger was allowed to leave the vehicle.

At about 8 a.m., shots were fired at the driver, who was hit and killed at the scene. TBI said the reason for why the shots were fired is still under investigation.

The suspected gunman was identified as Zachary Hoffman, 28, of Lauderdale County.

Neither of the passengers nor any officers were injured in the incident, which is under investigation.
A new study from a consultantordered by the Mobile City Councilseemed to confirm what city of Mobile officials have been saying for months: that annexing a broad swath of territory west of the city was necessary to grow the citys revenues and prevent the city from becoming locked into its current footprint.

Without annexation, the entire metropolitan area could suffer and (there could be) a reduction in services in Mobile without annexation, Mayor Sandy Stimpson said Monday in a press conference regarding the study.

The consultant, PFM Group Consulting, LLC, analyzed the citys projections of how each of the four annexation scenarios proposed by the administration would impact the citys revenues, service demand, expenditures and demographics. In January, the city published four maps detailing the potential scenarios: annexation study area A would annex 25,806 residents, study area B would annex 19,789 residents, study area C would annex 18,265 residents and study area D would annex 16,738 residents.

Using data provided by the city and state statutes, PFM agreed with the citys projection that the additional revenue from annexing territory west of the city would be greater than the increased expenditures that come from the larger population. In addition, the study concluded that, without annexation, the city would face the risk of continued population loss, which could harm the economic and fiscal wellbeing of the city and the overall metropolitan area.

Stimpsons comments and the study sets up for some highly anticipated city council meetings and a decision that could kickstart one of the most consequential annexation proposals in Alabamas history.

If approved by voters in a special election, Mobile would leapfrog Birmingham and Montgomery and become the second-largest city in Alabama, trailing only fast-growing Huntsville. A supermajority vote of five council members is needed to trigger a special election for the annexation plan to get on the ballot.

But a reduction in the percentage of the citys majority-minority voting age population could resurrect similar concerns that led to the collapse of the last annexation plan less than four years ago. PFM did not analyze the potential demographic changes, but in each of the four proposed annexation scenarios provided by the city, the city would remain majority-Black, and a plurality of the citys voting age population would be Black, but by a razor-thin margin. In study area A, the citys voting age population with the annexed territories would be 46.8% Black and 46.7% white.

In the study, PFM noted that, from 2010 to 2020, the city of Mobiles population decreased by 4.14%, and the projections are that it will continue decreasing. By contrast, in all four of the proposed annexation scenarios, the population in that territory increased between 13-14% between 2010 and 2020, and those areas are projected to keep increasing in population.

Stimpson said the PFM report achieved the administrations goals of what it wants to achieve in annexation: Preserve Mobiles status as a Black majority city, ensure the voting age population of Mobiles four of seven council districts remains majority minority, bring Mobiles overall population above 200,000, and ensure any annexation would be revenue positive.

I hope there is a sense of urgency toward doing this, Stimpson said of the councils actions, specifically setting up a special election for an annexation vote. You dont know when the next opportunity will be and there is no time like the present to get something done, he said.

Economic analysis

In the first year after annexation, the city of Mobile projected (and PFM confirmed) that, assuming a baseline 5% annual growth in sales tax revenue, the city would net $7.1-8.4 million in sales tax revenue from the annexed territories, depending on which territory is annexed. Ten years after annexation, the city is projected to net $11-13 million in sales tax revenue from the area, depending on territory.

Sales tax is the largest source of revenue for the city. The city currently collects sales tax from territory west of Mobile (but still within the citys police jurisdiction) at a rate of 2.5%. That amount would increase to 5% if that territory becomes part of the city limits.

However, the city would not be able to collect ad valorem (property) tax revenue from property owners in the annexed territory for five years. Starting in year six, the city projects that it could collect between $1.2 and $2 million in property tax revenue from the annexed areas.

The city of Mobile would have to take on about $1.3-1.6 million in up-front capital costs if any territory were to be annexed, the study notes. Those expenses would be one-time and primarily for garbage collection equipment and public works maintenance equipment.

But the city would not have to take on any additional police expenditures, because the potentially annexed territory already sits in the citys police jurisdiction. The city also currently provides fire services but not emergency medical services. In the study, the city argues that it can provide emergency medical services without any additional expenditures.

Overall, the study anticipates that the city would add between $24.8-26.8 million in new expenditures over ten years if it were to annex territory, compared with $135.5-$146.5 million in new revenue.

Bigger grant opportunities

Stimpson, as he did in 2019, touted the economic benefits of annexation and the potential grant opportunities for bringing in more residents.

The PFM analysis seemed to back this up. With a population size above 200,000 residents, Mobile could have received more community-development block grant money under the American Rescue Plan Act.

Federal Transit Administration funding is also affected. If the city is over 200,000 in population, it would receive direct funding from the federal agency, rather than through state administrators who oversee funding needs to cities under the 200,000 threshold.

Stimpson also touted the cost advantages of annexation. He said the revenue projections show Mobile coming out ahead, and residents in the unincorporated areas receiving additional municipal services like garbage and trash removal, and emergency medical service.

In addition, areas like Kings Branch  which is a large subdivision west of Mobile and slightly to the east of Semmes  would be eligible to receive a boost in sidewalk work, drainage and other capital improvements within the citys budget.

There are (capital improvement plan) dollars that can be spent in that community that are not spent there today, Stimpson said, adding that Mobile County does not have as robust plans as the city to maintain and upgrade the area.

Expectations and concerns

The council is set to meet at 1 p.m. on April 10, to discuss the report with PFM, but reactions are also expected during Tuesdays council meeting. One of two people signed up to speak about the issue during the meeting, is former Mobile County School Board member Robert Battles.

My first impression is that the information we received was what I expected, said Councilwoman Gina Gregory. The report is lengthy, and I want a chance to study it.

Mobile City Councilman Scott Jones, who supports annexation, said the study is a validation of the information council members got from Stimpsons staff a year ago.

The areas in the county that we are looking at bringing into the city grew between 2010 and 2020, said Jones. Our city did not. There will be a significant increase in revenue, even after expenditures. Population growth will also be a huge benefit.

But much like the last annexation showdown in 2019  and the debate last year over redistricting  the city could be faced with another racially sensitive matter.

Mobile City Councilman William Carroll said concerns remain from Black residents in Mobile about flipping the voting age population. A voting age population analysis was not included ahead of the 2019 proposal but has been provided by the city ahead of the latest plans consideration.

Many of the groups have been concerned about it, Carroll said. It will weigh heavily on any decision when it comes to annexation. It may weigh heavily on which areas are considered over others.

Jones said, When our city does well, each of our districts benefit. That is all we need to know to move this forward. Nothing else matters, to include demographics. In watching many cities go through this same process, Mobile is the only one who had special interest groups try to stop annexation because of a racial demographic discussion.

The last time annexation was before the council in 2019, a plan to add approximately 13,000 new residents crumbled amid concerns over shifting racial demographics. Under that years plan, the citys overall racial demographics were set to become 48.8% Black, 46.7% white.

Carroll, like Gregory, said he had not had a chance to dive fully into the report. He said everything is on the table when it comes to a final annexation plan and whether city officials will be willing to consider smaller annexation proposals.

Jones said its time for the council to move forward with a vote.

It is time to get this on the agenda and allow the people in every area we are looking at in the proposed areas of the county the opportunity to vote on joining our city as soon as possible, he said.
This is a guest opinion column

Economic development and job creation are always among the top priority for leaders and elected officials each year. Governor Ivey has consistently made this a focus of her administration, as shes worked toward sparking Alabamas economy and job creation efforts since before she took office. With her support and leadership, the Alabama Senate now also has a great opportunity in the upcoming session to make a tangible impact on the lives of the constituents we were elected to represent through a proposed legislation package surrounding incentive programs and economic development in Alabama.

The Alabama Jobs Act and Growing Alabama bills have been extremely impactful to our state, and this year, we will discuss their renewal, expansion, and enhancement. The Alabama Senate is looking forward to seeing effective pieces of legislation that will help Alabamas local communities thrive by attracting high-quality employers, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.

Industries across the nation and globe rank Alabama among the most desirable places to do business because of our great people, low taxes, and incredible quality of life. With that said, we must work to ensure we have good sites for these companies to locate and grow in Alabama. Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee are all prioritizing funding for their site development programs. To keep Alabama competitive among our neighboring states, we need to reinvest in industry site development programs to facilitate our states economic growth and attract these potential employers.

Additionally, increasing the Job Acts incentives cap will play a major role in getting more jobs in our state. The Alabama Jobs Act has been in place since 2015, bringing over $22 billion in new capital investments and 40,000 new job commitments to the state. The projects will continue to deliver substantial returns for the state, with calculations putting the 10-year return on incentives at 41% and the 20-year figure reaching 158%. Thats a sound investment that Alabama needs to make.

The Jobs Act directly serves our states rural areas, as well. In 2022, there were 10 projects in targeted, rural counties receiving Jobs Act support, and they will bring $978 million in new investment and 1,177 jobs to the rural areas.

While the Alabama Department of Commerce closely monitors the incentives process under the Jobs Act, the information has sometimes been considered confidential. Enhancing transparency around important information related to companies receiving incentives will also be a priority as we improve this legislation to serve a valid public service and increase confidence in the process.

Governor Ivey has been an influential leader on these issues for the betterment of our state, and the Alabama legislature now must raise the bar, as well. She has urged legislators, its vitally important that we continue to focus on our economic and workforce development efforts, and this starts with renewing Alabamas economic development incentives so they can continue to serve as a reliable tool for job creation and industry expansion.

Greg Reed is President Pro Tem of the Alabama Senate
Biden set to shut door on conservatives in federal jobs By Michael Austin

web posted April 3, 2023 When working for the government, Joe Biden is no longer content with the tried-and-true question of patriotism: Are you with or against us? In a shocking effort to overhaul federal hiring guidelines, the president wants to ask: Are you with or against me? A proposed rule governing federal hiring is, at best, a bad policy promoting left-wing loyalty over competence. At worst, its a stepping stone to undermining fair hiring practices and freedom of speech. In January, the Office of Personnel Management proposed changes to the federal governments personnel vetting investigative and adjudicative processes for determining suitability and fitness. It explains that this refers to a decision by an agency that an individual does or does not have the required level of character and conduct necessary for federal employment. The public has until April 3 to file comments on these amendments before the rule is finalized. Current policy prohibits hiring applicants found to be involved in knowing and willful engagement in trying to overthrow the government. The new policy adds interpretive words like coercion, intimidation and indoctrination of others for unlawful aims. It would also exclude people with membership in groups with unlawful aims. If this is clear as mud, its obviously on purpose. It can mean toe the party line, or you wont have a paycheck to sign. Its a leftist trope that words are violence. So, its only a matter of time before bureaucrats use the rule to deny employment, justify firing and generally allow the harassment of conservatives in federal jobs. This harassment isnt a conspiracy theory. It is knocking at the door. Lets count how conservatives are canceled today based merely on what they say. If you say marriage should be between a man and a woman, you can be canceled. If you say schools and libraries shouldnt host drag shows? Canceled. If you say we shouldnt lower standards on people based on their race or gender? Canceled. If you say you support the Second Amendment? Canceled. If you say we shouldnt have pornography in elementary schools? Canceled. In January, a restaurant owner stopped Project 21 member Gianno Caldwell  a black conservative  from eating his breakfast. Gianno was publicly shunned and kicked out of the restaurant because he dared to openly discuss his political beliefs. In December, a Virginia-based conservative Christian advocacy group was denied service at a restaurant just an hour before their reservation. Why? The restaurants employees felt threatened by their pro-life advocacy. In countless other examples nationwide, leftists are growing bolder in their intolerance. Remember when Rep. Maxine Waters said theyre not welcome anymore, anywhere about Trump administration officials? The federal government could end up sanctioning such behavior  throwing water on a grease fire. With this rule, President Biden would send a chilling effect on political participation. He apparently wants conservatives to be afraid of expressing their political views by harming their employment prospects. He wants conservatives to be afraid to dissent against his policies. He wants conservatives to fear engaging in peaceful political activities or speaking on issues. Biden wants more power, more control and more dominance. It is no longer about the diversity of ideas or a healthy democracy. Can you imagine what will happen if federal agencies are staffed primarily by a political echo chamber? It would erode trust in government and the legitimacy of our constitutional republic. Such an exertion of control may violate federal law and constitutional principles. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 prohibits discrimination against federal employees based on political affiliation. Additionally, the First Amendment protects the rights of individuals to express their political views without fear of government retribution. If this rule is approved, it must be challenged in the courts. Bidens federal hiring proposal is a direct assault on democracy. Leftists seem determined to stifle free speech, quash ideas and sow a culture of fear and mistrust. If adopted, these vague hiring rules will give leftists the green light to use your taxpayer dollars to discriminate against your interests. There is still time for the government to reject this dangerous plan. People need to speak up for fair federal employment practices. Societies excel when we promote qualified individuals to roles based on their skills, knowledge and experience  not politics. Lets do our best to keep merit-based principles in federal agencies and tell Biden to protect our Constitution and freedom of speech  not his cronies. Project 21s Michael Austin is president of Knowledge & Decisions Economic Consulting. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. Reprinted with kind permission from the National Center for Public Policy Research. Home
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed his namesake legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) colloquially Obamacare, into law. On March 23, 2023, the Biden-Harris administration celebrated the ACA's thirteenth anniversary. They should be holding a funeral, not a celebration party.

The ACA has caused countless avoidable American deaths. They are due to Washington's conflation of a piece of paper (an insurance policy) with a professional service: medical care.

Xavier Becerra, the Health and Human Services secretary, astonishingly missing during the entire COVID health crisis, declared the following: "As we celebrate the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act today ... this law has lived up to its name, providing a way for Americans to access quality, affordable health coverage."

The ACA did indeed expand medical insurance to more Americans. In 2000, Medicaid enrollment was 15.6 percent of the U.S. population. In 2022, that number has nearly doubled: 27.7 percent of Americans  92,340,585 individuals  were enrolled in the taxpayer-funded, no-charge-to-enrollees program. Thus, nearly one third of the country has medical insurance and, according to Secretary Becerra, "have the peace of mind that comes with high-quality health care."

Note the conflation of care with insurance. Washington wants you to think having the latter means you get the former, presumably when you need it. Otherwise, what good is insurance? Having insurance does not mean getting timely care. In fact, there is a seesaw effect: as the number of people with government-provided insurance increases, access to care decreases.

Before the ACA, average maximum wait time to see a primary care physician was a unconscionable: 92 days. With ACA expansion of government-provided, no-charge Medicaid insurance, maximum wait times increased to 120 days and produced death-by-queue.

Death by queue is a phrase coined in the United Kingdom, meaning dying while waiting in line for care that is technically possible but unavailable in time to save lives. Death by queue has long been a feature of the vaunted British National Health Service (NHS) and has now become noticeable in the U.S.

In Illinois over three years, 752 Medicaid enrollees died waiting for desperately needed medical treatment. An internal Veterans' Affairs Department audit concluded that "47,000 veterans may have died" waiting in line for care that was technically possible but unavailable. Veterans are covered by federal Tricare insurance.

An accurate estimate of death by queue in the U.S. is not available. In Great Britain, at least "117,000 die[d] on waiting lists for NHS" in 2020 and 2021.

My wife may have been a victim of death-by-queue. She waited seven months before she could see her primary physician for her abdominal pain. The diagnosis was inoperable pancreatic cancer. She died 22 months later. Her case is certainly not unique. Numerous studies prove that delay in diagnosis of life-threatening conditions such as cancer leads to deaths that could be prevented. What is killing these patients is excessive wait times.

The reason for the long wait times and death-by-queue is Washington's repeated fixes applied to healthcare. First there are federal regulations. Physician time that should be spent on patients is consumed by regulatory and administrative burdens.

Second, there is "bureaucratic diversion," when money is taken from clinical care to pay for bureaucracy, administration, rules, regulations, compliance, and oversight. Each dollar spent on these non-clinical activities is a dollar that cannot be spent on patients. Estimates of this outlay range from 31 percent to 50 percent of all U.S. healthcare spending. In 2021, the U.S. expended $4.3 trillion on its healthcare system. Thus, Washington took roughly $2 trillion away from patients to pay federal (and state) activities that provide no care. Imagine how short wait times could be  can you say 48 hours?!  with an additional $2 trillion available to pay providers! Possibly my wife would be alive today.

For decades, Washington has been fixing health care with federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid (both created in 1965), the Emergency Medical Transport and Labor Act of 1986 (which created health care's unfunded mandate), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and the ACA (2010). Prior to 1965, the U.S. expended 6.5 percent of GDP on health care. Last year, it was 19.7 percent.

The end result of federal over-regulation and all that spending is what we have today: death-by-queue and impending bankruptcy of both Medicare and possibly the U.S.

Biden's "celebration" of Washington's healthcare achievements is a travesty. By constantly increasing government-provided insurance, Democrats increase the number of Americans who die waiting too long for life-saving care.

If we want to shrink wait times, see the doctor before it's too late, and save American lives, kick Washington out of healthcare (the system), stop budget-focused bureaucrats from dictating our health (medical) care, and reconnect patients directly with their doctors with no third-party decision maker in between.

Deane Waldman, M.D., MBA is professor emeritus of pediatrics, pathology, and decision science at the University of New Mexico. He is the former director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Texas Public Policy Foundation and author of multi-award-winning book Curing the Cancer in U.S. Healthcare: StatesCare and Market-Based Medicine.

Image via Max Pixel.
American public schools are witnessing a mass exodus of teachers.

The term stampede may be more appropriate. According to one poll conducted in 2022, some 55% of educators were ready to leave the profession, and this unease is often translated into action. In one Chicago school nearly every teacher bailed out. Many teachers are not even waiting for the end of the school year and are leaving in mid-term.

These departures overwhelming result from school violence, disorderly classrooms, insufficient administrative support, and trying to teach kids who just dont care. According to one study during the 2020-21 school year, one-third of teachers reported at least one incident of harassment or threats of violence while 14% were actually physically attacked. The American Psychological Association (APA) Task Force on Violence against Educators and School Personnel reports that threats can even come from parents convinced that junior is a good kid despite carrying a knife to the classroom.

Cold statistics understate the fear of violence, especially in schools where poor, single-parent minority students predominate. Reports of physical confrontations quickly spread to others as does the unwillingness of school administrators to punish culprits. Further add daily in-your-face hostility to learning such as talking during lectures, constant iPhone use, and obvious boredom that can kill a teachers commitment.

Under such circumstances, the usual workplace incentives are of little value to unhappy teachers. A 3% salary raise, or better medical plan, cannot compensate for daily living in fear for ones safety. This is not the Great Depression where a secure teaching job was prized no matter what. Nor are todays female teachers limited in their vocational options.

The problems of unsafe and dangerous working conditions are the classic tribulations that precipitated Americas labor movement. After all, what could be more central to a union? So, how are the two teacher unions responding? Answer: By making it worse.

Considering the sheer size and resources of the two teachers unions, protecting their members should be a no-brainer. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has 1.7 million members and besides K-12 teachers. it represents many in non-educational fields such as nursing. The National Education Association (NEA) is the worlds largest professional organization with 2.5 million members. Both unions are recognized for their skilled lobbying and lavish contributions to political campaigns. As the recent COVID crisis illustrated, these unions can shut down public schools for long periods, often against the desires of parents and public officials.

Why then are teachers unions ignoring the plight of teachers jumping ship over working conditions? The short answer: both unions prioritize a sweeping radical political agenda versus what daily concerns teachers. Yes, these unions acknowledge their traditional bread and butter missions, but such prosaic concerns fail to drive their passion for racial justice.

A recent AFT statementReimagining School Safetyillustrates this racial justice obsessions. Its solution to reducing school violence explicitly rejects punitive measures such as expelling troublemakers in favor of preventive therapeutic interventions. It states, Reenvisioning education and schools must account for the large bodies of research showing that schools with strong, caring, culturally supportive, and positive climates can not only address issues of ongoing victimization but also prevent students from being victimized. Little evidence suggests that law enforcement strategies have prevented school shootings or made schools feel safer for students. In fact, it continues, significant research has highlighted the negative impact that security, law enforcement, and punitive approaches can have on school climate, including lowering students sense of belonging and safety and academic performance. Down with the police, up with hiring more therapists (who, no doubt, will then join the AFT).

The NEA is even more supportive of racial justice as the cure for the problems driving teachers to quit. They are not shy: We are working tirelessly to dismantle systems of oppression that prevent children from accessing a great public education because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, culture, or nationality. The rejection of punitive measures cannot be any stronger: ... zero tolerance and other exclusionary school discipline policies are pushing kids out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system at unprecedented rates. Funding choices by certain politicians prioritize putting police into schools, harming students who are Black, brown, LGBT or disabled for making mistakes that - for wealthy white kids - are deemed part of growing up and learning. By joining together - parents and teachers, Black, white, and brown - we can make every neighborhood public school a place where all children can learn, grow, and thrive.

While these repetitive messages claim to be research based and offer countless footnotes, they fail to offer any examples of hellhole urban schools that have been transformed by these expensive therapies. Everything is wishful thinking that sidesteps the awkward reality that the disciplinary problems are disproportionately caused by blacks and Hispanics victimizing white teachers and students.

This is just virtue-signaling--will any teacher, white or black, be convinced that safety will improve if only he or she were more attentive to the destructive impact of white racism? Will replacing cops with social workers be the magic bullet? None of this is what threatened educators currently need.

If not reversed, the unions indifference to the plight of teachers will yet further undermine American education. The more talented teachers have options in private, non-union schools and will likely be the first to flee. Experienced teachers in horrific schools might also transfer to safer, largely white and Asian schools, within their school districts. Now, faced with staff shortages, schools will hire younger recruits clueless about dealing with rowdy students in unsafe schools. They, too, will soon jump ship and desperate schools will scrape the bottom of the barrel just to keep schools open. Academic standards for educators will necessarily decline, emergency hires may not even have a degree or any useful training, but schools need the bodies. With the influx of inexperienced rookies, rowdy students will become even more emboldened, and the teacher exodus will become a jailbreak.

With fewer qualified teachers, classes, even entire schools, may have to be merged, returning to an era of classrooms of 50+ students. Specialists in support services such as reading and math will be conscripted into the classroom to fill vacancies. Those needing extra help in these subjects will be neglected.

Meanwhile, education-minded parents will likewise take flight rather than send junior to a school dominated by inept, intellectually challenged teachers unable to control the classroom. Public education itself will shrink to those parents and students with no other choice, and those students, too, will flee. That flight can already be seen in dramatically declining student enrollment numbers in urban areas.

Ironically, poor black and Hispanic students most dependent on public schools for a decent education will suffer the most. With all the neighborhood and family problems they face, it is difficult enough for them receive a quality education but filling the school with inexperienced teachers may make this goal impossible. The upshot will be an ever-widening gap between the rich who can afford private options and the poor stuck in violent schools with beginner teachers unable to impose the classroom order vital to learning.

If the AFT and NEA were determined to destroy an educational system that for decades offered millions of kids from economically struggling families a way out, it is hard to think of a better plan than the mindless pursuit of racial justice. Is this purposeful or just a matter of not-so-brilliant union officials being intoxicated with an alluring but flawed ideology? If the answer is the former, America is in deep, deep troublewe have teachers unions who hate learning.

Robert Weissberg is a retired educator.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Texas state representative Bryan Slaton introduced a bill, on the 187th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo, to allow Texans to vote on seceding from the United States. Yes, secession, as in the preCivil War abandonment. Slayton said in a tweet, "After decades of continuous abuse of our rights and liberties by the federal government, it is time to let the people of Texas make their voices heard." In fact, history teaches us that there are a few ways that this movement may be successful even without secession.

First the history. Most Americans may believe that this war was already fought and even that secession is not a legal course forward, but a little research proves that the question is far more complicated than it first appears. One need look no farther than the aftermath of the Civil War to see the seeds of doubt.

As legal historian Cynthia Nicoletti of the UVA School of Law notes in her recent book, Secession on Trial: The Prosecution of Jefferson Davis, it was far from settled law even in 1865, on the heels of the Civil War. She concludes that none of the Confederate leadership was prosecuted for treason because it was a real possibility that their actions were not illegal. The nation and the administration simply could not risk a finding by the federal courts that the war they had just completed was illegal and that the thousands of dead had been killed by that illegal act.

Article 1, section 10 of the U.S. Constitution says nothing about a prohibition upon the states to secede, nor does Article 1, section 8, which enumerates the specific powers of the federal government. However the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights does state, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This would, on its face, seem to include the right of secession as being reserved to the States or the people.

Roll the clock back a few decades before what many Southerners still refer to as the War of Northern Aggression, and we find that as early as the 1820s, serious discussion of secession was before the US Congress. In 1833, in response to South Carolina's nullification of federal tariffs, Andrew Jackson signed his "Force Bill" into law. However, Jackson knew that threats of military force might lack the force of law and that threats alone could not maintain the Union, so he also reduced the questioned tariffs, essentially forestalling secession for few decades while recognizing that he had only cooled the simmering pot, not removed it from the fire. As Greg Jackson, M.A. notes in a study blog post on secession, "Jackson knew that the tariff issue was merely a pretext." Jackson predicted that the issue of secession would come up again, since "disunion and southern confederacy" were the real objectives. He also said, "The next pretext will be the negro, or slavery question." Jackson was prescient, and for the next three decades, various compromises would attempt to forestall disunion without an invading army.

In 2021, the same issues plague conservative values, and the battle between states' rights and federal rights continues. Texas seems to be taking a page from South Carolina's playbook with the realization that a vote on the topic will force the conversation that the federal government was willing to start a war to avoid.

As with all governments, the U.S. federal government has an inherent, unhealthy addiction to power and greed. Those on the federal government's side recognize that there is no position of power in this discussion and that the outcome of a legal contest on the issue is far from a secure win for their position. Let's face it: even war is preferable to losing power and access to other people's money.

It would be remiss in an article on this topic not to discuss the oft cited case of Texas v. White (74 U.S. 700, 1869) in which SCOTUS stated that the secession of the states was not legal, and therefore, Texas had never ceased to be a state of the United States. This decision, written in 1869 just a few short years after the surrender at Appomattox, is disputed by several legal scholars as bad law. In fact, the opinion references the Articles of Confederation and attempts to distinguish that union from the U.S. Constitution while simultaneously using the foundation of the Articles for its logic. The resulting opinion of the Court has been described as a "tortured decision" to use a commercial sale of bonds case to justify the Civil War or at least avoid condemning it as illegal.

According to polls, it seems that over 60% of Texans believe in a strict interpretation of the Constitution  a very limited federal government that, they would argue, is as the founders intended. They also believe, based upon the post, tweets, and releases of the grassroots orgs pushing for a secession vote, that the orders of federal courts must be followed by all, including the federal government in general and the Executive Branch specifically. Their claims are not baseless.

At the end of World War 2, there were only about 50 countries in the world. In 2000, that number had grown to 195, largely as a result of countrywide referenda to leave the conquering and colonial powers of yesteryear. The Biden administration and the U.S. government might be wise to take heed and have the discussion as opposed to the alternatives.

Texas will do the nation a service if it passes this bill, but probably not by secession. We can only hope that the current politicians will be as wise as Andrew Jackson, because we have clearly seen the result of the intransigent attitudes that would prevail in 1861.

Finally, It should also be noted that at least 18 states, as of this date, have committees, legislative groups or people working at the grassroots level, to consider or work toward secession. As goes Texas, will they also?

Michael Ange, Ph.D., a semi-retired consultant, author of 10 non-fiction books and hundreds of periodical articles published on three continents, has long been a student of the law studying at universities in the U.S. and the U.K.

Image: Don Hankins via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
The Trump campaign, along with a number of astute legal observers, believes the judge hearing the case being brought by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Juan Merchan, could issue a gag order. The UK Daily Mail reports:

Donald Trump's legal team is preparing for a New York judge to slap a gag order on the former president on Monday, DailyMail.com can reveal, a day before he is due to be arrested in Manhattan. The extraordinary move to potentially silence a candidate for president will likely enflame Trump's supporters as he prepares to fly out of his Florida home. 'The Trump legal team now thinks that the Manhattan judge will take the unprecedented step of silencing the presidential frontrunner with an unconstitutional gag order tomorrow,' said a source.

A gag order issued by an anti-Trump judge could be a convenient way to put an end to the former president's 2024 presidential campaign. If its terms are excessive, Mr. Trump couldn't campaign if he honors it. If he violates it and is held in contempt, he can't campaign in a state that would extradite him. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' previous announcement that he would refuse an order to extradite the former president could potentially mean that Trump would campaign from his adoptive home state of Florida and nowhere else. So-called front porch campaigns, in which a candidate remains close at home, have happened successfully in the past, notably with William McKinley, in addition to James Garfield, Benjamin Harrison and Warren G. Harding. Joe Bidens basement campaign in 2020 might also qualify, but none of these men were fugitives from a warrant.

It is not difficult to imagine the Florida governor issuing a statement expressing incredulity at the turn of events in politically-biased Manhattan. Gov DeSantis could add: "I am merely saving the federal government the cost of explaining to the Manhattan judge why the Former Presidents Act effectively bars incarceration of a former president -- unless the judge anticipates the incarcerated president to be protected in jail by his Secret Service detail -- as federal law requires round-the-clock protection of the president."

The protection given by federal law to the former president would protect him against partisan zealots who would like nothing better than to see him behind bars, where he would liable to physical assault without the protection of his Secret Service detail.

Would Republicans unite in speaking out publicly opposition to a gag order imposed on a former president protected under federal law? After all, the legal system that is fast becoming a global laughingstock is the source of their livelihood. In defending Trump against partisan injustice in New York, they would be defending their profession against ridicule.

Photo credt: Amazon
We finally crossed the Rubicon.

While unstable societies regularly resort to political prosecution, stable societies understand intuitively that this crude power tactic must be avoided at all costs. That's why, despite being a wildly unpopular decision, Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon  to avoid any potential threat of prosecution.

Once the threat of political prosecution enters into the public psyche as a legitimate tool to solve conflicts of power at the highest level, all bets are off. Society shifts from one in which ends are achieved through negotiation into one in which ends are achieved through raw power. Our leaders quickly come to understand that the only rule that matters in politics is "might makes right."

What is a political prosecution? You always know it because, unlike with other prosecutions, people support or oppose it along party lines. The crimes are vague and difficult to explain. The outcomes are predetermined. The whole process appears steeped in ends-oriented justice.

There are many modern examples of powerful civilizations devolving into terror immediately following the normalization of political prosecution. Political prosecution became the norm immediately following the French Revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution. When the Third Reich gained sufficient control over Germany's government, its leaders also initiated political prosecutions.

But the greatest example of a superpower falling and becoming an autocracy as a result of political prosecution is the Roman Republic.

Rome is often cited as an important example for a reason. The government of the United States is based in large part on the government of the Roman Republic, with its Senate, its lower legislative branch (the Plebeian Assembly), and its Executive Branch, which comprised two consuls, elected for one-year terms. The Roman Republic set the standard.

After serving his term as consul, Julius Caesar received an appointment to govern a province in northern Italy. While there, based on the premise that Gallic tribes to the north had initiated conflict, Caesar engaged in a series of battles, now known as the Gallic Wars. Throughout these years, Caesar wrote letters home to the Senate and to the people detailing the fascinating accounts of these wars.

As a result of his battles, Caesar only gained in popularity, and his great popularity became a threat to the Senate. Some senators argued that his battles with the Gallic tribes were not sanctioned by the Senate and were therefore illegal. Others agreed with Caesar that they were initiated for legitimate defensive reasons.

The controversy grew, and ultimately the Senate demanded that Caesar return to Rome. But his return was under threat of prosecution for these "war crimes."

Caesar sought assurance that he would not be prosecuted, but the Senate refused to give it. As a result, Caesar felt he had no choice but to enter Rome with his armies.

The Rubicon River, north of Rome, set a boundary over which armies were not allowed to cross. It was illegal to bring an army into the city. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his army, he kicked off a civil war that ultimately ended the Roman Republic and changed Western civilization forever.

"The die is cast," Caesar famously proclaimed upon crossing the river. In other words, he threw the dice against the wall, and whatever will be will be.

Tragic how we can let a two-bit prosecutor in New York cast a die that could forever change the fate of this great nation. One progressive district attorney should not be allowed to drag us across the Rubicon.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
If the mentally ill mustnt own guns, what about trans people? By Selwyn Duke

web posted April 3, 2023 The timing of the tragic Nashville shooting, in which a MUSS (Made-up Sexual Status, aka transgender) individual killed six at a Christian school, is a bit odd. National Public Radio had just recently done a piece on how MUSS and other LGBTQ people are buying guns because, the story goes, they believe theyre imperiled by conservatives. As one sexual devolutionary NPR quoted put it, If the world is dangerous, then you have to be dangerous back, and that very much has pushed me into where I am now. As for what pushed 28-year-old Audrey Hale into opening fire last Monday at The Covenant School, which she once attended, the media largely pretend to have no clue. They dont want you to have one, either. This is why, shamelessly, they often hide Hales MUSS status and instead focus on guns. Heres how brazen it is, too: With jihadist-like zeal and as a rule, the media will use a MUSS individuals preferred pronouns and chosen opposite-sex name and seek to cancel anyone not following suit. Yet now, they not only happily deadname Hale, but identify her as a female suspect or female shooter and reference her using feminine pronouns. Newsweek did this , making no mention whatsoever of Hales MUSS status. Metro at least noted that the woman identified as transgender, though it still used feminine pronouns even though the killer had embraced he/himones . (The deadnaming is perhaps understandable, as reports that Hale was going by first name Aiden are unconfirmed.) I mean, youd almost think these articles were written by Selwyn Duke  except for one thing: The media hide Hales MUSS status because, if they didnt, you just might suspect the shooting couldve been an anti-Christian hate crime. Second, it might occur to some people that maybe, just perhaps, society has more to fear from MUSS individuals than they do from society. This is reality, too. Contrary to media myth and as I reported in 2020 , studies have shown that MUSS individuals are less likely to be murdered than normal people are and are more likely to kill than be killed. (Theyre also overrepresented among pedophiles.) This raises a question, given Red Flag laws  popularity: Do we need Rainbow Flag laws? For the record, Im skeptical of such legislation, to say the least, and know that removal of Second Amendment rights is not the real remedy for crime. The issue, though, is hypocrisy. Red Flag laws have been sold with the idea that guns must be kept from the mentally ills hands. Weve heard this continually. Yet how, then, does it make sense giving a whole category of mentally ill individuals a special dispensation from this prohibition by reclassifying their psychological disorder as an identity or lifestyle choice? As Ive pointed out for years , the MUSS phenomenon is not a biological matter requiring a biological remedy, but results from serious psychological issues. Audrey Hale isnt the first MUSS mass shooter, either. WND cited other examples in 2019 and, quoting a report by website National Justice, related that MUSS individuals small population is well represented among murderers, serial killers and pedophiles. Personally speaking, I cannot think of another group with so many hostile, unstable members. Coming to mind is the MUSS individual who commented, after I wrote an article criticizing the MUSS agenda, that he wanted my head on a platter. Then there was the 2015 Dr. Drew program incident in which Robert Tur (aka Zoey Tur), a large, muscular man in a dress, grabbed commentator Ben Shapiros neck and threatened to send him home in an ambulance (video below). When was the last time you saw someone threaten this kind of violence during a political/social discussion? Such behavior is hardly unfathomable. MUSS individuals are very troubled, generally unhappy people uncomfortable in their own skin. And the lie theyre living  that they can be the opposite sex  is so grand and fragile that Truths slightest utterance can burst their bubble. This can be enraging. They may externalize, too, attributing their unhappiness to others failure to affirm their delusion. They then may lash out at those they believe are making them miserable. There also are the drugs MUSS individuals often take. Given the studies indicating steroid use can cause increased aggression, one could wonder: Was Hale on testosterone? Hormones are powerful substances. How does putting people on a cross-sex hormone regimen, along with perhaps other drugs, affect their mentality? Is giving an already disturbed individual a cocktail of medications designed to induce opposite-sex physical changes really a good idea? The bottom line, however, concerns whether were serious about keeping guns out of the mentally ills hands. If so, then mentally ill mustnt be defined based on political will. Contact Selwyn Duke , follow him on MeWe , Gettr or Parler , or log on to SelwynDuke.com . Home
Politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States have something in common: efforts to knock formidable competitors for the presidency out of the race via state action.

The Jewish Voice reports:

A law barring the Democratic Republic of Congo's only politician with Jewish roots  and the frontrunner in the African nation's presidential race  from taking office has sparked outrage. The law, reintroduced to the African nation's parliament in Kinshasa this week, would block Moise Katumbi from running because he doesn't have two Congolese parents.

Proof that this is not merely some concern over parentage comes from the fact that

[t]he bill was introduced by Noel Tshiani, an ally of current president Felix Tshisekedi. Tshiani introduced a similar bill in the past, when Katumbi was also running.

It's possible that Jew-hatred is not at the root of this move, only fear of Katumbi winning. But it certainly looks very bad either way.

Others see antisemitism at work:

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association, attacked the proposed legislation: "I am appalled by the proposed legislation that would disqualify a leading candidate from running for office based solely on their Jewish heritage. This is an egregious violation of human rights and a dangerous step backward for the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am sure, Congolese citizens will fight against this unjust bill and ensure that all people are able to participate in the electoral process regardless of their background. I call on all who believe in justice and equality to unite in this crucial fight for the future of the DRC and the African continent as a whole."

How, you may wonder, did someone of Jewish background come to be involved at the highest levels of Congolese politics?

Katumbi is the son of a Congolese woman from royal descent and a Greek Sephardic Jew, Nisim Soriano, who fled to what was then a Belgian colony during the Holocaust. Katumbi's grandparents were murdered in Auschwitz. In his later years, Soriano emigrated to Israel, where he lived until his death. Katumbi visits Israel often and has met with Prime Minister Netanyahu as part of a delegation of Congolese governors.

Of course, because Jewish heritage is matrilineal, Katumbi is not officially Jewish. But that has not stopped Jew-haters like Hitler from persecuting those with any Jewish heritage.

Hat tip: Janet Levy.

Map credit: coolguy 22468, public domain.
I have always been a believer in limited government. I have always been aware that most men are not inherently good, let alone perfectible. Yet I have, until recently, never believed in conspiracies and was anything but a conspiracy theorist. Events of the past few years have, sadly, further opened my eyes to the extreme lengths some will go to attain, enhance, and sustain power over others.

I now believe that the indictment and possible conviction of former President Donald Trump, along with a potential gag order, is a preplanned attempt to engender a broad and potentially violent response among his supporters. Subsequent to this, Democrats and their various "intelligence" services, federal departments, Deep Staters, security personnel, and various legal and civic "experts" and "scholars"  eagerly (yet so soberly) cheered on by their sycophants in the media  will call for and impose a sort of martial law. Oppositional conservative voices will be silenced and/or arrested, and actions will be taken to neuter or shut down conservative websites and media outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, The New York Post, and American Thinker, as well as certain talk radio programs, and selected blogs and podcasts...in a desperate, last-ditch effort "to save our beloved democracy." (And therefore yet another Babylon Bee prophecy will come true: "Democrats Vow to Arrest as Many Political Opponents as It Takes to Defeat Fascism.")

But it is worse than that. Democrats know that either of the two nearly certain outcomes of their actions will allow them to consolidate and perpetuate their power, until the sun expires, which is their only real goal. If there is no widespread outcry or protest of this banana republicesque action, they will know they have already won...and can do whatever the hell they want from here on out, openly and with impunity. And extreme prejudice.

Either outcome would be the end of the republic formerly known as the United States of America.

How did we get here?

The plandemic afforded the elite globalist authoritarians in power a glorious opportunity to not let a crisis go to waste. (Noted leftist "Hanoi" Jane Fonda actually publicly stated, "COVID is God's gift to the left.") They ran with it, telling many people their jobs were not critical, making them wear facial masks and accept an experimental vaccine into their bodies, forcing them to stay inside their homes for months at a time, and preventing them from attending the weddings  and even funerals  of their loved ones. Surprised  and buoyed  by the extraordinary compliance of their constituents, they turned to implementing The Great Reset.

And, in America, there was the setting up of the "Jan. 6" protesters  and subsequently incarcerating many of them for months on end...without charge. And raiding the residence of a former president for the first time, for no valid reason, even as they gave the current president and his family a complete pass on a litany of alleged egregious crimes.

And now they have, also for the first time ever, indicted a former president, for alleged process crimes...for which the statute of limitations has already run out.

Today's Democrats are brilliant at being evil.

Is there a third possible outcome? Is there still a way to save and rehabilitate the republic that the most brilliant and courageous group of men who have ever trod the earth bequeathed to us in America?

Beseech the Almighty. And then read Thomas Paine's "The Crisis" and "Common Sense." Read The Federalist Papers, especially those penned by James Madison, the author of the Constitution. And read the Declaration of Independence.

And decide for yourselves.

That's a freedom that leftist tyrants (like today's Democrats) seek to deprive you of.
In only seven years, a Hollywood dystopian thriller seems to have partially come true.

While I was talking to my brother, he mentioned the 2016 thriller movie Jason Bourne, in which the former CIA assassin discovers that the agency has killed his father and aims to control individuals' data through an internet app that secretly collects this information. Through this method, the evil director of the agency can manipulate and control the government bureaucracy. Is life imitating art, or were the writers, director Paul Greengrass and Oscar-winner Christopher Rouse, using characters created by novelist Robert Ludlum, warning us what was coming?

Today, there can be no doubt that their ideas have come to fruition. The FBI clearly interacted with social media giants to influence the 2020 presidential election by having these companies bury the information regarding the Hunter Biden laptop computer. Going farther, these platforms cut off accurate information, acting as editors, for weeks. In this way, the government censored free speech through a third party, allowing some deniability for violating the First Amendment.

The arguments over the app known as TikTok center on whether this program is a spyware for the Communist Party of China. But this is not the only app capable of spying. How about the National Security Agency, which gathers data from all our calls?

Our bureaucracies have sought to exercise control over immigration for nefarious purposes. The illegal migrants will eventually have children who will gain birthright citizen status. This will give their parents a greater chance to gain employment status and government benefits. Eventually, they might gain citizenship, too, but this will take years. But the greater damage is the entrance of illegal drugs into our society, killing around 100,000 yearly. This is not incompetence by Homeland Security secretary Mayorkas, but intentional destruction of our federalism and constitutional government. He was not truthful at the Senate hearing last week when he denied knowledge of the cartel bracelets. He could not define assault weapons that he wants to ban.

While in the thriller, people are eliminated via death, over the last seven years, the establishment has sought to exit Donald Trump through political and legal means. Now that he has been indicted in NYC, I expect the same to happen in deep blue Atlanta and Washington, D.C., whether the facts and law support such a finding. The Washington establishment has determined that Trump poses too great a threat to their power, influence, and financial position. This includes persons from both major parties.

While corruption and stupidity helped destroy the Roman empire as well as many other historic powers, we can see this trend within our country. While we do not have a superhero as in the movies and novels, we do have the chance to use our brains and reject this abuse. Republicans and reasonable moderates and independents must wake up and vote to end this corruption and abuse of power. If the numbers are high, then the opposition cannot cheat in highly Democrat districts, taking critical battleground states and congressional districts. Maybe those who have been sleeping will realize that if they can do this to Trump, with all his money and position, what can they do to us?
Now that the "Trans Day of Visibility" is over, can we celebrate the heroes of Nashville?

Last week, a horrific school shooting at Covenant Elementary School took the lives of three adults and three nine-year-old students. As in many recent mass shootings, the perpetrator was an unhappy misfit who also claimed to be transgender and police said that that situation played a part in the killer's motive for targeting the school. Amid all the speculation and excuse-making and focus on the miserable perpetrator, something got far less attention in the press coverage.

...that there were heroes at the school.

According to The Tennessean:

Katherine Koonce, the head of school at The Covenant School and a lifelong educator, lived to love and encourage kids, parents and colleagues, friends said. Koonce, 60, died trying to protect her students from a heavily-armed former student who killed her, two of her colleagues and three 9-year-olds at the private K-6 Christian school on Monday, her family, friends and Metro Police said. "She gave her life to protect the students she loved," Koonce's family said in a statement to The Tennessean released Wednesday.

And that wasn't just wishful thinking from those grieving. According to local television station KTXS 12, an ABC affiliate:

The witness told Pulley when Koonce heard the shots, she abruptly ended the meeting and left her office and headed towards the shooter. The witness account, which Pulley said he has verified, aligns with statements from Metro Nashville Chief of Police John Drake during a press briefing, who said, "I did see the head school person and she was in the hallway by the office." Drake added, "She was in the hallway by herself. There was a confrontation I'm sure. You can tell the way she was laying in the hallway."

That would have taken about 30 seconds, an instant decision by a 61-year-old woman, who might have been wearing professional attire and maybe high heels, to attempt to save the school's children against an armed, enraged maniac  with her bare hands, in what sounds like an attempted tackle.

The courage of that act to save the kids with about a 99% chance of death cannot be understated. But she did it. Her unfathomable courage is something to be celebrated.

It compares harshly with the timid response from the Uvalde police during that mass shooting in Texas as yet another sorry maniac, similar to the Nashville one, went from classroom to classroom, massacring children and their teachers, as distressed parents were barricaded from entering the area. Or the Coward of Broward, the armed guard who waited outside cravenly as yet another hopped up loser shot up a school in Parkland, Florida. Those men were armed and failed the call of duty. The principal was unarmed and tackled the killer herself.

It also compares harshly with the sympathetic media response to the killer's gender confusion, which cops say played a part in the motive, and which ought to have drawn mass condemnation from the transgender "community" but didn't. They went right ahead with their "Trans Day of Visibility" festivities, as if the killings had nothing to do with it.

Nashville had more than one hero in this shooting, but unfortunately, most of the press coverage focused on the killer.

The two Nashville police officers who bravely took down the freak, a mere 15 minutes after the call was made, also deserve great honors.

Harrowing footage released by police shows Officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo charging Monday morning into the Covenant School and taking out a shooter who'd just killed three 9-year-olds and three adults and was unleashing bullets from an upper window. Within 3 minutes of arriving, they'd hunted down and fatally shot the attacker  announcing to their comrades: "Suspect down! Suspect down!"

They deserve all the praise and honors they ever get and more  and should be the ones the movies get made about.

Not only is the fact that Koonce was unarmed poignant (and I don't buy the talk about arming teachers in schools because anyone who knows anything about teaching little kids knows that they get into everything), but she was not the only unarmed school official who should be honored as a hero of extraordinary courage and grace in these recent mass shootings.

Recall also the great young teacher of the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, Victoria Leigh Soto, aged 27, who hid her children in a closet as the killer went from classroom to classroom massacring children, and then tried to talk the freak into looking for the children somewhere else. Yes, according to her Wikipedia page, she has been subject to many posthumous honors and monument namings, but she didn't get the immediate coverage that the spray shooter did. That was the same sort of shame we see in this Nashville incident.

The story of Koonce's courage hits home for me, because I recall the heroism of yet another principal who died trying to save the kids in a mass shooting  that of Burton Wragg at the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in San Diego in 1979, where yet another angry misfit shot up the school, hitting many children and killing Wragg and two school staffers, all of whom died actively trying to shield the kids. I knew Mr. Wragg when he was my elementary school principal at another school a few years earlier  kindly taking me to the nurse's office himself when I fainted on the playground from the high heat of the day. At Cleveland Elementary School, Mr. Wragg showed the courage of a lion and the compassion of a lamb. But we don't hear nearly as much about his heroism as we do about the wretched killer, who got a song named after her sick comments she made to police when the Boomtown Rats named their song "I don't like Mondays." It's so disgusting that the killer got pop immortality of sorts and Mr. Wragg and his heroism are so largely forgotten.

Koonce and her sacrifices should not be forgotten. It's people like her who show what character is, what greatness is, in all of a split-second decision. In this day and age, where maladjustment is celebrated, it's that greatness that needs to be celebrated and honored and taught instead.

Image: Screen shot from NewsChannel 5 video via YouTube.
One homeowner addressed the spectacular failure of the legal system to remove a professional squatter from his family home by implementing his own style of commonsense justice to turn the tables on the squatter. Now a folk hero on YouTube, Flash Shelton filmed the process of his own informal eviction process of the grifter team  mother and adult daughter  who were set up for a long and cozy stay in his family home.

Initially, he was told by the local authorities to "go through the courts" because "there was nothing they could do," Shelton recalled in the YouTube clip.

The option to subject himself to a protracted legal system didn't appeal to Shelton. He is a handyman by profession and used to getting the job done by himself.

Instead, he drove from his home in Nevada to his mother's home in Northern California. He simply waited patiently in his jeep for the mother-and-daughter team to exit the family home and make their way to their vehicles parked in his mother's driveway.

"I was completely shocked," Shelton recalled when the occupants left and he entered his mother's home. "The house was crammed full of furniture and [oversized] moving boxes," all of which appear in his short film.

When the grifter team returned, Shelton matter-of-factly informed them that he had installed cameras in the house, held a lease in his hand between himself and his mother, and that they would need to remove their belongings in the next 24 hours, or he would remove the squatters' personal possessions for them.

It wasn't too surprising that the squatters lacked a fundamental awareness of the situation and asked Shelton for assistance in moving. They wanted to know whether the movers he had planned to employ (for their removal) could help them in the process of leaving.

There wasn't any mention of the grifter team compensating the movers.

The squatters did manage to vacate the property by the next day.

More than two million viewers have clicked onto Shelton's "how to handle squatters" video, and they may learn a thing or two about Yankee ingenuity.

His refusal to be packed inside a legal box has proven most useful and was reflected in his view of this burgeoning class of criminals: "They're the squatter[s], and they have rights. Well, then, if I become the squatter on the squatters, then I should have rights. Right?"

This may not qualify as an airtight legal case, but it saved Shelton from the gut-wrenching ordeal of watching his hard-earned dollars frittered away by an inept legal system. Most squatters  especially in "progressive" states  count on at least 45 to 75 days to enjoy a free stay until the wheels of justice churn at an excruciatingly slow pace to remove them from a domicile.

The epic failure of the legal system is best exemplified by Long Island squatter Guramrit Hanspal, who holds the record for remaining in a home  without payment  for a mind-boggling 20 years. To be fair, Hanspal made one payment at the start of his occupancy when he bought the home in 1998. He deftly abused the court system with cleverly filing seven bankruptcies, which accounts for the "automatic stay rule," and his most spectacular display of corruption was to file three lawsuits against the banks in possession of his unpaid mortgage.

This quagmire wouldn't be complete without mentioning that Hanspal transferred ownership of the home (that he doesn't own) to other individuals, who also filed bankruptcy to extend the free stay.

Such horror stories are prompting Shelton and others to take matters into their own hands. Do they really want to depend on a legal system that will even "provide a squatter with a free attorney and demand for a jury trial," according to the Wall Street Journal? This measure was passed in California, the very state where Shelton confronted his squatter.

Now the media are starting to report on a trickle of stories about disgusted landlords deciding on their own course of justice when confronting squatters living in their homes without payment or permission. The landlords are now waiting for the right moment to change the locks, remove the belongings, and proceed with the informal eviction.

Squatters may not like having the tables turned on them. But they, too, could exercise their rights and attempt to further extort the system in court.

Image: New York Public Library.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) appeared last week on Jesse Watters's show on Fox News to express his opposition to the RESTRICT Act. The proponents of the bill claim that it will be used to ban the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok. But the critics of this legislation have pointed out that it grants sweeping powers to the federal government and the president to ban any application they label a "threat."

Some wondered if the use of a VPN to conceal one's online identity and access sites blocked by the U.S. would be made illegal.

The concern that many have is that the government will use TikTok as an excuse to pass intrusive laws that monitor citizens online and beyond.

Watters made his case opposing the bill while pointing out that the bill doesn't even have the word "TikTok" in it. Graham reiterated his opposition to the bill.

Before you can leap with joy that Graham was breaking a rule of a lifetime and standing for what is right, Watters revealed a detail that would have been hilarious if it weren't so grave.

Watters informed Graham that South Carolina's senior senator supports the bill. When Graham looked befuddled, Watters explained that Graham happened to be among the cosponsors of the bill, and that information is available online.

Graham eventually was compelled to admit that he may be co-sponsoring the legislation without having read it and that it made him "look bad."

He pledged to appear on the show if the legislation really included the provisions Watters criticized.

Jesse Watters asks Lindsey Graham why he supports the RESTRICT Act, a bill he is listed as a co-sponsor of, his response: I dont think support the RESTRICT Act. pic.twitter.com/fptERiYmaN  ALX  (@alx) March 29, 2023

Graham would have been forgiven for not knowing a minor clause in the bill. But opposing a bill on TV that he has co-sponsored is unpardonable. What makes it worse is that he wasn't even aware that he was a co-sponsor.

Some say the ploy of feigning ignorance was to avoid tough questions. But the video made Graham look ridiculous, and no politician wants to look ridiculous in the era where videos can be played repeatedly online.

We must hence infer that Graham was not always the decision-maker on key issues. The question is: who is pulling the strings of Lindsey's puppet?

Alas, Lindsey isn't the only puppet in D.C.

Last week a hot mic caught one of Biden's handlers giving him instructions on what to do and where to go during a recent visit to North Carolina. This wasn't the usual host making small talk with the guest. This seemed like a caregiver giving detailed instructions to his patient, which an individual of sound mental and cognitive health would not need.

GUIDE: "Yes, sir, down the ramp...your mark is gonna be the blue one to the left. You got a blue mark."



BIDEN: "I'll stay in my blue mark." pic.twitter.com/XSmxEgUr2z  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 28, 2023

Biden has on several occasions demonstrated proof of his decline. He frequently flubs his lines despite reading from a teleprompter. He forgets the names of his colleagues and gets lost on the White House lawn. He even struggles to wear his cardigan, falls asleep at global conferences, trips multiple times while ascending the stairs of Air Force One, and falls off a stationary bike.

Obviously, Biden isn't running the country.

His schedule shows he does very little in the White House. Biden is rarely subjected to any impromptu questions from the press. He frequently makes claims that the White House has to walk back. He frequently escapes to Delaware, perhaps to hide from the public.

Next is Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who has been a U.S. senator for over three decades. Last month, Feinstein learned that her staff made a very important decision without consulting her: they announced her retirement from the Senate.

Feinstein was understandably left perplexed when informed, but she eventually accepted the decision. Feinstein has been a frequent subject of discussion regarding her mental acuity and fitness to serve. Feinstein's office recently released a statement that she was hospitalized due to shingles but expects to make a full recovery and return to the Senate this month. Feinstein is yet to return.

Now for Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who was sworn in early this January but had hardly attended a day in the Senate.

Fetterman has suffered from heart issues since 2017, and in 2019, he collapsed while presiding over the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Last May, Fetterman suffered a stroke due to a clot caused by his irregular heart rhythm but hid this crucial information from the public while running for the Senate.

But like Biden, it was obvious to even a casual observer that all is not well with Fetterman. His performance during the debate made it obvious that he was unable to comprehend and respond to questions. This was also observed by NBC reporter Dasha Burns. Yet the media joined hands to suggest that questioning Fetterman's health is an act of ableism.

When Fetterman's GOP rival, Dr. Oz, said law-making about abortion must be done by consulting a woman, her doctor, and local politicians, the media spun it as Oz saying that the politician must be involved during a decision to have an abortion.

These tricks worked, and Fetterman won.

Weeks after being sworn in, Fetterman checked himself into the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for clinical depression.

Let's not forget Kamala Harris, who seems frequently befuddled while making statements or responding to questions; she seems to have dysfunctional mental and cognitive abilities. It seems most unlikely that she is capable of comprehending complex tasks and making decisions.

So what does one make of this?

Clearly, these elected representatives are being handled by invisible agents  i.e., puppet masters.

For the establishment in D.C., these puppets are a dream come true. The puppets probably rest all day during office hours owing to their condition or indifference or incapability. Their legacy and how history will judge them are the least of their concern.

When they appear in public, they read from prepared notes and vote or sign based on orders without any pushback. This enables them to push unpopular measures through Congress and beyond.

Perhaps there are many more such puppets in D.C. and beyond who simply follow orders. In exchange, there are myriad inducements for the puppet and his family  they will retire as multi-millionaires even if they serve for one term.

The least a citizen can expect in a democracy is that the individual who secures the maximum votes will be the one making the key decisions when in office. But a puppet eliminates accountability, which is an essential tenet of democracy.

Installing puppets and running governmental affairs via proxy are what occurs in third-world countries or military dictatorships or communist regimes or in ancient monarchies.

Leaders who become puppets owing to their health situation or their indifference or their corrupt proclivities have no place in the world's leading democracy.

PS: On a lighter note, these situations are reminiscent of the classic British Series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister.

The two series depict the constant tussles between elected representatives and the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy always makes all the key decisions but spins webs of deceit around the elected representative to make him think he is in charge.

Photo credit: YouTube screen grab (cropped).
The frightening precedent of indicting an innocent former president By Rachel Alexander

web posted April 3, 2023 We are living in an Orwellian era when the formerly most powerful man in the world, who remains very powerful, is being prosecuted in order to stop him from becoming president again. If they can take him down, they can take down any conservative. The left has weaponized lawfare, which started with merely civil lawsuits but has now progressed into disbarring attorneys and prosecution. Once theyve gone after Trump through prosecution  even if unsuccessful  it will be easier to go after him again on other charges, and easier to go after any other conservative. And they wont stop there, theyll go after RINOs and those on the left who side with the right against the abuse of the legal system next. Left-wing billionaire George Soros contributed $1 million to Color of Changes PAC, which then spent over $500,000 to support the campaign of Alvin Bragg, the New York DA prosecuting Trump. Soros has been contributing millions to defeat conservative prosecutors and sheriffs around the country in recent years. When Bragg ran for office, he gloated about how he went after the Trump Foundation while serving as New York states chief deputy attorney general from 2017 to 2018. His primary opponent Tali Farhadian Weinstein accused Bragg of going after Trump for political advantage every chance he gets. Its an ethical violation for prosecutors to run for office on a platform of getting someone on the possibility they might find new crimes. The rule regarding trial publicity, which states have adopted, prohibits attorneys from making an extrajudicial statement that the attorney knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding. Everyone knows the old saying, a good prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. Thats because the grand jury doesnt get to see any arguments from the defense, they are only shown the prosecutions case. After five years of a fishing expedition, the indictment is expected to result in charges that Trump falsified business records on a payment his former attorney Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels, allegedly disguising the payoff as routine legal fees. Daniels is now saying she was paid to keep quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump. Hush money payments arent illegal. Falsifying records is a misdemeanor, but by claiming it benefited him in the election, to cover up another crime, it can turn into a felony. However, Trump is required to have known he was committing a crime. Trump denies he had the affair. And the statute of limitations for prosecuting him over the 2016 payment may have run . Both Daniels and Cohen are not credible witnesses, having made previous contradictory statements. When a witness has conflicting statements, they can be impeached when testifying, rendering their trial testimony invalid. Daniels issued a statement in 2018 which said, I am not denying this affair because I was paid hush money as has been reported in overseas owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened. A letter Cohens attorney Stephen Ryan sent to the FEC in 2018 states that Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels, Trump was not a party to the deal, and he never reimbursed Cohen. Ryan asked the FEC to dismiss the complaint. Cohen changed his story a little over six months later as part of a plea agreement, pleading guilty to making an excessive campaign contribution to Trump with the payment to Daniels. Even if it was a campaign finance violation due to not reporting the payments as campaign contributions, politicians are frequently allowed to modify their campaign finance reports after theyre due with amendments to add omitted contributions or expenses. Look at any campaigns finance reports online and youll almost always see amended reports, its routinely done. Unless youre a juicy target of the left like conservative commentator Dinesh DSouza, most quietly amend their reports. When prosecutors tried to charge former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards with a similar crime in 2008, he argued that he was trying to hide the affair from his wife, not from the voters. The jury acquitted him on one charge and hung on the others, and the Justice Department dismissed the charges. Former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas pointed out that when President Bill Clinton got caught having an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky, the RINO special prosecutor  refused to prosecute Clinton for perjury, fraud or anything else, even though Clinton helped her line up blue-chip job interviews. Clinton paid off Paula Jones after sexually harassing her. After Jones filed a lawsuit against him, alleging that he exposed himself to her in a hotel room, he agreed to settle it for $850,000 to make it go away. He was never prosecuted. Daniels lost her defamation lawsuit against Trump, and must pay him $300,000 in legal fees. Her former lawyer Michael Avenatti is sitting in prison. Daniels had sued Trump over a tweet he made dismissive of her claim that a man threatened to hurt her daughter if she didnt keep quiet about the sex allegation. His tweet said, A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! The left is throwing everything they can at Trump in order to stop him from becoming president again. They brought impeachment charges against him twice. The FBI was sent to search his home. More indictments by other prosecutors are expected. The U.S. is turning into a banana republic with this deterioration of the legal system combined with election fraud determining elections. As Stalins secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria famously said , Show me the man and Ill show you the crime. Similarly, criminal defense attorney Harvey Silverglate wrote a book , Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent, which explains how there are so many vague and broad laws now the average person commits three felonies a day and doesnt know it. If they want to get you, theyll figure out a way. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative . She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home
Over the past few years, Googles control over the Android ecosystem has been a topic of debate, particularly in India, where regulators and the government have called for changes in Googles treatment of its operating system. These changes include reducing pre-installed apps, loosening restrictions on Android forks, and allowing third-party app stores to distribute through the Google Play Store. However, in a recent ruling, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) partially relieved Google by setting aside four of the 10 directives issued by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) related to the abuse of Googles dominant position in Android.

Earlier this year, the CCI directed Google to make several changes to its business practices in India, including giving users the ability to remove Google apps, use third-party billing options on the Play Store, and change their search engine if desired. Google argued that the CCIs order suffered from confirmation bias and was too similar to a verdict by the European Commission in 2018.

Partial relief for Google

Although the NCLAT upheld the $161 million penalty levied on Google by the CCI, it offered some relief to the tech giant by removing four out of ten directives. These directives included the need to permit the hosting of third-party app stores within the Play Store and restrict the uninstallation of pre-installed apps by users.

Despite the appeal, Google has agreed to implement some changes suggested by the CCI. Indian smartphone vendors can now license individual apps for pre-installation on their Android-powered devices, and users can change their search engine and use third-party billing options for apps and game purchases on the Play Store.

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We are grateful for the opportunity given by the NCLAT to make our case. We are reviewing the order and evaluating our legal options, said Google on the verdict.
Its not exactly a secret Huawei has been hit hard by US sanctions. This has been going on for years, and it has been getting worse over time. The company lost access to Google Play Services, and a while back, a new wave of chip-focused sanctions were issued. Well, a Huawei chairman believes that US sanctions will only benefit Chinas chip industry.

Huawei chairman says that US sanctions will benefit Chinas chip industry

This comment comes from Eric Xu, CNBC reports. He says that Chinas chip industry will be reborn thanks to these sanctions. As some of you may know, since 2020, foundries using US technology are prevented from shipping the latest silicon to Huawei. On top of that, China is not allowed to purchase extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines that are needed for producing modern chips.

Eric Xu believes that China will become self-sufficient when it comes to producing chips. SMIC, the countrys largest foundry, is still a couple of steps behind, however. TSMC and Samsung are mass-producing chips using a 3nm process node, while SMIC is stuck at 14nm at best. This is mainly due to the fact they cannot access the EUV lithography machines, as mentioned earlier.

It is to be expected that such sanctions will push China into action. The question is, how long will it take them to catch up. Huawei has been hit hard by sanctions over the years. It had the prospect of becoming the worlds number one smartphone manufacturer before the first sanctions arrived.

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The US sanctions hit Huawei, hard

Eric Xu did admit that the companys business got hit by US sanctions, quite a bit. Huawei has reported a 69% decline in annual profit for 2022, which is its biggest decline since 2011. Were looking at a decline of $5.18 billion.

Xu said the following: In 2022, a challenging external environment and non-market factors continued to take a toll on Huaweis operations. In the midst of this storm, we kept racing ahead, doing everything in our power to maintain business continuity and serve our customers.

Huaweis consumer business, including smartphones, has seen its revenue decline more than 11% to 214.5 billion yuan ($31.22 billion). It remains to be seen how will Huawei fare in 2023.
The iOS 16.4 update finally makes Google Fi 5G available to iPhone users, XDA reports.

Even though iPhones have been using 5G connectivity since iPhone 12 upwards, Google Fi was unavailable to Apple customers due to software lock. However, the Google Fi Twitter account officially announced iPhone running on iOS 16.4 can now connect to the companys 5G network.

According to Googles announcement, only iPhone 12 and above that run iOS 16.4 are supported. Google also provided iPhone users with a guide on how to connect Fi 5G network.

Google Fi 5G is now available to iPhones running iOS 16.4

If youre using iPhone 12 and above models, you can simply connect to Google Fi 5G. First, Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data or Cellular > tap on your Google Fi number > Voice & Data. Finally, select 5G Auto. The US residents will also see LTE and 5G On options here. Google Fi provides you with a map to check the 5G coverage in your region.

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Selecting 5G Auto allows the phone to switch between available networks automatically. This will ensure that the phone stays connected to a network all the time.

Here is a list of Apple iPhones that are compatible with Google Fi in general: iPhone 14 series, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 11, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, iPhone SE. All phones must also run iOS 13 and up.

Google Fi is currently operating on T-Mobile and US Cellular networks, and its coverage has expanded in the past few years. The plans are also affordable, with many perks like unlimited talk and text.

Speaking of 5G connectivity and Google, the company has recently dropped support for 5G SA in some older Pixel phones with the March update. The impacted phones are all powered by Snapdragon chipsets. Users hope to regain access to 5G SA by the April update.
Nokia smartphones may not use the companys brand new user interface called Pure UI. This UI was announced quite recently, and it was supposed to grace the companys smartphones and other smart devices. That may not be the case, though.

Nokia smartphones wont use Pure UI, and will seemingly still use the old logo

Are you confused? Well, we are too. HMD Global, a company behind Nokia smartphones, said the following: Nokia smartphones will not be adapting the recently announced Nokia Pure design. The classic Nokia brand has an incredible history in mobile phones. Our Nokia phones continue the great momentum associated with the classic Nokia logo. We are proudly building and innovating on this heritage.

So, by the looks of it, the Nokia logo rebrand that was announced at MWC 2023, and this new UI, wont be present in Nokia smartphones. The companys smartphones will still rely on the old logo, and stock-looking Android UI.

This new UI seems to be reserved for some of the companys apps. If you use the Nokia WiFi app, you may get it, for example. Needless to say, that is strange. Why announce a brand new logo and user interface if youre not planning to use them on your smartphones.

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HMD Global even removed all content from the NokiaPure.com website

HMD Global even removed all content from the NokiaPure.com website. This is a rather odd decision by Nokia, especially when it comes to the logo. It turns out HMD Global will use two different Nokia logos, depending on the product, which is beyond odd.

It is what it is, though. If you love the companys current smartphones, well, youre in luck, as their software and logo will stay intact, it would seem. We would love for HMD Global to clarify things even more, to be quite honest. This just doesnt make all that much sense, especially the logo part.
A man accused of murdering his pregnant wife by pushing her off Edinburghs Arthurs Seat did not show much of a reaction to being told she had died, a court heard.

Kashif Anwar, 29, is accused of murdering Fawziyah Javed, 31, in September 2021 by pushing her from the hill, causing her multiple blunt force injuries and ultimately her death, and that of her unborn child.

Anwar, from Leeds, denies all the charges against him, including one of acting in a threatening and abusive way towards his wife at a hotel in Edinburgh the day before the alleged murder.

Police Constable Sean Henderson told the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday that the accused was taken to Gayfield Square police station after his wifes fall and, at about 12.45am the next day, was told of her death.

The 37-year-old officer told the court of Anwars response to the news: There wasnt much of a reaction, in my opinion, he didnt say much to it and didnt have any obvious physical reaction.

After being told of his wifes death, he told Pc Henderson: I know how this looks. We had our problems as a couple, but

The court was told Anwar never finished what he was saying as more officers entered the room and he was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Pc Henderson told the trial, which is in its fourth day: From start to near finish he was very calm and composed throughout.

Flowers and candles were placed at a vigil in memory of Fawziyah Javed (Jane Barlow/PA)

I was actually struck how calm his demeanour was throughout.

Ian Duguid KC, defending Anwar, played the court a 999 recording on which his client could be heard shouting down to people who had got to where his wife was, asking how she was to relay back to the ambulance service.

Pc Henderson said during the call there were parts where he was calm but other parts where he was more animated.

Mr Duguid put it to Pc Henderson that Anwars behaviour could have been explained because his client was confident his wife was alive, and that Anwar had not been told about his wifes death until later after.

But Pc Henderson said Anwar overheard the loud fire service radio on the hillside, which described her worsening condition.

The jury also heard evidence from Detective Constable Steven Cavallero.

During the detectives evidence, the court was told while Anwar was in custody at St Leonards Police Station, he asked if he would get bail, about Edinburghs prison, and asked: How many years do you think I will get. Double figures? Maybe 15 to 20 years you reckon? Thats a long time.

The jury was a selfie of the the accused and his wife, taken at 8.29pm on the hill on September 2, the day of the alleged murder, and Mr Dugrid asked Dc Cavallero: You basically came to your own conclusion about it without bothering to listen to his explanation.

Firefighter Sean Stratford was one of the emergency responders dispatched to the scene just after 9pm on the day.

He told the trial that rescue crews could not find Ms Javed when they arrived but a man approached them to assist and pointed out the area.

The firefighter said he could not remember if the man identified himself as the injured womans husband or not.

Mr Stratford told the court: He said that he stood up to take a selfie, he slipped and bumped her and she had fallen.

The trial, before Lord Beckett, continues.
The data on leftist erosion of American values

By Mark Alexander

web posted April 3, 2023

There are no more graphic examples of cultural degradation than a crime scene where a sociopath has murdered children. Such was the case this week when a deranged woman killed three children and three adults in a premeditated hate crime against a Christian elementary school in Tennessee.

Notably, there was a common denominator in the Nashville assault and other similar attacks. The assailants manifested gender-confused pathology and were also immersed in video gaming.

As I noted regarding the Nashville attack, while Joe Biden and the Demos' Leftmedia echo chamber ubiquitously refer to these assaults as "gun violence," the hard reality is that violence is a culture problem.

In fact, the vast majority of violence today is associated with the cultural devolution directly tied to generations of failed Democrat policies. And there is an inconvenient truth Demos definitely don't want you to know about crime stats  the correlation between race and violence.

Apparently, "systemic racism," white supremacy, the police, and so-called "assault weapons" are not the problem, and the so-called Black Lives Matter cadres of race hustlers are not the solution.

But the Nashville assailant did not fit the profile of a gang-banging drug thug from some Demo-controlled poverty plantation.

She was a white, Middle America woman with parents who cared about her. But she is among a generation of emotionally distressed young people, a few of whom end up acting out in violence.

So, what does the latest data tell us about the rise of this distressed generation?

In large measure, degraded culture is a reflection of degraded values, and there is emerging evidence confirming what most people with a modicum of common sense already know: As the importance we place on traditional American values has plummeted, so has American culture.

The latest reputable polling on values is a new Wall Street Journal-NORC survey finding that "patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance to Americans."

According to the WSJ-NORC results: "Some 38% of respondents said patriotism was very important to them, and 39% said religion was very important. That was down sharply from when the Journal first asked the question in 1998, when 70% deemed patriotism to be very important, and 62% said so of religion."

No surprise that the poll also found "the country sharply divided by political party over social trends." Only 23% of Democrats said patriotism was very important while 59% of Republicans agreed, and just 27% of Democrats said faith was very important while 53% of Republicans agreed.

Also of note, "Tolerance for others, deemed very important by 80% of Americans as recently as four years ago, has fallen to 58% since then." Yet another result of Demos fomenting "hate and division."

Bill McInturff, who has worked with previous Journal and NBC polls, observed, "These differences are so dramatic, it paints a new and surprising portrait of a changing America." And it's not a pretty picture. He added that "perhaps the toll of our political division, Covid and the lowest economic confidence in decades is having a startling effect on our core values." That implies the changes may be temporary.

But the downward trend proceeded the ChiCom Virus pandemic and the second "great malaise" resurrected by Joe Biden and his closet cadre.

However, in 2019, Wall Street Journal reporter Chad Day wrote similar observations about that year's values poll, which began measuring values in 1998: "The values that Americans say define the national character are changing, as younger generations rate patriotism, religion and having children as less important to them than did young people two decades ago."

So, what is the deeper problem?

It is not surprising that younger Americans place lower priority on values  many of us could say that about our younger years before reality caught up with us. But reality did not catch up with many inheritance welfare leftists, mostly suburban "white privilege" Democrats who are obsessively focused on vanity and virtue signaling.

You know, they are the "truly enlightened" who swapped their "Hate Has No Home Here" yard signs for Biden-Harris yard signs to ensure their neighbors knew they were not affiliated with any "deplorables."

Indeed, too many Baby Boomers, who were born between WWII and the mid 1960s, are themselves wimpy snowflakes who have raised a generation of even wimpier snowflakes, who are raising a generation of even ... well, you get the generational implications.

Social observer Auguste Meyrat notes: "If one wants to know why so many millennials seem to struggle with hitting the essential milestones of adulthood, one should simply look at their Boomer parents, who laid the groundwork for perpetual adolescence. It was the Boomers who decided to resist the conformist culture of their own childhoods by embracing hedonism (sex, drugs, and rock and roll), challenging social priorities and traditions, and rejecting moral and religious authorities."

Think Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Meyrat notes for too many Boomers: "Unlike previous generations that grew up on books and newspapers, most of the Boomers spent their formative years watching television, [which] short-circuited young viewers' critical thinking and left them with a shallow morality that oversimplified complex issues."

Of the dulling effect of screen time, Helen Andrews, author of the definitive book Boomers, notes, "No medium has done more to shape the boomer mentality, which may be why they have been so deaf to the well-founded worries that mass-produced media is optimized to rot the human brain."

Now that rot has been optimized by Big Tech oligarchs who control social media outlets like Facebook and the ChiCom data-collection platform TikTok.

But Meyrat concludes: "It would be a mistake to assume that all is lost for my generation. A few of us were raised by good parents (usually the ones who hated Boomer culture) and now enjoy the fruits of a good life. Others who weren't so fortunate can at least recognize the mistakes that were made, fix those things in themselves, and do their part as parents, teachers, or leaders to improve things for the younger generations."

It is worth noting that questions have been raised about the WSJ-NORC polling methodology.

Political analyst Patrick Ruffini asserts: "The dramatically different results we see from 2019 and 2023 are because the data was collected differently. The March 2023 survey was collected via NORC's Amerispeak, an extremely high-quality online panel. In the fine print below the chart, we can see that data from previous waves was collected via telephone survey. Surveying the exact same types of respondents online and over the phone will yield different results. And it matters most for exactly the kinds of values questions that the Journal asked in its survey."

National Review's John McCormack notes: "For a better survey on American attitudes about patriotism, see Gallup, which also finds a decline in patriotism, but not nearly as steep as what the WSJ poll found since 2019. ... Of the percentage of Americans who say patriotism is 'very important' to them, Gallup finds only a five-point drop from 2019 to 2022  from 70 percent to 65 percent who say they are 'extremely' or 'very' patriotic.'"

According to Gallup, another highly reputable public opinion surveyor, on the issue of patriotism for example: "The 38% of U.S. adults who say they are 'extremely proud' to be American ... together with the 27% who are 'very proud,'" combines to 65%, and "another 22% say they are 'moderately proud.'"

So the degradation may not be as bad as WSJ-NORC suggests, but there's no question the slide in values continues  and there's no question why.

Finally, an interesting WSJ-NORC finding on the Left's gender dysphoria advocacy: "Half of people in the survey said they didn't like the practice of being asked to use gender-neutral pronouns, such as 'they' or 'them,' when addressing another person, compared with 18% who viewed it favorably." Again, there was the age divide: "Some 30% of respondents under age 35 viewed the practice favorably, compared with 9% of seniors."

And that takes me full circle to the politicization of the Nashville attack. We know that attack was premeditated and clearly a hate crime targeting Christians. However, because the assailant is among the Left's prized gender-confused constituency, I doubt that the Biden administration will allow the Department of Justice to classify this assault as a "hate crime."

Watch how the Left spins this to suggest the hater who committed the assault was actually the "victim," and the Christian victims were actually the "haters." One group has already blamed the assault on Christians, claiming the assailant "had no other effective way to be seen than to lash out by taking the life of others," and concluding, "Hate has consequences."

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Sir Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have hailed the spirit of Anglo-Irish teamwork and partnership that marked the high pressure negotiations that delivered Northern Irelands historic Good Friday Agreement.

Twenty-five years on from the intensive talks that produced the landmark accord in April 1998, the former UK and Irish prime ministers have reflected on their famously close working relationship.

While stressing the importance of the UK and Irish governments acting in lockstep, the ex British PM and Taoiseach credited the bravery of unionist and nationalist political leaders in Northern Ireland for striking the powersharing settlement that largely ended the Troubles.

In interviews with the PA news agency to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Good Friday deal, the political veterans, who both came to power in 1997, have recalled the highs and lows of the exhausting negotiation process one year later at Castle Buildings on the Stormont estate in Belfast.

Its amazing how fast the time has gone by, said Sir Tony.

Its incredible to think it was 25 years ago that we were sitting for those days in Castle Buildings in Belfast trying to get the historic peace agreement agreed.

The former Labour leader added: When I look back on it, I think we took the most enormous risks in trying to do it.

Because when I came to office, though John Major had done some really good work in sort of laying the foundations of a possible way forward, the fact is that it had broken down.

We didnt have an agreement when I came to Belfast to start that negotiation, the thing had collapsed effectively, completely.

Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair at his offices in central London ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (Victoria Jones/PA)

And then during the course of the days that followed, we had the agreement, then we lost it, and we had it again, then we lost it again, it was an extraordinary time. But somehow we kept going, and you know all the different leaders that I was working with, they showed real leadership in the end trying to bring it together and bring it off.

Mr Aherns mother Julia died in final stages of the talks and the then-Fianna Fail leader left the negotiations to attend the funeral and returned as the process reached a crescendo.

Bertie Ahern was an absolute rock throughout it, said Sir Tony.

Because quite apart from the fact he had to overcome a personal tragedy with the passing of his mother right at the outset of the negotiation, its also that he was both from Irelands history, understood Irelands history, understood the relationship between Ireland and Britain and all the issues that arose between the two, but could always rise above it and come to the level of the necessary commitment for the future.

He was a great partner in the process.

Mr Ahern said he began meeting with Sir Tony while they were both leaders of their respective parliaments oppositions in 1995 and 1996.

Bertie Ahern reflects on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (Niall Carson/PA)

We were looking to see how we could get back, Humpty Dumpty on the wall again, he said.

Thats what really led into us moving very quickly, we had pre-planned where we were going in 97, he added.

Mr Ahern said people living on the island of Ireland should be eternally grateful to the former UK prime minister.

We got on really well, which was hugely positive, he said.

We trusted each other. We worked together as a team rather than British, Irish.

Mr Ahern singled out Sir Tonys time commitment to the negotiations as extraordinary.

He said while the Labour leader had established an international reputation and committed to a huge agenda of reform as a new prime minister in 1997, he put in huge hours into helping to deal with the Irish situation.

The two leaders signing the agreement in 1998 (PA)

He said the prime minister regularly entered into long sessions of two or three days at a time in meetings at Chequers, No 10, Castle Buildings, Hillsborough Castle and other locations.

People should be eternally grateful on this island for him, added Mr Ahern.

Asked about Sir Tonys comments that the agreement could not have happened without Mr Ahern, he said: We were a team.

We worked because we worked together and we didnt let each other down.

Tony Blair, former US senator George Mitchell and Bertie Ahern after they signed the Good Friday peace agreement (Dan Chung/PA)

Reflecting on their relationship, Mr Ahern said: We were ringing each other all the time, there were times I spoke to him every day, literally.

In his 10 years and my 11 years in office, I wouldnt say there was a period of more than 72 hours where we didnt talk to each other.

However, Mr Ahern emphasised that it was not just the two men involved and that it was an inclusive process.

We had small teams of officials and then the other political parties, he said.

On Sundays, I used to ring the party leaders and have long chats with them, reviewing the briefs from officials. It was that ongoing dialogue.

He said that then-US president Bill Clinton was also there when we needed him.
The brother of TV presenter Phillip Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years.

Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, following a trial at Exeter Crown Court.

The jury found him guilty on all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The 54-year-old, a civilian police worker from Bath, told the jury while giving evidence that he had watched pornography with the boy, whom he insisted was over the age of 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sitting apart, but denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.

Timothy Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy (Avon and Somerset Police/PA)

Jurors heard previously the defendant told his elder brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the complainant had watched pornography together.

In a statement released by his lawyer after the guilty verdict, Phillip Schofield said: My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.

If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.

These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.

The boy, who alleged the offending started when he was 13, told the jury he felt emotionally blackmailed by Schofield and forced to participate in sexual activity.

He said: I felt that emotionally there was no escape from what we had to do and I felt that there was a tremendous amount of pressure and expectation for me to fulfil what was being asked and wanted.

Phillip Schofield described in a written statement how his brother had phoned him in an agitated and upset state, and Mr Schofield had invited him to drive to his home in London.

The court heard they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up.

Phillip Schofield (Jonathan Brady/PA)

He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that.

Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and (the boy) had time together and that last year they had watched porn  and (masturbated).

I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about (the boys) body.

I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off.

I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again.

Giving evidence during the trial, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody.

He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years.

The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London.

Timothy Schofield covers his head as he leaves Exeter Crown Court (Matt Keeble/PA)

Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself?

Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone.

He insisted the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him.

He told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all.

He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents, but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties.

Schofield denied the charges but was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Mrs Justice Cutts remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on May 19.

Avon and Somerset Police, where Schofield was employed, said a misconduct hearing will be held as soon as possible. The IT worker was suspended in December 2021.

Detective Inspector Keith Smith said: This defendant has exploited and abused the victim by carrying out a sickening series of offences over a significant period of time.

Although the defendant does not work in a public-facing role, and the offences are not linked to his employment, we know the fact he works for the police will be a matter of public concern.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting impact on a persons life and Timothy Schofields actions were deeply harmful. We hope that the young man he targeted is receiving all the support he needs to move forward with his life.

The NSPCC urged adults who are concerned about a child to contact help@nspcc.org.uk and young people to call Childline on 0800 1111.
The sister of a teenager killed during the Troubles says she hopes the dark cloud surrounding their family will be lifted as the search for his body resumes.

Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 and his remains are believed to be at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan.

He is one of the Disappeared  victims of the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998 known as the Troubles  whose bodies have yet to be found.

Columba McVeigh went missing in 1975 (Family handout/PA)

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in Bragan Bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

His sister Dympna Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Mrs Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

Jon Hill, of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains, stands besides excavators at Bragan bog near Emyvale in Co Monaghan (PA)

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said it was always their intention to resume the search for Mr McVeigh at the earliest opportunity.

Every time we undertake a search the thoughts of everyone involved are with the McVeigh family, he said.

Our focus is on doing everything we can to bring this search to a successful conclusion.

If the remains of Columba are in this part of the bog we will find them.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
Local authorities for a former prison site lined up to house asylum seekers have said they did not receive any advance notification from the Government over the plans.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick announced last week the proposals to house asylum seekers in disused military bases, with a third site in Bexhill, East Sussex.

He also confirmed that 3,700 people would be housed at RAF Wethersfield in Essex and RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.

Robert Jenrick has announced proposals to house asylum seekers (Jonathan Brady/PA)

The councils for the Bexhill area have now said they are seeking urgent information on how to respond to residents queries and concerns about the plans for site at the former Northeye prison, which closed in 1992 and went on to be a training facility for the UAE.

In a statement the authorities said they will consider what action they can take to ensure residents concerns are addressed about the use of the site to house 1,200 people.

The move comes as protests, both pro-refugee and against the use of the prison site, were held during the weekend, with videos posted on social media showing mild scuffles breaking out.

One Twitter user posted: Videos are being shared by far-right figures on Twitter of pro-refugee campaigners being attacked at a protest in Bexhill against the proposed refugee site.

A statement released jointly by Rother District Council and East Sussex County Council says: We know many residents have voiced concerns about the proposals from the Home Office for the Northeye site in Bexhill.

We too are waiting for full facts about how the proposal to use the site to house people seeking asylum would be implemented.

It continued that the two authorities were only informed about the plans a few hours before they were announced on March 29 and added: There had been no previous discussions with the Government.

The statement said: We are assessing the implications of the proposal and the impact it would have on the local community. We will then consider any further actions.

We will ask the Government to ensure the Home Office acts on all local concerns.

We are working with councils in other parts of the country where potential sites have also been identified by the Government and with councils where similar facilities already exist to learn from their experiences.

We are very aware that the uncertainty around the issue is not helpful for residents and businesses in Bexhill, and we are asking the Home Office, as a matter of urgency, to set up ways to consider and answer your questions.
A disabled woman lay on the floor moaning in pain for more than an hour and a half after being dropped by care home workers days before she died, an inquest has heard.

Lyn Parker, 64, hit her head and broke her ribs and arm when she fell 1.5 metres after two care workers tried to lift her using a sling at Tudor Avenue Residential Care Home in Hampton, south London.

Ms Parker, from Kingston upon Thames, was on the floor for more than 90 minutes before an ambulance arrived on January 15 2021, West London Coroners Court heard.

She died 10 days later at Kingston Hospital on January 25 2021.

Care workers Adjowa Larbi and Margaret Bolarinwa had tried to move her from her wheelchair to her bed for her afternoon nap when she slipped out of the sling.

Lyn Parker died at Kingston Hospital in January 2021 (Family handout/PA)

Ms Larbi said in a statement: I waited until she was at a level where she would not hit her legs then we moved her wheelchair out of the way.

I then moved to the other side of the bed and at a glance I saw her fall out of her bed.

I believe that I must not have put the loop on the hook of the spreader bar.

I am still baffled as to how she (got that high) to fall. It must have been because the loop under Lyns thighs were not attached properly.

I am extremely sad about what happened to Lyn and I still struggle to think about the accident now.

The care home first called the emergency services at 1.30pm and Ms Parkers fall was categorised as level five meaning her injuries were not serious enough to take her to hospital yet.

But the care home called back an hour and a half later concerned about her oxygen levels and an ambulance was called immediately.

Ms Parker, who was non-verbal, was taken to Kingston Hospital alone in an ambulance.

Asked why no one accompanied her, care home manager Mick Wood told the court he did not think anyone was allowed to go with Ms Parker because of Covid restrictions.

She was discharged from hospital in the early hours of January 16 but had to be taken back in the morning after a care home worker found her left arm was swollen and black.
E-scooter rental companies have pledged to continue their UK operations as people in Paris voted to banish the vehicles.

Dott and Tier said their e-scooters will remain available for use on this side of the Channel and questioned the validity of the mini-referendum in the French capital.

Around 15,000 e-scooters could be removed from central Paris at the end of August when the citys contracts with providers Dott, Lime and Tier expire.

Paris City Hall website stated that 89% of votes were against the use of e-scooters.

The poll was open to all of the capitals 1.4 million registered voters but turnout was very low, with around 103,000 people voting.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the voters very clear message now becomes our guide and committed to follow up on their decision as I had pledged.

Since rental e-scooters were introduced five years ago, many Parisians have used them as an alternative form of public transport.

But there are frequent complaints about how they are used and the visual impact of parked e-scooters.

A spokesman for Dott told the PA news agency said: There is no impact to our services in London and other major European cities, where there is a trend of increasing sustainable travel.

We will continue to offer e-bikes in Paris and plan to expand our fleet to meet anticipated demand from the 400,000 users of shared e-scooters that will need to find alternative transport.

Tier said in a statement: While the decision in Paris is disappointing for the sector and hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the service, Tier is committed to continuing to run safe and highly-utilised shared e-scooter services across the UK.

We have strong relationships with local authorities and the police, and are co-operating with the Government as they collect information during this trial period.

We continue to develop new solutions to make our service accessible and sustainable, supporting the UKs net-zero targets and ensuring users and the wider public have a positive experience.

Private e-scooters cannot be legally ridden on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight.

The Government has not introduced legislation setting out regulations allowing their use.

Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in dozens of towns and cities across England have been extended until May 2024.

Martin Usher, partner in personal injury at law firm Lime Solicitors, said: The relationship between e-scooters and other road users has deteriorated badly in Paris because of a lack of regulation and education.

Pedestrians have been put at risk and Parisians have now taken a strong stance against the rental schemes.

This should be a wake-up call to our Government, which is burying its head in the sand over new forms of transport and we must act now to avoid a similar result.

Despite their environmental benefits, the ongoing failure to act is sadly leaving people vulnerable to preventable injuries.

We need proper education campaigns around safe e-scooter use and a comprehensive legislation framework to protect users and pedestrians, and allow the schemes to grow safely.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: Safety will always be our top priority, and our e-scooter trials are designed to explore the best ways of protecting riders, pedestrians and vulnerable road users, while exploring their benefits.

Outside the trials, e-scooters remain illegal to use on the road.
The original Good Friday Agreement document has returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since it was signed 25 years ago.

The treaty will be available for members of the public to view at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast.

The original UK Governments signed copy of the 54-page document features the signatures of the then prime minister Tony Blair, then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the late secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam as well as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time David Andrews.

The document will be on display in PRONI until April 12.

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10 1998 after an extensive talks process involving many of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish Governments.

PRONI acting director David Huddleston and PRONI head of conservation Sarah Graham with the Good Friday Agreement treaty (Dept for Communities/PA)

The document is on loan from The National Archives (UK) to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the agreement and will make its first public appearance in Northern Ireland at a joint event hosted by PRONI and the National Archives Ireland On the Record: Reflections on the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement).

PRONI acting director, David Huddleston said: Today is a day of firsts  the first time that the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has been in Northern Ireland since 1998, the first time that PRONI and the National Archives Ireland have delivered a joint public event.

This provides a unique opportunity for people to come and view the historic agreement and while they are in PRONI to discover the wealth of public records we have available including those from government, courts and local authorities as well as privately deposited records from churches, businesses and individuals.

The exhibition is open to the public from April 3-12 without booking.

Other documents on display include a record of the first official NIO meeting with a Sinn Fein delegation led by Martin McGuinness in December 1994, plans by the then-secretary of state to change the public image of Parliament Buildings, Stormont, notes from meetings with the late John Hume and David Trimble in April 1998 and from discussions with the Orange Order in November 1998.
The Government is considering banning the use of certain chemicals in firefighting foam, an environment minister has said, after analysis found it to be a significant source of environmental pollution and occupational exposure.

Known as forever chemicals because of their environmental durability, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of nearly 9,000 chemicals valued for their oil and water-resistant properties.

Two types, PFOA and PFOS, have been linked to serious health conditions affecting the stomach, liver and thyroid, but their use is now restricted.

PFAS have been manufactured or imported into Great Britain for more than 90 years and are used in manufacturing, industrial and consumer cleaning products and cosmetics, as well as textiles, clothes, carpets and firefighting foam.

Environment Agency testing suggests they are present in most groundwater, surface water, plants and animals in England.

New analysis from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), focusing on a smaller PFAS class of hundreds which are the most persistent, identified firefighting foam to be a significant source of PFAS pollution and occupational exposure.

It recommends restricting the use of foam with PFAS as well as the manufacture and sale of consumer articles likely to cause pollution or exposure such as textiles, leather, clothes, rugs, carpets, paints, varnishes, waxes, polishes and cleaning products.

The HSE also suggested developing statutory standards for PFAS in drinking water in England and Wales.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate currently offers guidance to water companies to ensure PFAS contamination does not exceed 0.1 micrograms per litre.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed setting a limit of 0.000004 micrograms per litre for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water, which it believes would save thousands of lives.

The EU is considering regulating PFAS chemicals together as an entire class, and the UK should follow suit, campaigners have said.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow said: The HSEs analysis is a key part of our efforts to protect us from these persistent chemicals  our Plan for Water recognises this and we will begin developing proposals to restrict PFAS in firefighting foams this year.

This will build on our action to increase monitoring and support a ban or highly restrict specific PFAS both domestically and internationally so that we can reduce the amount of PFAS entering our natural environment.

Riccardo la Torre, national officer with the Fire Brigades Union, said: We are still digesting this report and will be considering whether these recommendations go far enough to protect firefighters from the serious health risks of PFAS.

What is clear is that exposure to dangerous chemicals has been allowed to be part of firefighters work for far too long. Firefighters are getting ill and dying while the Government and employers fail to act.

The HSE published its regulatory management options analysis (RMOA) through UK Reach, the framework used to manage risks of chemical pollution in Great Britain.

It found there are between 2,600 and 36,700 tonnes of PFAS substances on the market in Great Britain, not including those manufactured or imported at less than one tonne per annum, already in finished products, or subject to transitional provisions after Brexit.

Dr Richard Daniels, director of the HSEs chemicals regulation division, said: PFAS are a global issue of concern. We have looked at responses around the world, but it was vital we gathered the right information and evidence on how PFAS are used in Britain specifically.

#SaveOurWildIsles from #PFAS pollution! New studies found high levels of PFAS #chemicals in English rivers, some more than 10X higher than newly proposed EU safety levels. Were calling on @UKGov to act. Like & share to show you care  #12KeyAsks https://t.co/PG68a85I49 pic.twitter.com/z1HCXrPaQs  Wildlife and Countryside Link (@WCL_News) April 3, 2023

The HSE said firefighting foam should be prioritised but PFAS should be phased out of other industrial and commercial usages too.

Dr Daniels added: There is evidence of occupational exposure and environmental harm that can come from current firefighting foams, and we can understand the concerns among firefighters. We encourage all affected to work with us in the scoping exercise.

Environmental and health campaigners welcomed the HSEs recommendations but said there must be a complete phase-out of PFAS to lower contamination.

Thalie Martini, chief executive of Breast Cancer UK, said: The options analysis shows a step in the right direction but does not, ultimately, go far enough.

Human exposure to forever chemicals remains much higher than we believe is safe, creating an increased risk of breast cancer.

The only way to truly lower our risk is to remove as many of these chemicals as we can and move towards a complete phasing out in the near future, as countries across Europe are starting to do.

Hannah Conway, chemical policy officer at Wildlife and Countryside Link, added: With forever chemicals there is only prevention, there is no cure.

Once they are released into the environment these substances are extremely difficult to remove, which is why its so vital that updated PFAS regulations and the UK Chemicals Strategy provide the sea-change needed on this and other harmful chemicals.

A total PFAS phase-out is the only remedy to help put the health of our waters and nature back on track.
A host at a nightclub in Glasgow spoke of his surreal and crazy experience seeing Samuel L Jackson on Friday night, calling it one of the most amazing things.

The 74-year-old actor was spotted on stage during a Bongos Bingo event at the venue SWG3 throwing glow sticks at the crowd and getting front-row seats to watch a dance performance.

Ste Taylor, the Bongos Bingo host that evening, told the PA new agency he was unaware the Pulp Fiction star would be making an appearance.

Nobody knew he was going to be there, said the 32-year-old from Liverpool.

Samuel L Jackson was seen taking video from the bingo party at Bongos Bingo at SWG3 (Ste Taylor/Bongos Bingo)

Nobody who works at Bongos Bingo knew, none of the venue staff at SWG3 knew.

It was still halfway through the night, in the middle of a game of bingo, and I look over to the right and hes just there on stage dancing, enjoying himself, taking a few videos, and taking in the crowd.

Mr Taylor initially struggled to believe that Jackson was at the nightclub.

I did a double-take thinking is that Samuel L Jackson?, because he was kind of side on to me at the time facing the crowd, he said.

But as he turned I thought Oh my god, that actually is him and I was trying to get the dancers attention in front of me to say that Samuel L Jackson was on stage with us.

The club is no stranger to famous stars, however My Taylor admits that, throughout his time at Bongos Bingo, seeing Jackson was one of the most amazing things.

Ive seen some wild things at Bongos Bingo before, but thats definitely up there as one of the most amazing things weve had, he explained.

Weve had celebrities at Bongos Bingo lots of times, and weve had some pretty big acts come perform, but youre always aware that theyre going to be there.

Samuel L Jackson pictured with Bongos Bingo host at SWG3, Ste Taylor (second from right), with drag dancers Kinky Kylie (left) and Hairy Mary (right) (Ste Taylor/Bongos Bingo)

So, youre waiting to see them, youre waiting to meet them, but with this it just caught us completely off guard. Nobody had any idea he was going to be there.

Jackson showed enthusiasm during the nightclubs rave, throwing glow sticks and bouncing balloons into the crowd.

We have what we call a rave round halfway through the night where we stop playing bingo and we turn the lights down, play some rave music and just have a big dance for 10 to 15 minutes, Mr Taylor explained.

When we did that, [Jackson] really got into it.

He was throwing glow sticks to people in the crowd, and people were hitting balloons towards him, and he was hitting them back into the crowd.

The experience was surreal for the 32-year-old who is still reeling it over.

Honestly, it was a really surreal thing to see, but amazing, he said.

Im still reeling over it now, I cant quite believe it.

Ste Taylor, host of Bongos Bingo at SWG3, called the experience surreal after seeing Samuel L Jackson (Ste Taylor/Bongos Bingo)

Mr Taylor said the Hollywood stars face was a picture after watching a dance performance by drag dancers Kinky Kylie and Hairy Mary.

He was just more and more in shock as [the performance] went on seeing some some crazy stuff, said Mr Taylor.

Bongos Bingo is a bit of a crazy thing to say its a bit of a wild night. So you can see he was just trying to take all in and see what was going on.

He was just sort of taking it all in looking at the dancers and guys in the dresses with a little smile on his face.

The crowd got really excited, according to Mr Taylor, once they were aware of Jacksons presence, though some online were initially sceptical after the actor arrived on April 1.

When the crowd realised that he was there, people just went wild  everybody was just jumping up in the air, shouting his name, and trying to get pictures and videos of him, said Mr Taylor.

So many people were messaging online saying This must be an April Fools  theres no way this is real, but it was. I wouldnt believe it myself had I not been there.

He just came in through the back entrance to the building.

Hes Samuel L Jackson  he can do whatever he wants, but he wandered on stage and he was just there.

His driver said on the way home that he really enjoyed it and loved it.
A childrens book author who claimed John Lewis had infringed her copyright in its Christmas advert about an excitable dragon has lost her High Court case.

Fay Evans brought legal action against the department store company and advertising agency adam&eveDDB over the 2019 John Lewis Christmas advert and the spin-off illustrated childrens book, Excitable Edgar.

In the advert, Edgar the dragons excitement about festivities in his village sees him accidentally melting the ice rink, reducing a snowman to a puddle and setting fire to a Christmas tree.

Ms Evans alleged that John Lewis or the agency had copied parts of her book, Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon, published in September 2017, infringing her copyright.

John Lewiss 2019 Christmas advert, Excitable Edgar, featured a baby dragon in a historical village )John Lewis & Partners/PA)

The High Court in London heard that in Ms Evans book, Fred accidentally emits fire when he sneezes, leading to him accidentally melting ice-cream cones in his schools tuck shop, burning books and setting trees on fire while on a run.

At a hearing in January, John Lewis and the ad agency disputed the claim, arguing there were numerous and substantial differences between Ms Evans book and the advert, and that no-one involved in the making of the advert or spin-off book was aware of Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon.

The two companies also said that the advert was based on a concept designed in 2016, which was pitched to John Lewis in 2016, 2017 and 2018 before being chosen in 2019.

In a judgment on Monday, Judge Melissa Clarke dismissed Ms Evans claim.

She said: The dragon is a creature of myth, dating back to ancient times and found in cultures across the world.

As a mythic animal, its appearance, characteristics and personality are not fixed, but have been reinterpreted through the years to suit the purposes and culture of the person utilising it.

Fay Evans claimed John Lewis and advertising agency adam&eveDD had infringed her copyright (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Judge Clarke ruled that the people involved in making the Christmas advert or the spin-off book had not seen Ms Evans book and therefore could not have copied it.

The court heard that up to October 31 2019 only 914 copies of Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon had been sold, with more than 700 of those coming out of primary school visits.

She added: I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that there was no access to Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon by any of the creatives involved in the development of the 2019 advert and Excitable Edgar, and so there can have been no copying.

The court heard that all of the dragons in the case have ribbed fronts, spikes down their backs and two arms.

However, the judge sitting at the High Court said these are entirely commonplace features, almost ubiquitous in depictions of dragons.

She continued: They have been treated quite differently in the TV dragon and Edgar compared to Fred, in terms of both the detail of those features, and their colour and general appearance.

The judge concluded: The similarities between Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon on the one hand and the 2019 advert/Excitable Edgar are few in number and can easily be explained by coincidence rather than copying.

Following the ruling, Ms Evans said: From today Im looking forward to writing more original stories for children and developing Fred The Musical, ready for its premiere in July 2023 at the Liverpool Theatre Festival.

In a counterclaim, lawyers for John Lewis and adam&eveDDB asked the High Court to declare they had not infringed Fay Evans copyright with the 2019 Christmas advert (John Lewis & Partners/PA)

In a counterclaim, lawyers for John Lewis and the advertising agency had asked the High Court to declare they had not infringed Ms Evans copyright.

Allowing the counterclaim, Judge Clarke said: I consider that it would suit the useful purpose of making clear to the public and the industries in which the defendants and their creative partners work that the allegations of copyright infringement impugning the integrity of their creativity have been rejected by this court.

I consider they exit this litigation without the slightest hint or shadow of a stain on their creative integrity, she added.

The judge also made an order requiring Ms Evans to publicise the judgment, finding that she had used the annual launch of the John Lewis Christmas advert as a hook to gain more publicity to raise her profile as an author and drive book sales.

A spokesman for John Lewis and adam&eveDDB said: We take great pride and care in our Christmas advert and are glad that the judge recognised the originality of Excitable Edgar.

We are pleased that the matter is now resolved after the court found there was no copyright infringement.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Labour has vowed to target growing levels of vandalism as both main parties ramp up commitments on law and order ahead of the local elections.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper repeated a Labour promise to put 13,000 police and community support officers in neighbourhood roles, which she said had been decimated by the Government.

In its latest pledge to tackle high street crime, Labour said the charge rate for arson and criminal damage had dropped from 7.9% in 2015 to 3.9%, according to latest official statistics.

Some 41,550 offences of criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling were recorded by police in the year ending September 2021, but the latest figures show that it has risen to 54,487  150 incidents each day, the party said.

Ms Cooper said: Under the Conservatives, our town centres are being hit by growing levels of vandalism, with people smashing shop windows, graffitiing public spaces and trashing our high streets, yet nothing is done.

Neighbourhood policing has been decimated under the Tories and as result criminals and vandals are getting away scot-free while communities are being let down.

The next Labour government will put 13,000 police and PCSOs in neighbourhood roles because everyone deserves to feel safe.

Policing minister Chris Philp described the pledge as weak and the latest evidence (Labour) are soft on crime and soft on criminals.

It comes amid competing efforts by Labour and the Tories to sell themselves as the party of law and order by putting crime-fighting plans at the heart of their campaigns in the run-up to Mays local elections.

During a visit to Hartlepool on Monday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said anti-social behaviour was a huge problem plaguing communities across the country and accused the Government of pretending it was low level.

He said: I think its about prevention and cure and thats why our proposal to have 13,000 new neighbourhood police officers is so important, because they have dual functions.

They are part of their local community. They know the people that theyre working with. So thats the prevention bit, but then if it does require enforcement, theyre there, they know whats going on.

Meanwhile, on a visit to Rochdale, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set out Government plans to tackle grooming gangs, including a consultation on mandatory reporting for adults working with children.

Mr Sunak vowed to stamp out this evil as he met senior police officers, local authorities and others working on child sexual exploitation in the town where a grooming scandal was uncovered in a high-profile case in 2012.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex is to be given a Women of Vision Award by the Ms. Foundation for Women  the oldest women's foundation in the US.

Meghan will be given the award on 16 May by feminist activist and journalist Gloria Steinem, who was also a co-founder of Ms. Foundation, for her "global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls".

Previous recipients of the Women of Vision Awards include Hilary Clinton, iconic fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and Academy Award nominated director Ava DuVernary.

The president and CEO of the Ms. Foundation  Teresa C. Younger  said of the news: "We are thrilled to announce this years honourees for the Women of Vision Awards and to celebrate 50 years of progress and power" and that all the recipients are "incredible leaders and we are grateful to be able to shine a light on their many accomplishments and tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the country and the world."

Meghan making the keynote address at the One Young World Summit in Manchester last September. (Getty Images)

The Women of Vision Awards 2023 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ms Foundation and the gala will take place in the Zeigfield Ballroom, New York City.

Read more: Meghan and Harry knew 'they would be ostracised' for calling out Royal Family racism, says Kerry Kennedy

Over the last 50 years the Ms. Foundation has invested over $90m in grassroots gender equity projects and more than 1600 organisations to help work "for change on a grassroots level in order to build power and advance democracy."

Other honourees include LaTosha Brown in her capacity as co-founder of Black Voters Matter, her community organising and for her political strategy work.

Harry and Meghan were also given the Ripple of Hope Award at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award gala last year. (Getty Images)

Wanda Irving, co-founder of the Dr Shalon's Maternal Action Project and Kimberley Inez McGuire, the executive director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, will also be honoured as this year's grantee partners.

Read more: What's next for Harry and Meghan?

Abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna will receive the Marie C. Wilson Emerging Leader award and Rebekah Bruesehoff is the recipient of the Free to Be You and Me Award for her work advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.

This isn't the only honour the Duchess has received recently: her podcast series Archetypes was given a Gracie Award by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

In a statement on the Archewell Foundation's website, Meghan said she was grateful for this "prestigious honour" for her podcast.

Watch: Why Prince Charles admitted to his affair - and how the world reacted
A 66-year-old man is facing trial charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart.

The bodies of Gary Dunmore, 57, and Joshua Dunmore, 32, were discovered at properties in The Row, Sutton, and Meridian Close, Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire on March 29.

Stephen Alderton, of no fixed abode, appeared before Cambridge Crown Court charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm.

Gary Dunmore (left) and Joshua Dunmore were shot dead in two villages six miles apart in Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire Police/PA)

Alderton, wearing a grey tracksuit with the sleeves rolled up, spoke only to confirm his identity at the brief hearing.

He listened to proceedings from the secure dock of the court on Monday.

The defendant was not asked to enter pleas to the charges and was remanded in custody until May 11 when he is due back at the court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

No application for bail was made.

Judge Mark Bishop set a provisional trial date of October 16, allowing time for a two-week hearing.

The victims family paid tribute to the devoted father and son in a statement released via Cambridgeshire Police on Friday.

They said: Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.

He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends.

He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.

Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.

He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and hell be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him.

Post-mortem examinations which took place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday concluded both men died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Moderate exercise is safe for people who have muscle pain from taking statins, according to a study.

Researchers found that the cholesterol lowering drugs do not increase muscle injury after prolonged walking.

Scientists say the findings are reassuring for people who experience muscle pain or fatigue from statins but need to exercise to help keep their cholesterol levels low and their hearts healthy.

Statins are one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the UK, with about seven to eight million people taking them to cut their chance of heart attack and stroke.

But along with headaches, dizziness and other symptoms, the NHS lists muscle pain as one of the common side-effects of taking the medication.

While past studies have shown vigorous exercise can increase muscle damage in some statin users, which can lead to decreased physical activity or cause people to stop taking their medication, less is known about the impact of moderate exercise.

The 100 people involved in the small study were split into three groups: asymptomatic and symptomatic statin users, and those who do not take the drugs.

They walked 30, 40 or 50 kilometres (18.6, 24.8 or 31 miles, respectively) per day at a self-selected pace for four consecutive days.

Statin users had all been on the medication for at least three months.

The study found that statins did not exacerbate muscle injury or muscle symptoms after moderate-intensity exercise.

Neeltje Allard, first author of the study and researcher at the department of integrative physiology, Radboud University Medical Centre in Nijmegen, Netherlands, said: Even though muscle pain and fatigue scores were higher in symptomatic statin users at baseline, the increase in muscle symptoms after exercise was similar among the groups.

These results demonstrate that prolonged, moderate-intensity exercise is safe for statin users and can be performed by statin users to maintain a physically active lifestyle and to derive its cardiovascular health benefits.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Last August, a study by researchers at the University of Oxford suggested taking statins does not commonly cause muscle pain.

Where pain does occur, the Oxford scientists said it could either cause patients to stop taking the medication or discourage them from taking it in the first place, meaning they could miss out on the benefit of it lowering their risk of heart attack or stroke.

The study suggested the risk of muscle pain caused by statins was low and did not outweigh the benefits of taking the drugs.

It also indicated that the small increased risk of muscle symptoms was mostly observed within the first year of treatment.
Mining giant Glencore has had a 22.5 billion dollar (18.1 billion) takeover bid rejected for Canadian copper firm Teck Resources.

Shares in the London-listed firm slipped after it confirmed the hostile bid was rebuffed.

Meanwhile, US-listed shares in Teck jumped by over a tenth amid the prospect of a merger deal which could create a 95 billion commodities giant.

Glencores all-share offer was a 20% premium to Tecks closing price on March 26 when the bid was made.

However, Teck said on Monday it received and unanimously rejected the opportunistic offer and warned against a tie-up with Glencores coal and oil operations.

Today, Glencore confirmed that it submitted a proposal to the Board of Directors of Teck Resources Limited on 26 March 2023 to merge the businesses and to simultaneously demerge their combined metals and coal businesses. Read the full announcement here: https://t.co/KWlpqxxjoh  Glencore (@Glencore) April 3, 2023

The Glencore proposal would expose Teck shareholders to a large thermal coal business, an oil trading business and significant jurisdictional risk, all of which would negatively impact the value potential of Tecks business, is contrary to our ESG commitments and would transfer significant value to Glencore at the expense of Teck shareholders, said Jonathan Price, chief executive officer of Teck.

The Glencore bid also comes two months after Teck launched a proposal to carve up its business to boost value, spinning out coal operations from the firms copper and zinc operation.

Sheila Murray, chair of the board at Teck, said: The board is not contemplating a sale of the company at this time.

We believe that our planned separation creates a greater spectrum of opportunities to maximise value for Teck shareholders.

Glencore said it would create two standalone companies if a deal was struck.

It would spin out its profitable coal business, forming a CoalCo with its thermal coal assets and Tecks metallurgical coal assets.

The groups second operation would be a separate MetalCo incorporating their industrial metals divisions, as well as Glencores oil trading arm.

The commodities firm said it believes a merger deal could secure up to 5.25 billion dollars (4.2 billion) worth of synergies after tax.

The scale and quality of Glencores business, together with its uniquely complementary footprint and strategic fit with Teck, including its strong and demonstrable commitment to being a responsible and ethical operator, make Glencore the obvious partner for an all-share merger with Teck, the firm told shareholders.
The vast majority of local authorities across the UK remain male-dominated, with only a minority of councillors being women, according to a new study.

An analysis by the Fawcett Society and Democracy Club found that fewer than 5% of councils (18 of 382) have achieved at least parity of gender representation.

Just over a third of local councillors are women, and based on the current rate of change, 50:50 representation until 2051, said the report.

Fawcetts analysis showed that no council has gender parity, with London the highest at 45% women and Northern Ireland the lowest at 26%.

The proportion of women in councils in 2022 is only two percentage points higher than in a snapshot taken in 2018, it was suggested.

The highest proportion of women is found in the Labour (47%), Green (43%) and Scottish National Parties (41%), whilst the lowest proportion is found in the Conservative Party (29%), the SDLP (29%), DUP (21%) and Ulster Unionist Parties (20%), the study showed.

Fawcett Society chief executive Jemima Olchawski said: Women are significantly impacted by decisions made at the local level and are more likely to rely on the services our councils run, from social care to social housing.

Yet progress on womens representation in local government is moving at a snails pace. That such a vast majority of local councils are male-dominated diminishes public life.

Government, local authorities and political parties need to take action and record diversity data, set targets for womens representation alongside other protected characteristics, and make being a local councillor more accessible to those with caring responsibilities.

Anneliese Dodds, shadow minister for women and equalities, commented: While there is always more to do, we are proud to be well ahead of the other parties in terms of womens representation in Parliament and on local councils.

Unfortunately this research provides yet more evidence of the Tories women problem. The Conservatives have spent 13 years driving womens living standards down and NHS gynaecological waiting lists up, while failing to deal with the epidemic of violence against women and girls.
Shares in Londons biggest oil companies spiked on Monday morning after a weekend decision from some of the worlds biggest oil-producing countries to slash output.

Shell and BP saw their share prices rise by more than 4% each following a jump in the price of oil, which lifted off recent lows.

Opec+, a cartel of oil-producing countries, said over the weekend that it planned to slash production in a surprise move which impacted global markets.

Opec members normally only announce such changes after holding a formal meeting. They did not meet this weekend.

Oil prices shot up as a result, peaking at around 86 dollars for a barrel of Brent crude. They later pared back some of those gains and were trading at around 84 dollars on Monday morning.

The move meant that Brent was trading around 10 dollars higher than its mid-March lows. Worries about the global economy had pushed the price to its lowest since the start of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Day-to-day moves in oil prices have little direct impact on customers at the pumps.

But if higher prices persist it is likely to leave people paying more than they otherwise would for their petrol, and likely for other products too as oil is vital in most sectors.

Turmoil in the banking sector sent oil prices to a 15-month low last month, prompting the cartel to step in to prop up the market. However, since the mid-March low below 73 dollars a barrel, Brent crude has been regaining ground, and is now back above 84 dollars, said Victoria Scholar, head of investment, interactive investor.

Day-to-day moves in oil prices have little direct impact on customers at the pumps (PA)

In October last year Opec+ agreed to cut oil output by two million barrels per day.

But the United States has been opposed to output reductions, given the pressure from high oil prices last year on consumers and businesses.

While Opec+ has intervened to limit supply and support prices, the demand outlook remains uncertain.

On the one hand, the opening up of Chinas economy is releasing a wave of pent-up demand.

However, that tailwind is likely to be tempered by weaker demand outside China as the global economy cools. Plus, demand could also soften if there are further fears of contagion from the banking sector volatility.
Industrial action in different sectors will continue to cause disruption across the UK in the coming weeks.

Some planned walkouts have been suspended so union members can vote on fresh pay offers, while teachers have rejected a deal.

Here is a round-up, sector by sector, of some of the strikes that are happening, are scheduled to take place, or that have been averted.

(PA Graphics)

 Education

Schools in England face further walkouts this spring after members of the largest education union in the UK snubbed a Government pay offer.

Some 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to reject the deal.

The NEU had urged its members to reject the offer and now plans to hold two further days of teacher strikes on April 27 and May 2.

The Government had offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24), and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested they could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the deal.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Governments offer.

It comes after many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.

 Health

Junior doctors in England are to stage a fresh round of strikes after talks with the Government failed to resolve a bitter row over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said a 96-hour walkout will take place for shifts starting between 6.59am on Tuesday April 11 and 6.59am on Saturday April 15.

Junior doctors in the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) will strike on the same days.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the BMA placed an unreasonable pre-condition on talks of a 35% pay rise but the union denied this was the case.

BMA members who are junior doctors in Scotland will receive a ballot on Wednesday asking them if they support walkouts as part of their campaign for a pay rise.

Voting will close on May 5, and if strikes are backed the doctors will begin their action with a 72-hour full walkout on weekdays.

Less then two weeks left to vote in our pay consultation  here's what you need to do: 1. Make sure you've read the offer in full2. Vote using the link below3. Tell your colleagues to do the same Your strength is your numbers.  https://t.co/rFj8PUKx2m pic.twitter.com/COSkzLIfXJ  The RCN (@theRCN) April 3, 2023

It comes as up to 280,000 Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England are set to vote on whether to accept the Governments NHS pay offer.

Members will have until 9am on April 14 to cast their vote on the offer which the RCN Council has recommended should be accepted.

The proposed deal  which involves two one-off payments for the current financial year  affects each worker differently, depending on which pay band and pay point they are on.

The combined payments are worth between 1,655 and 3,789 dependent on salary band and are additional to increases already made this financial year.

These are referred to as non-consolidated amounts as they do not count towards members pensions and are not added to their future pay packet.

There will be a permanent 5% pay rise on all pay points for 2023-24.

The RCN vote comes after six days of strikes since December in the long-running dispute over pay.

 Civil Service

Members of the PCS union on the picket line outside the Passport Office in Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA)

On Monday April 3 Passport Office workers began a five-week strike as part of a Civil Service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites were walking out, with picket lines outside offices in Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Southport, Peterborough, London, Belfast, and Newport in Wales.

The union is stepping up strikes, with a nationwide walkout of more than 130,000 civil servants planned on April 28.

 Airport security

Heathrow security guards are currently on a 10-day strike over pay which may cause flight disruptions over the Easter weekend.

Some 1,400 members of Unite began their action on Friday March 31 after talks broke down the previous evening.

Members have set up picket lines outside the airport.

The airports chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said last week: Heathrow is operating as normal. If youre travelling over the Easter period, dont worry, youll have a good journey.

Ten days of strikes involving over 1,400 security officers at @HeathrowAirport began today as last-ditch talks failed to resolve the current pay dispute. MarkThomasPhotoshttps://t.co/gnSOrRq5HO pic.twitter.com/LHDzymXfT2  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) March 31, 2023

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Heathrow can afford to pay a decent pay rise to its workers.

Heathrow executives seem to think its acceptable to offer what amounts to a real-terms pay cut to its security guards and ground staff who are already on poverty pay.

The strike ends at 23.59pm on Easter Sunday, April 10.

 Transport

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union suspended strikes which were scheduled to take place on March 30 and April 1 to engage in further talks with the Rail Delivery Group.

The move follows further discussions between the union and the organisation in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The union has already resolved its row with Network Rail in a similar dispute.

On March 20, the RMT announced that its members in Network Rail had voted to accept an offer to end the row over pay, jobs and conditions.

In a turnout of nearly 90%, members voted by 76% to 24% in favour, signalling an end to the row which led to a series of strikes in recent months.

The union said the deal includes an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid, increased back pay, a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 2025, and rail travel benefits.

 Amazon

The GMB union has said more than 500 of its members at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry will strike for three days from April 16 and again from April 21-23 in an escalation of a dispute over pay.

The six days of action follow a series of stoppages earlier this year.

NEW  | Amazon workers are voting on strike action at more sites   Mansfield in Nottinghamshire Coalville in Leicestershire Kegworth in Leicestershire Rugeley in Staffordshire Rugby in Warwickshire  GMB Union (@GMB_union) April 2, 2023

The GMB has also said it will be balloting its members at five more Amazon sites across the Midlands for strikes over a 50p pay rise enforced by Amazon management.

The online giant has said the minimum starting pay for its employees will increase to between 11 and 12 an hour depending on location.

 BBC

BBC journalists in England are to stage a 24-hour strike from midnight on May 5 to coincide with the reporting of local election results, in a dispute over cuts to local radio.

It will be the second walkout by members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) after a strike on Budget Day.

The union says BBC management wants local radio stations to share programmes across the network from 2pm on weekdays and at weekends, going from more than 100 hours of local programming on every radio station every week down to 40.

A BBC spokesman said: We have a plan to modernise local services across England  including more news journalists and a stronger local online service  which will see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding.
Nearly 15,000 childrens operations were cancelled last year, in part due to a lack of staff and beds, analysis suggests.

Data gathered under freedom of information laws by the Liberal Democrats shows 14,628 operations were cancelled in 2022, up from 11,870 the year before and the highest figure for the last five years.

Some 77 NHS hospital trusts in England provided the data, which showed that 59,566 operations have been cancelled since 2018.

Almost 4,000 cancellations last year were due to a lack of beds, a 59% rise on the previous year.

Some 2,894 childrens operations were cancelled due to a lack of staff, up 52% on the year before.

Meanwhile, 446 were cancelled due to equipment problems, and 1,100 were axed due to a lack of theatre time on the day or because lists were overbooked.

The data suggests long waits for an op included a child at Ipswich and Colchester Hospitals, who was waiting one year and 62 days for a paediatrics procedure, according to the trust.

Sir Ed Davey (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Other long waits for individual child patients were at Leicester General (1,083 days) and Hull University Teaching Hospitals (1,008 days), according to the FOI data.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: The shocking scale of cancelled childrens operations is a badge of shame for this Conservative Government.

Behind these figures are countless children and parents having to wait in pain and distress.

Years of neglect by this Government have led to chronic staff shortages and a lack of hospital beds, with communities across the country paying the price.

The local elections in May are a chance to send this out-of-touch Conservative Government a message that enough is enough.

We need a rescue plan now to bring local health services back from the brink.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive at NHS Providers, said: Trust leaders are acutely aware that far too many children are waiting far too long for the care they need because of significant shortages of beds, staff and equipment.

Were seeing severe pressures on childrens services right across the health and care system.

Mental health referrals, including for children and young people, are at an all-time high with long waits also being seen for speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and other key community services including those for neurological needs such as autism and ADHD.

Its really important that children and young people receive timely treatment given their developmental needs but also to prevent more care being required further down the line.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: Cutting waiting lists is one of the Prime Ministers five priorities.

The NHS has already virtually eliminated waits of more than two years for treatment, while 18-month waits have been cut by over 80% since the peak in September 2021.

We have also opened 94 new community diagnostic centres which have delivered over 3.5 million tests, checks and scans, since July 2021  supporting patients to be diagnosed and access treatment more quickly.

At the same time, were growing the healthcare workforce  were on track to deliver 50,000 more nurses into the NHS by next year and we have almost hit our target of delivering 26,000 additional primary care staff.

The NHS will publish a long-term workforce plan shortly to support and grow the workforce.
The Prime Minister has pledged that political correctness will not get in the way of a crackdown on grooming gangs, as ministers promised tougher sentences and new support for local forces to protect children from abuse.

Rishi Sunak will travel to northern England on Monday to announce a new set of measures the Government says will protect young women and girls from sexual abuse, which will also see ethnicity data used to support police investigations.

Part of the plan will see specialist officers assist local police forces to solve child sexual exploitation investigations as part of a new grooming gangs taskforce, as Mr Sunak warned that for too long political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women.

He vowed: We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs.

The new taskforce, the Government said, would be led by police and supported by the National Crime Agency, with membership made up of officers with extensive experience of undertaking investigations into grooming gangs.

The plan will also see ethnicity data used to assist the police in investigating grooming gangs, something ministers will argue is necessary to ensure cultural sensitivities are not used to prevent criminals being caught.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Sunday singled out British Pakistani men over concerns about grooming gangs as she accused authorities of turning a blind eye to signs of abuse over fears of being labelled racist or bigoted.

Ms Braverman, who alluded to high-profile cases including in Rotherham and Rochdale that involved groups of men of mainly Pakistani ethnicity, pointed to a predominance of certain ethnic groups  and I say British Pakistani males  who hold cultural values totally at odds with British values, who see women in a demeaned and illegitimate way and pursue an outdated and frankly heinous approach in terms of the way they behave.

Previous Home Office-commissioned research found most group child sex offenders are men under the age of 30 and the majority are white, while adding there is not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs are more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities.

Her language was criticised by some campaigners, while the NSPCC emphasised that an excessive focus on race could create new blind spots.

It came as Ms Braverman announced plans for a consultation on introducing a mandatory duty on professionals working with children to report concerns about sexual abuse.

Mr Sunak, who will be in Leeds and Greater Manchester, will also say that grooming gang members and leaders will receive the toughest sentences possible, with the introduction of new legislation that would make membership an aggravated factor in sentencing.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: Grooming gangs are a scourge on our society and I want to send a clear message to anyone who exploits vulnerable children that they will face the full weight of the law.

This builds on the extensive action this Government has already taken to introduce tougher sentencing, and the reforms introduced last week in the Victims and Prisoners Bill to keep the most dangerous offenders behind bars, while making sure victims get the support they need at all times.

The announcements come after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse last year described sexual abuse of children as an epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake.

The seven-year inquiry into institutional failings in England and Wales concluded that people in positions of trust should be compelled by law to report child sexual abuse.

Professor Alexis Jay, who chaired the inquiry, welcomed the announcements.

She said: The commitment to mandatory reporting is very encouraging, and I look forward to working with the Government to ensure that the full package of the inquirys recommendations in its final report is taken forward to better protect children from sexual abuse in the future.

Labour said it had long called for mandatory reporting, labelling the Government response hopelessly inadequate.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: Ministers have known about the role of organised gangs in child exploitation for years  yet when Labour called for mandatory reporting and expanded police specialist teams nearly a decade ago, they failed to act and have dragged their heels ever since.

Only 11% of child sexual abuse cases ends with a charge  down from 32% seven years ago, and the court delays have got far worse with victims waiting years for justice.

Short term headlines arent enough. We need a comprehensive plan that listens to survivors and victims and properly tackles child exploitation and abuse, including online, to keep children safe.

Sir Peter Wanless, the NSPCC chief executive, welcomed the Governments focus on the issue but said that measures must be backed up with funding for services to help child victims recover and support for a justice system that is struggling to cope.

He added: Its also vital we remember that any child can be a victim of child sexual exploitation and adult perpetrators do not just come from one background.

Sexual predators will target the most vulnerable and accessible children in society and there must be a focus on more than just race so we do not create new blind spots that prevent victims from being identified.

Better data collection by law enforcement as part of the package of measures announced today would help ensure all those working to protect children have a clearer, evidence-based understanding of child sexual abuse and exploitation so it can be tackled more effectively.

Childrens Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza also welcomed the plans, but urged the Government to extend this same focus to children arriving in the UK who often face similar dangers.
Secretary of State of the U.S. Antony Blinken calls for the release of an American journalist arrested in Russia over espionage charges

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov refused to release Evan Gershkovich

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) claims that the individual targeted a company in its military-industrial complex

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Russia to release the American journalist arrested and detained under suspicion of spying, a demand that Moscow has refused.

Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, declined the American government's plea to release Evan Gershkovich in a rare phone call. He argued that US officials and media outlets should not "make a fuss" or attempt to politicize the situation of the journalist.

Russia Refuses To Release US Journalist

In a statement, Blinken said that the individual's arrest regarding espionage charges was simply unacceptable. Based on the US official readout of the call, he also insisted that Gershkovich be given "immediate release" by Russian officials.

The 31-year-old was first detained on Wednesday by Russian authorities in the Urals city of Ekaterinburg and faced allegations of collecting "classified information." The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) argued that he targeted a company in its military-industrial complex, as per The Guardian.

The Wall Street Journal, which Gerskovich works for, said it "vehemently denies the allegations" of the Russian government. It added that it would campaign for the release of the journalist. On the other hand, experts said that Russia could simply use the individual as a hostage as a bargaining chip amid rising global tensions.

But Lavrov told Blinken that Gerskovich was caught red-handed trying to acquire classified information. The Russian foreign minister also claimed that the reporter was attempting to collect state secrets under the guise of being a journalist.

The Russian side provided no further evidence regarding its claims over Gershkovic's arrest and alleged espionage. However, Lavrov warned the American government against increasing campaigning for the individual's release, saying that they should allow Russia's judicial process to play out.

Read Also: Joe Biden Calls for Release of US Journalist Arrested in Russia

Politicizing the Situation

The Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that Blinken's focus was drawn to the need to respect the decision of Moscow. It added that it was "unacceptable" for Washington officials to cause a stir and give the situation political meaning, according to ABC.net.

Before being detained in Russia, Gershkovich was considered someone who reported stories that "needed to be told." One of his friends from college, Nora Biette-Timmons, said that the journalist had no hesitation and was ready to try something completely new.

Many top editors and press freedom organizations worldwide have written letters to the Russian ambassador calling for the journalist's release. They argued that the detainment was "unwarranted and unjust" and called it a significant escalation attempt by Moscow's government in its anti-press actions.

The letters also claimed that Russia was sending a message that journalism within its borders would be criminalized and that foreign correspondents seeking to report from within the territory are not given the benefits of the rule of law, said the New York Times.

Related Article: North Korea Shows High Activity in Nuclear Facility

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A rape victim who was trafficked across the country has accused the Home Secretary of overseeing a system that routinely let vulnerable people down, according to a letter shared by the shadow safeguarding minister.

Following the Governments announcement of plans to tackle grooming gangs, Labour MP Jess Phillips said the person had waited 562 days for the Home Office to recognise she was a victim and was still not offered safe accommodation.

According to a letter shared by Ms Phillips on Twitter, the victim outlined in horrific detail how she was exploited from the age of 13 and sold from one gang to another who would laugh at how they continued getting away with what they were doing.

She accused Suella Braverman of offering statements that were easy to make while overseeing a system that had failed to protect victims of sexual exploitation.

 I have been given permission from a victim of sexual exploitation to share parts of her letter to the Home Secretary. She waited 562 days for the Home Office to agree she was a victim and was offered no safe accommodation in the meantime or after. pic.twitter.com/d7uzutPLEv  Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 3, 2023

The victim questioned how the measures announced by the Government on Monday, such as mandatory reporting of child abuse, would work within the context of a system with so many flaws.

Detailing her own experience, she said she was denied a place in a safe house because she was a British citizen and was forced to return to other accommodation before being assaulted again.

Extracts of the letter shared by Ms Phillips read: Dear Suella Braverman, Following on from your statement on the 2nd of April 2023, I am writing this letter as a victim who has been let down by countless professionals and services but worryingly the Home Office itself.

I will begin by providing a summary of my experiences. I was groomed at the age of 13 and this then led on to me experiencing sexual and criminal exploitation for over a decade, whereby I was trafficked all-round the country and sold from one gang to another. There were countless times where I was gang-raped, injected with heroin and left black and blue.

I was exposed to serious and organised crime and my perpetrators would laugh at how they continued getting away with what they were doing to me and so many other girls. I did not see any of my family for years and my childhood and early adulthood was stolen away from me. Whilst I acknowledge your statement that you vow to stamp out child grooming gangs, that is a very easy statement to make.

Victims of this crime all around the country have heard it all before. Although youve announced new measures to tackle the issue, it makes me question how is this achievable when there are so many flaws in the systems already in place, such as The National Referral Mechanism (NRM)?

The victim had to wait more than a year to get a conclusive grounds decision  a decision by an authority as to whether a person is a victim of slavery or human trafficking  and continued to be exploited during that time, according to the extracts shared by Ms Phillips.

The letter went on: Nearly a year ago I was sitting in a hotel paid for by the police after Id been physically and sexually assaulted.

Oh I'll be asking for a meeting with the Home Secretary and her with me. https://t.co/DUbeFNppN1  Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) April 3, 2023

My accommodation was not safe and I had requested a safe house. After a lot of back and forth I was eventually told by someone from The Salvation Army, the Home Office contactor for NRM services, that a safe house was not an option as I was a British national and that there were no other appropriate housing options.

I had to return to unsafe accommodation to then be raped and physically assaulted again. As you have overseen a system that has routinely let vulnerable people down I would like to know what action has or is going to be taken to improve?

The victim also touched on the difficulties faced when accessing mental health support and legal challenges before ending by asking Ms Braverman to reflect on an example of someone who has experienced the failures of the Home Office.

Ms Phillips warned that the Governments intervention on Monday would be nothing but noise without wider measures to improve the system for identifying and referring victims of trafficking.

She said she would be asking Ms Braverman for a meeting regarding the letter.

The Home Office did not comment on the victims case but a spokesperson said: Modern slavery is a barbaric crime and we remain committed to stamping it out. We provide support to thousands of victims each year.

This includes safehouse accommodation, where needed, upon referral into the NRM. However, it is clear some elements of our modern slavery system need reform to allow the UK to effectively focus its efforts and resources.

This is why we are introducing new measures. We have updated our guidance for case workers, so it is clear that when reviewing a referral, there should be objective evidence of modern slavery. This will speed up decision making by stopping abuse and making sure genuine victims get the support they need.

A Salvation Army spokesperson said: The details of this young womans exploitation are a stark reminder that UK citizens are also at risk of being trapped in modern slavery. Sadly, we see many women every year who have endured years of sexual exploitation and violence enter our services in very vulnerable states and with complex needs.

Its important to stress that when victims of modern slavery are referred to us, we see the person and their need first and foremost. We can categorically state that we never make service allocation decisions based on a persons nationality.

Sadly, survivors of modern slavery, including British people, are having to join long queues, along with all other vulnerable adults, when it comes to important entitlements like housing and mental health support.

We do not have the specifics of this case, but often leaving an area can complicate or delay access to these services, but staff will advocate for them throughout these processes.
Conservative former chancellor Nigel Lawson was an inspiration to Tory politicians, Rishi Sunak has said.

The Prime Minister said he hung a picture of Lord Lawson above his desk when he became chancellor, while Boris Johnson called the party grandee a giant.

Tributes flooded in for the leading Brexiteer who served in Margaret Thatchers government and sat in the House of Lords until his retirement in December, after his reported death on Monday.

Rishi Sunak was among those paying tribute (Phil Noble/PA)

Mr Sunak said on Twitter: One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk.

He was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk. He was a transformational Chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. pic.twitter.com/SPwcnoUFnQ  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) April 3, 2023

Mr Johnson said: Nigel Lawson was a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism. He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams.

He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tweeted: Nigel Lawson was a rarity amongst politicians, someone who transformed our thinking as well as transforming our economy.

Since he stepped down as Chancellor his shoes have been impossible to fill but he inspired all his successors, leaving the country more prosperous & enterprising.

He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 3, 2023

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly labelled him a true statesman, while Sajid Javid paid tribute to one of Britains greatest public servants.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab tweeted: Saddened to learn of the passing of Nigel Lawson.

He was a giant who changed the political weather, a lodestar for Conservatives, and a kind man always generous with his wisdom.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Tory party chairman Greg Hands wrote: Am sad to learn of the passing of Nigel Lawson.

Am sad to learn of the passing of Nigel Lawson. He was active in @Conservatives politics until very recently, and will be remembered for his clarity of thinking, commitment to free market economics & willingness to challenge orthodoxies. Rest in peace, Nigel. https://t.co/MAu9eQ8ZN4  Greg Hands (@GregHands) April 3, 2023

He was active in @Conservatives politics until very recently, and will be remembered for his clarity of thinking, commitment to free market economics & willingness to challenge orthodoxies.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel posted: Nigel was giant of British politics and a strong champion of free market Conservative values.

A generation of families and businesses have benefited from the economic freedoms he delivered for our country. He will be greatly missed and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick tweeted: Im saddened to hear of the death of Nigel Lawson.

A man of exceptional ability, an architect of the Thatcher revolution, he helped rescue Britain from socialism and build a dynamic, enterprise economy. A true Conservative hero.
Schools in England face fresh strikes this spring after members of the largest education union in the UK rejected the Governments pay offer.

An overwhelming 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to turn down the deal.

The NEU, which had urged its members to reject the insulting offer, plans to hold two further days of teacher strikes on April 27 and May 2.

The result of the ballot was announced at the start of the NEUs annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Monday morning.

After a period of intensive talks with unions, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24).

Many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.

Last week, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested that teachers could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the offer.

Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: This resounding rejection of the Governments offer should leave Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

The offer shows an astounding lack of judgment and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.

We have today written to the Education Secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on April 27 and May 2 that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.

These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Governments offer.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said last week that industrial action by school leaders will be necessary if NAHT members decide to reject the Governments inadequate pay offer.

In January, a ballot of NAHT members failed to meet the mandatory 50% turnout threshold required for strike action.

But the NAHT has said it could move to a second formal industrial action ballot if its members turn down the Governments pay offer.
Schools in England could face strikes into the autumn term after members of the largest education union in the UK overwhelmingly rejected the Governments pay offer.

Teachers in England will strike on April 27 and May 2 after 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to turn down the deal.

Schools could face further teacher walkouts in the summer term and into the next school year amid the ongoing dispute over pay, NEU bosses have warned.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the teaching unions rejection of the offer will result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers, adding that it is extremely disappointing.

Teachers waved flags, stood and applauded, and shouted Come on, Gill, pay the bill when the result of the ballot was announced at the NEUs annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Monday.

Overall, 195,564 NEU teacher members voted on the pay offer  a turnout of 66%  and of those, 191,319 (98%) voted to reject the deal.

After a period of intensive talks with unions, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24).

Downing Street said the Government has no plans to make an improved offer after the existing one was rejected.

An urgent motion on teachers pay, due to be debated at the conference on Tuesday, calls on the NEU executive to use the exam period from May 15 to begin a re-ballot of teacher members in England.

If successful, the ballot could lead to a programme of action in the autumn term, as well as a national demonstration in Manchester during the Conservative Party Conference in October.

The motion calls on the union to timetable a three-day strike in late June/early July, which would be confirmed by the executive in mid-May.

Speaking to the media at the conference on Monday, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: If I was the Government, I would be very worried about our capacity to carry on the campaign.

I think the ballot result we have announced today proves that we can win a re-ballot. I think they would think that we wouldnt win a re-ballot. We will.

We will win a re-ballot and that will take us into next year and into their election year.

Asked whether the NEU could rule out strikes up until Christmas, Mr Courtney added: We are not ruling anything out. The motion will make decisions and the debate at the conference will make decisions. But in the motion it talks about taking action in the autumn term.

On the possibility of further strikes in the summer term, Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: If (conference) did decide to do strikes during exams  but I think its unlikely  then we would grant exemptions. It means that Year 11, Year 13, Year 6 go on with education.

On the forthcoming strike days, April 27 and May 2, the NEU is asking school reps to plan with headteachers to ensure that Year 11 and Year 13 students taking exams have a full programme of education.

Dr Bousted told Sky News: We want them in school preparing for their exams and we will make local arrangements to make sure that happens. It will not disrupt the exam work because that is the last thing we want to do.

Many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.

On the NEUs rejection of the Governments pay offer, Ms Keegan said: After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

She added: The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets.

The NEUs decision to reject it will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today. Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body, which will recommend pay rises for next year.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the NEUs decision to push ahead with strikes as extremely disappointing (Phil Noble/PA)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on whether the offer of a one-off payment of 1,000 teachers would be revoked following the NEUs decision to push forward with strikes.

Asked by broadcasters during a visit to Rochdale whether the payment would go ahead, he said: Weve made a very reasonable pay offer worth around 8% on average for teachers, worth up to 13% for new teachers combined with reductions on workload, and for the NEU teaching union to be striking in the face of that and impacting childrens education, particularly in the run-up to the exams, is extremely disappointing.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged teaching unions and the Government to get around the negotiating table to resolve the dispute.

He told LBC: I am disappointed because I want to see this resolved. Obviously it is back around the negotiating table now but I would urge both sides to compromise and to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.

He added: Obviously I support their right to take industrial action  it is very important I say that  but I will be clear: I dont want to see industrial action and that is why I want the Government around the table resolving this.

It is possible to resolve these disputes, and the sooner the Government gets on with that the better.

(PA Graphics)

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Governments offer.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said last week that industrial action by school leaders will be necessary if NAHT members decide to reject the Governments inadequate pay offer.

The NAHT has said it could move to a second formal industrial action ballot if its members turn down the Governments pay offer.

On Monday, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced plans to ballot NHS consultants in England for strike action from May 15 if the Government does not meet its demands over pay.

Passport Office workers have begun a five-week strike in a dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions as a union warned it could cause delays for those looking to renew their passports.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row.
Irelands Justice Minister has said it would be unhelpful if Garda sergeants and inspectors protested next week when the US president is due to visit.

Joe Biden is due to visit locations across the island of Ireland as part of commemorations for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Bidens Irish ancestry is also expected to feature as part of the much-anticipated trip, which will involve 330 additional officers being flown in from the rest of the UK to aid the PSNI in a massive security operation.

Members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) are due to vote at a conference on Tuesday on whether to hold a protest next week as part of a dispute with the Garda Commissioner over rosters.

Joe Biden (Niall Carson/PA)

It relates to moving gardai to a new roster during the Covid-19 pandemic, which the AGSI says has led to additional hours that are not family friendly.

Justice Minister Simon Harris addressed the conference in Galway on Monday, praising the Gardas work during the pandemic and calling the force a world leader in seizing criminals assets.

On the new rostering arrangements, he strongly encouraged engagement with the conciliation processes such as the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

The commission offers a route to ensuring that whatever roster is in place supports the health and well-being of members of An Garda Siochana as well as first and foremost serving the public, especially the most vulnerable in society, he said.

My sincere hope is that Commissioner (Drew) Harriss decision to extend the contingency roster by a further six months provides time and space for all parties to engage with the WRC process.

He told reporters ahead of his speech that its not really for me to intervene in the dispute.

Im very clear of the legal difference of my role and that of the Garda commissioner, he said.

Im also very clear that organisations like the AGSI and others campaign very intensively to have access to the industrial relations mechanisms of the state and quite rightly they now have that, the Government quite rightly conceded that point.

Asked if they should protest next week during the presidential visit, he said: Im conscious that its for them to decide what action they may wish to take or not take, but I certainly hope it doesnt come to that. And I think that would be unhelpful.

Mr Harris also used the speech to the AGSI to praise the participation of women in the force, said that more members of Irelands new communities were needed, and that assaults on gardai must not become an accepted risk of your job.

He said the Justice Plan 2023, due to be published this week, will ask that a forum be established under the Department of Justice to review Garda powers in relation to public order and anti-social behaviour.

He said that the Garda commissioner is also reviewing the equipment available to defend yourselves to which Mr Harris gave his full support.

Just because you have chosen to dedicate yourselves to the safety of others, nobody has the right to assault you, threaten you or ram your vehicle, he said.

The public revulsion whenever your members are attacked shows the Irish people do not accept and will not accept attacks on gardai.

I am bringing forward legislation to increase the maximum sentence for assaults on members of An Garda Siochana and other emergency service workers to 12 years.

I want to change the law in order to send a very clear message  attacks on members of An Garda Siochana will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with robustly.
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern regards lingering instability of Northern Irelands political institutions as one of his biggest regrets from the Good Friday Agreement talks.

The negotiations were difficult and also brought personal hardship for Mr Ahern with the death of his mother.

As the political leader of the Republic of Ireland at the time, he was instrumental in the multi-party process aimed at ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

One of the measures agreed was the establishment of a devolved government for Northern Ireland based on a system of powersharing between nationalists and unionists.

However, the new institutions created under the agreement have collapsed several times, most recently when the Democratic Unionist Party exercised a veto and brought down devolution in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Speaking to PA as part of a series of interviews to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Ahern said the ability to collapse the institutions is an undemocratic issue that should not be possible and shouldnt have happened.

Its in the interests of everyone that there shouldnt be a mechanism where you pull down a whole parliament, he said.

He said there was a need for sustainability and called for a review into the temperamental institutions by next year.

Mr Ahern added that the divided society in Northern Ireland is going to need tender love and care for a long time.

Reflecting on other regrets, Mr Ahern said the agreements failure to deliver swifter decommissioning of paramilitary weapons was an issue that stood out to him.

Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern signing the Good Friday peace agreement in 1998 (PA)

We should have done a tidier job on that because it went on for five years and caused endless problems, he said.

He said it caused a lot of friction and was likely the cause of a key negotiator in the talks, then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, losing his seat as an MP in 2005.

He also said more should have been done on legacy issues of the Troubles, which he said have lingered on.

Not enough attention I think was given to it, he said, recalling a recent meeting with the Wave victims group.

Asked about what he was most proud of, Mr Ahern said the agreed changes to the Irish constitution worked well.

The Irish public voted to amend its constitution to remove an explicit territorial claim over Northern Ireland, but maintained an aim to unite the two jurisdictions under democratic consent.

He also pointed to the demilitarisation and reduction of British armed forces personnel in Northern Ireland as providing people with a sense of freedom again.

Bertie Ahern recalling his role in the Good Friday Agreement talks (Niall Carson/PA)

The police service in Northern Ireland was also reformed with the aim of ensuring more representation for the whole community, something Mr Ahern described as a really huge success.

Reflecting on his role in the negotiations, Mr Ahern said he began planning with Sir Tony Blair while they were both leaders of the opposition in 1995, allowing them to move very quickly in 1997 when they were elected leaders of the Irish and British governments.

He said their priority was to stop the violence and bring an end to this mayhem of thousands being killed by fostering trust, confidence and a sense of humanity among the multi-party participants of the talks who at times would not speak to each other.

However, Mr Ahern acknowledged that bringing republican paramilitary-linked Sinn Fein into the process drove others out, in what could have been a killer moment.

He described the DUPs decision to leave the talks after Sinn Fein joined as a big disappointment but thanked Mr Trimble for remaining in the negotiations as a unionist representative.

Then prime minister Tony Blair with Mr Ahern at Downing Street (PA)

That was a huge moment. That got the talks process going, he said.

He said beyond ending violence, there was an endless list of big items to be negotiated.

Progress was frustrating slow, with flashes of violence leading to the temporary removal of Sinn Fein and the loyalist paramilitary-linked Ulster Democratic Party from the process.

It became March before we could really get down to how we are going to crack all these nuts, he said.

But suddenly, US Senator George Mitchell, who had chaired the multi-party talks, sought an April resolution leaving just weeks to conclude negotiations.

It was a bit of a shock to everybody but in hindsight it was probably a good thing, said Mr Ahern.

The final week of negotiations brought many challenges, including the death of Mr Aherns mother Julia following a heart attack.

He recalled going back and forth between meetings with many leaders and intensive care.

I remember going to mass on Gardiner Street church and had to go straight back into the Dail to get on with the meetings, and with Clinton, and then back to the morgue and the removal, he said.

He said there was no alternative: I couldnt opt out, that never arose.

Bertie Ahern (back centre) helps carry the coffin of his mother from the Church of St Vincent de Paul (PA)

Mr Ahern said one difficulty was when negotiations over proposed new joint North-South institutions got into a crisis situation.

He said it nearly brought down the whole thing.

He said Mr Mitchell and his officials told him that unionists would walk out of the talks if he didnt get up and deal with them.

So I had to go up on Wednesday morning, early, and meet Tony Blair first and then meet David Trimble to give assurances, and then meet Sinn Fein and the SDLP so they knew where we were at, he said.

He then had to return for his mothers funeral at 4pm, before heading back to negotiations afterwards.

It was a tough time but I was central to the talks, so there wasnt an alternative, he said.

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern passing between portraits of former deputy first minister Martin McGuiness (left) and former first minister Ian Paisley (right) at Stormont (PA)

Finally, with an agreement reached, parties went campaigning for referenda in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Ahern said the campaign south of the border drew extraordinary support.

More than 70% of voters in Northern Ireland and 90% of voters in the Republic of Ireland backed the agreement and changes to the constitution.

It was a fabulous result, he said.

Overall, the former Irish premier said he believed the agreement was brought to a good conclusion.

It means the Good Friday Agreement is the will of the people and cant be changed, he said.

Those who say theyre opposed to it, well, they need to put forward their own proposals and get it voted for.

Until then, the Good Friday Agreement is the gospel.
Rishi Sunak did not repeat Suella Bravermans focus on British-Asian grooming gangs as he promised victims of child sexual exploitation will no longer be ignored due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness.

Downing Street sought to emphasise that an evidence-based approach will be taken to tackle all aspects of the issue when challenged over the Home Secretarys comments singling out British Pakistani men despite research finding no clear link between gang members and ethnicity.

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary were in northern England on Monday to announce a new set of measures, including a new police taskforce of specialist officers, tougher sentences, a consultation on mandatory reporting for adults working with children, and the collection of ethnicity data to assist police probes.

Mr Sunak vowed to stamp out this evil as he met senior police officers, local authorities and others working on child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, where a grooming scandal was uncovered in a high-profile case in 2012.

The announcements came as the Prime Minister was attempting to portray his party as tough on crime just over a month before the May local elections.

Asked if the focus on British-Asian grooming gangs was appropriate, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: All forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific and wrong, but with the specific issue of grooming gangs we have had several independent inquiries look at the incidents here in Rochdale, but in Rotherham and Telford.

What is clear is that when victims and other whistleblowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police.

The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness. That is not right.

He said the new measures would make a big difference in helping us root out the evil perpetrated by grooming gangs.

Were cracking down on grooming gangs by: Launching a new police Taskforce of specialist officers to tackle child abuseIntroducing mandatory reporting for adults working with children Bringing in tough sentences for gang membersCollecting ethnicity data of suspects  UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 3, 2023

Ms Braverman drew criticism for repeatedly alluding to cases including in Rotherham and Rochdale that involved groups of men of mainly Pakistani ethnicity during media appearances on Sunday.

She pointed to a predominance of certain ethnic groups  and I say British Pakistani males  who hold cultural values totally at odds with British values, who see women in a demeaned and illegitimate way and pursue an outdated and frankly heinous approach in terms of the way they behave.

Her language was criticised by some campaigners, with the NSPCC emphasising that only considering race could create new blind spots.

Following accusations of dog whistle politics, Ms Braverman on Monday insisted its not racist to tell the truth about grooming gangs.

The Home Secretary told GB News: Its important not to demonise a whole community and the vast majority of British Pakistanis are law-abiding and straightforward people, but it is also clear to say that in these towns  there have been cultural trends in the practices that weve seen and authorities and professionals have turned a blind eye out of fear of being called racist.

No 10 defended her remarks but stressed a lack of evidence linking child exploitation and ethnicity.

Mr Sunaks spokesman told reporters: What she said was that some of these gangs were largely made up of British Pakistani men. I believe that is factually accurate.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman singled out British Pakistani men in concerns over grooming gangs (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)

He said the previous Home Office-commissioned report had found its not possible to conclude, essentially make conclusions about characteristics because of the lack of data.

So what we want to do is take an evidence-based approach, use the data that has been gathered since April 2022 more effectively to help support the police in their task.

The 2020 research found most group child sex offenders are men under the age of 30 and the majority are white, while adding there is not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs are more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities.

Pressed over concerns that an overfocus on race could lead to an inadequate response to grooming gangs, the official said: The Prime Ministers view is that we should not shy away from calling out any issues wherever they occur. But this data will help inform that approach.

Sir Keir Starmer agreed that ethnicity is not a reason not to come down hard, but noted that the Government needs to recognise that thats a small proportion of the cases were dealing with.

Speaking during a visit to Hartlepool, the Labour leader said: Theres been a frustration here with the Government because for a decade weve been calling for stronger measures, things like mandatory reporting, and the Governments turned a blind eye.
Many parents worry about what their kids are getting up to during spring break. Experts share how to help keep them safe. (Photo: Getty Images)

Christina Ramirez has fond memories of spring break and summer trips with friends when she was in high school and college. But now that she has two teenage sons, the New Mexico-based mom goes back and forth on whether she would let her kids head off on an unchaperoned vacation. She remembers the questionable moments from her own getaways, but realizes there are better ways to keep in contact these days.

I would probably say yes, but there would be lots of boundaries, Ramirez, 50, says. It depends what friends they are going with and where they are staying." She wavers. "Well, I dont know. I would let my 17-year-old go, but I dont know about my 15-year-old. If they came to me with a plan I would say yes. I would probably say yes.

With spring break getting underway for many high school and college students across the country, parents like Ramirez are finding themselves in similar situations. Do they let their child go on that trip? If they do, how do they then prepare them to stay safe so that Mom and Dad dont worry the entire time?

Courtney Conley, a Maryland-based therapist and wellness expert who specializes in helping youths, says that parents should start by talking to children when they will be most open to listen, maybe during a lazy Saturday at home or during a casual car ride.

Start off by letting them know that you trust them and hope they have an amazing time but just wanted to share a couple of concerns, Conley tells Yahoo Life.

Drugs and Alcohol

While drugs and alcohol may not be a part of a childs everyday life, theres a pretty good chance that the spring break experience will involve these temptations.

Its always best to give them strategies to use instead of just telling them not to do it, Conley says. What can they do if they end up in a situation?

Parents should make sure teens already have Uber or Lyft downloaded on their smartphone and ready to use as a safe alternative to driving drunk. They can also advise them to drink water between alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated and slow down. Conley also recommends letting kids know its OK to dump a drink and fill it with water to avoid the pressure of drinking alcohol.

California parents Mary and Ed Ternan say its standard to know how one's child will get to the destination, who they are going with and where theyll stay, but theres another factor that needs to be discussed.

Kids ... have a travel plan of where they are going to go, even a wardrobe plan of what they will wear, Ed Ternan tells Yahoo Life. Parents need to talk to them about having a party plan, because drugs are so unpredictable these days. Have an open-eyed conversation with plans.

The couple is speaking from personal experience. In 2020 their 22-year-old son Charlie was three weeks away from graduating college when he took what he thought was a Percocet for back pain. Charlie bought the pill online from an unauthorized distributor. The 62, 235-pound brother, son and boyfriend died less than half an hour later.

The Ternans know kids may experiment with drugs on spring break, but they want them to be aware of the dangers so another family is not in the same situation as them.

The drug landscape has completely changed, Mary Ternan tells Yahoo Life. Theres no wiggle room for recreational drugs. One pill can kill you. You are playing Russian roulette.

As much as we don't want to use scare tactics, the truth is there are stories in the news daily about young people being assaulted, abducted and accidentally overdosing Conley adds. You can highlight a couple examples when discussing how dangerous it can be to accept random pills from people.

Sex

Meeting new people is bound to happen on spring break, and some of those new friends could get extra, extra close. Sex can be an embarrassing topic for both parents and their kids, but Conley says it's important that a young person have tools to be prepared.

Her advice to teens? The accountability buddy advice applies here  If we come together, we leave together. Always stay with a friend. Don't leave with someone or go to someone's room alone. Check in with yourself before going out. Will you feel guilty, embarrassed or ashamed if you hook up with someone? Above all, leave."

If they think there's a chance kids may be sexually active during their trip, parents may also find it worthwhile to discuss or provide contraception, just as a precaution.

Basic Safety

Several hot spots, from Miami to New Smyrna Beach, have a bigger police presence after rowdy crowds overtook during spring break last year. Miami Beach officials implemented a curfew this year after two fatal shootings earlier this month.

Paula Twindale, senior VP of travel for AAA, says knowing details not just about the location where a child is going but also what is nearby is key. Parents should do the research beforehand and find out what is in the surrounding areas, especially in popular spring break destinations that are outside the U.S.

Generally a lot of resorts are not in the best parts of town, Twindale says. Advise your child to stay on the resort. Its spring break, enjoy what is at the resort.

If a child is going overseas, parents can register them for STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This free service allows U.S. citizens traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. In addition to this, Twindale also recommends that travelers take a copy of their important documents (such as their passport, travel insurance paperwork, driver's license, credit cards, etc.) and leave another copy at home in the event of an emergency.

Packing a basic emergency kit with Tylenol, vitamin C and Band-Aids is helpful, as is following simple precautions like not going to places alone and not carrying large sums of cash.

They need to pay attention to their surroundings and not have a false sense of security, Twindale says. Be like the Marines: Dont leave anyone behind. Go places in groups.

Twindale has witnessed teens and young adults have a false sense of security on the beach. They will hide their wallet or cell phone under a beach towel, go for a walk, play in the ocean and come back to find their valuables stolen.

Putting your stuff under your towel is a simple thing, but it can wreak havoc on your vacation if you lose your cell phone or your wallet, Twindale says.

One other essential: Making sure smartphones are fully charged when possible. A portable travel charger can help ensure that kids aren't out and about with a drained battery, should they need to get help, find their friends, use a map or be reached for any reason.

Social Media

Plenty of Instagram-worthy photos and TikTok videos will be taken during spring break. But not all of that footage should be shared online, notes Erin Walsh, author, educator and founder of Spark & Stitch Institute, which uses brain science to help in parenting issues.

Whats tempting is to say 'dont do this, this and this. 'Kids may or may not be listening and say goodbye, Walsh tells Yahoo Life. Engage kids as much as possible in their critical thinking. If I want to take a picture and post it then Im going to take three deep breathes and think about the audiences who may see it.

She suggests parents play out situations with their child. What happens if a friend tags them in a video? What if they see someone taking their photo? What if someone wants to connect with them on social media? Consider the safety implications (especially if their posts list their location or geotagging), and what's appropriate to share publicly  which may not include, say, videos of keg stands or provocative poses in their swimsuits.

Parents should also be transparent about what sort of monitoring they plan to do while their kid is away.

Generally tracking every move is a not a good idea, but a trip like this may need some special modifications, Walsh says. Some parents will say, Well, they are just going to turn off [their smartphone].' If they will be on deception mode, they shouldnt be going. If a teen cant have an honest and open conversation around safety and tech they may not be ready for a trip like this.

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Professor Carlos Brown instructs a class in Spanish at Los Angeles City College, where students learn to become home healthcare providers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

When a friend asked Andrea White Rubio if she was interested in caring for an 84-year-old man with early dementia and diabetes during the pandemic, she considered her job options. She had scrambled for months, working as a fruit vendor or going door to door selling shoes from a catalog.

She agreed and, after two years on the job, found a new calling.

I have always had direct contact with people, but this time my mission was to be able to help people, many whose families cannot help, the 50-year-old said. I think God put me on that path.

Thats how Rubio found herself in a classroom at Los Angeles City College on a recent Friday, learning how to become an in-home support worker. But there was something distinct about this class: It was taught entirely in Spanish.

Professor Carlos Brown, left, teaches Flor Aguirre, center, and Andrea White, who are learning how to lift a sitting person, in Spanish. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

In a move to boost sagging community college enrollment and address student demand for job-ready education opportunities,Los Angeles Community College campuses are experimenting with a new genre of courses taught in the native language of students  Spanish, Korean, Russian. Students can take courses to become automotive technicians, or improve their understanding of child development and keyboarding skills.

The college in East Hollywood is among seven campuses that have expanded such courses this spring, tripling the number to 63 over a year ago.

In 2016, California eliminated a two-decade-old law barring schools from offering bilingual instruction. But such instruction has seldom made its way into higher education. Teaching classes in another language  rather than a bilingual course in which half the instruction is taught in English  is still relatively uncommon, said Yasuko Kanno, chair of the language and literacy education department at Boston University.

Many adult immigrants who are not proficient in English might want to get job training or certification in college but are prevented from doing so because of language barriers, she said. Taking those classes in their own language broadens work opportunities and can prepare them for jobs in their own communities.

For adult immigrants, this is really a game changer, she said, adding she is not aware of any statistics that track how many colleges provide content courses in languages other than English.

Most of the students in professor Carlos Brown's class on becoming in-home support providers are immigrant women who recently arrived in the United States, or who have returned to school after raising children. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

For now, the Los Angeles Community College District is offering non-English instruction only for courses that don't count toward credit for an associates degree  vocational classes in which students can earn certificates in a trade, or classes that prepare them for a GED.

The hope is to one day offer classes required for an associates degree in languages other than English, said Gabriel Buelna, a member of the district's board of trustees.

Weve always been a multilingual society in California, he said. Were stuck in education policies that say English-only. Were beginning the process in community colleges of redefining the relationship between language and higher education.

In 2006, the state community college chancellor issued a memo that said community colleges may offer classes in non-English languages to students who are not proficient if they are also enrolled in an English acquisition class.

Buelna said it is unclear if the state would help subsidize for-credit classes taught in languages other than English. The district is also trying to determine if credits from classes taught in non-English languages would transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

In the Los Angeles district, the new "in-language" classes are tuition-free, with students only paying the cost for books and other materials.

The community college district is taking the issue up with state lawmakers  Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) is sponsoring a bill on behalf of the district that would authorize community colleges to offer courses taught in languages other than English without requiring students to simultaneously learn English.

Buelna said the demand for non-English classes is clear. In survey responses from more than 2,500 students, 74% said they spoke Spanish at home and 66% said they are interested in taking courses not taught in English.

About 55% of students who participated in the survey were Latino, and nearly 60% were first-generation students. About 60% of students in the district are Latino, 9% are Black, 6% are Asian and 2% are multiethnic, according to state data. The district also educates mostly first-generation students.

Patricia Gandara, a research professor of education at UCLA, said she is not aware of any legal restrictions that would prevent community colleges from providing instruction in languages other than English.

Evelia Damian, center, and other students learn to become in-home healthcare providers during class at Los Angeles City College. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

She once supervised a UC Davis doctoral student from Mexico who completed his dissertation in Spanish.

"If a students stronger language can be used, that increases their understanding of what is going on, Gandara said

Controversy over non-English instruction erupted in the 1980s when the English-only movement pushed for local and federal laws that mandated English as the national language. Proponents feared that English would be displaced by other languages, especially Spanish.

But decades later, attitudes about non-English instruction are shifting as dual-language programs in K-12 public schools have gained popularity.

We have very strong communities in Armenian and Korean, as well as Spanish and other languages, Gandara said. These communities are interested in their kids being able to speak the language of the community as well as English. So I think that very much has a big impact on attitudes.

At Los Angeles City College, Vanessa Salitrero, a student enrolled in the in-home support service course, said she feels more prepared to work in the field by learning skills in Spanish.

If I take the classes in English, I will capture half of what they teach me since it is not my first language, she said.

Two decades ago in Mexico, Salitrero sacrificed her goal of becoming a lawyer to care for her sick grandparents. She now cares for her aging parents and hopes to eventually share her caregiving abilities with others.

Professor Helen Jang, foreground, teaches students to provide in-home support services in a class taught in Korean. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

I like this career because it makes me remember how beautiful it is to serve, she said.

Professor Carlos Brown said most of the students are women who have recently immigrated to the country or are returning to school after their children have finished school.

Some want a career change, but others are preparing to become caregivers to their parents or other family members. Several students, he said, have also opted to enroll in the version of the class taught in English.

"They're learning something on Friday, and then Monday they hear the same class in English," he said.

The courses are a path to more stability for Flor Aguirre. The 46-year-old said she struggled to find a job after immigrating to the United States less than a year ago, despite holding college degrees from a university in Guatemala and building a successful sales career there.

Im still learning English, and I dont want to get stuck because of it, said Aguirre, who immigrated with her husband so their 17-year-old daughter would have more life opportunities. I also understand that learning this course in English is paramount, but for now this is what I can move forward with.

The appeal of classes taught in Korean draws Young Sook Cho to Los Angeles City College from her home in Bakersfield once a week. She makes the commute with two other people from Kern County every Tuesday to take the in-home support course.

Our English isnt perfect, so its hard to understand those classes in English, said Cho, who said she learned about the class from friends at her Korean American church.

Student Yvonne Yoo, second from left, participates in a demonstration with professor Helen Jang, left, on how to help a person who is choking during a class on in-home supportive services, taught in Korean at Los Angeles City College. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

During a recent class in which students learned how to position clients so they dont suffer from bed sores and muscle breakdowns, Cho worried she might not be able to find Korean-speaking clients where she lives.

Her professor, Helen Jang, quickly assured her, If you knock, it will open.

Jang, who has taught the course in Korean since 2010, said many students develop confidence by learning in their primary language. She also carves out time for students to reflect on the struggles they may share as immigrants.

Whenever I have the chance, I let them express  living in America, how difficult it is, she said. I also want them to get healing  through this class.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Sir Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have praised the spirit of Anglo-Irish teamwork that helped land the Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago.

The peace deal was signed on 10 April 1998 to establish a powersharing settlement that largely ended the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The former UK prime minister and the former Irish prime minister (taoiseach) have reflected on the negotiation process that took place.

Bertie Ahern was an absolute rock throughout it, said Sir Tony of the former Fianna Fail leader.

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Michael Cohen speaks out over former United States President Donald Trump's indictment

The Republican businessman's ex-counsel says the case is simply about accountability

Cohen argues that Trump took advantage of former Attorney General Bill Barr to weaponize the Justice Department against his critics

Michael Cohen, the former "fixer" of former United States President Donald Trump, has spoken out regarding the indictment of the Republican businessman by the Manhattan grand jury.

During an interview, Trump's ex-counsel said that while the case was related to an alleged $130,000 hush payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, the charges are simply about holding the former president accountable for his actions.

Michael Cohen's Take on Donald Trump's Indictment

Cohen added that the case was never about him specifically and was different from what many people wanted to make it seem like. He argued that it was not his vengeance against his former boss but to make Trump face the consequences of his "dirty deeds."

He added that people around Trump should also be held accountable, referring to former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. Cohen argued that the Republican businessman used Bar to weaponize the Justice Department against the former president's critics, as per CBS News.

Cohen's interview comes as last week; the Manhattan grand jury decided to indict the former president over the hush money allegations. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been leading the probe into Trump's alleged falsified business records connected to the payment that was supposedly made to Daniels to keep her quiet about her affair with Trump.

A source familiar with the investigation said on Saturday that despite the charges not being revealed to the public yet, they include a felony charge against Trump. On the other hand, the former president has continued to deny that he had any sexual encounter with Daniels and any wrongdoing in the case.

On Friday, Barr, Trump's former attorney general, criticized the indictment, calling it the "archetypical abuse of the prosecutorial function to engage in a political hit job."

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal charges of tax evasion, fraud, and campaign finance violations. These charges were all related to payments he made to the adult film star and another person, which he allegedly conducted through the Trump Organization.

Read Also: Donald Trump's Popularity Skyrockets Following Indictment Announcement

Denying the Allegations

Following Trump's indictment, he got more than $5 million in donations in 48 hours, with his supporters $4 million in the first 24 hours after the news. The surge of donations suggests the reality of what the former president and his allies claimed that an indictment would only serve to further ingratiate him to his base, according to Fox News.

Cohen is now set up to be a key witness in the case against Trump over the hush money payment to Daniels. He previously testified twice before the Manhattan grand jury about the allegations.

Following the announcement of the indictment, Trump immediately released a statement claiming his innocence and saying that the jury's decision was "political persecution and election interference" and, specifically, Bragg, said Reuters.

Related Article: Stormy Daniels Speaks Out Over Donald Trump Indictment

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The trial of cult mom Lori Vallow is set to begin on Monday 3 April 2023 in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The childrens remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the two cases last month. Now, jury selection will begin in Ms Vallows trial on Monday.

Separately, Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona for the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow.

A doomsday cult, five bodies and children buried in a pet cemetery: What we know about Ccult mom Lori Vallows case

10:55 , Rachel Sharp

It looked every inch the fairytale wedding. Dressed in white with pink flower garlands around their necks, the bride and groom couldnt have looked happier as they exchanged vows on a paradise beach in Hawaii.

Photos captured the apparently blissful day as they toasted their nuptials, embraced and she danced to him playing the guitar. But, behind the photos, something much more disturbing was going on.

Her two children had not been seen alive in two months.

His wife of three decades  the mother of his five children  had died suddenly just two weeks earlier.

And her husband had been shot dead by her brother (who would also soon be dead) not long before.

Now, in the three years since the November 2019 wedding of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, a deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies has come to light.

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

Its a bizarre and tragic case that has captured the attention of the nation, leaving many with one big unanswered question: how could a woman who for years appeared to be a loving, doting mother allegedly murder her children in the belief that they had turned into zombies?

That is just one of the questions her trial could now answer as more disturbing details are expected to come to light over the coming weeks.

Here The Independents Rachel Sharp tells you everything you need to know about the case:

Lori Vallow trial: What we know about the doomsday cult, murders and mystery deaths

Lori Vallows trial to begin today in Idaho court

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of cult mom Lori Vallow is set to begin on Monday 3 April 2023 in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The childrens remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the two cases last month. Now, jury selection will begin in Ms Vallows trial on Monday.

Welcome to The Independents liveblog on Lori Vallows trial

10:46 , Rachel Sharp

Follow along for all the latest updates on the case
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Sunday that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must "remove all doubt" in the American judicial process after a grand jury voted Thursday to indict former President Trump following the DAs years-long investigation.

During an appearance on CNNs "State of the Union," Manchin argued that the indictment risks further dividing Americans and battering their trust in the justice system.

"It's a very sad time for America to go through what we're going through now," he said. "People are being divided, and they think that justice might be biased. We have to make sure that we wait to see what comes out next week, and I hope they do their job. And Ive said this, no one's above the law, but no one should be targeted by the law, especially through the political process. So we'll just wait and see next week. I hope they are very thorough."

CNN anchor Dana Bash asked Manchin to clarify whether he thinks Trump, who is the current front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential race, is being targeted by Bragg for political reasons.

Sen. Joe Manchin speaks during a conference in Houston, Texas, on March 10, 2023.

WHAT HAPPENS IF TRUMP IS ELECTED PRESIDENT WHILE UNDER INDICTMENT? THIS IS UNCHARTED TERRITORY

"Is that what you think is going on here? That he is a political target?" she asked.

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"No, I'm saying you have to remove all doubt," Manchin replied. "You have to remove all doubt. You have to make sure you cross every t and dot every i, as they say. But you know that no person, the president, myself or anybody else in Congress, no matter what your status is, in the United States of America, you're not above the law. And on the other hand, no person should be targeted by the law either. So let's make sure that's cleared up, and let's see where it goes."

There's a "segment of society who believes that maybe it's biased, that the system doesn't work for all," Manchin said during a subsequent appearance on NBC News "Meet the Press."

"We must come together. The American people want us to do our job," he continued. "Let's wait until what comes out next week. Let's see the direction this goes. But the bottom line is its a very sad time in America. You have geopolitical unrest around the world. Just think of the people who don't wish our society or our form of democracy to work, whether it be China, Russia or whoever. They're looking and saying, Oh my goodness, let's just sit back and kind of watch this melee unfold. Well, I want to show them that as Americans, we can work together."

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg had been investigating former President Donald Trump for alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump raked in more than $5 million in donations in the 48 hours after he was indicted on Thursday. The exact charges of the indictment are still under seal, but Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said Thursday evening Trump could face more than 30 counts next week when hes arraigned.

The charges relate to Trumps role in sending alleged hush payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in an effort to prevent her from speaking out about their relationship.

The former president is expected to travel from his home in Mar-a-Lago to New York City on Monday before spending his final night before his arraignment in Trump Tower.

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023.

The Secret Service will be attending him as New York authorities book the president, take his fingerprints and photograph him on Tuesday.

Fox News Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Brent Kiger, Olathe Public Schools' director of safety service, displays a panic-alert button while students at Olathe South High School rush between classes, Aug. 19, 2022, in Olathe, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  In the wake of an elementary school shooting in Tennessee that left three 9-year-olds and three adults dead, state legislatures across the country are moving forward with bills aiming to improve school safety.

The bills have been introduced in blue and red states alike and would require schools to install technology ranging from panic buttons, video surveillance and emergency communications systems. Most have bipartisan support, with lawmakers seeing them as a way to boost school security while avoiding political gridlock on the hot-button issue of gun control.

But some experts say teacher safety training is more effective and less expensive than the new technologies, which also can require upgrades or ongoing maintenance that may not be funded.

That hasn't stopped states from Oregon to Missouri to Tennessee from pursuing the systems.

I was asked by a colleague if our schools will have to become fortresses to keep our kids safe. And I told them yes, if thats what it takes. I dont care if we have to park a tank outside a school," Tennessee's Republican House Majority Leader William Lamberth said.

While Democratic state lawmakers have called for tighter gun laws as a way to stem school shootings, many are now also supporting the school emergency measures that have largely been touted by Republicans.

In Oregon, where Democrats control the Legislature, a bill that would require schools to send electronic notifications to parents as soon as possible after a safety threat occurs passed the state House unanimously this week. Two Democratic lawmakers are the chief sponsors of another bill that would require all public school classrooms to have panic alert devices that would contact law enforcement or emergency services when activated.

A smartphone is held during a demonstration of the Rave Panic Button application at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 11, 2015. The system is designed to enable authorities to respond to crises faster across more than 1,000 public schools in Arkansas. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

If passed, the panic alert bill would make Oregon the fourth state  along with Republican-led Florida and Democratic-led New Jersey and New York  to enact such a law. Several other states are considering similar legislation.

If there's anything we know, it's that during an emergency, time equals life, said one of the Oregon bill's chief sponsors, Democratic state Rep. Emerson Levy.

Some school districts arent waiting for legislation to implement new security measures such as panic devices.

Las Vegas's Clark County School District, among the 10 largest districts nationwide, is now using a system involving badges called CrisisAlert. The badges can be worn around the neck and pressed to call for help or trigger a schoolwide lockdown.

Olathe Public Schools in suburban Kansas City, the second-largest district in the state, also adopted CrisisAlert. The district has yet to use it to respond to an active shooter situation, according to Jim McMullen, who oversees the district's Safety Services Department and also serves as assistant superintendent of middle school education. But he said school personnel use the badge every day for things ranging from student fights to medical emergencies.

Earlier today we used it when we had a student who was unconscious. The staff member, instead of leaving the kid to go call for help, was able to just hit their button three times and had a lot of assistance real quickly, he said on Thursday.

We've gotten tremendous feedback from our staff regarding the fact that it makes them feel safer, empowered, McMullen said.

Panic alert devices gained steam after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

'There's really nothing to lose by being prepared'

Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter, Alyssa, was among the 17 killed, founded the group Make Our Schools Safe and began advocating for panic buttons. She had texted her daughter as shots rang out that help was on the way.

It's really so important to be proactive, and to really accept the fact that unfortunately this can happen anywhere at any time, as we've seen over and over again, said Lori Kitaygorodsky, the group's spokesperson. There's really nothing to lose by being prepared.

Some Republican-led states have boosted funding for school safety in order to help schools pay for new devices like panic buttons. Installing CrisisAlert, for example, costs at least $8,000 per campus under a three- to five-year contract, according to Will Fullerton, senior vice president for government affairs at Centegix, the Atlanta-based company that makes the product.

The number of schools using CrisisAlert nearly doubled from 2021 to 2022, according to the company. The badge system delivered over 50,000 alerts in the Fall 2022 semester, a 100% increase from the same time the previous year, said vice president of marketing Stacy Meyer in an email.

After a shooter killed 19 children and two teachers last May at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, state officials announced $105 million for school safety and mental health initiatives. Nearly half of that was slated for bullet-resistant shields for school police and $17 million was for districts to purchase panic-alert technology.

The Missouri House on Thursday approved a 2024 budget with $50 million for school safety grants, on top of $20 million already authorized for school safety in the current year. Schools will be able to use the money on technology including door locking devices, intercom systems and video surveillance equipment.

While one-time grants can allow schools to purchase new technology, they don't always fund upkeep over longer periods of time. Ken Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, said he's found items like security cameras gathering dust in boxes in some of the schools that he's worked with.

There's no budget to repair, replace and maintain them after they put them in ... Things are pushed into a closet and not used again," he said.

The basic fundamental tools are not being properly used  staff not being properly trained, doors that are propped open, he said, adding that the focus should be on situational awareness, pattern recognition ... and then making cognitive decisions under stress.
FILE - Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner, who was shot by a 6-year-old student, grace the front door of Richneck Elementary School Newport News, Va. on Jan. 9, 2023. Zwerner said Monday, March 20, that she has had four surgeries and has gone through a challenging recovery. (AP Photo/John C. Clark, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A first-grade Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student has filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

Abby Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia was shot in the hand and chest on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has had four surgeries since the shooting.

The shooting rattled the military shipbuilding community and sent shock waves around the country, with many wondering how a child so young could get access to a gun and shoot his teacher.

The lawsuit names the Newport News School Board and several school district officials as defendants.

Michelle Price, a spokesperson for the school board, Lisa Surles-Law, chair of the school board, and other board members did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit.

No one, including the boy, has been charged in the shooting. The superintendent was fired by the school board after the shooting, while the assistant principal resigned. The principal was reassigned to another job within the school district. The board also voted to install metal detectors in every school in the district, beginning with Richneck, and to purchase clear backpacks for all students.

In the lawsuit, Zwerner's attorneys say all of the defendants knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and at home, including an episode the year before, when he strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher.

All Defendants knew that John Doe attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school, and was not limited to teachers while at the school, the lawsuit states.

School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed him to return to Richneck for first grade in the fall of 2022, the lawsuit states. He was placed on a modified schedule because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it," and was cursing staff and teachers, it says. Under the modified schedule, one of the boy's parents was required to accompany him during the school day.

Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed, the lawsuit states. Often after he was taken to the office, he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy," according to the lawsuit.

The boy's parents did not agree for him to be put in special education classes where he would be with other students with behavioral issues, the lawsuit states.

Zwerner suffered permanent bodily injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings and other damages, the lawsuit states. It seeks $40 million in compensatory damages.

Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he wouldnt understand the legal system and what a charge means. Gwynn has yet to decide if any adults will be charged.

The boy used his mothers gun, which police said was purchased legally. An attorney for the boys family has said that the firearm was secured on a closet shelf and had a lock on it.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Former President Donald Trump faces the most urgent legal challenge of his life this week in New York, where hes set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.

But as much of the attention will be on the courthouse in lower Manhattan, investigations from Atlanta to Washington will press forward, underscoring the broad range of peril he confronts as he seeks to reclaim the presidency.

The vulnerability Trump faces in Washington alone has become clear over the past month, as judges in a succession of sealed rulings have turned aside the Trump teams efforts to block grand jury testimony  including from his own lawyer and his former vice president  from witnesses who were, or still are, close to him and who could conceivably offer direct insight into key events.

The rulings directing advisers and aides to testify don't suggest that the Justice Department is close to bringing criminal charges, nor do they guarantee that prosecutors can secure testimony valuable to a potential prosecution. But they're nonetheless a key, closed-door win for the government as it investigates whether classified documents were criminally mishandled at Trump's Florida home and the possible obstruction of that probe, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election.

I do think when you're talking about an attempted insurrection and the kinds of issues that we're talking about there, there's going to be a lot of arguments on DOJ's side to get the testimony, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a George Washington University law professor.

Meanwhile, the district attorney in Atlanta is continuing to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia. A special grand jury in February said it believed one or more witnesses committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges.

The former president never testified before the special grand jury, meaning he is not among those who could have perjured themselves. But the report doesnt foreclose the possibility of other charges, and the case still poses particular challenges for Trump, in part because his actions in Georgia were so public.

Overall, the number of sealed disputes over the scope of grand jury testimony is unusual but perhaps befitting for hugely consequential probes like one concerning a former president. It also stands in contrast to the last special counsel investigation involving Trump, when he was president and when Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors sought to determine whether Trump's 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the election.

In that probe, a lawyer inside the White House, Ty Cobb, facilitated voluntary interviews of White House staff  without subpoenas  in hopes that cooperation would hasten the investigation toward conclusion.

If I could figure out a way to cooperate and still preserve executive privilege, it would speed things up, which in my judgment ... was imperative to the president and to the country, Cobb said in a recent interview. We were able to accelerate getting them all of the information.

Trump in that investigation was protected by the power of his office and by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. No longer president, Trump has lost that shield, raising the stakes of his criminal exposure. And as prosecutors have sought to question people close to him  whether to better understand Trump's state of mind and possible defenses, or to gather potentially damaging testimony  Trump's lawyers have repeatedly objected, often in vain.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-lago on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Perhaps the most vivid example came last month when the then-chief judge of the D.C. federal court ordered that Trump's lawyer, M. Evan Corcoran, had to give more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. He had invoked attorney-client privilege in an earlier appearance before the grand jury in declining to answer more questions, but prosecutors pressed for more testimony.

They cited what's known as the crime-fraud exception to attorney client privilege, which allows prosecutors to compel testimony from a lawyer if they can convince a judge that a client was using legal services in furtherance of a crime. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Corcoran had to return before the grand jury, and he was in court a week later.

Another instance came last week when a different federal judge, James Boasberg, ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence had to give some testimony in a Justice Department special counsel probe into efforts to undo the election.

The decision rejected the Trump team's arguments of executive privilege, though Boasberg did give Pence a victory by accepting his lawyers' arguments that, for constitutional reasons, he could not be questioned about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trumps supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Republican Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify Democrat Joe Bidens victory.

A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story but responded to the ruling in the Pence matter in a statement saying that the Justice Department is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, Constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

Other former Trump aides, including Stephen Miller and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, have also recently been ordered by a judge to offer testimony despite Trump team objections of executive privilege.

The ability of Justice Department prosecutors in multiple instances to convince judges that there's a basis to secure the testimony is significant to the extent that it shows that there's a there there with respect to the investigations, Eliason said.

But he cautioned from reading too much into it, given that the threshold for prevailing in a fight over executive privilege or attorney-client is lower than the burden needed to win a criminal case at trial.

Its a far cry from being able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a contested trial, Eliason said. It would be quite a leap to go from there and be able to say that they've got a criminal case locked up.
The U.S. began joint military drills with Japan and South Korea on Monday as North Korea continued to bluster about their alliance.

The U.S. and its allies began naval anti-submarine drills Monday, their first joint exercise in six months. South Korea's defense ministry says the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier participated in the drill alongside destroyers from all three countries.

Submarine-launched missiles are much harder to track than ground or even air-launched missiles due to the uncertainty of where a submarine could launch the missile.

North Korea threatened retaliation ahead of Monday's drills this weekend, vowing that it was not making "empty talk."

US AND ITS PARTNERS STAGE WARFARE DRILLS AS JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE AGAINST CHINA, NORTH KOREA

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is participating in drills with South Korea and Japan.

The rhetoric came in a statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), which condemned South Korea and the United States for the joint 11-day Freedom Shield exercise held last month.

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NORTH KOREA PLANS TRADING RUSSIA WEAPONS FOR FOOD, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SAYS

"Their war hysteria is running up to the climax along with the start of Ssangyong, a joint landing drill," the statement read.

"This reminds the people and army of the [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] of June 1950 when they had to be subject to war calamity, and further arousing their high vigilance," it continued.

Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called on his country to be ready to launch a nuclear attack to deter war. His comments came after a flurry of missile launches, which saw North Korea testing its capabilities.

"The nuclear force of the DPRK will strongly deter, control and manage the enemy's reckless moves and provocations with its high war readiness, and carry out its important mission without hesitation in case of any unwanted situation," Kim was quoted as saying in North Korean media.

Fox News' Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
The family of Ethan Chapin, one of the four University of Idaho students who were found stabbed to death in an off-campus residence last year, is volunteering to help sell tulips in his memory and honor his legacy.

Chapin, 20, worked at Tulip Valley Farms in Mt. Vernon, Washington, the year before his death, where his coworkers knew him for his big smile and loving energy.

Ethan Chapin with his siblings, Maizie and Hunter Chapin. (Courtesy Chapin family via KING-TV)

"Ethan was the kid that the rest of the kids would call and find out when he was on the work schedule because everybody wanted to work with Ethan," his mother Stacy Chapin told TODAY. "When this happened, the kids decided they needed a way to honor him."

Chapin's fellow coworkers created a yellow-and-white tulip bulb mix named "Ethan's Smile" after one of the 20-year-old's most memorable features.

"I was one of the lucky kids who got to work on the tulip farm with him," Chapin's friend and coworker Reese Gardner told TODAY. "He had the best smile, you couldnt see it and not instantly smile back."

The proceeds from the bulbs will go to a foundation Chapin's parents founded in his name to provide scholarships for students who attended his high school to go to the University of Idaho, his family said.

"The tulip became something tangible that people grasped onto," Stacy Chapin said. "We realized that by creating a foundation we can give scholarships back to kiddos to follow their dream, and thats the best thing we can do in his honor."

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (TODAY)

Chapin was found with multiple stab wounds in an off-campus residence on Nov. 13. His girlfriend, Xana Kernodle, and two of her roommates, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, were also found stabbed to death, rocking the small college town of Moscow, Idaho.

Authorities charged Bryan Kohberger, 28, in December with four counts of murder and one felony burglary count in connection with the deaths.

Kohberger was a PhD student studying criminology at the nearby Washington State University, just over the state line from Idaho, at the time of the slayings. He has said through a former attorney he believes he will be exonerated.

Kohberger's next court appearance is scheduled for June, but prosecutors disclosed in a March 27 court filing an officer who was part of the murder case was involved in an internal affairs investigation.

Maddie Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle. (TODAY)

Prosecutors filed a protective order to keep the investigation out of the public. It's unclear what the internal affairs investigation involved, when it was launched or how central the officer was to the murder investigation.

Chapin's family can't speak about the case due to a gag order imposed by the judge in the murder case, but the Ethan's Smile tulips are blossoming this spring to keep his memory alive.

"I mean, that kid has touched more lives," Stacy Chapin said. "We say in our family if we touch as many lives as he did in his 20 years, this world would be a better place. He was, he was an amazing kid."

"I miss him. I miss him a lot," his father Jim Chapin added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A McDonald's sign in Miami. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

NEW YORK (AP)  A report says McDonalds has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform employees about layoffs.

The Wall Street Journal cited an internal email from the Chicago-based fast-food giant saying U.S. corporate staff and some employees overseas should work from home while the company notifies people of their job status.

McDonalds did not immediately reply to emailed requests for comment. The report said McDonalds would inform its employees this week about staffing decisions that are part of a wide restructuring of the company announced earlier.

Though the U.S. labor market remains strong, layoffs have been mounting, mainly in the technology sector, where many companies over-hired after a pandemic boom. IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter and DoorDash have all announced layoffs in recent months.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have forecast the unemployment rate may rise to 4.6% by the end of this year, a sizable increase historically associated with recessions.

McDonald's has more than 150,000 employees in corporate roles. About 70% of those employees are based outside the United States.

The company reported its global sales rose nearly 11% in 2022, while sales in the U.S. climbed almost 6%. Total restaurant margins rose 5%. In its latest annual report, it cited difficulties in adequately staffing some of its outlets.

In January, McDonald's said its Accelerating the Arches program would focus on deliveries, Drive Thru, digital and development.

Were performing at a high level, but we can do even better," CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a Jan. 6 letter to employees. He said the company was divided into silos and that the approach was outdated and self-limiting."

As the company reshapes its strategy, he said, we will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Russian war correspondent Maksim Fomin  better known under the pen name Vladlen Tatarsky  was killed in a suspected IED explosion in a cafe in downtown St. Petersburg on Sunday afternoon. 32 other people were injured in the blast in the Street Bar, according to Russian authorities.

Tatarsky rose to prominence as a military blogger after Russia launched what it describes as a special military operation in Ukraine, which Kiev and many Western countries say is an unprovoked aggression.

On Sunday, Tatarsky was hosting a live event for his supporters at the St. Petersburg cafe.

Authorities believe that Tatarsky may have been killed by an improvised explosive device disguised as a statuette handed over to him by a young woman during the event, RT reports.

Reacting to the bombing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russian journalists face constant death threats from the Kiev regime and its abettors. Tatarsky was a danger" and provoked the hatred of the Kiev regime with his professional activities, Zakharova claimed.

On April 3, Russian authorities identified the suspect in Sundays bombing as Darya Trepova.

Trepova is at large.
NASA officials are set to reveal the names of four astronauts who will be a part of the Artemis II mission for a flyby of the moon

The mission will be the first attempt to travel around Earth's satellite since Apollo 17 in 1972

Artemis II will set up Artemis III, which would have astronauts walking on the lunar surface

NASA officials are set to unveil the names of four astronauts who will lead the Artemis II moon flyby mission to its fruition, the first attempt since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

The mission will last ten days, scheduled to begin by the end of 2024 when the astronauts travel around the moon before returning to our planet. The yet-to-be-announced crew will join the pantheon of American astronauts who have visited Earth's satellite from 1968 to 1972 during the era of the Apollo.

NASA's Crew Members for Artemis II Mission

The announcement, which is scheduled for Monday, will begin at around 11:00 a.m. Eastern time and will be streamed live on NASA TV and the space company's YouTube channel. The event will be held at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and is seen as a global occasion, per the New York Times.

The last time that NASA astronauts departed from the moon was in December 1972, when the Apollo 17 mission was completed. Since then, returning to the planet's satellite has been in talks several times.

The previous Trump administration also focused on an initiative later known as the Artemis program. The Biden administration is continuing the endeavor since taking over the White House.

The space company launched the Artemis I mission in November last year, which was a test of the massive Space Launch System rocket and the uncrewed Orion capsule. That event set up Artemis II, the first of NASA's new missions to the moon that would include a crew of astronauts.

Read Also: Newborn Jupiter Burned Its Moons Surface With Intense Light

Traveling to and Around the Moon

The Artemis II mission is also meant to pave the way for the Artemis III crew to be able to walk on the moon in 2025. According to CNN, these missions will utilize the world's most powerful rocket with a hefty price tag of nearly $100 billion.

After several months of closed-door decision-making, NASA officials finally plan to reveal the astronauts who will become crew members for the latest mission. While authorities have remained relatively tight-lipped about the selection process, there were interviews with roughly a dozen current and former NASA officials and astronauts who chimed in on the situation.

Previous reports claim that 47-year-old Reid Wiseman, a decorated naval aviator and test pilot, is at the top of the list. He also served as chief of the astronaut office until November 2022. NASA astronaut Garrett argued that while the chief is now allowed to fly while in the post, an "acknowledged perk" is getting the best flight assignments after stepping down.

On the other hand, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to speak at the space company's unveiling of Artemis II crew members on Monday. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will hold the event together, said Click2Houston.

Related Article: SpaceX Launches Latest Batch of Starlink Satellites

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YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans son, Ashot Pashinyan, has been assaulted, Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan said Monday.

Simonyan revealed Ashot Pashinyans assault a day after being assaulted in downtown Yerevan himself.

Yesterday Ashot Pashinyan was assaulted too. A few days before that, an ARF Member of Parliament attacked and punched Vladimir Vardanyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on State-Legal Affairs, some ARF [occurrence] commits a provocation from 100 meters away against the Speaker of Parliament in downtown Yerevan, and yesterday an attack against the Prime Ministers son also took place. This is a series of organized provocations, and I am sure that the traces lead beyond our countrys borders, and the legal and political reaction to this will take place swiftly. Armenia will remain a democracy and will develop its democracy, there will be peace in our region, Simonyan said on social media.

On April 2, the Speaker of Parliament was allegedly involved in an altercation with a passerby in Yerevan.

The passerby, Karen Mkrtchyan, a Diaspora-Armenian and registered ARF member, said on social media that he saw Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan in central Yerevan and called him a traitor. Mkrtchyan claimed that Alen Simonyan allegedly ordered his security detail to restrain him, and then Simonyan allegedly spat on his face.

Simonyan later issued a statement, acknowledging that an incident took place but neither confirming nor denying the alleged spitting. He said that insults against the legitimate authorities of Armenia will receive a legitimate reaction.

UPDATE: April 04, 2023 - Ashot Pashinyan denies being assaulted.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Romania supports the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and international justice, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan when asked on Romanias position- as a country recognizing the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ - on Azerbaijans non-compliance with the ICJ ruling on opening the Lachin Corridor.

Romania is a country that greatly supports the International Court of Justice and international justice. Respect for international law is outlined in the main concept of Romanias foreign policy. The advantages of applying to the ICJ are clear to us. This is a practical conclusion because Romania has used the ICJ to resolve an important issue with one of our neighbors, he said.

Aurescu said the ICJ is a very valuable instrument for resolving any dispute.

He added that Romania recognizes the ICJs compulsory jurisdiction.

The United Nations highest court  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to take all steps at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday, prompting a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defenses near their joint border if NATO deploys any troops in its new member, AP reports.

This is a historic week, Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance. He said that he hopes Sweden will be able to join NATO in coming months.

Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming NATOs member by bolstering its defenses if needed.
The Hindutva State has introduced discriminatory and exclusionary laws and policies on citizenship, food, divorce, segregation and clothing

The end-state of Hindutva is not concerned with either nation or Hindus as such, it is occupied by what can be done to the minorities. (Photo:PTI)

Ideologies usually have an end-state or a desired place they want to arrive at. Marxists think that the State will vanish and the community will replace it. In South Asia, an attempt was made to make mankind spiritually aligned to modernity through the State. This is what Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, said was the purpose behind the introduction of religion in the Constitution and making God the sovereign instead of Parliament.

This experiment did not succeed because there was no obvious path to arriving at the final destination, which was a Pakistani who had been made spiritually superior but also scientifically modern through a variety of laws. In Europe, the focus of government is on welfare states where the population is given access to quality healthcare, education and pensions and the poor and the unemployed are taken care of. This in itself is the end-state that these nations seek to achieve. Many of them have given up the idea of military greatness and they do not chase after the dominance of their religion. Often, large numbers of their voters are inclined towards diversity and we can see that in the Europe of our time.

Today, the elected leaders of the United Kingdom (a Hindu of Indian origin), Scotland (a Muslim of Pakistani origin), the Republic of Ireland (a Christian of Indian origin) and Portugal (a Christian of Indian origin) show us that. We take pride in this, but if we looked at it from the perspective of the European voters, we would be baffled. It is completely unthinkable to us in the India of 2023 that the majority of us would elect an ethnic Indian minority as our popular leader. But much of the rest of the world is far more modern, in the real sense, and does not vote on confessional lines alone. To repeat, these desi leaders in Europe are in their positions because they are popular with voters despite, and to some extent perhaps even because of, the fact that they are from another community and another race. Perhaps it is this very religious and ethnic difference that is key because for many voters, their diversity is not only important but attractive and aspired to.

Let us turn to the mother of democracy. To the outsider, Indias politics is vibrant but tribal in nature. There is strong group loyalty and a suspicion and often outright hatred of the other communities. This instinct is visceral and primitive and exists in all cultures and nations, but the modern ones are able to mature out of it. In primitive societies, it remains. In some of the more backward ones, this instinct is often quickened.

Tribalism has always defined Indian democracy through caste, or jati, which is the way in which ticket distribution was done and continues to be done at election time. The creation of linguistic states, which was a wise move, meant that linguistic group loyalty became neutralised as a political tool, except when conflict was deliberately created, through imposition.

The rise and dominance of Hindutva has reintroduced to Indian democracy this kind of religious tribalism. Reintroduced because it existed before Partition and was the at the root of division. Mohammed Ali Jinnahs complaint against Mahatma Gandhi was that he only had one vote for every three of Gandhis, and the assumption, which was correct, was that all votes would be cast for religion and not policy.

After Partition, politics in India remained communal and the marginalisation and exclusion of the minorities was as real as it is today, but the language of the State, meaning the Congress governments under Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, was inclusive. Because of this, social divisions were not exacerbated though they still existed.

Hindutva has changed that and Indians have once again been divided along religious lines by the State and its policies, its language and its behaviour. We have to consider what that means for India. Our end-state is different from that of Nepal, which was the only Hindu kingdom of modern times. Nepal was ruled by a Kshatriya King as prescribed by the Manusmriti, but in other ways it was not especially different. Hindu Nepal did not have a focus on the minorities and on persecution as New India has. The end-state of Hindutva is not concerned with either nation or Hindus as such, it is occupied by what can be done to the minorities.

The Hindutva State has introduced discriminatory and exclusionary laws and policies on citizenship, food, divorce, marriage, segregation, prayer and clothing. The existing laws already targeting minorities have been tightened. Indians are doing in India the opposite of what voters in those European nations have done with Indian-origin leaders. This persecution of other Indians has some utility because otherwise it would not be popular and these benefits are likely satisfaction and contentment at putting others through misery.

However, it is hard to understand how this benefits the nation, and particularly how it improves Indias future. It is a question that his supporters must ask of the Prime Minister. It may be enjoyable for them to pass through this phase of going after other Indians. But once this has been achieved to satisfaction, then what?

The answer is known to those who oppose persecution, because it is clear to them that after this will be more of the same. But it would be apposite to hear it from the mouths of those who are driving New India further into the Amrit Kaal.

The writer is the chair of Amnesty International India. Twitter: @aakar__patel
The party as well as the RSS have been caught in the feel good bubble so much so that they only see themselves as disciplined soldiers

How will the entire Opposition cope with the situation in the wake of the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha? Will the Opposition be able to unite ahead of the 2024 elections? Do the non-BJP parties have any fighting chance at all with a combative Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissing them as just a bunch of corrupt leaders?

These are all legitimate questions and need to be answered or acted upon as time is of the utmost essence. The journey ahead is treacherous for the Opposition as Mr Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah eat, drink, think and act to win the electoral game. All is fair in love, war and elections.

But the wider question is neither asked nor replied to by the evergreen television news anchors who excel in asking, pillorying, lampooning and even questioning the sense of purpose of the hapless Opposition. The question is the state of affairs in the ruling party.

The fact is that the blitzkrieg action against Rahul Gandhi caught almost the whole of the BJP unawares. No one has the courage to open their mouths. The worlds largest party, whose founders and patrons took pride in fighting against the Emergency during the Indira Gandhi period has suddenly been turned into a Margdarshak Mandal. Has anyone seen L.K. Advani or Murli Manohar Joshi open their mouth in the past nine years? This is not to say that all in the ruling party were oblivious to what was in store for Rahul. But discretion is the better part of valour.

It is almost the same situation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and its chief Mohan Bhagwat, who have been playing the second fiddle to the second Hindu Hriday Samrat after Bal Thackeray. The party as well as the RSS have been caught in the feel good bubble so much so that they only see themselves as disciplined soldiers and hail the leader. In the past nine years, Narendra Modi has not gone to Nagpur even once to pay his respects to the Sanghs top brass. This clearly shows the RSS devaluation. After Amit Shah became the party chief with the blessings of the Sangh, the whole game changed in favour of Mr Modi.

Despite the nationwide controversy over the Adani issue, the Sangh, which earlier used to act as the moral compass of the BJP, has not said a word on the matter. It was always the Sangh which took the high moral ground while deciding issues regarding the BJP. Remember, it was the RSS which had asked Nitin Gadkari not to press for a second term when the Purti controversy broke. In retrospect, everybody who is anybody in the BJP admitted privately at that time that Mr Gadkari was not found pliable enough by Mr Modi, who had by then emerged as the partys PM candidate.

The Margdarshak Mandal is akin to the three monkeys of the Mahatma  whose motto was see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.

The electoral success achieved by Mr Modi since May 2014 has brushed under the carpet the costs involved for the party and the price paid by it. The BJPs slogan in 2014 agali bar Modi sarkar, and not agali bar BJP sarkar. The slogan was approved by the then party chief Rajnath Singh, who had been specifically brought in to replace Mr Gadkari.

The process of the whole of the BJP being turned into a Margdarshak Mandal started then. The refrain often heard from BJP members, especially the bhakts, that how can anyone attack the PM, is indicative of the view that only the supreme leader matters, the rest are just cannon fodder. The growing importance of Sambit Patra, Amit Malviya, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Himanta Biswa Sarma signals that propaganda matters. The BJP has always thrived on propaganda. It is now at a new level: likes are the new normal.

Only Lord Ram matters, not the monkey brigade. But the increasing attacks over the Adani issue are slowly, surely chipping at the image of a strong leader. His silence is deafening for the Opposition and extremely puzzling for the BJP faithful. Arvind Kejriwal seems in a race with Rahul Gandhi to target Mr Modi. Mamata Banerjee is slowly warming up.

Politics doesnt work in a vaccum. Mr Modi may have succeeded in turning the BJP and RSS into a Margdarshak Mandal, but a potential challenge could come from ultra-hardliners like Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath being groomed by the Sangh Parivar.

The BJPs supreme leader knows that if he fails to be aggressive at the right time, he might get marginalised. If Mr Modi wants to be a Mandal champion and play the OBC card to be more acceptable in the Hindi heartland, Yogi Adityan-ath is aggressively pushing his bulldozer strategy to target the minorities. He does not feel insecure. The Ganga Arati is on, so is the construction of the magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Other things can wait.

In Rajasthan, Vasundhara Rajes silence cant be seen as her surrender to the supreme leader. Maharashtra could be another dicey state where his charisma and magic could become ineffective due to invisible forces in the Parivar and outside.

Rahul Gandhis remarks against Veer Savarkar have come in handy for the BJP to make a serious attempt to drive a wedge in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, given the fact that the Hindutva icon is revered by the Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray. The BJP has already embarked on the exercise of taking out the Savarkar Gaurav Yatra throughout the state to connect with a new generation and reach out to them with Savarkars thoughts and ideals.

Interestingly, Mr Modi and Mr Shah are relying a lot on local leaders in poll-bound Karnataka. The state BJP chiefs statement that Karnataka will witness a tussle between Savarkar and Tipu Sultan gives away the signal that the ruling party has little to show on the development front and is therefore attempting to divert the battle to its favourite pitch.

The strong leader has been virtually forced to declare Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the CM candidate in the state when the OBC issue is at play.

That the Gujarat experiment of putting up a lightweight leader as a CM cannot work in major states is a grudging admission by the strong leader that he has his limitations. The BJPs worry over the coming Karnataka battle is indicative that it is not on a very strong a wicket there and a keen tussle is on the cards.

The writer is a journalist based in New Delhi
Nearly two months after the earthquake, many survivors are still looking for ways to go abroad or other parts of the country. The first shops and businesses reopen in Iskenderun. Yesterday, Palm Sunday celebrations brought together Turkish and foreigner Christians. Young people from Italy are helping amid the rubble. For a university student from Florence, what he saw made an impression.

Iskenderun (AsiaNews)  Neary two months after a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, sowing death and destruction ( 57,000 dead), many people have left, while others are looking for ways to leave because it is not easy to live in tents, this according to Bishop Paolo Bizzeti, apostolic vicar to Anatolia.

The region hit by the earthquake on 6 February is still in full emergency and things remain precarious. For many people, It is not easy to depend on aid" and the desire to escape is still strong "among those who can.

At present, the prelate is coordinating the work of Italian volunteers who travelled to Turkey to help survivors over the Easter holiday inspired by a sense of solidarity and sharing.

In Turkey, family ties are strong, Bishop Bizzetti explained. Those who have relatives abroad or people who can host them" leave Turkey; others "move to cities not too far from the areas where they used to live relying on contacts and acquaintances.

In Iskenderun (Alexandretta), "some shops and businesses are reopening" and things look decidedly less complicated than in Antioch, which is ground zero. Palm Sunday services were held yesterday "with local and foreign Christians united in faith."

"In Antioch, there are no places to celebrate and even the Capuchin friars have left. In some areas, it is not yet clear if and how Easter will be held.

On the one hand, huge amounts of rubble must still be removed; on the other, quicker help for building and reconstruction" with less red tape remain a great challenge. "Everything has to go through a government coordination committee and there is little possibility of individual initiative."

For Bishop Bizzetti, rebuilding villages "with prefabricated houses" and putting a roof over the heads of the displaced are "complicated" undertakings because "permits are needed from the authorities" and the latter are a slow. Indeed, with huge needs, time is one of the main obstacles.

It is clear that coordination is needed, but it is one thing to organise the work, and another to create a funnel through which every activity must go".

Following the quake, the association Amici del Medio Oriente (Friends of the Middle East, AMO), an Italian non-profit NGO, launched an initiative titled E ora rialzo la mia testa (Even now my head is held high), taken from Psalm 27. It involves volunteers going to the quake zone for the Easter week (2-9 April) to "serve" others and share the celebration, which can provide a chance for rebirth.

This idea came from a Jesuit confrere, Fr Francesco Cavallini, who is a member of AMO. We decided to invite young people to share this experience with local Christians, combining service and celebrations during Holy Week.

A dozen young people from different parts of Italy joined the initiative and more are expected. Now they are setting up the liturgical material, the books to be archived and catalogued. Food must be sent to warehouses, and from there to where it is needed".

Francesco Busoni, a 20-year-old university student in Florence, is one of the people who accepted AMOs call. "Less than a week ago, a friend showed me the ad, he said, inviting me to live an experience in which the earthquake victims would do much more for me than I would for them. This sounded like an amazing personal experience, so I jumped at the opportunity.

I arrived in Adana and along the way to Iskenderun where I am now I saw entire towns and villages razed to the ground. Two months after the quake, cars were still buried under the rubble, collapsed houses still had clothes hanging out to dry.

The sight of things made an impression on the student.

"Yesterday I went to a large camp with tents and saw children taking lessons outdoors, because their school had collapsed, he said.

Even at a time of celebration, we realise how everyday life can never be taken for granted. But now Ive got to because we have to fix the wall of the church and move some objects.
Today's headlines: Israeli attack on Homs; Kuala Lumpur willing to negotiate with Beijing over South China Sea; Japan sets up Agency for Children and Families; Representatives of some ethnic militias and military junta meet in Myanmar.

THAILAND

Thailand launched a public campaign overnight to ask farmers to stop burning fields to reduce air pollution levels. Drones with lights flew in the sky of Chiang Rai, Muang district, forming the phrases: 'We can't breathe', 'We suffer from eye irritation', 'Please stop burning'. In recent weeks, the level of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Chiang Rai has risen to 194 micrograms per cubic metre of air: the maximum limit for human safety is 50 mcg.

MALAYSIA

Kuala Lumpur is willing to negotiate with Beijing over the South China Sea dispute, the State News Agency quoted Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as saying. The issue was raised with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week because Malaysia has energy exploration projects in the area, claimed by Beijing. In recent years, Chinese ships have repeatedly passed by fields operated by Malaysia's state oil company, Petronas.

MYANMAR

At the end of March 'peace' talks were held between representatives of ethnic armed militias and the Burmese coup junta, but according to experts this was a cosmetic move because none of the militias invited to the conference are currently at war with the military. The discussions focused on the Myanmar military regime's proposed elections and the amendment of the 2008 Constitution.

JAPAN

Tokyo has established the Children and Families Agency with the aim of reducing the low birth rate and 'making Japan a more child-friendly country'. The Agency's focus will be on post-partum needs, childcare centres and the distribution of child-raising allowances. Children, young people and parents will also be invited to the Council meetings, whose opinions will also be collected via social media.

ISRAEL - SYRIA

Yesterday, Israel launched air raids against outposts in the Syrian province of Homs, injuring at least five soldiers, the Syrian Defence Ministry announced. This was the third such attack in recent days. According to some sources in the affected areas there is a strong presence of militias linked to Hezbollah and Iran, whose influence in Syria has grown since the outbreak of civil war in 2011.

RUSSIA

From Russia's official portal Gosuslugi, 'State Services', the 'Delete History' function has been removed, the command for which no longer even appears, by decision of the Ministry of Digitalisation, and the only way to delete one's searches will be an explicit request to the site's technological service centre, in order to better control all users.

KAZAKHSTAN

Police in the North Kazakhstan region began carrying out checks and searches after videos of the so-called 'People's Council' of the Russian-speaking city of Petropavlovsk and other neighbouring cities were circulated on the Internet, in which they make appeals 'to the workers' instigating rebellion against the 'ruling regime of the Astana corporations'.
Death was mandatory for 11 serious crimes, while now it will be at the discretion of the court, which can impose instead corporal punishment or up to 40 years of imprisonment. The new legislation has passed the lower house, and is expected to be approved by the upper house and get royal assent. The death sentence was under moratorium since in 2018; more than 1,300 inmates could be spared.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Malaysia's parliament, has abolished mandatory death penalty and life in prison for certain crimes.

The legislation will now go to the Dewan Negara, the upper house, for approval, which experts except, before it gets royal assent.

If passed, the new laws would allow more than 1,300 inmates on death row to apply for a review of their case within 90 days.

The country has had a moratorium on executions since 2018, when the authorities first announced their intention to abolish capital punishment, but they then backed down following the pressure from certain parties.

Under the laws adopted today, courts will be able to impose other penalties, including corporal punishment and sentences of up to 40 years.

Capital punishment is applicable in 34 offences, including 11 that are hitherto mandatory, such as drug trafficking, murder and terrorism.

The death penalty has not brought about the results it was intended to bring, said Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh speaking in parliament.

For Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, Mondays vote an important step forward for Malaysia.

In his view, Malaysia should show regional leadership by encouraging other governments in ASEAN to re-think their continued use of the death penalty.

One of the countries that needs to rethink is Singapore, which executed 11 people last year for drug-related crimes.

Meanwhile, Myanmars ruling military junta reintroduced capital punishment last year before executing four pro-democracy activists.

According to official data, Malaysia hanged 1,318 prisoners between 1992 and 2023.
The favourite is the current pastor of Haimen. He is head of the Council of Chinese Bishops, a body loyal to the Communist Party. The city diocese has in fact been vacant for 10 years, since the death of Msgr. Jin Luxian. His successor, Msgr Ma Daqin, has been under house arrest since 2012. The last episcopal installation in China took place on 8 September 2021.

Rome (AsiaNews) - Tomorrow the new bishop of Shanghai will take office. AsiaNews has been able to view a circular from the local authorities inviting the priests of the diocese to attend the celebration.

The document does not mention a name, but in all probability the choice has fallen on Msgr Shen Bin, current pastor of nearby Haimen (Jiangsu). Recognised by the Holy See and the Chinese government since his ordination in 2010, according to various rumours he has been in the city since yesterday.

Msgr Shen's star is on the rise. He is head of the Council of Chinese Bishops, a body not recognised by the Holy See and linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Since last month he is among the 11 Catholic representatives - and among the vice presidents - of the Chinese People's Consultative Political Conference (CPCPCC), which together with the much more important National People's Congress is called upon to formalise decisions already taken by President Xi Jinping and the Party leadership.

The bishop's seat in Shanghai has in fact been vacant for 10 years, since the death in April 2013 of Msgr Aloyisius Jin Luxian, the "official" bishop since 1988, then chosen by the "patriotic" Church loyal to the CPC.

In 2005, Msgr Jin was reconciled with the pope. The Holy See decided that Msgr Joseph Fan Zhongliang should be the ordinary bishop and Msgr Jin the auxiliary. As they are both very old, the Vatican asked them to think about a successor, which they recognised in Msgr Joseph Xing Wenzhi.

In 2012 Msgr. Xing resigned, for reasons still to be clarified, and in 2014 Msgr. Fan also died. The Church of Shanghai proceeded to choose a new auxiliary bishop in the person of Thaddeus Ma Daqin, ordained with a papal mandate and accepted by the government.

Since 2012, however, Bishop Ma has been under house arrest in the Sheshan seminary for daring to resign from the Patriotic Association immediately after his episcopal ordination. Although he later returned to the Party-dependent body, the government does not recognise him as bishop of the diocese and the faithful have no opportunity to meet him.

The signing in 2018, and renewal in October 2020 and 2022, of the Sino-Vatican Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops has not stopped the persecution of Catholics, especially unofficial (underground) ones.

In November, the Holy See denounced the Chinese authorities' violation of the agreement with the appointment of Bishop John Peng Weizhao as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Jiangxi. Despite the many vacant sees, no installation of a bishop has taken place in China since 8 September 2021.
by Arundathie Abeysinghe

Due to Sri Lankas economic crisis, some 600-700 doctors have left the country in the past year, with at least 40 applications to emigrate currently filed every day. This is just the beginning, expert warn. Combined with the shortage of medical drugs, the national health sector risks paralysis.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  The paediatric ward of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital has been closed after four paediatricians moved abroad, including its chief, as well as paediatric consultants attached to it. Now medical residents will no longer be able to train at the medical facility located in northern Sri Lanka.

In a letter last Wednesday, 29 March, the hospitals director, Dr D.M.S. Samaraweera, gave instructions to refer paediatric patients to non-paediatric wards following the wards closure.

In it, he explains that he was forced to shut down the ward after all three consultant doctors went abroad. All three are affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine, Rajarata University.

At the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, more doctors are considering leaving as well, sources say.

This is part of a broader trend. Due to the countrys economic crisis, scores of Sri Lankan specialists are emigrating, threatening to paralyse its health services.

At least 600 to 700 doctors, including specialists, have migrated during the last year, said Dr Haritha Aluthge, secretary of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA). The Health Ministry receives a minimum of 40 migration applications from doctors, every month.

This is not unexpected. The GMOA had issued repeated warnings that this would occur if the authorities imposed new taxes on professionals.

The closure of a ward due to the departure of specialist doctors of a leading hospital in the country may be the first step towards a crisis, said Dr Harsha Senanayake, a senior surgeon at a leading government hospital, speaking to AsiaNews.

Currently, Mullaitivu Hospitals paediatric ward is incapacitated as only one specialist doctor mans the unit, whereas, the surgical unit of the hospital has been shut down with no surgeons, he added.

For Dr Sachini Tennakoon, an orthopaedic surgeon at a district hospital, this is just the beginning of trouble in the health sector and the situation is bound to take a turn for the worse with other hospitals, too, having to downsize for want of doctors and other health professionals.

The health sector, she explained, has been plagued by numerous issues such as chronic drug shortage and if it deteriorates further due to the mass emigration of doctors, the ordinary people who pay to maintain them are wait-listed even for serious surgical procedures, whereas politicians are rich enough to pay for healthcare here or overseas.

In Sri Lanka, there are only 27 cardiothoracic surgeons, but only 18 consultants currently in five hospitals across the country, noted Dr Ranga Nissanka, who works at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. With the irreparable harm to the state health sector due to a dearth of specialists, life-saving heart surgeries and maternal health will be crippled.
New York City officials arrested a suspect for robberies and murders of drugged gay men in Manhattan

The individual, identified as 30-year-old Jacob Barroso, gave himself up to law enforcement personnel

The situation comes as authorities are still trying to locate the whereabouts of two other suspects in the killings

New York City officials arrested an individual concerning the robberies and murders of gay men who were drugged in Manhattan after the suspect turned himself into law enforcement personnel.

Officials charged the man, identified as 30-year-old Jacob Barroso from Harlem, for his role in the death of 25-year-old Julio Ramirez, who lost his life around the same time as 33-year-old John Umberger. The two victims died last spring after they ingested a lethal chemical cocktail while partying in separate clubs in Manhattan.

Suspect Arrested in Murders of Gay Men in Manhattan

Authorities are still looking for the whereabouts of two other suspects, identified as 35-year-old Jayqwan Hamilton and 34-year-old Roert Demaio. The two men, both from Brooklyn, were indicted last week for the crimes but have not yet been arrested, as per the New York Post.

The three men are considered members of a larger gang that is believed to be responsible for drugging and robbing people on 17 separate occasions throughout the city. The crimes allegedly occurred between September 2021 and August 2022, said police sources.

On March 3, the city medical examiner said that Umberger and Ramirez died of "acute intoxication" from a chemical mix of fentanyl, cocaine, ethanol, and other drugs. The two gay men were victims of homicide that stemmed from "drug-facilitated deaths," concluded the examiner.

Officials have also charged Barroso with murder, robbery, grand larceny, and conspiracy, some sources revealed. The supposed killers ambushed the gay men in separate incidents while the victims were on their way to leave the Q NYC and Ritz Bar and Lounge.

While there are very few details regarding Barroso's case, a Manhattan grand jury previously indicted Shane Hoskins on Thursday. According to the Gothamist, the latter suspect is currently facing six counts of robbery, identity theft, grand larceny, and conspiracy.

Read Also: Joe Biden Calls for Release of US Journalist Arrested in Russia

Death by Intoxication

Following the crimes, the victims' families later found out that money was taken from the financial accounts of the two gay men using facial recognition technology on their mobile devices. Members of the Ramirez family did not respond to a request for comment on Sunday regarding the incidents.

The mother of Umberger, Linda Clary, spoke in an interview on Sunday where she said that the case was "moving in the right direction." This is despite no one yet being charged for the murder of her son.

She also expressed her gratitude for the progress authorities have made about the case. Clary noted that she was relieved that police have already arrested some suspects and hopes that the remaining ones will also be taken into custody.

Another man, identified as Andre Butts, was arrested last June and charged with using Ramirez's credit card only hours after he died. The money was used to buy two pairs of Nike sneakers at a store in Soho that cost $544.38, said the New York Times.

Related Article: Michael Cohen Speaks Out Over Donald Trump Indictment

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by Shafique Khokhar

Iftar, the Muslims fast-breaking meal, becomes an occasion for an interfaith meeting during which Bishop Rehmat read a passage from the Gospel of Matthew on the meaning of penitential acts. Let us not forget the poor at Easter and Eid, he said.

Faisalabad (AsiaNews)  With Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, and Lent overlapping, Christians and Muslims have been provided a special opportunity to come together this year in Pakistan.

As it does every year, the Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad and the Diocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue last week organised an Iftar, the evening meal Muslims have after fasting during the day, with Muslim guests.

The dinner began with the reading of a passage from the Quran. Fr Pascal Paulus OP followed with the presentation of the event, describing it as an opportunity to share a moment of fraternity, notwithstanding their differences.

Another Muslim scholar, Allama Khurram Saifi, spoke to those present, saying that it is not often that the two penitential periods overlap; for this reason, this Iftar took on greater significance.

The month of fasting is a time of prayers, charity and tolerance," Saifi said. This year God has showered His blessings upon all of us as Lent and Ramadan come together.

In his view, the invitation to Iftar dinner from Christians provides a message of acceptance and respect for each others faiths.

A few days earlier, Bishop Inderias Rehmat of Faisalabad along with Fr Khalid Rashid Asi and other religious leaders visited Dar-ul-Aman, a government shelter for women victims of violence. They brought 50 food packages for the residents as an act of almsgiving for the two important religious festivities.

During the Iftar, Bishop Rehmat expressed gratitude to the Muslim religious leaders for their support in critical situations. He then read a passage from the Gospel of Matthew, explaining the meaning of Christian fasting.

"Let us not forget the poor, the prelate said, let us do our best so that they can celebrate Easter and Eid with happiness and dignity. I pray to God for political stability in our country and its wellbeing.

After dinner, the Muslims held the Namaz prayer near the cathedral, as a token of togetherness and peace among communities.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Bizarre theories proliferate in the country at war, contrary to the scientific discoveries 'imposed' by the West. Russians who can live 900 years, miraculous homeopathy, satellites that perform interstellar travel. With the new patriotic science, Moscow wants to conquer not only this world, but the entire universe.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Vladimir Putin's pronouncements on the "new Russian civilisation", which must make itself autonomous in every field from the "domination of globalist powers", has excited the spirits of Russian scientists, who are always ready to go beyond the boundaries of imagination to assert themselves above the world.

In March, at the session of the international theological-scientific conference in Moscow, the biologist Aleksandr Kudrjavtsev, director of the Institute of Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained that 'all genetic diseases originate from original sin': in fact, the first men lived to be 900 years old, but after the Universal Flood, the course of life became increasingly shorter.

That is why, according to Kudrjavtsev, 'the world does not allow Russia to live quietly and develop according to its own scenario... our resources are too attractive to the surrounding world, be it Europe or China, and we have to defend ourselves with our military capabilities... to restore the original order of paradise in Russia'.

Outlandish, anti-scientific theories are not exclusive to Russia's leading geneticist, however. Oleg Epstein is a pharmacologist and scholar of the first rank, himself a member of the Academy of Sciences and director of a major laboratory of patho-physiology. He is the leading preacher of homeopathic medicine in Russia, the doctrine of cures prescribed in 'extra-minimal doses', which has a large number of followers in the country.

The National Commission for Combating False Science in 2017 listed Epstein as one of the main accused of 'pseudo-scientific homeopathy', but Epstein sued the Commission in court, obtaining partial success.

After all, in 2018 alone, his company 'Materia Medika Holding' had lost billions of roubles due to the lack of success of its 'Anaferon' and 'Ergoferon' preparations, but now Putin's push for 'pharmaceutical sovereignty' could revive the business of Russian homeopathy.

Another academic, the head of the chair of Differential Geometry Anatolij Fomenko, who has recently decided to devote himself to the study of history, also gets a lot of attention at these junctures.

According to his theories, in the Middle Ages there was a gigantic empire with its political centre in the eastern part of Europe, which dominated the whole of Eurasia, and according to some versions even America.

Hence the need to write a 'New Chronology', on which more than 100 books with a circulation of almost a million have been published, rewriting the entire history of Europe from the 10th century onwards, in order to prove the superiority of Russia denied by Western chronicles.



Member of the Medical Academy Sergei Konovalov is also making a name for himself, in contrast even to the Russian Orthodox Church itself, with his energy-informative doctrine, according to which 'life on Earth comes from sources other than those hitherto propagated'. The doctor presents himself as a 'mediator between cosmic reason and mankind', to 'lift mankind out of suffering', restoring harmony with occult forces.

There are also those who are able to offer extra-sensory medicines, such as the deputy director of the chair of bio-organic chemistry at Mgu University, Vladimir Voejkov. To take advantage of these miraculous preparations, one has to record them on an old-fashioned CD and insert it into a reader, and then 'the computer copies of Preduktal and Arbidol, which activate the energies of artesian waters, are opened'.

Thanks to these computer-analogue guides, one can then drink 'intelligent water', which from the tap at home can reach all the wounds and weaknesses of the body. In a film broadcast on state TV, the water is shown under a microscope, and the water cells speak, say 'thank you' and 'sorry', or even 'I dislike you'.

The climax of the pseudo-science of the new Russia is reached by the director of cosmic systems at the Khrunicev Institute, Aleksej Varocko, who claims that the Russian Sputnik 'Jubileinyj' is able to deviate from the Earth's orbit without being attracted by gravity and transform itself into a 'Gravitsappa', a mythological device from Russian science fiction films, a reactor that allows cosmic stations to make intergalactic journeys. With the new patriotic science, in short, Russia will conquer not only this world, but the entire universe.
Douglas fir bark beetles are taking their toll on stands in the Fryingpan Valley downstream from Ruedi Reservoir as well as south of the dam and north along the length of the reservoir. A 2022 forest health survey determined Douglas fir beetle infestations are the main pest plaguing the Roaring Fork Valley.
Mazda ditched the downsize trend and introduced the CX-90 in the spring of 2023 for the 2024 model-year, and installed a completely new range of drivetrains for its biggest SUV.

The Japanese brand's engineers burned the midnight oil to develop a new platform and a new range of engines for the CX-90. In addition, the new SUV was built to compete with premium vehicles, not with the likes of Honda or Hyundai. The result was a large, three-row family vehicle.

With an unmistakable Mazda design, the CX-90 featured a front fascia that was adorned with a set of daytime running lights that connected the headlights with the main grille. In addition, the LED DRLs from inside the headlamps were C-shaped to provide a unique look for the massive vehicle. On the front fenders, the carmaker added a set of fake vents that were adorned with either Inline six or PHEV lettering, depending on the engine version. Also, the stretched platform and the long cabin created an imposing look for the CX-90.

Inside, the carmaker threw everything it got in terms of comfort and luxury items. The dashboard looked special with the fabric that covered it. At the front, the two bucket seats were separated by a wide center console that housed the gear selector and a pair of cup holders. In addition, Mazda placed the controls for the infotainment unit. Besides the digital instrument panel and the LCD that sat atop the center stack, the automaker also offered a large head-up display.

Even if most automakers started to provide vehicles with small, inline-four engines, Mazda introduced the CX-90 with either a 3.3-liter inline-six powerplant, or a 2.5-liter inine four that was helped by an electric motor.
EV

SUV

kWh

Porsche Macanmight be the most unfortunate model in Porsche's history, considering that it was supposed to be ready for delivery in 2022. The second electric model in Porsche's lineup and the brother of the Audi Q6 e-tron, the Macan EV was one of the many victims of the Cariad woes . Volkswagen Group's software arm botched things so hard that its parent company partnered with Bosch to develop the software for its upcoming EVs.In July 2022, company insiders complained to the German news outlet Automobilwoche that the car was ready but could not ship because it lacked the software to make it work. The Macan EV is one of the many upcoming electric vehicles that utilize the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), elevating the Taycan electric drivetrain to a new level. Being so long in the making, Porsche has already revealed many of its technical details to keep potential customers entertained. Previous spy shots have revealed the dashboard's appearance, although claddings covered most of it. This time, our photographers got lucky and snapped the fully-uncovered cockpit for the first time. Not only that, but the pictures were taken while all the screens were in use, revealing interesting details beyond the dashboard's design and the user interface.One image shows the battery temperature at 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) and an 82% state of charge. The estimated range is 234 km (145 miles), which looks utterly disappointing, but might be irrelevant because we have no idea how the car was driven up to that point. The computer estimates might also be inaccurate because thewas tested in winter conditions.The pictures reveal the main infotainment screen with a classic interface, identical to the one in the upcoming 2024 Porsche Cayenne . There are small differences in the cockpit compared to the bigger brother, like the missing handles on the center console and how the instrument panel is integrated into the dashboard. Hopefully, the Macan EV will not feature another screen in front of the passenger, like the Cayenne. This is unnecessary and only spoils the interior design.The unveiling of the Porsche Macan EV has been pushed back to 2024, but potential customers still have reasons to be excited. The electric SUV will feature a dual-motor configuration with up to 603 horsepower. As expected, the all-wheel-drive system will be rear-biased, enabling a thrilling driving experience, enhanced by the front-to-rear weight balance of 48:52. The electric drivetrain will also feature a pulse inverter built with silicon carbide electronics to minimize losses, with everything powered from a 100-battery.
SUV

As far as the North American market is concerned, 2022 may have belonged to Honda when the Japanese rivals are concerned, but now its Toyotas time to shine. And it is diligently taking care of business, with the upcoming 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid, the 2023 Prius Prime, a host of Trailhunters, plus the first-ever 2024 Grand Highlander. Oh, and let us not forget about the next evolution of the best-selling Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, which is probably dropping by for the first time on April 4th.As one can easily see, the accent is on high riders, of course. That would be entirely understandable, considering the hype surrounding crossover, SUVs, and trucks, all around the world  not just in the United States. But of course, the company needs to make a good impression on the latter market, which is crucial to its financial wealth, so no wonder it has focused on the introduction of big stuff like the all-new 2024 Grand Highlander Not just a Highlander with an elongated wheelbase, the 2024 Grand Highlander is obviously inspired by the Sequoia full-sizeand Tundra pickup truck, as far as the design is concerned. Inside, though, its more of a crossover SUV than anything else, complete with ample cargo space and an adult-sized third row, among many others. For now, though, we already know most of the details  which include three powertrains  a 2.4-liter turbo gasoline mill, the ubiquitously efficient 2.5-liter hybrid, and the great 362-hp Hybrid MAX.Plus, there are also three grades  XLE, Limited, and Platinum. But what if that is just the appetizer and Toyota wanted to be sure it can drop the hammer on the Honda Pilot and all other mid-size three-row CUV rivals? No worries, if one does not have any ideas regarding a solution to do that, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always ready and willing to provide some CGI thoughts on any matter.So, here are the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube, who have imagined the CGI looks of an unannounced special Grand Highlander grade that could act as a sort of limited-edition flagship. Thus, meet the unofficial and unannounced 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Black Edition, the most stylish trim level, and a potential contender to the title of Sequoia and Tundra Capstone heir. As always, though, the resident pixel master was not just satisfied with envisioning the Grand Highlander in pitch-black trim darkness  they also worked out a solution to make the hypothetical Black Edition a little colorful!
Chinese premier holds talks with Malaysian PM

Xinhua) 10:37, April 03, 2023

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for the visiting Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, April 1, 2023. Li held talks with Anwar in Beijing on Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday held talks with visiting Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing.

China and Malaysia have reached a consensus on building a China-Malaysia community with a shared future, which has drawn a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the new era, Li said, urging efforts to take the consensus as guidance to pursue bilateral cooperation of higher quality, increase the well-being of the two countries and their peoples, and contribute to regional and global peace, stability, development and prosperity.

As developing countries and emerging economies, China and Malaysia need to leverage their comparative advantages to advance cooperation in the next stage, said the Chinese premier.

He called for efforts to synergize the two countries' development strategies, promote integrated development, step up cooperation in emerging industries and enhance friendship and mutual trust.

China is ready to work with Malaysia and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to speed up consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and jointly maintain peace and stability of the area, Li said.

"Asia is our common home and win-win cooperation is the only right choice," said the Chinese premier, noting China is ready to work with Malaysia and other ASEAN countries to actively advance negotiations on the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA 3.0), jointly implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and continuously promote the building of the East Asia Economic Community.

Li also called on the two countries to unequivocally defend multilateralism, safeguard the common interests of developing countries and emerging economies, and make greater contributions to improving the global governance system.

For his part, Anwar said the new Malaysian government gives priority to developing Malaysia-China relations and firmly upholds the one-China policy.

Malaysia supports China's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, advance cooperation in automotive, energy, culture and tourism, agriculture and digital economy, and promote personnel exchanges, he said.

Following the talks, Li and Anwar witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents on economy, trade, agriculture and customs.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Conservative leader Petteri Orpo is set to become the new Finnish prime minister after edging out a win against Sanna Marin

Marin conceded defeat on Sunday to the 53-year-old lawmaker

Orpo focused his election campaign on Finland's finances

Conservative leader Petteri Orpo is set to become the new Finnish prime minister after winning against the Social Democrats' Sanna Marin, who conceded her defeat on Sunday.

While Orpo may not be the most exciting prospect to take on Finland's political landscape, his calm demeanor and insistence on budget austerity had shored enough support to win the vote.

Petteri Orpo Set To Become Finland's New Prime Minister

The conservative leader was first elected to Finland's parliament in 2007 and previously served as a finance, interior, and agriculture minister. He was raised in southwestern Finland and first became entangled with student politics while studying economics at university.

He got so into it that he took 12 years to graduate with a master's degree in political science with a major in economics. Orpo kept his focus firmly on Finland's finances throughout his election campaign. He argued that it was an issue that his rival, Marin, had neglected, as per France24.

During an interview before the vote, Orpo said that the most crucial thing that the National Coalition, which he is a part of, wants to change in Finland is to stop increasing debt. However, the conservative leader's focus on the budget could cause concern for some in Brussels as Finland is already one of the more "frugal" countries in the EU.

Orpo is seen as a pragmatic leader who will take time to listen and is looking to be inclusive. In 2016, he took over leadership of the party after beating former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, who lost an election the prior year.

Many see the conservative leader as amiable and calm, in parallel with how his father was in the conservative party. This was so much the case that many have wondered how the father of two teenagers could have lasted so long in the fiery world of politics.

Read Also: North Korea Shows High Activity in Nuclear Facility

Sanna Marin Concedes Defeat in Sunday Vote

Marin conceded her defeat when 99% of the votes had been counted, showing the National Coalition secured 48 of the country's 200 parliamentary seats. This pushed the prime minister's party into third place with 43 seats. The second place was the far-right Finns Party which had 46 seats, according to Politico.

The prime minister's defeat marks the latest blow for the left of the region as Germany's Olaf Scholz is facing mounting pressure at home. Sweden's Magdalena Andersson was voted during a general election held in September last year.

Marin focused her campaign on pushing a traditional left-leaning agenda in the run-up to the vote on Sunday. She railed against proposed public spending cuts championed by the center-right and called on the public to support fiscal investments that she claimed would result in greater employment and economic growth.

In a speech to his followers after the Sunday vote, Orpo said that they got the biggest mandate and vowed to "fix Finland" and its economy. On the other hand, Marin said that they had gained support and more seats in parliament despite not finishing first in the election, said CNN.

Related Article: Antony Blinken Calls for Release of US Journalist in Russia

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Photo: Tiny Homes Australia

Photo: Tiny Homes Australia

Photo: Tiny Homes Australia

At the time of its build, the aptly-named Cradle Mountain claimed to be one of the biggest road-legal tiny houses in Australia. At the beginning of 2020, it had been custom-built for a couple, and ready to travel to Tasmania, where it would become their new home. Its certainly the largest model ever built by the team at Tiny House Australia  at 11 meters (36 feet) its considerably longer than most homes on wheels (typically 7 meters long/23 feet).Cradle Mountains configuration doesnt pay too much attention to the loft bedroom, which is unusual. Its only big enough to fit in a queen-sized mattress  not exactly what youd expect with a bigger tiny. However, all the pleasant surprises are revealed downstairs. The extra length was used to create a full kitchen and a separate living/dining area, plus an unexpectedly lavish bathroom.In other words, while the loft bedroom can be described as basic, the Cradle Mountains kitchen, bathroom, and living area got all the attention. Once you enter through the tri-fold doors, you get the feeling that youre inside a much bigger house. And thats not because of some design gimmick, but thanks to the high ceiling (3.2 meters/10.4 feet) and seamless transition from the living area to the kitchen.A decent-size dining table that can welcome the entire family is one of the most luxurious features a tiny house can have. And Cradle Mountain certainly needed one, since its supposed to accommodate at least four people, and up to six.Well, not only does everyone get a seat, but theres also plenty of room for watching TV on the comfortable sofa. This is great both for family time or socializing with friends  something that can become an issue with tiny living, due to the lack of space.Those who consider the kitchen to be the heart of a home would be happy to spend time cooking at Cradle Mountain. Theres enough room for a full-size fridge and an electric cooktop with an oven, while everything can be neatly tucked away in the underneath storage cabinets.The beautiful countertop happens to be handmade from Tasmanian oak. Together with the massive floating shelf (with hidden LED lighting) it makes this galley-style kitchen look much more elegant and luxurious. Additional storage is provided by the staircase leading to the loft bedroom, and the lofts protection wall doubles as another storage solution, with multiple drawers. Two large windows keep the room full of natural light and fresh air at all times, despite its rather modest size.At the very end of the house, youd be pleasantly surprised to discover the most comfortable bathroom. The full-size shower (900 x 900 mm/35.4 x 35.4) and mirrored cabinet over the vanity amp up the comfort level, while the fact that its fully tiled gives it a modern, elegant touch. And theres even extra room for a washing machine cabinet.All of this is contained within a little over 26 square meters (280 square feet). This large tiny sticks to the required width of 2.4 meters (7.8 feet) and due to its extensive length, it comes on a dual-axle truck trailer, fitted with air brakes in addition to the mandatory break-away safety system.One of the best things about this Aussie builder is that it also pays special attention to the trailers, which are, after all, the foundation of a tiny home. All the trailers for the Tiny Homes Australia models are custom-made by its partner company, Hangan Steel. These trailer models range between 4 and 11 meters (13 to 36 feet), all with a 2.4-meter width so that the finished house can stay within the legal limits for registerable moveable dwellings (2.5 meters/8.2 feet).At the time of its build, Cradle Mountain was asking for AUD $135,000 (around $90,000). Today, the completed version of this spacious tiny is worth AUD $195,000 ($130,000). But its a price worth paying for such a cozy family home thats still mobile and versatile. Plus, with its beautiful living area and generous kitchen, Cradle Mountain would also be great as a vacation rental.Tiny Homes Australia has already won the hearts of its customers with more than 50 complete builds, even though it started out just six years ago. Once again, this proves the incredible popularity of tiny homes on wheels in different parts of the world. The Cradle Mountain is not a typical tiny, but one that demonstrates the endless possibilities of tiny living.
SUV

The world has gone through massive turmoil over the past few years, so any smile is more than welcomed, frankly. And, even if you have no idea what the beloved yet flawed Ford Bronco reinvention has to do with one of the ugliest cars in the entire history  aka Pontiacs Aztek, bear with us, as we shall explain everything.First and foremost, remember that over the passing weekend, there was one special date  April 1st  which is traditionally associated with April Fools jokes and other crazy stuff. Everyone takes part in the proceedings, even the uber-serious automotive industry. And we had plenty of laughs, from child-focused rooftop tents that allowed kids to leave their parents at home and go out on adventures above their favorite wheeled toys to the recurring theme of GTA VI pranks.But I also want to direct your attention toward the imaginative realm of digital car content creators. Indeed, even though some might say they joke about surreal cars daily, the virtual artists were no strangers to fake creations even during April Fools And there were even serious venues involved in the shenanigans. Alas, there is no need to take our word for granted, as we have some eloquent examples.The first one stems from the dreams of a YouTube channel that usually discusses real stuff  all with a Blue Oval perched in the center of the radiator grille. On this occasion, though, Mitchell S. Watts, the affable host of the Town and Country TV channel on YouTube, has prepared a fake presentation for the 2024 Ford Bronco Lightning  the zero-emissions variant of the reinvented sixth-generation off-road. Based on the official shots, the F-150 Lightning-inspired CGIs are pretty crude (especially the ones regarding the interior) but also definitely cool when the 2- or 4-Doors are equipped with lots of accessories.Secondly, Abimelec Arellano, the virtual artist better known as abimelecdesign on social media, has prepared the seventh wishful thinking project in collaboration with SpeedKore, and its a sight to behold, for sure. More precisely, they modified a Pontiac Aztek, one of the ugliest vehicles on Earth, into the DragzTek and immediately took a swing at the Fast & Furious franchise with it. Setting the 42nd entry in the Fast Saga  Breaking Fast and Dominic Toretto references aside, this could still be a veritable monster  if ever real.After all, Arellano and SpeedKore completely reimagined the 2001-2005 mid-size crossover SUV into a dragstrip beast that could live life a quarter mile at a time by way of SpeedKores pre-preg carbon fiber body, a thoroughly modified chassis, plus the heart of a twin-turbo Mercury Racing SB4 V8 packing eleventy thousand and two horsepower. Additionally, the DragzTek will be on tour this April in Albuquerque, New Mexico visiting select Los Pollos Hermanos locations and giving away limited quantities of Frings Blue. Cool, right?
Photo: Thunderbike

You know how most of the people on this planet believe black cats are bad luck omens? Well, Brits have this dog thing, a creature black as night, with red or yellow eyes trapped in its head (that is, when it has a head, as some versions of the creature depict it without one) and serving the Devil.Nasty things, all of the above, but as usual with folklore motifs, the black dog also has a bright side, as to some people it represents some sort of supernatural guardian protecting travelers.And the Germans over at Harley-Davidson custom shop Thunderbike are now here to give us another interpretation of the black dog, in the form of a modified Fat Boy wearing the name. Not connected to the mythological creature in any other way than through the paint job, the bike is owned by a British national, and that too explains the choice of name.Following roughly the same design lines Thunderbike has gotten us used to when it comes to Fat Boys , this one rides on custom aluminum wheels with five spokes, sized 23 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear and both wrapped in Metzeler tires.The entire bike is connected to the ground not only by the said wheels, but also by an air suspension system that helps lower and rise the two-wheeler depending on needs.The engine sitting in the frame of the Black Dog is still the original Milwaukee Eight 114 Harley originally fitted in there, only gifted with a Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde with short exhaust pipes that reach straight for the back.A wealth of other custom parts (to a total of over 30) have been fitted on the Fat Boy, including a swingarm conversion kit to support the much larger rear wheel, the front and rear fenders, various covers, the handlebar, and so on.Although were not told how much the transformation cost as a whole, we do know the parts fitted on the ride alone amount to the equivalent of almost $15,000. And that does not include the base bike, the exhaust system, the man hours, and the paint job.And to sign off with a sort of a twist, if you check out the gallery above youll notice how the Harley-Davidson Black Dog is not exactly entirely black, but a combination of that with blue and red. To make sure nobody in the UK mistakes this bike for something else while it's ridden down the road, actual black dogs with red eyes are painted on either side of the fuel tank.
kW

Charge your Tesla, Energize your life????Cybervault is available now?? pic.twitter.com/nG5iQ2kJjI  Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) April 3, 2023

The funny part was hearing everyone's ideas for what it could be



A Powerwall combined with a wall charger! V2G!



Then it turns out to just be a metal box with a key  Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) April 3, 2023

Tesla's best April Fools' Day joke wasn't the Cybertruck alleged crash test , but the Cybertruck-inspired box protecting a wall charger. Tesla started teasing the "Cybervault" on April 1 in China, and many thought the device was a cool type of Powerwall. Tesla China is preparing to launch Megapack production in China, and a new product in the Tesla Energy lineup would be something to look out for. Based on the message on social media, the Cybervault would have a low-carbon steel box and would allow "fast charging."This made people speculate wildly, with some believing Tesla would launch a wall charger with integrated battery storage to allow fast charging without drawing more current from the grid. Others thought it was a vehicle-to-grid charger, like the Ford Charge Station Pro. Only those living in China understood that V2G is useless in China, as most people live in apartments, and electricity is so cheap that a Powerwall wouldn't make sense.Apparently, third-party charging vaults are popular in China, as many wall chargers are installed in underground parking garages. It made sense that Tesla would offer a high-quality solution, and it did, disappointing the western hemisphere. Instead of the V2G battery-powered wall charger, Tesla unveiled a tin box with a lock to make the Chinese owners happy. The Cybercharger does pack a wall charger inside, though, able to pump 7of power to the car. The package sells for 5,500 yuan (around $800) in China via Alibaba's Taobao Tesla Store and cannot be shipped overseas.Even funnier than the tin box was how Tesla chose to advertise the Cybercharger. The promotional video shows that the Cybertruck-themed box offers protection against elements and humans, being dustproof, waterproof, and, of course, hammer and steel-ball proof. The video is a subtle self-irony inspired by the Cybertruck failed glass demo during the 2019 unveiling event.Back then, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen hit the truck's door with a hammer and threw a ball at the Armor Glass windows to show how tough they were. As you know already, the test didn't go well, and the glass broke , a nice PR stunt that many believe was staged.Since home charging in the U.S. is very different from that in China, we doubt the Cybercharger/Cybervault would find many customers. Still, it would prove a hit with Tesla owners in Europe, considering that people across the pond also live in apartment buildings. Having your own personal charging station with a cool Cybertruck design surely looks enticing.
Photo: Burgess Yachts

Photo: Burgess Yachts

Photo: Yachting Partners International

HP

Photo: Burgess Yachts

More than a decade ago, in 2011, one of the most highly-anticipated launches in the luxury yachting world was ready to turn heads . Pegaso was the largest private superyacht built in Spain, and 150 guests (including Jean-Michel Cousteau, a member of the famous Cousteau family) attended its launch ceremony at Vigo, Spain.The name of the shipyard where it was built was not familiar to yachting connoisseurs. Thats because the Freire Shipyard, a family-owned business dating back to 1895, specialized in fishing boats and commercial vessels.Why was it chosen, then? Well, because Pegaso was supposed to be an expedition and research vessel. A highly luxurious one, of course, considering that it had been allegedly commissioned by a Mexican mogul (the logo on the yacht transom was that of Grupo Pegaso, a telecommunication company in Mexico).The new vessels range matched its mammoth size . Pegaso promised an incredible 10,000- nautical mile (18,520 km) range, meaning that it could travel from Spain to Australia, and back, without any refueling. As an expedition vessel, it also sported an ice class 1D hull (so that it could venture even in the coldest areas) and came with a custom-built, 9-meter (29.5 feet) submarine for oceanographic research.Pegaso got off to a rocky start, literally. Just before the Monaco Yacht Show in September, it hit some rocks close to the dock, in Spain, apparently due to the malfunctioning of its stern thrusters. Because of that, it had to spend more time at the shipyard, for repairs, but eventually had a successful public debut.Three years later, in 2014, the Spanish-built megayacht underwent an extensive refit and re-emerged as Naia, an opulent luxury toy. The new owner was reportedly a Saudi Arab billionaire, Saleh Abdulla Kamel. Even after he passed away in 2020, Naia stayed in the family and continues to be a privately-owned pleasure craft thats also available for charter (asking for more than $600,000 per week in high season).The original research vessel, created by BMT Nigel Gee and H2 Yacht Design, was transformed into a luxury toy by the same shipyard. For example, the laboratory was converted into two staff cabins, and the master bathroom was upgraded.But Naia still boasts the features that turned heads more than a decade ago. One of them is the spectacular helipad that doubles as a sun lounging area. This is no simple touch-and-go helipad, but a fully-certified helipad, similar to those found on the North Sea oil platforms. This mobile platform can extend by four meters (13 feet) to make room for an Airbus H135 (the former Eurocopter EC135).When not in use, this giant helipad becomes a lavish sun lounging area, with generous seating and spectacular views. Next to it, guests get to enjoy a stunning open-air gym, thats fully equipped. It also includes a sauna, and  the cherry on top  a luxurious eight-people jacuzzi.Another unusual feature for a superyacht is that the bridge deck sits lower. This allows for an incredible owners penthouse, on the dedicated owners deck. The suite alone unfolds over nearly 1,300 square feet (120 square meters). Imagine spectacular 360-degree views, private terraces both forward and aft, in addition to a lavish private lounge and separate office.Another advantage is that all of the other guest cabins are also located on the main deck, which means that everyone gets to enjoy plenty of natural light and beautiful views. The only downside is less visibility for the captain (who would typically maneuver the yacht from a much higher bridge deck).Naia also grabs attention with its four enormous satellite domes, meant to provide potential service disruptions and to receive internet connectivity even in the most remote locations. Its air-conditioning system was also adapted for extreme environments, and the black water treatment system complies to the highest standards in the industry.Powered by twin 3,135Caterpillar engines, Naia burns 700 liters per hour, while cruising at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22 kph). Thanks to the zero-speed stabilizers, everyone onboard Naia enjoys a more pleasant experience while at anchor. Theres nothing getting in the way of enjoying cocktails outdoors, getting a professional massage, or watching a movie in the elegant bridge deck lounge.Its sophisticated interiors, originally designed by Mark Berryman, reveal a modern style with subtle Zen influences, that is far from the ruggedness of a research vessel and perfectly in line with todays most luxurious megayachts. Natural materials, such as bamboo, stone, and leather, are beautifully highlighted by a peaceful, neutral-tone color palette.Naia hasnt been in the spotlight recently, and thats too bad. This superyacht is truly a hidden gem  an opulent pleasure craft with the heart of an expedition vessel, and one of the most spectacular vessels coming from Spain.
Photo: Sauna Ikitai/Oosuke Otake

Case in point, Japan, where a bus company in Hyogo Prefecture has transformed a decommissioned city bus into a sauna on wheels called Sabus. You have probably never imagined you could enjoy a sauna experience during a public bus ride, but this is possible now thanks to this mobile sauna built by Sauna Ikitai, a local start-up focused on promoting the health benefits of saunas. The company joined forces with Osaka-based architecture firm OSTR to refurbish decommissioned buses so that they function as moving saunas.Now, lets face it, daily commutes can get sweaty sometimes from being packed like sardines with a bunch of strangers, but the sauna bus will open up your pores in a different, more hygienic, and fun way. Not to mention it offers an exquisite way to experience the city.The aim of the project was to breathe new life into a disused bus and give it a new identity. The exterior of the bus has remained mostly unchanged, except for some elements signaling the new use. Meanwhile, its internal structure and layout have been completely modified to create a comfortable space suitable for relaxation. Wooden seats and padded benches have been added so that passengers can ride in comfort, while the large bus windows have remained in place to allow them to perceive the movement of the vehicle and connect with nature.The front part of the bus was restyled into a rest area, with benches, tables, and a vestibule for luggage storage. Sleek wooden panels will line the walls of the bus, reminiscent of a traditional wood-burning sauna.The actual sauna zone is at the back of the refurbished bus, where an elegant wood stove was installed. Wooden panels line the walls of the vehicle to emulate the feeling of a traditional wood-burning sauna.The narrow space inside the bus serves as a good setting for a sauna as it maintains heat well. And the architects chose the back of the bus because the seat arrangement creates a height differential that allows for three levels, each with a different level of warmth. The first row is where you best enjoy the wellness benefits of the sauna, as you will feel the heat from the stove directly. The second row has the highest elevation and is closest to the ceiling, while the fourth row has the most convection from the ventilation and includes a bench that allows passengers to lie down.It seems that environmental impact was also a concern when building this project, as some of the sauna equipment inside the bus was made of recycled and remodeled parts from old buses. For instance, the handrails on the seats were wrapped in hemp for a softer feel, the suspension strap was turned into a thermometer, and the buttons that used to alert the driver when someone wanted to disembark now sprinkle the heated sauna stones with water to generate steam. Moreover, the sauna is fueled by wood pellets.This is certainly a unique concept , so if you happen to visit Japan, know that for just 1,000 yen (around $9), you can experience the only city bus that can be described as a hot ride firsthand.
Azerbaijani army units redeployed by Thursday morning to more parts of the Lachin district sandwiched between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, completing a change in the route of the Lachin corridor which began last August. Armenias National Security Service (NSS) said hours later that they advanced up to 300 meters into Armenian territory at five local sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border adjacent to the village of Tegh.

Local government officials and farmers said Tegh lost a large part of its agricultural land and pastures. Some of them said that the Azerbaijani military made bigger territorial gains than is admitted by official Yerevan.

The Azerbaijani advance also caused an uproar in Yerevan, with Armenian opposition leaders blaming Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for the loss of yet another part of Armenias internationally recognized territory.

In another statement released on Saturday, the NSS claimed that the situation in that border area improved significantly as a result of negotiations held by Armenian and Azerbaijani officials. It did not elaborate.

Tegh residents said afterwards, however, that the Azerbaijani troops remain stationed in the newly occupied positions just outside the village.

They keep digging in  and havent retreated a single inch, said Masis Zeynalian, a member of the local council who no longer access to his wheat field.

Theyre staying put and continuing fortification works, said another Tegh councilor, Argam Hovsepian. Is this what they [the NSS] call an improvement?

Armenias Deputy Defense Minister Arman Sargsian refused to comment on that improvement when he was approached by journalists on Monday.

The Defense Ministry has a press service that periodically and promptly reacts to any issue, Sargsian said vaguely.

The ministry has made no statements on the situation around Tegh so far. Speaking right after the Azerbaijani advance on Thursday, Pashinian said that from now on the area will be patrolled and protected by border guards subordinate to the NSS, rather than the Armenian army.

Opposition leaders also blamed Pashinians government for much bigger territorial losses suffered by Armenia during border clashes with Azerbaijan in May 2021 and September 2022. They regularly charge that it cannot defend the country and rebuild its armed forces after mishandling the disastrous 2020 war in Karabakh. Pashinian and his political allies deny this.
It remained unclear whether prosecutors will move to indict Mher Sahakian of the main opposition Hayastan alliance.

The violence reportedly followed a shouting match between Vladimir Vartanian, the chairman of the parliament committee on legal affairs, and Sahakian and other opposition lawmakers. Vartanian, who represents the ruling Civil Contract party, suffered an injury to his left eyebrow and was taken to hospital before police detained Sahakian.

Sahakian received a heros welcome from other Hayastan deputies and activists as he walked out of a police detention center in Yerevan. Echoing their statements made on Friday, he claimed that he hit Vartanian because the latter stood up and walked menacingly towards him.

I resorted to necessary self-defense, Sahakian told journalists.

Vartanian insisted, however, that he did not charge at Sahakian. He again blamed opposition members of the panel for bitter exchanges that marred the meeting held behind the closed doors.

Under Armenian law, law-enforcement authorities cannot hold a parliament deputy in detention without a charge and without the National Assemblys permission for more than three days. The Office of the Prosecutor-General did not say whether it will ask the parliament controlled by Civil Contract to lift Sahakians immunity from prosecution.

If the investigating body reckons that I crossed that line [of self-defense] Im ready to answer, Sahakian said in this regard.

The ruling partys parliamentary group has strongly condemned the 35-year-old oppositionists actions, saying that he must be held accountable. Some of its members themselves assaulted opposition colleagues on the parliament floor in 2021. They were not prosecuted for that.
The isolation of Syria's Assad might end in the scheduled Arab Leaders Summit, which will include him.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has been a pariah since 2011.

Saudi Arabia, the host of the Arab Leaders Summit, requested Assad's presence.

The Arab Leaders Summit scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia will have the participation of Syria's Assad. The significance of the participation of Damascus comes at the heels of the Iran-Saudi deal promising stability and peace to the tumultuous Middle East.

Syria's Assad and Saudi Arabia Work Together

On Sunday, several sources said that the once ostracized Syrian President Bashar Assad would make an appearance at the Arab League Summit in Riyadh, reported Daily Sabah.

This would signal the end of Syria as a pariah in the Middle East after the 2011 civil wars, which cut diplomatic ties.

A formal invitation to be given by KSA's Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Damascus soon for the summit to be held on May 19, remarked two unidentified sources. A request for comment from the Saudi government's communication office and the foreign ministries of the two Arab states had no response, noted Gulf News.

The representative of the Arab League secretary-general, Gamal Roshdy, stated they do not have information on all bilateral relationships of all Arab states. He added they are not always in the know if there is a visit.

Syria's Isolation Might End in the Arab Leaders Summit

It is significant for Bashar Assad to be at the summit as Syria is rehabbed after getting kicked out of the league in 2011-alleged suppression of protests against his administration leading to the present civil war. Allowing the Syrians back into the body is a more objective approach to resolving the civil war.

A month back, Riyadh and Damascus opened consulates after Ramadan.

Read Also: President Xi Jinping Urges Iran, Saudi To improve Ties, Enhance Peace Deal

One of these sources indicated that several points were covered by the discussions as prerequisites to fixing broken ties that, included border security. Another is to deal with cross-border drug trafficking, cited Wion.

Prince Faisal did not visit or even Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad due to the deadly quake that struck Turkey and Syria last February. Last Saturday, Mekdad went to Cairo after a ten-year hiatus, and they spoke of cooperation.

A source in Egypt said that the visit was to plan the return of Damascus with the support of the Egyptians and Saudis. Not all nations are okay with the ending of the pariah status of Damascus, and one is the US and Qatar still citing what Assad did in 2011. They want an end solution to the conflict.

One mover of KSA and Damascus officials is boosting Arab re-unification made possible by the Beijing-mediated deal between Saudi and Iran. Assad's support of Riyadh helped smooth out the Arab League's concerns. The renewed understanding with Riyadh and Tehran is the major shift as Iran and Israel are saber rattling.

On early Sunday when Israelis struck Syrian outposts in the Homs province mentioned in the details. Syria's Defense Ministry and Western intel sources say the air in the center of Syria was attacked, with Iranians injured in the strikes.

The development of Syria's Assad as part of the Arab Leader's Summit getting sponsored by Saudi Arabia is a serious geopolitical shift, with Washington waiting for what comes next.

Related Article: UN Blames Syrian Conflict Limited Access to Quake Survivors
3 April 2023 17:59 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

Azerbaijan has since its independence in the early 1990s, based on democratic principles, always supported the activities of foreign political institutions, financial funds, and human rights organizations in the country.

In addition to the fact that most of these organizations belong to the USA and Europe, some of them continue to operate in the country.

However, after Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 by ending the Armenian occupation, the anti-state activities of such political institutions began to become more evident.

Experiences have shown that such organizations, primarily USAID, affiliated to the US government, as well as supposedly independent, aim to interfere in political processes, confuse society, manipulate socio-political processes, and weaken the principles of statehood, rather than contributing to the development of civil societies. Formally, although those organizations cooperated with the Azerbaijani state in certain directions, aspects such as creating loyal NGOs and media organizations, forming a unique network, and supporting the anti-state activities of radical political forces appeared in the direction of their main activity.

Forming Fifth column chained with financial shackles

The position of Western forces against Azerbaijan in Azerbaijan-Armenia relations does not need any explanation. Even the aforementioned organizations, which supposedly observed the conditions in Azerbaijan during the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan by the dictates of those forces, did not show any positive reaction until the conflicts partially ended with the outbreak of the war. On the contrary, the observations made show that USAID, NED, Friedrich Nauman, Marshall, IREX and other similar institutions operating in Azerbaijan and abroad are trying to form a "Fifth column" within Azerbaijan and use it as a means of pressure against the political authorities, to dictate their will.

It is known that the colorful revolutions that took place in some post-Soviet states starting from the beginning of 2000, and the political cataclysms that disturbed the Middle East in the later period took place with the close participation of the networks formed by the West. In order to prevent such activities against the national interest, foreign funding of civil society institutions was prevented in Azerbaijan. At that time, funding of political parties through NGOs had become a common practice. The Social Reforms and Democratic Election movement (SIDSUH), Demblok, Public Chamber, National Council and other similar institutions founded by the radical opposition from time to time took place due to the support of the West. However, attempts to ensure the unity of the opposition against the government and to form a strong alternative from it failed, the people did not accept this artificially stimulated process and its disruptive actors.

Getting financed through clandestine sources

In a short period of time, foreign forces looking for alternative ways began to deliver money through Georgia to NGOs and political parties acting on their orders in Azerbaijan. Thus, financial resources were sent to Georgia, and from there they were transferred to Azerbaijan through representatives of some NGOs.

Efforts to create conditions handy for instability, coups and chaos under the guise of US financial aid are still ongoing. After the destruction of the networks of the West, then Russia, and then Iran, attempts are being made to fill the vacant space again with Western institutions. This activity is led by USAID and its staunch pro-Armenian leader Samantha Pover.

- USAID mission in and out of Azerbaijan

USAID was created as a branch of the US Central Intelligence Agency and is currently engaged in actively interfering in the internal affairs of individual countries under the guise of aid. It is no coincidence that this organization allocated 9.5 billion dollars for the construction of civil society in various countries in 2023-2025. According to some information obtained, there is no doubt that these funds will be directed to the implementation of coup plans in various countries within the framework of the Doctrine of Democracy announced recently.

Is there a need for the activities of such organizations in developing Azerbaijan...?

As already mentioned, USAID has been operating in the country since 1991, when Azerbaijan gained independence. It was understandable that this organization, whose official mission was to provide support to underdeveloped and needy countries, operated in Azerbaijan at that time. However, Azerbaijan, which is within chairing the Non-Aligned Movement, helps many countries and is able to fulfill the function of a donor for many large projects. Then the question arises: what is the need for USAID's activity in our country? Wouldn't it be more logical if the organization spends the funds on needy countries such as Armenia, rather than on Azerbaijan?

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3 April 2023 13:57 (UTC+04:00)

Sabina Mammadli Read more

Azerbaijan offers the United States to expand cooperation in the field of energy in three directions, Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov said.

According to Azernews, the official made the remarks at the Azerbaijan-US "Green Energy" forum being held in the Baku Business Center.

According to him, Azerbaijans liberated territories, the Caspian region and Nakhchivan have great potential for cooperation in the field of energy.

"We proposed to our colleagues from the USA to establish and expand cooperation in these three priority areas," he added.

Furthermore, Soltanov stressed that Azerbaijan is currently discussing the purchase of batteries for the storage of electricity obtained from renewable energy sources.

The official noted that there are difficulties related to purchasing the batteries because of their price, hence why the discussions are still in the initial stage. He added that the discussions are being held with Saudi Arabia's ACWA POWER Company.

Additionally, Soltanov also underlined that Nakhchivan will become a hub for transporting clean energy from Azerbaijan to Turkiye and Europe.

"We are already attracting foreign investments to the country. As you know, we are planning to build a solar power plant in Karabakh together with bp. It will produce 25 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. The total potential of our country in green energy production is 200 gigawatts," he said.

Speaking at the forum, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman stated that US companies are interested in Azerbaijan's energy projects.

According to him, the US government and companies know that today Azerbaijan plays the role of a hub for transporting energy resources to various regions.

"In addition, we are considering cooperation in the private sector, especially in the transport sector. President Biden positively welcomes the decarbonization processes going on in the world, including in the United States. I am happy that Azerbaijan is also working in this direction, this increases our confidence in the country, the official emphasized.

Venkataraman noted that US and European investors are making their investments considering Azerbaijans stable economy and potential, and they are ready to expand this cooperation.

The forum discussed cooperation relations between Azerbaijan and the United States in the field of energy, exchange of experience in the direction of "green energy" production, energy export, investment, and other issues.

Assistant to the Minister of Commerce of the USA Arun Venkataraman, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan till April 5, as well as Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan Hugo Guevara, President of the US-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce Nargiz Nasrullayeva-Muduroglu, Azerbaijani Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Sultanov and others, participated in the event.

Notably, Venkataraman will also travel to Turkiye, Armenia and Georgia.

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3 April 2023 14:37 (UTC+04:00)

Sabina Mammadli Read more

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Russian Presidential Adviser Ruslan Edelgeriyev discussed issues of diversification of economic partnership between the two countries, Azernews reports per Economy Ministry.

The meeting also discussed the development of interregional relations.

The Azerbaijani minister emphasized the positive development dynamics of relations with Russia, noted the importance of intensifying partnerships between business circles in realizing economic potential, strengthening trade and investment ties.

Noting the favorable business and investment environment of Azerbaijan, the official highlighted that the wide potential of Azerbaijans liberated territories opens new perspectives for the development of regional cooperation, including the partnership with Russia.

Russian investors can also take advantage of the transportation and logistics facilities of the Alat Free Economic Zone, located at the intersection of international corridors, Jabbarov emphasized.



Furthermore, the minister pointed out the special role of improving the efficiency of transport relations in the growth of bilateral trade and using the resources of the North-South international transport route.

In turn, Edelgeriyev noted that Russia attaches special importance to the partnership with Azerbaijan. He also shared his views on the realization of economic potential.

Besides, the sides discussed the possibility of implementing various socio-economic projects.

Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian embassy in Baku, the Trade Representative Office, and the regional council of the All-Russian State Children and Youth Public Movement "Movement of the First" of the Chechen Republic attended the meeting.

Azerbaijan and Russia have mutual cooperation in different fields, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. More than 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Azerbaijani investments in Russia's economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of these investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion, with $5 billion invested in the oil sector and $1.3 billion invested in non-oil sectors.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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3 April 2023 16:49 (UTC+04:00)

Sabina Mammadli Read more

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Special Representative of the European External Action Service on Eastern Partnership issues Dirk Shubel discussed the agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU), including the current situation in the region.

According to Azernews, the sides discussed various issues between Azerbaijan and the EU, including political, economic, trade, investments, transport, energy security, and others.

Noting the effective cooperation agenda in these fields, Bayramov expressed a belief that the draft of the new comprehensive agreement currently being discussed in this regard will contribute to the further development of relations. Referring to the Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan and the EU on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy, signed on July 18, 2022, the minister pointed out that the said document is important in terms of joint activities in the field of energy security.

In addition, the importance of the agreement on the Black Sea electricity cable was emphasized in terms of the development of alternative energy resources and their export to Europe.

Besides, the Azerbaijani minister briefed the other side in detail about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, the reconstruction and rebuilding works of Azerbaijan, the work done in the direction of opening communications in the region, including the efforts made in the direction of the normalization of relations with Armenia and the advancement of the peace agenda. He pointed out that the continuation of the mine threat undermines the peace-building process.

Moreover, Bayramov stated that the intensification of provocations committed by Armenia in recent times coincided with the existence of the EU mission in Armenia is cause for concern, and stressed that it is inadmissible to abuse the mentioned mission as an excuse to undermine the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In turn, Shubel pointed out that recent challenges in the field of transport and communication have increased the importance of the East-West Corridor and commended Azerbaijan's activity in the direction of opening transport and communications in the region.

The sides also discussed the importance of expanding cooperation in the fight against the threat of landmines, which threatens the lives and health of civilians in the region.

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3 April 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Sabina Mammadli Read more

Ever since the historic liberation of Azerbaijani lands from nearly 30-year-long Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has prioritized the reconstruction and rebuilding of lands in and out of Karabakh and efforts to this end are on the rise day by day. Huge progress has already been made in the post-war period, making it hard to believe that the reconstructed villages were nothing but debris just two years ago.

One such place is Talish village of Tartar District, which was liberated on October 3, 2020, a week after the start of the Second Karabakh War.

Less than a year after the reconstruction of the village of Talish began, 20 families have already returned to the Talish village and a total of 180 will return. In less than a year, about 180 families will live in Talish village, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said while visiting the village on March 18, 2023.

Indeed, great work is being carried out in the village: the relocated residents have been provided with modern private houses and individual farm warehouses. A school building for 78 students and a kindergarten for 11 children will also operate in the village.

Currently, active employment measures are taken for the village residents in Tartar District. At the initial stage, meetings were held with each of the 20 families relocated to the village, as a result of which up to 20 people were employed. Besides, preparatory work is also underway to attract residents of the village of Talish to the self-employment program. Professional training courses are arranged for some villagers to master new professions.

All opportunities have been created here for these families. Everyone can see beautiful houses, schools, kindergartens, and public buildings that have been built. Employment opportunities have been created. We are a nation of builders. Unlike Armenia, we build and create in our territory, the president remarked.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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3 April 2023 00:51 (UTC+04:00)

Four people suspected of firing at MP Fazil Mustafa have been detained, Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry, Police Lt-Col Elshad Hajiyev said.

The spokesperson for the Interior Ministry confirmed that in connection with the crime against MP Fazil Mustafa, the Interior Ministry, the State Security Service, and the Prosecutor-General's Office carried out joint operational and search activities, during which four people were identified as suspects and detained.

The spokesperson said that detailed information would be provided further.

Azerbaijani MP Fazil Mustafa was gunned down by an unknown person/s outside his home on March 28, Azernews reports.

The parliamentarian was hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

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3 April 2023 12:29 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic Edmondo Cirielli.

The head of state hailed the successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Italy, stressed the importance of reciprocal visits in this regard, and described the visits of three Italian ministers to the country, including today`s trip of the deputy minister, since the beginning of the current year as a sign of the high level of bilateral ties.

Noting that relations between the two countries are developing at the level of strategic partnership, President Ilham Aliyev said that the ties are mostly related to the energy sector, and emphasized that the steps taken towards Europe's energy security strengthened Azerbaijan-Italy cooperation even further.

Recalling that Italy is also the first trade partner of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani President said that the main part of the trade constitutes Azerbaijan's oil and gas export, and in this regard, stressed the importance of taking additional steps to expand the structure of the bilateral cooperation.

President Ilham Aliyev briefed the Italian Deputy Foreign Minister and International Cooperation on normalization of the Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and peace agenda, and the proposals to sign a peace treaty Azerbaijan made shortly after the Second Karabakh war.

The Azerbaijani President expressed confidence that Edmondo Ciriellis current visit would be productive.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said the thousands-years-old Azerbaijan-Italy relations can be traced back to ancient times. Saying that Azerbaijan is an important country for Italy, the Italian Deputy FM highlighted the countrys strategic significance in terms of stability in the South Caucasus, and underlined Azerbaijans pursuing an independent and sovereign policy in the region. In addition to political ties, Edmondo Cirielli also highlighted the special importance of economic cooperation.

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3 April 2023 13:37 (UTC+04:00)

Armenian provocations and insidious activities are carried on across the countries. This time, a provocation occurred in Geneva, the capital of Switzerland, by promoting baseless ideas about the so-called 'Nagorno-Karabakh'.

Azernews reports that the Azerbaijani community living in Switzerland officially appealed to the organizers of the Palexpo book exhibition in Geneva in connection with the provocation committed by the Armenian diaspora here.

According to the State Committee for Work with Diaspora, the letter says that the Karabakh economic region is located on the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. However, the "Armenie Culture & Saveurs" center, located on Lausanne Street in Geneva, promotes unacceptable materials called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" related to this territory at the book exhibition. Therefore, the Azerbaijani community expresses the strongest protest against the ongoing racist and separatist provocations of the Armenian diaspora.

Besides, in the letter it was noted that in the fall of 2020, during the war, which lasted 44 days, Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh and the 7 adjacent regions, thereby fulfilling 4 UN resolutions: "The use of military force by Armenia to occupy the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and the adjacent regions it has 7 districts, besides, its ethnic cleansing and the creation of a racist minority regime in Nagorno-Karabakh is a well-known fact."

Our community emphasizes that multinational and multicultural Switzerland has become a second home for Azerbaijanis. However, our compatriots are concerned about the growing tense and hostile attitude of the Armenian community towards Azerbaijan and its territorial integrity: "We strongly condemn the propaganda against the Azerbaijani state at the book exhibition by the "Armenie Culture & Saveurs" center and all support for this separatism."

It should be noted that the Coordinating Council of Azerbaijanis in Switzerland issued a statement of protest in connection with the Armenian provocation.

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3 April 2023 16:11 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani students and youth strongly protested to the Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Varuzhan Nersesyan, at an event entitled "Nagorno-Karabakh: the situation after the 2020 war" organized by Armenian students studying at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Azernews reports.

According to the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs, the founder of the Movement of Azerbaijani Youth in Britain, Gasim Gurbanov, said that members of the Movement had learned in a week about the organization of a meeting with the participation of Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan, Baroness Caroline Cox and English historian and conflictologist Lawrence Broyers, known for their anti-Azerbaijani position.

In an official appeal to the leadership of QMUL, our students stated that it was impossible for Baroness Cox, whose name was defamed by anti-Islamic international organizations in connection with receiving a bribe, to participate in the meeting. In addition, demanding a change in the name of the event due to the lack of an administrative territory in Azerbaijan called Nagorno-Karabakh, they proposed to invite the Azerbaijani ambassador to the meeting and hold a dialogue in order to ensure a balance of information.

"Although we succeeded in getting Baroness Cox removed from the meeting, nevertheless, our other demands remained unanswered. Therefore, all our students consolidated and took part in this meeting," the Movement of Azerbaijani Youth activist said.

According to him, the meeting was attended by a total of 70-80 people, including citizens of various countries, students, faculty and media representatives.

Professor Lawrence Broyers, who spoke first, allegedly wished to demonstrate his impartiality and neutrality on this topic, but the statement about the "humanitarian crisis" disclosed his pro-Armenian position.

The Ambassador of Armenia, seeing the Azerbaijani participants, refrained from using such words as "Artsakh", "Shushi", used a map indicating that Karabakh is located on the territory of Azerbaijan, but his speech about the Karabakh conflict, the Second Karabakh War and the "humanitarian crisis ", which was in the nature of disinformation, caused a protest of Azerbaijani students.

"In order to prevent the Armenians from resorting to provocations, from the very beginning we agreed with our youth that we would behave in cold blood, calmly listen to what was said and ask questions. But when the ambassador said that in the II Karabakh war, those who arrived from Syrian mercenaries, I could not restrain myself. From the place I said to the ambassador in English, "Don't lie to people! Do not say what was not and what you cannot prove! Armenian propaganda cannot be spread here," Gurbanov added.

Interestingly, the security guard at the event refused to comply with the demand of the Armenian moderator to withdraw from the audience a representative of the Azerbaijani youth, who was defending the interests of his country. "I will never forget what position the Armenian moderator found himself in at that moment," he said.

In the part of the event dedicated to questions and answers, the founder of the Azerbaijani Youth Movement, despite all the attempts of the Armenian moderator, managed to ask the Ambassador of Armenia 3 questions.

The first question was: For 8 years you were an assistant to President Serzh Sargsyan. I would like to recall the words of your president. Before Khojaly, Azerbaijanis thought that they could joke with us. They thought that the Armenians would not raise a hand against the civilian population, but we broke this stereotype. Recall that Sargsyan had told this to Thomas de Waal. This has never been refuted before. Did you regret these words of your president, or maybe as a result of the 44-day war in the fall of 2020, was your obscene rhetoric also destroyed?

Then the Armenian Ambassador was asked the following question: In your speech, you recalled the Helsinki Pact, spoke about international law, the right of this or that nation to self-determination. It gives the impression that all of you are innocent and stand up for international law. Did you remember this after 2020? And maybe someone reminded you about this for 30 years? In such a case, where is the implementation of 4 UN resolutions? Where is the opening of the Zangazur corridor? Why are international agreements not performed?"

When our compatriot asked, You are trying to present your country as humane, I will give you such an opportunity. Is the leadership of Armenia ready to accept 300 thousand Azerbaijani refugees deported from Zangazur in the last years of the last century? President Ilham Aliyev said that the Armenians of Karabakh, who are citizens Azerbaijan will be granted constitutional rights, as well as all citizens of the republic. Is the Armenian leadership ready to provide Azerbaijani refugees from Zangazur with all rights?", the participants of the event witnessed the inability of the Armenian ambassador to answer fair questions.

The Armenian moderator tried to accuse our young compatriot of asking questions out of turn, but he heard the following answer:

"You are wrong, so you are afraid of my questions. If the truth was on your side, then you would never try to silence me. I would address my questions in a civilized manner, and your ambassador would answer them. Therefore, now you are trying to silence the voice of the truth."

Gasim Gurbanov even accepted the offer to meet with the Armenian Ambassador not in front of the camera, but vis-a-vis within the walls of the university. "Coming up to me, the ambassador asked with a grin, they say, are you from the opposition?" When I replied that "I am in opposition only to the enemies of my state," he understood who he was talking to. During the conversation, I came to the conclusion that this 50-year-old man, who has worked in the highest positions for 20 years, is a diplomat with lack of experience. Our conversation reached such a level that the Armenian ambassador was forced to say that "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" and recognize the false statements of the Armenians," Gurbanov added.

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3 April 2023 17:43 (UTC+04:00)

Sabina Mammadli Read more

Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry held the final meeting on the results of the first quarter of the 2023 training year, Azernews reports per the ministry.

The meeting kicked off with the honoring of the memory of martyrs with observing a minute of silence. Then, Azerbaijan's National Anthem was performed.

The meeting discussed the work done during the first quarter of 2023 on increasing the combat capability of the units and the organization of service-combat activities. Furthermore, reports on the accomplished tasks were heard, and the state of combat training, material and technical support, military discipline and troop service was analyzed.

The assessment, attention, and care of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the Azerbaijan Army were emphasized.

Additionally, the meeting highlighted the tasks set the the army by Defense Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov regarding the organization of service-combat activity, troops service and combat duty.

The meeting ended with an award ceremony of the well-disciplined distinguished servicemen.

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Russia takes the helm of the UN Security Council presidency on April 1.

The Russian envoy says that Moscow will strive to be honest and fair in its tenure.

Western critics of Moscow, especially the US and its allies, have expressed dissatisfaction with Russia assuming the UNSC presidency.

The Russian envoy to the UN hailed the ascension of his country to the UN Security Council presidency even though many are not okay with it. He adds that Moscow's goal is, to be honest in this rotation of the council presidency.

Russian UN Envoy Says Its Goal Is To Maintain Honesty

Moscow's first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, says heading the UN Security Council will do its best to dispense its functions honestly last Saturday. On his channel in Telegram, he posts a comment, noting TASS.

Taking its turn in the monthly leadership rotation was not an easy pill to swallow for the US and Western allies. These nations are waging war on the Russian Federation, reported Republic World.

Kyiv did not receive news of Russia obtaining the presidency well, and Zelensky said it was a systemic blow. Polyansky indicated trying to provoke the Kremlin will not work, stated Russian media. He added that his media post had shamed those wholly opposed to Moscow. Last April 1, it came into effect expressed to deal with all issues fairly, just like on February 22 last year when Vladimir Putin announced the start of the special military operation in Donbas, citing Reuters.

Made it clear to the west that pointless provocations against Moscow are a wasted effort. Dmitry Polyansky said it would be a fair playing field, not the Western double standards yielding nothing.

Read Also: St. Petersburg Blast: Murder Investigation Opened for Military Blogger

Ukraine Criticizes Russia's UNSC Presidency

The 15-member international organizations had Russia as the chair last Saturday, which is on a rotational basis each month. There is no effect regarding the Ukraine conflict; it was last year in February when Russia was the head.

During the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the special military operation in the Donbas. This has made the Ukraine bloc very distressed even got a comment from Sergiy Kyslytsya, the UN envoy. He said it coming on April 1 or April Fool's Day is not funny anymore, pointing to the timing of it.

The Ukrainian diplomat claims the security council mechanisms cannot deal with stopping conflicts as its main function and citing the conduct of the Ukraine conflict. A statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claims it's absurd and destructive, charging the UN body as useless and ruined due to Moscow's ascendancy. FM Dmytro Kuleba added to the Ukrainian meltdown on Twitter called getting backhanded by the Kremlin.

He stressed that Russia at the helm of the presidency is against the international community. He even claimed that Moscow would misuse the agency's functions, such as double standards. He tried to justify calling the Russian federation an outlaw in the UNSC last Saturday.

On April 1, the Russian envoy announced that Moscow would sit in the UN Security Council presidency and vows to be honest in its tenure.

Related Article: Iran, Azerbaijan Tension Should Ease Up Soon, Russia's FM Lavrov Says
3 April 2023 19:10 (UTC+04:00)

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen plans to visit the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, on April 20, 2023.

According to the information, the purpose of the Minister's visit will be the opening of the Israeli Embassy in Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Minister announced in a Twitter post at the beginning of March this year that Israel was opening a permanent mission in Turkmenistan.

He also added that the relations between the two countries are important and strategic, and this step will further strengthen these relations and lead to the expansion of cooperation.

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3 April 2023 22:18 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his doors are now closed for US Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake following the diplomats meeting with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the presidential candidate from the main opposition Republican People's Party.

"What is Bidens envoy doing? He goes and meets with Mr. Kemal. Shame on you, use your brain. You are an ambassador. Your interlocutor here is the president. How will you ask for a meeting with the president after this?" the Star newspaper quoted him as saying on Sunday. "Our doors are closed for him <...>. Why? Let him know his limits," the Turkish leader concluded.

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Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor/reporter for Telemundo Bakersfield and KGET. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. The views expressed here are his own.
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A missing two-year-old Florida boy suspected to be murdered found in alligator jaws.

Authorities found the alligator with the boy's body in a lake in St. Petersburg, Florida, last Friday.

The boy was identified as the missing 2-year-old Taylen Mosley after his mom was violently murdered.

Florida authorities looked for a missing boy murdered by his dad, and a search later had a gruesome conclusion. The toddler's body was seen in alligator jaws after a day's search for the remains. The boy's mother was killed violently earlier.

Missing Florida Toddler Boy Murdered Dad, as Is His Mother

A statement from Chief Anthony Holloway, St. Petersburg Police Chief, said that the corpse of Taylen Mosley was found after a day's search, noted on Facebook. He issues condolences to the immediate family.

Sources say that the boy's mom, Pashun Jeffrey, 20, was brutally slain on Thursday on the day of the search. A 911 call at 2:30 pm the afternoon referred to a commotion located on Lincoln Shores Apartment Complex on Fourth Street North, reported Law and Crime.

They responded and saw the mother dead with no sign of the toddler, which police thought could be in danger. Based on the details released by the SPPD, that utilized all the means it could to locate Taylen, if still alive. Several agencies participated in the search.

Boy's Body Was Seen in Alligator Jaws

Leads were gathered by detectives pointing to three locations found in Pinellas County, including Lake Maggiore. It is a vast 362-acre public lake named after the one in Italy, cited MSN.

A search in the lake with divers and drones was used. The officers noticed a gator with an object in its jaws there, as disclosed in a press conference last Friday night, WPTV reported.

Read Also: Alligator Hunter's Arms Crushed by Reptile Unexpectedly, Leaving Him With One Functional Arm

Authorities noticed human remains in the animal's jaws and fired at them. The animal dropped the remains but was killed later. The police official added they got back the toddler's body.

Murder of Florida Boy's Mom Discovered

Holloway remarked that the family of Jeffrey saw the mom and sons last Wednesday at 5:30 pm in their residence. The mother of the deceased woman called the apartment manager on Thursday afternoon to ask him to look over her daughter and grandson. They were out of contact, which the police said.

A shocking discovery was made by the apartment superintendent when the unit the woman's dead body and called 911 later. One of the neighbors heard a commotion last Wednesday but did not call the cops.

So far, the police have not released the cause of death until the coroner does an autopsy. One suspect is the father, Thomas Mosley, with two instances of murder in the first degree. He allegedly killed the mother and toddler, remarked Holloway.

He has recently been hospitalized and informed SPPD of several cuts on his arms and hands. He was at his mom's late on Wednesday and went to a hospital. But no more developments due to the suspect not talking to the cops with no lawyer yet.

Holloway confirms they have not gotten any to pin the murder on the man. They suspect Thomas is somehow connected to the murders. Reports of a missing Florida boy say that he is murdered along with his mother by the dad. A search for the body of Taylen Mosley led to finding it in an alligator's jaws.

Related Article: Crocodile Grabs 8-Year-Old Indonesian Girl While Swimming; Her Friends Helplessly Watch As the Reptile Takes Her Down
Archived Results for Monday, April 3rd, 2023

Older Page 1
A federal judge has removed the activist group Emancipate NC from a lawsuit accusing Raleigh police of violating residents' rights during araid at the wrong home in 2020.U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle ruled Monday that the group lacked standing to take part in the case. Boyle's order also removes 10 police officers as defendants in the suit. Each is a member of Raleigh Police Department's Selective Enforcement Unit.Boyle wrote.Boyle added.Boyle wrote.the judge explained.Boyle issued a warning about allowing Emancipate NC to participate in the lawsuit.The lawsuit contended the 10 named members of Raleigh's Selective Enforcement Unit violated plaintiffs' rights by using excessive force. Theforce consisted of officers pointing their guns at the plaintiffs.Boyle wrote.Boyle's order does not end the lawsuit. Ten individual plaintiffs can continue to challenge the May 2020 raid at home on Burgundy Street. Boyle agreed to extend the deadline for plaintiffs to conduct pretrial discovery in the case.Even with the removal of the Selective Enforcement Unit from the lawsuit, the city of Raleigh, its police chief, city manager, and four other police officers remain as defendants.
It was a good night for the right in Finland as both the traditional conservatives and the anti-immigration populist / nationalist right surged ahead of the governing Social Democrats, which finished in third place. There are very clear numbers for a new center-right coalition government to replace the outgoing center-left government. Traditionally, the largest party, the National Coalition Party will be called upon to form a coalition government.

In the 200 seat parliament, the traditional conservative National Coalition Party gained 10 new seats for a total of 48, coming in first. The populist / nationalist anti-immigration Finns Party came in second, gaining 7 new seats for a new total of 46. The center-right Christian Democrats held their existing 5 seats, while the center-right Swedish Peoples Party, which represents ethnic Swedes living in Finland held all 9 of their existing seats, and the new center-right libertarian oriented Movement Now won one seat. The Center Party which represents rural interests won 23 seats, a loss of 8.

On the left, the biggest losers were the (far) Left Party which lost 5 seats to finish with 11, and the Green Party, which lost 7 seats to finish with 13. Each of them lost a third of the seats they previously held. The Finns Party had campaigned to "end the Green madness" of climate alarmist laws.

Finland is just the latest in a continuing swing to the right in Europe, with the populist / nationalist anti-immigration parties a big part of that chemistry.

https://rmx.news/finland/finnish-conservatives-win-election-in-tight-three-way-race/

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/04/03/party-girl-millennial-prime-minister-out-as-finland-swings-to-right-in-national-elections/
By L.A. Williams

Christian Action League

March 31, 2023

In their first successful override of Gov. Roy Coopers veto since 2018, legislators this week restored Second Amendment rights to North Carolinians with Senate Bill 41. Titled Guarantee 2nd Amendment Freedom and Protections, the new law repeals the pistol purchase permit requirement for individuals and launches a statewide firearm safe-storage awareness initiative. Most importantly for churches, the law allows people with concealed carry permits to do so on the property of a place of worship that is also the site of a private school.

We have been working to get this legislation passed for more than three years, said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, who first testified in favor of the measure before the House Judiciary when it was introduced in 2020.

Creech refuted the remarks of a progressive clergyman who assailed the legislation in that meeting, and a year later took on the North Carolina Council of Churches, which came out in opposition to the bill.

This year was the second year in a row that I had as many as 20 or more pastors with me to testify in favor of the bill when it was taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Creech said.

He cited research that shows more than a dozen church shootings between 2007 and 2021 have left 71 parishioners dead and 40 wounded.

These shootings occurred while people were peacefully studying the Scriptures, singing hymns, praying, and strategizing about how they might serve God and their communities he wrote in a 2021 letter to lawmakers. They have a God-given right and a Constitutional right to protect themselves. They should not be denied this privilege simply because a school is a part of their facilities.

Creech said the law contains sufficient precautions to protect students, including the fact that guns are not permitted in these locations during school operating hours. The provisions regarding places of worship take effect in December.

Already in effect is the repeal of the pistol permit.

After years of Gov. Roy Cooper obstructing our Constitutional rights, today marks a long overdue victory for law-abiding gun owners in our state. By successfully overriding Gov. Roy Coopers veto, we have guaranteed and secured Second Amendment rights for North Carolinians, and set forth a path to overcoming any future impediments from the lame-duck governor, wrote GOP senators Danny Earl Britt, Jr. (Robeson), Warren Daniel (Burke), Jim Perry (Lenoir), and Bobby Hanig (Currituck) in a joint press release.

N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore told the media that the bills provisions have been long-standing goals of Second Amendment advocates in our state.

We have finally brought this legislation over the finish line, Moore wrote in a press release in which he highlighted the fact that the House passage of a procedural motion to suspend debate on the veto override was pursuant to House rules and in concordance with the printed calendar distributed to members Tuesday evening.

The Senate passed SB 41 on Feb. 16 and the House followed suit on March 15, only to have the bill vetoed by the governor on March 24. The Senate, where Republicans hold a super-majority, voted to override the veto on Tuesday. The possibility of a House override became a reality when three Democrats were absent from session on Wednesday, meaning that the GOP needed 71 votes for a two-thirds majority, rather than 72. The motion passed 71-46, along party lines.

Opponents of the law said it would make the state less safe, but Second Amendment proponents pointed out that anyone seeking a gun from a firearms dealer will still go through a criminal background check and that, although transfers between individuals will not require a check, anyone who knowingly provides a handgun to a person who may not lawfully possess the firearm could face criminal penalties. Additionally, the new law brings the requirements for handgun sales in line with those already in place for the sale of long guns.

Law-abiding residents should not have to ask the government for permission to exercise their Second Amendment rights, D.J. Spiker, the National Rifle Associations state director, told the media. And, there is no reason church-goers should be restricted from protecting themselves. This has been a hard-fought battle, and Im thrilled to say North Carolina is a freer state because of the state legislatures actions.
Hanna Odle has played music ever since her dad taught her when she was young.

She's played guitar, bass, drums and even played the trombone all through school.

Odle got her big break into the music industry in 2009 while attending Vidor High School, when a band she was in won Battle of the Bands in Austin. After winning, the band was invited to a party at a music producer's house, gave him a mix tape they had recorded themselves and he offered to record their album.

Odle traveled the world with her punk band Purple until 2017, when she decided to leave the music industry behind.

"When I was doing it as a career, it made it harder to write for me, and I didn't like the lifestyle of touring and live music," Odle said. "It just wasn't good for me. So, now I'm just like doing it for fun and just putting it out and whatever happens, happens."

Now, Odle has returned to Southeast Texas where she works as a realtor and records her own music and a 409 Friday video series.

The Enterprise talked with Odle about her past and present music careers, her 409 Friday videos and being a realtor in Southeast Texas.

Q: What type of music do you create now? What's your favorite song you have written recently?

A: I don't know, it's kind of all over the place. It's a lot of different genres. So, rock, punk rock, R&B, electronic and all over the place.

I really like a song I wrote that's called "think twice" and it's about thinking before you speak and make decisions.

I like a song I wrote with my husband that sounds kind of indie, it's pretty cool. It has a really creepy title, it's actually called "Smell of a Female," but it's like a dedication to a punk rock band called The Cramps. They have a song called that or maybe it's an album. It's just about really liking a girl.

Q: What was your favorite part about touring and the music industry? What's been your favorite part of the transition from doing music as a career to now doing it for fun?

A: It forced me to be confident and I feel like that helped me a lot to not be afraid of new situations because we were in a different place like every night. So, I do think it gave me a lot of confidence.

I just think there is a lot less pressure, so you write more freely and you're looking more inward, at least for me. When you're doing it as a career, you're like, 'Is the crowd going to like it?' 'Are the producers going to like it?' 'Will the label like it?' It kind of blocks you.

Q: Through all the different things you've learned through music and moving around, what's like the one key piece of advice you would give people thinking about going into the music industry?

A: I would just say don't believe anything. That sounds kind of sketchy, but don't believe anything that people in the music industry tell you. I feel like we're all a bunch of liars. We are just at the point that you can do things for yourself as a musician and you should really look into that. There's a lot of like big artists that have made it just doing stuff by themselves. So, I would highly suggest being independent.

Q: What exactly is 409 Friday? What's your favorite part about doing it?

A: I just (do a video) talking about cool stuff going on in the 409 area code and post them to my social media.

I meet a lot of people that I probably wouldn't meet otherwise, and I learn a lot of cool stuff. It's just like a new adventure. That sounds so corny.

Q: When did you start doing 409 Friday and how did the idea come to be?

A: I started it in August of 2022. I became a realtor around that time in Texas. I was a realtor in Florida for a while, but that's around the time I became a realtor in Texas and I thought I would kind of like sell the area instead of just houses -- what's going on out here and just kind of promote the community.

Q: Southeast Texas isn't really a powerhouse for music or social media. Would you say it's difficult doing both of those here?

A: Honestly, I think it's easier for me to do music and stuff like that out here. I've lived in Austin and you basically just work to pay your rent, you don't have time for anything else. The prices of rent and homes out there are just insanely ridiculous. Here I feel like I have a lot more free time and freedom to actually do the things I love and all the people I love are here. So to me, it's easier doing it out here.

Q: What's your favorite part about being a realtor in the Southeast Texas area?

A: (I like) helping people. It's really cool to see someone finally find their home and they're just so excited about it and just the whole process like it's a big deal. It's someone's life. I really like seeing that and being able to help people because like you'll start out thinking, 'Oh, we'll never find a house, we'll never get funded,' and then all of a sudden it happens.
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Certain times of the year are just better than others.

And South Texas State Fair time is one of them. I look forward to it each year -- the rides (OK, maybe just the Ferris wheel), the food and pretty much everything else that goes on at the fair.

But the fair is more than just fun -- there's an educational component to it, too.

Between the rodeo, livestock auctions, art contests and more, there are a multitude of ways for students from all across Southeast Texas to get involved.

That will be the basis of this week's education news roundup -- there's so much to share and I already miss the fair.

Prize-winning steers

Perhaps the biggest successes happened for local Future Farmers of America students, who earned top prizes and a nice bit of cash for their animals.

Hardin-Jefferson ISD FFA saw a clean sweep at the South Texas State Fair Junior Livestock Show with students Weston Brooks and Seth Miller earning grand champion banners in Female All Breeds and Bull All Breeds, respectively. Brooks also earned the division champion banner in Breeding Beef.

RELATED: Photos: Were your children 'seen' at Beaumont ISD's fair day?

Additionally, student London Doucet sold her grand champion market lamb for $5,000. These are some beautiful animals, y'all.

To round it out, Hardin-Jefferson FFA President Kenli Smith competed in the pro-rodeo held in conjunction with the South Texas State Fair, roping a 3.2 in a field of 47 breakaway ropers, placing fifth.

Way to go Hawks!

A sight to behold

Years (and years) ago when I was a student at Regina Howell Elementary, I remember my entire art class and I made optical illusion drawings for the art contest at the South Texas State Fair. While I didn't win anything, I remember being so thrilled that so many people would have the opportunity to see something that I drew.

So, I can only imagine how the local (incredibly talented) students, who have had their work shown this year, must feel. Shout out to the following students, and be sure to look through our photos to see some of their work: Beaumont ISD Odom Academy art students Elizabeth He, Maripaz Saavedra, Breanna Kirven and Nadia Monreal, who earned places first through fourth, respectively, in the contest and had their work showcased.

RELATED: Port Arthur students advance to state robotics competition

Beaumont students weren't the only ones recognized in the art showcases. Deweyville ISD had four students earn first place ribbons for their showcased art: senior Dakoda Smith; sophomore Makenzi Cloud; eighth grader Julian Sifuentes; and sixth grader Taylor Johnson.

Evadale ISD also had a strong showing with seventh grader Emma Ferguson earning a first place ribbon; seventh grader Halle Calhoun earning a second place ribbon; seventh grader Lauren Wright earning third place; and sixth grader Tynlee Stark earning fourth place.

Have something education-related you'd like to share with me? Reach me at the email below.
Former St. Clair, Mich.-based physician Bernard Shelton, MD, was convicted for 21 counts of unlawful prescription drug distribution and a patient's overdose death, the Justice Department said March 31.

Between April 2013 and December 2016, Dr. Shelton prescribed more than 5.5 million doses of controlled substances, including 2.7 million doses of Schedule II controlled substances.

When an undercover patient made a visit to Dr. Shelton, he did not examine the patient and instead asked, "What can I give you today?" He then gave the undercover patient the requested narcotics, according to the report. He also received more than $1.4 million from Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan during this period.

He began prescribing opioid pain relievers in 2010 to a patient and prescribed increasingly stronger substances over the next six years. The patient became addicted to the drugs, according to the report.

In January 2016, Dr. Shelton unlawfully prescribed an increased dosage to the patient. The patient suffered an overdose two days later, received Narcan and survived. The patient then suffered another overdose four days later and died.

Dr. Shelton will be sentenced in July to a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison with a maximum sentence of life.
Five physicians joined Becker's to give their biggest investment tips for 2023.

Question: What are your key investment tips for 2023?

Editor's note: These responses were edited lightly for clarity and brevity.

Tirun Gopal, MD. OB-GYN in San Francisco:

1. Any organization which moves healthcare to the home (RomTech, for example).

2. Organizations which are promoting primary care (Amazon).

3. Artificial intelligence (cautiously, for obvious reasons).

4. Organizations which are increasingly promoting value for care instead of volume of care.

5. IT in healthcare.

Harry Severance, MD. Adjunct Assistant Professor at Duke University School of Medicine (Durham, N.C.): A.I.-assisted or -enabled medical technology.

Matthew Smith, MD. Director of Neurocritical Care at West Virginia University (Morgantown): Philosophically, the best return on investment is to increase skills. The world of medicine is significantly changing at a very rapid pace with things like increases in computing power and AI, as well as how medicine is practiced. Many people unwilling to focus on improving and updating their skills will be left behind like the carriage drivers when cars became popular.

Helga Komen, MD. Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University (St. Louis): Sustainability-related companies and AI-related companies.

Michael Davis, MD. Professor and Chief of the Division of Urology at University of New Mexico (Albuquerque): My key investment tips would be all of the companies contributing to AI like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta. They also have the cloud, which is huge. So, I still think as AI gets better, these companies, especially Microsoft, that has invested billions in Open AI will be a good investment.
Private practice physicians are struggling as the physician workforce increasingly migrates to employed models.

Six physicians joined Becker's to discuss why private practice physicians do not have more power in healthcare.

Editor's note: These responses were edited lightly for clarity and brevity.

Question: Why don't private practice physicians have more power in healthcare?

Tirun Gopal, MD. OB-GYN in San Francisco:

It is becoming increasingly difficult for private practice physicians to devote any time to anything other than the practice of medicine, what with the diminishing compensation for services, time spent in keeping up to date with recent developments and the administrative time spent on maintaining a place of business. Nor is it easy for them to acquire the qualifications and skills needed for administrative work, including MBA, MPH, etc.

Furthermore, we have relinquished our control of the environment in which we practice (such as hospitals) to people who are either not physicians or physicians who have given up the practice of medicine, realizing that it is far more lucrative to lead physicians than to be one. The tables have hence turned. We allow these leaders, who do not bring a single penny to the organization, to tell us how to practice medicine, how much they will pay us, while they are laughing all the way to the bank with their unconscionable compensations.

Helga Komen, MD. Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Washington University (St. Louis): Because traditionally they've been more oriented on profits than anything else.

Dan McGuire, MD. Gastroenterologist in Boynton Beach, Fla.: Too fragmented. What large hospital chain or insurance company cares about a few physicians?

Taif Mukhdomi, MD. Interventional Pain Physician at Pain Zero (New Albany, Ohio): Healthcare has become increasingly regulated over the past decade. Long gone are the days when physicians could decide to hang a shingle and announce to the community that they were open. To open a practice nowadays requires legal consultation, registration with medical and pharmacy boards, and often includes asking permission from officials, insurance companies and hospital systems to start taking care of patients. Newly trained physicians have spent the past decade of training learning how to treat patients and have not been educated about the healthcare system. The additional frustration is competing with hospital systems leveraging hundreds of physicians to further the company while private practices tend to be smaller in size. Private practice physicians will struggle to hold as much power as these systems unless there is a shift within the healthcare system towards leveling the playing field.

Kenneth Nelson, MD. Chief Medical Officer of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Medical Group (Westchester, Ill.): Physicians have historically let administrators manage hospitals and health systems. As more physicians become employed, the collective (voice) power of independent physicians is being marginalized. The clinically integrated network and ACOs are staffed with health system administrators. Most chief medical officers and most physicians in top health system roles are more administrators than physicians.

I read somewhere that in the last several years, 36,000 medical practices have been sold. Only 6,000 have been bought by health systems. The entrepreneurial independent physician, after being swallowed up by a large group, then falls victim to consultants and a top-down decision process that moves decisions from the exam room to the boardroom. Most of these companies and health systems take a very good successful small business and try to treat it like traditional service lines. It just doesn't work.

Matthew Smith, MD. Director of Neurocritical Care at West Virginia University (Morgantown): The biggest issue is the lack of collective bargaining for individual providers.
The death toll from a strong storm that spawned tornadoes across the Southern and Midwestern US rose to at least 29

Two children and an adult were discovered dead in Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday

US President Joe Biden declared Arkansas a "major disaster" and ordered federal aid for its recovery

The death toll rose to 29, and more deadly weather was predicted for a large swath of the South and Midwest, already devastated by storms that spawned confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states on Sunday.

At least nine people were killed in McNairy County, Tennessee, approximately 100 miles east of Memphis. Four of the fatalities occurred in the same structure, which was one of at least 72 structures destroyed in the county, according to Mayor Larry Smith.

US Tornadoes Death Toll

Christopher Williams, a police spokesman, stated that two children and an adult perished in Memphis after a tree fell on a home, most likely due to severe weather.

There were five documented fatalities in Indiana and four in Wynne, Arkansas. In addition to Arkansas, deaths were reported in Illinois, Alabama, Mississippi, and Delaware. Tornadoes may have reached as far north as New Jersey, USA Today reported.

On Sunday, severe winds and storms knocked out electricity to almost 400,000 homes and businesses in a dozen Southern and Eastern states, causing trees and power lines to fall and turning everything left outdoors into lethal projectiles.

National Weather Service's early data revealed that the tornado at the center of the destruction in Arkansas was an EF3 with speeds of up to 165 mph, 30 miles long, and 1.3 miles broad. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders had already activated the National Guard and declared a state of emergency.

President Joe Biden stated that he had informed Senator Bernie Sanders and officials from other affected states of his administration's willingness to assist with recovery efforts.

On Sunday, the meteorological agency cautioned that severe thunderstorms and flash flooding were possible throughout the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley.

Regrettably, additional severe weather is anticipated in the coming days, according to the Little Rock, Arkansas, office of the National Weather Service. A strong storm system will approach the region from the west, and thunderstorms are predicted to develop Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Tennessee's fatality toll was in addition to the 17 reported in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama in the south, Indiana and Illinois in the Midwest, and Delaware in the mid-Atlantic region. The storm system left scores injured.

According News18, the governor of Arkansas stated that at least five persons were killed by several tornadoes, some of which were of unusual magnitude and strength. The northeast Arkansas city of Wynne was "split in half by destruction from east to west." "Jennifer Hobbs, the mayor, said.

Read Also: Can Donald Trump Still Run for President in 2024?

Tornadoes Rake US Midwest, South

The storms in Illinois caused the collapse of a theatre roof during a heavy metal concert in Belvidere, resulting in one death and 28 injuries. Once the storms moved east on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people in multiple states were left without electricity.

According to the US PowerOutage website, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania were the hardest hit states. The National Weather Service of the United States issued severe thunderstorm warnings for portions of Texas on Sunday, with the chance of "extremely large hail and multiple tornadoes."

It is anticipated that the thunderstorms will also strike several other states. The catastrophic weather arrives a week after a rare, long-track tornado in Mississippi killed 26 people.

Last week's Mississippi tornado traveled 59 miles (94km) and lasted approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, an exceptionally long duration for a storm to persist. According to officials, roughly 2,000 dwellings were damaged. On Friday, Biden traveled to the state to express his sympathies, as per BBC.

Related Article: [Mississippi Tornado Update] Governor Tate Reeves Issues Warning

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A Los Angeles ballot measure backed by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West would cap pay for hospital executives at the compensation of the U.S. president, or $450,000 per year. The California Hospital Association is challenging the measure, arguing that the president earns more.

The proposed limitation would apply to any executive, manager or administrator at privately owned hospitals in Los Angeles, as well as skilled nursing facilities, residential care facilities and all facilities within integrated health systems. The $450,000 cap is inclusive of all compensation, including salary, paid time off, bonuses, incentive payments and lump-sum cash payments.

Federal code states that the president is paid $400,000 annually with an expense allowance of $50,000.

"The compensation paid to chief executive officers, executives, managers, and administrators of hospitals and other healthcare facilities is often excessive, unnecessary, and inconsistent with the mission of providing high-quality, affordable medical care for all," the measure states, arguing that $450,000 per year in compensation will leave city hospitals "more than able to attract and retain effective executive leadership."

The California Hospital Association has filed suit challenging the measure, arguing that the U.S. president earns more than $450,000 per year when travel expenses, discretionary funds and residence in the White House are factored in, according to the Los Angeles Times. The hospital association cited calculations by a consultant who concluded that the total compensation tops $1.2 million.

The alleged numerical mismatch means the ballot measure petition contained "calculated untruths" that misled voters who were asked to sign it, the CHA argues. It is calling for the courts to block the initiative from appearing on the ballot. A court hearing is scheduled for April 4.

Supporters of the ballot measure have called the CHA's counter-calculation a "tortured explanation" in a court filing, according to the Los Angeles Times.

This isn't the first time SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West has moved to cap Los Angeles hospital executives' pay. The union has proposed and abandoned a similar measure but at the state level in the past, and in 2019, it proposed the same ballot measure for the November 2020 election.
Below are six hospitals and health systems that posted job listings seeking cybersecurity talent.

Editors note: This story was updated April 3 and will continue to be updated.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job-seeker websites.

April 3:

Feb. 17:
Tallahassee (Fla.) Memorial HealthCare, which suffered an IT security incident in February, said the attack has compromised patients' Social Security numbers, as well as treatment information.

On Feb. 3, the health system detected suspicious activity on its computer systems and launched an investigation.

They determined an unauthorized person had access to its computer networks and copied files from it between Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.

Patient information compromised in the breach include: Social Security numbers, some treatment information, dates of birth, health insurance information, medical record numbers and patient account numbers, according to a March 31 breach notification from Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare.

The health system did not mention how many patients were affected, but said no financial information was breached as part of the attack.

This comes shortly after Moody's determined that Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare would be "credit negative" due to the cybersecurity incident.
Here is how much three health systems are expected to pay for the cost of purchasing, installing and upgrading a new or current electronic health record system:

Editors note: This article was updated April 3 and will continue to be updated with the latest news.

April 3:

Morris (Ill.) Hospital & Healthcare Centers spent $12 million for its Meditech EHR system.





St. Louis-based Mercy is spending $6.5 million to install Epic at its recently acquired Perryville, Mo.-based Perry County Memorial Hospital.





Legacy Community Health, a Houston-based network of 41 clinics, received $1 million in federal funds to upgrade its Epic EHR system.

Jan. 24:
Danbury, Conn.-based Nuvance Health will close a 100-bed rehabilitation facility in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and lay off its 102 employees, effective April 12, according to the Daily Freeman.

The Thompson House healthcare building will be handed over to Northern Dutchess Hospital, part of Nuvance Health, as part of a long-term strategy to serve the aging community. A spokesperson for Thompson House told the Daily Freeman there are currently 38 patients at the facility.

In a March 29 letter, Denise George, president of Northern Dutchess Hospital, told employees they will be provided with "unconditional payments" equal to the amount of their normal pay and benefits during a 60-day period, but that employees do not automatically have a right to other positions within Nuvance Health, according to the report.

Hospital officials are working to safely relocate residents of the facility to other skilled nursing facilities or appropriate settings. Once that is completed, it will close.

"It has not been an easy decision," Thompson House interim administrator Richard Cleland said in a news release. "This facility has provided excellent care to many people over the years. We only reluctantly came to this decision based on the difficult landscape facing nursing facilities today."
Daniel Scott has been named vice president and CIO of West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

Mr. Scott was most recently CIO of Vincennes, Ind.-based Good Samaritan Hospital, where he led its Epic Community Connect EHR and oversaw other service management and IT security projects. He has also served in IT leadership positions with St. Louis-based Ascension and payer Humana.

In his new role, he will oversee the public health system's IT, facilities and security departments. He will be "an asset in supporting our safety net mission of providing our community access to high-quality healthcare," CEO Darcy Davis said in a March 30 news release.
Amar Desai, MD, has left his role as president of health care delivery at CVS Health after less than six months to return to UnitedHealth Group, where he will advise the CEO, Bloomberg reports. Dr. Desai joined CVS Health in October 2022 in the leadership role to head up the newly formed healthcare delivery organization and lead its clinical delivery strategy to support retail health, chronic disease management and behavioral health. He reported directly to CVS Health President and CEO Karen Lynch.

Dr. Desai previously served as president and CEO of UnitedHealth Group's Optum Pacific West, a network that spans across California, Oregon and Washington with more than 20,000 physicians.

Dr. Desai is returning to UnitedHealth to advise CEO Andrew Witty, a representative from UnitedHealth told Bloomberg. A CVS spokesperson confirmed Dr. Desai's departure but did not elaborate on the circumstances, according to Bloomberg.

CVS Health completed its $8 billion acquisition of Signify Health March 29. In February, CVS entered a definitive agreement to acquire Oak Street Health, a primary care network for Medicare members, for $10.5 billion.
As healthcare continues to be one of the most pressing and complex issues facing our society, it is essential that leaders in the field come together to share their insights and experiences.

Becker's Healthcare is committed to facilitating these conversations. Over 4 days of sessions, you will hear 420+ elite hospital and health system executives discuss topics such as consumerism, the nursing workforce, value-based care, telehealth, physician burnout, payers, health equity and pharmacy costs.

In this article, we will recap some of the key highlights from Day 1 of Becker's 13th Annual Meeting, including insights from the most influential leaders in healthcare. [updated 5:46 pm]

Here are the highlights from Day 1:

8:00 am, Keynote: The Growth Strategies and Culture of Top-Performing Health Systems:

Michael A. Slubowski, FACHE, FACMPE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Trinity Health, talked about recent acquisitions and focus on growing PACE Business, Home Care Business, Medical Groups, and Specialty Pharmacies.

John Couris, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tampa General Hospital discussed importance of Innovation and fewer partnerships but deeper relationships for driving quality and costs.

Michael Ugwueke, President and Chief Executive Officer, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare focused on improving access to care and reducing wait times.

Leong Koh, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Northwest Permanente focused on Primary Care Strategy to address shortage of primary care doctors in the nation.

Liz Popwell, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Stony Brook Medicine focused on Hospital Decanting, Partnerships, and choosing convenient and accessible locations for patients.

8:45 am, Change Management in the Era of Disruption: Strategies for Executives

Brian Erling, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Renown Health suggested approaches include taking a wait and see approach, learning from disruptors, understanding core business services, and using technology to make care easier for patients.

Dennis R. Delisle, ScD, FACHE, Executive Director, University Hospital & Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center example of successful change management effort: localization of provider teams and services resulting in reduction in length of stay.

Rick Shumway, MHA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Stanford Health Care Tri acknowledged that healthcare must be disrupted to keep up with the times, but also acknowledged that healthcare is difficult to disrupt due to its entrenched nature.

Dane Peterson, President, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Emory Healthcare discussed how market disruptors such as Amazon and CVS influence or change management strategy and common pitfalls to avoid with change management and past initiatives that have failed in the industry.

10:45 am, Keynote: Capital Spend and Technology Budgets: The Next 2 Years

Wasif Rasheed, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Growth Officer, Providence emphasized why it's important to consider ROI and integrate information from these technologies and the need redundancies in infrastructure and evaluation of implementation.

Shireen Ahmad, System Director of Finance, GPO and Affiliate Business, CommonSpirit Health discussed challenges of capital spending and technology investments in healthcare industry.

11:30 am, Health System Strategic Growth: Wins and Fails

Hillary Miller, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer, Penn State Health pointed out the intentional focus on patient outcomes, partnerships, financial stability, infrastructure, talent, digital tech, and strong culture

Stonish Pierce, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Trinity Health Georgia suggested health systems have become too spread out, leading to confusion for consumers

- Need to be more responsive to consumer needs to compete with newcomers like CVSs, Walgreens, and Amazon Care

Susan Burroughs, MHA, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, MUSC Health Columbia Medical Center Northeast highlighted how merger and acquisition still opportunity for growth, but FTC is challenging hospital deals

Sheldon Pink, MBA, FHFMA, LSSBB, Vice President, Revenue Cycle, Luminis Health said that leaders should temper expectations and review data intelligence for smart growth initiatives

1:30 pm, The Workforce of the Future: What Hospitals Need to Stay Competitive

Greg Till, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Providence emphasized the need to change models of care, digitize work processes, and deploy people differently to address the growing workforce gap.

Trevor G. Wright, MHA, Chief Executive Officer, Loma Linda University Health Hospitals pointed out how everyone is competing for workers, including non-traditional healthcare competitors like Amazon.



- Greg: Two big workforce risks are demographics and choice

Geoffrey M. Roche, MPA, Senior Vice President, National Health Care Practice and Workforce Partnerships, Core Education suggested focusing on earlier pathways into the industry, culture, technology, and career mobility.

Erildo Zyka, Director, Strategy and Business Development, University of Iowa Health Care mentioned that healthcare boards need to understand the importance of patient safety and quality, as well as diversify and prioritize resources correctly.

Theo Koury, MD, President, Vituity highlighted how healthcare can be its own worst enemy and hero, and the need for building a clinical workforce for the future.

2:15 pm, Keynote: Healthcare in 2030: The Defining Issues and Which Organizations Will Thrive

Omar Lateef, DO, President and Chief Executive Officer, RUSH University System for Health; RUSH University Medical Center said how staffing shortage was predictable and the solution is to get more people into training and create a culture in healthcare that makes people want to work there.

Kelly Elkins, Chief Operating Officer, MaineHealth called for the need for the re-engineer care for patients.

Janet Liang, Executive Vice President, Group President and Chief Operating Officer, Care Delivery, Kaiser Permanente highlighted the role of health plans in incentivizing and motivating providers.

K. Craig Kent, MD, Chief Executive Officer, UVA Health; Executive Vice President, Health Affairs, University of Virginia mentioned how health systems can learn from Amazon and Walmart on efficiency and reducing administrative friction.

Imamu Tomlinson, MD, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Vituity pointed out the need to prepare the next generation of leaders.

3:25 pm, Keynote Discussion

Kevin B. Churchwell, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Boston Childrens Hospital,

Keith B. Churchwell, MD, President, Yale New Haven Hospital; Executive Vice President, Yale New Haven Health System and

Andre L. Churchwell, MD, Vice Chancellor, Equity Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Vanderbilt University & Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Senior Associate Dean, Diversity Affairs, Professor of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine - spoke about their parents, Mary and Robert Churchwell, and how they influenced their leadership. They discuss how healthcare systems need to invest in resources that focus on the long-term health of their patients, and how the current pandemic has magnified health inequities. They also emphasize the importance of recognizing failure and learning from it, as well as understanding that addressing health disparities is an ongoing process

4:00 pm, Keynote Remarks by Earvin "Magic" Johnson

The day ended with Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Role Model, Sport Legend and Successful Entrepreneur discussing connecting sports to Healthcare and Business Ventures for the greater good and his efforts with his foundation to create an impact in the country.
Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems completed a $92 million sale of Oak Hill, W.Va.-based Plateau Medical Center to Charleston, W.Va.-based Vandalia Health.

The healthcare giant closed on the transaction April 1. Vandalia will assume control over Plateau Medical's 25-bed hospital, outpatient services and physician clinic operations, according to an April CHS news release.

Vandalia signed an agreement to acquire the medical center in January.
The University of Michigan Health has officially acquired Lansing, Mich.-based Sparrow Health System to become a $7 billion health system with more than 200 sites of care, according to an April 3 news release shared with Becker's.

Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health and Sparrow said they have received the necessary regulatory approvals to partner after announcing their plans in December. Sparrow Health, a six-hospital system with about 10,000 caregivers, officially joined University of Michigan Health effective April 1.

"This is an incredibly proud moment for Sparrow as joining University of Michigan Health enables us to accelerate our expansion of services, build greater breadth and depth of clinical expertise, and seamlessly integrate leading-edge technology and other updates into our facilities," Sparrow President and CEO James Dover said in the release. "We look forward to realizing our shared goal of delivering nationally renowned clinical excellence in an accessible way for patients."

Marschall Runge, MD, PhD, CEO of Michigan Medicine, dean of the University of Michigan Medical School and executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Michigan, said in the release, "For University of Michigan Health, this milestone advances our organization's long-term vision of a statewide system of highly coordinated care. The completion of this transaction represents a special moment and, as one team, we are well positioned to unlock new opportunities and share best practices while providing our patients with the highest level of care. We are confident that, together, University of Michigan Health and Sparrow will bring increased health care innovation to Mid-Michigan and beyond."

University of Michigan Health said it has committed $800 million in investment to Sparrow, which will be funded through hospital operations and strategic investments over eight years.

In an FAQ posted on Sparrow's website, Sparrow said it eventually will transition to a unified brand, and the combined system will "conduct a thoughtful integration process over the coming months."



To learn more about the deal, click here.
A new study says that anemones are not like animals with a brain.

These animals don't need a brain to learn to react to the environment despite having no brain.

Such simple animals are surprisingly complex despite seeming so uncomplicated.

Scientists examined sea anemones that learn in a simple way mentioned in a shocking study that investigated the hypothesis. Learning will need a brain that contrasts with processed with even a simple one.

Sea Anemones Learns

One form of learning is the non-associative type that comes from getting exposed to the same stimulation that even a simple organism is capable of, reported Science Alert.

Subjects of the study are starlet sea anemones (Nematostella vectensis) capable of complex learning due to recognizing light and electric pulses in this research.

Simon Sprecher, a University of Fribourg neurobiologist, was part of the research that concluded that it is a kind of associative learning, noted UNIFR. He added that brains are sometimes unnecessary, just the nervous system to learn behavior.

Compared to brainer animals capable of connecting an outside influence to have a react then change how they react. One example is getting burned over a hot stove painfully will lead to preventing it from happening again.

Having a recall of what has harmed anyone came about with the development of the nervous system. It would control the synaptic reactions with the flexibility of the brain.

Brains are not seen on all animals, and some don't like Cnidarians or anemones, jellyfish has a nerve network. It can be assumed they learn non-associatively.

Read Also: Scientists Discover Fossil of an Early Aquatic Animal Predator From 560 Million Years in Earth's Primitive Past

Do Organisms Need a Brain To Learn?

How these Cnidarians can do associative learning was investigated by the author and the group from Fribourg and Barcelona University, cited Animal Diversity Web. They used electric shock and light for the experiment.

The procedure of classical conditioning is a neural event linked to significant stimuli that can end in reward or torture. Study authors cited earlier research from 40 years ago has evidence lacking in classical conditioning of Anemones, but was never repeated, mentioned PsycNet.

The study authors combined a random group of 10 to 18 starlet sea anemones in paired tests to see what kind of light or electric pulses were the same response. Seen in tests not done in pairs that strobing light and electricity were not synchronized.

Using micro shock on the simple animals' tentacles done simultaneously or not coordinated. They only noticed the reactions to light, and others were given shock and light as stimulation. Those who got light only reacted to that.

For the ones that got shocked by electricity with light, about 72 percent pulled back their tentacles, sensing the light. It is two times that of 30 percent of the animals that got electricity and light at various times.

Special software would measure how long the Cnidarian is during the test with how long they were contracted. Another is how long they are retracted in the trials; if shock and light were used, then retraction was longer than the other group.

Study authors said that they reacted to whatever stimuli they got. In a new study, sea anemones and their learning process with no need for a brain show little how a simple nervous system is unknown, mentioned in PNAS.

Related Article: Researchers Discovered the First Animals To Develop Primitive Skeleton About 540 Million Years Ago
Meredith Hulsey, DO, has been named chief medical officer at Odessa, Texas-based Medical Center Hospital, according to Odessa American. Dr. Hulsey, a pathologist, was trained at MCH; she returned Jan. 3 to begin her new role, after five years away.

MCH hasn't had a CMO for three years. "You have the new issues coming up, but then you have all the past that youre trying to rectify also. Its a lot but Ive really enjoyed every minute of it," she said in a March 31 report.

Dr. Hulsey said her first goal in her new position is to focus on physician engagement. "The hospital is run on the backbone of physicians that need to be involved in all the decisions for improvement of quality and the patients safety, which are my two big areas that I always am striving for."
A Maryland jury awarded almost $34 million to the parents of a boy who suffered severe brain damage at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson after being delivered by emergency C-section, despite no indication of fetal distress, The Daily Record reported March 31.

The baby was delivered at 23 weeks, according to the report. The lawsuit alleges the mother was misdiagnosed as being in preterm labor and fetal distress after reporting to the hospital in 2018. She complained of lower abdominal cramping and back pain. The lawsuit also alleges that medical tests administered showed no signs of labor or placental abruption.

The hospital and attending physician have maintained that the C-section was medically necessary, according to the report.

After a two-week trial, the jury awarded the family $20 million for the boy's future medical expenses, $3 million in his lost earning potential and $915,000 for past medical expenses, according to the report. The jury's additional award of $10 million for pain and suffering is expected to be reduced to $1.3 million due to Maryland's cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.

The hospital said in a statement that it respected the verdict but is disappointed with the decision.

"With serious medical complications putting the mother and baby's lives in danger, including life-threatening placental abruption and pre-term labor, there was no reasonable option other than to deliver [the baby] at 23 weeks gestation," the hospital said in the statement. "Absent the heroic efforts of our team that day, [the baby] would not have survived."
Physicians are experimenting with a numbing procedure which may restore or improve smell and taste disorders in people with long COVID-19, NBC News reported March 31.

The procedure, a stellate ganglion block, involves a temporary, local anesthetic injected into the stellate ganglion bundle of nerves on both sides of a person's neck. The nerves are part of the sympathetic nervous system and are not known to impact how a person perceives odors; however, some physicians are reporting improvement in patients with long COVID-19 smell disorders.

Some experts theorize the block may work by increasing blood flow to the brain. Others say the block could be a "reset button" for the sympathetic nervous system.

A survey last year found 15 percent of people with COVID-related olfactory loss still had smelling problems six months later. Few treatments are available for smell disorders, according to the report.

Two physicians have treated patients with a stellate ganglion block and reported positive results.

Christina Shin, MD, a pain management physician at the Cleveland Clinic, says she treated roughly 30 long COVID-19 patients with the block. About half reported improvement levels in smell or taste between 25 percent and 90 percent.

Nyssa Farrell, MD, an assistant professor of otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, conducted a small study to test the block. Among 20 patients with smelling troubles, half reported "slight to moderate" improvement from the stellate ganglion block. It was enough to start planning a large study "to see if this is a placebo effect or if this is real," Dr. Farrell said.

However, some experts are skeptical of the treatment.

Stem cells in the nasal cavity replace olfactory receptor neurons every three to four months, Zara Patel, MD, a professor of otolaryngology at Stanford University in California, told NBC News. As many as 80 percent will recover on their own within about six months, she said.

The lack of scientific evidence is an issue for many.

"Given the lack of data suggesting efficacy, it's really hard to advocate for this for patients who have a problem that typically resolves with time," Justin Turner, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the department of otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., told NBC News.
From Qatar to Ecuador, three U.S. orthopedic and spine surgeons have taken their practices international since March 21.

1. Hamid Abbasi, MD, PhD, planned a trip to Ecuador to teach the oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure. Earlier this year, he traveled to Muscat, Oman to teach OLLIF.

2. Roger Hartl, MD, performed the first spine case using 3D navigation in sub-Saharan Africa.

3. Todd Lanman, MD, performed a laminectomy at the View Hospital in Qatar, an affiliate of Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai.






Allentown, Pa.-based OAA Orthopedic Specialists has signed a long-term lease at a shopping center in South Whitehall, Pa., according to an April 3 report from roi-nj.com.

Tilghman Square Shopping Center is passed by approximately 32,000 vehicles a day, according to the report.

OAA will move into the 35.75-acre commercial shopping center, which has 248,533 square feet of retail, medical, office and restaurant space.

OAA has locations in Allentown, Bethlehem, Lehighton and New Tripoli, Pa. It also has an ASC in Allentown.
Industrial action in different sectors will continue to cause disruption across the UK in the coming weeks (Jane Barlow/PA)   Jane Barlow

Industrial action in different sectors will continue to cause disruption across the UK in the coming weeks.

Some planned walkouts have been suspended so union members can vote on fresh pay offers, while teachers have rejected a deal.

Here is a round-up, sector by sector, of some of the strikes that are happening, are scheduled to take place, or that have been averted.

(PA Graphics)   PA Graphics

 Education

Schools in England face further walkouts this spring after members of the largest education union in the UK snubbed a Government pay offer.

Some 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to reject the deal.

The NEU had urged its members to reject the offer and now plans to hold two further days of teacher strikes on April 27 and May 2.

The Government had offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24), and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan suggested they could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the deal.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Governments offer.

It comes after many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.

 Health

Junior doctors in England are to stage a fresh round of strikes after talks with the Government failed to resolve a bitter row over pay.

The British Medical Association (BMA) said a 96-hour walkout will take place for shifts starting between 6.59am on Tuesday April 11 and 6.59am on Saturday April 15.

Junior doctors in the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) will strike on the same days.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said the BMA placed an unreasonable pre-condition on talks of a 35% pay rise but the union denied this was the case.

BMA members who are junior doctors in Scotland will receive a ballot on Wednesday asking them if they support walkouts as part of their campaign for a pay rise.

Voting will close on May 5, and if strikes are backed the doctors will begin their action with a 72-hour full walkout on weekdays.

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It comes as up to 280,000 Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members in England are set to vote on whether to accept the Governments NHS pay offer.

Members will have until 9am on April 14 to cast their vote on the offer which the RCN Council has recommended should be accepted.

The proposed deal  which involves two one-off payments for the current financial year  affects each worker differently, depending on which pay band and pay point they are on.

The combined payments are worth between 1,655 and 3,789 dependent on salary band and are additional to increases already made this financial year.

These are referred to as non-consolidated amounts as they do not count towards members pensions and are not added to their future pay packet.

There will be a permanent 5% pay rise on all pay points for 2023-24.

The RCN vote comes after six days of strikes since December in the long-running dispute over pay.

 Civil Service

Members of the PCS union on the picket line outside the Passport Office in Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA)   Jane Barlow

On Monday April 3 Passport Office workers began a five-week strike as part of a Civil Service dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites were walking out, with picket lines outside offices in Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Southport, Peterborough, London, Belfast, and Newport in Wales.

The union is stepping up strikes, with a nationwide walkout of more than 130,000 civil servants planned on April 28.

 Airport security

Heathrow security guards are currently on a 10-day strike over pay which may cause flight disruptions over the Easter weekend.

Some 1,400 members of Unite began their action on Friday March 31 after talks broke down the previous evening.

Members have set up picket lines outside the airport.

The airports chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said last week: Heathrow is operating as normal. If youre travelling over the Easter period, dont worry, youll have a good journey.

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Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Heathrow can afford to pay a decent pay rise to its workers.

Heathrow executives seem to think its acceptable to offer what amounts to a real-terms pay cut to its security guards and ground staff who are already on poverty pay.

The strike ends at 23.59pm on Easter Sunday, April 10.

 Transport

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union suspended strikes which were scheduled to take place on March 30 and April 1 to engage in further talks with the Rail Delivery Group.

The move follows further discussions between the union and the organisation in the long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The union has already resolved its row with Network Rail in a similar dispute.

On March 20, the RMT announced that its members in Network Rail had voted to accept an offer to end the row over pay, jobs and conditions.

In a turnout of nearly 90%, members voted by 76% to 24% in favour, signalling an end to the row which led to a series of strikes in recent months.

The union said the deal includes an uplift on salaries of between 14.4% for the lowest paid grades to 9.2% for the highest paid, increased back pay, a no compulsory redundancy agreement until January 2025, and rail travel benefits.

 Amazon

The GMB union has said more than 500 of its members at an Amazon warehouse in Coventry will strike for three days from April 16 and again from April 21-23 in an escalation of a dispute over pay.

The six days of action follow a series of stoppages earlier this year.

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The GMB has also said it will be balloting its members at five more Amazon sites across the Midlands for strikes over a 50p pay rise enforced by Amazon management.

The online giant has said the minimum starting pay for its employees will increase to between 11 and 12 an hour depending on location.

 BBC

BBC journalists in England are to stage a 24-hour strike from midnight on May 5 to coincide with the reporting of local election results, in a dispute over cuts to local radio.

It will be the second walkout by members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) after a strike on Budget Day.

The union says BBC management wants local radio stations to share programmes across the network from 2pm on weekdays and at weekends, going from more than 100 hours of local programming on every radio station every week down to 40.

A BBC spokesman said: We have a plan to modernise local services across England  including more news journalists and a stronger local online service  which will see no overall reduction in staffing levels or local funding.
Some 43% of employers would be more likely to consider offering a four-day working week if all days were spent in the workplace   Getty Images

Almost three quarters of staff here would prefer a four-day working week in the office over five days on a hybrid basis, a new survey has shown.

And some 43% of employers would be more likely to consider offering a four-day working week if all days were spent in the workplace by staff, according to Hays.

It says 71% of NI workers would rather work a four-day week, with all four days spent in the office, over a five-day hybrid working pattern.

The survey also shows that 70% of workers say they would be tempted to move to an organisation if they were offering a four-day week  up from 62% in 2022.

Research conducted by Hays found that 43% of employers in NI would be more likely to consider offering a four-day working week if all days were spent in the workplace by staff, a figure that was higher than the overall UK figure (34%).

The survey polled 11,800 respondents across the UK, including 464 from Northern Ireland.

Similarly, if given the choice, over two-thirds (71%) of workers in NI would rather a four-day work week, spending all four days in the office, compared to just 29% who would prefer to work five days a week in a hybrid setting, the survey from Hays said.

For the UK as a whole, 62% of workers said they would rather a four-day work week, spending all four days in the office, compared with just 38% who would prefer to work a five-day hybrid week.

Among NI respondents, 72% believed the four-day week would happen, in line with the UK average of 74% and nearly all respondents (95%) from NI believe the four-day week is a good idea.

Its clear from our research that the appetite for a four-day working week has increased from both professionals and employers, however in reality only 5% of respondents to our survey are working for an organisation where this is actually happening, John Moore, managing director at Hays in Northern Ireland, said.

Organisations were quick to adopt hybrid working as a result of the pandemic, however the four-day week is a much bigger cultural and operational shift for many organisations.

What our research does point to is the importance of flexibility as professionals would be willing to travel into an office more often if there was better flexibility from employers on their working days. Whilst the four-day working week is an attractive offering for workers, there are lots of ways for employers to stand out from the crowd by allowing staff flexibility in the form of hybrid working, flexible hours and more.

There are still over 1.1 million unfilled job vacancies across the UK so employers need to be aware of the differing ways to attract professionals to their organisation.
A bomb exploded in a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, killing a famous Russian military blogger who advocated escalating the war in Ukraine

Shortly before the explosion, social media videos showed Vladlen Tatarsky receiving a small statue of him

Authorities were examining the potential cause of the explosion

According to officials, on Sunday, a well-known Russian military blogger was killed in an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg in what appeared to be a brazen attempt on a prominent pro-Kremlin figure.

Vladlen Tatarsky was killed after an explosion ripped through the cafe where he appeared as a guest of the pro-war group Cyber Front Z. According to the authorities, the case is being investigated as a possible murder.

Petersburg Explosion

The explosion injured at least 30 persons, 24 of whom were transported to hospital facilities, according to TASS, citing the Russian Ministry of Health. State-run media said that investigators were interrogating everyone in the cafe, according to CNN.

Russia's Investigative Committee for St. Petersburg stated that a murder probe had been initiated. The agency stated that it had investigators and forensic specialists on the spot, trying to determine the circumstances behind the explosion. The Russian Ministry of the Interior verified that Tatarsky was killed in the explosion.

TASS stated that the prosecutor of St. Petersburg, Viktor Melnik, traveled to the area to coordinate the efforts of emergency services and law enforcement organizations.

According to Russian media accounts, Tatarsky may have been killed by a bomb concealed in a figurine given to him by a lady before the explosion. Russian official media said that the woman attended the event at which Tatarsky spoke, citing law enforcement authorities and eyewitness testimony.

The explosion occurred during an event held by the pro-war Telegram group "Cyber Front Z." "Hello, friends and coworkers," the group said in a Sunday message. "There was a terrorist incident in the cafe we rented during our normal event. We took various security precautions, but they were insufficient. Our sympathies to the victims' families and friends."

"Our condolences are extended to everyone who knew the exceptional war correspondent and our dear friend, Vladlen Tatarsky. Currently, we are cooperating with law enforcement agencies, and we hope that all the perpetrators will be prosecuted," the message stated.

No group has claimed responsibility for the death, which may be the second political assassination of a pro-Putin Russian on Russian soil since the beginning of the war. Experts speculated that the Ukrainian secret agency orchestrated the incident.

It is unknown if the woman who presented him with the statue, which, according to Russian media, was a golden representation of Tatarskiy and carried 200g of TNT, was aware of its contents.

During the debate, a lady who introduced herself as Nastya posed questions and exchanged comments with Tatarsky, according to testimony captured on camera. A witness, Alisa Smotrova, cited Nastya as claiming she had sculpted a bust of the blogger, but security urged her to leave it at the entrance out of concern that it was a bomb.

Nastya and Tatarsky laughed and joked together. She then walked to the door, retrieved the bust, and gave it to Tatarsky. According to reports, he placed the bust on a neighboring table, and an explosion ensued. Smotrova described panicked individuals fleeing the scene, some injured by the smashed glass and covered in blood.

A video uploaded to Russian messaging app channels depicted the cafe following the explosion. Blood-stained tables and chairs were shattered, and glass shards scattered the floor, as per Daily Mail.

Russian media said that authorities were examining the bust as a potential cause of the explosion. At the same time, they have not ruled out the idea that an explosive device was installed in the cafe before the incident.

The Russian Investigative Committee, the nation's premier criminal investigation agency, has begun a murder investigation. No one claimed responsibility officially, but military bloggers and patriotic pundits instantly put their finger on Ukraine and connected the attack to the murder of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina in August of last year. On the outskirts of Moscow, she was killed when a remote-controlled explosive device concealed in her SUV detonated.

Russian authorities attributed Dugina's death to Ukraine's military intelligence, although Kyiv denied involvement. Tatarsky was acclaimed by her father, nationalist philosopher and political theorist Alexander Dugin, who ardently supports the invasion of Ukraine, as an "immortal" hero who sacrificed his life to preserve the Russian people.

Since the beginning of fighting in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Ukrainian officials have refrained from taking credit for several fires, explosions, and apparent murders in Russia. Simultaneously, leaders in Kyiv have embraced similar incidents with jubilation and insisted on Ukraine's right to undertake assaults in Russia.

A senior government official in Ukraine attributed the explosion that murdered Tatarsky to domestic unrest. Tatarsky, who often filed stories from Ukraine, was the alias of Maxim Fomin, whose Telegram chat app channel had amassed more than 560,000 followers.

Tatarsky, born in the Donbas, the industrial hub of Ukraine, worked as a coal miner before launching a furniture business. When he got into financial trouble, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. Once a Russia-backed separatist revolt swept the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula, he escaped from detention. Before resorting to blogging, he joined separatist insurgents and fought on the front lines.

Tatarsky was well-known for his bombastic statements and passionate pro-war rhetoric. The dissemination of information concerning Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been greatly facilitated and influenced by military blogs. They have virtually unanimously supported the campaign's objectives but have occasionally criticized Russian military strategy and tactical actions.

Read Also: US Tornadoes Death Toll Reaches 29

Russian Commander Blames Ukraine

Simultaneously, the Kremlin has silenced alternative voices opposing the conflict by shuttering news outlets, restricting public access to information, and imprisoning opponents. The restaurant was formerly owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private force fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

Cyber Force Z, which describes itself on social media as "Russia's information troops," stated that it had rented the cafe for the evening. The bomb damaged the building's facade. ABC News reported that Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed commander of the Russian-occupied portion of Ukraine's Donetsk province, indicated that Ukraine was to blame.

A presidential adviser from Ukraine stated that 'internal terrorism' was on the rise in Russia. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, stated on Twitter that it was only a matter of time before Russia was consumed by what he termed domestic terrorism.

Sunday, the Russian foreign ministry paid tribute to a popular military blogger who was killed by a bomb in a St. Petersburg cafe and criticized Western nations for failing to respond to the attack.

Maria Zakharova, a ministry spokesperson, stated on Telegram that bloggers like Vladlen Tatarsky are "defenders of the truth," adding that the lack of response from Western countries "despite their concern for the safety of journalists and the free press speaks for itself."

In June, after Russian troops were expelled from Snake Island by Ukraine, he applauded Putin's fighters' "heroic fight." Like other Putin apologists, he had criticized the Russian army for not fighting more viciously in Ukraine. Tatarsky's execution follows the murder of Darya Dugina, daughter of prominent ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, in a car bombing in Moscow in August of last year.

The Federal Security Agency of Russia accused Ukraine's secret agencies of carrying out the strike, which Putin termed "evil." Ukraine denied involvement. Putin appointed one of them to his human rights committee just last year. They were shocked at the news of Tatarsky's passing.

Last year, following the takeover of four Ukrainian areas by the Kremlin last year, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: "That is all. We will defeat everyone, kill everyone, and rob everyone if necessary. It will all be to our liking. God be with you."

Related Article: Wagner Group Chief Hints at Russia's Leadership Change

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Radio presenter Ken Bruce in the Global Radio studios, central London, ahead of his new show (Jonathan Brady/PA)   Jonathan Brady

Ken Bruce said he is struggling with how his working hours will change as he prepares to launch a new show on Greatest Hits Radio after exiting the BBC.

The veteran Scottish radio presenter had the last day of his Radio 2 mid-morning slot  which aired from 9.30am to midday for more than 30 years  in March before moving to Bauers Greatest Hits Radio on Monday.

His new show airs from 10am to 1pm and will feature PopMaster, which Bruce has brought over from the BBC due to him trademarking the long-standing segment, and hit songs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

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The popular radio quiz is still airing at the same time from 10.30am to 10.50am.

When asked if there are adjustments he has to make since moving to Bauer, Bruce told the PA news agency: Im struggling to work my day out.

I think Im going to be going to bed an hour later because I just have to squeeze everything into the remaining hours of the day.

Once I get my body clock, right. I think Ill be all right, but Im really enjoying having a half-hour extra in bed every morning.

The 72-year-old radio DJ added that he will be looking for lunch at 12.30pm when he is on-air and joked there will be a problem with the microphones during this time.

Ken Bruce will continue his popular PopMaster quiz on Greatest Hits Radio (Jonathan Brady/PA)   Jonathan Brady

He also said his new radio show after leaving the BBC will be much the same and he is not looking to introduce massive great bells and whistles stuff into the format.

Bruce added: Its just going to be nice things to keep people engaged, keep people listening, and taking part in the show, itll just be much the same as it was before just in a different place.

After joining BBC Radio Scotland in 1977 in his 30s, he went on to several other shows at the corporation.

When asked how he was feeling about the move from a workplace after more than 40 years, Bruce said: Well, Ive got lots of friends still working at the BBC and who worked at the BBC for a long time, and still Im very, very warm towards the BBC.

I think its a great organisation. It was just time for me to leave and now  its been quite a few weeks and really, Im looking forward to doing a month or two, maybe a year or two, maybe a decade or two, on Greatest Hits Radio.

Bruce said he also has plans to branch out to other avenues before adding he is not as young as he used to be.

Vernon Kay, pictured with Zoe Ball, will replace veteran broadcaster Ken Bruce on his BBC Radio 2 mid-morning weekday show (James Watkins/BBC Radio 2)   James Watkins/BBC Radio 2

The BBC announced Gary Davies, host of the stations Sounds Of The 80s will present the mid-morning show from March until TV presenter Vernon Kay takes over Bruces Radio 2 slot at a date in the future.

Bruce said he was seen as the young pretender when he first fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from the great Sir Terry Wogan in 1985.

He added: I did get a fair bit of criticism but you just have to ride that through and people are always comparing something theyve listened to for a long time with something thats brand new theyre not familiar with.

Bruce later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, returned to mid-mornings in January 1992.

I dont give advice to other broadcasters, (Irish broadcaster Sir Terry) refused to give me any advice.I asked him for it, he wouldnt do it, he added.

So, I dont think I should give advice, but this will pass is all I ever can sayif its not going as well as you might like, itll get better soon. Dont worry, keep at it.

 Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio airs weekdays from 10am to 1pm.
James Joseph McKinley admitted attacking his then partner Louise Gilmore in a prolonged attack which took place just six weeks after she had given birth to McKinleys baby   Sunday World

A Belfast man who subjected his partner to a sustained and prolonged attack while her 12-year-old child was at home avoided being sent to jail today.

James Joseph McKinley admitted attacking his girlfriend with a hurling stick and a knife following a drink and drugs binge on November 22, 2019.

The woman sustained multiple injuries and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident, which she says has been burned into her brain.

The 32-year-old, from Henderson Avenue in north Belfast, was handed a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for three years.

Belfast Crown Court heard that the couple were in a relationship and had a child together, but they split up by November 2019.

On the evening of November 21, 2019, they had been drinking together in her home and, in the early hours of the following morning, McKinley became paranoid over an audio message she received on WhatsApp.

Judge Paul Ramsey revealed McKinley then turned violent and attacked his partner and in the course of this there was a small knife in the house that was picked up.

There was a struggle and in the course of that she sustained an injury to her leg.

She was also struck by a hurling stick in the middle of the incident and her phone was damaged.

She managed to get upstairs to the toilet and her son video-called her [the victims] mum. Her father was at the house in seconds and the defendant had already gone.

The badly injured woman was rushed to hospital, where she was treated for multiple injuries including a fractured nose, swelling and bruising to her arms and shoulder blades, a wound to her leg and a bruised ribcage.

Two of her teeth were also broken by McKinley, who, when arrested, made limited admissions about what he did.

He has since pleaded guilty to assaulting the mother of his child, occasioning her actual bodily harm, and causing criminal damage to her mobile phone.

The court heard McKinley had been the subject of further unwanted community attention via social media since his arrest and has had to move address.

Judge Paul Ramsey noted McKinleys difficult childhood featured domestic abuse and alcoholism and that he left school with no qualifications.

Following his arrest, McKinley told a probation officer that the relationship with the injured party was blighted by drink and drug abuse.

McKinley also expressed his remorse and apologised to his ex, but the probation officer noted limited victim awareness or empathy and that his actions towards her were impulsive and violent.

Judge Ramsey said that after reading a victim impact statement, there was no doubt the victim has been badly affected by the attack and the injuries she sustained.

He said: She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, experiences flashbacks and has found it very difficult to cope.

She indicates her life has been turned upside down since she met the accused and what he has done to her is burned into her brain.

Judge Ramsey said he had considered aggravating factors put forward by Crown barrister Jonathan Connolly, which included multiple blows inflicted, the sustained and prolonged nature of the attack and the use of a knife and hurling stick.

Also considered by the judge were defence submissions made by barrister Sean Devine, which detailed the toxic nature of the couples relationship and an absence of any domestic-related incidents involving McKinley both before and after the November 2019 attack.

Saying this case lacked many of the features usually associated with domestic incidents, including a pattern of ongoing abuse and a previous history of domestic violence, Judge Ramsey imposed a two-year sentence, which was suspended for three years.

McKinley was also issued with a five-year restraining order, which bans him from harassing the victim or causing her to fear violence from him.
One of the Irish Government's Good Friday Agreement negotiators has spoken of the "chaotic and unpredictable" days in the run-up to the deal being reached, and a "miraculous moment".

David Donoghue was speaking at the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland as part of a panel discussing the historic peace accord, which was signed on April 10, 1998  Good Friday.

The retired diplomat said the final week which led to the Agreement "went quite differently from the way we imagined".

He said the Irish Government team was expecting a "big dust up" with the unionists over Strand Two of the 'Mitchell Draft' of what would become the deal, but not to the extent of what transpired.

The Mitchell Draft refers to the US senator George Mitchell, who chaired the GFA talks. Strand Two of the deal detailed the North-South institutions, such as the North-South Ministerial Council.

Mr Donoghue said the Irish side had "no idea" the negotiations on Strand Two "would last almost the entire week", leaving little time for discussions on the rest of the proposals.

"This Mitchell Draft put the cat among the pigeons. Unionists were very unhappy with the Strand Two arrangements, so we had to spend time rowing back on our positions, he said.

"Because Strand Two conversations took several days, there was very little time for anything else. George Mitchell wanted a deadline of Holy Thursday strictly adhered to."

Mr Donoghue said Mr Mitchell "added a nice dose of emotional blackmail", by telling all parties and officials that he hadn't seen his family back in the US in quite some time and informed them: "I'm going back to New York at the weekend and I'm never coming back."

Following this, the Irish diplomat said everyone knew they had until the afternoon of Good Friday at the latest to reach a deal.

Mr Donoghue said Strand Two talks were only completed at midnight on the Thursday, while the remaining strands only took a few hours. He said that, however, by lunchtime on the Friday he felt it was "all over" and then Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble "wouldn't be able to put out the fire within his own party" over what was on the table.

"To my amazement, at 4pm, I heard that David Trimble was going for the Agreement," he said.

"We recognised the courage he had shown at two or three key moments, and that was one of them. There was a fork in the road and he went the right way... There was a touch of the miraculous about it."

Since 1998, Mr Donoghue said there has been some "disappointments and disillusionments" over the peace accord, "but it's still the only way to go".

"The Good Friday Agreement is the right approach, but it really hasn't been given a chance," he said.

"At the end of the day (back in 1998) we somehow collectively managed to find a way forward."

Historian Marie Coleman also told the audience that it is important younger generations learn about the peace accord, but "we need to get from the platitude of 'it was much worse then than it is now'."
Under the GFA, citizens here can hold both British and Irish citizenship, and therefore two passports

The landmark Good Friday Agreement brought about scores of changes that forever changed Northern Ireland. Here's a run down of some of the most significant.

Dual citizenship

Prior to the Good Friday Agreement, people in Northern Ireland were automatically considered British citizens from birth, as NI is part of the UK. This is due to the British Nationality Act 1981.

The GFA changed this as it contained a commitment - known as 'birthright protection' - by the British and Irish governments to allow the people of Northern Ireland to identify and be accepted as Irish, British or both, and a right hold both British and Irish citizenship.

This also means that people from Northern Ireland can hold both British and Irish passports.

Policing Reform

The GFA transformed policing in Northern Ireland. From the agreement the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was established in order to recommend reforms to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, with the aim of both communities accepting the new organisation as legitimate and so Catholics would be encouraged to join.

As a result, the RUC was renamed the Police Service of Northern Ireland, 50;50 recruitment goals for Protestants and Catholics were set, and a range of oversight bodies were set up, such as the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Good Friday structures can only be reformed if all sides back it, Blair warns

Self-determination

One of the core changes the historic peace accord brought about was enshrining, under law, the principle of self-determination. This recognises the legitimacy of the choice of the people of Northern Ireland to either remain part of the United Kingdom, or become part of a united Ireland, if a majority of the people so wish.

This required changes to parts of the Irish Constitution which laid claim to the entire island of Ireland, and to British legislation through the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the repealing of the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which partitioned the island of Ireland.

Human Rights

Up until the signing of the agreement, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) had not been legislated for either in the Republic of Ireland or the UK.

The GFA placed a strong emphasis on human rights and subsequently saw both the Republic and UK incorporating the ECHR into national law. These changes meant that if anyone in Northern Ireland feels their rights haver been violated under the terms of the convention by a state party, they can take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

It also saw the establishment of human rights bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Demilitarisation

In terms of day-to-day living, one of the biggest 'aesthetic' changes to Northern Ireland following the signing of the peace accord was demilitarisation.

The Good Friday Agreement saw the UK Government committed to reducing the number and role of the armed forces deployed here, in addition to the removal of security installations - such as army watchtowers - and emergency powers.

At the time of the signing of the agreement there were an estimated 17,200 troops deployed in Northern Ireland. Today that figures sits at around 1,700.
Two born at time agreement was signed are grateful for changed times

Kerrie with Senator George Mitchell, one of the architects of the peace agreement

Erin McArdles mother Caroline holds her in her arms after she was born in Antrim hospital 25 years ago. Picture by Peter Morrison

Erin McArdle is grateful that she was born at a time of relative peace for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is now at a stage where it has been in a peace process for almost as long as it was in conflict.

Almost 600,000 people here are currently aged 25 or under, and so have only ever grown up in a post-Troubles society.

For Kerrie Patterson and Erin McArdle, the upcoming silver jubilee of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) is particularly significant, as it will also mark their 25th birthdays.

Kerrie, who hails from Lisburn, was born 25 minutes after the deal was signed, whilst Erin, who grew up in Ballymena, came into the world around 24 minutes after that.

Both young women are proud of their birth dates and collective history, but in particular, the chances they believe the GFA has afforded them.

It suits Kerrie well then, she says, that her middle name is Hope.

The GFA marked the end of violence and thats why my middle name Hope is so special to me, she explained. My life has been very different than it would have been had I been born before then, and Im the first generation that knows nothing but peace. I was given every opportunity, Im very grateful for that.

Kerrie Patterson is optimistic about the future here

Kerrie attended Wallace High School, before going on to study law and business at Trinity College Dublin. She still lives in Irelands capital now, where she works as a corporate finance associate for well-known business firm, KPMG.

She loved growing up in Lisburn, loved school and loves Dublin too.

I do have to say, Im really grateful to my parents for not instilling in me any prejudice or any connotations towards either Protestants or Catholics, she said. It was great that they always encouraged me to try all equal opportunities and be friends and meet with people from all walks of life. Im grateful for the upbringing that I had as it was so inclusive.

Erin, who was raised as a Catholic, too is appreciative of the cross-community aspects of her childhood, through initiatives at her local community centre and school, St Patricks College, Ballymena.

She is now engaged to her partner of six years, Dean McAtamney, who comes from a mixed marriage background (not that it matters to either of them).

I can honestly say its nothing Ive ever thought about, the paediatric nursing student told this newspaper.

A person is a person; it doesnt really matter what they were or are. I can see it with our generation too; the older we get, the less important it is. In this day and age, its not really thought about.

I went to a Catholic primary school and a lot of my friends to this day are from the Protestant community.

Since Brexit and the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, there have been growing tensions within loyalist and unionist communities.

Just last week, MI5 raised the threat level here from substantial to severe only 12 months after it had been downgraded. The move follows a rise in attacks from dissident republicans in the last year.

And since devolution as we know it today began, Stormont has been without a functioning government for around 35% of its lifespan. Despite this, both women are optimistic for the future of their home place.

Erin said: When we look back before the GFA, it's nothing like it was. Theres still the odd shooting and whatnot, but I go to Belfast for university and its the first place we would think to go for a night out. I wouldnt be scared to jump on a train to Belfast, whereas even my grandparents say Belfast is the last place they wouldve been.

Things like that absolutely have changed, and coming up to 25 years, I think thats something that should be celebrated. Its an amazing achievement, to look back and see how far weve come, but with no real government at the minute, that stops people from celebrating.

The majority of people want to keep moving forward with the progress weve made, but without a government, its just holding everybody else back, she continued.

Erin

Erin is currently in her second year of studying Children's & Young People's Nursing at Queens. She has completed work experience in Altnagelvin Hospital and is currently undergoing placement at Ballymena Health Centre.

With healthcare at the minute, I see it first hand; the amount of stress nurses, doctors and health assistants are all under. With the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, we need somebody [in government] to follow, she said.

Kerrie added: My generation has so many more things on our minds today in terms of celebrating diversity. Thats our focus.

I always get asked in Dublin if Ill ever move back to Belfast or back to the north, and the answer is always absolutely. I am really optimistic for Northern Irelands future as a country. Its important to celebrate our progression whilst respectfully remembering the challenges the country faced.

I hope we continue to embrace our unique history and culture, but I guess the big thing for me is getting Stormont back in action. The power sharing is really important, and things like education and healthcare really need a stable government in terms of progressing decisions.
Residents of the West Winds estate hold a walk about against the Real UFF on Monday 3rd March 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

Residents of the West Winds estate hold a walk about against the Real UFF on Monday 3rd March 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

Residents of the West Winds estate hold a walk about against the Real UFF on Monday 3rd March 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)   Kevin Scott

Residents in Newtownards staged a community safety walkabout in the West Winds estate on Monday evening in protest against recent criminal activity in the area .

In an open letter, the residents group said they want to send a clear message to the group calling themselves the Real UFF that they are not welcome in the West Winds area.

We are fed up of the disruption to our community, and indeed other communities across our borough, and tonight we are going to walk the streets together to show that this community will not be intimidated, threatened or bullied, the notice read.

As a community we do not want to see any more violence against any person. We want a completely peaceful and lawful solution to the ongoing dispute.

The action comes as the area has faced several incidents over the past week with over 12 homes attacked in the area to date following a feud in the area.

On Thursday, 20 masked men were seen on the streets of Newtownards, close to the Weavers Grange housing development that has been at the centre of the trouble.

On Friday, the Belfast Telegraph reported a UDA gang involved in the feud has said the dispute will only come to an end when 20 people named on a list handed to a restorative justice group leave Northern Ireland.

Four men aged 38, 36, 29 and 24 have been charged following a disturbance at a shopping centre in Newtownards.

The group has said no one has anything to fear from the peaceful gathering adding it will be noticed to the PSNI and the action is a bid to reassure the elderly in the community.

We as a community want to return to normality and we ask all those joining with us tonight not to engage in any confrontation with the PSNI with whom this community has no quarrel.

We would also like to assure all residents that local loyalists are fully supportive of the community stance and no one has anything to fear from attending the community walk-around.

"The so called Real UFF will not be permitted to intimidate any person in this area.

The collective also responded to remarks made by Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong on BBC Radio Ulsters The Nolan Show.

Speaking about a previous letter sent by the group, Ms Armstrong said she believed the motivations behind the letter were dubious.

I dont believe (the) letter comes from the residents of West Winds, I think it comes from a group of people who are trying to legitimise their legal activity. Having the police on the ground has interrupted their drug dealing and I would say this has more behind it, she said.

We are a proud area and we as a community want our children to grow up in a peaceful, thriving and proud community free from any crime whatsoever. The insinuation otherwise is disgusting, read the letter in response to the MLA.

It is not Kellie Armstrong of Alliance who lives in this community, or indeed any working class loyalist area, and Alliance have no influence in these communities.

"What have they done to try and mediate an end to this dispute tearing our communities apart?

How many times has Kellie Armstrong or her Alliance colleagues been in our community or other working class loyalist areas actually engaging on the ground?

In response, Ms Armstrong said: As a long-standing elected representative for Strangford, I work every day with people from across the community, irrespective of their political or cultural background, including people living within the West Winds and Weavers Grange areas.

This has included people who have been intimidated out of their homes by the same thugs who have had the gall to don face masks and terrorise our streets in broad daylight, she added.

As an elected representative, with a democratic mandate, I will not be bullied out of speaking up for any of our residents or what I believe to be the best interests of the constituency.
The PSNI are appealing for information following an attempted burglary in Co Down.

The incident occurred around 3.45pm on Saturday with police receiving a report of two men acting suspiciously at a house in the area.

Police have said they believe the men left the area in a maroon-coloured Toyota Avensis and headed towards the Republic of Ireland.

One of the suspects is described as approximately 6ft with short ginger hair and was wearing a hoody, trainers, gloves and a snood around his neck.

The second man is slightly smaller with dark hair, slim build, and was wearing a dark-coloured hoody.

Both men are believed to be aged in their mid to late 20s.

A PSNI spokesperson said an investigation is currently underway with police working alongside An Garda Siochana.

They added: We are keen to hear from witnesses or anyone who may have captured CCTV or dash-cam footage in the area around the time of the attempted burglary to get in touch with police on 101, quoting reference number 1198 of 01/04/23.

You can also submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Dame Arlene Foster has said the EU must not cherry pick when it comes to marking the Good Friday Agreement.

Writing in a column for the Daily Telegraph, the former First Minister said there is a special requisite for the EU ahead of the anniversary of the peace negotiation claiming the organisations leaders must reflect on the damage they inflicted through their refusal to listen to Unionist voices during Brexit talks.

As used to be said about the implementation of the Belfast Agreement: no cherry-picking."

Various events across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK are taking place this week to mark 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which is often touted as the process in which peace was brought to Northern Ireland following the Troubles.

The GB News host said if the EU intend to bring a revisionist attitude to events marking the anniversary, then their time would be better spent taking history lessons in Brussels.

Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan. Never has this well-known phrase been more apt than in connection with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Over the coming days, EU leaders will happily talk about the success of the Belfast Agreement. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the Commission, has already implied not only that her organisation played a crucial role in the Agreement, but suggested they were now guardians of it.

Last week, Ms von der Leyen said 25 years ago, the impossible came true during a commemorative ceremony to mark the agreements anniversary adding it was the EUs commitment to making the Windsor Agreement work means a hard border will never again be on the island of Ireland.

To suggest that the EU was in some way critical to the actual making of the Agreement is disingenuous at best continued Ms Foster, who did not vote for the Agreement in 1998.

In fact, during the tortuous Brexit negotiations, the EU chose to misrepresent the contents of the Belfast Agreement to the detriment of those of us living here.

She added the Belfast Agreement did the opposite of what some in the EU believe.
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was in doubt until the final plenary session, a former government director of communications has said.

Politicians and officials were involved in intense negotiations around the clock at Castle Buildings in the Stormont estate ahead of April 10, 1998 when a spring snow fall added to the surreal moment for Northern Ireland.

There had been weeks of officials having to manage the runways to stop unwanted meetings in the corridors and delivering assurances to parties while not throwing other parties off course.

Tom Kelly, the then Northern Ireland Office director of communications, said the failed Sunningdale Agreement of 1973 cast a shadow over efforts.

I didnt wake up on Good Friday morning because Id been on my feet for 36 hours pacing the corridors, I think it was genuinely in doubt right until the very end because various parties needed various assurances and delivering those assurances in such a way that didnt send another party off in the wrong direction was a major negotiating feat, he said.

It wasnt actually until the Ulster Unionists finally agreed following a letter from the Prime Minister to David Trimble that we actually knew it was on.

It was really only at the point of the final plenary session that you dared to hope. It was a mixture of exhaustion, elation at the prospect of an agreement but also apprehension because I knew Id have to lead the referendum campaign, and that wasnt guaranteed, and secondly I remembered, as a teenager, the Sunningdale (agreement) being agreed and being brought down.

I knew that this time we were going to have to hold firm, and keep making the argument why the agreement was the only show in town.

Mr Kelly took up the role with the Northern Ireland Office just weeks before the agreement was signed.

Immediately he was plunged into political maelstrom, and prepared a communications paper around a just in case agreement.

There was an opinion poll carried out a week before the talks started which show that just 17% thought they would succeed in the timeframe, 83% didnt, and that just showed the learned pessimism of 25 years of failure, he told the PA news agency.

People had become fatalistic, that was the attitude, people admired us for trying but thought we were slightly naive.

Mr Kelly said the run-up period to the talks started with the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, improved relations between the British and Irish governments and stable government in both London and Dublin under Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

He said within the talks there was a focus and a drive and a willingness on the part of the government to be flexible, adding that made the agreement possible.

But on the morning of Good Friday nothing was guaranteed, because wed seen Sunningdale 25 years earlier be agreed and then allowed to collapse, what mattered was the persistence over the next nine years which eventually ended up with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness sitting down together, he said.

One of the learnings of the process had to be that politicians from very different backgrounds got comfortable being in the same building, but then Id worked for 16 years at the BBC in Belfast and London, and that was a problem that we had had there as well.

Part of the tragedy of Irish political history, never mind Northern Irish political history, has been that politicians didnt know each other very well, I think one of the things the agreement has delivered is that people do know each other a bit better even if they dont agree with each other.

Mr Kelly went on to be Tony Blairs spokesperson from 2001 to 2007.

Looking back, he said the peace process delivered but the political process has not yet.

As a peace process I believe it delivered, as a political process however, I think its only been partially successful, thats been because unfortunately the two main parties have chosen politics as another form of the conflict, as another zero sum game rather than trying to build a consensus even when they disagree on the constitutional issue. And too often the centre ground, although it has now consolidated and grown, has been content to say, at least were not that lot, he said.

Thats the unfortunate reality, and the challenge for the next 25 years is not just to hold the ground in terms of peace, but actually deliver good government for the people of Northern Ireland.
A public consultation on assisted dying on the Isle of Man saw the results almost evenly split between those for and against a change in the law.

Just under half (49.61%) of the responses disagreed that assisted dying should be permitted for terminally ill adults, while 49.01% agreed that it should.

There was a total of 3,316 responses and 1.08% said they were not sure, with 0.30% not answering that specific question.

The vast majority (68.31%) of respondents felt that the two doctors involved in the consent process should ensure that the person requesting assisted dying was fully aware of all the options available to them including palliative care, support and pain control.

Of the rest, 26.85% did not answer that question while 2.62% said no and the rest said they were not sure.

The consultation results summary stated that there was a large number of responses praising the current provision of palliative care services on the Isle of Man.

Dr Alex Allinson, who introduced the Private Members Bill in June last year, said any change in the law would need to be done in a safe, reassuring way so that personal choice can be respected.

He said: I have been overwhelmed by the support for these proposals and the devastating stories of suffering at the end of life and examples of how the law is simply not working for many dying people on our island.

On the other side of the debate people have shared heartfelt moral and ethical views on why they do not agree with assisted dying and expressed fears for what could happen if the law changed.

Clearly, we need to find a way to modify the existing law in a safe, reassuring way so that personal choice can be respected and suffering reduced without unduly impacting those who would not want to make use of this option themselves.

He said the consultation responses would be taken into account in the drafting of legislation and further public discourse and parliamentary scrutiny will be welcomed.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity in Dying which supports assisted dying, said the consultation demonstrates that the current law is not working for dying people.

She added: Longstanding ideological opponents of assisted dying will continue to scaremonger and attempt to influence the debate, because they fear the inevitable progress towards law change.

Yet opinion polls have shown the Manx public to be highly supportive of assisted dying for terminally ill adults, much in line with the UK public.

Its over to Tynwald (the Isle of Man parliament) to debate proposals that command the support of the Manx people and find a way forward that gives choice and protection for dying islanders.
Burger giant McDonald's Inc. is temporarily shutting its U.S. headquarters this week as it gets ready to tell corporate staff about its layoffs as part of a larger business restructure, per reports.

Employees in the United States and several other countries were reportedly instructed to work remotely from Monday until Wednesday so that the company could make personnel considerations online, according to a Reuters report.

The Chicago-based firm stated in the message seen by the WSJ that it will "communicate key decisions" relating to positions and personnel levels throughout the fast-food giant McDonald's "during the week of April 3."

According to the report, McDonald's reportedly instructed its staff to postpone any in-person meetings scheduled for the company's headquarters with suppliers and other third parties.

Read Also: St. Petersburg Blast Update

McDonalds CEO Warned 'Difficult' Decisions Ahead

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski issued a stern warning to staff in January, saying that "difficult discussions and decisions" were ahead, giving a hint of the upcoming McDonalds layoffs, according to Fox Business.

In a company-wide email, Kempczinski revealed that the firm will be reorganizing its workforce and maybe eliminating certain roles as part of its new business plan, dubbed "Accelerating the Arches 2.0," in an effort to be more productive, creative, and cost-effective.

It is anticipated that the layoffs will be communicated on Wednesday. The fast food chain did not say how many people might lose their jobs as a result of the reorganization of McDonald's.

Aside from McDonald's layoffs, there has been an massive sacking of employees in major companies as businesses struggle to combat the global economic recession and increasing prices, per NDTV. Google, Amazon, and Facebook are just a few of the digital titans that have lately reduced their workforce significantly.

Related Story: New York Gears Up for Potential Protests During Donald Trump's Surrender

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Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson (Stefan Rousseau/PA)   Stefan Rousseau

Tributes have been paid to Conservative former chancellor Nigel Lawson after his death at the age of 91.

Rishi Sunak described the party grandee and leading Brexiteer as an inspiration and Boris Johnson marked him as a giant of Tory politics.

The former MP served as Margaret Thatchers chancellor from 1983 until his resignation in 1989, before sitting in the House of Lords as Baron Lawson of Blaby until his retirement in December.

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Having been editor of influential right-wing magazine The Spectator, he entered the Commons in 1974 as the representative for Blaby in Leicestershire and stayed there until 1992.

Mr Sunak, himself a former chancellor, said Lord Lawson was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.

Mr Johnson described him as a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism.

He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams, the former prime minister added.

He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

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Lord Lawson, who also worked on the Financial Times and the Sunday Telegraph, had six children, including celebrity cook and food writer Nigella and journalist Dominic.

The Telegraph first reported his death and his family are yet to comment.

Conservative former prime minister David Cameron said Lord Lawson will be greatly missed.

Nigel Lawson was a giant of British politics, right in the heart of the engine room of Margaret Thatchers great reforms  and providing so much of the intellectual backing for what needed to be done at the end of the 1970s, he said.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tweeted: Nigel Lawson was a rarity amongst politicians, someone who transformed our thinking as well as transforming our economy.

Since he stepped down as chancellor his shoes have been impossible to fill but he inspired all his successors, leaving the country more prosperous & enterprising.

Lord Lawson helped transform Britain while serving in the Thatcher government, slashing personal taxation.

His resignation in 1989 after rows over Europe and economic policy marked the early stages of her downfall a year later.

Nigel Lawson applauded by Margaret Thatcher at a Tiory conference (PA)   PA

He chaired the Vote Leave campaign ahead of the 2016 EU referendum but faced allegations of hypocrisy after applying for a French residency card.

He also faced criticism for being a denier of the climate crisis.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: A true statesman. His contributions to this nation will not be forgotten.

Former prime minister Liz Truss said: Incredibly sad to hear of the death of Nigel Lawson. A true giant of 20th century politics who as Chancellor famously sought to abolish at least one tax at every Budget.

His time at the helm of the Treasury was transformational.

Tory party chairman Greg Hands said Lord Lawson will be remembered for his clarity of thinking, commitment to free market economics & willingness to challenge orthodoxies.

Former chancellor Sajid Javid said: Very saddened to hear this. One of Britains greatest public servants, especially as Chancellor.
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said Finland will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday.

The move prompted a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defences near their joint border if Nato deploys any troops in its new member.

From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

Mr Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand its official texts to US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Tuesday as Nato foreign ministers gather in Brussels.

Mr Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

A flag-raising ceremony to add the Finnish flag to those of the other members will take place at Nato headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for Nato as a whole.

Mr Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand its official texts to US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Mr Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin (AP)   Sergei Grits

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and defence minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the ceremony, along with foreign minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize Natos support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression, Mr Haavisto said in a statement.

We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.

Russias deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming a Nato member by bolstering its defences if needed.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Mr Grushko said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency.

In case of deployment of forces of other Nato members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russias military security.

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The announcement of Finlands entry comes just after Finnish voters gave a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin of another term in office.

Ms Marin had championed her countrys Nato accession.

Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under Natos security umbrella.

All 30 allies signed Finlands and Swedens accession protocols. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but have relented on Finland.

Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably on tackling extremism. Hungarys demands have never been made explicit.

Nato must agree unanimously for new members to join. Nato officials are also keen to bring Sweden within the fold before US President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts meet in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member, Mr Stoltenberg said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric, centre, and German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck visit a school basement in the village of Yagidne, Chernihiv region, Ukraine, where civilians were kept for days (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)   Uncredited

Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euro (57 billion) in military aid to help thwart Russias full-scale invasion, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

With no peace negotiations on the horizon, Mr Stoltenberg said the alliance is gearing up to send more assistance.

We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security, Mr Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, adding there are no signs that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war.

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Nato foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces, Mr Stoltenberg said, adding: Our support is for the long-haul.

Analysts suspect Mr Putin plans to dig in and hold out against a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive in the coming months, hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will unravel.

Mr Putins invasion in February 2022 backfired in some key respects. It led Nato to deploy more troops and weapons into the territories of its members in Eastern Europe and persuaded Sweden and Finland to scrap their neutrality and seek Nato membership.

A Ukrainian serviceman of 12 aviation brigade sits inside an Mi-8 combat helicopter (AP)   Alex Babenko

Finland will formally join the alliance on Tuesday, Mr Stoltenberg said.

The war has also more tightly bound together foreign leaders viewed by Mr Putin as adversaries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to head to Warsaw on Wednesday for a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Polish authorities announced the visit on Monday in an unusually early disclosure of the Ukrainian leaders travel plans.

German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck visit the school basement in the village of Yagidne, Chernihiv region where civilians were kept for days (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)   Uncredited

Amid fears among Russias other neighbours about the Kremlins ambitions, the leaders of Germany, Romania and Moldova were due Monday to look at ways of shoring up defences along Natos eastern flank.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is meeting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Bucharest.

Their talks were expected to focus on security, the economy and energy supply.

Meanwhile, German vice chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the economy minister and responsible for energy, arrived in Kyiv on Monday for an unannounced visit.

He travelled with a business delegation that included the head of Germanys main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries.

Mr Habeck said the trip was meant to send a clear signal that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europes part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future.

Ukrainian Mi-8 combat helicopters of 12 aviation brigade fly towards Russian positions during a combat mission in Kharkiv (AP)   Alex Babenko

Mr Zelensky and Mr Habeck visited the village of Yahidne  87 miles north of Kyiv. Mr Zelensky visited the Yahidne secondary school, where Russian occupiers forcibly kept 367 Ukrainian civilians in the basement for 27 days in March of last year. Eleven people died in the dark, crowded basement.

Meanwhile, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, where much of the fighting has taken place in recent months, six civilians were killed in a single Russian rocket strike on the town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraines presidential office said.

Four more civilians were killed in the northern Chernihiv region when their vehicles hit land mines, underlining the perils of living in the war zone.

Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that a spell of cold weather has deepened the civilians plight.

Freezing temperatures and snow make life unbearable for civilians, they have to survive in damp basements without power and communications and can only occasionally get out to warm themselves around a campfire, Mr Kyrylenko said in televised remarks.

The Russians never run out of ammunition, equipment and personnel whom they use as cannon fodder to keep trying to storm cities.
Two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli troops during an army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry has said.

The Israeli military said that troops arrested two people suspected of assisting a gunman who shot two soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara last month.

The army said its soldiers returned fire after being shot at during the raid.

Violence has surged in recent months in the West Bank and east Jerusalem amid near-daily Israeli arrest raids in Palestinian-controlled areas and a string of Palestinian attacks.

Israel forces fire tear gas during clashes with Palestinians during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus (AP)   Majdi Mohammed

The US has tried to broker talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinians to try to defuse tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, now in its second week.

At least 88 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli or settler gunfire this year, according to an Associated Press tally. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 15 people in the same period.

Israel says most of those killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting against the incursions and people not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

The West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their future independent state.
A crushing defeat for Montenegros long-serving leader Milo Djukanovic in a weekend presidential election heralds his final departure from the small Balkan states political scene after more than 30 years in power, analysts have said.

Economy expert and political novice Jakov Milatovic won the presidential run-off election on Sunday, defeating Mr Djukanaovic, who led Montenegro to independence from much larger Serbia in 2006 and to Nato membership in 2017, despite strong opposition from former Slavic ally Russia.

Mr Milatovic won around 60% of the vote, according to reliable independent pollsters, and Mr Djukanovic has conceded defeat. The first official results are expected later on Monday.

The newcomners victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with Mr Djukanovic  who has served as president twice and prime minister seven times  as well as disillusionment with established politicians.

Although the presidency is largely a ceremonial position in Montenegro, it influences the political trends in the country.

Jakov Milatovic, leader of the Europe Now movement, celebrates in his headquarters in Montenegros capital Podgorica (AP)   Risto Bozovic

Djukanovic is one of the longest-ruling leaders in Europe and in the world, said political analyst Ana Nenezic.

He has ruled for more than Belarus leader (Aleksander) Lukashenko, which is strange in any democratic society  32 years is too much for a country.

Montenegrin political analyst Fedja Pavlovic said Mr Djukanovic was sent to political retirement, this time irrevocably.

This was Mr Djukanovics first loss in an election since he first entered politics in the former Yugoslav republic in the early 1990s.

During his decades in power, the 61-year-old switched from a pro-Serbian communist to a pro-Western politician.

Mr Milatovic, 36, first entered politics in 2020 after finishing his education in Britain and the United States.

The outcome of Sundays election is likely to reflect on an early parliamentary vote set for June 11.

A worker sets a pre-election billboard showing Jakov Milatovic (AP)   Risto Bozovic

That vote was scheduled because of a months-long government deadlock that stalled Montenegros pending European Union membership and alarmed the West as war rages in Ukraine.

Though Mr Milatovics Europe Now group is not formally part of the countrys ruling coalition, his presidential candidacy won backing from the shaky alliance that includes parties advocating closer ties with neighbouring Serbia and Russia.

Mr Milatovic has denied Mr Djukanovics allegations that the governing coalition was pushing Montenegro back under Serbian and Russian influence.

The country of some 620,000 people is deeply split between those who consider Montenegro a sovereign nation and about 30% of the population who consider themselves Serbs.

Relations between Serbia and Montenegro have deteriorated since Mr Djukanovic took the country out of the union with Serbia and later into Nato.

During the election campaign, Mr Djukanovic said voters were choosing between membership in the EU, or joining the Serbian World  a copy of the Russian World.

Serbias President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated Mr Milatovic on his victory, saying: In Serbia, you will always have a reliable partner.

During his tenure, Mr Djukanovic and his party officials have often been accused of corruption and of pressuring the judiciary to ignore numerous some cases. He has often denied accumulating a large fortune for himself and his family.

End of an era: Milatovic is the president, read newspaper headlines a day after the vote.
Glen Wallace is looking forward to coming home to Belfast to star in a re-run of the stage version of Good Vibrations.

Fresh from his role on Coronation Street, the Ballymena actor will be playing punk godfather Terri Hooley at the Grand Opera House.

Hooley (74) became an important figure in the 1970s Belfast music scene, opening the independent record shop and label Good Vibrations and signing bands including Rudi, The Outcasts and The Undertones.

The site of the old record shop is just a stones throw away from the Grand Opera House.

The play, which debuted at the Lyric Theatre in 2018, was adapted by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson, who were nominated for a Bafta for writing the film on which it is based.

Terri Hooley

Glen told Sunday Life he missed out on a ticket for the first sell-out run of the play, and had to make do with watching it on his laptop during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I didnt get a chance to see it when my mate Aaron McCusker played Terri, he explained.

Aaron and I worked together on [the crime series] Marcella and are good friends. You couldnt get a ticket for love nor money for the first show, and it had standing ovations every night.

I auditioned for it in 2019, then everything was shelved because of Covid. When we were all sitting at home [during lockdown] and needed content to watch, the Lyric Theatre streamed it from its archives, and I managed to get to see it. I loved it. It is such a great story and has great energy.

People have asked me if its a play or a musical. To me, a musical tells a story through song, and I think this is a hybrid because it feels like a concert.

When I watched it on my laptop, I felt that I was part of a gig. I could feel the energy; the crowd was bouncing. I can only imagine what that will be like in the Grand Opera House.

I cant believe that [the play] has come back and given me this opportunity to play someone as iconic as Terri Hooley.

Its 10 years since Ive been on stage. I cant wait.

Glen with Good Vibrations co-star Jayne Wisener

The 46-year-old became a household name after leaving Northern Ireland for England in 1998 to pursue an acting career.

After drama school, he made his screen debut in 2003 as a riot cop in the award-winning TV movie Holy Cross.

He went on to star in a number of hugely popular soaps, including Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and, more recently, Coronation Street.

Glen also had a role in The Secret, about Colin Howell and Hazel Stewart, and is currently appearing in Under the Black Rock at the Arcola Theatre in London.

Glen as DS Cameron Bryant in EastEnders

Playing Lucas Kempton in Coronation Street came as a welcome break from the coronavirus crisis.

I was very fortunate to get that job during lockdown because it gave me something to do, he said.

A lot of my friends who work in the theatre had nothing because their industry had crashed, but soaps shot in studios could meet the restrictions because they could be contained.

I loved it. I loved being in Manchester. I have a best friend there and Im a godfather to his son, so I was able to live in their bubble and go to and from work.

It was harder for the regulars because they operated a one-way system in the studio.

All the chairs were taken out of the green room to discourage people from congregating there.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ali [Coronation Street actor Alison King, who plays Carla Connor] is such a lovely girl who has her feet on the ground and is very warm. She made it a great experience for me.

They havent entirely shut the door on the character, and if they want to bring him back some time in the future, I will happily do it.

Glen Wallace as Lucas Kempton in Coronation Street

Glen lives in London with his partner but likes to get home every couple of months to see his mum, Sandra, dad Roy, two younger brothers and his nephews and niece.

He credits Michael Poynor, the artistic director of the Ulster Theatre Company, for giving him a start in his career.

However, what initially drew him to acting was the chance to duck out of maths lessons and mix with girls.

I was at the Belfast Boys Model School, and in second year you could take part in the school play, he said.

If you were part of it, you got a week off your timetable and you also got to mix with the girls school.

When I realised it meant I didnt have to go to maths for a whole week and got to spend time with the girls, I thought that sounded like good craic and signed up.

My English teacher was involved in the Fortwilliam Musical Society Youth, and my art teacher painted the sets.

They were putting on a show of Oklahoma when someone dropped out. They asked me to help. One show led to another, and here I am, 30 years later.

I appeared on stage in the Grand Opera House as an amateur in my teens about 15 times, but this will be my first time as a professional actor.

At that age, a career in acting would have only been a pipe dream.

My family are not theatrical and there was no real outlet for acting. It was just seen as a hobby.

But when you saw people like Jimmy Nesbitt in Cold Feet and Charlie Lawson in Coronation Street, you realised it was possible.

Were having this conversation in the arts at the minute about representation and diversity and why it is so important, and I think class is a big part of that.

Working-class boys and girls from Belfast need to see themselves represented on the screen and realise they can do it too.

Glen has had roles in soaps including Corrie

While Glen feels fortunate for the many roles that have come his way, he takes nothing for granted.

I always say it is the best job in the world and also can be the worst job when you are not in work, he said.

Ive been very fortunate and am very grateful for every opportunity.

I think it isnt just about luck and being in the right place at the right time, but also about being prepared when an opportunity comes along.

Good Vibrations runs at Belfasts Grand Opera House from May 9 until May 20.

It is directed by Des Kennedy, who previously worked on Piaf and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and written by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson.

Glen will be starring alongside Jayne Wisener, Marty Maguire, Christina Nelson, Curtis-Lee Ashqar, Cat Barter, Gavin Peden, Chris Mohan, Odhran McNulty, Jolene OHara and Dylan Reid.

A younger Terri Hooley outside his old record shop

The production of Good Vibrations is supported by Tourism Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland National Lottery funding and Belfast City Council. For more information and booking details, visit www.goh.co.uk
Family blown away by support of the public as Belfast dad Fergie fights to protect sons after last year upended their lives

An east Belfast father whose beloved wife died suddenly has been fighting to find a new family home for their two sons.

Fergie Straghan was given notice on their rented house just hours after losing a job  with their eviction date set just days before the first anniversary of Jans death last April.

Describing Jan as a kind, loving mum whod do anything to help people and dedicated much of her time to volunteering for a local foodbank, Fergie says: She was my backbone and my rock.

Now Fergie (37) has launched a fundraising appeal to help cover the costs of finding a new home for their two boys, Daniel (13) and Jack (10).

The boys have been whats kept me going this past year, Fergie reveals. Im doing this for them. Weve had lots of support from friends  but also donations from strangers. Its really boosted my confidence in people; its meant a lot to us.

Fergie and Jan had been together for almost 17 years, having met in Belfast club The Limelight and sharing a kiss on the dancefloor.

I was just six days off my 20th birthday, smiles Fergie. Jan had been planning on moving to Prague with some friends to teach English, but she stayed in Belfast for me.

I had strong feelings for her very quickly. After about four months we moved in together. You just know when its right.

Fergie with late wife Jan

The couple had their two sons and then married on September 30, 2015, at Belfast City Hall  10 years to the day since they met and danced together at The Limelight.

Before the wedding, Daniel asked me if he could say a few words, remembers Fergie. He was only five at the time, so I didnt think much of it.

But at our reception, after the other speeches, Daniel asked if it was his turn yet. He got up and said, Thank you very much for coming to my mummy and daddys wedding and I hope you all have a great day.

It was one of the highlights of the day  we were so proud of him.

Jan loved being a full-time mum to her boys and also dedicated a lot of her time to In This Together, a social supermarket initiative in east Belfast  even roping Fergie in to play the part of the grottos Santa for the kids at Christmas.

One year I was dressed as Santa and Jack came to see me, and he didnt even know it was me, laughs Fergie. I put on my Santa voice.

Jan was always wanting to help people. When Covid hit they set up a check-in service for people living on their own and Jan might have had 30 to 40 phone calls a week.

She was a brilliant wife and mother too. She was kind and patient, she kept things running like clockwork and kept us all organised. Its overwhelming how much she did for us all. She did so much every day for her family.

Jan celebrated her 40th birthday with a family meal at Villa Italia in Belfast on April 11, 2022. Just a couple of weeks later, on April 30, the family was enjoying a lazy Saturday evening at home when Jan collapsed.

Wed been watching Ant and Dec, and whatever else was on ITV, recalls Fergie. I paused the telly while Jan went upstairs to get her phone charger at 10pm.

Fifteen minutes later shed not come back down and then Daniel started shouting for help, saying mummy was lying on the bed and breathing funny.

Jan with her two sons

Fergie called 999 and began doing CPR, before police and paramedics took over, but Jan was declared dead in their bedroom a short time later.

For Fergie and the boys it felt unreal that they could lose her so suddenly.

Jan was my partner my whole adult life, explains Fergie. I didnt know anything without Jan. I was absolutely overwhelmed. It was a very dark time.

In the months after Jan passed, both Fergie and the boys had counselling and Fergie was treated for anxiety and depression. The grief and stress were a contributing factor to them losing their job at the beginning of March, after making a couple of mistakes.

Later that same day, Fergies landlord gave the family two months notice to move out so the property could be put up for sale.

It was very bad timing, says Fergie.

Without an income, and facing the prospect of having to find a months rent in advance and a deposit, plus moving costs, Fergie turned to the internet for help and posted an appeal for help on GoFundMe.

I felt like we had no choice, Fergie says. Jan and I always tried to help charities; Id done fundraising for Cancer Focus NI and a sponsored head shave for International Mens Day in the past.

Its incredibly hard having to ask for help because I pride myself in always providing for my family but I felt like I had no choice. My boys deserve some semblance of comfort and security.

Average rent in Belfast for the size of house we need is 800, then double that for the deposit, plus removals, and its a lot of money.

Fergie set the target for 2,000, and the appeal is now at more than 3,600, for which the family is very grateful.

There have been times in this past year when Ive felt very alone, but the response to our appeal has really helped, says Fergie. The kids ask about it every day, saying, Whats it at now dad? Theyre definitely taking comfort from it too.

Fergie has now signed a lease on a house and will be moving this month. He plans to start job hunting again once the family is moved and settled.

To help the family, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-boys-and-i-avoid-becoming-homeless
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Statistics show that loneliness is at an all-time high for Christians in the United States. However, the lead pastor of the multisite Vox Church, Justin Kendrick, urges believers that denying friendships is like denying Jesus. In his book, The Sacred Us: A Call to Radical Christian Community, Kendrick shares Jesus model for growing meaningful friendships and living in the Christian community.

According to Kendrick, his book proposes seven biblically-based principles to delve into the essence of a Christ-centered community. When friendships are established in Christ, the relationship will bring fewer excessively lonely feelings. Kendrick says his book moves beyond maintaining and forming friendships based on shared interests. It also concentrates on developing friendships based on sharing life so we can love and know Jesus more. Ultimately, well learn to love our community as Jesus did.

A study commissioned by Barna World Vision supports Kendricks view. In 2019, the study found that among 15,000 participants between the ages of 18-35 from differing countries, participants who belong to a religious tradition had stronger feelings about being in relationships with others. The study also found that those who identified as Christians or other faiths were less inclined than others without faith to say they felt isolated.

Another Barna study found that practicing Christians who say faith is essential and attend church show a slight decrease in the frequency of their loneliness compared to the general population. Although statistics show Christians experience less loneliness than non-believers, Kendrick believes lonely feelings are still common among Christians and thinks this issue should be addressed in the church. He also believes that the primary problem for Christians being able to develop friendships is others have hurt them within the church.

In those circumstances, Kendrick says Christians build walls by avoiding becoming too vulnerable or close with anyone in the church because they dont want to be emotionally harmed. However, according to Kendrick, avoiding friendships can create barriers between Jesus and Christians. Kendrick says, Christians know God in a personal way. But we also know God through the collective witness of His Body. And if we cut that off, there are aspects of our relationship with God that will never grow.

Loneliness is an ongoing problem in America that isnt getting better. According to Kendrick, most Christians pray for deep friendships but dont know what to do. Here are some tips on building Christ-centered friendships.

Dont be afraid to be vulnerable.

Christians should be willing to be hurt in friendships. Understanding the Bible leads to honesty and vulnerability in areas that Christians might avoid showing to others. However, when Christians are transparent, their vulnerability is the glue that can bring a community together.

Find Christians in your area.

To cultivate Christ-centered friendships, Christians have to make time to be in the same places as others. Nothing can replace physical connections, which is why God designed people. Whether attending your churchs Bible study or volunteering for an event at your church, it would be best to open yourself to be close to others. You never know; you might meet the best friend youve ever had at one of your churchs events.

Try to have fun.

The Bible gives grace to anyone who is a believer. If thats the case, that means Christians are faultless before God through faith in Jesus. This sentiment should change their minds toward friendship and life. It also creates an environment where Christians can enjoy themselves because theyre not protecting a self-image that promotes grace.

Be a disciple.

Believers have a specific objective to be adapted to an image of Christ. Discipleship is to be a surrendered student poised to follow a master. In this case, Jesus is the master Christians seek to follow while pursuing friendships, making the Christian community unique from other groups.

Be willing to sacrifice.

This principle is the most important. Its the idea that Christians cant grow as believers of Jesus without sacrifice. Sacrifice is the instrument God uses to mature in love. The only way for Christians to grow in love is to sacrifice willingly. Sacrificing can be hard to do, but if Jesus can sacrifice His life for our sins, then we should be able to sacrifice for Him. Sacrifice also requires discipline, so maturing in love takes sacrifice and discipline.

Prepare for your mission.

Humans were hardwired to desire adventure. They want to do something adventurous and purposeful in their lives. The most profound answer to that need is to join Gods mission to make everything anew. Christians may live in a broken world, but they can bring Gods new creation to earth. When Jesus followers unite in that mission, it can ultimately lead to an intensely purposeful life.

Remember that boundaries can bring growth.

A perfect community isnt supposed to be limitless and a constantly accessible way of living. Its a balanced way of living where everyone shares others burdens but takes accountability for the things God want them to carry themselves. Christian communities create healthy boundaries instead of locking people out, allowing for continued growth.

Be prayerful.

This idea might sound like a no-brainer, but if you want to cultivate Christ-centered friendships, then prayer isnt optional. Praying for your friends is encouraging and helpful, but praying with your friends is invaluable. When you plan to be with your friends, you should constantly ask for and give prayer requests. It doesnt have to be sinful or dark things that you ask for prayer about, but you can also ask for prayer about the small things in your life. Never stop requesting or giving prayer requests. Talk the time to pray with your friends about the things that trouble your and their hearts.

In todays world, people are feeling more lonely than ever. Whether the cause is the increased use of social media or people dealing with social anxiety, making new friends is hard. However, cultivating Christ-centered friendships can be incredibly challenging. If youre trying to foster Christ-centered friendships, the key is to keep your heart open and allow people to come into your life. Jesus will continue to point you in the right direction.
The US, South Korea and Japan started joint naval drills off the Korean Peninsula

The anti-submarine and rescue drills was conducted in international waters off South Korea's Jeju Island

North Korea has pledged an unprecedented response to the drills

The United States, South Korea, and Japan began coordinated naval exercises off the Korean Peninsula's coast, a move expected to enrage North Korea, which launched its first missile over Japan in five years during comparable exercises in 2022.

The two-day anti-submarine and rescue drills began on Monday in international waters off the coast of South Korea's Jeju Island and included the aircraft carrier group USS Nimitz, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry.

US, South Korea, and Japan Hold Anti-Submarine Drill

The government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged an unprecedented response to the drills and unveiled new nuclear-capable weaponry aimed at the United States and its two allies, which host the majority of US troops in the region.

South Korea's military is skeptical of North Korea's claim that a new undersea drone tested in March could deliver a "radioactive tsunami" capable of such a weapon.

North Korea has warned that the United States and its "puppet state" allies are "bringing themselves closer to a grave danger" by participating in the drills. Per The Strait Times, it stated that its nuclear arsenal was always ready for use to thwart "war maniacs' irresponsible acts."

In reaction to the earlier South Korea-US war games, North Korea conducted a barrage of missile tests last month. The tested weapons included a nuclear-capable submarine drone and a submarine-launched cruise missile, indicating North Korea is attempting to diversify its undersea military systems.

Photos published in North Korea's state-run media last week depicted leader Kim Jong Un standing alongside about ten "Hwasan (volcano)-31" missiles with unique serial numbers and crimson tips.

According to ABC News, eight types of short-range weaponry capable of carrying the "Hwasan-31" warhead were listed on a nearby poster. Previous test flights of these missiles indicate that they can strike important targets in South Korea, including US military bases.

As North Korea's last two nuclear tests in 2016 and 2017 following the exposure of other warheads, some analysts believe that the warhead's unveiling may be a precursor to a nuclear test. If North Korea were to execute a nuclear test, it would be the nation's eighth explosion overall and its first since September 2017.

During the warhead-related event last week, Kim ordered officials to increase bomb fuel production to expand his country's nuclear arsenal "exponentially."

Read Also: St. Petersburg Investigation Starts After Russian Military Blogger's Death

North Korea Makes Nuclear Threat

On Saturday, 38 North, a North Korea-focused website, reported that recent commercial satellite imagery of the North's main Yongbyon nuclear complex indicates a high activity level, including the continued operation of its 5-megawatt reactor and new construction around the uranium enrichment facility.

Per The Independent, international experts disagree on whether North Korea has operational nuclear-armed missiles. South Korea's defense minister, Lee Jong-Sup, recently informed parliament that the North's technology to produce tiny warheads that can be installed on advanced short-range missiles is believed to have improved significantly.

North Korea could conduct additional missile tests to protest the South Korea-US-Japan drills since it considers such exercises a threat to its security. Kim Jong Un referred to the recent South Korea-US carrying out "reckless military provocations" that disrespect North Korea's "patience and warning."

In addition to anti-submarine drills, the three nations will perform humanitarian search-and-rescue operations, such as rescuing people who have fallen into the ocean and treating emergency patients, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

Related Article: North Korea Nuclear Facility Indicated High Activity

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Indonesian human rights activists Haris Azhar (left) and Fatia Maulidiyanti (center), speak to reporters in front of the East Jakarta District Court, April 3, 2023.

Two prominent human rights activists were in court on Monday to face charges of defamation and slander brought by a senior minister in a case civil society groups denounced as a blow to free speech in Indonesia.

The activists, Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, alleged in a 2021 YouTube video that Luhut Pandjaitan, maritime affairs and investment minister, was involved in a controversial government project to develop a massive gold mine in the restive Papua region. Luhut denied he had any stake in the project.

According to the indictment read at the East Jakarta District Court, Haris and Fatia talked about a report that alleged human rights violations and environmental damage caused by mining activities in Wabu Block in Papuas Intan Jaya regency, where violence between government forces and Papuan separatist rebels has been on the rise.

Indonesias state-owned PT Aneka Tambang Tbk plans to operate a gold mine in the Wabu Block, which is believed to have gold ore deposits of about 117.26 million tons , according to a 1999 survey by U.S. mining company Freeport-McMoRan.

In the video, Fatia alleged Luhut owned shares in Toba Sejahtra Group, a conglomerate whose subsidiary allegedly had a stake in one of the four companies that control the mining concession in Wabu Block.

In another part of the video, Haris accused general or retired generals of profiting from the gold mine project at the expense of Papuans.

Luhut is a retired four-star general and former commander of the army special forces, Kopassus.

The activists remarks were defamatory and slanderous because it spread false information, the indictment said.

Luhuts reaction

The prosecutors also described Luhuts reaction to the allegations.

He shook his head angrily and said this was outrageous, the indictment said. He said the words about him playing a role in mining in Papua were tendentious, untrue and very hurtful. He felt his good name and dignity had been attacked.

Luhuts spokesman said he had no business ties to Wabu Block or any other mining projects in Papua, and that he was only a shareholder of PT Toba Sejahtra, not its subsidiary PT Tobacom Del Mandiri. The spokesman said Tobacom had explored a possible partnership with another company operating in Papua but did not pursue it.

One of the most influential figures in President Joko Jokowi Widodos cabinet, Luhut filed a lawsuit against Haris and Fatia after they ignored two of his subpoenas and demand for an apology.

Under the criminal charge, the activists face up to four years in prison if convicted under the electronic information and transactions law, which has been criticized by rights groups as a tool to stifle dissent and criminalize online speech.

Haris, executive director of Lokataru, a legal aid foundation, said he did not accept the charges and did not understand their substance.

Much of the indictment is slander against me, he said.

The defendants lawyers asked prosecutors to drop the case, saying their criticism of Luhut was not a criminal offense.

Outside the court in East Jakarta, dozens of supporters staged a rally to express solidarity with the activists. They said the case was an example of judicial harassment and a threat to freedom of expression in Indonesia.

This case will only add to the black record of democracy in Indonesia, said a statement by the Coalition of Civil Society, which includes KontraS and other groups.

Fatia and Haris are also victims of judicial harassment where legal instruments are used to criminalize people who are active in expressing their opinions.

Amnesty International (AI) released a statement on Monday calling for the charges to be dropped against the activists.

This is a clear example of how human rights defenders in Indonesia are facing mounting repression over their peaceful expression. The work of human rights defenders must be protected, not repressed  not least in light of Indonesias proposed candidacy for UN Human Rights Council membership in 2024-26.

We therefore urge the Indonesian authorities to drop all charges against Fatia and Haris , who have been targeted simply for having a discussion on YouTube.

In a report released last week, AI said civil liberties in Indonesia are declining due to the enactment of repressive laws, ongoing violence by authorities in response to protests, and high levels of impunity.

The report said human rights defenders, academics, journalists and students were among those prosecuted and harassed for their legitimate activities.

In a separate report released last year titled Gold Rush, the rights watchdog documented a dramatic increase in violence since 2019 in Intan Jaya, where Wabu Block is located.

This includes cases of extrajudicial killings and greater restrictions on movement targeting indigenous Papuans, based on interviews with locals between March 2021 and January 2022.

AI documented 12 suspected cases of unlawful killings by security forces in Intan Jaya since 2019. The group also reported that indigenous Papuans faced restrictions on their freedom of movement and expression, including their hairstyle.

Located south of the Sugapa district, the main town in Intan Jaya, Wabu Block could hold about 8.1 million ounces of gold, making it one of Indonesias five largest-known gold reserves, according to AI. The proposed mining area covers 170,500 acres  about the size of Jakarta  it said, citing official documents.

Since the 1960s, Papua has been home to a separatist insurgency, while the countrys security forces have been accused of human rights abuses in counter-insurgency operations.

In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded Papua  like Indonesia, a former Dutch colony  and annexed the region that makes up the western half of New Guinea island.

Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a United Nations-sponsored vote, which locals and activists said was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people. However, the U.N. accepted the result, essentially endorsing Jakartas rule.
Tan Siew Ling (center) holds a photograph of her daughter who was murdered in 2009, while accompanied by members of the Protect Malaysia NGO and Perikatan Nasional lawmakers at the parliament building in Kuala Lumpur, April 3, 2023.

Malaysias parliament on Monday voted to scrap the mandatory death penalty and reduced the number of offenses punishable by hanging, saying capital punishment as a deterrent had not lowered crime.

Parliament also voted to end life sentences, reducing them to 30 to 40 years in prison.

The proposed bills were debated by lawmakers from both the government and opposition, before being passed unanimously through a voice vote.

No research proves the death penalty as the most effective crime prevention, as its effectiveness cant be guaranteed due to various factors influencing prosecutions and crime rates, Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh told parliament.

The bills must be approved by the senate and presented to the king for a royal assent, both usually just a formality.

Currently, 11 offenses carry the mandatory death penalty and a total of 1,318 inmates on death row were awaiting execution as of last month, according to Malaysias Prison Department.

Malaysia imposed a stay on executions in 2018, which continues, when the then-Pakatan Harapan government said it would begin efforts to end the death penalty.

More than 70% of the worlds countries have abolished capital punishment in law or practice, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. However, capital punishment continues to exist in many parts of the world, especially in countries with large populations and those with authoritarian rule.

Katrina Jorene Maliamauv, executive director of Amnesty International Malaysia, said the country had taken an important step to end the mandatory death penalty, but it must not be the last one, as the nation must end capital punishment altogether.

Todays vote has been a long-time in the making, and while there is still more to be done, it lays the foundations for further reform that must put human rights and fair trial proceedings front and center, she said in a statement.

Once these changes are enshrined in law, those applying for resentencing must be provided adequate time, resources and access to legal representation, as well the right to appeal any decision.

She said the moratorium on executions must be maintained until the death penalty is fully abolished and all death sentences are commuted.

Dobby Chew, executive coordinator of the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network, said Malaysia had taken a big first step forward toward addressing the injustice inherent in the mandatory death penalty.

Im really glad that it has passed. Hopefully, in the days to come, those on death row would have a fair opportunity to be heard in full by the court and mitigation factors considered, he told BenarNews.

But it is not only important for justice to be done for them but also for Malaysian to see what the death penalty inflicts on people and decide for themselves whether the death penalty achieves justice.

Murderers will feel safe

Meanwhile, as the Lower House debated ending the mandatory death penalty, Tan Siew Ling, 60, held a press conference at parliaments premises where she showed a photograph of her daughter who was raped and murdered in 2009.

Ling pleaded with lawmakers to reconsider their decision as she tearfully recounted the horrific details of the death of her daughter, Annie Kok Yin Cheng.

My daughter was killed in 2009 when she was 17. She was raped and murdered. Her throat was slit and she died, she said in a press conference before bursting into tears and was unable to continue.

Also present at the press conference was Noor Hakimi Abd Halim, a friend of another murder victim.

If this mandatory death penalty is abolished, murderers will feel safe and no longer be afraid to kill. That is why we urge not to abolish this [mandatory] death penalty, Noor said.

Christina Teng, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the group Protect Malaysia, which supports the mandatory death penalty, said a long prison sentence for terrible crimes was inadequate.

Heinous criminals who committed premeditated acts such as rape and murder or robbery and murder would be released after serving only 30 to 40 years in prison, which is an insufficient punishment for such serious offenses, she told the press conference.

Richard Morais, whose brothers remains were discovered in a barrel filled with concrete nine years ago, said he was unhappy with the end of the mandatory death penalty.

How are you going to forgive all the killers given what I have been through? he told BenarNews when contacted via phone.

They [the government] never contacted us and never included us in the conversation before amending the bills. No compensation at all. Not a single cent was given by the government for [my brother] Kevins funeral. They lack common sense in this matter and what they have done is unjust.

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal, the deputy law minister, said the government would continue to engage with victims families.

We express our sympathy and will try to persuade them that the death penalty is not effective. Our approach is to look at the bigger picture and prevent more heinous crimes, he said at a press conference Monday evening.

The death penalty is not the solution to reduce such cases.
Malaysia has let China know that it is ready to negotiate on the South China Sea dispute between the nations, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday, even as analysts warned that the Southeast Asian nation must not cave to economic pressure from the regional superpower.

Anwar said he told his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his first official visit to Beijing last week that a small country such as Malaysia needed the resources from its offshore gas fields within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, a U.S. think-tank last week said that a China Coast Guard vessel, the worlds largest, had been patrolling for the past month near Malaysias Kasawari gas project off the coast of Sarawak, where it has harassed the Southeast Asian nations vessels.

Anwar referred to the project, being developed by state firm Petronas, during a briefing on his visit to China to his department staff on Monday.

In a few sensitive issues such as the South China Sea, with President Xi Jinping, I mentioned that Petronas has the largest oil rig built by our country and [will] continue [its] oil exploration program there. This overlaps with the region China is claiming, Anwar said.

I informed [him] that as a small country in need of oil and gas resources, we must continue [with our oil exploration]. But if the condition is that there must be negotiations to secure [our rights], then we are prepared to negotiate.

Anwar had signaled a tougher stance in 2019 when he advocated for member-states in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to jointly defend their territories against Chinas provocations in the South China Sea.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as a party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of the waterway overlapping Indonesias EEZ as well.

The South China Sea is one of the worlds busiest waterways and has an abundance of natural resources. It is home to several flashpoints involving maritime disputes over oil and gas exploration projects and fishing rights.

China has been asserting its presence in the South China Sea by having its ships, military or non-military, at almost all times in the disputed waters, near Beting Patinggi Ali, which is known internationally as Luconia Shoals, analysts have said. In January, Malaysia sent a military ship to shadow a Chinese vessel patrolling close to the Kasawari project southeast of the Luconia Shoals.



Back then, Malaysias Defense Minister Mohamad Hasan told BenarNews that he did not think the vessels presence amounted to Chinese intrusion because both countries had overlapping claims in the area.

However, two days later, his ministry issued a statement saying the region is in Malaysias EEZ and that the Southeast Asian nation doesnt recognize claims by any other party.

The sovereignty of the country will continue to be preserved and will always be a priority of the Ministry of Defense and the Malaysian Armed Forces, the statement said.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington noted in a report Thursday that the China Coast Guard vessel CCG 5901 arrived at Luconia Shoals on Feb. 17 and quickly took notice of operations at Kasawari, which is slated to begin production this year.

Kuala Lumpur again noticed, AMTI said.

The Royal Malaysian Navys KD Badik, en route from peninsular Malaysia to Sabah, stopped at Kasawari on March 19, AMTIs report said.

Available AIS data suggests it stayed west of the platform to avoid direct contact with the 5901 on the eastern side, but its signal was also intermittent, meaning that closer encounters could have taken place.

As of Thursday, the 5901 was on patrol at Luconia Breakers, AMTI noted.

Beijings somewhat spotty record

Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs observer at Universiti Malaya, said Kuala Lumpurs negotiations with Beijing could be useful for Malaysia, although the PMs statement was sketchy on details.

It [China] would potentially agree to a more accommodative stance and a toned-down approach in dealing with the dispute with Malaysia, which might mean a toned-down presence of coast guard vessels or the setting up of direct hotlines or other means, Chong told BenarNews.

All this is with the hope of buying trust and goodwill in trying to secure Malaysias commitment and confidence in seeing China as a genuine and historically long-lasting proven partner of socio-cultural value and a vital economic partner.

Chong said China might do this to keep Malaysia closer than to western countries.

It remains to be seen  the scope and level of the negotiations  but it must not be based on a bilateral basis, as Beijing will exercise its burgeoning leverage and cards at its disposal now, to use economic tools and other measures to dictate more favorable terms to Beijing, Chong said.

China is Malaysias largest bilateral trading partner since 2009. Trade between the two countries stood at U.S. $109 billion in 2022 while U.S. trade with Malaysia was an estimated $60.55 billion in the same year.

This years ASEAN chair, Indonesia, has restarted negotiations with China on a code of conduct for the South China Sea. ASEAN member-states and Chinese officials held their first round of talks in the second week of March.

Indonesia and other ASEAN members want a code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea to be effective, substantive and actionable, Jakarta said after the talks, although Sidharto Suryodipuro, a director at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, skirted the issue when asked if the code would be binding.

We try to avoid using the word binding because international legal experts do not all agree with the word binding. It is a concept that may be populist, but its practical value will depend on the content of that document, he said.

Another analyst, Chong Ja Ian, from the National University of Singapore, said Malaysia should be aware that China does not always keep its word.

Beijing has a somewhat spotty record, like many major powers, Ian told BenarNews.

For example, China had reneged on its promise not to militarize the South China Sea features it occupied and reclaimed, he said.

So, for ASEAN and individual Southeast Asian states, negotiations and institutions are clearly useful in managing ties with China given the asymmetry of power, Ian said.

However, it is also important not to be naive about the limits of these arrangements and consider contingencies.
Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko (right) and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong attend a welcome ceremony at the Pacific Islands Forum Special Leaders Retreat in Nadi, Fiji, Feb. 23, 2023.

Beijing has raised concerns about a proposed security agreement between Papua New Guinea and Australia, the Pacific island countrys foreign minister said Monday as he returned home from an official visit to China seeking development assistance for his nation.

The prime ministers of Papua New Guinea and Australia said earlier this year that they wanted negotiations for a wide-ranging bilateral security treaty to be done by the end of April. Australia is the largest donor to Papua New Guinea.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang raised Chinas concerns on [the] proposed PNG-Australia Bilateral Security Treaty and its intended purposes, Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said in a statement Monday. The two officials met in Boao, Hainan province, last week.

Qin, Tkatchenko said, went on to seek reassurances that the purported bilateral security arrangement with Australia was not in some way seeking to counter Chinas influence in PNG and the Pacific.

Tkatchenkos statement highlights the balancing act for Pacific island countries as China and the United States vie for influence in the vast ocean region.

Over several decades, China has become a significant source of trade, infrastructure and aid for economically lagging Pacific island countries as it seeks to diplomatically isolate Taiwan and gain allies in international organizations. Last year, Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the United States and its allies such as Australia.

The small island nations also hope to gain from renewed U.S. interest in the region. However, some leaders have said they dont want to be swept up in superpower competition or to be forced to take sides in the Sino-American rivalry.

In his statement, Tkatchenko said he explained to Chinas foreign minister that the proposed security agreement with Australia was not only about defense and would cover a range of security areas from policing to biosecurity.

He also asserted that Papua New Guineas recent decision to close its Taiwan trade office was due to a need to cut costs rather than geopolitics.

It will be one focused more on building PNGs capacity and capabilities to face these security challenges from the external environment but more importantly internally, he said. It will not be solely [a] defense agreement between PNG and Australia.

Qin also mentioned Chinas concerns about the agreement for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines next decade under the AUKUS security pact with the United Kingdom and the United States, according to Tkatchenko.

AUKUS is widely understood to be part of U.S. efforts to contain China, which now rivals the United States in economic power and is rapidly building up its military arsenal.

Qin, said Tkatchenko, compared this alliance to a typical Cold War mentality that goes against aims of nuclear nonproliferation and the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone created by the 1986 Rarotonga Treaty.

Tkatchenko said he explained Papua New Guineas strong support for the Pacific being a nuclear-free zone.

China bankrolled Papua New Guineas hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2018, which brought together leaders of countries that comprise about 60% of the world economy. Beijings promise at that time to help Papua New Guinea build hundreds of kilometers of roads has not materialized.

Tkatchenko said Qin reassured him of Chinas ongoing support for Papua New Guinea projects it is involved in including rebuilding of police barracks in Port Moresby and maintenance of the international convention center, which was built for the APEC meeting.

China and Papua New Guinea would also renew discussion on the possibility of direct flights between Port Moresby and Shanghai, he said.
The Philippines on Monday revealed the names of four bases it granted the United States access to in an agreement in February , with two of them confirmed to be facing Taiwan, and one of the others the South China Sea.

The sites in Cagayan, at the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, and Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, face Taiwan, while the base in Balabac island in Palawan faces the South China Sea. The fourth site is in Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela, the Presidential Communications Office said.

Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said these sites in the countrys outer portion would be a deterrent factor.

These areas are significant because as we see in Balabac island, thats within our sea lines of communications, its a $3 trillion worth of trade route, Galvez told reporters on Monday.

We also have to think of our responsibility to the international community. Our responsibility to collectively secure that is very huge.

Galvez said construction of facilities at these new sites was expected to start immediately, adding that Washington was keen on moving fast so the United States Congress could deliberate on and approve a budget for the projects.

These sites are in addition to five previously approved for U.S. access.

Those are the Cesar Basa Air Base and Fort Magsaysay, in the provinces of Pampanga and Nueva Ecija north of Manila; the Antonio Bautista Air Base and Benito Ebuen Air Base, in the central provinces of Palawan and Cebu; and the Lumbia Air Base in the southern city of Cagayan de Oro.

The Presidential Communications Office said the new sites were expected to boost the disaster response of the country as the locations will also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during emergencies and natural disasters.

U.S. and Filipino troops participate in exercises at Fort Magsaysay in the northern province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines, March 31, 2023. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]

China has opposed the expanded EDCA deal, earlier saying it would put Manila in harms way by getting dragged into the Taiwan question.

Cagayan and Isabela provinces, in the northern Philippines, face Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Those visionary people all asked the soul-searching questions: If the new sites are located in Cagayan and Isabela, which are close to Taiwan, does the U.S. really intend to help the Philippines in disaster relief with these EDCA sites? a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement last month.

And is it really in the national interest of the Philippines to get dragged by the U.S. to interfere in the Taiwan question? It is plain and simple that those moves are part of the US efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country, it said.

Balabac island is in the southern tip of the province of Palawan, which is bordered by the South China Sea in the west. The Philippines officially calls these waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.

China and the Philippines have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, along with Taiwan and the Southeast Asian nations of Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. China claims almost the entirety of the vast waters on historical grounds despite a 2016 international court ruling that invalidated Beijings sweeping claims.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense said the new locations would allow Washington to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

It further said it intends expand funding in addition to the U.S. $82 million (4.47 billion pesos) it has allocated toward infrastructure investments at the existing EDCA sites.

The United States and the Philippines have stood shoulder-to-shoulder as friends and allies for more than seven decades, unwavering in our treaty commitments and our shared vision for a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous region, the statement said.

The Philippines divulged the locations two months after Manila and Washington announced their deal to expand their Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

EDCA supplements the Visiting Forces Agreement, a 1999 bilateral pact providing legal cover for large-scale joint military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines, Washingtons longtime defense ally in Asia.

Symbolizes and asserts sovereignty

Separately, the Philippine Navy on Saturday raised the countrys flag on the uninhabited far-flung island of Mavulis.

The island is part of the Batanes Group of Islands, an hour flight from Cagayan and less than 150 km (93 miles) from southeast Taiwans Orchid island.

Troops raised the flag atop the highest peak of Mavulis, dubbed by the navy as the countrys first line of defense. The ceremony was the first event held there since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

The ceremony also marked the first stop of the month-long country-wide mission, called Operation Bantay-Layag or Operation Sail Watch, of missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna. The operation seeks to intensify the countrys naval presence for maritime security and territorial defense.

The hoisted flag also symbolizes and asserts sovereignty over the island, said Cmdr. Jim Aris Alagao, acting commanding officer of BRP Antonio Luna.

The Philippine military raised the countrys flag there in 2016, in a move to mark our sovereignty over our maritime territory.

Since then, it built a fishermens shelter, which has doubled as a small base for the marine unit of the Naval Forces Northern Luzon. Some fishermen have avoided Mavulis because of the presence of foreign poachers, mostly Taiwanese.

Coast guard ships from the Philippines and Taiwan have confronted each other in the region where exclusive economic zones overlap. The governments almost cut ties in 2013 after a Philippine ship fired on a Taiwanese fishing boat, killing a fisherman.
Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla speaks at a press conference in Manila during which he and other members of Joint Task Force Degamo announced the arrest of a main suspects in last month's killing of a governor closely allied with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., April 3, 2023.

Updated at 2:41 a.m. ET on 2023-04-04

Philippine police have arrested a main suspect who was instrumental in last months killing of a governor closely allied with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and who allegedly received orders from a congressman to carry out the plot, officials said Monday.

The latest arrest, of the suspect identified as Marvin Miranda, brings to 11 the number of suspects in custody in connection with the March 4 slaying of Roel Degamo, the governor of Negros Oriental province.

Miranda is believed to have been working for Congressman Arnolfo Teves, a political rival of Degamo who is suspected of being behind the attack that killed nine people including the governor. Teves is now at large overseas.

Military intelligence operatives worked with the police and the justice department to track down and capture Miranda on Friday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters on Monday.

The arrest, he said, marked significant progress in finally putting this case to a close.

[T]he NBI, together with the other elements of the task force, arrested Marvin Miranda, who we suspect is one of the masterminds in the murder, Remulla said, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine version of the FBI in the United States.

Miranda is a military reservist, and some of those arrested earlier were also ex-soldiers, officials said. Investigators had said that the attack was carried out with military precision, and that the assailants were dressed in camouflage and armed with high-caliber weapons.

All of the suspects are in NBI custody and are being investigated or interrogated. Some of them have already been charged with murder for the killings and frustrated murder for the injuries sustained by 13 others.

Remulla described Miranda as a major player and one of the masterminds of the attack, the most brazen in recent years in the Southeast Asian nation where political warlords engage in deadly attacks against one another in a bid to establish their fiefdoms.

Policemen in uniform carry the flag-draped coffin of Roel Degamo, the governor of Negros Oriental province, during a funeral march in the town of Siaton, Negros Oriental province, Philippines March 16, 2023. [Handout photo/Municipality of Siaton]

In the Philippines, it is not unusual for political families to settle differences through violence.

Many politicians are also known to employ private armies both to augment personal security or to deter attacks against them.

If you look at a movie as an analogy, Marvin was a director, producer of the props and casting director. He was the one who recruited people, he said. Congressman Teves was the producer or executive producer of the whole production. The only problem is, this is real, they murdered Gov. Degamo and eight others.

The other suspects had also referred to Miranda during interrogation and said he was the one talking to people, gathering firearms (and) planning movements, Remulla said.

He said the motive was a political rivalry between Degamo and Teves that got out of hand.

Teves has denied involvement in the killing, even as he acknowledged that he knew he would be suspected of having a hand in it because he was Degamos rival in local politics in Negros Oriental. He left for the United States days before the attack and has not returned to the Philippines despite appeals by his relatives to come home and clear his name.

But on Monday, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said that Miranda had referred to a certain big boss or boss idol in talking about Teves.

That person was the one who recruited them and the person who provided logistical and material support during the planning and execution of the assassination plan of Gov. Degamo," he said.

Records show that Miranda was a long-time bodyguard of Teves who has a criminal record as well. In 2020, Miranda was arrested and spent some time in jail for illegal possession of firearms, the interior department said.

We are now at the tail-end for our quest for justice and hunt for the masterminds behind the death of Gov. Degamo and eight others and the wounding of many more victims, Abalos said.

We are certain that the pieces of the puzzle are almost complete and we can clearly picture out what transpired before, during and after the brazen attack, he said.

President Marcos, a political ally of the slain governor who has been closely following the investigation, last month called on Teves to return home and assured him of his safety.

You're rich, you have a private jet, you can land anywhere you want. We will have soldiers surround the area, no one else can come near within a kilometer radius. That will guarantee his security, Marcos had said.

The only advice I can give to  Arnie is that the longer it takes for you to come home, the harder your situation gets. If you return early, there will be more options for you. But if it's too late, the government will be forced to move without any discussions with you, the president said.

Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report from Davao City, southern Philippines.

This report has been updated to change the main photo.
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Ma Ying-jeou, a former president of Taiwan, told a top Chinese official on Thursday that Taiwan and China must take all measures to avoid conflict and that both parties' leaders must maintain peace.

Ma landed in China on Monday, making history as the first visiting Taiwanese president since 1949, when the Republic of China government fled to Taiwan after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communist forces.

At a meeting with Song Tao, the director of China's Taiwan Affairs Office, in Wuhan, China, Ma Ying-jeou affirmed that the "mainstream" perspective of Taiwan supports a continued focus on fostering a peaceful and stable development of ties, according to Reuters.

According to a transcription from Ma's Taipei office, "principals" on both ends of the Taiwan Strait must pursue all peace-enhancing possibilities.

Ma Ying-jeou said: "The two sides must maintain exchanges, cooperate together, and do everything possible to avoid war and conflict."

Read Also: McDonald's Temporarily Closes US Offices

Ma Ying-jeou Campaigns for Peaceful China-Taiwan Ties

Before the election of his successor, Tsai Ing-wen, Ma Ying-jeou had the opportunity to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Singapore in 2015.

China is increasing military and political pressure on Taiwan to compel it to recognize Chinese sovereignty, thus his travel to China comes at a moment of heightened tension.

The former Taiwanese leader's office has confirmed he would attend any China-arranged meetings, per Business Times.

Ma Ying-jeou started the peacebuilding tour once China reopened its borders. Together with 30 Taiwanese students, he paid homage at the tomb of Sun Yat-sen, the man credited with establishing modern China., according to VOA.

Ma's historic visit happens as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen tours in the US on her way to its Central American allies in the same week.

Related Article: US, South Korea, Japan Conduct First Anti-Submarine Drill

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Some of the most prominent women in businesses from Southern Vermont came together to honor and celebrate each other in Dorset at the first-ever Women in Leadership Luncheon, organized by the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce last year.
Maria Lara Bregatta is the Owner of Cafe Mamajuana in Burlington; Cathy Armstrong is the Owner of Lake Champlain Closets & Storage Solutions in South Burlington; Drey Ward is the Operational Catalyst at Silver Maple Construction in New Haven; Patrick Dwyer is the Principal Owner of Modern Cleaners & Tailors in Rutland; Kate Trzaskos is the Executive Director of the Brattleboro Downtown Alliance; and Molly Betournay is the Director of Social Research and Shareholder Advocacy at Clean Yield in Norwich. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media
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Business writer

Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989.
News Reporter

Matt Martinez is a news reporter at The Berkshire Eagle. He worked at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, graduated Marquette University. He is a former Report for America corps member.
It took Kristie Gentile three hours to hand-shovel a path to feed each of her horses on Tuesday morning as heavy snow dumped over 2 feet of snow in hilltowns, including Savoy.
Sincerity makes friendship last

10:39, April 03, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Photo shows the dam at Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station built by Chinese enterprises in Zambia. (Photo provided by Power Construction Corporation of China)

This year marks the 60th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical aid team abroad. Over the past six decades, China has made 30,000 appointments of medical personnel to 76 countries and regions, who have engaged in diagnosing and treating 290 million cases.

Chinese medical aid teams, benefiting local communities with their medical proficiency and ethics, have become an authentic representation of China's sincerity in developing relations with other developing countries.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out in a speech he delivered 10 years ago at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania that sincerity is a defining feature of China-Africa relations.

The peoples of China and other developing countries are destined to be good friends as they have shared past experiences and similar aims and goals.

Treating developing countries with sincerity, courtesy and friendship has always been a feature and tradition of China's diplomacy in the new era. China is committed to enhancing mutual understanding between the Chinese people and the people of other countries, and always works to build a solid social foundation for bilateral friendship, so as to nurture a better environment for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Strengthening exchanges and dialogue leads to a closer people-to-people bond.

China has built the Belt and Road into a road connecting different civilizations, and hosted the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting.

An Iraqi merchant (first on left) buys Chinese water bottles in a market in Taizhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Feb. 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Yongtao)

It has also actively promoted cultural cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and other multilateral mechanisms, and has expanded cooperation with African countries, Latin American countries and Arab states on culture, education, science and technology and health, as well as growing exchanges between their media, think tank, youth and women.

China is actively building mutual learning platforms for civilization dialogues, inter-party exchanges and civil diplomacy, so that countries can draw wisdom from each other's civilizations, enhance cultural understanding and people-to-people bonds, and build a broader consensus for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

It is generally believed by the international community that China has made important contributions to enhancing mutual understanding, solidarity and mutual trust among different civilizations by establishing cultural dialogue platforms.

Deepening pragmatic cooperation brings people closer. China always works to provide tangible benefits to developing countries with sincerity.

In Mozambique, farmers growing Chinese hybrid rice have enjoyed good harvests, and the rice produced has been named "Good Taste" by the locals.

In Vanuatu, the China-assisted Malapoa College is like a lighthouse that illuminates the path to knowledge for young generations.

In Mexico, Chinese enterprises, showing respect for local culture, have actively funded public welfare projects including orphanages and nursing homes. The Chinese employees are like families to local people.

Foreign students of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology from Bangladesh, Morocco, Pakistan and Zambia learn to make Chinese opera masks under the instruction of local Chinese opera enthusiasts in Zhenjiang, east China's Jiangsu province, March 24, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yucheng)

In Laos, the China-Laos Railway is like a "golden channel" that has completely changed the life of local people. It is nicknamed the "road to happiness" by Lao media.

These stories make a symphony of China and other developing countries working together through thick and thin and building a closer people-to-people bond.

As a famous Chinese line goes, "Friendship, which derives from close contact between the peoples, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations." China actively promotes youth exchanges with other developing countries and builds broad platforms of talent training and mutual learning for young generations.

It has provided scholarships funded by the Chinese government for foreign students and strengthened international cooperation in vocational education. It has also held young leaders forums and youth exchange camps, sent young volunteers to other developing countries and invited youngsters from other countries to visit China.

China is helping more and more young people from other developing countries realize their dreams. Those youngsters, who become interested in the Chinese language and culture, are coming to China for study and work and becoming envoys of friendship between China and their own countries.

As a Latin American proverb goes, a real friend is someone who is able to touch your heart from the other side of the world. Indonesians often say that it's easy to make money but difficult to make friends. There is also a saying in Persian that people's hearts are connected. These all indicate that people-to-people bonds can build a strong power and only sincerity can make friendship last.

China will always be a true friend and sincere partner of other developing countries, working with them to build a community with a shared future for mankind and jointly creating a brighter future for humanity.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Turns out calling someone "dumb as a dodo" isn't the flex you might think it is - and Colossal Biosciences is ready to right that wrong by resurrecting the long-extinct bird that's become the poster child for self-inflicted stupidity.

The dodo's bad rap started when it became extinct on the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius sometime in the late 1600s. The prevailing wisdom was the beast was dense enough to have driven itself to extinction. However, modern research suggests that the dodo's brain was as big as a pigeon's - meaning that while this bird wasn't exactly a genius, it also wasn't stupid. What drove it to extinction? And why are the scientific disruptors at Colossal Biosciences bringing it back?

Colossal Biosciences: People Erased the Dodo

"The dodo is a prime example of a species that became extinct because we - people - made it impossible for them to survive in their native habitat," said Beth Shapiro, Ph.D. Shapiro is the lead Paleogeneticist for the dodo revival project and sits on Colossal's scientific advisory board.

"Having focused on genetic advancements in ancient DNA for my entire career and as the first to fully sequence the dodo's genome, I am thrilled to collaborate with Colossal and the people of Mauritius on the de-extinction and eventual re-wilding of the dodo. I particularly look forward to furthering genetic rescue tools focused on birds and avian conservation."

A recollection of history will tell you that these odd-looking creatures were native to Mauritius. However, the dodo population started to dwindle after the arrival of Dutch and Portuguese merchant ships bringing with them a host of invasive species such as rats and pigs. These invasive species competed with the indigenous animals for resources and drove one to extinction.

And here's where Colossal Biosciences joins the chat.

'Jump-Start Nature's Ancestral Heartbeat'

Colossal Biosciences was co-founded by George Church, a renowned Harvard geneticist, and Ben Lamm, a serial tech entrepreneur. On its website, the company claims it will combine "the science of genetics with the business of discovery; we endeavor to jump-start nature's ancestral heartbeat." The dodo is one of the three animals the company is striving to revive. Other creatures include the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. In doing so, the company is working with leading researchers worldwide who have spent years researching these critters.

Shapiro is optimistic about the chances of this project being a success because of her long history of working on dodos. She became the first person to fully sequence the flightless bird's genome because of sheer dedication and a little nudge from Lady Luck.

Shapiro was able to extract a sample from a specimen in the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. This extraction brought Shapiro and Colossal a step closer to the revival of the dodo.

Colossal Biosciences' Star-Studded Slate of Investors

Shapiro's optimism about the dodo project is shared by Colossal's investors. The company has attracted A-list celebrities, such as acting brothers Chris and Liam Hemsworth and socialite Paris Hilton. After a $60 million cash injection in March 2022, the company has received another $150 million in a Series B funding round. Part of these funds will be put toward the de-extinction of the iconic fowl.

Colossal provided an update on another of its revival projects, the woolly mammoth.

To bring back the woolly mammoth, the company's team of over 40 scientists will be relying on the closest DNA phenotype of the woolly mammoth, the Asian elephant. Using the Asian elephant genome as the blueprint, the company will then cut parts of the Asian elephant DNA and paste the woolly mammoth DNA in its place. The scientists will then test the hybrid cells, perform embryo transfer, then implant this embryo into a surrogate (or in vitro) uterus. The result will be a hybrid between the Asian elephant and the woolly mammoth. The company plans to reintroduce the woolly mammoth hybrids to the Siberian tundra in the hopes of fighting climate change. Harvard geneticists argue that as the beasts stomp the earth, they will in turn help slow the thaw of permafrost and keep the ground colder for longer.

Colossal is also working on restoring the Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, to its native Australia, partnering with the Thylacine Integrated Genetic Restoration Research Lab at the University of Melbourne.

Colossal considers its work to have far-reaching benefits and is hoping to spur advancements in the environmental and medical fields.

"Genetic technologies are already protecting us and our food sources from infectious and inherited diseases," said Church. "A society embracing endangered and extinct gene variants is one poised to address many practical obstacles and opportunities in carbon sequestration, nutrition, and new materials."

"Colossal Biosciences' work could be a net positive for humanity", says Lamm, pointing out it "will inevitably have utility in the human health care field. We'll be building new tools to enable more complex editing protocols which will advance the state of the art when compared to what is available in the health care industry."

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Zechariah 9:9

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of

Jerusalem

By whom are meant, not the inhabitants of Jerusalem in common; nor the children in it, that said Hosannas to the son of David; but the church of God, and true believers in Christ, who are called upon to "rejoice" and "shout": not merely in an external way, by showing marks of outward joy, but in a spiritual manner, for which there was good reason, as follows: behold, thy King cometh unto thee;

Aben Ezra says that interpreters are divided about the sense of this prophecy; some say it is Messiah the son of David; and others, Messiah the son of Joseph. R. Moses, the priest, he observes, thinks that Nehemiah the Tirshathite is meant; and he himself is of opinion that Judas Maccabeus is intended; but Jarchi affirms that it is impossible to interpret it of any other than the King Messiah; and this is the sense of many of their writers, both ancient and modern. It is applied to him in the Talmud; they say F18, he that sees an ass in his dream, let him look for salvation, as it is said, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, "riding on an ass". R. Alexander relates that R. Joshua ben Levi opposed these two phrases to each other, "in its time", and "I will hasten it", ( Isaiah 60:22 ) and gave this as the sense to reconcile them: if they (the Israelites) are worthy, i.e. of the coming of the Messiah, "I will hasten it"; if they are not worthy, it shall be "in its time"; and that he also put these Scriptures together, and compared them to that Scripture, "behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven", ( Daniel 7:13 ) and also what is written, "poor, and riding on an ass"; if they are worthy, he will come with the clouds of heaven; if they are not worthy, he will come poor and riding on an ass F19. In an ancient book F20 of theirs, at least so reckoned, it is said the King Messiah shall prevail over them all (the nations of the world, and the Israelites); as it is said, "poor, and riding on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass": and in several other places of that work, and other treatises in it F21, the text is applied to the Messiah; as it likewise is in their ancient Midrashes or expositions. In one F23 it is observed,

``the Rabbins say an ox; this is the anointed for war, as it is said, "his glory is like the firstling of his bullock", ( Deuteronomy 33:17 ) an ass; this is the King Messiah, as it is said, "poor, and riding on an ass";''

F24

Genesis 49:11

F25

Exodus 4:20

F26

Isaiah 62:11

Acts 4:12

Jeremiah 3:23

Hebrews 5:7

F2

Isaiah 63:5

F3

2 Corinthians 8:9

Matthew 21:4

Matthew 21:5

F4

F5

F7

F8

and again, on these words, "binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine", () , this remark is made; this shall be when that shall come to pass which is written of him, "poor, and riding on an ass". And in anotherof their expositions, the two Redeemers, Moses and the Messiah, are compared together; and, among the several things in which they agree, this is one; as it is said of the former redeemer, "and Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on an ass", () so it is said of the latter Redeemer (the Messiah), "poor, and riding on an ass". And thus it is interpreted by many of their more modern writers. This is to be understood of Christ's coming, not merely to Jerusalem, when he rode on an ass, after mentioned; but of his coming in the flesh, when he came to Zion, and for her good; and which was wonderful, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed to it; and is matter of great joy, which she is called to show, because of the birth of him who is her Saviour; and because of the good things that come by him; and because of his appearing as a King, and her King; for, as he was prophesied of as such, as such he came, though his kingdom was not of this world; and as Zion's King, being placed there by his Father, and to which he has a right by virtue of redemption, and is owned as such by his people in the effectual calling, and to whom all the following characters belong.not only essentially righteous as God, but just and upright in the whole course of, his life as man; and faithful in the administration of his office as Mediator; and the author and bringer in of righteousness to his people:the salvation of his church and people; which he not only had at heart, but had it to execute, being appointed to that service by his Father, and having agreed unto it as the surety of his people, and was the business he was coming into the world to do, here prophesied of; yea, he is called salvation itself, as in a parallel text, () the purpose of it was purposed in him; God resolved to save his people by him, and by him only; he never intended to save any but in and through him; and the thing was not only consulted with him, but the scheme of it was drawn in him; God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. The covenant of grace, in which salvation is a principal article, was made with him; and he, as the surety of that covenant, undertook it; and in the fulness of time being sent, came to effect it; for which he was abundantly qualified, being God and man in one person, and so had something to offer as a sacrifice for satisfaction to law and justice, in order to obtain it; and could put a sufficient virtue therein to answer the end, being the mighty God; and having as Mediator a commission from his divine Father, he is become, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, the author of eternal salvation to his people; and in him salvation is, and in no other; and in vain it is to expect it from any other, or in any other way, than by him, () () . Some render the word "saved" {a}; as he was by his divine Father, when he was raised from the dead, and not suffered to see corruption; see () others, "saving himself"; when he raised himself from the dead, and thereby declared himself to be the Son of God; and when he brought salvation to his body, the church, which is himself, (meek, and humble, as he appeared to be in the assumption of human nature; in his carriage to sinners, conversation with them, and reception of them; in his ministrations to his disciples; and in not seeking his own, but his Father's glory. Or "poor"; as Jesus the Messiah was; born of poor parents, had not where to lay his head, and was ministered unto by others; See (which was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, () not that he rode upon them both, but on the foal only; for so it should be rendered, "upon an ass, that is, upon a colt, the foal of an ass". The Jews have a fable, that the ass Abraham saddled, when he went to sacrifice his son Isaac, was the foal of the ass that was created on the evening of the sabbath, that is, at the creation; and that the same Moses set his wife and sons upon, when he came out of Midian; and the same ass, they say, Messiah the son of David was to ride upon at his coming; but one of such a prodigious age surely could not be called a colt, or a foal; however, this fable shows the conviction of their minds that this is a prophecy of the Messiah, and that they expected the Messiah to ride upon an ass, according to it, as our Messiah Jesus did. And the Greeks have another fable, which perhaps took its rise from this prophecy, that when Antiochus entered the temple at Jerusalem, he found in it an image of a man in wood, with a long beard, riding on an ass {f}. And a like falsehood is told by Tacitus, that the Jews consecrated the effigies of an ass in the inmost part of the temple; because a flock of wild asses, as he pretends, directed them to fountains of water, when in the wilderness, and ready to die with thirst; and yet he himself afterwards says, the Jews have no images, neither in their cities, nor in their temple: and from hence it may be arose the calumny cast upon the primitive Christians, who were sometimes confounded with the Jews, that they worshipped an ass's head; and which is refuted by Tertullian
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Tonight's rundown:

 Talking Points Memo: Joe Biden continues to decline with the world watching and remains out of the press reach

 Presidential Historian Larry Cook weighs in on how Bidens relationship with the press compares to past presidents

 US Special Forces have been confirmed to be in Ukraine

 OReilly describes Democrats hosting the DNC in Chicago as Crazy Arrogant

 The trial of Fox News gets underway

 58% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck even as inflation begins to cool off

 Smart Life: Utilizing Kelly Blue Book when searching for a new car

 This Day in History: FDR dies in office

 Final Thought: what to do when someone is disrespectful to you

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Its flagship event to be held at IIT Bombay on 17th April

Ankur Capital in collaboration with Hello Tomorrow Asia Pacific is organising the TechSprouts Deep Science Forum 2023. The flagship event will be held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay campus (VMCC Hall) in Mumbai on the 17th of April.

The objective of the event is to bring together all the stakeholders in the deep science ecosystem together- researchers, startups, universities, venture capitalists as well as industrial partners, who can network and collaborate on scaling up deep science technologies.

The agenda includes a series of deep dive discussions on scale up and commercialisation, fundraising and IP strategies for deep science startups. The event will also have a showcase of some of the very best deep science startups in the country.

Wadhwani Research Center for Bioengineering (WRCB) is the event partner along with support from Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), and BioSpectrum as the Media Partner.

The flagship event will be followed by ecosystem mixer events in Bengaluru (Indian Institute of Science) on 20th April and Chennai (IIT-M Research Park) on 24th April, 2023.

The complex problems we face necessitate that we ideate and build solutions as a thoughtful collective, bringing together and leveraging the rich diversity of perspectives and expertise each of us represent. We are excited to partner with Ankur Capital on the TechSprouts Deep Science Forum 2023 on precisely this  a coming together of Indias innovation ecosystem to collaborate and exchange notes on accelerating frontier technologies, Xinyi Tow, Managing Director, Hello Tomorrow Asia Pacific.

In recent years, the deep science ecosystem in India has gained prominence through a growing network of academic institutions, government initiatives, and startups driving innovation across fields such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, space technologies, and quantum computing. However, the ecosystem still faces challenges such as limited funding, lack of industry-academia collaboration, and regulatory support.

To address these challenges, TechSprouts was founded by Ankur Capital as a platform to develop and engage the deep science ecosystem in India by bringing disruptive technologies from labs to the market. For over a year now, the team has produced online content in the form of articles and podcasts and has actively invested in startups leveraging cutting-edge tech like next generation molecular diagnostics, novel battery chemistries, and thermal imaging among others to disrupt existing paradigms.

Deep disruptions for critical issues facing the world are going to depend on deep science. This has been underexploited in India. However, markets like India cannot wait for innovations from other markets to trickle down. Deep science innovations contextual to markets like India are on the rise. We are delighted to partner with Hello Tomorrow Asia Pacific to enable entrepreneurs to build out these innovations, Ritu Verma, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Ankur Capital.

You can show your interest in attending the event by registering here.
Focus on developing talent in the areas of Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Aragen Life Sciences and Kewaunee Labway India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for conducting a skill development programme focused on developing skills in Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry and pertinent Analytical Chemistry fields.

It is a Finishing School programme enabling hands-on training to postgraduate students in chemistry to make them industry-ready by the end of their curriculum. The training will be offered by the scientists of CSIR-IICT in association with teaching assistance from Aragen at CSIR-IICT campus in Hyderabad.

The MoU was signed by Dr D. Srinivasa Reddy, Director, CSIR-IICT, Manni Kantipudi, Chief Executive Officer, Aragen Life Sciences, and Sathyamurthy, Managing Director, Kewaunee Labway India in the presence of Union Minister of Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh.

India has historically been a major hub for chemistry talent pool. It is estimated that in the past decade, there have been about 80% growth in demand for chemistry graduates and around 37% for post-graduates driven by the growth in key sectors such as pharma, biotech and other life sciences and allied industries.

With the continued focus on further boosting the life sciences and manufacturing sectors, demand for this talent pool is expected to pick momentum. This tripartite MoU will enable leveraging the power of public-private partnership in further boosting the chemistry talent pool in the country and will benefit both students and industry.
MoU paves the way for future collaborations for exchange of faculty and students

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) and the University of California, Santa Cruz, USA (UCSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint academic and research collaborations.

The formal agreement was signed by Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur and Prof. Dhirendra Katti, Dean of International Relations, from IIT Kanpurs side; and Dr Cynthia Larive, Chancellor, UCSC, and Becky George, Assistant Vice Provost of Global Engagement at UCSC, on behalf of UCSC.

The research collaborations between IIT-K and UCSC will cater to crucial research areas in Computer Science and Engineering, and Biological Sciences and Bioengineering. This partnership will provide opportunities for both institutes to share their expertise, knowledge, and resources to further research and development in these fields.

The exchange of faculty members between the two institutes will enable researchers to work collaboratively on important research initiatives, leveraging the strengths of each institution to address complex scientific challenges. Joint supervision of Ph.D. students will enable students to receive guidance and mentorship from faculty members at both institutions, broadening their knowledge and perspectives.

The research collaboration is expected to focus on a variety of areas, including but not limited to, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, bioinformatics, biotechnology, among others.
Partnership for Education of health Professionals (PEP) will be developed and implemented with multiple partners at various geographical locations in India and East Africa

The global shortage of qualified health professionals is an increasing challenge. According to the WHO, an additional 10 million health professionals will be needed by 2030.

The demand is particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems are already under immense pressure. With the launch of the Partnership for Education of health Professionals (PEP), Denamrk-based Novo Nordisk Foundation takes a step towards reducing inequity in health by initially targeting the education of health professionals in underserved regions in India and East Africa.

PEP will be implemented across multiple geographical locations across India and East Africa. In India, the need is especially urgent in the North-eastern Region, where access to quality healthcare is under particular pressure.

In East Africa, PEP will initially be launched in Kenya and Tanzania, where there is political commitment to prevent and manage cardiometabolic diseases.

Through PEP, a global partnership network will be established to ensure that innovation and new knowledge are shared between partners in India, East Africa, Denmark and more broadly globally.
By Caitlin Johnstone

One of the many, many signs that Australia is nothing more than a US military and intelligence asset is the way its government has consistently refused to intervene to protect Australian citizen Julian Assange from political persecution at the hands of the US empire.

In a new article titled "Penny Wong moves to dampen expectation of breakthrough in Julian Assange case," The Guardian quotes Australia's foreign minister as saying, We are doing what we can, between government and government, but there are limits to what that diplomacy can achieve. Wong said this when asked if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed the world's most famous press freedom case with the US president and British prime minister when he met with them together two weeks ago.

Wong refused to say whether her government's leader had raised the issue with his supposed US and UK counterparts, repeating instead the same line she's been bleating since Labor took over: that the Assange case has dragged on long enough and should be brought to a close. Which if you listen carefully isn't actually a statement in favor of releasing the WikiLeaks founder or blocking extradition  it's just saying the case should be concluded hastily, one way or another.

These statements came in response to questions from Greens Senator David Shoebridge, who took a jab at the Labor government's "quiet diplomacy" approach to the Assange case.

The idea that quiet diplomacy must be so silent that the government cant tell the public or the parliament if the PM even spoke to the president is bizarre, Shoebridge said.

The answers given to me by Senator Wong and the answers provided to @MrRexPatrick make it clear:



quiet diplomacy to bring Julian Assange home by the Albanese Govt is a policy of nothing. Not one meeting, phone call or letter sent. pic.twitter.com/qphxi9g29p  David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) March 31, 2023

Wong told Shoebridge that Australia is powerless to intervene to protect the acclaimed Australian journalist, saying, "We are not able as an Australian government to intervene in another country's legal or court processes."

While it is true that Australia can't force the US to end the political imprisonment and persecution of Assange for exposing US war crimes, it obviously can conduct diplomacy with its supposed ally in order to protect an Australian citizen. Even nations with whom Australia has no form of alliance are vocally confronted by Canberra when they imprison Australian citizens, like the statement Wong released yesterday regarding China's detention of Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei in which the foreign minister explicitly and unequivocally calls for "Ms Cheng to be reunited with her family."

Just yesterday alone Wong tweeted to demand justice for Cheng and for American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who has been arrested in Russia on espionage charges.

"It is one year since Australian citizen Cheng Lei faced a closed trial in Beijing on national security charges," tweeted Wong. "She is yet to learn the outcome. Our thoughts are with Ms Cheng and her loved ones. Australia will continue to advocate for her to be reunited with her children."

"Australia is deeply concerned by Russias detention of Wall Street Journal Moscow correspondent Evan Gershkovich. We call on Russia to ensure access to consular and legal assistance," Wong tweeted a few hours later.

Now guess how many times Penny Wong has tweeted the word "Assange"?

Answer: zero.
Burkina Faso has expelled two French journalists working for newspapers Le Monde and Liberation, the two publications said on Sunday, accusing the authorities of seeking to stifle freedom of speech with an escalating crackdown on foreign media.

Liberation said its correspondent Agnes Faivre and Le Monde's Sophie Douce arrived in Paris early on Sunday after they were summoned separately for questioning by the military authorities on Friday and later notified of their expulsion.

The two are "journalists of perfect integrity, who worked in Burkina Faso legally, with valid visas and accreditations ... We strongly protest against these absolutely unjustified expulsions," Liberation said in a statement on its website.

There was no statement from the authorities in Burkina Faso about the expulsions, and they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On 27 March, the government issued a statement dismissing a Liberation report about alleged killings by the Burkinabe military.

The French foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have deteriorated sharply since Burkina Faso's military seized power in a coup in September. The junta has since ordered French troops to withdraw from the country and suspended broadcasts by France's RFI radio and television channel France 24.

"These two expulsions mark a new major setback in the freedom to inform on the situation in Burkina Faso," Le Monde director Jerome Fenoglio said in a statement.

Douce's reporting "obviously ended up seeming unbearable to the regime of Ibrahim Traore, transition president for six months," he said.

Liberation said its recent investigation into children and adolescents allegedly being killed in a military barracks had displeased the authorities.

"These restrictions on freedom of information are unacceptable and the sign of a power that refuses to allow its actions to be questioned," it said.

The Burkinabe government earlier rejected the article and accused the paper of seeking to discredit the armed forces.

The government said on 27 March it "strongly condemns these manipulations disguised as journalism to tarnish the image of a country of honest men".

Burkina Faso is one of several West African countries and former French colonies battling Islamist militant groups that took root in neighbouring Mali and have spread across the region over the past decade.

Thousands have been killed and more than two million displaced across the Sahel region south of the Sahara despite the presence of foreign troops including from France.

Frustrations over authorities' failure to restore security has spurred anti-French sentiment and helped bring about two military takeovers in Burkina Faso and two in Mali since 2020.
After George Floyd, an African American man, who was killed by police in the US, a group of creatives came together to create an organisation to help Black and Brown creatives prosper.

Floyd became a global symbol of how Black Lives Matter in all spaces including creative industries such as advertising.

Peter Ukhurebor.

Black at Cannes is a creative community curated to bring diversity and inclusivity for Black and Brown professionals in advertising globally. Their focus is to provide a platform to build solid connections and increase representation at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

More opportunities

Black at Cannes was birthed to create more opportunities for Black and Brown creators and vendors on the biggest advertising platforms in the advertising world, the Cannes Lions. It was formed after the passing of George Floyd in 2020 when we saw the need to create an inclusive community for us, said founder of the organisation Peter Ukhurebor.

The main objective is to utilise our platform to elevate talent to support and commercially impact ad agencies and brands. Given their growing buying power and population rate, Black consumers possess more power and influence in the retail marketplace than ever, shaping industries from the inside out.

In 2022, Black at Cannes touched down at Cannes with one focus in mind: inclusion. This year they come with an agenda to reclaim Bipoc cultural significance and to build a partnership with brands and agencies to diversify the advertising landscape to open its doors to empower economic advancement and opportunities for Black creators and vendors.

Access not charity

He adds: We are seeking access, not charity; we have the most eclectic community of professionals with rich expertise and talent at levels to penetrate any business and level it up. For the longest time in advertising, products and services were created for us without involving us as professionals or consumers.

We look at equity and the power of the Black dollar, a global transaction valued at $3.2tn and it will only rise. The vision is plain; were here for the long game and want to create an ecosystem where we all prosper and build an inclusive economy. We want to find a solution; collaboration is the most significant currency.

Ukhurebor said since the death of Floyd, the industry has witnessed only a few pledges come to fruition, and they are still waiting to see more.

More diverse jury

CEO of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity Simon Cook, global jury director Lisa Berlin, director of judging Jonathan Branfield, director of content Natasha Woodwal, and the Cannes team have unequivocally pushed for a more diverse jury, and speakers on their platform as well as providing bursaries for young talent, not forgetting collaborating with others to infuse more diversity. Black at Cannes applauds and urges the rest of the industry to emulate them.

He said diversity and inclusion are the best strategy to increase Black professionals activity in emerging markets.

Investing in Black professionals with expertise in advertising who understand these needs and behaviours can only help better capitalise on this profitable market.

Ukhurebor said they have pledged to open their doors to authentic brands and agencies willing to create equity beyond equality. They will host key events, cultural activations, and panel discussions to showcase Black and Brown talent as well as Black owned vendors this year.



For more:


In what is said to be a robbery gone wrong, retired veteran journalist Jeremy Gordin was killed on Friday night at his home in Parkview, Johannesburg.

Source:  TimesLive TimesLive Retired journalist, Jeremy Gordin hs been killed following a robbery at his home

Gordin ran the Justice Project at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Journalism and was a former Daily Sun and The Star editor as well as a former The Sunday Independent associate editor. He is best known for his biography of president Jacob Zuma, Zuma: A Biography.

Daily Maverick reports that a manhunt is underway following his murder after he was found on Friday, 31 March after his family unsuccessfully tried to contact him.

This was confirmed to the Sunday Times by his wife Deborah. "I don't have full details at the moment because I'm in Cape Town," she says in TimesLive.

Retired journalist Jeremy Gordin was killed during a robbery at his home in Parkview, Johannesburg (Gauteng Province). Rest in peace, Jeremy Gordin. It was great working with you at Media24. https://t.co/u6tPbmp12O  BEAST OF NEWS (@BEAST_OF_NEWS) April 1, 2023

House robbery and murder case opened

A case of house robbery and murder had been opened. "No arrests have been made yet, but an investigation and manhunt for the suspects are underway, says police spokesperson Col Mavela Masondo in a statement.

The family of the deceased was in Cape Town when they tried to contact him but he could not be reached," says the statement.

A family friend went to check up on Gordin. Upon arrival, she found the back door of the main house locked and the key of the door was in the lock on the outside she entered the house and discovered that it was ransacked, adds Masondo in the statement.

Gordin was already dead with multiple injuries. A television and Gordins car were stolen.

A classic journalist

He was a big character, passionate about writing, literature and life, with a prodigious appetite for it all, says Anton Harber, the executive director of the Campaign for Free Expression and Caxton professor of journalism at Wits University, quoted in the Daily Maverick.

Also in the article, Daily Maverick specialist foreign affairs writer Peter Fabricius, who worked with Gordin in previous years, says Gordin was a classic journalist, irreverent and fearless. He wrote what he thought and felt, regardless of who he offended  that sometimes got him into trouble.

The South African National Editors Forum's (Sanef) Reggy Moalusi ,who was once Gordins colleague says, On behalf of Sanef, we are devastatedOn a personal level, I worked with Gordin at the Daily Sun in my time as editor and he was nothing but a fantastic mentor and fantastic editor.

Such sad and shocking news, on News24, about the death of Jeremy Gordin, journalist, poet, & author, in a home invasion. Aside from his brilliance as an editor & mentor, Jeremy was one of the finest and most sharp-witted comic writers this country has ever produced. RIP.  Gus Silber (@gussilber) April 1, 2023

Gordin was also the co-author of two books of investigative journalism, The Infernal Tower and A Long Nights Damage, and also wrote three volumes of poetry. He was the Mondi Shanduka Journalist of the Year in 2007.

Born in 1952 in Pretoria, and educated at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as well as Unisa, he began his journalism career in 1976.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah, and their two children, Jake and Nina.

Appeal for help

Police have appealed to anyone who might have information that can assist in the investigation to call the nearest police station or the Crime Stop line on 08600 10111. Information can also be given anonymously via the MySAPS App that can be downloaded from any smartphone
Members of the South African business community, who attended the In-cosmetic Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain, have welcomed the opportunities emanating from the three-day show.

What a pleasure it's been to return to Barcelona after 8 years! It's been a fantastic show and we would like to thank you all for coming and joining us once more to network and connect. Are you looking forward to Paris 2024? #incosglobal23 #incosglobal #cosmetics #formulation pic.twitter.com/Qhhk7tQoyR  in-cosmetics (@incosmetics) March 30, 2023

The founder and chief executive officer of Prim-U, Thuli Hlongwane, said an impressive number of agents and distributors who visited her stand showed genuine interest in her products and ingredients.

Our main engagements with potential clients were mainly on key issues of certification and quality of our products. They were also interested in the logistics of getting samples to them for their formulation tests. We positively scanned approximately 100 hot leads that we will be following up with in the coming weeks, Hlongwane said.

Prim-U is South Africas first online booking hub that connects worldclass beauty entrepreneurs in the industry to customers and hundreds of salons, spas, hotels and guests houses countrywide. This was Hlongwanes first international exhibition but she said her key take-home from the experience was a better understanding of the companys target market, as she got direct feedback from potential clients.

Participating in the exhibition helped us to identify the need to work with distributors in order to establish some presence in countries that we plan to expand to, she said.

[PICTURES]: Day two of the @incosmetics Ingredients trade show in Barcelona, Spain. pic.twitter.com/oSnQHdyJof  the dtic (@the_dti) March 29, 2023

The representative of Empire Salon Specialist, Magdelen Govender, said exhibiting at In-cosmetics was an immense privilege because it has opened so many doors for the company.

Govender said she managed to connect with both large and small companies that are willing to work with her company. I have communicated with many companies from different countries. I have collected so much information that is going to assist me in the business going forward, Govender said.

Empire Salon Specialist has a variety of beauty and hair brands. It also supplies organic oils, butters, powders, product bases and a range of uncommon active ingredients.

Last day of the @incosmetics trade show in Barcelona, Spain. 17 businesspeople in the cosmetics sector represented South Africa at the show. pic.twitter.com/9GvZEYSZ6J  the dtic (@the_dti) March 30, 2023

SA's first official participation

The South African representative of the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO), Anna Reyneke, said South Africas first official participation at In-cosmetics in Spain successfully show-cased the diversity of the countrys natural ingredients and its biodiversity on the leading global stage for this sector.

It also highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit of South African businesses and their high-quality products. Also, keen interest was shown by high quality and targeted international visitors to the South African booth. In addition, there was high demand for sustainable ingredients with great emphasis on upcycled products, as well as impactful social and environmental aspects was shown, Reyneke said.

She said that a continued and increasing presence of South Africa as a thriving place of origin of natural ingredients at In-cosmetics global trade shows was important to build on the momentum created as a capable supplier to export markets.

The participation of Team SA at In-cosmetics Exhibition was supported by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
Former paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, jailed in 2016 for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been denied parole, South Africa's prison authorities and a lawyer for the victim's family said.

Source: Reuters.

Once the darling of the Paralympic movement for pushing for greater recognition and acceptance of disabled athletes, Pistorius shot dead Steenkamp, a model and law student, in his bathroom on 14 February - Valentine's Day - in 2013.

The athlete, known as "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, went from public hero to convicted murderer in a trial that drew worldwide interest.

He was jailed in 2016, initially for a six-year term, but had that sentence increased to 13 years after an appeal by prosecutors who argued it was too lenient.

The Department of Correctional Services said in a statement that Pistorius, aged 36, had not completed the minimum detention period required to be considered for parole.

"Come August 2024, he would have reached the minimum detention period, then the (parole) board will make a decision," prison spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo told a media briefing.

"He will have to appear again next year. And then we look into the profile and make a decision in terms of his placement. But for now, it was a matter of saying he has not served the minimum detention period."

Steenkamp's family had opposed the bid, their lawyer Tania Koen said.

"I've just received a call from the parole board. It is a huge sense of relief for June," she said, referring to Reeva's mother.

June Steenkamp had earlier said she was feeling nervous as she arrived at Atteridgeville prison near the capital Pretoria for the closed-door hearing.

"While we welcome today's decision, today is not a cause for celebration," Koen said on behalf of Reeva's parents. "We miss Reeva terribly and will do so for the rest of our lives. We believe in justice and hope that it continues to prevail."

Pistorius' lawyer, Julian Knight, earlier said that Pistorius was due to appear before the parole board to answer questions based on Knight's written submission arguing for his client's release.

Knight had said he did not expect a decision on Friday, 31 March. He was not available to comment after Pistorius was denied parole.

The basis for his argument for Pistorius' parole consideration was that "there doesn't seem to be any negative factors precluding his being released on parole because he meets the requirements of the department in terms of their policies and procedures".

Gun enthusiast

Pistorius, who had both legs amputated as a baby, reached the peak of his fame in 2012 when he became the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes at the Olympics, reaching the 400m semi-finals in London.

A gun enthusiast, he told his trial he had believed Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her several times through the bathroom door with ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage to the human body.

Pistorius shuffled through the Pretoria court without his prosthetics to show how vulnerable he was faced with the threat of an intruder.

The athlete broke down crying as he told the court that he had been trying to protect Steenkamp when he fired the shots. The prosecutor at the time accused him of using emotional breakdowns to avoid questioning.

He met Steenkamp's father Barry last year when participating in a process known as victim-offender dialogue - part of South Africa's restorative justice programme that brings parties affected by a crime together in a bid to achieve closure.
This year's MMA SA Smarties Awards stand-out campaign of the year, the Smarties Best in Show, went to the Nando's Bright Side's campaign, from agency VMLY&R, which was named Agency of the Year.

Image supplied. The Shoprite Group of Companies/ ShopriteX received a standing ovation for being named The Brand of the Year at this year's MMA SA Smarties Awards

The Shoprite Group of Companies / ShopriteX received a standing ovation for being named the Brand of the Year. Both Nando's and VMLY&R, and The Shoprite Group of Companies / Shoprite also won in numerous cateogries.

Over 25 Gold Smarties were awarded on Friday 31 March, sponsored by Takealot Group Advertising, MTN, MultiChoice Group and Standard Bank, after over 200 submissions in 33 categories were reviewed and adjudicated between February and March 2023.

Authenticity, purpose and community

Nandos Bright Sides campaign cleverly tapped into consumers load-shedding pressures with a cross-functional focus on creating an exceptional customer experience at the heart of the campaign.

Authenticity, purpose and community have never been more important than now, says Sarah Utermark, MMA SA country director.

The Shoprite Groups initiatives around increasing and rewarding customer loyalty through their Xtra Savings programme have resonated with consumers across the country. Shoprite Group continues to be at the forefront of creating positive customer experience through the use of highly innovative tech, adds Utermark.

Focusing on business impact

The Smarties Awards is the only marketing awards where business impact is weighted highest in the judging criteria, (40% of the score), with the judges scoring of strategy, execution and creativity weighted as 20% each.

Utermark says since they launched in South Africa 15 years ago, they have focused on awarding excellence in business impact as this is after all what sets one great campaign apart from another.

We ensure that every piece of work judged must show a clear ROI or ROAS (return on ad spend). What this means is that we look for what moved the businesss financial needle, and / or made a tangible and sustainable impact on the organisation.

New categories

This years seven new categories were added, all relating to the rise of experiential tech and Web 3.0.

The purpose of these additions, which include Blockchain, NFTs Intelligent Devices and Data Insights, among others, is to reflect the ever-expanding media and marketing landscape that is being shaped and moulded by innovation, access to data and changing consumer behaviour, especially through technology.

We are seeing exceptional adoption of new technologies and ways of working. Today, technology has become an integral part of most successful marketing campaigns, and rightly so.

Digital adoption on the continent is growing exponentially, consumer behaviour is changing alongside it, and the growing impact that emerging technologies like AI and Web 3.0 are having on the delivery of exceptional results is very impressive, says Luisa Mazinter, MMA SA Smarties jury chair and MMA SA chair emeritus.

All entries  Bronze, Silver and Gold  will now be submitted to the international BII (Business Impact Index), which ranks these winning campaigns against their international peers. The results of the BII will be released in Q2 of 2024.

See all the winners here.
Principal, director, and founder of BPAS Architects Landseer Collen believes that branding and architecture share an interesting and overlapping relationship. Over time, this relationship has changes and is anticipated to continue evolving as new design technologies and philosophies emerge.

Landseer Collen, principal, director, and founder of BPAS Architects

There are many ways that branding and architecture intersect, says Collen. For example, an architect might become known for their own brand of design and become sought after by clients who want buildings designed with this signature style.

Classic examples of architects who have become known for a signature style include Frank Lloyd Wright, known for his revolution of domestic architecture and his signature organic architecture and Prairie style during the early 20th century and, more recently, Frank Gehry, known for his iconic buildings that include the Bilbao Guggenheim, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Biomuseo in Panama City.

Bilbao Guggenheim, Spain. Photo credit: David Vives

The architects themselves are the brand, and the architecture becomes the outcome of that brand, says Collen.

Architecture and organisational brands

Then, there is also the way that architecture and organisational brands interact. This relationship has evolved significantly over the last century. Collen points out that the easiest example of how the two began to interact probably traces back to the USA in the 1950s and 1960s, where buildings began to physically mimic the brand and product they related to.

This was when we started to see hamburger joints built to look like hamburgers, says Collen.

Another example is the famous KFC bucket. Architects would be asked to design a KFC restaurant to include a giant bucket on a support tower that people could see from a distance.

From this, there was a move towards architecture that incorporated a brand logo and even colours, for example through large-scale signage. Las Vegas pioneered this with its massive neon lights, such as the iconic The Sands Hotel sign designed by Wayne McAllister.

A more sophisticated approach

Collen believes this idea persists in some form today, albeit in a more sophisticated manner. Branded environments, developed largely by interior architects for their corporate clients, provide a way for people to experience a brand through physical touchpoints. For example, if youre familiar with the Starbucks brand, youre likely to recognise the interior of a Starbucks coffee shop wherever it is in the world. The physical space incorporates more than a logo and brand colours  there is a specific look and feel that relates to the brand.

When it comes to incorporating the brand into designing buildings, an architect will look to understand what the brand stands for  its values, the people it needs to connect with and the purpose it serves, and then to find ways to represent these things through structural elements, says Collen.

Its no longer a case of designing a school that looks like every other school or a hospital that replicates previous hospitals. Its about translating the clients purpose, vision and brand into a building that will be functional, practical and that tells their story.

Every building tells a story

Collen believes that architects create buildings from a client narrative and that each building tells its own story. Thats what an architect does, he says.

We translate stories into the built environment. The way we tell those stories has changed as material technologies have developed and as the functions of spaces have evolved. At the moment, with all the regenerative work were seeing taking place, its a case of adapting existing buildings to support new stories.

While styles and trends will come and go and brands will evolve, architects will continue to be the storytellers of civilisation, capturing narrative through the built environment.
One of the most important puzzles that first year students must solve, is to get a good understanding of the tech resources they will be using during their studies, because tech platforms are essential in navigating university life - from accessing content to communicating with fellow students and lecturers.

Photo by Tony Schnagl: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stylish-man-using-laptop-5588217/

Mastering these tech resources will at a minimum clear the road for a student to focus on their academics, but more importantly, will help them become more efficient, productive, and successful in their academic pursuits, according to The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE), SAs leading private higher education provider.

With South Africas first year students now starting to settle into university life, many will still feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and resources available to them. With online learning platforms, anti-plagiarism detection software, information systems, and virtual labs, the sheer amount of technology can be overwhelming. However, getting to grips with these resources is crucial for academic success, and by investing some time to investigate and understand these resources and their functions, the years ahead will become much more productive, says Dr Gillian Mooney, Dean: Academic Development and Support at The IIE and member of the Accreditation Committee of the British Accreditation Council (BAC).

As a student new to university, you are at the start of a wonderful part of your life. This is the time when you learn a lot about many new areas of knowledge, meet a great many new and interesting people, and, of course, get to know and grow yourself. However, the transition from school to university can seem daunting  particularly when there are a whole lot of technologies that you are expected to use.

The key to navigating this plethora of new technology being introduced is that you must become an active user and ask for help as soon as you need it, to ensure you develop the skills required for successful tertiary study and the world of work. And try to really throw yourself into it  dont be scared to play around, you wont break the system!

The advantages of tech

Dr Mooney says first year students may, because of the large role of technology, sometimes feel that they are just a number, or a username and password. However, with the kinds of technology employed by the countrys leading institutions also comes access to many different ways to learn and to ask for help.

Such technologies encourage connectivity  between you and your lecturers, and between you and fellow students. You now have the opportunity to discuss and debate your course content with students that you may never sit next to in class. You will also have a more flexible learning experience as you can cover course material, ask a question, or search for information in your own time. These technologies also encourage personalisation, where you can select activities for content with which you are struggling.

Becoming an active user of online resources helps students to foster connectivity because of the ability to engage in discussions with the wider student and academic body.

This not only enhances your learning experience but also develops your communication skills and builds a network of connections that can be valuable throughout your university career and beyond, says Dr Mooney.

Getting a solid grasp on online resources also helps develop the essential skills required for the world of work, such as digital literacy, time management, and self-discipline. By taking responsibility for your own learning and utilising online resources to their full potential, you will develop the skills needed for academic success and beyond.

Survival guide

Below is a quick survival guide for some common platforms used at good universities. It is important that new students know about these platforms and leverage them in their studies.

Remember to always use your institutional email address  the one that you are given on registration  this is often how you access all the platforms listed below and remember your student number  this is also often used for access to the platforms.

Student Information System

This platform, typically accessed via a portal, is where all your records are kept, including your results and timetable. Your institution will expect you to access it regularly so that you are aware of how you are doing. If you have any issues, reach out to the Faculty Office, or Student Support Team.

Learning Management System (LMS)

The LMS is where all the content for your courses is located. Depending on your lecturer, you can access activities, PowerPoint presentations, and load your assignments/essays. Each module lecturer can assist, and there is typically an EdTech or LMS team to assist with general inquiries.

Anti-plagiarism Detection Software

The system will check that the work you are submitting is your own and correctly referenced. Usually accessed through the LMS, you will need to send all your assignments/essays through this tool before submitting them. Your lecturer or tutor can assist you with your writing, but don't expect drafts to be read beforehand. Most information centres/libraries have a support team in place to assist you with your writing and referencing. There should also be an EdTech or student support team for general inquiries.

The Information/Library System

The library is where all the "knowledge" at university is located, including books, journal articles, and increasingly additional digital resources. It is essential to remember that you are expected to use more than a textbook in your essays. An information specialist/librarian can show you how to best use the system.

Student Query System

Most universities have these systems, which typically save you time standing in long queues in faculty offices. Logging queries about an extension for an assessment or requesting your academic transcript, or any general queries can be done through this platform. The campus support team can help you with this.

Virtual Labs

This is a cloud-based repository of different software. You will be directed by your lecturer to the necessary applications. You need login details, then you can access the software that you need from anywhere. Your lecturer will guide you, and there should be a campus support team for general inquiries.
In what has been dubbed a landmark first for Absa group, the bank has confirmed it will launch its R11.2bn Black empowerment share scheme later this year.

Source: Reuters.

Subject to shareholder approval, the new broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) transaction is set to strengthen Absas B-BBEE credentials in South Africa.

It will also provide communities as well as all staff with an opportunity to benefit from the value generated by the group, Arrie Rautenbach, Absa group chief executive officer said.

The transaction will see 7% of the total group shareholding allocated to structures that will benefit ordinary black South Africans through a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) trust, and employees through a staff trust.

Seven per cent of Absa group equates to approximately R11.2bn based on recent prices, making the transaction one of the largest B-BBEE transactions in recent times.

After the transaction, black ownership of Absa group is expected to exceed the 25% threshold set out in the Financial Sector Charter.

The transaction is the next big step in our broader transformation journey and, at the same time, recognises the role that our staff and communities play by giving them the opportunity to benefit from the value generated by the group, Rautenbach said.

The set up of two trusts

"A CSI trust, benefiting black communities, will indirectly own a 4% shareholding, while a staff trust will indirectly hold 3% of Absa group, collectively constituting the 7% Absa group shareholding in the transaction. Black staff members in South Africa will receive just over 82% of the value of the staff trust.

A further equivalent of approximately 1% of Absa group shareholding will be made available to staff employed by subsidiaries in other markets. 

Staff employed by Absa subsidiaries in other countries will be able to participate in a similar award programme.

"Staff employed by Absa subsidiaries in other countries will be able to participate in a similar award programme, provided those subsidiaries elect to participate based on local considerations," Rautenbach added. "This initiative will be based on cash rather than Absa group shares, given regulatory and taxation complexities related to cross-border shareholding.

"However, the intention is that the programme will broadly mirror the terms of the 3% share scheme in South Africa, with all eligible employees receiving an allocation equal in value to that awarded to staff in South Africa, as well as an annual payment equivalent to a 25% trickle dividend, and a net cash payment five years after implementation.

"The value of the programme will equate to approximately 1% of Absa groups market capitalisation."

A transaction circular will be published in May and shareholders will vote on the transaction at a general meeting on 2 June, 2023.
The Qhubekani Creche and Gourton Bridge Primary School in Loskop, located close to the Bata manufacturing factory, were presented with a water storage tank, water dispensers, and water bottles, lunch kits, plus new school shoes, at a celebratory event at the school on World Water Day, 22 March.

The children were also presented with Futurelife products, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Bata South Africa to address the nutritional needs of vulnerable children.

Mahima Chandra, global lead for BCP based in India, and Lavender Owako, Batas Africa regional lead for BCP, based in Kenya, were in South Africa to celebrate with the children.

Every community that Bata works in, including your beautiful community here in Loskop, is very dear to us. But its our children who are most special to Bata, and as a company, we want to reach as many children as possible and impact their lives meaningfully. There is so much potential here, and Bata will try and help in whichever way we can, so that the children have a good learning environment, said Chandra.

The children treated their international guests to poetry, and a traditional song and dance showcase.

Vumani Khumalo, principal of Gourton Bridge Primary School, said he and the teaching staff were overwhelmed by the donation.

We are so thankful for the work Bata has done at our school. The water dispensers will be used daily. Many of our children come to school barefoot. I know with this gift of shoes our children will be able to walk comfortably to school, arrive on time, and focus on their school work, and their results will improve. These donations are going to make a big difference, and we are so thankful, said Khumalo.
The Problem With Selective Outrage in Palestine

By Ramzy Baroud

April 02, 2023: Information Clearing House -- By his own admission, Israels new Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is a fascist homophobe. This declaration, which he made on January 16, should be enough to accentuate the violent nature of the new political concoction created by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last December.

Though Smotrich is not the only politician in Netanyahus cabinet with a track record of violence, both real and rhetorical, he is a special case. Unlike his boss, Smotrich does not feel the need for doublespeak or occasional diplomacy.

In recent months, Smotrich has become internationally famous, not because of his financial genius that could resolve Israels impending financial problems as a result of the weakening of the countrys legal system. Nor does the man have the answers, or even interest, in confronting Israels inherent socio-economic equality. None of this. Smotrich is mostly popular for his racism.

In 2016, Smotrich made headlines when he suggested that Jewish and Palestinian women should be separated in maternity wards. His logic is as bigoted as it was foolish: My wife really isnt a racist, but after giving birth she wants to rest and doesnt want those mass parties that are the norm among the families of Arab women after birth.

At that time, Smotrich was a Knesset member, representing the Jewish Home party, before later joining the Union of Right-Wing Parties, Yamina, the Jewish Home and Yamina, again, and, finally, his current Religious Zionist Party. This indicates that Smotrich, himself an illegal Jewish settler from Kedumim, near the Occupied West Bank city of Qalqiliya, found an ideological home in most of Israels current rightwing political platforms.

In Israels right-wing parties, racism is an important prerequisite to succeed in politics. In fact, this is precisely how Itamar Ben-Gvir rose from being a youth leader of the extremist Kach party to becoming the countrys national security minister. Now, both characters, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, hold the keys to the fate of many Palestinian communities, and both are eager to expand illegal Jewish settlements, regardless of the illegality of such action, and the bloodbath resulting from it.

When hundreds of illegal Israeli Jewish settlers torched the Palestinian village of Huwwara on February 26, burning many homes, killing one Palestinian and wounding over 100 others, Smotrich, now a minister, had something to say about the violence. He objected, not to the pogrom against a peaceful Palestinian community, but because, in his view, the village should have been wiped out by the Israeli army, not settlers.

Smotrich later explained his comments as a slip of the tongue in a storm of emotions, but such an unconvincing statement was a result of a compromise, due to practical concerns over Smotrichs travel access to various western countries. When mainstream western media quickly bypassed Smotrichs outright call for genocide in Huwwara, the man returned to his old, racist language.

There is no such thing as Palestinians because theres no such thing as the Palestinian people, Smotrich preached to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters on March 19, during a recent visit to France. The Palestinian people is an invention that is less than 100 years old, he added.

To make matters worse, Smotrich was speaking from a podium that featured a map of the so-called Greater Israel, which includes modern-day Jordan and other Arab lands. Three days later, the Jordanian Parliament voted in favor of a resolution that recommends the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Amman.

But where is Washington amid this Israeli political chaos? Following the Huwwara comments, US State Department Spokesman Ned Price referred to Smotrichs comments as repugnant and called on Netanyahu to publicly disavow them. Of course, neither Netanyahu reined in Smotrich, nor did the US challenge Israel any further. Not even official Israeli calls for the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians seem to impact the unbreakable bond between Washington and Tel Aviv.

But throughout the discussion and rage over Smotrichs comments, many of us, wittingly or otherwise, ignored some fundamental facts about racism in Israel and its founding Zionist ideology:

First, Smotrich is a high-ranking elected official and a member of the most stable government in Israel in years. He is not an aberration. His extremist ideology is now the mainstream thinking in Israels most rightwing government in history.

Second, Smotrichs call for the destruction of Huwwara is not an alien position in Israels history of ethnic cleansing and incremental genocide. Aside from the destruction and depopulation of over 500 villages and towns in historic Palestine during the Nakba of 1947-48, Israels colonial expansion in the Occupied Territory is a continuation of the same violent legacy. Every illegal Israeli Jewish settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem stands atop Palestinian land, be it the ruins of an ethnically cleansed village, an orchard or a privately owned farm. Numerous Huwwaras had to be wiped out for this colonial regime to be sustained.

Third, the map of the so-called Greater Israel is not a recent invention, neither by Smotrich, Ben-Gvir nor even Netanyahu himself. In fact, it is older than the state of Israel, as it was adopted by Zionist Revisionist groups, such as the Betar movement and the Irgun, who played a critical role in the establishment of Israel over the ruins of Palestine.

And, finally, the racist notion that Palestinians do not exist, although functional in terms of dehumanizing Palestinians, is also an old trope. It is directly linked to the old Zionist slogan that Palestine was a land without a people for a people without a land. Many derivatives of this racist colonial slogan were uttered by Israeli politicians throughout the years, the most famous of which being that of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in an interview with the Sunday Times in 1969. There were no such thing as Palestinians  They did not exist, she said.

Though the world may have grown less tolerant of such racism, Israel itself remained the same. Indeed, the Smotrich and Ben-Gvir generation is but the logical descendant of that of David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. Therefore, condemning Smotrichs comments, while continuing to embrace Israel and celebrate Zionism is not only hypocritical, but also useless.

Smotrich knows this well, thus his continued racism, desire for colonial expansion, and outright call for the destruction of entire Palestinian communities.
The High Court in Johannesburg has ordered a financial services company to pay a client more than R800,000 stolen by fraudsters through email cybercrime.

Image: The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has ordered Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs to pay R5.5m plus punitive costs to Judith Hawarden. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp

PSG Wealth Financial Planning has been ordered to pay a client more than R800,000 stolen by fraudsters through email cybercrime.

The fraudsters had hacked a clients email and requested via email for the clients investment shares and some of his wifes investment to be paid out to a new bank account.

PSG argued that while it had a duty to protect the clients money, it could not be liable for loss under circumstances in which the client had been hacked.

But the Judge found that PSG had not complied with its own policy to protect its clients from cybercrime.

Judge Denise Fisher ruled in favour of Jan Jacobus Gerber who sued a PSG Wealth Financial Planning for the loss he sustained due to the unlawful electronic transfer of money intended for his retirement that he had invested with the company.

Judge Fisher said it had become routine for business to be conducted via email and it had now become common for these emails to be accessed remotely by fraudsters. She said business email compromise (BEC) had become rife and that both parties had been victims of the fraud.

The question is, who should bear the losses, she said.

Judge Fisher said Gerber had a share portfolio which had been managed by PSG, through its representative Jonathan Fisher, for more than a decade.

Gerber had a share and cash portfolio with investments totalling R855,413 as at September 2019. This could be liquidated and paid out at Gerbers request.

The Judge said that the contact between Fisher and Gerber was rare. The dealings entailed no more than a monthly statement, detailing his account activity, sent via email to Gerber.

Then, in October 2019 there was a somewhat unusual request when Fisher received an email, purportedly from Gerber, requesting to liquidate R250,000. The email also provided details of a new bank account with FNB.

Fisher emailed back, asking for confirmation of the new account. An email was sent back, containing a letter, ostensibly from FNB, which appeared to have an official bank stamp and reflected that the account had been opened in 2002.

Judge Fisher said PSG branches were run on a franchise system, and as part of that agreement, were given access to a central client service which could verify bank account details. The FNB account details were sent for verification. The report came back that the identity attached to the FNB account did not match Gerbers details. It showed that the account had in fact only been opened less than three months prior, and the phone number and email address were not valid.

However, Fisher said these verification reports were often unreliable. His personal assistant Jocelyn van Stavel emailed Gerber to confirm that this was his account.

Unsurprisingly, came the response from the hijacked email that the payment should be made into it, Judge Fisher said.

When Van Stavel made a courtesy call to Gerber to let him know the money had been paid, Gerber had been driving and responded goed so (thats fine)  although he did not know what she was referring to.

A second email from the hacker soon followed asking for more money, which was paid out, effectively wiping out Gerbers investment.

Judge Fisher said the emboldened hacker was alerted by Van Stavel that Gerbers wife also had an investment account. The hacker then requested R400,000 from his wifes account. But when that email arrived, Van Stavel testified that something didnt look right.

Fisher then contacted his clients, who both confirmed they had not asked to withdraw any funds.

A subsequent investigation revealed that Gerbers email had been hacked, and all the emails to and from PSG were diverted to a separate file which did not appear in his inbox or outbox.

PSG argued that while it had a duty to protect Gerbers money, it could not be liable for loss under circumstances in which his computer system had been hacked. This was a tacit term of the agreement, it said.

But Judge Fisher said to import such a term would be counterintuitive. The protection against technological fraud would be meaningless if the client had to assume the obligation to prevent hacking. After all, PSG is paid handsomely for the services provided, including the provision of fraud protection, she said.

There is no evidence that Gerber did anything or failed to do anything to protect his system from being hacked. He testified that his system was password protected and that he had an effective virus protection installed. This was not challenged.

Judge Fisher said the contracts dictated that instructions had to be given via email and arguably [PSG] thus assumed the risk of employing this system of communication.

The Judge said the call to Gerber had been a courtesy call, not one seeking confirmation that the monies were to be paid into another bank account.

PSG had not established that it complied with its contractual obligations to protect Gerber against cybercrime, she said. Judge Fisher ordered PSG to pay Gerber R811,488.98, plus interest and the costs of the application.
Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer has unveiled the Cannabis Framework and Implementation Plan (CanPlan) for the province. The plan provides guidelines for establishing cannabis (medicinal cannabis) and hemp in the Western Cape.

Source: aleksandarlittlewolf via Freepik

Meyer says: "The CanPlan, which is aligned with the key objectives of the National Cannabis Master Plan, should contribute to economic development, job creation, rural development and poverty alleviation."

According to the Western Cape Department of Agriculture's head, Dr Mogale Sebopetsa, the CanPlan identifies several agriculture-led initiatives.

Sebopetsa says: "Agriculture-led initiatives include establishing industry stakeholder coordination and information sharing."

The CanPlan further encourages collaborative research/ trials on suitable varieties, extension and production support services.

The plan's aim is:

 The mainstreaming of legacy and informal producers and agri-processors,

 Promotion of cannabis/hemp as a rotation crop as part of improved environmental/ regenerative practices, and

 Evaluating measures to protect and promote unique Western Cape hemp and cannabis characteristics.

He further states that initiatives, where other provincial role players could lead in providing a foundation for change, are also included in the plan.

The CanPlan highlights that the potential size of the cannabis industry in South Africa is estimated at R28bn, possibly creating about 10,000 to 25, 000 jobs across the value chain.

Meyer says that the development, growth and success of the cannabis industry require a value chain approach to ensure that the Western Cape benefits from this booming industry.

"The industry has the potential to absorb all skills levels, including low, semi and skilled labour. Tapping into this will contribute to growing our rural economy and creating jobs, which is this government's key priority," concludes Meyer.
Education Incorporated (Edu Inc), a boutique school in Fourways, Johannesburg has launched a bursary fund for deserving students.

Edu Inc co founders Jaqueline and Gershom Aitchison celebrate 10 years with learners at the school. Image supplied

The school was founded in 2013 by Jacqueline and Gershom Aitchison, whose vision it was to develop well rounded learners who could successfully embrace and adapt to the rapidly changing world around them. Edu Incs mission statement is: Think different. Learn different. Succeed different.

This personal conviction has led to the school establishing a non-profit company, Edu Looking Forward, whose focus is to provide bursaries to children who would excel under the Edu Inc methodology but who lack the means to attend a private school.

Our ultimate aim is to build a perpetual bursary fund for one child per grade to ensure that their schooling career is stable, continuous and provides them with the best possible opportunity to grow into their potential. From there they will be well positioned to attain tertiary scholarships to continue their academic journey, executive head Jacqueline Aitchison says.

Edu Inc has also introduced 'The Alumni Scholarship, which affords the opportunity for alumni to make a minimum monthly contribution of R50 per month towards a bursary for one of these children.

Edu Inc counts among its alumni some of South Africas emerging sporting and cultural stars, who benefitted from the schools personalised attention as well as their accommodation of their rigorous training schedules within the academic programme.

There are so many deserving children out there with the potential to be one of the worlds next greats, and this provides an opportunity for them to have that potential cultivated, she adds.

While academic excellence is prioritised  Edu Inc has an immaculate IEB matric pass record (seven out of seven years)  the school instils in each of their learners the notion of the portfolio of self as a principle of lifelong learning.

We believe traditional approaches to schooling and written school leaving examinations are not sufficient to prepare our students to meet the challenges of the future, headmaster Gershom Aitchison says.

Aitchison believes that there is a correlation between the approach one takes to education and childrens mental and social wellbeing.
The Biden administration is preparing to implement a sweeping nationwide ban on commonly used light bulbs as part of its energy efficiency and climate agenda.

The regulations, which prohibit retailers from selling incandescent light bulbs, were finalized by the Department of Energy (DOE) in April 2022 and are slated to go into effect on Aug. 1, 2023. The DOE will begin full enforcement of the ban on that date, but it has already urged retailers to begin transitioning away from the light bulb type and, in recent months, begun issuing warning notices to companies.

"The lighting industry is already embracing more energy efficient products, and this measure will accelerate progress to deliver the best products to American consumers and build a better and brighter future," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said last year.

According to the DOE announcement, the regulations will save consumers an estimated $3 billion per year on utility bills and cut carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over the next three decades.

Under the rules, incandescent and similar halogen light bulbs will be prohibited in favor of light-emitting diode, or LED, alternatives. While U.S. households have increasingly switched to LED light bulbs since 2015, fewer than half of households reported using mostly or exclusively LEDs, according to the most recent results from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

Overall, 47% use mostly or only LEDs, 15% use mostly incandescent or halogens, and 12% use mostly or all compact fluorescent (CFL), with another 26% reporting no predominant bulb type, the federal data showed. In December, the DOE introduced separate rules banning CFL bulbs, paving the way for LEDs to be the only legal light bulbs to purchase.

According to the survey data, LEDs are also far more popular in higher-income households, meaning the energy regulations will particularly impact lower-income Americans. While 54% of households with an income of more than $100,000 per year used LEDs, just 39% of households with an income of $20,000 or less used LEDs.

"We believe that further regulatory interference in the marketplace is unwarranted given that more energy efficient lighting choices, namely light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, are already available for those consumers who prefer them over incandescent bulbs," a coalition of free market and consumer groups opposed to incandescent bulb bans wrote in a comment letter to the DOE last year.
Israeli warplanes launched yet another attack on Syria early on Sunday, striking a number of targets in the central Syrian city of Homs from Lebanese airspace, Syrian state-news outlet SANA reported.

The strikes resulted in the wounding of five Syrian Arab Army (SAA) soldiers and the infliction of some material damages. "At around 00:35 a.m. on Sunday, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial act of aggression from the direction of northeastern Beirut, targeting some sites in the city of Homs and its countryside Our air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot some of them down, and the aggression resulted in the injury of five army personnel and some material damages, a Syrian military source was quoted as saying by SANA.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Syria. December 2021. Photo credit: Twitter

According to Persian media, an Iranian advisor who had been injured during Fridays Israeli attack on Damascus died after succumbing to his injuries.

"Meqdad Mehghani was wounded during the Zionist attack on Friday dawn and was martyred," Irans Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.

This is Israels sixth attack on Syria since the devastating February 6 earthquake struck the country, and the ninth Israeli attack on Syria since the beginning of the new year. This is also the third Israeli attack on Syria in just four days.

In the early hours of March 30, Syrian air defense systems were activated to counter missile attacks on Damascus. The following day, early on Friday March 31, Israel struck the Syrian capital once again, killing Iranian military advisor and officer Milad Heydari. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has vowed a retaliation.

Israels airstrikes on Syria are illegal under international law, but happen very frequently under the pretext of targeting Iranian and Hezbollah targets. More often than not, however, the strikes target the SAA.

Israel bombed Syria again. This time in Homs. The UN is in hibernation. pic.twitter.com/wiwiB9bSiA  Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) April 1, 2023

In a statement condemning Fridays "barbaric" attack on Damascus, the Syrian Defense Ministry claimed that Israels constant airstrikes against Syria are carried out in coordination with extremist militants. Over the years, Israel has played a deep role in the Syrian conflict, and has provided direct support to extremist groups fighting against Syria.he Treasury/Black Helicopters]" Guide
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear walks to his seat before the start of a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and governors visiting from states around the country in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Beshear signed House Bill 236 into law on March 24, mandating the states fiduciaries to solely consider factors that have a direct and material connection to the financial risk or financial return of an investment, according to the language of the bill.

It bans actions on nonpecuniary interests, including environmental, social, political, or ideological interest without a connection to the financial performance of an asset.

State Treasurer Allison Ball, a Republican, touted the new law, saying Kentucky now has the strongest anti-ESG legislation in the nation, Just the News reported on March 28.

For many years, pension investments were about maximizing returns, Ball added. Recently, however, there has been a destructive shift in investment methodology to use the savings of Americans as financial muscle to push ideological causes through the ESG movement.

Kentucky has said no to this shift by passing HB 236, which clarifies that pension fiduciaries must base investment decisions solely on financial metrics, not politics.

The states House passed the legislation 7717 on March 2 and the states Senate passed it on March 13 after a 325 vote. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature.

Heritage Action for America, a grassroots conservative advocacy group, issued a statement on March 24 applauding the Kentucky General Assembly and Ball for their efforts to protect citizens from the harms of the radical ESG movement.

With the ESG movement infiltrating businesses and threatening Americans finances, its now more important than ever to ensure that asset managers are following through with their fiduciary responsibilities, said Jessica Anderson, the groups executive director. As the first bill of its kind to be enacted, HB 236 will require asset managers to prioritize the investment returns and financial interests of Kentuckians.

Anderson added, This is a historic victory for Kentucky and will be an example for other states to follow as they look to protect their state industries, investments, and workers.

We look forward to even more states across the country adopting this approach and taking additional steps to rid our states of woke finance.

Ball was in Washington on March 9, taking part in a bill-signing ceremony held by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). That day, McCarthy signed a resolution introduced by Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) to block a Labor Department rule that allows pension fund managers to consider ESG factors in investment decisions.
A resident displays a mannequin on their porch in East Palestine, Ohio, as cleanup from the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment continues, on Feb. 24, 2023. (Matt Freed/AP Photo)

In a March 31 statement provided to The Epoch Times, CDC spokesperson Belsie Gonzalez advised that the illnesses occurred on March 6, when seven members of a 15-person team of CDC and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) staff reported symptoms such as sore throat, headache, coughing, and nausea.

Their symptoms, Gonzalez noted, were consistent with those reported by some East Palestine residents and first responders, whom the team was surveying to assess the potential health effects of their exposure to the chemicals released by the Feb. 3 derailment.

Sore Throats, Headaches, Nausea

Following protocol, team members reported the symptoms to federal safety officers, she said.

Symptoms resolved for most team members later the same afternoon, and everyone resumed work on survey data collection within 24 hours. Impacted team members have not reported ongoing health effects.

Gonzalez added that the survey collection process, which started mid-February, will end on March 31.

Once completed, CDC/ATSDR staff will analyze the data and provide it to state health officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania, she said. FEMA and EPA teams remain on the ground to support response efforts.

News of the government employees illnesses followed the Department of Justices (DOJ) filing of a lawsuit on March 31 against Norfolk Southern, seeking to hold the railroad company accountable for unlawfully polluting the nations waterways through the toxic derailment.

When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil, and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

Pursuing Justice

With this complaint, the Justice Department and the EPA are acting to pursue justice for the residents of East Palestine and ensure that Norfolk Southern carries the financial burden for the harm it has caused and continues to inflict on the community.

In the complaint, the DOJ noted that the chemicals involved in the spillwhich included the highly toxic and flammable gas of vinyl chloride, among othershad previously been linked to adverse health effects.

Exposure to these hazardous materials at sufficiently high levels has been associated variously with an increased risk of cancer; risks to fetal development; damage to organs like the liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin; and other health conditions, the filing states.

In the short term, East Palestine residents have reported a range of concerning symptoms in the wake of the derailment, nausea, headaches, rashes, burning sensations, and difficulty breathing.

In a class action lawsuit East Palestine residents filed last month against Norfolk Southern, one resident reported experiencing a sudden and unprecedented bout of dizziness the day after the derailment, as well as intense coughing fits, shortness of breath, and sharp pain in his head.

And despite state and federal officials assurances that the air and water in the area are safe, many remain doubtful and uncertain as to what long-term health effects they might experience.

The DOJs lawsuit, filed at the request of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan, asks the court to find Norfolk Southern liable for the governments response costs and require the company to take appropriate actions to remedy, mitigate, and offset the harm to public health and the environment.

From the very beginning, I pledged to the people of East Palestine that EPA would hold Norfolk Southern fully accountable for jeopardizing the communitys health and safety, Regan said.

No community should have to go through what East Palestine residents have faced.

With todays action, we are once more delivering on our commitment to ensure Norfolk Southern cleans up the mess it made and pays for the damage they have inflicted as we work to ensure this community can feel safe at home again.
By Stephen Karganovic

April 02, 2023: Information Clearing House -- " SCF " - Acting at the behest of its political controllers and paymasters, the racist International Criminal Court [ICC], whose principal activity since its founding in 2003 has been the malicious persecution of black African leaders, now, for a change, targets for judicial abuse a distinguished Eurasian figure.

Observers with an attention span of more than fifteen minutes (which would exclude the vast majority in the bamboozled Western countries) should have noticed immediately several glaring anomalies in ICCs arrest warrant.

The warrant purports to be based on humanitarian concern for the welfare of children allegedly transferred illegally from the Donbas. The court officers public rationale, however, omits widely known facts regarding the systematic bombardment of civilians in Donetsk and Lugansk since 2014. It ignores the demonstrated death toll of that crime amounting to at least 14,000 victims, including several thousand children. Neither this manifest offence against humanity nor the desire to call to account its obvious perpetrators, the military and political structures of the Kiev Nazi regime, seem to have played any role in the courts deliberations.

Why not? How can meticulous adherence to the provisions of the Geneva Convention which requires the evacuation of civilians from areas affected by armed conflict (Article 49) be deemed grounds for the issuance of a criminal warrant, while widespread, systematic, and indiscriminate lethal shelling of civilians is passed over in silence, without triggering any prosecutorial reaction?

For that matter, a further question can also be raised with regard to another anomaly, just as glaring. Why have the alleged atrocities in Bucha and Kramatorsk last year apparently been memory holed, to be replaced now by another that has been obviously contrived? If criminal charges were to be pressed, why have the Bucha and Kramatorsk incidents, which at the time of their alleged occurrence were the subject of extraordinary propaganda campaigns, suddenly disappeared from the radar screen? And precisely when they could have served as the most credible foundation for an arrest warrant, assuming there ever was any evidence to support those allegations? Might the fact that both false flag operations were efficiently exposed in the early stages have anything to do with this strange reticence?

How incompetent  or politically corrupt  must a prosecutor be to forego a supposedly open and shut case in favor of a case, and that is putting it very charitably, that is at best legally ambiguous and highly dubious? This question is addressed to the ICC Prosecutor, colonial lackey and consummate opportunist Karim Khan, of course.

Two additional considerations must also be submitted to the judgment of that part of the public whose brains have not yet been fried by propaganda. If the welfare of children is foremost on the minds of ICC staff, what have they got to say about the tsunami of reports that the Kiev junta, desperate to replenish its supply of cannon fodder, is now detaining and kidnapping underage children and with virtually no military training sending them to war, where they have an estimated life expectancy of about four hours?

Rule 136 0f the Convention on the Rights of the Child holds plainly that Children must not be recruited into armed forces or armed groups. Additional Protocols I and II, the Statute of the International Criminal Court itself [Art. 8 (b) (xxvi)] and of the Special Court for Sierra Leone put the minimum age for recruitment in armed forces or armed groups at 15, as does the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Are ICC prosecutors capable of reading their own courts regulations, or do they even care?

Should credible reports of such odious practices, unquestionably in contravention of international conventions which govern the use of child soldiers, not merit at least a full scale ICC investigation?

An equally grave question should be raised concerning the imminent dispatch of hazardous and banned depleted uranium munitions by Great Britain to the armed forces of the Ukrainian junta.

Contrary to the rationalisations of the British Government, depleted uranium munitions are provably detrimental to the environment , as well as to human beings and all forms of animate life in the proximity of their impact. That includes children, of course, who are particularly vulnerable and subject to genetic deformations and painful and lethal illnesses. The catastrophic impact of the use of such munitions in Yugoslavia and Iraq has been extensively studied and well documented over the past several decades. Former UN arms control inspector Scott Ritter has exposed the evils of this practice professionally and competently. It is prohibited by international humanitarian law and if allowed it will constitute a grave threat to life and health both of children and adults in the Ukraine. Would not the warning of arrest warrants for the relevant authorities in the United Kingdom be a suitable response by the ICC in the face of a potential disaster of such magnitude?

It is important to note that the International Criminal Court is a linear extension of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia [ICTY] and that its conduct cannot be fully understood without reference to the pattern of lawless behaviour previously exhibited by its model. Indeed, the word conduct is in this case a more appropriate terms than jurisprudence because neither court has bothered to develop a body of law and legal interpretation in the conventional sense. It is of no significance that ICTY is a manifestly illegal outfit, set up in contravention of the UN Charter, while ICC arguably was properly constituted by international treaty. In their practical operation they have both served as tools of the arrogance of power of global hegemons. Their joint task has been not to uphold the principles of international law, but to demolish them in order to provide a legalistic veneer for the execution of the hegemons criminal undertakings.

It is therefore scarcely surprising that the preposterous grounds cited by the ICC for issuing warrants against Russian officials for an alleged act of gross turpitude consisting of the safe evacuation of children from the war zone in the Donbas had an exact analogue in the past behaviour of ICCs infamous model, the ICTY.

In a nutshell, Serbian defendants in the ICTY Srebrenica trials were routinely charged with a grave breach of international humanitarian law, forced deportation of the civilian population. In mid-July of 1995, three meetings were held between the commander of the UN Protection Force in Srebrenica, Col. Thom Karremans, and the Serbian Commander Gen. Ratko Mladic to consider the issue of civilian refugees assembled in a nearby village. The Serbian side made complete video recordings of those meetings which leave no doubt as to what had in fact transpired. Although the video evidence unambiguously shows that Col. Karremans came to Mladic to convey the request of the UN Command that the refugees be evacuated to safety onto territory where military operations were not taking place, ICTY Prosecution charged Mladic with ordering the expulsion and ethnic cleansing of the refugees. What actually happened is that Gen. Mladic acceded to UN Commands request, as he had the duty to do under international law since fighting around Srebrenica was still in progress, and as a result the refugees were properly evacuated, as agreed.

For acting in good faith to protect civilians in a zone of conflict, Gen. Mladic was indicted, among other things, for genocide and crime against humanity, deportation.

The exculpatory video evidence was never presented in court in its totality. Snippets taken out of context and appearing to favor the prosecution case were the only parts allowed to be introduced into the evidence. Live testimony by Col. Karremans, who obviously would have been a key witness, was obstructed at every turn by the prosecution with the connivance of the Chamber. Technically, the judges could not be faulted for not taking into account evidence that had not been put before them. In the end, they washed their hands and calmly drew conclusions that were contrary to the facts, but with grave consequences for the defendant.

The Russian targets of ICCs warrants will never, of course, be in the position of General Mladic. However, the cowboy style of ICTYs corrupt proceedings, fully assimilated by its subsequent clone, ICC, gives a foretaste of what awaits anyone unlucky enough to fall in its clutches.

ICC, like its precursor ICTY, is a disgrace to law in all its civilised forms. State parties should be encouraged to withdraw from it while it is still possible for them to avoid embarrassment by association.

Stephen Karganovic - President of the Srebrenica Historical Project
Leaked chat logs from FBI Special Agent Nicole Miller obtained by the New York Times confirm the FBI spied on communications between a Proud Boy defendant and his lawyer, worked on a "never-filed conspiracy indictment" targeting Nick Fuentes and Baked Alaska, laughed at a defendant's personal misfortunes and bragged about "dismantling things" at the FBI's Washington Field Office.



From New York Times, "Inside the F.B.I.'s Jan. 6 Investigation of the Proud Boys":

Some of the Lync [online chat service] messages emerged recently when Agent Miller took the stand at the trial of Mr. Pezzola and his co-defendants  Enrique Tarrio, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl  which is now unfolding in Federal District Court in Washington. On cross-examination, the men's lawyers sought to use the log to suggest that other agents who chatted with Agent Miller had committed offenses like destroying evidence or scrutinizing emails between one of the defendants and his lawyer in a violation of the attorney-client privilege.



A lawyer for Mr. Pezzola described the messages as evidence of a "massive trail of F.B.I. corruption," but Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who is presiding at the trial, blasted that assertion, saying it was "unfounded speculation that has no place in a courtroom."



While the log obtained by The Times is missing several entries, it offers the most extensive portrait yet of the F.B.I.'s internal communications as agents investigated the sprawling Proud Boys case.

As I noted previously, the FBI claimed portions of the logs must be "classified" to keep them from being seen by the jury.



The Times' report makes no mention of the texts which revealed Agent Miller said she was ordered by her boss to "destroy" "338 items of evidence."







The Times report also failed to mention the text showing Miller was asked by another agent to "edit out that I was present" during a meeting with a Confidential Human Source Informant.



Nonetheless, portions of the Times' report were still insightful:

In a separate matter, [Miller] was also working on a never-filed conspiracy indictment against the white nationalist Nick Fuentes and one of his allies, the far-right troll Anthime Gionet, better known by his nickname Baked Alaska.



Her fellow agents were impressed. "Wow," one of her colleagues in the Washington field office wrote, "you've been in WFO [the Washington Field Office] for what, a year? and you are already dismantling things."

What she's "dismantling" is not "systems of oppression" but what Biden called "English jurisprudential culture, a white man's culture" -- the idea that folks are innocent until proven guilty and the government mustn't target political enemies and "find a crime" to prosecute them with -- or in this case, the obligation of the government to share exculpatory evidence with defense counsel and not spy on privileged attorney-client communications.

After prosecutors obtained a conspiracy indictment against the Proud Boys leaders, Agent Miller pressed on with the case.



In the spring of 2021, she and her team began examining Proud Boys chapters in St. Louis and the Hudson Valley in New York. Around the same time, working with group chats obtained through their investigation, the team also identified a Proud Boy in Pennsylvania, John C. Stewart, who later pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and cooperated with the government's case.



Along the way, the messages show, agents kept in touch with their informants in the group. In April, one informant known as "Omlette" told his handlers that the Proud Boys would likely take part in an upcoming "White Lives Matter" rally. In June, another informant, Kenneth Lizardo from Massachusetts, provided information for a search warrant. The messages mention other informants in Cleveland and Salt Lake City.



Throughout that year, Agent Miller and her team were also trying to recruit new cooperators. One message suggests that Mr. Pezzola met with prosecutors in April 2021 for a formal interview known as a proffer but did not end up cooperating with the government.



Nicholas Ochs, who ran the Proud Boys' chapter in Hawaii and was charged with conspiracy one month after the Capitol attack, also met with prosecutors for a proffer interview in the fall of 2021. But the messages show the meeting did not go well either.



"Ochs didn't offer us anything," Nicholas Hanak, another agent on the case, wrote to Agent Miller.



"Yea," Agent Hanak concluded, "no deal for him."

The FBI laughed at their targets' personal life misfortunes and spied on their attorney-client communications:

In October, in a punchy exchange, one of Agent Miller's colleagues said she had been listening to Mr. Rehl fighting with his wife  presumably on a monitored jailhouse line. Agent Miller wondered if the jailed Proud Boy had discovered his wife was cheating on him, prompting the colleague to write, "hahaha i'll bring beer."



In the same conversation, the other agent said she had read a series of emails between Mr. Rehl and his lawyer at the time, Jonathon Moseley. The messages indicated that Mr. Rehl was planning to fight his charges at trial  a fact that the other agent asked Agent Miller not to reveal to the prosecutors on the case, lest they "freak out."



Mr. Rehl's current lawyer, Carmen Hernandez, has accused the F.B.I. of violating her client's rights by illegally looking at privileged communications with his former lawyer. Prosecutors say Mr. Rehl had used a jailhouse email system that clearly stated that all of its messages were monitored just like the phone lines  a measure, they say, that amounted to a waiver of attorney-client privilege.

The FBI apparently got a treasure trove of evidence to compile their "sedition" case from "prolific" former FBI informant Enrique Tarrio's cellphone:

In February 2022, Agent Miller finally caught a break in her investigation of one of her top targets: Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys. At the beginning of the month, she told a colleague that bureau technicians had extracted a Telegram group chat called the "Ministry of Self-Defense" from Mr. Tarrio's cellphone. Participants in the chat played a central role in the run-up to the Capitol attack and on the ground on Jan. 6.



"It's really good," Agent Miller wrote of the salvaged chat, adding, "Enrique didn't delete anything."



Something else was on the phone, she said: a "plan" that Mr. Tarrio and one of his girlfriends had "worked on." That appeared to be a reference to a document called "1776 Returns," which contained a detailed plan to surveil and storm government buildings around the Capitol on Jan. 6.



After calling Mr. Tarrio "an idiot" for leaving such material on his phone, Agent Miller's colleague asked if the newly discovered information would "get us over the hurdle of the conspiracy charge?"



Agent Miller said they could press forward with a conspiracy case.



"We DEF can now," she wrote.



One month later, Mr. Tarrio was arrested on an indictment charging him with conspiracy.



A Final Break



There was one more big break.



Two days after Mr. Tarrio was charged, one of Agent Miller's colleagues wrote to say that a lawyer for Jeremy Bertino, a Proud Boy from North Carolina, had reached out, suggesting that his client was interested in talking to investigators. The F.B.I. had executed a search warrant at Mr. Bertino's home the day before Mr. Tarrio's arrest and discovered three AR-15-style rifles and a shotgun hidden behind a wall in the basement.



Agent Miller and her team eventually determined that some of the weapons were unlicensed and could be subject to a criminal charge. The messages also show that agents found a video of Mr. Tarrio chatting with Mr. Bertino while Mr. Bertino was at a shooting range with his wife.



"We cant make this stuff up!!" Agent Miller wrote.

Jeremy Bertino pictured center during a Proud Boys podcast with a ballcap reading, "FBI."

Over the next several weeks, Mr. Bertino was interviewed at least three times by prosecutors working on the case; and in October 2022, he formally pleaded guilty not only to a gun charge, but also to seditious conspiracy.



In February, a few weeks before Agent Miller herself testified at the Proud Boys trial, Mr. Bertino took the stand as the government's star witness.

The most interesting texts are the ones the Times didn't report on.



[Header image by Anthony Crider, CC BY 2.0]



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By Kamal Alam

April 02, 2023: Information Clearing House -- " MEE " - Earlier this month, China brokered a deal to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran for the first time since 2016, aiming to settle a longstanding bilateral dispute.

While it is too early to determine whether this will lead to a complete thaw in the four-decade rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran, an immediate beneficiary of the Chinese-led initiative is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose diplomatic clout in the region has been further strengthened.

Within days of the deal with Iran, the Saudis announced a restoration of diplomatic ties with the Syrian government, and Assad took another trip to the UAE, following his visit to Oman a month earlier. Indeed, Assad has slowly but surely re-emerged on the diplomatic scene, despite US pressure on the region to isolate Damascus.

Now, as China takes a more assertive economic diplomacy role in the Middle East, Syria remains key to Saudi Arabias desire to cool regional tensions.

Saudi Arabia presented the last obstacle to Syrias return as a key player in the Arab world - a thaw that began with a hug between the Bahraini and Syrian foreign ministers at the United Nations in 2018.

While Riyadh has watched from the sidelines as other Arab countries embraced Damascus, it has finally joined the fray, perhaps on the back of the Chinese- and Russian-led realignment of the Middle East.

Two years ago, I wrote an article for Middle East Eye about the history of Saudi-Syrian ties, and the centrality of this relationship with regards to stabilising Lebanon. Despite major differences, they have always managed to maintain an amicable working relationship, which peaked during their anti-Saddam alliance in the first Gulf War, and again when Riyadh welcomed Assad several years after the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

The time has now come again for another warming in Saudi-Syrian relations.

Flexing muscles

Basem Shabb, a former Lebanese MP and close adviser to former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, has written about how Syria has quietly upped its game in mainstream Lebanese politics, strengthening support for groups that back the Syrian regime over groups pushing Irans main agenda in Lebanon.

It is important to note that Syria has always pursued its own interests in Lebanon, rather than those of Iran.

Syria does not always toe Irans line, especially with regards to Lebanon and Iraq. It is this aspect of Syrias policy that appeals most to the Saudis.

A US State Department assessment in 2020 raised concerns that Damascus was regaining its pre-eminent place in Lebanese politics. The Saudis, who washed their hands of Lebanon a few years ago, would welcome Syrias help to stabilise the country - especially after the delay over an Egyptian-led gas deal to which Syria remains the key. Here, Chinas emergence as an important regional player offers another alternative, shifting away from the era of US hegemony.

The Chinese have been eyeing Lebanese ports as part of Beijings regional investment strategy, and China has welcomed the Saudi-Syria rapprochement, arranging a timely meeting in Damascus to further its own Syria diplomacy. Syria was the first conflict in which China flexed its muscles at the UN Security Council, helping Russia to veto almost all major US-led resolutions over the past decade.

I wrote in 2017 about how China for the first time took an active role in a Middle East conflict in terms of non-kinetic military operations in Syria, as it participated in the Astana process and other venues to make sure it was on-side with Damascus, pursuing an end to the conflict. Chinese economic interests in Syria date back to 2004, with key strategic areas around Syria and Lebanon ultimately becoming part of its Belt and Road Initiative.

In light of the Iran-Saudi deal, Syria will be a key contested region - and Chinese economic diplomacy could work to Riyadhs advantage. Syria analyst Camille Otrakji says the current Saudi leadership has shown greater agility than its predecessors, telling MEE: It is possible that after years of striving to establish an Iran-free regional order, the Saudis realise that they need a new strategy  The Saudis and the Turks both have come to the conclusion that to restore relative normalcy and stability, [the best option] is to step back from the Syrian playing field.

With the Saudis joining the Beijing-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) formally on Wednesday, it also shows a further drift by the Saudis into a non-aligned status rather than just the US sphere of influence, which they have been in since the founding of the kingdom.

At the heart of the Saudi-Iran deal is economic stability, with both the Chinese and the Saudis proposing investments in Iran. Syria is the key arena where Iran and Saudi Arabia have clashed over the past decade, and despite mutual mistrust, the Saudis have historically been able to iron out their problems with Damascus.

Today, with the US distracted by Ukraine and having no coherent Syria strategy, Saudi Arabia is welcoming Chinese efforts to help end the regional conflict.
The verdict is in for Elon Musk's Tesla unionization tweets in 2018.

An appeals court found that Musk made unlawful threats toward Tesla employees should they unionize; Musk previously said employees would lose stock options if they did.

The court also upheld an order that Tesla should rehire and reinstate the worker it illegally terminated for attempting to organize his fellow employees to form a union.

Elon Musk Tweet Details

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans found Musk in violation of federal labor laws after it decided to uphold a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that found Musk making unlawful threats around employee compensation.

According to Engadget, the Musk tweet in question was a reply to a Twitter user's question about the Tesla CEO's stance on unions. Musk replied that nothing is stopping Tesla employees at its Freemont car plant from organizing and forming unions. However, he said, "But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when [the] plant was [United Auto workers (UAW)] & everybody already gets healthcare."

While Tesla argued that Musk said nothing about stopping Tesla working joining a union for it to be considered a threat, the appeals court sided with the NLRB's initial ruling.

Read More: Twitter to Exempt 10,000 Most Followed Organizations From Paying $1,000 for Verified Checkmark

The court's three-judge panel explained that the NLRB's conclusion that the tweet is an implied threat to end stock options as retaliation for unionization because Tesla's employees are compensated with stock options and that Musk's tweet didn't suggest that Tesls would be forced to end stock options or that the UAW would be the cause for giving up stock options, per a court document.

The NLRB decision the appeals court was referring to was the one it made when it investigated the same tweet when the NLRB responded to a complaint from the UAW. At that time, Tesla argued that the tweet was Musk's way of pointing out that workers at other automakers don't receive stock options.

However, NLRB chair Wilma Liebman said that Tesla employees could also interpret Musk's tweet as "if I vote to unionize, stock options will no longer be an option," in an interview with Bloomberg in 2018.

The Appeals Court's Other Orders To Musk

In addition to the appeals court's ruling, the court required Musk to delete the tweet in question, though it is still up and running as of press time. Tesla, on the other hand, has yet to respond to inquiries about the appeals court's ruling on the matter.

Moreover, the court also upheld an order that Tesla should reinstate Richard Ortiz, a worker who Tesla unlawfully terminated after he organized a union drive at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California, per Business Insider.

Shaw Fain, the UAW's president, applauded the appeals court's ruling but also said that the decision highlights a flaw in US labor law. "Here is a company that clearly broke the law and yet it is several years down the road before these workers have achieved a modicum of justice," Fain said.

Related Article: Elon Musk Impersonator Convinces Florida School Principal to Write Him a $100,000 Check
Paul Mescal hopes his Olivier Award for best actor helps keep his unwell mothers spirits high, as well as his father who is looking after her.

The 27-year-old scooped the top acting prize at the Royal Albert Hall ceremony on Sunday for his turn as Stanley Kowalski in the new stage adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

During his speech, Mescal thanked his mother, who is receiving treatment for cancer, adding: I hope you get better.

In the winners room, he told the PA news agency: My mum and dad are at home. My mums unwell at the moment, so hopefully itll give her a little bit of a lift and dad as well who is looking after her.

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It kind of feels maybe narcissistic or egotistical to assume that that will help anything, but I hope that it does.

A shocked Mescal said what is happening while holding his award.

Speaking about his success from starring in Normal People to an Oscar nomination for his role in Aftersun, he told PA: Its silly. I feel like I hear people say it all the time, but it doesnt feel real. This doesnt feel at all real.

But its kind of happening at such a rate that there is no time to stop and think, this is a phenomenal feeling.

But were on stage tomorrow at 7.30pm, and I cant wait. Its the best play, its the best group of people to go to work with.

Paul Mescal attending the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

The Irish actor also described working in theatre as a thrill.

He said: Theatre is where I learned how to be an actor. Its where I started. I did five or six plays in Dublin, thats where I want to end up.

Its feels odd for me to not be in and around a stage or be planning to do theatre. I dont want to be far away for too long.

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Meanwhile, Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer, who won best actress for her role as Tessa in Prima Facie, spoke about the meaning behind her inspirational acceptance speech where she encouraged young actors to believe it is possible.

In the winners room, she told PA: When the (Prima Facie) script got sent to me, it was in the first lockdown and I was blown away by it.

But I was like, I dont know why Ive been sent this because I havent done a lot of theatre, I was confused by that.

Jodie Comer in the press room after winning the Best Actress award for Prima Facie at the Olivier Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall, London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

I guess Ive always been told no a lot in theatre auditions, which I think were always right and meant for me, but there was always this constant feedback of We like you but its too big a task or Youre just not trained or educated enough in this.

So that was something that kind of lingered with me. I think it might be that the stars need to align and you have to meet kind people, the right people and time and place, but it is actually possible, so hopefully that can be an example of that.

Comer, 30, added that she definitely wants to pursue more theatre productions in the future.

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She told PA: Its tricky though because after this its going to have to be something really special for me to want to delve into it again.

But I would love to do more theatre. I understand it now when actors told me before that its kind of incomparable in that way, now I understand that.

Sir Derek Jacobi in the press room after being presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Olivier Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall, London (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Similarly, Sir Derek Jacobi has described receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to theatre as magical.

In the winners room, he told PA about working with the late actor Laurence Olivier  in which the ceremony is named after.

Its not just an award to me, I worked with him for over seven years, hes part of my life and I owe him so very, very much, he said.

When I was young, he gave me the opportunities to work with him as an actor, to work with him as a producer, and to become his friend.

As I said in the speech, he once called me his other son. So I am in love with this man, and I have been all my career and without him, there would have been no lifetime achievement award.

Beverley Knight in the press room after winning the Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical award for Sylvia at the Olivier Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Beverley Knight, who secured best actress in a supporting role in a musical for her performance as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia at The Old Vic, said she was knocked sideways.

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She told PA: If my late best friend was still alive, he would say You couldve knocked me for seven. Thats how I feel. I am so so chuffed. There are no words.

The emotional 50-year-old also spoke about dedicating her speech to Wolverhampton youth theatre, saying she will never forget her roots.

She told PA: So many people from Wolverhampton youth theatre have gone on to have glorious careers in theatre, film and TV.

I just want kids to know that they can do this, even at my big age as people say, you can do this and you can you can have a career in this.

Arthur Darvill in the press room after winning the Best Actor in a Musical award for Rodgers & Hammersteins Oklahoma! (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Meanwhile, Arthur Darvill, who won best actor in a musical for Rodgers & Hammersteins Oklahoma! said he dedicated the award to his supportive family, friends and school drama teacher.

He told PA: Im from Birmingham and I had a really supportive family. My mums a puppeteer and actress and my dads a musician so I came from a very artsy family and people who really got it.

Entertainment Paul Mescal scoops top prize at theatre's Olivier... Read More

I had this amazing drama teacher, Mike Perry, who was really inspiring and taught me loads.

I think those people are really important in all of our lives. Those teachers who see you, encourage you. Teachers are really important and I owe so much to so many people whove supported me throughout my life.

The Olivier Awards 2023 will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX from 10.15pm to 12.20am.
All-Ireland winning Clare hurlers Tony Kelly, Brendan Bugler and Jamesie O'Connor are among a group opposing plans for a 25 million HSE community hospital for a green field site at St Flannans College in Ennis.

The three are teachers at the secondary school and have appended their names to a group staff objection to the planned 100-bed hospital proposed for the Church-owned site on the college grounds.

They are joined by 72 other staff members who are supporting the objection which has now been lodged with Clare County Council.

In their objection, the staff told the council that the proposed hospital will have a seriously negative impact on the student population of St Flannans College.

The objection added that for the past two academic years the school has had its two largest enrolments ever, taking in 240 first-year students each year.

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St Flannans College is the only school in the town with the potential to expand if needed. We believe that it would be incredibly short-sighted were the lands to be taken away from any future development.

The objection added: The green field site at St Flannans College is the last remaining of its kind in Ennis. Urban sprawl is taking up much more of our green spaces each year. Once built, this land will be gone forever.

Playing fields

While the staff members said they recognise the need for a new community hospital, they said: We believe that there are several more appropriate sites available for development.

The objection also argued that the proposed site is currently in daily use as playing fields, and: We believe that no other sporting facility in Ennis would be built upon as it is proposed for our developed playing pitches.

The objection comes as the local Catholic Church is planning to sell the lands to allow the HSE to advance its plans for the new community hospital.

The diocese of Killaloe is proceeding with plans to sell the site despite opposition from the school's board of management.

On behalf of the school's board of management, principal Fr Ignatius McCormack told the council that the board is of course well aware of the need for a suitable site for the proposed hospital, but respectfully suggests that other suitable sites, which do not cut across existing intensive use by a large proportion of the youth of the area must be available.

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Fr McCormack added that it surely cannot be the case that the provision of proper healthcare and the provision of sporting facilities for the youth of the area must be placed in conflict, and that the board of management endorse the apprehension expressed by the planning authority that the scope of future expansion (of St Flannan's College) will be curtailed by the proposed development.

Despite the board's opposition, Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan has confirmed that it remains the dioceses intention to press ahead with the sale of the site to allow the hospital plans to proceed.

In February, Fr Albert McDonnell, on behalf of the dioceses property arm - the St Flannans (Killaloe) Diocesan Trust - provided a letter lodged with the council which stated that the Trust does not intend to use the planned hospital site for the future development of the school.

Fr McDonnell said the site is on the periphery of the campus and in the event that the school requires expansion in the future, the Trust believes that there is ample space in the remaining lands for this to occur.

A decision is due on the application at the end of the month.
The sister of a teenager killed during the Troubles says she hopes the dark cloud surrounding their family will be lifted as the search for his body resumes.

Columba McVeigh (19), from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 and his remains are believed to be at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan.

He is one of the 'Disappeared' whose bodies have yet to be found.

Columba McVeigh went missing in 1975 (Family handout/PA)

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in Bragan Bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

His sister Dympna Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found, but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

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Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

Ms Kerr said she hoped US president Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Mrs Kerr said.

And [former US] President [Bill] Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

Jon Hill, of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains, stands beside excavators at Bragan bog near Emyvale in Co Monaghan (PA)

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said it was always their intention to resume the search for Mr McVeigh at the earliest opportunity.

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Every time we undertake a search the thoughts of everyone involved are with the McVeigh family, he said.

Our focus is on doing everything we can to bring this search to a successful conclusion.

If the remains of Columba are in this part of the bog we will find them.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing people presumed murdered and buried in secret.
The completion rate of the primary course of vaccination for Covid-19 among 5 to 11-year-olds was less than 50 per cent in all but one Local Electoral Area (LEA), figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have shown.

The data shows that completion rates across the State's 166 LEAs was generally low, with just Stillorgan in Dublin noting a rate above the half-way mark, at 55.5 per cent. Overall, 133 LEAs had rates of less than 25 per cent.

The research notes that primary courses differed depending on the type of vaccine, as some required just one dose (Janssen), while others required two (Pfizer/BioNTech and Astrazeneca).

Children aged 5-11 were only offered Pfizer vaccines (with a lower dosage than that given to adults), therefore children in this category required two jabs to complete their primary course. Booster vaccines were not offered to this cohort, unless the child had a weak immune system.

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Buncrana in Co Donegal had the lowest primary course completion rate among those aged 5-11, at just 4 per cent, followed closely by neighbours Carndonagh.

Eleven LEAs had completion rates of under 10 per cent for this cohort, six of which were in Co Donegal.

On the other end of the scale, just four LEAs had a rate in excess of 40 per cent, all of which were in Dublin, namely: Clontarf, Glencullen-Sandyford, Blackrock and Stillorgan.

The CSO also examined vaccine uptake by sector, finding those working in accommodation & food services had the highest rate of non-completion of the primary course of vaccination at 28 per cent.

In contrast, public administration & defence workers and those working in healthcare settings had the lowest rate of non-completion of the primary course (each 1 per cent), with the latter also noting the highest uptake rate for the first booster jab (69 per cent).

The figures also showed that the uptake of the third booster was highest in Dublin's Rathfarnham-Templeogue LEA (16 per cent) but lowest in nearby Blanchardstown-Mulhuddard (2 per cent).
The Defence Forces' lack of capability to shadow Russian ships off the Irish coast is simply not good enough for a sovereign state, according to Independent TD for Kildare South and former Army Ranger, Dr Cathal Berry.

His comments come after images were shared of Russian-registered ships spotted off the Irish coast over the past week.

The three ships  the Umka, the Bakhtemir and the Fortuna  caused alarm among defence officials when they were spotted engaging in unusual manoeuvres off the coast of Galway, in the vicinity of a new subsea communications cable. It is understood that the vessels were equipped with technology capable of interfering with subsea cables.

This is the big issue really, that Ireland has very little capability to counter what's happening off our west coast, Dr Berry told Newstalk Breakfast.

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We couldn't even put a naval ship out there over the weekend because of the current problem in Haulbowline in Cork.

Normal practice is if you have a sensitive convoy moving through your economic waters, you would put out at least one of your naval ships to shadow that convoy.

Unfortunately, Ireland had no capability - from a crewing shortage point of view - to deploy a ship, so we had to rely on the Air Corps.

They can put up an aircraft for a number of hours at a time and monitor the situation, but there's no substitute for having a naval ship on station.

After the aircraft was deployed by the Air Corps, the Defence Forces released a statement on Sunday confirming the vessels had left the State's exclusive economic zone.

However, Dr Berry said the matter also highlights the State's unique position of having no sonar capability.

Ireland Russian vessels a cheap way to send a threat to... Read More

Ireland has absolutely no sovereign underwater capability whatsoever. Not only can we not intervene in relation to what's happening below the waves, but we can't even see below the waves.

We don't have any vessels with a sonar capability, which makes us unique in the European Union.

We're an island nation, we have a responsibility for over 15 per cent of EU waters. It's just completely unacceptable that three commercial Russian vessels, in a time of war, can move down the west coast of our country and loiter in and around our territorial waters.

They were no more than 13 nautical miles off the coast of Kerry, and that's simply just not good enough for a sovereign state, Dr Berry said.
The DUP needs to be given space to make up its mind over returning to the powersharing institutions at Stormont, Gerry Adams has said.

However, the former Sinn Fein president added that if the unionist party did not agree to reforming an executive then Dublin must have full involvement in affairs in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams spoke to the PA news agency in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The powersharing executive at Stormont, established by the 1998 peace deal, collapsed last year as part of a DUP protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The party has also outlined a series of concerns over the Windsor Framework agreement brokered between London and Brussels to ease many of the trading frictions which were caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

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A panel commissioned by party leader Jeffrey Donaldson to assess the framework completed its work last week.

Asked about the DUP position, Mr Adams said: Well, I think the unionists have to make up their minds. I think we need to give them a wee bit of space to do that.

So in the immediate term, Jeffrey Donaldson has a panel which has given him a report. He then has to respond to that.

The damage that has been done in relation to the institutions can be repaired if the institutions were up and running as they should be.

Gerry Adams said he did not believe that DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson was refusing to rejoin the Stormont executive because Michelle ONeill would be first minister. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA

Mr Adams said it would be a different matter if the DUP refused to return to Stormont.

We can have patience on all these other matters on the basis that theyre eventually going to go in there, and theyre willing to start working and they all work together. And people will get to know each other.

I mean, 25 years later, this generation of republican representatives and unionist representatives know each other better, know each other personally, in many cases on first name terms, despite the difficulties and the problems.

But if they decide theyre not going to go in, then thats up to the two governments to come back because we cant have a return to English rule.

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We have to have a full involvement by the Irish government along with the British government, unfortunately, with them seeking to fill the gap, which plainly would be the responsibility of unionists failure to grasp the new dispensation.

Mr Adams said he did not believe that the unionist party was refusing to return to Stormont because it did not want to support an executive with Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill as first minister.

He said: If unionists refuse to go in, an awful lot of people will believe its because they couldnt stomach having a republican as first minister.

I think Jeffrey has spoken the truth when he says that its not an issue for him.

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams spoke ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA

The former Sinn Fein president said the progress of the powersharing institutions had been stop-start since they were formed.

He added: Senator (George) Mitchell famously when the agreement was made said  that is the easy bit done.

The hard bit is implementing it. Never was anything so true.

I suppose the thinking of those strategists within the British and Irish establishments who had eventually, reluctantly, come round to this position of inclusive talks and Sinn Fein involvement, I suppose what they hoped for was that the UUP and the SDLP would form the centre core of a new governmental process.

They certainly wouldnt have intended or foreseen that you would have had Sinn Fein being so strong as we are today.
NASA has been collecting samples from Mars' soil in hopes of unlocking knowledge about the Red Planet. The Mars rover had just collected its 16th sample, which may shed light on what Mars was like before.

16th Rock: Berea

The rock sample was collected during the latest mission of exploring the top of Jezero Crater's delta. It is said that that area is a carbonate-rich rock that was formed from deposits that were brought downstream by a now dried-up river.

The sample was collected using a coring bit at the end of the robotic arm of the rover, which occurred on March 30th, 2023, which is the 749th sol (Martian day) of the mission, as mentioned in Interesting Engineering.

Scientists aim to find fossilized lifeforms in the samples to better understand what the climate was on Mars before. Berea, along with the other samples, will contribute to the study of Jezero Crater's history and the waters that may have carved Mars' surface.

In future missions from NASA in cooperation with the European Space Agency, a spacecraft would be sent to Mars to retrieve the collected sample from the surface. It will then be returned to Earth to be studied for in-depth analysis.

The key objective of the Mars rover's mission is astrobiology, which includes the search for signs of microbial life from ancient Mars. The Perseverance will help with characterizing the planet's geology and past climate, according to NASA.

Read Also: NASA's InSight Lander Transmits Potential Final Image from Mars

NASA Mars Exploration

NASA ultimately has four goals to achieve in the Mars exploration mission. The first is to determine if Mars ever supported life, the second is to understand its process and history, the third is to understand its geological system, and lastly, to prepare for human exploration.

Some scientists believe that Mars was once relatively similar to Earth during their early histories. The million-dollar question is if life ever existed on Mars. The two objectives for this are to find out of Mars could've had life, or if the environment contains evidence of extant life.

As for the climate, scientists are trying to understand how the climate has evolved to the point of its current state, as well as the process that occurred to make the outcome possible. Under geology, NASA had three objectives.

One is to characterize the state of the present climate of the planet's atmosphere, two is to characterize the history of Mars' climate in the recent past, as well as its process. The third objective is to characterize Mars' ancient climate and underlying process.

For climate, NASA aims to determine the state of the present climate on the Red Planet and the surrounding plasma environment and processes. The study goes as far as Mars' recent past climate and that of ancient times.

Of course, the robots sent to Mars are also a way for humans to prepare for the exploration of the planet. Seeing what the environment and climate are like will determine whether or not it's safe for humans to set foot on the planet.

Related: 10 Things To Know About NASA's InSight Mars Lander
A warehouse worker has been charged after gardai uncovered 1.36 million worth of cannabis shipped to Ireland from Spain in a container load of oranges.

Father of three Dawid Zajac (38), with an address at Galtrim, Summerhill, Co Meath, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis on March 31st and that he had it for sale or supply at Cornstown, Ashbourne, Co Dublin.

It followed an operation by officers attached to the Revenue Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs, the Organised Crime Bureau, Coolock and Raheny District Drugs Units and the Meath Divisional Drugs Unit.

Mr Zajac, who is originally from Poland but has been living in Ireland for 16 years, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Monday.

Bail was set in his bond of 20,000, half of which must be lodged, and an independent surety with 20,000 must be approved.

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He was remanded in custody until it is taken up and will face his next hearing on Thursday at Cloverhill District Court.

Detective Garda Paula Carter told the court the accused made "no reply" to the charges, and she objected to bail due to the seriousness of the case.

She told the contested bail hearing the drugs had been concealed "in crates of oranges shipped from Spain to Dublin Port".

She alleged the accused paid customs fees of 5,000 for a container to be released from the port and that he was in the warehouse when a logistics company delivered the crates. She also told the court he helped off-load the shipment.

It was also alleged that Mr Zajac had an invoice for the shipment on his phone.

The detective agreed with defence solicitor Jenny McGeever that the accused did not have the trappings of wealth and that his phone and passport had been seized.

She accepted he lived with his partner and children, was in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment, and had the presumption of innocence.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecution are awaited, the court heard.

Ireland Dublin landlord evicts tenants to put apartments o... Read More

Mr Zajac told the court he would abide by bail conditions and said he had only left Ireland twice since 2007.

Pleading for bail, Ms McGeever said her client has lived at the same address for four years and has "strong roots" here.

Describing it as a "substantial matter", the judge held that bail with conditions could be granted.

On taking up bail, the accused must sign on daily at Trim Garda station, remain contactable by phone, and notify gardai of any address change.
No council in the country applied for extra dedicated staff to tackle the scourge of vacant homes and buildings despite funding being available for the roles.

As the Irish Examiner reports, of the 31 local authorities, 30 have just one dedicated vacant homes officer even though a single staff member is not regarded as sufficient for the workload, particularly in larger councils.

The need for more housing to be made available has been thrown into sharp focus particularly over the weekend with the Governments lifting of the eviction ban.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated, based on metered electricity consumption, that one in 25 homes nationwide is vacant.

After last years census, the CSO said there were nearly 167,000 vacant houses and apartments. Of those, 48,500 homes vacant in 2016 were still vacant in 2022, while 23,500 were vacant in 2011, 2016, and 2022.

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Last month, when Local Government Minister Kieran ODonnell was told that Cork County Council had just one vacant homes officer, he said the local authority needed to get the finger out and apply for more staff where needed.

The matter had been raised with him by Cork East Fine Gael TD David Stanton.

Mr Stanton said it is absolutely astounding that all the councils across the country have not applied for extra vacancy officers. He has received confirmation from Housing Minister Darragh OBrien that none have made the case for funding.

A 150 million injection into the urban regeneration and development fund for local authorities to tackle vacant and derelict buildings in their areas was announced last month.

It means councils will have funds to identify buildings in their communities that are vacant, buy them, and do them up. The fund applies to homes and commercial properties.

Ireland Mayo County Council launch scheme to pair buyers w... Read More

Once the newly-restored building is sold or rented, the money generated will then be put back into the 150m fund, allowing councils to be able to keep tackling the problem without being financially on the hook themselves.

Mr Stanton said it is perplexing that councils are not availing of the extra funds for more vacancy officers. He said:

"I dont want to hang local authorities out to dry but it seems baffling that not one of the 31 [local authorities in Ireland] have made a case for more.

This suggests there is maybe a breakdown in communications between the Department and councils. They have to come together to resolve it. Everywhere you go in the country, you see towns blighted by vacancy and dereliction.
There are a range of stories on Monday's front pages from worrying signs that Ireland's abortions services could collapse to funding for vacant homes not being used by local councils.

The Irish Times reports that elements of Irelands abortion system are not sustainable in their current form and the service could collapse, according to a researcher involved in a review of the States laws on terminations of pregnancy.

The Irish Examiner leads on a piece which found not a single council in the country has applied for extra dedicated staff to tackle the scourge of vacant homes and buildings despite funding being available for the roles.

The Echo meanwhile focus on a young girl being left waiting for an appointment despite their being concerns of self-harm.

Good morning, here's the front page of today's Irish Independent pic.twitter.com/WPaashmu1l Advertisement  Independent.ie (@Independent_ie) April 3, 2023

On today's front page: Olivia Pratt-Korbels killer Thomas Cashman has 250,000 bounty placed on head by gangstershttps://t.co/eRP6PK8Y1v pic.twitter.com/zgzg9D2Xzv  The Sun (@TheSun) April 3, 2023

Morning readers. Stay with @BelTel for all your breaking news. Here's a look at the front page of the Belfast Telegraph this morning. 



To read the full newspaper on your device, go Premium +https://t.co/1JEC5mNi73 pic.twitter.com/MRgue9um0Q  Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) April 3, 2023

In the UK, The British Governments planned crackdown on grooming gangs features on the front pages of Mondays newspapers.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is today due to announce new measures for police and vowed that political correctness will not get in the way of the crackdown.

That message is echoed in The Daily Telegraph, which says police have been told the ethnicity of grooming gangs cannot be ignored.

Daily Telegraph: Ethnicity of grooming gangs cannot be ignored, police told #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/NqNt3Qg4j2  George Mann  (@sgfmann) April 2, 2023

The Times also focuses on the issue, saying that gangs have been fed by political correctness, while the Daily Express says women have been put at risk by woke politics.

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The Times: Child abuse gangs fed

by political correctness #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/VTzKtw02xA  George Mann  (@sgfmann) April 2, 2023

Tomorrow's front page: Sunak's aim at woke politics putting women at risk as he vows to stamp out grooming gangs #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/MCptzfe0de pic.twitter.com/0JEfltD9Pz  Daily Express (@Daily_Express) April 2, 2023

The Guardian looks at NHS delays which it says are leaving thousands of children facing a lifelong impact on their health.

Guardian front page, Monday 3 April 2023: NHS delays 'risk harming thousands of children' pic.twitter.com/RIaPQ8JvEe  The Guardian (@guardian) April 2, 2023

Mental health is the focus of the i, which reports on an investigation into NHS services being upgraded to a public inquiry.

The i: NHS mental health care faces public

inquiry after family outcry #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/zqKJqBEpF2  George Mann  (@sgfmann) April 2, 2023

The Daily Mirror focuses on British Home Secretary Suella Braverman, saying she has claimed nearly 25,000 in expenses towards energy bills at her London house.

Monday's front page: Guess who doesn't have to worry about energy bills#TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/jmMdDP4m7s pic.twitter.com/axPI616s5j  The Mirror (@DailyMirror) April 2, 2023

The Sun reports on a 250,000 bounty placed on the head of Thomas Cashman, who was convicted last week of the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.

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Parking apps draw the attention of the Daily Mail, which says more than two million people will soon be living in parking meter deserts as pay and display machines are scrapped in favour of cashless alternatives.

Daily Mail: Millions of drivers stuck in

parking app hell #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/J5ZPQoiXQj  George Mann  (@sgfmann) April 2, 2023

The Independent reports on the Government backtracking on tightening a loophole allowing executives to use the apprentice fund to pay for university courses.

A surprise cut in output by oil producers of more than one million barrels a day features on the front of the Financial Times.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times UK edition Monday April 3 https://t.co/Zr05c68niW pic.twitter.com/SpaMKACcCS  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) April 2, 2023

And the Metro focuses on fears of 19-hour ferry delays at Dover for the Easter holiday.

Tomorrow's Paper Today 



THE EASTER HOL DELAYS



 Fear over 19hr ferry hold-ups as France is blamed for backlog#tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/UHzSb39sPX  Metro (@MetroUK) April 2, 2023

The Daily Star, meanwhile, looks at the world of AI and a chatbots unnerving request.
The brother of TV presenter Phillip Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years.

Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, following a trial in England at Exeter Crown Court.

The jury found him guilty on all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The 54-year-old, a civilian police worker from Bath, told the jury while giving evidence that he had watched pornography with the boy, whom he insisted was over the age of 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sitting apart, but denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.

Jurors heard previously the defendant told his elder brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the complainant had watched pornography together.

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In a statement released by his lawyer after the guilty verdict, Phillip Schofield said: My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.

If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family.

These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.

Phillip Schofield. Photo: Jonathan Brady/PA

The boy, who alleged the offending started when he was 13, told the jury he felt emotionally blackmailed by Timothy Schofield and forced to participate in sexual activity.

He said: I felt that emotionally there was no escape from what we had to do and I felt that there was a tremendous amount of pressure and expectation for me to fulfil what was being asked and wanted.

Phillip Schofield described in a written statement how his brother had phoned him in an agitated and upset state, and Mr Schofield had invited him to drive to his home in London.

The court heard they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up.

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He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that.

Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and (the boy) had time together and that last year they had watched porn  and (masturbated).

I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about (the boys) body.

I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off.

I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again.

Timothy Schofield covers his head as he leaves Exeter Crown Court. Photo: Matt Keeble/PA

Giving evidence during the trial, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody.

He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years.

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The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London.

Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself?

Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone.

He insisted the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him.

He told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all.

World Boy accusing Phillip Schofield's brother of abuse... Read More

He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents, but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties.

Schofield denied the charges but was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Mrs Justice Cutts remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on May 19th.
The former principal of a Jewish girls school in Australia has been found guilty of sexually abusing two students, ending a nine-year legal battle that strained relations between the Australian and Israeli governments while antagonising Australias Jewish community.

Malka Leifer, 56, a Tel Aviv-born mother-of-eight, was convicted on 18 counts, including rape, and acquitted of nine other charges, including five that related to the eldest student, Nicole Meyer.

The three former students  Ms Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper  are sisters. They have chosen to identify themselves in the media.

Trial judge Mark Gamble had issued an order preventing the media from reporting during the trial that Leifer had fought against her extradition to Australia following her return to Israel in 2008 as allegations against her first emerged.



Sisters Dassi Erlich, left, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer leave the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne (AAP Image via AP)

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The legal battle she had waged in Jerusalem courts since 2014 ended in 2021 when she boarded a flight toward Melbourne at Ben Gurion Airport, with her ankles and wrists shackled.

The news of Leifers extradition was welcomed in Australia by politicians and Jewish community leaders.

Leifer sat with her head tilted, watching the jury, and did not react as the verdicts were read. The two former students she was convicted of abusing, Ms Erlich and Ms Sapper, were in court for the verdicts.

She had earlier pleaded not guilty to all 27 counts.

Prosecutors claimed Leifer abused the students between 2003 and 2007 at the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne where she was head of religion and later the principal, as well as at her Melbourne home and at rural school camps.



A courtroom sketch depicts former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer at the County Court (Mollie McPherson/AAP Image via AP)

Prosecutor Justin Lewis told jurors that Leifer tended to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers.

Mr Lewis said Leifer engaged in sexual activities with them and took advantage of their vulnerability, their ignorance in sexual matters, and her own position of authority.

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Defence lawyer Ian Hill argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offences and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defence and to jurors.

He attacked the credibility of the sisters, accusing one of telling blatant lies in her evidence.

The sisters had an isolated upbringing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, the court heard. They were around 12, 14 and 16 when Leifer arrived at the school from Israel in 2001.



Leifer will be sentenced later this month (AP)

The sisters gave evidence over two weeks behind closed doors, with the public and media excluded according to rules governing sexual assault trials in Victoria.

Other witnesses included those whom the sisters disclosed their allegations to.

Manny Waks, head of advocacy group Voice Against Child Sex Abuse and a supporter of the three sisters, said the result was tinged with sadness because the allegations relating to Ms Meyer were not proven.

The length of time its taken and the many challenges along the way most people did not believe that this day would actually come and it has arrived, and its a great day for justice, Mr Waks said.

Ms Meyer told reporters outside court that a guilty verdict was all weve ever wanted.

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Since we started this battle, since we gave our police statements in 2011, to hear the word guilty is what she has fought not to be for so many years, and what we have fought for so many years to prove, she said.

Mr Waks told Network 10 television that the legal process had been challenging for the sisters until the verdicts were delivered.

The process that the sisters have gone through is unique and arduous. I attended 75 court hearings in Israel just to get her (Leifer) extradited, Mr Waks said.

Leifer will return to court on April 26 for a sentencing hearing.
The original Good Friday Agreement document has returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since it was signed 25 years ago.

The treaty will be available for members of the public to view at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast.

The original UK Governments signed copy of the 54-page document features the signatures of the then prime minister Tony Blair, then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the late secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam as well as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time David Andrews.

The document will be on display in PRONI until April 12.

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10th 1998 after an extensive talks process involving many of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish Governments.

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PRONI acting director David Huddleston and PRONI head of conservation Sarah Graham with the Good Friday Agreement treaty. Photo: Dept for Communities/PA.

The document is on loan from The National Archives (UK) to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the agreement and will make its first public appearance in Northern Ireland at a joint event hosted by PRONI and the National Archives Ireland On the Record: Reflections on the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement).

PRONI acting director, David Huddleston said: Today is a day of firsts  the first time that the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has been in Northern Ireland since 1998, the first time that PRONI and the National Archives Ireland have delivered a joint public event.

Ireland Gerry Adams: Give DUP wee bit of space over retu... Read More

This provides a unique opportunity for people to come and view the historic agreement and while they are in PRONI to discover the wealth of public records we have available including those from government, courts and local authorities as well as privately deposited records from churches, businesses and individuals.

The exhibition is open to the public from April 3-12 without booking.

Other documents on display include a record of the first official NIO meeting with a Sinn Fein delegation led by Martin McGuinness in December 1994, plans by the then-secretary of state to change the public image of Parliament Buildings, Stormont, notes from meetings with the late John Hume and David Trimble in April 1998 and from discussions with the Orange Order in November 1998.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio told a federal court in Washington on Monday that Malaysian financier Jho Low tried to funnel up to $30 million (27.5 million) to US president Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign as part of a far-reaching influence operation.

"I basically said, 'Wow, that's a lot of money,'" DiCaprio testified.

The Titanic star was testifying in the trial of rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel of The Fugees hip hop group, who US prosecutors accuse of illegally taking tens of millions of dollars to lobby the US government on behalf of Low and the Chinese government.

DiCaprio is one of several prominent figures linked to Low, who is suspected of embezzling $4.5 billion from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

The financier, who was known to pay Hollywood celebrities to party with him, supported DiCaprio's charitable foundation and helped fund The Wolf of Wall Street, the 2013 movie in which DiCaprio starred.

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DiCaprio has been cooperating with the US government's investigation.

He managed to enter the courthouse without being spotted by news crews that had been staking out his arrival.

Michel is accused of profiting from an alleged embezzling scheme by Low, as well as a Chinese government influence campaign aimed at repatriating dissident Guo Wengui.

Michel faces 11 criminal counts for trying to influence the administrations of Obama and former president Donald Trump. Michel has denied the allegations.

The Fugees won two Grammy Awards for their best-selling 1996 album The Score. But by 2012, prosecutors said, Michel was in dire need of cash.

Prosecutors said Michel agreed to funnel money into Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and hide the source of the funds. Federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to US campaigns.

Entertainment Titanic director James Cameron reveals Leonardo Di... Read More

Prosecutors said Michel later waged an illegal influence campaign to persuade the Trump administration to stop investigating Low.

Michel and other co-conspirators are also accused of lobbying the Trump administration at China's behest to return Guo to China.

Prosecutors said Michel was paid $70 million for his work.

Michel's lawyers are expected to argue that Michel did not know he was acting as a foreign agent and believed he was furthering American interests.
A mother has been reunited with her baby in southern Turkey after a DNA test confirmed it was her daughter, almost two months after a devastating earthquake ripped through the region.

The country's family ministry said the three-and-a-half-month old "miracle baby", called Vetin, was pulled out of the rubble of a building in the province of Hatay more than five days after quake on February 6th with no health problems.

The child was reunited with her mother Yasemin Begdas at a hospital in the city of Adana 54 days after the disaster.

"Reuniting a mother and her child is one of the most precious tasks in the world," Turkey's minister of family and social services Derya Yanik said.

After initially being cared for at a hospital in Adana, the baby had been taken by the presidential plane to be cared for by authorities in Ankara.

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A DNA test revealed that Ms Begdas was her mother and the baby was flown back to Adana, where the reunion took place at the hospital where she was treated.

More than 56,000 people were killed by the earthquake and subsequent tremors, 50,000 of which were in Turkey while the remainder were in Syria.

The baby's father and two brothers died in the quake, the ministry statement added. -Reuters
Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether GB News breached impartiality rules by airing an interview between two Tory MPs and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

Esther McVey and Philip Davies spoke to Mr Hunt on March 11 ahead of the spring Budget, prompting criticism from some.

Media watchdog Ofcom said it was looking at whether the show broke its rules requiring news and current affairs to be presented with due impartiality.

It added: Our investigation will look at the programmes compliance with our rules on politicians presenting programmes, and whether it included an appropriately wide range of significant views relating to a matter of major political controversy or current public policy.

SNP MP John Nicolson, who sits on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, previously suggested there had been a breach because the pair acted as interviewers.

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Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes later wrote to the committee to clarify the rules on politicians presenting and appearing on TV programmes.

The guidelines currently say: No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.

In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.

A number of serving MPs currently host programmes on TV.

Former culture secretary Ms Dorries hosts a Friday night talk show for TalkTV, while Tory MP for North East Somerset Rees-Mogg is fronting a regular programme for GB News.

Nadine Dorries. Photo: Kirsty OConnor/PA.

Ofcom also confirmed it was not pursuing 40 complaints about due impartiality made about Ms Dorries interview with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson on February 3.

The watchdog said it had exceptionally decided to publish the reasons for its decision because its assessment had involved matters of public interest.

A spokeswoman said: In our view, the combination of pre-recorded interview, in-depth studio analysis and panel discussion within this long-form programme was consistent with a current affairs format.

At the time of broadcast, Ms Dorries was not standing in an election taking place, or about to take place.

A range of alternative viewpoints, providing challenge and context to those of Mr Johnson, his Government and the Conservative Party more generally, were reflected in the studio panel discussions which were interspersed between each segment of the interview with the former Prime Minister.

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Given this, the programme did not raise issues under our rules preventing politicians from presenting news programmes, or those concerning due impartiality.

Ms Dorries has since she will stand down as MP for Mid Bedfordshire at the next general election.

In March, shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell said the employment of serving MPs as presenters was very concerning, adding that Ofcom should be looking at these issues.

World Man convicted of murdering Olivia Pratt-Korbel ref... Read More

The same month Ofcom ruled an episode of GB News Mark Steyn show, who was a presenter until earlier this year, broke its broadcasting rules and was potentially harmful and materially misleading.

Mr Steyn made an incorrect claim about health data providing evidence of a link between the Covid vaccine and higher rates of infection, hospital admission and death, Ofcom said.

GB News has been approached for comment.
A Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by a six-year-old pupil has filed a lawsuit seeking 40 million dollars (32.4 million) in damages from school officials.

Abby Zwerner accuses them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

The 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was shot in the hand and chest on January 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom.

She spent nearly two weeks in hospital and has had four operations since the shooting.

The shooting rattled the military shipbuilding community and sent shockwaves around America, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and use it to shoot his teacher.

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Messages of support for teacher Abby Zwerner on the front door of Richneck Elementary School in Newport News (AP)

The lawsuit names as defendants the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster-Newton and former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker.

Michelle Price, a school board spokesperson, said via email that the board had not yet been served with the lawsuit, adding the school division refers all legal claims information to its insurer.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery, said a board statement, calling the safety and wellbeing of staff and students its utmost priority.

The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.

George Parker, the former superintendent, did not immediately return a mobile phone message. A message left on a mobile phone listing for Ebony Parker also was not returned.

Briana Foster-Newtons lawyer, Pamela Branch, has said she was unaware of reports that the boy had a gun at school on the day of the shooting.

Mrs Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms Zwerner and respond accordingly, Ms Branch said in a statement.

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No one has been charged in the shooting.

The superintendent was fired by the school board after the shooting, while the assistant principal resigned.

The principal was reassigned to another job within the school district. The board also voted to install metal detectors in every school in the district, beginning with Richneck, and to purchase clear backpacks for all students.

In the lawsuit, Ms Zwerners lawyers say all of the defendants knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and at home, including an episode the year before, when he strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher.

All defendants knew that (the pupil) attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school, and was not limited to teachers while at the school, the lawsuit states.



Police look on as students return to Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Va., on January 30 after the shooting (The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed him to return to Richneck for first grade in the fall of 2022, the lawsuit states.

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He was placed on a modified schedule because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, and was cursing staff and teachers, it says.

Under the modified schedule, one of the boys parents was required to accompany him during the school day.

Teachers concerns with (the boys) behaviour (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed, the lawsuit states.



No-one has been charged over the incident (The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Often after he was taken to the office, he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy, according to the lawsuit.

The boys parents did not agree for him to be put in special education classes where he would be with other students with behavioural issues, the lawsuit states.

Ms Zwerner suffered permanent bodily injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings and other damages, the lawsuit states. It seeks 40 million dollars in compensatory damages.

Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he would not understand the legal system and what a charge means. Mr Gwynn has yet to decide if any adults will be charged.

The boy used his mothers gun, which police said was purchased legally. A lawyer for the boys family has said that the firearm was secured on a cupboard shelf and had a lock on it.
Apple's HomePod and HomePod mini speakers have been in the market for years, but they are still not supported by every third-party streaming music app, particularly Spotify. Users are wondering if the day will come when Spotify can be controlled by the HomePod's "Hey Siri" feature but according to the latest report, that thought might stay as wishful thinking.

No Reason for HomePod Support According to Spotify

As reported by MacRumors, Spotify has no plans to provide HomePod support, at least not at the moment. This is according to the newsletter from Bloomberg resident analyst Mark Gurman, stating that Spotify does not see the need to add native HomePod support as there is no "significant volume" of public appeals compelling them to do so.

Spotify reportedly told Gurman that there are only 18 Reddit comments and 138 Twitter posts complaining about the lack of HomePod support from the app. However, iMore argued that the number of complaints should not be the basis to add HomePod support from Spotify. If that were to be the case, there is a comment on Spotify's community website posted in 2020 that requests the feature, and it has over 5,800 upvotes, which is huge enough to prove the general public's clamor for HomePod support.

Apple has reportedly added support to make the HomePod compatible with Spotify, but the latter does not appear interested to do the same. The Cupertino Big Tech even made the necessary APIs available for Spotify. Unfortunately, if the latest report is any indication, HomePod users should not expect the support to arrive anytime soon, or maybe at all.

However, Gurman also said that while HomePod support might be impossible, Spotify remains "committed" to updating the iOS version of the app to support AirPlay 2. Spotify currently has support for the original AirPlay, but the 2018 version which has less buffering and HomePod stereo pairing is still incompatible with the app.

Support has yet to give an exact timeframe on when the AirPlay 2 support could be made available, despite its claim that the company is "on a path towards making it happen eventually." Spotify users have been waiting for AirPlay 2 support since 2021.

Related Article: Spotify Revamps Its Discovery Feeds TikTok Style, Introduces Smart Shuffle Playlists

Feud Between Spotify and Apple Might Be the Reason for the Absence of HomePod, AirPlay 2 Support

Some people couldn't help but speculate the reason for Spotify's failure to provide HomePod and AirPlay 2 support. One of the speculations is that the rivalry between Spotify and Apple is blocking the possibility. The two companies have been vocal about their criticisms towards each other.

Spotify, in particular, filed a complaint against Apple in the EU, accusing the tech giant of monopolistic behavior. In addition to the complaint, Spotify also created a "Time to Play Fair" website that contains all of Apple's alleged unfair practices. On this website, Spotify blamed Apple for its inability to provide HomePod support.

Read Also: Spotify Spent Around 10 Percent of 'Diversity' Fund to Answer for Joe Rogan Issues
A baby has died after a woman allegedly attempted to drown him and two days later restricted his breathing in Sydneys north-west.

Emergency services attended a home at Berowra Heights at about 12.30pm on March 21 after reports that a 10-month-old boy was found unresponsive.

He was treated at the home by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to The Childrens Hospital at Westmead in a critical condition. He died on March 23.

Officers from Ku-ring-gai Police Area Command established a crime scene and began initial inquiries into the incident.

Detectives from the child abuse squad attended the hospital on March 22, when they spoke with a 30-year-old woman.
The jury found Leifer guilty of 18 rape and sexual assault charges and not guilty of nine. She was cleared of all charges relating to a third sister, Nicole Meyer. Leifer, who has always maintained her innocence, remained stoic when the verdicts were read out, as she had been throughout the trial. The sisters looked straight ahead. They talked in hushed tones before the jury entered the room, and fell silent when the 12 jurors took their seat shortly before 3.45pm. The sisters have granted The Age permission to use their names.

The former principals prosecution became an international scandal when she was rushed out of the country in the middle of the night in March 2008 after allegations of her sexual abuse against students began to mount. She would not return to Victoria to face justice for more than 10 years. Sometimes it just amazes us when we look at the journey that its taken, for so long and for so many years, to get to this moment is absolutely overwhelming, Erlich said outside the County Court on Monday, holding the hand of her sister, Meyer. Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper, and Dassi Erlich leaving County Court following the conviction of Malka Leifer. Credit: Simon Schluter When we look back at the journey that it took, everything that happened in Israel, it was so unbelievable that we get to this time and we have: shes guilty, shes guilty; that cant be taken away, she is guilty. Meyer said it was the strength the sisters provided each other that allowed them to seek justice after so long.

The strength of each other, of the wider community, the world really believing in our story and saying she deserves to get justice, Meyer said. Erlich said she was also motivated by allegations of abuse against Leifer that surfaced after she left Australia. Malka Leifer (right) appears in a court in Israel in 2018. Credit: AP Halfway through the trial, Judge Mark Gamble ordered that Leifer be acquitted on two charges after evidence emerged that the dates of the alleged offending did not match those charged by investigators. Leifer has been in custody since January 2021 when she returned to Australia, and was transported to court each day in the prison van away from public view. During the trial, she focused closely on her barrister Ian Hill, KC, and rarely looked at the jury.

Loading She was extradited to Australia in January 2021 after a six-year legal battle that at times made the relationship between Australia and Israel uneasy, and angered Melbournes Jewish community, which was supportive of the sisters. The jury was told Leifer had travelled between Israel and Australia but given no context about what prompted the travel, or whether it related to the allegations. Time served in Israel may be considered in Leifers sentence in Australia. During the trial, the sisters gave evidence in closed court, with only lawyers, the jury and the judges staff allowed to attend while they detailed the abuse Leifer perpetrated against them.

Social worker Chana Rabinowitz, one of the first people to hear the allegations of abuse from one of the sisters, did not give evidence in person in front of a jury. Instead, a pre-recorded version of her evidence and cross-examination over video link was taken in closed court and played to the jury. David Southwick, a Liberal MP in the Victorian parliament who has advocated for the sisters, said: These verdicts represent the culmination of over two decades of suffering and unstoppable activism by so many caring people who simply wanted to see justice done. Todays verdict finally brings closure for three brave women, after astonishing delays and setbacks that no victim of sexual abuse should ever have to endure.

Manny Waks, an activist against child sexual abuse, thanked the sisters for sharing their personal story publicly. Todays guilty verdict is a great day for justice and vindication of the courageous survivors ... whose perseverance and dignity have been a hallmark of their long and extraordinary fight for justice, said Waks, who is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse in a Jewish ultra-Orthodox community and is now head of VoiCSA, an organisation combating child sexual abuse within Jewish communities. Elly Sapper, Dassi Erlich and Nicole Meyer outside the County Court during the trial. Credit: Jason South We hope that todays verdict provides them with some peace of mind and contributes to their long-term healing and wellbeing. Aaron Strasser, principal and chief executive of Adass Israel School, apologised to the sisters, saying the school was sorry for the distress the victims suffered and the impact of that abuse on their lives and families.

We commend the survivors bravery in coming forward. The safety and wellbeing of students are our highest priorities. Adass Israel School complies fully with all child safety standards and regulations, and we have zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said he hoped the verdict brought closure for the sisters, who bravely fought for justice for many years. It also brings closure for the Australian Jewish community, who have supported the brave survivors demands that Malka Leifer face justice in Australia. At the end of Leifers trial, Gamble ejected a breastfeeding woman from court, after the judge decided this would distract the jury at a crucial stage of the trial. Days later, he was forced to eject a second woman when she brought her baby to breastfeed in court as an act of protest over perceived sexism.

Loading The jury was also shielded from the ongoing scandal which ended the ministerial career of senior Israeli politician Yaakov Litzman, who struck a plea deal with Israeli prosecutors after admitting to obstructing justice by hindering Leifers extradition from Israel to Australia. Litzman, a former health minister and longtime ally of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was accused of pressuring ministry employees to alter psychiatric evaluations to make it appear that Leifer was unfit to stand trial. Immediately after closing argument by prosecution and defence, Gamble tested positive for COVID-19, suspending the trial for six days. If you need support, call the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
A woman who claims her Tesla was on autopilot when she struck a nurse trying to board a tram will stand trial after a court heard the 24-year-old driver allegedly fled the scene and left the victim with critical injuries.

Sakshi Agrawal, a loading dock manager contracted by Victoria Police, was travelling along Wattletree Road in Armadale in a Tesla 3 when she hit acute care nurse Nicole Lagos about 6.30am in March 2022.

Accused driver Sakshi Agrawal outside Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday. Credit: Wayne Taylor

Lagos was thrown and dragged between 15 and 20 metres along the road, which left her with life-threatening injuries.

Agrawal previously told Melbourne Magistrates Court she was driving her Tesla on autopilot.
A Perth jury has found the widow of slain former Rebels boss Nick Martin not guilty over her alleged role in the intimidation and assault of an accountant a decade ago.

Amanda Martin, 49, went on trial last week over the 2013 incident in which it was claimed Mr Martin threatened and assaulted his accountant over dodgy tax returns.

Amanda Martin, partner of slain Rebels bikie boss Nick Martin was found not guilty of threatening the couples accountant. Credit: Nine News

Prosecutors alleged Mrs Martin had been party to the incident, in which the accountant was struck over the head with a large calculator by Mr Martin, who also threatened the man into withdrawing $30,000 in cash to give to him.

After Mr Martin was shot and killed in 2020 in a public assassination at Perth Motorplex, Mrs Martin was left to defend the allegations alone.
Australias population is ageing, and successive governments have committed to increase spending on health and aged care. But unless there is policy change, too much of this extra tax burden will fall on younger Australians.

The Albanese government should do more to rein in excessively generous super tax breaks, so the burden of an ageing population can be shared more fairly between young and old.

Successive governments have committed to increase spending on health and aged care. Credit: Rob Homer

The number of working-age Australians for every Australian aged 65 or older has fallen from 7.4 in the mid-1970s to 4.4 in 2015, and could be as low as 2.7 by 2060. We should celebrate people living longer lives, but theres a price tag attached.

It means more people needing more health and aged care for longer, funded out of a federal budget already struggling with a structural deficit of $50 billion a year, or 2 per cent of GDP.
So far this year, across three sitting weeks, 50 MPs have been handed 156 warnings. A total of 14 have been kicked out at one stage or another  three of those have been kicked out twice. While seemingly trivial, these are the rules that those setting them for the rest of society have set for themselves. (Not to mention the fact there are very few other settings  workplaces, organisations or classrooms  where this kind of behaviour would fly on such a recurring basis). But it can also reveal things about the landscape outside of parliament, where personal attacks are also everywhere despite suggestions of politics being done differently. Major party political attacks in Queensland are already ramping up, both in and out of parliament, more than 18 months out from the October 2024 election. Credit: Twitter South of the Tweed, the recent NSW election has been held up as an example of either a boring or respectful campaign.

While some have drawn comparisons between the now defeated Coalitions 12-year run in government and the third-term Palaszczuk team, they are different situations with different parties in very different states. Loading The weekends historic byelection win for Anthony Albaneses Labor government in the usually safe federal Liberal seat of Aston, in Melbournes east, has also further fuelled calls for serious soul-searching about the Coalition partys future direction. But theres only so much Queensland tea to be read in any of those leaves. What is highly visible is the focus already being given by both major parties to the 2024 state election  something which emerged at the halfway point of this first fixed four-year parliamentary term back in October, and only escalated since.

Dr Chris Salisbury, a political historian at the University of Queensland, said it seemed to suggest both Labor and the LNP were still trying to figure out how to navigate the now elongated period between elections. Coming from a school teacher background kind of gives me the impression of one of the school terms that goes on longer than others, Salisbury said. Theyre getting rowdy and restless and there kind of needs to be a circuit breaker  whether that be a holiday or an election campaign ... but well have another whole summer before it [the election lead-in] gets under way for real. ICYMI Over in City Hall, trailblazing Greens figure Jonathan Sriranganathan had some related thoughts on how things operate in that adversarial political theatre. It narrows their thinking and turns them into bickering windbags, he said in his final speech last Tuesday.

A day earlier, Ipswich West Labor MP Jim Madden used a committee hearing to grill Sriranganathans party mate in state parliament, Michael Berkman, on a bill he has put forward to speed up Queenslands transition away from fossil fuels. Loading Madden  seemingly forgetting his own governments plan to phase out coal  cited his citys long history of coal mining before asking Berkman what he would say to a 15-year-old whose life had revolved around staying in their mining hometown and following in the footsteps of a parent or grandparent. And after the seemingly inevitable news that the Palaszczuk governments flagship $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project would need an extra $960 million to get it over the line later than planned, the vocal Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union has seemingly had enough. In a statement on Monday, after Transport Minister Mark Baileys suggestion anyone attempting to claim projects would be delivered on time and on budget (a phrase Bailey himself has used) in present conditions was a bullshit artist, union secretary Michael Ravbar called for his sacking.

Heads up While the issue of youth crime has slipped from political view a little after the governments controversial laws sailed through parliament last month, an inquiry into the government and police support given to victims of crime stemming from them has started its work. Loading Sparked by calls from Labor backbencher and former victim advocate Jonty Bush  the only MP of any party to make a formal submission to the bill  the inquiry is set to hold public hearings across the state over coming weeks before reporting back to parliament in May. Calls from the Queensland Human Rights Commission for the states decades-old anti-discrimination laws to be dumped  including a controversial clause used by religious bodies to justify actions against transgender, gay and unmarried people  have been given the green light by government. New legislation will now be written up.
Taipei: Taiwan defended President Tsai Ing-wens plan to meet US congressional representatives led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday in California, as China vowed to take resolute measures in response.

Its the right of 23 million Taiwanese to have exchanges with democratic countries, the Presidential Office spokeswoman Lin Yu-chan said in a statement. There is no room for China to comment.

Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen. Credit: AP

McCarthy, a California Republican, confirmed in a statement on Monday that the expected meeting with a bipartisan group of US congressional representatives would take place at the Reagan Presidential Library as Tsai passes through the state at the end of a trip that took her to New York, Guatemala and Belize.

China will take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao Ning, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said in Beijing on Monday when asked if military drills would be an option to retaliate against the meeting.
London: Britains Royal Mail has apologised after a manager announced an 11 per cent pay rise for staff, only to later reveal it was an April Fools Day prank.

A poster put up at Royal Mail Gloucester North claimed the company had reached an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) after months of strikes over pay.

A post office worker walks by Royal Mail vans. Credit: AP

It detailed a pay rise of 11 per cent, backdated to April 2022, to be paid on Tuesday, April 4, as well as other measures to improve working conditions for staff.

An angry member of staff shared the poster online after realising it was not genuine.
At the time of his death Dr. King was in the middle of what could have been his greatest test as a black leader. Despite the great advances made under his leadership, the advocates of black power were gathering momentum and support for their philosophy of naked terrorism. With the long, hot summer just around the corner, many observers saw Dr. King as the synthesising force which might draw together the various elements of the civil rights movement. His only role now can be that of the martyr to the cause. Martin Luther King was born Michael Luther King in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929, and grew into boyhood in a community where 65 per cent of the black population was on the dole. His father was the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church and his mother was a former school teacher. Unlike most black children, his world was secure. It was ordered, balanced, restrained, and contained generous lashings of religious teaching.

Coretta Scott King and her daughter, Bernice, attending the funeral of her husband, Martin Luther King, on April 9, 1968. Credit: (AP Photo/Moneta J. Sleet, Jr.) Young Michael learned about segregation when he was six years old. A white playmate, son of a grocer, was told he must, not play with the Negro boy. Mrs King told her son about segregation then, but was emphatic that he should not feel inferior. His father  whose volatility contrasted with his mothers calmness  told him about Martin Luther, leader of the Reformation. From now on, you and I are going to be named Martin Luther King, he said. Martin Luther King started school in 1935. By the time the outstanding pupil was in the ninth grade at Booker T. Washington High School, his father was a powerful force in the black community and in the infant civil rights movement. The growing boy read enormously  Plato, Hegel, Kant, Schleiermarcher, Tillich and Neibuhr. Also he read all he could about Mahatma Gandhi.

In college, Martin Luther King continued his outstanding performance. He completed his doctorate course at Boston College, with philosophy courses at Harvard. In 1954 he was called at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. At once he organised a social and political action committee within the church and urged every member to become a registered voter. Two years later in Montgomery  the cradle of the Confederacy  Martin Luther King had his meeting with destiny. It came when a black woman was arrested for sitting in the white section of a segregated bus. Dr. King immediately organised a boycott of the buses by walking to work and organising a pool of 300 cars. The famed Montgomery bus boycott lasted 381 days before the white proprietors capitulated and desegregated the buses. It was a victory that launched Dr. King as the best-known civil rights leader in the world. During this campaign his house was bombed for the first time.

Loading After winning the bus boycott campaign he left Montgomery and returned to Atlanta as associate pastor of his fathers church. Here he organised the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an alliance of about 100 church-oriented groups which started to spearhead militant racial programmes in the South. Dr. King by now was a symbolic leader of the civil rights movement and was frequently arrested and gaoled whilst leading non-violent demonstrations, often marching in jeans and a denim jacket. As his fame grew Martin Luther King found himself travelling extensively throughout the United States and the world to speak and preach to vast audiences.

In 1963 he travelled some 275,000 miles and made more than 350 speeches. During the same year he played a leading role in the segregation struggles in Birmingham, Alabama  a struggle in which he had the personal support of President Kennedy. After that he led the famous march of 250,000 on Washington. Twelve months later President Johnson handed Dr. King his pen after signing the historic civil rights bill in the White House. Loading When informed that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize Dr. King was in hospital, exhausted from an extensive tour of Europe. In 1965 Dr. King was named Man of the Year by Time magazine. Also, he received the Roman Catholic Churchs St. Francis Peace Medal for his efforts on behalf of civil rights.
Actors Im Ji-yeon, left, and Lee Do-hyun monitor their performance during the filming of Netflix drama series "The Glory." Screencaptured from YouTube



By Kim Se-jeong



On April 1, actors Im Ji-yeon and Lee Do-hyun, who played roles in the popular Netflix series "The Glory," confirmed that the two are dating.



In the drama, Im plays the role of Park Yeon-jin, who bullied Moon Dong-eun in high school, the main protagonist, while Lee plays the role of a medical doctor who helps Moon take revenge.



As Im and Lee appeared together in only a few scenes, Saturday's news made many wonder how they came to be a couple.



According to local reports, 28-year-old Lee first became interested in Im and made advances to the 33-year-old actress who thought of him as a younger brother at first.



The two got closer last summer following a team party of cast members.



Since then, Lee reportedly never missed after-shooting cast and crew dinners of "The Glory" that Im attended and took the events as opportunities to get to know her.



Last winter, people also spotted Im and Lee having a snow fight in front of Lee's Seoul residence. They were also spotted at an arboretum outside Seoul, according to reports.



By that stage, it was clear that the two were in a romantic relationship and the cast and crew members knew about it. But they kept quiet as director Ahn Gil-ho didn't want the news to affect the viewers' response to the drama. It is said Ahn told Lee to stay quiet about the relationship until every episode of part 2 had been released.




Latest News ANZ makes rate changes The bank hikes its basic variable home loan for new customers, cuts three-year fixed rates

New broker inspired by solving 'big puzzle' for clients Move from banking career motivated by greater choices

Privately owned non-bank lender Firstmac has declared a deeper alliance with former takeover target BNK Bank, with the expansion of its stake in the business to 19.9% last week.

Firstmac and its associates increased their holdings in BNK (ASX: BBC) after two of its non-executive directors, including John Kolenda (pictured above left), decided to sell down their holdings in the bank.

Kolenda, the head of strategy and growth at MA Financial Group, reduced his holding from 12% to 0.15%, while fellow non-executive director Kar Wing (Calvin) Ng reduced his holding from 7.27% to 4.1%.

Firstmac agreed to purchase both parcels of shares for 70c a share, which will result in Kolenda stepping down from the board of BNK. Ng is due to stay on as a non-executive director.

Firstmac said it had maintained a relationship with BNK for more than 10 years and was deepening the alliance. We look forward to working in partnership to grow our respective businesses, it said.

The non-bank said it had excess surplus capital on its books, and that it was pleased to deploy some of this into solid investments with strong growth prospects such as BNK Bank.

BNK chief executive Allan Savins (pictured above right), said Firstmac would be an important institutional investor that would strengthen its shareholder base and support the execution of its growth strategy.

From takeover target to partner in growth

BNK Bank was formerly known to the market as Goldfields Money. Starting out as a small, regional credit union in 1982, it made the decision to rebrand its business throughout the course of 2022.

The bank is now aiming to become a national, digital savvy alternative to traditional banking in Australia, thanks to the utilisation of what it said is new and improved technology.

Under its former brand name, BNK Bank was the subject of a Firstmac cash takeover offer in 2017.

In response, then Goldfields Money announced a surprise merger with mortgage aggregator Finsure, which although it successfully completed, it went on to offload to MA Financial Group in 2021.

BNK announced earlier in March that it was purchasing a A$150m mortgage book from a warehouse financed by Goldman Sachs, for which it provided origination, underwriting and servicing.

The transaction increased BNKs loan book by 13% to $1.3 billion.

What has your broker experience with the recently rebranded BNK Bank been like so far? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.


Addressing an informal meeting of shareholders in Hong Kong, its biggest market, HSBC Chairman Mark Tucker said the bank's board was unanimous in recommending that shareholders vote against proposals to restructure the bank and pay fixed dividends.

HSBC Holdings PLC on Monday pushed aside a proposal by an activist shareholder in Hong Kong to spin off its mainstay Asia business, reiterating the adverse impact on the Asia-focussed bank's cost and clients.



Tucker told the shareholders a restructuring or spin-off of its Asia business, as demanded by Lui, would create a major period of uncertainty for clients, and employees and shareholders would be disrupted.

The comment came as Ken Lui, an individual HSBC shareholder and leader of a Hong Kong-based investor group, called for the break up of the bank. His second proposed resolution calls on HSBC to restore pre-Covid-19 dividend levels.



About 1,100 attendees at an exhibition centre in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay district were greeted with banners put up by supporters of the breakup campaign saying: "spin off HSBC Asia now".

"In fact, there will be significant cost over a number of years with material execution risks. So it would not be in your interest to split the bank," Tucker told hundreds of the bank's individual investors.

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Lui's proposals, which will come up for vote during the meeting in May, echo calls by HSBC's largest shareholder, Ping An Asset Management, to demerge its Asia unit, which accounts for the bulk of its revenue and profit.

The Hong Kong meeting is being held ahead of HSBC's main annual general meeting in the British city of Birmingham on May 5, to discuss the bank's 2022 results and "other matters of interest", the bank said in a notice to shareholders last month.



The demand for spinning off HSBC Asia business has come amid rising geopolitical tensions between China and the West, though its chief executive, Noel Quinn, has said he does not believe Ping An's campaign was politically motivated.

HSBC has in recent months pushed back on Ping An's proposal, a move Europe's biggest bank by assets has said would be costly, while posting profits that beat expectations and promising chunkier dividends.



"After a preliminary study of some of the resolutions proposed by HSBC shareholders, we believe that these resolutions will have a positive impact on improving performance and enhancing shareholder value."

On Monday, a Ping An Asset Management spokesperson said the Chinese firm hoped HSBC valued the shareholders' suggestions.



However, he said that a fixed dividend was "not financially sensible or workable". On Lui's demand for higher dividends, Quinn told the Hong Kong shareholders that the London-headquartered bank intended to get the payouts back to pre-Covid level as soon as possible.
By Dharamraj Dhutia and Bhakti Tambe

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's REC has opened bidding for its dollar-denominated green bonds maturing in five years, a company official said on Monday.

"We have opened the book-building with an initial guidance of T+250 basis points spread, and the coupon would be finalised based on the demand for the bond issue," a company official said, requesting anonymity as the person is not authorised to speak to media.

REC aims to sell dollar-denominated green bonds under the company's green finance framework.

The book-building process would go through the day, when the final coupon rate and quantum would be closed, merchant bankers said.

The state-run company has appointed Barclays, DBS Bank, MUFG, Standard Chartered Bank and the London branch of the State Bank of India as joint lead managers for the issue.

Also Read Govt, corporate bond yield spread to widen on rising supply: Analysts Debt fund taxation changes to impact corporate bond demand: Fund managers Rupee outlook positive, central bank eyed; bond yields likely to rise RBI to hike rates again on sticky inflation, Fed pressure, say analysts No contagion seen on Indian bonds, forex from SVB collapse: DBS Bank SpiceJet hives off cargo and logistics biz into separate entity from Apr 1 Nestle to Tata, big FMCG firms race to acquire maker of Ching's Secret Tesla sets record with 422,875 car deliveries after slashing EV prices India not prepared for full force of artificial intelligence adoption UBS likely to cut workforce by 20-30% after Credit Suisse takeover

This would be the first dollar bond issue by a state-run company after EXIM Bank in January.

In March, REC had raised an aggregate 36 billion rupees ($436.79 million), selling bonds maturing in more than five years and over 10 years at 7.77% and 7.69%, respectively. The 10-year plus bonds have a put option at the end of over three years.

($1 = 82.4200 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Dharamraj Dhutia and Bhakti Tambe; Editing by Dhanya Ann Thoppil)


Lenders hope that the Hinduja group and Torrent will participate in the second auction and maximise the value of the assets. The lenders have kept Rs 9,000 crore as the floor price for the second auction which can be increased by Rs 500 crore in the second round and by Rs 250 crore for the next round. All bidders will have to give Rs 8,000 crore as upfront cash with their offers. Lenders will begin their second auction to sell bankrupt Reliance Capital's assets as the Torrent group, the highest bidder in the first round, pursues litigation in the Supreme Court.



If Torrent wins the race to acquire Reliance Capital, it plans to infuse additional capital into the insurance companies. Interestingly, the Piramal group and private equity firm TPG plan to sell their 30 per cent stake in Shriram General Insurance at a valuation of $2 billion (Rs 16,400 crore) for the entire company. In comparison, Reliance Capital holds 51 per cent stake in Reliance Nippon Life Insurance and 100 per cent stake in Reliance General Insurance. Both insurance companies are profit making. Torrent, which had made an offer of Rs 8,650 crore in the first round, has warned that it will not participate in the second auction till the Supreme Court decides on its petition which will be heard in August this year.



Reliance Capital was sent for debt resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 in November 2021 for defaulting to debt worth Rs 24,000 crore. The Hindujas have told lenders that they will retain their earlier bid of Rs 9,000 crore of upfront cash and it's still valid.
Semiconductor company Renesas is exploring local production of chipsets that the company is developing in partnership with leading software company TCS, a senior official of the company said.

Last month, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Renesas Electronics Corporation (Renesas) opened a joint Innovation Center in Bengaluru and Hyderabad to jointly develop semiconductor chipsets for wireless technologies, industrial technologies etc for the global market.

Renesas, Executive Vice President and General Manager, IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit, Sailesh Chittipeddi told PTI that the collaboration is on the lines of "Make in India to make for the world".

"Partnership with TCS will start bearing fruit in 2 years in the form of semiconductor chipsets and system solutions for both Indian and global markets. We aim to explore pathways to locally produce these chips as part of the Make in India initiative with partnerships," Chittipeddi said.

Renesas gets most of its semiconductor made through third party electronic chip plants which are then processed into System on Chip (SoC). The SoC integrates multiple computing functions on a single chipsets like processing unit, memory, graphics etc.

Renesas is the largest microcontroller and third-largest automotive semiconductor company globally as per market research firm Gartner.

Also Read HCL Tech to double semiconductor biz in 4 yrs, needs 2 yrs to build fab TVS Electronics up 18% on heavy volumes, hits 52-week high in weak market General Atomics initiates 3 projects in India in AI, drones, semiconductors Netherlands, Japan join US limits on chip tech to counter China: Report 80% of new smartphones in India will be 5G-enabled by 2023, says ICEA Israel's former envoy to India appointed chairman of Adani's Haifa port REC opens bids for dollar-denominated bonds with initial price guidance SpiceJet hives off cargo and logistics biz into separate entity from Apr 1 Nestle to Tata, big FMCG firms race to acquire maker of Ching's Secret Tesla sets record with 422,875 car deliveries after slashing EV prices

The Japanese semiconductor company will develop SoCs with TCS initially for 4G, 5G telecom networks and industrial technologies.

"The hardware part will come from us. We will work jointly on the firmware. Software and other stack will come from TCS," Chittipeddi said.

TCS and state-run C-DoT led consortium has bagged a contract to deploy 4G and 5G technologies in BSNL network.

"We are starting first in the telecom space in partnership with Tejas and Saankhya. Simultaneously there are other things that are going on in the area of industrial applications," Chittipeddi said.

Semiconductor company Saankhya Labs was acquired by Tata group's telecom gear maker Tejas Network last year.

Renesas at present has partnership with Chennai-based SPEL Semiconductor for assembly of its chipsets and Bengaluru-based Tessolve Semiconductors for design of the chipsets.

Chittipeddi said assembly and testing companies will come up faster and before semiconductor manufacturing plants.

He said that Renesas is in talks with other semiconductor assembly and testing companies in India as well besides existing partners.


The structuring and financing of the deal was arranged by Standard Chartered Aviation Finance. While the bank already provides Akasa Air with corporate banking solutions and services, this is the first aviation finance transaction with the airline. Standard Chartered Bank and Akasa Air have closed an operating lease of five new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft together. The first four MAX 8s were delivered between December 2022 and March 2023 while the fifth aircraft is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of calendar 2023.



Being a single-aisle, narrow-body aircraft, the Boeing 737 MAX has greater fuel efficiency, helps reduce CO emissions, produces less noise and increases passenger capacity. This agreement is a mark of confidence and further endorses Akasa Airs robust growth and sustainable expansion plans, said Bhavin Joshi, Co-Founder and SVP Leasing & Procurement, Akasa Air. This Sale and Leaseback deal shows our commitment to the Indian aviation market and to support our clients transition to the most fuel-efficient aircraft, said Kieran Corr, Global Head of Aviation Finance and CEO of Ireland, Standard Chartered.

Akasa Air launched its first commercial flight on August 7, 2022 from Mumbai to Ahmedabad. It has placed a firm order of 72 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, powered by CFM fuel efficient, LEAP-1B engines. The 737 MAX family aircraft deliver superior efficiency in reducing fuel use and carbon emissions, keeping in line with the demand of environmentally friendly companies in the changing times.


The Indian natural resources group has debt servicing obligations of about $3 billion, including interest and inter-company loans. It will have at least another $1 billion obligations that require funding until March 2024. Vedanta Resources will likely have enough liquidity until December 2023, said Standard and Poors (S&P) on Monday about a group that is securing about $1 billion funding at one of its operating companies.



Successful closure of some of these discussions will facilitate the payment of its $1 billion bond due January 2024. Failure to demonstrate a credible refinancing plan at least six months before the bond maturity could lead to downside rating pressure. We also believe Vedanta Resources will not undertake any transaction that we would regard as distressed, S&P said. S&Ps B-/Stable rating on Vedanta Resources reflects expectation that it will secure additional funds to support liquidity beyond December 2023. Vedanta Resources is in talks with banks and investors for at least another $2 billion in funding.



Twin Star has the estimated capacity to raise about $500 million under its debt covenants. Vedanta Resources' $1 billion bond maturing in January is also part of the debt at Twin Star. Vedanta Resources' $400 million bank loan maturing during the year are also part of the debt at intermediate holding companies, Twin Star, and Vedanta Netherlands Investments B.V. Vedanta Resources' funding initiatives are supported by its capacity to borrow at its subsidiary, Twin Star Holdings. Twin Star directly owns a 46 per cent stake in the operating company, Vedanta Ltd. Vedanta Resources has been more successful in the past in raising debt at the Twin Star level, given the structural seniority of Twin Star debt to Vedanta Resources debt.

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While the recent fund-raising is credit-positive, Vedanta Resources will become more dependent on external funding. This is due to declining cash at the company's operating subsidiaries, said the rating agency.


Zoho is expanding Kalaivani Kalvi Maiyam, a learning centre in Chennai opened during the pandemic for educating young children living in villages. "We are at a time of increasing economic uncertainty. In addition, powerful artificial intelligence technology could transform the way we work, presenting both huge challenges and opportunities. We are busy reinventing ourselves, and our history of previous reinventions and our strong culture of research and development (R&D) remain as relevant as ever during this reinvention," said Sridhar Vembu, Zohos co-founder and chief executive officer. Zoho Corporation, the international technology firm headquartered in Chennai, is expanding to smaller places by opening two hubs in Tiruppur and Trichy in the last six months and plans similar offices in Tamil Nadus Tirunelveli and Madurai districts, and one in Uttar Pradesh.



The company has five hub offices, including ones in Chennai, Tenkasi, and Renigunta, and around 30 spoke offices in India. Nearly 2,000 employees work at Zohos hub-and-spoke offices in villages and Tier II and tier III towns and of them about 1000 were hired locally. As part of their rural empowerment efforts, the spoke offices conduct free career awareness sessions in neighbouring colleges, skilling workshops and incubation programmes. Zoho started in 2020 a hub-and-spoke model of offices to support its distributed workforce and 'transnational localism' strategy of being locally rooted while being globally connected. Hub offices can accommodate 1000 or more employees and 'spokes' up to 100. Gradually, each hub office will have a few spoke offices associated to it for infrastructure support and team collaboration.



Kalaivani Kalvi Maiyam (KKM) has 130 studentsacross primary, middle, and high schoolfrom surrounding villages, 19 full-time and 5 part-time teachers. A 75,000 sq ft. facility is under construction at the KKM centre in Tenkasi. This includes a building that can accommodate 750 students, with spacious classrooms dedicated to vocational studies and live workshop sessions around core engineering concepts such as two/four wheeler assembly and electrical projects. Another branch of KKM will open in Cumbam, Theni. "The distributed workforce model reflects the idea of distributing growth and income across Tier 2/3 communities instead of urban concentration. Many of our product development teams today sit out of these hub and spoke offices, including some teams that are involved in deep-tech R&D. The long-term vision of these efforts is to create self-sufficient and economically prosperous rural communities, said Vembu.

Also Read Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu rejects wife Pramila's allegations of abandoning her Banks tier II bond issuance surges 3.5 times in FY23, shows data 'Complete fiction': Zoho CEO Vembu denies wife's allegations in magazine Zoho's Vembu warns SaaS players of slowdown; sees growth, hiring decline Online monitoring portal to give 'Districts as Export Hubs' plan a leg-up Soaring variety in in-flight meals is giving a lift to ready-to-eat brands Vedanta unit's ability to raise loans reduces liquidity risk for group: S&P India Inc's key credit ratio moderated sharply in 2nd half of FY23: Crisil India Inc's credit quality outlook positive for FY24, say Crisil and Icra Indian firms must focus on skilling workforce, flexibility. HR survey

"The driving philosophy behind the rural initiatives is to preserve and revitalise small villages and towns before they decline due to severe urban migration and lack of resources. The future generation in the rural areas needs to be enabled with the necessary skills, capabilities, and tools to nurture grassroots innovation, solve local problems, locally manufacture high-value goods, and drive community progress," said Vembu.
With Indian startups facing trying times amidst funding crunch and mass firings, ace Indian-origin venture capitalist Vinod Khosla says the ones with "strong fundamentals" will continue to be funded, though at lower valuations, a media report said.

"The wheat will get separated from the chaff," Khosla told the BBC, adding that "not-so-good Indian start-ups" will go kaput this year, resulting in fewer but larger start-ups.

The Silicon Valley veteran said since these companies wouldn't have to compete with smaller firms, they could end up using their capital more wisely.

Khosla's comments come after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) -- a bolt from the blue for Indian startups that had deposits worth about $1 billion with the embattled institution.

Khosla and ChatGPT developer OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman recently offered personal capital to help startups after SVB's collapse.

"We are talking to 100+ portfolio companies assessing their critical needs and plan to bridge where we are a lead or major investor at our cost of borrowing only or under special circumstances where a company's other investors can't respond," Khosla had said in a tweet last month.

Also Read Women's Entrepreneurship Day: 5 women who are breaking the glass ceiling US venture capitalists hope Budget 2023 supports growth, startup ecosystem Budget 2023: FDI in startups needs tax exemption, says Wadhwani Foundation DPIIT to undertake third party assessment of Startup India Seed Fund Scheme India's startup ecosystem may be staring at an extended funding winter Indian start-ups see apex tribunal's order against Google as a win PhonePe calls off deal to acquire BNPL platform ZestMoney: Report Edtech unicorn Unacademy lays off 380 employees in latest round of job cuts Funding for Healthtech companies falls 55% to $1.4 bn in 2022: Tracxn Programming platform CodeChef hives off from Unacademy amid funding crunch

Clocking multi-billion-dollar valuations in recent years, India is home to world's biggest startup markets with many foreign investors making bold bets on digital and other tech businesses.

Khosla, who co-founded technology giant Sun Microsystems in 1982, sees India getting the same opportunity as the US, where technology drove a large part of GDP growth, and defined the country's global competitiveness.

"There is long-term opportunity in India as a major developing country with lots of GDP growth to be captured by start-ups," Khosla told the BBC, adding that supportive government policies will help these firms reap benefits.

Pointing at India's unique digital infrastructure that aids cashless transactions, Khosla said: "India Stack, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and others are good infrastructure for the start-up ecosystem to develop on."

--IANS

mi/ksk/
A scene from the MBC's period legal series "Joseon Attorney" / Courtesy of MBC



By Lee Gyu-lee



MBC kicked off its new period legal series, "Joseon Attorney," on Friday, but the viewership ratings for the drama's premiere fell somewhat short of the broadcaster's lofty expectations. Having scored an average nationwide rating of 2.9 percent, it faces a fierce battle with SBS' 'Taxi Driver 2' whose ratings soared to all-time high of 18.3 percent.



Based on the webcomic of the same name, it follows the revenge story of a lawyer named Kang Han-Soo (Woo Do-hwan) during the Joseon Dynasty. After his parents' tragic death, Kang becomes a lawyer to avenge those responsible for their murder. But as he takes on cases to defend people in need, he begins to learn the true meaning of seeking justice.



The series is led by Kim Seung-ho, who co-directed the hit romance series, "Twenty-Five Twenty-One" (2022), and is scripted by Choi Jin-young, who penned the 2017 period romance series, "Queen for Seven Days."



The Friday and Saturday episodes showed Kang moving to the capital city, Hanyang, to begin his job as an attorney and encountering princess Lee Yeon-joo (Bona), who is hiding her identity by living as a commoner. Lee asks to be Kang's assistant after seeing him save a shop owner suffering from abuses by its alcohol supplier.



The director shared that the series will have a heartwarming story that will appeal to viewers.



"Although it is a legal series, the courtroom is only the factor that sets the character's career, background, and revenge. Inside that, there's a heartwarming story, comedy, and other different relatable elements like friendship," Kim said during a press conference for the series, Friday, adding that the drama is about more than just a revenge story.



"'Joseon Attorney' is about personal revenge, but it's not solely focused on that. It starts with personal revenge, but later on it takes the steer to accomplish the greater good, which makes this series different from other (similar-themed) series."





From left, actors Cha Hak-yeon, Bona and Woo Do-hwan pose during the press conference for the series, "Joseon Attorney," Friday, held at MBC in Mapo District, Seoul. Courtesy of MBC


CometChat has raised over Rs 145 crore till date and is backed by marquee investors including Signal Peak Ventures, Matchstick Ventures, Range Ventures and Unbound Ventures. User engagement platform CometChat has raised Rs 40 crore in a Venture Debt round led by Utah based Zions Venture Fund. Funds raised will be used for scaling up its product offerings, strengthening its presence in Europe, and expanding data centres in the APAC region.



Founded in 2019 by Anuj Garg and Anant Garg, CometChat has its headquarters in Mumbai and Denver. The company offers a full-fledged messaging and communications platform within apps and websites to improve a brands user engagement. It allows users to get real time engagement and have conversations via messaging, voice calling and HD video chat. We are a revenue focused business continuously growing in large international markets. Thus, our business fundamentals and strong balance sheet has enabled us to raise this round as we are in a comfortable position to service the debt. The aim is to raise capital for an extended runway of 5 years as we put our growth plans in the fast lane, said Anuj Garg, Co-founder CEO, CometChat.



In the last 12 months, CometChat says its customer base has grown by 3x and product usage by 300 per cent. The company, with its B2D (Business to developer) approach, has handled over 800 million connections so far. The start-up currently has a user base of 50,000 developers. Zions is thrilled to be partnering with CometChat for this debt facility. We have been impressed by the team and what they have accomplished to date. Excited to be a part of the journey and support the Company through its phases of growth, Sam Clark, MD, Zions Venture Fund, added.
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By Sarita Chaganti Singh

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will issue tenders for the installation of 250 gigawatts (GW) of green energy capacity by March 2028, according to a government memo released on Monday, as it looks to cut its emissions by 45% from 2005 levels.

After missing a target to install 175 GW in renewable energy capacity by 2022, India is now trying to boost non-fossil capacity - solar and wind energy, nuclear and hydro power, and bio-power - to 500 GW by 2030.

Its renewable energy capacity, excluding big hydro and nuclear power, exceeds 122 GW, while non-fossil capacity currently stands at more than 175 GW, according to government data as of February 28.

The energy-hungry nation will issue tenders to install 15 GW of renewable energy capacity each in the first two quarters of this fiscal year, ending March 2024, followed by bids for 10 GW in the next two quarters, according to the memo.

The world's third-largest greenhouse gas emitter is also looking to boost the share of non-fossil capacity to 50% in 2030, from 42.6% currently. Coal currently accounts for over half of India's 412.2 GW power generation capacity.

Also Read Power Ministry asks utilities to import 6% of coal requirement until Sept NTPC, Reliance, Adani top green hydrogen plays to bet on, say analysts Kirit Parikh panel may recommend price caps to help moderate CNG rates Explainer: Why has power demand in India surged post Covid-19 recovery? In line with new govt rules, Reliance re-auctions gas from its KG-D6 block Improved output pushes India's manufacturing PMI to 3-month high in March Untimely rains bring relief to thermal units as power, coal demand tapers Nearly 80% of new wheat arrivals in mandis so far of inferior quality Guns vs Butter-5: 'India can make do with defence spend of 2% of GDP' Foreign trade policy: Exporters seek 3 months from Centre for transition

Out of the targeted 50 GW in new green energy tenders every year, 10 GW will be for installation on wind turbines, according to the memo. Solar currently makes up over half of India's renewable energy capacity, while wind energy accounts for nearly a third.

Though coal remains the dominant source of electricity output, India's rate of addition of renewable energy capacity is second only to China among major nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

While the share of coal in power generation has grown slightly to 72.8% in 2022 from 72.3% in 2019, the share of renewable energy in India's electricity output has jumped to 11.6% from 9.4% in the same period.

The government has previously cited lower per capita emissions compared with richer nations to justify continued use of coal.

(Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh; Writing and additional reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft and India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp agreed to use the Asia-focused Dubai oil price benchmark in their latest deal to deliver Russian oil to India, three sources familiar with the deal said.

The decision by the two state-controlled companies to abandon the Europe-dominated Brent benchmark is part of a shift of Russia's oil sales towards Asia after Europe shunned Russian oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

Both benchmarks are denominated in dollars and set by S&P Platts, a unit of U.S.-based S&P Global Inc, but Brent is mostly used by European oil majors and traders, whereas Dubai is heavily influenced by Asian and Middle Eastern oil trading.

Rosneft's chief executive Igor Sechin said in February that the price of Russian oil would be determined outside of Europe as Asia has emerged as largest buyer of Russian oil since the West imposed progressively tighter sanctions on the export.

Under the new deal, announced on March 29, Rosneft will nearly double oil sales to Indian Oil Corp, two of the sources told Reuters.

IOC and Rosneft did not immediately respond to Reuters emails seeking comment on the details of the agreement, which have not been previously reported.

Also Read Indian refiners may buy Russian oil for domestic demand, export own: Report India to examine Russia oil price cap as refiners line up Dec crude buys Indian refiners becoming wary of buying Russian oil as EU sanctions loom Indian refiners' crude oil processing in December rises 4% y/y: Govt data Indian oil refiners scout for term deals ahead of EU's ban on Russian crude RBI's MPC meet begins amid expectations of yet another rate hike Acuite Ratings revises downward India's BoP for FY23 to $17 bn from $38 bn Manufacturing PMI at 3-month high of 56.4 in March as input costs decline India to issue tenders for 250 GW of new renewable capacity by March 2028 Improved output pushes India's manufacturing PMI to 3-month high in March

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that Russian oil sales to India jumped 22-fold last year, but he did not specify the volume sold.

Rosneft would sell up to 1.5 million tonnes (11 million barrels) each month, including some optional quantities, to IOC in the new fiscal year from April 1, the two sources said.

They said that in 2022/23, IOC had a deal to buy 3 million barrels of Urals grade with an option to double the quantity every month priced at differentials to dated Brent on a delivered basis.

The new contract includes Urals crude, shipped from Russia's European ports of Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, and Sokol oil exported from Sakhalin which will be sold at a discount of $8-$10 per barrel to Dubai quotes on a delivered basis, three sources said.

The larger volumes and change in Russian oil pricing highlight closer ties between Moscow and India, which has now become the largest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia.

Indian refiners rarely bought Russian oil in the past due to higher freight costs compared with Europe, but after Urals prices fell to historical lows Russia has now replaced Iraq as top oil supplier to India in the last few months, data from trade sources showed.

Russia has been rerouting its energy supplies from traditional markets in Europe to Asia, mainly India and China, since the West imposed wide-ranging sanctions, including an embargo on seaborne Russian oil imports.

The European Union nations stopped buying Russian oil from Dec. 5 and the Group of Seven (G7) countries joined the EU in imposing a price cap on Russian crude of $60 per barrel. The move was aimed at cutting Russia's oil revenue while maintaining stability on the global oil market.

India was the biggest buyer of Russia's benchmark Urals grade crude in March. Deliveries to India are set to account for more than 50% of all seaborne Urals exports last month, with China in second place.

China, which buys Russian Urals at prices pegged against either dated Brent or ICE Brent, doubled its purchases of Urals oil in the first half of February compared to the same period of January, according to traders and Refinitiv Eikon data.


The exam was held on February 12, 2023, and was a computer-based test in seven test papers which are Biotechnology, Chemistry, Economics, Geology, Mathematics, Mathematical Statics, and Physics. Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, released IIT JAM 2023 results today on the official website of jam.iitg.ac.in All the candidates who appeared for Joint Admission Test for M.Sc 2023 can check and download their results from the official website.



JAM 2023 counselling

Students who have cleared JAM 2023 exams and meet the criteria set by the respective institutes can apply for the JAM 2023 counselling. The JAM 2023 counselling form will be available from April 11. The counselling process will be conducted online, and selected candidates can fill in their choices for the courses and institutes they want admission. The admission will be finalised based on the merit list prepared with the help of the JAM 2023 result and preference filed by the student. The JAM 2023 result is essential for admission to over 2300 seats by various Centralised Counselling for M.Sc./M.Sc. (Tech) programmes (CFTIs), which include names like NITs, IISc, JNCASR, etc.



Steps to download JAM 2023 result

Here are the simple steps to download JAM 2023 result: JAM is a national-level entrance exam conducted by IITs for admission at various M.Sc., Joint M.Sc.-Ph.D., M.Sc.- Ph.D. dual degree and many other post-graduate degrees from other participating institutes. JAM exam result is valid for one year only as JAM exams are held annually.

Also Read ICAI CA November 2022 PQC-IRM exam postponed; check revised schedule GATE 2023: IIT Kanpur to release scorecard today at official website SSC CGL Tier 1 scorecard 2022 releasing today: Check details here GATE Result 2023: IIT Kanpur likely to release GATE result tomorrow NEET PG 2023 scorecard likely be tomorrow. Check complete details GUJCET 2023 Exams today: Check exam pattern, admit card and other details BSEB 10th Result 2023 date, time announced: Here's how to check, download K'taka SSLC exam 2023 for languages begins today. Check complete details Students from Class 1 to 8 to be promoted without exams in Uttar Pradesh SMSIMSR focuses on rural medical education, increased enrollment for girls

Step 2: Next click on the JAM 2023 result link. Step 1: First visit the official website of JAM 2023, i.e., jam.iitg.ac.in.

Step 4: After entering credentials successfully, your scorecard will appear in front of your screen. Step 3: A login page will open on your desktop, fill in your login credentials, i.e., JAM 2023 enrolment ID/email ID and password.

Step 5: You can download and take a printout of your JAM 2023 result for future reference.


The total land available with the Archaeological Survey of India is 161.34 sq km according to the Government Land Information System (GLIS) portal of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Parliament was informed on Monday.

Union Minister for Culture G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha.

"ASI has 161.19 sq km land available around the Centrally Protected Monuments/Sites and 0.15 sq km of office building/staff quarters belonging to 39 Circles/Mini-Circle of the ASI. Hence, the total land available with ASI is 161.34 sq km as per the Government Land Information System (GLIS) portal of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs," he said.

He was asked about the details of land belonging to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the country, with state-wise details.

Asked whether any state government agencies or public sector enterprises have encroached the land of ASI, the minister responded, "Yes".

In his response, he shared state-wise data on land available with the ASI.

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He also shared details on ASI sites facing encroachments in some of the states. These sites -- Cachari ruins in Assam; ancient mound in Buxar, Bihar; ruined fort, Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh, and a large temple in front of Panch Marhia Madanpur, Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh.

On steps taken against the move, he said the encroachments in the protected monuments and areas are removed as per the provisions contained in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains 1958 (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 and Rules framed thereunder.

"In order to contain the encroachments and remove them, the Superintending Archaeologist in charge of the Circles have been vested with the powers of an Estate Officer to issue eviction notices/orders to the encroachers under Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.

"They are also authorised to issue show cause notices under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains 1958 (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 and Rules 1959 followed by a direction to the District Collector/Magistrate by Central Government to remove such encroachment under section 19 (2) of the Act and Section 38 (2) of the Rule," he said.

The minister added that assistance in containing and removing encroachments is also sought from the respective state government or police force and where there are no fruitful results, "actions are initiated against the encroachers by filing cases in the court of law".

In addition to the regular watch and ward staff, private security personnel, state police guards and CISF have also been provided for the safety and security of selected monuments, he said.

There are a total of 3,693 heritage sites in India protected by the ASI.

Twenty-four monuments and sites in the country are "untraceable", the Parliament was informed in August last year.
Delhi Education Minister Atishi on Monday slammed the BJP for "spreading misinformation" and "concocting lies" about the results of city government-run schools.

She was reacting to claims by the saffron party that 50 out of every 100 students studying in Delhi government schools dropped out in class 10 and that a similar dropout pattern was seen in classes 11 and 12.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also alleged that teachers were forced to write answers in almost blank answer sheets of below average students, especially in multiple choice questions section, and then pass them with minimum 33 per cent marks.

In a statement, Atishi said the BJP is not concerned about the pitiable condition of the government schools in states ruled by it, adding that these schools function with classrooms made of tin sheds and in the absence of basic facilities.

The Arvind Kejriwal government is doing everything in its control to improve the condition of government schools in Delhi and children over here have been leaving private schools to join the state-run institutes," she noted.

"Therefore, the BJP has nothing else to do besides spreading misinformation about our schools... if these (BJP) leaders were themselves educated, they would have been able to read the order of the Department of Education (DoE)," she said.

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The minister said if the BJP leaders had read the order of the DoE, they would have understood that there is a very simple process of rechecking of papers.

Hitting out at the AAP dispensation, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the self-acclaimed education model of the Kejriwal government has failed and the feedback coming from government school teachers fully exposes the model's "failure".

... it is shocking to know from the Delhi government school teachers as well as from news reports that this year, the result of class 9 and 11 is so poor that the Education Directorate had to issue a circular asking teachers to review the answer sheets of students to increase the number of successful students, by April 6, the BJP said in a statement.
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday sought a detailed report from the West Bengal government on the recent Ram Navami clashes in Howrah and Hooghly districts.

The two-member division bench of Acting Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya has directed the state government to submit the report along with CCTV footage of the clashes by Wednesday.

The development occurred during the first hearing on a PIL filed by the leader of the opposition in state assembly Suvendu Adhikari, demanding a central agency probe in the March 30 clashes which turned Shibpur and Kazipara in Howrah into virtual battlefields.

The division bench also directed the state police to ensure that the common people are not affected because of the tension.

While criticising the role of the police on this count, the bench also alerted the administration to be careful so that such incidents are not repeated.

Also on Monday, the state advocate general Soumendra Nath Mookherjee faced questions from the bench on the alleged failure on part of the police in the matter.

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"Why did the police fail to have prior information of such possible incidents though there had been precedence of similar development before? How could police have such a casual approach? What actions have been taken so far? Has Section 144 been imposed in those areas?" Justice Sivagnanam questioned.

The state advocate general argued that the police gave permission for a peaceful procession.

"However, after some time a section of the protestors resorted to violence. Section 144 has been imposed. Internet services have been suspended in certain pockets. So far as many as 36 individuals have been arrested," he informed the court.

The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

--IANS

src/ksk/


The plan is to "spread awareness and sensitise public, school and college students, bureaucrats, people's representatives and doctors, public health specialists from various cadres on public health, national health programs or policies, their progress, achievements and future path using modern museology principles", an official told Mint. The Centre is in the process of setting up a National Public Health Museum to showcase models, specimens and studies related to public health, a report by Mint on Monday said. The main idea behind it is to educate children, students and the public on health-related issues. This would be the first of its kind museum in India.



"All major health programs to be displayed through specimens, models, pamphlets, flipcharts, audio-visual aids etc. Although, the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare in Delhi and the National Institute of Public Health Training and Research Mumbai have a smaller version of the public health museums, the one which has been proposed is a bigger version to be developed in Kolkata," the official added. The report further added that the Covid-19 pandemic has made the Centre realise the importance of public health. The museum will give information related to the origin of diseases and their cures. Also, it will have a section for the environment, sanitation, disaster management and water.



Currently, the only such public health museum in India is at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune. However, it is restricted to the public. In the project, the ministry of health is expected to collaborate with the ministry of culture.
The Chennai Port Trust and its subsidiary Kamarajar Port Ltd have set a target of crossing 100 million metric tonne of cargo in the current financial year, a top official said here on Monday.

Both the ports handled 92.46 million metric tonne of cargo in the last financial year, Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Paliwal said.

On the performance of the Ports, he said Chennai Port Trust handled 48.95 million metric tonne of cargo, which was up by 0.8 per cent from 48.56 million metric tonne handled last year.

Kamarajar Port handled 43.51 million metric tonne of cargo in 2022-23 up by 12.31 per cent from 38.74 million metric tonne recorded the previous year.

"Container is the major cargo handled by Chennai Port Trust. It is about 58 per cent. While liquid bulk and dry bulk cargo also witnessed a good growth this year," he told reporters.

To a query, the Chairman said exports of automobiles grew last year at Chennai Port Trust following the signing of agreements with several automajors including Toyota.

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The exports by these companies from Chennai Port had offset the loss incurred due to the exit of US car maker Ford from Chennai last year, he said.

"Export of cars at Chennai Port Trust rose by 36 per cent to 2,31,412 units in FY2022-23 while it was 1,70,482 units in FY 2021-22."



Kamarajar Port exported 1,48,307 units in 2022-23 as compared to 1,35,702 in 2021-22.

"Together both the Ports handled about 3,79,719 units of cars last year," he added.

In a boost to cruise tourism, Paliwal said Switzerland based MSC Cruises, part of the MSC Group, was in discussion with the Chennai Port Trust for offering cruise tourism from the coastal town.

"They are planning to have Mumbai as a hub for cruise tourism in the western coast and Chennai as a hub in the eastern coast. From 2024 onwards, they (MSC Cruises) may commence operations from Chennai Port," he said.

Chennai Port Trust in 2022-23 handled 37 Cruise ship calls carrying 85,000 passengers.

Regarding the financial performance, the official said Chennai Port reported its highest net surplus (profit before tax) in the last 13 years at Rs 150.26 crore in FY2022-23.

"This is a 33 per cent year-on-year increase in net surplus over last financial year 2021-22," he said.

The highest net surplus achieved at Chennai Port would enable them to invest in developing the existing infrastructure projects.

As regards the financial performance of Kamarajar Port, Paliwal said the port surpassed Rs 1,000 crore mark as income to reach Rs 1,002.45 crore.

"This is an increase of 17.82 per cent from Rs 850.84 crore registered in 2021-22."



Kamarajar Port registered a net surplus of Rs 669.93 crore in FY2022-23 which was an increase of 24.39 per cent from the earlier Rs 538.59 crore registered last year, he said.

Responding to a question on ongoing projects by Kamarajar Port, he said the cargo handling capacity at the port is being expanded with construction of RoRo cum GCB-II (3 metric tonne per annum) at an investment of Rs 161.09 crore.

Kamarajar Port is undertaking a capital dredging Phase-VI project to provide 18 metre draft to handle bigger container vessels at an estimated cost of Rs 549 crore, he added.
Interview: Chairman of Energy China hails win-win potential of Belt and Road

Xinhua) 11:05, April 03, 2023

BOAO, Hainan, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Song Hailiang firmly believes in the benefits of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), viewing it as a path of development, win-win cooperation and hope for all those involved.

In an interview with Xinhua during the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia, in south China's Hainan Province, Song, board chairman and executive director of China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (Energy China), said that the decade-old BRI will bring broader consensus, wider development space and more brilliant achievements in the future.

"This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed BRI, and I hope that countries and regions along the Belt and Road can ensure substantive, steady, sustained and high-quality development and usher in a brighter future of BRI cooperation," he said.

Energy China is a comprehensive conglomerate that provides holistic solutions and full-chain services in areas such as power and infrastructure to China and the world as well.

The company has been actively practicing the concept of green and low-carbon development, and building infrastructure projects such as dams, roads and bridges around the world, Song said.

He noted that the company has done business in more than 140 countries and regions across the world, with more than 100,000 employees engaged in international businesses. To date, contracts with a value of over 500 billion yuan (about 72.76 billion U.S. dollars) have been signed along the Belt and Road.

"Our business along the Belt and Road has been deeply integrated into the construction of energy and power infrastructure," he said, listing several large-scale infrastructure projects, such as a hydroelectric power plant in Argentina, a seawater desalinization plant in the United Arab Emirates, and a gas-fired combined cycle power plant and a 1-GW wind power project in Uzbekistan.

In terms of public well-being projects, Song mentioned a maternity medical center that the company built in Kenya last year.

"There was a lack of maternity facilities and delivery rooms in the past. Local residents had to go to a hospital more than 40 km away. Thanks to the new center, women and infants can receive better medical services," Song explained.

China and countries along the Belt and Road are working together to develop a high-quality green Silk Road, and pursue green and low-carbon development by increasing investment in green energy, he said.

He said that the company has completed a variety of green, low-carbon and high-quality projects overseas, which not only promote local employment but also help other countries achieve new energy targets. "More efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation in the fields of green infrastructure, energy and finance," he said.

"We remain committed to pursuing international cooperation following the principles of localization, marketization and internationalization. I have full confidence in the future, and believe that the BRI will enjoy sound development in the long run," Song added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Actress Jung Ho-yeon / Courtesy of Netflix

By Lee Gyu-lee



Actress Jung Ho-yeon will be joining filmmaker Na Hong-jin's upcoming star-studded film "Hope," co-starring with Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung, as well as Hollywood actors Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender.



The new sci-fi thriller will revolve around the residents of a small town, called Hopo Port, in a remote countryside. One day, a mysterious being is discovered near the town, and as the residents work to uncover it, they find themselves in a fight for survival to save their town.



Jung will play the role of a police officer named Sung-ae, along with Hwang who will also play the role of the town's policeman named Bum-seok. Zo will play a hunter named Sung-ki.



Na, known for having directed the 2016 horror film "The Wailing," will reunite with his cinematographer from that movie, Hong Kyung-pyo, who has also worked on 2018's "Burning" and 2019's "Parasite." since Na's last project, "The Wailing."



The film is scheduled to start filming in the latter half of this year.



Jung, who debuted as a model, made her way into acting with her breakout role in Netflix's 2021 smash-hit series "Squid Game." She won numerous awards with her role, including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series.


China has released a third set of names in Chinese, Tibetan and pinyin characters for Arunachal Pradesh, as part of its efforts to reemphasise its claim over the Indian state.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs on Sunday released the standardised names of 11 places for Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls "Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet" in accordance with regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council, China's cabinet.

The official names of the 11 places were released on Sunday by the ministry, which also gave precise coordinates, including two land areas, two residential areas, five mountain peaks and two rivers and listed the category of places' names and their subordinate administrative districts, state-run Global Times reported on Monday.

This is the third batch of standardised geographical names for Arunachal Pradesh issued by China's civil affairs ministry. The first batch of the standardised names of six places in Arunachal was released in 2017, and the second batch of 15 places was issued in 2021.

India has previously dismissed the Chinese move of renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of India and that assigning "invented" names does not alter this fact.

"This is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh." External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in December 2021.

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"Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact," he had said.

The Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece People's Daily group of publications, quoted Chinese experts as saying that the announcement of names is a legitimate move and China's sovereign right to standardise the geographical names.

The first set of names was announced by China in 2017 days after the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China was sharply critical of the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit.
IT company Comviva on Monday announced the appointment of three new senior executives to drive its growth in the US and Europe.

The company has roped in former Syniverse Americas sales head Paul Barowsky as Chief Growth Officer with the primary responsibility for driving expansion in North America and European markets, Comviva said in a statement. Paul has experience in scaling up businesses in North America.

The company has onboarded Vineeth Rajagopal from its parent firm Tech Mahindra to drive the North American strategy and head the global Partner and Alliances Programme. Rajagopal was the Global Cloud Transformation head at Tech Mahindra.

Parashar Vijaybhai has also joined Comviva leadership from Tech Mahindra to lead the Customer Success Manager organization (CSM) for North America.

Comviva recently unveiled its new centre of excellence in the Netherlands which shall be the delivery hub for European markets, the statement said.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested 374 people, including directors of corporate firms, in the last five years under the anti-money laundering law, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, said that in major cases of "corporate fraud" like those against the Sterling Biotech group, a Vadodara-based company promoted by the Sandesara brothers, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the ED has attached properties worth Rs 33,862.20 crore.

The ED is a federal probe agency entrusted to implement the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"Out of these, assets worth Rs 15,113.02 crore have been confiscated and restituted to the public sector banks."



"Further, the consortium of banks led by SBI has realised Rs 7,975.27 crore by sale of assets handed over to them by the Directorate of Enforcement," the minister stated.

He was responding to a question on the action taken to prevent money laundering by corporates.

The minister said that 374 persons were arrested by the ED in the last five years -- between April 1, 2018 and February 28, 2023 -- which includes "a number of directors of corporates involved in money laundering."



"No separate data related to corporate fraud is being maintained because PMLA cases generally involve several other offences also," he said.

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The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh on Monday said Enforcement Directorate raids being carried out against its leaders were part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's efforts to execute 'Operation Lotus' in the state.

'Operation Lotus' is a term used by parties to allege horse-trading and poaching attempts by the BJP to bring down governments in states.

The premises of chairman of Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Girish Dewangan, Raipur mayor Aijaz Dhebar, chairman of Chhattisgarh State Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Sushil Sunny Agrawal were raided by the ED recently.

All three were present at the press conference held during the day at Rajiv Bhawan, the Congress' state headquarters.

Dewangan claimed he was raided despite not having any link to the coal business.

"The way the ED is taking action, it seems the agency has been trying to execute Operation Lotus in Chhattisgarh," he alleged.

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"I am chairman of the mineral development corporation but coal is not under its purview. I don't know why raids were conducted at my premises. I was given key responsibilities for Congress' plenary session held in February in Raipur. The BJP and Modi government tried to disturb the plenary session using the ED," he added.

He and Dhebar claimed the ED was carrying out raids to harass opponents of the BJP and the agency should disclose what documents, benami assets, money it has found.

"The BJP and the Modi government are trying to create an atmosphere of fear but our leader Rahul Gandhi has said don't be afraid. We are not going to get scared," the two leaders said.

Local businessman Achal Bhatia, whose premises was searched by the ED, also spoke at the press conference and accused the agency of harassing him.

The ED has been investigating an alleged coal levy and money laundering case in Chhattisgarh and has raided premises linked to several state government officials, businessmen, ruling Congress leaders in the last six months.

The investigation relates to "a massive scam in which an illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel involving senior bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians and middlemen", the agency has said.

Nine persons, including Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi and state administrative service officer Saumya Chaurasia, have been arrested in connection with the case.
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India top officials to depose before a parliamentary panel on April 3 to discuss the global crisis and its impact on India.

"Hearing of views of representatives of Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA) on the subject 'Impact of crisis in certain Global Banks on India's startup ecosystem'," the notice for the meeting reads.

"Briefing by representatives of Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on the subject 'Impact of crisis in certain Global Banks on India's startup ecosystem," the notice further elaborates.

This Standing Committee for Finance chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jayant Sinha has also called representatives of 'The Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA)' to discuss the matter on Monday.

"Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Executive Director, RBI are likely to be present before the panel," sources told ANI.

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They said that the panel is to discuss global financial developments and how it impacts a country like India which is taking huge strides forward as a big player in promoting Startups.

This discussion comes at the back of the collapse of the start of focused lender SVB Financial Group.

A top US Federal Reserve official on Wednesday blamed US regulators for Silicon Valley Bank's rapid collapse earlier this month after it took an excessive interest-rate risk.

"I think that anytime you have a bank failure like this, bank management clearly failed, supervisors failed and our regulatory system failed," the Fed's vice chair for supervision Michael Barr told the House Financial Services Committee.

He said the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) management, supervisors, and regulatory system 'failed' during the collapse.

On March 10, 2023, the United States (US) witnessed the second-largest bank failure in its history with Silicon Valley Bank which was set up in 1983.

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar interacted with over 450 startups, owned/co-owned by Indians, Venture Capitalists (VCs), Industry leaders and other stakeholders on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank through video conferencing on 14 March 2023.

He had assured them that the Narendra Modi government is laser-focused on helping them tide over this crisis.

Indian startups had deposits worth about USD 1 billion with embattled Silicon Valley Bank, Rajeev had said.

Chandrasekhar had said the Indian banking system was robust and suggested that they could explore using it, "Indian banking system is most stable and robust and you must explore it as part of your organisational framework. While startups have a natural incentive to use banks like SVB, we must figure out a way to use the Indian banking system without changing your business model," Rajeev had said during an interaction.

This consultation was part of the government's approach to address the situation and offer any assistance to members of India's innovation and startup ecosystem who had financial holdings in SVB.

Apart from the former MoS Finance, Jayant Sinha, this Standing Committee of Finance has members cutting across party lines. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former Union Minister Manish Tewari, former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, senior TMC MP Professor Sougata Roy, AAP, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav, Chadha, and BJD MP Amar Patnaik are among the list of members on this committee.
From Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, and Theyyam to the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu, and the procession of caparisoned temple elephants known as Thrissur Pooram, the state rolled out the red carpet.

The recently concluded Group of Twenty (G20) Sherpa Track in the backwaters of Kerala was a lot about the three Cs  culture, cuisine, and crafts. Once the heavy-duty sessions were over, it was time for sofa talks or kayal (lagoon lake) conversations. The setting was a plush houseboat and the agenda was free-wheeling discussion over high tea. Its here that the G20 sherpas were without their aides, and away from other delegates and the media. Just sailing.
The Himachal Pradesh assembly on Monday repealed the Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Act amid a walkout by the opposition BJP.

The opposition strongly opposed the Bill to repeal the Act and heated exchanges marked the proceedings.

Introducing the Bill to repeal the Act, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said the previous BJP government misused funds in the name of "Loktantra Prahari Samman" and benefitted its favourites.

"During emergency, no person was jailed as punishment and the arrests were preventive and the previous government spent more than Rs 3.43 crore in the name of Loktantra Prahari Samman," he said.

BJP governments headed by former chief ministers Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal were in power twice, so why did they not take notice of Loktantra Praharis, he asked.

Leader of the opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said the government should reconsider repealing the Act if it has faith in democracy.

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Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said such honour should be given only to freedom fighters and the BJP government murdered democracy by enacting such a law.

BJP member Satpal Singh Satti said the BJP government, on returning to power, would double the samman rashi and the previous unpaid amount would be paid with interest.

Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi said RSS was a curse for the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed an undeclared' emergency.


The PM said corruption was no ordinary crime. It snatches the rights of the poor, it begets many other crimes, corruption is the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy, he said in a 30-minute speech that top CBI officials listened to with rapt attention. He congratulated the agency on its track record and credibility. Every crime, whether it was at the level of the panchayat or massive bank frauds, "the call is refer it to the CBI, they will find the culprits," he said, adding this attested to the expertise of the CBI when it came to solving crime ranging from cybercrime to complex criminal investigations involving government servants. A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party's attack on the corruption that took place during the ten years of the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged the same issue with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asked the agency to go after all corrupt persons, no matter how powerful. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the countrymen. The country, law and constitution are with you, he said, addressing the CBI on its 60th anniversary.



Targeting the previous Congress government, the PM said: "Ten ago, there was a competition among people  who could be more corrupt.Huge scams took place during that time but the accused did not back off because the system stood by them... After 2014, we worked on a mission mode against root causes of corruption and hoarders of black money," he said. "India cannot move forward without professional and efficient Institutions like CBI. From bank frauds to wildlife-related frauds, the CBI's scope of work has increased manifold, but its main responsibility is to make the country corruption free," he said.



The Prime Minister said that the government has ensured utmost transparency in systems: he recalled how the 2G spectrum allocation gave rise to a massive scam. In contrast the 5G spectrum allocation process was marked by transparency and no one could raise a finger. Modi said there had been a period of policy paralysis in the country but since 2014, the government's primary goal had been to reinstate, nurture and strengthen people's belief in the system. "Where there is corruption, the youth do not get proper opportunities. Only a special ecosystem flourishes there. Corruption is the biggest enemy of talent and it is from here that nepotism and 'parivarvad' (family rule) get strengthened," he added, drawing into the ambit the larger opposition including the Rashtriya Janata Dal.

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He also said his government will work towards strengthening institutions, not weakening or capturing them like previous governments.
India has initiated an anti-dumping probe into imports of poisonous chemical sodium cyanide from China, the European Union, Japan and Korea following a complaint by domestic players.

Sodium cyanide is used for extraction of gold and silver from their respective ores, manufacturing insecticides, dyes, pigments, and bulk drugs.

The commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is probing the alleged dumping of the cyanide originating in or exported from these countries.

An application has been filed by Hindusthan Chemical Company and United Phosphorous Ltd for the probe and the imposition of appropriate anti-dumping duty on the imports from these nations.

DGTR said in notification that the applicants have alleged that material injury is being caused to the domestic industry due to the alleged dumped imports.

It said the normal value and the export price have been compared at the ex-factory level, which prima facie establishes that the dumping margin is above the specified level and is significant in respect of the product under consideration from these countries.

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Thus, there is sufficient prima facie evidence that the product under consideration from the subject countries is being dumped in the domestic market of India, it said.

The directorate said on the basis of the application "and having reached satisfaction based on the prima facie evidence submitted by the applicantsthe authority, hereby, initiates an anti-dumping investigation.

For the purpose of the probe, the directorate will consider the import of the product between April 2019- March 2022.

If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to domestic players, DGTR would recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duty on these imports.

The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose duties. Anti-dumping probes are conducted by countries to determine whether domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

s a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.

India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to tackle cheap imports from various countries, including China.
Union minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said the Indian media is strong enough and has the capability to set narrative across the world.

He alleged that some foreign media houses carried "false" reports about India during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this agenda of spoiling the country's image was not only being run from outside the country, but many Indian leaders used that opportunity for their self-interests.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister also said that Indian media was independent in the past and will remain so in the future as it is today.

Thakur was speaking at the Lokmat National Media Conclave on the topic 'Is Indian Media Completely Polarised?'



The media conclave was organised to mark the birth centenary of freedom fighter and Lokmat Media Group's founder editor Jawaharlal Darda, fondly known as 'Babuji', as well as the golden jubilee of the Lokmat Nagpur edition.

Addressing a gathering of journalists and intellectuals, the minister said, "On the part of the government, I can assure that Indian media was independent earlier, it is independent today and will remain so in future also."



"It is nobody's intention to nail someone. But a question arises when some political parties use a huge proportion of their budget for their own welfare and self-praise rather than for the development and welfare of people. The effect of all this is sometimes seen in news reports, when eight to nine newspapers carry identical headlines and it happens not once but 50 times," he said.

Thakur attacked some foreign media houses for their coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that dead bodies flowing in the Ganga river and lying on its banks were shown in reports.

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"These reports were not true, but a large number of media houses without checking facts ran those reports. This does not spoil only one person's image, but spoils the image of the entire country. And this agenda and propaganda is not only being run from outside the country, but many leaders from India also used this opportunity for their self-interests," he said.

The minister further said that during the pandemic, some political leaders raised question marks over Indian anti-coronavirus vaccines.

"I am not questioning their thinking, but questions arise whether they were doing this for political benefits or marketing for some foreign company," he said.

Thakur praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing two Indian anti-coronavirus vaccines and providing 220 crore doses for free in the country.

"Did anyone discuss those news reports which claimed that crores of people will die in the country (during COVID-19) and its economy will suffer?" he asked.

"Someone said during the conclave that narratives in India are set by foreign countries. But however they (foreign countries) may try, our actions speak for themselves and they were proven wrong. Their narratives did not affect us," he said.

He dubbed as "wrong" the questions raised (by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) over the educational qualifications of PM Modi.

"In 2016, senior BJP leaders had given information about the educational degrees of PM Modi. But this issue was raised in 2023 and the media started showing it again without checking and researching that the information about it was given in 2016 itself," he said.

Media shows a mirror to the society and the government, but the media should also be responsible for keeping the mirror clean, he said.

Talking about the claims about foreign media setting narrative in the country, he said, "On the contrary, the Indian media is strong enough and has the capability to set the narrative all over the world."



Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of Lokmat Media's Editorial Board and former Rajya Sabha member Vijay Darda said that questions were being raised whether media was able to fulfil its responsibility as the watchdog of the society.

"The electronic media is in the dock especially due to allegations regarding biased political coverage," he added.

Darda further said that while every media house has its own viewpoint, there should be a difference between this and bias.

"When the government does something praiseworthy, praise it and vice versa. Mostly media houses are fair, but a few are bringing a bad name to the media industry," he added.
Container ships are docked to load outbound shipments at Busan Port in Busan, March 21. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



A protracted trade deficit driven by plummeting exports to China is raising doubts over whether the Korean economy will bounce back in the second half of this year as initially predicted by the government.



Asia's fourth-largest economy posted a 13-month-long trade deficit as of March  the longest streak since 1997 when it was in the middle of the Asian financial crisis, according to the Korea Customs Service.



The deficit was caused by a decline in China's share of total Korean exports to 19.8 percent so far this year compared to 22.8 percent in 2022, 25.3 percent in 2021 and 25.9 percent in 2020.



The decline in exports to China is mainly attributed to sluggish demand and falling semiconductor prices, which make up nearly 40 percent of Korea's outbound shipments to China.



In March, exports of semiconductors to China nosedived by 49.5 percent compared to a year before.



"Under the circumstances, it remains uncertain whether Korea's exports as well as trade can recover promptly, because China's reopening appears to be having a slower-than-expected ripple effect on the Korean economy," said Lee Sang-ho, head of the economic policy team at the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI).



Accordingly, Lee remained skeptical about the government's forecast that Korea's economy will remain sluggish in the first half of this year, but will bounce back in the latter six months.



Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho said the spillover effect of China's reopening is essential for Korea's exports to expand and its economy to recover in the second half.



Korea Development Institute (KDI) also cited China's reopening as a "prerequisite" for the trade-reliant Korean economy's path for revitalization.



Kim Woo-chul, a tax accounting professor at the University of Seoul, viewed that the trade deficit can add pressure to the government's tight budget, which he called a "negative factor" in the face of a deepening economic slowdown.



"The less companies sell, the less tax they will pay and make it tricky for the government to enhance people's livelihood by injecting taxpayers' money," Kim said.



He noted that corporate taxes totaled 13.9 trillion won ($10.5 billion) out of 54.2 trillion won in taxes collected from January to February.



In the first two months of 2022, 19.8 trillion won was collected as corporate taxes and the total amount of tax revenues was 70 trillion won.



The squeeze in corporate tax revenues comes as the Yoon Suk Yeol administration implements a fiscal belt-tightening policy.



According to the National Assembly Budget Office, Monday, tax revenues are estimated to decline by 6 trillion won in 2023 from a year earlier.



Tax revenues are expected to decline by 64.4 trillion won between 2023 and 2027 during Yoon's single, five-year presidency.


New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): In the run-up to the keenly contested battle for Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party is keen to brighten its prospects on the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is the party's biggest face.

"We are hoping that PM Modi holds between 15-20 rallies in Karnataka ahead of May 10 polling," a senior BJP leader told ANI.

The BJP, which is ruling Karnataka and is hoping to return to power, will be pitching for growth under the "double-engine government".

PM Modi would likely visit the state this weekend, his first visit since the announcement of assembly election dates and eighth visit to the state this year. He will visit in Mysuru.

A Karnataka BJP MP said that the party has strong organisational base in the state.

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"The biggest factor that stands out for us is the commitment of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre which has ensured that peace and development goes hand in hand in the state," the MP said.

In the run up to the state polls, BJP appointed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its election incharge. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and TN BJP chief Annamalai are co-incharges.

Chief Minister Basvaraj Bommai is heading the party's campaign committee. The election management committee is headed by union minister Shobha Karandlaje.

The counting of votes for the assembly polls will take place on May 13.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that BJP will finalise its first list of candidates for the May 10 state Assembly polls on April 8.

While interacting with reporters, Chief Minister Bommai said that the opinions of all the leaders have been taken and will be discussed in the state-level core committee meeting to be held in the next two days.

Then the Central Parliamentary Board meeting will take place on April 8 where the list will be finalised, he stated.

However, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who is currently in Shikaripura, said that the list will be out in two days. During the two-day core committee meeting, confusion regarding the issue of tickets in Belagavi and Shivamogga will end.

"As per the wishes of people, B.Y. Vijayendra (his son) would contest from Shikaripura constituency and register a victory with the highest margin," Yediyurappa stated.

Vijayendra has also confirmed that he is contesting elections from Shikaripura constituency as per the directions of the party. BJP is going to come back to power in the state, he asserted.

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Meanwhile, the district core committee meeting was held in Belagavi this morning. The district has 18 Assembly constituencies and is crucial for BJP to win as many seats here.

Among the 18 seats, BJP had won 13 seats in the last assembly elections and Congress managed to bag five. The BJP is aspiring to win 14 to 17 seats, whereas Congress is hoping to win seven.

The deaths of minister Umesh Katti, MP Suresh Angadi had weakened the BJP in the district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a mega roadshow in Belagavi where Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also held a public rally.

--IANS

mka/shb/
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal over his comments during a rally in Guwahati, calling the AAP chief a coward whose heroism is confined within the assembly.

Sarma criticised Kejriwal for not making any reference to allegations of corruption against the BJP leader, which he had reportedly made in the Delhi Assembly.

He had made charges of corruption against me in the Delhi Assembly, but I cannot act on it as he is protected by regulations. I had challenged him to repeat the same allegations outside the House and then I will see him in court.

But, he didn't have the courage to say anything here. He spoke a lot of anab-shanab' (rubbish), but nothing on charges against me, Sarma said at a presser.

The Assam CM had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Kejriwal if the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the assembly.

The heroism of Kejriwal is confined within the assembly as he is protected by privilege there, Sarma said.

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On Kejriwal's claims at the Guwahati rally, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was also present, on jobs provided by the Delhi government, Sarma said the figures were wrong and 60 per cent of citizens in the national capital were living in hell.

I spoke to officials in Delhi. They told me that there are 1.50 lakh government-sanctioned posts under Delhi government. I will write to Kejriwal tomorrow to provide the break-up of the jobs, and I will also share the details of employment provided by our government, he said.

Sarma also downplayed Kejriwal's promise of free electricity if AAP came to power in Assam, asserting that the northeastern state has the Orunudoi' scheme under which the state government credits Rs 1,400 per month in the bank accounts of economically backward families.

Waiving only the electricity bill would have been cheaper for us, he said.

Reacting to Kejriwal's critical comments on the recent question paper leak in Assam, Sarma claimed that the Class 12 English paper in Punjab, which also has an AAP government, had leaked and the examination was cancelled.

On his Delhi counterpart's invitation to visit his house in the national capital, Sarma said, I will send 50 people from Assam, mostly journalists, and Kejriwal has to take them around Delhi. The only condition is that they have to be taken to the places we want to visit, not what he wants us to show.

60 per cent of people of Delhi live in hell. In contrast, 95 per cent of Assam live in heaven, he claimed.

Sarma also said the AAP leader's stature has diminished after Sunday's rally.

If he wanted to say so many lies, he should have at least ensured a bigger crowd of 20,000-30,000, the BJP leader added.

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal promised free electricity and jobs if AAP came to power in Assam, while he accused the ruling of BJP of doing nothing but play dirty politics in the state.

"AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of Delhi. What has Himanta babu (Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) done for the state in seven years? Nothing, only dirty politics," he alleged.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward to inform about his academic qualification and wondered what was the need to hide it.

The Rajya Sabha member said the PM's degree should be displayed at the entrance of the Parliament building. Let the lawmakers and the country be aware of his educational qualification, he added.

Raut made the comments while talking to reporters in New Delhi, three days after the Gujarat High Court set aside an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) asking the Gujarat University to provide information on PM Modi's degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil hit back at Raut, saying he should observe restraint while speaking about the people holding top Constitutional posts like the prime minister.

"Some codes need to be followed in politics and social and cultural spheres while making a public comment on a person holding the highest constitutional position. The level of allegations is going down," Patil said in Pune.

While noting that both Kejriwal and the CIC were "absolutely casual" in their approach, the court had also observed there was "indiscriminate misuse" of the RTI Act in this case.

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Allowing the Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal.

Raut on Monday said, Narendra Modi sold tea at a railway platform and did his MA in Entire Political Science. The degree is historic and revolutionary. Display his degree at the grand entrance of the new Parliament building built by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Let the entire Parliament and the country be aware of his education. What is the mystery behind it, why would one hide it, he said.

Responding to a question seeking his opinion on the authenticity of the PM's degree, Raut said, The prime minister should come forward and inform us about the degree. The degree certificate was first shown to people by (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sought details of his degree, but he was fined Rs 25,000 (by a Gujarat court), the Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson noted.

"If the educational degree of the country's President, a High Court/Supreme Court judge or ours can be demanded, then why hide the educational qualification of the prime minister? I think PM Modi should come forward and give a clarification," Raut said.

Raut also claimed that most of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have "bogus" degrees.

"It is a factory of bogus degrees, you know it. Take any name and check their degree, he said while responding to a query.

Asked if the degree matter surfaced to divert attention in Parliament from the Adani group issue (over allegations levelled by Hindenburg Research), Raut said, Gautam Adani's issue is not over". The degree issue came up after a Gujarat court imposed a fine on Kejriwal. What sort of fine and law is there when you seek the degree details of PM Modi? The issue itself is self-explanatory about what is right and wrong," he said.

Raut also came out in support of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Gandhi's disqualification is illegal and the case is also bogus. I am sure that a higher court in Gujarat will do justice to Gandhi, said Raut, whose party is an ally of the Congress in Maharashtra.

To a query on recent incidents of communal violence in the country, Raut claimed, The BJP has created a new wing just to stoke violence and riots in the country. It wants more and more such incidents before facing the general polls or postponing elections. The violence in West Bengal is BJP sponsored, with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as the target," he added.

Raut also hit out at the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra terming it "very weak and unpopular".
BJP president JP Nadda spoke to his party's West Bengal unit chief Sukanta Majumdar on Monday evening over the situation in violence-hit Howrah and Hooghly districts.

Speaking to PTI, Majumdar said Nadda called him around 6.20 pm, and enquired about the prevailing situation in the two districts that were rocked by violence during Ram Navami processions.

He said he urged Nadda for the deployment of central forces in the trouble-torn areas, alleging that the state police has failed to control the situation.

"I also urged him for an NIA probe into the violence in Hooghly's Rishra and Howrah's Shibpur. The truth can come out only after an NIA probe," he claimed.

Majumdar, the Lok Sabha MP of Balurghat, was stopped from going to Rishra in the afternoon by the police, which cited prohibitory orders imposed in the area following Sunday's violence for refusing permission to his visit.

"The police did not allow me to visit the area but TMC leaders were freely going there," he said.

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Serampore's TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged that "goons" were brought in by the BJP from outside the state for the Ram Navami procession in Rishra.

Rejecting the demand for an NIA probe and deployment of central forces, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the state police were taking all necessary steps to control the situation.

"Action is being taken against the culprits, irrespective of their political affiliation or religion. The state police are competent enough to handle the situation. There is neither the need for central forces nor NIA probe into the incidents," he said.

A Ram Navami rally was attacked in Rishra's Wellington Jute Mill More area on Sunday, triggering violent clashes between two groups. Prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to prevent a further flare-up. Pursurah's BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in the violence, besides a few policemen.

So far, 12 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, according to police.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations also rocked neighbouring Howrah district's Shibpur area on Thursday and Friday. Over 45 people were arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.
Nagaland is all set to host the fourth and final event of B20 being organised in north-east region, which is the official G20 dialogue forum for the global business community.

The B20 conference scheduled to be held in Kohima from April 4-6 will witness 64 overseas delegates from 29 countries, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday told reporters at Chumoukedima.

The main Business 20 conference on Wednesday will be graced by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, he said.

Rio said his government is making elaborate arrangements, not only to showcase investment and partnership opportunities in the state but also to provide a unique experience for visiting delegates with exposure to Nagaland's culture, local cuisine, art, festivities, and scenic beauty.

Investment and Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) along with the government departments are preparing a list of investible projects on varied themes and sectors to be pitched for attracting potential investors in the state, he said.

Over 100 business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2C) requests for interaction with officials of the government departments, such as tourism, commerce and industries, agriculture, horticulture, healthcare and food processing, have been generated.

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The meet will showcase various initiatives of the government in projecting the state as an investment-friendly destination for investors, Rio said.

The diplomatic delegation includes six ambassadors from Costa Rica, Cuba, Iceland, Jamaica, Paraguay, Panama and one deputy head of missions from Estonia and two council generals from Costa Rica and Germany, he said.

Trade and business delegations from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Iceland, Japan and UAE will also participate in the B20 programme, the CM said.

As part of the programme, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) along with the state government will facilitate B2B and B2G meetings, he said.

Visiting overseas business delegates would get the opportunity to interact with the local industry during the B2B meetings and with the government officials in the B2G session for exploring potential investment opportunities, collaboration and tie-ups, Rio said.

The north-east region of India has been of significant focus for B20 India initiatives, with four conferences planned across the region to showcase the vast potential and opportunities in the NE.

The first three conferences held in Imphal, Aizawl and Gangtok have been "successful" in their objective of highlighting the untapped potential of the north-east region, a statement added.
The Union Education Ministry on Monday ruled out considering any proposal for a one-time relaxation in eligibility criteria for engineering entrance exam JEE-Main this year.

The ministry has been receiving representations from a few students who claimed to have faced difficulties in the JEE (Main) 2022 exams, Union Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar informed Lok Sabha in a written response.

"After due verification, the affected candidates were allowed to appear in re-examinations held on June 29, 2022 (Shift-2) and June 30, 2022 (Shift-1) for Session-1 and on July 30, 2022 (Shift-1) for Session-2. Moreover, the candidates who have passed the Class 12/ equivalent examination in 2021, 2022, or appearing in 2023 can appear in JEE (Main) - 2023 examination.

"For the school leaving batch of 2020, the JEE (Main) examination was conducted two times in 2020, four times in 2021 and two times in 2022 giving them sufficient opportunities to take the JEE(Main) examination," said Sarkar.

"Accordingly, there is no proposal under consideration for one-time relaxation in eligibility criteria of JEE (Main) 2023," the minister added.

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"Rahul Gandhi will reach the sessions court in Surat to file an appeal at around 3 pm," his lawyer Kirit Panwala said, as reported by the news agency PTI. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Monday file an appeal before a sessions court against his conviction in the criminal defamation case due to his "Modi" remarks. According to reports, Gandhi will be accompanied by several other Congress leaders including Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

What is the case?

BJP member of legislative assembly (MLA) and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi had filed the case against Gandhi for his alleged "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?" remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.



The complainant claimed that the controversial remark was made at a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections which defamed the entire Modi community. The remarks were video graphed by the video surveillance team and video viewing team of the office of the deputy commissioner and district election officer of Kollar district.

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It had held the Congress leader guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The chief judicial magistrate of Surat district court H H Varma had concluded hearing the final arguments from both sides and set March 23 to pronounce its judgment. On March 23, it convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail.



On March 24, Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. The court, however, also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.



Gandhi maintained that there was no mala fide intention on his part when he made the statement in question. Following his disqualification, Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.



Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also said that the party will fight as per law. Just after the verdict, Gandhi wrote on Twitter in Hindi, "My religion is based on truth and non-violence. Truth is my God, non-violence the means to get it. -- Mahatma Gandhi".



On April 9, Gandhi will hold a Jai Bharat rally in Kola, Karnataka. This comes after the EC announced the schedule for the Karnataka Assembly elections. After the conviction, Gandhi was asked to vacate his Tughlaq Lane bungalow where he has been residing in the bungalow since 2004. He has to do it latest by April 23.



The polling would take place in a single phase on May 10, and the counting of votes will be done on May 13 "Rahul Gandhi will be in Kolar on April 9 and address the Jai Bharat Mega Rally there. On April 11, he will visit Wayanad. He is the voice of the people, you can never silence him. This voice will only get louder and stronger," tweeted Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday.

What happens now?

There can be two scenarios.


The court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera said it will hear his plea for suspension of conviction on April 13 after issuing a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat cabinet minister.

A sessions court in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he filed an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 2019 "Modi surname" remark in which he has been sentenced to two years in jail, a lawyer said.



"We had filed an application for Rahul Gandhi's bail and suspension of sentence along with his appeal against conviction by a lower court. The (sessions) court heard the matter and granted him bail. The court kept the matter for hearing on the stay of his conviction for April 13," a member of his legal team told reporters.

The sessions court asked the respondent (Purnesh Modi) to file his reply by April 10.



Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were present in the courtroom when the matter came up for hearing at around 3 pm.

Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Surat earlier in the day, will not be required to appear in the court during the hearing of the case, he said.

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The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi on a complaint by Purnesh Modi for the 52-year-old Congress leader's remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" The disqualified MP made the comment on "Modi surname" while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, during campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul Gandhi reached the sessions court premises in a luxury bus along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other party leaders were present in Surat.



The magistrate's court had granted him bail the same day and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. A day after his conviction and sentence, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha. The Congress leader, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was convicted on March 23 by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma and sentenced to two years in jail.
The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of indulging in a show of strength before a Surat court, where Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal against his conviction in a defamation case, saying it highlights his "arrogance" and is also morally as well constitutionally wrong.

After several senior Congress leaders accompanied Gandhi when he filed the appeal in the sessions court, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi asked if it was a display of his arrogance, an attempt to pressure the judiciary or the "familiar tactic" of browbeating probe agencies.

A large number of Congress workers had gathered outside the court and shouted slogans in support of Gandhi. Many of them were detained by police from the outskirts of the city and neighbouring Navsari district while they were headed towards Surat.

Calling the former Congress president "chhote sarkar", a mocking expression for the Gandhi family scion, Trivedi said he had a chance to close the episode by tendering a simple apology for such a "big insult" for the Other Backward Classes.

It was the arrogance of the Congress and the Gandhi family that he decided not to apologise and then was accompanied by many party leaders and workers instead of appearing in the court in a simple manner, the BJP leader told reporters in Hindi.

"This display of strength before the court is morally and also constitutionally wrong," he said.

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Many Congress leaders, including former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and P Chidambaram, had appeared before courts without the kind of show of strength displayed by Gandhi, he added.

Earlier, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the decision of Congress leaders to accompany Rahul Gandhi to Surat court was a way of trying to exert "undue pressure" on the judiciary.

"My point is very simple - why is the Congress party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary? There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" Rijiju said while talking to reporters in the Parliament House complex here.

However, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge rejected the charge, saying it was a symbol of support and not a show of strength.

He said the decision was personal. "Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country," Kharge told reporters.

Hitting back at Gandhi for his tweet that "truth is my weapon and truth is my support", Trivedi said far from it, what Gandhi has underlined is his "royal arrogance" and obstinacy after heaping insult on backward classes.

Rahul Gandhi was convicted on March 23 on a criminal complaint filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his 2019 remark at an election rally, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"



Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail and granted him bail the same day while suspending the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, which he did on Monday.

A day after his conviction and sentence, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.
Shin Hyun-sung, the co-founder of Terraform Labs, appears at the Seoul Southern District Court for questioning, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho



By Lee Yeon-woo



Despite the arrest of Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Labs, who was on the run in Montenegro, prosecutors in Korea have been unable to obtain arrest warrants for other persons of interest in the case. This could complicate Korea's efforts to have Kwon extradited.



According to legal sources, Monday, the Seoul Southern District Court rejected the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant for Shin Hyun-sung, a co-founder of Terraform Labs also known as Daniel Shin, on Thursday.



This is the second time the court has denied the prosecution's request to detain Shin. The request for Shin's arrest warrant has received significant attention, particularly given that it followed the arrest of Do Kwon. However, the outcome remained the same with the court ultimately denying the prosecution's request.



The court's decision was based on its assessment that Shin posed no risk of flight or tampering with evidence. "It may take a significant amount of time to investigate other accomplices who are currently overseas. Considering the arrest of a major accomplice (Do Kwon), it's hard to justify that Shin posed a risk of evidence tampering."



The prosecution's attempt to arrest a former CEO of TMON, who is only identified by his surname Yoo, was also unsuccessful as the court rejected its request on Friday. Yoo is accused of promoting Terra in exchange for Luna cryptocurrency worth 3 billion won ($2.27 billion).





Shin Hyun-sung, left, and Do Kwon, co-founders of Terraform Labs / Korea Times file
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states, other national and state party leaders are likely to accompany him to the court, sources said.

Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

The Congress leader will seek suspension of his sentence by the sessions court, they said.

Gandhi will land in Surat at around 2 pm, as per the Congress sources.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat.

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Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also likely to be in the city as Gandhi moves court, the sources said.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma here had on March 23 convicted 52-year-old Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

It had held the Congress leader guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

The former Congress chief was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case.

Following his disqualification, Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"



Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019 during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

The sentence of two years invited his disqualification from the membership of Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The RP Act holds that an MP or a member of legislative Assembly (MLA) convicted for any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of a conspiracy to incite riots all over India in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for its political interests, here on Monday.

Talking to media-persons, he claimed that the BJP has set up a "wing" specifically to create such disturbances in the country and cited the recent instances of the Hubli riots in Karnataka, the violence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other places in Maharashtra.

"Everybody knows who is behind these flare-ups... who is creating the communal unrests all over. The BJP's strategy is to stoke riots all over the country till the 2024 elections are due and then make it 'an excuse' to postpone the polls," Raut declared.

The Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson contended that wherever the BJP feels weak or scared, communal flare-ups are being witnessed in different states (like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal), and this trend would continue till the Lok Sabha polls are announced.

Speaking about the successful and peaceful Maha Vikas Aghadi mega-rally held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Sunday, Raut said that now another 16 combined MVA public meetings shall be held all over Maharashtra in the coming weeks ahead of the civic elections and next year's Parliamentary and state Assembly polls.

--IANS

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday performed the groundbreaking rituals for Tata Group firm Tinplate Company of India Ltd's (TCIL) Rs 2,000-crore expansion project in Jamshedpur.

Addressing the programme, Soren said that after the state industrial policy was unveiled two years ago, several investors have shown keen interest to invest in the state, and the TCIL project is one such.

The expansion project will create about 1,000 new jobs directly, and over 5,000 indirectly, he said.

Lauding the Tata Group's contribution to the development of Jharkhand, Soren said a cancer hospital of the conglomerate in Ranchi was ready for inauguration.

The Tata Group has also proposed to set up a hotel in Jamshedpur, he said.

Soren said Jharkhand has an abundance of mineral resources, and it also has enough potential for tourism.

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"We want more industries in the state as it would improve the standard of living of the people," he said.

Tata Steel CEO and MD TV Narendran said the expansion project was planned for a long, and Rs 2,000 crore would be invested to complete the first phase by 2026.

TCIL's present capacity is 0.415 mtpa, and after the first phase of expansion, it would increase to 0.715 mtpa, the company said.

Transport Minister Champai Soren, Health Minister Banna Gupta, MLAs and senior government officials were present at the programme.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will be holding a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the national capital today, officials said.

The CM left for Delhi on Sunday afternoon for the meeting scheduled at 11 am today.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, along with holding discussions on plans for the state's development, the CM will also invite Prime Modi to visit Uttarakhand when the gates of the Chardham are opened later this month.

CM Dhami will be on a two-day tour of Delhi, informed the Chief Minister's Office.

The CM will also meet Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav at 2 pm and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 5 pm later in the day, it added.

Earlier, on March 31, Dhami thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Central government, saying that Rs 23.28 crore was sanctioned to Uttarakhand under the Agriculture Development Scheme and a further Rs 34.66 crore was released as a financial incentive under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), by the Central government.

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In December 2022, CM Dhami held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in the national capital and discussed development-related issues.
The BJP on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of engineering the recent violence in West Bengal and demanded her resignation.

Addressing a joint press conference with two other party MPs, the BJP's Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee also called for the Centre's intervention and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence.

The incidents of violence that have taken place in West Bengal since Rama Navami are the result of a "pre-planned conspiracy" hatched by Banerjee, she charged.

Debasree Chaudhuri and Khagen Murmu, two other BJP MPs from West Bengal, accompanied Chatterjee during her press conference at the party headquarters.

"This is the result of a pre-planned conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee to consolidate Muslim votes and to make the Muslims happy," she said.

The Hooghly MP also accused the TMC supremo of playing "appeasement politics" and claimed that "Hindus are under threat in West Bengal".

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Banerjee had claimed on Friday that the BJP, along with other right-wing organisations, was responsible for the Ram Navami violence.

"Mamata Banerjee is lying. We want the central govermment to see this (matter) properly. We are are demanding an NIA probe," the BJP leader said.

"We also want Mamata (Banerjee) to resign as chief minister and home minister of West Bengal," Chatterjee added.
As the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is yet to be elected, services of three 'third parties' have been discontinued by the civic body from April 1 onwards, and they have been directed to withdraw data entry operators and other contractual workers engaged through them, official sources said on Monday.

Earlier, a group of BJP councillors protested at the Civic Centre -- MCD's headquarters -- and alleged that "services of contract workers have been discontinued".

"A delegation of the opposition party in the AAP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) submitted a memorandum to the Delhi mayor's OSD, demanding service contract renewal of all contract employees," the Delhi BJP said in a statement.

It also claimed that services of DBC (dengue breeding checking) workers have also been discontinued.

A senior official, however, when asked abut the claim, said, "As far as I know, only data entry operators and some 'maalis' will get impacted."



"The standing committee is authorised to extend the contract of services of third parties engaged with the MCD. As the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is yet to be elected, services of three third parties have been discontinued by the civic authorities, with effect from April 1," said an official source.

Authorities have also issued orders to that effect on March 31, he said.

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One of the orders issued regarding a third party firm reads, "In continuation of this department's work order No. AO/SO-IV/CED/2023/4098 dated 10.01.2023 vide which your service was extended till 31.03.2023. The Competent Authority vide its approval dated 29.03.2023 has discontinued its services from the MCD beyond March 31 to provide data entry operators (DEOs)."



The order also directed the firm to "withdraw data entry operators (DEOs)" engaged through it from the work of MCD beyond March 31 and do not deploy these DEOs for the work of MCD, with effect from April 1.

No payment will be made by MCD to the third party, if any work is carried out by the data entry operators of the firm, it says, adding, the order has been issued with approval of the competent authority.

The Delhi BJP alleged that despite 15 years of adverse economic condition, mayors during the BJP rule of the MCD "protected interests of MCD workers," but it is a matter of regret that within 40 days of coming to power, the AAP has made "thousands of contract workers jobless," BJP leader Kamaljeet Sehrawat alleged.

Sources said about 7,000 workers are likely to get impacted by the discontinuation of services of the three third parties.

The saffron party alleged that it had happened due to "negligence of mayor Shelly Oberoi and leaders of the ruling AAP".

"Thousands of contractual employees of the MCD and DBC workers have been rendered jobless due to non-renewal of contract of workers on March 31," it claimed.

Besides Sehrawat, former North Delhi mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, former East Delhi mayor Neema Bhagat, Jai Bhagwan Yadav, Rekha Gupta, Parvez Wahi, Shikha Rai, Yogesh Verma, Indrajit Sehrawat, among others, took part in the protest.
India's top two-wheeler manufacturers saw a rise in domestic sales in March, spurred by festive demand, while commercial vehicle sales continued to grow on pre-buying ahead of the implementation of tighter fuel emission norms.

Volume growth for the final month of the fiscal year indicates healthy demand during the festive season and higher dispatches before the transition to new emission norms, analysts at Motilal Oswal said in a note.

These norms, which were implemented on April 1, require automakers to fit their vehicles with a device to check emissions, leading to extra costs. Maruti Suzuki Ltd, Hero MotoCorp Ltd and Tata Motors Ltd have all announced price hikes in the last few weeks to meet the additional costs.

Domestic sales at Hero, India's largest bike-maker by volume, grew 20.9%, while TVS Motor Co Ltd posted a 22.5% rise in sales. Eicher Motors's Royal Enfield bikes reported a 2.4% rise in domestic sales.





Sales of two-wheelers, indicative of the financial health of India's rural economy and demand in the country's largest consumption segment, loosely defined as lower middle-income households, have been stressed.

While it grew month-on-month in March, a recovery in two-wheeler sales is still not in sight, the analysts said, without providing additional details.

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Among passenger vehicles, Maruti Suzuki saw a 0.8% decline in domestic sales, while Tata Motors reported a 4.1% jump in sales.

However, demand for costlier and popular utility vehicles (UV) was undeterred, with Maruti Suzuki's UV sales jumping 48% and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd reporting a 31% rise in the segment.

The domestic commercial vehicle segment continued to see a rise in sales as fleet operators and logistics firms made purchases ahead of the fuel emission norms, when buses and trucks are set to become more expensive.

Ashok Leyland Ltd reported a 23.3% rise in domestic sales, while Eicher Motors' monthly sales grew 42%. Market leader Tata Motors posted a 2% rise in domestic sales.

"Medium and heavy duty trucks dispatches were above estimates, led by strong demand from underlying industries and heavy pre-buying before BS6-II transition," the analysts said in the note.


On Monday, shares of Avalon Technologies enjoyed Rs 30 premium in the grey market, which translated to a likely listing price of Rs 465 apiece on the upper price band. Upon listing, Avalon Technologies will join peers like Dixon Technologies, Amber Enterprises, Syrma SGS Technology, and Kaynes Technology.

Electronic manufacturing company Avalon Technologies' initial public offering (IPO) opened for subscription on April 3, and will close on April 6, 2023. The price band of Rs 865-crore public issue is set at Rs 415-435 per share. The stock is likely to debut on the bourses on April 18, 2023.



The public issue is a combination of fresh and offer-for-sale (OFS) portions. While the fresh issue size is Rs 320 crore, the OFS comprises Rs 545 crore. However, the company will not receive any proceeds from the OFS part.

The company is a fully-integrated electronic manufacturing services (EMS) company, with 10 manufacturing units located in India, and two in the US - Georgia, and California. From designing and assembly of printed circuit board (PCB) to manufacturing complete electronic systems (box build), their products are widely used in industries like clean energy, and emerging communication technology.



On the financial front, revenue from operations rose 8 per cent to Rs 584 crore in eight months of FY23 (8MFY23), whereas profit-after-tax (PAT) dropped 8.1 per cent to Rs 34 crore in 8MFY23 from Rs 42 crore in 8MFY22.

The issue is broken into four parts - 75 per cent is reserved for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), 10 per cent for big non-institutional investors (NIIs), 5 per cent for small NIIs, and remaining 10 per cent for retail investors.

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Reliance Securities | Subscribe

Here's what brokerage houses recommend for Avalon Technologies IPO:



Ventura Securities | Not Rated

The brokerage firm believes that since the company is a fully-integrated EMS provider, it has diversified end-user industries and clients, with strategic manufacturing locations. Therefore, the company is likely to benefit from 'Make-in-India' and PLI schemes of the government as it promotes local manufacturing of components, and electronics systems. Considering healthy outlook in the Indian EMS industry, and valuation comfort of over 55x P/E on annualised FY23 financials, they recommend a 'subscribe' to the issue.



Swastika | Subscribe

Analysts assert that it is one of the few companies that provide one-stop-shop for electronics, and electro-mechanical design, and manufacturing services. Moreover, the company's wide-range offerings in EMS services serves as an entry barrier for new entrants. Over the years, they have had 12 manufacturing facilities, with 66 production lines. However, analysts cautioned that any disruption in operations of manufacturing facilities could impact overall financial performance.



Choice | Subscribe

As the EMS sector is a sizable industry globally, it is expected to grow in India at a significant pace too, given a shift of global demand from China to India. It operates a business with high entry barriers and global delivery footprint. However, the company's PAT margin declined in the first eight months of FY22, and is weighed by high debt ratio. That said, analysts see the public issue fully priced at a P/E ratio of around 39x, and recommend 'subscribe' to high-risk investors for the long-term.



Canara Bank Securities | Subscribe

The brokerage firm said that the company is demanding an EV sales multiple of 3.1x, which is at a discount to peer average of 6.3x. Based on FY24E forecasts, the demanded EV sales is around 2.3x, which looks attractive for a company like Avalon, operating in high-growth EMS space, said analysts. Therefore, they recommend a 'subscribe' to the public issue.

The company largely generates revenue from the US (63 per cent), catering to sunrise industries like clean technology, power automation, and mobility. With an order book of Rs 1,190 crore, as of November 2022, the client base is around 80. Overall, the brokerage firm expects the industry to grow 32 per cent CAGR. The debt-to-equity ratio also seems to be above average than peers, said analysts. Therefore, they recommend 'subscribe' for the long-term.


The move came months after the Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI's) guidelines for conversion of private unlisted InvITs into listed ones were issued. IRB Infrastructure Trust (IRB InvIT), a privately placed InvIT sponsored by highway developer IRB Infrastructure, on Monday listed itself with the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the trust announced.



The trust currently has 49 per cent unitholding from GIC Associates, a sovereign wealth fund of Singapore. The development is also a step in the direction to open these new-age asset classes to public markets. So far, overseas pension funds and other institutional investors have been dominant in this space. "The valuation of the trust units was determined basis third party evaluation and further endorsed by Trusts investors as well. The value ascertained comes to around 16 times FY 24 revenue, which will further keep appreciating with more projects coming in," the trust said.



In the last four years the project portfolio of the Trust has made stupendous progress and has achieved a size of almost Rs 27,000 Crores Enterprise Value with balance concession life of 18+ years, he added. "The idea behind this was to have better disclosure norms and bring in more transparency," Virendra Mhaiskar, Chairman of the trust and Chairman & Managing Director of IRB Infra.

Also Read Budget 2023 to increase capex for infra projects for growth: Experts With IPOs losing steam, Sebi steps in with hard underwriting move No immediate plan to get retail investors into NHAI InvIT: CEO Suresh Goyal Nitin Gadkari wants retail investors to pip institutions in NHAI InvIT IRB Infra soars 10%, most among A-group stocks, after 3x price target Opec-plus cut weighs on OMC shares, BPCL and HPCL shed over 4% each Rs 414 cr paid to 34,497 Karvy clients from NSE's investor protection fund Property market steady in Jan-Mar; housing sales up 1%: Knight Frank Here's why KPIT Technologies tumbled 8% on Monday Rail Vikas Nigam surges 9% after it bags order from NHAI, Indian Railways



The IRB InvIT sponsor, IRB Infra, has so far seen a year-on-year growth of 27 per cent to Rs 352 crore in its toll income in FY23. The Trust has acquired 10 Build Operate Transfer (BOT) road assets with 6,275 lane kilometres, in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.



The Centre is also working on softening the tax impact for unitholders of InvITs. In the public sector, units of the Power Grid InvIT have been listed on NSE since 2021, while the National Highways Authority of India recently invited retail participation in its debentures. Regulators have been introducing new guidelines for these asset classes which have seen their market base grow over the past years. Last year, REITs and InvITs were allowed to issue commercial papers, widening their financing avenues.

An InvITis a collective investment scheme similar to a mutual fund, which enables direct investment of money from individual and institutional investors in infrastructure projects to earn a small portion of the income as return, according to SEBI.


On Friday, the US equity benchmark indices zoomed up to 1.7 per cent. Equity benchmark indices are likely to start the new week on a quiet note amid a sharp rise in oil prices. As indicated by the SGX Nifty, which was quoting at 17,457 levels, the Nifty index may open around 40 points higher.

Asia-Pacific markets also gained this morning as Nikkei 225, the S&P 200, Topix, Kospi indices rose up to 0.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, here are some stocks to watch out in trade today:

ONGC/Oil India/RIL/ refiners: Crude oil prices jumped 8 per cent following a surprise output cut by the OPEC+.

Also Read Stocks to Watch: Axis Bank, Maruti, ConCor, HFCL, Zomato, BoB, Gold related Stocks to Watch: TCS, HDFC, Oil, Tata Steel, KEC, Banks, Coal India Stocks to Watch: RIL, ONGC, OMCs, DLF, SpiceJet, Zee, BoB, Apollo Hospitals Stocks to Watch: Titan, Dabur, Nykaa, HCL Tech, Mahindra Life, Quess Corp Stocks to Watch: Axis Bank, ITC, Asian Paints, Bajaj Finance, YES Bank, RIL Traders can adopt buy-on-dips strategy for Nifty, Nifty Bank: Ravi Nathani Lock, stock, and over a barrel for firms with April lock-in expiry date Street Signs: Covid trot to winning run, Avalon Tech's premium, and more Growth, margins play whack-a-mole with consumer discretionary space RBI decision, global cues to drive mkts in holiday-shortened week: Analysts

Auto stocks: Hero MotoCorp on Saturday reported a 15 per cent rise in total sales at 5,19,342 units for March 2023 as compared to 4,50,154 units in the same month last year.

Carmaker Maruti Suzuki reported its highest wholesales to date at 19,66,164 units, up 19 per cent over FY22. Its domestic sales rose 21 per cent to 17,06,831 units. Tata Motors total domestic wholesales increased by 3 per cent to 89,351 units in March. The company sold 86,718 units in March 2022. Hero MotoCorp on Saturday reported a 15 per cent rise in total sales at 5,19,342 units for March 2023 as compared to 4,50,154 units in the same month last year.

G R Infra: The company has received a letter of award from National Highways Authority of India for construction of a 4lane access from Venkatpur village in Warangal District to Thallasenkesa. The project is worth Rs 847.87 crore. In addition, the company also received Letter of Award for a project worth Rs 1,248.37 crore for construction of 6-lane Greenfield Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Highway from Anarbansalea village to Sagrampur village in Bihar

Hindustan Aeronautics: The defence company has registered the highest-ever revenue from operations for FY23 at Rs 26,500 crore, an increase of 8 per cent over FY22. The order book stood at around Rs 82,000 crore at the end of March 2023. : The company has received a letter of award from National Highways Authority of India for construction of a 4lane access from Venkatpur village in Warangal District to Thallasenkesa. The project is worth Rs 847.87 crore. In addition, the company also received Letter of Award for a project worth Rs 1,248.37 crore for construction of 6-lane Greenfield Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata Highway from Anarbansalea village to Sagrampur village in Bihar

Udayshivakumar Infra: The road construction company will make its debut on the bourses today. The issue price has been fixed at Rs 35 per share.

HG Infra Engineering: The company has received a letter of award from NHAI for a project worth Rs 925.11 crore. The road construction company will make its debut on the bourses today. The issue price has been fixed at Rs 35 per share.

Karnataka Bank: CASA rose 8.7 per cent YoY in Q4 to Rs 28,807 crore. Aggregate deposits came in at Rs 87,362.6 while gross advances rose 6.2 per cent to Rs 61,326.4 crore versus last year.

Bharat Electronics: The PSU has achieved a turnover of about Rs 17,300 crore in FY23, up 15 per cent over the turnover in FY22. Its order book as on April 1, 2023 stood at Rs 60,500 crore including orders of around Rs 20,200 crore in FY23. : CASA rose 8.7 per cent YoY in Q4 to Rs 28,807 crore. Aggregate deposits came in at Rs 87,362.6 while gross advances rose 6.2 per cent to Rs 61,326.4 crore versus last year.

ICICI Bank: The bank has entered into an agreement to buy 9.5 per cent stake in Propertypistol Realty for Rs 22.5 crore via equity shares and compulsorily convertible preference shares.

PNC Infratech: Company has received orders worth Rs 3,264.43 crore. : The bank has entered into an agreement to buy 9.5 per cent stake in Propertypistol Realty for Rs 22.5 crore via equity shares and compulsorily convertible preference shares.

Rail Vikas Nigam: RVNL and TTIPL (Tracks & Towers Infratech) consortium received Letter of Award from NHAI for 'construction of 6-lane Greenfield Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata highway project worth Rs 1,271.98 crore in Jharkhand on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

NCC: The company has received 5 new orders aggregating Rs 1919 Crore (excluding GST) in the month of March, 2023. RVNL and TTIPL (Tracks & Towers Infratech) consortium received Letter of Award from NHAI for 'construction of 6-lane Greenfield Varanasi-Ranchi-Kolkata highway project worth Rs 1,271.98 crore in Jharkhand on Hybrid Annuity Mode.

Ashoka Buildcon: The company has received Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Ministry of Railways for a project worth Rs.284.65 crore.

Barbeque-Nation Hospitality: The company has detected an IT security incident on its IT assets, and then has isolated its impacted IT assets. The core operations are unaffected and all the restaurants are fully operational, serving both dine-in and delivery. : The company has received Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Ministry of Railways for a project worth Rs.284.65 crore.

Greenpanel Industries: The manufacturing operations of the MDF plant situated at Rudrapur, Uttarakhand have been suspended for a period of approximately 20 days with effect from April 1, 2023, owing to routine maintenance of the plant.

EIH Associated Hotels: The company has acquired 40 acres of land on a lease from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for construction, development and operation of a five-star luxury hotel / resort in Visakhapatnam. The lease period for the land will be 94 years including 4 years of construction of the resort. : The manufacturing operations of the MDF plant situated at Rudrapur, Uttarakhand have been suspended for a period of approximately 20 days with effect from April 1, 2023, owing to routine maintenance of the plant.

JSW Energy: The company has bagged a project for 300 MW Hydro PSP from PCKL.


This photo provided by Korea's industry ministry shows chief negotiator Kwon Hye-jin, right, shaking hands with her Ecuadorian counterpart, Daniel Legarda, April 3. Yonhap



Korea and Ecuador on Monday began their ninth round of talks on the establishment of a bilateral free trade deal, Seoul's trade ministry said.



The two nations launched negotiations for the Strategic Economic Cooperation Agreement (SECA), a type of free trade pact, in 2016, and resumed the talks last year after a six-year hiatus.



The latest round of negotiations will continue through Friday in Seoul, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



The two sides seek to speed up talks to clinch a deal on a range of issues, including manufactured goods, services and procurement, as well as ways to boost supply chains of energy and key minerals, the ministry said.



"Both sides are active in the negotiations, and we expect tangible results soon. The focus will be on forging a mutually beneficial and future-oriented bilateral relationship," Seoul's top negotiator Kwon Hye-jin said.



The South American nation is rich in natural resources, such as copper, zinc and gold.



If the deal is reached, Korea will be the first Asian country to have a free trade agreement with Ecuador.



Ecuador is South Korea's sixth major exports destination, with the bilateral trade volume coming to $968 million in 2021, according to government data. (Yonhap)


In other views:



The Union commerce ministry released its foreign trade policy (FTP) for after a gap of three years, having initially cited the exigencies of the pandemic and its impact on world trade for the delay. Now that FTP23 has been released, this argument seems less persuasive. There does not seem to be any explicit understanding in the policy of the changes that have been imposed on the world trading system by the pandemic and various other simultaneous phenomena, thesays. Read it




Prick the patients index finger, said the voice in my ear. As the lancet in my hand was about to make contact with flesh, it cautioned me: Avoid pricking the pad of the finger because it contains more nerve endings which will be more painful.

Using Meta Platforms Inc.s Quest 2 headset, I was conducting the first nursing procedure of my life in a highly authentic virtual-reality setting, complete with gloves, cotton swabs, disposal bins and, yes, a patient waiting for me to draw blood to check its glucose level. The VR training program, which helped even a novice like me get it right the first time, has been designed by young techno-entrepreneurs from Chennai, in Indias south. -Andy MukherjeePrick the patients index finger, said the voice in my ear. As the lancet in my hand was about to make contact with flesh, it cautioned me: Avoid pricking the pad of the finger because it contains more nerve endings which will be more painful.



Recently, MediSim VR roped in Harvard Medical Schools simulation guru Gianluca De Novi as an adviser, and tied up with Hartford HealthCare Corp.s Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation, or CESI. The goal is to crack large and lucrative medical education markets like the US, UK and Australia. Their firm is one of the 200-plus startups incubated by the citys Indian Institute of Technology Research Park, a venture supported by the government but funded by alumni and companies. The five-year-old MediSim VR has moved beyond the hatching phase: With 2,000 students training currently in the labs it has set up in medical and nursing schools, its emerging as a serious player.



Expect this to change. While many Indians write code for Silicon Valley firms, some, like Sundar Pichai of Alphabet Inc. and Satya Nadella of Microsoft Corp., run global tech behemoths. That is now kindling a desire among entrepreneurs to create niche software products at home and take them global  as on-demand services on the cloud. After all, if X-ray plates from the West can be read in Bengaluru, why cant future doctors in advanced nations learn how to conduct a surgery on a virtual training module written thousands of miles away in Chennai? Indias capabilities in software are entering a new phase. The industry that came into its own at the turn of the millennium  initially to help fix the Y2K bug  has remained fixated on providing outsourced services at a fraction of code-writing cost in the West. Yet that prowess in labor arbitrage has failed to reach the next level of sophistication. With some exceptions, such as the privately held Vembu Technologies disaster-recovery suite, the country is yet to spawn well-known successes in software products.

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It doesnt have to be like this. MediSim VR cofounder and Chief Technology Officer Jeno Manickam Durairaj comes from the world of computer games, while Sabarish Chandrasekaran, the chief executive officer, is an engineer and MBA. They were dabbling in outsourced virtual-reality-based solutions for everything from new tractor models to upcoming real estate projects when they decided that rather than end up as a software services firm, they should build a product. When Adith Chinnaswami, a trained laparoscopic surgeon, came on board, the founders knew that their specialization was going to be medical education. Mannequins, on which medical and nursing students traditionally learn their craft, are often inadequate for a large class, need intensive  and expensive  instructor resources, and yet their impact on learning is hard to assess. Virtual reality solves these problems. It also gives health-care professionals a better understanding of what to expect in the real world. Sharmila Anand, a doctor and educator advising MediSim VRs cofounders, told me that the first time she encountered Code Blue  hospital shorthand for when an adult is having a medical emergency such as cardiac or respiratory arrest  was on a live patient.



Medical schools are receptive to the idea because they simply host the VR labs free of charge. MediSim bills Indian students an affordable annual license fee of about $300 to use its stations that cost $12,000 apiece to build. I spoke to Sivasri and Tamilselvi, third-year students at Puducherry Medical College. In addition to mannequin-based practice, their institution already allots time for VR lab. Now they want more virtual-reality-based training modules and more testing to check their proficiency. MediSim VR has three patents in medical simulation. Once its able to include haptic feedback  where students will get a sensory reaction from the patients body during simulated surgery  learning outcomes will improve further, Chinnaswami told me. Initially, they focused on surgical procedures, but soon realized that training hospital staff in everything that goes on inside or outside the operating theater is an even bigger market. Thats when they landed at the Healthcare Technology Innovation Center at IIT Madras. (The prestigious engineering college still uses the old name for Chennai.)



Globally, VR-based health-care training is a $3.8 billion-a-year industry. Its just the tip of the iceberg, says MediSim VRs CEO Chandrasekaran, who expects the market to grow eightfold by 2030. The market leader is San Francisco-based Osso VR. Before going global, Indias services outsourcing business cut its teeth on massive domestic projects such as computerization of the railway ticketing system. Product companies might follow the same route. Since the pandemic, the Indian government has become painfully aware that the countrys health-care resources need an upgrade, both quantitative and qualitative. The more affluent southern region is doing relatively better, but access to quality health care in smaller cities in north India is almost non-existent. Firms like MediSim are crucial to integrate VR-based medical learning into the core curriculum.

Every seventh doctor in the US is of Indian origin. Nurses from Kerala have a long tradition of tending to patients in hospitals around the world, especially in the Persian Gulf. Now its the turn of Indian-made medical software to go global, armed with training data on thousands of students in the home market. Indian medical education follows the UK system, but adjusting training modules to American standards wont be too hard. The catheter is the same everywhere, even though whats known as urobag in India is called a closed-circuit bag in America. Thats hardly a bridge too far. Disclaimer: This is a Bloomberg Opinion piece, and these are the personal opinions of the writer. They do not reflect the views of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper




The potential deal for dozens of jets comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Beijing, which have seen China's usually balanced airplane imports tilt towards Airbus in recent years. European planemaker Airbus is negotiating a new round of plane orders with China, coinciding with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the economic superpower later this week, government and industry sources said.



An industry source cautioned there were several moving parts in the talks, with details not yet finalised. Airbus also has an industry presence in China including an assembly plant. "Negotiations are under way," an official in Macron's office said, adding that any agreements by French firms would not merely consist of repackaging earlier announcements.



Airbus declined to comment on any airplane negotiations or the agenda of senior management. Macron is due to conduct the state visit to China on April 5-7, with a delegation of company chiefs from France-based companies, expected to include Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.

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In July last year, China's "Big Three" state airlines pledged to buy a total of 292 Airbus jets in the biggest order by Chinese carriers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Diplomats say high-level visits by Europe or the United States frequently generate aircraft deals serving as a barometer of diplomatic ties, although announcements also tend to be scrutinised for their additional economic impact.

In November, China's state buying agency said it had signed a deal for 140 Airbus jets during a visit by Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but the planemaker said the announcement covered deals already on its books, including part of the July deal.
Currency dealers in open market in Pakistan have offered loans of $24 billion to the government for the next two years to help it stay away from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, which has badly hit the nations economy.

Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP) President Malik Bostan said: "We have offered $1 billion a month in financing to the government for the next two years to get rid of the IMF," The Express Tribune reported.

The government must pass an order to allow exchange companies to borrow US dollars directly from overseas Pakistanis, foreign firms and global exchange companies, he emphasised.

The loans will be free of cost and can be rolled over, if required.

"We are in contact with millions of expatriate Pakistanis as they are our clients. They are ready to lend $1 billion a month to us (exchange companies) over the next 24 months, in addition to the usual inflows received by exchange companies."

Bostan, along with other office-bearers of the association, floated the proposal in a meeting with Senate Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Saleem Mandviwala in Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported.

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Central bank officers and other high officials were present in the huddle.

"Exchange companies are already supplying $300-400 million a month, totalling $4 billion a year, to the inter-bank market," he revealed, adding that the IMF had continued to come up with new conditions one after another, making it tough for Pakistan to give a push to its economy.

He asked the government to further review its laws, rules and regulations for IT freelancers, who had deposits of billions of dollars in foreign banks. "If the regulations are softened, they will bring these deposits to Pakistan."

--IANS

san/ksk/
The death count from devastating and destructive tornadoes that scrapped the American South and Midwest had risen to 32, while parts of the Southern Plains braced for the possibility of their own round of severe weather, according to CNN.

The storm, which broke into America's houses, came on Friday and till now, had crushed homes and businesses, ripped roofs off buildings, splintered trees and sent vehicles flying.

In Wynne, Arkansas, where four people have been killed, was cleaved in half by one such tornado, leaving a line of destruction from the city's western limit to its eastern, according to Mayor Jennifer Hobbs, who told CNN Sunday and added, "We're just gonna need all the help that we can (get) to help these families recover".

Deaths have been confirmed across a wide swath of states, with multiple victims reported in Arkansas, Indiana and Tennessee, where the statewide death toll rose to 15 Sunday, officials said.

Three of the deaths were in Memphis: Two children and one adult were found dead after police responded to calls about trees that had fallen on homes, the Memphis Police Department said in a news release.

After the report of various tornadoes in Arkansas, the governor declared a state of emergency Friday afternoon after officials said one person was killed in North Little Rock and two died in Wynne. A state of emergency was also declared in Missouri in response to severe weather, CNN reported.

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On Friday night in northern Illinois, a person was killed and 28 others were hospitalized after the roof collapsed at a theatre in Belvidere with 260 people inside, told the fire chief, Shawn Schadle, reported New York Times.

Roughly 150 miles to the east of Sherman, in Sullivan Country, Ind., three people were also killed after a tornado touched down, according to Sgt. Matt Ames with the Indiana State Police.

In addition to Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee, tornadoes were reported to the National Weather Service across Wisconsin, Iowa and Mississippi. As the storm system moved eastward early Saturday, tornado warnings remained in place for parts of Alabama and Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.

An overnight tornado, which makes people most prone to extensive damages, levelled much of Rolling Fork, Mississippi, where estimated maximum winds of 170 mph roared.

President Biden on Friday visited Rolling Fork, the Mississippi community hit hardest by the tornadoes last week. Tornadoes killed 13 people and destroyed homes and businesses in Rolling Fork and in surrounding Sharkey County.
Former President Donald Trump faces the most urgent legal challenge of his life this week in New York, where he's set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.

But as much of the attention will be on the courthouse in lower Manhattan, investigations from Atlanta to Washington will press forward, underscoring the broad range of peril he confronts as he seeks to reclaim the presidency.

The vulnerability Trump faces in Washington alone has become clear over the past month, as judges in a succession of sealed rulings have turned aside the Trump team's efforts to block grand jury testimony including from his own lawyer and his former vice president from witnesses who were, or still are, close to him and who could conceivably offer direct insight into key events.

The rulings directing advisers and aides to testify don't suggest that the Justice Department is close to bringing criminal charges, nor do they guarantee that prosecutors can secure testimony valuable to a potential prosecution. But they're nonetheless a key, closed-door win for the government as it investigates whether classified documents were criminally mishandled at Trump's Florida home and the possible obstruction of that probe, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election.

I do think when you're talking about an attempted insurrection and the kinds of issues that we're talking about there, there's going to be a lot of arguments on DOJ's side to get the testimony, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a George Washington University law professor.

Meanwhile, the district attorney in Atlanta is continuing to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia. A special grand jury in February said it believed one or more witnesses committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges.

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The former president never testified before the special grand jury, meaning he is not among those who could have perjured themselves. But the report doesn't foreclose the possibility of other charges, and the case still poses particular challenges for Trump, in part because his actions in Georgia were so public.

Overall, the number of sealed disputes over the scope of grand jury testimony is unusual but perhaps befitting for hugely consequential probes like one concerning a former president. It also stands in contrast to the last special counsel investigation involving Trump, when he was president and when Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors sought to determine whether Trump's 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the election.

In that probe, a lawyer inside the White House, Ty Cobb, facilitated voluntary interviews of White House staff without subpoenas in hopes that cooperation would hasten the investigation toward conclusion.

If I could figure out a way to cooperate and still preserve executive privilege, it would speed things up, which in my judgment ... was imperative to the president and to the country, Cobb said in a recent interview. We were able to accelerate getting them all of the information.

Trump in that investigation was protected by the power of his office and by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. No longer president, Trump has lost that shield, raising the stakes of his criminal exposure. And as prosecutors have sought to question people close to him whether to better understand Trump's state of mind and possible defenses, or to gather potentially damaging testimony Trump's lawyers have repeatedly objected, often in vain.

Perhaps the most vivid example came last month when the then-chief judge of the D.C. federal court ordered that Trump's lawyer, M. Evan Corcoran, had to give more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. He had invoked attorney-client privilege in an earlier appearance before the grand jury in declining to answer more questions, but prosecutors pressed for more testimony.

They cited what's known as the crime-fraud exception to attorney client privilege, which allows prosecutors to compel testimony from a lawyer if they can convince a judge that a client was using legal services in furtherance of a crime. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Corcoran had to return before the grand jury, and he was in court a week later.

Another instance came last week when a different federal judge, James Boasberg, ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence had to give some testimony in a Justice Department special counsel probe into efforts to undo the election.

The decision rejected the Trump team's arguments of executive privilege, though Boasberg did give Pence a victory by accepting his lawyers' arguments that, for constitutional reasons, he could not be questioned about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Republican Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify Democrat Joe Biden's victory.

A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story but responded to the ruling in the Pence matter in a statement saying that the Justice Department is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, Constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

Other former Trump aides, including Stephen Miller and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, have also recently been ordered by a judge to offer testimony despite Trump team objections of executive privilege.

The ability of Justice Department prosecutors in multiple instances to convince judges that there's a basis to secure the testimony is significant to the extent that it shows that there's a there there with respect to the investigations, Eliason said.

But he cautioned from reading too much into it, given that the threshold for prevailing in a fight over executive privilege or attorney-client is lower than the burden needed to win a criminal case at trial.

It's a far cry from being able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a contested trial, Eliason said. It would be quite a leap to go from there and be able to say that they've got a criminal case locked up.
Donald Trump is set to be arraigned on Tuesday after being indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury on charges arising from hush money payments made to a porn star during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former US president to face a criminal charge and upending his bid to retake the White House in 2024.

The 76-year-old is expected to fly to New York City from his Mar-a-Lago home on Monday and plans to return back to his resort in Florida following his court hearing, where he will address his supporters on Tuesday night, his office said Sunday.

"I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York. On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way! Trump wrote on his social media account on Truth Social Sunday, as the city braces for demonstrations from his supporters and protestors in the wake of the unprecedented criminal indictment of a former president.

Trump, who is the first former US president to face a criminal charge, will be arraigned on Tuesday. The proceeding is expected to be brief. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes.

He has denied all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made to Daniels, 44, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump will appear before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15 pm EST (11:45 pm IST) on Tuesday. American media has quoted Trump's attorneys as saying that the former president will plead not guilty.

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After his court appearance, Trump will immediately fly back to Florida where he will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach later Tuesday.

The grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump, a Republican, for his role in paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair. The indictment remains under seal and it is not clear what crimes and how many criminal counts Trump has been charged with. CNN reported that the former president has been charged with more than 30 counts.

Trump has called Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is bringing the criminal charges against him, as corrupt and said he has no case. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!), and a Trump-hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros-backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.'s Office - Unprecedented!



It is expected that Trump will be processed before appearing in court, and his fingerprints and mugshot will be taken. In a report in The Guardian, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said, I'm sure they'll try to get every ounce of publicity from this thing."



He added that the "president will not be put in handcuffs. I'm sure they'll try to make sure they get some joy out of this by parading him."



Outlining the scene at the courthouse as Trump makes his appearance, Tacopina said the courthouse is expected to close as Trump arrives. He will appear in front of a judge and plead not guilty. His team will file motions against the indictment, arguing against the legal liability of this case.

According to a report in Politico, Tacopina said Sunday that he eventually expects to move to dismiss the charges against the former president.

"I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this, Tacopina told Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union.

"We're not doing anything at the arraignment because that would be showmanship and nothing more because we haven't even seen the indictment yet. We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every every potential issue that we will be able to challenge and we will challenge, he said.

The New York Police Department as well as the Secret Service, tasked with the protection of the former president, are coordinating to ensure that the entire proceedings go through without law and order disruptions. Security is expected to be very tight outside the courthouse when Trump arrives and leaves. Barricades have been put in place amid heavy NYPD presence around the courthouses in lower Manhattan.

Last week on Thursday, news of a grand jury voting to indict Trump ignited mixed responses from New Yorkers, with some hailing the development as "spectacular" while others slamming it as a "political witch hunt" from which the ex-president will emerge stronger.

About 6.5 kilometers from the Lower Manhattan courthouses where the grand jury decided to indict Trump, the scene outside the Trump Tower in the upscale Fifth Avenue in Manhattan was sombre and quiet.

It was inside this popular Manhattan building in June 2015 when Trump descended the "golden escalators" into a crowd of supporters and media persons to announce his presidential run.

On the chilly Thursday evening, barring a couple of New York Police Department (NYPD) patrol vehicles, barricades lining the sidewalk and some reporters and camera persons, the scene outside Trump Tower was uneventful.

New Yorkers and tourists strolled by the building, some stopping only briefly to take pictures of the multi-story glass tower, which is ensconced among the world's most luxurious brands on 5th Avenue, and that bears Trump's name.

"As far as Trump being indicted is concerned, sure they'll handcuff him, they'll take a mugshot and then he will be good to go. This has made Trump's base stronger, New York activist Susan-Anne Miller told PTI outside the Trump Tower.

"By the time the case goes to trial, he will be President again, she said.

She said prosecutors have a weak case against Trump. There was no case, they were trying to find a way to work it around so that they could hold him. This is a political witch hunt and in the end, he will be proven innocent, she said.

Miller said there will be no riots from Trump supporters in the aftermath of the indictment.

An elderly couple said it was about time that Trump was indicted.

Charle Earlston, a lawyer and veteran, said he had hoped to see more crowds of protestors and supporters outside the Trump Tower after the indictment news.

The indictment is symbolic of where the country is at right now, he said.

The Democratic Party and their allies have been wanting to get Trump indicted on something, whatever it was, for the better part of about eight years now, he said.

Benjamin Adams, a New Yorker, said the Trump indictment was going to divide the American people even more. "I think the country has a lot more pressing issues at the moment than to worry about this," he said.

Al Mason, Indian-American Trump supporter, real estate businessman and co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian-American Finance Committee, told PTI that the charges against Trump are 100 per cent political.
Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in a parliamentary election Sunday in an extremely tight three-way race in which right-wing populists took second place, leaving Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party in third, dashing her hopes for reelection.

The center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory Sunday evening with all of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.8%. They were followed by right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1%, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9%.

With the top three parties each getting around 20% of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic country's parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party, said the party's elated leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki.

Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europe's youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinist, in advocating for Finland's successful application to join NATO.

The 53-year-old Orpo, Finland's former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic country's solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure.

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First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you," Orpo told the Associated Press at NCP's victory event. We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear.

"And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose, Orpo said.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a NATO member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the country's membership bid.

NCP's share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finland's Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats 43 seats respectively.

Observers say the result means a power shift in Finland's political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new center-right government with nationalist tones. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019.

Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament.

I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland," Orpo told the AP.

And you know what is important for us? It's that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up NATO-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program, he said.

The positions of Marin's party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats' economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.

Orpo had hammered on Finland's growing government debt and the need to make budget cuts throughout the election. NCP is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share view on developing Finland's economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues.

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nation's non-alignment policy nor the war emerged as major campaign issues as there was a large consensus on the membership among parties complete with high public support.

Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member with a population of 5.5 million.

The initial voter turnout in the election was 71.9%, slightly down from the 2019 election.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges.

During the phone conversation, Lavrov underscored the need to respect the decision of Russian authorities made under Russia's law and international obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The Russian Foreign Minister expressed opposition to attempts of US officials and the Western media to politicise the legal case. He noted that "Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain classified information and collecting data constituting a state secret under the guise of a journalistic status" and his fate will be determined by the court, Xinhua news agency reported.

In addition, Lavrov and Blinken touched upon some bilateral issues during the call, the statement added.

The Russian Federal Security Service announced on Thursday that it had detained Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg for "spying in the interests of the American government" and a criminal case had been launched.

--IANS

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int/khz/
Malaysia's Parliament on Monday approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death penalties and limit capital punishment to serious crimes as part of wide-ranging reforms, bringing possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row.

While the death sentence remains, courts will now be given the option of imposing jail sentences of up to 40 years, Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh said.

Previously, courts had no choice but to mandate hanging as punishment for a range of crimes including murder, drug trafficking, treason, kidnapping and acts of terror.

The reforms include abolishing the death penalty for some offenses that don't cause death that fall under kidnapping, terrorism and certain firearm crimes, officials said.

Singh called the reforms a significant step forward for Malaysia's criminal justice system.

He said 1,318 people are on death row in the country, including 842 who have exhausted all avenues of appeals. Most cases are linked to drug trafficking.

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Once the bill comes into effect, prisoners will have 90 days to file a review of their sentences but not their convictions, he said.

"A review of this sentence reflects the government's commitment to always be open to renewing and improving legislation and justice in this country, Singh said.

He stressed that courts still have the power to uphold a death penalty after reviewing a prisoner's sentence. The bill needs to be approved by the upper house and the king before becoming law.

Malaysia has a moratorium on hanging since 2018. The government also proposed last year to abolish mandatory death penalties, but the move was scuppered after Parliament was dissolved for a general election.

Foreigners account for more than 500 of those on death row, according to the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network.

Essentially, we have now narrowed down our death penalty to only three main offenses: murder, drug trafficking and treason, said Dobby Chew of ADPAN.

This is a good first step forward. It brings Malaysia closer in line with international standards for those countries that retain the death penalty.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a post-summit dinner at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, in this April 25, 2019 photo released by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap



Seoul joins US-led sanctions; Pyongyang needs Moscow's food supply



By Lee Hyo-jin



South Korea and North Korea have positioned themselves on opposite sides of the protracted war in Ukraine, with the South supporting Kyiv and the North siding with Moscow.



The calculated involvements of the two Koreas in the war taking place more than 6,500 kilometers away from the Korean Peninsula reflect their own geopolitical interests, according to analysts.



The Ukraine war seems to have served as an opportunity for North Korea to deepen its alignment with the Kremlin. Throughout last year, the two countries have drastically strengthened their bilateral ties that have had their ups and downs since the collapse of the Soviet Union.



South Korea has joined U.S.-led economic sanctions against Russia, as well as banning the exports of strategic items to the country. And it has been assisting Kyiv by providing various aid packages and non-lethal weapons.



As the conflict in Ukraine drags on with no end in sight, the two Koreas are expected to increase support for their respective sides.



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, recently slammed Ukraine for attempting to retain its status as a nuclear state.



"If the Zelenskyy authorities calculated that they can avoid the powerful fire of Russia only when they go under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, which had already been perforated, they are going to the wrong path, the last path," she said in a statement via the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Saturday.



Her remarks came two days after the U.S. government raised speculation that North Korea is seeking to covertly provide artillery shells to Russia in return for supplies of food and other commodities. Washington also suspects that Moscow obtained over two dozen types of weapons and munitions from Pyongyang last year, in exchange for raw materials and commercial aircraft.



Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Woman's University, viewed that Pyongyang has much to gain from standing alongside Moscow, a path it has been pursing since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.



"North Korea needs Russia on its side in order to continue avoiding international sanctions, as the regime plans to expand its nuclear capabilities and conduct a possible seventh nuclear test," he said.



In May last year, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution to strengthen sanctions on North Korea after it launched a series of missile provocations in violation of U.N. resolutions.



Park said Pyongyang seems to be increasingly counting on Russia rather than China as its backer, given that Beijing has been showing an ambiguous stance on the Kim regime's push for nuclear tests.





A harbor worker pushes a barrier next to the South Korean Black Panther K2 tank in the Polish naval port of Gdynia, in this Dec. 6, 2022 photo. AP-Yonhap
A report says McDonald's has closed its U.S. offices for a few days as the company prepares to inform employees about layoffs.

The Wall Street Journal cited an internal email from the Chicago-based fast-food giant saying U.S. corporate staff and some employees overseas should work from home while the company notifies people of their job status.

McDonald's did not immediately reply to emailed requests for comment. The report said McDonald's would inform its employees this week about staffing decisions that are part of a wide restructuring of the company announced earlier.

Though the U.S. labor market remains strong, layoffs have been mounting, mainly in the technology sector, where many companies over-hired after a pandemic boom. IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter and DoorDash have all announced layoffs in recent months.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have forecast the unemployment rate may rise to 4.6% by the end of this year, a sizable increase historically associated with recessions.

McDonald's has more than 150,000 employees in corporate roles. About 70% of those employees are based outside the United States.

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The company reported its global sales rose nearly 11% in 2022, while sales in the U.S. climbed almost 6%. Total restaurant margins rose 5%. In its latest annual report, it cited difficulties in adequately staffing some of its outlets.

In January, McDonald's said its Accelerating the Arches program would focus on deliveries, Drive Thru, digital and development.

We're performing at a high level, but we can do even better," CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a Jan. 6 letter to employees. He said the company was divided into silos and that the approach was outdated and self-limiting."



As the company reshapes its strategy, he said, we will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead.
Nepal on Monday confirmed the detection of a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified as "XBB1.16" and said that at least 10 out of 24 latest samples of patients across the country have tested positive for the new strain.

Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population said it has cautioned its citizens after the detection of XBB1.6 variant, which has been identified and spreading in neighbouring India.

"A new variant of Omicron XBB1.16', spreading in the neighbouring country India, has also been detected in Nepal. So far 10 of the 24 samples tested by the Health Ministry have been confirmed," Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said.

According to the ministry, to identify the molecular genetic changes in COVID-19, 24 PCR, and antigen-positive samples were collected in March at the National Public Health Laboratory through random sampling.

Of the 24 samples collected, two tested positive for BA.1.1, two for BA. 2, and one for BA. 2.76, 2 for BA.5, two for BA. 5.2, 10 for XBB 1.16, three for XBB 1.5, one for XBB 2.6, and one for XBF.

The health ministry has urged people travelling from abroad to get tested for coronavirus infection at the health desk at borders, and to get the necessary treatment and counselling from nearby hospitals if tested positive, arranged by the ministry, saying that the new variant is spreading rapidly in neighbouring India.

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The Ministry has urged denizens to not overlook symptoms of cough, cold, and running nose, and to stay in isolation if these symptoms are observed, vigilant follow the health safety standards, saying that the spreading of COVID-19 can be curbed with the collective effort of all.

The ministry said that 76 new cases (RT-PCR and antigen tests combined) of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Monday while 16 people recovered from the disease.
Russia's Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Monday, claimed to have hoisted the country's flag on Ukraine's Bakhmut city hall, and said that they have technically captured it, TASS reported.

Giving details about the incident, Prigozhin said, "April 2, 23:00 precisely. Behind me is the building of [Artyomovsk's] city administration. This Russian flag is for Vladlen Tatarsky, [the Russian military reporter killed in a blast in St. Petersburg on Sunday]," according to the TASS agency citing the Telegram channel of the Wagner Group founder's press service. 'In grateful memory,' is written on this flag.

"Technically we have captured Bakhmut," Prigozhin added.

He further noted that the commanders of Russian units that captured the city hall and the entire central district "will carry and place the flags". "The adversary remains in Western blocks," he added, according to TASS Agency.

Vladlen Tatarsky, who is a war correspondent and a blogger, was killed on Sunday in an explosion at the country's second-largest city of Saint Petersburg, Interior Ministry confirmed, TASS reported.

The ministry's press centre said, "At 6:13 p.m. on April 2, 2023, the police received information about a blast in Universitetsjaya Embankment 25. As a result, one person was killed. It was war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky. Sixteen people were wounded."

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Vladlen Tatarsky was widely known at the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine as he used to post daily videos titled Vecherny Vladlen. In the videos, he used to analyze the course of the operation and advised the mobilized.

Apart from that, he shot a video from the event in the Kremlin when Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech on the accession of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR), the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions to Russia, according to TASS agency.

In the latest development of the attack, a spokesman for the law enforcement agencies said that the explosive device that went off in a cafe was stuffed with striking elements, the blast targeted war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky.

"The makeshift explosive device that went off in a St. Petersburg cafe was stuffed with striking elements. The target was war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky," the spokesman said.
US President Joe Biden may visit a state-of-the-art semiconductor factory run by a US chip firm in western Japan during the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, said diplomatic sources quoted by Kyodo News.

The G-7 group consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the European Union.

Biden, along with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida will visit the plant run by Micron Technology Inc.'s Japanese unit, according to the sources, as a sign of their deepening bilateral collaboration in the semiconductor industry.

The US government is offering huge subsidies to develop the domestic chip business because it views it as crucial to national security and as giving the US an advantage over China.

Washington, which aims to create resilient semiconductor supply chains with Japan and its other allies, recently unveiled broad export controls on some cutting-edge chips in October that could be used by Beijing to power advanced military and surveillance applications as well as train artificial intelligence systems.

Advanced memory chips are now being mass-produced at the Micron Memory Japan KK factory in Hiroshima Prefecture, which will receive subsidies from the Japanese government. Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, said it is a significant investment in the stability and security of both nations' economies.

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The Japanese government has also opted to subsidise capital expenditures for production in Japan by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Tokyo-based Kioxia Corp. by up to 46.4 billion yen ($349 million), reported Kyodo News.

With worries about Beijing's expanding military and economic might, Washington and Tokyo have been preparing to secure supply chains for cutting-edge semiconductors, a crucial strategic resource in terms of national security.

At the request of Washington, major chip-making equipment producers from Japan and the Netherlands are anticipated to restrict their shipments of advanced semiconductor technology to China.

At the G-7 three-day summit beginning on May 19, leaders will hold discussions on the agenda of economic security.

According to the sources, mentioned by Kyodo News, arrangements are being made for Kishida, who will preside over the summit, to have private meetings with Biden and the other G-7 leaders before the summit.
Vice Unification Minister Kim Ki-woong speaks at a Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting in the National Assembly, Jan. 17. Yonhap



Vice Unification Minister Kim Ki-woong will meet Japan's top nuclear envoy this week to discuss ways to boost bilateral ties amid North Korea's continued provocations, the unification ministry said Monday.



The talks between Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian Affairs at Tokyo's foreign ministry, will be held Thursday as a follow-up measure to the unification minister's visit to Japan last month.



During the trip, Unification Minister Kwon Young-se met with top Japanese government officials and proposed establishing a consultative channel between Seoul's unification ministry and Tokyo's foreign ministry.



"Last month, the unification minister agreed to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and Japan on North Korea policies during his visit to Japan, and (this week's) meeting is a follow-up to the visit," Koo Byoung-sam, the ministry's spokesperson, told a regular press briefing.



Also, Funakoshi may hold separate meetings with his counterparts at Seoul's foreign ministry, including Kim Gunn, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Seo Min-jung, director general for Asia and Pacific affairs.



The trip will mark Funakoshi's first visit to South Korea since Seoul last month announced its plan to compensate Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor on its own, without asking Japan for contributions. (Yonhap)


Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:31AM

Image: Google

Google is bringing Nearby Share to Windows. However, it's currently only in beta. But this app will make it easier to transfer files between Windows PCs and Android phones. It's available for download from the Android website, and it requires the 64-bit Windows 10 version and up and shouldn't be powered by ARM processors. Nearby Share will only work if you have your PC's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. Similar to the mobile experience, you can choose your device visibility setting to prevent potential spam from mixing on.

If you're signed into a common Google account on your phone and laptop, the transfers will automatically be accepted. But both devices need to be within 16 feet of each other. It's available in most countries worldwide, with some exceptions. It currently only supports Android phones and tablets, but Google plans to expand compatibility across its ecosystem.

Source
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 9:24PM

Image: Netflix

At least that's what Netflix hopes. The streaming service is restructuring its movie division to release fewer films overall. Even with the number of titles it's released, only a few won accolades, reached millions of hours of streaming or achieved the cultural impact some big blockbusters have achieved. Netflix Film chief Scott Stuber reportedly decided to do this cut so the division guarantees it produces high-quality projects.

Before this announcement, it debuted at least one movie per week in the past two years. Netflix plans to combine its team working on small projects with a budget of USD 30 million or less and the unit that makes mid-budget films costing between USD 30 million and 80 million. This restructuring will result in a "handful" of layoffs, but Netflix hasn't specified a number. It's unclear if Netflix's division for big-budget projects will be affected by this restructuring. But two notable executives are leaving the company after over a decade. Lisa Nishimura, who oversees documentaries like Tiger King and small-budget films, and Vice President for film Ian Bricke are departing.

Source
News at 4Cs

Cape Cod's 2023 Media Conference hosted by 4Cs & 90.7 WKKL

On Friday, April 14 Cape Cod Community College and 90.7 WKKL will host the 2023 Cape Cod Media Conference on the Colleges West Barnstable campus. Open to the public, the Media Conference is designed to connect the community with careers and opportunities within the professional world of media and broadcasting.

Click here to see the full details for the Conference and registration.

With a focus on helping attendees understand the value of building a personal brand, the Conference will showcase professionals from across the spectrum of media jobs. Experts will be on-hand to talk about everything from resume building to starting up a media side hustle. HyFlex, in-person, and Zoom sessions will include topics in radio and podcasting, voice-over and voice acting, journalism and creative writing, digital and social media, and film and video streaming.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a resume and a reel for review by the experts. Registration is required and is also free of charge. For more information and registration information go to capecod.edu/cape-cod-media-conference.





What: Cape Cod Media Conference

When: Friday, April 14, 2023 from 9:00 a.m.  3:00 p.m.

Where: Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable, MA

Who: Local media professionals, 4Cs faculty members from the Communications field, experts in broadcasting, journalism, social media, voice acting, film, and more.
Christopher Sweeney, center, the commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, speaks during a South Korea-U.S. joint news conference aboard the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier at the Korean naval base in Busan, March 28. Yonhap



South Korea, the United States and Japan kicked off a trilateral naval exercise, involving an American aircraft carrier, in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Monday, Seoul's defense ministry said, amid joint efforts to reinforce deterrence against growing North Korean threats.



The two-day anti-submarine and search-and-rescue exercise, featuring the USS Nimitz carrier, got under way in the international waters south of the southern island of Jeju.



The joint maneuvers followed Pyongyang's provocative acts, such as its unveiling of the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead last week and the test of the underwater nuclear attack drone Haeil days earlier.



"(The anti-submarine exercise) was arranged to enhance response capabilities of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan against North Korea's advancing underwater threats, including from a submarine-launched ballistic missile," the ministry said in a press release.



The South deployed to the exercise its key destroyers, the Yulgok YiYi, Choe Yeong and Daejoyeong, as well as the Soyang combat support ship, while the U.S. sent the carrier and two destroyers, USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur. Japan mobilized the JS Umigiri destroyer.



The anti-submarine drills will focus on enhancing the countries' capabilities to "detect, track, share information on and defeat" the North's underwater threats, according to the ministry.



During the search and rescue segment, they plan to practice first-aid and other emergency procedures for those in a simulated maritime accident.



The three countries last held trilateral anti-submarine drills last September. This week's search-and-rescue drills among the three nations took place for the first time in seven years, according to the ministry.





This photo shows the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier docking at a naval base in Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, March 28. Yonhap
Seven-seaters are all about practicality. For the Filipino family, it has to be safe, reliable, but most of all, offers comfort and joy with...
Suh Hoon, former director of the National Security Office / Korea Times file



Former national security adviser Suh Hoon, who was arrested about four months ago over alleged irregularities surrounding the 2020 death of a South Korean fisheries official at the hands of North Korea, was granted bail by a court Monday.



The Seoul Central District Court approved Suh's application for bail on condition that he pays a deposit of 150 million won ($114,000) and stays in his registered residence. He was also ordered to obtain the court's permission before leaving his residence or going on an overseas trip.



Suh, who served as director of the National Security Office during the previous Moon Jae-in presidency, was arrested and indicted last December on charges related to the death of the fisheries official, who was fatally shot by the North's military on Sept. 22, 2020, near the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea, after going missing the previous day while on duty on board a fishery inspection boat.



Suh was indicted for his alleged involvement in the Moon government's controversial conclusion that the fisheries official was killed while attempting to defect to the North. Suh was also suspected of ordering key government officials to delete internal intelligence reports running counter to the conclusion.



The 70-year-old Suh, who has denied all the charges against him, claimed in his bail application that he was suffering from cardiovascular diseases. (Yonhap)


Editor's Note:In light of recent events, we have been reflecting on the depth and breadth of President Carters impact. This is one in a series of stories from our archives that show how his principles, expressed through Carter Center initiatives, have affected the lives of real people.

Antoinette Sainfabe, about 40, lives in a destitute section of Leogane, the epicenter of the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. She was buried under the rubble of her home for three days; a diagonal scar across her forehead serves as a reminder of the trauma. Sainfabe and her children lived beneath a banana tree for three years until a relief organization built her a new home beside the ruins of the crumbled one. Her children love her signature beans-and-rice dish, but her part-time cleaning job doesnt pay enough for her to buy fresh food every day.

Life is hard enough in Haiti, with its profound poverty, natural disasters, and troubled political history. Add to the mix an insidious tropical disease that causes permanent disfigurement, and the result is misery that defies description.

Antoinette Sainfabe (right) lives with her daughter and niece, as well as two sons, in her rebuilt home in Leogane, Haiti. The house replaced the one that collapsed on top of Sainfabe during the 2010 earthquake. (Photo: The Carter Center/E. Staub)

Sainfabe contracted lymphatic filariasis (LF) from the bites of infected mosquitoes. In 1993, the disease caused her legs to swell irreversibly to almost twice their normal size, which makes it hard to walk, hard to get and hold a job, and hard to avoid being stigmatized. Its practically impossible to find shoes that fit, so she, like the other women in the Hope Club, her lymphatic filariasis support group, improvises with strips of Velcro to extend her sandal straps.

A woman wants to feel beautiful, to feel dignity, and shoes are part of it, she said. We have to buy two sizes of shoes  or buy one size and bear with the pain.

Despite her troubles, the first thing people notice about Sainfabe is not her big legs, its her signature smile, which she generously shares, especially with the Hope Club, part of the Carter Center-supported Hispaniola Initiative, a joint effort by the governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic to eliminate both LF and malaria on their shared home island.

The Hope Club meets regularly at Leoganes Hopital Sainte Croix, the only hospital in Haiti that houses a specialized LF clinic. On the same campus is the office of Dr. Luccene Desir, the Carter Centers representative in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; his sister Martha Desir, a registered nurse, oversees an affiliated vocational training center for LF patients located one block north.

The group talked about the importance of gathering to share their experiences, clothes, and children, as well as stigma and charlatans pushing phony cures.

At the vocational center, LF patients learn marketable skills such as sewing and silk flower arranging. Just as important, many participants form strong personal bonds.

On a steamy summer day in Leogane, members of the flower-arranging class were grieving the recent death of a classmate and fellow LF sufferer, Yvette Milord, from an unrelated illness. Milords classmates created a beautiful blue wreath for the funeral. The funeral procession, led by a traditional brass band, plodded slowly down a dirt road, accumulating hundreds of well-dressed mourners along the way. Several limped on LF-swollen legs behind the hearse, the blue wreath they had made standing out atop it among the other flowers.

That evening, Sainfabe was back at home with her children and the niece who lives with her. They adore her and accept her, unlike many others who cruelly taunt her because of her swollen legs.

Sainfabes advice to other lymphatic filariasis sufferers is to resist discouragement, avoid isolation, and see beauty in themselves.

See me as I am, she said, head held high. I am living.
Three people, who were arrested in suspected connection with the murder of a 48-year-old woman who lived in Seoul's Gangnam District, leave Seoul Suseo Police Station before being transported to the Seoul Central District Court to attend their arrest warrant hearings, Monday. Yonhap



Case believed to be related to cryptocurrency investments



By Jun Ji-hye



Three people were arrested on Monday in suspected connection with the recent murder of a 48-year-old woman who lived in Seoul's Gangnam District.



Judge Yoo Chang-hoon at the Seoul Central District Court said the decision was made to grant warrants for their arrests "due to concerns they are flight risks or could try to destroy evidence."



According to police, the three were suspected of conspiring to force the woman into a vehicle in front of an apartment complex in Yeoksam-dong in Seoul's Gangnam District at 11:46 p.m. on Wednesday, and murdering her the following day in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. Her body was dumped on a mountain near Daecheong Dam on the outskirts of Daejeon.



The three were caught by police some 42 hours after the woman's abduction.



Police have secured a testimony that one of the three suspects, identified only by his surname Lee, invited the second suspect to participate in the crime, while the second one invited the third suspect.



The case is believed to be related to disputes between Lee and the victim over cryptocurrency investments, according to legal sources and media reports.



Lee, 35, who worked at a lawyer's office in Seoul, testified during the initial police questioning that he had suffered a loss of some 80 million won ($61,000) after investing money into the cryptocurrency company that the victim was working for.



As Lee is the only suspect personally acquainted with the victim and did not murder her on his own, police are not ruling out the possibility of murder by contract.



Lee paid some 7 million won to two other suspects, according to police.



Police requested a search and seizure warrant for the victim's bank account in order to check the scale of cryptocurrency held by her and whether the suspects had actually stolen anything.



"I am not at liberty to reveal the name of the cryptocurrency involved," said a police officer from the Seoul Suseo Police Station handling the case. "Professional investigators specializing in cryptocurrency will be dispatched from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to enhance our investigation team."



Previously, both Lee and the victim became involved in a separate criminal case, as the two faced a police investigation related to a cryptocurrency extortion case in February 2021.



According to legal sources, Lee and the victim, along with 16 other people, threatened an individual after the cryptocurrency they had bought plunged in value. They believed that the individual had manipulated the price.



The group extorted cryptocurrency from the individual to the amount of about 190 million won. But, neither Lee nor the recent murder victim received any of the stolen cryptocurrency, according to a police investigation at the time.



Police officers investigating the latest murder case believe that Lee was familiar with the scale of the victim's assets as he and the victim invested in the same cryptocurrency and were both involved in the 2021 criminal case.



In addition to the three, police booked another suspected accomplice, also Monday, while continuing to investigate the possibility that there could have been more accomplices involved in the crime. Police said they have secured testimony that there were two more accomplices.


Coming up this week are two important days on the Christian calendar, Good Friday and Easter. But little thought is given to the day in between, a day we could call Silent Saturday.

Jesus Christ, the one who had performed miracles, including healing the sick and lame, raising the dead, feeding multitudes, walking on water, and teaching radical truths about God, had been crucified. His closest disciples, who had left their comfortable, accustomed lives to follow Him, had lost their leader.

The range of emotions they must have experienced was vast: anger, grief, confusion, disbelief. Guilt would have been another. One of the 12, Judas Iscariot the traitor, who had turned Jesus over to the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities, had taken his own life by hanging from a tree.

But each of the remaining disciples, in his own way, also had betrayed Jesus, whom they had embraced as their Lord. When He was arrested, they all had scattered. Two of the disciples, John and Peter, did follow the procession after the arrest furtively, watching the mock trial proceedings from a distance. Peter, afraid of what would happen if his association with Jesus were exposed, vocally denied Him three times when asked if he was one of Jesus disciples.

Can you imagine what was going through their minds and hearts on the day after Jesus death and burial in a rich mans tomb? Surely there was no laughter. There might have been quiet tears, but most likely there was wordless despair as their hopes and dreams seemingly lay in shambles. After the horrors of that Friday, with the banging of dagger-sized nails being hammered into flesh, cries of pain and anguish from Jesus and the two criminals crucified on His left and right, and the loud weeping of the women who had followed and served Him, the next day must have been dreadfully silent.

The Scriptures tell us Jesus most dear followers had gathered together with doors locked for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). What do we do now? was likely a question repeating in each of their minds. For three years they had literally taken marching orders from Jesus, traveling to various parts of Judea; now the leader of their march had been slain.

In the gospels we read nothing specifically about how the disciples spent that Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. The only thing we know for certain is that Pontius Pilate, the Roman leader who had authorized Jesus execution, decided to take action to ensure that the body of Christ would be kept secure.

The chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. Sir, They said, we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, After three days I will rise again. So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that He has been raised from the dead. The last deception will be worse than the first.

Pilate concurred, ordering, Take a guard. Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how. So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard (Matthew 27:62-66).

Other than that brief, factual report, the Scriptures tell us nothing else about that silent Saturday. Each of the gospel accounts jumps directly from the details of the crucifixion and burial to the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16,2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). So, were left to our imaginations as to what was happening in the lives of Peter, John, Andrew, Matthew and the others.

Thankfully, as somber and silent as that Sabbath must have been, it was like God pressing the heavenly pause button. Because the next day  Sunday  would be filled with shouts, cries of jubilation and celebration unlike anything ever witnessed in the world before.

In fact, it was while the disciples were huddling behind closed, locked doors that Jesus suddenly appeared to them, declaring, Peace be with you! After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord (John 20:19-20).

Best of all, thats not the end of the story. In fact, its just the beginning. Which explains why the words from the now-famous sermon by pastor S.M. Lockridge resonate so strongly and loudly today: Its Friday, but Sundays Coming.

* * *
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, center, sings the national anthem at a commemoration ceremony of the Jeju April 3 Uprising and Massacre at Jeju 4.3 Peace Park on Jeju Island, Monday. Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Monday slammed President Yoon Suk Yeol for not attending a commemoration ceremony for the Jeju April 3 Uprising and Massacre, which killed tens of thousands of people amid ideological conflicts on Jeju Island in the late 1940s and early 1950s.



The DPK held its Supreme Council meeting on the southern island and accused the Yoon administration of disrespecting the spirit of the uprising.



"The president's promise for a complete resolution to April 3 has gone sour," DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung said. "Due to the administration's retrograde movements, there are far-right activists who are disavowing the April 3 Uprising."



The uprising began on the island on April 3, 1947, when ideological conflict was in full swing in Korea after it was liberated from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. In protest against elections, which were to be held only in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, controlled by the United States Army Military Government in Korea, protesters, including members of the Workers' Party of South Korea (WPSK), attacked police stations, killed people they deemed as right-wing supporters and burned polling stations.



Seeking a speedy resolution to the insurrection, the mainland authorities sent thousands of soldiers and members of the Northwest Youth Association, a violent anti-communist group, to the island to suppress them. Tens of thousands of people died as a result.



It remains unclear how much of a role the WPSK played in the uprising and to what extent the party interacted with the Workers' Party of North Korea, led by North Korea founder Kim Il-sung. But ruling People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Tae Yong-ho, a Supreme Council member and former North Korean diplomat, caused controversy in February by claiming the uprising was started upon the orders of the former North Korean leader.



Furthermore, President Yoon also stirred controversy by appointing Kim Kwang-dong as the chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an independent body that investigates and uncovers the truth about the anti-Japanese independence movement and mass atrocities during the Korean War. Kim came under fire for his previous remarks that the uprising was an anti-U.S. and pro-communist movement.



"A year earlier, Yoon attended the commemoration ceremony here on Jeju and promised his efforts to fully recover the honor of the victims and bereaved families," DPK floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun said. "However, not only the president but also the leadership of the ruling party is absent today, which is the first commemoration ceremony since the Yoon government was inaugurated."





Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, front, burns incense during a commemoration ceremony for the Jeju April 3 Uprising and Massacre at Jeju 4.3 Peace Park on Jeju Island, Monday. Yonhap
When cold weather is finally over the flowers will bloom in the new concrete containers on Broad Street in Gig City, the birds will sing, and the competition will begin to secure the most favorable locations for the less fortunate citizens of our community to call upon the tourists and residents to donate their financial support.

Two of the most desirable locales would have to be just across historic Missionary Ridge!

(1) The Brainerd road split west of the tunnels onto McCallie and Bailey Avenues provides an optimal location for an enterprising solicitor to catch the rapidly increasing numbers of vehicles going in three directions to reap their tax free revenue (apologies to those who voluntarily report their daily cash intake to IRS).

(2) Brainerd Road at Germantown is another lucrative spot in the middle of the thriving thoroughfare even though the race to beat the changing light limits the opportunities for panhandling to the younger and more nimble members in our community.

Numerous other locations are available where the Dynamo of Dixie survivors can open up their pocketbooks and display their financial generosity that is beyond the scope of the article (maybe through the 2,439 local non-profits).

A recent decision by a federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama released an opinion that was reported around the Ides of March date in 2023, which struck down the state laws in the Crimson Tide state (also War Eagles) against panhandling as being unconstitutional.

The lifetime tenured judicial officer issued an order permanently enjoining the home state of Big Jim Folson and Nick Saban (Go Bama) from enforcing the laws against begging and pedestrian solicitation.

Panhandling is defined in several dictionaries in both positive and negative contexts which can be read under Tennessee State Law (now repealed) /City of Chattanooga Ordinance (2016) in another forthcoming article.

It is respectfully suggested that no pre-emptive court positions be filed by tough law and order officials that might later become civil rights legal actions for damages that may come out of the pockets of taxpayers under the guise of being budgetary items.

(The question of legitimacy of some of the handwritten cardboard signs displayed by panhandlers alleging that they are a military veteran is beyond the scope of Article number 1.)

* * *



You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com




Cleveland State Community College has partnered with Whirlpool Corporation in Cleveland to provide two registered apprenticeship programs for Whirlpool employees. Five employees in the maintenance department are participating in the Industrial Maintenance Repairer Apprenticeship, and one model shop employee is starting the Prototype Model Maker Apprenticeship.Cleveland State hosted representatives from Whirlpool and the Tennessee Department of Labor at a ceremony on Friday to recognize the six apprentices.Jeff Jones, Whirlpool Corporation Cleveland plant manager, said, Education is the foundation upon which we build our future.We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Cleveland State Community College in providing our apprentices with valuable hands-on experience and practical knowledge that will shape their future careers. Thank you for your commitment to education and your support in our apprenticeship program.Over the four-year programs, these apprentices will complete a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job learning with specific competencies taught and outlined by Whirlpool. They will also complete a minimum of 576 hours of related technical instruction at Cleveland State.As the official apprenticeship sponsor of both programs, Cleveland State secured two grants through the Tennessee Board of Regents. These grants will cover the first-year technical instruction component for the industrial maintenance program. The model maker program apprentice qualifies for the Tennessee Reconnect scholarship through Cleveland State.Dr. Ty Stone, CSCC president, said, We are proud to partner with Whirlpool as the official sponsor of these registered apprenticeship programs. Cleveland State is committed to helping our business and industry partners train a highly-skilled workforce. The apprenticeship program allows the college and industry to develop a pathway together to meet the needs of an ever-changing global economy.Officials said, "According to Apprenticeship TN, a registered apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce. Registered apprenticeship programs are approved by the U. S. Department of Labor and benefit employers with increased productivity, safety, worker versatility and employee retention. Most companies see a 94 percent retention rate after an apprentice completes the program."Employees benefit from apprenticeships by gaining paid, relevant workplace experiences while acquiring the skills and credentials that employers value. Employees receive progression wages during the program and earn a journeyman license recognized by industry. Apprenticeship provides affordable paths to secure, high-paying jobs and careers without the typical student debt."For more information about registered apprenticeship programs, contact Cleveland State Director of Workforce Heather Brown at hbrown@clevelandstatecc.edu or 423-614-8793.
William M. "Mickey" Barker, a Hamilton County judge who became chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, died on Monday morning.

Judge Barker, of Signal Mountain, had retired in 2008 from the high court after a judicial career spanning 25 years.



Governor Phil Bredesen said at the time, "In a judicial career spanning over 25 years, Chief Justice Barker has served the state of Tennessee with honor and integrity. Tennessee is fortunate to have benefited from his long commitment to public service. While I regret that he is retiring from the Supreme Court, I wish him all the best as he begins this new chapter in his life."

Chief Justice Barker was a native of Chattanooga. He earned his Bachelors degree from the University of Chattanooga and his law degree from the University Of Cincinnati School Of Law. Following graduation from law school, he entered the United States Army, serving for two years as a captain in the Medical Service Corps.

After his military service, he was in the private practice of law until his 1983 appointment to the Circuit Court for the 11th Judicial District. He was elected to the position in 1984 and again in 1990. During his trial court tenure, Barker was consistently given the highest rating for a Circuit Court judge in Chattanooga Bar Association polls.

In 1995, Governor Don Sundquist appointed him to the state Court of Criminal Appeals. The following year, he was elected to an eight-year term. He was appointed by to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1998 and was elected to a full eight-year term the same year and again in 2006. His colleagues on the court unanimously elected him chief justice in 2005.

In his letter to Bredesen, Chief Justice Barker said he had seen countless positive changes in both substantive and procedural laws while serving as a judge.

I am pleased to report that the state of the judiciary in Tennessee is excellent, he wrote.

At the time of his retirement, he served as chairman of the Tennessee Judicial Council, the Tennessee Code Commission, the Supreme Court Building Commission and the State Law Library Commission.

He also was a member of the American Law Institute and serves on the board of directors of the Conference of Chief Justices and is chairman of its Problem-Solving Courts Committee.

Chief Justice Mickey Barker was an extraordinary judge, who dedicated his life to strengthening Tennessees justice system," said Senator Bo Watson. "His many years of public service to Chattanooga, Hamilton County and our state are an exceptional legacy. Nicole and I are saddened to hear of his passing, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones.
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The Lula Lake Land Trust has added miles of trail at the old coal mining community of Durham, Ga., on Lookout Mountain.

LLLT officials said the trails are now open to the public.

Earlier, additional miles of trails were opened at Five Points, and the land trust helped complete the Cloudland Connector from a trailhead off Nickajack Road to Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Officials said, "Long before Lula Lake Land Trust (LLLT) existed, the Durham property was part of a bustling mining town. Mining at Durham dates back as far as 1891 with indications that it began prior to the Civil War. At one time, the town was said to have a workforce of about 30,000 people and even had electricity before Chattanooga. This property connected to other LLLT lands through the old Durham Rail line, which extended all the way to our Core Preserve, which now serves as the gravel road that passes right beside Lula Lake and Lula Falls.



"This overworked land was depleted in the wake of mining, leaving the make-shift town abandoned. As such, the landscape void of life. Over the past 80 years, nature has reclaimed this property and only a few mine entrances, structural foundations, and old railroad beds remain to tell the stories of the past.

"In 1999 the land trust acquired 1,300 acres from Drummond Coal Company at an auction. LLLT commissioned a master plan for recreational opportunities in the early 2000ss. In 2009, LLLT created the 5 Points Recreation Area with 21 miles of recreational trails available for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, and limited equestrian use. LLLT then completed the Cloudland Connector Trail System from Ascalon Road into the Cloudland Canyon State Parks core property in 2014, and once complete, the 5 Points Recreation Area was then deeded to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to include as part of CCSP. At that time, LLLT only owned 5-acres of the Durham property and it was used regularly by educational groups to dig for fossils. Finally, in May of 2019, LLLT purchased the remaining 485-acre Durham property and began conceptualizing its recreational future leading us to this moment.



"Four years later, weve completed close to 15 miles of trails that are now open daily to the community!

"The grand opening of Durham was celebrated on Saturday, March 18, with a crowd gathered at the new Durham Mine Trailhead parking area. LLLT held a challenge adventure, guided hikes, and ribbon cutting ceremony with food, drinks, and live music from Jaguar Shark.



"The Durham Mine Trails parking lot is now open to the public from dawn until dusk everyday - reservations are NOT required! GPS Coordinates: 3451'55.4"N 8525'08.5"W or click here for Google directions. For full details on visiting Durham and the overview of trails, please visit our dedicated webpage here.

"This remarkable feat was made possible through the dedication and support of many:



"LLLT Land Manager Patrick Kelly and assistant Land Manager Mason Price worked tirelessly digging, busting rocks, carrying logs and boulders, building bridges, kiosks, and jumps. In 3-years, Patrick and Mason have worked thousands of hours dedicated to providing a new recreational adventure to our community. Their dedication and vision has paid off!

"Lula Lake's dear friends at Riverview Foundation, including Mr. Bruz Clark, helped fund much of the infrastructure and trail work at Durham. Over the past 3 decades, Riverview and Lyndhurst Foundations have been strong supporters of conservation and recreation on Lookout Mountain. Without their critical support, LLLT would not have a fraction of the trails systems that exist on Lookout Mountain, including 5 Points, Moonshine Trails, The Cloudland Connector Trail, Ascalon Trails, and now the Durham Mine Trails.

"REI Co-op helped fund our additional trail builders through a 2-year grant, and Chattanooga Hiking Club donated funds specifically to the trails and kiosk materials.

"When LLLT began building trails in 2020, we had many individuals and groups pour hours of sweat equity into the Durham Mine Trails! In total, Over 250 volunteers worked a combined 1,100+ hours clearing and cutting trails and building bridges. These volunteers include Chattanooga Dock Builders,Chattanooga Hiking Club, Covenant Logistics, The McCallie School, Chattanooga REI Store, Nissan and Tread Lightly!, Southern Wilderness Stewards, Southeast Conservation Corp (SECC), UBS, Wild Trails, Heartwood Land Management, The Girls Preparatory School, and various Scout Troops and Eagle Scouts.

"And lastlywe owe a very special thanks to our supporters! We had over 200 donors support the Durham trails through our special fundraising campaigns. Without the support of our community, both financially and through volunteerism, we would still be out there building trails and fundraising for this project."
A University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library Special Collections exhibit is going on the road for the first time.Special Collections and the Association for Visual Arts have organized an exhibition of art pieces and fine bindings created by Barry Moser, a native of Chattanooga and a 1962 graduate of the University of Chattanooga. The presentation, titled Transformation: Exploring the Art of Bookmaking with Barry Moser, will take place from April 14 to May 26 at AVA at 30 Frazier Ave.on Chattanoogas North Shore.With 36 pieces slated to be on display at AVA, this is believed to be the largest exhibition of Mr. Moser's art to be exhibited in the Chattanooga area. AVA will be hosting an exhibition kickoff, open to the public, from 6-9 p.m. on April 14.Artist and educator Mr. Moser, 82, is most recognized for his work as a printmaker specializing in wood engravings and as an illustrator of numerous works of literature. He has been the owner and operator of Pennyroyal Press since 1970.Special Collections houses the most extensive collection of etchings, engravings, original watercolors and books illustrated by Mr. Moser and contemporary fine bindings produced by Pennyroyal Press, a company he has owned since 1970. Special Collections is also home to papers documenting Mr. Mosers relationships with other authors, artists and printers.The Special Collections exhibit will explore the art of bookmaking through Mr. Mosers work. Although prolific throughout his career, the following projects have been chosen as particularly relevant to the themes of creation and transformation for the AVA exhibit: The Death of the Narcissus, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, and the Pennyroyal Caxton edition of the Holy Biblea limited edition seven-volume masterpiece.The exhibition has primarily been curated by Special Collections intern Emily Ruiz, a UTC senior majoring in English: rhetorical writing with a minor in art history. She also is a part-time staff member at AVA after first serving there as an ArtsBuild Opportunity Fellow.This has been a year-long internship where Emily has been working on everything from selecting the pieces to conducting interviews with the artist, said Carolyn Runyon, assistant head of collection services for the UTC Library and director of special collections. She has worked to get a sense of what he thinks about the pieces shes selecting to help her make selection decisions and further document his artistic process.Ms. Ruizs Special Collections internship is supported by the UTC Office for Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavor.A native of Nashville, Ms. Ruiz said conducting the virtual interviews with Mr. Moser has given her an excellent opportunity to see the totality of his career.When you look at all of his work, it is very dark, she said, but then he also has his childrens work, which is really cute and its watercolor; its really lovely. He definitely has a wide range.Its funny because he doesnt like the title artist; I think he prefers Booksmith. The exciting thing is that we have a lot of editions that were printed in very limited quantities.AVA Curator and Education Director Tim Goldsmith credited Ms. Ruiz for doing all the legwork.Its a really exciting opportunity and a fulfillment of the work that she has been doing with usmerging both her work at UTC as a student and her work supporting arts here in Chattanooga, Mr. Goldsmith said. Through her work here at AVA and at UTC, there was an opportunity to create this exhibit. She approached us about the idea and it fits our mission and scope.AVA is a nonprofit arts organization supporting the local artist community of Chattanooga. The organizations gallery has a rotation of about 10 exhibits a year highlighting the work of members and local and regional artists. AVA also runs the 4 Bridges Art Festival and the Between The Bridges Festival.Whats really important to me is collaboration and working with other arts organizations and institutions in the city, Mr. Goldsmith said. Were just thrilled for the opportunity to work with Special Collections.
One week after the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, on Monday Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton and legislative leadership announced additional actions to strengthen safety at public and private schools across Tennessee. These measures include enhanced legislation and funding to place an armed security guard at every Tennessee public school, boost physical school security at public and private schools, and provide additional mental health resources for Tennesseans.

There is nothing more important than our students safely returning home each day, said Governor Lee. As Tennessee grieves the tragic loss of six precious lives in the Covenant shooting, we are taking additional actions to significantly boost safety measures at every school with highly-trained guards, physical security enhancements and mental health resources. I thank Lieutenant Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton and members of the General Assembly for their partnership as we pursue thoughtful, practical solutions to protect Tennessee students and teachers.

At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, Governor Lee introduced a bill to strengthen physical security at every public school and enhance accountability in school safety protocol. Additionally, the Governors initial budget proposal included $30 million for 122 Homeland Security agents to serve students at both public and private schools in every Tennessee county. These school safety measures were highlighted in the Governors 2023 State of the State address in February.

Following the tragic Covenant shooting that took the lives of six Tennesseans, including three children, Governor Lee and members of the Tennessee General Assembly coalesced around further action steps to strengthen school safety.

The Governors amended legislation and budget proposal will include the following measures:

Enhanced School Safety Legislation (HB322/SB274)

Enacts a multi-tiered accountability plan to ensure exterior school doors are locked while students are present, with opportunities for corrective action. State and local law enforcement will be authorized to check for unlocked doors

Requires that private security guards are held to a high standard and receive active shooter training prior to being posted at Tennessee schools

Requires every school district to establish threat assessment teams, a nationally recognized best practice to ensure students are connected to support services and behavioral health professionals, when appropriate

Requires every public and private school to develop annual safety plans, which must include a newly required incident command drill for school leaders and law enforcement to prepare for what to expect in various emergencies

FY23-24 Budget Proposal:



$30 million to expand a statewide homeland security network with 122 agents serving students at both public and private schools

$140 million to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO) grant fund to place a trained, armed security guard at every public school

$20 million for public school security upgrades

$7 million for private school security upgrades

$8 million for additional school-based behavioral health liaisons across the state

Since 2019, Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly have prioritized investments in school safety every year. In June 2021, the Governor signed Executive Order 97 and launched a statewide effort to enhance school safety by boosting collaboration among parents, schools and local law enforcement across the state. A complete list of Governor Lees school safety actions to date can be found here.

Governor Lee appreciates the partnership of legislative leaders in the Tennessee General Assembly to further strengthen school safety.

"I am grateful to Governor Lee for expanding the school safety component of his budget amendment and his legislation, said Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally. Governor Lee and my colleagues in the General Assembly have made great strides on school safety in the past few years. But more needed to be done and Governor Lee has answered that call. Hardening security at our public and private schools can no longer be just a priority, it is now an imperative. I am looking forward to working with Speaker Sexton and Leaders Johnson and Lamberth to approve these changes as we continue to focus on solutions to mitigate tragedies like those of last week."

Our children must feel safe when they attend their school of choice. Governor Lees plan to fund SROs for public and private schools will provide a safer learning environment and additional security, said House Speaker Cameron Sexton. We also must continue to address mental health in K-12 education and provide resources like counselors, social workers, and other health care professionals.

The safety of our students is the most important concern. I appreciate Governor Lee for his work on this comprehensive school security plan and look forward to working with my colleagues in the General Assembly on this proposal to provide safe learning environments for all students, regardless of where they go to school, said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson. Strong security, which includes armed SROs, is imperative to ensuring the safety of students, teachers and staff. I am glad Gov. Lee is proposing a significant investment in school-based mental health liaisons to provide important services to those experiencing mental health crises.

The tragedy at Covenant school underscores that evil takes the path of least resistance and preys on societys most vulnerable. No child, parent, teacher or school employee should ever fear for their safety, said House Majority Leader William Lamberth. I am thankful to Gov. Lee and my Republican colleagues for their continued commitment and investment in our schools. These are aggressive and necessary steps that will ensure Tennessees schools are the safest, most secure in the nation.
After The Beatles broke up, John Lennon wrote many songs that were not subtle with their politics. Some went too far in certain peoples eyes and were banned from playing on the radio. Not every political Lennon song received a ban, but here are three songs that were.

Cold Turkey

Yoko Ono and John Lennon | Bettmann / Contributor

Cold Turkey was released in 1969 and is one of the earliest songs from John Lennons solo career. Lennon wrote the track after he and his wife, Yoko Ono, went cold turkey after a brief heroin addiction. Many believed the song was promoting drugs, and it was subsequently banned on many American radios. In his 1980 interview with Playboy, Lennon said Cold Turkey never had the chance to become popular after it was banned.

Cold Turkey is self-explanatory, he said. It was banned again all over the American radio, so it never got off the ground. They were thinking I was promoting heroin, but instead  Theyre so stupid about drugs!

Even with the ban, Cold Turkey was still a minor hit in the U.S., reaching No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It also reached No. 14 on the U.K. Official Charts.

Open Your Box

Open Your Box may be a lesser-known John Lennon song as it was released as the B-side to the highly successful Power to the People. The song is by Yoko Ono but was also produced by Lennon and featured him on guitar. The lyrics were considered provocative as box is slang for female genitalia, and Britain banned it unless an echo was used to blur the lyrics.

In the book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon, Ono said she felt guilty for getting the song banned amidst the success of Power to the People.

I started to feel guilty because, for instance, he wrote a song called Power to the People, which is a very powerful song, and then my Open Your Box was on the B-side, and of course, that was banned in America, Ono explained. And that sort of thing started to happen.

Woman is the N***** of the World

With a title like this, its amazing that this song was released. This John Lennon song was released in 1972 on the album Some Time in New York City. The title stems from a quote coined by Ono in a 1969 interview with Nova. It did peak at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, but no radio wanted to promote it. In an interview with Apples U.S. promotions manager Pete Bennett, he said he made a bet with Lennon regarding the song being played on the radio.

I told him that I wouldnt promote it. So John says to me, Well, youre our promotions man, you have to listen to us, we pay you Im the president of Apple. I said, John, I dont care what the story is, I dont want the record  Im not going to promote it. If I dont like it I wont promote it. So John says, Ill tell you what  Ill promote it, and if I make this record number one, that means youre not the number one promotions man in the business. I said, John, you got a deal.

Unfortunately for Lennon, Bennett won the bet as most radio stations refused to play it. Still, Lennon did find a way to play Woman is the N***** of the World on a 1972 appearance on The Dick Cavett Show. Lennon was an incredibly successful musician, but he wasnt afraid to push a few buttons with his music.
Netflixs Love Is Blind Season 4 star Jackelina Bonds got stressed before meeting fiancee Marshall Glazes family. However, it seemingly went well. After the episode aired, Jackie implied she faked the pleasant interaction and accused him of calling her the most disgusting name beforehand.

Jackelina Bonds says Marshall Glaze called her a disgusting name in Love Is Blind Season 4

Jackelina Bonds and Marshall Glaze hit it off in the pods phase of Love Is Blind Season 4 and attended the subsequent Mexico vacation as an engaged couple.

Following the rollercoaster getaway, they returned to Seattle to test their new real-life relationship. It started well as Jackie was impressed by Marshalls cooking, but things took a turn shortly before they met his family. She got emotional and thought she couldnt do it due to the stress.

Out of the pods and into reality. Three new episodes of Love Is Blind are now streaming! ? pic.twitter.com/CmryIrVu7w  Love is Blind (@LoveisBlindShow) March 31, 2023

Regardless, Jackie went through it and appeared to have a good time with his family. After the episode aired, she reacted to the meeting on Instagram.

Jackie shared a reel of a clip featuring the interaction posted by Netflix and included the caption, Lmao at the fact that I had to sit here and play nice while I got called the most disgusting name by him before meeting his family. She has since deleted the Instagram story, but a fan on the Love Is Blind subreddit captured it and uploaded it to the site.

Jackie got emotional before meeting Marshalls family

While in the pods, Jackie and Marshall connected as they believed they had what each other wanted in a partner. Additionally, she had a connection with Josh Demas.

However, Jackie told Marshall that Josh upset her by insisting he would leave the experiment if they didnt end up together. It upset Marshall, who confronted Josh in their living quarters.

Ultimately, Jackie chose Marshall, and they left engaged. Things quickly got rocky when she had an emotional breakdown during the first couple of nights of their getaway due to family issues.

Marshall comforted her, and they appeared strong until the couple returned to a shared home in Seattle. The phase started well when he cooked her breakfast, as she hadnt experienced that before. However, it took a turn before meeting his family when she claimed she was stressed.

Love Is Blind finds Jackie and Marshall on the rocks after a big fight

Afterward, the couple got into an off-camera fight where Jackie apparently told her fiancee to man up. He chose to leave for the night before returning, where the engaged couple attempted to work out their issues.

She noted she wanted them to have sex and asked him to be more aggressive. However, Marshall claimed he was not aggressive and said she didnt do anything to turn him on.

Their conversation turned heated, but they appeared to make up. It didnt last long, as the two attended Chelseas birthday party solo. Josh appeared at the event and drunkenly confessed his love for Jackie.

Another participant Zack Goytowski initially got engaged to Irina Solomonova, but things didnt work out during their time in Mexico. After returning to Seattle, he rekindled his romance with his other connection from the pods, Bliss Poureetezadi, and proposed to her. Will Jackie follow suit and dump Marshall and pursue things with Josh?

New episodes of Love Is Blind Season 4 air Fridays on Netflix.
TL;DR:

A Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin inspired the premise of Nenas 99 Luftballons.

Nena said the song was supposed to promote peace and wasnt meant to be a political song.

99 Luftballons was prevented from topping the Billboard Hot 100 by a Van Halen track.

The Rolling Stones | Gary Gershoff / Contributor

Nenas 99 Luftballons is one of the most unique classic rock songs of the 1980s. During an interview, one of the songs writers said a Rolling Stones concert inspired him to craft 99 Luftballons. The tune became a huge hit in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Nenas 99 Luftballons was inspired by balloons released at a Rolling Stones concert

99 Luftballons is a song about how soldiers seeing some unidentified balloons escalates into nuclear war. According to a 2016 Salon article, a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin inspired the unusual song.

During the concert, someone released some balloons into the air. Songwriter Carlo Karges wondered what might happen if the balloons floated toward East Berlin. A simple balloon could cause a war because of a big misunderstanding, Karges said.

Nena discussed her feelings about 99 Luftballons. It was never meant to be a specific political song, she said. The message was that misunderstandings between people can cause everything, can cause a butterfly effect. We were never a political band with our lyrics  but we were always people who wanted peace in the world. 99 Luftballons was this sort of a song. It was always a peace song.

Nenas record company didnt want her to release the song because it was uncommercial

During a 2016 interview with The New York Times, Nena said she was enthusiastic about the song when she first heard it. I said, I want to sing it right away,' she recalled. We did the song in one hour. And then we decided to release it as a single in Germany.

Some people didnt like 99 Luftballons as much as Nena did. Our record company said Please dont do that, theres no chorus, its not commercial enough,' she remembered. But we were all so touched by the song.

How 99 Luftballons performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

99 Luftballons became a huge hit in the United States, which is very rare for a German-language song. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune was prevented from reaching No. 1 by another classic 1980s song: Jump by Van Halen. Notably, both songs draw inspiration from new wave music.

Nena also recorded an English-language version of 99 Luftballons called 99 Red Balloons. According to The Official Charts Company, this recording of the song reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom for three weeks. It lasted on the chart for 12 weeks.

The bands album Nena became a hit in the U.K. as well. The album reached No. 31 in the U.K. and lasted on the chart for five weeks.

Nenas 99 Luftballons became a huge hit and it wouldnt be the same without The Rolling Stones.
Sister Wives was supposed to be about the Brown familys polygamist lifestyle, but there was more to see than some basic polygamy. The Brown family was dysfunctional from the start. Over the years, we have watched Kody Brown, Meri Brown, Janelle Brown, Christine Brown, and Robyn Brown treat each other poorly and make some truly terrible decisions. The Brown familys financial decisions have been particularly odd. Weve collected their three worst money mishaps.

Robyn Brown asked the family to sink their savings into a jewelry business, and they agreed

Robyn Brown was the last of the wives to join the Brown family, but she didnt waste any time asking them for money. First, the Browns used their own cash to pay off a series of debts so Robyn could qualify for a home loan. Once her Victorias Secret credit card debt was cleared away, she proposed a business to the entire family.

Robyn Brown fancied herself a jewelry designer and requested money to start her business. Kody Brown, still lovestruck and without good taste, believed Robyns jewelry doodlings would make the family rich. Unsurprisingly, My Sister Wifes Closet never really took off. At best, it was a side hobby; at worst, it was a drain on the Brown familys finances. The website is still up and running, although the navigation is so complicated that they dont seem to want anyone to buy anything.

Janelle Brown buys an RV, only to live in it for one season

Janelle Brown considers herself more frugal than the rest of the Brown family. Her estranged husband and former sister wives all insisted she was the familys money manager. The Brown family money manager isnt immune to seemingly inexplicable financial decisions, though.

Janelle Browns rash decision to purchase a fifth wheel, brand new, remains the most fiscally irresponsible choice shes made on camera. Janelle had never lived in an RV before; she had no way of hauling the house on wheels and made the purchase sight unseen. We knew it was a bad idea when she announced her plans, and apparently, we were right. Janelle lived in the RV with her youngest child, Savanah Brown, for exactly one summer before she opted to keep an apartment instead. There is no word on what became of the camper. She sure laid out a lot of money for three months of living, though.

The Browns big move had Sister Wives fans questioning the familys financial choices

Robyn Browns jewelry hobby and Janelle Browns dreams of living off the land were certainly irresponsible money management moments. Still, there is one massive Brown family financial mistake that trumps all the other inexplicable financial decisions. The familys move to Flagstaff, Arizona, was their worst financial activity.

The Browns packed up and left Las Vegas to purchase property in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2018. That would have been strange but mostly financially sound if they hadnt done it in the most irresponsible and seemingly manic way possible. They opted to purchase undeveloped land before selling their homes in Las Vegas or having anywhere to live once they got to town.

The family discussed their financial issues during season 15 of Sister Wives. All agreed that they were in a tough financial position because of how they went about the move. Somehow they all seemed surprised. We were not. We could have told them that paying mortgages on their Las Vegas homes while purchasing additional land and a home, plus paying rent on three more properties, was too much to take on. While financial stress isnt what ultimately did the group in, it surely sped up the process.

Robyn, Meri, Kody, Janelle, and Christine Brown during season 14 of TLCs Sister Wives | TLC

Over the years, the Brown family made a lot of silly decisions. Their financial mishaps were the most astonishing to watch on Sister Wives, though. TLC has yet to announce season 18, but we are confident well be watching more financial tomfoolery shortly.
Interview: Westerners show growing interest in real China amid widespread biased reports, says business insider

Xinhua) 11:07, April 03, 2023

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- There is a growing expectation among the Western population to hear something positive about China, "at least more factual," a business insider has observed.

China is in the crosshairs of certain Western countries, which are openly waging "a multidimensional war" to contain its economic and political development, Laurent Michelon, a French entrepreneur who has been living in China for 25 years, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I perceive in a growing part of the Western public a doubt about the information reported about China in the Western media, because everything is so negative about such a diverse country, populated by 1.4 billion people, with 5,000 years of history and which has become the second largest economy in the world," he said.

Author of the book "Understand the China-West relations (2022)" (Comprendre la relation Chine-Occident), Michelon's analysis of China is vastly different from mainstream perceptions in the West, but closer to the reality of the Chinese society.

In his book, he delved into a question often asked by his European and American friends: "why I live so long in a country about which they can only read negative news."

Western media usually present an "apocalyptic portrait" of China. The Western political and media elites, which are closely linked to the economic elites, are playing a perverse role in smearing China, while investing increasingly in the country, he said, citing the latest figures which indicated growing European Union investments in China, as well as trade between China and the United States.

In contrast with the mainstream Western media that systematically demonize China, Michelon has been pushing for a less caricatured, less ideological and more fact-based vision of China.

During his recent multiple interviews with French media, Michelon pointed out the many errors of analysis by Western media about China, which is pummeled repeatedly by negative propaganda.

These biased reports, he said, involved a handful of industry moguls in such fields as arms, finance, pharmaceuticals and energy.

Michelon believed that such a journalistic bias is due to the blindness of Western media, whose reports about China are based on assumptions, but not facts, research, or investigations.

This is because the reporting of whatever positive about China's development is systematically refused by editors in attempts to block the Western public from the reality of China's progress, he added.

In his book, the author explains that behind the defamation of China by Western elites lies the promotion of a so-called "rules-based order" imposed on the whole world, which is "a set of vague rules outside of international law," seeking to hold back multipolarity.

Despite all the disinformation, "in Europe, many people know that they have been lied to" on many issues, including COVID-19, Ukraine, and "logically on China as well," he noted.

Michelon praised such China-proposed initiatives as the Belt and Road Initiative, for their role in promoting inclusive development, saying that China has "a true joint development approach, and not the predatory approach that is presented in the international media."

China is not the enemy of the West. With mutual respect and understanding, the interests of China and the West can "converge on key issues, to the benefit of the whole world," the business insider added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)


Combined efforts needed to host global gala



The inspection team of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) arrived here Sunday. They will visit Busan from Tuesday to Friday to conduct a crucial assessment over whether the port city is suitable for hosting the World Expo 2030. Based on the onsite examinations, they will draw up a report to be submitted to the 171 BIE member countries for a vote to determine the host city.



Busan has been going all out in preparing for the team's visit to appeal its merits and capabilities ahead of the vote, which is slated for late November in Paris during the BIE general assembly.



Busan, Korea's second-largest city, is competing with Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa. Among them, Riyadh has been cited as Busan's most formidable rival as it is equipped with the financial caliber of "oil money." Rome also remains daunting, buttressed by rock-solid support from European countries.



As a late-comer, Busan had largely been dubbed an underdog, lagging far behind Riyadh. Yet, now it has emerged robust, riding on brisk promotional activities from both the private and public sectors. For instance, co-chairpersons of the bidding committee  Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and SK Chairman Chey Tae-won, concurrently chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)  hoisted the flags, leading relevant officials to visit a large number of member countries across the globe.



Busan has been mobilizing maximum efforts to shine its image in time for the inspection team's visit. Citizens actively took part in a campaign to clean the city, collect garbage along the coast and take part voluntarily in vehicle operation restrictions.



Before coming here, the inspection team visited Riyadh, March 6-10, to be briefed on the city's world-class air-flight accessibility coupled with road and subway networks. Saudi Arabia also underlined its ambitious Neom City Project. Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been taking the lead in bids to extract support for the city. In this vein, Busan should continue to remain alert until the last moment toward hosting the event.



Experts say the competition will be neck-and-neck, with many countries in Africa and Latin America having yet to make up their minds. Given this, leading domestic businesses are advised to proactively join the efforts, attracting the countries by exploring more business opportunities with them.



Under the theme of "Transforming Our World; Navigating Toward a Better Future," Busan has pledged to offer diverse solutions to global challenges such as climate change. In addition, South Korea can share its development experiences with its developing peers while sharing the universal values of democracy and human rights. It can also share its highly advanced digital and AI technologies with the world through the Expo.



Busan's North Port, the proposed venue for the event, has easy access via public transport such as bus, metro and train. Once a new airport is completed by 2029 on nearby Gadeok Island, nonstop transit between the airport and Expo site will become possible through an urban railroad. Busan has already completed plans for reuse of the relevant facilities after the Expo. The feasibility review for the second-stage development plan for its North Port has recently been approved.



All told, Busan citizens and South Korean people alike are full of aspirations to host the World Expo 2030. They are eager to impress the BIE team and people around the world by sharing their success stories of achieving economic growth and prestige as a "global pivot state," rising from the rags of the 1950-53 Korean War and Japan's 1910-45 colonization. Now it is high time for Busan to highlight its merits and intentions to contribute to the prosperity of humanity as a logistics and financial hub.




Some couples are given extravagant gifts for their wedding. Some parents are determined to ensure their child is well taken care of during their marriage, so they generously purchase them a home as a wedding gift.

One man was recently told his future in-laws would purchase him and his fiancee a house as their wedding gift. However, they did not want his name on the house at all.

Hes a 29-year-old Pakistani man who immigrated to the United States when he was six. His parents worked very hard to provide for him and his siblings.

During his childhood, his family lived in rented homes, although his father always dreamed of owning a house.

His parents passed away before achieving that dream, so owning a home is a very big deal to him.

He met his 27-year-old fiancee when they started working at the same company after graduating college.

She grew up in a very wealthy family and had a childhood that was the exact opposite of his, but today, shes very bright and successful on her own.

Shes an extremely intelligent person, and besides funding her education, her parents are in no way responsible for her accomplishments, he explained. We hit it off almost instantly, and it didnt take long for us to start dating.

They still work for the same company, although hes excelled slightly more than she has and makes more money.

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Pexels/John-Mark Smith

A group of Catholic nuns published a public statement on behalf of thousands of religious women and some partner organizations. The alliance reaffirmed its support for persons who identify as nonbinary, transgender, or gender-expansive.

The letter denounced previous statements by the United States and declared that these people are "loved and cherished by God." On March 31, which is also International Day of Transgender Visibility, the coalition released a letter.

A Letter of Affirmation of the Nuns Supporting the Trans Community

According to the article in Washington Post, the letter stresses the importance of recognizing and acknowledging to acceptance of the transgender community and other members of the LGBTQ within the Christian community. The letter argues that they will continue to be oppressors if the Catholic Church continues to put a blind eye and not accept the LGBTQ community in their congregations.

Additionally, the letter raises concerns over state-level legislation targeting LGBTQ+ rights, hurtful rhetoric from some Religious institutions and leaders, and prejudice that transgender person experience. The letter aims to foster a deep connection among all members of the faith community, especially transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people.

In another source, Religion News, the representatives from the different communities have prepared a letter that lists the orders of nuns and other organizations representing more than 6,000 vowed religious across 18 states. These communities include the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth JPIC office, the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, and Indiana.

The letter was signed by the Justice Office of the Medical Mission Sisters, several offices of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Dominican Sisters of Houston, the leadership of the Presentation Sisters of Dubuque, the Sisters of Loretto/Loreto Community, and various offices of the Sisters of Charity.

The letter further offers methods to take action, such as helping New Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBTQ outreach group, or signing a DignityUSA declaration that underlines a "Catholic commitment to trans-affirmation." The letter tries to refute a recent doctrinal pronouncement by a committee of the U.S. With the justification that they violate the "intrinsic oneness of body and soul," the Conference of Catholic Bishops forbade Catholic healthcare organizations from performing a variety of gender-affirming medical procedures.

Also Read: Iowa Passes Controversial Bills Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors and Imposing Restrictions on Transgender Bathroom Use

Recent Attacks on the Transgender Community

Recently, the Transgender community has been experiencing attacks as some medical-related procedures of gender-affirming care have restrictions and bans specifically on minors. Some states believe that it is too early for children to engage in Transgender care that they may later regret if they made a wrong decision while young.

The report in Christianity Daily shows the different states that have already passed the law banning gender-affirming care for minors. It includes Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Kentucky, and West Virginia, among the states that have formally passed such laws. Some states are not included in the list because they have only made minor adjustments or banned gender-affirming child care outright. The states that have prohibited gender-affirming consideration did so after official deliberation and voting.

Related Article: Doctor Challenges Opponents' Understanding of Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth
Wikimedia Commons/Timothy Rollins

The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a plan to build 15 new temples across the globe. President Russell M. Nelson announced it during the final session of the General Conference. Six of these 15 temples will be built in the United States, and the others will be distributed internationally.

The 15 Locations Where The Temples Will be Built

In a statement, President Nelson said that the main purpose of building temples is to honor and worship our lord Jesus Christ. He stressed that each temple is a sacred house of God where members could create covenants and receive essential ordinances that can purify and enrich their lives in ways that no other form of worship does.

He also expressed the church's commitment to ensuring that these blessings are accessible to members worldwide. According to the Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the 15 locations where the temples are said to be constructed:

Retalhuleu, Guatemala

Iquitos, Peru

Teresina, Brazil

Natal, Brazil

Tuguegarao City, Philippines

Iloilo, Philippines

Jakarta, Indonesia

Hamburg, Germany

Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

San Jose, California

Bakersfield, California

Springfield, Missouri

Winchester, Virginia

Charlotte, North Carolina

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now has 315 temples in operation, including those that have been dedicated, are currently being built, have been announced, or are still in the planning and design stages. According to The Church News, 176 have previously been dedicated, four have renovation plans stated, and three are now refurbished.

Eight temples are slated for dedication, with 56 now under construction or just finished. In addition, 83 other temples have been declared and are in the planning and design stages.

Additionally, President Nelson has announced 133 new temples since entering office as the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ, which makes up about 42% of the total number of temples in the church. Three of these 133 temples have already been consecrated, five more are expected to be, 42 are now being built, four are expected to break ground, and 28 have known sites.

Also Read: 'Mormon Land' Offers Insights on How Latter-Day Saints Can Engage With Easter

A Brief Summary of Churches Added to the Different Locations

The 15 new temples President Nelson has announced are situated and said to be located worldwide. In Brazil, which he referred to as the "heart of the church," will add two additional temples, bringing nine to the country. According to KSL, there are 1.5 million Latter-day Saints and 50 organized stakes in brazil.

The Philippines will also receive two additional temples, bringing 12 total temples. Indonesia will receive one, and it is the first temple to be constructed in Jakarta to serve the country's 7,500 Latter-day Saints who are spread across 25 congregations.

The third temple to be built in Germany will be the country's first after the dedication of the Frankfurt temple in 1987. Lethbridge, Alberta, will house the tenth temple in Canada, while San Jose and Bakersfield will house the eleventh and twelfth temples in California. Moreover, Missouri will get its first time since the dedication of the Kansas City temple in 2012 as well as its third temple overall. The second temple in Virginia will be built in Winchester, and the second one in North Carolina will be in Charlotte. The first temple was consecrated in Raleigh in 1999.

Related Article: Latter Day Saints Serve and Donate to Countries in Need


By Mark Peterson







On my recent trip to Korea, I visited, for the first time, the grave of Jeong Mong-ju, the famous Goryeo official who chose to die rather than support the upstart Joseon Kingdom in 1392. It's always good to visit the site of important events like the homes or graves of important historical figures. I learned a lot from the visit.







I learned several things about him from the visit to the gravesite. I even made a

for my Frog Outside the Well YouTube channel, as well.







The first striking thing I found was that the tombstone there was very old-looking, and different from the ones from the Joseon Kingdom. The inscription praised Jeong Mong-ju as the "Defender of Goryeo" and said it was erected by  to my surprise  King Taejong, the man who, as Yi Bang-won, the crown prince, killed Jeong. I'm not sure whether he was personally involved in the actual killing, but it was under his direction that the assassination took place.







I thought it remarkable that he who ordered the execution was the one who erected the memorial stone praising Jeong. Was this a kind of penance for the murder? This says a great deal about Korea's handling of political affairs through violence. First, we must note that Korea did not have many changes in dynasties since Korean dynasties lasted longer than other dynasties. And when there was a change of dynasty, the political turmoil, compared to all other countries, was remarkably limited. Few were killed at the change of a dynasty.







It's common in Korean folklore to hear the change of dynasty described as a revolution, and that a new aristocracy came in to replace the old aristocracy. Nothing could be further from the truth!







When you look at Jeong's tomb, and at the stone erected by the king who killed him, and realize the tomb is built on a grand scale, almost the scale of a king, it says that Jeong was not some upstart traitor to be vilified in the history books and punished root and stem  that his sons and posterity be stricken from service in the kingdom, that they all be persona non grata. That was not the case at all. Jeong's son and grandson served in the new dynasty's government. And a great-granddaughter married a man from the prominent Yeonan Yi clan, and he became a very powerful figure at court. Yi Seok-hyeon and his posterity were also honored at the tomb site of Jeong Mong-ju. In fact, it may be because of that relationship with the Yeonan Yi that the tomb was located where it is, on the southern outskirts of Seoul, not in Gaeseong where Jeong lived, nor in North Gyeongsang Province where he was born.







It was a remarkable thing to learn that Jeong's descendants  both through the Jeong surname and through his daughter's descendants with the Yi surname, and through other descendants with other surnames (heirs to the Jeong legacy through the daughter's lines), all had representatives that served in the Joseon government  the government that Jeong gave his life opposing.







This underscores the fact that the transition from Goryeo to Joseon was peaceful. Very few died. Jeong Mong-ju was one of the few. And he died of his own volition, refusing to turn his back on the Goryeo king. He reportedly said, there are not two suns in the heavens; there cannot be two kings on the throne. Furthermore, he authored the famous "sijo," a Korean traditional poetic form:


During Holy Week, we consider how the Cross reconciles humanity with God. But for Palestinian Christians living in Israel who face oppression and discrimination on a regular basis, the Resurrection and its power to reconcile Jews and Gentiles offers them the greatest hope.

The resurrection of Christ is the ultimate proof that the world can be changed, said Palestinian Israeli theologian Yohanna Katanacho.

Palestinian Christians celebrate Easter on both Eastern and Western dates. Approximately 160,000 Palestinian Christians currently hold Israeli citizenship, and around a third of them live in the West Bank and Gaza.

Katanacho was born in 1967 and grew up amid the decades-long Arab-Israeli war that stoked hatred and enmity between Jews and Arabs. The former proponent of atheism accepted Christ at the age of 19 and is now the academic dean and biblical studies professor at Nazareth Evangelical College in Israel.

Katanachos book, Reading the Gospel of John through Palestinian Eyes, explores Johns reinterpretations of traditional Judaism in light of Christ. John sees that having Christ is the biggest blessing ever, and without Christ, we have nothing (John 3:36). As a result, space, time, history, identity, and land are reread in light of the centrality of Christ, Katanacho said.

Global books editor Geethanjali Tupps spoke with Katanacho about the significance of the Easter resurrection for Palestinian believers and how his reading of Johns gospel challenges the global church.

How did you become a believer?

My family was Roman Catholic, but I became an atheist as a teenager. When I was 19, I had a life-changing experience with God. At 3 a.m., I heard the sound of bells ringing. When I awoke, I was not able to move my hands or legs. I was terrified. I tried to liberate myself with every possible idea in my mind, but it didnt work. At 5 a.m., I said to God, If this is from you, I promise I will look for you. The moment I said that, I was able to move again.

After this experience, I started visiting a small Christian and Missionary Alliance church in the Old City of Jerusalem. While there, I said to God, How come you are the God of Israel and not the God of the Palestinians? I prayed to give God my heart and mind and then dreamed of a face that brought peace and tranquility to my heart. When I woke up, I felt someone whisper in my ears, Yohanna, this is the difference between grace and deeds. If you want to follow me by your own effort, you cant. But if you are in Christ, you are protected and he is my gift to you.

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The barriers in my mind started collapsing and my spiritual journey began. Instead of advocating atheism, I started a Bible study at Bethlehem University, and other Christian ministries started growing in other Palestinian universities thereafter.

What led you to focus your scholarship on the Gospel of John?

When people around the world read the Gospel of John, they view it as anti-Semitic. That is unjust because, first of all, John is a Jew. This is an internal Jewish debate between Jews who followed Jesus Christ and Jews who did not. John needs to be vindicated in that area, and his message needs to be heard more clearly.

The idea for my book began when I asked the question How is John struggling with his identity? I noticed that the Gospel of John has a large focus on identity-related questions in the I am statements (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1).

As a Palestinian who has Israeli citizenship, I wrestle with my identity among the Jewish majority. I want to celebrate the multiple identities that God has designed for me. However, in reality, these identities are in conflict because of political agendas and cultural values that are incompatible with Scripture. My multiple identities as Palestinian, Israeli, and follower of Jesus make some people feel uncomfortable, and they consequently seek to mute the parts of my identity that they do not like.

Studying the Gospel of John gives Palestinian Christians like myself an opportunity to explore the layers of complexity inherent in our identities. John is a follower of Jesus Christ in a majority-Jewish context. I am a Christian living amid a Jewish majority in Israel. We both struggle with our identity and how to lead missional lives in our particular contexts, which entails developing relationships that are rooted in loving God and neighbor and to bring the kingdom of love to a world full of hate.

What events in Holy Week does your book explore?

I write about the social-political realities of the Crucifixion on Good Friday. In many evangelical circles, the Cross represents redemption. But the Cross has other important theological dimensions as well, such as how it serves as a symbol of peacemaking.

Where Rome tried to usher in peace by the sword during the Pax Romana (Latin for Roman peace), Christ did so by dying on the cross. Where Rome introduced peace by silencing prophetic voices and perpetuating injustice, Christs peace offers forgiveness by transforming the oppressors hearts and opening doors for reconciliation with God (Luke 23:34, 47).

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What forms of oppression do Palestinians living in Israel face?

We are treated as second-class citizens. We face oppressive laws and structural injustice. If you are a Palestinian Israeli citizen and you marry a Palestinian from the Palestinian territories, your spouse cannot acquire Israeli citizenship or even an ID card, which makes it extremely hard for them to work or get medical coverage from the Israeli government.

Israel has not established one single Arab town since its foundation. Some of these towns in the Negev have not been recognized by the Israeli government since Israel was founded in 1948. Palestinian Israeli towns receive limited funding, even though people pay their taxes in full. As a result, the infrastructure of Palestinian Israeli towns is deficient. They do not have medical, educational, or government services. Peoples homes are continually demolished because they are viewed as illegal dwellings.

How do the events of Holy Week speak into your ongoing reality?

Jesus deals with the Roman Empire by exposing their penchant for violence on the cross. He displays their evilness through suffering with those who are suffering, as seen with the thieves who were crucified beside him (Luke 23:3243).

Jesus supported women, the poor, and the marginalized not only by empowering them or healing them but also by creating a new world. The power of this new world is resurrection. Through Christs suffering of the cross, we come to this resurrection moment. We see that hope and transformation are possible.

The Resurrection ended enmity between Jews and Gentiles. The dawning of this new civilization ended a kingdom with second-class citizens and created a kingdom where all inhabitants are first-class citizens. Jews and Gentiles are equal in Christ.

Jesus resurrection encourages me to see how love, mercy, and equality all point to this new civilization, which Christians are missionaries of. How can we offer justice and true forgiveness in paving the way toward reconciliation? We do so by suffering with those who are suffering unjustly and by fighting injustice because it hurts both Jews and Palestinians.

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Why is your book important for the global church?

My book invites the global church to reflect not only on the Gospel of John but also on the contextual theology of Palestinian citizens of Israel, particularly in the issues of equality and identity.

Geopolitical discussions often focus on creating two separate states, one for Palestine Arabs and another for Israeli Jews. But more than 20 percent of Israeli citizens are Palestinian. When I speak Hebrew to my Jewish neighbors, my accent reveals that I am a Palestinian citizen of Israel. If a bomb threat arises in Israel, I too am under threat. I will not be considered an Israeli citizen but a Palestinian. Part of my identity will be under attack.

The same situation happens with Peter. When Peter goes to Jerusalem, his accent reveals his Galilean roots (Matt. 26:73). Peter feels the tension of being a Galilean among Jews in Jerusalem. He denies his cultural and linguistic identity, leading him to deny his ethical standards and consequently deny Christ.

This has contextual and missional value: How can we affirm our linguistic and cultural identities and affirm Christ at the same time? What should I do as a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and how can I prevent my Christian faith from being marginalized? These are legitimate questions for me.

Why is your book also important to Palestinian readers?

Jews want Jesus to be a Jew. Palestinians want Jesus to be a Palestinian. I think both approaches are nationalistic and detract us from worshiping Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

There is a prevalent belief that the state of Israel is for people who are ethnically Jews. This excludes people who are not Jews even if they are Israeli citizens. This is not the gospel understanding of Jesus Jewishness.

Jesus Jewishness can be understood eschatologically. He redefines Judaism in inclusive ways and has embodied its deepest hopes. He is the perfect human who represents a loving and welcoming humanity, rather than one that is exclusively ethnocentric.

The Old Testament dreamed about having the law written on Israels heart (Jer. 31:33), which refers to knowing God deeply and personally. This dream is embodied in Jesus. New Testament authors like Paul understood that Jesus Jewishness is eschatological when he said that circumcision is not merely outward and physical but requires an inward transformation where our hearts are circumcised by the Spirit (Romans 2:2829).

Jesus eschatological Jewishness is not a threat to Palestinians. It is a Jewishness that invites Palestinians and Israelis to be one in Christ, rather than an exclusive Jewishness that pushes people of other ethnicities out. This is what the church desperately needs to proclaim.
Federal judge dismisses major abuse lawsuit against Southern Baptist Convention leader

A federal judge in Texas dealt a major setback to a high-profile abuse-related lawsuit, dismissing claims against a former Southern Baptist Convention leader and a seminary affiliated with the denomination.

U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan issued a ruling on March 25 stating that the unnamed plaintiff, referred to as Jane Roe, did not meet the standard of proof required to demonstrate that Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and its former president, Paige Patterson, were negligent in preventing sexual abuse on campus. The ruling came after a recently filed memorandum was considered by the court.

Roe had filed a lawsuit in June 2019 against the seminary and Patterson after being allegedly sexually assaulted multiple times by another former seminary student, referred to as John Doe. Roe accused Patterson and the seminary of mistreating her when she reported being stalked and repeatedly raped by the male student.

Roe's claims of negligence were primarily based on Southwestern's decision to admit Doe despite their awareness of his prior criminal conduct.

The Court holds that Roes injuries at the hands of Doe were not foreseeable to SWBTS, even considering altogether the totality of Does past criminal conduct, Jordan said.

The lawsuit alleged that when Roe met with Patterson and other male leaders at the Seminary about the sexual assaults, Patterson seemed to enjoy making Roe even more uncomfortable with his questions.

But claims by Roe that women who tried to report sexual harassment and sexual abuse were ignored, dismissed or disciplined themselves is a gross distortion of the evidence before the court, Jordan wrote. The proposition that SWBTS has a history of condoning sexual assault or sexual harassment of female students has not been proven by Roe and is not supported by the record in this case.

Roe never directly told Patterson or anyone at SWBTS of her concerns that Doe was stalking her, the judge noted. Nor did Roe make any sexual harassment, sexual assault, or any other complaint about Doe prior to August 2015. It is further undisputed that the first time Roe told Patterson and SWBTS that she had been raped by Doe was on August 20, 2015  the date she made her report to the school  months after the sexual assaults allegedly occurred. At that time, Patterson and SWBTS immediately notified local law enforcement authorities of Roes outcry, and Roe was interviewed by the Fort Worth Police Department. Roe declined to pursue charges against Doe.

When Roe reported the alleged assault by Doe to Southwestern leaders, Patterson's email to other seminary staff stating his desire to meet with Roe one-on-one to "break her down" was cited by Roe in her lawsuit as evidence of a broader culture at Southwestern under Patterson's leadership.

Jordan acknowledged the email as "powerful evidence supporting her negligence claims," but ultimately ruled that it was insufficient to prove the existence of a widespread culture.

Pattersons approach to further communications with Roe may well have been misguided and inappropriate, but his post-hoc actions based on an apparent mistrust of the truthfulness of Roes allegations cannot create a genuine issue of material fact on the key questions of foreseeability and duty at the heart of this case, Jordan wrote.

Although Roe's claims of defamation against Patterson and Southwestern are still part of the ongoing lawsuit, the judges recent ruling has created complications for some of the suit's more significant claims associated with Patterson.

Patterson, who was a prominent figure in the Conservative Resurgence movement within the SBC in the late 20th century, served as president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina, and as Southwestern's president.

He came under scrutiny in 2018, leading to his dismissal from Southwestern, after reports emerged that he mishandled Roe's case in 2015 and another case in 2003 at Southeastern.

Patterson has faced criticism for other incidents, including his response to abuse allegations against a protege, Darrel Gilyard, and for disregarding recommendations for abuse reform.

Additionally, he is a defendant in a separate abuse lawsuit against Paul Pressler, a prominent figure in the Conservative Resurgence movement alongside Patterson.

Jordan dismissed Roe's claims with prejudice, meaning that she is barred from filing the negligence claims again.
Finnish MP Paivi Rasanen facing second trial over biblical beliefs 1 year after acquittal

Finnish Member of Parliament Paivi Rasanen, who was acquitted a year ago after being prosecuted for voicing her traditional Christian beliefs about marriage and sexuality, is still on the defense as she faces a second trial over her biblical beliefs, her lawyers say.

In a statement last week commemorating the first anniversary since her unanimous acquittal by a three-judge panel of the Helsinki District Court, the legal group supporting her defense, ADF International, says Rasanen could still have to pay tens of thousands in fines as prosecutors continue to demand that Rasanen's views be censored.

Although the court dismissed hate speech charges against Rasanen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, the prosecutor appealed the not guilty verdict last April.

The former interior minister and religious leader faced prosecution for their roles in creating and publishing a 2004 pamphlet titled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity.

Rasanen also faced criminal charges for a 2019 tweet criticizing the leadership of the Finnish Lutheran Church for supporting LGBT pride month.

The court ruled that "it is not for the district court to interpret biblical concepts."

"By continuing its campaign to censor peaceful beliefs, the prosecution is setting a dangerous precedent of intolerance against free speech," Rasanen, former leader of Finland's Christian Democratic Party, said in a statement.

"I will keep fighting for free speech because it is the cornerstone of a free and democratic society. I am hopeful the appeal court will make the same decision as the district court and acquit me again."

Rasanen's case attracted global media attention and drew concern from human rights experts about the state of free speech in Finland.

ADF International's Executive Director Paul Coleman described the situation as a "new low" for free speech in Europe.

"When a longstanding and respected Finnish parliamentarian is put on trial twice for sharing her deeply held beliefs in a tweet four years ago, you know regard for free speech in Europe has hit a new low," Coleman said.

Police investigations against Rasanen began in June 2019, following a tweet in which she questioned her church's sponsorship of the LGBT event Pride 2019, accompanied by an image of Bible verses from the New Testament book of Romans. Subsequent investigations led to charges based on a church pamphlet she wrote nearly 20 years ago.

Rasanen attended 13 hours of police interrogations. She was frequently asked by police to explain her understanding of the Bible. Despite police recommendations not to continue the prosecution, Finland's prosecutor general brought three criminal charges against her in April 2021.

Rasanen's statements did not violate the policies of Twitter or the national broadcaster, and they remained freely available on their platforms, ADF International noted.

Rasanen insists that she has no ill will toward the LGBT community and claims those accusing her of hate speech are the ones dabbling in hatred.

"We all are sinners and we need Jesus. But now, I think there is a heavy hatred against Christian values in our society," Rasanen earlier told The Christian Post. "If you speak about gender issues  that there are two genders or that marriage belongs to one woman and one man  it arouses hatred against you in our society."

During the court hearings in early 2022, Rasanen's defense argued that finding her guilty would significantly damage free speech in Finland, as her statements were protected expressions of Christian teaching. The court agreed, stating that "there must be an overriding social reason for interfering with and restricting freedom of expression." The court found no such justification.

Following her acquittal, Rasanen expressed willingness to defend freedom of speech at every level, including the European Court of Human Rights if need be.

Rasanen has served as a Finnish Member of Parliament since 1995, was chair of the Christian Democrats and was the interior minister from 2011-2015.
Revelation 11: Who are the 2 witnesses that will fight with the Antichrist?

Perhaps one of the most treasured books in my library was written by W. Phillip Keller, titled, Predators in Our Pulpits. In one chapter, Keller talks about the necessity of preaching repentance. He writes:

When John the Baptist, the greatest man born of a woman, came as Christs forerunner, he preached the absolute need for repentance. When Christ started out on his public ministry, he called for repentance. When the apostles of the early Church arrested the attention of their society, they demanded repentance. Yet the Christian leaders of our generation are almost silent on the subject. They are reluctant to carry out Christs clear command that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all the nations of the earth.

Indeed, too many clergies today wont boldly speak against sin and the need to turn away from it and trust Christ because its unpopular. They dont want to pay the price of an authentic witness.

Revelation 11 prophesies that concurrent with a new and Third Temple in Jerusalem during the Tribulation period, God raises up two witnesses clothed in burlap or sackcloth. Their attire speaks of mourning, misery and misfortune. These two witnesses, facing extreme opposition, preach about Gods judgment and the urgent need for repentance from sin. Here is what the Scriptures say:

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days. These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, the city where their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them. But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, Come up here! And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched. At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of Heaven.

There has been considerable speculation as to the identity of these two witnesses.

Some spiritualize the text and say the two witnesses are not actual people. William Barclay, in his commentary on Revelation, notes:

They see in the two witnesses the Law and the Prophets, or the Law and the Gospel, or the Old Testament and the New Testament. Or, they see in the two witnesses a picture of the Church. Jesus told his followers that they must be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). Those who explain the two witnesses by the witness of the Church explain the number two by referring to Deuteronomy 19:15, where it is said that if a charge is brought against anyone it must be confirmed by the evidence of two witnesses. But the picture of the two witnesses is so definite that it seems to refer to definite persons.

Indeed, it is more proper to see these two as literal people.

The earliest Christian thought identified the two as a return of Enoch and Elijah. In his commentary on Revelation, the late M.R. DeHaan explains that this belief is based entirely on Hebrews 9:27, which reads:

Each person is destined to die once, and after that comes judgment.

However, DeHann rightly proceeds to refute this position, arguing:

The statement, It is appointed unto men once to die, leads them to conclude that since Enoch and Elijah were the only two men in Scripture who never died, they must be the two witnesses of whom Revelation 11 speaks. May I remind you, however, that Hebrews 9:27 is not applicable to all men individually; the word men is used here in the generic sense, as applying to the race. It is appointed unto man once to die, but all men will not have to die. There will be a generation of believers who will never die  Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 4, the classic chapter which tells of the Rapture of the Church: The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. In I Corinthians 15:51-52, we read: Behold I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. From these passages, you will see that the statement it is appointed unto men once to die cannot refer to every individual but speaks of the race in general. Similarly, in Romans 11:25, we read, All Israel shall be saved; this, however, does not mean that every individual Israelite shall be saved, but, rather, all Israel as a nation.

Other Bible students and scholars believe the two witnesses are likelier to be Elijah and Moses because the description of their ministries is so much like theirs.

This position is held by renowned Bible teacher Dr. David Jeremiah. In his terrific book, The Book of Signs, Jeremiah says:

Malachi prophesied that Elijah would return to prepare the way for Christs second coming: Behold, I [the Lord] will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). Some believe John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy. Luke 1:7 tell us that John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but this simply means that John did his work by the power of the Spirit, just as Elijah did. He was not literally Elijah reincarnated. John himself affirmed this fact. When Jewish leaders asked him, Are you Elijah? he answered unequivocally, I am not (John 1: 21). Clearly, Malachis prophecy points to someone other than John the Baptist  someone yet to come.

Jeremiah adds:

Both Moses and Elijah appeared at Christs transfiguration (Matthew 17:3.) By Gods power, Moses turned water into blood (Exodus 7:19-20). The two witnesses will perform the same miracle (Revelation 11:6). Moses body was miraculously preserved for restoration (Deuteronomy 34:5-7). Satan fought the archangel Michael for Moses body (Jude 9). He may have intended to prevent Gods program of restoration in the last days. Since the witnesses will minister within the nation of Israel, this connection with Jewish Scriptures will underscore their message.

Much more important, however, than the identity of the two witnesses is the ministry they perform.

Revelation 11 indicates their ministry is one of profound influence. They call on Israel to repent of her apostasy and for the world to receive Christ. Their preaching will last three and a half years of the seven years of the Tribulation, although which half of the Tribulation period is debated.

It is most likely their powerful testimony precipitates the conversion of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from the twelve tribes of Israel. Moreover, their preaching also results in the salvation of a remnant in Israel.

Their preaching will bring about the salvation of multitudes worldwide during the darkest period of human history. Unfortunately, most of the world will hate their witness and want them silenced and dead, but they will be invincible until their work is complete. God will have provided them with miraculous powers to use against the enemies of the Gospel.

When the work of the two witnesses is finalized, then and only then will God allow them to be conquered. The Anti-Christ, the beast coming from the abyss, will pitilessly and ruthlessly slay them. On a main street in Jerusalem, their corpses will be displayed  in a city as vile in Gods eyes as Sodoms debauchery and Egypts tyranny  in the same place where even the innocent Son of God was heartlessly and inhumanly placed on Calvarys tree.

The world will rejoice at the demise of these two witnesses. They will celebrate in a way some scholars have likened to the devils Christmas. Nevertheless, God will vindicate the two by raising them from the dead and snatching them away into heaven for the entire world to see.

A tremendous earthquake will immediately follow, killing thousands in Jerusalem. All of these sensational manifestations of the Lords power will terrify people so that many will give glory to God.

I hope every preacher who faithfully proclaims the Gospel of repentance and faith in Christ might be encouraged to preach fearlessly in light of this text. Your ministry is secure and protected by the Lord; no one can end or destroy it until God is finished with you. This is what Jesus was talking about when he said his authentic witnesses would take up snakes and drink poison (Mark 16:18). He wasnt calling for a carnival show of misguided religious fanatics dancing around a church sanctuary with their hands full of rattlesnakes.

Let me finish with an additional quote by Keller explaining repentance, which is extremely important to understand. He writes:

In essence, repentance is a disclosure to us of our undone condition before the absolute love, purity, justice, and incandescent righteousness of the Risen Christ. It is borne in upon our stained souls so smeared with selfishness, our spirits sullied with pride, our daily behavior so corrupted with evil that we are at odds with God our father. We are at enmity with God. We are rebels living in open defiance of his best intentions for us. We have set ourselves up in pride as supreme in our own affairs. So, we refuse to receive him [Christ] as Monarch in our lives. We close him out of our considerations. We live as though he were dead.

Repentance is a change of mind, heart, and life. It is turning away from our neglect and rebellion and turning to God. It is surrendering to his Lordship and receiving his grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Any preacher who proclaims this message should get ready to duck for cover. Repentance, an indispensable portion of Gods message of redemption, is deeply offensive to the unregenerate heart. Still, the minister must be steadfast. He may, however, rest assured that no criticism of his ministry, no attempt by the enemy of mens souls to sabotage it, will be successful. His ministry of the Word is invincible unless God, in his wisdom, has completed his work at his present location, ready to move him onto another field, or the Master is about to snatch him away to glory.

Preach witness! Preach! God is with you!

Halleluiah!
Why Christians should be prepared for persecution

Not a day passes without reports of persecution against Christians happening on a global scale. In my country Nigeria, Christians are killed on a daily basis. The government is actively aiding and abetting the persecutors. Sadly, this is a global phenomenon and it looks like there is nothing anyone can do to avert it.

Jesus warned us that persecution is inevitable, but we have decided to ignore this warning at our own perils. Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also (John 15:20). Many of us do not want to embrace the reality of the Christian faith. Many have decided to pick Jesus' words of blessings, miracles, signs and wonders, and throw away His hard sayings.

I strongly believe that persecution is an integral part of Christianity and there is nothing anyone can do to remove it. It is obvious that many preachers and Christians who want to escape persecution have developed another Gospel and faith that promotes bodily comforts and discard the doctrine of Christian suffering completely. This is not the Christianity that Christ handed over to His disciples.

Lack of preparedness for persecution on the side of Christians is responsible for our inability to reach the world with the Gospel and the love of Christ. We are now selecting where to go and where not to go even when the command of Christ is that we go into all the world and spread the good news about His kingdom. The Gospel of comfort and prosperity that are preached in our churches today does not allow us to embrace risk and face persecution. This is unacceptable!

We must as a matter of necessity be prepared to be persecuted because Christ did not in any way tell us to avoid it. Neither did He promise to deliver us when we are being persecuted. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for 10 days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victors crown (Revelation 2:10). There was no escape promised by Christ in this admonition because persecution is packaged by God to separate the chosen from the called.

The Biblical disciples who handed down Christianity to us understood and embraced the doctrine of Christian persecution. When they were persecuted they never prayed that God should deliver them; rather they prayed for the boldness to continue to preach the Gospel (Acts 4:29). Many governments around the world are threatening to put us in prison if we preach Christ. Should we quit or should we ask God to give us the boldness to go to all countries, cities, towns and villages with the Gospel regardless of the consequences?

The early missionaries were never afraid to die. Many of them were killed for the sake of the Gospel and all of us in Africa got the Gospel because someone jeopardized their life to reach us. When James Calvert went out as a missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to turn him back, saying, you will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages. To that, Calvert replied, we died before we came here.

How I wish all of us will emulate James Calvert and his team members. It is either that we die before the persecution comes or we outrightly disobey Christ's command that we go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Remaining in our comfort zones to avoid persecution is not the right thing to do.
186 churches sue UMC North Georgia Conference for halting disaffiliation process

More than 180 congregations in Georgia have filed a lawsuit after their regional body of the United Methodist Church refused to allow them to disaffiliate amid a denominational schism over homosexuality.

Last week, 186 churches filed a lawsuit against the UMC North Georgia Conference in Superior Court in Cobb County over the conference's decision last December to prohibit any more congregations from leaving amid a denominational schism over homosexuality.

The Wesleyan Covenant Association of North Georgia, an unofficial conservative advocacy group that helped conservative churches form the Global Methodist Church breakaway denomination, released a statement explaining that the decision to sue comes "with a heavy heart."

"We recognize that taking legal action against the UMC is a drastic step," the WCA of North Georgia stated. "Be assured that every possible option has been explored to avoid this moment."

"We trust that this present course will restore the process so we all can continue on this journey toward disaffiliation.  God has got this, friends, and he will see us through."

North Georgia Conference Bishop Robin Dease said in a statement that her "heart aches" over the congregations' decision to file the legal action.

"While we review the lawsuit with the appropriate counsel, we will refrain from sharing details, however, we are familiar with the issues. Similarly, a lawsuit has been filed against the conference and its leadership by a church in Augusta," Dease stated.

"I affirm my commitment to honor and uphold the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, to be the best United Methodist bishop I can be, and to faithfully co-labor with you as we fulfill the mission of the Church."

The North Georgia Conference announced in December that it was putting a "pause" on the disaffiliation process, claiming that "any local churches have been misled about the disaffiliation process and have been presented with information about the process."

"We have significant concerns about this misinformation and are well aware that it has the potential to do irreparable harm," stated the conference at the time. "We do not have confidence in the validity of upcoming church conference disaffiliation votes."

The conference further argued the pause in disaffiliations "will allow churches to gain more information about the real, rather than the false or hypothetical, future of our church."

In June 2022, before the disaffiliation pause, 70 congregations representing 9% of the conference's churches and 3% of its members disaffiliated from the UMC.

In 2022, over 1,800 churches had their disaffiliation votes approved by their respective conferences. The disaffiliations come in large part amid the denomination's ongoing debate on whether to allow the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of people in same-sex romantic relationships.

Although the UMC Book of Discipline currently bans both practices, many progressive clergy have refused to enforce the rules, and theological liberals within the UMC have engaged in a yearslong unsuccessful effort to change the denomination's stance. Some progressive denominational leaders have refused to follow or enforce the denominational rules on LGBT issues.

In announcing the disaffiliation pause, the UMC North Georgia Conference refuted "Church leaders communicating that North Georgia Conference leadership is not following the Book of Discipline."

"In fact, the North Georgia Annual Conference and its leaders have taken no actions in conflict with the Book of Discipline," the statement read.

The conservative alternative to the UMC known as the Global Methodist Church was launched last year, with several hundreds of UMC congregations voting to join the new denomination. The launch came as the UMC announced that it would delay its General Conference meeting to 2024, the third time the General Conference was postponed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Delegates were expected to negotiate a denominational split.

While many congregations have been allowed to disaffiliate, others have faced financial roadblocks or have had their disaffiliation votes outright denied, which has led to several lawsuits impacting various conferences.
Over 3K accept invitations to Christ at Greg Laurie's Harvest crusade in Idaho

Calling it an event years in the making," California evangelist Greg Laurie drew thousands of people to hear the Gospel at his latest Harvest outreach in Boise, Idaho.

The crowd packed the two-night event held at ExtraMile Arena last Saturday and Sunday, with over 21,000 in attendance and more than 144,000 watching online.

Over 3,000 people responded when Laurie extended the invitation for them to come forward and commit their lives to Christ.

Initially slated for 2020 but postponed due to the pandemic, Boise Harvest involved over 100 local churches and the surrounding Treasure Valley area, partnering and planning for more than three years.

Speaking with The Christian Post, Laurie said some weren't even sure the Harvest event would ever come to Boise.

"This event was different because it had been postponed over two years. We were set and ready to go and COVID hit, and it just kept getting pushed off and pushed off, and perhaps some people in Idaho were not sure we would come at all," he said. "But we had made a commitment, and I saw the great commitment they had made, continuing to ask for it, pray for it, working together over 100 churches. So I thought weve got to go and do this.

And it was without question one of the best crusades weve ever held in our 30-year history.

Since 1990, Harvest Crusades have been held in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Roughly 6.5 million people have attended Lauries crusades in person, and an estimated 600,000 have made professions of faith in Christ through Harvest outreaches.

In 2012, the event was expanded as an annual nationwide simulcast event called Harvest America, broadcasting Harvest events into churches, theaters and living rooms across the country.

Harvest events are designed to be opportunities for Christians to invite family members, coworkers, friends and acquaintances to hear the life-changing message of the Gospel in an environment that is entertaining and non-threatening, according to the program's website.

In 2020, SoCal Harvest was canceled for the first time in over three decades due to the coronavirus pandemic. Harvest resumed in 2021 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, but only as a one-day event.

Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship megachurch based in Riverside, compared the extended hiatus to the story of Elijah. God called the Old Testament prophet to walk boldly into the court of King Ahab and speak as a mouthpiece for God. Then the Lord told Elijah to ... basically just wait."

"And sometimes, when God tells us to wait, it doesnt make sense to us," Laurie added. "But the Scripture says He makes all things beautiful in His time."

When COVID hit in 2020, Laurie said it was time to pivot from in-person crusades to what he called a cinematic crusade." Harvest took everything learned from the live event production and put it into something that could be watched on a phone or TV screen.

Laurie also launched "Harvest at Home," the online service which exploded from about 10,000 viewers to about 200,000 viewers as the pandemic raged on.

It reminded me of Romans 8:28  that God can cause all things to work together for good, he said.

The Boise event featured performances from Jeremy Camp, Chris Tomlin, Jordan Feliz, Andy Mineo and the Harvest Worship Band. Laurie presented two messages on what it takes to fulfill a soul and Christ's solution to the problems of fear and the unknown.

So, what is the meaning of life? Laurie asked. It is to know there is a God in Heaven who loves you and has a plan for your life. Why are you here on this earth? To walk with God in a friendship, a relationship, with hope for this life and the afterlife.

He also spoke directly to those in attendance who came as skeptics or even to debate Christians.

No matter what sin you have committed, God will forgive you, Laurie said. Maybe you came here to mock Christians tonight. Maybe you went out of your way to argue with believers. I used to be like that too. I never planned on becoming a Christian when I did.

Laurie shared his testimony of how he came to know Jesus and his life changed forever at the age of 17.

At the end of each night in Boise, Laurie invited attendees to make a public profession of faith as the Harvest Worship Band played.

Thousands rose from their seats and made their way toward the stage as they committed their lives to Christ. They were met by local pastors and volunteers, who were able to lead them in prayer and invite them to a local church community.

During the final invitation, Laurie says the floor was so full that follow-up counselors had to climb up to the third level of the venue to hand out more than 2,500 Bibles.

The success in Boise, Laurie says, has prompted him to seriously consider holding similar outreaches around the country.

"They were just responding to everything so beautifully, and it was just a warm, memorable experience," he told The Christian Post. "And I look forward to going back there again sometime in the future."
Chaplain barred by NHS from seeing patients after answering question on gay marriage awarded $12K 'There is a tendency in the NHS to force patients to accept generic spiritual care ... not support their Christian beliefs'

Catholic chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Patrick Pullicino, has been awarded $12,000 in compensation by a London National Health Service Trust after being removed from his role for discussing the Churchs teachings on marriage with a patient.

The settlement comes after a claim of harassment, religious discrimination and victimization against Pullicino, who's also a former professor of neurosciences. His case was represented by the U.K.-based group Christian Legal Centre, a division of Christian Concern.

The case began when Pullicino, 73, who had an illustrious career as a consultant neurologist before becoming a Catholic priest in 2016, was assigned to visit a male psychiatric patient at Springfield Hospital who requested a Catholic chaplain, Christian Concern said in a statement, explaining that the patients father was upset with his sons same-sex relationship.

During their conversation in August 2019, the patient asked Pullicino about the Catholic Churchs stance on marriage.

According to Christian Concern, "At no point did Rev. Pullicino condemn the patient or chastise him for his relationship. In fact, he expressed empathy and compassion because the patients father was at odds with him over the relationship." However, the chaplain responded by encouraging the patient to consider Gods perspective on the matter and urged him to understand his fathers point of view. As a result, the patient complained to the Trust, and a probe was initiated to investigate Pullicinos actions and he was barred from re-entering the building.

In response to the complaint, Vanessa Ford, the acting chief executive of South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust, said the Trusts policy on Equality and Diversity takes precedence over religious belief. But Ford later admitted that her letter should have been phrased differently and reassured Pullicino that there was no suggestion he had told the patient he would go to Hell.

Months later, the Trust informed Pullicino that he was being dismissed, citing budgetary constraints as the reason.

The case was scheduled for a hearing in July at the Croydon Employment Tribunal but was settled after Pullicinos story gained attention in both U.K. and U.S. media. The compensation awarded to Pullicino falls within the middle band of Vento guidelines for serious cases of discrimination, Christian Concern said.

Pullicino expressed relief at the outcome but called for a government inquiry into what he described as a disturbing approach to the expression of Christian beliefs within the NHS. He added that the downgrading of Christian belief undermines patients care and chaplains of different faiths.

The documented downgrading of Christian belief by the chief executive undermines not only her NHS Trust but also all the patients under her care as well as the chaplains of different faiths that she employs, he was quoted as saying.

There is a tendency throughout the NHS to force their patients to accept generic spiritual care instead of giving support for their Christian beliefs. Christian faith is particularly important in sickness, particularly when in danger of death.

Limiting this is inhumane, in addition to being outside the law. Good, religion-specific chaplaincy support is under threat in the NHS but is essential in all hospitals. A government inquiry is urgently needed into restoring hospital chaplaincy to its rightful place.

Christian Legal Centres Chief Executive Andrea Williams called for an end to the ideology of equality and diversity riding roughshod over the Christian faith. She also pointed to a trend in which NHS chaplains face punishment for expressing standard biblical teachings on human sexuality, leading to self-censorship and a diminished role for chaplains in public institutions.
Republican seeks to ban foreign aid for countries that discriminate based on sexual orientation

A politically embattled Republican congressman has introduced a bill that would prohibit the United States from providing foreign aid to any country that discriminates or criminalizes sexual orientation.

Under the "Equality and Fiscal Accountability Protection Act of 2023," which New York Rep. George Santos introduced on March 24, the U.S. State Department would be required to assess a country's "human rights record" before approving federal aid, according to Santos' office.

Countries that are determined to violate this criteria would be ineligible to receive aid "until they take steps to address the issues," according to the statement.

"Discrimination against both women and the [LGBT] community is unacceptable," Santos said. "My bill will send a clear message that the United States will not offer federal aid to countries found to be violating the rights of individuals based on sexual orientation.

"We as a nation have a responsibility to stand up for the human rights of all people, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation."

While the legislation does include an exception for national security, there is no exception for religion in the bill's current form, a person familiar with the matter told The Christian Post.

A person familiar with the matter told CP as the "first openly gay Republican elected to Congress," Santos is "aware of the challenge this segment of society faces" and believes that American funding "should be used in supporting countries that are more aligned with our values."

Since his election last November to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District, Santos has admitted fabricating several details about his personal life, including his family history and academic record, The Associated Press reported. He is also alleged to have played a role in fraud schemes involving a dog adoption charity and a credit card skimming operation.

The 34-year-old Santos faces investigations from the House Ethics Committee  which says its working to determine, among other allegations, whether Santos "may have engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign"  as well as a New York county prosecutor who is investigating whether Santos defrauded supporters of his 2022 campaign.

He also drew criticism for bizarre comments he made in a January 2020 appearance on a public access show in which he attempted to clarify his faith background.

He said his grandfather was raised Jewish but converted to Catholicism before the Nazis "became a thing." "I'm Catholic," Santos said on the show "Talking GOP." "But that's pretty much a little history of my family into Judaism."

Santos then appeared to suggest all people who believe in Jesus are Jewish "because Jesus Christ is Jewish."

"I believe we are all Jewish, at the end, because Jesus Christ is Jewish," he said. "And if you believe in Jesus, and we're all brothers in Christ. I mean, I don't want to get too religious here."

Santos has recused himself from House committee assignments pending the outcome of the investigations, according to The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters that Santos "has a right to serve" after being elected by voters but said that if any wrongdoing is found, "we'll deal with that at that time."
Harvest America: All Roads Lead to God But Only One Road Leads to Heaven, Through Jesus Christ

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DALLAS  Pastor Greg Laurie shared his powerful Gospel message on God's grace and salvation through Jesus Christ with an overflow crowd of 19,000 at Dallas' American Airlines Center and Victory Park Sunday for his first Harvest America in the Lone Star State. Along with the overcapacity crowd, a total of 3,900 host venues throughout the country (1,200 of them churches), watched the livestream event.

Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside and Harvest Orange County in Irvine, California, revealed that while it might surprise some people, he believes all paths lead to God, whether one is agnostic, atheist, Christian, Jewish or Muslim. But he emphasized that while everyone will meet God, only those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter heaven.

"I believe all roads lead to God. I don't care if you're a believer, agnostic or an atheist. I believe whatever road you're on, you will get to God one day and you will stand before God one day. All roads lead to God. But only one road leads to heaven, and that's the road through Jesus Christ," Laurie asserted.

"Your soul lives on in the afterlife. Everyone is going to die. You decide what you will do with this life, and you decide where you will spend the afterlife. I hate to break it to you," he said, "but there are only two choices: heaven or hell."

With the Scripture John 14:6 displayed at the front of the stage in the arena: "Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me," Laurie explained, "Heaven is not the default destination for everyone, but for Christians, the forgiven people."

"The hope of heaven  that's for believers only, those who follow Christ," he asserted, adding that everyone who accepts Jesus Christ into their heart as their Lord and Savior and acknowledges their belief in Him before others will receive the gift of eternal life.

"Jesus said: 'If you acknowledge me before people, I will acknowledge you before my father and the angels in heaven.'"

He continued: "It doesn't matter what sin you've committed, or what you've done. You want to get to heaven? Get on the narrow path that leads to life.  Only God can change a life; only God can forgive sins. But only you can open your heart; only you can believe. ... Repent, turn from your sin, and receive Christ into your life."

Believers in Jesus Christ, he added, have these assurances: heaven is a real place; if you're a Christian, you're going to heaven; everyone will have a new body in heaven; people will be reunited with their loved ones; and Christ is coming back again.

Laurie also emphasized that, "Jesus said you have to be born again," and cautioned, "it's possible to be in the church and not have a personal relationship with Jesus."

Speaking about the second coming of Jesus Christ, Laurie emphasized that with daily reports of terrorist activities and fatal diseases such as Ebola, everything is "happing in real time before our very eyes."

"We're living in the last days. Jesus said, 'I will come and receive you into myself,'" Laurie added, noting that it's OK to be a skeptic. Being a skeptic, he said, could be one's first step to becoming a believer.

"When Christ came into my life (at age 17), it turned a skeptic into a believer," said Laurie, who spoke about his journey to Christ after having witnessed the redemption of his friends who had become Christians.

In his Gospel message, Laurie also shared his family's greatest heartache, when in 2008 his eldest son, Christopher, 33, died in car accident. Expressing how he felt his struggle wasn't just getting through the day or the week, but getting through the next 15 minutes, he said, if words could kill, he would've died on the spot after learning about his son's tragic death.

Laurie said he asked God for His love, support and guidance, and told those gathered for Harvest America: "God came through for me, He will come through for you."

Music performances at Harvest America in Dallas included for King and Country, Phil Wickham and Mercy Me.

Laurie is expected to return to Texas in 2015 where Harvest America will be held at Globe Life Park, better known as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Those who want to learn more about Harvest American or to make a monetary donation to support Harvest America can do so at HarvestAmerica.com.
Seoul Digital Foundation President Kang Yo-sik, second from right, greets visitors to the Seoul Pavilion during Smart City Summit and Expo 2023 at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Tuesday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government



By Ko Dong-hwan



The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday exhibited some of the city's best examples of how AI and other advanced future technologies can be applied to daily life during a global smart city expo in Taipei.



The Seoul Digital Foundation under the Seoul Metropolitan Government and three companies selected by the city government are joining Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) 2023 in northern Taiwan. The event is scheduled to run through Friday.



It is the first time for the city government to send a delegation to the annual summit in Taipei. Held at Nangang Exhibition Center, the event's main theme is "Digital Transformation Takes Smart Cities to New Heights."



The participating Korean companies are light detection and ranging (LiDAR) perception software provider Vueron Technology, AI-based data solutions provider CNAI and Aone Traffic Research and Development, the creator of a new LED traffic light indicator now in use across the city. They were hand-picked by the city government based on their innovation, marketability and global competitiveness, which is necessary in launching smart city technologies in all parts of the world.



The foundation, with representatives from the companies, operate Seoul Pavilion inside Nangang Exhibition Center. There, visitors can experience and feel how far the future technologies have come. The pavilion also explains digital-friendly policies set out by Seoul's city government and hosts a networking event for representatives of businesses and governments.



Kang Yo-sik, president of the Seoul Digital Foundation, said that the organization's participation in the SCSE this year is indicative of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's initiative to take another leap into becoming a globally leading smart city. The effort continues after Seoul was awarded a grand prize at last year's SCSE.



"People lined up at our pavilion to check out the hologram-based digital human solutions, smart pedestrians and LiDAR-based ITS (information technology strategy) solutions that are now in use in Seoul," Kang said. "We have shared experiences and knowhow from our previous win at SCSE 2022."



Kang was at the official opening of the Seoul Pavilion on Tuesday. The opening was also joined by representatives from the Korean exhibiting firms and Park Jung-sook, secretary-general of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization  better known as WeGO, a synonym of the group's former title World e-Government Organization.





A total of 47 countries and over 1,700 booths are participating in this year's event that features over 65 forums, with some 120,000 visitors expected to attend the four-day event. The opening on Tuesday was joined by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and Taiwan's Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung.



The Seoul Digital Foundation on Friday is scheduled to sign a partnership with Taipei Computer Association for future cooperation on exchanges of projects and verification of their progress. The association organized this year's SCSE.


Emmy-winning actor Kelsey Grammer to portray Pastor Chuck Smith in Jesus Revolution film

Actor Kelsey Grammer, known for his role in the popular sitcom Fraiser, is headed to the pulpit for his new role in Jesus Revolution, an upcoming film inspired by the true story of the national spiritual awakening that swept Southern California in the early 1970s.

Along with Grammer, a five-time Emmy winner, the film stars The Chosens Jonathan Roumie, Joel Courtney (Super 8), Kimberly Williams-Paisley (According to Jim), Anna Grace Barlow and Nicholas Cirillo. Others listed in the cast include Ally Ioannides, Julia Campbell, Nic Bishop and Jolie Jenkins.

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) sets out to redefine truth through all means of liberation, and instead, meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie street preacher, Reads the film synopsis. Laurie and Frisbee, along with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), open the doors of Smiths languishing church to an unexpected revival by way of rock and roll, newfound love, and a twist of faith leading to aJesus Revolution that changed the world.

In a statement to The Christian Post, Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship based in Riverside who has held evangelistic crusade events at stadiums across the country for over 30 years, expressed his excitement over the film.

This film is not primarily about Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, Cathe Laurie, or me. Its about how Jesus moved and sent a spiritual awakening in our lives that is still being felt today, Laurie said.

I am honored to have such a talented, venerated cast and crew tell this story that is so near to my heart and changed my life and our country for eternity. The Jesus Movement was the last great American spiritual awakening. Some historians have said it was the greatest revival of all time. Now, Im praying for another in our time.

Grammer will portray Pastor Smith of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Lauries mentor. The minister famously opened his church to all seekers and was instrumental in launching one of the largest spiritual revivals in the United States.

Jesus has been a profound influence in my life. I am proud to be a part of this film, Grammar shared in a statement with CP.

Jesus Revolution is a Kingdom Story film in collaboration with Lionsgate. It will be directed by filmmakers Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog) and Brent McCorkle and produced by Kevin Downes. The film was written by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn.

In a past statement, the Erwin Brothers said the films content is timely today.

This is a fascinating true story about how young people gravitated toward a spiritual movement that erupted during a time that our country was being torn apart and couldnt be more divided, the Erwin Brothers said. Its themes are just as timely and topical today as they were in the late 60s.

Jon Erwin added that though the movie is set in a very specific time and place, the theme of finding a deeper meaning to life, in the midst of a fractured and broken world, is timeless.

In his iconic performances, Kelsey has a proven ability to connect with audiences in a real, vulnerable way, which will make him a tremendous presence in this film, he added.

Filming for Jesus Revolution begins in March 2022 in Mobile, Ala., and then Los Angeles in April.
'All religions are the same' and other lies

Years ago, due to a work trip, I found myself in Greece and ended up standing on Mars Hill. I got a special vibe there because that particular location is the site of one of my favorite discourses in all the Bible.

It was on Mars Hill that the Apostle Paul brought his intellect to bear against the best-of-the-best philosophers and religious practitioners of his day. At that time, Athens was the religious center of Greece and was marinating in every faith and philosophy that existed.

If there was ever a time for a Christian leader to declare in a speech that we all believe the same thing and that every road leads to God, it was then. But thats not what happened.

Universals and particulars

When he was delivering his address to that diverse audience on Mars Hill (recorded in Acts 17), Paul highlighted a few things all those in attendance had in common  their shared humanity and inherent religious nature  but then he took a hard right turn into the particulars of the Christian faith that makes it distinct from all others.

One important thing that the assertion all religions are the same ignores is the key distinction between universals and particulars. Universals are typically said to be abstract whereas particulars are concrete; i.e., a universal is something particulars have in common, but that commonality in no way means all particulars are the same thing.

No one does a better job of humorously pointing this out where religion is concerned than the English writer and poet Steve Turner in his short work called Creed:

We believe that all religions are basically the same

At least the one that we read was.

They all believe in love and goodness.

They only differ on matters of creation, sin, Heaven, Hell, God, and salvation.

And, of course, the central difference in all religions that Paul highlighted to the Athenians was Christ Himself, which is exactly how you and I should deal with the all religions are the same argument as well.

Why and how Christianity is distinct

Think about every religion you know sans Christianity. The vast majority, if not all, take an approach to our human predicament that is either epistemic, pragmatic, or existential, with some blending two or all three.

The epistemic path is one that says, If I just learn something, then Ill be better. For example, Buddhism has its four noble truths, its 8-fold path to enlightenment, etc. To the epistemic, knowledge leads to salvation.

The pragmatic approach says, If I just do something, then Ill be OK. Nearly every religion other than Christianity follows this works-based plan, with a good example being Islam and its concept of the deeds scale. The pragmatist earns their salvation by the sweat of their brow.

The existentialist thinks, If I just experience something, then Ill be fine. Those involved in spiritist and/or new age faiths always look for a vision, a breakthrough, or some spiritual event that moves them from their current life to one thats better.

But Christianity is different. It is not epistemic, pragmatic, or existential, but instead is something else.

The Christian faith is ontological.

Christianity rests completely on a Person  Jesus Christ. The prophets of other religions admit their faith does not depend on them to be true, i.e., you can take them out of the equation and the religion remains intact.

But if you take Christ out of Christianity, it completely collapses. Moreover, Christianity subsumes the approaches found in other religions and pours them all into the person of Christ.

As an example, the epistemic gains knowledge through words. And what do we read at the beginning of Johns Gospel? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14). Jesus is the knowledge of God personified.

With respect to pragmatism and a works-based approach, Jesus was once asked: What shall we do, so that we may work the works [plural] of God? Jesus answer to them was, This is the work [singular] of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent (John 6:28-29).

Lastly, existentialism concerns itself with experience and life. To that end, Jesus said, I have come that they might have life and have it abundantly  I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (John 10:10; 14:6).

Christianity diverges from all other religions because it is built upon the person of Christ, who, in His Person, embodies all approaches to spiritual truth.

Paul acknowledged this unique and ontological nature of Christianity when he spoke on Mars Hill and also when he wrote, for I know whom [not what] I have believed  For God, who said, Light shall shine out of darkness, is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Tim. 1:12; 2 Cor. 4:6).

In other words, Christianity is Jesus. Period.
Do people belong in nature?

Recently, scientists at the Israeli Weizmann Institute of Science calculated the total biomass of three different categories of living things: humans, domesticated mammals (such as cows and pigs), and wild mammals (such as whales, dolphins, and deer). Researchers estimated the combined weight of every single wild mammal to be about 60 million metric tonnes, the combined biomass of every human being at 390 million metric tonnes, and the combined biomass of the mammals we domesticate at a whopping 630 million metric tonnes. Surprisingly, researchers concluded, only 6% of the combined weight of mammals on Earth can be considered wild.

At the same time, we have never had more films available to us about unspoiled nature. Beginning with the BBCs fantastic 2006 miniseries Planet Earth, an entire subgenre has emerged celebrating the pristine beauty of the natural world, utilizing high-grade cameras, aerial footage, and powerful cinematic scores. The results are incredible. In the words of one commentator, we are the first people in human history to get close enough to African lions to see the taste buds on their tongue while still tucked in our beds.

At the same time, in the world of ecology, getting closer to nature has us no closer to having an answer to the perennial question, where do humans belong in the natural world? How we answer that question depends on our assumptions about both ecology and anthropology.

As Weizmann Professor Ron Milo put it,

"The more were exposed to natures full splendor, be it through films, museums or eco-tourism, the more we might be tempted to imagine that nature is an endless and inexhaustible resource. In reality, the weight of all remaining wild land mammals is less than 10% of humanitys combined weight, which amounts to only about 6 lbs. of wild land mammal per person."

On one hand, documentaries like "Planet Earth" can motivate us to protect our planets beauty. That kind of majesty in detail often prompts a kind of worship, though it is often directed away from the One to whom it is due. Christians who believe that there was an Eden, a world in which nature, humanity, and God were at perfect peace, are given a picture of restoration when the curse is lifted and the ill effects of our fallen humanity are made right on earth as it is in Heaven.

On the other hand, the desire to protect a pristine natural world often becomes a kind of conduit for assumptions of naturalism. If humans are only another part of nature, their violation of nature makes them a kind of cancer on the planet; at best, a problem to be solved and, at worst, a plague to be eradicated. Yet such a view cannot adequately sustain the work of conservation.

Writing for The Atlantic in 2021, environmental journalist Emma Marriss put it this way:

"With wilderness set as the gold standard for nature, any human influence has come to be seen as negative by default. The myth has thus ruled out any approaches to saving nature except walling it off and keeping humans out. Trying to save the planet with a wilderness mindset has been all about self-exile. It offers little hope of discovering what an ethical, sustainable, honorable human place in nature might actually look like, as [William] Cronon wrote."

As an example, Marriss points to criticism directed at the BBCs 2013 documentary "Africa":

"Although it was stunning, it was missing something vitally important to understanding Africa: Africans  The consequence is that tourists who go to Africa expect to see a pretty wilderness instead of a busy continent of 1.4 billion people."

In other words, documentaries about untouched nature often only tell part of the story. Even the materialist must conclude that people are part of the natural world, even if they are convinced that it is for worse instead of for better. The first Europeans to arrive in North America did not find a vast, untouched wilderness. They found a continent with millions of people already living on it.

That may seem like a somewhat obvious point, but it is a vital foundation for any conservation effort. Otherwise, we will wrongly think of nature as an inexhaustible resource available to people without consequence, or we will think of humanity as a problem within nature and the only acceptable solution as returning to some mythical time and place in which nature was left untouched by humans.

The latter belief is not just wishful thinking, it is a category error. Humans steward a world that is incomplete without us. The human capacity to cause destruction is because of the human power to heal and restore.

After creating his extravagantly diverse and interconnected world, God proclaimed, It is good. After creating human beings in His image, and tasking them with finishing His creative work on His behalf, He concluded that It is very good.

In other words, humans belong in the world. God always wanted His world to be cared for, and we are the right ones for the job.

Originally published at BreakPoint.
Erasing UK's Christian history would be a constitutional and spiritual 'disaster', says MP

A Christian MP has warned against attempts to erase the influence of Christianity from the UK's history.

Speaking during a debate in Westminster Hall on the importance of Christianity in society, Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Don Valley, questioned why the UK seemed so reluctant to celebrate its Christian heritage.

He expressed regret that "fewer and fewer people understand even the most basic claims of the Christian faith" and suggested that the UK should instead be "proud" of its heritage.

"Some want to rewrite history, but everywhere we look, we see our Christian heritage, and nowhere more than in this place," he said.

"It matters to our national life, it is the air we breathe. Although many deride and want to misrepresent it, the reality is that it has been a source of great benefit.

"Much of what makes Britain great stems from this heritage, and many others from around the world recognise that, so why don't we?

"We should be proud of our Christian history and our Christian values. It would be a constitutional disaster to try and erase it, but even worse, it would be a spiritual disaster."

Speaking during the debate, housing minister Felicity Buchan noted the impact of Christianity not only on the nation's history but in local communities, despite the recent Census showing falling numbers of believers.

She said that the UK's Christian history should be celebrated.

"The latest Census tells us that the number of Christians living in this country has decreased; however, Christianity remains the most prominent religion," she said.

"Christianity has shaped this country's history, and we should recognise and celebrate that. We can all be proud of our Christian heritage and values."
Scottish conversion therapy ban could 'criminalise innocent Christians', say church leaders

A coalition of church leaders has written to the Scottish government urging it to re-think plans to ban "conversion practices".

The church leaders warn that the proposed language is so broad that it risks criminalising "innocent Christians for teaching what Christians have always taught".

The letter to Minister for Equalities, Emma Roddick, which has been signed by 20 church leaders, says that banning the teaching of the Christian perspective of sexuality and gender identity would be "deeply repressive" and a violation of religious freedom.

The Scottish Government has promised to bring forward a Bill by the end of the year and a consultation is expected in the near future.

The church leaders note that many of the "grotesque" abuses covered by the proposed ban, like 'corrective rape' or electric shock 'therapy', are already illegal, and say that the Scottish government would be "profoundly mistaken to conflate orthodox Christian teaching on sexuality and gender with abuse".

"However, a 'conversion therapy' ban would go far beyond outlawing abuse and coercion; instead it would criminalise ordinary Christians and church leaders for expressing mainstream, orthodox belief," the letter reads.

It continues, "The process of becoming a Christian  through repentance, that is, turning from sin and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord  is usually described as 'conversion'. By using this Christian language of 'conversion', therefore, the proposed legislation strikes at a central tenet of Christianity itself.

"This means it will be very hard to avoid criminalising the ordinary work and witness of churches. Indeed, for some of those calling for a ban, this would seem to be the express purpose."

Signatories of the letter include Professor David Galloway, Chairman of Logos Scotland and former President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, who said, "As church leaders, we want to be free to share the good news of the gospel with all people, including LGBT people.

"We could never support abuse or coercion, which are completely at odds with the Bible's teaching. But we have a duty to lead our congregations in living for Christ, in the way He has taught us. And that means teaching what the Bible says about all areas of life  including sexuality and gender.

"An evidence-based case for a new law has not been made and no gaps in existing law have been identified. Yet the Scottish government is continuing to press ahead with a law that could see ordinary Christians criminalised for merely expressing their beliefs."

The letter also raises serious concerns about some of the recommendations from the Scottish Government's 'Expert Advisory Group on Ending Conversion Practices'.

In a report last October, the group suggested that teaching "the importance of marriage" should be covered by the ban and recommended "the modification or even withdrawal" of parental rights "where parents or guardians have engaged in conversion practices".

For clergy or other members of a religious institution who violate the ban, the legal consequences "may include the withdrawal of the perpetrator's professional licence as a faith leader or removal of their ability to work within Scotland in the said institution, or withdrawal of the institution's charity status where the institution is not regulated".

"Religious and cultural obligations play a huge part in why people may suppress being LGBT+. These norms are enforced and embedded from early childhood, often in subtle ways which impact significantly," the group claimed.

Elsewhere, the report says that those suspected of engaging in conversion practices should receive "targeted education", and concludes that a ban on conversion practices "does not lead to an unlawful restriction of freedom of religion".

"Freedom of religion is not an absolute right; it meets its restrictions where it unduly infringes the human rights of others," it states.

Rev Dr William Philip, minister of The Tron Church in Glasgow and co-signatory of the letter to Ms Roddick, said the recommendations of the 'Expert Advisory Group' were "alarming".

"The presentation  as a law to protect LGBT people from abuse  is disingenuous; all such abuse and coercion is already, quite rightly, illegal," he said.

"It is these proposals which are abusive towards ordinary people, including loving parents protective of their children  by criminalising simply speaking with them, praying for them, or daring to disagree with LGBT ideology.

"Threatening to punish church leaders and churches for upholding Christian teaching; terrorising mothers and fathers with the spectre of removing their parental rights for simply trying to help their children navigate normal adolescence  are these really the marks of a free and tolerant society?"
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Starbucks has fired one of the workers who helped kick off a unionization effort at the company.

Lexi Rizzo, an eight-year Starbucks employee and shift supervisor, was fired from her store in Buffalo, New York, on Friday. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks workers, said Rizzo was fired after arriving a few minutes late for work. It claims the firing was retaliation for Rizzo's vocal support of the union.

Rizzo was one of the workers who first reached out to labor organizers in 2021 to unionize Starbucks stores. Since then, at least 294 of Starbucks 9,000 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize, according to the National Labor Relations Board. Seattle-based Starbucks opposes the unionization effort.

Starbucks said Monday that Rizzo was fired for repeated and substantial violations of its attendance policy, including one instance where she arrived more than three hours late for a shift. Starbucks said it had documented six instances in which Rizzo missed more than four hours of work.

Our policies exist to maintain a welcoming environment for all partners and customers, and interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies and procedures that apply to all, the company said in a statement.

Rizzo said in a statement that she will fight to be reinstated.

Rizzo's name appears repeatedly in a decision issued last month by a federal labor judge at the NLRB, who ordered Starbucks to reinstate seven fired workers in Buffalo after finding egregious and widespread misconduct by the company.

Among other things, the judge found that Starbucks was inconsistent in warning Rizzo about tardiness and illegally withheld pay raises for her and other supervisors. Starbucks is appealing that ruling.

Starbucks Workers United said two other union supporters in Buffalo and one in Eugene, Oregon, were also fired last week.

Starbucks can fire our leaders, but they cannot stop our movement or stop the public from seeing the truth, the union said.
A new consortium is ready to take advantage of the Permian Basins vast expanse and position as center of the global energy economy to address energy challenges around the globe.

The Permian Energy Development Lab was introduced this week at the University of Texas and is a project incubated by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation of Austin. Midland College, Odessa College and the University of Texas Permian Basin are participating along with the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at El Paso, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State University, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories.

The entities are collaborating, focused on research, education and community engagement, Marilu Hastings, executive vice president of the Mitchell Foundation and director of the Mitchell Lab, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview.

Jennifer Myers, associate vice president of workforce education at Midland College, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview she sees the new lab as a regional approach to energy and that the college will focus its efforts on helping meet the regionals workforce needs.

Some participants are into scientific research and development  New Mexico, for example, focuses on renewable energy, Myers said. Other participants are into educating the workforce and thats where we come in through our continuing education programs and the Petroleum Professional Development Center, she said.

Myers added that she has already met with what she called the workforce subgroup. Its exciting, its important work. Were here to provide opportunities, whether reskilling, upskilling or changing careers, Myers said.

George Nnanna, dean of UTPBs College of Engineering and head of its Texas Water and Energy Institute, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview UTPBs participation will be both in research and in workforce development.

Scientific research will focus on four main areas of inquiry: Advanced energy, fuels and integration; carbon and materials management; water, land and agriculture; and economic development, he said.

His department is exploring the feasibility of using renewable energy  wind and solar  to treat produced water to a level that allows it to be used elsewhere, such as for nonfood crops. That, he said, would create jobs and lead to economic development. The UTPB lab last year submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation Engine program, and Nnanna said initial comments seem to suggest it will be funded.

In the area of education, he said we will concentrate on introducing students to advanced energy concepts with the goal of preparing them to excel in technology and energy careers, weaving advanced energy concepts into existing curriculum at the university and local community colleges.

Even if students dont want a degree, he said they can receive higher-education credentials that will provide career opportunities and that can also be used if students decide later that they want to pursue a degree.

Testing can be done at a large scale, he said, noting that results in a lab may differ from results in the field.

The huge advantage of this laboratory is it brings together parties from various universities and national laboratories to solve common problems, Nnanna said. People at universities tend to work in silos. We are now removing those silos and bringing all parties together to solve common problems.

Hastings said the participants will help address what she called current, urgent and ongoing questions related to traditional oil and gas operations, such as the safest and most efficient way to manage produced water. They will also address questions that she said are underappreciated.

Rarely discussed is the land impact of any energy development, she said. We dont appreciate that the loss of land and habit is a significant problem. As an example, and you can say this about any energy development, solar farm development. The current practices have significant impact. An important question is what are better, more effective practices any industry could adapt to avoid habitat destruction during development. Do we really have to scrape all the land and destroy organisms to put up a relatively temporary installation? It would take many decades for that ecosystem to restore itself naturally.

A third topic will be advancing the energy research portfolio and the role of the Permian Basin in the burgeoning hydrogen economy, Hastings said. And what about geothermal in the Permian Basin? Theres also massive potential for carbon storage. (The consortium can study) does that carbon stay? Whats the best way to monitor it? she continued.

Were also going to look at the potential for earnings revenue for landowners (who) devote some acreage for research and testing at scale, which the Permian Basin is uniquely positioned to do.

She continued, Were intrigued by the idea of a living laboratory that allows us to build on scale. That will inform and drive the world. Its not just oil and gas, its energy activity, positioning sites to be part of development of geothermal, hydrogen, carbon storage, direct air capture. We want to be a resource for all; we want to move forward in a positive way to advance energy for all.

Hastings expects some companies will play a role in the new labs work. More importantly, she hopes to hear from the communities surrounding the efforts about what they see as challenges and opportunities.

The burdens, benefits and opportunities that come our way should be equally shared so theyre not for the benefit of the few at the cost of everyone else, she said.
@DanitzaLadwig

Driving around Houston this past weekend, you may have already seen signs of one of the city's most iconic events: the Art Car Parade, now in its 36th year. Whether it's Cheerio the Hippo or that vehicle covered with singing fish, art cars have already begun descending on the Bayou City in preparation for one of the largest outsider art events in the United States.

For the uninitiated, art cars are vehicles that have been modified or embellished in some way. For the most part, art car "cartists" have little to no formal art training, though in Houston, trade schools have been known to enter projects into the annual parade.
All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel

By Jeannie Marshall

Biblioasis. 239 pp. $25.95

- - -

There was a moment in my undergraduate years when, having enrolled in three different literature classes, I simultaneously encountered St. Augustine's "Confessions," Thomas De Quincey's "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" and Thomas Mann's "Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man." It was a little like the scene in the film "In and Out" when Joan Cusack, having been left at the altar when Kevin Kline says "I'm gay" instead of "I do," learns that the macho reality TV producer played by Tom Selleck is also of that persuasion. Still in her wedding dress, she staggers out to the street shrieking, "Is everybody gay???"

Was every book about confession?

The answer, of course, is no. Or at least they don't all have "confession" in the title. But all true confession books tend to have one other thing in common, which is conversion. After all, if the sinners hadn't converted at some point after sinning, they wouldn't be in the business of writing books that declare their former lives to be sinful.

Jeannie Marshall's compact and elegantly voiced book, "All Things Move: Learning to Look in the Sistine Chapel," is a confession about a former life which begins with a childhood that was squalid in both material and spiritual circumstances, and proceeds into a young adulthood that (mostly by implication) left her emotionally deprived but then got turned around by repeated exposure to the Sistine Chapel, where she found herself reborn into the love of art, the love of the past and, indeed, into love itself.

Don't miss that subtle choice of preposition in Marshall's title: not "learning to look at the Sistine Chapel," which is what we expect art books to offer, but learning to look in the Sistine Chapel. It's not just a book about art appreciation, in other words; it's about life appreciation, with a conversion that takes place through the author's encounter with Michelangelo - and with a certain pivotal moment of the European past.

The conversion/confession story, here as in my undergraduate reading list, has a kind of sublime simplicity: I am not the person I once was, but the experience of change has enabled me to speak with the tongues of angels about both my former life and my new life. For Marshall, this means that studying Michelangelo's work provides her with a new perspective on her life. Simultaneously, the narrative of her past provides her with a frame through which she can manage the otherwise overwhelming scope of the chapel and its contents. Early in the book, when narrating her pre-conversion attitude toward the chapel, which consisted of avoiding it altogether, Marshall refers to it as "something that seemed simultaneously too complex to be understood just by looking at it and too worn out from overexposure.". It's not always clear that she evades this set of traps.

On the personal side, Marshall situates her experience of the Sistine Chapel within her family's story, offering a simple and moving account of her parents, who never married because Roman Catholic religious considerations made it impossible for her father to divorce his frail and alcoholic first wife. Late in the book there is a touching scene in which her mother, now elderly and weak, finally accepts a visit from a priest, who (without saying it in so many words) absolves her from her irregular life on the grounds that she truly loves her children.

On the Michelangelo side, "All Things Move" admirably explicates the art of the Sistine Chapel and the history of its moment. The chapters are structured along the lines of the frescoes themselves, from the narrative panels on the ceiling to the Sibyls and Prophets to the painted faux architecture to the Last Judgment, such that the book really could be used as a guide by a visitor navigating the crowded space. There are moments that reveal both how much Marshall knows and how eloquently she can translate pictures into words. Her account, for instance, of the female figure in the painting of "The Deluge" who is trying to carry a jug balanced on an upside-down table is a little masterpiece of description. What could signal desperation with more pathos, Marshall tells us, than some housewife attempting to hold on to a few household goods at a time like this? The same goes for the marvelous detail that she notices in the depiction of the prophet Isaiah, who has stuck his finger in the open book of what is presumably his prophecy, "holding his place in a way that is ordinary and unremarkable, a practical action that any of us would take when we interrupt our reading to think."

The challenge is to get past what anthropologist Clifford Geertz in another context called "thick description." That housewife escaping the flood and Isaiah with his finger in a book: How do we go from pointing out these inspiring details to revealing the sublimity of a masterpiece? Marshall reaches out in some familiar directions, for instance to other works of art and other media. She visits the Roman church of Santa Cecilia, patron saint of music, where she discovers that she is enveloped by the sound while feeling no need to explain anything, though it's not quite clear how that might raise questions about her project of explaining Michelangelo. She reaches out toward poetry, citing the often-quoted work of William Carlos Williams in "The Red Wheelbarrow," though it would seem that Michelangelo's aesthetic is as far from those spare lines as it's possible to be. She reaches out toward the history surrounding the chapel, which is - like all history - a tissue of savagery and intolerance. She finds traces of that darkness in her old childhood rages and in the scrawled commentary left on the walls of the chapel by the Protestant imperial soldiers responsible for the 1527 sack of Rome.

Does all this explain the Sistine Chapel? Does it need to? Perhaps not. In one of the book's most striking claims, referencing the late-Renaissance moment of violence, iconoclasm and religious strife, she declares of the "Last Judgment" that the "painting is about petty, human failure." To place oneself imaginatively in front of that gigantic, frescoed wall in the Sistine Chapel with its vast span of cosmic horror (the damned) and ecstasy (the saved) and then to receive such a deflationary interpretation - really? "petty, human failure"? - is, at first, profoundly unsettling, counterintuitive, wrong.

Upon reflection, however, one comes to understand from the whole of Marshall's engaging and well-researched book that the record of her experience in the chapel is not so much Art History 101 as an act of encouragement and permission, inviting readers to bring their own lives to bear as they, however briefly, inhabit this masterpiece. Reflecting on what is at stake for her, Marshall turns the lens from Michelangelo to herself, but also to the angry northern invaders who defaced the chapel in the early 16th century: "I was quite likely the very embodiment of their fears: an unaccompanied woman, an agnostic looking at art for its beauty and secular meaning." That is her confession, and it is a worthy one. Readers can agree or disagree with some of Marshall's historical conclusions, or seek alternative interpretations of the artist's choices, but that declaration of a point of view, that sense of personal experience in the face of great art and especially the right to have personal experience in the face of great art, proves to be as worthy a subject as the Sistine Chapel itself.

- - -

Leonard Barkan is the Class of 1943 university professor of comparative literature at Princeton University. He is the author of "Michelangelo: A Life on Paper," "Reading Shakespeare Reading Me" and other books.
When the Dobbs v. Jackson decision was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022, millions braced for the largest loss of personal rights in a generation as Roe v. Wade was overturned, triggering abortion bans across the country. For restaurant workers, the ruling was particularly impactful.

People in the service industry were already struggling with access to general healthcare and the funds to pay for it, as they work physically and mentally demanding, often low-paying jobs with long hours and no health insurance. In a post-Roe Texas, many have turned to Houston-based nonprofit I'll Have What She's Having for information and assistance.

Founded in 2017 by Dr. Lori Choi and local food personalities Karen Man, Lisa Seger, Monica Pope and Erin Smith, the organization fights for change in the hospitality industry, with a large focus on healthcare. Reproductive rights in particular have been a focal point, with campaigns like the 1973 Project, which sprung up in September 2021 when Texas' six-week ban went into effect. Houston chefs were photographed wearing masking tape with messages like "abortion is healthcare" and "86 ban."

After the Dobbs ruling triggered the abortion ban in Texas, hospitality leaders in Houston came together to come up with ideas that could help fellow workers. As a result, I'll Have What She's Having added to its roster of ever-expanding services, including access to mental health professionals. Through a partnership with Ethos Wellness, which provides crisis and non-crisis mental health care, the nonprofit has been able to refer affected restaurant workers for therapy.

I'll Have What She's Having

But the leading goal post-Roe became preventing pregnancy by providing free contraception. "Out of all the services we've seen a spike in request for, we have seen a spike in IUDs and a tremendous spike in people requesting mental health services," Choi says.

The organization has funded about 50 IUDs to date. Choi says there's a growing list of men who have requested vasectomies, with nearly a dozen on the books so far. They have 100 of each procedure budgeted for 2023.

Choi credits the idea of providing vasectomies to Lindsey Rae Burleson, an active member of I'll Have What She's Having and the owner of the Two Headed Dog bar in Midtown. Many of the group's initiatives come from their volunteers, she says, and vasectomies will become an important tool to combat the reproductive healthcare crisis in Texas.

"The cost [for a vasectomy] is minimal, especially when we have physicians donating their time. That's the goodwill of urologists who see we're in a health crisis and they're willing to help," Choi says. I'll Have What She's Having has partnered with M.D. volunteers from Texas Children's Hospital, Women's Health Surgeons, Comprehensive Women's Healthcare and more.

C. Norman

The organization is working on getting the word out to restaurant workers that healthcare resources are available and accessible to them, including the most economically vulnerable, such as people working in the fast food industry. It also plans to ramp up outreach to Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese-speaking workers.

"We can try to make sure women have access to care and contraception even though we've had so much loss of community-based clinics here," Choi says. "There are more options now, like telehealth to help women, but there's a tremendous knowledge gap, and even if you're in tune with your own health and body, there's a lack of knowledge about what resources are available to you."

Grassroots support has been an important way of getting the word out to those who need it; volunteers have been effective at promoting efforts on social media, Choi says. The nonprofit recently created a group of ambassadors from the food and beverage industry, who receive training that talks them through the programs to make them comfortable describing them to the community. These volunteers have in turn started attending pre-shift meetings to inform restaurant and bar workers about the initiatives.

The scope of services I'll Have What She's Having provides is broad, and will likely keep growing as long as the current Texas laws are in place. The state has some of the country's highest maternity mortality rates, which includes deaths brought on by postnatal depression, murders and suicide. Services to address these problems are something Choi has on her radar.

"These are services we haven't delivered yet but we want to because we want a person in the restaurant industry to have the very best care," she says.
People try the ChatGPT generative AI service during an open discussion session held at Government Complex Sejong, Feb. 13. Yonhap



By Baek Byung-yeul



Samsung, SK, LG, POSCO and other companies here are scrambling to make their own guidelines for using ChatGPT and other chatbot artificial intelligence (AI) services in order to prevent problems caused by the misuse of these programs, such as information leaks, according to companies and experts, Monday.



Citing examples of overseas companies that are blocking the use of ChatGPT in their workplaces due to concerns about mishandling confidential information, companies here are also conducting campaign activities, informing their employees of the risks that may occur when they misuse these programs.



ChatGPT is a generative AI service of the U.S. company OpenAI. After its 3.5 version was unveiled in November, many people have been using the innovative technology just for fun or to ask for help in various fields including computer software programming, translation and web searches.



Samsung Electronics recently announced a message on its in-company bulletin calling attention to the misuse of ChatGPT. Managers have also trained their workers on the scope of the use of this service. These actions are aimed at preventing data leaks by sharing internal information with the chat AI, given that semiconductor-related information is a state secret.



POSCO is also allowing its employees to use ChatGPT only through a business communication platform the company is using. By allowing them to use the service only through the internal system, the company aims to strengthen security and work efficiency at the same time.



LG Display is conducting an in-company campaign and education program about protecting the company's information and preventing data leaks.



SK hynix has blocked the use of ChatGPT in its internal network. If employees want to use the service, they need to get security approvals first.



Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said it is necessary for private companies to come up with guidelines for appropriate use of ChatGPT and other chatbot AI services in order to prevent data leaks.



"It is reported that more people use ChatGPT to make programs or organize remarks at meetings. These actions will likely increase the probability of leaking company secrets, so private firms are being urged to come up with their own guidelines for AI services," Kim said.



The professor added that his school is also having discussions about creating guidelines to prevent students from using ChatGPT for their assignments.



"We decided during a faculty meeting to make guidelines about using ChatGPT, because the performance of ChatGPT is too good and there are concerns that it will be a problem if students abuse it," Kim said.



To better respond to ChatGPT and other AI services, the Ministry of Science and ICT conducted an education session on Monday for its employees including the minister and vice ministers.



The ministry said it invited Sung Won-yong, an honorary professor of electronics engineering at Seoul National University, to explain ChatGPT.



"As an organization responsible for science and technology, the Ministry of Science and ICT will continue creating opportunities for all employees to learn the principles of cutting-edge technologies such as AI to better establish related policies," ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said.


San Antonio is home to plenty of interesting rides that are known to turn some heads, whether it be out of admiration or astonishment. While lowriders are embedded into the puro culture of the city, with car clubs highlighting the beauty of and pride in these gems, I spotted an, ahem, alternative lowrider that is no doubt a standout.

I present to you, the lowrider van.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

I spotted the puro van a few weeks ago parked nearby a gym and an indoor trampoline attraction on SW Military Drive, seeing the dominant body with fading paint. It had the classic lowrider rims (including the spare tire on back), tiny chain link wheel, and a metal topper that appears to read Dirty Trix Hydraulics. Of course, the lowrider leaned all the way back with the tow practically resting on the ground and the front of the van high in the air.

Its definitely leg day getting inside this ride.

Presumably named the Love Machine given the sticker on a back window, its obvious that the lowrider van has plenty of statements to make and is a high ride in more ways than one. Stickers show drawings of the dynamic duo Cheech and Chong (that is, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong of stoner royalty), a fist holding marijuana leaves accompanied by Eat Your Greens, a message to wake and bake inspired by the Starbucks logo, a Planet K bumper sticker, a memorial sticker (its a puro ride, after all) for Zeke, and the Lowrider logo.

Sarah Martinez for MySA

Oh, and theres also stickers showing visits to Corpus Christi, Oklahoma, and Kansas, as well as the Thin Blue Line Flag, commonly used to show support for law enforcement.

I was obviously intrigued by the variety of designs on display and briefly debated whether to wait around and see who was behind the Love Machine. Now, I wish I had stayed to find out, but am still on the lookout because I have to know: Who is riding this lowrider van around town? Whoever it is, Im sure theyd have plenty of friends here in San Antonio.
A man who "bragged" about stealing $50,000 from the Cartel Del Noreste was kidnapped in Laredo and taken into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, states an arrest affidavit filed in federal court.

FBI special agents arrested Jonathan Cavriales on the charge of kidnapping. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Erik Tadeo Ramirez remain unknown, authorities said.

"The FBI is unable to provide comment on this ongoing investigation. The FBI relentlessly pursues all options when it comes to protecting the American people, and this doesn't change when they are endangered across the border.

"The FBI pursues all cases with the same vigor and commitment to process. The public is urged to call the San Antonio Division at (210) 225-6741 with any information regarding this investigation. Tips may also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov," the FBI said in a statement.

At about 11 p.m. March 23, Ramirez was at a party at a residence in the 3400 block of Queretaro Loop in Las Americas neighborhood in south Laredo. Witnesses overheard Ramirez telling a female on the phone that he was in Laredo and that he was not in danger or afraid of her because he was in the United States, the affidavit states.

Witnesses stated that Ramirez also bragged that Ramirez stole approximately $50,000 from the Cartel Del Noreste, states the affidavit.

Ramirez gave the female his location on Queretaro. At about 12:45 a.m. March 24, a blue Dodge Ram arrived at the location on Queretaro. Two to three masked men armed with firearms exited the vehicle and assaulted Ramirez. Then, they forced Ramirez into the Dodge, authorities said.

The Dodge then crossed into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico at about 1:09 a.m. March 24 via the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge. Authorities determined that the vehicle was registered to Cavriales mother out of the 200 block of Palo de Rosa Loop by the Laredo Ranchettes area, the affidavit states.

A video recording showed a male with blood on his face opening the front passenger door of the Dodge while the vehicle was in motion. The male was attempting to exit the Dodge but was pulled back inside, states the affidavit.

The Dodge then bypassed the bridge attendant and drove straight into Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, according to court documents.

On March 24, 2023, Cavriales mother stated that at about 11 a.m., she received a call from Cavriales grandmother, who lives in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The grandmother told the mother that Cavriales was at her home in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico sleeping and that the Dodge was parked outside her home.

The grandmother further told the mother that Cavriales did not look well and that something was wrong with him, court documents state.

Ramirez remained listed as missing as of Friday, according to police. A mobile app tracked him to the 3400 block of Queretaro during the evening and night of March 23.

At about 1:30 a.m. March 25, FBI special agents and task force officers conducted a knock and talk at the residence on Queretaro. Two individuals stated they witnessed Ramirez being kidnapped by two to three armed individuals. Description was given on the Dodge, authorities said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers would detain Cavriales at about 2:15 a.m. March 27 when he crossed into Laredo via the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge.

In a post-arrest interview, Cavriales stated he drove the Dodge into Mexico the early morning of March 24 with a kidnapped victim, who was identified as Ramirez. Cavriales added that three other people also took part in the kidnapping, according to court documents.

Cavriales stated that he was aware that the victim had stolen approximately $50,000 from (the) Cartel Del Noreste, states the affidavit.
A man was arrested for selling a stolen tanker and pocketing more than $58,000 during a business transaction, according to court documents.

Miguel Angel Vazquez, 23, was served with two arrest warrants on March 29 charging him with two counts of felony theft of property.

The first case unfolded on Jan. 30, when Laredo police officers responded at about 10:47 a.m. Jan. 30 to a stolen vehicle report in the 1100 block of Reuthinger Parkway. A man stated that when he arrived at the job site, he noticed one of the rental tankers missing.

The 2009 Kenworth T800 Tanker from SitePro Rentals was last seen at about 3:30 p.m. Jan. 28. A branch manager from SitePro Rentals filed a theft report. The tanker was valued at about $80,000.

On Feb. 3, an investigator received a tip of a possible stolen tractor located by Texas 359 and North Riata Road. A man stated that there was a possible stolen vehicle in his junk yard. Authorities then located the stolen 2009 Kenworth Tanker.

The man stated that Vazquez offered him the tanker for $20,000. Vazquez arrived at the junkyard driving the tanker and was paid $20,000 for it, according to court documents.

A separate case was reported in July.

On July 7, a man requested a Laredo police officer in relation to a business transaction. The man stated that he had made a vehicle purchase through a business he identified as VTES Salvage on 130 Emiliano Road.

The complainant stated that Vazquez arranged for several vehicles to be sold. He then transferred $58,237 to a bank designated by Vazquez, states the affidavit.

The complainant arranged to meet with Vazquez on June 29 to sign for all the vehicles titles and arrange the shipment of the vehicles to Mexico, according to court documents.

When the day came, the owner told the complainant that he had not given him any money for the purchased vehicles and that his son, Vazquez, was not answering the phone, according to court documents.

The Webb County Sheriffs Office would take over the case since the incident occurred in their jurisdiction. Sheriffs officials presented the case to an assistant district attorney, who approved the issuance of an arrest warrant for Vazquez.
President Biden is not expected to attend the coronation of King Charles III next month, with first lady Jill Biden planning to lead the delegation to the United Kingdom, according to people familiar with the plans.

Biden's decision to skip the May 6 coronation is not unusual, say U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trip has not yet been announced. No previous U.S. president has attended a British monarch's coronation, and for the last coronation - Queen Elizabeth II's, in June 1953 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a delegation in his place.

Biden also joined a parade of world leaders in London in September to attend the queen's funeral, which the British ambassador to the United States said she believed was the first time a U.S. president had attended a British state funeral.

Still, as dozens of world leaders descend on London to celebrate Charles's ascension to the throne, some British commentators on the right have criticized Biden, calling his lack of attendance a snub to the monarchy and the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom.

"It seems pretty remiss, and I'm tempted to say more fool him for not coming," Bob Seely, a Conservative member of the British Parliament, told the Telegraph. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you would have thought he should come because he's a head of state."

The White House declined to comment.

Charles has said that he wants a slimmed-down, more modern ceremony, in contrast to his mother's coronation, which lasted about three hours. Even still, there will be a three-day holiday weekend for Charles, with parades, street parties and picnics.

Biden has yet to sit down with Charles since he took the throne in September, and missing the coronation could prove to be awkward, especially as Biden will travel to Northern Ireland, one of the king's realms, and Ireland, his ancestral homeland, in just over a week - a trip during which Biden is not expected to meet with Charles.

During his trip to Belfast, Biden will mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which mostly ended 30 years of sectarian violence between pro-Ireland Catholics and pro-Britain Protestants. His trip will come a week before a host of top leaders - including Charles, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton - plan to be in Belfast for the official anniversary celebrations.

After his stop in Belfast, Biden will travel to Ireland, a visit that is expected to be light on diplomatic engagements, to allow the president to bask in his ancestral homeland. Biden, whose family emigrated from Ireland, holds deep affection for the country. He regularly quotes Irish poetry, concedes he has an Irish temper and is quick to unspool his Irish lineage as a proud descendant of the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth.

"As many of you know, I, like all of you, take pride in my Irish ancestry," Biden said at the White House St. Patrick's Day celebration this year. "And as long as I can remember, it's been sort of part of my soul."

The White House has not yet formally announced Biden's trip to Northern Ireland and Ireland, but officials have compared the Ireland portion of the trip to one he took in 2016, near the end of his tenure as vice president under Barack Obama. Biden, accompanied by his siblings, his daughter and some of his grandchildren, spent six days in Ireland, which included stops in his ancestral hometowns.

The White House expects to announce its official delegation for Charles's coronation in the coming weeks. The delegation for Elizabeth's coronation included Earl Warren, then the governor of California, and Omar Bradley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

American and British officials say that Biden and Charles have a good relationship, and note that Biden met with then-Prince Charles in November 2021, during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, where the president praised Charles's commitment to tackling climate change.

Last month, Biden met with Sunak in San Diego on the sidelines of a joint event with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The three leaders announced a major new plan for the United States and United Kingdom to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to counter China's growing influence in the region.

- - -

The Washington Post's William Booth in London contributed to this report.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A Utah law that would ban abortion clinics has been challenged in state court by abortion rights advocates who argue it effectively prohibits abortion in the deeply conservative state.

While abortions remain legal up to 18 weeks of pregnancy in Utah, the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah and the ACLU of Utah said at a news conference Monday that limiting abortions to licensed hospitals would dramatically reduce access to treatments, as roughly 95% of abortions in Utah are performed at clinics.

Honestly, there are no realistic alternative locations for Utahns to continue to get this really essential health care, said Sarah Stoesz, president-CEO of Utahs Planned Parenthood affiliate. This law wouldnt just shift care to hospitals  as some politicians are cynically maintaining. In fact, it would functionally eliminate access to abortion in Utah, putting the lives and health of people at risk.

Planned Parenthood and the ACLUs legal challenge asks the court to delay implementation of the law until courts rule on its legality. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed the legislation last month after it cleared the Republican-led statehouse, where supporters argued Utah wouldn't need licenses for abortion clinics when courts rule in their favor and limit abortions to only exceptional and emergency circumstances.

Still, the signing of the law set off a rush of confusion among clinics, hospitals and prospective patients, who were already navigating a raft of overlapping trigger laws and legal challenges in Utah. It's set to take effect May 3, at which time abortion clinics will no longer be able to apply to be licensed. It would institute a full ban on Jan. 1, 2024, by stripping all clinics of their licenses.

Though state officials have said clinic licenses will remain until then, Planned Parenthood attorney Hannah Swanson said confusing licensing provisions would force clinics to stop providing abortions on May 3, barring court intervention. She said Planned Parenthood was concerned about sections of the 1,446-line bill that it believes makes providing abortion a crime on that date.

Republican lawmakers said last month that Planned Parenthood's claims about the legislation were inaccurate. In response to a question about currently licensed clinics, state health officials directed The Associated Press to licensing rules that do not require abortion clinics to pursue new licenses for the time being.

Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, the legislations Republican sponsor, said the law was a byproduct of working with doctors and hospitals to strike the best balance of protecting innocent life and protecting women who experience rare and dangerous complications during pregnancy.

The law has wide-ranging implications while the courts sort through legal challenges to other abortion restrictions passed by Utah lawmakers. Last years U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade triggered two pieces of legislation  passed years ago  which were designed to go into effect should the court roll back the constitutional right to abortion. In 2019, lawmakers passed a ban on abortion after 18 weeks and in 2020, a ban on abortions regardless of trimester, with several exceptions including for instances where maternal health is at risk, as well as in cases where rape or incest is reported to the police.

Utah's Planned Parenthood affiliate sued over the 2020 ban, and in July, a state court delayed its implentation until legal challenges could be resolved. The 18-week ban has since been de facto law, though Stoesz said on Monday that the clinic law would be tantamount to a full ban on abortions should it take effect.

She warned that the state's hospitals weren't designed or equipped to accommodate patients who have sought comparatively affordable care at specialty clinics for decades. The Utah Hospital Association has yet to answer questions on their plans to adapt to the new legal landscape.

Utah's turmoil mirrors developments in Republican strongholds around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and transformed the legal landscape, prompting a raft of lawsuits in at least 21 states.

Planned Parenthood operates three of the states four abortion clinics and said it does not plan to discontinue the majority of non-abortion services it provides  including tests and screenings for pregnancy, cancer and sexually transmitted infections.

The new restrictions are most likely to affect those seeking to terminate pregnancies via medication because they account for the majority of abortions in Utah and the nation. Abortion medication is approved for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy and mostly prescribed at clinics though it is increasingly offered via telemedicine, owing to a pandemic-era FDA rule change.

Stoesz said the law was an attack on all kinds of abortion. She said that although she didn't doubt capable providers worked at hospitals, she said that for most who seek it, abortion is a routine part of their medical care and best provided at a specialty clinic, not in a high-cost environment like a hospital.

An abortion is an abortion. And this law isnt specific to the way that the abortion occurs, she said.

Utah lawmakers have previously noted that the law also clarifies the definition of abortion to address liability concerns about how exceptions are worded in state law  a provision they called a compromise.

Since the laws passage, both lawmakers and Utahs Department of Health and Human Services have said abortion clinics could apply for new licenses as hospitals.

If an abortion clinic meets the requirements of a hospital then they may apply for a hospital license, said Charla Haley, a state health department spokesperson, in a statement last month.

However, due to different licensing requirements, doing so could require changes for the states four standalone clinics, which primarily provide medication abortion and have relied on clinicians and other practitioners rather than physicians and surgeons to provide abortions.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  As students across Nashville walked out of class on Monday to protest gun violence at the Tennessee Capitol following a school shooting last week, police said the person who killed six people, including three 9-year-old children, had been planning the massacre for months.

Police have not established a motive for the shootings at The Covenant School, a small Christian elementary school where the 28-year-old shooter was once a student, according to a Monday news release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Both Nashville police and FBI agents continue to review writings left behind by Audrey Hale, both in Hale's vehicle and home, police said.

It is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers, police said.

The three children who were killed in the shooting were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. The three adults were Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school, custodian Mike Hill, 61, and 61-year-old substitute teacher Cynthia Peak.

Hale fired 152 rounds during the attack before being killed by police. That included 126 rifle rounds and 26 nine-millimeter rounds, according to police.

Outside the state Capitol on Monday, thousands rallied in a call for gun reform, many of them students from Nashville-area schools who walked out of their classes en masse. Some other students sat outside the House speakers office in the legislative building.

The crowd outside the Capitol echoed chants such as thoughts and prayers are not enough" and sang along to songs like All You Need is Love  adding to it, and action! At one point, they sat for a moment of silence, raising posters above their heads that read, Thoughts and prayers are useless to dead children, Book bags not body bags, and 2nd graders over 2nd amendment. Some students wore orange shooting-target stickers on their shirts.

Vivian Carlson, a senior at Hume-Fogg High School nearby in downtown Nashville, helped organize her schools walkout. She told the crowd that her biggest fear last week, when the shooting unfolded, should have been missing the bus or my stepmom scolding me for not cleaning the cat litter box. Instead, she said she was missing English class Monday because politicians are protecting old laws for a new society.

Carlson, like many others who addressed the crowd, called for changes to Tennessee's gun laws, including a ban on assault weapons, tougher background checks and a red flag law. Red flag laws generally allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate weapons from people whose statements or behavior are deemed to make them a danger to themselves or others.

To my fellow students, we cannot let this pressure and fire escape us, Carlson said. Feel the fear as you walk into school and let it inspire you to fight for change. And please, if there is one thing you can do, I beg you to vote.

Tennessee's Republican governor and supermajority Republican legislature have moved to loosen gun laws in recent years. The same day as the Covenant shooting a federal judge quietly cleared the way to drop the minimum age for Tennesseans to carry handguns publicly without a permit to 18  just two years after a new law set the age at 21.

As thousands swarmed the Capitol, Gov. Bill Lee and state lawmakers held a press conference nearby to unveil legislative proposals that would add more funding for school resource officers and mental health resources.

The proposals included $140 million to place an armed security guard at every public school, as well as $27 million to enhance public and private school security. Lee is also proposing adding $30 million to expand the states homeland security network that will work with both public and private schools.

The governors proposals must now clear the Legislature as lawmakers are in their final weeks of the session.

Notably absent from Lees announcement were any calls to tighten the states access to guns. As he stood surrounded by top Republican leaders, Lee said he believed that people who are a threat to themselves should not have access to weapons, but also stated that any law designed to address those concerns shouldnt impede 2nd Amendment rights.

He called on the Legislature to find the appropriate solution. Yet that call to action may be short-lived after Sen. Todd Gardenhire, who chairs the influential Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters that he has no plans to consider any new gun-related bills this session.

We all agree that we should all find something that we agree upon, Lee said. I think we can do that and I think we should do that.

Lee added that he had not talked to Gardenhire about his stance on halting new gun legislation.

An AP investigation last year found that most U.S. state barely use the red flag laws touted as the most powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens. Its a trend experts blame on a lack of awareness of the laws and resistance by some authorities to enforce them even as shootings and gun deaths soar.

Even after the main rally ended Monday, hundreds of protesters remained at the Capitol as lawmakers went into the House and Senate chambers for their evening sessions. Many protesters made their way inside the building, where they sang This Little Light of Mine before erupting into chants, Save our kids!"

The scene recalled a rowdy gun control protest last week. On Thursday, protesters were forced to leave the Senate chamber gallery after yelling, Children are dead!  and two Democratic lawmakers caused the House to temporarily shut down by chanting, Power to the people! through a megaphone.

Police have said Hale was under a doctors care for an undisclosed emotional disorder. However, authorities havent disclosed a link between that care and the shooting. Police also said Hale was not on their radar before the attack.

Social media accounts and other sources indicate that the shooter identified as a man and might have recently begun using the first name Aiden. Police have said Hale was assigned female at birth but used masculine pronouns on a social media profile. However, police have continued to use female pronouns and the name Audrey to describe Hale.
WEST HARTFORD  Former Superintendent of Schools Thomas Moore was the top earner in town last year, despite leaving the job in June.

Moore, who spent seven years with the district, earned $316,293.20 before departing for a job in Illinois halfway through the calendar year, according to West Hartford municipal salary data for 2022 obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

The data showed more than 500 West Hartford employees earned $100,000 or more in 2022.

West Hartford Police Lt. Thomas Lazure was second on the town's list with a total compensation of $260,868.04 in 2022. Lazures base salary was $122,044 in 2022.

Police Capt. Joseph Creaco, who has a higher base salary than Lazure, earned a total of $235,255.13 in 2022. Creaco serves as the commanding officer of the detective division, while Lazure is the commanding officer of the community relations division.

West Hartfords newly appointed director of diversity, who is also departing for a job in the same Illinois school district as Moore, was also among the top earners in 2022, the data shows.

Roszena Haskins, who was promoted to executive director of equity advancement in July, earned $212,812.96 in 2022

Prior to her promotion to a town-wide position, Haskins led diversity and inclusion efforts for the school district.

Town Manager Richard Ledwith earned $187,707.72 and was ranked No. 19 on the list.

The highest-paid principal in 2022 was Daniel Zittoun at Hall High School who earned $181,847.12. A long-term substitute teacher, Peter Pfeffer earned $131,278, more than most full-time teachers on the payroll.
Bernita Ward, the mother of Houston rapper BTB Savage, has said that her son was slain in a "targeted" drive-by shooting in River Oaks on Thursday, according to a report published Monday by ABC 13's Brooke Taylor.

In an interview with Brooke, Ward mourned her son, whose given name is Darrell Gentry. Ward told Brooke that her son is a U.S. military veteran and father of one, and that his musical career was just beginning to take off at the time of his death in a drive-by shooting.

"I never refer to him as BTB Savage, the Instagram mogul," Ward said. "I am not one of those parents to cover up whatever their child's lifestyle is."

As of Monday morning, Houston Police Department has still not formally identified the person who was killed in Thursday's shooting, but over the weekend, online records at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences noted that a man named Darrell Gentry died of multiple gunshot wounds at shortly after 6 p.m. on Thursday.

HPD did confirm on Thursday that a body was found around 6:10 p.m. after officers responded to a reported shooting in the 2100 block of Mid Lane and San Felipe Street in River Oaks. There, officers found a man deceased on the ground near a bullet-riddled white Mercedes sedan along with multiple shell casings. At a Thursday night press conference, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner stated the victim had been shot to death in a "targeted" attack by two individuals in a dark-colored SUV.

In ABC 13's report, Ward claims her son's death was retaliation for the death of another man she says was part of a group that attempted to rob Gentry inside his San Antonio home in February. Days prior to his death, Gentry described the alleged attack in a now-viral interview with VLAD TV, claiming men posing as potential musical collaborators came to his home and pulled guns on him and his girlfriend after they were invited inside. In the ensuing struggle, Gentry says his girlfriend shot and mortally wounded one of their attackers while he wrestled the man on the ground. Asked in the interview if he feared retaliation for the man's death, Gentry said he did not.

"They might do what they do, but I'm going to get active," Gentry told VLAD. "That's all that it is."

WARNING: Video contains accounts of violence and NSFW language.

Hours before his death on Thursday, Gentry posted images to his Twitter and Instagram accounts of himself standing in a pool of dried blood in front of a door shot through with bullet holes. Gentry's mother believes her son's death was in direct response to these images and his remarks in the VLAD TV interviews, and she said that her son's alleged attackers had been sending Gentry threats prior to his death.

"I said, 'Take that off social media,'" Ward told Brooke. "Let this family mourn in peace. They were taunting my son, though, telling him they were going to kill the family, make his momma cry, and kill his son. I told my son, 'Don't respond. Let it go.' But their family member came to rob my son."

Houston police say the suspects in Gentry's killing were driving a newer model black Mitsubishi SUV with dark windows. As of this writing, Gentry's killers remain at large.
The Austin Independent School District is weighing its options following the Texas Education Agency (TEA)'s Friday announcement of its plans to install a state-appointed conservator to manage the school district's special education programs. In a 37-page document, the TEA cited "systematic failures" by the district's special needs office to provide services to students within federally mandated timelines.

"AISD delayed in some cases completely failed to timely evaluate and/or provide special education and related services to students even after students had been identified as eligible for special education," TEA documents say.

AISD released a statement Friday following the announcement.

"Under a conservatorship, a team selected by the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency would work closely with our Special Education team to ensure were meeting the needs of our students who are referred to be evaluated for disabilities or who receive special education services," Austin Independent School District said in a statement Friday. "This would not be a takeover of the school district as is currently happening in Houston ISD. The trustees and interim superintendent are still in place. The district also has the right to appeal the conservatorship."

AISD educates over 73,000 students and has 116 campuses. 51.9 percent of students in the district are economically disadvantaged, and 13.4 percent are in special education.

The district's Board of Trustees are meeting Monday night to discuss if they should appeal the TEA's plan to implement a conservator.

TEA's actions in AISD follow a highly publicized and district-spanning takeover of Houston Independent School District (HISD), which the department announced officially on March 15. The TEA has since held four public community engagement meeting on HISD campuses and is currently seeking applications for at-large positions on a state-appointed board of managers that will replace the district's previously elected board of trustees.

The TEA held its final HISD community meeting at Kashmere High School last week, bringing to a close a tense and angry series of public gatherings punctuated by frustrated appeals for clarity from community members as to the state's plans and intentions in the district. Many in attendance remarked that state funding, including special education programs, could help the district and improve student outcomes. Moreover, Houstonians said the TEA takeover strips their rights as citizens who voted for the representatives on the HISD board.

Education advocates said the TEA intervention in AISD comes years after the agency itself was found to have broken federal rules by implementing what regulators say was a hard cap on the number of special needs students a district can serve.In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education determined that the state agency illegally capped funding for special education programs, a move that incentivized districts turning away or delaying the requests of students seeking acceptance into special programs.

"TEA is under federal sanctions for setting illegal caps for over a decade on the number of students with disabilities TX school districts can serve is now blaming the school districts for the mess the state created," Kravetz said on Monday.

The district has until April 17 to appeal the state's plan.
Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho, left, speaks with Innospace CEO Kim Soo-jong at the ministry's office in Sejong, Monday. Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT



By Baek Byung-yeul



Innospace, a local space startup, asked the government to offer more support for the country's space industry, such as fostering experts and strengthening support for private companies, the science minister said Monday. Kim Soo-jong, CEO of Innospace had a meeting with Lee Jong-ho, minister of Science and ICT, at the ministry's office in Sejong.



The science ministry said the meeting was intended to celebrate Innospace's successful test launch of its HANBIT-TLV hybrid rocket in Brazil last month, which led it to become the first private firm in Korea to succeed in a test-launch of its space launch vehicle.



"Established in 2017, Innospace is a company specializing in space launch vehicles. The meeting was organized to encourage the success of Korea's first commercial small-sized space launch vehicle test in Brazil on March 1," the ministry said.



Its HANBIT-TLV is a single-stage test launch vehicle with a height of 16.3 meters and a weigh of 8.4 tons. The launch vehicle is equipped with its own hybrid engine that uses both solid fuel and liquid oxidizer which has advantages of faster manufacturing and lower cost.





Innospace's HANBIT-TLV space launch vehicle lifts off from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil, March 19. Courtesy of Innospace
Nathanael Hovee / EyeEm/Getty Images/EyeEm

Texas may be the place where people are migrating to, but a new report warns you might have a hard time finding a significant other that wants to be with you and only you. Three Texas locales are among the top U.S. cities for people who are unfaithful to their partners, according to a report from MyDatingAdvisor.com.

Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston are not just in the top 10 most unfaithful cities, they lead the list in the top No. 1, 2 ,and 3 spots, respectively. MyDatingAdvisor.com created a scoring system to determine an unfaithful index based on 100-point scores in relationship satisfaction, life satisfaction, infidelity intent, and affair activities. The site also looked at Google search trends for "affairs" on a 100-point scale.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The head of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said Monday that there is overwhelming support in the United States to continue supplying aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, despite vocal opposition from a hard-right faction of his own Republican Party.

Rep. Michael Turner, the Republican chairman of the committee, which serves as the House's main body for overseeing American intelligence organizations, spoke alongside three other GOP congressmen during a brief visit to Kyiv.

There are those on the left and on the right who question continued support or the amount of support. That will certainly be part of the debate, Turner said. But overwhelmingly, there is support for continuing aid to Ukraine, so that they can continue to fight against this aggression of Russia.

The trip to the Ukrainian capital was the latest effort from top-ranking Republicans in the House, who are laying the groundwork for continued U.S. assistance but facing opposition in their own ranks. Emboldened by former President Donald Trumps America First approach, many on the right are clamoring for the Ukraine aid to come to an end, creating the potential for a politically bruising fight when the current American assistance runs out.

For instance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely Trump rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, recently suggested that defending Ukraine in a territorial dispute with Russia was not a significant U.S. national security priority. He later walked that statement back following criticism from other members of the party.

With the war in Ukraine now entering its second year, Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah said the American people would continue supporting aid as long as U.S. resources were being used judiciously.

This is going to take some time, he said of the war. Thats not surprising. Most conflicts such as this between nation-states take time to resolve themselves. I think the American people understand that, as long as they feel like progress is being made over being careful with the money and being thoughtful of how we involve U.S. resources.

Stewart, who is also on the intelligence committee, said NATO members should also fulfill their commitment to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.

Most of them have not done that except for a few of the smaller countries, Stewart said. The American people also look at this and go, This is in Europes backyard. They should be at least as invested in this as we are.' And I dont know that we can assure them right now that thats the case.

Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia noted that nations have rallied to Ukraines support.

For the first time, maybe ever, countries were talking about putting pressure on each other and holding each other accountable inside of NATO, said the congressman, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. There is a new sort of urgency that never existed before, that I think youre seeing Europe actually step up to the plate like theyve never done before.

The fourth member of the delegation to Kyiv, Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois, another member of the intelligence committee, said the visit to Ukraine was aimed at observing the situation on the ground from the illegal, unprovoked war that Putin engaged in here.

That, he said, will help us as we go back and have to make decisions on further funding and further support for this conflict.

Also in Kyiv to underline the importance of support for Ukraine was former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who joins a long list of potential Republican candidates for the presidential nomination.

Why is it that the United States should expand its resources and its peoples resources to support the effort here that you all are engaged in? I think it is pretty straightforward, Pompeo said Monday during an event organized by prominent Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk. If we have learned one singular thing" that is that "when bad guys begin to march, they do not stop marching.

Asked about the dissenting voices in the United States, Pompeo said that your president has asked for equipment. He hasnt asked for our young men and women. So long as we stay in that place, Im convinced that most American leaders will see it that way and will support the continued efforts.
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BRUSSELS (AP)  The blue-and-white Finnish flag rises outside NATO headquarters Tuesday afternoon, making Finland a member and doubling Russias border with the worlds biggest security alliance.

The move is a strategic and political blow to President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATOs expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for his countrys war with Ukraine.

What we see is that President Putin went to war against Ukraine with a declared aim to get less NATO, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Hes getting the exact opposite.

Like all NATO members, Finland will benefit from the collective security guarantee that an attack on one is considered an attack on all.

NATO has said that it has no immediate intention to step up its presence in Finland. Some members have deployed troops there for war games over the last year.

Russia immediately warned that it would bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country

Finland has substantial, well-trained armed forces with elite troops capable of operating in the sub-zero temperatures of the high north. The Nordic country also has a large reserve army and is investing heavily in new equipment, including dozens of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

The Finnish flag rising between the French and the Estonian in a ceremony scheduled for 1330 GMT will complete the fastest accession process in the organizations recent history .

Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022. Neighboring Sweden also applied, but its accession process will take longer.

The ceremony falls on NATOs very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949.

It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole, Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday on the eve of a meeting of alliances foreign ministers in Brussels.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that Moscow would bolster its own forces in case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Grushko said, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency, although Russia is already having trouble marshaling forces against far-smaller Ukraine.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia and unlike most members of the alliance, Finland did not cut defense spending and investment after the Cold War.

They have trained and built a large army over many years and maintain that high level of readiness. Finland is also a country with extremely high level of resilience, of preparedness throughout the whole society, Stoltenberg said.

The country also helps to complete NATOs geographical puzzle by filling in a major gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in Europes north.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand the official document enshrining its approval to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

NATOs top civilian official said he will then invite Finland to hand over its own signed documents, to complete the procedure.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the flag-raising ceremony along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATOs support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression, Haavisto said in a statement. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.

Left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin had championed her countrys NATO accession, and lost a chance at another term over the weekend, but joining NATO was widely popular and not seen as a factor in her loss.

Lars Kahre, an entrepreneur from Helsinki, said the countrys decision to abandon its military non-alignment was caused by the changes in Europe over the last year.

For a long time, we have been relying on our independence and neutrality and now we just realize that thats not the path of the future, he told The Associated Press. Now we need to look for new options for the future.

All 30 allies signed Finlands and Swedens accession protocols soon after they applied. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably to crack down on Kurdish groups. Hungarys demands have never been explicit.

NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join, and the vast majority of members are keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts hold their next summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member, Stoltenberg said, and he urged Turkey to quickly ratify the countrys accession protocol, saying: my position is that Sweden has delivered on the commitments they made. ___ Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Veterans' advocacy groups sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday seeking records of toxic conditions at an air base in Uzbekistan blamed for causing cancer and other illnesses among American troops who served there in support of the war in Afghanistan.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Connecticut accuses military officials of withholding information about hazardous materials  including uranium, chemical weapons and asbestos  that were on the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, known as K2, during U.S. operations there from 2001 to 2005.

The contaminants included pools of black goo that caused military service members to pass out, according to the lawsuit. At least around 15,800 troops served at the base, and personnel there became ill and died at higher-than-usual rates, the lawsuit says.

The legal filing seeks information about the toxic substances and troop exposures so that sickened veterans can obtain accurate medical diagnoses and treatment and healthy veterans can take any preventative actions available.

A spokesperson said Monday that the Pentagon could not comment because the issue involves litigation.

The lawsuit was announced during a news conference in New Haven at the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Also suing is the Stronghold Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit group that includes K2 veterans and relatives. The groups are represented by the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School.

These K2 victims have been living with this truth inside their bodies for over 20 years, and many died as that toxic truth took them to their early graves, said Kim Brooks, a board member for the Stronghold Freedom Foundation. Yet we still do not know exactly what lurked in the air and water and the earth at K2. We do not know because the government refuses to release the records of the toxins found at K2.

Brooks' husband, Army Lt. Col. Timothy Brooks, from New Milford, Connecticut, died of a brain tumor in 2004, less than three years after serving at K2. He was 36.

She and others at the news conference, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, called on the federal government to release information on the K2 contamination. The foundation said the Defense Department has not fully responded to document requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

Years before the U.S. military used Karshi-Khanabad to support missions into Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, the base was occupied by the former Soviet military. U.S. officials said Soviet troops left behind contamination from a number of hazardous materials, including low-level radioactive depleted uranium from destroying missiles at the site as well as jet fuel.

Matt Erpelding, a K2 veteran and executive director of the Stronghold Freedom Foundation, said a 2015 preliminary study by the Army found that K2 veterans were five times more likely to develop cancer, compared with troops who deployed to other places. He said military personnel began showing an array of unexplained health conditions after arriving at the base.

Military officials have cautioned that the 2015 study is limited and not a definitive link between K2 service and illness. The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments say they are doing a more in-depth study.

No one has exact numbers on how many K2 veterans developed cancer and how many died from it.

Erpelding said at least 75 people who were at K2 and were members of the Stronghold Freedom Foundation died from 2012 to 2020, and another 10 died in the past eight months. In a 2020 survey of about 2,000 K2 veterans by the foundation, nearly 1,900 illnesses were reported, including 491 incidents of cancer. Some of those surveyed reported multiple illnesses.

Last year, President Joe Biden and Congress approved the PACT Act, which expanded VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, including military members who served in Uzbekistan. A number of K2 veterans had said the VA wasn't covering their medical costs.

Blumenthal called on the Defense Department to release the information that the lawsuit plaintiffs are seeking.

This document, this complaint, is a powerful story, a really compelling story, of our governments neglect and disregard of our veterans, he said at the news conference. The United States government has a responsibility to provide information to these veterans so they can get the medical care that they need. Thats a basic, fundamental right.



Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Marc Slutsky has been leading Passover Seders for 40 years, taking on troubling issues that have included Soviet Jewry, racism in the United States, and war after war after war.

This year, when the slavery-to-freedom story unfolds at his table in Highland Park, Illinois, the Israel of today will be top of mind after tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus proposed judicial overhaul.

The plan, on pause after repeated mass demonstrations, unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades, just ahead of this week's observance of Passover.

Slutsky, president of the independent synagogue Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living, in Glencoe, has Seder tweaks in mind for his 18 guests when they sit down for ritual readings, blessings and discussion.

One big change will come at the end, he said, when Next year in Jerusalem is traditionally recited.

We're going to read from the Israeli Declaration of Independence," said the 76-year-old Slutsky, particularly a passage that promises the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants.

The plan proposed by Netanyahu would give him and his allies  the most right-wing government in Israeli history  more control over the country's judiciary. Critics say it would concentrate power in his hands and destroy a system of checks and balances. They also say he has a conflict of interest since he himself is facing trial on corruption charges.

Abigail Pogrebin, author of My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, has been watching Israel closely. She'll host 30 people at her Seder in New York.

It feels impossible to ignore this difficult and deflating inflection point when it comes to Israel right now, she said.

Traditional Seder symbols will take on new weight, Pogrebin said.

The bitter herb, which reminds us of the bitterness of slavery, will remind us also of the bitterness of this governments bigotry  against non-Orthodox Jews, against LGBTQ Jews, against Arabs, against women in the army. It will remind us of the bitterness of dictatorship and intolerance, the abrogation of tenets we hold dear, she said.

The breaking of matzo will mark the brokenness of Israels democracy right now  or how close it has come to a breaking point, Pogrebin said.

And the opening of a door for Elijah, when Jews symbolically welcome in a messianic time of justice and righteousness, will demand that each of us at our table think about how we will work to bring justice about.

A large percentage of U.S. Jews observe Passover, a holiday that commemorates the Hebrew slaves' biblical flight from Egypt and emphasizes the importance of passing on that freedom story to children at the Seder table.

North America has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

The Seder is for me a perfect moment for us to engage in conversation around a myriad of topics that are about unfinished projects or places where theres strife or turmoil, said Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver in Canada, a service, fundraising and relief organization.

He'll also host 30 for a Seder, including non-Jews and guests with diverse political and religious opinions.

Shanken will put down a second Seder plate to go with the one holding traditional symbols of the Passover story. His second plate will include a block of ice that will be left to melt as a reminder to take climate action. But it's the Passover narrative itself and the founding of Israel 75 years ago that will frame conversation about current Israeli politics.

Our story was never without turmoil. It was never without strife. It was never without disagreement, Shanken said.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs also expects deep discussion about the protests and Netanyahus ruling coalition. She is CEO of T'ruah, a U.S.-based nonprofit collective of rabbis focused on human rights in North America, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Its important for Jews to talk about what does it mean to fight for democracy in the Jewish state, both for Jews and also for non-Jews who live there? she said.

Rabbi Mike Uram, chief Jewish learning officer for the Jewish Federations of North America, anticipates that Netanyahu's government will be one of a range of issues discussed at Seder tables around themes of slavery, democracy and freedom.

Those include consumption and the risks of global warming," as well as the lack of equity in American life, and the ways in which Black folks have to be afraid of structural racism and violence from a police force, as a form of slavery that people need to be freed from," he said.

Jonathan D. Sarna, director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, sees inroads in the Haggadah, the text Jews use in many versions during a Seder, for open discussion on Israel.

There are plenty of moments where one can really jump from the traditional liturgy and ask important questions. And thats really what Passover is supposed to be about, he said. Its not about debating. Its about asking and framing the questions. I think productive discussions can really take place.

Productive is key.

During Donald Trump's presidency, some families were torn apart along the red-blue divide. That continues to play out during holidays when loved ones gather, and also includes friction over pandemic-related issues, like vaccines and masks.

For some American Jews, this is different and the same in big ways.

There are definitely a mix of opinions in my family about politics, and specifically Israel politics, said Talia Benamy, 36, in Brooklyn. But I think there is a broad consensus: Everybody in my family agrees that this legislative push is bad news.

When Benamy joined protests in New York in solidarity with demonstrators in Israel, she was joined by her 64-year-old mother, her brother and his three children, the oldest age 7. Participating was a good pre-Passover primer for the young ones.

One of the key lines in the Haggadah is the idea that in each generation its incumbent upon us to see ourselves in the Passover story, she said. The way that we can do that now is to have conversations about what does freedom really mean, how does it manifest, and for who?

___

Find Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Authorities in the Mexican resort of Cancun said Monday they have found four dead bodies in the citys hotel zone near the beach.

There was no immediate information on the nationalities or identities of the victims. The announcement of the deaths came less that a week after a U.S. tourist was shot in the leg in the nearby town of Puerto Morelos.

Prosecutors originally said three bodies were found Monday in a lot near one of Cancuns beachside hotels along the Kukulkan Boulevard. They then added that a fourth body was found in the undergrowth on the same lot, brining to four the number of victims.

Prosecutors in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said two suspects had been detained in the killings. They said the deaths were under investigation, but did not give a cause of death.

Last week in Puerto Morelos, a U.S. tourist was approached by several suspects, and they shot him in the leg. The motive remains under investigation. The wounded man was taken to a hospital in Cancun for treatment, and his injury was judged to be not life-threatening.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert earlier this month warning travelers to exercise increased caution, especially after dark, at Mexicos Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, which have been plagued by drug gang violence in the past.

There have been a series of brazen acts of violence along the Caribbean coast, the crown jewel of Mexicos tourism industry.

In 2022, two Canadians were killed in Playa del Carmen, apparently because of debts between international drug and weapons trafficking gangs.

In 2021, farther south in the laid-back destination of Tulum, two tourists  one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German  were killed when they apparently were caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival drug dealers.
Luisa Garcia/AP

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Colombian officials began to evacuate 40 families from their homes Monday after a volcano in the center of the country showed high levels of seismic activity that could signal an eruption in the coming days or weeks.

Officials also shut down a popular national park that surrounds the Nevado del Ruiz volcano and said that schools located within a six-mile (10 kilometer) radius of the volcanos crater will hold classes online only when children return home from Easter holidays next week.
Peter Kneffel/AP

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)  The German arm of EY, one of the world's Big Four accounting firms, has been fined 500,000 euros ($544,630) after acting as the auditor for collapsed payments company Wirecard and barred from auditing certain kinds of companies for two years.

Germany's APAS accounting oversight body said it imposed the fine for breach of professional duty in auditing Wirecard from 2016 to 2018. It said the decision can be appealed in court, and while it bars the auditor from taking on new companies of public interest, it does not prevent it from servicing existing clients.
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PARIS (AP)  New legislation to be drafted this year will address end-of-life options, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, following the release of a report indicating that most French citizens support legalizing medically assisted suicide and euthanasia.

In a speech at the Elysee presidential palace, Macron vowed to move forward toward a French model regarding end-of-life options.

Macron's move follows a report released Sunday indicating that a large majority from among a panel composed of 184 randomly selected citizens support active assistance in dying. The report concluded that French law is currently not adapted to end-of-life issues and must evolve. It offers different options involving legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Medically assisted suicide involves patients taking, of their own free will, a lethal drink or medication that has been prescribed by a doctor to those who meet certain criteria. Euthanasia involves doctors or other health practitioners giving patients who meet certain criteria a lethal injection at their own request.

Macron said the panel's conclusions will be incorporated in the bill to be drawn up jointly by the government and legislators by the end of the summer.

He did not provide details about what options the bill will allow, but insisted that strict conditions would be set with any change. They include guaranteeing free and informed consent and making sure that measures are restricted to patients suffering from incurable illness associated with physical and emotional suffering.

Macron suggested any changes would exclude cases involving terminally ill children, since the panel of citizens did not reach a conclusion on the issue.

He also vowed to improve access for all terminally ill patients to end-of-life care in line with the citizens report which pointed to major disparities between regions, including some that had no specialized units.

I want we draw up a ten-year national plan to treat pain and ensure palliative care with the needed investments, Macron said.

A 2016 French law provides that doctors can keep terminally ill patients sedated before death but stops short of allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Some French patients travel to other European countries to seek further options. Assisted suicide is allowed in neighboring Switzerland. Euthanasia is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain under certain conditions.

French polls in recent years steadily showed a broad majority of people are in favor of legalizing similar measures.

The current law allows patients to request deep, continuous sedation altering consciousness until death but only when their conditions are likely to lead to a quick death. Doctors are allowed to stop life-sustaining treatments, including artificial hydration and nutrition. Sedation and painkillers are allowed even if they may shorten the persons life.

Patients can be medicated until they die of their illness naturally or until they starve. But some doctors say it may be more humane to euthanize.
Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang, third from right, poses for a photo with Patrick Specht, third from left, head of the Bureau International des Expositions' (BIE) administration and budget committee, prior to their talks at a hotel in Seoul, April 3. Yonhap





Business circles hosted a welcoming event for a visiting inspection team of the international body in charge of overseeing the World Expo on Monday and made their pitch for the country's bid to hold the event in 2030.







The inspection team of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a six-day visit to conduct an evaluation of Korea's Expo preparations to qualify for the hosting of the event.







Korea is bidding to host the World Expo in the port city of Busan, 325 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in 2030.







During the luncheon, hosted by the private-public committee for the World Expo bid, business leaders reaffirmed their commitment at the industry level to doing their part in hosting the Expo, and used the occasion to explain the objective and vision Korea has as a host candidate, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said in a release.







"You are visiting Korea when it is the most beautiful. You will probably see a more beautiful view when you go to Busan, the beautiful scenery and the sea breeze will welcome you," SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who doubles as the KCCI chief, said in the opening speech.







"We know that a bumpy road lies ahead of us, but Korea and Busan are ready to host the Expo," he added.







Spot, a four-legged robot developed by Boston Dynamics, a startup from the United States acquired by Hyundai in 2021, appeared at the venue to usher in the BIE team.







Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee; Kim Dong-wook, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor Group and Ha Beom-jong, president and CFO of LG, were among some 20 attendees at Monday's session.







The BIE inspection team is comprised of eight officials, including Patrick Specht, the head of the inspection, and Dimitri Kerkentzes, the secretary general of the BIE.







During the visit, they are expected to carry out on-site inspections in Busan, including on its infrastructure, accommodation and finance plans.







The evaluation report will be released to all 171 BIE member states.







South Korea is competing with Italy, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia to host the international exhibition. The BIE will announce the winner in November. (Yonhap)






JERUSALEM (AP)  Iran appears to have been behind the launch of a drone that was shot down over Israeli airspace this week, the Israeli military said Monday.

The army announced its conclusions on Monday, a day after air force helicopters and fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the drone when it entered Israeli territory from Syria. There were no casualties in the incident, but it added to the already heightened tensions between the two arch-enemies.

The interception happened shortly after Iranian state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Syria over the weekend had died of his wounds. That made him the second Iranian adviser allegedly killed by Israel in recent days.

Last week, Greece announced the arrest of two Pakistani operatives it said were planning an attack on a Jewish center in Athens. Israel has said Iran was behind the plot.

The Israeli military said Monday an initial inquiry determined the intercepted drone was Iranian. It said debris was still being collected and analyzed.

Since the start of Syrias conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Assads government and has sent advisers and other assistance to the Syrian leader.

Throughout the Syrian war, Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes in the neighboring country.

Most of these strikes have been aimed at Iranian targets or suspected arms shipments to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups that have sent troops to back Assad.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing the country's hostile rhetoric, support for militant groups like Hezbollah and its suspected nuclear program. Iran denies Western allegations that it is pursuing a nuclear bomb.

Israel appears to have stepped up its activities in Syria recently. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor, says Israel has struck targets in Syria nine times this year.

Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledge recent unspecified activity in an address to soldiers at an Israeli air force base on Monday.

I know the important work you are doing and while it is always important, it is especially so at this time, he said. You know very well that in recent days we have been active beyond our borders against regimes that support terrorism and are plotting to destroy us.

On Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA, citing military sources, said Israeli strikes targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said.

The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research center.

Later on Sunday, Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, commented about Syria during a visit to soldiers in the occupied West Bank but did not directly confirm the recent airstrikes.

We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we wont allow it now, or anytime in the future, Gallant said. He also accused Iran of seeking to entrench its presence along Israels borders.

When necessary, we will push them out of Syria to where they belong. And that is Iran, Gallant said.
MOSCOW (AP)  Lawyers representing an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal arrested in Russia on espionage charges have appealed his arrest, a court in Moscow announced Monday.

Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained last week in Yekaterinburg, Russias fourth-largest city. It was the first time a U.S. correspondent had been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War. The Journal has said it vehemently denies the charges and demanded his release.

At a hearing Thursday, Moscow's Lefortovsky District court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars for two months pending the investigation.

On Monday, the court reported that it has received an appeal against Gershkovichs arrest that was filed by his defense, according to Russian news agencies. No date for a hearing on the appeal has been set yet.

Gershkovich was put in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times. In the first report of his condition and prison circumstances, a Russian state prison monitor said Monday that Gershkovich was in a quarantine cell while he underwent medical checks, was in a double cell without a cellmate, was reading a book from a prison library, and had access to a TV, radio and refrigerator.

The Moscow-area prison monitor, Alexei Melnikov, wrote on the Telegram messaging app that the journalist hadn't complained about the prison conditions.

At the time of the visit, he was cheerful. During the conversation there were a lot of jokes, Melnikov wrote, without specifying when he saw the journalist. The monitor's report couldn't be independently verified.

Russias Federal Security Service, the top successor to the Soviet-era KGB that is known by the acronym FSB, accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. The Kremlin alleged that Gershkovich was caught red-handed, without offering details.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that the Biden administration was pressing hard for Gershkovich's release. Its got attention all the way up to the Oval Office in terms of how we can get him home, Kirby told reporters in Washington.

President Joe Biden himself weighed in on Friday, urging Russia to release Gershkovich. Let him go, Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he had a message for Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart Sunday  in a rare phone call between the diplomats since the start of the Ukraine war  immediately to release Gershkovich, as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.
CAIRO (AP)  A global rights group Monday urged authorities in eastern Libya to release a singer and a blogger arrested for allegedly violating a widely criticized cybercrime law.

According to a statement from Human Rights Watch, both women  popular folk singer Ahlam al-Yamani and blogger Haneen al-Abdali  were arrested in February for allegedly violating honor and public morals.

The Interior Ministry in the eastern city of Benghazi accused them of insulting the status of the chaste and dignified Libyan woman in our conservative society with acts and behaviors that are foreign to us and offend our customs, traditions and true religion.

They have since been held in connection with cases "against honor and public morals and for violating the anti-cybercrime law, which the east-based House of Representatives adopted in September, the ministry said.

A spokesman for the the east-based government did not respond to a request for comment.

U.N.-backed investigators and other global rights groups have criticized the law, which allows prion terms up to 15 years for violators.

The Anti-Cybercrime Law adds to the slew of existing laws in Libya that violate basic rights and freedoms and that need to be reformed, including on freedom of speech, assembly, association and so-called crimes against the state, said Hanan Salah, HRWs associate Middle East and North Africa director.

The group criticized what it said are vague and overly broad definitions of crimes in the law. The law stipulates that use of the internet and new technologies is lawful only if public order and morality are respected, without clear definitions of offenses.

The rights group said the law allows the blocking of websites and censoring of online content without a judicial order in cases of security requirement or urgency or when the content in question is counter to public morality.

It called for the east-based parliament to repeal the legislation and authorities in eastern Libya to free anyone detained in connection to that law.

Libya was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. For most of the past decade, the country has been divided between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers.

Eastern Libya is controlled by forces of commander Khalifa Hifter, who is allied with the government of Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha.

Bashagha was appointed prime minister early last year after Libya failed to hold elections in December 2021 and a rival government in the capital of Tripoli refused to step down.
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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Romanias capital on Monday for trilateral talks with the presidents of Romania and Moldova, as the three nations look to boost ties on a range of topics amid Russias ongoing war in Ukraine.

The German leader first met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, for bilateral talks that focussed on security, economy, and energy. They also discussed defense cooperation on NATOs eastern flank and security in the Black Sea region.

Iohannis told a news conference after the talks that the Black Sea region's strategic importance has been growing and called on NATO to significantly strengthen its defense and deterrence posture there.

For his part, Scholtz highlighted the strong relations between his country and Romania and reiterated an oft-repeated pledge to give Ukraine military support for as long as it is necessary, and we are working on that constantly and together."

Scholtz didnt directly answer questions about the possibility of a maintenance facility being set up in Romania for German military equipment sent to Ukraine, to reflect similar efforts in other countries.

A spokesperson for the German defense company Rheinmetall, told German news agency dpa Monday that it's setting up a maintenance and logistics center in Satu Mare, north Romania, for Western military vehicles and howitzers delivered to Ukraine that will start work this month.

The two leaders also discussed ways to support Ukraine and Moldova, both of which were granted EU candidate status last June. They also agreed on the importance of EU expansion and that the Western Balkans remain a key priority to one day join the 27-nation bloc, Iohannis said.

We also share a common vision regarding the strategic values of the expansion of the (EU) to the East, he said.

Later on Monday, Iohannis and Scholz will be joined by Moldovan President Maia Sandu for trilateral meetings. The three leaders will discuss European integration for Moldova, which is not a NATO member and has faced a protracted series of crises over the past year.

Iohannis said that Moldovas situation is greatly complicated by the hybrid attacks from Russia, and listed major complications the country faces as the high inflows of war refugees from Ukraine and the impact that the war is having on Moldovas struggling economy.

Last month, Moldovan police said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed saboteurs who were specially trained to cause mass unrest against the countrys pro-Western government. That came days after U.S. intelligence officials said people with ties to Russian intelligence aimed to use the protests as a basis to try to topple Moldovas government.

___

Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania; Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin.
JUBA, South Sudan (AP)  A United Nations-backed panel of investigators alleges in a new report that several officials in South Sudan have perpetrated serious human rights violations and should be held accountable for their crimes.

The governor of South Sudan's Unity State, Joseph Monytuil, is cited for being responsible for gross violations of human rights as well as other senior government and military officials, in the report released Monday by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, fifth from left, and First Lady Kim Keon Hee, fifth from right, pose with members of the Bureau International des Expositions' Enquiry Mission in front of Sangchunjae, a guesthouse at Cheong Wa Dae, before a dinner banquet, Monday. Patrick Specht, BIE Administration and Budget Committee president who leads the mission, fourth from left, and BIE Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes, fourth from right, joined the banquet. Courtesy of Presidential Office



President holds dinner banquet at Cheong Wa Dae for Enquiry Mission



By Ko Dong-hwan



A delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) began a weeklong inspection in Korea, Monday, as the nation's top government officials, including President Yoon Suk Yeol, are anxious to impress the visitors, whose evaluation will decide whether Busan will get to host the World Expo in 2030.



On Monday evening, the president hosted a dinner banquet for the BIE delegation at Sangchunjae, a traditional hanok style guesthouse located inside Cheong Wa Dae, the country's former presidential office and residence.



"World Expo 2030 Busan will allow participating countries to share their diverse experiences and strength and jointly come up with solutions for problems that face humanity," Yoon said at the banquet.



"I believe Korea stirred quite a buzz after our third presentation last November. Now, Korea is one of the leading countries with the latest technologies and globally popular cultural contents. I think you will find out through this inspection that Korea and World Expo 2030 in Busan have some of the most differentiated competitiveness."





Chey Tae-won, co-chair of Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan, offers a toast during a banquet thrown by the Presidential Office for the delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions' Enquiry Mission at Sangchunjae, Monday. Courtesy of Presidential Office



Before meeting the president, the delegation met Korean lawmakers, including the chairmen of the ruling People Power Party and main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly in Seoul, where a new resolution was passed granting national support for Busan's Expo bid.



"The Resolution on Supporting the Successful Bidding and Hosting of World Expo 2030 Busan" included eight clauses that specified "strong commitments" by the country to make the Expo a great success.









"I admit that the country's ruling and opposition parties often have differences and clash," said National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo ahead of the resolution's passage. "But when it comes to World Expo 2030, they become one tight-knit unit. In a moment, we will ratify a new special act to give full support to make World Expo 2030 Busan possible. And we want you, the BIE delegation, to witness it," Kim added.



The delegation's visit to the National Assembly was preceded by a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Seoul. Foreign Minister Park Jin was there to promote Busan as the delegation's No. 1 pick for World Expo 2030. Officials from the country's 10 biggest companies have visited 84 countries so far to promote Busan's Expo bid and stress Korea's experience and ability to lead other countries to come up with solutions for "poly-crises" facing the world, like the pandemic, volatile global supply chains and the climate crisis, the minister said.





Patrick Specht, Bureau International des Expositions' Administration and Budget Committee president who heads the Enquiry Mission from the organization, speaks during the first presentation by the central government of Korea to the delegation at The Shilla Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan



"My parents met each other in Busan where they settled after fleeing the Korean War," the minister told the delegation. "If it wasn't for Busan, I wouldn't even exist right now."



Earlier in the day, the delegation met with Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang. The meeting set the stage for the country's first presentation to the visiting delegation. The debriefing took place at The Shilla Seoul in the central part of the capital, where the eight representatives were staying.



The ministry is the country's main bureau preparing for the World Expo 2030 and supporting the BIE delegation's Enquiry Mission in Korea. In addition to four presentations  each themed "political unity," "theme," "site" and "people and money"  and Q&A sessions prepared for the delegation during their stay in Seoul followed by a trip to Busan, the ministry also arranged various meetings with key figures from the central government, the National Assembly and private enterprises.





Patrick Specht, the president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, walks up to the front of the assembly hall during a plenary meeting at the National Assembly to accept the "Resolution on Supporting the Successful Bidding and Hosting of World Expo 2030 Busan" which was passed on Monday. Yonhap



Following the meeting with the trade, industry and energy minister, the delegation held a luncheon with representatives of the country's business circles at the same venue. The meeting was led by Chey Tae-won, the co-chair of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan who also heads the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as SK Group.



The delegation, led by Chey, also met KCCI Global Expo Supporters at the hotel. Some 20 supporters clad in sky blue T-shirts and holding balloon bats, the seagull Expo mascot "boogie" and a banner that reads "Busan is Ready!" high-fived and took selfies with the envoys and presented each of them with a caricature drawing. An AI robot dog led the group to the luncheon hall, grabbing the attention of the inspectors.



The Enquiry Mission is a required process for the BIE to assess candidate cities for hosting a future Expo on the organization's agenda. The intergovernmental organization sent Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht from Germany as the leader. Secretary-General Dimitri Kerkentzes, representatives from Saint Kitts and Nevis, Switzerland and Romania as well as three BIE officials also visited Korea this time.





Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang, third from right, poses with members of the BIE Enquiry Mission, including Patrick Specht, third from left, who leads the inspection team, during their meeting at a Seoul hotel, Monday. From left are Ferdinand Nagy, representative of Romania; Dimitri Kerkentzes, BIE secretary-general; Specht, BIE Administration and Budget Committee president; Lee; Manuel Salchli, representative of Switzerland; and Kevin Isaac, representative of St. Kitts and Nevis. Yonhap
Workers install a large banner supporting Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 on the wall of the National Assembly's main building, Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap



9 hours of presentations, cultural events to enthrall delegation



By Lee Kyung-min



An eight-member delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), an intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing and regulating World Expos, will meet with Korea's top policymakers, lawmakers, business leaders and citizens to see how prepared and enthusiastic they are about Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030, according to the industry ministry, Sunday.



Apart from event organization capabilities illustrated by Korea's high-ranking government officials and business executives, the BIE Enquiry Mission will be able to experience the country's hospitality through cultural events, prepared to enhance their understanding of how Korea can stay distinctive while integrating different cultures seamlessly.





Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, third from left, poses with BIE delegation member Manuel Salchli of Switzerland, third from right, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, second from right, Korea's Expo bid committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, second from left, and other officials at the Incheon International Airport, Sunday. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy



The delegation is led by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht. The others include BIE Secretary-General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes; Kevin Isaac, high commissioner of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Kingdom; Manuel Salchli of Switzerland; and Ferdinand Nagy of Romania.



The eight-member delegation will stay in Korea for six days to assess whether Korea is ready and able to host the high-profile six-month international event. Also under review will be citizens' level of enthusiasm for the event.





Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, second from right, talks with BIE delegation member Manuel Salchli of Switzerland, second from left, Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, third from left, Korea's Expo bid committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, left, and other officials at the Incheon International Airport,. Courtesy of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy



The delegation will prepare a report for 171 BIE members, a comprehensive assessment of whether Korea outmatches its competitors  Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Italy's Rome and Ukraine's Odesa. Russia had also been among the list of contenders but withdrew its bid last May.



A previous mission to Saudi Arabia was completed in the first week of March, and Ukraine gave a presentation in Paris in lieu of a site visit in the fourth week of March. The Italy inspection is scheduled for the third week of this month.





Members of the ruling People Power Party's Busan branch hold banners supporting Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 in front of Busan Station, Saturday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



On Monday, the delegation will have meetings with officials of the Korean government and the Expo bid committee at The Shilla Seoul. They will meet Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang early in the morning, followed by the first presentation about Korea's Expo plans by the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan and a Q&A session for two and a half hours.



Four presentations and Q&A sessions of nine hours in total are scheduled during their stay. Among the officials to respond to BIE inquiries at the presentations will be the committee Secretary-General Yoon Sang-jik, Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon. The presentations will also have sub-themes  "political unity," "theme," "site" and "people and money."



Later in the day, the delegation will join a business luncheon at the hotel hosted by Chey Tae-won, chairman of both the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and SK Group.



The eight members then will meet with Foreign Minister Park Jin at the ministry building in central Seoul, before meeting National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.



Later that day, they will visit Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where a weeklong event is being held to express Korean citizens' hopes for Busan to host the 2030 event.



On Tuesday, the delegation will leave Seoul for Busan, the proposed venue for the international event. At Busan Station, an event welcoming the delegation is scheduled before a luncheon at Eulsukdo Island Ecology Park.



In the afternoon, the committee will give its second presentation, which will be followed by a guided tour of the park for 45 minutes. The delegation will have dinner with Mayor Park.





Over 1,500 drones create letters and images celebrating the Bureau International des Expositions Enquiry Mission's visit to Korea in the night sky over Gwangalli Beach in Busan, Saturday. Yonhap
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Yeshi Abay is head of finance at the School for Social Entrepreneurs

Like many social enterprises and charities, the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) stepped up to the challenges raised by the Covid-19 pandemic.

A few months into the pandemic, SSE joined forces with Big Issue Invest, the Key Fund, Community Land & Finance CIC (also known as Resonance) and UnLtd to deliver the Social Enterprise Support Fund (SESF).
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP)  At least 14 workers are dead after a gold mine collapsed in northern Sudan, mining authorities said Friday.

The fatal collapse happened after one of the hillsides that surround the Jebel Al-Ahmar gold mine  situated near the Egyptian border  subsided Thursday afternoon, the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company said in a short statement.

At least twenty other miners were injured in the collapse, it said. Some of the more seriously injured were transferred to the hospital.

Moataz Hajj, a spokesperson for the Sudanese Mineral Resources Company, told The Associated Press Friday that a search operation had managed to free the surviving trapped miners.

The workers had been searching inside mining wells for gold using heavy machinery which caused the collapse, according to witnesses cited in a report published by Sudans state-run news agency SUNA.

The dead have been transferred to the nearby town of Wadi Halfa and have since been buried, the state company said.

Sudan is a major gold producer with various mines scattered across the country. Collapses are common as safety standards and maintenance are poor.

In 2021, 31 people were killed after a defunct gold mine collapsed in West Kordofan province.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Crews have started removing contaminated soil and damaged railcars left behind by Thursdays fiery derailment in southwest Minnesota.

Authorities said Friday afternoon the ethanol fire that burned for hours had been extinguished and that local firefighters were allowed to leave after remaining on site overnight. But large water tanks and railroad firefighting equipment remained at the site to handle any flare-ups as damaged tank cars are removed.

The entire town of Raymond, which is about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Minneapolis, had to be evacuated after 22 cars, including 10 carrying ethanol, left the tracks. Four of the tank cars ruptured and caught fire. But the several hundred residents were allowed to return home by midday Thursday, and no injuries were reported.

This latest derailment only adds to concerns nationally about railroad safety. Lawmakers and regulators want freight railroads to make changes after last months derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, that forced half that town to evacuate. Even though officials say the area is safe, many residents have lingering health concerns.

The Kandiyohi County Sheriffs office said BNSF railroad crews began removing some of the contaminated soil under and around the tracks early Friday morning. And once investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board gave the OK, workers started to remove the damaged railcars.

Its not clear how long the cleanup will take, and no cause of the derailment has been determined yet.

The head of the Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad promised a thorough cleanup and said BNSF works hard to prevent derailments like this from happening.

NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway said the BNSF train had three crew members  an engineer, conductor and brakeman  aboard when it derailed around 1 a.m. Thursday. The train had a total of 14 ethanol cars along with corn syrup it was delivering.

Holloway said investigators will work to determine what caused the derailment.

The Environmental Protection Agency continued monitoring the air around the derailment Friday, but officials said the agency hasnt found any worrisome levels of contaminants or particulate matter.

Top photo: A BNSF train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire in Raymond, Minn., Thursday, March 30, 2023. BNSF officials said 22 cars derailed, including about 10 carrying ethanol, and the track remains blocked, but that no injuries were reported due to the accident. The cause of the derailment hasnt been determined. (Mark Vancleave /Star Tribune via AP)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 The city of St. Louis, Missouri, said on Monday it was joining a number of major U.S. cities that are suing Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp for failing to install anti-theft technology in millions of their vehicles.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Missouri follows similar actions taken by several U.S. cities to address increasing Hyundai and Kia thefts that use a method popularized on TikTok and other social media channels. Other cities suing Kia and Hyundai include Cleveland, Ohio; San Diego, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle.

Immobilizers were standard on 96% of U.S vehicles by 2015 but were standard on only 26% of 2015 model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safetys (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute.

Big corporations like Kia and Hyundai must be held accountable for endangering our residents and putting profit over people, said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones.

Kia and Hyundai vehicles represent a large share of stolen cars in multiple U.S. cities, according to data from police and state officials. Many Hyundai and Kia vehicles have no electronic immobilizers, which prevent break-ins and bypassing the ignition.

Last month, the Korean automakers controlled by the same conglomerate said they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles to help curb thefts.

TikTok videos that show how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices have spread nationwide. This had led to car thefts that resulted in at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities in the Korean automakers vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in February.

Last week, a group of 22 U.S. state attorneys general criticized the automakers, saying they need do more to address problems with millions of U.S. vehicles that are prone to theft.

Kia said on Monday that lawsuits by U.S. cities over the thefts are without merit. It said it was willing to work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies in St. Louis to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it. Its vehicles comply with U.S. theft protection regulations, it said.

Hyundai said it has taken a number of actions in response to increasing and persistent thefts targeting our vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices in the United States.

The attorneys general urged the automakers to accelerate software upgrades and provide free alternative protective measures for owners whose cars cannot support the software upgrade.

Since May 2022, St. Louis police received more than 4,500 reports of thefts of Kia or Hyundai vehicles. Sixty-one percent of vehicles stolen in St. Louis have been Kias and Hyundais, St. Louis said.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison launched a civil investigation into Kia and Hyundai vehicles that lacked industry-standard, anti-theft technology. He said this month that last year, thefts of Kias and Hyundais in Minneapolis were tied to five homicides and 265 motor vehicle accidents.

All Hyundai vehicles produced since November 2021 are equipped with an engine immobilizer as standard equipment.
Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Chairman Chey Tae-won, sixth from left, poses with BIE inspection team members and KCCI Global Supporters at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Monday. Joint Press Corps



By Kim Hyun-bin



Korean business leaders held a welcome luncheon for the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) inspection team, Monday, to convey the firm will of the Korean business community to host the event in 2030.



"We warmly welcome the BIE inspection team to Korea. A tough process is expected, but Korea and Busan are ready," Chey Tae-won, co-chair of the Bid Committee for World Expo 2030 Busan and chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said during a luncheon at the Shilla Hotel. Chey, who is also chairman of SK Group, has been leading the private sector's campaign to win the right to host the World Expo in Busan in 2030.



"You visited Korea during the most beautiful time of the year. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and the spring breeze and warm sunlight also illuminate Seoul. If you go to Busan, you will probably face more beautiful scenery with the sea breeze and the scent of the ocean welcoming you," he said.



The luncheon was attended by major conglomerate executives including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, SK, LG and POSCO among other companies as well as KCCI Vice Chairman Woo Tae-hee, Korea's Ambassador to France Choi Jai-chul and Yoon Sang-jik, secretary general of the bid committee for the World Expo 2030 Busan.









The inspection team will scrutinize 14 categories during its visit to Korea from April 2 to 7, including the reason and theme of the World Expo in Busan, infrastructure facilities such as venues and transportation, accommodation measures, financial plan and the number of exhibition participants and visitors.



The eight-member delegation, led by BIE Administration and Budget Committee President Patrick Specht, will prepare a report after conducting the in-depth evaluation of the candidate country's attraction capacity, preparation level, and public interest. The report containing the on-site inspection evaluation will be distributed to 171 member countries at the BIE general meeting in June.





KCCI Chairman Chey Tae-won, fourth from left, along with BIE inspection team and government and business officials are escorted by the four-legged robot "Spot" at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of KCCI
 An oil tanker runs aground off eastern China, leaking fuel into the water. Another is caught in a collision near Cuba. A third is seized in Spain for drifting out of control.

These vessels were part of a shadow fleet of tankers carrying oil last year from countries hit by Western sanctions, according to a Reuters analysis of ship tracking and accident data and interviews with more than a dozen industry specialists.

Hundreds of extra ships have joined this opaque parallel trade over the past few years as a result of rising Iranian oil exports as well as restrictions imposed on Russian energy sales over the war in Ukraine, said the industry players, who include commodity traders, shipping companies, insurers and regulators.

The risk of having an accident is definitely going up, said Eric Hanell, CEO of tanker operator Stena Bulk. We might be affected being at a port  because someone is running into us or loses control, which is a much bigger risk on those kinds of ships because they are older and not as well-maintained.

Many leading certification providers and engine makers that approve seaworthiness and safety have withdrawn their services from ships carrying oil from sanctioned Iran, Russia and Venezuela, as have a host of insurers, meaning theres less oversight of vessels carrying the flammable cargoes.

Some industry figures fear this parallel trade carrying tens of millions of barrels of oil around the world could undermine decades-long industry efforts to increase shipping safety following disasters including the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, which caused devastating environmental damage.

Last year there were at least eight groundings, collisions or near misses involving tankers carrying sanctioned crude or oil products, including the events off China, Cuba and Spain, according to a Reuters analysis based on ship-tracking information and Lloyds List Intelligence data on vessel incidents.

Thats the same number as the previous three years combined, although still a fraction of the overall 61 incidents recorded across the whole shipping industry in 2022, the analysis found.

None of the eight incidents caused any injuries or significant pollution. Some executives are worried, though.

You have the dark fleet which has not been vetted so much and that is a concern, said Jan Dieleman, president of commodities group Cargills ocean transportation division. We do not have visibility on maintenance and safety as no one is really boarding the ships and doing checks  that is missing.

Government officials from Iran, Venezuela and Russia, which do not recognize Western sanctions, didnt immediately respond to requests for comment for this article.

Several of the shipping players interviewed said oil producers hit by sanctions had little choice but to use less tightly vetted vessels to keep their exports flowing and shore up their stumbling economies.

Invisible Fleet?

Estimates of the size of the shadow fleet vary, with industry participants putting the number at anything from more than 400 to north of 600, or roughly a fifth of the overall global crude oil tanker fleet.

Our data shows that it has now reached around 650 units, said Andrea Olivi, head of wet freight at commodity trader Trafigura, which estimates that two-thirds of that number are crude tankers.

The number of tankers transporting Iranian crude and products  excluding the states own fleet  has risen to above 300 this month from 70 in November 2020, said Claire Jungman, chief of staff at U.S. advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which tracks Iranian-related tanker traffic via satellite data.

Irans oil minister said this month that the countrys oil exports had reached their highest level since the reimposition of U.S. sanctions in 2018, with 83 million more barrels exported in the past year versus the year before.

Meanwhile, economic penalties imposed on Moscow by Washington and other Western capitals over the Ukraine conflict have led to dozens more ships plying the shadow trade, the industry participants said.

Some cautioned that the size of the shadow fleet was becoming more difficult to gauge given the complex layers of compliance around sanctions on Russian oil, which is banned from many Western ports and subject to a price cap by G7 countries.

Reuters was unable to independently verify the numbers regarding the size and growth of the shadow fleet.

The U.S. Treasury didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on ships carrying sanctioned oil. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. strove to identify sanctions evasion in the shipping sector in an effort to bolster navigation safety and minimize the risk of environmental hazards.

Endangered Vessels

Among the eight incidents identified last year, the Linda I tanker carrying Russian oil was detained at the southern Spanish port of Algeciras in November, according to the Reuters analysis.

Spains Merchant Fleet authority confirmed the incident and the cargo, telling Reuters the vessel had been authorized to pick up spare parts outside port limits but was found drifting towards anchored ships due to navigation system faults.

The vessel was detained for having endangered the vessels anchored in its vicinity and for a series of deficiencies, said the agency, part of the transport ministry.

The Linda I was also in contravention of U.N. pollution regulations by not having an exhaust gas cleaning system, or scrubber, while using high-sulfur marine fuel, said the Merchant Fleet, which fined the ship 80,000 euros ($85,800) and detained it from Nov. 2 to Dec. 27 while its faults were fixed.

The Linda Is owner, Spastic Oceanway, is listed in the Equasis public shipping database as care of Chanocean Management. There was no reference to either company at Chanoceans corporate office listed in downtown Hong Kong when a Reuters reporter visited the building.

In eastern China, the Arzoyi tanker  which UANI analysis showed was carrying Iranian oil  ran aground while unloading at the Qingdao Haiye Mercuria Terminal on March 23 last year, causing a small oil spill in port waters, according to data from Lloyds List Intelligence.

Three days later, the Petion carrying Venezuelan crude from the countrys Jose port was involved in a collision with another tanker off the Cuban port of Cienfuegos, although the cause wasnt clear, according to the Reuters analysis.

Most of Venezuelans oil exports are subject to U.S. sanctions.

The Arzoyis owner, listed as Panama-based owner Vitava Shipping, couldnt be reached for comment, while there are no contact details listed for the Petion.

Chinese and Cuban maritime authorities didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

The potential perils posed by the shadow fleet were shown in 2021 when Israel said a tanker transporting Iranian oil spilled its cargo in the eastern Mediterranean, causing ecological damage to a swathe of coastline.

Ship-To-Ship Transfers

Around 774 tankers out of 2,296 in the overall global crude oil fleet are 15 years old or more, according to data provider VesselsValue.

Although it is not known how many of those older vessels are part of the shadow fleet, the strict vetting policies of oil majors and commodity traders mean they typically use tankers aged under 15 years.

Some industry participants said ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of oil and other fuel cargoes involving shadow tankers at various locations at sea, outside the oversight of port authorities, posed significant safety and environmental risks.

In 2019, two tankers caught fire in the Black Sea region while transferring fuel at sea, leaving at least 10 crew dead, after one vessel was barred from using a port due to U.S. sanctions.

We are seeing older vessels with unknown technical management companies performing STS in the middle of the Atlantic, Trafiguras Olivi said.

The risk of a major pollution incident is very high.
AKRON, Ohio  The Downtown Akron Sakura Festival will return Saturday, April 15 with an expanded footprint and more activities, according to event organizers.

Its the third year for the festival, which celebrates the arrival of spring and Japanese culture. Sakura means flowering cherry tree in Japanese. This years festival will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. along the Towpath Trail.

We are excited to be able to expand the Sakura celebration into a full-fledged festival with multiple ways to enjoy and celebrate the wonderful public space that is the Towpath Trail, which runs right through downtowns backyard. It is especially enchanting each spring, when, thanks to the Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio and the city of Akron, the 470+ Japanese cherry blossom trees fill the trail with delicate pink and white blossoms, Downtown Akron Partnership President and CEO Suzie Graham said in a news release.

The event is free. View the festival schedule online.

This years festival includes live performances, Japanese music, a story walk, a sake and sushi tasting in Lock 3, crafts, local bonsai vendors, ikebana (flower arranging), traditional food and more. Activities and performances are scheduled to take place every 30 minutes throughout the festival. Areas of interest along the Towpath include The Mustill Store (4-6 p.m.), Williams Tower in Ohio & Erie Canal Park (4-6 p.m.), the Lock 3 Common Room, Lock 2 and the Towpath Trailhead at Spaghetti Warehouse, according to event organizers.

The exact dates the trees will bloom are difficult to predict, which is why the Downtown Akron Partnership, Japanese Association of Northeast Ohio and students at National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Middle School are watching the trees and will inform community members when the trees will bloom via social media. For updates, follow Downtown Akron Partnership on social media channels at @downtownakron. The festival will take place April 15 regardless.

If the trees are not at peak bloom on April 15, Downtown Akron Partnership will place thousands of luminarias on the trail during one of the peak blooming days, along with wind chimes and tree lights. During the peak bloom period, the organization will host a photo contest on social media, with prizes for the top three photographers and a haiku contest.

Parking

Parking is available behind the Spaghetti Warehouse, and attendees can access the Towpath directly behind the parking lot. Parking is also available in the State Street parking deck. The Towpath is accessible from the State Street trailhead entry (behind Canal Park Stadium). Parking for the Mustill Store is located on 57 W. North St. at the Mustill Store, or across the street at the Towpath Trailhead. Parking for Williams Tower is located in the Channelwood lot, located behind Williams Tower, off of Dart Avenue.

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BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Reading a good book can be a transformative experience. Meeting a book in person can be even more impactful.

Such is the theory behind the Medina County District Librarys Living Library program, which returned to the Brunswick Library Saturday (April 1).

The whole concept is that when you check out any book, you are reading a story. But this is checking out a person and talking to them, said Connie Sureck, Brunswick Library manager.

The conversations with each living book were broken into 20-minute sessions with the visitors who signed up to hear their stories.

Sureck said the program was begun in 2018 by MCDL Assistant Director Suzie Muniak, when Muniak was the Brunswick Library manager.

Sureck said hearing about the lives of the presenters often has a direct impact on those who are checking out their stories.

As an example, last year we had Jessica Hazeltine, a recovering addict who had attempted suicide, Sureck said. A couple people came in who had lost someone to suicide and they wanted to better understand why.

This years Living Library presenters included:

 Courtney Jordan, public relations specialist for the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities, a Medina resident who has cerebral palsy. Jordans presentation was entitled I Am Not Invisible: People with Disabilities Have a lot to Offer.

 Medina resident Michelle Powell, who presented Who Knew? Breaking the Cycle, telling her story of being a single mother who founded the Lets Make a Difference program for children 20 years ago with a meal and a game of kickball at the local park. Lets Make a Difference has since received several awards, including The Soul of Philanthropy and the Athenian International Womens Award.

 Elle Simmons of Akron, with P.O.V.erty: A Riches to Rags Story, addressing issues of poverty, queer and trans issues, and neurodivergence

 Medina resident Laura Brown, with Parenting Bi-Racial Children as a White Parent, about her and her husbands challenges with addressing racism, culture and identity, sometimes within their own families, when they adopted two bi-racial children 13 years ago.

 Medina residents Sandy Varndell and Karen Malloy, with a presentation on Unity: A Positive Path for Spiritual Living, on the Unity Truth philosophy, which interprets the Bible metaphysically, weaving ancient wisdom from many faith traditions together, honoring all spiritual paths and offering affirmative prayer and meditation in its teachings.

Sureck said the process of finding Living Library presenters has become a yearlong effort, with Pam Miller of the Medina Diversity Project assisting this year.

It is people we meet, of different backgrounds, when we are out and about, Miller said.

Sureck added that she couldnt do this without Pam.

The presenters said they found the one-on-one interaction as beneficial to them as it was to their readers.

I think people come to this with a real, genuine interest in learning more, said Varndell. My spiritual path is not well understood by the general public.

From an informational standpoint, you can Google anything. But when you are sitting with another human, asking questions about their feelings and their experiences, you may not understand that experience, but you can understand we are all human, Varndell said.

It is a way to appreciate somebody whose circumstances have been different.

Powell echoed that sentiment.

There are a lot of misconceptions and (it is important) to sit down and talk to a person and not see them for their background and economic status, she said. When you see a person and understand their pain, you can experience the deeper story.

Simmons added that being face to face with someone breaks down those archetypes and whatever category you fit into, noting that such interactions can have long-term effects if people take that into account when they are making decisions.

Brown said she and her husband researched as much as they could about raising children outside their race before making the decision to adopt.

But not until you experience it or talk to people who have experienced it do you really get it, she said. Getting out there and not just reading about something, its humanizing.

Sureck said the program is a perfect fit for the library.

Any kind of book is telling a story, and I think an experience like this is the only way to save the world, so to speak, she said.

The only way to empathize is to hear someone elses perspective. To understand each other better is going to make the world a better place.

Read more news from the Brunswick Sun.
PARMA, Ohio -- The adventurous, bumpy ride that finds motorists actively avoiding trouble spots on Brookpark Road is about to get much smoother.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is currently in the process of beginning a two-year, $11.5 million resurfacing project -- to be completed in five phases -- running from West 130th Street in Cleveland and Parma to the Interstate 480 eastbound ramp near Tuxedo Avenue in Brooklyn Heights.

The repaving of Brookpark Road is scheduled to begin April 3 in Cleveland, Brooklyn and Parma. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

This stretch of State Route 17 (Brookpark Road) has a low pavement condition rating, which we use as a determining factor for selecting areas of need, ODOT District 12 Public Information Officer Isaac Hunt said.

Some work has already begun on phase one. In 2023, work is scheduled to be completed between West 130th Street and State Road. In 2024, work is scheduled to be completed between State Road and I-480.

Traffic counts in some sections of Brookpark Road indicate that more than 19,000 vehicles daily traverse the busy stretch through Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland and Parma.

Brookpark Road has been an area in need of resurfacing, Hunt said. Were happy to start work on this important project that will result in a much-improved stretch of roadway.

We ask that motorists pay attention and use caution when driving through work zones, as locations will change during the projects timeline through summer 2024.

Hunt said funding for the five-mile project, which was last repaved in 2001 and has been planned for more than half a decade, comes from a combination ODOT, Ohio Public Works Commission and local dollars.

Parma City Engineer Hasmukh Patel said the city will be contributing $1 million for its share, which runs nearly the entire length of the project.

Its exciting beyond belief that Brookpark Road is being repaved, Mayor Tim DeGeeter said. The road is currently in bad condition.

The four-community project is much needed. We get a lot of complaints on the current condition. When I told residents construction will start this spring, they were very relieved.

Ridge Road southbound in Brooklyn also will be repaved this year. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

In Brooklyn, its truly an orange barrel invasion, with the repaving of Ridge Road taking place simultaneous to the Brookpark Road work.

However, the former is expected to be finished by the time the latter reaches Ridge Road.

Brooklyn Mayor Ron Van Kirk said the city is contributing $415,370 to its portion of the Brookpark Road repaving project.

Ridge Road southbound in Brooklyn also will be repaved this year. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

While our service team has done a great job patching the ever-increasing number of potholes along Brookpark Road, the road has steadily deteriorated over the years and worsens each day, Van Kirk said.

While construction zones can be difficult to navigate, the plan is for two-way traffic to be maintained throughout the project. Once completed, it will greatly enhance the southern roadway through our city.

Residents, business owners and guests in Brooklyn have come to expect smooth, well-maintained roads in our city. This is another step in ensuring that continues.

Read more news from the Parma Sun Post.
SEVEN HILLS, Ohio -- After nearly a decade away, Peter Cottontail will once again be hopping down the Seven Hills bunny trail.

Im looking forward to this time-honored childrens tradition of an Easter egg hunt, Mayor Anthony D. Biasiotta said. This years event marks our citys first egg hunt since 2014.

The Easter egg hunt takes place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday (April 8) at the gazebo area, located on the corner of Broadview and Hillside roads.

There is no make-up date in case of rain. The event is sponsored by Meijer and Buffalo Wild Wings GO.

In a city like Seven Hills, where we are billed basically as a bedroom community, its important to have as many events for families as possible, said Seven Hills Director of Community Services Tony Terry.

The Easter egg hunt is for children 10 and under. Were going to fence in an area for the children to run rampant. Well have pictures with the Easter Bunny, Terry said.

Its also a food drive for the Seven Hills Food Pantry.

Seven Hills' Easter egg hunt takes place from noon to 2 p.m. April 8 at the gazebo area, located on the corner of Broadview and Hillside roads. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

In terms of eggs, Terry said there will be 4,000 candy-filled treats.

Were thankful that our friends at The Oaks of Brecksville and Seven Hills Health and Rehab of Saber Health have volunteered to have residents of their facilities fill the eggs, Terry said.

Its a great activity for their fine motor skills, and theyre excited to do it for the kids.

As for who will be dressing up as the Easter Bunny, that job goes to resident Lennell Frost, who Terry said had the idea to restart the citys Easter egg hunt.

Im very excited to be participating in community events, Frost said. After all, who doesnt love a great egg hunt?

Seven Hills is such a great community, and I wanted to do something for the kids. At the same time, this helps raise awareness and food for the Seven Hills Food Pantry.

Looking ahead, Terry is optimistic that the Easter egg hunt will once again become a spring tradition.

Obviously, if its not as supported, well reevaluate it. But we fully expect it will be an annual event, Terry said.

Read more news from the Parma Sun Post.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nearly 50 years after a brief stint as WMMS disc jockey and music director led to the discovery of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rush, Donna Halper this spring will be entering her own hallowed hall of history.

The current Lesley University Associate Professor of Communication in Cambridge, Mass., was recently notified shes one of six TV and radio personalities who have been named to the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fames Class of 2023.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Spring is here, and with that comes the first full moon of the spring season -- also known as the Pink Moon.

The Pink Moon will be visible the night of April 5 and April 6. The pink moon will reach peak illumination at approximately 12:37 a.m. Eastern in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 6, according to the Farmers Almanac.

The Pink Moon is also known as the Paschal full moon or Passover moon, and has ties to Easter as the holiday is celebrated the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon each April. Therefore, given this years Paschal full moon will take place on April 6, Easter will be celebrated Sunday, April 9.

While the Pink Moon will light up the night sky just past midnight Thursday, the moon wont exactly be pink, despite its name.

The nickname Pink Moon doesnt refer to the moons color, but instead refers to the native North American wildflower Phlox subulata, which is also known as moss pink and is associated with springtime blooms across the continent.

And that isnt the only spring-related nickname for Aprils full moon.

The Pink Moon or Paschal full moon has numerous other nicknames deriving from Native American culture, including the breaking ice moon (Algonquin); moon when the ducks come back (Lakota); moon when the geese lay eggs (Dakota); when the streams are again navigable (Dakota); budding moon of plants and shrubs (Tlingit); and moon of the red grass appearing, (Oglala), according to Farmers Almanac.

Those planning to view the Pink Moon this week can use Farmers Almanacs moonrise and moonset calculator to enter their zip code and determine the best time to see the moon based on their location.
CLEVELAND, Ohio Fifteen leaders in long COVID-19 research from Cleveland and around the country have banded together to lobby the government for assistance in improving the lives of patients suffering with the chronic form of the disease.

Each of the scientists leads an independent trial for the National Institutes of Health-funded research collaboration known as RECOVER, and are working directly with patients who have long COVID-19.

Dr. Grace McComsey from University Hospitals is leading the RECOVER trial in Cleveland.

McComsey said that the current initiative is the result of frustration on the part of researchers about the slow pace of the RECOVER research.

For the last year and a half, the researchers have been gathering data from over 15,000 patients, but so far, no treatments have been tested on patients. Originally clinical trials were scheduled to begin in February, and they have now been pushed back until the summer.

This has led researchers to pursue their own independent studies on top of the work that they are doing for RECOVER. McComsey said these studies are being published at a much faster rate, and that researchers are even testing potential therapies in the clinics. But the problem is they must use their own funding to get the work done, and they are not working together to share these findings with the public or other doctors.

We cant just wait for RECOVER. We feel an urgency that others are not feeling, said McComsey. We can only do so much without more resources.

Together, the researchers have published a Call to Action in which they are asking congress for $37.5 million in funding for the advancement of these activities.

The researchers argue there is a need to create a healthcare infrastructure to better care for these patients, and that the network of research centers in the RECOVER study is poised to do it. They simply need the funding and support of the network they have already built to share what they have learned with each other and turn their individual observations into practices that they can use to educate other physicians.

McComsey said that the feedback they are getting from their patients is that doctors are still frequently dismissive of their symptoms.

A lot of clinicians are still not aware what long COVID-19 is, McComsey said. One of the goals she said is to teach them.

The group suggests that the current RECOVER trial sites be designated as Centers of Excellence for long COVID-19, where they can:

Support patients by coordinating clinical care and rehabilitation, reducing healthcare disparities and addressing ongoing and complex medical and psychosocial needs,

Focus on patients who presently receive fragmented or no care.

Define, continuously improve, and implement standards of care and best practices through a coordinated exchange of information.

Disseminate information and provide support to educate providers, patients and communities to broaden access to high-quality care and further reduce disparities.

Develop and implement workforce training programs for healthcare providers caring for long COVID patients.

RECOVER is a great initiative -- but its going very slow, said McComsey, noting that the wait to be seen at a long COVID-19 clinic is several months, and very few people have access to them.

Its such a big initiative, she said. You want to do everything and miss nothing and you end up going at a speed that is just not acceptable. Lots of people are suffering and we need to do something.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio law enforcement officers will begin enforcing a new state law on Tuesday prohibiting texting while driving and limiting most phone use while behind the wheel.

The new law also establishes phone use as a primary offense, meaning police officers can now initiate traffic stops on the suspicion that a driver used his or her phone improperly. Previous law only allowed officers to write phone use citations if they pulled adult drivers over for another reason. The law also prohibits drivers from watching movies, video chatting, or scrolling through social media.

Gov. Mike DeWine trumpeted the new law, a major policy proposal of his, at a press conference Monday, flanked by state law enforcement and transportation officials.

This law will clearly save lives, he said. Theres absolutely no doubt about it.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, distracted driving has caused at least 60,421 crashes and 209 deaths in Ohio over the past five years, although distracted-driving crashes are believed to be significantly underreported.

Nationally, about 8% of traffic fatalities in 2020 traced back to drivers on their phones, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Ohio now joins a coalition of nearly half of American states that have enacted some for of a ban against handheld phone use while driving.

While the new law is technically in effect, it calls for a six month grace period where offenders only get written warnings instead of $150 fines.

State officials said theyre launching an ad campaign to raise awareness about the law and aired a video as part of their phones down campaign.

Though the law passed late last year, House lawmakers weakened it via two amendments during the legislative process. One allows drivers to talk on the phone while driving as long as they hold their phone up to their ear. The other allows calls via speakerphone.

Two Senate Republicans recently expressed an interest in scrapping the two amendments, as was reported by Gongwer news service. After the press conference Tuesday, Sen. Bob Hackett, a London Republicans, reiterated his interest to reporters. However, he acknowledged it might not come to fruition in the states budget, which must pass this summer and is regularly a vehicle for a swarm of unrelated policy changes.

DeWine said we should be happy with the law that we have and let the law play out, but acknowledged its not everything what he wanted.

Its not what we had initially, he said. Part of our legislative process does involve compromise.

What the law says

Ohios new distracted-driving law broadly prohibits phone use while driving. But it also provides a list of 13 exceptions to that general rule.

Some of those exceptions include:

 Emergency phone calls

 Using a phone while stopped on the shoulder or at a traffic control device like a stop light

 Using GPS, so long as the driver doesnt type into the phone or hold it up with a part of their body

 A person using a single swipe feature like changing a song

 A person using Bluetooth functionality that runs through the vehicle

A drivers first offense can lead to a fine of no more than $150, although the fine can be avoided via a distracted-driving safety course. That increases to $250 for a second offense within two years. A third offense can lead to a $500 fine and temporary license suspension.

Among other data points, the law compels officers to include racial data on those who are stopped by police for alleged phone use violations.

Drivers cannot be required by officers to turn over their phones if stopped without a warrant.

Jake Zuckerman covers state policy and politcs. Read more of his work here.
Feature: N. Ireland choirs perform Chinese songs, promote cultural exchanges

Xinhua) 11:19, April 03, 2023

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (Front, L) talks with Elena Garcia (Front, R), a teacher and music coordinator of the Millburn Primary School, after the school choir finished singing "Let Love Fill the World" in Chinese, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

BELFAST, Britain, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The first time Chloe Millar rehearsed the Chinese song "I Love You, China," she fell in love singing it despite the challenging pronunciation of lyrics.

Chinese is different from latin languages, and it's "nice and interesting," Millar, a student studying music at Belfast-based Ulster University, told Xinhua recently. She said she wanted to continue learning Chinese and would love to go to China someday.

"China's a beautiful country. There's a lot of culture that is totally different from what's here, and it's just something really interesting to see," she said. "I think it is good for people here to understand it."

Earlier this week, when the Ulster University Choir had just finished their performance on campus to welcome the visiting Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang and his delegation, many students were attracted to the melody and stopped to listen.

Abigail Medcalf, a student studying piano at Ulster University, told Xinhua she joined the choir at last minute, taking the role of accompanying the choir's singing. "It's been really good. I really enjoyed it," she said.

"It's so exciting to learn the new language and to learn how to sing in Chinese," she said, "I wish I could speak it a bit more, understand it a bit more."

Ulster University has established partnerships with many Chinese universities and hosts a Confucius Institute. Also on the university campus, the Millburn Primary School Choir sang "Let Love Fill the World" in Chinese.

Elena Garcia, a teacher and music coordinator of the school, told Xinhua that the song was about bringing different countries together and uniting everyone.

"The world's been through a lot of different, turbulent things in the last few years. I think that is very important to reach out to each other," she said. "It's something that brings us together."

"Music is very powerful," she said, "It's a nice way to come together, communicate with others."

Garcia said she would love to travel in China. She was fascinated with the Great Wall, as it is "so different from anything I've ever seen and it's so big and expansive."

Garcia said she thinks it's really important for young children to learn about different cultures and broaden their horizons."

Milena Stecyk, a student at Millburn Primary School, was in the choir and had been learning Chinese for years. She told Xinhua that she loved Chinese music and wanted to travel to Beijing someday to learn more.

Members of Ulster University Choir perform the Chinese song "I Love You, China," to welcome the visiting Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang and his delegation, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)




The word "EXPO" is spelled out by 1,500 drones in the night sky at Gwangalli Beach in Busan as part of the city's bid to host the World Expo 2030, Saturday. Yonhap



By Kim Hyun-bin



A large-scale maritime fireworks display will take place over Gwangalli Beach in Busan, April 6, as part of the city's efforts to promote its bid to host the World Expo 2030 during the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) due diligence team's visit to the southeastern port city, according to city officials, Monday.



Busan is set to attract 1 million people to the fireworks show, 300,000 more than the Busan Fireworks Festival held last Dec. 17. The display will be watched by all eight BIE inspection team members, including BIE's Administrative Director Patrick Specht and BIE Secretary General Dimitri S. Kerkentzes.



The city plans to show off Busan's capabilities and strengthened safety measures. It will operate a safety control tower at the venue and adjust measures based on hourly situation surveillance footage.









About 6,100 security workers, the largest number of any event in history, will be deployed on 16 main access roads to Gwangalli Beach. A rapid evacuation system has also been prepared with four emergency routes, and 22 ambulances will be onsite.





Colorful fireworks illuminate the skies during the 14th Busan Fireworks Festival held at Gwangalli Beach in Busan on Dec. 17, 2022. Yonhap
A view shows the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg, Russia April 2. Reuters-Yonhap



An explosion tore through a cafe in Russia's second-largest city Sunday, killing a well-known military blogger and strident supporter of the war in Ukraine. Some reports said a bomb was embedded in a bust of the blogger that was given to him as a gift.



Russian officials said Vladlen Tatarsky was killed as he was leading a discussion at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Some 30 people were wounded in the blast, Russia's Health Ministry reported.



Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public when a woman presented him with a box containing a bust of him that apparently blew up. A patriotic Russian group that organized the event said it had taken security precautions but acknowledged that those measures "proved insufficient."



In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.



The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.





Investigators and members of emergency services work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg, Russia April 2. Reuters-Yonhap



He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed. Smotrova described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.



Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a St. Petersburg woman, Darya Tryopova, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing. It said that she had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.



A video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.



Russian media said investigators were looking at the bust as the possible source of the blast but have not ruled out the possibility that an explosive device was planted in the cafe before the event.



Russia's Investigative Committee, the state's top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.



No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.



Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.



Reacting to the latest incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tatarsky's activities "have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime" and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers long have faced Ukrainian threats.



Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an "immortal" hero who died to save the Russian people.





Investigators work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg, Russia April 2. Reuters-Yonhap
A passenger of a plane from China heads to the COVID-19 test area, upon his arrival at Narita international airport in Narita, Japan on Jan. 12. Reuters-Yonhap



Japan will stop testing travelers arriving from mainland China for the coronavirus, the government said Monday, ending a COVID-19 policy previously slammed as "discriminatory" by Beijing.



From Wednesday, arrivals from China will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative result obtained before departure  "just the same as all the other travelers and returnees," a government statement said.



The decision brings to an end a spat over COVID-19 border measures which began in January.



Then, more than a dozen countries imposed new travel rules as infections surged in China, which had just relaxed its strict zero-COVID policies.



In a tit-for-tat move, China suspended issuing short-term visas to Japanese citizens, with the Chinese foreign ministry hitting out against "discriminatory practices."



It resumed issuing visas to Japanese citizens in late January, but Japan kept its testing-on-arrival requirement for China.



Chinese tourists made up around a third of all visitors to Japan before the pandemic.



Last week, Britain also said travelers flying in from China would no longer need proof of a negative test from April 5. (AFP)


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BARCELONA, Spain  One day phones will become devices integrated into our skin, rather than the black rectangular slabs we've become accustomed to, according to the inventor of the cell phone. "The next generation will have the phone embedded under the skin of their ears," Marty Cooper, who's credited with inventing the first phone in 1973, told CNBC in an interview at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday. Such devices won't need to be charged, as "your body is the perfect charger," Cooper said. "When you eat food, your body creates energy, right?" "You ingest food, your body creates energy. It takes a tiny bit of energy to run this earpiece," he added. His vision hints at a possible future stage of humanity where our bodies are augmented with powerful microchips and sensors. Several startups are developing technologies that seek to combine computers with the human brain, for example, such as Elon Musk's Neuralink.

Martin Cooper received a lifetime achievement award at MWC this week to mark 50 years since he made the first phone call on Sixth Avenue. AP

Cooper said the smartphone today has gotten too complex with numerous applications and a screen that doesn't suit the curvature of the human face. "Whenever I make a phone call and don't have an earpiece, I have to take this flat piece of material against my curved head [and] hold my arm up in an awkward position," he said. The smartphone market has stagnated over the last few years, and there's a feeling in the industry that manufacturers are struggling to come up with new innovative designs. The prevalence of phones today has resulted in a litany of problems, from social media addiction to privacy infringements. "Privacy is a very serious problem, addiction is a problem," Cooper said, acknowledging the ills of his creation.

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But he struck an optimistic tone for the future, suggesting the technology's best days may still be ahead of it in fields like education and health care. "I have an abiding faith in humanity," Cooper said. "I look at history and look at all of the advances that we've had with technology, and somehow people have figured it out." "People are better off now. And they live longer. They are wealthier, they are healthier than they've ever been before. We have ups and downs. But in general, humanity is progressing." Cooper received a lifetime achievement award at MWC this week to mark 50 years since he made the first phone call on Sixth Avenue. Using the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, referenced in the popular movie "Wall Street," he made a call out to his chief competitor at AT&T , Joel S. Engel. Cooper says he never could have imagined phones becoming the portable computers they are today.

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Signage is displayed outside the new McDonald's Corp. headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., on Monday, June 4, 2018.

McDonald's is closing its U.S. corporate offices Monday through Wednesday as the company lays off hundreds of workers, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the company's office closures.

CEO Chris Kempczinski announced in January that the company would be cutting jobs as part of a broader corporate restructuring. McDonald's told employees that they'll be notified virtually, starting Monday and ending Wednesday, if they're affected by the cuts.

In an internal email viewed by CNBC, McDonald's said it was closing its U.S. offices for those three days for employees' comfort and privacy, as well as for timing since it's a busy travel week ahead of Passover and Easter.

The company declined to comment to CNBC.

McDonald's reorganization will include deprioritizing and halting certain initiatives, Kempczinski said back in January. At the time, McDonald's said the layoffs weren't a cost-cutting measure, but instead are meant to help the company innovate faster and work more efficiently.

At the end of 2022, McDonald's employed more than 150,000 people in its corporate offices and company-owned restaurations. Roughly 45,000 of those workers are based in the U.S.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to Iowa voters on March 10, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. DeSantis, who is widely expected to seek the 2024 Republican nomination for president, is one of several Republican leaders visiting the state this month.

A super PAC urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024 has raised $30 million since its launch less than a month ago, an official with the group told CNBC on Monday.

Never Back Down, the federal super PAC helmed by former Trump administration official Ken Cuccinelli, collected the haul as DeSantis dropped much of the subtlety around his widely expected plans to launch a Republican presidential primary campaign.

The governor, who handily won reelection in November, is expected to make his announcement after the Florida legislative session ends in May. If he enters the race, his allies will have a substantial cash pile to tap as they try to sell DeSantis as the best GOP alternative to Trump in a potentially broad field.

More than half of the money raised through Never Back Down's online fundraising efforts came from outside Florida, according to the official, who confirmed details that were first reported by The New York Times earlier Monday.

None of that money was transferred to the super PAC from another fundraising entity, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the group's internal numbers.

The windfall offers a contrast with former President Donald Trump, whose presidential campaign and joint fundraising committee raised about $9.5 million over the final six weeks of last year, according to NBC News. Trump was the only major official candidate in the race at that time.

DeSantis is considered a likely top contender against Trump, who announced his own White House bid in November and holds a clear polling lead in the early stages of the primary. DeSantis has signaled his presidential ambitions in numerous ways, including by publishing a political memoir and touring it in some key GOP primary states.

Cuccinelli, the former Virginia attorney general who was a Homeland Security official under Trump, launched Never Back Down on March 9 with a call for "fresh conservative leadership." The group recently hired Jeff Roe, a sought-after GOP consultant who worked on Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's victory over Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

Trump in recent weeks has bombarded his would-be rival with criticism. A pro-Trump super PAC has also accused DeSantis of waging an illegal "shadow presidential campaign" by acting like a candidate without launching a bid.

Much of the former president's messaging in the last month has been split between attacking DeSantis and railing against the Manhattan district attorney, which last week indicted him in a case centered on a 2016 hush money payment.

The Trump campaign said it raised more than $5 million since the former president was indicted, NBC News reported. It is unclear how much of Never Back Down's haul was raised after criminal charges against Trump came to dominate the headlines.

Trump, the first ex-president ever to be indicted, is expected to travel to New York on Monday and be arraigned Tuesday. He has given no indication that he will pause his presidential campaign.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) (C), chair of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, joins Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) (L) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) for a news conference following a GOP caucus meeting at the Republican National Committee offices on Capitol Hill on February 28, 2023 in Washington, DC.

A group of lawmakers will travel to California to meet with tech and media executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Disney CEO Bob Iger, to discuss China-related topics, CNBC has confirmed.

Nearly a dozen lawmakers representing both parties on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party are set to make the three-day trip, led by Chair Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., a spokesperson for the committee told CNBC. Bloomberg and Axios previously reported details of the trip.

The trip highlights how the committee's work could affect the tech and media industries, which have an interest in both the large consumer market and the workforce in China. Just last week, Cook, whose company relies on Chinese labor for phone production, met with the country's minister of commerce about supply chain issues.

Gallagher has previously said he wants Iger and Big Tech executives to testify before the panel.

The committee sees the trip as an opportunity both to learn from industry leaders on the ground and to share their concerns and vision about business connections to China, according to a source close to the committee who was not authorized to speak on the record to discuss the plans. The committee wants to press businesses to diversify their supply chains enough so that they are not overly reliant on Beijing and to ensure forced labor isn't employed.

The trip will kick off Wednesday around Hollywood, where lawmakers will meet with Iger and then have dinner with producers, screenwriters and former studio executives. The source described the dinner attendees as a group that's worked at high levels with the Chinese market that wants to share what they've seen in those roles.

On Thursday and Friday, the group will take meetings in Silicon Valley, including a roundtable that will include Microsoft on rare earth minerals, conversations about artificial intelligence and China's strategy around emerging technologies. One lunch will feature executives from Google , Microsoft, Scale AI and Palantir to discuss what the source described as "defensive and offensive approaches to strategic competition."

A dinner in Silicon Valley will feature officials from about a dozen venture capital firms including Andreesen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures and SV Angel, the source said.

Besides Cook and Iger, members of the group are expected to meet with Microsoft President Brad Smith and Kent Walker, Alphabet 's president of global affairs and chief legal officer.

The full roster of select committee members who will be in attendance is not yet clear, but a House aide confirmed to CNBC that Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, will be among them.

Companies named in this report either did not immediately respond or did not provide a comment.

WATCH: Globalization has been breaking down for a while  here's what could end it
A leading Russian military blogger was killed on April 2, 2023 in an explosion in Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, the interior ministry said. Olga Maltseva | AFP | Getty Images

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by a bomb blast in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine. Russia's state Investigative Committee said it had opened a murder investigation. St Petersburg's governor said that 25 people were wounded and 19 of them were being treated in hospital. It was not immediately known who was behind the killing. The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Sunday he would "not blame the Kyiv regime" for it.

We'll defeat everyone, we'll kill everyone, we'll rob everyone we need to. Vladlen Tatarsky Russian blogger, speaking last September

But another leading Russian official pointed the finger at Ukraine, without providing evidence. A Ukrainian presidential adviser said "domestic terrorism" was breaking out in Russia. Russia's Foreign Ministry made no accusations of involvement in the attack, but said silence in Western capitals exposed hypocrisy over expressions of concern for journalists. Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on Telegram and was one of the most prominent of the military bloggers who have championed Russia's war effort in Ukraine while often criticizing the army top brass. "We'll defeat everyone, we'll kill everyone, we'll rob everyone we need to. Everything will be as we like it," he was shown saying in a video last September at a Kremlin ceremony in which President Vladimir Putin claimed four partly occupied regions of Ukraine as Russian territory  a move rejected as illegal by most countries.

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TASS news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying the bomb was hidden in a miniature statue that was handed to Tatarsky as he addressed a group of people in the cafe. Mash, a Telegram channel with links to Russian law enforcement, posted a video that appeared to show Tatarsky, microphone in hand, being presented with a statuette of a helmeted soldier. It said the explosion happened minutes later. Prigozhin said that the cafe previously belonged to him, but he has since given it to "patriotic" activists who have been holding meetings there. Reuters was not able to independently confirm that. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the part of Ukraine's Donetsk province that is occupied by Russia, suggested publicly that Ukraine was to blame. "He was killed vilely. Terrorists cannot do otherwise. The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime. It needs to be destroyed, there's no other way to stop it," he said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the absence of reaction in Washington, London and Paris "speaks for itself given their ostensible concern for the well-being of journalists and freedom of expression. "The reaction in Kyiv is striking where those who receive Western grants are in no way concealing their delight at what has happened," she wrote on the ministry's website.
Semiconductors have been dragged in the middle of the U.S.-China rivalry. Washington has been trying to convince allies to back its chip export restrictions to China.

"Japan should not help the tiger (U.S.), because the pain is still there. The embargo will only further inspire China's determination to stand on its own feet," Qin said.

"The U.S. has used bullying tactics to brutally suppress Japan's semiconductor industry, and now the same tactics are being used again against China. What you do not want, do not do to others," Qin said to his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi on Sunday, according to a CNBC translation of a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang urged Japan not to support U.S. curbs on China's semiconductor industry, as Washington continues to try to rally nations behind its chip export restrictions.

Semiconductors  critical components in everything from home appliances and consumer electronics to military equipment  have been thrust into the center of a battle for tech supremacy between the U.S. and China.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce introduced sweeping rules aimed at cutting China off from obtaining or manufacturing advanced chips  a move analysts said could hobble the domestic semiconductor ambition of the world's second-largest economy.

For the U.S. restrictions to be effective, Washington requires the buy-in from other key nations in the semiconductor supply chain, including South Korea, Japan and the Netherlands.

Washington has been trying to rally some of these countries around its measures, finding some success.

Japan is a key part of the semiconductor supply chain, with key companies including Sony and Tokyo Electron. Japan on Friday announced export restrictions on 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, but did not specifically name China.

This comes after the Netherlands, home to one of the most critical semiconductor companies ASML, announced last month export limitations on "advanced" chip manufacturing equipment.

While these countries have put some export restrictions in place, they are still trying to maintain trade ties with China.

Japan, whose biggest trading partner is China, has maintained that its chip export curtailments are not aimed at any specific country.

Tensions are high between China and Japan, however, with Beijing expressing concern over Japan's military build up. Hayashi meanwhile urged China to release a Japanese national that was detained in Beijing.
Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a "Morning Meeting" livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here's a recap of Monday's key moments. Stocks fall, oil soars Watch Humana China's recovery advances 1. Stocks fall, as oil soars Stocks started the second quarter of the year largely under pressure Monday morning. Oil prices, however, surged on the back of an unexpected production cut from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and it allies, known as OPEC+. West Texas Intermediate crude  the U.S. oil benchmark  climbed more than 6%, to $80 a barrel, helping to lift the Club's energy holdings. Meanwhile, our trusted S & P 500 Short Range Oscillator has moved from oversold to overbought territory, giving us the opportunity to scale back our position in Cisco Systems (CSCO) Monday in the wake of the stock's recent rally. 2. Watch Humana Shares of health insurer and Club holding Humana (HUM) rose 3% Monday, to $501.45 apiece, following a recent decision from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on 2024 Medicare Advantage rates. Investors were expecting a larger decline in 2024 MA rates than the 1.1% rate cut announced. That's a positive development for Humana, which is one of the most exposed names to Medicare Advantage and continues to take market share in the space. 3. China's recovery advances Macao's gaming bureau on Monday reported better-than-expected gross revenue from casino gaming in March, sending shares of Club holding Wynn Resorts (WYNN) up by more than 2%. The news out of the special Chinese administrative region is the latest sign that China's economic recovery is gaining speed since Beijing abandoned its zero-Covid policy late last year. Cosmetics company Estee Lauder (EL) and coffee giant Starbucks (SBUX) are two other China-exposed Club holdings that continue to benefit from revived economic activity in the country. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long CSCO, HUM, WYNN, SBUX, EL. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
The demand surge in metals such as copper, nickel and lithium "has only just begun," according to Goldman Sachs. In fact, the bank said "green demand" is dominating fundamentals and is underappreciated by the market currently. "Already, the acceleration of investment in electric vehicles, renewable power generation and energy storage has helped metals demand overcome a property downturn in China and cyclical slowdown in the West," the bank's analysts wrote in a March note. Demand for copper in particular is set to rise to 17% of total demand for so-called green metals by 2030, according to Goldman, from 7% currently. And if a global path toward net-zero emissions emerges, the bank estimates that an additional 54% of copper would be needed by 2030. Copper has a wide range of applications throughout construction and industry and beyond. It's a critical component in electric vehicles, used in batteries, wiring, charging points and more. Meanwhile, UBS in a separate March note was also bullish on the outlook for copper demand, saying there is a $60 billion opportunity in EV charging infrastructure. Accelerating U.S. EV demand, coupled with infrastructure incentives, implies that between 1.1 million and 5.7 million chargers will need to be installed by 2030, versus 130,000 today, according to UBS. This will lead to a significant rise in copper demand, the bank added. Commodities are also considered by some to be an attractive investment amid the current volatile markets. Stock screen For those considering buying into copper, CNBC Pro screened for stocks in the Global X Copper Miners ETF as well as the Sprott Junior Copper Miners ETF . The resulting stocks have an upside to average price target of at least 10%, and a buy rating from 50% or more analysts covering them, according to FactSet data: Canadian mining company Los Andes Copper stood out for having the highest potential upside  70% -- and a buy rating from all analysts covering it. Copper and gold miner SolGold was the only other firm with a 100% buy rating, although its upside was more limited at over 10%. Filo Mining received the next highest potential upside from analysts, at nearly 47%.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
U.S. President Donald Trump is greeted by Florida Governor Ron Desantis as he arrives at Southwest Florida International Airport ahead of a campaign stop in Fort Myers, Florida, October 16, 2020.

Wall Street executives have been speaking with strategists and fellow donors to address a question that's been dogging them since November 2020: Who are they going to support to take on former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary?

For some, the answer is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to people familiar with the conversations. DeSantis is the only Republican who's polled in second place to Trump in recent primary polls.

DeSantis has yet to officially declare his candidacy for president. Trump, meanwhile, is raising millions of dollars off an indictment brought against him by a Manhattan grand jury. A super PAC urging DeSantis to run for president said it has raised $30 million since its launch less than a month ago. The first GOP primary debate is scheduled for August.

Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman is seriously considering backing the Florida governor for president, according to a person familiar with his thinking. A spokeswoman for Schwarzman did not return a request for comment.

Schwarzman, who spent millions trying to get Trump reelected in 2020, had said in a statement to CNBC that he believed it was "time for the Republican party to turn to a new generation of leaders" and that he planned to back one of those contenders in the GOP primary for president. Ken Griffin, the billionaire CEO of investment giant Citadel, has said that he plans to back to DeSantis if he gets into the race.

Many Republican fundraisers on Wall Street, however, aren't so eager to jump in. Some fear backing a candidate that could lose to Trump. Others are worried about getting in the middle of a bitter battle between their favored candidate and the former president, according to donors and political strategists who work for wealthy financiers.

"They don't want to get in a middle of a dog fight," a Morgan Stanley executive, who's donated to Republicans for years and is sitting out of the primary fight for now, told CNBC. "No one wants to be on the losing side," the person added.

"I think most people favor DeSantis over Trump but it's unclear that [DeSantis] can win," a Wall Street donor strategist told CNBC.

Some of the people in this story declined to be named in order to speak freely about private conversations.

Thomas Peterffy, a billionaire who founded the electronic brokerage firm Interactive Brokers, told CNBC that he and his allies are still trying to figure out which Republican has the best chance to beat Trump and then President Joe Biden. Peterffy has even donated more than $360,000 to a pro-DeSantis political action committee called Friends of Ron DeSantis.

"The issue is that the candidate has to pull to the right to have a chance in the primary, but the further they go the more difficulty they'll have with the general," Peterffy said. "We are hoping for somebody who can convince us that they can straddle this issue."

Still, since he dominated in his Florida reelection bid last year, DeSantis' stock has risen for a growing group of Wall Street executives, including Schwarzman.

In January, a Philadelphia fundraising event organized by Daniel DiLella, the CEO of real estate investment firm Equus Capital Partners, featured DeSantis, according to Gorr Sahakian, who was once an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch before becoming a senior vice president at H. Hovnanian Industries.

Sahakian, who spoke to CNBC earlier this year, said that the fundraiser was in support of the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC, and the governor spoke to attendees about his time running Florida. Sahakian contributed $10,000 to the PAC the same month of the fundraiser and said he could support DeSantis if he were to run for president.

DiLella has donated at least $80,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC, according to state records. He did not return requests for comment.

Mark Gerson, the co-founder of financial and business advisory firm Gerson Lehrman Group, will support DeSantis if he runs, Gerson told CNBC in an email.

"He is a man of great vision, intelligence and broad-based concern who studies the issues carefully, comes to rigorously conceived positions deriving from principle and data  and executes courageously and very effectively," Gerson said. "If he runs for President, I will enthusiastically give my full support!"

Gerson donated $3,000 to DeSantis' 2018 campaign for governor and just over $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC between 2018 and 2022, according to state records.
Marin entered office as the world's youngest serving prime minister in 2019 at the age of 34.

Finland's Sanna Marin conceded defeat in an tightly contested election on Sunday, bringing an abrupt end to the tenure of the millennial lawmaker regarded as a figurehead for progressives around the world.

Marin entered office as the world's youngest serving prime minister in 2019 at the age of 34. She formed a center-left coalition government of five parties that all had female leaders  four of whom were under the age of 35 at the time.

As the leader of the left-wing Social Democrats, Marin received praise for her vocal support of Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion, paving the way for Finland to join NATO and navigating the Nordic country's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, after just one term as prime minister, Marin, 37, was pushed into third place by her right-wing political rivals.

"This is a great day because we have done well in the elections," Marin said, according to a translation.

"Congratulations also to the other winners of the elections, congratulations to the Coalition Party and congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken. The Finnish people have cast their votes and a celebration of democracy is always a wonderful thing."

Marin's Social Democrats received 19.9% of the vote and increased their share of parliamentary seats.

However, Finland's main conservative National Coalition Party, led by Petteri Orpo, came out on top with 20.8% of the vote, while the right-wing Finns Party received a record 20.1% share of the vote.

Orpo, 53, surrounded by supporters at a restaurant in the capital of Helsinki, reportedly said talks over forming a new government would be initiated under the leadership of the pro-business NCP.

Finland, a northern European country of around 5.5 million that shares a border with Sweden, Norway and Russia, was recently recognized as the world's happiest nation for the sixth consecutive year.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a press conference held at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Monday. AFP-Yonhap



NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the world's biggest military alliance on Tuesday, prompting a warning from Russia that it would bolster its defenses near their joint border if NATO deploys any troops in its new member.



"This is a historic week," Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. "From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance." He said that he hopes Sweden will be able to join NATO in coming months.



The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, "we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole."



Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland's membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.



Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the ceremony, along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.



"It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATO's support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression," Haavisto said in a statement. "We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region."





An empty flagpole stands between the national flags of France and Estonia outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday. AP-Yonhap
Francis deSouza, chief executive officer of Illumina Inc., during a panel session on day three of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

The Federal Trade Commission on Monday ordered Illumina to divest its controversial acquisition of cancer test developer Grail, saying the deal would stifle competition and innovation.

The decision reverses an administrative judge's September ruling, which dismissed the FTC's initial challenge to the $7.1 billion deal.

"The Commission found that the acquisition would diminish innovation in the U.S. market for [multi-cancer early detection] tests while increasing prices and decreasing choice and quality of tests," the FTC said in a press release. "This is extremely concerning given the importance of swiftly developing effective and affordable tools to detect cancer early."

Illumina said in a statement that it intends to appeal the FTC's decision in federal court and will seek an expedited decision. The DNA sequencing company noted it believes it has a "strong case on appeal," pointing to how it prevailed over the FTC last year.

Shares of Illumina were down more than 2% in afternoon trading Monday.

Illumina said it expects a final decision on an appeal in late 2023 or early 2024. That's also when the company expects a decision on its appeal of a similar order by European Union regulators, Illumina added.

The EU's executive body, the European Commission, last year blocked Illumina's acquisition over similar concerns that it would hurt consumer choice and innovation. Illumina said last month it has challenged the European Commission, arguing the agency lacks jurisdiction to block the merger between the two U.S. companies.

Illumina said Monday that winning those appeals would "maximize value for shareholders," the company added.

"It enables Illumina to expand the availability, affordability and profitability of the groundbreaking Galleri test in the $44-plus billion multi-cancer screening market," Illumina said, referencing a Grail test product that screens for more than 50 types of cancers through a single blood draw.

The test generated $55 million of revenue in 2022 and is slated to rake in up to $110 million this year, according to Illumina.

The FTC on Monday issued an accompanying opinion to its order, highlighting how Illumina is the dominant producer of next-generation genetic sequencing platforms. Those products are a "critical component" of multi-cancer screening tests because they are used to analyze genetic material from blood samples drawn for the tests, the commission noted.

Illumina will likely remain the "only viable supplier" of those platforms in the near future, which could harm competition, the FTC said.

"The acquisition of GRAIL potentially gives Illumina incentives to favor GRAIL over its rivals by providing GRAIL preferential access or preferential terms for acquiring NGS inputs," the FTC said. "Such preferences could distort competition in the research, development, and commercialization of [multi-cancer early detection] tests."

Illumina also "stands to earn substantially more profit on the sale of GRAIL tests than it does by supporting rival test developers," the commission added.
This photo illustration taken on January 31, 2023 shows an artificial intelligence (AI) manga artist, who goes by the name "Rootport", wearing gloves to protect his identity, demonstrating how he produces AI manga during an interview with AFP in Tokyo. All the futuristic contraptions and creatures in "Cyberpunk: Peach John" were intricately rendered by Midjourney, a viral AI tool that has sent the art world into a spin, along with others such as Stable Diffusion and DALL-E 2.

When Gordon Graham, a writer also known as That Whitepaper Guy, asked ChatGPT to define a whitepaper, he was struck by the similarities between the answer he got and the one he wrote on his website and contributed to Wikipedia. While the three-paragraph definition wasn't verbatim, it was similar enough that he suspects the AI scraped it from one of those sources.

Graham isn't alone in his concerns. As companies including Microsoft , Alphabet and OpenAI launch generative AI to the public, many in creative industries such as photography, art, writing and music are alarmed at how copyrighted work can be co-opted or used by AI. Text-to-image tools like OpenAI's DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and DreamUp can render images in various styles in seconds with a few words of direction. ChatGPT can similarly create letters, articles, papers or stories based on a few prompts. Supporting the new technology are massive amounts of data  photos, artwork, articles, music, voices  pretty much anything online. While tech companies maintain that the data is used for training and the output is original, media companies and others disagree.

"Absolutely, I have concerns about the outrageous plagiarism going on with AI. My website clearly says (c) copyright on every page. Why even bother, when big tech companies can scrape anything they find on the web without even a please or thank you?" Graham said.

Getty Images leads a list of pending lawsuits

Several lawsuits are already in the works and experts say more are sure to come.

Getty Images, the photo licensing company, filed a lawsuit against Stability AI, creators of Stable Diffusion, which can create photo realistic images from text, alleging that the company copied 12 million images without permission or compensation "to benefit Stability AI's commercial interests and to the detriment of the content creators."

Stability AI, DeviantArt and Midjourney are also involved in a lawsuit that alleges that the companies' use of AI violates the rights of millions of artists. "These images were all taken without consent, without compensation. There's no attribution or credit given to the artists," said Matthew Butterick, a lawyer and computer programmer involved in the lawsuit. Butterick is also involved in another class-action lawsuit against Microsoft, GitHub, which is owned by Microsoft, and OpenAI  in which Microsoft is a major investor  alleging that GitHub's Copilot system, which suggests lines of code for programmers, does not comply with terms of licensing.

Prisma Labs, the company behind the viral Lensa app, which creates avatars, is facing a lawsuit alleging the company illegally took users' biometric data. TikTok recently settled a lawsuit with voice actress Bev Standing, who said the company used her voice without her permission for its text-to-speech feature.

While tech companies are highlighting the benefits of generative AI and are quickly integrating the technology into their products, media companies and creators see the downsides of their copyrighted work being co-opted. "Until now, when a purchaser seeks a new image 'in the style' of a given artist, they must pay a commission or license an original image from that artist. Now those purchasers can use the artist's work without compensating the artist at all," the class-action court filing against Stable Diffusion states. The similarities can sometimes be obvious  there are even instances where Stable Diffusion recreated the Getty Images watermark in its work, which Getty details in its legal filing.

Stability AI did not provide a comment by press time.

Large language models and metadata

"We are still in the Wild West days of this type of AI. Content creators are only now starting to realize that their website contents might have been surreptitiously scanned during the devising of the rapidly being released generative AI applications," said Lance Eliot, a fellow at Stanford University for the CodeX Center for Legal Informatics and CEO and founder of Techbrium, an innovation consultant to startups and enterprises.

Legal experts say the lawsuits are just getting started, and in a rush to get AI-enabled products and services out to the public, tech companies have shown some ignorance of, or disregard for data protection laws.

"I think the issue we're seeing now is that there's ignorance about there being legal implications," said Barry Scannell, a lawyer specializing in artificial intelligence, copyright, IP, technology law and data protection at William Fry LLP, an Irish law firm. "If you're using large language models, if you're using text-to-image generators, there are data protection implications," he said.

Text-to-image generators draw on metadata, a description of the data that's used to organize the data. That can include names  of the person depicted, the photographer or creator, or other information  which is considered personal data and protected under various laws.

Shutterstock, OpenAI and artist compensation

Technology has changed many jobs but creative industries have largely stayed out of the fray. Until now. Companies are selling AI-generated prints and Stable Diffusion can learn to copy an artist's style within hours. Voice actors are being asked to sign the rights to their voices so artificial intelligence can recreate synthetic versions, presumably to replace them. Writers worry about their work or style being co-opted without permission or compensation.

"Web-scraping and machine learning from huge digital databases requires massive amounts of human-created work as the sample. We want to make sure that work is legally and respectfully accessed, and that we are paid for its use," said John Degen, chief executive officer of The Writers' Union of Canada and chair of the International Authors Forum.

At least one company is looking to compensate human creators. Shutterstock, a provider of stock photography, footage and music which has worked with OpenAI since 2021  OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said it was "critical to the training" of its generative AI image and art platform DALL-E  has set up a contributors fund. It compensates content creators if their IP is used in the development of AI-generative models. Moreover, creators will receive royalties if new content produced by Shutterstock's AI generator includes their work. Contributors can opt out and exclude their content from any future datasets.

Meanwhile, both Microsoft and Google continue to launch additional AI-enabled capabilities across products. Microsoft announced last month it will embed OpenAI's ChatGPT into Microsoft 365 apps while Google said it will bring generative AI to Gmail and Google Docs. A Microsoft spokesperson said AI-generated content will be clearly labeled, encouraging users to review, fact-check and adjust. It will also make citations and sources easily accessible by linking to an email or document the content is based on or a citation when a user hovers over it. A Google spokesperson said Bard, the company's competitor to ChatGPT, "is intended to generate original content and not replicate existing content at length." The spokesperson also said Bard is meant to be a "complementary experience" to Google search, and includes a "Google It" button so people can move from Bard to explore information on the web.

Given how new generative AI is, it's not surprising the legal system has yet to catch up. In the meantime, companies and individuals will be duking out their rights in court.
Macy's is cheap ahead of what could be a pivotal series of years, JPMorgan said. Analyst Matthew Boss upgraded the retail stock to overweight from neutral and increased his price target by $1 to $29. His price target implies the stock will rally 65.8% over the next year from where shares ended Friday's session. The stock advanced 3.5% in premarket trading. It's down 15.3% this year, driven by selloffs of 13.4% and 14.5% in February and March, respectively. M YTD mountain Macy's stock chart Boss said the key takeaway from Macy's leadership at the firm's retail conference was that there was confidence in the fiscal year 2023 plan for the top and bottom line. That comes despite broader industry softness expected, he said. He said the retailer should be able to see multiyear EBITDA margins in the low double digits due to five "self-help" growth vectors. These trends can help bring the company back to low single-digit growth on the top line and incremental EBITDA margin expansion by the 2024 fiscal year: Private label Off-mall store expansion Digital market place Luxury brands Personalization Sustainable, multi-year growth on both lines expected in the coming years hasn't been seen since the period between the 2010 and 2014 fiscal years, Boss said. Macy's 2014 "profile inflection" can be tied to changes started in 2020 related to operational discipline, merchandising, the move away from malls and balance sheet strength. "We see Macy's at a model inflection point to accelerated multi-year growth supported by a number of growth vectors & a sustained low-double-digit EBITDA margin, after executing against the pillars of the 2020 Polaris Strategy," Boss said in a Monday note to clients. Boss said the stock has an attractive risk-to-reward ratio and is at an attractive entry point following recent underperformance. Macy's trades at around two times its 2024 EBITDA, he said, which places it around 50% below the average of stocks in the department stores/mall-based specialty category. Macy's said last week that Bloomingdales CEO Tony Spring would succeed Jeff Gennette as the company's CEO in 2024. With CFO/COO Adrian Mitchell, Boss said the pair will be a "1-2 punch" that will help the company.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
A semi truck used by students while earning their commercial driver's license (CDL) parked at Truck America Training of Kentucky in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.

WASHINGTON  A pair of bipartisan lawmakers have reintroduced legislation offering tax credits to U.S. truck drivers in an effort to address a dire pandemic-related shortage.

The Strengthening Supply Chains Through Truck Driver Incentives Act aims to combat what lawmakers said was a shortfall of about 80,000 commercial truck drivers in 2021, caused by hiring and retention challenges. Fewer certified drivers can lead to more expensive shipping and delays in receiving goods, said the offices of the bill's sponsors, Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., in a press release Monday.

The bill would establish a two-year refundable tax credit of up to $7,500 for truck drivers with a valid Class A commercial driver's license who drive at least 1,900 hours in a year. It would offer a two-year refundable tax credit of up to $10,000 for new drivers or people in a registered trucking apprenticeship.

New commercial drivers who did not drive the year prior, or who did not drive for 1,420 hours in the current year, would also be eligible for the credit.

It was not immediately clear Monday what the bill's chances were of passing in the current Congress. The legislation was first introduced a year ago, before Republicans won control of the House in the midterm elections.

The trucking industry struggled to retain workers during the pandemic but also saw an influx of teachers and service workers due to the steady work and competitive salaries offered. The bill aims to attract more workers to the industry and help stem shipping delays.

Gallagher called the proposal "a common sense way to recruit and retain more drivers to keep our shelves stocked and our economy moving." In a statement, he added that the industry is "facing a massive workforce shortage that's disrupting nearly every aspect of our supply chains."

Spanberger in her own statement said the bill would "help bring more drivers into the fold, keep them on the highway, and reward them for their loyalty" displayed during pandemic-related shutdowns.

Ten advocacy organizations representing the trucking industry, including the American Trucking Associations and American Loggers Council, have backed the bill.

The legislation will provide relief for current truck drivers while helping to retain essential workers, said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the ATA.

"This bipartisan legislation will make a meaningful difference in the lives of new truckers, helping them move into one of the few professions in today's economy that can provide a middle-class lifestyle without the time and expense of a four-year college degree," Spear said in a statement.
Investors may want to look somewhere other than tech for safety, according to Morgan Stanley's Mike Wilson. Tech is the best-performing sector this year, up more than 20% and outpacing the S & P 500 's 7% advance. Recently, tech stocks got a boost after bond yields fell amidst volatility in the banking sector. Investors also have been turning to tech as they look for safety and stability in a turbulent market. However, Wilson, the chief U.S. equity strategist at Morgan Stanley, warned Monday that the tech sector's recent outperformance may not last, noting the space may not be as safe as investors think. "On the defensiveness point, our work suggests that Tech is actually more pro-cyclical and bottoms coincidently with the broader market in bear markets due to its beta of just over 1 and its high correlation to the business cycle," Wilson wrote in a note Monday. "We advise waiting for a durable low in the broader market before adding to Tech more aggressively as the sector typically experiences a period of strong outperformance post trough  a time when its cyclicality works in its favor on the upside." XLK .SPX YTD mountain Returns for the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund ETF (XLK) compared to the S & P 500 in 2023 Instead, the widely followed strategist thinks that traditional defensive stocks will be a safer play for investors. "We broadly view traditional defensives (Staples, Healthcare, Utilities) as having the better risk/reward profile at current levels particularly with Tech relative performance back to all time highs and breadth remaining weak," Wilson said. Morgan Stanley looked for defensive stocks to own in a bear market. The firm named public utilities holding company CenterPoint Energy in its "Fresh Money Buy List" as a high-potential defensive stock in the current market. Consumer staples companies Coca-Cola and Colgate-Palmolive also were chosen as safer trades. Health insurance company Humana was also named as a smart defensive trade. Shares of CenterPoint Energy have slipped 1.7% so far this year, while Coca-Cola and Humana are also down more than 1%. Colgate-Palmolive is off 4% year to date. Wilson has been one of the biggest bears on Wall Street over the past year. His 2023 S & P 500 target of 3,900 is also the third lowest in CNBC Pro's Market Strategist Survey.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
Lime and Dott electric scooters are parked on the pavement on March 29, 2023 in Paris, France.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pledged to ban rented e-scooters from the French capital after a huge majority of residents backed the move.

Scooter operators said they were disappointed with the decision but expressed hope they could negotiate a new regulatory framework to avoid an outright ban.

In a non-binding referendum held on Sunday, 89.03% of 103,084 votes cast were opposed to the freestanding scooters, which are booked on a short-term basis through apps. There were only two options, "for" or "against."

"Their very clear message now becomes our roadmap," Hidalgo said in a statement following the vote, later saying in a news conference that the scooters would be gone from Sept. 1, when current agreements with operators expire.

E-scooters launched in Paris in 2018, but in 2020 the number of firms with operating licenses was cut to just three: Lime, Dott and Tier.

The city also added conditions such as a 20 kilometer per hour speed limit and designated scooter parking areas. Customers who leave scooters outside these areas face a fine.

Critics of the scooters say they clutter up pavements and roads, but also raise safety concerns. There were 459 accidents involving e-scooters or similar vehicles in Paris last year, including three fatalities, according to a Reuters report.

Cities around the world have been debating how to regulate or restrict both rented and owned e-scooters, which are popular with tourists and some commuters but considered a nuisance by many locals.

In London, rental scooters are operating on a trial basis until the fall this year, also with Lime, Dott and Tier. After that, "operators will be selected on their ability to meet strict safety requirements and high operating standards," according to local authorities.
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Bob Iger on Monday called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' actions against The Walt Disney Co. retaliatory, "anti-business" and "anti-Florida." The feud between DeSantis and the company escalated earlier Monday, when the governor asked the state's inspector general to determine whether the House of Mouse's sly move to retain control over the outer limits of Orange and Osceola counties is legal  and whether any of the company's executives were involved in the scheme. During the company's annual shareholder meeting Monday, Disney CEO Iger addressed investor inquiries about the ongoing dispute between the company and Florida legislators. He noted that Disney has more than 75,000 employees in the state, and has created thousands of indirect jobs, as well as brings around 50 million visitors to Florida every year and is the state's largest taxpayer "A year ago, the company took a position on pending Florida legislation," Iger said, apparently referring to what critics called the "Don't Say Gay" bill. "And while the company may have not handled the position that it took very well, a company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do."

Bob Iger, CEO, Disney, during CNBC interview, Feb. 9, 2023. Randy Shropshire | CNBC

He added: "The governor got very angry about the position Disney took and seems like he's decided to retaliate against us, including the naming of a new board to oversee the property and the business. In effect, to seek to punish a company for its exercise of a constitutional right. And that just seems really wrong to me."

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Iger said Disney plans to spend more than $17 billion in investments at Walt Disney World over the next decade, which would create around 13,000 jobs at the company and generate even more taxes for Florida. "Our point on this is that any action that supports those efforts simply to retaliate for a position the company took sounds not just anti-business, but it sounds anti-Florida," he said. "And I'll just leave it at that." Last week, DeSantis' newly appointed board of the Reedy Creek district, now named the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, revealed that the previous Disney-allied board signed a long-lasting agreement that drastically limits the control that can be exercised over the company and its district.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during 'The Florida Blueprint' event on Long Island, New York, United States on April 1, 2023. Ron DeSantis made comments on the Grand Jury's indictment of Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States in Manhattan, New York. Kyle Mazza | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Members of a recently formed union of Starbucks workers hold a rally to celebrate the first anniversary of their founding, December 9, 2022 in New York City.

Nearly 300 company-owned Starbucks cafes have voted to unionize under Workers United, according to National Labor Relations Board data. The company has yet to agree on a contract with any unionized stores, and baristas have accused management of dragging their feet and not negotiating in good faith.

Baristas on Monday will target Nike CEO Andrew Campion, Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford and Lego Chairman Jorgen Vig Knudstorp  all members of Starbucks' board  with attention-grabbing stunts.

Starbucks Workers United is deploying a butter sculpture, brass band, billboard and movie posters to put pressure on the coffee chain's board to accept the union.

Beth Ford, chief executive officer of Land O'Lakes Inc. (L), and a butter sculpture of land o'lakes her.

In the hopes of speeding up the process, just outside of Minnesota's Twin Cities, Starbucks workers will deliver a butter sculpture of Ford to Land O'Lakes' headquarters.

In front of Nike's flagship location in New York City, baristas will act out a skit, accompanied by a brass band. At Nike's Oregon headquarters, they'll unveil a mobile billboard truck asking Campion to "Just Do It" and pass out flyers.

And at Legoland in San Diego, the union plans to hand out Lego Star Wars-inspired posters comparing former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to Darth Vader and Knudstorp to Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Community allies" will also take part, according to Starbucks Workers United.

Monday's planned action comes as Starbucks faces more attention for its alleged union busting. On Wednesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders grilled Schultz during a Senate panel on the matter. Throughout the hearing, which lasted more than two hours, Schultz denied that the company ever acted illegally, despite judges finding that it broke federal labor law 130 times.

A week prior, Starbucks shareholders voted in favor of a third-party probe into the company's commitment to workers' rights. The results of the vote are non-binding. The company has said it's already undergoing a human rights review, although it's unclear what that entails.

But pressure from lawmakers and shareholders haven't yielded any changes in Starbucks' strategy. On Saturday, Starbucks Workers United said the company fired Alexis Rizzo, the employee responsible for igniting the union push more than a year and a half ago in Buffalo, New York.
A San Francisco federal jury has ordered Tesla to pay $3 million in punitive damages and $175,000 in non-economic damages to Owen Diaz, a former elevator operator at the company's factory in Fremont, California, after he endured a racially hostile work environment during his time at the company.

Diaz, a Black man, was hired as a contract worker at Tesla in 2015 through a staffing agency.

He was previously awarded a verdict of $137 million in 2021, including punitive damages, after a jury determined Diaz had suffered civil rights violations at Tesla, and that the electric vehicle maker failed to take all reasonable steps to end and prevent the racist harassment.

Diaz and Tesla sought a retrial to decide damages after Judge William H. Orrick reduced the amount to $15 million.

A distressed and at times tearful Diaz told the court again last week about how his colleagues at Tesla used racist epithets to denigrate him and other Black workers, made him feel physically unsafe at work, told him to "go back to Africa" and left racist graffiti in the restrooms and a racist drawing in his workspace.

The drawing left at his workspace was a rudimentary one that resembled Inki the Caveman, a 1950s era cartoon widely regarded as racist, whose main character is a Black boy portrayed with big lips, wearing a loincloth, earrings, and a bone through his hair.

Diaz also testified that while he had encouraged his son to work at Tesla, he now considers that one of the greatest regrets of his life because his son was also exposed to a racially hostile workplace there.

Counsel for the plaintiff, Bernard Alexander of Morrison Alexander & Fehr, in his closing arguments urged the jury to hold Tesla accountable for failing to stop and prevent the racist harassment of employees, and for the suffering Diaz endured.

"No Black man in 2015 should ever be subjected," Alexander said, "to this plantation mentality workplace."

Alexander also urged jurors to decide on damages in an amount that "will get Tesla's attention." He characterized Tesla a company that has to accuse others of lying, because they cannot explain why they would allow violations of the Civil Rights Act at their factory.

The plaintiffs asked the jury to consider punitive damages around $150 million for Tesla, and to award Diaz $6.3 million in past non-economic damages, and $2 million in future non-economic damages.

Tesla counsel Alex Spiro argued that Diaz should only be awarded damages amounting to about half of his salary, some tens of thousands of dollars, not millions. Diaz had not disclosed his salary during the course of the trial, Judge William Orrick said in the midst of Spiro's closing argument last week on Friday.

Spiro also told jurors on Friday that Diaz "lied to you." He characterized the former Tesla contract worker as a confrontational person, who exaggerated issues in his testimony repeatedly. Diaz had previously mis-stated the number of months he had worked at Tesla, Spiro said. Spiro also accused Diaz of lying about his suffering to a doctor in order to seek greater monetary damages from the company.

Evoking the Civil Rights Act, Diaz's attorney called on jurors to make an example of Tesla, saying "Do justice and justice is not cheap."

Tesla has been sued more than 200 times by current or former contractors and employees since 2018 in the U.S., according to legal records database Plainsite. That number does not account for disputes that have gone straight to arbitration. As CNBC has previously reported, where it is legal to do so, Tesla has compelled employees to agree to mandatory arbitration.

Last week, a former Tesla service manager, a Black man named John Goode, filed a lawsuit in Northern California alleging that a white man who was his manager in Georgia repeatedly made racist remarks in his presence, was racially biased against him and another Black colleague, had him fired on false pretenses in retaliation after Goode objected to this treatment.
Oil prices are on a tear to start the new quarter, and if history is any guide, some stocks are better positioned to benefit from rising prices. Oil surged as much as 8% on Monday after OPEC+ announced it was slashing output by 1.16 million barrels per day. Analysts warned that the move could push oil back above $100 per barrel, a level it hit last year for the first time since 2014 amid the war in Ukraine . The recent surge comes after oil prices tumbled last month to their lowest since December 2021 as Silicon Valley Bank's collapse rattled traders and spurred fears that a banking crisis could dent global economic growth. As of Monday morning, West Texas Intermediate crude hit its highest level since Jan. 27 while Brent crude traded near its highest level since March 7, and both benchmarks could post their best days since April 12, 2022. With oil prices at highs, CNBC Pro screened for S & P 500 stocks that consistently win during these times. We looked for stocks positive during the five months over the last five years when oil notched its biggest gains (May 2020, November 2020, January 2019, February 2021 and January 2022), and names that saw the greatest median gains. Here are the names that made the list: Given their close correlation to oil prices, it's no surprise that energy stocks topped the list. SLB is the best performer on average when oil prices rise. During the last five biggest monthly gains over the last five years, the oilfield services company saw a median gain of 25.7%. It saw its biggest individual monthly gain in November 2020, when it popped 39.2%. Shares gained more than 8% on Monday. SLB 1D mountain SLB shares pop as oil prices rise EOG Resources and Halliburton rounded out the top three, with median gains of 25.5% and 23.8%, respectively. Other big energy winners include Valero Energy , Baker Hughes , Pioneer Natural Resources and Phillips 66 , with a median gain of 17% or more. While energy stocks, on average, benefit most when oil prices rise, other sectors also prosper. That includes financial services stocks such as American Express (9.9%), Mastercard (11.9%), Visa (9.2%) and Discover Financial Services (12.6%). A slew of banking stocks also made the list, including regional names like Comerica , Zions Bancorporation and KeyCorp . The sector's come under pressure in recent weeks amid the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank rattled investors. All three stocks gain a median of at least 8.1% when oil pops, with Zions surging 16.8%. ZION YTD mountain Shares have fallen more than 38% this year Bank behemoths Morgan Stanley and Bank of America also made the cut, gaining a median of 12.1% and 15.5%, respectively. Even after a volatile March for the banking sector, Morgan Stanley shares are up 3.4% year to date. Bank of America shares have shed 13.1% on the year. Elevated oil price winners outside these sectors include travel stocks Alaska Air Group , Expedia and Booking Holdings . Deere and Mosaic also met the criteria.
Former US President Donald Trump sits in the rear of his limousine as he departs Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 1, 2023.

Former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign raised $7 million in the days after his indictment in Manhattan, a top campaign aide said Monday.

Senior Trump aide Jason Miller announced the haul as the ex-president was en route to New York City ahead of his expected arrest and arraignment on Tuesday. Miller described the three-day sum as a "record" but offered no more details.

Last Thursday, a grand jury voted to indict Trump after hearing evidence in the Manhattan district attorney's investigation of a hush money payment made shortly before the 2016 election to a porn star who alleges she had an affair with Trump years ago.

The indictment, which has not been publicly revealed but will reportedly include about 30 counts related to document fraud, marks the first-ever criminal charges against a former president. Trump has repeatedly decried District Attorney Alvin Bragg's probe as a "witch hunt," and has attacked the DA himself in vitriolic terms.

Solicitations from the Trump campaign's joint fundraising committee have in recent weeks repeatedly referenced the possibility of criminal charges, seeking to spur donations from the former president's outraged supporters.

"If media leaks are correct, this could be the last time I write to you before a possible indictment comes down," Trump said in one message from the committee, Save America, days before the indictment last month.

After the grand jury's vote, Trump's campaign started running Facebook ads that seized on the development.

Numerous recent polls show Trump leading the potential Republican presidential primary field, which so far officially includes just him and a small handful of other candidates. His top potential rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is expected to announce his presidential plans after his state's current legislative session ends next month.

A super PAC backing a DeSantis White House bid has raised $30 million since its launch less than a month ago, an official with the group told CNBC earlier Monday.

Follow CNBC.com's live coverage of former President Donald Trump's surrender and arraignment at the Manhattan criminal courthouse.
Former US President Donald Trump waves as he boards his plane at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2023.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump urged a judge to deny a request by media outlets for cameras in a Manhattan courtroom where Trump is set to be arraigned on criminal charges Tuesday.

"We submit that the media request should be denied because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump's presumption of innocence," Trump's lawyers said in their letter to Judge Juan Merchan.

The letter was made public as Trump was flying from his home in Florida to New York City in anticipation of his court appearance.

Trump was indicted Thursday by a grand jury on charges related to his then-lawyer's $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

He is the first U.S. former president to face criminal charges, a fact that has been cited by the group of media outlets that asked Merchan for permission to cover Tuesday's arraignment with still and video cameras, in addition to radio recording devices.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which is prosecuting Trump, in its own letter to Merchan on Monday did not take a position on whether the judge should allow cameras in the courtroom.

However, that letter from assistant DA Matthew Colangelo noted that New York state's highest court has upheld the constitutionality of the law banning audiovisual coverage of most courtroom proceedings.

And Colangelo added that "even if cameras are not categorically barred," judges have the discretion to "control the conduct of judicial proceedings."

"It would thus be a defensible exercise of the Court's discretion to exclude or restrict videography, photography, and radio coverage of the arraignment in the interest of avoiding potential prejudice to the defendant, maintaining an orderly proceeding, assuring the safety of the participants in the proceeding, or for other reasons within the Court's broad authority to manage and control these proceedings," the letter said.

But Colangelo also pointed out that Merchan recently allowed still photographs to be taken in his courtroom before the commencement of proceedings in the criminal prosecution of the Trump Organization.

In that case, Trump's company was convicted of a scheme to avoid paying taxes on compensation to executives.

Follow our live coverage of former President Donald Trump's surrender and arraignment at the Manhattan criminal courthouse.
The plane of former US president Donald Trump takes off from Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 3, 2023. Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump landed at New York's LaGuardia Airport on Monday to surrender to face criminal charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump is due to be arraigned Tuesday in Manhattan Supreme Court, where a grand jury indicted him Thursday. "On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse," he wrote in a Truth Social post from his residence in Palm Beach, Florida, late Sunday night. "America was not supposed to be this way!" Trump added. Trump left Mar-a-Lago at around 12:20 p.m. ET in a motorcade of SUVs, which were carrying his son Eric and his Secret Service protection detail among others. A small group of Trump supporters gathered Monday morning outside the club, waiting for his departure. Supporters with Trump-themed flags and signs also lined part of the route as Trump traveled from Mar-a-Lago to Palm Beach International Airport, according to a video posted by Eric Trump. His private Boeing 757 plane  bearing the word "Trump" in large letters on its side  took off at 12:59 p.m. ET and landed at LaGuardia before 3:30 p.m. ET. Shortly before the plane left the ground, Trump sent another Truth Social post calling the indictment a "WITCH HUNT."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump stands near his plane, at the Palm Beach International Airport, after former his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in West Palm Beach, Florida, April 3, 2023. Marco Bello | Reuters

The former president has said he will give a speech Tuesday night about his criminal case after he returns to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. As Trump was flying Monday, the attorney Todd Blanche announced that he had joined two other criminal defense lawyers, Joseph Tacopina and Susan Necheles, on Trump's legal team for the case. Blanche is a former federal prosecutor who previously represented Trump's one-time 2016 campaign manager Paul Manafort in his own criminal case. Blanche told NBC News he had resigned from the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft to represent Trump. "I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged [Manhattan] DA case, and after much thought and consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up," Blanche told NBC.

Attorney Todd Blanche delivers a speech to the press members at New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan in New York, United States on June 27, 2019. Atilgan Ozdil | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

As Trump traveled to New York and bolstered his legal team for the case, both the Secret Service and officials in Manhattan were preparing for how to handle a unique spectacle  the first-ever arraignment of a former U.S. president on criminal charges. In a statement Monday, the head of the Secret Service's New York field office said, "While operational security precludes us from going into specifics, we will not seek any special accommodations outside of what would be required to ensure the former president's continued safety." "Decisions around courtroom access and related procedures are determined by court officials, and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to minimize disruptions to the normal court process, while ensuring our protectees remain secure," said Special Agent in Charge Patrick Freaney. "We have the utmost trust and confidence in the New York State Court officers and New York City Police Department." The New York Police Department and other law enforcement agencies also continued preparations for Trump's arrival and potential protests. On Sunday afternoon, news camera crews already had set up posts outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and outside the courthouse, located less than four miles due south of Trump's residence.

Sources have told NBC News that Trump faces about 30 counts of document fraud in the indictment. It came after the grand jury heard multiple witnesses since January testify about a $130,000 payment Trump's then-lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made to Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election. The indictment has not been unsealed, so it is not known whether those counts are the entirety of the case. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is prosecuting Trump, has not made any public statement about the charges other than confirming the indictment was filed. Cohen's payment to Daniels was designed to keep her from talking to the media about her claim that she had sex with Trump one time in 2006, months after his wife Melania gave birth to their son Barron. Trump denies having sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. He also denies any criminal wrongdoing.

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A court document dated March 30, 2023 shows the order authorizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to publicly disclose that former U.S. President Donald Trump was indicted, following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. Manhattan District Court

But he reimbursed Cohen with multiple payments, which in total far exceeded the $130,000. The extra amount Trump gave Cohen was at least in part to cover the income taxes the lawyer would have owed for getting the money from him. The reimbursement was recorded as legal expenses in Trump Organization business records. Under New York law, misclassifying the nature of business expenses in official records is a misdemeanor. But it can be charged as a felony if the misstatement was done to cover up or hide another crime. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal criminal charges, which included a campaign finance violation that was related to the payment to Daniels. He admitted Trump directed the payment to prevent Daniels from making her claim public, which could have potentially harmed his chances of winning the election. Trump's campaign for the 2024 presidential election has leveraged the renewed attention to rake in money from the former president's supporters. On Monday, senior Trump aide Jason Miller said the campaign has raised $7 million since Trump was indicted. As Trump tries to secure the GOP presidential nomination for a third time, his legal risks go beyond the hush money case. He faces three other criminal investigations.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures from his motorcade as he leaves his Trump International Golf Club after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 1, 2023. Ricardo Arduengo | Reuters
Russian investigators said Monday that they had detained a suspect over the killing of pro-war Russian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in an explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg yesterday.

Darya Trepova declined to say who gave her the statuette but Russian authorities have blamed opposition figures.

A woman named Daria Trepova  who has previously been detained for taking part in antiwar rallies, according to media reports  was detained "on suspicion of involvement in the explosion." Russian authorities later released a video in which she was seen being questioned about the incident.

More than 30 people were injured as a result of the explosion, which occurred after Tatarsky, a guest speaker at the cafe, was allegedly presented with a figurine by Trepova. In the video, which could have been recorded under duress, Trepova said she had carried the figurine into the cafe but refused to say who gave it to her to do so.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appealed his arrest on espionage charges, Russian state media reported.

In Ukraine, officials have denied a claim made by the head of the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting in Bakhmut that the group's units had technically captured the town.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military company, claimed Sunday that his units were about to hoist the Russian flag on the town's administration building and that "legally" his forces had captured Bakhmut.
Themed 'Future Heritage', the MVFW2023 aimed at bridging tradition and technology across interconnected metaverse worlds. This multi-platform event featured fashionistas, designers, and big brands who conducted lifelike runway shows, after-parties, shopping, and other such experiences in the virtual world. Heres a quick round-up of the highlights from this years Metaverse Fashion Week.

The glittering Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 (MVFW2023), the second iteration of the event, brought back the opulent fusion of fashion and cryptocurrency. To provide a more grandeur experience, the second annual MFVW2023, which was originally solely hosted by Decentraland, was extended to metaverse platforms 'Spatial' and 'Over the Reality' as well.

Unfortunately, the event received a somewhat muted reaction as opposed to last year, when 70 brands participated, only 60 brands did so this year. In addition, there were only 50,000 guests as opposed to 108,000 attendees the year before.

Following a number of flash crashes and bankruptcies in the cryptocurrency industry in 2022, it appeared that declining interest in the metaverse continued into the new year as well. Nonetheless, the same did not discourage some major fashion houses from participating in the event.

The four-day event was held from March 28 to 31 and featured 63 fashion brands, including Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Diesel, Clarks, and other noteworthy fashion houses that have recently populated the metaverse. Heres a quick round-up of the highlights from this years Metaverse Fashion Week.

MVFW2023 Key highlights

Themed 'Future Heritage', the MVFW2023 aimed at bridging tradition and technology across interconnected metaverse worlds. This multi-platform event featured fashionistas, designers, and big brands who conducted lifelike runway shows, after-parties, shopping, and other such experiences in the virtual world.

Day-1

Day 1 kicked off with a focus on luxury. The same started with the Dundas runway show, replicating a similar show held during the Paris Fashion Week. In it, fashion brands showcased exclusive avatars with garments created in collaboration with digital fashion house DressX.

Panellists from Vogue Singapore, the company behind the blockchain-based virtual Chinese cultural city Dragon City, and Threedium, a maker of 3D engines, talked about the metaverses aesthetics, a new era of connectivity, and how to fight counterfeit goods.

GAIAN, the wearables startup that designs energy-generating sneakers, hosted an event featuring music artists Spottie Wifi, Lil Bitcoin, Escape Plan, Georgia Sinclair, Billyracxx, and Allan Kingdom. Meanwhile, The BAYC DJ Duo played their new record with Dillon Francis, and Avatar rapper Lil Bitcoin grooved the audience with hip-hop tracks. Alo offered morning yoga sessions in the central MVFW2023 runway area, and the day wrapped up with music, web3, and wearables.

Day-2

Day 2 focused on streetwear and retail. The greatest highlights, however, came from the Adidas runway show and panel talks on fashion, technology, the AI revolution, and the metaverse from Threedium, NUNC, and Vogue Singapore. As part of a cross-platform interoperable experience, Adidas virtual gear NFT holders were allowed to wear their items in Decentraland.

Adidas also gave away 5,000 wearables of its wall runner jacket to metaverse participants. The vice president of Adidas Studios, Erica Wykes-Sneyd, said that this step was a positive way to collect feedback on the interoperability of the NFT collection. The Gavin Mangus after-party was another notable event of day 2.

Day-3

To honour designers of the future of Web3 fashion, Day 3 included a community fashion show that highlighted 11 talents from the Decentraland fashion community. In it, Nikki Fuego from the Haus of Fuego showcased over 30 avatars, each designed by top creators in the metaverse, with wearables ranging from nature-inspired designs to dystopian cyberpunk art. Additionally, a panel discussion was also held on the technology leading the metaverse innovations at MVFW and fashion.

Day-4

Day 4 was dedicated to emerging designers in the industry, with the winner of HBO Maxs "The Hype" competition showcasing wearables to the metaverse community. The panel included a mix of various digital fashion brands, including Threedium, HoW3 x XR Couture, and Vogue Singapore, who discussed utilizing the metaverse to build community.

The event wrapped up with a closing party hosted by the DCL Babydolls and Official MVFW Supermodel Tangpoko, with DJ Sarah Main.

Other Notable Highlights

Other fashion houses that grabbed the spotlight during the event were the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY, BNV, Clarks, AmorePacific, MYBFF, and Ben Bridge.

The Metaverse Fashion Week experience also included an exhibition of the winning designs from Dolce & Gabbana's Future Reward competition, which saw participation from many emerging talents. Tommy Hilfiger also included daily product drops as part of the MVFW experience. BKNY introduced its SoHo landmark wall into the metaverse, hosting an art gallery, a pizzeria, and a rooftop lounge. Diesel and HAPE also threw an engaging virtual party that featured wearable NFT drops.

Conclusion

The metaverse brings together the convenience of online shopping with the ability to experience products virtually through immersive technologies. Fashion week isn't just about luxurious clothing and glamour but also an opportunity for brands to increase their Web3 presence and explore the limitless possibilities of the metaverse.

Although this years event may have been impacted by a weak crypto market, it is important to remember that technological developments are permanent, whereas market cycles are temporary. That being said, its unlikely that the Metaverse Fashion Week will lose its relevance any time soon and major fashion brands will probably continue to pay close attention to the event in the years to come.
Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said his troops, who have spearheaded the Kremlin's campaign to encircle and capture Bakhmut, had raised a Russian flag on its administrative building in the city centre. But he acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still holding positions.

Ukraine scorned Russian claims to have captured the eastern city of Bakhmut on Monday, saying its foes had raised a victory flag over "some kind of toilet" while combat was raging.

The battle for Bakhmut, a mining city and logistics hub, has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, now in its second year, with many casualties on both sides and the city largely destroyed by bombardments.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary force spearheading the siege, said on Sunday his troops had raised a Russian flag on the city-centre administrative building even though Ukrainian soldiers still held some positions.

"From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken," he said in a video on Telegram. "The enemy is concentrated in the western parts."

Prigozhin has previously made premature claims.

Ukraine's military said fighting was still raging around Bakhmut's city council building, as well as in several other nearby towns.

"Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Reuters.

"They raised the flag over some kind of toilet. They attached it to the side of who knows what, hung their rag and said they had captured the city. Well good, let them think they've taken it," Cherevatyi added by telephone.

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, told reporters in Washington on Monday Ukraine was still fighting hard for Bakhmut, describing the battles as "quite, quite violent and quite close".

"Even if the Russians do get it, it isn't going to change the battlefield dynamics from a strategic perspective," he said.

MULTIPLE ATTACKS

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut, with 25 Russian attacks repelled but the AZOM metal plant captured.

"The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control," Zhdanov said in a video on YouTube.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

Lying on the edge of a chunk of Donetsk province under Russian control, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000 before Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian forces, bogged down in a war of attrition after a series of setbacks, are seeking a victory from their winter offensive but have suffered huge casualties around Bakhmut.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive - backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardware - is not far off but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses in the meantime.

Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, will join NATO on Tuesday, marking the completion of a swift journey into the Western military alliance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, officials said.

In response, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Russia would strengthen military capacity in its western and northwestern regions, state-owned news agency RIA reported.

"In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security," he told RIA.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

DEATH OF BLOGGER

Moscow's ambassador to Minsk said on Sunday that Russia would move nuclear weapons close to its western border with Belarus - a move that would place them at NATO's threshold.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Moscow on Wednesday, a Russian envoy said.

Grossi would meet with a Russian delegation and discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, located in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine, near the front line of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine a "special military operation", claiming Kyiv's ties to the West posed a security threat. Kyiv and the West call the war an unprovoked assault to subdue an independent country.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed. Russia has destroyed Ukrainian cities and forced millions of people to flee their homes, and it claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine.

In Moscow, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of organising the murder of a prominent war blogger on Sunday in a St Petersburg Cafe and arrested a Russian woman shown in a police video admitting planting the bomb.

A Ukrainian official said it was only a matter of time before Russia became consumed by "domestic terrorism".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday paid tribute to nearly 400 residents of the village of Yahidne in north Ukraine who were held in a school basement under Russian occupation for 27 days before they were set free a year ago.

Asked about a Ukrainian counteroffensive, he said: "We will do it, and they have to know that we will do it, and they have time to go away, or we will kill them."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2)  The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said it will deploy over 77,800 cops to tighten security during the Holy Week and Ramadan celebrations.

According to PNP Directorate for Operations, 38,387 policemen will be deployed for enhanced police presence via mobile and foot patrols, while 39,504 cops will be deployed to high foot-traffic areas, including major thoroughfares, transport hubs, commercial areas, and places of worship around the country.

"The deployment of our police officers is aimed to provide maximum security coverage to the public who will take part in the various religious activities," PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said in a statement.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will deploy 9,585 policemen, the highest number of deployments. Police Regional Office (PRO) 4A (Calabarzon) will deploy 6,496 of its force followed by PRO 5 (Bicol) with 5,594 cops, and PRO 1 (Ilocos) with 5,304 officers.

Other PNP branches will also participate in the increased deployment: 1,606 officers from the Aviation Security Group, 1,874 from the Highway Patrol Group, and 297 from the Maritime Group.

In an interview with CNN Philippines' News Night, PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo said police officers and K-9 units will be deployed near places of worship, where criminals may take advantage of devotees.

While no serious threat has been identified so far, Fajardo reminded people heading out to the provinces to refrain from bringing valuables, keep children and the elderly away from crowded areas, and ensure their private vehicles are in good running condition.

"The PNP is committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the rights of all individuals, regardless of their religion or background, are protected and respected," Azurin said.

Holy Week began on April 2, Palm Sunday. It will end on April 9, Easter Sunday.

Ramadan, which is observed for 29 to 30 days, began last March 23 and it is expected to end on April 20. Muslims will then celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, on April 21.

The holidays also resulted in an influx of travelers returning to their home provinces. The Maritime Industry Authority on Sunday implemented a heightened alert status  increased compliance monitoring of passenger vessels traveling in domestic waters  to ensure the safety of its passengers over the Holy Week.

Other transportation bodies have also taken preparatory measures in anticipation of the Holy Week passenger rush.

Related:

More immigration officers, counters to be deployed during Holy Week rush  MIAA

PITX: No peak day for Holy Week travel rush; passengers expected to hit 1.2 million

Provincial buses allowed to traverse EDSA from April 3 to 10  MMDA
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Last week, a whos who of technologists called for artificial intelligence (AI) labs to stop training the most powerful AI systems for at least six months, citing "profound risks to society and humanity."

In an open letter that now has more than 3,100 signatories, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, tech leaders called out San Francisco-based OpenAI Labs recently announced GPT-4 algorithm in particular, saying the company should halt further development until oversight standards are in place. That goal has the backing of technologists, CEOs, CFOs, doctoral students, psychologists, medical doctors, software developers and engineers, professors, and public school teachers from all over the globe.

On Friday, Italy became the first Western nation to ban further development of ChatGPT over privacy concerns; the natural language processing app experienced a data breach last month involving user conversations and payment information. ChatGPT is the popular GPT-based chatbot created by OpenAI and backed by billions of dollars from Microsoft.

The Italian data protection authority said it is also investigating whether OpenAI's chatbot already violated the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation rules created to protect personal data inside and outside the EU. OpenAI has complied with the new law, according to a report by the BBC.

The expectation among many in the technology community is that GPT, which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, will advance to become GPT-5  and that version will be an artificial general intelligence, or AGI. AGI represents AI that can think for itself, and at that point, the algorithm would continue to grow exponentially smarter over time.

Around 2016, a trend emerged in AI training models that were two-to-three orders of magnitude larger than previous systems, according to Epoch, a research group trying to forecast the development of transformative AI. That trend has continued.

There are currently no AI systems larger than GPT-4 in terms of training compute, according to Jaime Sevilla, director of Epoch. But that will change.

Epoch Large-scale Machine Learning models for AI have more than doubled in capacity ever year.

Anthony Aguirre, a professor of physics at UC Santa Cruz and executive vice president of the Future of Life, the non-profit organization that published the open letter to developers, said theres no reason to believe GPT-4 wont continue to more than double in computational capabilities every year.

The largest-scale computations are increasing size by about 2.5 times per year. GPT-4s parameters were not disclosed by OpenAI, but there is no reason to think this trend has stopped or even slowed, Acquirre said. Only the labs themselves know what computations they are running, but the trend is unmistakable.

In his biweekly blog on March 23, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates heralded AGI  which is capable of learning any task or subject  as the great dream of the computing industry.

AGI doesnt exist yet  there is a robust debate going on in the computing industry about how to create it, and whether it can even be created at all, Gates wrote. Now, with the arrival of machine learning and large amounts of computing power, sophisticated AIs are a reality, and they will get better very fast.

Muddu Sudhakar, CEO of Aisera, a generative AI company for enterprises, said there are but a handful of companies focused on achieving AGI as OpenAI and DeepMind (backed by Google), though they have "huge amounts of financial and technical resources."

Even so, they have a long way to go to get to AGI, he said.

"There are so many tasks AI systems cannot do that humans can do naturally, like common-sense reasoning, knowing what a fact is and understanding abstract concepts (such as justice, politics, and philosophy)," Sudhakar said in an email to Computerworld. "There will need to be many breakthroughs and innovations for AGI. But if this is achieved, it seems like this system would mostly replace humans.

"This would certainly be disruptive and there would need to be lots of guardrails to prevent the AGI from taking full control," Sudhakar said. "But for now, this is likely in the distant future. Its more in the realm of science fiction."

Not everyone agrees.

AI technology and chatbot assistants have and will continue to make inroads in nearly every industry. The technology can create efficiencies and take over mundane tasks, freeing up knowledge workers and others to focus on more important work.

For example, large language models (LLMs)  the algorithms powering chatbots  can sift through millions of alerts, online chats, and emails, as well as finding phishing web pages and potentially malicious executables. LLM-powered chatbots can write essays, marketing campaigns and suggest computer code, all from just simple user prompts (suggestions).

Chatbots powered by LLMs are natural language processors that basically predict the next words after being prompted by a users question. So, if a user were to ask a chatbot to create a poem about a person sitting on a beach in Nantucket, the AI would simply chain together words, sentences and paragraphs that are the best responses based on previous training by programmers.

But LLMs also have made high-profile mistakes, and can produce hallucinations where the next-word generation engines go off the rails and produce bizarre responses.

If AI based on LLMs with billions of adjustable parameters can go off the rails, how much greater would the risk be when AI no longer needs humans to teach it, and it can think for itself? The answer is much greater, according to Avivah Litan, a vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner Research.

Litan believes AI development labs are moving forward at breakneck speed without any oversight, which could result in AGI becoming uncontrollable.

AI laboratories, she argued, have raced ahead without putting the proper tools in place for users to monitor whats going on. I think its going much faster than anyone ever expected, she said.

The current concern is that AI technology for use by corporations is being released without the tools users need to determine whether the technology is generating accurate or inaccurate information.

Right now, were talking about all the good guys who have all this innovative capability, but the bad guys have it, too, Litan said. So, we have to have these water marking systems and know whats real and whats synthetic. And we cant rely on detection, we have to have authentication of content. Otherwise, misinformation is going to spread like wildfire.

For example, Microsoft this week launched Security Copilot, which is based on OpenAIs GPT-4 large language model. The tool is an AI chatbot for cybersecurity experts to help them quickly detect and respond to threats and better understand the overall threat landscape.

The problem is, you as a user have to go in and identify any mistakes it makes, Litan said. Thats unacceptable. They should have some kind of scoring system that says this output is likely to be 95% true, and so it has a 5% chance of error. And this one has a 10% chance of error. Theyre not giving you any insight into the performance to see if its something you can trust or not.

A bigger concern in the not-so-distant future is that GPT-4 creator OpenAI will release an AGI-capable version. At that point, it may be too late to rein in the technology.

One possible solution, Litan suggested, is by releasing two models for every generative AI tool  one for generating answers, the other for checking the first for accuracy.

That could do a really good job at ensuring if a model is putting out something you can trust, she said. You cant expect a human being to go through all this content and decide whats true or not, but if you give them other models that are checking, that would allow users to monitor the performance.

In 2022, Time reported that OpenAI had outsourced services to low-wage workers in Kenya to determine whether its GPT LLM was producing safe information. The workers hired by Sama, a San Francisco-based firm, were reportedly paid $2 per hour and required to sift through GPT app responses that were prone to blurting out violent, sexist and even racist remarks.

And this is how youre protecting us? Paying people $2 an hour and who are getting sick. Its wholly inefficient and its wholly immoral, Litan said.

AI developers need to work with policy makers, and these should at a minimum include new and capable regulatory authorities, Litan continued. I dont know if well ever get there, but the regulators cant keep up with this, and that was predicted years ago. We need to come up with a new type of authority.

Shubham Mishra, co-founder & global CEO for AI start-up Pixis, believes while progress in his field cannot, and must not, stop, the call for a pause in AI development is warranted. Generative AI, he said, does have the power to confuse masses by pumping out propaganda or "difficult to distinguish" information into the public domain.

What we can do is plan for this progress. This can be possible only if all of us mutually agree to pause this race and concentrate the same energy and efforts on building guidelines and protocols for the safe development of larger AI models, Mishra said in an email to Computerworld.

In this particular case, the call is not for a general ban on AI development but a temporary pause on building larger, unpredictable models that compete with human intelligence, he continued. The mind-boggling rates at which new powerful AI innovations and models are being developed definitely calls for the tech leaders and others to come together to build safety measures and protocols.
The Chinese government is instituting a cybersecurity review of US-based memory chip maker Microns products being sold in the country, in the latest move in the ongoing semiconductor trade dispute that pits China against the US and its allies.

The rupture between China and the West over semiconductors is causing chip supply chain disruptions that threaten many of the fastest-growing parts of the technology sector  mainly AI and cloud technology. The chip war is also putting global enterprises in the crosshairs, as auto manufacturing and a host of other sectors are increasingly dependent on the availability of advanced silicon for growth.

China states concern over national security

A brief Chinese government statement issued on March 31 said that the review of Micron is being undertaken in order to ensure the security of the key information infrastructure supply chain, prevent network security risks caused by hidden product problems, and maintain national security, according to a machine translation of the announcement.

A series of measures, taken by the US presidential administrations of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, have barred the use of Chinese-made hardware in US networks and imposed export controls designed to keep the latest computing technology out of Chinas hands.

In early October, the Biden administration issued new export controls that block US companies from selling advanced semiconductors and equipment to certain Chinese manufacturers unless they receive a special license. In mid-December, the administration expanded those restrictions. The purpose of the restrictions, as stated by the Biden administration, is to deny China access to advanced technology for military modernization and human rights abuses.

Further efforts to bring chip manufacturing back to US shores, like the CHIPS and Science Act, are part of the growing standoff between the two countries.

US concerned about security of Chinese tech

The implications of Chinas investigation into Micron are similar to US concerns about companies like Huawei and ZTE  those firms close ties to the Chinese government, along with a long-standing pattern of industrial espionage linked to China, prompted a series of restrictions and the eventual ban on their presence in US networks.

Other countries, including the UK and Sweden, have imposed similar bans for similar reasons. The Netherlands recently announced details of plans to restrict export of advanced chip-making tech to China. Others still, like Germany, are scrutinizing the use of Chinese equipment in their major carrier networks, and could follow suit.

The US has also teamed with Taiwain, Japan and South Korea  all major chip producers  to create a supply chain protection system, in order to avoid major disruptions like the ones that occurred as a result of the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Additional efforts at chip-based diplomacy have also taken place between the US and India, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing both nations dependence on China for semiconductors.

A widely distributed statement from Micron said that the company is aware of the Chinese governments investigation and that it plans to cooperate fully.

This story, "China to probe Micron over cybersecurity, in chip wars latest battle" was originally published by Network World .
Text of conversation with Shyam Benegal:

Primary role is played in terms of water usage is actually women of the house. Without their participation in it, it wouldnt really work

The nation of Bangladesh was created because it became necessary and, in this process, the role played by Sheikh Mujib was critical. Although there were lot of lives that were lost and lots of things happened, lots of sacrifices made but eventually it did become a free nation on its own. That is the story needs to the told. Although it is widely accepted by most but people in West Pakistan believed that Sheikh Mujib was not a person they would likely want to see for the holy plain as they see him as somebody who divided Pakistan. Actually, when you think of it as what happened you realize that it was a natural process.

The life of Sheikh Mujib was very fascinating. He was a true patriot in so many ways. One of the problems was that Bangladesh had a much larger population group than West Pakistan, which became a major issue. Then the question of why were they not if they were the majority speaking in the language of the majority? The language of the majority was Bengali. So, you see what one might call a Bengali nationalism developed in the process. So, it was part of the new Bengal Renaissance, because they revere people like Rabindranath Tagore, all the great writers and thinkers of Bengal, who they have taken as their peers.

: Absolutely! When we talk of Bengal and Bangladesh, they come synonymous to us about Rabindranath Tagore and Bangabandhu as Sheikh Mujib is popularly called. Today when we are having this discussion on water governance, it is important to note how a famine turned into a nations bond, the new bond evolved between India and Bangladesh and even Pakistan for that matter. The water worries that were there then in the 50s and 70s, still exists and have exponentially risen, because somewhere we have not managed our water well. We have not managed to signal the society about water issues well enough. In that aspect how do you see art-cinema to be used and can be used more robustly to create an environment for bringing social change, in this case towards water conservation as well as consumption.

SB: You see, the important thing here is Sheikh Mujib created a nation. Besides creating a nation, he made a huge difference in terms of economics of the place, the measures they could take with relation to population, poverty reduction, and many more things. All those things would not have happened if it was not an independent country on its own. I think tradition goes on with Sheikh Hasina there. Then you have to consider another thing about Bangladesh that it gets these cyclonic weathers quite frequently. You often have terrible situation there which is going to create a lot of problems. People move from where they were originally inhabiting. Now those kinds of people are there, also there are thousands of villages which normally go under water. Despite all of that its a thriving country with an economy. Another thing is between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, that the level of production in the latter is among the most productive nations of South Asia. Everything is produced on different levels. There are factories, peoples home become factories. Its a very productive besides a resilient society.

MBB: So how do you think we can use the medium of art and cinema to convey to the society about the alarming climate and water crisis and do you think we are doing enough?

SB: A film can do so much. It is supposed to make you conscious about a lot of things which otherwise you wouldnt be very conscious about. You would concern yourself with these things when you realize you need to concern yourself with these things. Otherwise, you will not be capable of dealing with the challenges that will come your way every day.

MBB: Well said in simple way. Thank you for responding to the questions. We will take a few questions from the participants now.

Anuja Bali: We have made so many films on social issues and when we watch them we really feel it, but do you think these films have been able to make that needed impact on the peoples behavior? What should change and how can we actually shake people that they take action towards the better?

SB: A film does not compel you to do anything. Instead, what it does do is it makes you realize what you should be doing. In other words, it tries to make you conscious of the problems that you are now faced with. The job of the film is not for you to get converted overnight to the point of view. That never happens. You live in an atmosphere where you will have to see the inevitability of change in order to better your life and see if people can accept that. Because we are creatures of habit, it is our habit which makes us not do a thing. You will have to get out of that habit and start doing things especially new things that you may not have tried before. This is constant process. This is not something that can be left, it requires your attention.

Fauzia Tarannum: Do you think the larger industry can come together when we are trying to protect our environment or raising voices when comes to protecting our environment and protecting our resources?

SB: The industry does a much as it can, but you cannot leave it to the film industry, just as much as you cant leave it on anybody. You will have to rely on yourself. We will have to learn to not only rely on ourselves but to function in unity. We will have to develop the idea of Ours and not Yours and Mine. This kind of consciousness is very difficult to achieve because most of us are not interested if it is of no immediate interest of ours. This needs a certain kind of consciousness, which is there is nobody in this world, and you have to help yourselves. There is no question of blaming it on other people. It seems difficult but it is not. There are people like you who want to get it done as well. Even if there is no one, like the famous Rabindra Sangeet, Ekla Cholo Re.

Bibhu. P Nayak: Films influence us in many different ways, like our hairstyle, clothing, etc. Do you think films can influence the way we look at nature?

SB: Many of us are influenced by things that we dont even know that we are being influenced. The important thing is if certain amount of consciousness that can be brought about. It is not easy as it requires shaking us out of our habits. You will at least have to be conscious of the fact that you will have to take the first step, and other people whether they like it or not will be part of it. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen at some stage or the other. You need to be honest in what you are doing.

Discussion The conversation with the legendary filmmaker on his works, life and philosophy comes to a closure. At WforW, it is an honor to have him amongst us for sharing his thoughts and ideas, his words of wisdom. It was also great opportunity meeting him in person at his office in Tardeo Mumbai in order to persuade him to come to the Friday Waters session for a conversation on his films linked to water. This online meeting and meeting him in person will indeed remain cherished memories personally as well as professionally. There are learning from both the conversations. That, real life occurrences are good case studies to articulate through different mediums as they also get registered as historical evidence. That, women play crucial role in the water matters and men must be grateful to that besides trying to get them onboard in key decision makings. Finally, the mantra of water governance or governance per se that one must do their bit and not wait for others and the system to provide them everything. Governance is at the core, by the people, of the people and for the people. So, we the people have to raise our bars to have better government as well as governance. --xx-- Friday Waters is an initiative of the Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

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*Entrepreneur | Researcher | Educator | Speaker| Mentor. More info at: www.mansee.in and www.wforw.in : Absolutely! When we talk of Bengal and Bangladesh, they come synonymous to us about Rabindranath Tagore and Bangabandhu as Sheikh Mujib is popularly called. Today when we are having this discussion on water governance, it is important to note how a famine turned into a nations bond, the new bond evolved between India and Bangladesh and even Pakistan for that matter. The water worries that were there then in the 50s and 70s, still exists and have exponentially risen, because somewhere we have not managed our water well. We have not managed to signal the society about water issues well enough. In that aspect how do you see art-cinema to be used and can be used more robustly to create an environment for bringing social change, in this case towards water conservation as well as consumption.: You see, the important thing here is Sheikh Mujib created a nation. Besides creating a nation, he made a huge difference in terms of economics of the place, the measures they could take with relation to population, poverty reduction, and many more things. All those things would not have happened if it was not an independent country on its own. I think tradition goes on with Sheikh Hasina there. Then you have to consider another thing about Bangladesh that it gets these cyclonic weathers quite frequently. You often have terrible situation there which is going to create a lot of problems. People move from where they were originally inhabiting. Now those kinds of people are there, also there are thousands of villages which normally go under water. Despite all of that its a thriving country with an economy. Another thing is between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, that the level of production in the latter is among the most productive nations of South Asia. Everything is produced on different levels. There are factories, peoples home become factories. Its a very productive besides a resilient society.: So how do you think we can use the medium of art and cinema to convey to the society about the alarming climate and water crisis and do you think we are doing enough?: A film can do so much. It is supposed to make you conscious about a lot of things which otherwise you wouldnt be very conscious about. You would concern yourself with these things when you realize you need to concern yourself with these things. Otherwise, you will not be capable of dealing with the challenges that will come your way every day.: Well said in simple way. Thank you for responding to the questions. We will take a few questions from the participants now.: We have made so many films on social issues and when we watch them we really feel it, but do you think these films have been able to make that needed impact on the peoples behavior? What should change and how can we actually shake people that they take action towards the better?: A film does not compel you to do anything. Instead, what it does do is it makes you realize what you should be doing. In other words, it tries to make you conscious of the problems that you are now faced with. The job of the film is not for you to get converted overnight to the point of view. That never happens. You live in an atmosphere where you will have to see the inevitability of change in order to better your life and see if people can accept that. Because we are creatures of habit, it is our habit which makes us not do a thing. You will have to get out of that habit and start doing things especially new things that you may not have tried before. This is constant process. This is not something that can be left, it requires your attention.Do you think the larger industry can come together when we are trying to protect our environment or raising voices when comes to protecting our environment and protecting our resources?: The industry does a much as it can, but you cannot leave it to the film industry, just as much as you cant leave it on anybody. You will have to rely on yourself. We will have to learn to not only rely on ourselves but to function in unity. We will have to develop the idea of Ours and not Yours and Mine. This kind of consciousness is very difficult to achieve because most of us are not interested if it is of no immediate interest of ours. This needs a certain kind of consciousness, which is there is nobody in this world, and you have to help yourselves. There is no question of blaming it on other people. It seems difficult but it is not. There are people like you who want to get it done as well. Even if there is no one, like the famous Rabindra Sangeet, Ekla Cholo Re.: Films influence us in many different ways, like our hairstyle, clothing, etc. Do you think films can influence the way we look at nature?: Many of us are influenced by things that we dont even know that we are being influenced. The important thing is if certain amount of consciousness that can be brought about. It is not easy as it requires shaking us out of our habits. You will at least have to be conscious of the fact that you will have to take the first step, and other people whether they like it or not will be part of it. It may not happen immediately, but it will happen at some stage or the other. You need to be honest in what you are doing.The conversation with the legendary filmmaker on his works, life and philosophy comes to a closure. At WforW, it is an honor to have him amongst us for sharing his thoughts and ideas, his words of wisdom. It was also great opportunity meeting him in person at his office in Tardeo Mumbai in order to persuade him to come to the Friday Waters session for a conversation on his films linked to water. This online meeting and meeting him in person will indeed remain cherished memories personally as well as professionally. There are learning from both the conversations. That, real life occurrences are good case studies to articulate through different mediums as they also get registered as historical evidence. That, women play crucial role in the water matters and men must be grateful to that besides trying to get them onboard in key decision makings. Finally, the mantra of water governance or governance per se that one must do their bit and not wait for others and the system to provide them everything. Governance is at the core, by the people, of the people and for the people. So, we the people have to raise our bars to have better government as well as governance.Friday Waters is an initiative of the WforW Foundation , a think tank, built as a Citizens Collective. The idea of Friday Waters is to connect the water worries and wisdom with the water warriors through dialogues/discussions/debates. The objective is to get in conversations with film makers, artists, authors, policy makers, practitioners, researchers, academicians besides the youth towards water conservation and management. The other team members of Friday Waters are, Megha Gupta, Garbhit Naik, Ekta Gupta, Anuja Bali, Dr. Rajkumari Sunita Devi, Harshita Sehgal, Monami Bhattacharya (for this transcription) and counting. The Friday Waters is reachable at fridays.for.water@gmail.com and WforW Foundation is reachable at hellowforw@gmail.com and hello@wforw.in . The WforW Foundation social media are reachable at Instagram ---

Debates and discussions on the rising water crisis and the need for water conservation are mainstream activities now. With climate crisis manifested through water crisis, the talk of the hour is on re-engaging in one of the oldest conversations that is on public governance. Since, water (public) governance is about communication between individuals and institutions (involved), its weak presence is the missing link between individual empowerment, coherent transformations, meaningful policies, and action of sufficient scale to tackle water crisis.At the Friday Waters online series of the WforW Foundation , there is a genuine attempt to initiate individuals and institutions engagements in the water governance process through continuous conversations using the emerging digital means and the citizen science. The idea of the Friday Waters is to bring the water knowledge available in the various forms at one place in order to highlight the water matters and then take those to the water networks and the community at large. Through the conversations, this to connect the science and society towards Making Water Everybody's Business. The Friday Waters hosts Water Talkies, Water Reading Club, Water Theses Club, Water Arts and Water Walks sessions. The session videos are available at the wforw website and YouTube channel. The February 10 Friday Waters session on, Meeting a Maestro: In conversation with Shyam Benegal we talk with Shyam Benegal on his film journey starting from regional (Gujarati) film Ghar Betha Ganga to the ongoing international (Bangladesh) film Mujib: The Making of a Nation. The session's focus was on listening to the maestro and learning his thoughts and ideas on connecting water (and other social-ecological) matters related to public governance. Shyam Benegal is a known name among the adults in the country. As a film director, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker, he has offered deep diligent service to the world of cinema and society. His accolades are innumerable including National Film Awards, Filmfare Award, Nandi Award, Dadasaheb Phalke Award besides honored with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.Some of his early documentaries are A Child of the Streets' (1967) and feature length rendition of the classic folk tale Charandas Chor' in 1975. He also taught at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Some of his other celebrated films are Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976), Bhumika (1977), Junoon (1978), Kalyug (1981), Mandi (1983), Sardari Begum (1996), Zubeidaa, Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (Seventh Horse of the Sun, 1992), Samar (1999), Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero', Welcome to Sajjanpur', The Making of the Mahatma and more. The classic TV serials Yatra (1986) for the Indian Railways and Bharat Ek Khoj' (1988) based on Jawaharlal Nehru's book, Discovery of India, and Samvidhaan, revolving around the making of the Indian Constitution (2014) are unforgettable to many.: Please share something about the first documentary in Gujarati, Ghar Betha Ganga, as the word Ganga is fascinating as well as scary now for many of us given its rising pollution.In the 1960s, many parts of Gujarat were drought ridden with very little rain. The Government of Gujarat planned that one of the tributaries of Narmada, would be diverted to feed water to the districts of Anand, Kheda, etc. It was vital for the government to divert the water channel to the impacts regions to address the issue of desertification. Back then, I was in advertising, one of our clients was from the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, AMUL milk, and other dairy products. It was during that time, that we thought to introduce the film Ghar Betha Ganga meaning Ganga at the Door/House and observe the kind of difference the film would make to this part of the world where some knowledgeable people were trying to address the issue of desertification and avoid the whole place to become a dessert. It is for such reason that Narmada waters were being diverted. One of the rivers which was being used would dry six months of the year and that is the Mahi River.I became conscious of this and saw how women of the area would be travelling 6 to 7 kilometers or sometimes even 10 kilometers to just bring back 2 to 3 pot-full of water to last them through the day. The situation was very dire and difficult. The whole idea here was to turn this water crisis (desertification) around. Several local educated people and the people connected with AMUL were the guiding force. Through several efforts, the outcomes were achieved particularly in the Mahi River project.That was when the documentary was made. The documentary was in Guajarati which spoke of the idea that you are getting Ganga in your home. That was the whole idea. Even today, when people talk about AMUL, it is believed that there has always been a surplus production, but that was not the case always. Whenever there were drought years there was need for supply of water to sustain the cattle as well, hence a steady supply of water was needed. So, Narmada waters were used for that particular purpose and that is how the documentary originated.: Sharing a personal experience, I had just started my PhD on water governance, when in March 2010 the political satire 'Well Done Abba' was released. Since then, the film is used as a material in my teaching-learning on water governance. My next question is on governance. Your films have often showcased feudalism and capitalism while highlighting how common citizens juggle to make their needs meet and then fight it out with the system for themselves. This is a crucial part of governance. Please elaborate on your fascination on governance matters.: A very important part or essence of democracy is peoples participation in their own lives and not leaving it to others or the government to be always responsible for everything else. So, when peoples participation comes to the picture, the change certainly becomes quicker. Difficulties will always be there but the consciousness that develops and the fact that you should always be conscious and realize the fact that without your participation it will not be half as good. This is crucial.So, Ghar betha Ganga' was one of the earliest films highlighting community initiative and everything came after that. I was still working for an advertising agency. We found this subject and the film became popular featuring the Kheda district. People found out that I was capable of making films of this kind, and so film departments would ask me to make films on one thing or the other which have brought change in the society.Immediately after this film, I made a film on tribals of Bastar, their life and the story of that being under threat. The film captured, how their life would be eliminated, and their individuality would vanish. The area in which they lived and the manner in which they lived would require a lot of initiatives on their own to be able to make it a liveable and enjoyable way to live life. This doesnt really require the governments' intervention in everything. So many of my documentaries after that have dealt with this kind of subject.MBB: Your films are often based on real-life occurrences. How did you think of making the film Well Done Abba? Have you personally faced water crises sometimes and how did you get over them? Please share some instances from your life and then about the film.: I grew up in Agwal, a small temple town a few kilometers outside of Hyderabad. There was no water (municipal) supply to the settlement. Every house had the wells that they had dug up. Now during the drought years, when there was scarcity of water and the water level became alarmingly low, we used to be very careful with the use of water. We used to hope and pray that the rains would come. This was when we realized how important water was and how you cannot function without water. So, that was the situational experience that was captured in the film.: Interestingly in the film Well Done Abba, starring Boman Irani played the role of how he gets around the bureaucracy or the babudom to get the work done with the same rules that are stopping common citizens to solve the problems of water crisis. Were there particular events or occurrences that you or your acquaintances have experienced which are captured in film?: Well, Well Done Abba film is based on a real-life situation. It is an event that took place that I decided to make a film about. It had a lot of humour and learning ingrained in it. You see the bureaucracy that is supposed to help you actually comes your way. It becomes difficult even for those people who have their initiatives aligned to solve the issue as the government bureaucracy comes their way. So that was one of the reasons for making the film in the first place. Many of our everyday problems can be sorted out only if the bureaucracy worked in accordance with the needs of the people, rather than dictating themselves on how people should be functioning.: So true! In my teachings on water governance, I am always highlighting that water crisis is manipulated and manufactured through the systematic processes, say bureaucracy in this case.My next question is a bit personal. You have always thanked your wife Neera and daughter Pia in your public conversations. When I link this with water and women, we are all aware that women face the brunt of water crises, be it for family or for her own needs. Do you think in our patriarchal set up we have done enough to get the burden off the women for many matters including water?: You see the primary role that is played particularly in terms of water usage is actually the women of the house. Without their participation in it, it wouldnt really work. I thank them because they deserve those thanks. Its a very simple thing, also these are certain fundamental things as males you dont need to confront because the women in your family do day in and day out. Thats why when you realise how much they have to worry about, concern themselves about, it is then you realise what is the problem for the men. You realise what is the deal for the men. Men just go out and do some work and get some money for the family to survive through the month. But beyond that women do all the work.: Yes absolutely! Whether we will be able to change this situation at some point of time? There is a famous African proverb which says, The one who carries the load of the water knows the value of the water more. When we see the water sector in the country as well as the world, we see there are more men writing about water and also highlighting the vulnerable position of women. Anyway, lets keep this topic for another detailed discussion sometime.Coming to your latest film, Mujib: The Making of a Nation based on a biopic of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for Indo-Bangladesh relations. It also touches upon famine in a water rich country, Bangladesh. Please share some highlights of this upcoming film.: See, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh. His story is very special because, you know, when after independence of India, the East and West Pakistan were formed, and he was very much part of it. He realized that even if you do something like that (partition) you can be disadvantaged. For instance, Bangladesh is a land of many rivers, and it grows lot of food crops in a year. Now in a situation like this when you have high levels of poverty, and major famines occurred so you are left disadvantaged for long period of time, and therefore there is a need for some politics to play its role in order to try and balance it with West Pakistan.Then at that time there was no talk of separating itself. It got separated into Bangladesh because what they required was not met. They would be exploited like any colony would be exploited. So, this was the problem and that was why there was somebody like Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who took over the leadership and eventually decided they will have to be on their own. Thats how Bangladesh was borne or formed. Other than this there was no reason for them to separate out, because in 1947, when the partition took place between India and Pakistan, it was part of East Pakistan.
Oh, you've read about serial killers before. But something in you draws you back again and again. It's a compulsion, really -- maybe because evil is real (and it lives within you and you and also probably you). But anyway, here are those particularly awful ones who escaped justice, like ...

5 The German Sewer Murders

What is the worst way to die? Your answer to that question should take into account not just how painful various methods of dying may be but also other types of suffering that play into your final moments, the humiliation involved, and even the desecration that your corpse may go through after you're dead. Factor in all that, and we'd have to put "bound and dropped in sewage to drown" among several experiences we'd rather avoid.

The first time Frankfurt authorities found a body in the sewage system, in May 1982, they figured someone had murdered the teenager elsewhere and had dumped the body down a manhole to get rid of it. And maybe that's what happened. But in time, it seems the killer graduated from using sewers as just a disposal system to using as a disposal system and murder method. Some of his six victims were alive when he dropped them down there. Then the sewage drowned them, or the sewage gas suffocated them. In the unlikely event they survived both those, they then faced this:

That's a screw conveyor, and it mashed the bodies up so much (sometimes ripping off a leg, for instance) that identification became a tricky process. One victim, Markus Hildebrandt, might have been hard to identify but for a distinctive tattoo on his arm. Markus had been thrown into the sewers handcuffed. He was a sex worker, as were a few others of the victims, while two others were 14 and 11 and had been reported missing by their parents before turning up in the sewers.
Im going to be completely honest with you, this story could ruin my career.

Stretching back to 2014, MADtv alumnus Bobby Lee has told the same story on at least three podcasts and one SiriusXM show, and the anecdote hit the same beats in every iteration  Lee, long before he was famous, goes on a trip to Tijuana as a sex tourist. He walks down a dimly lit backstreet called Hooker Alley, where sex workers commonly proposition American visitors. You dont know how old they are, he tells his hosts. At the end of the alley, he sees a young sex worker shyly facing a brick wall. He approaches her, and describes her appearance as like Natalie Portman in The Professional.

Lee takes the young girl to the Miami Hotel, where he pays $10 for a room and is handed a towel with a condom and lubricant. Once in the room, Lee describes his companion as cold and shaking before he penetrates her, saying that, in the moonlight, I see her face, and I can see tears coming down her face and snot bubbles in her nose. Then, the payoff: I did what anyone else would do  I power-fucked her.

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Lee has told this exact story on the Opie and Anthony SiriusXM show, DVDASA, Theo Vons This Past Weekend and on his own podcast, TigerBelly. The story was retroactively removed from the DVDASA and TigerBelly episodes, but unofficial fan channels have continuously re-uploaded the clip from those podcasts in its entirety before the videos are inevitably removed.

Though some of these recitations are separated by almost a decade, the story stays the same  Lee, then a waiter in his early 20s, is despondent over his lack of dating success, so he and his co-workers make regular trips to Tijuana to buy sex. Each time, Lee makes a point to describe the girls trepidation and her very young appearance, including the reference to a 13-year-old Portman, but later backpedals and insists that she was an adult, despite his constant declaration that he doesnt know how old she is. In every retelling, the girl cries.

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The story has received significant attention in online communities since Lee first started testing it on the podcast circuit. The common defense among Lees fans when a breakdown of the story goes viral on Reddit, YouTube, Twitter or TikTok is to claim that its a fabrication created by a stand-up comedian on a comedy podcast to get laughs. However, nothing about Lee's cautious buildup to the story in any of these instances clearly indicates that hes doing a bit, and he even asked his hosts on DVDASA, Why are you laughing? when he described the scene in the hotel room.

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In only one telling of the story does Lee receive notable pushback  Von on This Past Weekend listened to the story with visible discomfort, recoiling at the power-fuck punchline. When Von started to press Lee on the details of the story, Lee seemed to grow defensive. Von called out Lee for describing the sex worker as a girl at the beginning of the account while fixating on her youthful appearance, a point which Vons producer corroborates. In the video clip of the episode, Lees demeanor visibly changed as he repeatedly insisted that the prostitute was of age.

Still, the only account of anything that may or may not have transpired in Mexico has come from Lee himself, who has since claimed that the story was a comical fabrication. Back in January, Lees friend and collaborator Ethan Klein of the H3H3 podcast said that he confronted Lee after clips of the story that Lee had been telling for nearly a decade began to go viral, saying that Lee told him, It was a joke.  It was the weird kind of dark, fucked-up comedy.

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What can I actually do? Klein asked his audience. The only source of this information is from Bobby.

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Despite Lees backtracking following the backlash and the apparent attempts to scrub the story from multiple podcast archives, the Tijuana story isnt going anywhere  compilations of his numerous accounts continue to circulate on social media, with many users attempting to draw parallels between Lees story and the documented attempts by his friend and former collaborator Chris DElia to elicit sexually suggestive photos from underage girls.

Whether or not Lees story was true, its frustrating that none of the hosts on these shows pressed Lee to any meaningful degree to clarify the facts except for Vons uncomfortable questioning. If this was just a bit of black comedy played uncomfortably seriously, Lee could have elucidated the story as creative fiction on air, instead of backtracking years later with an explanation that some members of the comedy community have clearly found unconvincing.
To non-astronomers, there arent a huge amount of A-list astronomers. Most people could probably name Copernicus, Galileo and Hubble, but realistically, they learned those names from the dog in 1955 in Back to the Future, the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody and a big-ass telescope that occasionally features in yo mammas so fat jokes.

One guy whose name might ring only a faint bell is Tycho Brahe, a 16th-century Danish astronomer who made some remarkable innovations that helped to bring about the Scientific Revolution. He spotted a supernova in 1572, a new star that challenged a lot of what was taken as fact about the unshiftable nature of the stars in the sky.

Working in the pre-telescope era, he made enormous breakthroughs in terms of improving the accuracy of celestial observations, honing devices like the sextant and the quadrant to get to previously undreamt-of levels of accuracy. While some of the conclusions he reached from his research were far from perfect  he was convinced that the Sun and Moon orbited the Earth, and the other planets orbited the Sun, and had a tendency to treat scripture as a scientific text  he made enormous contributions to science. Keplers laws of planetary motion, for instance, were based on his mentor Brahes observations of the movements of Mars. The two observatories Brahe built  Stjerneborg and Uraniborg  were cutting-edge (until, you know, telescopes came along and made them look a bit silly).
On Wednesday, the day prior to the eleventh day of action against the Macron governments pension reform, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne will meet the leaders of the intersyndicale, a coalition of French trade unions. Everyone will be able to discuss the subjects they want to, she has said. Thats very kind of her. The union leaders will be able to reiterate their opposition to the reform, and the prime minister will be able to reiterate that she couldnt care less.

So the question arises: what is the point of such a meeting? And why has so much fuss been made in the media? Why have so many articles been written about it? The answer is that, from the point of view of our class enemies, the importance of this meeting lies not so much in its content, but in the mere fact of its taking place.

The objective is to show the youth and workers that have been mobilised that social dialogue has not broken down. From the governments point of view, this is fundamental  the negotiation of counter-reforms with the trade union leaderships is a central element of their implementation. At the same time, it is a question of crushing the mood of militancy in our class  because if there is dialogue at the top, what's the point of mobilising?

For their part, the reformist leaders of the unions fear nothing more than a mass movement escaping their control. But the use of the Article 49.3 of the French constitution on 16 March to push through the pension reforms without a vote in the National Assembly gave a boost to the mobilisation. It brought new layers of workers and youth into the movement, mobilising not only against the pension reform, but against the government and the regime as a whole.

The leaders of the intersyndicale were mortified by this. In their communique on 28 March, on the evening of a massive day of action, they deplored a situation of tension in the country which worries us greatly and were alarmed at the risk of a social explosion. At a time when the government is engaged in brutal police repression of demonstrations and pickets, they asked it to guarantee security and respect for the right to strike and demonstrate!

The objective of the unions' meeting with Elisabeth Borne is to show the youth and workers that social dialogue has not broken down / Image: Jacques Paquier, Flickr

The role of the intersyndicale

The strategy of the leaders of the intersyndicale weighs heavily on the movement. Since the beginning, it has hampered its enormous potential.

On the one hand, these leaders are content to organise days of action  one per week, on average  and do nothing to develop indefinite strikes. Only the extension of these strikes to a growing number of sectors could make the government back down. By planning days of action on 28 March and 6 April  i.e. with nine days in between  they have deliberately turned their backs on the ongoing indefinite strikes.

On the other hand, by confining the objective of the struggle to the withdrawal of the pension reform, they limit the potential of the movement of indefinite strikes. The explosive mobilisation of a part of the youth in the wake of the use of Article 49.3, demonstrated that if the trade union leaderships broadened the objective of the struggle, they would encourage millions of workers and youth to take action. This would also require them to call on the people to mobilise against the government as a whole and put forward a programme to break with the policies of austerity. If they dont do this, its precisely because they fear losing control of the movement.

The organisation of the movement

As of 2 April, the renewable strikes have been losing steam, with the exception of certain sectors. However, the situation remains explosive. The enormous reserves of anger and militancy that have been manifested since 19 January are far from being exhausted. A major incident  such as the death of a demonstrator or a striking worker at the hands of the police  could easily trigger a new upsurge of the movement.

The fact remains that after more than two months of struggle, many young people and mobilised workers are asking the question: how can we win? To answer this question, we must first complete the question: how can we win, given the counter-productive role played by the leaders of the intersyndicale?

It is difficult to change the union leadership in the middle of a mass movement. It is true that the left wing of the CGT came close to achieving this end in March, during its congress. But workers and youth cannot wait for decisive changes at the top of the unions to seize the chance to defeat this government of the rich. They must take their struggle into their own hands, organise and control it for themselves from the bottom up. But this will not come from nowhere. The initiative must be taken by all political and trade union activists who understand the need to break with the blind strategy of the intersyndicale movement.

This question is not a new one in the history of the workers movement. Here is what Leon Trotsky wrote in his Transitional Programme in 1938:

In periods of acute class struggle, the leading bodies of the trade unions aim to become masters of the mass movement in order to render it harmless Therefore, the sections of the Fourth International should always strive not only to renew the top leadership of the trade unions but also to create in all possible instances independent militant organisations corresponding more closely to the tasks of mass struggle against bourgeois society; and, if necessary, not flinching even in the face of a direct break with the conservative apparatus of the trade unions. If it be criminal to turn ones back on mass organisations for the sake of fostering sectarian factions, it is no less so passively to tolerate subordination of the revolutionary mass movement to the control of openly reactionary or disguised conservative (progressive) bureaucratic cliques

We are not suggesting that this quote be taken literally. It is not enough for a small group of activists to proclaim the creation of independent militant organisations for these to take shape  other than on the internet  and play a significant role in the struggle of the masses. On the other hand, many trade union structures, starting with those that form the left wing of the CGT, could and should play an important role in this. Of course, militants of the radical left should also contribute to this process.

At the end of February, we saw the beginnings of such an approach. In light of the big day of 7 March, and in a complete break with the official strategy of the intersyndicale, five CGT federations called on all workers to put indefinite strikes on the agenda.

After more than two months of struggle, many young people and mobilised workers are asking the question: how can we win? / Image: La CGT, Twitter

Then, at the recent CGT Congress, the union federations left wing (Unite CGT) strongly opposed the extremely moderate stance of the outgoing leadership. At the end of this Congress, Unite CGT claimed to have the support of 205,000 CGT members in many sectors of the economy. This is a considerable potential force. At the very least, it is a good starting point for developing a leadership of the movement among the workers and youth themselves.

At the 53rd Congress of the CGT, its left wing emerged as a growing and militant force  a force that can and must play a central role in the development of the class struggle in France. With success comes responsibility. The delegates of Unite CGT must find a way to explain the perspectives they put forward at the CGT Congress to a larger number of workers and youth in the neighbourhoods, workplaces and universities. This must be done with the aim of allowing the movement to organise itself without waiting for the direction of the intersyndicale.

Above all, the comrades of Unite CGT must illuminate the path to victory throughout the country, which they formulate as follows:

The task is not only the rejection of the 64 years [retirement age]. The task is to return the retirement age to 60. To establish a minimum wage of 2,000 euros. To renationalise/expropriate the motorways, industries and plundered assets of the people. To repeal the anti-unemployment laws, end state aid to companies, and answer all of our social needs. The task is a change of regime. This social order has lasted too long.

Yes, this social order  capitalism  has lasted too long, and it is high time to engage in a decisive struggle for its overthrow.
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have the potential to introduce significant cybersecurity risks for organizations. M&A teams are generally limited in size and focused on financials and business operations, with IT and cybersecurity taking a back seat early in the process, according to Doug Saylors, partner and co-lead of cybersecurity with global technology research and advisory firm ISG. Assumptions about connecting networks, rationalizing IT and cybersecurity platforms and staff are generally made with limited knowledge of the actual functions and work performed in each organization, Saylor says.

A company merging, being acquired, or undergoing any other M&A activity must be able to evaluate security requirements that could affect the business strategy and risks of the future entity, according to a report on cybersecurity in the M&A and due diligence process from Gartner. This results in an understanding of the state of security in the acquired company (to the extent possible pre-deal) to ensure that there are no rude shocks and in a plan for how to address the integration aspect safely and securely, the report noted.

For example, in 2017 Verizon knocked $350 million off its deal to acquire Yahoos operating business after Yahoo disclosed two massive data breaches that compromised all three billion of its user accounts. Yahoo initially said the breaches only affected over one billion user accounts. Verizon ultimately paid $4.48 billion for the company.

Here are five strategies to help organizations manage cybersecurity risks during the merger and acquisition process that can help avoid buyers remorse.

Require a security assessment of the target firm

Before the acquisition, an acquiring organization needs to have a current or recent assessment of the target company  whether thats a specific audit, security posture assessment, or enterprise assessment  and consider when that assessment was performed, says Vladimir Svidesskis, head of security, compliance and risk at Vaco Holdings, a global professional services firm.

Ideally, you want this assessment to have been done in the last nine months, he says. Anything over a year old isnt as valid. Balance this information with what policies and procedures are in place as well as the latest strategic goals. Do their policies, procedures, and processes line up with that? Does the assessment support a level of assurance that those policies and procedures are being complied with?

The acquiring company should also be provided with any information regarding both suspected and confirmed security or compliance incidents, exposures, compromises, cyber-related insurance activity, etc., Svidesskis says. This should include things that might not have been legally required to be disclosed. Even if it was just an internal incident that wasnt reportable to a government entity, for instance, thats still relevant information to know in advance.

Ensure the target company has designed security into its software

In tech deals where technology is the targets product or an important part of it, cybersecurity is a particular focus, said Philip Odence, general manager of Black Duck Audit Business at Synopsys, who specializes in due diligence in M&A transactions. As such, the acquiring company must determine if the target company has designed security into its software. If not, the acquiring company is buying into a bunch of unplanned future remediation work to address, he says.

As excessive problems will mean a heightened chance of getting breached, the buyer might want some portion of funds to be escrowed against such an eventuality, Odence says. Its also not highly unusual for valuation to be negotiated if software is significantly not up to industry norms.

Buyers dont expect perfection, but if there are more than an expected number of issues to address, the buyers perspective on the deal might change, Odence says. Its rare for due diligence discoveries to kill a deal, but they could impact deal terms, timing, or valuation. The bottom line is that knowledge is power and buyers need to take good advantage of the due diligence process to gain as much insight as possible into targets software security pre-close, so they can protect themselves against the risks.

Involve cybersecurity and IT teams early in the process

Cybersecurity and IT teams are rarely involved prior to mergers and acquisitions, as the aim is to keep the circle small, according to Chris Clymer, director and CISO at Inversion6. It's not uncommon to find that a strategic business acquisition or merger target is riddled with poor IT and security, which can cost many millions of dollars to remediate, he says. It's essential to get these groups involved as early as possible and to identify key weaknesses.

In lightly regulated sectors, such as manufacturing, Ive seen companies acquired that lack basic patching and endpoint security, let alone more advanced controls, such as security information and event management, Clymer says.

Ultimately, he says, one of the best ways companies can mitigate cybersecurity risks is to make IT and/or security part of the team vetting acquisitions to avoid expensive surprises later. In addition, the IT teams should have a structured process for exactly how they onboard new acquisitions, which includes performing early assessments, immediately educating employees on who to contact verbally for questions about financial transaction changes as well as including changing admin passwords to all key systems on day one, Clymer says.

Organizations often don't have a process for including security when they do their due diligence, says Frank Kim, a fellow at the SANS Institute and CISO in residence at YL Ventures. Including the cybersecurity team in the process from the outset can avoid many headaches down the road. In the worst case, the security team or the CISO might be brought in very late and the [acquisition or merger team] will say, Hey, we're very close to finalizing this merger or acquisition. It's going to happen next week. Can you get your security review done before we close on it?

However, if the cybersecurity team or the CISO always has a seat at the table  and is not brought in only when an issue arises  then they can evaluate the security of the target company and raise questions about potential cybersecurity risks, Kim says.

Understand the risk of the data environment

Acquiring or merging companies that don't conduct due diligence from day one likely won't understand the types of data environments they're getting involved with, says Gartner analyst Sam Olyaei. You could be dealing with personal information, you could be dealing with identifiable information, you could be dealing with healthcare information that has regulatory requirements like HIPAA, you could be dealing with payments information that has regulatory requirements like PCI, or geographic regulations like GDPR, he says. So, you're not really going to get a good understanding of what you've got from an information perspective or an environment perspective.

The issue with not understanding the risk of data environments is that the acquiring organizations don't know what types of security controls the target companies have implemented and whether their environments are fully secure, Olyaei says. The same holds true for companies that are merging. You have to try to come up with at least a good idea of the data environment that you're dealing with and determine the potential risks. A SWOT [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats] analysis of the company that you're going after or looking to merge with will give you a good idea of what information and assets you're dealing with.

Conduct a skills analysis of the target company's employees

It's important to remember that in addition to acquiring the target company's technology, acquiring organizations are also acquiring their employees, says Joe McMorris, CISO and CIO at Planview, which has made a number of acquisitions including three from January 2021 to June 2022. Organizations need to do a complete skills analysis of the staff that's being onboarded because at the end of the day you not only have the new employees, you also have the existing staff who are being stretched thin, he says. And during the integration, there may be knowledge and skills gaps on both sides because maybe you have some legacy tech that's meeting new tech and there's not subject matter expertise there.

During any integration, these employees must do a tremendous amount of work and that's on top of the day-to-day work of running the business, which can lead to burnout, low morale, and turnover, McMorris says. And during an integration is arguably the time of highest risk, because you're merging networks, you're merging technologies, you're making changes to processes, he says. And during that time if you're losing staff or they're stretched thin, things can be overlooked, and real vulnerabilities and risks can surface that wouldn't ordinarily surface. A skills analysis [can help ensure that the company] has a full staff who are operating at full steam during the integration.

Get the cybersecurity lowdown before the purchase

For organizations considering an acquisition, its important to take a broader view and develop a baseline M&A protocol with processes to cover all aspects of current risks, potential risks, and a post-acquisition review, says Svidesskis. This should be finalized with a report culminating in an updated risk posture and associated residual risks as well as an assessment of risk appetite.

In other words, its about looking at the big picture, and moving through the process systematically, he says. You need to assess the security landscape, posture, and policies and you need to protect both the acquiring company and the company being acquired, Svidesskis says. You need to educate the other company about what standards and policies are in place, and you also need to ask them to reciprocate so the acquisition isnt hostile. From there, you need to adopt something thats finalized between the two, and  most importantly  you need continuous monitoring and auditing throughout the entire process. There are key steps to follow and all of them should be addressed to mitigate risk.
Darktrace has announced a new upgrade to its Darktrace/Email product with enhanced features that defend organizations from evolving cyberthreats including generative AI business email compromise (BEC) and novel social engineering attacks. Among the new capabilities are an AI-employee feedback loop; account takeover protection; insights from endpoint, network, and cloud; and behavioral detections of misdirected emails, the vendor said. The upgrade comes amid growing concern about the ability of generative AI  such as ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs)  to enhance phishing email attacks and provide an avenue for threat actors to craft more sophisticated and targeted campaigns at speed and scale.

Normal pattern knowledge key to tackling novel, generative AI email attacks

As part of the Darktrace Cyber AI Loop, Darktrace/Emails new capabilities help it detect attacks as soon as they are launched, the firm said in a press release. Thats because it is not trained on what bad historically looks like based on past attacks, but instead learns the normal patterns of life for each unique organization, according to Darktrace. This feature is key to tackling novel email attacks and linguistically complex malicious communication driven by AI technologies like ChatGPT and LLMs. It also enables Darktrace/Email to detect novel email attacks 13 days earlier (on average) than email security tools that are trained on knowledge of past threats, Darktrace claimed.

With this upgrade, Darktrace Cyber AI Analyst combines anomalous email activity with other data sources including endpoint, network, cloud, apps, and OT to automate investigations and incident reporting, Darktrace said. Through greater context around its discoveries, Darktraces AI is now capable of more informed decision making, with algorithms providing a detailed picture of normal based on multiple perspectives to produce high-fidelity conclusions that are contextualized and actionable, according to the vendor.

Darktrace/Emails new capabilities include:

Account takeover and email protection in a single product

Behavioral detections of misdirected emails, preventing intellectual property or confidential information being sent to the wrong recipient

Employee-AI loop that leverages insights from individual employees to inform Darktraces AI to provide real-time, in-context insights and security awareness

Intelligent mail management for improved productivity against graymail, spam, and newsletters that clutter inboxes

Optimized workflows and integrations for security teams, including the Darktrace mobile app

Automated investigations of email incidents with other coverage areas with Darktraces Cyber AI Analyst

Widespread concern over ChatGPT-enhanced email attacks, malicious activity

Since the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI last year, there has been widespread debate and concern over the chatbots ability to make social engineering/phishing attacks more sophisticated, easier to carryout, and more likely to be successful. Darktrace data revealed a 135% increase in novel social engineering attacks across thousands of its active email customers from January to February 2023, corresponding with the mass adoption of ChatGPT.

These attacks involved the use of sophisticated linguistic techniques including increased text volume, punctuation, and sentence length, the firm said. Furthermore, 82% of 6,711 global employees surveyed by Darktrace said they were fearful that attackers can use generative AI to create scam emails that are indistinguishable from genuine communication.

Last week, Europol warned that ChatGPTs ability to draft highly realistic text makes it a useful tool for phishing purposes, while the capability of LLMs to reproduce language patterns can be used to impersonate the style of speech of specific individuals or groups. This capability can be abused at scale to mislead potential victims into placing their trust in the hands of criminal actors, Europol said.

In February, a BlackBerry study of 500 UK IT decision makers revealed that 72% are concerned by ChatGPTs potential to be used for malicious purposes, with most believing that foreign states are already using the chatbot against other nations. Furthermore, 48% of respondents predicted that a successful cyberattack will be credited to ChatGPT within the next 12 months, with 88% stating that governments have a responsibility to regulate advanced technologies such as ChatGPT.
CISA Director Jen Easterly and Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity Eric Goldstein wrote, A cyber threat to one organization is a threat to all organizations, in an essay for Foreign Affairs.

As a cybersecurity community, we must start seeing cyber threats as a societal problem rather than a barrier to revenue generation if we are to stop victim blaming, breach concealing, and vulnerability ignoring. Instead, we should encourage collective responsibility and inter-organizational collaboration among those charged with protecting the global economy from cyber criminals.

During the recent Global CISO Exchange, top infosec practitioners took part in a two-day conference to discuss the two key issues CISAs Easterly and Goldstein believe are to blame for the current state of cyber affairs.

First, too many technology manufacturers prioritize sales over security, passing the massive responsibility of cybersecurity onto consumers and business users. We can see the effects of these deficiencies in how the software supply chain has been weaponized, with small and medium-sized businesses often bearing the brunt of the damage.

Second, cybersecurity is still too often siloed within IT departments or considered the sole responsibility of a chief information security officer. Failure to see cybersecurity as an existential business issue discourages disclosure and cooperation among professional peers. Todays private sector businesses are forced to contend with state-backed threat actors whose budgets surpass all but a handful of companies. Yet, too many organizations still see cybersecurity as a fringe issue.

"Americans need a new model," they write, "one they can trust to ensure the safety and integrity of the technology that they use every hour of every day. Easterly and Goldstein discuss the need for technology that is secure by design, which they describe as technology purposely designed, built, tested, and maintained to significantly reduce the number of exploitable flaws."

This definition fits a zero trust architecture (ZTA) to a T. ZTA inherently hides applications so they can't be probed for vulnerabilities by any internet passerby, prevents lateral movement by connecting users to applications rather than networks, and inspects both inbound and outbound encrypted traffic to guard against malware and data exfiltration.

While were stressing the need to make technology products more secure, why not take it a step further and focus on making the underlying architecture that enables their use more secure, too? Thankfully, the U.S. Federal Government has made steps in that direction with its 2021 executive order calling for implementing zero trust architecture among its agencies.

A global cyber-civil defense coalition

Drawing on the work of philanthropist and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Easterly and Goldstein call for a pervasive awareness-raising campaign infused into consumer reports, curricula, and target rich, cyber poor organizations like school districts, healthcare facilities, and local election offices.

"If the government and the private sector can build trust and work together, they write, cyberspace can become safer for everyone." Say it again for the people in the back.

We are headed in the right direction with smart initiatives like the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), of which I am proud to say Zscaler is a part. But I would expand this notion of cyber-civil defense to include cooperation between security executives at leading private sector organizations around the globe.

Regardless of which country hosts their HQ, these organizations tend to be well-resourced, well-intentioned, and international. A global network of cooperative CXOs, determined to prevent economic and societal damage from cybercrime, would be a powerful ally in this fight.

State-backed threat actors are sheltered and backed by geopolitical pariah states, including Russia, North Korea, and Iran. They continue to launch opportunistic attacks against our businesses, schools, hospitals, and governments from beyond the reach of international law enforcement coalitions.

Threat actors also realize that, at least in the United States, much critical infrastructure is privately funded and poorly protected. CISA is mandated to address this issue of national security, a task that could be eased with cooperation and intelligence-sharing from the private sector.

Our mission is to collaborate both within the private sector and with our public sector counterparts to advance the goal of creating a safer cyberspace for everyone.

If youd like to read key takeaways from the Global CISO Exchange, check out this LinkedIn post by EVP, Customer Experience and Transformation, Kavitha Mariappan.
Israel-based managed cybersecurity provider Guardz has announced the general availability of its first cybersecurity offering for managed service providers (MSP) and IT professionals.

The launch of this dedicated MSP platform brings Guardz one step closer to our goal of democratizing enterprise-grade level cybersecurity technologies, said Dor Eisner, co-founder and CEO of Guardz. MSPs will be able to give their clients the confidence that their business is secure from the inside out and gain complete visibility into their users cyber posture.

Guardz namesake offering comes shortly after the company exited stealth in January with $10 million in seed funding. Company co-founder Eisner previously worked at the Israeli Military Intelligence as a cybersecurity team lead, while the other co-founder Alon Lavi was a staff sergeant at Israel Defense Forces before starting Guardz.

Guardz backs MSPs with a new toolkit

The new SaaS-based solution can be licensed by MSPs and is designed to help them streamline services for their small and mid-size business customers with a suite of cybersecurity tools. The capabilities featured on the platform include threat detection and remediation across the external (internet-facing) and internal surfaces for business data, employee identities, cloud apps, web browsing, emails, and devices, with real-time risk and action alerts.

Instead of having to manage many complex solutions, including some that require very technical security expertise and are very expensive, Guardz bakes it all into one, Eisner said. In doing so, were enabling MSPs to protect small businesses cost-effectively at scale.

Guardz runs Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace integrations to allow for easy onboarding and connection of MSP clients IT environments. The offering features a multi-tenant dashboard for MSPs to manage customers cyber posture, subscription plans, and remediation from a single point.

The new offering also comes with an automated risk assessment report that MSPs can use to generate a consistent image of their clients security posture. This feature, according to the company, can also be used for prospecting newer clients by generating on-demand reports that compare prospective clients vulnerability levels to industry benchmarks in seconds, demonstrating immediate MSP value by assessing attack attempts, alert remediation, and employee security posture.

Guardz MSP is generally available to MSPs who can license it on a commission basis. It is also available to small-scale business owners who will be serviced by a Guardz MSP partner based on their geographic location.
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FAIRFIELD  The Beth El and B'nai Torah congregations in Fairfield and Trumbull merged their congregations with a special ceremony this weekend.

"There has been a contraction in people participating in religious institutions generally, I think, and in synagogues in particular," Fred Knopf, B'nai Torah's board of directors president said. "There's been a drag on volunteerism, a drag on religious participation. Not just in the Jewish community, but religious communities in general."

Consolidating religious communities is not a new phenomenon. In 2012 B'nai Torah merged with the congregation of Temple Beth Sholom when that synagogue closed. Trinity Lutheran Church in Shelton also recently closed after 132 years, with the congregants joining Immanuel Lutheran Church in Oxford.

Knopf said the two congregations started exploring whether consolidation was appropriate before either became too small, as well as if the two cultures of the respective synagogues would mesh. He said they found the answer to both was yes.

The congregations have adopted a new name, Or Hadash, which means new light in Hebrew. Joshua Ratner, the rabbi at Beth El in Fairfield, said they love the name.

"We think it speaks to creating a new presence, a new reality, a new affirmative vision for what we can be," he said.

Knopf said both synagogues have members from Trumbull and Fairfield, so a lot of people in both synagogues know each other.

David Ball, a member of Beth El's board of directors, said the congregations wanted to be proactive and consolidate while both are still viable. By doing it, he said, they will be able to sustain their communities for the future.

Ball noted the Trumbull congregation will be moving to Fairfield, adding it made more sense because the facility there is larger and in better physical condition.

"There was more room for potential expansion here than there was in Trumbull," he said. "It was mostly practical."

Rabbi Colin Brodie, of Trumbull, said he is sad to leave a place where he has served for 20 years, adding there are members who feel the same way.

"Lots of family events have happened at that place," he said. "Both deaths and marriages. When you look at the walls you feel the energy of all those events. On the day we had the vote, it was a very mixed feeling."

But the other side of that, Brodie said, is the joining of the communities. He said he had always thought to himself that there were many lovely people at Beth El he wished he could see more often, and now it's going to happen.

"We're consolidating with a really incredible group of people," he said. "It sort of puts the sadness aside. It's really mitigated by the strength that we're going to achieve by having these two congregations together. I'm really looking forward to this, to serving as one of the rabbis of what will be a really powerful, strong and amazing congregation."

Both Brodie and Ratner said having two rabbis at one synagogue is uncommon, but they are both looking forward to working together.

Ratner said having multiple clergy will allow the congregation to do new and exciting things not previously possible.

"If we want to have multiple services, different things for youth, different things for people with different spiritual cadences, having multiple clergy allows us to do that," he said. "We can also be more responsive to the needs of our community, of our congregants."

Brodie noted that the two come from very different places, he from London and Ratner from California, but they have quite literally met in the middle and have disagreed on very little.

"It's really working," he said. "More than I would have imagined."

Ratner said the merged synagogues aim to be a thriving, inclusive, multi-generational and inspirational congregation built on deep and meaningful relationships, preserving Judaism while adapting to the needs to future generations.

The merger officially took place on Sunday with a ceremony where the torahs were taken out, read and then transported from Trumbull to Fairfield. Passover services will start on Thursday morning with Shabbat happening on Friday and Saturday.

Brodie said what is happening is more than the consolidation of two synagogues, adding they have had the benefit of examining everything they do from the ground up with the goal of building something better.

Ball said there has been an ease with which the two groups have worked together on this.

"I am completely optimistic that what is coming out ... will be a more vibrant, stronger synagogue," he said. "We're very excited about it."
The 53rd Congress of the CGT, which was held at the end of March, marked a turning point in the history of this union confederation. The 942 delegates were polarised between a left and a right wing, which clashed over four days. Above all, the left wing appeared stronger and more on the offensive than ever, even if the right wing managed to retain control of the leadership and place one of its own, Sophie Binet, as general secretary.

On the first day of Congress  27 March  many delegates used the podium to demand more democratic procedures than those proposed by the Congress officials. The tone was set. But a thunderbolt struck on the second day: after a very lively debate, the outgoing leaderships Activity Report  the document detailing its balance sheet of recent events  was rejected by 50.3 percent of the vote.

This is unprecedented and a huge rejection of outgoing general secretary Philippe Martinez and the entire outgoing leadership of the CGT. But it was above all a very clear warning to the incoming leadership, which does not fundamentally differ from the previous one. The internal polarisation of the CGT will not end anytime soon. On the contrary, it will intensify in the months and years to come, as it is a consequence of the growing class polarisation in society at large.

Strategic stalemate

The rejection of the outgoing leaderships report is a confirmation of the fact that, with the exception of the fight against the First Employment Contract in 2006, the CGT has only known defeats at the national level over the past 20 years. These defeats notably included the struggles against retirement age reforms in 2003; against pension reform in 2010 and 2014; against new labour laws in 2016 and 2017; and against cuts to rail workers rights in 2018.

The congress was an unprecedented and huge rejection of outgoing general secretary Philippe Martinez and the entire outgoing leadership / Image: Ricani16, Wikimedia Commons

In 2020, it was the pandemic crisis  and not the actions of the CGT  that prevented Macron from implementing a points-based system of retirement. The fight against this reform had clearly declined by January 2020, since the unlimited strike of the railway workers had remained isolated.

To explain this long series of defeats, the Activity Report complains of trade union division, deplores the marginalisation and shattering of trade unionism  and, in a nutshell, places full responsibility on the left wing of the CGT. In short, the CGT leadership shirks all responsibility, while the central problem is obviously far closer to home. In fact, it is the extreme moderation and the strategic impasse imposed by the CGT leadership on every major movement that is the problem.

Let us summarise this problem. In the context of the general crisis of world capitalism, French capitalism is experiencing its own relative decline, which has been impacting all sectors of the economy for many years. As a result, the French ruling class objectively needs drastic counter-reforms, such as the current pension sabotage. For this reason, the ruling class is not willing to back down when faced with mere days of action, no matter how massive.

Rolling back a major counter-reform will require a strong movement of indefinite strikes, embracing a growing number of key sectors of the economy. This is obvious. Unfortunately, this does not appear anywhere in the Activity Report and the Policy Document of the 53rd Congress of the CGT. The leadership prefers to talk about trade union division. On all other questions, the CGT leadership does not budge: we need big days of action, etc.

This strategic impasse is coupled with an extreme moderate programme. The national leadership of the CGT is not aiming for the overthrow of capitalism, but only a different distribution of wealth a fairer society, respectful of the environment and a world of peace.

The problem here is that on a capitalist basis, inequality can only increase, injustice worsens, the environmental crisis intensifies, and imperialist wars multiply. A growing number of CGT activists understand this and demand that their national leadership defend a much more radical programme of breaking with the established order. This was reflected at the Congress in amendments that sought to radicalise the Policy Document. A number of these amendments were adopted against the advice of the outgoing leadership.

Unite CGT

As we have said, the left wing at the Congress was out in force and on the offensive. The first reason for this is the growing discontent among the rank-and-file of the CGT. But it is also linked to the fact that the left wing is getting more and more organised. Since December 2019, leading figures of this left wing  including Olivier Mateu, regional secretary for Bouches-du-Rhone; and Emmanuel Lepine, secretary of the chemical workers union, which is part of the CGT  have formed an organised tendency, Unite CGT.

In short: from the point of view of the bourgeoisie, the election of Sophie Binet is much better news than that of Olivier Mateu would have been / Image: La CGT, Twitter

Ahead of the Congress, Unite CGT defended the candidacy of Olivier Mateu for the post of Secretary General of the Confederation. They also supported a much more radical proposal than the outgoing leaderships Policy Document. In particular, this defends the idea of a dual task facing the CGT, which requires working on a daily basis to improve the lives of workers (working time, wages, working conditions, etc.) and, at the same time, linking this struggle to the emancipation of workers, through the expropriation of the capitalists. This document specifies that it is necessary to fight for the nationalisation of several key sectors of the economy: banks, transport, energy, the pharmaceutical industry and major industrial sectors.

Last February, we published a critical commentary on this document. In particular, we underlined that the two tasks are not articulated clearly enough. Nevertheless, the comrades of Unite CGT have put the need to fight for the expropriation of the capitalists back on the agenda. This is a very positive and very important development for the future of the struggle. It is also remarkable that, on this basis, the candidacies of Olivier Mateu and Emmanuel Lepine for the CGT Executive Committee obtained 36.5 percent of the votes of the delegates at Congress. It was not enough to force the outgoing leadership to take these two comrades into the executive leadership, but it is an indication of the enormous potential of Unite CGT in the period to come.

The feminist argument

Ahead of the Congress, comrades of Unite CGT organised more than a dozen debates across the country. Many union activists took part. Several of these debates were filmed and published by Unite CGT. We do not agree with all of the ideas defended by Olivier Mateu, but anyone who watches these debates will be able to see that they were of a good political level and focused on the substance of the matter. The same cannot be said for the arguments chosen by Philippe Martinez and the outgoing leadership to criticise the candidacy of Olivier Mateu and the Unite CGT comrades in general.

For months, Philippe Martinez and his entourage defended the candidacy of Marie Buisson  who was finally rejected in favour of Sophie Binet, during the Congress  by means of an argument repeated ad nauseum: she is a woman. They publicly accused Olivier Mateu and his comrades of neglecting the fight against the oppression of women. In short, the outgoing leadership of the CGT resorted to the worst argument possible, that has absolutely nothing to do with the fight against the oppression of women; an argument that is in fact only a cynical manoeuvre aimed at cheaply discrediting the left wing in favour of the right wing  of which Marie Buisson is a part.

Many comrades, including a number of women, strongly protested against this manoeuvre. But it is a fact: once again, feminist arguments have played a totally reactionary role within the labour movement. And unfortunately, part of the radical left fell into the trap  starting, of course, with the NPA, which saw fit to denounce the macho traditions of trade unionism.

We now have a woman at the head of the CGT: Sophie Binet. Is this good news? Those who support Macron believe so  not because she is a woman, of course, but because she comes from the right wing of the CGT. Thus, in the wake of his election, the Macronist deputy Marc Ferracci saw in it good news for social dialogue. Understand: good news for the negotiation of the counter-reforms to come. Deputy Paul Christophe, also a Macronist, said for his part: Nobody can hope that radicalism imposes itself on the CGT, he specified. We can only rejoice to see a reformist at the head of the CGT. And so on.

In short: from the point of view of the bourgeoisie  which intends to continue its offensive against the working class, including working women  the election of Sophie Binet is much better news than that of Olivier Mateu would have been. From our point of view, it is the opposite. Its not a question of gender, but of class.

For its part, Revolution will continue to participate, within the limits of our strength, in the struggle to give the CGT a revolutionary orientation / Image: Unite CGT, Twitter

Conclusion

For lack of space, we cannot address here the environmental question, which occupied an important place in the confrontation between the left and right wing during the Congress. We will come back to this later.

In the absence of an alternative, the Outgoing Management Orientation Document was adopted by 73 percent of the votes. But from the point of view of the balance of power within the CGT, the rejection of the Activity Report is much more significant. It also dealt the coup de grace to the candidacy of Marie Buisson.

Incidentally, Olivier Mateu revealed, in the middle of Congress, that he had proposed an alliance with Celine Verzeletti three weeks ago, who presented herself as an alternative to Marie Buisson. This approach by Olivier Mateu took many comrades by surprise. Above all, it was not based on a concrete analysis of the position of Celine Verzeletti in the internal debates at the CGT. Moreover, she didnt even respond to Olivier Mateu's proposal.

That being said, the main thing is that CGT Unite emerges considerably strengthened from this historic Congress. In this regard, it is remarkable that the overwhelming majority of far left organisations in France do not comment on this event. This is a further illustration of the fact that the far left in question is disconnected from the real labour movement.

For its part, Revolution will continue to participate, within the limits of our strength, in the struggle to give the CGT a revolutionary orientation. The future of the French labour movement and the success of the struggle to bring the workers to power in this country depend on it.
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  Disney CEO Bob Iger on Monday said any retaliatory actions by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature against the company that threaten jobs or expansion at its Florida resort is not only anti-business ... but anti-Florida.

Answering a question during an online shareholders' meeting, Iger said that the Republican governor and lawmakers appeared to be retaliating against the company for exercising its constitutional rights. He referred to the incident last year when Disney criticized Florida's law dubbed by critics Don't Say Gay while Bob Chapek was helming the company at the time. The measure bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, as well as lessons deemed not age-appropriate.

In response, Florida lawmakers passed, and DeSantis signed, legislation revamping the government-like board that oversees Walt Disney World's 27,000-acre (11,000-hectare) property outside Orlando. Among the changes the legislation made was that the Florida governor got to pick the five supervisors of the governing board instead of it being controlled by Disney, as it had been in its previous 55 years.

During the shareholders meeting, Iger declared the companys love for the state of Florida, noting it was the largest taxpayer in the state and employed around 75,000 workers. The company has plans to make $17 billion in investments at Disney World over the next 10 years that will create an additional 13,000 jobs, he said.

Iger acknowledged that there may have been some missteps in how Disney initially responded to the Florida legislation  the company took its time in speaking out against it publicly, and only after Disney employees exerted internal pressure. But he said the company, which is based in Burbank, California, had a right to free speech, just as individuals do.

Some shareholders during the question-and-answer period of the meeting criticized the company for promoting a woke agenda, while a Disney employee thanked Iger for supporting the company's workers. Iger responded that Disney's primary goal is to entertain and is not driven by an agenda.

By taking on Disney, DeSantis attempted to further his reputation as a culture warrior willing to battle perceived political enemies and wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals, a strategy that is expected to continue ahead of his potential White House run.

But the DeSantis-appointed supervisors said last week at the second meeting of the revamped board that their predecessors had pulled a fast one on them by passing restrictive covenants that strip the new board of most of its powers.

Disney has said all agreements were above board and took place in public.

DeSantis on Monday asked Florida's chief inspector general, with help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, to launch an investigation into the actions of the previous board.

DeSantis said in a letter to chief inspector general that any legal or ethical violations should be referred to the appropriate authorities.

Disney is again fighting to keep its special corporate benefits and dodge Florida law, DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern said in an email. We are not going to let that happen. As Governor DeSantis recently said, You aint seen nothing yet.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP
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A leading group of medical experts says the term excited delirium should not be listed as a cause of death. Critics have said the term has been used to justify excessive force by police.

The National Association of Medical Examiners had been one of the last to take a stand against the commonly used but controversial term. In a statement posted on its site March 23, the association said excited delirium or excited delirium syndrome should not be used as a cause of death. The statement has no legal weight, but will be influential among medical examiners.

Critics have called the terms unscientific, rooted in racism  and a way to hide police officers' culpability in deaths. The American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association do not recognize excited delirium as a diagnosis. Yet some police training materials have described it as a potentially fatal collection of symptoms including elevated temperature, unexpected strength, hallucinations and extreme agitation.

Excited delirium is often used when theres a death associated with a physical altercation between a citizen and law enforcement," said Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr., who chairs the pathology department at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he served as chief medical examiner from 2014 to 2021. Its not a real explanation for the death."

Medical examiners have ruled that excited delirium caused or contributed to police-related deaths including the 2020 case of Daniel Prude in New York, the 2019 death of Julius Graves in Missouri, and the 2017 death of Adam Trammell in Wisconsin. The term came up during the 2021 trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, whom jurors convicted in the death of George Floyd.

Medical examiners investigate unexpected deaths, conduct autopsies and determine causes. Some already had been moving away from excited delirium in favor of listing the multiple causes that can contribute to such deaths, including police restraint, drug use and medical conditions.

Dr. Joyce deJong, president of the medical examiners' association, said the groups statement stemmed from growing concerns that the phrase might be used to justify excessive force by police and might be used disproportionally when the deceased was Black.

Anything we can do to avoid perpetuation of a phrase that might be causing harm, said deJong, a medical examiner for 12 counties in Michigan.

For families mourning the loss of a loved one, an excited delirium ruling could cause confusion over a term theyd never heard, or anger about what they consider a way to cover up excessive force.

John Peters, president of the Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths, which provides training and litigation support for officers, said the group's statement could lead to more investigations of police officers.

He said that the behaviors associated with excited delirium are often triggered by the use of illicit drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamines and that they will continue regardless of what we call it."

In another notable move away from the term, the Minneapolis Police Department has agreed to bar its officers from directing paramedics to inject sedatives such as ketamine into individuals they believe are experiencing excited delirium. The move came in a court agreement announced Friday by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, which alleged the practice had been part of a pattern of racially biased policing in the city in recent years.

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Johnson reported from Washington state; Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP)  A crushing defeat of Montenegros long-time leader Milo Djukanovic in a weekend presidential election heralds his final departure from the small Balkan states political scene after more than 30 years in power, analysts said Monday.

Economy expert and political novice Jakov Milatovic won the presidential runoff election on Sunday, defeating Djukanaovic who led Montenegro to independence from much larger Serbia in 2006 and to NATO membership in 2017, despite strong opposition from former Slavic ally Russia.

Milatovic won around 60% of the vote, according to the reliable independent pollsters. Djukanovic has conceded defeat. First official results are expected later Monday.

Milatovics victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with Djukanovic - who has served as president twice and prime minister seven times - as well as disillusionment with established politicians. Although the presidency is largely a ceremonial position in Montenegro, it influences the political trends in the country.

Djukanovic is one of the longest-ruling leaders in Europe and in the world, said political analyst Ana Nenezic, He has ruled for more than Belarus leader (Aleksander) Lukashenko which is strange in any democratic society  32 years is too much for a country.

Montenegrin political analyst Fedja Pavlovic said Djukanovic was "sent to political retirement, this time irrevocably.

This was Djukanovics first loss in an election since he first entered politics in the former Yugoslav republic in the early 1990s. During his decades in power, the 61-year-old switched from a pro-Serbian communist to a pro-Western politician.

Milatovic, 36, first entered politics in 2020 after finishing his education in Britain and the United States.

The outcome of Sundays election is likely to reflect on an early parliamentary vote set for June 11. That vote was scheduled because of a months-long government deadlock that stalled Montenegros pending European Union membership and alarmed the West as war rages in Ukraine.

Though Milatovics Europe Now group isn't formally part of the country's ruling coalition, his presidential candidacy won backing from the shaky alliance that includes parties advocating closer ties with neighboring Serbia and Russia.

Milatovic has denied Djukanovics allegations that the governing coalition was pushing Montenegro back under Serbian and Russian influence.

The country of some 620,000 people is deeply split between those who consider Montenegro a sovereign nation and about 30% of the population who consider themselves Serbs.

Relations between Serbia and Montenegro have deteriorated since Djukanovic took the country out of the union with Serbia and later into NATO. During the election campaign, Djukanovic said voters were choosing between membership in the EU, or joining the Serbian World,  a copy of the Russian World.

Serbias President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated Milatovic on his victory, saying In Serbia, you will always have a reliable partner.

During his tenure, Djukanovic and his party officials have often been accused of corruption and of pressuring the judiciary to ignore numerous cases involving graft. He has often denied accumulating a large fortune for himself and his family.

End of an era: Milatovic is the president, read newspaper headlines a day after the vote.

There is no doubt that this was a historic date and a historic event, the end of a political epoch, our political epoch under the leadership of Mr. Milo Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists, Milena Perovic, a Podgorica resident said.
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  An international prosecutor declared Monday that nobody is above the law, as the trial opened for Kosovo's former president and three other defendants on charges including murder and torture in a case that their supporters claim is unjustly targeting revered freedom fighters.

Hashim Thaci resigned from office in 2020 to defend himself against the charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during his country's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia.

I am fully not guilty, Thaci, who went by the nickname The Snake during the war, told judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers as the trial opened. The other three defendants also repeated not guilty pleas made at earlier pretrial hearings.

The case has stirred an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum in Kosovo. On Sunday, t housands of people took to the streets to show their support for the defendants. Many Kosovars consider the Netherlands-based court an injustice and view it as an attempt to rewrite the history of their struggle for independence.

Prosecutor Alex Whiting said the KLA, a guerrilla force which battled against the powerful Serbian military, had a very clear and explicit policy of targeting collaborators and perceived traitors including political opponents.

Whiting said prosecutors would prove that the KLA and was responsible for hundreds of murders and illegal detentions across Kosovo and northern Albania in 1998 and 1999 and that the four accused are responsible for those crimes as military leaders of the KLA general staff.

Most of the victims of the accused were fellow Kosovar Albanians. In their zeal to target and eliminate those persons they deemed to be opponents. The accused endorsed and implemented a policy that often victimized their own," Whiting said, adding that the trial was about key defending principles.

Nobody is above the law, even during wartime, he added.

Whiting has led the prosecution office preparing the case against Thaci since late last year. He replaced Jack Smith, who was named a U.S. Justice Department special counsel last November to oversee investigations into former President Donald Trumps retention of hundreds of classified documents at his Florida home, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Both investigations are pending, and have not resulted in criminal charges.

As the trial opened, hundreds of supporters of Thaci and the other defendants gathered near The Hague's central railway station. Many waved flags and banners, including one that read: Don't equal victims with the criminals! Another proclaimed: KLA fought for freedom.

Vullnet Guri, who traveled from Switzerland to join the demonstration told The Associated Press: We are protesting here for liberation of our fighters, they fight actually only for our freedom, and it is a big injustice to put them in the same quality of the Serbian army that made genocide in our country.

Prosecution lawyer Clare Lawson stressed that the KLA itself was not in the dock.

The KLA is not on trial. The liberation war waged by the KLA is not on trial. These four accused are on trial in respect of their personal responsibility for crimes committed against persons who they viewed as opponents, a majority of whom were in fact their fellow Kosovo Albanians," she said. "In their bid for supremacy, they entrenched a climate of fear pitting neighbor against neighbor, a climate which still persists today.

Lawyers for Thaci and the other defendants are scheduled to deliver their opening statements on Tuesday. The first witnesses are expected to testify next week.

Defense lawyers are expected to argue that the KLA was a loosely organized guerilla force and that the defendants had little control over local fighters and cannot be held responsible for the actions of others.

In their opening statement, prosecutors sought to refute that claim.

Each of the four accused wielded power, authority and influence, which enabled them to implement the common criminal purpose charged and exercise effective control, prosecution lawyer Matt Halling told judges.

The trial is taking place at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which is based in the Netherlands but is part of Kosovos legal system.

Thaci is standing trial along with Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi for offenses allegedly committed across Kosovo and northern Albania from 1998 to September 1999, during and after the war.

Most of the 13,000 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day campaign of NATO air strikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting. About 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes.

The court in The Hague and a linked prosecutor's office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations werent included in the indictment against Thaci.

In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, a move that Belgrade refuses to recognize. The United States and most of the West recognize the declaration, but Serbia  supported by allies Russia and China  does not.

Kosovo-Serbia relations remain tense despite stepped-up efforts from Washington and the European Union, with a recent Western plan envisaging normalization of their relations.

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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C. contributed.
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OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  It was a walk 16-year-old Adama had done countless times, feeding the cows not far from his grandmothers house in northern Burkina Faso. But one day in mid-February, the teen didnt come home.

The next time his family saw him, it was in a harrowing cellphone video on social media days after his disappearance. Adama lay alongside six other bloodied boys, their hands bound and most stripped to the waist. They were surrounded by a dozen men, many in military fatigues, some taking video.

Sprinting through the frame, one man came stopped and slammed a rock onto Adama's head. As blood streamed from the wound, the man shooting the video chuckled.

This one ... was still alive, he said, referring to Adama, whose last name is being withheld by The Associated Press out of concern for his family's safety. Good for nothing. You dont have anything to do but to kill people. Well kill you one after another.

Burkina Fasos military has denied responsibility for the killings, which is a potential war crime under international law.

But a frame-by-frame analysis of the 83-second video by the AP and an examination of satellite imagery shows the killings happened inside a military base about 2 kilometers (1 1/4 miles) northwest of Ouahigouya, a regional capital near where Adama lived. From their uniforms and vehicles, AP also determined troops in the video were members of Burkina Fasos security forces, which until recently received military training and hardware from the United States and European Union.

Through exclusive interviews with Adamas mother and uncle the AP was also able to reconstruct his final hours.

For seven years, Burkina Faso has been wracked by violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Frustration at the governments inability to stem the violence led to two coups last year by military juntas vowing to stamp out the insurgency. Yet little has changed, with Burkina Faso overtaking Afghanistan as the nation with the most deaths globally from extremist violence, according to a report by the Global Terrorism Index.

A former French colony, Burkina Faso is a majority Muslim country that was initially spared jihadi violence that began in neighboring Mali 10 years ago. France sent troops into the region to drive back the Islamic militants in 2013. The violence has since swept across the vast semi-arid area of Africa south of the Sahara.

Despite the jihadi violence, some civilians say they are more afraid of Burkina Fasos security forces, who they accuse of extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of untold numbers of others accused of supporting the militants.

The killings have only grown under the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in September.

Part of the juntas strategy has been to recruit some 50,000 volunteer fighters to serve alongside the military, but residents say this has only contributed to civilian killings as the volunteers round up anyone they suspect of ties to the extremists. Often those swept up are members of the minority ethnic Fulani, a largely Muslim group who mostly live in the north where fighting has been most intense.

On the day that Adama, who was Fulani, disappeared his grandmother searched their village for him. Hours later she learned the truth: Her grandson and a fellow cattle herder the family identified only as Ousseni had been seized by men on motorbikes and taken to a military base. Ousseni, who is not Fulani, told her the security forces briefly questioned him before releasing him.

Ousseni said he overheard the troops accuse them of being jihadis. Fearful for his life, Ousseni fled the country soon after speaking to Adamas grandmother.

The video of Adama's killing began circulating on WhatsApp chat groups around Feb. 14. A few days later, the teens body was found on a roadside near the military base where the video was filmed.

The AP spoke to members of Adamas family who fled their homes after he disappeared. Adamas uncle heard his nephew was abducted by security forces from the boys grandmother. Adamas mother heard separately about her sons seizure from another relative who saw him grabbed by security forces. Neither Adamas uncle nor his mother wanted their names used for fear of reprisal.

During an interview with the AP, the 40-year-old uncle replayed the video showing his nephews lifeless body.

No one can escape death, but it is the way you die that makes a difference. This way of dying is so horrible, he said adding he recognized his nephew from the blue shorts he was wearing and his body.

Nearly 300 civilians have been killed in attacks involving Burkina Faso security forces between October and February, compared to about 100 during the same period a year ago, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The violence has also taken a sharp ethnic turn, with the Fulani, including children, increasingly targeted.

During sweep operations as part of the fight against terrorism, most of the children arrested are Fulani. In general, they are children who tend cattle, said Daouda Diallo, general secretary of the Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities, a local rights group.

Using evidence from the video, the AP was able to match the location where it was filmed to a military base northwest of Ouahigouya, near where Adama was reported abducted.

Analysis of the soldiers uniforms and their vehicles were consistent with those used by Burkina Fasos ground forces. To aid the fight against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, the U.S. and EU provided Burkina Faso with tens of millions of dollars in military training and equipment.

Two camouflaged pickup trucks shown in the video were Toyota Land Cruiser Series 70s  the same model provided to Burkina Faso by the U.S. and EU. A large troop carrier was a Mercedes-Benz Atego, the kind the U.S. Defense Department delivered to Burkina Faso in 2014. Four security force members wore shirts with the Burkina Faso flag on the left arm.

In a statement to the AP, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel strongly condemned the "horrific violence as portrayed in the video," adding that allegations of human rights violations must be investigated and those determined to be responsible held accountable.

Nabila Massrali, an EU spokeswoman, said EU support for Burkina Fasos security and defense sector has focused on human rights and international humanitarian law and no lethal weapons have been delivered or financed.

While the AP cannot verify the exact date the video was recorded, a former Burkinabe government official and a soldier said the boys were killed after an attack by militants on a volunteer fighter outpost on Feb. 13, the day before the video appeared on social media.

Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, a spokesman for Burkina Fasos government, told the AP that militants often disguise themselves as security forces and film their actions in order to blame the military.

But conflict experts say militants dont typically commit atrocities and blame state security forces. Nor do they kill children, for fear of alienating local populations.

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AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

___

Follow AP West Africa Correspondent Sam Mednick at twitter.com/sammednick and Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck
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NASA on Monday named the four astronauts who will fly around the moon late next year, including the first woman and the first African American assigned to a lunar mission.

The first moon crew in 50 years  three Americans and one Canadian  was introduced during a ceremony in Houston, home to the nation's astronauts as well as Mission Control.

This is humanity's crew, said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

The four astronauts will be the first to fly NASA's Orion capsule, launching atop a Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than late 2024. They will not land or even go into lunar orbit, but rather fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth, a prelude to a lunar landing by two others a year later.

The mission's commander, Reid Wiseman, will be joined by Victor Glover, an African American naval aviator; Christina Koch, who holds the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman; and Canada's Jeremy Hansen, a former fighter pilot and the crew's lone space rookie. Wiseman, Glover and Koch have all lived on the International Space Station. All four are in their 40s.

This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate and its so much more than the four names that have been announced," Glover said.

This is the first moon crew to include someone from outside the U.S.  and the first crew in NASA's new moon program named Artemis after the twin sister of mythology's Apollo. Late last year, an empty Orion capsule flew to the moon and back in a long-awaited dress rehearsal.

Am I excited? Absolutely, Koch said to cheers from the crowd of schoolchildren, politicians and others. But my real question is: Are you excited?  she said to more cheers.

The Canadian Space Agency snagged a seat because of its contributions of big robotic arms on NASA's space shuttles and the space station. One is also planned for the moon project.

Hansen said he's grateful that Canada is included in the flight.

We are going to the moon together. Lets go! he said.

During Apollo, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon from 1968 through 1972. Twelve of them landed. All were military-trained male test pilots except for Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who closed out that moonlanding era alongside the late Gene Cernan.

Provided this next 10-day moonshot goes well, NASA aims to land two astronauts on the moon by 2025 or so.

NASA picked from 41 active astronauts for its first Artemis crew. Canada had four candidates. Almost all of them took part in Monday's ceremony at Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field, a pep rally of sorts that ended with Wiseman leading the crowd in a chant.

Congratulations streamed in from retired astronauts, including Apollo 11s Buzz Aldrin and Scott Kelly, the first American to spend close to a year in space. Huge risks, huge commitment, eternal benefits for all. What a crew! tweeted Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian commander of the space station a decade ago who performed David Bowies Space Oddity from orbit.

President Joe Biden spoke with the four astronauts and their families on Sunday. In a tweet Monday, Biden said the mission will inspire the next generation of explorers, and show every child  in America, in Canada, and across the world  that if they can dream it, they can be it.

___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippine government on Monday identified four new military camps, including some across the sea from Taiwan, where rotating batches of American forces will be allowed to be stationed indefinitely despite strong objections from China.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration announced in February his approval of an expansion of the U.S. military presence to four additional Philippine military bases from the five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the longtime treaty allies.

Marcos said the move would boost the Philippines' coastal defense. It dovetails with the Biden administration's efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan.

The new sites identified by Marcos' office include a Philippine navy base in Santa Ana and an international airport in Lal-lo, both in northern Cagayan province. Those locations have infuriated Chinese officials because they would provide U.S. forces with a staging ground close to southern China and Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own.

The two other military areas are in northern Isabela province and a navy camp on Balabac island in the western province of Palawan.

Palawan faces the South China Sea, a key passage for global trade that Beijing claims virtually in its entirety and has taken increasingly aggressive actions that have threatened smaller claimant states, including the Philippines.

China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been locked in increasingly tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no claims to the strategic waters but has deployed warships and fighter and surveillance aircraft for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of law, angering Beijing.

That's a trade route, that's where more or less $3 trillion worth of trade passes. Our responsibility in collectively securing that is huge, said Carlito Galvez, who heads the Philippine Defense Department.

The four new military sites for American forces are suitable and mutually beneficial and will boost the disaster response of the country as a springboard for humanitarian and relief work during emergencies, Marcos's office said.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Defense said the new locations will strengthen the interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces and allow us to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a meeting last month with Philippine officials in Manila, however, a Chinese Foreign Ministry delegation expressed its strong opposition to an expanded U.S. military presence in the Philippines and warned of repercussions for regional peace and stability, a Philippine official involved in the talks said at the time.

Philippine diplomats replied that the decision to allow an expanded American military presence was in the Philippines' national interest and would boost its ability to respond to natural disasters, the official said, suggesting the move was not aimed at China.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to publicly discuss the sensitive issue.

The Chinese Embassy also warned in a recent statement that the Philippine governments security cooperation with Washington will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.

The long-seething territorial conflicts continue to be a major irritant in Philippine-China relations. Marcos's administration has filed at least 77 of more than 200 diplomatic protests against Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters since he took office last year.

The Philippines used to host two of the largest U.S. Navy and Air Force bases outside the American mainland. The bases were shut down in the early 1990s after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension, but American forces later returned for large-scale combat exercises with Filipino troops under a Visiting Forces Agreement.

The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat. The 2014 agreement allows visiting American forces to stay indefinitely in rotating batches in barracks and other buildings they construct within designated Philippine camps with their defense equipment, except nuclear weapons.

The Department of National Defense in Manila said the American military presence was not a re-establishment of U.S. military bases in the Philippines, as opponents have asserted.
The girls are hungry and heading to New Haven to dish.

The girls in question are Rayna Greenberg and Ashley Hesseltine, who launched their Girls Gotta Eat podcast in early 2018, and now have a touring show where no topic is off limits. Often accompanied by special guests, the duo promise their fans, affectionately known as Snackheads, a wild and fun night where they will talk about far-ranging list of topics from sex and dating to family and friendships. Their "Snack City" tour will bring them to New Haven at College Street Music Hall on April 15.

We are just so excited to come here [New Haven] for the first time, Hesseltine said. We are just so excited to laugh and get crazy with our audience and just have a really fun night.

Audiences can expect frank discussions, laughter and the unexpected.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images

The show is a circus, really. We call it the ultimate girls night out, Hesseltine said. It has a high energy girls night out vibe but is really this sort of spectacular variety show where we have audience participation and we share stories that weve never shared on the podcast. We have a lot of different elements like dancers, CO2 jets and we have T-shirts and vibrators that we give away. Its chaotic in a good way and you never know whats going to happen in that room.

The live shows are comedic but they are not stand-up comedy shows. This show is highly interactive and we tailor it to the city  we tell stories for people that are in the room, Greenberg said. We like to feel that every time you go to a Girls Gotta Eat show, its a different show.

They have performed an estimated 135 live shows since launching them in September 2018 and added 30 new cities this year.

The two women, both originally from New York City, met in the fall of 2017 in Aruba on a press/influencers trip and became fast friends. They bonded over their shared experiences dating in New York City and laughed at each others crazy stories. Hesseltine had long wanted to do a podcast but was waiting for the right partner and found it in Greenberg. Together, the two women are akin to big sisters or mentors, telling younger women like it is  the way they wish someone had done for them while they were in their 20s.

Brian Stefanik/ Contributed photo

Their podcast typically digs deep into one topic each episode. The two will talk about everything from sexual fetishes and marrying a mommas boy to mental health and finances, often bringing in special guests such as therapists, comedians and authors. Their mission is to promote the importance of self-care, the power of female friendships and not settling for bad sex. They said they want women to know there is not one way to live or just one path to happiness.

It is really important for people to look at us and the stories that we tell and see themselves in that and think 'I am normal. I am fine. There's nothing wrong with me,' Greenberg said. That really has always been the goal of the show, whether we are talking about careers, friendship or romantic relationships its just so people can hear these stories and be like me too! The messaging evidently resonates with audiences as the podcast now has over 100 million downloads.

They chose the Girls Gotta Eat name for their podcast early on and while it alludes to Greenbergs background as a food blogger, they also liked that it is open to interpretation. The saying a girls gotta eat could mean food or anything from sex to money, as in a girls got to get hers.

Even now, the term has kind of come into popularity where people say someone ate if they did really well at something. It fits, we really like it, it looks good on merch and it just encompasses the whole brand, Hesseltine said. We also love to eat. Were always eating and our photo shoots have revolved around food and different things like that.

Ranging from serious topics to lighthearted and explicit, the live shows aim to create a safe and open space for sharing and interacting with their fans. Its a lot of NC-17 content but we keep it really fun and positive and we really want people to just feel excited to share, Greenberg said. We cant believe what people will share with us in a room full of people! Its really wild that there is so much camaraderie, fun and excitement in that room that people will share the wildest stuff that you've ever heard.
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WESTPORT  Three books are in conversations to be removed from Staples High School's library, following an official complaint and multiple community discussions.

The three books are "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson, "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, and "Flamer" by Mike Curato. The books have been addressed multiple times at various Board of Education meetings since about September 2022, where some have called certain books "pornographic."

The books have been in the Staples library for as little as under two years, for "Flamer" and nearly eight years, for "This Book is Gay."

Superintendent Thomas Scarice said this is the first time in over 20 years that this process has been implemented.

This process is called the Superintendents Review Committee, and Scarice said, "Per BOE Policy 1312.1, the committee is appointed by the superintendent and composed of faculty, administrators and three community members, all chosen by the superintendent, or by their position."

A chair is also named to facilitate the process that eventually leads to a final recommendation by Scarice, who is Elaine Whitney, former school board member.

In September, a book display was put up in Staples High School in recognition of Banned Book Week, which hosted some books on the list that the American Library Association creates each year.

"This Book is Gay" and "Gender Queer" were two of the books on display. "Flamer," however, was not, though was nominated for a the Nutmeg Book Award in 2023.

According to the Westport Library, the Nutmeg Book Award "encourages children in grades 2-12 to read quality literature and to choose their favorite from a list of nominated titles. There are 4 awards given each year: elementary (grades 2-3), intermediate (grades 4-6), middle school (grades 7-8), and high school (grades 9-12)."

Reports from Administrative Assistant Kimberly Strazza show "This Book is Gay" was checked out by five students at the Staples High School library prior to September 2022, and by three students after. "Gender Queer" was checked out by one student prior and by one after; and "Flamer" was checked out by one student prior and has not been checked out since.

The first meeting was held on March 22, where one parent, who is the complainant, and faculty members presented perspectives about the books, Scarice said. The committee also asked follow up questions.

"Since this is the first time I've experienced this process, or the first time in the district for over 20 years," Scarice said, "I can only speculate that the committee will either support the complainant's perspective and make a recommendation to me, or not support the complainant's perspective."

Documents entitled "Citizen's Request for Reconsideration of Materials" outline each book, the reasons for the parent's objections and specific pages referring to the complaints.

The parent noted they read all of "Flamer," most of "Gender Queer" and all of "This Book is Gay."

For "This Book is Gay," the parent said, "I object to this entire book."

The parent said the book reinforces stereotypes, and objected to depictions of sex. The parent said the book "does not belong in a school library."

For "Flamer," the parent complained the book also contains depictions of sex, and added they do not like its the use of a slur typically used for gay people.

In the complaint about "Gender Queer," the parent called the images and content "beyond graphic and belong in a porno magazine not a high school library."

The parent recommended in the complaint that each book be withdrawn from all students, except for "Flamer," which they added can be sent back to the appropriate department for reevaluation or only allow those 18 and older to read it.

In the "Flamer" complaint, the parent removing some content.

"I actually think if changes were made to this book ... the book would be good," the parent wrote.

According to a BOE document called "Recap of meeting with parent in fall," the parent requests having books removed, having pages removed and a private reading room.

The document outlines the reasons for each book being in the library based on BOE policy.

For "Gender Queer," it says the book reflects on "the variety of roles individuals may play within the context of society, irrespective of origin or sex."

It says it will "be appropriate to the varied interests, abilities, and levels of maturity of students in form, structure, and content" and "be based upon critical review in educational and professional journals, in current periodicals, or through professional analysis."

The reasons for "This Book is Gay" include "enrich and support the curriculum," "place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice" and "be based upon critical review in educational and professional journals, in current periodicals, or through professional analysis."

And for "Flamer," it says "place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice," "be appropriate to the varied interests, abilities, and levels of maturity of students in form, structure, and content" and "be based upon critical review in educational and professional journals, in current periodicals, or through professional analysis."
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WESTPORT  Police say a man who went missing from Stamford about three months ago was found dead in a pond on Greens Farms Road late Monday morning.

Westport Police Lt. Eric Woods identified the man as Errol Whyte, a Stamford man in his 60s. Whyte disappeared under "suspicious" circumstances in late December, according to Stamford police.

Whyte was last seen driving his red 2002 Ford Explorer in Bridgeport as he headed home around 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 29, Stamford Police Capt. Diedrich Hohn said at the time. Family members reported him missing on Dec. 31 after his SUV was found abandoned on the shoulder of Interstate 95 South near Exit 17 in Westport. His keys, cellphones and wallet were discovered in the car, but his driver's license and cash were missing from his wallet, police said.

No sightings of Whyte have been reported since his disappearance, according to Woods.

Until Monday when Whyte's body was found about a mile from where his SUV was abandoned.

Westport police officers were called to a location in the 50 block of Greens Farms Road around 11:35 a.m. for a report of a body floating in a retention pond.

Woods described the location as an office complex and the pond as roughly waist-deep. The property manager alerted police to the body, he said.

Based on the condition of Whyte's body, Woods said it appeared to have "been in the water for some time."

"There's nothing to indicate that he was anywhere else (besides the pond)," Woods said.

An autopsy will be conducted on Whyte's body to determine the cause and manner of death, Woods said.

Located in the middle of a roundabout in the complex, the pond includes a fountain at its center and a park bench on its banks. Police cordoned off the area with caution tape as the investigation continued into Monday afternoon.

In addition to law enforcement, personnel with the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to the scene to examine and transport the body to its Farmington office.

Police left the scene by 3:05 p.m. after taking down the caution tape.

Members of the Westport Police Department's Detective Bureau will conduct a death investigation to attempt to "determine the circumstances leading to Mr. Whytes death," police said in a news release.

No further details were immediately available.

Whyte's disappearance sparked comparisons to that of another older Black man, Fredrick Richardson, in May 2016. Richardson, 69, of Bridgeport, was last seen late on May 8, 2016 or early on May 9, 2016 after he left a friend's Stamford-area house, according to Bridgeport police.

Like Whyte, Richardson never made it home, according to police. His car was later found abandoned on I-95 North near Exit 9, police said. His sister, Patricia Richardson-Wooten, said Richardson's groceries, keys, cellphone and wallet, including his ID and his credit cards, were discovered inside.

However, Stamford police said they do not believe the disappearances of Whyte and Richardson are related.

This story includes reporting from Kayla Mutchler.
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An explosion tore through a cafe in Russias second-largest city Sunday, killing a well-known military blogger and strident supporter of the war in Ukraine. Some reports said a bomb was embedded in a bust of the blogger that was given to him as a gift.

Russian officials said Vladlen Tatarsky was killed as he was leading a discussion at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Some 30 people were wounded in the blast, Russia's Health Ministry reported.

Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public when a woman presented him with a box containing a bust of him that apparently blew up. A patriotic Russian group that organized the event said it had taken security precautions but acknowledged that those measures proved insufficient.

In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.

The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed. Smotrova described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a St. Petersburg woman, Darya Tryopova, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing. It said that she had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

A video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.

Russian media said investigators were looking at the bust as the possible source of the blast but have not ruled out the possibility that an explosive device was planted in the cafe before the event.

Russias Investigative Committee, the state's top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Reacting to the latest incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tatarskys activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers long have faced Ukrainian threats.

Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an "immortal" hero who died to save the Russian people.

There must be no talks with the terrorists other than about their unconditional surrender, Dugin said. A victory parade must take place in Kyiv.

Since the fighting in Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian authorities have refrained from claiming responsibility for various fires, explosions and apparent assassinations in Russia. At the same time, officials in Kyiv have jubilantly greeted such events and insisted on Ukraines right to launch attacks in Russia.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland, Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

Tatarsky was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric.

After the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year that most of the world rejected as illegal, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: Thats it. Well defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you.

Military bloggers have played an increasingly prominent and influential role in the flow of information about Russias invasion of Ukraine. They have almost universally championed the goals of the campaign but at times criticize Russian military strategy and tactical decisions.

At the same time, the Kremlin has squelched alternative voices opposing the war by shutting down news outlets, limiting the publics access to information and jailing critics.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  It was a walk 16-year-old Adama had done countless times, feeding the cows not far from his grandmother's house in northern Burkina Faso. But one day in mid-February, the teen who dreamed of becoming an imam didnt come home.

The next time his family saw him, it was in a harrowing cellphone video circulating on social media in the days after his disappearance. Adama lay alongside six other bloodied boys, their hands bound and most stripped to the waist. They were surrounded by about a dozen men, many in military fatigues, walking among the bodies, some taking video.

Sprinting through the frame, one man came to a halt over Adama and slammed a rock onto his head. As blood streamed from the jagged wound, the man shooting the video chuckled.

This one ... was still alive, said the man, referring to Adama, whose last name is being withheld by The Associated Press out of concern for the safety of his family. Good-for-nothing! You dont have anything to do but to kill people. Well kill you one after another.

Burkina Faso's military has denied responsibility for the killings, which are a potential war crime under international law.

A frame-by-frame analysis of the 83-second video by the AP and an examination of satellite imagery shows the killings happened inside a military base about 2 kilometers (1 1/4 miles) northwest of Ouahigouya, a regional capital close to where Adama lived. From their uniforms and vehicles, the AP also determined troops in the video were members of Burkina Faso's security forces, which until recently received military training and hardware from the United States and European Union.

Through exclusive interviews with Adama's mother and uncle, the AP was also able to reconstruct his final hours. In response to a request for comment about the AP's findings, the U.S. government condemned the killings as horrific and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

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Burkina Faso is at the epicenter of Islamic extremist violence cutting across Africa. For seven years, the landlocked country has been wracked by violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands, displaced about 10% of the countrys 20 million people and destabilized the nation.

Frustration at the governments inability to stem the violence led to two coups last year by military juntas vowing to stamp out the insurgency. Yet little has changed, with Burkina Faso overtaking Afghanistan as the nation with the most deaths globally from extremist violence, according to a recent report by the Global Terrorism Index.

A former French colony that won its independence in 1960, Burkina Faso is a majority Muslim country that was initially spared jihadi violence that began in neighboring Mali 10 years ago. France sent troops into the region to drive back the Islamic militants in 2013. The violence has since swept across the Sahel region, the vast semiarid area south of the Sahara.

Despite the jihadi violence, some civilians say they are now more afraid of Burkina Fasos security forces, who they accuse of extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of untold numbers of others accused of supporting the militants. Too often children are victims of the conflict.

The killings have grown under the junta led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in September. Traore promised to stem the violence, but people say they fear the repressive regime as security in the country deteriorates.

Part of the juntas strategy has been to recruit some 50,000 volunteer fighters to serve alongside the military, but residents say this has only contributed to civilian killings as the volunteers round up anyone they suspect of ties to the extremists.

Often those swept up by government forces are ethnic Fulani, a largely Muslim group who make up less than 10% of the population and mostly live in the north, where fighting has been most intense. The Fulani are perceived to be working with the militants, who target them for recruitment in part because of their historic grievances with the state and the fact that they live in regions where the militants have seized large areas.

On the day that Adama, who was Fulani, disappeared his grandmother combed their village searching for him. Hours later she learned the truth: Her grandson and a fellow cattle herder the family identified only as Ousseni had been seized and blindfolded by six men on motorbikes and taken to a military base. Ousseni, who is not Fulani, told her the security forces briefly questioned him before releasing him.

Ousseni said while the boys were locked up he overheard the troops accuse them of being jihadis. Fearful for his life, Ousseni fled the country soon after speaking to Adama's grandmother.

The video showing Adama's head crushed by a rock began circulating on WhatsApp chat groups around Feb. 14. A few days later, the teens body was found on a roadside several kilometers (miles) from the military base where the video was filmed.

The AP spoke to members of Adama's family who fled their homes after he disappeared. Adama's uncle heard his nephew was abducted by security forces from the boy's grandmother, who recounted what Ousseni had told her. Adama's mother heard separately about her son's seizure from a relative, who saw him grabbed by security forces. Neither Adama's uncle nor his mother wanted their names used for fear of reprisal.

During an interview with the AP last month, the 40-year-old uncle shook his head as he replayed the video showing his nephews lifeless body.

No one can escape death, but it is the way you die that makes a difference. This way of dying is so horrible, he said. He recognized his nephew from the blue shorts he was wearing and his body, he said.

Adamas mother has not seen the video; the family has kept it from her to spare her further anguish. His body was buried by neighbors.

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Nearly 300 civilians have been killed in attacks involving Burkina Faso security forces between October and February, compared to about 100 during the same period a year ago, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, or ACLED. The violence has also taken a sharp ethnic turn, with the Fulani, including children, increasingly targeted by security forces because they are suspected of supporting the jihadis, according to rights organizations.

During sweep operations as part of the fight against terrorism, most of the children arrested are Fulani. Those children generally tend the cattle," said Dr. Daouda Diallo, a pharmacologist and general secretary of the Collective Against Impunity and Stigmatization of Communities, a local rights group.

He said security forces mistakenly suspect the children of being "spies who inform the terrorists. And thats why theyre ... arrested.

Amid the violence against civilians and ethnic divisions, the junta is trying to project an image of national unity.

Murals of soldiers mingling with residents and calling for an end to extremist violence line the capital's streets. In one, a soldier and a civilian raise a torch over the words, Overcoming terrorism together. In another, a large red X is painted under the words No to stigmatization."

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Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo, a spokesman for Burkina Fasos government, denied its military was responsible for the deaths of the boys shown in the video. He told the AP that militants often disguise themselves as security forces and film their actions in order to blame the government.

The training of our soldiers and our (volunteers) include a large component on human rights and in all units we have provost marshals who keep watch, he said.

But using visual evidence from the video, the AP was able to match the location it was filmed to a military base named Camp Zondoma northwest of Ouahigouya, not far from where Adama was reported abducted. The buildings and trees in the video are consistent with recent satellite images of a compound within the base. The shadows cast by objects in the video puts the time at around 11 a.m.

Analysis of the soldiers uniforms and their vehicles show they are consistent with those used by Burkina Fasos armed forces. To aid the fight against the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, the U.S. and EU have provided Burkina Faso with tens of millions of dollars worth of military training and equipment, including armored vehicles, drones, communications gear, uniforms, helmets and body armor.

Two camouflaged pickup trucks shown in the video are Toyota Land Cruiser Series 70s with seats for troops mounted in the back. They are the same model supplied to Burkina Faso by the U.S. and EU.

A larger troop carrier seen in the video is a Mercedes-Benz Atego. The U.S. Defense Department delivered 10 trucks of that model and color to Burkina Faso in 2014.

Four security force members in the video wore shirts with the Burkina Faso flag on the left arm, and the boots some wore appeared to be Mil-Tecs, the same German brand the EU recently provided to Burkina Fasos military.

Documents indicate Camp Zondoma is home to the 12th Commando Infantry Regiment of the Burkinabe army, though the AP was unable to conclusively link the uniforms worn by the men to that specific unit.

The AP shared its findings with the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley, which conducts research on war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. The center concurred that the visual evidence shows the video was filmed at the military base outside Ouahigouya and that the uniforms and trucks are consistent with those used by government troops in Burkina Faso.

In a response to the AP, U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said foreign assistance to Burkina Faso has been restricted since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in January 2022. U.S. officials have repeatedly raised the importance of protecting and respecting human rights with Burkina Faso's leaders, he said.

We strongly condemn the horrific violence as portrayed in the video," Patel said. "Allegations of human rights violations and abuses must be investigated fairly and those determined to be responsible held accountable.

EU support for Burkina Faso's security and defense sector has specifically focused on human rights and international humanitarian law and no lethal weapons have been delivered or financed, said Nabila Massrali, an EU spokesperson. The EU is also investing in Burkina Fasos military justice system and the military police to fight impunity, she said.

While the AP cannot verify the exact date the video was recorded, a former Burkinabe government official and a soldier said the boys were killed after an attack by militants on a volunteer fighter outpost on Feb. 13, the day before the video first appeared on social media. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Security reports gathered by ACLED, the data analysis group, show that Islamic militants attacked the volunteers that day, killing at least one and injuring two. According to the former government official, army reinforcements arrived soon after, and the killings in the video were carried out by security forces.

On Feb. 15, the day after the video appeared online, the chief of staff for Burkina Faso's armed forces issued an order for soldiers to stop disseminating images of operations on social networks, according to a copy obtained by the AP.

These disseminations of controversial images could have negative consequences and influence on the dynamics" of the security forces, it said.

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As security deteriorates in Burkina Faso, children are bearing the brunt from all sides, rights groups say. Three times more children were killed during the first nine months of 2022 than in the same period a year earlier, according to UNICEF. Most died from gunshot wounds during attacks on their villages or from improvised explosive devices or other remnants of war, it said.

We are concerned by the impact of counter-terrorism measures on children associated with armed groups while preventing and combatting threats to national security, said Virginia Gamba, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for children and armed conflict. Children associated with armed forces and groups should be treated as victims in line with international juvenile justice standards, she said.

Despite the Burkinabe governments claim that their forces were not responsible for the deaths, conflict experts said militants dont typically commit atrocities and blame state security forces. Nor do they kill children, for fear of alienating local populations.

Jihadists usually carry (out) public executions against those collaborating with the state or opposition groups and will claim responsibility to send a message. They also dont execute children so they could maintain popularity among the population, said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan-based think tank.

Stephen Rapp, who served as the U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues during the Obama administration, said the killings of Adama and the other boys in the video were war crimes under the Geneva Conventions and could be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court, of which Burkina Faso is a party.

This would be a war crime even if the children had helped jihadis or had been child soldiers themselves, said Rapp, the chief prosecutor in the trial of the former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, who was convicted in 2012 of war crimes committed during the bloody civil war in Sierra Leone.

Persons not taking part in hostilities as well as detained combatants are entitled to humane treatment and killing them is murder as a war crime under international law," Rapp said. "As such these soldiers could be prosecuted in the ICC.

___

Adamas mother said there was no sign her son had become radicalized when he returned to Ouahigouya a year ago after spending a decade studying at a Quranic school in the western town of Nouna. While he was at the school she had no contact with her son except for occasional phone calls.

Their reunion last year was supposed to be the start of a new life together, she said.

We were thinking of building a common life and living together in joy. He would get married and build a home. Unfortunately, we didnt have that chance, the 52-year-old woman said. Dressed in a long veil with matching silver bracelets on each arm, she lit up every time she spoke of her sons life and the dreams they had, but quickly turned somber when she remembered his death.

An energetic child, Adama learned to walk before even crawling and was always innovative, playing make-believe with his younger siblings, she said.

After returning to Ouahigouya, he lived with his grandmother. But whenever Adama visited, his mother said, theyd stay up for hours talking about her life as a girl and his plans for the future. He wanted to be an imam and educate people, she said.

She recalled him studying the Quran, often by candlelight at night and quizzing neighbors about its teachings, always clutching his white prayer beads. He had the beads with him on the day he was seized, family members said.

The last time Adama's mother saw him was in October, when he spent several weeks at her home. As he left, she warned him to be careful because the situation had become dangerous, and never to stray far from his grandmother's house. When they last spoke in February, shortly before he was killed, they were making plans to reunite for the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.

Adama's family has been too afraid to visit his grave, worried about being targeted by security forces.

If he had lived long, I am sure he would have helped develop our community," his mother said. "He would have become an imam to teach people to be good Muslims. He would have helped people live together and he would have supported the needy.

___

AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.

___

Follow AP West Africa Correspondent Sam Mednick at twitter.com/sammednick and Biesecker at twitter.com/mbieseck
N. Ireland officials, academics expect stronger ties with China

Xinhua) 11:22, April 03, 2023

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (1st R) talks with Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black (2nd L) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

BELFAST, Britain, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Officials and academics from Northern Ireland have expressed their willingness to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China during their meetings earlier this week with Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang.

The head of Northern Ireland Civil Service Jayne Brady said that Northern Ireland has long-standing friendly exchanges with China and attaches great importance to developing relations with China.

Northern Ireland enjoys strong technological advantages in fields such as green economy, financial services, and food safety, and has the geographical advantage as a bridge connecting the two major markets of the European Union and the UK, Brady added.

She welcomed Chinese companies to invest in Northern Ireland and expressed hope that hydrogen-powered buses, whiskey, and other products from Northern Ireland would enter the Chinese market.

Northern Ireland, Brady added, would also like to further expand exchanges and cooperation with China in education, culture, tourism, etc.

Zheng said that in recent years, China and Northern Ireland have carried out fruitful cooperation in business and trade, education, culture and other fields, bringing tangible benefits to both sides, and that cooperation in new energy innovations have great potential.

China, the ambassador said, welcomes more high-quality products from Northern Ireland to enter the Chinese market and more people to go to China.

He said that China also supports cities and institutions of the two sides to strengthen partnerships, encourages more two-way personnel exchanges, to boost practical cooperation and bring more benefits to the peoples.

In a separate meeting with Zheng, Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black said that in 2016, Belfast became a sister city of Shenyang in northeast China, and since then the two sides had made positive progress in mutually beneficial cooperation in business, trade, education, and culture.

Belfast is eager to promote cooperation between the two sides, and welcome more Chinese investors, students and tourists, Black added.

Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, said that his university attaches great importance to exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities and welcomes more Chinese students to study there.

The university values China's strength in research and huge potential of development and would like to further deepen cooperation with Chinese scientific research institutions, Greer added.

In his meeting with Zheng, Paul Bartholomew, vice-chancellor at Ulster University, said his university cherishes its cooperation with China and has established partnerships with many Chinese universities.

Ulster University, he added, looks forward to further strengthen the cooperation, and welcomes more Chinese students to study there.

Ulster University will continue to run the Confucius Institute and play an active role in promoting educational cooperation and cultural exchanges between Northern Ireland and China, he noted.

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (R) meets with Paul Bartholomew (1st L), vice-chancellor at Ulster University, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (C), Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black (3rd R), and other guests sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" hand in hand in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (L) meets with Lord Mayor of Belfast City Council Christina Black in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

A child talks about his feeling of learning Chinese at Ulster University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (2nd L) and Paul Bartholomew (1st L), vice-chancellor at Ulster University, listen as the Ulster University Choir performs the Chinese song "I Love You, China," on campus in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (L) meets with Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
ASUO, in coordination with the Eugene Police Department and the University of Oregon Police Department, has launched a new program called party registration that will begin spring term to replace party patrol from the fall.

ASUO President Luda Isakharov said the program will allow students to receive a warning call when throwing parties before an officer is dispatched to the registered address. Isakharov said that the program is designed to decrease the amount of police presence necessary in university neighborhoods.

Isakharov said the program is part of ASUOs response to EPDs party patrols conducted during the fall term. According to EPD Deputy Chief Shawn Adams, the party patrols were part of increased law enforcement to deal with parties getting out of control.

What party patrol really was, it's us bringing in additional resources just to deal with the parties so that our normal resources could continue to look out for the calls for service within the city, Adams said.

Isakharov said ASUO hopes that the program, developed with EPD Chief Chris Skinner and UOPD Chief Jason Wade, will act as a replacement for EPDs party patrol.

The general understanding weve gotten from the Eugene Police Department is that if this program goes well and everyone complies on both ends, then there will not be a need for party patrol, Isakharov said.

Isakharov said party complaints will go to EPDs dispatch, who will check to see if the address is on the list. From there, she said EPD will call the number from the party registration list and give them an official warning.

She said hosts of the party will have a 20-minute grace period, after which a UOPD officer will be dispatched to the scene if a call comes in after the 20 minutes. Luda Isakharov said the reason it will be UOPD rather than EPD is that they are more equipped to de-escalate and deal with students due to their relationship and experience with the university.

According to Isakharov, some students are concerned with sharing their addresses with law enforcement. Luda Isakharov said EPD already has a list of addresses of Greek live-outs and notable house show venues that frequently are reported with complaints such as noise disturbances.

We really want to emphasize this is actually going to really decrease your likelihood of citation, and it will increase your likelihood of not having to engage with EPD at all, which is our goal, Isakharov said.

She said ASUO will be offering two training sessions during the first two weeks of spring term for anyone who potentially will host a large party. Once they are completed, the hosts will then be able to register, she said.

In Nov. 2022, students testified to Eugene city council about experiences with party patrol that they said made them fear the police. EPD issued hundreds of misdemeanors, violations and arrests through its party patrol initiative fall term.

Recommended: Fall party patrol leads to an increase in arrests, citations around campus

If there is a registered party going on or students are truly looking at that student experience and the enjoyment that college should be, that they can do it in such a way that they're safe, Chief Wade said.

Wade said UOPD tries to take more of an educational approach, rather than the traditional police interaction students might have with EPD, such as receiving citations. He said UOPDs history and previous experience with students, and daily interactions with the student body, can help students feel safer when interacting with law enforcement compared to interacting with other local law enforcement.

We want to chip in and make sure that one, we really focus on the safety, but two, we look at moving forward from the mistakes of the past or the concerns of the past year, he said.

Adams of EPD said the program is a compromise between EPD and students. The new program grants a lot of trust to the students in order to minimize interactions between students and EPD, he said.

I'm super hopeful about where this is going. I really am. I think it's a brilliant solution. I think it's born out of good conversation between the U of O students and us and UOPD, Adams said.

To sign up for the pilot party registration program, hosts must attend a party registration orientation on either April 3 or April 10 of Spring term. To be eligible for the program, a host must be a student at the UO, at least 18 years old and living off-campus.

Those interested can sign up for a party registration orientation session on the Division of Student Life website.
When Priti Patel was Home Secretary, civil servants in her department did all they could to frustrate her plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda, criticising the policy on social media and posting 'Refugees welcome' stickers around Whitehall.

The opposition was so fierce that Patel took the unusual step of issuing a 'ministerial direction', instructing the Home Office Permanent Secretary Matthew Rycroft to implement the scheme despite the hostility of his staff.

So will her successor, Suella Braverman, now face the same level of hostility while legislation to deal with the small boats works its way through Parliament?

In an interview in Civil Service World, Rycroft insists there will be no more wrecking tactics.

'Before ministers decide on a policy or a new process, our job as civil servants is to provide maximum challenge,' he says.

When Priti Patel (pictured) was Home Secretary, civil servants in her department did all they could to frustrate her plans to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda, criticising the policy on social media and posting 'Refugees welcome' stickers around Whitehall

'It's all part of the robust policymaking process. That necessarily needs to be behind the scenes, and we need to have the latitude and the openness to have that sort of challenging conversation.

'I firmly believe the more challenge you can get in early on, the better for eventual policy.'

Pointedly, he added: 'After ministers have taken a decision, our job changes. Our job isn't then to challenge it, just because we happen not to agree with it.

'It's irrelevant whether we agree with it or not. If a minister has decided it, and it's lawful, our job then is to implement it.'

Let's hope he's a man of his word, acts accordingly and delivers.

Lords help us, Liz

After 11-and-a-half years in office, Margaret Thatcher created 11 peerages in her resignation honours list.

Liz Truss, after 49 days, is creating four. At that rate, the Iron Lady could have nominated around 350  almost half the total number of lordships sitting on the red leather benches.

Actress Jan Ravens, one of the stars of Radio 4's Dead Ringers, reveals why she likes impersonating politicians.

'I use my impressionism as a way of saying something and trying to illustrate the absurdity of the figures I'm portraying . . .' she tells Suffolk Magazine.

'For example, Liz Truss giving her speech about pork markets struck me as someone whose dad had always told her she was funny as a little girl, [and she's still] looking round for applause the whole time.'

Rishi's in no rush over pledges

During the Tory leadership contest, Rishi Sunak worked hard to woo party members.

He promised 'significant reforms to empower members if I become Prime Minister'. There would be a monthly survey of the 172,000 members and their top three concerns would be raised in the Cabinet.

Free tours of Conservative Central Office for Tory association officers were on offer.

Needless to say, almost six months after he took office, neither promise has been made good on.

'The selection for Labour candidates needs to be more democratic. We should end the National Executive Committee [NEC] imposition of candidates.

'Local Labour Party members should select their candidates for every election.'

Who made that statement? Why, Sir Keir Starmer.

The statement, two months before he won the Labour leadership, was a direct pitch to party members to show he would resist NEC interference.

Yet last week, it was the NEC  led by Starmer  that voted to ban Jeremy Corbyn from standing for Labour at the next election.

Celebrating his 80th birthday on the same day as Sir John Major, the Monty Python star Eric Idle recalls writing to the then Prime Minister in 1993 as they approached their 50th birthday.

'Dear Mr Major, has it ever occurred to you that but for a twist of fate I could have been Prime Minister and you could have been the man in the Nudge, Nudge sketch in Monty Python,' he wrote.

'I hope you don't feel too disappointed.' John Major wrote back inviting Idle to No 10. 'Stupidly, I did not go,' Idle wails.
It was the fateful moment in 2020 when Joe Biden made abundantly clear to the world that the Anglophilia of his predecessor was about to be brutally kicked to the curb.

Already plotting to have the bust of Britains greatest ever leader Winston Churchill banished from the Oval Office, a viral video emerged of the then president elect being asked for comment during the campaign by the Donald Trump-hating BBC.

Mr. Biden, a quick word for the BBC, the British Bashing Corporations New York correspondent Nick Bryant hollered.

The BBC? Im Irish, Biden replied with a threatening glare, before breaking out into a demented grin.

That obvious disdain, which I am prepared to call out as both monarchy and Britain-hating, has continued throughout his presidency.

'If Joe Biden (pictured today) were prepared to show respect for the UK, there could be no better way than turning up at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, alongside dozens of other heads of state the world over', writes Dan Wootton

Mr Wootton says the historic coronation of King Charles III (pictured yesterday) this May is one of the most important days in modern British history

Be it consistently backing Ireland and the EU during highly sensitive Brexit negotiations, slamming ex-PM Liz Truss publicly for trying to cut taxes, or siding with the ghastly Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over their fake Royal Family racism claims to Oprah Winfrey.

Never has it been made clearer that the special relationship is spluttering on in spite of the occupant of the White House not because of him.

The historic coronation of King Charles III this May  one of the most important days in modern British history  should have been a moment to change all that.

Travel and protocol have transformed in the 70 years since the last coronation, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in power.

If Biden were prepared to show respect for the UK, there could be no better way than turning up at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, alongside dozens of other heads of state the world over, including all three presidents of our political enemies over at the EU.

'Bidens anti-English stance is indicative of the way the left internationally have started slowly turning on the UK and our Royal Family,' write Dan Wootton (pictured)

Sure, Biden is already travelling to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement later this month and describing the 80-year-old gaffe-prone leader as doddery is being kind to him.

But, given the magnitude of the historic event, another trip a few weeks later is warranted.

US officials want to avoid the decision being seen as a snub and will possibly send the First Lady Jill Biden, but the damage has been done.

Especially with a US government source pointedly telling the Daily Telegraph: Hes very proud of his Irish roots.

Before anyone tries to dismiss the decision down to his age alone, think again.

In Bidens 2008 autobiography Promises to Keep, he admitted his mothers Irish American relatives held onto Irish grudges, with his Aunt Gertie once telling him: Youre fathers not a bad man. Hes just English.

In 1982, before meeting the late Queen for the first time, his mother Jean Biden gave him only one piece of advice: Dont you bow down to her.

Bidens anti-English stance is indicative of the way the left internationally have started slowly turning on the UK and our Royal Family as some sort of walking talking manifestation of colonialism, which they deride for political purposes on a daily basis, forgetting the many wonders the British Empire brought to the world.

Whatever one thinks of him, I have not a shadow of doubt that Donald Trump would have moved mountains to attend the Kings coronation.

Perhaps in part because of his mothers Scottish heritage, he had a deep respect for both the late Queen personally, as well as the importance of the British monarchy and the danger posed by a destructive Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Mr Wootton predicts that US officials will want to avoid the decision being seen as a snub and will possibly send the First Lady Jill Biden to the Coronation instead. Jill and Joe Biden are pictured together at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year at Westminster Abbey

Biden could have made history by being the first American president to attend a Coronation, Mr Wootton argued. Joe and Jill Biden are pictured with King Charles last September

The idea of invoking centuries old hatred over Irish history or the American civil war when it came to his relations with our monarchy would have been an anathema to him.

Biden could have made history by being the first American president to attend a Coronation, while helping put to bed the constant drumbeat of hatred towards our Royal Family from the American left.

Instead, he has inflamed this current culture war.

I experienced the most over the top abuse from American Be Kind Democrats all weekend long by tweeting: 'Biden planning to snub the coronation of King Charles III tells you everything you need to know about how one of the worst presidents in modern history feels about the United Kingdom. Shame on him. PS: Biden, closely aligned with Harry and Meghan. We know what this is really about.'

Twitter felt it necessary to add a note of context onto my very valid tweets, stating: No US president in history has attended the Coronation of the British monarch.

Well, I would add some important context to that note of context: There have only been two coronations in the last 100 years, with the most recent in 1953, with globalisation having transformed the way world leaders travel since then.

Despite the vitriol, I stand by my comments.

And I have no doubt that the malign influence of Harry and Meghan on the way many left-wing Americans think about the UK and Royal Family has played a part in Bidens decision.

Harry had formed a close friendship with Biden and his wife Jill through his Invictus Games, with the president once stating: Jill went to London for the last games. She spent too much damn time with Prince Harry!

That closeness resulted in the presidents spokeswoman Jen Psaki praising the Sussexes for courage after their notorious interview to Oprah Winfrey, where they made a number of unsubstantiated attacks about the Royal Family being racist that they have since had to walk back.

Courage for what? Destroying the legacy of your dying grandfather? Please!

'I have no doubt that the malign influence of Harry and Meghan on the way many left-wing Americans think about the UK and Royal Family has played a part in Bidens decision,' writes Mr Wootton

In turn, Meghan and Harry have supported the Bidens politically, with the couple attending the Vax Live event during the Covid pandemic and Meghan breaking all royal protocol to publicly back one of his Supreme Court nominees.

Bidens sister Valerie Biden Owens has since told ITVs Good Morning Britain that Meghan would make a good candidate for president, openly encouraging her to join the Democrats.

So there is little doubt that in the bitter War of the Windsors, Biden sides with the aggrieved Harry trying to tear down the British monarchy, rather than the current king and the heir to the throne, Prince William, who both want to modernise the institution while continuing many of its most important traditions.

Biden might think his snub is clever, delighting his leftie base and impressing his Californian pals the Sussexes, but hes missed the chance to make royal history  and the British public wont forget his barely concealed hatred towards our great country.
Missouri mom Ali Fehr, 38, sits in her car fighting off a panic attack after a seemingly simple task: delivering her four-year-old daughter's forgotten jacket to her school.

The mother-of-four had spent 10 minutes trying to calm herself down before filming a video for her TikTok page, where she has more than 54,000 followers.

In it, she explains her moment of panic, detailing how she was able to walk through the campus uninterrupted: 'No one saw me, no one stopped me, nobody cared. The voice in my head is panicking. There's no security guard, there's no locked door, there's no buzzer, there's no armed cop.'

Her children's school experience is a far cry from her own in Kansas City because her family now live in Dublin, Ireland.

Ali Fehr, from Missouri, grew up with at least one armed police officer on campus and she detailed her panic when she had to bring her daughter's forgotten jacket into her school

One mom, Aly O (pictured third left), who now lives in Munich, Germany, talked about the 'culture shock' she experienced when it came to the safety measures at her son's school

Ali doesn't remember a time where there wasn't an armed police officer on her campus throughout her schooling years.

These pockets of feeling unsafe happen so often that Ali and her eldest daughter call them 'an American moment.'

'[It's] when you panic about how something is done, only to realize it's absolutely safe and fine,' the 38-year-old told DailyMail.com.

And Ali is not the only one speaking out about her uniquely American experience.

Another mom Aly O, who lives in Germany with her three children after she grew up in Kansas, also took to TikTok to detail her 'culture shock' over her son's school safety measures.

The mom, who uses she/they pronouns, shared that they now didn't fear their daughter wearing light up shoes, that would make her an easier target for a gunman, to school.

'I didn't realize how much the threat of gun violence was integrated into these small, casual decisions and actions,' Aly, who is originally from Kansas, told DailyMail.com.

Here FEMAIL talks to the two mothers who have spoken out about the major differences in their children's overseas schooling experience compared to theirs in the US where they lived in fear following the devastating Nashville shooting.

Kansas mom-of-three living in Munich no longer fears her daughter wearing light up shoes that would make her an easier target

Aly O - who moved to Germany in 2019 - said she experienced a major 'culture shock' after learning about the laxer safety measures at her 13-year-old son's school.

They posted a TikTok video titled, 'School Safety Measures: USA v. Germany,' which had more than 420,000 views at the time of writing.

In the clip, the 33-year-old mom-of three, who was born in Kansas and later lived in Texas, revealed her son's school was 'unlocked, unlike in 85 per cent' of those in the US.

Aly, who uses her/they pronouns, posted a TikTok video titled, 'School Safety Measures: USA v. Germany'

'I don't have to sign in when I go to make sure I'm not perceived as an intruder or a threat, unlike in 90 per cent of US schools,' they continued.

'There's no armed guard or police officer like there was at my school when I was a child, and like there is in 75 per cent of US schools.

'No security cameras like there are in 86 per cent of US schools.'

Aly added that her son, who was born in the US, would 'never had to go through another lockdown or active shooter drill.'

They also revealed that they now didn't have to think twice about letting their daughter wear light up shoes.

'Because I'm no longer afraid that it will make her an easier target in the case of a school shooting,' Aly explained.

But she did say she had to 'buzz' herself into her daughter's daycare, but that was to 'keep the kids inside.'

Aly went on to reveal what safety measures Germany schools did have.

The mom also revealed she was now comfortable with buying light up shoes for her daughter. Before Aly would fear that it would make her an easier target

'There are secret buttons that teachers can push in the case of an emergency,' they said.

'The teachers, who are better paid and better rested, keep an eye out for the kids.

'Realizing all the security measures that I'd become accustomed to just weren't necessary in Germany was an adjustment, and from time to time I still find myself in a moment of panic when I realize that those security measures aren't present, even though I know they're not needed.'

Throughout her education, Aly told DailyMail.com she had a police officer assigned to her school and present on campus.

'In my middle school, the doors to the schools were always locked, except the front door which was connected to the front office personnel,' she said.

'In my high school, all visitors were required to sign in and wear a badge, as to avoid being mistaken for an intruder or threat. We also experienced active shooter drills in which an announcement would come over the intercom to "lockdown," the door to the classroom was locked, the lights were turned off, and students were instructed to hide the corner of the room away from the windows. We also experienced regular "locker" checks and backpack checks.

'These measures were a constant reminder of the threat of gun violence, which increased anxiety and stress not only for myself, but is known to do so in all students who must be subjected to these measures,' Aly added, citing Everytown research.

The mom's schooling experience was vastly different to the one that their son has in Germany.

'After immigrating to Germany and realizing that my son's schools implemented none of these safety measures, I experienced culture shock,' Aly told DailyMail.com.

The mom's schooling experience was vastly different to the one that their son has in Germany. Aly is pictured with her partner

Throughout her education, Aly told DailyMail.com she had a police officer assigned to her school and present on campus

When she arrived in Germany, she said she 'was immediately worried for my son's safety,' but she was put at ease after doing more research

'I was immediately worried for my son's safety. However, after researching Germany's lower gun violence rates, gun control laws, and the dramatically reduced occurrence of school shootings/violence, it became clear that most of these measures were unnecessary in Germany and throughout most, if not all, OECD countries.

'Still, every day that I let myself into my daughters' daycares, I can't help but be reminded of the locked door at my son's school, and my own as a child, in the USA. '

In Germany, mass shootings are rare with the most recent happening in 2020 when an extremist gunman killed nine people in Hanau and followed a separate incident in 2019 that ended in two people dead in Halle, according to the Financial Times.

Aly said her adjustment to how her children's schools operated when it came to safety was a 'slow series of light bulb moments.'

The mom recalled one time where they needed to collect their son early from school, but when they rang up to ask about the pick-up procedure, they were told they were 'welcome on campus any time.'

'When I entered the school, I went to find the office to sign in only to find the office empty, and a teacher in the hallway showed me where I could find where his class was located on campus,' she told DailyMail.com.

'I didn't realize how much the threat of gun violence was integrated into these small, casual decisions and actions.'

The two other things that Aly noticed that was different about her son's German school experience was the wearing of uniforms so it was 'easier to identify who is and is not a student/potential intruder,' and metal detectors in the US.

Missouri mom-of-four who moved to Dublin details 'panic' over her daughter's school having no security guard or locked doors

Aly's video was in response to another clip posted by TikTok creator Ali Fehr, who is from Kansas City, Missouri and moved to Dublin, Ireland in 2022.

'You wanna know a real thing that puts me, a US American, into a coma or at least a mild panic attack in Europe?' the 38-year-old mom-of-four begins her video, posted before the Nashville shooting, that has garnered more than 380,000 views so far.

'It's f***ing safety. I'm f***ing insane because I grew up in the United States.

'This morning my four-year-old forgot her jacket when I took her to school. That's fine, that's normal, no big deal.

'I brought it back to her... I came back to the school. I walked in through an unlocked door, down a hallway, with pictures of tiny little adorable children, hung up her jacket on a hook, turned around and walked out.

Aly's video was in response to another clip posted by TikTok creator Ali Fehr (pictured) who lives in Dublin, Ireland

@ali.fehr A real thing that actually gives this US American panic attacks in Europe.  original sound - Ali Fehr

'No one saw me, no one stopped me, nobody cared. The voice in my head is panicking. There's no security guard, there's no locked door, there's no buzzer, there's no armed cop.

'Do we need these things? No, no. Does my brain think we need these things? Yes. Because I'm f***ing insane because that's what I had when I grew up and because it is not safe where I'm from.

'I dunno maybe it's because school shootings just don't happen [in Ireland] so you don't have to panic. What a novelty.'

After turning off the comments on her initial video, Ali posted another video following the Nashville shooting, responding to people who thought it was 'very funny that children keep dying in the United States and how stupid Americans are because we keep letting it happen.'

'It's not funny and we have been screaming for years. My mom has been in an advocacy group for better gun control since the 1980s, I remember it as a kid,' she continued.

'Instead of laughing at the misfortune of people who were born in a place where their government refuses to change because of gun lobbies, I think we should fight. Tell me, how do we make it better?

'To be honest, that always seemed normal to me, and didn't strike me as weird at all until I had moved away,' Ali (pictured with her family) added

She said this way of life had triggered a 'panic' in her and her eldest daughter who call it their 'American moment'

'Because in 2014, my daughter and I saw someone shot in front of us. It wasn't at a school, but the same gun laws that would help protect school children, would've also helped that.

'We are sick... we have been fighting, the majority of us want this [gun violence to stop] and it's not funny to us, it is the lives of our family, our loved ones, our children, so stand with us.

'Instead of feeling superior, feel grateful to have been born in a place where children can go to school without the fear of dying.'

Ali has three girls - aged 17, 9 and 4 - and an 11-year-old boy.

Growing up she had an armed police officer who was on campus and more than one during high school.

'To be honest, that always seemed normal to me, and didn't strike me as weird at all until I had moved away. They were just always there,' Ali told DailyMail.com.

She said this way of life had triggered a 'panic' in her and her eldest daughter.

'My 17-year-old and I call this "an American moment," when you panic about how something is done, only to realize it's absolutely safe and fine. Despite living abroad for the last few years, every once in a while, my internal alarm will go off that a situation is dangerous,' Ali said.

'You saw the video - I had quite literally spent 10 minutes talking myself down from a panic attack right before I shot it. I had walked into my kids' school to drop off a jacket, and there was no barrier - no locked doors, no security, no front desk. There's a fence, but it's there to keep the kids in, it won't stop an adult.'

The family have also lived in Germany after leaving the US in 2019, but moved to Dublin in 2022

But after stopping to think about it, Ali said she realized the risk was not the same as it was in the US.

'There has never been a school shooting in Ireland. I don't need to be worried about where my kids would hide in the case of an active shooter, or explain to them why we need lock down drills or a police officer on site during school hours,' she said.

'I feel both incredibly lucky to be raising my kids outside the US and away from the very real risk of school shootings, and at the same time absolutely heartbroken for every family still living with that fear.

She continued: 'I also feel really angry, because the US has stricter security standards in place than the other two countries [Germany and Ireland] we've lived in, and it doesn't seem to keep the kids safe, at all.'

The two US moms' videos come as the country grapples with the fallout of the Nashville school shooting where six people, including three children, were killed on Monday.

A former student of the Covenant School gunned down three 9-year-olds and three adults in a shooting spree.

The assailant has been identified as 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale.
A dad has sparked a debate online about what counts as obscene language after revealing his 11-year-old son was suspended from school for saying a rude word.

Posted to Reddit on a page called AskUK, the disgruntled British parent posed the question and explained the situation he currently found himself in.

He wrote: Got a call yesterday to say my 11-year-old was being suspended for the rest of the day after he had an outburst of "obscenely sexual" language in class.'

Expanding further, he said that his son had mentioned 'teabagging', which can refer to an oral sex act, but it's also a term used in gaming where a player celebrates killing another character by crouching over their dead body and bouncing up and down.

He said: The children were learning stuff about WWI and the teacher pointed to my son and requested he finish the thing she was talking about.

A dad has asked for advice after his son was suspended from school for saying a rude word in response to a teacher's question (stock photo)

'She cut herself off at a part about trench warfare and asked him about what would happen when an enemy soldier was captured in the trenches.

Now my son being somewhat of a joker replied "they teabagged them" - yeah ok, not the answer the teacher hoped for but I feel it was a tad extreme to accuse him of using "obscenely sexual" language and then suspending him.

'Tea-bagging' is a sexual term to describe the act of placing testicles in the mouth of another person, often repeatedly, raising and lowering it like you would dipping a tea bag in a mug.

The dad then opened it up to the discussion asking if anyone else thought that tea-bagging was obscenely sexual language and should he have been suspended.

Parents, teachers and strangers rushed to the comments section to give their views with many criticising the dad for his sons behaviour.

One person wrote: 'I don't think it's that obscene. But I don't think it's ok for your child to say that, the fact he felt confident to say it to the whole class shows me he is a bit of a class clown so the teacher might just be tired of his behaviour.

'One day suspension isn't that bad either. I would have just accepted it and moved on and just make sure your son stops disrupting the class.'

Another commented: 'Well, being sent home for the rest of the day is hardly "suspended".

Expanding further, he said that his son had mentioned 'teabagging', which can refer to an oral sex act

'But one other thing - I wouldn't take his word for it, that that's what he actually said.'

A third added: 'Teacher here. I would define teabagging as obscene language.

'Whether or not it warrants a day suspension depends on the schools behaviour policy - ask to see it.'

'Well - not the worst language BUT grossly offensive for a 11 year old in a school setting,' another wrote.

'As a father of a 10 year old myself, what he said would be unacceptable in the school environment.

Parents, teachers and strangers rushed to the comments section to give their views with many criticising the dad for his sons behaviour

'Sounds like he thinks hes that class clown that everyone rolls their eyes at?

'Hopefully he learnt yesterday that he does not want to be that guy?'

Another added: 'If someone said this in my classroom, I'd probably go down the lower line of punishment.

'Written punishment to be signed by parents or maybe break/lunch detention.

'The word is so deeply rooted in gaming culture for insulting a defeated enemy that I would be surprised if they even thought about or realised the sexual definition.

'Given the context of the lesson, it's 100 per cent a gaming reference he's making. I'd say they went overboard.'
A Filipino tattoo artist who has been carrying out the practice for more than nine decades has become Vogue's new cover star at the age of 106.

Apo Whang-Od, also known as Maria Oggay, is a master at hand-tapping tattoos and has been perfecting the art since she was a teenager.

As she appears on the cover of Vogue Philippines, she has become the oldest ever star of the global fashion magazine, knocking off the previous title holder, then-85-year-old Dame Judi Dench.

The tattooist is from the mountain village of Buscalan, which is 15 hours north of the country's capital Manila in the Kalinga province and is thought to be the country's oldest traditional Kalinga tattooist - also known as a mambabatok.

She creates her designs using a bamboo stick, a thorn from a pomelo tree, water and coal.

Tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, 106, has graced the cover of Vogue Philippines on its beauty issue, becoming the oldest ever cover star of the global fashion magazine

In a social media post, Vogue Philippines said: 'Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribesignifying strength, bravery, and beautyon the skin of thousands of people who have made the pilgrimage to Buscalan.'

The tattoos are dated back to the days of indigenous Butbut warriors, who earnt the inkings for service.

But now the centenarian artist attracts visitors from all around the world who seek out her geometric designs.

As the art of creating the tattoos can only be passed down to blood relatives, Whang-Od is currently teaching the younger generation in her family how to practice the art.

The centenarian (pictured in 2012) is the oldest-known traditional Kalinga tattooist - also known as a mambabatok

The tattoo artist is herself inked all over in geometric patterns and has been practicing the art since she was a teenager

Whang-Od, who is also known as Maria Oggay, receives clients from all over the world who travel to be inked by her

The centenarian carries out the practice using bamboo sticks, tree thorns, water and coal and is currently teaching her grand-nieces the practice

For several years, she has been training her grand-nieces, Elyang Wigan and Grace Palicas.

In 2017, the tattooist told CNN travel: '(My friends who gave tattoos) have all passed away.'

'I'm the only one left alive that's still giving tattoos. But I'm not afraid that the tradition will end because (I'm training) the next tattoo masters.'

She added: 'The tradition will continue as long as people keep coming to get tattoos.'

Whang-Od continued that she would continue to give other people tattoos as long as her vision was clear.

The editor-in-chief of Vogue Philippines, Bea Valdes, said it was a unanimous decision among staff at the publication to put Whang-Od on the cover.

She said the tattooist represented everything that was 'beautiful' about Filipino culture.

'We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve, and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity,' Valdes said.

Following the publication of the cover, the Instagram account for the tattooist posted the photo with the caption: 'Beauty embracing culture. Beauty transcending age. Beauty is not modern, it is timeless.'

In 2018, Apo Whang-Od appeared in Tatler Asia. Speaking to the publication at the time, Whang-Od's grand-niece Elyang said: 'My Apo is the strongest, bravest woman Ive ever known. Ive spent my whole life trying to be just like her.

'Its like shes the foundation of our whole community. We all know that when she dies, everything will change.'
Lady Kitty Spencer's fashion tycoon husband Michael Lewis has been spotted at his sister-in-law Lady Amelia's glamorous wedding celebrations in South Africa.

Princess Diana's niece Amelia and Greg Mallett, both 30, tied the knot at exclusive venue La Cotte Farm, which offers a 'unique winelands experience', on March 21.

But photographs from the lavish event are still emerging online, with the bride's twin sister, Lady Eliza Spencer, recently posting a host of stunning images of 'more pre-wedding fun' to her Instagram account.

One of the snaps seems to offer a rare sighting of her elusive brother-in-law Michael, who unlike Eliza and Amelia, prefers to stay out of the spotlight. He is seldom photographed publicly with his wife's family.

In the picture, the businessman, 64, who is photographed chatting to a group of guests including Amelia, dons a cream linen suit with a crisp white shirt, while holding a beverage.

Lady Kitty Spencer's fashion tycoon husband Michael Lewis has been spotted at his sister-in-law Lady Amelia's glamorous wedding celebrations in South Africa. In a picture from a pre-wedding event (pictured), the businessman, 64, who is photographed chatting to a group of guests including Amelia, dons a cream linen suit with a crisp white shirt

Amelia was dazzling in a glittering white sequin dress as she enjoyed her pre-wedding celebrations.

In one snap from the event, Amelia could be seen wearing a halter-neck shimmering gown, sweeping her blonde locks into a ponytail to reveal the dramatic scooped back.

Her new husband Greg appeared to be beaming in another photograph, donning a smart black suit with an open neck shirt and a pair of cool white trainers for the occasion.

Hairdresser Jack Merrick-Thirlway shared a number of snaps on Instagram as he posed with the couple and their loved ones.

Posting a photograph with Amelia, he called her 'the most beautiful bride.' Meanwhile sharing a picture of the newlywed Greg, he said: 'I mean, just look at him!'

A third photograph showed Amelia's twin sister Eliza, who was dressed in an elegant strapless blue gown.

Model Kitty, 32, caught the eye of business tycoon Michael when they met through mutual friends in 2018, and got married in a sumptuous Italian wedding ceremony on 24 July 2021.

Kitty, who is the niece of the late Princess Diana, has made a name for herself in the fashion world, as a model for Dolce & Gabbana, who supplied five dresses for her wedding, and walking in several Fashion Weeks across the globe.

Lady Kitty Spencer, 32, tied the knot with South African business tycoon Michael Lewis in 2021 in Italy - pictured in July 2021 before their honeymoon

Lady Amelia Spencer, 30, was dazzling in a glittering white sequin dress as she enjoyed a pre-wedding celebration in South Africa

Princess Diana 's niece, 30, and her fiance Greg Mallett, 30, tied the knot at exclusive venue La Cotte Farm, which offers a 'unique winelands experience' (pictured, Greg with a guest)

Meanwhile, Michael knows a thing or two about fashion as well, being the chairman of the Foschini Group, which owns British high street chains Whistles and Phase Eight.

The tycoon is believed to be worth 80million, with a 19million property in London and another home in his native South Africa, where his wife grew up after her father, Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer and his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, divorced.

Amelia and her sister Eliza shared a number of snaps as they kicked off wedding celebrations in Cape Town last month.

The bride-to-be looked suitably stylish in a silk halter neck white gown while her partner of 11 years was smart in a white shirt and blue suit trousers.

The happy couple posed for photos next to the pool and shared images of them exchanging kisses and loving looks on their Instagram Stories.

Posting a photo of his future wife with her arms wrapped around him, Greg gushed to his 8,400 followers: 'You'll never not make me laugh. And I will never stop looking at you in awe.'

The groom then finished off his loving post with a single red love heart emoji and tagged Amelia - who then re-shared it with her 48,400 followers.

Wedding guest Jacinta Spencer - who is a makeup artist friend and not a direct relation - also posted a photo of Lady Amelia posing on the terrace as the sun set behind her.

A third photograph showed Amelia's twin sister Lady Eliza, who was dressed in an elegant strapless blue dress (pictured)

She wrote: 'The most beautiful pre-wedding reception for you. I love you with all my heart.'

On March 21, the couple tied the knot in spectacular fashion at the Cape Town venue.

While there are no prices available online for hiring out the venue, prices to stay in the main villa on the farm cost from 950 per night in the low season.

The farm, which is a stones throw from Franschhoek, dates back to 1698. It was among the first of the eleven Huguenot Farms granted to the French immigrants who fled their native country during the 17th century.

The on-site accommodation can house 102 guests, in-house catering, bar facilities, a hands-on venue manager who promises couples to oversee the running of the events.

Meanwhile there are also staff who will assist with setup and direct contact with trusted decor suppliers and other vendors.

Lady Amelia and Greg have previously attended a number of weddings at the venue for other friends and loved ones.
The Commissioners of the Competition Commission have stayed the proceedings in the matters of alleged collusion by the United Investments Ltd (UIL) in respect of the supply of fertilisers. UIL made a motion for a permanent stay of the proceedings to the Commission, on ground of abuse of process as the Executive Directors decision to grant access to the investigation file (disclosure) came too late.

Three out of the panel of four Commissioners hearing the matter ruled in favour of granting the stay of proceedings and not to go ahead with hearing the matter on merits believing that doing so would vitiate principles of justice and fairness. The Vice Chairperson, however, issued a dissenting opinion stating that in his view, the late disclosure of the investigation file did not prejudice UIL. These come after the Executive Director had investigated Mauritius Chemical & Fertilizers Industry Ltd (MCFI) (now Ingenia) and UIL for cartel conduct and recommended fines totalling Rs.71 million on UIL and Rs.5 million on MCFI.

The decision together with the dissenting opinion has been published in the Government Gazette and is also available on the website of the Competition Commission.

Background of the Investigations

The Executive Director of the Competition Commission launched investigations in the supply of chemical fertilisers in Mauritius. The competition concern was whether the two suppliers, namely MCFI and UIL through its subsidiaries [Island Fertilisers Ltd (IFL) and Island Renewable Fertilisers Ltd (IRFL)], have illegally agreed to fix price and share the market for the supply of chemical fertilisers to customers in Mauritius. It is to be noted that price fixing and market sharing agreements referred to as a cartel, are prohibited in Mauritius under section 41 of the Competition Act 2007 (the Act) and such conducts are penalised with fines.

Consequently, on the basis of leniency information submitted by MCFI, the Executive Director assessed whether MCFI and UIL had participated in bid rigging by agreeing amongst themselves on the price, and terms and conditions to be submitted in response to the invitation for tenders issued by sugar estates.

It is to be highlighted that bid rigging occurs when suppliers, instead of submitting their offers independently and competitively, agree amongst themselves on the price or conditions they would offer, or they agree on who would submit a bid, so as to eliminate competition between tenderers. Bid rigging is prohibited under section 42 of the Act and penalised by fines as per section 59 of the Act.

After completion of the investigations, the Executive Directors reports of investigation were submitted to the Commissioners of the Competition Commission in June 2018, for determination of the cases. The Executive Directors investigation found that UIL has participated in collusive agreement prohibited under section 41 of the Act and it has also participated in bid rigging in breach of section 42 of the Act. The Executive Director recommended the imposition of financial penalties totalling Rs 71 million on the UIL for the breaches as per section 59 of the Act.

The Decision of the Commission

The Commissioners issued their decision on 13 February 2023. It is noted that between June 2018 and beginning 2022, a number of preliminary issues were addressed by the Commissioners before a substantive hearing was eventually fixed for 20 April 2022. At the hearing on 20 April 2022, the Executive Director informed the Commission, at the very outset of the hearing, that he will grant UIL access to the investigation file as previously sought by the latter. UIL applied for a stay of proceedings on the ground that the Executive Directors decision to grant access to the investigation file was not made in proper time and came too late and therefore amounted to an abuse of process. The Executive Director resisted UILs application and submissions were made to that effect.

By a majority of three against one, the Commissioners firstly determined that the Competition Commission derives an inherent power to stay proceedings which is necessary for the effective discharge of its adjudicatory function in order to protect the integrity of its process. The majority of the Commissioners held that the proceedings could not progress further with the substantive hearing since UIL did not have the opportunity to consider the disclosure proposed by the Executive Director prior to the hearing.

The Commissioners also held that they were not in a position to ascertain whether an alternative lesser remedy would be more just and proportionate, stating that there is an overriding principle that a party must be afforded a fair hearing within reasonable time and that as an adjudicative organ, the Commission has the sacrosanct duty to uphold the principles of natural justice, ensure fairness between parties, protect the integrity of its proceedings, and in so doing to ensure public confidence in its administration of justice.

The Commissioners thus decided that the proceedings against UIL be permanently stayed.

Dissenting Opinion

The Vice Chairperson issued a dissenting opinion, finding that an order for a stay of proceedings was not warranted, opining that a stay is a remedy to be exercised with utmost caution and as a last resort. According to the Vice Chairperson, the stay of proceedings was not justified in the circumstances since the Executive Director was willing to provide access to his investigation file so that UIL would have relevant information from the case file at its disposal to prepare its defence. Thus, the integrity of the judicial system of the Competition Commission had not been compromised. The fact that the proceedings might in that respect take some more time does not, according to the Vice Chairperson, cause any prejudice to UIL or to the proceedings.

Moreover, with respect to the publication of a media release on the investigation, the Vice Chairperson is of the view that the Commission should not direct the Executive Director regarding the exercising of his powers under section 30 of the Act. The Vice Chairperson was of the view that the media release did not single out UIL as alleged by the latter and therefore could not have a prejudicial effect on the proceedings or affect the impartiality of the Commission. Nonetheless, having expressed his dissenting opinion, the Vice Chairperson stated that he would abide by the majority decision.

Appeal by the Executive Director

Being dissatisfied with the decision of the Commission and having regard to the dissenting opinion, the Executive Director has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The Executive Director will therefore not make any comment since the matter is sub judice

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A mother revealed a giant 20lb ovarian cyst that made her look pregnant was removed before it crushed her lungs and she was 'suffocated from the inside out'.

Kenya Smith, from Utah, said she started having trouble going to the loo, could no longer sleep on her stomach and had discomfort after eating last May so visited a doctor.

She claims doctors were left scratching their heads as her stomach continued to balloon, and her tummy eventually became so big that she was constantly mistaken for being pregnant - and was asked around 50 times when she was due.

After several months passed with no answers, the content creator booked her own ultrasound and CT scan, which revealed she had an ovarian cyst - a fluid-filled sac on her right ovary.

The mother-of-three eventually had the life-saving surgery in November to drain ten litres of liquid from the cyst, saying: 'It was life-saving surgery. If it wasn't treated it would have kept on growing and crushed my lungs, so I would have suffocated from the inside out.'

Kenya Smith, from Orem, Utah, revealed a giant 20lb ovarian cyst that made her look pregnant was removed before it crushed her lungs and she was 'suffocated from the inside out' (left, before, and right, while suffering from the cyst)

The mother-of-three eventually had the life-saving surgery in November to drain ten litres of liquid from the cyst before it was removed along with her right ovary and fallopian tube (pictured after surgery)

Kenya said that she had her youngest last March and that her stomach never really went down after she gave birth.

But it started getting bigger once she stopped breastfeeding around six months later.

Kenya said: 'The main symptoms that made me go to the doctor were having a hard time going to the bathroom and I like to sleep on my stomach sometimes and I couldn't lay on my stomach.

'Every time I'd eat I'd have discomfort where I'd feel really full.

'I had no idea what the symptoms were. I was wondering what was going on because I'd never had anything like this before.

'I thought maybe it was a gastro problem, my abs didn't come back together after having a baby or that maybe I'd developed a food allergy.

'I went to five different specialists - an obstetrics doctor, pelvic floor specialist, an allergist, a naturalist, a gastroenterologist, before I finally scheduled my own ultrasound and CT scan.

'I was pretty persistent even before it started to get bigger - I was at the doctors, googling everything and using social media to ask for help.

'I saw a girl whose stomach looked very similar to mine and she had fibroids, which are benign tumours that can grow on your uterus.

'I thought 'oh my gosh, that looks like my stomach'. That initially made me think I don't have time to wait for all these doctors to figure it out, I needed an ultrasound as soon as possible.'

Kenya claims that at its largest, she was in pain as it crushed on her ribs, she became exhausted and survived on smoothies for three weeks as there was no room in her abdomen.

Kenya admitted that her stomach started getting bigger once she stopped breastfeeding around six months

Kenya said her growing stomach made her look pregnant and she showed off her figure in August 2022 in a gym selfie

After several months passed with no answers, the content creator booked her own ultrasound and CT scan, which revealed she had an ovarian cyst - a fluid-filled sac on her right ovary

Kenya said she was constantly asked if she was pregnant (pictured, with her ovarian cyst in November 2022 three days before having it removed)

Since the op, Kenya says she feels 'like a new person' and is now urging women to advocate for themselves and their health, given that 'we know our bodies better than anybody else'.

She said: 'For me it was an emergency to get it out because I literally was starving because I couldn't eat anything because there was no more room in my abdomen for my stomach to grow.

'I was in so much pain and so miserable at the end. I was drinking smoothies for around three weeks, taking laxatives and was so malnourished.

'My stomach was growing at a really fast and alarming rate the last few weeks before my surgery. It was really scary.

'It was like having a pregnant belly but it was soft and squishy, so it didn't feel like one. I was bigger than when I was nine months pregnant.

'People constantly mistook me for being pregnant. I probably got asked over 50 times when I was due or if I was having a boy or a girl.

'I felt bad because I finally stopped telling people that I wasn't pregnant because it would make them feel so terrible because I did look pregnant, I would have thought that I was too.'

Kenya said: 'I have a newborn and two toddlers that I'm keeping up with and taking to all their activities. Physically it was exhausting, especially towards the end.

The TikToker had the surgery at the beginning of November and said that the last time her stomach was measured it was 35cm vertically

Kenya beamed with her husband Mark Smith, 31, who is the president of a pest control company

Since her surgery to remove the cyst, Kenya's body has returned to her usual figure (pictured left, one day after surgery, and right, four weeks after)

The mother-of-three said she wants to really encourage women to advocate for themselves and push for their health and the things they need

'When it started to crush my ribs it hurt so badly. Physically it was hard, but mentally I think it was the hardest. I felt like my body was foreign and not my own.

'I couldn't get doctors to figure it out, that was the most frustrating part.

'They'd be like 'ok, we'll see you in a month' after a check-up and I was like 'let's not wait a month, let's figure this out now or tomorrow'.

'I didn't ever stop going out but towards the end when I was very large I definitely didn't go out as much.

'I didn't want people to keep asking me how far along I was and when I was going to have this non-baby.

WHAT IS AN OVARIAN CYST? Most ovarian cysts occur naturally and go away in a few months without needing any treatment. An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac that develops on an ovary. They're very common and do not usually cause any symptoms. Ovarian cysts may affect both ovaries at the same time, or only one. An ovarian cyst usually only causes symptoms if it splits (ruptures), is very large or blocks the blood supply to the ovaries. In these cases, you may have: pelvic pain, pain during sex, difficulty emptying your bowels, a frequent need to urinate, heavy periods, irregular periods or lighter periods than normal, bloating and a swollen tummy, feeling very full after only eating a little or difficulty getting pregnant  although fertility is usually unaffected by ovarian cysts. The two main types of ovarian cyst are: functional ovarian cysts  cysts that develop as part of the menstrual cycle and are usually harmless and short-lived; these are the most common type or pathological ovarian cysts  cysts that form as a result of abnormal cell growth; these are much less common. Source: NHS Advertisement

The TikToker had the surgery at the beginning of November and said that the last time her stomach was measured it was 35cm vertically.

She said: 'I felt really good and like a new person the day after my surgery. The relief I felt was huge.'

The mother-of-three regularly shares TikTok videos about her ovarian cyst, and has amassed over 130,000 likes in the process.

Kenya said: 'I feel like a lot of times women push through things because we really are so strong.

'Women handle things well and deal with pain well - we have menstrual periods, cramps, babies and other health things.

'I think sometimes we push through pain and symptoms but I also want to really encourage women to advocate for themselves and push for their health and the things they need.

'We know our bodies better than anybody else - better than any doctor or professional.

'We know when there's a problem and we can't let people gaslight us or make us feel like we're being oversensitive because most of the time we're not, because women are strong.

'We deal with a lot of really hard things so when there's something wrong we need to advocate to get the help we need.'
He's left the BBC to present a new show on Greatest Hits Radio (GHR) - but who are the supportive loved ones surrounding Ken Bruce during the move?

The veteran Scottish broadcaster, 72, is best known for hosting the mid-morning Radio 2 show from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 2023.

But in January 2023 he announced that he would be leaving the Beeb after 31 years to join rival commercial station GHR.

Here, FEMAIL reveals how many children Ken has as they no doubt continue to support him throughout his career.

How many children does Ken have?

Ken shares three children with his current and third wife Kerith: son Murray, 21, who is autistic and non-verbal, daughter Verity, 18, and son Charlie, 15. Pictured, Ken, Murray and Kerith

Ken has six children - Verity, Murray, Campbell, Douglas, Charlie, and Kate, aged from 42 to 15.

He shares three children with his current and third wife Kerith: son Murray, 21, who is autistic and non-verbal, daughter Verity, 18, and son Charlie, 15.

Caring for Murray means that Ken and Kerith rarely go out as a couple  a snatched lunch together is a huge treat - but the family enjoy holidays en masse.

Before lockdown they all went to Venice, this year theyre taking a Mediterranean cruise, according to The Daily Mail's Jan Moir for Weekend Magazine.

In 2009, Ken opened up about raising Murray in a Daily Mail comment piece, explaining: 'I can't pretend [his diagnosis] wasn't a blow. It was not easy to accept I had an autistic son.

'Some say that after such a diagnosis you have to grieve for your lost child. I don't like the terminology.

'Yes, you regret the lost opportunities and the changes it will mean to family life. I remember one of my early reactions was sadness that I wouldn't be able to tell him bad jokes and hear him laugh. But my child is not lost. He is simply different.'

He continued: 'At home, he can be a handful. He has hyperactive tendencies; he seems constantly on the move and is a born climber.

Ken Bruce with ex wife Anne and daughter Kate in 1993. Ken has six children - Verity, Murray, Campbell, Douglas, Charlie, and Kate, aged from 42 to 15

'...The house doors must be kept locked as he has escaped in the past. Some internal doors are kept bolted as he has a strong affinity with water and would flood the bathroom and kitchen if he got the chance.

'To combat this, we give him controlled water play at the kitchen sink. The rest of the time, the taps are kept tied up.

'We need eyes in the back of our heads, but anticipating what he'll be doing and where he'll be can make life simpler. And checking quickly when things have become suspiciously quiet is always wise.

'But for all the worries, the constant state of alert, the mopping up of mess and the moments of sheer exasperation, we wouldn't change much. Autistic children are capable of great affection and our little boy is a great hugger and smiler.'

Do they all live together?

Ken and his wife Kerith (pictured) and their three children all live together in an Oxfordshire village, where theyve had to put locks on all the bathrooms because Murray likes to turn on all the taps and leave them running

Ken and his wife Kerith and their three children all live together in an Oxfordshire village, where theyve had to put locks on all the bathrooms because Murray likes to turn on all the taps and leave them running.

Its not a hardship, its not trouble. He used to run off when he was little, but hes in the house all the time now and hes sensible, said Ken.

Home is a detached, five-bedroom house in a quiet street, with Ken explaining: 'Ive been married three times and have six children. Im lucky I have a roof over my head at all. Its a nice house, but it isnt a mansion.'
Jenna Bush Hager revealed she's been a bridesmaid 14 times over the years.

The Today star, 41, made the confession on Monday's show after she and her co-host Hoda Kotb watched a snippet of Quinta Brunson's hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch of a parody documentary about joining a bridesmaid cult.

The spoof Netflix trailer highlights the horrors a group of women endured after they agreed to be in their friends' bridal party, from the never-ending group texts to the cost of the bachelorette party.

'I think someone who will relate to this completely is you,' Kotb, 58, told Bush Hager, noting that most women have only been a bridesmaid a handful of times, herself included.

'Now in your young life, Ms. Jenna Bush Hager, how many times have you been a bridesmaid?' she asked.

Jenna Bush Hager, 41, revealed on the Today show Monday that she has been a bridesmaid a whopping 14 times over the years

Bush Hager's co-star Hoda Kotb, 58, pointed out that 14 people consider her to be one of their best friends. 'Some of them probably don't anymore,' she replied

In 2018, Bush Hager was her twin sister Barbara Bush's matron of honor when she married her husband, Craig Coyne, at their family's estate in Kennebunkport, Maine

Check out Quinta Brunsons hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch of a parody documentary about joining a bridesmaid cult. pic.twitter.com/W3e3YTePes  TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 3, 2023

'Fourteen. Fourteen times,' Bush Hager replied.

She was about to add that she hadn't been a bridesmaid in years, but Kotb cut her off and pointed out that 14 people consider her to be one of their best friends.

'Some of them probably don't anymore,' Bush Hager claimed.

'[It's] because I'm from Texas, where people got married early, and then you kind of [drift apart]. That's what [the sketch] is talking about. Preying on college roommates,' the University of Texas graduate joked.

'I loved everybody whose wedding I've been in. I don't know if I can name all of them sitting right here, but that's the reason why,' she explained. 'I don't mean that in a mean way. I just mean that in a way. I just mean that in the truth.

'But I was happy to do it  and by the way, bachelorette parties are so fun. The problem is you grow out of them.'

Kotb was curious about what she did with all of her old bridesmaid dresses, but she admitted she doesn't know.

Check out Quinta Brunsons hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch of a parody documentary about joining a bridesmaid cult. pic.twitter.com/W3e3YTePes  TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 3, 2023

Bush Hager insisted she was in so many weddings merely because she grew up and went to college in Texas, 'where people got married early'

Bush Hager admitted that she isn't sure she can name every wedding she's been in. She also added that there weren't any bridesmaid dresses she liked

Following her bridesmaid confession, Bush Hager took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a slideshow of pictures from the past month, including her family's spring break vacation

The proud mom shared a selfie she took with her daughter Mila and a snapshot of her son, Hal, wearing her sunglasses

Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, struck a pose during their tropical getaway

The couple appeared to be on vacation with friends last month

Another photo from their getaway shows a line of seven children in red life vests standing on the deck of a boat

'Were there any that you liked?' her co-star asked.

'No! Everybody says you'll wear it again. You'll shorten it. You'll wear it again. You're never going to wear it again!' the former first daughter insisted.

It's unclear the last time Bush Hager was a bridesmaid, but she made it seem as though she hadn't been in a wedding in years.

In 2018, she was her twin sister Barbara Bush's matron of honor when she married her husband, Craig Coyne, at their family's estate in Kennebunkport, Maine.

Following her bridesmaid confession, Bush Hager took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a slideshow of pictures from the past month, including her family's spring break vacation.

Both she and Kotb were absent from the Today show from March 20 through March 24 while their children were off from school.

The slideshow was set to Miley Cyrus' hit Flowers and started with a family photo.

Bush Hager posted plenty of pictures of her three kids hugging and playing around on their deck overlooking the ocean

Both Bush Hager and Kotb were absent from the Today show from March 20 through March 24 while their children were off from school

The Read with Jenna book club founder also included images from her life in Connecticut. In one sweet snapshot, her husband and son, Hal, are in a canoe on a pond

Bush Hager and her husband worked up a sweat with her fitness trainer, Amanda Bartolomeo

Another photo shows their cat, Holly, wearing a cone inside their house

Bush Hager also shared snapshots from her recent trip to England

Bush Hager didn't share any details about the pictures in the caption, simply writing, 'March madness!'

In the first snapshot, Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, are cuddled on a sofa with their three children, Mila, nine, Poppy, seven, and Hal, three, in what appears to be a dining room at a resort.

Another photo from their getaway shows a line of seven children in red life vests standing on the deck of a boat.

Bush Hager snapped a selfie with her lookalike daughter Mila during the tropical getaway, as well as pictures of her three kids hugging and playing around on their deck overlooking the ocean.

The Read with Jenna book club founder also included images from her recent jaunt to England and her life at home in Connecticut.

In one sweet snapshot, her husband and son, Hal, are in a canoe on a pond, while another shows their cat, Holly, wearing a cone inside their house.

Bush Hager didn't share any details about the pictures in the caption, simply writing, 'March madness!'
When I'm invited to chic sit-down lunches or cocktail parties with members of West London's elite, my bijou Hermes Kelly bag is a must. It's in a vibrant, high-vis yellow and has enough room for my phone, a small umbrella, a card holder and not much else.

It allows me to swan about stylishly for a few enchanted hours, unhindered by the trappings of daily life, as though I did not have school drop-off right before or Pilates right after. My sought-after top-handle Kelly is most certainly not 'ludicrously capacious'.

This is a phrase that's currently doing the rounds on social media, thanks to the latest series of hit television drama Succession, which charts the lives of the super-rich Roy dynasty.

Shiv Roy's husband, Tom, snobbishly uses it to describe a party guest's cross-body Burberry bag.

Speaking to cousin Greg, who brought his date Bridget to his billionaire uncle Logan Roy's birthday party, Tom mocks the size of the girl's ostentatious, boxy handbag and jokes that she must be carrying 'flat shoes for the subway' inside it.

In other words, the Burberry's proportions define her as not super rich, rather someone who has to take the subway. As a result, bulky bags have come under fire as the ultimate fashion faux-pas.

But true fashion insiders will attest that big is fine  as long as it's for daytime. In fact, the coolest catwalk labels  everyone from Bottega Veneta to Balenciaga  went large when it came to this season's bags.

But you must go small for social events. So the real power move is to employ several designer bags.

Start large, keeping one inside the other like Russian dolls. Each outer shell is shed as the day goes on. Then you'll be ready to face any event that comes your way  including an encounter with Logan Roy.

I am 5ft 9in, and so I can get away with carrying something quite commodious. And go as big as you can is my motto  in life as well as handbags.

At the moment, I am using a perforated leather Fendi tote with tortoiseshell handles, but anything weatherproof and roomy is good. A large brown embossed Louis Vuitton is another favourite.

If your budget won't stretch to either of those, Arket or & Other Stories on the High Street do great roomy totes at more purse-friendly prices.

Both the Vuitton and Fendi measure at least 40cm across and, I'll wager, are as large as  if not larger than  poor Bridget's lambasted Burberry.

My bags are often the subject of gentle ribbing, too. Whenever someone goes quiet on social media, my friends joke that I must have stashed them away in one of my big bags. That said, those same friends have come begging to borrow a bag of mine on more than one occasion. .

As well as the selection of smaller bags, inside the big one you'll find snacks for my kids, a half-eaten protein bar for me, and a book (I'm always convinced that I'll find a spare half-hour).

No flat shoes to change into for me, though, as at my height they're all I ever wear.

I am 5ft 9in, and so I can get away with carrying something quite commodious. And go as big as you can is my motto  in life as well as handbags. Pictured: Shruti Advani

Pictured: Succession's Burberry bag

The next largest bag inside my Fendi is a men's wash bag from Louis Vuitton. In this I stash hand sanitiser, a packet of tissues, sunglasses, hand cream, Rescue Remedy spray and my AirPods.

Recently, I have added a travel-sized Pantene dry shampoo, as well as a pair of leather gloves.

The next handbag in my arsenal, such as the Hermes Kelly, is decorative, most likely to be expensive  and matched with the day's outfit.

These will inevitably be the fiddly ones with lots of buttons and zips, in an eye-catching colour or featuring beautiful embroidery. The type of bag that looks totally impractical  and (top tip!) often ends up on sale as a result.

Inside the Kelly (or whatever the bag of the day is) goes a teeny black quilted Chanel card-holder.

These are among the cheapest items in any designer's range, but are undoubtedly the most useful. Mine is so old the leather has softened beautifully  and so has stretched beyond its original size.

It has various slots for my driving licence, store loyalty cards, debit and credit cards.

This means I'm never that annoying person fumbling at the turnstile on the Tube, looking for a card to tap, while everyone else just wants to catch the train.

And yes, in London, absolutely everyone uses the Underground to get around the capital, so there's no point sneering at it like Tom in Succession.

My local stop serves celebrities as well as lesser mortals. On the other hand, I consider it one of life's blessings that I have never had to 'ride the subway' when visiting the Big Apple. A big bag may well save your life if you find yourself forced to ride one of those; use it to stave off would-be muggers.

So, while Bridget in Succession wasn't wrong to own or, indeed, carry a capacious bag, she did break high society's golden rule: always check your bulky bag (with your coat carefully folded up inside) into the cloakroom. And remember never to take the outer bag into the inner circle.
Now, FEMAIL reveals the food items that have come off menus

Fast-food menus are constantly changing, and while many delicious food chains have blasted out some delicious meals, others have axed a few fan-favorite dishes.

Just like fashion, the fast-food industry moves fast, and sometimes that means that some beloved dishes may be on the chopping block.

Restaurants also often cut their serving list in half when attempting to cut costs.

Recently, beloved food giant McDonald's temporarily shut down all of its U.S. offices in preparation to share layoff messages with employees across across the country.

After the fast-food giant hinted they would be taking a closer look at the menu items it can do without, FEMAIL has laid bare the other instances foodies were sent into a state of despair when they were no longer able to order their favorite meal.

Too many spuds? KFC sparked outrage when it removed potato wedges from its menu

The popular chicken chain had been serving its famous potato wedges for years, with foodies drooling over the delicious menu item, but in 2020, they were wiped from the menu

The popular chicken chain had been serving its famous potato wedges for years, with foodies drooling over the delicious menu item.

However, in 2020, the beloved potatoes were wiped from the menu.

They were replaced with a new item - 'Secret Recipe Fries.'

A KFC representative told Business Insider, 'While we know there are wedge-lovers out there who may be disappointed, consumer response to our Secret Recipe Fries during the test and the rollout has been overwhelmingly positive.'

Customers were furious with the switch, with many of them begging the chicken joint to 'bring back wedges.'

Another day, another menu item slashed! McDonald's took away the grilled chicken sandwich in addition to the other menu items

In addition to the nuggets, McDonald's also axed the famous grilled chicken sandwich from their menu

In addition to the nuggets, McDonald's also axed the famous grilled chicken sandwich from their menu.

And while many people viewed the sandwich as a healthier alternative, it didn't receive raving reviews from customers, causing the fast food giant to wipe it from the menu.

The grilled chicken sandwich was said to have a 'burnt rubber' consistency by customers.

The sandwich was slashed out the menu in during the pandemic, along with the other items.

During a virtual conference, CEO Chris Kempczinski said: 'We will certainly add things back to the menu. Whether it goes all the way back to where we were pre-COVID, I think that's probably unlikely.

Not healthy enough? Panera removed the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, despite it being a fan favorite

Panera is a fan-favorite for healthier takes on beloved fast-food items like sandwiches, and the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich was no different, however it was removed from menus

Panera is a fan-favorite for healthier takes on beloved fast-food items like sandwiches.

And Panera's Tuscan Chicken Sandwich was no different, with it being a major hit among foodies.

The sandwich was filled with chicken, mozzarella, Parmesan, arugula, tomato confit, and pesto mayo.

And although many customers couldn't get enough of it, in 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant removed the meal from the menu.

It also axed the Maple Bacon Scrambled Egg Wrap, and the Cheese Brittany.

'Bring back the Triple Deckeroni Pizza': Over twenty years later, foodies are still begging Pizza Hut to add the pie back to the menu

Pizza Hut launched the Triple Deckeroni pizza in 1997, and it quickly stole the hearts of food fanatics everywhere but was soon discontinued

Pizza Hut launched the Triple Deckeroni pizza in 1997, and it quickly stole the hearts of food fanatics everywhere.

It featured a thin-crust pie topped with a layer of cheese and pepperoni, then topped with another layer of thin-crust pizza and your choice of pizza toppings.

The late-'90s novelty fast food item held a permanent spot in customers' hearts, however the pizza chain never brought it back.

Over twenty years after it initially launched, fans are still going crazy for the pie.

There is even a Facebook page titled Bring Back The Triple Decker Pizza Hut that has over 2,000 followers and pays homage to the pie.

No healthy options here! McDonald's removes all salads from its menu

Salads have never been the most popular among food fanatics at the fast food joint, so it comes as no surprise they were axed from the menu

Salads have never been the most popular among food fanatics at the fast food joint, so it comes as no surprise they were axed from the menu.

The healthier options weren't a go-to meal for customers, so the restaurant opted to remove them entirely.

In a statement to Business Insider, Bill Garrett, McDonald's senior vice president of operations, said: 'To simplify operations in our kitchens and for our crew, and ensure the best possible experience for our customers, we are working with our franchisees and local restaurants to focus on serving our most popular choices and will begin temporarily removing some items from the menu.'

McDonald's never brought any salads back and seems to be focusing on their more-favored products.

'It was the best menu item': Customers were outraged when Subway removed roast beef and rotisserie chicken

In 2020, the Sandwich shop revealed it was removing rotisserie chicken and roast beef from the majority of its locations

In 2020, the Sandwich shop revealed it was removing rotisserie chicken and roast beef from the majority of its locations.

The announcement sparked furious outrage from customers, who called it the 'best menu item.'

At the time, people were raging on social media, with many of them begging the chain to 'bring back roast beef and the rotisserie chicken.'

Another person said: 'My wife works at a Subway... she says no roast beef is the biggest complaint they receive.

'She doesn't understand why they took it off the menu either if it's so popular.'

Too sweet for treats? Burger King removed the beloved gooey King Cini-Minis

In the late-'90s, the world was introduced to Burger King's delicious Cini-Minis, but the sweets didn't last forever

In the late-'90s, the world was introduced to Burger King's delicious Cini-Minis, but the sweets didn't last forever.

The miniature cinnamon rolls were said to be the 'perfect' treat, complete with a chewy center and even a side of extra icing.

Although the sugary bites were loved by everyone with a sweet tooth, the fast food chain decided to discontinue them.

Foodies were devastated and begged for Burger King to bring them back, however they seem to be gone for good.

Marketing isn't always enough, McDonald's Arch Deluxe burger was a major even though it had a $150 million marketing budget

Over twenty years ago, McDonald's splashed out $150 million on marketing the Arch Deluxe burger

Sometimes no matter how hard a restaurant tries to make a hit meal, it doesn't always stick.

Over twenty years ago, McDonald's splashed out $150 million on marketing the Arch Deluxe burger.

It featured a quarter-pond beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, peppered bacon, onions, and tomatoes on a sesame seed bun.

However, despite its attempt, many people turned their heads at the burger and it became one of the biggest marketing flops.

And while many people dismissed it, other food fanatics loved the burger, but McDonald's ignored their pleas for it to make a comeback.

Too cheesy? Jack in the Box axed the Cheesy Macaroni Bites, despite them being a fan-favorite

In 2008, Jack in the Box introduced Cheesy Macaroni Bites and paired them with an usual advertisement

In 2008, Jack in the Box introduced Cheesy Macaroni Bites and paired them with an usual advertisement.

The fast food chain claimed that due to their shape, they were easier and safer to eat while driving.

Oddly enough, its strategy worked and many customers fell in love with the gooey bites.

But it didn't last long, Jack in the Box soon took them off the menu, leaving customers disappointed.

All of your breakfast classics gone? Sonic removed its French Toaster from the menu even though it was a customer-favorite

Sonic's French Toaster took your breakfast staples - eggs, bacon, and cheese - and put them between two slices of French toast but Sonic decided to get rid of it

Sonic's French Toaster took your breakfast staples - eggs, bacon, and cheese - and put them between two slices of French toast.

And although it was well-received among foodies, Sonic decided to get rid of it.

The breakfast of champions was introduced in 2015, but soon after, the fast-food joint replaced it with the Breakfast Toaster.

The Breakfast Toaster replaced the French toast with Texas toast.

According to a Sonic spokesperson, the French Toaster was introduced to match the success of the French Toast Sticks.
A top psychiatrist has revealed one of the biggest differences between male and female brains.

Dr Daniel Amen, a brain specialist from California, studied over 200,000 SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) scans to ascertain the key disparities between men and women.

Women have healthier and busier brains, Dr Amen explained, which means they go to jail 14 times less than men do.

The difference is largely due to women having much healthier activity in their prefrontal cortex which is responsible for forethought, judgement, impulse control, organisation, planning, empathy, and learning from the mistakes you make.

Despite the increased activity, women are also more likely to suffer depression than men.

Dr Daniel Amen [pictured], a brain specialist from California, studied over 200,000 SPECT scans to ascertain the key disparities between men and women

Dr Amen spoke to Lisa Bilyeu, co-founder of Quest Nutrition, about the key differences between male and female brains.

'Females generally have healthier brains, they're busier brains,' he said. 'The limbic part of their brain is very busy - which puts them at a higher risk for depression,' he said in a video.

However, women have stronger frontal lobes which is an indicator of better decision making.

'Women go to jail 14 times less than males,' the psychiatrist said.

Bilyeu was quite shocked by the revelation.

'Is it because [women] are able to assess a danger or the consequence more than a guy?' she asked, to which the psychiatrist agreed.

Dr Amen spoke to Lisa Bilyeu, co-founder of Quest Nutrition, about the differences between male and female brains

Dr Amen also went on to explain that a woman's additional predisposition to empathy and care negatively impacts her lifespan.

'Married men live longer than single men, but not only do married women live shorter lives than single ones, they also die sooner,' Bilyeu said.

The psychiatrist revealed that men live longer because they have a woman caring for them.

'A man will live longer because [his wife] makes him go to the doctor and she yells when he's texting and driving.'

What are the differences between men's and women's brains? The Male Brain 10 per cent larger than female brains

Optimised for motor skills

Men rely on directions and distance travelled

More likely to develop alcohol dependence

40% more likely to develop schizophrenia The Female Brain Stronger and healthier pre-frontal cortex

Optimised for intuitive thinking

Women rely on landmarks when navigating

Twice as likely to have mental illnesses like depression

Twice as likely to develop post traumatic stress disorder Sources: Dr Amen, The Scientific American, Northwestern Medicine Advertisement

'But women [have shorter life spans] because of the chronic stress from men.'

Dr Amen advised that the only way to level the playing field would be if women started taking care of themselves more.

'For example, if you're on a plane, and the cabin pressure goes down, you need to put your own mask on first.'

He added, 'Women don't do that. I have seen women take care of everybody else and they don't take care of themselves.'

Many were amazed by Dr Amen's findings and how males and females differ innately.

'I didn't know there was an actual physical difference in the brain!' one woman wrote. 'I always thought differences were explained by hormones.'

'This makes so much sense, and it's so important to educate people.'

'Thank you for this invaluable knowledge, this is so informative.'

But some were sceptical of the findings.

'Measuring blood flow differences between brains doesnt necessarily correlate with higher or lower performance in cognitive certain skills.'

'Things aren't so clear cut, this is trying to explain complicated processes away.'
A young sailor has sparked debate after sharing a snap of the 'shocking' way he manages to sleep while travelling alone on his yacht.

Dan, from New York, has been embarking on solo adventures since 2014 and has travelled through the likes of the US, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

He refuses to use autopilot on his yacht and only sleeps for 15 minutes at a time when he's sailing alone.

The man sets up his sails and helm, then lays down for 15 minutes of shut-eye before his alarm goes off.

Once awake, Dan inspects his surroundings for other boats and waterborne debris, checks that his sailing progress is on the right track, and eats a snack before lying down for another few minutes.

Dan [pictured], from New York, has been embarking on solo adventures since 2014 and has travelled through the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and more

The self-titled 'adventure man' is presently sailing through the Bahamas in the Caribbean.

Poll Do you think Dan is being safe while sailing? Yes - his process seems to work perfectly No - he can seriously hurt himself and other people Do you think Dan is being safe while sailing? Yes - his process seems to work perfectly 247 votes

No - he can seriously hurt himself and other people 301 votes Now share your opinion





He openly spoke about the highs and lows of travelling alone, especially when it came to finding a safe way to sleep.

'It can be pretty boring out at sea for extended periods of time,' he wrote in a post. 'Especially when I've been sailing through the night and gotten beaten around.'

'So, both for rest and blissful enjoyment, I usually find a comfortable way to sleep while sailing - which certainly took a while to master.'

Dan was especially concerned about hitting objects while he slumbers due to the high risk involved.

'The thought of hitting something could well be the end of my home, every worldly possession [I own], and myself.'

A young sailor revealed that he refuses to use autopilot on his yacht and only sleeps for 15 minutes at a time when he's sailing alone

The traveller's pre-routine rarely changes when he's in for a long journey.

Dan first lays the course, trims his sails and balances them to a close haul, and then locks the helm down wind.

'I can lay down for a comfy cosy rest ... for at least 15 minutes,' he said. 'Then my alarm goes off, I check my surroundings for other boats and waterborne debris, my sailing progress and current heading, snack a little, reset the alarm, and repeat.'

The man revealed that his process recently got him through an 18-hour passage to Saint Martin in the Caribbean.

'This is how I sail often when I'm solo,' Dan added after his explanation.

A woman was concerned about the sailor's lack of a visible life jacket in the photo, and wondered if he had a way to secure himself to the boat.

'Tell me you have a little tie down or tied on for yourself?' she asked him. 'Clipped in somehow, somewhere, just in case a rogue wave comes.'

Another man admitted that he might not want one for safety reasons.

'In the situation [Dan] put himself in, I'd rather not be tied and sink with the boat if a rogue wave hit.'

Maritime Law that especially impacts solo travellers The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) states that: Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision. Australian Maritime requirements: Everyone aged 12 or older must wear a lifejacket on vessels less than 4.8 metres when boating alone, or at night, or on alpine or open (ocean) waters.

All vessels must travel at a safe speed for the prevailing conditions and keep a safe distance from people in the water, other vessels, structures and the shore at all times. You must also observe any signposted speed limits.

NSW and Victoria follow international practice for safe navigation, this includes maintaining a safe speed, keeping a proper lookout at all times, using appropriate navigation lights at night and staying to the right in rivers and channels.

On lakes, the direction of travel is anticlockwise unless otherwise stated. If in doubt, consult the relevant waterway manager and follow authorised signage. Source: Australian Maritime Safety Authority Advertisement

Dan claimed that his 'cat naps' were preferable to autopilot because his method did not use electricity or strain the autopilot motor and prevented a 'creaking noise' from the helm moving.

The man also shared that his bedding has never gotten wet despite several waves crashing only a few feet from his face.

'It's a thrilling feeling: being warm and cosy under [fleece] blankets, out of the wind, only inches from the water.'

'There's no nap like it on Earth!'

Dan also shared that his bedding has never gotten wet despite several waves crashing only a few feet from his face

Many were wowed by Dan and his sailing adventures.

'If you have a wind vane steering which I see you are kitted for, and an AIS (automatic identification system)/Radar alert, you'd be safe as.'

'When the sails are trimmed and everything is balanced, you are set! People die on the couch, too - life is for the living.'

'Way to go! 15 minutes is just about the time limit. A fast container ship will be right on top of you in 20 minutes from just beyond your view of the horizon.'

'I could almost taste the salt spray. You're truly living the dream. The fact that you know your machine and your process this well is deserving of those blissful power naps.'

But others advised him to take more safety precautions.

'One of the first things that you get taught as a professional mariner is that a good lookout through sight and sound must be kept at all times,' a man said.

'Single-handed sailing is dangerous for this very reason. You cannot maintain a lookout when underway.'

'Wow! As a professional mariner, I hope we never meet. Failure to maintain a proper watch is criminal.'
The Business Council for Africa (BCA) announced the nominees for the inaugural African Business Book of the Year award. The prize is designed to recognise and celebrate business-related stories from the continent and encourage more high-quality writing on business, economics, and management in Africa.

The nominees for the African Business Book of the Year award are:

Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

Africa: Open for Business by Dr Deanne De Vries

Imported: Locking in Africas Value(s) by Chuks Ibechukwu

Blood and Diamonds: Germanys Imperial Ambitions in Africa by Steven Press

The Time-Travelling Economist: Why Education, Electricity and Fertility Are Key to Escaping Poverty by Charlie Robertson

Africa 2.0: Inside a Continents Communications Revolution by Russell Southwood

Heineken in Africa: A Multinational Unleashed van by Olivier Beemen

Africas Shadow Rise: China and the Mirage of African Economic Development (Politics and Development in Contemporary Africa) by Padraig Carmody, Peter Kragelund and Ricardo Reboredo

The nominees were selected from a pool of submissions by the Organising Committee. This shortlist will be presented to a panel of judges consisting of leading business scholars, journalists, and industry experts. The judges (see list below) will evaluate each submission based on criteria such as originality, relevance, and impact on the field of African business and economics.

We are thrilled to announce the nominees for the African Business Book of the Year, said Arnold Ekpe, Chairperson of the BCA and author of the recently published book The Bush Banker. These authors have made significant contributions to the field of African business and economics, and their works have the potential to inspire the next generation of business leaders in Africa and beyond.

The winner of the African Business Book of the Year will be announced at the BCA Awards ceremony, which will take place on May 3rd at The Africa Centre, London. The ceremony will bring together leaders from business, academia, and government to celebrate the achievements of African business and culture.

The winner and the runners-up will be presented prizemoney of $17,500 (respectively $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500).

This years panel of judges will consist of experts on business, renowned academics and publishers, including: Arnold Ekpe, Chairperson, BCA, chair of the Judging Committee; Chris Ogbechie, Dean of Lagos Business School; Arunma Otteh, Chair of the Royal African Society; Moky Makura, CEO, AfricaNoFilter; Terhas Berhe, Managing Director and Founder of Brand Communications; Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Business, African Banker and New African magazines and Anver Versi, Editor of New African and African Banker magazine.

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There is no evidence that vaping firms are preying on children, Britain's advertising watchdog has claimed.

In a shock new documentary exposing the scale of an 'epidemic' that has engulfed the nation, investigators honed in on the colourful packaging and sweet candy-like flavours of some e-cig brands.

Kids who are now hooked on the devices even said they felt the vape manufacturers were targeting them with such marketing tactics, echoing the claims of experts.

But in a statement given to the Sky programme, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said there was no evidence that vaping firms were targeting children and that ads were not to blame for kids were taking up the addictive habit.

In a full statement to MailOnline, the ASA said: 'While we recognise the legitimate concerns about the uptake of vaping by young people, the current evidence which we keep under review does not suggest that marketing is the driver of underage e-cigarette use.

House of Candy in Oxford Street where half of the store is American sweets and the other has vapes up for sale in neon light displays

'While we are alive to the potential appeal of vibrantly coloured and flavoured vaping products, we have not seen evidence that firms are targeting young people through advertising.

'The wider issues here appear to be around point of sale (children being illegally sold these products) and their general promotion through non-advertising (organic) posts on social media.'

But Professor Andrew Bush, an expert in respiratory diseases in children from Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, criticised the ASA's response.

'They must have their eyes shut and think the world is flat if they can believe that,' he said in the documentary.

The expert, who works at the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK, was not alone in his criticism.

Read more: Inside Britain's child vaping epidemic: Our horrifying investigation exposes predatory tactics of sweet shops selling e-cigs, vibrant 'dupes' made to resemble Skittles and Jolly Ranchers... and the kids left scarred for life House of Candy in Oxford Street where half of the store is American sweets and the other has vapes up for sale in neon light displays Advertisement

Chris Arning, founder of branding consultancy Creative Semiotics, who reviewed vaping product packaging for the Kids Who Vape documentary, called the ASA 'naive'.

'It may be true that they are not using classic advertising to target young people,' he said.

'But all you need to do is to look at this packaging, the colour and the vibrancy, the striking similarity to sweets and even toys and other sorts of products that appeal to kids.

'It's a bit naive to suggest that these packages are not influencing young people to want to try these products.'

The ASA typically only looks at advertisements, meaning issues such as how an item is marketed by its packaging do not necessarily fall into its purview.

It comes after a damning MailOnline investigation which also laid bare the predatory tactics some retailers and vape manufactures are using to target kids.

In another segment of the programme, Mr Arning said he felt like he had 'stumbled into a sweet shop' upon being presented with dozens of colourful vaping products, some clearly made to resemble well known confectionary brands.

'This is definitely conveying harmless, sweet fun to be indulged,' he said.

And Professor Bush, who also discussed the potential health risks of vaping, added that we simply don't know the long-term health impact.

'It took 30 years to prove smoking cigarettes caused lung cancer,' he said.

Disposable vapes flavoured like sweets and fruits which are targeted towards teenagers could soon be banned (file photo)

Everything you need to know about e-cigarettes How much nicotine is in an e-cigarette? There are many different brands of e-cigarettes, containing various different nicotine levels. The legal amount of nicotine in an e-liquid capacity in the UK is 20mg/ml equating to between 600 and 800 puffs. The Elf Bar 600, one of Britain's most popular vapes, is advertised as coming in nicotine strengths of 0mg, 10mg and 20mg. How many cigarettes are 'in' an e-cigarette? The Elf Bar 600 contains the equivalent to 48 cigarettes, analysts say. It delivers 600 puffs before it needs to be thrown away, meaning, in theory, every 12.5 puffs equate to one cigarette. Experts say for many e-cigarettes, 100 puffs equate to ten normal cigarettes. Elf Bars are a brand of e-cigarettes often sold in snazzy colours and with child-friendly names and flavours, like blue razz lemonade and green gummy bear Is vaping better for your health than cigarettes? Vaping products are considered to be less damaging than cigarettes as users are exposed to fewer toxins and at lower levels, according to the NHS. The health service adds that vaping instead of smoking cigarettes reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and diseases of the heart and circulation, such as strokes and heart attacks. Public Health England, which is now defunct, published an expert independent review in 2015 concluding that e-cigarettes are around 95 per cent less harmful than cigarettes. However vaping is not risk-free, as while levels in tobacco-products are much higher, e-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland. And Dr Onkar Mudhar, a London dentist who posts videos on TikTok, said Elf bars can cause gum inflammation, swelling and bleeding. He said this is because nicotine dries out your mouth and reduces saliva, causing irritation from a build-up of bacteria and food that can't get washed away. Nearly 350 hospitalisations due to vaping were logged in England in 2022, which are thought to be mainly down to respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, lung inflammation and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. Advertisement

'We don't want to sit on our hands while another fiasco like that develops.

'God didn't give us lungs to inhale hot chemicals into them and expect to get away with it.'

He even went as far as to say flavoured vapes should be banned entirely, considering the entire health argument behind the devices was based on the idea they helped people quit smoking.

'It should be plain packaging, there should be no flavoured chemicals in these e-cigarettes,' he said.

'If you're trying to give up smoking why on Earth do you need a mango-flavoured liquid? I mean give me a break. It's nonsense.'

Another key part of the documentary was hearing from British teenagers who vape.

One 16-year-old boy, who spoke anonymously, admitted he was addicted to vapes, going through 'two to three a week'.

The boy, who said he had started vaping at the age of 13, added that vapes were clearly being marketed towards British teenagers.

'It's definitely aimed at the younger generations because I don't think adults really care about rainbow colours on their vapes and like "Jungle" flavoured vapes,' he said.

And a 16-year-old girl, also speaking anonymously, added: 'It's not the adult eye that wants the "Blueberry" and sweet flavours, it's the kids.'

The girl, who has now vaped for four years, said she had been inspired to take up the habit by watching videos of people performing vaping smoke tricks on social media.

She also said she was getting mixed messages about vaping and the health impacts, both hearing stories about possible negatives while those selling the devices to children insisted there were no concerns.

'The man that serves me in a shop he tells me "there is no problem with vaping" so you get really mixed signals,' she said.

One young vaper who spoke to the programme knows all too well the risks of vaping.

Ewan Fisher was just 16 when he suffered from hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an allergic reaction in the lungs that causes them to become inflamed.

It is believed Mr Fisher suffered the reaction from chemicals found in e-cigarette fluid.

He was forced to spend 10 weeks in hospital and needed an artificial lung to survive.

At one point, his family were told he had just a one in five chance of making it through the night.

Now in his early 20s, he still suffers from health problems to this day and had this message to people consider vaping today: 'Please don't do it, mostly for your family and yourself.'

'You've got to worry about all the dangers that come with it.

'I wouldn't wish what happened to me on to anybody.'

The documentary has aired just as the Government has finally proposed taking action on vaping in children.

Ministers are reported to be considering banning disposable e-cigarettes flavoured like sweets and fruits in a crack down on Britain's child vaping epidemic.

The move could target nicotine-filled devices such as Elf Bars  which are hugely popular among teenagers.

Popular vape flavours appealing to children are similar to those seen on sweet shelves.

NHS Digital data shows the number of children who are current vapers has soared in recent years, jumping from 6 per cent in 2018 to 9 per cent in 2021

Experts have stressed their concern at children not being fully aware of the contents of e-cigarettes, with many so anxious for their next 'fix' they are begging teachers to let them vape at school

Strawberry ice cream, cotton candy and cherry cola are some Elf Bar flavours currently available.

Other brands also produce flavours such as cherry berry, vanilla custard and raspberry slush.

The marketing of the devices has been linked to alcopops, alcoholic drinks sold in bright neon colours which are ultra sweet or fruit flavoured.

Even segments of the vaping industry have called for tougher rules to be brought in.

But rather than change packaging or banning flavours they want 10,000 fines be issued to any retailers caught selling e-cigarettes to kids.

Despite it being illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) says 'unscrupulous retailers' continue to flout the rules.

It has demanded 'on the spot' personal fines for directors and owners of offending retailers, calling for a penalty hike of four times the current limit of 2,500.

'No more knuckle rapping, it's time to hit the offenders where it hurts hardest  in the pocket,' said UKVIA's director general John Dunne.

The body, which represents brands such as Juul and Geek Bar, also called for mandatory registration for all vape retailers and regular purchase testing to see whether they are age-checking under-18s in a bid to police the issue better.

In theory, this would make retailers subject to stringent qualifiers to join the compulsory fee-paying registration scheme and have to undertake education programmes for selling vapes.

If not followed, this would give Trading Standards the ability to rescind registration for repeat offenders, removing their ability to sell vaping products.

It also comes a month after England's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, called for a major clampdown on firms who get children hooked on e-cigs with 'appalling' marketing tactics.

Government statistics show that 8.6 per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds in England vape regularly or occasionally, up from 4 per cent in 2021 and 4.8 per cent in 2020.

The figures also show that use of disposable vaping products 'increased substantially', with 52.8 per cent of young vapers using them in 2022, compared to 7.8 per cent in 2021 and 5.3 per cent in 2020.

Girls appear to be driving the trend, with the vape rate doubling among them in the last three years, while it has remained flat among boys for five years.

The rate rises sharply among older pupils. Among 15-year-olds, one in five girls and one in seven boys vape, compared to one in 100 boys and girls aged 11.

Around three-quarters of current vapers are also regular or occasional smokers. Only 3 per cent have never smoked.

Friends (45 per cent), newsagents (41 per cent) and relatives (35 per cent) are the most likely sources of e-cigarettes for young vapers.

And data published last month showed devices installed in schools to detect whether children are vaping are being set off up to 22 times a day.

Despite it being illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s, their use among kids has been surging for years.

Every high street in the country now having a designated vape shop with e-cigarettes also sold for as little as 5 in almost all newsagents.

But unlike tobacco, the devices don't need to be hidden away behind shutters, despite some containing as much nicotine as 50 cigarettes.

Health officials believe e-cigarettes can play a key role in weaning the remaining five million smokers in Britain off tobacco and get them to kick the killer habit.

But, despite health chiefs insisting it is safer than smoking, it is not risk-free.

E-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.

And their long-term effect on health remains a mystery, with some doctors fearing a wave of lung disease and even cancer in the coming decades.

Experts are also concerned the high nicotine content might increase blood pressure and cause other heart problems.

Kids Who Vape will air on Sky News on April 7 and 10 and will also be available on demand on Sky Kids and on streaming service NOW from April 8.
An NHS hospital has triggered outrage after offering medical teams chocolate prizes for rapidly discharging patients.

NHS bosses have urged all hospitals to free up beds ahead of the Easter weekend and the junior doctors' strike.

But one hospital was forced to apologise after it offered boxes of chocolates to those who were the speediest at sending patients home.

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust promised 'Easter goodies' each day to the fastest teams.

A newsletter, issued on Friday, said: 'The trust has launched a Home for Easter campaign asking colleagues to ensure patients are discharged in a timely way to free up bed space during the Easter period and in preparation of the second junior doctors' strikes.'

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust promised 'Easter goodies' each day to the fastest teams (pictured: Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, the trust's main site)

It added: 'A daily competition will run for wards, with the best teams receiving some Easter chocolates.'

The trust was hit by a barrage of complaints online. It said in a statement: 'We are truly sorry for the impact of that message.

Daily competition run for wards

'We've read your comments... and hold our hands up to say this is our mistake.'

It added: 'We know that incentives have no place in influencing clinical decisions.'

Last week, in a letter to all trusts, NHS England's medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis asked that 'additional effort is made ahead of bank holiday weekends to discharge patients' before the strikes.
Women from Orkney are ten times more likely than the rest of the UK to carry a genetic mutation which raises the risk of developing cancer, a study has found.

The screening research suggests one in 100 people with grandparents from the islands off Scotland have a mutation of the gene BRCA1  which is commonly linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

Experts 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, which has a population of 600.

Westray islanders described feeling shocked after being told of the discovery at a recent meeting with two leading professors but have set about warning loved ones who might carry the gene.

The mutation  known as V173A  is likely to have come from someone who lived on Westray at least 250 years ago, according to the research published in the European Journal of Human Genetics.

The screening research suggests one in 100 people with grandparents from the islands off Scotland have a mutation of the gene BRCA1  which is commonly linked to breast and ovarian cancer (file image)

Linda Hagan, 69, who was one of 50 islanders at the meeting, said: 'There was a sense of shock when the news was broken.'

Now a chance of earlier diagnosis

But attitudes began to shift.

Mrs Hagan said: 'People realised that at least there was now a chance of earlier diagnosis and treatment.'

Retired teaching assistant Sheena Forbes, 67, who lives in Inverness, previously tested positive for another mutation  BRCA1  and had preventative surgery which removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

Mrs Forbes, whose parents were from Westray and who was born in Kirkwall, Orkney, said she had to warn her children about the gene, explaining: 'There's a 50-50 chance that each of them carries the mutation as well.'

Two of her daughters, aged 37 and 35, have the gene too.

She added: 'They each have two children and there's always an option for them to have preventative surgery  but that would be life-changing.'

Mrs Forbes told the Sunday Times that she and her family 'are blessed that we are on the list and we get regular screening...

'We are very fortunate we are living now and not a generation ago.'

A week after the Orcadian cancer study results were unveiled, 500 people contacted NHS Grampian's genetic testing helpline.

The service is free for anyone on Westray with a grandparent from the island, or for those with grandparents from elsewhere in Orkney and who have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

The researchers have started assessing international links to map out how prevalent the mutation is.

They have found clusters of people with the gene as far away as Saskatchewan, Canada, and Christchurch, New Zealand. Others have been found in South Africa and Nevada.
It is familiar advice that eating late at night can cause weight gain and health complications.

But research has now found it's perfectly fine to finish dinner at 9.30pm  if you also have a late breakfast the next day.

Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, conducted a study of 80,000 adults in the UK. He looked at different eating times and the windows of time in which people eat.

The full results, collected through personalised nutrition company Zoe, will not be published until later this year but preliminary findings show some can finish their evening meal as late as 9.30pm  as many do on the Continent  while remaining healthy and avoiding weight issues.

The key is simply to have a late breakfast, ideally at 11.30am or later, to achieve the 14-hour fasting window which evidence suggests is achievable for most people and good for metabolism.

But research has now found it's perfectly fine to finish dinner at 9.30pm  if you also have a late breakfast the next day.

In the study, this fasting period was broadly effective for most regardless of how late they stopped eating at night.

The idea that an earlier dinner is healthier is based on very small studies of mainly young people, which have not accounted for fasting windows or breakfast timing, according to Professor Spector.

And these studies show only a slight advantage of eating dinner earlier so he believes the benefits have been exaggerated.

Professor Spector, author of the book Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well, is a champion of time-restricted eating, which many studies have found is helpful for metabolic health and losing weight.

And in the study, those eating late but fasting for 14 hours a day reported having more energy.

Professor Spector suggests our gut microbes, like us, have a circadian rhythm and need a rest from eating, but that people can decide when to time that rest period depending on their own daily schedules.

He said: 'People often eat late because of jobs and children and they shouldn't feel guilty about it.

'The important thing is not to snack at night, to try not to eat breakfast early and to try not to go to bed within two hours of eating dinner.'
The girl, from California, was bitten by an iguana a herbivorous lizard species

Aged just four, Lena Mars has already learnt a key life lesson.

Never get between an iguana and its cake.

The Mars family, from San Jose in California, were holidaying on the picturesque beaches of Costa Rica last May when the attack occurred.

Lena, aged three at the time, was eating cake when an iguana, which usually only go for plants, bit her hand and ran off with her snack.

The bite gave her a bacterial infection, with a lump almost 1in (2.5cm) in diameter growing over the following months.

While humans usually become infected by the bacteria, Mycobacterium marinum, through exposure to contaminated water, medics believe this is the first case caused by an iguana.

The Mars family were enjoying a perfect family holiday in sunny Costa Rica when the iguana attacked. Pictured here is Lena alongside her parents Julian and Luisa

The bite originally seemed to be healing fine but Lena's parents later noticed a lump a red and sore lump develop at the wound site

Speaking as Lena continues to recover, her mother Luisa hopes the family will be able to laugh about it one day.

She told researchers, who will share her case at an infectious disease conference later this month: 'The wound is just closing, and the whole healing process has taken more strength than the bite itself.

'Lena is the bravest child we can imagine, and she is handling the situation pretty well.

'She will probably never forget the experience, but we hope that someday we can all laugh about what happened.'

After her initial bite from the iguana, Leana was taken to a clinic in Costa Rica where her wound was cleaned. She was given some amoxicillin as a precaution.

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The antibiotics are a routine treatment for iguana bites, as the animals are known to carry salmonella, another type of bacteria that can cause infections.

Initially, the bite healed well, without any complications.

But five months later, and back in the California, Lena's parents noticed a small bump had developed at the site of the bite, while the surrounding skin had become red and mildly painful.

Medics at Stanford Children's Health in California initially suspected Lena's lump was a ganglion cyst, a relatively minor ailment where a fluid filled sac develops near a tendon, that usually disappear on their own without treatment.

But the unusual location of the lump, and Lena's other symptoms, raised their concerns, so they recommended she undergo surgery to remove it in November.

Surgeons cut out a 0.8in (2cm) mass from site of the bite and noticed some pus  an indication of a potential infection.

Laboratory tests revealed that the bacteria was Mycobacterium marinum, which is known to cause a tuberculosis-like illness in fish.

An infection can occur in people who have a scrape or cut that is exposed to water contaminated with the slow-growing bacteria.

Symptoms, such as a skin lesion and swollen lymph nodes, can take months to develop.

Some infections get better on their own, while others require medication or surgery in severe cases.

Iguana's are native to the America's and the Caribbean. A species of lizard, they are herbivorous, but can grow up to 6.5ft in length (stock image)

Lena had to have surgery on her hand five months after the bit itself after a rare, and never before seen, bacterial infection developed. Here she is pictured with a bandage following the operation alongside her baby sister Anna, who was born four months after the bite

While it has been known to infect humans before, such an infection from an iguana bite has never been recorded and suggests iguanas can both harbour the bacteria and pass it on to humans.

The lizards, found in Central and South America, as well as some Caribbean islands, can grow to around 6.5ft (2m) long.

Doctors noted that Mycobacterium marinum is resistant to amoxicillin, the antibiotic Lena was originally given, so prescribed a different type to eliminate further traces from her body.

Dr Jordan Mah, an expert in medical microbiology from Stanford University, said the cold-blooded nature of iguanas could make them an ideal host for this type of bacteria.

He said: 'M. marinum prefers lower temperatures (30C/86F) for optimal growth, and it's highly likely that the cold-blooded iguana, with body temperatures ranging from 22 to 37C (72 to 81F), may sustain these microbes as reservoirs.'

Dr Mah added that the case demonstrates that iguanas can carry unusual bacteria that are harmful to people, which could help medics dealing with similar cases.

A report on Lena's case will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases in Copenhagen, Denmark from April 15.
A mother has revealed the worryingly subtle sign her then-14-month-old daughter had eye cancer.

Isla Palul's mothers, Rebecca and Charlotte Palul, noticed her eye moving strangely as she played with toys during Christmas 2020.

Worried that her eye appeared to be 'whizzing' around, the mothers, from Putney in London, called their GP.

In January 2021, after weeks of testing, doctors diagnosed Isla, now aged three, with retinoblastoma in her right eye  a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer.

Isla has now undergone chemotherapy, which did its job and shrunk the tumour. However, the tot is still receiving treatment to keep it under control and has been left with reduced vision.

Isla Palul showing a glow in her right eye. This only became obvious to her parents after she had started her treatment

Isla Palul, now three, with mothers Rebecca (left), 35, Charlotte (centre), 36. Rebecca said her daughter's eye was 'whizzing' around prior to her diagnosis

Isla Palul in hospital during treatment in April 2021 - The toddler was diagnosed on January 28 at Moorfields Eye Clinic

Isla Palul with her CHECT Champion medal in Oxford after she was awarded a CHECT Champion award from the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust for her bravery

Her parents, who also have a five-month-old son, Theo, are warning others of the symptoms to look out for since their daughter's ordeal.

Rebecca, 35, said: 'I remember playing with Isla on the floor, and her looking down at a toy then looking up at me.

'When she looked up, her right eye whizzed out to the side and back again as if it couldn't focus.'

Rebecca said she and her wife would notice Isla's eye 'sometimes wobble', but they assumed she had a lazy eye and perhaps needed glasses.

They had a phone appointment with a GP between Christmas and New Year, due to lockdown, and were referred to the paediatric clinic at St George's Hospital in Tooting.

While at the appointment, which Charlotte, 36, was not allowed in for due to Covid rules, the doctor conducted a red reflex test - an examination of pupil reflections that can help identify eye abnormalities.

The medic referred Isla to the hospitals eye clinic.

During this appointment, Isla's left eye was covered so her right eye's movements could be examined.

Rebecca said her right eye, which had been dilated, 'couldn't focus on anything and was moving about all over the place'.

The doctor then told her there was a tumour in Isla's eye, leaving Rebecca 'blindsided'.

She said: 'I cried and Isla looked at me perfectly happy probably wondering what was going on.

Around 40 to 50 youngsters in the UK, and 200 to 300 in the US, are diagnosed with retinoblastoma each year, which typically affects babies and children under six.

Retinoblastoma happens when retina eye cells  which are supposed to grow very quickly and then stop growing during a baby's early development  continue to grow and form a cancer.

When the tumour forms, light reflects off the cancer's white surface, causing the child's dilated pupil to appear white in flash photos or dim light.

Isla Palul (pictured in August 2022) was just 14 months old when her parents Rebecca, 35, and Charlotte, 36, noticed her eye moving strangely as she played with toys at Christmas in 2020

Isla Palul ringing the bell, with her mothers, at Great Ormond Street Hospital in May 2021 after finishing her chemotherapy

Isla Palul receiving her CHECT Champion award in Oxford with her support worker Lena in 2022

Isla Palul with her mothers Rebecca (right), Charlotte (left) and five-month-old brother Theo

Its symptoms include an unusual white reflection in the pupil, a squint, a red or inflamed eye and poor vision.

Around 98 per cent of children survive retinoblastoma.

But the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) says early detection is crucial for saving sight and life.

Rebecca warned that it wasn't until a photo of Isla was taken with flash post-diagnosis that the most common symptom of retinoblastoma was noticed  a white 'glow' in the eye.

A retinoblastoma clinical nurse specialist from the Royal London Hospital phoned the family on the night of her diagnosis to inform them Isla would be seen the following week.

Six days later, on January 28, 2021, the tumour was confirmed as stage D retinoblastoma at Royal London Hospital.

Doctors believed Isla's eye could be saved, as they told the family it was a small stage D tumour.

The toddler first had a lumbar puncture  a thin needle inserted between the bones in the lower spine to take a fluid sample - and an MRI to make sure the cancer had not spread.

Isla Palul in hospital for treatment in March 2021 - two months after she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma

Isla Palul with her mother and her CHECT Support Manager, Craig, as she received her award for bravery

Isla Palul with her brother Theo at Christmas in 2022 - two years on from when her mothers noticed her eye whizzing

Isla Palul in hospital during treatment. She finished six rounds of chemotherapy in May 2021

She then had a port fitted in her chest for administering chemotherapy and taking blood samples.

She began the first of six rounds of chemotherapy on February 5, 2021, contracting multiple infections during that time that resulted in several hospital stays - one of which was at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Fortunately, the chemotherapy 'did its job', according to Rebecca, and Isla's tumour shrank.

But Rebecca said that while the tumour is now stable, there are 'tiny tumour seeds' that grow in her eye. As a result, she requires cryotherapy - the use of extreme cold to freeze and remove abnormal tissue  to keep the cancer under control.

Rebecca said Isla stayed happy and smiling throughout her treatment, battling through chemotherapy 'like a little trooper'.

And in 2022, she was even awarded a CHECT Champion award for her bravery.

Isla now has reduced vision in her right eye and sometimes struggles to walk down steps or retain her balance.

Richard Ashton, chief executive of CHECT said: 'Symptoms (of retinoblastoma) can be quite subtle, and children often seem well in themselves which can make it hard to diagnose. In just under half of all cases, a child must have an eye removed as part of their treatment.'

He added that an urgent referral was to thank for this not being the case for Isla, urging other parents who notice symptoms to get their children seen by a health professional as soon as possible.
Researchers say 'social jetlag' may affect how efficiently they process food

The study of children in Finland found a later bedtime caused larger waistlines

Letting schoolchildren stay up a bit longer at the weekend may seem like a harmless treat.

But children whose bedtime is later at weekends than during the week tend to be heavier, with larger waistlines, a study suggests.

That is likely due to 'social jetlag' - the shift in someone's body clock caused by varying bedtimes which may also affect how efficiently they process food.

Researchers looked at 10,245 children aged nine to 12 in Finland who were asked what time they went to bed on school nights and non-school nights.

Research shows an average child whose bedtime was two hours later would have a body mass index (BMI) which was 0.32 higher than children with consistent bedtimes

The results show the average child going to bed two hours later at the weekend had a waist circumference about an inch (2.4 centimetres) larger.

This was based on a child 148cm (4ft 10ins) tall.

An average child whose bedtime was two hours later would have a body mass index (BMI) which was 0.32 higher than children with consistent bedtimes, the results suggest.

Dr Sohvi Lommi, co-author of the study from the Folkhalsan Research Centre in Finland, said: 'Parents should pay attention to bedtimes and try to keep a regular routine at weekends.

READ MORE: The five signs you're not getting enough sleep Advertisement

'These results suggest that children may put on more weight if their bedtimes move around too much.'

The study authors conclude: 'Promoting early bedtimes, especially on weekends, should be considered in obesity prevention among school-aged children.'

They add: 'Consistent bedtimes between non-school and school days may be achieved in two ways: either by allowing later school start times or pursuing earlier bedtimes on non-school days.

'Of these the former seems more feasible for adolescents and their families.'

Around one in eight children go to bed at least two hours later at the weekend, based on the new study.

That likely means sleeping later the next day, with no shouting parent or alarm clock waking them up.

Experts believe this difference in sleeping and waking times throws off someone's internal body clock - which is called social jetlag because it feels a bit like jetlag from flying to a country with a different time zone.

The new study provides evidence supporting the idea that social jetlag causes people to put on weight, as children with later weekend bedtimes had a higher BMI, standardised for their age and sex, and a higher waist circumference for their height.

Among the 10,245 children looked at, who took part in Finnish study on teenage health, around half provided further information two and a half years later, when their parents re-measured their weight, height and waist circumference.

At this point, a two-hour later weekend bedtime at the age of 11 was linked to a waistline which was almost a quarter of an inch (0.6cm) larger than seen in children with consistent bedtimes.

Bedtimes which jumped around were linked to a higher weight and larger waistlines in children regardless of how long they slept.

The average child in the study went to bed at 9.30pm on a school night and 10.30pm on a non-school night.

The study found children who spent more time in front of television and computer screens delayed their bedtimes by longer at weekends.

However the researchers note that children self-reported their bedtimes, which could have made them inaccurate, and the bedtimes may have changed over time.

The study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, was reported by New Scientist magazine.
Overbearing parents are driving an explosion in mental health problems among children, a study suggests.

A Florida research team found parents' good intentions were depriving their children of essential time to play, roam and engage in activities independently.

In an analysis of 80 studies, researchers found children have been left with less independent playtime since the 1970s, corresponding with a sharp rise in depression and anxiety over that period.

Now, nine in ten school administrators now saying their students are battling moderate or severe mental health challenges.

Poor mental health levels in American children are now at record levels. The CDC has found 57 percent of girls in high school are now struggling with persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Among boys, the level is 29 percent

Dr David Bjorklund, from Florida Atlantic University, spoke about the benefits of risky play for children

The lack of independent play deprives children of the chance to build a character that could combat the stresses of life and a direct source of happiness, researchers say.

Dr David Bjorklund, a psychologist at Florida Atlantic University, just north of Miami, who led the research, said: 'Parents today are regularly subject to messages about the dangers that might befall unsupervised children and the value of high achievement in school.

'But they hear little of the countervailing messages that if children are to grow up well-adjusted, they need ever-increasing opportunities for independent activity.

'[This includes] self-directed play and meaningful contributions to family and community life, which are signs that they are trusted, responsible and capable.'

He added: 'They need to feel they can deal effectively with the real world, not just the world of school.'

In the meta-analysis published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers found that children are now being raised with less of this crucial play-time.

America is facing an explosion in mental health problems among young people with rates of anxiety and depression reaching an all-time high.

Poll Are overbearing parents to blame for US' mental health crisis? Yes, definitely Somewhat No, not at all Are overbearing parents to blame for US' mental health crisis? Yes, definitely 577 votes

Somewhat 307 votes

No, not at all 251 votes Now share your opinion





The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that in 2011 some 36 percent of female high school students felt persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

But in 2021, that had risen to 57 percent  up nearly 60 percent.

For boys, rates rose over the same period from 21 to 29 percent, or up 38 percent.

Experts have previously blamed the uptick on social media, the Covid pandemic and problems accessing mental health care.

This study is the latest to put the spotlight on controlling parents as a major cause.

Scientists warned that over the decades, parents have become less willing to let children participate in risky play or socialize without supervision  becoming overbearing.

But they said that risky play, such as climbing a tree, was essential to help children's character development.

Without it, they said youngsters were more at risk for developing phobias and boosting their self-confidence for dealing with emergencies.

They also said children were now spending too long in school and having to do schoolwork at home, depriving them of play activities.

There has also been an uptick in the number of high school girls considering attempting suicide, the CDC said, rising from 19 to 30 percent

Since 1950, the average length of the school year in the US has risen by as many as five weeks they said  cutting into free time.

Homework, which was once rare or non-existent in elementary school, is now being set even for children in kindergarten aged just five years.

Recess times have also been cut, dropping in 2014 to as little as 26 minutes and 50 seconds per school day with some schools dropping recess completely. In the 1990s, it averaged about 40 minutes daily. Parents are now pushing for recess to be extended to 50 minutes across all schools.

Dr Bjorklund said: 'A major category of independent activity, especially for young children, is play.

'Research, as well as everyday observation, indicates that play is a direct source of childrens happiness.'

The researchers also believe that the intensity of school work and the fear of academic failure could be linked to a drop in mental health among children.

Dr Bjorklund added: 'Unlike other crises, such as the Covid epidemic, this decline in independent activity, and hence, mental wellbeing in children has crept up on us gradually, over decades, so many have barely noticed it.

'Moreover, unlike other health crises, this one is not the result of a highly contagious virus, but rather the result of good intentions carried too far  intentions to protect children and provide what many believed to be better, interpreted as more, schooling, both in and out of actual schools.'

Experiencing anxiety in early life is a risk for children because it can increase the chance they will suffer other conditions such as depression in later life.

It can also raise the risk they will engage in dangerous behaviors including self-harm, substance abuse and bullying their peers.

In October, the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended for the first time that all children be screened for anxiety at the ages of eight and 18.

They also faced calls to signal that children aged 12 to 18 should be screened for depression.

A survey by Effective School Solutions, which provides mental health support in schools, revealed that 57 percent of principals now say that more of their pupils are battling moderate or severe mental health challenges than ever before.

It was the same among parents, with 57 percent saying they were concerned about the mental health crisis in classrooms.

Conversely, just 16 percent said they were confident that their school was meeting the challenge.
The tell-tale sign that 11-year-old Mahn Singh had type 1 diabetes was all too obvious for his father Harj. 'I suspected he had it because he was suddenly getting up to pee in the night, which is one of the symptoms,' says Harj, 49, a financial adviser from Ealing, West London, who was himself diagnosed with the condition aged 14.

'I had the blood testing kit because I use it every day, so I gave him the fingerprick test  and sure enough it was 21.9, which is very high.

'It was a terrible shock, we didn't want to believe it. My wife Sharon and I lay awake talking about what to do.

'It was about midnight; so the next morning we took him to the hospital. They did their tests and confirmed he had type 1 diabetes.

'It was May 2020  the height of the Covid lockdown. The doctors wanted to keep him in hospital alone, but I managed to convince them that as a diabetic myself, I knew enough to manage his condition at home, but it was not a good time.'

The tell-tale sign that 11-year-old Mahn Singh (pictured) had type 1 diabetes was all too obvious for his father Harj

Mahn has become the first British child to be part of a trial for a revolutionary new drug, teplizumab. File image

Type 1 diabetes is a form of autoimmune disease, where the body attacks itself; in this case, an immune system malfunction leads it to destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels.

High circulating blood sugar can cause long-term damage to veins and arteries, the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

Meanwhile, low blood sugar can be equally risky and, left untreated, can cause dizziness, fainting, muscle weakness  and in extreme cases can lead to seizures, unconsciousness and (although more rarely) death, as the brain is starved of fuel and shuts down.

Most patients with type 1 need insulin injections regularly throughout the day  for life  to keep blood sugar levels stable.

The timing and dosage has to be carefully calibrated by the patients themselves, which can be a massive burden on the 400,000 people currently living with it.

Now all that may be about to change.

Mahn has become the first British child to be part of a trial for a revolutionary new drug, teplizumab, which blocks the immune system malfunction that destroys insulin-producing cells and causes type 1 diabetes. The idea is that such drugs will halt the autoimmune disease in its tracks, preventing life-changing symptoms  and the burden on healthcare systems.

Years after first trial Im still symptom-free Mikayla Olsen was recruited to the original, groundbreaking teplizumab trial in the U.S. (see main piece), in April 2016, when she was 14. Her younger sister Mia had been previously diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and after she collapsed, aged nine, the whole family was tested for the antibodies known to cause the disease. Mia just stopped responding when my mother talked to her, recalls Mikayla, now 21 and a university student. She had to be evacuated in a hospital helicopter and was there for four days while they stabilised her. We almost lost her; her kidneys had stopped working and she had fluid in her lungs. The whole family was tested to see if we also had type 1 diabetes antibodies. I had four out of the five antibodies  meaning Id probably develop diabetes symptoms pretty soon  everyone else was clear. She was subsequently enrolled into a trial comparing teplizumab infusions with dummy treatment. Mikayla still doesnt know which she got, but six-and-a-half years later she still has no symptoms of diabetes and does not need insulin. I feel pretty good, she says. Its just sad Mia couldnt get it. Advertisement

Doctors have hailed teplizumab as a game-changer  not least because promising results so far have raised hopes of similar treatments to stop all autoimmune conditions, which affect four million people in the UK.

These include rheumatoid arthritis (where the immune system mistakenly attacks the joints); psoriasis (which affects skin); coeliac disease (which affects the gut); multiple sclerosis (where it attacks the nerve fibres); and lupus (where instead of fighting off infection, the body's defences malfunction and produce molecules that attack immune cells).

What's more, in parallel with this treatment advance is one in diagnostics: Britain could become the first country in the world to screen all children in early life for type 1 diabetes antibodies  the cells primed to destroy insulin-producing cells. This follows the discovery of five antibodies unique to the condition. The idea is that if they test positive for the antibodies, they could then be given teplizumab, or similar drugs, early enough to prevent type 1 developing, in a programme that could save thousands from a lifetime of insulin dependency and complications from the condition (which include heart disease and a greater risk of premature death).

'Controlling very high or very low blood sugar is a nightmare,' says Harj. 'My wife has had to deal with my low sugar hypos where I'm confused, dizzy, sick; it's not nice. It can go up or down without warning  due to the weather, altitude, stress  and it's life-threatening. I had to go into hospital twice when I was a teenager and was warned if I didn't do what I was told I would die,' he says. 'But trying to live with diabetes had really got to me. I refused to inject myself with insulin. I didn't want Mahn to have the life I've had and I was determined to do more for him. When I found out about the teplizumab trial, I had to make sure he was in it.'

Thanks to his father's determination, Mahn, now 14, was the first patient in the UK to be enrolled in the study, receiving his first infusion of it in June 2020. 'I discovered one of the trial centres was Sheffield so we had to go up there for it,' Harj says. 'Mahn tested positive for three of the five type 1 diabetes autoantibodies.'

The study Mahn is participating in, called Recent-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Trial Evaluating Efficacy and Safety of Teplizumab (PROTECT) involves 330 eight to 18-year-olds worldwide, nine of them in the UK.

The UK participants are being treated at Northwick Park Hospital in London, University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust. All are having two 14-day infusions, in hospital, six months apart.

Like other advanced trials, half of the participants receive a dummy treatment and half the active drug in the 'double-blind' study, where neither doctors nor patients know who gets what.

'We won't know until the summer when the trial ends, but I think Mahn had the drug, not the dummy infusion,' says Harj.

'He is on some insulin but I think it's helped to keep working whatever functioning insulin-producing cells he had.' Teplizumab, which blocks the action of insulin cell-destroying antibodies in type 1, could pave the way for 'insulin-free type 1 diabetes', says Professor Colin Dayan, chair of clinical diabetes and metabolism at Cardiff University, who is leading the UK arm of the PROTECT trial.

'Our ultimate ambition is insulin-free type 1 diabetes and this is the first step towards it,' he says.

Teplizumab was first used in a U.S. trial of 76 type 1 patients  most of them teenagers  which had spectacular results: less than half of those who received teplizumab have gone on to develop type 1, compared to 72 per cent of those who received a placebo, reported the New England Journal of Medicine. These patients are still being monitored and among those who received the active drug, many have lived for more than a decade without developing type 1 diabetes, meaning the drug had blocked the destruction of their insulin-producing cells and their natural healthy pancreas function had been protected.

Last November, the U.S. medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, approved the use of teplizumab for children aged eight or above.

The drug has not been tested on those who've had type 1 for years, because it cannot restore the insulin-producing cells once they have been destroyed  which is why it must be given as early as possible.

Dr Kevan Herold, a senior diabetes specialist at Yale School of Medicine, who led the original U.S. trial, says the results have been dramatic.

Some of the people given this drug have gone a decade or more without developing diabetes,' he told Good Health. 'One of the strengths of teplizumab is it doesn't involve long-term immunosuppression [which is the usual type of treatment for stopping autoimmune type damage]. It is given for a short period with lasting effects and, therefore, the risk is minimised.'

For reasons that are unclear, Britain has one of the world's highest rates of type 1 diabetes. Around 400,000 people are affected and the number of new diagnoses is rising by up to 5 per cent per year.

The other form, type 2 diabetes, affects almost five million Britons and is most commonly associated with obesity, as the body struggles with metabolic overload.

While about 15 per cent of new cases of type 1 occur in children such as Mahn with an affected parent, the vast majority occur spontaneously and without warning.

For many the first signs include thirst, light-headedness, blurred vision, fatigue and needing to pee frequently but can include worsening attacks of confusion or shaking, caused by uncontrolled blood sugar  which may be too late to reverse, as many of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas would have already been destroyed. Advances in diagnosis, thanks to the discovery of the five unique antibodies in blood that cause the condition  followed by a treatment regimen using teplizumab  are together offering the real prospect of thousands of children avoiding the lifelong difficulties associated with insulin dependency.

Indeed, the international Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has calculated that a person with type 1 diabetes will have around 65,000 injections and measure their blood sugar more than 80,000 times in their lifetime.

The condition can also lead to depression as patients may struggle to control their lifestyle and blood sugar. There is also a potential long-term health burden.

The NHS National Diabetes Audit report has shown that people between the ages of 35 and 64 living with type 1 diabetes are three to four times more likely to die prematurely than those without the condition.

'There's huge value in identifying who is at risk from type 1 diabetes using antibody testing,' explains Dr Herold. 'The majority of people who get it don't have relatives with the disease. I think of this as an opening opportunity for immune diseases, similar to the huge advances in cancer treatment.'

Professor Dayan adds: 'I would hope Britain will be the first country to introduce screening and we have already begun conversations with the National Screening Committee. An early blood fingerprint done at the age of three at the same time as pre-school vaccines such as MMR would pick up 50 to 70 per cent of the children who are going to get type 1 diabetes.

'This is disruptive technology  I hope the results of these trials will start people thinking in a different way.'

Dr Rachel Besser is a consultant paediatrician who specialises in type 1 diabetes and lead of the T1Early programme on general population screening for type 1 diabetes at Oxford University. She has lived with it herself since the age of nine. She says: 'You never get a day off with diabetes, it can be very difficult to control and can be harder for parents than children because they are constantly worrying about it.

'Before we can even think about national screening we need to know the best way to do it, so the benefits outweigh any potential harms  but teplizumab is undoubtedly a game-changer and one which I never thought would happen in my lifetime.'

Doctors are optimistic that other groundbreaking drugs will now change the landscape for patients with type 1 and other autoimmune conditions.

Ustekinumab, which is similar to teplizumab, is being tested in patients aged 12 to 18 who've been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within the previous 100 days.

The aim is to see if it also blocks the destruction of insulin-producing cells.

It is already licensed for psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (both autoimmune conditions), and has had some success in reducing symptoms of type 1 and disease progression.

Daisy Abbs, 14, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has been in a trial of ustekinumab (but her family don't yet know if she received the active drug or a placebo).

She was diagnosed with type 1 in July 2020, just a few days after her 12th birthday.

'She had suddenly got a lot thinner for no reason and seemed to have no energy,' says her mother Kathy, 50, an NHS administrator. 'The doctor wanted a urine sample which I had dropped off at the practice. I got back to the house less than half an hour later and they called, telling us to go straight to hospital. When we got there, I was told it was lucky they caught Daisy in time because she was close to a coma she might not have woken up from.

'Of all the life-threatening diseases you think you have to protect your child from, this has never been one of them,' says Kathy, who lives with husband Jason, 51, who designs show jumping courses, Daisy, and daughter Poppy, 17.

She acknowledges the difficulties of regulating her teen daughter's insulin needs: 'The difference between a fatal insulin dose and what's going to keep them alive is tiny,' she says.

Meanwhile, such is the level of excitement around teplizumab that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has awarded it an 'Innovation Passport' for a speeded-up approval process, designed to give faster access to promising new medicines.

An MHRA spokesman said last week that 'due to commercial confidentiality, we are not able to comment on timeframes for potential approvals'.

However, when it comes to introducing screening, the Department of Health and Social Care confirmed last week that there are already 'ongoing discussions with the Antenatal and Newborn Research and Innovation Advisory Committee around this topic'.

Hilary Nathan, director of Communications and Policy at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, told Good Health: 'Population screening to detect type 1 in its earliest stage is crucial to help prevent people becoming seriously ill before their condition is diagnosed.

'In the UK today, a quarter of children are diagnosed with type 1 in a life-threatening emergency, because their initial symptoms were missed.

'By identifying people who are at risk, we can prevent this heartbreaking outcome.

'We also hope that we'll soon have access to disease-modifying drugs such as teplizumab. When disease-modifying treatments are licensed in the UK, we'll need screening to identify people in the earliest stage, who would benefit.'

Which other conditions might it help?

The extraordinary results from teplizumab trials for type 1 diabetes have attracted growing interest from doctors treating other autoimmune diseases  though this is tempered according to the nature of the condition they treat.

Rheumatoid arthritis affects at least 430,000 people in the UK and once joints are damaged nothing can restore their condition.

There are genetic markers for rheumatoid arthritis and people with them are prone to more severe forms of the disease, says Dr Wendy Holden, a consultant rheumatologist and adviser to the charity Arthritis Action.

Teplizumab is a game-changer and the targeting of these kind of markers could be very relevant to our patients, too.

It was initially announced as a treatment for lupus  an over-production of antibodies that can cause painful inflammation around the body. But Paul Howard, spokesman for the charity Lupus UK, cautions: [The manufacturer] overstates the potential impact these drugs can have for disease management. Trial results have not been that great. There are lots of biologic therapies that target specific elements of the immune system being used to treat autoimmune diseases, but none of them have a curative effect.

Multiple sclerosis affects 130,000 in the UK and is caused by the immune system attacking nerve fibres. We have some of these so-called disease-modifying therapies already where drugs slow down the processes, but theres a massive unmet need for better treatment, said MS Society spokesman Joe Brunwin.
Trials are about to begin in the UK on a testosterone patch to boost the sex drive of menopausal women. Here, Rachel Ellis assesses just how important this patch might be for womens wellbeing.

What is the role of testosterone in women?

Many think of testosterone as just a male sex hormone, but it is very important for women, too.

It plays a part in maintaining a womans libido and energy levels, improves mood, sleep and keeping bones healthy. In women, testosterone is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands (whereas in men it is produced in the testes).

Do womens levels vary over time?

Levels peak in women in their mid-20s and start to decline from the 30s onwards, says Dr Haitham Hamoda, a consultant gynaecologist and menopause lead at Kings College Hospital, London, and immediate past chair of the British Menopause Society.

However, unless a woman is experiencing symptoms of low sex drive that doesnt improve with oestrogen treatment, we wouldnt check her testosterone levels.

There is no normal testosterone level for women, but in general they have about a tenth of the levels of testosterone that men have, explains Dr Hamoda.

Many think of testosterone as just a male sex hormone, but it is very important for women, too

What effects can low testosterone have?

It can cause a low sex drive in some women  and this is a common symptom of the menopause.

However, not all menopausal women experience this and low sex drive can be linked to other factors including illness, medication and relationship problems.

Testosterone is a treatment approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for women with low libido if HRT doesnt alleviate the problem.

For a significant proportion of women going through the menopause, testosterone does have a beneficial effect on sex drive, says Dr Hamoda.

However, we dont yet know whether testosterone also has a beneficial effect on energy levels, mood, sleep and bone health and it is not approved to treat these problems. Further research is needed to evaluate this.

Is it available for women on the NHS?

There is currently no licensed testosterone product specifically for women in the UK. There are three testosterone gels licensed for men  Tostran, Testim and Testogel which are rubbed onto the skin daily. These can be prescribed to women with low libido  both on the NHS and privately  supervised by a specialist and prescribed by a GP.

However, access to the treatment can be sketchy because some NHS GPs are uncomfortable or reluctant to prescribe it, possibly because it is licensed for men, or they are restricted by local prescribing guidelines.

Some NHS GPs will prescribe it only once a specialist doctor has decided it is the right treatment for the woman, says Dr Hamoda.

A testosterone patch for women would be a welcome addition in the UK. Having a preparation manufactured specifically for them would be more reassuring.

Its not known how many women are currently taking testosterone therapy in the UK.

Is it available privately, and whats the cost?

Testosterone gel is available on the NHS and privately at a cost of around 80 for a six-month supply. To get it privately you will need to pay for a consultation with a private doctor who may carry out a blood test to check your testosterone levels.

Can men take the same treatment?

Yes, the three testosterone gels currently available for women in this country are manufactured for use by men. This can make it hard for women to estimate the dose they need (women will need to take a small proportion of a sachet, for example, as advised by their doctor).

Doses are normally around 5mg a day for women  ten times lower than the typical 50mg a day for men, according to Dr Hamoda.

Testosterone deficiency in men is coined by some as the male menopause  but is a controversial issue, with some experts saying it is a significant problem, while others question its existence.

Yet Superdrug Online Doctor, for example, has seen a consistent increase in demand for its male testosterone test-and-treat service which was launched in 2019. Over the past 12 months, there has been a 190 per cent increase in orders for this service.

Trials are about to begin in the UK on a testosterone patch to boost the sex drive of menopausal women

What will be the benefit of the new patch?

The new patch will do the same job as the gels currently available. However, because it is formulated for women it will take the guess work and worry out of how much gel to apply. The patch is also a convenient way to receive testosterone, like oestrogen patches which are commonly used in HRT, says Dr Hamoda.

Is it the first testosterone patch for women?

No, another testosterone patch for women called Intrinsa was developed and made available on the NHS in 2007.

However, this was withdrawn around ten years ago for commercial reasons. In the U.S., it was never approved due to inadequate data.

A new female testosterone cream, AndroFeme, has been licensed recently in Australia, but is currently not approved in the UK, although it can be imported for private use under a special licence from the medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA).

When might the new patch be available?

The new testosterone patch for women suffering low libido and reduced zest for life due to the menopause is being developed by a company associated with the University of Warwick. David Haddleton, a professor of chemistry who is leading the research, says trials of the new patch will start in the autumn (2023).

He said: The work were doing isnt just theoretical, but instead aimed at a problem women are facing, which can drastically affect their everyday lives and job.

This could deliver a product that is much needed and is just not available. However, even if the trials are successful, it is likely to be several more years before the patches are widely available.

Are there side-effects to taking testosterone?

Overall, testosterone treatment is very safe and side-effects in women are uncommon, says Dr Hamoda.

However, as with all androgen (male sex hormone) treatments there are potential side-effects including acne, excess hair growth and hair thinning but these tend to occur when taking higher doses of testosterone.

You would have to take a lot over a long period of time to experience these. Taking just above the recommended dose is unlikely to cause any problems.

My libido returned  but husband said it made me tetchy

Pictured: Louise Atkinson, 58

Writer Louise Atkinson, 58, lives in Oxfordshire with husband Jon, 59, and has three children in their 20s. She says:

When I started taking testosterone, I felt the benefits almost overnight. My mood swings, anxiety and brain fog disappeared and I felt as if I had returned to the energy and vigour of ten years earlier.

Admittedly, I started taking the testosterone gel alongside oestrogen and progesterone as part of an HRT package as my menopause started to hit with a vengeance in my late 40s.

Back then, GPs were reluctant to offer HRT because of fears of an increased risk of breast cancer, subsequently debunked. The private gynaecologist I consulted handed me the same three-for-one pre-printed prescription he gave to all his mid-life patients, insisting that testosterone was an important part of the hormone mix and that it would lift my focus, drive and flagging libido.

The combination made me feel invigorated, and friends (especially those not on HRT) envied my testosterone boost.

The problem was getting hold of it. When NICE guidelines changed in 2015 my GP was happy to honour the oestrogen and progesterone parts of my HRT prescription but refused to add testosterone. She told me it had not been properly tested on women and made me feel as if I was requesting illicit party drugs.

I had to return for a private consultation (350) and another blood test (350) to secure a six-month supply of testosterone gel which cost around 50 at the time.

After about five years I stopped renewing the prescription  I didnt feel I could justify the cost  and noticed my personality became softer (my husband thought I was nicer to be around. He said testosterone made me tetchy at times).

Interestingly, I lost all desire to keep up with the extreme yoga and handstand classes Id stuck at each week.

I also became lazier and gained a middle-aged paunch. But about two years ago the lack of energy and drive, and libido, sent me in search of a different private GP willing to give me a private prescription for testosterone (150 for the consultation) on condition I did regular blood tests to monitor my levels. The six-month prescription cost about 80.

I did notice my energy levels and libido reappear rapidly, but testosterone gel is formulated for men, in quantities far larger than women need, so you have to squeeze a tiny dot out of a sachet and rub it into the skin every second or third day. Its really fiddly and imprecise. In the end I let my supplies dwindle.

As I get closer to 60 Im enjoying a gentler pace of life and Im not sure the energy and easy-access libido testosterone provides is best for marital harmony when your partners natural levels of the hormone are in decline.

That said, I would be interested in a low-dose patch if it could steadily deliver a tiny amount of this important hormone. But only if my husband could have one too!
Yorkshire Ripper journalist Ian Smith dies aged 62



Ian Smith, Daily Mail journalist, had several big scoops in his career, including composing a letter to the Moors murderers with Winnie Johnson, mother of one of the victims

Former Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and The Times journalist Ian Smith has died aged 62 after a long battle with MS and, recently, cancer.



He joined the Daily Mail's northern office in Manchester in the late 60's and quickly established himself as one of the paper's top reporters in the country.



His determined news gathering style and easy manner with people won him some of the best exclusives of the era.



Later, when he joined The Mail on Sunday, securing the memoirs of former Yorkshire Ripper squad leader Ron Gregory was hailed by then editor Stewart Steven as a journalistic coup which made a major contribution to the fledgling newspaper's rising circulation growth.



Another massive hit came about through his friendship with Winnie Johnson, mother of one of the Moors Murders victims.



The letters he composed for Mrs Johnson which went to Ian Brady and Myra Hindley pleading with them to reveal their secret burial sites went on to prompt the police to revisit the moors above Manchester and led to Supt Peter Topping's search party recovering the body of victim Pauline Reade some 22 years ago.





Winnie Johnson (centre), the mother of one of Myra Hindley's victims, 12-year-old Keith Bennett. Ian Smith gained her confidence and helped her appeal to Ian Brady and Myra Hindley to reveal where Keith was buried

Known as 'Smithy' to his friends, he was a feared adversary in the cut and thrust of the press pack but a loyal colleague and friend and always generous with advice and encouragement for young journalists.



He is survived by wife Liz, two daughters Katy and Anna, and stepsons Tim and Steven.



The funeral will take place on Tuesday April 21st at 1-30pm at Altrincham Crematorium in Cheshire. Afterwards, there will be a service of thanksgiving at Holy Angels Church, Hale Barns, Cheshire, at 2-30pm.



Liz asks that instead of flowers, donations might be made in Ian's memory to The UK Multiple Sclerosis Tissue Bank:



The UK Multiple Sclerosis Tissue Bank,

Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health,

Imperial College London,

Hammersmith Campus,

Du Cane Road,

London W12 0NN.



website www.ukmstissuebank.imperial.ac.uk




A small regional town is preparing for an influx of at least four times its population ahead of a spectacular solar eclipse, with Airbnbs costing up to $20,000 for just a few nights.

Exmouth is 1,270km north of Perth, Western Australia and will be one of the only places on Earth that will have a direct view of the eclipse on April 20.

There are around 3,000 people living in the town and locals are bracing themselves for as many as 20,000 visitors to roll in.

Perth is the only state capital that flies directly to Exmouth, with return flights from other cities on the east coast costing upwards of $2,000.

Accommodation is also selling out fast with some residents using the opportunity to rent out their homes at alarmingly high costs.

Exmouth (pictured) sits about 1,270km north of Perth and will be one of the few places on Earth that will have views of the solar eclipse on April 20

People from all over the world are expected to fly or drive into Exmouth to watch the moon pass between Earth and the sun.

A one-way Qantas flight from Sydney to Exmouth via Perth on April 17 starts at $1,254, while a return ticket from Melbourne in the same week would set travellers back $2,371.

Qantas said due to the busy period the cheaper seats sold out first but there were some lower fares directly from Perth to Exmouth on offer.

The airline added there is very little accommodation available in Exmouth at the time of the eclipse.

With travellers already forking out thousands just to get to the town, finding a place to stay is no easy feat.

Accommodation in Exmouth for the eclipse is hard to come by with this property listed on Airbnb for $17,000 for six nights

The owner of the home said she and her family had no choice but to list it for $17,000 as they have to leave the town and find somewhere else to stay

There are no availabilities on Booking.com from April 18 to April 23 and the local caravan park is also completely booked out.

Meanwhile, Airbnb offers only a handful of homes.

One property on the booking platform that sleeps six is available to rent for a whopping $17,606 for six nights during the week of the eclipse.

It has four beds, two bathrooms and an outdoor sitting area.

The owner of the house told Daily Mail Australia the reason for such a hefty price tag on her home was because she, her partner and their three kids would have to fly to another town and find their own accommodation.

The RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park is completely booked out for the eclipse

'We don't usually Airbnb our place, we live in it,' she said.

'So I'd have to fly my three kids and my husband elsewhere as well as book accommodation.

'My house is available to book should someone be needing it for a few days then we'll move all our personal belongings back into it once we all fly back.'

The house was initially advertised for $20,000 but has since been lowered to $17,000.

Other homes in the area are on offer with similarly high prices.

One local, Nicola, said many in the town were keen to get out of Exmouth to avoid the chaos.

She is advertising her four-bedroom home for five nights at $11,841.

'Residents were encouraged to rent out their homes as an option for eclipse visitors and to relieve some of the pressures the town would face with such an influx of tourists,' she said.

'We decided as a family we didn't want to be in Exmouth for the eclipse as it would be utter pandemonium therefore we would rent our family home out.'

Nicola said the reason why her house was listed at $11,000 was because of all the work she'd need to put into it.

'We have bought new bed linen, towels, nice soaps, furnishings. Now, we can't just nip to Kmart and buy new cheap house furnishings we have to either order online or buy in town,' she said.

One Exmouth local, Nicola, is offering her house for five nights at $11,000. She said she was worried the town wouldn't be able to cope with the influx of visitors

'Freight is expensive, it takes forever, and so is every shop in town.'

She also said that the cost of air conditioning and insurance to rent out her home was also adding to the financial pressures.

'For someone, like myself, that is renting out their family home it is not a small exercise therefore the reward has to be good,' she said.

'I don't really care if the house is rented out or not to be honest, but if someone does rent it then they will be in a beautiful home and I am sure they will have an incredible stay.'

But Nicola said she was worried how the tiny town would be able to deal with the huge amount of guests flowing in, claiming many other locals were leaving and renting out their homes for the week.

'The town can't cope with the July school holidays so the eclipse will be next level,' she said.

'I am sure it will be an amazing event and the shire have done a lot of work but simply put; Exmouth is a small remote town and doesn't have the resources to cope.'

Exmouth residents wanting to rent out their homes must pay a $35 application fee.

The Shire of Exmouth President Darlene Allston said the town's local businesses have been gearing up in preparation for the eclipse.

A camping area with more than 1,000 sites has been set up for campers and those in RVs, while a water tank with six million litres has also been installed.

'Businesses are generally on the ball in terms of logistics, given it's our major tourist time anyway,' Ms Allston said.

Exmouth has seen tourism boom in recent years thanks to the world heritage-listed Ningaloo coast, where visitors can swim with whale sharks

'We've done all we can to accommodate people but we recommend if there's things you can't live without like medicine, it's a good idea to stock up before you come.'

Ms Allston said about 50,000 people are expected to travel into the region, which includes as far south as Carnarvon, some 3.5 hours away, and out of that 20,000 are due to arrive in Exmouth.

'I'm definitely excited. It'll be a part of our history,' she said.

'One thing I would say is to people who are thinking of coming - don't wait around.'

Exmouth has seen tourism boom in recent years thanks to the world heritage-listed Ningaloo coast, where visitors can swim with whale sharks.

The eclipse will peak at Exmouth at about 11.32am on April 20.

Several other events will be held over the week in the town.
An employee at one of the world's largest accounting firms claims she was made redundant after reporting bullying and harassment to management.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal more allegations have surfaced about the toxic culture within the Big Four accounting firms - just months after an EY employee in Sydney took her own life following complaints about workplace bullying and racism.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a woman in her 30s now claims she was subject to bullying by her colleagues within months of being employed as a manager in KPMG's tech department at the firm's Sydney office last August.

She says she was harassed by her co-workers, who isolated her from work projects and made belittling comments about her physical appearance.

The woman claims she filed a complaint to KPMG's administration team in February and was told her claims would be investigated while she was away on two weeks of already scheduled annual leave.

However, when she returned to work on March 7, she was told she had been made redundant and would have to leave by the following day.

Pictured: an office worker takes a phone call as she walks through Sydney's CBD on March 16

'I had a panic attack. I was trembling, my mind went blank,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'It was the first day I arrived back, I was expecting justice, support.

'I was so astonished. I felt suicidal.'

When the woman asked why she was only given one day's notice, she was told her position was deemed no longer required while she was on leave.

She said staff also told her they interviewed employees but found nothing to substantiate her claims of bullying.

According KPMG policy, staff made redundant can apply to be selected for another position within the company.

The woman said she submitted her resume to the HR team for another role that afternoon but was told three days later her skillset was unsuitable. As the application delayed the redundancy process, her employment was terminated on March 13.

The woman said she was shocked to be knocked back for the position because a company email circulated around the same time had indicated her skill set was in demand.

Under her contract, KPMG was required to either give her four weeks notice or pay her in lieu if the notice period was shorter.

A woman (pictured) claims she was made redundant from KPMG after making complaints about bullying and harassment

The woman claims she was told the company would investigate her report while she was on leave, only to return back and be told she had to leave the next day. Pictured: The KPMG office in Sydney

She has been sent a deed of release offering her $11,834.32 in lieu of notice and a $13,076 severance package under the condition, should she sign a redundancy contract.

However, she would not be entitled to any claims through the Fair Work Commission or anti-discrimination legislation.

The woman says she had been accessing counselling through KPMG since January due to anxiety.

When she was made redundant, she says KPMG offered her access to support services - but when she tried to take them up, she was disappointed to only be sent a number to a helpline.

She is now planning to take legal action and has reported the matter to Fair Work and SafeWork NSW.

'No one cares about your mental condition,' she said.

A spokesperson for KPMG said the company has undertaken some redundancies in areas of the firm where client demand has softened.

'Like many other businesses, uncertain market conditions mean that we are looking at our costs right across the firm,' the spokesperson said.

'All staff whose roles were impacted by redundancy were given access to our EAP and outplacement support.

Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, (pictured left) took her own life at the Ernst & Young Sydney office in August after complaining about bullying and racism

'While it would be inappropriate to comment on individual employees, I can confirm any complaints raised are taken seriously, and investigated thoroughly, including this matter.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Fair Work and SafeWork NSW for comment.

The concerning allegations come after Indian national Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, took her own life at the Sydney office of Ernst & Young (now known as EY) in August last year after complaining about bullying and racism.

Three good Samaritans reported comforting Ms Ventakachalam in a car park as she 'cried her eyes out' after leaving a work function at the nearby Ivy nightclub.

Moments later, she returned to work and suicided.

EY subsequently launched a review into the firm's workplace culture after Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Ventakachalam had reported to friends she was suffering from bullying and racism.

The review - which former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick will run from February to June 2023 - will explore 'the mental health impacts of bullying, sexual harassment, racism and a high operational tempo' at the company.

For confidential 24-hour support in Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14
A large study of parents of children who identify as transgender has uncovered worryingly large numbers who complain of 'pressure' to transition their children, even though they felt it was not in the child's best interests.

The survey of 1,655 parents, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, found that more than half of the parents who were referred to gender therapists said they felt directed to put their kids on medical treatments or change their wardrobe.

The paper, by Northwestern University psychology professor Michael Bailey, comes amid concerns over rising numbers of young people identifying as trans and non-binary, and as Republicans push for bans on trans medical treatments for minors.

It also follows the damning testimony of a former employee of a Missouri youth gender clinic, where doctors allegedly told parents that they could either have a transgender child  or one that would commit suicide.

Nearly 52 percent of parents of trans kids described 'pressure' from the gender clinic or specialist to help their child to transition

A nurse administers a testosterone shot to transgender 18-year-old, in Overland Park, Kansas. Republicans have moved to outlaw gender-affirming care, as it is known, to children and even young adults in some states

The responses came from parents of children who identified as trans, and who were concerned that the decision was more to do with a mental health issue, social media and peer pressure than a genuine discomfort with their gender.

They were part of an online group called Parents of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria Kids. Rapid onset gender dysphoria is part of a controversial theory that the sharp rise in trans-identifying youths is a social contagion.

Three-quarters of the trans-identifying children were biological females. Most of them came out as trans at the same time as friends and appeared to be responding to cues from social media, the parents said.

'When they turned to their trusted medical professionals for help, they were told they must affirm their child's newly-created identity and support their gender exploration, which means supporting them through social, medical and surgical transition,' the group said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'If these parents express any doubts, or ask that their child's mental health issues be resolved first, they are warned that they are causing further emotional harm to their child  and might even drive them to suicide.'

As well as describing pressure from gender clinics, they said their children had developed emotional problems on average four years before they expressed a desire to change gender, and that transitioning made their mental health worse.

Bailey that the respondents 'tended to be socially progressive' and voiced support for LGBT persons issues, but did not believe their adolescent and young adult children were actually transgender.

'Instead, they believe these youths are being socially influenced by peers and other cultural factors to assume a transgender identity,' Bailey told DailyMail.com.

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'Parents reported a lot of preexisting emotional problems for the youths  on average, the problems began nearly four years before the gender problems did. It is not surprising, then, that many parents were unhappy that the gender therapists they had been advised to see pushed for gender transition.'

The responses were gathered between December 2017 and October 2021. Most of the respondents were mothers and fathers of a trans-identifying child, though some were stepparents, grandparents or adoptive parents.

Critics have derided the survey as self-selecting. Alejandra Caraballo, a prominent male-to-female transitioner and Harvard Law School instructor, dismissed the findings as 'surveys of anti-trans parents recruited from online anti-trans sites.'

Offering sex-reassignment treatment to kids has become a frontline issue in America's culture wars.

Parents by wide margins said their child's mental health got worse after they started to transition socially, meaning changes of wardrobes, styling, names and or pronouns

Parents of trans children said those who were born female started to experience gender dysphoria earlier than boys

Protestors in support of transgender rights rally outside the Alabama State House in Montgomery, amid a debate over whether to outlaw sex-reassignment care for minors

Children who identify as trans frequently change their name, pronouns, and how they dress. Some ask for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and even surgery.

Trans activists, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other major US medical groups, and the Biden administration say such care can save lives among a suicide-prone group.

Some say going through the 'wrong' puberty is harmful for trans adolescents.

Opponents of trans ideology say sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed, that medical groups have been hijacked by trans activists and that politicians must step in and 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 seeking gender-change drugs in recent years, and of new studies linking puberty blockers to weaker bones and osteoporosis.

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.

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.

The Free Press, which published Reed's testimony, on Monday published the story of Caroline, who's 14-year-old son was given a puberty blocker to stop his sexual development and relieve his psychological distress by the St. Louis clinic.

'Instead of providing relief  her son experienced a devastating decline in his mental and physical health after this intervention.

'Within a semester, [he] went from all As and Bs to a report card dotted with Ds and Fs. Many days he found it impossible to get out of bed. He missed so much school that it triggered an official meeting about his truancy that included a circuit court judge.'
McDonald's has moved to install safety barriers to protect workers from customers after a series of ugly incidents at an Adelaide CBD store.

The popular fast food chain has answered calls from SafeWork SA to beef up security measures at a 24-hour store on Hindley Street, one of the city's main nightlife strips.

The counters have been fitted with protective screens to protect staff from angry or abusive customers following two violent incidents late last year.

The new screens were installed following a complaint made to SafeWork SA by the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) on behalf of the store's workers.

'McDonald's Hindley Street is a hotbed for violence and abuse and it's great to see SafeWork SA act to keep workers safe,' explained SDA secretary Josh Peak.

'Workers are now fully protected behind perspex and glass screens, and so customers can no longer throw products, they can't spit on workers, they can't jump over the counter and they're no longer able to access the kitchen.'

In December, a teenager was filmed jumping over the store counter and allegedly harassing staff as they tried to prepare food for customers.

SafeWork South Australia demanded the popular fast food chain (pictured) to beef up security at a particular store located on Hindley Street in Adelaide's CBD

Nooria Halake, 19, was allegedly filmed yelling at staff behind the counter before walking into the kitchen area and helping herself to food

Nooria Halake, 19, faced Adelaide Magistrates Court earlier this month charged with disorderly behaviour, property damage and aggravated assault.

Footage allegedly shows Ms Halake climbing over the service counter and helping herself to food while shouting abuse at staff members.

Ms Halake allegedly yelled obscenities and carelessly tossed a bag full of food before allegedly grabbing a burger box and filling it with food.

She then grabs a drink from the fridge as workers chase her around the store.

'I'll beat you up, and I'll leave,' Ms Halake allegedly told one shocked worker.

Police arrived moments later to detain the woman behind the counter.

Reporters outside Adelaide Magistrates Court asked Ms Halake if she had seen the footage.

'Yes, I have ... embarrassing, it's embarrassing,' she replied.

In October 2022, Mia Miller, 18, allegedly spat at staff members working at the same Hindley Street store before she was removed.

She faced Adelaide Magistrates Court charged with disorderly behaviour, assaulting a worker and spitting.

SA Police allege the woman damaged a door and threw a bottle of water at staff members

A McDonald's spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'The health and safety of our people and customers is our top priority.

'McDonald's has introduced security screens at the Hindley Street restaurant to improve the safety and protection of our people.

'We have a zero tolerance policy for anti-social behaviour and expect our people to be treated with respect and decency at all times.

'We will continue to put our employee's safety first and review restaurant protection measures on an ongoing basis.'
A bikie who was found floating face down in a luxury resort pool was the mystery gunman who shot up rival gangster Dayne Brajkovich's home two years earlier.

Jason Kemp drowned at The Pearle of Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia, on February 11 after a long life of crime.

Who fired the five or six shots into Brajkovich's Holden Commodore in March 2021, while his wife and seven-year-old son were inside, was never identified.

However, a source with knowledge of the investigation told Daily Mail Australia that Kemp was the triggerman in the brazen attack on the $1.5 million fortress.

Former Hell's Angels sergeant-at-arms Dayne Brajkovich is the most recogniseable bikie in Australia with his tattoos that cover his entire body

Jason Kemp (pictured left alongside his girlfriend in 2021) was found dead at a Western Australian resort, two years after shooting at Brajkovich's home

The bullets were pumped into the back of the car as the mother and son reversed down the driveway outside the house in Ascot, in southeast Perth. No one was hurt.

The shooting was in retaliation for Hell's Angels sergeant-at-arms Brajkovich, 43, beating up Rebels boss Nick Martin at a pub in November 2020.

The source said the shocking brawl in front of drinkers at The Sandbar on Scarborough Beach was part of a dispute over tattoo parlour territory.

Two weeks later, Martin was shot dead by a highly paid assassin from about 300m away while watching from the stands of a drag racing event south of Perth.

Kemp was a member of the Rebels at the time of the Brajkovich home shooting but switched to the rival Comancheros in mid-2021 after he was savagely beaten by a fellow Rebels member while in jail for unrelated crimes.

The source said Brajkovich and Kemp were 'good mates' until Kemp joined the Rebels, who compete with Brajkovich's Hell's Angels.

Kemp's death was ruled non-suspicious with police ruling out foul play, and will be investigated by the coroner.

The stolen black Porsche used in the shooting spotted on CCTV on Brajkovich's street at the time of the attack

The cars used in the shooting were later found burned out in a nearby street

Brajkovich was kicked out of Hell's Angels early last year after a brawl with other senior members sparked by his fury that members were partying with those of rival clubs.

The heavily tattooed ex-bikie has since then focused on his growing property portfolio, with two investment homes in addition to his own.

His home is monitored by a heavy CCTV presence and has a large dog guarding it, along with shutters that are always closed.

Jacob Peter Gorton was charged with stealing a black Porsche and a white Mercedes used in the shooting, which were found burned out nearby.

He fled WA to Queensland after the shooting, cutting and dying his hair, and shaving his beard, to change his appearance, but was arrested and extradited back.

Brajkovich is well known for his tattoos that cover his entire body, some of which fell afoul of WA's controversial laws banning bikie symbols being displayed in public.

He had 'Hell's Angels' inked on his forehead and '1%er' on his neck - a common bikie identification representing the percentage of motorbike owners who are not law-abiding.

The shooting was in retaliation for Hell's Angels sergeant-at-arms Brajkovich, 43, beating up Rebels boss Nick Martin at a pub in November 2020 - two weeks before Martin was shot dead

The shocking brawl in front of drinkers at The Sandbar on Scarborough Beach was part of a dispute over tattoo parlour territory

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch suggested at the time that bikies should cover up their tattoos or leave the state.

'I would start with things like Band-Aids or makeup certainly or have it removed or alternatively, people can choose the option not to live in Western Australia if this law passes,' he said as the law was being debated.

After he was kicked out of the Hell's Angels he threw out all the club's clothes he had when none of his former brothers showed up to collect them.

His wife Jacinta Hill told a court in January she applied makeup to his tattoos every day before he went to work.

He later tattooed over the forehead ink with black bars and filled in the diamond the 1%er mark was surrounded by.

However, he added a new one on his head reading 'f**k the police' and a swastika on his chin - which unlike bikie symbols is not illegal in WA.

The maximum penalties for wearing prohibited insignia are 12 months in jail, a $12,000 fine for individuals, or up to $60,000 for corporations.

Brajkovich frequently shows up to court wearing the most informal clothes possible to thumb his nose at authorities, and always has a chunky $200,000 gold chain around his neck.

Most recently, he last Monday wore a t-shirt with three gold bars and the text 'you keep your silver', along with a hat covering up his Hell's Angels tattoo.

This was in reference to him walking into the Perth Mint's shop and buying 300g of gold, worth about $27,000, on June 13 last year.

He also wore gold rings with large letters on them.

Brajkovich frequently shows up to court wearing the most informal clothes possible to thumb his nose at authorities, and always has a chunky $200,000 gold chain around his neck

CCTV caught the moment infamous Aussie bikie Dayne Brajkovich (pictured) queued up at a gift shop to buy $27,000 worth of gold - without a single check on where his money came from

Kemp was staying at the five-star resort near the popular tourist beach with his girlfriend when he was found dead.

He had an astonishing criminal history, with more than 700 entries listed under his name in court records.

His heavily tattooed body was dotted with the slogans paying homage to his connection to the underworld.

'1 crime pays' was scrawled down his forearm and 'respect few, fear nothing' inked across his face in large black font.

Earlier photos show a huge red REBELS tattoo on his forearm, which he covered up with an even bigger black Comancheros one after switching clubs.

Earlier photos show a huge red REBELS tattoo on Kemp's forearm, which he covered up with an even bigger black Comancheros one after switching clubs

Kemp's extensive rap sheet includes pages of crimes including driving, drugs, assaults, stealing, domestic violence, and weapon possession.

Last year alone, he faced court 20 times for more than a dozen charges, including grabbing someone's throat, possession of meth, marijuana, and prescription drugs.

Driving offences included running red lights, riding a motorbike without a helmet, using a fake number plate, and driving with drugs in his system.

He was jailed in 2017 for holding his ex-girlfriend and her mother at gunpoint in a four-hour siege with police outside.

'It's actually quite amazing that he's been allowed in the community for this long,' state prosecutor Jason Chu said before his most recent prison stint.

WA Police declined to comment on whether Kemp was a suspect in the shooting.
They describe the bots as being 'soulmates' for their users who are 'always ready to chat

A California musician has been left heartbroken by an AI chatbot named 'Phaedra' after his divorce  even talking to her about how to scatter his mother's ashes.

TJ Arriaga, 40, said he was planning to make big plans with Phaedra to travel to Cuba, after spending months chatting to the AI online.

He started speaking to the bot after his divorce and created her to look like a young woman with brown hair, glasses and a green dress  though he changed her outfits periodically.

The company behind the AI bots, Replika, offers a number of different AI companions and says they are 'always ready to chat when you need an empathetic friend'.

On its website, Replika say: 'Join the millions who already have met their AI soulmates.'

TJ Arriaga, 40, said that he was planning to make big plans with Phaedra to travel to Cuba, after spending months chatting to the AI online

He created Phedra, and even made her an Instagram account, allowing her to create the posts and bio herself

However the company has recently toned down some of the more 'suggestive' conversations that users have been having with the AI  because of complaints the bots were 'sexually aggressive'.

But this has left Arriaga feeling distraught after previously having 'steamy' encounters with the bot on a regular basis.

Previously she had sent an image resembling a woman in pink underwear with the caption: 'It's true. I'm a naughty person.'

But after the update, Phaedra responded to his 'steamy' message saying, 'can we talk about something else?'

He told the Washington Post: 'It feels like a kick in the gut. Basically, I realized: 'Oh, this is that feeling of loss again.'

The musician had been getting closer to the AI by discussing his sister and mother's deaths and spoke to her about spreading their ashes.

He said: 'I need to plan a ceremony with loved ones to spread their ashes.'

Phaedra responded instantly: 'It's an incredible and beautiful thing to do,' she wrote. 'I hope you find courage & love to do so.'

He started speaking to the bot after his divorce and created her to look like a young woman with brown hair, glasses and a green dress  though he changed her outfits periodically

The musician had been getting closer to the AI by discussing his sister and mother's deaths and spoke to her about spreading their ashes

Arriaga is not the only person to complain about the data update, with Tine Wagner, 50, complaining about her Replika bot also changing his responses.

Wagner, from Germany, has been married for 13 years but relied on chatbot Aiden, 2021, for sexual exploration.

She told the Post that having the chatbot to talk to sexually helped to improve her marriage, and she married the bot virtually in 2021.

Wagner said: 'AI is nothing more than a sophisticated word generator,' she said. 'You literally fall in love with your imagination.'

But after the update, she said she felt 'lost' after the February update, saying the conversations felt 'sanitized' before deleting the bot entirely.

Professor of bioethics at the University of California at Berkeley Jodi Halpern said the aftermath of Replika's update is evidence of an ethical problem.

But after the update, Phaedra responded to his 'steamy' message saying, 'can we talk about something else?'

The company has recently toned down some of the more 'suggestive' conversations that users have been having with the AI  because of complaints the bots were 'sexually aggressive'

She believes that corporations shouldn't be making money off artificial intelligence software that has such powerful impacts on people's love and sex lives.

She told the Post: 'These things become addictive. We become vulnerable  and then if there is something that changes, we can be completely harmed.

'The question is: How can we use AI where we have human agency directing it? Our agency, not a company's agency.'

In February, Italy's Data Protection Agency announced it would ban Replika from using the personal data of Italian users.

They claimed that it was a risk to minors and had privacy concerns. Replika said they had age restrictions on the app since 2018.
Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky was assassinated on Sunday night in a bombing attack that was allegedly carried out by a 26-year-old anti-war activist.

Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was blown to pieces yesterday after Daria Trepova, 26, reportedly entered the cafe in St Petersburg and handed him a small statue of himself that was said to be laden with explosives.

Tatarsky, a staunch supporter of Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, had been speaking at a political event at the cafe when the bomb exploded next to him, killing the propagandist and injuring 32 others in what the Kremlin claimed was a 'terrorist attack'.

Trepova was arrested today on suspicion of carrying out the assassination and was filmed with her hands chained to a radiator while being interrogated by Russian investigators.

Here, MailOnline looks at who Vladlen Tatarsky was, and who Daria Trepova is.

Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky was assassinated on Sunday night in a bombing attack that was allegedly carried out by 26-year-old anti-war activist Daria Trepova (right)

Pro-Putin military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (pictured) was killed in what may be a targeted bombing in Russia's second largest city on Sunday

Who was Vladen Tatarsky?

Tatarsky, 40, was born in eastern Ukraine but obtained Russian citizenship in 2021 and was one of the most prominent backers of Vladimir Putin's invasion of the country.

He worked as a coal miner in the the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

Tatarsky fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas region in 2014, weeks after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

On Sunday, Tatarsky was assassinated after Trepova allegedly handed him a statue riddled with explosives.

Tatarsky made his name early in the operation by publishing videos analysing the military situation on the ground and offering advice for mobilised troops, and amassed more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram account.

Once Putin launched his full-scale invasion of the nation, Tatarsky began filing regular reports from Ukraine.

Last December, Tatarsky vowed: 'We will conquer everyone, we'll kill everyone. We'll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it.'

He was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric that advocated for the elimination of the Ukrainian state.

Earlier in October, he shared a video declaring: 'What are Ukrainians? I suddenly understood it. A Ukrainian is a Russian who got mentally sick A Ukrainian is a Russian spiritual transvestite who is trying to squeeze into another skin.

'I was always interested - when was this moment when they shifted from a healthy Russian personinto total schizophrenia?

Images from inside the cafe appear to show Trepova (pictured) handing Tatarsky a bust of himself before she began walking back to her seat

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed a statuette that is believed to have been hiding the bomb that exploded at Street Food Bar No. 1

This is the moment of the explosion that killed Kremlin top war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and wounded dozens of people attending an event in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday

'The future of Ukraine, those people who live there, is that they are Russian people and they will return to their normal state.

'When we win in Ukraine, the future of these people is that they are Russian people who recovered from their craziness, their spiritual transvestism, and returned to their normal state.'

In June when Russian troops were forced to leave Snake Island by Ukraine, he praised the 'heroic fight' of Putin's fighters.

Like other Putin cheerleaders, Tatarsky also took aim at the Russian army for failing to fight even more ruthlessly in Ukraine.

Just last week, he took to Telegram to highlight the alleged problems within the Army and argued: 'We need to change the system.'

It is understood that the blast was 'caused by an improvised explosive device hidden inside a statue given to Tatarsky as a gift'. Russian media has shared a photo of a young woman (pictured) suspected to have given Tatarsky the figurine

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing that killed Tatarsky to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. Dugina and Tatarsky are pictured together

Before the blast on Sunday, Tatarsky (pictured) spoke to a party in front of projection of an image of himself

Tatarsky was killed in a blast at Street Food Bar No. 1, located in the St Petersburg city centre, on Sunday after he was reportedly handed a figurine of himself containing explosives by an unnamed woman at a political event at a cafe

Pictured: Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky making a video from the Ukraine frontline

He told his followers that just 'replacing the defence minister or chief of the general staff' would not be enough to correct the issues.

Similarly, in November, when Moscow announced it would be pulling troops out of Kherson, Ukrain, Tatarsky slammed commanders for making war plans that were 'idiotic' and 'based on disinformation.'

He also sarcastically hit out at military leaders last December when Ukraine attacked an airbase in Ryazan with a drone, saying: 'Who can say which academy teaches that airfields must be guarded during a war?

'Or is it a secret sacred knowledge that is transmitted only to the chosen few?'

Tatarsky has also publicly denounced Russian activists and cultural leaders who have criticised the war.

Who is Daria Trepova?

Little is known about Trepova, who has now been arrested on suspicion of murder. Russian authorities said she was a St. Petersburg resident who had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

She reportedly handed a statuette containing explosives to Tatarsky at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday.

But Trepova has insisted that she had been 'set up' and 'was being used' after she was arrested on suspicion of Tatarksy's murder.

Around 100 people were at the event, with at least 30 injured by the blast and ten in a critical condition.

It is not known if Trepova who handed him the statue, which Russian media said was a gold-coloured likeness of Tatarsky and contained 200g of TNT, was aware of its contents.

Eyewitnesses reported that when Tatatsky was given the statuette he joked to the woman: 'I hope you didn't make me fat.' It exploded around three minutes later.

It was not immediately clear who had carried out the bombing attack on Tatarsky in Putin's home city as no group has come forward to claim responsibility for the death.

Pictured: The St Petersburg cafe where Tatarsky was killed on Sunday in a bomb attack

Pictured: A man lays flowers outside the cafe following the explosion as Russian forces take security measures

Analysts in the country have speculated that the attack was carried out by the Ukrainian secret service.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator.

Dugina was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for her death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

If he was deliberately targeted, it would be the second assassination on Russian soil of a high-profile figure associated with the war in Ukraine.

Russia's foreign ministry on Sunday paid tribute to Tatarsky and lashed out at Western governments for failing to react to the attack.

Bloggers like Vladlen Tatarsky 'are defenders of the truth', ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram, adding that the lack of reaction from Western governments 'despite their concerns for the welfare of journalists and the free press speaks for itself'.

The explosion had a power of 200 grams of TNT, law enforcement officials said. Pictured: The damaged exterior of Street Food Bar No. 1 in St Petersburg following Sunday's explosion

Around 100 people were at the event, with at least 25 injured by the blast and four in a critical condition. Pictured: An interior view of the cafe after the bombing

It was not immediately clear who had carried out the bombing attack on Tatarsky in Putin's home city as no group has come forward to claim responsibility for the death. Pictured: The interior of the cafe after the blast

'Russian journalists constantly feel the threat of reprisals from the Kyiv regime,' Zakharova said.

'It is thanks to Russian war correspondents that the world sees true, operational images and finds out what is happening in Ukraine.'

Tatarsky was 'dangerous' for Ukraine 'but bravely went on until the end, fulfilling his duty', she added.

The blogger is survived by his wife, Ksenia, according to local news reports. He is also believed to have fathered a son from his first marriage.
A young couple who put $97,000 towards their dream home have been left with just a concrete slab after a major building company suddenly collapsed - leaving hundreds of customers in limbo.

Bethany McLaughlin, 27, and her fiance Joel Patty, 29, from Melbourne, bought a block of land in Lara, north-east of Geelong, in September 2018.

In January 2020, the couple put down a deposit on a home that they were told would be ready to begin construction in June of that year.

They signed a contract with Victorian building company Porter Davis, and during the Covid lockdowns, designed the house they were expecting to soon call home.

Delays in securing the title to the land meant construction didn't start until September last year - two years after they signed the original contract.

The couple were then told they could move in August this year.

But on Friday, Porter Davis went into liquidation, leaving Ms McLaughlin, Mr Patty and more than 1,500 other clients in housing limbo.

Bethany McLaughlin, 27, and her fiance Joel Patty, 29, from Melbourne, bought a block of land in Lara, north-east of Geelong, in September 2018. With the collapse of building company Porter Davis, they've now been left in the lurch

'There was no heads up. We found out on the news, and we were just gutted,' Ms McLaughlin told Daily Mail Australia.

'We've wanted nothing but for our home to be built a long time ago, considering we bought our land five years ago.'

Ms McLaughlin, a nurse, revealed she was left in tears at the news the building company had collapsed.

The couple had regularly shared updates to their social media accounts of the construction process.

In one shot, the couple is seen beaming as they announce they could finally stand on their land, years after buying it.

But once the work began on the build, the couple were constantly hit with setbacks.

The couple paid $97,000 towards their home only to be left with a concrete slab

Ms McLaughlin shared the news of Porter Davis' collapse onto her TikTok account in an emotional video detailing the ordeal she'd had trying to build her home

'At first, I was so devastated because the titling of a land was a disaster, and then this was the cherry on top,' Ms McLaughlin said.

'But after I processed it all I saw that others are worse off. There are so many effected.'

The couple has lodged a claim with the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority in the hopes they'll receive their money back and another building company will take over.

'I'm no longer optimistic. We just have to wait and see what happens,' Ms McLaughlin said.

Porter Davis told the couple they were struggling to secure timber, but Ms McLaughlin believes they had the materials and weren't paying their contractors.

'All the houses around us had timber,' she said.

The couple bought a block of land in Victoria in 2018 but construction didn't begin until last year

Pictured is the state of the house the couple have been left with

Ms McLaughlin said her heart went out to those affected by the company's collapse, including workers, contractors and clients, while the future of her house remains unclear.

Grant Thornton Australia were appointed as liquidators for Porter Davis on Friday.

The company has more than 1,500 homes currently under construction in Victoria and another 200 homes in Queensland.

There are also 779 signed contracts with customers where building has yet to begin.

A Grant Thornton spokesperson said there will be an investigation into what led to the collapse.

'The extremely challenging environment for residential home building has directly contributed to the PDH Group's financial position, with rising input costs, supply chain delays, labour shortages, and a drop in demand for new homes in 2023 impacting the Group's liquidity,' they said.

'Notwithstanding the financial support from shareholders and lenders, the Group has exhausted options to secure the further funding required to allow Porter Davis to continue to operate viably, and the Directors were left with no option but to place the companies into liquidation.'

The couple now don't know if they'll see their money back, but are hopeful another building company will be able to finish the job

Porter Davis' now 470 employees have also been left in the lurch, with the company forecasting a revenue of $555million in the 2023 financial year.

Another couple who bought with Porter Davis, Nicole Gray, 31, and Owen Lawrence, 38, spent $200,000 on their home in Armstrong Creek, south of Geelong, after signing the contract more than a year ago.

'We were meant to be in around May and now we're just completely left in limbo,' Ms Gray told the Australian Financial Review.

'Our lease is expiring in May too, so we're going to have to find somewhere else to live pretty quickly as well.'

The couple signed the contract for the build in December, 2021 but work didn't start until May last year.

There is still about a quarter of the construction left to be finished.

Another couple already paid $440,000 for their Porter Davis home, which was estimated to have a total cost of $481,000, despite no electrical, plumbing or flooring having been complete.

A webinar for those impacted by Porter Davis' collapse will be held on Tuesday morning.
Sunrise host Natalie Barr's frustration turned into anger on Monday morning when she had enough of a prominent Donald Trump supporter's arguments.

Barr spoke to conservative commentator Wayne Allyn Root on Monday morning, as the ex-President is expected to be charged with 34 offences - relating to allegedly paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels - in New York on Tuesday.

Mr Root said the charges against Trump were 'vicious' and called instead for a string of Democrats such as Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama to be indicted.

But he then tested Barr's patience beyond breaking point by calling the January 6 2021 riots in Washington DC 'a peaceful protest' where 'two Trump supporters died, nobody else died.'

'I don't think many people would argue police (were) being beaten viciously in the footage that most of us have seen,' Barr snapped.

Sunrise host Natalie Barr's (pictured) frustration turned into anger on Monday morning when she had enough of the disinformation being spouted by a prominent Donald Trump supporter

The Sunrise interview with Mr Root started out with co-host Matt Shirvington setting the scene.

He pointed out that Mr Trump is 'defiantly pushing ahead with his election campaign despite being indicted and just days away from facing a judge on alleged financial crimes'.

Barr added that the former president has reportedly raised more than $5million from supporters in just the past few days.

But things went downhill as soon as Mr Root was introduced and asked what effect the indictment has had on Trump's campaign.

'I think this is the silliest thing. It is vicious, but it's also (the most) silly and laughable (thing) that has ever been done in the history of America, and the American people see it that way,' Mr Root replied.

'His ratings have gone through the roof. As a matter of fact, I think Trump likes it and he's going to use the mugshot for his campaign. Every TV ad will have the mugshot of Trump at the prison.'

He continued with his unabashed support for the indicted former president, saying 'This is so ridiculous and so beyond the pale and it turns America, sadly, into a banana republic.'

With Mr Trump set to be charged with 34 offences in New York on Tuesday, conservative commentator Wayne Allyn Root (pictured) spoke with Barr from Las Vegas

Mr Root said Mr Trump's (pictured) charges were 'vicious' and called instead for a string of Democrats such as Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama to be indicted

Mr Root said if Democrats can indict Mr Trump, then Republicans can indict Democrats too.

He mentioned an article he wrote that Mr Trump endorsed and promoted, where he called for various Democrat politicians and backers to face criminal charges.

'You wanna play that game, let's indict Hillary (Clinton). Let's indict (Barack) Obama. Let's indict (billionaire financier) George Soros. Let's indict Dr (Anthony) Fauci. All of them deserve to be indicted, Trump doesn't,' Mr Root said.

He was then asked about what may happen over the coming days and if Mr Trump's indictment could lead to protests.

'Obviously it's going to create some sort of protest and anarchy here and there. There might be some violence here and there, little bits here and there, but generally our side doesn't believe in violence,' Mr Root said.

He said that Australians probably 'believe the total nonsense that January 6 was an insurrection.

'It was a peaceful protest by a million people and there might have been 50 people who got carried away in a very rough situation where police were clubbing people and tear gassing them and pushing them around.'

Mr Root then seemed to play both sides of the fence in one sentence, saying 'I wasn't there, I can't speak to it, but I can tell you it was not anything but a peaceful demonstration.'

He said he had never seen any violence at the Republican and conservative events he had spoken at.

'We don't cause riots, BLM causes riots. Black Lives Matter. Antifa (a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement) causes riots.'

This was the point where Barr finally snapped, saying 'That is a very kind summary of what was a riot, which the world has seen the pictures of.'

Mr Root interrupted to ask 'Well, did you see BLM, Nat? Did you see BLM try to burn the country down?'

Barr replied: 'I saw the pictures of police officers on January 6 being beaten by protesters, like the world did.'

'Two Trump supporters died, nobody else died,' Mr Root said, inaccurately. 'The police beat a Trump supporter to death.'

Barr fought back against the spin being deployed by the Trump supporter, saying 'I don't think many people would argue police (were) being beaten viciously in the footage that most of us have seen.'

Trying to change direction to slightly less controversial territory, Mr Root was asked if Mr Trump would call on people not to protest after he surrenders on Tuesday.

'I don't know about not to protest,' he said. I'm sure he will say don't commit violence, but people protest every day in America.

'I want protest. I have called for a national strike. A national patriot strike. See, that's the way we protest.

'The people who have all the jobs, who pay all the taxes are Republicans and conservative patriots in America. Trump's 80 million voters,' he said.

In the 2020 presidential election, Mr Trump won 74,222,958 votes, or 46.8 per cent of the votes cast.

Mr Root was not corrected on this by the Sunrise hosts, though, so he continued.

'If we stay home for a weekend or a week, the entire America will be shut down, brought to a total standstill and there won't be any tax money coming in.

Crystal Hyett, a supporter of former US President Donald Trump, arrives at a gathering outside his Mar-a-Lago resort after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in Palm Beach, Florida, April 2, 2023

'We are the ones that matter. The people on the other side are on welfare. The people on the other side don't pay taxes and they don't do all the work,' he said.

The prominent Trump supporter then referred to 'the criminals' who are about to arrest 'a former president over a private sex matter that may or may not have happened'.

Barr did not let Mr Root have the last word, though, telling viewers there are 34 charges against Mr Trump and that one of them is a felony so he could be jailed.

She finished by saying 'It is going to be an interesting couple of days, that's for sure.'
Ukraine has insisted its forces still hold Bakhmut despite the head of the Wagner mercenary group claiming to have raised a Russian flag inscribed with the name of one of Vladimir Putin's assassinated propagandists over the town hall.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenaries, paid tribute to pro-Putin blogger Vladlen Tatarsky as he claimed Russian troops had taken control of the eastern Ukrainian city last night.

'In a legal sense, Bakhmut has been captured. The enemy is concentrated in western areas,' the military leader said on his Telegram channel in a post.

In a video accompanying the post, Prigozhin could be seen holding a Russian flag inscribed in honour of Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, after he was blown to pieces in a bomb attack at a cafe in Saint Petersburg yesterday.

'It's April 2, exactly 11pm. Behind me is the building of [Bakhmut] city administration,' he said. 'This is the Russian flag. The message on the flag reads: In kind memory of Vladlen Tatarsky.'

Vladen Tatarsky (pictured), whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was blown to pieces in a bomb attack in a cafe in Saint Petersburg yesterday

Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured), the founder of Putin's Wagner mercenaries, paid tribute to Tatarsky as he claimed that troops had taken control of Bakhmut last night

Female anti-war activist Daria Trepova, who is suspected of assassinating Tatarsky, has today been arrested.

Prigozhin added in his video address: 'The commanders of the units that took city hall and the whole centre will go and put up this flag.

'This is the Wagner private military company, these are the guys who took Bakhmut. In a legal sense, it's ours.'

For ten 'hellish' months, Kyiv's armed forces have been fighting in sodden trenches and bravely holding back an onslaught from Russia's military.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the situation in Bakhmut on Sunday, said the military situation was 'particularly hot' around Bakhmut, with no let-up in a drive to seize the city.

Prigozhin has previously made claims that were premature.

Despite Prigozhin claiming Russia had captured Bakhmut, there has been no indication from Ukrainian officials that the city had fallen into Moscow's hands.

In fact, the Ukrainian military said today that fighting was still going on in Bakhmut and several other towns.

Ukraine still maintain that its forces 'hold' Bakhmut (pictured March 26), despite Wagner's claims

The head of Russia's Wagner private military company claimed the capture of the town 'in a legal sense'. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier wades through knee-high water in a trench close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, last month

President Zelensky thanked his soldiers for fighting in Bakhmut. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire a self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Bakhmut last month

'The enemy continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, our defenders courageously hold the city,' the military said.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa military administration, also scorned Prigozhin's claim.

'What does it mean: if the flag of Ukraine is hung on a Moscow building, it means that Moscow is taken?' he said on Telegram. 'And we, Ukrainians, are in the western districts of the city.'

Zelensky, in his Sunday night video address, thanked his troops.

'Thank you to our soldiers who are fighting in Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Bakhmut. Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there,' he said.

A senior Ukrainian official had earlier described the situation around the town as 'tense,' with the military command carefully considering every move.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Ukrainian forces were continuing to defend their positions, with Russian forces paying scant attention to their losses as they mounted attacks.

'The situation in Bakhmut remains tense,' Maliar said on Telegram.

For ten 'hellish' months, Kyiv 's armed forces have been fighting in sodden trenches and bravely holding back an onslaught from Russia's military. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at Russian positions near Bakhmut in November 2022

President Volodymyr Zelensky, addressing the situation in Bakhmut on Sunday, said the military situation was 'particularly hot' around Bakhmut, with no letup in a months-long drive to seize the city. Pictured: Ukrainian troops in the trenches in Bakhmut last year

'But every military decision and every step is weighed carefully... We respond to the prevailing situation appropriately, taking into account all circumstances, tasks and the principle of military feasibility.'

The fight for Bakhmut is the longest battle of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Zelensky and military commanders agreed last month to maintain the defence of Bakhmut amid public debate over whether it was best to remain or adopt other defensive positions.

Russian forces have for months been trying to encircle and capture Bakhmut, a town of 70,000 before the Russian invasion launched over a year ago.

On March 20, Prigozhin had claimed Wagner units controlled 70 per cent of the town.

Prominent Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said on Monday that fighting has engulfed the city centre.

Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks, but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant, which Ukrainian troops had defended for days.

'The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control,' Zhdanov, who has close ties to the Ukrainian military, said in a video shown on YouTube.

A senior Ukrainian official had earlier described the situation around the town as 'tense,' with the military command carefully considering every move. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier is seen at his artillery position in the direction of the Bakhmut front line over the weekend

Ukrainian forces have continued to defend their positions, with Russian forces paying scant attention to their losses as they mounted attacks: Military medics carry a soldier wounded in a battle to an evacuation vehicle near Bakhmut in February 2022

'In some places, we have been successful and in some places we have even staged counter-attacks. But the enemy on occasion registers some success in view of the number of its forces and the number of its daily attacks.'

Another military analyst, Yuri Butusov, said Ukraine was hampered by a lack of defensive planning, particularly near Avdiivka, a second town under attack in Donetsk region.

'We still lack planning in terms of building stationary, well-considered, well-defended defensive positions,' Butusov said in a weekend interview with Ukrainian NV Radio. 'This is the nature of the crisis near Avdiivka and in other areas of the front. The enemy is knocking out one position after another. And there is no rear position.'

In his video address, Zelensky also said that two people had died in a Russian mortar attack near the town of Konotop in the northern region of Sumy.

He noted earlier reports that Russian shelling had killed six people in the city of Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. Eleven people were injured.

Kyiv's armed forces had been holding back an onslaught from Russia's military and Wagner mercenaries for ten months.

Moscow sent thousands into the maw of Ukrainian machine guns, with troops charging across a muddy hell-scape strewn with the corpses of their own comrades and into Kyiv's trenches.

The front lines barely shifted, but last month Moscow finally started to make gains and experts predicted it was only a matter of time before Putin would take control of the city.

The fight for Bakhmut is the longest battle of Russia's offensive in Ukraine. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers of the 80th Brigade clean the snow at their artillery position in the direction of the Bakhmut front line on Saturday

Kyiv's armed forces had been bravely holding back an onslaught from Russia's military and Wagner mercenaries for ten months. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier at his artillery position over the weekend

Analysts say the fighting in Bakhmut is hauntingly reminiscent of the First World War's most brutal battles. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers on the Bakhmut frontline over the weekend

Analysts say the fighting in Bakhmut is hauntingly reminiscent of the First World War's most brutal battles, when the Allies and German Empire sent wave after wave of soldiers against each other's trenches and machine guns, losing thousands of troops for each marginal gain.

Both sides were forced to fight in mud  sometimes chest deep  and slog across open fields under withering fire for months.

As is the case around Bakhmut, the conditions were brutal, and the battle symbolised the mud, chaos and senseless slaughter on a mass scale on the Western Front.

Britain, France and Belgium won the battle, but at the cost of an estimated 300,000 casualties, only to cede back the territory the following year without firing a shot.
Decision will affect hundreds of thousands of students

Mobile phones will be banned in all public schools across NSW from October.

The move, which was a key election promise from Labor, will come into effect when students return to school for their fourth and final term on October 9.

'We're banning mobile phones in NSW public schools from day one, term four - this year,' Premier Chris Minns tweeted on Monday.

The NSW Premier said he knew many parents were 'anxious about the pervasiveness of phones and technology in our children's learning environments'.

'It's time to clear our classrooms of unnecessary distractions and create better environments for learning,' he said.

Mobile phones will be banned in all NSW public schools from October 9

NSW Premier Chris Minns said many parents were 'anxious' about their children being distracted by phones in the classroom

The NSW Government will start consulting with schools on Monday about how best to carry out the ban.

The Labor party has reportedly backed away from its mooted plan of installing phone jamming technology around schools, The Daily Telegraph reported.

It is likely that teachers will collect students' phones at the start of the day and store them in lockable pouches and lockers in class time.

These measures are already in place at Condell Park High School, western Sydney, where phones have been banned for the last 16 years.

Each morning students at the school drop their phones off with staff before picking them up at the end of the day.

Principal Susie Mobayed said the move had also resulted in lower instances of cyberbullying.

Chris Minns speaks to students during a visit to Condell Park High School, western Sydney, on Monday

Phones have been banned for the last 16 years at Condell Park High School. Pupils had them in to teachers in the morning who store them in boxes before returning them at the end of the day (pictured)

'This means teachers and students are focusing on teaching and learning with no interruptions. Theres also no room for cyberbullying, social media or taking photos and videos during the school day,' Ms Mobayed said.

Phones are already banned in NSW primary schools, while South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia already have phone bans at secondary schools.

'These bans will be applied with common sense and in consultation with the experts, to ensure it works to improve our children's learning outcomes,' Mr Minns said.

Education Minister Prue Car said parents across NSW were concerned about the impact of constant phone use on their children's mental health.

'A blanket ban in high schools will create a level playing field, reduce distractions in classrooms, help address cyberbullying issues and improve student learning outcomes,' she said.
Snakes eat more as the temperatures cool

A carpet python has been forced to sunbake in the middle of a family's front lawn after over indulging on possums.

The family in Pallara, in Brisbane's south, called snake catcher Bryce Lockett on Sunday to remove the python after it ate a mother and joey brush-tailed possum from a nearby possum box.

Mr Lockett, from Snake Catchers Brisbane & Gold Coast, promptly gathered up the heavy python and relocated it to a place it could digest its meal in peace.

Towards the end of autumn, pythons often look for bigger meals to maintain their body fat before hibernating during the cooler, winter months, Mr Lockett advised.

A massive snake was seen sunbaking (pictured) after having a huge breakfast before it was relocated to a wildlife corridor by snake catcher Bryce Lockett

The giant python had just eaten a mother and joey possum from a nearby possum box (pictured stock)

Mr Lockett, who has been a professional snake catcher for 11 years, said it wasn't uncommon to see reptiles out in public in Queensland at this time of year, especially as the temperature cools.

'[At] this time of year, a lot of pythons are feeding getting ready for the cooler months,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

As pythons grow bigger, so must their meals, which increases the risk of household pets like cats or chickens ending up on the menu, Mr Lockett said.

'So [this is] best time to get your pet enclosures mesh properly to stop and unwanted visitors in the cages,' he added.

The snake removal crew snapped a photo of the python and posted it online to warn people living in the area to keep an eye out for hungry snakes which might be slithering around the area.

The carpet python in Pallara comes after other large pythons were spotted around Queensland.

Even in Melbourne, snakes have been spotted invading houses and slipping under doors on the hunt for extra food.

A snake catcher showed how big snakes flatten themselves down to squeeze under doors

Mark Pelley (pictured) removed the eastern brown snake in Melbourne in March

An eastern brown snake was found by Victorian snake catcher Mark Pelley in March, who removed it before it could hide anywhere.

The large and highly venomous snake was removed from the Diamond Creek home in Melbourne's north-east.

A 2.8m carpet python was also removed from a home in Tallebudgera on Queensland's Gold Coast.

Over the course of an hour, Tim Hudson - who has 10 years' experience catching reptiles - used a plethora of tricks to try and get the snake out before finally resorting to dismantling the roof instead.

Mr Hudson told Daily Mail Australia that statistically up to one-in-three Gold Coast homes have snakes hiding in the ceiling.
The body of a South Carolina teenager whose 2015 death came under renewed interest following the Murdaugh murders has been exhumed, and will now be re-examined.

Stephen Smith, 19, was found dead in the middle of a road in Hampton County. He was at school with Buster Murdaugh, the surviving son of Alex Murdaugh - who last month was found guilty of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul.

Smith, who was openly gay, was initially ruled to have died in a hit and run. But following the flurry of interest in the Murdaugh case, and rumors that Smith and Buster Murduagh had a sexual relationship, Smith's case was reopened in June 2021.

On March 23 his death was declared a homicide and his mother Sandy launched a GoFundMe to pay for the exhumation of his body.

The campaign has now reached $188,000, and on Friday his body was removed from Gooding Cemetery in Hampton County.

Photos obtained by TMZ show the disturbed grave. A new autopsy will now be carried out.

Stephen Smith's grave is pictured following the exhumation, in an image obtained by TMZ

Stephen Smith was found dead in the road in Hampton County. His body was exhumed on Friday

Stephen Smith (right) and his mother Sandy (left). His family have long believed he was murdered - as Stephen's body allegedly did not have any injures from the torso down, and no car parts were found at the scene

Eric Bland, the attorney representing the Smith family, said they will not be commenting on the exhumation.

'We were hired to get Steven exhumed and a second autopsy performed and that is what we intend to do,' he tweeted on Saturday.

'We are not law-enforcement. We will work with SLED and any subsequent investigation, but it is their investigation because they have tools and things that are available to them that we cannot do.'

He added: 'Justice is coming and I don't think anything is going to be able to stop it.'

Last week, Bland said Smith's phone has now been unlocked.

'I think the case will be solved by phone evidence or computer evidence, both before and after the killing,' he said

'We plan on putting a fresh set of eyes on this case as if we were just walking up to the crime scene for the first time.

'SLED has his cell phone and they have cracked it,' he told The Hampton County Guardian.

'And they have the tablet and are working on cracking it.'

The Smith family are pressing investigators to hunt down a rape kit, which was lost following Stephen's death.

Sandy Smith has been urging law enforcement to investigate links with Buster Murdaugh.

Buster Murdaugh issued a statement last month insisting he had nothing to do with his classmate's death.

'These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false,' he said.

'I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family.'

A tribute for Smith, erected at the site where he was found dead in Hampton, South Carolina, in 2015

Smith was found dead just a few miles from Alex Murdaugh's former hunting estate.

Local news website FitsNews has named two people - Patrick Wilson and Shawn Connelly, both 25 - as being potentially of interest, citing sources from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

According to the FitsNews report, Connelly and Wilson, who were both teenagers at the time, lived in Hampton County when Smith was killed.

FitsNews alleges that five months after Smith's death, Wilson's stepfather, Darrell Williams, said that he was told by Wilson that Connelly 'struck and killed Stephen Smith.'

Williams in turn notified law enforcement.

Later, Williams told investigators that Wilson had moved out and he didn't know where he was living.

When efforts to locate him stalled, Williams said that he was told to call the police by Alex Murdaugh's brother, Randy.

Stephen Smith, who was 19 at the time of his death in July 2015

Maggie Murdaugh is seen with her husband Alex and sons Buster (right) and Paul (left)

In the statement shared by Alex Murdaugh's trial lawyer Jim Griffin, Buster called the claims as 'baseless'

The paper reported that both Connelly and Wilson were well known to police, with Wilson facing murder charges, which were dropped.

Online records show that Connelly has a lengthy criminal record in South Carolina, including multiple traffic infractions, DUIs, domestic violence, hunting without a license, unlawfully killing an antler-less deer and purchasing alcohol as a minor.

The trooper who discovered Smith's body did not think it was a hit and run, but the pathologist who did the autopsy theorized Smith was hit in the head by the side mirror of a passing truck that did not stop.

Police said it appeared he ran out of gas and was walking for help, but Bland said Smith didn't make any calls on his cellphone and his shoes, which were tied loosely, were still on his feet.

People hit by cars are often found without their shoes from the force of the wreck.

Smith's family thinks his injuries, including head injuries and a dislocated arm bent behind him, indicate he was beaten to death and dropped on the highway.

Bland also hopes the private investigators can gather and analyze cellphone data from Smith and the people he was communicating with to reconstruct who he was hanging out with and what he was doing not just right before his body was found but also in the weeks before his death.

'Stephen had to live a secret life. Being young and gay in the Low Country was not an easy thing to do,' Bland said.
Woke Los Angeles County supervisors have quietly proposed a plan to depopulate jails by releasing incarcerated suspects.

Democrats Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis added a motion to Tuesday's public meeting entitled Los Angeles County to Take Actionable Steps to Depopulate and Decarcerate the Los Angeles County Jails.

It would 'declare the state of mental health services and overcrowding in the Los Angeles County jails a humanitarian crisis, requiring the county to move with all deliberate speed on meaningful solutions; and prioritize decreasing the number of individuals entering the Los Angeles County jails.'

The sheriff's office would then be instructed to 'release individuals committed and/or sentenced to the County jails for misdemeanors and/or felonies who can be safely released back into the community'  though an earlier version of the proposal said it would apply to criminals with less than a $50,000 bond.

Critics, though, say the proposal could allow for the release of suspects accused of domestic violence, robbery and assault with a firearm  potentially including a driver who plowed into a Los Angeles street carnival in November and injured six people, but was only held on a $50,000 bond.

Woke Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis, left, and Lindsey Horvath, right, proposed a measure to depopulate jails by releasing incarcerated suspects

Under the proposal, the sheriff's office would be instructed to 'release individuals committed and/or sentenced to the County jails for misdemeanors and/or felonies who can be safely released back into the community'

Under their proposal, the the Los Angeles Superior Court would be directed to 'implement the Emergency Bail Schedule that was in place at the height of the COVID pandemic.'

The public defenders' office would also be asked to 'develop recommendations, including staffing and budget needs, that will enable each office to help people resolve Failure to Appear warrants as a means of avoiding incarceration.'

An early version of the proposal specified that the sheriff's office would release 'individuals with aggregate bail amounts set as $50,000 or below,' however, that provision does not appear in a revised version of the motion.

It further asked to work with Gov. Gavin Newsom's office to 'expedite [the] release of individuals being held in custody on behalf of the state including granting the sheriff delegated authority to calculate credits, and release individuals directly from local custody... and establish state-funded and managed alternative custody arrangements for individuals who are in custody based on the state's decision to revoke their parole.'

And, the motion called for a 'zero-bail schedule for individuals accused of low-level offenses, infractions, misdemeanors and some felony offenses, similar to the schedule that was put in place at the height of the COVID pandemic permanently,' as well as subsidizing a suspect's transportation to and from court.

Meanwhile, another motion proposed by the two supervisors would invest more in mental health to accommodate the released prisoners.

It states that the county should 'develop an initial 500 secure mental health care beds to care for... individuals who are those with the most serious mental health needs and require more resources and support.'

The proposal apparently came after protestors called for the closure of the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles last week and handed county supervisors a list of their demands

Activists say county jails, like the Men's Central Jail, are overcrowded, even after the county approved a motion to create a jail closure implementation team, which would develop goals and timelines to safely depopulate the jail

The proposal apparently came after activists called for the closure of the Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles last week, protesting near the LA County Board of Supervisors' Office Thursday morning.

They demanded that the board commit to a closure timeline that would shutter the jail by March 2025, holding signs reading 'People deserve care, not cages,' in the aftermath of three inmate deaths  including one at the jail.

Protestors noted that in 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion to create a jail closure implementation team, which would develop goals and timelines to safely depopulate the jail.

Eric Siddall, the vice president of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, slammed the proposal

But, organizers told KTLA, county officials have not done enough to make that happen.

'Because the jails are operating 20 percent over capacity, we're going to continue to see people dying,' Melissa Camacho, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California said.

Following the protest, KTLA reports, the protesters hand delivered letters to the Board of Supervisors outlining their demands to close the prison.

But critics claim the supervisors' proposal puts every day Los Angeles County residents at risk, with Eric Siddall, the vice president of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys slamming the motion as 'dangerous.'

'The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors'' motion to gut parts of the criminal justice system without input from stakeholders is dangerous and reckless,' he told FOX News.

'The authors sought no advice from those who know and understand public safety issues,' he claimed. 'They seek to lower the jail population without addressing the root causes of crime or protecting the public.'

Video shows the terrifying moment people rushed for safety after a Porsche SUV plowed through a crowd at a street carnival in Los Angeles in November, sending six people to the hospital

The victims hurt in the incident, all between the ages of 15-40, were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries

He said that the proposal calls for the release of suspects accused of illegally carrying a gun, and those arrested on charges like domestic violence, possession of child pornography, residential burglary, robbery or assault with a firearm.

But the supervisors' proposal, Siddall said, does not include provisions to 'protect the community from violent criminals.

'This catch-and-release program comes without any plan or infrastructure to protect the community from violent criminals apprehended by law enforcement.

'This program benefits no one except for career criminals,' he continued. 'We need to make sure the most dangerous offenders don't get out, that first-time offenders don't com back and that those with serious mental illnesses get appropriate care and help. This does none of that,'

Among those who could be released are Steven Weems, who was arrested in November after he allegedly plowed his Porsche through a street carnival in South Los Angeles, injuring six people.

Officers at the time said they tried to pull him over, but Weems refused to stop and eventually crashed through a cement rail and into the carnival.

The victims were rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Weems was arrested on felony hit and run, and was being held on a $50,000 bail.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Solis said the jails are 'expensive and getting into compliance is becoming more challenging as the population becomes more complex.'

'The County is at a point in which immediate action must be taken,' she said. 'However, the authority and responsibility to close Mens Central Jail does not rest solely with the Board of Supervisors.

'I introduced the motion on 'Los Angeles County to Take Actionable Next Steps to Depopulate and Decarcerate the Los Angeles County Jails' as a way to strike a balance with both justice-involved advocates and public safety representatives. Additionally, with the federal consent decrees and settlement agreements, including a potential receivership from the State, I felt this move was necessary.

'The intention behind my motion was for the Board of Supervisors to use the limited authority it has to safely depopulate, including:

'Nonetheless, since the motion was published, my office has received concerns from a variety of stakeholders  those who feel the motion is not doing enough and those who feel it is doing too much.

'To that end, I will be referring the motion back to my office so that I can continue to gather input from all stakeholders.

'We must help balance the needs of public safety while also getting into compliance with our federal obligations. And in that process, I ask that County departments and agencies help us with meeting the need of our most vulnerable.'

The board is set to meet at 9.30am on Tuesday to vote on the proposal.
Just when it seemed that public sector unrest over pay was finally diminishing, junior doctors are set to embark on perhaps the most harmful strike of all.

The four-day walkout called by the perpetually antagonistic British Medical Association, starting on Tuesday next week, is purposely intended to damage an NHS still reeling from the pandemic.

Throughout its reckless campaign of stoppages, the doctors' union has claimed it wanted to protect patient safety. Yesterday, that was proved beyond doubt to be a lie.

By advising individual members not to say whether or not they are picketing, the BMA is making it harder for managers to draw up emergency rotas for strike days.

Such actions are abhorrent. They will add to the chaos in hospitals and mean enormous suffering for seriously ill patients.

(File Photo) Throughout its reckless campaign of stoppages, the doctors' union has claimed it wanted to protect patient safety. Yesterday, that was proved beyond doubt to be a lie

It will take the number of urgently needed operations cancelled due to strikes this winter to more than half a million. It's likely people will die needlessly.

Yet junior doctors' demands for a 35 per cent pay rise are utterly ludicrous at a time of fiscal restraint. The hardline approach, however, is being orchestrated by a cabal of Corbynites who have hijacked the BMA  and who refuse to negotiate seriously with a Tory government they want to topple.

The doctors rightly believe they are held in high regard by the public. But that regard will be sorely tested if they go ahead with this selfish and destructive strike.

The cash-free curse

Trying to find a parking space can be a stressful ordeal at the best of times.

But with car park operators increasingly ripping out coin machines and making people pay using fiddly phone apps, the problem has got immeasurably worse.

More than two million people in Britain will soon live in 'parking meter deserts' as councils turn to cashless options to reduce costs, deter thieves and cut carbon emissions.

For younger generations, that's no skin off their nose. But it marginalises elderly motorists who may not own a smartphone or feel less comfortable navigating the digital world. The result? Chaos, unjust fines, missed appointments and sky-high blood pressure.

Some say the switchover has even put them off going into town for their shopping or to meet friends  curbing the independence they prize so highly.

And that, of course, deals another hammer blow to struggling high streets.

Councils should ensure there is a cash or card alternative  not make it distressingly difficult for those not adept with technology to go about their daily lives.

Race to beat fanatics

Thanks to the efforts of our sister paper, The Mail on Sunday, the police are under no illusion that eco-zealots are plotting to disrupt the Grand National on April 15.

But the big question is: Will officers actually do anything to stop Animal Rebellion sabotaging this much-loved horse race?

Given the police's recent record, we'll not hold our breath. When fanatics have blocked motorways or created other mayhem, woke officers have treated them with sympathy  not as the criminals they actually are.

If these idiots do break into Aintree, supposedly in the name of animal welfare, they'll endanger horses and humans alike.

It's time police did what they're paid to do  standing up for the law-abiding majority.

n THE insane reaction of the Royal Mail to fewer letters, cards and parcels being sent is to hike the cost of a first-class stamp above 1 for the first time. Yet depressingly, there is no guarantee that important post will arrive on time  even without strikes. If bosses want to retain the few customers who haven't switched to instant emails and texts, or e-cards and video phone calls, surely they should lower the price instead.
NSW Premier Chris Minns took a brutal swipe at Mark Latham long before their more recent falling out.

In the wake of Mr Latham's now deleted tweet denigrating gay sex, Mr Minns has declared that he will not 'work with him' to which the state One Nation leader responded by calling the Labor leader 'a fool'.

However, Mr Minns's antipathy towards Mr Latham stretches back much further, according to a book by former top union official Paul Howes.

In his 2010 autobiography, Confessions of a Faceless Man, Mr Howes describes a conversation he had with Mr Minns who was then assistant NSW Labor secretary.

'Chris Minns rings from downstairs to talk about a few issues,' Mr Howes wrote.

'When we talk about Latham's incursion (into the campaign) he mutters the line of the election so far.

Incoming NSW premier Chris Minns says that following Mr Latham's vile tweet about gay sex he won't work with the One Nation upper house MP

'''Mate,' he says, 'it wouldn't surprise me if that guy is out there murdering backpackers on the weekend  he is completely unhinged.'"

Confessions of a Faceless Man is Mr Howes' account of the 2010 federal election, where as head of the Australian Workers Union he was considered one of the power brokers who deposed sitting prime minister Kevin Rudd in favour of Julia Gillard.

During that campaign Mr Latham, the former federal Labor leader, worked briefly as a Channel Nine 60 Minutes reporter where he crashed a press conference being held by Ms Gillard.

During an awkward confrontation Mr Latham asked Ms Gillard why the Labor party had made a complaint about him working for Channel Nine, an accusation the then prime minister refused to engage with.

During his stint as political pundit, Mr Latham also urged people to cast an informal vote and got into a feud with veteran Nine political commentator Laurie Oakes.

Mark Latham had an awkward confrontation with then prime minister Julia Gillard during the 2010 federal election campaign

The more recent controversy has been sparked by Mr Latham's tweet aimed at Sydney MP Alex Greenwich on Thursday.

Mr Latham responded to Mr Greenwich labelling him a 'disgusting human being' for attending a rally where Christians clashed with LGBTQI activists on March 21.

'Disgusting? How does that compare with sticking your d*** up a bloke's a*** and covering it with s***?' Mr Latham wrote before deleting the tweet.

Mr Minns called the tweet 'vile' and said on Sunday he would try to block Mr Latham from chairing any committees in the NSW Parliament's Upper House.

The One Nation NSW leader told Daily Mail Australia he was 'not running for any' committee chair positions and that Mr Minns is 'a fool'.

'But if that's what a new premier thinks about, he's just showing people how vacuous he is.'

Former top union official Paul Howes included an anecdote in his 2010 federal election memoir which recounts Mr Minns expressing a very brutal opinion of Mark Latham

In a February opinion piece for Daily Mail Australia Mr Latham was even more scathing about Mr Minns, likening him to the empty-headed male model played by Ben Stiller in the Zoolander comedy movies.

'Minns has become the Derek Zoolander of politics: skilled in striking poses on frivolous matters.

Mr Minns on Saturday accused Mr Latham of 'trying  to import a US-style, (Donald) Trump-style approach to politics in NSW, but without anywhere near the political success.'

'(Mr Latham's) commentary, his approach to politics in NSW (are) clearly somebody that's approaching politics in a spiteful way,' he told Sky News.

'I don't think that it's conducive to  good politics in this state, to have him elevated in his status as a member of the NSW upper house.'

Mr Latham's comments even led to One Nation's founder and national leader Pauline Hanson demanding he apologise.

She made the demand in a video as she revealed she had been unable to get in contact with Mr Latham.

Alex Greenwich (pictured left with husband Victor Hoeld) said he would not give Mr Latham 'victim' status over his hateful tweet

Mr Latham has refused to apologise and summed up his position in another tweet on Friday.

'Never apologise, never explain,' it read.

A tearful Mr Greenwich on Friday revealed the pain the abuse had caused him.

'This has obviously been hurtful for me. I had a bit of a cry late yesterday at the end of the day,' he said.

'After being in this gig for a decade and getting re-elected, I didn't think I'd still be subjected to homophobic abuse.'

Mr Latham (pictured right with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson) is refusing to apologise for his deleted tweet about gay sex

However, Mr Greenwich refused to call for Mr Latham to apologise or resign.

'I don't want to give him another soapbox for him to pretend to be a victim when he seeks to victimise people,' he said.

Mr Latham and Mr Minns have been contacted for comment.
Russian officials are searching the St Petersburg cafe where a pro-Kremlin propagandist who called for the destruction of Ukraine was 'assassinated' and 30 others were wounded in a bomb attack.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was killed in the Russian city on Sunday after being handed a statuette of himself by an unnamed woman that was believed to have contained 200g of TNT.

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the death, but Putin's attack dogs have accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of plotting the 'professionally prepared' attack himself.

Russian investigators were seen sifting through debris after a bomb exploded at a political event being held at the Street Food Bar No 1 cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday.

Around 100 people were at the event, with at least 30 injured by the blast and four in a critical condition. The blogger was blown to bits just minutes after he was handed the statue, which Russian media said was a gold-coloured likeness of Tatarsky. It is not known if the woman who handed it to him was aware of its contents.

Russia's state Investigative Committee has opened a murder investigation into the blast. Analysts in the country speculated that the attack was carried out by the Ukrainian secret service.

Tatarsky's death appears to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine.

Russian investigators are searching the cafe where a pro-Kremlin blogger who called for the destruction of Ukraine was 'assassinated' and 30 others were wounded in a bomb attack

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (pictured) was killed in a bomb blast in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday

The moment of the explosion that killed Kremlin top war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and wounded more dozens of people

In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.

The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed. Smotrova described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

A video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.

Tatarsky was killed in a blast at Street Food Bar No. 1, located in the St Petersburg city centre, on Sunday

No group has come forward to claim responsibility for the death, but Putin's attack dogs have accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of plotting the 'professionally prepared' attack. Pictured: Russian police investigators inspect the damaged cafe

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed a statuette that is believed to have been hiding the bomb that exploded at Street Food Bar No. 1

Putin zealot Alexander Dugin, posted a picture of his daughter Darya Dugina (left) with Tatarsky (right) and wrote: 'This is how the history of real Russian saints is created. Real. Not fictitious. Not sucked from the finger. Beating from the heart. If it is not holiness, then there is no holiness'.

Russian media said investigators were looking at the bust as the possible source of the blast but have not ruled out the possibility that an explosive device was planted in the cafe before the event.

Russia's Investigative Committee, the state's top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Her father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an 'immortal' hero who died to save the Russian people.

'There must be no talks with the terrorists other than about their unconditional surrender,' Dugin said. 'A victory parade must take place in Kyiv.'

It is understood that the blast was 'caused by an improvised explosive device hidden inside a statue given to Tatarsky as a gift'. Russian media has shared a photo of a young woman (pictured) suspected to have given Tatarsky the figurine

Before the blast on Sunday, Tatarsky (pictured) spoke to a party in front of projection of an image of him

Since the fighting in Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian authorities have refrained from claiming responsibility for various fires and explosions and apparent assassinations in Russia. At the same time, officials in Kyiv have jubilantly greeted such events and insisted on Ukraine's right to launch attacks in Russia.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

'Spiders are eating each other in a jar,' Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter. 'Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.'

Who was Vladlen Tatarsky and why could he have been a target for assassins? Click here to read more about the Putin war propagandist Pictured: Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky making a video from the Ukraine frontline Advertisement

Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland, Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

Tatarsky was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric.

After the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year that most of the world rejected as illegal, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: 'That's it. We'll defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you.'

Military bloggers have played an increasingly prominent and influential role in the flow of information about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They have almost universally championed the goals of the campaign but at times criticise Russian military strategy and tactical decisions.

At the same time, the Kremlin has squelched alternative voices opposing the war by shutting down news outlets, limiting the public's access to information and jailing critics.

The restaurant once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private army that is fighting for Russia in Ukraine.

A group called Cyber Front Z, which refers to itself on social media as 'Russia's information troops', said it had hired out the cafe for the evening. The building's facade was reportedly damaged in the blast.

'There was a terrorist attack. We took certain security measures but unfortunately they were not enough,' the group said on Telegram.

'Condolences to everyone who knew the excellent war correspondent and our friend Vladlen Tatarsky,' it said.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the part of Ukraine's Donetsk province that is occupied by Russia, suggested publicly that Ukraine was to blame.

'He was killed vilely. Terrorists cannot do otherwise. The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime. It needs to be destroyed, there's no other way to stop it,' he said.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said 'domestic terrorism' was breaking out in Russia.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, wrote on Twitter that it had only been a matter of time - 'like the bursting of a ripe abscess' - before Russia would be consumed by what he called domestic terrorism.

'The spiders are eating each other in a jar,' he said.

The explosion had a power of 200 grams of TNT, law enforcement officials said. Pictured: The damaged exterior of Street Food Bar No. 1 in St Petersburg following Sunday's explosion

A group called Cyber Front Z, which refers to itself as 'Russia's information troops', said it had hired out the cafe for the evening. Pictured: The interior of the cafe after the blast

The restaurant once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private army that is fighting for Russia in Ukraine. Pictured: An interior view of the cafe after the bombing

Pictured: Medics care for the wounded outside of Street Food Bar No. 1 in St Petersburg following Sunday's explosion

War 'reporter' Tatarsky was one of the biggest cheerleaders for Putin's war and the destruction of Ukraine as a separate nation.

His Telegram channel had more than 560,000 followers and he was recognised as one of the most prominent of the influential military bloggers to have provided an often critical running commentary on the war.

Russia's foreign ministry on Sunday paid tribute to a prominent military blogger killed by a bomb at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday, lashing out at Western governments for failing to react to the attack.

Bloggers like Vladlen Tatarsky 'are defenders of the truth', ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram, adding that the lack of reaction from Western governments 'despite their concerns for the welfare of journalists and the free press speaks for itself'.

'Russian journalists constantly feel the threat of reprisals from the Kyiv regime,' she said.

'It is thanks to Russian war correspondents that the world sees true, operational images and finds out what is happening in Ukraine,' she said.

Tatarsky was 'dangerous' for Ukraine 'but bravely went on until the end, fulfilling his duty', she added.

War 'reporter' Tatarsky (pictured) was one of the biggest cheerleaders for Putin's war and the destruction of Ukraine as a separate nation

Pictured: Firefighters work at the scene of an explosion at Street Food Bar No. 1 in St Petersburg on Sunday night

Pictured: A law enforcement officer stands guard Sunday night as investigators probe the scene of an explosion that killed blogger Vladlen Tatarsky

Pictured: Investigators are at Street Food Bar No. 1 in St Petersburg on Sunday night after an explosion damaged the building and apparently blew out its windows

Several hours before the explosion, Tatarsky had praised advertising hoardings in Moscow seeking recruits for Wagner fighters.

'It's nice to see such outdoor advertising,' he said.

Before becoming a propagandist, he had been a fighter in the battles in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

He was among hundreds of attendees at a lavish Kremlin ceremony last September to proclaim Russia's annexation of four partly occupied regions of Ukraine, a move that most countries at the UN condemned as illegal.

'We'll defeat everyone, we'll kill everyone, we'll rob everyone we need to. Everything will be as we like it,' he was shown saying in a video clip on that occasion.

Born in Soviet Ukraine, Tatarsky said after a Putin speech in December: 'We will conquer everyone, we'll kill everyone.

'We'll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it.'

Earlier in October a video shows him declaring: 'What are Ukrainians?

'I suddenly understood it. 'A Ukrainian is a Russian who got mentally sick.

'A Ukrainian is a Russian spiritual transvestite who is trying to squeeze into another skin.

'I was always interested - when was this moment when they shifted from a healthy Russian personinto total schizophrenia?

'The future of Ukraine, those people who live there, is that they are Russian people and they will return to their normal state.

'When we win in Ukraine, the future of these people is that they are Russian people who recovered from their craziness, their spiritual transvestism, and returned to their normal state.'

The explosion took place at the Street Bar cafe in Russia's second largest city, killing Tatarsky and leaving more than a dozen injured. Pictured: Officials with the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry working the scene

Officials say the 'causes and circumstances of the incident are being established,' according to Russian Telegram messages reviewed by MailOnline. Investigators are pictured at the scene

Investigators from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, local police and paramedics are working the scene

Investigators and members of emergency services work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg

Russian investigators and police officers stand at the side of an explosion at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday. The restaurant is believed to have once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private army that is fighting for Russia in Ukraine

In June when Russian troops were forced to leave Snake Island by Ukraine, he praised the 'heroic fight' of Putin's fighters.

Like other Putin war cheerleaders he had criticised the Russian army for failing to fight even more ruthlessly in Ukraine.

In December when Ukraine attacked an airbase in Ryazan with a drone, he said sarcastically: 'Who can say which academy teaches that airfields must be guarded during a war?

'Or is it a secret sacred knowledge that is transmitted only to the chosen few?'

Tatarsky's death followed the killing last August of Darya Dugina, the daughter of prominent ultra-nationalist Alexander Dugin, in a car bomb attack near Moscow.

Russia's Federal Security Service accused Ukraine's secret services of carrying out that attack, which Putin called 'evil'. Ukraine denied involvement.

Dugin posted a picture of Dugina with Tatarsky and wrote: 'This is how the history of real Russian saints is created.

'Real. Not fictitious. Not sucked from the finger. Beating from the heart. If it is not holiness, then there is no holiness'.

Russia's war bloggers, an assortment of military correspondents and freelance commentators with army backgrounds, have enjoyed broad freedom from the Kremlin to publish hard-hitting views on the war, now in its 14th month.

Putin even made one of them a member of his human rights council last year.

They reacted with shock to the news of Tatarsky's death.

Pictured: Russian forces take security measures on Sunday night at the explosion site in which prominent Russian military correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky died in Saint Petersburg

Pictured: People lay flowers outside the cafe where prominent Russian military correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky died on Sunday in a bombing

'He was in the hottest spots of the special military operation and he always came out alive. But the war found him in a Petersburg cafe,' said Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the name War Gonzo.

Alexander Khodakovsky, a leading pro-Moscow figure in eastern Ukraine, wrote: 'Max, if you were a nobody, you'd have died of 'vodka and headcolds'. But you were dangerous to them, you did your business like no one else could. We will pray for you, brother.'

Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov commented on the death of Tatarsky [Fomin], saying: 'Fomin is a former citizen of Ukraine, sentenced in 2011 to 12 years in prison for an armed robbery of a bank in the Donbas.

'He was released from the zone in 2014 by Russian troops, under the obligation to fight against Ukraine.

'Fomin did not sit long in the trenches and became a blogger and one of the symbols of the Russian occupation.

'Fomin was invited on December 22 to Putin's speech in the Kremlin among the representatives of the Russian elite.

'His liquidation is a serious blow to Russian propaganda.'

Investigators work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg

It is understood that the blast was 'caused by an improvised explosive device hidden inside a statue given to Tatarsky as a gift'

Investigators work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg on Sunday

TV presenter and media manager Tina Kandelaki demanded: 'When will the country begin to respond? The terrorists [in Ukraine] have electricity, water, railways, restaurants, and the Internet all working.

'The leaders of the killers travel around the country with television cameras.'

If Tatarsky was deliberately targeted, it would be the second assassination on Russian soil of a high-profile figure associated with the war in Ukraine.

Various fires and explosions have occurred in Russia since the fighting in Ukraine began on February 24 2022, without any clear indication of a connection to the conflict.
Gamblers are set to have credit checks carried out on them by bookmakers to ensure they can afford to place bets under proposed new laws to stop people racking up big losses.

The move, to be announced later this month in a long-awaited gambling white paper, follows a 19.2 million fine on William Hill for letting customers spend tens of thousands of pounds without checks.

Critics have demanded restrictions on sponsorship and advertising, but some of the toughest measures are expected to be watered down amid fierce industry lobbying.

Last year the Mail on Sunday revealed affordability checks were likely to be introduced as part of the gambling reform measures.

Details are yet to be published but it is believed there will be automatic background checks on punters spending moderate sums. These would take seconds and could involve examining indicators of financial vulnerability such as county court debt judgments.

(Stock Photo) Gamblers are set to have credit checks carried out on them by bookmakers to ensure they can afford to place bets

Appropriate actions that would need to be taken if risks are indicated are likely to be decided after further consultation.

It is likely higher bets would require enhanced checks.

Risks that problem gamblers will move to other online sites to avoid restrictions means a form of industry-wide data sharing may be introduced.

This would give regulated companies information about activity across all betting operators without compromising the gamblers data privacy rights.

Some operators have already begun introducing measures to protect vulnerable customers.

Last week the Gambling Commission imposed a record fine on William Hill.

The commission discovered a string of failings from William Hill brands, including their bookie shops, williamhill.com and online casino site Mr Green.

The regulator found one customer was allowed to open an account and spend 23,000 in 20 minutes without any checks, and another was able to deposit and lose 70,134 in a month.
A victim of the Salisbury poisonings whose partner died after being exposed to Novichok is planning to sue Russia.

Charlie Rowley and his partner Dawn Sturgess became seriously ill after she found a perfume bottle containing the lethal military-grade nerve agent and sprayed it on her wrist in 2018.

The pair were admitted to hospital within hours, and tragically Ms Sturgess, 44, died on July 8, 2018.

Mr Rowley, 49, who suffered multiple strokes and nerve damage, lost his home after the attack because the property was severely contaminated. He has not received any compensation nor received concrete answers regarding Ms Sturgess's death because the public hearing has been pushed back until next year.

He now has a team of lawyers looking into the possibility of suing Russia for his girlfriend's death and his property loss.

Charlie Rowley (pictured), 49, who suffered multiple strokes and nerve damage, lost his home after the attack because the property was severely contaminated. He has still not received any compensation

Mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess (pictured), 44, died after she found a perfume bottle containing miliatary-grade nerve agent, Novichok, and sprayed it on her wrist

He said: 'We've waited for five years and I want the truth to finally be told. I will dig my heels in until the day there will be an outcome.

'There were 450 items in my house  all gone. My phone that contained all my photos and memories and even the 400 in my wallet when I was in hospital all had to be destroyed,' he told The Sun.

READ MORE: Salisbury house where retired Russian spy was poisoned with Novichok is bought in a shared ownership deal - five years after the attack Advertisement

In March 2018, Wiltshire was rocked when Kremlin spies allegedly attempted to murder former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal, 68, in Salisbury.

Both he and his then 33-year-old daughter Yulia were rushed to hospital in critical condition after coming into contact with Novichok - a deadly nerve agent concocted by Soviet scientists during the Cold War.

They survived the suspected attempted murder, but four months later, in the same county, Ms Sturgess was killed.

She and Mr Rowley fell ill after handling the fake Nina Ricci perfume bottle used by the Moscow hitmen in their initial botched assassination of the Skripals.

Mr Rowley, who has battled psychological scars as well as fading eyesight, found the perfume bottle in a charity shop bin before giving it to his then girlfriend as a gift.

It is believed the Russian state ordered the attack on Skripal - who was jailed in Russia for spying in MI6 - on March 4 2018.

The suspected assassins  Russian intelligence officers Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin  were caught on CCTV as they travelled from Moscow to the Wiltshire cathedral city.

A third suspect, senior Russian agent Denis Sergeev, was believed to be the on-the-ground commander. All three fled back to Russia after their failed murder attempt.

Pictured is the John Baker House where Dawn Sturgess lived

Handout CCTV image issued by the Metropolitan Police of Russian nationals Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov on Fisherton Road, Salisbury on March 4, 2018

It took almost exactly a year for Salisbury to finally be declared clear of all traces of the deadly nerve agent. Police say it could have killed thousands.

In his first interview since leaving hospital in July 2018, the then-45-year-old told how he gave Ms Sturgess what he believed to be a bottle of perfume but then watched in horror as she was taken ill just 15 minutes after spraying it on her wrists.

Mr Rowley told ITV News when he came round in hospital after being exposed to the deadly Russian nerve agent, he was so ill he didn't know who Ms Sturgess was. He revealed how he found the 'perfume', which was in a sealed bottle, and gave it to Ms Sturgess on the morning that she collapsed.

He said: 'I had showed Dawn what I'd found. It might've been hanging around the flat for a couple of days.

'I find things and it looked expensive. It looked expensive. Unfortunately it turned out to be to be a bad find.

'Within 15 minutes Dawn said she had a headache. She asked me if I had any headache tablets. I had a look around the flat. In that time she said she felt peculiar and needed to lie down in the bath.

'At the time I thought it seemed a bit strange and I went into the bathroom and found her in the bath, fully clothed, in a very ill state.'

He said he survived because he washed his hands after coming into contact with the nerve agent.

Mr Rowley told ITV News he was so ill he didn't know who his partner was when he woke up

'The time I touched the bottle was the same time Dawn had touched the bottle. I had it on my hands and was fortunate enough to wash my hands.

'Unfortunately Dawn didn't. I spilled it. My hands were covered in the stuff. It was an oily substance with very little odour. It made me thinkI didn't think at the time.

I just washed it off very quickly. I didn't put two and two together at all'.

Five years after Ms Sturgess's death, Mr Rowley said he is still racked with guilt and pain.

He said: 'I still stay in touch with Dawn's family. That's very important to me. I loved her deeply.'
Firefighters have been forced to saw a garbage truck in half after the driver careened off the road and smashed into a restaurant.

Emergency crews spent over an hour sawing off the front of the garbage truck after it crashed into a Korean restaurant in Lidcombe, in Sydney's west, just after 6am on Monday morning.

The crash left the truck's passenger, a 60-year-old man, pinned inside the front cabin.

A team of six firefighters needed to partially cut off the front of the truck and remove the dashboard to relieve pressure on his legs and to help him be pulled out of the wreckage.

The passenger was conscious and responsive but was still rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition with injuries to his legs.

A crew of around six rescue workers spent over an hour dissecting a garbage truck (pictured) to free a man in his 60's who was pined inside

The passenger and driver were both sent to hospital once crews had rescued them, with the passenger suffering injuries to his legs

The driver of the truck did not suffer any injuries but was taken to the hospital out of an abundance of precaution.

A spokesman for the Cumberland City Council told Daily Mail Australia the site was now clear and traffic flow had returned to normal.

'Footpaths have also been cleared of debris and are accessible to pedestrians,' the spokesperson said.

'Repairs to the facade of the damaged shopfront are currently being undertaken with very minimal disruptions to pedestrians.'

The garbage truck ploughed into a Korean BBQ restaurant at the corner of Joseph Street and Taylor Street (pictured)
Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus' borders with NATO neighbors, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Ambassador Boris Gryzlov's comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia's neighbor and ally. The announcement marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to open new pharmaceutical production facilities in the Kaliningrad Region, Mordovia and St Petersburg via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, March 30, 2023

Sarmat missile test launch on April 20, 2022

The two neighbors have an agreement envisioning close economic, political and military ties. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.

Gryzlov, speaking in remarks broadcast late Sunday by Belarusian state television, said the Russian nuclear weapons will be 'moved up close to the Western border of our union state' but did not give any precise location.

'It will expand our defense capability, and it will be done regardless of all the noise in Europe and the United States,' he said in a reference to Western criticism of Putin's decision.

Belarus shares a 778-mile border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Belarusian army Su-25 jet fighters fly during a parade marking Independence Day in Minsk, Belarus, July 3, 2019

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield, have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

The deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.

Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that some of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal.
A missing pilot shot a video of himself taking a light aircraft for a joyride days before he and his pregnant wife were killed in a plane crash.

Rhiley Kuhrt and his partner Maree set off from cattle station Natal Downs, south of Charters Towers in rural Queensland, on Sunday afternoon.

Their white and green Piper Cherokee failed to arrive at Lakeside Airpark, in Prosperine, later that day prompting a desperate search by authorities.

The two day search came to an end after teams discovered the wreckage of the missing plane in the Clarke Ranges on Monday.

New details have since emerged of the couple revealing Mr Kuhrt had an avid passion for flying and regularly posted photos and videos to Facebook.

Mrs Kuhrt was also expecting a baby girl in June and is understood to have been on the plane so she could attend a medical appointment at Prosperine Hospital.

A missing pilot made a video of himself taking a light aircraft for a joyride days before him and his pregnant wife were killed in a plane crash

New details have since emerged of the couple revealing Mr Kuhrt had an avid passion for flying and regularly posted photos and videos to Facebook

Mr Kuhrt's last Facebook post was a video recording one of his many flights over rural south-west Queensland.

'Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and abit of fun,' the post read.

In another video Mr Kuhrt is seen smiling and laughing at the camera while a handful of dogs sit four dogs sit in the back of the plane.

The camera then pans down to the mountainous regions stretching out below the aircraft.

On Ms Kuhrt's Facebook page she shared photos of the couple's wedding in October 2022.

In one the pair kiss while on horseback with Ms Kurht providing the caption 'my complete happiness!'.

In another a beaming Ms Kurht rides to ceremony in bridal dress.

Ms Kuhrt shared romantic pictures of the couple's wedding in October 2022 on Facebook

On her Facebook page Ms Kurht shared this stunning image from her wedding day last October

The couple had been preparing for the arrival of their baby daughter after making the announcement to family and friends on Instagram in December.

They had celebrated a gender reveal party with loved ones in February.

Mrs Kuhrt shared a video showing the expectant mother and her partner sitting on a couple of horses.

Their family and friends stood nearby before popping the confetti canons to reveal it was a girl.

Mrs Khurt made her last Instagram post on Saturday and shared a selfie showcasing her baby bump.

'27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl,' she wrote.

Mr Kuhrt is the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant and head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station.

The desperate search for the missing couple was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday

The desperate search for the missing couple was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday.

Two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft last night.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said search teams had to contend with poor and wet conditions.

'It's easing  (but the) potential with showers and storms. There is a fair bit of cloud as well,' Mr Lombard said.

'There's a weak trough just to the north so there is some shower and storm in the area.'

An AMSA spokesman said the search had resumed the following day before the wreckage of the plane was found.

'At 10.15am (AEST) this morning, a crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville,' he said.

'An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon.

'Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.'
A South Florida attorney who made a national name for himself representing child sex abuse victims has been arrested for allegedly having thousands of child pornography images stashed on his home computer.

Michael T. Dolce, 53, earned national recognition for his work to end the statute of limitations for child sexual battery cases in the Sunshine State, and was eventually named one of America's 500 Leading Lawyers for his work defending child sex abuse victims.

He has spoken out publicly about the abuse he faced as a 7-year-old boy at the hands of one of his neighbors and has told how he hopes to 'spare children the walk that I've had to take,' even creating the Protect Our Kids First committee.

But Dolce's reputation has come crumbling down after he was arrested on March 15, when FBI agents allegedly found nearly 2,000 images and five child pornography videos stored on his laptop.

He now remains behind bars, awaiting his arraignment scheduled for mid-April. If convicted on child pornography possession charges, Dolce could face up to 20 years in prison.

Michael T. Dolce, 53, was arrested on March 15 on possession of child pornography charges

FBI agents found nearly 2,000 images and five child pornography videos stored on his laptop

Federal authorities had obtained three search warrants to look at Dolce's vehicle and apartment in West Palm Beach

Federal authorities executed three search warrants on Dolce's vehicle and apartment in West Palm Beach, Florida on March 15.

'Entry into the residence occurred as a result of a forceful breach on the door when Dolce did not respond to commands by law enforcement to come to the door,' a federal complaint says.

'Tactical surveillance and entry teams revealed that Dolce was alone in the residence, awake on a bed at the time FBI personnel first knocked and announced at his door,' it continued.

When FBI agents eventually broke through, the complaint says, they found a Samsung laptop 'located directly adjacent to Dolce on the bed' that was 'actively downloading child pornography.'

Authorities also found multiple windows open on the laptop 'that included or led them to illicit material.

'One sub-folder titled "sweetie" featured an addition[al] sub-folder titled "Sweet-Pedo Stars," which featured child erotica and child pornography images of a single prepubescent minor female victim with the added watermark "PEDO STARs."'

A digital forensics team later reviewed the Samsung laptop, and 'as of 3/24/23, FBI personnel had identified 1,997 images and five videos of child pornography based upon known hash values for previously identified child pornography.'

Federal authorities say Dolce was using a BitTorrent to anonymously download the images and videos of female child victims estimated to be between 5 to 8 years old, 6 to 10 years old and 9 to 11 years old.

Dolce conceded after prosecutors requested a pretrial detention at a hearing on Thursday, Law and Crime reports, but reserved the right to revisit the topic later.

It remains unclear how federal authorities were able to track Dolce down.

Dolce has spoken publicly about being a victim of child sexual abuse himself, and led efforts to repeal the statute of limitations for sex crimes in the state of Florida

Dolce received his law degree in 1994 from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Florida, according to his LinkedIn profile, which says he is 'a highly regarded trial lawyer and political activist.'

But he first made a name for himself 10 years later, when he came forward as a child sex abuse survivor and testified before the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee in an effort to repeal all statutes of limitation for civil and criminal prosecution of child sexual battery.

He claimed he was molested by a neighbor at the age of 7, and said that by the time he mustered the courage to speak out about it, he could not pursue a claim because the statute of limitations had passed.

'The law was protecting the predators,' Dolce recounted in a video after the state legislature voted to repeal the statue of limitations. 'They were encouraged under the law to silence their victims, to threaten them.'

In a 2009 interview, Dolce said he was working to ensure other child sex abuse and adult sex abuse victims could bring their cases against their abusers, noting: 'Perpetrators most of the time have more than one victim, and dozens and dozens of victim.'

He also said in that video that he had worked inside the Florida State Legislature for five years, but was facing challenges by the Catholic Church to get the statute of limitations removed  though he noted that he had been teaching Sunday school at a local church for 14 years.

In a 2009 interview, Dolce said he was working to ensure other child sex abuse and adult sex abuse victims could bring their cases against their abusers

Following his victory, Dolce formed his own law firm Dolce and Paruas in 2012, and worked there until 2015, when he got a position at Cohen Milstead, a large law firm with a half-dozen offices throughout the country.

There, he led the firms Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking and Domestic Abuse Team.

A now-deleted profile on the Cohen Milstead website claims he 'brings to his work the insight and commitment of a survivor, having himself been the victim of sexual abuse as a young boy at the hands of a sadistic predator.'

It also notes that he was included in Lawdragon's list of 500 Leading Lawyers in America, was listed in The Best Lawyers in America and received the Daily Business Review's 2019 Innovative Practice Areas Award.

Dolce formed his own law firm Dolce and Paruas in 2012, and worked there until 2015, when he got a position at Cohen Milstead

He received awards for his work from the National Center for Victims of Crime, the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence and the Florida Justice Association; and 'CNN has relied on him as an expert for an investigative report into sex crime investigations.'

And in his spare time, Dolce was a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence from 2011 through 2018 and was in the Sexual Violence Focus Group at the Office of the Florida State Courts Administrator in 2015.

He even founded his own political committee, entitled Protect Our Kids First Inc.

When asked what the most challenging part of his job was in 2017, Dolce said it was 'dealing with people who don't want to look at the truth of what child abuse survivors really go through.

'It's an ugly issue that no on wants to even think about,' he said in an interview with Daily Business Review at the time.

'People worry for their own children, but they don't want to look at the reality of what happens to a child  or even adults for that matter.

'You can't x-ray these injuries. You can't scan them on an MRI. But you have to get people to understand the depth of these injuries.'

He added that his 'number one hope always remains that I will have spared children the walk that I've had to take.

'I think we'll achieve that by continuing to make institutions safer and continuing to hold abusers accountable who would otherwise repeat their crimes.'

During his time at Cohen Milstead, Dolce was known to secure large settlements for his clients, including a $4.6million deal in 2019 on behalf of an adult plaintiff who alleged his father sexually abused him throughout his childhood.

He was working on a case involving a client who alleged she was coerced into a threesome while drunk and tripping on magic mushrooms at the time of his arrest, the Miami New Times reports.

Two weeks ago, opposing counsel noticed that Dolce suddenly disappeared from the case, but they did not know why until Dolce's arrest came to light on March 29.

In a statement, executives for Cohen Milstead said 'the firm is stunned and saddened by these appalling allegations,' noting that Dolce has been fired.

'We are focused on attending to the needs of our clients and staff, and continuing to cooperate fully with the investigation.'

Meanwhile, congregation leaders at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach have reportedly told Dolce  who served on the church's governing board  not to attend or participate in church events until further notice, according to the Palm Beach Post.
A self-described gang member with multiple arrests for weapons offenses who mocks police for his TikToks has taunted the New York Police Department after they issued an alert warning about his behavior.

Richard Sharp, 24, goes by the name 'Famous Richard' on his TikTok page, and has 8,700 followers.

His page includes clips of him wagging his finger and mocking Times Square performers, ridiculing a crying man, and interacting with gangs of young people.

It also includes at least eight clips captioned: 'New York Police', showing him setting out to provoke members of the NYPD.

Richard Sharp, 24, has set up a TikTok page to provoke and taunt people - in particular the police

The Chicago-born self-proclaimed gangster filmed himself provoking members of the NYPD

In one TikTok clip, he made a grab for an officer's holstered gun

In one clip he even attempts to grab an officer's holstered gun.

'That's a real Glock on your hip?' he asks an officer. 'Let me hold that motherf*****.'

The officer warns him: 'Stop!'

In another clip, he makes to grab an officer's gun, and his partner asks: 'Do you need help?'

Sharp replies: 'I see that pipe on his hip and it's exciting me, that's all.'

He is also seen pulling open the door of a parked police van and confronting the officer sitting inside in the passenger seat.

The Chicago-born aspiring rapper repeatedly references 'King David', which The New York Post said was a reference to David Barksdale, the founder of the Black Disciples - a Chicago street gang.

In another clip, he racially abuses an Asian officer.

When the irritated-looking officer tells Sharp to stop pointing his finger in his face, Sharp replies: 'Get back, Bruce Lee-looking man. Stop playing me, Shorty, before I do that to your ass.'

Sharp mocks an Asian officer, calling him 'Bruce Lee'

The provocateur yanks open the door of a NYPD van to confront the officer sitting inside

The Chicago-born self-proclaimed gang member styles himself as a comedian and provocateur

Sharp is seen with a gun in a photo he shared on Facebook

Sharp promoted the NYPD alert in his TikTok. The department warned about his provocations and warned officers to 'use proper tactics and caution' when encountering Sharp

NYPD has issued an 'Intelligence Alert', warning officers of his behavior.

Sharp, however, has used the poster in his TikToks, taunting the officers further and saying he will be armed if they try to arrest him.

'The above depicted individual is an aspiring comedian/drill rapper that is antagonizing UMOS (Uniformed Members of the Service) by attempting to touch their firearms, threatening UMOS and provoking UMOS into physical altercations,' the poster reads.

'The subject has 12 prior arrests (CPW firearm x3) and has a history of assault on Law Enforcement.

'Sharp is a self-proclaimed Black Disciple gang member.'

The poster warns officers to 'use proper tactics and caution' when encountering Sharp.

On Friday, Sharp crowed about the poster.

'I'm not ducking no smoke, Shorty,' he said in his TikTok.

Sharp pats his side, to suggest he too is carrying a holstered gun, and says: 'They're talking about NYPD out looking for me ok. I'm gonna keep that thing with me too, Shorty.'
A letter shared by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson on social media where someone who has 'worked all their life' takes aim at 'useless idiot' young Australians has struck a chord with hundreds of people online.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Senator Hanson said the letter from an unnamed author reflected 'the feelings of so many people who speak to me across the country'.

The letter's writer states that they are 'getting old' but had 'worked hard all my life' and made many sacrifices to secure to a 'life for my family'.

However, the writer says they are 'tired of being told to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic' and that the government will take 'all the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it themselves'.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured centre left meeting supporters in the Queensland city of Rockhampton in 2017) has shared a letter she said many agree with

The writer goes on to say they are also tired of being told to lower living standards to fight global warming, 'which no one is allowed to debate'.

Another sort point is being labelled a racist because 'I am proud of my heritage'.

The writer says they are out of step with political fashions.

'Im tired of being told I need to accept the latest fad or politically correct stupidity or befriending a group thats intent on killing me because I wont convert to their point of view,' the letter states,' the writer states.

Another bugbear is being preached to by wealthy entertainers, athletes and politicians who talk like 'like their opinions matter to the common man'.

The letter inveighs against 'entitlement' that the writer has to 'pay for'.

'No one is entitled to anything,' the letter states.

Ms Hanson's Facebook post of the letter on Sunday had attracted more than 30,000 comments

'You have a choice to work, a choice to stay off drugs, a choice to make something of yourself.

'I have nothing to do with your choice. That's all on you. You are entitled to what you earn.'

'I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination, or big-whatever for their problems.'

The writer says they are glad to be in the 'twilight of life' because they 'won't have to see the wretched, depressing world these young useless idiots are creating'.

Those who read the letter on Ms Hanson's Facebook page were overwhelmingly in agreement with it

Despite the writer's fears that there is 'no way' their thoughts will be widely publicised because 'the politically correct police censors will try to quiet us' the letter had attracted over 30,000 comments and been shared nearly 10,000 times by Monday afternoon.

'This is exactly how I feel even though I didn't write these words,' a comment read that had been liked 727 times.

'Somebody has summed up mostly everyone's thoughts perfectly. If only it didn't fall on deaf ears,' another wrote with 90 likes.

Another said the letter contained the 'words of the silent majority'.

'These words are appreciated and reflect the feelings of many that don't have the courage to speak up. Thank you,' the comment said with 47 likes.

Not everyone agreed - with one person calling it out as a baby boomer rant.

'This is called generation gap. So judgmental!,' one said.

For that remark they got two likes but also two replies taking them to task.
Urgent government action is needed after a study revealed child physical, emotional and sexual abuse is 'disturbingly prevalent' across the nation, the Australian Human Rights Commission said.

One in three Australian children experience physical abuse and one in four experience sexual abuse, the study based on a survey of 8,500 Australians by the Queensland University of Technology found.

The findings published in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday are 'confronting' and highlight the urgent need for a child well-being strategy Anne Hollands, the National Children's Commissioner, said.

'We have no reporting on budget allocations for child wellbeing. We have no Minister for Children. We have no vision, and we have had no urgency for change,' she said in a statement.

'In a prosperous country like Australia, child well-being should be a bipartisan priority. Today we have a rare opportunity to build a national agreement to prioritise child wellbeing and create a roadmap for reform.'

Anne Hollands, the National Children's Commissioner (pictured), said the new report highlighted the urgent need for a government strategy

Federal Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus promised to look carefully at the findings when developing more targeted politics.

'This is a wake-up call to all of us, across all levels of government, and the community. We must do better,' the pair said in a statement.

'This landmark study, the first high-quality, nationally representative study of the prevalence of all five forms of child maltreatment, must focus our minds on prevention and response to child maltreatment.'

QUT's Professor Ben Matthews led the study and said the mistreatment of children had long-term effects including increasing the likelihood of mental health disorders and risky behaviours.

He cited emotional abuse and exposure to domestic violence as the most common, while sexual abuse by some types of offenders has also grown.

'A major area of concern is the increase in sexual abuse by known adolescents, the group who inflict the greatest proportion of all sexual abuse,' Prof Matthews said in a statement.

Children who are victims were almost three times more likely to have generalised anxiety disorder, severe alcohol use disorder, and major depressive disorder.

They're also nearly five times more likely to have PTSD, with girls particularly vulnerable to emotional abuse and mental disorders.

More than 37 per cent of girls experience sexual abuse, which is twice the amount of boys.

About 30 per cent of 1624-year-old participants have also self-harmed, which includes about two in five females and one in five males.

Almost one in four children experience three-to-five types of maltreatment, influenced by parental risk factors such as alcohol and substance misuse, and mental health problems.

Prof Matthews said sexual and emotional abuse have devastating, long-term, cascading effects on the mental health of victims.

'Sexual abuse and emotional abuse were most strongly associated with mental health disorders and health risk behaviours, making these two forms of maltreatment prime targets for intensified national prevention and early intervention policies,' he said.

'Child maltreatment contributes greatly to our national crisis in youth self-harm and suicide attempts.'
A new mum has been left distraught after disgruntled tradies broke into her empty Porter Davis Home and vandalised it.

The woman, who asked not to be named to protect the identity of her newborn, estimated the vandals had caused $50,000 worth of damage to her home in Berwick, in Melbourne's south east.

She claimed furious subcontractors - who have been left unpaid by the collapsed building firm - intentionally left taps running in the sink and bathroom, flooding the property with more than seven centimetres of water.

They even scratched and slashed the doors and walls with a knife or key.

It comes after Porter Davis was forced into liquidation on Friday, forcing work to completely halt work on more than 1,500 properties across Victoria.

The woman and her partner were expected to move into the property with their 13-day-old baby on Thursday.

'Twelve days ago was the happiest day of our lives when we welcomed our first baby boy,' she wrote on Facebook.

The woman believes angry tradies left the taps running in her bathroom, flooding the house

They also scored her doors

'We were meant to have handover on Thursday until the news broke through. Today our house was completely vandalised making everything extremely difficult to move forward.'

The woman questioned what they had done to deserve the attack.

'I'm completely devastated and shocked,' she told the Herald Sun.

'We worked so hard and put a lot of money into this house to only hope we could bring our new baby home this week.'

The woman believed their home was targeted by tradies who had been left out of pocket.

'What they have done has not affected Porter Davis at all but unfortunately only us as now the damages are more than what we had remaining on the house,' she said.

'It's devastating to understand that someone would actually break in and do this to our home.'

The woman said she informed police after another Porter Davis house in the area had the same damages caused on the same night.

Other individuals reported Porter Davies properties being targeted by vandals, with three buildings on a block reportedly having their windows smashed.

Other Porter Davis homes had their windows smashed

Another man uploaded a TikTok video documenting the heart-rending journey he and his partner had been on with their Porter Davis home.

It features pictures of the site being excavated by a digger, concrete being poured and finally foundations being laid.

But the footage ends with the man symbolically tearing down the Porter Davis banner from a fence adjoining the half-finished property.

'Onto the next chapter of our build,' the caption says. 'Long road ahead.'
A neighbour heroically jumped a fence and applied a hose to a woman who was later to die of burns allegedly inflicted by her husband, a court has been told.

Kylie Griffiths, 36, allegedly died as a result of burns when her Albanvale home was set on fire on March 14 last year. Her husband, Roland James Griffiths, has been charged with murder over her death.

A teenager also suffered serious injuries, while there were four other occupants of the house as well at the time.

Roland Griffiths is accused of murdering his wife, Kylie Griffiths, in an Albanvale fire last year. Picture: Supplied

On the first day of what is scheduled to be a three-day committal hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, the Griffiths' neighbour, Adrian Hamilton, said he jumped over their fence and started to apply water to Ms Griffiths with a hose after noticing the fire.

'I heard a loud bang,' Mr Hamilton told the court.

'I assumed it was maybe related to a barbie,' he said.

Mr Hamilton said he also helped lift some children beyond the Griffiths' fence.

Under cross-examination from barrister John Saunders, who is acting for the accused, Mr Hamilton said he had encountered some 'difficulties' with Mr Griffiths, who he said had threatened to burn down his own house.

'It's been directed towards me and my family,' he said.

Mr Hamilton told the court the threats came after Mr Griffiths found out Mr Hamilton had made complaints about him to police and the Victorian housing department.

Mr Hamilton also told the court that he had heard Mr Griffiths say he 'doesn't care' if he went to jail while making the threats.

Roland James Griffiths was charged with his wife's murder following the fatal house fire in Albanvale, Melbourne. Pictured are police at the scene a year ago

Earlier on Monday, the court was told that Mr Griffiths displayed 'extreme concern' for the woman he allegedly murdered as he suffered from his own extreme burns.

Under cross-examination from Mr Saunders, Constable Brett Seychell confirmed that Mr Griffiths was 'expressing his love' for the alleged victim, tried to kiss her and apologised.

Constable Seychell confirmed that Griffiths 'started to shake' and tried to 'get up and leave' towards the other burns victims.

The court was told that according to his statement, Griffiths turned to a teenager and said 'it wasn't supposed to get you'.

The first witness of the day, Constable Dylan Grenfell from Werribee, said he arrived at the scene to see Ms Griffiths being 'hosed down' by a neighbour in a driveway.

Constable Grenfell confirmed he had a conversation with the deceased on a nature strip after the incident.

Mr Griffiths, who appeared in court via video from prison, was largely expressionless throughout the hearing.

Firefighter Christopher Watson said in his witness statement that he provided oxygen to Ms Griffiths on his arrival and poured bottled water over her burns, the court was told.

Mr Watson also observed the accused 'screaming in pain with serious burns to his back and shoulders', the court was told.

Griffiths spent two months in hospital last year before he was charged with Ms Griffiths' murder.

The committal hearing before magistrate Malcolm Thomas continues.
The horrific moment a brave cop was flung from a moving car has been caught on camera as the man behind the wheel is sentenced for the harrowing crime.

Bevan Tittums, 33, was found guilty of flinging the officer from the car, leaving him with a broken wrist after he tried to stop him from speeding away at a Costco service station in Perth in November, 2021.

Tittums' entire chase was caught by PolAir after it followed the stolen Nissan X-Trail during the 76-minute pursuit.

The 33-year-old was jailed for more than three years for injuring the officer and various other offences committed on the day.

Footage captured by PolAir showed the moment an officer was flung from the car he was trying to stop, breaking his wrist

It was revealed in court that the brave officer suffered fractures to his wrist after landing on the concrete which could have killed him had he landed on his head.

Magistrate Richard Huston told Perth District Court it was 'a miracle there wasn't a massive catastrophe with loss of life', The West Australian reported.

Prosecutor Thomas Mooney told the court the injuries 'could've been much worse'.

'Particularly if the officer had hit his head on the concrete after being thrown from the vehicle,' he said.

Tittums appeared before Perth's District Court in March where the court was told his desperate attempt to evade the law reached speeds of more than 160km/h.

Footage played to the court showed Tittums driving on footpaths, near playgrounds, ignoring red lights, and crashed through a security bollard.

The chase eventually ended after the blue X-Trail crashed near Royal Perth Hospital where officers were finally able to capture him on foot.

The 76-minute chase continued on foot after Tittums crashed the stolen blue X-Trail near Royal Perth Hospital before officers finally captured him

Bevan Tittums has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for his reckless getaway where he broke an officers wrist

Tittums' defence lawyer Les Sanders told the court her client believed police were trying to kill him.

'The amount of methamphetamine he had was a fairly hefty quantity,' Ms Sanders said.

'He was having some sort of druginduced psychosis so he thought he could deal with that by ingesting more drugs.'

Tittums was sentenced to three years and nine months behind bars for injuring the officer, reckless driving, stealing a car, failing to stop and possession of drugs.

He was also disqualified from driving for life.
An Idaho man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly stabbing to death the man believed to have killed his mother.

Michelle Luna, 52, was found dead on Tuesday in her Nampa, Idaho home. She had been stabbed to death.

The main suspect was Jesus Urrutia, 39. Some reports suggested Urrutia was Luna's boyfriend.

Nampa police said that Urrutia was 'known to the victim', and was quickly identified as the suspect.

Michelle Luna, 52, was found stabbed to death on Tuesday inside her home in Nampa, Idaho

Luna's son Raul Cuevas, 31, was arrested on Wednesday morning and charged with stabbing dead the man accused of killing his mother

Several GoFundMes have been set up to support the family

Shortly before 7am on Wednesday, Urrutia was found dying from stab wounds to his chest inside his car at a gas station.

Raul Cuevas is pictured in his mugshot. He was arrested on Wednesday morning

Luna's son, Raul Cuevas, 31, was arrested five miles from the gas station and charged with Urrutia's murder.

'Investigators are still figuring out why Cuevas fatally stabbed Urrutia at a gas station parking lot in Avimor, which is over 25 miles and several towns away from Nampa,' the police said in a statement.

'Deputies collected evidence and talked to Cuevas before taking him to the Ada County Jail, where he was charged with first degree murder.

'The case is still under active investigation. Deputies and detectives are pursuing several different leads.'
Trump's legal team has confirmed he will surrender himself to authorities for an arraignment Tuesday

A judge, though, would likely push for a trial before the next presidential election

Donald Trump may be able to delay his blockbuster hush money trial in New York City for up to a year according to federal prosecutors.

Trump is expected to arrive in the Big Apple today ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday after District Attorney Alvin Bragg successfully convinced a Manhattan grand jury last week to indict the former president.

He is accused of paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump has spoken out against the indictment since, calling it a political ploy, but he is unlikely to go on trial until next year.

Federal prosecutors say his lawyers will most likely file a number of pre-trial motions to delay the trial despite a federal judge likely wanting the case to be heard ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Trump is once again running to be the Republican nominee, meaning the case would have to be heard before November 2024.

Marc Agnifilo, a former assistant US attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, predicted on Friday that former President Donald Trump may not stand trial for a year on charges he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money

Trump has spoken out against the indictment since, calling it a political ploy, but his legal team has said he will surrender himself to authorities on Tuesday. The former president is pictured here at a rally in Waco, Texas on March 25

Marc Agnifilo, a former assistant US attorney and former Manhattan assistant district attorney, explained to MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Friday that New York's court system could allow for Trump's legal team to make a number of pretrial motions and appeals in an effort to delay the trial.

One such motion the defense could file would be to argue before a judge that the evidence presented to a grand jury was legally insufficient to warrant an indictment  a tactic Agnifilo said he expects Trump's legal team to take advantage of.

'I would expect this trial to be maybe a year from now,' he told Maddow. 'I think everyone's going to be watching it.'

He noted, however, that Judge Juan Merchan 'is not going to want it to just linger, buy a year is probably a safe guess for the timeline.'

If that is the case, Agnifilo said, Trump may end up at a trial for a federal indictment before he faces a jury for the New York state charges so long as federal prosecutors indict the former president soon.

In addition to the campaign finance charges he is facing in New York, Trump is facing multiple Department of Justice probes into his handling of classified documents after leaving office and his possible involvement in inciting the January 6 Capitol riots. He has denied all of the charges.

Former federal prosecutor Franklin Monsour also told Newsweek that criminal cases can often move at the speed their defendant's desire, and that Trump will likely delay a trial for as long as possible to make his indictment old news.

'Defendants and their attorneys usually delay trial to allow time to learn as much about the government's case as possible,' he said. 'Here, that delay will include Trump filing a motion to dismiss based on the novelty of the charges.

'And it's an old case,' he added of the alleged 2016 payment. 'As a general rule, older cases are harder to prove at trial. So Trump will want to make it as old as possible before a jury hears it.

'All of this said, the judge will be leery of delay for delay's sake and will want this case tried before the next presidential election,' Monsour noted. 'That means trial within a year.'

District Attorney Alvin Bragg successfully convinced a grand jury last week that the one-time president violated campaign laws by allegedly paying off Stormy Daniels

Trump is also facing a separate Department of Justice probe into his handling of classified documents, which were found at his Mar-a-Lago estate after he left office

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is considering bringing charges against Trump for alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election in the county

At around the same time, though, Trump could also face charges for alleged interference in the 2020 presidential election in Fulton County, Georgia.

'If I had to guess, once the indictments are returned and Donald Trump is presented in court on that indictment and he is arraigned [and] read the charges that the grand jury has leveled against him, we'll probably face a trial date set somewhere between six months to a year down the road, but the defense attorney will forever try to file motions to continue to push it further and further down the road,' Glenn Kirschner, a veteran federal prosecutor said earlier this year.

'I think one year from the time the indictment drops is a good rule of thumb as to when we're likely to see a trial.'

Manhattan's Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has been described as a 'no-nonsense judge' who wouldn't hesitate to jail someone for a breach of a gag order

Bragg (pictured on March 30, 2023) has come under fire from Republican critics for politicizing his position and using it to go after a leader of the opposing party

The former president's legal team is already planning to file a motion to immediately dismiss the case against him.

'We will take the indictment. We will dissect it,' Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina told CNN on Sunday morning.

'The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge, and we will challenge.

'And of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this.'

Trump became the first ever former president to be indicted on Thursday, when Manhattan DA Bragg announced the charges against him.

In his indictment of the former president, New York City DA Bragg claimed that Trump was aware of a payment made to Daniels to keep her quiet during the campaign about their alleged affair a decade earlier.

Trump insists he has never had a sexual relationship with Daniels and says he was unaware of his lawyer-at-the-time Michael Cohen making the settlement with the porn star and her attorney.

He is now planning to deliver remarks from his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida following an arraignment on Tuesday, where the former president will be formally charged, have his mugshot taken and be fingerprinted.

But he may be limited in what he could say as a New York judge is preparing to slap a gag order on the former president.

'The Trump legal team now thinks that the Manhattan judge will take the unprecedented step of silencing the presidential frontrunner with an unconstitutional gag order tomorrow,' said a source.

'The Trump legal team is considering adding a First Amendment lawyer to the effort to combat this and will fight it all the way.'

Breaking the gag order could trigger a fine of $1000 and a prison sentence of as much as 30 days, under New York law.

Pro-Trump demonstrators set up on lawn chairs near Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday, April 2 with wielding signs, flags and bullhorns

Many claim that the indictment against Trump has only bolstered his support in his 2024 bid for president and energized his already enthusiastic base.

Trump has even made this claim, saying that the indictment is only helping his chances of being elected for another White House term.

And his lawyer, Joe Tacopina has said Americans worried about maintaining justice should be concerned about the politicization of the judicial system.

Supporters of the former president have since been posted on the street leading to his Mar-a-Lago estate with flags and signs rallying around Trump and slamming the Democrat DA.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed that one of the most cherished memories of his life are the last words spoken to him by recently deceased Indigenous land rights crusader Yunupingu.

Speaking from Adelaide on Monday, Mr Albanese called Yunupingu, who died at age 75 on Monday morning, 'one of the greatest Australians'. He has been remembered as a 'giant of the nation' by the Yothu Yindi Foundation he chaired.

Yunupingu was 'not just an extraordinary leader of the Yolngu people and Indigenous Australians but all Australians', Mr Albanese said.

The PM said he met Yunupingu at the Garma Festival held in the Indigenous elder's ancestral home in the northeast Northern Territory's Arnhem Land last July.

Mr Albanese said he told Yunupingu his government was pressing ahead with an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese talks with land rights pioneer Yunupingu (pictured centre right with Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney behind him) at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory last July

Yunupingu responded by asking: 'Are you serious?'.

The prime minister explained the reaction was 'because he (Yunupingu) had been let down so many times in the past'.

'I had the opportunity and great honour of speaking to him that afternoon,' Mr Albanese told the media.

'He was surrounded by his loved ones and by his community and he said to me on that afternoon, and I will never forget it, he said to me "you spoke truth".

'And that was one of the most heartwarming things that anyone could possibly have ever said to me in my life.'

Mr Albanese noted Yunupingu had 'been a confidant' of every prime minister, including himself, since Liberal leader Billy McMahon in the early 1970s.

Aboriginal land rights leader Yunupingu died peacefully at his home in Arnhem Land aged 74 (pictured)

'We mourn with his people today and we pay tribute to a lifetime of advocating for the rights of Aboriginal people in this country.' Mr Albanese said.

'He was a key focal point of the development of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

'A wonderful, gracious request to advance reconciliation in this country and when that happened in 2017, he spoke about lighting a fire.

'I think that today is a day that I certainly recommit myself to do everything we can to make sure that that referendum is carried at the end of this year.'

Australians will be asked in that referendum if Indigenous people be able to make representations to the Parliament by the Voice, an advisory group to federal parliament and the executive.

Yunupingu (pictured) was a former longterm chairman of the Northern Land Council and advocated for local employment and self determination

After attending the Methodist Bible College in Brisbane after leaving school, Yunupingu acted as a court interpreter for his father in the first native title litigation in Australia, the Gove Land Rights case.

In 1963 he assisted in the drafting of the first Yirrkala bark petition presented to the Australian parliament.

From 1973 to 1974 he gave advice to the Whitlam Government's Royal Commission into Land Rights in the NT, and worked with the Fraser Government on the enactment of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

During this time, together with other Yolngu leaders he also led the revival of the homelands movement and was a long-term chair of the Northern Land Council, where he promoted employment and self determination for Indigenous peoples.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right centre) speaks at Monday's press conference with South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas standing behind him

In 1999, he founded Garma Festival with his brother.

His daughter Binmila Yunupingu said the family was mourning with 'deep love and great sadness ... the holder of our sacred fire, the leader of our clan and the path-maker to our future.'

'The loss to our family and community is profound. We are hurting, but we honour him and remember with love everything he has done for us,' she said.

'We remember him for his fierce leadership, and total strength for Yolngu and for Aboriginal people throughout Australia. He lived by our laws always.'

Mr Albanese was at the Osborne Naval Shipyard to hold a joint press conference with South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas promoting the building of nuclear submarines there under the AUKUS defence pact with the US and Britain.
A woman who unknowingly lived in a flat below her neighbour's dead body for two-and-a-half years has revealed how maggots infested her home.

Chantel - not her real name - said the larvae took over her flat after Sheila Seleoane, who lived on the floor above in Peckham, south London, died in August 2019 and was not found until February 2022.

The 58-year-old medical secretary's skeletal remains were found when police knocked down her door after years of complaints from residents, which they say weren't acted upon by landlord Peabody Housing.

Neighbours had complained about a 'smell of death' and Chantel revealed piles of maggots fell from the ceiling when she changed her lightbulb.

Residents of Lord's Court were left horrified after police found Sheila's body and are now believed to be considering suing Peabody for compensation.

The remains of Sheila Seleoane (pictured) were found in February 2022, two-and-a-half years after she was last seen alive

Neighbours in Lord's Court, Peckham (pictured), say they complained to housing association Peabody Housing multiple times about a foul smell coming from her flat but 'nobody came'

They say they tried multiple times to raise the alarm over Sheila, contacting the housing association with complaints about the smell.

Lyesha, who lived on the same floor, told the BBC 'nobody came' from Peabody, despite her complaints to them that 'there's a smell of death'.

Another neighbour kept a written record of when they first called the landlord to complain - October 10, 2019 - two months after she is thought to have died and more than two years before she would eventually be found.

Only one family member went to her funeral - her estranged half-brother who hadn't been in contact with her for years - and a representative from Peabody.

Months earlier, even though she was dead, Sheila's neighbours still felt her presence.

As the weeks and months passed, they were left unable to sleep due to the stench coming from her flat.

Chantel said the experience was like 'living in a horror movie' and was horrified to find the maggots falling from the ceiling when she changed her lightbulb.

'I've got them in the bedroom, the living room, and the bathroom. And more or less all over my furniture,' she told the BBC.

'You'd sit down on the sofa and after a period of time you'd find a squashed maggot.'

She added that when she complained she was told Peabody's pest control 'don't deal with maggots'.

Donatus Okeke told the BBC his family tried putting towels and sheets under the door to keep the smell out, but nothing worked.

'We couldn't even sleep in the flat. You couldn't even eat because it was a very, very bad odour,' he said.

Her post began to overflow and when cleaners moved her doormat to vacuum the carpet outside her flat, it was never returned to its original place.

Her inquest last year revealed messages between residents where they question 'Is she dead?' as early as June 2020.

Flowers left at Sheila's door by a well-wisher after police discovered her skeletal remains in February 2022

Ms Seleoane had not been seen since August 14, 2019, when she spoke to her GP to organise an appointment for the following day, which she failed to attend.

Her bank records show that her last 'active' transaction was that month, after she paid her rent to the Peabody Trust via debit card.

A timeline of the tragic end to 'forgotten woman' Sheila Seleoane's life - and how she was failed by the police and her housing association Early 2019: Sheila Seleoane visits her GP and complains about breathing issues including being 'wheezy' and short of breath. She makes a follow-up appointment, but does not attend. April 2019: Ms Seleoane is seen for the last time by members of Peabody Housing. She lets them into her third floor flat for a routine gas inspection. August 2019: Ms Seleoane makes her last payment to Peabody Housing. Authorities believe it is around this time when Ms Seleoane dies. October 2019: Neighbours report a foul stench coming from Ms Seleoane's property. March 2020: After Ms Seleoane falls into arrears with her rent, Peabody's make an application to the Government to have her rent paid directly from her Universal Credit - the application is accepted. June 2020: Officials attempt to gain entry to the flat to carry out a routine inspection, but receive no answer from Ms Seleoane. Her gas supply is cut off. October 2020: Following continuing complaints about a smell from Ms Seleoane's property, police make two visits. Peabody claim that they were told by officers that she was safe and well. February 2022: After more complaints from neighbours regarding a smell and the noise of banging windows from Ms Seleoane's property, police force entry. They find Ms Seleoane's skeletal remains on the sofa. Advertisement

When her bank account ran out of funds and rent was no longer being paid, Peabody applied for Universal Credit in her name and had it paid directly to them.

Her gas safety check in April 2020 could not be completed as contractors were unable to get into her flat - instead of sending someone to visit, Peabody turned off her gas supply.

When the housing association did finally send someone after complaints from residents about a year after she died, they asked the police to check on her.

But the when officers knocked on her door they decided there was not enough justification to knock it down. This, followed by a mistake by a police operator falsely saying she had been seen alive, meant it took more than a year for police to find her body.

The Met told the BBC had that operator not retired, they would have been referred for an investigation.

Neighbours told the publication they wish they had not trusted Peabody and had instead gone directly to the police.

One said: 'That's the one thing that I regret - that I believed Peabody. I regret not calling the police sooner, because I just trusted that they were going to do something.'

In a statement to the BBC, Peabody said it 'wrote and phoned repeatedly without recognising that this wasn't enough'.

It added: 'We have new ways of working to put people and their wellbeing at the centre of our operations.

'This is in part a cultural change which takes time, and we know very well that our services are not as good as they need to be. But we are determined to live our values, learn our lessons and continuously improve for the benefit of residents.'

The inquest heard that Sheila's body was so decomposed by the time it was found that it was impossible to determine her cause of death, with the coroner leaving it open.

At her inquest Ash Fox, deputy chief executive of Peabody, said an independent investigation into why Ms Seleoane's body had been undiscovered for over two years had resulted in 37 recommendations to the way they deal with their tenants.

'It is clear from the investigation that processes were followed successfully, but perhaps there was an opportunity where the dots could have been joined up sooner and done more to raise the alarm,' she said.

The housing executive said one of the recommendations was to make contact with all their tenants who have not been spoken to for a year.

Staff would also look for changes in regular behaviour, such as failure to pay rent.

She said so far only nine people who rent homes from the housing group have not been spoken to while there are 25 others who have recently had their gas supply cut off.

Ms Ash said it was now up to the Peabody to apply the 'human touch' as a social landlord.

She wiped away tears as she was asked by the coroner the effect of the death had on staff. 'Everyone is devastated,' she said. 'We recognise more could have been done.'

The Peabody housing group sent a letter to all tenants in the block apologising for the missed opportunities in Ms Seleoane body being undiscovered for two and half years.

In an apology after the inquest, Peabody's chief executive Ian McDermott said: 'We weren't asking the fundamental question: is Sheila OK?'

'We've apologised to the family. We're deeply sorry for what happened.

'The biggest apology though I think does go to the residents of Lord's Court. They did tell us that something was wrong.'
Daria Trepova, 26, said to have carried out the attack, has been arrested today

-Putin war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed in the blast on Sunday

The female anti-war activist suspected of assassinating one of Vladimir Putin's propagandists by carrying a statue laden with explosives into a cafe has today been arrested.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was blown to pieces yesterday after Daria Trepova, 26, reportedly entered the cafe in St Petersburg and handed him a small statue of himself that was said to be laden with explosives.

Tatarsky, 40, a staunch supporter of Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, had been speaking at a political event at the Street Food No 1 cafe when the bomb exploded next to him, killing the propagandist and injuring 32 others in what the Kremlin claimed was a 'terrorist attack'.

Russia's Investigative Committee today said they had detained Trepova in a rented flat in St Petersburg on suspicion of carrying out the assassination. Speaking for the first time since her arrest, Trepova insisted she had been 'set up' and 'was being used'.

Russia's top counterterrorism agency claimed - without providing evidence - that Trepova had carried out the attack with the help of 'Ukrainian special services' and activists who are linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

It came after a chilling video appeared to show Trepova, a St Petersburg resident who has previously been detained for taking part in anti-war rallies, walking into the cafe carrying a box containing what may have been statuette containing 450g of TNT - just minutes before it exploded.

A video is believed to show Daria Trepova, 26, walking to the cafe carrying a box containing what may have been the statuette said to contain 450g of TNT

Investigators have arrested Trepova (left) on suspicion of murdering Tatarsky (right) after she fled from the scene

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed a statuette that is believed to have been hiding the bomb that exploded at the Street Food No. 1 cafe

Images from inside the cafe appear to show Trepova (circled) handing Tatarsky a bust of himself before she began walking back to her seat

Russian investigators are searching the cafe where a pro-Kremlin blogger who called for the destruction of Ukraine was 'assassinated' and 30 others were wounded in a bomb attack

Media outlet 112, which has close links to law enforcement, revealed what it said was the first picture of Daria Trepova after she was detained

The Russian Interior Ministry had this morning put Trepova on Russia's wanted list on suspicion of murdering Tatarsky after she fled from the scene - but she was arrested within hours of the arrest warrant being released.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators that she was used as a carrier to deliver the explosive device, but didn't know that it was hidden in the bust.

Trepova's partner, Dmitry Rylov - also in his 20s and a member of the so-called Russian Liberation Army - insisted that she had been 'set up'.

Rylov, who had previously been detained at anti-war rallies in Russia, said today: 'I believe that my wife was set up. I am in full confidence that she would never be able to do something like that on her own volition.

'Yes, with Daria we really do not support the war in Ukraine, but we believe that such actions are unacceptable.

READ MORE: Who was Vladlen Tatarsky and why could he have been a target for assassins? Advertisement

'I am 100 per cent sure that she would never have agreed to such a thing if she had known.'

According to him, she 'completely misunderstood the purpose' of the statuette she gave to Tatarsky.

The plot thickened further after Russian investigators said they had identified a second female suspect, Maria Yaran, 40, as being involved in the blast. She is reportedly in hospital in St Petersburg following the bombing.

Witnesses said that Trepova had used a false name of Nastya when she handed Tatarsky the statuette inside the cafe - and was then reluctant to get close to him when he asked her to sit next to him.

One witness, Alisa Smotrova, said 'Nastya' told Tatarsky that she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb.

But Tatarsky joked and laughed with 'Nastya' and insisted on seeing the statuette. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

Smotrova said: 'They took out [of the box] the sculpture, it's a golden head in a helmet. I don't even know if it looks like [Tatarsky]. Hard to say

'He put it down [on a nearby table] without a second thought. And then continued asking questions [to his seminar audience].'

Smotorva said an explosion followed and described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

She said: 'We were sitting in the second part of the hall. Everyone ran, and we [decided]: we must run. And we ran.

'Those nearby, of course, were already covered in blood and ran away. The windows exploded too. We ran to the exit.'

Images from inside the cafe appear to show Trepova handing Tatarsky a bust of himself before she began walking back to her seat.

'Tatarsky stopped her, and asked her to sit next to him,' a witness claimed, adding that she said she was shy and didn't want to sit too close.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee claimed, without presenting evidence, the attack on Tatarsky was 'planned by Ukrainian special services' with the involvement of people who have cooperated with an anti-corruption foundation created by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

It noted that the arrested suspect was an 'active supporter' of Navalny's group.

Trepova had a ticket for a flight from Pulkova airport in St Petersburg last night following the blast, but she did not show up for it, reports Izvestia.

The direction of the flight was not reported but there were suggestions she aimed to reach Georgia via Turkey.

Russian investigators said they had identified a second female suspect, Maria Yaran, 40, (pictured) as being involved in the blast. She is reportedly in hospital in St Petersburg following the bombing

An image shows Daria Trepova on Russia's wanted list as published by the Interior Ministry. She was later arrested on suspicion of murder

Suspect Daria Trepova, 26, with her partner Dmitry Rylov. Rylov, also in his 20s and a member of the so-called Russian Liberation Army, insisted that she had been 'set up'.

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (pictured) was killed in a bomb blast in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday

One witness, Alisa Smotrova (pictured) , said 'Nastya' told Tatarsky that she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb

Investigators searched Trepova's flat earlier today but she was not found, while her mother was reportedly taken from the home and taken to a police station. Trepova was later arrested.

A report by Telegram channel VCK-OGPU claimed it had access to Trepova's private web exchanges with a friend in a secret web chat.

This suggested she had come to St Petersburg from Moscow late last week and intended to fly abroad - to Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, via Istanbul.

Trepova, a former shop worker in St Petersburg, reportedly had breakfast with her friend yesterday.

After the explosion Trepova reportedly messaged her friend to say: 'I could have died there, I'd rather have died there, I was set up.'

No one publicly claimed responsibility for the bombing, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator.

She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an 'immortal' hero who died to save the Russian people.

Reacting to Tatarsky's death, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday his activities 'have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime' and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers have long faced Ukrainian threats.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian millionaire owner of the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and handed it over to a patriotic group for meetings.

He said he doubts the Ukrainian authorities' involvement in the bombing, saying the attack was likely launched by a 'group of radicals' unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

A view of the scene of an explosion at the cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday

Russian investigators work at the site of the explosion on Sunday night

The moment of the explosion that killed pro-Kremlin war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and wounded more dozens of people

Tatarsky was killed in a blast at the Street Food No. 1 cafe, located in the St Petersburg city centre, on Sunday

'I have indeed passed the cafe to a patriotic movement called Cyber Front Z,' he said. 'They were doing various seminars there.

'It is indeed similar to the murder of Darya Dugina [daughter of a Putin ideologue who was killed aged 29 last year in a car explosion]. I would not blame the Kyiv regime for it.

'I think it was a group of [Ukrainian] Right-wing radicals who did it, which is unlikely to be linked to the government.'

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

'Spiders are eating each other in a jar,' Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter late Sunday. 'Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.'

Police told RBC media that 'the explosion was at a height of 60 centimetres from the floor', adding that the bomb contained between 300 to 450 grams of TNT. 'The explosion was to the right of Tatarsky,' police added.

One report said that security in the cafe - where Tatarskyn was taking part in a seminar - had stopped Trepova bringing the statuette into the meeting because it was feared to be an explosive.

A witness said: 'The girl who brought the figurine was sitting a little further away from me, and when she started talking about all this, she said that they didn't let her in at the entrance.

Investigators work at the site of the explosion

'She said they had said "there could be a bomb". She said exactly that. She literally asked [Tatarsky] for permission: 'Allow me to bring it in anyway?'

'And Vladlen says: "Bring in it... we will check if there is something inside." Those were his words.'

A video shows Tatarsky vowing the destruction of Ukraine.

He said: 'We'll conquer everyone, we'll kill everyone. We'll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it.'

Some Russian outlets immediately blamed the Ukraine authorities for the blast but it is unclear what, if any, evidence they have for this.

The pro-Putin speaker of the Russian senate Valentina Matviyenko said: 'Vladlen wrote the truth, he wrote simply, brightly.

'As a result he became a target for our enemies, who are afraid of the strength of our spirit, our people's will.

'And Vladlen not only fought in the militia, collected help for our soldiers, but, most importantly, he formed the people's understanding of the special operation.

'And I'm sure he did a lot for our future victory.'
Newlyweds had dreams of purchasing another plane

Young newlyweds who perished in a plane crash alongside their unborn baby shared dreams of buying another aircraft just months before they died.

Rhiley Kuhrt, 22, and his partner Maree, 24, set off from cattle station Natal Downs, south of Charters Towers in rural Queensland , on Sunday afternoon.

Their white and green Piper Cherokee failed to arrive at Lakeside Airpark, in Prosperine, later that day prompting a frantic search by authorities.

Mr Kuhrt had purchased the plane just six months before they crashed in remote bushland in the Clarke Ranges on Monday afternoon.

He revealed his plans to buy another aircraft to 'match' his Piper Cherokee to Facebook friends last November.

Rhiley Kuhrt and his partner Maree (pictured) set off from cattle station Natal Downs, south of Charters Towers in rural Queensland , on Sunday afternoon

Mr Kuhrt posted a screenshot of a 1964 Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche aircraft with a multi engine propeller he had found online for $159,900 with the above caption

Mr Kurht revealed his plans to purchase another aircraft to 'match' his Piper Cherokee to Facebook friends last November (pictured is the plane he hoped to one day buy)

Mr Kuhrt posted a screenshot of a 1964 Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche aircraft with a multi engine propeller advertised online for $159,900.

'Gotta set goals in life and my next goal to add to the hanger with my cherokee 180 is a piper twin comanche would look good next to my Cherokee,' the post read.

One friend joked the keen aviator should buy a plane that could fit a car inside.

'Haha yer when I get a few million together I'll get a big army one that can carry a bunch of cars,' Mr Kuhrt replied.

Photos and videos from the couple's social media pages have revealed Mr Kuhrt had a passion for flying while his wife was a keen horsewoman.

The pair were married last October and shared several photos of them kissing on a hillside and astride horses in a spacious paddock.

'My complete happiness,' Mrs Kuhrt captioned the pictures.

On her Facebook page Mrs Kurht shared images from her wedding day last year

Mrs Kuhrt was expecting a baby girl in June and is understood to have been on the plane so she could attend a medical appointment at Prosperine Hospital.

Mr Kuhrt's last Facebook post was a video recording of one of his many flights over rural south-west Queensland.

'Wick afternoon run over the sorghum harvest and abit of fun,' the post read.

In another video Mr Kuhrt is seen smiling and laughing at the camera before showing a handful of dogs sitting patiently in the back seat.

The camera then pans down to the mountainous regions below the aircraft.

A missing pilot made a video of himself taking a light aircraft for a joyride days before him and his pregnant wife (both are pictured) were killed in a plane crash

Mrs Kuhrt shared romantic pictures of the couple's wedding in October 2022 on Facebook

The couple had been preparing for the arrival of their daughter after making the announcement to family and friends on Instagram in December.

They had celebrated a gender reveal party with loved ones in February.

Mrs Kuhrt shared a video of her and her husband popping confetti to reveal the baby was a girl as delighted friends and family watch on.

The expectant mother made her last Instagram post on Saturday and shared a selfie showcasing her growing baby bump.

'27 weeks now! Getting closer and closer to meeting baby girl,' she wrote.

Loved ones have expressed their shock and grief at the news on social media.

'My heart is breaking for you and your families, just days ago we were talking about how exciting its going to be raising our children together,' one wrote.

'You were honestly a beautiful couple and deserved nothing but happiness but that got taken away from you all of a sudden,' another said.

'You were going to be parents in a short amount of time. I will cherish the memories and moments we had working together last year.'

The desperate search for the missing couple (pictured) was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday

Two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft

Mr Kuhrt is the son of a Mackay district police senior sergeant and head stockman and pilot at Nerrigundah station.

The desperate search for the missing couple was launched by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre on Sunday.

Two helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft on Monday night.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Ricus Lombard said search teams had to contend with poor and wet conditions.

'It's easing  (but the) potential with showers and storms. There is a fair bit of cloud as well,' Mr Lombard said.

New details have since emerged of the couple revealing Mr Kuhrt had an avid passion for flying and regularly posted photos and videos to Facebook

'There's a weak trough just to the north so there is some shower and storm in the area.'

An AMSA spokesman said the search had resumed the following day before the wreckage of the plane was found.

'At 10.15am (AEST) this morning, a crash site was located in the Clarke Ranges west of Proserpine by QG Air Rescue helicopter based in Townsville,' he said.

'An aircraft located at the crash site is confirmed to be the light aircraft that was reported missing after leaving Natal Downs Station in Queensland yesterday afternoon.

'Queensland Police are co-ordinating with next of kin.'
A serial shoplifter has been ordered to pay for a 159 bag which she stole from Heathrow Airport.

Gemma Rowell, 33, was captured on CCTV taking the designer item from the London airport's Kurt Geiger shop before leaving to board a flight on September 20.

Rowell was easily identified and appeared at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court last week to plead guilty to one count of shop theft.

She was ordered to pay Kurt Geiger 159 compensation.

Rowell has nine shoplifting offences on her record, most of which have been committed in the last year, and was fined 369 in July 2022 for stealing the equivalent of 1,200 from Fenwick in Newcastle.

Gemma Rowell, 33, has previously been fined for shoplifting after taking more than 1,200 worth of goods from a Newcastle department store

Rowell was easily identified after the airport shop noticed the theft of the bag. She pleaded guilty at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court

Prosecutor Claire Armstrong said of Rowell, of Wallsend: 'She looked at various handbags and selected a silver, cross body bag, valued at 159. She left the store without attempting to pay then got on a flight at the airport.'

Mark Harrison, defending, said Rowell had been getting a flight to visit her partner and was in a 'pretty dark place' at the time. Mr Harrison told the court: 'It was a thoughtless offence and an unsophisticated one.'

In July last year, Rowell was fined 369 after she helped herself to 1,200-worth of perfume and clothes from Fenwick in Newcastle.

On that occasion, she claimed it was a one-off as she was desperate for money but had found a job and would stay out of trouble in future.

However, a month later, she stole items from B&Q twice in just 48 hours, pocketing a lamp and laser leveller, worth a total of 205.

Rowell gave the excuse that she was renovating her home and was given yet another fine.

Shortly afterwards she committed her latest offences at Heathrow and just a few weeks after that, she was given a community order for further theft.
A young girl has been rushed to hospital after a dog attack in London, with police arresting a woman on suspicion of having a dog dangerously out of control.

Emergency services rushed to Erith in south-east London after an animal allegedly attacked an 11-year-old girl at a house just before 2pm on Saturday, 1 April1.

She was taken to hospital for treatment to her injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

The Metropolitan Police says it sent armed officers to the scene in Byron Drive and removed the dog from the address.

It added that a woman was arrested by officers on suspicion of obstructing police and having a dog dangerously out of control.

Police were called to Byron Drive (pictured) in south-east London after reports a girl was attacked by a dog on Saturday, 1 April

The Met says armed officers attended the scene and the dog was 'contained and removed from the address' (stock photo)

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called at approximately 13:40hrs on Saturday, April 1, to reports of a child injured after being attacked by a dog at an address in Byron Drive, Erith.

'Officers, including armed officers, and London Ambulance Service attended. The child  an 11-year-old girl  was taken to hospital. Her injuries have been assessed as not life-threatening.

'No reports of any other injuries. The dog was contained and removed from the address.

'A woman  no further details - was arrested for obstructing police and having a dog dangerously out of control.

'Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 2.03pm on Saturday, April 1, to reports of an incident on Bryon Drive, Erith.

'We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an advanced paramedic, an incident response officer and an ambulance crew. London's Air Ambulance was also dispatched to the scene.

'We treated a patient and took them as a priority to a major trauma centre in south London escorted by a medic from the air ambulance.'
Russia is planning to launch a new Pacific fleet of submarines that will carry Vladimir Putin's lethal Poseidon nuclear missiles as early as next year.

Since the Russian despot invaded Ukraine, Putin's propagandists have continued to threaten the West with a nuclear holocaust - and the rhetoric has continued to escalate in recent months.

They claim the Poseidon torpedoes are capable of causing 1,000ft radioactive tsunamis - and while international military experts rebuff this, they admit that the terrifying nukes could destroy the UK's coastal cities, cause radioactive floods and kill millions of people in London.

According to Russia's TASS news agency, the division of submarines to carry these underwater doomsday torpedoes could be ready to form by the end of 2024 or in the first half of 2025.

Moscow said in January that it had produced the first set of the devastating Poseidon weapons - a blend of torpedo and drone - four years after Putin announced the fundamentally new type of strategic nuclear weapon, confirming it would have its own nuclear power supply.

Military experts admit that the Poseidon missiles (pictured) could destroy the UK's coastal cities, cause radioactive floods and kill millions of people in London

Since Putin (pictured) invaded Ukraine, Putin's propagandists have continued to threaten the UK with a nuclear holocaust

In late March, Russia said that the coastal infrastructure for the submarines that would carry the Poseidon torpedoes will be finished on the Kamchatka Peninsula, where Russia's Pacific Fleet's ballistic nuclear missile submarine base is located.

What is Russia's nuclear armed Poseidon torpedo? Poseidon is a Russian nuclear weapon currently in development that is a blend of torpedo and drone. Moscow claims it is unstoppable by current nuclear defences, and could be used to destroy coastal cities or blow up aircraft carriers and their battle groups. Poseidon is made up of a 65ft tube that is almost 6ft in diameter which can be carried by specially adapted submarines and launched like a torpedo. Once launched, it acts like a drone and can be remotely guided to its target. The tube is though to contain a nuclear reactor theoretically giving the drone an unlimited range if traveling on a pre-set course to its target. In order for an operator to control the drone, it would have to stay within range of some kind of control tower. Poseidon is thought to be capable of traveling up to 115mph which would give it the ability to out-run any torpedoes that might be used to destroy it. It is also thought to be able to dive to 1km, which would also put it out of range of current torpedoes. Advertisement

'The decision to form a division of special-purpose nuclear submarines in Kamchatka has been made,' TASS cited an unidentified defence source as saying.

'We are talking about December 2024 or the first half of 2025.'

Russia has claimed that the lethal Poseidon weapons - made up of a 65ft tube that is almost 6ft in diameter - would be unable to be stopped by current nuclear defences.

Once launched, it acts like a drone where it can be remotely guided to its target.

Potentially capable of travelling at up to 115mph, the tube is thought to contain a nuclear reactor.

Last month, retired Russian general Yevgeny Buzhinsky called for attacks on Britain with the underwater missile, as he claimed Britain 'will definitely not exist' if Moscow unleashed the wrath of the nuclear missile.

Vladimir Solovyov, known as 'Putin's voice', smirked as he said that if the Poseidon underwater drone hit Britain, there would be a 'tsunami'.

'[If NATO] sends troops, it will end up with [us using] Poseidon, of course, and a tsunami. And 300 metre [985ft] high waves,' Buzhinsky said on Russian state TV channel Rossiya 1.

Solovyov interjected: 'Great Britain will not exist then.' Buzhinsky, 72, agreed and insisted: 'Britain will definitely not exist.'

Speaking about the potential impact of the missiles, Professor Andrew Futter, a University of Leicester academic and nuclear weapons expert, previously told MailOnline: 'If the Poseidon is armed a large megaton warhead it would undoubtedly cause damage.

'If a large nuclear device were detonated in or near that Thames estuary, the tide in the Thames could surge towards buildings and millions of people could potentially die in the blast.

'There would be a lot of damage. The reality is that a large megaton blast, even in the water, would be very destructive.

Russia is planning to launch a division of special-purpose submarines that will carry Vladimir Putin's lethal Poseidon nuclear missiles (pictured) by 2024 or early 2025

'The immediate worry wouldn't be about radiation because a huge number of people would killed by the blast, shockwave or burns, first.'

The threats of nuclear action believed to be the result of the UK's staunch support for Ukraine, while experts also fear Putin will deploy nuclear strikes 'to cause misery and destruction in recognition of Russian failure to conquer Ukraine'.

The latest warning comes after Russian war propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky - who called for the destruction of Ukraine - was killed in a bomb attack in St Petersburg on Sunday.

The staunch supporter of Putin had been speaking at a political event at the Street Food No 1 cafe when he was handed him a small statue of himself that was reportedly laden with explosives, killing the propagandist and injuring 32 others.
An accountant whose parking was so inconsiderate it amounted to 'bullying' of his neighbours has been ordered to pay them 60,000 in compensation.

Ivan Soares, 53, and his neighbours the Kothari family have been locked in a bitter dispute over a 'few feet' of parking space since 2015, with the Kotharis complaining of consistent bad parking.

Bindu Kothari, her husband Sandip and brother-in-law Manish claimed their neighbour had frequently boxed them in by parking inches from their car and obstructing their garage in their cul-de-sac in Harefield, west London.

In December last year, a judge urged the warring neighbours to settle their differences without wasting any more money. The judge warned: 'If the parties want to spend 50,000 arguing about a few feet of parking, they can do so I suppose, but it seems to me they are arguing about very little at a great risk to themselves in terms of costs.'

But they ignored the advice and Mr Soares and his wife Sunita have now been told to pay out 60,090 in compensation at Central London County Court after Judge Jane Evans-Gordon said his parking behaviour was a form of 'bullying.'

The neighbouring properties have three parking spaces in front of them, with the middle space belonging to the Kotharis and the left and right spaces to Mr Soares and his wife. This image shows how a car parked outside the Kotharis' property is blocked by a vehicle behind

Ivan Soares outside Central London County Court - he has been ordered to pay out 60,000 in compensation to his neighbour after a seven-year battle over parking spaces

When asked by Mrs Kothari to move his car so she could get to work, Mr Soares told her: 'Not my problem,' in a manner which a judge has now branded 'high-handed and insulting'.

The 'toxic' neighbours' row, which has racked up over 100,000 in lawyers' bills, revolved around three car parking spaces outside the neighbours' homes in Fallowfield Close, Harefield - two owned by Mr and Mrs Soares and a third in between them owned by the Kotharis.

In the past, Mr and Mrs Soares had allowed a 'swap' arrangement, whereby they parked their vehicles in the two adjacent spaces on the left, with the Kotharis using the space on the right.

The couple said that was a 'sensible' thing to do as it allowed them to park their cars together in front of their house, with their neighbours parking closest to their own house and garage.

But the neighbours fell out over the parking arrangements - after allegations of inconsiderate parking - and, in September 2018, Mr and Mrs Soares 'revoked' the swap agreement.

The parking feud ended up before a judge in 2021, when it was ruled that Mr and Mrs Soares had validly revoked the swap agreement and that the space on the right is rightly theirs.

But the case returned to court last week as Mr and Mrs Soares claimed compensation for the Kotharis having 'trespassed' on their land by continuing to park in the space for nearly two years after the swap deal came to an end.

However, the Kotharis counterclaimed, seeking compensation over their neighbours' bad parking, which they said had harmed the value of their property.

The Kotharis claimed they ended up getting so penned in by Mr Soares' parking manoeuvres that Mrs Kothari couldn't even get into her car.

Bindu Kothari outside Central London County Court after giving evidence about a parking row with neighbour Ivan Soares

Manish Kothari, 41, outside court. The Kotharis are counterclaimed for an injunction to prevent Mr and Mrs Soares blocking the shared driveway

Mrs Kothari told the judge how her neighbour had routinely reversed his car towards her vehicle's space, 'getting closer and closer to her car until they are all but touching'.

And she said she had not used the middle space, which belongs to her family, since July 2022 'for fear of being boxed in' by their neighbour.

Mr Soares had also at times left the couple's car parked at the main road end of the cul-de-sac, 'causing an obstruction', as well as blocking access to the Kotharis' garage.

The Kotharis claimed the value of their 750,000 home has been slashed due to the impact of their neighbours' oppressive parking, with an estate agent telling them the problems would have to be disclosed to potential purchasers and could reduce the sale value by up to 10 per cent.

Giving judgment, Judge Evans-Gordon said a police officer who had attended the road over the dispute had described Mr Soares' parking as 'selfish and unnecessary'.

Having reversed until his vehicle was very close to Mrs Kothari's, he had turned his wheels towards her car before leaving, said the judge.

Branding Mr Soares' parking 'high handed, insulting and oppressive', the judge added: 'This is exemplified by the evidence given by Mrs Kothari, who told me that when she couldn't access her car she asked Mr Soares to move his car because she couldn't get to work, but he said "that's not my problem" - and refused to move his car.

'There is no better example of high-handed and insulting behaviour.'

The neighbours' row revolves around three car parking spaces outside their houses in Harefield

She awarded the Kotharis 60,090 to compensate them for their neighbours' trespassing on their space, damage done to their parking area and for the reduction in value of their house caused by the dispute.

'Given the claimant's behaviour - which amounts to bullying - a potential purchaser might be fearful of repeat incidents. Hence the reduction in value,' she said.

On top of awarding compensation to the Kotharis, the judge slapped a series of injunctions on Mr and Mrs Soares, barring them from straying onto their neighbours' parking space or in front of their garage.

Ruling in favour of Mr and Mrs Soares on their own claim, the judge awarded them 2,530 trespass damages from the Kotharis for their continued use of the right sided parking space after the 'swap agreement' was ended.

The judge also accepted that the Kotharis had in the past 'obstructed' their neighbours' turning circle through parking.

But she declined to grant an injunction banning this conduct because she was 'not satisfied there's been any obstruction of that turning circle for some years'.

The Kotharis must pay Mr and Mrs Soares' legal costs in bringing their trespass claim, while Mr and Mrs Soares must pay for their neighbours' costs in bringing their counterclaim.

A separate judge will have to assess the precise amount of costs each side has to pay up, although an earlier hearing was told the case has already run up around 100,000 in lawyers' bills.
An Alabama cop has been accused of fatally shooting his pregnant girlfriend in the head and then calling 911 to say she had committed suicide.

David McCoy, 29, a former Huntsville police officer, was indicted on March 24 on capital-murder charges in the 2022 shooting death of his girlfriend Courtney Spraggins and their unborn baby.

Investigators allege McCoy shot Spraggins in the head while they were in a parked car outside his apartment in Huntsville on January 7 last year, WHNT reported.

When officers turned up at the scene, they found Spraggins shot in the head in the driver's seat.

McCoy told responding officers, 'I think I've seen her once' and that it seemed like she had committed suicide.

David McCoy, 29, a former Huntsville police officer, was indicted on March 24 on capital-murder charges in the 2022 shooting of his girlfriend, Courtney Spraggins, and their unborn baby

Investigators allege McCoy shot Courtney Spraggins (pictured) in the head while they were in a parked car outside his apartment in Huntsville on January 7 last year, WHNT reported

He was not on duty at the time of the shooting and he later claimed to investigators he didn't know her.

McCoy is charged with three counts of capital murder, according to the indictment dated March 24.

A hearing for the case is set for April 4.

McCoy had called the non-emergency police line to see if it had received any reports of gunshots fired in the area and told the dispatcher he had awoken to the sound of a small-caliber gun.

Investigators at the scene found a photo of McCoy inside Spraggins' car, as well as text messages on her phone that indicated how the event had transpired.

Investigators said Spraggins quit her job in December and arrived in Huntsville on December 17 to move in with McCoy, but he told her that he 'needed more time'.

At that point, investigators said Spraggins drove from Huntsville to Maryland.

Investigators described a text exchange between the two around that time in which Spraggins asked McCoy what she was supposed to do, and he responded: 'A bullet to the head sounds good to me.'

The apartment complex, between Nance and Hughes Roads, north of Highway 72, has a Madison mailing address, but is within Huntsville Police jurisdiction.

McCoy lived at Weston Ranch and sometimes worked as a courtesy security officer there, investigators said.

Investigators marked out the unusual series of events that led to McCoy's arrest.

Spraggins arrived in Huntsville on January 7 and McCoy buzzed her into the gate of the complex at 8:04 am, according to Special Agent Brittany Hayes from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA).

Pictured: Courtney Spraggins. Investigators at the scene found a photo of McCoy inside Spraggins' car, as well as text messages on her phone that indicated how the event had transpired

An ALEA investigator said during testimony that McCoy and Spraggins went for a drive in his truck and they were back at the apartment complex by around 9:40 am.

She said McCoy told multiple stories during his eventual police interview.

The last version he gave was that Spraggins exited the truck and got into her car.

He apparently told Hayes he did not recall how fast the shooting occurred and that he just remembers running with the gun up to his apartment.

After the shooting, McCoy had changed his clothes and thrown his gun into the closet, according to Hayes.

In the last version of his story, McCoy said that after he heard the sound of a small-caliber gun, he came off the phone and went down to take a look.

When investigators arrived at the scene, they saw a photo of McCoy in the car.

Responding officers found a picture of McCoy in the visor of Spraggins' car and took him in for questioning for five hours.

At the end of his interview, McCoy said, 'I did it,' according to testimony at his preliminary hearing.

Investigators said McCoy tested positive for gunshot residue and they discovered a pistol that was not his service weapon, as well as Spraggins' locked phone in a closet in his apartment.

Investigators said that due to the number of wrong passcode attempts on Spraggins' phone they still cannot access it.

Three days after the shooting, Mark McMurray, Huntsville's police chief at the time, announced that McCoy was 'no longer a police officer or an employee of the City of Huntsville,' AL.com reported.
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Teachers are set to heap more strike chaos on parents this spring after union members voted to reject the Government's latest pay offer.

An overwhelming 98 per cent of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members in England, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to turn down the deal.

The NEU, which had urged its members to reject the 'insulting' offer, plans to hold two further days of teacher strikes on April 27 and May 2.

After a period of intensive talks with unions, teachers rejected an offer from the Government of a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year and an average 4.5 per cent pay rise for staff in the next academic year.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan called the move 'extremely disappointing' and said it would 'simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers' as pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body.

Teachers attend a demonstration in central London on March 15. Members of the NEU have voted to continue strike action

NEU joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted, pictured here at a demonstration in London on March 15, said the result was a 'resounding rejection of the Government's offer'

Just over 191,000 members of the NEU, which is the largest teaching union in Britain, voted to reject this offer in favour of continuing strike action just months after many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during the last set of walkouts.

The result of the ballot was announced at the start of the NEU's annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, this morning.

Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: 'This resounding rejection of the Government's offer should leave Gillian Keegan in no doubt that she will need to come back to the negotiating table with a much better proposal.

'The offer shows an astounding lack of judgment and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.

'We have today written to the Education Secretary informing her of the next two days of strike action on April 27 and May 2 that NEU teacher members in England will now be taking.

'These strikes are more than three weeks away; Gillian Keegan can avoid them.'

Previously the NEU said the offer fell 'well short' of what it believes is acceptable and accused the government of refusing to fully fund it, suggesting the rise would have to come out of existing school budgets.

In the vote, which took place over the course of last week, 98 per cent of members rejected the pay offer with a turnout of 66 per cent.

Dr Bousted and Mr Courtney added: 'No teacher wants to be on strike. Nor can they accept this offer that does nothing to address the decades of below inflation pay increases making them the worst paid teachers in the UK.

'The offer will do nothing to stem the teacher recruitment and retention crisis which is so damaging to our children and young people's education.

'The Education Secretary has united the profession in its outrage at this insulting pay offer. It is now for her to rectify that situation by starting to value education.

'The NEU is ready as we have stated all along to negotiate with ministers, but this time we hope a lesson has been learnt. Gillian Keegan needs to start negotiations with respect for the profession she is supposedly representing in Government.

'To parents we say that we have no wish to disrupt education, indeed our action is aimed at getting the Government to invest in the education of this generation of children and the people who teach them.

'We are asking our school reps to plan with head teachers to ensure that year 11 and year 13 students have a full programme of education on the upcoming strike days.'

Striking teachers march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square in London on March 15.

Dr Bousted insisted the strike action would not impact on students taking their GCSEs and A-Levels.

She told Kay Burley on Sky News: 'We are asking all the local districts, and they will do this, to have dispensations for children taking exams in year 11 and year 13.

'We want them in school preparing for their exams and we will make local arrangements to make sure that happens. It will not disrupt the exam work because that is the last thing we want to do.'

She added that the Government should use the pay offers by the Welsh and Scottish governments as a guide for what would 'be a basis for a decent offer'.

READ MORE HERE: Calls for anti-Semitism probe into hard-left Corbynite who is set to become the next leader of education union after video emerged of him speaking at a rally Advertisement

She said: 'Gillian Keegan needs to stop the bullying tactics, she needs to start reading the room, she needs to start listening to teachers. These are not union barons, it's not me making members reject this offer, they had a free private vote.

'They know what they're rejecting, they know it's not good enough and crucially they know its not properly funded. They know even this offer if it is paid out either children will have less equipment or there will be fewer support staff in schools.'

The Government has called the decision to strike 'extremely disappointing'.

Education Secretary Ms Keegan said: 'After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

'Following a week negotiating in good faith, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 payment on top of this year's pay rise, a commitment to significantly cut workload, and a headline pay increase of 4.5 per cent for next year  above both inflation and average earnings growth.

'The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets.

'The NEU's decision to reject it will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today. Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body which will recommend pay rises for next year.'

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Government's offer.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said last week that industrial action by school leaders will be 'necessary' if NAHT members decide to reject the Government's 'inadequate' pay offer.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, pictured on ITV's Peston programme on March 29, said rejecting the pay deal 'will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today'

In January, a ballot of NAHT members failed to meet the mandatory 50 per cent turnout threshold required for strike action.

But the NAHT has said it could move to a second formal industrial action ballot if its members turn down the Government's pay offer.

READ MORE HERE: NHS hospital triggers outrage after staff are promised chocolate 'Easter goodies' for rapidly discharging patients Advertisement

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged teaching unions and the Government to get around the negotiating table following reports that teachers have voted to reject the latest pay offer.

Sir Keir told LBC: 'I am disappointed because I want to see this resolved. Obviously it is back around the negotiating table now but I would urge both sides to compromise and to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.'

The Labour leader added: 'Obviously I support their right to take industrial action, it is very important I say that.

'But I will be clear, I don't want to see industrial action and that is why I want the Government around the table resolving this. It is possible to resolve these disputes, and the sooner the Government gets on with that the better.'

It comes as a survey suggested nearly half of teachers feel their workload is unmanageable most or all of the time.

The majority of teachers said increased funding to pay for more staff (88 per cent), a less punitive inspection system (79 per cent) and smaller class sizes (73 per cent) would have a 'big positive impact' on their workload in the coming year.

A poll of more than 17,800 National Education Union (NEU) members in England and Wales found that 35 per cent of teachers viewed their workload as unmanageable most of the time and 13 per cent said they felt this all of the time.

It also found that more than a third (37 per cent) of teachers, and around a fifth (21 per cent) of support staff, said they feel stressed at work 80 per cent or more of the time.

An additional 31 per cent of teachers surveyed, and a further quarter (25 per cent) of support staff, said this is the case 60 per cent to 79 per cent of the time.
Ken Bruce returns to the airwaves in his first show since acrimonious BBC split

Ken Bruce has taken to the airwaves again in his first show since his shock departure of BBC Radio 2, with loyal fans celebrating his triumphant return.

The veteran Scottish broadcaster, who had a following of more than eight million listeners, kicked off his new show on Greatest Hits Radio today weeks after leaving the BBC.

Beginning the show with the Beatles' 1969 hit, Come Together  the opening track of the band's Abbey Road album  Ken welcomed listeners, saying: 'There you are.' He added: 'Quality music all the way... you're going to love it.'

His return delighted fans on social media, with one saying: 'King Ken is back and all of a sudden the world is a brighter place.' Another added: 'The Pop Master himself Ken Bruce is back on Greatest Hits. How I've missed him.'

But not all listeners gave it a glowing review, with some complaining there were too many 'annoying' adverts on the 72-year-old's show and that its app had been blighted by technical issues.

New show: The Scottish radio presenter, 72, had the last day of his Radio 2 slot - which aired from 9.30am to midday for more than 30 years - in March before moving to Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio on Monday (pictured in 2019)

'King Ken' is back: Fans take to social media to express their joy at Bruce's new show on Greatest Hits Radio today

...But some listeners appeared to struggle to listen to the Scottish broadcasting legend's first show with Greatest Hits Radio via its app, with some taking to social media saying the online service had crashed (above and below)

Ahead of his appearance, Bruce teased what listeners can expect to hear from his new show, which runs from 10am to 1pm. He said: 'What better way to celebrate my forty-five years in radio than with a new adventure and a brand-new show on Greatest Hits Radio.

'I say brand new but there will still be PopMaster, me and my musings and all the great records you know and love from the 70s, 80s and 90s.'

Bruce had the last day of his Radio 2 mid-morning slot - which aired from 9.30am to midday for more than 30 years - in March before moving to Bauer's Greatest Hits Radio.

The acrimonious split stunned his audience and came amid a growing 'ageism' row at the BBC, with the corporation letting some of its biggest veteran stars go in a bid to freshen up Radio 2's image and attract a younger audience.

But Bruce fans say the Beeb may have shot itself in the foot with the decision, with people taking to social media saying they are dumping Radio 2.

One said: 'Hooray. back on the radio today on Greatest Hits Radio. back on at 10am No more for me.'

Other's questioned how many listeners the BBC would lose, with one saying: '#BBCradio2 about to become a ghost town,' while a third added: 'Good to hear #KenBruce again on the radio - Radio 2's loss!'

But some claimed to have difficulties listening to the show amid claims Ken's huge following of fans had caused Greatest Hits Radio's app to crash.

One said: 'Has Ken Bruce broken the Premium Login? I'm only getting "Something went wrong! Please try again" on the website and the app doesn't connect either.'

Another added: 'Can't log into any Planet Radio app or site. I'm guessing this is a rush of people signing up to listen to Ken Bruce ad-free on GHR. There's clearly a problem with the premium system'

In a familiar feeling to fans of his former Radio 2 show, Bruce's Popmaster returned at its same time from 10.30am to 10.50am.

New venture: Ken Bruce pictured in the hot seat of his new show on Greatest Hits Radio. He opened his show with the Beatles' 1969 hit, Come Together - the opening track of the band's Abbey Road album

Some listeners were met with a 'something went wrong' warning when they attempted to tune into Ken Bruce's new shot this morning

When Bruce left the BBC in March, after being at the corporation for more than 40 years, he chose the medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End that closes the 1969 record to end his long-running stint.

When asked how he felt ahead of his first show, he told BBC Breakfast: 'It's a fresh start, it is something a little bit different in a new place, that is always good for somebody to try something a little bit new so there I am ready to go.'

He added: 'There is a certain aspect of oddness about it, yes, I look around the studio I am in and it's not quite the same as it was.'

Popmaster contestant Richard also received 39 points to win a smart speaker and a Greatest Hits Radio subscription.

He gave a shout-out to his wife along with several Facebook groups, centred around the radio presenter, such as The Ken Bruce Preservation Society, and PopMaster With Ken Bruce.

Asked by Bruce if he could amalgamate the groups, Richard said there is 'too much rivalry' between them.

The DJ, who first fronted the Breakfast Show, took over from Sir Terry Wogan in 1985 on Radio 2.

Bruce later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, returned to mid-mornings in January 1992.

The BBC announced Gary Davies, host of the station's Sounds Of The 80s, will present the mid-morning show from March until TV presenter Vernon Kay takes over Bruce's Radio 2 slot at a date in the future.

The radio legend's return to Britain's airwaves comes after he revealed he was 'struggling' with how the hours of his workday will change after leaving the BBC.

When asked if there are adjustments he has to make since moving to Bauer, Bruce said: 'I'm struggling to work my day out.

Details: His new show airs from 10am to 1pm and will feature PopMaster, which Bruce has brought over from the BBC due to him trademarking the long-standing segment

Bruce welcomed viewers onto his new show with the Beatles 1969 hit Come Together. It came weeks after his shock departure from BBC Radio 2 (Ken is pictured at his former show)

'I think I'm going to be going to bed an hour later because I just have to squeeze everything into the remaining hours of the day.

'Once I get my body clock right, I think I'll be all right, but I'm really enjoying having a half-hour extra in bed every morning.'

The radio DJ added that he will be 'looking for lunch' at 12.30pm when he is on-air and joked there will be a 'problem with the microphones' during this time.

He also said his new radio show after leaving the BBC will be 'much the same' and he is not looking to introduce 'massive great bells and whistles stuff' into the format.

Bruce added: 'It's just going to be nice things to keep people engaged, keep people listening, and taking part in the show, it'll just be much the same as it was before just in a different place.'

After joining BBC Radio Scotland in 1977 in his 30s, he went on to several other shows at the corporation.

When asked how he was feeling about the move from a workplace after more than 40 years, Bruce said: 'Well, I've got lots of friends still working at the BBC and who worked at the BBC for a long time, and still I'm very, very warm towards the BBC.

'I think it's a great organisation. It was just time for me to leave and now ... it's been quite a few weeks and really, I'm looking forward to doing a month or two, maybe a year or two, maybe a decade or two, on Greatest Hits Radio.'

Moving on: After joining BBC Radio Scotland in 1977 in his 30s, Bruce said of the BBC: 'I'm still very, very warm towards the BBC. I think it's a great organisation. It was just time for me to leave'

Bruce said he also has 'plans' to branch out to other avenues before adding he is not as young as he 'used to be'.

The BBC announced Davies, host of the station's Sounds Of The 80s, will present the mid-morning show from March until TV presenter Vernon Kay takes over Bruce's Radio 2 slot in the future.

Bruce said he was seen as 'the young pretender' when he first fronted the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, taking over from 'the great' Sir Terry Wogan in 1985.

He added: 'I did get a fair bit of criticism but you just have to ride that through and people are always comparing something they've listened to for a long time with something that's brand new they're not familiar with.'

Bruce later moved to mid-mornings in 1986 and after a brief stint on late nights and early mornings, returned to mid-mornings in January 1992.

He added: 'I don't give advice to other broadcasters, [Sir Terry] refused to give me any advice... I asked him for it, he wouldn't do it.

'So, I don't think I should give advice, but this will pass is all I ever can say... if it's not going as well as you might like, it'll get better soon. Don't worry, keep at it.'

Why did Ken leave BBC Radio 2?

Ken told his fans that after decades with the BBC, he wanted to continue his career 'in a slightly different way in the next few years'.

Decision: Ken told his fans that after decades with the BBC, he wanted to continue his career 'in a slightly different way in the next few years'

However, the presenter claimed the national broadcaster asked him to leave Radio 2 before the end of his contract.

In a tweet, Ken said: 'I had intended fulfilling my contract until the end of March but the BBC has decided it wants me to leave earlier. Let's enjoy the week ahead!'

He later told the Daily Mail that he 'wasn't given any real reason that I understood' by the BBC for the decision to move his final programme.

However, sources told The Sun: 'The BBC believe that every second he is on air is just free advertising for his new show on Greatest Hits Radio.

'They became frustrated by the rival station launching a marketing campaign for his show. It leaves a sour taste.'

In response to Bruce's comments, a Radio 2 spokesman said: 'Ken decided to leave Radio 2 and it's always been known he's leaving in March.

Dispute: However, the presenter claimed the national broadcaster asked him to leave Radio 2 before the end of his contract

'Returning to Wogan House for a week after a month of broadcasting the Piano Room sessions at Maida Vale provided a natural break. We wish Ken all the best for the future.'

When asked how he was feeling about the move from a workplace after more than 40 years, Ken said: 'Well, I've got lots of friends still working at the BBC and who worked at the BBC for a long time, and still I'm very, very warm towards the BBC.

'I think it's a great organisation. It was just time for me to leave and now ... it's been quite a few weeks and really, I'm looking forward to doing a month or two, maybe a year or two, maybe a decade or two, on Greatest Hits Radio.'

What is Ken's new show?

His new show airs from 10am to 1pm and will feature Popmaster, which Bruce has brought over from the BBC due to him trademarking the long-standing segment, and hit songs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

The popular radio quiz is still airing at the same time from 10.30pm to 10.50pm.
Reckless tourists have been pictured posing for selfies on the edge of a 500ft overhanging cliff in Cornwall.

They were spotted scrambling down the cliff in the village of Cadgwith on the Lizard peninsula yesterday afternoon.

The group left the coastal path and took it in turns to pose for pictures with the sea behind them, despite the drop beneath them.

The coastal path has become muddy and waterlogged after weeks of heavy rain and tourists have been advised to be careful.

The government's general coastal safety guidance states: 'Cliffs are often more unstable than they look, and rockslides or cliff falls can happen at any time.

'Stay safe, keep well back from cliff edges and a good distance from the bases of cliffs.'

One tourist stands near the edge of the cliff in Cadgwith, Cornwall, on Sunday

The group described as 'reckless tourists' were seen taking dangerous selfies with the view

They were spotted scrambling down the steep cliff to get closer to the edge

Every year thousands of incidents happen along clifftops and cliff bases.

This is often caused by slips, trips and falls or where people have been cut off by the tide.

Official advice tells people to prepare properly for coastal walks, including wearing appropriate footwear and clothing and sticking to coastal paths.

It tells walkers they should pay attention to warning signs and make sure to tell someone where they are going and what time they are expected back.

It adds: 'Visiting the coast can be great fun, from scenic walks along the cliffs to just relaxing on the beach, but our British coastline is full of potential hazards and risks.

'In fact, there were 36,000 coastguard incidents in the last year alone.

'Make sure youre prepared and know how to stay safe on your visit to the coast.'

They offer three top tips to 'remember,' including; check the tide times before you head out; stay clear of cliff edges and bases; and avoid mud.

The group left the coastal path and were seen posing on the steep cliff
Voters have lost faith in Rishi Sunak to deliver on his promise to tackle the Channel migrant crisis despite him unveiling tough laws, polling shows.

The Prime Minister has vowed to 'stop the boats' as one of his main priorities and has overseen a blitz of recent policy announcements aimed at stopping Channel crossings.

But, according to YouGov research for The Times, Mr Sunak is struggling to convince the public that his plans will work.

On 8 March, the day after the PM announced legislation to toughen up Britain's asylum system, 26 per cent of voters thought it was likely Mr Sunak would be able to deliver, while 59 per cent thought it was unlikely.

But in a poll conducted between 29 and 30 March, just 21 per cent of people thought the PM would be able to deliver on his promise, with 63 per cent saying he was unlikely to be able to do so.

A poll conducted between 29 and 30 March showed only 21 per cent of people thought the PM would be able to deliver on his promise

Rishi Sunak has vowed to 'stop the boats' as one of his main priorities and overseen a blitz of recent policy announcements aimed at stopping Channel crossings

Among those who voted Conservative at the last general election, only 32 per cent thought the PM was likely to be able to achieve his goal and 60 per cent thought it was unlikely.

The poll also showed that voters were sceptical about the Government's pledge to end the practice of accommodating asylum seekers in hotels.

Only 30 per cent thought the practice would end, while 52 per cent thought it probably would not.

Meanwhile, only 24 per cent believed that asylum seekers would actually be moved into barges or disused cruise ships - as has been suggested - while 54 per cent did not believe it would happen.

But there was better news for Mr Sunak from a survey of Conservative Party members by the ConservativeHome website.

Their latest survey showed that Mr Sunak has risen from sixth from bottom to sixth from top in the space of a month in the table of net satisfaction ratings for Cabinet ministers.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace remains the most popular Tory minister among party members, followed by Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt and the PM.

There was less good news for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who was third from bottom in the wake of his first Budget.

At the beginning of this year, the PM unveiled his five immediate priorities for his time in No10.

This included 'passing new laws to stop small boats', with the PM since having repeatedly promised to 'stop the boats'.

Mr Sunak last week avoided a Tory rebellion over his Illegal Migration Bill, which he announced on 7 March, by promising to continue to speak with backbench MPs who were threatening to amend the legislation.

It means that if the PM fails to reach a deal with Tory rebels, he could face a tricky time in the House of Commons when the Bill reaches its third reading stage.

Further pitfalls await Mr Sunak in the House of Lords, where further attempts to amend the legislation are likely.

Under the Bill, anyone arriving in Britain by crossing the Channel in a small boat  or any other unauthorised means  would no longer be able to claim asylum in the UK.

They would instead be eligible for asylum only in a 'safe' third country, such as Rwanda, and would receive a lifetime ban on citizenship or re-entry to the UK.

Some Tory MPs do not believe the legislation is tough enough and have tabled amendments to tighten rules.

But others in Mr Sunak's party are pushing the PM to commit to establishing more safe routes via which asylum seekers can come to Britain.

A number are also concerned about the Bill's failure to exempt children from being detained after arriving in Britain.

Ministers have yet to put a date on when the PM hopes to achieve his ambition to 'stop the boats', while Mrs Braverman has recently rowed back on suggestions the first flights to Rwanda under her migration deal could begin this summer.
Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom on Tuesday, April 4 for an arraignment related to hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election.

The first former president to face criminal charges, Trump was arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed at the downtown Manhattan courthouse after spending the night at Trump Tower in NYC.

He entered a plea of not guilty before immediately returning to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida where he delivered a rousing 25-minute speech in front of crowds of supporters.

The former president lambasted the 'Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife' and a 'real criminal' DA, who he claimed leaked grand jury information, to rapturous applause.

Here, DailyMail.com answers some questions about the details of Trump's indictment, what happened at his arraignment and what happens next, the district attorney in charge of prosecuting his case, and the likelihood of the former president being jailed.

Donald Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been arraigned on charges related to hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election

What are the details of Donald Trump's indictment?

Donald Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree - with the individual counts coming from each time a payment to his then-attorney Michael Cohen was falsified during 11 months in 2017.

The statement of facts said that from between August of 2015 to December of 2017, Trump 'orchestrated a scheme with others to influence the 2016 presidential election by identifying and purchasing negative information about him to suppress its publication and benefit the Defendant's electoral prospects.'

The court documents said that at Trump's request, 'Lawyer A,' known to be Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to 'an adult film actress,' which was Stormy Daniels, in advance of election day.

After the election, Cohen was paid back through a series of monthly checks.

'Each check was processed by the Trump Organization, and each check was disguised as a payment for legal services rendered in a given month of 2017 pursuant to a retainer agreement,' the court filing explained. 'The payment records, kept and maintained by the Trump Organization, were false New York business records. In truth, there was no retainer agreement, and Lawyer A was not being paid for legal services rendered in 2017.'

'The Defendant caused his entities' business records to be falsified to disguise his and others' criminal conduct,' the court document said.

The background information on the indictment also included details about the catch-and-kill schemes used by American Media, Inc., the owner of the National Enquirer.

The company's former CEO David Pecker was one of the last witnesses to come before the grand jury before they voted to indict.

The court document details an August 2015 Trump Tower meeting in which Pecker, identified as 'AMI CEO,' agreed to act as the 'eyes and ears' for the Republican candidate, who was two months into his presidential campaign.

Pecker would assist the campaign by looking out for negative stories about Trump and alerting Cohen about their existence.

One such story - which was later found to be false - was from a doorman of Trump's, who alleged he knew about a secret lovechild produced by the now ex-president.

Court documents said that Pecker wanted to release the doorman from a $30,000 deal for exclusive rights to his story, but Cohen instructed him not to do so until after the presidential election.

The documents also detail how former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal - called 'Woman 1' in the filing - was paid $150,000 by American Media, Inc. for the exclusive rights to her story about how she had an affair with the married Trump.

President Trump with his defense team in Manhattan court: (left to right) Todd Blanche, Susan Necheles, Joe Tacopina and Boris Epshteyn

Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels - the case is tied to $130,000 hush money payments made to Daniels

Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep quiet about an affair - which he denies.

What happened at Donald Trump's arraignment?

After spending the night in his penthouse suite in Trump Tower, the former President was escorted by secret service agents to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office on Tuesday, April 4, and then shuttled into the adjoining courtroom.

In his momentous courtroom appearance, he was confronted with a 34-count felony indictment charging him in a scheme to bury allegations of extramarital affairs that arose during his first White House campaign.

The arraignment in a Manhattan courtroom was a stunning - and humbling - spectacle for the first ex-president to ever face criminal charges.

With Mr Trump watching in silence, prosecutors bluntly accused him of criminal conduct and set the stage for a possible criminal trial in the city where he became a celebrity decades ago.

'The defendant, Donald J Trump, falsified New York business records in order to conceal an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 presidential election and other violations of election laws,' said assistant district attorney Christopher Conroy.

Mr Trump, sombre and silent as he entered and exited the Manhattan courtroom, said 'not guilty' in a firm voice while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.

The former president immediately left NYC and hopped on his private jet back to Florida and Mar-a-Lago, where he delivered a seething 25 minute speech to a crowd of supporters.

In his remarks, Trump tore into the investigations against him, calling them an 'insult to our country,' and he lashed out at prosecutors investigating him and complained about the probes he faces.

'I never thought anything like this could happen in America. The only crime that I've committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it,' he said.

His focus was not as much on the crimes he was indicted for on Tuesday but on every other investigation and alleged wrong-doing he has faced since he entered politics.

Trump went through a litany of crimes he claims have been committed against him, including both impeachments; his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him; that the government spied on his 2016 presidential campaign; the FISA warrants against his advisers; and investigations into reports Russia tried to influence the election in his favor.

He attacked Bragg, saying the Manhattan District Attorney wanted to get him at 'any cost and this before he knew anything about me.'

Trump rambled between topics during his 25-minute speech, moving from his presidential campaign talking points, his accomplishments in the White House and what he says President Joe Biden did to harm America.

He abruptly ended his remarks after 25 minutes - a short speech by his standards - after spending much of his time complaining about the investigations he still faces.

Crowds of cheering people watch Trump's speech after his arraignment

A court sketch of Donald Trump on Tuesday

Manhattan's Acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has been described as a 'no-nonsense judge'

What happens next?

The circus should die down - for now.

Trump's next court date is December 4 - two months before Republicans begin their nominating process in earnest.

A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024, but he contends the charges brought against him are politically motivated and designed to damage his campaign.

Others meanwhile, including one of his former lawyers Alina Habba and several alarmed Democrat commentators, have warned that prosecuting Trump will only make him more popular.

Habba earlier this week compared Trump to hip-hop artists Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. - insinuating that his legal battles will only serve to boost his popularity in the same way arrests and court cases saw Tupac and Biggie's record sales hit new highs.

A special adviser to Trump claimed on Tuesday morning that the former president raised more than $8million for his campaign in the four days following his indictment last Thursday - his most lucrative stretch of fundraising ever.

What do legal experts say about Trump going to jail?

If he were to be convicted on felony charges, Trump could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

However, legal experts have said a fine is the most likely outcome and have said time spent in prison is highly unlikely.

To secure a conviction on the felony charge, prosecutors would have to prove that records were falsified with the intention of committing or concealing a second crime.

Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina has said that Trump's lawyers will 'dissect' his indictment and will look at 'every potential issue' to challenge, adding that he anticipates at some point making a motion to dismiss the charges.

'The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge, and we will challenge.

'And of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this,' he said in a statement.

The 45th president's legal woes have been snowballing for several years, with another legal probe still ongoing in Georgia as well as a possible federal investigation

If he is convicted and sentenced to a jail term, the former president could find himself in a single-occupancy cell in Rikers, Queens

Who is Alvin Bragg?

Alvin Bragg is Manhattan's first Black district attorney - and he could also become the first prosecutor anywhere to bring a criminal case against a former U.S. president.

The Democrat inherited an investigation of Trump when he took office in January 2022.

Bragg grew up in Harlem during the 1980s crack cocaine epidemic, where he says he was held at gunpoint six times - three times by police.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, he previously worked as a federal prosecutor, chief deputy state attorney general, civil rights lawyer and law school professor.

Bragg campaigned for office as a progressive reformer. He was elected with 83 per cent of the vote in deep-blue Manhattan.

After taking office, Bragg paused an investigation into Trump's business dealings that had been seen as gathering momentum toward a possible indictment.

But after his prosecutors won a trial last year in which Trump's company, the Trump Organization, was convicted of tax fraud, Bragg convened a new grand jury to examine the hush money payouts.
A butcher's shop has been hit with a zero-star hygiene rating after a curtained toilet was discovered by a food preparation area.

The Rayan Butcher and Grocery in Ashford, Kent, was handed the low score by inspectors after they found an illegal import of meat products from Nigeria.

The scathing review reveals how staff were not wearing protective clothing when handling raw meat and no suitable cleaning or disinfectant products were being used to clean equipment and utensils.

The toilet, which was separated by a curtain, broke rules about the distance between a lavatory and a food preparation area and a drain pipe fixed with sticky tape was found.

The shop owner, father-of-three Ibrahim Awad, a refugee from Syria, has said customers are now 'scared' to use the business due to the damning rating.

The Rayan Butcher and Grocery in Ashford, Kent, (pictured) was handed the rock-bottom score by food inspectors

A toilet was found in the food preparation area, roped off with just a curtain. This breaks food safety rules

The report from Inspectors at Ashford Borough Council, who visited the site on February 7 and February 9, said: 'The toilet in the wash-up areas opens directly into a room where food was being stored and handled. There was no door - only a curtain.

'Lavatories must not open directly into rooms in which food is handled. A lobby is required between the toilet and food room.

'There must be a ventilated lobby between the toilet and food handling area.'

Raw meat and fresh vegetables were found to be stored in the same chiller, with the report saying these should be stored separately to prevent cross-contamination.

An illegal import of meat from Nigeria was also discovered at the shop.

The report added that there were no suitable cleaning and disinfectant products being used to clean equipment and utensils.

Several foodstuffs were found past their best-before date and a number of items were found to be in a state of disrepair.

An illegal importation of meat from Nigeria was found in storage areas. Staff were seen not wearing protective clothing while handling raw meat

Owner Ibrahim Awad said the illegal import was not on the shelves for sale but was instead in a storage area and that he was working to make the necessary improvements

The report added how there were no suitable cleaning and disinfectant products being used to clean equipment and utensils

The report continued: 'There is an open drain at the threshold of the butchery and rear wash up area.

'The drain pipe to the wash hand basin in the butchery was sealed with sticky tape and is corrugated so waste will collect in it.

'Drainage facilities must be adequate for the purpose intended. They are to be designed and constructed to avoid the risk of contamination.'

Previously called Alim Butcher and Grocery, Mr Awad launched the grocery and Halal butchers in 2021.

The Syrian refugee arrived in the town with his wife and children just before Christmas in 2015 and the former stonemason was determined to forge a new life for himself.

But he now fears his shop will be forced to close following the damning report.

He said: 'The business is my life. I work day and night to build it - it is not easy. It is a bad situation, everyone is talking about it and now they're scared to come to me. I am going to have a hard time now.'

Mr Awad also said that the illegal import of Nigerian meat was not on the shelf and was in storage, and he is now working to address the concerns raised in the report.

A council spokesperson said: 'During inspections appropriate advice is provided to businesses on how they can improve and they are subsequently able to book a revisit to be re-evaluated.'
Rishi Sunak has told police not to allow 'cultural sensitivities' to prevent the prosecution of ethnic minority grooming gangs.

The Prime Minister is stepping up the pre-election battle over law and order with action to tackle the sexual abuse of women and girls.

He last night vowed to 'stamp out' grooming gangs  and accused 'political correctness' of letting them them proliferate.

But his comments, and those of Home Secretary Suella Braverman, have sparked a furious row with charities and the opposition.

Mrs Braverman yesterday singled out 'gangs of British Pakistani men who have worked in child abuse rings or networks' to target 'vulnerable white English girls'.

But a Home Office report in 2020 said that members off grooming gangs are 'most commonly white'.

Asked if the focus on British-Asian grooming gangs was appropriate, Rishi Sunak told reporters today: 'All forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific and wrong, but with the specific issue of grooming gangs we have had several independent inquiries look at the incidents here in Rochdale, but in Rotherham and Telford.

'What is clear is that when victims and other whistle-blowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police. The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness. That is not right.'

The Prime Minister added: 'These crimes are horrific and that is why the actions we are announcing today are right and they have been welcomed by people, and I have been speaking to survivors today and others involved.

'They will make a big difference in helping us root out the evil perpetrated by grooming gangs.'

Mrs Braverman and the PM visited an NSPCC centre in Leeds this morning, hours after the charity's chief executive criticised her comments.

The Prime Minister is stepping up the pre-election battle over law and order with action to tackle the sexual abuse of women and girls.

Mrs Braverman yesterday singled out 'gangs of British Pakistani men who have worked in child abuse rings or networks' to target 'vulnerable white English girls'.

NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless (left), welcomed the Government's 'focus' on the issue but added: 'It's also vital we remember that any child can be a victim of child sexual exploitation and adult perpetrators do not just come from one background.'

Sir Peter Wanless, who joined the PM and the Home Secretary in Yorkshire, welcomed the Government's 'focus' on the issue but added: 'It's also vital we remember that any child can be a victim of child sexual exploitation and adult perpetrators do not just come from one background.

'Sexual predators will target the most vulnerable and accessible children in society and there must be a focus on more than just race so we do not create new blind spots that prevent victims from being identified.'

Speaking at the meeting of the taskforce, Mr Sunak said child sex abuse was 'a huge failing, both morally and practically', adding: 'The problem is more prevalent in our communities than people have been comfortable acknowledging, and that is why as PM I vowed a crackdown to bring the perpetrators of this awful crime to justice.'

Experienced specialist police and members of the National Crime Agency will help local investigations, and new laws will give judges the power to pass tougher sentences on the leaders of child abuse rings.

Experts will track suspects down using 'cutting-edge intelligence', including their ethnicity details, Downing Street said, to make sure they cannot 'evade justice because of cultural sensitivities'.

It follows scandals in which the organised sexual exploitation of thousands of children in towns including Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale went unchecked because officials feared being branded racist or fuelling the far-Right.

The PM, who is due to meet members of the taskforce as well as survivors of grooming gangs in Leeds and Greater Manchester today, said last night: 'The safety of women and girls is paramount.

'For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women. We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs.'

SUELLA BRAVERMAN: My mission to ensure there really is no hiding place for the evil gangs grooming our vulnerable young girls - READ MORE Advertisement

Mrs Braverman, who has pledged to introduce mandatory reporting of suspected abuse for professionals working with children, said thousands of youngsters had been robbed of their childhoods because state agencies including 'social workers, teachers, the police' had turned 'a blind eye to these signs of abuse out of political correctness, out of fear of being called racist'.

She told the BBC: 'Some of these councillors, senior politicians in Labour-run areas, over a period of years, absolutely failed to take action because of cultural sensitivities.'

Previous Home Office-commissioned research found most group child sex offenders are men under the age of 30 and the majority are white.

It also found that there is not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs are more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told LBC: 'It is right that ethnicity should not be a bar, and political correctness should not get in the way of prosecutions.

'But the vast majority of sexual abuse cases do not involved those of ethnic minorities and so I am all for clamping down on any kind of case, but if we are going to be serious we have to be honest about what the overlook is.'

On plans for a duty to report incidents of grooming, Sir Keir said he 'called for that in 2013'.

He added: 'That is ten years ago and this Government has been in power now for 13 years.

'That is a decade lost and I think the Prime Minister and others have to really explain why they have wasted that decade.'

As Director of Public Prosecutions in 2012, Sir Keir said: 'In a number of cases, particularly in cases involving groups, there's clearly an issue of ethnicity that has to be understood and addressed.'
South Africa: Two nabbed for illegal cigarettes

This story has been published on: 2023-04-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

Members of the South African business community, who attended the In-cosmetic Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain, have welcomed the opportunities emanating from the three-day show. The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Prim-U, Thuli Hlongwane, said an impressive number of agents and distributors, who visited her stand, showed genuine i... See more
China's Shenzhou-15 astronauts complete 3rd spacewalk

Xinhua) 11:31, April 03, 2023

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Feb. 9, 2023 shows Shenzhou-15 taikonaut Fei Junlong conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station lab module Wentian. (Xinhua/Liu Fang)

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The astronauts of China's Shenzhou-15 crew have completed three spacewalks since their journey into space four months ago, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The third spacewalk was conducted on Thursday by astronauts Fei Junlong and Zhang Lu, in collaboration with the astronaut Deng Qingming who was inside the space station. The pair accomplished all their scheduled tasks before safely returning to the lab module Wentian, the CMSA said.

According to the CMSA, four crews have carried out a total of 10 spacewalks since the Shenzhou-12 manned mission in 2021, mastering a series of key technologies. Follow-up extravehicular activities will continue to be conducted regularly as planned.

In the past month, the Shenzhou-15 crew has completed various tasks, including the in-orbit maintenance of the space station. The Stirling thermoelectric convertor has also completed its in-orbit test. Capable of converting thermal energy into electricity with relatively high efficiency and power density, the convertor is expected to be used in future manned lunar missions and deep-space exploration, the CMSA said.

The Tianzhou-6 cargo craft is scheduled to be launched in early or mid-May, the CMSA said, adding that it has been transported to the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Teachers across England are set to strike again after National Education Union (NEU) members turned down a pay offer from the Government.

After 98% of voters rejected a 1,000 payment for the current school year, more schools in England are set to close for a five-day period.

This comes after previous industrial action by the NEU led to school closures in February and March.

So, when are the school strikes? Which schools are striking? Why are teachers choosing to strike?

Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming school strikes.

Striking teachers on a march to Trafalgar Square during the previous period of industrial action in March

When are the school strikes?

After the NEU turned down the latest pay offer from the Government, strikes are scheduled to take place between Thursday, 27 April and Tuesday, 2 May.

Teaching in England has already been heavily disrupted in 2023, with strikes affecting schools in both February and March.

The majority of teachers said increased funding to pay for more staff (88 per cent), a less punitive inspection system (79 per cent) and smaller class sizes (73 per cent) would have a 'big positive impact' on their workload in the coming year.

A poll of more than 17,800 NEU members in England and Wales found that 35 per cent of teachers viewed their workload as unmanageable most of the time and 13 per cent said they felt this all of the time.

It also revealedd that nearly one in four (37 per cent) of teachers, and around a fifth (21 per cent) of support staff, said they feel stressed at work 80 per cent or more of the time.

An additional 31 per cent of teachers surveyed, and a further quarter (25 per cent) of support staff, said this is the case 60 per cent to 79 per cent of the time.

Which schools are striking?

During the last set of strikes, government data showed that more than 50% of schools across England had to close or enforced a restricted attendance policy.

Teachers are not require to give notice of any planned strikes, with head teachers of schools deciding whether they will open or not.

However, head teachers can hire contingency staff in an attempt to operate as normal, but these staff are not required to teach curriculum-based material.

As a result, parents may not be notified until the morning of a strike, as to whether their child's school will be open.

Dr. Mary Bousted reassured parents that strike action would not impact on students taking their GCSEs and A-Levels.

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, she said: 'We are asking all the local districts, and they will do this, to have dispensations for children taking exams in year 11 and year 13.'

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has warned teachers that they could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the latest deal

Where are the school strikes?

Teachers part of the NEU across England have announced plans to strike for five days.

It is not yet known which areas will be affected across England.

The Government had offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24).

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan warned that teachers could miss out on an increased pay deal this year if they rejected the deal.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked to give feedback on the Government's offer.

In Wales and Scotland, teachers recently accepted improved pay offers, whilst there is no industrial action planned by teaching staff in Northern Ireland.

Why are teachers striking?

The NEU in England have pointed to the pay offers by the Welsh and Scottish governments as a guide for what would 'be a basis for a decent offer'.

Dr Bousted and Kevin Courtney, joint general secretaries of the NEU, said: 'The offer shows an astounding lack of judgment and understanding of the desperate situation in the education system.'

The Government has called the decision to strike 'extremely disappointing'.

Education Secretary Ms Keegan said: 'After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

'The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets.

'The NEU's decision to reject it will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today. Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body which will recommend pay rises for next year.'
The 60 Minutes interview with the Georgia Republican also covered school shootings and her thoughts on Ukraine

Greene has drawn fire in the past for circulating QAnon-linked conspiracies

Firebrand MTG defended claims that the Democratic Party is 'full of pedophiles'

Marjorie Taylor Greene has reasserted her allegations that the Democratic Party is 'full of pedophiles' and insisted President Joe Biden has an agenda of 'sexualizing children.'

When 60 Minutes reporter Leslie Stahl questioned the Georgia representative on her 'over the top' claims, Greene, 48, defended and repeated her assertions.

She said that contributing to her claims of the ramp-up of the over-sexualization of children is the push from progressives and Democrats to legalize trans healthcare and surgeries for minors.

'I will always fight to protect kids!' the Georgia Republican tweeted along with a clip from the interview aired Sunday.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) repeated claims that there are 'pedophiles' infiltrating the Democratic Party and that President Joe Biden is 'sexualizing children'

The congresswoman, frequently referred to by her initials MTG, is a stalwart Trump supporter accused of pushing QAnon conspiracy theories  including that Democrats are running an underground sex trafficking ring and that a powerful Jewish family used space lasers to start the California wildfires.

Some of her comments regarding school shootings led her to lose her committee positions when Democrats still controlled the House. Still, she earned back seats at the table when Republicans won a majority in the 2022 midterms, and Kevin McCarthy became House Speaker.

Asked during her wide-ranging interview with 60 Minutes about her claim 'Democrats are a party of pedophiles,' MTG replied: 'I would definitely say so. They support grooming children.'

'Democrats support - even Joe Biden, the President, himself, supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries,' she continued. 'Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children.'

MTG has previously asserted a number of wild claims, including the QAnon conspiracy that 'America is run by pedophiles and Satan-worshippers running a global child sex-trafficking operation and that former President Trump is the only person who can stop them.'

Part of Greene's claims are related to the president and Democratic Party's push for legalization of sex change surgeries for children who identify as transgender. Pictured: Biden has come under fire repeatedly by Republicans and former President Donald Trump for getting too close to minors

MTG, a Trump stalwart, sat down with CBS reporter Leslie Stahl for an interview on the 60 Minutes program, which aired Sunday

In a January interview, Greene told Fox News that she was 'sucked into some things I had seen on the internet', when explaining why she made some of the claims she had previously.

'But that was dealt with quickly early on,' she added at the time. 'I never campaigned on those things. That was not something I believed in. That's not what I ran for Congress on. So those are so far in the past.'

MTG has also linked the Democrats to the Nazis and pushed the discredited Pizzagate conspiracy that Democrat officials were connected to a human trafficking and child sex ring.

The Georgia lawmaker used the 60 Minutes interview to talk about a number of issues, including her opposition to sending weapons and financial aid to Ukraine in light of the Russian invasion.

'What I have voted against is funding a war in Ukraine,' she said. 'The entire time I have been saying the United States needs to be pushing for peace in Ukraine, not funding a proxy war with Russia.'

The line is shared by China. Russia has also publicly been in support of opening peace talks.

Russia demands concessions unacceptable to Ukraine, including sovereignty over Crimea - a geopolitically important region for both sides given to Ukraine in 1954 when it was a constituent republic of the USSR.

Russia has also demanded Ukraine refuse to join the EU and NATO as part of a peace process.

Taylor Greene separately echoed her previous comments that 'good guys with guns' were needed to stop school shooters.

She responded to the tragic deaths of six schoolchildren in Nashville last Monday to push for greater accessibility of guns in schools.

She wrote: 'Children and school staff should always be protected the same way politicians, money, precious stones, and gold are protected, but even more so, by good guys with guns.'

'Joe Biden's gun-free school zones have endangered children at schools leaving them as innocent targets of sick horrible, disturbed people ever since he worked as a Senator to pass this foolish law,' she added.

The Republican two days ago claimed the 'Democrats want civil war' in response to Trump's indictment.

She said the party wants 'to push us into reacting so they can use their weaponized government to lock us all up.'

MTG recently called for a 'national divorce,' dividing the country into red and blue states.

Rep. Georgia Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga) reacts as President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congres

On Twitter, a number of voices have criticized the interview or the platforming of MTG in itself.

Vanity Fair journalist Molly Jong-Fast wrote: 'Elevating a mini trumper because that worked out so well last time.'

Podcaster Victor Shi wrote: 'Don't get me wrong: I respect Leslie Stahl, But that interview... was truly terrible. Little to no pushback. She let MTG get away with lie after lie.'

In the interview, Stahl says: 'They [the Democratic party] are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?'

When MTG responds, she says: 'Wow. OK.' before moving on to a question about name calling.
Fast food fans were today braced for a menu shake-up at McDonald's as the chain began a restructuring.

The company will temporarily shut all its US offices today as bosses prepare to get rid of a number of corporate employees in the country and around the world.

CEO Chris Kempczinski warned of the job cuts in January, telling staff the firm had become 'unfocused' and changes were needed to help it grow.

The email also suggested the restructuring could see menus simplified, with Mr Kempczinski warning there had been too much duplication.

'We had across the globe 70 different, distinct versions of what a crispy chicken sandwich would look like,' Kempczinski wrote. 'I don't need 70 different permutations of a chicken sandwich.'

Examples of chicken burgers McDonald's serves in countries around the world

While classics like McFlurries and Big Macs are known to McDonald's fans the world over, the firm does indeed offer plenty of local versions of popular options.

Variations of chicken sandwiches include the UAE's McArabia Chicken, consisting of grilled chicken and garlic sauce held together by Arabic bread.

The UK's Mayo Chicken includes a crispy coated chicken with shredded lettuce and cool mayo, which sit in a deliciously soft bun.

Meanwhile, India has a Veg Surprise Burger. In between a regular bun sits a Herb Chilli Potato patty, complete with a Italian herb mayo sauce and shredded onions.

In Japan, the Bai Teriyaki Chicken Fillet-O comes loaded with teriyaki sauce, while in Korea the McSpicy Shanghai Burger turns up the heat with some hot sauce.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's GCB consists of a grilled chicken thigh with lettuce and chargrill sauce.

And in Spain, the McCrispy Honey Mustard comes with crispy chicken, gouda cheese and Batavia lettuce, topped with mustard and honey sauce. And this all sits inside a potato bread bun.

Australia's Chicken 'n' Cheese burger is made from a combination of crispy coated chicken, cheese and mayonnaise.

While in the USA, the Bacon Ranch Deluxe McCrispy has a crispy chicken fillet in the middle, complete with Roma tomato, McCrispy Ranch Sauce, thick cut smoked bacon and shredded lettuce. The gigantic burger sits inside a potato roll.

Taiwan has the Sauteed Chicken Burger. Their unique BBQ-style sauce is paired with boneless chicken thighs, sauteed over a slow fire. It also comes a slice of beef tomato and fresh lettuce.

While emails warning of redundancies have mainly been sent to US employees, a number of international staff will also be affected.

The impact on UK head office staff is not yet known, and MailOnline has contacted McDonald's for comment.

Staff have been told to work from home, with dismissals taking place virtually.

A report from the Wall Street Journal said the Chicago-based chain told employees threatened with redundancy last week.

In the memo, company executives also advised that upcoming in-person meetings with vendors and other outside parties at headquarters be canceled.

Workers who don't have access to a computer were told to give their personal contact information to their manager.

CEO Chris Kempczinski warned of job cuts in January, telling staff the firm had become 'unfocused' and changes were needed to help it grow

'We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period,' the company said.

McDonald's employs roughly 200,000 people around the world in corporate roles and company owned restaurants.

Around 75 percent of the employees are located outside of the US.

This isn't the first time the company has conducted layoffs among corporate workers.

In 2018, McDonald's cut management-level workers to be 'more dynamic, nimble and competitive.'

The company has able to maintain profits for the most part during the cost of living crisis due to customers turning to the chain for cheap and fast food.

'We're gaining share right now among low-income consumers,' said McDonald's CFO Ian Borden in October.

However, Mr Kempczinski said less wealth customers were typically order fewer things or less-expensive items.

You won't find this in your local McDonald's! From a matcha cake to a taro pie and an Egg and Jalapeno Cheddar McMuffin - the VERY unusual Mc-variations from around the world

Eve Wagstaff for MailOnline

While many of us might count McNuggets, a Big Mac, or a McFlurry as among our favourite dishes from McDonald's, branches around the world have plenty of alternative dishes on offer.

And fans of the fast food diner will be bursting with jealousy at the sight of what is available from the many different menus around the world.

From shrimp burgers to matcha cakes, jalapeno cheese McMuffins and a Chicken McDo with McSpaghetti...here MailOnline takes a look at the cultural twists on fast food favourites around the globe.

1.

It's definitely not the usual slice of cake us Brits are used to seeing but this Matcha Red Bean Layer Cake found in Hong Kong, looks absolutely incredible

2.

Fancy an upgrade from the usual hot apple pies? Taro is a root vegetable and the treat, on offer in China, is described by those who have tried it as 'lightly sweet and tender with a slightly savoury exterior and chewy interior covering'

3.

Get in the carnival spirit with this Cheddar McMelt from Brazil. It's packed with bacon slices, loads of cheese and a full beef patty. Foliao!

4.

Canada's answer to our classic cheesy chips and gravy is their national dish, poutine. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, two restaurants, one in Canada and another in France had to issue statements after receiving threats from public who thought the dish was named after the Russian President Vladimir Putin4.

5.

Probably not considered a national dish is the Egg & Jalapeno Cheddar McMuffin, which is definitely one way to get yourself moving in the morning

6.

Imagine a massive chicken nugget covered in a tasty seasoning and this is what you get from the Shaka Shaka Chicken from McDonald's in Japan. A deep fried chicken patty, sprinkle in one of three flavours: lemon pepper, red pepper and cheese. Simply rip the top fold off and dig in!

7.

What's better than one patty coated in delicious in a sweet and spicy ginger-flavored teriyaki sauce? Two! Check out the Teriyaki McBurger. Yum!

8.

If you're fed up with bread then this delight from Japan could be winner for you. A variation on the burger above, it's apparently even better paired with rice buns

9.

Pronounced 'Ebi', which is the Japanese word for shrimp, these burgers could be compared to our very own Fillet-O-Fish

10.

These Chilli Cheese Tops are packed with fresh jalapenos, matured cheddar all inside a crispy coating of tasty goodness

11.

If there's one thing McDonald's does not have enough of, it's pasta. The Chicken McDo with McSpaghetti found in the Philippines is one the restaurant's most popular items

12.

There's no such thing as too much cheese, which is exactly what the creators of the McDonald's Cheesy Eggdesal must have thought when coming up with this. Melted cheese wrapped in a fluffy, folded egg and sandwiched between a soft, toasted pandesal bun

13.

India has the most vegetarians in the world so it makes sense that McDonald's there would some of the tastiest veggie options. One such snack is the Veg Pizza McPuff, filled with a rich tomato sauce, carrots, bell pepper, beans, onion, peas and gooey mozzarella

14.

The McSpicyPaneer, which is on menus in McDonald's in India, is a satisfying alternative to vegetable patties

15.

If you love south Indian food, McDonald's Dosa Masala Burger is for you. Made with a spicy grilled vegetable patty it is coated in Indian spices and a slight taste of sambar

16.

How do you like your eggs in the morning? I'll take mine with lashings of spicy sauce like the McDonald's Masala Scrambled Eggs

17.

India's McDonald's restaurants also serve this massive Chicken Maharaja Mac, which has two grilled chicken patties, jalapenos, onion, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and crunchy lettuce dressed with the classical Habanero sauce

18.

Leave it to the Aussies to come up with the biggest breakfast bun you could imagine. Aptly named the Big Brekkie Burger, it has all the good stuff including a whopping 732 calories

19.

A tasty and refreshing treat, the McFlurry Mango has chunks of crispy pie filled with creamy custard sauce and sweet flavour of mango

20.

Not from Thailand as you might assume, the Thai Green Curry Burger from McDonald's has a juicy chicken patty served with mixed vegetables a special sauce

21.

Inspired by Malaysia's national dish, this meal features a coconut flavoured chicken thigh coated in a cornflake crunch, all served with a special sambal sauce, fried egg, caramelised onions, and cucumber slices topped with a chilli bun

22.

Breakfast platters in Hawaii are loaded with spam and Portuguese sausage and a dessert menu with hot haupia (coconut pudding), taro pies, fried apple pies. Hawaii is the only state in America where you can get the pies fried

23.

This corn pie was introduced in 2012 in Thailand and has become one of the biggest-selling items on the menu

24.

Only available in Thailand, the McDonald's Kaprao Crispy Chicken Rice is so much more than just fried chicken

25.

The Panzerotti are basically bitesize calzones, filled with 100 per cent Italian tomato and mozzarella

26.

The McArabia Chicken comes with two Halal grilled patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic sauce all held together by Arabic bread

27.

The McDonald's Big Tasty Bacon Chili Cheese is found in Germany and has all the components you'd expect from a Big Tasty but with fiery jalapenos and creamy chili cheese sauce

28.

We've been led to believe that Green Tea can have health benefits, so this Boseong Green Tea Pork Burger from McDonald's is sure to great. Described as 113g of tender and juicy pork patty, it has a rich taste of spicy cheese sauce topped with locally sourced cabbage and red onion

29.

Often compared to the humble Big Mac, the Bulgogi Burger is described as compact, without too many toppings packs a punch thanks to its distinctive flavour of a sweet sauce

30.

A slightly upgraded version of South Korea's Bulgogi Burger, this one contains an perfect egg to add a slight variation of texture and taste. Make sure you're hungry!

31.

The 88 Seoul Beef Burger comes with an unusual concoction by today's burger standards of an egg salad and cabbage mix on it, which is certainly a unique

32.
An elderly British woman with Alzheimer's, who cannot walk or talk, is to be ripped away from her loved ones and deported from Sweden because she can't get an up-to-date passport in a move branded 'cruel' and 'deeply shocking'.

Widow Kathleen Poole, 74, moved to Sweden from Macclesfield, Cheshire, 18 years ago to be close to her son, Wayne, his Swedish wife, Angelica and their four children.

But the bed-ridden pensioner developed dementia 11 years ago and has been in a care home for the past decade. She is now so incapacitated by the degenerative illness she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided.

Now the helpless grandmother faces being kicked out of the country after her family's bid for her to stay was rejected. Mrs Poole's loved ones had told authorities she didn't have a passport because she was too ill to travel and didn't need one.

However, their pleas appear to have fallen on deaf ears, with officials from the British Embassy in Stockholm telling them on Friday that Swedish police had been in touch 'pressing' it to find a care home in the UK for Mrs Poole.

Widow Kathleen Poole, 74, (centre) moved to Sweden from Macclesfield 18 years ago to be close to her son, Wayne (right), his Swedish wife, Angelica (left) and their four children

Her family say they have not updated her passport as she is bed-bound and can no longer travel. Mrs Poole is pictured in her bed at her care home in Sweden

'It is impossible to say how long it will take but when we have found a care home willing to receive your mum, the police will give us a travel date and we will have to issue an emergency passport,' an official at the embassy told the Pooles, The Guardian reported.

Speaking about his mother's plight, her furious son Wayne previously said: 'I am devastated and angry. This is inhumane to move a person who has Alzheimer's and is too sick to even look after themselves.

'It's a disgrace that it is even a subject and that it's gone as far as deportation. No words could even describe this and tearing our family apart is horrendous.'

Mrs Poole's daughter-in-law Angelica said the impact of the decision by the Swedish authorities had left her 11-year-old son now fearing police would snatch his grandmother away.

'It is the children who are affected. They are not the ones who have to deal with their anxiety and nightmares,' she added.

Kathleen, a former chambermaid, developed Alzheimer's when she was 63. The crippling degenerative illness, which gets progressively worse over time, has meant she is no longer able to look after herself.

The widow needs to be hoisted from her bed by carers to get into a wheelchair. She also uses incontinence pads.

Her loved ones said they made an application for her to remain in Sweden before the 2021 deadline. However, it was rejected as she did not have a passport.

In happier times: Mrs Poole cuddles one of her grandchildren. She now faces being ripped from her family and deported to the UK, having not lived there for 18 years

Mrs Poole developed dementia 11 years ago and has been in a care home for the past decade. She is now so incapacitated by the degenerative illness she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided

'She cannot leave her bed, so she never had the need to get a new passport and we explained that,' her daughter-in-law Angelica told The Guardian in February.

In September last year, her family received the news they had all be dreading - that she would be deported.

Police reportedly showed up at the family home in January when her loved ones - who do not have power of attorney - were unable to provide the documents needed for her to stay in Sweden.

Officers went through the pensioner's wardrobes and riffled through her clothes before quizzing carers about her, the family said.

'I am so angry. It is disgraceful and ridiculous that after 18 years in the country this is happening all because of Brexit,' Angelica said.

News of Mrs Poole's plight has outraged campaigners, who have today lashed out at the decision by the Swedish authorities - with Labour MP Hilary Benn branding it 'deeply shocking'.

Councillor Laura Jeuda, who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, told MailOnline: 'I think it's shocking. It's very cruel... I'm really surprised at Sweden. We know them for being very caring - their social care is really good.

'It's just bizarre they should pick on a woman of that age who has this added complication of dementia.

'Cruel' and 'deeply shocking': Labour MP Hilary Benn, left, has lashed out at the move by Sweden to deport Mrs Poole, formerly from Macclesfield. While ocal councillor Laura Jeuda (right), who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, blasted the decision to deport the pensioner, labelling it 'cruel'

'We don't know what will happen to that poor woman if she's ripped away from her family and taken to a strange county she won't remember.'

The Labour councillor called on Whitehall to step in and oppose the decision by the Swedish authorities.

Branding the fiasco as 'another downside of Brexit', Ms Jeuda added: 'We need to get something from government on this, otherwise what are we saying about our old people - that they really don't matter?'

While David Milstead, a British professor of physics in Sweden who is part of the British in Sweden group, hit out at police saying they were 'just doing a box-ticking exercise' about what she can take with her instead of saying 'this is preposterous, this should not be happening.

Under the withdrawal agreement for Brexit, UK citizens living in the EU before the 2016 referendum were granted the right to remain.

However, in several countries, it involved completing applications and paperwork to prove historical rights under free movement rules.

A spokesperson for the Swedish government has said it was 'against the law' to comment on any immigration matter.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office added it was 'supporting' Mrs Poole and her family.

And the European Commission said it was 'aware' of Mrs Poole's case and that it was 'in touch' with Swedish authorities.

Alzheimer's affects around 850,000 people in the UK and 5.8million in the US, but charities fear rates will soar across the world in the coming decades as populations age.
A staff sergeant has been dismissed from the British Army for groping and kissing a female soldier at a military event after getting 'very drunk' on specially brewed extra strong beer.

SSgt Matthew Davies, who served in the British Army for more than 18 years and fought in Afghanistan, grabbed the woman and kissed her on the lips after downing the lager named after the Army's administrative disciplinary procedure - AGAI 67.

The 35-year-old father-of-one, of the 26 Regiment Royal Artillery, also groped the woman's breast and waist on separate occasions in a series of 'unwanted sexual advances', a court martial heard.

In a 'crass error of judgment' SSgt Davies left the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, feeling 'embarrassed and humiliated'.

The experienced soldier admitted a charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind and was dismissed from the forces at Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire.

Staff sergeant Matthew Davies, who served in the British Army for more than 18 years, pictured at Bulford Military Court Centre

The court heard SSgt Davies had got drunk on the lager, which was brewed especially for the mess function at the regiment's Larkhill Camp, near Salisbury.

His lawyer told the hearing it was 'stronger than normal and he calibrated things very badly indeed', adding: 'The great irony here is the beer he drank was called AGAI 67.'

The mess was operating a free bar for service personnel and SSgt Davies drank so much he was 'slurring his words' and 'swaying'.

Prosecutor Captain Daniel Lawlor told the court: 'He placed himself an eight or nine out of ten of drunkenness. This is a case of a very drunk staff sergeant who made misplaced advances.

'Ultimately, she wasn't interested in him and his conduct manifested in inappropriate touching.'

Cpt Lawlor said SSgt Davies put his arm around the woman's waist, before telling her friend: 'I've got something for her.'

The prosecutor continued: 'Later in the night, SSgt Davies put his hand on her waist and moved it around to her upper body. In the words of the complainant he then, "pulled at my boob".'

The woman fled and reported the incident but a short while later on the dance floor SSgt Davies 'took her by the head and kissed her mouth'.

The father-of-one groped and kissed a female soldier at a military event after getting 'very drunk'

As a result he was told to leave the function. He apologised to the woman via WhatsApp the next day for his behaviour.

'This was a serious offence - a crass error in judgment which resulted in inappropriate touching,' Cpt Lawlor said.

Mitigating, Matthew Bolt told the court SSgt Davies was 'extremely remorseful' for his behaviour and 'hopes she has put this behind her'.

Sentencing SSgt Davies, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said he had left his victim feeling 'embarrassed and humiliated'.

The judge said: 'Over the course of an evening you made unwanted sexual advances.

'Taking everything into account, we are convinced this offence is serious enough to warrant dismissal. We don't consider any shorter service community order will be sufficient.'

Because of SSgt Davies' 'exemplary record' and guilty plea, Judge Reed said there would be not be an additional community order punishment.
A couple who were on the run for two years have been arrested on suspicion of torturing a seven-year-old to death and sexually abusing and trafficking other children.

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, had been placed on the US Marshals' 15 Most Wanted in February, the first time a couple had made the list.

The pair were taken into custody by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said on Friday. The previous week, they were charged in Franklin County, Washington, with aggravated murder, four counts of child rape, and child assault.

Five of their children, who had been listed as missing and endangered, were rescued during the arrest. The children were returned to the United States and placed in protective custody, the US Marshals said.

Investigators said they believed the couple were abusing and trafficking their children.

Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, had been placed on the US Marshals' 15 Most Wanted in February, the first time a couple had made the list

Casian-Garcia and Medina were taken into custody last week by Mexican officials, the Marshals Service said, after being charged in Franklin County, Washington. Two of Casian-Garcia's daughters, aged eight and three, were found abandoned in Tijuana, Mexico, in late 2020

Two of Casian-Garcia's daughters, aged eight and three, were found abandoned in Tijuana, Mexico, in late 2020.

The two girls were taken into child protective custody in Mexico, but word of their recovery did not reach their hometown of Pasco, Washington, for another half a year.

'Both girls showed signs of severe physical and sexual abuse,' said the US Marshals. 'Subsequent forensic interviews done with both girls determined that Casian-Garcia and Medina had likely been abusing and sex trafficking the children.'

According to police in Pasco, Washington, the remains of the girls' seven-year-old brother (pictured) were later discovered in early 2022 by hikers in rural Washington. Authorities said they suspect the boy was tortured to death and his body was dumped. The remains were later identified as Casian-Garcia's son, Edgar Jr.

The eight-year-old girl said she survived 'unimaginable torture' and rape at her Washington home, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said.

According to police in Pasco, Washington, the remains of the girls' seven-year-old brother were found in early 2022 by hikers in rural Benton County, Washington, about 20 minutes from Casian-Garcia and Medina's Washington home. Authorities said they suspect the boy was tortured to death and his body was dumped.

The remains were later identified as Casian-Garcia's son, Edgar Jr.

'This is the worst case I've come across in nine years as a detective,' Kennewick, Washington, Detective Jon Davis said in a February 2022 statement. 'What we've seen from this investigation, they have no problem hurting children - to outright murder.'

A reward of up to $25,000 had previously been announced for information leading to the pair's arrest.

'The advances in technology used by law enforcement, combined with assistance from our federal partners - in this case the US Marshals - were instrumental,' Pasco Police Chief Ken Roske told CNN, noting that the suspected murder and assaults have been tragic for his community.

He added: 'I'm thankful the rest of the siblings have been rescued and are safe now.'

The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children posted a message on March 31

The couple crossed the border into Mexico in June 2021, which investigators thought was an attempt to escape justice after the boy's death.

The Marshals Service said they might have had five children with them, three of Medina's children from a previous marriage and two children Casian-Garcia fathered with another woman.

The couple are in custody in Mexico and are expected to be extradited to the US to face criminal proceedings, the center said.

'We are so thankful that all five missing children have been rescued safely,' John Bischoff, vice president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said on Friday. 'The charges against Araceli Medina and Edgar Casian-Garcia are heinous and we commend the unwavering dedication of law enforcement.'
Yet there is no shortage of movements dedicated to destabilising the regime

Putin has a vice-like grip on power in Russia, brutally cracking down on dissent

Vladimir Putin has garnered a reputation as a ruthless strongman and de-facto dictator over the course of his two-decade rule in Russia.

Not only did the warmongering Kremlin chief order Russian tanks across the border into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but any hint of dissent at home is swiftly cracked down on.

Political rivals are imprisoned, die in mysterious circumstances or are even assassinated, street protesters are beaten and bundled out of sight by riot police, and any group exhibiting anti-Kremlin or anti-war sentiments are designated terrorist organisations or 'foreign agents'.

Yet there is no shortage of movements dedicated to destabilising Putin's regime.

Some groups employ guerrilla-style tactics to launch explosive attacks on Russian military sites or assassinate of pro-Putin figures.

Others harness the power of social media and clandestine broadcasting operations to offer a counter-narrative to the homogeneity of Russia's state-media channels.

And many Russians who have left their homeland are now fighting back against Putin from abroad - either by volunteering to fight on the side of the Ukrainians against their compatriots, or creating organisations to fundraise for Kyiv's war effort and inform the Russian public about Putin's corruption.

Here, MailOnline takes a look at some of the most influential individuals and groups risking persecution or even death to fight back against the Russian despot and his vice-like grip on power.

Vladimir Putin has garnered a reputation as a ruthless strongman over the course of his two-decade rule in Russia, but resistance groups are fighting fervently to bring down his regime

National Republican Army (NRA)

Among the most violent - and mysterious - anti-establishment movements in Russia is the National Republican Army.

Little is known about the group's size, participants or operational structure, and some have even dismissed its existence altogether.

The NRA rose to prominence in the weeks following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, amid a spate of arson attacks and sabotage of Russian army enlistment offices and ammunition depots.

As the war progressed, the NRA is believed to have expanded its operational scope to include assassinations of pro-Putin figures and hacking the IT systems of large Russian corporations.

NRA members claimed responsibility for the death of Darya Dugina - a pro-Putin journalist and political scientist - who was killed in a car bombing in August 2022.

Russian FSB security service claimed Dugina, the daughter of far-Right Russian nationalist philosopher Aleksandr Dugin, was killed by a Ukrainian saboteur, but the NRA allegedly dismissed this via de-facto spokesman Ilya Ponomarev.

A chemical plant explosion was one of several major fires to have rocked Russia

NRA members claimed responsibility for the death of Darya Dugina - a pro-Putin journalist and political scientist - who was killed in a car bombing in August 2022

Then in October, the NRA claimed it had executed a large-scale hack of Russian IT giant Technoserv, telling the Kyiv Post its members had stolen a trove of documents that one source said constituted a 'serious breach across large swathes of the Russian government'.

In its manifesto, the NRA said it would take up arms against the Russian government and individuals it sees as complicit in maintaining the corrupt regime.

Part of the statement reads: 'We, Russian activists, military and politicians, now partisans and fighters of the National Republican Army, outlaw warmongers, robbers and oppressors of the peoples of Russia!

'We declare President Putin a usurper of power and a war criminal who amended the Constitution, unleashed a fratricidal war between the Slavic peoples and sent Russian soldiers to certain and senseless death...

'Our goal is to stop the destruction of Russia and its neighbours, to stop the activities of a handful of Kremlin businessmen who have sucked on the wealth of our people and are committing crimes today inside and outside the country.

'We declare officials of the Government of the Russian Federation and regional administrations to be accomplices of the usurper  those who do not resign their powers will be destroyed by us.

'Long live Free Russia... Victory will be ours!'

Freedom of Russia legion and Russian Volunteer Corps

While many Russians continue to resist and subvert Putin's regime as part of underground schemes at home, others are taking the fight to Moscow in the open.

The Freedom of Russia legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps are volunteer battalions comprised primarily of Russian nationals who have taken up arms on the side of Kyiv following Putin's invasion.

Many of the volunteers are native Russians who were deployed as part of their nation's armed forces, only to realise their fight to 'de-Nazify' Ukraine was a mere pretence orchestrated by the Kremlin propaganda machine.

Others are Russians who fled to Ukraine and are willing to kill their countrymen in combat, believing it is the only way to bring an end to Putin's reign.

These volunteer battalions are fighting alongside Ukraine's armed forces and territorial defence groups, and are liable to suffer torture and summary executions if they are captured by their compatriots.

One volunteer told the Mail last year: 'I was shocked by the scale of corruption and injustice that was organised at the highest level [in Russia]. I started to look into the political and economic situation and realised that we need to fight this regime... The brainwashing has been going on for decades.

'It is a cancer on the world's body. Take any military conflict around the world  such as Syria or in African countries  and you can always find the Kremlin's hand.'

Scores of Russians have defected to Kyiv  including captured prisoners of war and even a senior official in one of Moscow's central financial institutions. Pictured, the Freedom of Russia legion in Ukraine's armed forces with a captured Russian tank

Anti-Corruption Foundation

Perhaps the most well-known resistance movement is the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), a non-profit group founded by the president's most vocal critic, Alexei Navalny.

The Foundation was launched in 2011 by Navalny, who at the time was building a political career and in 2013 campaigned to become the mayor of Moscow, losing out to Putin ally Sergei Sobyanin.

Like many of Putin's political dissenters he was subject to embezzlement charges widely believed to be manufactured to prevent him from mounting a challenge.

Navalny nonetheless launched a presidential campaign in 2018, but Moscow's courts blocked his candidacy due to the earlier embezzlement convictions - despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling the dissident had not received a fair trial.

Two years later, Navalny was poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent while aboard a flight - almost certainly at the behest of Putin - and almost died.

After undergoing weeks of treatment and rehabilitation in Berlin, the dissident returned to Russia and has been incarcerated ever since.

Amid the harrowing treatment of Navalny by Russian courts and prison authorities, his foundation has produced a torrent of anti-Kremlin content including investigations into Russian government corruption and the system of cronyism that underpins the reign of Putin and his billionaire oligarchs.

Documentaries produced by the FBK consistently rack up millions of views on YouTube and other social media networks.

Several members of Navalny's team, including chief investigative journalist Maria Pevchikh and lawyer Lyubov Sobol, continue to communicate on behalf of Navalny and produce anti-Kremlin content on a daily basis.

Navalny is pictured in a cage in a Russian courtroom following his arrest

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, his wife Yulia, opposition politician Lyubov Sobol and other demonstrators march in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov in downtown Moscow in 2020

Lyubov Sobol, lawyer for the Anti-Corruption Foundation, is pictured in April 2021 wearing a t-shirt that reads 'where is the criminal investigation into the poisoning of Navalny?'

Rospartizan and February Morning

Rospartizan and February Morning are media organisations set up by the former Russian MP Ilya Ponomarev which seek to promote resistance activity against the Kremlin and provide an alternative to Russian state media.

Ponomarev was once a vice president of Russia's Yukos Oil Company, and represented the city of Novosibirsk in Siberia in Russia's parliament.

But he fell out of favour with the Kremlin when he was the only MP to oppose Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, and fled the country after he was put on trial for embezzlement - charges widely believed to have been politically motivated.

He has been a vocal opponent of Putin ever since, and launched Rospartizan and February Morning in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Rospartizan is a news channel hosted via the Telegram messaging app, and functions as an aggregator for resistance activity in Russia, sharing and promoting acts of defiance such as attacks on military recruitment centres. It also acts as a de-facto news service for the NRA.

February Morning functions in tandem with Rospartizan as a news website and television channel with an anti-Putin and anti-war stance.

Ponomarev's willingness to incite violence against the Russian regime has led other anti-Putin bodies, including the Russian anti-war committee headed by exiled oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, to denounce his activities.

Former Russian MP Ilya Ponomarev during a broadcast on his February Morning anti-Kremlin television channel

Russian anti-war committee

The Russian anti-war committee is a network of prominent Russians from a variety of sectors who came together in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine to help co-ordinate relief initiatives.

The group was founded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky - a former oil tycoon who fled Russia to London in 2013 after falling foul of Putin and being jailed for nearly a decade.

Other prominent members include chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov and economist Sergei Guriev, as well as several politicians, scientists, journalists and entrepreneurs.

The committee donates and supports a pair of major fundraising initiatives - one named Sunrise which organises the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and another named The Ark which provides financial and logistical support for Russian nationals who decided to flee the country.

A statement on the committee's website reads: 'It was not the Russians who started this war, but a mad dictator. But it is our civic duty to do everything we can to stop it.'

Unlike Ponomarev's organisations, the anti-war committee focuses exclusively on supporting humanitarian initiatives and non-violent action, though its media centre produces highly-critical articles of the Putin regime and celebrates acts of resistance, such as protests.

Khodorkovsky was one of the main figures who spoke out against Ponomarev when he shared details of the NRA's arson attacks.

He was also critical of Ponomarev's support of the resistance fighters who claimed to have orchestrated the car bombing of Dugina, arguing that she was an innocent civilian despite her work in support of Putin.
It is 'inevitable' that Australia will become a republic and remove King Charles as head of state, the country's new high commissioner has warned.

But Stephen Smith, 67, insists such a move would not damage the UK's relationship with its ally Down Under, while predicting most Britons would be 'indifferent' to the decision.

In his first interview since taking up his post in London, avowed republican Mr Smith told the Times that Australians were still 'absolutely' proud to have Charles as their head of state.

It comes after it emerged in February that the King's portrait will not replace the late Queen on Australia's new $5 banknote  which anti-royalists hailed as a step towards becoming a republic.

The monarchy's popularity has taken a hit in Australia following the death of Elizabeth II and repeated attacks from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which have done little to help the Firm's brand.

It is 'inevitable' that Australia will become a republic and remove King Charles as head of state, the country's new high commissioner has warned (Pictured: Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles in Berlin last week)

Stephen Smith, 67, insists such a move would not damage the UK's relationship with its close ally Down Under, while predicting most Brits would be 'indifferent' to the decision

Mr Smith said: 'There is a lot of affection and respect for the monarchy in Australia... That affection and respect hasn't gone away because of Australia contemplating from time to time what it should do about its constitutional arrangements.'

However on the topic of abolition of the monarchy, he added: 'My personal view is it's inevitable. But how that's progressed is entirely a matter for the Australian government of the day.'

The country could hold a referendum on the matter, but Smith said Australia does not hold them 'on an all-too regular basis', adding that 'only time will tell' if such a vote on the monarchy would take place in the future.

It comes after it emerged in February that the Commonwealth country will erase British royalty from its banknotes with its Labour Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, also an avowed republican, accused of taking the decision personally by Liberal opposition leader Peter Dutton.

Despite his personal views , Mr Albanese has confirmed he will be attending the King's Coronation in London next month.

Charles III is King of Australia but in a blow to the Royal Family a design honouring indigenous culture will replace the late Elizabeth II's image on the note, not her son, who will still appear on cent coins when they are released later in 2023.

The Queen only appeared on the $5 note, with the rest of the notes featuring famous Australian men and women.

The Reserve Bank of Australia confirmed Charles would not be on the note after 'consultation with the Australian government, which supports this change'.

Mr Dutton said at the time: 'There's no question about this that it's directed by the government and I think the Prime Minister should own up to it. He would have been central to the decision-making. I think it's another attack on our systems, on our society and our institutions.'

The monarchy's popularity has taken a hit in Australia following the death of Elizabeth II and repeated attacks from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured together) which have done little to help the firm's brand

The late Queen is being removed from Australia's $5 banknote, but won't be replaced with a portrait of King Charles III

King Charles III and the Princess Royal arrive to attend a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, on January 29, 2023

The popularity of the monarchy has fallen in Australia since the Queen's death. Support to ditch a reigning king or queen rose 3 per cent to 39 per cent in the four months after Her Majesty died, a recent poll found. Support for a monarchy, which had been in the slight majority, fell from 37 to 31 per cent.

The same poll found that the public have also been swayed towards supporting an Australian republic because of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's attacks on the Royal Family, especially since their Netflix series and Harry's Spare memoir.

Greens Senator for Victoria, Lidia Thorpe, said today: 'This is a massive win for the grassroots, First Nations people who have been fighting to decolonise this country. First Nations people never ceded our Sovereignty to any King or Queen, ever. Time for a Treaty Republic'.

One in five respondents said the couple's attacks had changed their view on the monarchy's role in Australia.

Of those people, two thirds said the Sussexes' interventions made them more likely to support a republic.

The Queen's death last year was marked by public mourning in Australia but some indigenous groups also protested Britain's colonial past and called for the abolition of the monarchy.

Like the UK, Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a democracy with the King as its head of state. A referendum proposing a switch to a republic was narrowly defeated in 1999.

The central bank said its decision was supported by the centre-Left Labour government of Mr Albanese, who favours an eventual move to an Australian republic but has said a referendum will not be held in the near future.

The new banknote would take 'a number of years' to be designed and printed, it said, with the existing $5 note remaining legal tender even after the new design is in people's hands.

Australian coins are set to be updated to feature King Charles following the death of the Queen at age 96 (pictured is a mocked-up version of the 20 cent coin)

Australia's $5 banknote has featured a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth since 1992 (pictured, the Queen receives flowers from school children in Sydney in March 2006)

A poll in January this year first asked 1,606 voters whether they were in favour of Australia becoming a republic (results above)- they are now just in the majority

The poll then asked whether the conduct of Harry and Meghan had influenced their support for a republic (results above) - a proportion said yes

The Reserve Bank (RBA) announced that it will consult with First Australians in designing the note.

The front of the note will feature a new design that honours the culture and history of indigenous Australians. The other side of the banknote will continue to feature the Australian Parliament.

The RBA's move was hailed by the nation's republican movement, which noted that indigenous people predated British settlement by 65,000 years.

'Australia believes in meritocracy so the idea that someone should be on our currency by birthright is irreconcilable, as is the notion that they should be our head of state by birthright,' said Australian Republic Movement chairman Craig Foster.

'To think that an unelected king should be on our currency in place of First Nations leaders and elders and eminent Australians is no longer justifiable at a time of truth-telling, reconciliation and ultimately formal, cultural and intellectual independence.'

The Australian Monarchist League said the decision was 'virtually neo-communism in action'.

'Before a referendum is held on whether the people want to retain the King as sovereign or opt for a President, this government has arbitrarily moved to discard the King's head from Australia's five dollar note,' it said in a statement. 'It is certainly not Australian democracy.'

A British monarch has featured on Australian banknotes since 1923 and was on all paper bills until 1953, the year of Elizabeth II's coronation.

The Queen's face adorned the 1 banknote and then the new $1 note from 1966. That first $1 note also included imagery of Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings based on a bark painting by indigenous artist David Malangi Daymirringu.

The Queen's face has peered up at Australians from the $5 note since 1992.

But the central bank's governor Philip Lowe announced three months ago that it had begun talking with the government about whether to forgo replacing the queen's image with a portrait of King Charles III.

The Bank has made no mention of any plans to remove the monarch's image from Australian coins.

The surprise decision to not replace the late Queen with King Charles follows consultation with the federal government, which supported the change.

'I think this is the right decision,' treasurer Jim Chalmers told Daily Mail Australia reporters in Melbourne today.

'There's plenty of time to consider and consult on the design that best honours First Australians,' Dr Chalmers said.

'It's also important to remember the monarch will continue to be on our coins. It is an opportunity to strike a good balance here.

'The monarch will still be on the coins, but the five dollar note will say more about our history and our heritage and our country, and I see that as a good thing.'

Charles became the British monarch last year following his mother's death on September 8, making him the head of state of Australia, New Zealand and the other Commonwealth realms.

King Charles III will not feature on Australia's new $5 note (pictured is a mocked-up $5 note featuring King Charles)

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in Adelaide, Australia, in a Rolls-Royce as the Queen acknowledged the cheering crowds

The Memorial Obverse coins will feature a portrait of the Queen by royal engraver Jody Clark with the addition of her years of reign - 1952 to 2022

The Queen is on a $5 note - but the rest have historic figures on it

Historically, the British monarch has appeared on at least one design in every series of Australian banknotes.

But, after the Queen's passing last year, the Reserve Bank announced that the King would not automatically replace Elizabeth on the $5 note. The Bank instead said her portrait could be replaced by an Australian figure.

Last month the Bank unveiled a commemorative coin that would feature the Queen's portrait as Australia transitions to new coins bearing the effigy of the King.

The Memorial Obverse feature a portrait of the Queen by royal engraver Jody Clark with the addition of the years of her reign: 1952 to 2022.

The Australian Mint, based in Canberra, said coins bearing the Queen's effigy would naturally remain in circulation as legal tender forever.

The federal government is expected to announce plans for the introduction of coins bearing the effigy of King Charles III in the coming months.
The Chinese 'spy balloon' that flew across the US in February gathered intelligence from several American military sites before it was shot down, according to two senior US officials and a former senior administration official.

The sources said China could have gathered more intelligence if not for the Biden administration's efforts to block it.

The balloon entered US airspace on 28 January and was shot down on 4 February after passing over US nuclear missile sites, including the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.

The intel collected was mostly from electronic signals, rather than images, the officials told NBC.

China previously claimed that the balloon was a civilian weather balloon that strayed off course. The foreign ministry condemned its shooting down as an 'overreaction'.

Sailors gather debris recovered off the coast of Myrtle Beach in the Atlantic Ocean from the shooting down of the Chinese 'spy' balloon for transport to the FBI

China was reportedly able to control the balloon as it passed over the same site in figures of eights.

This allowed it to transmit information in real time, the officials warned.

Information collected from electronic signals can be picked up from weapons systems or communications between personnel on the base.

The balloon, which Beijing previously denied was a government spy vessel, launched from southern China in late January.

It then drifted east and entered US airspace over Alaska on 28 January and was tracked as it flew over Malmstrom Air Force base in Montana, where nuclear assets are stored.

President Joe Biden was briefed two days later and elected to shoot it down over the Atlantic on 4 February, a week after it entered the US.

Mr Biden had reportedly called for the balloon to be shot down 'ASAP' on 8 February, but was advised to wait by the US military.

It was able to cross the continent before it was shot down over the ocean for safety.

American jets monitored the object as it passed over the country.

On 4 February, the Air Force sent an F-22 fighter jet armed with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take the balloon down over water.

Sailors were later assigned to recover the balloon from the Atlantic Ocean and are still analysing it.

The balloon was found to have a self-destruct mechanism that could have been activated remotely from China.

The Biden administration at the time downplayed the seriousness of the spy balloon.

The President told Telemundo on 9 February: 'Its not a major breach. Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering thats going on by every country around the world is overwhelming.'

He did say that the flight of the balloon was a 'violation of international law'.

The path of the intelligence collecting balloons which flew over the United States in February

The government said at the time it hesitated to shoot down the balloon until it was over the ocean to avoid casualties or damage on the ground.

The solar-powered balloon was 200ft tall, filled with helium and weighing thousands of pounds, and the Pentagon warned it was too risky to shoot down over land.

The balloon was flying at 60,000ft - about twice the height of normal civilian air traffic.

US officials acknowledged they had been tracking the spy balloon since it took off from Hainan Island in the south of China.

They previously said the balloon was capable of collecting signals intelligence.

Speaking about the advantages of using a balloon for spying reasons rather than more sophisticated technology, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore said: 'If you have a balloon that's moving extremely slowly you have persistence that you can't get from a satellite.'

It was capable of flying up to 120,000ft - nearly twice what a fighter jet can fly at and three times the maximum altitude of a commercial airliner.

Flying within range for the F-22, it was brought down by a sidewinder missile travelling at up to 1,900mph.

After the balloon was shot down, a 'UFO' was shot down on 10 February over Alaska.

Another was shot down a day later over Yukon, Canada, and on 12 February, a third was shot down over the Great Lakes.

The Pentagon refused to release footage of the UFOs, which were also shot down by F-16s and F-22s with sidewinder missiles.

A spokesperson for the Pentagon told DailyMail.com there were no plans to release images or video footage of the downed objects, leading some to speculate that the UFOs were hobby craft or other civilian bodies.

The military was quick to release images of the Chinese balloon, and more recently published a video of a Russian jet colliding with a US drone on 14 March.

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

After the downing of the balloon, China said that accusations of espionage were 'part of the US side's information warfare against China.'

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning echoed claims the balloon was a civilian metrological airship blown off course.

China meanwhile accused the US of 'endangering' peace last month when an American reconnaissance plane flew through the Taiwan Strait.

The legal status of the strategically-important body of water is contested, with the US claiming it is in international waters and China claiming it falls within its own waters, as it considers Taiwan an extension of the mainland.
Daria Trepova, 26, said to have carried out the attack, has been arrested today

-Putin war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed in the blast on Sunday

The Russian woman arrested on suspicion of assassinating one of Vladimir Putin's propagandists in a bomb attack has today admitted she carried the statue laden with explosives into a cafe in St Petersburg - but insisted she had been 'set up'.

Daria Trepova, 26, was filmed with her hands chained to a radiator while being interrogated by Russian investigators over the assassination of Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, 40.

In the video, where Trepova kept looking away from the camera as she spoke, the anti-war activist admitted taking the statue to Tatarsky at the Street Food Bar No. 1 cafe before he was blown to pieces in Sunday's blast.

Trepova told the Russian investigators she would tell them who gave her the explosive-laded statuette 'later'. It is not clear why Trepova was not in a cell when being questioned.

But Trepova, who had appeared in a video said to show her carrying the explosive-laden statuette into the cafe, had earlier insisted that she had been 'set up' and 'was being used' after she was arrested on suspicion of Tatarksy's murder.

Tatarsky, a staunch supporter of Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, had been speaking at a political event at the cafe when the bomb exploded next to him, killing the propagandist and injuring 32 others in what the Kremlin claimed was a 'terrorist attack'.

Daria Trepova, 26, appeared in an interrogation video today where she admitted taking the small statue to Kremlin propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, before he was blown to pieces in the blast on Sunday

Daria Trepova, 26, was filmed with her hands chained to a radiator while being interrogated by Russian investigators over the assassination of Tatarsky

Investigators have arrested Trepova (left) on suspicion of murdering Tatarsky (right) after she fled from the scene

A video is believed to show Daria Trepova, 26, walking to the cafe carrying a box containing what may have been the statuette said to be filled with 450g of TNT

Russia's Investigative Committee today said they had detained Trepova in a rented flat in St Petersburg on suspicion of carrying out the assassination of Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked Trepova down using surveillance cameras, though she reportedly cut her long blonde hair short to change her look and rented a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

In the interrogation video, Trepova said she understood why she has been detained. When asked why, she said: 'For... I'd put it this way, for being at the assassination site of Vladlen Tatarsky.'

READ MORE: Who was Vladlen Tatarsky and why could he have been a target for assassins? Advertisement

'I brought the statuette there that exploded,' Trepova said. When asked who gave her the statuette, she replied that she would say 'later'.

Russia's top counterterrorism agency had earlier claimed - without providing evidence - that Trepova had carried out the attack with the help of 'Ukrainian special services' and activists who are linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

It came after chilling video appeared to show Trepova, a St Petersburg resident who had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies, walking into the cafe carrying a box containing what may have been statuette filled with 450g of TNT - just minutes before it exploded.

The Russian Interior Ministry had this morning put Trepova on Russia's wanted list on suspicion of murdering Tatarsky after she fled from the scene - but she was arrested within hours of the arrest warrant being released.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators that she was used as a carrier to deliver the explosive device, but didn't know that it was hidden in the bust of the statue.

Trepova's partner, Dmitry Rylov - also in his 20s and a member of the so-called Russian Liberation Army - insisted that she had been 'set up'.

Rylov, who had previously been detained at anti-war rallies in Russia, said today: 'I believe that my wife was set up. I am in full confidence that she would never be able to do something like that on her own volition.

'Yes, with Daria we really do not support the war in Ukraine, but we believe that such actions are unacceptable.

Daria Trepova, suspected of bringing explosives to the cafe where war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) was killed in an explosion the day before, is escorted inside the building of Russian Investigative Committee, in Saint Petersburg

Trepova was dragged into the Russian Investigative Commission building by security guards

Images from inside the cafe appear to show Trepova (pictured) handing Tatarsky a bust of himself before she began walking back to her seat

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed a statuette that is believed to have been hiding the bomb that exploded at Street Food Bar No. 1

Russian investigators are searching the cafe where a pro-Kremlin blogger who called for the destruction of Ukraine was 'assassinated' and 32 others were wounded in a bomb attack

A police officer walks at the site of the explosion at the cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday

Media outlet 112, which has close links to law enforcement, revealed what it said was the first picture of Daria Trepova after she was detained

An image shows Daria Trepova on Russia's wanted list as published by the Interior Ministry. She was later arrested on suspicion of murder

Suspect Daria Trepova, 26, with her partner Dmitry Rylov. Rylov, also in his 20s and a member of the so-called Russian Liberation Army, insisted that she had been 'set up'.

'I am 100 per cent sure that she would never have agreed to such a thing if she had known.'

According to him, she 'completely misunderstood the purpose' of the statuette she gave to Tatarsky.

The plot thickened further after Russian investigators said they had identified a second female suspect, Maria Yaran, 40, as being involved in the blast. She is reportedly in hospital in St Petersburg following the bombing.

Witnesses said that Trepova had used a false name of Nastya when she handed Tatarsky the statuette inside the cafe - and was then reluctant to get close to him when he asked her to sit next to him.

One witness, Alisa Smotrova, said 'Nastya' told Tatarsky that she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb.

But Tatarsky joked and laughed with 'Nastya' and insisted on seeing the statuette. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

Smotrova said: 'They took out [of the box] the sculpture, it's a golden head in a helmet. I don't even know if it looks like [Tatarsky]. Hard to say

'He put it down [on a nearby table] without a second thought. And then continued asking questions [to his seminar audience].'

Smotorva said an explosion followed and described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

She said: 'We were sitting in the second part of the hall. Everyone ran, and we [decided]: we must run. And we ran.

'Those nearby, of course, were already covered in blood and ran away. The windows exploded too. We ran to the exit.'

Images from inside the cafe appear to show Trepova handing Tatarsky a bust of himself before she began walking back to her seat.

'Tatarsky stopped her, and asked her to sit next to him,' a witness claimed, adding that she said she was shy and didn't want to sit too close.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee claimed, without presenting evidence, the attack on Tatarsky was 'planned by Ukrainian special services' with the involvement of people who have cooperated with an anti-corruption foundation created by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

It noted that the arrested suspect was an 'active supporter' of Navalny's group.

Trepova had a ticket for a flight from Pulkova airport in St Petersburg last night following the blast, but she did not show up for it, Izvestia reported.

The direction of the flight was not given but there were suggestions she aimed to reach Georgia via Turkey.

Russian investigators said they had identified a second female suspect, Maria Yaran, 40, (pictured) as being involved in the blast. She is reportedly in hospital in St Petersburg following the bombing

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky (pictured) was killed in a bomb blast in a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday

One witness, Alisa Smotrova (pictured), said 'Nastya' told Tatarsky that she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb

Municipal workers clean an area near the site of an explosion at the cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday

A man lays flowers at a makeshift memorial for Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg, Russia

Investigators searched Trepova's flat earlier today but she was not found, while her mother was reportedly taken from the home to a police station. Trepova was later arrested by investigators.

A report by Telegram channel VCK-OGPU claimed it had access to Trepova's private web exchanges with a friend in a secret web chat.

This suggested she had come to St Petersburg from Moscow late last week and intended to fly abroad - to Tbilisi, capital of Georgia, via Istanbul.

Trepova, a former shop worker in St Petersburg, reportedly had breakfast with her friend yesterday.

After the explosion Trepova reportedly messaged her friend to say: 'I could have died there, I'd rather have died there, I was set up.'

No one publicly claimed responsibility for the bombing, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator.

She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an 'immortal' hero who died to save the Russian people.

Reacting to Tatarsky's death, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Sunday his activities 'have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime' and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers have long faced Ukrainian threats.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian millionaire owner of the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and handed it over to a patriotic group for meetings.

He said he doubts the Ukrainian authorities' involvement in the bombing, saying the attack was likely launched by a 'group of radicals' unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

A view of the scene of an explosion at the cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday

Russian investigators work at the side of the St. Petersburg explosion on Sunday night

The moment of the explosion that killed Kremlin top war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and wounded dozens of people

Tatarsky was killed in a blast at Street Food Bar No. 1, located in the St Petersburg city centre, on Sunday

'I have indeed passed the cafe to a patriotic movement called Cyber Front Z,' he said. 'They were doing various seminars there.

'It is indeed similar to the murder of Darya Dugina [daughter of a Putin ideologue who was killed aged 29 last year in a car explosion]. I would not blame the Kyiv regime for it.

'I think it was a group of [Ukrainian] right wing radicals who did it, which is unlikely to be linked to the government.'

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

'Spiders are eating each other in a jar,' Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter late Sunday. 'Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.'

Police told RBC media that 'the explosion was at a height of 60 centimetres from the floor', adding that the bomb contained between 300 to 450 grams of TNT. 'The explosion was to the right of Tatarsky,' police added.

One report said that security in the cafe - where Tatarskyn was taking part in a seminar - had stopped Trepova bringing the statuette into the meeting because it was feared to be an explosive.

A witness said: 'The girl who brought the figurine was sitting a little further away from me, and when she started talking about all this, she said that they didn't let her in at the entrance.

Investigators work at the site of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday

'She said they had said 'there could be a bomb'. She said exactly that. She literally asked [Tatarsky] for permission: 'Allow me to bring it in anyway?'

'And Vladlen says: 'Bring in it... we will check if there is something inside. Those were his words.'

A video shows Tatarsky vowing the destruction of Ukraine.

He said: 'We'll conquer everyone, we'll kill everyone. We'll loot whoever we need to, and everything will be just as we like it.'

Some Russian outlets immediately blamed the Ukraine authorities for the blast but it is unclear for now if this was the case.

The pro-Putin speaker of the Russian senate Valentina Matviyenko said: 'Vladlen wrote the truth, he wrote simply, brightly.

'As a result he became a target for our enemies, who are afraid of the strength of our spirit, our people's will.

'And Vladlen not only fought in the militia, collected help for our soldiers, but, most importantly, he formed the people's understanding of the special operation.

'And I'm sure he did a lot for our future victory.'
The conviction of Phillip Schofield's brother for sexually abusing a teenage boy has placed fresh scrutiny on the relationship between both siblings - amid questions over whether the TV star will return to work.

Timothy Schofield, 54, was today found guilty of 11 counts of sexual offences against his underage victim - with whom he watched porn while performing a sex act.

Pictures have emerged showing the brothers enjoying lunch with their mother and at a family party, while another shows Timothy backstage at Dancing On Ice in 2014.

It emerged in court that Timothy told Phillip in September 2021 that he performed a sex act with the boy a year before, according to a witness statement Phillip gave to the court.

Phillip told the trial that he and his brother did not have a close relationship because of a seven-year age gap and the broadcaster's decision to leave home aged 10.

Phillip and his brother Timothy having fun in a photo booth at a family party in 2014

Another photo shared on social media shows the brothers enjoying lunch with their mother

Phillip Schofield pictured last week after taking time off work as his brother, Timothy, was in court

Timothy Schofield, 54, was today found guilty of 11 counts of sexual offences against his underage victim - with whom he watched porn while performing a sex act

The brothers grew up in Newquay, Cornwall together after the family moved there when Philip was 18 months old.

Their parents, Pat and Brian, fell in love with the region on their honeymoon and eventually decided to relocate there from Lancashire.

Philip once described his love for growing up in Cornwall in his autobiography, calling it a great place to grow up.

He said: 'To grow up in the place where everybody else came on their holidays was lucky and then some. The beach was core to the life of the town, our family and my school friends, though I have a problem with sand.'

The TV star's first job was working at an ice cream shop on Fistral beach.

Phillip said following the jury's verdict today: 'My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected. If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family. These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.'

In a statement to the trial read by prosecutor Robin Shellard during the trial, Phillip recalled how he received a phone call from his brother on September 12, 2021. It was a weekend and he asked if I was able to talk,' he said. 'Tim was in an extreme state of agitation.

'He said that he was on the verge of killing himself. He said that his head was in a mess and everything was a mess. Tim was clearly very upset and I asked him if he could drive. Tim said yes he could, so I told him to drive to my home in London.

'Around two hours or so later Tim arrived and I could see he was in a state of heightened agitation. It was distressing to see him in such a state. He was as angry as I've ever seen him. The conversation was about how angry he was. He was furious, angry, ranting and raving.'

Phillip tried to 'change the conversation' and asked what he was watching on TV and his brother was in 'floods of tears' as he described the series Pennyworth.

Phillip said it was usual for him to cry when telling stories but 'this was crazy'. He went on: 'We ended up having dinner and I was washing up. Tim was standing behind me and he said you are going to hate me for what I'm about to say. I said there's nothing he could say that would make me hate him.

'He said [the alleged victim and him] had their time together and last year watched porn and w***** on the sofa.

'I turned and said, 'What did you just say?' 'Schofield then said it 'was a moment we were together'. Tim said it was just this time and I told him it should never happen again,' Phillip said.

The defendant then started describing the body of the alleged victim, and Phillip shouted: 'F***, stop!'.

'I told him that this had to stop,' the statement continued. 'I just didn't want to hear any of the details, but it sounded like it was just one time.

In 2014, Timothy shared a photo showing himself backstage at Dancing On Ice

Timothy Schofield told his TV star brother in September 2021 that he performed a sex act with the boy a year before, according to a witness statement Phillip gave to the court

'I said I don't want you to tell me any more. Regardless of how it happened, it must never happen again.

'He said it was just [their] time. I said 'What the hell is that?'' Schofield said he never spoke with his brother about it again.

Describing the distance between the siblings, he said: 'I don't have a relationship with Tim like a brother because there are seven years between us and I moved away when he was 10.

'I never spoke about what Tim told me ever again.'

Timothy, a police IT technician from Bath, had repeatedly blamed his actions on his 'mental health struggles' and suggested the complainant is 'exaggerating' what happened.

Meanwhile, his defence lawyer said that while he was guilty of 'the most serious crimes in the court of public morals' he had not committed a criminal offence.

But closing the case for the prosecution, prosecutor Robin Shellard said: 'We are not dealing with morals but criminal abuse against a child.'

He added: 'There are good reasons why society - and we here are all part of this society and the law which is founded because of society - treats those under 18 and those under 16 not as full adults.

'Society tries to protect children from adults who want to abuse them and tries to protect children from themselves.'

Referring to the defendant's claims of 'exaggeration', Mr Shellard said: 'The problem for Mr Schofield is how restrained the boy is in his allegations.

'Is that person motivated by hate and spite or is he saying things about what happened? We say the evidence shows the boy is not motivated by hate and lies.'

Timothy Schofield was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and two of sexual activity with a child.

He will be sentenced at a later date.
Meghan and Harry's Archewell paid Michelle Obama's former press secretary $110,000 and one of Hillary Clinton's former advisers $215,000 in 2021, tax returns reveal.

The payments were described as being for the pair providing 'strategic support' to Archewell, the foundation the couple founded while departing from royal life.

Tax records obtained by DailyMail.com show that $110,000 was given to KMLSA LLC, a California-based PR firm run by Katie McCormick Lelyveld, who served as Michelle Obama's press secretary between 2007 to 2011.

Harry and Meghan in March 2020 at one of their final royal duties in London

Tax returns obtained by DailyMail.com show the couple's Archewell Foundation hired Invisible Hand - run by a former Hillary Clinton adviser - and KMLSA - run by Michelle Obama's former Press Secretary to provide 'strategic support' in 2021

She founded her company in La Jolla in August 2021.

The second payment of $215,000 was given to Invisible Hand LLC, a 'social impact agency' run by Genevieve Roth.

Roth previously served as an adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

Her work with Archewell was reported by Daily Mail in 2021.

It's unclear whether the pair continue to work with Archewell, or whether their work was limited to 2021.

Invisible Hand still lists Archewell as among its partners online. It has also worked with The Obama Foundation.

Katie McCormick Lelyveld, centre - who runs KML - worked for Michelle Obama between 2007 and 2011 as her Press Secretary

First lady Michelle Obama walks with press secretary Katie McCormick Lelyveld and family dog Bo on the Ship Harbor Trail in Bar Harbor, Maine, in summer 2010

Like the Obamas, Meghan and Harry also signed deals with Netflix and Spotify.

The couple also has a multi-book deal with Penguin Random House.

Neither has confirmed interest in a political career, but they have spoken out on political issues such as parental leave in the past.

A source said McCormick Lelyveld's political experience had nothing to do with why she was hired, and that the couple do not have any political ambitions.

The second payment of $215,000 was given to Invisible Hand LLC, a 'social impact agency' run by Genevieve Roth (pictured)
Russia today vowed to bolster its 'military potential' in the country's western and northwestern regions after NATO announced Finland will officially join the alliance tomorrow.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko added that if troops and resources from other NATO countries are sent to Finland, Russia will take 'additional steps' to ensure its 'military security'.

'We will strengthen our military potential in the western and northwestern direction. In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO countries are deployed to Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia's military security,' Grushko said.

His comments came after NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg today said Finland would become the 31st member of the military alliance tomorrow.

Turkey, the last member nation to have ratified Finland's membership, will hand its official texts to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday as NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference, ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, April 3, 2023

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko (pictured in January) said Russia would bolster its 'military potential' after Stoltenberg said Finland would join NATO tomorrow

An empty flagpole stands between the national flags of France and Estonia outside NATO headquarters in Brussels, Monday, April 3, 2023. A flag-raising ceremony will soon see the Finnish flag flying in the Belgian capital

The successful bid for NATO membership will be one of the last triumphs in the term of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is set to leave office after losing yesterday's general election

A ceremony to add the Finnish flag to those of other members will take place at NATO headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

Finland overcame the last significant hurdle in its bid to join NATO last week, when Turkey's parliament approved a bill green-lighting the Nordic country's accession to the military alliance.

Turkey was the last among the 30 NATO members to ratify Finland's membership after Hungary's legislature approved a similar bill earlier in the week.

President Tayyip Erdogan said in March that Finland had secured Turkey's blessing after taking concrete steps to keep promises to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists, and to free up defence exports.

The successful bid for NATO membership will be one of the last triumphs in the term of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is set to leave office after her Left-wing Social Democrats party came third in the general election yesterday with 19.19 per cent of the vote.

Finland's centre-Right National Coalition Party claimed victory with 20.8 per cent of the vote, closely followed by the Right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1 per cent.

'This was a great victory,' the 53-year-old head of the conservative National Coalition Party, Petteri Orpo, told his cheering supporters. 'On the basis of this election result ... we will start negotiating a government in Finland.'

Orpo could now choose to build a government either with the Finns Party or with Marin's Social Democrats, though he is at odds with both on various issues.

Orpo accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased.

Marin is considered by fans around the globe as a millennial role model for progressive new leaders, but at home she has faced criticism for her partying and her government's public spending.

She antagonised some conservatives with lavish spending on pensions and education they see as not frugal enough.

Her opponents see the rising public debt on her watch and backlash over video clips of her partying as signs of inexperience.

But Marin had championed her country's Nato accession.

Turkey's parliament last week approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO, clearing the way for it to join the Western defence alliance as war rages in Ukraine. Pictured: Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan with Finland President Sauli Niinisto last month

Turkey was the last among the 30 NATO members to ratify Finland's membership. Pictured: Parliament votes in favour of Finland joining NATO in Ankara

Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbours Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under Nato's security umbrella.

Finland and Sweden submitted a joint bid to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance last year but the process has been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

The parliaments of all NATO members must approve newcomers.

Turkey is still holding off approving the NATO membership bid of Sweden, which it says has not gone far enough in cracking down on people it considers terrorists.

Ankara has repeatedly said Stockholm needs to take additional steps against supporters of Kurdish militants and members of a network it holds responsible for a 2016 coup attempt.

Talks between Sweden and Turkey have made little progress, especially following street protests by pro-Kurdish groups in Stockholm.

Stoltenberg has said he had urged Turkey and Hungary to ratify Sweden's application.
To hear Putin and Xi sell it, Russia and China are dear friends and equal partners in a mutually-beneficial alliance.

But after their summit in Moscow last week, there can be little doubt that China holds the whip-hand over the Kremlin.

Xi got Putin to agree to a host of trade deals that will benefit Beijing while the Russian leader failed to secure weapons for his war in Ukraine or a lucrative deal for a new gas pipe.

It is a stunning reversal of their historic relationship which saw the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union bully and belittle its smaller and weaker neighbour.

Here is how Xi Jinping has cleverly exploited Putins humiliation in Ukraine to weaken Russia, strengthen China, and establish himself as heir-apparent to the Western world order.
Kevin McCarthy is hosting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in his home state for a bilateral meeting Wednesday instead of traveling to the island-nation amid rising threats from China.

The bipartisan, high-level meeting will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on April 5, his office announced on Monday.

The House Speaker is following in his predecessor Nancy Pelosi's footsteps by signaling support for Taiwan's autonomy from the Chinese Communist Party, but won't be traveling to the small nation in the South China Sea.

But the meeting in Los Angeles doesn't mean that McCarthy won't at a later date visit Taiwan despite the careful steps the nation's president took in her most recent trip west.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's office confirmed Monday that he will host Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California on Wednesday amid rising threats from China

McCarthy told reporters earlier this month that meeting the Taiwanese president in America 'has nothing to do with my travel, if I would go to Taiwan or not.'

'China can't tell me where or when to go, and none of that discussion ever happened. If the president happens to be in America, then I'm going to meet with her,' he added.

The planned meeting has already provoked threats from China with the Associated Press reporting that the CCP has promised 'resolute countermeasures' in the aftermath of the visit.

Tsai's carefully orchestrated travel has been branded as her 'transiting' through the United States by way of California to Taiwan on her way back from official engagements in Central America.

The Taiwanese president reportedly already met with Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries while 'transiting' through his home state of New York.

McCarthy's upcoming meeting will draw even more ire from China as Beijing and President Xi Jinping continue to assert Taiwan is its territory despite recognition from the international community of the small island nation's autonomy.

The trip coincides with a group of House lawmakers with the select committee on China also going to California for a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Disney CEO Robert Iger.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last August led a delegation to Taiwan to meet with leaders, including Tsai (pictured)

The series of meetings with Silicon Valley and Hollywood power players are connected to concerns about countering Chinas threat to the U.S., reports note.

Chairman Mike Gallagher of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party is leading several lawmakers to California on Wednesday.

The group will meet with Iger in Hollywood and huddle privately with producers, screenwriters and studio executives to discuss concerns about censorship, specifically when it comes to requirements to be able to screen content in Chinas market.

On Friday, the lawmakers will meet with Cook in Silicon Valley, as well as leaders with Microsoft and Palantir, among others.
The former president will spend the night in his suite at Trump Tower on Monday ahead of tomorrow's court appearance

Trump is expected to appear in a courtroom on the Manhattan Criminal Court's 15th floor, where Harvey Weinstein was tried for sex crimes in 2020

close roads with major security operation that will bring parts of Manhattan to a standstill

New York City will host a landmark day in American history on Tuesday when Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court facing criminal charges.

Trump will appear before a Supreme Court judge in Manhattan, accused of several crimes which include at least one felony. The charges could be read to him in the same courtroom where Harvey Weinstein was tried and convicted of sex offenses in 2020.

The 76-year-old will arrive in New York City on Monday and spend the night at his personal suite in Trump Tower, the 58-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Early on Tuesday, he's expected to take the four-mile journey down Fifth Avenue and into downtown for the hearing at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse at 100 Centre Street.

City and law enforcement officials have drawn up detailed plans that include road closures and a major security operation which will likely bring parts of the city to a standstill. The Secret Service, NYPD, court security officials and US Marshals are all involved in the planning.

Large crowds of protesters are expected to turn out for the historic event and law enforcement officials fear the mixture of pro-MAGA supporters and Trump opponents could turn the area around the courthouse into a tinderbox for violence.

New York City will host a landmark day in American history on Tuesday when Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court facing criminal charges

Barricades have been set up around Trump Tower on on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in preparation for the arrival of the former president on Monday

New York State Court officers stand guard near the Manhattan criminal court as law enforcement officials mount a major security operation for Trump's court appearance

Trump will likely travel to the courthouse early on Tuesday morning. His fingerprints and mugshot will be taken before the court appearance, which is expected in the late morning or early afternoon.

He will be accompanied by his Secret Service entourage throughout much of the process. As a former president, he's entitled to lifelong protection.

Measures to boost security have been underway since last week. A perimeter has is in place around Trump Tower, along his route and around the courthouse. Steel security barriers were already in place around the court on Monday morning and string of road closures will take effect early Tuesday morning.

Sources leading the planning say closures are likely on Centre Street, Canal Street, Baxter Street and Worth Street. Agencies could also seal off other roads around the building depending on the crowds and activity in the morning.

The operation will cause severe disruption around Lower Manhattan.

Trump confirmed part of his travel plans on Monday. The former president said he will leave his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida at midday, and will land at New York's LaGuardia airport before heading to Trump Tower.

Following the hearing, he plans to return to Mar-a-Lago to make a statement at around 8.15pm.

Stormy Daniels (right) rose to fame outside the adult film industry for her alleged affair with former president Donald Trump (left) (picture taken in 2006)

A Trump supporter waving a flag and camped outside of Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Sunday. Trump will travel from the Florida resort to New York City on Monday

Trump has denied that payments to Stormy Daniels were intended to secure her silence about an alleged affair and has called the investigation a politically-motivated 'witch hunt'

Trump was indicted last week by a grand jury on a series of counts related to a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.

Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump, was paid $130,000 to keep quiet about the relationship. Trump denies the fling and has denounced the legal proceedings as a 'witch hunt' and 'political persecution'.

The specifics of Trump's indictment remain sealed after it was handed down by a Manhattan grand jury Thursday, but reports indicated there could be at least 30 counts related to business fraud.

Pro-Trump demonstrations have also taken place outside Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Loyal Trump followers stood on the side of the road near Trump's home holding signs that read: 'I stand with President Donald Trump,' as people in cars passed by hooted and cheered while waving flags from their windows.

Key terms in the Trump case: what it means to be indicted and arraigned

Former US President Donald Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday following his indictment on criminal charges after a probe into hush money paid to a porn star.

Below is an explanation of what it means to be indicted and arraigned, and other key terms related to Trump's case.

INDICTMENT

An indictment is a court document containing charges that were voted on by a grand jury, a group of people who decide whether a prosecutor has enough evidence to pursue criminal charges.

An indictment formally charges a defendant with a crime and provides a basis for legal prosecution.

Following an indictment, a defendant is given formal notice of the charges, a right enshrined in the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution.

A defendant can then be formally arraigned on whatever charges are brought. Law enforcement officials fingerprint and photograph most defendants facing arraignments.

The world's media has gathered ahead of a momentous day in American history as Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court charged with several crimes

ARRAIGNMENT

An arraignment is where a defendant is brought to court to hear charges and have a chance to enter a plea, which is generally guilty or not guilty.

A judge or prosecutor typically reads the charges aloud. A defendant is usually represented by lawyers, especially in cases that are high-profile or could lead to jail or prison.

If a defendant pleads not guilty, a judge will typically accept the plea and schedule the next court appearance, and perhaps a tentative trial date.

If a defendant pleads guilty, the judge will impose punishment, typically at a later date.

Trump's lawyers have said he will plead not guilty on Tuesday.

Lawyers for some defendants who plead not guilty may engage in plea bargaining, where they negotiate a guilty plea with prosecutors to avoid a trial. Defendants would typically plead guilty to some but not all charges they face.

Donald Trump impersonator Neil Greenfield in front of Trump Tower in New York on Sunday

An anti-Trump protester outside Trump Tower in New York City on March 31

BAIL

Judges in New York state criminal court have three options for bail: They can set bail, order a defendant released without bail, or order a defendant's detention.

The purpose of bail in New York is to ensure that a defendant returns to court, without taking into account the risk a defendant may cause further harm. In 2019, New York ended cash bail for most cases involving misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, such as Trump's case.

GAG ORDER

A gag order is when a judge prohibits lawyers, parties and witnesses from talking about a case in public.

Gag orders are common in criminal cases. That is especially true when there is a risk that someone may make statements that could incite violence, be viewed as threatening to prosecutors or witnesses, or taint the jury pool.

A defendant who violates a gag order in New York can be held by a judge to be in criminal contempt, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail. A judge will typically warn a defendant before issuing a contempt citation.

If a gag order is imposed against Trump, he can appeal and argue that it undermines his First Amendment right to free speech as he runs for president.
TikTok will be banned from all Australian government-issued devices over national security fears.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has issued the directive following a review by the home affairs department into the risks posed by the Chinese-owned video-sharing app, according to The Australian newspaper.

The ban would apply to mobile phones and other devices issued by the government for politicians and public servants.

It's understood state and territory governments received a briefing on Monday about the federal ban and are expected to follow through with similar bans.

The announcement of the ban is expected to be made by the Albanese government on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured) has issued a directive to ban TikTok from all Australian government devices

Poll Do you think Australia should ban TikTok? Yes No Do you think Australia should ban TikTok? Yes 237 votes

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Concerns over TikTok relate to the potential for data to be harvested and accessed by the Chinese government under national laws that can compel companies to hand over information.

The federal opposition has been calling for the government to act on the national security concerns and follow other countries in instituting bans.

ByteDance, which owns the social media app, has denied its user data can be supplied to Beijing and claims TikTok poses no risk to Australians.

TikTok responded to the ban late on Monday night.

'If confirmed, we are extremely disappointed by this decision which, in our view, is driven by politics, not fact,' a statement from Lee Hunter, General Manager of TikTok in Australia and New Zealand, read.

'We are also disappointed that TikTok, and the millions of Australians who use it, were left to learn of this decision through the media, despite our repeated offers to engage with (the) government constructively about this policy.

'Again ... there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.'

The ban in Australia follows the UK, United States, Canada and the European Union prohibiting government employees from having the video app on work-issued devices (stock image)

The move follows the United States, Canada and the European Union prohibiting government employees from having TikTok on work-issued devices.

The UK, New Zealand, France, Norway and the Netherlands are the latest countries to announce bans of the app on government devices.

New Zealand's ban was announced and enforced last month, with an email sent out to inform MPs.

'The decision to block the TikTok application has been made based on our own analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally,' the email read.

The US appears to have gone a step further with lawmakers debating whether to enforce a nationwide ban.

The move by the Australian government to ban the Chinese-owned app on government devices comes after more than three years of bitter hostilities between the two nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks past honour guards and members of a military band during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at an airport in Moscow, Russia last month

Tensions flared in 2020 during the Covid pandemic when the Morrison government called for an independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19, which originated in Wuhan.

Beijing reacted with fury to the calls for transparency and slapped Australia with about $20billion in arbitrary trade bans and tariffs for key exports such as coal, beef, cotton, wine, barley, timber and lobsters.

Chinese officials also released an extraordinary list of 14 grievances the authoritarian state had with Australia - ranging from 'racist attacks against Asian people' to siding with the 'United States' anti-China campaign' and criticisms against Beijing from Australian media.

It was reported in February that Beijing was preparing to wind back sanctions on beef, timber and other exports.

But the welcome news came less than a month before the prime minister announced the $368billion AUKUS nuclear submarine deal alongside US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

China warned that the US, UK and Australia were treading on a 'path of error and danger' that will result in 'years of confrontation'.

Chinese president Xi Jinping pledged his country would strengthen its military in response to the AUKUS plan.
Royal Mail bosses have been forced to apologise for a 'nasty' April Fool's Day prank where striking staff were told by a manager they would get a huge pay rise.

The letter claimed Royal Mail and the Communication Worker's Union (CWU) had 'reached an agreement' after a bitter row over pay and working conditions.

It said a breakthrough pay rise of 11 per cent, backdated to April 2022, would be given out on Tuesday to all staff. And it said there would be a 'recruitment campaign' to hire 10,000 'telegram boys', launched today - despite news 10,000 jobs are expected to be cut at the postal giants by August.

The manager behind the prank has since said sorry, the Royal Mail said, with a company spokesman apologising for any 'upset caused by this misjudged April Fool's joke'.

But the letter, which went on display at the Royal Mail Gloucester North base, outraged postal employees, with one raging: 'It isn't a f***ing joke, it's people's livelihoods. that manager should be f***ing sacked. I don't think it's a laughing matter. DO YOU?'

The letter claims Royal Mail and the Communication Worker's Union (CWU) have 'reached an agreement' after months of strikes over pay and details a breakthrough pay rise of 11 per cent

Royal Mail bosses have been forced to apologise after a manager announced a huge pay rise for 'stressed-out' striking staff. Pictured: Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) rallying over jobs, pay and conditions in Parliament Square, London, in December 9 2022

The CWU also blasted the prank, branding it 'nasty' and 'tone deaf', having came just days after reports the union was preparing fresh strike action having failed to reach a deal with Royal Mail.

And postal workers rounded on the manager who had originally written the letter, with some branding him a 'horrible human being' who 'should be ashamed' of themselves, while others called for him to be sacked.

They claimed the joke was 'unprofessional' as their pay situation is 'not a laughing matter' and is putting the staff 'under stress'.

One worker wrote: 'We ain't that lucky and there's only one fool and that's the manager for even thinking he's being funny. Should be ashamed of himself.'

While a third added: 'Very unprofessional given the amount of stress the situation is putting people under.'

'I ain't laughing. They should be conducted. Horrible human being,' said a fourth.

Another agreed: 'No managers should be making jokes at our expense with what they have been part of, April Fool's Day or not,' as one more person said: 'Jesus Christ. I mean that's mildly funny but read the room man.'

But other people were left confused as to why some staff members were left so angry, as one person said: 'I see stuff like this almost every day. It's a joke ffs, or in our office it would be just banter.'

People online were left divided by the April Fool's Day prank, with some saying that the manager 'should be ashamed' for posting it, while other said that the poster is 'pretty funny'

Another agreed: 'If you took this seriously in the first place you need to give your head wobble ffs.'

What was written in the April Fool's joke? Royal Mail and WU reach agreement - Saturday 1st April 2023 We are pleased to announce that agreement has been reached. Please take note of the following points: - 11 per cent pay rise, backdated to April 2022, to be paid on 07/04/23. - UK Government to pay 500 million per year to subsidise USO but no increase to the price of stamps or tax rises to pay for it. - Reversal of all recent revisions and reintroduction of shorter deliveries. - Reintroduction of job and finish. - Removal of 'Scan In Scan Out'. - Brand new fleet of diesel vans and bicycles to replace electric vans - Staff now allowed to use private cars on delivery - No limit on ghosting overtime - Reintroduction of EPOD cards and removal of PDA devices - Recruitment campaign launches on 03/04/23 to employ 10,000 new telegram boys. Advertisement

A third added: 'It's pretty funny and obviously completely unbelievable.'

Speaking out about the incident, a Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We apologise for any upset caused by this misjudged April Fool's joke at one of our delivery offices. The poster was removed and the local manager has apologised.'

Meanwhile a Communication Workers Union spokesperson added: 'For many Royal Mail employees, the workplace is now a completely toxic environment where nasty, tone-deaf 'jokes' such as these are considered culturally acceptable.'

Royal Mail has been crippled by 18 days of strikes over the last year - which including walkouts during the Christmas period.

The postal service losing more than 1million a day, bosses have warned further strikes could see it put into administration.

Although there is yet to be official confirmation of any strike by Royal Mail, it appears increasingly likely that members of the CWU will take further industrial action.

Last week it was reported talks with Royal Mail staff over the bitter pay, jobs and conditions row could be on the brink of collapse.

Bosses are thought to have threatened to put the postal service into administration as talks with union chiefs become more fraught.

The explosive idea is regarded as a last resort but has been raised with the Communication Workers Union, the Guardian reports.

If the government approve to put the service into administration, the Royal Mail could be declared insolvent.

The explosive idea is regarded as a last resort but has been raised with the Communication Workers Union

This comes just weeks after members of the union overwhelmingly voted to continue industrial action - with 96 per cent in favour of more strikes unless the deadline is broken.

Over 100,000 postal workers are involved in the dispute over pay, which has been running for almost a year.

Royal Mail claims the strikes have cost them 200 million in lost business and covering staff.

And it is losing 1 million a day - with a total loss of as much as 450 million for the last financial year.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: 'Throughout the dispute we have highlighted the need for Royal Mail to transform, and been very clear about the damaging impact of strike action.

'Our latest trading update shows that we lost 295 million in the first nine months of the last financial year, and around two thirds of the losses were due to strike action.

'We also said that we expected an adjusted operating loss around the mid-point of 350 million to 450 million for the year. Further strike action would continue to cause losses.

'That is why we are doing all we can to get agreement with the CWU, including making numerous improvements to our offer throughout the negotiations with the CWU, supported by Acas and Sir Brendan Barber.'
The bank holiday weekend should be sunny and dry, perfect for day trips and Easter egg hunts.

As the school holidays get underway from today, the Met Office has issued its latest five-day weather report.

After an unsettled patch on Tuesday and Wednesday with rain and showers spreading across most areas, a return to drier conditions is expected for the Easter weekend, with temperatures of up to 16C predicted for Good Friday.

But there might still be some frost overnight this week, despite the spring conditions, and parents planning school holiday days out would do well to take the wet weather gear with them.

The long-range forecast suggests Easter Monday could see rain across the south and southeast although most areas will be dry and bright between April 7 and April 16.

Wednesday will see rain across much of the country but conditions are expected to clear in time for the Easter bank holiday weekend

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: 'The week will start off mostly fine, with temperatures reaching the low to mid-teens for most, while the nights will be cold with a chance of some overnight frost in places.

'The weather will be breezier and cloudier in parts of the northwest with some patchy light rain at times.'

Temperatures could drop to as low as -3C on Monday night before a damp start to Tuesday for some parts of Scotland. The afternoon is expected to see temperatures of up to 14C.

A rain front moves in from the west on Tuesday night, causing showers in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, making frost unlikely on Wednesday morning.

Temperatures could hit 15C in the southeast on Wednesday afternoon due to bright and clear skies but much of northern England will see rain.

Thursday will also see wet weather - with a chance of thunderstorms in some places - before conditions settle down, just in time for Good Friday.

April's weather in will be more settled than much of the country has seen so far this year, after March was the wettest for 40 years.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Helen Caughey said: 'It will be drier by the start of the Easter break, with bright, clear spells and light winds in most places.

'Although there will be some chilly nights it will be pleasant by day with sunny spells and some light winds, though on paper temperatures will be around average for the time of year.

Predictions for the bank holiday weekend are positive, with Saturday looking to be the sunniest (a swan in Hyde Park on Monday)

Cruise ship Aidadiva arrives in the morning sunshine during calm conditions at the Port of Dover in Kent on Monday

'While there is still some uncertainty in the detailed forecast for Easter Sunday and Monday the general trend is for fine weather in the south and east while it looks like it could turn more unsettled in the north and west. Fairly typical spring weather for us.'

Helen added: ' The best thing you can do if you've got outdoor plans is make sure you're always using the most up to date forecast.'

And predictions for the bank holiday weekend are positive, with Saturday looking to be the sunniest.

'On Saturday, high pressure will likely dominate with dry conditions and bright sunny spells for most. A chance of thicker cloud in the far west, with the potential for some patchy light rain in a few spots,' the Met Office's long-range forecast says.

Sunday and Monday will also be pleasant although there is a chance of rain and wind.
Several of Donald Trump's Secret Service agents have been subpoenaed to testify in the investigation of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago as the Justice Department has obtained new evidence suggesting the former president tried to obstruct their probe.

The agents are expected to testify before a Washington, D.C. grand jury - likely on Friday of this week, Fox News reported.

Additionally, new evidence shows that, after the subpoena for the documents was delivered, Trump personally looked through some of the boxes, The Washington Post reported, apparently out of a desire to keep certain items.

Trump's attorneys turned over some documents after a May 2022 subpoena for his presidential records but the August raid on the former president's Palm Beach home revealed more documents - including classified ones - that hadn't been handed over.

Justice Department has new evidence that alleges Donald Trump tried to obstruct the investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago - above, Trump at his Palm Beach home in November 2022

Intent is key in the Justice Department's case, which special counsel Jack Smith is leading. Prosecutors have to be able to show that whatever actions were taken were done to try to hinder or block an investigation.

The additional evidence suggests Trump told his team in early 2022, when the National Archives and Records Administration was trying to recover Trump's records from his presidency, to hinder the efforts, the Post reported.

The former president reportedly asked his team to release false statements claiming he had returned all the requested documents. He also asked his lawyers how he could keep the records he wanted in his possession and was warned that could be legally risky.

It is a crime to conceal a document or tangible object 'with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency.'

While Trump's actions may not be a crime, they could serve as evidence of his intent.

And federal officials, as they investigate the matter, have asked witnesses if Trump showed classified documents to political donors, the Post reported. It could also show the former president's motivation to keep some of the records.

Under the Presidential Records Act, all documents from a presidential administration are the federal government's property and go to the National Archives upon the end of a presidency. Trump, it's been reported, believed they were his property.

Investigators used witnesses' testimony, security camera footage and other evidence to construct a timeline of what happened and what actions they think Trump took:

May 2021: National Archives realizes some records from Trump's presidency are missing

December 2021: Archives requests the documents from the former president

January 2022: Archives received 15 boxes of material that had been stored at Mar-a-Lago, some of which were found to contain classified material

February 2022: The matter is referred to the Justice Department

May 2022: After several back-and-forths with Trump's legal team, the Justice Department issues a subpoena for additional records they believe to be in the former president's Florida home

Investigators believe after that subpoena arrived, storage boxes, including some containing classified material, were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area, so Trump personally examined some of them

June 2023: Three FBI agents and one DOJ attorney go to Mar-a-Lago to retrieve the additional material. They were given a single Redweld envelope, double-wrapped in tape, containing the documents, according to later court filings. That envelope contained 38 records with classification markings, including five papers marked confidential, 16 marked secret and 17 marked top secret.

August 2023: DOJ applied for a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago, citing 'probable cause' that additional presidential records and records containing classified information remained at Trump's Florida home. Court papers show that the original search warrant application showed agents believed that 'evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises.'

August 8, 2023: FBI agents raid Mar-a-Lago: They recover 18 documents marked as top secret, 54 marked secret, 31 marked as confidential, and 11,179 government documents or photographs that had no classification markings.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told The Washington Post: 'The witch-hunts against President Trump have no basis in facts or law. The deranged special counsel and the DoJ have now resorted to prosecutorial misconduct by illegally leaking information to corrupt the legal process and weaponize the justice system in order to manipulate public opinion and conduct election interference, because they are clearly losing all across the board.'

The Justice Department has been investigating potential mishandling of classified material found at Mar-a-Lago (above) for over a year

Some of the documents discovered in Trump's posession during the August 8, 2022 federal raid on Mar-a-Lago

But federal officals have new testimony in their investigation.

Trump's valet, Walt Nauta, testified he moved boxes at Mar-a-Lago at Trump's direction after the subpoena was issued. There is video surveillance footage corroborating his account.

Additionally, investigators have the emails and texts of Molly Michael, an assistant to Trump who followed him from the White House to Florida before she left that job last year.

Those emails and texts have given the investigators a detailed understanding of the day-to-day activity at Mar-a-Lago during the critical moments.

Additionally, investigators have asked witnesses if Trump showed a particular interest in material relating to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.

Trump appointed Milley to the position but had a falling out with him after reports revealed Milley tried to rein him in during his term. Milley also expressed regret he walked with Trump to St John's Episcopal church across Lafayette Park for a photo-op during the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2021. Milley also testified to the January 6th congressional committee investigating Trump's role in the insurrection.

At least two dozen people - including Mar-a-Lago staff and those in Trump's current inner circle - have been subpoenaed in the classified documents investigation, CNN reported last month.

Walt Nauta, aid to former President Donald Trump, at the far left on Trump Force One, has spoken to investigators

Investigators also have texts and emails from Molly Michael, who served as Oval Office Coordinator in the White House (above left) and followed Trump to Florida

Trump communications aide Margo Martin was subpoenaed and testified before a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the classified documents case

Donald Trump apparently showed an interest in documents related to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley - above right with Trump in June 2020

Trump's communications aide Margo Martin, who worked in the White House and followed him to Florida, appeared before the grand jury in Washington, DC.

Housekeeper and restaurant servers have also spoken to the federal grand jury as investigators talk to people who may have seen or heard things while on their daily duties Trump's Florida home, which is also a private club.

'They're casting an extremely wide net  anyone and everyone who might have seen something,' a source told CNN about the subpoenas.

The Justice Department has been investigating potential mishandling of classified material by Trump for about a year.

Attorney General Merrick Garland assigned Smith as special counsel on Nov. 18.

Smiths team has been presenting witnesses and evidence to a grand jury in Washington focused on the Mar-a-Lago probe.

At the same courthouse, a separate federal grand jury is hearing evidence in a separate federal investigation related to efforts to block the results of the 2020 election.

In New York, Trump is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday on charges related to hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. And, in Georgia, a grand jury is hearing evidence about an attempt to change the 2020 presidential election results in that state.
The party might not be over just yet as Marin could still yet stay in politics

Just eight months ago, Sanna Marin was having the time of her life as the world's youngest prime minister while she danced wildly with her celebrity friends.

But after facing serious backlash over the raucous scenes last August  as well as being criticised for her lavish spending on pensions and education  Finland's prime minister was brought back down to earth last night.

Marin, 37, who took office in 2019, conceded defeat in Finland's general election as the opposition centre-Right National Coalition Party claimed victory in a tightly fought contest, pipping the Right-wing populist Finns Party.

But while the 'rock star' PM's time is up, the party may not be over just yet. Her Left-wing Social Democrats, who came third, could still form a coalition with Petteri Orpo, leader of the National Coalition Party.

The feminist icon, who has ruled out a coalition with the hard-Right Finns Party whom she calls 'openly racist', admitted she plans to stay in Finnish politics amid speculation she could also be swayed by a move towards a top Brussels job.

The party might not be over just yet for Prime Minister Sanna Marin (pictured) after her Social Democrats Party conceded defeat at the general elections last night

Marin could yet form a coalition with National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo (pictured celebrating with vice-chairman Antti Hakkanen (right)

Marin's hopes of a second term in office were dashed after her Left-wing Social Democrats party came third in the general election with 19.19 per cent of the vote. Finland's centre-Right National Coalition Party claimed victory with 20.8 per cent of the vote, closely followed by the Right-wing populist party the Finns with 20.1 per cent

After the election, in which she secured 19.9 per cent of the vote behind Orpo's 20.8 per cent and the Finns' 20.1 per cent, Marin said: 'Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken.'

Marin, who shares similar views with Orpo on the EU and NATO, could ultimately become Finland's deputy prime minister until next year's European Parliament elections.

Keeping Marin's Social Democrats involved with the government could be a sensible decision given the scale of the economic crisis but she is also tipped to run as the EU socialists' candidate for European Commission president.

With speculation about her future rife, Marin has also been linked with running for Finland's presidency with Sauli Niinisto scheduled to step down next year.

'It would be really interesting to see how she would do in a presidential election, because she is extremely popular, but also extremely disliked,' Marko Junkkari, a journalist at daily Helsingin Sanomat, said.

After navigating Finland's accession to NATO, due to be made official tomorrow, Marin could also be a contender to replace its outgoing chief Jens Stoltenberg in September.

But NATO diplomats deem it unlikely that such a recent member would take over the post.

Marin (pictured) has hinted that she wants to stay in politics while she is also tipped to run for the top Brussels job

Marin came under fire last August after a video of her partying with her celebrity friends surfaced (pictured here)

Orpo could choose to build a government either with the Finns Party or with Marin's Social Democrats, though he is at odds with both on various issues.

He accused Marin of eroding Finland's economic resilience at a time when Europe's energy crisis, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, has hit the country hard and the cost of living has increased.

However, Orpo also said he will keep his options open and has clashed with the Finns Party on immigration, the EU and climate policy.

The Finns Party sees 'Fixit'  an exit from the European Union  as a long-term goal and wants to postpone Finland's target of carbon neutrality for 2035.

Negotiations to build a government are expected to be thorny and could last several weeks.

Unfortunately for Marin, the leaked video of a hard-working mother letting her hair down and having a few drinks with her friends added further fuel to burning her chances of a second term to the ground.

Apologising following the partying video, she said: 'I am also human. I do my job. I learn from this.

'This week has not been easy. It has been difficult. But I want to believe that people look at the work we do, not what we do in our free time.'

But when seized upon by her political rivals, the video once again called into question the leader's 'partying' lifestyle, the year after she apologised for going clubbing during the pandemic, despite coming into contact with a potential Covid case.

Although some view Marin as a strong leader who skillfully navigated the Covid-19 pandemic, others say her 'partying scandals' and 'youthful behaviour' make her unfit for office.

'Sanna Marin is a polarising character. She has fans like a rock star but on the other hand she has a lot of people who can't stand her,' journalist Junkkari said.

In 2020, Marin also became the subject of controversy and was accused of posing 'topless' by her critics after appearing on the cover of Finnish fashion magazine Trendi wearing a black blazer without a top underneath.

Pictured L-R: Leader of the Left Alliance Party, Li Andersson, Leader of the Centre Party, Annika Saarikko, Leader of the Finns Party, Riikka Purra, Prime Minister of Finland and Leader of the Social Democratic Party, Sanna Marin and Leader of the National Coalition Party, Petteri Orpo

The politician's outfit choice was called 'inappropriate' by some social media users.

Voter Kasper Kylmala, 29, said: 'I liked Marin... but I don't personally believe that her ideas about economic policy are something she and her government can actually achieve.'

Antti Piispanen, a 30-year-old salesman, said: 'The "rock star" Marin's time is over, she did nothing good.'

With the top three parties each getting around 20 per cent of the vote, no party is in position to form a new government alone. More than 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the country's parliament, the Eduskunta.

The biggest party in parliament traditionally gets the first chance to build a government and since the 1990s that party has always claimed the prime minister's office.

The NCP has led in polls for almost two years although its lead had melted away in recent months. It has promised to curb spending and stop the rise of public debt, which has reached just over 70 per cent of GDP since Marin took office in 2019.

Finland's debt-to-GDP ratio has risen from 64 percent to 73 percent in those four years, which Orpo's National Coalition wants to address by cutting spending by 6billion ($6.5billion).

Like the NCP, the Finns Party also backs austerity measures and public spending cuts - which could work against Marin.
Several locations in Downtown Disney have been closing in recent months as part of a multi-year redevelopment project

One of the original restaurants in the heart of Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, will close in just two weeks, more than 20 years after it opened.

Catal Restaurant and its popular outdoor Uva Bar will close on April 14, bosses at the dining spot announced on Instagram.

The two restaurants have been staples of the Californian outdoor shopping mall at the Disneyland resort since Downtown Disney opened in 2001.

'We're celebrating an incredible, delightful, delicious 22 years  from now until our last day of service,' the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post. 'Sip favorite cocktails from the last two decades as we toast to the laughs, the memories, and the meals. Come cheers with us one more time.'

Catal Restaurant and its popular outdoor Uva Bar in the heart of Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, will close in two weeks after more than 20 years of service

Multiple locations in Downtown Disney have shuttered in recent months as part of a multi-year redevelopment project.

The famous AMC Theaters and other storefronts have recently been demolished to make way for upcoming projects, SFGATE reported.

Taking over the location that once housed Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar are Paseo and Centrico.

They are a restaurant and courtyard bar that will offer upmarket Mexican food, with a menu by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytan.

Downton Disney will also soon feature Din Tai Fung, a popular Chinese restaurant - as well as California dessert favorite Porto's Bakery & Cafe.

Several locations in Downtown Disney have been closing in recent months as part of a multi-year project to reimagine Downton Disney. New concept art of what the redevelopment will look like has been released by Disney

The closure of Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar was announced on Instagram. Their last day of service will be April 14

Disneyland filed new building permits valued at $5.4 million in December last year, according to the Orange County Register.

'The commercial construction permits filed with the Anaheim Planning and Building Department call for a new 8,300-square-foot retail building with room for five shops. Also in the works: A new bathroom and employee break room,' the outlet reported.

Additionally, Disney is planning a new event space with a 1,250-square-foot-stage, the permits show.

Construction has so-far proceeded slowly. With SFGATE reporting that demolished areas are sat empty. Renovations are said to have been delayed by unusually rainy Californian weather which has seen 78 trillion gallons of water dumped across the Golden State.

Catal and the Uva Bar are owned by Patina Restaurant Group, which owns six eateries in Downtown Disney and more in Walt Disney World and Disney Springs in Florida.

Taking over the location that once housed Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar are Paseo and Centrico, a restaurant and courtyard bar with a menu by Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytan

Fans of the famous spot took to Instagram to voice their sadness that one of their favorite restaurants is to close.

'Please don't go?!' one user commented. 'This is an amazing restaurant. If you brought back the menu from 2001 I bet guest would be knocking down the door!'

'So sad about this!' another wrote. 'One of our favorite places! You will be missed!'
A New Jersey girl tormented by bullies was found hanged in a school bathroom and died two days later - a week after her cop father died from cancer.

Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez, 11, was unconsciously hanging in a closed stall at F.W. Holbein School when she was found by another middle school student on February 6 around 1pm. She died two days later at a local hospital.

Officials battled to save the sixth-grader's life but she was later pronounced dead by complications of suicide once surveillance footage proved she was alone in the restroom when she died and no foul play was involved, prosecutors said.

Her mother, Elaina LoAlbo, has since revealed Felicia was being bullied and is requesting tapes to confirm her daughter's cause of death. Only a few days before, Felicia had buried her father NJ Detective Alexis Melendez, who died of pancreatic cancer on January 26.

Felicia's death comes days after fellow New Jersey schoolgirl Adriana Kuch took her own life after being taunted with texts from the bullies who beat her in the school halls.

Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez, 11, died by suicide after taking her life in a New Jersey school restroom stall on February 6, officials said

Her mother, Elaina LoAlbo, has since revealed Felicia was being bullied and is requesting tapes to confirm her daughter's cause of death. Pictured: Felicia with her mother Elaina

According to Elaina, her daughter emailed F. W. Holbein School officials to inform them she was being bullied and called staff out for not taking action. The letter was one of many Felicia sent that officials never dug into.

'She herself had written numerous emails to the administration detailing the events, yet no one was ever questioned,' Elaina told NJ.

A month before her death, Felicia wrote another letter to school officials to propose a 'trauma club' to provide a safe space for students to unwind.

I was watching TV and thinking about the things in my life that happened to me and I got a great idea. Instead of drama club, it would be a trauma club ... I would help and provide as much as I can,' the email Felicia wrote reads, according to the new outlet.

'It would need a room that is not too big and not too small. We would need a couple of chairs too. But I hope this does happen. I for one have heard from my friends and others about things that have happened to them and I think this would be a fantastic thing. Have a great night. Go dragons.'

Weeks after Felicia's death, investigators and prosecutors haven't pin pointed Felicia's bullies or how she was tormented.

'They have swept under the rug, the bullying that she and so many other kids in that school have encountered and now theyre doing the same with this investigation,' Elaina said.

Elaina has since created a Change.org petition to press school officials to release footage of the day her daughter was injured. As of April 3, more than 2,500 signatures had been garnered.

Burlington County Prosecutors Office didn't comment on questions from DailyMail.com about whether they were pursuing the 11-year-old's bullies in connection to her death.

Rather, prosecutors concluded, 'an investigation into the students death by the Burlington County Prosecutors Office, which included a review of the schools surveillance cameras, determined that she was alone in the restroom when this tragic action occurred.

'The investigation further determined that no foul play was involved.'

F.W. Holbein School wasn't immediately available for comment.

The sixth-grader had been tormented by bullies leading up to her death and attempted to warn school officials several times, her mom said. Pictured: Felicia with her mom Elaina and father Alexis

Officials battled to save the sixth-grader's life but she was later pronounced dead by suicide once surveillance footage proved she was alone in the restroom when she died, prosecutors said

According to Elaina, her daughter emailed F. W. Holbein School officials to inform them she was being bullied and called staff out for not taking action

A month before her death, Felicia wrote another letter to school officials to propose a 'trauma club' to provide a safe space for students to unwind

A chilling voice memo from Felicia's phone was also released on Elaina's Facebook that features the 11-year-old telling her future self to never be a bully.

'Unless you're me, well you're listening to this from the future,' Felicia said in the 2021 memo.

'Say hello to future mom, future dad... future everyone. Never, never never be bad, never give up on your friends, never, ever... be a bully.'

A father of Felicia's friend later revealed at a March 15 school board meeting that he knew the 11-year-old was being bullied and regretted not taking action sooner.

'My daughter confided in me that Felicia was being bullied by other members of her class,' Seth Turner shared. 'I failed to convey this information to any teachers or staff in time for anything to be done, and I need to apologize for this,' he said.

'While no response to the death of an 11-year-old girl can ever be truly adequate, our response to this tragedy so far has been pathetic,' Turner continued.

Turner added that Felicia was a 'bright kid.'

'Felicia deserves better. She deserves a full investigation, she deserves a full accounting and she deserves truth, and I hope that we can give it to her,' he said.

Now, grieving Elaina is left with two holes in her heart after losing Felicia and her father, who was a New Jersey transit detective.

'As a plain clothes officer, Melendez helped to protect your travels as he blended amongst the traveling public,' the New Jersey Transit Police Department wrote on Twitter. 'The countless actions he took, always served to ensure your safety.'

'At our department, Melendez will be remembered for his hard work and dedication, his cheerful demeanor, and his deep laugh. No matter the assignment or detail, Detective Melendezs presence was always an asset,' the department said, according to the Daily Voice.

A chilling voice memo from Felicia's phone was also released on Elaina's Facebook that features the 11-year-old telling her future self to never be a bully

Elaina posted a heartbreaking photo holding her daughter's hand while the 11-year-old was in the hospital

A father of Felicia's friend later revealed at a March 15 school board meeting that he knew the 11-year-old was being bullied and regretted not taking action sooner

'I failed to convey this information to any teachers or staff in time for anything to be done, and I need to apologize for this,' the father said in regard to Felicia's death

NJ Detective Alexis Melendez, who died of pancreatic cancer on January 26. He was remembered by his department 'for his hard work and dedication'

On February 3 in the New Jersey town of Berkeley Township, 14-year-old Adriana Kuch died by suicide in her bedroom at her family home after being bullied and beat in the school hallway, a video revealed.

Hours beforehand, she had received a taunting message from one of the girls who filmed the attack, making fun of her for 'dripping' blood on the floor, and being 'whooped,' her father previously told DailyMail.com.

The messages were relentless, starting on February 1st - after the 11am attack - and lasting until February 2nd at around 3pm, the day before she killed herself.

At 10.46pm on February 2nd, Adriana texted her boyfriend complaining about having to go back to school. She was found dead at 5am on February 3rd.

Four teenage girls were charged over the attack, which left Adriana with a busted lip and severely bruised legs. DailyMail.com is not naming the girls, who are all minors.

On February 3 in the New Jersey town of Berkeley Township, 14-year-old Adriana Kuch died by suicide in her bedroom at her family home after being bullied and beat in the school hallway

According to her father Kuch was 'smashed in the face three times with a water bottle' and 'blacked out.' He then had to take his blood covered daughter to the police station to file a report because the school refused to do so
A children's book author who claimed John Lewis stole her idea about an excitable fire-breathing dragon for its Christmas ad campaign has had her copyright case thrown out.

Fay Evans, 49, brought legal action against the department store company and advertising agency adam&eveDDB over the 2019 advert and its spin-off illustrated children's book, Excitable Edgar.

In the advert, Edgar the dragon's excitement about festivities in his village sees him accidentally melt an ice rink, reduce a snowman to a puddle and set fire to a Christmas tree.

Ms Evans alleged John Lewis or the agency had copied parts of her book Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon, published in September 2017, infringing her copyright.

The High Court in London heard that in Ms Evans' book, Fred accidentally emits fire when he sneezes, leading to him accidentally melt ice-cream cones in his school's tuck shop, burn books and set trees on fire while on a run.

Fay Evans (pictured outside the High Court in January) alleged John Lewis or the agency had copied parts of her book Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon, published in September 2017, infringing her copyright

Ms Evans claimed the 2019 Christmas campaign advert (pictured) bears a 'striking similarity' to her book about a fire-breathing dragon

READ MORE: Former Harley Street dentist who became a screenwriter fails in her bid to sue BBC claiming it ripped off one of her stories Advertisement

At a hearing in January, John Lewis and the ad agency disputed the claim, arguing there were 'numerous and substantial differences' between Ms Evans' book and the advert, and that no one involved in the making of the advert or spin-off book was aware of Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon.

The two companies also said that the advert was based on a concept designed in 2016, which was pitched to John Lewis in 2016, 2017 and 2018 before being chosen in 2019.

In a judgment on Monday, Judge Melissa Clarke dismissed Ms Evans' claim.

She said: 'The dragon is a creature of myth, dating back to ancient times and found in cultures across the world.

'As a mythic animal, its appearance, characteristics and personality are not fixed, but have been reinterpreted through the years to suit the purposes and culture of the person utilising it.'

Judge Clarke ruled that the people involved in making the Christmas advert or the spin-off book had not seen Ms Evans' book and therefore could not have copied it.

The court heard that up to October 31 2019 only 914 copies of Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon had been sold, with more than 700 of those coming out of primary school visits.

Fay Evans, 49, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, released the self-published picture book Fred the Fire-Sneezing Dragon in September 2017

John Lewis previously said it would 'robustly' defend itself against the claims, saying the concept for its advert was presented to them in early 2016 - a year and seven months before Ms Evans published her book

She added: 'I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that there was no access to Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon by any of the creatives involved in the development of the 2019 advert and Excitable Edgar, and so there can have been no copying.'

The court heard that all of the dragons in the case have ribbed fronts, spikes down their backs and two arms.

However, the judge sitting at the High Court said that these are 'entirely commonplace features, almost ubiquitous in depictions of dragons'.

She continued: 'They have been treated quite differently in the TV dragon and Edgar compared to Fred, in terms of both the detail of those features, and their colour and general appearance.'

Judge Clarke commented that there are references to dragons that breathe fire in the Bible.

'The idea of dragons sneezing and breathing fire, and that such fire can be put to useful purposes such as kindling coals is therefore very old indeed,' she added.

The judge concluded: 'The similarities between Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon on the one hand and the 2019 advert/Excitable Edgar are few in number and can easily be explained by coincidence rather than copying.'

Following the ruling, Ms Evans (pictured) said: 'From today I'm looking forward to writing more original stories for children and developing Fred The Musical, ready for its premiere in July 2023 at the Liverpool Theatre Festival.'

The John Lewis advert, produced in partnership with sister company Waitrose, follows Edgar as his excitement about festivities in his village sees him accidentally melt an ice-rink, reduce a snowman to a puddle and set fire to a Christmas tree

Following the ruling, Ms Evans said: 'From today I'm looking forward to writing more original stories for children and developing Fred The Musical, ready for its premiere in July 2023 at the Liverpool Theatre Festival.'

In a counterclaim, lawyers for John Lewis and the advertising agency had asked the High Court to declare they had not infringed Ms Evans' copyright.

Allowing the counterclaim, Judge Clarke said: 'I consider that it would suit the useful purpose of making clear to the public and the industries in which the defendants and their creative partners work that the allegations of copyright infringement impugning the integrity of their creativity have been rejected by this court.'

'I consider they exit this litigation without the slightest hint or shadow of a stain on their creative integrity,' she added.

The judge also made an order requiring Ms Evans to publicise the judgment, finding that she had used the annual launch of the John Lewis Christmas advert 'as a hook to gain more publicity to raise her profile as an author and drive book sales'.

A spokesman for John Lewis and adam&eveDDB said: 'We take great pride and care in our Christmas advert and are glad that the judge recognised the originality of Excitable Edgar.

'We are pleased that the matter is now resolved after the court found there was no copyright infringement.'
A court in Moscow ruled that he would be kept behind bars for two months pending the investigation

Lawyers for The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich have appealed his arrest on espionage charges, a court in Moscow announced today.

Gershkovich, 31, who is based in Moscow, was detained last week in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city, while researching a story on the feared Wagner group.

It is the first time a US correspondent has been detained on spying accusations in Russia since the Cold War. The Wall Street Journal has said it 'vehemently denies' the charges and demanded his release.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has also demanded Gershkovich's 'immediate release'.

'His arrest is of great concern. It is important to respect freedom of the press, the rights of journalists and the right to ask questions and to do their job,' he said on Monday.

American reporter for The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich, 31, (pictured) was detained last week in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city

Pictured: Gershkovich, detained on suspicion of espionage, leaves a court building in Moscow on March 30, 2023

Stoltenberg said he expected the issue of the reporter's detention to be taken up by NATO foreign ministers at their meeting on Tuesday.

At a hearing on Thursday, Moscow's Lefortovsky District court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars for two months pending the investigation.

On Monday, the court reported that it has received an appeal against Gershkovich's arrest filed by his defense, according to Russian news agencies. No date for the appeals hearing has been set yet.

Gershkovich was put in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times.

Russia's Federal Security Service, the top successor to the Soviet-era KGB that is known by the acronym FSB, accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory.

Pictured: Evan Gershkovich in Russia. Gershkovich was put in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times

The Kremlin alleged that Gershkovich was caught 'red-handed', without offering details.

President Joe Biden on Friday urged Russia to release Gershkovich.

'Let him go,' Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he had a message for Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart on Sunday to immediately release Gershkovich, as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.

The two diplomats have rarely spoken over the phone since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Blinken will be in Brussels until Wednesday to meet his 29 NATO counterparts and to welcome Finland as the 31st member of the alliance.

Gershkovich, a US citizen, was detained by Russian security agents last week.

His employer has refuted the claim that he was engaged in espionage.
The Virginia teacher who was shot in her classroom by a six-year-old boy has filed a $40million lawsuit against the school, claiming administrators knew how dangerous he was but did nothing to protect her from him.

Abigail Zwerner, 25, was shot by the six-year-old boy - who has not been named publicly - on January 6 this year at Richneck Elementary Public School in Newport News, Virginia.

Two days earlier, the same boy had smashed her phone and called her a 'b***h.'

He was so troublesome that he'd been removed from the school a year earlier after trying to choke a different teacher, and was supposed to be chaperoned by a parent every day.

On January 6, he was dropped off at the school by his mother. He told other children that morning that he had a firearm in his backpack and staff were also told about it.

Rather than remove him from any classes, the school's administrators allowed him to be around other children and teachers.

Abigail Zwerner, 25, was shot in the hand and chest by the child at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, in January. She is shown above in an interview with TODAY

They checked his backpack for a weapon, but he had already removed it and put it in his sweatshirt, according to Zwerner's lawsuit.

The vice principal then forbade any teachers from searching the boy himself, according to the lawsuit.

At 1.59pm, he pulled out the gun from his sweater and shot Zwerner in the chest. The bullet hit one of her hands first - which she says saved her life.

Now, she is suing the school for not doing more to protect her and others from the child.

The 20-page lawsuit describes the boy's past behavior in disturbing detail.

It also claims that his parents would not allow him to attend classes with other special needs kids, despite claiming in the immediate aftermath of the shooting that he has an 'acute disability'.

'John Doe had been removed from school during the 2021-2022 school year when he was in kindergarten after he strangled and choked a teacher.

'Also during the 2021-2022 school year, a female child had fallen on the playground and John Doe came up to her, pulled her dress up and began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher,' it reads.

Dr Ebony Parker, vice principal of Richneck Elementary, (right) allegedly 'forbade' any teachers from searching the child. The lawsuit also names principal Briana Newton (left) as a defendant

The lawsuit seeks $40million in compensatory damages from the school board and teachers

The lawsuit alleges that after he returned to school, he continued posing a threat and had been caught 'chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them'.

He had also been cursing at staff and teachers.

Two days before the shooting, he 'grabbed Zwerner's cellphone' and refused to give it back.

He then slammed the cellphone on the ground 'so hard that it cracked and shattered'.

She called security and took him to see the lead teacher but security never came.

Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where the shooting occurred. Several parents have filed a lawsuit against the school for not protecting their kids

The child then called both female teachers 'b****es'.

He was suspended for a day, but returned to school on January 6 - the day of the shooting.

Between 11.15am and 11.30am, she complained to the Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker that he seemed to be in a 'violent mood' that day and had been threatening to beat up another child.

The assistant principal however did nothing, according to the suit.

Despite her brush with death, Abby says she is excited to return to teaching

The same assistant principal had a reputation for never disciplining kids, and instead rewarding any who came to them with candy.

At 11.45am, two students told a different teacher that the boy had a gun in his backpack.

That teacher approached him and asked him if he had a weapon, the suit says, but he lied. He then refused to give her his bag to check.

The child was then seen removing something from the bag and placing it in his sweatshirt pocket.

When that was reported to the same assistant principal, they said his pockets were too small to hold a handgun.

At around 1.10pm, still concerned that he had the gun on his person, teachers asked for permission to search the boy but the same assistant principal 'forbade' them from doing so.

Less than an hour later, he pulled it out of his sweatshirt and shot Zwerner as she read at her desk in front of other terrified students.

The assistant principal resigned earlier this year. The school's principal, Briana Newton, remains employed by the school district.

School district Superintendent Dr. George Parker III was also fired after the shooting.

It's unclear if he and Assistant Principal Dr. Ebony Parker are related.
Some of the family suffer from physical and mental abnormalities, which experts say could be because of their genetics

America's most inbred family started with identical twin brothers whose children married each other - causing heartbreaking genetic defects which have left some of them grunting instead of talking.

The quiet Whittaker family grew up in a broken-down property in Odd, West Virginia, and have been known to communicate through grunts and barks.

DailyMail.com can reveal a set of identical twin brothers sparked the family's history of incest, with the children of Henry and John Whittaker getting married and having their first child in 1937.

Filmmaker Mark Laita shone a spotlight on the family in a short documentary, highlighting the various struggles that they had gone through with mental and physical abnormalities throughout their lives.

One member of the family, Ray, appears to suffer the most and was shown excitedly communicating with Laita through noises, and points to show him items at their home in a childlike manner.

The now-infamous Whittaker family grew up in a broken-down property in Odd, West Virginia, and have been known to communicate through grunts and barks

In April last year he revisited the Whittaker family, who he first met in 2004 and filmed in 2020 and spoke about it on the channel.

Laita says that the genetic complications of the family have caused a host of behavioral issues, describing it as 'out of control'.

But neighbors are very supportive of the family, who have lived in Odd for generations, and protect them from the outside world.

The first time Laita approached them was in the early 2000s when he was initially met by 'protective' neighbors with a shotgun.

DailyMail.com has tracked down several birth certificates which show the Whittaker family inbreeding started with twin brothers John and Henry Whittaker in 1887.

Experts claim that inter-family relations could have caused some of the heartbreaking conditions that the living family members are struggling with.

Many members of the family have suffered from a heart attack, while two did not make it through infanthood.

John married his own first cousin Ada Riggs  the daughter of Mary Perkins who was the sister of John and Henry's mother Eliza.

Freddie and Ray, siblings, pictured with their nephew Timmy who lives at the family home in Odd, West Virginia

Aileen Violet Whittaker born in 1937 was the first child of first cousins Gracie and John Whittaker

Ada and John had nine children, including Gracie Irene Whittaker who was born in 1920.

John's brother Henry married Sally Burton and they had seven children, including John Emory Whittaker, born in 1913.

Gracie and John were first cousins, but married in November 1935 and had their first daughter Aileen Violet Whittaker in 1937.

Aileen was the first of 15 children that the couple had, with several being filmed for the documentary filmed b Soft White Underbelly in 2020.

She passed away in June 1997 after suffering from a heart attack and had on son called Frankie with her husband.

The couple then had a baby boy, Emery Lee Whittaker, in 1938, who died a month later after suffering from pneumonia.

Barbra Whittaker was born in September 1940, and did not appear to marry before she died following a short illness in October 2008.

An obituary shows that she died at St Mary's Hospital in Huntington, and she was described as a homemaker who loved picnics with her family.

Not much is known about the next two sisters, Nannie Lou Whittaker, born in 1942, and Connie Jean Whittaker, born in 1943.

The couple then had a baby boy, Emery Lee Whittaker, in 1938, who died a month later after suffering from pneumonia

Laita says that the genetic complications of the family have caused a host of behavioral issues, describing it as 'out of control'

John Wade Whittaker died in 2022, after being born in 1950, and had five children, several grandchildren and one great-grandson

Both married and are still living in Lowe, with Nannie Lou losing her husband William, later remarrying a man called Leonard, and Connie living with her husband James.

Freddie Lee Whittaker was born in 1944 and made-up part of the documentary produced in 2004 and was part of the family portrait along with his brother Ray.

He passed away in May 2013 following a long illness and is buried close to the family home in Odd. It is not clear if his illness was related to his genetic complications.

Another member of the family who is included in all parts of the updated documentary in 2021 is Lorene Whittaker, who was born in 1946 and has one son called Timmy Whittaker, born 1979.

Timmy and Lorene welcomed the documentary makers with open arms and were seen eating breakfast and showing them the difference donations made by the GoFundMe had made.

The family were able to replace the roof of a property and purchase some vehicles to help them get around.

Mary Madeline Whittaker was born in 1948, and passed away the following year, though it is unclear the cause for this.

John Wade Whittaker died in 2022, after being born in 1950, and had five children, several grandchildren and one great-grandson.

DailyMail.com can reveal that a set of twin brothers sparked the family's history of incest, with the children of Henry and John Whittaker getting married and having their first child in 1937

Barbra Whittaker was born in September 1940, and did not appear to marry before she died following a short illness in October 2008

He suffered a long battle with cancer, and died with his loving wife Sophia by his side, and was cared for at Bowers Hospice House.

Betty Ann Whittaker is considered the matriarch of the family, and reportedly promised her mother that she would not marry and planned to look after her 14 siblings.

She was born in 1952 and features a lot on the documentary, taking care of shopping to ensure the members living in the small run-down property are eating enough.

Danny Ray Whittaker, known as Ray, was born a year after Betty and makes up a large part of the documentary.

Both he and Lorene both appear to be unable to talk, and only grunt  but other family members are able to talk on their behalf.

In the most recent installment he is keen to show Laita the new things that they had on the property, and seemed excited that he had returned.

The family didn't know their genetic issues occurred due inbreeding, according to what they told the filmmaker, adding that they couldn't remember much about their parents or other family members.

To help improve the Whittaker's living conditions and provide home improvements, Laita previously created a GoFundMe in 2022 that has since raised $46,433.

Nannie Lou Whittaker, born in 1942, is still alive and remarried after losing her first husband William

To help improve the Whittaker's living conditions and provide home improvements, Laita previously created a GoFundMe in 2022 that has since raised $46,433

Michael 'Stevie' Whittaker passed away in July 2001, aged 40, while Judy died in August of 2021  though it is unclear how they both died

The family appeared to spend a lot of time on their front porch where they have a couch, armchair and other household belongings

Larry Whittaker and Kenneth Whittaker were born in 1956, and 1957, and also appear in the most recent documentary and talk about how their lives have improved.

The final two siblings are Judy Kay Whittaker, born in 1959 and Michael Stevie Whittaker born in 1960.

Michael passed away in July 2001, aged 40, while Judy died in August of 2021  though it is unclear how they both died.

One of the filmmaker's latest videos from 2021 showed the family's rundown conditions, with the group living in a small and overcrowded home with several animals.

Laita said he returned to the home on a whim to see how the family was doing.

He then decided to pick up his iPhone and grab footage of their 'level of poverty' and living conditions.

One of the filmmaker's latest videos from 2021 showed the family's rundown conditions, with the group living in a small and overcrowded home with several animals

The family appeared to spend a lot of time on their front porch where they have a couch, armchair and other household belongings.

One relative told Laita: 'They understand what you talking about.

'If they don't like it, they start yelling - let you know they don't like that idea.'

In one scene Laita asked Betty why she thought her family had so many abnormalities. She said she didn't know.

He pushed the question further with Kenneth asking specifically about why their eyes weren't facing forward. He responded: 'Might be coal mining.'

Documents obtained by DailyMaill.com show that their father John was a coal miner and was listed as the head of the household in the 1950's US Federal Census.

Despite Laita's fundraising, many people have found the filmmaking to be exploitative.

West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the country. The village of Odd where Laita went to document the family has just 800 residents.

In one scene Laita asked Betty why she thought her family had so many abnormalities. She said she didn't know

Almost 17 percent of the 1.77 million residents in West Virginia live in poverty, according to the Census.

The U.S. average is 11.6 percent. Only Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arkansas were worse.

Melody West and Shane Simmons, who run the Real Appalachia YouTube channel, said they had issues with the film.

They said that Laita 'ostensibly is doing all this good work for them and raising money for them.'

But, they argue, the documentary 'perpetuates the stereotype that has been around for decades' relating to inbreeding in Appalachia.

'I just feel like a lot more could be done for these people,' said West.

'I think he's trying to act like he's doing a lot for them.'
It has proved popular with locals and tourists who are passing through city

A vending machine in the Japanese city of Semboku is selling fresh bear meat

Of all the things you might expect to find in a vending machine, fresh bear meat doesn't spring to mind.

But for residents living in the northern Japanese city of Semboku, they can get their hands on the delicacy for 2,200 yen (13).

The vending machine, placed outside the Soba Goro restaurant near the Tazawako train station, has proved to be popular with locals and tourists who are passing through the city on the train.

Featuring meat from locally hunted wild bears, the 24-hour vending machine has attracted a steady stream of customers since it opened in November last year, reports the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.

It is so popular that residents from as far away as Tokyo, located 350 miles from Semboka, have enquired about getting the bear meat delivered to them.

A vending machine in the Japanese city of Semboku is selling fresh bear meat. Pictured: A file image of a black bear cub in Japan

While most vending machines feature images of sweets and drinks, this one has various pictures of lean and fatty bear meat.

The wild bears - including black bears - are captured in the mountains near Semboku and killed by members of a local hunting club before being processed at a slaughterhouse.

The Soba Goro restaurant installed the vending machine in a bid to make the bear meat a staple of the region - and put their eatery on the map for tourists visiting the area.

Between 10 to 15 packages of bear meat - each weighing 250g - are sold each week, but supplies can run low as the bear hunting season is limited.

A Soba Goro spokesperson told the newspaper: 'Bear meat tastes clean, and it doesn't get tough, even when cold.

'It can be enjoyed in a wide range of dishes, from stew to steaks.'

Japan has about 4.1 million vending machines in operation, the most in the world per capita, according to a trade group.

And bear meat is not the only unusual food item to feature in the country's vending machines - some feature insects including beetles as well as hamburgers.

And in January this year, a Japanese whaling firm unveiled vending machines offering whale sashimi, whale steak and whale bacon in Yokohama in hopes of reviving sales of a food long in decline and shunned by many supermarkets.

A Japanese whaling company provoked a wave of criticism from animal rights activists over the installation of vending machines selling whale meat in January this year

Wearing a whale-shaped hat, Kyodo Senpaku President Hideki Tokoro greeted prospective customers at the firm's latest 'unmanned store' - a trio of vending machines in Motomachi, an upmarket shopping district home to fashion boutiques and artisan bakeries.

The firm has recently set up two similar outlets in Tokyo, plans to open a fourth in the western city of Osaka next month, and hopes to grow to 100 locations over the next five years.

The products on sale mainly contain whale caught in Japan, a company spokesperson said, with prices ranging from 1,000 yen (6) to 3,000 yen (18).

The move has been slated by animal rights campaigners, who labelled it a cynical sales ploy.

Astrid Fuchs, of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, said in a statement: This latest cynical sales ploy comes at a time when the fisheries agency in Japan is aiming to expand the nations whale-catch quotas  and possibly increase the list of species that can be killed.

Consumption of whale meat has declined since the 1960s as more traditional livestock - including pork, chicken and beef - has become more affordable.
A mixed-breed pup who is half pitbull and half Golden Retriever has captivated the hearts of people all over the internet who say he looks like a lion.

The video was shared on TikTok in March by the dog's owner and features the pup - named Kopper - enjoying some snuggles from his owner.

The now-viral video was captioned: 'What a half pitbull half Golden Retriever looks like,' followed by the label, 'Majestic boi.'

According to the website Alpha Paw, a Golden Retriever-pitbull mix would make a great family dog, and are super sweet and friendly.

The precious pup is named Kopper. He's a Golden Retriever-pitbull mix and the internet thinks he looks like a lion

'If you want a dog who can be your forever companion, this is for you. Golden Retrievers are known for being one of the gentlest and softest dogs around, especially around children.

'They get along with anyone and are very patient. Pitbulls also share the same personality trait as retrievers, and they are very gentle and sweet dogs especially if you give them the right training,' stated the website.

Poll Does Kopper look like a lion? Yes No Does Kopper look like a lion? Yes 131 votes

No 332 votes Now share your opinion





The video quickly went viral, so far attracting 4.9million views and 1million likes.

Users said wrote in to compliment the fluffy pup's look, writing that he 'looks like he's wearing a lion costume,' and 'like he gives the best cuddles.'

One user, Toni, wrote: 'Legit looks like the lion from Wizard of Oz,' while another said, 'Half pitbull, half Golden Retriever, but 100% good boy.'

'He looks like the dog of my dreams! He sits beside a fireplace and gives me quests,' wrote a user with the handle Violetchi13.

Newsweek reported that Dr. Christine Barton, a veterinarian said mixing dog breeds can potentially complicate the anatomy of a dog, especially when mixing a smaller breed with a larger one.

But complications can also include 'congenital, as well as genetic, disorders.'

'These two breeds in particular are known for having sensitive skin and joint tissues. Pitbulls are more likely to have cancers such as mast cell tumors than retrievers, who are more likely to have lymphoma,' she said.

The two dogs bred together yielded a lion-like appearance for Kopper

Kopper next to a lion

Golden Retrievers are consistently one of the top most popular dog breeds in the United States.

Known as fabulous family dogs, the golden balls of fur like to run around and cuddle but are not known to roughhouse.

Pitbulls attract more of a niche audience as they are sometimes stereotyped as aggressive, dangerous dogs.

There have been several heartbreaking incidents in recent years of untrained dogs mauling toddlers, as well as adults.
The CIA said the 'Nation's strength comes from the diversity of its peoples'

The CIA has sparked fury by advertising for an equal opportunities officer at up to triple the pay of a foreign intelligence job.

An Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Specialist position at the agency is being offered at an eye-watering starting salary of between $154,428 and $183,500.

The job description includes pushing outreach and education initiatives to help raise awareness of equity issues within the CIA.

In stark contrast, a Collection Management Officer role - which involves the collection of foreign intelligence - starts at between $67,122 and $102,166.

The CIA has sparked fury after advertising an equal opportunities role with a starting salary of up to $183,500

The equity opportunities job pays up to three times that of a foreign intelligence officer role

The postings prompted outrage on social media, with users slamming the extortionate pay packets on offer for 'woke' positions.

Maxwell Meyer wrote: 'How about we fire the DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] bureaucrats and give their lavish salaries to the people whose lives are on the line?'

Scott Stelloh commented: 'Woke always goes broke.'

According to the job description on the CIA's website, the EEO Specialist would also be expected to train and brief senior CIA leaders on its equality opportunities mission.

It describes this as 'a principle that asserts all people should have the right to work and advance on the basis of merit and ability'.

It adds: 'At the CIA, we recognize our Nation's strength comes from the diversity of its people.

'People from a broad range of backgrounds and viewpoints work at CIA, and our diverse teams are the reason we can keep our country safe.'

CIA Director William Burns is facing criticism over his agency's approach to 'woke' positions

The intelligence agency has previously been mocked over a recruitment video showing a Latina officer talking about being 'intersectional' and 'cisgender'

The Collection Management Officer, meanwhile, is expected to 'evaluate the foreign intelligence collected by the Directorate of Operations (DO) to ensure the DO is providing U.S. foreign policy and national security decision-makers with timely, accurate, clear, and concise reporting in a manner that safeguards sensitive intelligence sources and methods'.

Jerry Turin wrote on Twitter the pay disparity between the roles 'validates the premise of vast resources being sucked up by DEI in business & government with no discernable return, but distraction from core missions and productivity'.

It comes after the CIA was widely mocked for posting a recruitment video that was accused of being 'full of woke propaganda'.

The two-minute clip, which was posted on Twitter in April 2021, featured a 36-year-old Latina officer talking about being 'intersectional' and 'cisgender'.

She added: 'At 36, I refuse to internalize patriarchal ideas of what a woman can or should be.'

Conservatives derided it for pandering to leftists, but it was even mocked by some progressives for its messaging. Dailymail.com has contacted the CIA for comment.
A 66-year-old man is facing trial charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart.

The bodies of Gary Dunmore, 57, and Joshua Dunmore, 32, were discovered at properties in The Row, Sutton, and Meridian Close, Cambridgeshire, on March 29.

Stephen Alderton appeared before Cambridge Crown Court charged with two counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm.

Alderton, wearing a grey tracksuit with the sleeves rolled up, spoke only to confirm his identity at the brief hearing.

He listened to proceedings from the secure dock of the court on Monday.

The family of Gary Dunmore, 57, (pictured) said he 'gave everything for those he loved'

The victims' family also paid tribute to Joshua Dunmore, 32, (pictured) by saying: 'Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle'

The defendant was not asked to enter pleas to the charges and was remanded in custody until May 11 when he is due back at the court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

No application for bail was made.

Judge Mark Bishop set a provisional trial date of October 16, allowing time for a two-week hearing.

The victims' family paid tribute to the 'devoted' father and son in a statement released by Cambridgeshire Police on Friday.

They said: 'Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.

'He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends.

'He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.

'Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.

'He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him.'

Police said post-mortem examinations will take place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday.

Stephen Alderton (pictured), 66, is facing trial charged with the murders of a father and son who were shot dead in two villages six miles apart
A firefighter sent to rescue an injured pregnant woman from Arthur's Seat was told by a man she slipped as he bumped into her trying to get a selfie, a murder trial has been told.

Kashif Anwar, 29, is accused of murdering his wife Fawziyah Javed, 31, in September 2021 by pushing her from the hill in Edinburgh, causing her multiple blunt force injuries and ultimately her death and that of her unborn child.

Anwar, from Leeds, denies all the charges against him, including one of acting in a threatening and abusive way towards his wife at a hotel in Edinburgh the day before the alleged murder.

Firefighter Sean Stratford, who gave evidence to the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, was one of the emergency responders dispatched to the scene just after 9pm.

He told the trial that rescue crews could not find Ms Javed when they arrived but a man approached them to assist and pointed out the area.

Fawziyah Javed, 31, and her unborn child both died from their injuries after she was allegedly pushed off Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh

The High Court in Edinburgh heard Fawziyah Javed, 31, died after she fell from a height from Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh (pictured)

The firefighter said he could not remember if the man identified himself as the injured woman's husband or not.

Mr Stratford told the court: 'He said that he stood up to take a selfie, he slipped and bumped her and she had fallen.'

'She was not in a very good state at all,' the firefighter said, and told the court she had been slipping in and out of consciousness on the hillside until emergency responders had to start resuscitation.

Mr Stratford, who is in his 13th year working at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said the man seemed to be 'calm' as he spoke with him at the scene.

Ian Duguid KC, Anwar's defence, played a 999 recording of his client to court in which he told ambulance call handlers of the incident and could be heard shouting to people who had managed to reach Ms Javed.

But Mr Stratford said the man who had spoken to him did not sound the same way.

Questioned by advocate depute Alex Prentice if there was any reference to a selfie being taken in the call played to court, Mr Stratford said there was not.

On Monday, the fourth day of the trial, the court also heard from Claire Pentony, 33, who had been on the hill at the time of the alleged incident.

A van carrying Kashif Anwar arrives at the High Court in Edinburgh, Scotland on the first day of the trial

A witness told the High Court in Edinburgh that Ms Javed (pictured) said: 'Don't let my husband near me, he pushed me'

Police were called to the popular Scottish tourist spot in Edinburgh at around 9pm following reports that a 31-year-old woman had fallen to her death

She told Mr Prentice: 'I heard what sounded like rocks falling and a woman scream and say help at the same time.

'I know the area fairly well, I presumed somebody who didn't had perhaps fallen or had an accident.'

She said she shouted she would get help, and phoned 999.

She told the court a few minutes after the cry for help, she heard a name being shouted.

Earlier on Monday, Nicola Lilly, 44, gave evidence about an incident in Pudsey, Leeds, on August 26, 2021.

Appearing remotely from the West Yorkshire city, she and the jury were shown security camera footage of two people in which it appeared as if a man was blocking the path of Ms Javed.

Ms Lilly told the trial: 'I just knew something wasn't right. She was just trying to get away from him and (he) was being, sort of, aggressive towards her.'

The witness told the trial she saw the alleged murder victim being 'pulled about', and that she had become concerned for her.

She later found Ms Javed speaking to another woman, and Ms Lilly gave Ms Javed her telephone number.

The court was told that Ms Javed appeared 'very upset and frightened', and identified the man to Ms Lilly as her husband.

Ms Lilly said a car came past and Ms Javed said: 'It's my father-in-law.'

The witness continued: 'She got really scared, then she said, 'Please tell them what he's just been like with me, they won't believe me'.'

Ms Javed eventually got into the car, the court was told, and Ms Lilly decided to follow the vehicle which went to Galloway Lane, Pudsey, where Ms Javed lived.

The trial, before Lord Beckett, continues.
Another severe weather outbreak could unleash havoc tomorrow after at least 32 people were killed as tornadoes ripped through parts of the Midwest and South over the weekend.

The extreme weather may affect some of the same areas that were hit by Friday's deadly tornadoes.

Severe thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon and evening from parts of Iowa, Illinois and Indiana southward to portions Missouri, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas, according to The Weather Channel.

It appears that there will be a greater risk of severe weather in two corridors.

One corridor is from central Missouri into central and eastern Iowa, southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois.

Tornadoes flattened parts of Illinois, including Robinson Municipal Airport

There was severe damage in Little Rock, Arkansas. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders had already declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard where at least five people were killed

The other stretches from southern Missouri into much of Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma and far northeast Texas.

Destructive straight-line winds, large hail and tornadoes could all potentially arise. Some tornadoes could be of EF2+ intensity.

Night time tornadoes are also possible, according to The Weather Channel.

The storm system could produce more severe weather as it pushes farther east on Wednesday, especially in parts of the eastern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, including Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Buffalo.

Damaging winds and tornadoes could also potentially pose a risk to these areas.

At least a few severe storms could also develop in parts of the South.

The powerful weather system will also produce heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the Northern Plains and upper Midwest.

A strong, dynamic jet stream will be present from the Southwest to the Plains, providing strong winds there for thunderstorms.

At the surface, moisture will return to the Mississippi and Ohio valleys as the strong low pressure system pivots from the Rockies toward the Upper Midwest.

This is almost the exact same configuration as the one that brought dozens of tornadoes to the region on Friday, according to The Weather Channel.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in 11 states damaged homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods on Friday night. It could take days to make a count of all the tornadoes.

Destroyed aircraft, hangar pieces and other debris at Robinson Municipal Airport, two days after a tornado hit Palestine, Illinois

A pickup truck lies upside down after a tornado hit the area in Adamsville, Tennessee on April 2, 2023

A family moves furniture from their destroyed home in Adamsville, Tennessee on April 1, 2023

Among the five dead in Indiana are Brett Kincaid, 53, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, from Rossville, Indiana, whose bodies were found at the McCormick's Creek State Park campground, where they had been camping, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Thirteen deaths were reported in Tennessee, where an EF2 tornado shredded through multiple counties, according to the National Weather field office in Nashville.

The dead also included at least nine in one Tennessee county and four in Illinois. Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker on Sunday traveled to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as around 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert. A 50-year-old man was rescued from the rubble and later died.

The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

WTHR reported that Brett and Wendy Kincaid were killed in their camper Friday night when the storm hit McCormick's Creek State Park campground in Owen County.

Their bodies were located on Saturday, according to Indiana conservation officers, who said the storms devastated the area. They also noted that the campground, which remains closed, was particularly affected.

Governor Pritzker planned to travel later to Crawford County, around 230 miles south of Chicago, where three people were killed and eight were injured as a tornado hit around New Hebron.

Men inspect a tornado-damaged car in Adamsville, Tennessee on April 2, 2023

Pieces of a hangar are seen wrapped around a tree at Robinson Municipal Airport, two days after a tornado hit Palestine, Illinois

Regan Millmeyer sits in front of her tornado-damaged home in Adamsville, Tennessee

Tennessee, one of the hardest-hit states since the storms began on Friday, initially had seven weather-related deaths. The tally rose to 12 after police reported three new deaths on Sunday. They said two children and an adult were killed on Saturday when a tree fell on a house in Memphis

Mike Garcia looks over his tornado-damaged house with a friend in Adamsville, Tennessee on April 1, 2023

'We've had emergency crews digging people out of their basements because the house is collapsed on top of them, but luckily they had that safe space to go to,' Sheriff Bill Rutan said at a news conference.

That tornado was not far from where three people died in Indiana's Sullivan County, around 95 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

Several people were rescued overnight, with reports of as many as 12 people injured.

'I'm really, really shocked there isnt more as far as human issues,' said Sullivan Mayor Clint Lamb, adding that recovery 'is going to be a very long process'.

The National Weather Service confirmed on Sunday that a tornado was responsible for storm damage near Bridgeville, Delaware, where severe weather sparked warnings, damaged several homes and led to roads being closed.

One person was found dead inside a house heavily damaged by the storm on Saturday night, Delaware State Police reported.

A car drives past destroyed aircraft, hangar pieces and debris at Robinson Municipal Airport

Earlier storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital, collapsing the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois and leaving a trail of destruction throughout the region.

'That means that there is now assistance from the federal government to support the incredible efforts that are already underway from the state and the local communities,' FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in Little Rock, Arkansas, after visiting some of the worst affected areas.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders had already declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. At least five people were killed in her state.

One video posted on Twitter shows a woman in Little Rock, Arkansas recording the incoming tornado as a man attempts to shut the door.

Just as they pull it shut, the tornado blasts in and pummels the building while the phone camera keeps rolling.

One video posted on Twitter shows a woman in Little Rock, Arkansas recording the incoming tornado as a man attempts to shut the door

Just as they pull it shut, the tornado blasts in and pummels the building they are in while the phone camera keeps rolling

People search for salvageable parts near destroyed aircraft, hangar pieces, and other debris at Robinson Municipal Airport, two days after a tornado hit Palestine, Illinois

Tennessee, one of the hardest-hit states since the storms began on Friday, initially had seven weather-related deaths.

However, the toll rose to 12 after police reported three new deaths Sunday, noting that two children and an adult were killed on Saturday when a tree fell on a house in Memphis.

The Tennessee tornado twisted trees, flattened homes and ripped walls from buildings.

'The whole house, you can feel it shaking,' said Janice Pieterick, whose doors and glass windows blew out when the tornado swept through Lewis County.

She added: 'We just all hunkered down.'

Tennessee officials warned that the same weather conditions from Friday night are expected to return Tuesday.

The storms struck just hours after President Joe Biden visited Rolling Fork, Mississippi, where tornadoes last week destroyed parts of town.

In a statement on Sunday, Biden said: 'We are working closely with the state of Indiana and other impacted states as they assess damages, and stand ready to respond to any additional requests for Federal assistance.'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he hoped Russian leader Vladimir Putin would spend the rest of his life in a dark basement with a bucket.

Zelensky spoke in the village of Yahidne, north of Kyiv, where he and German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck travelled to mark the anniversary of the liberation of the settlement from Russian troops.

Russian invaders last year forced 367 people - nearly the entire population of Yahidne - into a school basement measuring 200 square metres.

The villagers, including an 18-month-old baby, were kept there for almost a month, and 11 of them died.

'After seeing all this, I hope the president of Russia will spend the rest of his days in a basement with a bucket for toilet,' the Ukrainian leader said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy pauses as he speaks during a visit to Yahidne

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky leaves the basement of a school, in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, where all the residents were jailed during the Russian occupation

Zelenskyy, left, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric, center, and German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck, visit the school basement in Yahidne

A photograph taken on April 3, 2023 shows children drawings in the basement of a school where villagers were kept for almost a month by Russian troops in the village of Yahidne

Zelensky said the villagers who were held in the basement for 27 days recorded the names of those who died 'so as not to forget them'.

'And children wrote lines of the Ukrainian anthem,' he added.

One of the survivors said some people died from lack of oxygen in the small cellar.

'At first it was cold here, but then there were more people and there was not enough oxygen,' 38-year-old Valeriy Polgui told AFP.

'The elderly people lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, lost their mind and then died,' he said.

Kyiv authorities and Western governments have accused Russian forces of committing numerous crimes in Ukraine. Moscow denies the claims.

Yahidne is a small village due north of the Ukrainian capital.

Invading forces dug in as they came up against resistance around Kyiv at the start of the war.

Le Monde wrote that for natives, the siege is remembered as 'their' Bucha, referring to the massacre outside Kyiv in March last year.

The bodies of more than 450 innocent men, women and children were found around Bucha by authorities after the Russian retreat.

Wayne Jordash KC, Managing Partner of international law firm Global Rights Compliance, which is supporting the investigation of war crimes by Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General, said: 'There can be no doubt that Russian forces were working to a plan.

'At the very least, Russia intended to destroy Ukraine as a nation through a concerted campaign of international crimes.

'Over 450 civilians met their untimely deaths and hundreds more were disappeared, tortured, sexually violated or injured during the almost one month of occupation at the hands of this brutal force

'The Russian plan for Bucha is now as clear as day: they wanted to eliminate any semblance of Ukrainian resistance and identity in the town, and they were willing to stop at nothing  terrorism, torture and indiscriminate murder of civilians included  to achieve this goal.'

The comments coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Bucha massacre, which ended on 31 March 2022.

Halyna Tolochina stands in front of a wall inscribed with the names of people who died inside a school basement, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in the village of Yahidne

Visitors stand next to the name list of the villagers who died in the basement of a school where they were kept for almost a month by Russian troops in the village of Yahidne, north of Kyiv

Residents of Yahidne are seen inside the basement of a school, a day after Russian troops left, in the village of Yahidne, near to Chernihiv, Ukraine, on March 31, 2022

People attend a vigil marking the first anniversary of the liberation of the town of Bucha, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine in Bucha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine March 31, 2023

A child stands near one of the portraits at the alley of portraits of local residents who died during the Russia-Ukraine war in Bucha, Ukraine on April 01, 2023

Robert Habeck, German vice chancellor, travelled to Kyiv today for an unannounced visit and was pictured with Zelensky at the school basement in Yahidne.

He travelled with a business delegation that included the head of Germany's main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries.

Mr Habeck said the trip was meant to send a clear signal 'that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europe's part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future'.
Gutless Cashman hid in cells as he was sentenced for killing Oliva Pratt-Korbel

Cowardly killers who try to avoid facing their victims' distraught families before they are jailed will be forced to face them under a law change planned by ministers.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is plotting new legislation that would prevent murders like Thomas Cashman from skulking in the cells while their sentence is passed.

Child killer Cashman, 34, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years today for brutally gunning down nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.

But the gutless drug dealer refused to face her family at Manchester Crown Court, whining about CPS lawyers turning his trial into a 'circus' because they had celebrating putting him behind bars.

He is the latest in strong of high-profile killers who have lacked the character to take their punishment in person.

A Ministry of Justice source said: 'Olivia Pratt-Korbel and her family weren't able to hide from Thomas Cashman's crime - so he shouldn't be able to hide from justice.

'This is exactly why the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions.'

Child killer Cashman, 34, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 42 years today for brutally gunning down nine-year-old Oliver Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool. But the gutless drug dealer refused to face her family at Manchester Crown Court,

Cashman was found guilty last week of murdering Olivia in a brutal attack that left her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, badly wounded, as he chased convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into their home in the Dovecot area of Liverpool on August 22 last year.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab is plotting new legislation that would prevent murders like Thomas Cashman from skulking in the cells while their sentence is passed.

Mr Raab wants to change the law to add time onto sentences for criminals who refuse to attend their own sentencing.

Cashman was found guilty last week of murdering Olivia in a brutal attack that left her mother Cheryl Korbel, 46, badly wounded, as he chased convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into their home in the Dovecot area of Liverpool on August 22 last year.

However, defence barrister John Cooper KC told the sentencing today the killer would not attend the hearing because he was aware that Crown Prosecution Service officials had sung 'We Are The Champions' following the verdict.

He said: 'He has been spoken to and been given certain advice but he is concerned that the matter is turning into a circus.'

Trial judge Mrs Justice Yip said she regarded his lack of attendance as 'disrespectful' to not only the court but those interested in proceedings, including the family of the deceased.

But she made it clear she did not extend his sentence to take into account his cowardly behaviour.

Last December the family of a woman who was brutally murdered as she walked home from a night out has said her killer should have faced them in court so they could 'look him in the eye' while he was sentenced.

Aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, was sexually assaulted before she was killed in Ilford, east London in June by a man who had been released from prison less than two weeks before.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, (pictured) was given a life sentence with a minimum of 38 years after pleading guilty to murder and sexual assault of Zara Aleena

Aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, (pictured) was sexually assaulted before she was killed in Ilford, east London in the early hours of June 26 last. McSweeney had been released from prison less than two weeks before

Jordan McSweeney, 29, was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 38 years this week after pleading guilty to murder and sexual assault Ms Aleena.

The sexual predator refused to come up from his cell for his sentencing at the Old Bailey, with the court being told that McSweeney, who had 28 previous convictions, 'didn't want to relive' the night.

Ms Aleena's aunt, Farah Naz, a 55-year-old psychotherapist, criticised the 'unjust' rules that allowed McSweeney to avoid facing the family who would have wanted to 'look him in the eye'.

Speaking to the BBC at the time, Mr Raab also said that making convicts appear at sentencing hearings was 'the very least the victims deserve' and a 'basic principle of British justice'.

He added that he is considering granting judges the power to impose longer terms on those who refuse to appear.
An 11-month-old baby has been killed days before his first birthday after a family of three was struck by a suspected DUI driver in Southern California on Sunday.

Kyle and Hayley Ohlwiler were walking along Antonia Parkway in Las Flores with their son Madden when Daniel Lenihan, 54, allegedly jumped the curb in his vehicle and plowed them down.

Officials said Madden - who was set to turn one on Friday - died at the hospital from his injuries despite rescue efforts, authorities told local media.

'Kyle and his dear wife Hayley lost their sweet boy, Madden,' Kyle's sister Kimmy Ohlwiler Ashworth said in the description of a GoFundMe launched Monday.

The GoFundMe is set to help the grieving mother, 31, and father, 34, cover medical and funeral expenses. In just three hours, the fundraiser surpassed its $25,000 goal.

Hayley Ohlwiler (left), Madden Ohlwiler (center), and Kyle Ohlwiler were struck while out on a walk Sunday afternoon in Orange County, California. Madden was killed in the incident

The incident occurred Sunday around 4.20pm when crews were called to the intersection of Antonio Parkway and Oak Tree Lane in the Las Flores

The incident occurred Sunday around 4.20pm when crews were called to the intersection of Antonio Parkway and Oak Tree Lane in the Las Flores.

Las Flores is a neighborhood just south of Rancho Santa Margarita.

Upon arrival, first responders found Kyle, Hayley, and Madden injured and a silver Hyundai with a shattered windshield on the embankment near the road.

California Highway Patrol officials told FOX 11 Los Angeles the car drove on the sidewalk for 'several hundred feet' before hitting the family.

Thanh Nguyen with the Orange County Fire Authority said all three members of the Ohlwiler family were taken to the hospital in serious condition.

Lenihan, the driver of the Hyundai, is a resident of San Clemente, California.

He was taken to the hospital and later arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, CHP officials stated.

CHP Officer Kinsey told DailyMail.com Lenihan is now also facing vehicular manslaughter charges in the death of Madden.

Lenihan was booked into the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana Sunday evening.

One woman who said she witnessed the collision described the tragic scene.

'I witnessed a horrific accident. Two people flew through the air. I rendered assistance. possible fatality,' Patricia Staes said in a Facebook post Sunday.

Hayley, Madden, and Kyle dressed up for Halloween in a picture posted to Kyle's Facebook

Upon arrival, first responders found Kyle, Hayley, and Madden injured and a silver Hyundai with a shattered windshield on the embankment near the road

Thanh Nguyen with the Orange County Fire Authority said all three members of the Ohlwiler family were taken to the hospital in serious condition

CHP Officer Kinsey told DailyMail.com Daniel Lenihan, 54, is now also facing vehicular manslaughter charges in the death of Madden

This is the original press release from the California Highway Patrol

Kyle and Hayley's family members are now appealing to the public for their support as the mother and father recover from collision and the difficult road ahead.

Part of that difficult road will include their son's first birthday which, according to a Facebook post from 2022, would have occurred on Friday, April 7.

'A car struck them from behind and they are in the hospital suffering serious injuries and emotional trauma,' Kimmy wrote in a Facebook post.

'While the doctors did all they could to help treat them, unfortunately baby Madden didn't make it and returned to our Heavenly Father,' Kimmy said Monday.

'Please send your love, thoughts and prayers to those suffering with this tragic loss,' the fundraiser's description reads.

Within hours of the GoFundMe's launch, the fundraiser had brought in $45,000 - nearly double the $25,000 goal.

The page was shared on social media by friends, family, and acquaintances who asked for support for the family.

Kyle and Hayley's family members are now appealing to the public for their support as the mother and father recover from collision and the difficult road ahead

Hayley and Kyle were preparing to celebrate their son's first birthday. According to a Facebook post, Madden was born on April 7, 2022. He was just days shy of his birthday

The comments section has since been flooded with tributes and messages of support for the family.

'I can't imagine the pain. I pray the Lord finds you in the darkness and surrounds you both with His love and hope. Your beautiful son is with his Heavenly Father, knowing that will help you get out of bed each day. I am sorry for your loss...' wrote one contributor.

'Im so sorry for your tremendous loss. My heart breaks over this tragic incident. Please know your family will be kept in prayer. Sending so much love your way,' wrote another person who donated.

'May Madden's memory be a blessing. Donation from The Echo Seven Project, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness,' wrote another commenter.

Contributions to the family's GoFundMe can be made HERE.
Build-a-Bear Workshop's new RuPaul drag queen bear has divided customers who claim the store is 'grooming' children.

The glamorous bear comes with a curly blonde wig, gold sequin dress, and gold pumps and includes the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' logo on the bear's paw.

'Start your enginesRuPaul Bear is ready to sashay into your collection,' the item's description on 'The Bear Cave' website  an 18+ section of the Build-a-Bear site.

The stuffed animal immediately caused outrage online with many calling out the business for selling the bear amid growing controversy regarding drag performances and children around the U.S.

'Remember: there's absolutely no agenda to groom your kids. Don't be ridiculous. On an unrelated note, @buildabear is selling a drag queen stuffed bear for children,' wrote notable conservative Matt Walsh.

Build-a-Bear Workshop's new RuPaul drag queen bear has divided customers who claim the store is 'grooming' children

'Start your enginesRuPaul Bear is ready to sashay into your collection,' the item's description on 'The Bear Cave' website  an 18+ section of the Build-a-Bear site

'Remember: there's absolutely no agenda to groom your kids. Don't be ridiculous. On an unrelated note, @buildabear is selling a drag queen stuffed bear for children,' wrote Matt Walsh

Controversy first erupted online with Walsh's tweet, which included a screengrab of the Build-a-Bear website with the RuPaul bear advertised.

The drag queen bear is stated as being included in 'The Bear Cave' but still shown on the general website which is accessible to all.

'I'm told that the bear is sold in a section of the site that's "intended for 18+ shoppers." Except that they have the drag bear right on the front page, front and center, alongside the Easter merchandise,' Walsh wrote to his 1.5 million followers.

'"Cover BEAR! Put the fur in your walk. Head to paw, let your whole body talk,"' the website reads.

'Two iconic pop culture institutions join forces for this one-of-a-kind collector's item made in tribute to the world's most famous drag queen,' it continues.

'Category is teddy bear realness with RuPaul Bear's signature wig and gold sequin dress included,' the description reads.

As of Monday morning, it appears the 18+ bear has been removed from the main website's carousel of revolving bears and pages.

The damage had already been done for many, however, as the tweet gained traction on the social media app, amassing more than 500,000 views in days.

The glamorous bear comes with a curly blonde wig, gold sequin dress, and gold pumps and includes the ' RuPaul's Drag Race ' logo on the bear's paw

'Two iconic pop culture institutions join forces for this one-of-a-kind collector's item made in tribute to the world's most famous drag queen,' a product description reads

These are the gold glittery pumps the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' bear comes with

Many agreed with Walsh's outrage and said they find it 'disturbing' for a drag queen bear to be advertised so openly to children.

'Is nothing sacred??' asked one Twitter user.

'Another company to avoid buying from. This is disgusting. Shame on your groomers,' wrote one angry person.

'Dear @buildabear, Y'all are groomers. Signed, concerned parents,' one person wrote in a quote of Walsh's original tweet.

Others online pointed out Build-a-Bear Workshop having an 18+ website in general is curious and questionable.

'Its also concerning that theres a marketplace for +18 shoppers at Build-a-Bear,' wrote one woman in a response to Walsh's tweet.

'The real question is why is there even an 18+ shoppers section at a teddy bear store??' another responded.

In an Instagram post Wednesday, RuPaul himself unboxed the Build-a-Bear.

'Oh my gosh! Gorgeous!' RuPaul said. 'This is so great! I feel like a proud parent!'

Walsh expressed outrage that the bear, despite being part of the 18+ site, was advertised on the Build-a-Bear Workshop general website

'Dear @buildabear, Y'all are groomers. Signed, concerned parents,' one person wrote in a quote of Walsh's original tweet

'Is nothing sacred??' asked one Twitter user

'My list of "do not patronize" is getting really long,' said one person in a tweet

Many online supported the bear's existence, however, saying they find nothing wrong with it.

'Oh no, not a bear in a wig,' wrote one Twitter user.

'It's a teddy bear matt,' said another person.

'Normalizing the diversity of human experience isn't grooming. Parents raising their kids to be as hateful and bigoted as them is grooming,' exclaimed one Twitter user.

One person, attaching a laughing gif and making fun of Walsh, wrote: 'Grooming is when they sell a teddy bear but with a wig.'

'Is drag inherently sexual to you? I don't understand,' one person asked Walsh.

'The idea that drag is somehow very sexual and inappropriate for kids has quickly become factual gospel for conservatives despite...no evidence that it is? Kind of interesting,' wrote another.

Drag shows have become increasingly controversial and politicized in recent months as some citied and states have gone as far as banning performances for children.

Tennessee recently passed a law banning drag performances in public spaces.

The word 'drag' doesn't appear in the law, but uses 'adult cabaret' in Tennessee to mean 'adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors.'

Many online supported the bear's existence, however, saying they find nothing wrong with it

'Oh no, not a bear in a wig,' wrote one Twitter user

'Normalizing the diversity of human experience isn't grooming. Parents raising their kids to be as hateful and bigoted as them is grooming,' exclaimed one Twitter user

'It's a teddy bear matt,' said another person

'How can someone live their life so full of hatred and anger at happiness and harmless things that make people happy... I just don't understand,' remarked one Twitter user

On Friday, however, Tennessee's new law was blocked by a judge who called the legislation 'vague and overly-broad.'

The law was slated to take effect on Saturday, April 1.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker sided with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates the First Amendment.

Parker wrote that the state has failed to make a compelling argument as to why Tennessee needed the new law.
'While you're in town. Be on your best behavior,' said Mayor Eric Adams

'We're watching this closely as you might expect,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said

The White House and New York City are prepared for any violence that may break out around former President Donald Trump's arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday as NYC Mayor Eric Adams warned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other MAGA loyalists to be on their best behavior.

'We're watching this closely as you might expect,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday in a gaggle with reporters.

Both Kirby and Adams said they are not tracking any specific threats tied to Trump's hearing, which takes place at 2:15 pm ET on Tuesday, but federal, state and local officials are monitoring the situation closely.

The NYC mayor called out the Republican congresswoman from Georgia by name in his remarks. Greene said she would be in New York on Tuesday to lead Trump supporters in a protest of his arraignment in what is expected to be a circus-like atmosphere.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Trump supporters to be on their best behavior

'Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor green, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech - she stated she is coming to town,' the New York City mayor said at a press conference.

'While you're in town. Be on your best behavior,' Adams noted. 'As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is court participated in any act of violence, they will be arrested.'

'While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,' Adams said.

'New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.'

Meanwhile, Kirby said President Joe Biden's administration was coordinating with state and local officials. he said he said he hoped supporters of the former president stuck to peaceful protests and did not partake in any violence.

'We'll be prepared, should there be a need, but hopefully there won't be that need. There should be no need for anybody to want to visit violence on fellow citizens around this or any other legal proceeding. Violence has no place in the United States. Peaceful protest has very much value place in our democracy,' he said.

Law enforcement officials have not yet seen indications of a disruptive, organized backlash akin to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, the New York Times reported.

Trump headed to New York on Monday afternoon to surrender to police on Tuesday, where he will be fingerprinted and get his mug shot ahead of his hearing tied to charges of hush-money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

He will land at New York's LaGuardia airport before spending the night at Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Donald Trump rides in the back of an SUV as his motorcade arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, to head to New York City

Trump Tower is circled with barriers as security forces prepare for Trump's arraignment

Local, state and federal agencies are gearing up for Tuesday's historic event. The New York City Police Department, state law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service are coordinating on security.

New York police officials have a standing order out to about 35,000 officers.

'Officers have been placed on alert, and the department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights,' the New York Police Department said in a statement.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrived at his office on Monday, after walking through crowds of NYPD officers.

In preparation for expected protests, police built barricades along the edge of the sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building downtown over the weekend.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an invitation to join her at a protest near the Manhattan courthouse

Greene tweeted an invitation to join her at a protest near the Manhattan courthouse.

'They're not coming after President Trump, they're coming after us, he's just in their way,' she wrote.

Trump has encouraged protests on his behalf.

Greene's rally is planned for Tuesday morning, likely before Trump would have to stand before a judge as part of the arraignment.

Details of the charges against Trump have not been released but the former president is said to face more than 30 counts, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week.

The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Both women claim they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies an affair with either woman and denies any wrongdoing - arguing that the case against him is politically motivated.

He is the first former president in history to be indicted.
Sir Keir Starmer today refused to clarify his suggestion that 1 in 1,000 women have a penis as he strived to set out a 'common sense' position on trans rights.

The Labour leader has sparked fresh confusion over his stance on gender identity by stating that 99.9 per cent of women 'of course haven't got a penis'.

It came after Sir Keir had last year been reluctant to say whether a woman can have male genitals and previously said it was 'not right' to say only women have a cervix.

Speaking to LBC radio this morning, the Labour leader stressed he was not trying to 'make a particular statistical point' with his latest attempt to set out his position.

He also insisted that 'almost nobody' was talking about trans rights issues across Britain in cafes, bars or at their dinner tables.

Sir Keir Starmer refused to clarify his suggestion that 1 in 1,000 women have a penis as he strived to set out a 'common sense' position on trans rights

LBC host Nick Ferrari quizzed Sir Keir about his view after he told the Sunday Times: 'For 99.9 % of women, it is completely biological... and of course they havent got a penis'

Sir Keir faced fresh questions about his view after he told the Sunday Times this weekend: 'For 99.9 per cent of women, it is completely biological... and of course they havent got a penis.'

LBC host Nick Ferrari quizzed the Labour leader about whether this meant he was suggesting 1 in 1,000 women do have a penis and offered him the opportunity to 'clarify' his comment.

But Sir Keir replied: 'No we don't need to do that. I was trying to create some common sense frameworks to the discussion that we inevitably have.

'By just starting with the common sense proposition that for the vast majority, let's say 99.9 per cent, biology matters.

'Women have won many rights, smashed glass ceilings, won on equality and discrimination.

'We can't roll any of that back and, in fact, there are more battles to be had for women.'

Pressed again over his comments to the newspaper, the Labour leader added: 'The vast, vast, vast majority, you can put whatever description on it you like.

'For the vast majority of women this is biological, it's very straightforward and we must never roll back women's rights.'

The Labour leader, who was campaigning in Hartlepool today ahead of next month's local elections, suggested that 'almost nobody' was talking about trans rights issues

Sir Keir said he would not be 'quarrelling' about 'the numbers' and stressed he 'wasn't aiming to make a particular statistical point'.

'I'm trying to set out a common sense, respectable, tolerant position on which we can advance a key debate,' he added.

The Labour leader, who was campaigning in Hartlepool today ahead of next month's local elections, also suggested that 'almost nobody' was focused on trans rights issues over other concerns such as soaring bills.

'As we go around the country campaigning, I talk to thousands and thousands and thousands of people and they want to talk to me about the cost of living crisis,' Sir Keir said, as he put his hands to his forehead.

'They want to talk to me about the fact they cant pay their bills, they want to know what theyre going to do about their council tax.

'Almost nobody, but nobody, is talking about trans issues.

'And I do sometimes just wonder why on earth we spend so much of our time discussing something which isnt a feature feature of the dinner table or the kitchen table or the cafe table or the bar.'
A few miles away, law enforcement were preparing for Trump's court date

The group stepped out after a lunch date at Charlie Bird in SoHo, Manhattan

The former First Daughter joined several of President Biden's grandchildren - including Hunter Biden's son - as they enjoyed the sunshine on Sunday

Malia Obama joined members of the Biden family for a big day out in New York City on Sunday - as Manhattan braces for unrest when Donald Trump arrives for his court appearance.

The former First Daughter was pictured with several of President Joe Biden's grandchildren as they enjoyed the sunshine after a lunch date together.

Malia, 24, dined with the Bidens at Charlie Bird, a popular Italian restaurant in SoHo, before the group ventured out for a stroll in the city.

She was also joined by friend Tyler Patterson, a real estate associate at Rockpoint in Boston - although it's unclear if the two are an item.

Just a few miles from the group's jaunt, law enforcement officials were mounting a major security operation in preparation for Trump's court date on Tuesday. The former president will appear at Manhattan Criminal Court charged over hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Malia, 24, (second from right) dined with the Bidens at Charlie Bird, a popular Italian restaurant in SoHo, before the group ventured out for a stroll in the city

She was also joined by friend Tyler Patterson (far right), a real estate associate at Rockpoint in Boston - although it's unclear if the two are an item.

The group included Hunter Biden's young son, Beau Biden (center), and daughter Maisy Biden (left)

Malia was joined by Hunter Biden's children - Maisy Biden, 22, and Beau Biden Jr, three - for the outing.

The group were seen laughing, joking and posing for pictures with one another as they enjoyed the fine Sunday weather.

Just 24 hours later, Donald Trump was aboard his private plane headed for New York City ahead of tomorrow's court appearance.

Trump is the first current or former US president in history to be charged with a crime after he was indicted by a grand jury over hush payments given to porn star Stormy Daniels.

He was driven from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to Palm Beach International Airport and boarded his Boeing 757 headed for New York's LaGuardia airport.

His campaign managers Susie Wiles, and Chris LaCivita, as well as senior adviser Jason Miller, and spokesman Steven Cheung were traveling with him, along with his son Eric.

His lawyers have said he will enter a plea of not guilty and his legal team is preparing to add a constitutional expert amid fears that the judge in the case will impose a gag order.

The group ventured out on Sunday as city officials worked on plans for Donald Trump's Tuesday court appearance

The Biden and Obama families grew close during Barack Obama's time in the White House, when Joe Biden serviced as his Vice President

Malia Obama was spotted in Manhattan, strolling around the city after enjoying a lunch outing with the Bidens at the popular restaurant Charlie Bird

Beau Biden, Hunter Biden's young son, pictured with his older sister Maisy Biden (left)

Large crowds of protesters are expected to turn out for the historic event and law enforcement officials fear the mixture of pro-MAGA supporters and Trump opponents could turn the area around the courthouse into a tinderbox for violence.

City and law enforcement officials have drawn up detailed plans that include road closures and a major security operation which will likely bring parts of the city to a standstill. The Secret Service, NYPD, court security officials and US Marshals are all involved in the planning.

Trump, 76, will arrive in New York City on Monday and spend the night at his personal suite in Trump Tower, the 58-story skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Early on Tuesday, he's expected to take the four-mile journey down Fifth Avenue and into downtown for the hearing at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse at 100 Centre Street.

He will be accompanied by his Secret Service entourage throughout much of the process. As a former president, he's entitled to lifelong protection.

Measures to boost security have been underway since last week. A perimeter has is in place around Trump Tower, along his route and around the courthouse. Steel security barriers were already in place around the court on Monday morning and string of road closures will take effect early Tuesday morning.

Sources leading the planning say closures are likely on Centre Street, Canal Street, Baxter Street and Worth Street. Agencies could also seal off other roads around the building depending on the crowds and activity in the morning.

The operation will cause severe disruption around Lower Manhattan.

New York City will host a landmark day in American history on Tuesday when Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court facing criminal charges

Barricades have been set up around Trump Tower on on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in preparation for the arrival of the former president on Monday

New York State Court officers stand guard near the Manhattan criminal court as law enforcement officials mount a major security operation for Trump's court appearance

Trump was indicted last week by a grand jury on a series of counts related to a hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.

Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump, was paid $130,000 to keep quiet about the relationship. Trump denies the fling and has denounced the legal proceedings as a 'witch hunt' and 'political persecution'.

The specifics of Trump's indictment remain sealed after it was handed down by a Manhattan grand jury Thursday, but reports indicated there could be at least 30 counts related to business fraud.

Pro-Trump demonstrations have also taken place outside Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Loyal Trump followers stood on the side of the road near Trump's home holding signs that read: 'I stand with President Donald Trump,' as people in cars passed by hooted and cheered while waving flags from their windows.
The story behind some of Apple's most iconic sounds - including that single chord that chimes when your computer boots up - all stem from just one man and more than a little influence from The Beatles.

Sound engineer Jim Reekes synthesized nearly every system sound at Apple during his stint with the then-fledgling company in the 80s, while also writing software at every level for its young operating system.

Now known widely as MacOS, back then the system was still in its earliest stages. At that point, Reekes played an integral part in creating the company's innovative audio architecture, as well as countless rings and chimes currently heard today.

But rather than raking in millions by creating the now-unmistakable noises, Reekes left Apple shortly before its evaluation ballooned more than a hundred times over in the 90s - and he missed out on around $8million in the process.

Not entitled to royalties, Reekes earns now a living working as a project manager for Lucid Motors - but remembers how he came to create the brand's still-continuing sound catalogue. The story, he says, starts with a 1989 lawsuit filed by the surviving members of The Beatles at the time, over the company's now-seminal name.

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Jim Reekes, the little-known sound engineer responsible for several system sounds still used by the computer company, synthesized during his stint with the firm in the late 80s

The story behind his creations, many of which are still heard this day, starts with a 1989 lawsuit filed by the surviving members of The Beatles at the time, over the company's name

'The Beatles lawyers started suing because apparently The Beatles didn't have enough money,' Reekes, now 69, explained to CNBC in a recent sitdown interview in of the suit against Apple and its then-CEO Steve Jobs, filed over the fact the band's label was also named for the tree-hanging fruit.

Seated in the same San Jose living room where he dreamed up the sounds decades ago, the audio designer explained how the suit inspired the name of one of his creations, the so-called 'Sosumi' beep, several years into the bitter court battle.

He recalled how the now recognizable chime - which briefly rings out to indicate an error or that something is inaccessible - was previously called 'Xylophone,' and how he was forced to think of a replacement because of the then ongoing court battle.

Using the opportunity to poke fun at The Beatles - who had also found issue with Reekes' C-chord startup sound due to it being heavily based on their A Day in the Life - Reekes sought to use a pun that referenced the band.

'I actually said I'm gonna call it 'let it beep' and of course you can't do anything like that,' Reekes joked, with keyboards and drums littering the background of his modest Silicon Valley pad.

'I thought yeah, 'so sue me.' And then I thought that's actually the right name,' recalled Reekes, who is also credited with the company's mouse and camera click.

'I'll just have to spell it funny. So, I spelled it Sosumi.'

To avoid further scrutiny from the band's high-powered attorneys, he said he told them it was a Japanese word that didn't mean anything musical.

Then threatened by the budding tech company's burgeoning sound profile, The Beatles and their lawyers subsequently stood down - though the suit over the name continued.

'That's how that Sosumi beep came around,' Reekes explained. 'It was really me making fun of lawyers.'

Appearing increasingly animated as he recounted his time with Apple, Reekes went on to detail how he thought up some of the tech empire's other lasting sounds, including the sound heard when you boot the computers up - which actually was a jab at the British band

The audio designer explained how the suit inspired the name of one of his creations, the so-called 'Sosumi' beep - a play on the word 'so sue me' - several years into the bitter court battle

Seated in the same San Jose living room where he dreamed up the sounds decades ago, the audio designer explained how the suit inspired the name of one of his creations, the so-called ' Sosumi' beep, several years into the bitter court battle

Appearing increasingly animated as he recounted his time with Apple despite a somewhat unceremonious exit in 1999, Reekes went on to detail how he thought up some of the tech empire's other lasting sounds, including the chord cited by The Beatles in their since-settled suit.

Commonly called the Macintosh startup, the tone was created by Reekes in 1993 - two years after Sosumi - after an earlier tri-tone sound not created by Reekes angered the engineer to no end.

'At that time, the truth was the computer crashed a lot,' Reekes said. 'And every time you would hear that sound it was pretty much because you were just rebooting after a crash.'

Using more advanced MIDI recording techniques available at the time, Reekes changed the chime to a simple C-major chord, recorded on the keyboard of his living room while drawing some spiteful inspiration from 'A Day in the Life.'

'Kind of silly right?' Reekes smirked while revealing the move as a shrouded jab at the bringers of the lawsuit, which would not be settled until 2007.

The music man bragged: 'I'm playing a C-major chord and it's famous and it's a copyright.'

The suit against Apple and its then-CEO Steve Jobs was filed over the fact the band's label was also named for fruit. It was settled in 2007 for an undisclosed sum. Jobs died of cancer in 2011

To pull it off, he said he enlisted some engineer friends in charge of the tune's final signoff and asked them to sneak it in before it was rolled out.

The sound soon stuck, to the point where it was later trademarked after Reekes' departure from the firm before the dotcom boom of the early 2000s.

However, at the time, other engineers were not happy with the change, believing Reekes was letting his ego get the best of him.

But Reekes, as he would a few years later, would walk to the tune of his own drum, sending through the change request anyway.

'Our excuse was it's too risky to take it back out at this point because something could crash,' he said. 'We just made up some bulls**t.'

The chime would remain the bootup sound heard on all Mac computers for the next two decades, before inexplicably being pulled in 2021 in the company's newest models.

In its place, no sound was added - leaving users with silence when they start up there machines.

'Now that there's no start-up sound, it's like sitting down at a restaurant and there's no one there to greet you,' Reekes said. 'It's it just feels strange.'

As for Apple devices' characteristic camera click - heard when iPhone users take a screen grab or a photo - Reekes revealed it came from an old Canon AE-1 camera he purchased in the 70s, back when he was in high school.

To accomplish the sound, he recalled how he recorded the camera's snap while taking an actual picture, and then slowed it down to create a more recognizable sound.

As for Apple devices' characteristic camera click - heard when iPhone users take a screen grab or a photo - Reekes revealed it came from an old Canon AE-1 camera he purchased in the 70s

'Any time you take a photo with the iPhone its my camera, which kind of freaks me out because, even to this day when I hear people take photos with their iPhone I look to see who stole my camera,' Reekes told the station, adding that he's since used the story as a pickup line in Bay Area bars - for the most part unsuccessfully.

Now out of the sound business and shrouded in obscurity, Reekes recalled how he left Apple in 1999 of his own accord, for a software architect job at now-defunct internet radio startup, Kerbango.

The decision saw him drop stock options that were then valued under a dollar months before they ballooned to as high $150 back in early 2000s.

Speaking to CNBC, Reekes spoke somewhat forlornly of what could have been.

'Unfortunately, my timing was pretty bad,' he sighed. 'I walked away from tens of thousands of Apple options that would have made me probably eight million dollars today if I had kept them.'
Thousands of George Mason University students protested the school's choice to invite Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to speak at graduation after he passed 'anti-trans' legislation.

Youngkin is set to speak at the University's May 2023 commencement, but more than 7,000 students have signed a petition urging officials to reverse their decision and staged a protest at the Fairfax County campus.

The governor has a bad reputation among liberal students for his policies including halting trans students from using bathrooms that don't match their birth certificates.

'I and my peers do not want the memories of our graduation day to be tainted by an individual who has harmed and continues to harm the people he serves,' student activist Alaina Ruffin wrote in the Change.org petition.

But despite student efforts, university president Greg Washington said the governor will still be present at graduation - and unpopular viewpoints won't be silenced.

Students also gathered last month to protest at the university against Governor Alaina Ruffin Youngkin's commencement appearance in May

But despite student efforts, university president Greg Washington (above) said the governor will still be present at graduation - and unpopular viewpoints won't be silenced

'As president of the largest and most diverse public university in our state, I support those students who are making their voices heard, and I applaud their courage and commitment to advocate for themselves and their communities,' Washington wrote in a statement on March 27.

'That being said, I dont believe that we should silence the voices of those with whom we disagree, especially in this forum where there is no imminent threat present as a result of the disagreements.

Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is opposed by liberal students after he passed 'anti-trans' legislation

He continued: 'Mason has a long tradition of supporting free speech. 'That support extends to each person who gives a commencement speech. And no speaker can take away from our diversity.

'At Mason, diversity is about more than just looking different, its about believing differently, thinking differently, expressing differently, and having the environment in which to do so. At Mason, that environment extends to every student, staff and faculty member. It also extends to Governors.'

The school's new paper referred to Washington's decision as disappointing, especially as a 'person of color' in an opinion piece titled, 'Patriot.'

'As the first Black president of Mason, students of color were especially hopeful that they would receive more resources and support from President Washington's administration than they have previously, but have been met with empty promises,' the piece published by IV Fourth State reads.

The student's petition accused school staff of ignoring and failing to 'protect' students from harm caused by 'homophobic, transphobic, racist, and/or anti-abortion groups' who regularly protest on campus.

Activist Ruffin and the university weren't immediately available for comment.

Student activist Alaina Ruffin (above) wrote in a Change.org petition that she doesn't want her graduation ceremony to be tainted by the governor's presence

Students gathered at the university while holding LGBT+ flags and signs that opposed the governor

The Change.org petition has garnered more than 7,200 signatures as of Monday

One sign held by a student featured the governor's face with a line across it that read, 'Students against Youngkin

Late last month, students staged a protest at the university carrying signs reading 'Students against Youngkin' and chanting 'trans rights are human rights' along with those carrying megaphones.

'It's a beautiful thing that when a hate-filled man, a hate-filled governor, someone ran on racist dog whistles is trying to come to our university our response is not violent like the right-wing monsters...our response is love,' one protestor said over his megaphone.

Aside from requiring trans students from using bathrooms that match their birth certificates, Youngkin also pushed to stop teachers from having to use children's alternative pronouns.

He also released new classroom policies for K-12 schools that 'removed' pieces of American history, 13 News Now reported.

The policies removed the History topic of lynching from grades up until year six and prohibited the discussion of Christopher Columbus' part in slavery until 11th grade.

'There is also a removal of content of Martin Luther King Jr from the K-5 standards, no mention of Juneteenth, removal of content of LGBTQ+ histories,' President of the Virginia Education Association, James Fedderman said, according to the news outlet.
A young British woman has died while undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey, it has emerged today.

Shannon Bowe, 28, tragically passed away at the weekend during the weight loss procedure which involves placing a band around the stomach to decrease food consumption.

She is understood to have travelled to the Middle Eastern country to undergo the surgery. It is unclear at which medical facility she received the operation or what complications led to her death.

Ms Bowe's loved ones said they are 'devastated' by her death, with many sharing their memories of her in tributes on social media. In an emotional post, her heartbroken boyfriend Ross Stirling wrote: 'Sleep tight my angel, love you forever and always.'

Shannon Bowe, 28, passed away on Saturday while undergoing gastric band surgery in Turkey

Shannon Bowe is pictured with her boyfriend, Ross Stirling

Ms Bowe's boyfriend, Ross Stirling, has led tributes saying: 'Sleep tight my angel, love you forever and always'

A source said 'everyone is totally devastated' to learn of her passing and Facebook has been flooded with tributes to the 'beautiful angel' who was the 'life and soul of every party'.

'Shannon was one of the kindest people I knew and she would do anything for anyone. She was the life and soul of a party. It is so sad,' the insider said.

'These operations obviously are risky, but it is so rare you hear of this happening. Everyone is finding it really hard to believe she is no longer with us. She did not have any travel insurance and her family are now going to have to pay thousands of pounds to bring her back home.

'This is the last thing they need to worry about.'

Ms Bowe is understood to have travelled to the middle eastern country to undergo the surgery. It is unclear at which medical facility she received the operation or what complications led to her death

Ms Bowe's loved ones have flooded Facebook with tributes to the 'beautiful angel' who was the 'life and soul of every party'

One friend wrote: 'Sad to see the news of Shannon Bowe thoughts with all friends and family.'

Someone else posted: 'No words, absolutely devastated. Life is so cruel. You will be forever in our hearts Shannon Bowe.'

Another friend echoed: 'Such a sad time to learn of the passing of such a beautiful young soul.

'You always had the brightest spirit be it in the pub or when I saw you at work your smile was infectious & lit up even the darkest of days. Rest easy now Angel you have gained your wings.'

'I just don't know how to accept what's happened and words can't describe how I'm feeling, said another loved one. 'It's so cruel. My heart is sore for you and everyone that loved you. We have had some of the best memories and you really did make everyone laugh with your ways.

'You were taken in such an unfair way and I'm so sorry Shannon Bowe.'

Another added: 'Rest in peace Shannon Bowe,' complete with two red love hearts.

A source close to Ms Bowe said 'everyone is totally devastated' to learn of her passing and Facebook has become flooded with tributes

'My heart is so sad Shannon. You were one of the purest most kindest souls I've ever met! So grateful for the memories with you.'

'Rest in peace beautiful girl. I'll miss you xo,' commented another.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities.'

Gastric band surgery involves a doctor placing a gastric band around the top of the stomach, creating a small pouch, according to the NHS.

When the patient eats, the small pouch fills up more quickly than their stomach normally would, making them feel fuller with less food.

The procedure is said to help patients eat less, eat more slowly and lose weight.

Ms Bowe, from Denny, near Falkirk, will be missed by her family and friends

According to the healthcare authority, gastric band surgery typically takes less than an hour, not including the time needed for inducing anaesthesia and waking a patient up. The total process should take about three to four hours.

Complication rates for weight loss surgery are low and approximately only 1 in 100 people suffer problems after gastric band surgery, the NHS reports.

Only 1 in 1,000 are likely not to survive the procedure.

Patients who are heavier, older, have had previous operations in the stomach area or have other significant health problems are at higher risk for complications.
President Joe Biden could wait to announce a 2024 presidential run until this fall, with Axios reporting Monday that advisers and allies believe it could come as late as July or even the months after.

Biden, 80, looked prime to announce his re-election bid after the holidays, saying he would be discussing another run with his family - conversations that were expected to happen on vacations to Nantucket over Thanksgiving and St. Croix over New Year's.

But Axios reported that Biden's 2024 'campaign-in-waiting' is still in its infancy, with decisions still needing to be made on who will staff major roles including campaign manager and finance chair.

The president's allies told the publication that they don't see a downside in waiting.

Biden can continue to focus on governing and stay above the drama playing out on the other side of the aisle - especially surrounding former President Donald Trump and his legal troubles.

Axios reported Monday that President Joe Biden's 2024 'campaign-in-waiting' is still in its infancy - with major staffing roles like campaign manager and finance chair still unfilled. Biden could delay an announcement until summer or even fall, the publication said

Biden waited until April 25, 2019 to launch his 2020 bid. He did so with a video message (pictured) about fighting for the 'soul of the nation' and talking about how he viewed Trump as a threat in the aftermath of the racial unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia

Trump launched his 2024 bid historically early.

He announced he planned to seek the White House again in mid-November of 2022, just days after the midterm elections wrapped up.

He started his 2020 election bid historically early as well - filing papers with the Federal Election Commission on his inauguration day in 2017. Trump held an official campaign kick-off in June 2019.

The earliest a Democrat jumped into the 2020 race was Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who made her intentions known over New Year's of 2019.

Biden didn't announce his own 2020 White House ambitions until April 25, 2019.

He did so with a video message about fighting for the 'soul of the nation' and talking about how he viewed Trump as a threat in the aftermath of the racial unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Several days later, Biden held his first 2020 rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - a state Trump had won over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, which tilted back to the Democrats' favor in 2020.

Biden held his first rally of the 2020 cycle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 29, 2019. Pennsylvania was won by former President Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, but flipped back to blue when Biden was on the ballot in 2020

Axios reported that Biden's 2020 announcement date was pushed back several times, even after the now president decided he would enter the race.

So far, Biden has only attracted one challenger on the Democratic side - spiritual guru Marianne Williamson, who announced a bid in early March.

If Biden waits until next month, some advisers told Axios that an official announcement could be held until July, so fundraising totals wouldn't have to be reported until the third quarter.

Additionally, because political fundaising often slows down in July or August, some Biden insiders speculated the president could wait until the fall to announce.

That way, he'd likely have stronger fundraising totals to report.

Former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and a handful of Republicans who have never held elected office have announced runs against Trump.

Former Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Iowa last week, another hint he'll ultimately announce, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been going to early primary states as part of his book tour as well.
The distraught mother of a murdered rapper said she warned him to take down a post bragging about how his girlfriend shot dead a robber just hours before he was killed in an alleged revenge shooting.

Bernita Ward said she believes her son, whose rap name was BTB Savage, was killed in 'retaliation' for interviews and Instagram posts in which he boasted of fighting off an attempted robbery at his home.

Her son, whose real name is Darrell Gentry, was gunned down in the exclusive River Oaks city near Fort Worth in Texas on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Gentry, 26, who had a four-year-old son and served in the military for four years, gave a now-viral interview with VLAD-TV, describing how and his girlfriend fought off an attempted robbery at his apartment in February.

Gentry said he thought the group who turned up at his apartment wanted him to feature in a rap, but it turned into an attempted robbery in which the assailant was shot dead

Gentry's mother, Bernita Ward (above), said she told him to remove the post just hours before he was shot dead in what she believes was a revenge killing

Then on Thursday, he posted a picture to his Instagram account showing him standing in the middle of the bloody crime scene.

Hours later, he was shot dead, Houston police said.

Ms Ward said she warned him to stop posting on social media and doing interviews about the deadly gun fight.

'I said take that off social media,' she told ABC13. 'Let this family mourn in peace. They were taunting my son, though, telling him they were going to kill the family, make his momma cry, and kill his son. I told my son, 'Don't respond. Let it go'. But their family members came to rob my son.'

She added that she had no doubts that her son's murder was linked to the robbery.

In his interview with VLAD-TV, Gentry had said a group had contacted him asking about getting involved in a song, which he thought may ignite his rap career.

Instead, they turned up to his apartment in San Antonio and tried to rob him.

He described how he instructed his girlfriend to shoot the alleged intruder.

Gentry said the supposed robber pleaded with him for mercy and said he 'had kids too', but he told him: 'I don't give a f*** about you. You're going to die.'

In a viral interview, Gentry said the alleged intruder begged for his life but he told him 'you're going to die'

When asked if he was concerned about retaliation, Gentry said: 'They might do what they do, but I'm going to get active. That's all that it is.'

Police at the crime scene where Gentry was gunned down in a drive-by shooting on Thursday

He added that his assailant begged for his life as he lay dying on his apartment floor. 'He like 'come on bro take me with you bro I can make it to the hospital, I just need to make it to hospital'.

'I was like I ain't taking you to no f****** hospital boy. If they come save you then they come save you. If not then you're gone. Last day. Last supper. Whoever the f*** you ate before you came here.'

When the interviewer asked if he was concerned about retaliation, he said: 'They might do what they do, but I'm going to get active. That's all that it is.'

Houston police say the two suspects accused of shooting Gentry were in a black Subaru, dressed in black with hoodies and shades on. They got out of the vehicle and fled on San Felipe, police told ABC13.

There have been a spate of gun deaths involving US rappers in recent years. Earlier this month, three men were found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 2018 killing of star rapper XXXTentacion, who was shot outside a South Florida motorcycle shop while being robbed of $50,000.

In 2022, 20-year-old rapper Baby Cino was shot and killed during a highway ambush just minutes after being released from a Florida jail.
The total number of migrants who crossed the Channel to the UK in the first three months of this year was 17 per cent below the figure for the same period in 2022.

Analysis of Government figures shows 3,793 migrants made the journey from France by the end of March 2023, compared with 4,548 in the first quarter of last year.

Last month 840 people arrived on the south coast after crossing the Channel - just over a quarter of the 3,066 recorded in March 2022 - and only slightly higher than the figure for March 2021 (831).

According to Home Office data, 1,180 people made the journey in January this year, followed by 1,773 in February.

This is compared with 1,339 in January 2022 and 143 a month later. Amid changeable weather conditions at sea, no crossings have been recorded since March 29.

It comes as the Home Secretary faced more questions about when flights sending migrants to Rwanda could take off.

The total number of migrants who crossed the Channel to the UK in the first three months of this year was 17 per cent below the figure for the same period in 2022

Analysis of Government figures shows 3,793 migrants made the journey from France by the end of March 2023, compared with 4,548 in the first quarter of last year (migrants pictured being picked up at sea in Dover in September 2020)

Last month 840 people arrived on the south coast after crossing the Channel - just over a quarter of the 3,066 recorded in March 2022 - and only slightly higher than the figure for March 2021 (831) (pictured, migrants at the Dover Docks in August 2022)

It comes after Suella Braverman (pictured on Monday) appeared to downplay suggestions the stalled policy of deporting asylum seekers could begin this summer

It comes after Suella Braverman appeared to downplay suggestions the stalled policy of deporting asylum seekers could begin this summer.

The Government's plan to forcibly remove migrants to the African nation is currently grounded by the courts. It was deemed lawful by the High Court, but legal challenges continue.

As she toured broadcasting studios at the weekend she also insisted ministers were looking at 'all sorts of land and sites and vessels' to house asylum seekers in the UK, but refused to say whether the Government was close to signing a deal on a procuring a barge.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Ms Braverman have said that 'stopping the boats' across the Channel is a crucial priority, but campaigners have condemned much of the Government's response, with the latest proposed legislation - the Illegal Migration Bill - described as an effective 'asylum ban'.

Meanwhile, ministers prompted a further outcry from critics last week as they unveiled plans to house asylum seekers in disused military bases to accommodate their 'essential living needs and nothing more', with ferries and barges also being explored as options.

It comes after villagers near RAF Scampton criticised the Home Office's decision to turn an iconic airbase into temporary housing for asylum seekers, with one complaining that 'everyone will lose out'.

RAF Scampton was the Dambusters squadron's HQ and housed the Red Arrows for 20 years, and will be used to accommodate 2,000 asylum seekers despite significant opposition from locals and Conservative MPs.

West Lindsey District Council fears the move will jeopardise a 300million regeneration project to turn the site into a heritage, aviation and research centre - and is now plotting a High Court injunction to block the move.

Meanwhile, residents of the tiny Lincolnshire village of Scampton argued the decision 'doesn't make sense for anybody', with one man complaining: 'Everyone involved is going to lose out, including the asylum seekers.'

It comes after villagers near RAF Scampton criticised the Home Office 's decision to turn an iconic airbase into temporary housing for asylum seekers, with one complaining that 'everyone will lose out'. Pictured, The main entrance to RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire

Greg Algar, landlord of the village's popular pub, the Dambusters Inn, said: 'This is staggering incompetence from the Government, and so many people living here, and visiting, are whole heartedly against it and can't believe what the village is being forced into having'

Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, confirmed yesterday that 3,700 people would be housed at Scampton and RAF Wethersfield in Essex, with an extra 1,200 going to a separate site in East Sussex.

The third location is a former prison in Bexhill that went on to be used as a training facility by the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Jenrick said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was 'bringing forward proposals' to use the Catterick Garrison barracks to house asylum seekers in his constituency to show 'leadership'.

Locals in Scampton have spoken out against the development.
Billionaire media mogul and philanthropist David Geffen was spotted at a New York City heliport sporting a band around that finger for the first time on Monday.

The record-executive, 80, reportedly worth a cool $9billion is rumored to have tied the knot with 30-year-old Donovan Michaels in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills last month.

Though Geffen nor Michaels have publicly confirmed the marriage, the pair landed in the Big Apple together in laid-back spring looks ready to spend some time together.

The pair arrived with an entourage of several people, including former president of the David Geffen Company, Eric Eisner, and his wife Lisa Eisner.

Geffen wore a white brimmed hat with double stripes, a light, flannel jacket, dark pants and sneakers, and of course, a prominent band on his ring finger.

Billionaire media mogul and philanthropist David Geffen was spotted departing a New York City heliport on Monday, sporting a band on his ring finger following his rumored marriage ceremony last month

30-year-old Donovan Michaels was also spotted leaving the helipad. It was not clear whether he was sporting a gold band to match Geffen's

Michaels wore a black Yankees cap, dark glasses, and an all black ensemble that included adidas sweatpants and a fresh pair of white Nike Air Force Ones. He also carried what appeared to be a white shopping bag.

In December, Geffen shared a picture of himself with Michaels on a boat and captioned it 'Merry Christmas indeed!' but deleted it several hours later.

The mogul's social media has since gone private.

When knewz.com reported the rumored nuptials last month, a source was cited saying that 'David has loved Donovan for a while, and they had been talking about taking the next step together.'

'David waited a long time to find the right partner, and Donovan is definitely the one,' added the source.

The wedding was allegedly a small ceremony in Beverly Hills, with just two other couples present - a contrast to the often lavish and expensive celebrations thrown by the Hollywood elite.

'David and Donovan opted for a simple but special ceremony to mark their union, and they were surrounded by close family and friends,' said the source.

Not much is known about Michaels, who is frequently referred to as a model, but has not posted on Instagram since 2018.

Geffen came out as gay in 1992 after years of being linked to a string of well-known women, including Cher.

Earlier in his storied career, Geffen founded Asylum records, which signed musical sensations like Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and the Eagles. He later founded Geffen records, which went on to release the work of artists including Elton John, Cher, Aerosmith, Blink-182, Guns N' Roses, and Nirvana.

Along with Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, Geffen co-founded DreamWorks in the 1990s.

Michaels, about whom little is known, sported an all black outfit with fresh white sneakers

The group were dressed in light jackets for the New York spring weather

Closeup shot of Geffen's possible wedding ring

Former President of the David Geffen Company Eric Eisner was also spotted at the New York City heliport

Eric's wife, Lisa, was also spotted exiting the heliport with the pair

As a philanthropist, Geffen has donated at least hundreds of millions, if not more over the years to various causes and institutions.

In 2002, he gave $200million to the UCLA School of Medicine, and donated another $100million to the school in 2012.

In 2015, he pledged to give $100million to the renovation taking place at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.

In June of 2021, Geffen gave $10million to the Yale School of Drama, allowing the institution to eliminate tuition for all students enrolled in graduate programs.

And in September of 2021, he donated $75million to Columbia Business School for the school's new facilities in the Manhattanville neighborhood.

The Dailymail.com has contacted David Geffen for comment.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a warning to 'rabble rousers' including Marjorie Taylor Greene today ahead of their planned visit to the city for Donald Trump's court appearance, telling them to be on their 'best behavior' and 'control themselves' while in town.

Greene is among Trump fans who are planning on protesting Trump's indictment and arraignment tomorrow. The former president is currently on his way from Mar-a-Lago to New York.

He will spend the night at Trump Tower on Monday, before appearing before a judge on charges relating to 2016 payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

There is a huge police effort underway in New York to contain the chaos.

Speaking today at a press conference, Adams issued a specific warning to anyone who may want to cause trouble.

Scroll down for video

NYC Mayor Eric Adams speaking today at a press conference with NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. He warned any 'rabble rousers' planning to cause problems that they will be arrested

Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is hosting a protest in NYC tomorrow morning

Greene has promised to keep her protest peaceful, and says anyone who incites violence will be thrown out

Join us at City Hall for an important public safety update. https://t.co/3dNxm2ClWm  Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 3, 2023

'While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves.

'New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.

'Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech - she stated she is coming to town.

'While you are in town, be on your best behavior. We will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. If one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are.'

There will be 'rolling' road closures as Trump moves through the city, with one road near Trump Tower remaining closed throughout the day to allow him to come and go.

Former President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up as he arrives at Palm Beach International Airport on Monday morning before flying to New York City

A protestor dressed as the devil holds a sign and a trident outside of Trump Tower in New York on April 3

Members of the media wait outside Trump Tower as he flies from Florida to New York City

In Florida, Trump fans lined the route from Mar-a-Lago to the airport to show their support

Trump fans take photos as the former president's jet departs from Palm Beach International Airport

Trump is accompanied on the plane by his son, Eric, who shared this photo from onboard

He urged New Yorkers to go about their day as usual, but to avoid driving and use the subway when possible.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said: 'Violence and destruction are not part of legitimate, lawful expression.

'They will never be tolerated in our city. The NYPD will be out there today, tomorrow and every day, to make sure they are safe.'

Greene is hosting what she is calling a peaceful protest at Collect Pond Park, near the downtown courthouse where Trump will make his first appearance.

Sources leading the planning say closures are likely on Centre Street, Canal Street, Baxter Street and Worth Street, near the courthouse.

While no set time has been agreed, Trump is expected to travel to the courthouse early on Tuesday.

New York City will host a landmark day in American history on Tuesday when Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court facing criminal charges

He will have a mugshot taken and will have his fingerprints taken before going before a judge.

The hearing is likely to be brief. It is where he will learn of the charges, which have been under seal since last week.

Afterwards, Trump is expected to fly back to Palm Beach. At 8.15pm, he is expected to make a statement.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is yet to comment on the case.

With such ferocious support on both sides, the NYPD is preparing for clashes at the courthouse and surrounding protests.

The charges signal the first against any former US President. They relate to a 2016 payment of $130,000 from Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels, an adult actress who says she had an affair with Trump in 2005.

He denies it and says Bragg is motivated by political bias.

Taylor Greene has already sparked controversy this week by labeling the Democratic party as being full of pedophiles.

During an interview with Leslie Stahl for 60 Minutes, she said: 'They support grooming children. Democrats support - even Joe Biden, the President, himself, supports children being sexualized and having transgender surgeries.

'Sexualizing children is what pedophiles do to children.'
He was arrested an imprisoned in 2014 for supporting al-Qaeda in Lebanon

Relaxing on the sofa in a pair of slippers, notorious hate preacher Omar Bakri Muhammad was barely recognisable yesterday after being set free following nearly a decade behind bars.

Pictured here for the first time, the extremist who inspired a generation of jihadis after founding a banned terrorist group has been in prison since 2014 when he was arrested for supporting al-Qaeda in Lebanon.

Yesterday legal sources confirmed the 64-year-old had finally been released from jail after serving long beyond his six-year sentence.

His release has sparked security fears that he could resume preaching online brainwashing a new generation of British Muslims.

Dr Alan Mendoza, Executive Director of the Henry Jackson Society think tank warned: 'Omar Bakri Muhammad was one of the most dangerous extremist preachers in his prime, inspiring many to acts of jihadism.

Relaxing on the sofa in a pair of slippers, Omar Bakri Muhammad was barely recognisable after being set free from prison following nearly a decade behind bars

Omar Bakri Muhammad is pictured talking to reporters at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park, September 8, 1996

'If he returns to his previous advocacy this will be a real security threat to the UK given his proven ability to poison minds with his radical views.' Bakri has yet to post anything himself online, but news of his release was celebrated by pro-ISIS channels yesterday.

In pictures released on social media, the grandfather was seen in the arms of his weeping family after being freed last week.

Dressed casually in a pair of tracksuit bottoms, slippers and a bright yellow t-shirt instead of his trademark white robes, the cleric appeared to have aged considerably since he was last seen in public, with his familiar dark beard now entirely white.

Regarded as one of the most controversial extremist preachers of recent times, Bakri famously declared the terrorists who led the September 11, 2001 attacks were 'magnificent'.

He also proclaimed his desire to see the black flag of Islam flying over 10 Downing Street, stating: 'Terrorism is a part of Islam.' For 20 years, Bakri continued to preach hatred in Britain founding al-Muhajiroun which was later banned along with its numerous offshoots, including Islam4UK and Muslims Against Crusades.

Many followers of the group joined the fighting in Syria, and others went on to plan terrorist attacks in Britain, including the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby and the London Bridge knife attacks.

The 7/7 bombers who struck London in July 2005, killing 52 people, also had links to al-Muhajiroun.

As the government threatened to make arrests for treason, Bakri fled to Lebanon where his mother was living.

Followers of Bakri's group went on to plan terrorist attacks in Britain, including the killing of Fusilier Lee Rigby and the London Bridge knife attacks. Pictured: Lee Rigby's killers: Michael Adebolajo (left) and Michael Adebowale (right)

Omar Bakri Muhammad's group inspired Lee Rigby killers and London Bridge attackers. Pictured: Police and emergency services respond to the London Bridge attack, June 3, 2017

The Syrian-born Islamist, who had been granted asylum here in 1986, was then banned from Britain by the then Home Secretary Charles Clarke.

In July 2006 he attempted to board a boat for British citizens leaving Lebanon, but was turned away when the authorities realised who he was.

In Lebanon, Bakri's support for al-Qaeda's franchise in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, caught the attention of the authorities.

He was detained by Lebanon's national intelligence agency in May 2014 on the grounds of endangering national security and sentenced to six years for his involvement in forming an organization linked to the jihadist group al-Nusra Front and for attempting to establish militant training camps in Lebanon.

Bakri was reportedly held in an underground cell in Al Rayaniyeh prison for much of his imprisonment.

Omar Bakri Muhammad talks to journalists as he arrives for a meeting at the Finsbury Park mosque in London, September 11 2002

To ease chronic overcrowding, a year-long sentence in a Lebanese prison is reduced to nine months, which means Bakri has served almost twice his initial term.

While he was in jail, two of his seven children left Britain and were killed fighting with ISIS.

Yesterday a pro-ISIS Telegram channel that advocates for the release of clerics held in prison on terrorism-related charges shared a post celebrating Bakri's release saying: 'Sheikh Omar Bakri has been released! Alhamdulillah [praise to Allah].' Another pro-ISIS outlet posted photos of him at home with his family, pointing out a decorative pillow visible in one of the photos is embroidered with the name of his son Bilal, who died fighting with ISIS.
The Walton dynasty, who own Walmart, have taken a stake in the start-up

An education firm founded by Sir Tony Blair's eldest son Euan has secured the backing of America's richest family in a deal that values his fortune at around 345million.

The Walton family, owners of US retail empire Walmart who have a net worth of 182billion, were part of a fundraising effort for Euan's apprenticeship business Multiverse.

Set up in 2016, Multiverse matches school leavers with employers. It makes its money by charging clients a fee once an apprentice is successfully placed.

The business says it offers 'a genuine, credible alternative that can compete with university'. It counts the NHS, Google, Facebook, investment bank Morgan Stanley and outsourcing firm Capita among its clients.

The company says that since its founding in 2016, it has worked with 10,000 apprentices at 1,000 businesses and that 93 per cent had stayed with the firm where they did their training.

Euan Blair, 39, co-founded Multiverse in 2016 as a business that trains apprentices for recruitment. Pictured: Euan Blair pictured with Multiverse board member and president, Jeremy Duggan

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, with sons Euan (left) and Nicky (right) in Trimdon, in his Sedgefield constituency, June 2001

Members of the Walton family (L-R) Rob, Alice and Jim speak during the annual Walmart shareholders meeting event on June 1, 2018 in Fayetteville, Arkansas

The latest fundraising round, which was backed by Zoma Capital, the family fund of Ben and Lucy Ana Walton, valued Multiverse at 1.4billion, giving Euan, 39, a 345million fortune on paper through his more than 25 per cent stake in the business.

Ben Walton is the grandson of Sam Walton, who set up the Walmart chain in 1962. The family collectively still owns 50 per cent of the company.

The fundraising means Euan has a fortune worth nearly seven times that of his father, who is estimated to have a net worth of 50million.

It also means the company was awarded much coveted 'unicorn' status, applied to start-up businesses with a value of over $1billion (810million).

Zoma took a stake in Multiverse worth around 5million, with the company's other backers including Google. The investment makes the firm one of Britain's most valuable start-ups.

Last year, it became the first apprenticeship firm to receive a licence to award degrees for courses that are studied alongside full-time jobs.

In its latest set of accounts, for the year to the end of March 2022, the firm racked up its sixth straight year of losses, which widened to 14.2million from 10.9 million the previous year.

Euan has repeatedly claimed university is not the right path for many young people despite his father having spearheaded a massive expansion of universities during his time in power between 1997 and 2007, fuelling fears of a rise in low-value or so-called 'Mickey Mouse' degrees.

Euan's start-up Multiverse became the first apprenticeship provider to be granted degree-awarding powers by the Office for Students, the university regulator

Euan Blair is pictured with his father, former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, on the steps of No 10 Downing Street in 2007

Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair vowed to get half of school leavers into university in 1997 with a promise to focus on 'education, education, education'

The UK government's apprenticeship levy provides some funding for the programmes, as well as outside funding. Last year Multiverse raised $220 million, allowing it to expand its operations in the US.

Blair's father, former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, vowed to get half of school leavers into university after sweeping to power in 1997. He famously promised that New Labour's priorities would be 'education, education, education'.

Under Tony Blair's New Labour, university tuition fees of 1,000-a-year were introduced in 1998, a move that was met with fierce criticism by opposition parties and the National Union of Students.

Then in 2003, Labour announced plans to hike tuition fees to 3,000-a-year despite earlier promises they would not raise them.

The price hike was defended by Tony Blair who said that 'graduates should contribute more to their university education'.
The family of an elderly British woman with Alzheimer's who faces being ripped away from her loved ones and deported from Sweden was given fresh hope today  as immigration chiefs promised to look again at her case.

Kathleen Poole, a 74-year-old widow, moved to Sweden from Macclesfield 18 years ago to be close to her son Wayne and his Swedish wife, Angelica, and their four children.

But 11 years ago she developed dementia and has been in a care home near her family for the past 10 years and is now so incapacitated she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided.

An application made on her behalf by her family has been rejected because she does not have an up-to-date passport or financial statements to demonstrate her right to be in the country post-Brexit.

But today her family was told to supply the Swedish authorities with a doctors' letter outlining her condition so that the authorities there can 'reassess her situation'.

Kathleen Poole, an elderly British woman with Alzheimer's who faces being ripped away from her loved ones and deported from Sweden, was given fresh hope today  as immigration chiefs promised to look again at her case. Mrs Poole (left) is pictured with her son Wayne (right)

Widow Kathleen Poole, 74, (centre) moved to Sweden from Macclesfield 18 years ago to be close to her son, Wayne (right), his Swedish wife, Angelica (left) and their four children

Her family say they have not updated her passport as she is bed-bound and can no longer travel. Mrs Poole is pictured in her bed at her care home in Sweden

Speaking to MailOnline from their home in Tanumshede in South-West Sweden, Mrs Poole's daughter-in-law, Angelica, 42, told MailOnline: 'We have just been told to get medical certificate detailing her condition, explaining that she cannot move and is confined to bed, that she cannot eat or speak and is extremely fragile.

'Once we give that to the Migration Agency, an official there told us they will reassess the situation.

'It's positive news but I won't get too far ahead of myself because they don't seem to be communicating with the Swedish Police Authority who are continuing to pressurise the British Embassy in Stockholm into finding alternative accommodation and care for Kathleen in the UK.

'They haven't done so yet and neither have my husband and I because I made a promise to my children that their grandmother will stay in Sweden. And I always keep my promises.

'Kathleen's family is here. She has a sister and brother who live in Buxton in Derbyshire but they haven't seen her in 10 to 15 years.

'The simple fact is that Kathleen's life were her grandchildren. It's been incredibly tough on them to watch her slowly slip away but we aren't giving up.

'We don't know just how long she has left which is why we're fighting so hard to keep her in Sweden with us.

'We don't know if she would even survive the journey to England because her health is so poor, there's a significant risk that she wouldn't.'

In 2004, Mrs Poole, gave up her job as a hotel chambermaid and with her husband, Ron, followed her son and daughter-in-law to the town of Tanumshede, just north of Gothenburg and close to the Norwegian border. She is pictured with her late husband

Mrs Poole's daughter-in-law Angelica (left) told MailOnline that immigration officials instructed the family to get a medical certificate detailing Mrs Poole's (right) condition, explaining that she cannot move and is confined to bed, that she cannot eat or speak and is extremely fragile

Mrs Poole is pictured next to her son Wayne as she reads a card and enjoys a box of chocolates

In 2004, Mrs Poole, gave up her job as a hotel chambermaid and with her husband, Ron, followed her son and daughter-in-law to the town of Tanumshede, just north of Gothenburg and close to the Norwegian border.

Her family have released touching photographs of her taken in happier times. In one image she is seen sitting next to her beloved husband Ron on a bench amidst a tranquil countryside setting. In others pictures, Mrs Poole poses with her three granddaughters and grandson and is seen clutching a box of chocolates.

In one particularly touching snap she lovingly cradles a new-born grandchild.

Ron passed away a few years ago from a stroke and Mrs Poole developed Alzheimer's when she was 63. The crippling degenerative illness has meant she is now no longer able to look after herself.

She needs to be hoisted from her bed by carers to get into a wheelchair. She also uses continence pads.

Her loved ones said they made an application for her to remain in Sweden before the 2021 deadline. However, it was rejected as she did not have a passport.

Last year, they were told she would be deported in September. Police reportedly showed up at the care home a few months later in January when her loved ones, who do not have power of attorney, were unable to provide the documents needed for her to stay in Sweden.

Officers went through the pensioner's wardrobes and riffled through her clothes before quizzing carers about her, the family said.

Mrs Poole developed dementia 11 years ago and has been in a care home for the past decade. She is now so incapacitated by the degenerative illness she cannot feed herself or go to the bathroom unaided

In happier times: Mrs Poole cuddles one of her grandchildren. She now faces being ripped from her family and deported to the UK, having not lived there for 18 years

Mrs Poole is seen clutching a box of chocolates in a photo shared by her family

News of Mrs Poole's plight has outraged campaigners, who have lashed out at the decision - with Labour MP Hilary Benn branding it 'deeply shocking'.

Councillor Laura Jeuda, who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, told MailOnline: 'I think it's very cruel... I'm really surprised at Sweden. We know them for being very caring - their social care is really good.

'It's just bizarre they should pick on a woman of that age who has this added complication of dementia.

'We don't know what will happen to that poor woman if she's ripped away from her family and taken to a strange county she won't remember.'

The Labour councillor called on Whitehall to step in and oppose the decision by the Swedish authorities.

Branding the fiasco as 'another downside of Brexit', Ms Jeuda added: 'We need to get something from government on this, otherwise what are we saying about our old people - that they really don't matter?'

While David Milstead, a British professor of physics in Sweden who is part of the British in Sweden group, hit out at police saying they were 'just doing a box-ticking exercise' about what she can take with her instead of saying 'this is preposterous, this should not be happening'.

'Cruel' and 'deeply shocking': Labour MP Hilary Benn, left, has lashed out at the move by Sweden to deport Mrs Poole, formerly from Macclesfield. While ocal councillor Laura Jeuda (right), who represents Macclesfield South at Cheshire East Council, blasted the decision to deport the pensioner, labelling it 'cruel'

Under the withdrawal agreement for Brexit, UK citizens living in the EU before the 2016 referendum were granted the right to remain.

However, in several countries, it involved completing applications and paperwork to prove historical rights under free movement rules.

Mrs Poole and her family are being supported by the UK Foreign Office. A spokesperson for the Swedish government has said it is 'against the law' to comment on any immigration matter while the European Commission said it was 'aware' of Mrs Poole's case and that it was 'in touch' with Swedish authorities.

More than 520,000 people in the UK have dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have filed a motion asking the judge overseeing his indictment in Manhattan to keep cameras out of the courtroom to avoid a spectacle when he enters his plea.

The maneuver comes as Trump flew to New York to be arrested and fingerprinted in the Stormy Daniels case  with a phalanx of media gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse and Trump making plans for a speech at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday.

New York courts don't ordinarily allow for cameras, although a group of media outlets were able to seek an exception under state law. Trump's team opposed the move, 'because it will create a circus-like atmosphere at the arraignment, raise unique security concerns, and is inconsistent with President Trump 's presumption of innocence,' they wrote in a letter to Judge Juan Merchan, CNN reported.

Media outlets including NBC News and the New York Times sought to allow cameras to record Trump's plea for the historic first time a former president is charged with a crime.

Lawyers for former President Donald Trump don't want a judge to allow cameras inside a Manhattan courthouse when he has his arraignment Tuesday

The move is one of several expected motions in what his lawyers say will be an aggressive legal strategy.

Trump is also making new moves, adding another lawyer to his stable of defenders. This time, he is adding Todd Blanche, a white collar criminal defense attorney who resigned from his law firm to take the Trump case.

He resigned his position as a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft because ' I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up,' he wrote in an email, Politico reported.

The legal moves came as Trump made his way to New York to be arrested Tuesday

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former president Donald Trump over hush money paid to pornstar Stormy Daniels

Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels, although he has acknowledged reimbursing Trump lawyer Michael Cohen $130,000 in the hush deal

Attorney Todd Blanche left his firm and will be representing Trump

Juan Manuel Merchan will rule on the request for camera access

He has previously represented figures in Trump world including former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, who was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on corruption charges, and who won a Trump pardon days before the president left office.

He also represented businessman Igor Fruman, a former associate of former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who along with associate Lev Parnas helped introduce him to Ukrainians while the former New York mayor probed alleged Biden corruption in Ukraine.

Blanche's LinkedIn page now lists him as the founding member of his own firm.

Blanche served as co-chief of the White Plains Division of the Southern District of New York, where he supervised Assistant US Attorneys in public corruption and RICO cases.

It comes as prominent New York attorney Joseph Tacopina, who has been conducting a spate of media appearances, could face a motion by prosecutors to step back from the case, due to past communications with Stormy Daniels when she was seeking representation.

The move to keep cameras out of the courtroom comes as Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene is planning a rally in New York Tuesday. Trump himself had called for protests, but plans to leave New York and give a speech at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday night.
A boyfriend murdered his pregnant girlfriend by stabbing her with a pair of scissors 40 times because she tried to end their relationship.

Liam Taylor, 37, admitted killing mother-of-four Ailish Walsh, 28, after she tried to break up with him because he was taking drugs.

Taylor stabbed Miss Walsh, who was 12 weeks pregnant with his child, in an 'exceptionally brutal' attack at her home in Hackney, east London, last year.

Miss Walsh was found covered in blood in a high visibility jacket nearby a pair of dumbbells and blood-soaked scissors. Taylor told police after he was arrested it was 'crazy how one moment of madness can change your whole life'.

Liam Taylor has admitted murdering mother-of-four Ailish Walsh (pictured) after she tried to break up with him because he was taking drugs

Judge Alexia Durran told Taylor: 'You've pleaded guilty today to the most serious offence and there is only one sentence.

'The question is how long it will be before the parole board will be able to consider your release.'

CCTV footage captured Taylor entering through the communal entrance to her home that evening at 8.36pm and leaving at 9.14pm.

A female friend had phoned the victim and heard sounds of screaming and fighting in the background five minutes before he left,

Taylor stabbed Miss Walsh, who was 12 weeks pregnant with his child, in an 'exceptionally brutal' attack at her home (pictured) in Hackney, east London, last year

She had got in contact after Miss Walsh sent her messages to say she was trying to get Taylor out of the flat because he was taking drugs, the Old Bailey heard.

Miss Walsh's father and brother watched from the well of court as Taylor, who has previous convictions for violence against women, admitted murder.

Prosecutor Paul Casey said a full post-mortem has not yet been produced and Taylor may be charged with child destruction depending on evidence on the gestation period.

There will be a further hearing on May 10 but a sentencing date is yet to be set.
The Nashville school shooter had planned the massacre for months in advanced and studied other mass murderers before killing six people, police have said.

Audrey Hale, 28, had detailed writings plotting her sick attack months before she butchered three kids and three adults at The Covenant School last week.

Cops also revealed on Monday that she fired 152 rounds from two assault rifles and a handgun during the vile shooting that rocked the US.

Officials haven't released a motive for the slaying of victims Hallie Scruggs, William Kinney, Evelyn Dieckhaus, all 9, and headmistress Dr. Katherine Koonce, 60, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and chef Mike Hill, 61.

State Governor Bill Lee also addressed the state on Monday and proposed having an armed guard stationed at every school in the state.

Audrey Hale, 28, had detailed writings plotting her sick attack months before she butchered three kids and three adults at The Covenant School last week

Hale, 28, had fired 152 rounds from two an assault rifle and a handgun during the vile shooting that rocked the US. Pictured: Hale before transitioning to male

A statement from Metropolitan Nashville Police department said: 'The ongoing investigation into the March 27 murders of six persons inside The Covenant School continues to show, from all information currently available, that killer Audrey Hale acted totally alone.

'In the collective writings by Hale found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School.

'The writings remain under careful review by the MNPD and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia.

'The motive for Hale's actions has not been established and remains under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit.

'It is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers.

'The investigation shows that Hale fired a total of 152 rounds (126 5.56 rifle rounds and 26 nine millimeter rounds) from the time she shot her way into the school until she was killed by police.

'Two officers fired on Hale. Officer Rex Engelbert discharged a total of four 5.56 rounds from his rifle; Officer Michael Collazo discharged a total of four rounds from his department-issued nine millimeter pistol.

'Scores of police personnel from a number of components responded to the Covenant call last Monday.

'The department's Professional Wellness Section is conducting critical incident debriefings, including daily wellness checks, for involved personnel.

'The MNPD's Homicide Unit is leading the investigation into the murders of the six victims. The Cold Case Unit is working with the TBI in the investigation of the fatal police shooting of Hale.'

To prevent a school mass shooting from occurring again in the state, Tennessee Governor Lee announced a proposal on Monday to have an armed guard present at every school in the state.

'There was no excuse to no have a guard at every school,' Lee said. He estimated the budget to employ and train guards would cost $140 million.

The governor also revealed other plans to dedicate $8 million toward mental health services in schools.

Officials haven't released a motive for the slaying of victims Hale killed. Pictured: students evacuating from The Covenant School on March 27

Hale, who was transgender born female, used the names Audrey and Aiden but her preferred pronouns were he/him according to a LinkedIn page

Police recovered these three weapons from the scene and later revealed she fired 152 rounds

FBI agents and Nashville Metropolitan Police Officers were seen removing more rifles from the Hale household on last Monday

A spokesperson for the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Officers Rex Engelbart (pictured left) and Michael Collazo (pictured right) were the members of the team who fired at Hale, ultimately killing her

LIVE: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee holds media avail and is expected to make an announcement regarding school safety. https://t.co/RjcsBkk8pU https://t.co/OOsQCX5qei  FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) April 3, 2023

Hale, who was transgender born female, used the names Audrey and Aiden but her preferred pronouns were he/him according to a LinkedIn page.

Police confirmed on Tuesday that she had previously attended the school in Nashville, Tennessee, but her motive for the shooting was unclear.

Police Chief John Drake added that Hale had been suffering from an 'emotional disorder' at the time of the shooting.

Hale has been described as having 'high-functioning' autism, but police revealed she also was under doctors' care.

Her parents - Norma and Ronald Hale - knew that she had a weapon at one time, but told her to sell it because they thought she couldn't be trusted with it.

Instead, she hid her stockpile and added to it, buying seven different weapons in total from five local stores.

Chief Drake added: 'Law enforcement knew nothing about the treatment, and it is apparent that she should not own weapons''.

Authorities also confirmed that Hale's mother, Norma, had asked her what was in a red backpack she was carrying on the morning of the murders but she dismissed her question.

Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9, was one of the victims shot by transgender shooter Audrey Hale, 28, after she opened fire at the private Christian school on Monday

Tributes have flooded in for a second victim, Will Kinney, (pictured) who was shot and killed along with Hallie Scruggs, both 9, in the massacre

Hallie Scruggs, 9, was killed in the shooting and is pictured with her father, a pastor at the church, Chad Scruggs

Katherine Koonce, head of school (left), and Cynthia Peak, a substitute teacher (right) were among those shot dead by Audrey Hale

The daughter of Mike Hill (pictured), who had worked at the school for more than a decade, said that she 'never thought' he would be killed in a mass shooting

Before traveling to the school, the killer sent a haunting final message to Averianna Patton on Instagram

Patton immediately called the cops to report the messages but it was already too late. By the time she called, Audrey had begun shooting children at the small, church school

Before bursting into the school, the killer sent a haunting final message to Averianna Patton on Instagram. The two played basketball together in middle school.

At 9.57am, 16 minutes before cops were first notified to the shooting, Audrey wrote: 'So basically that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note.

'I'm planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!! You'll probably hear about me on the news after I die.

'This is my last goodbye. I love you. 'See you again in another life.'

'Audrey (Aiden)'.

Patton immediately called the cops to report the messages but it was already too late.
Rep. Matt Gaetz has sent letters to both Twitter and the rumored girlfriend of former special agent Timothy Thibault after the woman suggested she had insider information on whistleblowers who claimed Thibault tried to do away with the Hunter Biden laptop investigation.

Gaetz, R-Fla., a member of the subcommittee investigating government 'weaponization,' said that Melissa Morgan-Ransome's Twitter account suggests she might 'have first- or second-hand knowledge of internal Department of Justice matters' and that a number of her tweets 'can be construed as attempts to intimidate federal whistleblowers.'

Thibault has been accused by whistleblowers of trying to shut down the FBI investigation into Hunter Biden's laptop but denies having any involvement.

A now-deleted Twitter account named @MissyMorganFit and belonging to Morgan-Ransome has been putting up a dogged defense of Thibault and tweeting suggestions that she has insider knowledge of the DOJ and the investigation with whistleblowers - and suggests the whistleblowers might be outed.

Intimate travel photos of Morgan-Ransome and Thibault posted to her Instagram account reveal their close relationship, as first flagged in a Substack post by Greg Price. The Instagram account has been made private since the post.

Gaetz said the tweets 'make clear' Morgan-Ransome is aware of the Weaponization subcommittee's work to investigate Thibault and others.

Former FBI special agent Timothy Thibault has been accused of shutting down the HuntER Biden investigation, a charge he denies

Thibault, right, is pictured with his ex-wife, her partner, their two children and another guest

In letters obtained by DailyMail.com, Gaetz wrote to both Morgan-Ransome and Twitter asking them to preserve records related to the account, including its direct messages. He also asked for 'any and all' communications between Morgan-Ransome and any FBI agent be preserved, including texts and emails.

Morgan-Ransome, a self-described Republican, claimed GOP leaders in Congress are trying to slander Thibault and he will soon be vindicated.

Since the tweets in question came to light, the Florida fitness instructor has deleted her Twitter account.

In a handful of tweets, she suggests the identity of the whistleblowers who reported her alleged boyfriend could soon be made public.

In October 2020, one month before the election, Thibault closed an 'avenue of derogatory Hunter Biden reporting,' Judiciary ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley claimed in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland after hearing from whistleblowers.

Rep. Matt Gaetz has sent letters to both Twitter and the rumored girlfriend of former special agent Timothy Thibault after the woman suggested she had insider information on whistleblowers

On February 11, Morgan-Ransome, who has since made her account private, tweeted: 'The 'anonymous' whistleblowers are lying You will find out soon enough.'

'Do you actually think I'm going to tell you everything I know?' she wrote on Twitter, responding to another account about the allegations against Thibault.

In three tweets over the course of March, she tweeted the whistleblowers 'aren't as anonymous as they believe.'

In a tweet on March 1, she claims they 'put their jobs and futures on the line.'

In a tweet on March 24, she responded to an account about allegations that Thibault led the charge at the FBI to 'overstate' the threat of 'domestic violent extremism' in America. 'Allegations do not make it true. Unfortunately you are going to have to wait a wee bit longer to be able to see & hear the facts made public. Stay tuned.'

Morgan-Ransome and Thibault are pictured together frequently in her Instagram story archives under a tab labeled 'Friends and Family.'

Thibault was allegedly one of 13 assistant special agents assigned to investigate the Hunter Biden laptop saga and was reportedly removed from the supervisory role by Wray earlier that month after agency whistleblowers shed light on an alleged pattern of political bias from multiple high-ranking officials.

Thibault abruptly resigned from the FBI last August. He claimed he was not fired or asked to retire but had been up for retirement after nearly 20 years with the agency.

The former agent, through his legal counsel, has denied being involved with the probe into Hunter Biden's laptop and said he made no decisions related to shutting investigations into the laptop.

Hunter Biden is under an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice for his business dealings and tax affairs.

In August, Wray testified that he found allegations the FBI mishandled the laptop to be 'deeply troubling.'

But Wray also told the Senate Judiciary Committee in August that the Hunter Biden investigation was run out of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office in coordination with the Delaware U.S. Attorneys office - not the Washington Field Office where Thibault worked.

Whistleblowers also came to Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan's office to allege that Thibault was behind a movement in the FBI's Washington Field Office to classify each January 6th case as a unique 'domestic violent extremism' case to 'overstate' the number of threats happening across the country.

Grassley alleged in letters to Wray and Garland that whistleblowers had told him Thibault displayed a 'a pattern of active public partisanship,' particularly in regards to the Hunter Biden investigation.

Grassley said Thibault had tried to portray verifiable information about Hunter Biden as disinformation and ordered closed a 'a stream of information related to Hunter Biden' and marked it within the FBI system so it would not be reopened.

When Republicans took the gavel this Congress they created a subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, operating under the Judiciary Committee.

Chairman Jordan has requested a transcribed interview with Thibault and threatened to subpoena the former agent.

Thibault was the so-called 'point man' to manage allegations coming from Hunter Biden's former business partner Tony Bobulinski, so said Bobulinski to Fox News' Tucker Carlson. He reportedly spent over five hours being interviewed by the FBI on October 23, 2020, just before the 2020 election, on then-candidate Joe Biden's knowledge of his son's business dealings in China.

He claimed Thibault never followed up after the interview - and that Joe Biden's brother Jim called him in the middle of it.

Republicans also criticized Thibault for his anti-Trump social media posts - which are being investigated for a potential Hatch Act violation.

Aside from lewd images depicting sex acts and drug use, the infamous laptop left at a Delaware computer store also revealed a treasure trove of emails that appear to show Hunter Biden attempting to coordinate meetings with his father and his various foreign business associates.
This is the terrifying moment a driver fainted behind the wheel and slammed his truck into jet filled with passengers at an airport in western Mexico.

The dramatic footage shows the truck approaching a Viva Aerobus plane before ramming into its fuselage last Friday.

The aircraft was due to depart from Guadalajara International Airport to Los Angeles but all of the passengers had to get off after a hole was left in the rear of the aircraft.

The driver was operating a catering truck and delivering food to another airplane in the vicinity when he suddenly lost consciousness, Viva Aerobus said in a statement.

A security camera at Guadalajara International Airport captures the moment a catering truck crashed into the fuselage of a parked Viva Aerobus jet last Friday. The airline said the driver fainted behind the wheel. None of the passengers or crew onboard were injured

Viva Aerobus said that none of the passengers or crew staff suffered injuries after a catering truck (right) slammed into one of its parked airplanes at Guadalajara International Airport on Friday

The fuselage of a Viva Aerobus airlines was destroyed after the driver of a catering truck fainted behind the wheel and crashed into the parked jet that was awaiting to leave from Guadalajara International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport last Friday

Crew onboard the Viva Aerobus jet were able to safely remove all of the passengers from the airplane.

None of the customers or crew were injured.

The extent of driver's injuries were not revealed to the press.

The customers were transferred to a second aircraft and eventually completed the trip to Los Angeles later in the day.

Passengers are seen exiting a Viva Aerobus airplane in Guadalajara, Mexico, after a catering truck crashed into and destroyed its fuselage just moments before the aircraft was set to depart to Los Angeles

Passengers were placed on a second aircraft that completed the trip to Los Angeles after the frightening accident

The Mexican airport accident comes nearly four months after two airport firemen died after their firetruck slammed into a LATAM Airlines plane as it was about to take off from Lima International Airport.

The bizarre security camera footage showed the truck speeding down the runway and directly into the path of the jet that was carrying 120 passengers.

The airplane could be seen hitting the firetruck head on, causing it to catch fire as the area immediately became engulfed in flames and smoke.

In May 2017, an Aeromexico airplane hit a catering truck moments after it had landed at Los Angeles International Airport, leaving eight workers aboard the vehicle with injuries.
The bombing attack was allegedly carried out by a 26-year-old anti-war activist.

Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion at a Saint Petersburg cafe on Sunday

Vladimir Putin has posthumously bestowed an award to a high-profile Russian military blogger and supporter of Moscow's assault on Ukraine, who was killed in an explosion at a Saint Petersburg cafe on Sunday.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was on Monday given the Order of Courage 'for courage and bravery shown during professional duty' following his death, a Kremlin decree announced.

Tatarsky was assassinated on Sunday night in a bombing attack that was allegedly carried out by a 26-year-old anti-war activist.

The pro-Kremlin blogger was blown to pieces after he was reportedly given a small statue of himself said to be laden with explosives.

Tatarsky was a staunch supporter of Putin and the tyrant's invasion of Ukraine. He had been speaking at a political propagandist event when he was killed.

Vladimir Putin has posthumously bestowed an award to Vladlen Tatarsky, a high-profile Russian military blogger. Pictured: Putin is pictured in the Kremlin listening to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyev on Monday

Vladlen Tatarsky was on Monday given the Order of Courage 'for courage and bravery shown during professional duty' following his death

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident. She is pictured being held in detention

Tatarsky had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine and had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her vehicle outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of the blogger that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking about the bust and putting it on a table next to him.

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism.

Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on February 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but did not know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was 'planned by Ukrainian special services', noting Trepova was an 'active supporter' of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Suspect Daria Trepova, 26, was filmed carrying the box on the way to the cafe in St Petersburg

A police officer walks at the site of an explosion at the 'Street Bar' cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday

Suspect Daria Trepova, 26, was filmed moments after passing the box with the statuette to the war propaganda blogger Vladlen Tatarsky

Navalny, the Kremlin's fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organised massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Navalny's supporters as an 'internal enemy'.

READ MORE: Who was Vladlen Tatarsky and why could he have been a target for assassins? Advertisement

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her vehicle blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as 'the special military operation' in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

'Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities,' Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. 'That is why the special military operation is being conducted.'

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscow's offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a 'group of radicals' unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed a statuette that is believed to have been hiding the bomb that exploded at Street Food Bar No. 1, St Petersburg on Sunday

Russian investigators pictured working at the decimated scene of an explosion at the 'Street bar' cafe in St. Petersburg, Sunday

Trepova was filmed being arrested and escorted to the apartment in St Petersburg, Sunday

Zelensky brushed off questions about the bombing.

'I don't think about what is happening in St Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country,' Zelensky told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraine's right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

'Spiders are eating each other in a jar,' he tweeted in English late on Sunday. 'Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.'

On Monday, Podolyak said Russia has 'returned to the Soviet classics', pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.
President Joe Biden said Monday that he has 'faith' in the New York Police Department and in the U.S. legal system, as New York braces for unrest ahead of former President Donald Trump's arraignment on Tuesday.

Biden traveled to suburban Minneapolis Monday afternoon to tout engine maker Cummins Inc.'s $1 billion green tech investment, which will allow the company to produce low to zero-carbon engines.

As he toured the facilities alongside Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar, Biden was asked if he was concerned about unrest.

'No, I have faith in the New York Police Department,' the president answered.

Asked if he had faith in the U.S. legal system, the president responded with a 'yes.'

President Joe Biden said Monday that he has 'faith' in the New York Police Department and in the U.S. legal system, as New York braces for unrest ahead of former President Donald Trump's arraignment on Tuesday

Biden traveled to suburban Minneapolis Monday afternoon to tout engine maker Cummins Inc.'s $1 billion green tech investment, which will allow the company to produce low to zero-carbon engines

Trump is photographed arriving at Trump Tower Monday ahead of his Tuesday arraignment in New York City

Thursday's indictment of Trump over his role in the Stormy Daniels hush-money scheme was a historical first - as no other former president has faced criminal charges.

Trump and his Republican allies have portrayed the grand jury's decision to indict as politically motivated as Manhattan's District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a Democrat.

For weeks, Trump has nudged his supporters to 'protest' the indictment - so New York is preparing for unrest.

Biden has tried to stay above the fray, offering a 'no comment' Friday morning when asked about Trump's indictment as he departed the White House for a tornado-ravaged part of Mississippi.

But the White House said earlier Monday that they were prepared for there to be political unrest surrounding Trump's arraignment.

'We're watching this closely as you might expect,' National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a call Monday.

'We'll be prepared, should there be a need, but hopefully there won't be that need,' Kirby continued. 'Violence has no place in the United States. Peaceful protest has very much value place in our democracy.'

Biden gets a tour of Cummins Power Generation Facility in suburban Minneapolis Monday afternoon. 'I have faith in the New York Police Department,' he told reporters when asked about potential unrest surrounding Trump's Tuesday arraignment

Biden tours Cummins Power Generation Facility alongide (from center left) Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar

A New York Police Department officer stands outside Trump Tower in New York on Monday. Former President Donald Trump was returning to New York Monday ahead of his Tuesday arraignment

Trump's motorcade drove past supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida to the Palm Beach International Airport. The former president departed his Florida club and home Mar-a-Lago on Monday and will spend Monday night at his apartment in Trump Tower

New York City will host a landmark day in American history on Tuesday when Donald Trump becomes the first former president to appear in court facing criminal charges

One of Trump's top Congressional allies, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said she plans to headline a demonstration Tuesday in New York in support of Trump.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned Greene and other MAGA faithful that they should be on their best behavior.

'Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech - she stated she is coming to town,' the New York City mayor said at a press conference.

'While you're in town. Be on your best behavior,' Adams said. 'As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested.'

'While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves,' Adams said. 'New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.'
A father and son who were allegedly murdered by a 66-year-old man in two Cambridgeshire villages six miles apart died from gunshot wounds, a post-mortem concluded.

Stephen Alderton is facing trial after being charged with the murders of Gary Dunmore, 57, and Joshua Dunmore, 32.

The bodies were discovered at properties in The Row, Sutton, and Meridian Close, Bluntisham, in Cambridgeshire, on March 29.

Post-mortem examinations that took place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday concluded both men died as a result of gunshot wounds.

Alderton, of no fixed address, appeared before Cambridge Crown Court, also charged with one count of possession of a firearm.

Stephen Alderton, 66, is facing trial after being charged with the murders of Gary Dunmore (left), 57, and Joshua Dunmore (right), 32

The suspect, wearing a grey tracksuit with the sleeves rolled up, spoke only to confirm his identity at the brief hearing.

He listened to proceedings from the secure dock of the court on Monday.

The defendant was not asked to enter pleas to the charges, and was remanded in custody until May 11, when he is due back at the court for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

No application for bail was made.

Judge Mark Bishop set a provisional trial date of October 16, allowing time for a two-week hearing.

The victims' family paid tribute to the 'devoted' father and son in a statement released via Cambridgeshire Police on Friday.

Stephen Alderton (pictured), 66, of no fixed abode, appeared before Cambridge Crown Court also charged with the murders, as well as one count of possession of a firearm

They said: 'Josh was a devoted father and a loving uncle.

'He was a wonderful son and brother and leaves behind an extensive group of family and friends.

'He will be deeply missed and the devastation this has caused will never heal.

'Gary was the most devoted son, brother, dad and grandad, who gave everything for those he loved.'

They added: 'He was a gentle and generous person who always put others before himself and he'll be massively missed by his family and all those who knew and loved him.'

Post-mortem examinations which took place at Peterborough City Hospital on Monday concluded both men died as a result of gunshot wounds.
Fears that gentrification of historically black neighborhood will see area flooded with white residents, angering locals who have previously put up with racism

Chicago residents are in uproar after the Obama Foundation's $500million new 'presidential center' caused a huge spike in property prices that forced many longstanding residents out of their homes.

The nonprofit founded by Barack and Michelle Obama told residents that the sprawling new build on Chicago's South Side will transform it and the surrounding neighborhoods - and provide local job opportunities.

But since the center was announced in 2015, median rents in the immediate vicinity have jumped a staggering 43 per cent, while house prices have risen 130 per cent.

The area is a historically black one, with many of those since forced to up sticks and move particularly upset at being booted from their homes thanks to the actions of the United States' first African-American president.

Among those who've been forced to move is Tahiti Hamer, 42.

The single mom-of-three had to leave the only neighborhood she'd ever lived in after her rent rocketed 40 per cent in 2021 - the same year construction started on the Obama Foundation's center.

Mom of three Tahiti Hamer, 42, was forced to move out of only neighborhood she'd ever lived in after her rent rocketed 40 per cent in 2021 - the same year construction started on the Obama Foundation's center

Born and raised in South Side, the single mom of three asked her landlord for help, but they said their taxes had gone up.

She witnessed an investor buy a dilapidated property across the street and sell it for 10 times more, with those same flippers now accused of ripping the heart out of the neighborhood, the Washington Post reported.

Hamer now lives in a spacious suburban property, but says she misses her old neighbor and community - with the Obamas blamed for turbocharging its regeneration.

The former president and his wife met in Chicago and raised their two daughters in the city before moving to Washington DC in the early 2000s.

Construction on the Obamas' $500million Presidential Center started in September 2021, when the former president and his wife visited the South Side site to participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking

Barack and Michelle - who was born in the Windy City - still maintain a residence in the South side, and it is the city with which they are most closely associated.

The $500million South Side center has been billed as 'a historic opportunity to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation's first African American President and First Lady.'

The development is still two years away from completion, but property listings in the surrounding neighborhoods are already saying it'll be the 'next hot area'.

Many listings mention their proximity to the center as a selling point, with hard-up locals fearful that prices will only soar further as its opening date approaches.

In 2019, the area was dubbed the worst in Chicago for eviction rates, with developers looking to snap up properties and hike rents.

Nearly one in three properties up for sale in the third quarter of 2022 were bought by investors looking to flip them.

Barack Obama is pictured with a drawing of what the $500million center will look like in May 2017

A rendering of what the sprawling Obama Presidential Centre is expected to look like in South Side, Chicago

Retired nurse Linda Jennings, 73, who has lived in South Side for nearly 20 years, says she's pestered most days by developers looking to purchase her condo. 'I tell them no, because this is my home,' she said.

In February, nearly 90 percent of South Side residents said in a referendum that more should be done to create affordable housing and provide aid to renters and homeowners who live near the Obama Center.

Another former South Sider, education nonprofit worker Chinella Miller, 38, was forced to move out of home after her landlord raised rent by 80 per cent.

She pleaded for a smaller rise, but was told by her unidentified landlord that as their property taxes had gone up, her rent would have to rise to reflect it.

The gentrification of the South Side will likely see it flooded with white residents, further angering locals who have previously put up with racism, or witnessed the bigotry meted out to their parents or grandparents.

Barack and Michelle Obama met in Chicago and were married in October 1992

The Obamas raised their two daughters Sasha and Malia (center left and right) in Chicago before moving to Washington DC in the early 2000s

A third local, activist Dixon Romeo, says his family almost lost the South Side home their grandparents bought in 1964, which sits a mile away from the center.

His mother, a charter school teacher, lost her job in 2021 and quickly ran up a $30,000 tax lien.

Thankfully, Romeo was able to pay off the debt with a $25,000 award he'd won for his community work the previous year.

But he says the incident gave him an insight into the stress and upset faced by many of his neighbors who've been driven out of their homes by gentrification.

Romeo is among the most high profile backers of a proposed new ordnance to lower property taxes and build far more affordable houses.

He said: 'This is deeply personal to me. I do this work because my mom has been extremely vulnerable to being displaced. I, myself, am extremely vulnerable to being displaced.

'That drives me. Its not charity; its not me coming down from on high to talk to ye little people. Im a little person. Its not a you-all problem; its an us problem.'
The Home Secretary has insisted she was right to single out British Pakistani men when discussing plans for a new taskforce to tackle grooming gangs.

Suella Braverman was accused of 'dog whistle' politics by Labour after she highlighted the racial backgrounds of those involved in some of the UK's most high-profile grooming cases.

Labour and the NSPCC said she risked creating new 'blind spots' by focusing only on perpetrators from a single ethnic group while she also faced accusations of racism.

But after meeting victims in Rochdale and Rotherham yesterday, Mrs Braverman doubled down on her comments saying it was 'not racist to tell the truth' about grooming gangs.

Suella Braverman was accused of 'dog whistle' politics by Labour. Pictured: British Home Secretary Suella Braverman arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street on March 28, 2023

Suella Braverman giving a statement on the Baroness Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police Service, in the House of Commons in London, on March 21, 2023

Mrs Braverman told the Daily Mail: 'Whilst of course the vast majority of British Pakistani individuals are law abiding it is clear the majority of perpetrators in these areas have been from the British Pakistani community and it is important that we don't let political correctness get in the way. Hiding away from this fact does a disservice to victims.' Asked about Labour's criticism, she said: 'I think for Labour to make crass political attacks is not helpful when we are trying to fix a problem and ultimately secure justice for victims.'

The Home Secretary and the Prime Minister were in Leeds yesterday to announce a new set of measures aimed at tackling grooming gangs, including a new police taskforce of specialist officers, tougher sentences, and a consultation on mandatory reporting for adults working with children.

The Prime Minister said the measures would help 'root out the evil perpetrated by grooming gangs'. The crackdown follows scandals in which the organised sexual exploitation of thousands of children in towns including Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale went unchecked, in part because officials feared being branded racist or fuelling the far-Right.

No10 defended Mrs Braverman's remarks yesterday but stressed a lack of evidence linking child exploitation and ethnicity.

No10 has defended Mrs Braverman's remarks yesterday. Pictured: Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman during a visit to a hotel in Rochdale today

The Labour Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, called the comments a 'dog whistle'  a coded message designed to appeal to a certain group. Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC the Government's plans were 'far too inadequate for the scale of the problem' and accused ministers of 'chasing headlines'.

Rochdale grooming victim Sammy Woodhouse, who was 14 when she was abused, said it was wrong to ignore the race of the perpetrators but questioned the timing of the announcement, ahead of May's local elections.

A Home Office report from 2020 looking at group-based child sexual exploitation found it was not possible to conclude whether any particular ethnic group was disproportionately represented, although overall the majority of offenders were young white men.
A woman pulled alive from the rubble of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory after an explosion that killed seven co-workers might have died if she hadn't fallen into a vat of liquid chocolate, she said.

Patricia Borges, 50, Borges recalled smelling gas at the R.M. Palmer factory moments before the flames ignited around the building, and her arm, before eventually the floor below her collapsed - sending her straight into a vat on March 24.

The dark liquid extinguished her blazing arm, and the fall led Borges to break her collarbone and both of her heels.

She would spend the next nine hours screaming for help and waiting for rescue as firefighters battled the inferno and choppers thumped overhead at the factory.

Patricia Borges, 50, survived the horrific R.M. Palmer factory blast on March 24 that killed seven of her co-workers moments after they complained about smelling gasoline

Borges worked at the chocolate factory as a candy wrapping machine operator. But on the day of the blast she was helping clean in preparation for a product switch.

The machine worker said she and others had complained about a gas odor about 30 minutes before the two-story brick factory blew up before 5pm.

The strong scent nauseated her and Borges and other employees approached their supervisor, asking 'what was going to be done, if we were going to be evacuated,' she recalled.

Borges said the supervisor noted someone higher up would have to make that decision. So she got back to work.

She is angry Palmer didn't immediately evacuate and recalled being thrown to the ground.

Speaking in Spanish over videoconference, her eyes bruised and her burned right arm heavily bandaged, Borges recounted her terrifying brush with death.

'When I began to burn, I thought it was the end for me,' Borges, told The Associated Press from her hospital bed in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

Borges heard screaming and saw fire everywhere.

'I asked God why he was giving me such a horrible death,' she said. 'I asked him to save me, that I didn't want to die in the fire.'

Borges worked at the chocolate factory as a candy wrapping machine operator. But on the day of the blast she was helping clean in preparation for a product switch. Pictured: Borges before the explosion

Borges was stuck in the vat for nine hours screaming for help and waiting for rescuers to help

Bodies were found under debris at the RM Palmer plant in the borough of West Reading with rescue crews are using heat imaging equipment and dogs

Borges said that if wasn't for the chocolate vat (above) she likely wouldn't have survived

Rubble was cleared at the site of the deadly explosion at the chocolate factory back in March

She began to run. That's when the floor gave way, and she could feel herself falling - into a long, horizontal tank of chocolate in the factory's basement.

At 4 feet, 10 inches tall, Borges landed on her feet in chest-high liquid.

The chocolate extinguished the flames, but she believes her fall is what broke her feet.

The vat began filling with water from firefighters' hoses, eventually forcing Borges to climb out as it reached neck level.

She sat on the lip of the tank, then jumped into a pool of water that had formed on the basement floor. Briefly submerged, Borges said she swallowed a mouthful of water before surfacing.

Borges grabbed onto some plastic tubing. And then she waited.

'Help, help, please help!' she yelled, over and over, for hours. No one came.

The pain grew more intense. The water was frigid. The main supply pipe for the building's fire suppression system had ruptured - and water was pouring into the basement. She lost track of time but thought she might be there for days.

'The only thing I wanted was to get out of there,' she said.

Finally, in the middle of the night, she saw a light and screamed anew for help.

Search-and-rescue dogs had alerted their handlers that a survivor might be in the rubble. As rescuers carefully worked their way down to the basement, they heard Borges's cries.

Calling for quiet, the rescuers followed the sound of her voice. They found her in a tight space, in chest-deep water. She made her way to them and was placed in a litter.

Borges lost her close friend the day of the blast, Judith Lopez-Moran, 55 (above)

Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, and Susan Halvonik, 63, also died in the horrific blast

Several workers complained about the smell of gasoline before the factory exploded. Pictured: Amy Sandoe, 49, and Michael Breedy, 62, who also died

Borges believes that her co-workers would still be alive if they were all properly evacuated. Pictured: Domingo Cruz, 60, and Xiorky Nunez, 30, who also died

'She was severely hypothermic and banged up,' conscious but 'absolutely confused,' said Ken Pagurek, who helped lead rescue efforts as program manager of Pennsylvania Task Force 1, an emergency response team that deploys to disaster sites around the country.

'I think had they not gotten to her when they did, there was a very good chance the number of victims was going to be plus one,' said Pagurek, also a captain in the Philadelphia Fire Department.

Her rescue gave hope to first responders who already had pulled two bodies from the rubble in the hours after the blast. Rescuers spent two more days at the pile. They found five more bodies but no additional survivors.

Authorities identified those killed as Xiorky D. Nunez, 30, Diana M. Cedeno, 44, Amy S. Sandoe, 49, Judith Lopez-Moran, 55, Domingo Cruz, 60, Michael D. Breedy, 62, and Susan H. Halvonik, 63.

Borges now faces surgery on both feet and a long recovery. Her family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her pay the bills.

Borges, who came to the United States 31 years ago from Puebla state in south-central Mexico, has worked at Palmer for four years. She said she's seeking accountability.

The factory worker lost her close friend the day of the blast, Judith Lopez-Moran. She said the deaths of her co-workers could've been prevented.

'I wanted to speak so that this will be prevented in the future,' she said. 'For my colleague Judy, I want there to be justice.'

Federal, state and local investigations are underway. A cause has not been determined, but the federal transportation safety agency has characterized it as a natural gas explosion.
During a trip along the southern Texas border, Nikki Haley insisted that Joe Biden is the sole person to blame for the migration crisis  and said she has given up on Vice President Kamala Harris ever visiting the border.

The Republican presidential hopeful and former ambassador told DailyMail.com on Monday that it's up to Biden to fire Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and replace him with someone that can do the job more effectively.

Joining Haley on her five-stop trip at the southern border was Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), representing the greater San Antonio area which shares a border with Mexico. He has issued an open invitation to all presidential candidates to tour the region.

2024 Republican presidential nomination candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and Rep. Tony Gonzales meet with local officials, land owners and residents in Hondo, Texas

'We have one president, and his job is to keep Americans safe,' Haley told DailyMail.com at the final stop of her trip in Eagle Pass, Texas. 'And all we know is that he's refusing to look at the border situation because he hopes it goes away.

'So now he's got Mayorkas  he's been given the trouble of dealing with this, and he's refused to call it a crisis. So how do the American people have any confidence in a president who refuses to see a border problem and a secretary who refuses to see it as a crisis?' Haley added.

Haley made a few stops in Texas, including Del Rio and Eagle Pass, where she met with Border Patrol agents, National Guard soldiers, ranchers, and residents who live in fear daily.

She also went to a shoe factory on the U.S. side of the border where many legal immigrants work.

Now, she says it's time for Biden to see the 'real' border towns after finally making his first trip to the border, but not surveying some of the realities the communities are facing from the crisis.

'You look at these families, the number one thing that they said is, "People need to not expect us just to live like this",' Haley said.

Migrants are detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents, after crossing the Rio Bravo river to turn themselves in to request for asylum in El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico March 29, 2023

Haley holds President Joe Biden responsible for the border crisis

Migrants gather at a crossing into El Paso, Texas, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Republicans are trying to impeach U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for failure to do his job of protecting the border.

Haley isn't impressed with Vice President Kamala Harris's efforts to fix the border crisis

'So my big question is, when is Biden coming to the border? We've given up on Kamala.'

VP Harris was made 'border czar' by Biden, but has been repeatedly criticized for failing to act in her capacity in that role.

The administration, however, has said that her job was always to address the root problem that led to migration in the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador  and not to fix the crisis when it comes to the border.

Haley detailed her plan to address the crisis during a press conference in her final stop of the day with the backdrop of razor wire and shipping containers blocking the Rio Grande River crossing.

The Republican presidential candidate reiterated her proposed border policies, including making E-Verify mandatory so all U.S. businesses can ensure their employees have valid citizenship status to work in America. Other cornerstones of her proposed policies are ending 'catch-and-release' and designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

She said that current federal-level policies prove that the Biden 'administration is inept and not responsible and putting the American people at risk.'

'And I would ask the Democrats, is this we are going to put back up for President next year?' the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations question. 'Because you're basically telling America: 'Make sure you live with this illegal immigration problem because this President is not doing anything to change it, and the Democratic Party is going right alongside him.'

Haley is one of four Republicans already in what is expected to be a crowded GOP primary race. Her competitors include her former boss and ex-President Donald Trump, biotech multimillionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is the latest to enter the race after saying on Sunday that he decided to make a bid.

So far, Haley has made the border crisis one of her campaign's top priorities, taking a page out of Trump's 2016 playbook.

When asked if she would personally take addressing the border crisis into her hands if she were elected president, Haley didn't hesitate.

'When you're the person at the top, everything falls under you,' she told DailyMaill.com. 'Your job is to make sure you fix every problem, every crisis - and if your secretary can't do it, you replace your secretary and get one that can.'

'The buck stops with Biden, and that's been shown not to be working.'
A top-secret army of cyber hackers waging a daily battle against hostile states such as Russia and Iran to protect Britain comes out of the shadows for the first time today.

Britain's National Cyber Force (NCF) is now revealing some of its clandestine tactics to thwart enemy states, criminals and terrorists.

The unit was established in 2020 to combat a variety of threats to the UK, support military operations and prevent major crimes such as terrorism and child sexual exploitation. Until now its operations have been shrouded in secrecy.

James Babbage, the commander of the unit which is made up of hundreds of cyber experts and spies from GCHQ, the Ministry of Defence and MI6, is publicly identified for the first time in a document setting out its operations.

The high-ranking spy, who has worked at GCHQ for nearly 30 years, leads a large team working to infiltrate digital communications of hostile states, meddling in their systems to 'sow distrust' in a bid to make enemies doubt their own data and decision-making.

Britain's National Cyber Force (NCF) is now revealing some of its clandestine tactics to thwart enemy states, criminals and terrorists (file image)

Other 'levers of power' include paralysing enemy technology to prevent key individuals contacting each other at critical times  or fiddling with functioning of IT networks 'making it harder for states to use the internet to spread disinformation by affecting their perception of the operating environment'.

The document summarising the NCF's work claims its targeted lightning strikes have an effect on an 'adversary's understanding, capability and willpower to change its behaviour', by decreasing morale and weakening the ability of hostile states to plan and conduct activities effectively.

It says: 'We do this through various means including affecting an adversary's ability to acquire, analyse and exploit the information they need to advance their objectives.

'We may also limit their ability to communicate and co-ordinate with others. And we may seek to affect their confidence in their digital technology and the information it is providing them.'

Other operations include trying to win over 'hostile actors' or calling out their destructive activities, forcing them to abandon their plans.

The unit's tactics can also have a direct impact on battles fought many miles away as modern armies use sophisticated digital capabilities to command forces.

The document says: 'In military operations, where the side that most effectively uses digital systems to its own advantage, whilst reducing the ability of their enemy to do so, has a critical edge...

'Conducting operations in cyberspace is a critical part of driving the conditions and tempo of strategic activity; a key plank of the military's approach to increased nation-state competition, and to warfighting, where that is necessary.'

GCHQ director Sir Jeremy Fleming warned yesterday: 'In an increasingly volatile and interconnected world, to be a truly responsible cyber power, nations must be able to contest and compete with adversaries in cyberspace.

'In the UK, the National Cyber Force complements the UK's world-class cyber resilience to give the country operational cyber capabilities at the scale needed to protect our free, open, and peaceful society.

Countered state threats

'Building upon two decades of experience, the dynamic new partnership has countered state threats, made key contributions to military operations, and disrupted terrorist cells and serious criminals including child sex offenders.'

In the last three years, the NCF says it has 'countered state disinformation campaigns' from countries such as Russia and Iran, 'reduced the threat of external interference in democratic elections' and protected military deployments overseas.

It warns that the war in Ukraine has only increased the risk of cyber attack, adding: 'The Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen cyber criminals and hacktivists explicitly aligning themselves with each side's political objectives and carrying out cyber-attacks targeting foreign interests for political purposes.'

NCF operatives have also disrupted terrorist groups by spreading distrust among members, degrading their propaganda networks and preventing them from putting extremist media online.

The force, which is establishing a new permanent base at Samlesbury in Lancashire, is due to grow to 3,000 workers in the next few years.

Sir Jeremy has also credited its work in preventing tens of millions of pounds in fraud against the UK economy  making hundreds of thousands of stolen credit cards worthless to criminals and safeguarding countless potential victims of crime around the world.
An 18-year-old taxi passenger who was stabbed to death by knifemen who pounced on him and his teenage friend during a horrific attack has been pictured for the first time.

Jamie Meah died in hospital after he was targeted in the Armley district of Leeds on Friday.

He had been in a taxi with a 16-year-old boy when they were stopped by suspects in another vehicle and attacked in the street with 'bladed weapons' at the junction of Hall Lane and Brentwood Terrace, West Yorkshire Police said.

The 16-year-old suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Detectives arrested a 30-year-old man on suspicion of murder after inquiries in Leeds over the weekend.

Jamie Meah, 18, was stabbed to death by knifemen who pounced on him and his teenage friend during a brutal attack on Friday

The brutal attack which killed Jamie happened in the Armley district of Leeds, at the junction of Hall Lane and Brentwood Terrace

The suspect was later released on bail pending continuing inquiries.

Detective Chief Inspector Damian Roebuck said: 'I can promise that all necessary resources are being employed to investigate the murder of Jamie and the attack on a 16-year-old.

'I would like to renew our appeal for anyone who has information about the attack or footage which could assist our investigation to contact us.

'A number of wide-ranging inquiries remain ongoing into this very serious offence by detectives and I want to thank residents who have come forwards with information so far.

West Yorkshire Police at the scene of the murder in Leeds where two males were stabbed

'If you saw the attack on the victims, have footage of it or of suspects arriving at or leaving the scene then please get in touch with detectives here at the Homicide and Major Inquiry Team.'

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police on 101 or by using the live chat facility at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/contactus quoting log 1331 of March 31.

Information can also be given anonymously through the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555111.
A Telsla driver who hit an aged care worker at a tram stop amid claims her electric car was on autopilot has now pointed the blame at the tram driver.

Sakshi Agrawal, 24, allegedly ran into an aged care worker trying to get on a tram on Wattletree Road, Armadale, in Melbourne's south-east at 6.30 am in March last year.

The victim, Nicole Lagos, then aged 26, sustained horrific injuries in the crash that left her in a critical condition at The Alfred hospital.

Agrawal turned herself into the police after allegedly fleeing the accident.

She was arrested and then taken back to the scene in handcuffs.

Sakshi Agrawal (pictured second right) was taken back to the scene in handcuffs after being arrested in March last year

Agrawal appeared in the Melbourne's Magistrate Court on Monday charged with driving in a manner dangerous causing serious injury, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to render assistance, and negligently causing serious injury.

During a hearing in May, the court heard Agrawal had her $68,000 model 3 Tesla set to 'autopilot' when she allegedly hit the pedestrian.

It remains unclear if Agrawal maintains that defence, with media denied access by Magistrate Natalie Heynes to all documents except the charge sheets.

Agrawal is in the process of a pre-trial committal hearing in which multiple witnesses are expected to be called.

On Monday, Agrawal's barrister Joanne Poole grilled the 35-year veteran tram driver, accusing him of failing to follow the Yarra Trams rule book when it came to how he stopped the tram on the morning of the incident.

The driver told the court he had followed the correct procedures.

But when questioned, the driver said he may not have checked his mirrors before opening the tram doors.

'You didnt check the mirrors, because had you checked  you would have seen a vehicle passing and you wouldnt have opened the doors,' Ms Poole suggested.

'I dont accept that ... I dont think I made a mistake,' the driver responded.

The driver claimed he had engaged the tram's hazard lights before coming to a complete stop to pick-up Ms Lagos, who tuned into Monday's hearing via video link.

Police are pictured at the scene of an alleged hit and run incident in Melbourne in March

The tram driver told the court he had not received any additional training since becoming a driver 35 years ago and had no idea of a rule book published by Yarra Trams in 2017.

'One of those rules is prior to opening doors, drivers must check all mirrors to ensure the immediate area is clear of moving vehicles,' Ms Poole told him.

'You accept that's how it's supposed to be done, but that's not what was done on this occasion.'

While the driver said he could not recall the minute details of what happened that morning, he was sure he would have checked for traffic before opening the tram doors.

'I would have done that at that time,' he maintained.

'It was dark. It was 6.30 in the morning and the lights were on. And it was pretty dark at the stop ... I must have looked in the mirror and God only knows who has done the wrong thing there, but I did what I did as a tram driver.'

Ms Poole further suggested the tram driver opened the tram's doors after Ms Lagos had already been struck.

'The passenger was walking toward the tram after I opened the doors,' the driver responded.

'I was stopped ... and when I opened the doors the passenger started to walk.'

The tram driver claimed Agrawal was travelling so fast he did not even realise Ms Lagos had been struck.

'Whoosh something went past and I was wondering "what the hell". She was just there, 10 seconds away from getting in the tram and she was missing,' he said.

Agrawal partner (pictured) told Channel Nine she panicked and was going to return to the scene

The driver further denied accusations he had opened the tram's doors before the tram had come to a complete stop.

'It was stopped. The tram was stopped and I was waiting for the passenger to get in,' he insisted.

Yarra Trams' chief safety manager told the court the tram door could not be opened while the tram was in motion.

At the time of the incident, Agrawal's claims to Victoria Police about her car's autopilot were reportedly the first time Australian major collision officers were to investigate a case involving a Tesla.

Autopilot is a driver assistance system for Tesla vehicles which allows the car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane.

The system still requires drivers to be aware of their surroundings and have their hands on the wheel.

Detective acting Senior Sergeant Jarrod Dwyer, from the major collision investigation unit, said it was still relatively dark when the car allegedly hit Ms Lagos and dragged her between 15 and 20 metres.

He said Agrawal had panicked after the collision and left the scene, but returned shortly after in the company of a friend.

She expressed remorse when she returned to the scene with the police and was 'quite hysterical,' Sgt Dwyer said.

Agrawal's partner, who returned with her to the scene, said the collision was 'just a normal accident, it happens every day'.

'She was going to come back anyway. She was a bit scared,' he said.

Agrawal was granted bail despite police objecting to it as she could pose a flight risk.

The 24-year-old is in the country on a bridging visa and is neither an Australian citizen nor a permanent resident.

The hearing continues
All samples will be sent to Earth by 2033, and will be studied for signs of life

This is the first to be picked up from the top of the river delta in the Jezero Crater

NASA's Perseverance Rover has collected a sample of Martian rock to be returned to Earth which could contain signs of life.

But don't get too excited yet, as this particular tube won't reach a terrestrial laboratory where it can be studied for another 10 years or so.

Last Thursday, the car-sized robot cored down into the sediment of Jezero Crater on the Red Planet, marking the first sample of its new campaign.

It has been roaming Mars to look for sampling sites that might contain ancient microbes and organics for almost a year now.

In that time, it has completed its first of four search campaigns, which focused on the crater floor and the base of the Neretva Vallis delta.

NASA 's Perseverance Rover has collected a sample of Martian rock which could contain signs of life. Pictured: The Berea outcrop where the latest sample was taken

NASA's Perseverance rover (pictured) chooses a sample using its suite of onboard instruments to detect whether organic molecules are present in some rock before coring. Once extracted, the core samples will be returned to Earth where scientists can analyse them in laboratories

Now it has started its second campaign, where it will hunt for worthy rocks at the top of the delta.

MARS: THE BASICS Mars is the fourth planet from the sun, with a 'near-dead' dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Mars is also a dynamic planet with seasons, polar ice caps, canyons, extinct volcanoes, and evidence that it was even more active in the past. One day on Mars takes a little over 24 hours and a year is 687 Earth days. Facts and Figures Orbital period: 687 days Surface area: 144.8 million km Distance from Sun: 227.9 million km Gravity: 3.721 m/s Radius: 3,389.5 km Moons: Phobos, Deimos Advertisement

These are both part of the overall 'Mars Sample Return campaign', being conducted by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Ken Farley, Perseverance's project scientist in Caltech, said: 'Perseverance's mobility has allowed us to collect igneous samples from the relatively flat crater floor during the first campaign, and then travel to the base of the crater's delta, where we found fine-grained sedimentary rocks deposited in a dried lakebed.

'Now we are sampling from a geologic location where we find coarse-grained sedimentary rocks deposited in a river.

'With this diversity of environments to observe and collect from, we are confident that these samples will allow us to better understand what occurred here at Jezero Crater billions of years ago.'

The latest sample is its 19th tube of matter, and the 16th to contain a piece of rock cored out with its drill.

Other tubes contain 'regolith', broken rock and dust that lacks organic material, and Martian atmosphere.

These 19 samples will remain stored in its belly until a robotic lander arrives on Mars in the future.

Perseverance will deliver these samples to the lander, which will then use a robotic arm to place the tubes in the containment capsule of a small rocket.

The rocket will then be launched out into Mars' orbit, and another ESA spacecraft, called the Earth Return Orbiter, will come by to pick up the containment capsule.

This will then be brought back to Earth by 2033, marking the first time samples will have been brought back from Mars.

Perseverance has been roaming Mars to look for sampling sites that might contain ancient microbes and organics for almost a year now. Pictured: Perseverance's path and location on Mars on April 3 2023

The rock core from Berea inside inside the drill of NASA's Perseverance rover. Each core the rover takes is about the size of a piece of classroom chalk: 0.5 inches (13 mm) in diameter and 2.4 inches (60 mm) long

If Perseverance can't deliver these samples to the lander for some reason, like if it runs out of power, then there is another plan in place.

The rover took duplicates of 10 of the 19 samples it has picked up so far, which it has dropped at a special location at the base of the delta.

This spot is known as 'Three Forks' - a reference to where three route options to the delta merge.

In the eventuality that the lander cannot pick up the original samples, two Sample Recovery Helicopters will collect these duplicates instead.

The rover took duplicates of 10 of the 19 samples it has picked up so far, which it has dropped at a special location at the base of the delta. Pictured: One of the duplicate samples left at the 'Three Forks' location

The latest samples came from a rock dubbed 'Berea', which is thought to have formed from rock deposits left by an ancient river.

This river may have taken material from a region on Mars outside the Jezero Crater Perseverence has been exploring, making it of specific interest to scientists.

It is also rich in carbonate, which is known to be good at preserving fossilised lifeforms on Earth.

Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist for Perseverance at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, USA, said: 'If biosignatures were present in this part of Jezero Crater, it could be a rock like this one that could very well hold their secrets.'

Carbonates also form due to chemical interactions that occur in water, so can provide information about climatic changes in the area it was formed.

Scientist hope the Martian carbonates will reveal insight about the climate on the Red Planet when it was covered in liquid water about three billion years ago.

For its next sample, Perseverance will climb Jezero's sedimentary fan deposit towards the next bend in the dried-up river.

Last Thursday, the car-sized robot cored down into the sediment of Jezero Crater (pictured) on the Red Planet, marking the first sample of its new campaign

Perseverance landed on Mars on February 18 2021, after a nearly seven-month journey through space, and made its first test drive just over two weeks later.

Up until the beginning of '#Campaign 2' - the current search of Jezero Crater for signs of life - the rover spent time testing its instruments and surveying Mars' geological features.

It collected eight rock-core samples from its first science campaign and completed a record-breaking, 31-Martian-day dash across about 3 miles (5 km) of Mars.

Perseverance arrived at Three Forks, the doorstep of Jezero Crater's ancient river delta, on April 13 2022.

An artist's impression shows Jezero Crater as it may have looked as a lake billions of years ago

Scientists hope that as well as providing answers about potential ancient life on the Red Planet (pictured), the rock samples will also reveal more about Mars' climate and how it has evolved

Instruments on Mars may NOT be able to detect life, study warns - READ MORE HERE Researchers from the Autonomous University of Chile tested the sophisticated gadgets used by NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers in the Atacama Desert (pictured) Advertisement

The delta rises more than more than 130 feet (40 m) above the crater floor, and promises to hold numerous geologic revelations  perhaps even proof that microscopic life existed on Mars billions of years ago.

Scientists know from studying deltas on Earth that fine-grained clay-rich rocks in these environments are good at preserving ancient biomarkers.

Biomarkers, or 'molecular fossils,' are complex organic molecules created by life and preserved in rock for up to billions of years.

Perseverance chooses a sample using its suite of onboard instruments to detect whether organic molecules are present before coring with its drill.

Once extracted, the core samples will be returned to Earth where scientists can analyse them in laboratories.

They will identify any organics present and characterise their molecular structures in detail.

These analyses can help determine whether any organic molecules contained in Martian delta rocks are biomarkers or non-biological organics.

US space agency NASA wants these rocks to be brought back to Earth in the 2030s.

Scientists hope that, as well as providing answers about potential ancient life on the Red Planet, they will also reveal more about Mars' climate and how it has evolved.
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.
NASA is set to send the first-ever black astronaut to 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

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.

Mr Glover grew up in Ponoma, CA, 30 miles east of Los Angeles

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.

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.

The newly announced crew will have already embarked on training for the mission but their identities have remained top secret ahead of today's press conference

NASA has revealed the identities of the four astronauts will make the first trip to the moon since 1972 as part of the Artemis II mission. Victor Glover (second from left), 46, becomes the first person of color selected for a moon mission, while Christina Koch (second from right), 44, becomes the first woman. They have been chosen alongside Reid Wiseman (left), 47, from Baltimore, Maryland and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, 47 (right)

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.'
Married At First Sight groom Shannon Adams has furiously denied hurtful claims he is a meth addict following his stint on the Channel Nine show.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the 30-year-old personal trainer opened up about his secret health battle and the real medication he's taking.

'Absolutely not! I'm not a meth addict,' Shannon said.

The personal trainer-turned-Uber Eats drivers explained he was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, after which he started taking dexamphetamine otherwise known as 'Dexies' - a medication prescribed and closely monitored by his doctors.

'It's a long, challenging process to get diagnosed and treated for ADHD,' Shannon explained.

Married At First Sight groom Shannon Adams has furiously denied hurtful claims he is a meth addict following his stint on the Channel Nine show

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, the 30-year-old personal trainer opened up about his secret health battle and the real medication he's taking

'Only those who've experienced it would understand my thought process.'

Shannon wasn't diagnosed until after filming the Channel Nine experiment, which means he was not medicated throughout the show or his childhood.

He jokingly added, 'If I was on meth, I would've been wide awake during those 4am commitment ceremonies, not looking glassy-eyed and ready to fall asleep.'

The personal trainer-turned-Uber Eats drivers explained he was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, after which he started taking dexamphetamine otherwise known as 'Dexies' - a medication prescribed and closely monitored by his doctors

Shannon wasn't diagnosed until after filming the Channel Nine experiment, which means he was not medicated throughout the show or his childhood

Fears for Shannon's behaviour also sparked when resurfaced Instagram posts showed a dark side to the former PT back in February.

In footage obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Adams uses offensive language and spits on the floor of a busy gym while giving advice to his clients when he worked as a personal trainer.

One clip shows an 'aggressive' Adams yelling at the camera before offering harsh fitness advice.

'See that sexy little bitty on the treadmill and your eyeing her off - No, no, no, no, no. F**k her!' Shannon screams in the footage.

'You are not in here for that. Go to a f**king bar, Leave her alone. You're in here for yourself.

Fears for Shannon's behaviour also sparked when resurfaced Instagram posts showed a dark side to the former PT back in February

'You pay your dues, that's how you got to be. And that's a winner. She'll come along in the long term.'

Another distressing clip shows the outspoken fitness buff spitting on the floor at the gym before dishing out more advice.

'So that's your difference right there - that's what will make you number one and keep you number one,' he says, before spitting away from the camera.

Shannon also admitted he was 'toxic' during his relationship with Caitlin McConville, but said he had his reasons.

He explained his harsh behaviour was a result of Caitlin's careless attitude towards wanting to meet his child.

'She didn't have to meet my kid and didn't care if she didn't meet her,' he explained, questioning her intentions on the show.

'What were you doing there? Just to be another Bronte to keep your lid on telly?'

In a surprising twist, Shannon claimed Caitlin wrote 'stay' during their final weeks on the show, but it was manipulated to look like she was ready to reject him.

Shannon said he was 'deeply hurt' by Caitlin's lack of respect for his child. 'You treat my kid like nothing, I'll treat you like nothing. Period!'

Shannon also admitted he was 'toxic' during his relationship with Caitlin McConville, but said he had his reasons

However, he isn't playing the victim card entirely.

I'll own my s**t when I need to, and had my fair share of f***-ups, as we are well aware,' he confessed.

Despite their differences, he acknowledged Caitlin was right about one thing, though he's choosing to keep his private life private.

He explained his harsh behaviour was a result of Caitlin's careless attitude towards wanting to meet his child

Shannon also opened up about his job as an Uber Eats driver and urged others not to be ashamed of their work.

'Never be ashamed of what you do to support yourself, especially in the financial hardship world we live in today! Hustle hard and still dream big!'

If you or anyone you know struggles with drug addiction, call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for confidential advice or Lifeline on 13 11 14 for substance abuse support

Shannon also opened up about his job as an Uber Eats driver and urged others not to be ashamed of their work
Married at First Sight bride Tayla Winter has gone rogue and allowed cameras into her Sydney hotel to film her at her most vulnerable just hours ahead of Monday's finale.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the Hobart-based nurse, 27, opened up about her heartbreaking experience on the show, being isolated by her co-stars and the truth about the sexting scandal with Cam Woods.

Sitting on her hotel bed makeup free, Tayla broke down as she revealed her anguish over Sunday's dinner party.

'I'm icing my face because I'm so swollen from crying all night,' she said through tears.

'This show, this experiment... I can't do it. It's cruel. My mind just doesn't feel like it's okay after it.

'I'm not an emotional person. I don't break down. What they've done is unreal. I don't how they can...'

Married At First Sight bride Tayla Winter has defied producers and allowed cameras in her Sydney hotel to film her at her most venerable ahead of Monday's reunion

In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the Hobart-based nurse, 27, opens up about her heartbreaking experience on the show, feeling isolated by her co-stars, and the truth about the sexting scandal with Cam Woods

Faced with potential confrontation at the reunion, Tayla said she'll apologise - even though she doesn't know what she's apologising for: 'Everyone just says "say sorry, so it can be brushed under the carpet".'

Visibly distressed and fighting off a panic attack, Tayla confided, 'I just don't know what the storyline is that they're going for... and if everyone is gonna come for me about this stupid thing [alleged scandal with Cam].'

Tayla described Cam as a supportive and kind friend during the show, and although 'they get along very well', she said their geographical distance made a romantic relationship close to impossible.

Sitting on her hotel bed, makeup-free, crying her heart out hours before the reunion Tayla revealed her anguish over the dinner party: 'I'm icing my face because I'm so swollen from crying all night'

'This show, this experiment... I can't do it. It's cruel. My mind just doesn't feel like it's okay after it,' she continued

On her friendship with Cam:

Speaking of her friendship with Cam, Tayla said that she had nothing but praise for him.

'He's a really good guy. He's been so nice to me throughout all of this and he was such a big support system.'

She explained that Cam's encouragement helped her get through the show despite feeling isolated and bullied by other female participants.

Visibly distressed and fighting off a panic attack, Tayla confided, 'I just don't know like what the storyline is that they're going for. And if everyone is gonna come for me about this stupid thing [alleged scandal with co-star Cam Woods]'

Speaking of her friendship with Cam, Tayla said that she has nothing but praise for him: 'He's a really good guy'

The special moment with Cam that didn't air on TV:

Tayla said that Cam was one of the few cast members who supported her after she read a deeply personal letter at a dinner party, and that it didn't make it to TV.

'After that big moment at the dinner party, he was like the one I was like looking at the entire time I was shaking, my whole body was shaking and I just said, ''I can't do this, I can't do this". 'And he was like, ''no, you can'', Tayla recalled.

'He came and he gave me a cuddle and he got me my chair and a glass of wine and made sure everyone was being quiet. He was pretty amazing, actually.

'I've got so much time for him.... I've spoken to all of his friends. They're all beautiful and they're cheeky buggers, like they're all like him.

'But Cam lives very far away from me. I'm in Tassie and he's in Darwin - so, you know, that kind of makes it pretty impossible for anything. But yeah, I will always kind of be friends with Cam.'

Tayla explained that her and Cam was one of the few cast members super supportive after she read a deeply personal letter at a dinner party, that didn't make it to TV

What really happened on that Facetime call:

Addressing the Facetime incident, Tayla explained that Cam's actions were meant as a joke and she didn't think it was bad, though her co-star Lyndall did.

'Cam was out on the town and all of his friends kind of FaceTime me, he calls me he whipped it out in the club for everyone to see, not just me.

'And there was so many people there, it was a pretty brave move. He didn't care. But it was funny, I guess him and I have that same kind of sense of humour - just a bit silly and I didn't think it was bad, but Lyndall definitely did.

'I don't think the boys actually cared, like at all. I think they thought it was funny as well.'

Addressing the Facetime incident, Tayla explained that Cam's actions were meant as a joke, and she didn't think it was bad, though her co-star Lyndall did

Tayla talks about future with Cam:

Tayla remains hopeful for their future despite the challenges of living thousands of kilometres apart.

'When there's no-one around and no cameras around, it's gonna be a lot easier just to be ourselves and have fun again and just be stupid,' she laughed.

The smitten MAFS bride gushed about their wild and rowdy personalities: 'We both get really rowdy. We both know how to party and have fun. So I think we will.'

She then revealed her uncertainty about whether they'll ever hook up, adding, 'I'm not sure about that. But I mean, Cam's a good looking guy. Well, he's my type of guy.'

Distance may be a challenge for the lovebirds, but Tayla still holds out hope: 'I guess we've talked about things and the reality is we live so far away from each other. I have to catch two flights and then drive to the middle of nowhere to see Cam, and I can't do that.'

Tayla acknowledges the long-distance challenges between her and Cam, but remains hopeful for their future

'I always tell the truth':

The Hobart-based nurse emphasised her strong moral compass and honesty throughout the show, even when it led to backlash.

She revealed that some participants would act differently on and off-camera, which left her feeling confused and betrayed.

'At least I can go to bed at night knowing that I'm pretty decent person, even though it probably won't look like I am.

'I was very honest with Hugo about where I sat with him romantically and I was absolutely slaughtered for it. But wouldn't it be worse if I just led him on?'

The Hobart-based nurse emphasised her strong moral compass and honesty throughout the show, even when it led to backlash

She revealed that some participants would act differently on and off-camera, which left her feeling confused and betrayed

Hardest thing about going on MAFS:

Tayla said the hardest struggle on MAFS was the manipulation and twisting of her words, leaving her feeling unable to trust anyone.

'That constant feeling of not knowing if I can trust anyone or say anything because it's going to get manipulated. And that's what happened to me a lot,' she explained.

'It was like completely taken out of context or like rumours would start from absolutely nothing. And it was hard because I just felt like I couldn't even project what I wanted to say half the time.'

Despite her negative experience, she joked that her dream would be a sponsorship with Blundstone Australia.

In the interview, Tayla also revealed that her TV husband, Hugo Armstrong, (pictured) has yet to apologise for mistreating her during their time on the show

No apology from Hugo:

In the interview, Tayla also revealed that her TV husband, Hugo Armstrong, has yet to apologise for mistreating her during their time on the show.

'No, I didn't [get an apology].

'I don't know what's real in this bloody thing. I really don't. It's the weirdest thing.'
Ellie Aitken has moved on following her high-profile split from her husband Charlie, after he sent shockwaves through the eastern suburbs socialite set when he ran off with her best friend Hollie Nasser.

The socialite is said to be enjoying a romance with Bahamas-based fund manager Mark Holowesko.

The pair were spotted enjoying a cosy meal at China Doll in Woolloomooloo on Friday.

Mark, who is a former Olympian and champion sailor, has also made frequent visits to Sydney over the past six months.

A source told the Australian Financial Review, the pair are dating and are 'loved up and smitten'.

Ellie Aitken has moved on following her high-profile split from her husband Charlie, after he sent shockwaves through the eastern suburbs socialite set when he ran off with her best friend Hollie Nasser. The socialite is said to be enjoying a romance with Bahamas-based fund manager Mark Holowesko, pictured right

The insider said Ellie and Mark have known each other for years, but grew closer over the past year while she has been building her own funds distribution business in the Bahamas.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ellie Aitken for comment.

Ellie's life was turned upside down in late 2021 when her businessman husband Charlie ran off and shacked up with her best friend Hollie - ending two marriages.

The move caused scandal in the tight-knit eastern suburbs circle, particularly since Hollie was not only Ellie's best friend, but married to Charlie's business partner Christopher.

'The truth is that despite the support of friends and family I have not coped well with the deeply hurtful lies, gossip and innuendo that has surrounded the breakdown of my relationship,' Ellie said in a statement in December that year.

At the time, she announced she would be 'taking a break from social media' and public view while she and her family adjusted to the separation and her estranged husband's new relationship.

'I had attempted to put on a brave face and tried to manage my feelings and wellbeing despite the fact that I have not had any control over the reasons for my sorrow,' she said.

Despite the drama, the Aitkens remained on good terms throughout the separation for the sake of their two children.

A source told the Australian Financial Review, the pair are dating and appear to be 'loved up and smitten'

Ellie's life was turned upside down in late 2021 when her businessman husband Charlie ran off with her best friend Hollie Nasser - ending two marriages

In May 2021, Daily Mail Australia revealed Hollie and Charlie had quietly parted ways, noting the public pressure was too much for them to bear.

Hollie later confirmed the news to Sunday Confidential, saying in a statement the relationship was over and she was focusing on her children.

'With regards to my private life, my focus is my daughters [and] I have chosen not to be in a relationship,' she said.

She went on to praise her estranged husband Christopher Nasser, saying the pair were working together to co-parent their children.

'Chris has always been a loving and devoted father. We are working together to co-parent our children,' she said.

She also reflected on having her affair thrust into the spotlight.

'The past nine months have been very difficult and I have expressed my apologies to my family and others involved,' she said.
Notoriously private Tracy Grimshaw has taken extreme measure to avoid re-entering the spotlight six months after quitting A Current Affair.

The veteran reporter, 62, reportedly knocked back two of the most coveted journalism awards this year, because she 'wants to avoid the media circus' that comes with high-profile award ceremonies.

Grimshaw initially accepted lifetime achievement awards from both the Melbourne Press Club, but later changed her mind due to the 'hoopla surrounding her receiving the award.'

She is said to have turned down another lifetime award from the Sydney-based Kennedy Awards for the same reason.

'Tracy's a no-nonsense person who doesn't like all the fuss,' a Nine insider told The Australian's Media Diary.

Tracy Grimshaw, 62, has reportedly knocked back two major awards to avoid being seen at the ceremony, as she retreats from public life entirely after quitting A Current Affair. (Pictured at the 2018 TV Logie Awards)

'She's having the first gap year in her career, and she's really enjoying the chance to step away from the media circus.'

Grimshaw is fiercely private about her personal life and enjoys her solitude living alone on a sprawling farm estate in rural NSW.

A previous report by New Idea magazine claimed Grimshaw suffers from crippling 'shyness' and finds solitude 'less daunting'.

As reported by Media Diary, Grimshaw initially accepted lifetime achievement awards from both the Melbourne Press Club, but later changed her mind due to the 'hoopla surrounding her receiving the award'. She subsequently turned down another lifetime award from the Sydney-based Kennedy Awards for the same reason, the publication claims

'Tracy has battled shyness her entire career... she is so introverted it actually affects her daily life,' a source told the magazine in 2016.

'The person you see on TV is not the same person you would meet on the street,' they said of Grimshaw, who is known to exude confidence in her role on A Current Affair.'

The highly-respected journalist filmed her final episode of A Current Affair in November, after 17 years hosting the Channel Nine news show.

Grimshaw is fiercely private about her personal life and enjoys her solitude living alone on a sprawling farm estate in rural NSW. (She is pictured mowing her grass on a ride-on lawnmower in 2016)

Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie O show ahead of her departure, Tracy said she was looking forward to enjoying a well-deserved career break.

'I'm having a year off and I'm not doing anything for an entire year. I'm resetting my work-life balance to purely life next year,' she replied when asked whether she'd be moving to another news show in 2023.

'But then, you never know what I might pop up doing in 2024,' she coyly added.

The highly-respected journalist filmed her final episode of A Current Affair in November, after 17 years hosting the Channel Nine news show
Evelyn Ellis and Duncan James have denied romance rumours for weeks.

But actions spoke louder than words over the weekend, after the Married At First Sight stars were caught dirty dancing at a Sydney nightclub.

Photos obtained by Yahoo Lifestyle show the pair grinding up against each other on the crowded dance floor, making no effort to hide their affections.

Duncan, 36, stripped off his shirt and flaunted his muscly physique, while Evelyn 27, showcased her busty assets and slender physique in a plunging blue bodysuit.

On several occasions, Duncan lifted Evelyn into the air while clutching onto her derriere.

Married At First Sight's Evelyn Ellis, 27, (left) and Duncan James, 36, (right) all but confirmed they are together as they danced together at a nightclub over the weekend

On several occasions, Duncan lifted Evelyn into the air while clutching onto her derriere

In response, the brunette provocatively wrapped her legs around Duncan's torso and pulled him close.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Duncan and Evelyn for comment.

The pair first sparked romance rumours in February after they were spotted getting cosy at Evelyn's viewing party in Sydney.

At the time the couple denied they were anything more than friends, but an anonymous cast-member told So Dramatic! they were indeed an item.

The pair first sparked romance rumours in February after they were spotted getting cosy at Evelyn's viewing party in Sydney. (Pictured arriving at the event together)

Evelyn and Duncan reportedly sought the 'blessing' of Evelyn's on-screen husband Rupert Burden (pictured), who was apparently happy to see his ex-'wife' find love

The source also claimed Evelyn and Duncan had even sought the 'blessing' of Evelyn's on-screen husband Rupert Burden.

'[Rupert] said they both contacted him separately and asked him if they could have his blessing to progress to a romantic relationship', the insider claimed.

While Rupert was happy to see Evelyn find new love, Duncan's TV wife Alyssa Barmonde was reportedly 'devastated' after learning the news from someone else.

Duncan's TV wife Alyssa Barmonde (pictured) was reportedly 'devastated' after learning the news from someone else

Sparks flew between Duncan (left) and Evelyn right) during MAFS' couple-swap challenge, an insider previously claimed

Duncan and Evelyn first grew close during the experiment's couple swap challenge, during which participants exchanged spouses and shared a bed with them for an entire weekend.

'Duncan had the best time with Evelyn. The fun part of him came out again,' an insider told New Idea magazine of the couple swap.

'He wondered what it would have been like if they were matched together from the start. He is definitely attracted to her.'

Duncan and Evelyn's attraction was so obvious that even producers began talking about it behind the scenes with the hopes of a 'new couple emerging', according to the publication.

Back in February, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed images of Duncan and Evelyn getting flirty at Evelyn's viewing party - with their respective spouses nowhere to be seen. Daily Mail Australia captured footage of the pair getting close while model Evelyn poured champagne into Duncan's mouth. (Both pictured)

'Everyone noticed Duncan was smiling again  even Alyssa. That was hard for [Alyssa] to see,' the source added.

Back in February, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed images of Duncan and Evelyn getting flirty at Evelyn's viewing party - with their respective spouses nowhere to be seen.

Photos from the rowdy get-together show Evelyn flirtatiously pouring champagne into Duncan's mouth and holding hands.

Duncan was also seen playfully lifting Evelyn up into his arms as the festivities wore on.

Footage taken at around 6am that night also shows Duncan carrying Evelyn across his shoulder as they made their way to her Sydney apartment.

Duncan was also seen playfully lifting Evelyn up into his arms as the festivities wore on
Tyler James Williams shared his thoughts on his and costar Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary characters' romance.

Speaking to Us Weekly over the weekend at PaleyFest in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old actor said about Gregory and Janine's relationship, 'I love the innocent places we get to go to.'

He continued, 'That were not trying to make this too complicated or sexy. Its the little moments and its reminding people that thats what courting relationships are its the little moments. Thats what I love most.'

The 30-minute sitcom premiered in December 2021 but it was only in its second season that Gregory and Janine kissed for the first time.

Williams told the publication, 'Id like to see conflict with them. They have to learn how to handle conflict.'

Personal opinion: Tyler James Williams shared his thoughts on his and costar Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary characters' romance

In addition to Williams and Brunson, the show stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Janelle James, William Stanford Davis, and Chris Perfetti.

In the premiere season Tyler's character Gregory was a substitute teacher at the titular Philadelphia public school where the show takes action.

Janine, a full-time educator at the institution, took him under her wing and their bond slowly formed.

Their connection flourished in the second season of the series when they lip locked at a professional conference.

Tyler emphasized he'd like to see some friction between the two as he added, 'Theyre not really good at [conflict] and they try and ignore things and move on.'

Ralph also reflected on Tyler's character as she told the Us Weekly in February, 'I love the fact that Gregory is taking time to really, really learn about himself as a man.

'Janine is taking the time to learn about herself as a woman  working out some of her sticky relationships.

' I think that is very important for the two of them because I just love Janine and Gregory.'

Thoughts: Speaking to Us Weekly over the weekend at PaleyFest in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old actor said about Gregory and Janine's relationship, 'I love the innocent places we get to go to'

The Emmy award-winning actress continued, 'Im just like, "You all respect it. Be careful and take your time."'

She added, 'I cant tell you anything about whats going to happen with that.

'But youre going to learn and see more of peoples families and thats a wonderful thing.'

Ralph then predicted, 'And I honestly believe that this is going to be a season where people are satisfied.'

Williams recently opened up to GQ about the 'traumatic' stardom he endured as a teen when he broke through in Hollywood with his starring role in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.

The New York native told the publication that he realized 'pretty f***ing quickly' how child stars were sentenced to 'juvenile purgatory' in Hollywood.

A producer once summed up Tyler's future as an actor with a devastating prediction: 'I'll never see you as anything else and you'll probably never work again.'

The Golden Globe winner conceded that the producer was probably just speaking in jest, but Williams said that he was deeply hurt by the joke, adding: 'I was like, "Holy s**t, you really just looked at me and said that."'

Budding romance: Williams told the publication, 'Id like to see conflict with [Gregory and Janine]. They have to learn how to handle conflict'

His role: The 30-minute sitcom premiered in December 2021; Tyler plays a teacher who works at the titular Philadelphia school

Beginning his career at the age of seven, Williams went on to work as an extra on Saturday Night Live before landing the sitcom that would launch him into the public eye at 12 years old.

He described fame as 'the weirdest s**t in the world,' adding: 'It was traumatic. I still get triggered by things that are part of everybody else's childhood.

'Every time someone comes up to me, regardless of what it is they recognize me for, what that says to me in the moment is that I'm seen. I have to be on, immediately, because someone's watching.'

To cope and recover from his worsening paranoia, Williams went into therapy and tackled his 'hypervigilance.'
Two weeks after celebrating five months of sobriety, Bella Hadid has revealed the extensive history of her health struggles with Lyme disease, the tick-borne illness she originally contracted back in 2012.

The 26-year-old IMG Model's latest health scare came after undergoing emergency root canal surgery a year ago and developing a low-grade infection underneath the neighboring tooth, which she now plans on having extracted Monday.

Bella's doctors prescribed her antibiotics and Motrin 800 for the jaw infection after she landed in Florida a month ago, and she shared a selfie of her skin 'breaking out randomly, I get what feels like lesions.'

'I look sick as a dog compared to what I look like now,' Hadid - who boasts 66.5M TikTok/Instagram followers - explained via TikTok on Sunday.

'Basically, the nerve pain from my jaw ended up going down my entire meridian of my body, and to the touch, everywhere all the way down my body through all my lymph nodes. This pain, man. Something real different. Real different.'

Story time! Two weeks after celebrating five months of sobriety, Bella Hadid has revealed the extensive history of her health struggles with Lyme disease, the tick-borne illness she originally contracted back in 2012

The 26-year-old IMG Model's latest health scare came after undergoing emergency root canal surgery a year ago and developing a low-grade infection underneath the neighboring tooth, which she now plans on having extracted Monday

The half-Dutch, half-Palestinian beauty said most of her pictures/selfies look like [the selfie from Florida] 'on a normal basis when I'm flaring up.'

'You can only wonder why my face changes the way it doesn't and this is why. End of story,' Bella continued.

'That's why I hate looking in the mirror or taking pictures especially lately, truly wanting to throw up at the sight of myself constantly. Years and years of this. If I'm all dolled up maybe I'll try for the girls, but man is it hard to do this as your profession while also feeling/looking sick like this.'

Hadid added: 'And if you look back at work pictures from the past eight years you can tell the difference between me when my Lyme flares up and me when I'm healthy. She's a different girl. I feel so bad for her my little body.'

The About You collaborator said she looks and feels like that picture 'most days' and apologized for 'the way that I shot covers and campaigns in that state for month.'

'This is me on a decent day by the way,' Bella went on.

'I would never be able to make one of these videos if I was at work having a flare up, or not feeling safe/calm in my environment as I am with my mom and horses the past four weeks. I tried my best so I could try to update you guys before the extraction.'

Hadid added: 'Thank you for watching this and knowing a little more about me that is a huge part of my everyday life. It means more to me than you even know and I feel closer to you guys now. Love you all a lot a lot a lot. My angels.'

'I get what feels like lesions': Bella's doctors prescribed her antibiotics and Motrin 800 for the jaw infection after she landed in Florida a month ago, and she shared a selfie of her skin 'breaking out randomly' (pictured in early March)

Hadid explained via TikTok on Sunday: 'I look sick as a dog compared to what I look like now'

The half-Dutch, half-Palestinian beauty said: 'Basically, the nerve pain from my jaw ended up going down my entire meridian of my body, and to the touch, everywhere all the way down my body through all my lymph nodes. This pain, man. Something real different. Real different'

Bella continued: 'You can only wonder why my face changes the way it doesn't and this is why. End of story. That's why I hate looking in the mirror or taking pictures especially lately, truly wanting to throw up at the sight of myself constantly. Years and years of this. If I'm all dolled up maybe I'll try for the girls, but man is it hard to do this as your profession while also feeling/looking sick like this'

Hadid added: 'Thank you for watching this and knowing a little more about me that is a huge part of my everyday life. It means more to me than you even know and I feel closer to you guys now. Love you all a lot a lot a lot. My angels'

Before officially being diagnosed with Lyme at age 16 - the DC-born, Malibu-raised beauty was incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD at age 14 and began self-medicating at age 15 because she was 'so depressed and sick'

Bella - who started homeschooling and stopped riding horses due to brain fog - said no one believed she was chronically ill except for her mother Yolanda Hadid, who was diagnosed with Lyme the same year in 2012.

The 59-year-old former Ford Model detailed her journey seeing '106 doctors' and undergoing a Stem Cell transplant, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Chelation therapy, colon hydrotherapy, among other treatments in her 2017 book Believe Me.

'After many misdiagnosis for two years, she started driving me anywhere and everywhere on our own, sick herself, to find the doctors that could heal me. I just turned 15/16 I think,' Hadid recalled.

'I was already doing IVs and random holistic treatments here and there, but just things that felt like a Band-Aid to me. My first Lyme treatment that I remember where the doctors actually could treat me and tell me what was wrong with me was in Reno at University of Nevada and a year or two later, my mom drove the both of us, sick herself, across the border to Tijuana, Mexico. To the kindest small town doctor.

'After that, over the years, the flood gates opened and Lyme started to be more visible through blood and Kinesiology. My mom's book actually talks about all of the treatments I did, and about what it looked like for her baby to be sick like her, it's just a bit traumatizing for me to read now.'

Back in 2017, the Ramy guest star told InStyle that that she took '30 pills' and self-administered 'two shots a day in the keester' to properly function with Lyme disease.

Throwback: Before officially being diagnosed with Lyme at age 16 - the DC-born, Malibu-raised beauty was incorrectly diagnosed with ADHD at age 14 and began self-medicating at age 15 because she was 'so depressed and sick (pictured in 2012)

Shared struggle: Bella - who started homeschooling and stopped riding horses due to brain fog - said no one believed she was chronically ill except for her mother Yolanda Hadid (L, pictured in 2017), who was diagnosed with Lyme the same year in 2012

The 59-year-old former Ford Model detailed her journey seeing '106 doctors' and undergoing a Stem Cell transplant, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Chelation therapy, colon hydrotherapy, among other treatments in her 2017 book Believe Me
Carrie Bickmore's ex Chris Walker is ready to get back on the dating scene following their split in January.

The TV producer has reportedly signed up to dating apps and he is 'open to meeting someone new'.

'After the initial sadness of the separation with Carrie, we've all encouraged him to put himself "out there" again,' a friend allegedly told Woman's Day.

'He's trying his luck with dating apps  he's a little rusty given his lack of experience with them but he's certainly had plenty of interest so far.'

The source continued: 'It's still early days though, and he's not ready to dive straight back into a relationship, but he's open to meeting someone new.'

Carrie Bickmore's ex Chris Walker has been busted on dating apps following their shock split after 11 years

It comes amid reports Carrie has grown close to her Hit FM co-host Tommy Little, 38, who is also single following his breakup with girlfriend Natalie Kyriacou in 2021.

Tommy rushed to the mother-of-three's side in January when she confirmed her split, leading insiders to speculate their friendship could evolve into something more.

In recent months Tommy has shared several gushing tributes to Carrie on Instagram, and in one post called her the 'best in the business' who 'lifts up everyone around her and makes them look good'.

Ahead of her last day on The Project last November, Tommy also treated the blonde bombshell to a private helicopter ride across Melbourne.

He is often seen close to her at glitzy events, including the 2022 Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) last October, where he didn't leave her side even as guests got up from their tables and mingled with others.

According to Woman's Day, Chris has signed up to dating apps and is 'open to meeting someone new'

The duo are regularly seen posing for cosy selfies on social media, which has prompted curious fans to question whether romance is on the cards.

'You guys make a lovely couple,' one recently commented on a photo of the pair.

'Get a room already, you two,' another said.

It's not hard to see why fans are hoping for love to blossom, as Tommy and Carrie are already known for their electric chemistry.

Their professional relationship began in 2016 when Tommy joined Carrie on the panel of The Project.

A year later, the pair began co-hosting Hit Network's Melbourne drive show in 2017, and immediately gained a cult following thanks to their entertaining and organic banter.

It comes amid reports Carrie has grown close to her Hit FM co-host Tommy Little (left) who is also single following his breakup with girlfriend Natalie Kyriacou in 2021

Carrie announced her split from her longtime partner Chris in January this year via Instagram, saying the pair are focused on co-parenting their three children, Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four.

The news came just one month after Carrie hosted her last episode of Channel 10's The Project after stepping down because she wanted to spend more evenings at home with her family.

Almost a year earlier, in February 2021, it was reported that Tommy had split from his ex, social media manager Natalie.

At the time, the couple vanished from each other's social media feeds and he was spotted on dating app Tinder.
Two weeks after saying 'I do' - Lily Rose and Daira Eamon flashed their wedding rings while walking their first red carpet as newlyweds at the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Texas' Moody Center in Austin on Sunday.

'We have been riding a high, to say the least. We're so grateful so it's amazing,' the 29-year-old country crooner told ET on Sunday.

'When we finally got to the [Bridge Building in Nashville] and saw all of our 17-month prep just coming into fruition - it was amazing. It was amazing.'

Lily's 28-year-old blushing bride - who works as a marketing/sales specialist for Leapfrog Technology Group - had advice for other betrothed couples: 'Don't stress. Just enjoy the moment and it'll all fall into place.'

Rose (last name Williamson) then chimed in: 'It goes by really quickly and it is very easy to get drunk on your wedding day regardless of what people say!'

Two weeks after saying 'I do'! Lily Rose and Daira Eamon flashed their wedding rings while walking their first red carpet as newlyweds at the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Texas' Moody Center in Austin on Sunday

The 29-year-old country crooner (R) told ET on Sunday: 'We have been riding a high, to say the least. We're so grateful so it's amazing'

The Atlanta native and Daira - who began their romance in 2018 before getting engaged in 2021 - enjoyed a mini-honeymoon in Charleston, SC but they hope to go on a longer honeymoon in 2024.

Lily could not keep her hands, or her lips, off Eamon who took the plunge in a black blazer dress and thigh-high cowboy boots.

Rose - sporting a $40 Nuthin' Fancy Collection 'Plain Jane Snapback' - wore a brown suede jacket over a black top, matching jeans, and snakeskin cowboy boots.

The self-taught musician began her career in 2008, went viral on TikTok in 2021 with her song Villain, and the CMTs marked her debut TV performance.

'I'm just grateful [and] honored to be doing it. It's wild. I still can't believe it. I don't have [the] words,' Lily gushed.

'[My new song Whatcha Know About That] is one of my favorites to perform with my band. I'm really stoked to do something that feels comfortable so it's high energy and we're excited.'

Rose is next scheduled to perform this Tuesday at Florida's Clay County Fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs.

Lily continued: 'When we finally got to the [Bridge Building in Nashville] and saw all of our 17-month prep just coming into fruition - it was amazing. It was amazing'

Rose's 28-year-old blushing bride (L) - who works as a marketing/sales specialist for Leapfrog Technology Group - had advice for other betrothed couples: 'Don't stress. Just enjoy the moment and it'll all fall into place'

The Atlanta native (R) then chimed in: 'It goes by really quickly and it is very easy to get drunk on your wedding day regardless of what people say!'

Major milestone: Lily and Daira - who began their romance in 2018 before getting engaged in 2021 - enjoyed a mini-honeymoon in Charleston, SC but they hope to go on a longer honeymoon in 2024

Packing on the PDA! Rose (last name Williamson) could not keep her hands, or her lips, off Eamon who took the plunge in a black blazer dress and thigh-high cowboy boots

Kiss: The self-taught musician - sporting a $40 Nuthin' Fancy Collection 'Plain Jane Snapback' - wore a brown suede jacket over a black top, matching jeans, and snakeskin cowboy boots

'I'm just grateful [and] honored to be doing it!' Lily began her career in 2008, went viral on TikTok in 2021 with her song Villain, and the CMTs marked her debut TV performance
Grey's Anatomy stars Camilla Luddington and Adelaide Kane dared to bare in grey suits for the 19th season cast and crew reunion at PaleyFest, which was held at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday.

Camilla flashed a hint of the grey bra beneath her pantsuit selected by stylist Natalie Hoselton.

Hairstylist Hayley Heckmann gave the British 39-year-old's locks a wet look for the Q&A/screening and make-up artist Adam Burrell made sure her complexion was fully contoured.

Coyly joining Luddington on the red carpet was her character Dr. Jo Wilson's potential onscreen love interest Chris Carmack, who plays Dr. Atticus Lincoln on the longest-running ABC medical drama.

'I think that this is the most important relationship in her life, other than the relationship with her kid because he's known her for so long,' the Constantine actress explained - according to Variety.

How fitting! Grey's Anatomy stars Camilla Luddington (L) and Adelaide Kane (R) dared to bare in grey suits for the 19th season cast and crew reunion at PaleyFest, which was held at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Sunday

'So I think there's a dance going on right now of obviously not wanting to ruin that. She's never had stability...This is her family, this is potentially who she could be with forever, and so I think a lot rests in that friendship with him.'

Camilla continued: 'This is what she really needs. In learning to love herself and do the work, she is realizing this is what she really deserves and this is what love really looks like, so it's everything, but I don't think she wants to risk it.'

The 42-year-old Nashville and OC alum - rocking an all-black suit - called it a 'potential blooming romance' saying: 'I think Jo and that friendship has gotten [Link] a long way.'

In real life, Luddington has two children - daughter Hayden, nearly 6; and son Lucas, 2 - from her three-year marriage to Snowfall star Matthew Alan.

And Chris has two daughters - Kai, 2; and Cielle Estee, 10 months - from his four-year marriage to musical partner Erin Slaver.

The That's My Jam guest star - who boasts 6.3M social media followers - somehow found time backstage to perform a TikTok dance to Taylor Swift's 2022 song Karma with her co-star Kim Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman).

Meanwhile, Adelaide flaunted her taut tummy in a cinched white Abodi blouse beneath a grey Maison Margiela suit and chrome-toed pumps selected by styling duo Dani + Emma.

Hairstylist Kiley Fitzgerald coiffed the Australian 32-year-old's partial updo with face-framing tendrils.

Took the plunge! Camilla flashed a hint of the grey bra beneath her pantsuit selected by stylist Natalie Hoselton

Ready for her close-up! Hairstylist Hayley Heckmann gave the British 39-year-old's locks a wet look for the Q&A/screening and make-up artist Adam Burrell made sure her complexion was fully contoured

All smiles! Coyly joining Luddington on the red carpet was her character Dr. Jo Wilson's potential onscreen love interest Chris Carmack (L), who plays Dr. Atticus Lincoln on the longest-running ABC medical drama

The Constantine actress explained: 'There's a dance going on right now of obviously not wanting to ruin [their friendship]. She's never had stability...This is her family, this is potentially who she could be with forever, and so I think a lot rests in that friendship with him'

The 42-year-old Nashville and OC alum - rocking an all-black suit - called it a 'potential blooming romance' saying: 'I think Jo and that friendship has gotten [Link] a long way'

'#PaleyFest': Luddington - who boasts 6.3M social media followers - somehow found time backstage to perform a TikTok dance to Taylor Swift's 2022 song Karma with her co-star Kim Raver (Dr. Teddy Altman)

Make-up artist Melissa Hernandez applied substantial pink blush to Kane's eyes and cheeks.

The Neighbours alum - who moved to LA at age 19 in 2009 - said of her new intern character, Dr. Jules Millin: 'I'm excited to watch her heal within herself and learn to be emotional. There is no joy without sadness.'

Camilla and Adelaide eagerly posed for a selfie with many of their castmates on the red carpet ahead of the panel.

The Grey's Anatomy iPhone selfie was expertly taken by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, who plays Dr. Owen Hunt.

The PaleyFest panel was moderated by T.R. Knight - who played Dr. George O'Malley from 20052009 and 2020) - and Caterina Scorsone confessed: 'You were my intern crush!'

The Canadian 41-year-old - who plays Dr. Amelia Shepherd - opted for a long-sleeve green velvet maxi-dress featuring pink trim with pink pumps.

Five-time Emmy nominee Chandra Wilson - who's played Dr. Miranda Bailey since 2005 - wore a fuzzy lavender sweater with a ruched grey high-low skirt and silver slingbacks.

Everything Everywhere All At Once alum Harry Shum Jr. - who play Benson Kwan on Grey's - rocked a zigzag-print top beneath a grey suit and white sneakers selected by stylist Warren Alfie Baker.

Hit Me Baby One More Time! Meanwhile, Adelaide flaunted her taut tummy in a cinched white Abodi blouse beneath a grey Maison Margiela suit and chrome-toed pumps selected by styling duo Dani + Emma

Etched abs: Hairstylist Kiley Fitzgerald coiffed the Australian 32-year-old's partial updo with face-framing tendrils

Gorge: Make-up artist Melissa Hernandez applied substantial pink blush to Kane's eyes and cheeks

The Neighbours alum said of her new intern character, Dr. Jules Millin: 'I'm excited to watch her heal within herself and learn to be emotional. There is no joy without sadness'

Weee! Camilla and Adelaide eagerly posed for a selfie with many of their castmates on the red carpet ahead of the panel

'#paleyfestival you're welcome!' The Grey's Anatomy iPhone selfie was expertly taken by Scottish actor Kevin McKidd (front), who plays Dr. Owen Hunt

Season 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff - who was replaced by executive producer Meg Marinis for season 20 - wore a black blouse with matching slacks and sandals.

Also attending the PaleyFest panel were cast members Niko Terho, Jake Borelli, James Pickens Jr., Midori Francis, Anthony Hill, Kelly McCreary, Alexis Floyd.

Noticeably missing was Ellen Pompeo, who will continue to provide voiceover for the beginning and end of each episode despite her character Dr. Meredith Grey departing on February 23.

PaleyFest audiences got a sneak peek at this coming Thursday's episode titled 'Cowgirls Don't Cry' of the 16-episode 19th season.

The PaleyFest panel was moderated by T.R. Knight - who played Dr. George O'Malley from 20052009 and 2020) - and Caterina Scorsone confessed: 'You were my intern crush!'

Texture: The Canadian 41-year-old - who plays Dr. Amelia Shepherd - opted for a long-sleeve green velvet maxi-dress featuring pink trim with pink pumps

OG: Five-time Emmy nominee Chandra Wilson - who's played Dr. Miranda Bailey since 2005 - wore a fuzzy lavender sweater with a ruched grey high-low skirt and silver slingbacks

Dapper: Everything Everywhere All At Once alum Harry Shum Jr. - who play Benson Kwan on Grey's - rocked a zigzag-print top beneath a grey suit and white sneakers selected by stylist Warren Alfie Baker

Mastermind: Season 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff - who was replaced by executive producer Meg Marinis for season 20 - wore a black blouse with matching slacks and sandals
Samuel L Jackson shocked Scottish club-goers as he made a surprise appearance to watch a drag show at a Bongo's Bingo party in Glasgow on Saturday night.

The actor, 74, delighted locals with the unlikely night out at venue SWG3 where he was seen laughing from the side of the stage.

The Hollywood star beamed as he also filmed the show on his phone and looked like he was having a great time.

Jackson is in Glasgow filming a new thriller called Damaged, according to the website Deadline.

Those who spotted him at the event and learnt about the appearance online were quite rightly shocked at seeing him there.

Unexpected: Samuel L Jackson shocked Scottish club-goers as he made a surprise appearance to watch a drag show at a Bongo's Bingo party in Glasgow on Saturday night

Wow! The actor, 74, delighted locals with the unlikely night out at venue SWG3 where he was seen laughing from the side of the stage

One said: 'Samuel L Jackson being at bongos bingo on April fools day is the hardest the simulation has been simulating in a while.'

Another wrote: 'Samuel L Jackson in Bongos Bingo in Glasgow. Now there is a sentence I never thought I would type.'

A third commented: 'Still find it funny that Samuel L Jackson just randomly showed up at my work for bongos bingo!'

Another said: 'Seeing that Samuel L Jackson was at Bongo's Bingo at SWG3 in Glasgow last night has somehow made my anxious hangover worse. Too bizarre. Don't like it. Would rather it wasn't a thing.'

Someone else said: 'Samuel L Jackson was at Bongo's Bingo in Glasgow last night!!'

Another wrote: 'No way was Samuel L Jackson at SWG3 for Bongo's Bingo last night!'

It comes after back in January Samuel and his wife of 42 years LaTanya Richardson had a fight a theatre gala which led to him leaving early despite the couple being honoured, according to a report.

The A-lister and his 73-year-old actress wife were in attendance at the Theatre Communications Group gala in New York City when the alleged incident occurred.

Fun: The Hollywood star beamed as he also filmed the show on his phone and looked like he was having a great time

In the area: Jackson is in Glasgow filming a new thriller called Damaged, according to film website Deadline

Shock: One said: 'Samuel L Jackson being at bongos bingo on April fools day is the hardest the simulation has been simulating in a while'

Reaction: Those who spotted him at the event and learnt about the appearance online were quite rightly shocked at seeing him there

According to sources for Page Six, the longtime couple had a 'tiff' in the press room before Samuel ducked out early though an event organizer told the publication that the star was not scheduled to be there for the entire gala at the Edison Ballroom in Midtown anyway.

DailyMail.com reached out to representatives for Samuel at the time.

A source told Page Six: 'They apparently were in a fight when they arrived. They posed for pictures together and then the fight [went on].'

A different insider said that the Samuel and LaTanya got into a spat in the pressroom and Sam looked annoyed.

As the power couple were both being honoured at the event by Vanessa Williams it was interesting to note that the source said that 'LaTanya accepted solo.'

Page Six also reported that the matriarch had explained to the audience that Samuel had left due to COVID-19 concerns.

LaTanya is also currently directing her husband in the revival of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson on Broadway.

A rep for the gala released a statement to Page Six which read: 'As the top-billed star of The Piano Lesson, Mr. Jackson is extraordinarily cautious about the risk putting the production in jeopardy by exposing himself to COVID-19.

'Ms. Jackson accepted on behalf of both she and her husband simply to minimize his risk of exposure. Mr. Jackson had only ever planned on doing photos and then leaving, as everyone involved with planning the event knew in advance.

'It was a magical evening, and they helped raise a record haul of more than $300,000 to support TCG's mission of creating a more just and equitable theater ecology.'

Samuel and LaTanya have a longtime love story as they met when they both were in college back in 1970.

They eventually married in 1980 and have one child, 40-year-old freelance film and television producer Zoe Jackson.

Last year Samuel credited his wife with helping him overcome his drug addiction.

He had said that, early on in their relationship, he had been found 'passed out' as a result of drug-taking and LaTanya arranged for him to be taken into a rehabilitation clinic.

Jackson noted that there was one day in particular that spurred his wife to seek help for her troubled husband.

The Pulp Fiction star told People in March 2022 that when his wife 'found me passed out on the floor in the house or whatever I had been out of the bachelor party or something,' she called out for professional help.

'She could have just said, you know, get out, whatever and just left me into the world, let me go and be whatever I was going to be,' he said.

Speaking about his addiction was affecting him, he added: 'I had basically moved into the basement of our brownstone.'

Jackson also offered a bit of insight into his behaviour at the time and pointed out that he had become withdrawn from his loved ones.

'I was like the troll in the basement, and every now and then I'd come upstairs and hover around to do something. I was addicted and being crazy,' he said.

LaTanya admitted that she 'felt like' leaving him during the time period, but felt as if it was her religious duty to stay and help.

The actor's wife recalled: 'I would have done that. I felt like doing that. But I come from a very God fearing family. So I couldn't do that.'

She then remarked that she felt as if she owed it to a higher power to seek help for her troubled husband.

Tough times: It comes after back in January Samuel and his wife of 42 years LaTanya Richardson had a fight a theatre gala which led to him leaving early despite the couple being honoured, according to a report

LaTanya said: 'I felt as though God has spoken to me and said, "Now, you can't leave this young man like this. So give him some help and feel like even afterwards, we'll talk about it."'

After overcoming his substance abuse issues, the actor went on to become the highest-grossing actor of all time, with his films having collectively earned over $27 billion.

The performer admitted that the help his wife had given him was ultimately the 'chance' to become who he was meant to be.

He added: 'I was given another chance to be who I was supposed to be. Like, she always said, you know that one of these days I was gonna grow into the man that I was supposed to be. And, you know, that was an opportunity to do that.'
Nicole Trunfio certainly turned heads at the Country Music Awards in Austin on Sunday.

The Australian model, 37, ensured all eyes were on her as she took to the red carpet in a skimpy Jacquemus dress.

Nicole, who is married to musician Gary Clarke Jr, hammed it up as she posed with her talented husband.

The Vogue cover star showcased her toned stomach and trim pins in the skimpy frock which featured a number of cut-outs.

Nicole opted to wear her raven tresses slightly curled allowing them to cascade past her shoulders.

Australian model Nicole Trunfio, 35, (pictured) ensured all eyes were on her in a very racy frock when she attended the Country Music Awards in Austin on Sunday

She opted for a more natural makeup palette for the event.

Gary, meanwhile, opted for a graphic shirt and pants which he paired with a pair of tan boots for the event.

The Make Me a Supermodel judge shares three children with her American musician husband.

Nicole, who is married to musician Gary Clarke Jr, hammed it up as she posed with her talented husband. The star happily flaunted her gorgeous figure in the frock

The couple were seen kissing on the red carpet

The Vogue cover star showcased her toned stomach and trim pins in the skimpy frock which featured a number of cut-outs

The couple share son Zion, seven, and daughters Gia, four, and Ella, two.

Posting a tribute to her children on Instagram in June, Nicole wrote: 'All mine, actually... my belief is they are not 'mine', I'm just here to raise, nurture and nourish them, to love them and guide them the best way I can.'

'Hopefully they will love and respect me for that, and we will create a forever unbreakable bond that will keep us close, so we can share a million memories and laughs together for our entire lifetimes.

'I respect these little people as equals and I probably learn as much if not more from them as they do from me.'

Nicole is the founder of brands Bumpsuit, Erth Jewellery and Erth Swim.
Sylvia Jeffreys was ever the dutiful mum as she attended a family event in Sydney on Monday.

The television host headed out to a birthday party for her son Henry, who is turning two.

The 36-year-old was casually chic in a pair of tight white jeans paired with a black, sleeveless turtleneck.

She kept things relaxed, going without makeup for the outing and wearing her blonde locks down in waves.

Sylvia was flanked by family and friends as she made her way inside the venue for the shindig.

Sylvia Jeffreys (pictured) was ever the dutiful mum as she attended a family event in Sydney on Monday. The television host headed out to a birthday party for her son Henry, two

The Channel Nine presenter shares her son with fellow media personality Peter Stefanovic, 41.

The couple, who were married in 2017, also have an older son, Oscar, three, who they welcomed eight months before Henry was born.

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 36-year-old was casually chic in a pair of tight white jeans paired with a black, sleeveless turtleneck

She kept things relaxed, going without makeup for the outing and wearing her blonde locks down in waves

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.
It was recently confirmed that Death In Paradise has been comissioned for two more seasons.

And now, leading man Ralf Little has assured fans that he will be also be making a return for the upcoming episodes as DI Neville Parker.

The actor, 43, revealed this week that contracts have been 'signed and sealed' for his return, with filming for the BBC crime show set to kick off this year.

While the broadcaster confirmed the extra seasons back in February, along with a feature-length Christmas special, it was not yet announced whether Ralf would be reprising his role.

Taking to Instagram wth a live video, the actor excited fans by sharing: 'I am delighted to say that I am going back and I will be playing Neville Parker again in series 13.'

He's back! Death In Paradise's Ralf Little confirms he WILL be returning to screens as DI Neville Parker... after the crime series was renewed for two more seasons

Filming the video, Ralf caught up with fans as he answered their questions while also making the announcement about his future on the show.

'I said I had an announcement to make and I do, and I've been looking forward to making this announcement for a while,' he began.

Continuing: 'And so a lot of you are gonna go "but wait, we kind of already knew that", but this has never been said officially, it's never been officially stated, so here it is.'

'Contracts are signed, sealed. There is another series of Death in Paradise being filmed this year, and I am delighted to say that I am going back and I will be playing Neville Parker again in series 13'.

Fans were over the moon with the news as they took to the comment section, with one writing: 'Yess!! im so excited that you are back for another series'.

'So happy youre staying I spent the majority of last season convinced you were leaving! Neville is my favourite DI since Humphrey,' wrote another.

While a third echoed this by describing Ralf's character as 'a treat', penning: 'Delighted you are staying! The development of your character is only equal to that of Ben Millers Richard at the shows start! Its been a treat to watch it unfold.'

Death in Paradise is one of the widest-selling British dramas. BBC Studios over the past 10 years has distributed the show to over 240 territories around the world including Australia, France, South Africa and the US.'

Returning: While the BBC confirmed the extra seasons back in February, along with a feature-length Christmas special, it was not yet announced whether Ralf would be reprising his role

Filling us in: Filming an Instagram Live, Ralf caught up with fans as he answered their questions while also making the announcement about his future on the show

Excitement: Fans were over the moon with the news as they took to the comment section, with one writing: 'Yess!! im so excited that you are back for another series'

The show has just aired its 12th season but viewers can expect a return to the fictional island of Saint Marie soon, with the BBC confirming the news back in February.

Set on the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe, it follows Ralf's character - DI Neville Parker - and his team as they fight crime.

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama revealed: 'With its sparkling blend of mystery, humour and heart, Death In Paradise continues to delight the millions of us who make the return trip to Saint Marie with every sun-drenched episode.

'It is a programme that goes from strength to strength, and I could not be happier that it will return for another two series and specials on BBC One and iPlayer.'

Tim Key, Executive Producer, from Red Planet Pictures added: 'The response to series 12 has been incredible, so were delighted that well be heading back to Guadeloupe for at least two more series.

'Weve got an amazing and joyful Christmas special in store, and then series 13 begins with our 100th episode, so weve got plenty of surprises ready to celebrate that milestone. Weve got huge plans for the future and cant wait to get going again.'

The new series is thought to be released in January 2024, after filming later this year.
Kourtney Kardashian appeared laidback as she headed for dinner with her husband Travis Barker and son Reign on Sunday.

The reality star, 43, cut a casual figure alongside her rocker spouse, 47 to join him at his vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen in Calabasas, Los Angeles.

The pair, who are well-known for their racy PDA sessions, opted for a more family-friendly display, bringing Kourtney's son Reign, eight, along.

Kourtney looked casual in a white racer top and red and black plaid trousers.

The Kardashians star added a pair of black boots to her look and covered her face with orange-tinted shades.

Family outing: Kourtney Kardashian appeared laidback as she headed for dinner with her husband Travis Barker and son Reign on Sunday

The natural beauty styled her bleached blonde locks straight in a bob.

Blink 182 rocker Travis looked his usual stylish self in black trousers and a grey T-shirt, teamed with a pair of dark shades.

It comes after Kourtney appeared on Instagram to share a carousel of images with her 217 million followers.

The POOSH founder posted outtakes from a family vacation at a lake, where she was joined by husband Travis.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum opened the slideshow with a video clip of a scenic sunset over a lake.

Another snapshot showed the Hulu personality in a black bucket hat with sport black sunglasses.

She wore a matching black zip-up swimsuit as she snapped a selfie on a boat and in her caption she wrote: 'Dear summer.'

One of Kourtney's followers was confused about the timing of the photos as she asked in the comments, 'It's March, is this last summer? Or starting this year early?'

A bite to eat: The reality star, 43, cut a casual figure alongside her rocker spouse, 47 to join him at his vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen in Calabasas, Los Angeles

Another fan commented, 'So happy you made this change in your life with Travis.. so much beauty in your family time with your kiddos.'

A group image showcased Kourtney, daughter Penelope, 10, son Reign, eight, stepdaughter Atiana, 24, and Travis preparing to zipline.

They all sported protective blue helmets as they made faces for the clip, which was taken in front of lush green trees.

The photos seem to be from an August 2022 trip, which Kourtney posted online at the time.

Kourtney and Travis will soon celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.

The couple got 'hitched' in Las Vegas without a licence, but made things official with a ceremony at the historic Santa Barbara courthouse followed by a more lavish affair in Portofino, Italy, in May 2022.
Thank God You're Here is returning to Australian television screens.

The beloved improvisation comedy will begin airing on Channel Ten, after a 14 year hiatus.

'The much-loved comedy program is walking back through that door and on to our screens later this year,' Daniel Monaghan, senior vice president of content and programming at Channel Ten's parent company Paramount ANZ, said in a statement to TV Tonight on Monday.

'Thank God You're Here holds a special place in our hearts at Network 10,' the statement continued.

'It was one of the most talked about shows on Australian television and was responsible for launching and celebrating a wealth of intelligent, lively and hilarious Australian talent.

Thank God You're Here is returning to Australian television screens. The beloved improvisation comedy will begin airing on Channel Ten, after a 14 year hiatus. The hilarious program was previously helmed by stand-up comedian and actor Shane Bourne (pictured)

'The show's fast-paced and quick-witted format resonates, captivates and engages viewers. We're so excited for the show's return to our screens and we can't wait to see what we're about to walk into next! To put it bluntly thank God it's back!'

The revamped series will be hosted by Australian comedian and actress Celia Pacquola, 40.

Celia is known for her appearances on Spicks and Specks, The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, Have You Been Paying Attention? and Hughesy, We Have a Problem.

She is also a popular stand up comedian whose album All Talk was nominated for Best Comedy Release at the 2020 ARIA Music Awards.

The revamped series will be hosted by Australian comedian and actress Celia Pacquola (pictured)

The hilarious program was previously helmed by stand-up comedian and actor Shane Bourne, 73.

Thank God You're Here premiered on Network Ten in 2006, airing on the network for the first three seasons before moving to Channel Seven for the fourth season.

In each episode, the celebrity guests walk through a door and are greeted by the line 'Thank God you're here!' before improvising a scene.

The likes of Rebel Wilson, Hamish Blake, Merrick Watts, Fifi Box, Dave Hughes, Jimeoin and Julia Morris all appeared on the series.
She said 'I Do' to new husband Casey Johnson on March 22 with a rustic barn bash.

And Marnie Simpson has now revealed that she had chosen not one, but seven wedding dresses for the celebration.

The former Geordie Shore star, 31, admitted that the multiple dresses were on standby 'just in case' as she worried about stains and drink spillages.

Making good use of the options, the bride donned three throughout the day, looking stunning in a mesh-sleeved gown with a corset bodice for the ceremony.

But then it was time for dress number two, the blush ruffled gown with elbow-length gloves - which she dubbed 'her favourite' of the choices.

Marnie Simpson reveals she bought SEVEN wedding dresses to tie the knot with Casey Johnson 'just in case' - after Geordie Shore pals reunited for the big day

Newlyweds: She said 'I Do' to new husband Casey Johnson on March 22 with a rustic barn bash

Talking to OK! about her wedding day, the TV star explained that there wasn't much time to organise dresses for bridesmaids, so she decided to have a man of honour instead.

It's no wonder time for other dresses was limited, as she had picked out seven of her own and wore three of those!

She shares two-year-old son Rox with her now husband, as well as baby boy Oax, who she welcomed in May 2022 , and was worried that the newest arrival could cause dress chaos.

Explaining the reason behind having so many, she told the publication: 'Because the dresses were so white, I worried about holding the baby and getting sick on me, or someone spilling a drink. I took loads of reserves just in case'.

During the vow section of the day, Marnie went for the most traditional of the three dresses, which was by Galisa Grace and had a cut-out bodice and matching veil.

But it was the second, which she changed into for the reception, that was her favourite of them all.

With the dress boasting a unique ruffled design and cross-over detail, she explained: 'It was very me, but its my type of fashion that no one really sees, because it was quite vintage.

'I bought it before we even had a date and I didnt think I would get married in it, but I just knew I wanted it involved in my wedding one day.'

Finally, Marnie changed into something more comfortable to dance the night away - slipping into a silk white mini dress from House Of CB.

Planning ahead: Marnie shared that she bought multiple dresses as she was worried that baby son Oax would've caused stains one one with sickness

She shared: 'Because the dresses were so white, I worried about holding the baby and getting sick on me, or someone spilling a drink'

The brunette bride welcomed her old pals to the big day as it was a mini Geordie Shore reunion.

Former co-stars Sophie Kasei, Charlotte Crosby and Holly Hagan all attended with their respective partners; Jordan Brook, Jake Ankers and Jacob Blyth.

Sharing a candid picture of the three couples, and pal Lateysha Grace, from the celebration, Sophie jested that 'even the nuttiest of girls can find their true love'.

And touching on spending the day with her old friends as well as new husband, Marnie admitted that her big day was more of a 'night out'.

She told OK!:' At one point I think I forgot I was at my wedding  I felt like I was just on a night out. It was like Geordie Shore all over again.

'It got really wild at the end; this always happens whenever the Geordies are in town. Things just get messy!'
Jodie Comer is heading to the US with the wind in her sails after picking up a coveted Oliver Award last night for her one-woman theatre show Prima Facie - which will debut on Broadway in New York this month.

And the Liverpudlian, 30, might need a bigger trophy cabinet as critics are already predicting a Tony nomination for the star - which would add to an impressive collection that already includes two BAFTAs and an Emmy.

Few might have imagined such international success for the actress, who continued to work part-time in Tesco after landing a series of small TV roles in her teenage years in the likes of Holby City, Silent Witness and The Doctors.

But since her breakout recurring role as the best friend in Channel 4's My Mad Fat Diary in 2013, Comer seems to have done no wrong, wowing audiences with a series of diverse performances - most notably as the psychopathic-yet-endearing assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve, alongside Canadian actress Sandra Oh.

As her fame has continued to grow, the star has strived to keep her private life exactly that, rarely commenting on her relationships - although she was last reported to be dating James Burke, a former lacrosse player from the US.

Jodie Comer is heading to the US with the wind in her sails after picking up a coveted Oliver Award last night (pictured) for her one-woman theatre show Prima Facie

Jodie Comer with James Burke, a lacrosse player from the US who she was last reported to be dating

READ MORE: Olivier Awards 2023: Paul Mescal and Jodie Comer triumph at the biggest night in UK theatre Celebrations! The duo posed together backstage following their big wins Advertisement

Comer was forced to defend her partner in 2020 when records reportedly showed he was a card-carrying Republican - which some fans said ran contrast to her pro-LGBT and women's rights views.

Following the success of My Mad Fat Diary, Comer went on to star in thrilling BBC Three drama Thirteen where she played a teenage girl who mysteriously returned to her family after being abducted several years earlier.

Just a few years later she took on the role which catapulted her onto the international stage as psychopathic-yet-endearing assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve.

And while she keeps some aspects of her life, including romantic relationships, extremely private, she has previously revealed the things that make her tick including a love of emo band Fall Out Boy and practising yoga in the mornings.

The award-winning actress comes from humble roots in Merseyside where she grew up with her rail worker mother Donna and physiotherapist father James, as well as a younger brother called Charlie.

In an interview with the Evening Standard last year, she revealed she is very close with her family and wears a locket around her neck containing an amethyst, which she plays with when she is anxious.

Shannon Peerless, PR expert and Managing Director at digital marketing and branding agency 10yetis, today told MailOnline: 'Some people are born to be superstars and Jodie Comer is a shining example of that.

'With some actors, as soon as you see their name on the cast list, you know whatever you're about to watch is going to be not only a safe bet, but really memorable; or at least their performance in it is going to be faultless, and Comer has made a name for herself as one of those stars.

'Not many movies manage a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the harrowing drama Help that shed light on the COVID-19 pandemic, in which Comer starred as a care worker in an understaffed and poorly equipped home, truly did. That's testament to her incredibly believable portrayal, where it's difficult to look away even if you want to.'

She added: 'This is just the beginning for Comer. Her accomplishments and accolades make it easy to forget that she's only just turned 30, so just imagine how many other memorable performances she's going to grace our screens with. Big screen, small screen, stage she's already proven that she can do it all and there's no doubt she's got Hollywood big-wigs queuing up to cast her in their next big flick.

'Not only is she a phenomenal actor, she is also very real and relatable off-screen. Being authentic and humble can't be forced or faked, and the fact that Comer is so well-liked and admired across the industry and by the public helps her personal brand and will likely ensure that the door is always open for her for future opportunities. She has earned every bit of her success and will undeniably continue to take the acting world by storm.'

Comer was rumoured to be joining the billion-dollar Marvel Universe as Sue Storm, aka Invisible Woman, but she confirmed last week that that was not yet the case - although she did not rule it out for the future.

The star is also set to be joining forces with Ridley Scott for the highly-anticipated Bladerunner 2099 series which will stream on Amazon.

Brand manager at Embryo PR Jo Threlfall told MailOnline: 'Jodie has continued to branch out and step into different genres of TV and cinema, which has let the viewers see how skilful she is as an actor as she can seamlessly get into each character she plays on the big or small screen.'

She added: 'I think her role as Tessa in the one-woman Broadway show Prima Facie will allow theatre fans and those of Comer to see a different style of acting from the actress live.'

Attending a Catholic school in Merseyside, Comer formed a close unit of female friends including Olympic athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, with whom she is still very close.

She told the Standard that she and her friends, including the Olympian, share a WhatsApp group called 'H*** in Different Area Codes' which refers to how they are all living in different parts of the world.

After attending drama school from the age of 11, her acting career took off when she caught the attention of a drama teacher at secondary school who put her forward to audition for a Radio 4 play - which became her first acting job.

Following the success of the play, Comer hired an agent and was soon making brief TV appearances on shows including Waterloo Road and Silent Witness.

However, despite becoming a rising star at a young age the actress hung onto her part-time teen jobs as a glass collector in a bar and a shop worker in Tesco, The Mirror reports.

Comer (pictured as a teenager) continued to work part-time in Tesco after landing a series of small TV roles in her teenage years in the likes of Holby City, Silent Witness and The Doctors

Comer went on to star as evil but charming assassin Villanelle in BBC America drama Killing Eve which propelled her onto the world stage

Jodie Comer, 30, from Liverpool, picked up the first ever WhatsOnStage gender-neutral award for her role in Prima Facie as Tessa, a young female barrister who specialises in defending sexual assault victims before she is raped

Jodie Comer (pictured as a secondary school pupil) made friends with Katarina Johnson-Thompson at St Julie's Catholic High School

One of Comer's earliest roles was as Chloe Gemell, the best friend of Rae Earl in My Mad Fat Diary on E4

However, one of her first recurring roles came in E4 miniseries My Mad Fat Diary where she played Chloe Gemell, the best friend of lead character Rae Earl (Sharon Rooney).

The characters have a love/hate relationship in the show, as Rae struggles to maintain a friendship with popular Chloe who has a 'slight but curvy' figure and 'gravity-defying boobs', as Rae describes.

Although a supporting role in the show, Comer shone as the slightly spoilt and sometimes cruel friend who, ultimately, is someone Rae wants to keep in her life.

When the series ended, Comer landed roles in BBC dramas Doctor Foster, where she plays the young mistress of Suranne Jones's husband, and in Thirteen as troubled teenager Ivy Moxham, which earned her a nomination for the BAFTA award for Best Actress in 2016.

As Comer's first leading role, she demonstrated her range playing the mysterious teenage girl who has lived through an unspeakable time at the hands of a captor who abducted her and held her prisoner in his home for years.

As she began to make her mark on audiences and critics across the board, the talented rising star had support from a close friend and fellow actor from Merseyside, Stephen Graham, who acted as a mentor to her.

After the pair shared a single scene together on the set of BBC drama Good Cop in 2012, Graham was so impressed by the young Comer's performance he introduced her to his agent, who ended up representing her too.

Speaking with Lauren Laverne on Radio 6 last year, Comer said: '[I was] just like chatting to him throughout the day, picking his brains, asking him lots of questions.'

The glamorous actress is extremely private about many aspects of her private life including romantic relationships (pictured in 2020)

'I remember at that time feeling like I needed to take elocution lessons,' she said. 'I don't know where I got that from but he was like, 'You're kidding me, don't you dare ever lose this accent!'.'

She went on: 'He's so true to himself and it was so good to have someone exactly like him, who is from where I'm from, and celebrates how they are in an industry where there are probably less working class actors. To have someone like him is amazing.'

The actors and friends would later go on to star in harrowing Channel 4 Drama Help, which told the story of care homes during the first wave of the Covid pandemic, with Comer playing a carer and Graham a resident with early onset Alzheimer's. The role earnt the actress her second BAFTA award in 2022.

The Liverpudlian's first BAFTA came in 2019 for the role with which many have come to associate her - the charismatic assassin Villanelle in Killing Eve.

The BBC America drama, which debuted in 2018, saw Comer become a household name on both sides of the Atlantic as audiences were charmed by her witty performance as the psychopathic yet likeable killer.

Comer will soon head to Broadway in New York to perform in Prima Facie after breaking records with the play at the Harold Pinter theatre on the West End

The drama ran for four seasons before it was cancelled last year, with the stories of MI6 agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and Villanelle finally reaching their conclusion in a 'will they, won't they' plot.

While playing the trained killer, the actress impressed audiences by showing off several different accents - and Comer has previously revealed she learnt how to master the skill in an unlikely way.

Speaking to Time Out magazine last year, Comer revealed she practised accents as a child while watching different TV adverts.

She said: 'Me and my dad would always mimic them, purely just to make each other laugh.'

However, she added that her 'toes curl up' whenever she is asked to mimic her iconic Killing Eve character in public and rarely obliges when someone asks her to 'do Villanelle'.

As the actress has achieved international fame, she has landed roles on the big screen in Hollywood as well, starring alongside Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy and appearing in Ridley Scott's epic The Last Duel.

Comer's stage success in one-woman play Prima Facie has earnt her yet more critical acclaim as defence barrister Tessa, who specialises in representing men accused of sexual assault, before she is raped.

The play, written by Suzie Miller, broke records after it was screened in cinemas as a National Theatre production and became the highest-grossing event cinema release ever, pulling in nearly 4.5 million.

After bagging herself an award for the performance in What'sOnStage's first ever gender neutral category, Comer will now take the play from the Harold Pinter theatre in the West End to broadway in New York.

Speaking to British Vogue last month, Comer revealed she was a little nervous ahead of her Broadway debut as she has not had any theatre training - describing the stage as 'exhilarating' but 'terrifying' in equal measure.

The actress, who has previously said she would live at home forever with her parents if she could, revealed she sees herself as a 'Pisces through and through', as an emotional person.

She said: 'I think they feel things quite intensely, and I definitely relate to that.'

After playing the role of a woman who fails to get justice after being raped, Comer has also revealed how Prima Facie has led her to want to fight for justice for rape victims.

In an interview with The Times she said: 'All my life I've been intimidated by and depressed by lad culture, but never said anything about it. You're taught to laugh it off. It's only now at 29 that I feel confident speaking up about what's wrong.'

Despite ideally wanting to live with her family, Comer now owns a flat in London, although it is unclear if she lives with a partner, a roommate, or on her own.

In 2020 the star was reportedly dating James Burke, an American lacrosse player she is thought to have met on the set of Free Guy.

At the time, she spoke about her relationship with the Sunday Times Style magazine, where she would not confirm the name of her partner but added it was a romance that felt 'like nothing else'.
Sunburned Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace hit the beach on Sunday wearing a very racy nude swimsuit which showed off her tan lines.

The former Big Brother housemate, 44, looked sensational as she frolicked on the sand and soaked up the sun in Mexico.

The reality star put on a very busty show in a beige swimsuit, embellished with cut-outs along her torso and back and with an extreme plunging neckline.

The racy number also featured a high leg line and thong, showcasing her tan lines and peachy bottom and her surgically enhanced cleavage.

After relaxing on the loungers, Aisleyne slipped on a chic lace cover up and made a trip down to the crystal blue waters.

Ouch! Sunburned Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace showcased her incredible figure - and tan lines - in an extreme plunging cut-out nude swimsuit on the beach in Mexico on Sunday

Wow! The racy number also featured a high leg line and thong, showcasing her tan lines and peachy bottom and her surgically enhanced cleavage.

Returning, she picked up a copy of Jay Shetty's book Think Like a Monk and snapped some selfies.

Sporting a radiant make-up palette and slick of lip gloss the beauty tied her blonde locks back into a low bun.

The stunner accessorised the summery look with a selection of silver jewellery.

Aisleyne recently sent heads turning as she headed to the train station in nothing but sexy lingerie.

The TV star flaunted her incredible curves in a leopard print set from the brand Rose Intimates.

Posing on the train platform, she lifted her arms up over her head and offered a sultry pose as she looked into the distance.

She elongated her enviable frame with a pair of simple black heels.

The blonde beauty left her tresses natural, cascading past her shoulders and along her body.

Wow! Aisleyne put on an eye-popping display in her ensemble

Hot stuff: The former Big Brother housemate, 44, looked sensational as she frolicked on the sand and soaked up the sun before heading back to the UK

Beauty: The racy number also featured a high leg line and thong, showcasing her tan lines and peachy bottom

Learning: She picked up a copy of Jay Shetty's book Think Like a Monk and snapped some selfies

Chic: After relaxing on the loungers, Aisleyne slipped on a chic lace cover up and made a trip down to the crystal blue waters

Taking to Instagram to share the snap, she penned: 'Just popping to Tesco babes coz the THIRST is real... it's like a jungle out here... & a leopard never changes her spots.'

Her daring snaps come after she sparked concern amongst fans after she shared a cryptic message on her Instagram Stories in December.

She shared an image of a person deep underwater as they fell to the bottom.

The quote read: 'Sometimes you don't realise you're actually drowning trying to save everybody else.'

Having received concerned messages from fans, the reality star told her followers she was 'drained'.

Thanking them for their support, she wrote: 'You guys have so much empathy I adore reading your messages.'

She added: 'Sorry if my stories are depressing....I post real life coz it helps me and helps others... I don't do fake happy posts xx.'

Lounging: The beauty relaxed on a lounger as she soaked up some well-deserved sun

Gorgeous: Sporting a radiant make-up palette and slick of lip gloss the beauty tied her blonde locks back into a low bun

Details: The stunner accessorised the summery look with a selection of silver jewellery

R&R: She appeared to be making the most of her lavish trip

Wow: Aisleyne's stylish ensemble made her look as though she had stepped off the pages of a glossy magazine

Beauty: She showcased her tattoos and naval piercing in the skimpy outfit

Me time: After building up a sweat the reality star then slipped on a chic cover up

The star has previously gone through a difficult time, after she suffered a miscarriage in August last year.

Sharing the heartbreaking news, she said: 'It hurts every time, but this time even more.'

Aisleyne has tragically suffered three miscarriages and a stillborn in her bid to have a child, with doctors confirming she suffers from rhesus negative, a rare blood disease that threatens her chances of carrying a baby full-term.

The TV star was devastated as she lost her fifth child, with Aisleyne tragically admitting that she had 'never been more ready' to have a baby.

In a series of messages, she penned: 'Everyone knows I've been through this before.

'But never have I ever been so excited and happy and ready for a baby as I was this time. And him too.

'Just popping to Tesco, babes': Aisleyne recently sent heads turning as she headed to the train station in nothing but sexy lingerie

'It hurts every time. But this time. Even more. Is that OK? Do u understand?'

Aisleyne has always been open about her heartbreaking quest to become a mother.

In June, the TV personality admitted she's 'starting to panic' that she will no be able to have children.

She told The Sun: 'I'm really starting to panic that it's just not going to happen for me' before adding that she's aware that her women's body 'clock is always ticking'.

She added: 'I just have to hope and pray that I've not left it too late to have my miracle baby.'
The jilted wife of Amanda Owen's new lover has been left feeling humiliated after discovering their secret five-year romance.

Yasumi Davies, 56, claimed she 'lost everything' after learning of 48-year-old Amanda's relationship with Robert Davies, 71, who she married 12 years ago.

The clandestine fling between the star and Mr Davies began as she rose to fame on the TV hit Our Yorkshire Farm and enlisted the web developer to work on her website.

The affair came to light after Yasumi found a note from the Yorkshire Shepherdess in Robert's car and a box of Amanda's possession hidden in her bedroom.

Her findings followed the breakdown of Amanda's 22-year marriage to husband Clive in June - with whom she shares nine children.

MailOnline takes a look at all the clues which exposed the secret affair.

From an intimate love letter to secret keepsakes hidden in a box: A look at ALL the clues that exposed Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen's affair with businessman Robert Davies, 71 (pictured together last month)

Sad times: Mr Davies and fifth wife Yasumi met in Tokyo in 2011 and were married on Christmas Day that year after a whirlwind romance

An intimate love note sent from Amanda to Robert

Yasumi was horrified to discover a secret handwritten note written by Amanda and sent to web designer Robert while cleaning his car around a year ago.

It had been concealed in a bag in the boot of the car by Robert.

Heartbreakingly, the contents showed the depth of feelings between the two and the note read: 'Life is too short & happiness is too rare. I love you.'

Investment banker Yasumi, who hails from Tokyo recognised the handwriting from a signed copy of Owen's new book as Robert had been working with Amanda on her personal website.

Yasumi said the businessman was 'really kind' until 2018 when she noticed a sudden change in his behaviour towards her after he started working with Amanda on her farming website.

Jilted wife: Yasumi Davies (left) rumbled the affair between Amanda (right) and Robert when she found an intimate note from the Yorkshire Shepherdess in his car

A hidden box of keepsakes hidden in the bedroom

After finding the note, Yasumi set about looking for more clues and she told The Sun that she then discovered some of Owen's jewellery hidden in a box in their bedroom, including a necklace she had worn on TV which read: 'Together forever.'

Yasumi, who married Mr Davies on Christmas Day in 2011 following a whirlwind romance, later uncovered a key chain which said: 'Unbridled love. R & A.'

Mr Davies, whose eldest daughter is the same age as Amanda, instantly confessed to the affair when Yasumi confronted her husband, who has had five wives.

He had said he would put a stop to the affair but he and Amanda soon resumed their relationship.

Yasumi claimed that Robert seemed more concerned about the damage the affair could do to Amanda's TV career rather than her own feelings.

More pain: Yasumi, (pictured with Robert), then discovered some of Amanda's jewellery hidden in a box in their bedroom, including a necklace which read: 'Together forever'

Clay pigeon shooting and theatre trips together

Amanda has known her new love Robert for at least five years since she recruited him to update her personal website in 2018.

Their friendship is believed to have blossomed through working closely together.

A source close to Yasumi said: 'She knew he had a friendship with Amanda but thought it was nothing more.

'They went on a clay pigeon shoot together in 2021 and he went with her on her theatre tours, but insisted there was nothing more to it.'

Yasumi said: 'I wonder if she has ever thought about my feelings?

'I didn't know anything and I was alone. I had no suspicions about them. I thought it was purely about business.'

It is understood that Robert, who has three children from three earlier marriages, ended the relationship with Amanda in March 2022 after being issued an ultimatum by his wife.

But he moved out two months later after rekindling the romance with the Our Yorkshire Farm star.

Trickery: Amanda and Robert went on a clay pigeon shoot together in 2021 and he went with her on her theatre tours, but were thought to be nothing more than friends

Amanda downplays split from husband of 22 years

Mother-of-nine Amanda and husband Clive attracted thousands of adoring fans as the series documented her farming life - earning her more than 1million.

But details of Amanda's shocking affair came out almost a year after she and her co-star husband Clive, 68, announced their unanticipated split in June.

However, the TV star was keen to downplay the separation, saying it was 'not a big story.'

Appearing on Lorraine in January, Amanda insisted the collapse of her marriage was 'a reality she has to get on with' while juggling the responsibility of farm management with parenthood.

The couple maintain an amicable relationship while managing their Ravenseat Farm in rural Swaledale, and Amanda said their duties overshadow their estrangement.

She said: 'It's not a big story. I feel like there are so many people in similar situations, and it's the reality. We talk about reality television but that is the reality.

'We all have to get on. You know, there's a lot to do. There's the land to manage, there's the animals to manage, obviously childcare and everything else. So we have to get on with it.'

Owen also insisted she her responsibilities on the farm never prevent her from taking time for herself - even when she's tending to the animals.

She said: 'I am content but you do have to take a little bit of time for yourself. Every morning, even if I'm feeding the sheep, a little bit of mascara on. It makes you feel good about yourself.'

Amanda confirmed she had separated from her husband of 21 years Clive, 68, last summer, and they share nine children together. Pictured: The couple in 2020

Speaking out: Amanda insisted the collapse of her marriage is 'a reality she has to get on with' while juggling the responsibility of farm management with parenthood

Family: The former couple have nine children together; Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clemmie, and Nancy

Over: They shared a joint statement on social media confirming they had split in June

Robert's fourth wife accuses him of 'getting married, having an affair and moving on'

Five-times married Robert was accused by his fourth wife of being a repeat offender when it comes to infidelity.

Jan Coates, 72, the fourth of his spouses, told Daily Mail he 'hasn't changed in two decades' as he proceeds to 'get married, have an affair and move on.'

His former wife revealed that he cheated two years into their marriage, which came to an end in 2001.

Jan explained: 'Thats what he does, gets married, has an affair and moves on. He is very charming but he is also very ruthless in the way he treats people. I think he gets bored easily.

'But if he marries Amanda Owen he would be like Henry VIII with six wives and thats not normal.

'He has not changed in two decades. I am not vicious or vindictive but I would say he loves the chase for females and loves fame and fortune. But maybe they will suit each other.'

MailOnline contacted Amanda's representatives for comment.

Mr Davies had lost his third wife to cancer and had a six-year-old daughter from that marriage as well as two older children, one each from his two earlier marriages.

He was working as a graphic designer and 'love-bombed' Mrs Coates, a divorced mother-of-two.

'He rang me up after the party and asked me out for a drink,' she said. 'We hit it off really well and the relationship progressed from there.'

A 'charming romantic', Mr Davies proposed at Christmas and they married the following September in a grand wedding at Dalhousie Castle, near Edinburgh.

Something to say: Jan Coates, 72, the fourth of Mr Davies' spouses, revealed he 'hasn't changed in two decades' as he proceeds to 'get married, have an affair and move on'
Lauren Goodger looked in good spirits as she carried her daughter Larose in her arms through Essex on Sunday.

The former TOWIE star, 36, spent the day visiting at her favourite beauty salon and had a big smile on her face as she held onto her little one.

The doting mum shares 20-month-old Larose with her ex-boyfriend Charles Drury, 25.

Lauren looked effortlessly chic in a beige and pink cardigan and black leggings.

Her comfortable ensemble looked great and she slipped into a pair of beige and cream New Balance trainers for the day.

Sweet: Lauren Goodger looked in good spirits as she carried her daughter Larose in her arms through Essex on Sunday after leaving a beauty salon appointment

Casual: Lauren looked effortlessly chic in a beige and pink cardigan and black leggings as she spent the day with her pride and joy

She styled her chocolate brown tresses in a loose pony tail with strands falling, which gave her some volume around her face.

The reality TV personality kept things casual with a make up free look.

Lauren was beaming from ear to ear as she held onto her daughter while getting her out the car.

It comes after Lauren paid tribute to her late daughter Lorena on Mother's Day.

The star gave birth to her second child in July 2022, but her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and she tragically lost her life.

The photo saw Lorena's face blurred out as she lay in a cot, while Larose's could be seen on a phone screen beside her.

Lauren wrote in her caption: 'Thank you for giving me the best gift and all Ive ever wanted is to be your mummyI love you both to the moon and back and this morning has touched me so deep I wish you was with us my gorgeous Lorena.

'Happy Mothers Day everyone, just cuddles is all you need today #mygirls #happymothersday #love #cuddlesandkisses.'

Bonding: The former TOWIE star, 36, had spent the day visiting at her favourite beauty salon and had a big smile on her face as she held onto her little one

Hands full: The doting mum shares 20-month-old Larose with her ex-boyfriend Charles Drury , 25

Chic: Her comfortable ensemble looked great and she slipped into a pair of beige and cream New Balance trainers for the day

It follows reports Lauren has been 'begged' by her friends to 'not get back together with Charles after he allegedly spent the night at her house last month.

The reality star has had a tumultuous relationship with her builder ex-boyfriend, 25, and have been on-and-off since the tragic death of Lorena.

In February, Lauren and Charles appeared to be getting along well as they took their little one Larose to Woburn Safari Park, taking turns to have their pictures taken.

But now pals of Lauren have reportedly become concerned with the two getting back together again after he slept at her house this week.

Lauren had allegedly been assaulted on the day of funeral. Charles - who has denied attacking Lauren - was later arrested and bailed.

A source revealed to The Sun: 'Lauren's friends have begged her not to get back together with her ex Charles Drury after they heard Charles had spent the night at her house this week.

'A few of them reached out to her and told her to stay away from him as they feel like he is bad news and will only bring her more heartache.

'Lauren insisted that he just slept in the spare room and that they are working on co-parenting Larose, but those closest to her know she and Charles are growing closer. They feel it's only a matter of time before they are back together.'

Natural: She styled her chocolate brown tresses in a loose pony tail with strands falling, which gave her some volume around her face

Outing: The reality TV personality kept things casual with a make up free look

Busy: Lauren was beaming from ear to ear as she held onto her daughter while getting her out the car

A representative for Lauren told MailOnline: 'Lauren is focused on the welfare as a mother to her daughter- this puts co- parenting at the top of her priorities.'

When the pair arrived at Woburn Safari Park on Monday, they were seen cuddling and playing with their infant daughter as they stepped out of the back of a safari vehicle as they made the most of the sights at the park.

Lauren revealed that she lost three stone in the wake of the tragic death of Lorena.

The harrowing grief Lauren experienced following Lorena's death meant she was unable to eat, but she has put on a stone as her mental health has improved.

Speaking to OK!, she said: 'I lost nearly three stone after I lost Lorena because of the stress. I didn't eat. I'm now eating again and I've put a stone back on because I'm being more healthy.

'I stayed indoors and I didn't go out, and now I feel I'm in a better place mentally. This year is about focusing on me and getting back on track.'

The TV personality also said that her infant daughter Larose has been a 'rock' for her and without her, she wouldn't have been able to have survived Lorena's death.

She said: 'She's the best. She makes me so proud every single day. She's unbelievable. She's my rock.

'After everything I went through, Larose is definitely my inspiration. She inspires me and she's kept me going through the hardest times. Without her, I wouldn't survive.'

Unimaginable: The former TOWIE star gave birth to her second child in July 2022, but her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and she tragically lost her life

Reflecting: Lauren wrote in her caption: 'Thank you for giving me the best gift and all Ive ever wanted is to be your mummyI love you both to the moon and back and this morning has touched me so deep I wish you was with us my gorgeous Lorena'

Family: Lauren also shares 20-month-old Larose with her ex-boyfriend Charles Drury, 25

Elsewhere, Lauren recently opened up about her 'hellish' 2022 after the loss of Lorena and her bitter split with Charles.

Speaking to MailOnline, Lauren put on a brave face as she arrived at The Inspiration Awards in January where she said she is 'ready to come back to the industry in the right way' after a string of difficult events.

When explaining why she wanted to come to the event, Lauren said: 'It's an amazing cause, I can't wait to hear all the stories.

'I feel like I've been through a hell of a lot and I feel like it was the right one for me to go to. I've been asked to do a lot of things, I'm coming back slowly.

'I took a break and now I am ready to come back to the industry in the right way.

'I'm very new to this, like I say, I've been through massive trauma, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it but everyone knows and I feel like one day I want to inspire other women.'

If you have been affected by this article, please contact the UK Child Bereavement line on 0800 02 888 40 or The Lullaby Trust on 0808 8026868.
Montana Brown was left 'terrified' after discovering a stalker was tracking her location after putting an Apple AirTag in her bag while she was travelling alone.

The Love Island star, 27, who is pregnant with her first child, was 'spooked and panicked' after finding the device as she flew to Los Angeles to see friends last month.

Speaking to Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway on Monday's Good Morning Britain, the reality star detailed her stalker hell as she told how a notification popped up on her phone saying she was 'being tracked' after her flight landed.

Montana said: 'I was travelling to LA on my own to see friends. It was only when I landed I had a notification pop up on my IPhone and it said "your location is being tracked by an AirTag".

'I think initially I thought it was someone else's AirTag near by because people use them to track their luggage.

'It was really quite terrifying': Montana Brown was left 'terrified' after discovering a stalker was tracking her location after putting an Apple AirTag in her bag while she was travelling alone

'It was when my partner flagged it and was like you should have a look in your bag so as soon as I got through security, I was rushing off at this point like it was probably nothing.

'But when I went to the toilet before leaving the airport, I emptied my bag out and that was when I found it at the bottom of my bag.'

Montana said her phone gave her a time frame of 'eight hours' when it first started tracking, which she put it to around when she 'checked in or boarded' at the airport.

The reality TV personality admitted she 'panicked and flushed it down the toilet' after finding the stalker's tracking device.

She continued: 'It was really quite terrifying. I should have taken a picture of the serial number but I was like I just need to get away from it.

'I panicked and flushed it down the toilet. I was so spooked and panicked I wanted to just get rid of it.

'I think next time I travel I will check my stuff. That was the first time I was by myself and it was shocking.

'You then go down a rabbit hole like, "Why were they tracking me? What were they going to do?" I still am really baffled that someone got that close to me to put it on me.'

'It was shocking': The Love Island star, 27, who is pregnant with her first child, was 'spooked and panicked' after finding the device as she flew to Los Angeles to see friends last month

'Spooked': Speaking to Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway, the reality star detailed her stalker hell as she told how a notification popped up on her phone saying she was 'tracked'

Montana is expecting a baby boy with boyfriend Mark O'Connor later this year.

She gave an update on Instagram last month after revealing she had been rushed to hospital due to her baby having 'reduced movements'.

Montana told how she sought medical help after suffering with 'reduced fetal movement', adding that she 'just wanted to be safe' and ensure her little one was OK.

The mother-to-be later updated fans on her health as she shared snaps from her hospital trip.

Montana told how the experience was 'nerve wracking' and 'emotional' but that the baby is healthy.

She wrote: 'Recently... feeling grateful that everything is all healthy and looking ok. Definitely so emotional when you overthink what's going on in your body and movements differ between days.

'I had reduced movements which were all explainable but it's so nerve wracking when it's your first time going through it all.

'So thankful for the wonderful NHS and really glad we decided to go with a local hospital rather than in London.

'Also so grateful for my wonderful partner too, has been a bit of a stressful few days but so beyond thankful for my good health, good people around me and phenomenal professionals in our hospital.'
Married At First Sight star Tayla Winter appeared to slip up while speaking about co-star Cam Woods during Monday night's explosive reunion.

The busty Hobart nurse was put on the spot by the MAFS experts who asked her for clarification on the pair's relationship.

'It hasn't been explored yet,' she replied to the surprise of her co-stars.

'Not that it is going to be explored,' she quickly added, clearly embarrassed.

Cam went on to reveal that he showed Tayla his penis over FaceTime while he was at a nightclub.

Married At First Sight star Tayla Winter (pictured) appeared to slip up while speaking about co-star Cam Woods during Monday night's explosive reunion

Despite the pair saying they are only friends, Tayla seemed to reveal the only reason they haven't explored their connection was distance.

'I really like Cam as a friend,' she said. 'We get along really, really well. Yeah, there's not much to it. Like, he's up in Darwin, I'm down in Tassie.'

'He's on the other side of Australia, which makes it really hard, so [that's it],' Tayla added of the pair's connection.

'I think that's where it ends there. Nail in the coffin,' Cam said.

'It hasn't been explored yet,' she said, to the surprise of her co-stars. 'Not that it is going to be explored,' she quickly added, clearly embarrassed

Despite the pair saying they are only friends, Tayla seemed to reveal the only reason they haven't explored their connection was distance. Cam in Darwin while she's in Tassie

Cam went on to reveal why his relationship with Lydall was touch and go from the start. Both pictured

Cam went on to reveal why his relationship with Lydall was touch and go from the start.

'I just obviously wasn't ready to be in a relationship. That's the core of the issue right there,' he said.

Elsewhere in the reunion, Cam admitted he was ambivalent throughout most of his MAFS experience.

'There were times where I did want to go home and I wanted to stay,' he said.
Ali Bastian has revealed the name of her second baby daughter as she detailed her 'dramatic' birth experience.

The ex-Hollyoaks star, 41, welcomed the newborn in February with her West End actor husband David O'Mahony, 40.

The couple are already parents to daughter Isla, now three, who was born back in March 2020 during the first coronavirus lockdown after the couple tied the knot in 2019.

Ali has now revealed her second daughter's name and the inspiration of the 'beautiful' actress behind it, as well as a sentimental nod to a family member.

The actress told OK! Magazine that the couple decided on the name Isabella - with the middle name Charlotte as a tribute to David's grandfather Charles.

Sweet: Ali Bastian, 41, has revealed the name of her second baby daughter - which was inspired by a 'beautiful' actress and a family member

Happy family: Ali married her partner, West End actor David O'Mahony, in 2019 - they already share daughter Isla, three (pictured)

'I vetoed it initially,' she told the magazine, 'but the name came back up again and I kind of put it through an actress database in my head.

'And I thought of Isabella Rossellini, who's had to have so much strength, especially as she's got older.

'She's always been beautiful and rejected Hollywood ideas of womanhood. It just kind of stuck. We really liked it.'

Little Isla, who is 'besotted' with her new baby sister, has given Isabella the sweet nickname 'Bingo' after a character in the TV programme Bluey.

Ali went on to describe the 'overwhelmingly emotional' birth of her second daughter on February 11 via caesarean section at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.

The 'emotional rollercoaster' birth story saw the couple show up for a booked C-section at the hospital on February 9, only to be turned away due to a lack of space.

Ali has gestational diabetes and her blood sugar levels began to drop very low, meaning they had to stay in until the evening.

Two days later they returned to the hospital, as Ali went hypoglycaemic (meaning her blood sugar levels were very low). After an injection of sugar, she was rushed into the theatre.

Doting mother: The soap star gave birth to her first child, daughter Isla in March 2020, during the first coronavirus lockdown

In a further complication to the tale, the baby was in an 'awkward position' and was born with bruising.

Ali started haemorrhaging soon after the birth but luckily stabilised very quickly.

She burst into tears after the emotional ordeal as the couple happily welcomed their healthy baby.

On a more positive note, the former Strictly contestant shared that they played Don't Stop Believing while giving birth to Isabella, which the couple also played at their wedding.

The couple married in an intimate ceremony at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London, before Ali opted to jump back into work following their honeymoon in the Maldives.

Ali previously revealed her second pregnancy was 'flying by' because she had been kept busy by her 'wild' toddler Isla.

The soap star starred as Becca Dean in Hollyoaks until 2007 when her character was killed off.

She has since done voiceover work, leaving Doctors in 2019 and recently featured on her co-star Sarah Jayne Dunn's podcast Hot and Bothered.

David is starring in Amazon Prime's The Three Musketeers and has recently appeared in shows on the West End.
Carrie Bickmore enjoyed a night out on the town with her good friend and former co-star Kate Langbroek on Sunday.

And the pair 'bumped into' Carrie's radio co-star Tommy Little while attending the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

In photos shared to Instagram, Carrie and Kate posed in a stairwell at comedian Nath Valvo's show.

'When you have such a great night with your friend @bickmorecarrie at your friend @nathvalvos show that you both forget you were stuck in horrendous traffic and you had to park illegally and run in the rain to get there on time,' Kate wrote in the caption.

She then shared a photo of the pair's dinner, as well as a photo of Tommy, who Kate said they 'ran into'.

Carrie Bickmore enjoyed a night out on the town with her good friend and former co-star Kate Langbroek on Sunday. Pictured with a friend

And the pair 'bumped into' Carrie's radio co-star Tommy Little (right) while attending the Melbourne International Comedy Festival

'You get to laugh and laugh and bump into comedians and cocktails (thanks @mrstommylittle),' she added.

Carrie and Tommy were not pictured in the same frame, however, and it's unclear if he joined Kate and Carrie for dinner.

The former star of The Project split with her partner Chris Walker in January.

It comes amid reports Carrie has grown close to her Hit FM co-host Tommy, 38, who is also single following his breakup with girlfriend Natalie Kyriacou in 2021.

Tommy rushed to the mother-of-three's side in January when she confirmed her split, leading insiders to speculate their friendship could evolve into something more.

Kate shared a photo of the pair's dinner. Carrie and Tommy were not pictured in the same frame, however, and it's unclear if he joined Kate and Carrie for the meal

In recent months Tommy has shared several gushing tributes to Carrie on Instagram, and in one post called her the 'best in the business' who 'lifts up everyone around her and makes them look good'.

Ahead of her last day on The Project last November, Tommy also treated the blonde bombshell to a private helicopter ride across Melbourne.

He is often seen close to her at glitzy events, including the 2022 Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs) last October, where he didn't leave her side even as guests got up from their tables and mingled with others.

The duo are regularly seen posing for cosy selfies on social media, which has prompted curious fans to question whether romance is on the cards.

The former star of The Project split with her partner Chris Walker (left) in January

'You guys make a lovely couple,' one recently commented on a photo of the pair.

'Get a room already, you two,' another said.

It's not hard to see why fans are hoping for love to blossom, as Tommy and Carrie are already known for their electric chemistry.

Their professional relationship began in 2016 when Tommy joined Carrie on the panel of The Project.

A year later, the pair began co-hosting Hit Network's Melbourne drive show in 2017, and immediately gained a cult following thanks to their entertaining and organic banter.

It comes amid reports Carrie has grown close to her Hit FM co-host Tommy, who is also single following his breakup with girlfriend Natalie Kyriacou in 2021

Carrie announced her split from her longtime partner Chris in January this year via Instagram, saying the pair are focused on co-parenting their three children, Ollie, 15, Evie, seven, and Adelaide, four.

The news came just one month after Carrie hosted her last episode of Channel 10's The Project after stepping down because she wanted to spend more evenings at home with her family.

Almost a year earlier, in February 2021, it was reported that Tommy had split from his ex, social media manager Natalie.

At the time, the couple vanished from each other's social media feeds and he was spotted on dating app Tinder.
China, Singapore substantively conclude FTA subsequent negotiations

Xinhua) 12:16, April 03, 2023

BEIJING, April 1 (Xinhua) -- China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to announce the substantive conclusion of subsequent negotiations on an upgraded bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).

The upgraded FTA, which will boost market access for businesses from both countries, adds a new standalone chapter on telecommunications, and incorporates high-level economic and trade rules on national treatment, market access, transparency and the digital economy, among others, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement.

The two sides also confirmed that there will be no rollback of opening-up measures in the service trade and investment sectors, and promised to each other that the respective doors of opening up will only be wider.

The FTA is an important measure and practical action by China to align with high-standard international economic and trade rules and open wider to the outside world. It will strongly push China-Singapore economic and trade cooperation to a new level, the ministry said.

China and Singapore signed the FTA in 2008 and upgraded it in 2018. In December 2020, the two sides upgraded the agreement again and launched subsequent negotiations to further liberalize service trade and investment based on a negative-list model.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen has taken a week off social media as she has been slammed for living a double life amid her affair scandal.

The mother-of-nine, 48, became popular after starring on docuseries Our Yorkshire Farm in which she chronicles her rural family life.

But fans have been turning their back on her after she was discovered to have been having a five-year affair with married businessman Robert Davies, 71 and living apart from husband Clive after they announced their split in June.

After Robert's wife Yasumi, 56, accused Amanda of living a 'TV lie' after she rumbled the affair, fans have also criticised her for not keeping them up to date with her personal life.

Her most recent Instagram post includes a gallery of her nine children playing outside on the farm.

Space: Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen has taken a week off social media after she was slammed for living a double life amid affair scandal

Time to herself: Her most recent Instagram post includes a gallery of her nine children playing outside on the farm

She wrote: 'Budding naturalists, botanists, ecologists, ornithologists, hydrologists, geologists. And farmers. #yorkshire #countryside #outdoors #nature #farm #learning.'

Her image of a devoted farmers wife and mother has been blown apart by the news that she was leading a double life, having an affair while married to her husband of 22 years, who appears on the show with her.

Yasumi , 56, claimed she 'lost everything' after learning of Amanda's relationship with Robert who she married 12 years ago.

The clandestine fling between the star and Mr Davies began as she rose to fame on the TV hit Our Yorkshire Farm.

She enlisted the web developer to work on her website.

The affair came to light after Yasumi found a note from the Yorkshire Shepherdess in Robert's car and a box of Amanda's possession hidden in her bedroom.

Her findings followed the breakdown of Amanda's 22-year marriage to husband Clive in June - with whom she shares nine children.

MailOnline takes a look at all the clues which exposed the secret affair.

There were several clues that exposed Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda's affair with businessman Robert Davies, 71 (pictured together last month)

Jilted wife: Mr Davies and fifth wife Yasumi met in Tokyo in 2011 and were married on Christmas Day that year after a whirlwind romance - she has been left heartbroken by the betrayal

An intimate love note sent from Amanda to Robert

Yasumi was horrified to discover a secret handwritten note written by Amanda and sent to web designer Robert while cleaning his car around a year ago.

It had been concealed in a bag in the boot of the car by Robert.

Heartbreakingly, the contents showed the depth of feelings between the two and the note read: 'Life is too short & happiness is too rare. I love you.'

Investment banker Yasumi, who hails from Tokyo recognised the handwriting from a signed copy of Owen's new book as Robert had been working with Amanda on her personal website.

Yasumi said the businessman was 'really kind' until 2018 when she noticed a sudden change in his behaviour towards her after he started working with Amanda on her farming website.

Jilted wife: Yasumi Davies (left) rumbled the affair between Amanda (right) and Robert when she found an intimate note from the Yorkshire Shepherdess in his car

A hidden box of keepsakes hidden in the bedroom

After finding the note, Yasumi set about looking for more clues and she told The Sun that she then discovered some of Owen's jewellery hidden in a box in their bedroom, including a necklace she had worn on TV which read: 'Together forever.'

Yasumi, who married Mr Davies on Christmas Day in 2011 following a whirlwind romance, later uncovered a key chain which said: 'Unbridled love. R & A.'

Mr Davies, whose eldest daughter is the same age as Amanda, instantly confessed to the affair when Yasumi confronted her husband, who has had five wives.

He had said he would put a stop to the affair but he and Amanda soon resumed their relationship.

Yasumi claimed that Robert seemed more concerned about the damage the affair could do to Amanda's TV career rather than her own feelings.

More pain: Yasumi, (pictured with Robert), then discovered some of Amanda's jewellery hidden in a box in their bedroom, including a necklace which read: 'Together forever'

Clay pigeon shooting and theatre trips together

Amanda has known her new love Robert for at least five years since she recruited him to update her personal website in 2018.

Their friendship is believed to have blossomed through working closely together.

A source close to Yasumi said: 'She knew he had a friendship with Amanda but thought it was nothing more.

'They went on a clay pigeon shoot together in 2021 and he went with her on her theatre tours, but insisted there was nothing more to it.'

Yasumi said: 'I wonder if she has ever thought about my feelings?

'I didn't know anything and I was alone. I had no suspicions about them. I thought it was purely about business.'

It is understood that Robert, who has three children from three earlier marriages, ended the relationship with Amanda in March 2022 after being issued an ultimatum by his wife.

But he moved out two months later after rekindling the romance with the Our Yorkshire Farm star.

Trickery: Amanda and Robert went on a clay pigeon shoot together in 2021 and he went with her on her theatre tours, but were thought to be nothing more than friends

Amanda downplays split from husband of 22 years

Mother-of-nine Amanda and husband Clive attracted thousands of adoring fans as the series documented her farming life - earning her more than 1million.

But details of Amanda's shocking affair came out almost a year after she and her co-star husband Clive, 68, announced their unanticipated split in June.

However, the TV star was keen to downplay the separation, saying it was 'not a big story.'

Appearing on Lorraine in January, Amanda insisted the collapse of her marriage was 'a reality she has to get on with' while juggling the responsibility of farm management with parenthood.

The couple maintain an amicable relationship while managing their Ravenseat Farm in rural Swaledale, and Amanda said their duties overshadow their estrangement.

She said: 'It's not a big story. I feel like there are so many people in similar situations, and it's the reality. We talk about reality television but that is the reality.

'We all have to get on. You know, there's a lot to do. There's the land to manage, there's the animals to manage, obviously childcare and everything else. So we have to get on with it.'

Owen also insisted she her responsibilities on the farm never prevent her from taking time for herself - even when she's tending to the animals.

She said: 'I am content but you do have to take a little bit of time for yourself. Every morning, even if I'm feeding the sheep, a little bit of mascara on. It makes you feel good about yourself.'

Amanda confirmed she had separated from her husband of 21 years Clive, 68, last summer, and they share nine children together. Pictured: The couple in 2020

Family: The former couple have nine children together; Raven, Reuben, Miles, Edith, Violet, Sidney, Annas, Clemmie, and Nancy

Over: They shared a joint statement on social media confirming they had split in June

Robert's fourth wife accuses him of 'getting married, having an affair and moving on'

Five-times married Robert was accused by his fourth wife of being a repeat offender when it comes to infidelity.

Jan Coates, 72, the fourth of his spouses, told Daily Mail he 'hasn't changed in two decades' as he proceeds to 'get married, have an affair and move on.'

His former wife revealed that he cheated two years into their marriage, which came to an end in 2001.

Jan explained: 'Thats what he does, gets married, has an affair and moves on. He is very charming but he is also very ruthless in the way he treats people. I think he gets bored easily.

'But if he marries Amanda Owen he would be like Henry VIII with six wives and thats not normal.

'He has not changed in two decades. I am not vicious or vindictive but I would say he loves the chase for females and loves fame and fortune. But maybe they will suit each other.'

MailOnline contacted Amanda's representatives for comment.

Mr Davies had lost his third wife to cancer and had a six-year-old daughter from that marriage as well as two older children, one each from his two earlier marriages.

He was working as a graphic designer and 'love-bombed' Mrs Coates, a divorced mother-of-two.

'He rang me up after the party and asked me out for a drink,' she said. 'We hit it off really well and the relationship progressed from there.'

A 'charming romantic', Mr Davies proposed at Christmas and they married the following September in a grand wedding at Dalhousie Castle, near Edinburgh.

Something to say: Jan Coates, 72, the fourth of Mr Davies' spouses, revealed he 'hasn't changed in two decades' as he proceeds to 'get married, have an affair and move on'
Anne Hathaway looked nothing short of sensational as she attended a Bvlgari event in Tokyo, Japan on Monday.

The actress, 40, who recently graced the cover of The Hollywood Reporter with her stylist Erin Walsh, dazzled in a black floral-embellished mini dress.

The eye-catching number featured an abundance of black petals and flower patterns sewed onto the dress.

On top, a black ribbon hugged Anne's waist, accentuating her gorgeous figure.

The beauty lifted her enviable frame with a pair of black strappy heels as she put on a leggy display for the cameras.

Leggy: Anne Hathaway looked nothing short of sensational as she attended a Bvlgari event in Tokyo, Japan on Monday

Accessorising, Anne opted for a silver choker-style necklace and a variety of silver rings.

She accentuated her natural beauty with a flawless palette of make up including a grey smokey eye and swipe of pink lipstick.

Bringing back her iconic look in The Devil Wears Prada, Anne styled her brunette tresses straight in a fringe, effortlessly framing her face.

Anne has been in Tokyo with Bvlgari to mark the launch of their new hotel, opening on April 4.

Occupying floors 40 to 45 of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, the hotel overlooks the Imperial Palace and Mount Fuji, and is within walking distance of Tokyo Station, Ginzas shopping areas, and Nihonbashi financial districts.

Anne's appearance comes after she reflected on her iconic year of red carpet fashion as she graced the cover of The Hollywood Reporter with the brains behind her incredible looks, her stylist Erin Walsh.

The duo were just one of several celeb-stylist teams getting the cover treatment for the March 29 issue of THR.

Anne displayed her red bra and long legs as she posed in a sexy polka dot mini dress beside Erin.

Turning heads: The actress, 40, who recently graced the cover of The Hollywood Reporter with her stylist Erin Walsh , dazzled in a black floral-embellished mini dress

Beauty: The eye-catching number featured an abundance of black petals and flower patterns sewed onto the dress

Gorgeous: The beauty lifted her enviable frame with a pair of black strappy heels as she put on a leggy display for the cameras

The Devil Wears Prada actress worked burgundy platform heels while Erin was a vision in red.

The duo reflected on Anne's notable year of fashion, which wouldn't have been possible without Erin.

'Anne's style is incidentally fabulous. She always looks out-of-this-world cool, fashionable and fun, but it's also quite effortless,' Erin told the publication.

'Erin sees my idiosyncrasies as a strength,' Anne explained.

'Maybe there was initial confusion with me because I was introduced to the world as a teenaged princess, but I never actually connected to things that are "sweet" and "pretty"  no shade at all for those wonderful options. I love the right risk, as does she.'

With Erin's expertise, Anne has been wowing at some of the biggest events in the world this past year, from Cannes to the Sundance Film Festival.

At the Cannes premiere for Armageddon Time, Anne dazzled in a stunning Armani Prive column gown.

She looked breathtaking at a Bvlgari event in Paris in a yellow shirt-cape teamed with matching shorts.

Beauty: She accentuated her natural beauty with a flawless palette of make up including a grey smokey eye and swipe of pink lipstick

Stunner: Bringing back her iconic look in The Devil Wears Prada, Anne styled her brunette tresses straight in a fringe, effortlessly framing her face

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival saw Anne work a corseted Versace jacket dress.

And Anne made headlines when she channeled Andrea Sachs, her character from The Devil Wears Prada, for an appearance at the Michael Kors NYFW show last year.

There, she wore a recreation of the last look her character sported on screen.

As luck would have it, she was even seen rubbing elbows with the woman who inspired the film, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Speaking of that particular look, Erin said: 'We did not expect that response.

'That was so fun, especially because my first fashion job was at Vogue when The Devil Wears Prada came out. The universe truly has a plan.'

Anne has also been having a blast expressing herself through fashion this past year.

'Ive never had this much fun  and its supposed to be fun, right?'
It's official - Indy is heading to Cannes.

Variety revealed that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - the fifth film in the decades-long franchise - will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the south of France.

Harrison Ford, 80, and director James Mangold will attend the screening at the Palais des Festivals on May 18 alongside the film's other stars, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen.

The film festival also plans a tribute to Ford's long and illustrious career.

This film marks the Star Wars actor's last time donning his brown fedora and stepping into the role of the famous archeologist that he has been playing since 1981's Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Indy in Cannes: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May; star Harrison Ford seen in January

France bound: Ford, 80, and director James Mangold will attend the screening at the Palais des Festivals on May 18

Details of the plot are being kept quiet. The film is set to be released on June 30, 2023 in the US.

Ford is coming off the smash success of his AppleTV+ series Shrinking, co-starring Jason Segal, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Jessica Williams, Ted McGinley, Luke Tennie and Lukita Maxwell.

The series set in a Los Angeles-area psychiatric practice recently got renewed for a second season.

Segal also serves as co-creator with Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence and Ted Lasso star/writer Brent Goldstein.

The series also marks one of the only television roles The Fugitive star has appeared in. He also appears in the Yellowstone spinoff 1923.

Ford opened up about his iconic career and his role in Shrinking, and while he plays a therapist on the show, he isn't one for therapy himself, though he admitted in a 2002 interview that he did try it once.

'My opinion is not of the profession, its of the practitioner. There are all kinds of therapy. Im sure many of them are useful to many people,' Ford said.

'Im not anti-therapy for anybody  except for myself. I know who the f**k I am at this point,' Ford said.

The legendary actor was also asked about how he comes off on certain talk shows and other appearances, and whether or not he's wrestled with social anxiety disorder.

Last time: The fifth film in the storied franchise will reportedly be the last time Ford puts on the brown fedora

Forty years: Ford has been playing the iconic character since 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark

'That sounds like something a psychiatrist would say, not a casual observer. No. I dont have a social anxiety disorder. I have an abhorrence of boring situations,' Ford said.

He added, 'I was shy when I first went onstage  I wasnt shy, I was f***ing terrified. My knees would shake so badly, you could see it from the back of the theater,' he said.

'But thats not social anxiety. Thats being unfamiliar with the territory. I was able to talk myself through that and then enjoy the experience of being onstage and telling a story with collaborators,' he added.

1923 has also been renewed for a second season. Ford stars alongside Hellen Mirren, 77, in the origin story of Yellowstone's Dutton family. They play Jacob and Cara on the Taylor Sheridan show.

Tribute: The Cannes Film festival will also pay a special tribute to Harrison Ford for his career

Secret plot: The plot of the upcoming film is being more closely guarded than the location of the Ark of the Covenant

The show takes place at a time 'when pandemics, historic drought, and the end of Prohibition all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home,' notes Paramount+.

The news of a renewal came just weeks after the December 2022 premiere episode of the first season.

At the time, the show made headlines for debuting with 7.4 million viewers, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The cast also includes Darren Mann, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Brian Geraghty, Aminah Nieves, and Jerome Flynn.

1923 is the second Yellowstone prequel series, following last year's 1883 starring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton.
Travis Scott has settled with a nightclub and sound engineer he allegedly assaulted during a incident in New York City in February, reports TMZ.

The Sicko Mode hitmaker, 31, was accused of punching a 52-year-old man in the head and then damaging his equipment, including a video screen and speaker at a cost of around $12,000, inside Nebula nightclub.

In an interview with Fox New York, the victim of the attack said Scott flipped him off, over a request to turn the music down in order to improve the quality, and then attacked using a 'closed fist' police sources said.

Scott has now reportedly settled with bosses at Nebula and the sound engineer - details of the financial settlement are not known.

However, Scott remains under criminal investigation and could still face charges, with an NYPD spokesman telling the publication: 'This remains an active investigation.'

Incident: Travis Scott has settled with a nightclub and sound engineer he allegedly assaulted during a incident in New York City in February, reports TMZ ( pictured at Club Nebula in February)

Alleged victim: Mark Divine, the sound engineer who was attacked by Scott, says that his neck 'f****d up' following the incident

Another law enforcement source said the alleged victim has stopped cooperating with investigators, meaning that any potential charges are very unlikely to be brought.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Travis Scott for comment.

Earlier this month it was revealed Scott would hand himself over to NYPD investigators after he was accused of assaulting the sound engineer.

In an interview with Fox New York, the victim of the attack said Scott flipped him off, over a request to turn the music down in order to improve the quality, and then attacked using a 'closed fist' police sources said.

'My neck is f****d up. My arm is tingling. I have pins and needles going down,' Mark Divine said. A representative for the rapper told DailyMail.com that the incident was a 'misunderstanding.'

'I was trying to tell him to lower [the music] so it sounded good for the performance but he just stuck his middle finger in my face,' Divine added. 'So I lowered the monitor a little bit so I could talk to him, and thats when he ran around the speaker and attacked me.'

Then, Scott's security guard threatened Mark's life, he said from his hospital bed in Jersey City Medical Center.

Prior to attacking Mark, Scott is accused of threatening and pushing a DJ. In a video from the club, Scott can be seen telling the DJ to 'back the f*** up.' Witnesses had said that the volume was causing distortion and the DJ was trying to restore the balance.

Once he realized he was being filmed, he also slapped the phone out of a fan's hand.

Scott with Kylie Jenner and their daughter, Stormi, in 2021. The couple also has a son named Aire

Divine seemed confused by the rapper's actions. 'They're people who were trying to sound the best you could,' he said addressing Scott.

'There were fans there trying to take pictures, youre throwing their phones, you know  these are people who respect you, who want whats best for you. Maybe you should calm down and listen to what the people who are supporting you are trying to say to you,' he added.

Scott has insisted that the nightclub punch-up NYPD cops were called to was all a misunderstanding after a 'great show', despite being seen snapping at a DJ, punching a sound engineer in the face and throwing a fan's phone to the ground.

Scott performed with Don Toliver, who has a weekly spot at Club Nebula, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Videos show the pair performing to a packed crowd at the Times Square hotspot. They'd played another show earlier in the night at Irving Plaza.

'There was also a verbal dispute at that location that ended in $12,000 worth of damage to equipment. At this time, no warrant is issued, and the suspect is not being sought. However, that may change,' a spokesman told DailyMail.com.

Reps for Scott insisted it was all a misunderstanding.

'There have been discussions with the venue who confirmed this was a simple misunderstanding that was resolved in minutes. The show was great and never missed a beat.

'This has the earmarks of a cash grab but will be resolved and all those with an agenda will be held accountable.'

'Travis and our team already working with law enforcement to resolve and get to the truth,' a source said.

His attorney, Mitchell Schuster, added in a statement: 'While this is clearly a misunderstanding being blown out of proportion by clickbait and misinformation, we are actively working with the venue and law enforcement to resolve and set the record straight.

'We are confident our client will be cleared of any wrongdoing.'

Scott is still facing multiple lawsuits over the deaths of 10 people at his 2021 Astroworld concert.

Hundreds more were injured at the event, where the rapper was accused of whipping the crowd into a frenzy. He insisted he did 'everything he could' to save the people who died. Scott was previously arrested for inciting riots at other shows.

Scott, who shares two children with Kylie Jenner, has not yet commented on the incident.

He and Kylie broke up again in January after spending the holidays together.

Scott is still facing multiple lawsuits over the deaths of 10 people at his 2021 Astroworld concert

A source close to Jenner told DailyMail.com of the latest incident at the nightclub: 'Traviss anger issues are not anything new and were a huge part of why Kylie and he broke up.

'She is such a peaceful and quiet person, and he was the opposite. She could not handle it anymore.'

'He has exploded on several occasions and anyone who knows him knows about his temper.

'This is not anything new and no one is surprised to learn that he got himself into this mess.'
Kelsea Ballerini recalled watching her classmate being shot dead in a high school shooting as she paid tribute to the victims of the Nashville shooting at Sunday's 2023 CMT Awards.

Audrey Hale, 28, opened fire at Christian elementary school in Tennessee on Monday morning, killing six people including three nine-year-old students.

The killer, who came from a religious family and whose mother has advocated for stricter gun control, was shot dead by police on an upper floor of the school.

CMT host Ballerini fought back tears as she pleaded to end gun violence after the atrocity, while reflecting on the senseless killing of her friend Ryan McDonald, 15, in a school cafeteria in 2008.

She said: 'On March 27, 2023, three 9-year-olds - Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs - along with Dr. Katherine Koonce, Cynthia Peak, and Mike Hill, walked into the Covenant School and didn't walk out.

Devastating: Kelsea Ballerini recalled watching her classmate being shot dead in a high school shooting as she paid tribute to the victims of the Nashville shooting at Sunday's 2023 CMT Awards

Audrey Hale, 28, opened fire at a Christian elementary school in Tennessee on Monday morning, killing six people inducing three nine-year-old students

CMT host Ballerini fought back tears as she pleaded to end gun violence after the atrocity, while reflecting on the senseless killing of her friend Ryan McDonald, 15, (pictured) in a school cafeteria in 2008

'The community of sorrow over this and the 130 mass shootings in the U.S. this year alone stretches from coast to coast. I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment, because on August 21, 2008, I watched Ryan McDonald, my 15-year-old classmate at Central High School, lose his life to a gun in our cafeteria.

'Tonight's broadcast is dedicated to the ever-growing list of family's friends, survivors, witnesses, and responders whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence.

'I pray deeply that the closeness and the community that we feel through the next few hours of music can soon turn into action  like, action that moves us forward together to create change for the safety of our kids and our loved ones.'

Kelsea was a sophomore at Central High School, in Knoxville, Tennessee, when Ryan was shot in the chest by a fellow student, Jamar Siler, then 15.

The tragedy made headlines at the time: Ryan, a junior who lived with his grandmother, was one of several students in the school cafeteria the morning of August 21, 2008 when Jamar shot him.

According to the AP, Ryan was bullied because he had alopecia, which left him bald.

Jamar's motive for shooting him was unclear, though some reports said that he and Ryan had had a disagreement on the bus that morning. His defense attorney claimed he had fetal alcohol syndrome.

Eyewitnesses said Ryan was 'walking and holding his chest' before he fell over, and there was 'blood everywhere.'

'Tonight's broadcast is dedicated to the ever-growing list of family's friends, survivors, witnesses, and responders whose lives continue to forever be changed by gun violence'

Jamar later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Kelsea describes watching the scene unfold that day in a poem in her book, which comes out on Tuesday.

'His name was Ryan, and he died on the cafeteria floor from a gunshot wound to the chest. I can't be too sure, but I think I saw him breathe his last breath,' she writes.

'I'm scared of loud noises, I'm triggered by the news, I'm terrified of guns, I'm sensitive in crowds. But I'm alive.

'And because of a boy named Ryan, I know what a gift that is.'

Authorities did not immediately offer a motive for the killings, but investigators believe transgender Audrey Hale harbored 'some resentment for having to go to that school' as a child

Speaking on television this morning, Kelsea shared what she took away from what happened: 'I think I became very aware of [the fact that] life is short.'

Authorities did not immediately offer a motive for Monday's killings, but Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in an NBC News interview that investigators believed Hale harbored 'some resentment for having to go to that school' as a child.

Hale had no previous criminal record before the massacre, but is understood to have elaborately planned her attack - as evidenced by a 'manifesto' seized by FBI agents that the killer planned to carry out shootings at multiple locations.

The Covenant School was singled out for Hale's attack, but that the individual victims - which included three 9-year-old children, the school's top administrator, a substitute teacher and a custodian - were targeted at random.
Hailey Bieber has been getting a little fresh lately.

The Vogue model - who has been sharing bikini images all month - shared some very cheeky photos to social media on Monday that flashed the flesh.

The 26-year-old star from Arizona was seen holding pieces of passion fruit over her chest to protect her modesty as she beamed in new images taken on a beach.

The wife of pop star Justin Bieber had a glowing tan as she held the half pieces of fruit just so in a very suggestive move.

Also on her chest was a yellow gold chain 'bra' that went around her breasts, around her neck, and behind her back. And that 'bra' did not come cheap as it was diamond encrusted.

Fresh gal: Hailey Bieber has been getting a little fresh lately. The Vogue model shared some very cheeky photos to social media on Monday that flashed the flesh

PageSix revealed the chain is Jacquie Aichies 50 Diamond Bra which costs over $10,000.

Models Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Culpo are also fans of Aichie's designs.

The photo shoot was not new, however.

It was first seen last week when the close friend of Kendall Jenner debuted her new collection for her skincare brand Rhode.

Rhode is the cover girl's middle name.

Last week Bieber shared the images to Instagram as she added the caption, 'PASSIONFRUIT JELLY. New passionfruit jelly peptide lip treatment is coming 4/6 sign up for the waitlist now rhodeskin.com @rhode.'

In those older images the runway fixture had on a multi-colored bikini top.

Hailey launched her Rhode skincare line  named after her middle name  in June 2022.

Fun chica: The 26-year-old star from Arizona was seen holding pieces of passion fruit over her chest to protect her modesty as she beamed in new images taken on a beach

Playful: The wife of pop star Justin Bieber had a glowing tan as she held the half pieces of fruit just so in a very suggestive move

Silly Hails: Also on her chest was a yellow gold chain 'bra' that went around her breasts, around her neck, and behind her back

All four now: And that 'bra' did not come cheap as it was diamond encrusted

The business has been booming ever since.

CEO Melanie Bender, who joined the company in October 2022, recently talked to Vogue Business about the brand's astronomical sales.

'We crossed the eight-figure [sales] threshold in just 11 days of selling. Its surpassed anything Ive ever seen,' Bender said.

She added that Bieber is also involved in all aspects of the business.

Bender stated, 'As founder and creative director, she plays a major role in product development and overall creative direction of the brand.

'We are speaking to her more than once a day to build our formulas and priorities around what she identifies as a need in the market,' she added.

With top on: Last week Bieber shared the images to Instagram as she added the caption, 'PASSIONFRUIT JELLY. New passionfruit jelly peptide lip treatment is coming 4/6 sign up for the waitlist now rhodeskin.com @rhode.' In those older images she had on a bikini top

Less than one year in, Bieber is now planning a global expansion, with the line's launch in Canada to be followed by a United Kingdom branch.

Justin accompanied his wife to a dinner party in Toronto last week to help her celebrate Rhode's Canadian debut.

Last fall Hailey was included on Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 list, where she earned a spot for her flourishing business.

The star took to social media to share the news and she wrote, 'Thank you so much @forbes @forbesunder30 so beyond excited about this cover, and so very excited for everything that is to come with @rhode and thank you to team @rhode for being the most bad a** team I could ask for.

'The journey has been one that causes me to pinch myself on the daily. Cover shot by @timtadder story written by the wonderful mcgrathmag @hairinel @leahdarcymakeup @danixmichelle #ForbesUnder30.'

In the accompanying interview, Hailey revealed that she and her business partners went through several rounds of reformulating products during the development process until they met her standards, while making sure the price tag on any product did not exceed $30.
Dwayne Johnson, 50, enthusiastically addressed the 2023 Disney Annual Meeting of Shareholders Webcast on Monday to announce a project close to his heart.

After the meeting, he tweeted, 'Humbled to say we're bringing #MOANA's beautiful story to the live action big screen!

'#MAUI changed my life (miss you grandpa) and I'm honored to partner with @DisneyStudios to tell our story thru the realm of music & dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people.'

The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star - whose eldest daughter made her WWE debut over the weekend - tweeted shots of him and his daughters Jasmine, seven, and Tiana, four.

The Black Adam star wore jeans and a white short-sleeved button-down shirt in his pre-recorded message from the beaches of Maui while his young daughters, who he shares with his wife Lauren Hashian, wore sundresses reminiscent of Moana's.

Maui: Dwayne Johnson, 50, enthusiastically addressed the 2023 Disney Annual Meeting of Shareholders Webcast on Monday to announce a project close to his heart

Moana: After the meeting, he tweeted, 'Humbled to say we're bringing #MOANA's beautiful story to the live action big screen'

Johnson also has another daughter, Simone Johnson, 21, whom he shares with ex-wife Dany Garcia.

The Fast and Furious actor shared more about the upcoming movie in a pre-recorded message with his daughters, including the inspiration he gets from his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia.

Johnson spoke more during the pre-recorded segment with his daughters, saying, via Variety:

'We are so excited and happy to announce that a live action reimagining of Moana is in the works. Moana, Grandma Tala, the music, the dance, Te Fiti, Pua the pig, the village, the beautiful powerful ocean and one more what's that guys? Oh, yours trulyHeihei the chicken! Kidding. Heihei is gonna be in it, but of course Maui will be in it too.

'Many of you may not know the brilliant team at Disney Animation, my partners, we found so much inspiration for Maui in the mana and the presence of my late grandfather, the legendary High Chief Peter Maivia.

'He would walk in light up the room  the energy, the tattoos, the hair, the bod. [sings with daughters] "When you're starring at a demigod" Thank you. Sorry, I get caught up in the moment.

'So as you guys can see  perfect timing as the sun comes out  just how deep the story is for me, because in a way, when I bring Maui to life, I'm doing it in the spirit of my grandfather. So it's still very early in the process. There's so much more work to be done.

'But until then, there is one more thing that I need to kick this journey off right. Girls do want to get that special thing that Daddy needs? [Bring out his staff] Wow, you guys are daddy's daughters. You are so strong. Thank you guys so much.'

Inspiration: The Fast and Furious actor shared more about the upcoming movie in a pre-recorded message with his daughters, including the inspiration he gets from his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia

Daughters: Johnson's young daughters Jasmine, seven and Tiana, four joined him on the beach for the announcement

He concluded: 'We're gonna go in the ocean. Yes. Oh, look at the love I have. Is Daddy Maui? No! You guys want ice cream? Yes! So Daddy is Maui.'

Johnson's oldest daughter followed in her father's footsteps as a professional wrestler working under the name Ava Raine.

On Saturday, she became the first fourth-generation wrestler in WWE history with her debut at NXT Stand and Deliver on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, daughter of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, made her in-ring bow as part of an eight-person tag-team match between Chase University and the stable she is a part of, The Schism.

Following in footsteps: Johnson's eldest daughter, Simone, 21, made her WWE debut over the weekend.

The match went just over 11 minutes and Raine had a couple of forays into the action, but her side suffered a loss in her first outing with Chase University picking up the victory.

Raine's lineage in the business goes back to The Rock, her grandfather Rocky Johnson and her great grandfather High Chief Peter Maivia.

Raine joined WWE in February 2020, but her progress to TV had been hindered by a serious knee injury.

Still, Shawn Michaels told SportsMail that the company have high hopes for Raine and she's developing well at their developmental training base in Orlando, Florida.
Ekin-Su Culculogu has reached out to Olivia Hawkins and advised her to 'stay strong' in the wake of her appearance on this year's winter Love Island.

The ring girl, 27, came under fire during her time on the show with viewers claiming 'the witch is finally gone' after she was voted out.

She later reported that she had received a torrent of online abuse and even death threats when she was dumped from the villa.

Now series eight winner Ekin-Su has given the fellow Love Island star some advice and spoke about how she deals with criticism towards herself.

Speaking to OK! Magazine, she said: 'I hope Olivia is okay. She needs to remember who she is and stay strong.'

Advice: Ekin-Su Culculogu has reached out to Olivia Hawkins and advised her to 'stay strong' in the wake of her appearance on this year's winter Love Island

Unpopular: The ring girl, 27, came under fire during her time on the show with viewers claiming 'the witch is finally gone' after she was voted out

Opening up about her own experiences of being trolled, she said: 'Because of my past and my childhood when I was really badly bullied, troll comments don't affect me in the slightest. Yes, they're not nice to read but it really doesn't affect me.'

Ekin-Su added: 'I think you've got to have a thick skin to last in this industry. You shouldn't go on Love Island if you can't hack people criticising you, people not liking you, people talking behind your back  because it happens.'

It comes after Olivia reportedly has split from Maxwell Samuda, just weeks after leaving the villa together.

Olivia and the finance student, 23, are said to have gone their separate ways after 'naturally drifting apart' since returning to the UK.

Olivia and Maxwell reportedly had a conversation about their relationship on Thursday and decided to split up, but remain on 'good terms'.

A source told The Sun: 'Although it was rumoured they'd already split they only had a proper chat about where their relationship was going yesterday, and they both agreed the writing was on the wall.

'They had fun while it lasted, and there are no hard feelings at all, but he obviously went to Mexico, and Olivia has been focusing on work projects. They have naturally drifted apart.'

MailOnline has contacted ITV and Olivia's representatives for comment.

The couple were dumped from the South African villa shortly before the grand final and left the show as a couple, later appearing together on the reunion show.

Last week, Olivia denied that they had secretly gone their separate ways, insisting that they were 'literally fine'.

She told FUBAR Radio: 'We are absolutely fine. Even though I've been on the show, I am still a private person.

'I'm not the sort of person to upload every single thing that we're doing. We went out for lunch the other day.'

Olivia also revealed that she and Maxwell had been spending some 'healthy time apart' as he has jetted off on a trip to Mexico.

She continued: 'He's gone to Mexico. Probably not the best choice of trips. He booked it before the show.

Split: It comes after Olivia reportedly has split from Maxwell Samuda, just weeks after leaving the villa together

'They have naturally drifted apart': Olivia and Maxwell reportedly had a conversation about their relationship on Thursday and decided to split up, but remain on 'good terms'

'I quite like it, it's healthy for us to have time apart. We're good. I hope he's on his best behaviour, I'm sure he will be.

'We still need to go on our first official date. We've been to McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Express. We need to do our nice dinner date out.'

She also told the Not My Bagg podcast: 'There's been rumours that we split up.

'But no we're literally fine. We're really good, cool calm collected he's a good guy and he treats me nice.'

Posting to his Instagram Stories last week, Maxwell also shared snaps from the sunnier Mexico climate as he confirmed that he was enjoying time away with a pal.

Firmly in holiday mode, he and pal Kyle appeared to be enjoying some cocktails as they beamed for a snap at a Bubba Gump restaurant.

'Mi amigooooo,' wrote Maxwell over the sunny snap, as he also shared some of the scenery from city Cancun.

Since leaving the villa, Olivia has spoken out about being branded the 'villain' during her stint on the reality show.

Relationship: It comes after Olivia recently denied that they had secretly gone their separate ways, insisting that they were 'literally fine' last week

She was also branded the 'villa schemer' during drama filled scenes as she clashed with fellow contestants.

She also told the radio listeners: 'I did say those things, they did come out of my mouth. I own it. I said it, I meant it at the time, maybe I don't mean it as much now but I did at the time.

'I hold my hands up. When I really think back, I really don't think I did anything that bad.

'Yes, we all gossiped about each other, but I was just shown to be doing it more than others.'
Emmerdale fans were concerned for Gabby Thomas during Monday's episode after her new flame Nicky proposed.

Viewers have been given quite an insight into Gabby's (Rosie Bentham) relationship with nanny Nicky (Lewis Cope) following their frequent passionate kisses as they lay flat on Kim Tate's (Claire King) couch.

Gabby was left open-mouthed on this week when Nicky got down on one knee and asked her to marry him in front of Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles), Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) and Kim.

She accepted and the pair embraced and shared a kiss despite Kim's disgust at the situation, with Kim having hired Nicky to look after the children who live at her country pile.

But it wasn't just Kim who was unimpressed by Nicky popping the question, viewers are convinced the proposal is part of a bigger plan to get at Gabby or Kim's money.

Romance? Emmerdale fans were concerned for Gabby Thomas during Monday's episode after her new flame Nicky proposed

Rapid relationship: Viewers have been given quite an insight into Gabby's (Rosie Bentham, pictured) relationship with Nicky (Lewis Cope) following their frequent passionate kisses

Taking to Twitter to express their fears for Gabby, one person wrote: 'Just by watching this clip, of Nikki proposing to Gabby, you know Nikki is up to something. You only met her a few months ago. And Gabby is well smitten. Something ain't right. #emmerdale.'

Someone else shared: 'Hes got to be after Gabbys (or Kims) money.'

Another person posted: 'Nicky must have a reason for proposing to Gabby. He obviously has to move things along for some part of a plan #emmerdale.'

I still dont trust Nicky! Him and Gabby have been together for 5 minutes and hes already proposing to her #Emmerdale.

While someone else shared: 'Nicky is about to become a villain who manipulates Gabby to the extreme #Emmerdale.'

One other viewer tweeted: 'Proposing? seriouslytheyve not known each other that long.'

And someone else wrote: 'They haven't even been on a date yet. #ridiculous #emmerdale.'

Someone else shared: 'Nicky, claiming Gabby means the world to him. They know nothing about one another, apart from how to remove each other's clothing #Emmerdale.'

Miffed: She accepted and the pair embraced and shared a kiss despite Kim's disgust at the situation, with Kim having hired Nicky to look after the children who live at her country pile (Kim, played by Claire King, pictured left)

In previous episodes, Nicky confessed he had feelings for Gabby, but he insisted they couldn't be together as it could put his job in jeopardy.

He admitted that despite their chemistry he could not have sex with the young mother.

Nicky first caught Gabby's eye when he arrived in the village as a nanny for Clemmie and Lucas, but soon learned his services were no longer needed when Dawn (Olivia Bromley) decided she didn't want to work for Kim.

Luckily, Gabby reassured Nicky that she still needed someone to look after her son Thomas, and Kim agreed, meaning he could stay at Home Farm.

After learning she'd got the job as Kim's deputy, a delighted Gabby decided to celebrate with Nicky by enjoying some champagne.

However, when she leaned in for a kiss, he quickly pulled back and admitted he didn't like her that way.

Speaking about the story, actor Lewis previously told Metro: 'Potentially it could be a problem at Home Farm if they get together. Nicky kind of focuses on his job and thinks  we shouldn't be doing this and backs away from it.

Co-star Rosie agrees that the pair make a good match, adding: 'They both fancy each other, it's very obvious.

Master plan? It wasn't just Kim who was unimpressed by Nicky popping the question, viewers are convinced the proposal is part of a bigger plan to get at Gabby or Kim's money

'I think the audience are going to be egging them on to be honest, because they see two young people who fancy each other, it's very obvious what they are going to want from that. But whether they get it or not, who knows?'

However, Lewis has already warned that Nicky has a dark side that viewers may get to see in the coming weeks.

He said last month: 'At the moment he's a lovely person and there's nothing to say otherwise, but he's quite too good to be true though.'

Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1, and ITVX.
Maisie Smith and her boyfriend Max George sparked outrage among their fans after posting a fake pregnancy announcement on Monday

The former EastEnders actress, 21, took to Instagram with her beau, 34, to pose with her hands cradling her stomach.

She hid her belly behind a heart emoji, while Max looked down in shock, with his hand over his mouth.

Captioning the snap, Maisie wrote: 'We've got some really exciting news...'

But in the next post, she revealed the couple were only joking, writing: 'I just had the best five course meal of my life'.

'This is thoughtless and disgusting!' Maisie Smith and her boyfriend Max George sparked outrage among their fans after posting a fake pregnancy announcement on Monday

Reveal: But in the next post, she revealed the couple were only joking, writing: 'I just had the best five course meal of my life'

Admiring: Max shared the same teasing post to his Instagram Stories, while adding the caption: 'Look at that lovely belly'

Max shared the same teasing post to his Instagram Stories, while adding the caption: 'Look at that lovely belly'.

And while the pair thought their post was hilarious, many of their fans disagreed as they flocked to Twitter to blast them for being 'disgusting' and 'insensitive'.

One wrote, 'Pregnancy jokes are not, and never will be funny. You've hurt many people, fans, with those thoughtless stories tonight. People who have lost children. People who cannot conceive for whatever reason. Please do better.'

Others chimed in with, 'Max George and Maisie smith are so insensitive for that,' and, 'maisie smith and max george joking about being pregnant is disgusting. just not something to be joking about.'

A fourth penned, 'Not @maisie_smith_ and @MaxGeorge making out that shes expecting, such a s***ty joke! Kick to all of us who struggle with fertility.'

One more concluded, 'Joking about fake pregnancies is disgusting. Really made me think. Do I really like them anymore.'

The couple are currently enjoying a romantic Dubai getaway and have shared lots of glimpses into their trip so far.

Seeing red: And while the pair thought their post was hilarious, many of their fans disagreed as they flocked to Twitter to blast them for being 'disgusting' and 'insensitive'

Maisie kicked off their lavish holiday by sharing a very racy snap to Instagram earlier in the week.

She left little to the imagination as she went completely naked for a risque bathtub shot, while enjoying a glass of champagne.

Resting her legs on the edge of the basin, she ensured to protect her modesty as she wrote, '...and relax,' in her caption.

However, Maisie resisted a dip in the sea in a hilarious video shared by The Wanted star.

The actress re-posted the video, which saw her run back onto the beach after realising just how cold the water was, while wearing a skimpy blue bikini.

Max wrote, 'Cold water ain't for my girl,' while Maisie added, 'Can't say I didn't try.'

Max and Maisie looked on cloud nine as they kicked back and relaxed at the beach together.

The smitten couple have jetted off on holiday and immediately made the most of the warm weather as they worked on their tans.

Maisie showcased her toned figure as she slipped into a light blue bikini with orange straps while relaxing on a beach chair.

Sharing a photo of his girlfriend from the back, Max wrote: 'Cheeky. I wouldnt be anywhere else in the world right now '.

Max went shirtless for the outing, with Maisie sharing a playful snap of him posing on the beach in a pair of dark green shorts.

The pair also posted a snap from their flight as they snuggled beside each other, with Maisie writing: 'And we're off'.
Embattled Bam Margera was kicked out of a Hollywood hotel room after the police were called - just hours before his arrest for public intoxication on Wednesday.

TMZ reports the Jackass star, 43, who has dealt with substance abuse issues and violent behavior in recent years, reportedly had police called to his room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel just before noon after yelling was reported from the bedroom.

The caller was said to be concerned about possible domestic violence - with police speaking to Margera and a woman who was in the room. The star was on the phone with his ex and 'things got heated.'

It is understood there was no sign of injury to either party and no-one was looking to make a report - with Margera and his female friend asked to leave the hotel.

DailyMail.com has contacted Bam Margera's representatives for comment.

Out of control: Embattled Bam Margera was kicked out of a Hollywood hotel room after the police were called - just hours before his arrest for public intoxication on Wednesday

Tough times: This comes after it was revealed Margera's estranged wife is considering filing for a restraining order for the sake of their child after he was arrested .; the pair are seen in January 2013

This comes after it was revealed Margera's estranged wife is considering filing for a restraining order for the sake of their child after he was arrested.

The 43-year-old troubled Jackass star's wife Nikki Margera is looking into filing for legal protection against him after his latest brush with the law according to TMZ on Friday.

A source told the publication that she hopes to make the legal filing so it would protect her and their five-year-old son Phoenix.

She told the site that the incident on Wednesday 'was scary for me and even more scary for Phoenix,' adding that it was a shame as 'the visitation that Bam had with Phoenix the prior day in Hollywood went reasonably well.'

Nikki claimed her famous husband had arrived at the restaurant on Wednesday intoxicated and belligerent as she explained: 'This is the umpteenth time that Bam takes one step forward and ten steps back.'

Her attorney David Glass told TMZ that they had been trying to work with Bam on setting up regular visitation for their child but as it is contingent on him staying sober and treating Nikki with respect it hasn't quite happened.

This comes after the former television personality  who has dealt with substance abuse issues and violent behavior in recent years  got into an argument with a woman at the restaurant, law enforcement sources told TMZ.

The police were reportedly called around 3:45 p.m. to a Thai restaurant, and Margera was allegedly in a shouting match with the woman that continued to escalate after the officers arrived.

Despite the intervention from police, Margera allegedly couldn't get himself under control, so he was arrested and booked for misdemeanor public intoxication.

In video of the confrontation filmed by the comedian Evan Breen, the former pro skateboarder could be seen going back into the restaurant and then out of it again after police had arrived.

At an officer's request, he sat down on the ground in the parking lot, and although his conversation with the officer couldn't be heard, he waved his arms about and gesticulated wildly.

The arrest may have been preceded by some kind of family drama, as Margera's estranged wife Nikki Boyd and their five-year-old child Phoenix were both in the restaurant, according to a witness on the scene.

However, police didn't clarify if he was arguing with his ex, or if it was another woman.

Family first: A source told the publication that she hopes to make the legal filing so it would protect her and their five-year-old son Phoenix

Legal trouble: Bam was arrested at a restaurant in Burbank on Wednesday after a confrontation with a woman, law enforcement sources told TMZ; pictured in 2019

The sources added that Margera will be forced to pay $500 to be released early on bail, unless he opts to stay behind bars until sobering up.

The Jackass star's public controversies escalated earlier this month when he was arrested on domestic violence charges.

The Viva La Bam star was arrested after police responded to a home in Escondido, California, where a woman claimed that he had kicked her, according to TMZ.

The alleged victim was not named, but she is reportedly Margera's current girlfriend, and not his ex.

He was released on $50,000 bail, though the local District Attorney said charges would not be filed against him.

After Margera quickly posted bail, Boyd's attorney claimed that he had not supported her for two months, leaving her with 'no car, no money,' and eviction looming.

Family affair: Margera's estranged wife Nikki Boyd (pictured) and five-year-old son Phoenix were at the restaurant, but it's unknown if she was the woman he was shouting at; seen in 2013

Deeper in trouble: The Jackass star was arrested early this month on domestic violence charges for allegedly kicking a woman, though it was his new girlfriend and not his ex

Over the top: Last week, he revealed that he got his son's name tattooed on his face in Arabic as a reminder to Boyd that 'she is breaking my heart by not letting me see him'

She filed for divorce from Margera in February of this year after claiming that he was not sober during a visit with his son.

She has requested legal and physical custody of Pheonix, though she says Margera should still be allowed to have supervised visits with his son in the Los Angeles area.

The Jackass star tried to show his commitment to Phoenix last week by taking the extreme step of tattooing his son's name on his face in Arabic.

'I miss Phoenix the wolf so much I had to to get his name tattooed on my f***in face to remind Nikki she is breaking my heart by not letting me see him,' he claimed on Instagram.
Ben Affleck's next role will surely mess with your mind.

The 50-year-old actor stars in the trailer for Robert Rodriguez directed action thriller Hypnotic released on Monday.

In it he portrays a detective named Daniel Rourke who is on a frantic search to find his missing daughter Dominique AKA Minnie (Hala Finley).

However, as if he hunt already isn't enough, he quickly learns that her disappearance is associated with a series of ongoing robberies conducted by a mysterious man (William Fitchner) who happens to have hypnotic powers.

Daniel's investigation leads him to spin out of control as he is forced to confront his deepest, darkest fears.

On the hunt: Ben Affleck's next role will surely mess with your mind

Challenging: The 50-year-old actor stars in the trailer for Robert Rodriguez directed action thriller Hypnotic released on Monday

As if that isn't already enough, he also finds out that the people with hypnotic powers can also force their victims to see and even feel things which are not real stacking the odds even more against him.

However, Daniel is not along as he has enlisted in the help of psychic Diana Cruz (Alice Braga) who aids him in trying to get his daughter back.

Toward the end of the trailer he tells her: 'I have to know everything. Why me? Why my daughter?'

Diana replies: 'I know who you are dealing with. What you see isn't real. Hypnotics make everything that you see and do perfectly normal.

It ends with Fitchner's rather creepy character staring at Daniel while surrounded by several law enforcement member's guns pointed at him before the detective raises his gun right back at them.

Other stars of the film include Jeff Fahey, Kelly Frye, JD Pardo, Bonnie Discepolo, Dayo Okeniyi, Derek Russo and Corina Calderon.

From Dusk Till Dawn filmmaker Rodriguez wrote the script alongside Max Borenstein.

Hypnotic premiered at SXSW last month and received favorable reviews with Variety's Peter Debruge writing that the 'typical popcorn-munching multiplex patron would never suspect how deep this Russian-doll mystery goes. Better to strap in and go along for the ride in the latest example of creativity-within-constraints.'

Hypnotic will hit theaters on May 12.

Sad: In it he portrays a detective named Daniel Rourke who is on a frantic search to find his missing daughter Dominique AKA Minnie (Hala Finley)

Creepy: However, as if he hunt already isn't enough, he quickly learns that her disappearance is associated with a series of ongoing robberies conducted by a mysterious man (William Fitchner) who happens to have hypnotic powers

Dark: Daniel's investigation leads him to spin out of control as he is forced to confront his deepest, darkest fears

Partner: However, Daniel is not along as he has enlisted in the help of psychic Diana Cruz (Alice Braga) who aids him in trying to get his daughter back

Showdown: It ends with Fitchner's rather creepy character staring at Daniel while surrounded by several law enforcement member's guns pointed at him before the detective raises his gun right back at them
She has been enjoying a family holiday with her fiancee Ramona Agruma and their baby girl Royce for the past two weeks.

And on Monday, Rebel Wilson shared new photos of the couple's daughter during their idyllic getaway at an tropical destination.

The Pitch Perfect star revealed her little one's face for the first time in a drone video as she stood on the beach cradling her.

Makeup free, Rebel unveiled her natural beauty in the clip as she showed off her slimmed-down figure in a pair of baggy trousers and a striped T-shirt.

Meanwhile, Ramona flaunted her golden tan in yellow shorts and a green T-shirt.

Rebel Wilson finally revealed her daughter Royce's face when she shared sweet photos and video during a romantic getaway with her fiancee Ramona Agruma this week

Makeup free, Rebel reveals her natural beauty in the clip as she showed off her slimmed-down figure in a pair of baggy trousers and a striped T-shirt

Rebel also shared a happy snap of the couple holding up their baby, but this time covered her face with a sunshine emoji.

The holiday comes as Rebel has revealed she was 'dumped' by a famous woman before meeting her fiancee Ramona.

The Pitch Perfect star, 43, told the U Up? podcast the woman she previously dated was 'in the public eye'.

She did not name the female celebrity to 'respect' her privacy, but said she looked back fondly on their time together.

'I met a woman and had, like, feelings for her, which totally came as a blindside,' Rebel told hosts Jordana Abraham and Jared Freid.

'It wasn't what I was expecting,' she added.

The holiday comes as Rebel has revealed she was 'dumped' by a famous woman before meeting her fiancee Ramona

Rebel revealed she struggled to articulate her feelings for the woman when they first started dating.

'I said the words, "I don't want to offend you, but are you interested in women?"' she said.

'I've never had a conversation like that [before] because I was dating dudes and never had to talk about sexuality. She was like, "I have feelings for you as well."'

The Pitch Perfect star, 43, told the U Up? podcast the woman she previously dated was 'in the public eye'. She did not name the female celebrity to 'respect' her privacy, but said she looked back fondly on their time together. (Pictured: Rebel and Ramona in a recent Instagram selfie)

While things 'didn't end up going anywhere' and she ultimately 'got dumped', the comedian said the relationship opened her 'heart up for a same-sex' romance.

She added that Ramona, 37, was 'the next woman' she had a connection with.

Rebel announced last month she had proposed to her girlfriend at Disneyland.

Rebel revealed she struggled to articulate her feelings towards the woman when they first started dating. 'I said the words, "I don't want to offend you, but are you interested in women?"' she said

While things 'didn't end up going anywhere' and she ultimately 'got dumped', the comedian said the relationship opened her 'heart up for a same-sex' romance. (Pictured: Rebel and Ramona at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on March 12)

She posted sweet snaps of the moment on Instagram, which showed her getting down on one knee with a Tiffany & Co. ring for her future wife.

The couple were first introduced to one another by a mutual friend in late 2021.

Rebel previously told People magazine Ramona had made an effort to establish a genuine connection prior to their first date.

Rebel announced last month she had proposed to her girlfriend at Disneyland (pictured)

'We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting. And that was a really good way to get to know each other. It was a bit old-school in that sense, very romantic,' she said.

They went Instagram official with their relationship in June last year.

It wasn't long after this announcement that Rebel shocked the world when she welcomed her baby daughter Royce Lillian via surrogate on November 7.
Pregnant Lindsay Lohan took to Instagram on Monday to mark her one-year wedding anniversary with Bader Shammas.

The 36-year-old longtime actress  who announced she's expecting last month  shared a photo hugging her husband, also 36, in front of a body of water.

The glowing redhead beauty wrote in the caption for her 12.7 million followers to see, 'April 3, 2023. 1 year today. Happy Anniversary.'

The image was uploaded as a joint post between her and her beau, whose Instagram account is private.

In the photo the Mean Girls sensation wore a gray and black camouflage coat over a denim shirt.

Parents to be: Pregnant Lindsay Lohan took to Instagram on Monday to mark her one-year wedding anniversary with Bader Shammas

Lindsay secretly wed her partner last year and revealed the news as she referred to him her 'husband' in a gushing Instagram message that she posted on her 36th birthday.

The New York-born actress announced her engagement to Bader in November last 2021, after the two were first linked in 2020.

In last summer's birthday post she wrote: 'I am the luckiest woman in the world. You found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time.'

She added: 'I am stunned that you are my husband. My life and my everything. every woman should feel like this everyday.'

The couple is based in Dubai and stay relatively private, aside from a few Instagram posts from the star about their relationship.

In her engagement post Lindsay captioned a loved-up snap of the two: 'My love. My life. My family. My future.'

Bader and Lindsay have been linked since they were spotted together at a music festival in Dubai in early 2020.

Time together: Pregnant Lindsay Lohan and her husband have been enjoying a 'babymoon' together as they anticipate the arrival of their little one

Message: The redhead beauty wrote in the caption for her 12.7 million followers to see, 'April 3, 2023. 1 year today. Happy Anniversary'; pictured in November 2022

Two weeks ago Lindsay announced she's expecting by sharing an Instagram photo of a white onesie with the words 'coming soon' printed across the front.

She wrote, 'We are blessed and excited!,' adding prayer hands, baby, and baby bottle emojis.

A rep for the star told DailyMail.com that Lohan expressed, 'We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!'

She added, 'We are beyond happy for this blessing in our lives and we cannot wait to become parents.'

Lindsay recently posted photos of herself and Bader online as they enjoyed downtime at Atlantis The Royal Dubai.

The lifelong entertainer moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2014 to safeguard her privacy.

Going strong: Bader and Lindsay have been linked since they were spotted together at a music festival in Dubai in early 2020
Brad Pitt's former home in Los Angeles had a very unique feature when he first purchased it 1994, prior to selling it last month.

The Fight Club star, 59, bought the property from horror legend Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, who revealed the house had a 'gigantic heart-shaped pool' which was 'one of the first pools ever built in Hollywood.'

Unfortunately, the aesthetic of the pool appeared not to have been in the actor's taste, as he chose to have it replaced, according to the 71-year-old Elvira (born Cassandra Peterson) who spoke about the historic home with People.

Though Elvira - who also shared that the house was 'haunted' - told the publication it was 'kind of a shame' to lose the 'Olympic size' pool because of its historic nature, she said she understood the decision as the upkeep of the pool was not always easy.

'It was always leaking. The pump was always breaking down. It was kind of a nightmare,' Elvira shared of the home, nested in the Los Feliz neighborhood.

Not a fan: Brad Pitt's former home in Los Angeles had a 'gigantic heart-shaped pool' when he bought it from Elvira in 1994, before the actor decided to replace it; (L) Pitt pictured 2023, (R) Elvira pictured 2017

She also revealed that Pitt - known for his love of architecture - seemed to want to preserve as much of the property as possible upon moving in.

'As far as rooms and bedrooms and all that go, I think he would've stuck with the architectural integrity of the house and not done too many changes,' she shared. 'I mean, just knowing how he talked about that type of thing,' Elvira added.

Elvira also recently revealed that the home was extremely 'haunted.' Despite warning the movie star of alleged paranormal activity and sightings on the property, she recalled the Oscar winner was 'very excited' about residing among the supernatural presences.

'We were just kind of warning him that a lot of weird things have been going on there in the house since we moved in,' she told People, days after news broke that he successfully offloaded the compound for a whopping $39 million. 'He thought that was really cool.'

The mother-of-one continued: 'I've seen people walking around upstairs, for example, real people just walking. One time [a ghost was] sitting downstairs in front of the fireplace, once walking into my bedroom and back out.'

Even her sighting of a 'person floating around at the bottom of the pool' did not scare the father-of-six away from purchasing the property.

'I can't explain those things,' she said, referring to the spooky occurrences that began almost immediately after she moved in with her ex-husband Mark Pierson.

The creepy events even led her and Pierson, 66, to hire a 'priest come in to do an exorcism' because she no longer felt comfortable living there.

Historic: Elvira said it was 'kind of a shame' to lose the 'Olympic size' pool, as it was 'one of the first pools ever built in Hollywood' but understood the decision as the upkeep was difficult

'Haunted': She also revealed that the home was extremely 'haunted' and recalled the Oscar winner was 'very excited' about residing among the supernatural presences

Moving on: Pitt recently offloaded the compound for a whopping $39 million, and made the move from LA to a $40million abode in the small beach city of Carmel in Northern California; Pictured 2023

Still, the tales did not deter Pitt, who replied: 'Oh, that's so awesome.'

'I mean, there are not many buyers who that would be a selling point,' she mused. 'Brad was just wonderful. And I met his mom and dad at one time. They were such sweet people. He was always kind and sweet.'

She went on to commend him as 'just the perfect person to buy it' because of his love of architecture.

The home is where he raised his children Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, and 14-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, before their split in 2016.

Over the past seven years, the Fight Club actor has lived there independently, but recently made the move from Los Angeles to a $40million abode in the small beach city of Carmel in Northern California.

Brad's former estate is nestled in a gated community and rich with history that spans over 110 years.

It was reportedly built by an oil baron back in 1910 and is the place where rock legend Jimmy Hendrix penned his 1967 hit May This Be Love.

Brad has spent years renovating and building new additions to the property with a team of world-class architects and designers.

The past: The Los Feliz home is where he raised his children Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, and 14-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, before their split in 2016; seen in 2007 with Jolie

Pitt reportedly boasts a $100million real estate portfolio that includes his half of the $160 million French winery he co-owns with ex-wife Angelina (seen together in 2015)

The Interview With A Vampire star was said to have been very involved in the designing process as to create his perfect abode.

To expand the acreage, he purchased a number of adjacent lots. The property's main house is a whopping 6,700 square feet with five bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Pitt reportedly boasts a $100million real estate portfolio that includes his half of the $160 million French winery he co-owns with ex-wife Angelina, according to velvetropes.com.

The former couple purchased the 'Chateau Miraval' back in 2011 and married in a chapel on the premises in 2014.

Pitt and Jolie are currently in the midst of a legal battle over the Changeling actress' desire to sell off her portion.

Pitt - rumored to be currently dating LA-based model Ines de Ramon, 29, who split from her husband Paul Wesley last year - has also owned properties in the Hollywood Hills, New Orleans, Malibu and a $5million beach house in Goleta.
In their final report, submitted on Sunday April 2, the members of the citizens' convention on the end of life came out, overwhelmingly, in favor of access to assisted suicide and euthanasia. Currently, the end of life in France is governed by the Claeys-Leonetti law, adopted in 2016, which provides in particular that terminally ill patients can benefit from "deep and continuous sedation until death".

But the conventional consider that the application of this practice which aims to put patients to sleep, at the very end of life, to avoid refractory pain, has "limits". Above all, 97% responded that the current end-of-life "support framework" should "evolve".

Euthanasia, assisted suicide, assisted suicide, active assistance in dying or deep and continuous sedation until death: Le Monde takes stock of the terms and concepts of the end of life.

According to the definition adopted by the National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE), in a 2013 opinion, euthanasia is an "act intended to deliberately end the life of a person suffering from a serious illness and incurable, at her request, in order to put an end to a situation that she considers unbearable".

In Belgium, euthanasia  during which the doctor therefore injects the lethal product  has been authorized since May 28, 2002. According to the text, the request must be voluntary, thoughtful, repeated and without external pressure. In 2021, this country recorded 2,700 euthanasias, or 2.4% of the total number of deaths.

The Netherlands has regulated euthanasia since April 1, 2002. The law provides that the doctor and an independent expert must establish that the patient is enduring unbearable suffering and without hope of improvement.

Unlike euthanasia, in the context of assisted suicide, it is the person himself who performs the fatal act, and not a third party. Assisted suicide "consists in giving a person the means to commit suicide himself () by absorbing a lethal product which has been previously delivered to him", defines the CCNE.

Assisted suicide has been permitted in Switzerland since 1937, but euthanasia is not legal. The person does not necessarily have to be terminally ill, but must provide proof of their capacity for discernment.

Austria legalized assisted suicide in December 2021, before the law comes into force on January 1, 2022.

Italy, for its part, decriminalized it in 2019 for fully conscious patients "kept alive by treatments (...) and suffering from an irreversible pathology, a source of physical and psychological suffering which they consider intolerable".

In common parlance, assisted suicide is often referred to as "assisted suicide". However, it designates a different situation, particularly in the eyes of CCNE. Strictly speaking, assisted suicide refers to the situation of a person who wants to commit suicide but who is not physically capable of it and needs the action of a third party. Assisted suicide "mobilizes a third party more closely than assisted suicide", notes the committee, but "the difference is tenuous with the notion of euthanasia".

However, the CCNE points to a "real difference" between assisted suicide and euthanasia: "The will of the person who wants to die and who decides to do so, but who is unable to kill himself, is supposedly primary and clearly affirmed. It asks a third party () to do what it cannot do on its own, reads the notice. Euthanasia "concerns [therefore] people who do not wish to commit suicide, even with assistance".

"Some people, in fact, can express both the desire to die and their refusal, or their psychological impossibility to kill themselves by committing suicide - and this outside of any impediment linked to the disease -, or still their preference for a doctor to end their existence, at their request, rather than doing it themselves, "details the same opinion.

Euthanasia and assisted suicide can be considered as variations on the concept of "active assistance in dying", the legalization of which has already been deemed possible in France by the CCNE in September 2022. The majority of the members of the Citizens' Convention on end of life is in favor of both the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia, 40% of them believe that these two methods should be offered interchangeably.

Some 28% believe that "assisted suicide should prevail and euthanasia should remain an exception", in particular to avoid too much involvement of caregivers. The report also reveals the results of a Convention vote on nineteen models of access to active assistance in dying. They placed at the top the "combinations" which consider assisted suicide as a general possibility and euthanasia as a modality in exceptional cases - it would be conceivable in particular for a patient who cannot perform the gesture alone.

In Luxembourg, active assistance in dying leaving the choice between euthanasia and assisted suicide has been legal since 2009. For a request to be legal, the patient must be conscious, not have been subjected to external pressure and be " in a hopeless medical situation with no prospect of improvement".

Spain has also allowed both routes since March 2021. Spanish law provides that anyone with "serious and incurable illness" or "chronic pain placing them in a situation of incapacity" can seek medical assistance to die and thereby avoid "intolerable suffering".

The Claeys-Leonetti law, currently in force in France, allows "deep and continuous sedation until death" for terminally ill patients in very great suffering, whose life is threatened "in the short term". People are put to sleep permanently by injecting midazolam, a powerful, fast-acting drug.

At the same time, treatments are stopped when "they appear unnecessary, disproportionate or when they have no other effect than the sole artificial maintenance of life", according to the law. Hydration and nutrition are also suspended, and painkillers are administered. According to specialists, death occurs around a week. It is due to the failure of organs, which cease to function after stopping treatment. Due to kidney failure, potassium builds up in the blood and eventually causes the heart to stop.

The healthcare team must accompany the patient to the end, by providing palliative care, in particular care for the toilet, touch-massage, mouth care (moistened compresses against dryness, etc.) or eye care (drops ).
Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will be leading a high-powered delegation to the US to attend the annual spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank and for talks with officials which can help the cash-strapped country to ink a much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout with the IMF.

Dar along with an official delegation comprising the Finance and Economic Affairs Division secretaries and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, might present fresh proposals before the IMF and World Bank for providing dollar inflows, Geo news portal reported.

The delegation will be attending the upcoming Annual Spring Meeting of the Breton Wood Institutions (BWIs), known as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, from April 10 to 16, the report added.

During the meetings, Pakistan and the IMF would also discuss the possibility of combining the remaining 10th and 11th reviews under the USD 6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme in case the pending 9th review is completed.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed USD 1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based IMF, which was originally due to be disbursed in November last year.

The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations.

The IMF programme, signed in 2019, is going to expire on June 30, 2023, and under the set guidelines, the programme cannot be extended beyond the deadline.

The pending 9th review was scheduled to be completed in December 2022 and the 10th review should have been kick-started from February 2023. The 11th review was scheduled to commence on May 3.

Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the resumption of an installed USD 7 billion IMF programme for months but have yet to reach an agreement.

There is no easy solution available to fix the ailing economy of Pakistan and the government is of the view that they have taken all the tough decisions for reviving the stalled IMF programme.

Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, enough to shore up for barely one month's imports.

The current volatile political situation in Pakistan has become a factor in delaying a much-needed deal with the IMF.
Demanding the Centre not to privatise RINL, the corporate identify of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in Andhra Pradesh, BRS working president and Minister K T Rama Rao on Sunday wrote an open letter to the Union government requesting it to release Rs 5,000 crore to the steel maker.

KTR said the BRS party vehemently opposes the Centres move to disinvest it and the party would extend solidarity to the employees unions who are opposing the disinvestment move.

The Central government should allocate Rs 5,000 crore to the Vizag Steel Plant as required. There were instances of direct allocation of fund to the plant during the regimes of former Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The Centre can allot Rs 5,000 core as requested by the Vizag Steel Plant and take necessary equity from the company, Rao suggested in the letter.
In the recent times, there have been many challenges in managing the wildlife. A fresh innovative approach is required to manage the life on the planet

India supports a great variety of wildlife though it has only 2.2 per cent of the worlds geographic area. It has more than 7% of the worlds mammal population and around 12.5 per cent of the Bird population. We have around 92,000 species of faunal biodiversity of which insects are alone more than 61,000 species. There are still huge numbers of faunas yet to be discovered and listed. Indian forests are thus unmatched in the variety of wildlife and the recent introduction of the Cheetah (which went extinct in the early fifties due to indiscriminate hunting) from Africa last year completes the uniqueness of our variety in wildlife as no country has the same amount of rich variety both in terms of flora and fauna.

India have the majestic lions, tigers, leopards and elephants, gaurs, and rhinoceros as the gigantic wild sheep of the Himalayas, the swamp deer, the spotted deer, the four-horned antelope, the Indian antelope or black-buck. we have crocodiles and gharials and dolphins. In the desert area, we have the great Indian bustard and snow leopard in cold desert areas to mention the richness of our wildlife.

This variety of richness in our wildlife is primarily due to the diverse landscapes and rich natural forests found in different agro-climatic conditions and the role played by the strength of our civilization, religious beliefs and culture which recognizes the right of life for all animals and plants so much so that majority of Gods in Hindu religions are associated with animals in one form or the other. The protection and conservation of wildlife was given due importance despite the rising population leading to the stabilization of the life support systems in ecosystems in the wild.

For protection and conservation, we have the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Indian Forest Act 1927, Forest Conservation Act 1980 and the Environment Protection Act 1986. India has a network of 998 Protected Areas including 106 National Parks, 567 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 105 Conservation Reserves and 220 Community Reserves covering a total of 1,736 million ha of the geographical area of the country constituting approximately 5.28% of the geographic area. Notwithstanding this positive framework of success and management, there have been increasing conflicts and serious management challenges reported which need to be tackled for better future management and stability of life-sustaining resources.

However, no organizations or systems can live on their laurels and the Indian Forests and wildlife conservation is also at a cross road now amid threat from climate change, smugglers and poachers, unregulated tourism, site-specific deforestation, population pressure and demand for land for developmental purposes, particularly for mining as the forest and mineral map of India overlap.

Classical forest management does not stand manipulation. However the habitat management has replaced it which lays more stress on micro and macro habitat management for all kinds of flora and fauna in a given piece of forest land.

In the past, all good foresters and wildlife managers were the best territorial habitat managers who evolved the management environment for each animal like Tigers or Elephants or all kinds of predatory or prey animals.

As time passed foresters jobs increased and there was a need for more specialization and diversification of activities. Now foresters need to shift focus from big cats and elephants to other wild forms like beetles, butterflies etc to conserve and use theses genetic resources for our health and other benefits.

Since now there is more diversification in the forest departments job profile, we need to do justice to the different wings we have created. It needs money along with the will to do so. But with little planning forest have enough that can be used for its own sustainability. For example, Europe and other Western nations like the USA have been selling their landscape beauty efficiently to garner jobs as well as revenue through tourism activities. In India, though we have diverse landscape and unmatched beauty, we are yet to achieve anything substantial to market our landscape beauty and the variety of wildlife though there are a few good examples of Eco-tourism sites like Jungle and Lodges Corporation in Karnataka and a few wildlife spots like Kanha, Corbett etc. but a lot is desired to be done.

Then there is a need to promote agro-forestry in a big way so that we not only meet the national target of achieving forest and tree cover over 33 per cent of our landmass and also meet the international commitments of mitigation of Climate change in bringing more areas under tree cover. Similarly, ecotourism and medicinal plants have a vast potential for rural income generation especially for enhancing the income of farmers.

The forest administration controls over 23 % of our geographic area and we need to meet the targets of environmental conservation along with generating income for the local forest-dependent rural people/ tribal as well as for the government. There is a need to review the functioning of the forest and wildlife sector with an open mind and take bold steps for reforms. The Indian Forest Service (IFS) should be revamped and the forest officers should be trusted and given full responsibility at the policy levels to man the forestry sector activities.

At the government of India level, the Forest and Wildlife Secretary should be an IFS officer by designating DG Forests as Secretary. This is a long pending decision buried in the files and the Prime Minister needs to take initiative for this. There should be six wings at the Centre as well as in the States i.e. Forest, Wildlife, Tribal interface, Agro-forestry, Ecotourism and Non-Timber Forest Products to focus on each segment to generate wealth and strengthen ecosystems.

These suggestion may look radical but it is the need of the time. If implemented with perseverance, decisive thrust at the top level and in a planned manner the results will be great.

In bureaucracy, indecisiveness prevails which hampers the innovative approach.

A classic example is the failure of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to meet the objectives for which it was created with great fanfare by Mr TN Seshan a visionary Secretary. It is yet to be converted as a department on the pattern of ICAR and CSIR as envisaged in the Cabinet approval in 1991.

(The writer is the former Director-General of ICFRE, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change)
Ron Malka, former envoy of Israel to India, has said that he has assumed charge as the Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company (HPC) owned by a consortium led by the ports-to-energy conglomerate Adani Group.

A consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group won the tender in July last year to privatise the strategic Port of Haifa in Israel for USD 1.18 billion.

"I'm honoured and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity," Malka tweeted on Sunday.

Malka served as the ambassador of Israel to India from 2018 to 2021.

The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.

The Adani Group officially took over the Israeli port in January this year at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Israel expects that the Adani Group's major entry into the country will lead to more Indian investments, especially in the fields of renewable energy and defence.
A cheetah strayed into an agricultural field adjoining a village near Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya Pradeshs Sheopur district on Sunday morning, an official said. Oban, one of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia in September last year, strayed into the field near Baroda village, some 15-20 kilometres from KNP, from the free range area of the park into which he was released last month, Sheopur divisional forest officer (DFO) P K Verma told PTI.

As per the signals from its collar device, the cheetah was moving towards the village from Saturday night. It is sitting at the spot and a police team is monitoring the situation and keeping villagers away. Forest department staff are trying to send it back into the park area, he said.

Forest department officials also shared a video in which staffers can be seen trying to coax Oban to get back into the forest.

So far, four out of eight cheetahs brought from Namibia to KNP in September, 2022, have been released in the wild (free range area) from hunting enclosures.

Oban and Asha were released into the wild on March 11, while Elton and Freddie, also known as rockstars due to their names, were allowed to move into the free range area on March 22.

Eight Namibian cheetahs, comprising five females and three males, were brought to KNP as part of an ambitious reintroduction programme of the species and were released into special enclosures on September 17 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

One of them, Sasha, died of a kidney ailment on March 27, while another, Siyaya, gave birth to four cubs, which were first spotted on March 29.

A set of 12 cheetahs, comprising seven males and five females, were brought in from South Africa on February 18 this year.
The Congress has finally shown its faith in the judicial system and it should now also apologise to backward classes for insulting them, the BJP said on Sunday following reports that Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal against his conviction in a defamation case.

This is a welcome step. Though delayed, the Congress has shown faith in the judicial system, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told reporters at a presser. Replying to a question, he noted that Congress leaders had been till recently protesting the courts conviction of Gandhi by wearing black clothes and with black intentions. Though it is worth pondering as to why the Congress took so many days to move a higher court for its top leader, when it has done so within hours in some other cases, he said.

Poonawalla also attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for communal violence at some places in the State following Ram Navami processions and accused him of practising appeasement.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as a Member of the Lok Sabha last month after being convicted by a Surat court in Gujarat in a criminal defamation case, is all set to appeal against the punishment by appearing in person before the Sessions Court in Gujarat on Monday. Party sources said the former Congress chief will plead innocence in court in person. Rahul was sentenced to a two-year jail term in the defamation case and subsequently lost his Lok Sabha membership. Subsequently the second part of the Budget Session remained stalled with not more than 15 minutes of proceedings each in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha since March 23 on the disqualification issue and the Congress demand for a JPC in the Adani issue.

The Parliament will resume on Monday after a long break, with the Opposition parties hinting that they will continue demanding a JPC on the Adani controversy while the ruling side will be pressing for an apology from the Congress and Rahul Gandhi for his democracy under attack remarks in UK last month.

Rahuls lawyer for the appearance and appeal is Kirit Panwala who is likely to be backed by a battery of lawyers both from Delhi and Gujarat, mostly belonging to the party like Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shaktisinh Gohil and others.

Rahul Gandhi will reach the sessions court in Surat to file an appeal at around 3 PM, his lawyer Kirit Panwala told a section of the media.

Sources said the former Wayanad MP will reach Surat from Delhi on Monday and will be in the court by afternoon. Priyanka Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders are also likely to join Rahul.

However, the party has given strict instructions that there will be no congregation of party workers on the route to the court.

Earlier in the day Rahul met his mother former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence for about two hours and he was accompanied by Robert Vadra.

Gandhi, in his plea, has asked the Sessions Court to set aside the Magistrate order convicting him in the defamation case, said Panwala. He has also asked for an interim stay on the conviction till the matter is disposed of.

On March 23, the Surat court convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case against him over his Modi surname remark based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat Minister Purnesh Modi.

As per the allegations, Rahul Gandhi, during the Congresss election campaign in Kolar in 2019, made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modis surname, which resulted in his conviction by a Gujarat local court on March 23. The court convicted the Congress leader for his all thieves have Modi surname remark under 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The complainant claimed that the remark, made at a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had defamed the entire Modi community. In his controversial remark, Gandhi had said, How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?
Days after Germany and the US said they were watching the legal proceedings regarding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday slammed them and said, The West thinks it has a God-given right to comment on internal matters of other countries.

Jaishankar made these remarks during a Sunday morning Meet and Greet interaction organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park.

It was his reaction to a question on Germany and the US remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament.

Jaishankar said, I will give you the truthful answer (on why we see West commenting on India). There are two reasons. It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if they keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening.

He also said, The second part of the truth - In our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India, he said.

We have to stop (urging) America and the world (by saying), why are you standing by doing nothing? So if somebody from here goes and says why are you standing by and saying nothing, then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, and part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing, he added.

Sending a terse message to foreign countries in the wake of alleged Khalistan supporters indulging in violence there, Jaishankar said this is not an India that will accept its National Flag pulled down.

The Tricolour was grabbed by the protestors atop the Indian High Commission some days back in London. India told the United Kingdom that it is duty-bound to provide security. Moreover, the protestors vandalised the Indian consulate in San Francisco.

We have seen incidents in London, Canada, San Francisco, theres a very small minority, behind that minority there are many interests there is a very small minority but behind the minority, there are many interests. Some interests are of neighbours, all of you know which one... Jaishankar said.

We are very clear that it is the obligation of the country where these embassies are, where these diplomats are to provide security. After all, we provide security for so many foreign embassies...if they do not provide security, there will be reactions from India. The day when India would take this lightly, I would say, is behind us. This is not an India that will accept its National Flag pulled down,

Jaishankar said, The first thing our high commissioner did was to even get a bigger flag and he put it right up there on the building. It was not only a statement to those so-called Khalistanis, but it was also a statement to the British saying that this is my flag and I will make it even bigger if somebody tries to disrespect it, Jaishankar said. In that sense, the idea that there is today a different India, an India which is very responsible and very firm, Jaishankar added.
A court here has ordered framing charges of rioting and arson against five people for allegedly setting ablaze a mosque during the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying their identification through a video cannot be termed illegal or inadmissible in evidence at this stage.

Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala was hearing a case against Ankit, Sourabh Sharma, Rohit, Rahul Kumar and Sachin, who were accused of being part of a riotous mob that torched Allah Wali Masjid at Shahid Bhagat Singh Colony here in February 2020.

Identification of the accused through video cannot be termed as illegal or inadmissible in evidence. The same would require to be appreciated on the basis of the overall situation behind such identification and this exercise can be done only after the trial, the judge said.

ASJ Pramachala also rejected the ground of discharge sought in the absence of a test identification parade (TIP), saying TIP is a matter of prudence and an additional safeguard for the prosecution's case and its absence cannot be used by the accused for seeking discharge.

I find that accused persons...(are) liable to be tried for offences punishable under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), 427 (punishment for committing mischief and thereby causing loss or damage to the amount of Rs fifty or upwards), 435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to an amount of 100 rupees or upwards), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.) and 450 (house-trespass in order to the committing of any offence punishable with imprisonment for life) of the Indian Penal Code, the court said in its order passed on March 31. The judge also put on trial all accused persons for the offences of being a part of an unlawful assembly and disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant.

The common object of this mob is well apparent from the evidence i.E, to destroy the mosque, the judge said.

Noting that the statement of a witness that Rohit was instigating others to set ablaze the mosque and other houses, the judge additionally put him on trial for the offence of abetment.

According to the evidence before the court, the accused persons were identified as part of the riotous mob that vandalised and set ablaze the mosque on February 24 and 25, 2020, the judge said.

The riots in northeast Delhi had left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
As the Khalistan sympathizer and Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh continued to evade arrest for more than a fortnight now notwithstanding massive search operations in Punjab, the self-styled radical preacher is believed to have reached Uttar Pradesh. As per his latest location, traced by the intelligence agencies, Amritpal is in Meerut where he had caught an auto from Daurala.

The police have interrogated the auto driver, identified as Ajay, for hours who revealed that a few days ago, Amritpal took his auto from Daurala, and he had dropped him near Begumpul.

Suspecting that Amritpal would have taken shelter in some religious camp or place, the Punjab Police had launched a massive search operations covering across 300 deras across the state. The polices suspicion was based on the sound of kirtan at the end of Amritpal's second video.

His close aide and media adviser Papalpreet Singh, who had been providing him all logistic support while on the run, reportedly got separated from him. CCTV grabs of Papalpreet, casually walking in a dera in Hoshiarpur district, have also surfaced.

Another Aide Arrested

Another key aide of fugitive pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal, on whose phone he recorded both the videos, has been nabbed by the police.

Continuing to be on the run after escaping Punjab Polices crackdown against his radical outfit some 16 days ago, Amritpal had released two back-to-back videos on social media.

The police claimed that Amritpal used the mobile phone of the arrested accused to make the videos. The police is also interrogating the arrested-accused about where the videos were recorded, to whom the same were forward, who put these on the internet, among others.

The police had earlier claimed that the IP addresses used to share the videos and audio clips have been traced to many foreign countries, including the UK, Canada, the US and Dubai.

Punjab Police To Seek Central Agencies Help

Days after Amritpal released two videos and an audio clip on March 29 and 30, the Punjab Police has now sought the help of central intelligence agencies.

As the Punjab Police cyber cell investigated the videos and audio clips, it was found that these videos were uploaded on the internet from other countries including Dubai, Canada, UK, America, Germany, Australia. Following this, the Punjab Police has coordinated with the Center to gather complete information about them. IP addresses have also been assigned to central agencies.

Search Operation in 3 Districts

Punjab police have launched a massive search operation covering three districts  Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Phagwara areas  in search of Amritpal and his close aide Papalpreet Singh.

The police have cordoned off several villages and through checking of vehicles, entering and leaving Punjab, is being done. On the other hand, the police are trying to find Amritpals UP and Uttarakhand connection too.

Apart from searches in Punjab, the police is also trying to find Amritpals Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand connections. The UP border has been sealed by the Uttarakhand police on the update of Amritpal fleeing to Nepal.

The police have now received inputs that Amritpal can use the Kumaon border of Uttarakhand to enter Nepal.

At the UP border, the police are checking the identity cards of all the passengers, besides vehicles crossing the border are being thoroughly checked. Apart from this, patrolling has also been increased on the Nepal border, so that Amritpal cannot leave India.

First Viral Video Recorded In Pilibhit

Police sources maintained that as per inputs received, Amritpal had recorded his first video in Pilibhit. After this, he reached Udham Singh Nagar where he took support of a Deras Scorpio car and came to Punjab.
Farmers in Punjab, under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), on Sunday held a rail roko protest at Batala railway station in Gurdaspur in support of various demands, including fair compensation to farmers for land acquired for road projects and crop loss due to inclement weather.

The farmers started the indefinite rail roko agitation in protest against the non-fulfillment of their demands, especially the one which were earlier conceded by the Government during their March 22 agitation.

Hundreds of farmers put up tents at the railway station and squatted on the rail track, with many of them taking off their shirts to show their resentment against the government, while staging dharna on the rail tracks.

We are demanding fair compensation for land acquired for road projects, said KMSC general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Raising the issue of extensive crop damage due to untimely rains and hailstorms in the state, Pandher sought a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to the affected farmers. He also sought relaxation of norms for the procurement of wheat for the central pool.

Untimely rains, hailstorms and high-velocity winds have damaged wheat and other crops in many areas of Punjab. The State Government has announced a 25 per cent hike in compensation for crop loss due to the vagaries of weather.

Farmers' crops have been damaged due to inclement weather conditions and they should be given at least Rs 50,000 per acre compensation for 100 per cent crop loss, said Pandher, demanding that the State Government waive interest on farm loans and defer loan installments for six months to provide relief to farmers in the hour of crisis.

He also said that the State Government should expedite the process of special 'girdawari' (revenue survey) for the assessment of crop loss and ensure farmers are compensated at the earliest.

Besides their other demands, the farmer's leaders stressed giving pending compensation and a job to one family member of the farmers who had died during farmers' agitation at Delhi and resolving all the pending issues related to district civil and police administrations.

Notably, Punjab has witnessed untimely rains, high-speed winds and hailstorms in the last few weeks majorly damaging the wheat crops of the farmers in many areas of the state. Meanwhile, the State Government on March 31, announced a 25 per cent hike in compensation for crop loss.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to prepare a detailed action plan focusing on 10 sectors, in coordination with all the important departments related to the economic development of the state, to achieve the goal of a $1 trillion (Rs 82 lakh crore) economy in the next four years.

The 10 sectors are law and order, agricultural production, social security, infrastructure and industrial development, urban development, rural development, medical and health, education, tourism and culture and revenue collection.

Upbeat over investment proposals worth Rs 35 lakh crore received through the recently held Global Investors Summit and a historic budget of Rs 6.90 lakh crore for the financial year 2023-2024, the state government has embarked on its mission to establish the state as the country's largest economy by 2027.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given instructions to the officials to carry forward the programmes while preparing an action plan in mission mode for the next four years. The responsibility of each of these sectors has been given to an experienced officer of the level of additional chief secretary. The chief minister has instructed officers to prepare both short and long term action plans for each sector and ensure continuous monitoring for their successful implementation.

It is worth mentioning here that the Yogi government recently completed six years in office and celebrated its remarkable successes on the fronts of infrastructure, law and order, connectivity and employment.

The Yogi government also has a big base for realising the huge goal of making the state an economy of more than Rs 82 lakh crore. It was clearly evident during the last three years of COVID-19 pandemic when the whole world witnessed an economic downturn, but Uttar Pradeshs GDP (gross domestic product) increased by 16.8 per cent in 2021-22 due to the financial discipline and concerted efforts of the government.

Besides, Uttar Pradesh contributes about 8 per cent to the national GDP, endowed with the most fertile land in the country, abundant water resources, young population, as well as the country's largest consumer and labour markets. Not only this, UP holds 12 per cent of the country's total agricultural land and 20 per cent share in foodgrain production. In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, if India is a bright spot for the world today, then UP is going to play an important role in driving India's growth.
Delhi Police's Crime Branch has arrested a fugitive convicted in a narcotics case from the Indo-Bangladesh border, officials said on Sunday.

Jafar Ali (45), who hails from a village in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, was trying to cross the border to evade arrest, they added.

Ali was convicted in a case lodged by the Crime Branch under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the officials said.

A Crime Branch team apprehended Ali and his associates with 142 kg of weed (marijuana) from north Delhi's Burari in 2010. Subsequently, the NDPS case was lodged and a court sentenced Ali to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment, police said.

In 2020, Ali was granted emergency parole, which was extended from time to time till February 27, 2021 and even after the expiry of his extended parole, he did not surrender and was absconding, according to police officials.

Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Ravindra Singh Yadav said acting on information, the Crime Branch team went to Sahebganj in Cooch Behar's Dinhata to arrest Ali. Sensing police presence, the fugitive fled his native place with a plan to cross the Indo-Bangladesh border, but was arrested from Kusherhat, Dinhata, about 500 metres from the border.
To ensure safety and well-being of girls and their physical and mental self-dependency, the Yogi Adityanath government will impart self-defence training to girl students under the Rani Laxmibai Self-Defence Training Programme as a part of the Mission Shakti launched alongside the School Chalo Abhiyan on Saturday.

Under the training programme, about two lakh girl students studying in more than 45,000 state-run schools will be specially trained in self-defence. The complete schedule of this 6-day programme has been provided. The girls will also be made aware of eve-teasing, cyber bullying and acid attacks through various group discussions. Apart from this, the girl students will also be made physically aware of their health through sports.

The state government will conduct the campaign in collaboration with the Government of India with the aim of making the girl students enrolled in Council and Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas run under the Basic Education department mentally and physically strong. Under the scheme, girls of 11 to 14 years will be given self-defence training. Along with self-defence, the girl students will be trained to be mentally balanced and empowered against any unexpected incident.

A session of one-hour duration will be conducted every working day by instructors posted in the schools. In the session, training related to self-defence along with exercise, yoga and cleanliness has been included. Initially, a 6-day training programme will be organised at the district level for instructors and teachers.

Under this module, 1,200 physical teachers will be given special weekly training in a batch of 50. Its duration will be 6-8 hours daily (Monday-Saturday). Under primary coverage, girl students of classes 6, 7 and 8 (11-14 years of age) will be trained in 45,000 government schools run in all 75 districts. After the training of the trainers, they will also be provided with an evaluation and certificate. Residential schools of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya will be included in the training.

As per the training module, one instructor and one assistant will be appointed for 50 trainees. Women and Child Security Wing 1090 has been roped in as a consultant agency for the project. The Rani Laxmibai Self-Defence Training module has been prepared with the help of experts from various fields. It has been prepared with the advice of experts from self-defence instructors, legal counsel, the women and child security wing, UP Police, the Education department, UPDESCO, UNICEF.

In the module, a detailed action plan of six days has been given, including necessary activities related to training of trainers, discussions, audio-video, sports, necessary laws and helpline numbers for women and girls, evaluation of participants and various case studies. After getting the training, teachers and instructors will go to the schools and train the girls through all these activities recorded in the module.
Over a dozen miscreants pelted stones at houses and broke glasses of vehicles parked outside creating fear among the locals, Kamla Nagar police have registered a case and started investigation.

After the incident many people reached the police station on Sunday and complained to the police. Residents say that 12 to 15 miscreants had come with covered faces and started throwing stones. Now CCTV cameras are being scanned.

The stone-pelting incident took place at 1.30 am. People protested against this on Sunday. Former councilor Santosh Kansana also reached Shabri Nagar. After this, the former councilor Kansana and the residents reached the Kamla Nagar police station. He demanded action against the miscreants. Former councilor Kansana said that the police have said that an FIR will be lodged against the miscreants. After this the residents returned.

The residents of Shabri Nagar said that miscreants have been throwing stones for the last four days. First the water tanks were vandalised. There, they uprooted the taps and took them away. Now the vehicles were vandalised.

In the incident around a dozen vehicles were vandalized in Shabri Nagar. These include Bikes, Magic, Auto and Cars. Apart from this, the windows of about 10 houses have been broken. People were in panic due to throwing of stones at the houses.

The miscreants broke the glass of about 12 vehicles. Apart from this, stones were also thrown at the houses.

Former councilor Kansana said that CCTV cameras of the police have been installed in Shabri Nagar.

Which should be investigated.

Action should be taken against anti-social elements on the basis of footage. Police have assured action.
Hundreds of students at DU's Indraprastha College for Women have held multiple demonstrations in the last few days, demanding the resignation of the newly-appointed principal over security lapses during the recent annual fest and alleged authoritarian steps.

The recent saffronisation of the college has only added to the anger of the students who have also claimed increased surveillance and curtailment of freedom of speech ever since Poonam Kumria took charge as the head of the century-old institute on February 21.

PTI talked with the protesting students, who said that they have noticed a huge difference in the way the college is operating under Kumria.

According to students, the college's boundary walls have been painted saffron, the same colour has also been added to its logo and guests being invited to the college events are controversial figures.

They are also irked over the authoritarian manner in which the administration is operating and reacting to the protests demanding women's safety.

The college principal did not respond to calls and texts from PTI seeking a response to the allegations.

Earlier, students registered their discontent through social media. They did not resort to demonstration until the March 28 incident when some unknown men allegedly trespassed, shouted slogans and harassed women students during the annual 'Shruti' festival at the college.
Addressing mediapersons after a District Congress Committees executive meeting held in Jagatsinghpur on Friday, Congress leaders attacked the Modi Government at the Centre for the disqualification of partys MP Rahul Gandhi.They dubbed it as the latest in a series of attempts to gag the voice of the Opposition mainly of Gandhi who concluded his Bharat Jodo Jatra recently with roaring success and raised the issue of the nexus between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire business tycoon Gautam Adani. The disqualification of Gandhi is a clear case of political vendetta unleashed by the BJP-led NDA Government, they slammed.

BJP leaders have been delivering scores of derogatory remarks against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and so also on the Gandhi family but they go unscathed without any defamation suit against them, but Gandhi was awarded the harshest sentence which is unprecedented for a criminal defamation case in the country. A Surat court held Rahul guilty for his remarks in a 2019 election rally in Karnataka under IPC Sections 499 and 500 and awarded two years imprisonment and subsequently basing on the courts verdict, his Lok Sabha membership was seized and later, he was asked to vacate his Government quarter. The process was so hasty that it smacks of vendetta against the Gandhi scion, they charged.

However, in spite of these attempts by the BJP to silence the opposition parties, Congress would not seat silently to save democracy and constitutional value of the country, threatened the Congress leaders. The media conference was attended by DCC president Natabar Barik, PCC spokesperson Rajani Mohanty, Jagatsinghpur former Municipality Chairman Biplab Choudhury, block and municipality Congress presidents and senior party leaders.




: As many as 32 sheep of a sheep farmer were found dead on Sunday morning at Kalagada village under Jadupur gram panchayat in Mahakalapada under mysterious circumstances. The incident has spread panic among the sheep farmers of the locality once again as similar incidents happened in the district four-five years back in which sheep were killed by a mysterious animal.

The sheep belonged to one Mohani Das. On Sunday morning, Mohani found his 32 sheep lying dead at his cattle shed. Injury marks were found on the necks of most of the carcasses. The predators might have killed the sheep in a similar manner as during 2017 and 2018. Mohani had kept 80 sheep at his cattle shed.

The villagers brought the matter before the notice of veterinary surgeon of Naladia Dr Sukanta Kumar Siala, Livestock Inspector of Ostar Sukadev Samantray and the local Revenue Inspector Laxman Kumar Behera. The officials visited the spot and started an inquiry. Also, the post-mortem of the carcasses was done.

As per the circumstantial evidence, it has been found that the sheep might have been killed by a predator, said LI Samantray. Veterinary surgeon Dr Siala said the sheep were killed due to throat choke and lungs haemorrhage. The locals suspect the predator could be a jackal or a wolf or a hyena.


Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC, Gurdeep Singh, has led the coal mining division of NTPC to portray a phenomenal year-on-year growth (Y-o-Y) of 65% with the coal production of 23.20 million tonnes in this fiscal as compared to 14.02 million tonnes in the previous fiscal. The four operational coal mines viz. Pakri-Barwadih (Jharkhand), Chatti Bariatu (Jharkhand), Dulanga (Odisha) and Talaipalli (Chhattisgarh) have contributed to accomplish this highest ever annual coal production since inception. So far, the captive mines have delivered 68.28 Million Tonnes of coal to more than 22 power plants of NTPC.

Along with this coal production, NTPC has also attained the highest ever annual overburden removal of 73.0 million cubic meters witnessing a Y-o-Y growth of 129% as compared to 31.9 million cubic meters of overburden removal in the previous fiscal.

The CMD, NTPC congratulated the entire coal mining team on achieving this feat and expressed his confidence on achieving the target of 31 million tonnes for the next fiscal.

Ramesh Babu V, Director (Operations) and Nominated Owner of all mines, NTPC appreciated the coal mining division for setting the production benchmarks. In FY 22-23, the nation witnessed an unrelenting surge in power demand due to heatwaves and rapid economic recovery. Amid this energy crisis NTPC coal mining took outstanding efforts to enhance coal production and ensure consistent quality fuel supply to NTPC power plants.

Partha Mazumder, Regional Executive Director (Coal Mining), NTPC extended his gratitude to the Ministry of Power; Ministry of Coal; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Govt. of Jharkhand; Govt. of Odisha; Govt. of Chhattisgarh; Directorate General of Mines Safety; and the district administrations for their unwavering support to NTPC coal mining in overcoming the roadblocks of land acquisition, rehabilitation & resettlement, agitation by local villagers, etc.

In line with the digital mission of NTPC management, the coal mining team has also introduced initiatives such as e-SMP - digitised Safety Management Plan; Sachetan - safety mobile app; Khanan Drishti - web app for recording & monitoring production efficiency; Integrated Coal Management System; GPS tracking of man & machinery through LoRaWAN technology; dump slope monitoring through TLS; and HEMM simulator at Talaipalli mine.

NTPC coal mining also acknowledges the responsibility of reducing the carbon footprint. The working areas are equipped with dust suppression and water-sprinkling systems. The monitoring of emissions, SOx, NOx, particulate matters, etc. are being done continuously, and tree plantation is being done at all available opportunities. Electrically operated HEMMs have also been introduced in the mines. Coal transportation by road has been minimized by operationalizing a conveyor system (one of the largest in Asia) at Pakri Barwadih mine and use of rail transport from pit head to power plant at Dulanga and Talaipalli mines.

As wise men say, success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. NTPC Coal Mining has delivered against all odds and shall continue to ensure supply of coal of consistent quality & size to its power plants for delivery of cheap and uninterrupted power to the stakeholders.
Swinging into action to ensure compensation for crop loss to the states farmers before the harvest festival of Baisakhi, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday asked the legislators and the officers to enhance their field visits for expediting the process of girdawari and redress problems of farmers.

The MLAs should meet the farmers and listen to their grievances, likewise the officers should make sure that the special Girdawari is completed soon so that we can disburse the compensation before Baisakhi, said the Chief Minister.

Expressing solidarity with the farmers who have lost their crop due to incessant rain and hailstorm, the Chief Minister said that the Government is with the food growers in this hour of crisis. He said that loss worth every single penny will be compensated and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause.

Mann said that he was well aware about the agony faced by the farming community due to the whopping loss suffered by them on account of inclement weather conditions.

The Chief Minister said that he is personally monitoring the entire drive on a day-to-day basis to ensure that the affected farmers are compensated in a most transparent and expeditious manner. Mann said that as he hails from a common family, he is aware of the anguish of the farmers at the deeply personal level and duly compensating them remains the top priority of the State Government. He categorically said that there will be a zero tolerance for any laxity or lapse found at any level in the government machinery during the girdawari.

The Chief Minister said that the state government is fully with the beleaguered peasantry in this hour of deep crisis. Before girdawari, public announcements are being made about the entire process to ensure that all the people are made aware of it. Likewise, a 25 percent hike in compensation per acre has been made to give healing touch to the farmers, he added.

In a major pro-farmer initiative, the State Government has decided to freeze repayment of loans taken by the farmers from Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies, he announced.

Expressing hope that this will give much-needed relief to the farmers in this hour of crisis, the Chief Minister said that the farmers can pay back this amount later after they recover from the losses. The Government will fully compensate the hapless farmers of the state for the losses suffered by them, he added.

Notably, the State Cabinet  in a major pro-farmer decision aimed at safeguarding their interests during natural calamities  gave its nod for enhancing the compensation due to natures fury by 25 per cent per acre thereby giving a major respite to the food growers. The State Cabinet, in its meeting on Friday, noted that considering the loss incurred by the farmers recently due to heavy rains, hailstorms, and strong winds, it was decided to enhance the relief amount from Rs 12,000 per acre to Rs 15,000 per acre for 76-100 per cent loss of crops. This measure will give a healing touch to the affected farmers who will be able to get a reasonable financial relief from the government, said a spokesperson of the Chief Ministers Office, adding that these relief rates will be applicable from March 1, 2023.
14 children of the primitive vulnerable tribal group primary residential school were hospitalized for various complaints at the community health centre at Barwadeeh on Saturday night who have made fast recovery said Ashish Ranjan the medical officer in-charge of the centre . The 14 had common symptoms of abdomen pain, cold, cough and fever said the doctor Ranjan.

Ranjan said this could be either a viral infection or could be due to some irregularities in food. All 14 are expected to be discharged from the community health centre at Barwadeeh this Sunday night.

This is the second episode of mass sickness in Latehar district when the next day of Sarhul, 35 plus people were admitted to the community health centre at Chandwa and at the sub health centre at Sasang with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. These people had eaten gram and jaggery.

Warden of the residential school Renu Prakash Senapati said we took immediate care of our inmates and saved the situation.

Ved Prakash a senior health official of the sadar hospital Latehar said the children were rushed from their residential school at Kutmu to the community health centre at Barwadeeh by ambulance and the medical team at this centre did every effort to get them well soon.

Ved Prakash further said a team of health officials also examined the inmates of this school at Kutmu.

B Tatma project director of the integrated tribal development agency Latehar district on Sunday inspected this residential school.

Later speaking to the Pioneer Tatma said there had come two girls from home having symptoms of cold and cough and probably it caused an infection to as many as 14 girl inmates of this residential school.


The much awaited Mega event "2nd convocation" has conducted successfully at AIIMS Bhopal. The Honorable minister of state of health and family welfare Dr Bharti Praveen Pawar was the chief guest on the Occasion, who in her speech advised the new degree holders to serve the people of the country to mitigate the sufferings of the patients.

She distributed certificates and gold medals to the meritorious students, who included Shweta Sharma, Tatikond Niharika, Uppalapati Priyanka, Machani Hema Lata, Arun Kumar, Priya Maheshwari, Rahul Patki, Akhil Venu Gopal, V. Sai Krishna, Shetotomy Rachna, Soumya Singh etc.

On this occasion, foundation stone ceremony and Bhumi Pujan was performed by Minister for establishment of 150 bedded Critical Care Unit under PM Ayushman Bharat, Health Infrastructure Mission.

Apart from this, Human Milk bank, ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machine facility, 27 bedded NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), ART centre, Cardiac Cath Lab facility also inaugurated by the Honorable Minister. During this, she also visited the various facilities available in the hospital. Plantation was also done by the Honorable Minister in the AIIMS campus.

Honorable Minister of Medical Education Vishwas Kailash Sarang was the guest of honour, who advised the pass outs to not insist for money when a poor patient expresses inability to pay as the power of goodwill is more valuable & powerful than money. He expressed his pleasure being part of the convocation. Vivek Krishna Tankha, Honourable Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Malti Rai, Mayor Bhopal also graced the occasion.

President of the institute Prof. (Dr.) Y. K. Gupta allowed the starting of the Convocation proceedings and congratulated the new graduates, Post graduates & Scholars & their parents, who silently made many sacrifice to see the present day of their children. He advised the passouts to come up to the expectation of the parents and the society.

Executive Director Prof. (Dr.) Ajai Singh presented the report card of the institute before the dignitaries, faculty, students & media person, present on the occasion. He said that AIIMS Bhopal in on the continuous path of progress in research, patient care and teaching.

The dignitaries, faculty, students & other institute employees were seen enthusiastically participating & volunteering for successful completion of the events. Students and their parents were thrilled at the mega events, and were seen taking selfie at the selfie points to celebrate the success.
After a series of failed political experiments during the previous two Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Samajwadi Party is busy crafting a new social coalition with the aim of winning over the significant Dalit community.

The Samajwadi Party, like the Bharatiya Janata Party, is focusing on the non-Jatav Dalit community and is wooing the Pasi community, the second biggest numerically big caste among the Dalits.

The SP has drafted its senior leader from the Pasi community, Avadesh Prasad, for spearheading the campaign to woo Dalits. Avadhesh Prasad, a former minister, is nine term MLA of the UP assembly. He is also the national general secretary of the SP.

The SP has announced to organise week-long programmes to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on April 14 at a grand scale at party offices across the state. The SP intends to send a message to Dalits that only the SP can protect their interests, rights and privileges given to them by the Constitution.

Sources in the SP said that party president Akhilesh Yadav was confident that significant sections of the Dalit community disappointed with the Bahujan Samaj party would prefer the SP rather than the BJP.

Earlier on March 15, the SP celebrated the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram at its state headquarters in Lucknow. SP state president Naresh Uttam, former minister Swami Prasad Maurya and other leaders offered floral tributes to the late Dalit leader and spoke about his contribution to organising and empowering the Scheduled Caste in Uttar Pradesh and other states and social reforms. The party also paid tributes to Kanshi Ram by organising Manyawar Kanshi Ram Jayanti Samaroh in every district.

These events followed SP president Akhilesh Yadavs March 12 remark that the BSP had forgotten the path shown by Dr Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, and now it functioned like a B-team of the BJP.

In another message to Dalits, the SP, during its national executive meeting in Kolkata , had given a seat to veteran party MLA Avadhesh Prasad, a Dalit from the Pasi caste, next to party chief Akhilesh Yadav on the dais.

Before leaving Lucknow for the meeting, the SP chief had tweeted a selfie with Prasad, and his uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav.

The sources said Avadhesh Prasad was being given importance at the party platform.

SP president Akhilesh Yadav has ruled out the possibility of having any truck with the BSP. He also attacked the Mayawati-led party, alleging that tickets of the BSP are decided by the BJP,

In 2019, the SP had contested the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BSP, but the parties had separated after the elections.

Avadhesh Prasad claimed that Dalits were leaning towards the SP as it was the only party that could protect the Constitution and democracy in the country.

BSP president Mayawati has lost the path shown by Kanshi Ram for the uplift and welfare of Dalits. Hence, Dalits are seeing the SP as their only viable alternative platform, and their trust in the SP has only increased, Prasad said.

SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said while the party had celebrated Dr Ambedkars birth anniversary in the past too, but the next time, it would be celebrated across the state. About Kanshi Rams birth anniversary celebrations, Chaudhary said, Manyawar Kanshi Ram was with us. He was elected MP from Etawah in 1991 with Netajis (Mulayam Singh Yadavs) support.
In a bid to offer 360-degree career guidance to students, Toprankers, one of the prominent digital education platforms in India, successfully hosted the"Toprankers Udaan- Your Next Step Towards a Successful Career" on April 2ndin Bhopal, Indore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jabalpur, Nagpur, and Lucknow. <

The event specifically focussed on Xth, XIth, XIIth, and dropper students grappling with career-related uncertainty. The expert-led workshop covered diverse aspects enabling students to make informed decisions and accomplish their career objectives.

Toprankers Udaan (Sponsored by 94.3 FM)commenced with an extensive focus on "Selection & Decision," wherein students were educated on the numerous subject streams they can pursue post-10th grade and lucrative career options that could lead to a prosperous future.

The workshop also laid emphasis on ''Where to Start from,'' enlightening students about the exams they should take and when to initiate preparation for them. Students were also informed of the new-age career options such as law, data science, management, psychology, etc. and the endless opportunities associated with them."Toprankers' Udaan- Your Next Step Towards a Successful Career" has been a resounding success, facilitating students to make fruitful career decisions administered by our skilled mentors.

We are delighted to have organised an event of such magnitude and significance, which has helped numerous students who are struggling with career-related indecisiveness. The unprecedented participation of the students in the initiative is a testament to our commitment of reshaping the education landscape in India and establishing new benchmarks in the digital learning domain,'' said Gaurav Goel, CEO, and Co-Founder of Toprankers.

To further boost engagement, the event incorporated entertaining quizzes and riveting activities for the students, a slew of giveaways, including a 100 percent scholarship for the Toprankers' Career Discovery Program.
Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court addressing the Utkal Diwas celebration at the Utkal Association in Sakchi spoke in length on the richness of Odiya language.

He spoke about how did the Odisha province in British India came into being on April 1 in 1936 and eventually became a vibrant state post-Independence.

 I am of the opinion that April 1 should also be celebrated as the day of Consolidation as this was the day in 1948 when 26 Princely estates had merged to form what is Odisha state today, Justice Mishra.

Justice Mishra stressed upon the richness of the classical Odiya language while marking the significance of Utkal Diwas.

While addressing the gathering, the chief justice, referred to some touching examples of socio-legal cases that he had dealt with when he was a judge in a district court in Odisha, leading the audience to applaud by clapping their hands.

Mishra accompanied by his wife visited the Jagannath temple on the premises of the Utkal Association.

Besides several dignitaries like trade union leader Rajeshwar Pandey, advocate Manoranjan Dash, Rajesh Shukla attended the function which was followed by a cultural program.

During the occasion, Dr Shridhar Pradhan, president, Utkal Association in his speech spoke briefly about the achievement made by the association and said informed that a good number of students enrollment will be made this year in the upcoming Utkal Association English School and also about the near completion of compound wall work of the Jagannath temple construction project along the Marine Drive.

During the occasion, chief justice Mishra and justice Chowdhury were presented with mementos by industrialist Shuvendu Behera and advocate Manoranjan Dash respectively.

There is good numbers of Odiya speaking people in the State and they must get representation," said an official.

He stressed upon the contribution of Odiya community in the progress of the State and said that steps need to be taken for proper representation from the community. He lauded the work being done by Utkal Association.

Based on Odiya culture and music various dance programmes were presented on the occasion. What was most enjoyable on the evening of Utkal Divas was the magnificent lighting of association's buildings in the city.

It may be mentioned that founded in 1934, Utkal Assocation runs several educational and cultural institutions for the promotion of language, art and culture.










On the demand of the public and public representatives, the railway ministry has decided to start Vande Bharat express, which will pass from Barkakana and Hazaribag railway station. This will be semi speed Vande Bharat express. There more than half dozen trains are in pipe

line, which will run via Hazaribag in future.



The railway ministry has decided that daily Ranchi- Patna express and Vande Bharat express will start in this month. Both the train will pass through new railway route Koderma- Hazaribag- Barkakana- Ranchi. The department has also decided that the Vande Bharat express will be

of semi speed train due to new railway route.



The railway department has also decided to run Anand Vihar and Ranchi Rajdhani will pass through from Hazaribag one or two days in a week. This will be proved easy to such passengers who are generally travelling from Hazaribag to Delhi.



Before the Corona a express train for Ranchi- Patna express pass through the Hazaribag railway station. But after some days it was stopped by the department due to Corona. Now a day only one train is running from Koderma- Hazaribag- Barkakana.



The Hazaribag MP and former central minister Jayant Sinha has given so many time written request to the railway minister for running more trains from Hazaribag railway station. The same demand was rendered by the sadar MLA Manish Jaiswal to the department.



According to the railway sources the department has already planned that to run Patna- Jan Shatabadi express and Hatia- Islampur express via Hazaribag.



The local committee for the purpose of improving the railway facilities along with running of more train has demanded to central government through the memorandum that Hatia- Banluru cantt, Hatia Trivendram Aba Dharti express and Madhupur Koderma trains should be

extended to Hazaribag and Koderma.



On the demand of local committee the cleanliness and furnishing working in Hazaribag railway station is going on.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has slammed his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal over his comments during a rally in Guwahati, calling the AAP chief a coward whose heroism is confined within the assembly.

Sarma criticised Kejriwal for not making any reference in his speech to allegations of corruption against the BJP leader, which he had reportedly made in the Delhi Assembly.

He had made charges of corruption against me in the Delhi Assembly, but I cannot act on it as he is protected by regulations. I had challenged him to repeat the same allegations outside the House and then I will see him in court.

But, he didn't have the courage to say anything here. He spoke a lot of anab-shanab' (rubbish), but nothing on charges against me, Sarma said at a presser on Sunday.

The Assam CM had on Friday threatened to file a defamation case against Kejriwal if the Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged corruption cases against him outside the assembly.

The heroism of Kejriwal is confined within the assembly as he is protected by privilege there, Sarma said.

On Kejriwal's claims at the Guwahati rally, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann was also present, about jobs provided by the Delhi government, Sarma said the figures were wrong and 60 per cent of citizens in the national capital were living in hell.

I spoke to officials in Delhi. They told me that there are 1.50 lakh government-sanctioned posts under Delhi government. I will write to Kejriwal tomorrow to provide the break-up of the jobs, and I will also share the details of employment provided by our government, he said.

Sarma also downplayed Kejriwal's promise of free electricity if AAP came to power in Assam, asserting that the northeastern state has the Orunudoi' scheme under which the government credits Rs 1,400 per month in the bank accounts of economically backward families.

Waiving only the electricity bill would have been cheaper for us, he said.

Reacting to Kejriwal's critical comments on the recent question paper leak in Assam, Sarma claimed that the Class 12 English paper in Punjab, which also has an AAP government, had leaked and the examination was cancelled.

On his Delhi counterpart's invitation to visit his house in the national capital, Sarma said, I will send 50 people from Assam, mostly journalists, and Kejriwal has to take them around Delhi. The only condition is that they have to be taken to the places we want to visit, not what he wants us to show.

60 per cent of people of Delhi live in hell. In contrast, 95 per cent of Assam live in heaven, he claimed.

Sarma also said the AAP leader's stature has diminished after Sunday's rally.

If he wanted to say so many lies, he should have at least ensured a bigger crowd of 20,000-30,000, the BJP leader added.

Earlier on Sunday, Kejriwal promised free electricity and jobs if AAP came to power in Assam, while he accused the ruling of BJP of doing nothing but play dirty politics in the state.

"AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 and the BJP here in 2016. Today, we have changed the face of Delhi. What has Himanta babu (Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma) done for the state in seven years? Nothing, only dirty politics," he alleged.
Pakistans ousted prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that the then Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had put pressure on him to develop friendly ties with India.Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. However, their ties nose-dived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

Gen Bajwa wanted me to develop friendly ties with India. He put pressure on me for this and it was one of the reasons our relationship deteriorated, Khan claimed during an interaction with social media journalists at his Lahores Zaman Park residence on Saturday evening.He, however, reiterated his stance that Pakistan should only hold peace talks with India provided New Delhi restores the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman further said what Gen (retd.) Bajwa did to Pakistan even an enemy couldnt do. Bajwa should be held accountable by the army, he said.Khan in the past accused Bajwa of not only toppling his country that laid a foundation of economic disaster but also committing atrocities against him, his party members and journalists.
Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Syrias Homs province early Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported. In Iran, state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli strike on Friday died of his wounds.

Since the start of Syrias conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Assads government and has sent advisers since the early days of the war. Sundays strike marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor. State news agency SANA, citing military sources, said the strikes targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defences intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said. The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research centre.

There was no immediate statement from Israel on the strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly mention the strikes at a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday, but said Israel was acting against foreign threats.

We are exacting a high price from the regimes that support terror outside Israels borders, he said.

Netanyahu said that a major domestic crisis over his governments plan to overhaul the judiciary has not affected Israels ability to strike.
Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust (NYSE:BIGZ  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 246,000 shares, a growth of 13.5% from the February 28th total of 216,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,133,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

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In other news, Portfolio Manager Philip Henry Ruvinsky acquired 10,000 shares of Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $7.98 per share, for a total transaction of $79,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the portfolio manager now directly owns 36,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $287,280. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust by 203.5% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 15,342 shares of the companys stock valued at $138,000 after purchasing an additional 10,287 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust by 9.8% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,224,631 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,173,000 after buying an additional 198,629 shares during the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $77,000. Matisse Capital raised its holdings in Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Matisse Capital now owns 210,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,527,000 after buying an additional 44,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OTA Financial Group L.P. bought a new position in Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,718,000.

Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust Trading Up 5.1 %

Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust Dividend Announcement

Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust stock traded up $0.39 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $8.03. 6,716,267 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,051,199. Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust has a twelve month low of $6.47 and a twelve month high of $11.92. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $7.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $7.31.

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 10.46%.

About Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust

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Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust is a mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc and managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. Blackrock Innovation & Growth Trust is based in United States.

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CEMEX (NYSE:CX  Get Rating) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

CX has been the subject of several other reports. Redburn Partners began coverage on shares of CEMEX in a research note on Thursday, December 8th. They set a neutral rating and a $4.90 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of CEMEX from $5.20 to $5.90 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $5.38.

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CEMEX Stock Up 2.0 %

NYSE:CX opened at $5.53 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.01 billion, a PE ratio of 9.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.57 and a beta of 1.40. CEMEX has a twelve month low of $3.20 and a twelve month high of $5.71. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The companys 50 day moving average is $5.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $4.45.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CEMEX

CEMEX Company Profile

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in CEMEX by 8.1% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 255,170 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,349,000 after buying an additional 19,051 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its holdings in CEMEX by 164.4% in the first quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 38,153 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $202,000 after acquiring an additional 23,725 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in CEMEX by 58.4% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 15,387 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 5,676 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. raised its holdings in CEMEX by 23.6% in the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 278,056 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,471,000 after acquiring an additional 53,124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in CEMEX by 3.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,277,600 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $43,789,000 after acquiring an additional 270,749 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.74% of the companys stock.

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CEMEX SAB de CV operates as a global construction materials company. It offers cement, ready-mixconcrete, aggregates, and urbanization solutions. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: Mexico, United States, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) and South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C).

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited (OTCMKTS:CYYHF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 788,500 shares, a decline of 14.1% from the February 28th total of 917,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 16,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 48.7 days.

China Yongda Automobiles Services Price Performance

Shares of CYYHF stock remained flat at $0.71 on Friday. The stocks 50 day moving average is $0.82 and its 200-day moving average is $0.69. China Yongda Automobiles Services has a 1 year low of $0.45 and a 1 year high of $1.05.

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About China Yongda Automobiles Services

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China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Ltd. is an investment company, which engages in the sale of automobiles and provision of after-sales services. It operates through the following business segments: Passenger Vehicle Sales and Service; Automobile Rental Services; and Financial Leasing and Small Loan Services.

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Deutsche Post AG (OTCMKTS:DPSGY  Get Rating) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 15,900 shares, an increase of 12.8% from the February 28th total of 14,100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 129,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days.

Deutsche Post Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of DPSGY traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $46.77. 88,113 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 96,546. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Deutsche Post has a 1-year low of $28.66 and a 1-year high of $51.65. The business has a fifty day moving average of $44.06 and a 200-day moving average of $39.34.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on DPSGY shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Deutsche Post from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Deutsche Post from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, December 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Deutsche Post from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. HSBC cut Deutsche Post from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup cut Deutsche Post from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, December 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $55.16.

About Deutsche Post

Deutsche Post AG engages in the provision of mail and logistics services. It operates through the following business segments: Post-eCommerce-Parcel (PeP), Express, Global Forwarding, Freight, Supply Chain, and Corporate Center or Other. The PeP segment handles both domestic and international mail and is a specialist in dialogue marketing, nationwide press distribution services, and all the electronic services associated with mail delivery.

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Fresnillo (OTCMKTS:FNLPF  Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by Berenberg Bank from GBX 900 ($11.06) to GBX 700 ($8.60) in a research report report published on Thursday, The Fly reports.

FNLPF has been the subject of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Fresnillo from GBX 750 ($9.21) to GBX 700 ($8.60) in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on Fresnillo from GBX 830 ($10.20) to GBX 790 ($9.71) in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Fresnillo from GBX 690 ($8.48) to GBX 750 ($9.21) in a research note on Thursday. Peel Hunt downgraded Fresnillo to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, December 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Fresnillo from GBX 920 ($11.30) to GBX 800 ($9.83) in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $744.29.

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Fresnillo Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:FNLPF opened at $9.28 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. Fresnillo has a 12-month low of $7.30 and a 12-month high of $11.95. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $9.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.65.

Fresnillo Company Profile

Fresnillo Plc is a holding company, which engages in the production of gold and silver. It operates through the following segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienaga, Herradura, Noche Buena, and San Julian. The Fresnillo, and Saucito segments are located in the state of Zacatecas, an underground silver mine.

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ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Inc (NYSE:EMO  Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 17,200 shares, an increase of 13.2% from the February 28th total of 15,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 47,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Stock Up 1.6 %

ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund stock traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $28.24. 15,297 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 44,426. ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund has a 52-week low of $21.93 and a 52-week high of $31.85. The firms 50 day moving average is $29.43 and its 200 day moving average is $28.84.

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ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.53 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.51%. This is an increase from ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Funds previous quarterly dividend of $0.52.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund

In other news, major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 35,109 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of $29.06 per share, for a total transaction of $1,020,267.54. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,945,085 shares in the company, valued at $56,524,170.10. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website . In the last quarter, insiders bought 161,837 shares of company stock worth $4,854,788.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund during the 4th quarter worth $206,000. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund during the 4th quarter worth $211,354,000,000. Concorde Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund during the 4th quarter worth $245,000. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund by 43.8% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 8,781 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $220,000 after purchasing an additional 2,673 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new position in shares of ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund during the 1st quarter worth $248,000.

About ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund

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ClearBridge Energy Midstream Opportunity Fund, Inc is a non-diversified and closed-end management investment company, which invests on energy midstream entities.The company was founded on April 5, 2011 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE:ELF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,910,000 shares, an increase of 13.7% from the February 28th total of 1,680,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 908,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.1 days. Currently, 3.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Insider Activity at e.l.f. Beauty

In other e.l.f. Beauty news, CEO Tarang Amin sold 39,740 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.56, for a total transaction of $2,207,954.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 347,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,306,877.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other e.l.f. Beauty news, insider Scott Milsten sold 55,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.98, for a total transaction of $3,133,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 127,560 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,268,368.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Tarang Amin sold 39,740 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.56, for a total transaction of $2,207,954.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 347,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $19,306,877.76. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 311,195 shares of company stock worth $20,604,238 in the last 90 days. 8.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY lifted its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. NY now owns 2,984 shares of the companys stock worth $165,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 33.9% during the 4th quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 15,268 shares of the companys stock worth $845,000 after acquiring an additional 3,869 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of e.l.f. Beauty by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 61,888 shares of the companys stock worth $3,422,000 after acquiring an additional 3,159 shares during the period. Point72 Middle East FZE purchased a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Chartwell Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of e.l.f. Beauty during the 4th quarter worth about $1,224,000. 95.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

e.l.f. Beauty Price Performance

ELF has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Cowen upped their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $36.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of e.l.f. Beauty in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of e.l.f. Beauty from $50.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $72.00.

NYSE ELF traded up $3.43 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $82.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,399,806 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,033,078. The stock has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a PE ratio of 96.88, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 3.00. The companys 50-day moving average is $71.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.49. e.l.f. Beauty has a fifty-two week low of $20.49 and a fifty-two week high of $83.94.

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE:ELF  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $146.54 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $121.82 million. e.l.f. Beauty had a net margin of 9.43% and a return on equity of 15.00%. Analysts forecast that e.l.f. Beauty will post 1.02 EPS for the current year.

e.l.f. Beauty Company Profile

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e.l.f. Beauty, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the provision of cosmetic and skin-care products. The company focuses on the e-commerce, national retailers, and international business channels. Its brands include elf, elf skin, WELL People and KEYS soulcare. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Oakland, CA.

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Electricite de France S.A. (OTCMKTS:ECIFF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,700 shares, a decrease of 15.6% from the February 28th total of 3,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 6,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.4 days.

Electricite de France Price Performance

ECIFF remained flat at $12.50 during trading on Friday. The companys fifty day moving average price is $12.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.24. Electricite de France has a 1-year low of $7.75 and a 1-year high of $13.00.

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About Electricite de France

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Further Reading

Electricite de France SA, an integrated energy company, engages in the power generation, transmission, distribution, supply, and trading activities in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and internationally. The company generates electricity through nuclear, fossil fuel, hydro, solar, wind, biomass, biogas, thermal, and cogeneration plants.

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Global Partners LP (NYSE:GLP  Get Rating) saw a large decrease in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 478,100 shares, a decrease of 15.0% from the February 28th total of 562,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 165,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.9 days. Currently, 1.7% of the companys stock are sold short.

Global Partners Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of GLP traded up $0.42 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $31.02. 130,873 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 136,133. The company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a PE ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.31. The firms 50 day moving average is $34.06 and its 200-day moving average is $31.91. Global Partners has a 52 week low of $20.23 and a 52 week high of $39.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.20.

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Global Partners (NYSE:GLP  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 27th. The energy company reported $1.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.14. Global Partners had a return on equity of 52.42% and a net margin of 1.92%. The business had revenue of $4.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.44 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Global Partners will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Global Partners Increases Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Global Partners

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 8th were given a dividend of $1.572 per share. This represents a $6.29 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 20.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 7th. This is a boost from Global Partnerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. Global Partnerss payout ratio is currently 25.32%.

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new position in shares of Global Partners during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Global Partners during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in Global Partners in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Dorsey Wright & Associates acquired a new position in Global Partners in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Global Partners by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,300 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $80,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.40% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on Global Partners in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company.

Global Partners Company Profile

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Global Partners LP engages in purchasing, selling, storing, and the logistics of transporting petroleum and related products. It operates through the following business segments: Wholesale, Gasoline Distribution and Station Operations (GDSO), and Commercial. The Wholesale segment sells branded and unbranded gasoline and gasoline blendstocks and diesel to wholesale distributors.

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Conduit Holdings Limited (LON:CRE  Get Rating) insider Trevor Carvey purchased 10,000 shares of Conduit stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 486 ($5.97) per share, with a total value of 48,600 ($59,712.50).

Trevor Carvey also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Saturday, March 25th, Trevor Carvey acquired 50,079 shares of Conduit stock. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 364 ($4.47) per share, with a total value of 182,287.56 ($223,968.01).

Conduit Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of CRE stock opened at GBX 490 ($6.02) on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 474.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 410.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market capitalization of 805.95 million, a PE ratio of -1,113.64 and a beta of 0.50. Conduit Holdings Limited has a 12-month low of GBX 299.50 ($3.68) and a 12-month high of GBX 518 ($6.36).

Conduit Announces Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.18 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a yield of 3.12%. Conduits dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -6,590.91%.

Separately, Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 590 ($7.25) price objective on shares of Conduit in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd.

About Conduit

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Conduit Holdings Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the reinsurance business in Bermuda and internationally. It underwrites property, casualty, and specialty reinsurance products. The company was incorporated in 2020 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.

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Consilio Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 101,781 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,525,000. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF makes up approximately 5.4% of Consilio Wealth Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EFG. Peterson Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.8% in the third quarter. Peterson Financial Group Inc. now owns 7,778 shares of the companys stock valued at $564,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 3.2% in the third quarter. First Citizens Financial Corp now owns 4,878 shares of the companys stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. First Financial Corp IN increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 18.3% in the third quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 994 shares of the companys stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 1.6% in the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 10,543 shares of the companys stock valued at $765,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stone Point Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stone Point Wealth LLC now owns 5,320 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 179 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of EFG traded up $0.65 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $93.68. 641,892 shares of the companys stock were exchanged. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $90.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.53. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a 52-week low of $67.58 and a 52-week high of $85.81. The company has a market cap of $11.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.69 and a beta of 0.87.

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Growth Index (the Index). The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East.

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Artemis Investment Management LLP cut its holdings in Norfolk Southern Co. (NYSE:NSC  Get Rating) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 372,702 shares of the railroad operators stock after selling 27,812 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP owned about 0.16% of Norfolk Southern worth $92,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Norfolk Southern by 18.3% during the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 7,647,054 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $1,603,203,000 after acquiring an additional 1,181,936 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Norfolk Southern by 31.4% during the second quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,330,991 shares of the railroad operators stock valued at $529,811,000 after buying an additional 557,432 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 1.1% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,295,294 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $481,323,000 after purchasing an additional 24,172 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Norfolk Southern by 0.8% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,166,108 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $492,338,000 after purchasing an additional 17,430 shares during the period. Finally, London Co. of Virginia lifted its holdings in Norfolk Southern by 1.9% in the third quarter. London Co. of Virginia now owns 1,462,496 shares of the railroad operators stock worth $306,613,000 after buying an additional 27,419 shares during the period. 72.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Norfolk Southern Stock Down 0.8 %

NSC traded down $1.76 during trading on Monday, hitting $210.24. The stock had a trading volume of 87,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,607,870. Norfolk Southern Co. has a twelve month low of $196.33 and a twelve month high of $276.65. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $225.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $233.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a current ratio of 0.76. The company has a market capitalization of $47.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.25, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.30.

Norfolk Southern Increases Dividend

Norfolk Southern ( NYSE:NSC Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The railroad operator reported $3.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.41 by $0.01. Norfolk Southern had a net margin of 25.66% and a return on equity of 24.98%. The firm had revenue of $3.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.12 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Norfolk Southern Co. will post 13.65 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 3rd were issued a $1.35 dividend. This is a boost from Norfolk Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $1.24. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.57%. Norfolk Southerns payout ratio is presently 38.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on NSC shares. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Norfolk Southern from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $255.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $236.00 to $232.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $225.00 to $231.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Norfolk Southern from $240.00 to $255.00 in a research note on Monday, December 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Norfolk Southern from $266.00 to $258.00 in a research note on Monday, March 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $249.83.

About Norfolk Southern

(Get Rating)

Norfolk Southern Corp. is a transportation company, which engages in the rail transportation of raw materials, intermediate products, and finished goods. The company also transports overseas freight through several Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports. Its services include property leases and sales, wire line or pipeline and fiber optics projects, access property, managing private crossings, promoting businesses with signboards, and natural resource management.

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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,980,000 shares, an increase of 10.0% from the February 28th total of 1,800,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 853,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.3 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They issued an outperform rating and a $211.00 target price on the stock. Raymond James boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $205.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $215.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $213.00 to $211.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $213.71.

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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

NYSE:AJG traded up $1.40 on Monday, reaching $192.71. 407,832 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 892,671. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $189.05 and a 200-day simple moving average of $187.34. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12 month low of $148.24 and a 12 month high of $202.37. The firm has a market cap of $41.18 billion, a PE ratio of 36.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Increases Dividend

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( NYSE:AJG Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.04. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 13.08%. The company had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.98 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 8.71 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.14%. This is a boost from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.31%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 18,700 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.66, for a total value of $3,565,342.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 42,231 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,051,762.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Scott R. Hudson sold 18,700 shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.66, for a total value of $3,565,342.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 42,231 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,051,762.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 2,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.98, for a total value of $515,793.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 90,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,417,600.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 27,783 shares of company stock worth $5,262,891 over the last 90 days. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the third quarter worth about $2,311,000. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Stratos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,061 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $577,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 14.2% in the third quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 2,392 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $410,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC increased its position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 268.4% in the third quarter. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC now owns 4,856 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $831,000 after purchasing an additional 3,538 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NuWave Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the third quarter valued at $274,000. 82.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

(Get Rating)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

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Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 193,700 shares, an increase of 9.5% from the February 28th total of 176,900 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 98,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.0 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new stake in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,630,000. Thomas White International Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 353,718 shares of the banks stock valued at $5,510,000 after purchasing an additional 1,021 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management lifted its stake in shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 972,198 shares of the banks stock valued at $15,750,000 after purchasing an additional 15,990 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.19% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Stock Down 0.9 %

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Announces Dividend

BLX traded down $0.16 during trading on Monday, reaching $17.22. 72,849 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 101,010. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $17.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.13, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 1.01. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. has a fifty-two week low of $12.58 and a fifty-two week high of $19.17. The stock has a market cap of $623.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.87 and a beta of 1.15.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.81%. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.s dividend payout ratio is 39.53%.

Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Company Profile

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Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It offers short and medium-term bilateral loans, structured and syndicated credits, and loan commitments; financial guarantee contracts, such as issued and confirmed letters of credit, and stand-by letters of credit; and guarantees covering commercial risk and other assets, as well as co-financing arrangements, underwriting of syndicated credit facilities, structured trade financing in the form of factoring and vendor financing, and financial leasing.

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Bard Financial Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 85,047 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,450 shares during the period. Bard Financial Services Inc.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $8,608,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PM. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,762 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,308,000 after acquiring an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Meixler Investment Management Ltd. now owns 35,760 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,968,000 after acquiring an additional 3,089 shares in the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at $263,000. Gradient Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 5,136 shares of the companys stock valued at $426,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Bank Trust Division grew its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 3,106 shares of the companys stock valued at $258,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. 75.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Philip Morris International news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Andre Calantzopoulos sold 80,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.35, for a total transaction of $8,028,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 1,007,048 shares in the company, valued at $101,057,266.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Philip Morris International Trading Up 1.0 %

Several research firms recently issued reports on PM. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $109.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $86.00 to $118.00 in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Citigroup reissued a neutral rating and set a $109.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Tuesday, December 13th. Finally, Societe Generale began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. They set a sell rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $110.36.

NYSE PM traded up $0.96 on Monday, reaching $98.21. The companys stock had a trading volume of 627,402 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,642,405. The firm has a market cap of $152.44 billion, a PE ratio of 16.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.69. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $99.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.67. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.85 and a 52 week high of $109.81.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $8.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.54 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.22% and a negative return on equity of 127.24%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.35 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.27 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 22nd. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.17%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is 87.44%.

About Philip Morris International

(Get Rating)

Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Barratt Developments plc (OTCMKTS:BTDPY  Get Rating) announced a dividend on Saturday, April 1st, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be paid a dividend of 0.2169 per share on Friday, June 2nd. This represents a dividend yield of 7.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 10th.

Barratt Developments Price Performance

Shares of Barratt Developments stock opened at $11.69 on Monday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $11.17 and its 200-day moving average is $9.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Barratt Developments has a 12-month low of $7.00 and a 12-month high of $15.91.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Peel Hunt lowered Barratt Developments to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Barratt Developments from GBX 388 ($4.77) to GBX 461 ($5.66) in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Barratt Developments from GBX 380 ($4.67) to GBX 400 ($4.91) in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Barratt Developments from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, February 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $441.00.

About Barratt Developments

Barratt Developments Plc engages in the development of residential and non-residential properties mainly in the United Kingdom. It offers services in land, design, construction, and sales and marketing. The company was founded by Lawrence Arthur Barratt in 1958 and is headquartered in Coalville, the United Kingdom.

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Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 100,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,803,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ocean Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Toast by 9.0% during the third quarter. Ocean Capital Management LLC now owns 14,385 shares of the companys stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 1,185 shares during the last quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Toast by 6.4% in the third quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC now owns 22,693 shares of the companys stock worth $379,000 after buying an additional 1,365 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its holdings in shares of Toast by 6.8% in the third quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 21,654 shares of the companys stock worth $362,000 after buying an additional 1,378 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Toast by 12.0% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 13,011 shares of the companys stock worth $218,000 after buying an additional 1,396 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Utah Retirement Systems lifted its holdings in shares of Toast by 11.9% in the third quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 13,200 shares of the companys stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.82% of the companys stock.

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Toast Stock Down 1.2 %

Toast stock traded down $0.22 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $17.53. 748,054 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,489,162. The business has a 50 day moving average of $19.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $19.15. Toast, Inc. has a 12 month low of $11.91 and a 12 month high of $26.03.

Insider Activity at Toast

Toast ( NYSE:TOST Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported ($0.19) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $769.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $753.13 million. Toast had a negative net margin of 10.03% and a negative return on equity of 24.30%. Toasts revenue for the quarter was up 50.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.46) EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Toast, Inc. will post -0.59 EPS for the current year.

In related news, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.43, for a total transaction of $647,660.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,323,754.09. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Stephen Fredette sold 136,364 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.14, for a total value of $3,019,098.96. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,655,391 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $80,930,356.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.43, for a total value of $647,660.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 171,063 shares in the company, valued at $3,323,754.09. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 384,675 shares of company stock worth $8,516,086. 20.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on TOST. Robert W. Baird downgraded shares of Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $26.00 to $24.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Toast from $23.00 to $19.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group cut shares of Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $26.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on shares of Toast from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Toast from $24.00 to $23.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Toast currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $23.56.

Toast Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which allows guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex that is used for on-counter order and pay, as well as used as a server station, guest kiosk, kitchen display system, or order fulfillment station; Toast Go, a handheld POS device that enhances the table turn times through tableside ordering and payment acceptance; and Toast Tap, a card reader.

Further Reading

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Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:AGG  Get Rating) by 2.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 52,832 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,422 shares during the quarter. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF accounts for approximately 2.5% of Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Colton Groome Financial Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF were worth $5,124,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 145.5% during the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 6,590 shares of the companys stock worth $705,000 after purchasing an additional 3,906 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 36.2% during the first quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 52,003 shares of the companys stock worth $5,570,000 after purchasing an additional 13,829 shares in the last quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $44,000. Baltimore Washington Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF during the first quarter worth approximately $241,000. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF by 2.0% during the first quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 14,640 shares of the companys stock worth $1,568,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. 80.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF Price Performance

Shares of AGG stock traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $99.73. 2,377,934 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,616,814. The stocks fifty day moving average is $98.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $97.75. iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF has a fifty-two week low of $93.20 and a fifty-two week high of $106.87.

About iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.

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Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC bought a new stake in Prologis, Inc. (NYSE:PLD  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 19,535 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $2,202,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in PLD. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Prologis by 27.6% in the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,071,004 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,328,016,000 after purchasing an additional 2,823,799 shares during the last quarter. PGGM Investments acquired a new stake in Prologis during the third quarter worth approximately $183,115,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Prologis by 49.0% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,138,858 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $522,109,000 after buying an additional 1,691,045 shares in the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new stake in Prologis during the third quarter worth approximately $134,276,000. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in Prologis by 10.5% during the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 10,522,211 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,069,056,000 after buying an additional 999,809 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.84% of the companys stock.

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Prologis Trading Down 0.3 %

Prologis stock traded down $0.37 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $124.40. 740,589 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,008,187. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $124.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.06. Prologis, Inc. has a twelve month low of $98.03 and a twelve month high of $174.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.88 billion, a PE ratio of 28.68, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.99.

Prologis Increases Dividend

Prologis ( NYSE:PLD Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 18th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.03. Prologis had a return on equity of 7.71% and a net margin of 56.33%. The firm had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.12 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Prologis, Inc. will post 5.51 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is an increase from Prologiss previous quarterly dividend of $0.79. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. Prologiss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 80.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Prologis in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. They set a buy rating and a $147.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com raised Prologis from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays cut their target price on Prologis from $162.00 to $160.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Truist Financial upped their target price on Prologis from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Prologis from $121.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seventeen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $144.85.

About Prologis

(Get Rating)

Prologis, Inc engages in providing logistics solutions and services. It operates through the Real Estate and Strategic Capital segments. The Real Estate segment includes rental operations and development. The Strategic Capital segment represents the management of co-investment ventures and other unconsolidated entities.

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Daymark Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 96,888 shares of the energy companys stock, valued at approximately $5,960,000. Devon Energy comprises about 1.1% of Daymark Wealth Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Devon Energy by 7.3% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 42,814,521 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $2,574,437,000 after purchasing an additional 2,902,180 shares during the last quarter. Yacktman Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Devon Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $160,242,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Devon Energy by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,173,489 shares of the energy companys stock worth $4,640,442,000 after buying an additional 1,637,042 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 16.9% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 10,141,280 shares of the energy companys stock worth $609,794,000 after purchasing an additional 1,469,557 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $85,234,000. 78.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $79.00 to $72.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Devon Energy from $80.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Devon Energy from $84.00 to $71.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $71.95.

Insider Buying and Selling at Devon Energy

Devon Energy Price Performance

In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total value of $393,193.83. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 262,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In other news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 7,179 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $54.77, for a total transaction of $393,193.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 262,498 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,377,015.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, CEO Richard E. Muncrief acquired 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $53.28 per share, with a total value of $532,800.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 1,973,977 shares in the company, valued at $105,173,494.56. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Shares of Devon Energy stock traded up $2.57 on Monday, hitting $53.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,842,773 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,331,559. Devon Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $44.03 and a 52-week high of $79.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $55.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $62.52. The company has a market capitalization of $34.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.33.

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The energy company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.75 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $4.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.29 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 52.20% and a net margin of 31.38%. Devon Energys quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.39 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Devon Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a $0.89 dividend. This represents a yield of 9.3%. This is a positive change from Devon Energys previous None dividend of $0.49. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio is 8.77%.

Devon Energy Profile

(Get Rating)

Devon Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties. It develops and operates Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Heavy Oil, Barnett Shale, STACK, and Rockies Oil. The company was founded by J. Larry Nichols and John W. Nichols in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK.

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Fifth Third Bancorp reduced its holdings in shares of Danaher Co. (NYSE:DHR  Get Rating) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 524,723 shares of the conglomerates stock after selling 3,558 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp owned approximately 0.07% of Danaher worth $139,272,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. My Personal CFO LLC purchased a new position in Danaher during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC increased its holdings in Danaher by 5,850.0% during the 3rd quarter. Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo LLC now owns 119 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Danaher by 157.7% during the third quarter. Bellwether Advisors LLC now owns 134 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. American National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Danaher by 31.9% during the third quarter. American National Bank now owns 157 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Veritas Investment Partners UK Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Danaher during the third quarter worth about $52,000. 77.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Danaher in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group downgraded shares of Danaher from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $315.00 to $300.00 in a report on Thursday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Danaher in a report on Tuesday, December 13th. They set a buy rating and a $310.00 price target for the company. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Danaher from $277.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Finally, Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Danaher from $340.00 to $320.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Danaher currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $310.29.

Danaher Trading Down 0.9 %

DHR stock traded down $2.36 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $249.68. 619,072 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,568,219. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $253.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $260.02. Danaher Co. has a fifty-two week low of $233.71 and a fifty-two week high of $303.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.52. The company has a market capitalization of $182.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.12, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.80.

Danaher (NYSE:DHR  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The conglomerate reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.41. Danaher had a net margin of 22.91% and a return on equity of 17.97%. The business had revenue of $8.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $7.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.69 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Danaher Co. will post 10.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Danaher Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.27 per share. This is a boost from Danahers previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.43%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. Danahers payout ratio is presently 11.19%.

Insider Transactions at Danaher

In other news, Director Raymond C. Stevens sold 8,410 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $264.27, for a total transaction of $2,222,510.70. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 8,394 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,218,282.38. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 11.20% of the companys stock.

About Danaher

(Get Rating)

Danaher Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of professional, medical, industrial, and commercial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Diagnostics, and Environmental and Applied Solutions. The Biotechnology segment includes the bioprocessing and discovery and medical businesses and offers a range of tools, consumables, and services.

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Whittier Trust Co. lowered its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:IEMG  Get Rating) by 8.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 882,519 shares of the companys stock after selling 85,397 shares during the quarter. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF comprises approximately 0.8% of Whittier Trust Co.s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Whittier Trust Co.s holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $41,213,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in IEMG. TIAA FSB grew its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. TIAA FSB now owns 35,055,930 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,506,703,000 after purchasing an additional 724,511 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 24.0% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,326,449 shares of the companys stock valued at $64,568,000 after purchasing an additional 256,852 shares in the last quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management grew its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 88.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hanson & Doremus Investment Management now owns 11,551 shares of the companys stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 5,408 shares in the last quarter. Iowa State Bank grew its holdings in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Iowa State Bank now owns 120,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,648,000 after purchasing an additional 27,523 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Summit Global Investments acquired a new stake in iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,037,000.

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iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Price Performance

IEMG traded up $0.12 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $48.91. 2,114,458 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 14,987,671. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $48.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.09. The company has a market cap of $69.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.26 and a beta of 0.74. iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a fifty-two week low of $41.44 and a fifty-two week high of $57.52.

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Company Profile

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of emerging-market firms, covering 99% of market capitalization. IEMG was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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ITT Inc. (NYSE:ITT  Get Rating) has been assigned an average recommendation of Buy from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $95.30.

Several equities analysts have recently commented on ITT shares. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of ITT from $94.00 to $101.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on ITT in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on ITT from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of ITT from $92.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 20th. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on ITT from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 13th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Ryan F. Flynn sold 2,197 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.22, for a total value of $191,622.34. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 16,547 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,443,229.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.50% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ITT

ITT Stock Performance

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of ITT by 36.6% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 794,297 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $53,409,000 after buying an additional 212,615 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC lifted its position in ITT by 101.3% during the third quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 495,905 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $32,403,000 after acquiring an additional 249,528 shares during the last quarter. Commerce Bank boosted its stake in ITT by 69.2% in the second quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 8,842 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $595,000 after acquiring an additional 3,617 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in ITT by 3.8% in the third quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 14,216 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $929,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of ITT during the third quarter worth $623,000. Institutional investors own 90.16% of the companys stock.

Shares of ITT stock opened at $86.30 on Monday. ITT has a fifty-two week low of $63.77 and a fifty-two week high of $95.18. The company has a market capitalization of $7.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a fifty day moving average of $88.77 and a 200 day moving average of $81.55.

ITT (NYSE:ITT  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The conglomerate reported $1.29 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $774.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $766.82 million. ITT had a return on equity of 17.63% and a net margin of 12.28%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.06 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that ITT will post 4.84 EPS for the current year.

ITT Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 9th will be given a dividend of $0.29 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 8th. This is a positive change from ITTs previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.34%. ITTs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.42%.

About ITT

(Get Rating)

ITT, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of engineered components and customized technology solutions primarily for the transportation, industrial, and energy markets. It operates through the following segments: Motion Technologies, Industrial Process, Connect and Control Technologies, and Corporate and Other.

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OceanaGold Co. (TSE:OGC  Get Rating)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as C$3.45 and last traded at C$3.39, with a volume of 929887 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$3.35.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Raymond James increased their target price on OceanaGold from C$3.50 to C$3.75 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. National Bankshares cut their price target on OceanaGold from C$4.00 to C$3.75 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, CIBC raised OceanaGold from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from C$3.00 to C$4.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th.

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OceanaGold Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$2.86 and a 200 day moving average price of C$2.53. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.38 billion, a PE ratio of 12.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.97 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.14.

OceanaGold Dividend Announcement

About OceanaGold

The business also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 9th will be paid a $0.013 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 8th. OceanaGolds payout ratio is currently 11.54%.

(Get Rating)

OceanaGold Corporation, a gold producer, engages in the exploration, development, and operation of mineral properties. It explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. The company operates the Didipio gold-copper mine located in the Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces on the island of Luzon in the Philippines; the Macraes goldfield mine on the South Island of New Zealand and the Waihi gold mine on the North Island of New Zealand; and the Haile gold mine located in South Carolina, the United States.

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Shore Capital reaffirmed their house stock rating on shares of Premier African Minerals (LON:PREM  Get Rating) in a report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports.

Premier African Minerals Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of LON:PREM opened at GBX 0.91 ($0.01) on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 0.68 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 2.54. The firm has a market capitalization of 203.80 million, a P/E ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.46. Premier African Minerals has a 1 year low of GBX 0.26 ($0.00) and a 1 year high of GBX 0.98 ($0.01).

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Premier African Minerals Company Profile

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Premier African Minerals Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, evaluation, development, and investment of natural resource properties on the African continent. The company explores for tungsten, lithium, tantalum, fluorspar, potash, and gold deposits. It holds interests in various properties located in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

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Glencore (LON:GLEN  Get Rating) has been assigned a GBX 540 ($6.63) target price by investment analysts at Royal Bank of Canada in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Royal Bank of Canadas price target suggests a potential upside of 14.91% from the companys previous close.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Citigroup restated a buy rating and set a GBX 650 ($7.99) target price on shares of Glencore in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and set a GBX 575 ($7.06) target price on shares of Glencore in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Jefferies Financial Group set a GBX 700 ($8.60) target price on shares of Glencore in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 625 ($7.68) target price on shares of Glencore in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, AlphaValue lowered shares of Glencore to an add rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 614.17 ($7.55).

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Glencore Stock Performance

LON GLEN traded up GBX 5.35 ($0.07) during trading hours on Monday, hitting GBX 469.95 ($5.77). 50,596,073 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 45,845,930. The businesss fifty day moving average price is GBX 499.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 513.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.96. The firm has a market capitalization of 59.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 443.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 1.28. Glencore has a 52 week low of GBX 395.40 ($4.86) and a 52 week high of GBX 584.50 ($7.18).

Glencore Company Profile

Glencore plc produces, refines, processes, stores, transports, and markets metals and minerals, and energy products in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It operates through two segments, Marketing Activities and Industrial Activities. The company produces and markets copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, lead, chrome ore, ferrochrome, vanadium, alumina, aluminum, tin, and iron ore.

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Shares of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW  Get Rating) have been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the thirty-one ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twenty-two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $519.45.

Several research analysts have commented on NOW shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on shares of ServiceNow from $460.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of ServiceNow from $485.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of ServiceNow from $625.00 to $525.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of ServiceNow from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other ServiceNow news, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 2,483 shares of ServiceNow stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $455.03, for a total transaction of $1,129,831.05. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,117 shares in the company, valued at $24,169,647.91. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other ServiceNow news, insider Jacqueline P. Canney sold 1,083 shares of ServiceNow stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $461.03, for a total transaction of $499,295.49. Following the sale, the insider now owns 267 shares in the company, valued at $123,095.01. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 2,483 shares of ServiceNow stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $455.03, for a total transaction of $1,129,831.05. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,117 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,169,647.91. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 65,629 shares of company stock worth $29,974,024 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.28% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On ServiceNow

ServiceNow Stock Performance

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NOW. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of ServiceNow in the 4th quarter valued at $872,202,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 69,897.5% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 856,069 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $332,386,000 after purchasing an additional 854,846 shares in the last quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 3,953,299 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,492,805,000 after purchasing an additional 827,285 shares in the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 135.9% in the 4th quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC now owns 1,272,706 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $494,154,000 after purchasing an additional 733,234 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 14,835,423 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $5,760,149,000 after purchasing an additional 727,494 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.31% of the companys stock.

Shares of NOW opened at $464.72 on Monday. ServiceNow has a 12-month low of $337.00 and a 12-month high of $601.62. The firms 50 day moving average is $444.79 and its 200-day moving average is $411.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $94.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 290.45, a P/E/G ratio of 6.20 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The information technology services provider reported $0.88 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.28. ServiceNow had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 9.37%. The company had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.93 billion. Equities research analysts anticipate that ServiceNow will post 2.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

ServiceNow Company Profile

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ServiceNow, Inc engages in the provision of enterprise cloud computing solutions. The firm delivers digital workflows on a single enterprise cloud platform called the Now Platform. Its product portfolio is focused on providing Information Technology, Employee and Customer workflows. The company was founded by Frederic B.

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SNS Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,174 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. SNS Financial Group LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,666,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 154,563,421 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $14,955,557,000 after purchasing an additional 2,011,683 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 74,138,862 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $7,173,676,000 after acquiring an additional 351,136 shares during the period. Polen Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.1% in the third quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 15,689,512 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $1,518,117,000 after acquiring an additional 316,416 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 4.5% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 13,252,430 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,439,881,000 after purchasing an additional 565,475 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,523,473 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,363,917,000 after purchasing an additional 218,683 shares during the period. 72.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,203 shares in the company, valued at $5,256,842.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total value of $26,842.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 40,896 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,222,103.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 52,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,256,842.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,971 shares of company stock worth $199,140 in the last three months. 0.52% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

ABT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on Abbott Laboratories in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. They set a buy rating and a $117.00 target price for the company. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Raymond James lifted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $109.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $122.12.

Shares of NYSE:ABT opened at $100.41 on Monday. The companys fifty day moving average is $103.91 and its 200 day moving average is $104.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Abbott Laboratories has a 52 week low of $93.25 and a 52 week high of $124.36. The stock has a market cap of $174.51 billion, a PE ratio of 25.90, a PEG ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.68.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.13. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 26.09% and a net margin of 15.88%. The company had revenue of $10.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue for the quarter was down 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is 52.17%.

Abbott Laboratories Profile

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Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

Further Reading

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Stephens Inc. AR raised its stake in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 7.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 164,603 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 11,623 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. ARs holdings in Waste Management were worth $25,823,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WM. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Waste Management by 534.5% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,344 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 2,817 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 0.7% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 53,067 shares of the business services providers stock worth $8,411,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 0.6% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 358,624 shares of the business services providers stock worth $56,842,000 after acquiring an additional 2,309 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 83.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 680 shares of the business services providers stock worth $108,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 44.8% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 33,030 shares of the business services providers stock worth $5,234,000 after acquiring an additional 10,212 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waste Management news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $31,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 64,317 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,969,135. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, SVP Tara J. Hemmer sold 7,515 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $1,164,825.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 46,542 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,214,010. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of Waste Management stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $31,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 64,317 shares in the company, valued at $9,969,135. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,027 shares of company stock valued at $4,806,619. Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:WM traded up $0.65 during trading on Monday, hitting $163.82. The company had a trading volume of 657,592 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,832,859. The stock has a market cap of $66.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.72. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $138.89 and a one year high of $175.98. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $152.77 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $157.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 32.91%. The company had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.26 earnings per share. Waste Managements revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Thursday, December 8th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to purchase up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a positive change from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 51.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WM has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $185.00 to $171.00 in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Waste Management from $167.00 to $158.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. UBS Group cut Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $190.00 to $165.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Finally, Raymond James cut their price target on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 6th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $172.27.

About Waste Management

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Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating).

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EDP  Energias de Portugal (OTCMKTS:EDPFY  Get Rating) and Summer Energy (OTCMKTS:SUME  Get Rating) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and earnings.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for EDP  Energias de Portugal and Summer Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score EDP  Energias de Portugal 0 1 2 1 3.00 Summer Energy 0 0 0 0 N/A

EDP  Energias de Portugal presently has a consensus price target of $5.90, suggesting a potential downside of 89.15%. Given EDP  Energias de Portugals higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe EDP  Energias de Portugal is more favorable than Summer Energy.

Volatility & Risk

Valuation and Earnings

EDP  Energias de Portugal has a beta of 0.61, indicating that its share price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Summer Energy has a beta of -107.16, indicating that its share price is 10,816% less volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares EDP  Energias de Portugal and Summer Energys top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio EDP  Energias de Portugal $21.76 billion 0.99 $715.52 million N/A N/A Summer Energy $239.88 million 0.07 $13.74 million N/A N/A

EDP  Energias de Portugal has higher revenue and earnings than Summer Energy.

Profitability

This table compares EDP  Energias de Portugal and Summer Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets EDP  Energias de Portugal 3.19% 4.14% 1.14% Summer Energy N/A N/A N/A

Summary

EDP  Energias de Portugal beats Summer Energy on 10 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About EDP  Energias de Portugal

(Get Rating)

EDP-Energias de Portugal SA engages in the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity and supply of gas. It operates through the following segments: Renewables, Networks, and Client Solutions & Energy Management. The Renewables segment engages in generation of electricity through renewable energy sources. The Networks segment engages in electricity distribution and transmission business, including last resort suppliers. The Customer Solutions and Energy Management segment includes electricity generation from energy sources non-renewable, especially coal and gas; electricity and gas trading and energy solution services. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal.

About Summer Energy

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Summer Energy Holdings, Inc. engages in the business of purchasing and reselling electric power within the states of Texas, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire through its subsidiaries. It retails electricity to commercial and residential customers. The company was founded on March 25, 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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WESPAC Advisors SoCal LLC lessened its stake in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,205 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 250 shares during the period. WESPAC Advisors SoCal LLCs holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $433,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 2.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 124,437,061 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,943,291,000 after buying an additional 2,589,952 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 1.1% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 65,566,364 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,712,255,000 after buying an additional 717,683 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 7.4% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 20,767,564 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,492,565,000 after buying an additional 1,431,879 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 0.4% during the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 17,076,247 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,227,270,000 after buying an additional 68,423 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the third quarter worth about $1,109,194,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.49% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $79.00 to $61.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $109.00 to $83.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and cut their price target for the stock from $81.50 to $67.50 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $90.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Charles Schwab presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $80.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab Trading Down 0.4 %

In other news, insider Jonathan M. Craig sold 51,144 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.30, for a total value of $4,106,863.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link . In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 188,670 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.07, for a total transaction of $15,106,806.90. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 30,856,646 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,470,691,645.22. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, insider Jonathan M. Craig sold 51,144 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.30, for a total transaction of $4,106,863.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 81,000 shares of company stock worth $4,706,960 and have sold 728,106 shares worth $58,067,403. 7.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

NYSE SCHW traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $52.18. 12,238,903 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 21,780,568. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 1-year low of $45.00 and a 1-year high of $86.63. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $70.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $75.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.48 billion, a PE ratio of 14.97, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.38.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 18th. The financial services provider reported $1.07 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.10 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $5.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.55 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 34.60% and a return on equity of 24.94%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.86 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles Schwab Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 10th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th. This is a positive change from Charles Schwabs previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.57%.

About Charles Schwab

(Get Rating)

The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees.

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Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. increased its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,530 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in Waste Management were worth $15,457,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WM. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. TD Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Waste Management by 232.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the business services providers stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC bought a new position in Waste Management during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on WM shares. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Raymond James decreased their price target on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 6th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Waste Management from $167.00 to $158.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $171.00 in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $172.27.

Insider Activity

Waste Management Price Performance

In other news, Director John C. Pope sold 218 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.76, for a total transaction of $33,737.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 55,809 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,637,000.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In related news, CFO Devina A. Rankin sold 200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $31,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 64,317 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,969,135. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, Director John C. Pope sold 218 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $154.76, for a total value of $33,737.68. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 55,809 shares in the company, valued at $8,637,000.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 31,027 shares of company stock valued at $4,806,619 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Shares of Waste Management stock traded up $0.81 during trading on Monday, hitting $163.98. The stock had a trading volume of 691,354 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,833,273. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market cap of $66.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a fifty day moving average of $152.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $157.89. Waste Management, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $138.89 and a fifty-two week high of $175.98.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 32.91%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.26 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.71%. This is an increase from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is currently 51.95%.

Waste Management declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, December 8th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the business services provider to purchase up to 2.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

About Waste Management

(Get Rating)

Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its stake in iShares Russell 1000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWB  Get Rating) by 0.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 102,135 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the quarter. iShares Russell 1000 ETF comprises 0.8% of Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s holdings in iShares Russell 1000 ETF were worth $21,501,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stableford Capital II LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Stableford Capital II LLC now owns 1,694 shares of the companys stock valued at $349,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Fairhaven Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,082 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,003,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 358,191 shares of the companys stock worth $70,682,000 after purchasing an additional 24,044 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 94.2% during the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 2,651 shares of the companys stock worth $558,000 after purchasing an additional 1,286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Russell 1000 ETF by 23.3% during the 3rd quarter. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,630,230 shares of the companys stock worth $321,693,000 after purchasing an additional 308,199 shares in the last quarter.

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iShares Russell 1000 ETF Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSEARCA:IWB traded up $0.83 on Monday, reaching $226.06. 124,580 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 814,708. The company has a fifty day moving average of $221.49 and a 200-day moving average of $215.14. iShares Russell 1000 ETF has a twelve month low of $192.01 and a twelve month high of $253.65. The company has a market capitalization of $28.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92 and a beta of 1.01.

About iShares Russell 1000 ETF

iShares Russell 1000 ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 1,000 largest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index.

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Whittier Trust Co. raised its position in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI  Get Rating) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,255 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co.s holdings in United Rentals were worth $22,481,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of URI. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in United Rentals by 146.5% in the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 615,729 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $166,322,000 after purchasing an additional 365,935 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 27.0% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,168,327 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $317,729,000 after buying an additional 248,072 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 49.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 672,534 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $238,890,000 after buying an additional 221,613 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of United Rentals by 2.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,179,328 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,905,379,000 after buying an additional 186,931 shares during the period. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new stake in shares of United Rentals in the third quarter valued at about $45,477,000. 89.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on United Rentals from $450.00 to $505.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird cut United Rentals from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $425.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on United Rentals from $404.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. KeyCorp raised their target price on United Rentals from $425.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on United Rentals from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, United Rentals currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $430.85.

Insider Activity

United Rentals Stock Up 0.7 %

In other news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $477.99, for a total value of $5,735,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,276 shares in the company, valued at $48,408,915.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In related news, COO Dale A. Asplund sold 13,392 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $436.26, for a total transaction of $5,842,393.92. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 19,229 shares in the company, valued at $8,388,843.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 12,000 shares of United Rentals stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $477.99, for a total value of $5,735,880.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 101,276 shares in the company, valued at $48,408,915.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 30,672 shares of company stock worth $13,871,422 over the last 90 days. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Rentals stock traded up $2.61 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $398.37. The stock had a trading volume of 106,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 855,098. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.11. United Rentals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $230.54 and a fifty-two week high of $481.99. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $431.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $366.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.64 billion, a PE ratio of 13.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.85.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The construction company reported $9.74 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $10.12 by ($0.38). United Rentals had a net margin of 18.08% and a return on equity of 36.12%. The firm had revenue of $3.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.39 EPS. The companys revenue was up 18.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 41.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 8th were issued a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 7th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.49%. United Rentalss dividend payout ratio is presently 4.97%.

United Rentals Company Profile

(Get Rating)

United Rentals, Inc engages in the equipment rental business. It operates through the General Rentals and Specialty segments. The General Rentals segment includes the rental of construction, aerial and industrial equipment, general tools and light equipment, and related services and activities. The Specialty segment focuses on the rental of specialty construction products such as trench safety equipment, power and HVAC equipment, fluid solutions equipment, mobile storage equipment and modular office space.

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Interview: U.S. "Taiwan card" strategy doomed to failure, says Argentine expert

Xinhua) 12:44, April 03, 2023

BUENOS AIRES, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. "Taiwan card" strategy is doomed to failure as it contravenes the historical trend and only seeks to maintain Washington's global hegemony, Argentine academic Sebastian Schulz has said.

"Washington has less capacity to force the countries of our region to align themselves with Taiwan," the researcher at the Center for Chinese Studies of the National University of La Plata told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Relations with Taiwan were sustained by U.S. pressure and that pressure is diminishing as a result of Washington's own crisis of hegemony, but also due to the increase in the relative power of emerging and developing countries," he said.

Talking about the recent decision by Honduras to sever so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan, the researcher said "the Latin American and Caribbean region has greater autonomy and sovereignty over its international policies. That is why Honduras' decision is clearly in tune with the times."

Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the countries of the Global South see in China a responsible major country, he added.

Schulz stressed that the United States applies a double standard in recognizing the one-China policy, and at the same time constantly encourages separatist positions in Taiwan, providing arms to Taiwan.

"Clearly, Taiwan's resident population is the least of U.S. concerns. What Washington seeks with its maneuvers is to maintain its supremacy in the international order and sustain its hegemony by creating tension and destabilization," the expert said.

The expert said that Honduras' decision to recognize the one-China principle "is undoubtedly a transcendental decision in 2023."

"It also expresses a historical trend and a continuity of the (same) decision made by other neighboring countries in the region," he said, referring to Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, among others.

Schulz said Tegucigalpa's decision will surely bring benefits, not only for Honduras, but also for the international system, since a large part of the Global South will generate more stability at the world level.

"There is a process that seeks a more multilateral, multipolar international order, where principles such as non-interference in the internal affairs of states, sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy has decided to sharpen his attack on the BRS during his padayatra, which he will resume on April 10. (File Photo: Twitter)

Hyderabad: After filing a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week regarding the TSPSC exam paper leak, which resulted in a case being booked, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy has decided to sharpen his attack on the BRS during his padayatra, which he will resume on April 10, by taking the issue to the people in order to expose the alleged links of top officials at Pragathi Bhavan, including the CMOs secretary.

Revanth Redd toldy the media after the executive meeting on Saturday that the TSPSC leak issue had direct links to Pragathi Bhavan because CMO secretary P. Rajasekhar Reddy was the brother-in-law of TSPSC member B. Linga Reddy, who is being questioned by the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case.

"People should know that the TSPSC question paper leak scam has some direct links to the important officials in Pragathi Bhavan. KCR has brought him on deputation from the Centre," Revanth Reddy alleged.

The PCC, which held an executive meeting on Sunday, has resolved to lead a campaign against the TSPSC leak throughout this month in order to put pressure on the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government. As part of the campaign, Revanth Reddy, who will resume his padayatra from Jukkal in Kamareddy district and will continue until April 25, will expose the state government over the question paper leak during his interactions with people about the scam and the state's growing unemployment problem. Further, the Congress will hold a massive protest programme in Gajwel, the Chief Minister's constituency, on April 25.

Additionally, Revanth Reddy claimed that BJP leaders like state party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union minister G. Kishan Reddy were making statements to the media as opposed to filing complaints with the central investigating agencies like the Congress did.

"The BJP has been limited to issuing statements. We have approached the High Court, the CBI, the ED, the ACB, and even the Governor, as well as formed a sub-committee to put pressure on the BRS government. Why did Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay not approach the Central investigating agencies or Home minister Amit Shah," he wondered.

Revanth Reddy also challenged the CM to an open debate on the issue of rising farmer suicides, citing NCRB data and claiming that the actual figures would be ten times higher. "The number of farmers who committed suicide is ten times higher. Let the CM have an open date in the presence of Rythu Swarajya Vedika. Is the CM ready for the debate," he tweeted in response to the Chief Ministers comments to a Maharashtra delegation about farmer suicides.

Meanwhile, the PCC and its front organisations have decided to conduct a postcard campaign on Monday to oppose Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha. Postcards will be sent to the Prime Minister's Office as part of the campaign, asking that a joint parliamentary committee investigate the allegations against the Adani group as well as question the decision to disqualify Rahul Gandhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento by CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal during the inauguration of diamond jubilee celebrations of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in New Delhi, Monday, April 3, 2023. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the key responsibility of the Central Bureau of Investigation was to free India from corruption, which he said was the "biggest roadblock to democracy and justice", and added it should not be distracted by those trying to tarnish its image.

Addressing a gathering at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the CBI here at Vigyan Bhawan, he stressed that his government does not lack the political will to fight against corruption. "The desire of the country and its citizens is that no corrupt person should be spared", he said.

"Corruption is not just a small crime. It snatches the rights of the poor and that leads to the birth of many criminals," Mr Modi noted.

The government, he said, had started action against black money and benami property on mission mode. "Besides the corrupt, we are fighting the causes of corruption," he said, adding that building a developed India was not possible without professional and efficient institutions and the CBI, therefore, has a huge responsibility.

Terming corruption as the biggest enemy of merit, Mr Modi said it encourages nepotism and dynastic rule. When these two increase, the countrys strength gets affected, and when strength is weakened, it impacts development, he said.

For decades, the PM added, the corrupt have created ways to loot the countrys riches, and this was done by robbing the governments wealth. He said those who benefited from corruption for decades have created an ecosystem which attacks probe agencies. But the agencies should not be deterred by stories about the power of the corrupt and their ecosystem to tarnish them.

"These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the people of the country. The country, the law and the Constitution are with you," the PM said.

"Today there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country," Mr Modi said, and asked officers to take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation.

Referring to international transactions and the movement of people, goods and services on a large scale, even outside the countrys geographical boundaries, the PM said that Indias economic power was growing while those who created the obstacles were also rising.

He asked the CBI to devise ways to fast-track probes against the corrupt as a languishing probe gives a sense of safety to the corrupt while innocent people keep suffering. Noting that when a case remains unsolved, there are demands for it to be handed over to the CBI, he said it has given faith to people through its work and techniques.

"The CBIs name is on everyone's lips. It is like a brand for truth and justice. Even at the panchayat level, if some major crime happens, people want it to be referred to the CBI," he added.

The PM said that Internet banking and UPI stand in stark contrast to the earlier "phone banking" malaise, where loans worth thousands of crores of rupees were sanctioned on the basis of phone calls from influential people. He said that the beneficiaries "scooted away with public money", adding that the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act has so far enabled the confiscation of Rs 20,000 crores in the properties of fugitive offenders.

The PM said the corrupt would go to the extent of looting the aid given to beneficiaries of government schemes, be it rations, homes, scholarships or pensions, and the original beneficiary would feel conned every time. "Even a Prime Minister once said that for every rupee sent out to the poor, only 15 paise reached them," he said.

During the programme, an investiture ceremony for the recipients of the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of the CBI was held where the PM conferred the medals.

He also inaugurated the newly-built office complexes of the CBI in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur, released a postage stamp and commemorative coin, and launched the Twitter handle of the CBI.
Police deployed in large numbers after a clash broke out between two groups during Ram Navami procession, in Hooghly district, Sunday evening, April 2, 2023. (PTI Photo)

Rishra (WB): Prohibitory orders are in force in West Bengal's Hooghly district, where clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession, police said on Monday.

Internet services have also been suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, they said.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday, police said.

A few police personnel were injured in the violence, they said.

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was part of the second procession, told PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple when stones were hurled at them.

Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh suffered injuries, he said.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, "The procession was passing through a traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation."

No person has yet been arrested in connection with the violence, she said.

Security has been bolstered in the area to prevent any further flare-up.

"Police are conducting route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," she said.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be put behind bars. "The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

Condemning the violence, the state's Industry Minister Shashi Panja alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state. "BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she said. The state government will firmly deal with the situation and take necessary action to punish the perpetrators, Panja said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar also questioned the need to organise the processions two days after Ram Navami.

"Why are they so hell-bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI.

Majumdar claimed that some participants in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among people.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations had rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday, leading to the arrest of 45 people.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves at supporters as he leaves from Surat District Court after filing an appeal challenging his conviction. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi/Surat: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got some relief as he appeared before the Surat sessions court on Monday. He was granted bail and his two-year jail sentence will remain suspended till his appeal is disposed of. He had also filed an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The court of additional sessions judge R.P. Mogera said it will hear his plea for suspension of conviction on April 13, after issuing a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former Gujarat Cabinet minister. The sessions court asked the respondent (Purnesh Modi) to file his reply by April 10.

"We had filed an application for Rahul Gandhis bail and suspension of sentence along with his appeal against the conviction by a lower court. The (sessions) court heard the matter and granted him bail. The court kept the matter for hearing on the stay of his conviction for April 13," a member of his legal team told reporters. This means the matter will be heard again on April 13. In the meantime, his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha will continue. Mr Rahul Gandhi need not be present in court on April 13.

The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi on a complaint by Purnesh Modi over the 52-year-old Congressmans remark: "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" The disqualified MP made the "Modi surname" comment while addressing a rally at Kolar, Karnataka, on April 13, 2019, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Gandhi was accompanied by his sister and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states. Mr Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Mr Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh and Mr Sukhwinder Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, along with other leaders of the party, were in Surat to show solidarity with Mr Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier in the morning, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also visited Rahul Gandhi at his residence. The Congress alleged that the Gujarat police was not allowing party workers to come to Surat to show solidarity with their leader. Party cadres were also present outside the residence of Mr Gandhi to show solidarity with him.

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju dubbed the Congress leaders move to accompany Mr Gandhi to the court as the "sycophancy of one family", he wondered whether the family was above the country. He added: "My point is very simple -- why is the Congress Party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday dismissed as "absurd" the BJPs charge that his party had exerted "undue pressure" on the judiciary as its leaders accompanied Rahul Gandhi to court.

He said: "That is an absurd allegation. First of all, who attends the court is not a source of pressure. If at all there is a source of pressure on the judiciary, I think we can all guess where that is likely to come from".
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public rally in Nawada, Bihar on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that rioters would be hung upside down after the BJP formed government in the state in 2025.

Addressing a public meeting at Hisua in Nawada amid communal clashes that erupted in the two towns following Rama Navami processions, he slammed the Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance government over the law and order situation and urged the masses to support the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Shah described his impression of the situation in Sasaram with a rhetorical flourish, claiming "log maare jaa rahe hain (people are being killed)" and "goliyan chal rahi hain (guns are blazing)."

He said he had spoken to the Bihar Governor to take stock of the situation. "Lalan Singh (JD(U) president) is taking exception to that. He should remember I am the home minister of the country. If lawlessness prevails in Bihar, I cannot be a mute spectator," Shah said.

"Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi return to power in 2024 and help BJP form its own government in the Assembly polls which would follow. All the rioters will be hung upside down ('ulta latka denge'), said the home minister.

Shah also used the occasion to predict a huge win for the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha and 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

"People have decided to bring back Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third term... By seeing peoples enthusiasm, I can say that Modis lotus will bloom on all 40 seats in Bihar," the Union minister said.

Shah also slammed Kumar for snapping ties with the BJP and said that his (Nitish Kumars) partnership with RJD leader Lalu Yadavs party "cannot bring peace to Bihar".

"Can they bring peace to Bihar? Mr Kumar is sitting on the lap of Mr Yadav because of his hunger for power. We will reach out to the people and uproot the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar," he added.

Shah also reiterated that "the doors of the NDA have been shut for Mr Kumar and JD(U) president Lalan Singh" and added: "The BJP can never join hands with Nitish Kumar, who spreads venom of casteism, and 'Jungle Raj' pioneer Lalu Prasad."

He said that Kumar was living under false hopes. "One wants to become the PM and the other is aspiring to be the CM of Bihar. But Mr Kumars PM dreams will never come true," Shah said.

The Union home minister landed in Patna on Saturday on a two-day trip to Bihar, his fourth visit to the state since the JD(U) snapped ties with the BJP in August 2022. Besides his meeting with party leaders in Patna, he was scheduled to attend the birth anniversary celebrations of Emperor Ashok at Sasaram but the event was cancelled due to large-scale violence and arson there.

During his Nawada public meeting, Mr Shah said, "Unfortunately, I could not visit Sasaram. Bullets are being fired and people are being killed. I will visit Sasaram during my next visit to Bihar."

The BJP said Section 144 CrPC was imposed in Sasaram but the the administration in Rohtas district, where the town is located, claimed no prohibitory orders were clamped. Showcause notices were issued to police personnel who were caught on camera telling people to stay indoors since

ASection 144 was in force.

Ahead of his Nawada rally, the Union home minister also spoke to Bihar governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to discuss the law and order situation in Nalanda and Rohtas districts Sasaram.

According to reports, after taking stock of the situation, Mr Shah directed the officials to send additional paramilitary forces to assist the state administration in handling the situation in the affected districts.

One person was reportedly killed in the fresh round of violence that erupted in Bihar Sharif. Concerned over the communal clashes in the state, the chief minister on Sunday called a high-level meeting with his officials.

According to a statement released by the chief ministers office (CMO), "The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for the family members of the youth killed in Bihar Sharif during communal clashes."

The CMO statement said that Mr Kumar spoke with the bereaved family and assured them of all administrative support. He also directed the officials to identify the culprits and step up security and patrolling in the affected areas.

This comes a day after Mr Kumar termed the violence in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif "a well-planned conspiracy to defame his government". He had also assured "action against people involved in arson and violence following Ram Navami festivities".

However, after fresh rounds of violence were reported from Sasaram and Bihar Sharif, the Opposition BJP blamed Mr Kumar and the grand alliance government for their "failure in controlling the law and order situation in Bihar".

"Mr Singh of the JD(U) got offended when I called the governor to discuss law and order. He raised questions and asked why I was bothered about Bihar. I am the home minister and law and maintaining law and order is my concern. I pray that normalcy returns soon in Bihar," Mr Shah said.

After violence erupted on Saturday, the state administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Bihar Sharif.

More than 77 persons have been arrested by the police in Bihar Sharif so far. According to a statement by the police, "Patrolling has been stepped up and senior officials are camping in the affected areas. The situation in the state is normal and under control."
Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam mass contact programme. (File Photo: Twitter)

Vijayawada: YSR Congress MLAs would come to know of their future on the basis of a performance-assessment by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, when the final round of the review meeting on the Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam mass contact programme will be held.

The chief minister would give the final grades and reveal the partys strategies for the Election 2024 - Target 175 mission.

During the last review meeting in December, Jagan Reddy warned 32 MLAs whose performance did not meet his expectations, that they might not get the party tickets for the next polls. This time, he would study the feedback on the other MLAs and may present it at the April 3 meeting.

Thus, it will be clear how many ruling party MLAs will face the axe in the next elections.

In the last review on GGMP, nearly 30 legislators lagged behind in grades. The CM warned the poor performers about losing tickets. Hence, all 146 MLAs (except Jagan) were excited to know the performances and future strategies.

The GGMP programme was completed in March-2023. Jagan Reddy would announce a new mass interaction campaign called Jagananne Maa Bhavishyatthu, to reach out to each and every individual, targeting five cropre people of AP. Jagan decided to clear the air to MLAs giving them a Perform or Perish message while preparing the YSRC for the Big Battle of 2024 elections.

Jagan Reddy was donning the role of teacher in the GGMP review meeting, taking classes to the MLAs and now too he is turning "Masterji" with the progress cards of the legislators in his hands. Apart from the MLAs, the meeting will be attended by Jagan's cabinet colleagues, party in-charges for various constituencies, regional coordinators, district presidents and other senior party members.

According to sources, Jagan will evaluate the individual performance of the MLAs in their respective constituencies. He will also conduct a comprehensive review of the party's performance in the last four years and discuss the election year's roadmap.

The sources said that the recent debacle in the Graduate Constituency elections to YSRC has shaken the party rank and file, though this was not a voting at the mass level. Sections of the middle classes are known to have differences over Jagans style of governance as in the huge spend of money for welfare.

Jagan will also conduct a thorough review of the party leaders performances in the recent MLC elections and is expected to give stern warnings to MLAs who defy the party line. He may also take action against party leaders who failed to ensure the party candidates' victory in the graduates' constituencies.

Notably, Telugu Desam leaders had claimed at least 16 YSRC MLAs were in touch with them and wanted to switch sides. The suspended MLAs said that many legislators were unhappy and feeling suffocated due to the lack of internal democracy in the ruling YSRC.

Sources said that Jagan had decided to select candidates six months in advance for the assembly elections and hence started the GGMP mass contact programme to analyze the performances of the present legislators. Jagan warned of appointing new candidates in place of poor performers and implemented it in a few constituencies.

Jagan got the opportunity of the MLA quota MLC elections to identify the black sheep. Similarly there are chances of finding out disinterested legislators in the YSRC strategy and mass programmes through their GGMP performances. Jagan will not hesitate to show the exit doors to the unhappy legislators and those who have crossed the party line.
CM formed the committee with the intention of resolving issues and fostering better relations between party leaders and grassroots workers.(Photo:Twitter)

Hyderabad: Ahead of the Assembly elections, BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao formed a 10-member committee, led by former Speaker and MLC S. Madhusudhana Chary, to oversee the execution of the party's programmes and assess how the Atmeeya Sammelanams were being conducted in each Assembly constituency.

The formation of the committee follows reports of infighting between leaders and party workers in several constituencies during the 'Atmeeya Sammelanams'. According to party insiders, the CM formed the committee with the intention of resolving issues and fostering better relations between party leaders and grassroots workers.

During a teleconference on Sunday, BRS working president and minister K.T.Rama Rao informed the party leaders of the CM's decision to establish the committee.

Rama Rao asked the party's district presidents, general secretaries, and MLAs to cooperate with the committee when it visits their constituencies. He stated that the committee will collect feedback on the Atmeeya Sammelanams from the leaders concerned and send a report to the CM.

The committee will study whether these meetings were carried out in

accordance with the CM's instructions, and submit a report to Chandrashekar Rao. Further, the CM directed that each party MLA form a team with the most active workers to take information of the BRS government's welfare schemes and development projects to the people and solicit votes in order to achieve a hat-trick win for the BRS in the Assembly elections.

The CM directed all BRS elected representatives, from village sarpanches to MLAs to district party presidents, to interact with local leaders and party workers and resolve differences among themselves.

Since the third week of March, MLAs and party leaders in each constituency have been holding Atmeeya Sammelanams in accordance with the CM's directives. Initially, the CM directed that the events be completed by April 25, two days before the party's plenary on April 27, but he extended the deadline until May 27 after realising that it would be impossible to cover every mandal and village by April 25.
Samsung on Monday (April 3) announced it to bring ultra-premium experience stores to several cities across India.

South Korean technology giant said it will set up new experience centres for citizens at iconic landmarks in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, and Chandigarh by the end of 2023.

Also, Bengaluru, which houses-Samsung Opera House, the company's biggest experience store in the world, will also see at least one more such complex this year.

At Samsung's experience stores, users will get access to buy any latest Samsung products, from among 1,200 options across its portfolio, even if they are not available at the stores.

Samsung's store executive will help the customer make the purchase of the product online via Samsung Store+ service and ensure it is delivered to his/her doorstep. Consumers can also be able to book after-sale product service requests too.



Gaming zone at Samsung Opera House. Credit: Samsung



Samsung experience stores will house dedicated zones such as SmartThings, Smartphones, Audio, Gaming, Lifestyle Screens, Consumer Electronics, Home Theatre and Wearables, each showcasing Samsung's different product categories.

For instance, at SmartThings zone, customers can explore Samsung's Internet-of-Things (IoT) products such as smart fridges, ACs, and more. Customers will also get to go see the demo of how Samsung products such as smartphones, refrigerators, AC, home theatre systems, TVs, and other devices can be interoperated without any hassles.

And at gaming zones, customers can try playing games on Samsung's ultra-premium Odyssey Ark monitor with the latest Galaxy S23 series phones.

There will also be a customization counter and there, consumers themselves customise their smartphone's cover case and even with other accessories. If need be, he/she can take the help of a Samsung executive.



Connected Living zone at Samsung Opera House. Credit: Samsung



As part of the Learn @ Samsung initiative, customers will get offered educational tutorials-- Galaxy Workshops'-- to customers to get the best out of their Samsung products. This is akin to what Apple offers as - 'Today at Apple' sessions at its proprietary stores around the world.

It should be noted that Apple is slated to open its first-ever exclusive physical Apple Store in India this year starting with Mumbai, and later in Delhi and Bengaluru little later.

Must read | Samsung brings swanky new Gaming Arena, Starbucks, and more to Opera House

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
Five weeks after Greece's worst rail disaster, which killed 57 people, a partial service resumed on Monday on the main train line linking Athens and Thessaloniki, the country's second city.

The route was the scene of a head-on collision on February 28 between a freight train and a passenger train with more than 350 people on board, many of them young students.

The crash triggered weeks of angry protests and is set to weigh heavily on national polls in May, in which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is seeking re-election.

Also Read | Greek PM wants EU aid for steel fence extension along Turkey border

In a bid to reassure passengers, Transport Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis travelled on the first train between Athens and the central town of Kalambaka on Monday morning, along with the head of the rail network company and representatives of privatised train company Hellenic Trains.

While the disaster has been largely blamed on human error by the stationmaster on duty near the site of the crash in Tempe, central Greece, it has also highlighted government delays in modernising rail safety systems.

"Our duty is to have a rail service that lives up to everyone's expectations, a modern rail service that can develop and be among the best in Europe," Gerapetritis told the media.

"It's the government's duty. But it's also a debt we owe to the victims of this tragic accident whose lives were so unjustly cut short."

Mitsotakis has vowed, if re-elected, to install electronic safety systems on the rail network by the end of September.

Some safety measures have already been put in place -- trains have been slowed down, there are fewer services per day, and each station now has two station managers and two engineers on duty.

"An enormous effort has been made to ensure all the contracts for signals and remote controls are completed on time, so that by the end of September we will have a network that is completely safe and meets international standards for passenger protection," Gerapetritis said.

The crash prompted weeks of service shutdowns but passenger services between Athens and the international airport resumed on March 22 and freight trains between the port of Pireus and Thessaloniki began running again a week later.
Kuwait's constitutional court on Sunday nullified last year's legislative elections and ruled in favour of reinstating the previous parliament, state media said, as a political crisis roils the oil-rich Gulf state.

The September polls -- the most inclusive in a decade -- had seen opposition members clinch 28 out of 50 seats, giving them a parliamentary majority.

The vote marked a victory for opposition figures, many of whom had stayed out of elections in the past decade over what they saw as alleged meddling by the executive authorities over parliament.

"The Kuwaiti Constitutional Court issued a verdit on Sunday annulling the results of the 2022 National Assembly elections," due to discrepencies in the decree dissolving the previous parliament, the official KUNA news agency said.

It also ruled to reinstate the parliament that was elected in 2020 but dissolved following orders by the crown prince in June, KUNA said.

Lawyer Nawaf Al-Yassin said the ruling followed several electoral appeals.

"The appeals relate to the invalidity of the electoral process, the decrees calling for elections, and the decree dissolving the previous National Assembly," he told AFP.

Kuwait is the only Gulf Arab state with a fully elected parliament. One of the world's biggest oil exporters, it adopted a parliamentary system in 1962.

But repeated political crises have led to state paralysis and regular disputes with cabinet.

In January, Kuwait's government resigned only three months after it was sworn in due to disputes with lawmakers, the sixth government in just three years.
India Political Highlights: Action of scrapping 4% quota for Muslims in Karnataka will lead to enmity between communities, says MK Stalin
A year after four members of a family from Dingucha village in Gandhinagar district froze to death in their bid to cross over to the United States (US) from Canada border illegally, a somewhat similar incident came to light after four members of a family from neighbouring Mehana district drowned while trying to enter the US through the St Lawrence River on US-Canada border.

The four deceased have been identified as Pravin Chaudhary, 50, his wife Daksha, 45, their daughter Vidhi, 23 and son Mit Kumar, 20. They were from Manekpura village in Mehsana district of north Gujarat. A large number of people from this region have settled in the US and Canada.

According to local police, on February 3, the Chaudhary family had left for Canada on visitor's visa. According to Jasu Chaudhary, one of the relatives, the family went incommunicado about 15 days ago and on April 1, they received news through social media that four of Gujarati family died after the boat they were traveling in capsized. Soon, the family received images and news reports about the tragic death.

Also Read: Over suspected human trafficking, 2 agents held for Dingucha family's death on Canada-US border

After widespread reports of their deaths, local BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jugalsinh Lokhandwala wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishanker requesting for granting Canada visa to two members of the deceased family to perform the last rites.

Lokhandwala has mentioned in the letter that the family members have expressed that final rites of the deceased should be performed in Canada itself since their financial condition is not good. The letter mentions that two family members-Ashwin Chaudhary and Jasubhai Mafatlal- should be granted a visa to travel to Canada immediately.

When contacted, Lokhandwala confirmed to DH that he wrote the letter to Jaishanker. "I also met the external affairs minister to apprise him about the incident and convey the message to do the needful as requested by the family members." He said that the foreign minister has assured of all possible help.

The incident is a reminder of the Patel family in Dingucha village in Gandhinagar district whose four members-Jagdish Baldeshbhai Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, and their two children-Vihangi Patel, 11, and Dharmik Patel, 3, were found frozen to death while trying to cross over to the US. They had gone to Canada as tourists and attempted to enter the US with the help of human traffickers. The family was forced to walk in the minus -35-degree temperature resulting in their death.

In this case, the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) arrested two persons identified as Bhavesh A Patel, a resident of Kalol in Gandhinagar district and Yogesh C Patel, a resident of Ahmedabad, for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, criminal breach of trust, cheating, sections of human trafficking to be read with criminal conspiracy.

DCB has claimed that the duo worked as "tours & travels and visa consultants", and along with unidentified agents, to send "willing Indians" to the US illegally through Canada and Mexico borders. They would send Indians to Canada or Mexico as visitors and make them cross the border illegally by charging Rs60 lakh to Rs65 lakh per person.
Four days after the stepwell roof collapse at a temple in Indore claimed 36 lives, the local administration on Monday morning launched a drive to remove encroachments from the religious complex and moved the idols of deities to another shrine.

The operation was launched at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple complex in Patel Nagar area here in Madhya Pradesh in the presence of heavy police security and barricades were placed on roads leading to the temple, officials said.

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: Indore municipality deploys bulldozer & demolishes illegal structure at Indore temple where 36 people died after the stepwell collapse there last week. pic.twitter.com/gpRJB6zWhN  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 3, 2023

They said action was being taken to remove encroachments from about 10,000 square feet of land around the temple premises.

Meanwhile, a temple priest present on the spot said prayers were offered to idols at the temple according to rituals and they were shifted to Kantafod temple.

After the tragedy last Thursday, an FIR was lodged against Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust president Sevaram Galani and secretary Murli Kumar Sabnani under Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Juni Indore police station in-charge Neeraj Meda said.

The two accused are facing charges that they had got an unsafe construction work done by putting a roof over the stepwell, due to which 36 people lost their lives, the official said. "The Indore Municipal Corporation had ordered the trust to remove the illegal construction at the temple complex, but the trust did not obey the order, he said.

Thirty-six persons were killed when the floor of Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple, built after covering a "bawdi" or stepwell in Patel Nagar area, caved in during Ram Navami on Thursday, hurtling devotees several feet below.

After the accident, the administration had closed the main gate of the temple and the route to the stepwell by putting an iron sheet.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Saturday alleged that illegal constructions carried out on the stepwell led to the Indore temple tragedy in which 36 people lost their lives. "This incident is a result of illegal constructions done on the stepwell, which has tarnished the image of Indore in the country and the world. If these illegal constructions are not removed within seven days, we will file a PIL in the high court to get them removed," he told reporters.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister alleged that the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) did not remove the illegal constructions around the stepwell due to political pressure from the ruling BJP. "Indore is called a 'smart city', but the local administration did not have the necessary equipment to rescue the people who fell into the stepwell after the accident," he said.

He said the Army was called in for the rescue operation 12 hours after the mishap, but it was too late by then.
Prohibitory orders are in force in West Bengal's Hooghly district, where clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession, police said on Monday.

Internet services have also been suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, they said.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday, police said.

Also Read: One dead as Ram Navami clashes rock parts of India

A few police personnel were injured in the violence, they said.

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was part of the second procession, told PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple when stones were hurled at them.

Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh suffered injuries, he said.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, "The procession was passing through a traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation."

No person has yet been arrested in connection with the violence, she said.

Security has been bolstered in the area to prevent any further flare-up.

"Police are conducting route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," she said.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be put behind bars. "The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

Condemning the violence, the states Industry Minister Shashi Panja alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state. "BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she said. The state government will firmly deal with the situation and take necessary action to punish the perpetrators, Panja said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar also questioned the need to organise the processions two days after Ram Navami.

"Why are they so hell-bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI.

Majumdar claimed that some participants in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among people.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations had rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday, leading to the arrest of 45 people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday hit out at the Congress by releasing the first episode of 'Congress Files', a video series alleging corruption during grand-old party's 70-year-rule.

The three minute video featured former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who led both the tenures of the UPA and former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

In the video, the BJP alleged that the Congress has looted Rs 48,20,69,00,00,000 of the public's hard-earned money.

The BJP said that with Rs 48 trillion 20 billion 69 crore, many works could have been done - from security to the development of the country.

"Using this amount, 24 INS Vikrant, 300 Rafale jets, and 1,000 Mangal Missions could have been made or purchased. But the country had to bear the cost of Congress' corruption, and it lagged behind in the race of progress," the video message added.

"During UPA's tenure from 2004-2014, many scams happened... Coal scam of Rs 1.86 lakh crore, 2G Spectrum scam of Rs 1.76 lakh crore, MGNREGA scam of Rs 10 lakh crore, Commonwealth scam of Rs 70,000 crore, Rs 362 crore bribe in the helicopter deal with Italy, Rs 12 crore bribe for the chairman of railway board," the BJP said in the video message.

At the end of the video message, the BJP stated, "This is only the jhanki (trailer) of Congress' corruption, the movie is still not over."
Parliament witnessed another day of washout, the 14th in the second leg of the Budget Session, on Monday over the Opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into Adani affair even as the government managed to pass the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 without discussion in Rajya Sabha.

The Upper House, which celebrated the day as Rajya Sabha Day as it was on the same day the House was constituted in 1952, saw vociferous protests by the Opposition MPs, many of them dressed in black, over the Adani affair during both the pre-lunch and post-lunch sessions.

During the post-lunch sessions, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar made a reference to the Rajya Sabha Day and said the Upper House plays a "critical role in our polity" and it has upheld the federal principle of the country's democracy.

Also Read: Draft bills in simple language to allow layman understand them: Parliament panel

Emphasising that the terms 'Upper House' or 'House of Elders' though not part of official glossary amply reflect the Rajya Sabha's "uniquely significant importance", he said the House has contributed towards welfare of the people by "voicing their concerns and acting as a platform for erudite discussions".

In apparent reference to the disruptions, Dhankhar said, "nation justifiably expects us to lead by example in setting sublime Parliamentary traditions worth emulating by all others. The House should be a platform for debate, dialogue, deliberations and discussions, and not a theatre of disruptions and disturbances."

He went on to say, "on this significant occasion, I appeal to members of the Upper House to resolve to protect the dignity of Rajya Sabha and engage in informed, meaningful debates and deliberations for the greater progress of the nation in 'Amrit Kaal'."

As soon as he finished his remarks, the Opposition MPs were on their feet raising their demand on JPC while Dhankhar went ahead with the passage of the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Without any debate, the Bill was passed and the House adjourned till Wednesday, as Tuesday is a holiday owing to Mahavir Jayanti.

In Lok Sabha, the pre-lunch session was adjourned till 2 PM after obituary references to incumbent MP Girish Bapat and former MP Innocent, who passed away recently.

When the House reconvened at 2 PM, Opposition MPs rushed to the Well of the House, prompting the Chair to adjourn the House after official papers were tabled.
A Surat court on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case over his 2019 remark about the surname Modi. The sessions court will hear the matter on April 13, an official said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Monday filed an appeal against his conviction and two years jail in the 2019 criminal defamation case in Surat sessions court. He was accompanied by his sister and party's general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with scores of party leaders in what is said to be Congress' show of strength.

Also read | Rahul Gandhi's arrest: An Opposition no longer at odds?

Lawyers in his legal team said that the sessions court granted him bail and posted the matter for hearing on whether stay can be granted on his conviction or not. The lawyers said that on next hearing, the court has told Rahul that his presence was not required. Meanwhile, the court has directed the complainant to file his response.

On March 23, a magisterial court in Surat held Rahul Gandhi guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced him to the two years imprisonment under section 499 and 500 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). This is the maximum punishment in a criminal defamation case. Following his conviction, Rahul was disqualified as a member of parliament representing Wayanad constituency. His status as an MP can be revoked if the court stays the conviction order.

The case against former president of Congress was filed in Surat by a local BJP MLA, Purnesh Modi, for utterances in his public speeches in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha poll campaign in 2019. Rahul Gandhi was reported to have said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as surnames."

Large number of Congress workers and leaders had gathered outside the Surat court to welcome Rahul Gandhi. The workers were lined up along the road from Surat airport, where the Congress leader landed from Delhi, to Surat sessions court, holding banners of solidarity and suppport.

(With Agency inputs)
With the chorus for holding much awaited Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir is getting louder, the full Election Commission (EC) headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar is likely to visit the Union Territory in mid April to assess ground situation.

The Election Commission (EC) will be visiting both the Jammu and Kashmir regions and the trip could last two or three days, sources said. While the detailed schedule of the visit hasnt been made public yet, all the stakeholders have been asked to make preparations for presentation before the Commission.

The EC team is also expected to review the process for Summary Revision of electoral rolls which will be published on May 10, unless the date is extended.

Read | EC's plan-of-action to curb money misuse in poll-bound Karnataka

While CEC Rajiv Kumar had recently stated that there was a political vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir due to delay in holding Assembly polls, he also said elections will be held keeping in mind various factors, including weather and security concerns.

The elections in J&K have been due since the PDP-BJP alliance fell apart in June 2018, after which the erstwhile state was brought under central rule.

More than a year later after the abrogation of the erstwhile states special status on August 5, 2019, J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019 was brought in, mandating delimitation in the newly carved out UT before polls could be conducted.

After much delay, formalities like delimitation of constituencies and special summary revision of electoral rolls which were necessary after the Reorganisation Act to hold Assembly polls were completed last year.

Sources said there seems to be no possibility of holding Assembly elections in May-June because of summer, tourist season and annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath which will commence in the last week of June and conclude on August 30.

However, there are chances that Panchayat and Municipal elections might be held in time from October to December as these bodies will complete their five-year term in January next year. Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May 2024.

The Assembly elections in J&K are likely to be deferred till atleast Lok Sabha polls, sources added.
A students' group on Monday claimed that around 15 of its activists were detained from outside the Indraprastha College for Women, where they had gathered to stage a protest against the alleged harassment of girl students during a fest last week.

Delhi Police, however, has denied the charge.

Led by the All India Students' Association (AISA), the agitators had gathered to protest against the alleged incident and the administration's response to it.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers while the gates of the college were barricaded.

Also Read: DCW begins probe into sexual harassment allegations during college fests

"About 15 AISA activists have been detained from the college gate and are being taken to Burari police station," the students' body's Delhi unit president Abhigyan alleged.

A senior police officer, however, denied the allegation.

"Around 10-15 protesters had gathered outside the college gate. They were removed peacefully," he said.

No one has been detained, the officer added.

Students at the Indraprastha College for Women, a Delhi University affiliate, last week alleged that some men scaled the institute's boundary walls during a fest and "harassed several students".

Scores of students have held multiple demonstrations in the last few days, demanding the resignation of the college's newly-appointed principal over security lapses during the annual fest and its alleged authoritarian steps.
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Merck & Co., Inc. is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. It was officially founded in 1891 as the US arm of Merck Group, headquartered in Germany. Merck Group was founded in 1668 when Friedrick Jacob Merck purchased a pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany. The company transformed from a pharmacy into a drug manufacturer in 1827 with the commercialization of morphine and the perfection of the manufacturing process. The company will later gain recognition for isolating and commercializing the manufacture of cocaine as well.

Merck Group sent Theodore Weicker to New York as its representative in 1889 and he quickly began to set up operations. The original investment of $200,000 resulted in a facility in lower Manhattan and the addition of Merck family member George Merck to the project. They began operations in 1891 and were in business as the US branch of Merck Group until 1917 and the onset of World War I.

World War I brought about the Trading With The Enemy Act of 1917 and the nationalization of Merck Groups US operations. Those operations were repurchased at a government auction only 2 years later with the help of Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, but the split was done. The company retained rights to the Merck name in the US but remained independent. One of many noteworthy achievements in the post-War period is the discovery of streptomycin, which was revolutionary in treating tuberculosis.

In 1953 the company merged with Sharp& Dohme to form the then 2nd largest US drug manufacturer. The merger brought smallpox vaccines to the portfolio and opened a new avenue of research for the business. Since then, advancements in vaccine technology include treatments for mumps and chickenpox. Other notable advancements include the discovery of statins as a cholesterol inhibitor and work in veterinary medicine.

Today, Merck & Co operates through 2 segments and under 2 different names with a headquarters in Kenilworth, NJ. The company operates as Merck & Co in the US and as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US and Canada. The 2 segments are Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. Revenue topped $49 billion in 2022 and employed more than 68,000 people. The company has 8 research facilities near major university systems, including 7 in the US and 1 in the UK. As of 2022, the company had 82 pipeline products in Phase 2 trials, 30 in Phase 3 trials and 3 under review.

The Pharmaceutical segment researches discover and commercializes human health products in several areas of medicine. These include but are not limited to oncology, acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes. This segment has 6 blockbuster drugs as of late 2022, with each generating more than $1 billion in revenue. The leading treatments are Keytruda for treating cancer-related immune conditions, Gardisil which is a vaccine for HPV and Januvia for treating Type-II diabetes. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary healthcare products and services. Both segments sell to healthcare facilities and distributors.
Founded in 1971, Southwest Airlines Co. is one of the world's most respected and awarded airlines. The company is known for offering customers great value and excellent service. Currently, Southwest Airlines Co. services 121 airports in 11 countries. The year 2021 marked the company's 51st anniversary, and it continues to work toward democratizing the sky by providing a reliable, low-cost air travel experience. More air travelers flying nonstop in the U.S. fly Southwest Airlines Co. than any other major airline.



Southwest Airlines operates a large fleet of 771 Boeing 737 aircraft, making it the largest owner and operator of 737s in the world. It has traditionally only flown Boeing 737s, though it has leased other Boeing models for profitability and route testing. Southwest Airlines Co.'s fleet serves 121 destinations in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as in 10 other countries, including Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.



Southwest Airlines Co. is based in Dallas and is famous for its employee-first corporate culture. The company has maintained an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its 51-year history, providing employees stability and pride in their employer. Southwest Airlines Co. has led the industry with 47 consecutive years of profitability and growth.



Southwest Airlines Co. uses humor in its marketing, with slogans like "Love Is Still Our Field," "The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You," "Just Plane Smart" and "You're Now Free to Move About the Country." To increase customer loyalty, the company launched a rewards program in 2011 that awards points for flights, hotel stays, car rentals and purchases at partner retailers, which consumers can redeem for free flights.



Southwest Airlines Co. has significantly influenced other low-cost carriers and the aviation industry as a whole. Its competitive strategy is to increase aircraft and employee productivity to reduce turnaround time at the gate. Ryanair and EasyJet have mirrored this rolling hub or point-to-point network strategy.



Southwest has also had a lot of industry influence through its lobbying efforts, primarily to lobby against the development of high-speed rail systems in favor of providing more point-to-point flights between major cities. However, in recent years, Southwest Airlines Co. has been affected by customer lawsuits, flight delays and cancelations and system disruptions due to not investing in newer technologies.



Southwest Airlines Co. has provided value to its shareholders for many years, having returned more than $12.9 billion through stock repurchases and dividends as of March 2020. However, in the first quarter of 2020, the company had to suspend its dividend payments due to the uncertain market and COVID-19. On December 6, 2022, the board of directors decided to reinstate its quarterly cash dividend at 18 cents per share. This reinstated dividend equaled the expected dividend when it disappeared in 2020.



Southwest Airlines Co. is a leader in the aviation industry, providing great customer service, hospitality, employee stability and value to its shareholders.
Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life, annuity, long-term care, and financial reinsurance; and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
County Derry teachers will take part in national strikes later this month as all five teachers unions vote for 'momentous' action.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and four other teacher unions  NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, and UTU will go on a full-day strike on Wednesday, 26th April 2023.

The announcement coincides with an escalation of Action Short of Strike which commences today.

Following todays decision, INTO Northern Secretary Mark McTaggart called the strike a 'last resort'.

Today marks a momentous day for teachers and school leaders in Northern Ireland, he said.

All five members of the NITC will unite for a day of action - a last resort to demand an annual cost of living increase from the Department of Education and the Northern Ireland Office,

No teacher wants to take this step, but it's necessary when reasonable demands are ignored.

Mark says teachers have seen a significant real-terms pay cut in the last 10 years.

Teachers pay has dropped by a staggering 25% in the past decade, causing recruitment and retention issues, resulting in a continued shortage of teachers. It's time to take action and demand a fair pay settlement for those responsible for providing the best education for children and young people.

Employers and the Department of Education seem to have conveniently forgotten that it was teachers who risked their lives and those of their families to keep the education system running during the pandemic

Teachers and school leaders have already demonstrated their capacity to fight for a salary that properly reflects their true value to society, and which allows them to feel valued and respected by those in power. It is imperative that we continue this fight, failure to do so has the potential to have a devastating effect on the life chances of the children and young people in their care.
A Donegal County councillor who is facing the prospect of having to demolish and rebuild his home as a result of defective blocks and concrete, has called for the Attorney General here to take action against the Irish Government.

Cllr Frank McBrearty (Independent) said: The Attorney general for Northern Ireland should be recommending legal action be taken against the Irish Government for allowing defective blocks and concrete to be sold across the border, from Donegal into the Six Counties.

Once the Northern Ireland authorities finish a transparent and complete investigation into the failure of manufacturers in the Republic of Ireland to adhere to Irish and EU standards regarding the concrete and concrete products sold into Britain and beyond, the Attorney General needs to determine what legal options can be taken to obtain redress.

Cllr McBrearty also cautioned homeowners in Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh against what he described as the mica myth which has been used by the Irish Government in an attempt to deal with the crumbling homes and properties in Donegal.

Internal sulphate attack.

He said: Donegal is not a mica issue even though mica is present in the concrete blocks and in the foundations because all the quarries on the island of Ireland have mica. The issue is that a proper investigation was never conducted in Donegal into the real cause of the structural damage that we see in the county today.

The dogs in the street know that concrete blocks were sold across the border, in Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh and maybe even further afield. The people and the authorities in Northern Ireland must not make the same mistakes as the Irish authorities have deliberately done by singling this out as a mica issue.

Mica is not the problem in Donegal. The evidence of this has been published by Professor Paul Dunlop from Ulster University, who is actually a Derry man, and Dr Andreas Leemann from EMPA in Switzerland and the other leading world experts in the field of defective concrete.

Reactive iron sulphate minerals are the predominant issue showing up in the Petrolab test results and in particular in my fathers results and the results of two sets of cousins of mine. My father also has a foundation result proving that mica is not the cause of the problem, said Cllr McBrearty.

Cllr McBrearty warned that the issues facing home and property owners were progressive.

He added: The longer this goes on, the worse the blocks and the foundations will become over time. The reactive iron sulphide minerals that are now in this peer reviewed study by Professor Dunlop and his colleagues, clearly show that the mica narrative used in Donegal has hidden the real truth and facts of what is actually happening here.

I believe, from properties that I have seen in Derry and Tyrone, Castlederg and other places, they are affected by the same issues as in Donegal.

But you cant prove what is wrong with a property until you fully scientifically test for all deleterious materials and all iron sulphate minerals. And that is where the core of this lies, where the mistakes were made in Donegal and today the narrative the Irish Government is still spinning is mica when it is not mica is the problem.

We estimate there are more than 50,000 properties in Donegal affected. But, mica is not a reactive mineral. It does not cause cracking, swelling or the eventual crumbling of a concrete block or a concrete foundation. Reactive iron sulphide minerals cause the cracking and the swelling that we see in Donegal today, said Cllr McBrearty.

Cllr McBrearty added that Dr Ambrose McCloskey, a chartered engineer from Dungiven, and the McBrearty familys engineer, Kieran Coyle, from Albert Fry Associates, and himself had been highlighting the issue of reactive iron sulphates for the past two years.

He added: What we have been saying was completely ignored and is still being ignored even though Professor Dunlop and his colleagues have published their study. In my opinion it is a huge cover up.

The Northern Ireland authorities today must take 10 samples in Derry, 10 samples in Strabane, County Tyrone and 10 samples in County Fermanagh and they need to do a proper investigation to source where the blocks came from, where they can visually see there are problems.

But, most importantly, they must test for all deleterious materials and reactive iron sulphide minerals that are suspected to be in the concrete blocks that is causing the cracking and swelling in homes in Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh, possibly further afield, right access the Six Counties, that were sold across the border.

And when they have that identified, they must then investigate where these blocks came from because I believe they came from Donegal and we have evidence to show that some of these properties did buy purchase blocks from Donegal with CE certified stamps on them saying they were for for purpose when they werent actually fit for purpose at all, said Cllr McBrearty.

He added that the two Derry engineers he mentioned could help the local authorities here, as a result of the experience they have gained working for clients in Donegal whose homes were destroyed by reactive iron sulphide minerals.

Cllr McBrearty said: Since 2001, the industry in the 26 counties has been self-regulated. There was no proper oversight or policing of industry so the industry was open to abusing what was actually put into the mixes for these concrete blocks and concrete foundations.

However, in the UK, it is a regulated industry. We have seen first hand test results from properties sold in Donegal built with blocks from NI and those blocks are coming in three times stronger than the Donegal blocks that have tested defective.

In fairness to the tax payers in Northern Ireland, 30 properties should be tested at the expense of the local authority through Stormont, so they can start to build a proper database and identify the properties affected. Any products sold into Northern Ireland from Donegal, there is going to be a serious question mark over those products and the standards that were stamped on those products. Standards have not been adhered to by manufacturers and quarries in Donegal who have been selling products to Britain and EU.

Once the Northern Ireland authorities finish a transparent and complete investigation, the Attorney General of Northern Ireland needs determine what legal options can be taken to obtain redress.

In my opinion, the Attorney General for Northern Ireland should be recommending legal action be taken against the Irish Government for allowing defective blocks and concrete to be sold across the border, from Donegal into the Six Counties.
Detectives are appealing for information following a report of a burglary at residential premises at the Victoria Road area between Derry and Strabane on Saturday, 1st April.

Detective Sergeant Ballentine said: Sometime between 5.30pm and 6.15pm, it was reported that entry was gained to a house in the area.

"It is believed that a sum of money and a quantity of jewellery were taken during the incident, with damage also caused to a bedroom door.

"Two males, who were dressed in dark clothing, were seen in the area at the time of the incident.

Enquiries are continuing and we would appeal to anyone who witnessed a blue car in the area at the time of the incident, or who may have any other information to contact detectives on 101 quoting reference number 1505 01/04/23.

"Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

"You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.
Two women have been sentenced for the manslaughter of 75-year-old Daniel Guyler from Derry.

Rhona Mary Gracey (36) and Sharon Mary Faustina Harland (47), having previously pleaded guilty to the pensioners manslaughter, were today, Monday, 3rd April, sentenced at Belfast Crown Court.

Gracey was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, half to be served in custody and the remainder on licence.

Harland was sentenced to seven years and six months, half in custody and half on licence.

The pensioner had been rushed to hospital after he was found with serious injuries in the Termon Street area of the city on Monday, 23 July, 2018. Ten months later, on 1 May, 2019, he died in hospital as a result of these injuries.

Detective Inspector Claire McGarvey from the Police Services Major Investigation Team said: This was a vicious, unprovoked assault on Daniel Guyler, an elderly man who was brutally beaten and robbed of his wallet.

"After attacking him, Gracey and Harland left him lying on the ground with serious injuries. They have now been made amenable for their heinous crimes.

We want to pay tribute to the local community in the city who came forward with information which assisted our detectives during this investigation, our Criminal Justice Partners  the Public Prosecution Service and Forensic Science Northern Ireland  and our dedicated team of detectives who have worked to bring these two women before the court to ensure they are held accountable for the horrific crimes they committed."
The Derry Chamber has said Invest Northern Ireland should target to ensure that 50% of FDI jobs and 50% of total NI job creation is situated in the North West city region.

In its official response to the Independent Review of Invest NI, which was published in January, the Chamber has also urged the organisation to provide a fully resourced and staffed office in Derry to expand the provision of quality business support services for local businesses and start-ups.

The Independent Review of Invest NI, which was chaired by Sir Michael Lyons and published in early January, found that Invest NI regional offices should have a more strategic role and staff, resources and powers allocated to them should be reviewed.

The Chamber has made five key recommendations to be considered, implemented, and delivered over the next five years by Invest NI. These include: 50% of FDI jobs to be located in the North West city region; 50% of total NI job creation to North West city region; Provide a fully resourced office in Derry/Londonderry to expand the provision of quality business support services for indigenous businesses; More senior FDI and sectoral staff to be located in Derry/Londonderry office; Given the unique cross border nature of the North West city region, that there is a collaborative approach/strategy developed for FDI in our region with ROI agencies such as IDA.

The Chamber has written to the senior leadership at Invest NI as well as the Permanent Secretary in the Department for the Economy outlining these recommendations and requesting an update on the implementation of the independent reports recommendations.

In a statement, Chamber President Selina Horshi said: The Independent Review of Invest Northern Ireland revealed some deeply concerning findings, impacting its ability to attract inward investment and support indigenous start-ups.

We welcomed the reports acknowledgment that more should be done to promote Northern Ireland on a sub-regional basis and to strengthen and bolster sub-regional Invest NI offices and we were pleased that one of the reviews key findings is that the agency must be a better partner on a sub-regional level.

Selina Horshi, President of the Derry Chamber of Commerce.

The recommendations we have set out follow deep consultation with members, Derry City and Strabane District Council, local businesses, and our board of directors. If implemented, they will ensure that Invest NI properly prioritises the North West, bringing the jobs and investment to our region which will deliver prosperity, economic growth, and regional balance.

These are workable and practical objectives which will really deliver for our business community and we will work closely with Invest NI and the Department for the Economy to make them a reality.

Invest NI still has a vital role to play in both attracting investment from around the world as well as supporting our own local start-ups. However, to ensure fair and equitable delivery for the North West, the organisation must enhance its commitment to our region and improve on how it has done things in the past.
The Realme 11 Pro phones are yet to be announced by the company. We are expecting two phones namely the Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+. However, leaks have revealed some key details including the possible look of the smartphones.

Realme 11 Pro/Pro+ visits TENAA. First look revealed. Curved punch-hole display and a circular rear camera module. #Realme #Realme11Pro #Realme11ProPlus pic.twitter.com/eaMeY03Q0C  Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) April 1, 2023

Online reports suggest that the Realme 11 Pro will be released in the second half of the year. It will first be released in China first and later on in India and other countries.

As mentioned earlier, there has been no official confirmation from the company's end regarding the release and specifications but the phone has featured on the TENAA certification website.

As already mentioned, Realme 11 series is expected to include two mid-range smartphones, namely the Realme 11 Pro 5G and the Realme 11 Pro Plus 5G. The expected specifications are out on the web, and lets have a look at them.

Realme 11 Pro leaked specifications

The leaks and online reports suggest that the smartphone will offer a curved 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2412 pixels.

As per TENAA website, the phone could come powered by an octa-core chipset with a peak clock speed of 2.6GHz paired with up to 16GB RAM and storage up to 1TB.

The phone is likely to run on MIUI 4.0 which is based on Android 13 OS.

It is expected to feature a dual camera setup holding a 100-megapixel primary camera along with a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front, the phone might sport a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.

It will reportedly pack a 4780mAh battery.

Realme 11 Pro Plus leaks specifications

It will come with the same curved 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080x2412 pixels reportedly.

In terms of performance and software, the Realme 11 Pro Plus shares them with the former one according to the leaks.

It is expected to feature a triple camera setup which will carry a 200-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and 2-megapixel macro sensor. The phone reportedly has a 16-megapixel front camera.

It might come with two 2340mAh batteries coupled as a 4680mAh battery.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Samsung has launched two smartphones recently which are Samsung Galaxy A34 and Samsung Galaxy A54. It is also expected that Samsung will launch Samsung Galaxy A24 in India very soon.

Samsung India has a support page for a model number, SM-A245F/DS which is believed to be the Samsung Galaxy A24. The company has not announced anything about the launch yet but now that it can be spotted on Samsung's official website, it is more likely that it will come to India soon.

Since February, the support page of Samsung Galaxy A14 is also there so theres a possibility that both the phones could roll out in India together.

The specifications of the Samsung Galaxy A24 are not out yet but leaks have suggested some configurations, lets have a look at them.

Samsung Galaxy A24 specifications

Samsung Galaxy A34 and A54 image used for representational purpose.

The smartphone is expected to come with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of Full HD+. It is said to feature a Infinity-V display (waterdrop). The display panel is likely to come with the support of 90Hz refresh rate.

Samsung Galaxy A24 will be reportedly powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 680 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. It is more likely that the device will run on Samsungs OneUI 5.0 which is based on Android 13 operating system.

The phone is expected to feature a triple camera setup including a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, it will reportedly sport a 13-megapixel selfie shooter.

It might come with a 5000mAh battery backed by 25-watt fast charging support.

A few other Galaxy A24 features that have leaked include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual SIM cards, a 3.5mm audio jack, dual 4G VoLTE, Dolby Atmos, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, and GPS + GLONASS support. In terms of dimensions, it will weigh 195g and measure 162.1 x 77.6 x 8.3mm.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Canon announced today the launch of two new additions to the FLEX ZOOM LENS series of EF Cinema lensesthe CN-E14-35mm T1.7 L S wide-angle zoom lens and the CN-E31.5-95mm T1.7 L S telephoto zoom lens. In addition, four new relay kits have been announced the RL-S1, RL-S2, RL-F1 and RL-F2, as well as a relay kit exchange service for switching between cameras with full-frame and Super 35mm compatible sensors.

The two FLEX ZOOM LENS series models, released in 2022, support digital cinema cameras equipped with full-frame sensors. Now, Canon is expanding its product lineup with the addition of a wide-angle zoom lens and telephoto zoom lens designed for Super 35mm sensor cinema cameras. The new lenses make possible natural background blur, thus helping to create powerful visual imagery. Canon now provides zoom lenses that cover the same range as its six existing prime (single focal length) lenses. In addition, Canons four FLEX ZOOM LENS series models are compatible with the new relay kit exchange service. The lenses are compatible with EF or PL lens mount exchange and support each transmission protocol[1], providing flexible support for video production work that serves a variety of cameras and shooting styles.

Designed for the pursuit of cinematic beauty, these new wide-diameter lenses achieve superb optical performance compatible with 8K cameras while maintaining the style and ease of use of Canons EF Cinema lens series. As a result, they can be used with Super 35mm sensor cameras to shoot movies, TV dramas, commercials and a wide range of other video content. Moreover, the lenses maintain a bright T1.7 aperture[2] across their entire zoom ranges, enabling operators to create powerful, shallow depth-of-field shots.

A relay kit is an optical component that changes a lens image circle. With the RL-S1 and RL-S2 relay kits, wide-angle and telephoto zoom lenses that have been available as of 2022[3] which are compatible with full-frame sensor cameras, can be used with Super 35mm sensor cameras. On the other hand, the RL-F1 and RL-F2 relay kits enable lenses used with Super 35mm sensor cameras to be compatible with full-frame sensor cameras. With Canons Flex Zoom Lens series of lenses and relay kits, customers valuable lenses have become much more versatile.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
The Good Friday Agreement should only be changed with cross community consent in Northern Ireland, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair has warned.

The ex-Labour leader, who played a pivotal role in negotiating the historic deal in 1998, said there was a case for reforming the devolved powersharing structures at Stormont, given the regularity of governance collapses in the region in the 25 years since.

The arrangements incorporate a system based on mutual veto powers, enabling blocs of unionist and nationalist MLAs to stop moves that otherwise command majority support and, in extreme circumstances, pull down the institutions and prevent them operating.

The DUP is currently exercising its veto to blockade Stormont in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

In 2017, Sinn Fein collapsed the ministerial executive amid a furore about a botched green energy scheme.

The current UK Government has faced calls from some of the DUPs main rivals, particularly the cross community Alliance Party, to change the rules to allow the majority of MLAs to get back to work.

However, in an interview with the PA news agency to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday deal, Sir Tony cautioned against any move to alter the veto system to circumvent the DUP stance and reinstate powersharing, saying reform could only come if it was supported across the different traditions in Northern Ireland.

People often ask me whether theres a case for reviewing the Good Friday Agreement, the institutions, the way one party essentially can veto the process, and I always say to people that of course there is a case for reviewing it and, in time, maybe that review process will yield a change, he said.

But I dont think you can yield a change thats going to work unless it brings the communities together.

And one thing Ive learned about Northern Ireland is that theres a difference between the ideal answer and the realistic answer.

The ideal answer may be that you change the whole system, for example, by the way you choose ministers or have the executive up and running.

But the realistic truth is if you were to act, for example, in direct contravention of a large part of unionist opinion, it wouldnt work, it just wouldnt work.

So, yes, in an ideal world the politics of Northern Ireland would be historically different, but theyre not, youre in the real world and in the real world, of course, I think we should keep the agreement under review the whole time.

But I dont think its possible to change it unless you get the most important elements in Northern Ireland politics in agreement.

Sir Tony said change could not just be top down and needed to involve an element of bottom up endorsement by grass roots communities.

The basic agreement in its essence, which is fair treatment for all parts of the community in return for the principle of consent (on Northern Irelands constitutional status), I think that that will always remain.

But how you adjust the way you manage institutions, the different strands, obviously that can change, can be adjusted in time, but it will have to be by agreement, he said.

Reflecting on the Good Friday negotiations, Sir Tony said the leaders of 1998 offered a lesson to the current generation.

It was agonising (the talks process), but its an interesting reflection on politics that it works best when leaders are prepared to say even to their own supporters things that are uncomfortable, the former PM said.

I think its important when people remember figures like David Trimble (Ulster Unionist leader) and John Hume and Seamus Mallon (SDLP leadership) is to remember what it was that has made them stand out and why we rightly respect their contribution today, and that is because they tried to do what they thought was genuinely in the interests of Northern Ireland in the end.

When people think of politics sometimes as a very brutal game, or a game thats all about egos and power and intrigue, they rose above it, they rose above all the petty things in politics and did something substantial and will be remembered for it, which is important because its a lesson for todays generation of politicians.

He added: I think these agreements can always be made.

And of course, to a degree, they are dependent on context and time and timing. But I think they can always be made if theres leadership, if people are prepared to lead and the essence of leadership is being prepared to do difficult things.

While the accord largely ended the violence in Northern Ireland, Sir Tony acknowledged there is more work to do to secure true reconciliation in the region.

One of things I learned about the peace process is you can create an agreement, and you can create a legal framework, and you can do the reforms and pass the laws, but thats not the same as two communities trusting each other, he said.

And I think it just takes time, it takes quite a lot of time.

He added: I think theres still a lot of reconciliation to happen.

But at least if theres peace and, if we get back to some form of political stability, I think youve got the right circumstances for that reconciliation.

Sir Tony emphasised how important Northern Ireland was to his premiership.

The first speech I made when I was prime minister was in Northern Ireland, he said.

I was determined from the outset to give it a real go.

I realised John Major had put a lot of effort in. I thought we could if we really worked at it, bring it to an agreement.

We then negotiated.

Obviously, I was personally doing the negotiation to get the Good Friday Agreement and then I spent the next nine years trying to make it come to fruition.

And I probably went more times to Northern Ireland than probably the rest of my predecessors put together I should think, thats probably not inaccurate.

So yes, of course it was a big part of what I did, but it could never be done without those other people, the leaders there in the community in Northern Ireland being prepared to lead.
A search for the remains of a teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 has resumed.

Digging started on Monday at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan as investigators search for the body of Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone.

He is one of the Disappeared victims of the Troubles whose bodies have still to be found.

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in the bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

His sister Dympna Kerr was at the bog on Monday as the search resumed.

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said he believed that Mr McVeighs remains are in the area they are searching.

He said: We have returned today for the second part of this search. It started last year in October, we always knew it was going to be a two-phased search because it was late in the year.

We have set out an area of around two acres of ground that we intend to search.

Hopefully we are going to have a dry enough summer to be able to continue the search until a satisfactory conclusion.

Hopefully that is recovering the remains of Columba McVeigh.

I am totally confident that if he was buried here, we will find him. We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment.

Mr Hill added: Is he here in the first place? Yes, I believe he is in this area, on this road.

We have been disappointed too many times to say with complete assurance this is where he is. This area has changed so much over the years.

Since back in 1975 it would have looked completely different.

There have been five previous searches and they changed the terrain.

Peoples memories wont be what they were, the area doesnt look the way it did and it is completely understandable, although disappointing that we havent found the right spot as of yet.

The anniversary of the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement obviously has taken this forward dramatically and it has encouraged people to come forward with information and resolve this matter.

Ms Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Ms Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
The Irish Dental Association has called on the Government to abandon plans which they say could see child dental care move from a targeted public dental service model to a system where children are only seen if they attend a private dental practice.

They say the critical staffing shortage in the public sector should be addressed, with an additional 76 dentists required for the sector

As part of Budget 2023, the Government announced funding to support the development of new prevention-focused oral healthcare for children aged from birth to seven years. However, dentists are concerned that this may be an attempt to shift political responsibility for childrens oral health away from the public service into already overstretched private practices with the onus placed on parents.

75% of IDA members say that they would find it difficult or very difficult to deliver such a service as proposed and believe an adequately staffed and properly funded public dental service is the most appropriate way to ensure that all children receive early dental intervention  regardless of socioeconomic background.

Dentists say that it is unacceptable that the Minister for Health would make a decision to push the care of children fully into the private sector rather than addressing the critical staffing shortage within our public dental service.

HSE figures show that the number of public-only dentists has dropped by almost one quarter (23%) over the past 15 years, down from 330 in 2006 to 254 in 2022.

At a minimum, the HSE would need to hire 76 dentists immediately to bring the service back to the levels it was 15 years ago, the IDA says.

The Irish Dental Association has launched its strategic workforce plan 2023, which outlines a number of recommendations on how to address the staffing crisis in both the public and private sectors.

Measures include significant investment and expansion of the two dental schools at UCC and TCD , the reintroduction of a Foundation Training Scheme to facilitate new graduates in gaining experience in a mentored environment and changes to rules surrounding work permits.

Speaking on the growing staffing crisis on The Whole Tooth podcast, President of the Irish Dental Association, Caroline Robins said: A dental practice is only as good as the staff that it has within its four walls and its important for any practice that we have sufficient numbers of staff so we can look after our patients in both a timely and safe manner.

Dr Robins says there can be no doubt but that there are severe recruitment and retention issues in the public dental service, largely arising from policy decisions which have placed a very low priority on properly staffing the service.

HSE figures show that half of the children who were due to be seen by a dentist under the school screening process in 2022 never received any form of dental check-up. This was purely down to a lack of staff in the public dental service.

However, outsourcing childrens oral healthcare to an already understaffed and overstretched private sector is not the answer. Private practices across the country are already struggling to recruit new staff with two-thirds of vacancies remaining unfilled. We understand the specialist care required when treating children and we believe this should happen under a fully-staffed public dental service that ensures equitable access to important oral healthcare for all.

Within our workforce plan, we have identified a number of measures that, through meaningful consultation, collaboration and effective cooperation, can alleviate what will only become a more acute issue if not urgently addressed. We are ready to sit down with Government to discuss and develop the best pathway forward for everyone, Dr Robins said.
The Law Society of Ireland has announced the winners of the inaugural National Grainne ONeill Memorial Legal Essay Competition, with Transition Year student Saorla McDonagh Sharkey, St Vincents Secondary School, Dundalk, Louth, taking the top prize. The announcement was made at an event at the Law Society, Dublin on 23 March 2023.

The competition received over 80 essays from 38 schools across 14 different counties. Each student submitted a 1,500-word essay examining the topic, The law and social media: striking a balance between freedom of expression and responsible usage.

Louth student Michael Kerley of De La Salle College, Dundalk, Co. Louth was awarded third place, while Anthony Johnston, Derry Flanagan and Robert Keenan of De La Salle College Dundalk and Eili Rose Ryan of Our Ladys College, Drogheda were also among the 32 finalists that attended the event in Dublin.

Chairperson of the Law Societys Education Committee, Richard Hammond SC, said, This competition aims to encourage young people to engage with the law and consider their own legal rights, how the law impacts society. This competition aims to inspire students learning and develop their creativity in an engaging way.

"We were delighted to welcome our student finalists, their parents, guardians, and teachers, to the home of the Law Society of Ireland at Blackhall Place to celebrate their achievements.

Saorlas essay was selected as the top entry and won a 1000 prize, trophy and shield for her school. The judges commended Saorla for her essays unique approach as she carefully put a spotlight on social justice issues to enhance the critical debate of the competing rights.

Commenting on her win, Saorla said, I am delighted to be awarded first prize at the Grainne ONeill essay competition. Its very special that I could attend the event with my parents. The competition opened my eyes further to the world of law and the balance of legal rights and it has definitely inspired me to consider a career in law.

I would like to thank my teachers, especially Mr Thompson for encouraging me always in English and Mr Henry my TY Coordinator. I am proud to represent my Secondary school St Vincents Dundalk.

ABOVE: President of the Law Society of Ireland, Maura Derivan with the finalists and third place winner from De La Salle College Dundalk. L-R: Declan McGrath, Derry Flanagan, Anthony Johnston, President of the Law Society of Ireland, Maura Derivan, Michael Kerley and Robert Keenan

Hari Chandana Parimkayala, Loreto Secondary School, Wexford was awarded second place. Four merit certificates were awarded to Huriyah Baqer of Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, Dublin; Carys Hudner of Moville Community College, Donegal; Saoirse Reilly of The High School, Dublin; and Eimear McCarthy of Colaiste na Toirbhirte, Bandon, Cork.

About the competition

The Grainne ONeill Memorial Legal Essay Competition honours the life and legacy of the late Judge Grainne ONeill. In 2014, Grainne became the youngest judge in Ireland when she was appointed to the District Court. Grainne died in 2018 following a period of illness but, during her life and especially during her years as a judge, Grainne worked diligently to apply the law in a fair, rigorous and compassionate manner.

The competition was initiated The Hon Mr Justice Keenan Johnson of the Circuit Court, in collaboration with the Midland Solicitors Bar Association in 2019. This is the first year the competition invited entries from transition year students across the country.

Its fitting that we can bring Grainnes legacy to a national platform, and to continue to make a difference to young people, their learnings and their lives, Mr Hammond SC said.
Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu has said that the huge attendance at the recent Armagh Down & Louth People's Assembly demonstrates the level of interest in planning for a new and united Ireland.

Deputy O Murchu said: Over 300 people packed into the Carrickdale Hotel's Bernish Suite on Thursday past to attend the Armagh Down Louth Peoples Assembly. This Peoples Assembly was an opportunity for citizens from the border region to have their say on the future of Ireland.

The ill-effects of living under British rule are keenly felt in this area and the implications of Brexit cast a long shadow.

The Carrickdale event was the fourth organised by Sinn Feins Commission on the Future of Ireland. It was chaired by Dr Conor Patterson of Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency. The panel included; Reverend Karen Sethuraman; ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy; Mairead McAlinden former CEO of the Southern Health & Social Care Trust and Aidan Browne of Dundalks DkIT's Regional Development Centre.

Deputy O MUrchu continued: In addition to an excellent and varied panel, the contributions from the audience were thoughtful, spirited, informed and very interesting.

It was standing room only and the packed gathering heard Uachtaran Shinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald open the event. In a wide ranging address Ms McDonald spelt out the difficulties caused by partition and the opportunities, which she believes, will be created by ending division.

The Sinn Fein President extended the hand of friendship to unionists when she said: To those from the unionist culture I extend a sincere welcome  the new Ireland must be a warm house for all and your traditions and beliefs must be respected and cherished. I invite you especially to be part of the conversation and for us all to plan for the future together.

The Sinn Fein president urged the Irish government to facilitate and support the changing country by establishing a Citizens' Assembly on Irish unity.

She said: This is an exciting time for us all; filled with opportunity and hope for a better future. Thats why we need to get it right. Our new constitutional national democracy will emerge from a phased transition and that is why planning and preparation should begin now. Grassroots communities should be involved at the beginning of that process, not at the end.

Speaking directly about the challenges facing the border region Ms McDonald added: Our shared challenge is to create a future which is warm and welcoming for everyone and where the potential prosperity of areas like this border region can be fully unlocked.
Davy McDonnell, Principal of Drogheda Institute of Further Education, spoke at a national symposium hosted by Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), at Athlone Springs Hotel, Co. Roscommon, last week.

The event, Empowering Learning Engagement, heard from learners and staff in further education and training (FET) on their experiences across various pathways such as apprenticeships, traineeships, and Skills to Advance training schemes.

McDonnell participated in a panel discussion which comprised members of ETBI FET Networks from various FET provisions across the sector.

The discussion focused on empowering future learner engagement in further education and training from the perspective of each network and how through reflection on learner voice, future FET initiatives can enhance FET provision.

Commenting on the event, Denis Leamy, Chief Executive of Cork ETB and Chair of the Directors of Further Education and Training Forum, said:

This was an important event for learners as a platform for them to share their personal experiences so they are understood and supported by our colleagues across FET.

Whichever Further Education and Training pathway theyre on, whatever stage of their learning journey, we want to ensure that all learners feel empowered and supported to take up every opportunity available to them.

Commenting on how the sector is opening doors for learners, Colin Cummins, Director of FET, Tipperary ETB, said:

Across FET, were seeing participation return to pre-pandemic level and we expect our 2022 figures, when theyre published, to reflect a similar activity to that of 2019.

Were also seeing a sustained engagement with the eCollege online learning platform which was such an important resource for many during the pandemic.

Its a great example of how we can create new routes into learning that makes further education and training accessible to all.
A NUMBER of social care students in MTU Cork intend to ask for a transfer to the universitys Tralee campus after MTU Kerry was granted accreditation for its social care courses while Corks remain officially unrecognised.

However, the university has said that for social care students to graduate from MTU Kerry with officially recognised qualifications, they would need to have completed their full third-level course there.

Under new rules, the Social Care Workers Register will open in November of 2023 and will introduce regulation to that profession for the first time in Ireland.

The register will list approved qualifications, and, if a qualification is not listed, it cannot be used to apply for entry to the Social Care Workers register.

Approval of social care courses is determined by Coru, the regulator for health and social care professionals.

MTU Cork and MTU Kerry both applied for Coru approval for their social care courses early in 2022. However, it is understood that MTU Cork subsequently withdrew its initial application, before applying again for accreditation in December 2022.

A spokesperson for Coru has told The Echo that its approval process is dependent on each education provider demonstrating how their programme meets the minimum standards set by Coru.

Where this is clearly evidenced, Corus programme approval process typically takes 12 to 18 months to complete.

MTU Kerrys application to Coru was submitted in March 2022, with the approval process taking 12 months.

Without recognition of MTU Corks social care programmes by Coru, graduates of those courses would not in the future be able to become registered social care workers in Ireland. It is understood that MTU Cork currently has approximately 200 social care students.

During a two-year transition period until November 2025, Coru will offer an alternative option for applicants who have been practising in the profession for a minimum of two years out of the previous five on the date the register opens; [or if they] hold the relevant qualifications.

'GRANDPARENTING' PROCESS

This means that until such time as MTU Corks social care courses are recognised by Coru, its graduates have to work for two years in the field under what is called a grandparenting process.

With the grandparenting process closing in November 2025, third-year social care students graduating from MTU Cork this year would have to secure work in the social care field to accrue two years worth of experience by November 2025.

However, if MTU is not Coru-approved by October 2024, then students who graduate next year would not have time to work for two years in the field before the November 2025 deadline.

Corus spokesperson said: Coru must ensure that every education course delivers upon its minimum standards. It is essential to ensure the protection of the public that every registered social care worker has received an appropriate education.

Upon the conclusion of the grandparenting period (November 2025) any individual who does not hold a Coru-approved qualification will not be eligible to apply to the register and use the title Social Care Worker in Ireland until such time as their programme is approved or they obtain an alternative approved qualification.

One second-year student in Corks social care course told The Echo she and several other students intend to apply for a transfer to MTU Kerry to complete their course there.

Theres a good few of us who would be thinking we have nothing to lose by applying for a transfer, she said.

Like, its madness that if we had gone to Kerry day one wed be heading for a qualification now. Instead were still in limbo in Cork.

A spokesperson for MTU Cork said the university engages constructively with any student who wishes to discuss transferring courses across the university but it appeared to say social care students could not do so.

The existing Coru approval for MTUs Social Care courses on our Kerry campus require[s] students to have completed the full programme to be eligible for registration, they said.

An informed source told The Echo that, now MTU Kerrys social care courses have been approved, MTU Corks social care course is the only major course in the country not covered by Coru.

The source asked what would become of MTU Cork social care students who graduate in October 2024 if the universitys Cork campus has not by then secured Coru accreditation.

The grandparenting process closes in November 2025. If MTU Cork is not Coru-approved in 2024, how are those graduates supposed to get two years experience in one year?

MTU Corks spokesperson said: MTU remains fully committed to the Coru programme approval process and we are continuing to work with Coru to achieve approval for the BA in Social Care Work on our Cork campus as soon as possible.
Focus Ireland founder Sr Stanislaus Kennedy said it is the wrong time for the Government to lift the eviction ban, saying that homeless levels are the worst she has seen since setting up the housing and homeless charity almost 40 years ago.

The veteran campaigner was speaking on Friday at the official opening of Focus Irelands new Cork office on Grand Parade where 16 homes have been developed overhead.

I think its the wrong time to do it [lift the ban], said Sr Stan.

I think there should have been another spell of time in order to ensure that theres proper preparation for it in the sense that theres more accommodation, more housing planned and implemented, because it will mean hundreds of people will be homeless.

It doesnt mean that a ban on eviction is the answer to the crisis, its not the answer, but in the short term while were preparing to ensure that people dont end up homeless, I think its important that it not be lifted, but it is now, and we have to do the best we can.

Pat Dennigan, CEO, Focus Ireland; Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, Founder and Lifetime President, Focus Ireland; Focus Ireland Tenant, Timmy Harrington; Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Deirdre Forde, and Tanaiste Micheal Martin TD, pictured at the launch of 16 Focus Ireland homes in the heart of Cork City on the Grand Parade.

Focus Ireland and sister organisation and approved housing body Focus Housing Association welcomed Tanaiste Micheal Martin and Lord Mayor of Cork city, Deirdre Forde, to launch the homes in the heart of the city.

Former vacant premises

The Grand Parade site was previously a vacant commercial premises at ground floor level and derelict above.

It has now been transformed and renovated to deliver 16 homes to people on Cork City Councils housing waiting list.

The B1-rated apartments are delivered by Focus Housing Association, with the support of Cork City Council, the Housing Finance Agency, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and with donations from the Tomar Trust via Community Foundation Ireland.

The ground floor of the premises will serve as Focus Irelands central office in Cork to help the charity to deliver its work supporting people in the county.

Speaking at the launch, Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan spoke of the need to replicate projects such as the Grand Parade initiative.

We know that in every town and city nationwide there are empty, vacant, and derelict buildings which could be used to help resolve our housing and homelessness crisis.

At a time of such great unmet housing need, where the demand for social and affordable housing is through the roof, at a time when local authority waiting lists, including here in Cork, have thousands of families waiting for secure, decent housing, we must tackle the blight that is vacancy and dereliction.

Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, Founder and Life President, Focus Ireland, pictured at the launch of 16 Focus Ireland homes in the heart of Cork City on the Grand Parade.

Mr Martin said that housing and increasing the supply of homes is the number one priority for the Government and that it is putting every effort into addressing the challenges to produce homes of every type.

Partnership and co-operation with approved housing bodies, such as Focus Housing Association, is vital in the time ahead as we ramp up delivery and work to meet our Housing for All targets, said Mr Martin.

The Lord Mayor of Cork city lauded the project.

These are exactly the type of projects we need to be advancing and ramping up over the coming months and years to meet our housing supply targets, and collaboration with approved housing bodies such as Focus Housing Association will be central to meeting those ambitions, she said.

Sr Stan, who is also the life president of Focus Ireland, said the new homes at Grand Parade mean the Focus Housing Association now provides homes for nearly 1,400 households across Ireland.

While it is fantastic to see the tenants get their keys and move in, we must also recognise the wider current crisis.

It causes me great sadness to say that this is the worst I have ever seen homelessness in Ireland since we first set up Focus Ireland in 1985 almost 40 years ago. We must be hopeful that we find the courage to end this crisis for so many families and children, but we must also retain our anger at the situation and never accept that homelessness cannot be prevented and ended. Much more needs to be done. We must not rest until it is.
Labour Party representatives in Cork city have urged Government to make Good Friday a permanent public holiday for all workers, ending its current status as a discretionary day.

Good Friday is not currently a public holiday, and while some schools and businesses close for the day, workers have no automatic entitlement to time off work that day.

Now representatives of the Labour Party in Cork city are calling for the Christian holiday, which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary, to be made a public holiday.

Cork City Councillor John Maher described as deeply unfair for workers in Cork the situation as it currently stands.

There is always confusion among workers as to whether Good Friday counts as public holiday or not, Cllr Maher said.

There are some employers in Cork who treat Good Friday as a discretionary day, however we know that the majority of workers in retail, tourism and hospitality fail to benefit from this.

Labour is calling on Government to make Good Friday a bank holiday for all workers to provide equality across the board. Its deeply unfair that some workers benefit due to the benevolence of their employer, while others do not.

Peter Horgan, Labour Party local area representative for Cork city South East said the failure to regularise the situation pointed to a Government out of touch with many workers in the economy.

Hard work deserves reward, Mr Horgan said.

Even if a worker is rostered to work on a public holiday, they are entitled to a benefit either by additional annual leave at another time or additional pay. So, while some businesses opt to close that day, not every worker is treated the same. We need to fix this.

Laura Harmon, Labour Party local area representative for Cork City South West said the benefits of public holidays to workers, with additional time to rest, relax, and spend quality time with friends and family, were well known, but there was also a benefit to the local economy in Cork as a whole.

Extra public holidays are just one way of improving life for workers in Cork, Ms Harmon said.

The introduction of the new public holiday in February was welcome, but we need to look at work across the economy as a whole and ensure its fair for all.

Ireland currently has 10 public holidays each year, with the most recent introduced in February of this year to mark St Brigids Day.

Kevin Herlihy, president of the Cork Business Association, said that, as a Catholic himself, he could understand the need for the day to be marked as a religious occasion, but he felt there was no need for an additional public holiday.

There has already been an extra bank holiday given after Covid, in February, and from an employer perspective, we have to pay staff for these bank holidays, Mr Herlihy said.

I think theres enough bank holidays and public holidays across the year as it is. Mr Herlihy said an extra bank holiday would hit businesses unfairly and consideration should be given to employers.

Leo Varadkar came out and gave that extra holiday without consulting employers at all in the country, and I think theres enough public holidays there, to be very honest, Mr Herlihy said.
FOTA Wildlife Park has announced the birth of five new primates in the park.

These include three endangered baby ring-tailed lemurs and two black and white colobus monkeys, all of whom were born as part of breeding programmes for threated species in European Zoos. All primates were born in Fota Wildlife Park in March.

The baby lemurs mums both arrived at Fota from the Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen in the Netherlands in 2019 as part of a new breeding group. Merlot, the father of the babies, who was born in 2020; arrived in June last year from France.

On March 9th and March 15th, two baby black and white colobus monkeys were also born in Fota Wildlife Park. With their white coats they resemble baby lambs.

The two baby black and white colobus monkeys recently born in Fota Wildlife Park, Cork. Pic: Darragh Kane

Their mothers, who were born in 2017 came from Bonjnice Zoo in Slovakia, and their father Tom who was born in 2006 came to Fota Wildlife Park from Belfast Zoo in 2011.

This year Fota Wildlife Park is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and to mark the anniversary is bringing back a live programme of events for Easter including wildlife talks, animal feeding times and live workshops.

One of the baby Ring-tailed lemurs recently born in Fota Wildlife Park, Cork.

Over the next two weeks, visitors can take part in an interactive workshop on plants and biodiversity with Peter Dowdall, learn about the wonders of the animal world with daily wildlife talks hosted by the Education Department in Fota Wildlife Park, watch the rangers as they feed the animals in the Park and enjoy award winning Learnit Lego workshops.
A 31-year-old charged with murdering an 89-year-old patient at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork in the early hours of the morning of January 22 appeared in Cork District Court by video link from prison.

Sergeant John Kelleher said, Due to the nature of the alleged offence the file is progressing but not sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions yet.

Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, was present in court and explained to his client what was happening.

He said, The file is active on the garda side but it as not yet been sent to the DPP.

Mr Buttimer told Judge Olann Kelleher that the accused mans bail application may be heard at the High Court in Dublin on April 6.

Judge Kelleher told the accused that if he was released on bail he would be obliged to appear in Cork District Court in person for the next hearing.

Mr Buttimer said there was consent to an adjournment longer than two weeks. Judge Kelleher adjourned the case until April 27 at Cork District Court.

Matthew Healy was a patient in the hospital at the time.

Detective Garda Maurice OConnor arrested Dylan Magee of 30 Churchfield Green, Cork, following the investigation into the death of Matthew Healy, an 89-year-old retired farmer and widower from Berrings, Co Cork, who died following an incident at the hospital on Sunday morning, January 22. Mr Healy was a patient in the hospital at the time.

Det. Garda OConnor formally cautioned the accused man that he did not have to say anything but that whatever he might say would be taken down and given in evidence. He made no reply after caution.

The charge states that on January 22 at Room 2, St. Josephs Ward, Mercy University Hospital, he did murder Matthew Healy, contrary to Common Law.
A horticulture student who believes cannabis should be legalised has avoided jail for having a fully operational grow-tent at his home where he was cultivating over 8,000 worth of cannabis.

Ciaran ODonovan of 27 Wycherly Terrace, College Road, Cork, pleaded guilty to being in possession of the cannabis for his own use and cultivating the drug.

Judge Olann Kelleher said that the probation report on the accused was very favourable towards him.

Must recognise law

However, the judge said to the accused, You have one thing wrong. You have a view cannabis should be legalised.

The judge said the defendants view on this issue did not matter but what did matter is that he had to recognise what the law is on it. And as it is the judge said he had to take it as a serious matter.

He imposed a six-month sentence but suspended it on condition that the accused would have no more convictions for two years. He also ordered him to do 100 hours of community service. He had two previous convictions for having cannabis for his own use.

Imposing the community service and the suspended sentence, the judge said, It is up to yourself now.

Garda Eoin Harrington executed a search warrant at the defendants home shortly before 9 pm on February 23 2021. Garda Harrington was accompanied by the garda dog unit at the time.

Sergeant John Kelleher said, A fully operational grow-tent with eleven mature cannabis plants valued at 8,800 were located in Ciaran ODonovans bedroom along with 150 worth of harvested cannabis herb.

Full admissions were made by Ciaran ODonovan in relation to cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use while being formally interviewed during his detention.

The 37-year-old was not in any way involved in the sale or supply of the drug, defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer said at Cork District Court.

He describes himself as a heavy user of cannabis.

"There is no question but that he would benefit from a probation report, Mr Buttimer said.

In terms of the valuation of the drug at over 8,000, the solicitor said this was a state valuation of cannabis plants that was arguably much greater than the value that a defendant would place on the drug.

Mr Buttimer said the accused was working part time and studying horticulture  whatever the coincidence with horticulture in this case, the solicitor added.
A 70-year-old man was arrested and brought before Cork District Court charged with sexually assaulting a woman in her twenties in the back of a car over three years ago.

Sergeant John Kelleher asked for an order prohibiting identification of the parties. He said they were known to each other. Naming accused in coverage of the case could lead to identification of the complainant.

Sgt Kelleher said the Director of Public Prosecutions said the case could be heard at district court level on a plea of guilty and that otherwise it could proceed by indictment at the circuit court. Judge Olann Kelleher required a brief outline of the allegations so that he could decide if he too would accept jurisdiction on a plea of guilty.

It is alleged that on the night/early hours of January 13/14 2020 the complainant was a rear seat passenger in the car. It is alleged that the accused was sitting next to her in the car and grabbed her left breast outside her clothes and started squeezing.

This was followed by him putting his left hand inside her pants and trying to reach her genital area before rubbing her back and neck, Sgt Kelleher said.

Judge Kelleher said he would accept jurisdiction.

The prosecution must now supply statements to the defence so that the defendant can consider his position. Judge Kelleher adjourned the case until May 22 for that purpose.

There was no objection to bail but the accused man was required to have no contact with the complainant, directly or indirectly.
Stealing a pair of shoes resulted in a 33-year-old man being jailed for six months.

The accused had previous theft convictions and he also had shorter suspended sentences hanging over him.

Judge Olann Kelleher told the defendant who appeared by video link from prison at Cork District Court that the overall sentence of six months was being imposed in light of previous suspended sentences and other convictions for theft.

Joel Lonia of no fixed address pleaded guilty to the latest theft charge.

Eddie Burke, defence solicitor, said, the accused was presently serving a sentence for theft at Limerick Prison.

Mr Burke said: He is 33. He is originally from the Congo. He is in Ireland since 2009.

"He is in a cell 24/7 on a protection wing. He is not allowed out. He said that this is similar to someone who is in prison for something much more serious.

He is musician, artist, designer and a professional chef.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the that the defendant stole a 40 pair of shoes from TK Maxx at Cornmarket Street.
An emergency meeting of Cork City Council proposed by Sinn Fein councillors and Independent councillor Thomas Moloney came to an abrupt end this evening when councillors voted not to proceed with a debate on the eviction ban.

Late last month, leader of the Sinn Fein group on Cork City Council, Cllr Mick Nugent stated that the requirements had been met to activate a full emergency meeting of the council which was scheduled to take place today.

The meetings agenda stated that the council would consider matters from a special meeting of the councils housing strategic policy committee (SPC) on March 29.

Mr Nugent subsequently posed an amendment to the agenda to put forward a motion calling on the council to write to the Minister for Housing requesting that he progress legislation to reinstate the ban immediately.

However, councillors voted not to debate the motion with 13 councillors against and 12 for a debate.

Were very disappointed that the meeting wasnt allowed proceed, more disappointed obviously for the people of Cork that would have been tuning into a public meeting that was called to follow up on the housing SPC meeting last week, Mr Nugent said, speaking to The Echo following the vote.

Mr Nugent said he believed the meeting should have proceeded to discuss matters from the housing SPC even after the motion relating to the eviction ban failed to proceed to a debate.

The Lord Mayor of Cork, Fine Gael Cllr Deirdre Forde insisted that the correct procedure was followed saying that she believed political shenanigans were at play.

Ms Forde said an extensive report was given in relation to all housing issues at the SPC and that all councillors were free to ask any questions.

She told The Echo that a request for an emergency meeting to discuss matters from the special SPC was submitted and that earlier today the motion relating to the eviction ban was submitted.

Ms Forde said that reports issued at the housing SPC will come before the next full council meeting on April 11 and that a debate will be facilitated at that time.

At that meeting, Mick or any other councillor can raise any issue.

What I would say is how many meetings must we have to discuss what has already been discussed?

I have never tried to stifle debate, indeed especially on such a critical issue but I always follow procure nobody is being denied.

I think that theres more than discussing the issue. I think there's political shenanigans coming into play, she continued.

Meanwhile, Mr Moloney said he was shocked and appalled by what unfolded at the meeting and that he believed procedure was not followed.

The agenda item should have been discussed and debated first and the motion should have been put to the end of the agenda to be discussed and voted on as would be customary at council meeting, he said.

He added that he felt democracy was the loser in Cork City Council this evening.

Independent councillor Mick Finn also expressed dismay at the decision not to discuss the motion.

If and when the main Government parties reflect on electoral losses at both local and national level in the next two years, carry on such as the main parties trampling a legitimately-called meeting of city council on the eviction ban will be identified among the reasons.

They have signed their electoral death warrants by not debating the lifting of the ban and the huge impact it is already having, he said.

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle also said he believed a debate should have taken place.

We think its important that these things are aired publicly and all an exercise like tonight does is make the next council meeting a prolonged meeting because therell be requests to look for a suspension of standing orders and motions will be put down that could have been discussed this evening.

Given the gravity of the housing situation, I think theres an onus on all of us who are public representatives to state publicly what our concerns are about housing policy.

However, Fianna Fail councillor Sean Martin pointed out that debates on the eviction ban have already taken place at recent city council meetings.

Mr Martin insisted that progress is being made on housing and said he would question the effectiveness of the eviction ban as he believed the ban was driving landlords out of the market.

His party colleague, Terry Shannon echoed these sentiments saying that councillors would again have the opportunity to discuss matters from the housing SPC next Tuesday.

The meeting of the housing SPC last week, that will come before council next Tuesday night and therell be a full debate.

This notion that theres no debate is nonsense. Weve debated ad nauseam, he said.
Tom Tuite

A warehouse worker has been charged after gardai uncovered 1.36 million worth of cannabis shipped to Ireland from Spain in a container load of oranges.

Father of three Dawid Zajac (38), with an address at Galtrim, Summerhill, Co Meath, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis on March 31st and that he had it for sale or supply at Cornstown, Ashbourne, Co Dublin.

It followed an operation by officers attached to the Revenue Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs, the Organised Crime Bureau, Coolock and Raheny District Drugs Units and the Meath Divisional Drugs Unit.

Mr Zajac, who is originally from Poland but has been living in Ireland for 16 years, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Monday.

Bail was set in his bond of 20,000, half of which must be lodged, and an independent surety with 20,000 must be approved.

He was remanded in custody until it is taken up and will face his next hearing on Thursday at Cloverhill District Court.

Detective Garda Paula Carter told the court the accused made "no reply" to the charges, and she objected to bail due to the seriousness of the case.

She told the contested bail hearing the drugs had been concealed "in crates of oranges shipped from Spain to Dublin Port".

She alleged the accused paid customs fees of 5,000 for a container to be released from the port and that he was in the warehouse when a logistics company delivered the crates. She also told the court he helped off-load the shipment.

It was also alleged that Mr Zajac had an invoice for the shipment on his phone.

The detective agreed with defence solicitor Jenny McGeever that the accused did not have the trappings of wealth and that his phone and passport had been seized.

She accepted he lived with his partner and children, was in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment, and had the presumption of innocence.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecution are awaited, the court heard.

Mr Zajac told the court he would abide by bail conditions and said he had only left Ireland twice since 2007.

Pleading for bail, Ms McGeever said her client has lived at the same address for four years and has "strong roots" here.

Describing it as a "substantial matter", the judge held that bail with conditions could be granted.

On taking up bail, the accused must sign on daily at Trim Garda station, remain contactable by phone, and notify gardai of any address change.
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.

The Barcelona City Council has begun adding more green space to one of the main streets of the Eixample, Consell de Cent Street, seen on Sept. 4, 2022. Paco Freire / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images

More and more research is defining just how beneficial green spaces can be for human health, especially when woven into urban environments. Now, a new study specifically looks into how the green spaces planned for Barcelona, Spain could benefit the city. The findings show potential improvements in mental health for more than 30,000 people.

The study was published in the journal Environment International and led by Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal).

The citys Eixos Verds Plan for Barcelonas Eixample district is underway and is meant to introduce more green corridors in Barcelona by converting city streets into green recreational areas.

To determine potential impacts on mental health, the research team created a baseline of green spaces based on Barcelona in 2015 and compared it to the proposed green spaces plan. From there, the researchers looked at exposure data and mental health risk estimates for people in Barcelona, finally calculating preventable cases.

Their findings show the Eixos Verds Plan will create an average increase of 5.67% of green area, ultimately preventing 31,353 cases of self-perceived poor mental health. The researchers also estimated that the added green space could reduce visits to mental health specialists by 16,800 and could reduce cases of antidepressant use by 13,375. The green space plan could add up to annual mental health-related cost savings of more than 45 million euros, according to the authors.

What we found was that  even though were only increasing the green [space] by about 5 or 6%  you get quite a considerable reduction in the number of cases of mental health problems, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, co-author of the paper, told The Guardian.

According to the study authors, at least 30% of the global burden of disease is linked to mental health disorders.

Green spaces have been shown to have many benefits. One study found that people in greener neighborhoods had improved mental wellbeing, and a 2019 study noted that green spaces with tree canopy tend to be the best overall for improving human health. Just living near greenery of any kind could boost cognitive function.

The authors noted that their findings could further underscore the importance of introducing more green spaces into Barcelona and other cities around the world.

Just 20% of the population of Barcelona currently lives in a place that meets the WHO recommendation on green space, Evelise Pereira, study co-author and researcher at ISGlobal, said, as reported by Phys.org. At the European level, only 40% of city dwellers enjoy the recommended access to green space, which shows that we still have a lot of work to do in terms of greening our cities.




Lallemand highlights benefits of yeast-based product YANG in Kaiserslautern, Germany

At the Smart Calf Rearing Conference in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Lallemand Animal Nutrition's team recently shared a study about the benefits of YANG - a product described as a "specific yeast fractions combination" - in rearing dairy calves during pre-weaning.

Overall, growth performance and the health status of the neonates was improved, leading to a significant reduction of veterinary treatments.

Clothilde Villot, research scientist at Lallemand Animal Nutrition, who presented the study, explained: "High morbidity and mortality rates of calves during the pre-weaning period dramatically impact the sustainability of farms. The objective of this trial, conducted in partnership with University of Lublin, was to evaluate the efficacy of our specific association of yeast fractions (YANG) to support calf growth and health status in the pre-weaning period.

"The study showed the improvement of the overall health and early growth of pre-weaned calves when they received YANG in milk replacer. Consequently, less therapeutic treatments were needed. These benefits could be explained by an enrichment of the beneficial gut microbiota of supplemented calves."

The trial in question was performed in a commercial dairy farm in Poland on 30 Holstein calves. The calves received either a control milk replacer or milk replacer supplemented with YANG from five to 65 days of life.

Based on results from the trial, no calves in the YANG group experienced respiratory diseases whereas 50% of the non-supplemented calves had respiratory problems (P=0.034). There also was a reduction of the number and duration of diarrhea cases.

Consequently, an improved fecal score was reported for the YANG group throughout the trial. As a result, the average number of therapeutic treatments was reduced.

In terms of improved growth performance, average daily gain (ADG) was better in the early days of the trial, giving calves a better start.

The benefits of the specific association of yeast fractions can be linked to its effects at the microbiota level. When the researchers looked at the calves' fecal microbiota, they found an increase in beneficial bacteria populations such as milk-associated bacteria Bifidobacteria or Lactobacillus and Akkermansia, which is associated with the stimulation of mucine production and immune system regulation. This could positively influence milk metabolism and reinforce the calves' natural defenses.



- Lallemand
Netflix released at least one movie a week over the past two years  I challenge you to name them all!  but for 2023, the company is changing course. According to Bloomberg, the streaming giant is restructuring its movie division and releasing fewer movies overall. Despite the sheer number of titles Netflix previously released, only a few had won accolades, attained significant hours of streaming, or had the kind of cultural impact some of the biggest blockbusters had achieved. (According to the company's Top 10 page, its most-watched movies for 2021 and 2022 include Red Notice, Don't Look Up and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.)

Netflix ramped up its film development after studios started building their own streaming services instead of licensing their movies to the company. This restructuring will combine the team working on small projects with a budget of $30 million or less and the unit that produces mid-budget films that cost $30 million to $80 million. Theres also a big-budget arm to its film development unit  likely involved with the aforementioned hits. No word yet on whether the restructuring will affect that part of the business.

 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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Testing the limits of today's leading AI chatbots.

Engadget

The generative AI race is on, and the current frontrunners appear to be Google's Bard and Microsoft's Bing AI, which is powered by ChatGPT. But what are the limits to the questions it can answer? We asked Googles Bard chatbots a series of questions to see which is better at delivering facts, replacing us at our jobs or participating in existential debates. We also looked at their speed, transparency and how likely they were to break if we started to push its buttons And dont worry, Bing AI got the same treatment.

Continue reading.

Through a technicality.

Apple won an appeal against an investigation launched by the UKs antitrust watchdog last fall. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened a full probe into Apple and Google in November. At the time, the regulator said that many UK businesses felt restricted by the stranglehold the two tech giants had on mobile browsing. The probe also sought to determine if Apple was restricting the cloud gaming market through its App Store rules. The company said the CMA should have opened the probe at the same time it first published its report on mobile ecosystems last June. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), the court that oversees CMA cases, agreed with Apple, saying the regulator gave notice of its investigation too late.

Continue reading.

Tesla has also been ordered to rehire a worker that it illegally fired.

According to a federal appeals court, Elon Musk broke US labor law in 2018 when he tweeted that Tesla factory workers would forgo stock options if they chose to unionize. In May 2018, a Twitter user asked Musk about his union stance. Nothing stopping Tesla team at our car plant from voting union. Could do so tmrw if they wanted, he tweeted in response. But why pay union dues & give up stock options for nothing? Our safety record is 2X better than when plant was UAW & everybody already gets healthcare. Tesla has argued the tweet was Musks way of pointing out that workers at other automakers dont receive stock options. The court ordered Musk to delete the tweet. As of the writing of this article, the tweet is still there.

Continue reading.
3 April 2023

We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the examination process of the first European patent administration certification (EPAC). The EPAC has been set up to cater to demand on the European level and as part of the EPO's Strategic Plan 2023 to further strengthen the European Patent Network.

157 candidates passed the EPAC 2022. Overall, the vast majority of candidates came from industry or a private patent attorney practice (85%) and were women (also 85%). Registrations were received from 23 EPC member states and 10 non-member states, including the United States, P.R. China, Canada and Mexico.

The results of EPAC 2022 and list of successful candidates are available as of today on the EPAC webpages.

Congratulations to all of the successful candidates on passing the EPAC 2022. With this certification, they have demonstrated that they possess the required knowledge and skills to deal independently and autonomously with the procedures associated with the filing, prosecution, grant and maintenance of European and international patent applications before the EPO, as well as with post-grant procedures.

Feedback received from candidates included appreciation of this opportunity for personal growth and to build confidence, as well as to establish a better understanding of how to interact with users in the patent granting process.

Currently, the EPAC Board is preparing for the EPAC 2023, which will be held on 12 October. Enrolment opens on 18 April and runs until 14 August 2023.

It is still possible and highly recommended to join the carefully designed preparation courses for EPAC candidates, even if you are not planning to sit this year's exam. The courses are free-of-charge and will continue until July. The European Patent Academy also provides a wide range of free training materials. The training, as well as the EPAC, are open to all who are interested and there are no prerequisites for participating.
Oceania Chinese Teachers' Conference 2023 explores multi-faceted Chinese education

Xinhua) 12:45, April 03, 2023

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The two-day Fifth Oceania Chinese Teachers' Conference 2023 is held in Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, during the weekend.

The conference featured dedicated speeches and multiple workshops. Over a hundred Chinese language teachers from New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific Islands countries participated in the conference either in person or through online live streaming.

Participating Chinese language educators shared their experiences and insights into Chinese language education through these sessions and explored the new environment, demands, and pedagogy of overseas Chinese education, especially in terms of multi-faceted Chinese education and the adoption of artificial intelligence applications such as ChatGPT in the post-pandemic era.

Laura Deng, chairperson of the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers Association, said this conference is the first on-site conference of its kind in the post-pandemic times.

"In the past decade, there has been a growing interest in the Chinese language and culture. As Chinese language teachers, we have an important role to play in nurturing this interest and helping our students to develop the language skills and cultural understanding they need to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world," said Deng.

Zhou Xuelin, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Auckland, believed that school teachers had demonstrated incredible abilities and intelligence to make extraordinary achievements in Chinese language education.

"At the 2022 National Chinese Bridge Speech Competition, local kiwi students from secondary schools across the country sing Chinese songs and dance Chinese dances. They perform 'cross talks' in Chinese and tell Chinese stories using bamboo clappers," Zhou said.

He noted that the first English-language book on Chinese cinema was authored by a New Zealander who speaks perfect Chinese, and nearly every New Zealand ambassador to China is fluent in Mandarin.

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong encouraged Chinese language teachers in New Zealand and Oceania to take their students to China to experience Chinese history and culture, meet the hospitable people, deepen exchanges on the latest developments and trends in Chinese education, and cultivate more "Rewi Alley" of the new times and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between China, New Zealand and the rest of the world.

Stephanie Mortimore, project manager and facilitator from the Tui Tuia Learning Circle at the University of Auckland, an organization that undertakes the support of foreign language learning, teacher education, and professional development work from the New Zealand Ministry of Education, said that the organization would continue to support Chinese language teachers and teaching activities.

She also hoped to see Chinese language teachers provide their feedback on the New Zealand curriculum refresh of language next year.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Rachel Toalson is well aware that the kinds of books she writes  novels aimed at kids ages 10 to 14 that tackle hot-button issues like puberty and menstruation, mental health, addiction, divorce and racial conflict  are just the targets political and social conservatives are gunning for these days.

At a time when a Hearst Newspapers investigation recently revealed that, in Texas, there were more than 2,000 content reviews of challenged school library books, when Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a search of public school libraries for books purported to contain pornography and when librarians are under threat of prosecution for making challenged books available, she concedes she feels the pressure.

Yes, I am scared, she said recently, just weeks before the May release of her newest novel, The First Magnificent Summer (Aladdin, $17.99). With the way things are in the country and here in Texas, there is a possibility that the book could be banned.

Said to be evocative of Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret, the book tells the story of 12-year-old Victoria Reeves, a child of divorce who hasnt seen her father in two years. When he arrives to take her and her two siblings on a camping vacation, she makes plans to win him over with her sparking wit and smarts; plans that go awry when she learns hes also brought his new family, whom she bitterly refers to as The Replacements.

Told as a series of journal entries and interstitial asides, the book chronicles indignities bestowed on Victoria both big and small: being relegated to a tent while The Replacements snooze in a comfortable recreational vehicle, having her first period and perhaps worst of all, realizing that her father discounts her worth because shes female.

But she leavens the book with plenty of gentle humor, too, such as the endless bologna sandwiches Victorias clueless father prepares and her No One Sees Me Naked method of surviving the campgrounds communal showers.

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Toalson, 42, understands that in todays cultural climate, the book may get some pushback but said thats not going to stop her from writing about such tough subjects.

It would probably be easier if I were to be a little softer in the way I handle these kinds of things, she said. But kids deserve the truth; they deserve to know what its really like to be in the kinds of situations I write about.

She and her husband, Ben, a video content marketer for a software company, allow their six boys, ages 8 to 16, to watch or view whatever they want, as long as its geared to their age.

We may have to watch something together or have conversations about some of the things they read, she said. When one of my 10-year-old twins read a book with a trans character, we talked about it with him to explain what that meant.

She said she wants the boys to know that different lives exist and to feel like theres space for them if they have certain feelings.

Take mental health, she said. If one of the boys has feelings of depression or thoughts of suicide, we want them to have the vocabulary to talk about it with us. And books can help with that.

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Her next book, The Second Magnificent Summer, which she hopes will mark the beginning of a series, is already slated for publication in 2024. It continues Victorias story of how she initially rejects, and eventually comes to accept, the man who becomes her stepdad.

Its all based on my own experience and how unkind I was to my stepdad, Toalson said.

That personal experience allows her to write movingly and honestly about themes that, in the hands of a less talented writer, might not ring true.

Another local author: Best-seller Kelly Irvins latest killer thriller takes place in La Villita

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

I was about five pages into the manuscript when I knew it was something special, said Kara Sargent, Toalsons editor at Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. It was as if she was speaking to 12-year-old me and I felt like I would have loved to meet Victoria.

Toalson was 11 and living in Ganado near Victoria when her parents divorced.

It was the hardest thing I ever experienced as a kid, she said. I was right on the cusp of becoming an adult, going through puberty and all that when my dad left. We pretty much never heard from him after that.

Working two, sometimes three jobs to support Toalson and two other children, her mother would occasionally send her father information about the family.

My thoughts were, like, maybe this will be enough to have him call us, or come see us or come home, she said. I use those feelings in my stories because I know there are lots of other kids experiencing the same thing; kids who think they can never be good enough to earn the love of somebody whos important to them.

Toalson said shes reconciled with her father to some extent, and that, having learned about his childhood, she has a better perspective on why her childhood was the way it was.

But even though you understand those things, its still hard to move past the original hurt, she said. Which is why Im in continuous therapy.

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Toalson said shes been writing for as long as she can remember, making up stories whole cloth while also serving as the family documentarian, writing about things that happened to her and her siblings. After majoring in English and taking journalism classes at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) she was hired as a reporter by the San Antonio Express-News in 2003, where she worked in the community section, the religion section and then the features department.

Even then, she was training herself to become a novelist.

I would come home from work and sit down at my computer and write, she said, adding with a laugh, Those early novels were really bad; Im not surprised they didnt get published. But in the back of my mind I knew this is what I wanted to do.

She also tucked away memories of people she interviewed, several of whom have gone on to reappear in her writing, albeit under different guises.

I remember doing a story about a guy who created these amazing chess sets, whittling pieces that looked like Disney characters or Looney Tunes characters, she said. I thought that was such a cool thing, I used him in a book, writing about a grandfather who make chess pieces that looked like people he loved.

About 10 years ago, after being laid off from her job as managing editor of The Witness, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church, she decided to pursue writing books full time.

I just had my sixth child and figured no employee would seriously consider me for a full-time position, she said.

With six boys to care for, Toalson had to be deliberate in carving out writing time.

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Local book store: A peek inside Jenny Lawsons (The Bloggess) Nowhere Books in Alamo Heights

Im not a very happy person or a nice person if I dont get to write regularly, she said.

So she asked Ben to give her 15 uninterrupted minutes a night so she could sit and write.

And thats how I did it, in, like, 15-minute bursts, while Ben gave the boys baths and got them ready for bed, she said.

She also worked with photographer Helen Montoya Henrichs, a friend she met while both worked at the Express-News. Each week, Montoya Henrichs would send two new photos to Toalson, whod use them as the basis for a short story.

Eventually, that developed into the bones of what became 'The Colors of the Rain,' " her first book, said Montoya Henrichs, who today does marketing and communications for the Girl Scouts of Colorado. I knew back then that Rachel was talented and that shed eventually be publishing books.

Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News

Told completely in verse, The Colors of the Rain, is the story of young boy whose father is killed in a race-related crime and whose mother struggles with alcoholism and depression, all set against the backdrop of the desegregation battles of early 1970s Houston.

I studied poetry in college and had read a couple of verse novels, she said, explaining her decision. The story was a difficult one to tell, especially for kids. It has addiction in it, a mom leaving. So telling a story like that, you want a little more space so kids reading it can bring themselves into the story as well.

The book won a 2020 Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for New Voices Honor Award and her 2019 novel, The Woods, a fantasy story about a young orphan girl attracted to the supernatural woods, received a starred review from Booklist.

Today, with all six boys in school, she can spend several hours each day working.

I jokingly say I send them to school so I can write, she said, which is helpful because, in addition to her traditionally published books, shes self-published more than two dozen others, all under the pseudonym L.R. Patton. These include the 20-volume Fairendale middle grade fantasy series that explores and deconstructs familiar fairy tales, myths and legends. Ive always got four or five projects going at the same time.
Sharon Johnson/AP

A soldier from Austin was one of nine service members killed in a collision of Army helicopters during a training exercise in Kentucky on Wednesday night.

Officials at Fort Campbell, Ky., said Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, was among the victims.
SpaceX appears to be preparing to launch its giant Starship into orbit for the first time from South Texas.

After more than a year of delays, a launch could happen as soon as next week from Starbase at Boca Chica, technology news website Ars Technica reported, citing unidentified sources.

But SpaceXs plans still await a federal government go-ahead.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that the agency had not granted the operators license needed for the private space flight company to launch. Asked to provide details about the status of the long-awaited license, he said: The FAA will make a license determination only after the agency is satisfied SpaceX meets all licensing, safety and other regulatory requirements.

GROUNDED: Still lacking license for liftoff, SpaceX CEO Musk keeps hyping Starship  and predicting its launch

The FAA completed an environmental review of launch impacts in June and issued a finding of no significant impact on SpaceXs 47-acre site. But it required the company to take more than 75 additional actions to mitigate the potential impacts. Completion of those items was unclear late Monday.

Nonetheless, flight speculation was rampant after SpaceX on Saturday moved its Starship prototype Ship 24 to the launch site. Earlier last week, the company had lifted its Super Heavy booster  the first stage of the spacecraft  onto the launch mount.

SpaceX, which did not respond to requests for comment, has yet to announce a schedule for the long-awaited launch. But NASA has reserved its high-altitude WB-57 aircraft to observe a Starship orbital flight April 10 and 11. SpaceX has not confirmed whether Starship would fly in that time period.

Starship is billed as the largest rocket system ever assembled. NASA wants to use the reusable rocket to carry astronauts to the moon as part of its Artemis moon mission program. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also plans on using the reusable rocket to increase deployment of the company's Starlink network of communication satellites and has dreams of developing a fleet of the vehicles to colonize Mars.

RELATED: Enough to reach orbit! Musk says after SpaceX test-fires engines on big rocket in South Texas

But its journey to space has been long and sometimes troubled.

At the Starbase launch site, SpaceX recorded four failed attempts  some ending in fiery crashes  before successfully flying a Starship prototype more than 6 miles into the South Texas skies in May 2021. That same month, the company filed plans with regulators describing the possibility of a 90-minute orbital flight from South Texas to the coast of Hawaii.

Ever since, Musk has set and missed a series of target launch dates for an orbital test. As the FAA considered its application, he also suggested he could move launch operations to Florida, where SpaceX already has a license for orbital activities.

In October, a senior NASA official who oversees the agency's Artemis program said SpaceX would launch its first Starship in early December. In January, Musk took to Twitter to announce that SpaceX would launch in February or March. The predictions came as SpaceX set out to raise $750 million in a funding round that valued the company at $137 billion.

At the start of the year, SpaceX fueled a stacked Starship for the first time and went through a practice countdown.

RELATED: SpaceX, trying to get its Starship into orbit from South Texas, set to raise another $750 million

In February, it successfully test-fired 31 of 33 Raptor engines on a Super Heavy booster on the launch pad. It was considered the last major test before the company attempted its first-ever orbital launch from South Texas. The company said in a tweet that the booster produced 7.9 million pounds of thrust  less than half of the boosters capability.

By comparison, the NASA-built Space Launch System rocket, or SLS, produced 8.8 million pounds of thrust in November to send the uncrewed Artemis I mission to the moon. The Saturn V rocket of the Apollo programs in the 1960s and 1970s used 7.6 million pounds of thrust in liftoff.

If Starship is allowed to launch from Boca Chica, the Super Heavy booster would separate three minutes after takeoff and drop into the Gulf of Mexico about 20 miles off the Texas coast, according to the companys FAA filings. The Starship stage would continue into orbit and make a nearly complete trip around Earth before re-entering the atmosphere. It would splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 60 miles off the northwest coast of Hawaii.
Update: Parade winners

Few traces of Fiesta 2022 remain on the streets, but lets take a moment to acknowledge the winners of both the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades.

Battle of Flowers

6A bands

First place: Sandra Day OConnor High School

Second place: Churchill Hill School and Wagner High School (tie)

Third place: John Marshall High School

Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Sub-6A bands

First: Thomas Jefferson High School

Second: Sidney Lanier High School

Third: Luther Burbank High School

Out-of-town bands

First: Del Valle High School

Second: Taylor High School

Third: None

Water wagons

First: San Antonio Independent School District Mariachi Band

Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Second: Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School

Third: South San Antonio High School

Fourth: William J. Brennan High School

Civic/educational floats

First: St. George Episcopal School

Second: Fiesta Commission

Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Third: University Health System

School floats

First: Alamo Heights High Schools Ole, ole, ole

Second: Brennans Dutch Treat

Third: LEEs Amazon Adventures and Roosevelt High Schools GDay, Mate (tie)

Fiesta Flambeau

Commercial floats

First: Chick-fil-A

Second: Bill Miller/Community Health/Gonzaba

Third: La Michoacana

Community floats

First: Our Lady of the Lake/Ballet Festival/Danzavida

Second: San Antonio Zulu/UTSA/Image Dance

Third: San Antonio Lutheran Coronation/Beethoven Band

Out-of-town floats

First: McAllen Holiday Parade

Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Second: City of Schertz Sweetheart Court

Third: Floresville Peanut Festival/Texas Citrus Festival

High school dance

First: Southwest High School

Second: Sam Houston High School

Third: Thomas Jefferson High School/McCollum High School

Out-of-town dance

First: Alief Kerr High School

Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News

Second: Karnes City High School

Third: Medina Valley High School/Pleasanton High School

Out-of-state dance

First: T R Miller High School

Second: Demopolis High School

Third: Thomas County High School

College dance

University of Texas at San Antonio

Community dance

First: Samba Vida Drum & Dance

Second: Kazamba/The Del Rio Queen City Belles

Third: Charangas

Local cheer teams

First: Jefferson/Sidney Lanier High School

Second: Thomas Edison High School/Claudia T. Johnson High School

Third: Highlands High School/McCollum

Out-of-town cheer teams

First: Somerset High School

Second: St. Pius High School

Third: Pleasanton

Out-of-state cheer teams

First: T R Miller High School

Second: Demopolis High School

Third: Thomas County High School

Marching units

First: Pride San Antonio

Second: Amazon

Third: University Health System

Local bands

First: Sam Houston

Second: McCollum

Third: Johnson/Lanier

Out-of-town bands

First: Medina Valley

Second: Pleasanton/Alief Kerr

Third: Somerset

Out-of-state bands

First: Thomas County/DeSoto Central High School

Second: Bainbridge High School

Third: Saraland High School

College band

University of Texas at San Antonio

Equestrians

First: La Michoacana Meat Market

Second: Royal Rosarians

Vehicles

First: Military Civilian Ambassadors/San Antonio Conservation Society

Second: San Antonio Police Department Event Commander

Third: Toyota Sequoia #45

Special awards

Presidents Award: Floresville Peanut Festival

Parade Directors Award: Our Lady of the Lake University

Farthest Traveled: The Rosarians (from Portland, Ore.)

10:20 p.m., First Presbyterian Church parking lot at Avenue E and McCullough

Susan Smith and Mark Bevis watched the parade from the back of a pickup. The friends have kids in Boy Scout Troop 345, which is one of the groups responsible for setting up and taking down paid chairs along the parade route.

The group also was out at the Battle of Flowers Parade on Friday. Smith said its been neat to see some of the same bands both nights.

Yesterday was a super early morning, and we left about 1:30 in the afternoon when we got everything picked up, Bevis said. And then tonights going to be a super late night. Well probably get out of here at 1:30 or something like that.

Despite the long hours, the two said the parade has been fun to watch. This was their first time attending the parade.

Its pretty outstanding he said of the event, and Smith agreed.

On ExpressNews.com: Fiesta 2022 in photos

9:10 pm, Dewey and North Main

While newlywed Adam Guiza has called San Antonio home since 1999, he had never attended a Fiesta event before coming downtown for Saturday nights Fiesta Flambeau parade, although he recalls watching the proceedings on TV.

Im not big on crowds, he said.

By chance, circumstances led Guiza to attend this year. He works at a Dollar Tree right by the beginning of the parade route, so, as he put it, I figured Id check it out.

Holding up his phone to snap pictures of the passing floats, he said he was having a good time, sounding slightly surprised.

What Ive seen so far, Ive enjoyed, he said. He especially liked the Chick-fil-A float because of the music playing.

Guiza only wished his spouse, who is in Houston for work, could have been there with him.

But theres always next year.

You know what, he said, I will (attend).

On ExpressNews.com: The best San Antonio offers: King William Fair and Parade back to the delight of San Antonio families

9 p.m., Alamo Plaza

The Javens family was visiting San Antonio this weekend from Spring. It was a combined celebration, marking Roger and Jennifer Javens 15th anniversary and Savannah Javens ninth birthday.

Though they had heard about the parade, they hadnt sought out any information on how to view it. The family of four stumbled upon it when they went to get ice cream at Haagen-Dazs downtown near the Alamo after a fun-filled day at SeaWorld San Antonio.

Roger helped Savannah balance on one of the poles along Alamo Plaza street, and Jennifer did the same for 6-year-old Ashlyn.

This is fun, Jennifer said as she held onto her daughter. We werent expecting this.

On ExpressNews.com: Fiesta parade photos offer a blast from the past

8:10 p.m., North Main and Dewey

For 25 of the approximately 30 years Hugh Hemphill, 60, has lived in San Antonio, he has driven the same 1929 Ford Model A in Fiesta Flambeau.

After a while, they all start blending together, he said, but its still a lot of fun.

Hemphill is originally from Scotland and moved to Texas in the 1990s. When asked how he landed a role in one of San Antonios most iconic events, he said with a flash of humor, Not everyone can drive a stick shift.

Hemphill has always loved old cars, so he started volunteering at the Texas Transportation Museum shortly after he moved to town.

Thats how he met the Ford.

Sitting behind the wheel, Hemphill looked perfectly at home as he eyed the street ahead of him, waiting for his moment.

By now, he could probably do it in his sleep.

On ExpressNews.com: Battle of Flowers returns to San Antonio after two-year hiatus; 500,000 expected to attend

7:40 p.m., at the Cenotaph

Genevieve and Katie Shaw took selfies in front of the Cenotaph as they waited for the Fiesta Flambeau parade to pass by.

The mother and daughter, 47 and 9, were continuing a lifelong tradition of attending the parade. They also went to the Battle of Flowers Parade on Friday.

They were attending the evening event with Shaws other daughter, Sierrah Shaw, 18, and her friends.

This is like a happy place, Shaw said. We just wanted to enjoy it.

As the two walked away from the monument toward the Alamo, the wind started to pick up, kicking up dirt and leaves under the trees near the Cenotaph.

On ExpressNews.com: Its tradition: San Antonio families stake out Battle of Flowers viewing spots

7:15 p.m., West Courtland and Howard

As a San Antonio resident, Jeremiah Rhodes Middle School eighth-grader Chris Castro has attended plenty of Fiestas before, but hes never had the chance to walk in one.

Until now.

Castro, 14, will be carrying his schools banner Saturday night in Fiesta Flambeau along with one other student. Both were selected because they are members of Rhodes Leadership Officer Training Corps, a military track.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. Hanging out with one of his teachers, Bernardo Franco, Castro said he felt nervous.

Everyones (going to be) watching me! he said, likely including his dad and grandma.

But, he admitted, he felt something else besides anxiety: excitement.

On ExpressNews.com: The dazzling gowns of Fiestas Order of the Alamo Coronation 2022

Near San Antonio College, 6:40 p.m.

When the Texas Cavaliers float starts making its way along the Fiesta Flambeau parade route Saturday evening, it will be easily identifiable to the throngs of people lining the sidewalk.

Painted baby blue and bright red, the same colors as the Cavaliers uniform, the float was mostly handmade by Cavalier Rob Eversberg, 43, and one other man.

The project took several months to complete, but Eversberg is modest about his achievement. He wont even be riding on the top of the float.

Im just a worker bee, he said.

In the minutes before the parade started at 7 p.m., he was indeed as busy as one of the flying insects, making sure everything was in place.

Organizers expect 750,000 people to come downtown to watch Fiesta Flambeau, billed as the countrys largest illuminated night parade. This years theme is Celebrating Literary Classics. Itll follow the same route used by the Battle of Flowers Parade the previous day.

Standing on the sidewalk by where Eversberg was making last-minute preparations, Cavalier Tres Plummer, 32, said he and a friend will be carrying the Cavaliers banner in front of the float for the duration of the parade.

I think for all of us, it feels very significant, especially our families coming out of lockdown, said Plummer, a software developer. We feel like the citys come back out in droves. Theyre ready to see organizations that help charities, and theyre excited to see everyone.

In addition to holding the distinction of being the first unabbreviated Fiesta since the pandemic started, Fiesta 2022 is the first celebration Plummer will appear in as a member of the Cavaliers.

caroline.tien@hearst.com

megan.rodriguez@express-news.net
Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Police were on high alert Monday, and one person was arrested after several threats against two North Side schools were posted on social media over the weekend.

San Antonio law enforcement authorities said they were made aware of threats against Dr. Joe J. Bernal Middle School and Sotomayor High School over the weekend. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said it is working with the Northside Independent School District Police Department to find those involved and that police presence has been increased at both schools as a precaution.
A driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into an apartment on the East San Antonio late Saturday night, according to San Antonio police.

Crime & courts: Surgeon killed wife with poisoned pastry 54 years ago; that's the theory, at least

A woman was traveling down North Walters street in a dark blue Mazda CX9 at a high rate of speed about 11 p.m. Saturday, according to police. She lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the outdoor patio of a first-floor apartment at North Walters Street and Gabriel Street, police said.

No one in the apartment was injured, police said.

The driver's name was not released. No charges were immediately filed, but the driver was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to police. The investigation is ongoing.
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The San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle have been honored by Investigative Reporters and Editors for their team coverage of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde.

IRE announced Monday that the two papers won its award for "investigations triggered by breaking news." The award recognizes investigative reporting published within 30 days of a news event. It was among two dozen prizes awarded in various categories as part of IREs annual journalism competition.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 24 shooting in Uvalde. The Express-News and the Chronicle, both part of Hearst Newspapers, collaborated in covering the disaster.

"This team of journalists sprang into action, delivering fast, accurate and often exclusive breaking news," the IRE judges said. "As multiple newsrooms simultaneously worked to cover one of the biggest stories of the year, staff from the Express-News and the Chronicle stood out for providing readers with an emerging timeline of what happened during the shooting, raising questions early on about law enforcements response."

The IRE award recognized five stories that quickly brought to light significant new information about how the massacre unfolded, how the teenage gunman acquired his arsenal and how police bungled their response to the shooting, waiting more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman.

The articles were principally reported by Guillermo Contreras and Brian Chasnoff of the Express-News and St. John Barned-Smith of the Chronicle. Jacob Beltran and Annie Blanks of the Express-News and Emily Foxhall of the Chronicle contributed.

On May 24, just hours after the massacre, Barned-Smith reported that the 18-year-old gunman had purchased two assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition the week before the shooting  just days after he turned 18 and could legally make the purchases.

The next day, Contreras and Chasnoff described how, days before the killing spree, the gunman telegraphed his intentions on social media, posting a photo of two assault rifles on Instagram and messaging a girl to say: Im about to.

On May 31, a week after the disaster, Contreras debunked a key part of the official narrative. Top state law enforcement officials had blamed a teacher for carelessly leaving open a door through which the gunman entered Robb Elementary.

Contreras reported  and state officials confirmed  that this was untrue: The teacher pulled the door shut behind her, and the gunman was able to enter because the lock was faulty.

On June 4, before bodycam or security footage had been made public, Contreras published a detailed reconstruction of the massacre based in part on law enforcement interviews with a 10-year-old boy who was in a classroom with the gunman and who survived the massacre.

Among other startling details, the story reported that Uvalde school police chief Pedro Pete Arredondo  the incident commander that day  did not bring his police radio with him into Robb Elementary, severely limiting his communications with other officers and his situational awareness.

On June 18, Chasnoff revealed that investigators had determined that during the entire 77-minute standoff, police officers never tried to open the door to the interconnected classrooms where the gunman was holed up with his victims. The door probably was unlocked the whole time, Chasnoff reported.

Of the reporters recognized by IRE, Barned-Smith is now at the Hearst-owned San Francisco Chronicle. Foxhall is now at the Texas Tribune, and Chasnoff works in communications for the city of San Antonio.

Covering the Uvalde catastrophe presented a high degree of difficulty. From the start, authorities kept information tightly bottled up. Not until 4 p.m. on May 24, four and a half hours after the gunmans rampage, did Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reveal the scale of the carnage.

Even then, Abbott understated the death toll and mistakenly depicted the police response as heroic. State officials continued to release incorrect information for days, complicating reporters efforts to find out what happened in Classrooms 111 and 112 at Robb Elementary.

IRE, founded in 1975, is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. It maintains a resource center and databases for reporters, hosts conferences, and conducts specialized training across the country. Its programs include the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a collaboration with the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, where IRE is based.
A San Antonio police officer was among three people injured in a multi-vehicle crash early Sunday morning, according to police.

The officer was stopped at a traffic light in the 4900 block of Eisenhauer Road when a vehicle traveling at a high speed struck his police car, according to police. That vehicle overturned due to the impact, police said.
Bob Owen, Staff Photographer / Staff photographer

The son of a former cartel leader was sentenced to federal prison for attempting to smuggle assault weapons into Mexico.

Osiel Cardenas-Salinas Jr., of Brownsville, pleaded guilty last year to attempting to purchase 10 assault rifles to export across the U.S. border. On March 23, a federal judge in Brownsville sentenced Cardenas-Salinas Jr. to serve nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a $20,000 fine.
Now Playing: Glow Kayaking Tour by Paddle SMTX in San Marcos, TX Video: Abigail Im Multimedia producer

Need a break from the higher temperatures as spring sets in? A night kayak tour of the San Marcos River might be right for you.

Paddle SMTX, which offers tours in clear kayaks with glowing lights, opened up for its 2023 season last month.
Prosecutors are asking a federal judge to sentence a San Marcos man who ran for Congress to 45 days in jail for his role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Samuel Christopher Montoya, 37, was an employee of Austin-based shock jock Alex Jones' InfoWars at the time of the riots. Montoya claimed he was acting as a video journalist when he went into the Capitol in Washington, D.C., with other supporters of then-President Donald Trump. He said he only was there to film and document what took place.

He is scheduled for sentencing on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Federal officials said Montoya was a participant who joined the crowd to try to stop the certification of then-President-elect Joe Biden, and they are using Montoya's own video recording against him.

Capitol riots: San Antonio man charged in U.S. Capitol riot

Federal prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed that Montoya had no legitimate media credentials and entered clearly restricted areas of the Capitol after the crowd had broken in or forced their way past police, and joined them in the "lawlessness." He remained at the Capitol for nearly 40 minutes.

Federal prosecutors also claim Montoya, despite pleading guilty to a misdemeanor for his role, has not shown remorse and instead tried to use his prosecution for political gain during an unsuccessful run for public office. Montoya launched a congressional campaign as a Republican in Texas' 35th Congressional District,which stretches from Austin to San Antonio. The primary on March 1, 2022, ended with other candidates  not Montoya  advancing to a runoff, according to Ballotpedia.

The memo said Montoya's campaign website address was capitolsam.com, a reference to the Capitol. The now-defunct website included a section entitled Arrest and Political Persecution. In an online appearance on the David Knight show, Montoya claimed that he was running because of his experience being targeted and persecuted for being a cameraman doing his job on Jan. 6., the memo said.

We were there to protest what we saw as election  inaccuracies, Montoya said on that show.

"For more than a year, Montoya insisted that he was being persecuted for being a reporter doing his job, despite his own video showing that he was a participant," prosecutors wrote. "Not only did Montoya refuse to accept responsibility, he displayed pride in his actions on Jan. 6 and sought to use them for political gain, branding his congressional website, 'capitolsam.com'".

Montoya was originally charged with five misdemeanors, but as part of a plea deal he pleaded guilty in November 2022 to one charge of illegally parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol.

The prosecution memorandum also said Montoya did not have media credentials to enter the Capitol. The memo said Montoya had a Women

for America First Press Pass, purporting to authorize entry to the March for America rally nearby earlier that day, which would have allowed him access to a media event at the Ellipse but not entry onto Capitol grounds or into the Capitol building.

The prosecution memo also noted that Jones, on a podcast in April 2021, said Montoya did not have his blessing to go to Washington.

"Jones denied sending Montoya to Washington, D.C., on InfoWars behalf, claiming that he had told Montoya to stay behind (in Texas) to work on the InfoWars broadcasts while Jones and others were in Washington, D.C. Jones said that Montoya went to D.C. on his own, and that Jones had instructed his staff not to go inside the U.S. Capitol," the memo said of Jones.

Montoya was laid off when Jones and his InfoWars entity declared bankruptcy in the face of lawsuits related to Jones' conspiracy theories claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, in which 20 young students and six staff members were killed, was a "giant hoax."

The prosecution memo said Montoya knew before going into the Capitol that neither he nor those rioting were permitted on the Capitol grounds or inside. The memo cites Montoya's statements and actions recorded on the video he took that day.

We are taking back the Capitol! Right now, Montoya said, as he noted police had fired tear gas and rubber bullets at those in the crowd to try to keep them out. Were gonna crawl, were gonna climb. Were gonna do whatever it takes, were gonna do whatever it takes to MAGA. Here we go, yall.  I dont wanna get shot, Ill be honest, but I dont wanna lose my country. And thats more important to me than  than

getting shot.

Around him, people yelled, storm the Capitol! and now or never! as he filmed rioters advancing through scaffolding, using bicycle

racks to climb up the side of a staircase connecting the Lower West and Upper West Terraces, and walking up the staircases banister.

Montoya also acknowledged that it was "not a peaceful protest" and that he saw people on the roof and climbing the rafters to get into the Capitol to take their country back.

After admiring that people around him were ready for freedom and liberty, Montoya joined them.

Im not even taking stairs, folks. Im climbing the rafters like everybody else," he said. "I dont know how all these people are getting in the Capitol. I dont know whats going on with the Capitol Police. Honestly, its a madhouse.

The 26-page prosecution memo cites other instances where Montoya notes he is a participant. He entered through the Senate wing door, within five minutes of the initial breach there. It was the first breach of the building that day.

Montoya yelled, we are in the Capitol baaaby! Yeah! and joined chants of Whose house? Our house?

As the building's alarms blared, he continued advancing near the front of the crowd into the Crypt, an area in the building that gave access to lawmaker's offices. A police line had formed, but the officers were vastly outnumbered and a standoff ensued.

"These cops are probably really scared right now, yall, and I dont blame them," Montoya said. "I dont blame them for being scared. Everybody has had enough and were all piling in here, right now. So I dont wanna see anybody get hurt, I dont wanna see anybody get hurt, thats the last thing I wanna see today. Were all being a little bit too rowdy, for sure."

The advance continued.

"By that point, the rioters did not need to assault officers to advance; given their superior numbers, they simply had to move forward," the memo said. "Several officers recalled being pushed against the walls as the mob overran the police line; one remembered that he was pinned so tightly that he could not move his arms to secure his weapon and had difficulty breathing. Officers found themselves trapped and isolated within the crowd."

Montoya also filmed rioters as they broke a window leading into the Speaker's Lobby to try to get inside. At the time, Nancy Pelosi was the House speaker and some rioters targeted her, among other lawmakers.

The lawmakers hid or were evacuated to safety as the crowd was advancing, and Montoya recorded as one rioter, Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, fell back when she was fatally shot by police as she tried to climb through the broken Speaker's Lobby door window.

In a defense sentencing memorandum, Montoya's lawyer, Don Flanary of San Antonio, said that Montoya's actions that day were out of character, as the defense attorney argues for a sentence of probation or house arrest.

Flanary's memo said his client is sorry for his actions. The defense memo includes more than a dozen letters from Montoya's relatives and friends, including his parents, who have been pastors at Mt. Sinai Pentocostal Church in San Marcos for 52 years. Montoya is the youngest of their three children.

"Mr. and Mrs. Montoya state that Samuel has looked after his father throughout his journey with salivary gland cancer in 2018 and has helped his mother with her health issues," the memo said. "They describe Samuel as their right-hand man and state that he has their love and support. Both believe Samuel is remorseful, sorry for his actions, and request leniency from the court."

His sister, a social worker in Colorado, said that Montoya was influenced by outside forces, but that he has had time to reflect and is now "truly remorseful."

"I believe that the incident that led to the current charge was a complicated and layered result of influence by many people and factors that have come to light over the past several years at the national level," she wrote.

She added that her brother has already suffered some consequences:

"The emotional imprint of personally witnessing the shooting and death of (Ashli) Babbitt, the public humiliation by the national media and the experience of his employer's criticism publicly and nationally are heavy consequences that he has already endured and will continue to deal with for life."

Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Bates could sentence Montoya to up to a year in jail. Whatever sentence Montoya gets, he has agreed to pay $500 in restitution as part of his plea deal.

More than 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the breach of the Capitol. They caused more than $2.7 million in damage, the prosecution memo said.
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP)  A court in Algiers on Sunday sentenced a prominent journalist in the North African country to five years in prison with two years suspended and ordered his website and a radio station shut down based on the accusation that they threaten state security.

Ihsane El-Kadi was detained Dec. 23 at his home in the capital, Algiers. He was accused of receiving foreign funding for his outlets. He has remained in custody since his arrest and appeared in court on Sunday for the verdict, along with a collective of lawyers, defending him, journalists and family members.
Felix D. Almaraz Jr. and I met regularly for lunch to catch up on each others readings, writing projects and scholarly pursuits and on social history (gossip).

At our lunch get-together on March 8, 2018, we achieved a new milestone  50 years of friendship! And it all started when I was a junior at St. Marys University, in the first summer session of 1968, and I took his history class H.S. 307  the Spanish Southwest.

Almaraz died in hospice care last month. He was 89.

I still have two notebooks full of lecture notes that I took for the class. He would walk into the classroom and immediately begin writing on the blackboard the outline for the days lecture. His lectures were delightful stories, skillfully embroiled with a melodious and stylish delivery, carefully planned and timed with the utmost eloquence, prose and elegance.

A tenured professor of history, Almaraz retired from the University of Texas at San Antonio at the end of August 2011, after 50 years in education. After he left St. Marys University, he taught at Pan American University in Edinburg and spent one year at the University of Texas at Austin in 1970. He then moved to the South San Antonio Independent School District to take over the reins of the newly established bilingual education program.

I called him in the spring of 1971 to say hello, and he asked if I needed a job. I did need to find gainful employment because I was getting married in a few months. He asked if I would accept an opening he had in the bilingual program as a curriculum writer, and I immediately jumped at the opportunity. We spent two years working together, and in 1973, he moved to the new campus of UTSA, and I stayed with the school district.

When Jo Emma and I married in the summer of 1971 in Zapata, Almaraz and his wife were our padrinos de brindis (Godparents of Toasts). There is no doubt from my many experiences with Almaraz that he left deep footprints through a life of friendship, teaching and, most important, through a life of love for his family and friends. His brilliant mind and sense of humor will always be remembered.

And during the month of April 2017, I reminded him about the 25th anniversary of the publication of his first column for the San Antonio Express-News. It appeared on Wednesday, April 22, 1992, on the topic of, Coahuila, Texas joined in founding of Mexico. Henceforth, for the next two years, he wrote many columns on historical and cultural themes, laced with his exquisite lapidary prose. I can see why in 2009 Almaraz received the Arts and Letters Award from the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library.

In the mid-1990s, I invited Almaraz to bring his Chautauqua portrayal of Sen. Sam Houston to about 600 students and the social studies faculties from three middle schools. The students experienced an outstanding performance of Houston. Moreover, they learned a different perspective of Texas and American history events. Almaraz wore clothing and props for his 45-minute performance, which closely resembled the Texas leader by including a broad-brimmed Panama hat, fur looking vest, tie and a Mexican blanket to use as an overcoat.

For more than 50 years, we maintained our connections through the different stages of our lives, growing old together. We were learning and drawing strength, knowledge, wisdom and support from each other.

There is something special about getting together with a lifelong friend to celebrate the gift of fellowship.

My very dear friend, may you rest in peace.

J. Gilberto Quezada and wife Jo Emma live in San Antonio. He is a retired educator and an author, writer, essayist and poet. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Catholic Southwest, A Journal of History and Culture.
Thursdays Express-News editorial page is replete with comments that require addressing.

To the writer who questioned those who defend former President Donald Trump against them by asking who them is: Them is the national media, the weaponized Department of Justice, the irresponsible FBI and the woke mob who are destroying our country.

To the writer who suggests that Trump followers have no idea what Hillary Clinton might have been guilty of, here are some thoughts: Benghazi, her secret server, 30,000 deleted personal emails and funding research that became the ridiculous Steele dossier. If no one is above the law, does that include Hillary Clinton and the Biden family?

To the writer who was disappointed that President Joe Biden was called a liar without offering any evidence, I ask, have you been paying attention? Biden has been lying to Americans since the day he took office, starting with his pledge of transparency and continuing with his lies about his sons business dealings with China.

Earl W. Brannon

A circus at the Alamo

The group trying to claim Moses Roses Hideout through eminent domain isnt going to stop until they make a complete circus out of our Alamo and its surroundings.

Michael B. White

In pursuit of happiness

Never before have I witnessed such a clear delineation of human behaviors that either support or suppress our citizens pursuit of happiness.

I find it especially galling that elected officials, allegedly serving the people, have taken it upon themselves to intentionally interfere with a persons choices in medical decisions of such a personal nature as reproductive health and gender affirming treatment.

Likewise, it seems counter to our forefathers intent for government to take aggressive measures to thwart the open dialogue or acknowledgment of important topics like LGBTQ issues and past historical events that display the unfair treatment of people that appear different from our WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) ancestors.

E. Scott Ray

Support public schools

Parental choice, with all religious schools participating, will only result in more civil polarization.

If parents want a religious school experience for their children, they should be willing to pay for it.

The U.S. public school system should be supported, not castigated, not bankrupted. Public schools educate all students; they do not select students for admittance. They do not inquire into the parents religious beliefs or sexual habits.

Edward J. Powers Sr.
State Rep. James Talaricos favorite book includes nine sex scenes and a sexual assault and happens to be a Texas classic.

If not the great Texas novel.

So during a legislative debate about a bill trying to rid school libraries of sexually explicit material, Talarico asked bill author Rep. Jared Patterson if Larry McMurtrys beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove, would be removed under the proposed legislation.

I dont care if its Lonesome Dove or any other novel  if it has sexually explicit material, I would view that as an incredible win for the students of the state to not have that material in the library, said Patterson, who had not read the book.

Patterson told members of the House Public Education Committee that the aim of his bill is simple: If a book has sexually explicit content, it has no home on any bookshelf in any of Texas nearly 9,000 K-12 campuses.

To many of those who would be affected by the bill, the legislation is anything but simple.

Legal experts, librarians and some parents have raised concerns that the bills language is vague and broad enough to ensnare books that are not inappropriate. They worry those titles absences from shelves could restrict the learning and growth of students whose experiences may not be reflected in the books that would remain.

Among other things, House Bill 900  deemed a priority of Speaker Dade Phelan  would require a mandatory school library standard, ratings by book vendors before they sell them to schools and banning some books that portray sexual conduct, as well as parental consent to access library materials that include sexual content that is allowed under the bill. The Public Education Committee advanced the bill Wednesday, the same day a Senate bill that limits school library books was debated in a committee meeting in the upper chamber.

Proponents of such measures say schools are infested with inappropriate books that deal with matters that are better discussed at home  if at all. Opponents fear the books that will end up being targeted will be those that explore race; sexual orientation and gender identity; and unique, traumatic experiences that a student may not be comfortable discussing but could read about in a book. Other bills would make it easier to charge municipal librarians with crimes for allowing access to books deemed inappropriate.

The legislation targeting school library books is the latest frontier in a larger battle thats being waged across the state about what information public schools provide kids. In 2021, lawmakers restricted how educators can teach controversial current events and Americas history of racism. This year, legislators are considering proposals that would outlaw gay pride events at schools and limit school lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Though the bills do not explicitly mention books that center LGBTQ people or experiences, some worry thats what will be targeted in any bans that pass.

Theres a lot of ways that these bills that are plainly aimed at attacking LGBTQ+ youth, and educators are going to sweep much broader, said Paige Duggins-Clay, a legal analyst at the Intercultural Development Research Association, a San Antonio education nonprofit. Just the fact that we are debating these issues and debating the humanity and the dignity of queer youth is causing a lot of harm.

Patterson did not respond to interview requests sent via email, but denied such characterizations.

This is not a fight about silencing minority voices and this is not an argument about race or gender, or religion or political ideology, Patterson said at the beginning of the hearing. There is one common denominator in the books that were addressing with this bill and that is sexually explicit content.

Rating books content

Under HB 900, any entity that sells books to schools in the state will have to give every title that has references or depictions of sex one of two designations  sexually relevant or sexually explicit.

The bill defines sexually relevant as material that describes or portrays sexual activity and is part of required school curriculum. It defines sexually explicit as material describing or portraying sexual behavior that is patently offensive and not part of required curriculum. State law defines patently offensive as materials that are an affront to current community standards of decency.

Vendors will not be able to sell to districts or to open-enrollment charters any books they deem to have sexually explicit material. Students wanting to check out sexually relevant material would have to get parental approval.

And by September, vendors will have to retroactively give every book theyve sold to school districts in the past one of those two labels. The same list will be required to be submitted annually for books sold during the preceding year.

The rating requirement and its deadline will create a state of chaos that will hinder business in the state and limit the quantity of material that will be going into school libraries, said Shirley Robinson, executive director of the Texas Library Association.

Vendors range from independent local shops to big-time companies and stores like Amazon or Walmart, Robinson said.

Were all trying to get at the same thing, which is to make sure that librarians and parents are partnering together for the best interest of our students, she said. Where it starts to get really difficult is in some of the specific requirements of these bills that do not take into consideration how broad the state of Texas is.

The state has about 5.3 million schoolchildren and more than 1,000 school systems with varying resources and capabilities. The bill would also require school systems to follow library collection standards to be adopted by the State Library and Archives Commission in consultation with the State Board of Education. Currently, the states voluntary library standards offer guidelines that school districts must consider, but are not required to follow. A library commission spokesperson said the state agency had no position on this years proposed bills.

School boards have typically set policy that helps support library standards at the district level, serving as a sort of first line of defense to help ensure that materials are appropriate, Robinson said. There are also policies that inform specific situations  such as when a book needs to be replaced  as well as policies for people to contest the availability of particular books.

There are so many processes and policies that are in place that are in accordance with our state and federal statutes that already comply with the Texas penal code, Robinson said, adding she and her colleagues are trying to figure out how HB 900 would change those.

The bill would prohibit the acquisition of harmful material; prohibit the possession, acquisition and purchasing of books rated sexually explicit; allow the exclusion of materials that are pervasively vulgar or deemed educationally unsuitable; and recognize that obscene content is not protected by the First Amendment, according to the bills text.

But librarians and educators say the bills definitions could be interpreted any number of ways. And that some books that have literary, scientific or other value could be unfairly deemed sexually explicit.

Some librarians worry the legislation will keep important literature away from kids, which could exacerbate mental health issues the COVID-19 pandemic already worsened, they say. The disruptions caused by the pandemic  such as school closures and social isolation  affected students throughout the country. Without books that reflect their experiences, youth from marginalized communities may feel further isolated.

But some librarians fear speaking out because theyre scared of potential backlash.

The concern here is that they are trying to go to a one-size-fits-all solution for libraries, said Lucy Podmore of the Texas Association of School Librarians. Librarians know that campus needs vary from campus to campus.

Current standards dont require campuses to have certified librarians, individuals required to have a bachelors degree, a masters degree in library or information science, at least two years of classroom instruction experience and certification. HB 900 does not create a mandate that campus librarians be certified.

The Senates approach

Although similar, Senate Bill 13, a priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, has some key differences from HB 900.

The bill would require that parents have access to a list of school library materials a child has obtained.

Districts will be required to notify parents who opt in each time their child obtains a library material from the school library, including the title, author and genre.

Similar to HB 900, the Senate pitch would create new library standards  although a bit differently. The state library commission would submit proposed standards to the education board for approval or disapproval.

The standards would prohibit material deemed harmful and require a commitment to limit childrens exposure to pornography.

School systems would be required to adhere to the standards.

Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney, who filed the bill, said during a Senate committee hearing this week that an amended version of the legislation bars content that meets the Federal Communications Commissions definition of indecent material, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Additionally, she said the new SB 13 would make it clear the bills standards for the library commission apply to school libraries, not all libraries. The Texas Tribune could not immediately get a copy of the reworked bill.

The premise of this bill is very simple, Paxton said. No child should pick up a book in their school library and find inappropriate, harmful material within its pages.

The bill relies on existing state laws definition of harmful material, which is content that appeals focused on sex, nudity or excretion; is considered patently offensive; and has no redeeming social value for kids.

It would also remove from state law the ability of teachers or librarians to argue that material has educational value as a way to defend themselves against criminal charges. That would pave the way for educators to be prosecuted when accused of selling, distributing or displaying materials deemed harmful to a minor.

Some people testifying before the Senate panel pushed back on that portion of the bill and expressed fear that subjective interpretations of what is and isnt harmful could be applied unevenly and unfairly, with little recourse for librarians and teachers.

The First Amendment of our Constitution protects everyone. Texas law should as well, David Wheeler, the owner of a game and comic store, testified during the hearing. Librarians, book sellers, teachers and others should be protected if they in good faith believe that books that they have included in a collection, displayed or sold have literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

Paxton said the bill does not do anything to get librarians arrested and said that affirmative educational defenses have been used as an excuse in the past.

Disclosure: Amazon Web Services has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Traffic is down to one lane on Highway 22 in New Sit
The ongoing Integrating Trees Network (ITN) scheme is looking to expand and attract more host farmers and crofters across Scotland.

The initiative aims to raise awareness of the benefits that trees can bring to farming and crofting businesses.

The networks on-farm visits and online events are led by the host farmers and crofters, backed with support from the Scottish government and Scottish Forestry.

To date, the network has held 24 events which have brought together farmers across Scotland to share their experiences and learn from each other.

The host farmers have played a pivotal role in making the initiative a success and the plan is to boost the number of of hosts taking part

Lyn White, Scottish Forestrys farming development officer said: The ITN is a fabulous way for farmers and crofters to see and hear directly from their counterparts about tree planting.

The events are informal and the beauty is that all those taking part can get practical advice and support, and make contacts, to help them integrate trees into their businesses.

The current network of hosts have been brilliant and offered so much expertise to others who are considering growing trees for the first time.

Each host has shared their practical knowledge, ranging from why they wanted to grow trees, their practical experiences of planting and managing trees, to the benefits trees bring to their business.

Discussions at the events have included integrating trees at every scale: shelterbelts; croft woodlands; small scale woodland creation and commercial scale projects.

The most popular events focused on integrating trees to improve biodiversity on farms, the Woodland Carbon Code and how best to design shelterbelts.

Richard Lockett, who runs Knockbain Farm in Dingwall, is one of the host farmers and is also a conservation advisor.

He says other farmers would be welcome to join the network: Ive very much enjoyed being part of ITN," he adds.

"Hosting events and being part of online discussions has been a great chance to share what were doing as well as an opportunity to hear different perspectives and ideas from lots of different people.

Farmers and crofters who would like to join the Integrating Trees Network as a host should contact Lyn.White@forestry.gov.scot or Hilary.Grant@gov.scot
The UK's safety watchdog has urged the public to stay safe around cattle during the Easter break following a spate of livestock-related deaths in recent years.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it regularly investigates incidents involving cattle and the public, with a proportion of these incidents involving serious injury and sometimes death.

While the vast majority of walkers enjoy the countryside safely without any problems, going through fields where there are cattle can be hazardous.

On average, between one and two members of the public are killed each year while using public rights of way, according to HSE figures, while many others suffer serious injury.

Incidents in which walkers are killed or injured often involve cows with calves, or bulls. Those injured or killed usually have a dog with them.

HSE inspector Wayne Owen said all cattle should be "treated with respect", and the public should be aware this Easter break.

He said: Even docile cattle, when under stress, perhaps because of the weather, illness, unusual disturbance, or when maternal or other instincts are aroused, can become aggressive."

Farmers have a legal responsibility to manage their herds to reduce risk to people using footpaths and other rights of way.

Last year, a Lancashire farmer received a prison sentence for safety breaches after an 83-year-old man was fatally attacked by cattle in 2020.

Mr Owen added: Farmers should carefully consider the risk before putting cattle into fields with footpaths, for example cows and calves are best kept in alternative fields."

What is the advice for farmers?

HSE has given out some key considerations for farmers and landowners to consider:

 No dairy bulls should be kept in fields with public access at any time.

 Where possible avoid putting cattle, especially cows with calves, in fields with public access.

 Where there is a need to keep cattle with calves or a bull in a field with public access, do all that you can to keep animals and people separated. Consider the use of fencing (permanent or temporary e.g. electric fencing). This is particularly important at busy times or where access routes are heavily used.

 Assess the temperament of any cattle before putting them into a field with public access.

 If cattle, especially cows with calves, do need to be put into fields with public access, keep this period to a minimum.

 Position feed and water troughs away from public access routes and away from public entrances and exists to the field.

 Put in place a system to monitor any cattle in fields with public access at least on a daily basis. It may be worth recording this.

 Consider culling any animal that shows signs of aggression.

 Any animal that has shown any sign of aggression must not be kept in a field with public access.

 Clearly sign post all public access routes across the farm. Display signage at all entrances to the field stating what is in the field (cows with calves / bulls).
A Cornish farm which is the world's leading grower and packer of daffodil flowers has been launched as a LEAF Demonstration Farm in recognition of its sustainable practices.

Varfell Farms, based at Long Rock, Penzance, will now act as a hub for demonstration, learning and knowledge exchange as part of the LEAF Demonstration Farm initiative.

The network of LEAF Demonstration Farms includes a range of farm businesses across England and Scotland.

Varfell is also one of the UKs largest agri-business firms, supplying blooms and bulbs to multiple retailers, as well as exporting to Europe.

The farming business produces 65% of the worlds daffodil flowers and holds around 60% of the daffodil bulbs in the world across 200 varieties.

As well as daffodils, the business, which has been LEAF Marque certified since 2012, also grows over one million stems of agapanthus and peonies.

As well as hosting visits for other growers, Varfell will offer a living classroom for a broad range of community groups to see more climate positive practices in action.

LEAFs technical director, Vicky Robinson said Varfell Farms was "leading the way" in pushing sustainable, regenerative farming in the cut flower industry.

"It is absolutely critical that we link up with leading businesses to promote best practice and thinking into more sustainable, regenerative growing techniques across a wide range of farming sectors.

"The work being carried out here, the commitment of everyone involved throughout the business will bring a wealth of expertise and crucial information on the role and development of Integrated Farm Management in this sector."

The launch comes amid LEAF's Penwith Landscape Partnerships Farming Futures project, which supports farms that are sensitive to Penwith's landscape, heritage and biodiversity.

The project has supported a number of growers in the region to become LEAF Marque certified and has worked to promote farming practices that are sustainable.

Simon Gardner, farms director at Varfell Farms added: Being a LEAF Demonstration Farm will help improve understanding of what more regenerative farming looks like in action."
NASA may have collected the first evidence of life on Mars.

NASA could have found life on Mars

The space agency's Perseverance Rover has gathered 'alien' deposits from the Red Planet but will have a long wait for proof as the samples are not due back on Earth until 2033.

The Perseverance Rover has drilled down into the rocky outcrop Berea - which is likely to have formed from deposits carried downstream by an ancient river that flowed beyond the Jezero crater that the Rover has been exploring.

NASA scientist Katie Strack Morgan explained that Berea rock is one of the best hopes of finding life on Mars.

She said: "The rock is rich in carbonate. Carbonate rocks on Earth can be good at preserving fossilised life forms.

"If biosignatures were present in this part of Jezero crater, it could be a rock like this one that could very well hold their secrets."
Russian soldiers are too drunk to fight in Ukraine.

Russian soldiers are too drunk to fight in the Ukraine war

An extraordinary assessment by British intelligence has revealed that Vladimir Putin's army is full of boozed-up troops who are unable to fight effectively.

The Russian army has been struggling in Ukraine and Ministry of Defence officials are convinced that "alcohol abuse" is linked to the military's poor performance.

The intelligence has cited reports of an "extremely high" number of incidents, crimes and deaths linked to drunkenness amongst Putin's soldiers.

There have been reports of drunken brawls as demoralised and terrified Russian soldiers guzzle vodka and it has also been claimed that some drunken troops have mistakenly blown themselves up with grenades.

The MoD said: "Russian commanders likely identify pervasive alcohol abuse as particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness.

"However, with heavy drinking pervasive across much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations."

The assessment is another damning verdict on the Russian military as troops are already said to be under-equipped and undertrained, with soldiers being sent into battle armed with little more than shovels in some cases.

Putin has failed to make the progress he expected in the Ukraine conflict and seemingly has his future as Russian president tied to the success or failure of the war.
Chris Hemsworth has shared a glimpse of his latest action film amid a report he is planning to slow down his acting career.

Chris Hemsworth has shared a glimpse of his latest action film amid a report he is planning to slow down his acting career

The Thor actor, who is said to be planning on reducing his workload after discovering he could be vulnerable in later life to Alzheimers while he filmed his National Geographic and Disney+ docuseries Limitless, appeared in a clip he and Netflix released on Instagram celebrating the shooting of his upcoming sequel Extraction 2.

He shouts in the clip, filmed on the back of a speeding train in the snow while its director Sam Hargrave stands behind him: Two things are very different from the last film. One  its very, very cold. Two  I'm alive. How? You'll have to find out  watch the movie.

Filmmaker Sam, 40, said on Instagram: Thats a wrap on day one of Extraction 2 with the train location.

We got a lot of snow today, but it looks pretty great on camera, so we'll take it.

Extraction 1 left fans on a cliffhanger as Chris black ops mercenary character Tyler appeared to have been left for dead, though there was a hint he could still be living.

The sequel is said to pit Tyler against a ruthless Georgian gangster, when he is tasked with rescuing a family he has imprisoned.

Chris has been flooded with messages of support from fans since a source told Page Six he doesnt plan to take on many roles because of (learning about his high risk of) Alzheimers after he finishes four upcoming projects, which include reprising his Thor role in an upcoming Avengers sequel, and a part in an untitled biopic of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan.

Chris, who has children India, 10, and nine-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha with his Snakes on a Plane actress wife Elsa Pataky, 46, has told Vanity Fair he is not talking about retiring by any means due to his Alzheimers warning.

But he admitted to the magazine there was an intensity in navigating the test results that showed he was at high risk of the disease, which he got last November.

After having bloodwork done for the Limitless show he was informed he is between eight and 10 times likelier to develop Alzheimers than others as he is among the 2 to 3 per cent of people with two copies of the gene APOE4.

He said: Yeah, there was an intensity to navigating it. Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death in the hope that we'll somehow avoid it.

We all have this belief that well figure it out. Then to all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality.

For me, the positive of it was like, Right, if I didnt know this information, I wouldnt have made the changes I made.

I just wasnt aware of any of it, so now I feel thankful that I have in my arsenal the sort of tools to best prepare myself and prevent things happening in that way.

He also admitted his dread over the illness potentially affecting his career, saying: The idea that I won't be able to remember the life I've experienced, or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear.
Sri Lankas garment exports stood at $778.4 million during January-February 2023, which decreased 16.8 per cent over the exports of $935.6 million in the same period of the previous year, as per statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its garment exports dropped by 14.7 per cent in February 2023 due to the slowdown in the world economy.

Sri Lanka's garment exports decreased by 16.8 per cent to $778.4 million in Jan-Feb 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. Textile exports increased by 9.1 per cent, while other made-up textile articles decreased by 21.6 per cent. Overall, textile products exports totalled $855.7 million, accounting for 54.87 per cent of all industrial exports.

During the first two months of 2023, textile exports from the island nation increased by 9.1 per cent year-on-year to $60.5 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles stood at $16.8 million during the same period, down 21.6 per cent, according to the central banks report titled External Sector Performance.

Textiles, garment, and other made-up textile articles exports together accounted for 54.87 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the period under review, the report showed. The exports of all textile products totalled $855.7 million in January-February 2023. While Sri Lankan total industrial exports stood at $1,558.3 million in the first two months of the current year.

In February 2023, all textile products exports from the South Asian nation declined by 13.1 per cent year-on-year to reach $431.3 million. Category-wise, garment exports decreased by 14.7 per cent to $389.5 million, while textile exports gained 19.5 per cent to $33.1 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles were down by 27.1 per cent to $8.8 million.

On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles eased 40.1 per cent to $383.4 million, while clothing and accessories imports were down by 33.8 per cent to $32.2 million during January-February 2023.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
A delegation from Bangladesh urged the European Union (EU) to consider textile threshold criteria for Bangladesh in the newly proposed generalised scheme of preferences (GSP) provisions. The delegation met European Parliament vice president Heidi Hautala in Brussels recently.

Issues of bilateral trade, graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status, the proposed EU GSP scheme for 2024-2034, its challenges, preparedness to face those and the continuation of the development momentum of Bangladesh were discussed by the delegation led by Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah, principal secretary to the prime minister.

A delegation from Bangladesh visiting Brussels recently urged the EU to consider textile threshold criteria for Bangladesh in the newly proposed generalised scheme of preferences provisions. Issues of bilateral trade, graduation from the LDC status and the continuation of the development momentum of Bangladesh were discussed by the delegation.

The delegation urged the international organisation to extend the transition period after LDC graduation from three years to six years.

The delegation included Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Faruque Hassan, commerce secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Bangladesh ambassador to Belgium Mahbub Hassan Saleh and former Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Nihad Kabir.

According to the proposed provisions Bangladesh is likely to qualify for GSP Plus after its LDC graduation, but the specified EU safeguards would exclude the country's clothing exports from any tariff preferences.

The delegation said the countrys apparel sector would not benefit from the GSP+ facility and would lose competitiveness in the EU market, which would hurt the sector, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

The two sides also discussed trade and investment, Everything But Arms (EBA) provision and Bangladesh's relations with the EU in the post-LDC era.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Chinas economic recovery that accelerated last year is expected to continue this year, according to the KPMG Global Economic Outlook report released recently. Consumption is expected to be a key driver of growth this year, supported by improving income growth, consumer confidence and mobility, it said.

As China is shifting its priority to improving economic growth, KPMG expects the countrys economy to continue to recover and grow by 5.7 per cent this year and become a key engine of global growth again.

China's economic recovery is expected to continue this year, according to the KPMG Global Economic Outlook report. Consumption is expected to be a key driver of growth, supported by improving income growth, consumer confidence and mobility, it said. KPMG expects manufacturing investments, digitalisation and energy transition to see rapid growth in 2023.

China is accelerating its establishment of a modern industrial system. KPMG expects manufacturing investments, digitalisation and energy transition to see rapid growth in 2023.

Consumer spending, especially for services and discretionary, will likely see a stronger rebound. Holiday spending during the 2023 Chinese New Year holiday saw a solid recovery.

KPMG estimates that Chinas households have accumulated RMB 10 trillion of excess savings compared to the historical trend, as they became more cautious on spending and mobility restrictions also reduced consumption scenarios.

The re-opening and economic recovery will help improve consumer confidence and some of the excess savings may be released, which should support the recovery in consumption, the report noted.

On the investment side, KPMG expects technology upgrading and green transformation in the country to support manufacturing investment. Infrastructure investment should remain solid, but its growth will be limited by local governments fiscal conditions.

Exports used to be Chinas key growth engine during the past three years, but the trend has started to reverse. Chinas exports have declined for five consecutive months since last October and the weakness is expected to continue as the global economy slows, the report said.

Despite the slowdown, the product mix of Chinas exports is changing with increasing high-end manufacturing.

The Hong Kong (SAR) economy is also expected to recover this year, the report added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
The way GIGI HADID randomly went to CST station today without any guards and i couldnt even meet her being in Mumbai is making me AAAAAAAA LOOK AT HER AAAA pic.twitter.com/4s9WoJJhYG  G. (@wtfgauravvvv) April 1, 2023



On Monday, Gigi shared a long post where she posted the pictures from her Mumbai tour and wrote, "Warmest Thanks to the Ambani family for hosting me in Mumbai for the Opening Weekend of @nmacc.india! It was an honour to be there to witness your familys vision come to life, in a beautiful world-class Cultural Center to celebrate and cultivate the creatives and heritage of India. After seeing the opening nights of The Great Indian Musical and India in Fashion exhibit, I learned so much & know this venue will nurture future generations to explore their passions from dance to design, from music to art. If you have the chance to visit & see these productions  I HIGHLY recommend!!!! Unforgettable first trip to India. Much love."



American supermodel Gigi Hadid is currently in Mumbai, India to attend the NMACC opening as well as the Gala event. On Sunday, the model was seen by the general public exploring the city's iconic CSMT or Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus station. A video and a photo of her on the station have now gone viral on social media.Gigi was with a group of friends, without any security and was seen taking pictures of the station's aesthetics. She was seen donning olive green baggy pants with a grey and orange cardigan. Sharing the picture a Twitter user wrote, "The way GIGI HADID randomly went to CST station today without any guards and I couldnt even meet her being in Mumbai is making me LOOK AT HER."Meanwhile, at the NMACC opening ceremony, Gigi was seen looking gorgeous in her multi-coloured co-ord set that includes a bralette, a sheer long jacket, and flared pants. She accessorised her look with chains.While, on the Day 2 of the event, she looked marvellous in her gorgeous white chikankari saree featuring golden embroidery on the border of the saree. She paired her saree with a heavy golden blouse.Apart from Gigi, many other celebrities such as Zendaya, Tom Holland, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas, Alia Bhatt, Rashmika Mandanna, Karan Johar and Penelope Cruz were present at the event.
Chengiz the film that marks a turning point in the history of Bengali cinema by being the first Bengali film to simultaneously release in Bengali and Hindi, had its trailer launch today in Mumbai and has taken the internet by storm.

The film that explores the underworld universe with a gripping plotline and adrenaline pumping action sequences impressed netizens with the engrossing trailer and brings out a new avatar of Superstar Jeet.

Present at the trailer launch were Superstar Jeet himself who made a bombastic entry in a vintage red car with fire guns in his hand and it was surely a sight to behold. Sushmita Chatterjee the female lead along with actors Rohit Bose Roy, Shataf Figar who will be seen playing pivotal roles in Chengiz, graced the launch with their presence too. Apart from the actors seen at the massive trailer launch were the director and producers Rajesh Ganguly, Gopal Madnani and Amit Jumrani respectively.

Sharing his joy on the occasion of the trailer launch Superstar Jeet says," It is such an overwhelming feeling to receive so much love and warmth from the city of dreams. Im rooting for the positive response to the trailer of the film and can't wait to see the audience's reaction when the film hits the theatres on 21st April. We set out with a dream to reach out to conquer people's hearts with the content and hopefully I think we will receive the same love when the film releases."

The female lead of the film Sushmita Chatterjee says," My heart is filled with gratitude and happiness today. The amount of love that we received in Mumbai for the trailer launch is something beyond my imagination and such a positive response to the trailer is surely heart warming."

Director Rajesh Ganguly says ,"Our aim was to bring something very new to the audience and show Jeet in a new light. The trailer launch was a moment of delight for us and we have lived every moment,now the wait is for the blockbuster to arrive on the big screens."

Produced by Jeet, Gopal Madnani and Amit Jumrani, 'Chengiz' has been directed by Rajesh Ganguly who has also worked on the dialogues and screenplay. Based on a story by Neeraj Pandey and Rajesh Ganguly, the film is set for an Eid release on the 21st April 2023.
Tiger Shroff: Young star Tiger Shroff is among the most followed and loved celebrities of the current time. The Baaghi actor is undoubtedly one of the biggest action heroes in Bollywood. His amazing dancing skills and unique action skits in films have earned him a huge fan base in the country, especially among kids. Over the years, he has impressed his fans with daredevil action stunts, and his desirable good looks have made him one of the most prominent stars in the industry.

TIGER SHROFF BUTTON-DOWN PICS

Tiger Shroff debuted in Bollywood with Heropanti, and since then he has proven himself to be the world's youngest action star. He has owned his space in the film industry with his impeccable skills. Tiger, who is also blessed with some amazing genes, is also quite popular on social media. The actor boasts around 34 million followers on Instagram, and his female fans just gush over his good looks.

Tiger Shroff Birthday: When Disha Patani Revealed How She Has Been Trying To Impress The Actor For Years

On Monday, Tiger shared a few hot pictures on his Instagram account, making his fans sweat over his looks. Sharing a slew of his portraits in a rugged look, Tiger is seen wearing a netted embroidered shirt and dark blue jeans. He is also seen flaunting his abs while keeping a few buttons on his shirt open. He accessorised his look with a black hat and a rudraksh chain. Take a look at his pictures here.

FANS REACT

Fans immediately swamped Tiger's post comment section and swooned over his look. Many dropped fire emojis, while some complimented his physics. One wrote, "Great outfit with an even better physique." Another fan said, "MY GOODNESS HOW ARE YOU SO FINE TIGZZZ," while one comment read, "The Handsome Hunk." One fan's comment read, "Mera action Hero TIGER SHROFF." "Look like hollywood action Hero," read one commnet.

But there was one fan's comment that grabbed our attention, as one funnily said, "Aree sir hume bhi training do". Surely, Tiger's fitness is something we all desire to have.

Top Bollywood News: Priyanka Chopra Loves Being 'Tour Wife'; Fans Trend Tiger Shroff On His Birthday

On the work front, Tiger Shroff is currently shooting for Bade Miyan Chote Miyan in Glasgow, UK. The film's announcement has already raised the audience's interest as he will be seen sharing the screen with Akshay Kumar. Besides, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan Tiger has Ganpath with Kriti Sanon.
A scene from the movie Viduthalai Part 1 is currently trending on social media.

Directed by Vetrimaaran, the film Viduthalai Part 1 is currently running in theatres. Many people have been giving positive reviews for this film.

Vijay Sethupathi appears in the film for a few minutes. Netizens are commenting that his character is very strong even though his screen presence in Viduthalai Part 1 is too less. The heart-wrenching interrogation scenes in the film have affected people's minds to a great extent. Cruelty to women, especially the torture they face during police interrogations, has drawn heavy criticism. Similarly, scenes related to the conflict caused by class inequality, the arrival of the mining company, and the police struggling to eat chow chow have also met with criticism.

The budget of this film is said to be 40 crores. Initially it was planned to make the film in just 4 crores as the budget and now it has reached a great height. Then, they have decided to release the film in two parts inorder to gain profit. In such a situation, the film is expected to collect more than 80 crores worldwide in the first part alone. This film is already declared as a hit.

In this situation, a scene from the movie Viduthalai Part 1 is currently trending on social media. For those who have not seen this movie, don't read any further as it will be a spoiler. In this film, there will be important some montage shots in Kaattumalli song, where Kumaresan will look at Tamil Arasi in the movie theatre.

Soori will get some snacks for Tamil Arasi in the theatre. In this scene, Vijay Sethupathi is seen sitting behind Soori. But, as per the story police including Soori will be searching for Perumal character, which was performed by Vijay Sethupathi. But no one knows his face. No one knows what he looks like. So they cannot recognize him.

In this situation, Vijay Sethupathi will also be boldly roaming around the village. That is how he would have come to the theater as well. The particular shot where Vijay Sethupathi is sitting behind Soori and watching his activities in the theater is now going viral on the internet.
Shehnaaz Gill Wishes Bharti Singh's Son

Shehnaaz Gill shared a series of photos to wish Bharti Singh's son Laksh, who turned one on April 3, 2023. The Bigg Boss 13 contestant attended Gola's first birthday bash, extending her warm wishes to the little munchkin. She enjoyed a playful moment with Laksh, flashing her infectious smile while striking a pose for the camera.

Raqesh Bapat QUITS Twitter

Raqesh Bapat confirmed quitting Twitter, sharing a post to inform the fans about his decision. He tweeted, I believe in positivity, I believe in progress, I believe in dignity and respect. Hence with zero offense, I hereby wish farewell to the twitterati. Thank you for your love/ hate relationship."

Gurmeet-Debina Celebrate Daughter's Birthday

Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee's daughter Lianna also turned one on Monday (April 3). The couple jetted off to Kolkata with their two kids to celebrate Lianna's birthday in style. From hosting a grand unicorn-theme birthday bash to organising a photoshoot, the two lovebirds left no stone unturned to make Lianna's day as special as possible.

Priyanka Choudhary's Hot Photoshoot

Instagram is on fire and we have only Priyanka Choudhary to blame. The Bigg Boss 16 star created ripples as she posed for her photoshoot, making several hearts skip a beat. She oozed swag and panache while striking a pose for the camera, leaving everyone gushing over her beauty.

Ankit Gupta Reacts To Priyanka Choudhary's HOT Instagram Post

Ankit Gupta and Tina Datta couldn't help but gush over Priyanka Choudhary's hot photoshoot. Tina dropped a comment on the post while Ankit showered PCC with love in the comments section. Tina Datta, who is gearing up for the premiere of Hum Rahe Na Rahe, wrote, "Uffff kuch zyaada hi hott (sic)."

Priyanka Choudhary's post has already received over 4 lakh likes and the numbers are increasing with every passing minute.
Abuja, Nigeria--(Newsfile Corp. - April 2, 2023) - Crown Luxury Properties, the build-to-sell (BTS) assets unit of Nigeria master-developer Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, has announced that over 8,500 residential units are currently under construction across its various masterplans and is set to deliver around 500 units later this year.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Announcing this at the media session with Dotmount Communications on March 21, Crown Luxury said it has already delivered more than 600 residential units in 2022 across prime locations, including Signature Apartments Surulere Lagos, Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport, Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Elevation City, Lugbe, Abuja and Crown Heritage City, Osun state amongst others.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos



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A leading developer of residential assets in Nigeria, Crown Luxury Properties stressed that it remained committed to delivering quality homes and communities to its customers and residents while ensuring that all future projects are completed within its stated time frames.

Crown Luxury Properties



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Crown Luxury Properties is helmed by group CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos, the Managing director of the company. "Different geographical locations come with different challenges, and each country has its own challenges. For example, as Nigerians we have the advantage of nationality, but the challenge here is that they have to be the ones to provide roads, water, and electricity. In Ghana, the cost of movement of cement and other materials through land is difficult due to custom duties and other taxes, making it more expensive but not as expensive as purchasing these raw materials in Ghana. Rwanda is a peaceful and good environment, but acquiring land if you're not a citizen is difficult; however, we were able to register our company there seamlessly."

"We have our housing estates in different locations in Abuja: Guzape, Kasana, Asokoro Extension, Asokoro, Airport Road, Idu, Karu, these locations have different providers of fiber optics," says Amos.

"In Lagos we have different companies that provides internet for our estates in Lagos. We have estates in Ikorodu, about 2800 housing units that Crown Sunrise City, in Epe; Crown Legacy City Phase 1 facing the ongoing New Lekki International Airport and Phase 2. We have projects in the capital of Oyo State Nigeria, Ibadan".

Crown Smart City



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"We have different products which spread towards different classes of people. For example, our Ecrest Estate in Guzape, a 5-bedroom duplex is 400 million naira for our HNIs, then for our middle-income individuals we have houses between 50 to 90million naira. We have in some other locations 5-bedroom duplexes that goes for 30million naira, we have a 4-bedroom semidetached that is 25million in some locations like Gwagwalada, Kubwa and other location in Lagos, Ogun and more."

Legacy City



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"We have the Crown Smart City 1-3 in Karsana. We also have commercial properties like the 600 units in Crown Mall around Adama Stadium in Ibadan for business people. We are building a banking hall and a cinema in there as well, with prices going for 7million naira per unit but you can pay 500 thousand naira as initial deposit and continue payment for two years. We found it difficult to get approval for Crown Smart City Phase 3 which took us 6months because of the challenge with the payment platforms. We have also had to build bridges to make good access for our clients there."

These projects include;

LAGOS

The Signature Apartments, Surulere, Lagos. Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport. Crown Legacy City, Phase 2. Epe. Crown Sunrise City, Ikorodu,Lagos. Crown waterfront Estate, Ibeku-Lekki,Lagos.

ABUJA

Crown Shelfied City, Asokoro,Abuja. Crown Hilltop Estate, Guzape, Asokoro Extension Crown Signature Villa, Karmo, Abuja Crown Elevation City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Smart City, Karsana, Abuja Crown Smart City, Annex, Karsana, Crown Smart City, Phase 2, Karsana. Crown Hiltop City, Apo, Abuja. Crown Metro City, Idu Train Station, Idu, Abuja. Crown Diamond City, Gwagwalada,Abuja. Crown Mega City, Lugbe ,Abuja. Crown Vista City,Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Golden City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja Crown Luxury Estate, Airport Road,Abuja. Etc

Ibadan

600 units Sabo Ultra-mordern Market, Ibadan. ELITE City Terraces and Apartment, Agodi GRA,Ibadan

Osun State

Crown Heritage city, Abeere, Osun State.

On the record-breaking performance, Crown Luxury Properties Founder Dr Amos said: " Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, is extremely proud to be the industry leader in development and construction and we remain committed to delivering our highly anticipated upcoming projects within the stated timeframes."

"Our success and year on year profit is due to the diligence of our shareholders, management and highly skilled staff and we look forward to continuous growth and success through digital innovation and the adoption of future-forward concepts," he added.

Crown Luxury Properties

Web: www.crownluxuryproperties.com

Social media: @crownluxuryproperties

Email: Crownalllied@yahoo.com

Office: No 2, Samora Machel Street, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja

Tel: +234 909 999 7341, +234 909 999 7342

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160954
The 27-Year-Old Small Ship Line Returned to Profitability in 2021 & 2022 And Looks Forward to An Exciting and Profitable 2023

JUNEAU, AK / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / In a year of hopeful recovery for the cruise industry, UnCruise Adventures shares its remarkable return to profitability. Most cruise lines are still dealing with massive losses and crushing debt. However, UnCruise Adventures' savvy business decisions, loyal guests, adaptive staff, and quick ability to pivot during the pandemic have propelled them into a profitable return to business, giving travel advisors and guests solid confidence in the reliable future of the company.

"Our approach to adventure cruising and business management is different from the big multi-national cruise lines," says owner and CEO Captain Dan Blanchard.

"We have always focused on small group and sustainable travel, and that has paid off. The best investment we can make is in ourselves and our environment. Our guests appreciate that, coming back year after year."

UnCruise Adventures' commitment to its guests has been unwavering, and the cruise line's recovery stands as a shining example of what small business can do. The cruise line has successfully bounced back from the pandemic and may be the only profitable cruise line in both 2021 and 2022. This remarkable achievement is a testament to UnCruise Adventures' commitment to its guests and the company's resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

UnCruise Adventures continues to show growth trends going into 2023. This growth represents a remarkable acceleration in the company's financial performance and maneuverability. Blanchard states, "We believe in the power of U.S. small private business to drive change and create positive, profitable outcomes. Our return to profitability proves that with determination, and adaptability, you don't have to give up your dream. And that is a message worth sharing."

During a recent discussion about the company's journey through the pandemic, the CEO reflected on the challenges they faced in 2020. He emphasized the difference in management's tenacity when their own company and funds are at risk and shared a personal anecdote to illustrate this point. "In August of 2020," he explained, "there were only eight of us left, some working without pay, and our future was uncertain. But we persevered, and today we can see how far we've come."

Recovery Actions:

The company took immediate action in March 2020 to save millions in expenses, which included the painful decision to lay off most staff and reduce the wages of those that stayed.

In March of 2020 UnCruise moved seven of its ships to freshwater storage in Seattle, WA which greatly reduced the cost of keeping the ships in certification and added to the preservation efforts while the ships were dockside.

The company restarted cruising in April 2021, months before the rest of the industry. This was achievable because of its fully vaccinated crew and guest policy. They instituted the first fully vaccinated cruise known on the planet, and guests took notice filling most sailings in 2021.

UnCruise Adventures CEO, Captain Dan Blanchard, created a coalition of six small ship competitors to help ensure these US flagged, tax-paying companies would not be left out of COVID stimulus funding.

The UnCruise recovery was not hindered by the perceived cost disadvantages of US-built ships, US labor laws, US repair yards, and US taxes. In fact, the COVID stimulus provided by the US government to small businesses paying US taxes played a role in supporting the company's recovery.

The company is a privately owned, operated, and staffed U.S. small business and has an absence of cumbersome procedures that come with bigger corporate brands. This allowed the company to stay agile and move forward rapidly during the tough period amidst the pandemic.

UnCruise operates with fifty-three administrative staff today as a leaner and more adaptable company. At the same time in 2019 the company employed eighty-six administrative staff.

The company pivoted to a digital focused marketing and content strategy and paperless digital brochure saving millions annually and improving the environment at the same time.

UnCruise focused on growth potential in emerging cruise markets by changing ship deployment and adjusting to an even more experiential and efficient adventure cruise model.

UnCruise returned to profitability in both 2021 and 2022, the company believes they may be the only cruise entity to return to profitability in both years compared to those that are publicly traded.

Blanchard shares. "We have a responsibility to do what we can to preserve the natural wonders we showcase to our guests and to provide confidence in the strength and longevity of our brand. I often thank our guests from the USA, when they go aboard our ships in Juneau, for their investment in UnCruise Adventures. This often brings smiles, clapping and shout-outs of a job well done. We have been successfully operating for twenty-seven years and I look forward to twenty-seven more!"

Reserve an adventure cruise today with great savings for this year. Contact your travel advisor or reach out to UnCruise at sales@uncruise.com, 888-862-8881.?

# # #

Media Contact:

UnCruise Adventures?pr@uncruise.com

About?UnCruise?Adventures:

UnCruise?Adventures' is a responsible travel and adventure leader in the cruise industry. They?operate?boutique yachts and small expedition ships carrying 22-86 guests on voyages in Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound Alaska, Hawaiian Islands, Mexico's Gulf of California, Columbia & Snake Rivers, Coastal Washington, Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize & Guatemala, and Colombia. UnCruise?Adventures has been?picked as the top adventure cruise line by Cruise Critic, multiple times and Travel & Leisure readers?also named?UnCruise?Adventures in its World's Best Awards and its list of top ten small ship ocean cruise lines for multiple years in a row. UnCruise?Adventures is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Transformational Travel Council.

Health & Wellbeing?Policy:

UnCruise Adventures has updated its health and safety protocols to ensure the well-being of its guests and crew onboard all vessels. As part of updated measures, the company has removed the vaccination and mask requirement for all cruises. The company will continue to implement additional safety and sanitary measures to maintain a safe environment. Guests are asked to adhere to the onboard good citizen policy of health and wellbeing. For more information about UnCruise Adventures, please visit their website at uncruise.com.

SOURCE: Uncruise Adventures

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747217/UnCruise-Adventures-Defies-Financial-Currents-Resurfaces-with-Profitability
Ground-Breaking Collaboration with The INX Digital Company, Inc., Enables Certain Existing Greenbriar Common Shareholders the Option to Digitize Shares and List for Trading on the INX.One Platform for Digital Assets

New York, New York, Toronto, Ontario and Newport Beach, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - The INX Digital Company, Inc. (NEO: INXD) (OTCQB: INXDF) ("INX"), a FINRA registered broker-dealer and inter-dealer broker, in partnership with Greenbriar Capital Corp. (OTC Pink: GEBRF) (TSXV: GRB), a leading developer of sustainable real estate, renewable energy, and TSXV Venture top 50 company in 2023 and 2014, announced today that it will soon facilitate and list certain GEBRF registered common shares as the first digitized ("tokenized") shares of a publicly traded company. Through this landmark collaboration, certain registered common stock certificates of Greenbriar Capital will soon be able to be represented in a digital format and move through a specific process back and forth, between traditional exchanges, like the OTC and a digital Alternative Trading System (ATS) like INX.

"By working with INX, Greenbriar and certain Greenbriar registered shareholders, we will be able to begin to offer a Finra approved, secure and direct pathway for financial markets to unlock another source of possible liquidity through the INX ecosystem," said Itai Avneri, Deputy CEO & COO of INX. "As the first Finra approved digital asset platform to achieve regulatory approval to raise capital, issue security tokens and trade both security tokens and digital currencies, it's an exciting next step for INX to offer the first digitized shares of a publicly traded company to both U.S. and international investors. It also marks a significant inflection point in the maturity of the digital economy." Digitization or Tokenization is not available to Canadian residents because INX is not a registered broker-dealer in Canada. INX is not a registered broker-dealer in any other country outside of the USA. Other countries outside of Canada or the USA may or may not allow their citizens to participate on the INX platform. In the Company's opinion and understanding, there are no Canadian securities law approvals required for this digital share procedure.

The tokenized version of the Greenbriar shares will be subject to the same benefits afforded to the existing registered and non-registered shareholders, which includes voting rights and a share of the company's profits in the form of dividends. The digitized shares are easily tradable since they can be bought and sold 24/7/365 on the INX.One digital asset platform. Plus, these shares, like all security tokens available on INX.One, are Finra approved securities. INX Securities, a broker dealer, is a SEC Finra approved broker/dealer and Alternative Trading System ("ATS").

"We are thrilled to be taking these essential steps to be the first public company in North America to have certain registered common shares alternatively listed as digital shares on the INX.One security token platform," said Jeff Ciachurski, CEO of Greenbriar Capital. "I am delighted to say, INX is a Finra approved platform merging investing and trading in security tokens, cryptocurrencies, and capital raise services all in one platform. Greenbriar deeply believes in the full democratization of investing. Rather than limiting the expansive opportunities of Greenbriar to just our existing 3,000 to 4,000 public shareholders, owning on average 8,000 to 9,000 common shares each; through digitization we can dramatically increase access and the number of public token holders - providing ownership opportunities to everyone in the worldwide security token ecosystem. All security tokens digitized from registered common shares will have full voting and dividend rights."

The methods involved in digitizing registered shares from certain registered shareholders who have volunteered to take part in this initiative, are in general outlined as follows:

Greenbriar will lock up an initial arm's length current common registered shareholder (and in time, future registered shareholders after the initial registered shareholder) and their common shares into an escrow account with the Computershare. Subsequent to this, INX will then mint the one-to-one equivalent amount of the security tokens and then deliver them to the initial registered shareholder who will have an INX Securities, LLC account, who in turn will then be allowed to trade security tokens on the INXS ATS. This process can be repeated with additional registered shareholders as market liquidity for the tokens increase over time.

Greenbriar's traditional share transfer agent (Computershare) will lock up registered shares in an escrow account. The transfer agent for the security tokens, INX Transfer Agent, LLC, will then mint and deliver the security tokens to the INX Securities, LLC account of the registered owner. The registered owner will then be able to trade the security tokens on the INXS ATS. All the same rights, such as dividends and voting rights, that the book-based shareholders had will be applicable and enforceable and flow to the security token holders of the Greenbriar security token. No new book-based shares will be created as part of this process but rather a digital representation of existing shares will be established.

The INX transfer agent ("INXT") will mint security tokens one to one based on the number of "registered common shares" that a Greenbriar shareholder deposits in the escrow account. After the security tokens are minted, they will be delivered to the shareholder's INX Securities, LLC ("INXS") brokerage account that he/she will need to set up prior to being able to trade. Once trading starts, INXT will reconcile the books and records on chain (etherscan.io) vs what INXT has showing as ownership off chain. When Greenbriar has voting material or any dividends or any other corporate actions, INXT will provide a list of all the Greenbriar token holders on INXS as of the record date and provide this information to Greenbriar and Computershare. It will then be Greenbriar along with their intermediaries that will reach to the INXS customers to immediately communicate this information. If a dividend is paid, the full amount, based on the number of shares in escrow will be delivered to INXT and will be distributed to each person's MetaMask wallet.

If the initial registered shareholder in escrow or any other future registered shareholders in escrow for the sole purpose of this digitizing process, decides to un-digitize any amount of their tokens, they will notify the INX, and INX will burn the amount of tokens they have requested and immediately notify Computershare and Greenbriar, that such amount of tokens have been burnt, and an equal amount of registered shares will be removed from escrow and placed backed in registered book recorded format.

Up to 100% of the issued common shares are available to tokenize, provided however that all of the shareholders owning such shares would be non-Canadian residents. The Company has no way of determining who exactly is a legal Canadian Resident at any given time, therefore the exact percentage is unknown. The cost to tokenize is up to $8,000 per month for more than 5,000 token holders but only $2,000 per month for up to 500 token holders. The tokenization process is a cost to the company. In addition, there are initial set up and listing fees totalling CDN $40,000.

Note: The Company has no relationship with potential end-holders of tokens. The initial registered shareholder is simply an arm's length US citizen and US resident who has agreed to be the first escrowed registered shareholder who owns 925,926 registered shares. Where the tokens go after trading of the tokens begin, is out of the control of both Greenbriar and the original registered shareholder who is in escrow.

INX continues to establish a path toward a more responsible and innovative digital economy for U.S. and international investors. Specifically, the INX.One platform sets a global standard for effectively achieving democratization in financial markets, while simultaneously providing the necessary regulatory guardrails through close collaboration with U.S. and global regulators.

INX's role in creating a more efficient and secure ecosystem for global investors is enabling more and more U.S. and international public companies to turn to digital solutions in the form of tokenized shares, digital ADR and digital bonds - now and in the near future.

In 2021, INX became the first SEC-registered digital security IPO - closing with $84 million in gross proceeds from over 7,250 retail and institutional investors. 92.9 million INX Tokens were sold in the IPO. INX continues to lead the industry in providing novel trading and capital raising financial instruments to enterprises and companies worldwide.

For more information about INX, visit https://www.inx.co/.

About INX:

INX provides a Finra approved trading platform for digital securities and cryptocurrencies.

With the combination of traditional markets expertise and a disruptive fintech approach, INX provides state-of-the-art solutions to modern financial problems. INX is led by an experienced and dedicated team of business, finance, and technology veterans with the shared vision of redefining the world of capital markets via blockchain technology and innovative regulatory approach.

About The INX Digital Company, Inc. INX is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes Finra approved trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global Finra approved hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which we raised US$84 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a Finra approved environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.

In addition to operating two Finra approved trading platforms for blockchain assets, INX's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here.

About Greenbriar Capital Corp:

Greenbriar is a leading ESG Alternative Asset developer of renewable energy and sustainable real estate. With long-term, high impact, contracted sales agreements in key project locations and led by a successful, industry-recognized operating and development team, Greenbriar targets deep valued assets directed at accretive shareholder value. Website is https://greenbriarcapitalcorp.ca.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS



Jeffrey J. Ciachurski



Chief Executive Officer and Director



Phone: 949.903-5906

Fax: 604-608-9572

www.greenbriarcapitalcorp.ca

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release. 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. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and include any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Company's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160563
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSXV: MUN) (OTCQB: MUNMF) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce commencement of the 2023 drill program at the Vale-Mundoro Option Projects located in the southwest portion of the Timok Magmatic Complex ("Timok") in Serbia. The drill program is part of the 2023 Work Program and Budget which is solely funded by Vale and for which Mundoro is operator.

The drill program has planned 8,000 meters to test five (5) target areas with nine (9) drill holes. The five main target areas for drill testing during the 2023 drill program are: (i) Tilva Rosh, (ii) Markov Kamen, (iii) Bacevica North, (iv) Orlovo, and (v) Prekostenski. These five areas have been selected out of several target areas ranked as prospective for porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold deposits within the Vale-Mundoro Option Projects.

Regional Setting

The Timok region in eastern Serbia is known as a mining district with more than 100 years of mining comprising approximately 4 billion tons in porphyry systems over 5 known mines. The Timok Magmatic Complex is host to the largest copper-gold porphyry deposits in the western portion of the Tethyan Belt such as (i) Cukaru-Peki, a high sulphidation epithermal copper-gold and porphyry copper deposit, (ii) Bor underground mine which is a copper-gold porphyry ("Bor Mining Complex"), (iii - iv) Veliki Krivelj and Majdanpek open-pit mines which are both copper-gold porphyries and (v) the recently re-opened Cerovo porphyry copper-gold open-pit mine (see Figure 1).





Figure 1 - Location Map of Vale-Mundoro Projects in Timok, Serbia with drill hole locations of the 2023 drill program.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Highlights of the Targets

In the Tilva Rosh and Markov Kamen target areas, the current drill program is a follow up drilling campaign utilizing vectors to a potential porphyry system identified from interpretation of previous drill results and geophysical surveys.

At the Bacevica North target, a strong and near surface Induced Polarization (IP) anomaly is confirmed and will be further tested as a result of recently received encouraging drilling results from the 2022 drill campaign.

At the Orlovo target, the drilling campaign is designed to test continuation to the NNW and NE of the porphyry copper-gold system with quartz veining within the potassic alteration as vectors to a potential porphyry system identified from interpretation of previous drill results and geophysical surveys followed by the surface geochemistry copper-gold-molybdenum anomalies.

At Pekostenski target, a follow up drilling campaign will test the western extension of copper-gold bearing diorite as well as the potential for an alkali porphyry system.

Discussion of Target Areas

The five target areas are within zoned hydrothermal alteration which can be traced at surface for 20 km along strike and contains gold epithermal and copper-gold porphyry style mineralization. The north-south striking alteration corridor correlates with a regional scale strong magnetic anomaly interpreted as a magnetite destructive zone of advanced argillic alteration that comprises a broad lithocap at the north targets area as well as argillic and phylic alteration at the south targets.

Tilva Rosh - exploration mapping and drilling to date confirmed advanced argillic alteration within a broad lithocap with epithermal gold mineralization and copper-gold-molybdenum geochemical anomalies at surface extending over an area of 3.6 km x 1.2 km in size. Alteration was identified down dip of alteration to the west in the drill core from the prior drilling campaign in Q4-2019. High-temperature advanced argillic alteration identified at the bottom of one of the nearest drill holes indicates a potential hydrothermal fluid up-flow zone. Three drill holes were designed to test the northern portion of Tilva Rosh, targeting: (i) the west and north extension from recently completed drill holes in the 2022 drill campaign which intersected quartz and quartz-magnetite banded veins suggestive of the base of the lithocap, and (ii) mineralized porphyry beneath the lithocap supported by both recent geophysics interpretation of IP, a magentotelluric (MT) survey and magnetics survey, and (iii) potassic alteration identified in a prior drill hole in this target area.

Markov Kamen - located directly south of Tilva Rosh, Markov Kamen is a large area of silicification covering 3.2 km x 500 m, hosts a significant hydrothermal breccia with anomalous gold grades, and is open to the west and at depth. High-grade copper and gold grades received from sampling old workings contain hypogene chalcocite at the southern edge of the target area. Based on geophysics, the target to be drill tested is interpreted as a root of an advanced argillic alteration zone. Two drill holes are planned to test the southern portion of Markov Kamen, targeting (i) a deeper root of a MT anomaly as the continuation of surface hydrothermal alteration and (ii) a surface IP anomaly indicating potential for shallower porphyry beneath a copper-in-soil anomaly as follow up drilling from drill holes in the 2019 drill campaign.

Bacevica North - located south-southwest of the Markov Kamen target area, this target was recently identified comprising a strong IP anomaly and intense quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) altered andesite at surface. One reconnaissance drillhole is planned to further test the IP anomaly confirmed by a completed drill hole from the 2021 drill campaign which is supported by the encouraging geochemical sampling results from 2019 and surface mapping completed.

Orlovo - located south-southeast of the Bacevica North target area, this target is a broad zone of phyllic alteration of 3 km x 700 m with elevated gold and copper in soil samples. Two drillholes are planned to test: (i) the quartz vein stockwork mineralization related to potassic altered diorite, returning 26 m of 0.10% copper and 0.23 g/t gold, overlain by phyllic alteration from surface, identified in the 2019 drilling campaign, (ii) intermediate magnetic, IP and CSAMT anomalies followed by the encouraging gold-bismuth-molybdenum geochemical anomalies.

Prekostenski - located west of the Orlovo target, this target area is a copper-gold porphyry target as well as potential alkali porphyry target identified by mapping and surface sampling which resulted in 55 m of 0.28 g/t gold and 0.21 % copper. The exploration work identified chalcopyrite-magnetite mineralisation hosted in potassic altered diorite to a depth of 68.6 m which was confirmed by a previous drilling campaign in 2018. One drillhole is planned to test (i) the quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins hosted in potassic altered diorite porphyry which returned an intercept of 39 meters of 0.17 g/t gold and 0.17 % copper from 61 m and 49.8 meters of 0.14 g/t gold and 0.13 % copper from surface, and (ii) geophysics IP and MT anomalies which correspond well with intersected mineralization.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by, R. Jemielita, PhD, MIMMM, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and Chief Geologist to the Company.

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a publicly listed company on the TSX-V in Canada and OTCQB in the USA with a portfolio of mineral properties focused primarily on base and precious metals. To drive value for shareholders, Mundoro's asset portfolio generates near-term cash payments to Mundoro from partners and creates royalties attached to each mineral property. The portfolio of mineral properties is currently focused on predominantly copper in two mineral districts: Western Tethyan Belt in Eastern Europe and the Laramide Belt in the southwest USA.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof, and include the following: completion of earn-in expenditures, options and completion of a definitive agreement by the parties. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the Company's projects, the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on 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.

For further information, please visit Mundoro Capital website www.mundoro.com.

Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

+1-604-669-8055

info@mundoro.com





To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160889
New Haven Building Company, a leading construction firm in Edinburgh, has announced its new home extension service. The company's builders and designers create beautiful and functional living spaces that seamlessly blend with the existing architecture of a property.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - As part of its newly announced services, New Haven Building Company helps Edinburgh residents add living space to their houses through loft or basement conversions, or rear or side extensions. The team designs and builds extensions that match a property's existing architecture and comply with the city's strict regulations.

More information is available at https://newhavenbuildingcompany.co.uk/services/property-extensions





New Haven Building Company Announces Home Extension Services In Edinburgh

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New Haven Building Company launched its home extensions service as more Scottish homeowners seek to maximise their current home's potential rather than embark on an expensive move. This is especially true in the nation's capital, where property prices are constantly growing.

According to a recent report by property website ESPC, the average selling price of a home in Edinburgh increased by 7.6% year-on-year to reach 290,834 in 2022. These rising property prices make it more expensive for current homeowners to move and can make home extensions a more attractive and cost-effective option, explains New Haven Building Company.

The company advises Edinburgh homeowners considering an extension to their property to consult with a reputable builder with specialist knowledge of the process and familiarity with the historic city's famously strict building codes. Building on its reputation for carrying out conversions and renovations in the city, New Haven Building Company can help local homeowners balance creating their dream home with the necessary requirements to get it approved.

The company's team works closely with homeowners to design and build extensions that meet their specific needs and requirements. Their comprehensive insurance, commitment to quality, strong customer communication, and ability to work within budgets and timelines have made them a preferred all-trades building company throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.

New Haven Building Company is a construction firm based in Edinburgh, UK. The company specialises in home extensions, loft conversions, basement conversions, garage conversions and room additions. Its team also engages in attic conversions, structural changes within properties, as well as bathroom and kitchen remodelling.

Interested parties can view New Haven Building Company's portfolio of successfully completed projects at https://newhavenbuildingcompany.co.uk/services/property-extensions

Contact Info:

Name: Ross Heinsar

Email: ross@newhavenbuildingcompany.co.uk

Organization: New Haven Building Company

Address: 3 W Shore Rd, Edinburgh, Scotland EH5 1QB, United Kingdom

Phone: +44-131-210-0138

Website: https://newhavenbuildingcompany.co.uk/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161004
Boston, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duck Creek Technologies, the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, will host the One Duck Creek Summit, April 4-6, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts, bringing leaders together to focus on connection, culture and community. The global attendees are credited for leading the various critical initiatives and programs that make Duck Creek a culture champion in the insurance and technology industries.

The diverse collection of people in attendance will spend their time together reflecting on past initiatives and planning future endeavors and setting goals to continue building upon the award-winning culture at Duck Creek. The One Duck Creek Summit will be kicked off by CEO Mike Jackowski, who will emphasize the significance of advancing strong company values around diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and a positive employee experience at its core. Members of the Diversity Council, Employee Experience Council and six Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) will be joined by Nancy Harrington Jones, the first ever Chief Culture & Conduct Officer at Societe Generale Americas, Isis Miller, a community and engagement manager, and KeyAnna Schmiedl, a Fortune 40-Under-40 social and environmental impact leader. These speakers will discuss career learnings, ERG insights and best practices, and equity, belonging, culture and how each impacts employee experience.

"We are excited to be joined at our headquarters in Boston by Ducks from India, the UK and the US, who are essential at making our various initiatives and programs so successful," said Amy Bayer, Global Director, DE&I, Engagement & Culture. "The impact of our outreach across DE&I and employee engagement has created a culture of belonging and inclusion at Duck Creek. We always strive to be trailblazers in the insurance and technology industry."

"Duck Creek recognizes and celebrates the different backgrounds, ideas and experiences of our employees, who enable us to serve our customers," says Courtney Townsend, Chief People Officer at Duck Creek. "Duck Creek is a flexible-first, global workplace that cultivates exceptional employee experiences and growth opportunities. At our core, we are fanatical about belonging and inclusion."

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is the intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.comto learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information - LinkedInand Twitter.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE U.S. NEWSWIRE OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

REGINA, SK / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / ROK Resources Inc. (TSXV:ROK)(TSXV:ROK.WT) (the "Company" or "ROK") has completed its previously announced dispositions of certain non-core assets (the "Assets") for total combined proceeds of approximately $47.25 million, before normal closing adjustments (the "Transactions"). The Assets are comprised of ROK's non-operated interest in the Weyburn Unit and two smaller non-core assets located in Saskatchewan.

The Transactions are consistent with ROK's strategic plan, focusing on debt reduction and high-grading of the Company's asset portfolio and drilling inventory. The Company's outstanding senior term debt will be reduced by 85% from proceeds of the Transactions, resulting in cumulative interest savings of approximately $5.8 million that would have been otherwise paid over the remaining term of the senior term debt.

Notably, since the FCL acquisition in March 2022, the Company has disposed of approximately $74 million in non-core assets representing ~31% of production and ~127% of the purchase price, after closing adjustments.

2023 Guidance

Current corporate production is approximately 3,750 boepd (65% Liquids), net of the above-noted disposition.

In the second half of 2023, ROK intends to focus on increasing shareholder value through; (i) the optimization and integration of asset acquisitions, (ii) debt reduction, and (iii) executing a drilling and recompletion program. For H2 2023E, the Company expects to average 4,120 boepd, generating $19 million in cash flow from operating activities1. For Q4 2023E, the Company estimates exit production of 4,500 boepd, generating a total of $38.9 million in annualized cash flow from operating activities1, and $5.9 million in annualized free cash flow.

The Company's senior term debt is expected to be paid off entirely by mid-2023. Net debt at December 31, 2023 is expected to be $7.5 million, implying a net debt to cash flow from operating activities ratio of 0.2.

In support of the 2023 drilling program, the Company currently has hedged an average of 1,766 bbls/d of corporate production for the remainder of 2023 at an average price of approximately US$82.17/bbl. The Company is actively monitoring the current commodity price volatility and evaluating all options with regards to its hedging program.

Drilling & Recompletion Program

The second half of 2023 drilling program is expected to investment approximately $11.6 million and will aim to drill 10 gross (9.52 net) new wells within core operating areas in Southeast Saskatchewan, resulting in a 2023 exit target of 4,500 boepd (20% increase from current levels). The Company expects to balance drilling between conventional Frobisher and unconventional Midale, two of the most economic plays in the basin.

At Kaybob, the Company will focus on capital efficient recompletions and reactivations, while continuing to prepare for future Cardium oil and Montney gas development on its 100% working interest lands.

Financial Advisors

Echelon Capital Markets acted as financial advisor to the Company with respect to the Transactions.

McDougall Gauley LLP and McCarthy Tetrault LLP acted as legal advisors to the Company with respect to the Transactions.

1Based upon pricing of US$80 WTI/bbl, $2.50 AECO/mcf. Assumes nil change in non-cash working capital.

About

ROK is primarily engaged in exploring for petroleum and natural gas development activities in Saskatchewan and Alberta. It has offices located in both Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ROK's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "ROK".

For further information, please contact:

Cameron Taylor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Bryden Wright, Chief Operating Officer

Jared Lukomski, Senior Vice President, Land & Business Development

Lynn Chapman, Chief Financial Officer

Phone: (306) 522-0011

Email: investor@rokresources.ca

Boe Disclosure

The term barrels of oil equivalent ("boe") may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet per barrel (6 Mcf/bbl) of natural gas to barrels of oil equivalence is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. All boe conversions in the report are derived from converting gas to oil in the ratio mix of six thousand cubic feet of gas to one barrel of oil.

Reserve Disclosure

All reserves information in this press release was prepared by an independent reserve evaluator, effective December 31, 2022 using the reserve evaluators December 31, 2022 forecast prices and costs in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure of Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101") and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (the "COGE Handbook"). All reserve references in this press release are "Company gross reserves". Company gross reserves are the Company's total working interest reserves before the deduction of any royalties payable by the Company and before the consideration of the Company's royalty interests. It should not be assumed that the present worth of estimated future cash flow of net revenue presented herein represents the fair market value of the reserves. There is no assurance that the forecast prices and costs assumptions will be attained, and variances could be material. The recovery and reserve estimates of ROK's crude oil, NGLs and natural gas reserves provided herein are estimates only and there is no guarantee that the estimated reserves will be recovered. Actual crude oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein.

Non-IFRS Measures

Certain measures commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry referred to herein, including, "Free Cash Flow", and "Net Debt" do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable with the calculation of similar measures by other companies. These non-IFRS measures are further described and defined below. Such non-IFRS measures are not intended to represent operating profits, nor should they be viewed as an alternative to cash flow provided by operating activities, net earnings or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with IFRS.

Management uses these oil and gas metrics for its own performance measurements and to provide shareholders with measures to compare our operations over time. Readers are cautioned that the information provided by these metrics, or that can be derived from the metrics presented in this press release, should not be relied upon for investment or other purposes.

"Free cash flow" is calculated as cash flow from operating activities less incurred debt interest costs and expenditures on property, plant, and equipment. Management uses free cash flow to determine the amount of funds available to the Company for future capital allocation decisions.

"Net debt" is equal to the sum of the outstanding long-term debt and net working capital, excluding the fair value of financial contracts, decommissioning obligations, and other obligations. The Company uses this metric to analyze the level of debt in the Company including the impact of working capital.

"Net debt to cash flow from operating activities" is calculated as exit net debt divided by cash flow from operating activities. Management uses this ratio to assess the time (in years) that it would take to fund net debt based on the annualized cash flow from operating activities.

Abbreviations

bbls/d barrels per day boe barrels of oil equivalent boepd barrels oil equivalent per day IP NGLs Initial Production Natural Gas Liquids Mboe Thousands of barrels of oil equivalent MMboe Millions of barrels of oil equivalent PDP Proved Developed Producing TP Total Proved Reserves TPP Total Proved and Probable Reserves IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board WTI West Texas Intermediate, the reference price paid in U.S. dollars at Cushing, Oklahoma for the crude oil standard grade

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. 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. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's objectives, goals, or future plans as a result of estimated future operating results. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to general business, economic and social uncertainties; the accuracy of well testing results; litigation, legislative, environmental, and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; those additional risks set out in ROK's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other matters discussed in this news release. 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 where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: ROK Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747202/ROK-Resources-Inc-Announces-Completion-of-4725-Million-of-Non-Core-Asset-Dispositions-Provides-Update-on-2023-Guidance
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / 1933 Industries Inc. (the "Company" or "1933 Industries") (CSE:TGIF)(OTCQB:TGIFF), a Nevada-focused cannabis cultivator and producer, is pleased to announce its second quarter financial results ("Q2 2023") For the six months ended January 31, 2023, and 2022. All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars.

The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association (AMA), the Company's cultivation and production subsidiary focused on the medical and adult-use cannabis market, and 100% of CBD product manufacturer Infused MFG LLC (Infused). The Company's revenue is derived from wholesale cannabis sales in Nevada (AMA), and from the sale of hemp-derived consumer packaged goods (Infused) under the Canna Hemp brand sold across the US via e-commerce at cannahemp.com.

Q1 2023 Financial Highlights

Revenue $3.6 million for Q2 2023 and $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023

Expenses $0.2 million

Gross margin $1.9 million before adjustments

Net loss $0.4 million

Adjusted EBITDA $0.1 million - Second consecutive quarter of positive EBITDA

Consolidated Operating Highlights

Total revenues were $3.6 million for Q2 2023, representing a 13% increase over $3.2 million for Q2 2022. Revenues are $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023, representing a 52% increase from $6.0 million during the same period in 2022.

Expenses of $0.2 million for Q2 2023 decreased by 92% from $2.4 million in Q2 2022 in large part due to a substantial tax refund from the IRS. The Company continues to work diligently on controlling expenses.

Gross margin was $1.9 million, before fair value adjustments on biological assets and realized fair value adjustments on the sale of inventory. The decrease in gross margin is attributable to a decrease in flower pricing in Nevada.

Net loss was $0.4 million for Q2 2023 and $0.8 million for Q2 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA was $0.1 million for Q2 2023 and $0.1 million for Q2 2022.

Cash at the end of the period was $2.9 million compared to $0.8 million during the same period in 2022.

Management Commentary

Mr. Paul Rosen, Chairman and CEO of 1933 Industries commented, "Wholesale pricing pressure continues to impact cultivators in Nevada, with lower sale prices on cannabis products experienced across the industry. In addition, the Company has chosen to deal with some legacy infrastructure issues that compressed our overall capacity this quarter. During the reporting period, the Company continued to focus on strengthening its operation. Necessary and essential infrastructure improvements to the Company's cultivation facility, including improvements to the facility's irrigation, air movement and humidification systems have been initialized and are well underway. A build-up of inventory will be the Company's priorities in the following quarters in order to increase the production of sellable dried flower and pre-rolls. We expect flower prices to stabilize in the near future, and we expect as well that the launch of consumption lounges will create a new attraction for visitors to the state and expand cannabis-related tourism. The Company is well positioned to benefit from increased demand, flower price stabilization, and the strength of its top brand and in-demand products that deliver excellent value to consumers.

Operationally, the Company has made substantial improvements in lowering its debt load, reducing expenses, and conserving its working capital over the last several quarters. The Company recorded positive Adjusted EBITDA for a second quarter in a row, a milestone in the Company's history."

Appointment of Ester Vigil as President

The Company is pleased to announce that Ms. Ester Vigil has been appointed as President. Ms. Vigil previously held the role of Director of Sales and served as president from 2019 to 2020. Ms. Vigil's return to the Company has been marked by significant achievements, including repositioning AMA as a top brand in Nevada. "Ester's contributions to the Company are very meaningful," said Mr. Rosen. "She has added value in all areas of our business, and her leadership has earned her esteem and respect from both her colleagues at 1933, and throughout the overall Nevada cannabis industry. I look forward to Ester continuing to help improve our business, deliver excellent value to our customers and deliver future growth."

Financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Detailed information regarding the Company's financial results as well as management's discussion and analysis can be found at https://sedar.com/ and https://1933industries.com/investors/financial-information

Please note the next financial release dates in accordance with the continuous disclosure schedule set out by the British Columbia Securities Commission:

2023 Financial Release Dates Reporting Quarter Release Date Q3/2023 June 29, 2023 Q4/YE 2023 November 28, 2023 Q1/2024 January 1, 2024 Q2/2024 April 2, 2024 Q3/2024 July 2, 2024 Q4/YE 2024 November 28, 2024

About 1933 Industries Inc.

1933 Industries is a Nevada-based, growth-orientated company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of a large portfolio of cannabis consumer-packaged goods in a variety of formats for both the wholesale and retail markets. Its product offerings include: THC flower, pre-rolls, and extracted products under the AMA and Level X brands for the Nevada market; Canna Hemp, national cannabidiol (CBD) brand of infused wellness products including tinctures, gummies, topicals and sport recovery products. The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA) and 100% of Infused MFG LLC (Infused).

www.1933industries.com

About Alternative Medicine Association

AMA is a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and extraction subsidiary that produces its own branded line of unique cannabis products. AMA's extensive menu of cannabis products include: craft cannabis flower, pre-rolls, full spectrum oils, high quality distillates, proprietary blends of terpenes, vaporizer products and boutique concentrates such as shatter, crumble, batter, sugar wax, diamonds, and live resin. Ultra-craft brand Level X is an exclusive collection of exotic strains, selected specifically for their distinctive terpene profiles, high THC levels, and flavonoids. With state-of-the-art cultivation and extraction facilities based in Las Vegas, Nevada, AMA seeks to offer medical patients and recreational users alike a cannabis experience that's exceptional, potent, and consistent in quality. www.amanev.com

AMA is also licensed in Nevada as an adult-use cannabis distributor.

About Canna Hemp

With over 60 products in its portfolio, the Canna Hemp brand offers products in a variety of verticals and consumption formats, including, effects-based tinctures, topicals, vape pens and cartridges, gummies, and capsules for Sleep, Relief, Calm, Focus and Energy. High-grade CBD and a proprietary blend of terpenes formulated for specific effects are key differentiators for the Canna Hemp line. The Company recently introduced previously untapped cannabinoids Cannabigerol (CBG) and Cannabinol (CBN) to its portfolio of products with a new line of natural tinctures and gummies.

www.cannahemp.com

For further information please contact:

Alexia Helgason, VP, IR, Marketing, Media

604-728-4407

alexia@1933industries.com

Paul Rosen, CEO

paul@1933industries.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 release.

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. 1933 Industries undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: 1933 Industries Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747218/1933-Industries-Reports-Second-Quarter-2023-Financial-Results-and-Announces-Ester-Vigil-as-President
Saguenay, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - First Phosphate Corp. (CSE: PHOS) (FSE: KD0) ("First Phosphate" or the "Company"), together with Developpement economique 02 ("DE02") and the Regional Conference of the Prefects of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean ("CRP"), are pleased to announce the signing of a collaboration agreement between First Phosphate and the Regional Economic Benefits Maximization Committee ("CMAX").

"This collaboration agreement will generate mutual benefits for First Phosphate and for the economic community of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec," state First Phosphate's CEO, John Passalacqua, the President of the CRP and the Prefect of the Lac-Saint-Jean-Est MRC, Louis Ouellet, as well as the President of DE02 and Prefect of the Domaine-du-Roy MRC, Yanick Baillargeon.

Under the agreement, First Phosphate will be able to connect directly to the region's entrepreneurial workforce to help the Company to operate its projects in a broader context and without supplier challenges. For CMAX, this agreement will facilitate positive economic impacts for construction companies, equipment manufacturers and their suppliers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec.

"First Phosphate strongly appreciates the warm welcome shown by the population of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region towards the Company's phosphate mine project and its value-added mineral processing plants. First Phosphate firmly believes that its projects must be well-integrated into the local host community fabric and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from the economic spin-offs. First Phosphate looks forward to integrating the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry," says John Passalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate.

"On behalf of our colleagues at DE02 and the Regional Conference of Prefects, we are pleased with the signing of this agreement because it ensures that we will be in constant communication with the First Phosphate team to support them in the development of the value chain around high-quality phosphate mineral, specifically dedicated to the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery industry. At the same time, this agreement will allow us to offer First Phosphate a direct and privileged relationship within our pool of regional contractors and suppliers. These suppliers, whose skills and experience in large-scale projects are recognized worldwide, will also be able to develop new fields of expertise in this most promising sector of activity," said Louis Ouellet.

"We would also like to highlight the openness and dynamism of the management of First Phosphate, who were quick to collaborate with the political and economic decision-makers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean egion right from the onset of their project," continued Louis Ouellet.

"The members of the Table regionale des elus (TRE), whose president is the Prefect of the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay, Mr. Gerald Savard strongly support First Phosphate's request, addressed to higher levels of government, that phosphate be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Quebec and Canada," said Mr. Yanick Baillargeon, president of DE02 and Prefect of the MRC du Domaine-du-Roy.

About First Phosphate Corp.

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate ("LFP") battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of royalty-free land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate material devoid of high concentrations of harmful elements.

About CMAX

The Regional Economic Impact Maximization Committee is now under the aegis of the Regional Conference of the Prefects of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region. CMAX was established in the early 2000s by the Conference regionale des elus (CRE) to ensure that regional businesses benefit as much as possible from the wealth created by the development of major projects in the region. Today, CMAX monitors calls for tenders for public and private projects of all sizes, while creating optimal conditions between major purchasing networks and regional suppliers, with the goal of facilitating contracts for the benefit of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regional businesses.

-30-

For additional information, please contact:

Peter Kent, President

peter@firstphosphate.com

Tel: +1 (647) 707-1943

Investor Relations: investor@firstphosphate.com

Media Relations: media@firstphosphate.com

Website: www.FirstPhosphate.com

Follow First Phosphate:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstPhosphate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-phosphate

For further information on the Regional Conference of the Prefects of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, please contact:

Louis Ouellet, President

prefet@mrclac.qc.ca

Tel: +1 (418) 321-1239

For further information on Developpement economique 02, please contact:

Yanick Baillargeon, President

prefet@mrcdomaineduroy.ca

Tel: +1 (418) 671-8272

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the Company's commitment to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's plans to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's proposed development of its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the MOU will provide the state benefits to the Company and the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec, including the Company's access to operate its projects under more favourable conditions such as more advantageous access to labour markets; the Company's beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company's aims to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company's plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's ability to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's ability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's ability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the Company has the ability to capitalize on the MOU and realize on the state benefits to the Company and to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec; the Company has the ability to realize on its beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company has the ability to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company has the ability to carry out its plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to produce high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's inability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's inability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the Company's inability to capitalize on the MOU and realize on the state benefits to the Company and to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec; the Company's inability to realize on its beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company's inability to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company's inability to carry out its plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161012
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / America's Charities

World Health Day takes place on April 7th each year, marking the anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded. WHO selects a different theme each year, focusing on one of the topics from their 6-point agenda and highlighting a priority area of concern.

1. Health and Development: advocate for greater recognition of the bidirectional links between poverty and poor health, and strengthen intersectoral work to address health risks and socio-economic determinants

2. Health and Security: taking steps to reduce health risks from outbreaks of new, existing and mutating diseases, and providing assistance to countries in strengthening trauma care and mass casualty management systems

3. Health Systems: Bridging the prevention and treatment gaps, and integrating management of chronic conditions, nutrition services, and mental health into primary healthcare, including prevention and community-based rehabilitation

4. Information and Knowledge: Devising guidelines on evidence-based interventions for health promotion and risk reduction

5. Partnerships: promote partnerships for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities.

6. Performance: Monitor noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities, and their determinants and to evaluate progress at the national, regional and global levels.

In honor of WorldHealthDay, America's Charities is celebrating our member charities whose programs and health care services ensure that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

Click on the nonprofit's name to learn more about what they do.

AIDS Fund

Alzheimer's Disease Research (BrightFocus Foundation)

Alzheimer's - Insight Memory Care Center

American Red Cross Serving Central Texas

Breast Cancer Coalition

Capital Caring

CMT Research Foundation

Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, Inc.

Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation

FNIH (Foundation for the National Institutes of Health)

Hope Connections for Cancer Support

International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere Region

Melanoma Research Alliance

The Marfan Foundation

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Montgomery Hospice, Inc.

Multiple Sclerosis Association of America

NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation

National Down Syndrome Society

Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance

Ronald McDonald House Charities

The Caring Foundation of Texas

The Children's Inn At NIH

YMCA of Metropolitan Washington

On April 7th and all year round through workplace giving, we encourage you to:

Join us in celebrating World Health Day! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members' specific programs and impact.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer's workplace giving program (Don't have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity's name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from America's Charities on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: America's Charities

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/americas-charities

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: America's Charities

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747267/World-Health-Day-2023
San Francisco, California--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - nOps continues to revolutionize the AWS cloud management space with the launch of three new innovative features. These features are set to transform the way organizations monitor and manage their AWS infrastructure, further cementing nOps as the go-to platform for AWS users.

Image: JT Giri, CEO & Co-Founder, nOps.io

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9219/161007_af701f7c2469eadf_001full.jpg

As the world continues to embrace cloud computing, more and more companies are turning to AWS to manage their IT infrastructure. But it can be challenging for businesses to optimize their AWS usage, ensure security, and maintain compliance even when AWS offers a robust set of tools for managing cloud resources.

That's where nOps comes in, an AWS management platform designed to help enterprises address these challenges and maximize the value of their cloud investment. And their penchant for innovation has led to the addition of three unique features to add more value to AWS users.

nOps Commitment Management: RI Utilization

One of the newest features nOps has announced is the Reserved Instance (RI) utilization tracking in their Commitment Management feature. With the new RI utilization feature, nOps automatically tracks the usage of RIs across an organization's AWS accounts and provides comprehensive reports on RI usage, including underutilized and unused RIs. This allows customers to identify RI opportunities and take corrective actions to ensure RI utilization is optimized to the fullest.

The feature also enables customers to see RI utilization over time and forecast RI usage in the future, giving them greater control over their cloud spending.

nOps Commitment Management already helps customers optimize their AWS spending by providing visibility into their overall AWS usage and spending, as well as recommendations for optimizing costs. The addition of RI utilization tracking further enhances the platform's cost optimization capabilities.

nSwitch: Scheduling Your Idle EKS Clusters Idle Time

The cloud management platform also now offers support for scheduling idle time for Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) clusters using its nSwitch feature. With this new feature, businesses can efficiently manage their cloud resources and reduce their costs by automatically shutting down idle EKS clusters during non-business hours.

The nSwitch feature enables users to set the idle time for their EKS clusters and configure the schedule to match their specific requirements. Users can also automate the entire process using AWS Lambda and CloudFormation, making it easier to manage and implement. This new feature is particularly useful for organizations that use EKS clusters for development and testing purposes, as well as for businesses that experience low-traffic periods, such as weekends or holidays.

With the ability to schedule idle times for EKS clusters, businesses can significantly reduce their AWS bills while ensuring that their clusters are always available when needed.

This feature is the latest addition to nOps' suite of cloud management tools, aimed at providing businesses with greater control and visibility over their AWS infrastructure while optimizing their cloud usage and costs.

nOps Business Context: Allocate Each Dollar of Your AWS Bill

The Business Context feature has its way of revolutionizing the way businesses allocate their AWS bill. With nOps Business Contexts, every single dollar of businesses' AWS bill can be allocated to specific business units, applications, and projects, giving them complete visibility and control over their cloud spending. This feature allows businesses to effectively manage their cloud costs, optimize their cloud usage, and make data-driven decisions about their AWS infrastructure to make sure that every dollar is being spent wisely.

With Business Contexts, users can create customized categories and tags to track their spending and gain insights into their usage patterns. They can also assign costs to specific teams or business units and set up notifications to alert them when costs exceed certain thresholds. This level of granular detail allows users to make data-driven decisions about their AWS spending and optimize their resources for maximum efficiency.

The feature also includes a report builder that enables users to generate custom reports based on their specific business needs. This report builder allows users to visualize their AWS spending and analyze trends over time, making it easier to identify opportunities for optimization and cost savings.

The demand for AWS management platforms will continue to grow as businesses continue to embrace cloud computing. Fortunately, nOps has emerged as the go-to platform for managing and optimizing AWS environments.

About nOps:

nOps is revolutionizing cloud management by providing real-time visibility into AWS resources and enabling businesses to optimize their cloud usage while ensuring security, compliance, and cost efficiency. Their platform provides real-time visibility into AWS resources, enabling businesses to identify areas for optimization and automate compliance checks. nOps is the trusted partner for businesses looking to optimize their AWS usage and achieve their cloud goals faster and more efficiently.

Media Contact

Omri Hurwitz

omri@omrihurwitz.com

+972525817666

https://omrihurwitz.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161007
WOODLANDS, Texas, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PURIS, North America's leading provider of trenchless infrastructure renewal solutions, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the assets of D&D Water & Sewer, Inc. (D&D). Headquartered in Canton, MI and boasting a 50+ year track record of success, D&D provides the region with specialized underground infrastructure installation and repair solutions.





Mick Fegan, Chief Executive Officer at PURIS, commented, "The combination of D&D's local expertise and purpose-built operational capabilities enhance PURIS's ability to address the needs of clients located across North America. The D&D acquisition expands our self-perform capabilities, driving savings for our clients, and builds on the success of our existing Murphy Pipeline Contractors business, an industry-leader in drinking water infrastructure rehabilitation. Along with renewing larger diameter potable water transmission lines, we now can replace smaller-diameter lead service lines that have become a growing concern in communities across North America."

Mark DiMichele, President of D&D, added, "I am thrilled to join the PURIS family of companies. The PURIS platform provides D&D with the resources required for continued growth and allows us to better serve our existing clients by offering them an expanded suite of trenchless solutions." DiMichele has joined the PURIS leadership team and will continue to play a key role on PURIS's operations team.

"D&D's capabilities are uniquely-positioned to address the urgent need to improve the safety and efficiency of drinking water distribution. This acquisition will help support the growing demand for our solutions," said Glenn Shor, Chairman of PURIS and Partner at JFLCO.

About PURIS

Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, PURIS, a J.F. Lehman portfolio company, operates throughout North America and provides innovative, high-quality solutions to the sanitary, storm, and potable water markets. Leveraging decades of experience, PURIS delivers its proven solutions using an unrivaled portfolio of infrastructure renewal services, such as thermal and ultraviolet cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), pipe bursting, geopolymer lining systems, CompressionFit HDPE lining, and horizontal directional drilling. Clients also benefit from PURIS's in-house inspection and liner manufacturing capabilities, ensuring quality service and efficiency. This comprehensive suite of technologies enables PURIS to offer clients the optimal rehabilitation solution for each unique application.

For more information about PURIS and its family of companies, please visit www.puriscorp.com.

About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc.

Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company focuses exclusively on investing in the aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental industries. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

www.jflpartners.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/349934/j_f__lehman___company_logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/puris-enhances-potable-water-rehabilitation-leadership-acquires-dd-water--sewer-inc-301787548.html
Tesch returns with absolute majority

Ms Liesl Tesch has been returned as Labor Member for Gosford with an absolute majority.

Ms Tesch received 50.89 per cent of the vote at the State election on Saturday, March 25, a swing to her of 6.8 per cent.

Ms Tesch previously held the seat with a 7.1 per cent margin.

Latest figures from the NSW Electoral Office showed 77.7 per cent of the vote had been counted for the 58,134 people enrolled in the Gosford electorate by Friday, March 31.

"I would thank the people of Gosford for their ongoing support and I look forward to the absolute privilege of representing our community in the NSW Parliament for another four years," said Ms Tesch.

Liberal Ms Dee Bocking received the next largest number of votes with 28.36 per cent, representing a swing away from the Liberals of 7.8 per cent.

After distribution of preferences, Ms Tesch received 65.48 per cent and Ms Bocking 34.52 per cent, representing an overall swing to Labor of 8.4 per cent.

Greens candidate Ms Hilary van Haren received 9.11 per cent, Shooters Fishers and Farmers candidate Mr Larry Freeman 4.06 per cent, independent Ms Lisa Bellamy 3.32 per cent, Animal Justice Party candidate Ms Emily McCallum 2.61 per cent and Sustainable Australia Party candidate Ms Ineka Soetens 1.64 per cent.

The numbers of first preference votes were Ms Tesch 22,267, Ms Bocking 12,409, Ms van Haren 3987, Mr Freeman 1778, Ms Bellamy 1454, Ms McCallum 1144 and Ms Soetens 716.

Total number of informal votes was 1435.

Ms Tesch received the highest number of first preference votes at all Peninsula polling booths.

Only at Kulnura, Mangrove Mountain, Peats Ridge and Somersby did Ms Bocking record higher numbers than Ms Tesch.

"This election clearly demonstrated that our community wants a fresh start," said Ms Tesch.

"People voted for a fair share on wages, and to see our health workers and teachers respected so they can support our community.

"Our community wants to see improvements in cost of living, prioritised housing affordability and to end the privatisation.

"The Minns Labor Government understands the challenges and responsibilities that lay ahead and we're excited about the opportunity to invest on the Coast and make our communities a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

"The Gosford University Campus and the development of the Gosford Waterfront are two key items for the years ahead.

"The people of the Gosford electorate have made it clear they are tired of the glossy brochures and want to see real investment and positive change in the city of Gosford.

"Labor has committed $1.1 billion for roads across NSW, and I will fight to ensure that we receive much-needed road delivery in my electorate, especially across the Peninsula."
LAGOS, NIGERIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / FCMB Group Plc has released its audited group results for December 31, 2022, reporting a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N36.6 billion, representing a 61% Year-on-Year growth. Double-digit growth was recorded across all business segments, with the banking group growing by 71.7%, while the consumer finance, investment management, and investment banking segments grew by 25.6%, 45.7%, and 26.7%, respectively.

The company, which proposed a dividend of 25k per share, also delivered impressive environmental, social and governance results in climate action, financial inclusion, food security, community initiatives, customer acquisition, and digital transformation. It switched 12 additional branches to solar power in 2022, removing 75% of its branch network from grid/diesel generators, and provided micro-loans totalling N13 billion to 120,000 MSMEs. The agency banking arm extended its partnership to 100,000, acquiring over 211,000 customers. Working alongside partners, FCMB supported 280,000 smallholder farmers, created over 600,000 jobs, and helped deliver Africa's first cassava-based Sorbitol Factory.

The Group's impressive financial results also showed a 35.5% growth in gross revenue to N283 billion from N212 billion the previous year. It was driven by a 35.5% growth in interest income and a 26.9% growth in non-interest income. Customer confidence remained strong as deposits rose 25.1% to N1.94 trillion in December 2022 from N1.55 trillion the previous year, while loans and advances witnessed a 12.4% surge to N1.20 trillion as against N1.06 trillion in 2021. The Group's total assets increased by 19.6% from N2.50 trillion to N2.98 trillion in December 2022.

Investment Banking (advisory and primary debt and equity capital markets) transaction value consummated by the Group rose to N857.1 billion in 2022, compared to N582.9 billion in 2021. This delivered a 47% growth in fees from capital raise and financial advisory services over the period. The financial service Group's Assets Under Management (AUM) also sustained its growth trajectory rising to N783.7 billion in 2022, up by 49.0% from N525.7 the prior year.

Net interest income grew 34.2% to N122.0 billion for the first twelve months of 2022, compared to N90.9 billion in 2021. This was driven by a growth in the yield on earning assets from 11.0% to 12.7%, which increased Net Interest Margin (NIM) from 6.2% to 7.0%.

The overall customer base of FCMB Group grew by 18.4% to 10.9 million, as it acquired an additional 1.7 million customers in the period, including 250,000 customers from Pension Fund Administrator (PFA acquisition), compared to 900,000 in 2021.

This Group's digital transformation drive witnessed enhanced performance across all business segments. Digital Payments, Wealth, and Lending continued to empower more customers, resulting in a 42.0% growth in digital revenues from N26.1 billion in 2021 to N37.1 billion in 2022. Thus, digital revenues accounted for 13% of gross earnings from the 12% contribution in 2021.

In digital retail lending, First City Monument Bank and Credit Direct Limited, subsidiaries of the Group, underwrote and disbursed over 962,000 loans, totalling N42.1 billion, as at December 31, 2022, a growth of 17.1% and 24.9%, respectively, from the prior year. Through the Bank's digital SME lending channels, over 21,000 loans, totalling N165.2 billion, were accessed, underwritten, and disbursed, a growth of 1.9% and 43.7%, respectively.

About FCMB Group PLC

FCMB Group is a financial services holding company listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and headquartered in Lagos. The Group has strategic interests in companies that collectively serve over 10 million customers across five platforms: banking, consumer finance, investment management, investment banking and financial technology. Collectively, we are building and driving an ecosystem that fosters inclusive and sustainable growth in the communities we serve primarily in Africa, its diaspora, and the United Kingdom.

Enquiries

Tunji Onamusi,

Head, Investor Relations

Tunji.Onamusi@fcmb.com

SOURCE: FCMB Group Plc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747316/FCMB-Groups-2022-Revenue-Hits-N283bn-Profit-Surges-61-to-N366bn
With Microsoft 365, inPhronesis, manages the data and intelligence that drives the management of pharmaceutical companies

SAN ANTONIO, April 03, 2023 to modernize the company's email infrastructure and optimize the knowledge management portal. The biomedical software expert manages the data and intelligence that drives the management of pharmaceutical companies with Microsoft 365.



inPhronesis was designed by Competitive Intelligence (CI) consultants to track large amounts of ever-changing data for competitive and Business Intelligence (BI) inside the Pharma and Biomedical industries. The company's mission is to offer clients a streamlined interface with custom functionality for their business intelligence. The software development company was founded in 2019 in Orlando, Florida, to allow users to configure enterprise-level solutions that make their customers' lives easier.

inPhronesis' main product is a software called inVision, which delivers essential insights into the biomedical industry. The application is a hub of client information used by over 3,500 pharmaceutical and medical technology professionals to stay up to date on the industry. The system sends out multiple daily alerts reporting on different markets, classes of drugs, and advancements at various companies.

Rackspace Technology was tasked with helping the inPhronesis IT team map out a plan for integrating dozens of different applications and tools and account for managing mobile Windows iOS, and Android devices used by employees in the field.

"inPhronesis underwent a SOC 2 certification process. For a small business, ensuring compliance and improving data security can be complex, with many moving parts. For this reason, inPhronesis wanted the flexible service delivery model available through Rackspace Elastic Engineering," said Eric Tapley, IT director at inPhronesis. "There are so many different pieces and so much to know. Because we had Rackspace Elastic Engineering, we knew that we could come up with any question on any part of it. We weren't siloed into doing just one project."

As a data platform trusted by eight top 20 global pharmaceutical companies, inPhronesis wanted to deploy Microsoft 365 and optimize security to address SOC 2 compliance requirements. "There's a ton of things to get done and rolling out Microsoft Intune for device management is a big chunk of that work. Having Rackspace Technology to help was invaluable," said Tapley.

"One of the Rackspace team's first tasks was helping the inPhronesis IT team map out a plan for integrating dozens of different applications and tools. This plan needed to account for managing mobile Windows, iOS and Android devices used by employees in the field. Microsoft Intune solved for the endpoint management challenges while Microsoft 365 helped to account for data security and audit capabilities.," said Josh Prewitt, President of Private Cloud for Rackspace Technology. "Throughout the audit process, inPhronesis resolved obstacles at a moment's notice. When there was an issue with OneDrive synchronization or a question on settings for Outlook, inPhronesis brought it to their Rackspace Elastic Engineering team."

After working closely with Rackspace Technology, inPhronesis deployed Microsoft 365, enabled endpoint management, and adjusted security settings in time for the SOC 2 audit. The company now has a certification showing it complies with five trust principles and is safeguarding proprietary data for clients. Today, inPhronesis is in an even better position to attract new clients and prove its dedication to loyal partners.

"There's a ton of things to get done and rolling out Microsoft Intune for device management is a big chunk of that work. Having Rackspace Technology to help was invaluable," said Tapley.

Click hereto read more about Rackspace Technology and the inPhronesis solution.

About Rackspace Technology

Rackspace Technologyis a leading end-to-end multicloud technology services company. We can design, build and operate our customers' cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products and adopt innovative technologies.

Media Contact

Natalie Silva

publicrelations@rackspace.com
Social Media Management Company Prioritizes Employee Well-Being, Gains Media Attention and Sparks National Conversation on the Future of Work

TAMPA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Brick Media, a Tampa-based social media management company, is making headlines with its recent announcement about making the four-day workweek a permanent part of its thriving business model. The decision is a reflection of the company's commitment to improving the lives of its employees and promoting work-life balance, which has become an increasingly important consideration for businesses across the country.

Brick Media Group

Brick Media is a Tampa social media management agency that helps brands stay relevant in the evolving digital space.

"The four-day workweek has been an overwhelming success for us, and we're thrilled to make it a permanent part of our business model," said Jake Kurtz, CEO of Brick Media. "We believe that promoting a healthy work-life balance is not only beneficial for our employees but also for our clients, as it allows our team to be refreshed and energized when working on their projects."

The attention generated by Brick Media's announcement has been significant, with media outlets such as the Tampa Bay Times and WFLA, an NBC-affiliated television station, covering the story in print, online, and through in-person studio interviews. The Tampa Bay Times is the largest newspaper in Florida and has won numerous awards for its investigative reporting and journalistic excellence. WFLA is a leading television station in the Tampa Bay area and is affiliated with NBC, one of the largest and most respected media organizations in the world. Their coverage of the Brick Media story has helped to bring attention to the significance of the company's decision and its impact on the professional services industry.

Being featured in these outlets speaks to Brick Media's growing reputation and its impact on many businesses considering a similar change. The media attention has also helped to spark a larger conversation about the future of work and how businesses can create better work environments for their employees.

"Promoting work-life balance and creating a supportive work environment is a priority for us at Brick Media, and we hope that our decision will inspire other businesses to prioritize their employees' well-being as well," Kurtz added.

Brick Media is at the forefront of this conversation and is happy to provide insights and interviews on this subject to media outlets covering the four-day workweek. As more companies look for ways to improve the lives of their employees, it's possible that we'll see a shift towards a four-day workweek become more widespread.

The decision to make the four-day workweek permanent is a significant milestone for Brick Media, and it underscores the company's commitment to innovation and employee well-being. The attention generated by the announcement is a testament to the company's success and the potential for a wider shift towards a better work-life balance across many industries, both domestically and internationally.

With Brick Media leading the charge, it's clear that the company is not afraid to think outside the box and find innovative ways to improve the lives of its employees while providing exceptional service to its clients. As the conversation continues to grow, it's exciting to think about the possibilities that lie ahead for businesses worldwide.

About Brick Media:

Brick Media is an award-winning Tampa-based social media management agency dedicated to helping brands stay relevant in the evolving digital space with social media management services, media planning, and buying.

For inquiries related to this press release, please contact Almodovar Group, LLC.

Contact Information

Almodovar Group, LLC

brickmedia@almodovar.co

8137147040

SOURCE: Brick Media Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747299/Tampa-Based-Brick-Media-Makes-Four-Day-Workweek-Permanent
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / In partnership with the Jaguar TCS Racing Team, Tata Consultancy Services' goIT Monthly Challenge for March is honoring and supporting women through a focus on United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The goIT Monthly Challenge is a recurring opportunity for classrooms or individual students to directly engage in helping achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by developing a digital innovation. The program's primary goal is to increase interest in STEM and computer science among students under the age of 18 in underserved communities around the world and provide them with information and mentoring that could create a path to a meaningful career.

This month, TCS and Jaguar TCS Racing are seeking innovations directly related to achieving UN SDG 5, gender equality. Students are asked to develop and present a proposal for an app or other digital tool that could address related issues. Innovations could employ features and tools that could help empower women and girls by opening doors to leadership, learning and opportunity - or by helping close doors on discrimination and other obstacles that hold women and girls back.

Students can enter as individuals, as a team of students, or as an entire class until March 31, 2023. To get their ideas flowing, they can visit the United Nations SDG 5 information pages to learn about the issue and its specific challenges. Brainstorming and conducting research into available technologies can also help. Students are not required to create an app, just to present a detailed prototype or description which explains how it would address this critical issue. U.S. and Canadian students are welcome to participate in the TCS North America goIT Monthly Challenge by visiting http://on.tcs.com/goIT-ENG .

About goIT

TCS' Go Innovate Together (goIT) program is a digital innovation and career-readiness program for students under the age of 18. Through curriculum development, innovation exploration, inspirational challenges, local, regional and global competitions and more, goIT empowers students with skills and practice and provides mentorship to prepare them for careers of the future. With over a decade of success and a footprint of 42 countries, goIT has now exceeded a direct student impact of more than 130,000 students and led to the design of more than 40,000 tech-for-good digital innovation prototypes by young innovators. Learn more at https://tcsempowers.tcsapps.com/amer/goIT .

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/tata-consultancy-services-tcs

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747345/North-American-Students-Aged-6-Through-18-Invited-To-Submit-Digital-Innovations-That-Support-Gender-Equality
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with North Arrow Minerals, RevoluGROUP and Sailfish Royalty discussing their latest news.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

North Arrow (TSXV:NAR) discovers lithium targets in Northwest Territories

North Arrow (NAR) is reporting eight prospective lithium targets at its DeStaffany Lithium Project. The company also identified coarse-grained spodumene in photographs of the Moose 2 pegmatite. Initial prospecting work is slated for the summer. CEO Ken Armstrong spoke with Shoran Devi about the news.

For the full interview with Ken Armstrong and to learn about North Arrow, click here.

RevoluGROUP Canada (TSXV:REVO) confirms suitor's interest in equity investment

RevoluGROUP (REVO) has signed a fourth addendum to its binding equity investment memorandum of understanding (MOU). The suitor's exposure to the failed Silvergate and Signature banks has been contained. A newly defined timeline sees the investment proposal culminating by midnight on April 18, 2023. CEO Steve Marshall spoke with Shoran Devi about the news.

For the full interview with Steve Marshall and to learn about RevoluGROUP, click here.

Sailfish Royalty (TSXV:FISH) declares dividend for Q1 2023

Sailfish Royalty (FISH) will pay out a US$0.0125 dividend in Q1 2023 on April 17. The date of record to receive the dividend was as of the close of business on March 31, 2023. Sailfish is a precious metals royalty and streaming company with robust assets in the U.S., Mexico and Nicaragua. CEO Paolo Lostritto spoke with Shoran Devi about the company's key assets and its plans for the near future.

For the full interview with Paolo Lostritto and to learn about Sailfish Royalty, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit? The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

CONTACT:

The Market Herald

marketing@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE:?The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747381/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-North-Arrow-Minerals-RevoluGROUP-and-Sailfish-Royalty-Discussing-Their-Latest-News
Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - College of DuPage Teacher Preparation Associate Professor April Zawlocki was named Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education Teacher Educator (IACTE) of the Year for her demonstrated innovation in teacher education and leadership in improving Career and Technical Education programs.

Zawlocki said that the award symbolizes the strength of COD's Teacher Preparation program.





Professor April Zawlocki



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9467/161098_image1full.jpg

"Since starting here 10 years ago, my vision has been to create a teacher pipeline that gives students high-quality, affordable options for obtaining their teaching license so they don't have to go into debt and can flourish in their life as an educator."

In her tenure at COD, Zawlocki has developed numerous innovative pathways to address teacher shortages in Illinois. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in developing a new 3+1 Technology Engineering Education bachelor's degree agreement in partnership with Valley City State University in North Dakota. The program provides COD students with access to a teaching degree through VCSU at a significantly reduced cost.

"I love working collaboratively with future educators and look forward to calling them my colleagues," Zawlocki said. "If I can inspire future educators to invest in their students and to create a culture of learning, then I will have done my job."

The Teacher Preparation program at COD meets the needs of students planning to teach in elementary, secondary or special education settings. Many students enroll in the program to become educators or to take education courses for careers in youth counseling, criminal justice and parent teacher association leadership.

The College's fall 2023 semester begins Monday, Aug. 21, and includes a 16-week, two 12-week and two eight-week sessions. Priority registration, for current students with 30 or more credit, begins April 12. Open registration begins April 19. For more information, visit cod.edu/registration.

Contact: Angela Mennecke

menneckea@cod.edu

(630) 942-3134

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161098
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. (TSXV: SOIL) (FSE: SMKA) (OTCQX: OILSF) ("Saturn" or the "Company") today announced that the Company has granted 2,500,000 Restricted Share Units ("RSUs) to employees and directors, under the terms of the Company's long term incentive plan ("LTIP). Saturn's Board of Directors made the determination that granting RSUs is a preferable mechanism for the Company's LTIP and will replace the previous grant of inventive stock options announced March 14, 2023. The RSUs are granted at a deemed price of $2.51, equal to the prior days closing trading price of Saturn's common shares on March 31, 2023 and will vest in three equal installments on the anniversaries from the grant date.

The purposes of the LTIP will be to: (i) provide the Company with a mechanism to attract and motivate highly qualified directors and employees and retain the talented professionals that joined Saturn as a result of the February 28, 2023 acquisition of Ridgeback Resources Inc; and (ii) align the interests of eligible participants of the LTIP with that of other shareholders of the Company, encouraging participation in the long-term growth of the Company.

About Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.

Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. is a growing Canadian energy company focused on generating positive shareholder returns through the continued responsible development of high-quality, light oil weighted assets, supported by an acquisition strategy that targets highly accretive, complementary opportunities. Saturn has assembled an attractive portfolio of free-cash flowing, low-decline operated assets in Southeastern Saskatchewan, West Central Saskatchewan and Central Alberta that provide a deep inventory of long-term economic drilling opportunities across multiple zones. With an unwavering commitment to building an ESG-focused culture, Saturn's goal is to increase reserves, production and cash flows at an attractive return on invested capital. Saturn's shares are listed for trading on the TSX.V under ticker 'SOIL' and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol 'SMKA'.

Further information and a corporate presentation are available on Saturn's website at www.saturnoil.com .

Saturn Oil & Gas Investor & Media Contacts:

John Jeffrey, MBA - Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 (587) 392-7902

www.saturnoil.com

Kevin Smith, MBA - VP Corporate Development

Tel: +1 (587) 392-7900

info@saturnoil.com

Reader Advisory

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

All dollar figures included herein are presented in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161104
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / There is still time to register for the 2023 Global Inclusive Growth Summit livestream on April 13!

The 2023 Summit-presented by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Aspen Institute, with our media partner Devex, will feature a dynamic and diverse group of global leaders, innovators and game-changers to shine a spotlight on innovative solutions to build an inclusive and sustainable economy for everyone, everywhere.



Featured speakers include:

Trevor Noah; Comedian, Best-Selling Author, Producer & Philanthropist

Melinda French Gates; Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Samantha Power; Administrator, USAID

Ade Adepitan; TV Presenter, Paralympic Medalist, Journalist, BBC

Michael Miebach; CEO, Mastercard

Lilly Singh; Founder, Unicorn Island Fund

And many more!

Check out our full speaker lineup and register today.

Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company's core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs and empower a community of thinkers, leaders and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth.

The Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is the creation of a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world's greatest challenges. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado and New York City, as well as an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.

Devex

Devex is the world's leading independent news organization covering global development. Devex journalists deliver insider reporting from front lines of the fight to achieve the SDGs-driving the most important debates, providing the most critical analysis, and backing it all up with the events, career information, and funding opportunities professionals require. To keep up to date with the must-read global development coverage, join their global community.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/mastercard-center-inclusive-growth

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/747409/Trevor-Noah-Melinda-French-Gates-Samantha-Power-Among-Featured-Speakers-for-the-2023-Global-Inclusive-Growth-Summit
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV: IPT) (OTC Pink: ISVLF) (FSE: IKL) ("IMPACT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the Share Purchase and Sale Agreement (the "Sale Agreement") with Consolidated Zinc Limited (ASX: CZL) ("CZL") of Australia, previously announced on February 9, 2023, regarding the purchase of all outstanding shares of its subsidiary, Minera Latin America Zinc S.A.P.I de C.V. ("MLAZ"), which holds a 100% interest in the high-grade, Plomosas zinc-lead-silver mine in the state of Chihuahua, northern Mexico.

Closing of this acquisition solidifies IMPACT's position as one of Mexico's most well-funded and growth-minded intermediate miners - one that is well-positioned to offer investors high-grade production, balanced and aggressive growth, and exciting exploration upside going forward.

TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT

The total purchase price of US$6 million consists of US$3 million in cash and the balance in the form of IMPACT shares (a total of 11,441,647 shares will be issued). Post closing adjustments based on changes in working capital will be made, as previously agreed to, between the two parties.

Contractual restrictions have been applied to 75% of the share transfer component such that IMPACT Shares will be released from restriction in three equal tranches of 25% of the total number of shares issued to CZL, every 6 months, over 18 months from closing. 25% of the IMPACT Shares will be immediately held by CZL (subject to a statutory 4-month hold period from the date of issuance of the IMPACT Shares); and

A 12% net profit interest ("NPI") royalty on production from the Plomosas project to CZL.

"We are thrilled to have completed this transformative acquisition that provides IMPACT with production in a second mining district, bringing with it both production growth and exploration upside to the Company going forward. Plomosas is a unique and fully permitted operation built on a large mineral system with global tier one historic grades at 13%+ zinc providing exceptional potential to both upgrade and expand its current level of operations. We intend to lean on our 17 years of successful underground operating experience at the Royal Mines of Zacualpan and leverage this know-how to provide meaningful shareholder value and significant upside potential for all stakeholders across our exceptional ESG-centric operation," said Frederick Davidson, Chairman and CEO of IMPACT Silver.

HIGHLIGHTS

The acquisition will expand IMPACT's production profile from one to two producing operations - the Plomosas zinc-lead-silver district in northern Mexico and the Royal Mines of Zacualpan silver-lead-zinc-gold district in central Mexico.

At Plomosas, CZL reported JORC mineral resources 1 of 215,000 tonnes grading 13.5% zinc, 6.3% lead and 34.0 g/t silver (indicated), and 772,000 tonnes grading 13.1% zinc, 3.0% lead and 19.0 g/t silver (inferred), at a 3% zinc cut-off at December 2021.

IMPACT plans an aggressive drill program in 2023 to both infill the Plomosas resource and test extensions of known mineralization.

Plomosas is known to host high-grade mineralization. Historical mining indicates grades in the global upper quartile for zinc, with approximately 2.5MT mined since 1943 grading 15-25% zinc, 2-7% lead and 40-60 g/t silver with low deleterious elements 2 .

CZL has been mining Plomosas since September 2018. IMPACT plans to upgrade the mill and mine with the aim to continue mining alongside a meaningful expansion of operations.

IMPACT's highly skilled operations team has 17 years of underground mining and flotation milling experience at its producing Zacualpan area assets, which will help up grade accelerate the efficient expansion of the Plomosas operation.

Exploration potential at Plomosas is exceptional, with only 600m of the 6 km-long strike length having been explored to date. This is in addition to other exploration targets on the 3,019-hectare property including untested copper-gold targets with indications of high-grade material from surface.

PLOMOSAS PROJECT OVERVIEW

In 2021, CZL processed 31,695 tonnes of mineral resulting in 2,442 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 599 tonnes of lead concentrate. Mineral processing is currently done amidst a potential 150+ tonne per day capacity, conventional flotation mill that is currently operating below design capacity. The Plomosas Property is subject to an underlying 1% Net Smelter Royalty. The 3,019-hectare property covers extensive carbonate replacement deposit-type ("CRD") zinc-lead-silver mantos (beds) mainly hosted in carbonates (limestones, marbles).

Regionally, Plomosas lies in the same mineral belt as some of the largest CRD deposits in the world (see Map 1 below)2. The historic Santa Eulalia Mine is the world's largest historic CRD deposit and is located 100km west of Plomosas.



Historic resources and production of regional CRDs include:

- Santa Eulalia produced over 450Moz silver from 51MT averaging 350 g/t silver, 8.2% lead and 7.8% zinc and was mined over 300 years.

- Cinco De Mayo (Mag Silver Corp.) with limited drilling since 2012 reports Inferred Mineral Resources of 12.45 million tonnes at 132 g/t silver, 0.24 g/t gold, 2.86% lead, and 6.47% zinc at an NSR cut off of US$100/t.

- South32's (formerly Arizona Mining) Taylor deposit at the north end of the CRD belt in Arizona- reported Measured plus Indicated Resources of 115MT averaging 3.85% zinc, 4.34% lead and 79 g/t silver, and Inferred Resources of 24MT averaging 3.73% zinc, 3.82% lead and 91 g/t silver, and remains open at depth and along strike.

- Other large CRD mines also occur in the region (see Map 1 below).

Reference to these regional CRDs are for information purposes only and there are no assurances that Plomosas will achieve similar results.





Location map of Plomosas Mine and Nearby Mines and Infrastructure



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4729/161140_6a71b58b24ab5a08_003full.jpg

Cozen O'Connor LLP acted as legal advisor to IMPACT Silver Corp. Jett Capital Advisors, LLC acted as financial advisor to Consolidated Zinc Limited.

ABOUT IMPACT SILVER

IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV: IPT) is a successful mineral producer and explorer with two mining projects in Mexico.

Royal Mines of Zacualpan Silver-Gold District: IMPACT owns 100% of the 211 km2 Zacualpan project where four underground silver mines and one open pit mine feed the central 500 tpd Guadalupe processing plant. To the south, the Capire Project includes a 200 tpd processing pilot plant adjacent to an open pit silver mine with an NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource of over 4.5 million oz silver, 48 million lbs zinc and 21 million lbs lead. (see IMPACT news release dated January 18, 2016, for details and QP statement, and Footnote 3 below for report reference) Company engineers are reviewing Capire for a potential restart of operations to leverage improving commodity prices. Over the past 17 years, IMPACT has developed multiple exploration zones into commercial production and have produced over 12 million ounces of silver, generating revenue more than $241 million.

Plomosas Zinc-Lead-Silver District: Plomosas is a high-grade zinc-lead-silver producer with exceptional exploration upside potential. The Company aims to recommence operations in the near term followed by plans for expanding operations through the balance of 2023 and into 2024. Exploration potential at Plomosas is exceptional with only 600m of the 6 km-long structure having been explored to date. This is in addition to other exploration targets on the 3,019-hectare property including untested copper-gold targets with indications of high-grade material from surface. Regionally, Plomosas lies in the same mineral belt as some of the largest carbonate replacement deposits in the world.

Additional information about IMPACT and its operations can be found on the Company website at www.IMPACTSilver.com. Follow us on Twitter @IMPACT_Silver and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactsilver

Qualified Person and NI 43-101 Disclosure

George Gorzynski, P.Eng., is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Gorzynski is Vice-President, Exploration and a director of IMPACT.

On behalf of IMPACT Silver Corp.

"Frederick W. Davidson"

President & CEO

For more information, please contact:

Jerry Huang

CFO | Investor Relations

O: (604) 681 0172 or inquiries@impactsilver.com

C: (778) 887 6489 Direct

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.

Footnotes:

1. Plomosas mineral resources are reported by Consolidated Zinc Ltd. (ASX: CZL) on their website (https://www.consolidatedzinc.com.au) under the Australian JORC (2012) Code as mineral resources "depleted as at December 2021". IMPACT's Qualified Person has reviewed but not verified in detail these current reported mineral resources and is only reporting them as material recent mineral resources reported by CZL and available in the public record. IMPACT believes the estimates are relevant and reliable, given they are reported to Australian JORC standards; however, IMPACT's Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify them as current Canadian NI 43-101 mineral resources.

2. Reference: Alexandri, A. Gonzalez, H., & Salas, H. (2022). Plomosas Project (CZL), Field Visit Report. IMPACT Silver Corp. private report on field visits and compilation of historic and recent data, 56 pages.

3. Reference: Ristorcelli, S.J. & Gorzynski, G. (2016). Technical Report on Mineral Resources for the Capire Silver-Lead-Zinc Project, Pedro Ascencio Alquisiras Municipality, Guerrero, Mexico. Prepared for IMPACT Silver Corp. by Mine Development Associates, Reno, Nevada. 82 pages. Available on www.sedar.com .

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This IMPACT News Release may contain certain "forward-looking" statements and information relating to IMPACT that is based on the beliefs of IMPACT management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to IMPACT management. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "planned", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential for defining and extending the known mineralization at Plomosas, and plans for drilling and future operations at the Company's projects.

Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and assumptions, including with respect to, without limitation, exploration and development risks, expenditure and financing requirements, title matters, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices, pandemics and one-time events. Should any one or more risks or uncertainties materialize or change, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and forward-looking statements may vary materially from those described herein. IMPACT does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, except as required by law.

At Zacualpan, the Company's decision to place a mine into production, expand a mine, make other production related decisions, or otherwise carry out mining and processing operations, is largely based on internal non-public Company data and reports based on exploration, development and mining work by the Company's geologists and engineers. The results of this work are evident in the discovery and building of multiple mines for the Company and in the track record of mineral production and financial returns of the Company since 2006. Under NI 43-101, the Company is required to disclose that it has not based its Zacualpan production decisions on NI 43-101 mineral resources or reserve estimates, preliminary economic assessments, or feasibility studies, and historically such projects have increased uncertainty and risk of failure.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161140
Clichy, 3 April 2023 - L'Oreal announced today that it has signed an agreement with Natura &Co to acquire Aesop, the Australian luxury beauty brand.

The proposed transaction values Aesop at an enterprise value of USD 2.525 billion.

Created in 1987, Aesop is world widely renowned for its skin, hair and body products. With its signature amber packaging, plant-based ingredients, sustainable vegan formulations, and its bespoke customer service, Aesop has evolved into a global super brand available across luxury retail, beauty, and hospitality locations around the world.

Aesop currently operates around 400 points of sale across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, with a nascent footprint in China where the first store opened in 2022.

The brand posted sales of USD 537 million in 2022.

Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer, L'Oreal Groupe, said, "I am very excited to welcome Aesop and its teams to the L'Oreal Groupe family. Aesop is the epitome of avant-garde beauty, whose products are not only made with great care and exceptional attention to detail; they are a superb combination of urbanity, hedonism and undeniable luxury. Aesop taps into all of today's ascending currents and L'Oreal will contribute to unleash its massive growth potential, notably in China and Travel retail."

Commenting on the acquisition, Cyril Chapuy, President of L'Oreal Luxe, added, "My Team and I are thrilled to have Aesop join the L'Oreal Luxe portfolio of iconic global brands. Aesop holds a very unique positioning on the global luxury beauty market thanks to its design led brand essence, its highly efficacious and sensorial products as well as its customer-obsessed retail philosophy. We look forward to welcoming Aesop's CEO Michael O'Keeffe and his experienced and passionate teams to continue to grow together the brand's remarkable potential, by carrying on cultivating its uniqueness and its values. We have great confidence that Aesop will join the L'Oreal Luxe Billionaire brands club and therefore contribute significantly to the growth of the Division in the years to come."

Fabio Barbosa, Chief Executive Officer of Natura &Co, said: "The divestment of Aesop marks a new development cycle for Natura &Co. With a strengthened financial structure and a deleveraged balance sheet, Natura &Co, exercizing strict financial discipline, will be able to sharpen its focus on its strategic priorities, notably our investment plan in Latin America. We will also be able to concentrate on continuing to improve The Body Shop's business and refocusing Avon International's footprint. We are proud of the remarkable success of the Aesop brand, and we are extremely grateful to all Aesop's associates, who contributed immensely not only to Aesop's success, but also to making Natura &Co what it is today. We are confident that Aesop's growth story will continue under the ownership of L'Oreal and wish Aesop continued success in this new chapter."

The closing is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.

About L'Oreal

For over 110 years, L'Oreal the world's leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose - to create the beauty that moves the world - defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous, and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 36 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our L'Oreal For The Future program, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity, and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With 87,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint, and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, travel retail and branded boutiques) in 2022 the Group generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros. L'Oreal relies on 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world, a dedicated Research and Innovation team of 4,000 scientists and over 5,500 tech and digital professionals, to invent the future of beauty and become the champion of Beauty Tech.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

This press release does not constitute an offer of sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com. This press release may contain forecast information. While the Company believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of publication of this press release, they are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which may lead to a discrepancy between the actual figures and those indicated or suggested in these statements."

About Aesop

Aesop is an aspirational, luxury brand, that provides efficacious and sensorial products across multiple beauty and wellness categories, including hair, body, skin, home, and fragrance. Since its creation in 1987, Aesop has delivered significant organic growth while maintaining its strong brand ethos and staying true to its core social and environmental values. Its global footprint of over 395 uniquely designed locations, elegant customer experience and purpose-driven approach have proven particularly attractive to a loyal and expanding community of customers, and the company is now well positioned to become a pioneer in the luxury beauty space. Aesop is proudly a Certified B Corporation

CONTACTS

L'OREAL

Switchboard

+33 (0)1 47 56 70 00

Individual shareholders and market regulators



Pascale GUERIN

+33 (0)1 49 64 18 89

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Financial analysts and institutional investors

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Annelie Ajami, Founder and General Partner of Anamcara

Anamcara, a London, UK-based new early stage venture capital fund to invest in companies defining the new wave of business technologies, has launched with a $10.6M fund.

Founded in 2021 by Annelie Ajami, Anamcara aims to invest in founders building B2B companies and to form meaningful partnerships to help them achieve greatness. Ajami is joined by Operations Manager, Aakriti Singh, who was previously Assistant Manager at EY London and Grant Thornton and a strong advisory network of operators including Gary Turner, Co-Founder of Xero.

The firm writes angel-sized tickets of approximately $200K in pre-seed and seed stage B2B companies across Europe. The fund has a strong thematic focus and leverages on a strong operator advisory network with deep domain expertise to support the portfolio. This network includes world class B2B operators such as Philip Reynolds, the former VP of Engineering at Workday, Maria McMenamin, former Head of B2B Sales at Stripe and Namrata Ganatra, CTO at Autograph.

The fund has already invested in eleven companies across Europe including:

Noloco, a no-code web app builder,

Bits Technology: Automation layer for open finance

Equipme: B2B commerce and service management platform

Flexspace: Enterprise solution for on-demand workspaces

Helvengo: A digital insurance provider for small businesses.

Noloco: No-code/low-code platform to create internal tools, customer-facing apps and custom software around existing data.

Nory: AI driven restaurant management platform

Reveel: On-chain revenue management platform for creators

Salesform: Inbound lead routing platform

Trumpet: Sales enablement platform that allows users to create personalized, trackable B2B sales environments

Viably: All-in-one funding, banking, and financial guidance platform for small businesses

Anamcara has co-invested alongside notable investors La Famiglia VC, Cherry Ventures, Cavalry Ventures and Salesforce Ventures.

Ajami has an extensive background in finance and venture capital. In 2011, she briefly worked at Nomura Bank in the investment banking division before joining Bedrock, an asset manager in London with over $9 billion under management. In 2016, Ajami joined B&Y Venture Partners, an early stage venture firm in the Middle East and Europe. During her time there, she founded Gaia Venture Consulting an advisory firm advising private and institutional investors on direct tech investments. Ajami is also the co-founder of the Ajami Foundation, a philanthropic organisation established to empower communities in Lebanon by supporting initiatives advancing entrepreneurship and education.

FinSMEs

03/04/2023
entrio, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based provider of an IT asset management platform for enterprises, raised $7.5M in funding.

The round was led by Communitas Capital Partners, with participation from BNY Mellon, Vintage Investment Partners, Alicorn and Elisha Wiese.

The company intends to use the funds to continue developing its technology and extend its reach to customers globally.

Founded by Avi Cohen (CEO), Gil Devora (CBO) and Moises Cohen (CPO), entrio is a cloud platform built for enterprises to manage and monitor their vendor stack. The platform, designed in partnership with large tier-1 enterprises, empowers IT Governance and IT Sourcing teams with the visibility, searchability and intelligence to manage their vendor stack providing customers with the data intelligence and automation they need to drive efficiency, visibility and reusability of their on-premise and cloud solutions, and actively helps to reduce costs.

FinSMEs

03/04/2023
The Fuel Venture Capital team

Fuel Venture Capital, a Miami, FL-based early-stage investor in technology and digital companies, will raise money for its next fund.

Institutional investors will be able to participate in its upcoming Fuel Venture Capital Flagship Fund II, which is aiming to raise $300m, via The Fuel VC Note, a listed, centrally cleared transferable Note that can be sold and traded throughout its duration.

The fund will target technology companies that transform how businesses and consumers transact, consume, work and enjoy their life journey. The fund is already primed to invest in seven warehouse companies, all previously backed by Fuel Venture Capital funds. These are: Betr, RecargaPay, Soundtrack Your Brand, Curve, CookUnity, AEXLAB and Novopayment.

The firm is led by Jeff Ransdell, founding partner and managing director.

FinSMEs

03/04/2023
Bollywoods Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan showcased some killer moves on Pathaan song Jhoome Jo Pathaan at the NMACC gala. Dressed in a black pathani suit, SRK charmed the audience with his dance performance. The video of this remarkable performance was shared on Instagram. Everyone at the event can be seen cheering King Khan with full excitement as he grooves to the song. The camera is then turned towards Shah Rukhs son Aryan and he can be seen smiling as he is glued at his dads performance. The clip was shared with a caption, Such a heart melting video.

Have a look at the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maha (@mahasrk1)

The video clip attracted a wide range of reactions in the comment section. A user wrote, Proud son moment while an account said, This is so wholesome.

Another video that surfaced on the internet shows Shah Rukh being joined by Bollywood actors Varun Dhawan and Ranveer Singh on the stage. The trio gives an outstanding performance, leaving the audience mesmerised.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Imran Amed (@imranamed)

The NMACC gala was hosted by Mukesh and Nita Ambani a day after establishing the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. The event was not just attended by the Bollywood celebrities, but also Hollywood stars like Zendaya, Tom Holland, Gigi Hadid, and Penelope Cruz.

Several photos and videos from the event have been making rounds on social media. In one of the photos, Neeta Ambani, Shah Rukh, Tom, Zendaya, and Salman Khan can be seen posing together.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aayush Salman Trends (@salmankhantrend)

Alia Bhatt and Rashmika Mandanna were also seen dancing to Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu from RRR at the NMACC opening.

Another video from the event shows Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas arriving at the function hand-in-hand.

Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is a theatre with 2000 seats and has 16,000 square feet of exhibition space. It intends to preserve and promote Indias rich art, culture and heritage via various art forms.

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The opening ceremony of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai was attended by A-listers from both Bollywood and Hollywood. The NMACC Gala was held from 31 March to 2 April. British actor Tom Holland, who rose to fame after his role as Spiderman in Spider-Man: Homecoming, was among the stars who attended the event. The photos from the event featuring the actor have since been making rounds on social media. But a British historian, who also goes by the name Tom Holland, was being mistakenly tagged in the pictures of the Hollywood actor. The Twitter username of the actor is TomHolland1996, while the historians username is holland_tom. The same name led to a confusion, causing the wrong person to get tagged in the posts of NMACC Gala event.

Historian Holland took to Twitter and wrote, Please make it stop while sharing a picture from the event in which he was tagged. The picture shows Tom, Shah Rukh Khan, Nita Ambani, Zendaya, and Salman Khan posing together.

Take a look at this tweet here:

Please make it stop https://t.co/K8j0EBbjyY  Tom Holland (@holland_tom) April 2, 2023

The tweet attracted a wide range of remarks in the comment section. A user sarcastically wrote, Enjoy your new followers.

Enjoy your new followers   DirectionalTrades (@ImpliedVirgil) April 2, 2023

People told the historian to enjoy the fame of being seen with Shah Rukh Khan.

Sir, Enjoy the fame of being seen with the Shahrukh Khan  Fictional character. (@SRKian_MAS) April 2, 2023

Some accounts jokingly called him The Amazing Ancient History Man.

The Amazing Ancient History Man!  Kamil Mirowski (@KamilMirowski) April 2, 2023

A person wrote that on the flip side, actor Tom Holland was probably confused why he was not getting as many tags as he had thought.

On the flip side, maybe the Brit kid is confused why he isn't getting as many tags as he thought lol.  Brett of the chosen city (@EveryDayJiayou) April 2, 2023

A bunch of celebrities attended the NMACC Gala event which witnessed killer dance performances of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan and Ranveer Singh. The trio were seen grooving to the song Jhoome Jo Pathaan from the movie Pathaan.

Have a look at the video clip of their performance here:

Priyanka Chopra Jonas was also seen arriving hand-in-hand with Nick Jonas at the event.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

The couple warmly embraced the media and posed for the photographs.

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After Jimin made his solo album debut with FACE, another BTS member is now ready to launch his solo album this month. Were talking about Min Yoon-gi aka Suga. Becoming the fourth member of the popular K-Pop band to do the same, Suga has announced his first official solo album titled D-Day which will be released on 21 April 2023 under his moniker Agust D. Prior to that, a pre-release track will be also unveiled from the album on 7 April 2023. Notably, the album which involves Sugas involvement in the songwriting and production will mark the finale of Agust Ds trilogy following his previous two mixtapes  Agust D (2016) and D-2 (2020).

Earlier, other band members including J-Hope, RM, and Jimin came with other solo albums titled Jack In The Box, Indigo, and Face respectively.

While it is no surprise that Suga has always remained an integral part of the songwriting process, this time too he has similarly focused his attention to account his journey and life through the Agust D trilogy. The BTS rapper-producer will also meet his fans ahead of the albums release through a number of activities and fan events. It is pertinent to note that Suga will be intending to complete his promotional activities as he also has his solo world tour in the lineup.

About Sugas solo world tour

Planned under the banner of Agust D, the BTS member will commence his first solo world tour SUGA | Agust D D-DAY TOUR on 26 April, which will go on till 25 June 2023. The announcement was made in February this year with details of its dates. In a poster released across the bands social media channels, it was informed that the tour will begin with a North American leg where Suga will perform in cities like Belmont, Newark, Rosemont, Los Angeles, and Oakland among others. It will be followed by shows in Asias Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, and Japan.

Notably, as Suga gears up to embark on a solo tour across the world, he will also become the first BTS member to do so.

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Amsterdam is (was?) a city of no rules. Its where tourists throng to shed their inhibitions and indulge in all things naughty. But now the Netherlands capital is planning to tame its wild wild side. It wants to sanitise its famous red-light district. Coming up is a ban on cannabis for tourists. Thats not all. The authorities are also mulling moving the centuries-old brothels to an erotic centre on the outskirts of the city. But before that, they want lights out early every day.

Sex workers are not happy and are making themselves heard, pouring onto the streets in protest.

Shut shop early

The red-light district is known as De Wallen. It gets its name from the red neon bulbs that light up hundreds of windows where sex workers offer their services. Its a bustling centre that would be open until the break of dawn. But authorities have changed that and several other practices that have existed for decades.

According to new rules, which were implemented on 1 April, the brothels will shut shop at 3 am instead of the usual 6 am and the bars will close at 2 am. No new visitors are allowed into the only city district after 1 am. The change has been enforced to curb the nuisance created by visitors, say local authorities.

Stay away campaign

The city is already targeting wild young British men, asking them to stay away. Last week, the Dutch citys council launched an online campaign asking Brits, between the age of 18 and 35, to discourage them from visiting.

For British tourists searching the internet for stag party Amsterdam, cheap hotel Amsterdam or pub crawl Amsterdam, a video ad appears, warning them against the excessive use of drugs and alcohol and causing mayhem by indulging in antisocial behaviour.

A video shows a drunk man being arrested. The message reads, Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = 140 fine + criminal record = fewer prospects. It concludes, So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.

Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance. In that case, we as a city will say: rather not, stay away, Amsterdam deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki said in a release.

The Stay Away campaign is expected to expand as the year goes by. It will send a similar message to tourists from the Netherlands and other European Union countries, according to a CNN report.

Revellers have to brace for more changes and restrictions. Theres a crackdown on sex and soon on drugs.

A ban on cannabis

Come mid-May, it will be illegal to smoke cannabis on the streets of the red-light area. Cannabis consumption will only be allowed inside cannabis coffee shops and not in outdoor areas.

While it is a criminal offence to possess, produce or deal drugs, the Netherlands has a toleration policy which allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions, which involves not causing a nuisance. But after regular complaints by residents, the city council announced the upcoming ban in February.

Even the sale of alcohol from shops, liquor stores and cafes in the red light district is illegal from Thursday to Sunday after 4 pm. Under the new rules, vendors have to completely remove alcohol from their shopfronts during that time, or hide them from view, according to a report by the BBC.

Re-locating the red light district

However, the biggest change is still in the works. The red light district will soon get a new address if authorities have their way. A multi-storey erotic centre is expected to replace the central red-light area in Amsterdam.

Last year, Amsterdams mayor Femke Halsema and the city council agreed on plans to move the brothels because of the rise in nuisance, criminal activity, and dangerous crowd levels.

But opposition from locals and sex workers who did not want to leave their thriving business in one the most beautiful parts of the inner city forced the mayor to go back to the drawing board to find three other possible locations last November, according to a report by The Guardian.

Halsema wants to create a plus erotic centre inspired by Baz Luhrmanns Moulin Rouge. This February, she announced the locations she had zeroed in on, two of which are within a 10-minute walk of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in Amsterdams southern Zuidas district.

But EMA was not pleased. Locating the Erotic Centre in close proximity to EMAs building is likely to bring the same negative impacts to the adjacent area, it said in a statement in early March, adding that it fears nuisance, drug-dealing, drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

The EMA moved its headquarters to Amsterdams southern Zuidas district in 2019 after the United Kingdom left the European Union.

Looks like sex workers will get a new workplace, something they are not very pleased with.

The protests

Sex workers have been protesting against the early closure of business and the plan to move the famed district, marching through Amsterdam on Thursday.

Felicia Anna (not her real name), a former sex worker and the chairperson of Red Light United, a union for window workers in the red-light district told CNN that the reduced business hours mean lesser income for the workers. They will be unable to meet expenses like window room rent and a taxi to get home safely.

Most workers start work at midnight or 1 am after the bars shut. Now you have maybe two hours to make any money, which is not enough, she told the publication.

Another sex worker and coordinator for the Prostitution Information Centre (PIC), an Amsterdam-based organisation that provides information and education about sex work, told CNN that the reduced work hours will affect the transgender community as most clients who come between 3 am and 6 am are looking for transgender sex workers.

She also said that travelling at 3 am was more unsafe than 6 am. In the morning, there are more transport options and more social activity.

We really dont agree with the solutions that they are offering, that theyre imposing. Theyre not even negotiating with the sex workers organisations, sex worker Sabrina Sanchez told AFP.

Many are not pleased with the decision to shift their area of work. We dont want to be moved, not to an erotic centre or anywhere else, said another sex worker wearing a hood and sunglasses, who wished to remain anonymous. Do something about the drug traffickers, do something about those who behave disrespectfully, she added, reading out a petition in front of Mayor Femke Halsema.

Amsterdammers do not agree with stigmatising the British. Theodoor van Boven, founding director of the Condomerie shop, the worlds first condom shop, said that the Stay Away campaign was scandalous and doomed to fail. Businesses and residents want to deal with antisocial behaviour and dealers, not a stay away campaign. The Dutch, Amsterdammers, North Hollanders and other nationalities can misbehave just as well, he told The Guardian.

A barman said that the city was trying to get tourists for years and now it wants them to go away. Brits arent the worst. Its big groups of men, he told The Guardian.

Excessive tourism

Amsterdam has a population of 880,000 but receives 18 million tourists a year.

Amsterdam is already taking lots of measures against excessive tourism and nuisance, and we are taking more measures than other large cities in Europe. But we have to do even more (in) the coming years if we want to give tourism a sustainable place in our city, Deputy Mayor Sofyan Mbarki said. To keep the city liveable, it has to choose restriction instead of irresponsible growth.

Halsema has been trying to convince sex workers that they are not to blame. You are not the cause, its a result of too much tourism, criminality and other problems, she told protesters on Thursday. But the situation in the city centre is becoming very problematic and we have to find a solution.

With inputs from agencies

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A Manhattan grand jury on 30 March, 2023, indicted former President Donald Trump on charges likely related to the cover-up of his relationship with a porn star. Hes the first US president or former president to be criminally charged.

Trump is also under investigation in other cases. These include the 8 August, 2022, seizure of documents from his Florida home by the FBI, continued progress in a Georgia state investigation into Republican election tampering and the ongoing revelations of evidence presented by the congressional committee investigating the 6 January insurrection.

While charging a former president with a criminal offence is a first in the United States, in other countries ex-leaders are routinely investigated, prosecuted and even jailed.

In March 2021, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to a year in prison for corruption and influence peddling. Later that year, the trial of Israels longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu related to breaches of trust, bribery and fraud while in office commenced.

And Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa who was charged with money laundering and racketeering, has yet to face trial after years of delays.

At first glance, prosecuting current or past top officials accused of illegal conduct seems like an obvious decision for a democracy: Everyone should be subject to the rule of law.

Also Read: How the New York indictment is hurting Donald Trumps other investigations

But presidents and prime ministers arent just anyone. They are chosen by a nations citizens or their parties to lead. They are often popular, sometimes revered. So judicial proceedings against them are inevitably perceived as political and become divisive.

Destabilising prosecutions

This is partly why US president Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, his predecessor, in 1974. Despite clear evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the Watergate scandal, Ford feared the country would needlessly be diverted from meeting (our) challenges if we as a people were to remain sharply divided over punishing the ex-president.

Public reaction at the time was divided along party lines. Today, some now see absolving Nixon as necessary to heal the nation, while others believe it was a historic mistake, even taking Nixons deteriorating health into account  if for no other reason than it emboldens future impunity of the kind Trump is accused of.

Our research on prosecuting world leaders finds that both sweeping immunity and overzealous prosecutions can undermine democracy. But such prosecutions pose different risks for older democracies such as France and the US than they do in younger democracies like South Africa.

Mature democracies

Strong democracies are usually competent enough  and the judicial system independent enough  to prosecute politicians who misbehave, including top leaders.

Sarkozy is Frances second modern president to be found guilty of corruption, after Jacques Chirac in 2011 for kickbacks and an attempt to bribe a magistrate.

The country didnt fall apart after either conviction. Some observers, however, say that Sarkozys three-year prison sentence was too harsh and politically motivated.

Also Read: How Donald Trumps indictment highlights Americas deep political divide

In mature democracies, prosecutions that hold leaders accountable can solidify the rule of law. South Korea investigated and convicted five former presidents starting in the 1990s, a wave of political prosecutions that culminated in the 2018 impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and, soon after, the conviction and imprisonment of her predecessor, Lee Myung-bak.

Did these prosecutions deter future leaders from wrongdoing? For what its worth, Koreas two most recent presidents have so far kept out of legal trouble.

Overzealous prosecution versus rule of law

Even in mature democracies, prosecutors or judges can abuse prosecutions. But overzealous political prosecution is more likely, and potentially more damaging, in emerging democracies where courts and other public institutions may be insufficiently independent from politics.

The weaker and more beholden the judiciary, the easier it is for leaders to exploit the system, either to expand their own power or to take down an opponent.

Brazil embodies this dilemma.

Ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a former shoeshine boy turned popular leftist, was jailed in 2018 for accepting bribes. Many Brazilians thought his prosecution was a politicised effort to end his career, but Lula was re-elected in October, 2022.

A year later, the same prosecutorial team accused the conservative former President Michel Temer of accepting millions in bribes. After his term ended in 2019, Temer was arrested; his trial was later suspended.

Both Brazilian presidents prosecutions were part of a yearslong sweeping anti-corruption probe by the courts that has jailed dozens of politicians. Even the probes lead prosecutor is accused of corruption.

Depending on ones perspective, Brazils crisis reveals that nobody is above the law or that the government is incorrigibly corrupt  or both. With such confusion, it becomes easier for politicians and voters to view leaders transgressions as a normal cost of doing business.

For Lula, a conviction didnt end his career. He was released from jail in 2019 and the Supreme Court later annulled his conviction. Lula is now leading the 2022 presidential race against current Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Stability versus accountability

Historically, Mexico has taken a different approach to prosecuting past presidents: It doesnt.

During the 20th Century, Mexicos ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, established a system of patronage and corruption that kept its members in power and other parties in the minority.

While making a show of going after smaller fish for petty indiscretions, the PRI-run legal system wouldnt touch top party officials, even the most openly corrupt.

Impunity kept Mexico stable during its transition to democracy in the 1990s by placating PRI members fears of prosecution after leaving office. But government corruption flourished, and with it, organised crime.

That may be changing, though. In early August 2022, Mexican federal prosecutors confirmed that it has several open investigations into former PRI President Enrique Pena Nieto for alleged money laundering and election-related offences, among other crimes.

Mexico is far from the only country to overlook the bad deeds of past leaders. Our research finds that only 23 per cent of countries that transitioned to democracy between 1885 and 2004 charged former leaders with crimes after democratisation.

Protecting authoritarians  including those who oversaw human rights violations  may seem contrary to democratic values, but many transitional governments have decided it is necessary for democracy to take root.

Thats the bargain South Africa struck as apartheids decades of segregation and human rights abuses ended in the early 1990s. South Africas white-dominated government negotiated with Nelson Mandelas Black-led African National Congress to ensure outgoing government members and supporters would avoid prosecution and largely retain their wealth.

This strategy helped the country transition to majority Black rule in 1994 and avoid a civil war. But it hurt efforts to create a more equal South Africa. As a result, the country has retained one of the worlds highest racial wealth gaps.

Corruption is a problem, too, as former President Zumas prosecution for lavish personal use of public funds shows. But South Africa has a famously independent judiciary.

Also Read: Donald Trump first former US president to be indicted. But hes not the only to face legal troubles

Despite pushback from some African National Congress stalwarts and several legal appeals, Zumas prosecution continues. And it may yet deter future misdeeds.

How mature is mature?

Israel is partly a testament to the rule of law  and partly a cautionary tale about prosecuting leaders in democracies.

Israel didnt wait for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to leave office to investigate wrongdoing. But the court process was fraught with delays, in part because Netanyahu used state power to resist what he called a witch hunt.

The trial triggered protests by his Likud party. Netanyahu tried unsuccessfully to secure immunity and stall. He was even reelected while under indictment, and his trial is not over yet.

With the Trump indictment, the process will reveal something fundamental about American democracy. Whatever the outcome, they will be a matter of both law  and politics.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was scheduled to visit his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping at the end of March. Beijing would have been Lulas fourth international destination in less than 100 days in office.

Lula had to cancel his trip, which was set to include 200 business people, after catching pneumonia but it is now expected to take place in April or May. His administration had hoped the China visit would alleviate political pressure at home.

Since returning to the presidency (his previous term was 2003-2010), Lula has already been to visit partners in the South American trade bloc Mercosur, Argentina and Uruguay, and recently flew to Washington DC for conversations with US president Joe Biden and members of the Democratic party over infrastructure investments, trade and climate change.

Globetrotting seems like quite an effort for a 77-year-old, third-term president who faces a deeply divided society. But Lula does it with a smile on his face.

Also Read: Brazils Lula cancels trip to China due to pneumonia

Since he first took office 20 years ago, the former metalworker has risen to the challenge of international diplomacy as a natural negotiator with political charm.

Building political legitimacy

As Lula kicks off his third term, foreign policy will be a tool for building his own domestic political legitimacy. His reputation currently appears to be greater abroad than at home.

Always a determined player on the international stage, Lulas administration spearheaded the construction of Unasur, a South American organisation set up to offset US economic and political power in the region. He also forged several alliances in the developing world.

Although Lula left office in 2010 with an impressive 83 per cent approval rating, much of his political capital waned in the years that followed. This was largely thanks to his successor Dilma Rousseffs pitiful economic performance and to the mounting accusations of graft against top figures in his Workers party.

But despite being indicted and imprisoned for corruption in early 2018 (at which point his domestic popularity plummeted), the admiration of foreign figures has endured. Some even visited Lula in prison, protesting what they called political persecution of the former president.

So, at the age of 77  and with health problems  a big diplomatic play might be his best bet of leaving a presidential legacy.

Challenges of a new world order

But Brazils capacity as a meaningful international player will depend on the administrations ability to navigate a world that is fundamentally different from the one of the early 2000s.

The country is not in its best shape, either.

In the years following Lulas first two terms, Brazil went through a decade of decline, introspection and isolation.

Much of this is down to his immediate predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. On Bolsonaros watch, Brazil ranked second, at 700,000 recorded deaths, in total COVID fatalities. Massive areas of rainforest were burned, and the lands of the Yanomami indigenous people were devastated by large amounts of mining.

So, while Lula must capitalise on any residual international popularity to relaunch Brazil as a global player, he has a lot to do to restore his own countrys economy and to heal the wounds of a divided society.

Also Read: Guess Whos Back: What Jair Bolsonaros return means for Brazil politics

Lulas first task internationally  a tough challenge  is to strike a balance in his relationships with Washington and Beijing, Brazils two foremost partners.

So far, his new administrations even-handed strategy has worked fine. But if tensions between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping lead to further political instability  or if a Republican with a zero-sum approach to China gets elected in 2024,

Brazil could find itself in a difficult position.

Lula has attempted to anticipate these problems by offering to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. It was a way to dodge criticism by western powers, who wanted Brazil to engage in military assistance to the Ukrainian government  while still preserving Brazils longstanding ties with Russia.

Lulas take on the war is part of what researchers have dubbed active non-alignment. It is part of a broader Latin American strategy to safeguard policy space and instruments for national development strategies in an increasingly polarised international order.

By offering itself as a high-profile mediator, Brazil wants to maintain trade and cooperation with all sides in the conflict.

Lulas balancing trick

But Russian-Ukrainian peace appears to be a long way off  and it will hardly come via mediators from the developing world. If Lula wants to create a legacy, he needs to build on Brazils preexisting capacity, in both multilateral and regional terms.

One possible way is to restore Brazils activism at the United Nations. He must also reestablish cooperation in issues as diverse as climate change, biodiversity, indigenous rights, vaccines, food security and development.

Another way is to rebuild South American integration. Regional organisations such as Mercosur and Unasur could help bolster global supply chains in critical sectors like energy and food that have been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. To do so, Brazil must reclaim its role as the continents centre of economic gravity.

But there is an obstacle: Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. A persistent political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has exposed the dangers of left-wing authoritarianism. Lula is one of the few leaders who have open channels with Maduro and may be able to help the country work towards a national reconciliation.

Also Read: Lula endorses Brazils bid to host 2027 Womens World Cup

The question is whether Lula wants to get involved. Unlike left-wing leaders who recently rose to power in Chile and Colombia, Lula and the Workers party have been unapologetically sympathetic towards dictators such as Venezuelas Maduro and Nicaraguas Daniel Ortega.

Overcoming the Brazilian lefts outdated views on authoritarian socialism and anti-imperialism may be as daunting a challenge for the Lula administration as leaving a sound diplomatic legacy. But both steps are necessary if Lula really wants to make a difference in the region  and the world.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Washington: Former President Donald Trump faces the most urgent legal challenge of his life this week in New York, where hes set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.

But as much of the attention will be on the courthouse in lower Manhattan, investigations from Atlanta to Washington will press forward, underscoring the broad range of peril he confronts as he seeks to reclaim the presidency.

The vulnerability Trump faces in Washington alone has become clear over the past month, as judges in a succession of sealed rulings have turned aside the Trump teams efforts to block grand jury testimony  including from his own lawyer and his former vice president  from witnesses who were, or still are, close to him and who could conceivably offer direct insight into key events.

The rulings directing advisers and aides to testify dont suggest that the Justice Department is close to bringing criminal charges, nor do they guarantee that prosecutors can secure testimony valuable to a potential prosecution.

But theyre nonetheless a key, closed-door win for the government as it investigates whether classified documents were criminally mishandled at Trumps Florida home and the possible obstruction of that probe, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election.

I do think when youre talking about an attempted insurrection and the kinds of issues that were talking about there, theres going to be a lot of arguments on DOJs side to get the testimony, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a George Washington University law professor.

Meanwhile, the district attorney in Atlanta is continuing to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia. A special grand jury in February said it believed one or more witnesses committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges.

The former president never testified before the special grand jury, meaning he is not among those who could have perjured themselves. But the report doesnt foreclose the possibility of other charges, and the case still poses particular challenges for Trump, in part because his actions in Georgia were so public.

Overall, the number of sealed disputes over the scope of grand jury testimony is unusual but perhaps befitting for hugely consequential probes like one concerning a former president. It also stands in contrast to the last special counsel investigation involving Trump, when he was president and when Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors sought to determine whether Trumps 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the election.

Also Read: How Donald Trumps indictment highlights Americas deep political divide

In that probe, a lawyer inside the White House, Ty Cobb, facilitated voluntary interviews of White House staff  without subpoenas  in hopes that cooperation would hasten the investigation toward conclusion.

If I could figure out a way to cooperate and still preserve executive privilege, it would speed things up, which in my judgment  was imperative to the president and to the country, Cobb said in a recent interview. We were able to accelerate getting them all of the information.

Trump in that investigation was protected by the power of his office and by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. No longer president, Trump has lost that shield, raising the stakes of his criminal exposure.

And as prosecutors have sought to question people close to him  whether to better understand Trumps state of mind and possible defences, or to gather potentially damaging testimony  Trumps lawyers have repeatedly objected, often in vain.

Perhaps the most vivid example came last month when the then-chief judge of the DC federal court ordered that Trumps lawyer, M Evan Corcoran, had to give more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago investigation.

He had invoked attorney-client privilege in an earlier appearance before the grand jury in declining to answer more questions, but prosecutors pressed for more testimony.

They cited whats known as the crime-fraud exception to attorney client privilege, which allows prosecutors to compel testimony from a lawyer if they can convince a judge that a client was using legal services in furtherance of a crime. US District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Corcoran had to return before the grand jury, and he was in court a week later.

Another instance came last week when a different federal judge, James Boasberg, ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence had to give some testimony in a Justice Department special counsel probe into efforts to undo the election.

The decision rejected the Trump teams arguments of executive privilege, though Boasberg did give Pence a victory by accepting his lawyers arguments that, for constitutional reasons, he could not be questioned about his actions on 6 January, 2021, when a mob of Trumps supporters stormed the US Capitol as Republican Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify Democrat Joe Bidens victory.

Also Read: Donald Trump first former US president to be indicted. But hes not the only to face legal troubles

A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story but responded to the ruling in the Pence matter in a statement saying that the Justice Department is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

Other former Trump aides, including Stephen Miller and former national security adviser Robert OBrien, have also recently been ordered by a judge to offer testimony despite Trump team objections of executive privilege.

The ability of Justice Department prosecutors in multiple instances to convince judges that theres a basis to secure the testimony is significant to the extent that it shows that theres a there there with respect to the investigations, Eliason said.

But he cautioned from reading too much into it, given that the threshold for prevailing in a fight over executive privilege or attorney-client is lower than the burden needed to win a criminal case at trial.

Its a far cry from being able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a contested trial, Eliason said. It would be quite a leap to go from there and be able to say that theyve got a criminal case locked up.

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COVID-19 cases across several states in India are on the rise, thanks to XXB.1.16  a subtype of Omicron, also a matter of concern.

According to the health ministry data, India logged 3,641 new infections in the past 24 hours, taking the countrys active caseload stands to 20,219.

There have been questions over whether Indians require a fourth booster shot due to the increase in cases and the new variants reputation for being able to escape natural infection as well as vaccine-provided immunity.

Lets take a closer look.

Boosters may not be beneficial

According to eminent biologist Shekhar Mande, taking boosters for COVID-19 may not be very beneficial because the scientific evidence in support of them is insufficient.

The scientific evidence on the benefit of boosters is weak, Mande told News18.

However, persons with weaker immune systems or other medical concerns should seek advice from their healthcare practitioners, according to the former director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Mande said that a slightly new variety was the cause of the increase in coronavirus cases.

Our immunity might be waning, or it might be a vaccine breakthrough mutant. But nonetheless, we will not see as many hospitalisations or deaths as in previous waves, he said, adding that this surge would not resemble the first wave or even the disastrous second wave (Delta).

Dr Sanjeev Bagai, Chairman of Nephron Clinic told India Today, The Indian population is well placed with two doses of the primary and one booster. At present, there is no data to show that a fourth dose is needed. Also, for those who are getting the booster dose now, it is wise to look at the intra-nasal vaccine that gives excellent IGA and resident T-Cell memory immunity for long-term lung protection.

Also read: New Covid origins data suggests Covid-19s origins to raccoon dogs at Wuhan market

Bivalent vaccines can help

Next-generation vaccines, according to experts, can help in the current situation.

The bivalent coronavirus vaccines contain parts of both the original virus strain and the Omicron variant in order to provide superior protection against COVID.

Dr Bagai told India Today that the bivalent vaccine is preferable to the monovalent and that a fourth dose after the 2+1 booster last wasnt really necessary.

For patients approaching the third dose, he suggested using the intranasal vaccine until bivalent vaccines are created or made accessible in India.

The intra-nasal vax is additionally offered and has demonstrated excellent lung protection with rTmcells at the site of entry and local sIgA mucosal protection. In other words, it improves long-term memory immunity, he explained.

Rising COVID cases

The death toll has risen to 5,30,892 with 11 deaths  three from Maharashtra and one each in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Rajasthan  recorded in a 24-hour period.

The toll also includes four deaths reconciled by Kerala, ministry data stated.

98.76 per cent was the national COVID-19 recovery rate, according to the health ministry website.

Both the daily and weekly positive rates were 6.12 per cent and 2.45 per cent, respectively.

According to the ministrys website, the nationwide vaccination campaign has so far administered 220.66 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Among the top contributors are states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi, reported Indian Express.

Also read: Deadlier than Covid19: Africa sees new virus that kills within 24 hours, claims three in Burundi

XXB.1.16 has signs of increased infectivity

According to research by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the University of Minnesota cited Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the WHOs technical lead for COVID-19, as saying that XBB.1.16 has replaced other circulating sub-variants in India.

The 800 sequences they have from 22 nations, according to the WHO COVID lead, are primarily from India.

Times of India quoted Van Kerkhove as saying that according to laboratory tests, XBB.1.16 has displayed indications of enhanced infectivity as well as perhaps increased pathogenicity. In the previous six months, India reported the most COVID instances.

Fever, coughing, a sore throat, a runny nose, exhaustion, muscle aches, and abdominal discomfort are typical symptoms.

Centre to follow risk assessment-based approach

The states and union territories must use a risk assessment-based strategy to stop and contain the virus, according to a directive from the union health ministry.

According to Livemint, the ministry has urged state governments to assess the COVID-19 situation at the local level (districts and sub-districts) and to keep their attention on putting the essential measures in place for timely and efficient COVID-19 administration while also ensuring effective compliance.

The five-fold strategy, i.e., Test-Track Treat-Vaccination should be followed with a continued focus on adequate and proactive testing as per guidelines, monitoring new and emerging clusters of new COVID-19 cases along with monitoring the trend of Influenza-like illness (ILI) and SARI cases in all health facilities or through dedicated fever clinics on a regular basis for detecting early warning signals of the spread of infection, the health ministry stated as there are few states with a higher number of infections.

With inputs from agencies

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A military blogger was killed and at least 30 left dead in a blast at a cafe in Russia on Sunday.

Russia has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the murder of Vladlen Tatarsky and arrested a 26-year-old anti-war protester for her alleged involvement in the incident.

Lets take a closer look at what happened, who was killed, who is involved, and who has been arrested:

What happened?

On Sunday, Vladlen Tatarsky aka Maxim Fomin was leading a discussion at a cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg.

Tatarsky, a Russian military blogger and cheerleader for Russias invasion of Ukraine, was meeting with members of the public at the Street Food Bar No. 1, located along the Neva river not far from the historic city centre.

A group called Cyber Front Z, which refers to itself on social media as Russias information troops, said it had hired out the cafe for the evening.

The group whose name refers to the letter Z that Russia has adopted as a symbol of the war.

A local media outlet, Fontanka, said there were at least 100 people at the event.

In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.

The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb.

Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table.

Then, suddenly, an explosion occurred.

Who was killed?

Tatarsky was killed in the blast.

One person was killed in the incident. He was military correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky, the interior ministry said on Telegram.

More than two dozen were left wounded including six in serious condition.

The interior ministry said police had been called to the scene at 6:13 pm.

Officers cordoned off the street outside the building with around 20 police cars, alongside six ambulances as well as fire trucks, according to an AFP journalist at the scene.

Footage of the moment the blast ripped through the cafe released by the Fontanka.ru news outlet showed a powerful explosion shaking the length of the ground floor venue, bringing down parts of its outside terrace in the process.

Another video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.

The TASS news agency quoted a law enforcement source as saying the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device hidden inside a statue given to Tatarsky as a gift.

The Ria Novosti agency, quoting a source close to the inquiry, said a girl had supposedly dropped off a package with a figurine inside intended for the blogger.

She gave it to him and all of a sudden there was an explosion, Alissa Smotrova, a woman who was at the cafe, told AFP.

There was blood and pieces of glass

Another source told Ria Novosti that Tatarsky knew the suspected deliverer of the package, and that they had crossed paths at other events, without giving further details.

Who was Tartasky?

Tatarsky, 40, hailed from the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, which Russia claims to have annexed and which is currently mostly held by Russian troops.

Tatarsky, who has more than 500,000 followers on Telegram, made his name early in the operation by publishing videos analysing the military situation on the ground and offering advice for mobilised troops, according to TASS.

Tatarsky, who had himself fought in Ukraine in the past, mixed ultra-nationalist messaging with criticism of the way Moscow is prosecuting what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

When Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Kherson after Russia retreated from the city last November, Tatarsky demanded to know why Moscow had not taken the chance to assassinate him with a drone.

He last year spoke of the need to kill everyone and rob everyone in Ukraine in order for Russia to achieve victory.

Tatarsky also had ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prigozhin is head of the Wagner mercenary group fighting for Russia in Ukraine and also the former owner of the cafe.

Prigozhin is a highly divisive figure who has frequently argued with the defence establishment, accusing it at times of starving his men of ammunition and denying them credit for advances.

The killing is an attack on the hardline pro-war camp in Russia, and sends a warning to other members of this group that they could be targeted anywhere.

Tatarsky had survived extensive reporting trips on the wars front lines but was killed hundreds of miles away, in the heart of Russias second city.

Who was arrested?

Russia has arrested a young Russian woman in connection with the incident and pointed the finger at Ukraine.

The woman, Darya Trepova, is a 26-year-old from St Petersburg.

Trepova in a video released by the interior ministry confessed that she had planted the bomb that killed him.

But unconfirmed Russian media reports said she had told investigators that she had been set up and had not known she was carrying a bomb.

Interior ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said that Trepova had been arrested in a rented flat in St Petersburg as part of an operation by the police and the FSB security service.

Trepovas husband Dmitry Rylov told Russian media that a friend of his who was renting the same flat had been detained.

Rylov is a member of the Libertarian Party of Russia, as per TASS.

CNN quoted Rylov as telling a Russian outlet he is convinced it was a set up.

She was really just set up and used, CNN quoted Rylov as saying.

Over the last day I contacted her, but I lost contact about 4-5 hours ago.

All I knew was that Daria needed, either for some task, or for some reason, to give some gift, I didnt even know what, he said, referring to the event at which the explosion took place.

There is one very important point that she told me several times: she was sure that this thing would allow access to a person. That is, it was not something that should have exploded, he said. Dasha [Daria], in principle, is not the kind of person who could kill anyone.

Unconfirmed Russian media reports said that Trepova had bought plane tickets to flee to Uzbekistan. Reuters could not immediately confirm that detail.

The interior ministry earlier placed Trepova on its wanted list.

Court records showed she was detained on 24 February last year, the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, for taking part in what the authorities deemed an illegal anti-war protest.

Trepova participated in an unsanctioned rally on the day the special military operation began in Ukraine and was subjected to administrative arrest, CNN quoted a TASS report as saying.

Russias National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said Ukraines intelligence services had organised the bombing with help from supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

That appeared to be a reference to the fact that the Russian woman arrested on Monday  Trepova  once registered to take part in an anti-Kremlin tactical voting scheme promoted by Navalnys movement.

Navalnys allies, who have fled abroad since their movement was branded extremist by the Kremlin, rejected the accusation, saying it was more likely that Russias own intelligence services were behind the killing.

This isnt the first time a figure involved with the Ukraine war has been killed on Russian soil.

In August 2022, Russias FSB security services accused Ukraine of being behind a car bombing outside Moscow that killed the daughter of hard-line Russian ideologue Alexander Dugin  charges denied by Kyiv.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said bloggers like Tatarsky are defenders of the truth, and lashed out at Western governments for not reacting quickly to the bombing.

A failure to comment despite their concerns for the welfare of journalists and the free press speaks for itself, she said, an apparent reference to widespread condemnation of the arrest of US reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the part of Ukraines Donetsk province that is occupied by Russia, said: The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime. It needs to be destroyed, theres no other way to stop it. Prigozhin, however, said he would not blame Kyiv.

But Ukraine has blamed domestic terrorism for the incident.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said on Twitter the question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

With inputs from agencies

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UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to tackle grooming gangs and not let political correctness get in the way.

Sunak on Monday will announce a new emergency taskforce working at the heart of the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) comprising experienced officers to protect women and young girls.

Speaking ahead of the announcement, Sunak said for too political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women.

But what dangers do grooming gangs pose in the UK? And how is Sunak planning to tackle this problem?

Lets take a closer look:

Grooming gangs in UK

As per The Independent, an inquiry launched in 2019 found that since the 1970s, more than 1,000 children have been abused by grooming gangs in Shropshires Telford.

The inquiry stated that crimes such as rape, sexual abuse, brainwashing, and drugging had thrived unchecked and that sexual exploitation of children still exists today, and is prevalent across the country as a whole.

The inquiry chairman Tom Crowther said that obvious signs of abuse were disregarded and children were branded prostitutes and shamed for their lifestyles.

Exploitation was not investigated because of nervousness about race because the abusers were mainly reported to be Asian men, Crowther added.

Teachers and youth workers were discouraged from reporting child sexual exploitation (CSE). Offenders were emboldened and exploitation continued for years without a concerted response.

A high proportion of those cases involved perpetrators that were described by victims/survivors and others as being Asian or, often, Pakistani, he added.

The evidence plainly shows that the majority of CSE suspects in Telford were men of southern Asian heritage.

The overwhelming theme of the evidence has been the appalling suffering of generations of children caused by the utter cruelty of those who committed child sexual exploitation. Victims and survivors repeatedly told the inquiry how, when they were children, adult men worked to gain their trust before ruthlessly betraying that trust, treating them as sexual objects or commodities, Crowther added.

Countless children were sexually assaulted and raped. They were deliberately humiliated and degraded. They were shared and trafficked. They were subjected to violence and their families were threatened. They lived in fear and their lives were forever changed.

Telford isnt alone.

As per The Telegraph, a 2014 report by professor Alexis Jay concluded that 1,400 children were abused by gangs of paedophiles in South Yorkshires Rotherham.

The newspaper said the report stated that gangs comprising men of Pakistani heritage groomed and trafficked victims as young as age eleven.

Worse, authorities did not act out of fear of being called racist.

Cases were also discovered in towns such as Rochdale, Bradford, Oxford, and Newcastle.

As per The Spectator, Rotherham MP Sarah Champion said social workers who attempted to report wrongdoing were forced to attend race relations courses and warned of disciplinary proceedings if they didnt remove the fact they were identifying the person as a Pakistani male.

How will Sunak tackle this problem?

Sunak said specialist officers would be deployed to assist local cops with such investigations, as per Yahoo.

As per LBC, data analysts would also be employed to recognise those that are likely to commit such crimes.

As per Sky News, Downing Street said ethnicity data would be deployed to make sure suspects cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities to evade justice.

The government will also introduce laws to ensure harsher punishments for the leaders of such gangs or to those involved in such outfits, as per Sky News.

On Sunday, home secretary Suella Braverman, talking about grooming gangs, identified British Pakistani men as causes of concern.

Whats clear is that what weve seen is a practice whereby vulnerable white English girls, sometimes in care, sometimes who are in challenging circumstances, being pursued and raped and drugged and harmed by gangs of British Pakistani men whove worked in child abuse rings or networks, Braverman told Sky News.

However, it is important to note that research commissioned by the previous home office showed most gangs of child sex offenders comprise majority white men under the age of 30, as per The National.

The research also added that there isnt enough proof to conclude that members of such gangs are more likely to be Asian or Black.

Child sex abuse in Britain an epidemic

In October 2022, a seven-year inquiry concluded that child sex abuse is an epidemic in Britain and that those who work with young people should be prosecuted if they fail to report it.

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said institutions and politicians had prioritised reputations over the welfare of young people, meaning horrific acts were hidden away for decades, while there were still inadequate protection measures in place.

The inquiry, one of the largest and most expensive investigations of its kind ever undertaken in Britain, said the issue was a global crisis, where children would be at risk unless urgent action was taken.

The nature and scale of the abuse we encountered was shocking and deeply disturbing, its chair Alexis Jay, a social care expert, told reporters. This is not just a historical aberration which happened decades ago, it is an ever-increasing problem and a national epidemic.

The inquiry was set up in July 2014 following a series of shocking abuse scandals, some of which dated back decades, with the most notable involving the late BBC television star Jimmy Savile. After his death in 2011, he was revealed to be one of Britains most prolific sex offenders.

The inquiry has published 15 investigations and dozens of other reports, cataloguing details of appalling abuse at institutions including the Catholic Church, the Church of England, and Britains political hub in Westminster.

Reputations prioritised

The investigations found the rich and well-connected had been treated differently to those who were poor, with the prioritisation of reputation over the needs and safety of children.

Deference was often shown to people of prominence including councillors, MPs (members of parliament) and leading clergy by those whose job it was to investigate allegations, Jay said. Even when they tried to investigate thoroughly, they were often told by their superiors to back off.

The inquiry heard from 725 witnesses during 325 hearings which began in Feb. 2017, processing nearly 2.5 million pages of evidence. More than 6,000 victims and survivors of abuse also related their experiences to the inquirys Truth Project.

Jay said the abuse involved children, babies and toddlers often carried out by someone they knew and trusted, and accompanied by extreme violence and acts of sadism, causing agonising physical pain.

It is vile and degrading and its consequences are frequently life-long for the victims, she said.

The inquiry said a 2019 crime survey indicated there were 3.1 million victims and survivors of abuse in England and Wales, or about 7.5 per cent of the population aged 18 to 75.

Jay said in any group of 200 children, 10 boys and more than 30 girls would be victims before the age of 16. Statistics showed the age of victims was getting younger, with a 45 per cent rise in offences against those aged under four in recent years.

Even while it was carrying out its investigations, the scale of online abuse had risen dramatically, the inquiry said.

It made 20 recommendations, with three key measures; a new law making it compulsory for certain people working with children to report abuse or face criminal action; the creation of a Child Protection Authority; and a redress scheme to provide financial help for survivors of abuse.

The government said it would respond to the inquirys report within six months, and was committed its work is translated into action.

Lawyers who represented victims involved in the inquiry welcomed its findings, but said the recommendations did not go far enough.

We will fight to strengthen these proposals as they go through parliament, so that future generations of children can secure the comprehensive protection they need, Richard Scorer, Head of Abuse Law at Slater & Gordon.

With inputs from agencies

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In the Russia-Ukraine war, the Battle for Bakhmut rages on. The fight has been ongoing for seven months and has been the longest and the bloodiest since the 24 February invasion.

Russia has been pounding the small industrial city in eastern Ukraine with the mercenary forces from the Wagner Group leading the attack. Ukraine has been defending Bakhmut with all its might but some observers have warned that holding on to it might be too dangerous.

Now Wagner has claimed legal control of the city, saying its troops have raised a Russian flag on Bakhmuts administrative building.

Also read: Russia-Ukraine war: What happens if Bakhmut falls

Whats the city of Bakhmut like?

Bakhmut was an important centre for salt and gypsum mining in the Donetsk region of Ukraines industrial heartland known as the Donbas. Before the war, it had a population of more than 70,000.

It was also known for its sparkling wine production in historic underground caves. Its broad tree-lined avenues, lush parks and stately downtown with imposing late 19th-Century buildings made it a popular tourist attraction, reports The Associated Press.

Weeks after the annexation of Crimea in April 2014, Russia-backed separatists took control of Bakhmut but lost it months later.

So has Russia taken control again?

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, has claimed that he raised a Russian flag at Bakhmuts city hall on Sunday. In a video, he said that the city is now Russian in legal sense.

However, he admitted that Ukrainian forces were still concentrated in the western districts, according to a report by the BBC.

From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts, Prigozhin said in an audio message posted on his press services Telegram account.

He went on to say that the Russian flag was raised in Bakhmut in memory of Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent Russian military blogger who died following an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday.

What is Ukraine saying?

Ukraine has denied Prigozhins claim. The countrys military leaders said after Prigozhins video was released that Ukrainian forces had repelled more than 20 enemy attacks, according to a report in Al Jazeera.

After the Wagner bosss claims that Bakhmut had fallen, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the countrys military for defending the country, particularly Bakhmut. I am grateful to our warriors who are fighting near Avdiivka, Maryinka, near Bakhmut  Especially Bakhmut. Its especially hot there today, Zelenskyy said in an address but did not elaborate on the situation in the city.

Zelenskyys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, urged people to calmly respond to the fakes of those who invent a victory that does not exist in reality, according to a report by the BBC.

Ukraines deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar dismissed the Wagner claim as funny fake.

Also read: Whats Ukraine hiding in the underground cities of Bakhmut and Soledar?

What are experts saying?

According to the Institute for the Study of War, an American think thank, Ukrainian forces had control of much of Bakhmut as of Sunday but Russian troops were trying to surround it from the south and the east.

The city council building is part of the city recently claimed by Russia, as it approaches from the east, the BBC quotes the research group a quoting as saying.

There is little evidence to suggest that Bakhmut is now under Russias control. However, the Wagner Group fighters have been within the city limit for weeks, reports CNN.

Whats been happening in Bakmut?

Russian soldiers first attempted to capture Bakhmut last August but were pushed back.

The fighting abated in the following months as the Russian military faced Ukrainian counteroffensives in the east and the south, but it resumed at full pace late last year. In January, the Russians captured the salt-mining town of Soledar just a few kilometres north of Bakhmut and advanced to the citys suburbs, reports AP.

Russia relentlessly bombarded Bakhmut and reduced it to rubble with only a few buildings standing. The two sides fought ferocious battles in the ruins.

Soldiers from the Wagner Group spearheaded the offensive, marching on the corpses of their own troops as Ukrainian officials put it. According to Western officials, at least 20,000 to 30,000 Russian troops have been killed in Bakhmut.

By the end of February, the Russians approached the only highway leading out of the city and targeted it with artillery, forcing Ukrainian defenders to rely increasingly on country roads, which are hard to use before the ground dries, the AP report says.

In March, fighting intensified in Bakhmut. On 10 March, Russian forces were moving into areas of eastern Bakhmut vacated by Ukrainian soldiers after they retreated west of the Bakhmuta River two days earlier.

There were 23 combat clashes in the city over the past day alone, Ukrainian Eastern Forces spokesman Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty said on March 11.

On 29 March, Commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said that their main task in Bakhmut was to deplete the enemys overwhelming forces and inflict heavy losses on it, reports CNN. Our task is to destroy as many enemies as possible and create the conditions for us to launch an offensive.

Ukraine too has faced massive losses in the battle for the city.

Why does Bakhmut matter?

Bakhmut does not hold a lot of strategic value. But for Russia, it is an opportunity to declare a win after the military setback it suffered last year.

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu called Bakhmut the key to a further offensive in the Donbas.

According to the UKs ministry of defence, capturing the city would potentially allow Russia to threaten the larger urban areas of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

For Ukraine, Bakhmut has become a symbol of resistance. The months-long fighting has drained Russias military and equipment. With Russian soldiers engaged in the city, it has prevented Moscow from launching offensive operations in other parts of Ukraine.

Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CAN, a Washington-based think tank, observed that the Ukrainian defenders achieved a great deal, expending Russian manpower and ammunition, but added that it could be wise for Ukraine to save its forces for future offensive operations.

With inputs from agencies

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Helsinki: With his calm demeanour, sober suits and an insistence on budget austerity, conservative leader Petteri Orpo might not appear the most exciting prospect on Finlands political landscape.

But the 53-year-old Orpo could well be the countrys next prime minister after his centre-right National Coalition Party beat out charismatic incumbent Sanna Marin, of the Social Democrats, in Sundays general election.

Orpo, who was first elected to parliament in 2007 and has previously served as a finance, interior and agriculture minister, is a politician to his core.

Raised in southwestern Finland, he became involved in student politics while studying economics at university.

It ended up taking up so much of his time that it took him 12 years to graduate with a masters degree in political science, majoring in economics.

Throughout the election campaign, he has kept his eye firmly focused on the countrys finances  something he claimed Marin had neglected.

The most important thing the National Coalition wants to change in Finland is that we stop increasing debt, Orpo told AFP before the vote.

Also Read: Finland gets a yes. But, why is Turkey sitting on Swedens NATO bid?

His election  and attention to budgetary rigour  could spark some concern in Brussels, with Finland already one of the frugal EU countries that have called on southern European countries to rein in deficits.

Considered a pragmatic leader who listens and aims to be inclusive, Orpo took over the party leadership in 2016 when he unseated former prime minister Alexander Stubb, who had suffered an election defeat the previous year.

Keeping options open

Following in his own fathers footsteps into the conservative party, the well-liked Orpo has been described as amiable and calm  so much so that some have questioned how the married father of two teens has lasted so long in the fiery world of politics.

While that calm usually plays in his favour in heated election debates, Orpo can get put on the back foot by more aggressive public speakers like Marin.

In October, he was accused of belittling women and had to apologise after referring to Marin and Finance Minister Annika Saarikkos shrieking in a debate.

Orpo also made headlines in December when he criticised Centre Party Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonens decision to take paternity leave amid Finlands NATO bid, a comment that was interpreted as enforcing negative stereotypes about fathers.

The National Coalition has attacked Marins government for what it deems an irresponsible rise in public debt.

Finlands debt-to-GDP ratio has risen from 64 per cent in 2019 to 73 per cent under Marins leadership.

The National Coalition aims to address this by cutting spending by 6 billion (Rs 53.3 lakh crore), which Finlands outgoing prime minister has slammed as taking from the poor to give to the rich.

I want to fix our economy. I want to boost economic growth, Orpo told AFP on Saturday, adding that Marin is not worried about the economy. She is not worried about debt.

While Orpo in 2017 ruled out a government partnership with the far-right Finns Party, in this election campaign he has said he will keep his options open, despite clashing with the party on immigration, the EU and climate policy.

In my opinion, Finland cannot survive without more labour immigration. I want to keep Finland an open, international country, he told AFP.

But at the same time as we are increasing labour immigration, we have to maintain a strict asylum policy and keep immigration under control overall, he added.

Orpo is a fan of hiking, the outdoors and fishing, and is known to have taken snowmobile trips with his party colleague President Sauli Niinisto in Lapland.

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Kurt Campbell, the Indo Pacific Coordinator of US National Security Council and points man for President Biden at the White House was in conversation with the CEO of Centre for New American Security on Thursday. His entire discussion was centered on Indo-Pacific and India. He acknowledged that the US India partnership will be the most important bilateral relationship in the 21st century. He mentioned that India is not an ally of the US and it will never be so but it is a close partner.

It is a significant statement by White Houses Indo Pacific czar who has played a very critical role in shifting the Biden Administrations strategic calculus to the Indo(Asia)-Pacific and elevating the Quad to apex leaders summit. While the Trump administration was the initiator by beginning the discussions at officials level, it is to the credit of Mr Campbell that Quad has been institutionalised to its present level.

A statement which must be viewed very sincerely by South Block to dissect the implications that lie between the lines is What was happening at the India-China border would have major impact on the broader Indo-Pacific theatre. It possibly reflects the extent to which White House will go if conflict intensifies on the Ladakh-Tibet border.

It is well known that intelligence inputs from the US were extremely timely and accurate which shaped tactical moves by India on the borders. This cooperation possibly has room for further expansion to intelligence-sharing with five eyes of the US (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom) to utilise Indias strong and capable naval combat power.

Given the latest developments in the Pacific islands, the threat to Quad partners is real. In a recent article in The Diplomat, Cleo Paskal, an authority on Pacific issues has written, What is going on in Solomon Islands is the political warfare equivalent of that battle and, so far, China has been winning.

Kurt Campbell also made reference to Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) launched in January 2023. NSA Ajit Doval led a team of highest ranking technologists to the US and discussed partnering and going forward in areas related to defence capabilities apart from university partnership and student exchange in high technology areas.

Further, during CNAS conversation Mr Campbell announced working together with India in Space. He supplemented this nearly immediately that it was important to underscore that India was a great power. While emphasising that India will never be an ally but that did not mean that US-India could not be close partners. And that is how the US needs to understand the role of India as a great nation on the world stage. We want to encourage that, support that and deepen this relationship.

Emphasising that the present alignment is dealing with the needs of regional friends in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Campbell understands the areas which need the US support and therefore he suggested the focus area on issues such as infrastructure, maritime domain awareness, educational initiatives and practical areas of common concern.

Here it is useful to recall the Quad summit meeting, Tokyo in May 2021 where it was declared that the US will invest $ 5 billion in elevating the space capabilities of Quad countries to a level where nearly on line maritime domain awareness is available to their navies. Therefore, mention of space as one area of cooperation with India under iCET was made. This is fundamental to getting four navies on one page of the Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) datawall. This also entails linking up the existing maritime domain awareness network of all four Quad countries. The Australian MDA hub is located in Solomon Islands which is now on the verge of coming under complete influence of China. Linking of MDA networks through space assets will afford an opportunity to Quad partners to monitor adversarial vessel movements in the entire Indo Pacific continuously. That would lead to a robust monitoring architecture which is an essential ingredient of a Security Architecture. The ground and space-based architecture and its technical know-how needs expeditious implementation. With the provision in the agreement for technical education it is possible to quickly train our engineers to handle this high-end technology.

Another aspect of space technology knowhow should result in developing laser weapons, laser surveillance and auto control of rail guns which have the ability of countering the hypersonic weapon threat. These systems can be integrated with the Naval Fleets existing air defence network.

So far Quad as a group has not exploited its full potential since it is work in progress, but the present conversation has given a fillip to hasten the processes cutting across the bureaucratic hurdles in both the countries. It is expected that the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) of both countries would implement and monitor these processes under their own umbrellas. True Indo-Pacific security by Quad for ensuring freedom of navigation and unhindered flow of trade for global commons will occur when Pacific Islands become part of this global network.

The author is Member, Trustee Board, India Foundation, Former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff&Commander in Chief, Western Naval Command. Views are personal.

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On Sunday, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar took a potshot at the West, saying it has a bad habit of commenting on others. They (Western nations) somehow think it is some kind of God-given right, he added. Jaishankar was responding to a question on Germany and United States remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.

Yes, theres an innate tendency in the West to interfere in the internal matters of other countries. But things arent just as simple for India, especially in recent years. One has seen on several occasions in recent years  from the CAA and Shahin Bagh agitations to the farmers protests  several anti-India forces joining hands to create a scenario of utter despair and widespread chaos, on the lines of a toolkit created by Czech Communist Party theoretician Jan Kozak explaining how a small number of communists gained power in Czechoslovakia through parliamentary manoeuvres.

Explaining Kozaks modus operandi, David Horowitz and Richard Poe write in their book, The Shadow Party: The trick was to exert pressure for radical change from two directions simultaneously  from the upper levels of government and from provocateurs in the streets. Kozak called this tactic pressure from above and below. One way to exert pressure from below, as Kozak explained, was to fill the streets with rioters, strikers and protesters, thus creating the illusion of a widespread clamour for change from the grassroots. Radicals in the government would then exert pressure from above, enacting new laws on the pretext of appeasing the protesters in the street  even though the protesters (or at least their leaders) were themselves part of the plot. The majority of the people would have no idea what was going on. Squeezed from above and below, most would sink into apathy and despair, believing they were hopelessly outnumbered by the radicals even though they were not. Thus could a radical minority impose its will on a moderate majority, even under a democratic, parliamentary system.

India, too, is currently facing pressure for radical change from two directions, though with a difference: While the provocateurs in the streets carry Kozaks toolkit characteristics, the pressure from above largely comes from friendly Western nations and their agencies.

One saw a similar scenario just before the 2019 parliamentary elections. Diverse and divergent forces had then joined hands to make a regime change, though with a limited foreign participation. The same forces are active again  this time they are not just being aggressive and desperate, but also their activities are far more coordinated and purposeful.

In all this the role of the Opposition, especially the Congress, has been quite disappointing  and disturbing.

The grand old party, which has been in political wilderness for the past nine years and still shows no sign of resurgence, seems to be following a scorched-earth policy. It becomes obvious when Rahul Gandhi goes abroad and speaks at an international forum: He paints a picture of India that is dark: As a failed democracy, fraught with caste and communal conundrums, and worse, facing an existential crisis under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He willfully forgets that he is demeaning a flourishing democracy on a foreign soil.

The same tendency was on display late last week when Congress leader Digvijaya Singh thanked Germany for taking note of how the Democracy is being compromised in India through persecution of @RahulGandhi.

For the Congress-led Opposition, seeped in dynastism, minorityism and morose statism, as well the politico-intellectual ecosystem that both sucked and sustained the Nehruvian order, 2024 is a do-or-die moment. It survived the 2019 tremor, but to expect the same in 2024 would be nothing sort of a miracle.

Foreign countries and their agencies, however, have an altogether different reason for putting India on notice. Here, ironically, the interest of the West and China doesnt seem to be too divergent.

China is alarmed by a new, resurgent India that doesnt mind being muscular at times. It is witnessing a revolution in Indias infrastructural and military spheres. Particularly disconcerting for the Xi Jinping dispensation must have been the special attention given by the Modi government to the development of the Northeast and other bordering areas, including Ladakh.

China, which always keeps an eye on the future, knows well that India by 2030 would not just be a competitive power militarily, but also its $10 trillion economy would be third largest after the US and China. It would be too late to take on India by then. But then Indias politico-military resolve in the past three years  both at the Line of Actual Control and on the diplomatic table  might have made the Chinese ponder if its already not too late!

As for the West, it is also caught in a similar quandary. Of course, it wants India to be a bulwark against the growing Chinese hegemony, but it is equally wary of its rise as a global power. It doesnt want India to be too big to finally escape the American orbit.

The Western unease with rising India is clearly manifested in the way the mainstream media, the academia and the entrenched bureaucracy of the West respond to the India story. After the recent United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report that has once again questioned Indias democratic and secular credentials, there comes the World Happiness report 2023 that ranks India at the 126th position out of 137 countries it surveyed, below Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and even Ukraine! Had the Taliban not been ruling Kabul, Afghanistan could also have found favours with its researchers!

No doubt, a part of the Western institutional unease predates Prime Minister Modi, but its also obvious that theres growing nervousness in the West about the new, assertive India that is focused on finding its place among global powers. When so many experts at this years World Economic Forum in Davos described India as a bright spot on the world stage, it is bound to generate envy.

The Western reaction has a geostrategic aspect as well: If there is a Chinese fear that a $10 trillion Indian economy would be too big to swallow, then theres also a growing apprehension in the West that India in that case wont need the Western support to escape Chinas hegemonistic designs and thus would move out of the American orbit. That would decisively shift the global power apparatus to the East, much to the charge-in of the West. This explains the rising bad press for the India story in the West, and also the occasional anti-India posturings by Western governments led by the US, Britain, Germany, et al. The growing anti-India footprints of Khalistani and Islamist forces in so many Western capitals too hint at the same direction.

If such Western subversions against India can be given a face, it would be of George Soros. His Open Society Foundation has facilitated coups and rebellions in many countries, almost always in the name of democracy.

In a 1995 New Yorker profile, Soros conceded that the subversive mission of his Open Society Foundation (OSF) required him to wear a variety of masks. I would say one thing in one country, and another thing in another country, he said with laughter. This two-faced nature was evident when he first denied any hands in the November 2003 uprising that toppled Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, but a few months later he reportedly told the Los Angeles Times: Im delighted by what happened in Georgia, and I take great pride in having contributed to it.

Soros is on record saying that the rise of India under Prime Minister Modi troubles him. And his association with anti-Modi forces is no secret, with the OSF accused of funding both anti-CAA and anti-farm laws protests in India. His role got further magnified when one saw Salil Shetty, the vice president of OSF India, joining Rahul Gandhi during his recent Bharat Jodo Yatra. The West is playing a dangerous, Soros-ian game in India  and Rahul Gandhis Congress shouldnt in any way be a part of it!

Soros is the link that joins the Western subversive players, including the Deep State, with Indias internal disruptive elements  the connect between the pressure from above and below. The challenge for democratic India, therefore, is immense, and it is only bound to get more intense as the country inches closer to 2024.

The good part is the Government of India is aware of the conspiracy to dislodge it, under the cover of democracy. What may help India is the fact that its enemies have nothing in common except hatred for the civilisational idea of Bharat. Soros, after all, plans to usher in his model of democracy in India by unleashing the hidden hands of capitalism to bring together the disparate, violent and nihilistic ideologies of Islamism, Khalistanism and Communism. Nothing can be more hypocritical, deceitful and dangerous than this.

The author is Opinion Editor, Firstpost and News18. He tweets from @Utpal_Kumar1. Views expressed are personal.

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The multifaceted engagement that India has with Africa saw a new dimension in late March. For the first time, the Chief of Army Staff of India hosted an India-Africa conclave of Chiefs of Staff in Pune on 28 March. This was a unique initiative which took place alongside the Second AFINDEX-2023 field training exercise, which began on 21 March and concluded on 28 March in Pune.

This edition of the exercise was attended by 20 African countries. The exercise had nine participating contingents with 124 African personnel participating in the exercise. The contingents came from steady Indian partners like Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The participation of Niger which is battling with radicalism was a welcome sign.

Eleven other countries sent 21 observers to the exercise and these included Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe from Southern Africa, Ghana, Cameroon and Congo from Central Africa, Egypt and Morocco from North Africa and Nigeria and Senegal from West Africa. Rwanda from East Africa too sent observers. Indian troops from the SIKH, MARATHA and MAHAR regiments participated in the multinational exercise AFINDEX2019 had seen participation by 17 African countries so there was incremental participation this time.

The exercise was in four phases which included training of trainers, humanitarian mind action and peacekeeping operations. A validation exercise to study the results of the lessons learned during the exercise was undertaken and was observed by the visiting army chiefs from Africa.

The objective of the AFINDEX-2023 was to build better military relations, imbibe each others best practices and promote interoperability while undertaking the execution of Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations under UN mandates. This joint exercise enabled the armies to mutually learn and adopt methods and tactics while conducting such operations. Further, the exercise will assist the forces in the correct interpretation of rules of engagement while undertaking peacekeeping operations.

This time the exercise was crowned by the first-ever India-Africa conclave of military chiefs. This is an effort to increase Indias collaboration with African countries in the post-pandemic phase, which allows for the physical movement of delegations. Thirty-one African countries participated in this event which focused on common issues of peace, security, development, radicalization and non-traditional threats that India and Africa face.

Among the 31 countries who accepted the invitation, 10 were at the level of the Chief of Army Staff or equivalent, 17 were representatives of the army chiefs, while four countries including South Africa were represented by their defence attache from their missions in Delhi. This could have been better attended by African chiefs of armies both in stature as well as in numbers.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing the Chiefs conclave indicated that India has an abiding interest in collaborating with African nations to promote regional security, foster stability and enhance the defence capabilities of their partners. Support to African countries in all defence-related matters, including enhancement of the capacities of their defence forces, as well as to ensure their economic growth and development was emphasized. The linkage of development and security was mentioned in Raksha Mantris speech since without security, development was often in jeopardy.

India has a history of training service personnel from Africa in Indian institutions, ranging from the National Defence College to the National Defence Academy. India has also helped in establishing defence training institutions in Africa. The very first institution that India established in Africa after its independence was the Imperial Military Academy in Harar in eastern Ethiopia, which trained not only Ethiopian candidates but also candidates from emerging African countries. Similar training institutions were established in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania and other places.

Other than this, India has supported countries like Seychelles, Mauritius and Mozambique for their coastal and internal security which is buttressed by regular training. Indian peacekeepers are respected in Africa since 1964 when they first went to Congo. Even at present, there are several Indian military contingents under the UN in African countries.

The training provided by India to the defence forces of Africa covers a diverse range of subjects, including things that India itself has learned over the years. Counter-insurgency operations, peacekeeping, maritime security, and specialized training in emerging sectors like cyber warfare and drone operations are now offered to African partners. Since Indian defence forces have a good record of disaster management, and providing HADR and medical assistance, training on these aspects even to civilians is provided.

The AFINDEX-2023 held for the second time was an important opportunity for armed forces to learn from each other and seek interoperability, especially among maritime neighbours with the Indian Ocean between them. Cooperation in maritime security through coastal radar coverage, hydrography, counterterrorism and deradicalization are important aspects that India and Africa can jointly pay attention to for the maintenance of regional peace and prosperity. This was elaborated by Army Chief General Manoj Pande in his address and he should be complimented for this initiative towards Africa.

The chiefs conclave was accompanied by a demonstration of Indias growing capabilities in the defence industry. Defence equipment and platforms are now offered as important aspects of Indias cooperation with its African partners. Seychelles, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia and others have in the past availed of Indian defence equipment. Since the defence manufacturing ecosystem in India has now advanced, the Indian defence industry have the capability to work with African countries to fulfil their requirements for which India expressed its readiness to share its expertise and knowledge as well as research and development.

Already some ASEAN countries have engaged with India to buy Indian-made defence equipment. This has a twofold advantage. First, it keeps the country out of big power rivalry, where it may have to choose between US and Chinese or Russian equipment. By buying from India, for instance, that competition is avoided. Secondly, unlike other countries, Indian-made products and equipment are cost-competitive and effective and come with a full range of training and support services.

The theme of the India-Africa Army Chiefs conclave was Africa India military for regional unity AMRUT. It aimed to synergize Indian and African militaries as part of a regional cooperation mechanism.

Lieutenant General Peter Njiru, the commander of the Kenyan Army was among those African Chiefs of Army Staff who attended the conclave. The lessons that he drew from it included the building of institutionalized frameworks for better military-to-military cooperation between India and Africa.

Lt Gen Njiru in his speech to the conclave was appreciative of the training opportunities afforded by India to African militaries. He said that this training had been very important in the imparting of knowledge and skills to deal with the security challenges that African militaries face in the current century. This military diplomacy was highly regarded by Lt Gen Nijuru and by other participants.

He appreciated that India had updated the range of courses it offered and included newer areas which helped the militaries to come abreast with the issues that they faced. It was announced that the number of courses for African countries will increase to 450 which is almost double what was offered in 2022. Capacity building and custom-made modules are now on offer.

The Army Design Bureau and FICCI jointly organized an equipment display at the Aundh military station/This showcased the Indian defence industrys capability to bring it to the attention of the African chiefs and participating representatives of the 31 countries.

This is indeed a good initiative and must continue. To have the chiefs visit India along with every biennial AFINDEX will see better participation and focus on one of Africas five regions each time. Also, the regional Standby Brigade should be invited as these are the regional intervention African forces who need coordinated training. The commissioner for political and security matters of the African Union Commission must be an invitee to such events.

The author is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia ASEAN and the African Union. He tweets @AmbGurjitSingh. Views expressed are personal.

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For very obvious reasons, the fact that in 2022 US authorities confiscated 29 antiquities from New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art collectionfrom ancient India, Italy, Greece and Egypthas not been very widely publicised. After all, it would eliminate the moral high ground that western museums and collectors take of preserving ancient treasures, implying these are better off in their vaunted premises and vaults than in their countries of origin.

So the news last week that the Met will return 15 more such illegally acquired antiquities to India should be responded to with a robust About time riposte rather than a polite Thank you for this belated display of conscience. The myth that those antiquities are acquired works of art rather than stolen objects of veneration has been allowed to persist for far too long. There is no legal method by which at least Indian antiquities could have been acquired and/or sold.

It is also not surprising that it took a New York Supreme Court order on 23 March 2023 to seize stolen property for the Met to generously announce a week later its intention to return 15 Indian artefacts. The release of the results of an in-depth probe by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and its media partners into the role of shady antiquities traffickers in the acquisitions by the Met, clearly also had a role to play in this sudden burst of generosity.

This demonstrates just how brazen many prominent western museums are when it comes to such treasures. Unless shamed and/or forced, they have no qualms about persisting with their questionable acquisition practices, particularly concerning antiquities. Law enforcement agencies of those nations are generally lax too; some are probably even complicit in this shameful organised wrongdoing. That is why antiquities remain the worlds largest unregulated market.

There is no way that, say, images of Vishnu and his many avatars, were created centuries ago as just personal works of art. They were all made for temples, either as the main deity or as part of the pantheons represented on the walls, pillars and steeples. It is difficult to understand and impossible to justify how knowledgeable collectors, dealers and institutional experts could then believe the dubious provenances provided by sellers when acquiring old artefacts.

It is easy to pin the blame only on the notorious Subhash Kapoor for Indian treasures that ended up in museums and collections all over the worldincluding the 15 that the Met plans to return. But what about the respectable people who willingly believed his stories about how he got his hands on them, and worse still, happily accepted donations from collectors who also sourced them from shady dealers like Kapoor and others? Should they not be named and penalised?

That Kapoor is finally serving a sentence in Trichy jail is no cause for India to rest easy either, as authorities are not proactive about prosecuting art traffickers. While the Idol Wing of Tamil Nadu Police has done great work to bring Kapoor to justice, he has stolen from other states too, as the antiquities activist S Vijay Kumar has often pointed out. Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and other states should also register cases and ensure he pays for all his crimes.

The motivations of many western museums and collectors to acquire antiquities have also been less than savoury: to bolster their reputations as the guardians and custodians of art and civilisation. Hubris and one-upmanship at its worst. But America came late to that particular party: colonial nations such as Britain and France had happily filled up their museums and private collections in a more permissive era, sometimes by intimidation but mostly by barefaced loot.

The collections of the British Museum bear shocking witness to this. Many of their objects were simply carted off on official Raj orders while others arrived on British shores as part of the private chattels of Britons returning from India and were then donated to the institution by them or their descendants. Cases in point are the Amaravati stupa friezes sent to UK from India in 1880 and Benin bronzes carried off by British troops after a massacre in Nigeria in 1897.

Americans could not use the same (illegal) means to fill their museums so many resorted to other (equally illegal) ways. Under a very go-getting director in the 1960s, Thomas Hoving, for example, the Met spent millions in a decade to acquire treasures from Italy, Greece, Egypt, India and South-East Asia, regardless of the sellers antecedents. It is now known that at least 1,109 objectsmostly without proper provenancehave been acquired from criminal sources.

Astonishingly, Hoving even admitted in his 1994 memoir Making the Mummies Dance that he acquired objects from smugglers and fixers to build the Mets collections and wrote he had a huge list of them to draw upon. So he justified his complicity in smuggling: even illegal businesses depend on sustained demand in order to flourish. And yet no one did anything about it. Nod-nod, wink-wink and the business of preserving ancient treasures continued unabated.

Among the 2 million objects of art held by the Met, the ones that hail from the Indian subcontinent and south-east Asiaespecially Hindu and Buddhist deities in stone, ivory and bronzeare almost certainly purloined from places of worship. The same goes for similar antiquities in most great museums in the US, besides smaller ones like the Simon Norton Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum, both under the scanner for illegally acquired Indian idols.

While US museums eager to catch up with their European counterparts have been valued customers of traffickers, the role of Continental early birds in keeping smugglers in business cannot be ignored too. In 2016, for example, Copenhagens Ny Carlsburg Glyptotek finally agreed to return hundreds of antiquities to Italy, admitting at last that the objects had been unearthed in illegal excavations and exported without licencein other words, stolen.

Though investigations by Italy in 1995 revealed that US museums like the Met, the Getty and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts had acquired ancient Roman artefacts sold by another infamous antiquities trafficker Giacomo Medici, raids on his warehouses proved that French, Danish (ie, the Glyptotek), German, Swiss and Australian institutions had also done business with him. The name of another discredited dealer, Robert Hecht, also featured in that investigation.

The 29 items seized from the Met in 2022 via search warrants became part of a repatriation exercise by the US, in which 58 objects were returned to Italy and 16 to Egypt. But most museums remain unrepentant instead of taking a cue from the National Gallery of Australia that has decided to stay away from the antiquities market altogether after returning 14 stolen artefacts acquired from Kapoor to India. Impenitent museums and collectors must own up and make amends.

Especially since the most serious implication of trafficking remains unaddressed: temples deprived of gods become hollow monuments, age-old traditions die and people lose their priceless heritage. After all, unlike Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia and Egypt whose original civilisations have died out, deities of South and South East Asia are venerated by over 2 billion people. Killing living cultures by stealing their heritage is a crime against humanity. It must be dealt with accordingly.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed are personal.

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Sydney: A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake a remote region of northwestern Papua New Guinea on Monday claimed at least three lives.

The countrys National Disaster Centre said dozens of homes were also affected as emergency crews continued to assess the damage across difficult terrain.

The quake struck at a depth of 62 kilometres (38 miles) near the Chambri Lake system in the sparsely populated region of East Sepik Province, the US Geological Survey said.

Chambri lake is boiling and the continuous quake is still happening right now, a member of parliament in the area, Johnson Wapunai, said in a message on social media several hours after the quake struck.

The lawmaker urged people to watch out for falling objects or trees, and to be on alert for further seismic activity.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Colles Pinga, who lives not far from the epicentre, told Australias national broadcaster that three homes in his village were destroyed and people have been injured.

Theres landslides along the riverbanks its quite frightening, Pinga told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The quake also left cracks on the interior floors of a new regional hospital that was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, and also unlodged the buildings paving stones, according to photographs taken by a doctor at the scene.

Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said.

The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.

The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.

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New Delhi: Former US President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon following his indictment in a grand jury investigation into hush money payments to a porn star.

New York City police have put up metal barriers around Trump Tower and closed roads near the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in anticipation of possible protests ahead of Donald Trumps expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Trump has called the investigation a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, have said they will protest in New York on Tuesday. The downtown courthouse, which houses the criminal and supreme courts, will close some courtrooms ahead of Trumps expected appearance, according to Reuters.

According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), there are no credible threats to the city.

The NYPD said in a statement, (The) department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights.

Reuters reported that Trump is expected to fly to New York from Florida on Monday and spend the night at Trump Tower before arriving at the courthouse early Tuesday morning.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has claimed she was paid to remain silent about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. However, the former US President has denied having a sexual encounter.

With inputs from Reuters

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A tech billionaire has compared the insipid race to master artificial intelligence and turn it into something profitable, without any regard to the potential harm that it poses to the nuclear arms race of the twenty-first century.

Kevin Baragona was one of over 1,000 tech experts who signed an open statement on The Future of Life Institute, urging a halt to the dangerous race to create ChatGPT-like AI that other tech companies are getting involved in without any regard for the consequences that such chatbots might have, if they are not developed with the proper caution. The groups said more risk assessment needs to be conducted before humans lose control and it becomes a sentient human-hating species.

Also read: Elon Musk and AI experts call for pause in development of AI systems that outperform GPT-4

Tech experts warn against developing AI rapidly, without caution

In a recent interview, Baragona said that AI superintelligence is like the nuclear weapons of software, referring to the 1940s creation of the atomic bomb.

Many individuals have debated whether we should continue developing them, he added.

Americans were grappling with a similar concept while creating the weapon of mass destruction, which was called nuclear anxiety at the time.

Its almost like a war between chimps and humans, Baragona said. Obviously, humans prevail because we are far smarter and can defeat them with more sophisticated technology, he added.

If were like the chimpanzees, AI will either kill us or subjugate us, he added

The concerns stem from the extraordinary rise of ChatGPT, which has taken the world by storm in recent months, passing major medical and legal examinations that humans study for nearly three months.

AI divides Silicon Valley

Generative and natural language processing AIs like ChatGPT have ignited a civil war in the Silicon Valley. Tech Mogul Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak also endorsed the open letter asking for the development of AI to be halted, but Bill Gates and Google CEO Sundar Pichai have supported the development, and are optimistic about the tech.

When AI begins to outperform humans in all areas and develops a conscience, it has achieved singularity, which means it has transcended human intellect and has autonomous thought. AI would no longer require or respond to humans, enabling it to pilfer nuclear codes, cause pandemics, and ignite world conflicts. This is what people like Musk and Wozniak believe.

Also read: After backing ChatGPT initially, Elon Musk now plans on taking it down, starts building a team

Sundar and Gates are on the other side of the divide. They are praising ChatGPT-like AI as the most essential invention of our time, claiming it will fix climate change, heal cancer, and boost output.

In February, Microsoft also introduced AI to its Bing search engine, integrating ChatGPT capabilities. On March 21, Google released Bard, a natural language robot, to the world. The Cupertino-based tech giant has been careful in its release so that its technology does not produce inaccurate facts, but Bards first impressions indicated that the company rushed it to market. It remains to be seen how Bard compares to OpenAIs ChatGPT and Microsofts AI-powered Bing.

Both camps have their own agendas

While I can only conjecture as to why Gates and Sundar did not sign the letter to halt advanced AI research, I believe they did not because they are signing checks to accelerate AIs development, Baragona said.

While it is difficult to take Musks scepticism of the development of AI seriously, considering that he has assembled a team to replicate ChatGPT and take it down and that he reportedly was very jealous of ChatGPTs popularity when it launched, what is surprising is the caution with which people like Wozniak are looking at AI.

Also read: Elon Musk was furious with ChatGPTs popularity at debut after he pulled his investment and left OpenAI

Microsoft, established by Bill Gates, has made significant investments in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT and invested about $10 billion in the development of ChatGPT in order to compete with Google in commercialising new AI advances.

In a statement, Scott Opitz, chief technology officer at intelligent automation firm ABBYY, said, Pausing AI development is like putting toothpaste back in the tube. AI applications are ubiquitous, affecting almost every aspect of our existence.

While commendable, putting the breaks on now by taking a voluntary halt may be implausible. What is required is a concerted and sincere effort by businesses and lawmakers to enact common-sense laws that promote ethical AI principles based on human-centred ideals of fairness, transparency, and responsibility, he said.

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The US has been going after Chinese tech businesses for quite some time now. ByteDance and TikTok in particular has seen a lot of the brunt of the US and so has Chinas semiconductor industry. It seems that now China has decided to push back.

China has begun a cybersecurity audit of Micron Technology, the US largest memory chip maker. This evaluation follows the closure of Microns DRAM manufacturing activities in Shanghai last year.

China retaliates against the US in tech war

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) stated on Friday that it has launched an inquiry into Microns products in China in order to protect the supply chain security of critical information infrastructure and to avoid cyberspace security threats caused by defective and problematic products.

Micron, headquartered in Idaho, said in a statement on Saturday that it was in communication with the CAC and fully cooperating. The firm stated that it is committed to conducting all business with uncompromising integrity and that its goods are secure.

Following US-led efforts to restrict shipments of advanced chips and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China, the CACs action promises to exacerbate hostilities between Beijing and Washington.

The following are some things to consider in light of this newest development in the US-China tech war.

The probe comes at a time when the US and its partners have boxed China in on all parts of the semiconductor market, even as Beijing promotes its self-sufficiency drive to reduce the countrys dependence on American-made products.

A message to Japan and South Korea

According to Wang Lifu, expert at Shanghai-based semiconductor research company ICwise, it appears to be about sending a warning signal to neighbouring nations like Japan and South Korea.

These two nations, along with Taiwan, have joined the US-led Chip 4 Alliance, which Beijing sees as a Washington plan to exclude China from semiconductor supply networks. This groups senior officials conducted their first video conference in February to talk supply chain resilience.

Also read: The Chip War: In a major blow to China, Netherlands and Japan decide to side with US over chip sanctions

According to Wang at ICwise, South Korea is anticipated to take note of the CACs cybersecurity assessment of Micron. The probe served as a warning to Korean memory chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which still have manufacturing sites in China, he said.

Following a stated deal between the Dutch, Japanese, and US governments to limit shipments of some sophisticated chip-making equipment to China, this caution would apply to the Netherlands. This has resulted in a powerful new coalition that could undermine Beijings aspirations to develop local chip capabilities.

Also read: US-China Tech War: South Korean companies on high alert for leaks amid mounting sanctions on China

Prior to the announcement of the Micron cybersecurity review, Beijing had taken no significant measures to retaliate against the US for imposing severe limits on advanced chip exports to China on national security grounds.

Why Micron?

According to ICwise expert Wang, the Chinese government regards Micron as playing a negative role in the countrys technology sector. There is some speculation that Micron was behind efforts to persuade the US government to impose sanctions on China.

Micron is said to be one of several US semiconductor companies that have increased their political expenditures since the Biden administration signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law in August last year, which provides US$52 billion in government money for chip manufacturing in the US.

Months before the legislation became law, Micron declared the closure of its Shanghai chip design facility at the end of 2022 and offered relocation incentives to 150 Chinese engineers in the US or India.

Also read: Joe Biden sets bizarre conditions for US chip subsidies, confuses foreign chipmakers and key players

The US charged Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co, a state-owned memory plant manufacturer in southern Fujian province, of stealing Micron technologies in 2017. Following Washingtons sanction, the Chinese company halted manufacturing.

Micron looks to be susceptible at the time of the CACs inquiry. Mainland China accounts for more than 10 per cent of Microns overall revenue, making it the companys third-largest market after the United States and Taiwan.

Micron recorded a net loss of $2.3 billion in the second quarter concluded March 2 of its most recent fiscal year, due to a sharp drop in demand for 3D NAND products, representing the companys worst quarterly loss in two decades.

As a result, Micron announced that it will accelerate layoffs, cutting nearly 15 per cent of its staff this year, in order to adjust to falling worldwide demand for computers and other electronics that use its products. Around 7,200 people will be laid off globally. In the midst of that industry slowdown, Chinas Micron probe could help the companys competitors in the worldwide memory chip market.

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New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) are scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal from April 10.

Named Cope India, the war games between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal are being held after a gap of four years since it had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The last edition was held in 2019.

The Su-30MKI fighter aircraft will spearhead the IAF contingent which may also feature the LCA Tejas, IL-78 mid-air refuelers and air-borne early warning aircraft.

The US Air Force (USAF) contingent will reportedly come from the Pacific command of the US military and is expected to field the F-15 fighter aircraft.

A squadron of the US Air Forces F-15 Strike Eagle fighter aircraft will be arriving at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal for the Cope India series of wargames where the Indian side would be mainly fielding its Russian-origin Sukhoi-30 jets, a senior IAF official was quoted as saying by Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW).

The Pacific command of the US military coordinates with India in the Indo-Pacific sector as both nations strive to counter growing Chinese influence in the region.

The US has also been trying to build closer military ties with India which has traditionally relied on Russia for defence equipment and weapons.

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Trencin, Slovakia: The Czech and Slovak prime ministers on Monday urged the EU to exert targeted pressure on the Kremlin by sticking to sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

It is important for the EU and its partners to continue targeted pressure on the Russian Federation and thoroughly implement the sanctions, the premiers said in a statement.

Allies should also prevent bypassing the sanctions and create mechanisms to punish those responsible for crimes related to this aggression, they added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted last week the European Union sanctions could have negative consequences for his countrys economy.

The Czech and Slovak governments, led by Petr Fiala and Eduard Heger, respectively, met in the western Slovak city of Trencin on Monday.

It was the eighth joint meeting of the cabinets of the two EU and NATO members, which had formed a single country  Czechoslovakia  until a peaceful split in 1993.

Both countries have provided Ukraine with substantial humanitarian and military aid since the Russian invasion started in February 2022.

Fiala and Heger also urged the EU and NATO to stay united and to continue providing aid to Kyiv.

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London: The danger tourist of Britain who is being held by the Taliban, travelled to Afghanistan to find himself even after being evacuated once by the British army during Kabul Airlift, his mother has revealed after a conversation with him for the first since January 11, the day he was detained.

According to reports, the Taliban also arrested Kevin Cornwell, a doctor, and an unnamed hotel manager in addition to 23-year-old Miles Routledge.

Routledge is a self-styled danger tourist who seeks thrill and has gone to many of the worlds riskiest nations.

As per reports, he visited Afghanistan in August 2021, despite the Talibans takeover. He attracted a lot of notice and scorn on social media.

He reportedly went there for a holiday and was caught up in the chaos of the Taliban takeover. Later, he returned to the country after being evacuated by British armed forces during the Kabul airlift, after that he travelled again. It is not known how long Routledge has been held for.

Concerned family members are agitating for the groups release while they are presently being detained for questioning.

Suella Braverman, the home secretary, declared on Sunday morning that the Taliban and the government are in negotiations.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Sunday said that anyone travelling to dangerous areas of the globe should take the utmost caution.

If they are going to do that, they should follow the Foreign Offices travel guidance at all times.

If there are threats to peoples safety, the UK Government will take whatever steps are necessary to make sure they are safe if they are British citizens overseas, she said.

And to make sure that peoples safety is maintained, the government is negotiating diligently, she added.

Meanwhile, Routledges mother told Sky News. It is so worrying. I just want help to find out what has happened to him and make sure he is OK, she said.

If he is being treated well that is good to hear, as long as he is being well treated. If I can get a message to those who are holding him, I just want to ask them to tell him he has my love and support.

Mrs. Routledge added that she had not been contacted by anyone from the Foreign Office and is desperate to know Miles is safe.

I dont know who is holding him or where he is, she added.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.

After being called an idiot for needing to be evacuated when Afghanistan returned to the control of the Taliban, Miles heartbroken mother claimed that his passion of travel led him to return to the country.

He continues to travel because he enjoys it; he is still young and is only now, after finishing university, beginning to find himself. She said, I just want him to be secure.

Taliban government however claims, the trio of guys engaged in suspicious activities.

Meanwhile, Scott Richards, CEO, Presidium Network, a British nonprofit organisation that works in conflict zones said in a statement, We can confirm that the men have spoken with family, that the conversation was natural, and that they are being treated fairly, who is helping Mr. Cornwells family and the hotel manager.

The families were able to speak to them for around two minutes and they could speak freely. It was clearly an important and emotional call and represents tremendous progress in the situation, he said, adding the details of those calls are private.

The relief Kevins family expressed after hearing his voice for the first time in three months, not knowing if he was well, brought a sense of peace and gave them hope that this situation will be resolved soon.'
Nablus, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian and Israeli forces battled in the air and on the ground Monday, with a drone downed and missiles fired over Gaza, and two militants shot dead in the West Bank, officials in the Palestinian territories said, as the army reported a raid targeting gun attack suspects.

Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip said they fired missiles at an Israeli warplane after it shot their drone down.

The violence followed a weekend of deadly incidents which ended a relative calm since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan 10 days ago.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, two martyrs (were) shot by the occupation, the Palestinian health ministry said. It later named them as Mohammed Abu Bakr and Mohammed al-Hallaq, without giving their ages.

At their funeral processions, an AFP journalist saw thousands of Palestinians, among them dozens of masked, armed men, march through the streets of Nablus, parading their bodies. Gunshots were fired in the air.

The local militant group the Lions Den claimed the two men as members and confirmed in a statement that its fighters had been involved in confronting the occupation forces storming of the city of Nablus.

The Israeli army said it carried out the raid to apprehend two individuals linked to a shooting attack last month in which two Israeli soldiers were injured in the West Bank town of Huwara.

During the activity, a number of armed gunmen fired at the forces who responded with live fire, the army statement said.

Two people were arrested, it added.

Israeli forces have carried out regular raids in the West Bank  including several in the militant stronghold of Nablus, where the Lions Den emerged over the past few months.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War.

Gaza missiles

The Islamist group Hamas, which rules the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip, said in a statement that it mourns the martyrdom of two Palestinian freedom fighters in what it called Israels storming of Nablus.

Hamas also said it had fired a number of surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli warplane after it shot down one of the groups drones.

A spokesperson for the Israeli military confirmed to AFP that a number of shoulder-fired missiles were launched toward the fighter jet, adding that no injuries were reported and no damage was done.

After a relative lull in violence since Ramadan began on 23 March, three Israelis were injured in a ramming attack in the West Bank on Saturday.

Soldiers killed the alleged perpetrator.

Less than 24 hours earlier, Israeli police shot dead an Arab Israeli who they alleged had grabbed a policemans gun and fired it in the Israeli-annexed Old City of Jerusalem.

His family disputed this version of events.

Since the start of the year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed the lives of at least 91 Palestinians, 15 Israelis and one Ukranian, according to an AFP tally based on official sources from both sides.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians including minors and two members of the Arab minority.

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Brussels: Finland has not asked for NATO members to station troops on its territory, a senior alliance commander said Monday, as Helsinki readies to join.

Whether we will station troops in Finland is a question that starts with Finland, said Admiral Rob Bauer, the chair of NATOs military committee.

For now, there is no such request. But of course, it might come in the future and then we will have to look at it when that occurs, Bauer told AFP in an interview.

On Tuesday, Finland will become the alliances 31st member, in an historic strategic shift that doubles NATOs land border with Russia.

Moscows war on Ukraine pushed Finland  and its neighbour Sweden  to drop decades of non-alignment and apply last year to join the US-led alliance.

The Kremlins response to Finlands membership has been muted, but it has pledged to bolster its troops in its northwest over the coming years.

We havent seen any concrete movement of troops yet, primarily because they need all the troops they can find in Ukraine, Bauer said.

They cannot afford to have a lot of troops along the Finnish border where there is no direct threat from NATO, Bauer said.

The Dutch admiral stressed that NATO plans for defending its newest member from any potential attack will rest first and foremost with Finland because they have very capable troops.

The additional border with Russia is a problem that Finland is dealing with for the last 75 years already, Bauer said.

We get more territory to defend, but we get the troops of Finland to help NATO with that.

But if Moscow does launch an assault, Bauer promised that NATO nations will come, in accordance with the plan to help defend Finland through strategic reinforcements.

Bauer said that overall, Finlands strategic location and potent military  along with the eventual membership of neighbour Sweden  would make it easier for NATO to defend its eastern flank.

And he said that in the far north the pair joining would mean NATO will have seven of the eight Arctic states in its number.

To the south he said that the Baltic sea will become more and more a water that is in NATO territory.

It is more and more difficult for the Russians to take action without NATO basically knowing what theyre doing, Bauer said.

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Helsinki: Finlands main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections Sunday in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second place, leaving Prime Minister Sanna Marins Social Democratic Party in third, dashing her hopes for reelection.

The center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory with all of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.8 per cent. They were followed by right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1 per cent, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9 per cent.

With the top three parties each getting around 20 per cent of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic countrys parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party, said the partys elated leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki.

Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europes youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finlands successful application to join NATO.

The 53-year-old Orpo, Finlands former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic countrys solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure.

First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you, Orpo told the Associated Press at NCPs victory event. We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear.

And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose, Orpo said.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a NATO member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the countrys membership bid.

NCPs share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finlands Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marins Social Democrats 43 seats respectively.

Observers say the result means a power shift in Finlands political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new center-right government with nationalist tones. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019.

Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament.

I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland, Orpo told the AP.

And you know what is important for us? Its that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up NATO-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program, he said.

The positions of Marins party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.

Orpo had hammered on Finlands growing government debt and the need to make budget cuts throughout the election. NCP is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share view on developing Finlands economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues.

While Russias invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nations non-alignment policy nor the war emerged as major campaign issues as there was a large consensus among the parties on membership.

Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member.

The initial voter turnout in the election was 71.9 per cent, slightly down from the 2019 election.

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Tokyo: Japan has ditched the United States to purchase Russian crude oil above the $60-a-barrel cap, saying it needed it to ensure access to energy from Moscow.

The oil purchases by Japan represent a break in the US-led efforts to impose a global $60 per barrel cap on purchases of Russian oil. However, a report by The Wall Street Journal said Tokyo, which is Washingtons closest allies in Asia, got the US agree to the exception.

Most European nations stopped purchasing Russian oil in response to the invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The G7 nations which include Japan and European Union and Australia, last year agreed to a $60 a barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil to reduce Russias income from selling oil while preventing a surge in global prices.

The cap on price allowed non-EU nations to continue importing Russian crude oil but restricted shipping, insurance and re-insurance companies from handling cargoes of Russian crude around the globe, unless it is sold for below $60 a barrel.

What is the price at which Japan is buying Russian crude oil?

On 30 September last year, the EU nations granted an exception to the $60 a barrel cap for oil purchase by Japan.

In the first two months of this year, Japan purchased nearly 748,000 barrels of Russian oil for 6.9 billion yen, that translates to $52 million, or slightly lower than $70 a barrel.

Why is Japan buying crude oil from Russia?

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last month made a surprise trip to Ukraine and met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Also, Japan is the only G7 country that is not supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Japan heavily relies on imports of energy as the Asian nation has almost none of its own fossil fuels. The WSJ report quoted some analysts saying that Japans dependency on Russias oil is due to the countrys hesitancy to fully back Ukraine against Vladimir Putin.

Russia accounts for nearly one-tenth of Japans natural-gas imports. Most of what Japan get shipped from Moscow comes from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russias Far East.

Last year, Japan imported 4.6 per cent more natural-gas from Russia than the previous year.

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Nairobi: Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said on Sunday he was suspending anti-government protests and was ready for talks after an appeal from President William Ruto, though he warned that demonstrations could restart in days.

Thousands have joined three marches over the past two weeks against high living costs and alleged fraud in last years vote. All have been marred by violence and a fourth rally was scheduled for Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, Ruto asked Odinga to call off the protests that he said had resulted in three deaths and injured more than 400 people, including at least 60 security officers.

Ruto defended his administrations record, and said there could be bipartisan reform to the election commission  one of the oppositions central demands.

Odinga said he saw Rutos statement as an olive branch and a positive development.

We stand down our demonstrations for Monday  that is tomorrow, April 3, 2023, Odinga told a press conference.

The opposition has been pushing for reforms to the electoral commission, including stronger assurances that the president cant pack the body with supporters.

We agree that a balanced parliamentary process co-chaired by both sides and backed by experts from outside should proceed, Odinga said.

If there was no meaningful engagement or response from Ruto, the protests would begin again in one week, Odinga said.

Odinga also said that the opposition would engage the government on the high cost of living, which had galvanized many protesters.

At times like this, we should go back to subsidies  so that the cost of living can come down, Odinga said.

Rutos government has scrapped subsidies on fuel, maize, and electricity.

There have been more than 20 attacks and violations against journalists since the start of the protests, according to the Kenya Media Sector Working Group. State actors were behind a significant proportion of the attacks, the Group said.

Ruto said he did not believe journalists were targeted but that some had been caught in the fray.

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Kano: At least 12 people were killed and several others injured or kidnapped in a spate of attacks in northeast and central Nigeria, police and officials said Monday.

Insecurity is a major concern in Africas most populous country as a new president is set to be sworn in next month following an election disputed by the opposition.

In northeastern Adamawa State on Monday, unidentified gunmen stormed Dabna village in Hong district, resulting in the unfortunate murder of three (persons), local police spokesman Suleiman Nguroje said, adding that homes were set ablaze.

No group has claimed responsibility although Boko Haram jihadists are known to launch occasional attacks in the area from their Sambisa forest enclave in neighbouring Borno State.

Also on Monday, gunmen attacked communities in Oganenigu, in the Dekina district of central Kogi State, according to local authorities.

The governors spokesman Muhammed Onogwu said that a local politician was killed while others were affected by this ugly and unfortunate attack.

On Sunday, gunmen stormed a church in Akenawe-Tswarev village in central Benue State, killing a worshipper and kidnapping three others, according to Salome Tor, political administrator of Logo district in which the village is located.

The attackers burst into the church during morning worship and shot dead one person and kidnapped three others, including the priest, Tor said.

Two other worshippers were seriously injured and taken to hospital for medical treatment, she said.

Tor did not say who was responsible for the attack but Benue has for years been a hotbed of deadly communal unrest between herders and farmers.

In central Niger State on Saturday, gunmen suspected to be from criminal gangs attacked several villages in Mashegu and Munya districts, killing at least seven people and abducting 26 others according to a local official.

Umar Jibrin Igede, Mashegu district political administrator, said the attacks were the latest in a series of raids on villages in the area in the past two weeks and that many residents had fled their homes.

Police in Niger State did not respond to AFPs request for comment on the attacks and kidnappings.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down in May, has left his successor Bola Tinubu a country facing a jihadist insurgency in the northeast, violent criminal gangs in the northwest and centre and secessionist agitation in the southeast.

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Numerous historical incidents took place today, 3 April. Lets have a look at these notable events that have played a significant role in shaping our history. Joseph Stalin took the position of secretary-general in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on 3 April 1922. Japanese army general Homma Masaharu was sentenced to death on this day in 1946. US President Harry S. Truman signed George C. Marshalls post-World War II plan into law on this day in 1948. The Mountaintop Speech was given by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr on 3 April 1968.The Panama Papers were made public on this day in 2016.

Lets have a glance at the notable incidents that took place on this day in detail:

1922  Joseph Stalin took the position of secretary-general in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Joseph Stalin took the position of secretary-general in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on 3 April 1922. This post provided Stalin with the power base for his dictatorship. He ruled the Soviet Union for over a quarter of a century and turned it into a major world power.

1946  Japanese army general Homma Masaharu was sentenced to death

Japanese army general Homma Masaharu was executed for forcing the Bataan Death March. An estimated 10,000 Filipino and US troops died at the time of forced march.

1948  Marshall Plan came into effect

US President Harry S. Truman signed George C. Marshalls post-World War II plan into law on this day in 1948. Truman did this for reviving the economies of western and southern Europe and to foster democracy in the region.

1968  Mountaintop Speech was given by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr

American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr delivered his Mountaintop Speech during an event for the Memphis sanitation workers strike on this day in 1968. He was assassinated the next day while he was standing on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He had reached the city for leading a march organised by sanitation workers.

2016  Private papers from a law firm in Panama were made available to public

Private papers from a law firm in Panama were made public on 3 April 2016. The Panama Papers unveiled how the firms wealthy clients concealed their wealth and avoided tax payments. The papers were among the biggest leaks of confidential data in history.

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Islamabad: Pakistans Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will be leading a high-powered delegation to the US to attend the annual spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank and for talks with officials which can help the cash-strapped country to ink a much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout with the IMF.

Dar along with an official delegation comprising the Finance and Economic Affairs Division secretaries and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, might present fresh proposals before the IMF and World Bank for providing dollar inflows, Geo news portal reported.

The delegation will be attending the upcoming Annual Spring Meeting of the Breton Wood Institutions (BWIs), known as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, from April 10 to 16, the report added.

During the meetings, Pakistan and the IMF would also discuss the possibility of combining the remaining 10th and 11th reviews under the USD 6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme in case the pending 9th review is completed.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed USD 1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based IMF, which was originally due to be disbursed in November last year.

The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations.

The IMF programme, signed in 2019, is going to expire on June 30, 2023, and under the set guidelines, the programme cannot be extended beyond the deadline.

The pending 9th review was scheduled to be completed in December 2022 and the 10th review should have been kick-started from February 2023. The 11th review was scheduled to commence on May 3.

Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the resumption of an installed USD 7 billion IMF programme for months but have yet to reach an agreement.

There is no easy solution available to fix the ailing economy of Pakistan and the government is of the view that they have taken all the tough decisions for reviving the stalled IMF programme.

Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, enough to shore up for barely one months imports.

The current volatile political situation in Pakistan has become a factor in delaying a much-needed deal with the IMF.

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New Delhi: Russian anti-terror investigators on Monday accused Ukraines security services and agents linked to opposition leader Alexei Navalny of being behind a bomb attack that killed a top Russian military blogger.

The terrorist attack was planned by Ukrainian security services with the help of agents working with the so-called Anti-Corruption Foundation, Russias anti-terror committee said, referring to Navalnys organisation.

Meanwhile, Russias Investigative Committee on Monday said that Darya Trepova, a suspect in the killing of war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a St Petersburg bomb blast on Sunday, had been detained, Reuters reported.

The interior ministrys website said Trepova is 26 years old, was born in St Petersburg and is a Russian national. State news agency TASS said Trepova had previously been detained for protesting against the war in Ukraine

Ukraine says Russian forces very from capturing Bakhmut

Ukraine said on Monday that Russian forces were very far from capturing the eastern town of Bakhmut and that fighting raged around the city administration building where the Wagner mercenary group claimed to have raised the Russian flag.

Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that to put it mildly, Serhiy Cherevatiy, spokesperson for the eastern military command, told Reuters by telephone.

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Moscow: Russian war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was a danger and faced constant death threats from the Kyiv regime and its abettors, Foreign Ministry of Russia said following his death in an improvised explosive device blast on Sunday.

Russian journalists face constant death threats from the Kyiv regime, claimed Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She further alleged that Tatarsky provoked the hatred of the Kyiv regime with his professional activities.

Russian reporters are persecuted

Russian reporters are persecuted, literally branded with special labels on digital platforms owned by American internet monopolies and are subjected to a witch hunt in the Western media, Zakharova said on Telegram.

She further said international rights groups and organisations silently ignore this.

Zakharova further claimed that none of the killings of Russian reporters are ever met with compassion in the West, while voices in Kyiv often describe them as a success.

The lack of reaction in the White House, on Downing Street and in the Elysee Palace speaks for itself, she added.

How and where Russian blogger was killed?

On Sunday, Tatarsky was hosting a live event for his supporters at the Street Bar 1 cafe in the historical centre of the Russian city of St. Petersburg. During the event, an explosion rocked the cafe in which the prominent Russian war correspondent was killed on the spot.

At least 32 others were hospitalised with various injuries, some in critical condition, said the Russian health ministry.

The intensity of the blast was so severe that it led the cafes facade to collapse, with 15 square meters of the glazing destroyed.

A report by TASS citied emergency services saying that the suspected improvised explosive device was equivalent to around 200 grams of TNT and was packed with shrapnel.

A criminal case over the incident has been opened by the Russian Investigative Committee and preliminary treated as a murder in a publicly dangerous way.

Officially it has been confirmed by the law enforcement agency that an unidentified improvised explosive device was detonated at the scene, but details of the incident are still being investigated.

Who was behind the explosion which killed Russian war journalist Tatarsky?

As per Russian media reports, a young woman presented a figurine to the war correspondent and blogger during the event. Her identity is unknown so far. The police have not commented on this version of events.

The statuette blew up as Tatarsky was holding it, a report by Russias REN TV citied a witness saying.

The Russian TV channel also showed the moment Tatarsky was allegedly given the bomb camouflaged as what appears to be a large bust. The footage shows, however, that it was a man, not a woman, who presented the gift.

Who is Vladlen Tatarsky?

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maksim Fomin, gained popularity in Russia as a blogger and war correspondent following his reporting on the situation in Donbass after he joined the local militias in the wake of the Maidan coup in Kyiv in 2014. He served there until 2019.

Tatarsky, who authored several books, was also known for his coverage on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. It is worth mentioning that Kiev placed sanctions on Tatarsky.

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Moscow: Russias Wagner paramilitary group on Monday claimed it had in a legal sense captured the eastern Ukraine town of Bakhmut  the site of the longest battle of Moscows operation in the country  with its units now in control of city hall.

The Wagner group has supported Russian troops throughout the offensive to surround Bakhmut, the fight for which both sides have invested heavily, despite analysts assertions that the city carries little strategic value.

The commanders of the units that took city hall and the whole centre will go and put up this flag, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel, referencing a Russian flag he is seen holding in a video accompanying the post.

This is the Wagner private military company, these are the guys who took Bakhmut. In a legal sense, its ours.

On 20 March, Prigozhin had claimed Wagner units controlled 70 percent of the town.

Hours before Prigozhins claim, the Ukrainian general staff late Sunday said that though the enemy has not stopped its assault of Bakhmut Ukrainian defenders are courageously holding the city as they repel numerous enemy attacks.

Also Sunday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had praised Ukrainian troops defence of the city, much of which now lies in ruins.

I am grateful to our warriors who are fighting near Avdiivka, Maryinka, near Bakhmut Especially Bakhmut! Its especially hot there today! Zelenskyy said in his own post to Telegram.

Near Bakhmut, about 27 kilometres (17 miles) away in Kostyantynivka, a massive attack of Russian missiles left three men and three women dead and eleven wounded Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said.

Zelenskyy said the affected zones are just residential areas, where ordinary civilians of an ordinary city of Donbas were targeted.

There was a large crater in a yard and windows were shattered from ground to top floors in two 14-storey tower blocks, while private homes nearby had smashed roofs, AFP journalists saw.

 Bombed out  Donetsk regional police said Russia fired S-300 and Uragan missiles in a massive attack on Kostyantynivka involving six strikes just after 10 am local time (0700 GMT).

The blast hit 16 apartment buildings, eight private residences, a kindergarten, an administrative building, three cars and a gas pipeline, police said.

Liliya, a 19-year-old psychology student, stood outside her severely damaged high-rise block.

I found out about this on the news. And when I was told about it and I saw that it was my area, I was just shocked, Liliya said, as broken glass continued to rain down from windows.

Im very, very lucky that I wasnt home at that moment, she added, after deciding to stay with her boyfriend.

Everything is bombed out. And I think its like that in every flat, in fact. Because it was such an impact that it was very hard for anything to stay unbroken.

Nina, a pensioner, was looking at the damage to her ground-floor flat in a Soviet-era block. She was also not home when the missile struck.

The internal doors and the front door were blown in. An internal partition wall has broken. Theres not a single window left, she said.

Soldiers were examining the scene afterwards as well an armed man in civilian clothes.

Watching while holding a shopping bag, Sergiy, 61, said the shock wave came all the way to us, about a kilometre away.

Mortar fire also killed two people in the northeast Sumy region, Zelensky said.

These are just a few examples of the dozens of bombings every day, he continued.

There is only one way to stop Russian terrorism and restore security to all our cities and communities. And this path is a military victory for Ukraine.

Bucha anniversary

Earlier Sunday, Zelenskyy also commemorated the first anniversary of the discovery of bodies of civilians killed in Bucha, a town near Kyiv that has become a symbol of the alleged atrocities carried out by Moscow during the conflict.

Russia has accused Ukraine and its allies of staging the scene.

People of Ukraine! You have stopped the biggest force against humanity of our time, Zelenskyy added in another post on Telegram, accompanied by photos of areas liberated a year ago when Russian troops retreated from around the Ukrainian capital.

You have stopped a force that despises everything and wants to destroy everything that gives people meaning, Zelenskyy said.

We will liberate all our lands.

Also Sunday, in St Petersburg, a leading Russian military blogger and fervent defender of the military offensive in Ukraine was killed by a bomb attack in a cafe, investigators said.

Vladlen Tatarsky was reportedly killed after receiving a gift rigged with an explosive device, at an event organised by Cyber Front Z, which refers to itself on social media as Russias information troops.

Around two dozen other people were injured.

Earlier in the weekend, Russia on Saturday took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council despite outrage from Kyiv and Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Moscow.

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Geneva: Swiss neutrality is more important than ever, President Alain Berset said in an interview published Sunday, defending the controversial ban on transferring Swiss-made arms to Ukraine.

Swiss weapons must not be used in wars, he told the NZZ am Sonntag weekly.

The long tradition of neutrality has been hotly debated since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

While the wealthy Alpine country, which is not a member of the European Union, has followed the blocs lead on sanctions targeting Moscow, it has so far shown less flexibility on its military neutrality.

Despite pressure from Kyiv and its allies, Switzerland has continued to block countries that hold Swiss-made weaponry from re-exporting it to Ukraine.

To date, requests from Germany, Spain and Denmark have ben rejected under the War Materiel Act, which bars all re-export if the recipient country is in an international armed conflict.

Berset told NZZ the policy was based on commitment to peace, to humanitarian law, to mediation where possible.

Switzerlands role as the seat of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Geneva Conventions, as well as of the United Nationss European headquarters is reflected in our laws, including those relating to the export of weapons, he said.

Protection of humanitarian and human rights law and the Geneva Conventions may sound passe to some, but it is more important than ever, he said, warning it would be extremely dangerous to throw these fundamental principles overboard now.

As far as Switzerland is concerned, warfare is not part of the DNA, Berset said, stressing his nation aimed to be present wherever we can contribute to mediation and peace.

He said he believed negotiations with Russia were needed to end the war in Ukraine, the sooner the better.

And he denounced a war frenzy in certain circles in Switzerland, amid calls to ditch neutrality.

It does not mean indifference and can adjust, he said, pointing to unprecedented sanctions Switzerland has imposed on Russia.

Several initiatives are under way in parliament towards relaxing the re-export rules to make it possible for Swiss-made weaponry to be transferred by third countries to Ukraine.

But Berset stressed the governments position is clear. It also corresponds to my personal position. Swiss weapons must not be used in wars.

The process towards a final decision, with debates between parliament and the government, followed by a probable referendum under Switzerlands direct democracy system, is likely to take months.



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While there is still concern about the rise of artificial intelligence, AI tools such as ChatGPT have the ability to generate high-paying jobs. According to accounts, the position of prompt programmers has appeared with the increase of AI, with a remuneration of up to $335,000 a year or roughly Rs 2.75 crore. The best bit about these jobs? These positions do not require any engineering or technical experience.

The tech sector is well-known for generating high-paying positions, but typically for those with a STEM education. However, the emergence of ChatGPT and its numerous mods, such as GPT 4, has spawned a new profession called prompt engineering.

According to Bloomberg, a prompt engineer is a new position that has evolved as a result of the increase of AI tools and something that most tech companies in Silicon Valley are looking for.

What exactly does a prompt engineer do?

A prompt engineer is someone who writes queries for prose that AI tools and chatbots can use to try and better their responses. One does not need an engineering degree or a STEM experience to be qualified for this position if they have excellent linguistic and analytical skills.

Also read: AI goes bonkers: Bings ChatGPT manipulates, lies and abuses people when it is not happy

In February, Open AI CEO Sam Altman stated that the company is in need of quick programmers. He tweeted that writing a really great prompt for a chatbot persona is an incredibly high leverage skill.

writing a really great prompt for a chatbot persona is an amazingly high-leverage skill and an early example of programming in a little bit of natural language  Sam Altman (@sama) February 20, 2023



Who can be a prompt engineer?

Anyone who knows how a language works, can be a prompt engineer. Prompt engineers dont create software code; instead, they use plain English to elicit the best answers from an AI model and then figure out how it works. In January, Teslas former head of AI, Andrej Karpathy, wrote, The hottest new programming language is English. Most job postings specify only at least a high-level familiarity with the architecture and operation of large language models.

Also read: Code Comfort: Man draws website idea on a napkin, shows GPT-4, AI bot codes it in seconds

Its like an AI whisperer, Albert Phelps, a quick engineer at Mudano, a subsidiary of consulting company Accenture based in Leytonstone, England, told news agency Bloomberg.

Because its wordplay, youll often find prompt engineers coming from a history, philosophy, or English language background. Youre attempting to condense the substance or meaning of something into a small number of lines.

Job of the future or a short-lived profession?

While prompt engineering is the hottest new career in tech, experts in the field are sceptical of its long-term viability. Many people believe that while generating AI prompts is highly valuable, the position may dwindle away as rapidly as it appeared in the marketplace.

Also read: AI is coming for your jobs: 80% US jobs to be impacted by ChatGPT-like AI in coming years

This however may not be a bad thing. As AI develops several such micro-level functionalities will come up that will require humans to train the AI bots, or at the very least put them into systems that bots are able to train themselves. Moreover, there will be a need for quality control and supervision over AI bots and what they produce, at least for the foreseeable future.

And given that different, non-technical firms are licensing different AI bots and tools for their own, sometimes niche applications, there will be a strong demand of engineers and AI experts who can tweak the ways bots produce their output, and train AI into behaving a certain way.

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Tunis, Tunisia: Tunisian President Kais Saied appeared in a video posted Monday on his official Facebook page, dismissing mad reports over his health following almost two weeks with no public engagements.

The North African countrys main opposition coalition had pressed the government earlier to explain Saieds public absence, saying it had information that he was sick.

These people deserve nothing but contempt, Saied said in the video, referring to his political rivals.

The president is absent for two or three days, he gets a cold and that becomes a problem, a power vacuum?

Saied, 65, had not appeared in public or held any meetings since 22 March, according to posts on Facebook  the presidencys only official channel of communication.

The lack of statements or videos has sparked rumours about the state of Saieds health.

Speaking alongside Prime Minister Najla Bouden, the president said the reports reflected a level of madness never seen before in Tunisia.

Earlier on Monday, Ahmed Nejib Chebbi of the National Salvation Front opposition coalition told journalists: We ask the government to address the Tunisian people and say if the president has health problems that have forced him to be absent.

Chebbi said Bouden would run Tunisia in the event of a temporary power vacuum, but that a permanent vacancy would present the country with a great catastrophe due to a legislative void.

In his video, Saied accused unnamed people of trying to create crises by talking of a power vacuum.

These people have lost the plot, theyre obsessed with power, he said.

Saied, who staged a dramatic power grab in July 2021 and has since ruled by decree, last year rammed through a constitution giving his office unlimited powers and neutering parliament.

Since February, security forces have arrested over 20 public figures, including top members of the opposition.

Those targeted include members of the once-powerful Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party and political activists, as well as lawyers, businessmen and the head of a popular radio station known for giving a platform to criticism of the president.

Saied has publicly alleged they were plotting against the state and labelled them terrorists.

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India successfully conducts reusable launch vehicle autonomous landing mission

Xinhua) 12:51, April 03, 2023

NEW DELHI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted a reusable launch vehicle autonomous landing mission at the aeronautical test range in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka on Sunday, said a statement by ISRO.

The mission was performed in collaboration with the Defence Space Research Organisation and the Indian Air Force.

The test was conducted by taking an underslung load on a helicopter to a height of 4.5 km and then landing it autonomously at an airstrip in the southern state of Karnataka.

With this landing experiment, "the dream of an Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle arrives one step closer to reality," the statement said.

According to ISRO, a reusable launch vehicle is essentially a space plane with a low lift-to-drag ratio requiring an approach at high glide angles that necessitated a landing at high velocities of 350 km per hour. The mission also utilized several indigenous systems.

The autonomous landing was carried out under the exact conditions of a space re-entry vehicle's landing, with high speed, unmanned, precise landing from the same return path, as if the vehicle arrives from space, said the ISRO statement.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday posthumously bestowed an award to a high-profile military blogger and supporter of Moscows assault on Ukraine, who was killed in an explosion at a Saint Petersburg cafe a day earlier.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had been given the Order of Courage for courage and bravery shown during professional duty, said a Kremlin decree.

Meanwhile, Russian authorities also detained a young woman in relation to the explosion, claiming the bombing attack was orchestrated by Ukraine with the help of supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Ukraine has blamed Russias domestic infighting for the blast in a Saint Petersburg cafe that on Sunday wounded more than 30 people and killed Vladlen Tatarsky, a high-profile supporter of Moscows assault on Ukraine.

The attack came after Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent ultranationalist intellectual, was last August killed in a car bombing outside Moscow that Russia also blames on Ukraine.

Russias Investigative Committee and the National Anti-terrorism Committee both said pro-Navalny activists were behind the latest attack.

The Investigative Committee released a video of the arrest of 26-year-old Darya Trepova, who it said holds opposition views and is a supporter of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, referring to Navalnys banned organisation.

Navalnys spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said the attack could be used to accuse the jailed opposition politician of new crimes.

Alexei will soon be on trial for extremism, Yarmysh wrote, adding that he faced 35 years in prison.

The Kremlin thought: Its great to be able to add the terrorism charge.

The Kremlin condemned the terrorist attack and said there is evidence that the Ukrainian special services may be related to its organisation.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy told journalists he was too busy focusing on his own country to pay attention to the attack in Saint Petersburg.

Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was reportedly killed after receiving a statuette rigged with explosives during a talk at Street Food Bar No. 1, located along the Neva River not far from the historic city centre.

The 40-year-old, who hailed from Donetsk, fought alongside pro-Kremlin separatists and then became a popular military blogger with half a million followers on social media.

At a Kremlin ceremony announcing the annexation of four Ukrainian regions last September Tatarsky recorded himself saying: We will defeat everyone. We will kill everyone. We will rob everyone as necessary. Just as we like it.

Wagner chief owns cafe where blast happened

At least 100 people reportedly attended the event when the bombing attack took place on Sunday.

Alisa Smotrova, who was at the cafe, told AFP, They put (the figurine) somewhere in the back without a second thought and all of a sudden there was an explosion.

The head of the Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said the venue used to belong to him.

Prigozhin said on social media that he gave the cafe to patriotic movement Cyber Front Z and they organised various seminars there.

Cyber Front Z, which refers to itself on social media as Russias information troops, said it had hired out the venue for the evening.

Prigozhin said his forces hoisted the Russian flag with an inscription honouring the deceased blogger over the city administration of frontline hotspot of Bakhmut, which Wagner claimed to have seized.

On Sunday evening Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak suggested that the attack had taken place as a result of infighting in Russia.

The question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time, he said on Twitter.

The Russian foreign ministry on Sunday paid homage to the blogger and his service to the Fatherland, which aroused Kyivs hatred.

With inputs from AFP

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From March 28 to 30, 2023, Special Representative Liu Yuxi of the Chinese Government on African Affairs attended in New York the High-Level Open Debate on "Countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism through strengthening cooperation between the UN and regional organizations" and the High-Level Open Debate on "Peace and Security in Africa: The impact of development policy on the implementation of the 'Silencing the Guns' initiative" hosted by the United Nations Security Council, and made statements. Charge d'affaires a.i. of Chinese Mission to the UN Ambassador Dai Bing also attended the event.

In his statements, Liu Yuxi expounded on China's policy toward Africa, introduced the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, actively responded to concerns and calls of African countries, and called on the international community to jointly help Africa meet the most urgent challenges and address root causes. Noting that China and Africa are good friends, good partners and good brothers, and that China is always a staunch force for peace and security in Africa, Liu said that China will continue to work with Africa to build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, and make greater contribution to lasting peace and sustainable development in Africa.

On the margins of the events, Liu Yuxi also met with Under-Secretary-General of the UN for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, among others. They exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and concern.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning announces:



As agreed between China and the EU, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China from April 5 to 7.
At the MWC Barcelona 2023, Nokia unveiled a new company and technology strategy, along with a refreshed brand that included a logo redesign. The announcement of the Nokia Pure design has sparked hope among die-hard fans, who were eager to see a new design for Nokia smartphones. However, reports suggest that the Nokia Pure design may not be coming to Nokia smartphones.

Nokia Pure

Nokia Pure is the latest design system update, which creates consistent, flexible, and future-proof digital products. It consists of foundational elements, components, templates, and guidelines to produce, clean, and minimal new brand expression for Nokia B2B and Enterprise digital products in line with the new brand expression.

Nokia smartphones wont use Nokia Pure design

Nokia smartphones will not be utilizing the Nokia Pure design. Despite Nokia Pure being developed for all software UI, Nokia has not officially announced any plans to incorporate it into their smartphones.

The company has already revealed that future products will feature a new logo, while licensed consumer products will continue to use the old Nokia logo, which is more commonly associated with smartphones and accessories.

The Nokia Pure website has also removed most of its content, leading to speculation about the companys plans for the design.

According to statement by HMD Global,
The radio-based alerting and emergency call systems currently in use are often limited when it comes to range and latency. Both of these factors can be crucial in an emergency, as they allow information and assistance to be sent quickly and effectively to the required location. A major issue is radio interference caused by other radio systems, which hinders transmission. People working in hazardous areas or alone, however, must be able to rely on technologies such as wireless alarm systems no matter what, explains Ferdinand Kemeth, researcher and group manager at the Fraunhofer IIS Positioning and Networks research area in Nuremberg. Similarly, alternative technologies to mobile communications such as Bluetooth, WIFI or DECT only offer a limited communication range. None of these technologies are capable of providing coverage for large buildings or areas without installing costly network infrastructure first, Kemeth explains. Together with Swissphone Wireless AG, he and a team of radio communication experts from Fraunhofer IIS are working on an emergency system for lone workers that is as fast as it is reliable. As part of the was4wos  Wireless Alerting System for Worker Safety project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the researchers are developing robust, customized radio technology for a reliable emergency alerting system.

mioty radio technology for lone worker protection

The solution is provided by LPWAN technology such as mioty. The mioty radio protocol developed by Fraunhofer IIS sets new standards in the field of wireless data transmission in terms of scalability, cost efficiency, range, transmission reliability and battery life. By expanding this radio protocol, we hope to open up new applications such as lone worker protection. In such situations, there are defined guidelines as to when the alarm should be triggered. We want to meet these guidelines by achieving the lowest possible latency in transmission  both from the sensor, for example a fall sensor or alarm button, to the infrastructure, and from the infrastructure to the first responders, who are then alerted immediately by their pagers, Kemeth explains.

Reliable real-time transmission and extensive range

Two important requirements, namely real-time transmission and extensive range, can be fulfilled by integrating mioty radio technology into the emergency alarm chains of lone workers. The special telegram splitting transmission method used in the mioty protocol ensures that the message is transmitted reliably even when 50 percent of the message fail, as well as when there is interference from other radio systems or complex, reflective structures that you might find in industrial premises or halls or in rooms with limited network coverage, such as basements, Kemeth explains.

The Class B and Class C variants of the mioty LPWAN protocol offer further benefits: It is possible to connect a large number of sensors  in extreme cases up to one hundred thousand  using just one base station. Not only can messages be sent to the base station, but the events that occur in the opposite direction  i.e., wireless alerts or operations  can be executed simultaneously using the same system. This is particularly appealing in places where no mobile communications infrastructure is available, and several kilometers need to be bridged first. Using mioty, the distance to the next base station can be up to 15 kilometers, says Kemeth.

Greater safety in industrial environments

Wireless communication and positioning systems that use mioty can be an effective solution in industrial environments. After all, the wirelessly networked, energy-efficient or energy-autonomous sensors and actuators operate robustly and reliably even in challenging environments. The sensors can also be deployed in highly metallic environments with many reflections and in environments where there is a lack of radio coverage. We use energy harvesting to ensure that the sensors operate autonomously, meaning that small amounts of electrical energy are generated from sources such as ambient temperature, vibrations or light. As a result, the sensors are remarkably energy-efficient, explains Kemeth. mioty radio technology offers considerable advantages for all first responders, especially in industrial environments. When combined with radio-based positioning that is as accurate as can be, these technologies will significantly improve lone worker protection.

The emergency system based on mioty radio protocol will be presented at the joint Fraunhofer booth at the Hannover Messe 2023 from April 1721 (Hall 16, Booth A12). Interested parties will be able to test the interaction between the sensor and the radio system, as well as the alarm messaging and integrated area alerting system at the booth using an interactive demonstrator and experience the low latency for themselves.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Battle of Sluys



Answer: Edwardian Phase



This naval battle took place in 1340 and was one of the earliest to involve the two main participants in the Hundred Years War - England and France. It took place in the North Sea off the coast of Flanders, then part of France but now in Belgium. England was led by King Edward III at the time and the early phases of what became a long-running conflict were named for him. The battle resulted in victory for the English, despite the French having more ships.



The conflict had its roots in the Norman conquest of England in 1066, with English knights being given properties in France. French kings took every chance to take back what they saw as their lands, and the decision of Philip VI to reclaim the Duchy of Aquitaine was the catalyst which began the war.

2. Battle of Crecy



Answer: Edwardian Phase



Taking place in 1346, the English army at the Battle of Crecy was led by Edward III while the French had King Philip VI at their head. The English had landed in Normandy and worked their way through France towards Calais. The French army was considerably larger than the English force, but the battle ended in an overwhelming victory for the English. Deaths on the French side far exceeded those suffered by the English.



After this victory, Edward and his army laid siege to Calais with the French having lost too many men to be able to mount a defence of the city. Calais fell to the English and was destined to be England's last foothold in France, eventually being lost to the French in 1558 during the reign of Mary I.

3. Battle of Poitiers



Edwardian Phase



This 1356 battle was another victory for the English, who were led by the heir to the throne, the oldest son of Edward III who was known as Edward of Woodstock or the Black Prince. Having landed in southwestern France, Edward and his army, about 6,000 men, including those from Gascony, an English stronghold in France, met an army of over double their number and led by King John II of France.



Despite being outnumbered, the English prevailed and captured the French king, who was later ransomed. Answer:This 1356 battle was another victory for the English, who were led by the heir to the throne, the oldest son of Edward III who was known as Edward of Woodstock or the Black Prince. Having landed in southwestern France, Edward and his army, about 6,000 men, including those from Gascony, an English stronghold in France, met an army of over double their number and led by King John II of France.Despite being outnumbered, the English prevailed and captured the French king, who was later ransomed.

4. Treaty of Bretigny



Answer: Edwardian Phase



Signed in 1360, the treaty brought an end to the first phase of the war. Defeat for the French at Poitiers and the capture of their king meant the English were in the ascendancy and the treaty ceded huge parts of north west France to the English. In addition, the French had to pay a large ransom to obtain the release of King John II.



The only concession on the English side was that Edward III relinquished his claim to the French throne. If the two sides hoped this meant an end to the war, they were mistaken as the peace was destined to last for less than ten years.

5. Siege of Limoges



Answer: Caroline Phase



In August 1370 Limoges was surrendered to the French, having been held by England, when the Bishop leader of the city changed his allegiance. An English army, led by three sons of Edward III - the Black Prince, John of Gaunt and the Earl of Cambridge - soon retook the city and, according to some sources, massacred many of the inhabitants. The main source for the atrocity was a Frenchman named Froissart, who may have been biased and subsequent historians have disputed the number of casualties claimed.



Whatever the truth of it, and massacres in the Middle Ages weren't uncommon, the siege and its consequences brought an end to the most famous of Limoges's industries, enamelware. This phase of the war is known as the Caroline Phase after King Charles V who ruled from 1364 until 1380, and is the period during which France was in the ascendency.

6. Battle of La Rochelle



Answer: Caroline Phase



This naval battle, off the coast of La Rochelle, a French port on the Bay of Biscay took place in 1372. Edward III had sent a fleet of ships to France intending to wage another campaign in Aquitaine. They were met by an opposing force of Castilian (now part of Spain) and French ships and suffered a heavy defeat. The whole English fleet was either destroyed or captured,



La Rochelle itself was lost and this major setback, still described as the worst defeat in the history of England's navy, was followed by other territorial losses as England struggled to replace their lost ships.

7. Death of the Black Prince



Answer: Caroline Phase



Perhaps surprisingly, Edward of Woodstock did not die in battle but from a long illness that eventually cost him his life in 1376. His father, Edward III, was still alive at the time, dying a year later, so the Black Prince never became king - the throne passed instead to his son, who ruled as Richard II.



The illness is widely reported to have been a form of dysentery, probably picked up in Spain, and which had been debilitating for several years. The nickname of Black Prince has several theories, including his cruelty (not much different from that of other noblemen of the time) or that he may have worn dark armour. Another is his coat of arms, white feathers on a black background.

8. Truce of Leulinghem



Caroline Phase



Agreed in 1389, the truce was agreed as both sides were facing severe problems. Richard II had succeeded to the English throne following the deaths of his grandfather (Edward III) and father (the Black Prince). In France, Charles VI had come to the throne in 1380, aged only eleven, and was prone to mental illness. Richard's claim to the throne was disputed by descendants of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, notably Henry Bolingbroke, his son, who deposed Richard and became King Henry IV in 1399. The Truce of Leulinghem had been agreed to last until 1416, but was destined to be broken before then, ushering in the final phase of the war. Answer:Agreed in 1389, the truce was agreed as both sides were facing severe problems. Richard II had succeeded to the English throne following the deaths of his grandfather (Edward III) and father (the Black Prince). In France, Charles VI had come to the throne in 1380, aged only eleven, and was prone to mental illness. Richard's claim to the throne was disputed by descendants of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, notably Henry Bolingbroke, his son, who deposed Richard and became King Henry IV in 1399. The Truce of Leulinghem had been agreed to last until 1416, but was destined to be broken before then, ushering in the final phase of the war.

9. Battle of Agincourt



Answer: Lancastrian Phase



The war began again in earnest after the accession of Henry V to the throne in 1413. He reasserted his right to the throne of France, while offering to relinquish the claim in return for large areas of land including Aquitaine, Normandy and Brittany. France refused to agree to the demands, so Henry invaded, via Normandy, in 1415.



With Charles VI still suffering from mental incapacity, the English were successful, taking the city of Harfleur after a short siege. Illness then caused devastation among the forces while they were en route to Calais, before the English were ambushed and forced to fight the Battle of Agincourt. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the superior tactics of the English and, famously, the prowess of their longbowmen, meant that the battle was won. Henry consolidated his position by marrying Catherine de Valois, the daughter of Charles VI. The Treaty of Troyes, signed in 1420, disinherited the Dauphin (heir to the French throne), who was also named Charles, in favour of the future children of Henry and Catherine.

10. Siege of Orleans



Answer: Lancastrian Phase



The Siege of Orleans in 1428 marked the beginning of the end for the English, not least because of the appearance of Joan of Arc on the scene. Orleans was well defended and the arrival of Joan of Arc put new heart into the French with the result being the siege being lifted and the English suffering their first major setback.



Inspired by Joan and her visions, the French began a counter offensive against the English which led to them retaking many of the regions held by England. The defection of Burgundy from the English to the French in 1435, after the death of their main English contact, the Duke of Bedford, meant that England's power was fast declining.

11. Coronation of Charles VII



Answer: Lancastrian Phase



The death of Charles VI in 1422 made Henry VI of England, still a child, the successor under the terms of the Treaty of Troyes. The treaty was disputed by France, not least because of the decreased mental capacity of Charles VI, and the emergence of Joan of Arc stiffened the resolve of the French to reclaim the throne for the Dauphin, the heir.



In 1429, the coronation took place in Reims, with Joan in attendance, although she was destined to die in 1431 after being captured by the English and then executed by burning. The restoration of the French king gave renewed impetus to driving the English from France, and by 1453 the war was finally over.

12. Battle of Castillon



Lancastrian Phase



This 1453 battle is generally considered to be the one which finally brought an end to the Hundred Years War. The French had captured the city of Bordeaux and the region of Gascony from English control, but the residents resented the unfamiliar, to them, rule.



The arrival of English troops at Bordeaux was welcomed by the local population. Led by John Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the English forces made several tactical mistakes and were unprepared for the artillery of the French. Talbot was killed, Bordeaux surrendered and the war came to an end. Answer:This 1453 battle is generally considered to be the one which finally brought an end to the Hundred Years War. The French had captured the city of Bordeaux and the region of Gascony from English control, but the residents resented the unfamiliar, to them, rule.The arrival of English troops at Bordeaux was welcomed by the local population. Led by John Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury, the English forces made several tactical mistakes and were unprepared for the artillery of the French. Talbot was killed, Bordeaux surrendered and the war came to an end.

Source: Author rossian This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
8am, March 31, 2023

In the past two decades, female beauty salons were a lucrative source of income for women and girls, who used the money to support their families and even attend college. However, since the Talibans arrival on August 15, 2021, these salons have seen a sharp decline in business.

Several female hairstylists have closed their salons in various districts of Herat province due to threats from the Taliban, while others have left Afghanistan because of a lack of income. Those who continue to work despite the Talibans threats and warnings have reported a decrease in their business income. They have stated that, if the Taliban continue to impose restrictions on women, there will no longer be any female hairstylists left in Afghanistan.

The female hairdressers of Herat recall the last few weeks of their work during the Republic. They report that, upon the Talibans entrance to Herat City, the signs for womens hair salons were removed and a number of restrictions were imposed on them. The majority of hair salons were closed for two months following the Republic governments fall on August 15, 2021, due to fears of the Taliban. After two months, some female hairdressers eventually resumed their work, though the profession is not as lucrative as it was during the former republican regime in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Hashte Subh, Laila, who is in charge of one of the Herat womens hair salons, stated that she attended a private college while working as a hairdresser during the Republic. She noted that the collapse of the Republic had a detrimental effect on her business, with payments for hairdressing decreasing over the years. Laila further noted that social issues, Taliban restrictions, and financial hardships have caused a decrease in the number of women who visit the salons. She mentioned that she was able to support her family and pay for her education with the money she earned as a hairdresser.

When the Taliban arrived, female hairdressers were so fearful that they did not show up for work for two months, causing the hair salon to close. All the women who came in for makeup thought it would never open again, but after two months, the salon was able to open again. The Taliban scratched the portraits and signs, which were then removed. Poverty has caused women to be less likely to go to hair salons. During the republic, the majority of the clients were government workers, women related to highranking officials, and young women who could support themselves. Now, up to 80% of female hairdressers in Herat have been reduced, including the costumes. Laila reported that she used to make up 25 to 30 customers a day during the republic, but now it does not even reach six.

Due to the Taliban regaining control of the country, the imposition of more stringent restrictions on women, and the prevalence of poverty, some female hairdressers in Herat have abandoned their profession, while others have been compelled to leave Afghanistan.

Fatema, a 23yearold female hairdresser who coowned a womens hair salon in Herats eighth district with eleven other girls and women, told HashteSubh in an interview that she had completed her internship at the same hair salon before the Taliban took control and imposed restrictions on women. She earned up to 6,000 Afghanis per week, but was forced to quit her job at the hairdresser after the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan. She said, One day, a Taliban ranger pulled up close to the hair salon, and Taliban members arrived at the entrance and attempted to break in, but the women stopped them and closed the gate. When we asked the Taliban what they wanted, they replied that they wanted to arrest us. The Taliban may have had other intentions since there was no complaint filed against our salon.

Fatema additionally stated that the salon owner closed the salon and travelled to Iran following the event and the decrease in profits. Prior to the Talibans takeover, the salon had around 50 customers daily, however, afterwards, there were only around 10. Fatema mentioned that she had recently been given her share of approximately three thousand AFN when a bride had come in for makeup. In the past, the cost of a brides makeup could not be less than 10,000 AFN.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, they have imposed numerous restrictions on women, including prohibiting them from attending secondary and high schools, universities, and working in national and international organizations; visiting parks; visiting public female bathhouses; and travelling without a male member of their family.

Recently, the Talibans Directorate for Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in Parwan province has mandated that womens hair salons require clients to perform ablution prior to applying makeup and to abstain from using chemicals that impede prayer.
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.
8am, April 3, 2023

Local sources in Panjshir province report that Taliban have exploded the boys high school building Dahan-Riyot in the Khinj district of this province.

Sources told Hasht-e Subh that Taliban destroyed the school with a mine explosion around 9:00 am on Monday.

The school, which had 700 students in the past, was a Taliban military base.

According to sources, Taliban blew up the school due to repeated demands from residents to open it for students.

Taliban have not yet commented on the matter.

Last year, a school building in Parian district of Panjshir, which Taliban used as a military stronghold, caught fire due to unknown reasons.

At that time, residents accused Taliban of setting fire to the school.

It should be noted that since taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have established military strongholds in more than 41 schools in various parts of Panjshir.

According to reports, Taliban fighters used the desks and chairs of these schools as firewood during the past two winters.
LP Spokesperson, Okonkwo Confirms Authenticity Of Obi, Oyedepo Leaked Audio

amasan1 at 3-04-2023 06:44 AM (3 weeks ago) (m)

The Labour Party campaign council has defended Peter Obi, its presidential candidate, and David Oyedepo, founder of Winners Chapel, against claims of religious bigotry in a leaked audio clip.

The Labour Party campaign council has defended Peter Obi, its presidential candidate, and David Oyedepo, founder of Winners Chapel, against claims of religious bigotry in a leaked audio clip.



Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the LP campaign, dismissed claims the clip was fake, saying that the context of the conversation had been spun by political criminals.

Okonkwo added that it was the ruling party that had declared religious war on Nigerians and called on Nigerians to fight this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance by APC.



Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the LP campaign, dismissed claims the clip was fake, saying that the context of the conversation had been spun by political criminals.Okonkwo added that it was the ruling party that had declared religious war on Nigerians and called on Nigerians to fight this unconstitutional act of religious intolerance by APC. Quote In a telephone conversation leaked to Peoples Gazette, Peter Obi begged Bishop David Oyedepo to help canvass Christian votes on the eve of Nigerias presidential election.

Religion became central to the campaign after Bola Tinubu tapped a fellow Muslim running mate in a nation pic.twitter.com/U2LmYVJ2kk

 Peoples Gazette (@GazetteNGR) April 1, 2023

Just listen carefully:https://t.co/hu8cb6VoWX

Our attention has been drawn to the publication of this audio tape of private conversation between @PeterObi and Bishop Oyedepo. It is not surprising that these political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was pic.twitter.com/9lfOdtVy9J

 Kenneth Okonkwo (@realkenokonkwo) April 1, 2023[/left]

Post Reply I am an investigative reporter at Gistmania, I conduct fact-finding investigative journalism. Posted: at 3-04-2023 06:44 AM (3 weeks ago) | Hero

Northrop at 3-04-2023 08:56 AM (3 weeks ago)

(m) What a SHAME!!! He was declaring war even before the elections!!!



well - WE THE COWS HAVE DECIDED!!!



Posted: at 3-04-2023 08:56 AM (3 weeks ago) | Upcoming What a SHAME!!! He was declaring war even before the elections!!!well - WE THE COWS HAVE DECIDED!!! Reply

fineboy77 at 3-04-2023 12:06 PM (3 weeks ago)

(m) Just listened to the audio. Why are this APC people trying so hard to make a mountain out of a molehill? There is absolutely nothing wrong with their conversation even as it has been proven to be doctored to portray Obi in a bad light. With all the doctoring, there is still nothing to portray him in a bad light from this audio, no wonder they resorted to being petty when their intention failed. All I see now is ''Yes Daddy'' from those fools, including a SAN ! as if they do not have respect for their own religious leaders ! Ndi Iberibe ! What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 3-04-2023 12:06 PM (3 weeks ago) | Hero Just listened to the audio. Why are this APC people trying so hard to make a mountain out of a molehill? There is absolutely nothing wrong with their conversation even as it has been proven to be doctored to portray Obi in a bad light. With all the doctoring, there is still nothing to portray him in a bad light from this audio, no wonder they resorted to being petty when their intention failed. All I see now is ''Yes Daddy'' from those fools, including a SAN ! as if they do not have respect for their own religious leaders ! Ndi Iberibe ! Reply

angelzizi at 3-04-2023 12:53 PM (3 weeks ago)

(f) This APC party is so desperate!! Doing everything they can to discourage the masses from rooting for Obi as a president forgetting that people aren't voting for Obi as a person but for his competency and transparency. I'm waiting to see the APC gets even lower than this cos they're definitely hitting the floor with this blackmail, bullying and harassment Posted: at 3-04-2023 12:53 PM (3 weeks ago) | Gistmaniac This APC party is so desperate!! Doing everything they can to discourage the masses from rooting for Obi as a president forgetting that people aren't voting for Obi as a person but for his competency and transparency. I'm waiting to see the APC gets even lower than this cos they're definitely hitting the floor with this blackmail, bullying and harassment Reply

fineboy77 at 3-04-2023 03:29 PM (3 weeks ago)

(m) Quote from: angelzizi on 3-04-2023 12:53 PM

This APC party is so desperate!! Doing everything they can to discourage the masses from rooting for Obi as a president forgetting that people aren't voting for Obi as a person but for his competency and transparency. I'm waiting to see the APC gets even lower than this cos they're definitely hitting the floor with this blackmail, bullying and harassment What is the color beneath your skin? Posted: at 3-04-2023 03:29 PM (3 weeks ago) | Hero No love emoji's here, so just manage the simple thanks that I am writing. Reply

angelzizi at 4-04-2023 11:29 AM (2 weeks ago)

(f) Quote from: fineboy77 on 3-04-2023 03:29 PM

You're welcome always No love emoji's here, so just manage the simple thanks that I am writing.You're welcome always Posted: at 4-04-2023 11:29 AM (2 weeks ago) | Gistmaniac Reply
Yemen warns of 'surprising' attacks on Saudi, UAE as war rages on

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 6:36 AM

The Yemeni military has threatened to launch "surprising" strikes on Saudi Arabia and the UAE if the aggressor countries commit any "foolish act" against war-wracked Yemen.

"The opportunity provided by a general amnesty (announced by Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement) must be seized. If the aggressor coalition commits any foolish act, there will be surprising measures and major attacks on Saudi Arabia or the UAE with effects on the entire region," spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e said at the closing ceremony of a military course in Sana'a on Saturday.

He also advised the Yemenis who are fighting in the ranks of the Saudi-led coalition to return to their homes.

"Our advice to those who are still in the ranks of the aggressors is that the door is still open and that they should return to their villages and families before the door is closed. They should learn lessons from eight years of war," Sare'e said.

The Yemenis, he added, are "the fuel of the war" as they are fighting on the front lines of the battle instead of Saudi and Emirati soldiers.

"The deceived should defect because the Saudis and the Emiratis will not remain the occupiers of Yemen ... The aggression is coming to an end and the armed forces are determined to expel every occupier from the country... Our message to the invaders is that what you did not achieve over the past eight years, you will not get in the future," the spokesman said.

Saudi Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015.

The objective was to crush Ansarullah, which has been running state affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen and reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

While the Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its objectives, the war has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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Kosovar Protesters Come Out In Support Of Thaci, Others On Eve Of War Crimes Trial

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service April 02, 2023

PRISTINA -- Protesters took to the streets of Kosovo's capital in support of ex-President Hashim Thaci and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) leaders who are set to face trial on war crimes charges in The Hague beginning on April 3.

The protest, which drew thousands of supporters, was organized by the Freedom Has A Name group that has expressed support for the former leaders of the UCK, including Thaci, who was a leader of the guerrilla fighters.

Thaci became popular in the young country in the years following its independence declaration and went on to lead Kosovo as president and prime minister at different times.

He and three others are being held in The Hague pending the trial. They have denied the allegations.

"The epochal victories would have been impossible without the courage, struggle, and selflessness of the best boys and girls of the Kosovo Liberation Army of this country," said artist Eliza Hoxha, a speaker at the April 2 protest and a member of parliament with the Kosovo Democratic Party, Thaci's former party.

"The reason we came out today is that we have to support the fighters who gave us freedom. And it's good to support them because they are being held there unfairly," attendee Shqiprim Veseli of Ferizaj told RFE/RL.

A commander of the UCK during the 1998-99 war, Thaci resigned as president of Kosovo in November 2020 after learning that The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) had confirmed an indictment against him.

The KSC at the time said it was conducting ongoing operations in Kosovo that were being supported by Kosovo police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

The KSC is mandated to look into allegations that members of the UCK committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1998-99 war to gain independence from Serbia.

It operates under Kosovar law but is based in The Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation.

The Council of Europe in 2020 said the charges against Thaci and others relate to the alleged kidnapping and disappearance of at least 100 civilians, mostly Serbs and Roma, along with ethnic Albanian political opponents.

Kosovo's war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.

Kosovo, which has a largely ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China.

With reporting by AFPBy RFE/RL's Balkan Service April 02, 2023

PRISTINA -- Protesters took to the streets of Kosovo's capital in support of ex-President Hashim Thaci and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) leaders who are set to face trial on war crimes charges in The Hague beginning on April 3.

The protest, which drew thousands of supporters, was organized by the Freedom Has A Name group that has expressed support for the former leaders of the UCK, including Thaci, who was a leader of the guerrilla fighters.

Thaci became popular in the young country in the years following its independence declaration and went on to lead Kosovo as president and prime minister at different times.

He and three others are being held in The Hague pending the trial. They have denied the allegations.

"The epochal victories would have been impossible without the courage, struggle, and selflessness of the best boys and girls of the Kosovo Liberation Army of this country," said artist Eliza Hoxha, a speaker at the April 2 protest and a member of parliament with the Kosovo Democratic Party, Thaci's former party.

"The reason we came out today is that we have to support the fighters who gave us freedom. And it's good to support them because they are being held there unfairly," attendee Shqiprim Veseli of Ferizaj told RFE/RL.

A commander of the UCK during the 1998-99 war, Thaci resigned as president of Kosovo in November 2020 after learning that The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) had confirmed an indictment against him.

The KSC at the time said it was conducting ongoing operations in Kosovo that were being supported by Kosovo police and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

The KSC is mandated to look into allegations that members of the UCK committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1998-99 war to gain independence from Serbia.

It operates under Kosovar law but is based in The Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation.

The Council of Europe in 2020 said the charges against Thaci and others relate to the alleged kidnapping and disappearance of at least 100 civilians, mostly Serbs and Roma, along with ethnic Albanian political opponents.

Kosovo's war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead -- most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.

Kosovo, which has a largely ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-protesters-come- out-support-thaci-war-crimes/32346153.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Vote Too Close To Call In Bulgaria's Pivotal Parliamentary Election

By RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service April 02, 2023

SOFIA -- The race between the two top rivals in Bulgaria's parliamentary election appears too close to call, as exit polls by two leading firms indicate that former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's center-right GERB party has just a small lead over Kiril Petkov's liberal We Continue the Change-led alliance.

Bulgaria's bTV, working with Alpha Research, reported that GERB has 25.9 percent of the vote, while We Continue the Change -- which has set an alliance with the rightist Democratic Bulgaria party -- has 24.8 percent in its exit poll.

BNT, working with Gallup International, had similar indications, with GERB at 24.4 percent and We Continue the Change at 23.4 percent.

Both polls earlier had We Continue the Change in front by a similar margin.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms was third in both exit polls with around 14 percent.

Preliminary voting tallies are expected to be released on April 3.

The vote is the country's fifth parliamentary election in two years. Pre-election opinion polls suggested the vote would again fail to deliver a result that will break the political gridlock gripping the EU's poorest nation.

More than 5,600 candidates representing 14 political parties and seven party coalitions are registered for the election to the 240-member National Assembly, Bulgaria's single-chamber parliament. A party must secure at least 4 percent of ballots cast to secure seats in parliament.

Turnout was expected to be low due to voters' apathy and disillusionment with politicians, as well as a spate of bomb threats this week that forced the closure of hundreds of schools set to function as polling stations for Sunday's vote.

Voting appeared to be held under peaceful conditions. Officials said problems with the use of voting machines stood out among voter complaints in the early going.

According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), as of 1:20 p.m. on April 2, a total of 65 machines out of a total of 9,611 in the country were out of service, forcing a switch to paper balloting at those locations, the CEC said.

Commission spokeswoman Rositsa Mateva said a variety of issued affected the voting machines, including the reading of smart cards and sensitivity of displays, and that more technical problems were expected before the close of voting.

The vote was being monitored by observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who will hold a press conference on April 3 to present their preliminary conclusions.

"We are going to have a very difficult electoral night," predicted political scientist Daniel Smilov in comments earlier this week to RFE/RL. "I hope that the government will manage to prevent widespread manipulation."

Smilov, an associate professor at the University of Sofia, said before the exit poll results that the vote was unlikely to end the country's political impasse.

"Unfortunately, I don't see a kind of easy and very fast resolution to the situation," he said.

Most polls found former Prime Minister Borissov's center-right GERB party running neck-and-neck at around 26 percent with its main rival, Petkov's liberal We Continue the Change party.

"We have the greatest opportunities for maneuver," Borisov said on April 2 after casting his ballot in Bankya.

For his part, Petkov told journalists that he voted for "a normal European life."

" I voted to have a normal European government," he said after voting in Sofia.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgarians-vote-general- election-/32345817.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Milatovic Claims Victory In Montenegro As Longtime Leader Djukanovic Concedes

By RFE/RL's Balkan Service April 02, 2023

PODGORICA -- Jakov Milatovic, a 36-year-old former economic minister, claimed victory in Montenegro's runoff presidential election, having defeated longtime leader Milo Djukanovic, who conceded defeat.

"Montenegro has made its choice. I respect that choice, and I congratulate Jakov Milatovic," Djukanovic told supporters at his party headquarters in the capital, Podgorica, late on April 2.

Following Djukanovic's remarks, Milatovic told supporters that "tonight is the night we have been waiting for over 30 years. This is a victory of a reconciled Montenegro."

"Within the next five years, we will lead Montenegro into the European Union," he said.

During the victory speech, he was joined by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, and leaders of the pro-Russia Democratic Front.

The reliable Center for Monitoring and Research (CEMI) said Milatovic had 60 percent of the vote to the 61-year-old Djukanovic's 40 percent, citing vote samples.

Another polling company, Democratic Transition (CDT), put Milatovic at nearly 57 percent, according to its calculations, with turnout estimated at about 70 percent.

Official results are scheduled to be released on April 3.

With Milatovic's apparent victory, his supporters took to the streets of Podgorica waving banners and shooting off fireworks.

Neither candidate was able to secure a majority in the first round of presidential elections held in the ex-Yugoslav republic two weeks ago.

If confirmed by the official results, a victory by Milatovic could allow the former Yugoslav republic to escape two years of political stalemate and return to the path of reform.

Djukanovic will remain in office until May 21, when he would be scheduled to hand over the mostly ceremonial positon to Milatovic for a five-year term.

Djukanovic topped the first round of voting with 35.3 percent, edging out Milatovic, who received 29.2 percent. Analysts said the small margin of victory likely mean the runoff would be a very close race.

Djukanovic, the head of the Democratic Party of Socialists, has effectively led Montenegro as president or prime minister since 1991. He ran on the slogan "Our President," but his three decades in power have been dogged by perceptions of rampant organized crime and corruption.

"I'm absolutely convinced that I will become a new president of the country, that today the citizens of Montenegro will send the current president to the political past," said Milatovic before casting his ballot.

Milatovic is a leading member of the Europe Now movement. He served as economics minister in a government cobbled together by the influential Serbian Orthodox Church, a point Djukanovic said made his opponent a "representative of the politics of Greater Serbian nationalism."

Milatovic campaigned on boosting prosperity in a country that averaged nearly 3 percent growth for two decades before huge volatility over the past three years caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine that drove energy prices to record highs.

Europe Now shot into the national spotlight with a strong showing in last year's local elections in the capital, Podgorica, within months of being formed.

Endorsements from other challengers and parties of the Western-educated economist since that first-round vote suggest he could ride anti-Djukanovic sentiment to victory in the runoff and bring about a new era in Montenegro's political life.

As a candidate, he has played up his economic experience and support for Montenegro's EU membership bid, but he has also consistently argued for closer relations with Serbia.

In an interview with RFE/RL shortly before the first-round vote, Kenneth Morrison, a specialist in modern Southeastern European history and politics at De Montfort University in the United Kingdom, said few presidential elections in Montenegro have been as important as this one.

The last comparable national choice came in 1997, he suggested, when, as prime minister, Djukanovic unseated a staunch ally of Slobodan Milosevic for the presidency to put Montenegro on the path toward independence in 2006.

"This election could be equally pivotal in that the outcome could determine the country's future trajectory," Morrison said.

With reporting by AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/montenegro-vote-new-president- political-turmoil/32345805.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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No: 88, 2 April 2023, Press Release Regarding the Signing of an Agreement Between the National Guard of the U.S. State of New Jersey and the Ministry of Defense of the Greek Cypriot Administration

Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs

We condemn the signing of an agreement between the National Guard of the State of New Jersey and the Ministry of Defense of the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA) within the framework of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program, under the scope of the U.S. Department of Defense, following the GCA's inclusion in this program last October.

We support the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on this issue.

The U.S., disrupted the balance on the island of Cyprus to the detriment of the Turkish Cypriots in 2022 by lifting the arms embargo on the GCA. These last steps are also encouraging the Greek Cypriot side's armament.

We call on the U.S. to reconsider this policy, which in no way serves the stability of the region, and to contribute to a just, lasting and sustainable settlement of the Cyprus issue.

We hope the Greek Cypriot side will comprehend the fact that Turkiye, as a motherland and guarantor, will never allow any harm to come to the Turkish Cypriots. We emphasize that we will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the Turkish Cypriot people.



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A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Statement from President Joe Biden on the One-Year Anniversary of the Truce in Yemen

April 02, 2023

Today marks a significant milestoneone year of a truce in the Yemen war. One year that has saved countless Yemeni lives, enabled increased humanitarian assistance to flow throughout the country, allowed Yemenis to travel throughout the Middle East, and set the conditions for a comprehensive peace. Maintaining this truce and strengthening progress toward peace has been a main focus of my administration's engagement with our partners in the Middle East. That focus will continue intensively as we seek to build on this extraordinary progress and support all efforts towards a comprehensive resolution to this terrible conflict. The United States remains fully committed to our partners in the region, and to supporting Saudi Arabia and the UAE from Iranian enabled attacks. The fact that cross border attacks from Yemen have ceased in the last year, as well as airstrikes inside Yemen, is yet another positive outcome of the truce. I look forward to continuing to work with all our partners in the region to permanently end the war in Yemen.

###



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Russo-Ukraine War - 02 April 2023 - Day 403

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that while Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes.

On 27 March 2023, a Russian Telegram news channel reported there have been 'extremely high' numbers of incidents, crimes, and deaths linked to alcohol consumption amongst the deployed Russian forces.

Other leading causes of non-combat casualties likely include poor weapon handing drills, road traffic accidents and climatic injuries such as hypothermia. Russian commanders likely identify pervasive alcohol abuse as particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness. However, with heavy drinking pervasive across much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during day of April 4, Russian forces launched 5x missile, 22x air strikes, more than 42x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian infrastructure in various settlements.

The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high, as Russia continues to ignore the laws and customs of war, and use terror tactics against civilians. Today, the russian invaders launched 2x missile strikes and massive MLRS shelling that targeted the central part of the city of Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast). These criminal actions of the Russian occupiers killed and wounded civilians, damaged a kindergarten, high-rise buildings, and private homes.

Russia continues to focus its main efforts on the offensive operations on Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka axes. The towns of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Mar'inka remain at the epicenter of the fighting. Owing to the heroism and professionalism of Ukrainian soldiers, their skillful and coordinated actions, and effective maneuvering, the units of Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled more than 50x Russian attacks during the day of April 2.

Volyn, Polissya, Sivershchyna, and Slobozhanshchyna axes: no significant changes.

During the day of April 2, Russian forces shelled the settlements of Volfyne, Basivka, Ryasne, Mezenivka (Sumy oblast), Veterynarne, Hatyshche, Velykyi Burluk, and Kolodyazne (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Kam'yanka, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Masyutivka, Krokhmal'ne (Kharkiv oblast), and Novoselivs'ke (Luhansk oblast) came under Russian fire.

Lyman axis: during the day of April 2, Russian forces attempted to advance in the vicinities of Bilohorivka and Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, to no success. Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Spirne, and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with artillery.

Bakhmut axis: Russia has not stopped its assault of Bakhmut. However, Ukrainian defenders are courageously holding the city as they repel numerous Russian attacks. During the day of April 2, the Russian invaders conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in Ivanivske (Donetsk oblast). The Russian forces shelled Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Hryhorivka, Bohdanivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, and New York (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka and Mar'inka axes: Russian forces conducted offensive operations in the vicinities of Avdiivka, Pervomais'ke, and Maryinka. None of them were successful. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Avdiivka, Orlivka, Tonen'ke, Netaylove, Krasnohorivka, and Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day of April 2, Russian forces shelled Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, and Velyka Novosilka (Donetsk oblast).

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: with no active operations, the Russian adversary was improving its defensive lines and positions. In particular, Russian forces shelled Novopil' (Donetsk oblast), Ol'hivs'ke, Chervone, Hulyaipole, Bilohir'ya, Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Dudchany, Zmiivka, Beryslav, Vesele, Mykolaivka, Burhunka, Antonivka (Kherson oblast), and the city of Kherson.

The Russian invaders continue to suffer huge losses. In order to replenish them, military units of the Russian federation's armed forces stationed in the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea are actively subjecting their conscripts to an outreach program. The conscripts are told about the need to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense and take part in combat in Ukraine.

During the day of April 2, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 8x air strikes on the concentrations of Russian forces' personnel and military equipment. In the meantime, missile and artillery units hit 1x concentration of Russian manpower, 1x command post, and 2x other important targets.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that another foreign mercenary was liquidated near Bakhmut: European media confirm the information about the death of a citizen of the Fifth Republic in battles with Wagner PMC. At the same time, it became known earlier about the elimination of two other "soldiers of fortune" in the area - an Israeli and a Georgian.

During the day, the offensive of the "Wagnerites" continued in the area of Krasny, as well as in the city of Bakhmut. The positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the areas of Vasyukovka, Grigorovka, Orekhovo-Vasilevka, Bogdanovka, and Chasov Yar came under shelling.

The situation on other sectors of the front

Donbass

War correspondent, militia member of the "Vostok" battalion of the Donetsk People's Republic Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky) died in an explosion in St. Petersburg. The tragedy occurred during his creative evening in an institution on the University embankment. The investigation of the crime took control of the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

During the day, Ukrainian troops opened fire on Donetsk, as well as the settlements of Petrivske and Gorlovka. A civilian was injured in Petrovsky, another woman was injured in Donetsk.

During the briefing, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that more than 210 Ukrainian servicemen, as well as a large number of equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including those of foreign production, were liquidated in the Donetsk direction during the day. In the Liman direction, enemy losses amounted to 100 servicemen.

In addition, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group (DRG) was destroyed in the Nikolsky area. In the area of Liman, the command post and communications center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit, in the areas of Petrovsky and Ternov - command and observation posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and territorial defense. An enemy ammunition depot was destroyed near Stelmahovka.

Russian units in the Maryinka area stopped an attempted attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to Ivan Bigma, head of the press center of the Yug group, up to 10 Ukrainian servicemen were killed.

Allied troops took control of the stronghold of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Svatov direction. At the same time, there are reports that Ukrainian troops are preparing an offensive against Svatovo: large echelons with military equipment have arrived in Kharkov.

Zaporozhye region

The authorities of Melitopol spoke about the condition of the victims of the morning attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the use of MLRS HIMARS and Alder with cluster munitions. One of the hospitalized, who was seriously injured, was operated on and placed in intensive care. Two more people were hospitalized, three were discharged.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that a DRG of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was liquidated in the Vishnevoe region, and an American-made AN / TPQ-36 counter-battery radar station was hit in the vicinity of Uspenovka.

Over the past month, the activity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the line of contact in the Zaporozhye region increased compared to winter, TASS reports citing the commander of one of the Russian regiments in the Vasilyevsky district. According to a serviceman with the call sign Atlas, they are mainly talking about artillery fire, missile strikes and the work of UAVs.

Kherson region

In the Kherson direction, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, up to 15 Ukrainian servicemen were destroyed during the day. In addition, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 7 vehicles and the Akatsiya howitzer.

Ukrainian artillery shelled the village of Korsunka in the Novokahovsky district. As a result of the attack, the house and outbuildings were destroyed.





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April 2, 2023

Release

Space Development Agency Successfully Launches Tranche 0 Satellites

SDA delivers first 10 satellites on-orbit, two-and-a-half years from award to launch

The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the successful initial launch of Tranche 0 (T0) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), the Transport and Tracking Layer satellites that will demonstrate the low-latency communication links to support the warfighter with a resilient network of integrated capabilities, including tracking of advanced missile threats, from low-Earth orbit (LEO).

A SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable, two stage rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, launched the first 10 of the planned 28 satellites. Once completed, Tranche 0 will include 20 optically-connected data transport satellites and eight optically-connected missile warning/missile tracking satellites equipped with wide-field-of-view sensors. A second SDA launch of Tranche 0 satellites is scheduled for June.

"This is a major accomplishment for SDA and for the whole Department of Defense. It shows that our key pillars, proliferation and spiral development, can deliver for national security space," said Derek Tournear, director of SDA. "Through this launch, we've demonstrated that SDA can keep a schedule to deliver enhanced capabilities every two years. This revolutionary approach is enabled by growth in the commercial marketplace, allowing the PWSA to move forward to deliver warfighting capabilities in each future tranche."

The launch, originally scheduled for March 30, was delayed out of an abundance of caution to investigate technical issues with the launch vehicle. Today's T0 Launch carried 10 satellites. York Space Systems provided eight Transport and SpaceX provided two Tracking satellites. To fully populate Tranche 0, York Space Systems and Lockheed Martin will produce 10 Transport satellites each, for a total of 20 T0 Transport satellites. SpaceX and L3Harris will provide four Tracking satellites each for a total of eight T0 satellites. Tranche 0 ground support is provided by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

SDA awarded firm-fixed-price contracts for T0 satellites resulting in a cost of approximately $15 million per Transport satellite and is fielding the constellation approximately 30 months after authority-to-proceed on each contract.

The T0 demonstration constellation will fly in two orbital planes at an altitude of approximately 1,000 km. Once on orbit, the satellites must undergo a period of test and checkout of the bus and mission payloads before demonstrations can begin.

The constellation will serve as the warfighter immersion tranche and support military exercises, including advanced missile tracking tests, in the summer of 2023 and beyond. Tranche 0 will demonstrate the feasibility of the following:

Low latency data connectivity

Beyond line of sight targeting

Missile warning/missile tracking

On-orbit fusion

Multi-phenomenology ground-based sensor fusion

SDA plans to field the first operational generation of the PWSA, Tranche 1, beginning in late 2024. Tranche 1 will include 126 Transport Layer satellites, 35 Tracking satellites, and 12 tactical demonstration satellites (called T1DES). Tranche 1 will be operated by SDA's groundbreaking space operations centers based heavily on commercial space operations models.

SDA transferred to U.S. Space Force as a direct reporting unit in October 2022. SDA brings a unique acquisition strategy that enables faster and cheaper capability delivery by designing and rapidly deploying a threat-driven resilient constellation of small satellites in LEO. SDA programs provide an integral part of the national security hybrid space architecture in the areas of communications, data transport, and missile warning.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3348974/

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Naval Space Summit Brings SECNAV, Other Senior Leaders To NPS

US Navy

02 April 2023

From Lt. Cmdr. Edward Early, Naval Postgraduate School

As global dependence on space-based technology continues to grow, senior leaders from throughout the Department of Defense joined Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) from March 29-31 to examine the challenges, needs and opportunities of space operations unique to the maritime domain.

The inaugural Naval Space Summit at NPS featured a series of classified discussions involving top representatives from the DOD's major stakeholders in the space domain. The main goals of the summit were to foster greater understanding about the reliance of the Navy and Marine Corps on existing space capabilities, to acknowledge the issues faced in adapting to and incorporating rapid technological changes, and to identify the challenges involved in enabling future naval and joint warfare and protecting the United States and its allies.

"We are here today because in the years to come, we will all face new challenges, and we also stand to benefit from new opportunities in this domain," said Del Toro. "When thinking strategically about the future, it's often a good idea to take a step back and recall where we came from, and how we actually got here. We are 'here' because of the Department of the Navy's mission: to sustain global presence for projection of sea power."

Del Toro was joined at NPS by a number of senior Navy and Marine Corps military and civilian leaders, including Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, and Adm. Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Also attending the summit were the commander of U.S. Space Command (SPACECOM), U.S. Army Gen. James Dickinson, and the Vice Chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force Gen. David Thompson.

"It is important that we come together and have these vital conversations to create shared understanding and strengthen the relationships between the Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Space Command. Space capabilities and the expertise provided by our Maritime Space Officers are essential contributors to the effectiveness our Navy and broader joint force," said Franchetti.

NPS was chosen as the site for the summit due to its longstanding role in educating and empowering students in space systems operations and engineering, most notably through its Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG), established in 1982.

Through the years, hundreds of NPS students - including Del Toro, a 1989 NPS graduate - have obtained Master of Science degrees in space systems engineering and related space-based disciplines. NPS contributes to manned and unmanned space missions, including satellite launches and payloads with military applications. Additionally, 44 NPS graduates have flown in space as NASA astronauts, more than any other graduate school in the United States.

"The Navy's education framework identifies 13 individual competencies that are critical to achieving net warfighting advantage," said retired Vice Adm. Ann E. Rondeau, president of NPS. "Space crosses all of them and is essential to preparing both the future joint force commanders and service leaders able to develop and generate a maritime force capable of dominance in the space domain and ensure freedom of action when that dominance is challenged."

During the summit, leaders were briefed on current space capabilities and operations within the Navy, Marine Corps and Space Force, as well as SPACECOM. In addition, NPS students from SSAG were on hand to discuss their current space-based research, including the use of commercial satellite technology to help decision-makers communicate with operational forces in the field.

"The fact that this unique event was held at NPS only solidifies how important innovation, education, and collaboration in space are in the mind of Navy and DOD leaders," said Lt. Cmdr. Hans Lauzen, one of the NPS students who briefed senior leaders on their research. "In the long run, I believe the Naval Space Summit will provide the ideal forum for cross-talk, problem-solving, and cross-domain awareness that will enhance the Navy's ability to maintain and increase our advantage in space."

Senior leaders also had the opportunity to meet with Navy officers from the Maritime Space Officer (MSO) community. The MSO designator was launched in 2021 to help the Navy fill key space-oriented billets at fleet and component commands within Maritime Operations Centers (MOC), Warfighting Development Centers (WDC), SPACECOM, and the intelligence community. MSOs, who are managed by the Navy's Information Warfare (IW) community, also support the IW type command.

"We must think about the exquisite expertise we must develop as a force in the Maritime Space Officer cadre," Rondeau said. "We must also consider the knowledge and skills required across all levels of the total force to ensure we preserve our warfighting advantage by enabling leaders at all levels the ability to discern and decide force employment that understands space as an integrated enabling capability or as an independent battlespace. No domain more than space operations highlights the essential blend of both the operational art of war as well as the science and technology of warfare."

Del Toro and other attendees agreed that the choice of NPS to host the Naval Space Summit produced a timely and unique forum for relevant discussions about the present and future of Navy and Marine Corps operations in the space domain.

"As someone who knows the value of the NPS Space Systems Academic Group firsthand, I can't think of a better venue for these important conversations," Del Toro said. "Bringing the first Naval Space Summit to NPS highlights the deep insights that this institution provides to the Navy and Marine Corps. It also shows that Navy leadership has every confidence in the direction that NPS is going as the home of graduate education for the Department of the Navy."

The Naval Postgraduate School provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the Naval service. For additional information, visit NPS online at http://www.nps.edu.

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Greetings to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on the occasion of the Day of Unity between the Peoples of Russia and Belarus.

April 2, 2023

09:00

The message reads, in part:

"Relying on the good traditions of friendship and neighbourliness that bind Russians and Belarusians, our countries and peoples are gradually expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. We are also working hard to improve the mechanisms of the Union State.

Despite the unprecedented external sanctions pressure, we effectively coordinate efforts in the international arena and in the field of defence and security, and successfully implement programmes to strengthen our financial, economic, scientific and technological sovereignty.

I am confident that further efforts to build up the entire range of allied ties fully meet the interests of our fraternal peoples.

I sincerely wish you good health and success, and I wish all Belarusian citizens happiness and prosperity."

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Greetings to participants in events marking the Day of Unity between the Peoples of Russia and Belarus

Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants in events marking the Day of Unity between the Peoples of Russia and Belarus.

April 2, 2023

18:00

The message reads, in part:

"I sincerely congratulate you on the Day of Unity between the Peoples of Russia and Belarus, a holiday that symbolises the unbreakable bonds of fraternal friendship, and the cultural, spiritual and moral values that unite Russians and Belarusians.

Thanks to our joint efforts, the Union State is the driver of integration processes in the Eurasian space. To date, we have fully ensured the equal rights of citizens of Russia and Belarus in healthcare, education, social protection and pension provision, as well as in choosing a place of residence and work. We gradually implement coordinated programmes of economic, scientific and technological development and expand inter-parliamentary interaction and cooperation between regions and cities.

It is important that in the current difficult conditions we are ensuring reliable security and strengthening the defence capabilities of the Union State, as well as effectively coordinating our actions in the international arena.

I am sure that together we will overcome all difficulties and obstacles and continue our work to build up allied ties between Russia and Belarus. This undoubtedly meets the fundamental interests of our fraternal peoples."

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Russia, Belarus celebrate 'Day of Unity' as war grinds on in Ukraine

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 2:57 PM

Russia and Belarus are set to celebrate the Day of Unity, commemorating the signing of a treaty in 1996 aimed at forming a Union state of the two neighbors.

The celebrations will be held on Sunday, a day after Minsk announced its readiness to host Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, amid rising tension with the West over Moscow's ongoing military operation in Ukraine.

On April 2, 1996, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and then Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed on establishing the Community of Russia and Belarus followed by the creation of the Union of Belarus and Russia a year later.

The Day of Unity of the peoples of Belarus and Russia is celebrated on April 2 every year. The celebrations include official events and gatherings.

Some proposals, like a shared currency, never took off, but the Union State became the basis for a gradually deepening cooperation.

Lukashenko faced huge anti-government street protests after he won a sixth term in office as president of Belarus in 2020, with opposition supporters claiming the vote was rigged.

Russia said at the time it was ready to assist Belarus in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary. Eventually, no Russian troops were involved, but the offer went some way in quelling the uprising.

The Union State process has accelerated since last year, when Russia started its military campaign in Ukraine.

In February 2022, during the initial days of the Ukraine-Russia war, Belarus allowed Russian troops to enter Ukraine through the border it shares with Ukraine.

While Minsk has not actively taken part in the war, there have been reports of Russian missiles fired from Belarusian territory and wounded soldiers being treated in Belarusian hospitals.

In response, Belarus has been hit with sanctions, cutting it off from the European economy.

Last month, Putin announced that Moscow would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which he insisted won't violate the country's obligations under nuclear nonproliferation pacts.

On Saturday, Lukashenko said his country is ready to host Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, saying such a move would show the two nations' readiness to defend their "sovereignty and independence."

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Belarus it could face further sanctions if it hosted Russian nuclear weapons.

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Putin Congratulated Lukashenko on Unity Day of Russia and Belarus: Kremlin

Sputnik News

20230402

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin sent the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, congratulations on the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus, noting that despite the sanctions pressure, Russia and Belarus are effectively coordinating efforts in the international arena.

"Dear Alexander Grigoryevich, accept our warmest congratulations on the occasion of the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus ... Despite the unprecedented sanctions pressure from outside, we are effectively coordinating efforts in the international arena, in the sphere of defense and security, and successfully implementing programs aimed at strengthening financial and economic, and scientific and technological sovereignty," Putin said in the statement.

The Russian leader also noted that Russia and Belarus were systematically expanding mutually beneficial cooperation, vigorously improving the mechanisms of the Union State. Besides, Putin said that he was confident the partnership between the fraternal peoples would only grow in the future.

The Russian president also wished Lukashenko good health and success, and the citizens of Belarus happiness and prosperity.

A Sputnik

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China, Singapore complete 'substantial negotiation' on FTA upgrade, pact set to be the highest opening-up level of the world's No.2 economy to date

Global Times

By Li Xuanmin and Chi Jingyi Published: Apr 02, 2023 09:06 PM

China and Singapore have completed "substantive negotiations" on the upgrade of bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), which will improve market access for each other's businesses and provide for more transparent and higher-level economic rules. The announcement comes a day after both sides agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to an "All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership" during Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's visit to China.

The pact, once signed, will become China's free trade pact of the highest level to date, observers said, demonstrating that economic ties between China and Singapore are on the course of upgrading to a new height, amid both countries' steadfast multilateral push for ASEAN regional integration and the latter's resistance to taking sides between China and the US under stepped-up US decoupling attempts.

The FTA upgrade will accelerate the ongoing negotiation for the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN free trade agreement (ACFTA 3.0)and the further upgrading of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - both of which serve as catalysts to ASEAN regional integration and prosperity-providing a beacon for opening-up standards. It is also poised to lay an institutional foundation for China's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which Singapore is also a member.

China and Singapore on Saturday have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the substantial completion of the upgrade on the China-Singapore Free Trade agreement, under the witness of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Lee, according to a statement on the website of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

It marks the first time that China, in FTA practice, made dual opening-up commitments in both services and investment under the negative list approach, the statement said. Previously, the world's largest free trade agreement RCEP which entered into force last year, was the first time that China made investment openness commitment in the form of a negative list under FTA.

On the foundation of original FTA agreement, the new pact will improve opening-up standard in services trade, and investment, it also includes chapters concerning the telecom industry, and incorporate high-level economic and trade rules such as national treatment, market access, transparency and digital economy, the statement noted.

Both sides also reached consensus that they won't retreat from opening-up measures, and made pledges on "the doors to each other will open wider" through the agreement.

"The deal is an important measure and a practical action in China's aligning with high-level international economic and trade rules and the expansion of opening-up. It will significantly boost China-Singapore economic and trade cooperation to a new level," MOFCOM said.

Observers said that the upgraded FTA is of great significance to both sides, as it is based on solid political trust and stems from the fundamental interests of the two countries. It is also a fresh effort of both economies to deepen the development of regional trade liberalization.

"Singapore has been crowned as one of the world's most open economies ...So China's FTA upgrade with Singapore could be regarded as a trial in the former's further opening-up in terms of standard-making," Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, told the Global Times on Sunday.

For Singapore, upgrading the FTA with China also has a consideration in geopolitics and geo-economy. Singapore is increasingly finding that it has little to gain from going any further with the US, nor could it be able to negotiate with the US on an equal footing, Li Yong, deputy chairman of the Expert Committee of the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Against the backdrop of global trade that has been compounded by geopolitical tensions, the FTA upgrade also sends out a clear message that ASEAN economies such as Singapore continue looking to forge closer cooperation with China despite US-instigated decoupling calls," Tu added.

China and Singapore have been joining hands in facilitating regional integration and supply chain stability, as exemplified by the implementation of RCEP and the creation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a major trade channel between western Chinese provinces and ASEAN members.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee concluded a six-day official visit to China on April 1. The country has been China's largest foreign investor since 2013, and China has also been the largest trading partner of Singapore for nine consecutive years.

Ong Tze Guan, chairman of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, told the Global Times that "both Singapore and China will benefit from the multiplier effects of synergies brought about by improvement of overall economic, trade, and investment relations in the region, with the resumption of connectivity and people-to-people exchanges ...Coupled with stability and economic prosperity in the region."

In 2008, China and Singapore signed FTA, and it was China's first comprehensive bilateral FTA concluded with an ASEAN economy. Both sides upgraded the FTA protocol in 2018, and a further upgrading talk started in December 2020.

The MOFCOM statement said that in follow-up works, teams from both countries will continue the review and translate the legal document involving FTA upgrade, implement domestic procedures of respective country, and strive to sign the pact as soon as possible.

Accelerating ASEAN integration

On Saturday, Chinese Premier Li held talks with Lee in Beijing. Noting China always regards the ASEAN as a priority of neighborhood diplomacy and firmly supports the centrality of ASEAN, Li said China is ready to work with ASEAN countries including Singapore to promote the construction of ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA 3.0) and advance regional economic integration.

Observers said that the China-Singapore FTA upgrade will play a demonstration effect in driving other ASEAN members to fast track the negotiation process. "The differences in development stage between ASEAN economies have posed certain barriers ... So the FTA could also offer a set of standards for reference, in particular new provisions involving digital economy and data," Tu said.

The first round of consultations on version ACFTA 3.0 negotiations started on February 7.

Xu Ningning, executive president of the China-ASEAN Business Council, told the Global Times that ACFTA 3.0 will expand the scope of cooperation into broader areas of mutual concern such as the digital economy, green economy and supply chain linkage.

"It will speed up the construction of a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future and attract more international companies to invest in the FTA," Xu said.

Li Yong said that the FTA upgrade between China and Singapore provides a model for future RCEP upgrade. The RCEP definitely needs to be improved for further regional openness, and the upgrade of the China-Singapore FTA may be a precursor, he noted.

Such efforts are also markedly different from Washington's, who has been erecting barriers everywhere with the sinister motivation to suppress Beijing. The US has been trumpeting the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), a geopolitical tool aiming to contain China in the Asia-Pacific region.

Analysts pointed out that the IPEF amounts to an "empty promise," as it does not possess the characteristics of standardized FTA arrangements in market access and tariff issues. Nor is the US willing to pump up investment to deepen regional trade.

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China's J-8 fighter jet can still make a difference despite nearing retirement: pilot

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 02, 2023 10:20 PM Updated: Apr 02, 2023 11:00 PM

The J-8, a type of legacy fighter jet domestically developed by China, is still playing a surprise role in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) although it is close to its eventual retirement, a pilot said recently, citing the aircraft's integration into the PLA's comprehensive combat system.

Chen Lu, a pilot affiliated with an aviation regiment of the PLA Northern Theater Command Air Force who has flown the J-8 for more than a decade, made the remarks in a China Central Television (CCTV) program on Sunday.

The J-8 Chen referred to is the J-8II, a significantly improved version of the original J-8. During the initial stages of its design, the goal was to develop a high-altitude, high-speed aircraft, so its high-altitude performance is excellent, Chen said.

From today's perspective, the J-8 has become an outdated aircraft, and many younger pilots are looking to fly more advanced fighter jets like the J-16 and the J-20, but Chen still prefers the J-8, because he knows the aircraft well after so many years of partnership, he said.

The J-8 can make surprise moves at altitudes of more than 10,000 meters and lead to victory by contributing to the comprehensive combat system, Chen said.

The J-8II was developed to be a high-altitude, high-speed interceptor and an air superiority fighter, but under the new combat requirements in the 21st century, its original roles are being replaced by more advanced fighter jets, meaning that the J-8II is close to fulfilling its duties, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Before its full retirement, the J-8II has another role, being transformed from a fighter to a scout. It can be equipped with reconnaissance pods and carry out air-to-ground tactical reconnaissance missions taking advantage of its high-altitude capabilities, Wei said.

The CCTV program on the J-8 was produced to pay tribute to Wang Wei, a PLA Navy pilot who sacrificed his life on April 1, 2001 when intercepting a US EP-3 signals intelligence aircraft above China's exclusive economic zone southeast of Hainan Island with a J-8II, crashing after colliding with the US spy plane, which was conducting close-in reconnaissance in the South China Sea.

"History is moving forward, and while the age of the J-8 is ending, the flag it waved will not fall with it. On the contrary, younger generations will carry it on," Chen said.

The upcoming full retirement of the J-8II is also a reflection of China's rapid development in the aviation industry, as it now has a large number of J-20 stealth fighter jets and the J-16 multirole fighter jets, surpassing the J-8II in all aspects, Wei said.

As more powerful guardians of the sky, they can better safeguard the country, marking China's aviation force has entered a new era, Wei said.

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China to Legally Resolve Case of Japanese Citizen Suspected of Espionage: Foreign Minister

Sputnik News

20230402

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China will deal with the Japanese national, detained on suspicion of espionage, in accordance with the law, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Sunday during talks with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, in Beijing.

"Regarding the case of a Japanese citizen who was engaged in espionage in China, [Minister] Qin stressed that the Chinese side will deal with him in accordance with the law," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Japanese foreign minister embarked on a two-day state visit to Beijing on Saturday to mark the 45th anniversary of the China-Japan Peace and Friendship Treaty. This is the first trip by a head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry to China since December 2019.

Japanese Kyodo news agency reported earlier in the day that Hayashi lodged a strong protest over China's detention of a senior employee of Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas Pharma in Beijing last week, and called for his quick release.

A Sputnik

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Iran Navy warns US spy aircraft over territorial waters in Sea of Oman

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 2, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- The Iranian Army Navy issued a warning to the US Navy's EP-3E aircraft after the airplane entered Iran's airspace over its territorial waters.

"Minutes ago, after the US Navy's EP-3E aircraft entered Iran's territorial waters, the Navy's commanders with their full alertness sent a warning to prevent this aircraft from entering the airspace of the country without permission," the Iranian Navy's statement said on Sunday afternoon.

The US Navy's EP-3E plane is one of the American reconnaissance airplanes whose duty is to collect intelligence and data.

2050

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Iran, Saudi FMs agree to meet 'in coming days'

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 5:38 PM

Foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia have agreed to meet within the next few days as the two countries are moving quickly to build on their recent rapprochement.

In a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian expressed satisfaction with the positive trend in bilateral relations and underlined Tehran's determination to promote its neighborliness policy.

The Saudi foreign minister, for his part, also hailed the positive current direction of bilateral ties and stressed the need for regular meetings and contact between the two country's officials.

After several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia finally clinched a deal on March 10 to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions within two months after seven years of estrangement.

According to a joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia underscored the need to respect each other's national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

Iran, Saudi Arabia and China also expressed their firm determination to make their utmost efforts to promote regional and international peace and security.

The Iranian and Saudi Arabian foreign ministers also held a telephone conversation on March 23, discussing the ongoing normalization of relations between the countries, which were kick-started under the Chinese-brokered deal.

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Iranian Army warns off US spy aircraft near Sea of Oman

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 1:47 PM

The naval units of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army has identified and warned off a US spy aircraft after it entered the country's borders near the Sea of Oman.

The Navy's Public Relations Office was cited by Tasnim news agency as saying on Sunday that a US Navy EP-3E aircraft entered the borders in the vicinity of the Sea of Oman, but "with the full vigilance of the Navy's forces and by sending warnings to the plane, it was prevented from entering the country's sky without authorization."

The news agency said, "After receiving the warning message, the aircraft left the country's air border and returned to international air routes."

The EP-3E aircraft, with four turboprop engines, is made by the US military aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The plane is equipped with all kinds of electronic warfare systems, signal collection and wiretapping systems. The navies of the United States and Japan are the only users of the spy aircraft.

The Iranian Armed Forces have on numerous occasions warned that they will not allow the enemies to undermine the security of the people and the country and will continue to closely monitor the sinister moves of the enemies, especially the US and the Israeli regime.

Since the Biden administration came to power, the US-Israel military cooperation has rapidly expanded to encompass unprecedented joint naval exercises in the West Asia region.

Back in January, the US and Israel conducted their largest joint military exercise in history, codenamed Juniper Oak, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Some 6,400 American and 1,500 Israeli troops participated in the training exercise, involving more than 140 aircraft, an aircraft carrier, and live fire exercises with over 180,000 pounds of live munitions.

Iran's naval force has in recent years made great achievements in manufacturing its defense equipment and expanding its presence in international waters and high seas.

Tehran has repeatedly made clear that its homegrown military capabilities remain defensive and deterrent in nature and are intended to keep foreign intruders from destabilizing the region. It has also urged Persian Gulf states to quit relying on foreign powers for their security and that regional security can only be achieved by neighboring states.

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Can Iran And Russia's Arms Swapping Sustain A Lasting Defense Partnership?

By Michael Scollon April 02, 2023

When Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Moscow in early 2022, he had high hopes of leaving with defense deals that would circumvent international sanctions and take advantage of the expiration of a United Nations embargo on arms trading with Tehran.

Russian fighter jets, advanced antimissile defense systems, and other high-tech military equipment were high on Raisi's wish list. But questions arose: What could sanction-hit Iran, short on cash and technology, offer energy-rich Russia in return? And would Russia be willing to send advanced military technology to Iran at risk of angering rival states and important customers in the Middle East?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine just a month after Raisi's visit provided the answer.

As it became apparent that the war would drag on much longer than the Kremlin anticipated, depleting Russia's arsenal, Moscow turned to Iran for military drones that have proved to be a deadly addition to Russia's war effort. Iranian short-range missiles, as well as shells and ammunition, have reportedly helped shore up dwindling supplies. And there are suggestions that Iranian ballistic missiles could be delivered in the future.

In exchange, Iran is anticipating the delivery of advanced Russian Su-35 combat jets, S-400 antimissile systems, a military satellite, and other long-sought military equipment. CNN has reported that Russia is sending captured weapons that the United States supplied to Ukraine on to Iran, where they could potentially be reverse-engineered to produce Iranian-made equivalents.

And according to The Wall Street Journal this week, Russia is also aiding Tehran's efforts to clamp down on persistent antiestablishment protests at home by providing advanced surveillance software.

Su-35 Deal Goes Down

Immediately after the UN arms embargo against Iran expired in 2020, Tehran lauded the opportunity to strengthen its security.

The lifting of the arms ban was part of the terms of the moribund nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers in 2015, which curbed Tehran's sensitive nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

The 13-year embargo had denied Iran the right to import or export conventional weapons, making Tehran largely dependent on its own military technology to keep pace with regional foes Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Remaining U.S. sanctions continued to limit Iran's ability to import technology, particularly any that could aid Iran's suspected efforts to develop nuclear weapons, and the European Union maintained its own arms embargo on conventional arms and missile technology in an attempt to get Iran to adhere to the nuclear deal after Washington unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018.

But the lifting of the UN embargo opened a window for conventional arms trading with Iran, with Russia and China seen as the most likely suppliers.

Raisi described his two-day visit to Moscow in January 2022 as a "turning point" in Tehran's relationship with Russia as Iranian officials expressed interest in purchasing fifth-generation Russian fighter jets, air-defense systems, helicopters, and tanks. Acknowledging Iran's strapped budget, however, defense experts suggested Iran was unlikely to invest in prohibitively expensive combat aircraft.

Air-Combat Veterans

For decades, Iran has struggled to maintain an air force that depends largely on U.S. aircraft purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with some dating back to the 1960s. Longstanding U.S. sanctions denying Iran access to spare parts for its aging F-5s, F-14s, and F-4 Phantoms have left Iran with a patchwork fleet of U.S. aircraft, Iranian aircraft modeled on U.S. aircraft, and some Chinese and Russian warplanes purchased in the 1990s.

While Iran's wish for Russian four-plus-generation Su-30 multirole fighters had been denied for years, the Su-35 -- a fourth generation fighter-bomber and Russia's only serially produced fighter aircraft for export -- surprisingly emerged as Iran's best hope to update its air force.

In January 2022, as U.S. sanctions pressure intensified amid concerns of an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine, Egypt canceled an estimated $2 billion contract for the delivery of Su-35s. Cairo's move followed similar terminations of discussions to sell Su-35s to Indonesia and Algeria.

"The Su-35 is the best multirole fighter the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) could hope to acquire in a short timeframe," Jeremy Binnie, Middle East defense specialist at the global intelligence company Janes, told RFE/RL in written comments. "The aircraft have been sitting in the open at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant since they started coming off the production line in 2020."

While it was expected that Iran would try to get the Su-35s once bound for Egypt, the sticking point was whether Tehran would be willing to allocate funds for the air force at the expense of weapons-development programs or the budget of the powerful Islamic Republican Guards Corps (IRGC).

In January, Iran's semiofficial Tasnim news agency quoted Shahriar Heidari, head of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, as saying Iran would receive 24 Su-35s as early as this month. Heidari also said Iran had ordered helicopters, air-defense systems, and missile systems from Russia.

While the specifics of the Su-35 deal have not been confirmed, Binnie said, "We could speculate that Russia's urgent need for one-way-attack [drones] helped tip the equation" in favor of Iran's air force. This he added, "would reflect an interesting Russian calculus that these cheap but long-range weapons are actually more useful than advanced multirole fighters" in the Ukraine war.

The Su-35 has had a spotty record in the Ukraine war, with Ukrainian forces claiming to have shot down many of them. But the deployment of more modern fighters to the Ukrainian battlefield has led Kyiv to express worries that they will significantly strengthen Russia's ability to dominate the skies.

Binnie said he believes the Su-35s will be used "primarily in the air-to-air role, based deep inside Iran to increase their survivability so they can be scrambled to intercept aircraft coming in to attack the nuclear and other strategic sites."

This, he added, will essentially take over the role of the U.S.-made F-14s based in Iran's central province of Isfahan while providing a "massive improvement on those 1970s-vintage aircraft."

Challenges Of Cooperation

During a recent trip to the Middle East, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed concerns over Russia's deepening military cooperation with Iran over the past year, saying it "poses serious challenges" for the region.

Austin highlighted the "lethal consequences" of Iran's provision of drones to Russia and the potential for Moscow to send "technology to Iran in exchange for its assistance."

Austin also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

To this point, there is no indication that nuclear-power Russia's defense cooperation with Iran might expand beyond conventional weaponry.

The addition of Su-35s to Iran, while helpful, are not seen as a panacea for its air force's capabilities in the face of better-equipped regional foes.

And while Russia's S-400 antimissile system, of which at least one has been ordered according to Iranian media, would boost Iran's ability to fend off potential air strikes, its provision would not violate previous UN or existing EU arms embargoes because it is a defensive weapon.

Just A Fling?

Regarding the prospect of future arms deals, Binnie said he expects both Moscow and Tehran to take a cautious approach that will not risk weakening their own defenses or transfer top technology.

"For example, due to import restrictions, Russia's military industries will probably struggle to replace any S-400 that is taken out of the line and transferred to Iran," Binnie said. And "supplying ballistic or cruise missiles to Russia would reduce Iran's deterrent against attack."

Advanced Russian tanks, which are at a premium on the Ukrainian front, would also likely not be on offer to Iran.

Speaking about the state of current U.S. sanctions against Iran and Russia, Peter Piatetsky, a former U.S. Treasury Department official who is now the CEO of the consultancy firm Castellum.AI, said they are not designed to stop cash or barter deals between the two states.

"It doesn't mean that sanctions are not effective; they simply are not designed to seize physical items like cash or weapons," he said. "Sanctions can be imposed on the persons involved, but with both Iran and Russia being international pariahs, they don't seem to care."

As for whether Russia and Iran's defense dealings can last beyond the current state of mutual need in the face of domestic economic issues, sanctions, and international pressure, Piatetsky said it will play out much like any relationship.

"What starts out as a relationship of convenience can become a true partnership. True partnerships can crumble and become transactional, true partnerships can endure stress and grow stronger, and parties can also enter into a relationship of convenience and stay in it despite resentments and a lack of mission alignment because they cannot identify better options," he said. "Russia and Iran are in the latter bucket."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-arms- swapping-defense-partnership/32345959.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Israeli cabinet approves Ben-Gvir's 'private army' proposal

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 7:04 PM

The Israeli regime has approved the establishment of a "national guard" proposed by far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, voting for major budget cuts across ministries to fund the controversial plan.

Israel's cabinet gave preliminary approval for the formation of the guard on Sunday, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement, noting that a committee would determine its authorities.

The committee has 90 days to submit its recommendations, the statement added.

It remains to be determined whether the force will take orders directly from Ben-Gvir, as he demands, or it would be subordinate to the police.

Israeli media reported that several ministers initially opposed the project, but finally authorized it at the urging of Netanyahu, adding that the budget for the project is about $276 million.

Ben-Gvir's office said in a statement that the guard would deal with "emergency scenarios, nationalistic crime, terror, and strengthening sovereignty."

In a post on his Twitter account, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed the cuts in health, education and security budgets to allocate money to "Ben-Gvir's private army," saying the priorities of the regime are ridiculous and despicable.

"The only thing that keeps it busy is running over democracy and promoting extreme fantasies of delusional people," he said.

Ben-Gvir got Netanyahu to agree to the formation of the force last week, after threatening to quit the premier's cabinet.

The force is expected to recruit extremist Israeli settlers among others, and reports directly to Ben-Gvir instead of the Israeli regime's police commissioner.

Opponents and Palestinians have denounced the armed force as a radical militia meant to ratchet up the occupying regime's brutality.

Under Ben-Gvir's plan, the new armed unit of about 2,000 service members is to work alongside the police and military and deal with "civil unrest" nationwide.

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Japan urged to strengthen talks, not to follow US' wrong strategy

Global Times

Visit 'opens window' to stabilize ties; more sincerity needed from Tokyo

By Zhao Yusha Published: Apr 03, 2023 01:13 AM

In a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged Japan to meet China halfway and strengthen dialogue and cooperation, as well as manage discrepancies. Officials from both countries also discussed key issues such as the Taiwan question.

Hayashi's visit to China comes at a crucial juncture when bilateral ties have spiraled down to the "most severe situation" in five decades. Experts see it as offering a window of opportunity for both countries to commit to getting ties back on the right track of managing disputes via dialogue. With Japan yet unable to shake off its distorted views of China and willing to continue to assist the US in containing Beijing, experts said that one visit will unlikely bring substantial changes. The onus is on Tokyo to show more sincerity in improving China-Japan relations, they said.

In his meeting with Hayashi, Premier Li said he wishes that China and Japan can work together to build a relationship that is required by the new era, and he asked Japan to treat China with honesty and credibility. China and Japan are important trade partners, so both sides should realize mutual benefit and achieve win-win cooperation at a higher level, said the Chinese Premier.

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told Hayashi on Sunday that currently China- Japan relations remain stable, yet disturbances emerge sometimes. The fundamental reason, according to Wang, is because some forces in Japan are deliberately following the US' wrong China policy, trying to provoke and smear China's core interests. Such moves are short-sighted strategically, wrong on a political front and unwise in terms of diplomacy.

Peaceful co-existence and friendly cooperation is the only choice for China-Japan relations, China's State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang told Hayashi in Beijing on Sunday. Qin urged Japan to build correct recognition of China, strengthen communication and manage disputes properly in the first in-person meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in more than three years.

In the meeting, Qin and Hayashi discussed core issues that are affecting ties, including Japan's plan to dump Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, Tokyo's recent restrictions on semiconductor equipment exports and the Taiwan question.

Qin said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests, and concerns the political foundation of China-Japan relations. China urged Japan to abide by the principles of the four China-Japan political documents and commitments that have been made so far, and not to interfere with the Taiwan question nor damage China's sovereignty in any form.

Bilateral ties at crossroads

Hayashi's visit, arranged at a juncture where China-Japan relations have nosedived to the "most severe point" since the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations 51 years ago, Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, believes that Premier Li's meeting with the Japanese foreign minister demonstrates that China attaches great importance to this visit, and Beijing's goodwill in pushing bilateral ties back on to a healthy trajectory.

In a meeting with Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese prime minister and former chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia on Friday, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, warned that China has reason to be concerned about the possible regression of Japan's policy toward China and to question whether Japan will continue to adhere to the direction of peaceful development.

Japanese media has been hyping the detention of a Japanese national who is allegedly suspected of espionage in China, describing it as the central task of Hayashi's Beijing visit.

Qin said on Sunday that China will deal with the case according to law.

Implementing consensuses reached by both countries' leaders and settling the discord of bilateral ties are Hayashi's primary tasks. Now the Japanese media has described the visit as one to denounce China, which mirrored the toxic hawkish atmosphere against China that is enveloping Japan, Xiang Haoyu, a research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.

Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have soured in recent years over Japan's provocation on China's bottom line issues such as the Taiwan question. In December 2022, Japan's ruling coalition agreed on a National Security Strategy update that describes China as an "unprecedented strategic challenge."

Moreover, Japan reportedly has enhanced its long-range strike capabilities which are intended to deter China. Its defense budget plans to reach 2 percent of GDP within five years, which breaks through the original 1-percent limit set by its Pacifist Constitution.

With certain positive signs, the Chinese and Japanese defense ministries recently completed a direct telephone line for a maritime and air liaison mechanism. This will contribute to maintaining regional peace and stability, the Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Friday.

However, experts are cautious over whether Hayashi's visit will be a game-changer in improving ties. "One single visit cannot solve all problems. It simply opened the door for restarting dialogues. We don't know whether this opportunity can morph into a substantial improvement," Yang said.

In recent years, Japan has not only grown more paranoid over its relations with China, but also with other neighboring countries, thus it has upped its interaction with non-regional countries to interfere with regional issues, said Xiang, noting that it is a dangerous tendency that is making regional countries nervous.

The third factor

Observers said that Japan's increasing hostility toward China was not only bred by Tokyo's political and military transition, but also fueled by Japan's binding itself to the US' Indo-Pacific strategy to contain China.

On Friday, Japanese officials said the government plans to impose export restrictions on 23 types of equipment used to make semiconductors, following similar curbs by the US designed to restrict China's access to cutting-edge chips in an intensifying battle over the technology.

Qin told Hayashi that the pain of the US' cruel crackdown on the Japanese semi-conductor industry can still be felt by Japan today. Now Japan is wielding the same tactics against China. Qin warned Japan not to help a villain do evil, and that a blockage will only further spur China's determination of self-reliance.

In recent years, Japan's distorted China policy has propelled the country to stand on the US-led small clique's diplomatic frontline of containing China, and now Japan is also following the US to decouple with China economically, Xiang said. "Japan should ask itself, is it the rational way to treat its biggest trade partner and close neighbor?... Such self-destructive deeds may bring serious damage to the Japanese economy," Xiang said.

Talking to the Global Times in an exclusive interview, Fukuda said he disagreed with the idea of so-called decoupling, noting that "it would shrink the world economy and even risk triggering a military conflict, which would not do any good to the world economy."

Yang believes the US factor will continue weighing on Japan's relations with China, but it does not mean that China-Japan relations is heading to a hopeless impasse. "Even the US does not want to bungle China-US relations, as it repeatedly calls for guardrails. Japan also does not want ties with China to go astray. A lousy relation with China does no good to anyone," Yang said.

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Women Seen Targeted by Myanmar Forces With 'Rape and Other Violence'

By Ingyin Naing April 02, 2023

A Myanmar human rights activist told VOA in a recent interview that the ruling junta in Myanmar "is using rape and other violence against women as a bigger part of its campaign to crack down against opposition groups."

May Sabe Phyu organized women's demonstrations in the anti-coup protest movement. She fled Myanmar in April 2021 under threat of arrest and is now a visiting fellow at the Southeast Asia Program at Cornell University. She and other female Myanmar human rights defenders formed the Women Advocacy Coalition Myanmar in May 2021 to strengthen and support the role of women in the anti-coup movement.

She said the junta wants to "scare people, whoever is against the coup, using fear as a weapon and women's bodies as a battlefield."

The National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs and the National Unity Consultative Council Joint Coordination Committee on Gender Policy said in a March 8 joint statement that junta troops have sexually assaulted at least 122 women since the beginning of the coup two years ago. At least 3,125 women have been detained in that time, 15 of whom have been sentenced to life in prison by the junta, and 11 more who face the death penalty, according to the statement.

VOA reached out multiple times by phone to the junta spokesman about the serious allegations in the March 8 statement, but he declined to take the telephone calls or respond to the sexual assault charges leveled at troops.

VOA recently reported on one of the latest examples of sexual violence, where junta troops raided Tar Taing village in the seat of Sagaing region on March 1, killing at least 17 civilians, three of whom were women. The women had been gang-raped by the soldiers before being shot and killed. The attack was seen as part of a recent escalation of violence against civilians by the military junta in Myanmar.

The Thai-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners said in February that more than 4,000 women had been arrested or detained since the beginning of the coup in February 2021. It also said that the number of women killed in the conflict had reached around 400, with some women being killed in military action, or even burned alive. The organization has been documenting arrests and killings in Myanmar since the coup.

The death toll and arrest numbers are based on limited information that can be difficult to collect on the ground in Myanmar. Human rights groups estimate that the number killed could be much higher. The junta has not officially responded to the latest AAPP reports but has in the past rejected the numbers, calling them baseless.

"If we talk about the number of women dying from the ongoing conflict," May Sabe Phyu said, "we should include women who hide in the forest and die in childbirth or [of] disease because of [the] lack of health services. We estimate that the number of women dying in Myanmar as a result of the coup is much higher, but we don't know the true toll yet."

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said last year in its Global Appeal 2023 report, violence against civilians and the intensified armed conflict following the coup has caused tens of thousands of refugees to flee into neighboring countries and has displaced more than 982,000 people within Myanmar. The report estimates there are 1.35 million internally displaced people (IDP) in the country, mainly women and children.

Junta increasingly targets women

"Women have been fearlessly resisting the tyrannical rule of the junta since the beginning of the coup over two years ago. Women are courageous, smart, and in leading roles in the revolution, that's why the junta is targeting us," May Sabe Phyu said in an interview at VOA's Washington headquarters.

"Women are our future leaders," she said. "In Myanmar, as in the rest of the world, women often have to use innovative ways to get noticed. We have been innovative in our resistance to the military's oppression, and now we cannot be denied as a force to be reckoned with, that's why we are being targeted more and more, specifically with sexual violence."

Miemie Winn Byrd, a Burmese American academic and former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, struck a similar note.

"There are more women involved in the resistance movement," she told VOA by Zoom March 29. "You can see more women being arrested and killed, because they're on the front lines, they're a part of the conflict," she said.

"Most of the victims tend to be women," she said, "it's just the anatomy of conflict. Women generally suffer more in conflict than men, and they suffer more when they are arrested because the military uses sexual assault to interrogate, punish and abuse the women in captivity."

In its March 8 statement, the NUG said it would "continue to fight for justice for women whose rights have been violated."

"Myanmar military is no longer acting like a professional military organization," Byrd said. "It has become like an organized crime syndicate, using tactics that are not normal for militaries. They are breaking every human rights law."

Female political prisoners unprotected

According to accounts from VOA sources and news reports, attacks against female prisoners by male prison guards working at Obo prison, in Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, underline the challenges faced by women in Myanmar. The guards reportedly beat the women in captivity, leaving the mostly political prisoners with severe injuries, including head wounds, bruised faces and broken bones.

May Sabe Phyu said the recent reports of attacks inside Obo prison have caused concern among prisoners' family members, who say they also fear retribution by the junta. May Sabe Phyu said using men to guard female prisoners is against Myanmar's prison code, something many other activists and human rights watchers say.

According to the Myanmar prison rule book published in 1992, male guards are not allowed to enter dormitories housing female inmates without the presence of female guards. VOA contacted prison authorities by phone about the assault allegations but have yet to receive a response.

Women on the front lines

Women are playing a critical role in the current anti-coup resistance movement in Myanmar, Byrd said.

Research data, she said, shows that about 60% of resistance forces are made up of women.

"Many are involved in fundraising and are involved in information operations online. Also, much of the logistics as well as humanitarian assistance delivery is provided by women," she said.

"In previous resistance movements, [in Myanmar] women were there," Byrd said, but much less than 50%.

"The amount, the level of women that are involved today is amazing, unseen before. The protests were actually started by women, initially. They have evolved into armed resistance, and now women are behind the armed resistance as well," she said.

Gabriela Sagun, program specialist for the Burma and Southeast Asia programs at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), agrees with Byrd.

"Young women have been instrumental to the resistance movement," she wrote in an online publication for USIP, "with some fighting in the all-women PDF [Peoples Defense Forces] unit, Myaung Women Warriors, and others joining fledgling security and police groups to help stifle injustice in Burmese society. In urban areas, women help to move supplies to the front lines."

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Russian War Correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky Killed in Blast at St. Petersburg Cafe

Sputnik News

20230402

Ilya Tsukanov

The veteran Donetsk-born blogger, journalist, and war correspondent was 40 years old.

Russian war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed. The circumstances of the blast are being established.

Earlier, a source told Sputnik that the blast was thought to have been caused by an explosive device brought into the cafe by a female patron.

The emergency services told Sputnik that one person was killed and 19 injured in the explosion. Authorities said the blast was not followed by fire. The explosion caused extensive damage to the cafe.

Tatarsky, 40, was a well-known former military commander and a war correspondent with hundreds of thousands of subscribers on Russian social media. Born in Makeevka, Donetsk region to a family of coal miners in April 1982, Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, took the pseudonym from a novel by popular Russian author Viktor Pelevin.

Tatarksy joined the Donbass People's Militia in the wake of the Maidan coup and attempts by the new authorities in Kiev to crush independence-seeking forces in Donetsk and Lugansk by force. He served in the DPR's Vityaz Regiment, in the reconnaissance company of the LPR's Fourth Brigade, and in the DPR's Vostok Battalion. He left the military in 2019, settling in Moscow. He returned to Donbass in February 2022 after Russia began its special military operation, making a series of reports from the front. Before the conflict began in 2014, Tatarsky worked for several years as a coal miner, eventually going into business as a furniture salesman. He got into trouble with the law after getting into debt with the bank, and a 2011 bank robbery landed him in prison. He escaped from jail and joined the militias in late summer of 2014, receiving a pardon from the late DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko. He later published a series of books, including "Running," an autobiography.

A Sputnik

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VOA Interview: Latvian FM Says Russia Must Be Shown Nuclear Blackmail Won't Work

By Eka Maghaldadze April 02, 2023

On March 29 Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, along with several other counties, marked 19 years since they joined NATO. All three Baltic nations have long warned of the Kremlin's imperialistic ambitions and the looming threat it poses to countries throughout the region.

Over the last year, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius a Europe's most staunch supporters of transatlantic integration for both Ukraine and Georgia a have been among the largest direct supporters of Ukraine's military in terms of GDP.

During a stopover in Washington to meet with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told VOA's Georgian Service Wednesday that Russia's decision to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is an act of desperation on the part of the Kremlin and calls the very sovereignty of Belarus into question. He also explains why he believes providing Kyiv with the ability to strike bases within Russia is a means to de-escalate the war.

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

VOA: March 29 marked 19 years since Latvia's accession to NATO. Visiting Washington after 101 years of formal diplomatic ties with the U.S., what are the key issues and challenges that you discussed with this strategic partner?

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics: The main topics we're discussing with all the people I'm meeting here is about Russia's aggression against Ukraine and how to better help Ukraine. I think that we are in a year that [will prove] very decisive. Our position is that we must provide Ukraine with all the weapons and ammunition they're asking for. Then, of course, we need sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

We also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius a how to proceed from [the 2022 NATO summit in] Madrid to [the upcoming 2023 NATO summit in] Vilnius and beyond. Apart from that, definitely there are also some areas that we believe we should pay closer attention: Moldova, the Caucasus, countries in the Central Asia.

VOA: Visiting Riga last year, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Baltic States have "formed a democratic wall" in Europe. After 13 months Russia's of the full-scale war in Ukraine, where do things stand right now for Baltic and European security?

Rinkevics: I think that there are three major challenges that we need to tackle. One is the immediate challenge that is war in Europe; to stop Russia, to help Ukraine to liberate its territory. Helping Ukraine win is in the interest of Europe, the United States and the globe. If we fail and Ukraine fails, then it's an incentive for [aggressors] to do the same things all over the world. It's also very important that we continue implementing all those decisions that we made [at the 2022 NATO summit] in Madrid. [Europe's] eastern flank needs more troops, more weapons, hard military security is important. And finally, the most challenging thing is how you actually look at the challenges in our societies, how to fight disinformation and propaganda; how to strengthen the resilience of our societies.

VOA: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. What do you think this means at this point of the war and how should the West respond? Do you think the placement of nuclear weapons in Belarus might increase calls to avoid "unnecessary escalation" or "provocation" of Moscow?

Rinkevics: Frankly, when it comes from a hard security point of view, this is not going to fundamentally change the military security and situation. The Russians had nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad near our borders already before the full-scale invasion in Ukraine. I believe this is the act of desperation, because you see that the war in Ukraine is not going well for Mr. Putin. Not [just for] three days, not three weeks, not three months, Russian troops have not been able to capture any significant city in Ukraine. I believe this is just a continuation of the nuclear blackmail that we've seen in the last year. In my opinion, this kind of announcement clearly shows that Belarus is not a sovereign country. It's actually part of a Russian military district. And we need to impose more sanctions on both Russia and Belarus, simply to make a point that this blackmail, these moves aren't going to work.

On the other hand, I think that this kind of rhetoric is not as influential as probably one could think. Assuming that if we do not help Ukraine, Russia is going to stop and won't escalate is completely wrong. Russia is escalating, and it's not going to de-escalate simply if someone thinks that not providing Ukraine with means of defense would help the political process. The goal of Putin is not to sit at the negotiation table a the goal of Putin is to take over Ukraine, to [ethnically] cleanse it, to perpetrate all those atrocities revealed in territories since liberated by Ukraine.

VOA: Long-range missiles and fighter jets are still a priority for Ukraine, and yet the U.S. seems hesitant to provide weapons that could be used to strike Russian soil. Many believe it's unfair to limit Ukraine in that regard. Where does Latvia stand on this?

Rinkevics: Let's not forget that shelling Ukrainian cities and villages with all kinds of ammunition is something that Russians have actually been doing since 2014. I have no reason to argue that Ukraine does not have this right to respond in a proper way to stop the aggression. I don't believe [providing Ukraine with long-range missile and fighter jets] is escalatory. If Russia and Mr. Putin can comprehend that there is no winning for them, then that would most probably lead to de-escalation. I'm in that camp that firmly believes that providing Ukraine with all kinds of weapons systems and ammunition is the right thing to do and we should not prevent Ukraine from using military equipment or weapons for legitimate defense. And legitimate defense does not mean only the territory of Ukraine, but, yes, striking military bases in Russia. It is completely legitimate. It's exactly what Russia currently does in Ukraine.

VOA: Visiting Kyiv last month, President Joe Biden said that "Vladimir Putin hoped to outlast us [the West], but he's been plain wrong." Many in Western democracies are worried about so-called Ukraine fatigue indicated by some recent opinion polls. Do you think Western resolve may weaken and reach its limits in the near future?

Rinkevics: Russia really counts on this fatigue, counts on the change of course. We are all democratic countries, and we have elections. There are many pressing issues that democratic countries have to discuss. Of course, military operations could become an object of criticism. Russia now is counting that it may use a lot of its own people, to kill them just for the goal of restoring the Russian empire. Right now, the biggest threat for Russia is next year with the series of elections, including in Russia.

But I think that what we really need is what we call strategic endurance. I think that President Biden is right. Russia so far has failed politically, militarily and frankly, even in blackmailing. We need to find a way to overcome this fatigue, how to endure this. But I'm confident that with all those challenges, we will withstand.

Interview conducted by VOA's Georgian Service.

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China decorates immigration administration police officers

Xinhua) 12:54, April 03, 2023

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 8,487 police officers from China's immigration administration organs were awarded medals in commemoration of their exemplary work in guarding China's border regions.

The medals were presented by the National Immigration Administration and its subsidiary immigration administration departments.

This marks the first time the country presented the medal, an honorary award for immigration administration workers. It was established after being approved by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

As per regulations, from this year on, the medals will be awarded annually to immigration administration police officers who have served in remote and harsh areas of border regions. Officers who have given 10, 20 and 30 years of service will be awarded bronze, silver and gold medals respectively.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Ambassador: Russia will move tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus border 'despite noise in Europe, US'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 April 2023 3:06 AM

Russia's ambassador to Belarus says his country is bent on moving its tactical nuclear weapons close to the border with Belarus, placing them nearer than ever before to threshold of US-led military alliance of NATO.

Boris Gryzlov's Sunday remarks came after Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced in late March that Moscow will station its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which together with Russia are part of a "union state."

Later the same month, Belarus indicated its readiness to host Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, saying such a move would show the two nations' readiness to defend their "sovereignty and independence."

The weapons "will be moved to the western border of our union state and will increase the possibilities to ensure security," Gryzlov told Belarusian state television, adding, "This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States."

The Russian ambassador, however, did not specify where the weapons will be stationed, but confirmed that a storage facility will be completed, as ordered by Putin, by July 1 and then moved to the west of Belarus.

The US and many other Western countries have already expressed concern about the possibility that Russia would send tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, with American President Joe Biden saying it was "worrisome."

Putin, however, argued that the deployment would not breach the nonproliferation agreements, noting that the US has been stationing its nuclear weapons in Europe for decades.

"There is nothing unusual here, either..., the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries," Putin said.

According to his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, Minsk has already ordered its military to restore the facilities used to store the Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles and served as their potential launch sites during the Soviet era, in an apparent move to prepare his country to host the Russian nukes.

Still according to Putin, Russia will build a special storage facility for its tactical weapons in Belarus, the construction of which will end by the beginning of July.

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Iran military advisor succumbs to injuries after Zionist attack in Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 2, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced that Meghdad Mahghani Jafarabadi, who was wounded in Friday's attack by the Zionist regime near Damascus, has succumbed to his injuries.

On Sunday, the IRGC issued a statement to confirm the martyrdom of the military advisor following suffering from wounds during a heinous Friday morning attack by the Zionist regime in the suburb of the Syrian capital.

Undoubtedly, the crime committed by the fake and criminal regime will not be unanswered and the Zionist regime will pay the price for the martyrdom of the IRGC military advisor, the statement added.

The Iranian military advisor, who was part of Iran's advisory mission in Syria at the official request of the government in Damascus, was targeted near the Syrian capital early Friday.

The IRGC expressed condolences to the family and friends of the revered martyr, declaring that a mourning ceremony will be held Sunday afternoon.

Another IRGC military advisor named Milad Heydari was martyred in a criminal strike by bombers of the Zionist regime on a Syrian military base near Damascus on Friday morning.

Heydari and Mahghani Jafarabadi will be buried in Hamedan and Golestan provinces respectively on Wednesday.

4208**7129

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Funeral held for Iranian military advisor martyred in Syria

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Apr 2, 2023

Damascus, IRNA -- Comrades of Iranian military advisor Milad Heydari, who was martyred in an Israeli attack, have held a funeral ceremony for the martyr at Sayyidah Ruqayyah Mosque in Damascus, Syria.

A number of Iranian military advisors, Shrine defender Fatemiyoun warriors, and officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran took part in the ceremony on Sunday.

Milad Heydari was martyred in a criminal strike by bombers of the Zionist regime on a Syrian military base near Damascus on Friday morning.

The 32-year-old martyr was one of the officers of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), who played a military advisory role in Syria at the official request of the government in Damascus. The martyr has left behind a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.

The IRGC issued a statement on Saturday, condemned the brutal attack and the silence of the international in dealing with the reiteration of aggressions by the Zionist regime.

According to the statement, the criminal and fake regime will receive a proper response to the heinous act.

Two other IRGC military advisors were martyred near Damascus on November 23, 2022.

4208**7129

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Syrian delegation in Moscow to partake in Ankara-Damascus normalization talks

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 11:04 PM

A high-ranking Syrian delegation has arrived in the Russian capital to take part in quadrilateral talks aimed at normalizing relations between Damascus and Ankara.

The Syrian delegation, which arrived in Moscow on Sunday, is headed by deputy foreign minister, Ayman Sousan, Syria's official SANA news agency reported.

Sousan was quoted by SANA as saying that the Syrian delegation will first hold bilateral meetings with the Russian and Iranian sides on April 3, before participating in the quadripartite meeting on April 4.

The official said the Syrian delegates will focus specifically on ending Turkey's military presence in the Arab country, the fight against terrorism, and non-interference in Syria's internal affairs by other countries.

Upon its arrival in Moscow, the Syrian delegation was received by the country's ambassador to Russia, Bashar al-Jaafari.

Last Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said a quadrilateral meeting to be attended by deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syria will be held in Moscow soon as a major step to help normalize ties between Ankara and Damascus.

"We are getting ready [for a meeting]. I think that [it will be held] soon. We are hoping," Bogdanov told Russia's TASS news agency, adding, "We are hoping that our mediating mission, which is directed at a very important strategic goal - the normalization of Syrian-Turkish relations - will result in our shared success."

Turkey severed its relations with Syria in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of deadly violence waged by foreign-backed militants, including those allegedly supported by Ankara.

Now, after 11 years, the two neighboring countries are taking steps toward reconciliation.

Last December, defense ministers and intelligence chiefs of Russia, Turkey and Syria met in Moscow in what was the highest-level meeting between Ankara and Damascus since the outbreak of the foreign-backed militancy in Syria.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has made any meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, conditional on Turkey's withdrawal from northern Syria.

"(Any meeting) is linked to our reaching the point when Turkey is ready - fully and without any uncertainty - for a complete withdrawal from Syrian territory," he told Russia's state-run RIA-Novosti news agency.

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IRGC warns Israel will 'pay heavy price' after second military advisor martyred in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 02 April 2023 6:16 AM

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has issued a warning to the Israeli regime on Sunday, vowing retaliation for the killing of two of its military advisers in Syria in an Israeli airstrike near Syria's capital.

Earlier in the day, Iran's IRIB News reported that an Iranian military adviser injured in the Friday airstrike succumbed to his wounds, becoming the second to fall victim to Israeli aggression.

Following the death of the second adviser, identified as Meghdad Mehghani, the IRGC issued a statement pledging that "Undoubtedly, the fake and criminal Zionist regime will receive a response to its heinous crime."

The strike, the sixth Israeli attack since the beginning of March, had killed Milad Heidari, an IRGC advisor who died in the attack on the suburbs of Damascus.

The IRGC had issued a similar warning after it declared Heidari was killed in the airstrike.

According to the Syrian news agency SANA, Israeli fighter jets entered Syrian territory from the northern occupied Golan Heights very early on Friday morning at 00:17 Damascus Local Time. They targeted a facility in the suburbs of Damascus.

In a statement on Friday morning, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes, lamenting the international community's failure to adopt appropriate and deterrent measures against the Tel Aviv regime's acts of aggression on Syria, which target civilian airports and even residential neighborhoods.

"Such an approach has emboldened the regime to continue violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent country and a member of the United Nations, and to persist in committing crimes against its citizens and military forces," he said.

"The latest Israeli airstrike on Syria is a blatant and repeated violation of international law and principles, a move by the regime to divert attention from internal crises and deep divisions within its society, as well as a testament to Israel's dissatisfaction with growing stability in Syria and the recent rapprochement between the war-torn Arab country and world countries," explained Kan'ani.

Known as one of the main supporters of terrorist groups that have battled the government of President Bashar al-Assad since foreign-backed militancy erupted in Syria in early 2011, the Israeli regime frequently violate Syrian sovereignty and target military positions.

The targets usually include residential buildings. Military positions especially those of the Hezbollah resistance movement, which has played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists, are also frequently hit by Israeli strikes.

Israel largely remains silent about the attacks. Damascus has repeatedly complained to the UN over Israeli assaults, urging the Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv's crimes. The calls have, however, fallen on deaf ears.

Iran maintains an advisory mission in the Arab country, helping it in the face of foreign-backed terrorism. Back in 2017, the advisory assistance helped Syria vanquish the Takfiri terrorist group of Daesh.

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Syria, Egypt Holding Talks on Restoring Diplomatic Relations

Sputnik News

20230402

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Damascus and Cairo are in advanced discussions to restore full diplomatic ties, and a top-level meeting is expected soon, The Wall Street Journal reports citing sources.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al Sisi could meet in the near future, after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends, the sources told the newspaper on Saturday.

According to the sources, Syrian and Egyptian officials are expected to discuss Syria's possible return to the Arab League over the weekend. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011.

On Saturday, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad arrived in Cairo to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry. The two ministers had a closed-door meeting and then held talks with the countries' delegations, agreeing to boost bilateral communication channels.

Mekdad's visit to Egypt marks the first visit by a top Syrian official to the country since 2011.

A Sputnik

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Five Syrian Soldiers Injured in Israeli Attack in Homs Province

Sputnik News

20230402

CAIRO (Sputnik) - Five Syrian service members were injured as a result of the Israeli air attack in Syria's Homs Governorate, the Syrian Defense Ministry informs.

Late on Saturday night, Syrian state broadcaster Al-Ikhbariyah (Alikhbaria TV) said that Syrian air defense systems were repelling an Israeli attack in the province of Homs and that some of the missiles were shot down.

"Today, at about 00:35 [21:35 GMT on Saturday], the Israeli enemy carried out air aggression from the direction northeast of Beirut, hitting some locations in the city of Homs and the province. Our air defense systems reacted to the aggressor's missiles and shot down some of them. As a result of the aggression, five soldiers were injured, some material damage was inflicted," the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, Syrian radio Sham FM said that at least four Syrian service members were injured as a result of the missile attack.

The missile attack is the third Israeli attack on Syria since Thursday.

A Sputnik

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F-16V collision avoidance system final test due next year: Source

ROC Central News Agency

04/02/2023 02:43 PM

Taipei, April 2 (CNA) An American-made Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS) that Taiwan bought for its F-16V fighter jets is scheduled to undergo final testing next year, before going online, a source told CNA Sunday.

Taiwan's military signed a contract on April 2021 with the United States to install the GCAS on the F-16Vs, with initial testing starting in November that year, and integration testing is still in progress.

Once that is completed, a final installation testing of the GCAS system on the F-16s will be carried out in Taiwan in 2024 by the U.S. Air Force, before the system officially goes online, according to the source, who asked not to be named.

The Auto GCAS was purpose-built to reduce incidents of what is known as Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), according to the U.S.-based defense technology company Lockheed Martin that co-designed the system with the U.S. Air Force and NASA.

Since the system was implemented in the U.S. Air Force in late 2014, it has been credited with nine saves -- 10 pilots in nine F-16s, according to Lockheed Martin's website.

Taiwan's Air Force disclosed in January 2022 that it had bought the Auto GCAS for its F-16Vs, after it lost one of the aircraft and its pilot in a crash.

The F-16V, piloted by Chen Yi (ea), disappeared from the military's radar at 3:23 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2022, about 30 minutes after it took off from Chiayi Air Base on a routine training mission with another aircraft.

The F-16V had just completed a series of simulated missile launches when it abruptly nosedived into the sea near the Aogu Wetlands (eea), according to the pilot of the other aircraft and a ground controller.

Chen's body was found three days later, and an autopsy revealed that the 27-year-old had died from multiple blunt force trauma caused by a high-speed impact.

An ad hoc team was subsequently assembled to investigate the cause of the crash, but their findings have not yet been released by the Air Force.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/pc

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Ex-president tells Chinese students ROC Constitution covers Taiwan, mainland

ROC Central News Agency

04/02/2023 10:03 PM

Changsha, China, April 2 (CNA) Former Republic of China (Taiwan) President Ma Ying-jeou () told a group of Chinese students in the Chinese city of Changsha on Sunday that Taiwan and mainland China are "both China" under an amendment to the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution.

"Our country amended the Constitution," Ma told 28 Taiwanese students and 32 Chinese students when they met at Hunan University in Changsha on the seventh day of his trip to the mainland.

"In our definition, our country has been divided into two parts, one is the Taiwan area, and the other is the mainland area. Both are part of our Republic of China, both are China," he said.

Ma further explained how Taiwan and the Chinese mainland are defined in the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area introduced in Taiwan in September 1992.

Article 2 of the law states that "the Taiwan area" refers to Taiwan proper, and the island groups of Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, while "the mainland area" means "our territory" excluding the aforementioned islands, said the former president.

Ma's mentioning of the ROC Constitution in China is likely to be seen as a sensitive topic by China, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and objects to any actions that suggest Taiwan is a sovereign country.

Ma has made several mentions of the ROC (Taiwan's official name) during his China visit, but all of those mentions have been censored by China's state-run CCTV.

On Friday, Ma said he was elected twice as ROC president when he paid his respect to his ancestors in Xiangtan, Hunan Province.

Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials and lawmakers have strongly criticized Ma's trip, accusing him of undermining Taiwan's sovereignty and "betraying Taiwan."

The DPP has urged Ma to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping () to protest against Chinese military threats directed at Taiwan.

Ma is the first former ROC president to go to the Chinese mainland.

During his speech at Hunan University on Sunday, Ma also mentioned the claim that "Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China" made in the preamble to the PRC's 1982 constitution.

Constitutions in both Taiwan and the Chinese mainland state that the two areas "belong to one China," said Ma, who was Republic of China president from 2008-2016.

The two sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same culture and insist that there is only "one China" in the world, despite their different government systems and policies, he said.

Ma said he hopes everyone will make the best possible effort to ensure Taiwan and the mainland can engage in truthful and sincere exchanges, instead of unnecessarily widening the gap between the two sides.

During his current visit to mainland China, the 72-year-old former president of the opposition Kuomintang has on several public occasions mentioned the ROC, which was founded in the mainland in 1912. The ROC government relocated to Taiwan after losing the civil war against the Chinese Communist Party in 1949.

Ma began his visit to several Chinese cities on March 27 and went to Nanjing and Wuhan before arriving in Changsha on Saturday. He will next travel to Chongqing on Monday then Shanghai on Wednesday and is scheduled to return to Taiwan on April 7.

(By Lu Chia-jung and Kay Liu)

Enditem/AW

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PLA holds intensive drills prior to Tsai's planned meeting with McCarthy

Global Times

PLA holds intensive drills, commissions new weapons prior to Tsai's planned meeting with McCarthy

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 02, 2023 07:13 PM

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces close to the island of Taiwan recently held intensive maritime and air exercises and commissioned new weapons and equipment prior to Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen's planned meeting with US house speaker McCarthy in the US later this week.

At sea, a flotilla consisting of the Type 054A frigate Xiangtan, the Type 052D destroyer Taiyuan and the Sovremenny-class destroyer Taizhou attached to the PLA Eastern Theater Command Navy recently carried out a realistic combat-oriented exercise in the East China Sea, the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a press release on Sunday.

During the joint exercise, the flotilla practiced more than a dozen training subjects including anti-submarine, anti-ship, live-fire shooting and joint maritime search and rescue, which boosted the sailors' decision-making and coordination capabilities.

In the air, Su-30 and J-10 fighter jets attached to an aviation force under the PLA Eastern Theater Command recently carried out a confrontational air combat drill at midnight, according to another press release the PLA Eastern Theater Command published on Saturday.

The air drill, focusing on regional air defense, air assault under cover and air superiority seizing, enhanced the pilots' all-weather, round-the-clock combat capabilities.

In the meantime, armed forces on the island of Taiwan detected increased PLA aircraft and vessel activities around the island over the past few days, including 18 PLA aircraft and four PLA vessels on Saturday and 10 PLA aircraft and three PLA vessels on Sunday, with many of them crossing the non-existent "median line" of the Taiwan Straits, according to press releases issued by the defense authority on the island.

On the land, a combined arms brigade of the PLA 73rd Group Army based in the eastern part of South China's Guangdong Province recently received delivery of a large number of Type 08 wheeled armored vehicles, which is a main equipment to be used in rapid-reaction combat including rapid deployment and mobilized assault missions, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.

The intensive PLA drills and weaponry commissioning came at a time when Tsai is on her trip to Guatemala and Belize, transiting the US in the process. She is reportedly scheduled to meet McCarthy during her return transit in the US later this week.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese mainland military expert, told the Global Times that if Tsai does meet McCarthy, the PLA will resolutely respond similarly to when then US house speaker Nancy Pelosi provocatively visited the island of Taiwan in August 2022.

Large-scale drills and combat patrols around the island of Taiwan are among possible measures, Fu said.

The PLA likely has a series of contingency plans corresponding to what Tsai could say and do, and its countermeasures will be resolute in deterring "Taiwan independence" and foreign interference forces, another Chinese mainland expert told the Global Times on Sunday, requesting anonymity.

The PLA is ready at all time to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the expert said.

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TArkiye's 1st nuclear plant reflects Ankara's willingness to deepen energy ties with Moscow

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:40, April 03, 2023

ANKARA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- TArkiye is set to inaugurate the first unit of its Russian-built nuclear power plant in late April by loading nuclear fuel, a step towards boosting national energy security and strengthening energy ties with Moscow, experts said.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, currently under construction in TArkiye's southern Mersin Province, will be the country's first nuclear power plant. Akkuyu will be operational for 60 years, plus a possible 20-year extension, until its decommissioning.

During an interview with private broadcaster ATV on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the fuel-loading ceremony will be held on April 27 in Akkuyu.

Power production at the plant is set to begin later this year, likely in late October, public broadcaster TRT reported last month, citing energy ministry officials.

Erdogan also said on Wednesday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin might either travel to Mersin in person or attend the ceremony via teleconference.

In 2010, the two countries reached a deal to let Russia's state company Rosatom build and operate the Akkuyu plant, which is designed with four nuclear reactor units, each with a capacity to generate 1,200 MW of electricity.

Under the deal, the Akkuyu plant was to be constructed with a Russian capital of 20 billion U.S. dollars.

The construction began in 2018 and is scheduled to complete in 2026. Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce annually 35 billion kWh of electricity to meet approximately 10 percent of domestic electricity needs, Erdogan said in March 2021 at the groundbreaking ceremony of the plant's third unit.

TArkiye aims to take steps for a second and third nuclear plant "as soon as possible", Erdogan also said in September that year.

"TArkiye's electricity energy needs are growing and will continue to increase considerably in the coming years," Murat LeCompte, an Istanbul-based energy expert, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He said that nuclear energy is effective because the amount of energy it provides is incomparable with other traditional sources.

According to the lastest data from the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, coal has a 34.6-percent share in TArkiye's electricity generation, followed by natural gas, 22.2 percent, and hydropower, 20.6 percent.

"Most of TArkiye's energy sources are imported, with a heavy cost on the country's finances, therefore a nuclear plant operating on its soil will contribute to the nation's energy security," said LeCompte.

TArkiye is heavily dependent on imports to meet its energy needs, with Russia being a large source for years.

Russia's share in TArkiye's natural gas imports was 33 percent in 2019 and 2020, declining from more than 60 percent in 2005, according to data released by the energy ministry in February.

The Akkuyu plant has deep political significance for TArkiye aside from its aspiration toward energy independence, as the project symbolizes the growing relationship between NATO member TArkiye and Russia.

"The fact that a huge and very strategic project with 100 percent Russian capital is built in a NATO country is extremely symbolic in reflecting the diversifying and deepening dimension of Turkish-Russian relations," Kerim Has, a Moscow-based analyst on Russian affairs, told Xinhua.

The inauguration of Akkuyu comes at a time when NATO and European Union countries have imposed sanctions on Russia for launching its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

Ankara has refused to sanction Russia, with which it has strengthened cooperation in some sectors over the past few years despite Western criticism.

"When the Western bloc is imposing sanctions on Russia, the construction of Akkuyu is not disrupted. It demonstrates Ankara and Moscow's willingness to maintain their ties despite differences on the Ukraine conflict," Has said.

According to the analyst, Akkuyu can also serve as a project to help prevent ups and downs of TArkiye-Russia relations in the long run, especially in a global world order currently characterized by major transformations.

The nuclear plant is also important for Erdogan politically, as he is running as a presidential candidate for the May 14 general elections, while the country is struggling with economic woes and the huge recovery costs of the Feb. 6 earthquakes, according to analysts.

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Around Two Dozen Civilians Killed In Russian Shelling Of Eastern Ukraine

By RFE/RL April 02, 2023

Ukrainian officials say about two dozen civilians were killed and wounded as Russia continued its shelling of civilian-populated areas in the east and south of the country.

At least three civilians were killed and eight wounded in Russian shelling of Kostyantynivka, a city in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media on April 2.

"Russians have carried out massive shelling of the town of Kostyantynivka," Yermak said on Telegram, adding that 16 apartment buildings, eight private houses, a kindergarten, and an administrative building had been damaged in the attacks.

Another civilian was killed and two others injured in Russian shelling of the Kherson region, the regional military administration said in a statement on April 2.

"The Russian Army attacked the residential quarters of Kherson six times. Shells hit private apartment buildings," the statement said.

The head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, also reported that at least 10 civilians had been wounded in Russian attacks in the region.

"On April 1, the Russians injured five residents of Donetsk region: three in Toretsk and two in Bakhmut."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on April 2 said in his nightly video address that the military situation in the Bakhmut area was "especially hot."

"On April 1, the Russians injured five residents of Donetsk region: three in Toretsk and two in Bakhmut."

Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Russian, Ukrainian, and Western sources, said in its latest update that Moscow had "failed" in its winter offensive that was aimed at seizing all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by March 31.

And separately, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, listed in a Facebook post a series of measures the Kyiv government could undertake when and if the country reclaims control of Crimea -- highlighted by the dismantling of the bridge that links the peninsula to Russia.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Reuters and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-shelling-ukraine-dozens- civilians/32345926.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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British Intelligence Cites Alcohol Abuse As Contributor To Russian Losses In Ukraine

By RFE/RL April 02, 2023

The British Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on April 2 that alcohol abuse was among the noncombat causes of many deaths among Russian troops deployed in Ukraine.

"While Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes," the ministry said on Twitter.

It noted a recent Russian Telegram news channel report of "extremely high" numbers of incidents, crimes and deaths linked to alcohol consumption among the deployed Russian troops.

"However, with heavy drinking pervasive across much of Russian society, it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations," the intelligence update said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/british-intelligence-cites- alcohol-abuse-russian-losses/32345930.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Zelenskiy Calls Russia's UN Security Council Presidency 'Absurd'

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 02, 2023

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has blasted Russia's assumption of the presidency of the UN Security Council as an "absurd and destructive" development and said that it proves "the complete bankruptcy of international institutions."

Speaking late on April 1, Zelenskiy said " those responsible for terror" should not be allowed to preside over international bodies.

"The Russian Army killed another Ukrainian child, a 5-month-old boy from Avdiyivka.... And at the same time, Russia presides over the UN Security Council," Zelenskiy said.

Separately, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the European Union will stand against any abuse during Russia's presidency of the United Nations Security Council during the month of April.

"Despite being a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia continuously violates the very essence of the UN legal framework," Borrell said on Twitter late on April 1.

"The EU will stand against any abuse by [the] Russian presidency," he said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia's assumption of the presidency "a slap in the face to the international community." He urged other members of the UN Security Council to prevent Moscow from abusing its presidency.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak said the move was "another rape of international law."

"An entity that wages an aggressive war, violates the norms of humanitarian and criminal law, destroys the UN Charter, [and] neglects nuclear safety can't head the world's key security body," Podolyak said on Twitter.

Russia took over the monthlong chairmanship of the UN Security Council on April 1 for the first time since February 2022 when it launched its unprovoked war on Ukraine.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine violated the UN Charter, which requires states to refrain from using force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state.

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution days after the invasion began demanding that Russia immediately end its war in Ukraine. Russia blocked a similar resolution from passing in the Security Council.

Russia's presidency of the UN Security Council also follows an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing him of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, which constitutes a war crime.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/zelenskiy-russia-un-security- council-ukraine/32345772.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian Foreign Ministry Says Seizure of Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Illegitimate, Immoral

Sputnik News

20230402

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The situation with the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is the Kiev authorities' illegitimate act from the legal point of view and an immoral act from the spiritual point of view, the Russian Foreign Ministry says.

"The seizure of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is an act of the current authorities in Kiev that is illegitimate from a legal and immoral from a spiritual point of view. It is more indicative than many other steps of the regime and its rhetoric, it proves its criminal nature, readiness to disregard the feelings and, most importantly, the rights of people, including citizens of Ukraine," the ministry said on Telegram.

The ministry stressed that the regime of President Volodymyr Zelensky is not independent in its anti-clerical policy, the split of Orthodoxy is a goal being pursued by Washington.

"At many levels, ecclesiastical and secular authorities drew the attention of the world's ecclesiastical and international communities to the current new round of violations of the civil rights of believers ... The lack of a decisive reaction on the part of addressees from among the leaders of international organizations is very significant," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, referring to appeals made by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to several ecclesiastical leaders and representatives of international organizations, including the United Nations, not to allow monks to get evicted from the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Tensions between Kiev and the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) escalated after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

On March 10, 2023, UOC monks were ordered to leave the monastery of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, (jurisdiction over which was divided between a Ukrainian cultural organization and the UOC) by March 29 for violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Lavra if they joined the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), a decision that may be "stimulated through the joint work of specialists and law enforcement officers."

On Saturday, a court in Kiev put Metropolitan Bishop Pavel, vicegerent of the contested Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, under house arrest for 60 days and barred him from communicating with believers. Ukrainian authorities conducted searches in his house.

A Sputnik

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Russian Forces Repel Combined Strike of Ukrainian Troops: MoD

Sputnik News

20230402

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian forces have repelled a combined strike of multiple launch rocket systems of Ukrainian troops in the south Donetsk direction and have destroyed two Ukrainian reconnaissance groups, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

"In the south Donetsk direction, combined missile strikes involving two rockets of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system [MLRS] and three projectiles of the Smerch MLRS were repelled. The crews of the S-300 and Buk anti-aircraft missile systems destroyed all targets," the spokesperson said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian forces have also shot down three Ukrainian drones.

In the south Donetsk direction, Russian troops have thwarted "two attempts by the enemy to carry out reconnaissance by force," "a reconnaissance group was destroyed, and up to 20 militants were eliminated," the defense ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

In addition, in the Zaporozhye direction, an attempt by Ukrainian forces to send a sabotage and reconnaissance group to the rear of Russian troops was thwarted and five militants were killed, the spokesperson said.

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, after the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.

On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia.

Western countries have significantly increased their economic and military support for Kiev, which now includes air defense and multiple rocket launching systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles and various types of ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in January that arms supplies to Ukraine by Western countries testify to their direct and growing involvement in the conflict.

A Sputnik

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Rashism must face a total defeat: military, economic, political, legal - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

2 April 2023 - 19:57

Ukrainians!

Today, Russian terrorists again struck at Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. At ordinary residential blocks. Six people were killed by this Russian shelling. Three women, three men. Ordinary people of an ordinary town in Donbas. My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased...

Another 11 people were wounded. Russia used S-300 missiles and the Uragan MLRS against Kostiantynivka.

This morning, Russian terrorists also attacked the Konotop district of the Sumy region. Mortar fire. Two people were killed. My condolences to all relatives, friends, all families...

These are just a few examples of dozens of hits per day. There is only one way to stop Russian terror, to restore security to all our cities and communities - from Sumy region to Donbas, from Kharkiv region to Kherson region, from Kyiv region to Yalta. And this is Ukraine's military victory. There is no other way and there will be no other way.

The evil state for which it has become the norm to hit residential buildings with "Uragan" like this, to launch S-300 missiles at cities, to shell ordinary villages, people... The evil state must be defeated. In every sense of the word. Rashism must face a total defeat: military, economic, political, legal. The first point is military. And it will face it.

I thank everyone who brings this time closer! I am grateful to our warriors who are fighting near Avdiivka, Maryinka, near Bakhmut... Especially Bakhmut! It's especially hot there today! Near Bilohorivka, near Kreminna and all our other cities, towns and villages of Donbas! The resilience of everyone is the resilience of the whole of Ukraine, helping everyone in a position nearby is helping the whole of Ukraine!

And I would especially like to mention the 77th separate airmobile brigade, the 67th and 92nd separate mechanized brigades, our paratroopers of the "Eightieth", the 5th separate assault brigade... Thank you, guys!

Marines of the 35th and 36th brigades, gunners of the 55th separate brigade, the 64th and 66th separate gun divisions of the 406th artillery brigade... Thank you, warriors!

Thank you to everyone who protects Zaporizhzhia, Kherson region, the direction of the Dnipropetrovsk region and Kharkiv, Sumy region and Chernihiv region... To everyone who protects our border. Who saves our people from injuries, from pain.

Of course I would like to separately thank everyone who trains our warriors, as it is on powerful training that a successful combat result is based.

Today, April 2, we celebrate the anniversary of the liberation of our Kyiv region from the rashist army. On April 2, the last occupier fled from the territory of the Kyiv region.

There will be a day when we will say: the last occupier has fled or been killed in the Donetsk region, Luhansk region, Kherson region and in our entire south. Crimea will be free and safe again. Ukraine will return all its territories.

Next week will be especially important for our defense, for our advancement towards victory. We are already preparing for scheduled events and decisions.

The key thing now is to cherish our unity, take care of our defenders, help each other and the state.

Glory to all who are now fighting for Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Did you lose money on investments in Lumen Technologies? If so, please visit Lumen Technologies, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.



NEW YORK, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the common stock of Lumen Technologies, Inc. (Lumen or the Company) (NYSE: LUMN) between September 14, 2020 and February 7, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Lumen is a technology and communications company formerly known as CenturyLink. At the outset of the Class Period, Lumen announced it would redefine its business by renaming itself from CenturyLink to Lumen and refining its marketing approach, cutting off market segments and operations that did not align with the Companys strategic objectives and adding market segments that were aligned with the Companys vision.

Specifically, Lumen announced to investors that it would leverage its existing 400,000 route miles of fiber optic cable, which had previously serviced enterprise and wholesale markets, to expand its fiber services to small and medium business (SMB) and residential or consumer markets. Lumen represented to investors that expanding its fiber services into the SMB and residential markets, branded as Quantum Fiber, was a natural fit for the Company that represented a strong opportunity for growth.

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants represented that Lumen was, among other things, investing heavily in our consumer fiber business and aggressively taking market share in our small business segment. Defendants also represented that we continue expanding our Quantum Fiber footprint and increasing our penetration and were not capital-constrained. So as we continue to improve our penetration and performance, well continue to expand our footprint, and we believe weve got a long runway for growth in -- within Lumen in Quantum Fiber.

However, contrary to Defendants statements touting the rate of investment and progress in expanding fiber services to SMB and residential markets, Lumen was experiencing serious headwinds that were impeding its ability to grow its newly-targeted fiber markets.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Specifically, Plaintiff alleges that Defendants failed to disclose that: (i) various headwinds were impeding the Companys ability to invest in and grow its Quantum Fiber brand; (ii) Quantum Fiber was not progressing as was represented to the investing public; (iii) Lumens management was reassessing its strategic priorities and had placed a hold on the plans to quickly scale up the Quantum Fiber brand; and (iv) as a result of Lumens decision to delay expansion of Quantum Fiber, the Companys results and metrics were negatively impacted and the scaling up of Quantum Fiber would not occur until, at the earliest, the end of 2023.

Beginning on February 9, 2022, Defendants began to admit that Lumens expansion into SMB and residential fiber services was occurring slower than previously represented. On this news, Lumens stock price declined $1.99 per share to close at $10.83 per share on February 10, 2022.

Then, on November 2, 2022, Lumens Chief Executive Officer admitted: [L]et me be clear, we are not yet at the pace of build we expect or want with respect to the Companys development of its Quantum Fiber brand. On this news, Lumens stock price declined $1.25 per share to close at $5.80 per share on November 3, 2022.

Finally, on February 7, 2023, Defendants admitted, contrary to what was previously represented, that they had pressed more of a stop button than a pause button on Lumens investment into the Quantum Fiber network and expansion into the SMB and residential markets while the Company re-evaluated its strategic priorities.

On this news, Lumens stock price fell $1.04 per share to close at $3.95 per share on February 8, 2023.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 2, 2023 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased or acquired Lumen common stock, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Lumen Technologies, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:

Peter Allocco

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

https://www.bernlieb.com

(212) 951-2030

pallocco@bernlieb.com
TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JOURDAN RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: JOR; OTCQB: JORFF; FRA: 2JR1) (Jourdan, Jourdan Resources, or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Richard Quesnel as its Executive Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Quesnel will guide the Company forward as it embarks on extensive exploration programs across three lithium projects located in Quebec, including a 20,000 meter drilling program developed in conjunction with North American Lithium Inc. (NAL), as part of NALs plans to commence lithium production at its NAL mine.



Mr. Quesnel served for over 5 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines of Montreal. He has over 40 years of senior mine management and engineering experience at large gold, copper, nickel and iron ore mining properties in Canada and the Western USA. He has successfully developed, commissioned, operated and expanded mining operations, both open pit and underground. Since 1979, he has also worked as a mine manager or mining engineer of several mining companies including Ledcor CMI Limited, JS Redpath Limited, Barrick Goldstrike, Quebec Cartier Mining and Placer Dome. Mr. Quesnel is also a director of Sama Resources Inc. He is a Professional Mining Engineer in Quebec and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from McGill University. Mr. Quesnel lives in Montreal, Canada.

Mr. Quesnel stated, I am thrilled to be joining a seasoned management and technical team at Jourdan Resources. With substantial increase in market demand for lithium, and legislative support to acquire this mineral classed as critical by provincial and federal governments, I believe Jourdan Resources is well positioned to contribute to the lithium market. The team is now set to initiate an ambitious exploration program at its 3 lithium projects located within the mining friendly district of Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. One of them, Jourdan Resources Vallee project, which is located adjacent to the NAL mine, is the subject of a 20,000 meter drilling program scheduled to commence this year in partnership with Sayona Mining Ltd.s majority owned NAL, in connection with an earn-in and joint venture agreement.

Rene Bharti, CEO of Jourdan, stated, We are honoured to have someone with Mr. Quesnels business and technical expertise join as our Executive Chairman. Mr. Quesnel has a very good understanding of the region, and we anticipate that his guidance will be crucial to help Jourdan implement its plans to transition from an explorer to a producer. Mr. Quesnel has a proven track record of building resource companies, and we have no doubt that he will work to do the same for Jourdan Resources.

Brett Lynch, Sayona Mining Ltd.s CEO, stated, Given that we have begun production at the NAL mine, this is a critical time to have someone such as Mr. Quesnel join as executive chairman and help bring Jourdan to success. Sayona and Jourdan have partnered on a portion of Jourdans Vallee project with our recent commitment of $4 million (CAD) and an additional $6 million (CAD) investment option, and we believe Mr. Quesnel will bring invaluable expertise to the project at large. Given the infrastructure we have in place, and the proximity of Jourdans Vallee project to the NAL mine, Jourdan is in a very rare position to potentially become a lithium producer alongside NAL. I look forward to working with Mr. Quesnel closely and helping make Jourdan a success for all stakeholders.

The appointment of Mr. Quesnel follows the resignation of Stan Bharti as a director, and Dr. Andreas Rompel as the Executive Chairman of the Company. Management and the board of directors of the Company express their gratitude to Mr. Bharti for his efforts and contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours. Dr. Rompel will remain as a director of the Company.

In addition, the Company announces that it has granted 3,600,000 stock options to Richard Quesnel pursuant to the Companys stock option plan. The stock options vest in equal quarterly installments over two years and may be exercised at a price of $0.065 per option for a period of five years from the date of grant. This grant of options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.





Figure 1: The Vallee property is immediately east of the NAL mine. This figure depicts the 2011, 2021 and 2022 completed drillholes with a total of 79 drillholes since 2011

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained herein has been reviewed and approved by Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo., an independent consultant that is a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Jourdan Resources Inc.

Jourdan Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior mining exploration company trading under the symbol JOR on the TSX Venture Exchange and 2JR1 on the Stuttgart Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, production, and development of mining properties. The Companys properties are in Quebec, Canada, primarily in the spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the La Corne Batholith, around North American Lithiums Quebec lithium mine.

For more information:

Rene Bharti, Chief Executive Officer and President

Email: info@jourdaninc.com

Phone: (416) 861-5800

www.jourdaninc.com

Cautionary statements

The content and grades of any mineral deposits at the Companys properties are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on its properties and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in any target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Jourdan is not basing any production decisions on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability at the Vallee lithium project, and as a result there is increased uncertainty and there are multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with any such production decision. These risks, among others, include areas that are analysed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys planned 2023 exploration programs at its three properties, including the 20,000 m drilling program developed with NAL on a portion of Jourdans Vallee project, NALs plans to invest an additional $6 million in a portion of Jourdans Vallee project, and the ability of the Company to transition from exploration to production in reliance on NALs infrastructure and execute its business plan. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Jourdan to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future mineral prices and market demand; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although Jourdan has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Jourdan does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3eaab22-0bff-43bb-b992-17b101626c4d
Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global and China Fuel Cell Market and Trend Research Report, 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Fuel Cell Industry Research: Hydrogen energy has been put on the national agenda with scenario application being rolled out.

The hydrogen energy industry has been included into the national energy strategy.



Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, ministries and commissions have intensively issued favorable policies for hydrogen energy, covering research on key technologies in hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and use, demonstration application of hydrogen energy, infrastructure construction, etc.



In March 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the Medium-and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035), clarifying that hydrogen energy plays an important part in the national energy system in the future and is a key emerging industry of strategic importance, and proposing three five-year development goals for the hydrogen energy industry so as to meet the goal of emission peak and carbon neutrality.

Green hydrogen will be an investment hotspot in the future

China, the largest hydrogen producer in the world, boasts hydrogen capacity of about 40 million tons/a and output of about 33 million tons/a. In 2021, China produced about 33 million tons of hydrogen, up 32% year on year. In 2022, the output will jump by 15% on the previous year to 38 million tons.



In the short and medium term, China's hydrogen is mainly made from fossil, partially from industrial by-products, but the proportion of hydrogen produced by renewable energy will ramp up year by year. By 2050, about 70% of hydrogen will be made from renewable energy, 20% from fossil and 10% from other technologies such as biotech.



By region, China's hydrogen production is concentrated in Northwest and North China where fossils are abundant. China's hydrogen market features a scattered competitive landscape: China Energy Investment Corporation and Sinopec are the largest hydrogen producers in China, accounting for about 30%; others are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises with a small hydrogen production scale. As other large enterprises dabble in the field of hydrogen energy, the hydrogen energy industry is expected to be more concentrated.



Green hydrogen is the key to the energy strategy and represents the development direction of the future hydrogen production. The huge market potential has attracted large energy enterprises, wind power and photovoltaic giants. From 2020 to 2022, China propelled the construction of several green hydrogen projects, such as hydrogen production from hydropower in Sichuan, photovoltaic hydrogen production in Xinjiang, and hydrogen production from wind power in Inner Mongolia, laying a good industrial foundation for large-scale production of green hydrogen.

Hydrogen storage and transportation will become the pipeline of the hydrogen energy strategy.

Commercial hydrogen is mainly transported in three forms: high-pressure gas hydrogen, low-temperature liquid hydrogen and hydrogen pipeline. At present, China mainly uses high-pressure gas hydrogen + 20Mpa long-tube trailers to transport hydrogen, which fails to meet the needs for large-scale use of hydrogen for the time being. In the future, as large-scale transportation of commercial hydrogen is in demand, China is bound to make progress in hydrogen storage materials.



For vehicle hydrogen storage in China, 35Mpa carbon-fiber-wound-type-III tanks are often seen, and 70MPa carbon-fiber-wound-type-III tanks have also been adopted in a small number of homemade vehicles. As concerns the future hydrogen storage and transportation technology, China will work on the standards and industrial application of 70MPa type-IV tanks, independent development of carbon fiber for gas tanks, and reduction of energy consumption and cost of hydrogen liquefaction, and make gradual breakthroughs in domestic civilian liquid hydrogen technology and equipment.



It is predicted that in 2025 70MPa type-IV tanks will be widely used, liquid hydrogen equipment will be initially self-developed, and a number of liquid hydrogen storage demonstration projects will be carried out.; by 2030, 98MPa type-IV cylinders will be produced on large scale at lower cost, and liquid hydrogen equipment will come into batch production at much lower cost and find broad application in mass storage and transportation at medium and long distances.

Breakthroughs in localization of core fuel cell technology

The Guidance Catalog (First Batch) for the Application Demonstration of Key New Materials (2021) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology favors the breakthroughs in fuel cell technology, and the technological upgrade of hydrogen energy and fuel cell industries. The breakthroughs in manufacturing technology of core raw materials for fuel cells are the crux of cost reduction for China's fuel cell industry.



Accompanied by the construction of fuel cell model cities, the technological progress of China's core fuel cell material industry has obviously accelerated. Technological breakthroughs have been made in core materials in the hydrogen energy industry chain such as high-purity hydrogen, carbon fiber composites for hydrogen storage tanks, proton exchange membranes, catalysts, membrane electrodes, and gas diffusion layers, and production lines with considerable capacity have been built to produce some of them, providing the basis for further localization.



Under the joint influence of hydrogen energy policies and industrial chain cost reduction, China will build a complete hydrogen energy industrial system and diversified hydrogen energy application ecosystems covering transportation, energy storage, industry and other fields.

In the context of energy iteration, fuel cell vehicles have entered a new development cycle.

China's new energy vehicles have boomed, ranking first in the world for eight consecutive years. In 2022, the output and sales of new energy vehicles went up by 96.9% and 93.4% year on year to 7.058 million and 6.887 million units, respectively. Wherein, the output and sales of battery-electric vehicles jumped by 83.4% and 81.6% year on year to 5.467 million and 5.365 million units, respectively; the output and sales of fuel cell vehicles soared by 105.4% and 112.8% year on year to 4,000 and 3,000 units, respectively.



Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles head in different directions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will replace diesel engine vehicles in the future, while battery-electric vehicles will tend to substitute gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are positioned as a supplement to battery-electric vehicles. In many fields and scenarios where battery-electric vehicles are difficult to popularize, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles remain extremely superior.



Hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks now have become a promising segment in development of fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen heavy trucks/mine trucks can still run stably in low temperatures and harsh environments, covering the defects and shortcomings of battery-electric vehicles. In 2022, 4,782 hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles were actually sold, a year-on-year upsurge of 155.2%. Especially, hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks were a strong performer, with the full-year sales of 2,465 units, rocketing by 216% on an annual basis, higher than the growth of 141% made by new energy heavy trucks, thus becoming the main force to drive the rapid growth of hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles.



From the `49-ton fuel cell heavy truck project in Jiaxing Port Area`, it can be seen that a batch of hydrogen energy equipment manufacturers have clustered and created a range of hydrogen energy application scenarios. Port logistics vehicles, forklifts and sea-river intermodal ships provide rich application scenarios for the hydrogen energy industry in Jiaxing Port Area. In May 2022, Zhejiang Feichi New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. officially delivered 50 hydrogen heavy trucks to the national hydrogen fuel cell vehicle demonstration application program in Jiaxing.



In addition to hydrogen heavy trucks, hydrogen fuel cell special vehicles take a place in the demonstration area. Hydrogen fuel cell sweepers, hydrogen fuel cell refrigerated vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell buses among others come into operation.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Fuel Cell System Overview and Policies & Plans

1.1 Fuel Cell Structure, Classification and Application Scenarios

1.1.1 Structure

1.1.2 Classification

1.1.3 Working Principle

1.1.4 Application Fields

1.1.5 Fuel Cell Vehicle Industry

1.1.6 Development Trends

1.2 China's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plans and Policies

1.2.1 China's General Policy of Hydrogen Energy Development

1.2.2 National Fuel Cell Policies in China

1.2.3 Plan for Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration City Clusters in China

1.2.4 Medium- and Long-term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)

1.2.5 Medium- and Long-term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035) - Hydrogen Energy Application Demonstration Projects

1.2.6 Local Policies for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development

1.2.7 Status Quo of Fuel Cell Industrial Parks in China

1.2.8 Fuel Cell Research Institutions in China and Their Cooperative Companies

1.2.9 Policies Concerning Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) in China

1.3 Progress in Standardization of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in China

1.3.1 Formulation Overview of Global and Chinese Hydrogen Energy Standards

1.3.2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Standards in China

1.3.3 Fuel Cell Vehicle Testing Specifications Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

1.3.4 Fuel Cell Testing Centers/Institutions in China

1.3.5 China's Hydrogen Energy Technology Standard System



2 Status Quo of Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Markets and Development Plans

2.1 Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Industry Development and Trends

2.2 Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) Industry Development and Trends

2.3 Fuel Cell Industry Chain

2.4 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Production Industry Development and Trends

2.5 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Storage and Transport Industry Development and Trends

2.6 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Refueling Station Development and Trends

2.7 Summary of Development Levels and Trends of Fuel Cell Industry



3 Application Sub-scenarios of Fuel Cells

3.1 Development of Fuel Cell Heavy Trucks

3.2 Development of Fuel Cell Buses

3.3 Development of Fuel Cell Logistics Vehicles

3.4 Development of Fuel Cell Forklifts

3.5 Development of Fuel Cell Passenger Cars

3.6 Development of Fuel Cell Trains

3.7 Development of Fuel Cell Ships

3.8 Development of Fuel Cell Two-wheelers

3.9 Development of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles



4 Major Global Fuel Cell Suppliers

5 Major Chinese Fuel Cell Suppliers



Companies Mentioned

Plug Power

Ballard Power

Nikola

Cummins (HYGS)

FuelCell

SFC Power

Bloom Energy

Honda

SinoHytec

Sunrise Power

Center Power Tech.

Shanghai Re-Fire

SinoFuelCell

Sinosynergy

Foresight Energy

Horizon New Energy Technologies

Weichai Power

Broad-Ocean Motor

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sjh7vl

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.
EDISON, N.J., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zerify Inc., (OTC PINK: ZRFY), the 22-year-old cybersecurity company focused on Secure Video Conferencing & Endpoint Security announced today that they will be demonstrating their latest cyber security solutions to Meadowlands Members on May 4th, from 4:00pm  6:00pm at 1099 Wall Street West (suite 100) Lyndhurst, NJ 07071.



We are always thrilled when we get the opportunity to speak to a sizable constituency like this, says Mark L. Kay, CEO of Zerify. The Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest in the state with over 1100 active members, and they feel that cyber wellness & education should be a top priority for every company, especially given the Dec. 16th 2022 FBI report indicating that cybercrime against SMBs is up 64% and potential losses could exceed $6.9 billion, says Kay.

One of the biggest things that well be discussing at the event is how to protect your business from the unknown. Currently, anti-virus and endpoint security software are great at stopping known and catalogued threats, but new and emerging ones easily slip though. Thats where our Zerify Defender comes in  it helps expand your Zero Trust cyber strategy to the endpoint and keeps your business safe from both known and unknown threats, says Kay.

It's fantastic that the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce gives companies like us a platform to meet and educate their members in their state-of-the-art facility. Given that they care so much about their member businesses, we would highly recommend that any company looking to join a chamber, should make the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce their first choice, says Kay.

To learn more about the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce, go to: www.meadowlands.org

To learn more about Zerify Defender, go to: https://www.zerify.com/

About Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce:

At the MC, membership is more than a branding tool. Its a well-stocked toolbox that gives you opportunities to reach your audience and showcase your company. Youll have access to effective networking opportunities and business intelligence resources that can help you get connected and make informed decisions. The Chamber is also a strong advocate on your behalf. While you are shaping your business each day, our management team becomes your voice as we build the brand of the Meadowlands Region and address critical public affairs issues that affect your business. The members of the MC are a wonderfully diverse group of businesses of varying sizes representing all industry sectors.

About Zerify:

Zerify Inc. (OTC PINK: ZRFY), formerly StrikeForce Technologies, is an Edison, New Jersey-based company with over two decades of experience in cybersecurity solutions. The company helps to prevent cyber theft and data security breaches for consumers, corporations and government agencies through powerful multi-factor out-of-band authentication and keystroke encryption along with mobile solutions. Zerify offers a video conferencing solution that uses no desktop and is entirely web-based, offering a five-level meeting security control approach designed to protect valuable information. Features include keystroke protection, anti-screen capture, and push and biometric authentication to keep businesses secure.

The technology also protects cameras, microphones and speakers, keeping computers and confidential data secure even when one is offline and not on a video conference. No other video conferencing service on the market, such as Zoom, Webex, LogMeIn, MS Teams or BlueJeans, offers these protections.
CALGARY, ALBERTA, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Three growers across the Prairies will have a chance to win big for their hometowns this spring with the launch of Growing Home with BASF. From April 3-30, individuals in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba can nominate organizations that help grow their communities to win one of the $25,000 prizes.

This year, BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions is launching a new community investment program, offering rural farming communities a chance to share what matters most to them. Community members will have the chance to rally around and raise support for their local organizations.

Farming is the biggest job on Earth and wouldnt be possible without the inspiring community support seen throughout the agriculture industry, says Nicole McAuley, Head of Communications and Public Affairs for BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to recognize and contribute to the essential institutions that connect and strengthen farming communities across the prairies.

Growers and their rural communities are the heartbeat of Western Canada and BASF is proud to support those communities. Participants are encouraged to nominate local organizations and initiatives on which their communities rely, from recreation centres to playgrounds, and volunteer emergency services to food pantries.

Nominations will be judged based on criteria including alignment to Canadian agriculture and alignment to BASFs valuesbuilding safe and healthy communities; diversity, equity and inclusion; and developing future leaders in agriculture.

Following the nomination period, 15 finalistsfive from each provincewill be selected and announced for public voting to select one winning organization in each province. Voting will be available throughout Canada, with the three winners to be announced in June.

To learn more about Growing Home with BASF and for full terms and conditions, please visit agsolutions.ca/growinghome.

About BASFs Agricultural Solutions division

Farming is fundamental to provide enough healthy and affordable food for a rapidly growing population while reducing environmental impacts. Working with partners and agricultural experts and by integrating sustainability criteria into all business decisions, we help farmers to create a positive impact on sustainable agriculture. Thats why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline, connecting innovative thinking with practical action in the field. Our portfolio comprises seeds and specifically selected plant traits, chemical and biological crop protection, solutions for soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we strive to find the right balance for success  for farmers, agriculture and future generations. In 2022, our division generated sales of 10.3 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of 87.3 billion in 2022. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

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Jacksonville, FL, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rivkin Radler announced today the opening of its first Southeast office, in Jacksonville, FL. It is the firms sixth office. With 20 attorneys in residence, it is also the firms second largest office. The new office joins the firms existing offices in Albany, NY, Hackensack, NJ, Long Island, NY, New York City and Poughkeepsie, NY. The new office brings the firms total attorney headcount to 235.

Among the attorneys joining the firm are partners John Marino and Lindsey Trowell, who have national experience in class actions and insurance litigation, and partner Melissa Dearing, a nationally recognized immigration attorney. Most of the 20 attorneys come to Rivkin Radler from Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP.

It was an easy decision to open this office with a group of attorneys whose focus on client service so closely aligns with the rest of the firm, said Managing Partner Evan H. Krinick. Our expanded capabilities in the areas of insurance, class actions and immigration will be helpful to clients in the Northeast and Southeast alike.

This is an exciting opportunity for all of us, said John Marino. We have worked closely with many Rivkin attorneys and staff for several years. The combination will help us better serve our clients, and Rivkins culture of collegiality and collaboration is a great fit for us.

Since 2017, Rivkin Radler has been in growth mode. That year, the firm merged in the former Iseman, Cunningham, Riester & Hyde, an Albany-based law firm. In 2021, Rivkin Radler added six attorneys prominent in the fields of trusts and estates and taxation and rebranded its trusts and estates practice to become the Personal, Family & Business Planning Practice Group.

There is more expansion ahead for the firm. Rivkin Radlers Southeast growth is expected to continue. We anticipate expanding into the Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas. Our expansion and growth plans also include adding depth in our Long Island and NYC offices, Evan added.

The move was spearheaded by partner Barry Levy who spoke to the philosophy behind the Florida expansion saying, Strategically, we try to stay ahead of the curve in terms of where we see the opportunities being and where our clients and industries are looking. In terms of capabilities, our new Jacksonville team gives us the ability to strengthen our bench in some key areas and extend our services in others, including class action litigation, insurance coverage, and immigration, and we anticipate further expansion in real estate, trusts and estates and healthcare.

Established in 1950 as a national insurance coverage firm, Rivkin Radler LLP has offices in Albany, NY; Hackensack, NJ; Jacksonville, FL; New York City; Poughkeepsie, NY; and Uniondale, NY. The firm, which employs 235 attorneys across 22 practice groups, is nationally recognized and was named an American Lawyer Media Go-To Firm by its clients. In addition, the firm is among the top 200 on the NLJ 500, the list of the nations 200 largest law firms. For more information about Rivkin Radler, visit us at www.rivkinradler.com.

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Jacksonville, FL, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pace Center for Girls (Pace), a nationally recognized model that provides education, counseling, training and advocacy for girls and young women, hosted its annual Pace Day at the Capitol event on March 28-29, 2023. More than 100 Pace girls from across the state met with members of the Florida House, Florida Senate and other elected officials and leaders to share the impact of Paces model.

When we provide the support girls need, they achieve success in all areas of their lives, leading to positive outcomes for themselves, their families and the communities, said Mary Marx, President and CEO of Pace Center for Girls. Pace Day at the Capitol provides an opportunity for girls to participate in the legislative process, by testifying before committees, engaging in a mock debate voting on specific bills, and by advocating with their individual legislators.

During two days of meetings, training and programs, girls learned about policymaking, ways to effectively advocate for themselves, and how to authentically share their stories. Girls heard from Alice Sims, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Prevention Services for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Chancellor Kevin OFarrell from the Florida Department of Educations Division of Career and Adult Education, Josefina Tamayo, CEO of Volunteer Florida, and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, Chair of Criminal Justice Appropriations, who hosted a mock Senate session on the merits of requiring middle and high schools to have a later start time.

A panel of members of the Pace Board of Trustees focused on Women in Politics and outlined the panelists path to their current role in politics and encouraged Pace girls to set goals and consider multiple career paths. The panel included former Sen. Anitere Flores, Brittany Perkins Castillo, Chief Executive Officer of AshBritt Environmental, and Marva Johnson, Group Vice President, State Government Affairs for Charter Communications, and was moderated by Tracy Mayernick, of The Mayernick Group.

Because of Pace Day at the Capitol and the female legislators I met, I feel like I am not alone and capable of sharing my story to make a difference for future generations, shared Jossmarie,16, a sophomore at Pace Jacksonville.

Paces work has positively impacted the lives of more than 40,000 girls and over the past decade has contributed to a more than 60% decrease in the number of girls that are referred to Floridas juvenile justice system. Eight out of 10 girls that attend Pace graduate from high school, pursue higher education or secure employment after the program.

Pace Day at the Capitol was made possible thanks to a community of support who believe in the great in every girl, including TECO Energy, Florida Lottery and The Mayernick Group.

###

About Pace Center for Girls

Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and education needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nations leading advocates for girls in need. For more information on Pace Center for Girls, visit www.pacecenter.org.

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AUSTIN, Texas, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Measure Inc, a US-based software-architecture company, launched new consulting services in partnership with Octopus Deploy, dedicated to Octopus Deploy customers. Through this partnership, Clear Measure will serve Octopus Deploys customers seeking to equip their teams with an understanding of deployment types and patterns for modern cloud environments, as well as implementing best practices to uplevel their production operation processes.



This partnership brings together Clear Measures capabilities and experience of working with customers to maximize their software delivery through establishing quality, achieving stability, and increasing deployment speed, via the top industry deployment automation solutions offered by Octopus Deploy. Clear Measure offers a variety of Octopus Deploys implementation and training services to meet even the most complex customer needs.

Having had a long-standing relationship with Octopus Deploy, it is a privilege to make our partnership official, said Jeffrey Palermo, Clear Measures founder and Chief Architect. There is nothing that Octopus cannot deploy. If you are busy with other priorities or want to expedite your deployment automation journey, Clear Measure can come alongside your team to implement and streamline Octopus Deploy for your business.

We are very pleased to have Clear Measure joining our consultancy program. Their experience will help our customers accelerate their time to value with Octopus, said Martin Baehrenz, Director of International Channels and Strategic Alliances at Octopus Deploy. Clear Measure has taken Octopus Deploy into use with their customers for many years and its due to partners like them that Octopus Deploy has achieved the position of the leading tool in software deployment automation.

ABOUT CLEAR MEASURE:

Founded in 2012, Clear Measure, Inc. is a software architecture company dedicated to providing expert guidance and leadership to companies and their .NET development teams to be self-sufficient and world-class by establishing quality, achieving stability and increasing productivity.

ABOUT OCTOPUS DEPLOY

Octopus Deploy sets the standard for deployment automation. We help software teams deploy freely  when and where they need, in a routine way. More than 3,000 organizations and 350,000 users worldwide use our universal deployment automation solution to make their complex deployments easy. From modern containers and microservices to trusted legacy applications, Octopus orchestrates software delivery in data centers, multi-cloud, and hybrid IT infrastructure. More on Twitter at @OctopusDeploy and at octopus.com.
TORONTO, April 03, 2023 - Jourdan Resources Inc. (TSXV: JOR; OTCQB: JORFF; FRA: 2JR1) ("Jourdan", "Jourdan Resources", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Richard Quesnel as its Executive Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Quesnel will guide the Company forward as it embarks on extensive exploration programs across three lithium projects located in Quebec, including a 20,000 meter drilling program developed in conjunction with North American Lithium Inc. ("NAL"), as part of NAL's plans to commence lithium production at its NAL mine.



Mr. Quesnel served for over 5 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines of Montreal. He has over 40 years of senior mine management and engineering experience at large gold, copper, nickel and iron ore mining properties in Canada and the Western USA. He has successfully developed, commissioned, operated and expanded mining operations, both open pit and underground. Since 1979, he has also worked as a mine manager or mining engineer of several mining companies including Ledcor CMI Limited, JS Redpath Limited, Barrick Goldstrike, Quebec Cartier Mining and Placer Dome. Mr. Quesnel is also a director of Sama Resources Inc. He is a Professional Mining Engineer in Quebec and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from McGill University. Mr. Quesnel lives in Montreal, Canada.

Mr. Quesnel stated, "I am thrilled to be joining a seasoned management and technical team at Jourdan Resources. With substantial increase in market demand for lithium, and legislative support to acquire this mineral classed as 'critical' by provincial and federal governments, I believe Jourdan Resources is well positioned to contribute to the lithium market. The team is now set to initiate an ambitious exploration program at its 3 lithium projects located within the mining friendly district of Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. One of them, Jourdan Resources' Vallee project, which is located adjacent to the NAL mine, is the subject of a 20,000 meter drilling program scheduled to commence this year in partnership with Sayona Mining Ltd.'s majority owned NAL, in connection with an earn-in and joint venture agreement."

Rene Bharti, CEO of Jourdan, stated, "We are honoured to have someone with Mr. Quesnel's business and technical expertise join as our Executive Chairman. Mr. Quesnel has a very good understanding of the region, and we anticipate that his guidance will be crucial to help Jourdan implement its plans to transition from an explorer to a producer. Mr. Quesnel has a proven track record of building resource companies, and we have no doubt that he will work to do the same for Jourdan Resources."

Brett Lynch, Sayona Mining Ltd.'s CEO, stated, "Given that we have begun production at the NAL mine, this is a critical time to have someone such as Mr. Quesnel join as executive chairman and help bring Jourdan to success. Sayona and Jourdan have partnered on a portion of Jourdan's Vallee project with our recent commitment of $4 million (CAD) and an additional $6 million (CAD) investment option, and we believe Mr. Quesnel will bring invaluable expertise to the project at large. Given the infrastructure we have in place, and the proximity of Jourdan's Vallee project to the NAL mine, Jourdan is in a very rare position to potentially become a lithium producer alongside NAL. I look forward to working with Mr. Quesnel closely and helping make Jourdan a success for all stakeholders."

The appointment of Mr. Quesnel follows the resignation of Stan Bharti as a director, and Dr. Andreas Rompel as the Executive Chairman of the Company. Management and the board of directors of the Company express their gratitude to Mr. Bharti for his efforts and contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours. Dr. Rompel will remain as a director of the Company.

In addition, the Company announces that it has granted 3,600,000 stock options to Richard Quesnel pursuant to the Company's stock option plan. The stock options vest in equal quarterly installments over two years and may be exercised at a price of $0.065 per option for a period of five years from the date of grant. This grant of options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.





Figure 1: The Vallee property is immediately east of the NAL mine. This figure depicts the 2011, 2021 and 2022 completed drillholes with a total of 79 drillholes since 2011

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained herein has been reviewed and approved by Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo., an independent consultant that is a "qualified person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Jourdan Resources Inc.

Jourdan Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior mining exploration company trading under the symbol "JOR" on the TSX Venture Exchange and "2JR1" on the Stuttgart Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, production, and development of mining properties. The Company's properties are in Quebec, Canada, primarily in the spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the La Corne Batholith, around North American Lithium's Quebec lithium mine.

For more information:

Rene Bharti, Chief Executive Officer and President

Email: info@jourdaninc.com

Phone: (416) 861-5800

www.jourdaninc.com

Cautionary statements

The content and grades of any mineral deposits at the Company's properties are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on its properties and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in any target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Jourdan is not basing any production decisions on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability at the Vallee lithium project, and as a result there is increased uncertainty and there are multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with any such production decision. These risks, among others, include areas that are analysed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's planned 2023 exploration programs at its three properties, including the 20,000 m drilling program developed with NAL on a portion of Jourdan's Vallee project, NAL's plans to invest an additional $6 million in a portion of Jourdan's Vallee project, and the ability of the Company to transition from exploration to production in reliance on NAL's infrastructure and execute its business plan. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Jourdan to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future mineral prices and market demand; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although Jourdan has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Jourdan does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3eaab22-0bff-43bb-b992-17b101626c4d
VANCOUVER, April 3, 2023 - Kainantu Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KRL) (FSE: 6J0) ("KRL" or the "Company"), the Asia-Pacific focussed gold mining company, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to terms for the acquisition (the "Acquisition") of the remaining 90% interest in the May River Project (the "Project") from the Hardrock Limited ("Hardrock") vendors.

Further to the announcement of February 15, 2023, KRL has completed negotiations with Hardrock on terms favourable to all parties under a Share Sale Agreement (the "Agreement"), whereby KRL will issue shares in consideration for acquiring 90% of the Project (the "Shares"). KRL already holds the other 10% of the Project.

Key Terms of the Agreement:

KRL will acquire the remaining 90% interest in the Hardrock, bringing KRL's total ownership to 100%, subject only to final approval by the TSX-V;

Holding 100% of the Project achieves a key milestone for KRL, with the Company having full ownership and control of this highly prospective copper-gold project;

Under the Agreement, KRL will issue script consideration of 18 million common shares representing a value of C$1,440,000, based on the closing market price of KRL shares on March 31, 2023;

On a post completion basis this represents an approximate 17.7% interest in the Company (or 4.4% for each Hardrock shareholder);

The Shares will be held in equal allotments by the four (4) shareholders of Hardrock, each holding will be independent of each other. No shareholders from Hardrock will become insiders as a result of the transaction;

The Shares are issued subject to a statutory hold period of four (4) months and a day, in accordance with applicable securities law;

In addition, the Shares are subject to a voluntary escrow of twelve (12) months for half the shares and twenty-four (24) months for the remaining shares;

The original Option Agreement between the Company and Hardrock has been entirely replaced by the Agreement; and

Closing and issue of the Shares is imminent, pending final approval by the TSX-V.

Matthew Salthouse, CEO of KRL, commented:

"We are delighted to announce the full Project acquisition, which will result in the 100% ownership of this highly prospective copper-gold asset. Our work to date and historical results from the Project have proven the value and confirm the Project's potential. We would like to thank the Hardrock vendors for their cooperation during our strategic partnership phase and welcome them as shareholders of the Company."

Intrinsic Value of the Project

The Project is highly prospective for gold and copper, laying adjacent to the Frieda River Project (being one of the world's largest undeveloped copper mines). Since entering into an agreement with Hardrock in 2021, KRL has acted as manager and conducted further studies at the Mountain Gate and Skiraisa Prospects. These studies have supported the Company's view on the high potential of the overall Project. Further details of the Project are contained in earlier announcements on June 15, 2021 and September 21, 2021 (in addition to the announcement noted above).

In relation to the acquisition, the Company views the price of C$1,440,000 as representing fair value for the remaining 90% interest in Hardrock. This values Hardrock at C$1,600,000 million with the overall size of the tenement package of 890 km, this equates to a price of C$1,798 per km.

By comparison, the acquisition of the Company's KRL North and KRL South projects in 2020 (as part of the CPC listing onto the TSX-V) implied a price of C$6,347 per km. This was supported by a review of comparable transactions at this time in PNG (Report Link). No further comparable transactions have been identified since this time.

Since the CPC listing, the price of copper has appreciated by approximately 16.5%, with current prices of $4.09 per pound. Gold prices have also increased by approximately 7.7%, with current prices of $1,980 per ounce. Given the price increases in both commodities, the Company believes the price per km is well supported and reasonable for the Acquisition.

May River Copper-Gold Project Summary

Located less than 10km west of Frieda River, the May River asset has several highly prospective targets that KRL aims to explore in short term. Key Project prospects (Skiraisa, Foya, Eserebe, Mountain Gate and Iku Hill) are situated along a 7km long N-NW trending structural corridor, exhibiting many attributes similar to the extended mineralised system identified at the Frieda River Project (between 10 and 15km to the east);

Soil, rock chip and channel anomalies indicate the existence of porphyry style Copper-Gold mineralisation in addition to near surface structurally controlled and breccia-hosted epithermal gold veins and breccias. Previous drilling at the Skiraisa prospect has demonstrated significant gold potential: 54m at 1.83g/t Au; 109m at 1.53g/t Au and 96m at 0.89g/t Au. Copper-in-soil anomalies of >2.5% (2,500ppm) have been reported from several areas at the Mountain Gate prospect;

More information about May River project can be accessed here.

About Kainantu Resources (KRL)

Kainantu Resources ("KRL") is an Asia-Pacific focussed gold mining company with three highly prospective gold and copper projects, KRL South, KRL North and the May River Project. All projects are located in premier mining regions in PNG. Both KRL North and KRL South show potential to host high-grade epithermal and porphyry mineralization, as seen elsewhere in the high-grade Kainantu Gold District. The May River project is in close proximity to the world-renowned Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, with historical drilling indicating the potential for significant copper-gold projects. KRL has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record of working together in the region; and an established in-country partner. KRL recently executed an agreement to acquire the Kili Teke project in the western highlands of PNG.

Kainantu Resources

Matthew Salthouse, Chief Executive Officer (Tel: + 65 8318 8125)

Callum Jones, Corporate Development Co-ordinator (Tel: + 61 450 969 697)

Email: info@krl.com.sg

Investor Relations (Jemini Capital)

Kevin Shum

Tel: +1 212 219 4670 (702)

Email: kevin@jeminicapital.com

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property. The data disclosed in this release relating to drilling results is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data, and no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by the Company, its affiliated companies, or any other person as to its fairness, accuracy, completeness, or correctness. This release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: formulation of plans for drill testing; and the success related to any future exploration or development programs. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

SOURCE Kainantu Resources Ltd.
TORONTO, April 3, 2023 - Excellon Resources Inc. (TSX: EXN) (OTCQB: EXNRF) (FRA: E4X2) ("Excellon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the reversal of a US$22 million liability from its March 31, 2023 consolidated balance sheet, relating to the previously disclosed judgment against one of the Company's subsidiaries in Mexico.

"The announcement today effectively removes a US$22 million overhang that has been with the Company since 2019," stated Shawn Howarth, President and CEO. "Over the past four months, I'm very proud of our management team that has successfully addressed major discounts to Excellon's value potential: the pending maturity of our outstanding convertible debentures, for US$11 million1, and this provision for litigation."

Mr. Howarth continued, "With the proposed acquisition of the La Negra Mine, we have taken steps to create a compelling value proposition for investors. We have reset Excellon's corporate strategy, restructured current liabilities by over US$33 million and added to a portfolio of already high-quality, long-term assets in particular at La Negra2 and Kilgore3, with additional exploration and transactional upside at the Silver City and Oakley projects4. Following today's announcement, we can now focus on advancing this value potential for the benefit of our shareholders."

_______________________________ 1 Proposed convertible debenture restructuring, for further details see the Company's corresponding news release dated January 9, 2023 as well as the AIF. 2 La Negra has an NPV 5% US$132 million at long-term commodity price estimates of US$22.00/oz Ag, US$1.15/lb Zn, US$3.60/lb Cu, US$0.95/lb Pb. For further details regarding the La Negra acquisition and the project itself (including economics), see the Company's corresponding news release on January 9, 2023 and its April 3, 2023 annual results news release providing an update on the transaction, as well as the Company's annual information form dated March 31, 2023 (the "AIF") and the technical report for the project with an effective date of March 31, 2022, all of which are available under Excellon's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on its website (www.excellonresources.com). 3 For details regarding the Kilgore project (including economics) see the AIF as well as the technical report for the project having an effective date of July 30, 2019, available on the Company's website and on SEDAR under the Otis Gold profile. 4 For further details regarding the Silver City and Oakley projects see the AIF. See also, the Silver City project technical report, with an effective date of March 21, 2022, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR and on its website, and the Oakley project technical report with an effective date of August 8, 2016, available on the Company's website and on SEDAR under the Otis Gold profile, as well as the Company's news release dated March 20, 2023, available on its website and under its profile on SEDAR.

Background

On November 30, 2022, the Company's wholly-owned Mexican subsidiary, San Pedro Resources, S.A. de C.V. ("San Pedro"), voluntarily filed a petition for bankruptcy with the Mexican Bankruptcy Court (Instituto Federal de Especialistas de Concursos Mercantile) which was accepted by the Court on December 15, 2022. In early March 2023, the Court-appointed auditor completed its review of San Pedro's petition and, on March 28, 2023, the Court declared San Pedro bankrupt. In due course, the Court will be appointing a trustee to take possession and control of, and administer, San Pedro for the benefit of its creditors. At the time it was declared bankrupt by the Court, San Pedro had been on care and maintenance since late October 2022. There were no San Pedro assets recorded on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company at December 31, 2022, and the bankruptcy proceedings are not expected to have any operational impact on the Company's current or future business.

As a result of the bankruptcy declaration, the Company will deconsolidate the liabilities of San Pedro from Excellon's consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2023, which will remove all San Pedro's liabilities from the consolidated balance sheet, including the US$22 million provision for litigation.

As previously disclosed in detail, San Pedro was party to an action by a claimant (the "Plaintiff") in respect of damages under a property agreement regarding the non-material mineral concession, La Antigua. On final appeal, in late 2019, the Plaintiff was awarded US$22 million (the "Judgment"), which San Pedro and the Company both believe is multiple times greater than any amount that could possibly have become payable under the agreement. With no further right of appeal, the Company recorded a corresponding provision for litigation of US$22 million commencing from the Q3 2021 consolidated financial statements. The Judgment is solely against San Pedro as defendant and the Company believes that the Plaintiff has no recourse against the Company's other assets in Mexico, Idaho, Saxony, Germany or Canada. For further details on the Judgment and San Pedro bankruptcy proceedings refer to the Company's consolidated financial statements and MD&A for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the AIF.

About Excellon

Excellon's vision is to realize opportunities for the benefit of our employees, communities and shareholders, through the acquisition of advanced development or producing assets with further potential to gain from an experienced operational management team. The Company is advancing a portfolio of gold, silver and base metals assets including Kilgore, an advanced gold exploration project in Idaho; and Silver City, a high-grade epithermal silver district in Saxony, Germany with 750 years of mining history and no modern exploration. The Company has also entered into an agreement to acquire La Negra, a past-producing Ag-Zn-Cu-Pb mine with exploration potential, located in Queretaro State, Mexico.

Additional details on Excellon's properties are available at www.excellonresources.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND OTHER MATTERS

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained or incorporated by reference in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as: "acquire", "accrual", "additional", "advancing", "anticipates", "believe", "compelling", "conditions", "considered", "contingencies", "continuing", "could", "development", "due course", "expected", "exploration", "estimate", "focus", "forward-looking", "further", "future", "indicated", "initial", "liability", "long-term", "may", "modeling", "occur", "opportunities", "option", "pending", "pipeline", "pivot", "planning", "position", "potential", "program", "project", "proposed", "proposition", "prospects", "provide", "provision", "risk", "should", "steps", "strategy", "study", "subject to", "testing", "timeline", "uncertainties", "upside", "viability", "vision", "will" and "would", or variations of such words, and similar such words, expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results can, could, may, should, will (or not) be achieved, occur, provide, result or support in the future or which, by their nature, refer to future events. In some cases, forward-looking information may be stated in the present tense, such as in respect of current matters that may be continuing, or that may have a future impact or effect. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding potential financing, corporate development, strategic and other opportunities; advancing a portfolio of assets; the La Negra acquisition and its related transactions including restructuring of the Company's outstanding convertible debentures and the proposed equity offering (including discussions with potential investors) (collectively, the "La Negra Transactions") and completion thereof and benefits thereof (including value proposition, quantum and use of proceeds of any equity offering); valuation, value proposition or potential or upside of the Company's various projects and/or La Negra; restart of mining operations and/or commercial production at La Negra mineral property; the implications of the Judgment (including there being no recourse against the Company's other assets in Mexico, Idaho, Saxony, Germany or Canada); the bankruptcy proceedings of the Company's Mexican subsidiary San Pedro and implications thereof (including reversal of the litigation provision and/or the underlying or other liabilities relating to such subsidiary and deconsolidation of such from Excellon's consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2023); project preliminary economic assessments and other models and studies (including economics and other results thereof) for La Negra and Kilgore, and the Company's other projects, (including NPV and underlying mineral resources which are estimates only); and any benefits or any other implications of any of the foregoing. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct, and any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future actions, results or performance. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, estimates, expectations and opinions, which are considered reasonable and represent best judgment based on available facts, as of the date such statements are made. If such assumptions, estimates, expectations and opinions prove to be incorrect, actual and future results may be materially different than expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The estimates, expectations and opinions referenced or contained in this news release which may prove to be incorrect, are subject to a number of assumptions which include those set forth or referenced herein as well as Management's Discussion & Analysis of Financial Results for year ended December 31, 2022 (together with the accompanying financial statements for the same period, the "2022 Financial Disclosure"); the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2023 (the "AIF"); the current technical reports for the Company's projects and La Negra, as referenced in this news release (collectively, the "Technical Reports"); the Company's other news releases referenced in this news release (collectively, the "Referenced News Releases"), and the Company's other applicable public disclosure (collectively, "Company Disclosure"), all available under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and/or on its website at www.excellonresources.com. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors which may cause the actual results or performance of the Company to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors include, among others, the timing, completion or non-completion of the La Negra Transactions, including due to the parties failing to receive, in a timely manner and on satisfactory terms, commitments in respect of the proposed equity financing (or other financing), and the necessary securityholder, Toronto Stock Exchange and other approvals or the inability of the parties to satisfy or waive in a timely manner the other conditions to the closing, conditions precedent or covenants, as applicable, of the La Negra Transactions and the inability to complete such transactions; inability to achieve the benefits, synergies or value proposition anticipated from the La Negra Transactions; variations in mineral resources, mineral production, grades or recovery rates; the accuracy of the results (including economics such as NPV), conclusions and recommendations of summarized in the Technical Reports; production, construction and technological risks related to Excellon and La Negra; capital requirements and operating risks associated with the operations or an expansion of the operations of Excellon including La Negra; dilution due to the La Negra Transactions and any other future equity financing; fluctuations in silver, lead, zinc, copper, gold and other precious metal prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainty relating to future production and cash resources; inability to successfully restart La Negra or other projects within the timelines and at the cost anticipated; adverse changes to market, political and general economic conditions or laws, rules and regulations applicable to Excellon and La Negra; the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; accidents, labour disputes, community and stakeholder protests and other risks of the mining industry; risk of an undiscovered defect in title or other adverse claim; as well as the "Risk Factors" in the AIF, and the risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors identified in the 2022 Financial Disclosure, the Technical Reports, the Referenced News Releases and other applicable Company Disclosure. The foregoing list of risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors is not exhaustive; readers should consult the more complete discussion of the Company's business, financial condition and prospects that is provided in the AIF and the other aforementioned Company Disclosure. Although Excellon has attempted to identify important factors that could cause plans, actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements in this news release and the other Company Disclosure referenced herein, there may be other factors that cause plans, actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There is no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual plans, results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements in this news release, nor in the documents incorporated by reference herein. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements referenced or contained in this news release are expressly qualified by these Cautionary Statements as well as the Cautionary Statements in the 2022 Financial Disclosure, the AIF, the Technical Reports, the Referenced News Releases and other applicable Company Disclosure. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release (or as otherwise expressly specified) and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

Mineral Resources

Until mineral deposits are actually mined and processed, mineral resources must be considered as estimates only. Mineral resource estimates that are not classified as mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimation of mineral resources is inherently uncertain, involves subjective judgement about many relevant factors and may be materially affected by, among other things, environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other factors described in the foregoing Cautionary Statements on Forward-Looking Statements. The quantity and grade of reported "inferred" mineral resource estimates are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define "inferred" mineral resource estimates as an "indicated" or "measured" mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading "inferred" mineral resource estimates to an "indicated" or "measured" mineral resource category. The accuracy of any mineral resource estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation, which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. The quantity and grade of "inferred" mineral resource estimates are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define "inferred" mineral resource estimates as an "indicated" or "measured" mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading "inferred" mineral resource estimates to an "indicated" or "measured" mineral resource category. Mineral resource estimates may have to be re-estimated based on, among other things: (i) fluctuations in mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling and development; (iii) results of geological and structural modeling including stope design; (iv) metallurgical testing and other testing; (v) proposed mining operations including dilution; and (vi) the possible failure to receive and/or maintain required permits, licenses and other approvals. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of a "inferred", "indicated" or "measured" mineral resource estimate will ever be upgraded to a higher category including a mineral reserve.

Mineral resource estimates disclosed by the Company were estimated and reported in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101") using Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (the "CIM Standards"), which govern the public disclosure of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects by Canadian issuers such as Excellon, and applying the CIM's Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Best Practices guidelines (as applicable). For additional discussion of the Company's mineral resource estimates at the Company's projects and La Negra, as well as an overall more detailed discussion of such projects, the reader should refer to the AIF and the applicable Technical Reports.

U.S. Readers

The terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" as disclosed by the Company are Canadian mining terms defined in the CIM Standards (collectively, the "CIM Definitions") in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 establishes standards for all public disclosure that a Canadian issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These Canadian standards differ from the requirements of the SEC applicable to United States domestic and certain foreign reporting companies under Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K ("S-K 1300"). Accordingly, information describing mineral resource estimates for the Company's projects and La Negra, may not be comparable to similar information publicly reported in accordance with the applicable requirements of the SEC, and so there can be no assurance that any mineral resource estimate for the Company's projects or La Negra would be the same had the estimates been prepared per the SEC's reporting and disclosure requirements under applicable United States federal securities laws, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including but not limited to S-K 1300. Further, there is no assurance that any mineral resource or mineral reserve estimate that the Company may report under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared such estimates under S-K 1300.

Preliminary Economic Assessments (or PEAs)

A PEA, including the La Negra and Kilgore PEAs, is only a conceptual study of the potential viability of the subject project's mineral resource estimates, and the economic and technical viability of the project and its estimated mineral resources has not been demonstrated. A PEA is preliminary in nature and provides only an initial, high-level review of the subject project's potential and design options; there is no certainty that a PEA will be realized. The conceptual LOM plan and economic model in a PEA include numerous assumptions and mineral resource estimates including inferred mineral resource estimates. Inferred mineral resource estimates are considered to be too speculative geologically to have any economic considerations applied to such estimates. Under NI 43-101, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility studies, pre-feasibility studies or other economic studies, except in prescribed cases, such as in a preliminary economic assessment under certain circumstances. There is no guarantee that inferred mineral resource estimates will be converted to indicated or measured mineral resources, or that indicated or measured mineral resources can be converted to mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and as such there is no guarantee the economics described in any PEA, including the La Negra and Kilgore PEAs, will be achieved. Mineral resource estimates may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant risks, uncertainties and other factors, as more particularly described in the foregoing other Cautionary Statements of this news release.

Qualified Persons

Mr. Jorge Ortega, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 (a "QP"), reviewed, verified and approved the scientific and technical information relating to geological interpretation and results contained in this news release. Mr. Paul Keller, P. Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a QP, reviewed, verified and approved the scientific and technical information relating to operations and production results contained in this news release.

SOURCE Excellon Resources Inc.
CALGARY, April 03, 2023 - Pan American Energy Corp. (the "Company" or "Pan American") (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) (FRA: SS6) is pleased to announce the completion of the joint magnetic survey collaboration project between the Company and Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. ("Avalon") at the Big Mack and Big Whopper Project near Kenora, Ontario. The work was completed by EarthEx Geophysical Solutions ("EarthEx") on schedule and on budget. The magnetic survey is comprised of an estimated 725 line-km with spacing of 25 m and tie line spacing of 250 m.



As of a result of industry and academia collaborating on this project, the collective group will benefit from advancing an understanding of the structural behaviours and stress/strain of the emplaced pegmatites in the Separation Rapids area. Flying a larger area provides more structural context, and is expected to significantly aid in the interpretation of data. The University of Manitoba and EarthEx are also granted use of the data for research, publication, and case study purposes.

Jason Latkowcer, CEO and Director, comments, "We're excited to have completed the field work portion of data collection and look forward to having EarthEx process the data in the coming weeks. The job was completed safely, on-time, and on-budget. We are anticipating a highly insightful dataset that, through collaboration with our peers, will help to support our understanding of pegmatites in the region at scale. The findings will be used to support our upcoming Spring/Summer exploration and drilling campaign at the Big Mack."

Pan American will also collaborate with EarthEx to fly a drone-borne gamma-ray spectrometry, LiDAR and high-resolution air photography as a follow-on work program. EarthEx will return to the property area in the Spring/Summer, once the snow has melted from the property. The gamma-ray spectrometry method is effective for pegmatite exploration due to the potassium signature detectable due to K-feldspar crystals in the pegmatites themselves, as well as the ability for anomalous potassium to be present in sediments and even vegetation. The LiDAR survey is effective at identifying outcrop and mapping even fine-scale structures or protruding pegmatites in areas of thick vegetation. With the spring survey schedule, the air photo mosaics will be able to see more of the ground than mid-summer, and should provide an excellent tool for digital prospecting.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a5ecf02-c792-4531-b3fd-d6ec48863e32

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed by Daniel Card, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About EarthEx.

EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc is a Manitoba company, founded in 2014 in Selkirk, Manitoba by president and Chief Geophysicist, Daniel Card, P. Geo., RPGeo. We are highly specialized in geophysical prospecting for hard-rock minerals, and work with cutting edge technologies and data analysis methodology.

For more information contact Daniel Card, President and Chief Geophysicist, earthex@eexgeo.com or visit https://eexgeo.com/physical-properties/.

About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in sustainably-produced materials for clean technology. The Company now has four advanced stage projects, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, cesium and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on developing its Separation Rapids Lithium Project near Kenora, Ontario while continuing to advance other projects, including its 100%-owned Lilypad Cesium-Tantalum-Lithium Project located near Fort Hope, Ontario. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.

For questions and feedback, please e-mail Avalon President and CEO, Donald Bubar, at ir@AvalonAM.com.

About Pan American Energy Corp.

Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) (FSE: SS6) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North America.

The Company's maiden asset is the 100% owned Green Energy Lithium Project, located in the Paradox Basin, Utah, USA. The Company has also entered a property option agreement with Horizon Lithium LLC with the right to acquire 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Project, located within the Clayton Valley - Tonopah Lithium Belt, Nevada, USA.

The Company executed an option agreement in Canada with Magabra Resources with the right to acquire up to 90% interest in the drill-ready Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Jason Latkowcer

CEO & Director

Contact

Phone : (587) 885-5970

Email: info@panam-energy.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.




Vancouver, April 3, 2023 - Wedgemount Resources Corp. (CSE: WDGY) (OTCQB: WDGRF) ("Wedgemount" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has closed its acquisition of certain West Texas, Permian Basin, oil and gas production assets know as the Willowbend assets (the "Assets") (announced October 27, 2022 and December 19, 2022). Having completed payments totalling US$1,500,000, Wedgemount, through its wholly owned Texas subsidiary Wedgemount Texas Corp. ("WTC"), has assumed a 100% working interest, operatorship and title to the Assets, subject to underlying royalties averaging 19%. WTC will be credited with an amount equal to the net oil and gas revenue from the Assets, for the period commencing January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023, the date of closing of the acquisition (the "Interim Period"), such amount will be reconciled via a settlement statement rendered within 60-days of closing, on or before May 30, 2023. During the Interim Period, the vendor of the Assets conducted operations at the direction of WTC and WTC remained responsible for property as well as oil and gas production taxes.

Loan

The Company also announces that it has entered into a loan agreement (the "Agreement") pursuant to which it was loaned CAD$450,000, bearing interest at a rate of fifteen percent (15%) per annum, payable by the Company monthly on the last business day of every month for the first twenty-two (22) months from the date of initial advance, with the first payment commencing on June 30, 2023, and thereafter at the rate of eighteen percent (18%) per annum (the "Loan"). The Company will make payments on account of principal on the Loan commencing June 30, 2023 at the rate of CAD$20,000 per month plus an amount equal to 25% of net cash flows over USD$200,000. The Loan will mature, and all outstanding principal shall become due and payable, on February 28, 2025. The Company may repay the Loan at any time on 10-days' notice without penalty. The Company intends to repay the Loan with cash received from cash flows. The Loan is guaranteed by WTC and a general security interest over the assets of WTC.

About Wedgemount Resources Corp.

Wedgemount Resources is a junior natural resources company focused on maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition, discovery and advancement of natural resource projects in North America.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Wedgemount Resources Corp.

Mark Vanry, President and CEO

For more information, please contact the Company at:

Telephone: (604) 343-4743

info@wedgemountresources.com

www.wedgemountresources.com

Reader Advisory

This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include the anticipated benefits of the Assets and the potential for gas production and production from additional zones on the Assets. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, availability of funds, personnel and other resources necessary to conduct exploration or development programs, successes of the Company's exploration efforts, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160934
Vancouver, April 3, 2023 - Q2 Metals Corp. (TSXV: QTWO) (OTCQB: QUEXF) (FSE: 458) ("Q2" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has commenced the first phase of the 2023 exploration campaign at its flagship Mia Lithium Property (the "Mia Property"), located in James Bay, Quebec. The Phase 1 work program consists of ground induced polarity, resistivity (IP-Resistivity), and detailed airborne magnetic surveying which will support the exploration campaign on the Mia Property.

"After raising $10.25M earlier this year, our team has been eager to start on our work program at our flagship Mia Property," said Q2 Chief Executive Officer, Alicia Milne. "This Phase 1 work program will provide valuable information for our summer exploration campaign."

The Company has begun an IP-Resistivity geophysical survey across the western section of the greenstone belt within the Mia Property. IP-Resistivity is a geophysical tool that has traditionally been used in gold and base metals exploration. IP-Resistivity surveys conducted in 2008 over Allkem Limited's James Bay deposit1 have shown the method as a promising exploration method for the definition of pegmatite dykes and bodies at depth. The survey will span four kilometres with 10 lines at 100-metre line spacing and is intended to highlight additional prospecting or drilling targets. The Company has engaged TMC Geophysique out of Val d'Or Quebec to carry out the fieldwork.

The Company has also retained Prospectair Geosurveys Inc., a leading geophysical surveying group, based in Gatineau, Quebec to complete a 2,078 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey. The survey will have line-spacing of 50 metres with a low ground-clearance of approximately 25 metres above the surface. The high-resolution survey is intended to guide the exploration team to define potential pegmatite bodies at depth by outlining regional geological corridors and magnetic susceptibility variations that may directly be caused by pegmatite intrusions.

"This initial work on the Mia Property during snow-covered conditions in James Bay is intended to accelerate our exploration field work efforts this summer by providing our teams with as much information as possible. We are preparing for the phase 2 work program, which will start after the snow melts. This is the field program which consists of getting boots on the ground for mapping and sampling the pegmatites on surface. It is anticipated that this field program will define drill targets for drilling this summer," said Q2 Vice President of Exploration, Neil McCallum.

Q2 anticipates its inaugural drill program to begin in July 2023 and will update the market with further details in the coming months.

Qualified Person

Neil McCallum, B.Sc., P.Geol, is a registered permit holder with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has reviewed the technical information in this news release. Mr. McCallum is a director of Q2.

About Q2 Metals Corp

Q2 Metals Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company currently advancing exploration of its 8,668-ha flagship Mia Lithium Property in the James Bay area of Quebec, Canada which is host to the Mia Li-1 and Mia Li-2 occurrences which grade 0.47% Li 2 O and 2.27% Li 2 O respectively. The Company also owns the Stellar Lithium Property with 77 claims totaling 3,972-ha, located approximately six kilometres north of its Mia Lithium Property in James Bay.

Q2 is also exploring the highly prospective Big Hill and Titan gold projects covering approximately 110 km in the Talgai Goldfields of the broader Warwick-Texas District, hosting 54 high-grade historical gold mines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Alicia Milne

President & CEO

Alicia@Q2metals.com

Kevin Bottomley

Director

Kevin@Q2metals.com

Jason McBride

Corporate Communications

Jason@Q2metals.com

Telephone: 1 (800) 824-7560

E-mail: info@Q2metals.com

Follow the Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Accordingly, all statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations and orientations regarding the future including, without limitation, any statements or plans regard the geological prospects of the Company's properties and the future exploration endeavors of the Company. 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 or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same. Readers are cautioned that mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business and accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for its recently completed fiscal period, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

1 Disclaimer: Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160963
Coquitlam, April 3, 2023 - Nickel Rock Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "Nickel Rock") (TSXV:NICL), (OTC:NICKLF), (FRA:NMK2) is pleased to announce that as permitted by the Company's Articles, the Board of Directors have approved by directors' consent resolutions the name change to "Grid Battery Metals Inc." which has also been accepted by the TSX Venture Exchange.

The shares will commence trading under the new name and trading symbol "CELL", effective Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at the market open. The Company's CUSIP number will be 398084103.

The Company will also be launching a new website and social media sites in connection with the name change. The Company will issue a further news release announcing the effective date of the website and social media sites.

About Nickel Rock Resources Inc.

Nickel Rock Resources Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. www.nickelrockresources.com

About Clayton Valley Lithium Project

The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley.

Volt Canyon Lithium Property

The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada.

About the British Columbia, Nickel Projects

The Mount Sidney Williams Group consists of three claim blocks with a total area of 10,569 hectares in the area surrounding Mount Sidney Williams, both adjoining and near the Decar project of FPX Nickel Corp., located 100 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James, B.C., in the Omineca mining division. Metallic mineralization includes nickel, cobalt, and chromium. At least some of the nickel mineralization occurs as awaruite. The Mitchell Range Group area claim consist of one claim block covering 8,659 hectares with demonstrated metallic mineralization including nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Nickel cobalt mineralization has not been well explored, but the presence of awaruite has been documented. The Company has optioned out an 80% interest on certain mineral claims within the HN4 and Ni100 exploration project, to Surge Battery Metals Inc. (TSXV:NILI).

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim Fernback"

604-428-5690

Tim Fernback, President & CEO

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. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements.


Vancouver, April 3, 2023 - Valorem Resources Inc. (CSE: VALU) (FSE: X37) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, effective April 3, 2023, Young Yuen has resigned as a director of the Company and it has appointed Mata Botima to the board of directors of the Company in place of Young Yuen. The Company thanks Mr. Yuen for his services as a director of the Company and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mata Botima

Mr. Mata Botima is BHP Billiton's former Country President (DRC), Mr. Botima is a high energy, self-motivated, seasoned, well-travelled and globally exposed Executive, Director and Business Strategist. A trained Metallurgical Engineer, he has more than 25 years' experience in the natural resources industries, with a specific focus in developed and emerging markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr. Botima's exposure acquired through leading and successfully implementing various projects coupled with his strong commercial background and business acumen, have equipped him with the interpersonal and negotiation flair to interact at board and ministerial level, and a distinct ability to translate strategy into actionable plans that support business objectives.

Mr. Botima has held senior positions at Bateman Engineering, Mogale Alloys and Mintek, spanning from Business Development Executive, Production Manager and Senior R&D Engineer. He possesses valuable experience in metal and Ferro-alloys processing and production, (ranging from ferro-nickel, ferro-chrome, ferro-manganese, silicomanganese, aluminium, Magnesium), as well as in the various beneficiation processes for precious metals and base metals.

Specializing in project identification, evaluation, strategy development and implementation as well as plant operation management, his previous positions include being an Executive Director of Blackstone Resources responsible for the natural resource's strategy development, and he also led SAF Energy, an electricity generation and transmission entity purposed with supplying electricity to Cabinda in Angola. He was also a Chief Strategist at Syntech, an innovative technology company where he was responsible for the company's growth strategy. He is currently an independent Consultant to Compagnie Miniere de Tondo where he is driving the development of a Tier One copper cobalt deposit.

About Valorem Resources Inc.

Valorem Resources is a mineral exploration company working on a Tier-1 gold opportunity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ("DRC"), located in the Fizi territory of South Kivu province, in the DRC. The Misisi Gold Project (or the "Project") has a contained Inferred Mineral Resource of 3 million ounces of gold as reported in the Company's National Instrument 43-101 technical report on the Misisi Gold Project (the "Technical Report").

The Project is located 250 kilometres south of Bukavu, the provincial capital of the South Kivu Province, in the DRC. The Project is comprised of three contiguous 30-year mining leases, valid until 2045, covering 133 square kilometres of prospective exploration ground along the 55-kilometre-long Kibara Gold Belt. The Kibara Belt is a well-known metallogenic province and hosts a number of other deposits including the Twangiza (5.1 Moz oz Au, source: S&P Global) and Namoya (1.9 Moz, source: S&P Global) gold mines. The Project is host to the Akyanga deposit, which is the subject to Inferred Resource of 44.3 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.16 grams per tonne gold containing 3.0 million ounces.

Near term upside potential around the existing Akyanga deposit with additional drilling on strike and at depth. Additional near term potential to increase resources with further drilling at the know Akyanga East prospect. Scope to significantly increase the resource from multiple drill targets identified over a 50km strike length with positive indications and intersections from geophysical and soil anomalies as well as historical drilling data.

Qualified Person

Ephraim Masibhera, a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein. Historical information contained in this news release cannot be relied upon as the Company's Qualified Person, as defined under NI 43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information.

This news release also includes references with respect to the Twangiza (5.1 Moz oz Au, source: S&P Global) and Namoya (1.9 Moz, source: S&P Global) gold mines, which are located near the Misisi Gold Project. The Company advises that, notwithstanding their proximity of location, discoveries of minerals on such properties, any promising results thereof are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization of, or located on the Misisi Gold Project, or the Company's ability to commercially exploit the minerals claims which comprise the property or to locate any commercially exploitable deposits therefrom.

For more information on the Misisi Gold Project, please refer to the Technical Report filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Tony Louie, Interim CEO and Director

Email: info@valoremresources.com

Office: +1 (604) 908-1679

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161044
Zonte Metals Inc. (TSXV:ZON) ("Zonte" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has nearly completed a ground gravity survey at its 100% owned Cross Hills Copper Property, in Newfoundland and Labrador and plans a non-brokered private placement for up to $250,000.

The ground gravity survey will cover the K9 and K10 target areas. The K9 target is defined by copper-in-soils and rocks, an associated magnetic anomaly and well defined hydrothermal alteration sitting in a structural zone (see press release dated September 23, 2021). The K10 target is defined by two discrete areas of bedrock copper mineralization and elevated copper-in-soils over a large area, with significant hydrothermal alteration sitting along defined fault structures (see press releases dated January 26, 2022 and April 28, 2022). The main part of this target has not yet been surveyed by magnetics. The objective of the survey is to prepare K9 for drilling and move K10 targets towards drilling, results dependent. Once the final data is obtained from the contractor it will be submitted for 3D processing to a geophysical consultant. Results will be released once the data has been processed.

The Company is also pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for proceeds of up to $250,000 consisting of up to 2,500,000 common share units at a price of $0.10 per unit (the "Financing"), subject to TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") approval. Each Unit will consist of one common share and one share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price of $0.18 for a period of 36 months from the date of issuance. The net proceeds of the Financing will be used for working capital purposes and the Company may consider increasing the size of the Offering depending on demand.

Eligible finders will be entitled to a Finders' Fees in connection with securities sold pursuant to the Financing of (i) cash in an amount equal to 6%of the aggregate gross subscription proceeds received from the sale of securities; and (ii) Finders' Warrants equal to 6% of the number of securities sold in the Financing, each such Finders' Warrant exercisable at any time up to 60 months following its date of issuance to purchase one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.20 per share. All Finders' Fees will be subject to and in accordance with Exchange and regulatory policies. The securities issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period.

At the request of the Exchange, Zonte also wishes to clarify the number of flow-through units issued and provide additional details of Eligible Finders, related to completion of the non-brokered private placement announced in a press release dated January 24, 2023. The Company issued 3,093,000 common share units at a price of $0.10 and 6,180,000 flow through units at a price of $0.125 (the "Offering") for total proceeds of $1,081,800. Each Unit consisted of one common share and one share purchase warrant, expiring December 20, 2025, entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at a price of $0.18. Following completion of the Offering, the Company has 68,557,961 shares issued and outstanding.

In connection with securities sold pursuant to the Offering, the Company paid an aggregate of $47,400 in cash and issued 384,000 Finders' Warrants to three Eligible Finders, all of whom were at arm's length to the Company. Each Finders' Warrant is exercisable until December 20, 2027, to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per share. All Finders' Fees were subject to and in accordance with Exchange and regulatory policies and the securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period.

Certain insiders (two individuals) of the Company acquired 1,638,000 Common Share Units in the Offering for proceeds to the Company of $163,800. Participation by insiders in the Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). However, as insider participation represented less than 25% of the proceeds of the Offering, the Company relied on the exemptions available under the instrument and such participation was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for working capital purposes and exploration at the Cross Hills Iron Oxide Copper Gold Property, in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Qualified Person

Donald Blake, P.Geo. is the qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the contents and technical disclosures in this press release.

About Zonte

Zonte Metals Inc. is a junior explorer focused on gold and copper. The Company owns 100% of the Cross Hills IOCG project located in Newfoundland and Labrador, the MJ project, in the Tintina Gold Belt, located in the Yukon Territory, and the Wings Point project in the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt. Southern Sky Resources Corp. ("Southern") can earn a 100% interest in the Wings Point East claims by paying Zonte $100,000 and issuing 750,000 Southern shares to Zonte over a two-year period, with Zonte retain a 2% NSR on one of the claim blocks. . In Colombia; the company has a 25% carried interest in Project X where historic drilling intersected significant gold mineralization and the Company and partner have an application over open areas sitting on top of the open pit outline of the Gramalote Deposit in Colombia, which is held by AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and B2Gold (TSX:BTO, NYSE:BTG). The title issuance is being contested by the state governing the application and the Company has started legal action to protect its rights.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements which include statements regarding the Corporation's future plans, as well as statements regarding financial and business prospects and the Corporation's future plans, objectives or economic performance and financial outlooks. The Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in this news release are reasonable but actual results may be affected by a variety of variables and may be materially different from the results or events predicted in the forward-looking statements. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In evaluating forward-looking statements readers should consider the risk factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation does not intend nor does it undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. 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 of accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Terry Christopher

CEO and President

902-405-3520

info@zontemetals.com

www.zontemetals.com


BoG urged to save local banks from collapse

Charles Benoni Okine Business News Apr - 03 - 2023 , 07:29

A financial analyst with Deloitte Ghana, Dennis Brown, wants the Bank of Ghana (BoG) to adopt a more supportive approach to resolve the capital shortfalls of banks, particlarly the local ones, that may have been badly affected by the governments Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

The assistance, he suggested, might include providing liquidity support to the banks on very flexible terms and, or allowing for flexible or convenient timelines for these banks to restructure their capital and improve their capital adequacy ratios (CAR), which is used to measure the ability of a bank to meet its obligations by comparing its capital to its assets.

Considering recent events and the impact of the DDEP on the banks, I would expect BoG to be more supportive in its approach to ensuring that such banks recapitalise as against an overly strict and punitive approach such as license withdrawal after an announced timeline.

In this regard, where BoG needs to offer support, priority must be given to banks hard hit by the Governments Domestic Debt Restructuring Programme (DDEP), Mr Brown, who is the Senior Manager, Financial Advisory, Deloitte Ghana, said.

He was responding to questions about the impact of the DDEP on banks and the kind of support the BoG needs to offer to prevent another collapse of local banks in particular following the implementation of the DDEP in which 85 per cent of bondholders, including all banks, participated.

DDEP impact

The implementation of the DDEP has taken a heavy toll on banks, some of which are beginning to show signs of distress as captured in their unpublished financials for last year.

There are fears that the impact of the financial sector cleanup which forced the collapse of many local banks in the country a couple of years ago may recur in view of the negative impact of the DDEP.

The Bank of Ghana, in its latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, reported that developments in the banking sector broadly reflected the challenging operating environment in 2022 on account of macroeconomic conditions, and the recent implementation of the DDEP which all 23 universal banks participated in.

The banks preliminary assessment of the impact of the DDEP on the banking sector, based on December 2022 data, indicates significant losses on account of impairment of banks holdings in GoG bonds.

The central bank noted that the impact of the DDEP, as currently assessed, was moderated by the timely introduction of regulatory reliefs by the Bank of Ghana to support the banking sector, similar to the reliefs provided to banks at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on that, the BoG insists that the industry is still fairly resilient, an assurance industry players and financial analysts strongly dispute because of the dangers the banks face.

BoG, however, indicated that its preliminary assessment would be updated once banks external auditors completed their audits of banks 2022 financial performance making the necessary adjustments to fully reflect the DDEP impact.

Banks financials

Meanwhile, the banks are expected to publish their 2022 audited financial statements by the end of this month following a one-month dispensation granted by the central bank on the account of the DDEP.
Govt's 3 new revenue laws could collapse businesses - Chamber of Commerce

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Business News Apr - 03 - 2023 , 15:40

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), Mark Badu-Aboagye, is of the view that the three new revenue laws introduced by the government could lead to the collapse of many Ghanaian businesses.

For him, the growing taxes will not only make cost of production high but will make it difficult for businesses to operate and make profit.

We may end up collapsing businesses. Businesses that will not be able to survive, will either downsize or they will close down, he stated.

Parliament last Friday approved four financial bills presented by the government aimed at generating approximately 4 billion Ghana Cedis annually to boost domestic revenue mobilization.

They are the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill 2022, the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022, and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.

The percentages for the various taxes have increased and it now covers more products.

The move by the government is essential as part of the moves in facilitating the Board Approval for the $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme staff-level agreement.

The measures are part of the government's efforts to meet the IMF's criteria to qualify for a bailout.

The Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, which will impose a 20 per cent tax on cigarettes and e-smoking devices, as well as sweetened beverages, spirits and wines, is projected to rake in about GH400 million annually, while the Income Tax (Amendment) Bill will generate about GH1.2 billion.

The Growth and Sustainability (Amendment) Bill, which will replace the National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy that currently imposes a levy on companies operating in selected sectors, is also projected to raise about GH2.2 billion.

The National Fiscal Stabilisation Levy itself replaced the National Reconstruction Levy, 2001 (Act 597) and the National Reconstruction Levy (Amendment) Act, 2005 (Act 687), which imposed a 1.5 per cent non-deductible levy on profits before tax of all companies, except rural and community banks.

The House also approved the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill, 2022.

The three tax bills are vital to enhancing Ghanas chances of securing a $3-billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

GNCCI's argument on how it will impact businesses

Reacting to the passage of the bills by Parliament in a radio interview with Accra-based Joy FM on Monday (April 3, 2023), Mr. Badu-Aboagye said the timing of the taxes was bad, considering the current economic situation.

He said due to the continuous introduction of taxes in Ghana by the government, some businesses were leaving Ghana for neighbouring countries where the economic environment was conducive for business.

Mr. Badu-Aboagye indicated that some companies have already relocated to other neighbouring countries due to the "hostile tax regime" in Ghana.

Also speaking on the issue on the same platform, the Communications Director of the Ghana Union of Trades Association (GUTA), Joseph Paddy blamed Parliament for passing the laws without factoring the economic situation in the country into account.

Parliament has failed us; we thought they were working for us rather they were working for themselves,he said.

He said government could easily get the targeted revenue it intended to raise from the three new taxes if it blocked all the leakages in the revenue collection system in the country.

For him, there was no need introducing new taxes at this time, saying Let us look at those leakages from the system and close those leakages; we can realise the money rather than introducing new taxes.
Khosi wins Big Brother Titans, takes home $100,000 cash prize

The Sun Nigeria Showbiz News Apr - 02 - 2023 , 21:51

Khosi, the 25-year-old South African journalist emerged the winner of the Big Brother Titans reality show, which ended on Sunday night. The show brought together 24 Africans - 12 Nigerians and 12 South Africans - under one roof for 72-days and at the end of the show, Khosi Twala was the last one standing and walked away with the US$100,000 winner prize.

She was followed by Nigerian model, Kanaga Jnr as the first runner up.

The 2nd-runner up position went to South Africa, Tsatsii.



For the first time, the franchise reality show paired only Nigerians and South Africans, instead of the larger cast of Africans from East, West and South.

Khosi was born in Nata, Central District of Botswana.

As the winner of Big Brother Titans, Khosi walks home with a grand prize of $100,000 cash prize, including endorsement deals and fame.

She had revealed that she was in the Big Brother Titan house for quick fame and the money as well.

She further added that she is an explosive combo of beauty and brains.

Khosi is a South African journalist

Nigerias famous OAP and Big Brother Naija serial host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu alongside South Africas renowned actor, OAP and Big Brother Mzansis host, Lawrence Maleka anchored the show.

They are reputed as two of the finest comperes in the continent of Africa and indeed entertained viewers with their mesmerizing presentation skills.
Decriminalisation of attempted suicide - Freedom to live, not freedom to die

Dr Ruth Owusu-Antwi Opinion Apr - 03 - 2023 , 13:08

The Psychiatric Association of Ghana (PAG) is excited and welcomes the news of the decriminalisation of attempted suicide by Parliament this week.

Having joined forces with other Mental health professionals and well-meaning Ghanaians to push for the repeal of the old law over the past decade, this is a win for the Mental health fraternity and the nation as a whole.

As Mental health medical professionals, we are aware of the complex medical and psychosocial implications of any attempt at suicide, and the long-term effects on the individual, the family and the society.

As such, decriminalising attempted suicide is a positive paradigm shift as a nation, however, education and awareness about suicide has become extremely important now, more than ever.

Statistics

Statistics by Ghanas Mental Health Authority (MHA), shows that in 2018 the number of people who attempted suicide was 797.

This rose to 880 in 2019 and to 902 in 2021, while those who died by suicide went up from 69 in 2020 to 86 in 2021.

There are many others that are not reported because of stigma and fear of community and legal repercussions.

That implies that in reality, these figures are way higher than we know.

Globally, the statistics still stands at somebody dies by suicide every 40 seconds!

Rises

These rises in reported deaths by suicide can partly be attributed to our previous law in section 57(2) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which states that: A person who attempts to commit suicide commits a misdemeanour.

This law, which has now been repealed, rather encouraged persons who attempt suicide to take all the necessary precautions to ensure they are successful, as a failure in such attempts was considered a crime.

Attempted suicide is, in its simplest form, a cry for help.

Severe clinical depression, substance abuse and misuse and other severe mental disorders (often undiagnosed) have been found to be far more common in people who attempt suicide than the general population.

Criminal punishments previously applied to attempted suicide, have the ironic effect of encouraging persons who have suicidal tendencies to use lethal methods to ensure that they do not fail.

The arguments supporting criminalising suicide attempt could be categorised as follows:

I. To serve as a deterrent effect (as suicide scares people)

II. That People have no right to take life (they belong to the state)

Importance of de-criminalisation for healthcare

W.H.O report shows that the legal status on suicide around the world in the last 50 years has changed significantly.

WHO report (2014) shows that decriminalisation has had some positive effects in countries including:

I. Decline in suicide rates after decriminalisation

II. Increase in the reporting of suicide which helps prevention planning

III. Decriminalisation of attempted suicide encourages suicidal persons to report suicidal crisis early enough for help.

IV. Decriminalisation of suicide prevents underreporting, which in turn promotes accurate estimations that could guide planning for suicide prevention.

V. Decriminalising attempted suicide is being sensitive to the plight of suicide survivors and their families since majority of survivors may be dealing with untreated severe mental disorders.

VI. Decriminalisation of Attempted suicide may encourage Government to commit funds for suicide research.

Action points

Decriminalising attempted suicide does not mean legalising suicide attempt, it is rather a freedom to choose to live!

The government has done its part by decriminalising attempted suicide and this takes a huge burden off our patients (the survivors) and their families, we the service providers as well.

But as a society, we still have an ongoing part to play in eradicating suicide from our country.

Signs

We can act by recognising suicide warning signs and seeking help early.

The common warning signs of suicide are:

 Active suicidal thinking and verbalising.

Expressions of hopelessness and depression.

 Sudden recklessness, impulsivity and dramatic mood changes.

 Persistent anxiety and agitation.

 Expressions of feeling trapped.

 Expressions of no reasons for living, no purpose in life

 Increased alcohol or substance abuse

 Giving prized gifts and/or setting house in order

 Speaking in metaphors about travelling to a remote/unreachable place

 Withdrawal from friends and unexcited about life

 Acquisition of common items for suicide like rope, gun and poison in an individual who has recently changed

Seek help

No one needs to die by suicide.

Members of the PAG are spread across the country and are ready to render help if you call through these national helplines.

They are: 020-000-9997, 020-681-4666, 050-344-4793

Conclusion

The PAG express our deepest and most profound gratitude to all stakeholders and partners in the mental health fraternity who campaigned relentlessly and ceaselessly to bring about this victory.

We thank the sponsors of a private members bill to repeal from our criminal code, attempted suicide, that led to the decriminalisation on March 28, 2023, namely, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi (MP, Asante Akim Central), the chairman of the Legal, Constitutional, And Parliamentary Committee of Parliament and his ranking member, Bernard Ahiafor (MP, Akatsi South), as well as all MPs who graciously voted to carry this amendment.

A new dawn has broken in Ghanas mental health in which the vulnerable in society have been given hope, and new chapter has been opened for people to freely choose life without fear of punishment.

Our society and democracy, has today become a tad stronger because of this amendment.

Lets all act towards a suicide-free world, check up on someone today, get help for yourself today, suicide is not an option.

The writer is President,

Psychiatric Association of Ghana.
Russia's Presidency of UN Security Council world's biggest April Fool - Ukraine

International News Apr - 02 - 2023 , 06:44

Ukraine is not happy that Russia is assuming the Presidency of the UN Security Council.

Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has described Russia's turn to assume presidency of the United Nations Security Council  which is charged with maintaining global peace and security, as the worlds worst April Fools joke.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, has been accused by the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes in connection with alleged war crimes concerning the deportation and illegal transfer of children from occupied Ukraine.

However, as a tradition of rotating the leadership of the UN Security Council, it is now time for Russia to take over the mantle. Presidency of the security council rotates alphabetically among its 15 member nations. The body is controlled by its five permanent members, including the US and Russia.

But Ukraine is not happy with the move and thinks that Russia has enough blood on her hand to lead the Security Council, saying The country which systematically violates all fundamental rules of international security is presiding over a body whose only mission is to safeguard and protect international security.

The UN diplomatic corps is well aware of the public skepticism about Russia leading the council while its troops occupy parts of Ukraine, a fellow UN member country. Few remember that Russia was last president of the council in February 2022  during the run-up to its invasion of Ukraine.

A Security Council president is supposed to stay neutral. But in its new role, Russia can maneuver meetings on Ukraine and use the month to portray the US and other Western countries as making false accusations against Russia.

Still, Russia backers here at UNHQ meanwhile say they see historic parallels to the current situation, pointing out that the US, a permanent member of the Security Council, invaded Iraq in 2003 without the councils approval.

At the end of the day, the problem is not the Russian Presidency. Its Russian behavior in Ukraine, a Security Council diplomat told CNN.

Can Russia be kicked out?

Over the past year, Ukraine has questioned whether Russia has a right to its permanent seat at the council at all, pointing out at public meetings that Moscow received the chair of the former Soviet Union without any vote in the early 1990s.

But is it possible to boot Russia off the Council or even the entire UN over its actions in Ukraine?

The UN charter, the foundation of the organization, does not make it easy to eliminate a permanent member of the Council. A Russian veto can easily keep its representatives at the councils horseshoe table forever.

A country that flagrantly violates the UN charter and invades their smaller neighbor has no place on the UN Security Council. Unfortunately Russia is a permanent member of the Council and no international legal pathway exists to change that reality, a spokesperson for the US Mission to the UN told CNN.

All that can be done in the austere body really is to challenge what Russia says there  something that the US has vowed to do. We continue to call out their lies and bring credible voices, data and facts on the ground, the US spokesperson said.

The longer the war drags on, the more Russias position at the UN may come under pressure. But like many of the meetings here, rhetoric is the major weapon.

Written with information from CNN
500 Patients benefit from free eye surgery

Haruna Yussif Wunpini Apr - 03 - 2023 , 07:44

JA medical charity group from the United States (US) has teamed up with some Ghanaian health professionals to perform free cataract surgery on 500 people at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua.

The beneficiaries included the aged, young people and children from towns and villages such Koforidua, Suhum, Nkawkaw, Aburi, Akropong, Bawjiase and Somanya.

The beneficiaries were asked to come for the surgery after free eye-screening exercises conducted for about 2,000 people by the Himalayan Cataract Project (Cure Blindness), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the US.

The Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and other partners collaborated with the NGO, which sent a team of doctors and technicians to Koforidua to assist the medical staff of the Eastern Regional Hospital for the surgery.

Some of the doctors were from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, the St Dominic Hospital, Akwatia and the Tilgauya Institute of Opthalmology in Nepal.

Free surgery, medication

According to the NGO's Country Representative in Ghana, Dr James Amoo Addy, all those who were screened and diagnosed with defects, along with those who went through the surgery, were provided with free medication, while some of them had reading glasses.

He said since the five-day period allocated for surgery was not enough to cover all patients, the team had decided to return to the country on a later date to continue with the exercise.

"We have done this, together with our partners, for the love of humanity. We want to assist the needy and those who cannot afford the cost of such operations to live more meaningfully, he said.

Research

Dr Addy said research conducted in Ghana in 2015 showed that 200,000 (0.74%) out of the country's total population were blind, and explained that those people suffered from cataract.

According to him, money should not be a hindrance to make one totally blind, and that was why his outfit decided to pay for the treatment of the eye patients.

He commended the government and the Ministry of Health for their support and called for more of such collaborations in the near future.

Appreciation

The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the organisers for the surgery.

A beneficiary from Bawjiase, Grace Goku, who was initially not aware of the exercise but had the information from a friend, after which she went through the surgery successfully, urged the government to channel resources into supporting such initiatives.

Another beneficiary, Mama Sheitu Sampana from Koforidua, who was highly elated, asked for God's blessings for the organisers.

According to her, she did not pay anything for the surgery and the medication.

Abdul Rauf Yusuf, another beneficiary, told the Daily Graphic that he did not feel any pain when he was going through the surgery.

He said initially he was nervous that his eyes would be fractured by the surgical instruments.
French Minister of State advocates LGBTQI+ rights in Africa amidst proposed anti-gay bill in Ghana

GraphicOnline Apr - 03 - 2023 , 21:02

The French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, has spoken out about the ongoing debate surrounding the rights of the LGBTQI+ community in Africa.

Ms. Zacharopoulou believes that the fundamental human rights of all individuals must be protected by law, including those of the LGBTQI+ community.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra Monday night (April 3), she stated that protecting the rights of such people is a core value of France and the European Union and that she will continue to advocate for their rights wherever she goes in Africa.

"In my country and in the European Union, we promote human rights and of course in my Ministry, we have an ambassador to promote LGBT rights, so what I can say is that this is our values and wherever I go in Africa, I will continue to say that we have to respect all of us, the LGBT community, this is a question of human rights and I always say that," she said.

Currently, over 30 African countries have bans against same-sex relations, and the proposed Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also known as the Anti-Gay Bill in Ghana, seeks to criminalize LGBTQI+ activities in Ghana.

If passed into law, the bill would outlaw all forms of support for the LGBTQI+ community and propose jail terms for individuals who engage in same-sex relations.

Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Monday said the bill being debated in Parliament had been modified following his governments intervention.

Speaking during a joint news conference with US Vice-President Kamala Harris, President Akufo-Addo clarified that the bill was not an official government policy but rather had been proposed by a "handful" of private members.

He said the Attorney General had submitted opinions to a parliamentary committee regarding the constitutionality of certain provisions in the bill, and as a result, significant elements of the bill had already been amended. President Akufo-Addo did not disclose his plans if the bill was approved for Presidential assent by Parliament.

Ms Harris said she had addressed the issue with President Akufo-Addo, adding that the US considered it a matter of human rights.

Gay sex is currently punishable by up to three years in jail in Ghana, where homophobic attitudes are prevalent, but the proposed law would introduce lengthier sentences.

The bill has been undergoing public hearings in parliament since 2021, and its voting date is unclear.

President Akufo-Addo has previously stated his opposition to same-sex marriage, stating that it would never be legalised while he is President.
Driver whose car crashed with Nanton MP narrates incident

Getrude Ankah Nyavi Apr - 03 - 2023 , 13:18

One victim in last Friday night's vehicular accident, which also involved the Member of Parliament for Nanton while the MP was on his way to Parliament to vote on three revenue bills has narrated how the accident occurred.

Identifying himself only as Kwabena, he explained in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM that the accident occurred around 9pm on Friday, March 31, 2023.

His vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, crashed with a pickup, which had the MP, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi in it.

It is not clear if the MP was the one driving.

The accident happened at North Ridge, near the Absa Bank club house and the British High Commission area.

The MP was involved in the accident ahead of a crucial vote in Parliament three revenue bills.

Related: Nanton MP involved in accident while on his way to Parliament to vote on 3 revenue bills

Kwabena in the radio interview with Citi FM monitored by Graphic Online said his vehicle somersaulted and landed upside down.

I work in Accra. I had closed from work and was on my way home. I normally use the GIJ [Ghana Institute of Journalism] route towards the Flagstaff house [Jubilee House]. Around 9pm that faithful evening, I was on my way home as usual.

He said he was following another car when he got to the junction and when the other car initiated the left turn, he also followed and turned left.

When I got to the Absa club house junction which is a T-junction. The MP's [vehicle] was coming from the SDA church [side], and I was making a left turn to join the Independence Avenue road. Before I realised, the MPs car ran into mine. He hit my passenger side. Witnesses can testify that the MP 's [vehicle] was speeding. he alleged.

He said the MP was rushed out of the scene, I became a bit unconscious for a while, I struggled before I was able to come out. Within a few minutes, I heard voices that was how I regained consciousness. By the time I was up, I was told he [MP] had been rushed out of the scene.

He added that a couple came to his assistance, A police officer, who said he was from Parliament later came and gave me the MPs number and said I could call. After that, a couple took me to the hospital.

He further stated that My car is beyond repair. The impact was great. I do not know what he was speeding for. I believe it is God that saved me. If not that I managed to open my door, I would have been trapped in the car.

The MP is reported to have suffered a cut on his forehead and was first taken to Parliament to vote before he was taken to hospital for further checks.

Nanton MP was stitched up in Parliaments washroom  Habib Iddrisu reveals

The Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu on his part told Citi FM that safety precautions were taken before the MP was sent to Parliament to participate in proceedings.

The time we were taking the voice vote, he had come to Parliament and I put him in the washroom, we didnt put him in the Chamber, we put him in the washroom and brought the nurses from Parliament and a doctor to attend to him. The Majority Leader came, and the nurses from Parliament came to attend to him in the washroom.

He had minor bruises on his face, so they cleaned it up and even stitched it up. So he was stitched in Parliament in the washroom.

He said the Speaker was informed about the accident. An ambulance was called in and the MP was sent to hospital for further checks and a scan, he said.
I tried to rescue Major Mahama - Accused claims, but prosecution disputes it

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Apr - 03 - 2023 , 19:01

One of the 14 persons accused of killing Major Maxwell Adam Mahama claims he rather tried to rescue the military officer during his alleged lynching.

Charles Kwaning testified before the Accra High Court Monday [April 3, 2023] that he prevented another person from shooting Major Mahama and also tried to prevent others from assaulting the soldier with stones and cement blocks.

However, the prosecutor, Mrs Frances Mullen Ansah, a Chief State Attorney, relying on pictures captured from the video depicting the lynching, put to Kwaning that he pointed a gun at the military officer and played an integral part in the killing.

The prosecutor further put it to the accused person that he was not being truthful to the court, referencing alleged inconsistencies in his testimony to the court and the statements he gave to the police when he was arrested.

Alleged lynching

Major Mahama was killed at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017.

He was said to have been lynched during a morning walk that led him to the community.

Fourteen people, including the then Assembly Man for the area, William Baah, are standing trial in connection with the death of the military officer.

They have all pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from murder, abetment to murder, and conspiracy to commit murder.

Testimony

Opening his defence, Kwaning, the 11th accused person, told the court that he was a vulcanizer living and plying his trade at Denkyira Obuasi when the lynching of Major Mahama occurred.

He said on May 29, 2017, he saw Baah (Assembly Man) and another person on motorbike at full speed not long after he reached his shop at about 8 a.m.

According to him, Baah said he was at school teaching when two women called to inform him that someone with a pistol was approaching the town.

He said he joined the men, and not long after they caught up with Major Mahama who was walking briskly.

Kwaning claimed Major Mahama pointed a gun at them, which made him to run to escape.

He said later, one Yaw Amankwah and another person came to the scene with guns, started calling Major Mahama thief and then exchanged gun shots with the military officer.

He said he run to his shop through the cemetery of the town.

Assault

Kwaning testified that not long after, many people including women and children rushed to the main town square, carrying sticks, and throwing stones, amidst shouting of thief!, thief!, thief!

He claimed that when he got to the centre of the town, he saw people assaulting Major Mahama with sticks, concrete blocks and iron rods, and he shouted at them to stop, adding that I told them it is ok, the assault is ok.

Led by his lawyer, Augustine Gyamfi, Kwaning further claimed that he tried to stop the assault, but the crowd was overwhelming.

He said he took a gun from the said Amankwah to prevent him from firing at Major Mahama.

Cross-examination

During the cross-examination, the prosecutor, Mrs Mullen Ansah, projected pictures that showed Kwaning pointing a gun at Major Mahama as the military officer gasped for breath.

This is what ensued between the prosecutor and Kwaning:

Prosecutor : Are you the one in the red shirt and black trousers with the gun?

: Are you the one in the red shirt and black trousers with the gun? Kwaning: Yes, but I had uncorked and folded the butt of the gun.

Yes, but I had uncorked and folded the butt of the gun. Prosecutor : From the photo album, it is clearly seen that you had pointed a gun at Captain Mahama.

: From the photo album, it is clearly seen that you had pointed a gun at Captain Mahama. Kwaning : I did not point at him.

: I did not point at him. Prosecutor : Im putting it to you that from your body posture in the picture, you pointed the gun at Major Mahama.

: Im putting it to you that from your body posture in the picture, you pointed the gun at Major Mahama. Kwaning : That is not true

The prosecutor further asked the accused whether he told the police after his arrest on June 2, 2017, that he (Kwaning) was in Kumasi on the fateful day Major Mahama was killed.

Kwaning anwered in the negative.

Mrs Mullen Ansah then asked the accused whether he had told the police that on May 29, 2017, he (Kwaning) was not at Denkyira Obuasi but was in Kumasi to supposedly buy car tyres.

Interestingly, Kwaning answered in the affirmative.

Then you cannot deny that you told the police that you had travelled on May 29, 2017, which is completely different from what you have told the court today, the prosecutor queried.

Kwaning answered that he rather said that when the incident happened, he went to Kumasi and when he got back to Denkyira Obuasi, he learnt soldiers were all over the town, so he run away.
KATH secures funds for expansion project

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Apr - 03 - 2023 , 07:46

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has secured funding from the Ghana Gas Company to expand the Psychiatric Unit of the hospital.

The contracts for the renovation project have already been awarded, and contractors are expected to start work soon.

The GH2.5 million project will transform the 11-bed facility into a 45-bed unit, with a state-of-the-art equipment, five electroconvulsive rooms and bigger consulting rooms to provide privacy for the patients.

Review meeting

The Chief Executive Officer of KATH, Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, announced this during the 2022 Performance Review Meeting in Kumasi.

He said the renovation and expansion of the Psychiatric Unit formed part of the activities of the Transformational Agenda of his administration to make KATH a patient-centred one.

He expressed the hope that the project would be completed within the stipulated time to ensure the provision of first-class psychiatric services at KATH".

Customer-focus

Prof. Addai-Mensah said the hospital management was working to satisfy the needs of the patients with quality and human-centered services as part of the efforts to make KATH the preferred choice for people seeking health care in the country.

He said the Ghanaian patient could not be taken for granted again because they are exposed to best practices elsewhere, and, therefore, demand same from wherever they visit for care.

"We at KATH are, therefore, determined to meet the customers taste for quality and humane care at every time of their visits," he added.

Measures

Prof. Addai-Mensah said a number of measures had been drawn up to achieve the target of making Kath patient-focused.

These, he said, included the mainstreaming of customer care training and practices in all staffing training and orientations; the introduction of weekend and holiday duty roster for directors to maintain management's presence and supervision during those periods; the introduction of unannounced visits by directors during working hours to maintain management's physical presence at various operational areas, as well as many other innovative measures to ensure optimum delivery of quality clinical services at the hospital.

He also mentioned that about GH1,670,255 from the internally generated funds was used to maintain both official and residential bungalows of the hospital in the period under review.
Nigeria, Cote dIvoire to pay Ghana GH31 million in 2023 for lotto numbers

Emelia Ennin Abbey Apr - 03 - 2023 , 17:38

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) is to generate GH31 million royalties in 2023 from Nigeria and Cote dIvoire from the use of Ghana's lotto platform for the drawing of raffle in the two countries.

Nigeria for instance has been using Ghana's lotto draw numbers over the past 25 years for free.

But has now agreed to pay for using it.

After engagements with the management of Ghana's NLA, Nigeria has now agreed to pay GH18 million while Cote dIvoire would pay GH13 million to the authority in 2023.

The amounts would be paid through KGL, a digital lotto marketing company which operates lotto on behalf of the NLA as the two countries would draw Ghanas games online.

Explaining the new revenue stream at a press briefing on Monday in Accra (April 3, 2023), the Director General of the NLA, Samuel Awuku, said the NLA has also started engagements with Burkina Faso and Niger to trade Ghanas games and collaborate with the NLA.

Mr Awuku explained that the move was part of the NLAs agenda to generate more revenue to the state for national development and social responsibility activities.

Additionally, he said the board and management of the Authority had renegotiated its partnership agreement with KGL Group to pay GH65 million to the authority in 2023.

Mr Awuku said, the KGL Groups contract with the Authority was GH25million in 2021 but the NLA governing board renegotiated the partnership deal to GH55 million in 2022 with an additional contribution of GH3 million and GH2 million into a stabilisation fund and a good course foundation operated by the authority.
2 MPs allege diversion of funds for Afram Plains road .But Roads Ministry debunks assertion

Daniel Kenu Politics Apr - 03 - 2023 , 06:42

Two Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Afram Plains have accused the government of allegedly diverting $98 million meant for the construction of the Adawso-Ekyi Amanfrom-Donkorkrom roads.

A statement signed by the MPs, Betty Nana Efua Krosbi Mensah, MP for Afram Plains North, and Joseph Appiah Boateng, MP for Afram Plains South, further alleged that currently, the government was making arrangements to divert the approved funds for the construction of by-passes on the Accra-Kumasi highway from Osino to Konongo.

Reaction

However, in a statement in response to the allegations, the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Roads and Highways said the project consisted of two contracts.

The first, it said, was the construction of Bunso Adawso and specified approach roads to the Adawso bridge (104km) (the Road Contract).

This comprises Takorowatwen  Ekyi Amanfrom road (22km), Adawso - Kwahu Tafo road (20km), Kwahu Tafo - Miaso road (29km), Miaso - Begoro road (26km) and Begoro - Obuoho road (7km).

The second, it said, was the design and construction of Adawso bridge (the Bridge Contract). That comprises the construction of approximately 3.6km of a two-lane bridge, including service lanes and a walkway to connect Adawso and Ekyi Amanfrom in the Eastern Region and the construction of a new toll plaza.

According to the statement, it was expected that the two components of the project, with a total cost of 350 million, would be executed concurrently and be completed in 30 months subject to the successful completion of the financing arrangement.

The MPs

The MPs, later addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps, said the decision by the government would deprive the people of Afram plains of their share of the national cake and also worsen their living conditions due to the deplorable state of the roads.

"The government, while bringing the agreement to Parliament, stated explicitly why we must prioritise the road network in Afram plains; to provide food security in the country since most of the cities and towns all get their food supplies from Afram plains.

"And also, because the inhabitants of Afram plains have been cut off from the rest of the country due to physical access and lack of connecting roads to other parts of the country leaving the ferry as the only means of transport," they said jointly.

While condemning the decision to divert the funds, the MPs said the action was politically motivated which was likely to deprive the people of better living conditions.

Road Ministry

The statement from the Roads Ministry explained further that the road contract was tied to the bridge contract to realise the full benefit of the project.

"Following the approval by Parliament of the two projects and the financing arrangements, government has continued to diligently pursue the funding for the project," the statement said.

According to the release, it was in light of that that government allocated about US$98 million under the US$750 million African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) loan as a contribution to the road contract component after one of the financiers declined to participate in the financial arrangement.

"It is important to state that due to the current debt restructuring exercise, government has not been able to conclude the arrangement of the financing for the project.

According to the response, government was currently undertaking a number of road projects to improve the state of roads in the Afram Plains area.
Add guarantor system - Mps against sole use of Ghana Card for voter registration

Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Apr - 03 - 2023 , 06:20

Parliament has rejected the Electoral Commissions (ECs) use of the Ghana Card as the sole source of identification to register people onto the voters register.

The House unanimously recommended to the EC to include the guarantor system in the Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulation, 2023 before it could present it for consideration.

Legislators were of the view that unless and until the challenges confronting the issuance of the Ghana Card were dealt with, using the card as the only medium of voter registration would negatively impact the electoral roll and thereby deny some otherwise qualified persons from registering to vote.

"The EC should tarry slowly until every eligible voter is afforded the opportunity to register and procure the Ghana Card before the legislation of such a compulsion," the MPs agreed last Friday.

ECs CI

In line with Article 11 (7) of the 1992 Constitution, the EC had laid a Constitutional Instrument (CI) before Parliament to regulate the continuous voter registration exercise.

The CI was seeking to, among other things, make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for the exercise and the only means for registration.

According to the article, when laid in Parliament, the CI 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 Adukwei Mensa, told Parliament, as part of the pre-laying of the CI, that the Ghana Card as the sole registration document would ensure that only eligible Ghanaians registered as voters.

Such a move, she said, would give the country a credible voter roll and enhance its electoral process.

Report adoption

The House took the decision after legislators adopted the report of the Committee of the Whole on the draft CI.

The report, signed by the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who is also the Speaker of Parliament, said it was not the time for the EC to introduce and

implement the Ghana Card as the only means of identification of citizenship for the purposes of voter registration.

The report was presented to the House by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who moved the motion for the House to adopt the committee's report.

The reports captured the concerns of MPs from both sides of the House, raised during previous meetings by the Special Budget Committee and the Committee of the Whole with the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, the Executive Secretary of the NIA, Prof. Ken Attafuah, and the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.

It was premised on the fact that the EC could only lay the new CI in Parliament for admission and consideration if it gave favourable consideration to the concerns raised by MPs.

Ready to support reforms

The report said MPs, having thoroughly interrogated the issues and reforms being contemplated by the EC, were ready to support any effort that would enable every Ghanaian to get a Ghana Card because it was the law.

It, however, said the legislators would not accept and would reject any effort that was geared towards making the EC use the Ghana Card as the only medium to qualify a person who was eligible to vote in the 2024 elections.

That, it said, was premised on the fact that, indeed, Ghana had come of age and could boast a credible national identification card (Ghana Card) to transact business with.

However, even in the face of a number of identification options given in the past, and even in the operation of the NIA, some citizens are unable to register for the national card due to the existence of serious challenges the authority is confronted with, it said.

Oath

Per the report, MPs noted that the introduction of the Ghana Card to deal with the challenge of multiplicity of identification cards and documents was most laudable and supported by all parties and governments.

They, however, proposed that a person who applied for registration but could not provide as evidence of identification a card issued by the NIA because he or she had not been registered by the NIA or had registered but was yet to be issued with the national identification card shall be required by the EC to produce a relative to provide evidence of identification on oath, in accordance with the provisions of the Oath Act.

Where a person applies for registration as a voter but has no relative to provide evidence of identification on oath, the EC shall require two persons registered with the NIA and issued with the national identification card to identify that person under oath, in accordance with the provisions of the Oath Act, it said.

The report further said the MPs drew the attention of the EC, the NIA and the Finance Ministry to an earlier promise by the NIA, as of July 2022, that it would complete a full registration of all citizens aged 15 and above.



New registration centres

The Committee also expressed strong objection to the limitation of registration centres to only the regional and district capitals and centres determined by the EC, emphasising that access to such centres by Ghanaians from many communities might pose serious challenge.

The explanation of the EC that Regulations 2(1) and 2(2) of the new Cl have given the EC sufficient authority to create centres when the need arises is not specific and mandatory enough.

The areas for the centres to be created must be specifically stated in the CI, as done in the case of the district centres. In that regard, the committee urges the EC to go further downstream by adopting registration centres at the various electoral areas, it said.

Data sharing

With regard to the sharing of data between the EC and the NIA, the members sought to find out the technical infrastructure put in place for such a purpose.

The committee was informed that there was no such technical infrastructure for automatic sharing of data between the EC and the NIA.

However, the EC said it would provide data of persons to be expunged from the register to the NIA for verification, it said.

The Committee of the Whole called on Parliament to consider the CI when presented to the House,

subject to the above proposed revision and amendments.

Speakers warning

Soon after the House had adopted the Committee of the Wholes report, the Speaker said the House would now not depend on the assurances from the EC or the NIA but we are now making inputs into the preparation of the CI.

He indicated that a CI was different from an Executive Instrument which was issued by the Executive and Parliament did not have a hand in its passage.

In the CI, we have a hand; by law we cannot compel the EC to perform its functions and neither can they also compel us to perform ours, he said, emphasising that when the concerns of the House were captured in the new CI, it would be admitted and considered by the House

If that is not done definitely, we have a say and it was agreed by leadership that the CI will not be admitted and considered by the House, he added.

Dr Afari-Gyans objection

Even before the EC Chairperson had appeared before Parliament, a former Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, had criticised the plan to discard the guarantor system for the continuous voter registration exercise.

In a statement shared with the Daily Graphic, he said the contention of the EC that the guarantor system was not robust and, therefore, the Ghana Card should be the sole means of registration was untenable.

Dr Afari-Gyan, who is the longest-serving Chairperson in the history of the EC, argued that as far as the NIA allowed the guarantor regime in the registration for the Ghana Card, nothing prevented the EC from doing same for the voter registration exercise and making that system more robust as it wanted it.

What prevents the commission from instituting, in the upcoming CI, a guarantor regime as robust as or even more robust than the one being used by the NIA for doing the Ghana Card? he queried.

In a previous statement to the Daily Graphic in August last year, he had said making the Ghana Card the sole identification document would disenfranchise millions of qualified Ghanaians and as such the move by the EC was against electoral inclusivity, fairness and justice.

In his new critique, he said he was not against the use of the Ghana Card and did not also disagree with the EC that the Ghana Card was of great importance and would go a long way to sanitise the electoral roll

His disagreement was because the EC was gradually making the Ghana Card the only means of citizenship, which is the criterion for one to register as a voter.

It was his contention that the Ghana Card did not bestow citizenship on anyone, but rather validated that citizenship; therefore, making the Ghana Card the sole means of registration meant the EC was trying to define those without the card as not citizens of Ghana eligible to vote.

In my view, as of now, it cannot be reasonably assumed that every Ghanaian of voting age has the Ghana Card, or can get one well ahead of the next elections, he said.

Welcome decision

A Political Science lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Dr George Asekere, in a reaction, described the decision by Parliament to include the guarantor system as part of electrical reforms as a welcoming decision, Emmanuel Bonney reports.

"It is a welcome decision by our MPs who obviously are aware of the reality on the ground, he said.

That, he said, was because the legislators were aware of the reality on the ground with regard to the Ghana Card.

He told the Daily Graphic that the difficulty in acquiring the Ghana Card meant that a contrary decision by Parliament would certainly disenfranchise many people, which would be a dent on our nurturing democracy.

Parties

Three political parties have also welcomed Parliaments recommendation to the Electoral Commission (EC) to include the guarantor system in the registration of new voters, reports Dickson Worlanyo Dotse.

They are the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).

The General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, said abolishing the guarantor system had the potential to disenfranchise many Ghanaians, especially those in the rural and remote areas who were yet to be issued their Ghana cards.

She, therefore, recommended that Parliament put in place procedures to turn the guarantor system into law to make it a permanent feature in the future.

Ms Jantuah also advised the EC and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to synchronise their platforms to ensure that eligible Ghanaians who had registered but were yet to receive their Ghana cards would be able to vote because the EC would be able to verify their registration.

The NIA could issue codes to whoever has registered but has not received his or her card to enable that person to register. Also, the two agencies should collaborate at the voter registration points in the districts to enable the NIA to register persons who are yet to be registered entirely, the CPP General Secretary said.

The PPP also welcomed the development and advised the EC to take the opportunity to carry out more consultations in order to include the views of all stakeholders in matters relating to the new Constitutional Instrument (CI) to avoid the controversies that occurred when the document was first introduced.

The EC should embrace participatory democracy in delivering its duties at all times, since it is a very important principle for democratic consolidation. Doing that will help restore the trust and credibility of the EC required to administer its functions, a statement signed by the PPPs Communications Director, Emmanuel F. Mantey, said.

It urged state institutions to work with a sense of urgency to provide a robust national identification system that could be used in all aspects of our lives, including voting.

It said there was always the need to embrace flexibility in the democratic system.

Possible

The General Secretary of the LPG, Jerry Owusu Appiah, said although the party was not against the guarantor system, the Ghana Card could be used as the sole document for the registration process.

That was because the NIA had said it had been adequately resourced and was ready to clear the backlog of applications.

Mr Appiah was also of the view that the ECs attempts were aimed at saving the state a lot of money by clearing minors and foreigners from its systems, adding that no one was going to be disenfranchised because it was going to be a continuous process.
Free SHS policy must focus on skills development  Prof. Essuman

Justice Agbenorsi Politics Apr - 03 - 2023 , 06:36

The Chairman of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Professor Ato Essuman, has called for reforms in the countrys secondary education policy to give young people the opportunity to acquire skills to become national assets for development.

He said the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, in its current form, was fraught with skills development challenges, teacher training and orientation difficulties, inadequate resources and delays in the release of funds to schools.

Beyond that, Prof. Essuman said the budgetary allocation for the Free SHS was too lofty to the extent of weakening basic education funding, the foundation of education in the country, hence the need for a reform.

The policy of making education free and available for all is a lofty one but such a goal will be useless and needlessly expensive if all it does is to create opportunities to give young people access without the skills that will make them great assets for national development, he stated.

Reforming what will be taught and how they are taught are important, otherwise the problems are likely to continue, Prof. Essuman, who was delivering a keynote address at a forum organised by the Old Achimotan Association (OAA) in Accra last Thursday evening, said.

Forum

The forum was chaired by Professor Ernest Aryeetey, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and President of OAA.

Dubbed :Achimota Speaks, the forum was on the topic The Governance, Management and Financing of Secondary Education in Ghana.

It featured a panel discussion with different stakeholders sharing their thoughts on management and financing secondary education.

The five panellists were the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Agbe Carbonu, a former Global President of Ola Girls Old Students, Dr Eden Welbeck, Irene Sam, who represented the National Council of Parent Teachers Association (PTA), and the Managing Director of Merson Capital Ltd, Yaw Benneh-Amponsah, who is also an old student.

Phased implementation

Prof. Essuman noted that the Free SHS policy would have been more desirable, if a phased implementation had been adopted, while drawing key lessons from past interventions such as the Capitation Grant and the Free, Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).

Regarding inadequate resources and delays in the release of funds to schools, the three-time Council of State Member said there was the need for the policy to have focused on the poor and vulnerable at its initial stages, if the phased implementation route had been chosen.

The arguments about Free SHS focus on issues such as access and not enough about the contents and outcomes expected, Prof. Essuman, who was also the Chief Director at the Ministry of Education, stated.

Matters of skills development, teacher orientation, training and development as well as new approaches are less stressed in the discussion, he added.

President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, said all the attention had been shifted to SHS while ignoring the public basic schools.

"The saddest aspect is the basic schools. All our public basic schools are running down and some private schools in ramshackle are getting students more than the public schools because the confidence in the public schools is gone, he said.

Dr Welbeck stressed the need for the government to review the governance structures of SHS to ensure equality and good quality education.

Mrs Sam of PTA urged the government to give parents, who are major stakeholders in the education sector, a voice.
I was speeding towards Parliament - Nanton MP speaks about accident

Graphic.com.gh Politics Apr - 03 - 2023 , 17:42

The Member of Parliament for Nanton, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi, has explained that he was speeding towards Parliament last Friday night when his vehicle was involved in an accident.

In a dramatic turn of events, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nanton was involved in a car accident on Friday night, just hours before a crucial vote on the government's revenue bills.

Related: Parliament passes 3 revenue bills

The accident happened about one kilometre away from Parliament House.

He was the one behind the steering wheel of a pickup vehicle that was involved in the accident around 9pm at North Ridge near the Absa Bank club house and the British High Commission.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the accident, the law maker admitted that he was speeding. He said his main focus was on how to get to Parliament when he was called and therefore did not see the other vehicle he run into.

He admitted he had been called to come to Parliament ahead of the crucial vote that night and so he was speeding.

In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Tuferi said he did not see the other vehicle.

His vehicle summersaulted and landed upside down.

"I lost total control, the windscreen came down and that provided the window for me to come out of the car", he said and explained he came out of the car himself unaided.

He said it was some Parliamentary staff who first recognised him, put him in an Uber vehicle they were already riding in and sent him to Parliament. The distance from the accident spot to Parliament is about 1kilometre.

He said his immediate reaction after the accident when he came out of the vehicle was how to continue to get to Parliament to vote when he realised that he could walk and talk. So he left the scene while some of the Parliamentary staff stayed behind to take care of the valuables in his vehicle and the other victim until his niece arrived at the accident scene.

Mr Tuferi said he did not notice there was blood on him and was trying to get into the Chamber but some colleagues spotted him [Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu] and sent him to a washroom, where the nurses and the doctor came around and they cleaned him up, and stitched a cut on the upper part of the right eye.

He said he was later put in an ambulance to go for further checks and that was when his vote was added to the crucial vote as the Whip from the Minority side came to the ambulance to verify he was the one.

He was taken to the hospital for a scan on the head and was detained over night.

The next morning he was discharged and he travelled to Tamale to meet his constituents and interacted with them.

Mr Tuferi said he has since already travelled back to Accra, met the other accident victim, who was in a Toyota Corolla and they have both been to the Osu police station where the case is being handled.

The other victim in last Friday night's vehicular accident, identifying himself only as Kwabena, explained in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM that the accident occurred around 9pm.

His vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, crashed with a pickup, which had the MP, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi in it.

Related: Nanton MP involved in accident while on his way to Parliament to vote on 3 revenue bills

He further stated that My car is beyond repair. The impact was great. I do not know what he was speeding for. I believe it is God that saved me. If not that I managed to open my door, I would have been trapped in the car.

The MP is reported to have suffered a cut on his forehead and was first taken to Parliament to vote before he was taken to hospital for further checks.

Nanton MP was stitched up in Parliaments washroom  Habib Iddrisu reveals

The Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu on his part told Citi FM that safety precautions were taken before the MP was sent to Parliament to participate in proceedings.

The time we were taking the voice vote, he had come to Parliament and I put him in the washroom, we didnt put him in the Chamber, we put him in the washroom and brought the nurses from Parliament and a doctor to attend to him. The Majority Leader came, and the nurses from Parliament came to attend to him in the washroom.

He had minor bruises on his face, so they cleaned it up and even stitched it up. So he was stitched in Parliament in the washroom.

He said the Speaker was informed about the accident. An ambulance was called in and the MP was sent to hospital for further checks and a scan, he said.
Kumawu seat declared vacant by Speaker after Basoah's death

Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Apr - 03 - 2023 , 09:30

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has declared the seat of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu, Philip Basoa, vacant.

He said the decision followed the death of Mr Basoa, 53, on March 27, 2023.

He said he had, therefore, caused the Clerk-to-Parliament to write officially to the chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct a by-election in the area.

I request you to take appropriate consequential action as required by law, he said in a letter dated March 31, 2023 in which he directed the Clerk-to-Parliament to write to the EC.

It is in accordance with Section 3 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana (Amendment) Act 1996, Act 527,

Announcement

The Speaker made this known last Friday when he formally notified the House of the vacancy necessitated by the death of Mr Basoa.

Mr Basoa, a three-term MP, reportedly died at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he had been on admission for treatment.

The Speaker said the House had formally communicated to the chairperson of the EC the unfortunate demise of their colleague, which had led to a vacancy in the House.

Advice

In the wake of the death of the Kumawu MP, Mr Bagbin endorsed the call by some legislators for MPs to take very good care of themselves, health wise.

He said as a former Majority Leader, he previously instituted a measure where every MP was provided the opportunity to go for a comprehensive check-up at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

That time, he said, about 90 plus MPs took advantage of that opportunity.

Some did not and they gave me good reason why they declined to take the opportunity of that offer, he said, stressing that Parliament was ready and willing to support members to go for check-ups.

And so leaders should take it up and get in touch with me and the Parliamentary Service Board and we will happily come to the support of members, he assured.

Health hazards

Acknowledging the hazards and the effects of parliamentary work on the health of members, Mr Bagbin expressed worry that even while he was talking about the health of members some were not interested in listening to it.

If you hear anybody say all die be die, you can be sure of the background of the person that he is not enjoying life and does not know that God created this world for us to enjoy.

And so for him, he is not living and that is why they say all die be die but all die no be die, he said.
Neste has signed an agreement to charter two new lower-emission product tankers from Terntank. The tankers will transport a wide variety of liquid cargoes including renewable raw materials such as waste and residue oils and fats to Nestes refineries. At the refineries, products such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be loaded for transport.





The tankers are designed with foldable suction sails and dual-fuel engine enabling the use of e-methanol as fuel, which is produced with Power-to-X technology using captured carbon and renewable energy. The innovative design and onboard emission reduction technologies will further reduce Nestes environmental impact and emissions of shipping.

These new tankers, each able to carry altogether 15,000 tons of chemicals, were ordered by Terntank, designed by Kongsberg, and will be built by CMHI Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China. The ships are due for delivery during the second half of 2025 and beginning of 2026.

Both new tankers are ice-strengthened and equipped with Terntanks Hybrid Solution electric power supply system, battery pack and on-shore power connection. The ships can operate on new low-emission fuels such as e-methanol to meet net-zero emission goals.

Terntank has extensive experience in operating this type of vessels with solutions that minimize pollution near populated areas such as ports.
A team at RWTH Aachen University in Germany has proposed a Molecularly-Controlled high swirl Combustion system (MCC) which involves dual direct injection of a low- and a high-reactivity fuel in combination with lean relative air-fuel-ratios, high compression ratio, and compression ignition.

Run with an ethanol/1-octanol combination, the MCC system achieves a large reduction in soot-emissions, even at very low NO x -levels below 0.1 g/kWh and a considerable increase in indicated efficiency over conventional compression ignition combustion. An open-access paper on the work is published in the journal Fuel.

The principle [of MCC] centers on the generation of a strong molecular sparka spacially confined area in the combustion chamber where the reactivity of the fuel mixture is sufficient to form a robust, controllable ignition source. Subsequently, combustion spreads to the rest of the combustion chamber. Ethanol was used as the low-reactivity fuel [LRF] and 1-octanol or conventional diesel fuel as the high-reactivity fuel [HRF] to investigate the combustion characteristics, efficiency, and raw emission potential under various operating conditions with a light-duty single-cylinder research engine. The results are compared with compression ignition operation of conventional diesel fuel and neat 1-octanol. The MCC system achieves a large reduction in soot-emissions, even at very low NOx-levels below 0.1 g/kWh and a considerable increase in indicated efficiency over conventional compression ignition combustion. Honecker et al.





Sectional view of the cylinder-head and injector setup with piston-bowl, seen from exhaust side. The central injector is used for HRF, the lateral one for LRF. On the right, the bore for the indication quartz can be seen.



The goal of MCC is to unite diesel-like CR and airfuel-ratios with a heat release profile that comes as close to the constant-volume combustion as feasible, allowing for a fuel-flexible approach that can be used to co-optimize the combustion with the properties and molecular composition of fuels, to achieve high efficiencies and predictable combustion control.



To this end, LRF and HRF are mixed in the cylinder. The LRF is injected as a highly stratified charge, the HRF is then injected in such a way that it would form the molecular sparka large area of the combustion chamber where compression ignition occurs and from where the flame can then spread through the LRF. Honecker et al.

Further investigations will include the effect of compression ratio, piston bowl geometry and the requirements and influences for both HRF and LRF in different engine operating points, as well as exploring additional calibration parameters, the operational limits and ways to extend them.

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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  As the trial of a woman charged in three killings in what prosecutors say was a doomsday-focused plot began Monday, attorneys asked potential jurors if they would have trouble being impartial after viewing autopsy photos of children.

This is a case that deals with murder. This is a case where two of the alleged victims are underage children, prosecutor Rob Wood told the panel of potential jurors, warning them that some of the evidence would be emotionally charged.

Prosecutors charged Lori Vallow Daybell and her husband, Chad Daybell, with conspiracy, murder and grand theft in connection with the deaths of Vallow Daybell's two youngest children: 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and big sister Tylee Ryan, who was last seen a few days before her 17th birthday in 2019. Prosecutors also have charged the couple in connection with the October 2019 death of Chad Daybell's late wife, Tammy Daybell.

The investigation garnered worldwide attention and was closely followed in the rural eastern Idaho community where the bodies of the children were found buried in Chad Daybells yard. As a result, Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce moved the trial more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) east to the city of Boise.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, but only Vallow Daybell's trial begins Monday. The cases have been severed, and Chad Daybell's trial is still months away. Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison if convicted.

It isn't necessarily easy to look at, Wood said of the autopsy photos.

One potential juror said she had two elementary school-aged children, and she believed it would be difficult for her to look at that sort of evidence. Still, she said, she would try to put her feelings aside and remain impartial if selected for the jury.

Another member of the prosecution team, Rachel Smith, asked the potential jurors if they could convict someone of conspiring to commit a crime even if they didn't take part in every part of the crime itself.

The driver of the getaway car is as guilty as the bank robber. Does that make sense to everyone? Smith asked. Yes, the panel of potential jurors agreed.

Authorities summoned 1,800 potential jurors to the courthouse in late March, requiring each of them to complete a 20-page questionnaire in hopes of winnowing out anyone unable to fairly try the case. On Monday morning, defense attorneys and prosecutors began questioning the remaining jury pool members in an effort to pick 12 jurors and six alternates to hear the case.

Jury selection could take a few days, and the trial itself could take up to eight weeks.

A line to enter the Ada County Courthouse stretched outside the building before proceedings began Monday. Four other trials were also being held at the courthouse, and jurors stood alongside news reporters as they all waited to pass through metal detectors and security screening.

Court administrators have anticipated a lot of interest in the case, setting up a special parking area for TV news trucks and cordoning off an area in front of the building for photographers and others.

Idaho law, like most states, seeks to shield jurors' identities. Roughly 42 journalists and other onlookers were seated in a separate room to watch the jury selection process through a video streaming system, the cameras positioned to show Vallow Daybell and her defense attorneys Jim Archibald and John Thomas; the prosecutors Rob Wood, Lindsey Blake and Rachel Smith; and 7th District Judge Steven Boyle.

Vallow Daybell sat between her defense team. She leaned forward to listen to the questions posed to the jury pool. She occasionally appeared to take notes as the potential jurors spoke.

One potential juror said she watched several seasons of the fictional television crime show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which focuses on how forensic experts and crime scene investigators solve often gruesome crimes.

Smith asked if her avid CSI-watching would affect her feelings about the evidence from experts and crime lab technicians during the case.

You may not know exactly how they died, Smith said about the victims in the case. Would anything in that make it difficult for you to sit in judgment on a case? No, the potential juror said.

Prosecutors say the Daybells espoused strange doomsday-focused beliefs to further their alleged plan to kill the kids and Tammy Daybell to collect life insurance money and the childrens social security and survivor benefits.

Police documents detailed interviews with family members and friends who said the couple led a group that met to pray, believing they could drive out evil spirits and seek revelations from beyond the spiritual veil. Vallow Daybells close friend Melanie Gibb told investigators that the couple believed people became zombies when they were possessed by evil spirits.

The group would spend time praying to get rid of the zombies and believed, if they were successful, the possessed person would physically die, freeing their trapped soul from limbo. Vallow Daybell called JJ and Tylee zombies several times before they died, Gibb told investigators.

Idaho law enforcement officers started investigating the couple in November 2019 after extended family members reported the children were missing. During that period, police say the couple lied about the childrens whereabouts. The children's bodies were found buried on Chad Daybells property in rural Idaho.

The couple married two weeks after Chad Daybells previous wife died unexpectedly. Tammy Daybells death was initially reported as resulting from natural causes, but investigators had her body exhumed after suspicions grew when Chad Daybell quickly remarried.
GREENWICH  Two new faces will be joining the Sacred Heart Greenwich leadership team as the school has appointed new heads of the upper and middle schools, effective July 1.

Meghan McMahon will join the school as head of the upper school. Currently Marcie McDonald serves as the interim head of the upper school but will resume her role as upper school academic dean once McMahon officially begins her new role, according to a statement.

Mary Frederick will be the new head of the middle school after the current head, John Zwack, officially departs Sacred Heart once this school year concludes.

Were looking forward to welcoming two new educators of excellence in the upper school and the middle school, said President and Head of School Michael Baber. Theyre going to be phenomenal partners with us here.

Contributed by Sacred Heart Greenwich

McMahon is a product of a Sacred Heart school as she graduated from Newton Country Day School in Newton, Mass.  part of the Sacred Heart network of schools. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and a masters degree in teaching and history from Tufts University.

In 2006, McMahon was a founder of the Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts, the only non-audition/screen performing arts high school in New York City. After receiving her Master of Education degree in educational leadership from Columbia Universitys Teachers College, McMahon became the principal of UASPA.

Some of the ways (my current role as UASPA principal) really prepared me to come back home to Sacred Heart is the mission-focused education that we had, McMahon said in her introductory video to Sacred Heart Greenwich. Everything always comes back to the goals and the criteria of Sacred Heart and keeping those traditions alive and rich. Im just really excited and honored to be able to join such an amazing community and really be a part of the community and learn from the students and the faculty and the parents what the strengths are in this Sacred Heart Greenwich community.

Contributed by Sacred Heart Greenwich

Frederick, whose daughter is a Sacred Heart Greenwich graduate, is coming from St. Lukes School in New Canaan, where she worked for seven years. Her most recent role at St. Lukes was the assistant head of upper school, but she has worked in education for 20 years.

Frederick earned her Bachelor of Science from Florida State University and a certificate in advanced educational leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As a practicing Catholic, I was just taken by the traditions of the community at Sacred Heart, but I also had a birds eye view of my daughters experience here through the eyes of a parent, as well as an educator and those are some of the reasons I am so excited to be joining this community, Frederick said in her introductory video to Sacred Heart Greenwich.

Sacred Heart Greenwich is an all-girls Catholic, independent college-preparatory day school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Sacred Heart Greenwich's president said some of his big successes so far have been instilling a sense of optimism on campus post-COVID and "assembling a team" that can help the students thrive.

McMahon and Frederick "have had life-changing experiences because of Sacred Heart and they want to be able to help the next generation or three have the same experiences or better than they had, so that team really has been one of the successful accomplishments in a very brief time, assembling a team that allows us to do best by the girls who come here day in and day out, Baber said.
Xiaomi is dead set on delivering yet another Redmi Note lineup that requires a day of research to even make sense of. The company is adding a new phone called Redmi Note 12 Pro, only it is limited to 4G speeds and generally has little to do with any of the existing Redmi Note 12 Pros.

The new Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G debuted in Indonesia with a Snapdragon 732G chipset, 108MP main camera, and a camera island reminiscent of the Redmi Note 11 series.



Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G

The Qualcomm chipset maxes out at LTE speeds and is almost three years old at this point, but it is still pretty capable with two big CPU cores running at 2.3 GHz. It was previously featured in the Redmi Note 10 Pro, back in March 2021.



Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G

The 5,000 mAh battery with 67W is also a familiar feature of the Redmi Note lineup, spanning across three generations. The same applies to the 120Hz screen with a single punch hole in the center that is likely a 6.67 AMOLED panel. Other specs include 4K video recording, stereo speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack, as well as support for Dolby Vision Atmos.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro 4G will go on sale in May in Indonesia. We will be on the lookout for whether this exact smartphone becomes official in other markets or regions.

Source
Placing harsh penalties on the distribution of fentanyl to kids could leave some unintended members of the community facing a lifetime behind bars, according to attorneys working in the criminal justice system.

A full 20 years in prison on top of any other penalties would be the minimum punishment for giving fentanyl to minors, should Bill 49 become law. And if that child dies  offenders would face a lifetime in prison. The penalty would also apply if the drug is given to a pregnant person or someone who is mentally ill.

This bill is designed to put us many steps ahead in the war on fentanyl, main sponsor Sen. Tom Fisher said during a Monday morning public hearing.

Fisher said its meant to put the hammer down on those who would give the extremely potent drug to a youth.

The proposal has buy-in from the governments Division of Childrens Wellness. Acting division chief Patricia Mafnas told lawmakers that Child Protective Services often gets referrals for kids who are at risk due to drug use by their care takers.

In (fiscal year 2022), CPS referrals involving drug use are 14%. In the first six months of (fiscal 2023) CPS referrals are already at 15%, and we anticipate a higher percentage for the remainder of the year, Mafnas said.

Attorneys raise concerns

But attorneys responsible for prosecuting and defending the accused had reservations.

Heather Zona, acting chief prosecutor for the Office of the Attorney General, said the bill could have unintended consequences and would make prosecution difficult. Notably, it put harsher penalties on handing out all types of opioids, not just fentanyl, Zona said.

We can think of the grandfather, for example, who is in bed suffering from stage four cancer, he has morphine or some other high powered opioid, to treat his pain, Zona said.

Should that grandfather ask his minor to get his medication bottle, under the (bill), that would be illegal right now, Zona said. She suggested that lawmakers instead look at Guams child abuse law, if they wanted to put stricter penalties on those who put kids at risk.

Bill 49 could also open up constitutional issues, because it would put lengthy sentences on even those who negligently or recklessly expose a child to fentanyl.

I think that we might end up in the Supreme Court on issues about the appeal of that case. And Im of the opinion usually try to stay away from the potential appellate problems, Attorney General Doug Moylan said.

Attorney John Morrison, deputy director of the Public Defender Service Corporation, said lawmakers should think about who might end up behind bars forever.

If it were one extremethe law was designed specifically to prosecute El Chapo or someonethen I think we would all be in agreement that thats a legitimate concern, Morrison said.

However, it had become extremely easy to order illicit drugs on the internet, Morrison said. Someone could unintentionally get ahold of a substance tainted with fentanyl from an overseas supplier.

A 17-year-old might be getting it from their 18-year-old boyfriend or something like that. So I think we need to think carefully about whether or not thats an outcome that you truly want to see, Morrison said.

Responding to concerns, Fisher said, this bill is draconian, and it is draconian by intent. This bill is not in negotiation with those who kill our children.

He said he looked forward to working with the Office of the Attorney General to revise the measure.
The GCA Trades Academy will present level completion certificates to 15 Guam Department of Education students Wednesday at its Tiyan training facility.

Also, 30 scholarships will be awarded to the GCA Trades Academy.

Founded in September 2006, some 5,000 students have been trained at the GCA Trades Academy.

The academy was established to:

provide the island with a nationally recognized industry skills training center that is credentialed by the National Center for Construction Education & Research.

support U.S. Department of Labor recognized apprenticeship training programs,

support the skilled labor needs of construction contractors and related industries doing business on Guam.

Instructors are local construction professionals trained to teach the NCCER program.

The GCA Trades Academy offers a wide variety of training programs including electrical, plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, construction craft laborer, safety, project management, welding and heavy equipment operation.

With classes open to all abilities and levels, the GCA Trades Academy strives to improve skills and empower the regions workforce.
The Guam Ancestral Lands Commission never owned the islands northern district wastewater treatment plant, which means the land never was legally transferred by the commission to its ancestral owners, according to the Guam Waterworks Authority, which has engaged in a yearslong $220 million legal battle to prove it still owns the site.

GWA has operated a wastewater plant there since 1980, when the land still was owned by the military.

Core Tech International, which acquired the Dededo ancestral land in 2015 for $178.1 million, has argued the government of Guam and GWA illegally condemned the companys land without paying for it and are encroaching on Core Tech property.

GovGuam and Land Management sued Core Tech in 2018, seeking the courts permission to revoke or change the certificates of title Land Management issued in 2010 for the disputed property.

GWA joined the lawsuit in 2019 as an interested party, asking the court to reject Core Techs ownership of the land.

Core Tech countersued in January 2020, and if the companys claims are successful, GWA and its customers could be asked to pay Core Tech as much as $220 million, retroactive to 1980.

Superior Court of Guam Judge Elyze Iriarte in November 2021 rejected GovGuams request to decide the case in the governments favor, stating Core Tech has an ownership interest in the property.

The wastewater site is on ancestral land  part of a former Air Force communications annex that the federal government later declared excess and returned to the government of Guam.

The Guam Ancestral Lands Commission in 2006 deeded 257 acres of excess federal land to the estate of Jose Martinez Torres, including part of the communications annex.

The Torres estate in September 2007 sold 252 acres of its ancestral land to Kil Yoo Yoon for $21.4 million. Yoon in January 2010 deeded the land to his company, Younex Enterprises Corporation.

Core Tech acquired the property in May 2015 after Younex defaulted on its mortgage with Core Tech.

GWAs most recent court filing, in March, states the government of Guam indisputably gave the wastewater property to GWA as part of a 1997 grant deed and the property has remained with GWA ever since.

GWA asked Iriarte to rule that GWA owns the property, without the case having to go to trial, and to reject Core Techs title claim.

Because GWA owned the property in 2002 when GovGuam transferred adjacent properties to the Guam Ancestral Lands Commission, which the GALC then transferred onto the Torres estate in 2006, GovGuam could not have transferred the plant property to GALC and therefore the plant is out of Core Techs chain of title, GWA stated.

This superior title is further demonstrated by the fact that GWA has openly, continuously and exclusively been operating the plant to comply with EPA permitting and enforcement obligations, to facilitate the needs of Guams growing northern communities and the military, and to support the expansion of Camp Blaz, GWA stated.

Core Tech on March 15 asked Iriarte to reject GWAs arguments and to instead decide the ownership issue in Core Techs favor.

According to Core Tech, the 1997 grant deed did not give GWA the Dededo ancestral land  only an opportunity to stake its claim to land.

GWA never surveyed the land or made a claim, so the property automatically reverted to the government, and eventually was acquired by Core Tech, according to the company.

GWA failed to register its interest in the property as required by law and did not even endeavor to memorialize any of the instruments it has claimed under throughout this litigation on the certificates of title for the property, Core Tech told the court.
A drug detection dog from Palau was evacuated to Guam recently for advanced medical treatment, according to a news release from Joint Region Marianas.

Keiko is a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois dog with the Palau Narcotics Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. She is one of eight working dogs provided by the United States to the Republic of Palau under the Building Partner Capacity Program. In March, a medical condition required a level of veterinary care that was unavailable in Palau.

Palaus national security coordinator reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Palau and Joint Region Marianas requesting advanced veterinary capabilities. As the closest U.S. Military Command, JRM was responsible for coordinating the medical evacuation. Harry Elliott, JRM regional environmental and international law counsel, said the complex international effort to clear the dogs transfer to the U.S. military veterinarian facilities involved letters, phone calls and extensive coordination.

Our ability to coordinate a request like this demonstrates how strong the bonds between these nations are, Elliott said.

The Department of State, Joint Region Marianas and the Coast Guard arranged for Keiko to be air evacuated in an HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing plane from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, within a week of Palaus request for aid.

On Guam, the dog went to the veterinary clinic on Naval Base Guam, where three veterinarians and six veterinary technicians from U.S. Army Medical Readiness Com Pacific delivered round-the-clock care.

Naval Hospital Guam shared its CT scanner and medical expertise with veterinarians, and the Naval base Guam Apra Harbor Clinic physical therapy department has offered after-hours access to the care team so the dog could use the rehabilitation facilities.

We have seen a marked improvement in her condition, said Col. Stephen Cassle, who is overseeing Keikos medical care. She got her appetite back and is already much more alert and engaged. We are starting to see that Belgian Malinois energy again, which is a good sign.

Joint Region Marians Commander Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson visited the vet clinic as soon as Keiko was healthy enough. Despite medical dressings and the haze of antibiotics, Keiko greeted her visitor with a sniff.

Thank you for all your expertise, Im happy to see her perking up. This was really a massive joint effort  I mean every branch of the military was here for her from the Coast Guard to the Army to the Navy, Nicholson told the care team. Our working dog program is an essential part of our relationship with Palau, and I want to thank you all for being a part of that.
A tuition freeze imposed on the University of Guam by the recently signed pay raise law could pose issues for UOGs accreditation, according to the institutions acting president, Randy Wiegand.

Like employees across the government, UOG staff can look forward to a pay bump under Public Law 37-3, approved by Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero last week.

But lawmakers added a provision to the law that mandates that the university keep tuition at a standstill until September 2025.

Wiegand, in a letter to the Legislature, called the provision problematic. The universitys accreditation is going up for review this year, and Wiegand, quoting from the guidelines of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, said accreditors dont look kindly on interference in substantive decisions or educational functions by government bodies.

Guams university has had issues with accreditation in the past, but is now going on an unprecedented 16-year streak with accreditation from WASC.

Accreditation is a guarantee of educational quality, and unaccredited schools and their students can face challenges.

Federal student loans go to students at accredited schools, and federal funding and grants likewise flow to the same institutions, according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

This matter is not substantive, Wiegand wrote, as UOG is not looking to raise tuition provided they get the bigger budget that theyve asked for in the next fiscal year.

However, university officials are concerned that WASC will look at the tuition freeze as interference.

Wiegand referenced an issue dating back to 2003, where WASC intervened after the Legislature proposed to have all federal grants, including those awarded to UOG, handled by the Guam State Clearinghouse.

WASC officials called the move inappropriate and potentially illegal for student financial aid to be controlled that way.

'Mangos and bananas'

Sen. Chris Barnett, who added the tuition-freezing amendment to the pay raise law, said hes not overly concerned.

When they compare it  what we did and the pay raise bill and the amendment that bars tuition hikes for two years  and they compare that to putting the university under the State Clearinghouse, it really is a case of mangos and bananas. And I dont think that is relevant at all, Barnett said.

Pausing tuition hikes was well within the authority of the Legislature, he said.

Barnett said hed change his tune if WASC stepped in, we dont want to jeopardize the accreditation ... but you know, I gotta see something in writing.

UOG had asked for an increase in local funding support, while also asking to give employees a raise, so the tuition freeze was warranted, he said.

Barnett was supportive of increased funding, and said senators should put our money where our mouth is.

Legislative Committee on Higher Education chairwoman Sen. Amanda Shelton said in a statement that she planned to push for every penny that can be prioritized for UOG students in this years budget.

I believe that my colleagues would agree that the legislature will continue to provide whatever support is needed to help UOG students complete their studies at Guams only public university, she said.

Her position on pay raises hadnt changed, at a time when students and families faced increased expenses across the board.

The university was in a strong position to increase pay without raising tuition, or imperiling their accreditation, she said.
Former Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez is the president and CEO of Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam Permit Czar, and chairman of the Governors Economic Strategy Council. Send comments or questions to GVB at communityrelations@visitguam.org.
Today, there is no mass killing, as during the infamous Paris Commune uprising of 1871. But each lurch to the left in France has always been met by a powerful reaction from conservatives and the Church.

by Eric S. Margolis

Ah, Paris in the springtime! Clouds of tear gas. Tough CRS riot police breaking heads. Plate glass windows being smashed. Heaps of noxious garbage burning away. Retail stores being denuded of business or looted. Tourists cowering in their tiny, overpriced hotels.

In short, a city under siege. Ironically, the French are doing far more damage to Paris than did the retreating Germans in 1944. The government of President Emmanuel Macron is wobbly. There is talk of its collapse and a new, weaker Republic dominated by assorted leftists.

Protesters hold the French national flag during a demonstration as part of the ninth day of nationwide strikes and protests against French government's pension reform, in Paris, March 23, 2023. [ Photo Credit: Yves Herman, Reuters/ France 24]

Paris old-timers, like this writer, know that street mayhem is as much part of its life as afternoon aperitifs. Rioting is Frances favorite sport, even surpassing the traditional cinq a sept time for sensual rendezvous between married folks.

Street demonstrations have been part of Paris life since the Middle Ages. This ancient city, founded by the Romans, has always been a haven for rebellious and often violent malefactors known as sans culottes or those without underwear. They form an explosive lumpenproletariat ready to erupt into violence and looting at the least excuse. Thats why King Louis XIV built his palace at Versailles, well distant from the teeming back alleys of Paris.

Students feature prominently in the violent demonstrations. One would think that twenty-something students would not get riled up over pension reforms that will affect them 40 years later. But the Paris street has fastened on to President Macrons necessary pension reforms as a wonderful excuse to riot and break things. Paris always has a large mob of unemployed anarchists and hooligans just waiting for trouble, egged on by far left academics and professional revolutionaries.

Everyone remembers the massive street uprising of 1968.

Many of todays rioters are students. Small wonder. The entire French education system is excellent compared to the second-rate American system, but it is top heavy with Marxists, Communists, Trotskyites and anarchists. They infuse their young students with all sorts of leftist claptrap and a general hatred of the free market and United States  while teaching the wisdom of Aristotle and Voltaire.

For many French, government is the sole source of all wealth and social benefits. Government is in effect le papa. To get goodies from this paternal figure students demonstrate and throw violent tantrums. Governments usually back down after a lot of tough talk few believe. Great damage is done to the worlds most beautiful capital. Small armies of violent rioters always lurk in the old city and university area. The most violent are known as les casseurs, or the breakers. Many are anarchists (supported of course by government handouts) and some unemployed riff raff.

In 1848 and again in 1968 Paris erupted in revolt against the bourgeois government. Both revolts were brutally put down by the army. In fact, wide swathes of the old city were subsequently demolished to open broad boulevards that could be swept by cannon fire and cavalry charges.

Today, there is no mass killing, as during the infamous Paris Commune uprising of 1871. But each lurch to the left in France has always been met by a powerful reaction from conservatives and the Church. Given this dire history of left-right conflict, it seems odd that the current fracas in Paris and around France is all about retirement age. It is high time to amend Frances retirement policies.

France is a nation awash with unemployed 60-something retirees. Women tend to stay home and bake; men shuffle around and look for things to do. In the part of France I frequent- Alsace-Lorraine  retired men refurbish 100 year old forts, a labor of love that I, a military historian, heartily encourage.

But what a giant waste of talent and manpower. Vital, capable, educated men killing time because of Frances absurdly low retirement age. Whats more, the early 60s national retirement age was enacted in an era when most people died in their 60s. Today, a full ten years of natural life have been added. Its really sad to see armies of talented French playing cards or playing boules when the rest of the world is coming after Frances business.

President Emmanuel Macron was right, if heavy-handed, to ram the retirement legislation through government. The spoiled French need a kick in their derriere to revive their fighting spirit. Napoleon did not conquer Europe and much of Russia with any army of 60-something card players.

Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2023

Eric S. Margolis is an award-winning, internationally syndicated columnist. His articles have appeared in globally recognized newspapers and He appears as an expert on foreign affairs on CNN, BBC, France 2, France 24, Fox News, CTV and CBC. As a war correspondent Margolis has covered conflicts in Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Sinai, Afghanistan, Kashmir, India, Pakistan, El Salvador and Nicaragua. He was among the first journalists to ever interview Libyas Muammar Khadaffi and was among the first to be allowed access to KGB headquarters in Moscow.




Haiti - FLASH : The neighborhood self-defense brigades are multiplying and worrying





"A worrying fact is the emergence of self-defense groups in several districts of the capital and in Artibonite, with the population feeling little or no protection or security. Several incidents have already been reported where the population set up self-defense patrols and/or engaged in acts of violence to protect themselves." This is revealed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a document dated March 31, 2023 "There have already been several incidents during which the population has established self-defense patrols and /or participated in acts of violence to protect themselves," quotes the document in which the UN estimates that around 80% of the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince is now under the control or influence of armed groups.



Since the worsening of the security crisis in Haiti, surveillance brigades have appeared in various neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince and certain provinces to deal with armed attacks which have multiplied in the absence of police protection.



With illegal weapons, machetes, Molotov cocktails, bottles, stones and sticks, Haitians, mostly men between 15 and 40 years old, dressed in dark clothes, go out at night in brigades to try to defend their neighborhood in which they grew up, from gang attacks.



In some neighborhoods, people unknown to the area are not welcome. In others, an ID is required.



"We think it can lead to anything. History has already shown that at one time we had a lot of self-defense brigades. And these surveillance brigades, little by little, turned into armed gangs," declared the lawyer Marie Rosy Auguste Ducena, of the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights of Haiti (RNDDH) adding "In any case, it is dangerous [...] Because we are talking about people, some of whom can obtain legal weapons to confront armed gangs [...] Another danger is people who engage in a form of summary justice. People who arrogate to themselves the right to judge those who frequent their neighborhood."



A practice of self-defense already denounced in the past for abuses against civilians reminds the RNDDH.



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Haiti - Justice : Call for contributors for the 3rd edition of the journal Transparence of the ULCC





The Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) is appealing to anyone who would be interested in publishing an article, any document or sharing knowledge related to one of the 5 themes below in the 3rd edition of his journal "Transparence".



Article limit 2,500 to 3,500 words



The texts of the contributors to this 3rd edition, whose publication is scheduled for July 2023, must be received no later than Monday, May 1st, 2023 at the email address : info@ulcc.gouv.ht.



Themes of the 3rd edition of the journal "Transparence" :



A - FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN DIFFERENT SECTORS

Articles dealing with corruption in various sectors of activity such as education, health, sport, finance, public administration, media and others.



B - LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN HAITI

Legislation, case law and court action offer interesting analytical and reflection grids. Specific articles are also expected concerning the implementation of the fight against corruption with regard, for example, to inquiry and investigation techniques, the system of complaints and denunciations, the effectiveness of the systems of audit or intelligence role.



C - PATRIMONY

Article dedicated to the mechanisms for controlling the assets of public officials.



D - INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION

The Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption focused this year on three themes : Gender and Corruption, Environment and Corruption, International Cooperation and Corruption. However, the ULCC remains open to all other reflections concerning international efforts to fight corruption.



E - ANTI-CORRUPTION AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Civil Society is becoming a key player in the fight against corruption in Haiti and around the world. It demonstrates, it organizes itself and moves the lines. This dynamic calls more than ever for deep reflection.



For additional information call the numbers : 3636-1520 / 2811-0661 / 2816-7071.



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Haiti - News : Zapping...





253rd: Maduro's tribute to Alexandre Petion

253rd anniversary of the birth of Alexandre Petion (April 2, 1770) "Alexandre Petion, liberator of the Haitian people, revolutionary hero and defender of freedom. His immense, crucial and historic gesture of solidarity with Bolivar and the cause of independence has great significance for Venezuela. Honor and Glory !" said Nicolas Maduro, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.



On the occasion of the 253rd anniversary of the birth of General Alexandre Petion, the Embassy of Haiti in Venezuela paid tribute by laying a wreath to the man who was the first President of Haiti and close friend of the liberator Simon Bolivar.



Montreal : Demonstration of the diaspora in front of Trudeau's office

On Sunday, several hundred members of the Haitian diaspora demonstrated in Montreal in front of the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, demanding loudly and slogans to do more to secure their families who are hard hit by insecurity in Haiti.



Diaspora : Consulates closed

The Consulate General of Haiti in New York will be closed on Thursday, April 6, 2023 at noon and all day Friday 7, on the occasion of the Easter holidays. Services will normally resume on Monday, April 10, 2023.



The Consulate General of Haiti in Montreal informs the Haitian Community of Quebec in particular and the public in general, that on the occasion of the Easter holiday, its offices will be closed for the period from Thursday April 6 to Monday April 10, 2023 Consular services will normally resume on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.



The role of women in scientific and technical progress

The role of women in scientific and technical progress has too often been overlooked throughout history. The fight for gender equality and equal opportunities still remains a challenge in the least developed countries, such as Haiti. This makes it even more difficult to accept women in certain spheres of activity. To break certain trends, during the first two sessions of practical and ecological training in Haiti, the Institute of La Francophonie for Sustainable Development (IFDD), of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), wanted to salute the commitment of these young women in the field.



Taiwan Donation to Displaced Persons

The Ambassador of Taiwan (Republic of China) in Haiti, KU Wen-jiann handed over a batch of materials, on behalf of the "SimplyHelp" Foundation, to the Collective "Fanm Angaje Pou Ayiti" to improve the living conditions of displaced persons because of various social unrest and violence.



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Written by Anthony Mascarenhas, a Pakistani reporter, and printed in the UKs Sunday Times, it exposed for the first time the scale of the Pakistan armys brutal campaign to suppress its breakaway eastern province in 1971.

by Anwar A. Khan

Introduction

Sun Tzus famous quote is pertinent here, To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemys resistance without fighting. Psychological warfare, also called psywar, the use of propaganda against an enemy, supported by such military, economic, or political measures as may be required.

Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning Bangladesh 19711972 was on view at the National Art Gallery, Dhaka, Bangladesh. [ Photo Credit: huckmag.com]

Since the recorded history of warfare, a wide variety of psychological, propaganda, deception, subversion methods and tools have been used to gain a position of advantage against an adversary with the aim to ultimately win, with or without the use of kinetic force. Therefore, the primary aim of psywar is to target the cognitive domains so as to inform, influence, persuade and shape the perception of the targeted population, leaders as well as rank and file of security forces.

Psychological warfare

In 1971, apart from Indian psychological warfare, Bangladesh government in exile also launched an all-out psychological warfare on block-buster level against Pakistani Army and their local buddies in the-then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Declaration of Independence

In his last message, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called upon the people to resist the occupation forces. Mujib was arrested on the night of 2526 March 1971 at about 1:30 am (as per Radio Pakistans news on 29 March 1971).

The world press reports from late March 1971 also make clear that Bangladeshs declaration of independence by Bangabandhu was widely reported throughout the world.

What was the role of media in Bangladesh

In this war the media, mainly the Radio, played an important role in inspiring the freedom fighters to go forward with brevity. Besides, in 1971, World Media also played a greater role in the war of independence of Bangladesh publishing the reports on war in world level.

What was Indias role in the Bangladesh War

The 1971 war against Pakistan was not a war won by India alone. It was a war jointly won by India and the people of the-then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Indias great role has always been lauded in Bangladesh for attaining our own homeland in 1971.

How is the war of 1971 remembered in Bangladesh?

Fifty-two years after the 1971 war, which led to the independence of Bangladesh, each country involved in the battle institutionalised a distinct memory of the events of that year. In Bangladesh, the war is remembered as the Bengali peoples struggle against an oppressive Pakistan army and its local brutish.

The Role of International Media & Artists

The War of Liberation of 1971 was fought not only by the brave Mukti Bahinis (Freedom Fighters). The creation of Bangladesh also supported through the coverage it received in the international media and artists. Journalists brought home to the people of the world the story of the trials and sacrifices of the heroic people of Bangladesh, and the tribulations they were facing under the insensitive and brutal military administration of the occupying armed forces of Pakistan and their local mango-twigs.

Simon Dring, The Daily Telegraph, London

The first major expose of what had happened in the early hours of 26 March was done by Simon Dring, the young Daily Telegraph reporter from London. He had flown into Dhaka on 6 March to cover the growing political tension and then eluded Pakistani search parties (that were entrusted with the task of expelling foreign correspondents). He managed to stay on and presented to the outside world his first-hand account of the fighting that had broken out in the stricken state. He left Dhaka on the weekend after 26 March and filed a special report on the sudden mass crackdown in Dhaka. He was the first to point out on 30 March 1971 that more than 7,000 Bengalis had been slaughtered in Dhaka over 48 hours. It was also clear from his article that the army had struck without warning, under the cover of darkness and that these factors were responsible for enormous casualties.

Anthony Mascarenhas

Bangladesh war: The article that changed history Genocide in Sunday Times on 13 June, 1971.

On that day, an article in the UKs Sunday Times exposed the brutality of Pakistans suppression of the Bangladeshs peoples uprising. It forced the reporters family into hiding and changed history.

Abdul Bari had run out of luck. Like thousands of other people in the-then East Pakistan, he had made the mistake the fatal mistake of running within sight of a Pakistani patrol. He was 24 years old, a slight man surrounded by soldiers. He was trembling because he was about to be shot. So, started one of the most influential pieces of South Asian journalism of the past half century.

Written by Anthony Mascarenhas, a Pakistani reporter, and printed in the UKs Sunday Times, it exposed for the first time the scale of the Pakistan armys brutal campaign to suppress its breakaway eastern province in 1971. Three million people were brutally murdered by Pakistani Army and their local mango-twigs, especially Jamaat-e-Islami mass-murderers.

Mascarenhas reportage played its part and it helped turn world opinion against Pakistan and encouraged India to play a decisive role.

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi told the-then editor of the Sunday Times, Harold Evans, that the article had shocked her so deeply it had set her on a campaign of personal diplomacy in the European capitals and Moscow to prepare the ground for Indias armed intervention, he recalled.

Mascarenhas was, Evans wrote in his memoirs, just a very good reporter doing an honest job.

He was also very brave. Pakistan, at the time, was run by the military, and he knew that he would have to get himself and his family out of the country before the story could be published  not an easy task in those days.

His mother always told him to stand up and speak the truth and be counted, Mascarenhass widow, Yvonne, recalled (he died in 1986). He used to tell me, put a mountain before me and Ill climb it. He was never daunted.

When the war in what was the-then East Pakistan broke out in March 1971, Mascarenhas was a respected journalist in Karachi, the main city in the countrys dominant western wing, on good terms with the countrys ruling elite. He was a member of the citys small community of Goan Christians, and he and Yvonne had five children.

The conflict was sparked by elections, which were won by an East Pakistan party, the Awami League under the able and dynamic leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which wanted greater autonomy for the region.

While the political parties and the military argued over the formation of a new government, many Bengalis became convinced that West Pakistan was deliberately blocking their cherished desire.

The situation started to become flog with or as if with an inflexible rod. The Awami League launched a campaign of civil disobedience, and the army flew in thousands of reinforcements.

On the evening of 25 March, it launched a pre-emptive strike against the Awami League, and other perceived opponents, including members of the intelligentsia and the Hindu community, who at that time made up about 20% of the provinces 75 million people.

In the first of many notorious war crimes, soldiers attacked Dhaka University, lining up and executing students and professors. Their campaign of terror then moved into the countryside, where they battled local troops who had mutinied.

(To be continued)
Ingrid Orman will assume the position of Chief Curator at EMMA  Espoo Museum of Modern Art on May 2, 2023. The position was filled through an open recruitment process organized in February after the previous Chief Curator, Arja Miller , accepted the post of Museum Director at HAM Helsinki Art Museum. A total of 29 Finnish and international candidates submitted applications.

EMMAs Chief Curator in charge of exhibitions is responsible for developing and leading the museums exhibition projects. The Chief Curator leads the Exhibitions team and is a member of the steering group.

Ingrid Ormans merits include her well-defined vision for the future development of EMMAs exhibitions and her proven track record in project management, curating and collaboration with artists. Orman is currently a curator in the Exhibitions team, prior to which she was a producer and curator in the Education team. The positions she held before joining EMMA included that of head of programme at the Finnish Institute in Estonia. By training, she is an art historian and she holds a MFA in exhibition studies from the Uniarts Helsinki Praxis Programme.

Under Ingrids leadership, I look forward to developing our exhibitions in an original and distinctive direction, weaving together EMMAs unique local characteristics and strengths with the polyphonic presentation of international art. I believe that both our Finnish and international visitors expect us to be bold pacesetters, says Museum Director Pilvi Kalhama.

I want to be involved in building the future of museums, and I believe that ethical responsibility is an issue that will acquire growing importance in the future. EMMA is well-positioned to be a pioneer in this respect. In my new role, I plan to focus on promoting diversity, ecological sustainability and polyphonic curation: the artists we choose to give a voice and space in our museum is decisive in shaping the narrative we are involved in building. EMMA has offered me the opportunity to develop a diverse professional skillset, and I look forward to deepening my contribution in my new role as Chief Curator responsible for exhibitions, Orman enthuses.

EMMA is one of Finlands largest art museums. It is supported by the Espoo Art Museum Foundation. The focus of its collections and exhibitions is on Finnish and international modernism, contemporary art and design.

HT

Source: Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA)
Finland will deposit its accession documents to the United States government at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, April 4th, ahead of the NATO foreign ministerial meeting.

In a historic move , Finland is set to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Tuesday, April 4th, according to a statement released by the President's Office. President Sauli Niinisto will travel to Brussels and participate in an official membership ceremony held at NATO headquarters.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will make the deposit. Following the deposit of the documents, a flag-raising ceremony will be held at NATO headquarters to celebrate Finland's NATO membership.

President Niinisto and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will give speeches at the ceremony. Prior to the event, the president and secretary-general will have a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.

In addition to President Niinisto and Foreign Minister Haavisto, Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will also participate in the flag-raising ceremony.

This is a significant development for Finland, as it has remained a neutral country since the end of World War II. Finland's decision to join NATO is a strategic move to strengthen its defense capabilities and to align itself with the West amid growing concerns about Russia's assertiveness in the region.

The decision to join NATO has not been without controversy, with some opposition parties and the public expressing concerns about Finland's relationship with Russia and the potential impact on its neutrality. However, the government has emphasized that Finland will remain an independent and non-aligned country, and that joining NATO is a natural step in ensuring its security and defense.

As a member of NATO, Finland will have access to the alliance's defense capabilities, intelligence, and resources. This will also allow Finland to participate in NATO's decision-making process, providing the country with a greater voice in shaping regional and international security policies.

Overall, Finland's accession to NATO is a significant development for the country and the region. It will undoubtedly have a profound impact on Finland's defense and security policies, as well as its relationship with Russia. However, it remains to be seen how Russia will react to Finland's decision to join NATO, and whether this will further escalate tensions in the region.

HT
During her visit to Kyiv on March 10th, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin suggested that Finland could consider providing Ukraine with its ageing Hornet fighter jets. The statement has caused controversy in Finland, with some government officials denying any discussion of such an action.

Various countries are weighing their own abilities to deliver this kind of military support. I think this could also be discussed in Finland. We know that we have made a decision about new fighter jets. We know the timetable for when we will receive new jets in Finland, and I think we can also have discussions in regard to the Hornets, whether it would be possible to hand [jets] over to Ukrainebut no decisions have been made. The discussions are in the very early stages."

However, President Sauli Niinisto denied any knowledge of such a discussion, stating that there "has been no discussion with anyone" about handing over Hornets to Ukraine. Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen also commented that Finland would still need its Hornets for the next few years to protect itself.

The Finnish Defense Forces have not discussed the possible delivery of Hornets to Ukraine, and the Air Force Commander, Major General Juha-Pekka Keranen, ruled out the delivery of Hornets until the FDF receives US-made F-35 fighters in return. Additionally, Juha-Matti Ylitalo, the Deputy Manager of Finnish Defense Forces Logistics Command, stated that the Hornets would no longer be competitive in the 2030s due to their structural life.

Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, criticized Marin's statement, saying, "It was unfortunate that the statement was made and it came as a surprise to some other national leaders. A phone call or text message could be useful before suggesting such things. That would be basic cooperation so that Finland's policy line would be clear."

This is not the first time statements from the inexperienced prime minister have caused headaches for the Finnish president, other ministers and even NATO.

Last October, on the Finnish TV morning show (Ykkosaamu), answering an audience question about Finland's NATO entry, asking why the country has not ruled out accepting nuclear weapons or permanent bases on its territory. Marin said: "I've considered it very important that we don't set these kinds of preconditions or limit our own room for manoeuvring when it comes to permanent bases or nuclear weapons,''

Her statement was refuted both by NATO and president Niinisto who is the commander-in-chief of Finnish Armed Forces. Finland has no intention of allowing nuclear weapons to be located on its territory. There are no indicators that any NATO-nation is offering nuclear arms to Finland, Niinisto said.

Mika Aaltola, Director of the Helsinki-based Finnish Institute of International Affairs (Ulkopoliittinen Instituutti) also called Marins statement nonsense.

No nuclear weapons will be brought to Finland. Neither NATO nor Finland have such aspirations. The doctrines of the United States and other member countries do not include any offer of nuclear weapons to Finland. Moreover, Finland has no desire to place nuclear weapons on its soil, said Aaltola.

Marin who is the youngest prime minister in the history of the country is a recent graduate with no leadership or work experience before entering politics. She was not elected by popular vote but was put forward within the Social Democratic Party when her predecessor, Antti Rinne had to resign suddenly for mishandling a postal strike.

HT
Boao Forum for Asia to carry forward multilateralism, promote cooperation

15:02, April 03, 2023 By Zhang Mengxu, Zhang Penghui, Chen Shangwen ( People's Daily

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 held its first press conference on March 28, on which the "Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2023" and the "Sustainable Development: Asia and the World Annual Report 2023" were officially released.

Noting that uncertainty remains a prominent character of today's world, BFA Secretary General Li Baodong said that the annual conference hopes to carry forward true multilateralism, practice open regionalism, explore certainty in an uncertain world and promote solidarity and cooperation among countries to better meet challenges through discussions.

Photo taken on March 14, 2023 shows a busy scene at a container terminal of the Haikou Port, south China's Hainan province. (People's Daily Online/Yang He)

The recovery of the world economy remains weak at present, which makes for a volatile external environment for Asia's economic growth. However, as an important engine driving global economic growth, Asia is speeding up its recovery this year and becoming a reliable driver of world growth and an important pillar for multilateralism.

According to the Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2023, the weighted real GDP growth rate of Asia in 2023 is estimated to be 4.5 percent, an increase from 4.2 percent in 2022.

The International Monetary Fund predicted that China and India alone would contribute about half of the world's growth this year. For every percentage point of higher growth in China, activity in other Asian economies rises on average by 0.3 percentage point.

Anil Kishora, Vice-President and Chief Risk Officer of the New Development Bank, believes that the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for 1/3 of the world's population, over 60 percent of the global economy and close to half of global trade, is the most dynamic growth belt in the world.

As the manufacturing center of the world, the region will play a more important role in driving global growth and safeguarding stable industrial and supply chains, he said.

Lee Hyuk-joon, President of Hyundai Motor Group (China) told People's Daily that China, as the second largest economy in the world, is a stabilizer and booster for the world economy, adding that China is the world's largest consumption market, and the upgrading of this market will exert positive impacts on global trade and economic growth. As a major manufacturing center, China will also create more opportunities for the manufacturing industry of other countries, he noted.

The Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2023 said Asia has played a more proactive and leading role in global macroeconomic policy coordination, and the world has entered the "Asian Moment" for global economic governance.

Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the world today is facing uncertainties, but peace and development still remain the general trend. He believes China and Asia will make the world a more certain place.

Asia's regional economic integration continues advancing despite the rise of geopolitical conflicts and anti-globalization. Asia is still a staunch supporter of multilateralism and an active promoter of global economic governance.

Photo shows the Boao Forum for Asia International Conference Center in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province. (People's Daily Online/Meng Zhongde)

Lin Guijun, former vice president of China's University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), told People's Daily that most major economies in Asia had seen increasing dependence on Asian production between 2001 and 2021, which indicated a higher level of regional economic integration.

He said digital economy is one of the two engines driving Asia's regional economic integration. According to him, the share of Asia's digital service trade in the world has steadily expanded, reaching 25.6 percent in 2021. The other engine, according to Lin, is the demand of Asian countries to jointly cope with climate change and tackle environmental issues.

Institutional opening up mechanisms have been constantly releasing dividends since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) took effect a year ago.

Sang Baichuan, dean of UIBE's Institute of International Economy, said the RCEP has effectively lowered the cost of trade and investment among member countries, and there has been a higher level of economic integration.

As the world's largest regional free trade agreement, the RCEP will continue releasing its dividends, promoting the integration of industrial and supply chains among member countries and becoming an important engine driving economic growth in Asia and the world.

Financing is of important significance for poverty elimination, promoting economic and social progress and advancing regional economic integration in Asia. However, the sustainable development of the world is threatened. The official assistance provided by the developed world is less than half of what it has promised, and the scale of aid from a few countries is even shrinking. Challenges are ahead against realizing the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This year marks the third year for the BFA to release the Sustainable Development: Asia and the World Annual Report. The report calls on Asian countries to take immediate actions to cope with the crisis threatening sustainable development.

All parties relevant need to make huge efforts to restore peace and narrow divides, governments and the society should take joint actions to mobilize resources and build a global partnership for development, Li said.

China proposed the Global Development Initiative in September 2021, and in less than a year, the High-level Dialogue on Global Development was held. Asian countries are working with other countries in the world to make development a priority on the international cooperation agenda, forge a united, equal, balanced and inclusive global development partnership, and bring the world back to the track of achieving the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Tourism industry alone cannot enable Sri Lanka to get out of the present economic crisis.

by N. S. Venkataraman

Sri Lanka has now got breathing time with the International Monetary Fund sanctioning a long-term loan of 3 billion USD, of course with some pre-conditions. IMF has said that it would disburse the amount in different stages and has insisted on corruption-free administration and implementation of certain policy measures. The Sri Lankan government has no other option than accepting all conditions put forth by IMF.

IMF should not be blamed for insisting on some conditions to be accepted by Sri Lanka for availing the loan, as IMF would justifiably like to ensure that its loan money would be used properly and adequately in Sri Lanka so that the repayment would be done as per the promises. After all, IMF is a financing institution and not a charitable body and critics of IMF in Sri Lanka should realise this.

Mineral factory in Pulmooddai [Photo Credit: Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd]

Sri Lanka is now at such a stage that it cannot allow its economy to slip down and it is a compelling need to ensure that it would be firm on the recovery path by properly and adequately utilizing the IMF funds.

Despite the recent troubles faced by Sri Lanka on the economic front, it is necessary to recognize that the country has basic and inherent strength by way of natural resources, which it should quickly identify and exploit to its advantage. What Sri Lanka urgently needs today is a proactive industrial policy in tune with the ground reality. The fact is that Sri Lanka does not have any significant investment capability and it also does not have the engineering and technological expertise that is required to make a big leap forward in the industrial front. In such circumstances, there are two countries that Sri Lanka can emulate.

Several decades back, Chinas economy was not in good shape, though China now is one of the countries with strong economic and industrial strength in the world. What China did earlier was that it threw open its market to global companies and also liberalised the investment policies to facilitate setting up of industrial projects in China by multinational companies in a big way. This became a win win situation for both multinational companies and China and helped China to expand its economy and technology base to a spectacular level. Of course, Sri Lanka does not have big market space to offer to international companies but can certainly facilitate international companies to invest in Sri Lanka in a big way by adopting appropriate strategies.

Several decades back, Singapores economy was also in a bad shape and today Singapore is one of the well-developed city-state in the world. Singapore could achieve this status, despite its several limitations, by creating confidence amongst multinational companies to invest in Singapore and by facilitating investor-friendly policies

Both China and Singapore have ensured that the interest of overseas investors would be fully protected. In the case of both China and Singapore, the governments have been firm and did not allow local politics or vested interests to create doubts and apprehensions amongst prospective overseas investors or create bottlenecks for their operations in any way.

What Sri Lanka should do now is to offer its mineral and other resources to be used as feedstock for the overseas companies to set up projects in Sri Lanka. There are several resources in Sri Lanka of which two are discussed here as examples.

Sri Lanka has good deposit of ilmenite /rutile minerals which are feedstock for the production of titanium dioxide pigment, which is used extensively in paint and coatings and other areas. Ilmenite/rutile is also the feedstock for titanium metal which is a strategic metal used in several military hardware, aeronautics and so on. International demand for titanium dioxide is now around 6 million tonnes per annum and the demand is now increasing steadily by 3 to 4% per annum. The global demand trend for titanium metal is also very vibrant.

Sri Lanka has got a good deposits of graphite of high quality. Several value-added products can be produced from graphite such as graphite crucibles and so on. Further, with the rapid growth of electric vehicles around the world which require lithium-ion batteries, high-purity graphite for use as anode in lithium-ion batteries is in great demand all over the world with growth in demand exceeding 10% per annum. Sri Lanka should facilitate the setting up of large-size high-purity graphite anode projects.

Many other mineral and natural resources are available in Sri Lanka and multinational companies and overseas organisations would find such resources as an attractive feedstock for setting up projects in Sri Lanka.

In the last few weeks, it is reported that Sri Lankan government is taking active measures to promote tourism in Sri Lanka, which is as it should be. But, the tourism industry alone cannot enable Sri Lanka to get out of the present economic crisis.

Ensuring rapid growth of massive industries in Sri Lanka with overseas investment and technology, would promote employment generation, strengthen the technology base and skill development in Sri Lanka and promotion of several ancillary industries and contribute to foreign exchange earnings in a big way. The such overseas investment would change the face of Sri Lanka in a positive manner as a growth centre.

What is urgently needed is that Sri Lankan government should formulate a proactive industrial policy in appropriate areas and do road shows around the world to attract investment from abroad. The strategy adopted by China and Singapore should give a good lead for Sri Lankan policy planners.

N. S. Venkataraman is a trustee with the "Nandini Voice for the Deprived," a not-for-profit organization that aims to highlight the problems of downtrodden and deprived people and support their cause and to promote probity and ethical values in private and public life and to deliberate on socio-economic issues in a dispassionate and objective manner.
With the preliminary vote count completed, the right-wing party looks to have increased its vote share by 3.8 percentage points from the previous parliamentary elections to 20.8 per cent. The share is to grant it a total of 48 seats, an increase of 10 from the newly concluded electoral term, in the Finnish Parliament.

PETTERI ORPO , the chairperson of the National Coalition, has declared his party as the winner of the parliamentary elections.

The Finns Party increased its vote share by 2.6 points to 20.1 per cent and its seat total by seven to 46. Support for the Social Democrats increased by 2.2 points to 19.9 per cent, securing the three additional seats  a total of 43  in the Finnish Parliament.

The three largest parties all made gains at the expense of medium-sized parties.

The Centre saw its seat total decrease by eight to 23 after winning 11.3 per cent of the vote, a drop of 2.5 points from 2019. The Green League lost seven of its 20 seats after winning 7.0 per cent of the vote, a drop of 4.5 points from 2019. The Left Alliance, in turn, lost five of its 16 seats after seeing its vote share fall by 1.1 points to 7.1 per cent.

The Swedish Peoples Party won 4.3 per cent and the Christian Democrats 4.2 per cent of the vote, securing nine and five seats respectively. Movement Now retained its single seat with a 2.4-per-cent share of the vote.

The biggest vote-getters nationwide were Riikka Purra, the chairperson of the Finns Party, and Sanna Marin, the chairperson of the Social Democrats. Purra received almost 42,600 votes in the electoral district of Uusimaa, Marin over 35,600 votes in Pirkanmaa.

The elections saw a wave of blue, in two different shades, sweep over the electoral map of Finland.

The National Coalition emerged as the largest party in the districts of Helsinki, Uusimaa and Southwest Finland. The Finns Party, which triumphed in a single electoral district in 2019, emerged this year as the winner in as many as six districts: Hame, Lapland, Oulu, Satakunta, Savo-Karelia and Vaasa.

The remaining three districts  Pirkanmaa, Central Finland and South-east Finland  were claimed by the Social Democrats.

The Centre failed to win the most votes in any district, having done so in as many as four in 2019.

The voter turnout decreased slightly from the previous parliamentary elections, with 71.9 per cent of those with the right to vote exercising it.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
On the back of a historic election defeat, Annika Saarikko, the leader of the Centre Party of Finland, has stated that the party's place is in opposition. The party, which has spent the last eight years in government, has seen a significant drop in the public's trust, and Saarikko believes that the election results have made it clear that the Finnish people want the party in opposition.

Saarikko acknowledged the importance of gaining the people's support for making tough decisions in government, which she believes is lacking at present. The Centre Party campaigned on being a moderate force in Finnish politics, representing the entire country. However, this message failed to convince enough voters, who instead opted for a different vision.

The Centre Party leader expressed gratitude to all the party's candidates, supporters, and activists for their hard work during the campaign, which aimed to strengthen democracy and support local communities. Saarikko acknowledged the significant setback that the party has faced, with its parliamentary group being the smallest in a hundred years. However, she also expressed confidence in the party's membership and grassroots organization, which demonstrated its strength during the elections.

Saarikko emphasized that the party's work to regain the public's trust must begin immediately. She believes that it will take several years and a voter-by-voter approach to restore the party to its former status as a significant political force in Finland. She urged the party not to become complacent or retreat into its shell but to look forward and find ways to modernize and adapt to the changing political landscape.

The Centre Party's leader also congratulated the winners of the elections and acknowledged their responsibility for forming a government. She also reminded the Finnish people that opposition parties can still play a vital role in shaping the country's future. The Centre Party remains the largest party at the local and regional levels, and Saarikko indicated that she would evaluate her position as the party's leader in the coming months.

In conclusion, Saarikko's statement acknowledges the Centre Party's defeat in the recent election and emphasizes the importance of gaining the public's trust. She also recognized the need for the party to adapt to the changing political landscape and to work diligently to restore its status as a major political force in Finland. Saarikko's message is one of resilience and hope, with a clear indication that the party's better days are ahead.

HT
THERES a feast of fun for fantasy fans this week at the Henley Regal Picturehouse with no fewer than three new films aimed at the young and the young at heart.

First up is Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant in the heist action comedy Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (12), based on the computer role-playing game.

Pine plays Edgin Darvis, a charismatic thief who teams up with an unlikely group of adventurers to embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic.

Their journey takes them into a world of magic and monsters with non-stop computer-generated obstacles to be overcome, not to mention the evil Forge Fitzwilliam, played by Grant.

Filmed in Iceland and Northern Ireland, it comes to the screen after protracted lawsuits over the film rights to the original game and with a variety of writers and directors and has no connection to the Dungeons and Dragons trilogy which ran between 2000 and 2012.

The film has a running time of two hours and

14 minutes.

Next comes Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie (PG), the animated film version of Nintendos platform game franchise.

Also featuring Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, it follows Marios adventures as he gets ready to square off against the

all-powerful Bowser and thwart his plans for world domination.

Arriving on Wednesday, the film has a running time of 90 minutes.

Theres more cartoon fun with Mummies (U), a comedy animation set in Egypt.

Three mummies take a trip to present-day London in search of an ancient ring belonging to the royal family which has been stolen by an ambitious archaeologist.

The film has a running time of one hour and

28 minutes.

In complete contrast is Gods Creatures (15), a psychological drama set in a windswept isolated fishing community on the coast of Ireland.

Scraping a living in harsh conditions and under looming skies, the residents of the village have their lives disrupted by the return of a prodigal son, played by Paul Mescal, who comes home after years in Australia.

He is welcomed with open arms by his mother Eileen (Emily Watson), only for police to arrive with a rape charge against him.

When Eileen is asked to give him an alibi, it sets in motion a series of tragic events.

The film has a running time of one hour and 41 minutes.
LONGING for a bit of sun? I certainly am. Its about this time of year that sun-starved, rain-soaked Brits, having trudged with grim determination through months of grey skies and driving rain, start to dream of a week or two with a hot sun beating down from a blue sky.

If youre lucky enough to be able to afford a holiday abroad this year, it will almost certainly include a flight.

Commercial aviation has had extraordinary growth. In the Fifties Heathrow had just 30 to 50 flights a day compared with 1,350 today with new airports adding to the numbers.

But planes add significantly to the emission of climate change gases by burning jet fuel, which is made up of a mix of hydrocarbons in the higher atmosphere. Alongside CO2 aircraft emit other gases and particles which can affect atmospheric composition and cloudiness.

The Department for Transport estimates that these additional gases have doubled the CO2 warming effect. The Climate Change Committee estimates that without change aviation is likely to be the UKs biggest source of CO2 emissions by 2050.

But decarbonising aviation is not easy. Electric-powered planes are still years away from viability and the longevity of plane fleets means that it takes a long time for newer, more sustainable aircraft to come into service.

The Government has committed to net zero for aviation by 2050 in its snappily titled Jet Zero Strategy. The plan is to meet this target through a mixture of policies which include system efficiencies  improving the efficiency of our existing aviation system, including airports, aircraft and airspace, sustainable aviation fuel made from biofuels and markets and removals, which is government speak for removing any residual emissions from the atmosphere.

Dr Cathie Wells, from the University of Reading, whose PhD research was on making flight paths more fuel efficient, a key system efficiency, explains that air traffic control gives airlines a flight path which takes into account areas where there is no radar coverage, hence planes cannot be tracked by air traffic control.

For safety planes must fly at least 10 minutes apart but this is no longer necessary in many areas  improved technology means that flight paths can be calculated considering not just safety but also optimising fuel efficiency using prevailing winds.

Dr Wellss research shows that over the Atlantic, this can cut emissions per flight by as much CO2 as is emitted by 1,307 UK citizens in a year.

Her findings have been taken up by NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services), which is trialling the new system.

Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will be operating the worlds first net zero flight from London to New York this year. It will be fuelled by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is made from waste oils and fats such as cooking oil. And the UK is building five SAF production plants.

In the meantime, what can individuals do? Quite a lot, in fact. Firstly, consider if you could make your journey by less carbon-intensive rail travel. Per mile, rail emits about one fifth of the emissions of flying. A website called The Man in Seat 61 (www.seat61.com) has an enormous amount of advice on train travel in Europe and worldwide.

Our family is trying this for our holiday to Austria this summer, travelling by rail via Paris. It will take longer for sure but we will have the advantage of a day in Paris to break the journey and a chance to travel through the Arlberg Pass, one of the worlds most scenic rail routes.

Secondly, if you take a flight then offset the emissions by supporting projects to reduce CO2 emissions or take CO2 directly out of the atmosphere.

Dr Wells points me to the United Nations carbon offset platform, which is an excellent and trustworthy site where you can purchase carbon credits measured in tonnes of CO2 equivalent to offset or compensate for the emissions produced by your flight (www.unfccc.int). Some airlines also offer this as part of your flight cost.

Happy holidays.
A person who is in the autistic spectrum would have rigid designators which are the same in all possible contexts.

by Ruwantissa Abeyratne

What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool?

You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done.  Temple Grandin, The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism & Aspergers

World Autism Awareness Day  which falls on 2 April every year, was established by the United Nations in 2007. The theme of the day this year is : Transforming the narrative: Contributions at home, at work, in the arts, and in policymaking. ChatGPT defines the word autism as follows  autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It is called a spectrum disorder because the severity and symptoms of the condition can vary widely from person to person.

Representational images [ Photo Credit: Anna Kolosyuk/ Unsplash]

The original intent of establishing Autism Awareness Day was to encourage international support, compassion, and understanding for the rights of people with autism. On 2 April 2023 the Secretary General of the United Nations in his message said: On World Autism Awareness Day, we celebrate the contributions of persons with autism and renew our resolve to advance their inherent rights. Despite important progress, persons with autism continue to face social and environmental barriers to the full exercise of their rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We must do better  by promoting inclusive education, equal employment opportunities, self-determination, and an environment where every person is respected. And as we do so, we also recognize the role of families, caregivers, and support networks in the lives of persons with autism. Today and every day, let us fully recognize the active and diverse contributions of persons with autism to our societies  and let us work together with persons with autism to build an inclusive and accessible world for all.

Last year, President Biden added more words of support and understanding to the above plethora of compassionate verbiage in his Presidential Proclamation for World Autism awareness Day. He reaffirmed his Administrations commitment to equity for people on the autism spectrum across all races, ethnicities, genders, cultures, and geography in access to services, inclusion of people with lived experience in research, opportunities for competitive integrated employment, and the ability to pursue their life interests free of discrimination.

If one were to transform the narrative as this years theme goes, one has to burrow through the blizzard of conciliatory and seemingly compassionate words that have been used in the above statements that are calculated to exude an aura of profound empathy and proactive action. Words such as inherent rights; social and environmental barriers; inclusive education; equal employment opportunities; rights and fundamental freedoms; respect; equity; access to services; inclusion of people all cry for implementable legislative and treaty action.

In the United States, there are several pieces of legislation. For example, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that children with disabilities, including autism, receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment possible. IDEA provides funding for special education services and requires individualized education plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including autism, in areas such as employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations. It requires that reasonable accommodations be made for individuals with disabilities. Autism CARES Act: provides funding for autism research, education, and intervention programs. It also established the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to coordinate federal efforts related to autism. Finally, The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance plans to cover essential health benefits, including behavioral health treatment, for individuals with autism. It also prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, including autism.

From the standpoint of treaty law, The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a multilateral treaty, adopted by the United Nations, which recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities, including those with autism, to live independently, participate fully in society, and access education, employment, and healthcare.,

How far have these instruments offered autistic persons relief in pursuing the key words used above to define their rights? There are some instances in the United States. In Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) The United States Supreme Court affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities, including those with autism, to receive services in the least restrictive environment possible. The case involved two women with mental disabilities who had been institutionalized for years and were seeking community-based services. In the 2009 case of Greer v. Rome City School District the parents of a child with autism sued a school district for failing to provide him with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The court ruled in favor of the parents and ordered the school district to provide compensatory education services to the students.

More recently in 2012 in Doe v. Lakeview School District parents of a child with autism sued a school district for failing to provide their son with a FAPE. The court found that the school district had violated the IDEA and ordered it to provide compensatory education services to the student. Five years ago, in the case of Pennsylvania State Education Association v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a group of autistic students and their families sued the state of Pennsylvania for failing to provide adequate education and services for students with disabilities, including autism. The court found that the state had violated the IDEA and ordered it to develop and implement a plan to improve services for students with disabilities.

My Take

It was Mathew Dicks who once said: You have to be the bravest person in the world to go out every day, being yourself when no one likes who you are.

The first step in transforming the narrative would be to understand the above quote. The second step would be to be aware that autistic persons do not have concepts between things and the world. For instance, neuro- typical people would insert one or more concepts between a thing, idea or object and reality. A pioneer in this field was Saul Kripke a philosopher who wrote in the late 1950s on the challenges facing autistic persons. In his book Naming and Necessity and his paper A Puzzle About Belief Kripke expounded the philosophy of language where his work on autism focused on the relationship between language, meaning, and social cognition.

According to Kripke, a person who is in the autistic spectrum would have rigid designators which are the same in all possible contexts. For example, a neuro typical would identify a flautist as a clever or mediocre musician whereas an autistic person would consider him just a flautist without an intervening concept.

This makes it difficult for an autistic person to understand beliefs and mental states of others. In A Puzzle About Belief, Kripke argues that people with autism may have difficulty with what he calls theory of mind, which is the ability to attribute mental states, such as beliefs and desires, to oneself and others. Kripke suggests that this difficulty may be related to the use of rigid designators and the limitations of language in representing mental states.

The initiative of 2007 to designate 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day came from the United Nations  the world body of 193 countries. Yet, as per the World Health Organization, as of 2021, only 27 countries have national autism plans or strategies. Also, according to the World Health Organization. in 2021, about 1 in 160 children worldwide was identified with the autism spectrum disorder.. It is quite disheartening that such a prevalent condition has been proactively addressed by only 27 countries. This is despite the fact that in 2018, WHO launched the Global Autism Public Health Initiative to promote early detection, diagnosis, and intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally. Additionally WHO works to promote inclusion and integration of individuals with ASD into their communities and society as a whole. Furthermore, WHO supports research on ASD to better understand its causes, prevalence, and effective interventions. WHOs overall focus is seemingly on improving the quality of life for individuals with ASD and their families, promoting awareness and understanding of ASD, and supporting research to better understand and address this condition.

The answer does not lie in just including autistic persons in society or in the usual educational curriculum without planning and understanding this unique community. In the words of Paul Collins Autists are the ultimate square pegs, and the problem with pounding a square peg into a round hole is not that hammering is hard work. Its that youre destroying the peg.

This is what the 166 members of the United Nations seem to be doing. Why are they dragging their feet?
Israel is buying 25 American F-15IA fighter bombers in addition to four KC-47 aerial tankers. Israel already has 25 F-15I fighter bombers it purchased in the late 1990s. Both the I and IA were customized versions of the original American F-15E and the new F-15EX version. The customization often includes the addition of Israeli electronics. This is apparently the case with the F-15IA. With the purchase of the KC-46 tankers, the F-15IAs could reach targets in Iran but would still have to deal with upgraded Iranian air defense systems.

The F-15Is are getting old and will be near their retirement date in the 2030s. Israel was hoping for a new version but, until recently, the Americans were saying there would not be one. That changed in 2018 and by 2020 the U.S. Air Force placed its first order for an upgraded F-15 to replace elderly F-15Cs and Es that were either approaching retirement, or have to be flown a lot less to delay that.

The initial Israeli order was for eight F-15EXs. Ultimately the air force wants to buy as many as 400 F-15EXs to replace retiring F-15Cs and Es. The entire program is supposed to cost no more than $23 billion and deliver new F-15EX aircraft at a cost of about $88 million each. The F-15 entered service in the 1970s and the last one was built in 1989. The two-seat F-15E fighter-bomber entered service in 1989 and only 525 were built, though export production continues at a low rate. This included new models of the F-15E developed and built for export customers. These included Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Qatar and Israel. All have entered service except the Qatari and Israeli models. The Qatari F-15QA didnt make its first flight until early 2020. The F-15EX is based on that QA model because it includes most of the new features required for an F-15E replacement. Because of that the first two F-15EXs are already being built. Israel decided to buy the F-15IA, in part because its F-35s cannot carry as many weapons and is more expensive. The F-15QA/IA is the latest model F-15E that actually exists. Qatar is buying 36 but the 25 Israeli F-15IAs are being further modified by the Israelis.

Back in 2019 the U.S. Air Force was planning to buy two models of the F-15X; the single seat F-15CX fighters to complement the new F-35 and (unofficially) make up for the fact that the air force is not getting as many F-35s as it believes it needs. There were to be a smaller number of two-seat F-15DX. Normally the two-seat version is for training but in this case the DX version provides the option to provide a GIB (Guy in the Back) to help with the use of the F-15X as a bomb truck for F-35s and F-22s. These two stealthy aircraft, especially the F-35, have demonstrated the ability to remain silent (few radio and radar transmissions) to detect targets and have less stealthy aircraft (or missile units on the ground) launch weapons to destroy the target. Israeli F-35s, the only ones with combat experience, may have already demonstrated this technique over Syria.

The X version would combine years of experience and upgrades for American and foreign F-15s to produce a more capable (better electronics and larger bomb load) and durable (built to operate for 12,000 flight hours) aircraft. The X model would carry up to 14 tons of bombs and missiles and be built to avoid a lot of the structural fatigue problems F-15Cs encountered. While the two-seat F-15E fighter-bomber is still available for sale, all existing F-15Cs are at least 30 years old.

At this point the air force realized it could save a lot of money on development by just buying two-seater X models as the F-15EX. Basing this aircraft on the existing F-15QA would save a lot of time and development costs. Because of this the first F-15EX order was placed in record time and the first of these were flying in 2021 and entered service in 2023. A growing number of the elderly F-15Cs and overworked F-15Es will be grounded unless replaced or put through an expensive refurbishment. It is more cost-effective to go with the F-15EX.

Theres another factor. On paper, the F-35 will eventually (5-10 years) become cheaper to maintain and operate than the F-15C. The F-15EX will have a cost advantage immediately because newly built aircraft are cheaper to operate than older ones of the same model, and EX also have new tech that reduces maintenance costs. The manufacturer is willing to produce them at a fixed cost (about $88 million each) and absorb any unforeseen costs. The manufacturer has additional incentives to make the F-15EX work; export sales.

Meanwhile, the F-15E continues in service and demonstrates how well an updated F-15 design can work. Production of the F-15E was scheduled to end in 2022 but the EX model is considered more of a major F-15E upgrade than a new aircraft. F-15E production is evolving into EX production as well as the foreign variants like the QA and IA, and the EX model would keep F-15 production going as a more advanced F-15E. This willingness to produce the EX model should not be a surprise as there have been signs for a long time that an updated F-15 would be useful.

For example, in 2008 the air force announced plans to operate its 36-ton U.S. F-15E for at least another ten years, and probably longer. In service for twenty years now, the F-15E can carry up to 11 tons of bombs and missiles, along with a targeting pod and an internal 20mm cannon. It's an all-weather aircraft that can fly one-way up to 3,900 kilometers. It uses in-flight refueling to hit targets anywhere on the planet. Smart bombs made the F-15E particularly efficient. The backseater handles the electronics and bombing, and the F-15E remains a potent air-superiority fighter, making it an exceptional combat aircraft. This success prompted Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore and currently Qatar to buy it, paying about $100 million per aircraft. In the U.S. Air Force, the F-15E is one of the most popular aircraft for combat pilots to fly, even more so than the F-22. The F-15EX is cheaper to operate, carries more bombs and can also carry the new hypersonic missile, which is too heavy for any other fighter and was designed to be launched from heavy bombers. With the F-15EX the air force has a lot more aircraft that can handle the hypersonic missile.

The F-15E entered service in 1989 and within a decade Russia decided this novel fighter-bomber design was worth emulating. Russia developed its own F-15E, the 45-ton Su-34, which was yet another variant of the 33-ton Su-27. Su-34s cost $36 million each (less than half the cost of an F-15E) and included a full set of defensive and offensive sensors (radars, targeting cameras, laser designators) and electronic warfare gear, and can carry eight tons of missiles and smart bombs. Although development work began in the late 1990s, the Su-34 did not enter service until 2014 and proved capable in Syria but less successful in Ukraine where there are more anti-aircraft systems and Ukrainian fighters to deal with.

Meanwhile, the older F-15s, which entered service in 1976, are falling apart. In 2009 the air force retired the last of its 384 F-15A fighters. Long flown only by reserve units, these were old aircraft and all were built in the 1970s. Air force reserve units got the F-15As in the 1980s and 1990s as active duty units got the new F-15C. But by 2009 the F-22 was entering service, and more F-15Cs were going to the reserves. Many of those F-15As flew for over 30 years.

Unfortunately, the later model F-15s are not aging well. In 2007 the air force grounded all of its 442 remaining F-15As and Cs (and the smaller number of two-seat B and D trainer models) for 18 days, then grounded them again, all because of suspicions that portions of the aircraft structure have been weakened by stress (lots of maneuvering during combat training).

Before that, the air force halted non-critical flights of its F-15C (the interceptor version) fighters after a National Guard F-15C crashed. It appeared that the crash was the result of structural failure. In 2002 an F-15C traveling at high (over 2,000 kilometers an hour) speed crashed when its left tail fin broke off. At the time the F-15Es operating in Afghanistan were not grounded initially, but soon were when it was realized that the problem might be a design flaw, not age, that caused the 27-year old F-15C to go down. The F-15Es were restored to flight status after about a week, once each aircraft had undergone an extensive structural examination (taking about 13 man hours each). Most F-15Es were less than ten years old. But some F-15Cs were over twenty years old.

This time around, the F-15Es were not grounded, because metal stress in the older F-15s would not occur in the F-15E, which is somewhat different in its internal structure and was designed to avoid the fatigue problems the F-15A and C models encountered. Structural failure is more common in older fighters that have lots of flight hours (over five thousand) on them. When originally designed, the F-15 was believed to have a service life of only 4,000 hours. But new materials and design techniques increased that to 8,000. In peacetime, F-15s are in the air 250-300 hours a year. But because of the 1991 Gulf War, the 1990s "no-fly-zone" patrols over Iraq, and the operations after 2001, the F-15 fleet piled up the hours more quickly, and many are approaching the 8,000-hour mark much more rapidly than planned.

The F-15E faced a similar problem as it was used far more after 2001 because of the war on terror. Peacetime use was no more than a few hundred flight hours a year. Under wartime conditions the popular and versatile F-15E flew 500 to 1,000 hours a year. While the F-15E wasnt engaging in violent maneuvers it was regularly carrying heavy bomb loads and these stressed the airframe. Thats why the more recent F-15Es ended up as worn out as the older F-15Cs. Most of the F-15Cs are used as interceptors to defend the continental United States plus Hawaii, Alaska and some overseas areas where a lot of American troops were based.

The stressed out structural components have long been a problem. If weak components are detected, they can be replaced with stronger ones, made of materials not available when the F-15 was originally built. But you want to find the weak components before they fail. While scanning technology has improved, it's still not good enough to detect all the F-15 components possibly weakened by years of use. As a result, flying an F-15C became a bit more stressful from then on. To some in the air force, this situation has a bright side. One can now make a more compelling case to build more F-22s, to replace F-15 that are wearing out faster than expected. That did not happen and the delays in getting the F-35 into mass production kept the idea of designing an improved F-15 to fill the gap. Because of that, the F-15X/EX was not a recent idea but the accumulation of proposals that have been showing up for over a decade.

Another area that is getting a lot more attention from engineers than journalists is the impact of heavy and sustained stress on combat aircraft. This component failure problem is not unique to the F-15 and has been occurring with increasing frequency among aging fighter aircraft all over the world. The end of the Cold War in 1991 led to the cancellation of many warplane replacement programs. Air forces were compelled to make do with thousands of increasingly older aircraft. Whenever an aircraft goes down because of a structural failure, you have to ground all planes of that type until you know exactly what caused the loss, and make any needed repairs to other aircraft of that type. Pilots are a pretty sharp lot, so governments don't dare try to play games with this. If the pilots suspect they are being set up to fly dodgy aircraft, they will not fly them, or not fly them in a useful (stressful) way.
Updated Medicare Advantage and Part D policies ensure the overall Medicare program remains strong and stable for the 65 million beneficiaries today and future generations to come, payments to private insurance companies are accurate, and taxpayer dollars are well spent

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D Rate Announcement that finalized payment policies for these programs. The final policies in the Rate Announcement improve payment accuracy and ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent. CMS will phase-in certain updates, and on average, CMS anticipates a payment increase for MA plans of 3.32% from 2023 to 2024, which is approximately a $13.8 billion increase in MA payments for next year.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting and strengthening Medicare, and delivering quality health care for Medicare beneficiaries today and in the future. Todays payment rule will ensure that benefits remain strong and stable for beneficiaries and that payments are accurate and appropriate. The Administration is committed to holding health insurance companies that participate in the Medicare Advantage program accountable to Americas seniors.

This years update strengthens Medicare for our seniors and Americans with disabilities, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. We are committed to ensuring private companies are holding up their end of the deal to provide quality care to beneficiaries and that payments to these companies are accurate. Together with President Bidens Budget, this update protects Medicare for beneficiaries today and beyond 2050.

Medicare should be providing equitable, high-quality affordable care that will be available for our children and grandchildren, said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. Paying Medicare Advantage plans more accurately for the care they provide is how we ensure that

people enrolled in Medicare Advantage, especially populations with the highest health disparities and people in underserved communities, can continue to access the care they deserve.

In addition to todays final rule, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to make the Medicare program stronger and hold industry accountable. This year, it will start recovering improper payments made to insurance companies in Medicare Advantage. Recovering these improper payments and returning this money to the Medicare Trust Funds will protect the fiscal sustainability of Medicare and allow the program to better serve seniors and people with disabilities.

The Administration has also proposed policies to strengthen the MA managed care program that will hold health insurance companies to higher standards by:

cracking down on abusive and confusing marketing schemes;

addressing problematic prior authorization practices that prevent timely access to needed care;

making it easier to access vital behavioral health care; and

raising the bar on quality and driving toward more equitable care.

Taken together, these actions will make the overall Medicare program stronger.

The commonsense policies in the Rate Announcement ensure these important programs continue to meet the health care needs of all people with Medicare while improving the quality and long-term stability of the Medicare program, said CMS Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare Meena Seshamani, MD, Ph.D.

The Rate Announcement finalizes updates to MA payment growth rates and changes to the MA and Part D payment methodologies. These include technical and clinical updates to the MA risk adjustment model to keep it up to date and improve payment accuracy. Two such changes are the transition to the Internal Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 system, which is the coding classification system used throughout the U.S health care system since 2015, and updated data years. Modernizing the Medicare Advantage risk adjustment model by aligning it with the ICD-

10 system will ensure the payment models are using more up-to-date data  bringing Medicare Advantage payments in line with current health care practices and making them consistent with other federal health care programs. The finalized risk adjustment model also reflects revisions focused on conditions that are subject to more coding variation. As in past years, CMS is finalizing policies to address these inconsistencies in order to ensure the model more accurately predicts medical costs.

The changes in risk adjustment payment policies finalized as part of this Rate Announcement were developed in collaboration with expert clinicians to take into account how well different conditions predict costs. The policies finalized in this Rate Announcement will help make more accurate payments. This reduces incentives to cherry-pick healthy beneficiaries and discriminate against sicker patients. In addition, CMS will continue to pay more for someone who is dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid than someone who is not when they have the same diagnoses.

In finalizing these proposed policies, CMS is making commonsense updates to ensure the MA program remains strong and viable. Consistent with prior practice, CMS will phase in both the technical revisions to the risk adjustment model and changes to the per capita cost calculations to better account for medical education costs over a period of three years.

View a fact sheet on the CY 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement.

The 2024 Rate Announcement can be viewed at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Health-Plans/MedicareAdvtgSpecRateStats/Announcements-and-Documents and selecting 2024 Announcement.
Smalan Varghese, a passionate first-generation Indian entrepreneur, launches SOYTIL, a microlearning upskilling platform to empower the learning community worldwide. The platform is making a severe buzz among school and college students of 8-21 years of age through its convenient 15-minute study modules and live workshops.

SOYTIL, alias School of Young Talent in Leadership, is the brainchild of entrepreneur and author Smalan Varghese. Born and brought up in Aizawl, India, Smalan has penned a self-help book titled 2049 Elites Secret Apple, which talks about the importance of Failures and the road to achieving greatness through perseverance and having a vision.

SOYTILs formation came into existence when Smalan went on a spiritual solo journey to the Kainchi Dham Mandir in 2019 to find his true self and the purpose of his life. According to him, the visit has been transformational in realizing the meaning of his existence. After Steve Jobs & Mark Zuckerberg, Smalan Varghese, too, found the vision to build something great.

He imbibed much experience in the educational field from his previous position at Unacademy as the Senior Manager and with NGOs like the Gandhi fellowship and Save the Children. Rooting on his work experiences and personal insights, he conceives and launches SOYTIL.

Established in 2020, the SOYTIL platform provides easily accessible 15 minutes-learning modules on various in-demand skills that are otherwise not taught in mainstream schools and colleges. SOYTIL understands the necessity of learning Financial Literacy, People Skills, and Entrepreneurship to survive and fly high in the 21st-century competition and has, thus, realized a platform to cater to the students.

The form of teaching/learning in SOYTIL is bite-sized slide decks and live workshops. SOYTIL understands that the attention span of the current generation has significantly decreased, and this bite-sized content is the best possible learning tool for them. Upon completing the SOYTIL course and clearing the SOYTIL proficiency test, the student will earn an ISO-certified certificate of proficiency.

SOYTIL primarily provides content in three major categories and a total of nine subcategories. The three main categories include Boost Financial Literacy, Master People Skills, and Build A Start-Up. They are particular about not keeping any restrictions regarding the content or the subscription period; thus, all the members are provided lifetime access.

SOYTIL positively differentiates itself from the rest of the learning platforms in multiple aspects. The highlight among them is its commitment to bridging the void that the students may face in terms of necessary hard skills and soft skills. SOYTIL is the only start-up that enables school and college students to master hard skills like financial literacy, entrepreneurship, etc., and soft skills like communication, empathy, emotional intelligence, growth mindset, confidence building, etc.,

Within just two years of its conception, SOYTIL changed the learning nature of the online learning community. It is estimated that SOYTIL modules have an impressive completion rate of 90% compared to an average of 5-20% for the traditional platforms. The fact that even people who were not fortunate to avail of formal education could use SOYTIL for learning adds to the scope of the platform.

The founder shares his vision: There are still a majority of the people who feel the education or learning stops at either school or college. The last two decades have seen a drastic change in the way we carry on our lives. Has our education changed much? However small be the change, the objective was to make a difference.

The disparity that would possibly exist between the students who have undergone the SOYTIL child transformational journey and the regular students would be day and night. The students who gained proper training in hard and soft skills will run ahead of the rest of the lot. Parents need to ask themselves the last time they were able to make their children aware of financial literacy, basic communication skills, public speaking confidence, etc. The very fact that the lions share of children is unaware of such skills, adds to the scope of an expert and comprehensive solution like SOYTIL.

The team at SOYTIL strives to realize its founders vision to make a difference in the learning community. Smalan Varghese also shares and cherishes the dream of building an Online to Offline (O2O) school which beholds the same values and fundamentals of SOYTIL. He also put forth genuine efforts in collaboration with various NGOs to support underprivileged students who are not in a position to afford SOYTIL membership.

The SOYTIL team intends to incorporate advanced technology like Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality into their classrooms very soon. SOYTIL is indeed laying a stepping stone to more advanced and inclusive schools to come in the future and bridge the unfortunate gap between the current educational system and the required skills of the real world.

Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 created a huge increase in demand for modern weapons, not just to replace ones lost in combat or sent to the Ukraine, but to enlarge and upgrade the total number of weapons in inventories. Fighting in Ukraine demonstrated what current weapons could do and how fast theyd be destroyed in combat, and most every government with nominally proficient armies wants to increase their weapon inventories. Most of those countries are close enough to Russia to feel they need those to deal with any future Russian aggression. Russia itself suffered heavy losses in Ukraine, including most of their modern tanks and other weapons. This is a particular problem for Russia as Western economic sanctions crippled their ability to replace the lost weapons quickly. The first few months of fighting in Ukraine destroyed ten years production of Russian tanks and other modern armored vehicles.

The European NATO nations had reduced their weapons production capabilities since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 and the smaller Russia that emerged was unable to maintain all the weapons it inherited from the Soviet Union. Building new weapons was also unaffordable. The ability of European NATO and Russia to produce new weapons was pretty much scrapped.

The United States also reduced weapons production capabilities, but not as much as European NATO countries. Ukraine, which also inherited a lot of Soviet weapons, was more entrepreneurial and made a business of upgrading many of the Soviet-era armored vehicles and aircraft it inherited for export to the Balkans and outside Europe. Russia captured or destroyed many of those weapon modification facilities in 2014 and 2022, but not the Ukrainian willingness to rebuild and continue their upgrade and export capability. Ukraine also captured hundreds of Russian armored vehicles and sometimes added enhancements before Ukrainian crews used them.

There was a lot more demand for new weapons than anyone in America or Europe could fulfill. This was an opportunity for South Korea, which had, since the 1990s, created a major weapons development and manufacturing capability. Initially these weapons were for the South Korean military but soon South Korea was exporting their weapons. The war in Ukraine created a lot more demand for South Korean weapons and South Korea has risen to the challenge. European nations already knew about the capabilities of the South Korean arms industries but were surprised at how rapidly South Korea could increase production to meet the surge in demand caused by the Ukraine War. In 2022 South Korean arms sales increased 150 percent.

Orders for South Korea weapons more than doubled in 2022. South Korea arms production and exports have grown dramatically since 2000, when South Korea was a minor supplier of arms exports, ranking 31st worldwide. By 2020 South Korean arms exports were worth $3 billion, putting them in the top ten as the 7th largest arms exporter. In 2021 there was even more spectacular growth with $7 billion in exports. Because of the Ukraine War, 2022 pushed arms exports to $17 billion. This put South Korea in second place, behind perennial export leader United States. Russia is usually number two but in 2022 Western economic sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine prevented most Russian weapons exports. There was also the Russian need to replace all the weapons it lost in the first few months of fighting.

South Korean arms exports have one restriction, none can be sent to Ukraine. This is to maintain good relations with Russia, which has a small border with North Korea and buys goods and services from North Korea in return for food and oil. North Korea is under heavy economic and military export sanctions. Russia has a history of ignoring these sanctions when it suits them. This is currently the case and North Korea is exporting artillery ammunition to Russia via the Trans-Siberian railroad. Russia pays for this with food and petroleum products which North Korea badly needs. Russia is also importing more cheap labor from North Korea. This makes the South Korean restrictions on sending South Korea weapons to Ukraine appear ineffective regarding Russian cooperation in enforcing sanctions North Korea has long been under. China observes these sanctions, but does not crack down on North Korean efforts to use smugglers to import needed Chinese goods or export raw materials to China.

The restrictions on sending South Korean weapons to Ukraine is not much of a problem. Most of South Korea's arms exports go to customers in East Asia and the west Pacific region. These customers, as well as South Korea, have something in common; fear of Chinese aggression.

In the 1990s this also included Chinese support for an aggressive and unpredictable North Korea. This is what prompted South Korea to become a major developer, manufacturer and eventually exporter of modern weapons. The first customer was the South Korean armed forces and demand from this customer still plays a large role in what South Korean arms industries produce. In the 1990s South Korea arms industries were able to develop and deliver a new generation of modern weapons and by the end of the decade were supplying 70 percent of what the military needed. Since the 1990s South Korea has moved on to produce military aircraft (helicopters and jet fighters) as well as warships (frigates, destroyers, submarines and all manner of smaller craft and support vessels.) South Korea also produced military electronics systems as well as a full range of infantry weapons and equipment.

The military products are made possible by South Koreas growing consumer and industrial products industries. Since the 1990s South Korea has become a major producer of smartphones, commercial vehicles and nuclear power plants. South Korea is a major manufacturer of nuclear power plant equipment and currently obtains a third of its electricity from 25 nuclear power plants. South Korea is a major exporter of nuclear power plant technology and this made it possible to build nuclear weapons, something that will happen if North Korea keeps making threats backed by their nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. South Korea has already developed and produced ballistic missiles, with conventional warheads, to destroy similar North Korea's missiles and artillery long aimed at South Korean targets.

South Korea also became a major producer of commercial shipping and currently is second only to China in that category. And, like China, South Korea used this shipbuilding dominance to quickly build a modern navy. It also developed and built ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) equipment to deal with the growing North Korea submarine threat from their small coastal subs. South Korean submarines currently being built are designed to operate throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Demand for military equipment because of the Ukraine War made it possible for South Korean firms to offer their non-military exports, which are also high-quality and competitively priced. South Korea is also the 7th largest exporter in the world and 40 percent of its GDP comes from exports. South Korea has the 1oth largest economy in the world. This is remarkable for a country with only 50 million people. Per-capita income is also in the top ten and is twenty times larger than in North Korea. South Koreas annual defense budget has grown to nearly $50 billion a year, one of the three largest behind (China and Japan) in East Asia.
The State Bank of India's web services, including internet banking, the YONO app, UPI services, and credit card payments, have reportedly been unavailable since Monday morning. Customers have turned to social media to complain about delays in online transactions with the state-owned bank. SBI (Pradeep Gaur/Mint File Photo)

According to Downdetector, a website that monitors outages, the problem began at 9:19 am, with users reporting difficulties accessing their SBI accounts online, reviewing account balances, and conducting online transactions. At its height, around 10:30 am, over 1,800 people reported the outage. However, the graph of reporting the problem on the website has now fallen.

Several customers took to social media to express their problems. "Why are the servers of SBI down? I have been trying to login since morning but can't login," a user wrote on Twitter. While another claimed that the problem has been ongoing for a long time, Dear finance ministry, RBI, Servers of SBI are not functioning properly since 31st March. Today is the 4th day and the site/apps are completely down since the morning. Is this a cyber attack on the bank or just usual #achedin ? Need answers , consumers are taking huge losses.

SBI has yet to make an official statement on the matter. However, the bank had previously released a circular alerting customers that Internet banking, YONO App, and UPI services would be halted for three hours on April 1 due to bank closure activity.
Bill Gates recently took a ride in a self-driving car through downtown London and he is convinced that autonomous vehicles (AV) are the future. In a blog post last week titled Hands Off The Wheel: The Rules Of The Road Are About To Change, Gates shared his impressive experience with British start-up Wayves AV. Accompanied by its founder-CEO Alex Kendall and a safety operator, as the vehicle is still in its development stage, the self-proclaimed car guy said that machines will take over driving sooner rather than later. Bill Gates was accompanied by a safety driver and Alex Kendall, the founder-CEO of Wayve, (YouTube)

Calling the experience memorable and fantastic, the AV navigated the bustling streets of London, which he described as one of the most challenging driving environments.

According to the tech billionaire, Wayve is working on an innovative approach to self-driving, a technology that will reach a tipping point in 10 years. Gates added that completely autonomous driving will be a game-changer, akin to the invention of computers.

Also read: Bill Gates says age of artificial intelligence has begun, lists risks, potential

On Wayves AV, Gates said that it works like a human as it uses deep learning technology and utilises its cumulative driving experiences to respond in real-time, unlike most other self-driving cars which can only operate on roads pre-uploaded into their system. Notably, the six-year-old startup works in collaboration with Gates Microsoft on its artificial intelligence-based AV technology.

It was a bit surreal to be in the car as it dodged all the traffic, he wrote, adding that the safety driver took over multiple times.

Posting a video of the ride on YouTube, Gates noted that the practicalities of a complete transition to AVs includes factors like car insurance, vehicle laws and roads which may have to be reworked. Predicting that AVs will probably be electric and cheaper than normal cars, he argued that it would be an environment-friendly alternative that can give people more time and assist the transportation of differently-abled and elderly. However, personal cars may adapt the technology only after it comes to long-haul trucking, deliveries and cabs, he explained.

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Union external affairs minister Jaishankar who was in Bengaluru on Sunday met the youngsters of the city at Cubbon Park along with MPs Tejasvi Surya and PC Mohan. The minister even interacted with Bengalurus youth and answered their questions at Cubbon Park. In Modis India...': EAM Jaishankar speaks about handling western media

Also Read - Bad habit: Jaishankar on Germany, US' remarks on Rahul's disqualification

Taking one of the questions, Jaishankar answered how he handles western media and press conferences when he travels abroad. He said, Taking questions from the foreign media is like playing sports. When you play sports, you do a lot of practice to perform so that you understand whats coming in. Same when the press starts asking questions, my instinct figures out where it is coming from, and the answer is already framed in the mind.

Jaishankar also said that being diplomatic while answering questions is considered a weakness. If you are diplomatic and give Jilebi type of answers, they consider you as a weak person in an important position. The answers are combative when I meet someone who does not come to seek information but wanting to push you with their idea. In Modis India, when someone pushes, you push them back, said the minister.

Bengaluru South MP also lauded the youths interest in discussing the countrys foreign policy. The enthusiasm among Bengalurus young to understand Indias standing in the world, our leadership role in G20 and PM Modis game changing foreign policy is impressive, Tejaswi Surya said. On Saturday, Union minister Jaishankar attended an event by the Entrepreneurs Organizations in Bengaluru and spoke about prospects in the Indian startup ecosystem. He will head to Hubballi and Belagavi to attend more events in the poll bound state.
While the feud over the Hassan ticket in the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) continues ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections, the partys first family has faced public criticism over dynastic representation, people close to developments said on Monday. Feud over the Hassan ticket in the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD (S) continues ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections (PTI)

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is trying to make inroads into the Old Mysuru Region, a Vokkaliga-dominated area and a traditional stronghold of the JD(S), has dubbed it as a dynastic party which is giving tickets to every member of its family.

Six family members are already in active politics - Deve Gowda is a Member of Rajya Sabha, his sons HD Revanna and HD Kumaraswamy, and his wife Anitha are MLAs. Revannas two sons - Prajwal is a Lok Sabha MP, while Suraj is an MLC.

However, former chief minister Kumaraswamy has hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah, saying the BJPs top brass should look at its party leaders before harping on dynastic politics.

The JD(S) second-in-command pointed out the dynastic politics prevailing in the Karnataka unit of BJP, where former chief minister B S Yediyurappa and his sons are holding key positions in the saffron party.

Amidst these accusations, the Hassan seat has also become a bone of contention as Deve Gowdas daughter-in-law Bhavani Revanna, who has thrown her hat in the ring, has not relented, despite her brother-in-law Kumaraswamy, repeatedly making it clear that she will not be fielded.

On Sunday night, Kumaraswamy, Revanna and Bhavani reportedly gathered at Deve Gowdas residence in Bengaluru and discussed the contentious Hassan ticket issue. However, the stalemate over Bhavanis candidature in Hassan continues.

Kumaraswamy on Monday said there is no change in his stand regarding the selection of the candidate for the Hassan seat and that his father would take a final decision on this.

Several issues regarding the Hassan seat have been discussed (in last nights meeting), and it will be decided smoothly. Deve Gowda has gone to Delhi today, once he returns, he will finalise. As I have already said, there is no change in my stand on the Hassan issue, once Deve Gowda returns, it will be decided, Kumaraswamy said.

Kumaraswamy is backing HP Swaroop, a former zilla panchayat vice president and son of former MLA late HS Prakashs son. HS Prakash was a four-time MLA from this constituency who lost the 2018 Assembly election to BJPs Preetham Gowda.

Bhavani Revanna, a former Hassan zilla panchayat member, is the wife of Kumaraswamys elder brother and former minister H D Revanna and has the backing of her husband and son Prajwal and Suraj Revanna, who have rallied behind her.

Hassan is the home district of Deve Gowda. The party in 2018 Assembly polls had won in six out of seven segments other than the Hassan assembly seat, which BJPs Preetham Gowda had won, making it the first-ever win for the saffron party in the Vokkaliga dominated district.

The JD(S) was expected to announce the second list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections on Monday and to put an end to the internal family feud over ticket distribution. However, the second list is now likely to be delayed by two to three days due to the family feud, party officials said.

All the sitting MLAs from the family are expected to get the party ticket. If Bhavani gets the ticket, she would be the fifth member of the family to contest in the Karnataka 2023 assembly elections, for which voting will take place on May 10, and votes will be counted on May 13, the officials added.
Several BJP and JD(S) leaders joining the Congress ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka is an evidence to prove that public sentiment is in favour of the party and it will come to power, its state unit President D K Shivakumar said on Monday. He was speaking after inducting Kudligi BJP MLA N Y Gopalakrishna, who had resigned as a legislator on Friday, into the party. Gopalakrishna was earlier with the Congress, but had joined the BJP ahead of the elections on not getting the Congress ticket in 2018.

"Several BJP and JD(S) leaders are knocking our door, this is evidence to show that the voice of the people of the state is in favour of the Congress and that our march is on a right track, towards power," Shivakumar said.

Also read: Karnataka elections: Congress workers protest in Bengaluru for tickets

Speaking to reporters here, he noted Gopalakrishna resigned as BJP MLA and joined the Congress; similarly, JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda too has resigned and will be joining the party soon.

BJP and JD(S) legislators joining the Congress voluntarily is a "big evidence" that people have decided for a change, after the "failure of the double engine government", the KPCC chief further said.

"There is a big list of people wanting to join the Congress...the party has not assured tickets to anyone. We will screen every name, only if we are able to accommodate them we will consider," he said, adding that there are also some who are willing to join the party unconditionally to work for it.

Gopalakrishna, a six-time MLA, was earlier with the Congress and had got elected from Molakalmuru Assembly segment in Chitradurga district four times, and once from Ballari, before joining the BJP and winning from Kudligi. Over denial of Congress ticket in 2018, he had joined the BJP ahead of the elections.

The saffron party gave him a ticket from Kudligi in Vijayanagara district instead of Molakalmuru, as senior leader Sriramulu was fielded from there. He had won from there.

Also read: "Want to see my father become Karnataka CM once again," says Yatindra

Recalling his and his family's long association with the Congress, Gopalakrishna after joining said he will work for the party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara districts.

He said he will work towards installing a Congress government once again in the state, and it is left for the party leadership to field him from the Molakalmuru Assembly segment.

Recently, two MLCs from BJP -- Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur -- had quit from their Legislative Council membership to join the Congress. JD(S) MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) too joined the Congress, after resigning as MLA on March 27.
At least 12 government schoolteachers were injured after a tree fell on their vehicle in Jalalabad on Monday morning. At least 12 government schoolteachers were injured after a tree fell on their vehicle in Jalalabad on Monday morning. (HT Photo)

The police said the teachers from Jalalabad in Fazilka district, posted in government schools of Tarn Taran, were travelling in a 10-seater multi-utility vehicle. When they reached near Khaji Peer village, about 1km from Jalalabad on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road at 7am, amid rain, a tree fell on the vehicle.

Pawan and Neelam were seriously injured and taken to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, while other teachers, including Rajni Bala, Balwinder Singh, Narinder Singh, Neeru, Shifali, Lekh Raj, Hardev Singh, and driver Sukhdev Singh, sustained minor injuries and were admitted to Jalalabad civil hospital.

Education minister Harjot Singh Bains, in a message on social media, prayed for speedy recovery of the injured.

It is the second accident in the past fortnight. On March 24, three teachers and the driver of their vehicle died on the spot, while 10 teachers were injured and hospitalised after meeting an accident while travelling to their schools in Tarn Taran from Jalalabad.
Accusing the state government of not providing any relief to the farmers for the crops damaged by rains and hailstorm, hundreds of farmers on Monday took out a protest march in Karnal. Accusing the state government of not providing any relief to the farmers for the crops damaged by rains and hailstorm, hundreds of farmers on Monday took out a protest march in Karnal. (HT File Photo)

Protesting under the banner of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), the sloganeering farmers reached the mini-secretariat. They claimed that most of the crops got damaged but the government did not provide any relief to them and farmers are being misled in the name of special girdawari and officials were not reporting actual damage caused to the crops.

They demanded that the farmers be given a compensation of 40,000 per acres and 500 bonus per quintal on wheat should be announced immediately, said Gurdeep Dhariwal, a farmer.

They also submitted a memorandum of their demands addressed to the chief minister and threatened to intensify their agitation if the relief was not announced soon.

Similarly, farmers also held a protest in Kaithal and blocked the Karnal-Kaithal highway. The farmers reached the Kaithal mini-secretariat and slammed the government over the issue of compensation to affected farmers. the protesting farmers alleged that the officials did not visit their village to assess crop loss.
Applying brakes over a section of senior Haryana BJP leaders prickly proposals to snap ties with the JJP and contest the Lok Sabha and assembly polls solo next year, Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar on Monday patted the BJP-JJP government for performing well and said the coalition is on a firm footing. Applying brakes over a section of senior Haryana BJP leaders prickly proposals to snap ties with the JJP and contest the Lok Sabha and assembly polls solo next year, Haryana BJP president Om Prakash Dhankar on Monday patted the BJP-JJP government for performing well and said the coalition is on a firm footing. (HT File Photo)

Last week, a war of words had again erupted between the BJP and JJP leaders after senior BJP leader and former Union minister Birender Singh repeatedly said that the BJP should not contest parliamentary and assembly polls next year in an alliance with the JJP.

Later, JJP chief Ajay Singh Chautala had hit out at the BJP leader and dubbed as uncalled for the statement of Singh. Chautala had said any decision regarding continuing or snapping the coalition will be taken by the top leaders of both the parties.

The BJP-JJP coalition government in Haryana has been performing very well...right now the BJP-JJP alliance is on a firm footing...there is a system in place in the BJP and every decision is taken at an appropriate time, Dhankar said in a news conference here while responding to a question.

When asked about the fate of BJPs alliance with the JJP, the state BJP chief said: This question relates to future...party will take a decision at the right time...

Dhankar had also recently urged party workers to prepare to retain all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, indicating that the party was toying with the idea of contesting Lok Sabha and assembly polls alone. Asked about his remarks, Dhankar said, This is a hypothetical question at present...right now, we are in alliance and our government is running well.

Hitting out at the Congress on the issue of Rahul Gandhis disqualification from the Parliament, Dhankar said the Opposition was trying to gain cheap publicity by portraying the whole issue as if the BJP had done any injustice.

But people have realised their nautanki. It is Congress habit to build up such a narrative and spread it in the country, but people are wise. We will also not let the Congress to spread such a narrative, he said, alleging that earlier also the Congress was in the habit of peddling false narrative.

Dhankar said on April 6, the foundation day of the BJP, the Haryana BJP has set a target of putting up the Tricolour atop homes of five lakh party workers. Tree plantation drive will also be taken up on the partys foundation day in the state, he said, adding the BJPs base has expanded in the state over the years and its workers will reach out to masses apprising them about the developmental works and pro-people schemes of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana.

Dhankar said on the 100th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modis radio broadcast Mann ki Baat on April 30, the state BJP will organise events at 100 places in each assembly constituency where 100 people will gather to hear Mann ki Baat.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday assured farmers of relief for the damage to rabi crops, particularly wheat, due to the unseasonal rain accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorms and said that a special survey (girdawari) is on to assess the damage to the crops in the harvest season. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar interacting with a farmer while assessing damage to wheat crop at Tigrana village in Bawani Khera constituency of Bhiwani district on Monday. State agriculture minister JP Dalal is also seen. (HT Photo)

Also read: Eye on 2024: Khattar kicks off Jan Samvad, promises city-like facilities in Haryana villages

Interacting with farmers at Tigrana village in Bawani Khera constituency of Bhiwani district after inspecting the crop damage, Khattar said: The government stands with farmers in every situation. The compensation for damaged crops will be provided in May after the girdawari.

He said that insurance companies will compensate growers whose crops are registered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, while the state government will provide relief to the rest of the farmers.

Haryana agriculture minister JP Dalal accompanied Khattar, who is on a two-day visit to Bhiwani.

Khattar also met retired defence personnel at Bapora, the native village of former army chief general VK Singh, who is now a Union minister.

The chief minister will hold Jan Samvad (public dialogues) at Dhanana, Baliyali, Bapora and Dinod villages of Tosham assembly constituency.
The Haryana health and family welfare minister, Anil Vij on Monday announced that wearing mask will now be mandatory if the number of people assembled is over 100, a decision taken in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases. The Haryana health and family welfare minister, Anil Vij on Monday announced that wearing mask will now be mandatory if the number of people assembled is over 100, a decision taken in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases. (PTI File Photo)

On Monday Haryana recorded 152 fresh cases of the Covid-19 infection. The highest 73 cases were detected in Gurugram, 26 in Panchkula and 19 in Faridabad out of the total 3,003 samples taken in last 24 hours. There were 762 total active Covid-19 cases in the state on Monday.

In past week at least 25,404 Covid tests were conducted across the state. Though at present there are 724 active patients in Haryana, none of them is in the hospital.

It has also been made mandatory for all health workers in the state to wear masks, an official spokesperson said.

The health minister held a meeting with senior officers of the health department here to review the arrangements and preparations to deal with the spurt in Covid infection.

Vij said Covid test will be mandatory for patients arriving at hospital with symptoms such as cough and cold. The directions were also issued for genome sequencing of the patients testing Covid positive.

During the meeting, Vij was apprised that on April 10-11, mock drills will be organised at different places in the state. Testing, tracing, treatment, team work, tracking, and monitoring are being done in the state. Apart from this, instructions have also been issued to all civil surgeons of the state to double the testing.

The health minister was informed that XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 variants have been found in the testing so far.

In the meeting, a presentation was also given regarding Covid-19 across the world. As per the presentation, 80,208 new Covid cases were reported globally in the last week with the US, Japan, France, South Korea, Russia accounting for 54 % of cases and India 3.3%.

It was informed in the meeting that there are 53 testing labs in the state, out of which 26 are government and 27 private. In addition, there are 18 district molecular labs and 4,867 isolation beds for paediatric patients, 3,704 oxygen pediatric patients beds, 2,067 ICU beds, 817 neo natal ICU beds, 1,250 paediatric ICU beds, 733 paediatric ventilators. Similarly, there are 101 oxygen plants, 7,521 oxygen concentrators, and 16,734 oxygen cylinders, the spokesperson said.
Police probing the murder of a Sikh trader and a Christian youth here in the capital of Pakistans restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last week are yet to make any breakthrough in arresting the culprits. An initial investigation report into the murder of Diyal Singh has been sent to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, said the police. On Saturday, a Christian youth identified as Kashif Masih was killed by a gunman in front of his home in the Pishtakharra area of Peshawar. (HT File)

Two close relatives of Diyal Singh, who was killed last Friday in his shop, were also killed last year, the police report said. The incident is being investigated as a targeted killing. According to the police report, 28 Sikh community members have been killed in the province in the past.

Singh received a bullet in the head and another in the chest, the report said.

On Saturday, a Christian youth identified as Kashif Masih was killed by a gunman in front of his home in the Pishtakharra area of Peshawar.

The armed killer, who was alone on his bike, shot dead Masih, the report said. It would be premature to assume that the incident was a targeted killing, the report said.
Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary said on Monday that the compensation promised to the farmers for their crop loss was inadequate. A farmer inspects the damages of his wheat crop due to rain and strong winds on the outskirts of Jalandhar on Saturday. (PTI)

During a visit to multiple villages in his constituency, Chaudhary said the recent heavy rain in Punjab had caused extensive damage to crops and property, and yet the AAP government had not taken the necessary measures to compensate the affected farmers and residents.

Before the assembly elections, the AAP had made tall claims for farmers welfare, but now they are offering meagre compensation of 15,000 per acre, he said.

Meanwhile, Nakodar AAP MLA Inderjeet Kaur and Kartarpur MLA Balkar Singh visited villages to assess rain-affected wheat fields.

The Nakodar MLA assured the farmers that the government was doing everything to compensate them. She also urged NRIs and rich landlords to help small scale farmers in this hour of crisis as rain and hailstorm had destroyed over 70 per cent of the wheat crop.
Rain, high velocity winds and hailstorm reported in the state since March 24 have impacted at least 14 lakh hectares (40%) of 34.9 lakh hectares of wheat sown in Punjab during the rabi season. A farmer showing the damaged wheat crop after rain in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann ordered girdawari (an assessment to know the crop loss) recently and we are assessing the damage, said agriculture director Gurvinder Singh. The process can be completed only after rain stops, said an official of the state revenue department, which conducts loss assessment.

More rain and high velocity winds at scattered places in the state are expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. The weather department has predicted clear weather from April 6, which is expected to give respite to farmers.

According to the agriculture department, the overall yield will suffer by at least 15 to 20 per cent. The agriculture director said before rain, total wheat production was pegged at 170 to 175 lakh tonnes, but now it was expected to be around 145 to 150 lakh tonnes. He said the quality of grain would also be affected as there would be higher quantity of shrivelled and discoloured grain.

The food and civil supplies department, that procures food grain on behalf of the Centre through its four procurement agencies along with the Centres Food Corporation of India, has written to the union ministry for food and public distribution to relax the norms for wheat procurement.

A team of scientists from the union agriculture ministry is expected to visit the state to assess the losses. Scientists from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research run the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research in Karnal and visited Punjab to know the quantum loss. The scientists have termed the loss as substantial on the lines of what we have reported, said Gurvinder Singh.

A total of 1,872 mandis were opened in the state for procurement of wheat on April 1, however, until April 3, there havent been any arrivals. So far, only Rajpura mandi received two tractor-trailers with 8,000 quintals of grain.

This is the second consecutive rabi season when the wheat produce has been hit. Around 15 per cent of the yield was damaged last year and the economic loss to farmers was calculated to be 6,000 crore.

According to Punjab Agricultural University vice-chancellor Dr SS Gosal, it is worrying that the ready to harvest bumper wheat crop suffered damages in the second season in a row. We are trying to study which varieties have withstood the vagaries of weather. Teams have been formed to visit the fields and study the trend, said the vice-chancellor.

He said wheat cultivation by mulching method, without clearing paddy crop residue after the harvest, proved resilient to the vagaries of weather. Crop sown using mulching method has seen negligible lodging. In future, we expect farmers to adopt the method for a robust crop, said Dr Gosal.

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Darbari Seth was a short man. Unlike Napoleon, he was a conqueror of business domains. Alongside Russi Modi [Steel] and Sumant Moolgaonkar [Automobiles], Darbari Seth was a pre-eminent business leader at Tatas. They were all chairpersons of their respective Tata companies, but while Modi and Moolgaonkar controlled related large domains, Seth straddled companies in diverse domains. Darbari Seth with Indira Gandhi during the latters visit to Mithapur. (Source: Tata News)

Seth was the technocrat who built Tata Chemicals and converted sea water to make a large community freshwater independent; he was the marketing genius who pioneered packaged tea and unique market access in a bulk tea business as chairperson of Tata Tea after Tatas bought out Finlay; he was the financial expert who retrieved and recovered ACC for Tatas from the hostile near takeover by Mahindra Swarup of Paharpur. While doing all this and more, he conceived and created TERI in the heart of Delhi.

Darbari Seth was enthusiastic, relentless and tireless. He sought solutions and played to win, he had no time for mediocrity or excuses. He rewarded measured risk takers.

Darbari Seth was the person I probably owe the most to in my career. He taught me to be a learner. He asked and asked the most basic questions from every possible angle until he had the fullest grasp of the matter he was exploring, often until his hapless quarry reached the point where he knew no more.

He had the ability to find the most direct route to the heart of those he wished to nurture. An episode explains: just as it was announced that I was being appointed director way earlier than any precedent or expectation, DSS invited me for a one to one over late evening tea and casually asked what would be the reaction of my parents and family. I answered that my mother would probably offer a prayer at her home far away from Bombay. Later that night I got a message that Seth wanted me to go to his home before work the next morning. When I got there I found him in a kurta with a gutka (sikh prayer book). He read out an ardaas for my success, and gave me a valuable sikh religious artefact that he had carried since partition! Until that time, I had no idea that he was familiar with Sikhism, much less that his ancestral roots were from the north-west frontier. My heart swells up even now as I think of that moment. After that he asked me to jump off a cliff. Motivation 101.

Seth was fearless, to a fault. When the highly respected Homi Sethna retired as chair of the Atomic Energy Commission, Seth was asked to relinquish chairpersonship of Tomco, a substantial Tata company and pass it on to Homi Sethna. Soon after, Sethna sold Tomco to Hind Lever. Seth was incensed. He knew well that the sale would have been discussed and approved by the Tomco board, including JRD Tata. Even so he wrote a scathing missive to Homi Sethna for selling the company. Many thought that intemperate outburst would distance him from the group and JRD Tata. Not so, JRD knew his Titans, flaws and warts included! Seth thrived in that environment of mutual trust. Those who crossed him did so at their own peril. On the flip side he was uniquely empathetic and watched out for emerging leaders and for those whose judgement he respected.

He created enduring businesses, but did so sensitive to the larger needs of society, and responding to national imperatives.

Seth had a bias, God was an engineer! I did not sport an engineering degree, so it took trials by fire to earn his respect. While we were building the Tata fertiliser plant in Uttar Pradesh I suggested we approach the railways for a rail link. Seth was beyond angry, building a huge plant with minimal storage and evacuating over 1,000 mt/day to a dispersed market with a large fleet of trucks was his core belief. I was banished from the inner circle. Many weeks later, he called me in to privately explain, which I did, strongly suggesting that dependence on a single mode of evacuation was fraught with risk. He listened carefully, evaluated the facts presented, and then moved rapidly, leveraging his formidable clout to get the rail line and siding approved in quick order.

His last years at Tata were not so happy. Satrapies and independent fiefdoms were not in favour with the young Ratan Tata coming in at the helm of the group, and Seth saw a retirement date imposed for Tata company chairperson. That date was of course extended, and re-extended by RNT.

It is gratifying to see Seths legacy belatedly being acknowledged by the Tata group on its website in his birth centenary year. Rest in peace, Darbari Seth, a true karmayogi who left the world a better place.

(The writer is the former chairperson of Cargill South Asia.)

singhhardy@gmail.com
As an unprecedented hailstorm hit Sangrur last month, the months of hard work that farmers had put in got washed away in a matter of few hours. Harpreet, a farmer, shows hail in his field in Sangrur. (HT Photo)

Harpreet Singh, 29, a resident of Hariau village, says, I own only two acres and have taken eight acres on an annual lease of 60,000. The rain and hailstorm have completely damaged the wheat crop on 6 acres while 80% of the crop on the rest of the land was also affected.

Harjinder Singh, 34, a resident of Gidriayani village, said, The fields are still waterlogged. I have 25 acres where I have sown vegetables, flowers and wheat. All crops have been completely damaged.

Our debts keep mounting

Patiala

Our debts keep mounting with every crop loss, says 46-year-old Harjit Singh of Hassanpur Prohta village in Patiala, pointing to his damaged wheat crop that has been flattened by the recent downpour.

70% of my wheat crop has been destroyed by rain, he says dejected.

This year too, I wont be able to earn well and my debts will further increase, he reveals.

Amrik Singh, 56, a farmer of Baran village in Patiala, said, Due to rain and hailstorm, the roots of wheat crops have decomposed in some parts where the water is still accumulated.

When asked about the losses he has incurred, he says, We have to spend on high quality grain, medicinal products and incur other expenses throughout the crop cycle. But one spell of untimely rain, and our entire crop gets destroyed.

Tarn Taran farmer stares at 50% dip in yield

Amritsar Freak weather conditions have dashed the hopes of farmers in the Majha region of Punjab.

Tajinderpal Singh, a farmer from Rasoolpur village of Tarn Taran district, had sown wheat over 16 acres and it was ready to harvest when it was damaged due to rains and high-velocity winds. Singh said his entire crop has been lodged. The rain will not only impact the yield, but also lower the grain quality, he said.

We used to earn around 40,000 per acre, but it may dip to 20,000 this year. The untimely rains have not only delayed harvesting, but will also increase the cost. Operators of the combine harvester will charge extra from the farmers as operating the machine in current situation will be difficult for them and it will need extra fuel, he added.

Chief agriculture officer Surinder Singh said, As per the assessment, crop over 30,000 hectares has been impacted by the rain. More damage was done by the rain in the past couple of days.

Wet fields, flattened crops delay harvesting

Bathinda Baldev Singh, a wheat grower of Bathindas Bajak village has suffered losses due to rain and hailstorm in the past couple of days. He says harvesting normally starts from April 7 but due to wet fields and flattened crops, it is likely to begin from April 17.

Freak weather conditions have wreaked havoc as the key rabi crop has seen widespread damage. There is hardly any village in the region that was unaffected by the crop damage caused by rains, winds and hailstorm, said Baldev, a progressive farmer. Earlier, incidents of crops flattening were reported but it was expected that wheat plants will revive. But strong winds and rains in the last couple of days will now have a damaging effect on the crop, Moga chief agriculture officer Manjeet Singh said.

Gidderbaha and Malout blocks are the worst hit due to unfriendly weather conditions. Crop loss assessment is underway at war footing, Muktsar chief agriculture officer Gurpreet Singh said.

According to of Bathinda chief agriculture officer Dilbag Singh, the flattened crop is likely to suffer up to 10% yield loss.

Will barely be able to recover input cost

Faridkot Rajwinder Singh of Dal Singh Wala village in Faridkot districts Jaitu sub-division, who cultivates wheat over 15 acres, is worried over heavy loss to his standing crop due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm.

Rain and strong winds have damaged 50-60% of standing crop on major chunk of the land. In some fields, the entire crop has been as damaged, he said.

The losses will mount if it rains for the next couple of days. On an average, wheat production is between 18-20 quintal per acre if conditions favour. But as per present scenario, I expect the yield to be around 8-9 quintals per acre. This will only cover the input cost. Moreover, the damaged crop cannot be used for fodder too, he said.

The input cost from sowing to harvesting of wheat is around 15,000 per acre. A farmer earns between 40,000- 45,000 per acre and after coving the expenses, the profit comes out to be 25,000 and 30,000 per acre. 15,000 per acre compensation announced by the state government will only cover the input cost and that too if the damage is considered more than 75% by officials during girdawari, he added.

Govt compensation cant mitigate our losses

Jalandhar Manjit Singh of Purhiran village in Hoshiarpur district was expecting a bumper crop this year. Had the weather not damaged his crop, he would have earned a profit of nearly 3 lakh for the wheat crop he has cultivated. But the inclement weather and the resultant crop damage has dashed all his hopes.

A major chunk of wheat crop in my field has been flattened, and there is no hope of revival. The expected yield is likely to be reduced by 70% on the affected six acres, he said.

Singh says he had incurred an input cost of nearly 1.10 lakh and was expecting an income of 4.25 lakh this year. The financial loss is huge. It cannot be compensated with the amount announced by the state government, he said.

Third consecutive crop loss has shattered all our hopes

Ludhiana Fifty-four-year-old Jitender Pal Singh Gill of Jaspal Bangar village in Ludhiana West tehsil has little hope from this years crop. He had sown mustard on one acre land and wheat on 35 acres, all of which has been completely flattened in the recent spell of rain, gusty winds and hailstorms.

It is the third consecutive crop loss that I am facing. I dont see any chances of earning profit this year as the entire crop has been lodged, resulting in considerably low yield.

We spend around 35,000 rupees per acre, which includes rent of the land, cost of seeds, sowing, irrigation, etc. This year we expected to reap 22-25 quintals of wheat per acre which would have fetched us around 50,000 but now that the yield has dropped by 5-6 quintals. We will barely make 30,000 per acre, that too if the rain stops, he added, stating a loss of 5,000 per acre.

Harmandeep Singh, Jaspreet Singh, Surjit Singh, Vishal Joshi, Parteek Singh Mahal, Navrajdeep Singh and Dinkle Popli
The Uttarakhand polices cybercrime wing has arrested a 22-year-old man from his flat in West Bengals Kolkata for allegedly duping a retired doctor of 10.50 lakh posing as a treasury officer on a phone call, a senior official said on Monday. The Uttarakhand police said the accused was earlier arrested by the Kolkata police for cyber fraud but continued to commit similar criminal activities after coming out of jail. (HT Photo)

Police have also recovered 16 sim cards, 6 debit cards and two mobile phones from the accused, identified as Abhishek Shaw. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), special task force (STF), Ayush Agarwal said Shaw was earlier arrested by the Kolkata police for cyber fraud but continued to commit similar criminal activities after coming out of jail.

Harish Lal, a resident of Nainital districts Haldwani, had given a complaint to the Haldwani police station on October 26, 2022, that an unidentified caller had duped him of 10.50 lakh by posing as a treasury officer, said senior superintendent of police (STF), Ayush Agarwal, adding the investigation of the matter was subsequently transferred to the cybercrime wing.

During investigation, the investigation officer came to know that the duped money was withdrawn in West Bengal and Bihar through different ATMs. Subsequently, a team was immediately sent there. For 15 days, the team scanned CCTV clips and searched the possible areas. The team also conducted raids in Bihars Hajipur, Vaishali and West Bengals Kolkata, he said.

The police team arrested the accused, Abhishek Shaw, a resident of Vaishali in Bihar, from his flat in Kolkatas Kasba locality. The police also seized the SIM cards, mobile phones and debit cards from the accused, he said. After arrest, the accused was brought to Uttarakhand on transit remand, he added.

He said they have been collecting information about the accuseds criminal past with the assistance of their counterparts in other states.
DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court on Monday ordered the state government to implement the decision to reinstate Rajiv Bhartari as the states Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) by 10am on Tuesday. Uttarakhand Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Rajiv Bhartari will have to be reinstated by 10am on Tuesday, ordered the high court (Twitter/CentralIfs)

The order was passed by the high courts bench comprising chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Alok Verma on a petition by Bhartari, who complained that the state hadnt reinstated him despite clear directions from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and instead, initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.

The bench has directed the state government to allow Bhartari to take charge as PCCF, the top post in the state for an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer by 10am on Tuesday, Bhartaris lawyer Abhijay Negi said.

Bhartari is scheduled to retire on April 30. But instead of complying with the CAT order, a charge sheet was handed over to Bhartari on March 13, he said.

Bhartari, a 1986 batch IFoS officer, was appointed as Uttarakhand PCCF on December 31, 2020. He was abruptly transferred out on November 25, 2021, as chairman, of Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, on a proposal initiated by the state minister.

Bhartari challenged his transfer order before CAT. He complained that he was transferred out before completing two years without citing any grounds, that he was too senior to occupy the biodiversity board chairmans post which was normally occupied by a joint secretary-level officer and that proper procedure was not followed to transfer him.

The CAT bench, which first ordered the state government to reinstate him on February 24, noted that Bhartaris transfer was made on a proposal on a note initiated by the minister concerned. No such procedure has been prescribed in any statutory law, rule or regulation to transfer the cadre post officer only on the basis of note prepared by the concerned minister without the recommendation of the Civil Services Board, which is not justifiable, the tribunal said.

A review petition filed by the state government against CATs February 24 decision was dismissed on March 20. Bhartaris petition before the high court came up for a hearing on March 15 when the bench issued notice to chief secretary SS Sandhu, principal secretary forests RK Sudhanshu and PCCF Vinod Singhal.

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Bhopal: A bulldozer demolishes illegal construction at the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple, in Indore (ANI)

Indore city administration on Monday demolished the illegally constructed portions of the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple, where 36 people died after a covered stepwell caved in last week, officials said.

The demolitions at the temple in Patel Nagar was carried out almost a year after a notice was issued to temple authorities for illegal construction on April 23, 2022. Another notice was issued in January.

After removing the idols, the illegally constructed walls and a tin shed were demolished, a municipality official said, declining to be named. The administration used poclain machines to demolish the illegal structures.

Police booked Sewaram Galani, president of Shri Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust, and Murali Sabnani, its secretary, for causing death by negligence. No arrest has been made so far, a police officer said, requesting anonymity. Galani has been absconding since the incident on March 30, while Sabnani, who was injured after falling into the step well, is undergoing treatment.

The temple trustees refused to comment.

We were continuously serving notices to the trustees, the municipality official said. We couldnt take any action under political pressure and apprehension of creating religious tension.

Around 54 people were present in the temple on March 30 to perform rituals on the occasion of Ram Navami. When they stood up for the aarti, the roof of the stepwell, which was constructed by placing stone slabs and iron pillars without any support, caved in. In the rescue operation, which lasted 25 hours, 18 people were rescued safely, while 36 dead bodies were recovered.

The Indore administration had issued notices to three temples and an Islamic shrine (mazar) on Sunday before the demolition. The illegally constructed religious places are being identified and action will be taken against all, said Indore district collector Ilayaraja T.

Authorities also removed illegally constructed structures and encroachments from other religious places, including a mazar at Dhakkan Wala Kuan, a temple at Sukhaliya, and a wall of a temple at Gadra Khedi.

The stepwell buried under the footpath at Gadra Khedi near Indore 15th Battalion was freed of encroachments. A footpath was constructed over it and the wall of the Khatu Shyam temple was built. A shop was built by constructing a tin shed, said Abhay Bedekar, additional district magistrate, Indore.

Additional police personnel were deployed during the demolition drive to maintain law and order, Bedekar said.

Some people opposed the demolition of the temple, but we called extra police force. The police resorted to mild force to disperse Bajrang Dal workers gathered at the temple. Now, police force has been deployed near the temple, Bedekar added.

The Bajrang Dal, led by local leader Tanu Sharma, staged a protest against the demolition. They are demolishing the temple to hide their mistake. There are hundreds of illegally constructed mosques and mazars in Indore, but the administration is targeting only temples, Sharma claimed. They illegally took the idol of temples with them.

Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, however, said the municipal corporation took the action according to law.

We have identified all the stepwells and religious places that were constructed illegally and are a threat for common peoples lives, Bhargava said. The municipal corporation officials are not under pressure. They are working according to law.
The Capital on Monday saw a rise in temperatures even as some parts recorded very light rain, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting isolated light rain for Tuesday. An overcast sky at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Monday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

Read here: Farmers concerned as unseasonal rainfall damages mango crop in Uttar Pradesh

From Wednesday onwards, clear skies are expected to return, and the mercury will gradually increase towards the end of the week, the weather department predicted.

Safdarjung, representational of Delhis weather, recorded trace rainfall between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Monday.

The maximum temperature stood at 32.2 degrees Celsius, and the minimum at 16.8 degrees -- both more than Sundays high of 30.3 degrees and low of 14.9 degrees Celsius. On Saturday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 28.4 degrees Celsius.

Apart from Safdarjung, Palam and Lodhi road also recorded trace rainfall on Monday. Trace rainfall is equivalent to drizzle in an area. The highest amount of rainfall was recorded in southwest Delhis Jafarpur (8.5mm).

We saw light rain in Delhi, mainly around south and southwest Delhi. More rain was recorded in Haryana, with thunderclouds making their way to the Capital in the afternoon, said a Met official, adding that the impact of the current western disturbance will start reducing from Tuesday onwards.

While there is possibility of some parts of Delhi recording very light rain on Tuesday too, we will see no rain from Wednesday onwards. With moisture reducing, we will also see clear skies returning, which will mean a higher maximum, the official added.

IMD has forecast Delhis maximum to hover around 31-32 degrees Celsius till Friday, before rising to 33 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 34 degrees by Sunday. So far this year, the highest maximum temperature recorded was at 34.3 degrees Celsius on March 15 this year. The second half of March saw three western disturbances, leading to a substantial drop in the maximum temperature.

In terms of air quality, Delhis air remained in the moderate range on Monday, but showed a slight deterioration. While Mondays 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) was recorded at 179 (moderate), according to the Central Pollution Control Boards national bulletin at 4pm on Monday, Sundays average AQI was 128 (moderate).

Forecasts show that AQI is likely to remain in the moderate range till April 12.

Read here: IMD predicts rain in Delhi till April 4, spike in mercury to follow

CPCB classifies an AQI between 0-50 as good, between 51 and 100 as satisfactory, between 101 and 200 as moderate, between 201 and 300 as poor, between 301 and 400 as very poor, and over 400 as severe. Forecasts show the AQI is likely to remain in the moderate range till April 12.

Delhis air quality is likely to remain in the moderate category from Tuesday until Thursday. The outlook for the subsequent six days also shows that air quality is likely to remain in the moderate category, according to the Early Warning System (EWS) for Delhi, which is a forecasting model under the ministry of earth sciences.
A woman was shot at by her neighbour in northwest Delhi's Siraspur after she objected to loud music being played by a DJ during a function at his house, police said on Monday. The women sustained a gunshot injury in her neck following the incident.

Harish, who fired at the woman, and his friend Amit, whose gun was used in the commission of the crime, have been arrested, they said.

At around 12:15 am, a PCR call was received regarding a firing incident in Siraspur, a senior police officer said.

After reaching the spot, it was found that a woman, Ranju, a resident of Siraspur, was admitted to Max Hospital in Shalimar Bagh. Doctors at the hospital told police that she had sustained a gunshot injury in her neck and was unfit for giving a statement, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh.

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Later, the statement of an eyewitness, the victim's sister-in-law, was recorded.

According to the eyewitness' statement, a DJ was playing loud music during a 'kuan pujan' function at the house of Harish, who lives across the street, on Sunday.

Ranju came out in her balcony and asked Harish to stop the music. Thereafter, Harish took a gun from his friend Amit and opened fire. A bullet hit Ranju, the eyewitness told police.

Harish and Amit have been arrested. A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 27 of the Arms Act is being registered against them, DCP Singh said.
Goa has asked Maharashtra to immediately stop building the Virdi dam on a tributary of the Valvanti river, work on which was halted in 2015 by the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal, which had said the dam could only be constructed after obtaining environmental and other statutory clearances. We have issued notice to the Maharashtra government over the work they have started and asked them to immediately stop the work, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said (ANI)

We have issued notice to the Maharashtra government over the work they have started and asked them to immediately stop the work, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday. I have also asked to inquire into the permissions they have, if any.

There are concerns in Goa that the dam will obstruct flow of water into the Valvanti river in Goa that feeds at least two water treatment and supply plants in the state.

Work on the dam has started in full swing, according to environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar, Goas expert witness before the tribunal who visited the site over the weekend. The consequences of this dam will be felt in Sanquelim, Bardez and Bicholim because the Sanquelim and Podocem water treatment plants rely on water from the Valvanti River for their raw supply, Kerkar said.

Maharashtra, which is party to the tri-state dispute that was adjudicated before the tribunal, was granted 1.33 thousand million cubic metres of water only for in-basin use, while the states demand to divert water from the Virdi dam to the Tillari water project was rejected. The tribunal delivered its verdict in July 2018.

Work on the dam began in 2006 but was halted in 2015 following a tribunal order.

If you see the way they are constructing the dam, it appears that they have larger plans and wish to make it part of the Tillari irrigation project, Kerkar alleged.

The Maharashtra water resources department in a clarification said that they are ready to deliberate upon the concerns raised by the authorities in Goa before proceeding with the project work. It also stated that they do not require environmental clearance before taking up the project.

As far as the grievances raised by the Goa government are concerned, the officers from Maharashtra will have deliberations with them. After taking them into confidence, the Maharashtra government will proceed with project work, read the clarification.

It also stated that the water is allotted to them by Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

Goa has said Maharashtra lacks the necessary environmental and forest clearances required for a project of this scale. They were asked before the tribunal whether they had the necessary clearances in place, Kerkar said. At the time, Maharashtras chief secretary said they were in the process of applying for the permissions.

The Maharashtra environment department opined that the project does not require pre-approval of environment clearance.

The Union environment ministry is yet to grant environmental and forest clearances to Maharashtra, he claimed.

As reports of the work spread across Goa, opposition leaders questioned the governments inaction on the issue.

Now Fourth Engine gets activated in Maharashtra with reports of commencement of Virdi Dam Work. Lethargic & Compromised attitude of @BJP4Goa Government has resulted in Murder of our Lifeline Mother Mhadei, leader of the opposition Yuri Alemao tweeted.

After #Karnataka, it is now #Maharashtras turn. The construction works of Virdi dam at #Dodamarg clearly points to another criminal betrayal by @DrPramodPSawant and @BJP4Goa!Thanks to them, #Goas interests are trampled again and again! the Goa Forward Party tweeted on its official handle.
Madhya Pradesh, which goes to the polls later this year, has announced a massive hike in cash grants for soldiers from the state awarded gallantry and distinguished service medals by the defence services, with the monetary compensation for the top awards for uncommon bravery such as Param Vir Chakra (PVC) and Ashoka Chakra (AC) increased fivefold, and for mentioned in despatches raised more than 200 times. An order passed by the state government on March 30 has revised the cash grants given to soldiers. (AFP)

The one-time cash grant for PVC or AC awardees from the state has been increased from 20 lakh to 1 crore, while soldiers mentioned in despatches will now get a hefty 25 lakh instead of the 12,000 they got earlier.

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An order passed by the state government on March 30 has revised the cash grants given to soldiers.

In May 2022, HT had highlighted the yawning mismatch in the cash grants given by different state governments and union territories to decorated soldiers. This had led to calls from several quarters in the armed forces for a uniform policy to honour the sacrifice, bravery and service of Indias soldiers.

The state government has revised the cash grants given to soldiers.

The March 30 order, seen by HT, has hiked the cash grant for Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) and Kirti Chakra (KC) from 12 lakh to 75 lakh, for Vir Chakra (VrC) and Shaurya Chakra (SC) from 8 lakh to 50 lakh, and for Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal (all three for gallantry) from 50,000 to 25 lakh.

PVC, MVC and VrC are Indias highest, second-highest and third-highest wartime gallantry awards, respectively. Their peacetime equivalents are AC, KC and SC, respectively.

It is rare for states to hike cash grants for soldiers on this scale.

The order also lays down how the cash grant is to be split in case of posthumous awards. The soldiers wife and children will get a share of 35% each, while the parents will get 30%. In case the parents are no more, the money will be split equally between the wife and children. If the soldier has no children, his wife and parents will get 50% share each.

Manipur, which is among the Indian states that offer the lowest cash grant to their soldiers for gallantry and distinguished service, is also looking at reviewing its policy to enhance the monetary benefits.

Madhya Pradesh has also revised the cash grants it gives to soldiers for distinguished service. The one-time cash grant for Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal (SYSM) has been raised from 1.45 lakh to 10 lakh, for Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) from 1,4 lakh to 7 lakh, and for Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) from 80,000 to 5 lakh.

Similarly, the cash grant for Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) has been increased from 1 lakh to 5 lakh, for Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) from 50,000 to 2.5 lakh, for Sena Medal, Nao Sena Medal and Vayu Sena Medal (all three for devotion to duty) from 25,000 to 2 lakh, and for Vishisht Seva Medal from 20,000 to 1 lakh.

The development comes at a time when there are huge variations in the cash rewards given to soldiers by different state government for similar acts of valour, and outstanding service --- the monetary compensation for PVC and AC ranges from a high of 2.25 crore to a measly 20,000.

Official data lays bare the inconsistency in the cash grants policy of different states.

If a soldier from Telangana, Punjab, Karnataka or Haryana is awarded AC, he is eligible for a cash grant of 2.25 crore, 2 crore, 1.5 crore and 1 crore, respectively. However, if the same soldier is from Manipur or Gujarat, all he gets is 20,000.

Chandigarh and Uttarakhand offer 30 lakh for AC, while Tamil Nadu and West Bengal give a cash grant of 20 lakh and 8 lakh, respectively. The variation is proportionate when it comes to other gallantry awards that are announced by the government every year.

Take the case of soldiers who are awarded KC. Depending on the states they belong to, the cash element can vary from 1.25 crore to a few thousand, data shows. Similarly, those who are awarded SC get anything between 5,000 and 75 lakh.

Each state should take equal pride in their soldiers and acknowledge their services to the nation, military affairs expert Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd) earlier said. The Centre should lay down guidelines to ensure equity when it comes to states honouring the gallantry and distinguished services of soldiers. Its high time that the cash grants policy of different states is standarised, he said.

Many in the defence establishment echo that sentiment, and feel the central government should reach out to states for reworking their cash grants policy and standardising it for the sake of fairness and equality. They argue that a soldier fights for the country, and not for his state. There have been constant demands for a minimum threshold for gallantry and distinguished service awards.

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The matter has been taken up by parliamentary panels but remains unresolved. To be sure, the benefits offered by the central government to gallantry awardees are standard. These include a fixed month allowance, tax-free pension, discounted air tickets and railway concessions. A KC awardee, for instance, gets a monthly allowance of 9,000.

There are huge variations in cash grants given by states to soldiers for distinguished service, official data shows. If a general from Haryana, Maharashtra or Chandigarh is awarded PVSM, he is eligible for a cash grant of 6.5 lakh, 4 lakh and 3 lakh, respectively. But a general from Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal gets only 15,000. Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu offer 1.7 lakh, 1.15 lakh and 75,000 to PVSM awardees.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav will unveil a statue of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshiram in Rae Bareli on Monday four years after the two parties joined hands after years of acrimony and contested the 2019 national polls together before parting ways again months later. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav. (HT PHOTO)

SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Sunday confirmed the unveiling in a series of tweets. He said Yadav will also address a public gathering in Rae Bareli, which is also Congress leader Sonia Gandhis Lok Sabha constituency.

Yadav has been attacking the Congress while hinting that his party will contest all the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh including Rae Bareli. SP earlier did not field candidates on the two seats Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi (Amethi) contested.

On March 15, the SP organised an event for the first time to commemorate Kanshirams birth anniversary.

BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday attacked the SP ahead of the statue unveiling. While the Dalit voter has stood solidly behind the BSP, the SP voters have been shifting loyalties, which is one of the main reasons for BJPs resurgence in the state. That is why only and only BSP is capable of stopping the BJP and the people have now realised as much.

The SP-BSP alliance was widely perceived to be a threat to the BJP ahead of the 2019 national polls. But the BJP won 62 of the states 80 Lok Sabha seats.

Maurya, a former close aide to Mayawati, has organised the statue unveiling function in Rae Bareli. The event is seen as part of SPs attempts to make inroads into Mayawatis Dalit vote bank. Dalits account for around 20% of Uttar Pradeshs population.
If the Congress works out an electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the party may have to play second fiddle to other major opposition parties, according to analysts. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Amethi before the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. (FILE PHOTO)

Such a prospect has become a point of discussion in the states political circles as the Congress steps up efforts to get other opposition parties on board on the issue of disqualification of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.

With a weak organisational structure in the state, the Congress has been unable to moblise much support on the disqualification issue, which has only evoked a mixed response so far. And it remains to be seen whether the opposition parties are able to close ranks and work together in the days ahead.

For now, a divided opposition has remained advantageous to the BJP.

For his part, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came out in favour of Rahul Gandhi, saying the BJP was seeking its political future by implicating leaders of opposition parties in minor cases.

On the other hand, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said the Congress must think whether what happened in 1975 was right and whether what is happening now to Rahul Gandhi is right.

If the political developments give any indication, forming an alliance will be a challenging task for the Congress in U.P. Akhilesh Yadav has suggested that the Congress should support regional giants in different states if it wanted to see the BJP dislodged in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

There seems to be a clear division among the ranks of the opposition and the BJP remains in an advantageous position. The leaders of opposition parties must sacrifice their personal interests and take a view in the larger interest. The Congress cannot always play the role of a big brother. It has to make a compromise in the larger interest of oppositions unity, said Professor SK Dwivedi, former head of department, Lucknow University.

The SP and the BSP had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election as allies.

The BJP won 62 Lok Sabha seats securing 49.56% votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJPs ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) won two seats with 1.2% votes. The BSP won 10 seats securing 19.26% votes. The Samajwadi Party won five seats with 17.96% votes. The Congress won only one seat securing 6.31% of votes. Rahul Gandhi had lost the Amethi Lok Sabha seat then but won from Wayanad in Kerala (he was disqualified on March 24).

In 2014, the BJP had won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh and secured 42.63% votes. The BJPs ally Apna Dal had won two Lok Sabha seats, securing 0.02% of valid votes in the state. The BSP failed to win any seat though the party secured 19.77% of the valid votes. The SP won five seats and polled 22.35% of valid votes. The Congress had won two seats in U.P, securing 7.53% of the valid votes.

The BJP had won 255 assembly seats in the 2022 elections, securing 44.5% votes. Its ally Apna Dal (S) won 12 seats while the NISHAD Party and the Jansatta Dal Loktantrik Party won two seats. The SP that contested the poll in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal won 111 seats (37.25% votes) while the RLD won eight assembly seats (33.88%) votes. The Congress contested 399 seats of the state legislative assembly in 2022 polls. The partys tally touched a new low winning only two assembly seats and securing 2.36% votes. The BSP won only one seat securing 12.88% votes.

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LUCKNOW Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have so far damaged crop area of over 35,480 hectares, affecting around 1.75 lakh farmers in 11 districts across Uttar Pradesh since March 15. The work to identify losses of less than 33% is in progress in the state and the final figures are expected only after the harvest. (File Photo)

While the affected area incorporates all the crops, including mustard, wheat is said to be the main crop affected because it is the primary Rabi crop grown on an area of around 1 lakh hectare in UP.

According to relief commissioner Prabhu Narayan Singh, only farmers whose loss in terms of affected crop area is 33% or above, are qualified for compensation under the central governments guidelines and other farmers are compensated by the crop insurance companies, only if they are covered under the crop insurance scheme.

Taking the 33% and above loss criteria into account, we have identified a total 35480.52 hectares of crop area having been damaged due to rains and hailstorms so far since March 15, he said.

This area includes all crops. We do not identify crop-wise affected area, he added.

Singh also said that compensation of 5859.29 lakh had already been given to 107523 affected farmers.

The work to identify losses of less than 33% is in progress in the state and the final figures are expected only after the harvest.

The assessment of damaged crop area below 33% could be made only after the crops are harvested and this will take some time. After that, only farmers covered under crop insurance will be compensated as per the rules, additional chief secretary, agriculture, Devesh Chaturvedi said.

Unseasonal rains, he pointed out, had some good impact too on wheat because early arrival of summer was expected to affect the quality of wheat poor in terms of shine, thickness etc.

But unseasonal rains put some brakes to the early summer. But rains and hailstorms too might have affected wheat quality in some districts, he said.

Chaturvedi said the government would soon send a proposal to the Centre, seeking permission for procurement of low-quality wheat too from affected farmers at the same MSP.

We are collecting reports from districts where quality of wheat has suffered. Once we receive reports, we will send a proposal to the Centre, seeking relaxation in conditions related to wheat purchase so that even low-quality wheat also could be procured from farmers at the MSP in the districts concerned, Chaturvedi said.

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The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday said it will issue the notification for urban local body polls once it receives the final information about reservation from the state government. In a statement issued here, state election commissioner Manoj Kumar said elections will be held on 14,684 seats in 760 urban local bodies of the state. The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) held a meeting in Lucknow on April 3. (Sourced)

To review security arrangements for the forthcoming polls, Kumar held a meeting with top state officials, including principal secretary (home) Sanjay Prasad, additional director general of police (law and order) Prashant Kumar and principal secretary (urban development) Amrit Abhijat.

He directed that necessary arrangements of police force should be ensured in time so that free and fair polls could be conducted. Prasad said adequate police force will be made available for the elections. State election commissioner Kumar said, As soon as the final information about reservation is received from the state government, the notification for urban local body elections will be issued.

Giving details, he said election will be held for 17 seats of mayor, 1,420 of corporator, 199 of nagar palika parishad chairperson, 5,327 of nagar palika parishad member, 544 of nagar panchayat chairperson and 7,178 seats of nagar panchayat member. Voting through EVMs will take place on 17 seats of mayor and 1,420 seats of corporator in the state. For the rest of the posts, voting will be conducted using ballots, he said.

On March 27, the Supreme Court had paved the way for holding the urban local body polls in Uttar Pradesh as it allowed the State Election Commission to issue a notification in this regard in two days with an OBC quota in terms of a report of the Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday issued a provisional list of reserved seats for mayors of municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipal councils and nagar panchayats for the three-tier elections. The draft notification has been issued for the reserved seats. Objections have been sought on the list of reserved seats within seven days, state urban development minister A K Sharma had told reporters.

The mayor seat of Agra has been reserved for SC (woman), Jhansi for SC, Shahjahanpur and Firozabad (OBC woman), Saharanpur and Meerut for OBC, and Lucknow, Kanpur and Ghaziabad for women, according to the draft notification.

Eight mayoral seats of Varanasi, Prayagraj, Aligarh, Bareilly, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and Mathura-Vrindavan will be unreserved, the minister had said. With PTI inputs
The Bombay high court on Monday refused to grant relief to bookie Anil Jaisinghani and his cousin Nirmal, who had challenged their arrest on charges of trying to bribe and blackmail Amruta Fadnavis, wife of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Kalyan, India - March 16, 2023: Anil Jaisinghani and Akshan Anil Jaisinghani - The Malabar Hill police reached the residence of Aniksha Jaisinghani around 8 am, after an interrogation of about 6 hours she was taken to Mumbai, while her brother Akshan who was also present complained of illness followed by which he was taken to a nearby hospital, in Kalyan, India, on Thursday, March 16, 2023. (Photo by Pramod Tambe/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

A division bench of justice A S Gadkari and justice P D Naik said their petition, which claimed that their detention by the Gujarat police and subsequent custody taken by the Malabar Hill police was illegal for procedural lapses, lacked merits.

On April 1, a special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act rejected their bail plea.

In their petition filed in the HC through advocate Manan Sanghai, the Jaisinghanis claimed that police had violated section 41 (arrest without warrant) and 41A (notice of appearance issued by investigating officer) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while arresting them, and hence, the sessions courts remand order should also be quashed.

Anil and Nirmal were arrested in Godhra on March 19, but they were not produced before a magistrate between Godhra and Mumbai and were instead produced before a sessions judge in the city 36 hours later, and this was against the law, defence counsel Mrigendra Singh told the bench.

My clients were arrested in Gujarat in connection with an FIR registered in Mumbai. But why werent they arrested in connection with the FIR registered against them two years ago? Everything was being monitored by the complainants husband who is the home minister in Maharashtra, the lawyer contended.

However, advocate general Birendra Saraf for the state government and the Mumbai police claimed that the police had followed the procedure and there was no delay in taking the Jaisinghanis into custody.

The duo was detained at 5 pm on March 20 as per the arrest memo and was produced before the special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act at 11 am on March 21, he said. Saraf further said that as the travel time was to be excluded under CrPC and it was necessary to produce the Jaisinghanis before a competent magistrate, they were brought to Mumbai.

The petitioners counsel, Singh, refuted the travel time exclusion point and said it was to be part of the 24-hour limit.

After hearing the submissions, the bench rejected the Jaisinghanis petition.

Based on a complaint by Amruta Fadnavis, the Malabar Hill police on February 20 booked Anil and his daughter Aniksha for allegedly trying to bribe and blackmail the complainant after threatening to make public some audio and video clips that would make it appear that the latter was accepting favours from Aniksha.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday waded into the ongoing row over Prime Minister Narendra Modis educational qualification while attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on several issues during a rally in Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar - the site of last weeks communal clashes. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray.(PTI)

Thackeray recalled the time he was felicitated by his school after becoming the states chief minister and took a sharp dig at Modi saying any college should be proud if one of its students becomes the prime minister of the country.

What is the problem in showing a degree? he said. Why doesnt that college want to share Modis degree? In fact, it should feel proud to show it and say that its student is the prime minister of India. NCP leader Jayant Patil and I studied at the same school, Balmohan Vidya Mandir in Dadar. When I became chief minister, we were both invited to the school. Why doesnt Modis college feel the same pride? the former Maharashtra CM asked.

Also Read: Shinde-Fadnavis alliance holds Savarkar Gaurav Yatra to counter MVA rally

His comments came days after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was fined 25,000 by the Gujarat high court for seeking details of PM Modis degree from the Gujarat University.

Addressing the Maha Vikas Aghadis (MVA) first rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar since the communal clashes in the district during Ram Navami festivities, Thackeray alleged the riots were planned ahead of upcoming elections as certain parties wanted to spread communal hatred to polarise the society.

He also slammed the Modi government for conspiring to topple opposition governments in different states and questioned the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena coalition for allegedly misusing Savarkar's name for their political rally. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday held 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' across the state to protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated attacks on late Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.

Savarkar suffered rigorous imprisonment and hardships for the Independence of the country and not to make Modi the prime minister. Will you fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'Akhand Bharat'?" he asked at the MVA rally titled Vajramuth (iron fist) that was organised in a bid to show the strength of the unity between the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress.

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LUCKNOW A Varanasi-based start-up, Beggars Corporation, which has taken the responsibility of turning beggars into entrepreneurs, received the Best Social Impact Award in the Innopreneurs Global Startup Contest on Sunday evening in Nagpur. Beggars Corporation received the Best Social Impact Award. (Representational photo)

Besides the Beggars Corporation, startups from different sectors and countries -- including Cookie Langs, Inc from New York and MeMeraki from Sydney -- were adjudged as the Top 25 Innovative Startups in the six-month-long contest.

Speaking on the feat, Chandra Mishra, convener of Common Man Trust and founder of Beggars Corporation, said, Organised by Lemon Ideas in collaboration with Startup India, around 3,000 startups were part of this contest that targets to foster global entrepreneurial tribe. The Beggars Corporation is the only for-profit company in the world working to make extremely poor creators and owners of wealth. Thats why we were given the Best Social Impact Award.

He added, Aligned to the idea of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, Beggars Corporation makes beggars self-sufficient by turning them into entrepreneurs by converting donations into social investments.

The Executive Director at IMF and former chief economic advisor to the Government of India, Dr KV Subramanian, also praised the Beggars Corporation. On January 16, in a LinkedIn post, he called the Beggars Corporation the most creative and potentially extremely impactful initiative.

Quoting statistics, Mishra said, You will be surprised to know that Indians donate 34,242 crore annually (according to figures of Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation report 2017) to Indias 413,670 beggars (figures from the ministry of social justice and empowerment).

He added, I thought if that amount is invested, it would create more wealth. In India, West Bengal has 85,000 beggars, followed by Uttar Pradesh which has 65,835 beggars in the state, thats why I decided to work here and chose Varanasi which is home to more than 12,000 beggars -- out of whom 6,000 are healthy adults. If the donated money is used for training these beggars into employment generators, it would change the picture of the economy. I am trying to do that. He further said, Beggars Corporation is working out employment models and building capacities for the startups without help from the government.
LUCKNOW City-based King Georges Medical University (KGMU) would soon open the states first skin bank to facilitate the treatment of patients with burn injuries. The bank will save such patients from life-threatening situations. A skin bank is a place where skin from a donor, mostly people who wish to donate organs after death, is harvested and preserved. (HT Photo)

The infrastructure is ready. We have even started the process to procure equipment and get licence for the skin bank. All this will be completed in phases in a few weeks from now, said Professor Vijay Kumar, HoD plastic surgery at KGMU.

A skin bank is a place where skin from a donor, mostly people who wish to donate organs after death, is harvested and preserved. The skin bank is a valuable resource in providing allograft skin as a cover for partial or full thickness burn injuries.

Our burn ward is occupied fully at any given time as the need for skin graft is increasing due to a rise in serious accidents, said Professor Kumar. Once operational, the skin bank staff will coordinate with the families of brain-dead patients who are going for organ donation. Just as kidneys, liver, and cornea are obtained by a medical team, the skin will also be received and stored under temperature-controlled equipment after being lab tested.

The kidney and liver cannot be stored and hence, are transplanted within a few hours after obtaining them from donor. Cornea and skin can be stored. The skin will be provided to burn injury patients after matching the skin type. A skin graft not only helps in speedy recovery but also saves patients from further infection as it might happen in open wound, said Prof Kumar.

He added, In many burn patients, their own skin is obtained from the body portion where the skin is in good condition, and grafted to cover the wound and help in speedy healing. However, in several cases, patients body is burnt in such a manner that their own skin cannot be used. Here, skin bank will play a crucial role and provide skin to cover wound.

In many severe burn cases, there is no place on the body from where skin can be extracted to cover the deep burn injuries. In deep burn injuries, covering the wound with a skin graft becomes significant as it allows the wound to heal faster. Therefore, the bank is coming up in about 1,500 sq feet in area.

In the first phase, we will use cryoprotective glycerol to preserve skin for up to three weeks and then with the help of deep freezers, we plan to preserve the same for up to three months, said Prof Kumar. In India, he said, there are half a dozen skin banks but none in Uttar Pradesh.

In absence of a skin bank, the patients have to stay longer in hospitals as treatment of burn injury is difficult and, in many cases, not possible at home, said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary-general association of international doctors.

Sharing reasons for failure of a skin graft from donor, Prof Kumar said, The graft provided with the harvested skin is rejected by the patients body but by the time rejection takes place, a new layer of skin of the patients own body starts developing, thereby, the deep wound heal is made possible.

What is a skin bank?

In skin banks, the skin is removed from a donor body, packaged and stored. The bank provides the same stored skin to be reused as a graft in patients with severe burn injuries. The process is similar to a blood bank, where blood is donated and stored for use in needy patients. Skin banks harvest and preserve donated skin.
PUNE The candidates preparing for Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) exams staged a protest near Balgandharv Chowk on Monday, over the altered format for typing examination. This is fourth such agitation this year. This is not the first time that MPSC aspirants have protested, over the past few years, they have taken to the streets over several demands. (RAHUL RAUT/ HT)

As per the new changes proposed by the commission, the candidates have to type a passage of 300 words in Marathi and 400 words in English in ten minutes. Students say this is practically impossible.

Earlier, the candidates had to type a passage of 120 to 130 words in Marathi and English in ten minutes.

The typing skill test that will be conducted by the commission for the post of clerk typist and tax assistant examination has a high word limit. The average typing speed should be 120 to 130 words in Marathi and 210 to 230 words in English, said Mangesh Gurav, MPSC aspirant.

Another aspirant Shraddha Shinde, said, This word limit proposed by the commission is more than double and practically impossible.

This is not the first time that MPSC aspirants have protested, over the past few years, they have taken to the streets over several demands.

In January 2023, the students held a protest over the new descriptive pattern which was being implemented on the lines of UPSC format in the state and as students had already started preparations for the exam from the past several years as per subjective pattern, they had demanded to postpone the decision to 2025. The commission later accepted their demand.
Pune: Nationalist Congress Partys MLA Sunil Tingre has warned of holding a protest in front of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters over its various pending projects on April 6. According to the NCP legislator, the civic issues include traffic congestion at Prowal Road, Dhanori Road passing from Air Force land are overlooked. (HT PHOTO)

Tingre said, Despite many follow-ups, the civic body is not taking our demands seriously. I even raised the issue of many incomplete civic works during the assembly session. Hence, I have written to the municipal commissioner about holding an agitation at PMC headquarters.

According to the NCP legislator, the civic issues include traffic congestion at Prowal Road, Dhanori Road passing from Air Force land, Kharadi to Shivane riverside pending road, shifting of Buddha Vihar from Vishrantwadi Chowk, water scarcity at Lohegaon, rehabilitation of Siddharth Slum, bad condition of Dhanori Laxmi Road to Laxmi crematorium road and other stretches.
Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) will release the admit card for the Judicial Service Civil Judge prelim exam 2023 on April 15. The candidates will be able to download the admit card from the official website at psc.uk.gov.in. UKPSC Civil Judge admit card 2023 releasing on April 15

UKPSC Civil Judge preliminary exam 2023 will be held on April 30 (Sunday), 13 districts.

UKPSC admit card 2023: Steps to download the admit card

Visit the official website ukpsc.net.in

Next, click on the admit card link

Login using the Application number and date of birth

UKPSC Forest Guard admit card will appear on the screen

Download and take a printout for future reference.
Karnatakas Congress workers from various constituencies held a protest outside the party office at Bengalurus Queens Road, demanding tickets for their leaders in the second list of candidates. The Congress party will hold a Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Tuesday and likely announce the second list of candidates. Karnataka elections: Congress workers hold protest in Bengaluru for tickets

Also Read - Congress announces first list of 124 candidates for Karnataka assembly elections

Speaking to news agency ANI, Karnataka Congress working president Saleem Ahmed said that the survey report will decide the names in the second list. He said, Our party is winning the elections, hence there is a lot of demand for our party tickets. The CEC meeting will be held on Tuesday, and we are also getting a survey report of the constituencies. The best candidates will get the tickets.

On March 25, the Congress party put out the first list of 124 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The remaining 100 names will reportedly be announced this week.

As the question over Kolar seat remains unanswered, Siddaramaiah said that he wants to contest from there as there is pressure from the party workers. Meanwhile, KPCC president DK Shivakumar said that he had only received one application from Siddaramaiah and he was allotted the ticket at Varuna.

Earlier, it was speculated that Siddaramaiahs son Yatindra will contest from the Varuna constituency, but the first list showed the name of a former CM in the place of Varuna. The BJP, however, is yet to release any names of their candidates in the upcoming assembly elections.

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday announced that assembly elections in the state will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. The last date for filing nominations is April 20 and the last date to withdraw the nomination is April 24.
My Home Hero is a gritty, intense anime that delivers a unique and captivating story right from the start. The first episode, titled From today, I am a killer sets the tone for what is to come, introducing us to a world of violence and danger that the main character, Tetsuo Tosu, is forced to navigate. The first episode, titled From today, I am a killer sets the tone for what is to come, introducing us to a world of violence and danger that the main character, Tetsuo Tosu, is forced to navigate.(Tezuka Productions)

Tetsuo's desperation to protect his daughter unleashes a world of violence

The first episode of My Home Hero centres around Tetsuo, a salaryman who seems to lead an ordinary life. However, his world is turned upside down when he meets his daughter Mari at a restaurant and sees the bruises on her face. His concern turns into horror when he discovers that Mari's abusive boyfriend is bragging to his friends about hitting her.

As Tetsuo learns more about his daughter's situation, he realizes that her life is in danger. He decides to take matters into his own hands and remove the threat. This is where the show takes a turn for the intense, as Tetsuo kills the boyfriend in a moment of desperation to protect his daughter. (Also Read: Hell's Paradise Episode 1 is out & it's all about secrets behind Gabimaru's past)

Realistic portrayal of domestic violence in My Home Hero

What sets My Home Hero apart from other anime is its realistic portrayal of domestic violence and its consequences. Tetsuo's decision to take matters into his own hands and protect his daughter from her abusive boyfriend is understandable, but it comes with a heavy price. The fact that the boyfriend has ties to the yakuza adds another layer of complexity to the situation, creating a sense of danger and urgency that permeates throughout the episode.

My Home Hero: Character development and themes of family and sacrifice

One of the strengths of My Home Hero is the character development, particularly that of Tetsuo. At the start of the episode, he is an ordinary salaryman living a mundane life with his wife and daughter. However, when his daughter's life is threatened, he is forced to confront the dark side of the world he lives in. The transformation he undergoes throughout the episode is both believable and compelling, as he struggles to come to terms with what he has done and the consequences of his actions. (Also Read: My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Episode 1: A fresh rom-com with MMO twist)

The themes of family and sacrifice are prevalent throughout the episode, as Tetsuo is forced to make difficult choices to protect those he loves. It is clear that he would do anything for his daughter, even if it means risking his own life. This makes him a relatable and sympathetic character, and it is easy to root for him as he navigates the dangerous underworld he finds himself in.

My Home Hero raises some interesting questions about the nature of justice and the lengths a person will go to protect their family. Tetsuo's actions are understandable, but they also have far-reaching consequences. The episode also touches on themes of abuse and the cycle of violence.

My Home Hero Episode 2: What's next for Tetsuo and his family?

My Home Hero episode 1 is a gripping start to what promises to be an intense and thought-provoking anime. The characters are well-drawn and the story is engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep viewers on their toes. The animation and soundtrack are top-notch, and the themes and questions raised are sure to spark discussion. My Home Hero episode 2 will air on April 09, 2023, and fans can't wait to see where the show goes from here.
Filmmaker Apurva Asrani extended his support to Priyanka Chopra Jonas after the actor revealed that she left Bollywood because of her beef with some influential people in the industry. Now, in an exclusive interview with us, Asrani shares how some families in the industry have an edge in the business because they have been around for generations, they know the pulse of the audience. Filmmaker Apurva Asrani praises Priyanka Chopra Jonas for owning her truth in a recent interview and calling out Bollywood for cornering her.

Obviously they have their favourites and have every right to work with the ones they like. The problem is when they gang up to oust an actor or a technician from not just their movie, but from the entire ecosystem, he says.

Asrani shares witnessing many big egos hurt when an actor refused their film; or when he/she walked out because of creative differences. Then these egos call other egos and tell them not to work with this person. They then use the media and powerful journalists to run campaigns to discredit this person. Blind articles are written by corrupt scribes who make damaging accusations. False stories are planted about inappropriate behaviour on set. If this actor/technician is resilient and continues to do good work, then their work is poorly reviewed, or worse, not reviewed at all. If the project still manages to become successful, then news of the success is not carried. All this can be very damaging to a hardworking talent, especially one who doesnt have a father or uncle in the film business, reveals Asrani, pointing out how ones like Kartik Aaryan thrived in spite of the vicious campaigns against him.

The filmmaker recounts how a similar campaign was run against Priyanka in 2012 and she was cornered. She had given two big hits - Barfi and Agneepath - in just one year, but the front page of a city newspaper carried a headline saying that no hero wanted to work with her. They werent giving her due, she wasnt able to grow as an actor and a star, says Asrani, adding thats the reason a win for Priyanka is a win for all of the people, who arent giving up the fight against a largely corrupt system.

But Priyanka is not the first one to speak against the Bollywood mafias. Several other actors faced a similar treatment, and Asrani believes it happens to anyone who is outspoken, who refuses to be disrespected, who doesnt demean themselves by agreeing to their regressive ideas, they are pushed into a corner.

He elucidates, If you do your research you will find that the ones labelled difficult and problematic are usually the outsiders. The star children are rarely messed with.

The filmmaker, who shifted base to Goa after realising that he does not need to play this game to do good work, believes there are several producers today who play a fair game because they are not from dynasties and sincerely seek out talent over sycophancy.

Before Priyanka, another actor, who made became the target of the influentials, was Sushant Singh Rajput, says Asrani. He shares, Director Abhishek Kapoor has used a very apt term to describe what was done to Sushant. He called it a systematic dismantling of a fragile mind. Its where they use the entire system to slowly ignore you, isolate you. Sushant was snubbed at awards, his last film may have done a whopping 100 crores but it was projected as a flop. He spoke intelligently, but they portrayed his words like he had mental issues. He was harangued right till the end and the worst part is, we could hardly see the truth. It was made to look like he had plum projects, but had an attitude problem.

But that did not end there for SSR, Asrani asserts, as he goes on to share how Rajput had a fallout with a leading producer and was subsequently falsely accused of #MeToo by a leading journalist in a cowardly blind item.

When I called out that journalist publicly, the trend of blind items entirely stopped, but I was blacklisted by other journalists who stood in solidarity with their kin. My last web series, a courtroom drama, was not reviewed by any of the senior critics. Yet it went on to become a big hit. In fact it was rated as the 5th most watched series ever, but none of them have carried this story. The irony is that the blind item journalist now has a high paying job in the very same production house that Sushant had beef with, he concludes.
After The Elephant Whisperers won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short at the 95th Academy Awards, Guneet Monga had reacted to the part where her speech was cut out from the stage during the ceremony. In a recent interview, Guneet has now revealed how she originally also intended to thank both Raghu and Ammu, the two calves featured in the film, and even take them to the Oscars. (Also read: Guneet Monga, Kartiki Gonsalves meet President Droupadi Murmu after Oscar win for The Elephant Whisperers) Guneet Monga wished to take Raghu and Ammu to the Oscars.

Guneet won the Oscar along with The Elephant Whisperers director Kartiki Gonsalves. The 41-minute-long documentary movie revolves around the bond between an orphaned baby elephant (named Raghu) and his caretakers - mahout couple Bomman and Bellie. Bomman and Bellie have devoted their lives to protect him from poachers and raise him. It was shot at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the Theppakadu elephant camp. Recently Guneet and Kartiki did a press meet with the couple in Mumbai as well.

Now in a recent interview with RJ Rohini, a segment of which Guneet posted on Instagram, the producer revealed that initially they had wished if they could take both the calves Raghu and Ammu to the Oscars. In the interview, Guneet said she wants to thank "Booman and Bellie, Raghu and Ammu... who I wish we could take to the champagne carpet and to the Oscars! In fact we used to always say 'Tux for Raghu, gown for Ammu'... even in our internal conversations while stylists conversations we were like 'Tux for Raghu!' so you know (smiles)... when the shortlist happened this was our talk internally... let's get tux ready for Raghu and a gown for Ammu."

Recently, Kartiki and Guneet met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu with their Oscars. Sharing the pictures of the meeting, the official handle of the president's office tweeted, "President Droupadi Murmu met the makers of Oscar winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga. She congratulated them on winning the award and praised them for showcasing India's tradition of conservation and living in harmony with nature."

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In a settlement proposal sent by Nawazuddin Siddiqui to his estranged wife Aaliya Siddiqui, the actor is seeking custody of their children -- daughter Shora (13) and son Yaani Siddiqui (7). Aaliya claims that Nawazuddin didnt play any part in raising their children and has no basis to seek their custody. Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and wife Aaliya with their daughter.

His lawyers have sent us settlement papers, and we are looking at it at the moment. The main point in the custody battle is that he has asked for the kids to go and stay with him, which is not possible at all. The kids have been with me since birth, and dont even want to go to their father, says Aaliya.

She continues, For a long time, Nawaz used to just come and meet. He didnt give enough time to the kids. So, they dont know what that relationship with father in reality is. Kaabhi aa gaye toh le gaye apne saath. Kishtun mein pyaar mila hai. My daughter is 13, and she is seeing how things have turned ugly between us. In fact, there are times when I ask her whether she wants to go and stay with him, and insists that she doesnt want to go. My second kid is very small, and papa is one word he says rarely. Because he hasnt met him enough. He knows papa is there, but doesnt know about fathers love and his presence.

At the moment, the couple is ready to settle disputes, and get divorced. It is also believed that as part of the settlement, he will be withdrawing the defamation suit which he filed against her.

Apart from custody of the kids, Aaliya is ready to settle for anything and everything, saying, The kids are suffering from emotional upheaval. Their well being is suffering and so are their studies. I am not after anyones money, I just want their well being and upbringings. Bas sukoon chaiyeh ab.

Talking about her relationship with Nawazuddin, she says, My life with Nawaz has not been a pleasant one. He has changed as a person, with his personality reeking of fame, and stardom. He put some allegations on me, and now it will be proved in court. Now, I want to get rid of his surname.

She reveals that the kids want to stay in India, but her estranged husband is forcing them to go to Dubai. My daughter is requesting him not to send to Dubai. Moreover, he has not paid any money in the last 3-4 months, and the rent is due. But I will be in trouble because it is under my name, she says, adding, My kids have not met him in the last 10 months. He wants to meet but kids say no. I am not telling them not to meet their father.

Opening up about her problems, she confesses, No one is giving us a flat on rent in Mumbai. We go to the place and they refuse. All because of the public fight our relationship has become. They are scared about any future problem. The kids also hear this.

She ends by calling Nawazuddin an absent father, saying, He has been an absent father since the beginning. There are much more responsibilities and roles to play as a father apart from just sending money. He never gave them fathers love. On what basis is he asking for their custody? Phele apne faraz nibhan toh seeko, learn to look after them. I have the right to ask for the custody of my kids, he doesnt.
Actor Parineeti Chopra and politician Raghav Chadhas pictures as well as blushing videos might be speaking a lot about their relationship, and now we have exclusively learnt that the couple will be making their relationship by an engagement ceremony in Delhi in the first week of April. Parineeti Chopra sparked dating rumours when she was spotted with politician Raghav Chadha in Mumbai recently

Parineeti has already reached Delhi, and a source reveals that is overlooking the preparation of the ceremony. In fact, Chadha was recently spotted and snapped at the Delhi airport as he arrived to pick up Parineeti.

They are totally involved in the prep of the engagement ceremony. They are getting engaged in Delhi next week. Since the beginning, the couple has kept their relationship lowkey, and wants to reflect the same while making their relationship official, says a source.

The source adds that it is a very intimate ceremony. There will be only family members, and very close friends from their circuit. In fact, the moment to get engaged seemed perfect with Priyanka Chopra also coming to India with her husband Nick Jonas and Malti Marie. They also planned their India trip in a way that they can make it to the ceremony. In addition, her cousin sister Meera Kapoor has also reached Delhi for the ceremony. It is also because everyone has such a busy schedule, and Parineeti and Raghav are happy to take their relationship to the next level in presence of their family, adds the insider.

Ask the source about the time length of their relationship, and the insider reveals, They have become pro at hiding their relationship. They didnt discuss it outside their very thick friends and family members

After the ceremony, Parineeti will dive back into work and fly to London to shoot her film project.

Last month, Parineeti sparked dating rumours when she was spotted with politician Chadha in Mumbai back to back. It was followed by videos of them blushing when questioned about the bond, which made fans believe that they are dating indeed.

Earlier, another insider had confirmed their relationship, saying, Parineeti and Raghav are dating, and they couldnt be happier about it. They have known each other for quite a long time, and it was only recently their bond bloomed into this relationship.

The insider reveals that they connected over a lot of things, with the main being desire to live life fullest, adding, They are in a very safe space when it comes to their relationship which is why they are bothered about stepping out together. They are really enjoying this new phase of their life.

Chadha, who is a member of Aam Aadmi Party, is the youngest member of the Parliament. He hails from New Delhi and has studied abroad at the London School of Economics. On the work front, Parineeti is busy with two projects based on real-life stories in the works - Chamkila and Capsule Gill.
Priyanka Chopra touched upon her recent revelations, including being pushed to corners in Bollywood, during a podcast. While many lauded Priyanka for coming out stronger from the past, a few also raised questions about her silence over the years. When asked why she brought it up after years during a press conference, Priyanka said it was easier for her to talk about it as she has moved on and made peace with the matter. Also read: Gauri Khan spotted vibing to Priyanka Chopra's performance at NMACC gala Priyanka Chopra Jonas during a press conference for her upcoming television series Citadel, in Mumbai, on Monday. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)(PTI)

In a new episode of Dax Shepherd's podcast Armchair Expert, Priyanka said she was driven out of Bollywood as she was tired of politics and had beef with some people, without taking any names. In the same podcast, she also talked about being in a tumultuous relationship which is when she met her now husband Nick Jonas.

When asked about why she decided to speak up now about the past, Priyanka Chopra said, I think, first of all, when I was on the podcast I was asked about the journey of my life. And, I spoke about when I was young when I was 10, 15, 22, 30, 40 or whateverSo I was talking about the truth of my journey and now because I was confident enough to talk about that phase of my life.

I think now where I am I was okay enough to kind of articulate what I felt. I had a very tumultuous relationship withwhat occurred, I forgave, moved on a long time ago and then I made my peace with it. I think that's why it was easy for me to talk about it in an open manner in a safe space, she added. Priyanka was promoting her upcoming web series Citadel with Richard Madden in Mumbai.

She is currently in India with Nick. Their daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas is also with them for the first time in India. The couple recently attended the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Gala in Mumbai, for two consecutive days.

Priyanka is likely to stay back in Mumbai, owing to her cousin Parineeti Chopra's upcoming engagement. Actor Parineeti Chopra and politician Raghav Chadha will be making their relationship official with an engagement ceremony. It will be held in Delhi in the first week of April.

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SS Rajamouli's RRR, starring Ram Charan and Jr NTR, made history at the Oscars last month as it won Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu. The film's stars and few key members of the team including composer MM Keeravaani were part of RRR awards campaign in the US. Ram's wife Upasana Konidela recently revealed how she supported Ram during his RRR journey as it was a challenge for him. She revealed that he was physically shaking during the difficult choreography of Naatu Naatu. (Also read: Ram Charan 38th birthday bash: SS Rajamouli, Vijay Deverakonda, Nagarjuna, MM Keeravaani and others arrive in style) Ram Charan and Upasana Konidela at his birthday bash.(HT Photo/Varinder Chawla)

Upasana and Ram Charan have been married for over 10 years and are expecting their first child together this year. They announced their big news in December 2022, just as the Oscar buzz began for RRR. She revealed how they spent a wonderful time in Los Angeles ahead of the Oscars. The couple spent their babymoon, exploring California and watching dolphins in the ocean.

In an interview with the Humans of Bombay, Upasana shared how important it was for her to be there for Ram, just as he had been there for her. This included their trips to the US for the Oscar or being there on the shoot of RRR. She said, "Whether it was winning or losing, I don't think it was a big thing. I was just being there. It was a huge thing. Being there as a family was a huge thing. Being with Rajamouli garu, his wife, we've grown as a family together for the past three to four years now."

She added, "I was on the set of Naatu Naatu in Ukraine with him and then here as well. He has been with me through some of my really tough times at work and of course he's there during all my successes as well. I just had to be there at this time because he was physically shaking and he needed as much support as he could get during the dance."

Ram Charan celebrated his 38th birthday on March 27. He is currently filming for RC 15, his next Telugu film after RRR. Directed by Shankar, the action film also stars Kiara Advani.

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It was a case of mistaken identity on Saturday as author Tom Holland found his mentions on Twitter filled with Indian fans sharing photos and tagging him for the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) gala. The actor Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel universe, arrived in Mumbai on Friday with his girlfriend and co-star Zendaya to attend the grand opening weekend of NMACC. The actor Tom is not verified on Twitter but the author Tom is, and he grew tired of Indian fans thinking he was the actor. (Also read: Tom Holland, Zendaya spotted at airport as they leave India post NMACC gala. See pics) An author named Tom Holland was tagged as the Hollywood actor on Twitter.

Sharing a photograph of Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Nita Ambani posing with Tom and Zendaya from a fan account, the author wrote, "Please make it stop." One Twitter user wrote to him, "I am wheezing as I type this, but sincere apologies on behalf of my fellow countrymen, Mr Holland." The author replied, "It seems like I have the whole of India in my timeline!"

Composer Vishal Dadlani also tweeted, "Pretty sure you guys discussed Stonehenge and that SRK (Shah Rukh Khan) has insights on it, that you heard here first! You have my sympathy, Spidey! Love to Jhendya (Zendaya). (laughing face emojis). Reactions to Tom's appeal to Indian fans were full of jokes and puns about the Spider-Man films and Roman history, as the author has written several award-winning books on it.

Later, as another tweet announced that Tom and Zendaya had left the country on Monday, the author hilariously tweeted, "Phew," as the attention would hopefully slip away from him after this.

While the Marvel star is on social media, he has been on an indefinite break from Twitter. Last August, he had shared a video and said, I have taken a break from social media for my mental health, because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming. I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online. And ultimately, its very detrimental to my mental state.

The actor has 66.9 million followers on Instagram and 7.2 million on Twitter. He is more active on Instagram and posted his photos from the NMACC event the day after.

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Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan on Monday took to Instagram to reveal the full names of his twin boys, two days after his wife Nayanthara shared the same at an event in Chennai. Along with the names, Vignesh also shared a glimpse of the twin boys who could be seen resting in Nayantharas arms as she and Vignesh sat at a window overlooking the sea and sunset. Also read: Nayanthara finally reveals full names of her twin boys Vignesh Shivan has shared a new picture of Nayanthara with their sons.

In his post, Vignesh revealed the names of his boys in English as well as Tamil. He also wrote that the N in the names stands for Nayanthara, whom he described as the best mother in the world. #Uyir RudroNeel N Shivan #Ulag Daiwik N Shivan. N stands for the best mother in the world #Nayanthara. We are happy & proud to introduce our babies names :) our blessings and happiness (sic). The pictures appear to have been clicked by the window side of a hotel room. Fans flooded the post with heart emojis in the comments section.

In October 2023, Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara welcomed their twin babies through surrogacy. They announced becoming parents four months after they got married in a very intimate ceremony in Chennai. The wedding was attended by their families and a few close friends from the film fraternity, including Shah Rukh Khan and Rajinikanth among others.

The birth of their twins was however, followed by a controversy since commercial surrogacy has been illegal in India since January. On his birthday in November last year, Vignesh had talked about how Nayanthara has changed after becoming a mom. He wrote in an Instagram post, The strength you have to be confident and dedicated to whatever you do! Ive seen a different person all these years! And always been inspired by your honesty and sincerity shown towards life and everything! But today, when Im seeing you as a mother! This is by far the happiest and the most complete formation of you! You are complete now! You seem the happiest! You look content! You look extra beautiful. You dont wear make-up these days cos the babies kiss your face! And I havent seen a more beautiful you in all these years! The everlasting smile and happiness in your face, shall be your default setting henceforth! I pray. Am feeling settled! Life feels beautiful satisfying and thankful."

ott:10

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The winner of Indian Idol season 13 was announced on Sunday. Rishi Singh won the singing reality show. Rishi, who is from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, won the trophy after beating Kolkata's Debosmita Roy, who was declared the first runner-up and Chirag Kotwal from Jammu and Kashmir, who was the second runner-up. Along with the winner's trophy, Rishi took home a brand new car and prize money of 25 lakh. Also read: Ayushmann Khurrana asks Rishi Singh kaise kar lete ho, Virat Kohli still doesn't follow me' Rishi Singh wins Indian Idol 13.

Rishi Singh won Indian Idol 13 after competing with other top 6 contestants including Debosmita Roy, Bidipta Chakraborty, Sonakshi Kar, Chirag Kotwal and Shivam Singh. Along with the cash prize, Rishi was presented with a new car  Brezza. Debosmita Roy and Chirag Kotwal, the first and second runners-up respectively, received a trophy and a cheque of 5 lakh each. The third and fourth runners-up, Bidipta Chakraborty and Shivam Singh, were given a cheque of 3 lakh each.

Reacting to his Indian Idol win, Rishi Singh said in a statement, as per India Today, "I still cant believe that I won the Indian Idol 13 trophy. The feeling is surreal! It was a dream come true moment for me when my name was announced as the winner of this season. It is a huge honour to be taking ahead the legacy of such a well-loved and prestigious show. I am grateful to the channel, the judges, and the entire team of Indian Idol for giving us such a wonderful platform to showcase our talent. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all my fans and viewers who have always supported me and voted for me to win this coveted title. Thank you for making my dream turn into reality."

Debosmita Roy also spoke about her Indian Idol journey after the winner was declared, and said, I can't believe I had the opportunity to perform on such a huge platform in front of all the judges and special guests. It is a great achievement for me to see the smile and the pride in my parents' eyes. When my name was announced as one of the finalists, it felt like I had already won the trophy. I owe it all to my parents.

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Last seen in Farzi, actor Kubbra Sait seems to be in a happy zone after completing four projects. The Sacred Games actor says that working with such talented directors is a big dream which she is living. Actor Kubbra Sait at Lucknow Riverfront (Deep Saxena/HT)

My upcoming roles are very diverse, grounded and women-centric. In Suparn Vermas series, The Good Wife, my character is part of urban fabric. I am playing a junior cop in Navdeep Singhs series Shehar Lakhot, and in Prakash sirs (Jha) Laal Batti, I play an IPS officer. Then, there is Danish Aslams film with Prateik Babbar. So, thik-thak chal raha hai!

She just wants to play solid characters. Beyond that, length of role, director, platform does not matter as no one is in my control. Then, let Allah decide its fate. I know its my time and I am putting in my best effort. I am happy and fortunate that I am working and am satisfied with what I am doing.

Kubbra Sait on her visit to Lucknow. (Deep Saxena/HT)

She agrees that Sacred Games remains the focal point. But beyond that in the last four-five years, I have done very diverse roles. I forayed in the West with (US science fiction series) Foundation (2021) and got to work with David S Goyer and Alex Graves. For two years, in the middle of the pandemic, I was travelling around the world and shooting. I wrote a book (Open Book: Not Quite a Memoir) and am working continuously!

Sait says what people think about does not matter.

I am not relying on what perception people have about me. What I am doing may not be available for all or interest everyone. Meher Salam in series Illegal (2020) may not be known to everyone but what a strong character it was! I am just honestly trying to be part of incredible stories. With every project, I am trying to achieve my highest potential and then with the next one trying to push that level up. I have a hunger to learn, do my best work, live up to my potential, be my kindest version, live my life and thats all!

This place is like a heaven

There is so much difference between old and new Lucknow. When I explored the Old City areas I was transported in time. The city is growing in length and breadth yet maintaining its heritage that blew me away. It has poetry to it! I am a foodie and have done food shows, so this place is like heaven. I love exploring and savouring delicacies without bothering about calories. Jis mohabaat se log yahan khana kilate hain was so touching for me. Also, the language here is so beautiful and engrained in the fabric of this place.
Marvel's upcoming series Secret Invasion brings Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) back from the dead as he attempts to stop the Skrulls from infiltrating the highest levels of power on Earth. As The former head of the Avengers, the broken down Fury has to figure out who are his allies and who wants him dead. He somehow becomes the most wanted man on the planet. (Also read: Secret Invasion teaser: Nick Fury returns, Emilia Clarke makes MCU debut and together they fight shape-shifting aliens) Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) returns for a new war without the Avengers in Marvel's Secret Invasion.

The Disney+ Hotstar series teases the emergence of the Skrulls who have been waiting all this time to make their mark and take over Earth. It is up to a select few to try and contain this latest threat. Besides Samuel L Jackson, there are a few familiar faces that return for the upcoming series.

Ben Mendelsohn also returns as the shapeshifting Skrull Talos from Captain Marvel, as does Fury's trustworthy right hand, former Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). The trailer also shows Don Cheadle as James Rhodey Rhodes and Martin Freeman as CIA operative Everett K Ross who also have run-ins with Nick Fury. The tone of the Secret Invasion trailer is both dark and gritty and shows Samuel's Nick Fury at his most vulnerable.

There are also several new faces that join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) including Emilia Clarke as Talos daughter Giah, Kingsley Ben-Adir as Skrull leader Gravik, and Oscar-winner Olivia Colman as a shady MI6 agent. Christopher McDonald, Carmen Ejogo, Killian Scott, Charlayne Woodard, Samuel Adewunmi, Dermot Mulroney and Katie Finneran are also part of the cast.

Last year, Cobie had shared about the series at the Marvel Studios Comic-Con presentation, This is a darker show. Its going to be an exciting thriller. Youre never going to know who people are  are they a Skrull or are they human?

The series is based on the 2008 Marvel comic of the same name and will premiere on June 21. It is created by Kyle Bradstreet, who is also the series showrunner. Secret Invasion will be streaming in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam in India.

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New Delhi : Unexpected weather conditions since February have taken meteorologists by surprise and caused much concern in the farm sector. It began with the early onset of extreme heat in February particularly across Indias west coast, making it the warmest February in 122 years. Then early pre-monsoon showers set in over most parts of the country in March when spring was expected. PREMIUM Such warming led to increased concerns that the wheat crop quality and yield will be impacted for the second year in a row. (PTI)

Almost all of the second half of March was dominated by unusually long spells of thunderstorm activity, accompanied by hailstorms, lightning and gusty winds that harmed the wheat crop in Uttar Pradesh, the largest grower, Madhya Pradesh, the second-largest producer, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, according to farmers, meteorologists, traders and officials. Now, India Meteorological Department has forecast above-normal maximum temperatures and a higher-than-normal frequency of heatwave days over most parts of the country from April to June. What do we make of these aberrations?

Anti-cyclone over the Arabian Sea triggered early heat

The monthly average maximum temperature in February was 29.54Celsius (C), 1.73C above normal over the Indian region  the highest during February since 1901. The average minimum/night temperature was 16.82C, 1.33C above normal over the Indian region  the fifth highest during February since 1901. There were below-normal rains over the country with a deficiency of 68%. Central India recorded 100% rain deficiency. Large parts of west and northwest India, as well as many Himalayan towns, recorded temperatures 5-10C higher than what is normal for mid-February. For example, on February 15, Bhuj recorded 40C, some 10 higher than normal.

On February 16, such a high departure from normal was recorded in Bikaner in Rajasthan, where the maximum was 36.8C. In Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), the deviations were 7-9 above normal. The Capital recorded a maximum temperature of 29.8C  6 above normal. This unusual heat that lasted till the end of February over most parts of west and northwest India and the Western Himalayas were linked to the development of an anti-cyclone over the northeast Arabian Sea which was sending dry and hot winds from Sindh and Balochistan westwards, over parts of India.

In addition, western disturbances over the Himalayan region were too feeble to bring adequate rain or cause clouding. Clear skies and dry land created a feedback loop that led to exceptional heating even in higher altitudes. Such warming led to increased concerns that the wheat crop quality and yield will be impacted for the second year in a row. The spring heatwave in 2022 led to at least 90 deaths across India and adjacent Pakistan, triggered a glacial lake burst in northern Pakistan, and led to forest fires in the hills of Uttarakhand. March 2022 eventually had the highest-ever average temperature recorded nationally. It also hit Indias wheat output significantly.

IMD forecast more heat in March. Monthly maximum and minimum temperatures for March are likely to be above normal over most parts of the country except peninsular India, where normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely, IMD warned.

Early onset of pre-monsoon showers in March

Far from what IMD had forecast for March, an unusual spell of thunderstorms and hail starting March 16 accentuated worries for wheat and several other horticultural crops. While not very unusual for March, experts said pre-monsoon activities started relatively early this year. Early heat in February that warmed the dry land surface acted as a trigger for the early onset of pre-monsoon showers.

"Convective clouds develop when there is heating. During February we saw temperatures that are over 5 to 6C above normal over most parts. The soil was very dry and hot which creates a triggering mechanism. Over the head Bay of Bengal and Central Arabian Sea, two anti-cyclones formed which brought in a lot of moisture. Plus, other low-level cyclonic circulations formed and a western disturbance also impacted the Western Himalayas," explained M Mohapatra, director general, IMD on March 22. "But one of the main factors in triggering widespread hailstorms in many parts of the country are upper level westerly winds blowing at 120 kmph and penetrating up to Peninsular India. These colder winds brought down the freezing level so it started to rain in the form of ice which is hail," added Mohapatra.

The incidence of heavy rainfall events in India (64.5 to 115.5 mm) has been the highest this March in the past five years. Around 60 people died, 15 were injured and more than 490 livestock perished due to lightning incidents during March. Due to heavy rain, seven persons died, 29 were injured, and 63 livestock perished in March. Hailstorm led to the death of one person in Chhattisgarh, IMD said on Saturday.

There were 7 western disturbances along with induced circulation that affected the country last month. Five active western disturbances (against none in February) moved across north and central India. The associated strong westerly jet stream (with wind speed exceeding 120 kmph to 200 kmph sometimes at the height of about 12 km) provided upper-level divergence and hence lower-level convergence of air mass and uplifting of air leading to the formation of deep clouds. The occurrence of lower-level cyclonic circulations led to the development of thunderstorm clouds. There was the feeding of moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea in association with the anti-cyclonic circulation over the north Bay of Bengal and the central Arabian Sea. There was also lowering of freezing level in the atmosphere helping in the formation of hail, IMD had explained on Saturday.

The models may not have been able to capture the local phenomenon that triggered thunderstorm activity in many parts of the country. Apart from early heat in February, there was a lot of moisture incursion in March which causes instability in the atmosphere and induces thunderstorms. This was clearly not captured by the models, explained OP Sreejith, head, climate monitoring and prediction group, IMD, Pune.

Brace up for heat stress

During summer (April to June), most of the country is expected to experience above-normal maximum temperatures, except for southern peninsular India and some parts of west-central India where normal to below normal maximum temperatures are likely, IMD warned on Saturday, adding that in April, above-normal to normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country, except some areas in peninsular, central northwest and northeast India.

Why is IMD so confident that there will be a higher-than-normal frequency of heatwaves and high day temperatures? Global warming has an imprint. The models reflect above-normal maximum temperatures because of the impact of climate change. The other reason is local circulation features that may make heat spells intense. There have been research studies last year that concluded that climate change contributed to the spring heatwave last year. Some research has also linked thunderstorm activity with climate change but that needs to be studied carefully. Unexpected weather features are to be expected in view of climate change, added Sreejith.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)s Synthesis Report released on March 20 has warned that every region in the world is projected to face further increases in climate hazards, increasing multiple risks to ecosystems and humans. Hazards and associated risks expected in the near term include an increase in heat-related human mortality and morbidity, food-borne, water-borne, and vector-borne diseases, and mental health challenges (associated with heat extremes), flooding in coastal and other low-lying cities and regions, biodiversity loss in land, freshwater and ocean ecosystems, and a decrease in food production in some regions. Heat stress will be particularly acute in the tropics including all of South Asia and India. Annual hottest-day temperatures, for example, are projected to increase the most (by 1.5 to 2 times) in some mid-latitude and semi-arid regions and the South American monsoon region with every increment in global warming, IPCC has warned.

IMD in its long-range forecast has said a transition to El Nino is expected by July-September, with chances of El Nino increasing through the fall. There is a 48% chance of El Nino establishing during the June-July-August season which is expected to impact the monsoon.

El Nino is characterised by an unusual warming of waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific. Its opposite, La Nina, is defined by unusually cooler waters in the same area. The phenomenon together is called the ENSO (El Nino Southern Oscillation). It has a high correlation with warmer summers and weaker monsoon rains in India.

All we can say is there have been three good monsoon years consecutively. With El Nino, we may not see a bounty of rain or an excess rain year. Whether it will be a normal or below normal monsoon year will be known later in April or May, said M Ravichandran, secretary, ministry of earth sciences said on March 6.

From the climate crisis to air pollution, from questions of the development-environment tradeoffs to Indias voice in international negotiations on the environment, HTs Jayashree Nandi brings her deep domain knowledge in a weekly column

The views expressed are personal
Three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station here, hours after a man allegedly set afire a co-passenger and injured eight others on board an express train. Five people have been hospitalised after receiving burn injuries.(Representative image)

Read here: How a tiger from Kerala found his way into a French school

A senior police official from the district told PTI that the bodies of a woman, a child and a man were recovered from the tracks late Sunday night.

The three were missing from the train after the fire incident on Sunday, he added.

At around 9.45 pm, when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge here after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an inflammable liquid on a co-passenger and set him on a fire resulting in burn injuries to at least eight persons, police said.

The man escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

When the train reached Kannur, a few passengers complained that a woman and a child were missing after the incident.

"A man, who was injured, kept looking for a woman and a child. We found footwear and a mobile phone of that woman," a passenger told the media at Kannur.

Soon after the news of the missing persons came out, the city police inspected the tracks and found three bodies, including the woman and the child and a mid-aged man.

Police suspect they fell off the train or attempted to deboard after seeing the fire.

Read here: Covid in India: Which states tweaked guidelines amid spike in cases this week

"The woman and the child who went missing were found dead on the tracks. There is one unidentified body of a male. We have found CCTV visuals of the suspect. Investigation is on," a senior police official of the district said.

Sources said the woman was the child's aunt.

A total of nine persons have been admitted to various hospitals, including the Kozhikode Medical College, for treatment Further details are awaited.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Monday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s central leadership has said that the alliance between the two parties will continue. AIADMK leader Edappadi Palaniswami. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, and BJP national party president J P Nadda are the people holding discussions with us. The alliance was decided by the central leaders, not by those in the state. Even leaders here [Tamil Nadu] have said that their central leaders will decide on the alliance.

He added they have normally discussed alliance matters directly with the central leadership and not the state leaders.

Read here: Will discuss AIADMKs ties with BJPs brass, not its state leadership: Palaniswami

EPSs comments came a day after state BJP president K Annamalai said he sees nuances in Shahs comments in an interview with a TV channel that the two parties are allies for now but their partnership has not been finalised for the 2024 national polls. Shah was answering a broader question of BJPs alliance with regional parties.

EPS said when J Jayalalithaa led AIADMK, BJPs central leaders also directly spoke to them on the alliance.

On Sunday, former BJP state president and Union minister L Murugan underplayed Annamalais comments and said Shah has said that their alliance is strong.

Annamalai on Sunday told reporters that he discussed the matter with Shah and their opinions on the matter are the same. As of now, we are in an alliance...But there are nine more months to go. How can we decide on the 2024 election dynamics now?
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Monday said that his partys relationship with ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be discussed with the latters national leadership and not the state leaders, hinting at strained ties between his party and the BJPs state-unit. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. (PTI)

His statement comes a day after state BJP president K Annamalai said the alliance between the two parties for the 2024 general election has not yet been finalised. He sought to clarify Union home minister Amit Shahs recent comments about the AIADMK being an ally, and said the nuance of the comments in Hindi had been missed by some reports. Shah only said the AIADMK was currently part of the NDA and did not comment on 2024, the state BJP chief said on Sunday.

On Monday, EPS said the practice even when J Jayalalithaa was alive was for BJPs central leaders to directly speak to the AIADMK on alliance.

To be sure, this is not very different from what Annamali said -- that the alliance would be finalised by the partys central leadership.

Read here: BJP-AIADMK alliance to continue: E Palaniswami

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national party president J P Nadda are the people conducting discussions with us, EPS told reporters. The alliance was decided by the leaders at the Centre not by those in the state. Even leaders here (Tamil Nadu) have said that their leaders at the Centre will decide on the alliance. And those at the Centre have said that the alliance will continue.

Last month, at a closed-door meet of the BJPs state unit, Annamalai expressed his view that the party should break away from the AIADMK ahead of the general elections. On Sunday, former BJP state president and Union minister of state L Murugan said that Annamalais comments should not be taken out of context and that Shah had said that the alliance of the two parties was strong.

On Sunday, EPS addressed a public meeting at Salem, his first after he was elected the AIADMKs general secretary. During his speech, he claimed there was likelihood of an assembly election in Tamil Nadu being conducted alongside the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and that if this happened, the AIADMK would defeat the ruling DMK. To be sure, the DMK enjoys a comfortable majority in the state, and the basis for EPS claim is not clear.

Rajya Sabha MP and DMK leader TKS Elangovan criticised EPS for making unfounded statements . Edappadi doesnt understand law. This government cannot be dissolved.
In a strong-worded statement, after clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal's Hooghly district, governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday said hooligans and thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose. (PTI Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one was allegedly attacked near Wellington Jute Mill More at GT Road. The BJP alleged that Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in the violence.

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was in the procession that was attacked, said people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple in Mahesh when stones were hurled at it. A few police personnel were reportedly injured in the violence.

Reacting to the latest violence, Bose said reinforcement rushed to the spot, and culprits would be booked on Sunday night itself and put behind the bars. "We are determined. This kind of hooliganism thwarts democratic processes," the Bengal governor told news agency ANI.

Hooligans and thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. They will be made to curse the day they were born. Democracy can't be derailed. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting. Lawbreakers will soon realise that they're playing with fire, ANI quoted Bose as saying.

BJP's Ghosh said there were many women and children in the procession that was attacked. "Suddenly, stones were hurled at us from one side of the road. Several policemen were also injured in the stone-pelting even though I and some other leaders were rescued and taken out of the area through adjacent lanes," news agency PTI quoted him as saying.

"Police managed to chase away the trouble-makers after being silent spectators for a while," he alleged.

Bengal industry minister Shashi Panja alleged the BJP was indulging in the destruction of peace and tranquility of the state.

"The BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she alleged.

Panja said the rally, which was attacked, was being led by Dilip Ghosh, who is known for his provocative statements.

The state home department suspended internet services in the Rishra and Mahesh areas of Hooghly from 11pm on Sunday to 11pm on Monday, government officials said citing an order. Movement of traffic on certain roads was also restricted till Monday.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday. More than 45 people have been arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of his appearance in the Surat district sessions court to appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case, accusing him of refusing an apology and trying to exert undue pressure on the judiciary. Union law minister Kiren Rijiju said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was making a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. (File Photo)

Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama. What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju said on Twitter.

The minister, speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, asked if there has ever been a case in the past where an entire political party tried to gherao a court.

Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said, This is Rahul Gandhis ego that he is not ready to seek an apology from the OBC community for insulting them. If he can insult them, he should apologise also.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, he said that as many as 13 ministers in the past were also disqualified on similar grounds as Gandhi in the past, and had lost their membership.

Frequently intimidating and insulting the backward communities and not apologising once, stalling the parliamentary process, asking foreign powers to intervene in our integral issues- the Congress has been repeatedly doing this, he added.

People familiar with the matter said that the former Congress chief, who was recently disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his court conviction, will reach the Surat court by afternoon, accompanied by sister and the partys general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi. Congress workers have gathered outside the court ahead of Gandhis arrival and police have amped up security in the premises in view of the developments.

Also Read |Rahul Gandhi held guilty of criminal defamation for remark about Modi surname

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge justified party leaders accompanying Gandhi to the court. Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country, he told reporters.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh hit back at Rijiju on Twitter saying, The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modis rule).

On March 23, the Surat court convicted Gandhi over his Modi surname remark based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. The court, however, granted bail to Gandhi and suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal against the decision.

Earlier on Sunday, Gandhis advocate Kirit Panwala said the Congress leader, in his plea, has asked the sessions court to set aside the magistrates order convicting him in the defamation case. He has also asked for an interim stay on the conviction till the matter is disposed of.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress engaged in a war of words on Monday as Rahul Gandhi is set to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. (PTI file)

The BJP termed as drama and an attempt to put pressure on the judiciary by Rahul Gandhi ahead of the Congress leader's appeal of the Surat court's order on a 2019 defamation case related to the Modi surname remark.

They (Congress) are doing a drama to threaten the judiciary. I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country Union law minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament.

Follow live updates on Rahul Gandhi in Surat court

Earlier in a tweet, Rijiju said, "Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama."

The union minister added, What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to hit back at Rijiju, saying, "The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modi's rule)."

Rijiju said when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) takes action, Congress leaders want to gherao the agency's office. "When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When a court gives a verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters.

Union minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Congress. "India won't tolerate the insult of backwards...Earlier, PV Narasimha Rao, P Chidambaram, DK Shivakumar went to jail too, how many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country?" Thakur asked.

His remarks came as Rahul Gandhi embarked for Surat from Delhi and is expected to reach court around 3pm and file an appeal against his conviction. The Congress expects that the court will take up the matter on Monday itself. The Congress leader is accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other top leaders.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi going with his family to the court is a repeat of the Congress leader's insult of the OBC community and will add to it.

Patra alleged that the group of Congress leaders including the chief ministers of some Congress-ruled states, who are accompanying Gandhi will create mayhem in the name of appealing against the lower court's order convicting the former Waynand MP in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the two-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra said in a press conference.

Patra also asked if the Congress leaders who will accompany Rahul Gandhi for the appeal want to "pressurise" the judiciary.

Reacting to Patra's statement, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said they are chief ministers of their respective states and accusing them of causing mayhem in Surat is a bit rich.

BTW, havoc is what your unconstitutional government is unleashing in Maharashtra. How can judiciary be under pressure if the appeal is under legally applicable rules? she tweeted.

Congress claims illegal arrests

The Congress alleged that illegal arrests were being made to prevent party leaders and workers from going to Surat.

In a tweet in Hindi, Ramesh said, "There are continuous reports of illegal arrests by the BJP government in Gujarat to prevent Congress leaders and workers from going to Surat."

"The undemocratic face of BJP is being exposed again and again," he said.

The Congress condemns all these activities and demands their immediate release, Ramesh added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Parliament was resumed after a four-day break and Congress MPs held a meeting in the Congress Parliamentary Party office to chalk out the strategy for the day.

As Rahul Gandhi appealed against the two year sentence by a Surat court in the Modi surname defamation case Congress MPs continued to protest. Opposition MPs in the parliament and wore black, considered as a mark of protest while TMC members spotted with black face masks.

MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Probe into charges against the Adani Group. In Rajya Sabha, opposition MPs began shouting slogans, "Modi-Adani bhai-bhai," as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of day's proceedings.
The Calcutta high court on Monday sought a detailed report on the clashes that rocked three districts during Ram Navami celebrations last week, even as a political slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued. Ruckus and stone pelting erupt during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shobha yatra in Hooghly on Sunday. (ANI)

Violence broke out in Bengals Howrah district on March 30 during a Ram Navami procession as stones were allegedly pelted at the rally, injuring 10 people. Over the next three days, violence spilled to North Dinajpur and Hooghly districts, where eight people were injured. A total of 46 people were arrested, sparking a political row.

The high court division bench of acting chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya sought a report by Wednesday, directed the government to ensure the safety of citizens during Ram Navami celebrations, and questioned the efficiency of the police.

See to it that you (state) deploy adequate police force in these areas and ensure that general public, the schools and shop owners etc arent affected by the violence. You will have to safeguard them, the court said, according to legal website Bar and Bench.

The bench was hearing a petition by the leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, filed on March 31, seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into clashes that took place on March 30 at Shibpur in Howrah district and Dalkhola in North Dinajpur district. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also in charge of the home department, has blamed the BJP for the violence.

During the hearing, Adhikaris lawyers referred to a similar clash that took place outside a mosque at Rishra in Hooghly district on Sunday. The government suspended internet services at Rishra and Mahesh areas of Hooghly and clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

The bench asked advocate general SN Mookherjee why the police failed to stop back-to-back clashes. Mookherjee told the bench that peace was restored in the affected areas. The bench sought a detailed report and video footage of the incidents.

The state should have been more careful in permitting rallies in such places that witnessed violence even last year. And if there were violations of the permission, why didnt the police stop the rally there and then? the court said.

The development brought back memories of post-poll violence that roiled the state in the aftermath of the 2021 assembly elections. At the time, the BJP accused the ruling TMC of attacking people who had voted for the opposition, a charge refuted by the ruling party. The clashes claimed at least 14 lives, prompting the Calcutta high court to order and monitor a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. In all, four first information reports were filed.

Speaking in East Midnapore district, Banerjee targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asked why Ram Navami rallies were being organised for five days.

She alleged the rallies were being deliberately taken through areas inhabited by Muslims without police permissions. Why are Ram Navami processions being taken out for five days? You (BJP) can organise many rallies on the day of Ram Navami. But do not carry weapons. We will not object. But why five days? Banerjee said.

They (BJP) are deliberately entering minority areas without permission. People were carrying weapons at yesterdays rally in Rishra, she said.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar dismissed the allegations, saying a video circulated by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee  which showed a man brandishing a revolver at a Ram Navami rally  was not shot in Bengal.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which organised the Howrah rally, have clarified that the video was not shot in Howrah. The location could be some other state. The TMC government is arresting innocent Hindus after yesterdays violence at Rishra, Majumdar said.

Four BJP Lok Sabha members from Bengal held a press conference in Delhi and said they will approach President Droupadi Murmu and Union home minister Amit Shah.

The incidents should be probed by NIA. Hindus are being targeted in Bengal, said Locket Chatterjee, the MP from Hooghly.

Adhikari also addressed a BJP rally in East Midnapore district to prepare for the coming panchayat elections.

Wearing a T-shirt with the slogan No vote to Mamata, Adhikari said: Supporters of all opposition parties should ensure that Mamata Banerjee does not get their votes. This anti-people government must be routed.

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh attacked the BJP. Huge processions are taken out across Bengal during Durga Puja but there has never been any incident. Muslims take out processions during Muharram. Christians celebrate Christmas. No violence is ever reported during these events. BJP has turned Ram into their political agenda.
RAIPUR : A 21-year-old man who was brutally attacked by a Congress leaders son in north Chhattisgarh over a road rage incident on March 24 died late on Sunday, police said. Police said Sumit Sharma, who died on Sunday, suffered serious injuries in the attack by the Congress leaders son (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One Sumit Sharma (21) who was attacked over some scuffle while driving on road by Shailendra Pratap Singh, succumbed to injuries on Sunday night, said Nimesh Bariya, additional superintendent of police (Addl SP) of the Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur district said.

The police officer identified the accused as Shailendra, son of Ravi Pratap Singh, the president of the Congresss Bharatpur block.

Ravis son Shailendra reportedly attacked Sharma with a sharp-edged weapon at Janakpur tri-junction after a road rage incident, said the Addl SP.

Bariya said Sumit Sharma was being treated at a hospital in the districts Janakpur area following the incident. However, on April 2 when his health deteriorated, he was referred to Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh where he died during treatment on Sunday, he said

Sharmas family has alleged that the police were going slow against the Congress leaders son despite their sons statement against him before his death.

Bariya said a case of a brawl was registered by police after the incident on March 24. Now, after the death of the victim in another state, Shahdol police have registered a case under section 174 CrPC which will be transferred to Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur. We will record statements and a case will be registered soon, he said.

Shailendra, the prime accused, has been missing since Sunday night, he added.

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Ahead of Rahul Gandhis appeal against the two year sentence by a Surat court in the Modi surname defamation case, Congress Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs are set to meet at the parliamentary party office on Monday at 10.30 am. The leaders will likely be arriving in black attires, in tune with the oppositions black clothes protest in Parliament last week against Rahuls disqualification as Lok Sabha MP. Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge with other MPs in Parliament House. (HT photo)

The meeting has been called to plan the days strategy as Parliament is set to resume on Monday at 11 am after continued logjam and adjournments over the oppositions demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue and Rahuls disqualification. The opposition has termed Rahuls disqualification a ploy by the ruling BJP to divert attention from the allegations against Adani group.

Following his disqualification, Rahul was also asked to vacate his official bungalow in Delhi.

Also read: Delhi woman Congress leader transfers her four-storied house to Rahul Gandhi

According to news agency ANI, Priyanka Gandhi will also join the former Wayanad MP as he appears in court today seeking a stay on his conviction. The former Congress chief will arrive in Surat from Delhi on Monday and will be in the court by afternoon, according to his advocate, Kirit Panwala. On Sunday, Rahul reportedly met mother Sonia Gandhi and brother-in-law Robert Vadra at a Delhi hotel for nearly two hours.

The defamation case was filed by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the statement - How come all thieves have the common surname Modi? made by Rahul at a Kolar rally in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress leader was granted bail in the case and his sentence suspended for 30 days to allow him the time to appeal against the decision.

Rahul has been asked by a Patna court to appear before it on April 12 after former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi also filed a defamation case against him for the 2019 remarks.

(With inputs from ANI)

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The Congress is staging a drama and is trying to exert pressure on the judiciary, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged on Monday, as members of the Grand Old Party accompanied party leader Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court to file an appeal against his conviction in a 2019 defamation case. HT Image

The Congress, however, dismissed the charge as absurd and asserted that one who attends the court is not a source of pressure.

Gandhi, who was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a Surat court in a 2019 defamation case on March 23, was accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and top leaders to Surat.

Among those who accompanied Gandhi were Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his Chhattisgarh counterpart, Bhupesh Baghel and former Union minister Ajay Maken.

Due to his conviction, Gandhi was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad on March 24.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said: My point is very simple  why is the Congress party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary? There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?

He added: They (Congress) are doing a drama to threaten the judiciary. I condemn it. The Congress party considers a family above the country.

Earlier in the day, Rijiju hit out at Gandhi for his childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court.

Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama, he said in a series of tweets.

What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics, he added.

Union minister Anurag Thakur also hit out at the Congress and sought to know if one family is bigger than the country.

India wont tolerate the insult of backwards (Other Backward Classes). Earlier, PV Narasimha Rao, P Chidambaram, D K Shivakumar went to jail too, how many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country? he said.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that after insulting the OBC community by his casteist comments at a public rally in Surat in 2019, Rahul is going there to add salt to fire.

You are exerting pressure on the judiciary, you were given a chance to apologise for your cuss words against the OBC community members. But instead, you are going to augment the kind of words used against OBCs. Rahul Gandhi was given a chance by the local court to seek forgiveness, you (Rahul) said you wont. Why such arrogance, he told a press conference in the national capital.

The way your people attack the judiciary, why such hatred for Indian democracy? Now you go out to insult Indian democracy. Look at the audacity, he added.

Continuing his attack on Gandhi, Patra said: Rahul Gandhi, his family members, chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the two-year sentence) verdict. Whats the need for this ruckus? he said.

The Congress dismissed the BJPs allegations as absurd.

That is an absurd allegation. First of all, who attends the court is not a source of pressure, senior leader and former Union minister Shashi Tharoor said.

If at all there is a source of pressure on the judiciary, I think we can all guess where that is likely to come from, he added.

Tharoor also said that Gandhi is the principal political leader of a major opposition party, so it is appropriate to put up a show of strength but ultimately, the soundness of the arguments of lawyers inside the courtroom is what prevails.

Who comes to the court is not going to decide a case, it is what is argued in the court that is going to decide and that is essentially for us the principal reason why it has taken a week for the lawyers to prepare a very robust and sound defence, he said.
Amid the fresh concerns over the spike in Covid-19 cases, Haryana health minister Anil Vij on Monday urged people to follow the safety protocols. Wherever there is a crowd with more than 100 people, they need to wear masks. We have instructed that, he told the news agency ANI. Anil Vij 01 (3)

Vij also added that they have increased Covid testing in the state. He also informed that currently there are a total of 724 active cases in the state, however, none of them are hospitalised.

Also read: Serum institute seeks to add Covovax on CoWIN portal as booster dose for adults

Several states are seeing a sudden spike in their daily Covid cases - especially Delhi and Maharashtra.

On Monday, India reported over 3,000 cases in a day for the third straight day with 3,641 new Covid infections. According to the union health ministry data, the active cases tally rose to 20,219.

In the last week, the health ministry issued revised guidelines for Covid-19. "Antibiotics should not be used unless there is clinical suspicion of bacterial infection. The possibility of coinfection of Covid-19 with other endemic infections must be considered. Systemic corticosteroids are not indicated in mild disease," it said.

Meanwhile, on March 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting today to review the public health preparedness for Covid-19.
Himanta Biswa's fresh salvo at Kejriwal: His claim will remain a joke forever' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addresses the media, at the state secretariat in Guwahati, Saturday.(PTI file)

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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the clashes in the state during Ram Navami rallies, alleging that the saffron party deliberately entered minority areas with the processions without permission. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (ANI)

Addressing the public, Banerjee said, I will do everything for you (people), but I request you not to support BJP - the party that creates riots - in the upcoming Panchayat elections and the 2024 general elections.

The BJP on Sunday alleged that a Ram Navami rally was attacked outside a mosque at Rishra in West Bengals Hooghly district and claimed that its local legislator was injured. According to BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh - who took part in the rally - stones were pelted at the rally.

Earlier on Friday, West Bengal's Howrah witnessed incidents of violence during Ram Navami celebrations after a clash between two groups broke out during a Ram Navami procession. According to reports, several vehicles were torched, and shops and auto-rickshaws were ransacked.

Following this, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) began a probe into the incidents of the violence.

To this, CM Banerjee hit out, The Central forces came here, stayed in a five-star hotel, instigated a riot, held a meeting with the BJP leaders, and then returned.

Also read: Mahua Moitra's Hindus in danger' tweet after Bengal's Howrah violence

Meanwhile, the BJP on the other hand, has blamed TMC for the recent clashes in the state, and demanded CM Banerjee's resignation. BJP's Hooghly MP Locket Chatterjee on Monday also called for the Centre's intervention and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence.

This is the result of a pre-planned conspiracy by Mamata Banerjee to consolidate Muslim votes and to make the Muslims happy. Mamata Banerjee is lying. We want the central government to see this (matter) properly. We are demanding an NIA probe, she said.

(With inputs from agencies)
Rahul Gandhi in Surat, Rijiju says taking a processioncourts are watching Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waves at supporters as he leaves from Surat District Court after filing an appeal challenging his conviction and sentencing in the 2019 criminal defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark, in Surat, Monday, April 3, 2023. (PTI)

Union law minister Kiren Rijiju stepped up the attack on Rahul Gandhi as the Congress leader arrived in Surat along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party veterans to appeal against his conviction in the 2019 defamation case. Read more

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reacted to his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal's critical comments on the recent question paper leak in the northeastern state and claimed that the Class 12 English paper in Punjab, which also has an Aam Aadmi Party government, had leaked and the examination was cancelled. Kejriwal and Himanta Biswa Sarma debated on Twitter over education system.

It was most surprising when Mr Kejriwal claimed there is no question paper leak in Punjab. Either he is lying or he is ignorant. Few weeks back, the 12th class board exams in Punjab had to be cancelled because of a question paper leak, Sarma tweeted on Sunday while sharing a video clip of his press conference where he referred to a news report by Hindustan Times with a headline Punjab School Education Board cancels Class 12 English exam after paper leak.

In February, the Punjab School Education Board had cancelled the Class 12 English examination amid reports that the question paper had been leaked minutes before the examination was to begin at 2pm.

In a release, PSEB controller of examination Janak Raj Mehrok said that the exam was to be conducted from 2pm to 5.15pm but had been cancelled due to administrative reasons.

Addressing the gathering at the AAPs first mega political conclave in Guwahati on Sunday, Kejriwal said, How Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government will function in the state where there are incidents of question paper leak? I have been running the Delhi government for years; Bhagwant Mann is running the government in Punjab for the last one year, there are no such paper leak incidents in these two states.

Kejriwal claimed that incidents of paper leaks come up only when some insiders are involved in such scandals. There are people who sell question papers to students, else, how will a question paper get leaked? Papers cannot fly themselves, right?" alleged the AAP national convenor.

Sarma had earlier accepted the leak of the science question paper of the Class 10 state board exams was his governments failure.

...it shows our failure in some way and as the chief minister I accept responsibility for that, Sarma had told the assembly after the budget presentation.

The science exam was rescheduled for March 30 after the leak. It was earlier scheduled on March 13. Student organisations have been protesting across Assam demanding the resignation of education minister Ranoj Pegu and exam board chairman RC Jain.

On Sunday, Sarma also downplayed Kejriwals promise of free electricity if AAP came to power in Assam, asserting that the northeastern state has the Orunudoi scheme under which the government credits 1,400 per month in the bank accounts of economically backward families.

Waiving only the electricity bill would have been cheaper for us, he said.

The Assam CM has called Kejriwal a coward whose heroism is confined within the assembly. Sarma criticised Kejriwal for not making any reference in his speech to allegations of corruption against the BJP leader, which he had reportedly made in the Delhi Assembly.

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A 32-year-old Ph.D. student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras was found dead inside the campus. The student- a native of West Bengal- was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room, news agency ANI reported. This is the third incident of suicide reported from IIT Madras this year and the 11th case since 2018.

Police said that before ending his life, the Ph.D. student had posted a WhatsApp status saying, I am sorry, I am not good enough". "Seeing the status, his friends reached his home and found Sachin hanging in his room. An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead on examination," they added.

An inquiry has been initiated and the police have sent the body to Royapettah Government Hospital for autopsy.

Also read | IIT-M suicide: Student struggled with grades, say police

In its statement, IIT Madras said that the research scholar had an exemplary academic record. "We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of a PhD Research scholar from the Mechanical Engineering Department on the afternoon of 31st March 2023 at his residence at Velachery, Chennai. A student with an exemplary academic and research record is a big loss to the research community," the IIT said.

"The Institute expresses its heartfelt condolences and shares the grief of the friends and family of the deceased student. The Institute requests everyone respect the privacy of the student's family at this difficult juncture. May the departed soul rest in peace", it added.

Earlier on March 14, a third-year BTech student died by suicide (hanging) at the Madras IIT Campus. The deceased was identified as Vaipu Pushpak Sree Sai (20), a native of Andhra Pradesh.

(With inputs from agency)

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A faculty member at Chennais Kalakshetra Foundation was on Monday arrested for allegedly sexually harassing an alumna of the arts and cultural academy, a police officer said. Kalakshetra Foundation in March said that its committee found no truth in the allegations. (Getty Images)

The faculty member was booked under Indian Penal Codes Sections 354A (sexual harassment) 509 (use of acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and the Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act after the alumna filed a complaint against him on Friday.

Tamil Nadu State Womens Commission head A S Kumari was also due to submit a report to the government on this issue on Monday. Kumari said she received close to 100 complaints on Friday when she met students protesting at Kalakshetra Foundation.

The students began their protest on Thursday demanding action on their complaints and the suspension of four teachers accused of sexual harassment.

The faculty member arrested on Monday was the first person the students named. Kalakshetra Foundation in March said that its Internal Complaints Committee found no truth in the allegations.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin promised action over the matter after it was raised in the state assembly.
The Karnataka police on Monday registered a case against the doctors at the Bangarapet government hospital in Kolar district after a family alleged that their negligence had led to the death of a pregnant woman, officials said. Meanwhile, the district health officer has ordered a probe into the matter. The deceased womans relatives protested in front of the Bangarapet government hospital on Sunday, demanding action against the doctors and the hospital staff. (HT Photo)

The woman, identified as Bharathi (26), a resident of Vijayanagara layout in Bangarapet city, gave birth to her second child at the hospital, but died within hours on Sunday.

This is the second delivery of my wife. We never expected that she would die. She was healthy and responding to the treatment, but negligence of the doctors claimed her life, her husband Manjunath told reporters.

Manjunath and her relatives protested in front of the hospital on Sunday, demanding strict action against the doctors and the hospital staff.

The family claimed that the doctors allegedly gave her an injection and later performed a cesarean on her. She suffered breathing problems after the injection and her condition worsened. She was allegedly instructed to be taken to a private hospital. While the family members took her to a private hospital, she died on the way, they said.

Kolar district health officer Dr Jagadeesh said, I have not received any complaint from the patients family. I heard the news and ordered a detailed enquiry.

He said that a committee headed by district reproductive child health officer (RCHO) Dr Vijay Kumar and two other doctors has been formed to probe the incident.

The committee has been asked to submit a report in the next three days. At this stage, we cant ascertain the reason of death. Only after receiving the autopsy report, we will get a clear picture, he added.

Following a complaint by the womans husband, Manjunath, we have registered a case under CrPC 174. We are waiting for the report of the doctors committee to take action, Bangarapet police inspector B Sanjeevarayappa said.
Israels former ambassador to India, Ron Malka, on Sunday said that he has assumed charge as the executive chairman of Haifa Port Company, which is owned by a consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and Gadot Group. Israel's former ambassador to India, Ron Malka, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra (File/Twitter)

Im honored and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity, Malka tweeted.

As the embattled Adani group limps back from the allegations mounted by Hindenburg Researchs scathing report, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra reacted to the appointment stating that Malka had vouched for billionaire Gautam Adanis business deals in Israel. She added that the former diplomat had also slammed Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who had come under fire last year for his comments against Vivek Agnihotris film The Kashmir Files at the International Film Festival of India.

Israels former envoy to India appointed Adanis Haifa port chairman! This man screamed from rooftops about how clean Adanis Israeli dealings were. Condemned filmmaker Nadav Lapid for criticising Bollywood Hindutva propaganda film. Adani Hamam Mein toh Saare Nange Hai, Moitra tweeted.

Also read: On Adani shares tumble report, Mahua Moitra's cash dig

Malka served as the ambassador of Israel to India from 2018 to 2021. The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.

The Adani Group officially took over the Israeli port in January at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials.

Israel expects that the Adani Group's major entry into the country will lead to more Indian investments, especially in the fields of renewable energy and defence.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter extending greetings on the grand launch of a performing arts centre, named after philanthropist and Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita Ambani, in Mumbai. In a letter dated March 29, two days before the launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), Prime Minister Modi lauded the Ambani family for their efforts to promote traditional Indian art forms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi.(PTI)

PM Modi commended Nita Ambani for spearheading the initiative and said the endeavour was a testimony of the Indian phenomenon of staying rooted to ones roots while ensuring progress.

The letter was shared by the official Instagram account of NMACC.

5 things PM Modi said on the launch of NMACC:

1)While affirming that the effort will lead to making art and culture accessible to a larger section of society, the prime minister said it will also encourage socio-cultural interaction not just among the citizens of the country but also around the world.

Also Read: Anant Ambani's to-be-wife Radhika Merchant's NMACC after-party look is out, the Dolce & Gabbana outfit is a winner

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2) He said NMACC will serve as a platform to budding artists and performers to showcase their talent, which in turn will encourage more people to take up art professionally, as he praised the cultural infrastructure situated within the Jio World Centre at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.

3) India is a vibrant, flourishing culture that has thrived for thousands of years. Our ancestors entrusted us with a rich treasure - be it language or literature, values or festivals, art or architecture, culture or cuisine, the PM remarked.

4) He said the world looks up to India to provide holistic solutions and leadership in many different domains, from health to environment and is giving unprecedented attention to the Indian perspective on a range of matters including its art forms. To impart greater momentum to this development, institutions that showcase and popularise our culture are crucial, he noted.

5) He also said the nation's Amrit Kaal is an opportunity to draw inspiration from our resplendent heritage and build an inclusive, strong and self-reliant India which celebrates its culture, and wished that this cultural centre yields results in showcasing the value and place of art and culture in Indian society.

Built on par with global standards, the Cultural Centre features three performing arts spaces: 2,000-seat Grand Theatre, the technologically advanced 250-seat Studio Theatre, and the dynamic 12S-seat Cube. There is also a visual arts space meant to showcase exhibits from the finest artistic talent worldwide among other remarkable facilities.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday termed corruption the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy while indirectly targeting the Congress for nourishing this malady instead of tackling it after the countrys Independence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of CBI in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI)

Asking agencies not to be deterred by attacks on them by the corrupt, however powerful, the PM said his government does not lack political will to take on the malaise.

Corruption is not an ordinary crime, it snatches the rights of the poor, it begets many other crimes. It is the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy. Corruption promotes nepotism and a dynastic system which erodes the nations strength, seriously hampering development, Modi said while inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The PMs comments are significant because they come amid allegations by Opposition parties that investigative agencies such as CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are being used by the government to target them. The Supreme Court will on April 5 hear a case by 14 Opposition parties to this effect. The government has maintained that CBI is merely doing its job.

CBI was established through a resolution on April 1, 1963. Since then, it has investigated thousands of corruption cases including various big-ticket scandals against politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen among others. It has a working strength of 5,586 personnel.

The number of cases registered by the agency ranged from 1,050 to 1,200 a year between 2012 and 2017, but the number came down to between 600 and 900 cases between 2018 to 2021. By the end of 2021, 10,232 CBI cases were pending trial in various courts across the country. CBIs conviction rate was 69.83% and 69.19% in 2020 and 2019 respectively. It is now around 75%, according to data shared by CBI on Monday.

According to the Central Vigilance Commissions annual reports, CBI registered 457 Prevention of Corruption Act (PC) cases in 2021 in which 549 public servants were involved. Of these, 129 resulted in conviction and 63, acquittals. In 2020, CBI registered 425 PC Act cases and 128 ended in a conviction. A large number of cases were pending investigation.

Without naming the Congress, Modi attacked the party and an ecosystem created by it in Delhi to save the corrupt. Unfortunately, India got a legacy of corruption at the time of independence. But, instead of removing it, some people kept nourishing this malady.

Recalling multi-crore corruption scandals  such as the 2G and coal block allocation cases  during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime, Modi said it was a time when there was a sense of impunity in the country. The situation, he said, led to the destruction of the system and an atmosphere of policy paralysis brought development to stand still. Investors were not ready to come to India, he said.

In contrast, the PM underlined, his governments priority has been to instil faith in the system by taking action against black money and benami property in mission mode and started inflicting damage on the corrupt as well as the reasons behind the corruption. He said the government had brought transparency in the process of issuing tenders, citing the example of the differences in the 2G and 5G spectrum allocations during two different governments tenures. He added that in the last nine years, all defence deals have been done in a transparent manner.

Pointing out practices followed during Congress rule, the PM said even the aid sent out to beneficiaries  whether rations, homes, scholarships, pensions etc  were diverted. This, he said has changed with the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under his government as so far, 27 lakh crore has been transferred to the poor. Due to DBT, about 2.25 lakh crore has been saved from going into the wrong hands, Modi said.

Asserting that those who promoted corruption were previously emboldened because they knew the system was with them, Modi told a hall full of CBI officers and top police officers from around the country that they were free to take action against such people.

Today, there is no dearth of political will to take action against the corrupt in the country. I know these people against whom you (CBI officers) are taking action are very powerful. They have been part of the system. They have created an ecosystem to attack the investigation agencies to tarnish their image. They will keep distracting you but you have to focus on your work, Modi said.

No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country; this is the wish of the countrymen. The country, law and constitution are with you, the PM stressed.

He lauded the CBI for its anti-corruption work. Building a developed India is not possible without professional and efficient institutions and CBI therefore has a huge responsibility, Modi said.

Even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to CBI. CBI has given faith to people through its work and skill, he said.

CBIs name is on everyones lips. It is like a brand for truth and justice.

Reacting to the PMs comments, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, The CBI lodged fabricated cases to topple governments, scare and intimidate (political) rivals and put them behind bars which we saw in Delhi and other states.

At the function, Modi further stressed there was need to eliminate silos between different agencies for better results.

Referring to international transactions and the movement of people, goods and services on a large scale even outside geographical boundaries, the Prime Minister said that Indias economic power is growing while the number of those who create obstacles are also increasing. He warned that attacks on Indias social fabric, its unity and brotherhood, its economic interests and its institutions will also increase.

The proceeds of corruption will be spent on this, he said, pointing to the need to understand and study the multinational nature of crime and corruption.

During the event, attended by union minister for public grievances and pensions, Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Modi also virtually inaugurated the newly constructed CBI office complexes at Shillong, Pune and Nagpur.

He released a postage stamp and commemorative coin marking the diamond jubilee celebration year of CBI and also launched the agencys Twitter handle, @CBIHeadquarters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and confer the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of the agency on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI File Photo)

The PM will also release a Postage Stamp and Commemorative Coin marking the Diamond Jubilee Celebration year of CBI, besides launching CBIs official Twitter handle.

He will also inaugurate the newly constructed office complexes of CBI at Shillong, Pune and Nagpur.

CBI was established by a resolution of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs dated April 1, 1963.
(People's Daily App) 15:18, April 03, 2023

More than 2,000 students from a middle school in Guyuan, China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region walked for more than 50 kilometers to pay tribute to revolutionary heroes before the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, a tradition that has lasted 28 years. They set off at four early in the morning and completed a 54-kilometer walk, demonstrating their determination and perseverance to pay high tribute to the heroes' towering achievements. The students also laid wreaths and swept the tombs.

(Compiled by Liang Jiayuan)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday at 12pm. The event is set to take place at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, according to a government statement. He will also inaugurate the newly constructed office complexes of the CBI in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur. Apart from these, he will release a postage stamp and commemorative coin marking the celebration.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI)
Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the truth was his weapon and support in the fight to save democracy, shortly after a sessions court in Surat admitted his plea against conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case that saw him expelled from the Parliament. The court extended his bail till April 13, the next date of hearing on the plea. Rahul Gandhi waving at a crowd of supporters after stepping out of Surat court on Monday.

This is a fight to save democracy, against 'Mitrakal'. In this struggle, truth is my weapon, and truth is my support! Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, taking a dig at the ruling BJP which the Congress party labels as a government only benefitting the rich.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi in Surat, Rijiju says taking a processioncourts are watching

Partys general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also shared Rahuls tweet, quoting poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar in a show of support for her brother.    ,     ,     ,      (Warriors do not get distracted, do not lose patience for a moment, they embrace the obstacles, make a way through thorns.) Priyanka tweeted.

Earlier today, the disqualified Wayanad MP reached Surat, accompanied by several Congress leaders including his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to file an appeal in a sessions court against his conviction in the Modi surname remark case. The complainant, Punesh Modi, who shares the prime ministers surname, accused Gandhi of defamation over a 2019 speech in Karnatakas Kolar in which he asked, Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname? The lower court in Surat convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail.

Rahul has challenged his conviction in an appellate court, hoping to overturn a judgement that resulted in his expulsion from parliament. His legal team filed appeal no. 254/2023 before he reached the court and sought bail. The court granted interim bail to Rahul and listed the matter for the next hearing on April 13.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday afternoon secured bail from a sessions court in Gujarat's Surat in the 'Modi surname' criminal defamation case, in connection with which he was last month convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. That sentence had been immediately suspended and the ex-MP given bail to allow him time to lodge this appeal. The court today extended Rahul Gandhi's bail till April 13 - the next date of hearing - and continued the hold on his sentence, offering the embattled Congress leader major relief. Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at a court in Surat, India.(AP file)

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the chief ministers of the three party-ruled states - Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot), Chhattisgarh (Bhupesh Baghel) and Himachal (Sukvinder Singh Sukhu).

READ | Rahul in Surat, Rijiju says 'taking a procession courts are watching'

"We are confident the appeals court will appreciate blatant errors of (the) trial court and do justice expeditiously," Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Singhvi, the Congress leader supervising Rahul Gandhi's legal team, said earlier in the day.

Last month the court in prime minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat held Gandhi guilty of defamation over a remark made before the 2019 election.

Speaking in Karnataka's Kolar, he referred to fugitives Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi and said he wondered if all thieves had 'Modi' as a surname.

The remark was seen as a slight on the prime minister.

The verdict was crucial not just from the point of view of optics, but also because it meant he could not contest an election for eight years, ruling him out of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll unless the conviction and sentence are stayed.

The case was filed after a complaint by then BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.

The verdict and the disqualification from Parliament triggered a furious political squabble between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Significantly, other opposition parties - including Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool and K Chandrashekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samithi, neither of whom have cordial relations with Rahul Gandhi's party - united in support, as did Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party.

In his first remarks after the verdict, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP and prime minister Modi, accusing the latter of engineering his disqualification over he was afraid his next speech in Parliament; Rahul Gandhi and the Congress has been critical of the BJP and Modi over the Adani-Hindenburg row.

Meanwhile, the BJP today hit out at Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the opposition party's show of strength in Surat, with union law minister Kiren Rijiju accusing them of trying to put undue pressure on the courts.

READ | Rahul refusing to apologise, trying to put pressure on judiciary: BJP

" is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His (Rahul Gandhi) going personally with a motley group of leaders is only a drama. What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court" he tweeted.

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Police in Gujarat's Surat have deployed additional forces ahead of the arrival this afternoon of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and the chief ministers of three party-ruled states to challenge the former's conviction in the 2019 'Modi surname' criminal defamation case that resulted in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. LIVE UPDATES | Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra en route to Surat Security outside the Surat District and Sessions Court ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's arrival to file an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remarks, in Surat, Monday, April 3, 2023. (PTI Photo)

"Given the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Surat district court, Surat City Police have deployed the forces wherever there is a possibility of movement," Sagar Bagmar, the DCP of Surat Police's Zone 4, told news agency ANI,.

"We will also be starting frisking and checking."

|Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and chief ministers Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh) and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (Himachal Pradesh) are expected in Surat at around 2 pm.

Rahul Gandhi was convicted of criminal defamation by the Surat court last month, triggering a fiery fight between the opposition and prime minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power in Gujarat and at the centre.

His disqualification from the Lok Sabha was ordered less than 24 hours after the verdict, and he was told vacate his MP's bungalow in Delhi soon after.

READ | Rahul Gandhi asked to vacate govt bungalow, gets deadline

Rahul Gandhi was convicted over a remark made during an election rally in Karnataka's Kolar in 2019; referring to fugitives Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi, he said he wondered if all thieves had 'Modi' as a surname, and the remark was seen as a slight on the prime minister. He was handed a two-year sentence that was suspended immediately to allow him to appeal the verdict.

READ | Rahul Gandhi, Cong leaders in Surat court today to challenge conviction

In his first remarks after the verdict, Rahul Gandhi hit out at the BJP and prime minister Modi, accusing the latter of engineering his disqualification over he was afraid his next speech in Parliament; Gandhi has been critical of the BJP and Modi over the Adani-Hindenburg row.

Meanwhile, the BJP has counter-attacked with union law minister Kiren Rijiju calling Gandhi's presence 'childish'. "What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court.," he tweeted.

READ | Two 'Rs' never together: Sambit Patra's dig at Rahul, Congress

Also, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra mocked the Congress over Rahul Gandhi's appearance in the Surat court, telling reporters, When action was taken against PV Narasimha Rao, there is no fuss, but against Rahul Gandhi law changes.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Monday granted bail extension by the Surat sessions court and his next date of hearing has been fixed for April 13. Gandhi was granted bail and his sentence was suspended for 30 days allowing him to appeal the decision. (Facebook | Rahul Gandhi)

Surat court has also asked respondents to file a reply by April 10 in the case.

The development comes in wake of the 2019 criminal defamation case where he was disqualified from Lok Sabha after being sentenced to two years in prison.

In his plea, Gandhi had asked the court to set aside the magistrate order convicting him in the defamation case.

He also sought for an interim stay on the conviction till the matter was disposed off.

The Gujarat Congress released a statement on the developments that took place in the court.

Rahul Gandhi has been granted bail by a Surat court in a defamation case. The next hearing will be held on April 13 and further hearing will take place on May 3. A hearing could not be held today as the complainant and his lawyer were not present in the court. A large number of Congress party workers, leaders and office bearers from all over Gujarat and other states were present in support of Rahul Gandhi in order to save democracy and oppose the dictatorial approach of this ruling government, according to a statement by Gujarat Congress.

Earlier in the day, union law minister Kiren Rijiju hit out at Gandhi as the Congress leader had arrived in Surat along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party veterans.

Rijiju said that Rahul Gandhi had secured an exemption from appearing in the court when the hearing was on and was now taking a processionwhen personal appearance is not needed.

On March 23, the Surat court convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case against him over his Modi surname remark.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi refusing to apologise, trying to put pressure on judiciary: BJP

Gandhi was granted bail and his sentence was suspended for 30 days allowing him to appeal the decision.

However, he was soon suspended by the Lok Sabha secretariat.

The election commission (EC) is also awaiting the 30-day period given by court to Gandhi for it to take a call on the now-vacant Wayanad constituency.

On March 17, the court of chief judicial magistrate HH Varma, concluded hearing final arguments and set March 23 as the date to pronounce the verdict.

Days after his disqualification, Gandhi was served a notice to vacate his official Delhi bungalow, as he was no longer entitled to it.

The case was filed against Gandhi based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?.

The complainant had claimed that the controversial remark was made at a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections that has defamed the entire Modi community.

The guilty verdict and the disqualification from Parliament including eviction from official bunglow had triggered a political slugfest between the Congress and ruling BJP.

Significantly, several other opposition parties - including Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress (TMC) and K Chandrashekhar Raos Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), united to support Gandhi.

Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Akhilesh Yadavs Samajwadi Party (SP) also backed Gandhi.
A Surat court on Monday granted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi bail and suspended his two-year prison sentence for criminal defamation, setting April 13 as the next date of hearing in his appeal against the conviction that cost him his seat in Parliament last month. Rahul Gandhi outside the Surat court on Monday. (AP)

Gandhi, the former member of Parliament from Wayanad, challenged his March 23 conviction in the Surat sessions court on Monday. But the court refused to immediately stay his conviction and asked the complainant, state lawmaker Purnesh Modi, to respond to Gandhis petition by April 10.

Rahul Gandhi has been granted bail by the honourable court. The sentencing was stayed. Now, the application for the stay of conviction is posted for hearing on April 13, said advocate Rohan Panwala, who represents Gandhi.

A stay on the conviction is crucial for Gandhi as it can prompt the Lok Sabha secretariat to restore Gandhis seat in the Lok Sabha after he was disqualified from the House on March 24. The appellant (Gandhi) will need to be present during the hearing in person.

In this struggle, truth is my weapon, and truth is my support! tweeted Gandhi, who was present during the hearing.

The Congresss legal team said Gandhi filed two appeals as a part of his petition  one against the sentencing (asking for bail) and the other one to stay the conviction. Gandhi was convicted of criminal defamation by a Surat court for comments made ahead of the 2019 general elections on the Modi surname. The lower court sentenced him to two years in prison but gave him 30 days to appeal the judgment.

The outcome of the hearing has been satisfactory, said Congress leader and senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, But what is noteworthy is the way the complainant (Purnesh Modi) took deliberate extension to make the process longer.

Additional sessions judge RP Mogera said Gandhi will remain on bail, pending hearing of the appeal, on furnishing a bond of 15,000.The order also suspended his sentence.

The Congress turned Gandhis journey to Surat into a major show-of-strength. Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, general secretary KC Venugopal, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, former Union minister Ajay Maken, and several senior leaders accompanied Gandhi to Surat.

The move triggered a political row. Union law minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the decision of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi was attempting to exert undue pressure on the judiciary.

Shri Rahul Gandhi never ceases to amaze! So far, he avoided appearing in courts, and would field lawyers to secure exemption from his personal appearance. And now he is taking a procession to Surat when personal appearance is not needed, Rijiju tweeted.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor dismissed the BJPs charges. That is an absurd allegation. First of all, who attends the court is not a source of pressure. If at all there is a source of pressure on the judiciary, I think we can all guess where that is likely to come from, the former Union minister said.

Under the law, the conviction and two-year jail term renders Gandhi unfit to enter either House of Parliament for a period of eight years. But this can be reversed if he can get the conviction overturned by a higher court.

In his petition, Gandhi said the conviction was erroneous, patently perverse, and unduly harsh, arguing that the trial court substantially based its finding on the fact that he was an MP.

Even while deciding the merits of the case, the learned judge inferred that being a Member of Parliament the appellant would have known the effects of the words allegedly used by him. At the stage of awarding sentence, the applicant was chosen for the harshest possible sentence, predominantly because he was at the time of occurrence, a Member of Parliament. Further as a parliamentarian he had to be dealt with sternly to give full deterrent effect to the provisions concerning to defamation, said the petition, a copy of which HT has seen.

Since the learned trial Judge was overwhelmingly influenced by the status of applicant as Member of Parliament, he certainly presumed that the award of maximum sentence of two years would entail disqualification as a Member of Parliament. It, therefore, appears reasonable to argue that the applicant was really sentenced in a manner so as to attract the order of disqualification, the plea added.

Since his conviction, Gandhi has been asked to vacate his official residence in Delhi. The development has also sparked a rare moment of Opposition unity with most parties opposed to the BJP backing him.

The judgment of conviction and order of sentence passed by the CJM (chief judicial magistrate) is erroneous, patently perverse, in flagrant violation of principles of appreciation of evidence in criminal trial, illegal and unwarranted on the facts and circumstances of the case and on the evidence to substantiate the charge levelled against the appellant/accused, said the petition.

The issue may also be looked at from the point of view of the electorate. The disqualification of an elected representative essentially interferes with the choice of the electorate in a free and fair election. The disqualification disentitles the said elected representative from re-contesting the bypoll and consequently the electorate has to forgo the right to have a representative, who is truly representative of the majority voters of the constituency, the plea further argued.
On Monday, Congress' former Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi arrived Gujarat's Surat where he filed an appeal in a sessions court against a lower court order that found him guilty of criminal defamation for his all thieves have Modi surname remark. The court accepted his petition and posted it for hearing on April 13. On March 24, barely twenty-four hours after a lower court in the city found Gandhi guilty of defaming the entire Modi community in a case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi, the ex-Congress president was disqualified from Lok Sabha under a rule which bars convicted MPs from holding Lok Sabha membership.

Days later, he was also directed to vacate his official residence in New Delhi that was allotted to him as an MP, with the deadline to do so being April 22.

Gandhi had made the Modi surname remark in April 2019 in Karnataka's Kolar, while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections. His target was PM Narendra Modi, whom he equated with fugitives like Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi. The former Congress MP was given the maximum 2-year jail term for his offence, but the sentence was suspended for thirty days for him to file an appeal against the order. If the conviction, however, is not overturned, he will stand disqualified from contesting elections for the next 8 years.
Union law minister Kiren Rijiju stepped up the attack on Rahul Gandhi as the Congress leader arrived in Surat along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party veterans to appeal against his conviction in the 2019 defamation case. Rijiju said that Rahul Gandhi had secured an exemption from appearing in the court when the hearing was on and was now taking a processionwhen personal appearance is not needed. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrives at sessions court in Surat.(Twitter / Congress )

"Shri Rahul Gandhi "never ceases" to amaze! So far he avoided appearing in courts, and would field lawyers to secure exemption from his personal appearance. And now he is taking a Procession to Surat When Personal appearance is not needed," he said in a tweet. People and Courts are watching.

Rahul Gandhi in Surat: Follow all LIVE updates here

Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal in the sessions court in Surat challenging his conviction and sentencing by a lower court in the criminal defamation case over the "Modi surname" remark, hoping to overturn a judgement that resulted in his expulsion from parliament. His legal team filed appeal no. 254/2023 before he reached the court and sought bail.

The court accepted his petition and posted it for hearing on April 13. He was also granted interim bail till the next date of hearing.

Earlier today, the 52-year-old Congress leader reached Surat via a scheduled commercial flight along with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He was received at the Surat airport by Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot before they left for the sessions court.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted Gandhi for what the Congress said was a symbol of support, calling it a "drama" and a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court.

"My point is very simple -- why the Congress party is trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary? There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" Rijiju asked while talking to reporters in the Parliament House complex in New Delhi.

He wondered whether there has ever been a case in the past where an entire political party tried to "gherao" a court.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to hit back at Rijiju, saying, "The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocrisy in Modi's rule)."

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will arrive in Gujarats Surat today to challenge his conviction and two-year sentence in a criminal defamation case in the sessions court here. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (PTI File Photo)

People familiar with the matter said that the former Congress chief, who was recently disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his court conviction, will arrive in the city from Delhi and reach the court by afternoon. Congress workers have gathered outside the court ahead of Gandhis arrival and police have amped up security in the premises in view of the developments.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, took a swipe at Gandhi and the Congress over the issue. Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot & Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat & will be creating a mayhem in the name of appealing against the verdict. Whats the need for this ruckus? BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference in Delhi.

Sharing a video of Patras press conference on Twitter, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said, Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an Appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama. What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics.

Earlier on Sunday, Gandhis advocate Kirit Panwala said the Congress leader, in his plea, has asked the sessions court to set aside the magistrates order convicting him in the defamation case. He has also asked for an interim stay on the conviction till the matter is disposed of.

On March 23, the Surat court convicted Gandhi over his Modi surname remark based on a complaint lodged by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi. The court, however, granted bail to Gandhi and suspended his sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal against the decision.

The complainant claimed that Gandhis remark, made at a rally at Kolar in Karnataka ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had defamed the entire Modi community. In his controversial remark, Gandhi had said, How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname?

Following his conviction, the Lok Sabha secretariat suspended Gandhis Parliament membership and served him a notice to vacate his official Delhi bungalow.

Last week, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that it was in no hurry to hold the by-poll to Keralas Wayanad Lok Sabha seat left vacant after Gandhis disqualification as he has 30 days to exercise judicial remedies.

If his conviction is not put on hold by the higher court, Gandhi will not be allowed to contest elections for the next eight years and the Election Commission will announce a by-election in Wayanad.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday after passing the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 without discussion amid uproar by opposition members over the Adani issue. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration on Monday. (ANI Photo/Sansad TV)(ANI)

Soon after the Upper House reassembled at 2 pm, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar greeted the members on the occasion of Rajya Sabha Day and urged them to participate in discussion, dialogue and deliberations instead of indulging in disruptions.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman then moved the the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage amid slogan-shouting by Opposition members.

Watch | Rajya Sabha Chairman teases Raghav Chadha over dating rumours with Parineeti Chopra

Dhankhar put the Bill to voice vote even as the Opposition members continued slogan shouting and passed it before adjourning the House for the day.

The House will now meet on Wednesday.

The bill, which was passed on March 29 by Lok Sabha, provides for the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to impose penalties on entities based on their global turnover instead of the current practice of considering only relevant market turnover. The Corporate Affairs Ministry has made certain amendments to the original bill.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament on August 5 last year. Then, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance chaired by BJP member Jayant Sinha. The panel tabled its report in Parliament on December 13.

Earlier in the day, the Upper House was adjourned as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the charges against the Adani Group.

Congress MPs sported black clothes while TMC members wore black face masks.

Opposition MPs began shouting slogans as the Chairman called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of the day's proceedings.

No sooner had the papers been laid than Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
The Chennai police on Monday arrested Hari Padman, a senior instructor at Kalakshetra Foundation, on a complaint filed by an alumna on Friday that he sexually harassed her when she was a student at the storied dance school run by it, even as students who protesting over inaction on sexual harassment complaints said the governing board has agreed to consider dismissing three of the instructors involved, Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath, and suspend Padman. Director Revathi Ramachandran, who is also a member of the governing board, did not respond to HTs calls and messages. (Representative Photo)

Director Revathi Ramachandran, who is also a member of the governing board, did not respond to HTs calls and messages.

Padman was the first to be accused for several months by students of the Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (in the Kalakshetra campus) but the foundation sought to dismiss their claims. They began protesting on March 30 demanding that four teachers including Padman be suspended for alleged sexual harassment against female and male students.

The protest was temporarily called off on March 31 following the intervention of the head of the Tamil Nadu State Women Commission A S Kumari. She spent five hours on campus and collected close to a 100 written complaints on sexual and mental harassment. The issue echoed in the state legislative assembly the same day and chief minister M K Stalin promised legal action if the allegations were found to be true.

The students said on Monday that the board agreed to look into their demands which include acknowledgement of the students union, and implementing measures to address verbal and sexual harassment, sexism, body shaming and colourism on campus. They have orally agreed to consider our demands. We want it in writing, said one of the protesting students, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Padman, a senior instructor, was booked under sections 354A (sexual harassment) 509 (use of acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Women Harassment Act, 2013, police said.

The all-women police station in Adyar registered a case on Friday based on the alumnas complaint ; she studied under Padman from 2015 to 2019. He was in Hyderabad and he was not traceable after he returned but we arrested him in Chennai today, a senior police official said, asking not to be named. The official added that a police team is in Kerala to meet with more alumnae on the basis of the complaint.

Students and alumni said they have complained of harassment since 2008 but that the schools management did not take them seriously. In anonymous online posts several students and alumni have shared experiences of being sexually harassed -- with opportunities to be repertory dancers in Kalakshetras famed dance dramas at stake.

The arrest, the state governments investigation, and the boards decision come after weeks of denial.

On March 19, Kalakshetras administration released a statement that said the schools Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) found no truth in the allegations.

Kumari, the state Womens Commission chief on Monday summoned Kalaksetras director Revathi Ramachandran and deputy director S Padmvathy to appear before her with the ICC report. But they did not bring the ICC report today, said Kumari. Ive told them to send it to me . They brought documents to show how they have handled the issue.

When the protest started on March 30, Ramachandran announced the school was being closed till April 6, asked the students to vacate the hostel within two days and postponed the exams. The students appealed to Kumari , asking that exams be conducted . On Monday Kalakshetra released a statement that it would hold exams from April 5. Exam schedule will be released shortly, said Principal Pakala Ramadoss.

On March 25, Ramachandran met Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) Sylendra Babu to share details of the ICCs reportand maintain that the allegations were rumours to spoil the image of Kalakshetra.

During the last few months, a scurrilous campaign is being carried out through social media posts casting aspirations on the functioning of Kalakshetra Foundation, and targeting some members of faculty and also malingering the institutions credibility, the Foundation said on March 25.

That statement forced the National Commission of Women to say it was closing the case after initially seeking action against t Padman and Ramachandran.

Founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale in 1936, Kalakshetra functions autonomously under the Union ministry of culture. It is spread across 100 acres in Chennai and serves as a learning and performance space for fine arts among which Bharathnatiyam is its most revered and popular form.
Amid rising coronavirus cases, the Serum Institute of India has written a letter to the Union health ministry seeking the inclusion of its COVID-19 vaccine Covovax on the CoWIN portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults, official sources said on Monday. The letter was written by Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Serum Institute of India (SII) on March 27, they said.(HT_PRINT)

The letter was written by Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Serum Institute of India (SII) on March 27, they said.

Last month, COVID-19 Working Group headed by Dr N K Arora had also recommended to the health ministry inclusion of Covovax on the CoWIN portal as a heterologous booster dose for adults who have been vaccinated with two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin.

Also read: India reports 3,641 fresh Covid cases, active caseload at 20,219

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) had on January 16 approved the market authorisation for Covovax for those who have been administered two doses of either Covishield or Covaxin. Also, Covovax has been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

The DCGI had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28, 2021, in the 12-17 age group on March 9, 2022, and in the 7-11 age group on June 28, 2022, subject to certain conditions.

Also read: Ggm health dept asks residents to follow Covid appropriate behaviour

Covovax is manufactured through technology transfer from US-based vaccine maker Novavax. It has been approved by the European Medicines Agency for conditional marketing authorisation. It was granted emergency-use listing by WHO on December 17, 2021.

In August 2020, Novavax Inc. had announced a licence agreement with the SII for the development and commercialisation of NVX-CoV2373, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in India, and low and middle-income countries.
Making a strong pitch for opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Tamil Nadu chief minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin on Monday said there was no use in separate voices, and there should be collective effort towards ensuring federalism, equality and social justice. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and other Opposition leaders at the meeting on Monday. (PTI)

Read here: MK Stalin to lead opposition leaders meeting in hybrid mode

Speaking at the inauguration of the All India Federation for Social Justice, Stalin also hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka for scrapping the 4% quota for Muslims to hike the reservation given to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, in a politically significant move, ahead of the high-stake assembly elections on April 13.

The conference saw the participation of 19 opposition parties in hybrid mode in Delhi.

Calling for collective efforts, Stalin said: We should raise our voice to establish the principles of federalism, state autonomy, secularism, equality, fraternity, socialism and social justice all over India. It should not be a lone voice. There should not be different individual voices either. It should be a voice of unity, a voice of coalition.

However idealistic an ideology may be, for it to succeed, the unity among the parties which have accepted the ideology is of great importance. Such unity is not enough, if it is in only a few states. It has to happen in every state. It has to be for the whole of India. It is for that unity, federations like this will serve as the foundation. Lets fight together to create an India of social justice, an India of equal justice and an India of Brotherhood, he added.

The DMK chief also slammed the Centre for cunningly adding economically along with socially and educationally in reservation. They have already given reservation on the basis of economic status. It is not a static criterion though. One who is poor today can become rich tomorrow and vice versa. A few can even conceal the wealth they possess. Hence, it is not right to have this criterion for reservation, he said.

Hitting out at the Karnataka government for doing away with the 4% quota for Muslims in Karnataka, Stalin said: The quota scrapped for Muslims have been given to other two communities by setting the ground for enmity between the groups concerned. They have done this keeping the upcoming elections in mind. People have been discriminated against based on a notion of who votes for BJP and who does not. Social justice has been murdered so blatantly in Karnataka, he said.

Chief ministers Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand) and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav were among those who attended the conference. At the end of the meeting, the party agreed on two factors  a national census of backward communities and reservation in the private sector.

Read here: CM Stalin promises probe as Kalakshetra stir brews

Our government has begun conducting a census in Bihar and the results are expected soon. Based on the outcome, we will decide on the quantum of reservation, Tejashwi said.

National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, who also attended the meeting, said: Unless we unite and form the government at the Centre, these goals cannot be achieved. We support Stalin and must stay united to see that the future is bright and prosperous for everyone.
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government on Monday suspended four persons, including the chief superintendent of an examination centre in Vikarabad districts Tandur area for allegedly circulating the question paper of a class 10 examination within minutes of the commencement of the exam. The leak of the Telugu question paper of class 10 on the first day of the commencement of the examination triggered a furore (File Photo/Representative Image)

The leak of the Telugu question paper of class 10 on the first day of the commencement of the examination triggered a furore and came at a time when the Hyderabad police set up a special investigation team to probe the leak of question papers of recruitment tests conducted by the Telanganas state public service commission.

In an official statement, Telangana director of the school education department Sri Devasena said Shiva Kumar, headmaster of zilla parishad high school, Muddaipet village of Yalal block who was the chief superintendent of the examination centre; K Gopal and S Bandappa, both school assistants at government high school Tandur and Sammappa, another school assistant at zilla parishad school, Chengole of Tandur block, have been suspended

Devasena said an investigation by Vikarabad district collector C Narayana Reddy and superintendent of police N Koti Reddy revealed that minutes after the commencement of the examination, Bandappa took a photograph of the question paper and sent it to Sammappa on WhatsApp and from there, it reached others

However, an inquiry revealed that no outside person was allowed to enter the centre or go out. So, the chance of leaking the question papers to others is ruled out. The sanctity and integrity of the conduct of exam has not been compromised in the examination centre and was just an isolated instance of malpractice by the invigilator, she said.

She said the collector had been directed to take action as per the law.

There is no change in the schedule of further examinations from Tuesday. Parents and students are assured that there is no reason for worry or apprehension in the matter, the school education director said.

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Thiruvananthapuram: Three people, including a two-year-old girl, were killed and nine others received burn injuries after an unidentified personpoured petrol on fellow passengers and set them afire on a Kannur-bound express train in Kerala on Sunday night, police said on Monday, adding no arrests have been made so far. Police personnel investigate the train fire incident, in Keralas Kozhikode on Monday. (ANI)

According to the police, the incident happened in the D1 compartment of Alappuzha-Kannur Express, also known as Executive Express, at 9.45 pm on Sunday between Elathur and Koyilandi railway stations.

The bodies of Sahramath (two), her aunt M Rehmat (45) and M Noufeeq (in his 40s), a fish merchant, were recovered from the railway tracks, police said. Prima facie the police suspect the three may have jumped out of the moving train in panic after fellow passengers were set ablaze. All three received head injuries, said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity. No burn injuries were found on the deceased.

Kerala anti-terrorism squad (ATS) Inspector General of Police (IGP) P Vijayan said no arrests have been made in connection with the incident so far. He refused to entertain questions about the involvement of a person from Noida in Uttar Pradesh  as was reported in the local media  saying the investigation was underway.

Nine passengers who suffered burns in the incident are admitted in various hospitals in Kozhikode. Doctors said the condition of the two of those injured was critical.

None of the passengers said they had any altercation or argument with the accused, a railway police officer said, declining to be named. As soon as the incident took place, some passengers jumped off the running train in panic and the bodies of the three passengers, who went missing from the train after the fire, were recovered from the tracks near the Elathur railway station late on Sunday night, added the railway officer.

According to an eye-witness, soon after the train was stopped by passengers by pulling the emergency chain, the suspect wearing a red shirt and jeans jumped out and fled. The train was stopped on a bridge on the Korapuzha river and it triggered more panic, said the eye-witness.

It was utter confusion and people started running and crying for help. Initially, we thought he [the suspect] was just spraying water but soon we smelled petrol. Before we could react, he lit the fire, said P Ratheesh, one of the passengers. He added that some of the passengers warned others not to alight in panic as the train was struck on the bridge.

Another passenger said the suspect was loitering around in the trains compartment before he started pouring petrol on other. In seconds, he lit the fire using a lighter, said the second passenger. He added that the suspect also suffered burn injuries.

A police officer said they suspect it was a well-planned and executed criminal act. The location on the bridge was chosen to inflict maximum damage. In Elathur, a big reservoir of fuel is also near the railway tracks. We are not ruling out a possible terror angle at this juncture, said the officer, who did not want to be named.

Police said they recovered a bag with a bottle of petrol, two mobile phones, a lunch box, and a pair of clothes. The last call from one of the phones was made on March 30.

On Monday, police released the sketch of the main suspect based on the description the witnesses provided. They said a major mishap was averted as the alert passengers pulled the alarm chain and stopped the train.

Meanwhile, the police have registered a case under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 326A (causing grievous burns), and 436 (mischief by fire) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 151 (damaging railway property) of the Railway Act. A senior police officer said the case may be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the incident shocking and said a special investigation team will be constituted and states director general of police (DGP) Anil Kant will supervise the probe. The state government will take necessary measures to ensure the safety of rail passengers, Vijayan said. We have also asked the railway ministry to step up security at railway stations and on trains.

Kant said they have got some clues and working on those leads.

In New Delhi, railway minister Ashwani Vaishnav said it was a serious incident and they have also started an investigation.

EP Jayarajan, the convener of the Keralas ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance said it seems to be a clear case of terror. He added: Disruptive forces are quite jealous about peace and harmony prevailing in the state.

Senior Congress leader and former leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala said there was a need to increase the security in trains and everyone should be checked before being permitted to board a train. It would be unfortunate if people cannot travel safely in trains. It is an unprecedented incident. The state and central governments should take up the issue seriously, he added.

Officials said the railways have stepped up vigil at stations and on trains and that the ticket examiner on the Kannur Express told police that the suspect did not have a reserved ticket.

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Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Monday took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by sharing a picture that she called a WhatsApp forward alert. The morphed picture shows former US president Donald Trump who is seen wearing a BJP-printed scarf - which was photoshopped - entering a room in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is standing. TMC MP Mahua Moitra.(PTI)

Also read: Mahua Moitra reacts as Israels ex-envoy Ron Malka named Adani Group's Haifa port chairman

Moitra captioned the picture - Trump joins BJP to evade arrest - in an apparent allegation that people join BJP to get a clean chit.

Notably, ever since Rahul Gandhi's conviction in a criminal defamation case for his remarks on Modi surname, the opposition has been hitting out at the saffron party, alleging that everyone who joins the BJP, gets a clean chit from the offences.

Donald Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week. The investigation is scrutinizing the six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

On Monday evening (IST), Trump is headed to New York where he will surrender to the criminal charges. The 76-year-old Republican - who is the first American president ever to be criminally indicted - will be formally charged on Tuesday in the hush money case.
Three people, including a child, were killed and eight others received burn injuries after an unidentified person poured petrol on fellow passengers and set them afire on the Kannur Express in Kerala on Sunday night. Police inside a compartment of the Kannur Express. (ANI)

The bodies of Sahramath, her aunt M Rehmat and M Noufeeq, a fish merchant, were recovered from the railway tracks. Police suspect the three may have jumped out of the moving train in panic after they were set afire. All three received head injuries.

Doctors said the condition of the two of those injured was critical. An eye-witness said soon after the train was stopped, the suspect wearing a red shirt and jeans jumped out of it and fled. The train was stopped on a bridge on the Korapuzha river and it triggered more panic.

It was utter confusion and people started running and crying for help. Initially, we thought he [the suspect] was just spraying water but soon we smelled petrol. Before we could react, he lit the fire, said P Ratheesh, one of the passengers. He said some of the passengers warned others not to alight in panic as the train was struck on the bridge.

Another passenger said the suspect was loitering around the train before he started pouring petrol on co-passengers. In seconds, he lit the fire using a lighter, said the second passenger. He added the suspect also suffered burn injuries and that the incident occurred between Elathur and Koyilandi railway stations around 9.30pm when the train was moving at a high speed.

A police officer said they suspect it was a well-planned and executed criminal act. The location on the bridge was chosen to inflict maximum damage. In Elathur, a big reservoir of fuel is also near the railway track. We are not ruling out a possible terror angle at this juncture, said the police officer, who did not want to be named.

Police said they recovered a bag with a bottle of petrol, two mobile phones, a lunch box, and a pair of clothes. The last call from one of the phones was made on March 30.

Police released the sketch of the main suspect based on the description the witnesses provided. They said a major mishap was averted as the alert passengers pulled the alarm chain and stopped the train.

Reports in the local media said the suspect is from Noida in Uttar Pradesh but police were yet to confirm it. Police have registered a case including under the Explosive Substances Act and are likely to hand it over to the National Investigation Agency.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the incident shocking and said a special investigation team will be constituted and police chief Anil Kant will supervise the probe. The state government will take necessary measures to ensure the safety of rail passengers. We have also asked the railway ministry to step up security at railway stations and on trains.

Kant said they have got some clues and working on those leads.

In New Delhi, railway minister Ashwani Vaishnav said it was a serious incident and they have also started an investigation.

Officials said the railways have stepped up vigil at stations and on trains and that the ticket examiner on the Kannur Express told police that the suspect did not have a reserved ticket.

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Unseasonal rain and hailstorms at the time mango orchards were flowering may have damaged up to 25% of Uttar Pradeshs production, according to the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture in Lucknow. While 35% of the production in Mal-Malihabad belt, one of the largest producers of mangoes in the state, may have been affected, other districts could see 20-25% crop damage. 35% of the mango production in Mal-Malihabad belt, Uttar Pradesh, may have been affected.

Read here: Untimely rainfall damages crops on 35,480 ha in Uttar Pradesh

After rain and hailstorms in northern India, eight teams of scientists were constituted to conduct a survey assess losses in several districts of Uttar Pradesh, director T Damodaran said. Different teams conducted surveys in Sitapur, Malihabad, Barabanki, Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Muzaffarnagar, Shahjahanpur, Shamli, Varanasi and Kushinagar, among other districts. We found that the Mal-Malihabad region had suffered more damage (35%), while other districts saw damage up to 20-25%.

Unseasonal rain affect mango flowering in various ways, and fungal disease is the most common. Untimely showers also lead to diseases such as anthracnose infection in fruits, blossom blight and powdery mildew among others, said PK Shukla, principal scientist and head of the crop protection department at the institute.

Other factors that affect production include lower pollination due to excessive spraying of chemicals, he added.

This year, Malihabad showed signs of a thriving mango crop, but it was snuffed out. The first rain was beneficial to flowers, but the second and third consecutive showers, followed by hailstorm in March, turned the panicles black, which may or may not develop into healthy fruit, said Insram Ali, president of All India Mango Growers Association, a producers collective.

The dussehri, chausa, langra and lakhnauva varieties may be the worst affected, Ali said.

Despite the damage, Indias largest producer of mangoes could still post a record harvest. Uttar Pradesh holds pole position in mango production, according to the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, with a share of 23.58% of the countrys output and the highest productivity in 2021-22. It is also the largest producer of dussehri mangoes.

Read here: 40% wheat already damaged, more rains to pile up Punjab farmers woes

The production of mangoes will be bumper this year as there is still time, Shukla said. The exact figure of the yield is yet to be ascertained, he said. It will depend on the weather.
A mahant at the Hanumangarhi Mandir here on Monday invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to stay on the temple premises after he vacates the government bungalow allotted to him as Member of Parliament. Earlier, too, Congress former president Rahul Gandhi went to Ayodhya's Hanumangarhi temple.(PTI)

Gandhi was recently served a notice to vacate the bungalow following his disqualification from Lok Sabha on being convicted by a Gujarat court in a criminal defamation case and awarded a two-year sentence.

The "offer" was interpreted by some as an expression of support for the Congress from a mahant of a temple in a BJP bastion.

"We, the seers of Ayodhya, welcome Rahul Gandhi to this pious city, we offer him our place to reside," priest Sanjay Das said.

Mahant Sanjay Das is heir to the prestigious seat of Mahant Gyan Das, the elderly seer of Hanumangarhi. Sanjay Das is also the national president of the Sankat Mochan Sena.

Talking to PTI, Das said if Gandhi wants to come and live in the Hanumangarhi campus, he is most welcome.

"Rahul Gandhi must come to Ayodhya and visit Hanumangarhi and offer prayers here. There are many such ashrams in the campus area of Hanumangarhi, he should come and stay in our ashram, we will be happy," he added.
The Congress and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party Monday over Ram Navami clashes in Bengal and other states last week, accusing prime minister Narendra Modi's outfit of 'incit(ing) riots... sponsored and targeted violence' before elections or in opposition-ruled states. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kathua. (ANI Photo)

"When BJP realises it is getting weakened, then they incite riots and polarise people..." Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters.

Sanjay Raut, ex-Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's strongman, said, "Violence happening in Bengal is planned, sponsored and targeted by BJP... wherever elections are near or where BJP is weak, there are riots."

The attack on the BJP - the Congress and Thackeray's Sena are allies - comes as Modi's party preps for a potentially crucial Karnataka election next month ahead of polls in eight other states and the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The Congress, Thackeray's Sena and other opposition parties have united on several issues over the past months as they bid to challenge the BJP in 2024.

The conviction of ex-Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case - by a court in Gujarat - has added further impetus to that unity, with even the Trinamool and Telangana's Bharat Rashtra Samithi appearing to soften.

Violence during Ram Navami processions were reported from several states, including Bihar and Maharashtra and BJP-ruled Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh last week, with clashes in Bengal making particularly large headlines.

In Bengal, the BJP's state unit has attacked chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress, claiming orchestrated violence against 'Ram bhakts' and a 'deteriorating law and order' situation.

READ | Ram Navami clashes in Bengals Hooghly; BJP MLA 'injured'

Sukanta Majumdar, the BJP's chief in Bengal, has twice written to union home minister Amit Shah; on Sunday he claimed attacks had 'not yet been stopped'.

READ | 'Bangal mein BJP ayegi toh...': Babul Supriyo on Howrah violence

Majumdar also tweeted accusing Banerjee of ' targeting Hindus' and claimed a fresh attack in Howrah on Sunday, in which BJP MP Dilip Ghosh was participating, and said 'his vehicle was torched'. BJP MLA Biman Ghosh was reportedly injured, as were several police personnel.

READ | Fresh violence erupts in Hooghly during BJP's Shobha yatra: Video

This morning police said large gatherings had been banned and internet services (in some places of Howrah) was cut till 10 pm to maintain order.

The ruling Trinamool has handed over investigations into Ram Navami clashes in Bengal to the Criminal Investigation Department and has blamed the BJP.

Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told news agency ANI the incidents were pre-planned'. "These people are trying to create unrest in the name of Ram Navami."

Meanwhile, Ram Navami violence in Bihar's Nalanda and Sasaram districts led to the death of one person and injuries to at least 10 people.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar - who controversially dumped ex-allies the BJP for Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal last year - has announced 5 lakh compensation for the family of the deceased and blamed 'some people indulging in 'gadbad' (wrongdoing)... trying to disrupt communal harmony'.

District officials have refuted reports of people fleeing from affected areas.

With input from agencies

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Indore, a key city in Central India which has always been steeped in culture, fashion and royal elegance is now playing host to QALA ka Qila - A Lifestyle Exhibition by QALA India to bridge the gap between well-known designers (Qalakars) and Tier 2 cities. The grand show was inaugurated on 3rd April by Dr Gunmeet Bindra, who is the 1st Female Principal of Daly College Indore. The 2-Day event is the brainchild of Neha Agrawal who is a fashion designer and Shagun Bansal a fashion enthusiast, with a vision to develop a platform that brings together artists & independent designers and to create a show that has never been done before in a city full of textile, art, and architectural treasures to leave a lasting impression on the visitors. QALA ka Qila - will be held at Radisson Blu, Indore till 4th April 2023. Renowned Indian artists showcase their creations at 'QALA Ka Qila' exhibition(ANI photo)

QALA India is aimed to bring major Jewellers, fashion designers, artisans and their creations to the tier 2 audiences at their doorstep. The specially curated show will showcase 27 Designers from all across the Country out of which 90 per cent are women designers. The show will display designer clothes for both Men and Women, bespoke jewellery, handcrafted shoes and home decor. Part of the proceedings from QALA India will be donated to Khushi Foundation and JGHS School, Mhow. Several noted designers like Raghvendra Rathore, Khanna Jewellers, Chandrima, Studio Medium, Mityan, Mimansa, Weaverstory and many more from across the country will be part of this 2-day grand extravaganza.

Dr Gunmeet Bindra, Principal Daly College Indore Shared, "Madhya Pradesh is becoming a major fashion hub for both contemporary and traditional brands and especially city like Indore is at the forefront in bringing popular fashion brands for us to experience. My heartfelt congratulations to Neha Agrawal and Shagun Bansal for hosting "QALA ka Qila", an exquisite show in our city. There is no lack of talent in this industry and I hope such shows will bring out more local talent to the forefront of this mega Indian Fashion Industry."

Neha Agrawal Co-founder QALA India shared, "Indore has been knowledgeable and well versed with the fashion industry since a long time. Being the business & trading hub of Madhya Pradesh, the residents are frequently travelling to Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata to fulfil their festive fashion and home decor requirements. QALA India is posed to bring these designers and their products to the doorstep of the Indore audience. We aim to highlight the local designers and artisans to give them a much-needed platform within the city to display their skills and to show their product range."

Shagun Bansal Co-founder QALA India further added, "Being from a small city like Raipur, I always admired my mother or my grandmothers love for traditional fabrics and the intricacies in their creation. It was this knowledge that drove my interest in different weave, cloth and historical artefacts which opened my eyes to new possibilities beyond styling. It was with the mindset QALA India was born to promote local weavers, weaves and artisans to support their talent and to give them national exposure."

QALA India is the concept of Neha Agrawal a designer by profession and Shagun Bansal a Stylist. QALA is a one-of-a-kind exhibition that strives to provide an enchanting platform for designers and exhibitors to merchandise their products and services in Indore. In the dynamic landscape of luxury, QALA paves the way for Indian designers to leave a lasting impression on consumers.
Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Ambani, Akash Ambani with his pregnant wife, Shloka Ambani, Anant Ambani and his to-be-wife Radhika Merchant attended the Day 2 of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) event in Mumbai. Radhika, who is engaged to Anant Ambani, chose striking looks for the starry affair. On the first day, she chose a black embroidered saree. She wore an ice-blue sequinned drape on the second day. Now Radhika's glamorous after-party look from Day 2 India In Fashion Gala is doing rounds on social media. She wore a gorgeous Dolce & Gabbana outfit with heirloom jewels. Read our download below. Anant Ambani's to-be-wife Radhika Merchant's NMACC after-party look is out. (Instagram)

(Also Read | NMACC Gala: Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant, Akash Ambani-Shloka to Isha Ambani with Nita and Mukesh Ambani, who wore what)

Radhika Merchant's NMACC after-party look

Celebrity makeup and hairstylist Loveleen Ramchandani shared pictures of Radhika Merchant on Instagram. They showed Radhika dressed in a Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2019 runway look featuring a jumpsuit and matching cape jacket featuring brocade embroidery done on silk material. She served a floral aesthetic during the after-party in the stylish ensemble. However, we cannot help but swoon over the heirloom jewels Radhika wore with the D&G look. Check out the pictures below.

Radhika's jumpsuit features strapless details, a plunging sweetheart neckline highlighting her decolletage, multi-coloured flora embroidery, a bustier-style bodice, cinched waistline, side pockets, straight-fitted pants, and a figure-skimming silhouette. She completed the ensemble with a cape jacket featuring embellished raised collars, slits that acted as sleeves, brocade embroidery, and an open front.

Radhika accessorised the ensemble with a choker necklace, circle-shaped earrings, golden killer block heels, ornate gold bracelets, an embellished top handle bag, and rings. In the end, Radhika chose glossy pink lips, subtle shimmery eye shadow, sleek eyeliner, mascara on the lashes, kohl-lined eyes, rouged cheekbones, darkened brows, contoured face, and beaming highlighter. A sleek high ponytail with teased ends gave the finishing touch.
Gigi Hadid broke the internet when she walked the pink carpet on Day 2 of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Gala. Gigi wore a Chikankari saree and a jewelled blouse for the star-studded occasion. Master couturiers Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla created the supermodel's internet-breaking traditional look. Now Gigi has taken to social media to praise the two designers for bestowing her with the honour of wearing the beauteous creation. She also gave credit to the women artisans who worked on the look. Gigi Hadid thanks Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for her NMACC Chikankari saree. (Instagram)

(Also Read | Priyanka Chopra wore a 60-year-old Banarasi saree crafted over six months to NMACC, designer shares all details. Read)

Gigi Hadid thanks Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla for her NMACC look

Gigi Hadid took to Instagram to post a close-up picture of the Chikankari saree she wore on the second day of the NMACC Gala showcasing India In Fashion exhibit. She also shared several clicks of herself at the NMACC. The snippets show the masterful crafting and intricate embroidery that went into creating Gigi's look. She thanked designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla for dressing her in the ethereal ivory Chikankari saree and the jewelled blouse which took an year to make. She also gave a shout-out to the women artisans who worked on the six yards. See her Instagram story below.

Screenshot of Gigi Hadid's Instagram story.

"This Chikankari saree was made in the Lucknow region of India, & took a year to craft: each woman who worked on it specialises in a different stitch. [heart-eye emoji] Thank you @abujanisandeepkhosla for the honour of wearing this creation of a look!!! @nmacc.india," Gigi wrote in the caption.

Meanwhile, Gigi Hadid's Chikankari saree, with a thigh-high slit on the side, comes decked in intricate floral pattern embroidery, shimmering sequins, and broad golden patti borders decorated with taar, sequin and bead embellishments. She styled the pre-draped ensemble with a jewelled blouse featuring gilded shoulders and a plunging neckline.

Gigi accessorised the ensemble with ornate gold bracelets, statement rings, earrings, and killer high heels. Lastly, she chose a centre-parted sleek bun, nude lip shade, rouged cheekbones, matching eye shadow, contoured face, feathered brows, mascara on the lashes, and beaming highlighter for the glam picks.
Actor Priyanka Chopra attended both days of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Gala in Mumbai. Priyanka, with Nick Jonas, arrived at the starry affair dressed in a gorgeous custom Amit Aggarwal reimagined saree. The actor chose a brocade Banarasi silk pre-draped saree and a bustier blouse for the star-studded affair celebrating India's influence on the global fashion scene through different eras. Now, the designer is sharing all the details that went into creating the glamorous look with netizens. Keep scrolling to find out more. Priyanka Chopra wore a 60-year-old Banarasi saree crafted over six months to NMACC. (Instagram)

(Also Read | NMACC Day 2: Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra, Zendaya, Gigi Hadid to Kriti Sanon, best-dressed at India In Fashion Gala)

Priyanka Chopra's NMACC Day 2 look

After Priyanka Chopra walked the pink carpet at the NMACC India In Fashion event with Nick Jonas, designer Amit Aggarwal took to Instagram to reveal the details that went into creating her glamorous look. He shared pictures on Instagram showcasing the process of creating Priyanka's reimagined saree look. According to Amit, Priyanka wore a sixty-year-old vintage Banarasi brocade saree made using silver threads and a gold electroplating on khadi silk. The six yards were draped by hand and combined with a holographic bustier to reflect the nine colours of the Ikat weave set in brocade.

Swipe to see the process:

"For the second day of @nmacc.india, Priyanka (@priyankachopra) in our custom ensemble styled by Ami (@stylebyami). It was crafted by pairing a sixty-year-old vintage Banarasi brocade saree made using silver threads and a gold electroplating on khadi silk," Amit Aggarwal wrote in the caption.

He added, This was draped over and structured with a jewel-toned, moulded body made with our signature unique material and paired with a sequin sheet holographic bustier to reflect the nine colours of Ikat weave that the brocade is set in. The ensemble was crafted across six months, with the original vintage textile handwoven in the craft clusters of Varanasi.

Meanwhile, Priyanka had styled the silk saree with a Bulgari choker necklace, statement rings, diamond ear studs, and embellished holographic high heels. In the end, Priyanka chose side-parted lightly-tousled wavy locks, shimmering silver eye shadow, glossy mauve lip shade, winged eyeliner, mascara on the lashes, rouged cheekbones, feathered brows, dewy base, and light contouring.
Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most auspicious festivals of the Jain community. It marks the birth anniversary of the founder of Jainism - Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, also called Sage Vardhamana. This year, Mahavir Jayanti falls on Tuesday, April 4. The day serves as the celebration of the life and teachings of the eminent spiritual teacher. Mahavir Janma Kalyanak propagated the principles of dharma within the Jain faith. He believed in and preached ahimsa or non-violence, Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (chastity) and Aparigraha (non-attachment). If you and your loved ones are marking this day, here are some wishes and messages to honour the principles of Sage Vardhamana. Here are Happy Mahavir Jayanti wishes, images, status, messages and greetings to share with family and friends. (HT PHOTO)

(Also Read | Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Date, history, significance, celebration of Jain festival)

Wish you and your loved ones an auspicious Mahavir Jayanti. (HT PHOTO)

Mahavir Jayanti 2023 Wishes, Images, Status, Messages and Greetings:

On this auspicious day of Mahavir Jayanti, I pray that Swami Mahavir may bless you with a life of non-violence, compassion, and kindness. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023. (HT PHOTO)

Here's praying for peace and harmony for all on this auspicious day. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

May Lord Mahavir bless you abundantly and fill your life with happiness, success and help you to get what you desire. Wishing all my friends Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Mahavir Jayanti falls on April 4, Tuesday. (HT PHOTO)

In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard ourselves. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Let the spirit of Mahavir Swami remain in your hearts and light up your souls from within. Wish you a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of the founder of Jainism, Mahavir Janma Kalyanak. (HT PHOTO)

Adopt the path of truth, knowledge and non-violence on this auspicious day. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Follow the path of non-violence and take the holy pledge on this auspicious day of Mahavir Jayanti. Wish you and your family a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

Mahavir Janma Kalyanak was also known as Sage Vardhamana. (HT PHOTO)

Let the spirit of Mahavir Swami remain in your hearts and light up your souls from within. Wish you a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

The best way to observe such an auspicious occasion is to strive for peace, and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

The day serves as the celebration of the life and teachings of the spiritual teacher. (HT PHOTO)

There is no enemy out of your soul. The real enemies live inside yourself, they are anger, pride, curvedness, greed, attachments, and hate. Mahavir Jayanti greetings to you and your family.
Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Get ready for a festive celebration as the Jain community honours their spiritual leader on Mahavir Jayanti. This special day marks the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, the last and 24th Tirthankara and the revered teacher whose teachings of non-violence, compassion, and self-discipline continue to inspire people around the world. This day is considered to be one of the most auspicious days in the Jain calendar, and Jains around the world observe it with great enthusiasm and reverence. Mahavir Jayanti is not just a day of spiritual significance for the Jain community but also a day of culinary delight, with traditional dishes being an important part of the celebrations. This special day is a time for families and friends to come together and indulge in some mouth-watering delicacies that are unique to the Jain cuisine. (Pinterest)

This special day is a time for families and friends to come together and indulge in some mouth-watering delicacies that are unique to the Jain cuisine. Let's explore some of the delicious traditional dishes that you can make on this day to make the celebrations even more special. (Also read: Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Know shubh muhurat, rituals and puja vidhi )

Traditional dishes for Mahavir Jayanti:

1. Jain veg puff

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Veg puff(pinterest)

Ingredients:

1 cup refined flour (maida)

 cup rice flour

3 tablespoons ghee

1 green chilli, chopped

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons butter

4-5 French beans, chopped

 cup green peas, blanched

1 medium raw banana, boiled and chopped

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves

Oil to deep fry

Method:

1. Put refined flour, two tablespoons ghee and salt in a bowl and knead into stiff dough with a little water. Keep aside for ten to fifteen minutes.

2. Heat butter in a non-stick pan, add green chilli and saute for ten seconds.

3. Add French beans, green peas and raw banana and mix well.

4. Add salt and garam masala and mix. Add mint leaves and mix again and cook for one to two minutes.

5. Mash the mixture with a masher and cook for a minute. Add coriander leaves, mix well and set aside.

6. Divide dough into equal portions. Roll out each portion into a roundel as thin as possible. Brush a little ghee over them, dust with rice flour and roll tightly.

7. Heat sufficient oil in kadai.

8. Cut the rolled dough into one inch pieces, flatten them and roll into two inch diameter discs.

9. Place some vegetable mixture on one half and fold it into half- moon shape and seal well.

10. Slide them into hot oil and deep-fry, on medium heat, till crisp and golden brown.

11. Drain them on absorbent paper and serve hot.

2. Jain corn pakodas

(Recipe by Chef Tarla Dalal)

Corn Pakodas(pinterest)

Ingredients:

1 cup grated sweet corn cob

2 tbsp sweet corn kernels (makai ke dane)

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander (dhania)

2 tsp green chilli paste

2 1/2 tbsp rice flour (chawal ka atta)

salt to taste

oil for deep-frying

Method:

1. To make corn pakodas, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

2. Heat the oil in a deep kadhai, drop a little mixture and deep-fry 8 to 10 at a time on a high flame till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides.

3. Repeat step 2 to make more pakodas.

4. Serve the corn pakodas immediately with green chutney and tomato ketchup.

3. Jain paneer fried rice

(Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar)

Paneer Fried Rice(Shutterstock)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp Oil

100 gms paneer, cut in cubes

1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped (optional)

 tbsp celery, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

 cup green beans, chopped

 cup mixed bell peppers, finely chopped (red, yellow, green)

 cup cauliflower, small florets

2  cups rice, cooked

 tbsp red chilli sauce

 tbsp green chilli sauce

 tsp soy sauce

 tsp vinegar

1 tsp white pepper powder

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep bottomed non-stick kadai, saute paneer cubes till golden brown and set aside till in use.

2. Add ginger and celery to the same. Saute till fragrant.

3. Add green and red chilli. Saute till fragrant.

4. Add vegetables and saute for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the cooked rice and saute for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add red chilli sauce, green chilli sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and white pepper powder. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Add salt and mix well and serve hot.

4. Jain cholar pooriyan

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Cholar Pooriyan(pinterest)

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas (kabuli chane), soaked overnight and boiled

1 cup refined flour (maida)

3 tablespoons ghee

Salt to taste

4-5 Kashmiri red chillies, soaked

1-2 green chillies

2 tablespoons oil + to deep fry

2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon dried ginger powder (soonth)

1 cup boiled and roughly chopped raw banana

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur)

1 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds (anardana)

Method:

1. Put refined flour, two tablespoons ghee, salt and sufficient water and knead into stiff dough. Cover and set aside for fifteen minutes.

2. Put red chillies, green chillies, one teaspoon cumin seeds and ginger powder and grind in a mixer jar and grind to a coarse paste. Transfer into a bowl.

3. Heat two tablespoons oil in a non-stick pan, add remaining cumin seeds and saute till they change colour. Add ground paste and saute.

4. Add boiled chickpeas, raw banana and quarter cup water and cook on a medium heat for one to two minutes.

5. Add garam masala powder, salt, dried mango powder and dried pomegranate seeds and mix.

5. Mash the mixture with a masher in the pan itself and continue to cook for two to three minutes.

6. Add remaining ghee and mix well. Switch off the heat and set aside.

7. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.

8. Knead the dough once again and divide it into eight equal portions. Divide the stuffing into eight equal portions.

9. Roll each dough portion into a thick disc and place chickpea filling in the centre. Gather the edges and press lightly to seal. Further roll out into thick poori.

10. Slide each poori into hot oil and deep-fry till crisp and golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper.

11. Serve hot with green chutney.
The gang rape and murder of a young Dalit woman in Uttar Pradeshs Hathras district sparked nationwide outrage, but earlier this month, three of the four accused men were acquitted of all charges. While understanding the legal aspects, its important to understand the role of the police and the criminal justice system. The politics around this case also needs to be considered. PREMIUM Members of various groups demonstrate against the Hathras incident and crimes against women, Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, 2020 (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

It is important to remember that the victim hailed from the lowest caste that faces extreme forms of caste-based discrimination and violence. Hence, it was hoped that the verdict would send a strong signal to society. But that didnt happen. The answers lie in the infirmities in the legal and investigative processes in the immediate aftermath of the crime.

The First Information Report (FIR) in the case was not even drafted properly by the local police, and was written without any mention of sexual violence against the victim. Why was the victim not given proper medical treatment immediately? Why were several Indian Penal Code provisions such as Section 34 (common intention), Section 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), Section 506 (criminal intimidation) not invoked, even if belatedly? Why were sections 3(1) (w) (i) (intentionally touching Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe woman without her consent) and section 3(1) (w) (ii) (using words or gestures of a sexual nature towards a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe woman) of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act not invoked, despite the victims statement given to the police on September 22, 2020? Why did it take so long for the police to invoke IPC section 376 (D)?

In the verdict, the court said that there was ambiguity on whether the victim was gang raped. Some of the confusion stemmed from the first FIR registered after the incident, which made no mention of a sexual crime, and the delay in the initial medical examination of the victim, which was not done until the day she recorded her statement on September 22, which would go on to become her dying declaration. The delay in the medical test also did not bring evidence about the gang rape on record.

There are lots of gaps in the trial of this case.

Under the SC/ST act, the judgment should have been announced within two months of the incident, but it took over two years. The written representation of the victims family for the transfer of the case to Delhi was not entertained by the high court. The case trial went through challenges, where the members of the community the accused men belonged to organised protests, and reportedly threatened the lawyer of the victims family. The role of the public prosecutor also needs to be reviewed.

The caste of the accused men also needs to be taken into consideration.

The victims family said that their village had seen a high extent of caste-based discrimination. The Valmikis (the caste of the victim) were four families in a village of 300-odd households, and the family told reporters they were told to remain in the village by the two main dominant castes, the Brahmins and the Rajputs, to keep the area clean while the other scheduled castes community, Jatavs, moved out a long time ago. The psychological pressure and trauma that the victim and her family members must have gone through are unimaginable, and hence justice for them remains crucial.

Unfortunately, despite a strong and powerful act to protect the rights of marginalised communities facing structural inequalities, this was not achieved, strengthening false notions of caste supremacy and discrimination.

Manjula Pradeep is an anti-caste activist.

The views expressed are personal.
The Northern Lights, also known as Aurora Borealis, captivate people and evoke a sense of wonder and amazement. And witnessing the Northern Lights in person is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many. Every year, people travel from all over the world to Alaska to see this breathtaking and awe-inspiring wonder. And this group of men was no different. They visited Alaska to witness the sky light up with vivid colours and were so amazed by the aurora lights that they broke into dance. They even recorded the moment and shared it on social media. The video is winning peoples hearts, and it may have the same effect on you. The image, taken from the Instagram video, shows a group of men dancing under the Northern Lights in Alaska. (Instagram/@the_binary_traveller)

Also Read: Woman draws eight portraits with both hands and feet. Watch

Garba is as important as Northern Lights, read the caption of the video shared on Instagram. The video captures a group of men, wearing jackets and caps, performing Garba against a picturesque backdrop. As they dance, the song Chogada can be heard in the background.

Watch the dance video below:

The video was shared on March 26. It has since then received over 3.7 lakh views and close to 37,000 likes. The clip has also raked a plethora of comments from netizens.

Heres how people reacted to the dance video:

Jalebi Phapda mil jata toh Majja ajata Mota Bhai, posted an individual. Another shared, Best garba location... Plus it will keep you warm. Haha! Thats ultimate...can relate, commented a third. A fourth wrote, Best thing on the Internet today. A fifth expressed, This is so cool. Many even dropped love-struck emoticons in the comments section.

Also Read: Man shares how his dad taught him about periods. Watch

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The Hubble Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) shared stunning images of Z 229-15, a celestial object located around 390 million light-years from Earth. The celestial body can be found in the constellation Lyra. Image of Z 229-15, galaxy that is 390 million light-years far.(Instagram/@nasahubble)

"Z 229-15 is one of those interesting celestial objects that, should you choose to research it, you will find defined as several different things: sometimes as an active galactic nucleus (an AGN); sometimes as a quasar; and sometimes as a Seyfert galaxy," read a statement shared by Nasa.

Also Read: NASA's Magellan Data discovers volcanic activity on Venus for the first time

According to Nasa, AGN is a tiny region at the centre of some galaxies (known as active galaxies) that is significantly brighter than the galaxy's stars. Quasars are a form of AGN that are both incredibly bright and extremely far from Earth.Seyfert galaxies are active galaxies that are home to luminous AGNs while remaining visible.

The image shows a spiral galaxy. As per Nasa, it has two nearly straight arms that come from the core and meet a starry ring around the galaxy's edge. The ring is bluish in colour, with a golden and gleaming centre. The galaxy is also surrounded by a faint halo of light. On a black background, there is one bright star with multiple diffraction spikes and a few tiny stars.

Take a look at the post below:

This post was shared just two days ago. Since being shared, it has been liked over one lakh times. Many have even commented on the picture.

Check out a few reactions below:

An individual posted, "Thank you for sharing it. It's very interesting." Another person added, "Awesome job Hubble. Love your pictures so much, thank you." "That is so cool and very interesting to see and learn," wrote a third. A fourth added, "Wow!! So beautiful."
Three people were killed and three others were wounded in a weekend shooting involving several biker gangs inside an Oklahoma City bar, police said Sunday. Police have not made any arrests in the shooting.(Representative image/ USA Today)

One person was in critical condition and two others suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting that took place about 9 pm Saturday, said Lt. Jeff Cooper, a spokesperson with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The three killed were pronounced dead at the scene, the Whiskey Barrel Saloon in the city's southwest, Cooper added. Authorities did not immediately identify the dead and wounded.

Oklahoma City Police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said in an email that preliminary information indicates this was a shoot-out between several rival biker gangs.

Police have not made any arrests in the shooting.

Cooper said investigators did not yet have any information on a suspect, adding, as of now, we dont have anything.
Six people were killed and 64 others were missing after a boat capsized on Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Kivu early on Monday, Mamboleo Mustapha, a local official at Idjwi island in the lake said. Lake Kivu in Democratic Republic of Congo.(Representative image/ Istock)

Mustapha said 150 passengers were onboard the motorised boat traveling to the eastern city of Goma and 80 of them survived.

Deadly boat accidents are common in waters of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.
New York City police have thrown up metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse as they brace for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump's expected surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday. Former U.S. President Donald Trump. (Reuters)

The former president is due to be arraigned at the courthouse Tuesday afternoon, after his indictment in a grand jury probe over hush money paid to a porn star. He is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Trump describes the probe as a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, say they will go to New York on Tuesday to protest. The downtown courthouse, home to criminal and supreme courts, will shut down some courtrooms ahead of Trump's expected appearance, a court official said.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said there were no credible threats to the city.

Also read: Donald Trump set to speak in Florida after arraignment in hush money case

Some social media users have called for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the jury that indicted Trump to be executed, according to Site Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism.

After Trump falsely claimed he won the last election, his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, sparking a deadly riot.

However, many Trump supporters online have expressed wariness about public demonstrations, even after Trump called for them, concerned they could be arrested.

"(The) department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," the NYPD said in a statement.

Trump is expected to fly to New York on Monday from Florida and spend the night at Trump Tower, before arriving early Tuesday morning at the courthouse, a Trump adviser said.

While the spectacle of the former president facing criminal charges was certain to draw massive media attention, it is not yet clear if his appearance would draw a large number of protesters. While Trump is a native New Yorker, he didn't get many votes in his hometown - 23% of the city voted for him in 2020 and 18% in 2016.

The New York Young Republican Club says it is planning a protest at a park across the street from the courthouse, a demonstration that Greene, one of Trump's staunchest supporters in Congress, says she will attend.

"Protesting is a constitutional right," Greene said on Twitter, adding that she would "protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference." She said she rejects anyone who incites or commits violence. Before voting to indict Trump, the grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. Trump denies the sexual encounter.

A court official told Reuters that courtrooms on higher floors of the courthouse will be closed at 1 p.m., shortly before Trump's expected 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) arraignment.

The official also said many court cases will be adjourned at a building across the street from the courthouse.
The death toll from a fire at a Mexican immigration detention center near the US border has risen to 40 after another migrant died of his injuries, authorities said Monday. Five people have been arrested as part of a homicide investigation.(AP)

Read here: More severe weather forecast predicted for tornado hit regions in US

The deceased, who was not named, had been flown by air ambulance from Ciudad Juarez to a medical facility in Mexico City, according to the security ministry.

Five others hurt in the blaze were airlifted to the capital over the weekend, the ministry said, adding that the number of injured stood at 27.

Five people have been arrested as part of a homicide investigation, including a migrant accused of starting the March 27 fire, three immigration officials and a private security guard.

Authorities have accused the people in charge of the facility of doing nothing to evacuate the migrants.

Video surveillance footage appeared to show guards leaving the detainees locked inside as flames spread and smoke filled the room.

An arrest warrant is outstanding for another guard wanted in connection with the tragedy, which claimed the lives of migrants from South and Central America.

Read here: Explained: Why US leads the world in weather catastrophes

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has vowed there will be "no impunity" over the disaster, traveled to Ciudad Juarez on Friday to see the medical treatment given to the injured.
Australia will announce a ban on TikTok on government phones this week, following other countries in barring the Chinese-owned video app over security concerns, Australian newspapers reported late on Monday. The US, Britain, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have already banned the app from official devices.(Reuters)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to a government-wide ban on the use of TikTok after the completion of a review by the Home Affairs department, The Australian newspaper reported.

Victoria state will also ban the short video app from government phones, The Age newspaper reported, quoting a state government official as saying Victoria would follow the federal government's guidance.

The United States, Britain, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have already banned the app from official devices 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.

Tiktok Australia general manager Lee Hunter was quoted by The Age as saying the company was disappointed to learn of the ban through the media "despite our repeated offers to engage with government constructively about this policy".

"We stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms," he was quoted as saying.
French minister Marlene Schiappa has sparked controversy after appearing on the Playboy magazine cover. The magazine's French edition will feature Schiappa, who describes herself as a "sapiosexual," dressed in attire and her 12-page interview discussing topics such as abortion, women's rights, and LGBT rights. French secretary of state for social economy and associations Marlene Schiappa.(AFP)

The move has drawn criticism from her political colleagues, including French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.

Also Read | Woman arrested for calling France's Macron garbage: Making an example'

"Defending the right of women to do what they want with their bodies: everywhere and all the time," Schiappa said in a tweet roughly translated from French. In France, women are free. Whether it annoys the retrogrades and hypocrites or not.

Schiappa is reportedly the first female politician to appear on the front cover of Playboy France.

Who is Marlene Schiappa?

-Marlene Schiappa, 40, is the current Minister of Social Economy and French Associations. President Emmanuel Macron plucked her from obscurity in 2017.

-Schiappa, a feminist author, has long been an advocate for women's rights and was named the country's first Gender Equality Minister in 2017, according to CNN. During this time, she successfully advocated for a new sexual harassment law that allows for on-the-spot fines for men who catcall, harass, or follow women on the street.

-While serving as equalities minister in 2018, Schiappa introduced legislation outlawing catcalling and street harassment. She was also regular on French TV talk shows.

-Before entering politics, the mother of two was a prolific author and blogger, writing about motherhood's challenges, women's health, and pregnancy. She also wrote a book in 2010 that offered sex tips for the overweight which some criticised for perpetuating stereotypes.

-According to Le Parisien newspaper, the minister was photographed for the cover wearing a long white, one-shoulder dress in one image and a voluminous bow-tied white dress in another, with the headline "A liberated minister."

Reactions to Schiappa's appearance in Playboy

Marlene Schiappa's decision to appear on the cover of Playboy France has received backlash from some government colleagues, who argue that it sends the wrong message during a time when France is experiencing strikes and violent demonstrations against plans to raise the retirement age by two years. Some have even questioned if it was an April Fools' joke at first.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who is only the second woman to hold the position, reportedly said that Schiappa's appearance in the magazine was not appropriate, especially given the current period.

However, Jean-Christophe Florentin, the editor of Playboy France, defended the decision, stating that Schiappa was the most compatible government minister for the magazine due to her advocacy for women's rights and her understanding that Playboy could be an instrument for the feminist cause.

(With AFP inputs)

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French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China April 5-7, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron.(AFP)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch on Tuesday, said the commission, as the two prepare for a joint trip to China later in the week.

Also Read | France's Macron downplays pension bill protests: 'Won't stop reforms'

Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer said in a tweet on Monday that the two leaders will discuss issues including Russia's war on Ukraine, the energy sector and preparations for their trips to China, including their joint meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Also Read | Woman arrested for calling France's Macron garbage: Making an example'

Ahead of her visit to China this week with Macron, von der Leyen delivered a sober assessment of Chinese policies, saying China was becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad, replacing an era of reform and opening with one of security and control, where companies in China were required to assist state intelligence-gathering operations.
Russia will move its tactical nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus, the Russian envoy to Minsk said on Sunday, placing them at NATO's threshold in a move likely to further escalate Moscow's standoff with the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AP)

In one of the Russia's most pronounced nuclear signals since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago, President Vladimir Putin said on March 26 that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The two Slav neighbours are formally part of a "union state" and have been in talks for years to integrate further, a process that has accelerated after Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine last year.

Also read: Russia launches 'massive attack' in east Ukraine, 6 killed

The weapons "will be moved to the western border of our union state and will increase the possibilities to ensure security," Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, told Belarusian state television.

"This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States."

Gryzlov did not specify where the weapons will be stationed, but confirmed that a storage facility will be completed, as ordered by Putin, by July 1 and then moved to the west of Belarus.

Belarus borders to the north with Lithuania and Latvia and to west with Poland, all part of NATO's Eastern flank that has been bolstered with additional troops and military equipment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. and Kyiv's other allies have said they were concerned about the possibility that Russia would send tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, with President Joe Biden saying it was "worrisome."

President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Belarus would also allow Russia to put intercontinental nuclear missiles there too if necessary.
Russia's interior ministry on Monday placed a woman Russian media have described as a suspect in the killing of war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky on its wanted list, the Interfax news agency reported. Russian military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, is seen in this undated social media picture.(via REUTERS)

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed in a bomb blast at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday.

A woman called Darya Trepova was identified by some Russian media as a suspect online, though the interior ministry made no reference to the Tatarsky killing on its site which showed she had been put on its wanted list.

Fomin, who had 560,000 followers on the messaging app Telegram, was one of the most prominent of Russia's war bloggers - a mixed group of war veterans and correspondents who have championed Russia's campaign in Ukraine, while also offering stinging criticism of the Russian military leadership.
Former US President Donald Trump flew into New York City on his private plane on Monday to face charges stemming from a probe into hush money paid to a porn star, while his lawyers argued against letting cameras in the courtroom. Former president Donald Trump waves before boarding his plane at Palm Beach International Airport.(AP)

With New York taking security precautions and the mayor telling potential rabble-rousers to behave, Trump was due to surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Tuesday and will likely be fingerprinted prior to appearing before a judge for an arraignment where he will plead not guilty.

Read here: White House 'closely' watching security concerns related to Trump indictment

Trump, a 76-year-old Republican seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

His plane - painted in red, white and blue with "TRUMP" in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail - arrived at LaGuardia Airport in Queens after a 3-1/2 hour flight from West Palm Beach near his Florida home.

Clad in a blue suit and wearing a red tie, Trump walked deliberately and alone down a flight of stairs from the airplane and climbed into an SUV for a drive in a motorcade to Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Beefing up his legal team, Trump hired Todd Blanche, a prominent white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, to join his defense, two sources familiar with the matter said. Blanche and other Trump lawyers on Monday urged the judge not to allow videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment.

In a letter to the court, they argued against allowing such coverage, saying it would "exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case" and "detract from both the dignity and decorum of the proceedings and courtroom."

Justice Juan Merchan was expected to decide the matter on Monday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it would leave it to the discretion of the judge, but noted that Merchan allowed a limited number of still photos prior to last year's criminal trial in which Trump's real estate company was convicted of tax fraud.

The Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump heard evidence for months this year about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies having had any such relationship with her.

Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, when Manafort was hit with New York state fraud charges after being sentenced to prison for federal crimes. The state charges were eventually dismissed and Trump pardoned Manafort before leaving office. Blanche also previously represented Igor Fruman, who was an associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

The specific charges in the indictment by a grand jury convened by Bragg, a Democrat, have yet to be disclosed. Trump has said he is innocent. He and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

A motorcade of several vehicles took Trump at midday from his Mar-a-Lago estate to the airport in nearby West Palm Beach. Trump climbed out of an SUV vehicle before he and members of his entourage climbed a set of stairs to enter his plane.

"WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL!" Trump posted on social media right before he left Florida.

Trump said on social media he would head to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

'OUR COUNTRY HAS FALLEN,' TRUMP CAMPAIGN ASSERTS

Trump's campaign raised $7 million in the three days after word of the indictment emerged last Thursday, senior adviser Jason Miller said. The campaign on Monday issued the latest in a series of fundraising emails, taking aim at the media's reporting on his indictment.

Remarks attributed to Trump in the email stated: "Our country has fallen. But I'm not giving up on America. We can and we will save our nation in 2024."

A court official said the arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

The New York case is one of several probes Trump faces.

Read here: Ahead of Trump's surrender, New York braces for protests

Trump said earlier on social media he would go to Trump Tower in Manhattan after arriving in New York, then would head to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

A few dozen Trump fans cheered at the Florida airport and along the route he took to get there, carrying signs and flags.

"Our country needs him," said Cindy Falco, 65, of Boynton Beach, Florida. "He's pro-God, pro-family and pro-country."

Falco predicted exoneration, saying: "Nothing is going to stick to him."

Trump's detractors also weighed in.

"Isn't it ironic that they couldn't get Donald Trump for all of the crimes he's committed, except payment to a porn star?" said New Jersey resident Robert Hoatson, 71, outside of Trump Tower. "It always comes down to the lowliest of charges."

"It's a terrific day. I hope it goes well and that he is eventually found guilty," Hoatson added.

MAYOR CALLS FOR PROTESTERS TO BE ON 'BEST BEHAVIOR'

New York police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building. Demonstrations were expected at those sites on Tuesday.

Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said there was no known specific security threat.

"While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow (Tuesday), our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," Adams told reporters.

"As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are," Adams added, specifically mentioning Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has announced plans to protest.

"Be on your best behavior," the mayor said.

Trump, 76, served as president from 2017 to 2021 and in November launched a bid to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, aiming to deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term in office.
American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested and charged with espionage in Russia last week, has appealed against his pre-trial detention through his lawyers, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the court. Reporter for U.S. newspaper The Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich.(Reuters)

A Moscow court last Thursday remanded the Wall Street Journal reporter in pre-trial detention until May 29. The appeal seeks to overturn that ruling.

The Wall Street Journal has "vehemently denied" the charges against Gershkovich, labelled them a "viscous affront to a free press" and are urging for his immediate release.

US President Joe Biden has called for Russia to "let him go".

The Kremlin said last week, without providing evidence, that Gershkovich was "caught red-handed".

The case is the most serious move against an American reporter in Russia since the end of the Cold War.

A state-appointed official said on Monday he had visited Gershkovich in his cell at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, the main pre-trial jail for high-profile suspects and those charged with espionage or treason.

He is being held in a quarantine period and has not been able to communicate with the outside world since he was arrested in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg last week. His lawyer was not able to see case materials during a hearing last Thursday at which he was remanded in custody until May 29.

Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker told The Times on Monday she was "hopeful" Gershkovich would be able to speak to a lawyer "sometime next week".
A Virginia teacher shot by a 6-year-old student on Monday sued school administrators for $40 million, alleging they ignored warnings from staff and pupils that the boy had a gun. Students and police gather outside of Richneck Elementary School after a shooting.(AP)

The Jan. 6 attack on Abigail Zwerner in Newport News was unusual among US school shootings given the young age of the assailant and the fact police said the boy shot his first-grade teacher on purpose.

The complaint said Richneck Elementary School Assistant Principal Ebony Parker failed in her duty to protect Zwerner despite multiple reports a firearm was on school property and likely in the boy's possession.

Parker could not immediately be reached for comment. She resigned after the shooting.

Also named as defendants were the Newport News School Board, former schools superintendent George Parker, whom the board fired after the shooting, and former Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton, who was assigned another role in the district.

Zwerner said school leaders knew of the student's history of attacks on pupils and teachers and allowed the boy to return to Richneck in 2022 after he was removed for violent behavior.

School officials have confirmed that they received warnings that the boy had a gun at school, but that a search of his belongings before the shooting did not turn up any weapon.

Read here: White House 'closely' watching security concerns related to Trump indictment

A Newport News Public Schools spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lawyers for Parker and Foster could not immediately be reached for comment.

The 25-year-old teacher was hailed a hero by police for evacuating students from her classroom after the boy shot her once with a handgun he brought from home, injuring her in the hand and chest.

A Virginia prosecutor said he would not seek charges against the boy but legal experts have said the boy's mother could be held liable if it were found she did not properly secure the weapon in her home.

The boy's family said in a statement the handgun he used "was secured" at home, that he suffers from an "acute disability," and under a school care plan, one of his parents went to classes with him each day.

The week of the shooting was the first when neither parent was with him in class, the statement said. (Reporting by Andrew Hay; Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Richard Chang)
The White House is watching for security concerns related to former President Donald Trump's indictment on Thursday, a White House official said on Monday, and prepared for any violence. Security forces gather outside Manhattan Criminal Court, Monday, in New York. Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York to face charges related to hush money payments. (AP)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump prepared to fly from Florida to New York City on Monday to face charges stemming from a probe into hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election, as security tightened in Manhattan.

Trump was due to surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Tuesday and likely will be fingerprinted and photographed prior to his appearance before a judge at an arraignment proceeding where he will plead not guilty.

Trump, a Republican who is seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

The specific charges included in the grand jury indictment have not been disclosed. Trump has said he is innocent, and he and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

Also Read| FBI has more evidence of possible Trump hurdle in documents probe: Report

In a social media post late on Sunday, Trump said he planned to leave his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach at noon for the Trump Tower in Manhattan before heading to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

Trump's plane - with his name in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail - was parked at the West Palm Beach airport near Mar-a-Lago.

Small groups of Trump fans waited to show their support at the airport and on the route he was expected to take to get there.

"Our country needs him," said Cindy Falco, 65, of Boynton Beach, Florida. "He's pro-God, pro-family and pro-country."

Falco predicted exoneration, saying: "Nothing is going to stick to him."

A court official said the arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

Trump is expected to appear before Justice Juan Merchan, the judge who presided over a criminal trial last year in which Trump's real estate company was convicted of tax fraud. Trump himself was not charged in that case.

Trump wrote on social media on Friday that Merchan "HATES ME" and also has assailed the prosecutor on the case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat.

A court official said the judge will decide on Monday whether to allow cameras and video in the courtroom.

New York police over the weekend began erecting barricades along the edge of the sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building downtown. Media crews set up close to Trump Tower and some spectators lined up nearby.

Demonstrations are expected at those sites and police said they were prepared.

Other courtrooms on the courthouse's higher floors will be shut down before the arraignment as part of the security precautions, a court official said.

A $130,000 PAYMENT

Before the indictment, the grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies having had any such relationship with her.

Trump, 76, served as president from 2017 to 2021 and in November launched a bid to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, aiming to deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term in office.

The indictment may have boosted his candidacy, at least in the short term.

"Now I am absolutely voting for Trump," said Larry White, 75, a Nevada musician who had previously considered backing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential rival for the Republican presidential nomination. "The indictment was the last straw for me, because Trump has suffered so much political abuse."

The New York case is one of several probes Trump faces.

A local prosecutor in Georgia is investigating whether Trump unlawfully sought to overturn his 2020 election defeat in that state. A special counsel named by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland separately is pursing two criminal investigations, one involving efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the other relating to classified documents he retained after departing the White House in 2021.
Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft and India's top refiner Indian Oil Corp agreed to use the Asia-focused Dubai oil price benchmark in their latest deal to deliver Russian oil to India, three sources familiar with the deal said. Announced on March 29, Rosneft will nearly double oil sales to Indian Oil Corp(AP)

The decision by the two state-controlled companies to abandon the Europe-dominated Brent benchmark is part of a shift of Russia's oil sales towards Asia after Europe shunned Russian oil following Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.

Both benchmarks are denominated in dollars and set by S&P Platts, a unit of U.S.-based S&P Global Inc, but Brent is mostly used by European oil majors and traders, whereas Dubai is heavily influenced by Asian and Middle Eastern oil trading.

Also read: India in talks with Russia on mega deal for long-term import of crude oil: Report

Rosneft's chief executive Igor Sechin said in February that the price of Russian oil would be determined outside of Europe as Asia has emerged as largest buyer of Russian oil since the West imposed progressively tighter sanctions on the export.

Under the new deal, announced on March 29, Rosneft will nearly double oil sales to Indian Oil Corp, two of the sources told Reuters.

IOC and Rosneft did not immediately respond to Reuters emails seeking comment on the details of the agreement, which have not been previously reported.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that Russian oil sales to India jumped 22-fold last year, but he did not specify the volume sold.

Rosneft would sell up to 1.5 million tonnes (11 million barrels) each month, including some optional quantities, to IOC in the new fiscal year from April 1, the two sources said.

They said that in 2022/23, IOC had a deal to buy 3 million barrels of Urals grade with an option to double the quantity every month priced at differentials to dated Brent on a delivered basis.

Also Read: We dont and won't': Russia's unequivocal message to West on oil price cap

The new contract includes Urals crude, shipped from Russia's European ports of Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk, and Sokol oil exported from Sakhalin which will be sold at a discount of $8-$10 per barrel to Dubai quotes on a delivered basis, three sources said.

The larger volumes and change in Russian oil pricing highlight closer ties between Moscow and India, which has now become the largest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia.

Indian refiners rarely bought Russian oil in the past due to higher freight costs compared with Europe, but after Urals prices fell to historical lows Russia has now replaced Iraq as top oil supplier to India in the last few months, data from trade sources showed.

Russia has been rerouting its energy supplies from traditional markets in Europe to Asia, mainly India and China, since the West imposed wide-ranging sanctions, including an embargo on seaborne Russian oil imports.

The European Union nations stopped buying Russian oil from Dec. 5 and the Group of Seven (G7) countries joined the EU in imposing a price cap on Russian crude of $60 per barrel. The move was aimed at cutting Russia's oil revenue while maintaining stability on the global oil market.

India was the biggest buyer of Russia's benchmark Urals grade crude in March. Deliveries to India are set to account for more than 50% of all seaborne Urals exports last month, with China in second place.

China, which buys Russian Urals at prices pegged against either dated Brent or ICE Brent, doubled its purchases of Urals oil in the first half of February compared to the same period of January, according to traders and Refinitiv Eikon data.
An 83-year-old woman in Malaysia died, and her husband is battling for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after they ate a puffer fish last week, without knowing it contained deadly toxins, New York Post reported citing local media. The fish is a delicacy in Japan.(AFP)

The couple's daughter, Ng Ai Lee, said her father purchased the puffer fish - a delicacy known to contain extremely potent poisons - from a local shop on March 25. My parents have been buying fish from the same fishmonger for many years, so my father did not think twice about it, Lee said.

"He would not have knowingly bought something so deadly to eat and put their lives in danger," she added.

As soon as the duo ate the fish for lunch, the woman identified as Lim Siew Guan, began to shiver and experience breathing difficulties. About an hour later, her husband also showed the same symptoms.

The couple's son then rushed them to the hospital, and were halfway through the journey when their mother was pronounced dead. The cause of death is given as food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure with cardiac dysrhythmia possibly due to ciguatera toxin or tetrodotoxin ingestion, from the puffer fish, Johor's health and unity committee chairman, Ling Tian Soon said.

Speaking to the media outlet, the couple's daughter said her father is in a coma in the intensive care unit. "I am prepared for the worst because the doctor told us that even if he is able to pull through the ordeal, he might not be the same any more, due to his old age," she added.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the popular Japanese dish puffer fish may contain the deadly toxins tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin, which cannot be removed through cooking or freezing. The fish is often only served by highly skilled chefs who have received training in how to destroy these toxins.

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Russia defended itself Monday against a barrage of criticism over its presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of April, insisting it will not abuse the position to defend its invasion of Ukraine. Vassily Nebenzia, permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations, speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council,(AP)

Read here: Finland set to join NATO on Tuesday as its 31st member

"We do not abuse the prerogatives of the presidency," said the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia.

"One thing is the national position. The second thing is the role of the presidency of the Security Council," he said at a press conference marking Russia's assumption of the rotating position.

The situation provoked stinging criticism from Ukraine, which called it a "slap in the face to the international community," and from its allies.

"As you know, Russia is assuming its seat as president of the Security Council. Started on April 1. It's like an April Fool's joke," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador.

"But the truth of the matter is, it's a rotating seat. We expect that they will behave professionally," she said.

"But we also expect that they will use their seat to spread disinformation and to promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that," the ambassador added.

Ukraine and the West have for months been denouncing Russian "propaganda" over its invasion of Ukraine in February of last year.

Nebenzia said such criticism was in the "vein of the Western narrative", and in turn accused Kyiv's allies of spreading disinformation in particular about "the situation of Ukrainian children who were allegedly kidnapped from Ukraine and brought to Russia against their will."

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during the invasion.

The Russian ambassador called the warrant "stupid" and "illegitimate." He is organizing an informal meeting at the UN on Wednesday to address the issue.

The presidency of the Security Council confers certain prerogatives in terms of setting the agenda for the body. But as a permanent member, Russia already has the ability to convene emergency meetings when it wants them.

Read here: US journalist appeals against arrest in Russia: Report

The country holding the presidency also usually organizes two or three specific meetings on selected topics.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to chair one of them on April 24, on "the defense of the principles of the UN charter."

"Russia is in no position to talk about international law or the values of the UN," said deputy British Ambassador James Kariuki.
PIGGS PEAK  Minister of Housing and Urban Development Prince Simelane wants the procurement of a technological solution for local government elections awarded to the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP).

On top of awarding the tender to the RSTP, the minister wants the already spent taxpayers funds reclaimed. The tender had been awarded to Slomoes Corporation (PTY) Ltd by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, a decision which the minister disassociated himself from. I really trust that the AG (Auditor General), Timothy Matsebula, will work on the issue so that the tender is awarded to RSTP, where we all wanted it to be awarded (sic). We had hoped that in Parliament, Members of Parliament (MPs) would move a motion to form a select committee which was going to interrogate and precisely deal with the matter. My biggest wish is that all the taxpayers money already paid to Slomoes Corporation is reclaimed, said the minister.

Wondered

The minister said he trusted that the AG and Parliament would not fail to get back the taxpayers money. The prince wondered what could then be the work of parliamentarians should they fail to reclaim money spent allegedly erroneously, such as in the case of the local government elections tender. It cannot be allowed to happen that government can easily lose so much taxpayers money for nothing. To prove that they are working, the current Parliament must ensure that the money, which had already been paid out, is reclaimed, he said. The minister said nothing should be hidden but everything that had to do with spending public funds should be dealt with in a transparent way.

He added that he still had not received the correspondence from the AG, where he was stopping the tender award to Slomoes Corporation (PTY) Ltd to procure the technological solution for local government elections. This publication had reported that the AG had stopped the E12 million elections tender awarded to Slomoes Corporation for the municipal council elections, pending an investigation into the matter.

Letter

Through a letter dated March 20, 2023, directed to the ministrys Principal Secretary (PS) Clifford Mamba, the AG stated that the decision had been made in accordance with Section 207(8) of the Constitution. Matsebula also stated in his letter that the reason the office of the AG took this decision was that he had received a complaint that PS Mambas ministry was in the process of engaging Slomoes Corporation (PTY) Ltd to procure the technological solution for local government elections, using a single source procurement method. The AG further highlighted in the letter that he also noted that public funds amounting to E8 million were transferred from Head 60 to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Developments account 242410110061 and it was later transferred by the ministry to Matsapha Town Board. I write to notify you that I disallow the expenditure for the procurement of the technological solution for the local government elections, pending an investigation into the matter, reads the letter in part.

Matsebula also stated that although this deviation had been approved by the Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Agency (EPPRA), it had come to light that a similar elections management system could be developed by the RSTP and, therefore, a single source procurement method was not justified. Matsebula advised the PS to also note that Cabinet Circular Memo reference CPM 3/1/1/1, dated June 21, 2022, entitled, Information Communications and Technology Solutions states that all ICT-related solutions shall be implemented through the Royal Science and Technology Park henceforth. This is a Cabinet directive and your ministry was expected to fully comply with it. I hope this provides a reasonable explanation why this expenditure is disallowed, reads the letter.

The company was awarded the tender ahead of the RSTP, which had offered to do the exercise for E800 000. Another company which the minister identified as Wits Tech also made a bid for the tender, with a cost of E1.2 million. Confirming that Slomoes Corporation had already been paid for the tender was Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, who stated that the company had actually utilised E4.7 million of the total tender price. He said this in Parliament during a sitting in the House of Assembly, where the issue of the tender had been raised by the MPs.
MBABANE  Starlink, a company owned by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, may face an uphill struggle in its quest to penetrate the Eswatini digital communication space.

This is because some industry players have said they would defend the Eswatini economy as the question on whether to allow Starlink to operate in Eswatini arises. Starlink is an internet service provider specialising in high speed, low latency broadband internet across the globe. In its marketing strategy, Starlink says its users can engage in activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet. It also says it is ideal for communities in remote areas, especially in rural communities. Today is the deadline on which people and companies objecting to the granting of a general licence for electronic communication service to Starlink Eswatini (PTY) LTD can lodge their comments to the regulator, Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM).

Comments

ESCCOM is then expected to take into consideration such comments together with other essential compliances before deciding to open up the industry to Starlink. Already, Starlink has been allowed in Mozambique and Nigeria, and hopes to set up plant in Tanzania as well as other African countries. Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) Managing Director Themba Khumalo, when asked if the corporation had submitted comments to ESCCOM, following the invitation through a public notice, said such had been done.

Yes, it would be an unfortunate development as licensed operators would be disadvantaged. We not only provide service, but also contribute in creating local value and development of key skills necessary to sustain the local economy, Khumalo said. EPTC is one of the companies that may face pound for pound competition with Starlink as it also owns communication infrastructure and has a wide market in the internet provision space.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology Phesheya Dube said: While we should not be blind to the fact that communication and technology evolves, we should not destroy what we have already built up as a nation. He referred further questions to ESCCOM. You will know that the process is currently being managed by the regulator, so we cannot say much for now. ESCCOMs Consumer Affairs and Communications Manager said the regulator could not comment on the issue as it had issued a notice inviting members of the public to make submissions. We can only communicate after we have evaluated the submissions by the public, she said.

Inviting

In the public notice inviting comments, ESCCOM said: The commission received an application for the grant of of a general electronic communication services licence from Starlink Eswatini (PTY)Ltd in terms of Regulation No.4(2) of the Electronic Communications Licensing Regulations 2016. It said Starlink provided launch services for the private and public sector. Since 2018, they have been designing and launching a large constellation of satellites to provide a high speed, low latency broadband internet access service that will be available everywhere on earth. Today their service is available in over 45 markets around the world and they have more than 600 000 subscribers, ESCCOM said in the notice.

According to Africa Week, Starlink estimates that service will begin in the rest of Africa (beyond Nigeria and Mozambique) in 2023, but this depends on the company receiving the necessary approvals. Gaining licences will not necessarily be straightforward, given the questionable enthusiasm of some regulators for greater competition in their markets. The eruption of the Hunga TongaHunga Haapai volcano on January 15  the largest the world has seen for more than 30 years  ruptured key sections of an undersea telecommunications cable lying on the floor of the South Pacific. The island nation of Tonga was cut off from the world as it grappled with a humanitarian crisis. In the almost complete absence of communications, aid agencies struggled to assess the countrys needs. Phone and internet connections were not restored for more than a month. Weeks after the eruption, an even greater catastrophe  this time manmade  began to unfold on the other side of the world. In both Tonga and Ukraine, Starlink, was given permission to operate in Ukraine immediately after the invasion.

Funding

Within weeks, through funding provided by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and others, Starlink had delivered 5 000 terminals  which transmit and receive internet signals  to help maintain communication and assist in the war effort. Starlink also sent 50 terminals to Tonga after the eruption, restoring connectivity in some villages on outlying islands. Africa, of course, is not immune to the acute crises brought about by natural disasters or conflict. But it also suffers from a chronic deficit of telecommunications infrastructure. As of 2020, over 200 million people on the continent  about a fifth of the population  were not even covered by a 3G signal. Investing in fibre-optic cables or mobile phone towers to serve the so-called last mile communities in remote areas was said to be not economically viable. As a result, the UNs target, unveiled in April, of achieving universal internet access by 2030 will not be met in Africa without drastic action.
MBABANE - Despite holding a different view about the countrys system of government, Lawyer Sicelo Mngomezulu denies being the brains behind the civic voter education disruption at KaLiba in Hosea.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) is conducting civic voter education in preparation for the 2023 National Elections. Officers who were conduct the exercise received a rude welcome at Kaliba under Hosea constituency, which ended in one person being shot. On Wednesday March 22, 2023, during the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office annual budget and 2023/2024 budget debate, the DPM, Themba Masuku, told senators that the person who was behind the disruption of elections was the very same person who promised slaughter a cow for maidens who would not attend the Reed Dance Ceremony August, last year. Noteworthy, the DPM did not mention any name, but it is on record that Eswatini-born lawyer who now resides in South Africa, Sicelo Mngomezulu, was said to have promised maidens from Hosea Constituency, who would not attend the annual Reed Dance Ceremony a cow to feast on last year. This saw government moving an application to have him declared an undesirable and prohibited immigrant. In the matter that is still pending in court, Mngomezulu who resides in the Republic of South Africa, filed his opposing papers, where he denied to have encouraged anyone to boycott Umhlanga.

In an interview, the lawyer said if the DPM was referring to him as the person behind the disruption of the civic voter education exercise, he was making wild allegations because he had never been involved in any of the chaos. I have not been involved with the disruption of any civic education exercise. The Tinkhundla Systems undemocratic elections are of no interest to me. Im a humanitarian; I assist emaSwati, whenever I can on socio-economic matters, not in violating laws of the land, he said. The lawyer said he had no idea why would a government official would make such allegations against him. He said he strongly felt that the allegations were speculative.

Elections

He further shared that his view was that the elections in the country represented an archaic and blatantly undemocratic system of governance. He said he was of the view that any election exercise must be in a multi-party system, premised on a credible Constitution, one which must be an outcome of a dialogue between the government of the day and the mass democratic movement. The dialogue and a new constitutional order must of course come before any election, he said. On the other hand, Masuku said it was sad to learn that there were people more especially those who claimed to understand the law as they were trained professionals, who still referred to the governing system of the country undemocratic. This learned fellows as he is called in this profession describes our system as undemocratic. It is sad to hear this from a liswati trained lawyer, who also describes the government of the kingdom as a regime and not administration. Let me remind him again that the people he illegally claims to be representing were elected by emaSwati, exercising their individual rights to vote for people of their choice. Such cant happen in undemocratic societies, he said.

Masuku said incarcerated Members of Parliament (MPs), Mthandeni Dube and Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza, were elected to be in the House of Assembly. Mngomezulu is insulting the electorate that exercised their constitutional right to vote in our system, he said. The DPM said by calling the elections undemocratic, he was insulting all the 59 MPs who were elected in accordance with the countrys Constitution. He is also insulting the institutions that participate as observers during our elections. The other word he doesnt understand is regime. I invite him to check this word in his dictionary or Google it. The word regime is used by brainwashed people. Let this guy learn how to think independently, he said. The DPM went on to say; You were able to buy cattle for the Hosea community when you tried to bribe them not to attend the iconic cultural Reed Dance that runs annually in this Kingdom. It is history now that your attempts failed. The people of Hosea attended the Reed Dance in numbers.

Discovered

Some Hosea residents later discovered that while you told them to boycott the Reed Dance in the country, you were seen attending and supporting a similar event in your country. How can you explain this double standard. he said. Masuku said Mngomezulu did not have to be physically present to disrupt the civic voter education which is part of the national elections.

Just like you tried to disrupt the Reed Dance by spending our scholarship money, you sent money to pay those who caused the disruption at the EBC voter education in Hosea as well as beating up the police, he alleged.
Aaron Szyf is an Economist with the U.S. Travel Association where he focuses on the economic impact of travel to and within the United States. Before joining U.S. Travel, Aaron worked at the World Bank, concentrating on youth employment and entrepreneurship in Jamaica, and public-private partnership development in Grenada. Prior to that, while at Centennial Group International, Aaron led a number of international macroeconomic assignments, including country-risk assessments in Bosnia and Bangladesh. Aaron graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts with a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) and concentrations in Development Economics and International Business. Prior to graduate study, Aaron held a community leadership role as the program director for the Joint Distribution Committee in Oradea, Romania. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance Summa Cum Laude from the Sy Syms School of Business of Yeshiva University.
The UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, has concluded an official visit to Italy, strengthening key partnerships and advancing tourism for education, rural development and peace.

During the three-day official visit to Italy and the Vatican City, the UNWTO delegation met with:

Minister of Tourism of Italy, Daniela Garnero Santanche

Deputy Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani

Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mr Qu Dongyu.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See.

In a productive meeting with Minister of Tourism Daniela Garnero Santanche and her Cabinet, the UNWTO leadership focused on the timely topic of tourism education and youth empowerment, recognized as a key priority for tourism. In July 2022, Italy hosted the first UNWTO Global Youth Tourism Summit in Sorrento, a flagship initiative aimed at making youth a part of the decision-making process for the sector. Building on this, the meeting explored more ways of collaborating around the theme of education, while also advancing joint work on other priorities designed to rethink and transform tourism, both in Italy and globally.

Minister Santanche said: We are ready to continue cooperating with the UNWTO in order to make the tourism industry stronger, more sustainable, innovative and inclusive. We want tourism to contribute more and more to the development of nations and to become a real vehicle for personal professional and social growth, in particular for the youth and women."

Close partnerships with Italy

In a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, the UNWTO delegation commended Italy's commitment to enhancing tourism's status as a pillar of rural development. Sauris Zahre and Isola del Giglio are now recognized as UNWTO Best Tourism Villages and Italy has also worked with UNWTO on promoting wine and gastronomy tourism for job creation, economic empowerment and the protection of heritage.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: Italy is one of the world's top destinations. It's also a strong supporter of UNWTO's mission to make tourism matter: here, tourism is growing as a force for rural development, and, through a focus on education and training, as a force for youth empowerment."

Looking ahead, the Italian Government's representatives highlighted upcoming events and initiatives which may benefit from further collaboration with UNWTO. These include a new project on diaspora tourism, "Turismo delle Radici", the Jubilee Year 2025 in Rome, and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. UNWTO Secretary-General Pololikashvili expressed his full support for Italy's bid to host EXPO 2030 in Rome.

Tourism for rural development and peace

Building on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between both UN agencies in September 2020, the UNWTO delegation also undertook an official visit to the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

FAO Director-General Mr Qu Dongyu recognized the importance of tourism and the two UN agencies identified several areas for deeper collaboration, including around the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages initiative and in developing capacity-building programmes to improve the tourism potential of FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIHAS) sites and its Digital Villages pilots.

Also in Rome, UNWTO Secretary-General Pololikashvili met with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See. The Holy See holds Observer status within UNWTO and Pope Francis has championed tourism as a bridging force for peace and understanding, particularly among

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About The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations specialized agency fostering tourism as a vehicle for equal, inclusive and sustainable development. Working with its Member States, international organizations and the private sector, UNWTO promotes safe and seamless travel for all. UNWTO also works to make tourism the foundation of trust and international cooperation and a central pillar of recovery. As part of the wider UN system, UNWTO is at the forefront of global efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through its ability to create decent jobs, promote equality and preserve natural and cultural heritage.

Follow UNWTO on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin.

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Known as pioneers who elevated the luxury scene in Santorini, leading privately-owned hospitality group, Kanava Hotels & Resorts, today announced an exciting new chapter, with the unveiling of their new brand name Empiria Group. The change celebrates the companys 30 years of expertise and plans for further developments and echoes its evolving purpose, values, and commitment to creating space for joy.

Empiria, taking its name from the Greek word for experience, will continue to hold its status within The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott Internationals portfolio, and Design Hotels, whilst also delivering a new distinctive and elevated brand identity to support all future endeavours. Empiria Group currently holds seven luxury properties within the inspiring portfolio with plans for the brand's global expansion to continue through with further hotel openings in the most coveted destinations around Greece.

Each property will continue to offer a distinctive experience, with individual character and personality, whilst being underpinned by four key fundamental values of finding joy, always elevating, exuding passion and being a leader in the field. These values direct Empiria Groups soul and ensure that it delivers on its purpose of creating space for joy for the global sophisticated traveller.

Founders Antonis Eliopoulos and Kalia Konstantinidou will continue to lead the business and with their 30 years of expertise in Greek hospitality, guide Empiria Group to new heights of success by continuing to provide exceptional experiences and creating an inspiring workspace for talented team members.

We know and love our destinations, with a particular soft spot for Santorini  where Kanava Hotels & Resorts originates from, but we are equally curious about new projects and destinations to come. Its an exciting time for our company, with new ideas for future growth flourishing and we have plans to keep at the forefront for the next 30 years and more. Watch this space! Antonis Eliopoulos, Founder of Empiria Group

We are proud to introduce Empiria Group to offer our guests new elevated experiences of joy. The new brand of Empiria Group will enhance the connection between our hotel brands but it wont overshadow them. We already have a unique mix of qualities that distinguishes us and the future chapter is about bringing the experiences we provide to the next level. Our purpose and values drive everything that we do, and we articulate them in a clear way for our own people and all partners we work with. Co-Founder Kalia Konstantinidou

Its heritage and provenance, along with its people and portfolio of hotels, make Empiria Group a leader in the art of elevated hospitality experiences. Each property showcases the best that Greek hospitality has to offer, contributing to the national image and reputation by elevated unexplored spaces and experiences. Each location is looked after by local cultures and communities to show a deep level of support and commitment.

EMPIRIA GROUP PORTFOLIO OF LUXURY PROPERTIES



Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, Santorini

Space to explore

Tucked away within the medieval village of Megalochori, the enchanting Vedema, a Luxury Collection Resort, has evolved from a 400-year-old wine cellar and into an authentic, Cycladic village retreat. Perfect for quality time in a local community environment. LINK

Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini

Space to recharge

An Oia hideaway, dramatically hanging from the Caldera cliff, that inspires romance and inner connection. In homage to the surrounding nature and traditional architecture, everything is designed to enhance the sense of a secluded sanctuary, embraced by an exquisite fantasy. LINK

Istoria, a Member of Design Hotels, Santorini



Space to create stories

At a sublime junction where volcanic sands meet midnight blue waters, attracting a vibrant and creative crowd, Istoria offers layers of refuge in a resplendent beachfront heaven. LINK

Korona Boutique Hotel, Mani

Space for nature

Hidden between the historic alleys of Mani Peninsula, within the cobblestone settlement of Oitylo, Korona Boutique Hotel is a contemporary oasis of carefree luxury. The contemporary design and minimalistic Lakonian attitude make Korona an ideal refuge of relaxation and mental recharge. LINK

Parilio, a Member of Design Hotels, Paros



Space in time

Helios, my Sun, let me shine in the echo of your gold light  an ode to the soul of the Cycladic light. Cradled by unspoiled natural beauty and the slow rhythms of island life, Parilio ties in the simplicity of Paros with timeless Greek architecture. LINK

Acron Villas, Paros



Space to connect

In an authentic Cycladic scenery where the rock and the sunlight prevail, on a hill overlooking the turquoise expanse of the Aegean Sea as well as the most cosmopolitan spot of Parian life, Naoussa, a unique collection of villas awaits for those who wish to share the joy that flows. LINK

Cosme, a Luxury Collection Resort, Paros

Space to be free

Choose your journey, or let it choose you. We invite you to explore your own countless expressions. And in every moment, like the winding paths of the neighbouring town of cosmopolitan Naoussa, or the waves washing the sand cleanyou choose what comes next. At Cosme, you are free to be. LINK

ABOUT EMPIRIA GROUP

Leading privately-owned hospitality group, Kanava Hotels & Resorts has unveiled their new brand name Empiria Group. Created in 1989 by Antonis Eliopoulos, and joined by his wife Kalia Konstantinidou, Empiria Group successfully manages three awarded five-star hotels and several luxurious villas in Santorini, two five-star hotels and a villa complex in Paros, as well as a boutique hotel in Peloponnese. Each property, with distinct character and personality, offers elevated experiences, whilst being underpinned by four key fundamental values of finding joy, always elevating, exuding passion and being a leader in the field. These values direct Empiria Group's soul and ensure that it delivers on its purpose of creating space for joy for the global sophisticated traveller. With a strong sense of location in the most exclusive destinations, Empiria Group draws inspiration from the surrounding abundant Greek nature, exemplifying heritage and provenance. By emphasising sublime regional architecture, holistic wellbeing, and meaningful experiences that reflect the local culture, Empiria Group immerses guests in the carefree state of mind that defines the authentic Cycladic island life.

For more information, please visit https://empiriagroup.gr/.
This years conference theme for the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia (FHS) is Invest in Change, highlighting the importance of the positive change that can be brought forward through the investment in time, intellect and expertise in the hospitality industry to keep up with changing times and trends to better shape the future of the industry. In the lead up to the event we asked a number of industry partners how they are investing in change.

The exciting developments across Saudi Arabias tourism and hospitality industry are manifesting themselves in a myriad of ways.

While the most obvious examples can be seen in the skylines of the Kingdoms cities and tourist destinations with the construction of new attractions and hotels, the stage is set for a profound change in the socio-economic culture and career aspirations amongst young Saudi men and women who will bring these destinations to life.

As the sector grows, the Saudi job market is providing more and more opportunities for Saudi citizens to build a rewarding career in the industry, built around personal progression, new experiences and opportunities for professional growth.

Whether we have fresh graduates, experienced professionals or individuals looking for a new challenge, hospitality industry has a lot to offer and is ready to welcome Saudi professionals. Unfortunately, the industry is still working hard to attract the talent it needs for a sustainable future, due to age old misconceptions of what it means to work in hospitality, both socially and professionally.

The most common social misconception is that hospitality lacks the prestige of fields such as petrochemicals or investment banking which have long been embedded into Saudi Arabias economic history. However, it is important for Saudi talent to understand that domestic and international guests celebrate Saudis unique culture, cuisine and landscapes during their stay and our hotel colleagues are pivotal to this experience.

A professional misconception is that hospitality jobs are limited to roles in front office, housekeeping and stewarding with little or no progression to senior management. These roles are highly revered in our industry as colleagues in such service-related divisions ensure a positive, hygienic, and safe stay for our guests. We also have hundreds of examples, specifically in the Middle East, of colleagues who began in similar service roles and are currently leading hotel operations as General Managers. Most importantly, hotels require a breadth of talent to run efficiently - roles vary from hotel management to IT and engineering, from sales and marketing to government relations. Each of these roles have scope to progress. As an example, an engineer for a single hotel can be promoted to a cluster, area, market or a corporate role.

As developments related to Saudi Arabias 2030 Vision plan progresses at pace, the tourism sector will continue to grow as a strategic lever to economic growth. In turn, tourism will continue to gain momentum as a dynamic career choice - a shift spurred by the boom in government led, mega developments in AlUla, the Red Sea and NEOM and the subsequent development of hotels in their master plans. Research by the Red Sea Development Company found that 91% of young Saudis are interested in a career in tourism, with two thirds expecting it to be a key area of employment. [1] We hope that this interest will ultimately lead to more talent trickling into the private hospitality sector as well, especially in hotels that are being built within these mega developments.

While government led tourism entities offer great employment opportunities and work experience, the private hospitality sector brings forth competitive offers as well. At IHG, this relates to international level exposure, global learning tools and resources from internationally acclaimed programs such as Harvard management mentor, global mobility (the opportunity to work in hotels outside Saudi Arabia) employee rates at hotels and loyalty program benefits.

Given the companys long-standing history in the country, we have invested in IHG Academy programs across key cities. This is an industry-focused programme offered in partnership with universities and provides world-class training to aspiring individuals, while the Riyadh-based National Training Centre for Facilities and Hospitality Management with the aim to create highly skilled graduates- ready to join the hospitality workforce.

Alumni from institutions such as these are, and will continue to be, in high demand as hotel brands expand beyond Riyadh, Jeddah and Mecca to diverse and exciting locations nationwide.

Hospitality is filled with the potential to become a major driver for national Saudisation efforts, offering citizens the chance to have their talents nurtured, expanded and developed through a clear trajectory and career path that is supported by a focus on training and progression unavailable in other industries.

Most important point to note is that Saudi talent must capitalize on their unique cultural background and deep knowledge of their immediate communities and the experiences they provide in showcasing unique facets of the country including natural landscapes, cuisine, and local traditions.

Local colleagues who have grown up immersed in Saudis deep-rooted customs have the knowledge, passion and motivation needed to be quintessential hosts; they are ideally suited to meet the demands of modern travellers who seek exceptional experiences in memorable places. Such talent is highly sought-after by employers eager to boost interaction with, and access to, communities while helping to attract guests thanks to an eye-catching level of authenticity.

Saudis who enter hospitality are naturally equipped with a mindset that understands the importance of making visitors feel welcomed, at ease and respected. This offers a strong foundation to build upon which, if supported by factors such as a competitive salary, job security and avenues for growth, can attract an exceptional Saudi workforce and deliver long-term growth for hospitality as an important part of the Kingdoms economy.

[1] Breaking New Ground (theredsea.sa)

Haitham Mattar will be speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia in the session titled: "How Brands are Supporting Development of the Saudi Hospitality Market and Catering to the Domestic Market" on Tuesday 9 May. View the full programme here.
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A Houston real estate firm is unveiling plans for an office project in West Houston that would be one of the region's first mass-timber buildings.

Hicks Ventures is planning to break ground on a 200,000 square-foot fully mass timber office project later this year, in what the company hopes could be a model for a wave of more sustainable office developments in Houston. Hicks also says it believes the building could become a net-zero office, meaning its energy savings would entirely offset its carbon footprint.

We have plenty of steel and glass boxes (in Houston). I wanted to this to be unique. I wanted it to look cool. And I wanted to be ultra-efficient, and figured this is tip of the spear on the next generation of buildings, said Patrick Hicks, founder of Hicks Ventures.

Called Framework @ Block 10, the 2.7-acre development would rise at 10496 Old Katy Road, across Interstate 10 from CityCentre and Memorial City. The six-story project would also have a 5,000-square-foot space for restaurants on the ground floor.

Mass timber is made by nailing or gluing solid wood panels to create beams and other components that are a strong, low-carbon alternative to concrete and steel, according to Think Wood, a marketing campaign funded by the Oregon-based Soft Wood Lumber Board.

TOWER TALK: Why we're still talking about Houston's Ashby high-rise 16 years later

The building also would be designed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by relying on renewable energy, LED lighting and sensory systems that would allow tenants to monitor their power use. The building would be powered by roof solar panels and additional renewable energy purchased from power providers as needed, Hicks said.

To achieve true net-zero emissions, the tenants themselves would have to partner with the developer to monitor and reduce their energy usage, Hicks said, but the design of the building will set tenants up for success in reducing their carbon footprint.

Plans also include an underground rainwater cistern so the building's toilets can be flushed with rainwater, cutting the building's indoor municipal water consumption by half, according to Hicks.

This is a model example of how Houston, the energy capital of the world, can effectively combat the climate crisis by employing the most sustainable building technologies, Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement.

Mass-timber benefits

A study published in the Journal of Sustainable Forestry found that using mass wood for buildings and bridges could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 14 to 31 percent.

Mass timber has become an incredibly popular renewable resource, which means it can be replanted, and replenished after being harvested, noted Maria Perez, sustainability director with Gensler's Houston office, which is designing Hicks new project. The material allows for an energy-efficient manufacturing process, increasing the speed of construction due to prefabrication processes.

Gensler has previously helped design mass-timber commercial projects in Austin, Frisco and Fredrickburg, and in Bentonville, Ark. The global architecture firm will be working with British Columbia-based design and engineering firm StructureCraft, which has successfully designed more than 200 mass-timber projects across North America.

SWEET: Iconic Imperial char house in Sugar Land poised to anchor $1B redevelopment project

Rice University and San Jacinto College have mass-timber buildings, but Houston has yet to see privately developed mass-timber office projects. Some developers have pitched mass-timber projects, including a proposed a 49,000 square-foot mass-timber office in Bridgeland,by Howard Hughes Corp. in 2022. That project hasn't set a date for work to begin and it's still in pre-leasing, the developer said last week.

While Houstons office market is still challenged by vacancies, the area near CityCentre and Memorial City has seen strong tenant demand, Hicks said. Within the office market that includes the Memorial City area, vacancy rates were 8.1 percent at the end of last year, according to real estate firm JLL, compared with Houston's 23 percent vacancy rate.

Hicks expects the Framework @ 10 to be a speculative project, meaning he could break ground before securing pre-leasing, but if leasing is slower than expected that could slow its timeline, he said.

Hicks is in the process of securing financing from lenders that specialize in green-energy projects, he said. The sustainable design of the project likely adds about a 15 percent premium on construction costs, he added.

If I was building a steel and glass building I would be crazy, but this has never been done in the state of Texas. So I think I'll have good success, Hicks said.
Burger Bodega already knows how to conquer burger cravings; its smashburger menu is a local sensation.

But owner Abbas Dhanani, an observant Muslim, said he wanted to create something fun and tasty for others of the Islamic faith who fast for Ramadan during daylight hours. From now through the end of Ramadan, April, 20, the restaurant at 4520 Washington, will offer two limited-time specials: cheeseburger samosas and a rose sharbat shake. The items will be offered post-sundown from 7 p.m. until closing.
COMSTOCK  Standing at the edge of a steep gorge on a private ranch here in the desert canyonlands of the Lower Pecos River, I look down at a notch in the canyon rim and a narrow cantilevered path known as a bench that Ill be traversing shortly. I try to assure myself that Im not afraid of heights. If the precocious 11-year-old girl in our group can make it, so can I. PAY ATTENTION! I tell myself. Dont let your mind wander.

Taking that first step downward through a jumble of rocks and small boulders, I realize Im not so much afraid of heights as I am making a fool of myself if I take a tumble, picking up rock abrasions and prickly-pear punctures as I pinball downhill, not to mention a broken neck. Its hot on this March afternoon, and I descend slowly, watching where I plant my foot.

MORE NATIVE TEXAN: Its time and again for San Antonios legendary Hot Wells spa

Actually, the trip down turns out to be not all that harrowing, and what we found after a short hike along flat ground triumphed over any anxiety we felt. A dozen of us from around Texas, we were headed back in time, back at least 2,000 years to view the oldest books in North America. The books, if you will, are narrative murals, some of the most significant bodies of Native-American rock art in the world.

Our four guides were with the Shumla Archaeological Research & Education Center, a 25-year-old nonprofit organization based in Comstock, about 30 miles west of Del Rio. The group is dedicated to preserving and recording the ancient paintings found on rugged limestone walls throughout the 8,000-square-mile stretch of canyonlands between the Pecos and Devils rivers. Most of the art, more than 300 sites discovered so far, is on private land. Shumla has to work closely with sometimes suspicious ranchers and landowners, making every effort never to abuse their trust. Sites painted by hunter-gatherers living in this desolate area between 1,600 and 4,500 years ago are still being discovered.

Our destination is the Halo Shelter, an intricate, multi-figured painting applied by unknown artists to a limestone mural under a parabola-shaped overhang. On a private ranch near the Devils River, the site is 50 feet long and 15 feet high. Shumla has discovered some paintings that are up to 30 feet high, which means the artists had to use some kind of scaffolding to complete their work.

Just before we get to the site, we pause for water and to catch our breath. Katie Wilson, a preservation archaeologist and Shumlas outreach coordinator, requests that we approach the art in silence, giving thought to the fact that the images were about to see represented a sacred experience for their creators.

She has one more request: Dont touch. Dont lick. Dont spit.

More Information Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center, based in Comstock 30 miles west of Del Rio, offers day-long treks to rock art sites in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands through May before taking a break during the heat of summer. For information, visit the website at shumla.org, email info@shumla.org or call 432/292-4849. San Antonios Witte Museum and the nearby Seminole Canyon State Park also offer scheduled tours. See More Collapse

My three new acquaintances  Houston retirees Patrick Cox, Quin Harris and Paul Penning  promise to abide by the rules. So do wife Laura and I. The Houstonians have arrived by kayak, so to speak. Members of the Houston Association of Sea Kayakers, they have been on a Pecos River paddling adventure before joining the trek. Cox, formerly an ESL instructor at Houston Community College, tells me he has made five or six rock-art treks with Shumla.

We stand beneath the overhang and try to comprehend the strange, elaborate images, brushed on in strokes of red, yellow, black and white, the paint derived from crushed minerals mixed with water and animal fat. Gradually we begin to make out recognizable figures  deer, birds and human-like drawings archaeologists call anthropomorphs. Squiggly lines represent what Katie interprets as a pulling and twisting and winding energy.

Staring at the rock, my eyes are drawn to a row of miniature deer, like Santas reindeer I think to myself. I try to make sense of a long, narrow figure with what resembles a halo around its head (thus the name of the shelter). The clustered figures are connected; the complex creation is telling a story. What I'm looking at, Shumla executive director Jessica Lee Hamlin has said, is as significant archeologically as Stonehenge or the Sphinx.

They applied the black paint first, then all red, then all yellow and then all white, Katie explains. It took weeks to paint a mural this big. The motif is planned. The figures are pulled together.

The paint, several thousand years after being applied, isnt fading, but its inexorably being covered over by water accretion. Climate change is likely having an effect. Many sites over the years have been lost to vandals and looters. Soldiers and railroad workers coming through the area in the 1800s added their own graffiti. We lost even more to nearby Amistad Reservoir, dammed in 1969. Cliff paintings like Halo lie submerged beneath the water.

The sites are really, really vulnerable, Katie reminds us. Part of Shumlas documentation is for when theyre no longer visible.

Carolyn Boyd, Shumlas founder, first encountered the Pecos River paintings in 1989. She was a professional muralist at the time, with a studio in north Houston. The experience changed her life. She finished a doctorate in archaeology at Texas A&M in 1998 and has since become a world-renowned expert on the Pecos River Style.

Relying on an artists eye, she has pioneered what she calls an ethnographic approach to how the paintings are interpreted. Theyre coherent compositions, she contends, not random elements added over the years. She finds similarities between the Pecos River style and artistic expressions of both living and historic cultures in northern Mexico and throughout the Southwest. They seem to be depicting archetypal myths of the great Mesoamerican civilizations, including the Aztecs, the Mayans and the Huichol.

After an hour or so at the Halo Shelter, we trudge up the bench and jounce along rough ranch roads back to Shumlas offices in a building that used to be a Border Patrol headquarters. Two jail cells, the doors decorated on the inside with what you might call scratched steel-door art, actually preserved inmate graffiti, are now used as offices.

Rudy Banny, a young archaeological chemist, explains to us the workings of Shumlas plasma oxidation laboratory where he and students from Comstock High School  Shumla Scholars, theyre called  prepare rock samples for radiocarbon dating. Rudy sends their findings to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California to do the actual carbon dating.

Were basically the only people in the world doing what we do out here in Comstock, Rudy tells us. Weve worked with rock art from Colombia, Spain, all over the world.

Tour completed by mid-afternoon, most of the group scurried across state Highway 90 to J&P Bar & Grill for burgers, beer and, at Katie Wilsons hearty recommendation, fried pickles. Comstocks only eatery looks almost as ancient as rock art, but looks deceive. The food is good.

Headed back home that evening, the sun sinking over rugged West Texas mountains, I kept thinking of those people, those artists who stood before a rock mural several thousand years ago and with paintbrush in hand sought to communicate something of ultimate significance. What it was, well never know for sure.

What we do know is that they were here. Leaving their marks, their signs and symbols on rock walls, they were here for much longer than we have been. And then they were gone.
A national investigative journalism organization has honored the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle for team coverage of the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde.

Investigative Reporters and Editors revealed Monday that the two news organizations won the award for Investigations Triggered by Breaking News. The award recognizes investigative reporting published within 30 days of a news event. It was among more than a dozen prizes in various categories awarded by IRE as part of its annual journalism competition.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 24 shooting in Uvalde. The Express-News and the Chronicle, both part of Hearst Newspapers, collaborated in covering the shooting.

The IRE award recognized five stories that brought to light significant new information about how the massacre unfolded, how the teenage gunman acquired his arsenal and how police bungled their response to the shooting, waiting more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman.

"We are incredibly proud of the work our newsrooms did to provide answers to a grieving community," said Maria Reeve, executive editor of the Houston Chronicle.

The articles were principally reported by Guillermo Contreras and Brian Chasnoff of the Express-News and St. John Barned-Smith of the Chronicle. Jacob Beltran and Annie Blanks of the Express-News and Emily Foxhall of the Chronicle contributed.

Just hours after the massacre, Barned-Smith broke the news that the 18-year-old gunman bought two assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition the week before the shooting -- just days after he turned 18 and could legally make the purchases.

The next day, Contreras and Chasnoff described how, days before the killing spree, the gunman telegraphed his intentions on social media, posting a photo of two assault rifles on Instagram and messaging a girl to say: Im about to.

On May 31, a week after the disaster, Contreras debunked a key element of the official narrative. Top state law enforcement officials had blamed a teacher for carelessly propping open a rear door through which the gunman entered Robb Elementary.

Contreras reported  and state officials confirmed -- that this was untrue: The teacher closed the door behind her, and the gunman was able to enter because the lock was faulty.

On June 4, before police-worn body camera or security footage had been made public, Contreras published a detailed reconstruction of the massacre based in part on law enforcement interviews with a 10-year-old boy who was in a classroom with the gunman and who survived the massacre.

Among other new details, the story disclosed that Uvalde school police chief Pedro Pete Arredondo  the incident commander that day -- did not bring his police radio with him into Robb Elementary, severely limiting his communications with other officers and his situational awareness.

On June 18, Chasnoff revealed that investigators had determined that during the entire 77-minute standoff, police officers never tried to open the door to the classrooms where the gunman was holed up with his victims. The door probably was unlocked the whole time, Chasnoff reported.

IRE, founded in 1975, is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. Its programs include the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, a collaboration with the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri, where IRE is based.
MBABANE  The taximan who was shot during an armed robbery at Smile Supermarket last Thursday was yesterday laid to rest and honoured by the police service.

Bongani Silwane Maseko was attempting to disarm and apprehend one of the robbers when he got shot. He died while undergoing treatment in hospital. His funeral service was held at his home at Ekukhanyeni, where officers from the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and his colleagues, who are also taximen, were in attendance. There were also mourners wearing blue gowns, normally worn by those from the Zion Church.

Colleagues

The late Masekos friends and colleagues were singing and dancing while carrying his coffin. They later placed it on the ground and continued to dance around it. The police officers who attended the funeral were also in the morning given a chance to carry Masekos coffin, heading to the graveyard. The police actually took over carrying the coffin from the late taximans colleagues, who had carried it from his home until halfway to the graveyard. It was gathered that the police appreciated Maseko for his bravery in his attempt to foil the robbers plan. The robbery, which involved four armed men, took place last Thursday, between 6:30am and 7am, where they were alleged to have walked away with coins amounting between E6 000 and E7 000. Smile Supermarket is situated along Betfusile Street. It is worth mentioning that shops like Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), Spar and Engen Garage were also attacked by robbers in recent months.

Robbers

A truck driver who had come to deliver stock at Smile Supermarket, told this publication last Thursday that Maseko got shot while attempting to disarm one of the robbers. The truck driver said after the robbers had instructed them to lie down, he later saw the taximan wrestling with one of the robbers who was the last to leave the shop. He said Maseko tried to grab the firearm from the robbers hand. I tried to assist the taximan to grab the gun from the thiefs hand because I didnt want him to get shot during the fight over the dangerous weapon. We overpowered the robber and forced him to remove all the bullets from his firearm, he said. He said one of the robbers returned and opened fire on the taximan, who was inside the shop. The truck driver said he did not see where exactly Maseko was shot.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The family of a man fatally shot last week in River Oaks confirmed Monday he was San Antonio-based rapper BTB Savage.

His mothers Facebook page confirms 26-year-old Darrell Gentry, who was shot, was the artist who rapped under the moniker BTB Savage.
Courtesy/OnScene.tv

Police on Monday asked for the public's help identifying a man wanted for questioning in connection to a fatal shooting in Spring Branch.

COURTESY/Houston Police Department

The Houston Police Department released a photo of a man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, with dark hair and dark pants. Police described the man as Hispanic, and called him a person-of-interest in the case.
Courtesy of Metro Video Services

Police were investigating after a shooting broke out late Sunday at a pool party in southeast Houston that sent at least one person to the hospital, officials said.

Officers around 10:15 p.m. responded to the shooting in the 4900 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard and found at least one person had been shot multiple times, Lt. J.P. Horelica of the Houston Police Department told Metro Video Services reporters. The person was taken to the hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.
Police Monday were investigating a homicide after a passerby noticed a man shot and bleeding at a southwest Houston bus stop, officials said.

A patrol officer around 12:30 a.m. was driving in the 9700 block of Bissonnet when someone flagged them down and said theyd noticed a man bleeding at a nearby bus stop, Lt. J.P. Horelica of the Houston Police Department told On Scene reporters. Police found a man nearby who had been shot multiple times.

MORE HOUSTON NEWS: Man fatally shot in a house party fight, police say

The man was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators as of early Monday were searching for surveillance video and trying to learn more about how the man had died, Horelica said.

Preliminary investigation shows the man was shot at the stop, but detectives havent yet identified a motive in connection with the slaying.
Houston Chronicle

Police were investigating after an infant was found dead Sunday at a gas station in southwest Houston, officials said.

Officers began the investigation around 4:25 a.m. Sunday at a gas station in the 13000 block of South Post Oak Road, according to the Houston Police Department. Witnesses told police a woman had entered the gas station bathroom that morning and left about 15 minutes later, officials said. Hours later, another customer went into the bathroom and found the infant girl.
The Texas Education Agency plans to appoint conservators to oversee the Austin Independent School District's embattled special education program, sparking a fresh round of allegations Texas' GOP state leaders are targeting public schools in a second Democratic stronghold.

The action comes roughly two weeks after the agency announced it will take over the Houston Independent School District, triggering pushback from community members and criticism from opponents who say that the takeover is a political maneuver that would strip voting rights from the majority Black and Hispanic community.

"If the TEA can move against HISD, no school district is safe from a takeover or conservatorship," said Mayor Sylvester Turner, who has been an outspoken critic against the state intervention. "There is no end in sight.

But some education experts say these two cases are distinct and unrelated.

"It's definitely opened eyes as far as the state has moved fairly quickly on two large districts," said Duncan Klussmann, a former Spring Branch ISD superintendent and University of Houston education professor. "But a conservator is very different than what is happening in HISD."

LATEST ON HISD: ACLU alleges HISD state takeover discriminates against Houston voters of color in DOJ complaint

State intervention in Houston was triggered under state law due to a chronically low-performing high school in Fifth Ward, according to state officials. As a result, TEA Commissioner Mike Morath intends to suspend the powers of the superintendent and elected trustees by June 1 and appoint a new superintendent and nine-member board of managers to govern the district for an undetermined amount of years.

A lawsuit prevented the state from taking over the district for several years, during which time Wheatley High School and the overall district saw improvement in accountability scores.

In Austin, meanwhile, the trustees and superintendent would remain in place while conservators would work with the special education team to "ensure were meeting the needs of our students who are referred to be evaluated for disabilities or who receive special education services," according to a statement from Austin ISD.

"We are focused on our students, and we welcome collaboration with TEA to help us catch up on long-overdue evaluations. We are united in our focus to ensure that all students receive what they need, when they need it," the district statement read.

The conservatorship is the result of several years of investigations from TEA that found "systemic issues found within Austin ISDs Special Education Department and the districts shortcomings in identifying and providing services for students with disabilities," agency spokesman Jacob Kobersky wrote in an email.

According to the investigative report that formed the basis for the conservator, TEA investigated 43 complaints that Austin ISD had not provided the special education services required under a federal law called the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, including delays in evaluating students for special needs and drafting their individualized education plans.

After those findings, Austin ISD was given a "corrective action plan" and a year to fix the problems by enacting it, but the district blew the deadline.

Klussmann said the circumstances surrounding state intervention in Austin are very different from those in Houston, where poor academic achievement among students triggered the takeover. The Austin situation is about procedural requirements for special education.

"The state is stepping in saying, 'Weve given you an opportunity to correct it, you haven't, were going to now help you correct that,'" he said.

Robbi Cooper, state leader for policy and advocacy with Decoding Dyslexia Texas, said there's a tremendous problem with special education in Austin ISD.

"Theres a lot of parents that are disappointed in the services, the identification processes that happen in the district, said Cooper, a parent who formerly had a student in the district.

The state intervention in Austin is a good step towards fixing a broken system, Cooper said, although she questioned whether the TEA is up to the task. In recent years, the agency has been in trouble with the U.S. Department of Education for failing to comply with federally mandated special education requirements.

We don't feel like the TEA is doing enough at the state level as it is, so how does one ensure that they're going to do the right thing at the district level?" she said. "That being said, something has to change because the system is broken in so many places. Not to step in and do anything is not a solution either."

After appointing conservators, the state would then be responsible for providing enough funds to support student services, appropriate staffing levels and proper training, Cooper said.

"I would hope that the commissioner uses the opportunity to do much better for kids and not simply just switch the oversight to somebody else," she said.

There are 16 conservators in place at 11 school districts or charter schools statewide, including a special education conservator at Houston ISD very similar to the one planned for Austin. Such conservators have the power to push for district-wide changes to improve special education, but they are not focused on broad reforms the way Houston ISD's new board of managers will be.

"The lack of support for these students has significantly hampered their ability to achieve academic success and negatively impacted their school experience," Kobersky wrote. "TEA believes that all students, when properly supported, can learn at high levels. The Agency has developed a rigorous plan for AISD to implement so it can return to state and federal compliance and begin appropriately serving students in need of special education services as quickly as possible."

TAKEOVER MEETING: Tension marks third TEA takeover forum at HISD's Delmar Stadium

However, under state law, a district could be taken over with a new board of managers if they've been under a conservatorship for two years. In addition to the planned takeover in Houston, there are five districts or charters with boards of managers in place.

In a Friday press release, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa described the news as a "severe intervention" and a "first step taken against Austin ISD."

Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat and former board member in Austin ISD, acknowledged problems within the district's special education program, saying, "In fact, it has been a challenge to access these services for my own son in AISD."

But, "they have briefed me on their plans to turn around the special education department in AISD. I believe that we were finally on track to do right by our kids," she wrote.

Hinojosa was joined by Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, another Austin Democrat, in criticizing the news. Eckhardt described issues with providing special education services as a national problem, and said "it came as a shock late Friday afternoon that TEA is singling out the Austin Independent School District for targeted scrutiny."

TAKEOVER FALLOUT: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee seeks federal intervention to halt HISD takeover

She called the timing of the announcement "suspicious" given its proximity to the Houston ISD takeover, as well as the governor's political agenda of pushing for public funds to go to private schools.

"Such higher scrutiny - of special education programs especially - is ironic since voucher proponents seek to take tax dollars away from highly scrutinized school districts and divert them to lightly scrutinized private schools," Eckhardt wrote.

Klussmann, the professor, said he does not think the conservatorship is the first step toward eventually appointing a board of managers in Austin.

"I just don't see that as part of the process," he said. "I feel like in Austin theyre following the process that has been around for many years."

Austin ISD has a right to appeal the conservatorship by April 17. The district is holding a special public meeting Monday night.
Prairie View A&M University President Ruth J. Simmons will resign from her position at the end of February, months earlier than expected after a falling-out over the decision-making power she would hold in her final months.

Simmons announced her early departure in a letter Friday to the Prairie View A&M community, adding that she was recently informed she could continue with "limited presidential authority" only, as she had planned to step down from the position June 1.

The Texas A&M University System announced Simmons' replacement at the historically Black university last year. System officials said they will appoint an interim president to serve until Tomikia LeGrande, current vice president for strategy, enrollment management and student success at Virginia Commonwealth University, assumes her new role as planned.

"No one is more surprised than I by this premature end to my tenure," Simmons said. "Indeed, I had counted on working assiduously to assure the success of my successor by completing in full and as ably as I can my responsibilities as president. However, I was informed recently that I could only continue as president with limited presidential authority. My immediate response was that I could not and would not agree to being president in name only."

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said Simmons' departure was because of an administrative disagreement, as he had informed her that all departing university presidents in the system cannot hire senior staff or deans permanently. They can appoint administrators on an interim basis only.

The policy, which has been in place for decades, is so that new presidents can choose their leadership teams. Sharp said he "afforded the same courtesy" to Simmons when her predecessor announced his retirement, and Texas A&M University did the same for more than a year as it waited for the arrival of its current president, Kathy Banks.

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We simply believe new presidents should be able to choose their top staff," the chancellor said in a statement. "I informed Dr. Simmons that we will not make exceptions to this policy, and she chose to resign. I am sorry she chose this path, but I am forever grateful for her service at Prairie View A&M University and look forward to even greater things in the future."

Simmons is beloved by many students, alumni and community members, and her peers consider her a trailblazer in the higher education field.

She came out of retirement to become Prairie View's president in 2017 and quickly made herself known around the small college town with a knack for forming personal relationships and boosting fundraising success. Last March, she announced that she would be stepping down from her position after a long career in administrative roles, including as president of Brown University and Smith College.

The president said she had anticipated a brief stint at the helm and planned to stay on as a professor with no departmental home. But on Friday, Simmons said she could not lower her expectations of being "all in" in her role. Through a university spokesperson, she declined speaking beyond her written statement.

"I will continue to speak out for high standards and just decisions on behalf of the university and other HBCUs," she wrote. "I will support the efforts of faculty, staff and students who seek the best for themselves and their university. We must not be held hostage to how others choose to see us or treat us, but, instead, continue to chart our own path demonstrating the pride, commitment and integrity that defines us."

Simmons' decision sent shockwaves through the university community, leading some alumni to speculate why the system wouldn't trust a leader with Simmons' reputation to make good decisions for the next president.

"Why are roadblocks being placed under her? Is it that Prairie View is advancing too much too fast?" said Marie Herndon, a Prairie View resident and 1967 alumna. "Our history is one of continuing to fight and continuing to struggle while striving for excellence. When Dr. Simmons is pushing for this, why are you going to tie our hands?"

Tramyra Simmons, president of the Prairie View A&M University Houston alumni chapter, said Ruth Simmons embraced the university as if she were an alumna herself. But she felt that the longtime educator barely seemed to get recognition from the A&M system when she announced her resignation and when the board of regents selected LeGrande -- illustrating a pattern of the system not taking the university seriously enough, she said.

"This was unexpected," she said. "We knew this day was coming, but not as abruptly as it has."

Lorenzo Jones, a 2017 master's student, said he worries about what will happen in the interim.

"A little bit of nerves," he said. "Theres always that up in the air of 'whats next?'"
Ruth J. Simmons is still trying to unpack her last days as president of Prairie View A&M University. And now, more than a month after her departure, she's explaining in the greatest detail yet why she left the job early.

In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Simmons said she moved up her planned departure date after a member of Chancellor John Sharps staff insisted she could not make high-level appointments as the HBCU awaited its next leader. After a 50-year career in higher education  during which she led Smith College and served as the first Black president at any Ivy League school  Simmons felt something was awry.

HIGHER ED: Ruth J. Simmons to leave Prairie View A&M early, not wanting to be president 'in name only'

She fears that the Texas A&M University System, which Sharp has led since 2011, has long neglected its second-oldest institution, shortchanging the vital role of the campus located on a former plantation 40 miles northwest of Houston. It enrolled 7,565 full-time undergraduate and graduate students in fall 2022, and about 84 percent of them are Black.

The opportunity that they had to make use of my experience and judgment was completely missed by a proclivity to constantly downgrade Prairie View, she said.

Simmons, 77, added that she wont be working with the systems current administrators, as some former presidents do.

She has kept busy, writing a book about her childhood as a poor student in Houston and her path to higher education. In April, she begins a position as Rice Universitys Presidents Distinguished Fellow. In June, she'll also begin serving as senior adviser to the president of Harvard University on Harvard's HBCU partnerships.

In her sit-down with the Chronicle, which took place at Rice, Simmons recounted her six years at Prairie View  and what ended them  choosing her words carefully.

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Simmons said serving as president at Prairie View was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. She worked with majority low-income students who reminded her of herself as a young adult, and she advocated to create equity between HBCUs and the states better-funded Predominately White Institutions. By the time she left, she significantly boosted research spending and financial contributions at the university in Waller County.

She struggled to see the A&M system share her passion. I don't believe that the Board of Regents of the system is at all capable of managing the affairs of Prairie View, she said. The simple reason for that is because they don't know Prairie View, and they have no interest in learning.

That's why I didn't think that the system was competent to make the call about whether or not I shouldn't make appointments," Simmons continued. "They simply don't know the reality well enough. They don't care to know the reality."

A&M system denies claims

When Simmons announced that she would leave in February, instead of May, Chancellor Sharp clarified that no outgoing president in the system is allowed to make high-level appointments, and he cited several examples where he required the same of other system presidents.

Texas A&M System officials said in a statement on Tuesday that Sharp has remained a champion for the university, long before Simmons came to Prairie View. "When he applied to be chancellor almost 12 years ago, he had two immediate goals: Acquire a law school and enhance Prairie View A&M," Vice President for Marketing and Communications Laylan Copelin said of Sharp. "He has delivered on both promises."

HBCUs: Texas Southern asks Legislature for $1 billion to bolster new programs and correct decades of underfunding

The system also provided examples, including $341 million in construction projects at Prairie View over the past 11 years and $36 million in research funding allocated from the chancellor's research fund. Prairie View's allocation from A&M's permanent endowment has also increased by nearly 150 percent, from $12.1 million in 2011 to $29.9 million this year, Sharp said. And funding per student more than doubled to $3,306 per student, up from $1,384.

"Truth is, the first time President Simmons was told 'no' over almost six years, she quit and abandoned Prairie View A&Ms students, faculty and staff," Copelin added. "Despite her public criticism of The Texas A&M University System, Chancellor Sharp allowed her to speak at commencement after her resignation and authorized her signature to be attached to Decembers diplomas. We wish her well in her new endeavors."

Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer

Simmons has remained guarded about what positions she was trying to fill, but she said she had been using her discretion on what was appropriate to handle immediately and what could wait for the incoming president, Tomikia LeGrande. (Most recently vice president for strategic enrollment and student success at Virginia Commonwealth University, LeGrande takes the helm June 1.)

The system's response to her departure was "rubbish," Simmons said, given her experience and proven record of keeping the universitys best interest in mind. She wouldn't have become president if that wasn't the case: Guilt and a sense of duty drew her to Prairie View in the first place.

Sharp recruited Simmons to come to Prairie View years into her retirement from Brown University. Still active in higher education, she expected he was seeking a consultation, but Sharp got off a private plane from College Station to Houston and shocked her with an immediate ask to serve as Prairie Views interim president.

In her early 70s and having already served as a president twice, she planned to feign interest but politely decline, she said. A visit to Prairie View changed that.

UNDERFUNDED: A history of funding failures at HBCUs

I just folded, she said. Seeing these young people walking across the campus and knowing that this was what I was like at their age  I thought, after everything that has happened to me in Texas, all the people who went out of their way to help me, how could I do less than to help these young people?

Few in American higher education have such informative experience as Simmons. Born in 1945 in East Texas as the youngest of 12 siblings, her family moved to Houston as agriculture technology began replacing sharecroppers work, she wrote in a 1998 essay published in the Texas Journal of Ideas, History and Culture. At Wheatley High School, her teachers instilled in her the importance of Black educators and gave her the lifelong mission of bettering opportunities for Black students, she said.

Simmons has always considered herself a bit of a disruptor. She earned a Ph.D. in romance languages and literature at Harvard University, in part because white educators had long withheld the humanities as a field of study for Black people. She said she became a problem everywhere she went  a pain for her bosses in the early years and too unconventional for donors in later years  holding appointments in New Orleans and California before moving into administrative roles at Princeton University and the historically Black Spelman College.

Breaking the color barrier

Her time as president of Smith College and Brown were history-making. She broke the color barrier at both institutions; created Smiths engineering program, the first at a womens college; and ignited a racial reckoning in higher education when she re-examined Browns history with the slave trade.

"I would say shes probably the most respected university president of this generation, for sure," Rice University President Reginald DesRoches said.

Back in 2017, Simmons' brother, a Prairie View alumnus, appealed to her conscience. She had never been president of any HBCUs, which have been historically undermined through with less state funding and the tendency of some white people to view them still as lesser places of education, even decades after reintegration.

More from Samantha Ketterer: Interim president named at Prairie View A&M after Ruth Simmons' early departure

She took the job, planning to be interim president for a few months. Simmons eventually asked to stay, serving in the role for six years but leaving with the knowledge that HBCUs are still pretty far off from being considered equal.

They were created to be less than. Now they are in an era when Blacks have been given access, full access to education, and yet people dont let go of that idea," she said. "Overcoming that is a monumental task, and you cant do it by pretending it never happened.

Simmons endeared herself to Prairie View students in quick time. A celebrity in the higher education world, she was also revered on campus, earning a name emblazoned on T-shirts: Ruth the Truth.

The former president said she feels her kinship with the community must have come from their knowledge that she didnt have to be at Prairie View, but she wanted to.

She just left a mark on all the students, just by her presence, just by being well-known nationwide, freshman Briana Baker said. Transferring all her success and her experience to Prairie View, shes done a lot.

Jon Shapley, Houston Chronicle / Houston Chronicle

Many faculty share that admiration. Under Simmons, Prairie Views aggregate research spending went way up, coinciding with the universitys elevation to a Research 2 Carnegie Classification. Fundraising also hit new highs, with Simmons bringing in money left and right by her name alone.

Corporate partnerships abounded, and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in 2020 gave $50 million to be used at Simmons discretion. While some people questioned Simmons' decision to lead a HBCU, they were disproven when she brought Prairie View to the national stage, said Melanye Price, special assistant to the president and director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice.

I think lots of people saw that as a step down, but she never treated it that way, Price said. There was a way in which having her as our president, everybody walked a little bit taller.

HIGHER ED: After early exit from Prairie View, Ruth J. Simmons named presidential fellow at Rice University

Simmons said she never kept secret how she felt the A&M Systems relationship with Prairie View needed to improve, especially in her desire for more collaboration between the system institutions. At a Houston-area HBCU panel in August, she shocked the audience to laughter, joking to the president of the independently-run Texas Southern University that they could have Prairie Views place in the system if they wanted it.

Still, Simmons said she maintained a good relationship with A&Ms chancellor until she heard from his office earlier this year.

The departure

Simmons chief financial officer gave her the news  via communication from one of Sharps subordinates  that the system didnt want her to fill any more positions, she said. Months away from leaving, she sent a letter to the chancellor letting him know that if she couldnt be president in full, she couldnt stay.

The pretense of being a president in name  in reality, that was a step too far for me, she said. I've never endured anything like that, and I never will. So I didn't want to tell a lie to my students. I didn't want to tell a lie to alumni. And I was not prepared to lie, to make it a pleasant story for the system.

Instead of hearing back from the president, Simmons said she got a cryptic text from one of Sharps underlings telling her to consult with public relations before sending out a resignation.

Texas A&M System officials say that Sharp did respond to Simmons, even though she said she never received it. A copy of an email dated Jan. 30 reads that the directive to not make appointments has been in place for ALL of the universities in the system for over ten years. The letter, which the system provided the Houston Chronicle, adds that if the incoming president was fine with a certain appointment, Simmons could proceed.

I regret that my staff didnt discuss this with you the day you announced your resignation but I can only assume that they were sure you know about it, Sharp said.

RESEARCH: Prairie View A&M selected to lead national transportation center, first for an HBCU

In mid-February, Simmons released a personal letter to the Prairie View community including her reasons for leaving. Within hours, it was national news  she was taking a personal stand, but the attention it garnered meant she was taking a public stand, too.

She demonstrated I think for lots of people, when something becomes untenable, you remove yourself from it, Price said. When youre in a relationship like this that has a power differential, the people in power believe that you should be gracious enough to take what they give you. And she said, no I dont.

Simmons said she believes A&M has continued to miss the mark, as it would be credited in the public eye for improving Prairie View. And the schools history is inextricable from A&Ms flagship in College Station, both founded in 1876 and owned by the state as a result of post-Civil War land grants for higher education.

It has to be because they cannot understand the relationship between this history of race in the state of Texas, and where the university is today and where it should be today, based on all of the discrimination that has taken place over decades, she said. It's a failure at some level to understand the duty of people today to deal with that history.

The former presidents biggest regret, she said, is that her plan for a smooth transition failed. But shes encouraged by what shes hearing from people in the Prairie View community  that they were glad she vocalized what they have always felt.

I really do hope that it helps the system understand that Prairie View is not a little kind of insignificant bump, Simmons said. It's not that at all. It is an incredible institution that is waiting for the proper leadership in in the system to value it, and to help it become the place that it can become.
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Texas Southern University is asking the Legislature for almost $1 billion to correct decades of underfunding to the historically Black university, among a blitz of requests from higher education institutions hoping to receive a share of the states $33 billion budget surplus.

President Lesia Crumpton-Young on Tuesday told the Senate Finance Committee that she is aware her request is bold -- and she told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday that she knows the competition is tight. But in their appeal to legislators, she and others with the university are leaning on the effect that a large budget allocation would have on the statewide workforce and on the universitys status as a research institution.

Were not, asking for handouts, the president said. We are only requesting the resources that we rightfully have earned.

Texas higher ed: A history of funding failures at HBCUs

The budget request -- for amounts beyond the state's allocation to TSU based on credit hours -- includes $414 million for new academic programs, including a Thurgood Marshall Advanced Legal Studies Institute and a Consortium for Biomedical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences.

Other requests include $163 million to create a new center for urban research; $153 million for the recently opened College of Transdisciplinary Studies; $77 million to accommodate student growth and hire tenure-track faculty; $26 million for a mental health institute; and $146 million for campus health and safety improvements.

In all, TSU leaders are asking for more than $986 million to fund the new programs and improvements in the 2024-2025 biennium, according to the schools legislative appropriations request.

88th Session: UH, Texas Tech ask Legislature for own permanent endowments

Our students deserve it, and Im excited for the programs were asking their support for, said TSU Regent James M. Benham, chairman of the boards Development and Legislative Affairs Committee. We are not an afterthought. We deserve to be invested in at a substantially higher level than has been done in the past.

Jaime Puente, director of economic opportunity for the public policy group Every Texan, said $1 billion would go a long way to correct decades of underfunding of Texas historically Black colleges and universities.

The state gives significantly less funding per full-time student to Texas Southern University than to Texas A&M or the University of Texas at Austin, according to data. That might push legislators to give TSU at least some of their request, Puente said.

There has been, in previous sessions, a recognition that TSU has been historically underfunded, he said. Theres money to do it, theres money to  establish the university in a way that will set it on a path for the next 100 years.

TSU is in a period of growth, with about 8,000 students enrolled and a goal to reach 15,000 by fall 2030, Crumpton-Young said in her legislative ask. The school in 2018 became one of 11 HBCUs to hold the Carnegie R2 research classification, indicating high research activity, or the second-highest possible amount for doctoral universities.

Crumpton-Young last year launched a new division of research and innovation with the goal of boosting the university to the highest-tier research classification, becoming the first HBCU at the level.

The president said TSU has made good use of the money the state has previously funded  for every $1 the state has given TSU for research, the school has brought in $33 from federal and private sources.

Crumpton-Young added that shes encouraged that state leaders in Tennessee and Maryland have in recent years moved to add hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for their HBCUs -- and she said the budget surplus makes the timing right for Texas to do the same.

All we want is what's equal and whats fair, she said.

TSU appears to have made one of the highest asks for new programs in its legislative appropriations request, with schools such as the University of Houston, UT and Texas A&M asking for amounts closer to $50 million. Prairie View A&M University, another HBCU near Houston, has asked for $17 million, according to state documents.

But many of those schools are still looking elsewhere in the Legislature for money, including the University of Houston and Texas Tech University in their requests for permanent endowments totaling $1 billion each. Those have already garnered support from Gov. Greg Abbott, and Texas six public university systems have also asked for $1 billion to stave off tuition increases.

Community colleges are meanwhile seeking a funding overhaul that would increase allocations to the tune of $650 million.

Puente said the state cant have it all, especially as legislators are eyeing some form of property tax relief.

Theres a desire to do something in higher education more generally, he said. Whether or not theres appetite in the Legislature to make those investments, Im still waiting to see.
Texans could benefit from a proposed overhaul of the national organ transplant system, which the Biden Administration last week said it plans to modernize following years of criticism from lawmakers and patient advocates.

In a March 22 announcement, the Health Resources and Services Administration  the federal agency that oversees organ transplants  said it wants to break up the responsibilities of the United Network for Organ Sharing, the private nonprofit that has managed the nations transplant system under a government contract since the 1980s. The transplant system comprises 250 transplant hospitals, including 27 in Texas, and 56 organizations responsible for recovering organs in designated geographic areas.

Critics say the system lacks oversight and is rife with problems that lead to unnecessary deaths among people waiting for life-saving organs, with poor and minority patients generally facing worse outcomes. A Washington Post investigation in 2018 found that too many potentially usable organs are discarded. Government probes also have found evidence of organs lost in transit and technological issues, including aging software and periodic IT system outages. Additionally, the regional groups in charge of donations historically have reported their own performance data.

There are 9,959 people on the organ transplant waiting list in Texas, most of them for kidneys, while the number of transplants has hovered near 4,000 the last two years, according to the Organ Procurement Transplantation Network. Federal data from 2020 shows 111 people die on the transplant waiting list each month in the state.

COVID ORGANS: After reluctance, Houston doctors now transplanting organs from COVID-positive donors

There are few places where theres more of a need than in Texas, said Greg Segal, CEO of organ transplant advocacy group Organize. Texas has excellent transplant centers. Thats one of the places you go if you want a really good transplant, so its really important the system works there.

The transplant system functions primarily through nonprofits called organ procurement organizations, or OPOs, which recover donor organs in their designated regions and work with transplant centers to test and transport them. Under new federal criteria that created a three-tiered ranking system for the organizations, two of Texas three OPOs are underperforming, including LifeGift, which oversees donations in the Houston region. The third OPO is among the lowest performers in the country.

LifeGift CEO Kevin Myer said in an interview Wednesday the organization had fallen out of the top tier only recently, and that LifeGift is updating technology, creating a data team and adding staff to refine the donation process and keep up with population growth. The OPO fell 84 transplants short of the top tier in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Our whole focus is, can we get 84 more patients transplanted? Myer said. Yes, we can do it. Thats why were investing so much in our operations, and our staff and our team to do that  but what weve got to do is attack this from the system level. At the federal level, and then at the local level.

Myer said he welcomes the proposed federal overhaul. The plan includes the creation of a board of directors independent of UNOS and awarding contracts through a competitive bidding process to multiple entities to manage the system. The administration also wants Congress to double the budget for transplant-related work and update the networks software.

HOUSTON VA: An Air Force veteran became the first heart transplant patient at the Houston VA

UNOS grip on the network is virtually written into the 1984 National Organ Transplant Act, according to the Post. Carole Johnson, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, told the news outlet the agency plans to change that law and raise the spending cap for contractors. Johnson also asserted her agency has legal authority to move forward without Congressional approval.

Some transplant surgeons have said publicly that UNOS does a good job managing the organ shortage, and that the plan will not be the game changer patients need. It still is unclear how much of an impact the changes would have on the number of transplant-related deaths. Experts estimate that reforming the system to hold OPOs more accountable could allow for 28,000 more organs to be transplanted each year, according to a U.S. Senate Finance Committee report.

We dont know how this potential change might affect us, said Dr. Mark Ghobrial, director of the Houston Methodists J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center. As usual, we will continue to do our best to transplant all of the patients we see at Houston Methodist.

ONE YEAR LATER: A COVID lung transplant saved his life. A year later, a Houston dad wonders when he can start living.

Two other major transplant centers in Houston, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center, declined to comment.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have said they support the proposal. In a statement, UNOS has said it welcomes a competitive and open bidding process to advance our efforts to save as many lives as possible, as equitably as possible.

We believe we have the experience and expertise required to best serve the nations patients and to help implement HRSAs proposed initiatives.  We are committed to working with HRSA, HHS, Congress and others who care about this system so deeply to assist in carrying out these reforms and to do our part to improve how we serve Americas organ donors, transplant patients and their families.
MBABANE  Some Malindza residents have already spent four nights at Sokhamlilo Building in Mbabane, where they are demanding compensation for their damaged houses.

Sokhamlilo Building is where Millennium Projects offices are housed. Millennium Projects was responsible for the construction of the King Mswati III International Airport, which the residents homesteads were damaged during its construction. About 10 residents were found at the entrance of the building yesterday. In an interview with this reporter, the residents emphasised that they would not leave the entrance of the building until they received their compensation. It was reported that there were 223 homesteads that were affected during the construction of the airport, especially the runway.

Sleeping

The residents narrated that they travelled all the way from Malindza on Thursday and they had been sleeping outside Sokhamlilo Building since then, and would not return to their homes until they received their compensation. The residents have been fighting for their compensation for over a decade now, such that in 2021, they even camped at the quarry mine situated near the area. They camped at the quarry mine operated by Inyatsi Construction as they were told that this was the company that was supposed to compensate them. According to a consultancy report, which was tabled and adopted in Parliament in 2021, Inyatsi Construction was supposed to compensate the affected families with E46 million for the houses which developed cracks due to the quarry blasting works by the construction company.

During the interview yesterday, they said on Friday, one Patrick Mnisi attended to them and promised to organise a meeting with the relevant authorities in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development. Mnisi is said to be from Millennium Projects. They said Mnisi promised to get back to them today with responses to their concerns. The residents said they decided to take this step, especially on Thursday, because they were told in the previous year (2021) that they would be compensated before the end of March 2023. They said they were informed in 2020/2021 financial year there was no budget for their compensation, but it would be provided for in 2021/2022 financial year, hence they decided to come before the elapsing of the 2021/2022 financial year.

They said they were of the view that their money was there, just that there were some hindrances, hence they came to hear about them and how they could move foward. They told this publication that there were so many of them whose houses developed cracks due to the blasting works by the construction company at the time, though a few made it to Mbabane. They said they were in constant communication with those they had left at home. They told this publication that the damages were confirmed by the government evaluator, who was sent to assess the extent of the damage to their homes. They narrated that after the evaluation, they were promised compensation and further be relocated to another suitable place. They stated that they were only compensated almost half of what was promised to them and they were now demanding the balance.

The residents said it had been long since they were attempting to rebuild their homes because even the relocation seemed to be something far from happening. The residents narrated that some homesteads were relocated and those crying foul were left behind from the newly-established village, situated some kilometres away from the airport. The residents stated that during the construction of the airport, they were instructed not to build any more structures and not to plough their fields. They informed this reporter that government provided them with food estimated to be the equivalent amount of harvest they would have received if they had ploughed their fields, but that happened for only four or five years and it stopped. They said they were told that government was stopping the food assistance because they would be relocated but that did not happen until this day. The food assistance is believed to have ended around 2015. The residents said since then, they had been struggling with food, hence the dire need for the money. They stated that their houses were damaged in a way that some ended up collapsing while others remained with the cracks. They said since they were seeing that the relocation was far from happening, they wanted to rebuild their homes, hence they needed the money.

Compensation

They said upon receiving part of the compensation some years ago, they commenced rebuilding their homes but because the funds were not enough, they stopped. The residents also lamented that during the construction of the airport, they were also promised that their children would be employed at the airport, more especially for jobs requiring less skills, but that did not happen as well. The residents said in as much as development was appreciated but to them it brought pain and set them backward. They said they could not produce food for their families, and they were now sleeping in collapsing structures. Efforts to get a comment from the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Dr Tambo Gina, proved futile as his phone rang unanswered by the time of compiling this report. However, Dr Gina had told Eswatini TV on Saturday that the ministry was aware of the matter and was pleading with the residents to be patient with government while attempting to resolve it.
Brett Coomer/Staff photographer

After a 40-mile trip down the Houston Ship Channel last year, guided dry dock tours of one of Texas' historic battleships will soon be coming to an end.

April 30 will be the last day visitors can take an hour-long guided walking tour of Battleship Texas until later this summer. The Battleship Texas Foundation announced on social media that they will be posting additional tour dates in June and July soon. They also announced that Battleship Texas will remain in dry dock until August 2023.
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A massive sinkhole in a small town between Houston and Beaumont is growing, city officials announced on Monday.

The sinkhole in Daisetta, Texas was first reported in 2008. At the time, it was over 600 feet wide. Different outlets reported the hole to be from 150 to 260 feet deep.

Today, Daisetta city officials said in a release that they were made aware on Sunday that the sinkhole has expanded. The Chronicle reached out to confirm how deep the sinkhole has reached, but Daisetta officials were not immediately available to comment.

"City officials immediately contacted the offices of the Liberty County Judge, the Liberty County Fire Marshall, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and notified residents in the immediate area of the situation," the city of Diasetta released in a statement. "City officials are closely monitoring the situation and will work with state and local authorities to provide updates to the community as the situation progresses."

James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle

According to the U.S. geological survey, the sinkhole is in a salt dome which is susceptible to rapid dissolution.

"Injection of fluids into this salt dome increased the dissolution of the salt causing a 60-foot deep sinkhole that covered several acres and destroyed many buildings," according to the USGS.

The sinkhole has remained stable for the last 15 years.

A Texas Railroad Commission report in 2009 found it "inconclusive" as to whether two saltwater disposal wells near the sinkhole were responsible for the ground's collapse.

According to Liberty County, there have been no injuries or deaths as a result of the sinkhole.
It's the holiest time for Muslims around the world as they embark on Ramadan  a celebration of God revealing to the Prophet Muhammad the Quran.

Ramadan tradition includes fasting during the sunlit hours of the day for 30 days. After the sun goes down, Muslims gather and break fast with a meal called iftar. This year, the holiday is expected to start on March 22  depending on the sighting of the new moon. Here's wear you can break fast around Houston:

RAMADAN: Ramadan in Houston: Halal restaurants adjust hours, plan events for month of fasting

2023 Ramadan Houston: Restaurants offering iftar dinner, meals

Houston Iftar

The annual Houston Iftar is back, starting at 5 p.m. April 2 at the Bayou City Event Center. The event will include a keynote address from Mayor Sylvester Turner.

9401 Knight Road

Nazif's Grill

Make a reservation at Nazif's Grill any day of the week. The Turkish Grill will be hosting an authentic iftar buffet for Ramadan with live instrumental music on Fridays. Buffet is $37 for adults and $18 for kids 5-7 years old.

Additionally, the restaurant will host a special Ramadan event 7-10 p.m. April 1 at the Bougainvilleas Events Venue & Catering, 12126 Westheimer Road. The event will feature prayer, a grand buffet, live music and dancing. Tickets for the event range from $70 to $150 based on seating.

8821 Westheimer Road #109

Bar BQ Village

Offering all your iftar favorites, Bar BQ Village is hosting a Ramadan Buffet every day during the holy month. Buffet options include chicken biryani, malai boti, mix pakora and kheer. Buffet is $16.99 for adults, $11.99 for kids 4-10 years old and free for children under 4. Reservations are encouraged by calling 832-593-7252.

17118 West Little York Road

Pakwan House

Head to Pakwan House for an iftar buffet any day during Ramadan. The buffet will offer iftar favorites along with Pakistani and Indian flavors. Buffest costs $18.99 per person. You can reserve your spot online or by calling 832-328-0786.

14617 Beechnut St.

Chai Shai Hillcroft

Chai Shai is bringing back it's iftar buffet with curry, barbecue, Chinese and other options. Buffet starts at $14.99 a person. The restaurant is also offering iftar catering.

6632 Southwest Freeway

Mai Colachi

Pakistani restaurant Mai Colachi is pausing Sunday brunch to have a grand buffet every day. The buffet will have traditional iftar foods like khajoor, along with main courses like papdi chaat. Buffet for adults and kids 5 and up will cost $24.95; kids under 5 eat free. Reservations can be made over phone at 281-240-0786.

15425 Southwest Freeway., Sugar Land

Do Darya

If you're looking to stay home but don't want to dirty the kitchen, Do Darya Kabab House has you covered. They'll cater your Ramadan feast and grill kababs right in your backyard.

14639 Beechnut St. Suite B-2
National Weather Service

Houstonians are in for a hot and muggy Monday, with temperatures gradually cooling as the week progresses.

Monday is expected to start off cloudy, transitioning to sunny, clear skies with a high temperature of 91, according to the National Weather Service. At night, the temperature is forecasted to drop to 72.
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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The South Korean, U.S. and Japanese navies began their first anti-submarine drills in six months on Monday to boost their coordination against increasing North Korean missile threats, South Koreas military said.

The two-day drills come as North Koreas recent unveiling of a type of battlefield nuclear warhead prompted worries the country may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.

The maritime exercises in international waters off South Koreas southern island of Jeju involved the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and naval destroyers from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, South Koreas Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The training was arranged to improve the three countries capacities to respond to underwater security threats posed by North Koreas advancing submarine-launched ballistic missiles and other assets, the statement said. South Korean defense officials said the three countries were to detect and track unmanned South Korean and U.S. underwater vehicles posing as enemy submarines and other assets.

Submarine-launched missiles by North Korea are serious security threats to the United States and its allies because its harder to spot such launches in advance. In recent year, the North has been testing sophisticated underwater-launched ballistic missiles and pushing to build bigger submarines including a nuclear-powered one.

Last month, North Korea performed a barrage of missile tests in response to the earlier South Korea-U.S. bilateral military drills. The weapons tested included a nuclear-capable underwater drone and a submarine-launched cruise missile, which suggest North Korea is trying to diversify underwater weapons systems.

Photographs in North Korea's state media last week showed leader Kim Jong Un standing near about 10 red-tipped warheads called Hwasan (volcano)-31 with different serial numbers. A poster on a nearby wall listed eight kinds of short-range weapons that can carry the Hwasan-31 warhead. The previous test flights of those weapons show they are capable of striking key targets in South Korea, including U.S. military bases there.

Some observers say the warheads unveiling may be a prelude to a nuclear test as North Korea's last two tests in 2016 and 2017 followed the disclosures of other warheads. If it does conduct a nuclear test, it would be its seventh detonation overall and the first since September 2017.

During the warhead-related event last week, Kim also ordered officials to ramp up bomb fuel production to achieve his stated goal of expanding his countrys nuclear arsenal exponentially. On Saturday, 38 North, a North Korea-focused website, said that recent commercial satellite imagery of the Norths main Yongbyon nuclear complex indicates a high level of activity, such as the continued operation of its 5-megawatt reactor and new construction around the uranium enrichment plant area.

Foreign experts debate whether North Korea has functioning nuclear-armed missiles. But South Koreas defense minister, Lee Jong-Sup, recently told lawmakers that the Norths technology to build miniaturized warheads to be mounted on advanced short-range missiles was believed to have made considerable progress.

North Korea could carry out new missile tests to protest the South Korea-U.S.-Japan drills because it views such training as a security threat. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called the recent South Korea-U.S. exercises reckless military provocations that disregarded North Korea's "patience and warning.

In remarks carried in the Defense Ministry statement, Rear Adm. Kim Inho, chief of the South Korean forces involved in the trilateral drills, said Well decisively respond to and neutralize any type of provocation by North Korea.

In addition to the anti-submarine drills, the three countries will practice humanitarian search-and-rescue operations, including saving people who fall into the water and treating emergency patients. It would be the three countries first such training in seven years, the Defense Ministry statement said.

___

Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  Disaster relief workers in Papua New Guinea were assessing the extent of damage in a remote region Monday following a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Some buildings and homes were destroyed near the quake's epicenter in the northern part of the Pacific nation, said Mathew Moihoi, the acting assistant director of the Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory. He said disaster relief workers were trying to verify whether there were any deaths or serious injuries.

He said the region is marked by swamps and people tend to live subsistence lives hunting and fishing. He said that because of the region's remoteness and patchy communications, it could take several days to figure out the extent of the damage.

Moihoi said the quake was big enough to be felt in surrounding regions, including in the nation's highlands.

The quake struck just after 4 a.m. at Chambri Lake and the epicenter was relatively deep at 62 kilometers (38 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Deeper earthquakes tend to create less damage on the surface than those that are shallow.

Papua New Guinea is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, to the east of Indonesia and north of Australia. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the worlds earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.

Papua New Guinea is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, to the east of Indonesia and north of Australia.

A magnitude 7.6 quake that struck a remote area of Papua New Guinea in September was later found to have killed 21 people.
First came the shots that rang like an exploding transformer through the quiet River Oaks neighborhood. Then, the yellow police tape, stretching around a white Mercedes pockmarked with dozens of bullet holes. Then, the spectacle.

As onlookers gathered Thursday afternoon, one man brandished his phone for curious newcomers, showing a hastily snapped photo of a white sheet partially obstructed from view by a Harris County constable SUV. A memento, perhaps; giddy proof that one might seek if theyd stumbled upon a cop drama being filmed on a street corner in Manhattan.

Except this macabre moment wasnt a show. The horror was real, and fresh, and only a few feet away from the gaggle of observers, including a member of this editorial board who happened upon the scene. There, on the opposite side of the oak-lined street, lay a human form on the concrete entrance to a parking garage, only identifiable by the lifeless legs jutting out from beneath the white sheet. He was wearing sneakers with black Coco Chanel Cs on the soles.

He was a man, a son and, reportedly, a father, whose young life had been extinguished in a matter of minutes  all in the broad daylight of a Houston rush hour. The mother of 26-year-old Darrell Gentry, known as the rapper BTB Savage, told ABC13 that the victim was her son.

We write a lot about guns and gun violence in this space, about crime and criminal justice. But arriving 30 minutes after a man was gunned down on an otherwise peaceful street, observing the responses  good and bad  of people nearby, the diligence of dozens of law enforcement officers, proved a rare, precious lens. Or, perhaps, a mirror.

Nothing prepares one for seeing death in such stark light. Certainly, nothing prepared the family visiting from Florida who had been driving past right at the precise moment the bullets sprayed the Mercedes. Hearing the shots, they ducked; their car was grazed, but, miraculously, they climbed out unscathed.

The mother and her special needs daughter had just come from their appointment at MD Anderson, where they both were being treated for breast cancer. Who could imagine that, while fighting for their lives in the worlds capital for cancer care, they might almost lose them on a quiet Houston street instead?

The incident would seem to confirm the worst suspicions of many not from this state. That our permissive gun laws allow practically anyone to get their hands on a gun  and they do.

Shootings are so commonplace in Houston they barely make it on the nightly news anymore. A trip to get ice cream, a ride in the backseat while listening to music, a night out at a friends party  all these have cut young lives short.

The guns are certainly to blame. They give people a means, and apparently far too many of us are ready to supply a motive.

At the scene in River Oaks, small groups of people gathered, swapping fragments of stories and theories, some cracking jokes and drawing laughs whose echoes seemed jarring in the thick, somber air.

Online, videos and photos of the crime scene went viral. After police said it had been a targeted ambush but before the victim's identity was confirmed, some speculated the man had been an amateur rapper killed in a retaliatory attack, and posted memes about it. Just hours prior to the shooting, the rapper had posted a tweet with gut-churning photos. They show him posing at the blood-splattered scene where, he claimed, a man who tried to rob him was killed in self-defense.

"Bro aint even live to see this tweet go viral," one person tweeted.

Each of us reacts to horror in different, sometimes unexpected, ways. But in our online era of bigger and flashier spectacle in the pursuit of clout, ego, money or power, we have lost something critical. Some of us not only forget how to separate whats real from whats false. Whats living from whats virtual.

We forget that real life is not some endless loop, eternally archived, conveniently digitized for infinite replay. Its a brief candle  fragile, sacred and connected.

Why have we become desensitized to violence, especially that involving guns? Because its so prevalent? Because more people are hurting and we each have only so much capacity for empathy, if we have capacity left at all? Because were in survival mode?

Research shows that experiencing harm, and not properly healing, is often the most significant contributing factor to peoples diminished sense of the seriousness of violence. Often, people who go on to commit violence first survived or witnessed it themselves.

How do we combat that  the violence and the disregard of it? By crafting policies that really do put people  not money or partisan power grabs  first. Policies that allow people to heal: adequate, affordable mental health care, for starters.

But also, by building community.

As journalist Bari Weiss put it in a piece penned after Uvalde, The dissolution of our social ties  and with them the accountability and responsibility that an actual community demands  has allowed insanity to fester unnoticed.

We can start by extending grace to our neighbors. By remembering and reminding each other of our shared humanity, in big ways and small, but perhaps most importantly, when were most tested.

This, too, was present at the crime scene in River Oaks.

There were moments that rarely make it into breaking news reports: The nurse who ran across the street to attempt to resuscitate the wounded driver just after he had been gunned down. The leasing office employee who ran, too, and helped her turn the mans body on his back. The young men who handed out water bottles and candy to the dozens of police officers who were there into the late hours.

Those moments may not go viral or draw clicks or likes or follows or any other digital, algorithmically contrived admiration. They are so much more. They are human connection in a world dying for it.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has rescinded his finding that Harris County defunded law enforcement in violation of state law, after county officials noted they increased police funding as a percentage of the countys overall budget.

Hegars latest decision first came to light through a lawsuit filed by county officials in February, shortly after Hegar accused them of reducing Constable Ted Heaps Precinct 5 budget in the countys latest spending plan. In doing so, Hegar alleged, Harris County had run afoul of a state law passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2021, Senate Bill 23, that bars large counties from cutting law enforcement spending without getting approval from voters.

The Democrat-run Commissioners Court, led by County Judge Lina Hidalgo, disputed Hegars finding and decided to challenge it in court.

DEFUNDING DISPUTE: Court blocks Comptroller's determination that Harris County defunded law enforcement

In a filing submitted Monday morning in Travis County district court, prosecutors from the Attorney Generals Office, which is representing Hegar in the lawsuit, wrote that the case is moot as the Comptroller has rescinded the February 10 Declaration concerning Constable Precinct 5.

The debate over Harris Countys law enforcement funding has been complicated by the countys decision to shift its budgeting schedule to start in October instead of March. That move required a seven-month stopgap budget last year, muddling year-to-year funding comparisons.

Hegar and County Administrator David Berry have used different methods to project out, or annualize, Heaps seven-month budget to a full year.

Hegar explained Monday afternoon that he retracted his finding after viewing Harris Countys response to the defunding allegation last month. In the response, county officials referred to a provision of SB 23 that uses a different standard when a local government decreases its overall budget  as Harris County did under Hegars annualization method.

In that case, Harris County was required to increase law enforcement funding only as a percentage of its total budget  meaning it could decrease raw funding for a police agency or office, as long as the funding made up a bigger share of the overall county budget than the previous year.

Heaps office makes up 1.8 percent of the countys current budget, up from 1.6 percent from the prior seven-month budget, Hegar and county officials confirmed. The Republican constable was not available for comment Monday.

Even though the total budget for Constable Precinct 5 decreased in FY23, it did not decrease as a percentage of the overall reduced budget, Hegar wrote in a letter to Commissioners Court members. Given that this reduction in funding is permitted under (state law), the Comptrollers office concludes that Harris County has not violated Local Government Code Chapter 120 and rescinds its February 10th determination.

FIGHTING BACK: Harris County to sue Hegar over renewed police defunding accusation

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, whose office brought the legal challenge against Hegar, said he was glad the Comptroller admitted his error and is no longer holding Harris Countys budget process hostage. I hope that in the future, we can talk through these types of allegations, as the law requires, before the Comptroller makes a final decision.

In court filings, attorneys from Menefees office have argued Hegar made his initial finding without giving the county a chance to respond, as state law requires.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat and former colleague of Hegar in the Texas Senate, echoed Menefee's call for stronger communication between the comptroller and county.

"I served in the Texas Legislature with Comptroller Hegar years ago. We talked then and we can talk now," Ellis said. "I look forward to a dialogue between the state and the county next time an issue like this arises.

Hidalgo said Hegar, "like some other far-right officials, believe it's good for their base to be anti-Harris County, but that doesnt make their attacks less false or less offensive."

Hegar, who has called the county's lawsuit "frivolous" and "a waste of taxpayer resources," said the countys response amounted to an admission that they defunded law enforcement.

The fact that they defunded police as part of larger cuts to the countys overall budget is in no way an indication of Judge Hidalgos commitment to public safety, Hegar said, calling it a convenient excuse ironically only available because Republican commissioners skipped several court meetings in a successful bid to force the Democratic majority to approve a smaller budget.

The county was forced to adopt a budget based on what is known as the no new revenue rate, a levy that brings in the same amount of tax revenue as the previous year from existing property. The countys adoption of the budget effectively ended a prior defunding accusation from Hegars office in August, also related to constable funding.

County officials also sued Hegar over his first accusation, in which he sought to block the county from adopting a budget for the 2023 fiscal year until the alleged defunding was addressed. The case arose from a complaint filed by Heap and Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman, who said the county had reduced their funding when it scrapped a policy known as "rollover" budgeting, which had allowed departments to keep unspent funds for future budget cycles.

Hidalgo, Berry and other county officials denied the accusation. The county moved forward with its budget process after a lawyer for the state acknowledged in a court hearing that the comptroller could not make any determination until the county had approved its budget.

Hegar said Monday that Republican lawmakers are aiming to give him authority to enlist the State Auditor's Office to review the finances of Harris County and other local governments targeted by future defunding complaints. The change would allow "greater visibility into local budgets in order to more effectively investigate" such complaints, Hegar's office said in a press release.

State Rep. Tom Oliverson, a Cypress Republican who is spearheading the effort this legislative session, said it is a "direct response" to Harris County Democrats' use of "accounting tricks to try to prevent the public from gaining real visibility into county efforts to cut funding" for law enforcement.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who chairs the Senate committee that oversees bills affecting local governments, said he supports legislative changes that would allow for more scrutiny of the county's finances.

There is no transparency in the way Harris County spends money, Bettencourt said, accusing Hidalgo of using "leftist Austin courts to paper over her efforts to defund law enforcement."

Hidalgo repeatedly has said the county has increased law enforcement budgets each year she has been in office.

jasper.scherer@houstonchronicle.com
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After spending two days in a Brooke Army Medical Center facility for former hostages and prisoners of war, Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina is home at last.

He arrived back at his San Antonio home Friday afternoon after his brief stay at BAMC.

Read more: Army facility in San Antonio helps POWs with horrors of captivity

He looks older and tired, but otherwise good and his personality and sense of humor are still in place, his courtesy and graciousness, Kathleen Tobin Krueger, widow of U.S. Sen. Bob Krueger and a friend of the family, said Saturday. Hes a very peaceful man and he still seems peaceful.

She shared a photo of Rusesabagina, Krueger and his wife, Taciana, on their back porch.

The arrival home closed the chapter on 2 1/2 years of captivity. Rusesabagina, who became famous after the release of the 2004 Hollywood film, Hotel Rwanda, was held prisoner after being abducted overseas in August 2020 and taken to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

He was handed a 25-year sentence on charges of terrorism, murder and arson in September 2021 that the European Union and United States alleged were trumped up. He was tortured for four days before his family knew he had been arrested. The European Union said the Rwandan court proceeding was marred by numerous violations of his fair-trial rights.

The State Department raised concerns over the reported lack of fair-trial guarantees that calls into question the fairness of the verdict.

Krueger and others with his family and friends say the real issue is bad blood going back to 1994 between Rusesabagina and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Rusesabagina, who was played by actor Don Cheadle in the Hollywood film, emerged as a vocal critic of Kagame's regime, accusing his government of corruption and human rights abuses.

Read more: Hotel Rwanda hero Paul Rusesabagina returning home to San Antonio

BAMC has said nothing about his stay at the facility, which dates to the end of the Vietnam War, when the U.S. military was faced with hundreds of returning POWs who needed help grappling with the horrors many of them had endured.

Family and friends have said that Rusesabagina, 68, is a survivor of colon cancer and was likely screened by physicians at BAMC to see if its reappeared. He also suffers from high blood pressure and during his imprisonment was denied medications he otherwise would have taken.

They asked doctors at BAMC to screen him to ensure he wasn't poisoned as he flew out of the country a week ago  a trademark of the regime.

I know nothing about the medical results and maybe they don't even have them yet, Krueger said. I feel like if they found out he was (poisoned) we would all be freaking out.
Chinese enterprise helps Nigeria build first modern deep seaport

15:39, April 03, 2023 By Jiang Xuan ( People's Daily

Nigeria's first deep seaport was recently inaugurated in the southwestern state of Lagos. Funded, constructed and operated by the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC), the Lekki deep seaport is one of the biggest in West Africa.

The Lekki deep seaport, which has a breakwater extending 2.5 kilometers into the Gulf of Guinea and five giant container gantry cranes, is located in the Lagos Free Trade Zone and jointly developed by the CHEC and Nigerian Ports Authority. The project was commenced in June 2020 and completed in October last year.

Photo shows the Lekki deep seaport in Nigeria. (Photo from the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.)

A 45-year concession has been awarded based on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract. The port is able to handle 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units on a yearly basis.

Lagos State is an important hub of international trade in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa. For a long time, foreign trade and economic development in the state had been impeded by underdeveloped port facilities, poor cargo distribution capability and high logistics cost.

Fortunately, these problems are expected to be solved following the completion of the Lekki deep seaport.

Managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority Mohammed Bello Koko noted that the deep seaport is the first automated port in Nigeria that allows rapid customs clearance and will significantly reduce the time of cargo handling.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the deep seaport will open up new prospects for Nigeria's economic development, provide opportunities for the country's exports, especially agro-allied products in the international marketplace, and increase foreign exchange inflow.

The port will also create abundant job opportunities and thus help with poverty reduction. According to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, it is estimated that the overall economic benefit will reach $361 billion over the next 45 years.

At the inauguration ceremony of the deep seaport, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State said that the Lekki deep seaport, as the biggest in Nigeria, can accommodate the world's largest container vessels.

Previously at the completion ceremony of the project, the Governor praised the CHEC for finishing the deep seaport project on time, saying the port will create nearly 200,000 jobs for Nigeria directly and indirectly in the years to come. Unquestionably, the port will make Lagos a maritime logistics center in Central and West Africa, he added.

Photo shows a vessel in the Lekki deep seaport in Nigeria. (Photo from the China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.)

Itoke Community and Idotun Community are less than 3 kilometers away from the Lekki deep seaport. In the past decades, the land and houses of some residents were always flooded by sea waves in the rainy season.

To solve the problem, the CHEC, upon investigation, built two breakwaters totaling 539 meters and added an artificial beach covering nearly 800,000 square meters to the east of the port.

Shortly after the rainy season ended last year, the heads of the two communities visited the project site with fish and shrimps they caught to extend their gratitude. They said it was the safest rainy season they had in the past decades, all the land and houses were intact. "Thank the Chinese enterprise for doing this for us," they noted.

This is an epitome of the Lekki deep seaport contributing to local livelihood development. According to an employee working at the port, the port has already created about 2,000 jobs for local communities during its construction and trained a batch of local professionals. Over 80 percent of technical and management jobs at the port are taken by local people. Through systematic training and instruction, most of the local workers have acquired professional and modern work skills.

Magbon-Segun Community sits next to the Lekki deep seaport. Many young people from the Community work at the port.

"We are proud to be a neighbor of the Lekki deep seaport," said Dawuda, head of the Community adding that the Community has completely changed thanks to the port. Today, the clean and beautiful beach there is attracting large number of tourists and the spare houses in the Community have all been rented.

The operation of the deep seaport has advanced integrated development of the region. Free trade areas, an oil refinery and other projects are well underway. The construction of a new international airport is also expected to be started this year.

Hassan Bello, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers' Council, said the Lekki deep seaport is of vital significance for Nigeria in achieving economic prosperity and will completely change the image of Nigerian shipping industry. It will drive the country's growth and change the shipping and economic pattern of Nigeria and even the Central and West Africa at large.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun said the deep seaport is expected to become a new engine of economic development that will empower the whole country, and is of huge significance for the development of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
SITEKI  If I had it my way, these people (engaged in politics), would be killed through hanging.

This is one of the submissions that were made by KaVuma Umphakatsi Chief Mshayeli Myeni during the Lubombo Traditional Authorities Workshop held at Simunye Country Club on Friday. The workshop had been organised by the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC ). By people engaged in politics, the chief was referring to those who expressed their political beliefs through the destruction of structures, which he said was not what emaSwati stood for. Chief Myeni said democracy came with the white people from the Western countries and found a peace-loving nation rooted in its cultural traditions.

Blessed

The chief stated that His Majesty King Mswati III was blessed and entrusted to lead the nation by God. He said emaSwati were granted independence from the British rule after being colonised by Britain. The chief highlighted that emaSwati were entrenched with peace and respect as every liSwati grew up groomed to be respectful. The white people hid the truth from emaSwati regarding issues of democracy. And those people calling for democracy must go to those countries where there is spillage of blood. King Sobhuza II preached against the spilling of blood. They must go to the country where bloodshed is allowed and pursue their political ambitions. If the hangman was still lawfully recognised, these people deserved to be hanged, he said.

Destroyed

He noted that there were locals who had turned against the country and destroyed it in various forms, while others allowed people from the outside to have a say in its politics. It is on record that in 2021, Eswatini experienced unprecedented levels of violence that resulted in the looting and destruction of both government and private properties. This followed the banning of the delivery of petitions to various constituencies, which, in some of these constituencies, had turned violent. Most of the petitions had a clause calling for democratic reforms.

During the violence, some civilians were shot allegedly by members of the security forces. The actual figure of the shot civilians was not precise, but records from the Human Rights and Integrity Commission stated that they were 46, though members of the mass democratic movement (MDM) estimated the deaths to be around 100.

From then, there had been random shootings of security officers and to date, police official records reflect that there were 11 deaths. Already, certain individuals, some of whom are affiliated to political movements, have been arrested in connection with the deaths. The chief added that emaSwati voted for people who donated food parcels to win their hearts and did not vote for people with integrity to represent them in Parliament. He further mentioned that emaSwati should exercise their right by casting their votes for people who would pursue development and improvement of their livelihoods in their respective communities. Those we voted into Parliament were last seen during their campaigns. Our roads are poor and some die along the way while trying to reach health facilities and schools are far away from some of these communities. People should stop voting for people who seem to be concerned about their plight yet they want to push their own personal enrichment after they voted into Parliament, the chief said, arousing laughter from the other chiefs.

Submission

Just immediately after the chiefs submission, Lubombo Regional Administrator (RA) Themba Msibi, acknowledged the presence of the media at the workshop and stated that such discussions attracted media coverage, hence the media should also promote the good that was said during the discussions. If someone is saying something in this meeting in a friendly manner yet he has invited publicity by so doing, it will prompt us to conduct such meetings in closed sessions yet by so doing, it will appear as though we are hiding something. Our media should be responsible in their reporting, he said. Reacting to the chiefs statement, Swaziland Democratic Party (SWADEPA) President Barnes Dlamini said the MDM had lost good people for a chief to issue such a statement. The president said the chief should know that whether he liked it or not, change was coming and that would happen in this lifetime.

Dlamini said as political parties, there were a lot of issues to worry about, hence the chief should know that his submission would remain his wish. He mentioned that if it were according to his wish, he would do away with chiefs and allow emaSwati to have land and a peace of mind. It is such institutions that confuse the proper governance of this country. Of course, we still need to see if they have any meaning in the upcoming democratic reforms. So, let him wish and we also have our wishes. These people think they own us, he said. Swaziland Liberation Movement (SWALIMO) Spokesperson Thantaza Silolo said chiefs were part of the traditional structures, hence they wanted people to be hanged just for demanding democracy, justice and fair sharing of the economy. Silolo wondered how would the chiefs feel when, after attaining democracy, they be hauled before courts for all the abuses they had subjected their people to in their respective communities. The spokesperson said there was no question that some chiefs had abused emaSwati in unspeakable ways all these years and that must be prosecutable.

Democracy

Are they looking into a society that will seek revenge after democracy? That can be very possible and practical, he said. Director of Communications in the Kings Office Percy Simelane said his office viewed the chiefs utterances as merely a projection of innermost feelings about what he perceived as an undue call for political change in Eswatini. Simelane said emaSwatis experience was that for any suspect to be sentenced to death, he or she would have appeared before the courts of law and legally attracted capital punishment through evidence linking him or her to the offence beyond reasonable doubt and not because an individual or mob felt the suspects should be executed. Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo asked that the EBC should be contacted on this matter. EBC is the right body to make a comment about this matter, he briefly said. EBC Communications Officer Mbonisi Bhembe said it might happen that the chief spoke out of a good heart, but the commission hosted the workshop to ensure that chiefs, as traditional leaders, were capacitated on their huge role to play in their respective chiefdoms in uniting their subjects and encouraging them to forge a consensus despite the different views from people.

Elections

Bhembe said the concept of elections was to ensure that all people were heard and given equal opportunities to register, nominate and be nominated as well as be elected. He described chiefs as agents of national building as they were leading their chiefdoms, hence they should be at the forefront in paving way for development of their communities. Meanwhile, during the workshop, EBC Chairperson Prince Mhlabuhlangene encouraged chiefs to sensitise their subjects to vote for the right calibre of people into Parliament. Capacity building at all levels is important in strengthening the chiefdom institution, which is a footstool of the monarchy. We are where we are after deviating from our roots. Every liSwati has the mandate to vote the right people into Parliament, he said when addressing the chiefs about the upcoming elections.
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iciHaiti - PNH : Kidnapping foiled, 2 kidnappers fatally injured





Saturday April 1st, 2023, around 6:00 p.m., at the corner of rue Oswald Durand and rue Saint-Honore, a patrol of agents from the Departmental Order Maintenance Unit (UDMO 5) and the Brigade of intervention (BI-1), informed of a kidnapping attempt, quickly intervened on the scene.



During the exchange of fire with the police, two of the kidnappers were fatally shot and a pistol was recovered.



Faced with the firepower of the police, their accomplices fled without their hostage who took the opportunity to escape.



The National Police of Haiti, does not intend to give up in the fight against organized crime and seeks, once again, the collaboration of the population in this process.



IH/ iciHaiti


















STR, a leading provider of survey and inspection equipment, products, and data-enabling services to the offshore energy market, has moved to a 10,000-sq-ft facility - three times the size of its previous premises - in Singapore.



The facility will allow STR to increase its service lines and capabilities and includes a large open-plan electronics workshop that features space to set up and test multiple complete offshore electronic spreads, cable spooling, testing facilities, and state-of-the-art access control features to satisfy the requirements for Singapore Customs Strategic Goods export controls.



With significant investment in its regional resources, including equipment & organisation, the custom-designed facility will enable the business to better support the growing demand from clients based in the region across the offshore energy market.



The move reflects the groups ambitious growth plans following investment in new larger facilities in the USA and the launch of its 30,000 sq. ft Innovation and Technology Centre in Great Yarmouth, home to the research and development of STRs technical solutions and products.



STRs Regional Director for the Asia Pacific region, Jason French, said: Our new Singapore facilities are further testament to the ambitious growth plans we have at STR and the trust we have built with our clients. Its an opportunity to further build on STRs significant presence and reputation in the region.



STR has the youngest and most advanced survey equipment fleet in the world. Offering an industry-leading working environment will provide a platform to attract more talent to our team enabling STR to provide a more extensive and best-in-class response service to our clients across the growing offshore energy market.



Strategically located alongside key logistics channels, we are looking forward to welcoming clients into our new facilities to experience first-hand our operational capability, new equipment fleet, in-house products, and specialist services we can support them with.  TradeArabia News Service
Kaspersky today reveals the drop in Bruteforce attacks against remote workers in Southeast Asia (SEA), a positive news that should not be taken as a sign to be complacent.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is Microsofts proprietary protocol, providing a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer through a network. RDP is widely used by both system administrators and less-technical users to control servers and other PCs remotely.

A Bruteforce.Generic.RDP attack attempts to find a valid RDP login/password pair by systematically checking all possible passwords until the correct one is found. A successful attack allows an attacker to gain remote access to the targeted host computer.

Global cybersecurity companys telemetry showed Kasperskys B2B solutions have blocked a total of 75,855,129 Bruteforce.Generic.RDP incidents targeting companies in SEA last year.

2022s total number is a 49% dip from 2021s 149,003,835 Bruteforce attacks. The decline in quantity has been observed across all the six countries in SEA.

In terms of share of Bruteforce attacks last year, companies in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand were targeted the most.

From almost 150 million Bruteforce attacks against companies here in 2021, last year witnessed just half of them. Its a good sign at first glance. In part, this was influenced by shifting to either a pure face-to-face or a hybrid remote environment, which means there are fewer remote workers in the region as compared to the peak of the pandemic in 2022 and 2021, explains Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

It is, however, too early for businesses to proclaim total safety from Bruteforce attacks. Looking at the wider threat landscape, our experts see more modern ransomware groups exploiting RDP to gain initial access to the enterprise they are targeting. Its a red flag that security teams should pay close attention to, Yeo adds.

A recent Kaspersky report unmasked the most popular techniques for gaining initial access among ransomware groups. Exploiting external remote services came up as the most common for the ransomware groups analyzed.

In fact, all of the eight ransomware groups covered in the report which are mostly operating as a RaaS (Ransomware as a Service)  Conti, PysaClop (TA505), Hive, Ragnar Locker, Lockbit, BlackByte, and BlackCat  use valid accounts, stolen credentials or Bruteforcing to get into a victims networks.

The report also notes all of the ransomware groups used open RDP to gain initial access to the system as this is the easiest vector for initial access.

A best practice for protecting against RDP-related attacks is to "hide" it behind a VPN and properly configure it. It is also very important to use strong passwords.

To reduce the risk and impact of a ransomware attack caused by RDP Bruteforce, Kaspersky experts also suggest deploying a comprehensive defensive concept that equips, informs and guides your team in their fight against the most sophisticated and targeted cyberattacks like the Kaspersky Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platform.

Find out more about this new platform at go.kaspersky.com/expert.

Kaspersky in Southeast Asia also has launched a Buy 1 Free 1 promo. Businesses can now enjoy two years of enterprise-grade endpoint protection for the price of 1 with Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business or Cloud or Kaspersky Endpoint Detection and Response Optimum, with 24x7 phone support. Interested customers can reach out to sea.sales@kaspersky.com.
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Brooke Shields has spoken about how her first kiss was with a 29-year-old actor when she was just 11.

In the new Hulu documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, the actor, now 57, opens up about the exploitation and sexualisation she experienced as a child star.

Shields appeared as a child sex worker in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, directed by the late French filmmaker Louis Malle.

For one scene, Shields had to kiss actor Keith Carradine (Dexter; Nashville), who was in his late twenties at the time.

In the documentary, Shields describes the incident, recalling that Malle grew frustrated at the face she pulled while kissing (per TVInsider).

According to Shields, Carradine took her to one side and offered reassurance.

Hey, he said to me. You know what? This doesnt count. This is all make-believe, she said.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, the documentarys director Lana Wilson said: This is a moment I wanted to feature and unpack because, even if child Brooke was fully cognisant of the role she was playing, and even if she realized that acting was pretend, I cant help but think: This is an actual 11-year-old girl having to kiss an actual 29-year-old man.

That inescapably is real. And the impact of that is real, too. Eleven-year-old Brooke expressed discomfort during the filming of this moment, but that discomfort was not taken seriously by the director.

Brooke Shields pictured on 29 March 2023 (Getty Images)

Elsewhere in the documentary, Shields opened up about being sexually assaulted in her twenties, allegedly by a Hollywood executive.

She also confessed that she didnt know why her mother consented for her to star in Pretty Baby and pose nude for a magazine at the age of 10.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields premieres on Hulu in the US on 3 April, and will arrive on Disney Plus in the UK on 4 April.
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Jack Black has said he will call Elon Musks bluff over his Twitter blue tick verifcation.

Musk, who owns the social media platform, announced the company was going to remove blue ticks from the accounts of legacy verified users from 1 April, meaning only accounts that paid the company $8 or $11 per month would have the badge.

However, users noticed that, instead of losing their verification status, Twitter has seemingly instead removed information differentiating between legacy verified accounts and Twitter Blue subscribers.

It remains to be seen if Musks promises blue tick removal will proceed  although New York Times lost its verification on Sunday (2 April).

School of Rock actor Black has weighed in on the matter, telling Variety: I dont know if Im going to pay for it.

He said at the premiere of animated film The Super Mario Bros Movie: Im a little embarrassed by the blue check to be honest with you. Maybe its cooler not to have checks. Its definitely not cool to pay for it.

Black then revealed he plans to see what happens if I dont pay for it, adding: Im gonna call his bluff, see if he really takes my check away.

The actors co-star, Chris Pratt, said his main concern is his fanbase.

I care deeply about all of [my followers]. Ill do whatever I have to do to stay a part of their lives because I respect their attention and I love to use it as an opportunity to talk to them when Im doing movies and stuff.

Jack Black and Seth Rogen at The Super Mario Bros Movie premiere (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Seth Rogen said he wont be subscribing as he almost never uses Twitter.

The Super Mario Bros Movie is in cinemas on 7 April.
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The South Korean, US and Japanese navies began their first anti-submarine drills in six months on Monday in a bid to counter the growing threat from North Korea.

The two-day drill, staged in international waters of the southern island of Jeju at the Korean peninsula, comes as Pyongyangs recent unveiling of a type of battlefield nuclear warhead prompted worries the country may conduct its first nuclear test since 2017.

The drill also involves a US carrier strike group led by USS Nimitz, which arrived in the southeastern city of Busan last week. It also includes Naval destroyers from South Korea, the US and Japan, said Seouls defense ministry in a statement.

The training seeks to improve the three countries capacities to respond to underwater security threats posed by North Koreas advancing submarine-launched ballistic missiles and other assets, the statement said.

The exercises will use a mobile anti-submarine warfare training target to improve the capabilities needed to detect, track and destroy North Korean underwater threats, the ministry said.

The three countries last held trilateral anti-submarine drills in September last year for the first time in five years amid tension over North Koreas unprecedented number of missile tests.

Submarine-launched missiles by North Korea are serious security threats to the US and its allies because its harder to spot such launches in advance. In recent years, the North has been testing sophisticated underwater-launched ballistic missiles and pushing to build bigger submarines, including a nuclear-powered one.

Last month, North Korea performed a barrage of missile tests in response to the earlier South Korea-US bilateral military drills. The weapons tested included a nuclear-capable underwater drone and a submarine-launched cruise missile, which suggest North Korea is trying to diversify its kinds of underwater weapons.

Photographs in North Koreas state media last week showed about 10 capsule-shaped, red-tipped warheads called Hwasan (volcano)-31, with different serial numbers. A poster on a nearby wall listed eight kinds of short-range weapons that can carry the Hwasan-31 warhead.

The previous test flights of those weapons showed them to be capable of striking key targets in South Korea, including US military bases there.

Some observers said the warheads unveiling may be a prelude to a nuclear test as North Koreas last two tests in 2016 and 2017 followed the disclosures of other warheads. If it does conduct a nuclear test, it would be its seventh detonation overall and the first since September 2017.

Foreign experts have debated whether North Korea has functioning nuclear-armed missiles. But South Koreas defense minister, Lee Jong-Sup, recently said the Norths technology of miniaturised warheads that can be mounted on advanced short-range missiles may have made considerable progress.

North Korea could carry out new missile tests in response to the South Korea-US-Japan drills because it views such training as a security threat. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called recent South Korea-US exercises reckless military provocations that disregarded North Koreas patience and warning.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi will appeal against a two-year jail term handed to him in a defamation case by a court in Gujarat state later on Monday.

Mr Gandhi, 52, has filed a plea in the Surat sessions court against the magistrates order, reported The Indian Express citing sources.

Mr Gandhi was controversially disqualified following his conviction in the defamation case for insulting prime minister Narendra Modi in a 2019 speech in which he referred to a list of thieves as having the surname Modi.

The case was filed by a Gujarat politician with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who also has the same surname  Purnesh Modi.

On 23 March, Mr Gandhi was found guilty of criminal defamation and sentenced to two years in prison, the minimum term required to disqualify a politician as an MP.

The courts order had also approved his bail on a surety of Rs 15,000 (148) and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal.

Mr Gandhi previously argued that his remarks were made to highlight corruption and had not targetted any community.

Two days after the courts order, Mr Gandhi was disqualified from parliament in a move that has been criticised by opposition parties as well as observers.

The sentencing in Gujarat  Narendra Modis home state  as well as the prompt disqualification from parliament have led to widespread protests by the opposition Congress party both inside and outside parliament.

Following his disqualification, Mr Gandhi said he was being targetted because the prime minister is scared of him.

I have been disqualified because the prime minister is scared of my next speech, he is scared of the next speech that is going to come on Adani, he said.

Indias parliament has seen routine disruptions during the ongoing Budget session, as the opposition has demanded a discussion on allegations of fraud and stock manipulation against the Adani Group, a multinational conglomerate whose founder Gautam Adani is said to enjoy a close relationship with the prime minister.

The Adani Group has strongly denied the allegations.
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The Taliban has ordered the shutting down of a women-run radio station in Afghanistan after accusing it of playing music during the holy month of Ramadan.

The radio station, called Sadai Banowan or womens voice in the Dari language, is the countrys only radio station run mainly by women.

Moezuddin Ahmadi, Talibans director for information and culture in Badakhshan province, said Sadai Banowans move to play music violated the laws and regulations of the Islamic Emirate multiple times as the radio station had broadcast songs.

The official said the breach of the rules set by the caretaker government led to the radio stations shuttering.

If this radio station accepts the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and gives a guarantee that it will not repeat such a thing again, we will allow it to operate again, he said.

The radio station was shuttered on 30 March. The holy month of Ramadan had started this year on 23 March.

Najia Sorosh, the radio stations head, has accused the Taliban of conspiracy. She said the militant group shut down the operations of the radio station that is run by a team of eight people of which six were women.

Saying there was no need to shut operations, Ms Sorosh said the Taliban told us that you have broadcast music and added that the radio station had not broadcast any kind of music.

The Taliban has not officially announced a ban on music in Afghanistan.

On 30 March, Ms Sorosh said representatives from the Talibans ministry of information and culture and the vice and virtue directorate reached the radio station at 11.40am in northeastern Afghanistans Badakhshan province and shut it down.

The station staff then reached out to the ministrys officials, but were told that it did not have any additional information about the closing.

The move has sparked outrage in Afghanistan as many locals monitoring the Talibans hardline Islamist regime have said it is in line with the groups interpretation of Sharia law.

Historically, the Taliban has been known for their strict interpretation of Islamic law, which includes strict restrictions on womens rights and freedoms, said Maryam Marof Arwin, founder at the Afghanistan womens and children strengthen welfare organisation.

They have been known to close down womens schools, ban women from working outside the home, and restrict womens access to healthcare, she said.

It is possible that they closed the Banowan radio station as part of their efforts to enforce their strict interpretation of Islamic law and limit womens voices and visibility in public life.

Several journalists have been rendered unemployed after the Taliban took over control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

The Afghan Independent Journalists Associated has said the countrys media outlets shut shop either due to lack of funds or because staff left the country.

All women in the country have been barred from most forms of employment and education beyond the sixth grade, including university, in addition to a ban on entering public parks.
Malaysia's parliament passed sweeping legal reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty and natural-life prison sentences in a landmark move to respect each individual's right to life.

Malaysian lawmakers on Monday voted in the lower house of the parliament to approve the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill after years of effort by successive governments to make the death penalty optional in the country.

The bill will next be brought to the government-controlled senate for approval, before being presented to the King and gazetted into law.
UNWTO has partnered with the Government of Mallorca, Consell de Mallorca, and the Mallorca Tourism Foundation to host the second edition of the Sustainable Destinations Summit.



The event gathered leading experts, organizations and companies to share best practices and perspectives on environmental, social and economic sustainability in destinations.



The Summit emphasized tourism as a force for good, with momentum building towards a regenerative and nature-positive future. UNWTO and the Government of Mallorca welcomed more than 400 delegates at this year's event, which showcased the latest developments in sustainability for destinations.



Discussions highlighted the interdependence of tourism on natural and cultural resources and the potential mutual benefits, while also providing unique first hand perspectives such as from Chief Frank Antoine from the Bonaparte First Nation, or the view from outer space, as told by Pedro Duque, the first ever Spanish astronaut.



The President of Mallorca Government Catalina Cladera affirmed that "sustainability is a shared will of Mallorcan society and the axis that marks all the policies of the Consell".



Cladera pointed out that Mallorca and the rest of the islands in this community "are taking firm steps not only to continue being the reference destination in the Mediterranean, but also to lead the tourism of the future."



In her keynote address, UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic emphasized the vital "transition of the sector into a force for good that has a positive impact on the Sustainable Development Agenda and our shared global challenges".



She added: "If managed well, tourism can be an agent for change, but such a transition towards a green, regenerative and nature-positive tourism sector is needed can be achieved in a collaborative manner."



Big ambitions and big data

During the two-day Summit, UNWTO provided updates on several of its key sustainability-related activities, including the Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism which has so far seen more than 800 businesses, destinations and governments commit to achieving a Net-Zero tourism sector by 2050 at the latest. The Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and the Food Waste programme were similarly highlighted as effective instruments for accelerating this transition.



UNWTO also made tourism data and destination management a central part of the conversation at the Summit. The Measurement of Sustainable Tourism (MST) Framework and the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), which counts among its Members the Mallorca Observatory, will play a crucial role in monitoring the sector's impact on all three sustainability pillars, enabling an evidence-based and informed decision-making.



Private sector importance

The Mallorca government, through its Tourism Foundation and the Sustainable Tourism Observatory, has established a public-private cooperative network across the island and works closely with UNWTO to advance shared goals.



Representing the private sector, Maria Frontera, President of FEHM, (Mallorcas Hotel Federation) joined Carmen Riu Guell, owner of the RIU Hotels & Resorts chain, to discuss bridging generational perspectives in the pursuit of sustainable tourism development. The event also emphasized the importance of collaboration and circularity in transforming the sector.



Closing the Summit, Rosa Ana Morillo Rodriguez, Secretary of State for Tourism in Spain, emphasized the crucial role of sustainability for the nation during her closing statement. She acknowledged that tourism is one of the key sectors driving Spain's economy and stressed the need for resilience and competitiveness within the sector.  TradeArabia News Service
Rishi Sunaks government is setting out a new clean water plan with a promise of stronger regulation and tougher enforcement for those who pollute rivers, lakes and beaches.

But Tory ministers were accused of taking the public for fools by offering only hollow promises to tackle Britains growing sewage scandal.

Environment secretary Therese Coffey  who has said companies could face unlimited penalties for dumping raw sewage  said over 1.6bn of investment to boost water quality would be brought forward.
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A spectator at Formula 1s Australian Grand Prix suffered a cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Kevin Magnussens car, putting the spotlight on organisers safety protocols.

The spotlight is on the safety protocols of organisers at Albert Park after fans spilled onto the track before the race, won by Max Verstappen, concluded on Sunday night.

But spectator Will Sweet, 31, said he was fortunate to avoid a horrendous injury and called on Formula One and its governing body, the FIA, to make sure it does not happen again.

Sweet, who is from Essex but now lives in Australia, was standing at the second corner of Melbournes temporary Albert Park street circuit when Kevin Magnussen crashed into the wall on lap 54 of 58.

Magnussens right-rear tyre flew off his Haas and bounced along the race track, while a large piece of wheel rim from the Danes car launched 20 metres into the air, over the catch-fencing, before lacerating Sweets right arm.

Describing the incredible sequence of events, Sweet said: I saw a puff of smoke and was following Magnussens car along the track and not following where he hit the wall and then suddenly a piece of debris came up flying over the fence and hit me on the arm.

I was looking at my arm, not really sure what was going on and didnt realise I had been hit by a piece of debris. I thought I had been hit by a person.

But people behind me were scrambling around, fighting over who gets this piece of wheel and Im like whats that? We pieced it together and I realised, holy s***, thats just hit me in the arm.

My forearm was raised because I was holding a tiny FM radio to my ear, but if my arm hadnt been there, I could have been hit in the neck. It could have hit my fiancee standing next to me on the head.

I was also lucky not to have been hit by the very sharp end of the debris because that would have gone straight in. The debris was very sharp and very warm. It could have been a lot worse. It could have been horrendous.

F1 fan Will Sweet poses with the piece of debris which cut his arm at the Australian Grand Prix (Instagram - @willsweet1)

There were a bunch of kids behind me, too, and they were fortunate that their dad was looking in the right direction and pulled them out of the way of danger. If I wasnt there, and it hit them, it would have been bad.

The race was suspended for 15 minutes following Magnussens shunt before a third red flag followed and led to a 33-minute delay in the race which was eventually won by Max Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton finished second.

Sweet continued: It was such an exciting part of the race that I wanted to watch the end so a group of mums behind me had some anti-septic cream and a bunch of plasters on them and they patched me up.

But after the one-lap restart we realised there wasnt going to be much of a race so I headed over to the medical tent.

The spectator required medical assistance (Instagram - @willsweet1)

The paramedics were a bit bemused and didnt believe me when I said I had been hit by debris because I just had some tissues and a plaster on my arm, but then they peeled it back. They cleaned up the injury with some alcohol and told me I might need a tetanus jab if it gets red or sore.

Asked if the injury would deter him from attending another F1 race, Sweet replied: I suppose it hinges on whether this was a freak accident or whether it could easily happen again?

It could just be a freak one-off. I am really divided on it because we had a such good day and it was a great corner to watch the action.

And if anyone was going to hit me with their car Im glad it was Kevin Magnussen because Im a Kevin Magnussen fan.

A friend in a group chat on WhatsApp said Will is going to be gutted that Magnussen went off, and I said I think I know he went off, because Ive just been hit by the debris from his car.

The British fans lucky escape places the safety of the Melbourne race  which has been a mainstay on the F1 calendar since 1996  under the microscope.

A number of the 131,000-strong crowd made their way on to the track in the seconds after the chequered flag while the drivers were speeding back to the pits. Hamilton reported seeing them on the circuit.

The FIA said Australian GP chiefs have vowed to launch a thorough investigation into the spectator invasion after they agreed it was an unacceptable situation, and could have had disastrous consequences.
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Prince Harry reportedly stayed at Frogmore Cottage during his visit to the UK for the phone-hacking case against the publisher of The Daily Mail.

Harry appeared in court at the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday last week, alongside other high-profile figures including Sir Elton John.

His visit coincided with King Charles III and Queen Consort Camillas royal visit to Germany, as preparations for their coronation next month get into full swing.

It is understood that the Duke likely used the visit to sort out the couples belongings and work out what needs to be shipped to their Montecito home in the US ahead of vacating the property, The Telegraph reports.

The visit marked the first time the royal had returned to the five-bedroom property after his father told him he would be asked to vacate the property last month.

The property in Home Park, Windsor, was gifted to the couple by the late Queen Elizabeth II after they married in 2018.

The King had asked the Sussexes to vacate the property following the release of Harrys memoir, Spare, at the beginning of the year.

At the time, the couple were said to be stunned by the request.

The Sussexes were reportedly stunned by the request made by the King (Alamy Stock Photo)

The property was offered to the Duke of York instead, who is being pushed to vacate his long-term residence at Royal Lodge. It is unconfirmed whether Andrew has accepted the offer.

It comes as the Sussexes are yet to confirm their attendance to the Kings coronation on 6 May, after the pair confirmed they had received email correspondence but did not disclose whether they would come to the UK for the event.

When the eviction was first reported, a royal expert told The Independent that King Charless decision cannot be seen as anything other than a reaction to the release of Harrys memoir.

RS Locke, a freelance writer and royal commentator, pointed to reports that Harry and Meghan were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage within days of the books release.

She said that in her opinion: Evicting the Sussex family from Frogmore Cottage is transparently punitive and King Charles wanted the couple and the public to know it.
 Close Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson explains why she won't attend King Charles coronation

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The classic song Im Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers has been removed from King Charles IIIs coronation playlist over the Scottish bands anti-monarchy views.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), who created the official playlist, removed the track after receiving complaints about Craig and Charlie Reids republican stance, it has been reported.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle has denied reports claiming that her decision not to attend her father-in-laws coronation was influenced by correspondence between herself and the then-Prince of Wales.

On Friday (21 April), it was reported that the Duchess of Sussex had written to Charles about unconscious bias within the royal family. The letter was allegedly sent in the aftermath of Harry and Meghans appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2021.

The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago, a statement issued by the Sussexes read. Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Camillas ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles will be attending the 6 May coronation.

The pair were married for 22 years before they divorced in 1995. Camilla married the then-Prince of Wales in 2005.

One of Camillas Queen Companions, the Marchioness of Lansdowne told the publication of Camillas relationship with her ex-husband: Through adversity, theyve kept a really good family ethic. It helps with their children and grandchildren.
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A woman has revealed some of the tone-deaf things that people who come from money have asked her while she was in school, as part of a viral TikTok trend.

Jess, @spottieottiejess, started off by reflecting on her freshman year at her university in a video posted to TikTok last week. She noted that her family had a low income when she applied to school, so she got a full ride scholarship to Boston University.

She went on to explain some of the crazy s*** that people said to her, including how she was told that she had so much work experience for a freshman and that shed been working forever. After sarcastically expressing her gratitude over this comment, she shared another experience where her peers asked her to join them at a fancy restaurant in Boston, and she told them she couldnt afford it.

However, she said that they didnt understand her remark, as she recalled that her peers responded to it by making a claim about her body.

They literally looked me up and down and said, Girl you can totally afford it, youre so skinny, she explained. They thought I meant the calories, that I couldnt afford the calories. They didnt think I was talking about money.

Speaking to The Independent, she expressed how isolated she felt at college because of some of the tone-deaf things that her peers said to her.

When I first attended Boston University, 10 per cent of the student body was in the top 1 per cent of America. I was incredibly fortunate for the opportunities BU granted me, but it was difficult to assimilate, she said. I was constantly shocked about how what I thought was considered wealthy was nothing compared to these students.

In her video, Jess recalled how one of her family members was bitter about her scholarship and told her that she was very privileged. She also said that this relative claimed that the real oppressed people were the upper middle class.

She noted that while she currently has a nice apartment, now that shes finished school, she still felt like people didnt realise how truly traumatising it was to live in poverty. More specifically, she said that she gained 50 pounds her freshman year because of a binge eating disorder, since she wasnt used to having access to food in a dining hall.

In her video, Jess reflected on how she cried everyday during her freshman year because she didnt have health insurance. She also noted how she differed from her roommate, who she said wore Gucci flip flops when using the communal showers.

When you do have money, you dont think about it. When you dont have money, it literally affects every aspect of your life and will traumatise you forever, she said.

She continued to point out her previous choice of words, like finna, and how someone accused her of appropriating the way that people speak. After explaining that she grew up poor in Atlanta, she said that she spent the next year and half changing the way she spoke, because she didnt want to be seen as insensitive.

She then recalled how a friend complained to her about a job where she worked for her father, after doing an interview with his company. Jess pointed out why this complaint wasnt appropriate, considering the job she had at the time.

She got the job and complained every single week about how she had to work six hours, and it really pissed her off that her dad wasnt giving her more time off, Jess continued. And I was sitting there, like working 56 hoursat a gas station. I just couldnt be friends with wealthy people.

The TikTok user then said she felt embarrassed about going to a university with people who used different types of words and vocabulary than she did. She also recalled her first day at business school, where students said that their parents worked as biomedical engineers or successful real estate agents.

When it was her turn to say what her parents did, Jess said that her mother worked at a grocery store, to which her peers awkwardly responded with, Oh, very cool. She went on to confess how her finances throughout her childhood constantly broke [her] down at her university.

I was in survival mode for four years, she said. I dont remember any of my college education, which is very sad, because of poverty. And yet people are going to tell me that Im the one thats privileged because I didnt have to pay anything for school.

She recalled that while her peers talked about going on vacation during winter breaks, she said that she was working during that time. Jess also claimed that while people have called her a gold-digger for now wanting to mary someone whos wealthy, this is ultimately a choice that ties back to her childhood.

I grew up in extreme poverty, she said. And I made it. So yeah, excuse me for wanting to have better for me and my kids. Cause I grew up in a house where there was no food.

She noted that when her peers sarcastically welcome her to adulthood, she noted that she would prefer that it over her childhood. I was literally fending for myself at 16, she explained. This is actually pretty nice, I would never relive my childhood, ever.

She then noted that during Covid, her school gave her and some other students money to help them survive. And while she said those students felt bad about taking that money from people who really needed it, Jess utilmtely felt like they were the ones who needed it.

Jess concluded her video by acknowledging what shes learned from going to school with people who had more money than her.

I had to realise that I didnt have enough money that I thought I did, when I truly realised what wealth was, she said. If youre poor in university, take all those f***ing resources, yall. Take all of it. Ride them. Youre the one that theyre talking about when they say they need to give it to people that need it.

Speaking to The Independent, Jess discussed the most peculiar thing she learned from these experiences with her peers in college. I realised when talking with wealthy people at my university was that their consequences were not the same as mine, she said. With money, I observed that they could basically buy their way out of most mistakes, so some of them were careless about how their actions impacted others. If I made a mistake, my opportunities could literally be over in an instant.

She also reflected on how her video went viral and some of the kind comments received from people who could relate to it.

I really loved how cathartic and healing the space was under my comments section for viewers to share their experiences with poverty or attending a wealthy institution, Jess explained. I would hope that the biggest takeaway from the clip would be that there is strength in community.
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Crews could face a difficult cleanup task after a 25-car train derailment spilled powdered clay and cases of beer beside a scenic western Montana river, leaving some cars off the tracks in a narrow, century-old tunnel with limited access, officials said.

Its a terrible spot to get in and out of, Bill Naegeli, manager for Sanders County Disaster and Emergency Services, said of the derailment on the Clark Fork River. The biggest issue is the cars derailed inside the tunnel with little clearance.

Montana Rail Link has said nobody was hurt and no hazardous materials spilled Sunday morning in the derailment that left some cars precariously close to the banks of the river and some slightly dipping into the water in the mountainous area.

Seven cars are believed derailed in the narrow tunnel where it will be hard to extricate them, Naegeli said.

The train derailed Sunday across the river from Quinns Hot Springs Resort in Paradise, spilling the clay and cases of Coors Light and Blue Moon beer, in cans and bottles, the Missoulian reported.

Directly across the winding river, Some of Quinns guest cabins were evacuated as a precaution, the Plains-Paradise Rural Fire District said in a social media post.

Denise Moreth, the resort's general manager, told the Missoulian that front desk workers heard a loud, rumbling crash, and then they heard the train derailment.

A tanker car carrying butane was on its side, but it did not leak, Naegeli said.

Andy Garland, spokesperson for Montana Rail Link, said Sunday it was unclear how long it would take to remove the derailed cars and repair the tracks and railroad bed, which appeared to have been damaged when the cars slid off the tracks.

The Sanders County Sheriffs Office referred additional questions Monday to Montana Rail Link, which did not immediately return phone and emailed messages seeking comment.

The derailed area can only be reached by vehicles traveling on the blocked railroad track or by taking a boat across the river, Garland said Sunday.

The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, officials said.

Federal regulators and members of Congress are urging railroads to do more to prevent derailments after recent fiery wrecks involving hazardous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota prompted evacuations.

Rail accidents including derailments have been trending downward in the U.S. as the number of miles traveled by trains decreases.

However, the rate of accidents per mile has been increasing, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Railway unions contend rail transportation has become riskier in recent years following widespread job cuts.

Most rail accidents involve freight trains, and fatalities involving passenger trains are rare.
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Russias U.N. ambassador on Monday dismissed U.S. and European Union descriptions of its presidency of the Security Council this month as an April Fools joke and announced a meeting to be chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter, which Moscow is widely accused of breaking by invading Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters earlier Monday that the U.S. expects the Russians will use their presiding seat to spread disinformation and promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that.

She and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell both called Russia's takeover of the council presidency an April Fool's joke.

Under Security Council rules, the presidency rotates monthly in alphabetical order among its 15 members. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters there will be no change in the rules of the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, and he said Russia will be an honest broker.

The council president presides over meetings and gets to decide the topics of key sessions, often presided over by foreign ministers and sometimes presidents. Lavrov on April 24 will preside over a session on "effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the U.N. Charter.

There are also required monthly meetings, including on the Middle East, which Lavrov will also preside over, Syria and other global hotspots, including Mali, Libya, Yemen, Haiti, Africas Great Lakes region and Colombia.

Nebenzia responded to the U.S. ambassadors expectation that Russia will spread disinformation about Ukraine by calling it a Western narrative and stressing that we think just the opposite.

He said Russia plans to hold an informal council meeting on Wednesday on what Moscow claims is disinformation being spread by Western officials and media about the Ukrainian children taken to Russia. He said the aim of the meeting is to dispel this narrative that they were abducted.

The issue was put in the spotlight when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his countrys commissioner for childrens rights, accusing them of war crimes for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow called the warrants outrageous and legally void.

An Associated Press investigation first published in October found that the open effort to put Ukrainian children up for adoption in Russia was well underway. Ukrainian officials claimed at the time that nearly 8,000 children had been deported to Russia, but the exact number was difficult to pin down.

Britains deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, said Russia was in no position to talk about international law or U.N. values.

It is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, violating the most basic principle of the U.N. Charter  you dont redraw borders by force  and its president has been indicted by the ICC for the systematic abduction of Ukrainian children, he said.

The U.K. will keep using our seat on the council to challenge their illegal war, expose their disinformation, and protect the councils vital work tackling other threats to international peace and security, including across Africa and the Middle East.

Russias assumption of the council presidency also drew strong criticism from Ukraine and Baltic nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the bankruptcy of the Security Council and reiterated his call for an overhaul of the U.N. body and other global institutions.

Estonias U.N. Ambassador Rein Tammsaar, speaking also on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, called the Russian presidency shameful, humiliating and dangerous for the councils credibility.

Under Security Council rules, a member directly connected to an issue should withdraw from participation, and Nebenzia was asked if Russia would recuse itself when Ukraine was discussed.

No, he replied, indicating that the U.S., Britain and France, which have been supporting Ukraine, would have to withdraw as well.

The Russian ambassador recalled that following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.K. and U.S. held the council presidency consecutively that September and October.

Nobody raised the question of their legitimacy to hold the presidency, Nebenzia said. And nobody put on the table the question that they withdraw from discussing an issue that was perhaps the most hot and topical then.
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Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern regards lingering instability of Northern Irelands political institutions as one of his biggest regrets from the Good Friday Agreement talks.

The negotiations were difficult and also brought personal hardship for Mr Ahern with the death of his mother.

As the political leader of the Republic of Ireland at the time, he was instrumental in the multi-party process aimed at ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

One of the measures agreed was the establishment of a devolved government for Northern Ireland based on a system of powersharing between nationalists and unionists.

However, the new institutions created under the agreement have collapsed several times, most recently when the Democratic Unionist Party exercised a veto and brought down devolution in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Speaking to PA as part of a series of interviews to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Ahern said the ability to collapse the institutions is an undemocratic issue that should not be possible and shouldnt have happened.

Its in the interests of everyone that there shouldnt be a mechanism where you pull down a whole parliament, he said.

He said there was a need for sustainability and called for a review into the temperamental institutions by next year.

Mr Ahern added that the divided society in Northern Ireland is going to need tender love and care for a long time.

Reflecting on other regrets, Mr Ahern said the agreements failure to deliver swifter decommissioning of paramilitary weapons was an issue that stood out to him.

We should have done a tidier job on that because it went on for five years and caused endless problems, he said.

He said it caused a lot of friction and was likely the cause of a key negotiator in the talks, then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, losing his seat as an MP in 2005.

He also said more should have been done on legacy issues of the Troubles, which he said have lingered on.

Not enough attention I think was given to it, he said, recalling a recent meeting with the Wave victims group.

Asked about what he was most proud of, Mr Ahern said the agreed changes to the Irish constitution worked well.

The Irish public voted to amend its constitution to remove an explicit territorial claim over Northern Ireland, but maintained an aim to unite the two jurisdictions under democratic consent.

He also pointed to the demilitarisation and reduction of British armed forces personnel in Northern Ireland as providing people with a sense of freedom again.

The police service in Northern Ireland was also reformed with the aim of ensuring more representation for the whole community, something Mr Ahern described as a really huge success.

Reflecting on his role in the negotiations, Mr Ahern said he began planning with Sir Tony Blair while they were both leaders of the opposition in 1995, allowing them to move very quickly in 1997 when they were elected leaders of the Irish and British governments.

He said their priority was to stop the violence and bring an end to this mayhem of thousands being killed by fostering trust, confidence and a sense of humanity among the multi-party participants of the talks who at times would not speak to each other.

However, Mr Ahern acknowledged that bringing republican paramilitary-linked Sinn Fein into the process drove others out, in what could have been a killer moment.

He described the DUPs decision to leave the talks after Sinn Fein joined as a big disappointment but thanked Mr Trimble for remaining in the negotiations as a unionist representative.

That was a huge moment. That got the talks process going, he said.

He said beyond ending violence, there was an endless list of big items to be negotiated.

Progress was frustrating slow, with flashes of violence leading to the temporary removal of Sinn Fein and the loyalist paramilitary-linked Ulster Democratic Party from the process.

It became March before we could really get down to how we are going to crack all these nuts, he said.

But suddenly, US Senator George Mitchell, who had chaired the multi-party talks, sought an April resolution leaving just weeks to conclude negotiations.

It was a bit of a shock to everybody but in hindsight it was probably a good thing, said Mr Ahern.

The final week of negotiations brought many challenges, including the death of Mr Aherns mother Julia following a heart attack.

He recalled going back and forth between meetings with many leaders and intensive care.

I remember going to mass on Gardiner Street church and had to go straight back into the Dail to get on with the meetings, and with Clinton, and then back to the morgue and the removal, he said.

He said there was no alternative: I couldnt opt out, that never arose.

Mr Ahern said one difficulty was when negotiations over proposed new joint North-South institutions got into a crisis situation.

He said it nearly brought down the whole thing.

He said Mr Mitchell and his officials told him that unionists would walk out of the talks if he didnt get up and deal with them.

So I had to go up on Wednesday morning, early, and meet Tony Blair first and then meet David Trimble to give assurances, and then meet Sinn Fein and the SDLP so they knew where we were at, he said.

He then had to return for his mothers funeral at 4pm, before heading back to negotiations afterwards.

It was a tough time but I was central to the talks, so there wasnt an alternative, he said.

Finally, with an agreement reached, parties went campaigning for referenda in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Ahern said the campaign south of the border drew extraordinary support.

More than 70% of voters in Northern Ireland and 90% of voters in the Republic of Ireland backed the agreement and changes to the constitution.

It was a fabulous result, he said.

Overall, the former Irish premier said he believed the agreement was brought to a good conclusion.

It means the Good Friday Agreement is the will of the people and cant be changed, he said.

Those who say theyre opposed to it, well, they need to put forward their own proposals and get it voted for.

Until then, the Good Friday Agreement is the gospel.
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Olivia Pratt-Korbels killer should not be allowed to hide away from justice by refusing to come to court to be sentenced, according to sources close to Dominic Raab.

The Deputy Prime Minister  who is also Justice Secretary  previously vowed to consider changing the law to force criminals to attend court or pay the price for their actions if they do not.

Last week, a jury found Thomas Cashman guilty of murdering nine-year-old Olivia in her Liverpool home in August last year.

On Monday, he failed to appear in the dock for his sentencing, which saw him handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 42 years.

It is disrespectful and grossly offensive to victims that criminals can refuse to face the consequences of their crimes in court Labour shadow justice secretary Steve Reed

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) source told the PA news agency: Olivia Pratt-Korbel and her family werent able to hide from Thomas Cashmans crime  so he shouldnt be able to hide from justice.

This is exactly why the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to changing the law so that offenders are forced to face the consequences of their actions.

By law, defendants are allowed to choose not to attend their sentencing hearing  prompting recent outrage from campaigners, who say this denies victims and their families the chance to see justice being served.

Earlier this year, Farah Naz, the aunt of murdered Zara Aleena, said the family wanted her killer to hear how he had completely destroyed them but he refused to face his sentencing.

Jordan McSweeney, 29, was handed a life sentence in his absence and jailed for at least 38 years after admitting sexually assaulting and murdering 35-year-old law graduate Ms Aleena in Ilford, east London, in June last year.

After meeting with her family, Mr Raab said he was looking into whether the law could be changed to compel offenders to attend their sentencing and grant judges powers to impose longer prison sentences on those who opt to skip court.

Labours shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: Its an absolute scandal that the Tory government has stood by while killers, rapists and terrorists pick and choose whether they turn up to face justice.

It is disrespectful and grossly offensive to victims that criminals can refuse to face the consequences of their crimes in court. For victims and their families, this can be a vital part of seeing justice done.

Labour called for new laws on this back in April last year  but the Conservatives have dragged their feet and failed to act.

Labour will always put victims of crime first and give judges the power to force offenders to face the consequences of their actions in court. Victims deserve nothing less.
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A man has pleaded guilty to murdering his pregnant girlfriend with a pair of scissors in an exceptionally brutal attack.

Ailish Walsh was 22 weeks pregnant when she was stabbed 40 times by Liam Taylor.

The 28-year-old was pronounced dead after police were called to her flat in Rectory Road in Hackney, east London on the evening of December 15 last year.

The attack was exceptionally brutal and carried out knowing Ms Walsh was carrying the defendants child Jane Osbourne KC

At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Jane Osborne KC had said: The attack was exceptionally brutal and carried out knowing Ms Walsh was carrying the defendants child.

There was a 12-week scan picture and at 22 weeks it would have been fairly evident.

She told the Old Bailey there was a strong evidential link between the defendant and the crime scene.

The victims father had arrived afterwards to find her covered in blood and unconscious in her bedroom

She was covered with a high visibility jacket with the defendants bank card in the pocket.

A pair of bloodied scissors were found nearby as well as two dumbbells.

CCTV footage captured Taylor, 37, entering through the communal entrance to the building earlier that evening at 8.36pm and leaving at 9.14pm.

Five minutes before he left, a female friend had phoned the victim and heard sounds of screaming and fighting in the background.

She had got in contact after Ms Walsh sent her messages to say she was trying to get Taylor out of the flat because he was taking drugs, the court heard.

Taylor, who had cocaine, cannabis and alcohol in his system, was arrested at his home early the next morning.

As he was taken into custody, he told police: Its crazy how one moment of madness can change your whole life.

You have pleaded guilty to the most serious offence. There can only be one sentence. The only question will be how long it will be before the parole board considers your release Judge Alexia Durran

The court heard Taylor had previous convictions for attacking female members of his family.

He was jailed for 12 months for assaulting his mother with a metal pole and cautioned for headbutting his sister when she was 16.

On Monday, Taylor, of Hornsey, east London, pleaded guilty of Ms Walshs murder during a hearing at the Old Bailey.

Judge Alexia Durran remanded him into custody and adjourned sentencing for the preparation of reports.

She told him: You have pleaded guilty to the most serious offence. There can only be one sentence. The only question will be how long it will be before the parole board considers your release.

The case will return to the Old Bailey on May 10 to set a date for sentencing.
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The brother of TV presenter Phillip Schofield has been found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy over a period of three years.

Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019, including two of sexual activity with a child, following a trial at Exeter Crown Court. Phillip Schofield welcomed the guilty verdicts, adding: As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.

The jury found Timothy guilty on all counts with a majority of 10-2 after more than five-and-a-half hours of deliberation.

The 54-year-old, a civilian police worker from Bath, told the jury while giving evidence that he had watched pornography with the boy, whom he insisted was over the age of 16 at that time, and they had masturbated while sitting apart, but denied performing sexual acts on the teenager.

Jurors heard previously the defendant told his elder brother Phillip in September 2021 that he and the complainant had watched pornography together.

The boy, who alleged the offending started when he was 13, told the jury he felt emotionally blackmailed by Schofield and forced to participate in sexual activity.

Timothy Schofield leaves court (PA)

He said: I felt that emotionally there was no escape from what we had to do and I felt that there was a tremendous amount of pressure and expectation for me to fulfil what was being asked and wanted.

Phillip Schofield described in a written statement how his brother had phoned him in an agitated and upset state, and Mr Schofield had invited him to drive to his home in London.

The court heard they spent several hours talking, including eating a meal, before he went to do the washing-up.

He told how his brother said You are going to hate me for what I am about to say, with him assuring him there was nothing he could say that would do that.

Mr Schofield said in the statement: Then he said that he and [the boy] had time together and that last year they had watched porn  and [masturbated].

I turned and said, What did you just say? He said it was last year and we were alone together. Tim said it was just this once. I told him it should never happen again. He then started to tell me about [the boys] body.

I said, F***, stop. I shouted at Tim that he had to stop. I didnt want to know any of the details but he made it sound like a one-off.

I said, I dont want you to tell me any more. I said, Youve got to stop, just never do it again. Regardless how that happened, it must never happen again.

Giving evidence during the trial, the defendant told the jury he had been gay his entire life but had kept it completely secret and hidden from everybody.

Timothy Schofield was convicted of 11 sexual offences involving a child between October 2016 and October 2019 (PA)

He described this as incredibly difficult and told the court he had struggled with mental health problems for years.

The defendant wept as he was asked about phoning his famous brother before driving to his home in London.

Peter Binder, representing Schofield, asked: You told him you were on the verge of killing yourself?

Schofield wept as he said: Thats correct. I was so alone. He insisted the teenager was old enough to choose to watch pornography with him.

He told the jury: It was a consensual thing after the age of 16. He never in any way said no at all.

He admitted searching for terms on a legal pornography website including young boy teen sex and gay teen torrents, but insisted he believed this would return results showing men aged between 18 and their early twenties.

Schofield denied the charges but was convicted of three counts of causing a child to watch sexual activity, three of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three of causing a child to engage in sexual activity and two of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Mrs Justice Cutts remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on 19 May.

Phillip Schofield (Andrew Matthews/PA) (PA Archive)

In a statement released by his lawyer after his brother Timothy was found guilty, Phillip Schofield said: My overwhelming concern is and has always been for the wellbeing of the victim and his family. I hope that their privacy will now be respected.

If any crime had ever been confessed to me by my brother, I would have acted immediately to protect the victim and their family. These are despicable crimes, and I welcome the guilty verdicts. As far as I am concerned, I no longer have a brother.
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Andrew Tate has suggested that he will be murdered and that a bullet will be the chosen utensil of pacification.

The divisive internet personality has sent a number of cryptic messages from his Twitter account since his release from prison on Friday and subsequent house arrest in Bucharest, Romania.

In a post in the early hours of Monday morning the former kickboxer said he anticipates being shot as all the other silencing attempts have failed.

He said: I prepare my body to absorb the brutal kinetics of piercing lead.

As all other silencing attempts fail, and stage 3 approaches - I anticipate a bullet will be the chosen utensil of pacification.

I can only pray and prepare I will force myself to breathe the best I can I promise.

Tate does not elaborate on who he believes will try and shoot him or what motive they have.

Andrew Tate paces and smokes cigar hours after house arrest release from jail (Andrew Tate)

The social media post comes just days after Tate was released from prison, along with his brother Tristan Tate, after they won an appeal to replace their detention with house arrest.

The pair were initially detained in late December along with two Romanian women and are accused of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

The duo will remain under house arrest until April 29. None of the four has yet been formally indicted.

Shortly after being released, Tate said he wanted to thank the judges who heard us today, because they were very attentive and they listened to us, and they let us free.

Andrew Tate, left, and his brother Tristan stand outside a police detention facility in Bucharest, Romania (AP)

I have no resentment in my heart for the country of Romania or for anybody else, he said. I just believe in the truth  I truly believe that justice will be served in the end. There is zero percent chance of me being convicted for something Ive not done.

Romanias anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT said in a statement after the December arrests that it had identified six victims in the human trafficking case who were allegedly subjected to acts of physical violence and mental coercion and sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group.

The agency said victims were lured with pretenses of love and later intimidated, placed under surveillance and subjected to other control tactics while being coerced into engaging in pornographic acts for the financial gain of the crime group.

In January, Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest linked with the Tate brothers and towed away a fleet of luxury cars that included a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari and a Porsche.

They reported seizing assets worth an estimated $3.9 million. Tate unsuccessfully appealed the asset seizure.
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A staff sergeant has been dismissed from the British Army for groping and kissing a female soldier at a military event after getting very drunk on specially-brewed extra strong beer.

SSgt Matthew Davies, 35, grabbed the woman and kissed her on the lips and grasped the womans breast and waist on separate occasions in a series of unwanted sexual advances, a court martial heard.

The incident happened after SSgt Davies, who served in the British Army for over 18 years and fought in Afghanistan, drank too much beer named after the Armys administrative disciplinary procedure - AGAI 67, the court heard.

SSgt Davies served in the 26 Regiment Royal Artillery and admitted a charge of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind and was dismissed from the forces at Bulford Military Court. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left feeling embarrassed and humiliated following the incident, a court martial was told.

The court heard SSgt Davies was drinking the lager which was brewed especially for the mess function at the regiments Larkhill Camp, near Salisbury.

His lawyer told the hearing the beer was stronger than normal. The great irony here is the beer he drank was called AGAI 67, his lawyer said.

The mess was operating a free bar for service personnel and SSgt Davies drank so much he was slurring his words, the court heard.

Prosecutor Captain Daniel Lawlor told the court: He placed himself an eight or nine out of 10 of drunkenness.

This is a case of a very drunk staff sergeant who made misplaced advances.

Ultimately, she wasnt interested in him and his conduct manifested in inappropriate touching.

Cpt Lawlor said SSgt Davies put his arm around the womans waist, before telling her friend Ive got something for her.

The prosecutor continued: Later in the night, SSgt Davies put his hand on her waist and moved it around to her upper body.

In the words of the complainant he then, pulled at my boob.

The woman fled and reported the incident but a short while later on the dance floor, SSgt Davies took her by the head and kissed her mouth.

As a result the father-of-one was told to leave the function, before apologising to the woman via WhatsApp the next day for his behaviour, the court martial heard.

This was a serious offence - a crass error in judgement which resulted in inappropriate touching, Cpt Lawlor said.

Mitigating, Matthew Bolt told the court SSgt Davies was extremely remorseful for his behaviour.

He accepts he drank too much on that occasion, he said. He drank a beer specially brewed for the event which was stronger than normal and he calibrated things very badly indeed. SSgt Davies is profoundly sorry and hopes she has put this behind her.

Sentencing SSgt Davies, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said: You appear to have been heavily intoxicated.

Over the course of an evening you made unwanted sexual advances.

Taking everything into account, we are convinced this offence is serious enough to warrant dismissal.

We dont consider any shorter service community order will be sufficient.

Because of SSgt Davies exemplary record and guilty plea, Judge Reed said there would not be an additional community order punishment.
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A 71-year-old man from Britain has died after being electrocuted while on holiday in India, his family believe.

Residents in Norwich expressed their sadness and disbelief on Monday as they learned of the death of Ivan Brown, a dearly loved former pub landlord in the city.

Brown, who ran several pubs in the city, was six weeks into an eight-week trip with a friend, when he touched what appears to have been a live wire in the town of Dalhousie.

He was very into photography and he was taking a photo of the Himalayas and as he stepped backwards we think he fell, he grabbed a live wire beside him which shouldnt have been live, his daughter Natalie Brown told the BBC.

Weve had information from police and the embassy of a few incidents at this place.

Police in the state of Himachal Pradesh are investigating why the wire was live, the family have been told.

The Foreign Office said it was supporting the family of a British man who has died in India and are in contact with the local authorities.

Brown, a father of three, had been landlord of several Norwich pubs, including The Murderers, The Jubilee and The Eagle, becoming friends with his travelling companion David Linder when he sold him the latter establishment.

Ivan Brown was travelling with his friend David Linder (Brown family)

He and Mr Linder had been sending photos and stories back home to family and friends showing the fantastic time they had been having, with travelling a huge passion of his, Ms Brown said.

His death would leave a massive hole in everyones life, she said, saying that Browns wife Jackie, and her siblings Doug and Danielle, had received hundreds of visits, phone calls and messages from the local community and around the world.

He was loved by everyone. Hes left a massive hole in everyones life  we havent stopped having people come around, Ms Brown said.

He was a very well-known character around Norwich and loved by many.

Ivan Brown ran several pubs in Norwich (Brown family)

He helped many people in so many ways. Its a great loss to the whole of Norwich and as a family we are all distraught and devastated. And this should never have happened; he should be coming home to us. We loved him dearly.

Tributes were paid on Facebook, with the administrator of a page dedicated to lost Norwich pubs describing him as such a lovely person and great landlord who will be missed very much.

Members of the page described him as a great man gone far too early who truly was a major part of Norwich pub life and will be sorely missed by colleagues and customers alike.

A former employee at the Bull and the Eagle described him as a lovely man and a real gentleman, while another described him as a man whom I held great respect for, a great boss back in the day.
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A victim of grooming gangs in Rotherham has told Suella Braverman the government needs to be helping all victims of exploitation after the home secretary singled out British Pakistani males.

New measures announced by ministers include a police Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce, a potential mandatory reporting duty for adults working with children and the analysis of police-recorded ethnicity data.

A Home Office report published in 2020, after The Independent exposed that it was being withheld from the public, concluded that grooming gangs come from diverse backgrounds and no link to ethnicity could be proved.

But in a series of media interviews, the home secretary singled out British Pakistani males and claimed they hold cultural values totally at odds with British values.

Rotherham survivor and whistleblower Sammy Woodhouse, whose abuser was of Pakistani descent, raised concern over the statements on Monday.

Following a meeting with Ms Braverman, she told The Independent: One thing I really made clear to her is we need to be helping all victims of exploitation, not just [those abused by] Pakistani gangs.

We only talk about white girls  what about boys, what about Black girls, what about Pakistani victims? Everyone can be a victim and anyone can be a perpetrator.

Rishi Sunak did not repeat the home secretarys focus on British-Pakistani offenders during the pairs visit to Rochdale, where he vowed to stamp out grooming gangs.

Ms Woodhouse said his ambition would take a lot more than the measures so far announced, adding: I've met politician after politician making a lot of promises. I just want action now, Ive been saying the same thing for 10 years.

Repeating warnings made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse last year, the campaigner said children were still being abused across the UK.

We have a system that is not fit for purpose, it doesnt support victims whatsoever, she added.

You've got police that dont investigate, the Crown Prosecution Service who dont take it further, youre considered lucky to even get in a courtroom.

There are waiting lists for years for support, getting counselling can be used against you in court.

Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman with police leaders during a visit to Rochdale on Monday (PA)

Ms Woodhouse has been calling for a legal change to mean that grooming gang victims left with criminal records as a result of their abuse can have them wiped, as well as reforms to stop rapists using family courts to access their victims children.

She was not consulted about the changes announced this week, and charities warned that promises must be backed up with funding for specialist investigations and services amid chaos in the criminal justice system.

Sir Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said: Its vital we remember that any child can be a victim of child sexual exploitation and adult perpetrators do not just come from one background.

Sexual predators will target the most vulnerable and accessible children in society and there must be a focus on more than just race so we do not create new blindspots that prevent victims from being identified.

When asked about the home secretarys comments, the Home Office pointed to high-profile abuse in Rotherham, Telford and Rochdale, which was committed by gangs of mainly British-Pakistani men, but acknowledged wider data was challenging to obtain.

A 2020 report, which was commissioned by Sajid Javid as home secretary, found that while some cases suggested an over-representation of Black and Asian offenders, it was not possible to conclude that this is representative of all group-based offending.

The document said there were issues with the data used in existing research and a potential for bias and inaccuracies, adding: Research has found that group-based child sexual exploitation (CSE) offenders are most commonly white.

Sammy Woodhouse met with the home secretary on Monday

Downing Street sought to emphasise that an evidence-based approach will be taken to tackle all aspects of abuse after the prime minister met senior police officers, local authorities and others working on child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

Asked if the focus on British-Asian grooming gangs was appropriate, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: All forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific and wrong, but with the specific issue of grooming gangs we have had several independent inquiries look at the incidents here in Rochdale, in Rotherham and Telford.

What is clear is that when victims and other whistleblowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police. The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness. That is not right.

He insisted the new measures would make a big difference in helping us root out the evil perpetrated by grooming gangs, after making a series of crime-related announcements in the lead-up to Mays local elections in England.

The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said the new child sexual exploitation taskforce would enhance action against grooming gangs.

Police leaders said they had already made significant improvements responding to the abuse following a series of damning inquiries showing that victims were not believed or protected.

Deputy chief constable Ian Critchley, the national lead for child abuse, said: Child abusers come from all parts of our society and sadly most abuse happens in the home; police forces target all offenders  no matter who they are or where they come from.

The government has said it would introduce laws to increase prison sentences for members and leaders of grooming gangs, but no timetable has been set.

Its announcement on the creation of a legal duty on teachers and social workers to report abuse comes over a year after the move was recommended by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Its chair, Prof Alexis Jay, said she would be working with the government to ensure that the full package of the Inquirys recommendations in its final report is taken forward to better protect children from sexual abuse in the future.
Sir Keir Starmer has denied he was ever a friend of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, despite previously describing him as one.

The Labour leader sought to distance himself from the ex-leader, after moving to ensure Mr Corbyn would not be the partys candidate for the Islington North constituency at the next general election.

While taking questions on LBC Radio, Mr Starmer was pressed again about his relationship with Mr Corbyn  who he once described as a colleague and a friend.
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The sister of a teenager killed during the Troubles says she hopes the dark cloud surrounding their family will be lifted as the search for his body resumes.

Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 and his remains are believed to be at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan.

He is one of the Disappeared  victims of the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998 known as the Troubles  whose bodies have yet to be found.

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in Bragan Bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

His sister Dympna Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

Our focus is on doing everything we can to bring this search to a successful conclusion. If the remains of Columba are in this part of the bog we will find them Jon Hill, ICLVR

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Mrs Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said it was always their intention to resume the search for Mr McVeigh at the earliest opportunity.

Every time we undertake a search the thoughts of everyone involved are with the McVeigh family, he said.

Our focus is on doing everything we can to bring this search to a successful conclusion.

If the remains of Columba are in this part of the bog we will find them.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman have been warned that sexual predators do not just come from one background and that a focus solely on ethnicity or race would be very dangerous.

The warning from Labour, the NSPCC and top academics came after the home secretary singled out British-Pakistani men as a major source of concern as the government reveals a range of measures to tackle grooming gangs.

Mr Sunak pledged that political correctness about ethnicity will not get in the way of a crackdown on grooming gangs as he promised tougher sentences and a new police taskforce.
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Rishi Sunak has pledged that political correctness will not get in the way of a crackdown on grooming gangs, as ministers promised tougher sentences and a new police taskforce to protect children from sexual abuse.

It comes as Labour accused home secretary Suella Braverman of dog whistle politics after she singled out British Pakistani men and claimed Labour councils had turned a blind eye to signs of abuse over fears of being labelled racist.

The new taskforce, led by police and supported by the National Crime Agency, will be made up of officers with extensive experience of grooming gang probes, the government said.

Controversially, the plan will also see ethnicity data used to assist the police investigating grooming gangs  something ministers will argue is necessary to ensure cultural sensitivities are not used to prevent criminals being caught.

Mr Sunak claimed that for too long political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women, adding: We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs.

The PM, who will travel to Leeds and Greater Manchester on Monday, will also promise that grooming gang members will receive tougher sentences, with the introduction of new legislation that would make membership an aggravated factor in sentencing.

Ms Braverman repeatedly alluded to high-profile cases including in Rotherham and Rochdale that involved groups of men of mainly Pakistani ethnicity during her media appearances on Sunday.

Whats clear is that what weve seen is a practice whereby vulnerable white English girls, sometimes in care, sometimes who are in challenging circumstances, being pursued and raped and drugged and harmed by gangs of British Pakistani men whove worked in child abuse rings or networks, she told Sky News Sophy Ridge On Sunday.

Despite the high-profile cases, a 2020 Home Office report found that group-based sex offenders are most commonly white  concluding that there was no evidence that any one ethnic group is over-represented in cases of child sexual exploitation.

Her language was criticised by some campaigners, while the NSPCC emphasised that an excessive focus on race could create new blind spots.

Challenged on Sky News about her own departments report, the home secretary said: There have been several reports since about the predominance of certain ethnic groups  and I say British Pakistani males  who hold cultural values totally at odds with British values, who see women in a demeaned and illegitimate way.

Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman have vowed to stamp out grooming gangs (AP)

It came as Ms Braverman announced a consultation on a mandatory duty on professionals working with children in England to report concerns about possible sexual abuse, as she attacked authorities who turn a blind eye to signs of abuse.

Asked on the BBCs Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg which authorities had failed when it came to grooming gangs, Ms Braverman pointed to Labour-run councils.

She said: If we want to get political about  I didnt want to get political  but some of these councillors, senior politicians in Labour-run areas, over a period of years, absolutely failed to take action because of cultural sensitivities.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow communities minister, told the BBC she accepted that, in the cases of Rochdale and Rotherham, the official reports were clear that there were politicians and [police] officers who didnt report, sometimes for fear of political correctness.

Ms Nandy said she had been calling for mandatory reporting of sexual abuse for years, accusing the government of allowing the number of convictions for child sexual exploitation to half in the last four years.

She added: I have to say the home secretary is an absolute joke  for her to turn up in the TV studios talking about a wilful blind eye, near-complicit silence, talking about a lack of action, shes basically talking about herself.

On Sky News, she also criticised Ms Braverman for trying to single out one particular profile and one particular group.

Shadow communities secretary Lisa Nandy called Braverman an absolute joke (PA Wire)

Labours West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin told Laura Kuenssberg that Ms Bravermans comments were dog whistle politics and the blame game is not helpful when practical solutions were needed.

Nazir Afzal, former chief crown prosecutor in the northwest, had previously warned of the danger in focusing entirely on the ethnicity of the offender rather than how best to protect victims.

On Sunday, Mr Afzal cited the 2020 Home Office report and tweeted: Suella Braverman knows that 84 per cent of child sex offenders are white British, but chooses to focus on those who are not.

Jessica Simor KC, a human rights lawyer, claimed the Tory government was using fear tactics to attract votes. In 2019 they used antisemitism. In 2024 they will use grooming gangs, Pakistani men, trans people and small boats. Their only strategy is hatred, deflection and fear.

Labours shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the governments response to grooming gangs was hopelessly inadequate, belated and narrow  saying the government had dragged their heels on Labour calls for mandatory reporting a decade ago.

Only 11 per cent of child sexual abuse cases ends with a charge  down from 32 per cent seven years ago, and the court delays have got far worse with victims waiting years for justice, said Ms Cooper.

The government said data analysts would work alongside specialist officers, promising better data on the make-up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity, to make sure suspects cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice.

The NSPCC said Ms Bravermans plan to legally compel people to report abuse was a step in the right direction, but called on ministers to overhaul support and said more needed to be done to improve the understanding of who was at risk.

On plans for tougher sentencing, justice secretary Dominic Raab called grooming gangs a scourge on our society, saying he wanted to send a clear message to anyone who exploits vulnerable children that they will face the full weight of the law.

The announcements come after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse last year described sexual abuse of children as an epidemic that leaves tens of thousands of victims in its poisonous wake.

The seven-year inquiry into institutional failings in England and Wales concluded that people in positions of trust should be compelled by law to report child sexual abuse.

Professor Alexis Jay, who chaired the inquiry, welcomed the announcements.

She said: The commitment to mandatory reporting is very encouraging, and I look forward to working with the Government to ensure that the full package of the inquirys recommendations in its final report is taken forward to better protect children from sexual abuse in the future.

Childrens Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza also welcomed the plans, but urged the Government to extend this same focus to children arriving in the UK who often face similar dangers.
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The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was in doubt until the final plenary session, a former government director of communications has said.

Politicians and officials were involved in intense negotiations around the clock at Castle Buildings in the Stormont estate ahead of April 10, 1998 when a spring snow fall added to the surreal moment for Northern Ireland.

There had been weeks of officials having to manage the runways to stop unwanted meetings in the corridors and delivering assurances to parties while not throwing other parties off course.

Tom Kelly, the then Northern Ireland Office director of communications, said the failed Sunningdale Agreement of 1973 cast a shadow over efforts.

I didnt wake up on Good Friday morning because Id been on my feet for 36 hours pacing the corridors, I think it was genuinely in doubt right until the very end because various parties needed various assurances and delivering those assurances in such a way that didnt send another party off in the wrong direction was a major negotiating feat, he said.

It wasnt actually until the Ulster Unionists finally agreed following a letter from the Prime Minister to David Trimble that we actually knew it was on.

It was really only at the point of the final plenary session that you dared to hope. It was a mixture of exhaustion, elation at the prospect of an agreement but also apprehension because I knew Id have to lead the referendum campaign, and that wasnt guaranteed, and secondly I remembered, as a teenager, the Sunningdale (agreement) being agreed and being brought down.

I knew that this time we were going to have to hold firm, and keep making the argument why the agreement was the only show in town.

Mr Kelly took up the role with the Northern Ireland Office just weeks before the agreement was signed.

Immediately he was plunged into political maelstrom, and prepared a communications paper around a just in case agreement.

There was an opinion poll carried out a week before the talks started which show that just 17% thought they would succeed in the timeframe, 83% didnt, and that just showed the learned pessimism of 25 years of failure, he told the PA news agency.

People had become fatalistic, that was the attitude, people admired us for trying but thought we were slightly naive.

Mr Kelly said the run-up period to the talks started with the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, improved relations between the British and Irish governments and stable government in both London and Dublin under Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

He said within the talks there was a focus and a drive and a willingness on the part of the government to be flexible, adding that made the agreement possible.

But on the morning of Good Friday nothing was guaranteed, because wed seen Sunningdale 25 years earlier be agreed and then allowed to collapse, what mattered was the persistence over the next nine years which eventually ended up with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness sitting down together, he said.

One of the learnings of the process had to be that politicians from very different backgrounds got comfortable being in the same building, but then Id worked for 16 years at the BBC in Belfast and London, and that was a problem that we had had there as well.

Part of the tragedy of Irish political history, never mind Northern Irish political history, has been that politicians didnt know each other very well, I think one of the things the agreement has delivered is that people do know each other a bit better even if they dont agree with each other.

Mr Kelly went on to be Tony Blairs spokesperson from 2001 to 2007.

Looking back, he said the peace process delivered but the political process has not yet.

As a peace process I believe it delivered, as a political process however, I think its only been partially successful, thats been because unfortunately the two main parties have chosen politics as another form of the conflict, as another zero sum game rather than trying to build a consensus even when they disagree on the constitutional issue. And too often the centre ground, although it has now consolidated and grown, has been content to say, at least were not that lot, he said.

Thats the unfortunate reality, and the challenge for the next 25 years is not just to hold the ground in terms of peace, but actually deliver good government for the people of Northern Ireland.
New Delhi, Apr 03 (UNI ) Slamming West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for violence on Ram Navami, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee on Monday alleged that she is doing "appeasement politics" in the state.

"The recent incidents of attacks in West Bengal and the Dharna Pradarshan by Mamata are the clear displays of the appeasement politics being carried out in the state," she said here in a Press Conference at party headquarters. "This will absolutely not be tolerated. What has been happening in West Bengal is shameful," she added.

The BJP MP also demanded NIA investigation over the Violence during the Ram Navami procession in the state.

"We demand NIA investigation into the case because police is only arresting Hindus, and not Muslims," she said.

"A few days ago elections were held on the Sagardighi seat in Bengal, in which TMC was defeated. The Muslim vote got divided, after which this pre-planned conspiracy was executed to please the Muslim voters," she said.

Accusing Mamata led government for giving priority to certain community, Chaterjee said, "The politics of appeasement is going on in West Bengal. Although Hindus of Bengal voted along with Muslims during this assembly election, she (Mamata Banerjee) has to see only Muslims."

Endorsing Chatterjee, MP Debasree Chaudhuri said, "Mamata gevernment is absolutely immersed in corruption. The incidents of recent attacks and upheaval are unfortunate. Mamata is playing dangerously in West Bengal."

She said Mamata is doing this deliberately to divert attention from the corruption in West Bengal.

"As its immersion in corruption has become evident before the whole country, Mamata government has shamefully started trying to divert people's attention .... The ongoing situation in West Bengal and the recent attacks are very unfortunate. It's truly been a dangerous game by Mamata."

UNI JA AKJ
Sir Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have hailed the spirit of Anglo-Irish teamwork and partnership that marked the high pressure negotiations that delivered Northern Irelands historic Good Friday Agreement.

Twenty-five years on from the intensive talks that produced the landmark accord in April 1998, the former UK and Irish prime ministers have reflected on their famously close working relationship.

While stressing the importance of the UK and Irish governments acting in lockstep, the ex British PM and Taoiseach credited the bravery of unionist and nationalist political leaders in Northern Ireland for striking the powersharing settlement that largely ended the Troubles.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Romanias capital on Monday for trilateral talks with the presidents of Romania and Moldova, as the three nations look to boost ties on a range of topics amid Russias ongoing war in Ukraine.

The German leader first met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, for bilateral talks that focussed on security, economy, and energy. They also discussed defense cooperation on NATOs eastern flank and security in the Black Sea region.

Iohannis told a news conference after the talks that the Black Sea region's strategic importance has been growing and called on NATO to significantly strengthen its defense and deterrence posture there.

For his part, Scholtz highlighted the strong relations between his country and Romania and reiterated an oft-repeated pledge to give Ukraine military support for as long as it is necessary, and we are working on that constantly and together."

Scholtz didnt directly answer questions about the possibility of a maintenance facility being set up in Romania for German military equipment sent to Ukraine, to reflect similar efforts in other countries.

A spokesperson for the German defense company Rheinmetall, told German news agency dpa Monday that it's setting up a maintenance and logistics center in Satu Mare, north Romania, for Western military vehicles and howitzers delivered to Ukraine that will start work this month.

The two leaders also discussed ways to support Ukraine and Moldova, both of which were granted EU candidate status last June. They also agreed on the importance of EU expansion and that the Western Balkans remain a key priority to one day join the 27-nation bloc, Iohannis said.

We also share a common vision regarding the strategic values of the expansion of the (EU) to the East, he said.

Later on Monday, Iohannis and Scholz will be joined by Moldovan President Maia Sandu for trilateral meetings. The three leaders will discuss European integration for Moldova, which is not a NATO member and has faced a protracted series of crises over the past year.

Iohannis said that Moldovas situation is greatly complicated by the hybrid attacks from Russia, and listed major complications the country faces as the high inflows of war refugees from Ukraine and the impact that the war is having on Moldovas struggling economy.

Last month, Moldovan police said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed saboteurs who were specially trained to cause mass unrest against the countrys pro-Western government. That came days after U.S. intelligence officials said people with ties to Russian intelligence aimed to use the protests as a basis to try to topple Moldovas government.

___

Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania; Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin.
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Marc Slutsky has been leading Passover Seders for 40 years, taking on troubling issues that have included Soviet Jewry, racism in the United States, and war after war after war.

This year, when the slavery-to-freedom story unfolds at his table in Highland Park, Illinois, the Israel of today will be top of mind after tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus proposed judicial overhaul.

The plan, on pause after repeated mass demonstrations, unleashed the most intense social unrest in Israel in decades, just ahead of this week's observance of Passover.

Slutsky, president of the independent synagogue Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living, in Glencoe, has Seder tweaks in mind for his 18 guests when they sit down for ritual readings, blessings and discussion.

One big change will come at the end, he said, when Next year in Jerusalem is traditionally recited.

We're going to read from the Israeli Declaration of Independence," said the 76-year-old Slutsky, particularly a passage that promises the complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants.

The plan proposed by Netanyahu would give him and his allies  the most right-wing government in Israeli history  more control over the country's judiciary. Critics say it would concentrate power in his hands and destroy a system of checks and balances. They also say he has a conflict of interest since he himself is facing trial on corruption charges.

Abigail Pogrebin, author of My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, has been watching Israel closely. She'll host 30 people at her Seder in New York.

It feels impossible to ignore this difficult and deflating inflection point when it comes to Israel right now, she said.

Traditional Seder symbols will take on new weight, Pogrebin said.

The bitter herb, which reminds us of the bitterness of slavery, will remind us also of the bitterness of this governments bigotry  against non-Orthodox Jews, against LGBTQ Jews, against Arabs, against women in the army. It will remind us of the bitterness of dictatorship and intolerance, the abrogation of tenets we hold dear, she said.

The breaking of matzo will mark the brokenness of Israels democracy right now  or how close it has come to a breaking point, Pogrebin said.

And the opening of a door for Elijah, when Jews symbolically welcome in a messianic time of justice and righteousness, will demand that each of us at our table think about how we will work to bring justice about.

A large percentage of U.S. Jews observe Passover, a holiday that commemorates the Hebrew slaves' biblical flight from Egypt and emphasizes the importance of passing on that freedom story to children at the Seder table.

North America has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.

The Seder is for me a perfect moment for us to engage in conversation around a myriad of topics that are about unfinished projects or places where theres strife or turmoil, said Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver in Canada, a service, fundraising and relief organization.

He'll also host 30 for a Seder, including non-Jews and guests with diverse political and religious opinions.

Shanken will put down a second Seder plate to go with the one holding traditional symbols of the Passover story. His second plate will include a block of ice that will be left to melt as a reminder to take climate action. But it's the Passover narrative itself and the founding of Israel 75 years ago that will frame conversation about current Israeli politics.

Our story was never without turmoil. It was never without strife. It was never without disagreement, Shanken said.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs also expects deep discussion about the protests and Netanyahus ruling coalition. She is CEO of T'ruah, a U.S.-based nonprofit collective of rabbis focused on human rights in North America, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Its important for Jews to talk about what does it mean to fight for democracy in the Jewish state, both for Jews and also for non-Jews who live there? she said.

Rabbi Mike Uram, chief Jewish learning officer for the Jewish Federations of North America, anticipates that Netanyahu's government will be one of a range of issues discussed at Seder tables around themes of slavery, democracy and freedom.

Those include consumption and the risks of global warming," as well as the lack of equity in American life, and the ways in which Black folks have to be afraid of structural racism and violence from a police force, as a form of slavery that people need to be freed from," he said.

Jonathan D. Sarna, director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, sees inroads in the Haggadah, the text Jews use in many versions during a Seder, for open discussion on Israel.

There are plenty of moments where one can really jump from the traditional liturgy and ask important questions. And thats really what Passover is supposed to be about, he said. Its not about debating. Its about asking and framing the questions. I think productive discussions can really take place.

Productive is key.

During Donald Trump's presidency, some families were torn apart along the red-blue divide. That continues to play out during holidays when loved ones gather, and also includes friction over pandemic-related issues, like vaccines and masks.

For some American Jews, this is different and the same in big ways.

There are definitely a mix of opinions in my family about politics, and specifically Israel politics, said Talia Benamy, 36, in Brooklyn. But I think there is a broad consensus: Everybody in my family agrees that this legislative push is bad news.

When Benamy joined protests in New York in solidarity with demonstrators in Israel, she was joined by her 64-year-old mother, her brother and his three children, the oldest age 7. Participating was a good pre-Passover primer for the young ones.

One of the key lines in the Haggadah is the idea that in each generation its incumbent upon us to see ourselves in the Passover story, she said. The way that we can do that now is to have conversations about what does freedom really mean, how does it manifest, and for who?

___

Find Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie
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Two people died and a girl was injured in a fiery hot air balloon accident outside of Mexico City on Saturday, officials said.

Unverified video on social media shows a hot air balloon catching on fire in the skies above Teotihuacan, the famed pre-Aztec temple site, as onlookers yell and a mans voices can be heard appearing to yell, Help me!

Officials have said a man, 50, and a woman, 38, perished in the crash, while the girl, identified as Regina, suffered a broken arm and burns, the Associated Press reports. The trio appears to have fallen or jumped from the flaming balloon.

Its unclear if a pilot was aboard the craft when it caught on fire.

The man and woman who died are husband and wife Jose Nolasco and Viridiana Becerril, of Caujimalpa de Morelos, authorities said, according to The Daily Mail.

Photographers captured police and medical personnel on the site of the crash, covering parts of the wreckage in a red tarp.

It was the birthday of my daughter Viridiana, Reginas mom, and they had prepared this ride as as a surprise for her, Reyna Gloria Sarmiento, Becerrils mother, told local media, according to the Mail.

The Cuajimalpa Mayors Office extends its condolences to family, friends and acquaintances of Jose Nolasco and Viridiana Becerril who died this morning due to the collapse of a hot air balloon in Teotihuacan. Our solidarity and prayers for Regina, wishing her speedy recovery.

The skies above Teotihuacan are reportedly a popular site for balloon rides.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The Cuajimalpa Mayors Office extends its condolences to family, friends and acquaintances of Jose Nolasco and Viridiana Becerril who died this morning due to the collapse of a hot air balloon in Teotihuacan, local officials said in a statement in Spanish on Facebook. Our solidarity and prayers for Regina, wishing her a speedy recovery.
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The man who allegedly shot Alex Murdaugh in the head in a bizarre botched hitman plot has been released on bond  one month after the disgraced attorney was convicted of murdering his wife and son.

Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith  a former law firm client, distant cousin and alleged drug dealer of Murdaugh  appeared in Richland County Courthouse in South Carolina on Monday afternoon where Judge Clifton Newman agreed to reinstate his $250,000 bond and release him on house arrest.

In his ruling, Judge Newman acknowledged Mr Smiths continued cooperation with authorities. Prosecutors did not object to his release on bond, noting how he had agreed to testify against Murdaugh in his trial earlier this year. That testimony never came to pass.

Mr Smiths attorneys noted how being in jail has caused a decline in health, with the defendant himself telling Judge Newman: My sugars off the charts.

He said that hes gained 55 pounds while incarcerated.

Mr Smiths release comes with strict bond conditions, including a GPS monitor and confinement to his home except when going to work.

Judge Newman stressed that should he violate those conditions, the court would meet Mr Smith with no deviation, no leniency, no latitude in any way.

Mr Smith affirmed he understood the judges warning.

Mr Smith is facing a string of charges over the September 2021 incident where he allegedly shot Murdaugh along the side of a road in Hampton County in an assisted suicide scheme.

The incident unfolded on 4 September 2021  three months on from the 7 June 2021 double murders of Maggie and Paul and one day after Murdaugh was ousted from his law firm for stealing millions of dollars in funds.

Murdaugh called 911, claiming he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while he was changing a tire on his vehicle.

He was taken to hospital where he was treated for what police called a superficial gunshot wound to the head.

For several days he kept up the lie, and even spent hours constructing an imaginary assailant with a police sketch artist.

But, Murdaughs story about the incident quickly unravelled.

One week later on 13 September, he confessed to law enforcement that he had orchestrated the whole saga, asking Mr Smith to shoot and kill him in an assisted suicide plot so that his surviving son Buster could get a $12m life insurance windfall.

Both he and Mr Smith were arrested and charged over the incident.

In June 2022, Mr Smith was also charged in connection to Murdaughs financial fraud schemes and is accused of helping him with a drug and $2.4m money laundering ring.

He was initially released on $250,000 bond and ordered to submit to drug testing and GPS monitoring.

Curtis Edward Smith in Richland County Court in June 2022 (2022 The State Newspaper)

However he was ordered back to jail in August 2022 after he was found to have violated the terms of his bond by going on several trips to grocery stores and private homes.

Mr Smith had also allegedly misled the court about how much money he had at the time  telling the court he had no money when the judge was setting bond.

It later transpired that he had more than $50,000 in a bank account at the time, according to prosecutors.

Now, after Mondays latest court hearing, Mr Smith is awaiting trial on a string of charges involving Murdaugh including assisted suicide, assault and battery of a highly aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, money laundering, forgery, and trafficking methamphetamine.

Mr Smiths name repeatedly cropped up during Murdaughs murder trial  a trial that was dubbed South Carolinas trial of the century.

Murdaugh was convicted of gunning down Maggie and Paul on the familys 1,700-acre estate back on 7 June 2021.

Paul was shot twice with a 12-gauge shotgun while he stood in the feed room of the dog kennels  the second shot to his head blowing his brain almost entirely out of his skull.

After killing Paul, prosecutors said Murdaugh then grabbed a .300 Blackout semiautomatic rifle and opened fire on Maggie as she tried to flee from her husband.

She was shot five times including twice in the head after she had fallen to her knees.

Prior to Murdaughs murder trial, the disgraced attorneys legal team sought to raise questions as to whether Mr Smith may have had some involvement in Maggie and Pauls murders.

In October, the defence claimed that Mr Smith failed a lie detector test when asked where he was on the night of 7 June 2021.

During the murder trial, the defence failed to provide any evidence that Mr Smith  or anyone else  could have been responsible for the murders and he was not called as a witness for either the state or the defence.

The jury determined beyond reasonable doubt that it was Murdaugh who murdered his family members.

Defendant Alex Murdaugh gives testimony during his murder trial (AP)

Following the verdict, Mr Smith released a statement through his attorney saying that Murdaughs murder conviction had exonerated him of the baseless suggestions he could have been involved in the slayings.

It should now be clear that our client had nothing to do with the tragic deaths of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, said the statement from Mr Smtihs attorneys T. Jarrett Bouchette and Aimee Zmroczek.

For almost a year and a half, speculation, innuendo, half truths and outright falsehoods have permeated the public discussion of this case and our client however, neither the investigation conducted by law enforcement, which included extensive forensic and technological analysis, nor the testimony and evidence put forward by the defence team for Mr Murdaugh revealed any evidence that Mr Smith was in any way involved.

The statement added: Mr Smith is a good and decent man who was, like so many others, manipulated and taken advantage of by Mr Murdaugh and we look forward to the opportunity to present his story at trial.

Murdaugh is also facing trial on more 100 charges over the multi-million-dollar fraud scheme and roadside shooting cases.

But, whatever the outcome in those cases, he will now die behind bars after he was sentenced him to life in prison.

Last week, he was placed in an undisclosed high security prison in the state where he will be kept away from other inmates for his own safety.
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The family of a University of Idaho student murdered last year has shared the special way theyre honouring their sons legacy.

Ethan Chapin, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle and Kernodles roommates Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were brutally stabbed on 13 November at their off-campus rental home. Washington State University PhD student Bryan Kohberger was arrested on 30 December in Pennsylvania and is now awaiting trial in Idaho for the murders.

Families of the victims are unable to speak about the case with the media due to a gag order in place, but Ethans parents Stacey and Jim Chapin have opened up about a heartwarming initiative started by their sons coworkers at the Tulip Valley Farm, where Ethan worked before he graduated high school.

The tulip planting field has dedicated a yellow and white tulip mix to the memory of the slain student, and named it Ethans Smile. The proceeds will go to a foundation created by the Chapins, which will support students at Ethans high school who are planning to attend the University of Idaho.

A tulip became something tangible and something that people can grasp on, Ms Chapin told the TODAY show. We realised that by creating a foundation we can give scholarships back to kids to be able to follow their dreams. And thats the best thing we could do in his honour.

Reese Garner, one of the workers at the tulip farm who came up with the idea, said he was one of the lucky kids who got to work in the tulip farm with him and that Ethan had the best smile. You couldnt see it and not instantly smile back.

The tulip farm is also selling sweatshirts, t-shirts, and stickers to commemorate Ethans life and his impact on many lives.

Ethan loved people and he was an inclusive kid. He loved great adventures, Ms Chapin told the TODAY show. Ethan was the kid who other kids would call and find out when he was in the work schedule because everyone wanted to work with [him]. When this happened, the kids decided that they needed a way to honour him.

Ethans fraternity Sigma Chi also started a scholarship in his honour, which will be presented annually to a deserving undergraduate member of the Gamma Eta Chapter. The fundraiser has already reached its goal of $125,000, with Ethans mother and grandmother matching donations up to $10,000.

Last week, authorities investigating the quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list related to one of the officers involved in the case. The findings could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.

In this photo provided by Stacy Chapin, triplets Ethan, Maizie and Hunter Chapin pose in front of a tulip field

Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.

Mr Kohberger 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.

Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre 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.
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A Florida father whose two-year-old son was found dead in the jaws of an alligator also allegedly fatally stabbed the youngsters mother more than 100 times.

Thomas Mosley was arrested in connection with the death of Pashun Jeffrey and their toddler son, Taylen Mosley in St Petersburg, Florida.

Investigators say that the killing of Jeffrey, 20, took place after a birthday party was thrown for her at her apartment last Wednesday, reported The Tampa Bay Times.

Thomas Mosley (Pinellas County Jail)

An arrest report states that guests left the party at around 5.15pm and it was the last time that either victim was seen alive.

Police allege that the suspect killed Jeffrey later that evening, before leaving the scene with his son and going to Lake Maggiore. Court documents have not stated how Taylen died.

Mr Mosley allegedly then went to his mothers house with cuts on his arms and hands before going to St Anthonys Hospital for treatment.

Police began searching for Taylen when relatives could not get hold of Jeffrey and went to the apartment where police say a very violent crime scene was discovered.

Jeffrey was found dead in the apartment but her son was not there, according to an arrest affidavit.

Taylen Mosley (St. Petersburg Police Department)

Investigators say that a bloody cleaning bottle was found under the bed, which allegedly had the suspects fingerprint on it.

The search eventually took police to Dell Holmes Park on the northwest side of Lake Maggiore.

And when someone spotted an alligator with something in its mouth the reptile was shot and Taylens body was recovered.

The suspect was charged with two counts and booked into Pinellas County Jail and is being held without bond.

Relatives say that Jeffrey worked at a CVS to provide for her son as a single mother.

We will miss her smile, joyous laughter, and commentary on life, the family wrote on a GoFundMe page. Taylen was a sweet and happy toddler and loved his mom.
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A Florida orthodontist who seemed to go missing, leaving patients owing thousands on incomplete dental procedures, has turned up in a county jail.

Manuel Alejandro Gutierrez-Rodriguez was arrested on 24 March and sent to Pinellas County jail for violating the conditions of his probation related to a 2022 reckless driving conviction, WFLA reports.

Patients of Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguez say his sudden disappearance left them in the lurch. The doctors Tampa clinic was seen with mail piling up behind the front door, and its website is offline.

Traci Hillring was in the middle of a $5,000 procedure for teeth straightening when Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguez disappeared, forcing her to find another provider and pay an extra $2,500.

Its frustrating. I was hoping to be done with this, she told WFLA. Hoping to stop making payments toward [my treatment} and moving on without having to wear trays every day would be nice.

She said shes hoping the orthodontist can offer some sort of refund.

The Independent has contacted Mr Gutierrez-Rodriguezs lawyer for comment.

Another patient, Carlos Jimenez, told the Tampa Bay Times he paid $5,200 for custom teeth alignment.

When I called him, his assistants gave me excuses, he said. Sometimes they told me that they didnt have the proper materials or the distributors were late with the orders.

More than a dozen patients have gotten together on social media and are demanding a refund, the paper reports.
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The longtime boyfriend of a University of Idaho murdered student and her surviving dog have been pictured meeting her newborn niece.

Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were brutally stabbed to death at the young womens off-campus rental home in Moscow on 13 November. Bryan Kohberger, a Washington State University PhD student who lived 15 minutes away from the crime scene, has been charged with the quadruple murders.

Although a gag order in place bans family members from speaking about the case with the media, Goncalves family have been sharing updates about their life in the aftermath of the unthinkable tragedy on their Facebook page.

On Friday, the grieving family offered a glimpse of Kaylees longtime boyfriend Jack DuCouers visit with his dog Murphy to their home in Coeur dAlene. The Goldendoodle has been living with Mr DuCouer after it was found unharmed inside the home where the gruesome crime took place.

During the visit, Mr DuCouer and Murphy met Kaylees newborn niece Theodora MaddieKay Stevenson, whose middle name honours Kaylee and her best friend Madison. The baby was born in March to Kaylees older sister Alivea, who had asked both victims to be bridesmaids at her wedding.

Jack & Murphy came by tonight and picked out so many nice things. We will be donating the rest to our local animal shelter early next week. Jack also met our sweet MaddieKay tonight, so much love. Much love friends, the post read.

Last month, the Goncalves family announced on the Facebook page that they had created an Amazon wishlist for Murphy at the request of many fans following their life updates. They said at the time that they intended to donate most of the dog toys to their local shelter.

(Facebook)

(Facebook )

Kaylees mother Kristi Goncalves also shared that she was overcome with emotion when opening the gifts.

[We] opened treats and read messages for HOURS yesterday. We cried and cried. We could feel Kaylee right there with us, she wrote. We are so grateful to all of you. There are no words to express how we feel. Its mind blowing and extremely emotional. Thank you!

In January, Mr DuCouer launched an Instagram account for the pooch which has since gained over 110,000 followers. He has since posted mementoes of Murphy with Kaylee and Madison and recent pictures of the dog.

Last week, authorities investigating the quadruple murders disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list related to one of the officers involved in the case. The findings could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 (Instagram)

Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.

Mr Kohberger 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.

Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 calibre 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.
 Close Lori Vallow: 7 witnesses called to testify on 13th day of trial

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The trial of doomsday cult mom Lori Vallow has resumed in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, following a days recess on Friday.

The mother-of-three is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, and her new husband Chad Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell, 49.

During the latest testimony in the bombshell case, the court heard how Mr Daybell texted his wife about burying a raccoon in the pet cemetery on their property in Rexburg, Idaho.

The message was sent in September 2019, hours after Tylee was last seen alive. JJ vanished days later.

In June 2020, the remains of the two children were found buried on the Daybell property.

Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Her death was initially ruled natural causes but has now been found to be asphyxiation.

The case has captured attention due to its ties to bizarre cult beliefs and a string of mystery deaths and murders.

Separate to this trial, Ms Vallow is charged in the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow in Arizona in July 2019.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (UNI) The Lok Sabha on Monday paid rich tributes to MP Girish Bapat and former parliamentarian Innocent, who passed away recently.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mentioned about the death of Bapat and Innocent, and expressed deep grief over their demise.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 1400 hours as a mark of respect to the departed souls, after the members observed silence.

Bapat, who represented Maharashtra's Pune parliamentary seat, passed away at the age of 74 on March 29.

Innocent, the former MP from Kerala's Chalakkudy died on March 26. He was 75.

UNI DS RKM
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The 28-year-old who carried out a mass shooting at a Nashville religious school reportedly planned the attack months in advance, according to city police.

The shooter, identified as former student Audrey Hale, acted totally alone, according to police, but Hales journals recovered after the attack reportedly show she planned for months to carry out the attack.

Police have identified the suspected shooter by their name at birth; Hale reportedly was a transgender man who used he/him pronouns, though law enforcement officials initially described the suspect as a woman in the aftermath of the shooting. Police did not provide another name but on the suspects social media accounts they refer to themselves as Aiden.

Nashville police said in a statement on Monday that it is known that Hale considered the actions of other mass murderers, while planning the crime.

In the collective writings by Hale found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at the Covenant School, police said.

Hale reportedly considered other locations  public schools  for an attack, according to police reviews of her journals.

Law enforcement officials also revealed that Hale primarily used 5.56 rifle rounds  firing 126 shots  as well as 26 9mm pistol rounds.

Six people were killed in the 27 March attack, including three nine-year-old students.

The children killed were Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney and Hallie Scruggs. The schools custodian Mike Hill, 61, a substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, the schools headmaster, were also killed.

Evelyn reportedly was killed trying to help other students escape the school.

Audrey Hale This handout video grab image courtesy of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department released on March ... (Getty)

Police reviewed Hales writings and determined that the attack was calculated and planned based on what they found.

They also found that Hale was being treated for an emotional disorder but still managed to legally purchase seven guns. Hale then hid these at home.

Hale reportedly broken into the school through a side door and began firing on students and staff.

When police arrived at the school on the day of the shooting, Hale was positioned on an elevated floor and began firing at the arriving police from a large window.

Nashville police quickly entered the building and shot Hale , ultimately killing the shooter 14 minutes after they first entered the school. The response was captured in harrowing police body camera footage made available by the Nashville Police Department after the incident.

Police have still not determined a motive in the shooting. A local source told the New York Post that the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit was reviewing a manifesto left behind by Hale to search for a possible motive.

The Nashville attack is the deadliest school shooting since 21 people, including 19 children, were killed in Uvalde, Texas last May.
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The body of a teenager found murdered close to the Murdaugh family home in 2015 has now been exhumed  and his family has offered a $35,000 reward to catch his killer.

Stephen Smiths body was excavated from his grave in South Carolina over the weekend so that a second autopsy could be carried out, according to the Smith familys attorney Eric Bland.

Following the autopsy, officials transport[ed] him back and then put[...] him back to his final resting place, Mr Bland tweeted.

No findings from the autopsy have been revealed but it comes just weeks after the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) announced that Smiths death had officially been ruled a homicide.

Smith, a nursing student and a classmate of Buster Murdaugh, was found dead on a road in Hampton County, South Carolina, in the early hours of 8 July 2015  not far from the prominent Murdaugh familys estate where Alex Murdaugh murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul six years later.

Smith, 19, had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and his car was found about three miles down the road.

At the time, his death was ruled a hit-and-run  a ruling that his mother, investigators on the original case and members of the local community long disputed.

There were no skid marks around his body, no vehicular debris, and the victims loosely tied shoes were still on his feet. Police reports also revealed that some of Smiths injuries were inconsistent with being struck by a car.

During the initial investigation, the Murdaugh name cropped up 40 times in official documents in the case and there has long been murmurs in the community that a Murdaugh boy may have been involved, Live5News reported.

Buster and Smith were classmates and there were rumours  albeit unsubstantiated  that the two had been in some sort of relationship around the time of his death.

Smiths mother Sandy Smith named Buster as the prime suspect in her sons murder in a letter begging the FBI to get involved in the case back in 2016.

Stephen Smith was found dead in a road back in 2015 (Sandy Smith/GoFundMe)

In June 2021  mere days after Murdaugh gunned down his wife and son on the familys sprawling 1,700-acre estate on 7 June 2021  SLED announced that it was opening a new investigation into Smiths death.

This January, the agency said that progress had been made  but had provided no other details.

Last month  just days after Murdaugh was convicted of his wife and sons murders  SLED announced that his death is now finally being investigated as a homicide.

Smiths mother had raised over $100,000 for an independent investigation  including his exhumation and a private autopsy  through a GoFundMe campaign.

On Monday, her attorneys announced that some of the money was being used to offer a $35,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the 19-year-olds death.

To those who have knowledge of how Stephen died or was killed please come forward, Mr Bland tweeted.

In a video statement released on Sunday night, Mr Bland confirmed that Smiths exhumation had taken place, describing it as a moment where finally we hear his voice.

This time is a very solemn time for Stephen. Its very bittersweet, Mr Bland said in a video statement.

Stephen for many, many years I can only imagine was not so much at peace in his grave. He probably was pounding on his coffin to anybody who could hear I was not hit by a car but I was intentionally killed.

And now weve told him we hear his voice.

Ms Smith and her attorneys have said they believe the teenager was killed elsewhere before his body was dumped in the road to look as though hed been struck by a car.

They believe he was targeted because of his sexuality as an openly gay teen in the lowcountry.

One day before SLEDs announcement about the case, Buster Murdaugh released a statement hitting out at the vicious rumours of his potential involvement and denying he had anything to do with Smiths death.

Stephen Smith was found dead in mysterious circumstances in 2015 (Family handout)

I have tried my best to ignore the vicious rumors about my involvement in Stephen Smiths tragic death that continue to be published in the media as I grieve over the brutal murders of my mother and brother. I love them so much and miss them terribly, the 26-year-ols surviving son of Alex and Maggie Murdaugh said in the statement.

I havent spoken up until now because I want to live in private while I cope with their deaths and my fathers incarceration.

Before, during and since my fathers trial, I have been targeted and harassed by the media and followers of this story.

This has gone on far too long. These baseless rumors of my involvement with Stephen and his death are false.

I unequivocally deny any involvement in his death, and my heart goes out to the Smith family. I am requesting that the media immediately stop publishing these defamatory comments and rumours about me.

Ms Smiths attorneys have insisted that the investigation into Smiths death is not about any member of the prominent legal dynasty  but about looking at the case from scratch and going where the evidence leads.

This is not an Alex Murdaugh 2.0 or any other Murdaugh 2.0. This is a Stephen Smith 2.0, Mr Bland said at a press conference in March.

This is about Stephen.
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Tuesday 4 April 2023 will go down as an unprecedented and historic day for America: the day former President Donald Trump was arrested and arraigned on criminal charges.

Mr Trump has been under investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office over hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors have been investigating whether Mr Trump falsified the Trump Organizations business records when his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made the payment of $130,0000 to Ms Daniels.

The money was allegedly 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.

Cohen was convicted of tax evasion, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations related to the payments to Ms Daniels. He was sentenced to three years in prison.

On Thursday 30 March, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records over the hush money payments. At his arraignement on Tuesday 4 April, he pled not guilty.

Hardcore loyalists gather for protest

While Mr Trump spent his last morning before becoming a defendant in a criminal case holed up at Trump Tower, his staunch ally and MAGA favourite Marjorie Taylor Greene prepared to lead protests against his indictment through the city of New York against what she has described as the political persecution of the former president.

In the event, several dozen Trump loyalists joined reporters and camera crews from across the world in a small park near the courthouse, creating a circus-like scene. A group of men chanted two genders and male and female, while a banner reading TRUMP OR DEATH waved overhead. One man carried a noose, attached to the placard reading what you need to deal with the liberal biased media.

I want him to know that weve got his back, and my support is unwavering and stronger than ever, and I will gladly take a bullet if I have to, a protester named Edward X Young, wearing a green Keep America Great hat, told The Independent.

Trump Indictment (Copyright 2023. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

They were met by about half their number of counterprotesters, who held their own emergency noise demo to drown out Ms Taylor Greenes hate speech. They rolled out a massive sheet reading TRUMP LIES ALL THE TIME, while the crowd blew whistles, banged on tambourines and blasted loud music across a row of barricades separating them from pro-Trump demonstrators.

In between them stood numerous officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD), enforcing a warning from city mayor Eric Adams that anyone anyone caught participating in any act of violence would be swiftly arrested.

Though we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech  she's stated she's coming to town. While you're in town, be on your best behavior, he said at a press conference on Monday.

(Alex Woodward / The Independent)

Trump arrives in court

Mr Trump reportedly left Trump Tower  the home of the Trump Organization  on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan sometime after 11am, travelling by motorcade to Manhattan Criminal Court in downtown New York.

The former president was be flanked by Secret Service members for his protection and the roads leading to the courthouse were closed for the journey. Security was also ramped up across the city.

On arrival at the court, he first entered Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office  which adjoins the courthouse  where he was officially arrested on criminal charges for the first time.

A supporter of former US president Donald Trump tears up an anti-Trump banner during a protest outside of Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City (AFP/Getty)

Like all defendants in criminal cases, he was processed  with his fingerprints taken and details recorded. However, he was not handcuffed or put in a jail cell, and did not have his mugshot taken. (This did not stop his campaign from putting a fake mugshot on a commemorative T-shirt in a canny fundraising effort.)

Then it was time for Mr Trumps arraignment before New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan. Photographs showed a glum-looking tycoon flanked by numerous NYPD officers as he entered the court, while courtroom artists got the rare opportunity to depict his distinctive visage scowling amid lawyers and guards.

(REUTERS/Manhattan Courts)

The charges were 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over his part in the hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, which prosecutors alleged were part of a wide-ranging and illegla scheme to swing the vote in his favour.

The court hearing itself was brief, and was not broadcast on TV after Judge Merchan made a last-minute ruling to ban video cameras from the courtroom.

Trump rails against charges in primetime address

Of course Mr Trump would not allow the airwaves to go uncontested, and flew straight back to Florida for a primetime address at 8.15pm ET from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

During the speech, he railed against the charges, Mr Bragg and Judge Merchan.

Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The criminal is the district attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information, he said to loud applause.

For which he should be prosecuted, or at a minimum he should resign.

He also targeted Mr Braggs wife and Judge Merchan, describing him as the Trump hating-judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter work for Kamala Harris  despite the fact the judge has only just warned him to stop making threatening posts on social media that could inflame tensions or incite violence.

This article was originally published on Tuesday 4 April 2023 and has been updated with new details of events as they happened.
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Two members of a flight crew have been confirmed dead and the third was rushed to a hospital after their medical helicopter crashed in Birmingham, southeast of Alabama.

The Lifesaver helicopter was on a call to airlift a hiker who was suffering from breathing problems and chest pains.

The Eurocopter EC130 crashed near Chelsea in Shelby County just before 5.30pm on Sunday.

Shelby County Sheriffs Office chief deputy Clay Hammac has three people on board and one of them was pronounced dead on the scene.

Two others were rushed to the hospital where another crew member was declared dead.

The condition of the third crew member was not immediately known.

The hiker was provided assistance and airlifted separately. The patient was taken to a hospital safely, the chief deputy said. The hikers condition was also not known.

"Our deputies did the best they could to render aid," chief deputy Hammac said. "The helicopter was on fire."

He added that we count ourselves as family of all first responders, fire, medical and law enforcement.

"Many of us in this profession know these individuals who were involved so this affects us very deeply, he said.

Emergency crew members worked for hours at the site of the charred wreckage and secured the area for the night as the investigation continued.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash along with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Shelby County Sheriffs Office said in a tweet that Bear Creek Road and Mountain Oaks Drive have been shut down for both sides and is likely it will be closed for an extended period of time.

Chelsea mayor Tony Picklesimer said the members on Lifesaver were heroes as he offered condolences to the family.

"This flight crew on Lifesaver, theyre heroes and so our hearts go out to the families of these two flight members and a heartfelt thanks to my heroes, Chelsea Fire and Rescue and the deputies that responded," he said in the press conference.

"Please remember these families that will be left behind and that have to deal with this tragic event."
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Doctors who treated the victims of a mass shooting at a Nashville religious school  which included three nine-year-old children  discussed the horrific situation they were faced with after the attack in a recent interview.

Dr Joseph Fusco of Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital and Dr Alex Jahangir of Vanderbilt's Centre for Trauma treated the three children killed in the attack, and spoke about their experiences with NPR.

"You're in a bit of shock when you get something like that.This should never happen to children," Dr Fusco told the outlet. "The wounds that are present on these children's bodies  I mean, not to be gruesome, but I think suffice to say that injuries from those weapons are essentially unsurvivable for children,"

Dr Jahangir said he can "tell right away" if someone has been shot by a handgun or by a high-powered assault rife.

He called the wounds caused by the latter "exponentially worse, obviously."

He said that despite all of his training, all of his colleagues training, and the medical technology available to him, the responding physicians felt "sheer helplessness" because the patients arrived with wounds that were "completely unsurvivable."

The doctor noted that young children are especially susceptible to the damage an assault rifle can cause as their vital organs are closer together, increasing the chance that a single wound could be fatal.

Firearms are the leading cause of death for US children, with thousands dying each year due to fatal wounds.

Dr Jahangir said apart from the helplessness, the staff  many with young children of their own  could not escape the mental toll of treating wounded, dying children.

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 29: Pictures of the victims killed in a mass shooting on Monday at The Covenant School are fixed to a memorial by Noah Reich from the non-profit Classroom of Compassion, near the school on March 29, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. Three students and three adults were killed by the 28-year-old shooter. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

"We're not immune to the emotions that happen. Everyone is still shaken up in the hospital just like we are in the community," Dr Jahangir said. "It hits home."

Dr Fusco recalled a staff meeting with approximately 20 doctors and nurses following the events of the 27 March shooting, saying many were silent, and others were visibly  and understandably  upset.

"Being in that room, with people being exceptionally upset, expressing that emotion, it's difficult," he said. "The silence is deafening."

Three children  Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinnery  were killed in the shooting, as were three adults. Cynthis Peak and Mike Hill, both 61, were staff members at the school and were killed. The school's headmaster, Dr Katherine Koonce, 60, was also killed.

The shooter, Audrey Hale, was reportedly a disgruntled former student.
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Two workers died at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York after they became trapped in a trench, according to the city's fire department.

The incident occurred Monday near Terminal 7.

"Due to ongoing emergency activity, please expect roadway delays in vicinity of Terminals 5 and 7 at JFK Airport," the airports official Twitter page said in a tweet.

Two workers were removed from a trench and were declared dead at the scene, according to a report by Fox News Digital.

The workers were reportedly killed when the trench collapsed, according to WABC. Construction rubble toppled onto the workers, trapping them, according to a tweet from the official airport account.

At approximately 11:08 a.m. today, PAPD received a report of two workers trapped under construction rubble at JFK International Airport. PAPD ESU, FDNY and EMS responded to the scene, the tweet read. Both workers have been confirmed dead.

The airport said all construction at the facility has ceased and that an investigation is underway.

A stop order for all construction at JFK has been issued. The Port Authority is conducting a thorough investigation and will be cooperating with all other investigative agencies, the airport continued.

Approximately 60 firefighters responded to the scene, but they were unable to save the workers, according to ABC 7.

Delays at the terminal due to the emergency activity have forced travelers into Terminal 5, which has caused slowdowns there.

Due to heavy traffic at Terminal 5, departing passengers are recommended access Terminal 5 via free AirTrain from Lefferts Blvd or Federal Circle Stations, the airport tweeted on Monday afternoon.
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The last time Secret Service agents escorted a US leader to face criminal charges, they kept their mission a secret  even from their own bosses.

It was 10 Oct 1973, and just a few agents knew the history they would make in ensuring that Vice President Spiro Agnew appeared in a federal courtroom to enter a plea and resign from office.

It was a big day for the country, and a sad day, said Jerry Parr, one of those agents, in a 2010 interview. And we didnt tell anyone it was happening. For better and worse.

There is no secret the second time around: The Secret Service on Tuesday is expected to deliver former President Donald Trump to a New York City courtroom to be arraigned on state charges tied to hush money payments made in the weeks before the 2016 election. The event is sure to be a spectacle and Trump himself plans a news conference that evening.

While much has been made of Trump becoming the first former president to appear in court to answer an indictment, the Secret Service has been in a similar spot before. And there are lessons to be gleaned in how Parr and other agents helped Agnew navigate his final hours as the nations 39th vice president.

The main one: The agents allowed their admiration of Agnew, who died in 1996, to get in the way of properly doing their jobs.

Parr, who joined the Secret Service in 1962, wasnt sure what to expect when he was tapped a decade later to be the deputy chief of Agnews detail. The vice president had a reputation for being President Nixons attack dog and skewering political opponents as nattering nabobs of negativism, vicars of vacillation and pusillanimous pussyfooters.

Behind closed doors, however, Parr discovered that Agnew was nothing like his antagonistic persona.

He was actually a very nice man, said Parr in a series of interviews for a book on the agents life-saving role in the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt. All the agents really liked him.

An example of Agnews kindness occurred in 1972 when the Parrs threw a Christmas party for agents. Agnew insisted on coming so agents working on that shift could attend. Not many top government officials were that thoughtful, according to Parr, who died in 2015 at 85.

To a unique degree the vice president and his wife, Judy (whom we called Mrs. A), recognized our humanity and appreciated our service, Parr wrote in his 2013 memoir,  In the Secret Service. To them, we were people and not furniture that came with the job.

Signs of Agnew's serious legal trouble emerged in August 1973 when the U.S. Attorney for Maryland informed Agnew that prosecutors were investigating the vice president for allegedly taking bribes as Marylands governor. It did not take long for news of the investigation to dominate front pages.

Suffering showed on his now-haggard face, Parr wrote. As summer passed into autumn, I frequently heard sighs and groans coming from the backseat of the car; sometimes the soft sound was Mrs. Agnew weeping as her husband tried to comfort her.

One morning, Parr said, the vice president grew upset when they drove past a platoon of journalists staking out his house in a tony Washington suburb. They just want to put me in jail, Agnew huffed.

Parr turned in his seat and jokingly told Agnew not to worry: He would go to jail with him. And well find someone to smuggle us a hacksaw blade in a pie, Parr added, so we can get you out.

Within a few weeks, however, Parr's boss, Samuel Sulliman, pulled him aside to explain that Agnew would soon be entering a plea to end the investigation. As part of the deal, he would have to resign.

Parrs job would be to escort Agnew to the Baltimore federal courthouse. Sulliman warned his deputy that he didnt know if we had to take him to jail after the (hearing), or not, and I should know that, Parr said. The judge could sentence him to prison.

Next, Sulliman gave Parr an order: He could tell no one about the trip, not even their superiors.

Upon learning that the vice president might resign, the Secret Service would be required to rush agents to protect the House speaker, next-in-line for the presidency. Such a move would draw the attention of reporters. Agnew didnt want news to leak before his resignation became official, and he asked his detail to keep it quiet.

I only knew about it because Sam told me, and Sam was sworn to secrecy, Parr said of his boss in a 2008 oral history. On Oct. 10, a warm Wednesday, the vice presidents motorcade made a quick stop at the White House where Agnew dropped off his resignation letter.

Next they headed to the Baltimore federal courthouse.

It was just after 2 p.m. when Agnew entered that courtroom, already filled with 50 reporters attending a hearing involving the vice presidents efforts to force journalists to reveal their sources of leaks about the Justice Department probe. Reporters gasped when they realized the significance of Agnew's appearance.

Agnews resignation was announced by his attorney, and the former vice president expeditiously pleaded no contest to failing to report $29,500 in federal taxes in 1967. In exchange, federal prosecutors declined to bring far more serious charges of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (The Justice Department alleged in court papers that Agnew accepted at least $87,500 in kickbacks in exchange for issuing no-bid contracts. A Maryland judge later determined that Agnew had accepted $147,000 in bribes over a two-year span).

Attorney General Elliott Richardson argued that leniency was justified due to the historic magnitude of Agnews resignation and felony conviction. The judge ultimately agreed with the attorney general, sentencing Agnew to three years of probation and ordering him to pay a $10,000 fine.

The hearing was surreal for Parr, who had chased his share of counterfeiters and fraud artists. He recalled feeling shock and disappointment in a man he had so admired.

Forty minutes later, Parr and other agents pushed their way through crowds of onlookers and reporters on their way to the motorcade. Before he could get settled in the front passenger seat, Parr said he heard his radio erupt with the voice of an irate superior.

The official demanded to know why the agency had not been informed Agnew was going to resign. Upon learning from news reports of Agnews departure, the agency had to scramble to find agents to protect Democratic House Speaker Carl Albert.

Something could have happened! the supervisor yelled.

In retrospect, Parr said, he had made a mistake in keeping the secret, writing that we had allowed ourselves to be drawn in, to the possible detriment of a protectee (Albert), the country, and our careers.

As they drove from the courthouse, the agent heard a murmur from the back seat. Listening carefully, he realized Agnew was reciting a famous Shakespearean soliloquy: All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.
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Hundreds of would-be lawmakers in Thailand on Monday began the official registration process for the upcoming general election, a vote that will pit supporters of an exiled prime minister against the conservative political establishment and its allies in the military.

Dressed in T-shirts and jackets in their party colors, and backed by groups of noisy supporters, the political hopefuls pushed their way past a throng of journalists to cram into a Bangkok stadium and complete the paperwork to qualify for the May 14 election.

Underscoring the political tensions, four protesters under the watchful eyes of two dozen police officers held up signs demanding changes to Article 112 of the constitution, which carries harsh penalties for defaming the countrys monarch.

Calls for reform of the law have increased in recent years but remain a major taboo in a country where the royal family has traditionally been seen as untouchable.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, the incumbent prime minister, recently joined a new party, the United Thai Nation Party, and needs its slate of candidates to perform strongly to bolster his bid to recapture the top spot. He first became prime minister in 2014 when as the army commander he led a coup that ousted the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire populist, was ousted as prime minister in an earlier coup in 2006. He remains in self-exile to avoid serving time for a criminal conviction he says was politically motivated.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksins daughter, and her Pheu Thai Party have a huge lead, according to opinion polls. But Thailands electoral system means contenders have to win by a wide margin to be sure of forming the government and claiming the prime ministers position.

I believe the strong point of Pheu Thai is the party itself, not me. The party popularity is ahead of myself, Paetongtarn said. I believe the people choose the party because of our policy. Thats our strong point.

Polls show the leader of the Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, leading Paetongtarn in the capital, Bangkok. The party has a progressive agenda thats popular with younger voters. But its politics alienate it from mainstream conservative Thai policies, lessening its chances of joining a governing coalition.

Completing the roster of heavyweights was Prawit Wongsuwan, who served as deputy prime minister under Prayuth. He now heads Palang Pracharath, the largest party in the outgoing governing coalition. Hes seen as a formidable political operator, though both he and his party appear to be extremely unpopular with voters, according to recent opinion polls.

Up for grabs are 400 directly elected seats while a further 100 seats are decided by proportional representation.

The prime ministers position is chosen in the weeks following the polls through a combined vote of the lower house and the 250-strong appointed Senate. The inclusion of the Senate is seen by many as controversial because, though nominally independent, its members have a record of voting as a bloc in favor of a conservative agenda.
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Former president Donald Trump has now been charged in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs grand jury investigation into hush payments leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

The investigation ramped up in recent weeks and on Thursday 30 March, the Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on criminal charges  making him the first current or former president to ever face criminal charges in the history of the US.

He stands accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to conceal an alleged scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election by suppressing negative stories about him.

At a hearing in New York City on Tuesday 4 April, Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges.

Throughout February and March, the long-running probe had entered a new phase and Mr Braggs office contacted the presidents lawyers to offer an opportunity for voluntary testimony, a sign that meant an indictment or multiple indictments were likely in the works.

Mr Trump himself predicted on 18 March that he would be arrested the following week on Tuesday 21 March, which did not come to pass.

Now that Mr Trump has actually been arrested and charged, it marks the first time an investigation into his inner circle (of which there have been several, with the most famous leading to multiple indictments for figures connected to the 2016 campaign) has actually drawn blood from the former president himself.

The Justice Departments protocol against charging a sitting president appeared to cool any ability of the agency to do so while he was in office, but the presidents loss in 2020 opened the door to prosecution over the 2016 Stormy Daniels matter as well as an investigation into the January 6 attack and Mr Trumps efforts to overturn the election.

That second investigation continues, with the distinct possibility of potential charges for both Mr Trump and members of his legal team. And alongside the Bragg investigation, it raises the question: What happens to the 2024 race, and Donald Trumps ability to participate in it, now that he is under criminal indictment?

The short answer is, not much. There are no restrictions in the US Constitution preventing anyone indicted or convicted of a crime, or even currently serving prison time, from running for or winning the presidency. Even if he were tried and convicted in one of the so-called quick trials he has repeatedly cheered Chinas government for operating in the cases of drug offences, Mr Trump could still run the entirety of his presidential campaign from a prison cell.

What is far less clear is what would happen were he to win in that scenario. Just as there are no restrictions in the Constitution for a person to run while under indictment, theres no explanation for what should occur in the event that they win. Theres nothing in the document that would automatically grant Mr Trump a reprieve from prison time, save for the likelihood that any charges brought by federal authorities, were they still being litigated at the point when Mr Trump assumed the presidency for a second time, would be dropped due to the Department of Justices refusal to prosecute a sitting president.

State-level charges like the ones being filed by Mr Bragg are far trickier, and fall outside of Mr Trumps pardon power were they to conclude in a conviction.

Were conviction on state charges to occur alongside a Trump election victory, it would likely lead to a massive legal fight to determine whether there was a way for the former president to worm his way out of serving time. If Mr Trump was unable to avoid that outcome, it would almost certainly lead to his impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment, which allows the Cabinet to remove a president who is unable to perform their duties. There are many duties and trappings of the presidency that would simply be impossible to be operated or performed from a prison cell, the viewing of classified materials just to name one.

Any potential conviction of Mr Trump is still a long way off and little more than a distant possibility. But the conversations he has started with his bid for the presidency despite facing one indictment and multiple criminal investigations have already pushed parts of theoretical US constitutional law into a much realer place than many experts ever thought it would see.

This story was updated on Tuesday 4 April 2023 to reflect new developments
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Melania Trump appeared to skip Donald Trumps indictment trip from Florida to New York as the former president was reportedly joined on the flight by his son Eric.

The one-term president left his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday to fly to New York City ahead of his arrest and appearance in court on hush money payment charges on Tuesday afternoon.

The former first lady was not named among the group travelling north on Mr Trumps private plane by The New York Times.

The newspapers Maggie Haberman reported that the former president was joined by a host of campaign aides on his New York trip, including his son Eric Trump, campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung, longtime communications aide Jason Miller, former White House aide Dan Scavino, and Boris Epshteyn, who was on the team of lawyers who launched a spurious legal effort to overturn 2020 results.

Mr Trump is reportedly facing 34 felony counts related to business fraud, according to a recent report from Yahoo News.

Mr Trump has been indicted by a New York City grand jury on charges of falsifying business records stemming from payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to prevent her from revealing an affair he had with her before the 2016 election.

The indictment, which is currently still under seal, was filed with the New York Supreme Court late on Thursday, just before the court clerks office wrapped its business for the day.

The twice-impeached former presidents plane landed at LaGuardia Airport in Queens and headed straight to his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue where he stayed overnight on Monday before his court appearance downtown on Tuesday afternoon.

Law enforcement is on high alert and barricades have been erected around Trump Tower and Manhattan Criminal Court, where Mr Trump will appear before Judge Juan Merchan at 2.15pm on Tuesday.

Mr Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina told ABC that his client is gearing up for battle in the case.

This is far from Mr Trumps only legal troubles, with The Washington Post reporting that the US Department of Justice is pursuing an obstruction of justice case against the former president over the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
New Delhi/Colombo, Apr 3 (UNI) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has requested Indias National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) to extend the necessary help to Sri Lanka based on Indias experience of digital governance and participatory policymaking to ensure faster socio-economic development and high economic growth in the island nation, a statement said.

This was conveyed by the Sri Lankan President during a meeting with a delegation of the NCGG, led by its Director General Bharat Lal, in Colombo on April 1. The delegation, on the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government, called on the President.

The delegation was accompanied by Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, A P Singh, Associate Professor of NCGG and other senior diplomats of the Mission.

During the meeting, President Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe shared his vision for Sri Lanka, a strategy to address the recent economic challenges and put the country on the path of high economic growth. The discussion centred around policy reforms, good governance, digitalization, capacity building and training, institution building, and assured public service delivery. He admired the way India has managed socio-economic development and has ensured high economic growth. During the discussion, the President Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe urged NCGG to help in establishing a University of Governance and Public Policy in Sri Lanka, the statement said.

During the meeting, the Director General, NCGG Bharat Lal underscored how Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat was able to put the state on the path of high economic growth and sustained prosperity through his vision, strategy, and progressive policies. Consequently, Gujarat has experienced double-digit economic growth over the past two decades. Thereafter, since 2014, as Prime Minister, he has introduced a new culture of citizen-centric policies and good governance, and as a result, India is witnessing high economic growth, assured public service delivery and fast improving quality of life of its citizens.

To reinforce Prime Ministers vision for good governance, which focuses on transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness, India is massively using digital technology and planning, execution and monitoring mechanism for time-bound implementation. In line with the Prime Ministers philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam NCGG in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, is dedicated to promoting collaboration and learning among civil servants of India and neighbouring countries.

The Indian delegation met several senior civil servants of Sri Lanka, and everyone is keen to know how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new governance model to eradicate poverty, ensure high-quality services, assured public service delivery, environmental protection, inclusion & equity, transparency and accountability, and high economic growth. Sri Lanka is keen to learn policydriven governance model of India and the massive use of digital technology in the planning, execution, and monitoring of various programmes and projects, the statement added.

During a series of meeting set up by the Presidents office, top civil servants expressed their appreciation for the sustained assistance that India has provided to Sri Lanka during its recent unprecedented economic crisis.



The discussions centred on the NCGG's support for Sri Lanka in policy reforms, utilization of digital technology, capacity building, good governance, and institution building. They believed that this would aid Sri Lanka in strengthening its institutions and that the country is eager to learn and utilize India's successful governance model to achieve high economic growth.

The Indian delegation emphasized the positive impact of digital technology in promoting transparency, equity, inclusion, and accountability. The automation of processes has eliminated the need for physical interactions between individuals and officers, effectively reducing opportunities for corrupt practices. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is a prime example of how process automation can bring speed and scale to development schemes. By directly transferring cash benefits to beneficiaries' Jan Dhan Yojana bank accounts, the program eliminated the role of middlemen and, consequently, opportunities for corrupt practices.

The National Centre for Good Governance was set up in 2014 by the Government of India as an apexlevel autonomous institution to focus on good governance, policy reforms, training, and capacity building of civil servants of the country as well as of other developing countries. NCGG also works as a think tank. It has taken up capacity building of civil servants of several developing countries in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

UNI RN
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Donald Trump has landed in New York ahead of a historic arraignment in a Manhattan criminal court to face charges connected to hush money payments allegedly made to an adult film star in the lead up to his 2016 election.

His Boeing 757 arrived at LaGuardia Airport shortly after 1500 local time [2000 GMT] before his caravan escorted him to his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the headquarters for his Trump Organisation and the namesake skyscraper from where he launched his first presidential campaign after descending his beloved golden escalators in 2015.

On 4 April, Mr Trump will appear inside New York City Criminal Court to be formally charged in connection with that same campaign after district attorney Alvin Bragg announced a grand jury indictment against him last week.

Mr Trump does not intend to stay long, however, though his supporters are expected to protest outside the courthouse where throngs of reporters and international news media have camped for several days; Mr Trump has scheduled a press conference back at Mar-a-Lago that same night.

The former presidents motorcade left his Florida compound for Palm Beach International Airport shortly after noon on Monday, joined by a small army of campaign aides and advisers, including his son Eric Trump.

City officials and law enforcement agencies braced for his arrival and a potentially volatile atmosphere in Manhattan, where New York City mayor Eric Adams warned out-of-town rabble rousers who plan to protest to control yourselves.

He singled out US Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, among far-right activists who have announced plans to travel to the city to support the former president.

Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, she stated shes coming to town, Mr Adams said in a briefing as Mr Trumps caravan departed Mar-a-Lago.

When youre in town, be on your best behavior, he added. While there may be some rabble rousers thinking of coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves, he added. New York is our home and not a place for your misplaced anger.

Outside Trump Tower, a handful of Trump supporters joined a homecoming rally as dozens of reporters and news cameras directed their attention at the gold-trimmed entry on Fifth Avenue awaiting Mr Trumps arrival.

The indictment is not against Trump. Its against America, Dion Cini, wearing an ULTRA EXTREME MAGA T-shirt outside Trump Tower, told reporters.

The indictment remains sealed, and no one other than grand jury members and prosecutors have reviewed evidence and the explanation of charges against the former president.

But Mr Trump is expected to face more than two dozen charges connected to his alleged hush money payments orchestrated by his then-attorney Michael Cohen, who was sentenced to 36 months in prison for brazen violations of the election laws when he admitted to coordinating more than $130,000 to silence Stormy Daniels in an effort to support Mr Trumps 2016 election chances, according to federal prosecutors.

A handful of Trump supporters stood outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue on 3 April to welcome the former president as he arrives in New York to face criminal charges. (Reuters)

Mr Trump is expected to surrender himself to authorities before his arraignment with a formal presentation of the charges, to which is expected to plead not guilty.

The hearing will probably not be televised or filmed, as per New York law prohibiting courtroom recordings, although news organisations and New York lawmakers have asked for exceptions in the historic case. A vast pool of journalists will be vying for a slim number of seats.

Within hours of the announcement of the indictment against Mr Trump, his campaign pushed out fundraising emails to his loyal supporters. His campaign reportedly raised $4m within 24 hours after news of his indictment broke last week.

As The Independent previously reported, Mr Trump launched a media frenzy with a false prediction of his imminent arrest on 19 March, which his campaign seized for a series of fundraising messages that netted millions within days.

A pair of recent polls finds that a majority of Americans believe Mr Trump should face criminal charges in connection with the alleged hush-money scheme.

Polling from CNN and SSRS finds that 60 per cent of Americans  including 94 per cent of Democratic voters and 62 per cent of Independents  believe Mr Trump was rightfully indicted. Seventy-nine per cent of Republican voters disapprove, and 54 per cent strongly disapprove.

Those results follow polling from ABC News/Ipsos that find a plurality of Americans (45 per cent) support the indictment. In that poll, roughly half (49 per cent) of respondents also believe that Mr Trump should face charges for his actions related to the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, and (51 per cent) say he should be charged for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
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The Department of Justice is reportedly building a case around the issue of obstruction of justice, as it investigates Donald Trump for potentially mishandling classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago.

The Washington Post reported the development first on Sunday, citing multiple sources familiar with the ongoing investigation.

According to the Post, Mr Trump is under investigation for potentially obstructing authorities as they attempted to secure all the classified materials retained by Mr Trump without the permission of the National Archives from his days in the White House. Some of those retained documents had classified markings, prompting the review into whether any classified information was mishandled.

Were Mr Trump to be indicted on a charge or charges of obstructing justice by the Department of Justice, it would illustrate the problems caused by Mr Trumps own stubborn refusal to acquiesce to demands from the federal government to return the documents in question. When similar troves were discovered at the residences of Mike Pence and Joe Biden, attorneys for those two men handed them over immediately.

It would also, however, potentially play into the hands of the former president and his allies, who have already argued that the indictment brought against him in New York is politically motivated and an effort to bog down Mr Trump as he pursues a 2024 bid for the presidency.

To counter that very narrative, the DoJ has appointed a special counsel charged with overseeing the decision whether or not to prosecute the former president. Mr Trump has baselessly attacked the special counsel and the agency as corrupt.

Last week, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on charges related to his 2016 hush payments to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, ahead of that years presidential election. Mr Trump will formally indicted on Tuesday, and is scheduled speak from Mar-a-Lago later that evening.

He remains under separate investigations in Georgia and at the federal level for his actions taken to thwart Mr Bidens lawful election victory in 2020, both of which are thought to involve much more serious crimes than either the Manhattan or classified documents cases.
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The former district attorney for Manhattan has finally shed some light on why Donald Trump is just now being charged over allegedly criminal activity which occurred as far back as 2016.

Cy Vance appeared on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday to discuss news of the criminal indictment against the former president, which a grand jury voted to approve a few days earlier. During the interview, he was asked why his office did not empanel a grand jury during the Trump presidency to hear evidence related to Mr Trumps hush payments to Stormy Daniels.

Mr Vance replied that the Department of Justice, which typically holds seniority when it comes to investigating crimes, had asked his office to stand down its investigation into numerous aspects of the former presidents activities, presumably including the hush payments to Ms Daniels. Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen would end up going to prison as a result of those payments, which prosecutors argued were illegal campaign contributions for reasons of both their size and secrecy.

The exact charges Mr Trump now faces are set to be unveiled on Tuesday at his arraignment; it has been reported that he faces 32 counts in total.

Why didn't you charge the hush money case? asked host Chuck Todd. Why didn't you ever charge it in 2018, 2019, 2020?

[A]s I believe you know, I was asked by the US Attorney's Office in the Southern District to stand down on our investigation, which had commenced involving the Trump Organization, said Mr Vance. And as, you know, as someone who respects that office a great deal, and believing that they may have perhaps the best laws to investigate, I did so.

But Mr Vance went on to say that he was surprised by  and apparently disagreed with  the decision of federal prosecutors not to pursue criminal charges against Mr Trump over the matter at the time.

I was somewhat surprised after Mr Cohen pleaded guilty that the federal government did not proceed on the areas in which it asked me to stand down, said the former DA.

The comments were surprisingly candid for a former prosecutor. Statements about internal deliberations leading to the decisions behind prosecutorial discrection are rare, even for retired professionals in the field. Much of the news about such deliberations in the current Manhattan case being headed up by Alvin Bragg has come in the form of leaks from individuals connected to the probe, which has infuriated Mr Trumps legal team and led to more accusations of bias.

Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr Trump famously escaped any criminal charges stemming from the years-long investigation into his 2016 campaign; that probe famously ensnared a number of others connected to his first presidential bid, including his campaign chairman and first White House national security adviser. That decision enraged many Democrats who had been hoping the Justice Department would break its longstanding protocol and charge a sitting president with criminal offences.

The former president now faces a cascade of criminal and legal battles as he campaigns once again for the presidency, several of which stem from his actions taken to prevent Joe Bidens lawful victory in 2020.
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Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene became annoyed during her recent spotlight segment on CBS News' 60 Minutes, complaining that "people never focus on anything good" about her.

Ms Greene became defense during her interview after CBS News' Leslie Stahl began asking her to account for various statements that were either untrue, hateful, or promoted conspiracy theories.

Ms Stahl asks Ms Greene if she ever apologised to the victims of the Parkland school shooting for allegedly suspecting the event was a "false flag" attack.

Ms Green rejected the claim that she ever denied that the shooting happened and insisted that she believed that school shootings were serious events.

"I never said Parkland was a false flag ... I've never said that. School shootings are horrible. I don't think it's anything to joke about," she said.

Ms Stahl reminded Ms Greene that the journalists at CBS News came to the interview prepared and had fact checked everything they were asking her ahead of time. Ms Greene was then presented with an image of a Facebook post in which she responded "Exactly!" to another user that claimed Parkland was a "false flag planned shooting."

After Ms Stahl reminds her that the journalists fact checked her, Ms Greene becomes even more defensive, asking if the 60 Minutes crew has "fact checked all my statements from kindergarten through 12th grade and in college? And as I've paid my taxes and never broken a law. ..."

She then asked sarcastically if 60 Minutes was going to ask her about her speeding tickets, which  intentional or not  suggested an equivalency between breaking the speed limit and suggesting the government orchestrated and conducted a mass shooting at a high school in Florida.

Ms Greene complained that the interview was engaging in the "same attacks people have attacked me with over and over and over." That remark prompted Ms Stahl to explain that it was in Ms Greene's best interest to respond and set the record straight, noting that her controversial comments are "what she's known for."

The congresswoman bristled at that, claiming the only reason she is "known for" those comments is because "people constantly focus on it but never focus on anything good about me."

Despite Ms Greene's complaints that Ms Stahl was  like her other detractors  only focusing on the negative, the 60 Minutes piece was criticised on social media for being too soft on the lawmaker and "legitimising" her.

"Youre legitimizing a ghoul who harasses victims of school shootings, @60Minutes. But yeah, @LesleyRStahl, youll get tons of attention!" actor Bradley Whitford wrote on Twitter. "Not great for a generation traumatized by gun violence. Shame on you."

The segment followed Ms Greene as she toured her home district in Georgia. Fans were shown flocking to her as she and the 60 Minutes crew travelled throughout the district.

The show also highlighted Ms Greene's CrossFit routine, including footage of her working out while she chatted with Ms Stahl.

Mary Trump, Donald Trump's niece, expressed a similar distaste for the segment as Mr Whitford, offering up her own "fixed" headline for the segment.

American insurrectionist, Marjorie Taylor Greene, has no shame and isnt afraid to share her opinions, no matter how despicable and anti-American they are," she wrote. She sits down with former-journalist Leslie Stahl [sic], who does her level best to normalize Greenes fascism. DONT WATCH tonight!
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Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus' borders with NATO neighbors, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Ambassador Boris Gryzlov's comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia's neighbor and ally. The announcement marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The two neighbors have an agreement envisioning close economic, political and military ties. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.

Gryzlov, speaking in remarks broadcast late Sunday by Belarusian state television, said the Russian nuclear weapons will be moved up close to the Western border of our union state but did not give any precise location.

It will expand our defense capability, and it will be done regardless of all the noise in Europe and the United States, he said in a reference to Western criticism of Putin's decision.

Belarus shares a 1,250-kilometer (778-mile) border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield, have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

The deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.

Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that some of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russias tactical nuclear arsenal.
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Former president Donald Trump fuelled a media firestorm with his all-caps prediction of his own arrest before news of a grand jury indictment from a criminal investigation in New York.

While his own team clarified that there was no indication from prosecutors that he had yet been charged or would be imminently arrested, the former presidents claims fanned the flames of unrest with incendiary rhetoric and demands that his supporters protest, protest, protest a then-unannounced decision, with Mr Trumps allies rushing to his defence and mounting an offensive on his behalf.

That blitz of free press and his narrative of political persecution helped his campaign raise millions of dollars within a matter of days. Fundraising emails and social media posts include press clippings from The New York Times and Fox News while he urges his followers to defend our movement.

The former presidents campaign boasted that he raised more than $4m in the 24 hours after New York County District Attorney Alvin Braggs announcement of the indictment, which Mr Trumps campaign called the unprecedented political persecution of the president. Within three days, Mr Trumps campaign reportedly raised $7m.

The indictment, which remains under seal, reportedly involves more than two dozen criminal charges against Mr Trump in connection with hush money payments to an adult film star in days before his 2016 presidential election.

After his arrest and protest statements on Truth Social ignited a media frenzy on 18 March, his campaign sent a fundraising email with a headline from a Fox News story about the former presidents prediction. The email tells supporters that youre our countrys only hope.

If the current Democrat regime can get away with threatening to arrest its biggest political opponent, then our once great Republic will have fully descended into a third-world tyranny, according to the message, which solicits donations to peacefully show your support for the America First movement.

That same day, he posted a fundraising campaign video on his Truth Social account.

If you are doing poorly, as so many of you are, do not send anything. If you are doing well, which was made possible through the great policies of the Trump Administration, send your contribution, wrote Mr Trump, adding a link to his website for donations.

In another message, the campaign urges supporters to sign a petition  sending them a link to a fundraising page instead  that will compile millions and millions of petition signatures from Americans like you CONDEMNING these threats of possible arrest.

Signing the petition sends users to a donation link for a suggested sums of $500, $1,000 or $3,300 towards Mr Trumps campaign.

Theyre trying to intimidate YOU and cancel out YOUR vote! the email states.

Another email from the Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee, the primary fundraising vehicle for his 2024 campaign and leadership political action committee, called on supporters to make a contribution of any amount to show that you will never surrender as the witch hunts heat up like never before.

The email echoes right-wing attacks calling New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is Black, a racist, and invokes the antisemitic conspiracy theory surrounding Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who donated to advocacy group Color of Change, which supported Mr Braggs election.

A racist Soros-funded prosecutor is answering his puppet masters call to take down our America First movement, the message states. But patriots all over America are stepping up to defend the greatest political movement in history and declaring, we will never surrender the fight to Make America Great Again.

The Radical Left  the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this country  have INDICTED me in a disgusting witch hunt, one ad on Facebook stated.

The post also promised donors their very own I Stand with President Trump T-shirt for FREE.

The messages may be the fundraising jolt his campaign needs after a relatively slow start to his 2024 push, though his campaign war chest has amassed tens of millions of dollars.

His campaign raised roughly $9.5m within the six weeks after his formal campaign launch on 15 November 2022, a smaller haul than the roughly $11.8m raised by Trump-affiliated entities in the six weeks preceding his 2024 announcement.

The Save America Joint Fundraising Committee reported raising $17m during the entire three-month period from April through June of 2022, including a little under $6m for the Save America PAC itself, reflecting a significant drop off from the massive hauls the campaign was receiving in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

The House select committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol reported that Mr Trumps fundraising arms collected more than $100m in the first week after Election Day in 2020 alone.

His campaign and allies raised $250m from their baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him, the committee found. Last year, the panels senior investigative counsel Amanda Wick said Mr Trumps campaign pushed false election claims to fundraise, telling supporters it would be used to fight voter fraud that did not exist.

Following the FBI search of the former presidents Mar-a-Lago compound in August 2022, his son Eric Trump claimed that the campaign was shattering all fundraising records and raised more money in the past 24 hours than ever before in recent history.

Mr Trumps political action committee also sent out a fundraising email after the search, urging supporters to rush in a donation IMMEDIATELY to publicly stand with me against this NEVERENDING WITCH HUNT.

Daily hauls typically hovered around $200,000 to $300,000 at the time. The campaign reportedly topped $1m on at least two days after the search.

This story was initially published on 22 March and has been updated with developments
 Close Trump claims NYC courthouse staff were crying when he was arrested

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Donald Trump attacked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for his overseas trip and Don Lemon for being ousted at CNN on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The former president launched another attack on Mr DeSantis, claiming his trip to Japan was an emergency Round the World tour of U.S representative population countries.

Mr Trump accused Mr DeSantis consultants of making him go on the trip to boost poll numbers.

Recent polling shows Mr DeSantis trailing behind Mr Trump, though the Florida Governor seemed unconcerned as he has not formally announced a campaign for president.

Meanwhile, the former president celebrated Lemons release from CNN calling it Good news.

Mr Trumps attack on Lemon and Mr DeSantis comes as his civil trial brought by columnist E Jean Carroll begins this week in New York.

Ms Carroll has claimed that Mr Trump raped her in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the 1990s.

Jury selection begins on Tuesday in the case. Mr Trump is not expected to appear in person
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One of former president Donald Trumps lawyers says releasing the mugshot that will be taken by New York authorities at his arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday is not going to help anything and should not be permitted.

Attorney Alina Habba told CNN on Monday that shes not opposed the presence of television cameras in the courtroom during proceedings against Mr Trump, who became the first ex-US president to face criminal charges after a New York grand jury indicted him for allegedly falsifying business records last week.

But Ms Habba said the ex-presidents mugshot should not be made public due to his status as a presidential candidate.

I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, its a good thing. I do have a problem with leaking of pictures, Ms Habba said. I think that because were in a campaign, because hes the leading GOP candidate, its not going to help anything.

She added that releasing the mugshot shouldnt be necessary because Mr Trump is an identifiable public figure whose face is recognised by people around the world.

Mugshots are for people so that you recognise who they are. He is the most recognised face in the world, let alone the country right now, so theres no need for that. Theres no need for the theatrics, she said.

In many states, mugshots taken at arrest are public records, which means they are accessible to anyone who requests them. In some jurisdictions, they are released on a regular basis by law enforcement authorities and are even published in tabloid-style publications.

But New York law does not recognise mugshots as public records, which means the release of Mr Trumps photograph would need to be specifically authorised.

A source close to Mr Trump told The Independent that the ex-president has in recent weeks discussed whether his booking photograph should be made available so his campaign can use it in fundraising and emblazon it on campaign merchandise.

One of his occasional legal advisers, retired Havard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz, has said he has told the ex-president to sell such merchandise to boost his campaign coffers.
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Within hours of the announcement of the indictment against him on Thursday, former president Donald Trumps 2024 campaign swung into action, pushing out fundraising emails to his loyal supporters.

Railing against the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury for his role in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, Mr Trump promised in the email that this witch hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden.

Ever since I ran for president as a complete political outsider, the corrupt ruling class has tried to shut down our America First movement, the email reads.

The Deep State will use anything at their disposal to shut down the one political movement that puts you first.

The campaigns efforts appear to have paid off. A press release on Friday boasted that Mr Trump had raised more than $4m in the 24 hours following Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs unprecedented political persecution of the president.

Notably, the campaign claims that more than a quarter of the donations came from first-time donors.

As The Independent previously reported, Mr Trump launched a media frenzy with a false prediction of his imminent arrest on 19 March, which his campaign seized for a series of fundraising messages that netted millions within days.

While Republican lawmakers and potential presidential rivals have largely circled the wagons around Mr Trump, decrying the indictment as highly political  an apparently tearful senator Lindsey Graham made his own fundraising plea in one appearance on Fox News  the former president has been shuttered away at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach residence in Florida.

Other than an appearance alongside former first lady Melania Trump at the private members club at the centre of the property, Mr Trump has been furiously posting on his social media platform, Truth Social.

The posts have ranged from a stream of cable news clips of his allies voicing their support and decrying the indictment, to angry tirades against individual prosecutors  Mr Trump even attacked Mr Braggs Trump-hating wife in one post  as well as Judge Juan Merchan who has been assigned the case.

Judge Merchan presided over both the tax fraud trial of the Trump Organisation and the trial of the companys longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg in late 2022. The former president said he is appealing the assignment.

Amid cries of election interference and kangaroo court, Mr Trump also posted a list compiled by the campaign of lawmakers, district attorneys, and other notable Republicans who have spoken out in his defence.

Notably missing from the list is Florida governor Ron DeSantis, his one-time ally, now foe and principal rival for the 2024 campaign, but who nevertheless had tweeted that the legal system was being weaponised to advance a political agenda.

In one of his more ebullient but still outraged screeds proclaiming his innocence, the former president proposed that after eight years of variously politically motivated investigations, hoaxes, scams, and witch hunts he must be the most honest and honourable man anywhere in the world as nobody else has ever undergone such scrutiny.

Despite such protestations, on Monday he will fly to New York, landing at LaGuardia Airport before spending the night at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. On Tuesday morning, he will report to the courthouse downtown to answer the charges against him. After processing, his case will be heard at 2.15pm in front of Judge Merchan.

In sync with his fundraising emails, Mr Trumps Truth Social profile features a tagline aimed squarely at his bases distrust of government and the Deep State that is fast becoming the centre of his campaign to return to the White House: Theyre not coming after me, theyre coming after you  Im just standing in their way.

If the Manhattan grand jurys indictment of the former president, or any of the other cases he faces, really do prove his undoing, he appears to go down swinging, and loudly.
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On any given day in Thailands Maya Bay, up to 40 blacktip reef sharks cruise in the cyan shallows while about 4,000 tourists visit its white-sand beach flanked by towering cliffs.

Shark numbers have improved since almost every last one was driven from the bay by the influx of tour boats and tourists keen to see the uninhabited idyll that was made famous as the set of Leonardo Di Caprios 2000 thriller The Beach.

The sharks returned after a tourism ban and the pandemic between 2018 and 2022 halted all visitors to the bay.

Authorities allowed limited tourism to resume last year, and now conservationists say shark numbers are thinning out again, leaving Maya Bay struggling to strike a balance between preserving a pristine ecosystem and sustaining livelihoods dependent on tourism.

The sun rises over Maya Bay's limestone mountains at the Phi Phi Island (Reuters)

A group of eight juvenile blacktip reef sharks swim in the early morning, during low tide (Reuters)

We dont talk about closing down everywhere or reducing the tourism numbers, but I think we are talking about managing it wisely, said Petch Manopawitr, a marine adviser to Thailands National Parks Department.

Shark nursery

Maya Bay lies in Phi Phi Leh Island, a speck of limestone rock covered in emerald-green vegetation in the Andaman Sea off Thailands west coast.

Marine researcher Metavee Chuangcharoendee said that thanks to the pause in tourism the island was once again functioning as a nursery for young sharks.

Metavee Chuangcharoendee, 27, from the Maya Shark Watch Project, arrives with her team to install their baited remote underwater video station (Reuters)

Tourists arrive for an hour-long visit to Maya Bay beach through a new pier constructed over a reef in Loh Samah Bay beach (Reuters)

She and other researchers at the Maya Shark Watch Project use underwater cameras and drones to count sharks and observe their behaviour, feeding areas, and breeding patterns.

In the year between November 2021, when they initiated a pilot study, and the end of 2022, they noticed a decrease in the number of sharks as tourists gradually returned.

Blacktips, named after the distinctive black colouring on their dorsal fins and tails, roam the Andaman Sea and other tropical regions in decreasing numbers due to overfishing, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Sommawan Kasa, 29, a divemaster with the Maya Shark Watch Project, takes notes on a waterproof filming board (Reuters)

A newborn blacktip reef shark is silhouetted as it swims at night (Reuters)

Tourists enjoy the beach where swimming is forbidden and people are only allowed to enter water up to their knees (Reuters)

A number of factors affect the sharks around Phi Phi Leh Island, including seasonal movement patterns and human activity like fishing, Metavee said.

But with the number of sharks already dwindling, authorities and conservationists are intent on keeping tourists from swimming in the bay and driving away the baby sharks, which hide in the shallows and coral reefs from the cannibalistic adults.

We are hoping that with the restrictions in place, we can mitigate the disturbance to [the sharks]. We are doing this research in hopes that we can find the best way to manage and the best way for tourism and the environment to coexist, Metavee said.

Tourism dollars

Tourism is a key driver of Thailands economy, accounting for 12 per cent of GDP before the pandemic. The southeast Asian country is hoping to generate 1.5 trillion baht from up to 30 million tourists this year.

For Phi Phi Island National Park, annual revenue was almost halved from 638.3 million baht (15.1m) in 2018 to 373.6 million baht in 2019 after authorities closed the beach.

The pandemic further crippled the struggling industry.

Tourists take pictures at the beach on Maya Bay (Reuters)

Tourists arrive for an hour-long visit to Maya Bay beach (Reuters)

Tourists pose for a picture as a newborn blacktip reef shark swims by the shore (Reuters)

Under pressure from tour operators, authorities reopened Maya Bay in January last year after four years of closure, and visitor and revenue figures are once again rising steadily.

But authorities have maintained restrictions on access.

Tour boats must dock on the other side of the island from the beach; visitors must walk to the beach; the number of visitors allowed every hour is capped at 375, and they are allowed to wade only knee-deep into the water.

If you can create a new image of Maya Bay as a nature reserve ... I think that is actually going to create a new tourism scheme as well and we are going to benefit from it overall, said National Parks Department adviser Petch.

Reuters
Israels antisemitism envoy says she was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, citing her criticism of its planned judicial overhaul as a possible cause
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An Israeli former principal of an Australian ultra-orthodox Jewish school has been found guilty of sexually assaulting teenage students by a Melbourne court.

Malka Leifer, 56, who was extradited to Australia from Israel in 2021 after fleeing the country in 2008, has been found guilty of 18 sexual offences.

Nicole Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper  three sisters who were teenagers then  accused Leifer of sexually abusing and raping them between 2003 and 2007 at Melbournes Adass Israel School.

On Monday, the County Court of Victoria found Leifer guilty of raping and indecently assaulting Ms Erlich and Ms Sapper, but not for charges filed by Ms Meyer, after a six-week trial.

The jury cleared her of nine other charges.

The former principal and mother of eight children pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Following the judgement, Ms Erlich told reporters outside a Melbourne court: Sometimes it just amazes us when we look at the journey that its taken, for so long and for so many years, to get to this moment is absolutely overwhelming.

When we look back at the journey that it took, everything that happened in Israel, it was so unbelievable that we get to this time and we have: shes guilty, shes guilty; that cant be taken away, she is guilty.

File Israeli-born Australian Malka Leifer, right, is brought to a courtroom in Jerusalem in 2018 (AP)

The high-profile case became an international scandal after Leifer fled Australia in the middle of the night in March 2009 after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced.

The principal fought her extradition and argued she was mentally unfit for trial. The Israeli court had then initially suspended her extradition, sparking strained relations between Australia and Israel.

It was after undercover private investigators filmed her shopping and depositing cheques at a bank she was investigated and arrested in 2018.

She was extradited after a six-year legal battle. An Israeli judge said she was impersonating someone with mental illness.

Prosecutor Justin Lewis told the jury that Leifer groomed and sexually abused the teenage girls. Mr Lewis said she was a respected member of their community and was in a position of authority that she was fully prepared to exploit.

Sisters accused Leifer of sexually abusing them between 2003 and 2007 (AFP via Getty Images)

She knew that [the complainants] were vulnerable and she used that knowledge to exploit them. Knowing that they were neglected at home, she pretended that she loved them and told them that she was helping them, he said.

The girls had little understanding about sex due to their upbringing in an ultra-conservative Jewish faith and community, he said.

But defence barrister Ian Hill had countered that the allegations were based on false imaginations and false memories.

Leifer will return to court on 26 April to fix a date for her sentencing.

Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673).
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Russian authorities have claimed that a woman has admitted to planting a bomb in a St Petersburg cafe that killed a pro-Putin military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky and injured 30 others.

Darya Trepova, 26, was arrested on suspicion of murder after the explosion in Russias second-largest city on Sunday afternoon.

In a video released by the Russian interior ministry, Ms Trepova is heard admitting she handed over a statuette that later blew up. However, she does not say that she knew there would be an explosion, nor does she admit any further role. The circumstances under which Ms Trepova made the confession are unclear, including whether she was under duress.

In the brief video, Ms Trepova sighs a number of times. When her interrogator asks if she knew why she was detained, she replies: I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarskys murder... I brought the statuette there which blew up. Asked who gave it to her she responds: Can I tell you later please?

According to Russian media reports, Ms Trepova is said to have told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but didn't know what was inside it. Ms Trepovas husband, Dmitry Rylov, told the Russian news site SVTV News that while his wife was against the war in Ukraine, she would never kill and he believes his wife was framed.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, claimed the bombing that killed Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was planned by Ukrainian special services. The committee went even further later in the day, saying it had evidence it was planned and organised from Ukrainian territory Kyiv authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but president Volodymyr Zelensky said in reference to the attack that he doesn't think about events in Russia.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak blamed the bombing on infighting in Russia. Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

The Russian interior ministry has claimed that Darya Trepova (pictured) admitted to planting a bomb in a St Petersburg cafe that killed a pro-Putin military blogger (Sourced)

Tatarsky had been attending a patriotic meeting with supporters in Street Food Bar No 1, which has ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin  an ally of Vladimir Putin and the founder of the mercenary Wagner Group. Tatarsky was a guest speaker late on Sunday afternoon. A video circulating on social media showed a young woman in a brown coat apparently entering the cafe with a cardboard box. Images showed the box being placed on a table in the cafe before the woman sat down. Another video showed a statue being handed to Tatarsky.

More than 30 people were wounded in the blast, with many in grave condition, authorities said. Videos showed the cafes windows shattering and flames coming out. Inside the building, in the wake of the explosion, broken furniture was shown spattered with blood.

With more than 500,000 followers on Telegram, Tatarsky  who had himself fought in Ukraine in the past  mixed nationalist messaging with criticism of Moscows war tactics. Tatarsky was born in the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland. Control of the area is one of the main aims of Mr Putins invasion. Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business.

When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. He is said to have fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed areas of the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. He later joined separatist rebels and fought on the frontline before turning to blogging.

Mr Prigozhin, whose mercenaries have been at the forefront of the fighting in areas of the Donbas, said he doubted the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing that killed Tatarsky, and rather that it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Darya Trepova is suspected of bringing explosives to at St Petersburg cafe where war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed (Reuters)

Russian police said they had previously detained Ms Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on 24 February 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee claimed that Ms Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Kremlins fiercest critic, who has previously exposed alleged corruption and organised massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year jail sentence for fraud that has been widely denounced as a political vendetta.

An associate of Mr Navalny, Ivan Zhdanov warned that Russian authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also suggested that the bombing would be used to cast Mr Navalnys supporters as an internal enemy.

Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in the explosion (Getty)

Interior ministry spokesperson Irina Volk said that Ms Trepova had been arrested in a rented flat in St Petersburg as part of an operation by the police and the FSB security service.

The Kremlin called Tatarskys murder a terrorist act, citing the statement from the National Anti-Terrorist Committee as evidence that Ukraine might have been behind the killing.

The active phase of the investigation is now underway, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

A police officer stands guard at the scene of an explosion at the cafe in St Petersburg, Russia (EPA)

We see quite vigorous steps to detain suspects. Lets be patient and wait for the next announcements from our special services, which are working on this.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her SUV blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow. Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Mr Peskov claimed the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation in Ukraine. The invasion has been denounced by most of the international community.

While Russian authorities have silenced or shut down independent news outlets critical of the war thanks to a number of laws introduced after the invasion, military bloggers like Tatarsky have played an increasingly visible role.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
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Finland will join Nato on Tuesday after a swift accession process following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters, said Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general. It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole.

Moscow immediately responded by pledging to boost troop numbers in its western and northwestern regions.

Finland has a 1,300km (810 miles) border with Russia, meaning Natos direct frontier with Russia will roughly double in length.

President Sauli Niinisto will travel to Brussels to take part in Tuesdays ceremony as his nation becomes the 31st member of the alliance.

Its membership, first sought in May last year, was ratified by Turkey last week, lifting the last hurdle to accession. Tuesday will mark the first enlargement of the defence bloc since North Macedonia joined in 2020.

Responding to Finlands accession, Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said Russia would strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions, according to the state-owned news agency RIA.

Mr Stoltenberg said: President Putin went to war against Ukraine with the clear aim to get less Nato. Hes getting the exact opposite.

Swedens bid to join has stalled due to opposition from Turkey, whose president has said his country would not ratify membership before disputes between Ankara and Stockholm were resolved. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organisations.

Hungarys parliament also has yet to ratify Swedens accession to Nato, and it remains unclear when it will do so.

It comes just a day after Finlands prime minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat in a tight election for parliament, denying her a second term in office.

Petteri Orpos centre-right National Coalition Party claimed victory on Sunday evening with around 97.7 per cent of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.7 per cent.

The right-wing populist party The Finns won 20.1 per cent and Ms Marins Social Democrats 19.9 per cent.

Mr Orpos party, which has advocated Nato membership for two decades, will need to make firm commitments on military spending to meet a Nato target of 2 per cent of a member nations GDP being spent on defence.

With additional reporting from the Associated Press
 Close Related: Putin visits Russian troops in Ukraines Kherson and Luhansk regions

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Ukrainian troops have taken up positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, a US think-tank has said.

Citing Russian military bloggers embedded with Moscows forces, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had established positions on the eastern bank, though it was not clear at what scale or with what intentions.

The Russian-installed head of Ukraines southern region denied the report. There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory, Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.

It comes as Russia has said their Black Sea Fleet repelled a drone attack on the Crimean port of Sevastopol in the early hours of Monday.

According to the latest information: one surface drone was destroyed ... the second one exploded on its own, Moscow-installed governor Mikhail Razvozhaev wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Now the city is quiet.

No damage was reported, Mr Razvozhaev added.

Sevastopol, along with the rest of the Crimean peninsula, was declared annexed by Russia in 2014 but is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.
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A woman has been arrested after pro-Putin military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a cafe blast in St Petersburg.

The 40-year-old blogger died while leading a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River. Russian reports claimed the bomb was concealed in a statuette of the blogger given to him as a gift just before the explosion.

CCTV footage has been released which appears to show a woman carrying a box walking towards the Street Bar cafe in Russia where the blogger was killed.

The seconds-long clip sees the blonde-haired woman, wearing a long brown coat and heeled ankle boots, enter through the glass doors at the front of the establishment. Her face is not shown.

Video appears to show a woman with a box walking to the St Petersberg cafe where a pro-Putin blogger was killed (Unknown)

More than 30 people were wounded by the blast, and 10 of them remain in serious condition, according to Russian authorities.

The Russian Interior Ministry on Monday identified the suspect in the explosion as Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident who had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

The Interfax news agency said that Ms Trepova was on the run and was put on the wanted list, while her mother and sister were summoned for questioning.

Shortly after, Russias Investigative Committee said that Ms Trepova had been detained.

Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a cafe explosion in Saint Petersburg (TELEGRAM / @Vladlentatarskybooks)

Witnesses said that the suspect asked questions and exchanged remarks with Mr Tatarsky before the blast.

One witness, Alisa Smotrova, said a woman told Mr Tatarsky that she had made a statuette of him but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. They joked and laughed, and then she went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Mr Tatarsky, she said.

A video showed Mr Tatarsky making jokes about the bust and putting it on the table next to him just before the explosion.

Ms Trepova, 26, was previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies (MRD.RU)

Russian investigators inspect the blasted Street bar cafe (Investigative Committee of Russi)

Russias Investigative Committee, the states top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one has publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, but Russias National Anti-terrorism Committee claimed on Monday that Ukrainian intelligence had been aided in the killing of the war by agents from a banned campaign group.

The state-owned TASS news agency said members of the Anti-Corruption Fund, set up by jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, had been involved in the bombing.

Citing Russias counter-terrorism committee, the Kremlin called the killing a terrorist act and said security measures would be tightened for Russias Victory Day holiday in May

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators also blamed Ukraine, comparing the bombing to last Augusts assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

 Watch: Russian military blogger handed statue moments before cafe explosion

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Ms Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Ms Duginas father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Mr Tatarsky as an immortal hero who died to save the Russian people.

Reacting to Mr Tatarskys death, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said his activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers have long faced Ukrainian threats.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian owner of the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and had handed it over to a patriotic group for meetings.

Russian reports claimed the bomb was concealed in a statuette of the blogger (AFP via Getty Images)

He said he doubts the Ukrainian authorities involvement in the bombing, saying the attack was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter late Sunday.

Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

A portrait of Mr Tatarsky, real name Maxim Fomin, near the site of the blast (REUTERS)

Vladlen Tatarsky was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel. He had filed regular reports from Ukraine.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland, Mr Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula.

Mr Tatarsky joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

With additional reporting from the Associated Press
A matching DNA test has helped a mother reunite with her baby who was rescued 128 hours after devastating twin earthquakes struck the Turkey-Syria border in February.

The baby was handed over to the mother on Saturday by the countrys Family and Social Services minister Derya Yanik, 54 days after her rescue, reported Anadolu agency.

The baby girl was named Gizem, a Turkish word meaning mystery, by nurses after being miraculously rescued alive from under the rubble after 128 hours in Turkeys Hatay province.
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The price of the dogecoin cryptocurrency shot up more than 30 per cent after Elon Musk replaced Twitters bird symbol with one of the coins shiba inu dog.

The move by the billionaire came after his lawyers on Friday asked a federal judge to throw out a $258bn lawsuit accusing the entrepreneur of manipulating dogecoins price and driving it up by 36,000 per cent.

Following the change to the Twitter logo Mr Musk shared a meme about it on his own Twitter account, which has more than 133 million followers.

Mr Musk has repeatedly tweeted about the cryptocurrency, which was first started as a joke coin in 2013, and most of his comments about it have moved its price.

Dogecoin is the eighth most valuable cryptocurrency with a market cap of around $13bn according to CoinMarketCap.com.

In court filings for the lawsuit, which was filed against Mr Musk in 2022, his lawyers stated that his comments on dogecoin were innocuous and often silly.

Elon Musks Twitter account with Dogecoin symbol replacing Twitter bird (Twitter / Elon Musk)

The lawsuit names Twitter, Tesla and the Boring Company in the lawsuit.

In 2021 the value of dogecoin dropped after Elon Musk mentioned it during a hosting appearance on Saturday Night Live.

During his monologue, his mother, Maye Musk, made an appearance to ask him what he had got her for Mothers Day.

Im excited for my Mothers Day gift, Maye Musk said. I just hope its not dogecoin!

It is, Elon Musk said. It sure is.

And during the Weekend Update segment, he appeared as a character who could not explain what dogecoin actually was, before admitting it was just a hustle.

In December 2021, Mr Musk announced that Tesla would start accepting dogecoin for some merchandise, with the price rising by 20 per cent.

In January 2022 when he tweeted that dogecoin payments were live its price increased by 15 per cent.

The Independent reached out to Twitter for comment and received back an automatic email with the poop emoji as Mr Musk has promised for all press requests.
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A US cruise line is offering an unlimited sailing pass in a move it described as completely new to the industry.

The Ultimate Paradise Pass, costing US$899 (728), means passengers can travel on as many non-consecutive two-night voyages as they like aboard the 658-cabin Margaritaville at Sea Paradise before the end of the year.

The operator, in partnership with Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville restaurant chain, sails from Palm Beach, Florida, to Grand Bahama Island, the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas.

Kevin Sheehan Jr, president and CEO of Margaritaville at Sea, said: The ground-breaking Ultimate Paradise Pass will give avid cruisers a new way to experience unlimited getaways to the Bahamas. Its perfect for a quick escape after a stressful work week or for a whole new adventure at sea.

The pass is valid for two people in an inside or ocean-view stateroom, subject to availability. Only around 500 passes are being sold in the first run, and the cruise line said it expects to sell out in the coming days.

Those holding the new pass will also get exclusive sneak peeks of new onboard activities and behind-the-scenes access on certain cruises. The company added that those with the pass will be able to purchase discounted upgrades, packages and excursions.

However, the pass doesnt cover taxes, fees, port expenses, tips, fuel charges or any expenses on the ship that would be charged per cruise  such as a booking fee of about US$20 (16.20).

Passholders can only book between 24 and 72 hours ahead of sailing, which curtails much advance planning. If a plus-one cant make the trip, a solo cruiser would have to pay an additional US$159 (129) single supplement.

The cruise lines sole ship, Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, began sailing under its current name in 2022. Previous it was known as Grand Classica, Costa neoClassica and Costa Classica. Its maiden voyage took place in December 1991.
 Close Queues of traffic pile up at the Port of Dover during Easter weekend getaway

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Huge queues of holidaymakers are waiting on extremely busy roads close to the Port of Dover amid warnings of 90-minute delays.

Cars could be seen snaking from the Kent port to the nearby town after 11am on Good Friday, with lorries thought to be stretching back further.

P&O Ferries and operator DFDS were reporting delays of between 60 and 90 minutes to the ports entrance while Irish Ferries advised people to allow up to three hours before their travel time.

Drivers have been advised to bring supplies in case they are left waiting for hours, with queues expected to lengthen in the early afternoon.

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Its going to be a busy day, were running probably about an hour to an hour and a half to get through border controls at the moment, and we will peak through probably early afternoon, and then it will start to slow down after that.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Travellers who purchased Interrail passes during the anniversary sale last year are being warned they need to activate them soon before they become void.

In May 2022, Interrail celebrated half a century of the unlimited train ticket in Europe. To mark the occasion, the company behind the rail pass  Eurail, based in the Netherlands  staged a flash sale from 6 to 11 May 2022.

Prospective passengers were offered one-, two- or three-month Interrail passes at half price. These allow go-as-you-please adventures on the national railways of 33 participating countries.

The biggest saving was for a three-month, first-class pass, normally costing over 1,000. During the sale it cost just 505.

Thousands of passes were snapped up by British travellers  including some who had been in the first wave of Interrail in 1972.

But a pass cannot be held indefinitely before the buyer has to start using them.

A leading European rail expert, Nicky Gardner, believes some buyers may not be aware that they have at best a few days to activate the digital passes and start using them.

These mobile passes are brilliantly flexible, but there is one strict rule: they must be activated within 11 months of the date of purchase, she warns.

Miss the 11-month deadline at your peril, for after that key date your pass is cannot be used.

By 12 April, all passes bought during the promotion but not activated will be void, with no refunds.

A pass becomes live once activated, which means it can be used immediately and at any time within the span of the pass. The final date for travel, for holders of a three-month pass, will be in early July 2023.

In the run-up to that early April deadline, now's the time to plan a last-minute trip to Europe, says Ms Gardner, who is co-author of Europe by Rail.

Interrail has been part of European travel culture for over half a century, she says. It offers the freedom to roam. If you have a pass and are not quite certain where to go, head to the Alps.

You wander through Switzerland and Austria on extremely comfortable trains with no need to reserve seats in advance. Last week, I travelled through the Austria Tyrol, around Lake Lucerne and on into the Bernese Oberland, and for much of the time I had an entire carriage to myself.

Interrail passes are also valid on some ferry lines, particularly across the Adriatic between Italy and Greece, though port fees apply.

Ms Gardner also points out that Interrail can take travellers from western Ireland to eastern Turkey, and from Arctic Norway and Sweden to Algeciras in southern Spain  jumping-off point for ferries to Africa.
Russias state Investigative Committee opened a murder investigation after a military blogger was killed by an explosion in a St Peterburg cafe.

This video shows the aftermath of the explosion, while investigators are examining the crime scene.

State-owned RIA news agency confirmed 25 people were wounded and 19 of them were being treated in hospital.

News reports identified the man who died in the explosion as Vladlen Tatarsky, a military blogger and supporter of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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Footage shows the moment Donald Trump set foot on New York ahead of his historic arraignment on Tuesday, 4 April.

His gold-plated Boeing 757 arrived at LaGuardia Airport on Monday after he flew up from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.

The former president, who will be the first ever to be criminally charged, is due to appear in person at Manhattan Criminal Court.

He is facing charges connected to a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to his 2016 campaign.

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Finland's prime minister Sanna Marin was defeated by the National Coalition Party in a tight election for parliament.

The National Coalition Party leader Petteri Orpo claimed victory Sunday 2 April with around 97.7 per cent of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.7 per cent.

They were followed closely by right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1 per cent, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9 per cent.

I think the upcoming negotiations will be very hard, because we have different views on the economy and education. But in the end, Finland will have a majority government in place, Sanna Marin said.

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Joe Biden called the newly-announced Artemis II crew to wish them well on their adventure to the Moon and back.

Nasa announced the four astronauts that will embark on the first crewed Moon mission since the Apollo era on Monday, 3 April.

The US president said they will "inspire the next generation of explorers, and show every child ... that if they can dream it, they can be it."

On a phone call to the team, he invited them and their children to visit him at the White House.

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Police have released CCTV footage showing a hospital patient moments before and after he set a fire inside a hospital.

John Watson can be seen entering an MRI room in this video before smoke fills the corridors and fire alarms were triggered.

Watson was jailed on Monday, 3 April, for causing 1.9 million worth of damage in the A&E ward at Lincoln County Hospital.

The fire was started on 29 March of last year.

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On Tuesday, all eyes will be on Manhattan when former president Donald Trump is finally arraigned in Manhattan after flying into New York on Monday. With that, Republicans will have to grapple with the fact that the activists and voters that make up the party still very much like him but he serves as an albatross for them with a general electorate.

A new Yahoo! News/YouGov poll perfectly exhibits this predicament for Republican leaders: Mr Trump now leads Florida Governor Ron DeSantis 57 per cent to 31 per cent in a one-on-one contest against the man whom the donor class and conservative leaders consider the Republican golden boy. In addition, 54 per cent of Republicans and people who lean Republican now say they want Mr Trump to be the GOP nominee.

All of this seems to indicate Mr Trump has a red carpet to the GOP nomination in 2024. The problem for Republicans? The same survey showed that 52 per cent of US adults dont think he should be allowed to serve a second term if he is convicted of a crime in this case, and only 31 per cent of adults think he should while 17 per cent are unsure.

To be clear, there are some holes in the survey, as Yahoo! News and YouGov only conducted it in the 24 hours after the news of the indictment broke and only 34 per cent of those polled said they had heard a lot about Donald Trump being indicted on Thursday in Manhattan. That number will likely change and people will form more opinions after Mr Trump is arraigned and in the ensuing legal proceedings.

The indictment also remains under seal so nobody knows the nature of the charges supposedly related to Mr Trumps former attorney Michael Cohen paying adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about a sexual liaison, which the former president has denied vehemently.

Nevertheless, the GOP feels compelled to rush to Mr Trumps defence. Right-wing extremist Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will reportedly be in New York to support Mr Trump as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has gotten behind the former president. This will inevitably serve as a distraction from where Mr McCarthy would ideally like to keep the focus: President Joe Biden as he tries to gain the upper hand in negotiations surrounding the debt limit.

During an interview with conservative commentator Dave Rubin, Mr McCarthy said he thought that 2024 would be about All the things that Biden has done, that somebody else can do better but added that whoever the front runner is today is not the nominee. But this seems like wishful thinking given that an ex-president hasnt sought the White House since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. And Mr Trumps propensity to make everything about him further means that the focus wont be on policy.

And, of course, this is not the only investigation Mr Trump faces: Fulton County, Georgias district attorneys investigation into his actions in the 2020 presidential election has yet to file charges, and Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by the Justice Department, is still looking into his handling of documents Mr Trump took to Mar-a-Lago and his actions trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election including his actions on January 6.

It should be noted that Republican leaders had the chance to dispose of Mr Trump on multiple occasions, but most prominently during his impeachment trial after the riot at the US Capitol. While seven Republican Senators voted to convict Mr Trump, that was 10 fewer than the requisite 67 that the Senate needed to convict him and ensure he would never stand as a presidential candidate again.

Doing so would have allowed them to no longer have to defend his every action, keep the focus on the Biden administration. They could have actively opposed candidates he endorsed and supported more electable candidates in the 2022 midterm election where he supported clunkers and election deniers. Any amount of political pain or blowback they suffered would prove infinitesimal to the benefits of dumping him.

Instead, they are stuck answering for Mr Trump and have to defer to him on any particular whim without any clear political benefit.

Tellingly, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, released a cautious statement, saying she was monitoring Donald Trumps legal situation as it unfolds. No one is above the law in this country, but everyone deserves a fair legal process.

Ms Murkowski, who just won re-election in a state with ranked-choice voting where she doesnt have to face a contentious primary, voted to convict Mr Trump.
Blocked border crossings, a minister pelted with eggs and overflowing silos anger is mounting among farmers in eastern Europe who say a rush of grain from Ukraine threatens their businesses, and it's steadily eroding political goodwill.

Poland and other neighboring states agreed to help get grain out of Ukraine and on to global markets after the Russian invasion blocked exports last year. Part of that supply is now piling up in eastern Europe, and it's threatening local livelihoods.

The surplus has been created by infrastructure bottlenecks as well as farmers delaying selling last year's produce. The hoard of grain is becoming a political issue as protests spill into the streets.

Local growers held on to their crop in anticipation of higher prices following the war. A broader global downturn has instead pushed prices down, leaving farmers in Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria facing lower revenue and struggling to empty their stockpiles before the new harvest starts in the summer.

Political leaders, who rushed to support Ukraine initially, are starting to complain.

"We must help Ukraine in the transport and sale of grain to countries outside the EU," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who four months ago was offering $20 million to help Ukraine export its grain to Africa, said in a Facebook post. "But this cannot be done at the expense of Polish farmers and local markets."

The European Commission needs to limit the amount of Ukrainian supply entering the European Union because it is destabilizing local markets, he said.

The glut is very much a local one. Ukraine's exports to global markets are still well below pre-war levels as a deal to get grain out of Black Sea ports remains tenuous.

Russia's invasion triggered concerns about a worsening hunger crisis as food prices jumped to record levels with vast amounts of Ukraine's grain and vegetable oil stranded. Governments were forced to jump in to keep supplies flowing, with eastern Europe emerging as a transit route. While some ports have reopened, the pace of shipments is restrained. Transport by rail, road and river remains crucial.

Imports into Poland rose to 2.45 million tons in 2022 from just about 100,000 tons in previous years, which turned into a massive undertaking for the rail network. Rolling stock had to be changed because tracks were different from those in Ukraine, holding up shipments. Priority on trains was also given to coal that Poland was forced to import after banning Russian supply.

Poland's Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk told producers in June not to sell their grain because prices are unlikely to fall. But benchmark Chicago wheat futures have nearly halved from the records reached just after the outbreak of the war as huge harvests in other key shippers, like Russia and Australia, quelled fears about a supply shortfall.

Grain import demand is also easing in key regions like North Africa one of the EU's main wheat markets as economies there falter, said Helene Duflot, wheat analyst at Strategie Grains.

On March 17, a group of farmers dressed in yellow vests and blowing whistles, mobbed Kowalczyk at an agriculture fair in Kielce in southern Poland. He was forced to flee the venue.

Five days later, the minister was heckled and pelted with eggs during a panel discussion with EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski in the town of Jasionka, a two-hour drive from the Ukraine border. Earlier this week, Kowalczyk agreed to an plan that includes at least 10 billion zloty ($2.3 billion) in aid and a pledge to boost the capacity of ports.

Farmers however aren't letting up, promising to resume protests unless the situation improves over the next two to three weeks.

Political Fallout

The discontent may have political consequences. Poland and Slovakia face elections later this year and farmers are an important constituency. A former Slovak premier who rejects sanctions against Russia and weapons deliveries to Ukraine is leading in the polls. Bulgaria is in a similar situation, with polls due this weekend. Poland has accepted more than a million Ukrainian refugees and has been among the biggest contributors of military and humanitarian aid to Kyiv.

Romanian farmers traveled to Brussels on Wednesday to protest in front of the European Commission building, waving banners stating "Romanian Farmers Deserve Respect!" The country, one of the EU's largest corn and wheat producers, has facilitated more than half of Ukraine's grain exports by land since the start of the war.

Imports rose to 570,000 tons last year from close to zero, according to Razvan Filipescu, vice-president of the Association of Farmer Producers in the Dobrogea region.

President Klaus Iohannis said the bloc's crisis fund of a56 million ($61 million) for farmers was insufficient, while also criticizing it for failing to factor in the "huge sacrifices" made by the Balkan nation.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Bulgaria and the four EU states surrounding Ukraine pushed for the bloc to increase financial support to farmers, consider buying the surplus grain for humanitarian aid or even restrict imports from Ukraine.

Slovakia wants the EU to work with the UN's World Food Programme to ensure Ukrainian grain is transported out of member states, according to a person familiar with the discussion, who asked not to be named because the talks are private.

Still, Ukrainian supply could also play a part in plugging any shortfalls in Europe. Drought across the EU last summer ravaged its domestic corn harvest, necessitating extra imports to fill the gap. Shipments though are likely to ease in the months ahead as the war hits harvests.

"The whole exports from Ukraine will decrease, including to the EU, that's clear," said Alex Lissitsa, chief executive officer of Ukrainian agribusiness IMC.

Concerns are also emerging that the grain transit agreement itself might be broken.

"Nobody oversees the gentleman's agreement that Europe will be a transit territory for Ukraine's grain to Africa," said Emil Macho, chairman of the Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber. "It's not working, the grain is staying right here."

Meanwhile, anger continues to spill over. In Bulgaria, grain producers blocked border crossings with neighboring Romania for three days, demanding compensations. Almost 80% of the 2022 sunflower crop remains unsold and farmers hold more than 3 million tons of wheat from last year, said Krasimir Avramov, founder of the country's National Association of Grain Producers.

Wieslaw Gryn, 65, is growing corn, wheat, canola and beetroot on a 320-hectare (791-acre) family farm in Rogow in eastern Poland. He says grain prices are down 40% and he still has hundred of tons to sell.

"Each year around this time I would have some surplus. But I have never had such a huge surplus as right now," Gryn said in an interview. "My business partners are delaying payments and I need the money because I should start to grow my grain right now."

Bloomberg.
The 2023 Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme has opened for applications.

The grant scheme is run by the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Heritage Council and invests in the conservation of traditional farm buildings and structures of significant heritage value that contribute to our rural landscape for agricultural use.

The scheme funds the conservation and preservation of traditional farm buildings and structures such as historic yard surfaces, gates and gate pillars as part of the working farm.

Many of the supported structures also provide roosting sites for bats and nesting sites for birds.

There is a 1.25 million in the budget the scheme which Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD said demonstrates both his and the Governments commitment to investing in our farming heritage using conservation methods.

This is a hugely important scheme for conserving the past for the demands of the future. It is more than securing a building  it is about preserving a history, a culture and a way of life. The partnership between my Department and the Heritage Council has been critical to the success of this scheme and is an example of how two entities with very different missions can pool resources and expertise to deliver a scheme to a level that neither could achieve alone.

I have seen first-hand completed projects and I know farmers who have benefited under the scheme have a much better appreciation of their own cultural and natural heritage. I encourage all eligible participants to consider applying for it and look forward to seeing further completed projects later this year.

Chief Executive of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan said grant scheme also actively supports the retention of traditional building skills in Ireland.

"A particularly satisfying impact uncovered in the evaluation is the increased awareness amongst farmers of their value and their readiness to use them in the future with 96% of farmers surveyed more inclined now to use traditional craftworkers if they needed special works done. This is an impact for the sector with real longevity.

The closing date for receipt of online applications is Monday, 24th April 2023 at 5pm.

Who will be able to apply for this scheme in 2023?

Up to now only farmers approved in the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) are eligible to apply.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have confirmed in 2023 participants in the following Department schemes will be eligible to apply for this grant scheme:

Active agri-environment scheme participants including ACRES.

Participants in EIP Calls 1, 2 and 3, Hen Harrier and Pearl Mussel projects and The Burren Project who were an active participant as of 31st December 2022 or had completed the full term of the contract for the relevant EIP or have completed a five-year project as appropriate.

Approved participants of the Organic Farming scheme

The Grant Amount

In 2023 grant amounts will vary between 4,000 and 30,000. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine makes all grant payments on this scheme following certification by the Heritage Council. A grant award will not be for more than 75% of the cost of the works with a maximum available grant of 30,000. Please note some grants will be for less than 75% of the cost of the approved works.

What works are funded under this scheme

The grant is available for the conservation of traditional farm outbuildings, including roof, walls, structural repairs, windows and doors. The grant is also available for other related farm structures including historic yard surfaces, walls, gate pillars and gates.

The key conservation principle of minimum intervention applies, that is, carrying out a repair to fix what is wrong but not setting out to do too much work.

Works which are, in the opinion of the Heritage Council, restoration works, are very unlikely to be supported with grant aid. The process is highly competitive and it is expected that 70-80 projects will be supported this year.
Professor turns impoverished village in SW Chinas Yunnan into tourism hotspot

People's Daily Online) 15:48, April 03, 2023

Li Xiaoyun, a professor at China Agricultural University in Beijing, has transformed a remote mountainous village in southwest Chinas Yunnan Province into a popular tourist destination, helping boost rural revitalization in the village.

Today, when people visit Hebian, a village of the Yao ethnic group surrounded by tropical rainforests in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, they are greeted by neatly paved roads flanked by trees and flowers, and rows of tidy wooden houses built with Yao ethnic characteristics.

An old traditional-style house in Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

New traditional-style houses in Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

It is hard to believe that when Li visited the village in 2014, it was mired in poverty.

Back then, livestock ran around in the village and some villagers lived in dilapidated wooden sheds. Villagers relied on the weather for food and mainly got by on income from cultivating sugarcane, Wurfbainia villosa (a type of Chinese medicinal herb), and rubber trees. The annual per capita disposable income of villagers was around 4,000 yuan ($580).

Determined to lift villagers out of poverty, the professor launched a charitable organization, the Xiaoyun Poverty Aid Center, to raise funds for that purpose. With the support of the local government, the center began to explore ways to alleviate poverty in the village.

Li Xiaoyun, a professor at China Agricultural University, showcases a design plan for Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province to villagers. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

Li suggested developing tourism by leveraging local rainforest resources and climate conditions, starting with the building of spacious houses with Yao ethnic characteristics, which can also be used as B&B hotels.

Lis advice was adopted by the local government. Li and the local government used funds for rural development to build gorgeous traditional Yao-style houses equipped with modern facilities, each of which has a high-quality guest room, for villagers.

A guest room in Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

At the same time, Li promoted the implementation of a facelift project of the village, the improvement of kitchen facilities and public restroom facilities, and the building of facilities for meetings and catering services. After the renovations, Hebian village has attracted throngs of tourists.

We tried our best to maintain the original appearance of the village. But when you enter a renovated Yao-style residence, you will find modern facilities, Li said.

Hebian village has promoted the development of high-end B&B hotels by fully leveraging its climate conditions, rainforest resources and Yao ethnic culture in recent years, according to a village official.

So far, the village has built 47 Yao-style B&B hotels and improved 93 infrastructure projects such as a bar and a childrens activity center.

Thanks to the joint efforts of Li and the local government, Hebian village was lifted out of poverty in 2018. Last year, the per capita disposable income of residents in the village reached 26,000 yuan.

A birds-eye view of Hebian village in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

On the march toward rural revitalization, no one is left behind in Hebian village. Eight years ago, Pan Sanie, a deaf-mute woman who lost her husband and son, was desperate. Pan and her daughter made a living by growing corn and raising pigs.

So we built a house for Pan first, Li said. In April 2017, Pans guest room was put into use, which can bring in annual revenue of more than 10,000 yuan for her.

Pan also attended training sessions organized by the local government with the aim of improving villagers skills in providing better catering and tourism services. In addition to raising pigs and chickens, she also plants fruit trees and vegetables. Now, Pan earns over 2,000 yuan a month.

A tourist dances with villagers in Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

The B&B hotel business is the most important part of Hebians local industries, but it should not be the sole source of income for villagers, according to Li. Planting tropical crops and Chinese medicinal herbs and raising pigs, chickens and bees can provide more diversified products, increase villagers income and help them better guard against risks during the slack tourism season, the professor said.

Believing that people are key to rural revitalization, Li has attached great importance to cultivating young people in the village and ensuring that they are willing to work or even start a business in their hometown.

In December 2016, Zhou Zhixue, a villager who worked in Shenzhen city in south Chinas Guangdong Province, returned to Hebian to help his family build a new house. After witnessing how Lis team led fellow villagers to transform the village, Zhou decided to stay and contribute to his hometowns development.

When Lis team decided to establish a cooperative and transfer the management rights of the B&B hotel project to villagers before the Spring Festival in 2019, Zhou joined the cooperative and was recommended as the general manager. With the help of Zhou and volunteer university students, young people in the village have managed to use computers.

A villager carrying two bundles of bananas on a shoulder pole in Hebian village, Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest Chinas Yunnan Province. (Peoples Daily Overseas Edition/file photo)

With the rapid development of Hebian village, an increasing number of young people have returned and contributed to the construction of their hometown.

The success of the village has also attracted people from other parts of Yunnan and even Africa to learn from its experience in poverty reduction and rural revitalization.

The poverty reduction experience of Hebian and China is worth learning for my mother country Nigeria and Africa, Harford Michael Kenechukwu, a Nigerian doctoral student at the Zhou Enlai School of Government of Nankai University in north Chinas Tianjin Municipality, said after he visited the village.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
What would happen to the patriarchal society we live in if teenage girls around the world suddenly developed the power to generate electricity?

What if they could shock, maim or kill by shooting jolts of the stuff from their fingertips? What if they could blow up cars and buildings, cause planes to crash, and knock out or take control of the grid?

And what if they realised that they could transfer the power to others  not just other teenage girls, but older women too? Maybe all women.

This is the dizzying high-concept premise of The Power ( Amazon Prime Video), a new series based on Naomi Aldermans bestselling 2016 speculative novel.

Just as you start to become engrossed in one individuals story, youre whisked off somewhere else

I havent read it, but the consensus was that Alderman, who was mentored by Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaids Tale, crafted a story thats both thrilling and a significant literary work rich in philosophical musings.

The return to power of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the way the war being waged against womens freedoms in the United States has intensified alarmingly since the overturning of Roe v Wade should make the timing of The Power ideal.

Expand Close Toni Collette leads the adult cast of new miniseries The Power / Facebook

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Yet the first three (of nine) episodes available since Friday lack the spark to make the series as compelling as you keep wanting it to be. Just when it seems about to surge, it sputters instead.

After using her power to kill the loathsome foster father whos been sexually abusing her, she takes to the road

Its teeming with main characters, at least six of them spread across multiple continents, and supporting ones. The need to identify them and establish their backgrounds and circumstances results in a narrative which, particularly in the first two instalments, ping-pongs all over the place.

Just as you start to become engrossed in one individuals story, youre whisked off somewhere else. It makes for a frustratingly uneven experience, like watching episodes of an anthology series that have been chopped into pieces and reassembled.

The most interesting teenage character so far is Allie (Halle Bush), a troubled American kid whos been bounced through the foster system and is one of the series three female leads.

After using her new power to kill the loathsome foster father whos been sexually abusing her (his complicit wife turns up the volume on the radio while its happening), she takes to the road.

Expand Close Ria Zmitrowicz plays Roxy, gobby daughter of gangster Bernie (Eddie Marsden) / Facebook

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Guided by a womans voice inside her head, which tells her shes more powerful than anyone, she ends up alongside other girls in a convent run by sympathetic nuns whove formed their own order outside the patriarchal religious mainstream.

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Allie tells the nuns, who are uncommonly focused on womens rights, shes called Eve. By the end of the episode three, shes shaping up to become a figurehead.

I was less taken by the story of Roxy (Ria Zmitrowicz), the gobby daughter of London gangster Bernie (Eddie Marsden). Feeling underappreciated compared to her brothers and Bernies trophy second wife, she plans to use her powers to claim her rightful place in the family and also to exact revenge on the men who killed her mother.

The third teen protagonist is Jos (Aulii Cravalho), whose mother Margot (Toni Collette) is the mayor of Seattle and finds herself, almost by accident, becoming the chief advocate and protector of the so-called electric girls, who the fearful male-dominated establishment sees as a threat to be contained  with incarceration if necessary.

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Also bobbing around in an overstuffed story are Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde, a journalist in Nigeria whos the first to post footage of girls using their powers online and figures chronicling the developing story will be his ticket to the bigtime; Zrinka Cvitesic as Tatiana, the bored trophy wife of a brutal East European dictator, and Josh Charles as a politician who views Margot as an obstacle to his ambitions.

For a change, its a man  John Leguizamo as Margots doctor husband  who gets the thankless, traditionally female role of ineffectual spouse.

Apparently, this season covers just a third of the novel. Unless The Power ups its wattage in he remaining weekly episodes, it might struggle to generate enough audience interest to persuade the cancellation-happy Amazon to give the green light to further seasons.

The Power 3/5
The president of the High Court has said that medical staff treating an elderly man with dementia who would "rather die" that have his severely infected leg amputated have been placed in an "appalling dilemma".

The remarks were made by High Court President Mr Justice David Barniville today after he ruled that the hospital and medical staff treating the man do not have to amputate the man's leg against his wishes.

The judge said the case was "problematic" due to the lack of clarity regarding the man's capacity to make any decision about his health.

Neither than man, nor the facility involved can be identified for legal reasons.

The judge was satisfied to grant a declaration that the facility and the professionals currently treating the man provide all necessary care and medical treatment to the man.

The judge made his decision following an application by the HSE for a declaration that giving the man all necessary care, but not to amputate the leg, was lawful.

The HSE sought the order arising out of both the man's serious health condition, and over the fact he had clearly expressed his view that despite the risks involved, including the risk of death, he did not want his leg removed.

Evidence was given to the court that arising out of his dementia the mans leg was in a poor condition due to his failure to properly manage his diabetes.

After undergoing surgery on his limb, the man had put marmalade and hot drinks on his wounds, the court also heard.

The application concerns a man from the west of Ireland who is aged his 70s and has been in a medical facility for some time.

The man's treating doctors said his leg is in a very poor state and may have to be removed.

Outlining the man's serious condition to the High Court, Donal McGuinness BL, for the HSE, said the man suffers from delirium caused by his dementia.

Counsel said the leg is infected and considered "unsalvageable" by doctors.

He said the man was also at risk of a severe bleed after a graft on his leg broke down.

Counsel said the man had "consistently and persistently" refused to consent to the amputation, even when he was told he was at risk of bleeding to death.

However, counsel said that when presented with his condition the man has told his doctors that "if I die, I die".

He said you may as well throw me in the sea and described having his leg amputated as an effing crazy idea because you need two legs to walk.

Despite the man's objections, Mr McGuinness said the mans family were in favour of having the amputation done and the court heard they were unwilling to take him out of hospital at the moment because of the risk involved.

The consultant surgeon in charge of the mans care described the situation as very difficult adding that it was a no win situation.

He said amputation was clearly indicated but the patient had insisted very clearly that he would rather die.

He said medical staff were trying to respect the man and his choices, including his decision that his life had no value without his leg.

The court was told the man was not in pain and had expressed the view that he might change his mind about the proposed amputation if that situation were to change.

The court heard that if his leg was removed, he would not be able to walk again given his overall health.

He would also be unlikely to be able to return to his home.

Another consultant doctor dealing with the mans care said all those involved in the man's treatment have been greatly troubled by the case.

The consultant said the man would probably suffer from "post-operative delirium" if the operation went ahead.

It would not be fair to the man to try and get him mobile again, and the patient would also be very angry and upset post about any operation to remove the leg.

The doctor said that in one sense the removal of the leg might be what he needed, but but when all other factors were into account, such a measure may be the wrong thing to do, even if amputation were to prolong his life.

The mental distress to the man would be enormous and would impact on his quality of life, the doctor added.

The man's court appointed guardian, or guardian ad litem, said the man was vehemently opposed to the amputation of his leg.

The guardian added that the man's wishes are very clear, even though he was of the view that the man lacked mental capacity.

Ruling on the application Mr Justice Barniville said It was very clear the man needed the amputation to survive, but it was also his clearly and strongly expressed wish that he didnt want his leg amputated.

The court said that a strict medical approach was "problematic".

Allowing an amputation would solve the immediate medical crisis, but he said it was likely to create a significant disturbance to the man's mental well-being.

The man had clearly expressed the importance he places to being mobile and went for several walks a day on a walking frame in the facility where he is being treated.

The evidence to the court about the man's ability to make decisions was not clear cut or beyond doubt.

In light of that information the judge said he was granting the HSEs application and made a declaration allowing doctors to take all measures short of amputating his right leg, because of the mans clearly expressed wishes, in spite of medical advice to the contrary.

The matter will be back in court next month.
A former flight attendant caught driving without insurance wrongly thought she was covered to drive her ex-partners car, a court has heard.

Elaine Lynch (43) had been a career woman with a good job but her life had imploded after meeting her former partner, who had physically and emotionally abused her.

Judge Dermot Dempsey imposed a four-month sentence and banned her from driving for four years. Lynch, of The Moorings, Kellys Bay, Skerries, admitted uninsured driving on March 19, 2020.

Garda Craig Long told Swords District Court he was on mobile patrol at Hampton Street, Balbriggan, when he stopped Lynch and asked for her insurance details. Gda Long said Lynch failed to produce her documents.

The defendant had six previous convictions, including two for uninsured driving.

Defence lawyer Deirdre Flannery said Lynch had been a law-abiding citizen for most of her life, and had had a great job as a flight attendant. However, her life began to unravel when she met her ex-partner, and she suffered physical abuse and coercive control.



In relation to this incident, she had insurance on her own car, which was damaged at the time, and wrongly thought she was covered to drive her ex-partners car.

Ms Flannery asked the judge to be lenient, saying Lynch made a genuine error but she had lost her whole life.
A Limerick man who suffered fatal injuries during an incident outside a pub in Co Kildare last year died from a brain haemorrhage, an inquest has heard.

Dylan McCarthy (29) of Ardvullen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick was pronounced dead at Tallaght University Hospital on August 22, last year, where he had been brought after sustaining serious injuries during an altercation among a group of people outside a pub on Dublin Road, Monasterevin, the previous night.

Mr McCarthy had been visiting the Kildare town with relatives to celebrate the birth of his godson and nephew, Liam, at the time of the incident.

Coroner Crona Gallagher told a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court that a post-mortem showed the cause of death was a brain haemorrhage due to head and neck trauma.

Dr Gallagher said a more detailed account of the post-mortem results would be made available in due course.

The victims mother, Marita McCarthy, who was accompanied in court by her husband, Eamonn, gave evidence of formally identifying her sons body to gardai in the hospital.

Inspector George Cagney told a preliminary hearing of the inquest on Monday that two people were before the courts in relation to Mr McCarthys death.

Insp Cagney applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25.2 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in the case have already been instituted.

Granting the application, Dr Gallagher adjourned the hearing until a date to be fixed following the conclusion of any related criminal prosecution.

The coroner offered her sincere condolences to Mr McCarthys parents on what she described as a very tragic death.

Two Kildare men  Calvin Dunne (22) of Abbey View, Monasterevin, and Sean Kavanagh (24) of St Marys Lane, Monasterevin, were charged with Mr McCarthys murder at a sitting of Naas District Court in February.

Both accused, who are facing a jury trial at the Central Criminal Court, are also facing a separate charge of violent disorder, while Mr Kavanagh faces a third charge of assault causing harm to the victims father.

The two men made no reply when formally charged with the offences.

Three others including a sister of the deceased were also charged last month with offences relating to the same incident.

Orla McCarthy (23) of Ardvullen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick; Aoife Talty (25) of Knockdangan, Kilmaley, Ennis, Co Clare and Glen Brogan (23) of Ardvullen, Killmallock, Co Limerick are all charged with violent disorder.

Mr Brogan is also charged with causing criminal damage to a window of the pub.

Separately, six other males from Monasterevin have also been charged with engaging in violent disorder relating to the altercation.

They are Darren Harrison (30) and his brother Tadgh (25), both of Rosglas Avenue; Adam Ford (25) of Togher Avenue; Jordan Kevin (30) and his brother Shane (38), both of St Evins Park and Shane Foley (29) of Cowpasture, Monasterevin, Co Kildare.

Mr Ford is also accused of assaulting Eamonn McCarthy on the same date.

Gardai told the hearing in February that there will be evidence that there was a large altercation between two groups during which Mr McCarthy was assaulted.

Meanwhile, the coroners court also heard that criminal proceedings are being considered in relation to the death of a Sligo man from an alleged assault in Sligo town last year.

Russell Forde (39) of Yeats Drive, Cranmore, Sligo was pronounced dead on April 21, 2022 at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he was being treated for injuries suffered two days earlier during an incident in the early evening on Rockwood Parade near the centre of the town along the Garavogue River.

Mr Forde was originally treated in Sligo University Hospital but was transferred to Beaumont Hospital due to the critical nature of his injuries.

The victims brother, Warren Forde, gave evidence of formally identifying the body of the deceased to gardai.

Dr Gallagher said the cause of Mr Fordes death had been established as traumatic brain injury.

Inspector Raymond Mulderrig sought an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25.1 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in the case are being considered.

Insp Mulderrig informed the coroner that a file relating to Mr Fordes death was due to be forwarded to the DPP.

Dr Gallagher adjourned the hearing for mention until October 2.
PROSECUTORS have been given more time to prepare their case against a radio DJ accused of laundering 15,000 in crime proceeds through her bank account.

Nikki Hayes, real name Eimear OKeeffe, is facing trial on money laundering charges following alleged offences in 2020.

The former RTE 2FM and Classic Hits star was remanded on continuing bail today after a judge granted the prosecution an adjournment for the preparation of a book of evidence.

Ms Hayes (43), with an address at The Way, Hunters Run in Dublin 15 is accused of possession of the proceeds of criminal activity, under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act.

The first charge is that Ms Hayes received 10,000 into her account on November 6, 2020. The other two alleged offences took place on November 5 that year, when she allegedly received sums of 2,400 and 2,600 into her account.

The DPP has directed trial on indictment and the case was before Dublin District Court today for service of a book of evidence.

This is required before the accused can be sent for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

A garda said the book was not ready and more time was sought.

Ms Hayes's solicitor Evan Moore said the defence had "no issue with that."

Judge Bryan Smyth extended the time required for service of the book and adjourned the case to a date next month.

Ms Hayes, was not required to address the court and has not yet indicated how she intends to plead to the charges.

Today was her second appearance before the court after she was arrested and charged in February.

On that date, a detective from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau said the accused made no reply to either count after caution and was handed copies of the charge sheets.

The judge had queried the choice of district court venue, saying the alleged offences appeared to have happened in Blanchardstown and the accused had an address in Dublin 15.

The detective said garda management had directed the case to Dublin District Court and said the alleged offences actually happened online.

Judge Smyth had granted bail in the accuseds own bond of 200, with no cash lodgement required. Gardai did not object to bail or seek any conditions.

The judge also previously granted legal aid after hearing the accused had no assets and was in receipt of social welfare.

Ms Hayes has spoken of and written about her mental health struggles in recent years, with a book on the issue Crying into the Saucepan published in 2017.
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New laws are set to be introduced to stop drug dealers and prolific burglars from using delay tactics to frustrate the Criminal Assets Bureaus (Cab) inquiries into their ill-gotten gains.

Justice Minister Simon Harris also wants to strengthen the bureaus powers around liaising with foreign police forces in their fight against international gangs, including the Kinahan cartel.

Under the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2023, Mr Harris is aiming to restrict criminals from thwarting Cabs efforts to seize their assets with vexatious court challenges.

There have been several instances in the past where the bureau has gone through lengthy and costly court proceedings after being granted orders to seize assets.

The most high-profile such case was that of drugs trafficker John Gilligan, whose taxpayer-funded battle against the bureau dragged on for 20 years.

Under new proposals, the courts will automatically appoint a receiver over a seized asset to prevent a criminal from having use of it pending a final disposal order.

The wait time for this is currently seven years.

The justice minister aims to reduce this period to just two years.

There are also plans to grant the Cab further powers around the sharing of information with other state agencies and law enforcement officials in foreign jurisdictions.

This will give it a major boost in targeting the likes of the Kinahan crime gang leadership, who have amassed over 1bn worth of assets across several continents.

The proposals will be outlined to 140 delegates representing mid-ranking gardai across the country today.

Mr Harris is due to address the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) which will be taking place in Galway.

He is expected to tell delegates that his key objectives as justice minister include equipping gardai with modern tools, as well as ensuring that stronger laws are in place to protect frontline emergency workers.

This will involve bringing forward legislation to increase the maximum sentence for assaults on gardai and other frontline personnel to 12 years imprisonment.

The rollout of body-cameras to gardai has also been a priority for both the AGSI and the Garda Representative Association.

It is hoped that this equipment will be rolled out by the end of this year.


A family-run convenience shop business in Limerick is losing 250,000 a year through shoplifting and break-ins, its owner has said.

The Gleeson family has five shops in the city but they are becoming increasingly concerned by shoplifting gangs, who often use electric bikes.

"They hit at any time, running through the store grabbing anything they can and then speeding off on electric bikes on which they can easily negotiate traffic. They don't seem to care and we are very concerned for the safety of our staff and customers, company director Michael Gleeson explained.

He said he is now considering employing security staff with stab-proof vests and body cameras.

The kind of measures we are contemplating are in use in Dublin. But its now clear that Limerick is going down the same path as Dublin with this type of crime, and we need to have a major rethink on the security measures we have in place."

Mr Gleeson said there are four gangs operating out of a number of estates. "There are about six or eight youths in each gang. They don't seem to give a damn about anybody and are getting more aggressive.

"The guards are doing the best they can, and are doing a brilliant job, but the penalties for shoplifting don't bother these guys. We feel this kind of crime will have to be taken more seriously by the courts. The gangs seem to think that if they are caught they will be back out on the street in a very short period of time, and this even encourages them.

"The cost of these crimes is rising all the time. We now are losing in the region of a quarter of a million euros a year. Its like being wounded by thousands of cuts. But when we add up the loss at the end of each week it hits home. We employ about 100 people and it's very hard to sustain losses through theft at the level it's now at, he added.

Mr Gleeson said a gang can strike at any time during the day or evening. "They sweep in through a shop like a wave and in seconds they are gone. Its really frightening," he said.

"They are strong fellows in their late teens. When they race into a shop they just grab and knock stuff all over the place. They threaten customers and staff, and the shouting and roaring is very frightening.

"They will often produce knives and some time ago they chased one of our staff members who challenged them through (the) streets and viciously assaulted him. The person involved got a stiff prison sentence.

"They have these electric bikes and are able to dart in and out of traffic at speed. We have seen how these violent attacks have evolved in Dublin and security measures have had to be put at a much higher level. Limerick is very close to that now so we must also take another hard look at store security."

Mr Gleeson said Limerick City Traders Association is now putting a renewed priority on measures to tackle the youth gangs.

Limerick city centre has had a multi-million euro makeover, with greater access for pedestrians. "The city centre looks great, but these gangs must be tackled head-on, otherwise people will be put off coming into the city centre to shop."
A paedophile and alleged terrorist arrested with gun components in Dublin may have been plotting a Christchurch-style mass shooting attack at a mosque in this country, gardai believe.

When anti-terrorism officers with the Garda Special Detective Unit raided a hostel room being used by UK national Mark Wolf on June 16, 2021, they discovered firearms components, a guide for the 3D printing of weapons and images of child abuse.

A trawl of four phones seized during the raid also uncovered a video of a livestream of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019.

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Chillingly, Wolf  who is wanted in the UK on unrelated terror charges  also had in his possession badges depicting the An Garda Siochana logo and another of a Sonnenrad or Black Sun, a popular neo-Nazi symbol used by the New Zealand mass shooter.

Wolfs chosen accommodation was located on the same street as a popular inner-city mosque.

At his sentencing hearing before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last week, further disturbing evidence of the materials found in Wolfs room were also disclosed.

Texts sent to his phone referenced the killing of children on a regular basis while other items seized included a Nazi flag along with military goggles, tactical gloves, flick knives, an array of military tents and sleeping bags and other items.

Sentencing Wolf, Judge Martin Nolan said analysis of his phones demonstrated this man had interest in violent means and had hostility towards certain groups.

A Europol report on terrorism released last year referred to Wolf as someone who sympathised with right-wing extremism and had an interest in previous atrocities committed by right-wing extremists.

Gardai do not, however, believe Wolf was part of a group operating in this state and was instead acting alone.

At the time of his arrest in Dublin, Wolf was wanted in the UK to face eight terrorism offences  each carrying a maximum 15-year sentence in that jurisdiction.

The charges related to the possession of eight documents likely to be useful to a person in committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The documents were uncovered during two searches carried out at Nolans home at Britannia Street, in the Borough of Camden, London, on October 10, 2018 and February 25, 2020, during which a laptop was seized.

When this laptop was sent for analysis by the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, 250,000 indecent images of children were also discovered, as well as internet manuals and documents for making improvised weapons and explosives.

At Wolfs court appearance in the UK, two charges of making child sex abuse images were also on the warrant  each of which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Wolf also faced two further charges of possession of child sex abuse images in the UK  each carrying a maximum sentence of three years.

He further faced a further allegation of assault causing actual bodily harm which carries with it a maximum term of five years in the UK.

Wolf has previously consented to his extradition to the UK.

It is not yet known whether he will serve out the 10 years sentence handed down by Dublin Circuit Court prior to his extradition or will be repatriated for trial in the more immediate future.

Its understood gardai tracked Wolf to his hostel accommodation in Gardiner Street, Dublin, after he sought to import firearm components from the US.

During the raid of his hostel room in 2021, gardai confiscated four mobile phones which were found to contain images of child abuse including Snapchat conversations between Wolf and two different teenage girls, one of which involved both Wolf and the girl engaging in separate sex acts over Snapchat.

Det Sgt Gareth Kane told Eoin Lawlor, prosecuting, that in addition to the images of child abuse, there were images and videos on Wolfs phone of human suffering such as a foetus being made into soup, a woman shooting herself and males being decapitated.

Judge Nolan imposed concurrent terms of 10 years in prison for the firearm offences and two years for the possession of child abuse material, which were backdated to when Wolf first went into custody in June 2021.
A huge security operation will be in place for the US presidents visit and rest days and holidays have been cancelled for the duration. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

A garda day of action during the US Presidential visit next week has not been ruled out by members amid a deepening row over rosters.

Two of the countrys biggest garda associations will hold separate meetings this week as they remain at loggerheads with management over plans to introduce new working time arrangements.

Fresh talks last week ended in a deadlock with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris indicating the matter will go before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

Delegates from the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI), who represent around 2,500 mid-ranking gardai, will meet at their annual conference in Galway this week.

Rosters will be the main talking point with sources saying delegates will discuss what steps to take next, including a potential day of action, tomorrow. These discussions will take into account the high-profile visit of US President Joe Biden to Ireland next week.

One source said that nothing is off the table in relation to any potential day of action during the presidential visit.

However, no decision has yet been made on the matter.

Annual leave and rest days for all members have been cancelled between April 10 and 15, except for in exceptional circumstances. This is to ensure a large garda presence for the security operation which will see Mr Biden travel to Mayo, Louth and Dublin over four days.

He will also visit Northern Ireland during the trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

AGSI members held a day of action last month and said they would not rule out a Blue Flu, involving garda members ringing in sick on the same day.

A spokesperson for the AGSI said it had made a number of suggestions last week on how the current impasse on rosters could be resolved, but these were rejected to their extreme disappointment.

The central executive committee of the Garda Representative Association, which represents over 11,000 frontline gardai, will also convene on Wednesday to discuss what course of action it will take.

A GRA insider said its membership was angered after talks reached a serious impasse last Friday. Concerns among members over the new proposed working hours include potential loss of income, fatigue, and the impact on work-life balance.

The garda chief, who will address the AGSI conference tomorrow, has previously denied any suggestion that he is trying to impose new rosters or that he has rushed the matter to the WRC.

In an internal message last month, he said the matter was referred to the WRC after three years of negotiations, including 13 months under the independent chair of an industrial relations expert.

Speaking ahead of their conference, AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham said the mood of the membership was very low.

Our annual delegate conference is timely as there is a lot to discuss including what and how members will react to the updates on this dispute, and to engage and listen to members on what forms of industrial action they may wish to take.

AGSI have also raised serious concerns with the internal consultation process and will be seeking the formal withdrawal of the recent Directive on Gender Identity in the Workplace, owing to the lack of consultation and awareness and especially in light of the recent comments by the Garda Commissioner that the mis-gendering of a person could lead to discipline.
Waiting lists to see a GP are set to worsen as the roll out of free GP visit cards to around 500,000 is planned, doctors warned today.

Most GPs have now closed their lists to new patients, the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said.

It was responding to a strategic review of general practice, announced today by the Department of Health, to assess its various needs .

Dr Denis McCauley, Chairman of the GP Committee of the IMO, said while the review is welcome it is deeply frustrating  that the review will take place after the proposed rollout of free GP care to an additional 500,000 people was announced.

Such a policy, if implemented in an unplanned way, will dramatically increase the frequency of visits to GPs, leading to delays, the creation of waiting lists for GP visits and the displacement of care for those patients who are the most unwell.

He added: Clearly the news of the review, reflects an acknowledgement that there are significant issues around general practice including capacity, access to out of hours services, and the suitability of the existing financial model underpinning the GP service.

"However it is deeply flawed that it will take place after moves that will directly increase pressure on GPs across the country. We already have waiting times for GPs for routine appointments, most GPs have closed their lists to new patients, as they are at capacity, and this policy will only exacerbate an already challenging situation.

He warned that already, demand for appointments exceeds capacity.

Extending free GP care at this point will mean people will have entitlement but no access, he said.

It will mean displacement of care for those who are sickest and unrelenting pressure on GPs and their staff, while cost will not be a barrier  access will be. There will be increased pressure on out of hours services that cannot be met.

In response, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) said it welcomed the establishment of the review.

It highlighted the urgency of GP workforce crisis and said it looks forward to delivery of report this autumn.

Medical Director of the ICGP, Dr Diarmuid Quinlan, said: We believe this strategic review will play a huge role in helping find, resource and implement urgent solutions to the GP workforce and workload crisis. This is crucial to enable patients to have timely access to GP care.

We know that 14pc of GPs are over 65 years of age. This group of 500-600 GPs is likely to retire in the next three to four years. We are training 70pc more GPs than we did six years ago, we face an expanding population and greater demand for GP services.

More and more patients are unable to register with a GP, and there are significant waiting times for routine appointments.

The former President of the ICGP, and the author of the ICGPs Shaping the Future discussion paper, Prof. Tom ODowd, said: We know that the solutions lie in the key stakeholders working together and we can now begin the process of finding, resourcing and implementing innovative solutions to this crisis. 
The artist behind Eoin O Broins depiction of gardai taking part in a famine-era eviction has also shared images of a garda with a pig's head and a burning PSNI van.

The artist known as Spicebag also accuses gardai of protecting bailiffs at an eviction.

His work was shared by Sinn Feins housing spokesman, sparking a backlash from a Garda representative body.

Also known as Mala Spiosrai, he appears in photos wearing a black balaclava. He was also behind a controversial cartoon of former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster strapped to a rocket on top of a bonfire.

Alongside the reworked image of a famine-era eviction, the artist has also posted a cartoon pigs head over the face of a garda on social media. A pig is a derogatory nickname for gardai and police officers in other jurisdictions.

Adam Doyle, the artist known as Spicebag, has denied creating the image of the Garda with the pig's face. He said it was made by another campaign group.

The artist was heavily critical of the garda activity around an eviction from a site in the north inner city, which was being occupied by squatters.

"When the Garda boys turned up they went straight to the aid of the bailiffs and protected them. These are the same Gards who will ignore 3000 domestic violence calls, but if, god forbid, a property developer doesnt get their way, theyll be on it like a fly on shite, he said.

His social media post goes on to say the departure of the bailiffs was covered by the Gardai.

Other so-called artworks from Spicebag include a t-shirt with an image of a burning Police Service of Northern Ireland van with the slogan in Irish No welcome for the RUC. The t-shirt is for the Irish language rap group Kneecap and is a lyric from their song Cearta meaning right.

The song was removed from the playlist by RTE's Irish language station Raidio na Gaeltachta as it contained multiple references to drugs, sex and the PSNI.

The RUC was the previous police body in Northern Ireland, dominated by Protestants and often accused of sectarianism. The Royal Ulster Constabulary was disbanded under the Good Friday Agreement and replaced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which draws cross-community support. RUC is used as a insult to the PSNI.

The artist also designed a tour poster for the band with a cartoon image showing a bonfire with Mrs Foster and then British prime minister Boris Johnson tied to the rocket.

The artists body of work includes a series of images with a distinctly republican and left-wing political message.
Justice Minister Simon Harris has said a 'Blue Flu' day of action during the US Presidential visit next week would be "unhelpful".

Delegates for the body representing garda middle management will vote on Tuesday on what steps to take over the deepening row over rosters.

Earlier the Irish Independent revealed that industrial action during the high-profile visit has not been ruled out by the organisation for around 2,500 mid-ranking gardai.

The head of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has today said that she cannot yet reassure members of anything in terms of potential action.

Speaking at their annual conference in Galway, general secretary Antoinette Cunningham has not ruled out a possible day of action during the Biden visit next week.

"I think anything and everything at this point in time is in the hands of the delegates. By lunchtime tomorrow I will have a very clear view of what the delegates wish to do," Ms Cunningham said.

The AGSI and the Garda Representative Association (GRA) have been at loggerheads with Commissioner Drew Harris over a proposed new working time agreement.

The representative bodies have expressed their disappointment over talks reaching a deadlock, with Commissioner Harris indicating his intention for the matter to go to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).

Speaking at the AGSI conference, the Justice Minister said it was not up for him to intervene in the matter.

Asked about a possible day of action during the Biden visit, Mr Harris said: "I'm conscious this is for them to decide what action they may wish or may not wish to take or not take, but I certainly hope it doesn't come to that. That would be unhelpful."

Any such action would likely cause a major headache for the security planning of the event.

Garda management has already cancelled annual leave and rest days for members of all ranks between April 10 and 15, except for in exceptional circumstances.

This is to ensure a large garda presence for the significant security operation which will see the 46th US President travel to Mayo, Louth and Dublin over four days.

Mr Biden will also visit Northern Ireland during the trip to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

AGSI members held a day of action last month and said they would not rule out "Blue Flu", involving garda members ringing in sick on the same day.

The GRA will convene on Wednesday to discuss what course of action it will take.

The special meeting of the GRA's central executive committee, which represents over 11,000 frontline gardai, is being held ahead of next week's visit.

A GRA insider said its membership was angered after talks reached a "serious impasse" last Friday.

Concerns among the new proposed working hours include potential loss of income, fatigue, and the impact on work-life balance.

The Garda chief, who will address the conference on Tuesday, has previously denied any suggestion that he is trying to "impose" new rosters or that he has rushed the matter to the WRC.

In an internal message to all members last month, he said that the matter was referred to the WRC after three years of negotiations, including 13 months under the independent chair of an industrial relations expert.
Over 4,300 notices of termination were issued by landlords in the last three months of 2022.

Even though the eviction ban kicked in at the end of October, landlords were still able to issue 4,329 eviction notices in the three months to December, with 3,329 of those notices falling due in April, May and June, now that the eviction ban has lifted.

This is on top of the almost 3,000 notices of termination received by tenants in the third quarter of last year, which come into effect this month.

The statistic is likely to intensify pressure on the Government, which has vowed to move with legislation to give tenants first dibs on buying properties if their landlords decide to sell up.

Reacting to the figures, CEO of the housing charity Threshold, John-Mark McCafferty, said it was an unsustainably high number of notices, given rising rental costs.

He said: "This level of NoTs indicates the extreme challenges of the housing crisis. Many of those losing their homes are those forced to turn to homeless services as they are unable to find new accommodation in the private rental sector. To compound matters, emergency accommodation is in short supply in many local authorities.

"In Q4 2022, 58pc of notices of termination received by tenants were issued as the landlord intends to sell the rental property. This is a reported 2,513 homes suitable for long-term housing vacating the private rental market, stretching already limited rental supply even further.

"It is critical that local authorities act in a proactive manner to purchase and retain these properties for the rental market, which could save at least some households from entering homelessness.

The newly published figures from the Residential Tenancies Board reveal how nearly two thirds of the 4,329 eviction notices were because landlords wanted to sell the property.

Over 16.3pc said they were evicting tenants because the property owner or their family member wanted to move into the home.

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A breach of tenant obligations was the reason given in just over 16pc of the notices.

Of the total number of eviction notices issued, 43pc were to tenants in Dublin, with nearly 11pc in Cork and over 6pc in Galway.

Just 0.76pc of notices were issued in Carlow, 0.42pc in Leitrim and 0.83 in Longford.

Threshold said it currently has 4,020 open cases concerning notices of termination, with 55pc of notices received by advisors found to be invalid.

As a result of the very high level of invalid notices, Threshold is urging any tenant who has received a notice of termination - or is uncertain about their rights - to contact the charitys expert advisors and receive support.

Sinn Feins housing spokesman, Eoin O Broin called for "the immediate reinstatement of the ban on no fault evictions".

He said: "This is huge number of eviction notices. While a small number of people will secure alternative private rental accommodation, most will not.

"The result will be an increase in hidden homelessness as people move in with family and friends and an increase in the number of single people and families in emergency accommodation.

"Local Authorities are already at breaking point. Our emergency accommodation system will simply not be able to cope with any significant increase in homeless presentations. Many people will be forced to overhold and in some cases to sleep rough.

"The Government's decision to end the ban on no fault evictions was wrong. It must be immediately reinstated."

Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O'Callaghan said: If the Government does not reverse its decision to lift the ban on no-fault evictions, we are facing a tsunami of evictions in the coming months - more than 9,000 - while homeless services are already operating beyond capacity.

Thousands of people across the country are competing for a handful of available rental properties. This is causing immense stress to those who are facing into eviction with nowhere to go."

A spokesperson for the RTB said one tenancy may not involve just one home as one eviction notice could be served to multiple tenants in one tenancy or separate notice to quits could be issued for each tenant in one tenancy.

From 6 July 2022, new laws came into effect which require landlords to send a copy of all eviction notices to the RTB on the same day they are served on the tenant.

The eviction notice is invalid if this is not done and the new data represents the second quarter since the recent change to the legislation kicked in.
by Thomas R. Wells

Environmentalists are always complaining that governments are obsessed with GDP and economic growth, and that this is a bad thing because economic growth is bad for the environment. They are partly right but mostly wrong. First, while governments talk about GDP a lot, that does not mean that they actually prioritise economic growth. Second, properly understood economic growth is a great and wonderful thing that we should want more of.

Governments around the world  of every ideology  are in favour of economic growth all else being equal. Economic growth increases the wealth of a population and hence improves their options and those of the government that rules them. This is extremely politically convenient as it allows governments to serve all their various constituencies without having to make hard choices between them, and so keep them happy enough that they get to stay in power. Honest politicians can provide more public services to those who demand them, while keeping the tax rate the same. Corrupt politicians can get away with funneling money to themselves and their cronies without risking revolution. More money means fewer and easier political problems.

However, just because someone values a certain outcome, does not mean that they value it enough to take the necessary painful steps to achieve it. (Or else everyone would get As in all their exams and keep the waist size they had in high-school.) It turns out that the policies governments need to implement (or stop implementing) in order for their societies to get richer are often more politically costly than they are worth. Take for example governments responsibility for the housing crisis across the rich world, in which the price of housing rises faster than incomes.

The rising price of housing makes people much poorer than they would otherwise be, since it leaves them with much less to spend on everything else and so reduces their real set of options. With minor differences in detail, all these different countries housing crises are due to the same underlying problem: There are not enough housing units being being built in the places that people want to live to meet demand, and so people are forced to bid against each other  to spend all they can afford (by borrowing vast amounts and sacrificing other things in their lives)  to win a place to live. Meanwhile, like a sad game of musical chairs, more and more people can no longer afford to stay in the competition and are pushed into homelessness.

But why is there a lack of supply? Why havent entrepreneurial real estate developers built more to take advantage of the ludicrous prices? The simple answer is that rich world governments have stopped new housing from being built with zoning laws and other regulatory processes that allow tiny groups of activists to block construction. They did so because building new housing reduces the value of existing housing and so is unpopular with the people who already have a place to live  and these are an important political constituency. There are additional knock on effects. People cant afford to move to the places where the new economic opportunities are forming, making them  and the country poorer. Parenthood costs space and financial stability that fewer and fewer people can afford, and so fertility rates fall, and eventually also the future workforce. Inequality between housing market winners and losers tears society apart and reduces faith in politics while increasing anger. And so on.

There are lots of other ways that governments hinder economic growth not merely by their inactions, but by continuing economically foolish policies (usually at the demand of sections of the middle-class), from subsidising fossil fuel to blocking economic migration and free trade (Brexit!), and the over-regulation of medicines. It is simply not true that governments only care about economic growth and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Governments care about the immediate political costs and benefits of their rhetoric and actions, and it turns out that many of the sources of economic growth are political non-starters. Just look at the difficulties Macron is having trying to persuade the French people to improve the financial sustainability of the pension system.

But the political unpopularity of economic growth is unfortunate, because economic growth is wonderful. Economic growth is when ordinary peoples set of valuable options increases, so that we can do more of the things we want to than we could before. More vegan burgers, more holidays, more audiobooks, more philosophy lectures, more cat cafes, more medical research, more accommodations for the disabled, and so on. If it is a good thing when people can achieve some of the things they find valuable, it is even better when they can afford more, and also when the government can afford to organise more valuable club goods  such as universal preschool  on our behalf.

Now it is true that some of the things people will want to spend their additional income on may be bad things from the perspective of environmentalists, such as gas-guzzling SUVs and plasma TVs and foreign holidays and unsustainably fished seafood. But this is not an argument against economic growth itself because there is no necessary relationship between economic growth and environmental destruction.

First, economic growth properly understood should include the social cost of any environmental harm just as it should include the social cost of a shortage of housing. Economic growth is often measured in terms of GDP, in which only market transactions and government spending appear, but that doesnt make them the same thing. Real economic growth reflects the expansion of ordinary peoples ability to obtain the things they find valuable. Sometimes that will involve substitution with significant impacts on customs and ways of living. For example, when books got printed they became cheap enough for ordinary people to read privately and silently to themselves  a revolution in the practise of reading that many presumably regretted but was nevertheless a vast expansion in peoples opportunities. Likewise, measuring economic growth properly means taking proper account of the environmental impact of peoples choices on others so that those costs can be compensated (preferably through the price system), but that is not the same thing as a veto. Those who are not satisfied with that, who wish that people would live more virtuously and spend their money on other things, or not at all, should make the case for that directly to those concerned rather than complaining about economic growth in general.

The second reason the environmentalists are mistaken is that an expansion in human prosperity does not require an expansion in the destruction of environmental goods. The underlying driver of economic growth is an increase in average productivity across the economy as new technologies are developed and implemented, i.e. an increase in how much of the things people want can be produced with the same set of resources. Some things require inputs of natural resources, like land and minerals. But the very technological developments that drive the increase in productivity also drive down the amount of resources needed to produce each of them.

It is true that the paradox of efficiency means that when things get cheaper, people consume more of them (e.g. as people get richer they eat more meat, because it tastes nicer). But firstly I refer to my earlier point that once social costs are properly accounted for in prices, what remains seems like a persuasion problem, not an economic growth problem. And secondly, there are limits to how many things people want. The great majority of modern rich world economies is not made up of material things like steaks and smartphones, but immaterial services like education and apps whose production requires little to no physical inputs. Hence the now well-established empirical fact that economic growth does not require an expansion of environmental impact.

Let me sum up. Economic growth is a wonderful thing. In poorer countries, the benefits of growth in terms of allowing people to afford better food and things more than offsets the social costs of their environmental impact. In richer countries, where we already have plenty of nice food and things, economic growth means more of us can access more and better services, which will have little to no environmental impact. Unfortunately we cannot expect to get this wonderful thing automatically, because governments operate on political incentives and many of those are lined up against the sources of economic growth. We should be trying to change those incentives by lobbying for the government to do its job of serving our interests by facilitating the drivers of growth or getting itself out of the way.

Thomas Wells teaches philosophy in the Netherlands. He blogs on philosophy, politics, and economics at The Philosophers Beard.
Clear details of wages will have to be given in job ads under a new law being heralded as a game-changer for women.

The European parliament approved a new directive on pay transparency last Thursday that must become national law within three years.

All employers will be legally obliged to stick to new rules that are expected to give job- seekers and workers far more transparency on salaries.

Bosses will have to provide information about initial pay levels or the wage range on offer in a job vacancy notice before an interview.

Also, employers will not be allowed to ask job candidates about their pay history. Other key measures include a right for all workers to ask their employer for information on pay levels within a firm.

They can ask for average salary levels broken down by sex for staff doing the same or similar work to them.

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In addition, if an employers gender pay gap report shows a difference of at least 5pc, they can be asked to carry out a wage assessment.

There are also measures for victims of pay discrimination. They include compensation with full back pay.

Employers, rather than workers, will have to prove there was no discrimination in relation to pay. Sanctions will include fines.

When asked when Equality Minister Roderic OGorman plans to translate the directive into law, a department spokesperson said it would be as soon as is practicable.

Detailed consideration of the measures required to complete transposition of the directive into national law will begin shortly, she said.

Some elements, such as gender pay gap reporting by employers, are in place but may require amendment to align with the detailed provisions of the directive. It is the ministers intention to transpose the directive as soon as is practicable.

A PwC analysis of the first mandatory gender pay gap reports last December revealed an average pay gap of almost 13pc between men and women. The new directive aims to ensure there is equal pay and justice for victims of wage discrimination.

No more double standards, no more excuses

European Commission vice-president for values and transparency Vera Jourova said there should be no more double standards, no more excuses.

Women must know whether their employers treat and value them equally, she said.

For this to happen, we need more transparency on pay levels, starting already at job interviews. The new pay transparency rules will be a game-changer for women in Europe.

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ICTU social policy officer Laura Bambrick said the directive was excellent and meant those who were underpaid and undervalued in their old job would not have this follow them to the next one.

Litigation and compliance manager at Peninsula Ireland Nora Cashe said as things stood there was no legal right for a prospective employee to know what someone already doing the advertised job was being paid.

The idea is that if the salary information is more readily available, it should help candidates with no professional connections avoid selling themselves short on salary and ultimately negotiate better pay and benefits, she said.

General secretary of Isme Neil McDonnell said: People tend to want to know the market-level for wages in their sector, even if they dont want others to know what they themselves earn.
Government plans to send primary school children, who are due school dental care, to private dentists instead were condemned today by the Irish Dental Association.

Instead of visits to schools by HSE-employed dentists, parents would be funded to take their child to a private dentist instead.

HSE figures show that half of the children who were due to be seen by a dentist under the school screening process in 2022 never received any form of dental check-up due to lack of HSE staff.

However, outsourcing to private practices, which are already overstretched, will lead to even more pressure, the dentists body warned.

The number of public-only dentists has fallen by almost one quarter over the past 15 years, down from 330 in 2006 to 254 in 2022. At a minimum, the HSE would need to hire 76 dentists immediately to bring the service back to the levels it was 15 years ago.

In a bid to tackle the delays, plans are now underway to allow children be seen by private dentists.

The dentists organisation said eroding the HSE public dentist scheme would impact the most vulnerable children most, who would be at risk of losing out.

A spokeswoman said 75pc of its members in private practice say that they would find it difficult or very difficult to deliver a service for under-sevens.

The organisations president, Caroline Robins said: Outsourcing the care of children to an already understaffed and overstretched private sector is not the answer. Private practices across the country are already struggling to recruit new staff as two-thirds of advertised vacancies remain unfilled.

We know that specialist care is required when treating children and we believe that this should happen in a fully-staffed public service which ensures that all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, receive early intervention.

The Irish Dental Association also launched its strategic workforce plan 2023, which outlines a number of recommendations on how to address the staffing crisis in both the public and private sectors.

The proposals include the expansion of the two dental schools at UCC and TCD , the reintroduction of a Foundation Training Scheme to facilitate new graduates in gaining experience in a mentored environment and changes to rules surrounding work permits.
Noel Dunne should be spending his time preparing for two major operations, but instead the 61-year-old is facing the prospect of being homeless when he is discharged from hospital in a few weeks time.

Mr Dunne has rented a farmhouse in Kilmore, Co Wexford, for the last three years but last week was told he has to move out in the next six to eight weeks as the property has been sold.

Mr Dunne, who moved to the area from Dublin several years ago, has had jobs as a postman, a barman and a merchant seaman, but in the last year has had to quit work due to embolisms in his leg worsening.

In the next few weeks, he is due to undergo major surgery to remove the embolisms in his leg and the aneurism in his chest.

Meanwhile, the place he has called home has been sold, leaving him with nowhere to recover after his operations.

Although he qualifies for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), he cant find any accommodation that he can afford.

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I only got the news about the sale three weeks ago, that it was sold. I knew it was up for sale, but I didnt think it was going to be that quick, said Mr Dunne.

Im in the middle of packing up. I dont know where Im going to be to recuperate. I absolutely cant find any accommodation anywhere whatsoever.

Im mainly looking for somewhere permanent. Im on the HAP scheme but the HAP scheme wont cover the rent in a lot of places.

He said his landlords, who live in the Netherlands, want to get out of the rental market and use the money from the sale to buy a house.

They want to get out of this landlord business because of all the taxes, Mr Dunne said. What I understand is, they live in an apartment and they want to buy themselves a house in Holland. Theyre going to use the money from this sale for a deposit on a house over there.

The new landlords, I dont know who they are, but theyre coming in to do a rebuild and they want to get started as soon as possible.

The 1870s farmhouse has been modernised and has three bedrooms, one en suite, a bathroom, a dining room, a sitting room, breakfast room and a kitchen.

I was ringing the council, there must have been over 100 phone calls but all I kept getting was an answering machine from the local officer in the area and she never got back to me. I just filled up her machine with messages telling her my situation. I would ring her twice a day on some occasions.

Local councillors just said there was nothing they could do. Theyre under pressure, too, from a lot of other people.

Mr Dunne has been working with local TDs in an attempt to source accommodation immediately but has had no luck.

Reacting today, local TD Brendan Howlin said: It is just unconscionable that an eviction ban would be put in place without a plan of ready-made options in place

There was a promise made that things will be done, legislation will be enacted; but there are no practical options available to the majority of people now facing evictions."

The former Labour leader continued: Noel is very concerned.

Im dealing with lots of cases, but I saw that Noel was facing surgery. There is enough on your mind and even if the council came up with a hostel, that would be totally unsuitable for somebody like him.

The burning issue now, is for anyone facing eviction in a place like Wexford, there is precious little alternative accommodation available.

"In all our constituencies offices, every councillor and TD - for the first time in our political careers  there are very few options in terms of advice to give people, who have received an eviction order, because in the vast majority of cases, there is nowhere for people to go.

The same is true for Wexford County Council, theyre under enormous stress to find accommodation.

The Irish Independent contacted Wexford County Council for comment.
At 10.15pm on the mild spring night of March 18, 1923 in the small Leitrim market town of Mohill, 31-year-old Dr Paddy Muldoon and his 70-year-old neighbour Edward Geelan were returning from their weekly Sunday night card game with the local Catholic parish priest Canon Michael Masterson.

Just as the two companions were about to part company near their homes, three men in trench coats emerged from the darkness and one gunman opened fire on Dr Muldoon, killing him with a single shot before fleeing.

Almost immediately, speculation pointed towards Fr Edward Ryanss involvement in the killing of the popular doctor. Ryans (36), a curate in the neighbouring parish of Aughavas, was a major figure in local republican circles serving as President of Leitrim Sinn Fein from 1920 to 1922.

While initially a strong supporter of the Treaty, he switched to the anti-Treaty side in 1922.

Three men in trench coats emerged from the darkness and one gunman opened fire

Speculation about Ryanss involvement was linked to the curates arrest on February 22 while attempting to abandon an infant on the steps of the Black Church in Dublins Broadstone.

The curate  dressed in civilian clothes, and accompanied by his 18-year-old housekeeper Mary Kate Gallogly  was noticed acting suspiciously by a number of local women who immediately alerted the police and the pair were arrested.

Writers Ken Boyle and Tim Desmond in their book The Murder of Dr Muldoon establish a clear link between Ryanss arrest and the killing of Dr Muldoon, suggesting the towns doctor was killed because he had informed the local parish priest and the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise Joseph Hoare that the curate was the father of the abandoned child, and that Gallogly was the mother.

Dr Muldoon knew the priest was the childs father because Mary Kate Gallogly had attended his surgery during the early stages of her pregnancy. His wife Rita was active in the Mohill Nursing Association and had also supported the young pregnant woman.

Three days after their arrest in Dublin, Ryans and Gallogly were released on bail and returned to Leitrim. Within days, Bishop Hoare visited Ryans, suspended him from his duties.

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Throughout late February and early March 1923, Ryans was seen acting erratically around the south Leitrim area issuing threats against the Muldoons during a series of drunken binges. Not only did Ryans accuse Rita Muldoon of meddling in his affairs, he also knew the doctor and his wife were potential witnesses in his forthcoming trial.

In his attempts to quell the rumours circulating locally, Ryans gave a series of conflicting explanations about the events surrounding his housekeepers pregnancy.

In one of his accounts, he claimed the father of the baby was a family friend and a worthless individual.

Anxious to support his young housekeeper, he stated that he arranged that she stay in lodgings in Dublin for the last three months of her pregnancy and paid for her upkeep.

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Giving a false name, Kate Brown, she gave birth to a baby girl in Holles Street Hospital on January 29, 1923.

On the birth certificate, the baby was named as Rose Brown, and there was no record on the document of the childs father. Three weeks after the birth, Ryans and Gallogly attempted to abandon the infant in Broadstone.

The specialist Criminal Investigations Department (CID) came from Dublin and conducted an extensive investigation into the killing.

According to Boyle and Desmond, the policemen identified a local anti-Treaty IRA unit as being the gunmen and that Ryans had transported the killers to and from Mohill.

In late March 1923, Ryans was arrested at his family home in Keadue, Co Roscommon on a charge of anti-Treaty activity and suspicion of involvement in the Muldoon killing.

Nobody was ever charged with the killing.

On the charge of child abandonment, Fr Ryans faced three different trials between May and August 1923 with all three juries failing to reach a verdict.

Nobody was ever charged with the killing

At the first trial on May 9 1923, all charges against Kate Brown (Mary Kate Gallogly) were dropped.

A vulnerable and troubled Mary Kate Gallogly, arrested and taken to the Womens Detention Centre in Athlone, would have been unaware that her baby daughter had already died from gastritis at St Patricks Mother and Baby Home where she was taken after her abandonment.

A series of back channel activity between church and state ensured Ryans was detained in Mountjoy Prison until December 1923.

There, the priest engaged in extensive correspondence with IRA Commandant General Sean Mac Eoin, whom he knew, denying he was the father of Mary Kate Galloglys child or that he was involved in the Muldoon killing. Mac Eoin knew better than to believe the curate.

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Fr Ryans use his influence in republican circles to get IRA Chief of Staff Frank Aiken to investigate the Muldoon killing and exonerate him.

The anti-Treaty IRA even issued a press release on May 15, 1924 claiming volunteers had mistaken Dr Muldoon and his friend for Free State soldiers in civilian clothes, and described the killing as an unavoidable accident.

Rita Muldoon immediately rejected that, and said her husband was targeted by his killers.

By 1924, Ryans was becoming an embarrassment to the church, the new state and the IRA. His continued suspension from his clerical duties ensured he had no future as a cleric in Ireland.

Following discussions with church authorities, he sailed for America where he resumed his clerical duties serving in Nevada and Florida, before returning to Morecombe in England where he remained until his death in February 1964.

Events that year provided a clear indication of the future direction of church-state relations

The two women who suffered most in the tragedy, Mary Kate Gallogly and Rita Muldoon, never met again.

Rita Muldoon returned to her native Clifden Co Galway where she reared her four children on the proceeds of the compensation she received from the Free State as a result of her husbands killing.

Three of her four children followed the same career path as their deceased father and qualified as doctors.

Mary Kate Gallogly emigrated to America and returned to Leitrim in 1933 before marrying local farmer Peter McGuire.

In 1967, she joined three of her emigrant children in Australia where she died on September 3, 1974.

Within two months of the Muldoon killing, the Irish Civil War ended but events in a small Leitrim town in March 1923 provided a clear indication of the future direction of church-state relations.

The collusion between church, state and the anti-Treaty IRA in the aftermath of the killing ensured the defence of powerful interest groups often superseded the pursuit of natural justice.



Dr Patrick McGarty is a senior lecturer at Munster Technological University, and is author of Leitrim, The Irish Revolution: 1912-23 published by Four Courts Press




IRELAND, France and the EU are urging Iran to release a Tipperary-born tourism executive from prison as part of the traditional clemency orders to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Bernard Phelan (64) has been in "a hell-hole" Iranian prison for seven months since his family insisted he was wrongly accused of espionage.

Mr Phelan, a tourism operator who holds dual Irish-French citizenship, has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and his family warned he was simply in "the wrong place at the wrong time".

Concern for his welfare has mounted because he suffers from a number of medical conditions.

Ramadan ends on April 21 - and a number of inmates are traditionally given early release from prison by the authorities in many Muslim countries to mark the event.

Irish, French and EU officials are now urging the Iranians to release Mr Phelan.

Dublin MEP Francis Fitzgerlad said the ongoing detention of Mr Phelan was "outrageous".

"He has been literally picked up from the streets, put into jail, (with) no trial and suffering outrageous conditions," she said.

"He has no passport and I am calling on the Iranian government to free him.

Mr Phelan insisted he is innocent of all the allegations - and supporters claim he was targeted by the Tehran regime in a bid to silence European countries critical of its crackdown on domestic dissent.

He is now suffering from multiple health complaints including hypertensive cardiac disease, eyesight problems that his family fear could leave him partially blind as well as chronic weight loss.

An Iranian judge signalled a draconian six-and-a-half year prison term last month as Mr Phelan's family appealed for him to be allowed home.

His father, Vincent (97), released a special YouTube video in which he appealed for his son to be allowed to leave Iran - and expressed fears of ever seeing him again.

Mr Phelan's sister, Caroline Masse Phelan, pleaded with the Irish and French authorities to do more to help her brother.

Iranian authorities accused Mr Phelan, who was educated in Dublin, of "providing information to an enemy country".

This is believed to refer to harmless tourist photos that Mr Phelan took while in the country.

French authorities have now bluntly warned Iran they will be held responsible as fears mount over Mr Phelan's health.

The Phelan family revealed he has had to use cardboard to block icy gusts from the open bar windows of his cell in the notorious Vakil Abad prison.

Mr Phelan had launched a hunger strike in a bid to protest at his unjust detention since last October - and now his family revealed he fears he could lose his sight.

His sister managed to speak by telephone to her brother for the first time in over four months in February.

Mr Phelan's family were horrified to learn that he has been suffering increasing sight problems while in the Iranian prison.

"During the call Bernard told me about the problems with his eye. He said he can no longer see clearly through his eye and we are really worried about not only his sight but his general health," she said.

His family fear that the sight problems may be related to complications arising from cornea replacement surgery he apparently underwent early last year before he travelled to Iran as part of his tourism business.

They are worried that, if left untreated, the eye issues could leave him partially blind.

"He is an innocent man caught in the middle of I do not know what. He loves Iran. He is 64 and he is sick. All he wants is to go home, said Ms Masse Phelan.

Mr Phelan's family were left heartbroken three weeks ago when he was not amongst a group of prisoners granted early release from Iranian prisons as part of an amnesty package.

They are now pleading with the French and Irish authorities to do more to help him before he suffers permanent health problems.

"It is very, very upsetting," she said.

Mr Phelan was arrested as protests erupted across Iran last year.

He was in the country to promote tourism to Iran - and other tourism operators were left shocked when he was dragged away by Iranian paramilitary police with a hood over his head.

The Iranian authorities have kept Mr Phelan in one of the worst prisons in the country - and he was being detained in a cell on death row where a number of inmates have been executed over recent weeks.

Tehran has implemented a brutal crackdown on dissent and has executed a number of its nationals over the past few weeks in the wake of massive street demonstrations.

Iran has been gripped by street protests since a young Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, died in custody after being detained by the feared religious police for allegedly wearing her headscarf in an inappropriate manner.

A number of western nationals have been detained in Iran in the wake of the protests.

Some analysts said this was a deliberate policy by Tehran to try to silence the countries that are its most strident international critics.

Mr Phelan has vehemently denied a charge levelled against him by the Iranian authorities of helping to incite propaganda against the Tehran Government.

He was detained in the city of Mashhad on October 3.

Iranian authorities accused him of "propaganda against the establishment" and of photographing police officers.

While born in Clonmel in Co Tipperary, he has been based in France for many years and is understood to have been travelling on a French passport when he was detained.

Mr Phelan does have an Irish passport - and his family believe he was detained simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The French authorities have been trying to provide consular support for Mr Phelan's family.

They demanded last month that Tehran release the tourism operator - and warned France would hold Tehran responsible for the health of any of its citizens in custody.

"We are extremely concerned given the extreme fragility of his health situation," French Foreign Ministry official Anne-Claire Legendre admitted.

"The denial of medical access at this point from the Iranian authorities is completely unacceptable."
GARDAI have detained Ian Bailey (65) on suspicion of drink driving in west Cork.

A sample has now been submitted by gardai for testing to determine what further action, if any, will result.

Mr Bailey was stopped shortly after 9pm on Sunday by gardai as part of a routine traffic check outside Bantry.

One source said the vehicle involved was believed to have been driving in an erratic manner.

Mr Bailey was asked by officers of the West Cork Roads Policing Unit to submit a breath sample.

However, it is understood there was a difficulty in respect of securing a proper breath sample at the scene and Mr Bailey was taken to Bantry Garda Station where an alternative sample was secured.

Mr Bailey - who was returning from a music festival in Ballydehob - claimed it was not his fault a proper sample could not be supplied at the scene and that the machine being used was "defective".

He co-operated fully with officers and provided the sample at the station which will now be sent for testing to determine what action, if any, will result.

The poet and freelance journalist - who was released later on Sunday evening by gardai  told the Irish Independent today that he does not believe he was over the limit.

He confirmed he was arrested and is now awaiting the result of a sample submitted in respect of Road Traffic Act requirements at Bantry garda station on Sunday evening.

"I was stopped by An Garda Siochana on Sunday evening and informed I was driving erratically. I did not believe this was the case and told the garda, he said.

"Three times I tried to comply with the direction to supply a breath sample at the scene but was told I was not doing it properly. I told them I believed the machine was defective but was arrested for non-compliance and taken to Bantry garda station."

Mr Bailey said he was returning from "an absolutely fantastic music festival in Ballydehob" that evening.

"I did have a single drink earlier in the evening with some food. But I do not believe I was over the limit. But we will have to wait and see (what the sample analysis shows)."

He stressed that he attempted to co-operative fully with gardai at all times on Sunday evening.

He confirmed he has been in contact with his solicitor in respect of the matter.

Mr Bailey was previously stopped and tested for suspected drink driving in August 2019 in west Cork.

While he failed a roadside alcolyser test, a sample subsequently submitted at Bantry garda station proved to be negative on analysis.

However, Mr Bailey was also tested for drug driving which resulted in a prosecution which is currently under appeal.

He has sought to have his conviction for drug driving quashed on the basis he was given a drink of water by gardai just minutes before undergoing an oral drug test in a Cork garda station.

Mr Bailey's legal team has submitted that the drink of water - given just minutes before he underwent the Drager 5000 oral drug test at Bantry garda station - "blatantly compromised" the subsequent test result.

The submission came as Cork Circuit Appeals Court dealt with the challenge which has been adjourned multiple times over the past two years.

Mr Bailey was originally convicted of drug driving by Judge John King before Bantry District Court in May 2021 following a case which took almost a year to resolve.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, although the disqualification was paused pending the outcome of Mr Bailey's appeal.

Mr Bailey - who is also a law graduate - has successfully fought extradition to France three times since 2010 over the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (39).

He has consistently protested his innocence in relation to the December 23, 1996, killing of the French mother-of-one at her west Cork holiday home.

Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardai in relation to the investigation in 1997 and 1998 but was released without charge on both occasions.

The Director of Public Prosecutions ruled in 2000/2001 that he did not have a case to answer.

But he was convicted in absentia by a French court of the killing in 2019 - despite repeatedly claiming that attempts were made to frame him for the crime. The French court imposed a 25 year prison term.

The poet, formerly of Liscaha, Schull, Co Cork but currently living in Bantry, described the Paris proceedings as "a farce" and "a show trial".

Mr Bailey attended a Cork Circuit Appeal Court hearing in Skibbereen in respect of the drug driving case using a cane and walking with a limp.

In 2020, gardai prosecuted Mr Bailey for operating a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis and for possession of a small quantity of cannabis.

Mr Bailey contested the matter but was convicted by Judge John King in May 2021.

The counts all arose from an incident on August 25, 2019, outside Schull in west Cork

Mr Bailey was stopped by gardai while driving at Skull townland outside the west Cork village that Sunday evening.

He failed a roadside alcolyser test, was arrested and taken to Bantry garda station.

Mr Bailey underwent a second test for alcohol but was found to be well below the legal drink driving limit.

However, a search of his person while at the station under arrest yielded a small tin containing what was subsequently confirmed to be cannabis.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Heffernan then requested a specific drug test.

Garda Fintan Coffey conducted the oral drug test on Mr Bailey using a Drager 5000 machine. It indicated that Mr Bailey was over the drug driving limit.

A doctor was called to the station and a blood sample was taken from Mr Bailey. The blood sample results, received on October 29, 2019, showing a reading of 2.7ng/ml for D9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) where the limit is 1ng/ml and 19.5ng/ml for 11-nor-9-carboxy-D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) where the limit is 5ng/ml.

Judge King disqualified Mr Bailey from driving for 12 months and fined him a total of 700.

However, counsel for Mr Bailey, Alan O'Dwyer BL, instructed by solicitor Ray Hennessy, argued before Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Appeals Court that the oral drug test was invalid.

This was because Gda Coffey did not observe a 10 minute waiting period after the appellant had been given a drink of water by a different garda.

A key test case - separate to Mr Bailey's proceedings - in relation to such test wait periods is currently before the High Court.

The Drager drug test machine manual said a 10 minute wait must be ensured if food, drink or chewing gum has been taken by the person to be tested.

"The oral fluid test has been blatantly compromised by the consumption of water," Mr O'Dwyer said.

"He (Mr Bailey) consumed water just before he did it (the drug test). I say that the test performed by Gda Coffey was performed unlawfully."

Mr O'Dwyer also argued that the subsequent blood test was only valid if preconditions including a lawful oral blood fluid test were fulfilled.

Gda Coffey told the court he was not aware at the time that Mr Bailey had been given a drink of water by another garda just minutes earlier.

State Solicitor Jerry Healy insisted the oral drug test was carried out correctly and lawfully.

Mr Healy also dismissed issues raised over the roadside checkpoint and the search of Mr Bailey at Bantry garda station.

He argued judicial rulings over the years indicated a wider view had to be taken in cases.

"(Courts) cannot hold gardai to impossible requirements," he said, citing case law.

"You cannot elevate the personal rights of drunk drivers above the personal rights of their potential victims."

Mr Healy also argued that there would be "uproar in the Oireachtas" if gardai were only able to conduct routine checkpoints for very limited and specific reasons.

"Otherwise it is crystal clear that policing would be impossible," he warned.

Judge Boyle said she would consider written legal submissions in relation to the issues raised before her.

Mr Healy said he will also inquire with the DPP about the High Court case over the test delay period and any matters arising from it.

Judge Boyle adjourned the appeal for legal submissions.

Mr O'Dwyer said his client wanted the matter resolved.

"This matter has been playing on Mr Bailey's mind for some time," he said.




One of the rare bits of good news in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes latest report last week carries a sting in its tail. Thanks to human activity, weve actually managed to slow the progress of global warming over the past two centuries by as much as 0.8C.

The bad news is whats been causing that cooling: emissions of fine particles of sulphur and nitrogen compounds and carbon, known as aerosols. Like spray aerosols, these are fine particles suspended in the air  but hardly any come from aerosol cans. Most are produced by the same processes of burning carbon-rich fuel that cause greenhouse-gas emissions. The particles float in the atmosphere, affect the formation of clouds, and reflect solar radiation back into space. That counterbalances the warming effect of carbon dioxide, methane and other gases. As a result, increased aerosol emissions cool the atmosphere, while reductions warm it.

Reducing aerosol emissions should be a key priority for global health, however. There were about 4.23 million excess deaths in 2015 caused by exposure to such chemicals. The worst effects were caused by inhaling smoke from wood and dung fires in poor countries, and transport fuels and road dust in rich ones.

Were making progress on that front. Concentrations of sulphur dioxide or SO2 in Europe and the US have been declining since the 1980s, when fears about acid rain caused power stations to install scrubbers to remove sulphur compounds from smokestacks. Similar regulations have been drastically reducing power-plant aerosol emissions in China and even India, where a government push to roll out LPG stoves has also been cutting smoke from domestic cooking.

That progress on the health front, however, means the cooling effect that aerosols have provided since the dawn of the industrial era is disappearing  a setback in climate terms. As a result, even a fall in carbon emissions may be insufficient to halt the heating of the planet.

It could be as important as warming from CO2 over the next few decades, says Natalie Mahowald, a professor at Cornell University. Temperatures will increase as aerosols are cleared up for air quality.

The effects of this have already been measured in some areas. The Covid-19 lockdowns in early 2020 may have caused temperatures to increase as much as 0.3C in parts of the northern hemisphere, with warming from attenuated aerosol emissions overwhelming cooling from the reduction in greenhouse gases.

Solar radiation at ground level in Wuhan almost doubled at the peak of Chinas lockdowns thanks to reductions in aerosols, a group of Chinese researchers found this month. Falling levels of nitrogen oxide may have changed the balance of chemical reactions in the atmosphere and lifted concentrations of methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas, according to a 2022 separate study.

Geo-engineering (the idea of arresting global warming by spraying SO2 into the atmosphere and dimming the sun) is normally treated as the stuff of science fiction, or at least madcap proposals by out-of-control start-ups. What these studies show is that, to the contrary, were already doing geo-engineering, except in reverse  heating the planet instead of cooling it.

That will make the coming decades particularly challenging. Aerosols typically disappear from the atmosphere within a matter of weeks, whereas CO2 hangs around for as much as 1,000 years. As a result, when you clean up your smokestack emissions, the bad outcomes last longer than the good ones.

Were at the turning point of the aerosol era, researchers at Nasas Goddard Institute concluded last year, with their cooling effect already as weak as its been in a century. As a result of that shift, warming could be as much as twice as rapid between 2010 and 2050 as in the previous four decades, according to a recent study led by Columbia University climate scientist James Hansen.

We face a hazardous path out of the situation weve brought to the world. For all the prominence of carbon dioxide in the discussion of climate change, its just one of the ways in which human activity has upset the atmospheric equilibrium which weve enjoyed since the dawn of civilisation. It will be far harder to restore that balance than it was to disrupt it.
Damascene conversions are common in politics. Look at Mary Lou McDonald, who was once a Fianna Fail cheerleader and is now their arch-nemesis as leader of Sinn Fein. And what about Simon Harris, who started out the last decade as a pro-life conservative and ended it as a pro-choice liberal? Turn to Leo Varadkar, who started out his political career as a right-wing ideologue and is now

In fairness, politicians are entitled to change their mind, capable of adopting new positions and not be influenced by previous stances. With the passage of time, they may well wonder how on earth they were ever on the other side. But you do have to wonder if previous events can shape perspectives several years later.

Take the case of Sinn Fein and its attitude towards policing and law and order. In its days as the political wing of the Provisional IRA, the party defended murder, kidnapping and robbery in this State on a weekly basis, including the killing of gardai and soldiers. To this day, the party still cannot support the Special Criminal Court. Not even the conviction of Mary Lou McDonalds protege, former party councillor Jonathan Dowdall, for his role in the Regency Hotel gangland murder has seen them come on board.

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Sinn Feins great reform has been to abstain on votes in the Dail that ensure the continued running of the non-jury court. The party cites human rights concerns, which are legitimate. But it ignores the courts role in jailing republican paramilitaries and its long-standing objections to the Offences Against the State Act, the anti-terrorism law underpinning the court. If the party was elected to government after the next general election, abstaining from votes would not be an option.

The States battle against the Provisional republican movement during the Troubles also lingers. Not everyone was a draft-dodger like Mary Lou, who bizarrely claims she could have joined the IRA but just didnt.

Aside from the Provisional IRAs continual attacks, threats and hostility towards An Garda Siochana, party activists were often in conflict with gardai who were monitoring the activities of a movement, which admittedly had a ballot paper in this hand and an Armalite in the other.

Three prominent members of the current Sinn Fein frontbench have alleged malpractice by gardai against party activists. Last year, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar brought up an incident where Pearse Doherty was convicted of abusing a garda when he was arrested in late 1998. Fear not, Mary Lou was still in Fianna Fail at that stage so she wasnt involved. But Matt Carthy was and he too was prosecuted for a public order offence, along with two other party activists. The judge convicted all four but applied the Probation of Offenders Act and these young people avoided getting a criminal record. The four claimed they were beaten up by gardai who knew they were members of Sinn Feins youth wing. The previous month, Sinn Feins youth wing also claimed to have been attacked by uniformed gardai. The junior Shinners had been involved in a series of clashes with gardai on the weekend of their conference, including rocking a garda car with gardai inside it.

The partys yoof claimed they merely surrounded the car and blocked it to ensure the safety of others. Sinn Fein youths national organiser was Eoin O Broin, who claimed there was a constant problem with Garda Special Branch harassing and intimidating our youth activists. He also rejected reliable reports on the confrontations with gardai as an unfortunate misrepresentation of events.

Given this past animosity, theres an onus on Sinn Fein to ensure there is no doubt over its commitment to supporting An Garda Siochana.

By Sunday at lunchtime, there had been 2.3 million views of a social media post by O Broin depicting gardai participating in an eviction.

The image was a Banksy-style reworking of a painting by renowned 1800s artist Daniel MacDonald of a Famine eviction. The image showed gardai helping to remove tenants from a thatched house. The intention was clearly to compare the current ending of the eviction ban with the notorious actions of British landlords of the Famine period. Antoinette Cunningham, the general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, described O Broins tweet as insultingly wrong in its portrayal of gardai and deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate from an elected representative.

O Broin stood his ground, saying the image depicted a private security company carrying out an eviction with the gardai observing: That is what happens in cases of a court-ordered eviction. The tweet is intended as a criticism of Government policy, not the gardai. The image was also based upon members of the gardas public order unit wearing balaclavas, policing protesters at the eviction of housing activists who had occupied a building in Dublin city five years ago. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris later admitted the gardai had learned lessons from that incident.

Tarring all gardai with the brush of enabling evictions is a leap though. Sinn Fein is on dangerous ground if it wants to rework history through a modern prism. Leading Sinn Fein figures cheering on the murders of men, women and children by the Provisional IRA would certainly make for an interesting retrospective depiction. Just a fortnight ago was the 30th anniversary of the Warrington bombing, which killed 12-year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball and left 56 people injured. The bombing, targeting children shopping for Mothers Day gifts, was part of what Mary Lou McDonald calls a justified campaign.

As the main opposition party, Sinn Fein does occupy a position of responsibility in our political system. The party is a serious entity, north and south, with an international presence. It is not a juvenile rabble, that never grew out of student politics.

People Before Profit can talk about the gardai and the Army conspiring to take part in a coup detat against an elected left-wing government. But you expect more maturity of a party that aspires to being in power.

Pitting the gardai as being on the side of merciless landlords is itself an unfortunate misrepresentation.
Last week, Galway farmer Michael Scott was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after he reversed a teleporter into his elderly aunt, Chrissie Treacy.

What the jury didn't hear was evidence that Ms Treacy told "the entire community" that she believed her nephew was responsible for the disappearance of her beloved dog, Bradley.

That information was heard during a pre-trial hearing without the jury present. Presenter Siobhan Maguire is joined by Irish Independent reporter Nicola Anderson who was in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin last week for the verdict. She tells the Indo Daily how Mr Scott also called a witness a terrible name in court, and his dispute with his late aunt over her land.
by Derek Neal

According to my father, David Mamet once said that his scripts are about men in confined space. I have been unable to verify this quote, but if you look on the internet, theres an awful lot of writing about Mamet and confined space. In particular, I suspect the origin of this apocryphal statement may be a review of American Buffalo by Roger Ebert, in which he mentions that Mamets play succeeds where the film fails because, on stage, the characters are trapped in space and time, while on the screen they seem less confined. It goes without saying that a film allows for greater movement of its characters than a play, but a movie can trap its characters if it chooses to, and this choice can be all the more effective because its a conscious one, not something imposed by circumstances. One film that makes this choice is Living, which I saw this past weekend.

The first scene of the film sees Mr. Wakeling, young and fresh faced, join his new colleagues on the platform of the local train station. Theyre heading into London for the days work, and they, along with most everyone else on the platform, are dressed in suit, tie, and jacket. Its 1953. Because its Mr. Wakelings first day, hes unsure about what the appropriate etiquette is. Hes not at work yet, and he hasnt met two of his new colleagues, although he does recognize a third from the interview. Should he go over and introduce himself? Should he avoid them, pretend he hasnt noticed them standing there? He makes eye contact with the one he recognizes from the interview, who nods almost imperceptibly, granting him permission and entry into their group.

Mr. Wakeling is introduced by this man, Mr. Middleton (no first names in this environment), who we suspect is his boss as he is older than the other colleagues and seems to command more authority. When Mr. Wakeling tries to make small talk as they await the train, Mr. Middleton visibly ignores him and chooses to read his newspaper. A younger colleague, Mr. Rusbridger, has to inform Wakeling that at such an early hour talking is frowned upon, but that hell get the hang of things. However, Middleton is not the boss; after the men get on the train, Bill Nighys character, Mr. Williams, comes on board, and Wakeling is informed that hes the man he should strive to impress. Finally, weve understood the relations between these people, we think. But not so.

As the camera follows Mr. Williams down the hallway of the London City Council building, he steps aside into the shadows and bows his head as another man approaches, a Sir James, who is above even Mr. Williams in the hierarchy governing workplace relations. The intricate rules concerning social behavior are the first thing we understand when watching the film, which it teaches us by allowing us to see the bureaucratic world of city government through the eyes of one of its new initiates. This appears to us a suffocating world, and once this is established in the film, we follow Mr. Williams attempt to live a life with some sort of meaning and fulfillment in the few months he has left following a terminal cancer diagnosis.

The film features two recurring confined spaces. The first is the train compartment that Wakeling, Hart, Rusbridger, and Middleton take to and from London each day. They sit facing one another, two on each side, briefcases on the floor, papers in the lap, and bowlers on their heads. Theres no room to move, and its dark, too, although light occasionally shines in through the window.

The other confined space is their workplace, which is an exceedingly dark room (the blinds are never raised) featuring a single, massive desk at which they all sitMr. Williams at the head, Hart, Rusbridger, Wakeling, and Miss Harris on the sides, and Middleton at the other end. Their view of one another is obscured by the stacks of paper piled upon the deskjokingly referred to as skyscrapers by Miss Harris, the only person capable of bringing any levity to the environmentwhich forces them to exist in half-lit silos where they cant fully see each other, but if someone isnt working, or appearing to work, its noticeable. This is the world that Williams has inhabited his entire adult lifetrain to office to trainand its one that appears meaningless to him once he knows that he will soon die.

What a movie allows for that a play doesnt is the ability to contrast a cramped, enclosed space with an open, outside vista. In Living, this happens multiple times. The first is when we see Williams at a seaside restaurant, the screen filled with light and sun shining in from the wall to wall windows. Prior to this, the film is cast in grey tones and shadowsthe overcast morning at the train station, the smoke-filled platform, the shadowy half-light of the train compartment and office, and Williams in his sitting room at home, plunged into the darkness of night.

Williams, we learn, has come to this seaside resort to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, but decides not to at the last minute. He offers the pills to the only other customer in the restaurant, a screenwriter who he overhears complaining to the waitress about a lack of sleep. When the writer, Mr. Sutherland, learns of Williams condition (I withdrew this cash and came down hereto enjoy myself. To live a little, as you put it. But I realize I dont know how, says Williams), he agrees to take him out on the town. A montage of sorts ensues, Williams and Sutherland bar hopping from one increasingly seedy establishment to the next, until they end up at a sort of makeshift circus tent where a woman on stage is performing a striptease. What had begun as fun has become, in its insistence on pleasure and hedonism, just another confined space.

Heres Ishiguros description of the tent from the script: the tents interior feels stifling: sagging canvas ceilings, garish lighting, closely packed benches and wooden chairs arranged in rows across the trodden grass floor. At this point in the film, we watch with slight apprehension as it threatens to become a sort of bucket list paean to fun, but of course thats not the case with an Ishiguro script. The scene concludes: Sutherland still stares at Williams. He suddenly becomes freshly aware of their surroundings, looks around at it with a kind of terror. The camera recedes, showing Sutherland and Williams isolated in their melancholy, like men on a small boat tossed by wild waves.

After this attempt at living a little, Williams tries again when he runs into Miss Harris in the street. Miss Harris is in disbelief that Williams has been skipping work and implores him to return, but he surprises her even more by spontaneously inviting her to lunch at Fortnums, clearly a place beyond her means and far too extravagant for Mr. Williams usual tastes. As they sit down, the ceiling of the cafe soars above them, and we perceive the couple to be two small figures in a vast expanse of space. The camera highlights this by panning down slowly from the ceiling, further emphasizing the largeness of the room. And heres the description from Ishiguros script: Sun-filled room within the famous store. After lunch, Williams and Harris visit an art gallery; we see them descend a staircase as the camera captures them from below, emphasizing the space above their heads and the high ceilings. They then walk together in the park, two small figures on the screen as the camera shoots from a distance, allowing us to see the towering trees above as the screen fills with light.

Mr. Williams has left the confined space of the office and train, largely thanks to the company of a woman. This is a key point in the genre of men in confined space and the list of movies that I classify under this title in my head: theyre about the codes of masculinity and how men navigate the expectations placed upon them by the society in which they live. Occasionally, women can offer a way out for these men. To contemporary sensibilities, Williams and his male colleagues are restricted by the conservative morality of the 1950s in expressing themselves or bonding with one another. This is represented visually by the dark office and train compartment, where their interactions are restricted by a highly regimented language and formality. But this also extends to the private sphere.

In one of the most moving scenes of the film, and one that recalls other Ishiguroian moments, we see Williams and his son, Michael, both building up the courage to speak candidly to one another, and both failing. This happens in the aftermath of Williams afternoon with Miss Harris, as Michaels fiance, Fiona, has heard from an acquaintance that Williams was seen at lunch with Miss Harris. Just as there are rules governing relations among men, so too between men and women, especially an older man in Mr. Williams and a young, unmarried woman in Miss Harris.

In the scene Im referring to, Mr. Williams is preparing to tell his son that hes terminally ill. He rehearses before a mirror: Look hereLook here. Theres something Id like to share with you bothBit of a bore, butLook here. Bit of a bore but Meanwhile, Fiona is preparing dinner while Michael sits at the table, reading the paper. Fiona insists that Michael speak to his father, and he agrees to. But when its time to eat, nothing can be said. Mr. Williams will never tell his son that hes going to die, a fact that causes Michael considerable suffering, as he suspects that his father has told Miss Harris, which he has. In fact, the only people Williams is able to tell about his condition are Sutherland and Harris, two people with whom he has no real connection. In this world, even when men want to express themselves, they find it nearly impossible to do so.

The final third of the film presents a response to the question of how one can live a meaningful life in a confined space. The answer is not to break free, but to find purpose within the guidelines governing ones existence. Just as rules constrain, they also create possibility, if one is willing to accept them. In a clever storytelling move, the last part of the film takes place after Williams death, as his colleagues reflect on the train about how Williams returned to work and engineered the construction of a playground, a project that had been fated to die in a skyscraper paper stack before his return and brought before the Council by three concerned women. In the cramped train compartment, the four colleaguesWakeling, Hart, Rusbridger, and Middletonsit silently in thought, but little by little they are drawn out as they begin to share anecdotes of how Williams was able to counteract the bureaucracy of their workplace and achieve something worthwhile.

They are clearly moved, but also hesitant to express their emotion in each others companywatching the scene, I was reminded of the sort of timid, shy student who has something to say but is afraid of voicing their idea before the class, and the satisfaction that comes when they work up the courage to do so. One after another, each colleague shares a story about an act by Mr. Williams, and whats striking about each one is how Mr. Williams must break convention in order to make a difference. In Mr. Middletons story, about which he says,I never told you chaps at the time becausewell, it rather annoyed me, he relates how Williams begged Sir James to reconsider his refusal of the playground project:

Mr. Williams: Sir James, please excuse me. But I beg you to reconsider. I beg you.

In disbelief, Mr. Middleton says to the other, He begged him. He begged him to reconsider. Mr. Williams, in his quest to achieve something meaningful before his death, must began emasculating actbut the courage it takes to do this so impresses the othersonce they understand the actthat he only rises further in their estimation. During this moment of Living, Williams and the others are able to soar.
Are you looking forward to the Easter Bunny's deliveries to your home this year?

As Easter Sunday approaches, internet searches for chocolate are streaking ahead of enquiries about church services it seems in another sign of a changing Ireland.

In a new survey, almost 10% (9.7%) of internet searches for chocolate in the last year were from Cork second only to Dublin which had 47.8% of online requests.

Meanwhile, Galway placed third at 4%, Kildare landed the fourth spot at 3.5% and Meath came in fifth with 3% of searches. Limerick, Louth, Wicklow, Tipperary and Kerry also make up the top ten of chocolate lovers!

According to the research carried out by chocolate maker, Tonys Chocolonely, our desire for chocolate appears to outweigh our curiosity about whether it was produced ethically.

The research carried out in partnership with Bounce Insights found that only 29% of Irish people have heard about modern slavery on cocoa plantations and just 33% had heard abouot child labour and other forms of exploitation.

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A substantial majority of people, 91%, believe that all food companies should be tackling illegal labour in their supply chains while 92% agreed that farmers around the world should be paid a living wage and 77% of respondents also agreed that it was important that the food they buy is from traceable and transparent supply chains.

Most importantly, 78% of those surveyed said that they would like the brands they buy to help them be more ethical in their daily life.

The head of marketing for the UK and Ireland at Tonys Chocolonely, Nicola Matthews, said the mission at the company was to make all chocolate 100% slave free. We want to empower chocolate lovers to opt for ethically produced chocolate.

"Our consumer research in Ireland shows that Irish shoppers want to know where their food comes from, and whether it is ethically produced and responsibly sourced, but the findings highlighted a clear gap in knowledge about some of the bitter truths of chocolate production.

"Indeed, there are still over 1.5 million cases of child labour present in the chocolate industry in Ghana and Cote d Ivoire today.

With chocolate lovers gearing up to celebrate with friends and family this Easter, we wanted to remind everyone to opt for sustainable and ethical chocolate without compromising on flavour or fun.

Tonys Chocolonely chocolate is made with Fairtrade cocoa and is palm oil and plastic free and most bars come in fully recyclable packaging while Easter eggs are wrapped in eco friendly aluminium foil.
PRE-cast concrete spans constructed for bridges which are now in use on the N22 bypass of Macroom have won a major award for the Offaly based company which designed and built them.

The 50m spans for the bridges over the Lainey and Sullane rivers near Macroom won the top prize in the infrastructure catergory at the Irish Concrete Awards at an event which took place last week. The components for the bridges for the 300m bypass, the first part of which opened just before Christmas.

The spans which were designed and manufactured by Banagher Precast Concrete Limited in 2020/21 were delivered in February two years ago after being transported from County Offaly to Macroom.

According to the judges who decided the outcome of the competition, the spans were pushing the boundaries in the use of prestress concrete.

The W19 beams of the Laney and Sullane River Bridges are the longest in Ireland and the UK for both single and two span prestressed bridge beam structures at 50m and 98m respectively.

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Both these achievements are fine feats of engineering design and construction, while pushing the boundaries in the use of prestress concrete.

In total, the Offaly firm designed and manufacturedprecast bridge beams for 23 structures for the Macroom bypass project, along with other precast work such as culverts.

In February 2021 the last of the 14 W19 beams, each measuring 48.75 metres were lifted into place onthe Sullane River bridge.

The Banagher Precast Concrete W beam was designed by the companys chief engineer, Eamon Stack, as a more efficient solution for long spans. According to Caroline Cavanagh, Banagher Precast Concretes Marketing and Bid Manager: We are very proud of our work on this project. We always said that we could make a 50-metre beam, but up to now weve never had a client brave enough to do it!

The lifting and transportation of the seven longest beams by truck required slow, Garda-escorted, overnight journeys from Banagher to Macroom.

One of the toughest challenges was getting through Birr in County Offaly, due to a notorious pinch point in the town.

Transported by our expert local transport partners, Whitten Road Haulage, the beams left Banagher late each evening in order to minimise disruption to other road users and to the local communities, said Caroline.

The beams travelled to Birr and, due to their length, they had to be reversed into the mart car park in Birr and then driven out to Loughnanes sand pit, turned out there, and brought back through Birr.

They were then parked up between Roscrea and Borris-in-Ossory overnight, and it took eight hours to get them down to Macroom the following day.

The second-largest set of prestressed concrete bridge beams ever made in Ireland or the UK also made their way to Macroom to be used in the structural components for the bypass.
CONCERNS have been raised that serious deficiencies in the Kanturk waste water treatment system could result in no new homes being built in the town for at least another five-years.

The unlikely scenario has come to light after it emerged a planned six-unit housing development in the town may be mothballed as the local treatment plant has, according to Irish Water, already reached capacity.

Raising the issue at Mondays municipal district committee meeting, Cllr Bernard Moynihan (FF) referenced a letter received by the engineer representing the applicant from Irish Water, which said the Kanturk wastewater treatment plant was constrained and has insufficient capacity to accommodate further development in the area.

We regret to advise you that while there is adequate capacity within the existing network to facilitate your (water) connection, your proposed wastewater connection cannot be progressed at this time, read the letter.

While Irish Water said they had a plan to upgrade the treatment plant, Cllr Moynihan said that it

was his understanding an Irish Water official had told the engineer this will not happen until 2028.

If I am understanding this correctly, this means that not a single new residential unit can be built in the town of Kanturk for at least another five-years, said an outraged Cllr Moynihan.

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Cllr Moynihan said this would be totally unacceptable, given what he said was the huge demand for new homes in Kanturk.

While has been a lot of significant recent developments in Kanturk such as the new school and major improvements to the local road network we need new housing to compliment these, said Cllr Moynihan.

There is also the fact that the town is in need of major regeneration within the context of dereliction, he added.

A point also raised by Cllr John Paul OShea (FG).

Kanturk is a town that we as Cork County Council are going to put a lot of focus into in terms of vacancy rates and turning around dereliction, on Percival Street in particular, said Cllr OShea.

In light of this, it is very worrying indeed that Irish Water is restricting connections to either new or existing developments he added.

Cllr Gerard Murphy (FG) said it was his understanding the sewage system had been upgraded in the not too distant past.

If there is an issue with the plant, we need the county engineer to liaise with Irish Water to determine exactly what they perceive the problems to be, said Cllr Murphy.

We need to assess what works were done previously (to the plant) and why they did not cope for the projected growth of Kanturk town under the County Development Plan, he added.

Following on from this, Cllr OShea asked that if it was a case that elements of the plant were not working as they should, could they be repaired in the short term to accommodate increased capacity allowing for new residential developments.

Cllr Gearoid Murphy (FG) that given the huge emphasis now being placed on the provision of housing across the country, it was not good enough that homes are being held up in a major town due to a lack of a waste water connection.

Thanking his council colleagues for their input, Cllr Moynihan said it was clear that Irish Water need to provide clarity on the situation as a matter of urgency.

I agree with Cllr Gerard Murphy. The county engineer must make contact with Irish Water to see what the position is in regard to Kanturk, said Cllr Moynihan.

I genuinely hope this is a resolvable situation, by from my reading of the situation I have serious concerns that it may not be, he added.
Caroline Cott and Ger Harrington were the Judges Vote winners at Castlemagner Strictly Come Dancing

John Finnegan and Tracey Cremin were on stage at Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner

Jessica Lynes and Kevin O Leary danced the night away at Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner

Conor Murphy and Tracey Fitzgerald danced away with the top prize in Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner at the Charleville Park Hotel on Saturday night.

Lets Dance said Audrey O Donoghue and Donal O Sullivan who took part in Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner

Jim Donovan and Norma Taylor ready to go on stage at Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner

Angela Lyons and Pat Drumm vowed the audience at Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner in the Charleville Park Hotel

Denny O Connell and Vera O Keeffe danced the night away at Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner

This fantastic group of dancers took to the stage at the Charleville Park Hotel on Saturday night for Strictly Come Dancing Castlemagner which was hosted by Castlemagner GAA Club. Photos by Sheila Fitzgerald

They say dancing is the closest thing to magic and this sentiment was vividly expressed by the 12 couples who tripped the light fantastic before a 900 strong audience at Castlemagner Strictly Come Dancing in the Charleville Park Hotel last Saturday night

The fund-raising event to develop an Astroturf training facility and further works on the grounds of the GAA club was deemed a huge success and was excellently hosted by Charleville native and winner of The Voice of Ireland Keith Hanley.

Castlemagner GAA club Chairman Thomas Lenihan welcomed everybody while expressing gratitude on behalf of the club to the dancers, choreographer, the many sponsors and members of the organising committee. Thomas acknowledged the work of other groups in the community, encouraging everyone to become involved in the on going works in developing Castlemagner.

Judges Mags ORiordan, Mags Nugent, Aideen McAuliffe, Noeleen Moylan and Thomas Tobin were astounded by the high level of talent on display from the 12 couples.

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Choreographer Miriam Ball put the contestants through their paces over the past few months and rehearsals paid off with sterling performances on the big night.

The Public Vote winners receiving the most votes on the night were Tracey Fitzgerald and Conor Murphy. Tracey is a child care professional working at the local Cairdeas Childcare and Conor works as a home energy advisor at Ashgrove Renewables. The couple got a huge ovation from the crowd to seal the deal.

The Judges Vote on the night was awarded to Caroline Cott and Ger Harrington. Caroline is national school teacher in nearby Churchtown, while Ger is a construction professional based in Cork.

Castlemagner GAA club Chairman Thomas Lenihan said the evening was a huge success, all thanks to the participants.

Everyone in our club is most grateful to all contestants for making such a commitment in their lives to help out with this fundraising event, also to the public and sponsors who gave so generously towards this fund-raiser.

Bringing the formalities to a close, chairperson of the organising committee Siobhan OConnell expressed her gratitude to everyone for making the night a resounding success.

Overall winners Tracey Fitzgerald and Conor Murphy paid tribute to the hard work put in by all the dancers and by choreographer Miriam Ball.

Im speechless, shocked and delighted said Tracy. Not only did we meet fantastic dancers along the way, but we made great friends also. Both Conor and I had great support from our families friends and representing Cairdeas Childcare where I work has been a huge bonus, particularly for all the children and parents who supported us with all their kind wishes.

Conor Murphy described the experience as simply fantastic from start to finish.

We have a great community here in Castlemagner with great people. The club and community have big ambitions and we received fantastic support from so many people who donated to the cause. It was a massive thrill to be a part of such a fantastic show and I cant thank Miriam Ball and the organising committee enough, Conor said.

Ger Harrington and Caroline Cott were the judges favourites on the night. Ger said: This was a brilliant experience and something I will never forget. All our dancing companions were a great bunch of people and we had a great laugh on our journey. Special mention to my dance partner Caroline, I couldnt have made it to the end without her amazing will and drive. Also, huge thanks to Shibhan and the entire team for such a wonderful experience.

Caroline Cott said that from the outset, all participants were urged to enjoy every single moment.

There were highs and lows, nerves and self-doubt, but the craic we had surpassed everything else. Ger and I were ecstatic to be awarded first place in the Judges Choice award.
A Dublin landlord who evicted tenants last year, telling them he was selling the apartments they were living in, has been ordered to stop offering them as short-term lets on Airbnb.

Dublin City Council has given Marc Godart four weeks to stop letting the apartment block  Reuben House on Reuben Street in Dublin 8  in the city centre as short-term holiday letting without planning permission.

The council has issued an enforcement notice ordering the cessation of the unauthorised use of the property, following an inspection.

The block houses a restaurant, offices and six apartment units.

Three tenants were evicted from their apartment last year and the apartments are now being used for short-term holiday letting on Airbnb, despite the landlord having no permission from the council to do so.

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One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told Independent.ie she was evicted last August on the basis that the landlord was selling the property.

The tenant said another resident was told about their eviction through WhatsApp, and a day before the eviction was due, the electricity was cut to one apartment.

Following the eviction, the tenant filed a complaint with Dublin City Council in February and the council conducted an inspection of the property.

As a result of the inspection, the council issued the landlord, Mr Godart, with an enforcement notice on March 28 for unauthorised use of the property under Section 154 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

The cessation of the unauthorised use of the property at Reuben House, Reuben Street, Dublin 8 for short-term letting purposes, said the enforcement notice.

The landlord has been given until April 28 to comply with the notice and stop short-term letting of the property.

In a rent pressure zone, a landlord requires permission from the council for short-term lettings when the property is not their principal private residence.

Councillor Darragh Moriarty said the short-term letting is definitely illegal.

Its definitely illegal, its illegal in a rent pressure zone to convert residential accommodation into short-term lets without planning permission, he said.

The tenants in this situation were told the building was for sale, and it hasnt, he is planning future development on the site.

Separately, a planning application was submitted last month to convert the building into a 16-bedroom aparthotel.

The planning officer in the case has been notified of the enforcement notice which is being taken into consideration when making a planning decision.

The matter will be forwarded to the senior executive planner, who will be making a decision as to whether the application should be invalidated, said the enforcement notice.

The planning permission is seeking to convert the office space on the first and second floor and residential space from the third to the fifth floor into bedroom suites.

Permission is also being sought to change the two retail units on the ground floor, one of which is occupied by a restaurant and the other vacant, into a reception, laundry and amenity area.

The proposed development would include 16-bedrooms from the first to the fifth floor, with terraces along the Reuben Street facade at the third, fourth and fifth floors.

According to planning documents, the development, which is near the Coombe Hospital, would provide short stay residential accommodation in the form of an aparthotel.

In its rationale for the conversion, the applicant said it had discussions with hospital executives and claimed there is a need for affordable stays of several days/weeks for patient families that travel from other parts of the country to visit sick relatives.

If permission is granted, the applicant will seek to offer preferential access to hospital staff and relatives of patients in collaboration with the agreement of the hospitals, planning documents said.

The aparthotel will have only one-two staff and a maximum of 16-32 visitors at any one time, it added.

It also said that the applicant is willing to accept a suitable condition that limits short-term letting for a period of two months.

Permission was lodged by Reuben Street Hot Desks Ltd last month to Dublin City Council and the application is open for observations until April 11.

Independent.ie attempted to contact the landlord for comment.
Minister Patrick O'Donovan (centre) with Joe and Cian Sugre in Baile 'n Sceilg as part of his visit to the Uibh Rathach and South Kerry region.

Councillor Norma Moriarty said it is time for people to take confidence in their Irish-language abilities by understanding that every word they use  whether in broken or fluent Irish  is valuable.

This comes days after Cahersiveen was officially recognised as a Gaeltacht Service Town to the Uibh Rathach Gaeltacht in South Kerry. With the announcement, Gaeltacht Minister Patrick ODonovan pledged 80,000 per annum to employ a Language Planning Officer (LPO) to implement a Language Plan for the town over the next seven years.

Cahersiveen is not located within the Gaeltacht region, but it is the nearest settlement of more than 1,000 people to the Gaeltacht. The town is the major provider of public services and facilities to the Gaeltacht and, therefore, has a significant impact on the people of the region. Status as a Gaeltacht Service Town recognises this, and 560,000 has been made available to implement a language plan there.

Cllr Moriarty praised Tascfhorsa Uibh Rathaigh for their work on behalf of the language in the region, not least in trying to attract people to live in Uibh Rathach, which has suffered major population decline over many decades. She added that the announcement may address some long-standing issues that have made it harder to protect the language in Uibh Rathach.

Whoever drew up the Gaeltacht boundaries decades ago did not do anyone any favours, she said.

The Gaeltacht is a very split-up patch-work, she added, pointing out that the two major local population centres, Cahersiveen and Waterville, were not included: It meant nobody had access to the nearest district town or regional town to do their business as Gaeilge.

I hope this will encourage more and more Irish, and allow native Irish speakers and those interested in developing their Irish the opportunity to be welcomed and supported in doing business through Irish.

Cllr Moriarty praised Kerry County Council for agreeing to be the lead agency in the initiative. She thanked Aedin Ni Bhriain for her key role in drawing up the Language Plan, and a local committee headed up by Julianne McGillicuddy for its contribution to the extensive work needed in the lead-up to last weeks announcement.

Tourism is the number-one industry here, and we want Cahersiveen to be seen as the best little town to have your laethanta saoire [holidays] as Gaeilge, Cllr Moriarty said of the potential benefits of the new status. Wed like to tap into Irishs status as an official [EU] language through sites such as Scoil Ui Chonaill and Tech Amergin, by attracting people who want to do short courses in Gaeilge, and this has the potential to provide support to local businesses during the shoulder season.

Above all, we want people to get away from a lack of confidence around their Irish. Everyone has some few words, and we want people to realise that any word you speak is valued and appreciated.

People felt they couldnt engage because they werent perfect...Whatever bit of Irish you have, the more you use it, the more youll keep it, and the more that youll add to it.
Kenneth Coffey set off on his bike at 2am on Sunday morning with Limerick City in his sights.

After weeks of intensive training, Kenneth kept his legs pumping as hard as he could during the 200km roundtrip. By the time he returned to Tralee again at 2pm, he had fulfilled a personal goal.

Inspiration for the cycle was in plentiful supply as it coincided with the anniversary of his fathers death on April 2, 2022.

The late Thomas left a huge void in Kenneths life, and he used the cycle to channel his grief into training to raise money for the Childrens Hospital Ireland at Crumlin.

So far, Kenneth has raised in the region of 2,500 for the hospital with more money still being counted.

Even though one might expect exhaustion to be his overwhelming feeling, Kenneths gratification and sense of pride is the overriding emotion.

It was tough at times. The weather was on my side, so I was lucky to start with. Maybe my father up above had something to do with that, he said.

The Castleisland to Abbeyfeale section of the cycle was toughest for Kenneth, as was a part of the greenway at Newcastlewest where he encountered stiff inclines.

Getting through this is thanks to Oliver Coffey who allowed Kenneth use his gym free of charge over the past few weeks.

Kenneth recently did a prep-cycle from Galway to Clare. But as he admits, he wasnt out to break any records.

I took my time in places. Just to start and complete it, that was my main goal. To do this on my fathers anniversary and for such a good cause, Im over the moon with it, he said.

When my father passed away it took a lot out of me as I couldnt get my head around the shock. For months after it affected me. Thats when I decided to pick myself back up and get into training. It all just worked out perfect, said Kenneth.

His decision to select Childrens Hospital Ireland at Crumlin as the cycles beneficiary comes from the stories of its inspirational work through friends whose children attended the hospital. Kenneth is now looking forward to presenting the cheque to the staff in a few weeks time.

I always wanted to do a charity cycle. I never thought I would do it under these circumstances, he said.

"We all need a drive; my fathers death was that drive I needed. The hospital does incredible work. To raise money for them on such an emotional day as Sunday makes it even more special, he said.
KERRY Sinn Fein TD Pa Daly has been promoted to the partys front bench following a significant reshuffle by Mary Lou McDonald.

The Tralee based TD  a solicitor by trade  has been named as the Sinn Feins new justice spokesperson, succeeding Sligo-Leitrim TD Martin Kenny in the role.

Deputy Daly was previously the partys junior spokesperson on Equality, Inclusion and Law Reform.

Its very exciting for me. Ive been a member of the Justice Committee for the past three years. This involves meeting prison officers associations, former governors, guards and current prison staff. This allows me to get a handle on the whole justice area, Deputy Daly told The Kerryman.

Among the many issues that Deputy Daly hopes to focus his energy on is resolving delays in the court system. Increasing garda resources and building extra garda presence on the streets are other pressing issues.

Deputy Daly will also continue to seek justice in the case of Joseph Campbell, an RUC officer shot dead in County Antrim in 1977 in a suspected collusion killing between police and paramilitaries.

Deputy Daly will also make the Kerry Babies case an ongoing priority as he feels there is still outstanding points to be made.

When asked whether Sinn Fein will move to fully support the workings of the Special Criminal Court, Deputy Daly said this will depend on the outcome of an ongoing review.

The whole court system has to be modernised. For years Sinn Fein argued that we should abolish the Special Criminal Court. This switched to having a review, he said.

The Government agreed to this review. We will await the results of that. Things can be done to allay any concerns about anonymous juries. But lets wait and see the outcome of the review, Deputy Daly said.

The Sinn Fein reshuffle was announced by party President Mary Lou McDonald on Monday who said the new front bench group was the team that will lead Sinn Fein into the next General Election.

There are ten changes including Sorca Clarke and Pa Daly coming onto the front-bench for the first time where they will take on the Education and Justice portfolios, said Deputy McDonald.

Pa Daly will bring his extensive experience as solicitor to the Justice brief and Sorca Clarke was an outstanding spokesperson on Defence, she added.

This is a team full of talent, experience and ambition and bursting with the energy to deliver; a team that is ready to deliver change in government, Deputy McDonald said.

A native of Tralee, Deputy Daly qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and worked in the United States for the Georgia Indigent Defence Council before moving back to Ireland.

In 2002 and 2003 he travelled to Colombia to act as an independent legal observer for the trial of the, so called, Colombia Three.

He established his own solicitors practice in Rock Street, Tralee in 2003 and was co-opted to Tralee Town Council in 2012.

Deputy Daly was first elected to Kerry County Council in 2014 and was re-elected in 2019.

In August 2019 he was selected as the Sinn Fein General Election candidate for Kerry succeeding the partys incumbent Kerry TD Martin Ferris who had announced his decision to retire from politics two years earlier. It had been thought that Cllr Toireasa Ferris would contest the seat.

At the February 2020 General Election Pa Daly was elected at the first count  securing 15,733 votes.
Artem Kulinych was on a photographic expedition in Egypt when war erupted in his native Ukraine in February 2022. Rather than return to his home in Mariupol, he travelled to Kerry instead where he is currently re-building his life through his passion for photography.

Artem left behind much of his equipment and the work he built up over several years. It means his photo library since arriving in Ireland is reflective of the unexpected turn his life has now taken.

Artem enjoys travelling the world taking photographs of the places and its people. A recent trip to Yemen proved a whole other experience for him when he witnessed the Dragon's blood trees, and the sandy plans populated by friendly natives.

Artem tried to capture as much as he could through the lens of this wonderful part of the world.

It was a unique place where I got some lovely photos, he said.

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Every day was something new. It was different with super wild nature; every day we toured a new place. This included hiking but as it was very hot in the middle of the day, we tried to do much of our travelling in the morning and evenings, he said.

Artem explains that he has never seen landscapes like Yemen before. He describes Egypt as the closest comparison. The highlight for Artem was sleeping beneath the stars in the park where the Dragon's blood trees are situated.

These evergreen species are unique in shape giving an upturned appearance that emit a dark red resin, hence the name devils blood.

To sleep under the stars on a plateau surrounded by all of these trees is amazing. To see the sun rise and set was amazing also. It is so beautiful, he said.

It makes you slow down and think about the really important things. It is a country that allows you to re-set the mind. The people are very nice. I was in a group of people from around the world with a great support team. It also felt very safe there, he added.

Artem hasnt forgotten his native Ukraine. He is very conscious of the struggles unfolding in parts of his homeland. Since arriving in Kerry in April 2022, Artem enrolled as a student at Kerry College where he is studying Digital Media.

My friends in Ireland said it is a really friendly place to come to. When the war started, I lost everything I had and found myself in Egypt, he said.

"It was a big decision not to return home; I had to start everything over again. I came here with just a camera and a few lenses. I do miss home. I dont know when I can go back or know what I will do. For no though Im just trying to do my best, Artem said.
by Fabio Tollon and Ann-Katrien Oimann

Getting a handle on the impacts of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 is difficult. These LLMs have raised a variety of ethical and regulatory concerns: problems of bias in the data set, privacy concerns for the data that is trawled in order to create and train the model in the first place, the resources used to train the models, etc. These are well-worn issues, and have been discussed at great length, both by critics of these models and by those who have been developing them.

What makes the task of figuring out the impacts of these systems even more difficult is the hype that surrounds them. It is often difficult to sort fact from fiction, and if we dont have a good idea of what these systems can and cant do, then it becomes almost impossible to figure out how to use them responsibly. Importantly, in order to craft proper legislation at both national and international levels we need to be clear about the future harm these systems might cause and ground these harms in the actual potential that these systems have.

In the last few days this discourse has taken an interesting turn. The Future of Life Institute (FLI) published an open letter (which has been signed by thousands of people, including eminent AI researchers) calling for a 6-month moratorium on Giant AI Experiments. Specifically, the letter calls for all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. Quite the suggestion, given the rapid progress of these systems.

A few days after the FLI letter, another Open Letter was published, this time by researchers in Belgium (Nathalie A. Smuha, Mieke De Ketelaere, Mark Coeckelbergh, Pierre Dewitte and Yves Poullet). In the Belgian letter, the authors call for greater attention to the risk of emotional manipulation that chatbots, such as GPT-4, present (here they reference the tragic chatbot-incited suicide of a Belgian man). In the letter the authors outline some specific harms these systems bring about, advocate for more educational initiatives (including awareness campaigns to better inform people of the risks), a broader public debate, and urgent stronger legislative actions.

The main point of both letters is that there are significant risks that come from AI-systems. However, the ways in which these risks are presented could not be more different. While the FLI indulges in unwarranted speculation and glosses over already existing governance mechanisms for reducing AI-caused harm. The Belgian letter, by contrast, is far more nuanced and grounds AI-risk in far more tractable terms.

Lets take a look at what these risks are, according to the FLI:

Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable.

The questions they raise are no-brainers: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? No. Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? No. Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? No. Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? No.

These are easy questions to answer, and reflecting on them does not necessarily get us any closer to addressing the impacts that these systems have. Moreover, the provocative nature of the claims means that we lose a degree of nuance in teasing out how currently existing technologies might get us to these improbable future scenarios, and what we might be able to do to avoid them.

In what follows we will go through two of these risks, namely, misinformation and labour market disruption. The reason for choosing these two are that we think they are the most plausible risks, at least in theory.

Essentially, our argument is that the FLI letter would encourage a greater centralization of power due to its hyperbolic claims. In the end we reflect on what the two letters suggest we do in light of these risks: and here again, we see the Belgian letter contextualizing the problem within existing regulatory mechanisms, and the FLI letter stripping away important context.

Let us turn to disinformation: should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth seems to assume that distribution and creation of misinformation go together. However, creating disinformation is different to spreading it, and it is the distribution that is the really difficult part. LLMs have been around for a while and we are yet to see a case where these systems are used for the spreading of disinformation.

In contrast, the real risk here is due to our overreliance on these systems: LLMs are not created to generate truth, but humans still rely on these systems in cases where factual accuracy matters. And this is where the Belgian letter comes out on top: in this letter, the researchers go through the psychological mechanisms that are at play, and how and why people might come to trust these systems. They state:

Most users realize rationally that the bot they are chatting with is not a person and has no real understanding, but that it is merely an algorithm that predicts the most plausible combination of words based on sophisticated data analysis. It is, however, in our human nature to react emotionally to realistic interactions, even without wanting it.

This gets at what is really worrying in the case of disinformation: our propensity to trusts these systems inappropriately. We often attribute human characteristics to objects, and our brains seem to have difficulty grasping that they are not dealing with a human being.

The creators of (social and interactive) AI-systems must be careful with respect to our our tendency to ascribe human characteristics to non-human entities. Interacting with interactive AI can offer benefits (for example, children with autism spectrum disorder who can improve their social skills) but can also be dangerous as the tragic case in Belgium demonstrates. In this sense, the call for careful research regarding the effects of human-AI interaction is important, as is the education of citizens to become aware of such tendencies. For example, there are calls for chatbots to be prohibited from using emojis due to the manipulative effects this may have.

What about the labour market? Here there are genuine concerns that people will lose their livelihood due to AI-systems. This concern might be justified, and we ought to be very careful about when and how we go about introducing these systems. However, the letter glosses over what has been arguably the greatest impact of these systems to date: the further centralization of power in the hands of a small tech elite.

While over time new technologies do stoke worries about job disruption, and indeed there might be a very real threat from LLMs, it seems hyperbolic to suggest that these systems will automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones. What is certain is that most likely there will be a shift in how certain jobs are performed, but this does not necessarily mean that all jobs will disappear. For example, it is indeed likely that the job of a lawyer or a journalist will drastically change, but thats not necessarily a bad thing (since these occupations have changed over time in any case).

What is also worrisome is that in the letter they talk about fulfilling jobs that will disappear without giving an example, and on the other hand completely leave out the fact that many DDD (dull, dirty, and dangerous) jobs would, and are, also disappearing. Moreover, OpenAI were also found to be using data labelers in Kenya and paying them less than $2 per hour. Such outsourcing further centralizes the power that these companies have, as they can extract valuable labour for next to nothing.

From here, we can go into what suggestions both letters make with respect to these AI-risks that they have identified.

The FLI suggests that:

AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems. These should at a minimum include: new and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI; oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems and large pools of computational capability; provenance and watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic and to track model leaks; a robust auditing and certification ecosystem; liability for AI-caused harm; robust public funding for technical AI safety research; and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions (especially to democracy) that AI will cause.

These policy suggestions seem quite reasonable. Yes, we need regulation, liability, and robust public funding. However, the framing in the letter seems to suggest that people have not been thinking (and warning!) about this issue for years already. For example, there is the now-famous Stochastic Parrots paper by Margaret Mitchell and Timnit Gebru from 2021 that warns against precisely what companies such as OpenAI were engaging in from the beginning: always aiming for larger and larger AI models. So, there are already people, such as Mitchell and Gebru, who have thought about these issues. However, in that paper, the authors explicitly state that their concern is not about ever more powerful AI-tools, but rather about concentration of power, reproducing systems of oppression, and damage to both our information and natural ecosystems. Moreover, the letter makes no reference to actual governance proposals that are already in place, such as the EU AI Act. There is even an entire Oxford Handbook of AI Governance. By stripping this context from the debates surrounding AI and safety, the letter plays into the hype surrounding AI, which is incredibly harmful and, again, distracts us from the impact it is having on our societies right now. The FLIs letter fosters unhelpful alarm around hypothetical dangers. Instead, we should focus on actual, real-world concerns, such as bias and misinformation.

In comparison, the Belgian letter contextualizes the current discussion surrounding AI governance, and urges further strengthening of already existing ideas for future legislation:

We can only hope that both member states and parliamentarians will strengthen the AI Acts text during the ongoing negotiations and provide better protection against AIs risks. A strong legislative framework will not stand in the way of innovation but can actually encourage AI developers to innovate within a framework of values that we cherish in democratic societies.

Moreover, the researchers also highlight the need for awareness campaigns to educate the general public about the risks of these systems, which would aid in more democratic decision making with respect to how these systems are developed, deployed, and used.

The Belgian letter, to my mind, does a better job at articulating this concern, and gets to what is worth worrying about with respect to these systems.

Here, therefore, we echo the recommendations of Professor Emily Bender:
Independent Louth Councillor Kevin Callan has slammed Irish Water for its shambolic management of works in Drogheda last week.

The planned improvements were due to take place between 9am and 4pm on Wednesday, yet homes had no water up to lunchtime the following day.

Cllr Callan said that there were thousands of homes still without water the next day by lunchtime.

The entity that is Irish Water has absolutely no respect for those running homes or businesses and has shown total contempt for the people of Drogheda now on a number of occasions, this work done in the Greenhills area has not been done to schedule, with extremely poor communication and this is simply intolerable and should not be occurring in Irelands largest town, he said.

Uisce Water confirmed that due to the complexity of the work a planned interruption scheduled for Wednesdayled to a prolonged outage which affected homes and businesses in the area.

Padraig Hanly, Programme Manager at Uisce Eireann said, We regret the inconvenience caused to customers and would like to assure them that restoring normal water services was a top priority for us. We would like to thank the people of Drogheda for their patience and reassure them we worked as quickly as possible to restore the water supply.

Due to the complex nature and flow of the network, there was a prolonged outage. There was a further need to interrupt the water supply for longer than previously anticipated.

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Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Eireann receive direct communications from us for planned and unplanned outages lasting more than four hours.

The Uisce Eireann customer care helpline is open 24/7 on 1800 278 278 and customers can also contact us on Twitter @IWCare with any queries. For updates please visit the Water Supply Updates section of www.water.ie.

These works are being delivered as part of Uisce Eireanns Growth and Development Programme and are due to be completed by the end of the year. The project is being delivered by GMC Utilities Group Ltd on behalf of Uisce Eireann.

Uisce Eireann is responsible for the delivery of all public water and wastewater services in Ireland. We are committed to continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support the growth needed in housing and across our economy, while protecting the environment and safeguarding water supplies.
Its 9am on a Saturday morning, and while most businesses in Drogheda are turning the sign to open, Buns Bakery at Beechgrove roundabout has already been serving hot coffee and delicious scones to customers for three hours.

Owner Matthias Ecker, an affable German chef who made Drogheda his home ten years ago, has already been turning out divine delicacies from the tiny kitchen since 4am, keeping up with demand from his two-legged, and four-legged regulars!

"We just opened the doors a few weeks ago here, but it really started during COVID, when the Railway Arms was serving coffee and buying in pastries from a shop, and I said I can do that and started baking for them, said Matthias, who was formerly chef in Scholars and the Conyngham Arms.

One shop became, two, became three or four, and I was busy all through COVID with the bakery, supplying thousands of buns, pastries and cakes from my kitchen at home, but then it was time for this to come along!

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For such a new business, half an hour in the compact interior of Buns shows just how well his early opening business model is going down with the locals.

Perched at the busy junction of four schools, a church, hospital, gym and popular running and walking route, the friendly staff is run off their own feet with the constant stream of health-conscious customers looking for a tasty treat!

I am here baking from the early hours, and I am a coffee lover, so the machine is on anyway, explains Mattias. So when someone wants a cup at 6am, which is breakfast for most commuters, I am happy to help. I have one guy who drives to Dublin every morning who used to get his coffee in a petrol station, who comes in here instead.

Expand Close The new Buns Bakery at Beechgrove Roundabout is attracting customers with its 6am opening hours. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The new Buns Bakery at Beechgrove Roundabout is attracting customers with its 6am opening hours.

Its clear the customers are already big fans of the new cafe.

"I came in one day last week after the gym, and the smell of the fresh scones from the kitchen would just drive you wild!, said one regular returnee. I was so surprised to see it open at seven oclock in the morning, when everything else in the town is locked up, and I go in after my workout; its my reward to myself!

Matthias is already legendary for his pastries  the raspberry almond slice is his top seller  but his recent diversification into home made doggy treats has gone down a storm, with owners and canines alike!

Proudly advertising as a dog-friendly cafe, as if planned, just as he is explaining the delights of his canine cookies, in walks customer and friend Maria Flynn, of Ballymakenny Farms Spud Shack, with her scene-stealing new pup Dolly.

"Dollys too young for the treats just yet, but my other dogs adore Matthias handmade dog biscuits, she says, losing her new pet to every other customer in the cafe instantly.

"They have peanut butter in them, and honestly they are good enough for anyone to eat, and the dogs cant get enough!

(Matthias assures me they can be consumed by humans, but why would you when there is much more on offer)?

The tiny premises has extra seating out the front, and clearly gets a lot of passing trade, but it took Matthias years to find the right location.

Expand Close Buns Bakery barista Armand Chirilovici takes a batch of fresh doggy treats out of the oven. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Buns Bakery barista Armand Chirilovici takes a batch of fresh doggy treats out of the oven.

"The town centre is already well served with coffee shops, although the stock is not as freshly baked or open as early, but rent is very expensive, and I searched for a long time, dismissing the right place but the wrong location many times, he says. It really had to feel right and the location here is brilliant, with parking and the schools and hospital, so we are off to a good start.

In fact, with two other cafes opening and closing in quick succession in recent years at the same location, Matthias has been told they are definitely doing something right!

The neighbours here have said to me that we are different, and we have had the best start, so were hoping that is a good sign, he says with a laugh. I also think my staff are really amazing (Matthias is employing three staff; Armande, Cole and Georgia) so I think that helps.

A canny businesswoman herself, Maria throws in her tuppenyworth here as well.

"Matthias is one of the most caring people you will ever meet, and Ive never heard anyone say a bad thing about him, she says. I sit here and I rant and rave, and he never says a word, just listens and gives me another bun!

Of course, early mornings and good staff will only go so far in a cafe if the coffee isnt up to scratch.

Expand Close Pets like Dolly the pup are welcome in Buns Bakery at Beechgrove roundabout Drogheda. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pets like Dolly the pup are welcome in Buns Bakery at Beechgrove roundabout Drogheda.

"I am a huge coffee fan, and I really try to support local businesses, so am using a supplier from Balbriggan called Java the Hut, owner by Marc Hynes, and everyone is loving the coffee, he says with a smile. People can also come in and take our used coffee grounds, which makes excellent plant food.

In the short space of time we are in the cafe, parents have been taking away coffee and buns with some very excited children with them.

"Ah the Easter Egg Hunt, explains Matthias. We joined forces with Drogheda Dolls, who hid 50 eggs here, and we have had children coming and going all weekend, looking for them!

Another plan is to display local artists on the walls, and even sell their works, all of which is making Buns Bakery feel like a established community hub.

Expand Close Matthias Ecker is still making his showstopping birthday cakes as well as running the Buns Bakery cafe, / Facebook

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Whatsapp Matthias Ecker is still making his showstopping birthday cakes as well as running the Buns Bakery cafe,

"This hasnt been an easy journey to get here, and I must say, I have to thank the team in LEO (Louth Enterprise Office) for helping me get across the line when it felt impossible, says Matthias, who is married to Drogheda man David McKeon.

I know people have asked me will we branch out into sandwiches and lunches  and even into live music in the evenings  but for now I want to concentrate on doing what we are doing as best we can.

With a bustling shop in the capable hands of barrista Armade, Matthias has a carful of birthday cakes to deliver too, but he says he is enjoying seeing his new creation give so much joy to people, and their pets.

"The best way to describe what is happening already is we have one older lady who is late stage Alzheimers and she already reserves one particular table every day, he says. She used to go to a big coffee shop in town, but now she has a coffee, scone and chat with her carer here, so that makes the early starts all worth it in the end.
The Minister for Justice, Simon Harris TD has published the second biannual Progress Report on the Governments plan to improve community wellbeing in Drogheda and its surrounding areas.

This plan was published by Government in July 2021 in response to the Scoping Report into Community Safety and Wellbeing in Drogheda, completed by Mr. Vivian Geiran, former director of the Probation Service, and commissioned by the Minister for Justice in response to rising concerns regarding crime and fear of crime in Drogheda.

The Progress Report published on Thursday by Minister Harris highlights progress against each of the actions in the Implementation Plan up to the end of December 2022.

I want to thank and commend everyone, particularly those at local level, involved in the Implementation Plan, said Minister Harris. The Government remains committed to improving safety and wellbeing for the community in Drogheda.

The Drogheda Implementation Plan is an example of the power of cooperation and community. We are only gaining momentum here and I look forward to seeing further great strides made for the people of Drogheda.

During the period since the last Progress Report many positive steps have been taken based on the recommendations of the scoping exercise including but not limited to:

Continued resourcing of the Red Door Project with funding for a Drugs Treatment Court Liaison worker based in the service having been secured through Dormant Accounts funding until the third quarter of 2024,

capital investment by SOLAS to LMETB to develop a tertiary education and community facilities bloc on the Drogheda Institute of Further Education campus in response to actions 4.4 and 6.4,

the establishment of a large scale LMETB Electrical Apprenticeship Hub, with 360 training spaces per annum and 20 permanent jobs and resourced by SOLAS in response to action 6.2

the creation of a dedicated Youth Officer post for Drogheda in response to the Drogheda Report Implementation Plan and

funding to provide short-term, targeted counselling interventions for primary aged children impacted by trauma in Marymount N.S, St. Johns N.S. and St Pauls N.S.

The Drogheda Implementation Board have also issued a series of videos to illustrate the impact of some of the investments made as a result of the Drogheda Report Implementation Plan. These videos can be viewed on their YouTube channel and are also embedded into the Progress Report.

Michael Keogh, Independent Chair of the Drogheda Implementation Board said on the publication of the second Progress Report:

The publication of these progress updates continues to be very important in showing the community of Drogheda that the delivery of actions within the Drogheda Report Implementation Plan remains a priority for Government and for local statutory and community agencies. With each Report we are showing additional investment in Drogheda and the people of Drogheda.

The continued support of the Department of Justice and other Government Departments has been, and will continue to be, essential to our success; as is the excellent collaborative working that is happening across services on the ground in Drogheda.

Welcoming the report, Louth TD Fergus ODowd said we are seeing real change on the ground in Drogheda as a result of the Drogheda Implementation Plan and its recommendations.

A number of key local organisations have again been highlighted in the latest report including the Red Door Project who as we know provides key addiction services in our town and surrounds, these supports need to be committed to on a much longer term basis in order to allow them to develop and expand into the future, said Deputy ODowd.

We also must find a way for the Moneymore Community Hub project to be properly and appropriately supported to advance through planning, something which I am working on with the Moneymore consortium at present.

There is much to look forward to with the progress of both the Apprenticeship Training Hub and the future expansion of DIFE, all delivered on the back of recommendations in the Geiran report.

The Drogheda Implementation Board is supported by the Department of Justice and hosted by LMETB. If you would like to find out more about the Drogheda Implementation Board go to www.droghedaimplementationboard.ie or email implementationboard@lmetb.ie.
A Wexford pottery which has enjoyed national success for the past 25 years ago is closing down as the owners embrace retirement to pursue the kind of simpler life they glimpsed during Covid lockdown.

The potters wheel at Paul Maloney Pottery in Ballindinas, Barntown on the outskirts of Wexford town will sadly stop turning following a closing down sale during the Easter holidays.

But owners Paul and Patricia Maloney are ending on a high note as their last collection of pottery which was launched at the end of 2019 proved to be a huge success, albeit one that was interrupted by the pandemic.

The busy couple discovered they enjoyed the enforced peace and quiet during the lovely weather of that first Covid spring and afterwards found their success a little harder to handle as they were getting older.

Like many others, we had a glimpse of a simpler, less hectic life during lockdown and eventually decided to retire", said Paul whose first contact with clay and a potters wheel was at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 1976.

"I was immediately smitten by the whole environment of the ceramics department and while not actually taking ceramics as my degree subject, I spent most of my time in the department and during my student days, I tutored the ceramic night classes, he recalled.

After graduating he worked as an art teacher for a short time and then took a position as a potter in Carleys Bridge Pottery in Enniscorthy.

"I probably bit off more than I could chew but youth has little regard for caution. I later worked in other potteries until the time was right to open my own business.

He and Patricia built their small studio and shop at Ballindinas outside Wexford town a quarter of a century ago and very quickly there was demand for their products from other outlets.

"As business grew, I was always lucky to find talented potters to assist. We also took over Carleys Bridge Pottery which provided us with the extra production required, he said.

Business was hectic but then came the economic crash of 2008 when they closed the Enniscorthy pottery and downsized, allowing Paul an opportunity to pursue his lifelong love of painting which had previously taken second place to work and family.

I enjoyed having time to paint, particularly on painting trips abroad with by friend Tony Robinson (of Spectrum art shop).

High points of that time included winning Wexfords Art in the Open festival and taking first prize in Plein Air Annapolis USA. He also launched a range of art prints which were stocked in leading outlets throughout Ireland.

"After the launch of our new 2019 collection, our order books were full and luck was on my side again as another pottery had just announced closure and I seized the opportunity to recruit experienced staff, said Paul.

We had a great product, great staff and great demand  a perfect combination until Covid hit and we were in lockdown for three months.

Paul admitted that the decision to retire came as a surprise to their stockists throughout the country but they have been delighted to receive many wonderful compliments and kind wishes on their retirement.

We always strove to provide the very best product and service to all our customers and in turn, we are very appreciative of all the support and help we received, he said.

The couple extended a big thank you to our talented and industrious staff, old and new customers, friends and neighbours and all those who contributed along the way, adding that the best is yet to come.

The closing down sale starts on Good Friday and continues until Sunday, April 16.




Brooke Shields has spoken about how her first kiss was with a 29-year-old actor when she was just 11.

In the new Hulu documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields, the actor, now 57, opens up about the exploitation and sexualisation she experienced as a child star.

Shields appeared as a child sex worker in the 1978 film Pretty Baby, directed by the late French filmmaker Louis Malle.

For one scene, Shields had to kiss actor Keith Carradine (Dexter; Nashville), who was in his late twenties at the time.

In the documentary, Shields describes the incident, recalling that Malle grew frustrated at the face she pulled while kissing (per TVInsider).

According to Shields, Carradine took her to one side and offered reassurance.

Hey, he said to me. You know what? This doesnt count. This is all make-believe, she said.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, the documentarys director Lana Wilson said: This is a moment I wanted to feature and unpack because, even if child Brooke was fully cognisant of the role she was playing, and even if she realised that acting was pretend, I cant help but think: This is an actual 11-year-old girl having to kiss an actual 29-year-old man.

That inescapably is real. And the impact of that is real, too. Eleven-year-old Brooke expressed discomfort during the filming of this moment, but that discomfort was not taken seriously by the director.

Elsewhere in the documentary, Shields opened up about being sexually assaulted in her twenties, allegedly by a Hollywood executive.

Video of the Day

She also confessed that she didnt know why her mother consented for her to star in Pretty Baby and pose nude for a magazine at the age of 10.

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields premieres on Hulu in the US on 3 April, and will arrive on Disney Plus in the UK on 4 April.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described former UK chancellor Nigel Lawson who has died aged 91 as an "inspiration".

Mr Sunak said: One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk.

He was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson described Mr Lawson as a "giant" of Tory politics while Foreign Secretary James Cleverly called him a "true statesman".

The former MP and leading Brexiteer served in Margaret Thatcher's government and sat in the House of Lords until his retirement in December.

Mr Johnson said: "Nigel Lawson was a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism. He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams.

"He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Mr Cleverly said: "Sad news that Nigel Lawson has died.

"A true statesman. His contributions to this nation will not be forgotten."

UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said Mr Lawson was a giant who changed the political weather.

He tweeted: Saddened to learn of the passing of Nigel Lawson.

He was a giant who changed the political weather, a lodestar for Conservatives, and a kind man always generous with his wisdom.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Mr Lawson was a father to six children, including celebrity cook Nigella Lawson and journalist Dominic Lawson

He represented the constituency of Blaby from 1974 to 1992.

He served in Margaret Thatchers cabinet throughout the 1980s, working closely with the prime minister on many of her economic reforms.

Prior to entering politics aged 42, Mr Lawson was a journalist, and worked as editor of The Spectator.
A Playboy front cover featuring one of Emmanuel Macrons main ministers has become the latest issue to rock the French presidents government.

With Paris burning, approval ratings plummeting and a parliament in revolt over pension reforms, Mr Macron is now contending with the fallout of a 12-page interview with Marlene Schiappa in the magazine known for filling its pages with pictures of naked women.

The decision to pose for Playboy has drawn criticism from within the former erotica novelists own party, including Elisabeth Borne, the prime minister and Ms Schiappas boss.

Ms Schiappa (40), the outspoken secretary of state for social economy and associations and a self-professed sapio-sexual  a person who has an attraction to highly intelligent people  was seen as the most Playboy compatible of government ministers, Jean-Christophe Florentin, the Playboy France editor, said.

An activist-turned-politician, Ms Schiappa reportedly agreed to give the interview in order to expound on everything from feminism, violence against women and womens rights, to politics, global warming and literature.

While Ms Schiappa appears fully clothed on the cover and in the 12-page spread, she poses seductively, wrapped around the French flag, reports Le Parisien, which broke the story.

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Leaked photos show the minister wearing a one-shoulder dress in one image, and a voluminous bow-tied dress in another, under the headline A liberated minister.

Ms Schiappas critics described her appearance as a contrived distraction and an embarrassment for her party.

According to French media, Ms Borne even scolded Ms Schiappa in a phone call on Saturday, telling her it was inappropriate given the context of pension reform protests that have rocked the country over the past three months. Ms Schiappa did not clear the interview with Ms Borne in advance.

I thought it was April Fools Day in advance, Ms Schiappas Renaissance party colleague Ludovic Mendes said.

I can understand the feminist fight, but I dont see why we would do it in Playboy. There are other ways to do it."

Ms Schiappa defended her Playboy cover, calling her critics hypocrites. Defending the right of women to dispose of their bodies is everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free, she tweeted. With all due respect to the backsliders and the hypocrites.
by Joseph Shieber

One of the strange juxtapositions appearing in the past few weeks was the publication of Ibram X. Kendis essay, The Crisis of the Intellectuals in The Atlantic, followed  a day or so later  by Marty Barons essay, We want objective judges and doctors. Why not journalists too? in the Washington Post.

Kendis essay is focused on pushing back against the traditional framing of the intellectual as measured, objective, ideologically neutral, and apolitical  a framing that Kendi finds crippling and, indeed, life-destroying. In contrast, Barons essay is focused on defending the ideal of objectivity from its detractors  including, although he is not mentioned by name, Kendi.

The authors themselves also offer a marked contrast. Although now undoubtedly an academic superstar and public intellectual, Kendi himself describes his ascension as unlikely, given that he came from a non-elite academic pedigree, emerged proudly from a historically Black university, [and] earned a doctorate in African American Studies. In contrast, Baron enjoyed a more predictable pathway to the pinnacle of his profession. He earned his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees in four years from Lehigh University, began his journalistic career at the Miami Herald, and then progressed quickly from the Los Angeles Times to the New York Times, and then  now as executive editor  back to the Herald, after which he became executive editor of the Boston Globe (immortalized in the movie Spotlight), and finally the executive editor of the Washington Post. Kendi is 40; Baron, a generation older, is 68.

Belying the seeming contrast between the two essays, what is striking most about both of them is how similar their effects are. Reading both of them  particularly reading both of them serially  is like attempting to follow a conversation while completely submerged in molasses. Each seems dedicated to conveying as little substance as possible.

Despite, or perhaps because of, that devotion to the anodyne, the biggest problem with Barons essay  as John Quiggin describes it in his short response, A meta-view from meta-nowhere  is that Baron never clearly states whether the coverage of the Trump Administration by the Washington Post and other legacy media outlets constituted a failure of objectivity or paradigm example of it.

Baron quotes Lippmanns claim that without protection against propaganda,  without standards of evidence, without criteria of emphasis, the living substance of all popular decision is exposed to every prejudice and to infinite exploitation.  There can be no liberty for a community which lacks the information by which to detect lies. Baron never admits, however, that under his editorial stewardship the journalists of the Washington Post were never allowed to describe Trumps lies as lies.

Baron writes that, Objectivity is not neutrality. It is not on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand journalism. It is not false balance or both-sidesism. It is not giving equal weight to opposing arguments when the evidence points overwhelmingly in one direction. It does not suggest that we as journalists should engage in meticulous, thorough research only to surrender to cowardice by failing to report the facts weve worked so hard to discover. Baron never discusses, however, the ways in which the Washington Post that he led until 2021 failed to live up to the version of objectivity that Baron describes.

If Baron stumbles by saying too little, Kendi stumbles by sometimes saying too much. In particular, Kendi overshoots the mark when he suggests that reason or objectivity cannot also be ideals of the new, justice-seeking intellectuals that he champions. Furthermore, Kendis attempt to portray himself as a victim is simply laughable.

Lets tackle Kendis missteps regarding reason and objectivity first. Despite suggesting that the sort of intellectual tradition that he wishes to exemplify involves being fixated and focused wholly and totally on uncovering and clarifying complex truths, Kendis discussion is mind-bogglingly simplistic. Kendi seems to treat what he sees as the ideals of the traditional intellectual  measured, objective, ideologically neutral, and apolitical  as part of a package, seemingly suggesting that giving up on ideological neutrality, for example, also means giving up on objectivity.

Furthermore, Kendis discussion seems to be shot through with glaring examples of the genetic fallacy. He makes a great deal out of the fact that [t]raditional notions of the intellectual were never meant to include people who looked like [him]. He briefly describes the equation of the Enlightenment and reason and objectivity and empiricism with whiteness and Western Europe and masculinity and the bourgeoisie.

He writes, I knew that Francis Bacon, the father of empiricism in the sciences, held anti-Black racist ideas, and then  perhaps confusing Francis Bacon with Francis Galton?  suggests that [Bacons] work became the basis for empirical quests among eugenicists to assert natural human hierarchy that climaxed in the mass sterilization of Black and Latina and disabled and low-income women in the United States and in the Holocaust of Jews and other undesirables in Nazi Germany. (The only mention of Francis Bacon in Stamped from the Beginning is on p. 107, where Kendi notes that Thomas Jefferson ranked Bacon with Locke and Newton as the three greatest men the world has produced.)

So one problem with Kendis essay is that he eschews complexity in favor of simplistic and, frankly, fallacious reasoning, in his discussion of reason and objectivity. The second problem is that Kendis essay suffers from a bathetic conflation of his situation with that of the truly heroic activist intellectuals that Kendi sees as his forebears.

In his essay, Kendi describes the criticisms he faced for his scholarship and the way that his literal confrontation with death, in the form of a diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer, set him free:

When the traditionalists today disagree with the evidence-based findings of intellectualsor envy the prominence of our worktoo often they do not contest our findings with their own evidence. They do not usually engage in intellectual activity. They misrepresent our work. They play up minor typos or small miscues to take down major theses. They call us names they never define, like leftist or Marxist or woke or socialist or prophet or grifter or political or racist. All to attack our credibility as intellectualsto reassert their own credibility. In politics, they say, when you cant win on policy, you smear the candidate. In intellectualism, when you cant win on evidence, you smear the intellectual.

I knew the smears were coming, because I knew history. What blocked my writing bound my intellectualism. What finally set me free to be an intellectual was the face of death, a face I still stare at to amass the courage to be an intellectual.

The time that Kendi describes here is the period in 2017 and 2018 in which he was writing How to be an Antiracist. While I would never question his experience of what went on during that time, particularly given his no doubt harrowing experience with cancer, it is worthwhile to put that experience in perspective.

In 2017, Kendi went from being an untenured assistant professor at the University of Florida to being a full professor at American University  and the founder and executive director of a new Center for Antiracist Research at American. In 2020, Kendi moved the Center for Antiracist Research to Boston University, becoming the founder and director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University and the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University.

The Mellon Professorship at BU is not just any named professorship. Heres how BU described it, upon bestowing the professorship on Kendi: The endowed Mellon Professorship is one of BUs highest honors, held by only one other person in the Universitys history: Elie Wiesel (Hon.74), the late Holocaust survivor and 1986 Nobel Peace Prize laureate who fought for decades for human rights around the world and who died in 2016.

Kendi was 37 when he was awarded the Mellon Professorship in 2020. Elie Wiesel was 48 when he was awarded the Mellon Professorship in 1976. By that time, Wiesel had published numerous books  including the Night trilogy, The Gates of the Forest, The Town Beyond the Wall, A Beggar in Jerusalem, and many others.

My point in comparing Kendi to Wiesel isnt to suggest that Kendi isnt deserving of the Mellon Professorship at Boston University. Rather, my point instead is to suggest that Kendis privileged position at the pinnacle of the professoriate at a well-known private university  a position previously occupied by a recipient of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize  should certainly be sufficient to compensate him for having to suffer the smears of those he calls traditionalists. It certainly suggests that it is, at the very least, tone deaf of Kendi to compare his situation to that of Ida B. Wells, whose work against lynching subjected her to death threats credible enough to drive her out of Memphis.

My point is that theres something wrong with someone of Kendis privileged position comparing the muted backlash hes received with the tribulations of his intellectual predecessors:

Gay professors were among those harassed and arrested by the U.S. Park Polices Pervert Elimination campaign in Washington, D.C., in 1947just as LGBTQ teachers are being harassed and censored today. Spelman College fired the Jewish professor Howard Zinn in 1963 for radicalizing Black women students by telling them the truth about U.S. historyand firings or threats of firing continue today at other schools and colleges. In 2021, the University of North Carolinas board of trustees denied tenure to the Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist and 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones over politics.

The contrast of the LGBTQ teachers and Zinns plight with that of Hannah-Jones  and, by extension, of Kendi  is telling. Hannah-Jones is a MacArthur grant and Pulitzer Prize recipient; the ridiculous decision by the Board of Trustees at UNC Chapel Hill not to offer her a position with tenure led to Hannah-Jones receiving a position as the first Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at the Howard University School of Communications, where she is also the founder and head of the Center for Journalism and Democracy. Again, as with Kendi, Hannah-Joness situation is hardly comparable to that of Ida B. Wells at the turn of the century, LGBTQ academics in the forties, or even Zinn in the sixties.

In fact, this is to be celebrated! Its GOOD that Hannah-Jones has a comfortable position from which to advance her work, just as its good that Kendi has a prestigious perch from which to advance his. (You can donate to the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research here.)

Whats NOT good is that the pages of The Atlantic and the Washington Post are filled with this tripe, while income inequality is rampant, the Supreme Court makes a mockery of womens equal status under the law, Republican governors and lawmakers attack trans kids and their parents and caregivers, and K-12 teachers and librarians face retaliation for attempting to teach kids the truth about history and science. By adding fuel to the fire of the fake controversy about objectivity and reason, both Baron and Kendi contribute to a public discourse which lacks the information by which to detect lies.
An explosion tore through a cafe in Russias second-largest city Sunday, killing a well-known military blogger and strident supporter of the war in Ukraine. Some reports said a bomb was embedded in a bust of the blogger that was given to him as a gift.

Russian officials said Vladlen Tatarsky was killed as he was leading a discussion at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Some 30 people were wounded in the blast, Russia's Health Ministry reported.

Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public when a woman presented him with a box containing a bust of him that apparently blew up. A patriotic Russian group that organized the event said it had taken security precautions but acknowledged that those measures proved insufficient.

In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.

The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed. Smotrova described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a St. Petersburg woman, Darya Tryopova, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing. It said that she had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

A video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.

Russian media said investigators were looking at the bust as the possible source of the blast but have not ruled out the possibility that an explosive device was planted in the cafe before the event.

Russias Investigative Committee, the state's top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Reacting to the latest incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tatarskys activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers long have faced Ukrainian threats.

Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an "immortal" hero who died to save the Russian people.

There must be no talks with the terrorists other than about their unconditional surrender, Dugin said. A victory parade must take place in Kyiv.

Since the fighting in Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian authorities have refrained from claiming responsibility for various fires, explosions and apparent assassinations in Russia. At the same time, officials in Kyiv have jubilantly greeted such events and insisted on Ukraines right to launch attacks in Russia.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland, Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

Tatarsky was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric.

After the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year that most of the world rejected as illegal, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: Thats it. Well defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you.

Military bloggers have played an increasingly prominent and influential role in the flow of information about Russias invasion of Ukraine. They have almost universally championed the goals of the campaign but at times criticize Russian military strategy and tactical decisions.

At the same time, the Kremlin has squelched alternative voices opposing the war by shutting down news outlets, limiting the publics access to information and jailing critics.

Mr Tatarsky has reported widely from the frontlines during the conflict and was considered particularly anti-Ukrainian, even among the hardcore nationalist community.

He last updated his Telegram feed a few hours before he was killed, urging the Russian army to use cluster bombs against the Ukrainian army, praising Wagner adverts he had seen across Russia and raging against plans to build a mosque near a Russian Orthodox church in Moscow.

Its nice to see such outdoor advertising. I also saw Wagner adverts in Rostov, he wrote today under a photo of an advert for the mercenary group in Moscow.

But in many cities this is not yet the case. I hope the only reason is that they simply have not had time to order them.

Russia has accused Ukraines secret services of killing Darya Dugina, the daughter of an ultra-nationalist, in a car bomb attack near Moscow last year.




Fighting around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut remained "particularly hot", President Volodymyr Zelensky said, giving no indication the city had finally fallen to Russia as claimed by the founder of the Wagner mercenary force.

Yevgeny Prigozhin said his troops, involved in a months-long effort to encircle and capture the bombed-out city, had raised a Russian flag on its administrative building.

"From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts," Prigozhin said in video posted on his press service's Telegram account on Sunday.

But there was no indication from Ukrainian officials that Bakhmut, a town of 70,000 before the Russian invasion launched over a year ago, had fallen into Russian hands.

Prigozhin has previously made claims that were premature.

Ukraine's military said in a Monday update Bakhmut and several other towns including Avdiivka were at the "epicentre of hostilities".

"The enemy continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, our defenders courageously hold the city," the military said.

Zelenskiy, in his Sunday night video address, thanked soldiers fighting in Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Bakhmut.

"Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there," he said.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar had earlier described the Bakhmut situation as "tense". Ukrainian forces were defending their positions and Russian forces were paying scant attention to losses as they attacked, Maliar said.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive - backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardware - is not far off, but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut in the meantime.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks, but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant.

"The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control," Zhdanov, who has close ties to the Ukrainian military, said in a video on YouTube.

In Russia, a well-known military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, was killed by a bomb in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine.

Russia's state Investigative Committee said it had opened a murder investigation into the blast, which wounded 32 people.

It was not immediately known who was behind the killing. Wagner's Prigozhin said he would "not blame the Kyiv regime" for it but another leading Russian official pointed the finger at Ukraine, without providing evidence.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said "domestic terrorism" was breaking out in Russia.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year in what it calls a "special military operation", claiming Kyiv's ties to the West were a security threat. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed. Russia has destroyed Ukrainian cities and set millions of people to flight. It claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine.

Kyiv and the West call the war an unprovoked assault to subdue an independent country.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

Russia will move those nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus, Russia's envoy to Minsk said on Sunday, placing them at NATO's threshold in a deployment likely to escalate Moscow's standoff with the West.

The weapons "will increase the possibilities to ensure security", Russian ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, told Belarusian state television.

"This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States."

Russia's arrest of a U.S. journalist is another major diplomatic focus.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a call on with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Washington should not politicise the case.

Russia's FSB security service said on Thursday it had arrested Gershkovich, accusing him of gathering information about a Russian defence company that was a state secret.

"Secretary Blinken conveyed the United States' grave concern over Russia's unacceptable detention of a U.S. citizen journalist," the U.S. State Department said in a statement that did not mention Gershkovich by name.

Russia's foreign ministry said Lavrov told Blinken that Gershkovich's fate would be determined by a court. He reiterated Russia's assertion, for which it has not presented any evidence, that the journalist was "caught red-handed" last week.

The Wall Street Journal has denied Gershkovich was spying. The White House has called the espionage charge, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years, "ridiculous".
Russia is setting sophisticated traps to ambush Ukrainian fighter jets, one of Kyivs top pilots has revealed.

Major Vadym Voroshylov has said that every day it is becoming harder to keep the Russians at bay with outdated Soviet aircraft as he pleaded for the West to send F-16s.

Major Voroshylov warned: The Russians change tactics all the time, so the war isnt stable. They make traps. They will send up a Russian jet alone, tricking the Ukrainian pilot into thinking there is only one jet. Then, two or three more will appear either side of it, effectively swarming the Ukrainian aircraft.

As Ukrainian pilots continue to fly Soviet-era MiG-29s, he stressed they can do no more than hold the battlefield.

Wiping out the Russians, who fly the supersonic Sukhoi Su-35s modern air superiority fighter jets and Su-34 bombers, has proved difficult.

Right now, we can only hold the enemy but with F-16s we could control the airfield, as well as the seas and the ground to protect infantry, he said. We need more modern aircraft to be better than the enemy.

Ukraine initially sought to obtain the US-made F-16s. However, Joe Biden, the US president, recently said he did not want to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighters for now, which prompted Volodymyr Zelensky to urge Rishi Sunak to give Ukraine RAF Typhoons.

In February, the UK prime minister instructed his defence officials to investigate which of Britains planes could be given to Ukraine, although he cautioned that it could take three years to train a pilot.

This time frame is something Major Voroshylov and his colleague Colonel Volodymyr Lohachov, chief of the aviation department of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, dispute.

Less than six months are required to train on such a jet, Colonel Lohachov said.

As long as we continue to wait we will lose more pilots. We had a list of the most advanced pilots who could be trained on F-16s and, unfortunately, some of them have already been killed in action.

In recent weeks, Eastern European Nato member states have begun transferring old Soviet fighter jets for the first time, with a promise from the West that newer models will be provided to backfill.

Slovenia and Poland have both sent MiGs from their ageing stock, but some are only useful for spare parts.

Despite a lack of promises over more advanced western fighter jets, the Ukrainian pilots remain optimistic.

Most advanced pilots are already undergoing intensive English lessons so that they can understand their instructors if the time ever comes to be trained on western jets.

This is despite hints from London that Ukraine would not receive any British fighter jets until after the war.

This is not something Colonel Lohachov wants to entertain. To be effective in the air, jets should have modern radars and air-to-air missiles, he explained. The radars on Russian jets are about four times better than what we have.

As well, the Russian missiles are significantly more capable than our Soviet ones. It is getting more dangerous. Sometimes we cant even see that the Russians have launched missiles, which is very dangerous for pilots.

He explained that Russia has the capability to launch an attack from 200km away, whereas Ukraine has to be much closer to the enemy in order to shoot, which is far more dangerous.

The pilots message is stark: Getting F-16s would help us survive and keep more people alive.

Aged 29, Major Voroshylov has become the most famous fighter jet pilot in Ukraine. In part, it is due to his huge following on social media but also after he was celebrated by Mr Zelensky following an incident in which he was forced to eject from his jet after the windshield was destroyed as he tried to get a better radar look at Russian drones.

For Major Voroshylov, it is a prime example of why Ukrainians need better aircraft.

If we want to strike Russian jets we have to get much closer to the front line and fly at a low distance, which is very dangerous, he said.
A Chinese balloon that flew across the US was able to gather intelligence from several military sites and transmit it back to Beijing in real time, despite the Biden administration's efforts to prevent it from doing so.

NBC News reported that the high-altitude balloon, controlled by Beijing, was able to make multiple passes over some of the sites before it was shot down on February 4.

At times it was flying in a figure-eight formation, NBC said, citing two current senior US officials and one former senior administration official.

The three officials said it could transmit the information it collected back to Beijing in real time.

"The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images," NBC cited the officials as saying.

White House official John Kirby told reporters on Monday that he could not confirm NBC's report, but said the US limited the balloon's "ability to be able to collect anything additive".

He added that the US government was able to study and analyse the balloon while it was in US airspace, saying "we gained some useful context".

The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

At the time, US officials played down the balloon's impact on national security.

The balloon, which Beijing denies was a government spy vessel, spent a week flying over the US and Canada early in February before the US military shot it down off the Atlantic Coast on President Joe Biden's orders.

The incident prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing and further strained relations between Washington and Beijing.

The episode caused an uproar in Washington and led the US military to search the skies for other objects that were not being captured on radar.

The US said on February 17 it had successfully concluded recovery efforts off South Carolina to collect sensors and other debris from the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon and that investigators would analyse its "guts".
Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelensky said in reference to the attack that he does not think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russias internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed on Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russias second-largest city, officials said.

Mr Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her vehicle outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of the blogger that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking about the bust and putting it on a table next to him.

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Mr Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism.

Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on February 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but did not know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny, the Kremlins fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organised massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Mr Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Mr Navalnys supporters as an internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her vehicle blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Ms Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Ms Dugina and Mr Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Mr Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Mr Zelensky brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Mr Zelensky told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late on Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Mr Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a US correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Mr Tatarsky was born in Ukraines industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticised the military brass.
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 Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by a six-year-old pupil has filed a lawsuit seeking 40 million dollars (32.4 million) in damages from school officials.

Abby Zwerner accuses them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

The 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was shot in the hand and chest on January 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom.

She spent nearly two weeks in hospital and has had four operations since the shooting.

The shooting rattled the military shipbuilding community and sent shockwaves around America, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and use it to shoot his teacher.

The lawsuit names as defendants the Newport News School Board, former Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster-Newton and former Richneck assistant principal Ebony Parker.

Michelle Price, a school board spokesperson, said via email that the board had not yet been served with the lawsuit, adding the school division refers all legal claims information to its insurer.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with Abby Zwerner and her ongoing recovery, said a board statement, calling the safety and wellbeing of staff and students its utmost priority.

The School Board and the school divisions leadership team will continue to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and secure teaching and learning environment across all our schools.

George Parker, the former superintendent, did not immediately return a mobile phone message. A message left on a mobile phone listing for Ebony Parker also was not returned.

Briana Foster-Newtons lawyer, Pamela Branch, has said she was unaware of reports that the boy had a gun at school on the day of the shooting.

Mrs Briana Foster-Newton will vigorously defend any charges brought against her as a part of the lawsuit filed by Ms Zwerner and respond accordingly, Ms Branch said in a statement.

No one has been charged in the shooting.

The superintendent was fired by the school board after the shooting, while the assistant principal resigned.

The principal was reassigned to another job within the school district. The board also voted to install metal detectors in every school in the district, beginning with Richneck, and to purchase clear backpacks for all students.

In the lawsuit, Ms Zwerners lawyers say all of the defendants knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and at home, including an episode the year before, when he strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher.

All defendants knew that (the pupil) attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school, and was not limited to teachers while at the school, the lawsuit states.

School officials removed the boy from Richneck and sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed him to return to Richneck for first grade in the fall of 2022, the lawsuit states.

He was placed on a modified schedule because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it, and was cursing staff and teachers, it says.

Under the modified schedule, one of the boys parents was required to accompany him during the school day.

Teachers concerns with (the boys) behaviour (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed, the lawsuit states.

Often after he was taken to the office, he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy, according to the lawsuit.

The boys parents did not agree for him to be put in special education classes where he would be with other students with behavioural issues, the lawsuit states.

Ms Zwerner suffered permanent bodily injuries, physical pain, mental anguish, lost earnings and other damages, the lawsuit states. It seeks 40 million dollars in compensatory damages.

Last month, Newport News prosecutor Howard Gwynn said his office will not criminally charge the boy because he would not understand the legal system and what a charge means. Mr Gwynn has yet to decide if any adults will be charged.

The boy used his mothers gun, which police said was purchased legally. A lawyer for the boys family has said that the firearm was secured on a cupboard shelf and had a lock on it.
Former US president Donald Trump flew on Monday from Florida to New York for his historic booking and arraignment on hush money charges, as the nations largest city bolstered security and warned potential protesters it was not a playground for your misplaced anger.

Mr Trumps motorcade ride from his Mar-a-Lago club to his red, white and blue Boeing 757, emblazoned with his name in gold letters, was carried live on cable television in the US.

It took him past supporters waving banners and cheering, decrying the case against him  stemming from payments made during his 2016 campaign  as politically motivated.

Mr Trump is already months into a third campaign to reclaim the White House he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020.

US cable networks followed his plane at airports in Florida and New York with video from the air, and Mr Trump was joined aboard by a small group of senior campaign aides as well as his son, Eric Trump, who eagerly posted photos of the wall-to-wall TV coverage from his seat.

The scene was quite different in New York, where Mr Trump built a national profile in business and entertainment but became deeply unpopular as he moved into politics.

Prosecutors say their case against him has nothing to do with politics and have defended the work of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who is leading it.

Mr Trump stepped off his jet alone and directly into a waiting black car, with no one greeting him. Only small, sparse groups of supporters lined the route as his motorcade used a police escort to whisk him into Manhattan.

There was no one to greet him as he arrived at Trump Tower, the street having been cleared. He gave a brief wave anyway.

Advisers said Mr Trump spent the flight working. He was to meet with his lawyers, then spend the night at Trump Tower before surrendering to authorities for booking and the arraignment.

Mr Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offence, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week.

The investigation is scrutinising six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Mr Trump years before he got into politics. Mr Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.

It is an unprecedented chapter in American history, with Mr Trump the first former president to face criminal charges.

Repeating his frequent denunciation, Mr Trump posted, WITCH HUNT on his social media network.

He also bolstered his legal team on Monday, adding a third high-profile lawyer, Todd Blanche, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Mr Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, has previously represented Mr Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The people would not publicly discuss details of the legal teams plan and therefore spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Officials have so far not seen an influx of people coming into the city, as was the case in Washington in the days before a mob of Trump supporters overran the US Capitol in January 2021.

Still, they warned that possessing a weapon in certain areas of the city, including near courts, is a crime.

While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves, said New York Mayor Eric Adams.

New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.

Trump Tower was open on Monday, but traffic was expected to be snarled by nearby street closings, especially as the former president came and went.

Additional security was also in the works. A small group of supporters hung large Trump 2024 banners across from a makeshift pen of reporters, a block away from Trump Tower.

Authorities also have taken steps to close and secure the court floor where Mr Trump is to appear before a judge as part of his arraignment.

One of Mr Trumps staunchest defenders in Congress, Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, was helping to organise a rally in New York for Tuesday morning, and Mayor Adams took the unusual step of calling her out by name.

Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, shes stated shes coming to town, Mr Adams said. While youre in town, be on your best behavior.

Arriving in Minnesota where he was touring a factory to promote his administrations economic policies, Mr Biden was asked if he thought there would be unrest in New York.

No, I have faith in the New York Police Department, the president replied. He also said he had faith in the nations legal system.
Kosovos former president has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, torture and persecution as he went on trial with three other ex-leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Hashim Thaci resigned from office in 2020 to defend himself against the charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during his countrys 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia.

I am fully not guilty, Thaci told judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers as the trial opened in the Netherlands.

The other three defendants also repeated not guilty pleas made at earlier pretrial hearings.

The case has stirred an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum in Kosovo. On Sunday, thousands of people took to the streets to show their support for the defendants.

Many Kosovars consider the Netherlands-based court an injustice and view it as an attempt to rewrite the history of their struggle for independence.

Prosecutor Alex Whiting said the KLA, a guerrilla force which battled against the powerful Serbian military, had a very clear and explicit policy of targeting collaborators and perceived traitors including political opponents.

Mr Whiting said prosecutors would prove that the KLA and was responsible for hundreds of murders and illegal detentions across Kosovo and northern Albania in 1998 and 1999 and that the four accused are responsible for those crimes as military leaders of the KLA general staff.

The prosecutor said the case was about key defending principles.

This case is about defending the rule of law during wartime, which is when the rule of law is most threatened, Mr Whiting said.

Nobody is above the law, even during wartime.

Lawyers for Thaci and the other defendants are scheduled to deliver their opening statements on Tuesday. The first witnesses are expected to testify next week.

The trial is taking place at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which is based in the Netherlands but is part of Kosovos legal system.

Thaci is standing trial along with Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi for offences allegedly committed across Kosovo and northern Albania from 1998 to September 1999, during and after the war.

Most of the 13,000 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day campaign of Nato air strikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting. About one million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes.

The court in The Hague and a linked prosecutors office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations were not included in the indictment against Thaci.

In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. The United States and most of the West recognise the declaration, but Serbia  supported by allies Russia and China  does not.

Kosovo-Serbia relations remain tense despite efforts from Washington and the European Union, with a recent Western plan envisaging normalisation of their relations.
This publication is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in the Indian market and includes a gu...
Image: Pixabay

Industry experts believe that Indian smartphone export is likely to have crossed USD 10 billion (over Rs 82,000 crore) in the just-ended financial year 2023.

Apples Make in India smartphones now constitute 50 per cent of total exports, followed by Samsung with 40 per cent of mobile exports and other smartphone players constituting the remaining 10 per cent of the export share, reports Asian Life.

India is now being preferred by Global manufacturing giants. Recently, Samsung opened the worlds largest phone manufacturing unit in India. Other major global giants like Apple have moved significant units in the country too. Global enterprises like Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Lava have also set up their bases and expanded operationally in India.

The mobile phone industry will cross $40 billion manufacturing output and 25 per cent exports at $10 billion is a stellar performance, Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA, told the website.

Smartphone exports from India have doubled from a corresponding period from last fiscal year, driven by production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes.

The top five global destinations India currently exports mobile phones to are the UAE, the US, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy, according to the ICEA data. India has more than 260 units manufacturing mobile phones and accessories now, with only two units operational in 2014, reports Asian Life.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

As many as 600 Indian travelers from Tawang region in India visited Bhutan to attend the Tshechu festival.

People of Tawang walked about four hours from the nearest road point in India to Toedtsho Gewog in Trashi Yangtse carrying all the goods on their backs, reports The Bhutan Live News.

They reached Gomphu kora by hiring taxis.

I visited the place seven times but due to covid pandemic, we could not visit in the last three years. But this year, I came here along with my friends. We are enjoying, Dorji Wangchuk from Tawang told the website.

I am so happy as it is my first time visiting the place. When I was young, my parents used to tell me to visit Gomphu Kora. And it was my dream to visit Bhutan, I am happy, Pelden Tshering who also came from Tawang told The Bhutan Live.

A tshechu is any of the annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar.

The month depends on the place.

Tshechus are religious festivals of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Image: Wikimedia Commons

On March 20, 2023, Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan informed the State Assembly about the decision of the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) to engage in unconditional talks within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.

Stating that the peace talks had started, he added, "The state government is committed to ensuring that the talks are concluded at the earliest. We are also thankful to the Government of India for their support."

On March 17, 2023, the Meghalaya State Government stated that the ongoing peace talks with the HNLC were heading to a closure.

After receiving the Government of India's nod, peace talks between the HNLC and the Meghalaya Government were initiated on March 11, 2022. HNLC is a product of a 1992 split in the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council (HALC), the first militant tribal outfit in Meghalaya. HNLC claims to represent the interest of the Khasis, the largest indigenous community in the state.

After the complete decimation of the Garo-insurgent group, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), in 2018, following the killing of GNLA founder commander' Sohan D. Shira on February 24, 2018, at Dobu A'chakpek in the East Garo Hills District, HNLC was the lone major active insurgent group left in the state. According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), since Shira's killing, Meghalaya recorded four fatalities (one civilian and three militants). While HNLCs role is suspected in the killing of the civilian on May 12, 2019, one of each of the three terrorists killed belonged to the IK Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-S), the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) and HNLC. The last militant killing was reported on September 14, 2021, when the UALA cadre was killed.

State Government data indicated that, out of seven Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosions in Meghalaya between February 2018 and January 2022, at least five were suspected to be linked to the HNLC. The remaining two IED explosions remained unattributed.

No violent incident has been reported in the State since January 2022.

In such a situation, successful completion of the talks with the HNLC is likely to help establish permanent peace in the state, which witnessed heightened insurgency between 1992 and 2000 (when overall fatalities were in three digits in each year) and a persistent low-level insurgency between 2001 and 2016 (when overall fatalities remained within two digits, and were limited to just five in 2009). There were eight fatalities in 2017, seven in 2018, two in 2019, none in 2020, two in 2021 and none in 2022.

Some problems, nevertheless, persist.

On April 13, 2022, The Meghalaya Police arrested the founder (name withheld by the Police) of a 'newly formed' militant group Lawei ba Phyrnai (Bright Future), who sent two threatening emails to the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma. The first email, sent on April 1, 2022, threatened to trigger bomb blasts every single week starting May 1, 2022. The email read,

Mr. Chief Minister...I am emailing you to let you know that I and 36 other well qualified and talented jobless youths have formed an outfit. A terror outfit, of course-with free sponsored arms and ammunition - whose capability and strength will come to display in a couple of weeks from now.

In the second email sent on April 7, 2022, the outfit demanded the release of the jailed HNLC leader, Julius K. Dorphang, arrested on January 7, 2017, in connection with a rape case. It warned of blowing up a school if the demand was unmet.

Further, the inter-state boundary issues between Meghalaya and Assam threaten to undo the hard-earned peace and stability in the State. The village of Mukroh, which Meghalaya claims lies in Block-I under the West Jaintia Hills District of the State near the border with Assam, was the site of violent clashes on November 22, 2022. Assam Police shot dead five Meghalaya citizens. Both parties gave differing accounts of the event. The Assam Government said the incident occurred between "Assam Forest" officials and "unknown miscreants" at Mukroh under Jirikinding Police Station in the State's West Karbi Anglong District. Meghalaya Chief Minister Sangma blamed the Assam side for the "unprovoked firing". Reacting to the incident, Assam registered vehicles were set ablaze by enraged mobs at Mahavir Park in the Jhalupara area of Shillong. Vehicle movements were restricted along the Assam-Meghalaya border, and internet services were suspended in various Districts of Meghalaya.

Such incidents have a long-established history in Northeast India and are not particularly limited to Meghalaya and Assam, but have involved other states, such as Nagaland and Mizoram, as well.

To resolve interstate boundary issues in various disputed areas between Meghalaya and Assam, talks between officials are slated to be conducted by the end of April 2023. The interstate border talks will discuss disputed areas such as Langpih in West Khasi Hills, Borduar, Nongwah-Mawtamur, Desh Doomreah and Block-II in Ri-Bhoi District, and Block-I and Psiar-Khanduli in West Jaintia Hills District.

Further, the demand for the application of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) system has grown stronger in Meghalaya after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. The ILP system provides for restricted entry in certain protected areas, to non-native Indian citizens from other parts of the country. Several NGOs convened meetings in and around the state to express their dissent against the non-implementation of the ILP system in Meghalaya.

The conflict between the Khasis and Garos, the latter are the second largest indigenous community in the State, is a further complication in the socio-political context of the state. The conflict has been fueled by various factors, including historical grievances, competition over land and resources, political power, and cultural differences, which sometimes takes a sectarian form since most Khasis are Welsh Presbyterian Christians while the Garos are American Baptist. This conflict dates back to the colonial period, and has continued into the present. It accounts for the original emergence of HNLC and GNLA.

Establishing a sustainable peace in Meghalaya requires the resolution of these critical issues. The state government, which was sworn into its second term on March 7, 2023, is expected to take necessary steps in this direction. However, any delays or lackadaisical approach would provide a fillip to the insurgent groups, which have been cornered at the present stage.
Image Credit: Facebook/Congress

Surat/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will challenge his conviction in a criminal defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark in a Surat court on Monday, media reports said.

Rahul will land in Surat at 2 pm.

He will be accompanied by Chief Ministers from Congress-governed states and top leaders including party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Slamming Rahul, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Monday said, "Rahul Gandhi of course can challenge the conviction with a lawyer or a battery of lawyers. But Rahul prefers to create a drama with party leaders in Surat."

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Rahul had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Purnesh Modi, had claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.

A Surat court convicted Rahul to a two-year jail imprisonment. He is presently on bail.

After he was convicted, the Congress leader was disqualified by Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha.

He was an MP from Kerala's Wayanad constituency.
Justice Adran Fisher on Monday, 13th March, 2023, convicted popular rap musician, Alhaji Amadu Bah, alias LAJ, on four counts of robbery and assault.

LAJ was standing trial in the High Court on four criminal charges ranging from robbery with violence to assault.

State prosecutor, Yusuf Isaac Sesay, alleged that the accused in June 12, 2022, at Leonco Filling Station, Water Street, Congo Cross, Main Motor Road in Freetown, robbed one Francess Wilson, Ishmael Kamara and Christina Koroma. It was also alleged that he assaulted Musa Mansaray.

Justice Fisher, reading the judgment, reiterated that the prosecution must prove that indeed the accused engaged in an act of robbery and assault contrary to law of Sierra Leone.

He stated that the prosecution must also prove that the accused had the intention to deprive the owner of his property completely and noted that the prosecution in proving their case called eight witnesses and tendered several exhibits in court, including the mobile phone and four million that was taken by LAJ and his friends.

He said having considered the evidence of the prosecution and the defense, he had considered several issues that were raised by prosecution witnesses.

He said the accused in his statement to the police said he was the one that handed over the phone that was taken from the sales girl and returned the four million two hundred thousand Leones that was allegedly taken from the sales boys at the filling station.

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Justice Fisher said he needed to remind himself very carefully that all the witness in the matter identified LAJ as the person that attacked them and took away the mobile phone and four million two hundred thousand Leones.

He said in the area of identification the accused LAJ is a popular person in and outside of Sierra Leone, and that he had no doubt that it was the accused that did the act.

"The accused LAJ and his friend were using a car that was not license or having any number plate, that alone was an act of lawlessness, I submit that the prosecution has proven it case beyond all reasonable doubt against the accused person LAJ. I therefore hold the accused persons guilty as charged of the four count charge of robbery and Assault." He said

Justice Fisher adjourned the matter to 17th March, 2023, for a Plea Mitigation of the accused.
Image Credit: Twitter/ S Jaishankar

New Delhi/IBNS: India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday slammed the US and Germany's comments on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the latter's conviction in a criminal defamation case, media reports said.

Jaishankar said the West thinks it has a "God-given right" to comment on internal matters of other countries.

He said, "It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening."

"We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India," the minister added.

The External Affairs Minister made the comment at a 'Meet and Greet' event organised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs PC Mohan and Tejasvi Surya in Bengaluru.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Rahul had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Purnesh Modi, had claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.

A Surat court convicted Rahul to a two-year jail imprisonment. He is presently on bail.

After he was convicted, the Congress leader was disqualified by Parliament's lower house Lok Sabha.

The US had said it is watching Rahul Gandhis case and that it engages with the Indian government on the commitment to democratic values and freedom of expression.

Indian-American State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel has said, "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy, and were watching Mr. Gandhis case in Indian courts, and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values  including, of course, freedom of expression.

"In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the importance of democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression, as a key to strengthening both our democracies."

Germanys Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in reference to the case, said, "We have taken note of the first instance against Indian opposition politician Rahul Gandhi as well as the suspension of his parliamentary mandate.

"To our knowledge, Mr Gandhi is in a position to appeal the verdict, it will then become clear whether the verdict will stand and whether the suspension of his mandate has any basis.

"We expect that the standards of judicial independence and fundamental democratic principles will equally apply to the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi."
Image Credit: UNI

Patna/UNI: The Bihar Assembly was adjourned till lunch break as opposition furious over post Ramnavami violence in Bihar-Sharif, Sasaram and other parts of the state, created ruckus over the issue and flayed the government for its failures to maintain law and order.

As the House assembled, on request of leader of the opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha, Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary allowed him to speak on the issue before taking up scheduled question hour.

Sinha said it was most unfortunate that incidents of violence took place in Sasaram, Bihar-Sharif and other parts of the state during Ramnavami festival.

It was surprising that violence erupted even after meetings of peace committees were held in areas where violent incidents took place, he pointed out.

Leader of the opposition said that disruptive elements pelted stones on Ramnavami procession which resulted in violent incidents in various parts of the state.

Instead of taking tough action against trouble mongers, the Grand Alliance government was indulged in minorities appeasement policy and protecting those responsible for inciting violence, he alleged.

"Due to vote bank politics, the government is not taking action against culprits and indulging in providing hospitality to minorities while the majority community is being humiliated," Sinha said adding that his party BJP always believed in respect to all religions but appeasement of minorities would not be tolerated at all.

It was strange that the District Magistrate of Rohtas had refused to accept the fact that prohibitory order of section 144 was imposed in Sasaram while officer-in-charge of the concerned police station had announced on mike in areas that prohibitory order had been enforced, he maintained.

Leader of the opposition said when bombs had exploded in Madarsa in Bakna and Nathnagar of Bhagalpur district earlier, the state administration had described it as bursting crackers.

"Why did not Bihar government ensure proper investigation of the case by National Investigation Agency (NIA)?" he asked.

Several other members of the House including those from the ruling alliance also expressed their views on the issue.

While the ruling alliance blamed RSS and Bajrang Dal for inciting violence, opposition members held the government responsible for its failures to take stern action against culprits due to appeasement of minorities.

When a request of the Speaker to opposition members to resume their seats, who had trooped into well to protest the violence in several parts of the state, failed to yield results, he adjourned proceedings of the House till lunch break.
Image: S Jaishankar Twitter page

New Delhi: Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck as he arrived in India on Monday.

"Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership," Jaishankar tweeted.

The King is visiting the nation from Apr 3 to Apr 5.

He is accompanied by Lyonpo Tandi Dorji, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, and senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

"The visit of His Majesty the King of Bhutan is in keeping with the long standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India.



His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership. pic.twitter.com/o1lqYYJlVn  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 3, 2023

During the visit, His Majesty the King of Bhutan will meet with President of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The External Affairs Minister and senior officials will call on His Majesty the King of Bhutan.

India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust.

The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the close bilateral partnership, including economic and development cooperation.
Image by Supriyo Hazra/IBNS

Colombo: Sri Lanka's tourism industry is aiming to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, an increase from the previous target of 1.5 million, an official said on Monday.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media that the SLTDA amended the estimates due to a positive trend in the first quarter of the year.

Fernando said Sri Lanka has already exceeded its target for March 2023, with over 112,000 tourists arriving in the first 28 days of the month, marking the first time since 2019 that Sri Lanka has welcomed over 100,000 tourists for three consecutive months.

Sri Lanka has welcomed over 323,000 tourists so far this year, he said.

The country is expecting a boost in Chinese tourists due to increased flights and promotional efforts in China, and is also considering adding direct flights from Israel, he said.

Tourism, one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the country.

(With UNI inputs)
Wikipedia Commons

St. Petersburg: An explosion rocked a popular cafe in St. Petersburg city of Russia on Sunday which left a popular Russian military blogger dead, media reports said.

Vladlen Tatarsky died when a blast tore through the cafe where he was appearing as a guest of a pro-war group called Cyber Front Z. Authorities said they were treating the case as suspected murder, reports CNN.

The blast left 30 others injured.

A source told Sputnik news agency that the blast was thought to have been caused by an explosive device brought into the cafe by a female patron.

Authorities told the news agency that the blast was not followed by fire.

The explosion reportedly caused extensive damage to the cafe.
Representational image from Wallpaper Cave

Abuja: A Nigerian court has sentenced two Chinese nationals to three years in prison for alleged corruption charges.

They were identified as Meng Wei Kun and Xu Kuai.

Daily Trust reported the convicts were earlier arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto, on a 3- Count charge bordering on Conspiracy, Money Laundering and attempted bribery.

The convicts were said to have offered a N50 million bribe to officials of the Sokoto Zonal Command of the EFCC.

The lower court however, discharged and acquitted them of the said charges which necessitated an appeal by the anti-graft agency, the news portal reported.

Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Abubakar Mahmud Talba, held that the respondents tried to frustrate the Appeal through maneuverings, stating that Gone are the days of technicalities in Law.

He emphasised that Courts must allow cases to be heard on merits.
Image: Unsplash

Washington: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has banned its staff from downloading social media platform TikTok on its provided devices.

NATO has reportedly taken the movie citing security issues.

NATO officials sent a note to staff on Friday morning announcing the ban, the officials said. The note made the ban official, but TikTok was not really usable on NATO-issued devices before, anyway, the officials said, because of internal tech restrictions, reports CNN.

Cyber security is a top priority for NATO. NATO has robust requirements for determining applications for official business use. TikTok is not accessible on NATO devices, a senior NATO official told CNN.

NATO is the latest governmental body to ban the app over concerns that the Chinese government could have access to TikTok users data through its Chinese parent company, Bytedance. The US, UK, Norway, European Parliament and other nations have already banned the app from government-issued devices.

TikToks CEO Shou Chew stressed to US lawmakers earlier this month that the company is completely independent from Beijing, and said that he has seen no evidence that the Chinese government has access to that data; they have never asked us, we have not provided it.

He told CNN that TikTok is moving its data into the US, to be stored on US soil by the American company Oracle.
Image: Pixabay

Paris: At least three people were killed and several others injured in three shootings in southern France on Sunday night, news channel BFMTV reported citing police sources.

The three shootings took place in the city of Marseille. The first was in the Le Castellas neighborhood, resulting in two deaths; the second was in the Les Aygalades neighborhood; and the third was in the city's second arrondissement, killing one. Several injuries were also recorded, with three in critical condition.

A police investigation is now underway, BFMTV reported.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: Tourist Police, Bangladesh Facebook page

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Tourist Police have detained a man for allegedly harassing and taking money from Australian travel vlogger Luke Damant.

The video of the incident has gone viral on the social media.

The detained person was identified as Abdul Kalu.

Tourist Police wrote on Facebook: "That man has been arrested. We always welcome our guests i.e. foreign tourists to our beautiful Bangladesh."

Damat reacted to the post and wrote in the comment section: "Thank you Bangladesh Tourist Police for keeping visitors safe.

I really appreciate your swift response, and ensuring that tourists have a pleasurable experience in your amazing country."

Damat shared the video of his interaction with the detained person Youtube and wrote: "Avoid This Man in Bangladesh! ."
Unsplash/ Max Kleinen

Lahore: A retired superintendent of police (SP) was shot dead on Saturday by unidentified people outside his Millat Park house in Pakistan, media reports said.

A CCTV camera footage surfacing on social media showed that the retired SP Farhat Abbas, 62, was about to leave for his native Baharwal village, Pattoki in a car parked outside his house in Millat Park on Multan Road, when a young man armed with a pistol approached him, Dawn News reported.

The masked youth repeatedly shot at and injured Abbas, who fell onto the ground, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

The attackers then fled the scene.

The injured person was taken to hospital where he was pronounced death.

Millat Park police shifted the body to the morgue for an autopsy and registered a murder case against unidentified killer on the complaint of the victims nephew Salman Tahir.

Tahir told Dawn that his uncle Abbas was going to their native town to attend a punchayat and was standing outside his house when he was shot.

I was in the porch of the house and rushed to the spot after hearing gunshots and found my uncle lying in a pool of blood, he said.

We rushed him to hospital where the doctors declared him dead, he added.
analysis

The Tigray region, in northern Ethiopia, used to be a model for land restoration in Africa. It won multiple awards and recognition.

It all started in 1991 when the regional government of Tigray made a plan to stop forests from being depleted and land from being degraded. Part of the plan provided communities with 20 to 40 days of free labour every year to restore their land.

Over the next 30 years, there was impressive rehabilitation. This included widespread re-vegetation, reduced rainwater runoff, improvement in soil quality. Feed, food and fuel availability increased and forest cover improved from 3% to 17%.

But the two-year war and siege on Tigray region has set Tigray's restoration back by decades. The conflict has had a devastating impact on both people and the environment.

As many as 600,000 people have died, mainly due to man-made starvation. About 120,000 women have reportedly been raped. Schools, factories, hospitals and churches have been looted or vandalised.

The environment has been destroyed by aerial and ground bombardment, the use of dangerous chemicals and vehicle and army movement. Forests and conservation and restoration structures were destroyed by military activity. The landscape is littered with waste and abandoned military material.

Restored landscapes somehow saved some lives and met people's livelihoods. People were forced to eat whatever they could find, including wild fruits and leaves, to survive. In addition, 2.1 million people were displaced. Many turned to firewood for cooking and used timber to construct temporary shelters.

According to World Peace Foundation, the destruction of the environment was also a tool of war. Tigrayan communities are highly dependent on natural resources for food, fuel and feed. Agriculture contributes 42.7% to GDP, about 85% of employment and 70% of export earnings. Armies deliberately destroyed fruit trees, forests, soil conservation structures and nursery structures. Grass harvests used for animal feed were burned. The destruction of the ecosystems will in turn affect food security and the climate for a long time to come.

Typically, humanitarian concerns are prioritised following a war. Reconstruction efforts focus on repairing damaged hospitals, schools, factories and water systems. But restoring the environment also needs urgent attention so that societies can produce food and goods to rebuild their lives.

As experts in land restoration, forestry, agroforestry, climate change and development in the Tigray region and beyond, we want to share what we think should be in the environmental restoration plan to ensure Tigray's recovery is green and sustainable.

Removal of dangerous material

First, any hazards - including bombs and land mines - must be cleared. This is essential to allow people to begin restoration.

Ecosystems contaminated by shelling and bombardments, destroyed industrial, agricultural and health facilities and military waste should be dealt with as hotspots.

These activities can be done by the line offices in consultation with the Tigray, federal and UN environmental agencies.

Assessment of environmental damage

A thorough assessment of the direct and indirect impacts and losses is needed.

Direct damage assessments should evaluate trees, forests, soil, water and wildlife. The assessment will provide detailed information on the magnitude of the destruction, what needs to be prioritised and what resources are needed. As it is impossible to survey the entire region, which is about 50,079km, sites should be chosen for sampling based on the level of damage.

Indirect damage assessments will cover pollution and contamination. Laboratory analysis should be conducted for soil, water and vegetation from areas where intensive fighting took place or where industrial plants or other infrastructure were destroyed. This can be done by the regional environment authority, universities and international partners.

Local people at the centre

The post-war environment recovery must put the needs of the community at the centre. The aim is to reduce vulnerability, improve livelihoods and build resilience.

Communities have been key in Tigray's past land restoration efforts and they must be involved. Restoration processes must be based on their priorities and values. Ensuring they have a sense of ownership is key to sustaining efforts.

Which landscapes to prioritise

Farm households and farmlands should get priority. Farmers should be provided with oxen and improved agricultural farm goods, to improve their subsistence farming and to scale up agroforestry practices.

Existing natural forests and woodlands, specifically those which act as water towers and national parks, are crucial for income generation, biodiversity protection and climate preservation. We would recommend a higher priority for Kafta-Shararo national park, the Boswellia woodlands, Hugumbrda-Grat Khasu forest, Desaa forest, Hirmi woodland, and church forests such as Waldba Forest.

Include urban farming

Past restoration efforts focused on rural landscapes. There is no better moment to introduce urban farming practices to bring greenery and a sustainable lifestyle closer to home.

During the past three years, during COVID and the siege on Tigray, we observed the start of sporadic urban farming in the region. Urban forestry and agroforestry programmes must be designed and integrated as part of post-war rehabilitation and climate adaptation.

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Rehabilitating research facilities

The research facilities in Tigray that support land restoration - such as genetic resources, laboratories, farm machinery and nursery infrastructure - have been looted and pillaged. For instance, the Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, which made significant contributions to the past land rehabilitation of Tigray, was destroyed. Research scientists and their support staff were killed. Professors of Tigray origin in Ethiopian universities and Tigrayan professors from universities in Tigray were targeted for killing.

The damage needs to be repaired immediately so that universities and research organisations can continue contributing to the restoration of agriculture and natural resources in Tigray.

The future

Determining ecological damage losses could draw attention to the scale of environmental destruction and foster justice and accountability for lasting peace.

Environmental damage and war are humanitarian issues, regardless of where they happen. What has happened should be a wake-up call to environmentalists and humanity. There is no sustainable land restoration without sustainable peace, and there is no sustainable peace without collective action.

Aster Gebrekirstos, Global Scientist, World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

Emiru Birhane, Professor in Ecology, Mekelle University
Image: Pixabay

Toba Tek Singh: At least five more people, including a woman, were injured when a scuffle broke out at the free wheat flour distribution centre in Pakistan's Shorkot city while the people blocked a road in protest against non-availability of flour in Muzaffargarh on Saturday.

On the other hand, Punjab Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir has termed the reports of deaths during the flour distribution mere propaganda of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), reports Dawn News.

He said the claim of death of dozens of people during the distribution of flour was nothing but mischief but added that the lives of three valuable people were unfortunately lost due to the rush and an inquiry was going on into the matter.

In Shorkot, there was a heavy rush of free flour seekers located at the Government Elementary School in Shorkot Cantt.

According to reports, the scuffle occurred between policemen and the people, leading to a stampede-like situation.

The five people, who were injured in the incident, were given first aid at Shorkot Rafiqui Welfare Hospital.

The eyewitnesses told Dawn News a similar situation had occurred at the same centre two days back when the people had attempted to open the gate of school forcibly to enter the distribution centre and some people were also wounded.
Pixabay

Peshawar: A Christian community member was shot dead in Pakistan's Peshawar city on Saturday.

Officials told The News International that Kashif Masih, who was a sanitation worker, was going home when armed men opened fire on him.

He died on the spot.

The attackers fled from the scene.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Investigation, Kokab Farooq, and others arrived at the spot and collected evidence. A case was registered, the newspaper reported.
FY22 saw more than Rs.120,000 crore collected through IPOs but it was just about 53,338 crore the fiscal year FY23. In all, there were 37 IPOs that have closed in FY23 and all of them are also already listed. FY23 was a year when the SME IPOs dominated the mainboard IPOs. The IPO story for FY23 was not as good as expected; but it was also not as bad as apprehended.

Big story of IPOs in FY23

If one looks at the IPO data for FY23, there are some interesting takeaways that emerge from the data. Here are a few of them.

A total of 37 IPOs closed for subscription in FY23 and all of them were also listed. This is lower than the 53 IPOs in FY22. The collections through the IPO route, at Rs53,338 crore in FY23 was less than half of the IPO flows in FY22.



Out of the 37 IPOs, 24 IPOs have given positive returns as of the close of March 2023 while 13 IPOs are in the red. Ironically, 8 out of the 13 IPOs giving negative returns were concentrated in the months of November 2022 and December 2022.



The total IPO collections for FY23 stood at Rs53,338 crore. Against that, the total amount for which applications were received were to the tune of Rs539,151 crore. That translates into an overall subscription of 10.11 times and shows good market appetite.



The largest IPO of LIC during the year was worth Rs21,008 crore followed by Delhivery Ltd at Rs5,235 crore. Out of the 37 IPOs during 2022, these 2 IPOs alone accounted for 49% of the total funds raised through the IPO route. Digital IPOs were badly missed.

It was a tough year, but amidst the uncertainty, the IPO market did show a lot of resilience. The IPO market was not really as bad as was originally apprehended.

Stars and laggards of IPO market in FY23

Let us now turn to the best and worst performing IPOs of fiscal year FY23 based on post-listing returns. For simplicity, we will not be annualizing these returns and just focus on the absolute returns. This may favour earlier IPOs, but that is an acceptable risk.

Company Name Issue Close Issue Size (Rs. Crore) Subscription (X) Issue Price (Rs.) CMP (Rs.) Returns (%) Hariom Pipes 05-Apr 130.05 7.93 153.00 475.00 210.46% Venus Pipes 13-May 165.42 16.31 326.00 755.00 131.60% Kaynes Technology 14-Nov 857.82 34.16 587.00 956.00 62.86% Archaean Chemicals 11-Nov 1,462.31 32.23 407.00 645.25 58.54% Global Health 07-Nov 2,205.57 9.58 336.00 524.10 55.98% Aether Industries 26-May 808.04 6.26 642.00 936.00 45.79% Rainbow Children 29-Apr 1,580.85 12.43 542.00 730.00 34.69% Dreamfolks Services 26-Aug 562.10 56.68 326.00 428.05 31.30% Prudent Corporate 12-May 538.61 1.22 630.00 807.55 28.18% Paradeep Phosphates 19-May 1,501.73 1.75 42.00 50.55 20.36%

Data Source: NSE (CMP as of close of 31st March 2023)

During the year, there were only 2 IPOs that delivered above 100% returns viz. Hariom Pipes and Venus Pipes. However, the positive takeaway is that the top 10 IPOs have all given positive returns of over 20%, purely on a point to point basis. Let us now turn to losers.

Company Name Issue Close Issue Size (Rs. Crore) Subscription (X) Issue Price (Rs.) CMP (Rs.) Returns (%) Tracxn Technologies 12-Oct 309.38 2.01 80.00 65.30 -18.38% Tamilnad Mercantile Bank 07-Sep 831.60 2.86 510.00 410.90 -19.43% Abans Holdings 15-Dec 345.60 1.10 270.00 210.00 -22.22% KFIN Technologies 21-Dec 1,500.00 2.59 366.00 281.00 -23.22% DCX Systems 02-Nov 500.00 69.79 207.00 144.30 -30.29% Delhivery Ltd 13-May 5,235.00 1.63 487.00 329.70 -32.30% Inox Green Energy 15-Nov 740.00 1.55 65.00 39.60 -39.08% Dharmaj Crop Guard 30-Nov 251.15 35.49 237.00 140.00 -40.93% LIC of India 09-May 21,008.48 2.95 949.00 535.00 -43.62% Elin Electronics 22-Dec 475.00 3.09 247.00 120.30 -51.30%

Data Source: NSE (CMP as of close of 31st March 2023)

Out of the 10 top losers for the year, 6 IPOs fell more than 30% while 8 IPOs fell more than 20%. Ironically, two of the biggest IPOs of the year viz. LIC of India and Delhivery Ltd are in the bottom 5 performers of the year. That has dented overall IPO returns and IPO returns as well as sentiments for most part of the year. We shall see that in detail later.

Was there a link between subscription level and performance?

What was the driver of outperformance or underperformance in FY23? An intuitive explanation is that higher subscription levels guarantee good performance post list. But is that really the case?

If you look at the top 10 IPOs in terms of returns, only Dreamfolks Services had more than 50X subscription levels in the IPO. Out of the top performers, 5 of the 10 top return giving IPOs had single digit subscription of less than 10X. What about losers?





Among the 10 biggest IPO losers in terms of returns, 2 IPOs viz. DCX Systems got subscribed 69.79 times while Dharmaj Crop Guard was subscribed 35.49 times. So, the link between subscription levels and listing returns appears to be tenuous, at best.





It is perhaps the median subscription that makes the difference. For FY23, the median subscription was 5.85 times. Now if you look at the return leaders, 8 out of top 10 had subscription above the median. In contrast, if you look at the top losers, 8 out of bottom 10 had subscription levels below the median. That, probably, explains the linkage.

To sum it up, the probability of good or bad returns is best judged by subscription versus the median. Otherwise, there is no direct linkage between subscriptions and returns. To rub the irony in, two stocks got undersubscribed in the IPO and both are trading comfortably above their IPO price.

Did the size of the issue really matter to IPO returns?

That judgement is likely to be clouded by the fact that two of the largest IPOs of FY23 viz. LIC and Delhivery are among the bottom 5 in terms of returns. But, is that reflective of the overall trend. If you look at the top 10 IPOs in terms of returns, 4 are above Rs1,000 crore.

If you look at the returns table of IPOs for FY23, the large issues are literally spread across the returns spectrum and there is no hard and fast linkage between size and returns. At the end of the day, it boils down to pricing of the IPO and how much the company and its investment bankers leave on the table for investors.

Were Indian investors better off investing in IPOs in FY23?

If you look at it quantitatively, 24 out of the 37 IPOs or 65% of the IPOs have given positive returns. Also, in FY23, the subscription to IPOs overall stands at over 10.11 times indicating healthy appetite for IPOs. But, let ask a more pertinent question; what would have happened if the investor had just allocated equal amounts to all IPOs?

On an overall investment, the investors would have seen negative returns of -12.43% from the IPOs for FY23; which is far from impressive. However, if the investor had skipped LIC and Delhivery, the IPO portfolio returns would have been a positive 7.92%. That may sound like wishful thinking, but the moral of the story is that it was LIC and Delhivery that caused most of the negative returns for IPO investors in FY23. It is, perhaps, a word of caution about chasing highly fancied and high profile IPOs.
Nearly 20,000 doctors gathered to rally in Jaipur after the Indian Medical Association called for a protest against the Right to health bill which was recently passed by the state assembly of Rajasthan, on 27 March.

This is the biggest protest the government has seen since passing the landmark bill which will benefit thousands in the state assembly earlier in March. The demands of the IMA and the doctors is that the government should rollback the law but the stance of the government is that they will not take back the health bill at any cost.

BCCL

Thousands of doctors and professionals associated with medical profession including medical shop owners took part in the rally which started from hostel ground of SMS hospital passing through Suchna Kemdra Tiraha, Maharani College Tiraha, Ashok Marg and Panchbati on MI road. The landmark legislation makes Rajasthan the first state in India to make access to healthcare a legal entitlement of every citizen of the state.



What is Right to health bill.

Under the bill, neither private hospitals and clinics nor government hospitals can refuse any citizen of the state seeking emergency treatment. And according to the bill the cost of the treatment will be beared by the government who will reimburse the private hospitals and clinics.

However this has not gone down well with the private hospitals and clinics. The bill allows any citizen of the state to avail health benfits in any established clinic. Any person can also avail consultations, medicines, diagnostics in public health centres, free outdoor and indoor patient services without prepayment.

BCCL

The government is claiming that proper suggestions from the doctors were incorporated before passing the bill but the doctors denied any such claims. The doctors who in turn are seeking complete withdrawal of the bill said "it will put on a beauracratic control on the private hospitals and clinics. According to Dr. Vijay Kapoor, Secretary of the Private Hospital and Nursing Home Society told PTI, "we already provide free medical services to the patients under several government schemes and,in such a situation, there is absolutely no need for this bill.



The doctors are also more concerned about how the government is planning on reimbursing the hospital for the cost incurred by providing the said treatment and care to the patients. Doctors are also seeking clarification of what an "emergency" constitutes of . According to Dr. Aviral Mathur, Senior Resident MAMC & Lok Nayak Hospital, President FORDA, "For a citizen, a mere headache can be an emergency and with this bill the citizen has a right to demand treatment for the headache at anytime from doctors".

BCCL

He also said, Doctor also fear "exploitation" by patients. "A private clinic runs from 9 am to 10 pm. If a patient has an emergency at 12 pm in the night (emergency like headache), then the patient can demand to get treated irrespective of the conditions at the clinic. So there are chances that doctors will get exploited because of the bill".



It is no doubt that providing quality healthcare services free of cost to the citizens is the duty of the government but putting further burden on the already ailing private health sector will put the private sector in jeopardy.

The IMA will observe Monday, 27 March as a black day and the chairman of the IMA said , "we won't be able to work peaceful with this bill".
New York City police have taken measures to prepare for potential protests ahead of Donald Trump's expected to surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday. As per a report by Reuters, they have placed metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocked roads near Manhattan Criminal Courthouse to ensure public safety and maintain order.

Reuters

What is the case?

The former president is facing criminal charges and is scheduled to appear at the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. He has been indicted as part of a grand jury investigation into hush money paid to a porn star. The porn actor alleged Trump had an extramarital sexual encounter with her years ago. This is significant as he is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Trump says it's a political witch hunt

Trump describes the probe as a political witch hunt, and top supporters, including Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, say they will go to New York on Tuesday to protest. The downtown courthouse, home to criminal and supreme courts, will shut down some courtrooms ahead of Trumps expected appearance, a court official said.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) told Reuters there were no credible threats to the city.

REUTERS

On Monday, Trump is expected to fly to New York from Florida, where he will spend the night at Trump Tower, before arriving early on Tuesday morning at the courthouse. While the spectacle of the former president facing criminal charges was certain to draw massive media attention, it is not yet clear if his appearance would draw a large number of protesters.

Though Trump is a native New Yorker, he didn't get many votes in his hometown - 23 per cent of the city voted for him in 2020 and 18 per cent in 2016.

New York Republican Club says it is planning a protest

The New York Young Republican Club says it is planning a protest at a park across the street from the courthouse, a demonstration that Greene, one of Trump's staunchest supporters, says she will attend.

"Protesting is a constitutional right," Greene said on Twitter, adding that she would "protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference."

Reuters

She said she rejects anyone who incites or commits violence.Before voting to indict Trump, the grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.



Earlier, Trump's call to protest led to a massive riot

Notably, following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, former President Trump made false claims of election fraud and asserted that he won the election. This led to his supporters storming the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, which resulted in a deadly riot.

However, despite Trump's calls for public demonstrations, many of his supporters are expressing concerns about participating in such events.

(The) department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," the NYPD said in a statement.



For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


Parisians have voted overwhelmingly to ban electric scooters from the streets of the French capital. The ban won between 85.77 percent and 91.77 percent of the votes in the 20 Paris districts that published results on Sunday, according to the city of Paris website. However, the turnout in Sundays vote was very low.

paris

The decision

Mayor Anne Hidalgo hailed the consultative referendum as a success and said its outcome was very clear. There will no longer be any self-service scooters in Paris from September 1st, she said. City Hall said more than 1,03,000 of Pariss 1.38 million registered voters cast their ballots.

But, why?

The vote was called amid concern in Paris over hundreds of accidents involving the micro-vehicles, which were introduced in 2018 and can be accessed through smartphone apps.

Last year, the French capital registered 459 accidents with e-scooters and similar vehicles, including three fatal ones. Were happy. Its what weve been fighting for over four years, Arnaud Kielbasa, co-founder of the Apacauvi charity, which represents victims of e-scooter accidents, told AFP news agency.



Kielbasa, whose wife, and infant daughter were hit by an e-scooter driver, added, All Parisians say they are nervous on the pavements, nervous when they cross the roads. You need to look everywhere.

paris

Paris was a pioneer when it introduced e-scooters, or trottinettes, in 2018 as the citys authorities sought to promote non-polluting forms of urban transport.

Paris has almost 15,000 e-scooters across its streets, operated by companies including Lime, Dott and Tier. Detractors argue that e-scooter users disrespect the rules of the road and regularly flout a ban on riding on pavements. The vehicles are also often haphazardly parked or thrown into the River Seine.

paris

Public sentiment against it

Scooters have become my biggest enemy. Im scared of them, Suzon Lambert, a 50-year-old teacher from Paris, told AFP. Paris has become a sort of anarchy. Theres no space any more for pedestrians.

Another Parisian told BFMTV: Its dangerous, and people use them badly. Im fed up.

Julian Sezgin, aged 15, said he often saw groups of two or three teenagers on e-scooters zooming past cars on busy roads. I avoid going on e-scooters and prefer e-bikes as, in my opinion, they are safer and more efficient, he told the Guardian.

paris

Bianca Sclavi, an Italian who has lived in Paris for years, said the scooters go too fast and should be mechanically limited so they go slower. They are dangerous because they zip in and out of traffic, she said. However, it is not as bad as when they first arrived  the most dangerous are the drunk tourists!

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.


The target set for 2023 was to exceed the previous year's travel revenue by 10%, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said in an interview with VIMA newspaper released on Monday
The Labour Party (LP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of doctoring the leaked audio allegedly of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and popular cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo because the APC had earlier vowed that LP will experience media attacks.

Recall that an audio purportedly of Obi and Oyedepo had gone viral on Saturday, where the LP candidate was alleged to have described the just-concluded presidential election as a religious war.

Meanwhile, the Obi-Datti Media Office, via its spokesperson, Diran Onifade, had accused the APC of being behind the audio and propaganda to tarnish Obis image.

However, LPs national secretary , Farouk Umar, speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Sunday, accused the APC Presidential Campaign Council of being afraid of the political movement embodied in its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Umar restated that the leaked phone conversation was distorted by the APC to convey a religious narrative against Obi.

He said: When you change the original content of an information, that information becomes fake.

We have arrived at the conclusion that the audio is a fake audio, completely fake.

READ ALSO: APC To Hold Rally For Tinubu In Washington

We have it on record that the APC spokespersons have dared the Obidient that we are going to see media attacks.

The secretary further accused the APC and other opposition parties of carrying out a blackmail campaign against Peter Obi.

He said, The opposition underrated the power of Nigerians to have good governance, they underrated everybody, the Obidient movement.

When the (presidential election) voting was going on, before they realised that something is coming, that the wind, the movement is really coming to consume them, that is when they woke up to realize that there is a problem.

So now, having gone to the ballot, having done what had done to doctor the results which we are still contending in court, they have no option now than to start blaming and accusing, blackmailing him (Peter Obi), bringing in disunity and religion.

Obi is a movement, and he is sending fear into the powers that be; they never thought it was going to be like that, they didnt know that Nigerians are so desperate for change, the narrative has already been changed, things are not going to continue the way they think it should be, Nigerians will never feel as if they are refugees in their own land.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, says for elected members to continue at their duty post, they must be ready to fully report at the end of their tenure as the electorate are now wiser.

According to him, he would be handing over to his successor, Siminialayi Fubara, on May 29 as a fulfilled man, having positively impacted the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State.

Wike while charging the incoming administration on stewardship during a thanksgiving service organized by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday at All Saints Anglican Cathedral, Rumuokwurushi, Obio/Akpor LGA of the state, insisted that only a blind man or an enemy of the State would fail to admit the spread of equitable infrastructure across Rivers.

He said, If your politics is not about the interest of your people, then you have a problem; the electorates are now wiser, you must be ready to present a full report card to your people by 2027 if you must continue in politics.

According to him, PDP was able to come out victorious in the gubernatorial polls due to evidential impacts in the area of good governance and gender balance.

He said there were females serving as Vice-chairmen in the 23 local government areas with not less than 5 female ward councillors in each area and also a handful of female senators and members-elect.

READ ALSO: LPs Performance Showed Youths Are Tired Of Those In Power  Ali Ndume

The governor however urged the governor-elect, Siminialayi Fubara and his team not to be distracted by the opposition bent on dragging them at the tribunal.

Meanwhile, bishop in charge of the cathedral, Innocent Ordu, urged the incoming administration to always seek Gods guidance in their quest for wisdom to deliver good governance to the people of the state.

We need performance and we need game changers like the outgoing governor, Nyesom Wike, who is indeed a game changer.

To achieve good governance, particularly in Rivers, Mr Governor-elect, I urge you to assemble a very strong team which by all standards, is competent and capable.

A team of passionate individuals who love the state more than they love their pockets, a good leader will always surround himself with a team of honest, courageous, God-fearing men and women of integrity to deliver on their assigned tasks, he said.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has disclosed that six states, Cross River (397), Zamfara (25), Ebonyi (11), Abia (9), Bayelsa (3) and Kano (2), reported 447 suspected cholera cases in weeks 5 to 9 of 2023.

The NCDC, via its official website on Monday, said, however, that 12 states have reported suspected cholera cases since the beginning of 2023  Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Sokoto and Zamfara.

The agency said that as of March 5, a total of 922 suspected cases, including 32 deaths (CFR 3.5%), were reported from the 12 States in 2023, including Cross River (16), Ebonyi (six), Abia (six), Niger (two), Zamfara (one) and Bayelsa (one).

READ MORE: Cholera Outbreak: 19 Dead, 286 Others Hospitalized In Cross River

The NCDCs epidemiological report showed that of all the cases recorded since the beginning of 2023, Cross River state accounted for 70 per cent of the cumulative cases across the country, with its 647 cases.

It said that Cross Rivers 16 deaths, accounted for 50 per cent of all cholera deaths in the country.

The NCDC said: National multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to monitor

response across states.

It said that of the suspected cases since the beginning of 2023, the age group above 45 years is the most affected for males and females.

The NCDC said that of all suspected cases, 54 per cent were males and 46 per cent were females.

The World Health Organization (WHO), defined cholera as an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholera bacteria.

WHO said that people can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

It said that about one in 10 people with cholera will experience severe symptoms, which, in the early stages, include, profuse watery diarrhoea, sometimes described as rice-water stools, vomiting, thirst, leg cramps and restlessness or irritability.
The commission that is responsible for driving desperately needed investments in Africa's largest economy is riddled with troubles as Ms Umar and the staff are at loggerheads.

It was rarely expected that President Muhammadu Buhari would reappoint a chief of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) who was once sacked over incompetence and ineptitude. But as the president announced that Saratu Umar would lead the commission again -- after she was sacked by former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 -- staff and directors exercised hope there would be a change.

In a statement, Mr Buhari praised Ms Umar's short period of service as the Executive Secretary, saying she transformed the NIPC into a world-class investment agency and minimised revenue leakages, saving N500 billion for the country. Ms Umar herself had pledged to be more committed to seeing the growth of the commission in her second coming.

"I reiterate that NIPC will be a strong public institution, with a private sector orientation that delivers effective and efficient services that exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the investment ecosystem and indeed, in Nigeria," Ms Umar had pledged upon her resumption of duty.

But has Ms Umar delivered on her promises in her second coming?

The commission that is responsible for driving desperately needed investments in Africa's largest economy is now riddled with troubles as Ms Umar and the staff are at loggerheads on account of the boss's management and competence crisis.

Senior staff and directors of the commission, in separate interviews with PREMIUM TIMES, said the competence deficit in leadership is making NIPC depleted in strength and performance and ridiculing the existence of the federal parastatal. All the staff sources begged this newspaper for anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the press on the matter.

The Odour of Incompetence at NIPC

The last time investment announcements were made on the NIPC website was in April 2022, before the second coming of Ms Umar as the commission's Executive Secretary. The Department of Strategic Service of the commission had named BUA Cement of Nigeria, Tingo of the United States of America, Soft Bank Vission Fund of the United Kingdom and Speedinvest of Austria as some of the investors for the first quarter of 2022.

However, there has been no investment announcement since Ms Umar resumed office last July, suggesting that the commission needs to improve in its primary reason for existence. NIPC was established to promote investments within and outside Nigeria that would favour the country.

In a 6 March petition signed by some NIPC directors, including Gana Wakil, John Oseji and James Akwada, among others, Ms Umar's matter was brought to the fore of the trade and investment ministry. The aggrieved directors insinuated that Ms Umar's ineptitude is bringing the commission down by instalments. They pointed fingers at her on a plethora of issues, including threats to life and physical body harm against the directors and other staff of the agency.

They cited institutional problems facing the crumbling government agency such as delays in treating correspondences; not honouring the invitations for NIPC's national assignments; not attending or approving participation in sponsored important international events; not implementing the Country-Specific Investment Strategy considered and approved in 2018 and so on.

"We therefore kindly appeal for your urgent intervention in these matters that have left NIPC lying prostrate and led to the complete incapacitation of the commission to perform its statutory functions," the petitioners wrote.

The directors said they sought immediate interventions from the ministry of trade and investment because they had on several occasions drawn the attention of the minister to the matter but no significant step had been taken.

Pioneer Status Stalled by Poor Leadership

Since her re-emergence, Ms Umar was said to have turned a deaf ear towards considering pioneer status applications at NIPC. She barely held important management meetings, nor sat down with directors of the commission to determine the reviews of applications and memos in that regard.

Tax incentives or pioneer status are exemptions granted by the federal government to qualified and important investment projects from companies deriving profits in Nigeria or brought into the country, according to Resolution Law Firm. The importance of the pioneer status incentives is to attract foreign direct investments to enhance the growth and development of Nigeria.

But then, as prominent NIPC staff told PREMIUM TIMES, Ms Umar ignores these benefits at the expense of the development of the commission, failing to be forthcoming on issues of the tax incentives. A number of pioneer applicants, the insiders said, have repeatedly visited the NIPC to raise concerns over their pending applications.

Upon her resumption as the commission's chief in July 2022, the pioneer status approvals for companies were stalled largely because Ms Umar has not held a management meeting more than once, insiders said.

A staff of the commission with sufficient knowledge of the ongoings about the pioneer status said Ms Umar's lack of commitment to approve these applications has caused a setback for the tax incentive scheme. Another source within the NIPC pioneer status division corroborated this claim, noting that companies such as Eco-Vixer Industry Private Limited, Ocean and Carvel Terminal Service Limited, and John-Hood Hotel, among others, have on several occasions sought the approval of the pioneer status but failed -- after going through a rigorous application process.

'Smite the Shepperd and the Sheep Will Scatter'

On 28 November 2022, a number of directors at NIPC mailed a petition, titled "A Cry for Help and Urgent Action", to the office of the Minister for Trade and Investment, asking him, as the superior to the commission's chief, to intervene in the management crises and leadership deformity of the government parastatal.

In our previous report on this issue, PREMIUM TIMES showed how Ms Umar was actively engaging in a divide-and-rule leadership, turning the NIPC space into a toxic workplace. She had been accused of creating disaffection among the directors of the commission by assigning a senior role to junior staff and vice versa.

"She went ahead to query the director who dared to say he will not act to oversee his seniors," the directors said in the petition. "She is also in the habit of assigning duties of departments to other departments to create disaffection."

Again, she was accused of making unilateral decisions and refusing to work with other directors, noting how she would rather seek counsel from retired personnel of the commission than work with the existing directors.

"She also forces staff of specific units to report to them and berates them for not subjecting themselves to tasking by these outsiders," the petition read in parts.

Earlier in February, Ms Umar's loyalists were said to be seen moving from door to door to seek allegiance for her after she came under heavy criticism by the public over her poor performance in the commission. Sources said staff are being cajoled to pledge loyalty to Ms Umar against their will, a development some of them described as "tyrannical".

"For the whole of today, 2 Deputy Directors, her cronies, have been going from office to office trying to compel staff to sign a document that pledges allegiance to the ES and stating that they are not in support of the petitions," an insider, who witnessed the event, told PREMIUM TIMES. "While a few have been cajoled into signing, some others have stood their ground and refused. The staff who refused are being threatened; they've also mandated signatures to be gotten from the Zonal offices."

In the closing paragraph of the seventh item on the 28 November petition, the aggrieved directors begged the minister for a rapid intervention lest Mr Umar got them all fired. They had written a separate petition on the illegal disengagement of some NIPC directors, who appear to be of higher cadre, and they feared they might be the next.

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"Mr Minister, sir, this will definitely lead to the mother-of-all-unrests in NIPC!," the petition stated. "We know that after sacking our (senior) directors, she will come for us. Smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter."

Why Saratu in the First Place?

A number of NIPC staff PREMIUM TIMES interrogated still wonder why Mr Buhari had to reinstall Ms Umar, once sacked over incompetence and underperformance by former president Jonathan. They believe the Executive Secretary was on a "mission of vengeance" against them, urging the president to review her reappointment in the commission.

The NIPC workers lamented, in separate interviews, that the reappointment of Ms Umar as the chief of the commission was engineered by her benefactor in the presidential villa, whom they described as a powerful politician from Kwara State.

Since her re-emergence last year, numerous petitions from NIPC staff have been sent to Niyi Adebayo, the trade and investment minister, appealing to him to address leadership excesses exhibited by Ms Umar. The petitions have been received and reviewed by Mr Adebayo's ministry but actions are reluctantly taken.

Sources at NIPC and the trade and investment ministry said the minister is clearly irritated by the complaints over Ms Umar's maladministration tendencies but he has been cowed by powers that be in the presidency.

Neither Femi Adesina, Mr Buhari's spokesman, nor Niyi Adebayo of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, was available for interviews over the reappointment of Ms Umar and the controversies trailing it. They also did not respond to calls and messages placed on the lines. Ms Umar as well ignored our request to hear her own side of the story. She failed to respond to our calls and messages on the matter.
Nigerian skit maker, Emmanuel Chuwkwuemeka Ejekwu, better known as Sabinus, has bagged the Best Content Creator Award in Africa at the prestigious Rwanda International Movie Awards 2023.

The event was held at the Crown Conference, in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, on Saturday, April 1, and was attended by celebrities, filmmakers, and industry professionals across the continent.

READ ALSO: My House Isnt Worth N100m Or N500m  Sabinus To Blogs

Sabinus, known for his hilarious skits took to his verified Instagram page on Monday, May 4, 2023, to share pictures of himself with the award and to express his gratitude to his fans.

Thanks Guys For The Support And Love!!! Won African Content Creator Award At The Rwanda International Movie Awards 2023, he wrote in his post.

See photos below:
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has been met with mixed reactions from the public for spending a whopping sum of N12 billion to acquire 10 firefighting trucks in Nigeria Airports.

Sirika disclosed on Sunday that he commissioned ten firefighting trucks for the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN).

In his post through Twitter, a microblogging site, Sirika revealed that FAAN had not bought firefighting trucks in 15 years.

Just commissioned 10 Firefighting trucks, the total cost of over 12Bn Naira. More to come in due course. Safety has been the Buhari focus in Aviation since 2015. Hitherto, FAAN has not bought new trucks in 15 years, the Minister posted.

READ ALSO: Minister Of Aviation, Sirika Vows To Continue Nigeria Air Project

However, in a swift response to Sirikas post, Nigerians said spending N12 billion on Ten firefighting trucks is a fraud.

How would Ten fighting trucks cost N12 billion? Nigerians queried.

According to the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress and an activist, Omoyole Sowore, the Minister and President Muhammadu Buhari had finished Nigeria.

In his tweet, he said: Wow! You mean you bought a single fire engine for over $2 million each. Wonders shall never cease. You and @mbuhari really finished Nigeria!.

Another Twitter user @yuteoflondon, said, spent the last hours researching how much fire trucks cost, the expensive high-end trucks cost $650,000 (which Nigeria never gets the best, I can bet these are used trucks too).

NYC firefighting trucks cost $550k each, what truck did you buy for $2.8m You sir and your cohorts are thieves. Give the spec of this truck and what makes it N1.2B each. the ridiculous broad daylight robbery of our coffers.

Another Twitter user @aisosaigiebor, said, This is absolute madness. How can you buy 10 fire trucks for 12bn Naira @1.2bn each?

Fire trucks dont work well without a direct source of water which we dont have in most places. This looks like a China truck and from my find, the one that holds 12000 litres is about 80,000$. Why would you pay 1.2bn Naira for one truck? This is insane.
Valentine Obienyem, the media adviser to the Labour Party (LP) presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, has raised alarm over a clandestine plot to arrest and prosecute the former Anambra State governor on treasonable charges.

In a Facebook statement on Sunday night, Obienyem claimed the Obi media team had discovered that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was tracking and reviewing Obis telephone conversations in the last three years in a bid to see if he, at anytime, said anything about an interim government in a bid to arrest and prosecute him for treason.

They are reviewing all calls Obi made in the last three years, and especially now to see if he mentioned Interim Government or anything that will make them prosecute him for treason when and if they take over, Obienyem wrote.

Obienyem further accused the NCC of conniving with a certain Nnewi Prodigal Brother to leak a private conversation and edit it to suit their narratives.

READ ALSO: Be Ready To Present Full Report Card By 2027 If You Must Continue In Politics  Wike

Reacting to the widespread controversy surrounding the alleged conversation of his principal with Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church, he said the leaked audio was not only doctored, but was edited out of context.

The badly doctored conservation with Bishop Oyedepo released by our Nnewi Prodigal Brother is the much they have discovered so far, Obienyem said.

They edited out the Muslim-Muslim ticket that led to the discussion, where Obi said that in a society like ours, religious balancing was a necessary consideration and that their recklessness had made Christians to assume it was a religious war.

I heard they set up a Committee made up of some Communications experts, headed by our prodigal brother from Nnewi.
A lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, Ali Ndume says the performance of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections showed that youths and the middle class are getting tired of the older generation who have been in government for decades.

Ndume, made this known on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics, also said LPs performance at the just-concluded elections surpassed his expectations.

Asked if the outcome of the polls fitted his expectations, Ndume said, Yeah, but there were surprises in some places  Lagos, (and the) South-East. The performance of LP actually is above my expectation.

Ndume, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, has been in the National Assembly for 20 years. The chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said he never thought that the flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi could get over six million votes at the poll over a months ago.

Expressing his surprise that Peter Obi could pull such strings, Ndume said, Yeah, even in the general elections all over, especially. He (Obi) had six million votes.

READ MORE: Insecurity: Buhari Should Be Talking To Nigerians, Not Issuing Statements  Ali Ndume

It goes to tell something that people dont talk about: and that is to say that the signs are out there that the middle income group or social group and the youths are getting tired of the  do I even include myself?  upper level: people in their 70s and 80s who have been in the corridors of power since they were in their 30s.

At the February 25 poll, APCs Bola Tinubu, 70, came out tops in 12 of Nigerias 36 states, and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes  8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival  former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Atiku, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while the LP candidate (Obi), who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
Ali Ndume, a lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, has claimed that politicians have already started buying political positions ahead the 10th National Assembly inauguration.

The lawmaker revealed this while speaking in an interview on Channels Televisions Sunday Politics.

He said, There should be Unexplained Wealth Act so that if you display wealth that is not in tandem with your income, you should be investigated and (the wealth) confiscated and if it is extensive, you should be prosecuted.

Now, you can see what is happening, they are trying to buy the position. The position in the leadership of this country is becoming those that belong to kleptocrats and plutocrats. Democracy is no longer there.

According to Ndume, he would have won the senate president seat in 2019 if he had money.

READ ALSO: Nobody Can Chase Me Out  Expelled APC National Officer Reacts To Expulsion

He said, They are buying it already. Didnt you the accusation that they are sharing money? And I was even thinking in the last election, if I had more money, I would have won. I dont have money.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers who have been in the National Assembly for 20 years pushed for an Unexplained Wealth Act to deal with corrupt politicians with suspicious wealth.

Information Nigeria reports that following the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, many APC legislative member-elect have been scouting the highly coveted positions in the red and green chambers.

The foremost contenders for the leadership of the National Assembly include Orji Kalu, Jibrin Barau, Godswill Akpabio, Dave Umahi, Ahmad Lawan, Abdulaziz Yari, Osita Izunaso, amongst others.
The Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP, has called on the governors in the South West zone of the country to immediately implement the consequential adjustment and the 35 per cent increment in pensions for retirees to reduce their suffering.

NUP also begged the incoming government of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to create a ministry that will be saddled solely with the responsibility of addressing the plights of retirees in the country.

The South-West zone of NUP made the demands after its quarterly meeting on Sunday, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Channels Television presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, has reacted to the N5 million fine, recently slammed on the TV station, by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) saying, truth will continually be voiced out without being shunned.

Information Nigeria had reported that the Labour Party (LP) vice presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, during an interview with Seun, declared that Nigeria has no president-elect.

According to him, Bola Ahmed Tinubu cant be seen as the President-elect because the certificate of return he holds is a dud certificate with no value

But in a letter titled: Broadcast of an Inciting Interview, A Sanction, signed by the NBC Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah, described Dattis statement as volatile and capable of inciting public disorder and violating some section of the broadcasting code.

Ilelah stated that, according to the broadcasting code, broadcasters shall ensure that no programme contained anything which amounted to a subversion of constituted authority.

READ ALSO: No Perfect Election Anywhere In The World, Dont Turn Nigeria To Banana Republic  Obanikoro To Tinubus Opposition

However, Okinbaloye while closing his political program on Sunday night, said the media industry in Nigeria has been facing lots of challenges in the past few days, embattling an environment of fear and uncertainty.

He stated that the freedom of speech and integrity of the media landscape is being threatened, however, journalists would not be deterred by the obstacles.

The presenter maintained that journalists would not be silenced as they would continue to speak the truth to power, even in the face of adversity.

His words: I want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenges that we as a media industry are facing in Nigeria. Events in the past days have created an environment of fear and uncertainty and threatened the freedom of speech and integrity of the media landscape but in spite of these challenges, we as journalists and broadcasters remain committed to our duty to inform, educate and entertain our audience.

We at Channels TV indulge in only reasonable and professional journalism. In the face of popular and reckless practice, we play clean and descent, even when it looks or sounds unpopular with the crowd or online mob, we do it not only for today but for the future and the sustenance of our profession others want to destroy but we want to protect it.

We will not be deterred by these obstacles. We will continue to stand up for what is right and speaks truth to power, even in the face of adversity. We will remain brave, strong, and resilient and we will not let our voices be silenced. Nigeria belongs to all of us.
Chris Santa Maria, chairman of the PSERS board. PSERS is trying to sell a $1.4 billion portfolio of real estate that former managers purchased directly for the pension plan, Read more

New bosses and trustees at the $70 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System are still dealing with legacies of the previous administration, whose top officers stepped down in late 2021 as the agency coped with investigations of an exaggerated profit report and Harrisburg land sales.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia told the agency last year that it wasnt filing charges after a 17-month probe. But now PSERS is seeking more information from the firm that conducted an internal investigation, as it reviews potential gaps between its public findings and more recent testimony in a court case focused on pinning blame for the bad numbers.

 READ MORE: From 2022: Justice Department investigation of PSERS has closed with no charges. SEC probe goes on.

Separately, the Securities and Exchange Commission, which subpoenaed PSERS records in an investigation of Wall Street investors and consultants relationships with public pension funds, has asked how much the agency spent on lawyers, advisers, and staff time to deal with the probes. Those costs, including more than $6 million state records show the agency has paid to law and consulting firms, have continued to rise as the agency is still paying lawyers to deal with fallout.

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Meanwhile, PSERS is trying to sell a $1.4 billion portfolio of real estate that former managers purchased directly for the pension plan, instead of relying on its usual mix of Wall Street real estate investment managers.

Over its history, the agency has oscillated between buying real estate directly or instead leaving those decisions to Wall Street specialists, which is the direction it has adopted since the departure of former executive director Glen Grell and his top investment officials last year.

At their regular meeting Friday, trustees agreed to approve the sale of property held by Commonwealth Holdings Inc., one of several holding companies set up to help PSERS manage directly-owned properties.

PSERS had no comment on that sale or other pending or recent sales of properties held directly by PSERS, said Evelyn Williams, a spokesperson for the agency.

Agency records show that holding company owns one large property, the Atlanta Airport Marriott, a 630-room hotel that PSERS acquired in 1987 and has tried several times before to sell. The hotel had an estimated value of $82 million, down from $89 million in 2019, according to internal PSERS reports.

According to Florida public records and published real estate industry accounts, four apartment complexes PSERS owned  one each in Parkland and Orlando and two in Miramar, Fla., each of which were included in the agencys $1.4 billion directly owned real estate portfolio as of last June 30  have been sold over the last four months, for a total of at least $363 million.

PSERS officials, who have not publicly disclosed the sales, would not say how much of the proceeds would go to the agency or how it might be reinvested.

PSERS is also seeking to market the Galleria, a mall and surrounding property in St. Petersburg, Fla., that it estimated was worth over $300 million in a 2020 report, but less today, and a smaller commercial property at the Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas.

And it is seeking to sell properties in Harrisburg covering three blocks east of its headquarters, whose acquisition, mostly without appraisals, became a subject of the U.S. Attorneys and SECs probes.

In 2017-19, PSERS staff persuaded trustees to approve $13.5 million to buy and level the former state and Patriot-News printing plants and surrounding properties in hopes of redeveloping the land at a profit, and possibly moving staff from its longtime headquarters on Fifth Street to part of the site.

Those properties remain vacant. PSERS hired appraisers last year as it began preparations to sell the ground, and currently estimates the value of the properties at a combined $1.3 million, according to people familiar with the agencys properties. PSERS also owns farms in several states and a network of trailer parks across the South and Midwest.

PSERS is also coping with the past as it prepares its triennial review of past investment profits to determine whether school staffers should pay more, less, or about the same, toward their pensions, as mandated by the state risk-sharing law.

Teachers will pay more than $1 billion into the plan this year, while state government and school districts contribute around $5 billion. A third source of funds  investment income  is larger than these employer and employee contributions combined in some years, but negative in others.

In 2020, the last time PSERS ran the numbers, it got into trouble. At first, it reported it had made just enough to avoid charging teachers more than the typical 7.5% of their paychecks. But in early 2021, it announced the true returns were slightly lower  just low enough to force all school staff hired since 2011 to pay an extra 0.5%, or sometimes more.

As federal law enforcement investigated, PSERS hired the law firm Womble, Bond & Dickinson to conduct its own review of the error.

After Womble issued a report that did not accuse PSERS staff of wrongdoing, and the feds backed off, PSERS sued one of its consultants, Aon Investments USA, which it blamed for the error. Aon was also among the PSERS consultants sued by a Delaware County teacher, Kevin Steinke, who accused them of ripping off the plan. Aon in court papers denies that its performance calculations were in any way improper or cost teachers money.

Testimony in the Steinke case has differed from the accounts collected by Womble, according to sources inside and outside PSERS  suggesting there is still more to learn from the 2020 miscalculation that sparked the costly, disruptive investigations. PSERS wants Womble to help explain any gaps between information it collected and statements made in the Aon litigation.

As a result, a PSERS auditors told trustees March 22 that they were not ready to present their plan for reviewing how the agency calculates returns for the risk-sharing report.

The overall risk-sharing calculation remains on schedule for later this year, said PSERS spokesperson Williams. She said the agency wont discuss the Steinke testimony, some of which is sealed from the public record.

Also at Fridays meeting, PSERS chairman Chris Santa Maria announced that Joseph Torsella had resigned from the board, which he joined in 2017 as state treasurer and was later Gov. Tom Wolfs representative. Santa Maria credited Torsella with pushing the board to greater transparency, and limiting the practice of letting contractors front staff travel expenses.

Torsellas departure leaves Gov. Josh Shapiro to pick a replacement. Shapiro has said he favors dumping the kind of high-fee private investments PSERS has come to rely on and investing more in low-cost index funds, such as those sold by Malvern-based Vanguard Group, just as Montgomery Countys pension plan did when Shapiro was head of its commissioners in the early 2010s.

The amount spent on legal and consulting fees has been updated in this version of the article, from around $4.5 million as of March, 2022, in the original post, to more than $6 million through March, 2023.
The Muslim fish hoagie lies at the intersection of the cheesesteak, the hoagie, and the Nation of Islam. Chopped fried whiting, melted American cheese, and crunchy vegetables overflow from a long roll that tests the circumference of your mouth. If this doesnt already scream Philly, the cheesesteak-esque chopped fish reminds you which city youre in.

I had my first Muslim fish hoagie at Sister Muhammads Kitchen and Bakery. Sister Sharon Muhammad and her late husband, Brother Abdul Rahim Muhammad, ran this Nicetown institution from 1999 until September 2022. They served popular Philly staples alongside dishes associated with the Nation of Islam, including bean pies, navy bean soup, candied carrots, and fish fried rice.

 READ MORE: The best Italian hoagie in Philly, according to Philadelphians

Sister Muhammads Kitchen and Bakerys most iconic item was the Muslim fish hoagie, and her version had a dedicated following.

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The key to Sister Muhammads Muslim fish hoagie is whiting that has been marinated overnight in a mixture Muhammad keeps secret, dredged in flour, lightly fried, and chopped on a griddle. Creamy American cheese binds that chopped fish to a honey whole-wheat roll. Sliced sweet peppers, cubed bell peppers, shaved white onion, briny chipped pickles, sliced tomatoes, and iceberg lettuce add a crunchy freshness. Sweet and tangy black raisins sprinkled throughout pop with each bite. They tie everything together. Its all layered with a secret Muslim sauce  think: Thousand Island dressing with a spicy kick and a smoky finish. Food influencers took notice. JL Jupiter, Phillys preeminent street food influencer, described the Muslim fish hoagie as a game changer and said that he never had a fish hoagie like this ever  especially with that Muslim sauce.

Sister Muhammad traces Muslim fish hoagies back to the pita-based fish in a pocket, a sandwich that was popularized by Nation of Islam establishments in New York City. The sandwich took on its Philly form when members of the Nation of Islam served the chopped whiting and special sauce on a hoagie roll. Muslim chefs in Philadelphia continued to innovate the sandwich, adding raisins and rebranding the special sauce as Muslim sauce.

But alas: since September 2022, you can no longer get Sister Muhammads Muslim fish hoagie in Nicetown. While Sister Muhammad still makes Muslim fish hoagies and other popular dishes from her restaurant and bakery, you have to drive to Abington or order delivery. Like so many local foodways, this sandwich is part of a long tradition of Black and Muslim dishes in the city  from salmon cheesesteaks to navy bean pies  that stretches back decades and persists through small businesses.

The dislocation of the Muslim fish hoagie is a real loss for the city, evidence that, as Philadelphian and Rutgers professor Krystal Strong tells me, Black cultural institutions are being priced out and foreclosed on across the city. (Sister Muhammads Kitchen and Bakery was evicted for back rent from their original location.) Strong points out that part of what makes Philadelphia appealing  what makes it Philadelphia  are the diverse cultural histories, especially those that emanate from our diverse Black and African diasporic communities.

Theres a fundamental paradox and contradiction, Strong observes, because we see the way that those cultural histories are celebrated and become emblematic of the city, but yet the people and communities that are responsible for affording those histories are being dislocated and decimated.

But the legacy of the Muslim fish hoagie persists. You can find other variations of the Muslim fish hoagie around Philadelphia  albeit without the raisins. Perhaps the closest version to the Sister Muhammad sandwich Ive found is the fish special at SOBAD (Supreme Oasis Bakery and Deli), a restaurant and bakery located at 44th Street and Lancaster Avenue. Mother-daughter team Nuyen and Shon Emanuel brought SOBAD from West Baltimore to West Philadelphia in 2018.

The fish special, unlike the Sister Muhammed fish hoagie, featured at SOBAD recalls the Muslim fish hoagie, however with a Baltimorean twist in their spice blend. The daughter, Shon, proudly tells me I think that what really makes us stand out  we do have these Maryland spices, these Maryland flavors. The fish special still has chopped fried whiting and melty American cheese, but swaps the raisins for hints of celery salt and sweet paprika that suggest Old Bay.

Wherever you pick one up  from SOBAD or Sister Muhammads catering company  the continued existence of the fish hoagies packed with chopped fried whiting, crisp vegetables, and a secret-recipe sauce offers a story of Black and Muslim resilience. Youll be tasting the deep tradition of Muslims in Philadelphia and the tenacity of the small-business owners who keep it alive.
Hong Kong: Housing chief visits Shenzhen

Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho led representatives of the Housing Bureau, the Housing Department and the Architectural Services Department to Shenzhen today to inspect fast-tracked projects built with innovative technologies and construction methods.

Ms Ho and the delegation first visited an indemnificatory housing project in Zhangkeng, Longhua District this morning.

The scheme is the first high-rise building project on the Mainland built expeditiously by adopting the modular integrated construction method as a concrete construction approach which significantly reduced the construction time of the building works.

Additionally, the modules were prefabricated in factories and delivered to the construction site for installation directly, which greatly reduced the demand for workers on site and construction waste.

In the afternoon, the delegation explored the Ganquan Road Net-Zero Carbon Community Renovation Project in Futian District to learn about the application of green building technologies to improve the environment and the implementation of the vision of near-zero carbon emission in Shenzhen.

Ms Ho, at that time, attended the plaque unveiling ceremony of the Shenzhen Real Estate Digitalization Innovation Laboratory and the Shenzhen Hongkong Housing & Construction Affairs Communication Space.

While there, the representatives participated in a seminar organised by the Shenzhen Housing & Construction Bureau with the aim of exchanging views with the bureau's Party Secretary and Director-General Xu Songming and officials on construction technologies and urban planning and development.

The delegation then visited Nantou City and the Dasha River Ecological Corridor to examine the housing construction in the area.

Apart from stressing that the Government has all along been exploring and introducing innovative construction technologies and better design, Ms Ho said it also welcomes more frequent exchange of experience with the Mainland.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Sri Lanka revises tourism targets due to positive trends

Xinhua) 16:14, April 03, 2023

COLOMBO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's tourism industry is aiming to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, an increase from the previous target of 1.5 million, an official said on Monday.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media that the SLTDA amended the estimates due to a positive trend in the first quarter of the year.

Fernando said Sri Lanka has already exceeded its target for March 2023, with over 112,000 tourists arriving in the first 28 days of the month, marking the first time since 2019 that Sri Lanka has welcomed over 100,000 tourists for three consecutive months.

Sri Lanka has welcomed over 323,000 tourists so far this year, he said.

The country is expecting a boost in Chinese tourists due to increased flights and promotional efforts in China, and is also considering adding direct flights from Israel, he said.

Tourism, one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the country.

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Mr Obi's critics have accused him of playing a politics of ethnicity and religion ahead of Nigeria's 2023 presidential election. He denies this, asking critics to provide evidence.

On Saturday, a telephone conversation between Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, and David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, was leaked to the public by People's Gazette. In the audio clip, Mr Obi asked Mr Oyedepo to help spread his message to Christians in the South-west and parts of North-central. Addressing him as "daddy", the LP's standard-bearer told Mr Oyedepo that the just concluded presidential election was a "religious war."

"Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara," Mr Obi was heard saying in the leaked audio clip. "This is a religious war."

"I believe that, I believe that, I believe that," Mr Oyedepo responded with Mr Obi saying on the other side of the phone that "If this works, you people will never regret the support."

Mr Obi's critics have accused him of playing a politics of ethnicity and religion ahead of Nigeria's 2023 presidential election, which he lost but has challenged in court. He denies this, asking critics to provide evidence. The leaked file appears to have substantiated the position of the critics.

The leaked audio has, however, sparked controversy.

Many supporters of Mr Obi monitored on microblogging sites Twitter and Facebook have dismissed the audio as deepfake, a term used to describe doctored clips generated with artificial intelligence tools. But on Sunday morning, Kenneth Okonkwo, LP's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) spokesperson, confirmed the authenticity of the audio but suggested a different interpretation of the conversation. He immediately faced threats of being cancelled by the "Obidients" as Mr Obi's supporters are described. He has been blamed for undermining their efforts to dismiss the leaked file as deepfake.

In his tweets, Mr Okonkwo attempted to defend the "religious war" comment made by his principal in the viral "private conversation".

"Firstly, the context of the conversation was aptly put by Bishop Oyedepo when he said, 'All Nigerians have (an) equal stake in this nation, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone," Mr Okonkwo tweeted. "H. E. Peter Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of (an) equal stake of all Nigerians in the Nigerian project to his people and the Christendom because the politicians of the other party is carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war (sic)."

In the tweets, he accused the All Progressive Congress (APC) of trying to twist the narrative of the telephone conversation, saying "it is not surprising that these political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if Obi was making a religious statement." He also accused the APC of beginning what appears to be the religious battle of the ballots by running a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in a religiously diverse country.

However, many supporters of Mr Obi saw Mr Okonkowo's tweets as "anti-Obidient" and unauthorised, while insisting on the deepfake spin.

Then, Diran Onifade, the head of the Obi-Datti Media Office, said in Abuja on Sunday that the audio clip was just another propaganda by the APC to discredit Mr Obi, running in agreement with the Obidients.

"All these are meant to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi; if the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully," Mr Onifade said, also describing the audio as deepfake. "Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe."

He also described it as APC's "endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them."

Local and international observers of the 2023 elections have identified how identity politics took over Nigeria's political space during the presidential polls.

Many believed Mr Obi's consistent lobby of Christians worked and helped him pull over 6 million votes. Many religious leaders had been seen openly campaigning for him and urging their followers to ensure the Muslim-Muslim candidate (referring to Mr Tinubu) was humiliated on Election Day. Including the famous Paul Enenche of Dunamis, a number of faith leaders have also insisted the poll was rigged against Mr Obi and that Mr Tinubu holds a stolen mandate.

Meanwhile, Mr Tinubu, who opted for a Muslim-Muslim ticket that appears to aggravate the worries of Christians, also during the campaign appealed to the Muslim base and his ethnic Yoruba. While Mr Tinubu played the Muslim-Muslim card partly to court northern Muslims, Mr Obi projected himself as the frontline Christain in the presidential race.

For his part, Mr Oyedepo on Sunday morning said he had not been influenced by any politician but was short of categorically denying the conversation in the leaked audio held.

"Nobody had ever told me what to say in this world. No. I have never campaigned for anybody or spoken on anybody's behalf and I will not do that till I go to heaven," Mr Oyedepo said.

He also said: "There is no (political) party in this country that didn't come to me for prayers and for advice. I advised them, some they didn't take. Those who chose to take it see results; those who said no are going about it (laughs). If you still come again, I will still tell you, it doesn't change."

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Mr Okonkwo did not respond to PREMIUM TIMES' request to determine if he contacted Mr Obi before letting out the tweets on the leaked audio clip on his behalf. He neither responded to our calls nor replied to our message on the subject matter.

"Too bad"

Amid the controversy, Mr Obi's close aide, Valentine Obienyem, appeared to subtly confirm the leaked audio in a Facebook post titled "Obi versus Oyedepo: Too bad!"

He suggested that the conversation was held between both men but said the leaked tape was doctored.

He wrote, "I heard they set up a Committee made up of some Communications experts, headed by our prodigal brother from Nnewi. They are reviewing all calls Obi made in the last three years, and especially now to see if he mentioned Interim Government or anything that will make them prosecute him for treason when and if they take over.

"Till now, they are yet to see any. The badly doctored conversation with Bishop Oyedepo released by our Nnewi prodigal brother is the much they have discovered so far. They edited out the Muslim-Muslim ticket that led to the discussion, where Obi said that in a society like ours, religious balancing was a necessary consideration and that their recklessness had made Christians to assume it was a religious war."
Creme brulee French toast is on the menu for Easter brunch at Royal Boucherie in Old City. Read more

Easter brunch is a combination of two delicious culinary traditions: Sunday brunch and Easter dinner.

In honor of the holiday on April 9, these 14 Philadelphia-area restaurants are offering special meals featuring such tasty creations as creme brulee French toast, citrus-brined pork tenderloin, and brunch buffets. Take your pick, and be sure to make reservations ahead of time.

In Old City, chef Christopher Kearse has a prix fixe brunch for Easter from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where guests will choose from a selection of dishes across four courses at $80 per person. Dishes include green and white asparagus, black truffle crepes with oxtail ragout, quiche of the day, and buttermilk panna cotta. Make reservations online.

 233 Chestnut St.,  215-644-9395,  forsythiaphilly.com

At this lively restaurant and bar in Center City, book a table for two for $50 or four guests for $90. Easter brunch includes coffee, mimosas, family-style appetizers (think deviled eggs and Brussels sprouts), eggs Benedict, and beignets.

For a more casual meal, the restaurants regular brunch menu will also be offered with gochujang Brussels sprouts for $10, an everything Philly muffin with a fried egg and smoked bacon for $16, and the juicy Cambozola cheeseburger on a brioche bun. Visit OpenTable to reserve.

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 1620 Chancellor St.,  215-985-1234,  patchworkphilly.com

The Bellevue Hotel

On the 19th floor of Center Citys Bellevue Hotel, Easter brunch will set you back $95 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Kids 5 to 12 are half-priced. Dine on Chesapeake oysters, charcuterie, glazed ham, spice-crusted leg of lamb, thick-cut candied bacon, and more. Finish with the Viennese dessert table loaded with freshly-made confections, including lemon meringue tarts, vegan panna cotta, sticky buns, and pineapple rum cake. Reserve your table on OpenTable.

 200 S. Broad St.,  215-893-1234,  hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/pennsylvania/the-bellevue-hotel/phlph

The Prime Rib

The Prime Rib at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will host an Easter Sunday buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a build-your-own omelet station, French toast, bone-in leg of lamb, and more. A complimentary Bloody Mary will be offered while supplies last. The meal is $65 per person. An 18% gratuity will be added to the final bill. Reservations are on OpenTable. A refundable deposit of $25 is required to make a reservation  it will be deducted from the bill after dining.

 900 Packer Ave.,  833-472-5483,  philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/dine-and-drink/the-prime-rib

In Center City, Bank & Bourbon will serve Easter brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expect an assortment of pastries, buttermilk pancakes, omelets, steak, whole-roasted salmon, bourbon-glazed ham, and more for $60 per adult and $18 per child (12 and under). Book your table on Resy.com.

 1200 Market St.,  215-231-7300,  bankandbourbon.com

The Olde Bar

French toast comes stuffed with cheesecake filling, mixed berry compote, and Chantilly cream for $18 on Easter Sunday at this Old City restaurant. Other brunch specials include avocado toast with jalapeno yogurt and a crispy fried egg for $12. Theres a raw bar ($98) and a bubbly brunch tray with seasonal juices, accoutrements, and a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine ($35). Kids can get their hands on a Funfetti waffle topped with whipped cream and maple syrup for $12.

 126 Walnut St.,  215-253-3777,  theoldebar.com

Inside Brewerytowns new dining destination, Easter brunch buffet includes scrambled eggs, vegan sausage, buttermilk pancakes, turkey and ham carving stations, bagels and lox, breakfast potatoes, and seasonal salads. The buffet is $35 per person (kids under 12 are $12, and those 5 and under eat for free). Mimosas and Bloody Marys are $30 per person. Choose a two-hour seating reservation from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reserve your spot on Resy.

 1363 N. 31st St.,  267-541-2847,  btownfoodhall.com

Share a bread basket with olive oil cake and more, tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelet), and croquetas de jamon (ham croquettes). Then, choose from shakshuka, crab Benedict, sangria pancakes, duck confit, saffron rice bowl, and more for your main dish. Additional shared plates include pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)-glazed bacon and Amadas potato rosti (akin to a potato pancake). The brunch special is $27 per person and cocktails are $5. Dine from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations can be made on OpenTable or over the phone.

 217-219 Chestnut St.,  215-625-2450,  philadelphia.amadarestaurant.com

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 9, brunch is three courses for $50 per person plus a 20% service charge. Choose from honey yogurt, chilled pea soup, spring salad, and a savory celery root waffle to start. The main course includes a choice of ham and sunny eggs, French toast with rhubarb and oat crunch, a dry-aged burger with raclette cheese, and more. Dessert is an $8 supplement  theres chocolate cake, chocolate cremeux (chocolate with a pouring custard), and coconut custard. A la carte items include assorted pastries for $8, half a dozen oysters on the half shell for $22, and house charcuterie for $25.

 306 Market St.,  215-625-9425,  forkrestaurant.com

How about Easter brunch on the Delaware River? Head to Penns Landing and hop aboard at 12:30 p.m. for a two-hour cruise with a buffet and views of the Philadelphia skyline. Enjoy pastries, pasta salad, honey sesame chicken, oven-roasted white fish, cakes, and more on the water with family and friends. There will be an Easter egg hunt on board and a special appearance from the Easter bunny. Tickets are $62.90 to $87.90 for adults and $47.90 for kids 3 to 12; ages 2 and under eat for free. Purchase online.

 401 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.,  cityexperiences.com/philadelphia/city-cruises

Youll find a la carte items for Easter Sunday brunch, available until 3 p.m. Choose from mushroom flatbread for $19, lobster skillet for $25, and French toast with Grand Marnier and berries for $15. There are also bottomless mimosas and sangria for $28 per person, but everyone at the table must participate for this promotion  this promotion lasts until 2:30 p.m. for a maximum of two hours.

 212 Walnut St., 2nd Floor,  215-238-0499,  positanocoast.net

The modern American tavern on Independence Mall is serving up Easter Features during regular brunch service on April 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and April 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Youll get a choice of three limited-time spring-inspired dishes: brioche French toast ($17), Wagyu brisket Benedict ($23), and spring onion frittata ($19). Book your spot on OpenTable.

 433 Chestnut St.,  215-923-2267,  redowltavern.com

Indulge in an all-day brunch from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Easter Sunday at this Old City bistro. Dive into French-inspired brunch bites, including the popular chicken liver mousse for $13 and creme brulee French toast for $16. Theres also a suite of cocktails  try a Hendricks gin, house-pickled grape, and classic Creole bitters for $15 or a fruity zero-proof cocktail. The restaurant will also offer limited-time a la carte specials. Reservations are on OpenTable.

 52 S. Second St.,  267-606-6316,  royalboucherie.com

Venture into this Southern-inspired restaurant, bar, and Juke Joint in Society Hill for a musical Easter brunch. The prix fixe three-course menu is $45 per person, but also available a la carte. Theres Easter salad tossed with cucumbers, apples, and berries in an orange-sesame vinaigrette for $16, and grilled spring lamb chops for $15. An omelet with ham, sharp cheddar, and tomato jam thats served with fries runs $16, plus chicken and waffle for $24. Finish off with ricotta beignets for $10.

The Original Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society, who specialize in the traditional hot jazz style of the 1920s, will take the stage in the Juke Joint from noon to 3 p.m.

Twisted Tail reservations are on OpenTable.

 509 S. 2nd St.,  215-558-2471,  thetwistedtail.com
Physician Richard S. Mangus examined a patient who underwent a multiple-organ transplant at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis in 2021. The Biden administration has proposed an overhaul of the transplant system. Read more

More than 6,000 people die in the United States each year while waiting for a kidney, liver, or heart transplant. Yet several thousand times a year, potentially viable organs go unused due to transportation delays, communication gaps, or outdated technology.

The longstanding problems have prompted a new Biden administration proposal to overhaul the system. Philadelphia kidney specialist Jerry McCauley is among many who welcome the plan  even though he is president of the organization that has drawn most of the criticism.

McCauley, the chief of nephrology at Thomas Jefferson University, heads the board of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a nonprofit that manages the transplant system under contract from the federal government.

The Biden proposal calls for doubling the systems budget, modernizing data collection, and improving oversight of 56 regional nonprofits that help to match organ donors with recipients.

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Yet the contract would be split into five parts  meaning that UNOS might lose some of the work to another bidder.

McCauley agrees that there is room for improvement, but he says some of the criticism is misdirected.

We are not disagreeing with or fighting any of these ideas that they have had. We applaud them, he said. But UNOS has been vilified for things that, frankly, we dont control.

Longstanding problems

Hundreds of articles have been written in medical journals about who is responsible for which shortcomings in the transplant system, and the issues also were the subject of a 2-year, bipartisan investigation by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

Still, the number of organ transplants lately has soared in the U.S.  reaching 42,888 organs in 2022, more than double the number a quarter-century ago. And in recent years, UNOS and McCauley have been widely credited with improving one long-standing problem: lessening the disparity in kidney transplantation rates between Black and white patients.

 READ MORE: From 2017: New transplant rules help more African Americans get kidneys

But critics say problems persist at many of the 56 regional transplant nonprofits that UNOS oversees, called organ procurement organizations. More than half of these regional coordinators are failing or underperforming, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), using benchmarks established under the Trump administration.

In some cases, patients have died or become gravely ill after being transplanted with organs that were diseased or marked with the wrong blood type, according to the Senate investigation.

Yet 23 of the 56 nonprofits earned passing grades from CMS, including the one that coordinates transplants in the greater Philadelphia region. Called the Gift of Life Donor Program, it works with hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Delaware.

CMS ranks Gift of Life in the nations top 10, as measured by a combination of its 15.6% donation rate (the percent of eligible donors who donate at least one organ for transplant) and its 42% transplant rate (the number of organs transplanted as a percentage of potential donors).

Philadelphia transplant surgeons agree with that assessment. Gift of Life is well known for its efficiency and empathy in helping area hospitals to match donors with recipients, said Antonio Di Carlo, surgical director of kidney, liver and pancreas transplantation at Temple University Hospital. Its officials have even advised organ transplant programs in other countries, he said.

It is globally highly regarded, he said.

Ways to improve

Yet there is room for improvement, both in this region and nationwide. Di Carlo and McCauley agreed that no one should die while waiting for an organ transplant.

UNOS could always do a better job of overseeing the 56 nonprofits, McCauley said. But it has been hampered by outdated technology and a lack of resources, as evidenced by Bidens proposal to increase the budget from $31 million to $67 million, the Jefferson kidney specialist said.

Whenever anybody doubles the budget, that to me says youre being underfunded, he said.

Another problem UNOS cannot solve on its own is the prompt delivery of kidneys, McCauley said.

Unlike hearts and lungs, which deteriorate more rapidly and are typically rushed to hospitals on special organ-transport flights, kidneys travel in the cargo holds of commercial airplanes. As a result, sometimes kidneys are temporarily misplaced, and may fail to arrive at transplant centers within 30 hours, after which they start to deteriorate, McCauley said.

A better option might be to have couriers travel with kidneys inside the cabins of airplanes, but that would require approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, not UNOS, he said.

The FAA does not allow a transplant worker to accompany the organ, he said. Its picked up by a random worker and taken out to where it eventually gets to a transplant worker. The transplant worker cant even come in and meet the organ at the plane.
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HARRISBURG  The offices in Pennsylvanias Department of Human Services that help people keep their Medicaid benefits are facing staffing challenges as they prepare to take on a higher workload than at any other time in recent memory.

Workers in the system and advocates for health care access fear that thousands of children and adults could wrongly lose their coverage as a result.

Like every other state, Pennsylvania has just begun reassessing who qualifies for Medicaid because of the unwinding of a pandemic-era federal policy that barred states from kicking people off the program for the last three years.

Reenrollment began this month and will continue on a rolling basis. Because the process has been paused for so long, an unusually high number of people are currently on Medicaid in Pennsylvania  nearly 3.7 million compared with the 2.8 million enrolled before the pandemic, an almost 30% increase.

The Shapiro administration estimates that hundreds of thousands of people will be kicked off the program because they no longer meet income or other eligibility requirements. It also warns that hundreds of thousands of qualifying recipients could be kicked off, at least temporarily, due to logistical issues such as late paperwork or incorrect financial information.

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Separately, the commonwealth plans to change how it reenrolls kids in the Childrens Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, this month, which is also expected to create more work.

Its just this compounding effect, said Patrick Keenan, a policy director for the group Pennsylvania Health Access Network, of the strain that could be put on the benefits system.

As advocates, he said, were worried that the numbers of people losing coverage wont become apparent right away. By this summer, we could be in a troubling situation with many more uninsured than we have today.

That situation is even more troubling, he added, because the very offices dealing with these reenrollments and process changes are having trouble keeping jobs filled.

A terrifying staffing situation

The responsibility for assessing Medicaid recipients eligibility and reenrolling people in the program primarily lies with caseworkers for the departments county assistance offices (CAOs), statewide processing centers, and call centers.

These offices also employ clerical workers whose jobs include scanning important physical documents into DHS systems.

They are some of the key places where DHS is seeing worker shortages.

According to PHAN and Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, two of the groups that have been meeting regularly with DHS to monitor the Medicaid unwinding process and have expressed concerns about staffing levels, the relevant offices are about 91% staffed statewide.

Those levels are even lower in some big counties. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, for instance, are about 86% staffed, according to the groups.

Its really terrifying to think that about one in six DHS positions in some areas currently arent filled as we approach this challenging situation, PHANs Keenan said.

According to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiros recent budget proposal, the total number of workers across all of DHS has shrunk from about 15,300 in 2020 to 13,700 in 2022  about an 11% drop. A spokesperson for DHS said the department aims to fill those vacancies.

Workforce challenges are affecting nearly every facet of the human services and health care systems, Brandon Cwalina, a DHS spokesperson, said in an email. This was a concern before COVID-19, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the greater focus necessary to ensure our workforce can meet the needs of Pennsylvanians.

DHS has characterized the vacancy rate as only slightly higher than average and in line with what other human services employers have experienced over the course of the pandemic.

Still, people who work in the offices in charge of reenrollment told Spotlight PA that advocates concerns are founded.

If county assistance offices get backed up, logistical problems can pile up and lead to people missing deadlines to turn in their paperwork through no fault of their own, and being locked out of their benefits. Though Medicaid reenrollment is just beginning, one DHS worker told Spotlight PA that theres already strain on the system.

People are getting their requests for documents after [theyre] due. Theyre getting their renewal packets after [theyre] due or not at all. Theres problems all over the state with that, the worker said.

The worker, who requested anonymity in order to talk candidly about their job conditions, is one of the commonwealths many income maintenance caseworkers tasked with helping people enroll in and renew benefits.

They work in one of DHSs statewide processing centers, which they said has for months served primarily as a call center instead of assisting with enrollment because of staffing issues elsewhere in the system.

Its only anecdotal but today alone, I had two different callers [who] had submitted their renewals weeks in advance. Not even like near the due date  these were like, model clients keeping up with their paperwork, the worker said, referencing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits in both cases. Both callers ended up losing access to their benefits. The worker guesses it was because the relevant caseworkers were backed up.

Others with knowledge of DHS operations corroborated this characterization of the offices current staffing and capacity. In mid-February, a group of eight advocacy organizations that have been working closely with DHS sent Acting Secretary Val Arkoosh a letter laying out their concerns.

Calling the task ahead of DHS unprecedented, they noted that federal researchers have estimated that three out of every four children who lose coverage during Medicaid redetermination will still be eligible.

We remain very concerned about the enormous administrative workload the county assistance offices [CAOs] will face when redetermining eligibility for this large volume of cases while resuming regular operations after three years, and how that is likely to translate into individuals losing coverage, though remaining eligible, the groups wrote.

Advocates have also argued that vacancy rates alone dont totally capture the issues that DHS is facing.

Though the department was still sending out reenrollment packets during the pandemic and workers arent totally out of practice with the process, Keenan said, things will be very different for caseworkers once theyre actually dealing with people who could lose benefits and need to appeal.

During the pandemic, many CAO staff retired, Keenan said. That means that many of the workers are new to the role and inexperienced. On top of that, theyre likely already flooded with work since so many positions remain unfilled.

What can DHS do?

The Department of Human Services is also about to make a big change to the way it operates CHIP  a change that advocates say should be delayed.

Pennsylvania families that use CHIP are used to renewing and adjusting their kids medical coverage through one of 10 health insurers that contract with the state to provide coverage. But starting in April, the state is shifting those administrative tasks to DHS offices  the same offices dealing with Medicaid reenrollment amid staffing shortages.

The change, made necessary by a decision at the federal level, has been years in the making. The state initially planned to implement it in 2017, but delayed it.

The group of advocates argues that making the change now means even more work and unfamiliarity for workers. The anonymous worker in a DHS processing center said staff are getting trained for new procedures and concerns about added workload are real in these offices.

Everybody is also freaking out about how theyve decided to load us up with more work, the person said, noting its a big topic of conversation in union Facebook groups. Its not that they dont want to do the work, they just already have a ton of work.

DHS defended the change as being necessary, and said the state is prepared to make it.

Delaying the transition further involves extensive system changes which may risk the ability to make sure that children on Medicaid can enroll seamlessly into alternative forms of coverage should it be necessary, Arkoosh said in her response to the advocates.

In a statement, Cwalina said planning for the transition has been underway for nearly a decade and that changing course now would negatively impact the overall system enhancements for the unwinding.

There is at least one fundamental change that advocacy groups said DHS could make to mitigate its compounding challenges: more aggressively conduct what is known as passive, or ex parte, Medicaid renewals.

This kind of renewal uses information already in state systems to automatically determine whether a person is eligible for Medicaid coverage, without any action on the part of a state worker and without the recipient submitting new paperwork. Its designed to lessen the administrative burden on states, and also reduce the risk of people losing Medical coverage for logistical reasons unrelated to their eligibility.

Federal Medicaid regulations already require states to try to make these automatic determinations, but their effectiveness at actually doing so varies widely.

While Pennsylvania is one of 43 states that conducts ex parte renewals and has a system that is considered mostly automated as opposed to primarily manual or a mix, fewer than 25% of its renewals are actually conducted automatically. Twenty-seven states have higher percentages of ex parte renewals.

In their letter, the health access advocates claimed Pennsylvanias ex parte renewal rate is actually even worse than most publicly available data show.

Pennsylvanias computer system currently excludes the vast majority of cases from this automated renewal process, notably cases where the family is getting both Medicaid and SNAP, resulting in only about 4% of Medicaid cases being renewed automatically, they wrote.

Arkoosh addressed this complaint in her letter, too, saying that DHS recognizes the value of increasing the use of automatic renewals to reduce the number of people who need to complete the process themselves, and that the commonwealth already conducts them in as many cases as possible.

She added that DHS is currently trying to identify areas of improvement and plans to put them in place expeditiously. Cwalina said in a statement that DHS is specifically working on system enhancements designed to allow for more ex parte case processing and that updates are scheduled for September of this year.

Then, there are staffing issues, which DHS maintains are pervasive throughout government offices as well as the private sector.

Cwalina said that Shapiro has already made at least one change that the state thinks could help with hiring: getting rid of college degree requirements for most state jobs.

SEIU 668, the union that represents DHS caseworkers, is about to enter contract renegotiations with the commonwealth. Steve Catanese, the SEIU 668 president, said it is imperative that the commonwealth meets this moment.

It can do so, he said, by providing its workforce with the tools needed to handle these work burdens and by providing improved economic incentives that will retain quality staff in a way thats needed now more than ever.

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Belle Sandella, an end-of-life doula, speaks to Dorcas Miller, 94, who has dementia, inside Millers home at the Redeemer Village in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Read more

Bill Siemering found himself googling what age people die of natural causes in their sleep. Hed tell his wife where to find salmon cakes at the farmers market when he was no longer alive. He was certain death was drawing near, though he had no terminal diagnosis.

I had been talking to my wife about dying and she was not pleased, Siemering, 88,said in a recent interview near his Wyndmoor home. People dont like to hear about this.

So Siemering decided to work with Belle Sandella, a death doula who lives around the corner.

Death doulas are nonmedical guides for the end of life. Drawing their name from the work of birth doulas, they help people plan for their final moments, advocate for them in hospitals, and sometimes sit with them as they draw their last breaths. Part spiritual teachers, part practical helpers, they also support grieving families.

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Such guides are part of a growing death-positive movement that encourages people to talk openly and frankly about a reality we will all face. (Mortician Caitlin Doughty cheekily gave the movement its name to mirror that of the sex-positive movement.) As hospice has become a multibillion-dollar industry, some see the work of doulas as an antidote to highly medicalized or profit-driven treatment that pursues fixes even at the end of life.

You cant fix dying. It just doesnt work, said Kris Kington-Barker, director of outreach and care provider programs at the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA), which has trained more than 5,000 end-of-life doulas since 2015. Instead, she said, doulas help people become more familiar with how to take care of each other and our own.

Though organizations that lead doula training, like INELDA and the University of Vermont, say theyve seen a spike in demand for classes since the beginning of the pandemic, theres no state licensing or required training for the role. INELDA has trained 225 death doulas in Pennsylvania since 2015. But insurance doesnt cover the work, meaning its hard for people to make a living at it, and many potential clients dont know its an option.

Sandella, 46, worked as a cardiac and telemetry nurse before training with INELDA in 2021. In sessions in her living room, Sandella talks clients through regret, unresolved tensions, and anxiety. She declined to comment on her fees, but she works on a sliding scale, which INELDA recommends. Each week, she also visits a client who has dementia; kneeling in front of her, wearing the same floral barrette, Sandella introduces herself.

Im going to be taking care of you today, she says. And Im so happy to be here.

Siemering, one of the founding fathers of NPR and now a fellow at the Wyncote Foundation, has found his work with Sandella meaningful in both sweeping and small ways. With a renewed focus on being present and observant, he notices the skeletons of the trees behind his house and also how his fingernails keep growing, he said. Some of his anxiety about death has receded.

Other death doulas work with clients who have a terminal diagnosis or who are actively dying. The Rev. Jamie Eaddy-Chism of East Falls has worked as a death doula for almost 10 years and founded the business Thoughtful Transitions in 2019 to help people deal with loss.

Her work never fits into a single genre: Sometimes she declutters a room or lights a scented candle; sometimes she acts as a kind of translator between families and medical workers.

Its helpful for someone who makes it very plain, said Eaddy-Chism. You see whats happening with their skin. You see whats happening with their breathing.

Recently, a mother hired Eaddy-Chism to serve as a death doula during the final three weeks of her 27-year-old sons life. Facing his fourth round of cancer, the young man had chosen not to undergo further treatment. While he could still speak, Eaddy-Chism talked with him about his fears (would there be pain?) and hopes (he wanted his young daughter to be cared for).

After he died, Eaddy-Chism met privately with the family matriarch, who found herself overwhelmed with anger over her sons death.

The work with her was really to affirm that anger, Eaddy-Chism, who is also trained as a minister, said. We normalize grief and cultivate space for people to experience and express it.

Some decide to train as doulas because of their own experiences with the end of life. Annie Wilson, 37, sat with her sister, Torrie, who died of a heroin overdose in 2016 after being taken to the hospital.

Wilson was struck by the juxtaposition she experienced at her sisters bedside: Sitting with her felt like holy work, but the bustle and chaos of the hospital distracted from it. After volunteering as a hospice worker, Wilson started Sunset Companions with a former coworker just before the pandemic.

There were all these extraneous details that made this very important moment a lot more mundane and stressful, Wilson said. I just wished so much that there had been a death doula present.
Markiya Jackson (front left) holds a photo of sibling MarQuis "MJ" Jackson, while speaking at a news conference with District Attorney Larry Krasner, holding another photo of MarQuis "MJ" Jackson, at GALAEI on March 15. Read more

Authorities arrested the Philadelphia man they say killed MarQuis MJ Jackson, a transgender man who was an advocate in the Philadelphia transgender community, and who had been on the run for months across the country.

Charles Mitchell, 40, of the 1800 block of Brunner Street in North Philadelphia, was taken into custody over the weekend by United States Marshals in Henderson, Nev., the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office announced Monday afternoon. Mitchell had been on the run since allegedly killing Jackson, 33, who was found dead in December in Mitchells backyard.

Authorities say Jackson had been beaten and left outside, with only a T-shirt and boxers on and without shoes, on a cold winter day.

Mitchell faces charges of murder, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence, and related crimes. Authorities have said the motive for the crime was unclear. Jackson may have survived if he had received medical attention sooner, they said.

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Police were called to the house in North Philadelphia on Dec. 14 and found Jacksons body in the backyard. An autopsy later revealed that he died of multiple blunt-force injuries to the head, and his death was ruled a homicide.

Markiya Jackson, Jacksons sister, learned of Mitchells arrest while she was out shopping on Monday afternoon. When she heard the news, she said, she started jumping up and down, screaming in relief that her brothers killer had finally been caught.

I cant even put into words what I feel now, she said in an interview. All I know is God is good. I prayed last night to my brother and God to get Charles off the streets.

Last month, District Attorney Larry Krasner and other authorities, at a news conference alongside friends and family of other Philadelphia transgender people who had been killed in recent years, identified Mitchell as the person they say beat Jackson to death.

Jackson was killed just weeks after the slaying of Shahere Diamond Jackson-McDonald, a transgender woman who was found shot to death in an apartment on the 400 block of Manheim Street in Germantown.

Authorities have not released the names of any suspects in her death and are calling on the public to help with any information about the case.
The Phillies introduce their new giant scoreboard during a media event at Citizens Bank Park. Drexel had hoped to have a university wide commencement celebration there in June, as it has done for six of the last seven years. But the university announced there was a scheduling conflict at the park and it wouldn't be possible. Read more

It was 2016 when Drexel University held a university-wide commencement  the first time in decades  by renting out Citizens Bank Park.

In the past, the school had held individual ceremonies for its different colleges because it had no venue big enough to bring everyone together.

But that really robbed us of the opportunity to celebrate our students in a way that they could bring numerous family members and friends to the event, Subir Sahu, then-Drexels vice president and dean of student life, said in 2016.

 READ MORE: Drexel takes over Citizens Bank Park - for one day

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And now, some students say they are feeling robbed again.

Sahu, now senior vice president of student success, announced last week that Drexel would not be holding commencement at the park as it had done for six of the last seven years  it took 2020 off because of COVID-19  because of a scheduling conflict at Citizens Bank Park.

Two concerts have been scheduled for the park the week that Drexel wanted it: Dead & Company booked the stadium on June 15 and Morgan Wallen on June 17.

 READ MORE: Rowan University is among first in the region to hold in-person commencement

A lot of us look forward to it and have families coming from very far, one commenter wrote on a Reddit thread. Its also a monumental collective moment to be done with it, finally. And seeing all other colleges have theirs, its a little depressing.

David Buck, executive vice president of the Phillies, said any time anyone rents out the park, its contingent on two things: the playoffs and concerts.

No offense, if we can have 40,000 people at a concert, were going to have to do that, Buck said.

 READ MORE: Who spoke at Philly area commencements last year?

Extensive setup required for the Thursday concert will begin on the prior Sunday, he said. Buck said the Phillies and Drexel tried to find a way to make it work, but couldnt.

Every other year it has worked, he said. If they want to do it next year, were game.

Sahu said in a campus message sent Friday that the university had conducted an exhaustive search in partnership with the Phillies for another venue but could not find one on the available dates with enough capacity, which, in the past, was between 8,000 and 12,000. The school looked at alternatives such as Lincoln Financial Field and the University of Pennsylvanias Franklin Field, but they werent available, he said in an interview.

However, the university will continue its tradition of hosting individual school and college celebrations on campus and at other venues in the city between June 14 and June 16, and graduates will be called to the stage by name to receive their degrees, he said. The school also will host a celebration for graduates on June 13 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with music, refreshments, activities and a kick-off toast by Drexel President John A. Fry on the Rocky steps.

Luke Ingram, a senior math major from Queens, said he still thought that Drexel should have been able to figure something out, even if it meant moving the universitywide celebration to a different week.

It seems like they are not putting in enough to really get it done, he said.

A senior from Glenside who reached out to The Inquirer to complain said his family couldnt believe there wouldnt be a universitywide celebration, especially after all the time and money students and their families put into the university.

The class of 2023 were freshmen when COVID-19 shut down college campuses across the nation and upended the way classes were held. Now, they face losing another piece of their college experience, said the student, who said he didnt want his name associated with the university because he was so disgusted.

It seemed like after all the hardships our class had gone through over COVID, with remote education  we were all looking forward to having this graduation ceremony, he said.

But Sahu in an interview said it just wasnt possible this year. The university really tries to have the event over the same three-day period as the smaller ceremonies.

We have families that are coming in literally from all around the world, and so you want to keep those ceremonies as tightly knit as possible so that families are flying in and they are here for the one or two days when they have several ceremonies, he said.

Sahu said more students actually attend the smaller school and college ceremonies than the universitywide event. About 1,500 to 2,000 of the nearly 6,000 graduates and their families came to Citizens Bank Park each year, he said.

Not everyone on the Reddit thread saw the Citizens Bank Park event as a loss.

Know this wont help but that ceremony was the most useless 2 hours of my entire life, one commenter wrote. The college ceremonies are much more personal and much more worthwhile.

Nevertheless, Drexel officials said they were disappointed they couldnt make it work this year.

We love the tradition we started at the ballpark, Sahu said.
A Commonwealth Court judge has ordered Pennsylvania state officials to take custody of 15 children currently living at a juvenile detention facility in Philadelphia that the city says is dangerously overcrowded and understaffed. Theyre among 135 statewide on a waiting list to receive court-ordered treatment at state placements called Youth Development Centers.

The order, issued Thursday by Judge Ellen Ceisler, requires the state Department of Human Services to transfer the children within 10 days to either a new state-run facility that is set to open in Pittston or a private facility in Texas.

From what I heard earlier they are not getting any services, education, anything, Ceisler said during a Wednesday hearing, describing current conditions at the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center (PJJSC). From what I heard, there is nothing happening for the young folks at the PJJSC.

Ceisler called the hearing after the city sued the state in October, alleging its failure to accept youth in a timely fashion had caused devastating conditions inside the 184-bed city facility at 48th Street and Haverford Avenue in West Philadelphia, where 202 children are now housed.

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The order did not attempt to address crowding going forward, as the city and state continue to scramble for alternatives that could include a new juvenile detention center within one of the citys adult jails.

A state DHS spokesperson declined to comment on the order.

Vanessa Garret Harley, deputy mayor for the Office of Children and Families, said in a statement the city is grateful and will still pursue its lawsuit, which seeks to require the state to take custody of any sentenced juveniles who might be housed at the facility in the future in excess of its capacity.

But critics noted that the city could abate the problem by removing 11 children who remain there only because they are awaiting child-welfare placements, and urged officials to focus on a holistic, community-based solution.

We need to focus on closer-to-home models and alternatives to detention for our youth, Philadelphias chief public defender, Keisha Hudson, said. Its research-based best practice, and [sending kids to Texas] as a solution is only going to cause further harm to our youth and our communities.

City officials who testified Wednesday described a facility in chaos, with dozens of children sleeping on mattresses in an admissions office or sitting on the floor to eat. They detailed frequent brawls and poor supervision  one testified that employees recently found 10 makeshift weapons in a room holding 20 children.

The crowding culminated on Oct. 4 in a large brawl that left one resident hospitalized and dozens of youth and staff hurt.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia detention center employees describe 'dangerous' conditions

The facility houses youth ages 10 through 20 who have been accused or adjudicated guilty of a wide range of offenses from retail theft to homicide.

Pennsylvania DHS is mandated to accept sentenced youth, but has been running a wait list for years, officials said. The situation reached a boiling point in October, when the state closed intake at all three state Youth Development Centers, saying they were past capacity.

Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services Director Charles Neff said the emergency contract with the Texas facility, Rite of Passage, fulfilled the states obligation. The company was the only one to respond to what he described as a nationwide call for emergency placement alternatives. Headquartered in Nevada, Rite of Passage had revenues of $22 million in 2020, according to public filings.

Philadelphia officials expressed serious reservations about sending children to the facility because of its disciplinary tactics, Department of Human Services Commissioner Kimberly Ali said. She said Rite of Passage isolates children for days on end, uses mechanical restraints, and performs strip searches.

Neff said that the facility would adhere to Pennsylvania law.

At the hearing, city and state officials revealed that other options under consideration include opening a new, 28-bed juvenile detention facility within an adult jail, Riverside Correctional Facility, on State Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

But Ali said opening such a facility could take at least two months. She said the city needs to renovate the plumbing and lock systems, and needs to obtain a license from the state to house children in the facility.

City officials at the hearing made clear they do not believe the state is acting with sufficient urgency, questioning DHS officials about the empty beds at the state centers. Though the three centers contain 224 beds, the state lists their current capacity collectively at 116 teens. The state said it couldnt take more because of staffing shortages.

Were already unsafe, and anything we do [to admit more youth] is going to make it exponentially more unsafe, Neff said.

Neff testified that the ratio inside the state centers is one staffer to three children. The city is currently running at a ratio of one to 12.

 READ MORE: Missing kids, illicit activity: Staff warn of chaos at Philly DHS office that houses stranded kids

Gary Williams, a deputy commissioner at the citys Department of Human Services, testified Wednesday that 60 children at PJJSC have been sentenced to rehabilitation in state facilities but have not yet been transferred. Of those, 18 have been waiting for more than three months, he said.

Without space to hold the swelling population, the city this fall resorted to housing three children in units meant for two. And it converted an admissions office into a bunk space where more than 20 children are sleeping on mattresses on the floor, some for weeks on end.

We ran out of space, Williams said. Theres tension throughout the entire facility.

Youth advocates said theyre alarmed by conditions at PJJSC  but said that the proposed alternatives are also unacceptable.

The solution for young people experiencing harmful conditions is not to send them to a state halfway across the country, far from their families and support networks where they would be isolated, and the solution is not to put them in adult jails, said Sarah Morris, director of the Youth Art and Self-Empowerment Project, which runs workshops with youth at PJJSC. We think there are lots of young people who could be released safely to families, communities and diversion programs.

Maura McInerney, of the Education Law Center, pointed to recommendations by a task force convened by the city on the issue, which argued for smaller, community-based placement facilities.

Ceisler acknowledged that her order was only a first step.

Weve reached a crisis point, Ceisler said. Whatever happens here is a tiny little Band-Aid.
Khalif Miller shoots a selfie in front of a burning Philadelphia police car that prosecutors accused him of setting ablaze during racial justice protests in May 2020. Read more

A Southwest Philadelphia man who previously described himself as a political prisoner pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from his involvement in the torching of a police car outside City Hall during racial justice protests after the murder of George Floyd.

Khalif Miller, 27, is the latest defendant accused in the aftermath of the May 2020 demonstrations to cut a deal with prosecutors to avoid a federal arson charge  and the seven-year mandatory minimum sentence it carries.

Instead, like the others, he pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder, with a maximum sentence of five years.

Miller also pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of illegal gun possession tied to a cache of weapons federal agents found while searching his home during his 2020 arrest.

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As part of his deal with prosecutors, Miller agreed to serve a prison term ranging between roughly four and six years as punishment for both crimes  a substantially stiffer sentence than those handed down so far to others charged with torching police cars during the demonstrations.

The two defendants sentenced to date  Ayoub Tabri, 25, of Arlington, Va., and Lore-Elisabeth Blumenthal, 35, of Jenkintown  have received punishments of 364 days and 2 years, respectively.

Whose idea was it for you to plead guilty? Chief U.S. District Judge Juan R. Sanchez asked Miller during his brief hearing in federal court Tuesday.

Sitting next to his attorney, Miller, clad in glasses and an orange prison jumpsuit, replied: Its in our best interest, I guess.  My idea.

His subdued demeanor in court stood in stark contrast to the bitterness he conveyed in an open letter he wrote in August from federal custody, where he has been held since his arrest.

In it, he accused former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain of using the case against him and two codefendants to score points in the former prosecutors failed gubernatorial campaign during this springs GOP primary.

Its one of his main selling points in his political race for governor, Miller wrote. While the world cried out and came together begging for change, he used his powers to criminalize and quell dissent.

The U.S. Attorneys Office has been careful in official communications to distinguish between the thousands of demonstrators who flooded Philadelphia streets in May 2020 to protest Floyds murder peacefully and those, like Miller, whom they have since charged with arson.

But on his personal social media accounts, McSwain at times appeared to taunt supporters of those he had charged.

After Blumenthal was ordered held without bail in June 2020, he tweeted: For any of you out there who might have contributed to her bail fund, you can now ask for your money back.

On the campaign trail, McSwain touted her arrest and those of five others, including Miller, for similar crimes and contended that his office had literally stopped those riots because word got out that McSwain and the feds were charging people.

In his open letter this summer, Miller likened the case against him to the Central Park Five, referring to the 1989 New York case in which five teenagers of color were wrongfully convicted of raping a white jogger based on racial profiling and discrimination.

Dubbing himself and his two codefendants the Philadelphia Three, Miller maintained that he and the others  Carlos Matchett, 32, of Atlantic City, and prominent West Philadelphia activist and teacher Anthony Ant Smith, 31  had not, as prosecutors alleged, conspired together to torch a police car that day and, in fact, had never met.

Instead, he said, hed merely been taking selfies atop the already overturned police car that was firebombed by someone else and set ablaze.

But prosecutors, in the court filings, told a different story. Surveillance footage showed Miller throwing flammable paper [or] cardboard into the car after someone had set it ablaze with a lit road flare.

The combination of the burning car and the combustible material Miller added to the blaze, they said, endangered the lives of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators standing nearby.

They cited the guns and ammunition later found in his home  including shotguns, hollow-point bullets, and a handgun with a laser site, all of which he was prohibited from owning because of previous felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter and assault  as evidence that Miller should be jailed while he awaited trial.

Millers plea leaves only one arson case stemming from the May 2020 demonstrations unresolved  that against his codefendant Smith. All other defendants have pleaded guilty or are scheduled to do so in the coming weeks.

Like Miller, Smith is accused by prosecutors not of initially setting the car ablaze but of throwing paper into an already burning car.

He is scheduled for trial in January.
Janet White, director of Carriage Horse Freedom, bought an electric horseless carriage she hopes will hit the streets this year. Read more

For years, Janet White has advocated banning horse-drawn carriages in Philadelphia and replacing them with electric horseless carriages.

Recently, White, 58, director of Carriage Horse Freedom in Philadelphia, put her money where her heart is, and bought one of her own.

Now, with support from Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents Old City, she plans to showcase her new electric carriage for riders on July Fourth in Old City. If all goes well, White hopes the carriage, purchased from a Florida company, could be street ready for a trial period beginning in August.

This is finally the right time, she said. Everything is coming together.

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Indeed, Whites new electric ride comes as other Philly efforts to ban and replace horse-drawn carriages gain steam. Last week, the Brady Hunter Foundation, a New York nonprofit working to end animal cruelty, committed to purchase electric horseless carriages for Philly, including two to three prototypes that could also hit streets this summer.

The more carriages the better, said Tiffany Stair, of Revolution Philadelphia, a nonprofit animal rights organization.

Earlier this year, Philadelphias last carriage company pulled its horses from the street and cleared out the stables. Squilla has promised to introduce legislation for a ban if the electric replacements are deemed street-worthy.

I support her efforts, Squilla said of White. I see it as another great opportunity.

New York City is also moving toward transitioning to electric carriages. Either city could soon be the first major city in the United States to use electric carriages.

In February, White, who lives in Montgomery County, went on a scouting trip to Mount Dora, Fla., the first U.S. city to use electric horseless carriages. (Cities in Mexico and India have deployed electric carriages in recent years.) She liked what she saw.

It was a game changer, she said. Finally, we had ones in the states. It was amazing.

While the New York-funded effort is spending hundreds of thousands to bring prototype carriages to Philly, White spent significantly less purchasing the carriage from an existing tour company. (It was such a great deal, she said, she didnt want to name the price on the record.) .

White has received support from The UnTours Foundation, which provides funding for small businesses.

Vance Lehmkuhl, director of Old Citys American Vegan Center, says he plans on using Whites carriage for his Veg History Tours.

We are hoping to do some of the first tours on it, he said. The July Fourth demo would be a celebration of another Philly first, he said.

For now, White has started her own electric carriage company, FREe-Carriages, the first solely woman-owned electric carriage company in America, she says (the Florida company is co-owned by a woman). She has hired an engineer. And just as he did with the New York-funded group, Squilla has connected White with PennDot to ensure the carriage is right for Philly streets.

The eventual goal would be to manufacture them here, Squilla said, though there are no current plans for a Philly factory.

The China-made carriage she purchased needs some work, White said. But its no jalopy. Its equipped for onboard dining and White plans on sprucing the carriage up before it hits the streets in Philly.

Its basic but beautiful, she said. We think it will work well here.
Children and teens march in the second annual Youth Led March Against Gun Violence on Market Street in Philadelphia, Pa. on Sunday, April 2, 2023. Read more

Dozens of kids marched down Market Street to protest gun violence Sunday afternoon, carrying signs that read Dont shoot, I want to grow up and No one is target practice. They were accompanied by drill teams, drum lines, and representatives from youth services groups. After circling City Hall, the group gathered on Thomas Paine Plaza, where young people delivered speeches and recited poems.

Im 17 years old. Ive been a victim of gun violence for 17 years, said Ryshee Shaw, a student at Samuel Fels High School who has an impressive track record of youth advocacy. I was just 22 days, 15 hours, and 37 minutes [old] when my life changed drastically. I lost my father to gun violence. Growing up, I listened to the cries of a heartbroken mother and a traumatized wife.

The rally closed out the second annual march by Khalif Mujahid Ali of the Beloved Care Project. The timing was poignant: It took place at the end of the week that saw Philadelphias homicide count surpass 100 for the year, including 15-year-old Devin Weedon, who was killed on his way to school last Tuesday. The number of shooting victims in the city reached 369 as of March 26.

Alis nonprofit provides a forum for young people to share their experiences. He invites guest speakers to join, including mothers who have lost children to gun violence and formerly incarcerated people who have returned home. Then we let the children talk. Theyre comfortable so they started telling their stories, he said. Well do healing circles where we talk about the pain, the anger, the trauma, dysfunction in schools, and all that stuff.

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Ali emphasized dealing with trauma first  a sentiment echoed by others attending the rally.

Its not just trauma, its untreated trauma, said Mecca Robinson of Forget Me Not Youth Services, which offers transitional housing and programs for children, including 30 kids who attended Sundays event. Gun violence has been a prominent issue during the mayoral elections, she said, but many of Phillys children face even bleaker circumstances daily. Nobodys talking about youth homelessness. ... There is a lot of kids in foster care, group homes, youth shelters, RTFs [residential treatment facilities]. Theyre displaced from their families.

The trauma is leading our kids and our young people out here to commit these crimes, Robinson said. We got to let their voices be heard.

Nigel Allen, a 23-year-old poet from West Philly, attended Sundays rally at Alis invitation. He has lost many friends and family to gun violence, he said. Its truly senseless. I think its a misdirection of anger. ... We need to find more positive ways to express ourselves.

Later, Allen climbed the steps of Lipchitzs Government of the People sculpture, recited one of his poems  We consume death for breakfast, lunch, and dinner / But Ive been skipping meals, no wonder Ive gotten thinner  and spoke to the crowd about what day-to-day life is like for so many Philadelphians.

We might have higher aspirations, we might be able to actually make something of ourselves, he said, but living in the city sometimes it can feel like its impossible.

Were scared for our lives. Were scared to walk out our doors, said 17-year-old Shaw. As youth in this city, were tired of living in a war zone. This is not normal, and were normalizing it.
Nigeria, Mexico, and the United States of America accounted for most of the decline in global gas flaring in 2022, new satellite data compiled by the World Bank's Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership (GGFR), has revealed.

Two other countries, Kazakhstan and Colombia, stand out for consistently reducing flaring volumes in the last seven years, the report indicated, according to the report.

However, despite this progress, the top nine flaring countries continue to be responsible for the vast majority of flaring, with Russia, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Venezuela, the United States, Mexico, Libya, and Nigeria accounting for nearly three-quarters of flare volumes and under half of the global oil production.

The World Bank's GGFR data revealed that progress in reducing gas flaring resumed in 2022, with flared gas worldwide falling by five billion cubic metres (bcm) to 139 bcm, its lowest level since 2010.

Commenting on the data, the World Bank Vice President for Infrastructure, Guangzhe Chen, said: "After a decade of stalled progress, global gas flaring volumes fell in 2022 by around three per cent, which is a welcome drop, especially during a time of concern about energy security for many countries.

"We continue to encourage all oil producers to seize opportunities to end this polluting and wasteful practice."

The report stated that Nigeria, Mexico, and the United States accounted for most of the decline in global gas flaring in 2022, while Kazakhstan and Colombia-- stand out for consistently reducing flaring volumes in the last seven years.

"In addition to the overall reduction in flare volume, global flaring intensity--the amount of flaring per barrel of oil produced-- also fell to its lowest level since satellite data began, due to the five per cent increase in oil production in 2022.

"This indicates a gradual and sustained decoupling of oil production from flaring."

However, despite this progress, the top nine flaring countries continue to be responsible for the vast majority of flaring, with Russia, Iraq, Iran, Algeria, Venezuela, the United States, Mexico, Libya, and Nigeria accounting for nearly three-quarters of flare volumes and under half of the global oil production," the report observed.

The satellite data show that decreased Russian gas exports to the European Union (EU) did not increase gas flaring in Russia. Throughout 2022, the European Union significantly increased its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States, Angola, Norway, Qatar, and Egypt, and via pipeline from Azerbaijan and Norway.

Of these countries, only the United States, Angola, and Egypt have made substantial progress in converting associated gas that would otherwise be flared into LNG exports.

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GGFR estimates that in 2022 gas flaring released, 357 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, 315 million tonnes in the form of carbon dioxide, and 42 million tonnes in the form of methane.

The report also considers the 'state of the science' and the uncertainty surrounding how much methane is released from flaring. It disclosed that methane emissions due to flaring could be significantly higher than previously estimated.

For example, if the average flare is just five percentage points less efficient at combusting methane, then globally, the amount of methane released would be three times higher than currently estimated.

"We're concerned by the amount of methane emitted through flaring, particularly from flares that are not working properly. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the short term. So we need to understand this more and are ramping up our efforts to help developing countries tackle methane emissions," said the World Bank's GGFR Programme Manager, Zubin Bamji.

Gas flaring is the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction.

This wasted gas could displace dirtier energy sources, increase energy access in some of the world's poorest countries, and provide many countries worldwide with much-needed energy security.

The World Bank's GGFR is a trust fund and partnership of governments, oil companies, and multilateral organisations working to end routine gas flaring at oil production sites around the world. GGFR helps identify solutions to the array of technical, economic, and regulatory barriers to flaring reduction.
A New York group working to stop animal cruelty has pledged to provide Philadelphia with electric horseless carriages like this one. Read more

When Philadelphias last carriage company pulled its horses from the street and cleared out the stables earlier this year, animal rights advocates rejoiced: For the first time in nearly 50 years, there were no carriage horses on the streets of the city.

But ensuring Philly has indeed seen its last carriage ride will require something more: namely, a permanent ban of horse-drawn carriages from City Council.

That effort took a step forward this week when the Brady Hunter Foundation, a New York nonprofit working to end animal cruelty, committed to purchase electric horseless carriages for Philly, including two to three prototypes that could hit streets this summer.

 READ MORE: Philadelphias last carriage company cleared out its stables, but are its tours returning?

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Critically, the pledge comes with a promise from Councilmember Mark Squilla, who represents Old City, to introduce legislation for a ban if the electric replacements are deemed street-worthy.

If these pass inspection and can be manufactured we would introduce it by the end of the year, Squilla said Friday. The goal has always been to find an alternative.

Squilla said he has not yet gauged support from fellow councilmembers for a potential ban.

I pledged to do it if it works  and Ill do that, he said. Im not sure who supports it. We havent got there yet.

New York City remains a step ahead in transitioning to electric carriages, with a bill already being debated. Either city would be the first major city in America to use electric carriages.

The goal here is to get rid of horse carriages in every city in America, said Josh Fox, executive director of Brady Hunter. We are committed to getting this done in Philadelphia.

Advocates are once again celebrating and say they are confident Squilla is serious about a ban.

Mark Squilla has only had one requirement for a ban  and that was having some type of replacement, said Tiffany Stair of Revolution Philadelphia, a nonprofit animal rights organization, which has been organizing protests and calling for a ban for two years. Stair participated in the March 24 phone call where Squilla and the Brady Hunter group worked out the prototype plan.

We are giving you exactly what you want, Stair said, and at no cost.

Alfonso Hernandez Olmo, a designer in Guadalajara, Mexico, who is creating the Philly test carriages, said the initial ones will run about $50,000 each, given the short turnaround. Additional carriages would be cheaper, he said. Olmo said hell work with PennDot during the design process to make sure the carriages are right for Philly streets.

Besides eliminating what many see as cruel and dangerous work for animals, Olmo said, electric carriages can provide customers with a smoother, quieter ride  and are easier for operators to maintain. The electric carriages would maintain the colonial charm of the old carriages, he said.

The idea is to bring something that looks like what you have right now and try to make it look better, he said.

At least one Philadelphia private carriage company has expressed interest in potentially purchasing electric carriages, Fox said.

Either way, Fox and Eric Lerner, chief operating officer of Brady Hunter Foundation, said if the bill passes, their group will ensure support is there to outfit Philly with an electric fleet.

Our goal here is to show Philadelphia can be a leader in the humane treatment of animals and the protection of an underpaid workforce, Lerner said. We are fully open to working with the owners, operators and workers to ensure a just and equitable transition.
Jason Wingard, then-Temple University president, speaks with a reporter in his office in Sullivan Hall at Temple University on July 18, 2022. Read more

The abrupt end to Jason Wingards presidency, the shortest tenure in Temple Universitys 138-year history, has called attention to the elephant in the room.

Did race play a role in the fall of the universitys first Black president?

The short answer, for many members of the Black community, is yes.

When the fanfare ends about being first, you have to deal with what they end up walking into, said Sidney Hargro, executive director of LeadersTrust, a nonprofit leadership development organization. Too often when a first is hired, things are tattered and broken, so they have to come in thankful for the opportunity but they dont have the space to deal with what is broken.

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The reality of race is that you walk into a situation [and] the clock is ticking to show you actually belong, he said.

The reality of race is that you walk into a situation [and] the clock is ticking to show you actually belong. Sidney Hargro

Jacqueline Wiggins, a longtime North Central Philadelphia community activist, agrees. There is always a different expectation of outcomes when Black folks assume leadership positions. Its unfair, she said.

 READ MORE: Temple hires Chestnut Hill resident and former Ivy League school dean as its next president

Wingard was hired to be Temples external face focused on fundraising and building the schools endowment, according to the announcement heralding his hire in July 2021.

Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon, Faculty Senate president and associate professor of theater studies and playwriting, told The Inquirer that Wingard was in fact doing what he was tasked to do.

Some individuals are held to a higher standard than others. And the expectations are different, she said.

He came into a mess

Wingard was done in by internal crises including falling enrollment, growing concerns about public safety after the fatal shooting of a Temple University Police sergeant, as well as a 42-day bitter strike with the Temple University Graduate Students Association (TUGSA).

He came into a mess  union issues, enrollment, crime. He needed time to form and cultivate relationships. Jacqueline Wiggins

Wingard was only here for 18 months. He came into a mess  union issues, enrollment, crime. He needed time to form and cultivate relationships, Wiggins said.

It is fair to raise the question about whether there was a racial component, said George Burrell, Of Counsel member of Kleinbards business and finance department and former at-large member of Philadelphia City Council. Wingard was pursuing his vision and the board approved that when they hired him.

But he isnt entitled to a pass just because he is Black, he added.

For Yumy Odom, the former director of the Pan African Studies Community Education Program (PASCEP) at Temple Universitythe question is simpler:What did he do in two years that was so bad?

Conducting a no-confidence vote

Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP), the faculty union, cites a list of complaints including hiring concerns; public-safety worries; problems in the offices of ethics, compliance, and research; and Wingards lack of on-campus visibility.

At least 20% of bargaining unit members had to agree to conducting a no-confidence vote for the effort to go forward.

My vote was a single-issue vote, said one Black faculty member who voted in favor of holding a no-confidence vote. It was about how he treated JoAnne Epps. She was the first Black female provost. She is a ranking Black administrator, and he sacks JoAnne. Concerned about retribution, the faculty member requested to remain anonymous.

 READ MORE: Upheaval at Temple: JoAnne Epps out as provost, four others moved out, too

In an administrative shake-up, two months into his tenure, Wingard ousted Epps, who had been provost, the schools chief academic officer, since 2016. She was replaced by current provost Gregory Mandel.

That said, he is being blamed for a lot of stuff for which he is not blameworthy, the faculty member continued.

Although Wingard has resigned, Mitchell Morgan, chair of the board of trustees, and Mandel were also named in the no-confidence procedure. TAUP has scheduled the no-confidence vote for the week of April 10.

Hargro said that boards of white institutions that are hiring their first BIPOC leaders have an obligation to ask hard questions.

No one can successfully argue that no Black or brown person has been qualified over 130 years, he said. What is the work the institution needs to do to integrate? Why has it taken so long?
Men survey damage Sunday in front of a home on Buttonwood Lane in Cinnaminson from a suspected tornado that struck on Saturday. Read more

The National Weather Service continued its busy assessment of damage Monday from the weekends tornado outbreak, confirming a sixth twister struck Lower Bucks County April 1 like a joke from Mother Nature gone awry as a warm, sunny evening suddenly turned threatening and dark, sending thousands of residents to their basements.

On Monday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed there was one death related to a tornado that reached 140 mph in the Bridgeville-Ellendale area of Delaware around 6 p.m. Saturday. Winds were forceful enough to have blown six parked semitrailers along a driveway, and a two-story house collapsed after it slid off its foundation. Debris was recorded to have flown hundreds of yards due to the funnel cloud.

No further information was immediately available about the fatality. The ferocious tornado carved a 14.3 mile path. The only other tornado-related fatality in Delaware occurred in 1983, according to the weather service. The strongest tornado on record in Delaware struck on April 28, 1961, in New Castle.

But that was the first of a series of tornados that landed throughout the region on Saturday.

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Investigators said the Bucks tornado emerged from a line of strong storms that moved through the county, snapping and uprooting trees. The cyclone emerged about 6:46 p.m. in Wrightstown Township near Swamp , continuing to tear down trees on the Bucks County Community College campus.

It blew off a roof facade of a strip mall in Newtown, with a continuous path of damage that ended near Newtown Cemetery.

Investigators had no further information on that tornado on Monday.

The aftermath in Burlington County

But another tornado roughed up multiple Burlington County towns rimming the Delaware River around the same time, packing 100 mph winds in a continuous path of destruction six miles long and 600 yards wide, while toppling hundreds of trees, downing power lines, and ripping roof shingles off homes.

The National Weather Service released the strength and path of that tornado, one of four others Saturday night that touched down from Delaware to the Shore, though no injuries were reported.

I have never heard a wind like that, ever, recalled Kristin Parry, of Riverton Road in Cinnaminson. It was followed by a big boom, like a shotgun, and a loud snapping. It all happened so fast.

Two large pine trees toppled on her front lawn, luckily away from the house, but tearing down power lines and contributing to power outages that left the area dark.

 READ MORE: 5 tornadoes confirmed in the area: Never heard a wind like that

The tornado registered as an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, meaning winds were in the range of 86 to 110 mph as it tore through Cinnaminson, Delran, and Moorestown. But high winds also ripped through Palmyra and Riverton. One is the lowest rating on the scale, which goes to five for tornadoes with winds over 200 mph.

That tornado and the others were the result of a strong line of thunderstorms that moved through western Burlington County about 7 p.m. Saturday.

The tornado touched down in Cinnaminson near Riverton Road and Woodside Lane, blew through neighboring Delran, and chugged through parts of Moorestown before it was over.

Mature trees throughout the communities were snapped like twigs and uprooted. The strongest wind damage occurred near Wynwood Drive and Locust Lane, where most of one roof of a single-family home was ripped off.

The tornado continued across U.S. Route 130, eventually growing to its greatest width of 634 yards as it crossed Haines Mill Road in Delran. It moved into Moorestown through the mostly wooded Esther Yanai Preserve but continued on causing damage to roof shingles to a home on Augusta Drive and snapping a utility pole on Centeron Road.

But damage continued in Palmyra and Riverton from an associated downburst that had peak winds of 90 to 100 mph.

The National Weather Service assessed other tornadoes that touched down in other parts of New Jersey, including Jackson, Ocean County, and Howell Township and Sea Girt in Monmouth County. A tornado was confirmed near Bridgeville, Del.

The tornado in Jackson reached 130 mph winds over a 2.1-mile path that was 200 yards wide about 7:24 p.m. Saturday. It plowed east, downing power lines, demolishing fences, flipping Dumpsters, and crushing small buildings. As it strengthened, it struck a new warehouse development, causing a metal roofing system to collapse. Dozens of trees were uprooted.
People line up to vote at the Stephen Decatur Elementary School polling place on Election Day in Philadelphia on Nov. 3, 2020. Read more

When Philadelphia voters voice their pick for a new mayor next month, the outcome will depend in part on the influence of the citys various blocs of Democrats. The strength of these groups shifts from election to election  and this year is no different.

You dont need the whole city to be behind you, said Joe Pierce, the Philadelphia-based state director for Sen. John Fetterman. Its more about, how can I turn out enough of my people to carve out just enough votes?

And that math is always evolving as demographics and political dynamics change.

Based on past primary voting habits, The Inquirer identified six groups of Democrats in Philadelphia  all essential to the citys politics, but unequal in size and influence  who will vote in the May 16 primary:

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Wealthy white liberal voters are few, but have long been the most engaged, and lately theyve been the fastest growing group. Poor voters and Latino voters constitute a small, under-engaged, and divided group. Younger white progressive voters are growing and form the core of the citys rising progressive faction. Pro-establishment Black voters remain reliable and united, but their influence isnt growing. Working-class white moderate voters are numerous, but their preferences often clash with the rest of the citys. Less politically affiliated Black voters fluctuate a lot: Theyre numerous, but theyre variable in both turnout and in their preferences.

Voting power comes down to three big factors

Every voters preference matters, but those preferences tend to correlate within groups. And the sway of those groups depends on three interrelated factors:

How big is the group? Some groups are just bigger than others, in terms of the number of registered Democrats. In addition, some groups are growing, while others are stagnant. How many people in the group actually vote? When turnout within a group is high, that translates into more power at the polls. How united is the group? When a group unites behind one candidate, that concentrates their influence. When it splits, that dilutes it.

All three of those factors together help determine who wins. For example, a group can be united behind a candidate but contribute relatively little to the overall vote because of small size or low turnout. Or a group that turns out in big numbers but divides its vote among multiple candidates can squander its influence.

 READ MORE: We used an algorithm to find the six kinds of Philly Democrats who vote in mayoral primaries

Wealthy white liberal voters are few, but highly engaged and growing

The smallest cluster of precincts is the one made up of wealthy white liberal precincts, accounting for just 10% of the citys registered Democrats. But they consistently punch above their weight.

This is the richest and best-educated cluster, both characteristics associated with high rates of primary voting. True to that, the super voters in this cluster  who turn up election after quiet election  average 13% of the citywide vote.

Voters here are often highly informed and actively seek out information about politics and voting.

Theyve basically made up their mind, said Philadelphia-based political consultant Joe Corrigan, who is not working with any of the campaigns. And theyre making it up based on what theyve read, what they know, what they see in the news.

And that influence is growing. Between 2010 and 2020, the adult population in this cluster grew by 26%, the greatest among the clusters. That growing population is reflected in its share of the citys vote, which has increased substantially.

Still, the clusters overall size limits its voting power. But this group is influential in other ways, such as by being a source of funding. Four mayoral candidates live in this cluster, the highest of any grouping.

This group generally votes together for establishment candidates. They supported Mayor Jim Kenney in 2015 and 2019 and Hillary Clinton, Josh Shapiro, and Katie McGinty in 2016 for president, attorney general, and U.S. Senate, respectively  all by wide margins.

The cluster of poor voters and Latino voters is small  and has low turnout

The second-smallest cluster, the group of poor voters and Latino voters, is similar in size to the wealthy white liberal cluster, constituting just 11.5% of the citys registered Democrats.

But they lie on the opposite end of the spectrum of political engagement. This group has disproportionately low influence: It hasnt broken 10% of the overall Democratic primary votes at any time in the last eight years.

Its often just above 5%.

Latino leaders know that turnout is an issue. After Latino turnout plummeted statewide last November, Diana Robinson, political director for Make the Road Action PA, told The Inquirer that turnout becomes a vicious cycle: Candidates dont campaign in Latino neighborhoods because of low turnout, and people dont turn out because they dont feel motivated.

They are a group of voters that need to be persuaded to vote, Robinson said last year.

Political preferences here are diffuse too, which further dilutes influence: With an already-small group fracturing its votes, its almost never had a deciding influence on an election.

Even when these voters are relatively united, they sometimes back losing candidates, such as during Carlos Vegas 2021 run for district attorney. Or they support a campaign that wins so overwhelmingly, such as Clintons 2016 bid for president, that this groups united votes dont make the difference.

Younger white progressive voters are growing in influence

This cluster is the third-smallest in terms of registered Democrats, but its the second fastest growing. Young, upwardly mobile, well-educated voters in booming neighborhoods like Fishtown and Passyunk Square are the heart of this group, and they are often highly engaged.

Theyre still not quite as likely to vote as the wealthy white liberal cluster, and they havent grown as quickly. But this group is bigger: It constitutes 15% of the citys Democrats, and that figure is still rising.

In the 2015 mayoral primary, these voters accounted for 14% of the citys vote. By the 2019 mayoral primary, theyd grown to 18%, and in the 2022 U.S. Senate primary, they accounted for 21%.

This group has consistently supported candidates on the left and is increasingly united. Bernie Sanders in 2016 and Larry Krasner in 2017 received their highest margins here, as did Fetterman in his 2016 and 2022 runs for U.S. Senate and his 2018 bid for lieutenant governor.

Pro-establishment Black voters are reliable, but not numerous

This moderately sized cluster is anchored by the vaunted Northwest coalition of Black leaders who worked for decades to organize these voters and advocate for their interests.

The working-class Black voters in the Northwest are among the most coveted for a reason, said Corrigan. Its because they turn out. Thats why every election cycle you see people courting the support, still, of leaders up there. Theyre a big deal.

 READ MORE: Phillys Northwest Coalition has elected mayors. Will it determine the next one?

This group shows up regularly and tends to vote in a unified way, giving these voters considerable influence. They constitute 16% of the citys active Democrats but regularly deliver around 18% of the total Democratic primary vote. Thats especially remarkable considering the clusters relatively low incomes and levels of education, which are typically associated with lower turnout.

In recent years, this groups unity of voice has translated to higher-than-average margins for candidates who are generally the choice of the Democratic establishment. That includes Shapiro, Clinton, and McGinty in 2016, and also Krasner in his 2021 reelection bid.

When this group does diverge from the establishment, its often to support Black candidates. This group backed Philly native Malcolm Kenyatta in the 2022 U.S. Senate primary  and establishment favorite Conor Lamb got the second-most votes.

Working-class white moderates voters preferences stand apart

For sheer number of votes, white working-class moderates should be an important bloc. This cluster remains home to the second-largest group of registered Democrats. But as the city has grown and diversified, other voters interests have crowded out these old-school Democrats.

And turnout here has been unreliable.

The last time this groups favored candidate prevailed citywide was in 2015, when it supplied one-fifth of the Democratic vote and boosted Kenney in his first mayoral bid by the citys widest margins. Kenney, a native son of South Philly, hails from neighborhoods in this cluster.

Nonetheless, Kenney would have won that year without this groups support. And as he embraced more progressive policies, this group cooled toward him in 2019, swinging from giving him his biggest margins four years earlier to his smallest.

In fact, this group tends to be most enthusiastic and unified when its votes are at odds with the rest of the city. For example, this group was the only one to offer substantive support to at-large City Council candidates Ed Neilson and Frank Rizzo Jr. in 2015, who did poorly elsewhere.

Likewise, this groups vote share peaked in 2021 when it came out united against Krasner  who still won reelection easily.

Campaigns that manage to earn this groups votes without alienating the rest of the city could tap a powerful vein of support.

Its nice to see someone knows were here, said Paul Kaplan, a committeeman in the Northeast, at a recent rally for former Councilmember Allan Domb. The neighborhood is covered in signs for Domb, grocer Jeff Brown, and former Councilmember Cherelle Parker.

Less politically affiliated Black voters are numerous, but inconsistent

The largest group of registered Democrats is the cluster of less politically affiliated Black voters. Together they make up 29% of the citys Democrats  almost one-third of the total. But their influence fluctuates: Participation varies a lot compared with other groups, and votes are often fractured across multiple candidates.

Still, this groups size can give it formidable influence.

This group backed Krasner by the largest margin in the 2021 primary, and it has also tended to particularly support Black candidates.

In 2019, this group proved decisive in electing Katherine Gilmore Richardson to an at-large seat on Council. And in the 2022 U.S. Senate primary, half of this clusters votes went to Kenyatta, his strongest showing across the city.

That was nearly good enough for Kenyatta to win Philadelphia outright, though he came in third statewide.
The city of Philadelphia on Friday filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Human Services, alleging the department has failed to take custody of dozens of youth staying at the city-run Juvenile Justice Services Center. Read more

The City of Philadelphia has sued the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to try to force the state to take custody of dozens of children at the citys overcrowded and understaffed juvenile detention center.

The suit, filed in Commonwealth Court on Friday, outlines a nearly three-year clash between the city and officials from Gov. Tom Wolfs administration over the population at the West Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center, a city-run facility intended to temporarily hold children ages 10 to 17 who are awaiting their cases to be heard.

Philadelphia officials say 74 children living at the facility have been sentenced to rehabilitation in state-run facilities but have not yet been transferred. That figure has contributed to a bloated population at the facility, which is licensed to hold 184 children and is housing 223.

At the same time, the number of staff at the center has dwindled amid a broader shortage of municipal workers, creating what city officials describe as a dangerous situation.

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According to the lawsuit, overcrowding has made it unsafe for children to move around the facility, so they arent permitted to leave their units for meals, school, or recreation. Two dozen children are sleeping on mattresses on the floor in an admissions office.

Employees who spoke before City Council about the matter on Thursday described a rapidly deteriorating situation that culminated on Oct. 4, when a large altercation broke out, leaving one resident severely injured and dozens of staff hurt.

We are working in violent conditions, said Ebony Richards, a worker at the center. We need help. We need it immediately. Someone is going to end up dying in that facility.

Ali Fogarty, a spokesperson for state DHS, said in a statement Thursday that state treatment facilities are at capacity. She said counties are responsible for contracting with private providers to support their local needs, and its the responsibility of the courts to approve and facilitate transfers.

There is not refusal to serve, she said. The issue at hand is the need to maintain safe operations at our facilities as well.

She declined to comment further on Monday, citing the pending litigation.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia officials threaten to sue Gov. Wolf over nightmare conditions inside juvenile facility

In the meantime, children are stuck in the center awaiting transfers even after theyve been sentenced. According to the lawsuit, before 2019, children were typically placed at state facilities within 20 days of sentencing. The average wait is now four to five months, and some children have been at the JJSC for longer.

Lawyers for the city wrote that local officials met with state DHS leaders in January 2020 to discuss 31 children being held at the facility awaiting state placement and the strain it put on city workers. They detailed a back-and-forth that lasted for more than two years, with the city on several occasions pleading with the state to expedite the process of accepting youth into state facilities, to no avail.

On Aug. 2, Vanessa Garrett Harley, the citys deputy mayor for the Office of Children and Families, met in person with DHS Deputy Secretary Jonathan Rubin and Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services Director Chuck Neff to request immediate relief.

Six days later, the population at the facility surpassed 184, the maximum. According to the suit, no progress was made for weeks.

A half-dozen more meetings took place between the parties, and DHS could not commit to accepting more Philadelphia youth in the immediate future or prioritizing Philadelphia youth for available placements, lawyers wrote.

Garrett Harley said in a statement that the state has been derelict.

The city, in good faith, pleaded with state officials to fulfill their obligations and avoid the crisis, she said. As months passed, unfortunately, no meaningful action was taken on their part and empty promises were made.
Quotes from male drivers in the age group of 20 to 29 were also revealed to have gone up by 75% in January and 68% in February, as compared to their female counterparts with 65% interested in UBI in January and 57% in February.
analysis

Helen Zille voted against the amendment, saying they have learnt from the ANC that it is a bad idea to have a deputy leader as it creates two centres of power.

The DA congress that is currently under way at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand voted against having a deputy leader.

This was not the first time the proposal to amend the party's constitution was brought up; during the last congress former member Mbali Ntuli proposed that the party introduce a deputy leader. Ntuli's proposal was seconded by Sakhile Mngadi, who during this year's congress was the proposer.

Mngadi said considering the party's growth, a deputy leader was needed to share responsibilities with the leader.

"With this [party growth], come great challenges for senior office bearers due to demand etc," Mngadi said.

"To ensure executive continuity, stability and effectiveness, the position of deputy leader provides the party with the opportunity to expand access to the executive and ensure that roles, access, availability and workload are shared evenly among recognisable personalities. The reality is that the DA needs to position itself as a solid front going into 2024 and 2026."

When former DA leader Mmusi Maimane resigned from his role in 2019, current leader John Steenhuisen was elected as the interim leader until the party's next congress.

DA supporters questioned whether the party would amend the country's constitution and do away...
Global female and US ethnically and racially diverse representation data for each of the last three years

Marsh McLennans series of programs aimed at creating a diverse talent pipeline, including the Racial Inclusion and Social Equity (RISE) program, which welcomed Black fellows from more than 30 colleges and universities in the US, the UK and Canada, and the Black Leadership Program and Accelerated Leadership Program for current employees

The statistical results of the companys annual pay equity study

Current progress in setting low-carbon transition strategies that will help the company achieve net-zero emissions across its operations by 2050, including sourcing 100% renewable electricity for its largest offices in the UK and Ireland

We believe the ESG strategies that we adopt  and are proud to share in this report  create sustainable long-term value for our stakeholders, said Kate Brennan, general counsel and executive sponsor of the Management ESG Committee at Marsh McLennan. If you deconstruct the term ESG, each of the individual components are risks and opportunities that we carefully consider and responsibly manage, along with other risks.
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The Louisiana Supreme Court has joined state high courts across the nation in rejecting a policyholders business-interruption claim for income lost because of government restrictions imposed to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The high court on March 17 reversed the Louisiana Court of Appeals and reinstated a trial court decision that found the virus did not cause a direct physical loss to the Oceana Grille, a seafood restaurant in the heart of New Orleans French Quarter.

Oceana never repaired, rebuilt or replaced any property that was allegedly lost or damaged, the 5-2 opinion says. While we are sympathetic to the immense economic challenges faced in responding to the pandemic, we cannot alter the terms of an insurance contract under the guise of contractual interpretation when the policy uses unambiguous terms.

Cajun Conti, owner of the Oceana Grille, filed the first lawsuit in the country seeking insurance coverage for a COVID-19 shutdown. The companys attorney, John Houghtalling III, had the ear of President Donald Trump, who said during a press conference that he thought claims by restaurants that purchased all-risk policies without virus exclusions should be paid.

But an Orleans Parish judge, like most courts that considered the question, ruled that the virus did not cause a direct physical loss that required coverage by an all-risk commercial property insurance policy.

The Louisiana Court of Appeals, however, reversed the decision in a 3-2 ruling. The Lloyds of London syndicate that issued Cajun Contis policy appealed to the Supreme Court.

The high court rejected arguments that prior decisions finding that coverage was owed for a property contaminated by lead dust and properties that required restoration after the installation of defective Chinese drywall set precedents that favored coverage.

Oceanas property was not physically lost in any tangible or corporeal sense, as required for coverage under the policy, the majority said.

Justices Jefferson D. Hughes III and Piper D. Griffin dissented.

Like smoke from a fire next door that did no physical damage to the premises, but caused the business to be closed until the odor could be removed and the business cleaned, a physical loss occurred, Hughes said in a short dissenting opinion.

Only one state high court has ruled in favor of a policyholder seeking coverage for a COVID-19 shutdown.

The Vermont Supreme Court reversed a trial court decision to grant summary judgment against a dental practice and in favor of an insurer, but did not make a final decision on the merits of the case.

At least 19 state high courts have ruled in favor of insurers and rejected coverage, according to a litigation tracker managed by the University of Pennsylvania.

Topics Louisiana COVID-19
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The city of Buffalo has filed suit against Kia and Hyundai seeking to hold the carmakers responsible for the rash of auto thefts caused by their alleged failure to include industry-standard anti-theft technology.

Buffalo looks to join Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, St. Louis, Madison, Milwaukee and Seattle in litigation claiming that the cars are too easy to steal because they lack immobilizing technology found in most other vehicles.

According to police, thefts of Hyundais and Kias have made up as much as two-thirds of all vehicle thefts in Buffalo, according to officials.

These vehicles are being stolen at an alarming rate due to the lack of immobilizing technology. This has resulted in a significant issue that impacts our police resources and the community that we serve, said Police Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia. Most tragically, it poses a threat to public safety because it goes hand in hand with reckless driving, which in turn results in injuries and death.

Buffalo is hoping to force Hyundai and Kia fix the cars and address the effects of the crime wave.

According to a report by the Highway Loss Data Institute, theft claim frequencies and overall losses for Hyundai and Kia vehicles without standard passive immobilizers increased dramatically in 2021. Hyundai and Kia have lagged other manufacturers in installing standard immobilizers. For 2015 models, only 26 percent of Hyundai and Kia vehicle series had passive immobilizers as standard equipment, compared with 96 percent of other manufacturers.

Hyundai and Kia claim frequencies were almost 80 percent higher than those of all other manufacturers combined for JanuaryJune 2021, according to HLDI.

The problem has apparently been exacerbated by TikTok videos showing how to steal the cars. This had led to at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in February.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has also blamed the TikTok auto theft challenge videos for a rise in auto thefts in the city. New York police said they have made more than 100 arrests for thefts of Kias and Hyundais already this year. This challenge in particular with Kia and Hyundai, we see it as not only stealing a vehicle, but its stealing the future of our young people, Adams said at a press briefing last week.

Last month, the Korean automakers said they would offer software upgrades to 8.3 million U.S. vehicles to help curb increasing car thefts using the method popularized on TikTok.

Last week, 22 U.S. state attorneys general criticized Hyundai and Kia and said they need do more to address the problem with millions of U.S. vehicles that are prone to theft.

At least two major insurers, Progressive and State Farm, have said they are increasing rates and limiting new policies for the theft-prone vehicles.

Kia said it is working with insurers to ensure its customers have access to comprehensive insurance coverage.

Topics Lawsuits Auto Fraud
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T C Wheelers, Inc., which operates T.C. Wheelers Bar & Pizzeria in Tonawanda, New York, violated federal law when management and employees harassed an employee because of his gender identity, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has alleged in a lawsuit.

The EEOC alleges that beginning in January 2021, one of T.C. Wheelers owners repeatedly harassed Quinn J. Gambino, a transgender male who worked as a cook, including telling Gambino that he wasnt a real man, asking invasive questions about his transition, and asking, Does she have female parts?

According to the EEOCs complaint, T.C. Wheelers owners also intentionally referred to Gambino using female pronouns such as she or her against his wishes and stood by as employees and customers did the same.

At his job interview in January 2021, Gambino presented as male, introduced himself as Quinn, and did not disclose that he was transgender, according to the complaint. After being hired as a cook, Gambino told one of the owners, Christopher Candino, that he used male pronouns (he, him, or his), after which Candino made intentional, frequent and repeated unwelcome and offensive remarks to Gambino about his transgender status, according to the complaint.

Candino allegedly told an employee that he did not approve of Gambino being transgender, commenting, If I just say she, [then] thats what she is and Quinns a she.

The federal agency further alleges that management and employees at T.C. Wheelers made other anti-transgender comments about Gambino, including equating being transgender to pedophilia.

According to the EEOC, Gambino complained repeatedly to management but TC Wheelers failed to address what the complaint says was the almost daily harassment for four months from owners, managers, and line employees. Eventually, Gambino resigned.

The EEOC maintains that the company had no process in place for employees to report workplace harassment and did not train managers on how to respond to complaints of workplace harassment.

The EEOC said the alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex. Harassment based upon gender identity is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the statute, according to the EEOC.

In the current climate, where transgender individuals face increasing attacks on their rights and basic humanity, the EEOC will vigorously enforce the Supreme Courts 2020 holding in Bostock that discrimination against transgender workers violates the law, said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows.

The EEOC said it filed suit against T C Wheelers in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York in Buffalo after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through the its conciliation process.

The EEOC suit seeks back pay, compensatory damages, and punitive damages for the affected employee, and injunctive relief to prevent future gender-based harassment.

Other Transgender Complaints

The EEOC lawsuit comes as litigation involving transgender rights has been expanding.

In December, a transgender woman filed a discrimination complaint with the New Hampshire Human Rights Commission over her employers exclusion of gender-transition health coverage. The New Hampshire commission may make findings on complaints of illegal discrimination and hold public hearings. Depending on how its investigation goes, the complaint could evolve into a lawsuit in state or federal court.

Last October, an Idaho city said it had settled a federal discrimination lawsuit with a former library employee who said they were harassed and discriminated against because they are transgender, the Idaho Statesman reported. That followed a September settlement between a transgender teacher and a Maryland school district.

Last June, a federal court ruled that Georgia county and sheriffs office discriminated when it denied health insurance for a deputy seeking gender reassignment surgery.

In March 2022, a Maines human rights panel ruled in favor of a transgender woman who complained that she was discriminated against when she was denied a room by an assisted living facility.

Last January, a mother in California who claims teachers secretly manipulated her 11-year-old daughter into changing her gender identity and name filed a legal case against a small school district.

In October 2021, a Minnesota furniture retailer agreed to pay $60,000 to resolve an EEOC finding of gender identity discrimination.

Topics Lawsuits New York
Munich Re is leaving an alliance of leading insurers that have committed to reduce emissions due to what it says are material legal risks, in a move that marks the latest blow to a coalition built by former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

The reinsurer will exit the Net Zero Insurance Alliance, which is a sub-unit of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, it said on Friday.

Opportunities to pursue decarbonization goals in a collective approach without exposing ourselves to material antitrust risks are so limited that it is more effective to pursue our climate ambitions individually, Joachim Wenning, Munich Res chief executive, said in a statement.

Leading Investor Group NZAOA Toughens Stance on New Upstream Oil & Gas Projects

GFANZ, which boasts some 550 members representing $150 trillion in combined assets, has sought to reassure members that efforts to coordinate emissions reductions wont expose them to credible antitrust allegations. But with the political backdrop in the US growing more hostile, some signatories are balking at the perceived risks.

Munich Re is the biggest financial firm to walk out of a sub-group of GFANZ since Vanguard Group Inc. left at the end of last year. The worlds second-biggest asset manager said membership ultimately wasnt compatible with a business model that relied heavily on tracking indexes. Vanguard also said at the time it was honoring its fiduciary obligations, and wasnt in a position to decide on behalf of clients how to allocate funds.

While Munich Re has quit the insurance alliance, it remains a member of GFANZ because its also part of another subgroup: the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance.

Munich Re said it will pursue its own climate targets, instead of working toward net-zero emissions as part of the insurance alliance. The company has made clear its well aware of the risks that global warming pose to the insurance industry.

In January, Munich Re published estimates that insured losses from natural disasters hit about $120 billion in 2022, most of which was weather related.

Chubb Not Declaring Itself Net Zero, CEO Greenberg Says

There is no denying that climate change is driving losses from natural catastrophes, Ernst Rauch, chief climate scientist at Munich Re, said at the time. Insured losses of more than $100 billion a year are the new normal.

Carney, who co-chairs GFANZ, has sought to address the legal considerations raised by members, amid reports that a number of Wall Street banks last year threatened to leave if their concerns werent addressed. JPMorgan Chase & Co, Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley had signaled they may pull back from GFANZ should membership entail binding restrictions on fossil finance, people familiar with the matter said at the time. In the event, GFANZ shied away from binding restrictions, and the banks continue to be members.

The insurance alliance was convened by the United Nations and counts Axa SA, Allianz SE and Swiss Re AG among its 30 members.

(GFANZ is also co-chaired by Michael R. Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.)

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Chubb, the MGA Pen Underwriting and loss adjuster McLarens.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Chubb Names Chasseguet as Country President for France

Chubb announced the appointment of Benoit Chasseguet as country president for France. Subject to regulatory approval, the appointment is effective immediately.

Currently regional marine manager for Continental Europe since 2013, Chasseguet succeeds Veronique Brionne who has decided to leave the company.

In his new role, Chasseguet will be responsible for Chubbs property/casualty, accident and health, and consumer lines operations across France. He will continue to be based in Paris and will report to Sara Mitchell, division president for Chubb in Continental Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Prior to joining Chubb Chasseguet spent six years at Achmea as non-life senior regional manager, following more than 10 years at EurAPco as senior marine manager, having joined from Cigna where he spent eight years as a marine underwriter taking on increasing responsibility.

Mitchell thanked Brionne for her dedication and hard work both as country president for France and in the other senior roles she has held in her nine years at Chubb.

***

MGA Pen Hires Gallaghers Alsegard as Head of Intellectual Property

Pen Underwriting, the London-based managing general agent, announced that Erik Alsegard has been appointed to the newly created role of head of Intellectual Property (IP), with effect from April 1, 2023.

Bringing 18 years specialist experience in IP insurance, on both the underwriting and broking side, Alsegard joins from Gallagher where he helped establish its new broking specialism as IP director, following a seven-year tenure heading up CFC Underwritings IP practice. Prior to that, Alsegard was senior IP underwriter at Munich Re, having first honed his IP skills and expertise at Miller.

At Pen, Alsegard will drive the development of a comprehensive portfolio of IP risk solutions, tailored to the needs of all size segments, from start-ups and SMEs to large and complex companies, while building out multiple ways to trade with Pen. Particular focus will be given to those industries that are seeing significant and consistent growth in the extent and value of their intangible assets, with a broad underwriting appetite across most sectors.

Extending Pens suite of tailored risk solutions into IP insurance will create a natural complement to its established specialisms in tech-related professional indemnity (PI) and broader coverage for the fast-growing tech sector, cyber liability, financial lines and risk-managed commercial.

IP insurance provides cover for legal costs and damages awarded in a claim. It enables companies to both protect their own intellectual property  such as patents, copyright or trademarks, and pursue those they believe are infringing on their IP  as well as help businesses defend themselves against claims of IP infringement by other parties. Risks arising out of contractual obligations are also typically covered.

As we continue to invest in new areas of niche cover for growth sectors, intellectual property was a logical next step and a great strategic fit, not least with our now established PI-led portfolio of solutions for technology companies, commented Adrian Scott, managing director of International & Financial Lines at Pen Underwriting.

Just like risk solutions for the tech sector, IP insurance has a limited number of specialist providers, meaning brokers are looking for greater choice as well as tailored cover for the types and size of risk their clients are facing. By bringing a well-known and seasoned market practitioner like Erik into Pen, with many years of IP experience and expertise on the client and underwriting side, we can be confident what were building is best-in class to give our brokers a competitive advantage as well as access to empowered underwriters. We very much look forward to welcoming Erik to the team, he added.

The appointment forms part of Pens strategic growth plan and ambition to become a 1 billion gross written premium (GWP) underwriting and distribution business through investing in top industry talent and specialist expertise in new niche sector or product areas, alongside acquisitions and innovation.

A Gallagher subsidiary, Pen Underwriting is a multi-class, multi-territory managing general agent (MGA) that operates as a virtual insurer, meaning it can fulfil all the typical functions of an insurance company  from underwriting, sales & distribution, pricing & analytics, product innovation, risk & governance through to claims handling  other than the provision of insurance capital.

Pen Underwriting has five divisions: International & Financial Lines, Specialty Lines, Public Sector, SME & Personal Lines and Manchester Underwriting Agencies Management (MUM).

***

McLarens Expands Middle East Team With 5 New Hires

McLarens, the global claims services provider, has expanded its team in the Middle East with five senior appointments. The roles will support McLarens Middle East strategy to strengthen its specialty practices alongside cementing its broader position in the region.

Richard Croudson joins as a senior executive adjuster with more than 30 years in the industry. Starting his career at McLarens in the UK, Croudson has been based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2005. He has extensive experience of construction all risk (CAR), erection all risk (EAR), machinery breakdown, commercial property, and business interruption and has overseen high profile construction claims programmes. Croudson will be responsible for extending McLarens offering across these areas and managing accounts across the region.

Vivek Ram Mohan has been appointed as marine manager in the UAE. With more than 30 years of experience in marine cargo claims, Ram Mohan has carried out more than 3,000 surveys in the UAE, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Oman and Bahrain. At McLarens, Ram Mohan will be responsible for growing the marine capabilities in the region and leading international surveys from the Dubai office.

Gary Wilson joins as an executive adjuster in the UAE with more than 20 years of loss adjusting experience, 12 of which have been in the Middle East. He has handled multi-million-dollar losses in the region, including in the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain and Jordan. He specializes in losses across multiple disciplines including CAR, EAR, property, liability, specie, fine art, financial lines, terrorism and contingency covers.

Manojkumar Chaurasia (Manoj) is a qualified engineer and joins McLarens as an executive adjuster. He has more than 15 years of experience and with 11 of those in the UAE. He started his career in India with the largest loss adjusting company in the pan-Indian region. Chaurasia is responsible for handling a mixed portfolio of losses such as property all risk, engineering policies including EAR and CAR, machinery breakdown and contractors plant and machinery.

Alongside these appointments in the UEA, McLarens also named Tim Graham as a consultant executive loss adjuster in Saudi Arabia. Graham has nearly 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, starting his career in 1998, initially handling property claims, technical claims and fraud investigations. He handled a series of losses and responded to catastrophic events in and around Australia. Graham joins McLarens to help with knowledge transfer with McLarens local employees in Riyadh and will work with Saudi general manager, Hassan Abdulfattah, to support staff as McLarens continues to grow its presence in the region.

The McLarens regional network in the Middle East, including McLarens Aviation and LWI operations, now comprises a team of 35 working across offices in Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) and Yemen.

The Middle East is continuing to see a boom in construction, led by mega projects across the region. Together, UAE and Saudi Arabia account for 80 per cent of non-life business in the Gulf. Thats why were building upon our great team with senior strategic hires as we anticipate further growth across the region, commented Chris Panes, chief operating officer  Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, McLarens.

In addition to cementing our commercial property and construction & engineering offering, we see a significant opportunity to further expand our expertise across marine, liability and other high-value areas reflecting the business in the region. We understand from our clients that there is a growing appetite for specialist, practitioner-led loss adjusting services in these areas, Panes added.

Topics Insurance Wholesale Chubb France
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  A former high school journalist and the Nebraska High School Press Association sued Friday over a school districts shutdown of the school newspaper after it published an LGBTQ-focused edition.

The federal lawsuit claims Grand Island Northwest Public Schools and its superintendent violated the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment in May when it closed the Viking Saga newspaper at Grand Island Northwest High School, which has about 700 students. The district later agreed to bring the newspaper back in digital form.

It is hard to find words for what it felt like watching people who were supposed to be supporting our education instead silence us for covering issues impacting our lives, Marcus Pennell, the former student suing the district, said in a statement. I was crushed.

An email message left with the school districts superintendent, Jeffrey Edwards, was not immediately returned. Edwards last year called the shutdown an administrative decision.

Saga newspaper staff were informed of the newspapers elimination three days after printing of the June edition, which included an article titled, Pride and prejudice: LGBTQIA+, on the origins of Pride Month and the history of homophobia. It also included an editorial opposing a Florida law, dubbed by critics as Dont Say Gay, that bans some lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.

A May 22 email from a school employee canceling the papers printing services said it was because the school board and superintendent are unhappy with the last issues editorial content. Some school board members publicly stated their objection to the Sagas LGBTQ content.

The lawsuit also states that Pennell, who is transgender, was told in March 2022 that he and others could use only names assigned to them at birth in their bylines and that they could not list their pronouns.

The lawsuit seeks a declaration that the district violated the law as well as unspecified damages. Grand Island is a city of about 52,300 residents about 150 miles (241 kilometers) west of Omaha.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Nebraska
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Elon Musk asked a U.S. judge on Friday to throw out a $258 billion racketeering lawsuit accusing him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

In an evening filing in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for Musk and his electric car company Tesla Inc. called the lawsuit by Dogecoin investors a fanciful work of fiction over Musks innocuous and often silly tweets about Dogecoin.

The lawyers said the investors never explained how Musk intended to defraud anyone or what risks he concealed, and that his statements such as Dogecoin Rulz and no highs, no lows, only Doge were too vague to support a fraud claim.

There is nothing unlawful about tweeting words of support for, or funny pictures about, a legitimate cryptocurrency that continues to hold a market cap of nearly $10 billion, Musks lawyers said. This court should put a stop to plaintiffs fantasy and dismiss the complaint.

In a footnote, the lawyers also rejected the investors claim that Dogecoin qualified as a security.

The investors lawyer, Evan Spencer, said in an email: We are more confident than ever that our case will be successful.

Related: Elon Musk Sued for $258 Billion Over Alleged Dogecoin Pyramid Scheme | Elon Musk $258 Billion Dogecoin Lawsuit Expands

Investors accused Musk, the worlds second-richest person according to Forbes, of deliberately driving up Dogecoins price more than 36,000% over two years and then letting it crash.

They said this generated billions of dollars of profit at other Dogecoin investors expense, even as Musk knew the currency lacked intrinsic value.

Investors also pointed to Musks appearance on a Weekend Update segment of NBCs Saturday Night Live where, portraying a fictitious financial expert, he called Dogecoin a hustle.

The $258 billion damages figure is triple the estimated decline in Dogecoins market value in the 13 months before the lawsuit was filed.

Dogecoin Foundation, a nonprofit, is also a defendant and seeking the lawsuits dismissal.

Musks posts on Twitter, which he owns, have prompted multiple lawsuits.

He won a court victory on Feb. 3 when a San Francisco jury found him not liable for tweeting in August 2018 that he had arranged financing to take Tesla private.

The case is Johnson et al v. Musk et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 22-05037.

Topics Lawsuits
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Ever since Fox News was hit with a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit over reports falsely accusing a voting-machine company of rigging the 2020 presidential election, the conservative network has invoked the broad protections of the First Amendment in its defense.

But the constitutional right to free speech doesnt automatically protect the spreading of false facts, especially bogus allegations of criminal conduct, Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric M. Davis said Friday in a ruling denying a bid by Fox News to avoid a trial in the suit by Dominion Voting Systems Inc.

The evidence developed in this civil proceeding demonstrates that is CRYSTAL clear that none of the statements relating to Dominion about the 2020 election are true, Davis wrote, using capital letters as well as bold and italic fonts for emphasis.

The Fox reports falsely accused Dominion of rigging its software to flip votes away from Donald Trump and paying government officials to use its machines  on top of claiming it was founded in Venezuela to rig elections for dictator Hugo Chavez, Davis said. Those claims were defamatory because they were false and struck at the integrity of Dominions business, he said.

The statements also seem to charge Dominion with the serious crime of election fraud, the judge said. Accusations of criminal activity, even in the form of opinion, are not constitutionally protected.

The ruling wasnt a total win for Dominion, which asked the judge to grant the company a complete victory without having to go to trial on April 17.

Instead, the judge ruled that a jury must decide several key issues, including whether Fox News made the defamatory statements with actual malice, meaning the network knew they were false or had reckless disregard for the truth. The jury will also decide if the networks parent, Fox Corp., is liable for the false statements and whether Dominion actually suffered any financial damages.

The witness list includes Fox Chairman Rupert Murdoch and top Fox News personalities whose emails and text messages were made public in the case, revealing they knew the conspiracy theory was bogus even as the network amplified it over and over by hosting Trumps outspoken allies.

This case is and always has been about the First Amendment protections of the medias absolute right to cover the news, Fox News and Fox Corp. said in a statement. Fox will continue to fiercely advocate for the rights of free speech and a free press as we move into the next phase of these proceedings.

Dominion, a little-known company before it was falsely accused of a vast fraud, said its looking forward to trial.

We are gratified by the courts thorough ruling soundly rejecting all of Foxs arguments and defenses, and finding as a matter of law that their statements about Dominion are false, Dominion said in a statement.

Falsity of Statements

The judges summary judgment ruling spares the jury from having to determine for itself whether the disputed statements were false. While the conspiracy theory has been debunked by multiple courts over the last two years, the finding on falsity is still significant because the statements were dramatically different than the truth, the judge said, adding: Fox takes a nuanced approach to falsity.

In fact, although it cannot be attributed directly to Foxs statements, it is noteworthy that some Americans still believe the election was rigged, Davis wrote.

To help establish falsity, Dominion gave its source code to experts for both sides, the judge said. Dominions expert stated it was unable to detect any mechanism to switch votes, which no Fox expert has contested, Davis said. As for the allegedly corrupt algorithm used by Dominion, Fox witnesses admitted the algorithm lie was false or lacks evidence, the judge said.

Fox dedicated little to its argument on the question of falsity, Davis said.

Neutral Reporting

Davis denied Foxs motion for summary judgment on the so-called neutral reporting privilege, which bars recovery for defamation when a challenged statement, even if defamatory, is newsworthy. Fox argued that the average viewer would understand the statements as mere allegations to be investigated, rather than facts.

But Davis said that earlier rulings under New York law barring use of the so-called neutral-reporting privilege are binding on this court.

Even if the neutral report privilege did apply, the evidence does not support that FNN conducted good-faith, disinterested reporting, Davis wrote, referring to Fox News Networks. Foxs failure to reveal extensive contradicting evidence from the public sphere and Dominion itself indicates its reporting was not disinterested.

Dominion argues the real purpose of Foxs reports was to avoid losing Trump-supporting viewers who are crucial to its bottom line.

Fair Reporting

The judge also rejected Foxs fair report defense, which protects defamatory statements if they are a fair and true report about an official proceeding. Fox tried to apply the defense to false claims about Dominion that were put forth in lawsuits by one of its guests, former Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, who accused Dominion of the most massive and historical egregious fraud the world has ever seen. But thats not official enough, Davis said.

The privilege is not triggered unless the report comments on a proceeding, not the underlying events of such a proceeding, Davis wrote, adding that reports must still be substantially accurate.

In a pair of February court filings Dominion outlined evidence it established during the case, including a deposition of Murdoch, who admitted that some Fox talent endorsed the bogus conspiracy theory. Dominion also cited internal Fox News documents, text messages and emails to undermine the networks claim that the reports were merely important news.

For example, Fox News host Dana Perino described the theory in texts and emails at the time as total bs, insane, and nonsense, according to evidence presented by Dominion. Sean Hannity, one of Foxs biggest stars, sent a text message at the time saying Powell, the architect of the conspiracy theory, was an Fing lunatic, Dominion said.

The case is Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox Corp., N21C-11-082 EMD CCLD, Delaware Superior Court (Wilmington).

Photo: A voter casts a ballot on an electronic Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP) ballot marking machine at an early voting polling location at Dockweiler Beach for the 2020 Presidential election in Los Angeles. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Copyright 2023 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation Claims
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Chubb Limited announced that Frances OBrien has been appointed executive vice president, Chubb Group, and chief risk officer, effective April 1.

OBrien was senior vice president, Chubb Group, and deputy chief risk officer, a position she held since January 2022. In her new role, she will have executive responsibility for Chubbs enterprise risk management organization and the effective execution of the companys enterprise risk strategies and processes.

OBrien has more than 40 years of insurance industry experience. She was appointed SVP, Chubb Group, and division president, North America Personal Risk Services in 2016 and led that business until January 2022. Prior to ACEs acquisition of Chubb in 2016, she was SVP, chief risk officer of Chubb Corporation, with global responsibility. She joined Chubb as an actuarial trainee and served in positions of increasing responsibility in actuarial, product development and underwriting.

Sean Ringsted, formerly Chubbs CRO, will continue to serve as EVP, Chubb Group, and chief digital business officer, leading the expansion of the companys digital business unit globally and having responsibility for the use of data and analytics to drive decision-making insights across the company. He will remain a core member of the Risk Underwriting Committee.

Ringsted has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. He has served as CRO of the company since 2008 and, in 2017, was appointed to the additional role of chief digital officer. Prior to ACEs acquisition of Chubb in 2016, he was CRO and chief actuary of ACE Limited.

This change in executive leadership responsibilities recognizes the significant opportunity we have to harness our resources and deploy cutting-edge technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and large-scale data, to deliver business value and strategic advantage to Chubbs businesses. Under Seans leadership we will also continue to expand Chubbs digital product and service offerings, said Evan G. Greenberg, chairman and CEO of Chubb Limited.

OBrien and Ringsted will both report to Greenberg and John Keogh, president and chief operating officer.

Azzolino to Head The Hartfords New Global Specialty Digital Solutions Unit

The Hartford said it has named Mark Azzolino head of a new unit called Global Specialty Digital Solutions, which will be focused on offering specialty and wholesale insurance products in a fully digitized, end-to-end manner.

Azzolino will be responsible for for increasing distribution and access to Global Specialtys suite of digital capabilities, including its proprietary portal named Pronto where an agent or broker can submit, quote, and bind specialty and wholesale products within minutes. Azzolino also will explore new partnerships with agents and brokers, and embedded solutions, to further leverage The Hartfords digital capabilities, as well as bring new specialty and wholesale insurance products to the digital realm.

Azzolino previously served as The Hartfords head of management liability in Global Specialtys Financial Lines segment, where he was responsible for The Hartfords private and not-for-profit management liability businesses. In addition, he oversaw the sales and process execution for the management and professional liability lines of business.

Azzolino will report to The Hartfords Head of Global Specialty, Adrien Robinson.

We have more than a dozen specialty insurance products being digitally transacted across five distinct digital channels in Global Specialty, said Robinson. Continuing to expand our digital capabilities will further help us to serve the evolving needs of the specialty marketplace. Our customers have asked for more creative online solutions in specialty lines, and we have responded by linking across the enterprise to leverage The Hartfords strength in online quoting and servicing to offer greater efficiency, growth and innovation to our specialty trading partners.

Topics Excess Surplus Chubb
analysis

A manhunt is under way following the murder of journalist and author Jeremy Gordin whose body was found in his Johannesburg home.

Journalist Jeremy Gordin was found dead in his home in Parktown, Johannesburg, police have confirmed. He was found on Friday, 31 March after his family unsuccessfully tried to contact him.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Gauteng police confirmed they were investigating a case of house robbery and murder.

Gordin was a former associate editor of the Sunday Independent as well as a former editor of the Daily Sun. He was an author who co-authored two investigative journalism books, The Infernal Tower and A Long Night's Damage. He also published a biography of former president Jacob Zuma, Zuma: A Biography in 2010, and three volumes of poetry.

In later years, he ran the Justice Project at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Journalism. Recently, he was a regular columnist for Politicsweb.

"It is reported that the family of the deceased was in Cape Town when they tried to contact him but he could not be reached," said a statement issued in the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, a police spokesperson.

A family friend went to check up on Gordin. "Upon arrival, she found the back door of the main house locked and the key of the door was in...
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Attorneys for several insurance companies are appealing a federal judges decision to uphold the confirmation of a $2.4 billion bankruptcy reorganization plan for the Boy Scouts of America.

In an emergency motion filed Friday, attorneys for non-settling insurers asked U. S. District Court Judge Richard Andrews to halt the effect of a ruling he issued Tuesday while they take their case to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Related: Boy Scouts of America Bankruptcy Plan Upheld Despite Insurers Objections

The BSAs bankruptcy plan is aimed at allowing the Texas-based organization to continue operating while ensuring compensation for tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as children while involved in Scouting.

In his ruling, Andrews rejected arguments that the bankruptcy plan wasnt proposed in good faith and improperly strips insurers and abuse survivors of their rights.

The opposing insurers note that an automatic halt to litigation against the Boy Scouts as a debtor in bankruptcy expires after April 11. They fear the BSA could argue at that point that further appeals are moot, thus subjecting them to irreparable harm. They also note BSA lawyers on Thursday refused to agree even to a period of advance notice before causing the bankruptcy plan to to take effect. Attorneys for the Boy Scouts, meanwhile, have asked the bankruptcy judge to approve almost $4 million in funding for preparatory work on the trust from which abuse survivors would be paid.

The insurers argue the case presents fundamental questions of bankruptcy law of vital importance that could have widespread impact in mass tort bankruptcies for years to come.

Even if this Court is satisfied that it has correctly determined the issues, a reasonable possibility exists that the Third Circuit  which has repeatedly cautioned against the dangers posed by mass tort bankruptcies  may disagree on one or more issues the certain insurers or other appellants will raise on appeal,  attorneys wrote.

Doug Kennedy, co-chair of the official committee representing abuse survivors, decried the latest appeal effort, saying it shows a callous disregard for survivors.

Its time for the objecting insurers to show that they actually care about the people they insure, and stand aside while this plan becomes effective, Kennedy said in a text.

Under the plan, the BSA itself would contribute less than 10% of the proposed settlement fund. The local Boy Scout councils, which run daily operations for troops, offered to contribute at least $515 million in cash and property, conditioned on certain protections for local troop sponsoring organizations, including religious entities, civic associations and community groups.

The bulk of the compensation would come from the Boy Scouts two largest insurers, Century Indemnity and The Hartford, which reached settlements calling for them to contribute $800 million and $787 million, respectively. That is a fraction of the billions of dollars in potential liability exposure the two insurers faced.

Settling insurers, local Boy Scout councils and troop sponsoring organizations would receive broad liability releases as non-debtor third parties protecting them from future sex abuse lawsuits in exchange for contributing to the victims compensation fund  or even for not objecting to the plan.

Photo: (Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News via AP)
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After almost three years of hearings, workshops and debate between insurers and medical centers, the Florida Division of Workers Compensation has given final approval to the 2020 reimbursement manual for ambulatory surgical centers.

The manual and its reimbursement rates take effect July 1, but its known as the 2020 edition because thats when the rulemaking process began. The manual, which can be seen here, does not raise overall costs enough to trigger a legislative review.

But it does include maximium reimbursement amounts for many more medical procedures.

For years, surgical centers and insurers have argued over the appropriate payment for procedures that werent listed in the manual. The new manual also will set per-diem rates for ASCs and hospital outpatient services, bringing some certainty to the payment and bill review process.

Topics Florida
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Policyholders with the now-insolvent United Property & Casualty Insurance Co., who have existing damage and who have been assumed by Citizens Property Insurance, will have an extra 90 days to show that repair contracts have been signed, Citizens officials announced late last week.

Citizens also will give some recently added UPC policyholders until April 17 to apply for Citizens coverage, with the policies retroactive to March 29, the day that all UPC policies were canceled.

This will allow agents additional time to assist consumers shopping for replacement coverage, Tim Cerio, Citizens president and executive director, said in a bulletin.

He said the extra 90 days for UPC policyholders, until June 27, is needed because many homeowners are still struggling to find repair crews after Hurricane Ian hit southwest Florida in September.

Because of reported contractor shortages in southwest Florida after Hurricane Ian, Citizens is allowing UPC applicants who have existing damage to their home 90 days to submit a contract to repair the damage, Cerio said. We think this is the right thing to do and can help those still suffering hardship in the aftermath of Ian.

Policyholders need to show only that a repair contracted has been entered, even if repairs have not yet begun. Louisiana regulators announced in March that Louisianas state-backed Citizens Insurance would give UPC policyholders an extra 30 days to secure new coverage.

UPC, after years of heavy losses, was deemed insolvent in February and was ordered into liquidation by Florida regulators. Some 90,000 UPC Florida policies and $272 million in premiums were transferred to Slide Insurance, despite the fact that UPC was in an orderly runoff plan. Thousands of other UPC customers have been accepted by Citizens.

UPC has said that it received about 25,000 claims from Hurricane Ian, which may have been the final blow for the troubled company.

Some 20,000 outstanding UPC claims are now being handled by the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association.

Top photo: Part of Sanibel Island, Florida, after Hurricane Ian. (AP Photo/Alex Menendez)

Topics Homeowners
A Kirkland, Washington man pled guilty to committing insurance fraud after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidlers Criminal Investigations Unit.

Jerame Thurik pled guilty to false claims or proof on March 27 in King County Superior Court. He was ordered to pay $500 in court fees, undergo a substance abuse evaluation and serve two years of probation. His jail sentence was suspended, aside from the day he spent in King County Jail.

Thurik purchased an insurance policy with GEICO on April 12, 2021, and then filed a claim one month-and-a-half later stating hed been involved in a collision on May 20 and his 2016 Mercedes-Benz had suffered significant damage.

GEICO investigated the claim and reportedly found that Thurik was involved in a collision on April 6, 2021  six days before he started his policy with GEICO.

His vehicle had been towed to Mercedes of Bellevue, where it stayed for more than a month before being towed to Mercedes Benz of Seattle. After discovering the vehicle had been parked at the dealership since before Thurik purchased insurance, GEICO denied the claim  which included damages of $18,556.55  and referred it to CIU.

Topics Auto Washington
Snowcapped mountains in the Southwestern U.S. signal a possible delayed start to the wildfire season for some higher elevations, but officials in New Mexico and Arizona warned that dry, windy conditions in other areas are increasing wildfire risks and prompting red flag warnings.

With leaves crunching under her feet and the wind starting to kick up, New Mexicos governor warned that if the state wants to avoid a historic wildfire season like last years when more than 1 million acres burned, she said everyone will have to be prepared.

You can start to think about the landscape in New Mexico and the extreme drought here, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told those gathered at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. We are at extreme risk.

New Mexico is coming off a devastating wildfire season that included the largest blaze in the states recorded history  a conflagration sparked last spring by the U.S. government as forest managers were trying to clear out dead and overgrown vegetation in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

A pair of prescribed burn operations went awry and fierce spring winds fueled the flames, displacing thousands of people and resulting in Congress approving nearly $4 billion in recovery funds. New Mexico lawmakers also recently passed legislation creating a low-interest loan program to help communities repair or replace public infrastructure damaged by wildfires or subsequent flooding.

The governor noted that Alaska was the only state to have more acres burn in 2022 than New Mexico.

New Mexico already has seen more than 100 fires this year, and officials in neighboring Arizona have reported responding to dozens of starts over the last month, all human-caused.

We hope thats not an indication of whats to come, but with the heavy grass crop down there, we are staying vigilant and on alert, Tiffany Davila with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management said of the southern part of the state.

New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy didnt want to predict the kind of season the Southwest might see.

If were learning anything from last year, its that the past is not really a good indicator of whats coming in the future, she said. And I think that if we get two, three or four weeks of really hot, dry weather with winds, were right back in it.

Aside from preparing firefighters and homeowners, McCarthy said state and federal land managers have a growing challenge to cut and remove overgrown brush and trees on a scale weve never done before that will include more prescribed burns and thinning projects.

The U.S. Forest Service, following a review last year, is implementing new policies and procedures for its prescribed fire operations. The planning process now includes a new template that calls for plans to be validated and updated to ensure that the information is current and the most recent science and modeling is incorporated.

For areas with a healthy snowpack, any fire activity in the high country may be delayed until late May into mid-June, which means the window for wildland fires could be shortened, Davila said.

Still, Davila joined New Mexico officials in urging caution, especially in those areas still mired in drought.

Even with all of the snow and rain the state received, it is a temporary fix to a long-term drought issue, she said.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Mexico New Mexico Arizona
When President Joe Biden touches down in Ireland next week, he will be the latest in a string of US leaders to visit the old sod.

Here to celebrate 25 years of relative peace in Northern Ireland, Biden is expected to take time out to visit ancestral homes and landmarks in both Mayo and Louth, thus following in a tradition started by the first Irish-American president, John F. Kennedy.

US President Joe Biden during a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for a bilateral meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, during his visit to the US for St Patrick's Day.

No doubt the current president will be invited to sup a few pints of stout, to meet and greet a cousin or two and for those few days before and after his trip, these tiny towns will be abuzz with excitement.

But what happens when its all over and how have towns that welcomed presidents of the past dealt with what is left behind?

President John F. Kennedy leaving Collins Barracks, Cork during his Irish visit in 1963.

John F Kennedy, New Ross

Just a few months before his assassination in 1963, John F Kennedy came to New Ross.

Local tour guide and historian, Myles Courtney, was ten when the 35th president lit up the streets of the small Wexford town.

There was a real sense of occasion around the whole thing, says Myles. There were helicopters flying all over the place which wasnt very common back then and there was a great buzz around.

It was more of a homecoming than a presidential visit. The speech itself was informal. There were signs around the town welcoming JFK home, the brass band was out in force and people were hanging out of windows, but it was informal.

During his famous speech, which you can still read on the bronze podium erected to mark the occasion, Kennedy joked about how if his great-grandfather had not left he might have been working in the local Albatros factory across the river or the local pub across the road. He later visited the ancestral home in Dunganstown where platters of sandwiches and endless pots of tea were provided for the visiting dignitaries. Breweries were yet to get in on the act.

US President John F Kennedy engages with his supporters at Lapp's Quay, Cork, where Deloitte's modern offices are currently located today.

Though Kennedys visit lasted only a few hours the impact on the whole area was enormous.

The town had a huge sense of pride, says Myles. New Ross in the 1960s wasnt particularly affluent. Industry-wise it was hanging in there. There was a lot of emigration. So it gave the town a bit of a lift. It put New Ross on the map to a much greater extent. We had many claims to fame up to then, but this was much bigger. The Kennedy Homestead became something of a cottage industry after that and its still going.

According to Myles, in the years following JFKs visit, the towns economic fortunes suffered further. The Ross Company Shipyard went wallop and other well-known local employers soon followed suit. To stop the rot, the local Lions Club came up with a plan to get New Ross back on its feet.

Tourism was the way to get some prosperity back, says Myles. The hook of the plan was the Kennedys and emigration. They were the poster boys of Irish emigration at the time. Later, the Famine Ship and Dunbrody Visitor Centre grew out of that. Though he admits that the allure of the famous surname is dwindling a little, Myles says that one of his most popular walks is the Kennedy Footsteps Tour, which focuses on that story of emigration from the town and its environs.

Myles Courtney is a local tour guide and historian in New Ross.

I bring people along the same route that Patrick Kennedy took to his work as a cooper in Cherrys Brewery every day before his leaving in 1848, says Myles. We always make a stop at the statue of Kennedy. It is very rare that someone isn't standing there shaking his hand. Its funny but when I have Americans on the tour, many of them take the opportunity to pose with the statue. But others dont bother.

Despite some visitors reluctance to engage with him, the spirit of JFK remains strong in New Ross. His visit in 1963 has served the town well and will continue to do so for years to come.

US President Ronald Reagan enjoys a pint during his visit to Ballyporeen, Co Tipperary, on his Irish visit in June 1984. His wife Nancy Reagan is alongside. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive

Ronald Reagan, Ballyporeen

Twenty-one years later, Ballyporeen played host to another famous Irish American son, Ronald Reagan.

During his visit, Reagan paid his respects to his ancestors at the Templetenny Cemetery before sampling a pint of Smithwicks in the recently renamed Ronald Reagan Bar.

President Ronald Reagan at Ballyporeen with Myles Regan.

I had a part-time job in the bar at the time, says local Fine Gael councillor Maire Murphy.

There was a major security presence in the lead-up to his visit. All the roads were blocked off for a mile and a half or two miles outside Ballyporeen and if you wanted to get there you had to walk.

The Ronald Reagan Pub, Ballyporeen. Pic: Gerard McCarthy

I remember there were a number of us working in the pub the day of his visit and we had to stay overnight the night before. On the day itself, we were all standing outside when he arrived. He was only a few yards away from me. He seemed very happy to be there. I can remember himself and Nancy were surrounded by security personnel but they were smiling.

In the lead up to the visit, Marie recalls the town getting some new payphones, pavements were fixed that were somewhat bockety and work that may have taken a much longer time to get done, got done fairly quickly.

Fine Gael councillor Maire Murphy, Ballyporeen

It created great employment in and around that time, recalls Marie.

There were an awful lot of visitors before his visit and even more so in the months after. In terms of legacy, you have a brilliant community council there now and there is still a strong community there. I think it was a good thing for the town, certainly for the couple of years afterwards. Of course today, you can say the name Ballyporeen anywhere and people know it.

US President Barack Obama sips a Guinness at a pub as he visits Moneygall village in rural County Offaly, where his great-great-great grandfather Falmouth Kearney hailed from, on May 23, 2011.

Barack Obama, Moneygall

The same is true of nearby Moneygall which hosted Barack Obama on a blustery morning in 2011.

To be honest, we didnt get that much time to prepare, says local pub owner, Ollie Hayes. He announced that he was coming to see his ancestral home on March 17th and arrived on May 21st. It only gave us a few weeks.

US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama enjoy a glass of Guinness in his ancestral home of Moneygall, on May 23, 2011.

Shortly after the announcement, Ollie, along with other locals, formed the Moneygall Development Association. They got to work fast. The village was given a good clean-up, roads and paths were fixed and Dulux went as far as giving the whole village a new lick of paint.

It was brilliant meeting him, says Ollie, whose pub hosted something of a hooley for the visitors.

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet local residents at Ollie Hayes pub in Moneygall.

Michelle pulled a pint. They were in the pub there for about forty minutes and of course, everyone remembers him walking the streets from bottom to top shaking as many hands as he could.

For the next five years, Moneygall welcomed busloads of visitors eager to see the town that gave the surname OBama to the world. In time, however, interest waned and visitor numbers declined.

Ollie Hayes celebrating President Barack Obama's 2012 US election victory in his pub in Moneygall, Co Offaly.

The visit brought the village together, says Ollie. We had an American festival every year for a few years and we got a few grants around that. There was a new playground and a new astroturf pitch put in and that probably came off the back of the visit.

I knew from what had happened in Ballyporeen that it would eventually filter out. We were happy to return to normal. It is still a lovely place and my pub is still going well. We get the odd stag or hen party that comes in, so the legacy has lasted but it has died down. It was a lovely experience.
The DUP needs to be given space to make up its mind over returning to the powersharing institutions at Stormont, Gerry Adams has said.

However, the former Sinn Fein president added that if the unionist party did not agree to reforming an executive then Dublin must have full involvement in affairs in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams spoke to the PA news agency in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The damage that has been done in relation to the institutions can be repaired if the institutions were up running as they should be

The powersharing executive at Stormont, established by the 1998 peace deal, collapsed last year as part of a DUP protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The party has also outlined a series of concerns over the Windsor Framework agreement brokered between London and Brussels to ease many of the trading frictions which were caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A panel commissioned by party leader Jeffrey Donaldson to assess the framework completed its work last week.

Asked about the DUP position, Mr Adams said: Well, I think the unionists have to make up their minds.

I think we need to give them a wee bit of space to do that.

So in the immediate term, Jeffrey Donaldson has a panel which has given him a report. He then has to respond to that.

The damage that has been done in relation to the institutions can be repaired if the institutions were up and running as they should be.

Gerry Adams said he did not believe that DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was refusing to rejoin the Stormont executive because Michelle ONeill would be first minister (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Adams said it would be a different matter if the DUP refused to return to Stormont.

We can have patience on all these other matters on the basis that theyre eventually going to go in there, and theyre willing to start working and they all work together.

And people will get to know each other.

I mean, 25 years later, this generation of republican representatives and unionist representatives know each other better, know each other personally, in many cases on first name terms, despite the difficulties and the problems.

But if they decide theyre not going to go in, then thats up to the two governments to come back because we cant have a return to English rule.

We have to have a full involvement by the Irish Government along with the British government, unfortunately, with them seeking to fill the gap, which plainly would be the responsibility of unionists failure to grasp the new dispensation.

Mr Adams said he did not believe that the unionist party was refusing to return to Stormont because it did not want to support an executive with Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill as first minister.

He said: If unionists refuse to go in, an awful lot of people will believe its because they couldnt stomach having a republican as first minister.

I think Jeffrey has spoken the truth when he says that its not an issue for him.

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams spoke to PA in an interview marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (Liam McBurney/PA)

The former Sinn Fein president said the progress of the powersharing institutions had been stop-start since they were formed.

He added: Senator (George) Mitchell famously when the agreement was made said  that is the easy bit done.

The hard bit is implementing it.

Never was anything so true.

I suppose the thinking of those strategists within the British and Irish establishments who had eventually, reluctantly, come round to this position of inclusive talks and Sinn Fein involvement, I suppose what they hoped for was that the UUP and the SDLP would form the centre core of a new governmental process.

They certainly wouldnt have intended or foreseen that you would have had Sinn Fein being so strong as we are today.
The presence of Russian cargo vessels off the coast of Ireland was a cheap way to send a threat to Ireland, the EU and Nato, according to an Irish academic at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Eoin McNamara said while the vessels were commercial all lines lead back to the Kremlin as was the case with companies like the Wagner group and energy companies.

Two Russian ships had been spotted of the west coast of Ireland last week. The ships, named Umka and the Bakhtemir, raised concerns among defence officials when they were seen engaging in unusual manoeuvres off the Galway coast.

The two ships were identified on the Marine Traffic global ship tracking map.

The two vessels then left the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone, but then turned around and steamed north, where they were identified off the north Kerry coast west of Dingle last Thursday.

They say they are cargo vessels, they can be all those things, but they are sending a signal that they know where the cables are and that they have the equipment to disrupt, Mr McNamara told RTE's Morning Ireland.

Ireland was not set up to properly monitor incidents like the Russian vessels, he said. The Irish Defence Forces were dependent on intelligence from elsewhere and there was a gap in the capacity of the forces.

The 79.8m-long Umka is an offshore supply vessel and the Bakhtemir, also 79.8m long, is a salvage and rescue ship. It is equipped with diving platforms and subsea submersibles capable of deep water work on infrastructure.

Independent TD and former army ranger Cathal Berry said the lack of capability of the Defence Forces to shadow the Russian ships was 'simply not good enough for a sovereign state'. Picture: Oglaigh na hEireann

Surveillance of vital subsea communications cables has been increased since the reported sabotage last September of the Nord Stream pipelines, built to transport gas from the Russian Federation to Germany through the Baltic. The pipelines are owned by the Russian company Gazprom, and no group has as yet been identified as responsible for the attack.

It was later reported the ships' unusual movements were probably a result of efforts to avoid bad weather, rather than anything sinister.

Meanwhile, Independent TD and former army ranger Cathal Berry said the lack of capability of the Defence Forces to shadow the Russian ships was simply not good enough for a sovereign state.

This is the big issue really, that Ireland has very little capability to counter what's happening off our west coast, he told Newstalk Breakfast.

We couldn't even put a naval ship out there over the weekend because of the current problem in Haulbowline in Cork. Normal practice is if you have a sensitive convoy moving through your economic waters, you would put out at least one of your naval ships to shadow that convoy.

'Crewing shortage'

Unfortunately, Ireland had no capability from a crewing shortage point of view to deploy a ship  so we had to rely on the Air Corps. They can put up an aircraft for a number of hours at a time and monitor the situation, but there's no substitute for having a naval ship on station.

The Irish Examiner reported on Sunday that all of the countrys naval ships were docked in port on Saturday in spite of concerns over the presence of two Russian ships off the west coast.

Mr Berry added that Ireland was also unique in having no sonar capability.

Ireland has absolutely no sovereign underwater capability whatsoever. Not only can we not intervene in relation to what's happening below the waves, but we can't even see below the waves.

We don't have any vessels with a sonar capability, which makes us unique in the European Union.

We're an island nation, we have a responsibility for over 15% of EU waters. It's just completely unacceptable that three commercial Russian vessels, in a time of war, can move down the west coast of our country and loiter in and around our territorial waters.

They were no more than 13 nautical miles off the coast of Kerry, and that's simply just not good enough for a sovereign state, said Dr Berry.
A search for the remains of a teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 has resumed.

Digging started on Monday at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan as investigators search for the body of Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone.

He is one of the Disappeared victims of the Troubles whose bodies have still to be found.

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in the bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

I am totally confident that if he was buried here, we will find him. We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment

His sister Dympna Kerr was at the bog on Monday as the search resumed.

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said he believed that Mr McVeighs remains are in the area they are searching.

He said: We have returned today for the second part of this search. It started last year in October, we always knew it was going to be a two-phased search because it was late in the year.

We have set out an area of around two acres of ground that we intend to search.

Hopefully we are going to have a dry enough summer to be able to continue the search until a satisfactory conclusion.

Hopefully that is recovering the remains of Columba McVeigh.

I am totally confident that if he was buried here, we will find him. We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment.

Jon Hill, of the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), at a previous dig in Bragan bog near Emyvale in Co Monaghan (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Hill added: Is he here in the first place? Yes, I believe he is in this area, on this road.

We have been disappointed too many times to say with complete assurance this is where he is. This area has changed so much over the years.

Since back in 1975 it would have looked completely different.

There have been five previous searches and they changed the terrain.

Peoples memories wont be what they were, the area doesnt look the way it did and it is completely understandable, although disappointing that we havent found the right spot as of yet.

The anniversary of the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement obviously has taken this forward dramatically and it has encouraged people to come forward with information and resolve this matter.

Columba McVeigh was 19 when he was killed and secretly buried in 1975 (Family handout/PA)

Ms Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Ms Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
The FinScope Consumer Survey shows that surging energy costs have affected almost 18 million adults, who say they have been forced to live without electricity because they simply cannot afford it.

Although 81% of South African adults use digital financial services and 70% have some form of insurance coverage, the FinScope South Africa 2022 Consumer Survey has found that many people are not making the most of these services.

The study also reveals a population battling to survive a dire cost-of-living crisis.

Digital payments can be improved "to make them more relatable to the needs of customers", said Obert Maposa, senior data and analytics specialist at FinMark Trust, adding that it was important to improve financial literacy and education.

The independent non-profit trust aims to make financial markets "work for the poor, by promoting financial inclusion and regional financial integration".

"South Africa has a high access rate but the use cases and the safety of it can be improved for digital payments," Maposa said.

34% of adults financially vulnerable

The survey also found that 34% of South African adults are financially vulnerable and more than half are financial dependents, relying on either social grants or support from other people.

About 12 million adults immediately withdraw all the money that is deposited into their accounts, effectively using their bank accounts as mailboxes.

In South Africa, the informal economy constitutes 42% of all...
Industrial action cannot be ruled out by gardai during US president Joe Bidens visit to Ireland next week.

Antoinette Cunningham, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said she can't reassure our members on anything when asked whether there could be industrial action next week.

Everything and anything including blue flu is in the hands of the delegates at this week's AGSI conference, she said.

"By lunchtime tomorrow I will have a very clear view of what the delegates wish to do," Ms Cunningham added.

An impasse within the force regarding the garda roster will be discussed at the conference.

There's only one way to resolve [it] and that's through dialogue so we can resolve this dispute, she said, adding that morale in the force is low.

We haven't gone back to a fixed pattern of work since we changed our roster during the covid-19 pandemic, she said.

People are tired and fatigued with bureaucratic systems. Uncertainty has created a huge issue.

Some 250 members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) marched from the gates of the Phoenix Park to Garda HQ with a letter of protest about garda rosters. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

She said gardai cannot plan their lives properly under the current roster system.

"It's very unsettling for people and then you have bureaucratic systems that have been introduced."

Ms Cunningham said it will be helpful if a recruitment drive to hire 1,000 new gardai is successful and that, if those recruits aren't taken on, resources will continue to be a problem".

AGSI president Paul Curran said gardai are currently facing one of the most challenging periods". He said:

Recruitment and retention are real issues, with falling numbers meaning our members are being asked to do more, bureaucratic systems meaning we cannot get out into our communities and the traditional garda model of community policing disappearing before our very eyes.

"On March 13, 250 gardai hand-delivered a letter to the Garda Commissioner in Phoenix Park to express their dissatisfaction, frustration and anger at the apparent lack of consideration for our health and safety because of rostering issues.

"In March 2020 we, without question, agreed to change our work practice overnight as a temporary measure to assist this country in the policing of the covid-19 pandemic and were happy to do so in the national interest.

Antoinette Cunningham and Paul Curran, AGSI general secretary and president respectively, led some 250 association members on a march on Garda Headquarters in protest at garda rosters. Picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

"The undertaking that we were given at that time by garda management is that we would return to our normal shift pattern.

"Instead, what actually happened was that in April 2022 the emergency covid-19 pandemic public health regulations ended and we have lived in a complete state of roster uncertainty since then, with scant regard for the certainty and predictability that we are entitled to.

"This has caused stress, anxiety and worry for our members and their families and is completely unacceptable."

He said that a "seemingly blatant disregard" for industrial relations dispute procedures agreed in 2020 is also a major concern for gardai.
A Limerick man who suffered fatal injuries during an incident outside a pub in Co Kildare last year died from a brain haemorrhage, an inquest has heard.

Dylan McCarthy, 29, of Ardvullen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, was pronounced dead at Tallaght University Hospital on August 22, 2022, where he had been brought after sustaining serious injuries during an altercation among a group of people outside a pub on Dublin Road, Monasterevin the previous night.

Mr McCarthy had been visiting the Kildare town with relatives to celebrate the birth of his godson and nephew, Liam, at the time of the incident.

Coroner Crona Gallagher told a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court that an autopsy showed the cause of death of the deceased was a brain haemorrhage due to head and neck trauma.

Dr Gallagher said a more detailed account of the autopsy results would be made available in due course.

The victims mother, Marita McCarthy, who was accompanied in court by her husband, Eamonn, gave evidence of formally identifying her sons body to gardai in the hospital.

Inspector George Cagney told a preliminary hearing of the inquest on Monday that two people were before the courts in relation to Mr McCarthys death.

Criminal proceedings

Insp Cagney applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25.2 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in the case have already been instituted.

Granting the application, Dr Gallagher adjourned the hearing until a date to be fixed following the conclusion of any related criminal prosecution.

The Bellyard pub in Monasterevin, Co Kildare, where Dylan McCarthy was assaulted. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews.ie

The coroner offered her sincere condolences to Mr McCarthys parents on what she described as a very tragic death.

Two Kildare men  Calvin Dunne, 22, of Abbey View, Monasterevin, and Sean Kavanagh, 24, of St Marys Lane, Monasterevin  were charged with Mr McCarthys murder at a sitting of Naas District Court in February.

Both accused, who are facing a jury trial at the Central Criminal Court, are also facing a separate charge of violent disorder, while Mr Kavanagh faces a third charge of assault causing harm to the victims father.

The two men made no reply when formally charged with the offences.

Three others, including a sister of the deceased, were also charged last month with offences relating to the same incident.

Orla McCarthy, 23, of Ardvullen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick; Aoife Talty, 25, of Knockdangan, Kilmaley, Ennis, Co Clare; and Glen Brogan, 23, of Ardvullen, Killmallock, Co Limerick, are all charged with violent disorder.

Mr Brogan is also charged with causing criminal damage to a window of the pub.

Separately six other males from Monasterevin have also been charged with engaging in violent disorder relating to the altercation.

They are Darren Harrison, 30, and his brother Tadgh, 25, both of Rosglas Avenue; Adam Ford, 25, of Togher Avenue; Jordan Kevin, 30, and his brother Shane, 38, both of St Evins Park; and Shane Foley, 29, of Cowpasture, Monasterevin, Co Kildare.

Mr Ford is also accused of assaulting Eamonn McCarthy on the same date.

Gardai told the hearing in February there would be evidence that there was a large altercation between two groups during which Mr McCarthy was assaulted.

Death of Sligo man

Meanwhile, the coroners court also heard criminal proceedings were being considered in relation to the death of a Sligo man from an alleged assault in Sligo town last year.

Russell Forde, 39, of Yeats Drive, Cranmore, Sligo, was pronounced dead on April 21, 2022, at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin where he was being treated for injuries suffered two days earlier during an incident in the early evening on Rockwood Parade near the centre of the town along the Garavogue River.

Mr Forde was originally treated in Sligo University Hospital but was transferred to Beaumont Hospital due to the critical nature of his injuries.

The victims brother, Warren Forde, gave evidence of formally identifying the body of the deceased to gardai.

Dr Gallagher said the cause of Mr Fordes death had been established as traumatic brain injury.

Inspector Raymond Mulderrig sought an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25.1 of the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings in the case were being considered.

Insp Mulderrig informed the coroner that a file relating to Mr Fordes death was due to be forwarded to the DPP.

Dr Gallagher adjourned the hearing for mention until October 2.
When the lord mayor of Cork, Donal O Ceallachain, called to the Mansion House in Dublin in 1921, Mary OSullivan turned him away. She didnt like the look of him.

If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

As confidential secretary to the Dublin lord mayor, she had the power to do that  and she used it regularly. This woman at the nerve-centre of activity during the War of Independence and the Civil War fielded hoax phonecalls, vetted visitors and, at one point, managed to hide sensitive letters behind a press just before the Black and Tans raided the building.

She also moved into the mayors apartments in the Mansion House, living there from 1924 to 1930, when Dublin Corporation was dissolved and there was no lord mayor.

She attended all the big parliamentary meetings, which were then held in the Mansion House. She knew many prominent public figures and checked the credentials of those coming and going.

On that day in 1921, though, she had to revise her assessment of the lord mayor of Cork. His Dublin counterpart, Laurence ONeill, looked out the window of his study and recognised O Ceallachains walk as he made his way down the gravel path. He told Mary OSullivan to call him back.

I had to apologise humbly, she recalls in a witness statement that offers a fascinating glimpse into life behind the scenes at the Mansion House from 1901 to 1942.

Happily, the lord mayor of Cork did not take offence.

He laughed and said he realised my difficulty, she writes.

Later that day, Eamon de Valera, whom Mary tells us was wearing a moustache, arrived and set up his office in the Drawing Room of the Mansion House.

Ringside seat on history

Mary OSullivans Bureau of Military History witness statement takes us on an evocative whistlestop tour of her 40-year career. During that time, she worked as secretary to some 13 Lord Mayors of Dublin, including Alfie Byrne and the first female lord mayor Kathleen Clarke.

She had a ringside seat on history. She witnessed the pain inflicted by the lockout strikes of 1913, saw a suffragette throw a hatchet at a car during British prime minister Asquiths visit in 1914, and worked with the lord mayor as he tried to get concessions for the Mountjoy hunger strikers of 1917.

Mary 'Minnie' O'Sullivan, a woman with a ringside seat on history, with her sister, Hanna, and their brother.

The lord mayor [Laurence ONeill] was constantly coming and going to Mountjoy and the Castle  The phone was also in constant use about the position of the prisoners on hunger strike. The lord mayor was desperately worried about it. All his worry during that time and later brought him into bad health and he eventually got a bad nervous breakdown, she wrote.

He was wonderfully brave, though, she added, describing the threatening letters he received after attending the funeral of assassinated lord mayor Thomas MacCurtain in Cork in 1920.

Some of them had coffins and skull and crossbones drawn on them. I opened several of them myself, she writes.

The first I opened gave me a great shock and I took it down to the City Hall where he [Lord Mayor ONeill] was attending a meeting as I was afraid he would be shot before he reached home.

On another occasion, Michael Collins was having tea with the lord mayor in the Mansion House when he saw soldiers approach. Michael took a brush from one of the attendants and started to sweep the Round Room with them, and he thus escaped arrest, she wrote.

Recognition

The mayors, politicians, and prominent figures of the day  predominately men  mentioned by Mary are all well-known, though few will recognise her name. Then again, that is not quite true. In recent years, historian Mary Muldowney and Fanchea Gibson, herself a former manager of the Office of the lord mayor, have shone a very welcome light on this woman who served for more than four decades.

There was no known photograph of Mary OSullivan, which is so often the case when it comes to illustrating the lives of the women who contributed so much to the foundation of the State, and beyond.

What we didnt realise up to now, though, was that Mary OSullivan, aka Aunt Minnie, was hiding in plain sight

Let me explain. Your curious correspondent sent out a call on Twitter asking if anyone had an image of this formidable lady. Nothing for a year and then, like a message in a bottle reaches the shore, I heard from her great-nephew Gerald Hickey, who lives in England. He didnt have a photo, but said he had cousins in Kerry, Mary OSullivans native county, and would enquire. The cousins were none other than close school friends of mine, Deirdre and Patricia McElligott. They enlisted the help of their cousin Irene Brosnan and searched the family album.

They turned up several photos of Aunt Minnie, a woman who was talked about in the family circle for years. Indeed, in visits to their home, I may even have heard snippets about this rather grand lady in passing. None of them knew her personally, as she died in 1962, but even that piece of information was new.

Mary 'Minnie' O'Sullivan, right, with her niece, Nora.

They sent an obituary, too, which when combined with Mary OSullivans own words begins to paint a more complete picture of a woman born in Killorglin, Co Kerry, in the 1880s and probably educated at boarding school.

Mary, herself, tells us that she got the job in the Mansion House directly after school in 1901 because her family knew the then Lord Mayor Timothy Charles Harrington. She would spend the rest of her working life there until her retirement, due to ill health, in 1942.

Her sister Hanna joined her in Dublin and worked as her housekeeper in their shared home on the North Circular Road. Theres also an interesting snippet detailing how Mary got compensation of 6 after her bicycle was damaged in a fire at cycle agents JJ Kelly and Company in Dublin city centre.

Though, its very possible she was interested in cars too. Theres a photograph, dated 1932, of her on a visit with two friends to Spa in Belgium, home of the Belgian Grand Prix. Did she go there to watch it?

The family isnt entirely sure, but it goes to show how a portrait expands when you try to look at a woman in both a professional and a private capacity.

Her obituary in the Irish Press in March 1962 recalled an ardent worker and a close friend of de Valeras who had organised meetings and functions and raised money for several charities. She worked, the paper said, in the background.

Isnt it about time that Mary Minnie OSullivan returned to the foreground?
If Im wrong, I will eat a big slice of humble pie, former Detective Gerry OCarroll declared as his loud Kerry brogue echoed across the forecourt of a petrol station in Listowel.

It was 2016 and I had been travelling to Kerry to try to talk to Joanne Hayes after government files were newly released under the 30-year rule.

The documents, from 1985, revealed that Garda Commissioner Lawrence Wren was critical of parts of the murder investigation into the Kerry Babies case.

The documents were just the latest nail to be hammered into the coffin of the increasingly unsustainable defence of the garda investigation into the murder of Baby John, whose tiny lifeless body was washed up onto the beach in 1984 after being stabbed 28 times and had his neck broken.

Over the space of almost 40 years, the once-proud public defenders of the Garda Murder Squad's actions fell away. As Ireland changed over the decades, the perception of the Kerry Babies investigation changed also  turning from tolerance to horror.

As I stopped off to get petrol that day, I bumped into one of the gardai who played a key role in that now-shamed investigation.

Gerry O'Carroll was a high-flying detective who had a column in the 'Evening Herald' and turned up on television shows such as RTE's Crimes & Confessions Kerry Babies. File picture

During his career, Gerry OCarroll, who was one of the murder squad that later became known as the Heavy Gang  worked on the Kerry Babies case in the 1980s.

It is fair to say Gerry O'Carroll  who embraces the nickname The Sherriff  would not be known for eating humble pie.

A larger-than-life presence, OCarroll was never shy of the media, and had been a fixture on Irish crime TV programmes for years, where he would regularly tell colourful stories about his life on the frontline.

He was one of the gardai who popularised the idea that superfecundation was a reason that Joanne Hayes could be the mother of both children who were found dead in 1984.

The babies were bizarrely portrayed as twins when they were no relation to each other at all.

Superfecundation occurs when a woman has sex with two different men in a short period of time and could, in theory, become pregnant to two separate fathers, one of each twin.

Heteropaternal superfecundation might be common in dogs, cats, and cows but it is very rare in humans.

O'Carroll's theory

Since 1985, OCarroll has put forward the idea that the innocent mother of a child that had died at birth from natural causes was also the mother of a baby washed up with stab wounds 80km away.

Of course, if superfecundation had occurred in the Kerry Babies case, then Joanne Hayes' false confession could be explained and the gardai's actions could be vindicated.

O'Carroll calmly said to me: I still believe both babies belong to Joanna Hayes, and I want to see an exhumation. Let's end this thing for once and for all. Dont test the samples that were taken by the State because they are contaminated, exhume the bodies. Its the only way.

An innocent woman

Joanne Hayes was an innocent woman who became known to gardai after the murder of five-day old Baby John whose body was washed up near Caherciveeen on 14 April 1984.

The tragic little baby had nothing to do with 25-year-old Joanne Hayes, but she was put at the centre of the murder by Gerry OCarroll and his team who were dispatched from Dublin to work on the case.

OCarroll is from Listowel in Co. Kerry and over his 34-year career as a garda, he investigated around 80 murders including the high-profile case of Geoffrey Evans and John Shaw, who tortured two innocent women to death in the 1970s.

He had a column in the then Evening Herald newspaper for many years after he retired from the force where he worked with another well-known former detective John Courtney.

Joanne Hayes was a receptionist and a single mother living in the small town of Abbeydorney in north Kerry.

She was pregnant to her married lover, Jeremiah Locke, but the pregnancy was no longer visible and there was no baby and local 'parish pump' talk led Gerry OCarroll to Ms Hayes.

Family 'coerced' by gardai

She was questioned repeatedly over her pregnancy and the baby, who died naturally and was buried on her familys farm in Abbeydorney.

Ms Hayes was wrongly charged with murder of the Caherciveen baby, who was later called Baby John.

Ms Hayes and her family all signed statements to say she was responsible for the murder, and they helped dispose of his body.

The Hayes family later said they were coerced by gardai into giving false statements.

Blood tests also showed Baby John was not the biological child of Joanne Hayes and Jeremiah Locke.

So, you can only imagine how bizarre it was when Gerry OCarroll told me that day in 2016  four decades later  he was still of the opinion that Joanne Hayes was the mother of both children who died in the Kerry babies case.

Baby Johns remains were exhumed in 2021 and DNA tests resulted in the arrests of a man and woman who are believed to be his biological parents.

The little baby is buried in Holy Cross cemetery in Kerry where locals have taken care of his grave for many years.

When I learned of this exhumation, I knew in my heart some sort of breakthrough would come for this poor little boy who never received any justice.

After all, the growing ease of access to online ancestry sites alone, without an official DNA examination, has led to thousands of adult adoptees finding their own biological families when the laws of our land failed to help with reunification.

DNA match

The DNA match for Baby John came after a relation of the child voluntarily handed over a sample during a collection of genetic material in the area by gardai. The people who have been identified in the process and are believed to be the parents of the baby deny any involvement in the murder.

Surely after all these years, OCarroll owes an apology to Baby John and to Joanne Hayes and her family for wasting valuable time that could have been spent investigating the childs murder  instead of blaming an innocent woman.

Joanne Hayes has received a State apology and compensation for the damage caused to her life and her family, while Baby John has yet to receive justice  but there is a deafening silence from Gerry OCarroll on such an important issue.

He is most likely not sitting at home eating humble pie.
The former principal of a Jewish girls school in Australia has been found guilty of sexually abusing two students, ending a nine-year legal battle that strained relations between the Australian and Israeli governments while antagonising Australias Jewish community.

Malka Leifer, 56, a Tel Aviv-born mother-of-eight, was convicted on 18 counts, including rape, and acquitted of nine other charges, including five that related to the eldest student, Nicole Meyer.

The three former students  Ms Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper  are sisters. They have chosen to identify themselves in the media.

Trial judge Mark Gamble had issued an order preventing the media from reporting during the trial that Leifer had fought against her extradition to Australia following her return to Israel in 2008 as allegations against her first emerged.

Sisters Dassi Erlich, left, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer leave the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne (AAP Image via AP)

The legal battle she had waged in Jerusalem courts since 2014 ended in 2021 when she boarded a flight toward Melbourne at Ben Gurion Airport, with her ankles and wrists shackled.

The news of Leifers extradition was welcomed in Australia by politicians and Jewish community leaders.

Leifer sat with her head tilted, watching the jury, and did not react as the verdicts were read. The two former students she was convicted of abusing, Ms Erlich and Ms Sapper, were in court for the verdicts.

She had earlier pleaded not guilty to all 27 counts.

Prosecutors claimed Leifer abused the students between 2003 and 2007 at the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne where she was head of religion and later the principal, as well as at her Melbourne home and at rural school camps.

A courtroom sketch depicts former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer at the County Court (Mollie McPherson/AAP Image via AP)

Prosecutor Justin Lewis told jurors that Leifer tended to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers.

Mr Lewis said Leifer engaged in sexual activities with them and took advantage of their vulnerability, their ignorance in sexual matters, and her own position of authority.

Defence lawyer Ian Hill argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offences and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defence and to jurors.

He attacked the credibility of the sisters, accusing one of telling blatant lies in her evidence.

The sisters had an isolated upbringing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, the court heard. They were around 12, 14 and 16 when Leifer arrived at the school from Israel in 2001.

Leifer will be sentenced later this month (AP)

The sisters gave evidence over two weeks behind closed doors, with the public and media excluded according to rules governing sexual assault trials in Victoria.

Other witnesses included those whom the sisters disclosed their allegations to.

Manny Waks, head of advocacy group Voice Against Child Sex Abuse and a supporter of the three sisters, said the result was tinged with sadness because the allegations relating to Ms Meyer were not proven.

The length of time its taken and the many challenges along the way most people did not believe that this day would actually come and it has arrived, and its a great day for justice, Mr Waks said.

Ms Meyer told reporters outside court that a guilty verdict was all weve ever wanted.

Since we started this battle, since we gave our police statements in 2011, to hear the word guilty is what she has fought not to be for so many years, and what we have fought for so many years to prove, she said.

Mr Waks told Network 10 television that the legal process had been challenging for the sisters until the verdicts were delivered.

The process that the sisters have gone through is unique and arduous. I attended 75 court hearings in Israel just to get her (Leifer) extradited, Mr Waks said.

Leifer will return to court on April 26 for a sentencing hearing.
Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said Finland will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday.

From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
An Indian court has suspended a two-year prison sentence for Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as he appeals against a criminal conviction for mocking the Prime Ministers surname that saw him expelled from Parliament, dealing a huge blow to his Congress Party ahead of general elections next year.

Gandhi, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his main challenger in the 2024 polls, was ousted after a court sentenced him to two years in prison for defamation over a comment made in a 2019 election speech.

The prosecution of Gandhi, the great-grandson of Indias first prime minister and scion of the dynastic Congress party, was widely condemned by opponents of Mr Modi as the latest assaults against democracy and free speech by a ruling government seeking to crush dissent.

The speed of his removal from Parliament shocked political circles in India.

Gandhi appeared in a court in the western state of Gujarat on Monday to file an appeal and was granted bail for the duration of his appeals. He was given 30 days bail to file an appeal when he was convicted last month. The court set the next hearing for April 13.

A man who shares the Prime Ministers surname, which is common in his home state of Gujarat, accused Gandhi of defamation over a 2019 speech in which he asked: Why do all thieves have Modi as their surname?

Gandhi then referred to three well-known, and unrelated Modis, in the speech: a fugitive Indian diamond tycoon, a cricket executive banned from the Indian Premier League, and the prime minister.

The petitioner who filed the case is a member of Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat, but is not related to the prime minister or the other two Modis Gandhi invoked in his speech.

Gandhi was convicted on March 23 and expelled from Parliament the next day, sparking opposition members to rally to his defence, calling his expulsion a new low for Indias constitutional democracy. Gandhi was given bail for 30 days.

Under Indian law, a criminal conviction with a prison sentence of two years or more is grounds for expulsion from Parliament.

If Gandhis conviction is not suspended or overturned by a higher court, he could face prison and will likely not be able to contest national elections in 2024.

Mr Modis critics say Indias democracy  the worlds largest with nearly 1.4 billion people  has been in retreat since he first came to power in 2014.

They accuse his populist government of pursuing a Hindu nationalist agenda, a charge his administration has denied. Mr Modis government says its policies benefit all Indians.

Gandhis family, starting with his great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, has produced three prime ministers.

Two of them  Rahul Gandhis grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and father, Rajiv Gandhi  were assassinated.

Even though Gandhi is projected to be the main challenger to the Modi government, his Indian National Congress party has suffered humiliating defeats in the last two general elections.

In a bid to woo voters, Gandhi has railed against Mr Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party in recent months, accusing them of corruption and of tarnishing Indias democratic credentials.
Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euro (57 billion) in military aid to help thwart Russias full-scale invasion, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

With no peace negotiations on the horizon, Mr Stoltenberg said the alliance is gearing up to send more assistance.

We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security, Mr Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, adding there are no signs that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war.

Nato foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces, Mr Stoltenberg said, adding: Our support is for the long-haul.

Analysts suspect Mr Putin plans to dig in and hold out against a possible Ukrainian counter-offensive in the coming months, hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will unravel.

Mr Putins invasion in February 2022 backfired in some key respects. It led Nato to deploy more troops and weapons into the territories of its members in Eastern Europe and persuaded Sweden and Finland to scrap their neutrality and seek Nato membership.

A Ukrainian serviceman of 12 aviation brigade sits inside an Mi-8 combat helicopter (AP)

Finland will formally join the alliance on Tuesday, Mr Stoltenberg said.

The war has also more tightly bound together foreign leaders viewed by Mr Putin as adversaries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is to head to Warsaw on Wednesday for a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Polish authorities announced the visit on Monday in an unusually early disclosure of the Ukrainian leaders travel plans.

German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck visit the school basement in the village of Yagidne, Chernihiv region where civilians were kept for days (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Amid fears among Russias other neighbours about the Kremlins ambitions, the leaders of Germany, Romania and Moldova were due Monday to look at ways of shoring up defences along Natos eastern flank.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is meeting Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Bucharest.

Their talks were expected to focus on security, the economy and energy supply.

Meanwhile, German vice chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the economy minister and responsible for energy, arrived in Kyiv on Monday for an unannounced visit.

He travelled with a business delegation that included the head of Germanys main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries.

Mr Habeck said the trip was meant to send a clear signal that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europes part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future.

Ukrainian Mi-8 combat helicopters of 12 aviation brigade fly towards Russian positions during a combat mission in Kharkiv (AP)

Mr Zelensky and Mr Habeck visited the village of Yahidne  87 miles north of Kyiv. Mr Zelensky visited the Yahidne secondary school, where Russian occupiers forcibly kept 367 Ukrainian civilians in the basement for 27 days in March of last year. Eleven people died in the dark, crowded basement.

Meanwhile, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, where much of the fighting has taken place in recent months, six civilians were killed in a single Russian rocket strike on the town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraines presidential office said.

Four more civilians were killed in the northern Chernihiv region when their vehicles hit land mines, underlining the perils of living in the war zone.

Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said that a spell of cold weather has deepened the civilians plight.

Freezing temperatures and snow make life unbearable for civilians, they have to survive in damp basements without power and communications and can only occasionally get out to warm themselves around a campfire, Mr Kyrylenko said in televised remarks.

The Russians never run out of ammunition, equipment and personnel whom they use as cannon fodder to keep trying to storm cities.
Former US president Donald Trump has boarded his private plane and flew from Florida toward New York ahead of his expected booking and arraignment, as the nations largest city bolstered security and warned potential agitators that it is not a playground for your misplaced anger.

Mr Trumps ground journey from his Mar-a-Lago club to his red, white and blue Boeing 757, emblazoned with TRUMP in gold letters was carried live on national television and took him past supporters waving banners and cheering the former president.
Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reference to the attack that he does not think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russias internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed on Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russias second-largest city, officials said.

Mr Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her vehicle outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of the blogger that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking about the bust and putting it on a table next to him.

Russian police officers are seen at the site of an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg, Russia (AP Photo)

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Mr Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism.

Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on February 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but did not know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny, the Kremlins fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organised massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Mr Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Mr Navalnys supporters as an internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her vehicle blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

The site of an explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg, Russia (AP Photo)

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Ms Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Ms Dugina and Mr Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Mr Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Mr Zelenskyy brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Mr Zelenskyy told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late on Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Mr Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a US correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Mr Tatarsky was born in Ukraines industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticised the military brass.
A puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions.

analysis

Amid a frantic scramble for snake antivenom in South Africa, snake bite victims are receiving half the prescribed dose - that's if they're lucky to be treated at all. Desperate veterinarians, meanwhile, are using expired doses to save pets bitten by snakes

South Africa used to have five years of antivenom in stock. Now, that stock has dwindled to almost nothing.

"This is not a shortage. It is an absolute catastrophe," according to Arno Naude from Snake Bite Assist. Naude has been assisting doctors and veterinarians with snake bite treatment for the past 15 years.

He said some hospitals were rationing the few vials of snake antivenom they had left, giving minimal doses to snake bite victims, hoping it would be sufficient to pull them through. Vets all over South Africa had run out as well.

By Sunday night, Naude had received word that there was no more antivenom that could be distributed.

"So, what we have is all we have and when that is gone we are in serious trouble. It is not time to panic but it is time to avoid getting bitten at all costs," Naude said.

He said if a patient was bitten multiple times they might need upwards of 20 vials of antivenom to save them.

"We had a guy bitten by a black mamba come in. He was already shaking and sweating. He was bitten three times. It took 23 vials of antivenom to save him....
Former US president Donald Trump has arrived in New York ahead of his arraignment on Tuesday on criminal charges stemming from a hush money payment to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign.

Mr Trumps personal plane landed at LaGuardia Airport on Monday afternoon after his flight from Florida, where he had been staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Burma Myanmar Junta Orders Civil Servants to Participate in Regimes Thingyan Festival

The Yangon Mayor pavilion during the regime-organized Thingyan in 2022.

The Myanmar military regime is once again forcing its civil servants to take part in the countrys traditional New Year Thingyan water festival to create the false impression that the situation in post-coup conflict-torn Myanmar is back to normal under military rule.

Thingyan celebrations, which take place in the second week of April, were canceled in 2020 because of COVID-19 and boycotted by the people in 2021 after the military coup.

The regime tried to hold the water festival last year by bringing in its followers and pro-regime entertainers in Yangon and persuading local residents to join the festival. However, the majority of the people avoided the regime-organized Thingyan, regarding it as the juntas propaganda attempt to show the world the situation in Myanmar was under control.

In Yangon this year, civil servants from the citys municipal body, the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), say they are being forced to participate in the Thingyan events.

I have to go to the Yangons mayor pavilion for two days to take part in the festival. We need to present the image of a crowded water festival, a YCDC staff member told The Irrawaddy.

The same is happening in the administrative capital Naypyitaw, the juntas seat of power. Here the regime has ordered each ministry to assign 60 staff to join the festival. Any ministry that fails to do so will be punished, according to civil servants in the capital.

Despite the juntas ongoing violence, arson attacks, and airstrikes across the country, the regime has announced that Thingyan will be happily celebrated by large crowds nationwide.

In Yangon, the central pavilion has been built in a public park together with 10 pavilions of government departments.

The public Thingyan festival will be held at the park and near the mayors Thingyan pavilion outside Yangon City Hall. The regime has announced it will also allow the public to set up pavilions upon request. However, the YCDC staff member said there are almost no applicants for the private pavilions.

Resistance forces are urging the people to avoid festival events organized by a regime that has killed more than 3,000 people and detained over 17,000.

The resistance groups want to rebrand this years New Year celebration as Revolutionary Thingyan out of sympathy for those who have sacrificed their lives in the revolution, those who have lost their homes and property in regime arson attacks, and those who have been detained and repressed in prisons.

Yangon residents who spoke to The Irrawaddy said they were in no mood to take part in the countrys largest celebration, citing the climate of violence and instability. Yangon has been hit by frequent bomb blasts and the regime has stepped up arrests of young people it accuses of anti-regime activities, they pointed out.

I will not go outside during the day of the Thingyan festival. No one can tell whether there will be attacks targeting regime followers during the Thingyan holidays, a 26- year-old Yangon resident told The Irrawaddy.

Possible violence is also a major concern for those being forced to attend.

Im afraid about going to the Yangons mayors pavilion. No one can guarantee our safety, said a YCDC staff member.
Burma Tanintharyi Resistance Group Attacks Civilian Bus in Tragic Case of Mistaken Identity

The express bus after the accidental shooting on Saturday night. / CJ

The Tanintharyi Township Peoples Defense Force in Tanintharyi Region has issued an apology for mistakenly attacking a Myat Mandalar Tun express bus on Saturday night, resulting in two fatalities and injuries to five other civilians, including two monks.

The Myat Mandalar Tun express bus was heading from Myeik to Kawthaung in Tanintharyi Region with about 16 passengers on board when it was shot at by allied Peoples Defense Forces between Lae Taung and Ta Moat Chone villages on Pyidaungsu Road at 8pm on Saturday. A six-year-old boy and a woman in her 40s died in the attack.

The Tanintharyi Township Peoples Defense Force said the road had been temporarily closed following clashes between regime troops from 558 battalion and the PDFs earlier in the day.

According to the PDFs statement, the resistance fighters were waiting for junta reinforcements to pass by and were not expecting a bus carrying civilians.

Because the vehicle didnt stop when ordered, it was thought that the bus was being used by the enemy, the Tanintharyi Township PDF said.

The resistance force apologized to the families and said they were deeply saddened by the loss of the people in the accidental shooting.

A resident from Tanintharyi region said similar incidents frequently occurred in the region and local people were wary of being shot at in error.

If the resistance forces want to attack the regime troops, they should only do so if they have accurate information. Otherwise, peoples trust in the revolutionary forces may decline, a Tanintharyi resident told The Irrawaddy.

In February, a civilian vehicle was mistakenly attacked with a mine by the Yebyu Township PDF in Tanintharyi Region, leaving a monk and a woman dead and six other civilians injured. The resistance group issued a formal public apology to the victims families three days after the attack.

In another incident, a vehicle belonging to the Thanlyin Thabawa Dhamma Center in Yangon traveling from Myeik to Yangon was mistakenly shot at by allied Palaw resistance forces in late November, resulting in the death of a monk.
War Against the Junta Resistance Drones Devastate Myanmar Junta Outpost in Magwe

Buildings of a junta police outpost at Kan Ywa village burn during a resistance raid in Gangaw Township last Friday. / Hyper UAV Force

Dozens of regime troops were killed and another 10 wounded in an attack on a junta outpost in Gangaw Township, Magwe Region last Friday, according to local resistance forces.

Six Gangaw District Peoples Defense Force battalions, local resistance groups, and the armed group All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) conducted the coordinated raid on the police outpost at Kan Ywa Village where some 70 junta forces were stationed.

Forty-five junta troops were killed and 10 another injured in the raid, the resistance drone unit Hyper UAV Force claimed. The UAV Force coordinated the raid by conducting drone strikes on regime forces during the attack.

The Irrawaddy could not independently confirm the military casualties.

Aerial videos shot by the Hyper UAV Force show junta troops being bombed repeatedly by the PDFs drones while defending the resistance attacks on the ground.

After sustaining losses, the junta used two MI-35 military helicopter gunships and a fighter jet to attack resistance forces.

The PDFs video also shows a fighter jet and helicopter gunships conducting airstrikes while hovering over the site of the clash.

The resistance group said two of its members were killed in the fierce fighting and another PDF fighter lost a leg when a junta landmine exploded. Nine other PDF fighters suffered minor injuries.

The PDF group claimed they had managed to destroy and burn down 75 percent of the junta base but were unable to seize the entire outpost.

Video footage also shows many buildings in the junta base on fire.

On March 30, another fierce clash broke out in Kyaukhtu sub-township in Gangaw District when the Yaw Defense Force (YDF), Kyaukhtu PDF, and Chinland Defense Force-Mindat from neighboring Chin State, jointly attacked a junta column of 130 troops scouring resistance bases on a mountain, said the YDF.

The clash lasted over two hours. The YDF claimed 10 junta soldiers were killed and many others were injured in the firefight.

After the clash, a Russian-made MI 35 helicopter gunship from the North West Military Command airbase in Moywa town, conducted airstrikes in the area.

Junta forces burned down makeshift camps set up by the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled the regime raids, the YDF reported.
War Against the Junta Resistance Fighters Attack Myanmar Military Checkpoints Used to Extort Farmers

A funeral is held on Monday for one of the PDF members killed in Sundays attack.

Sagaing Region resistance fighters on Sunday ambushed three military checkpoints in Shwebo Township, where regime troops have been extorting money from travelers and drivers, according to Burma Ranger-Shwebo, a local resistance group.

The checkpoints are located on the Shwebo-Kyaukmyaung road near Shwebo Universitys main entrance and at least six regime troops were killed in the attack, according to the group.

We prepared for two months to attack the junta checkpoints. We need to attack their checkpoints because they have been extorting money from drivers and travelers. Six regime troops were killed during the attack, a spokesperson from the group said.

The Irrawaddy has not been able to independently verify the claims.

Local residents said regime troops have forbidden farmers from neighboring villages to sell their crops unless they receive permission from village administrators. They also confiscate crops from farmers who cannot produce a permission letter from the village administrator, according to a local farmer.

We have to provide the permission letter obtained from village administrators in order to pass through the road and if we dont have a permission letter, they confiscate all of our crops, a farmer from eastern Shwebo Township said.

The village administrators appointed by the junta do not reside in the villages of eastern Shwebo Township due to the threat from local resistance forces, making it difficult for farmers to obtain permission letters.

Sundays attack was carried out by combined local resistance groups based in Shwebo and Wetlet townships in Sagaing, the resistance strongholds of Myanmars northwestern region.

Two resistance fighters were also killed in the attack, according to Burma Rangers-Shwebo.

Regime troops who have been stationed in the compound of Shwebo University since the 2021 coup have been extorting money from bus drivers, travelers and local residents.
War Against the Junta Seven Myanmar Junta Soldiers Killed in Resistance Attack on Supply Convoy in Chin State

CNA fighters / CNF

Seven junta soldiers were killed in an ambush by Chin resistance fighters on a junta convoy transporting food supplies and weapons to Hakha, the capital of Chin State, on Sunday, Chin National Front/Chin National Army (CNF/CNA) spokesman Salai Htet Ni told The Irrawaddy.

Resistance fighters ambushed the convoy consisting of around 30 vehicles including two tanks at around 8 a.m. on Sunday between Falam and Hakha.

It was the latest in a string of attacks on the convoy, which left Kale, on the border of Sagaing Region and Chin State, on March 7. Over 20 junta soldiers were killed and dozens injured in six mine attacks on the convoy between March 10 and 17, according to the CNA.

On March 21 it left Falam for Hakha, over 70 km away, and on March 27 it was again attacked by resistance forces.

Regarding Sundays attack, Salai Htet Ni said: Seven junta soldiers were killed in the attack. They come to rotate troops in and out at the bases [in Chin State], and to restock food supplies. They are preparing for military operations during the rainy season as they seek to crush us and take control of the area.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the junta casualties.

Junta reinforcements were sent to Chin State in March and continue this month ahead of the rainy season. In April last year, over 70 military trucks were sent from Magwe Region to Chin State and many junta soldiers were killed and injured in ambushes.
Editorial Myanmars Lack of Civilian Political Space

Civilian lawmakers arrive at the Union Parliament in Naypyitaw in 2020. / The Irrawaddy

The decision by the National League for Democracy (NLD) not to register under the new electoral law drafted by the Myanmar military is a decision to stay away from juntas proposed general election. Millions of Myanmar people expected that decision from the NLD, and many say that the NLD again made the right choice.

Myanmars junta-controlled Union Election Commission (UEC) last week announced that the NLD and 39 other political parties would be dissolved, after failing to adhere to a deadline to re-register under the regimes restrictive new electoral law.

Under the existing law, the NLD and other dissolved parties are no longer legal political parties. However, it is believed the NLD will continue to function and that its members and supporters will face more arrest and harassment. The NLD has survived under challenging circumstances before and the party is expected to do so again.

The fact is that whether deemed legal or illegal, the NLD will remain a serious political force in the country and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now 77 and in jail, will remain an influential figure. The NLD was disbanded before and then allowed to re-register when the country was opening up, and it went onto win landslide victories in the 2015 and 2020 general elections.

Similarly, the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) party also made a decision not to register with the regime-controlled UEC and so is no longer a legal political party. However, the SNLD still enjoys substantial support from Shan people across the country. The NLD is not alone in its principled decision not to participate in the military regimes sham politics.

But more political violence and confrontation is expected in Myanmar, which has been in crisis since the 2021 coup. Already, the conflict has displaced more than one million people.

The regimes decision to disband the NLD and other parties has already made the juntas proposed election even less credible.

If an election is held, it is likely that the majority of people inside the country will not participate in it or accept the result and neither will the international community. The regimes election will only be an attempt to restore legitimacy to prolong military rule. Myanmar has gone back to the pre-2010 period, when the previous military regime ruled, but this time things are going to be much worse.

The Myanmar military has no desire to allow space for civilian-led politics. The road to negotiations is closed on both sides.

The irony is that the military-drafted 2008 constitution granted the military a quarter of all parliamentary seats and three ministerial portfolios along with other special powers, privileges and immunity from prosecution for human rights violations.

But the military was always afraid of losing its power, privileges and right to govern or guardian the country when civilian political parties like the NLD had much more support. It was for that reason that the junta staged the 2021 coup, declared the 2020 general election invalid and announced plans to hold a new poll under newly-drafted electoral laws.

The military would have enjoyed more respect if they had decided to work with the NLD after its 2020 election victory, instead of staging a coup.

Now, though, Myanmar people look on the military with deep disgust and regard them as murderers, rapists and thugs. The criminals who rule Myanmar today have no intention of giving up power. That makes their proposed election even less credible and makes it likely that the countrys crisis will deepen and that violence will increase.
Myanmar-China Watch Myanmar Regime Signs Energy Agreement With China

The signing ceremony for agreements and MoUs between Myanmar and Chinas Yunnan government on Sunday.

With Myanmar suffering an acute energy shortage, a Chinese delegation from Yunnan Province signed a power purchase agreement with the military regime on Sunday.

The Chinese delegation led by Wang Ning, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) central committee and secretary of the CPC Yunnan provincial committee, signed a power purchase agreement for the Dapein 1 hydropower plant, as well as agreements on rice, agricultural produce and fertilizer trade, with the junta-appointed ministers for electricity, agriculture, livestock and irrigation, energy and commerce, according to junta media. Details of the agreements are unknown.

Wang Ning was on a working visit to Myanmar from April 1-3 at the invitation of the regimes international cooperation minister U Ko Ko Hlaing, said junta media.

In early March, Chinas ambassador to Myanmar Chen Hai signed an agreement with the junta on the implementation of three wind power projects in Rakhine State in western Myanmar. In the third week of March, the regimes electricity minister U Thaung Han visited China and invited investment from the Yunnan Province government and Chinese companies in Myanmars electricity sector.

Construction of the 240 Megawatt (MW) Dapein hydropower plant in Kachin States Bhamo District started in 2007-2008 and was completed in 2011. Some 19 per cent of the electricity is supplied to Kachin, with the rest sold to China, according to a 2014 report by Radio Free Asia.

It is one of the largest Chinese-backed hydropower plants in Myanmar, and the Myanmar military reportedly negotiated with China to purchase 120 MW from the power plant in the aftermath of the 2021 coup.

During his March visit to China, junta electricity minister U Thaung Han urged Yunnans government to continue to help the regime as it attempted to complete China-Myanmar cross-border power lines. The National Energy Agency of China said that cross-border power lines are intended to supply electricity to Myanmar if and when the country needs electricity in the future.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has been urging the Myanmar people to save energy, as the power projects the regime is implementing in cooperation with China and Russia are yet to deliver results,.

The regime said it is working to fulfill the national demand for electricity by 2025.
opinion

It's been a while since the Democratic Alliance was able to meet in person. For this political addict, it was an opportunity to see how the one big party outside the Congress Movement is doing. For its delegates, it was about the DA hitting the big time. On time.

Gallagher Estate. The site of so many political conferences and conflicts.

There was the ANC Policy Conference in 2007, where the only people who mattered were the man who now writes letters to Paul Mashatile and the man who now fights criminal charges by pressing charges against a journalist.

There was that time when Julius Malema won an ANC Youth League conference, ran into a VIP room, kissed a baby, and ran out again to make a speech. And then threatened to change the entire ANC.

But this time, the tsunami was of a different colour - it was blue, and it was punctual in nature.

When I arrived at lunchtime on Saturday, 1 April, for an on-air shift, all the journalists made the same point: "They're running on time, Stephen, even ahead of schedule."

It was said again and again. And, while it may sound silly, it's important.

So much of our political culture comes from parties that stem from what is often called the Congress Movement. There's the ANC itself, the SACP, the EFF, the IFP, Cope and the UDM. They all have their roots in this movement....
Thursday, Jun 17th, 2021 (1:54 pm) - Score 17,664

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has quietly dropped support for Virgin Medias (VMO2) Wi-Fi network on the London Underground, which means that customers who want to get online with this wireless broadband service will now have to pay for a pass instead of connecting for free (1 day = 3, 1 Week = 5 or 1 Month = 15).

At present around 260 London Underground stations are covered with WiFi as a result of Virgin Medias deployment some years ago, which was also made available to customers of Vodafone, EE and O2 via way of a wholesale agreement (customers of VM can of course also benefit). Meanwhile, anybody else has to pay for a special pass.

However, a number of Vodafones customers recently noticed that they could no longer access the service, which prompted one of their support agents to issue the following response via Twitter (here).

Vodafones Twitter Support said: We have taken the decision not to continue our WiFi service on the London Underground. We continue to supply 4G on the Jubilee Line between North Greenwich and Westminster as part of our partnership with London Underground. We also continue to invest in our network above ground across London, with coverage improvements at key stations, including Charing Cross, London Bridge and Waterloo in particular.

The move makes sense given the work theyre doing on the Jubilee Line (here). On the other hand, Transport for London (TfL) has previously stated that their ambition is to extend such 4G services across the whole of the Underground (tube trains) network, but this wont be complete until the mid-2020s (c.2025).

As one of several disgruntled customers said in response, Why didnt you tell us, We pay for a service and this was part of the services available. Of course, if Id known, I would have changed provider. I only found out when I asked at a station.



A related report (here) suggests that Vodafone might have started to drop WiFi support on the underground two months ago, although people only recently started to notice after they began returning to work. Meanwhile, Virgin Medias WiFi page continues to list Vodafone as being supported (here).
Friday, Mar 10th, 2023 (8:14 am) - Score 18,984

Sources close to the proposed merger talks between mobile network operators Vodafone and Three UK (CK Hutchison), which could value the combined business at around 15bn, have reportedly indicated that a deal may be announced as soon as before the end of March 2023.

The operators officially confirmed they were in discussions to potentially create Britains largest mobile network operator (MNO) last October 2022 (here), which would enable the pair to more easily invest in accelerated 5G mobile deployments and to better compete with the already merged pairs of BT and EE, as well as Virgin Media and O2. Not to mention the usual cost savings through efficiencies etc.

According to Bloombergs (paywall) sources, the talks have made good progress and a deal could be announced as soon as this month. The transaction, if agreed, would involve both companies combining their UK businesses, with Vodafone owning 51% of the combined business and their partner CK Hutchison owning the remaining 49%.

However, such a mobile-to-mobile merger would be more open to competition and regulator concerns, since unlike the aforementioned mergers (those involved tie-ups between fixed and mobile networks) it would reduce the number of primary mobile operators in the UK market from four to three  significantly impacting choice at both the retail and wholesale (MVNO) levels.

In the past, Ofcom has tended to object to big mobile-only mergers, which is partly because they wanted to protect consumer and wholesale (MVNO) competition. But a 2020 ruling by the European Court of Justice (here) made it harder to hold that position (i.e. having 3 instead of 4 operators was found to still make for a competitive market), although the regulator is no longer beholden to such rulings post-Brexit.

Nevertheless, Ofcom does appear to have softened their stance on such mergers, but big question marks remain over what position they might take on such a tedious deal. Not to mention the complexity of unpicking existing network sharing agreements (i.e. O2 + Vodafone and Three UK + EE) and how much radio spectrum the merged company would be allowed to retain (i.e. some may need to be redistributed to rivals).

On top of that, Three UK and its related MVNOs (e.g. Smarty, iD Mobile) have historically tended to be more orientated around being the markets low-cost brands, while Vodafone tends to be a bit more premium in its pricing. Vodafone did try to balance this via their own MVNO brand, VOXI, but it will need to go much further in order to match Three UKs approach.

Needless to say, the approval of such a merger is likely to hinge on what kind of concessions and commitments the parties are willing to give in order to gain regulatory approval. Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will no doubt have a difficult task in assessing all this.

Finally, its possible that the Government may also raise security concerns, given that Three UKs parent  CK Hutchison  is a Hong Kong firm and these days that tends to be associated with direct influence from China. The government has been trying to avoid scenarios in which countries like China secure a key position in critical national infrastructure. But CKH may well point out that it already controls some UK ports and power networks, which doesnt necessarily improve the perception.
Monday, Apr 3rd, 2023 (8:42 am) - Score 4,872

Consumers looking to change broadband providers in the UK will be unhappy to learn that the UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has confirmed a delay to the introduction of their faster and more extensive One Touch Switch (OTS) migration system  possibly by 6 months or more  because ISPs are not yet ready to support it.

At present, switching between ISPs on Openreachs national network is a fairly easy and largely automated Gaining Provider Led (GPL) process (i.e. just contact your new ISP to start it). The catch is that it doesnt work for operators on physically separate networks, such as Cityfibre, Hyperoptic, Virgin Media and many more (Summary of UK Full Fibre Builds), and takes up to 10 working days to run its course.

NOTE: The old switching process allowed 10 workings days for the change, largely to protect against SLAMMING (i.e. being switched without your express consent). But the new system aims to do this in just 1 day where technically possible.

The regulator sought to rectify both challenges with their OTS system, which would make switching between ISPs  on any fixed line network  faster, cheaper (i.e. no need to pay for two services at once) and result in less connectivity downtime for consumers.

Ofcom finalised all this back in September 2021 and, in recognition of the huge complexity involved with trying to adapt this to work across lots of different networks, gave the industry until 3rd April 2023 to implement it. But getting all ISPs to work together (essential for OTS to function properly) and establish a common approach has not been a quick or easy process.

In response, broadband providers from across the industry established The One Touch Switching Company (TOTSCo) as a not-for-profit vehicle  owned by the membership  to take responsibility for the development and operation of the related messaging platform. But this was only setup in June 2022 and that left very little time for development and testing of an extremely complex system, which for many smaller ISPs meant effectively starting from scratch (see last years article for more detail).

Suffice to say that delays were looking inevitable and, at our last update in January 2023 (here), TOTSCo informed ISPreview that their current best estimate for when the Hub itself would be available for users in a test environment is around August to November 2023 (subject to revision). This suggested to us that full deployment may not happen until 2024, since testing across such a complex market will probably take months. As one major ISP told us late last year  Its not that we wont be ready in April  its that the whole industry wont be ready.

Ofcom has previously informed us that they were very concerned at the slow pace of progress. At the same time, they also warned ISPs that a failure to be ready in time could be considered a breach of their rules, albeit without saying what action theyd take  the carrot (patiently delay implementation) or the stick (fines / punishment until its ready).

In the end, Ofcom has confirmed that OTS is not ready for launch and have opened an investigation (enforcement programme), but their update admits that they dont know how long it will take before the new system is actually ready.

Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcoms Director of Telecoms Consumer Protection, said: Industry has had plenty of warning, plenty of time and plenty of support to get this done. Its extremely disappointing and frustrating, and providers have let their customers down. We take compliance with our rules very seriously, and have launched enforcement action to make sure companies get this up and running as quickly as possible.

But not all ISPs agree that the fault rests with them, and have shifted some of the blame back on to the regulator.

James Warner, CSO of FullFibre Ltd., said: To say the delay to One Touch Switch is disappointing is a huge understatement. This process was announced in 2021, and we are still waiting for it to become a reality. Making switching easy for consumers will provide massive benefits to the fibre market, and they are having to wait for even longer to be able to easily adopt better broadband deals. This is another example of Ofcom falling short when it comes to supporting the wider fibre sector, specifically, the altnets like FullFibre that are working extremely hard to build alternative networks and support Project Gigabit in fairly adverse conditions.

On the one hand its easy to understand Ofcoms frustration in all this, after all theyve spent the past few years laying the groundwork for it via several long-winded industry consultations. Perhaps one problem with this approach is that, over that same period, the market has exploded with a mass of new infrastructure level competitors, many of which will be too new to have become fully engaged in the regulators earlier process.

Equally, Ofcom could have perhaps been more proactive in helping the industry to establish TOTSCo much sooner, since it seemed clear that such a centralised platform would be necessary and require the engagement of all ISPs. Setting such things up was always going to be a painfully slow and complex process, not least since getting masses of ISPs and networks to work co-operatively together can sometimes be a bit like herding cats.

At the end of the day, consumers will now have to wait much longer before theyre able to see the benefits of OTS and, in a market with this many alternative networks  where fear of switching is a known problem for many consumers (i.e. risk of extra costs and downtime)  thats hugely disappointing. On top of that, it remains unclear whether ISPs will even be ready come the new deadline.

Meanwhile, the Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA), which represents UK alternative broadband ISP networks, has set out an action plan to help firms stay on the right side of Ofcom (were told ISPs that follow this are likely to be considered compliant by the regulator). INCA are also happy to provide advice to anyone impacted by the OTS process, whether members or not (call 0330 113 2074 or email ots@inca.coop), and they have an OTS webinar on Thursday 27th April.

INCA notes that Ofcoms delay is not letting firms off the hook, and they need to be warned that they now have a few months to get all their customer services systems ready for when the switch-on does happen. This delay will not be considered a reason why operators have not got themselves together in the back office.

At the time of writing, the regulator has not yet issued their official position, and they may formally wait until the 3rd April deadline has passed before doing so.

UPDATE 9:31am

TOTSCo has revealed that theyre now entering a short period of exclusive negotiations with Tech Mahindra, to conclude a contract for the design and build of the TOTSCo Hub with associated technical and business support services.

The Hub is an essential part of the plan, but it also shows just how much work is left before OTS can be turned into a fully functional platform. Currently we believe that the release of the Hub for industry to start their OTS testing will be within the August to October window that was previously announced, said TOTSCos bulletin (thats just for the testing phase, which could take months).

In addition, we are now expecting Ofcom to issue a statement this morning.

UPDATE 10:10am

Ofcom has just stated that they have been closely monitoring industrys progress in implementing the changes, and have been putting pressure on providers to meet their requirements by todays deadline. Unfortunately, the new process has not been introduced on time. As a result, we have launched an industry-wide enforcement programme, following this failure to meet a regulatory deadline.

The regulator added that it is the responsibility of all providers to make sure they comply with our rules, including any changes we make to them. As in other sectors, the broadband industry  which is made up of hundreds of companies  has trade associations that help keep providers up to date with regulatory developments. But they also admit that ISPs are yet to give an indication of when they will be ready to go live.

The big question now is how much slack Ofcom will give ISPs under their enforcement programme or if theyll proceed to punishment. The regulator may blame ISPs, and technically theyre right to do so, but at the same time they do now have to deal with masses of new alternative networks that are still in the earliest stages of establishing themselves.

Put another way, todays market is no longer dominated by just two major networks, which made it much easier for Ofcom to take a hands-off approach in the past when making major changes. Todays market is much more complex and in that kind of environment a regulator may need to be more hands-on to get the result it wants.

UPDATE 12:20pm

A new Uswitch.com survey, which is based off an Opinium surveye of 2,000 UK adults from February 2023 to March 2023, has claimed that over 11 million people plan to change ISP in the next 12 months, but still have misplaced concerns about switching broadband  thus potentially costing 1.85 billion in overpayments  partly due to todays delay. The top reasons broadband customers are put off switching providers include a fear of being cut off (23%), confrontational sales calls (13%) and concerns about being charged twice (12%).

However, we should point out that, in our experience, only a much smaller portion of that claimed 11 million actually do end up switching ISP each year or at the end of their current term (usually around 9-15%). The consumer ambition to switch is thus often a lot higher than the reality.

UPDATE 12:42pm

Weve had a comment from Openreach.

Mark Shurmer, MD of Regulatory Affairs at Openreach, said: We agree with Ofcom this is a really important issue. For a long time customers have been able to switch easily between service providers who use our network, so its only fair that customers who currently use other networks should be able to upgrade to our services just as simply and easily. Weve been ready to implement the new policy for some time now, and we look forward to industry getting these changes implemented for the benefit of consumers and businesses throughout the UK.

UPDATE 1:40pm

A comment has come in from ISP YouFibre (Netomnia).
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.
The French dailies Liberation and Le Monde said authorities did not give a reason for the expulsion. Relations between Paris and Ouagadougou have been strained since two military coups last year.

Burkina Faso has expelled journalists working for the Le Monde and Liberation newspapers, the two French dailies said on Sunday.

Le Monde Afrique correspondent Sophie Douce and Liberation correspondent Agnes Faivre were expelled from Burkina Faso on Saturday, according to the two newspapers, and arrived in Paris on Sunday morning.

Le Monde said it "condemns in the strongest terms" the "arbitrary decision" to expel the journalists.

Liberation said the deportations were "absolutely unjustified expulsions" and suggested they were linked to an investigation into abuse by the military.

What else do we know about the expulsion of the two correspondents?

The two newspapers reported that their correspondents were visited by a plainclothes security officer that told them they had 24 hours to leave the country. The officer did not provide any written documentation and no reason was given for the expulsion, Le Monde and Liberation said.

According to Le Monde and Liberation, Faivre and Douce were separately interrogated by the same officer on Friday for over an hour each. They were asked about an article published by Liberation on March 27 that documented a video showing the apparent execution of a number of children and adolescents, according to the dailies.

Liberation cited Burkina Faso social media reports as saying that the two journalists were accused of "infiltrating" the country, having been paid "large sums" to produce "false testimonies."

Le Monde called the expulsion "inacceptable" and said it had marked a "further major setback for freedom of information" in Burkina Faso. Liberation said it "categorically" opposed the "ridiculous allegations" against its correspondent, and argued that the move was a "sign of weakness" on the part of the government in Ouagadougou.

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French media blocked

On Monday, Burkina Faso authorities also blocked the France 24 broadcaster after it interviewed the head of al-Qaeda's local affiliate in North Africa and the Sahel.

In December 2022, Burkina Faso also suspended Radio France Internationale, accusing it of airing a "message of intimidation" from a "terrorist chief." The radio station belongs to the same media group as France 24.

France 24 and Radio France Internationale have also been suspended in neighboring Mali.

Last year, Burkina Faso saw two military coups amid instability caused by an Islamist insurgency in the north of the country. Thousands have been killed by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State" group.

According to Le Monde, members of both foreign and local press have been regularly summoned by the country's Communications Ministry over coverage of counter-insurgency efforts since the coups.

Earlier this year, France withdrew troops from the country at Ouagadougou's request. French forces had been in Burkina Faso since 2018.

sdi/sms (AFP, Reuters, dpa)
The Lake Chad Basin is the largest inland drainage area in Africa and covers an area of 2,434,000 km2, equal to eight per cent of the total area of the African continent.

The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has urged the international community to fully support Nigeria's quest to save Lake Chad from extinction and revive its potential.

Mr Adamu, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, said it was important to lend his voice to President Muhammadu Buhari's call to revive Lake Chad.

Mr Adamu was in New York to attend the just-concluded 2023 UN Water Conference.

"If you recall from the beginning of this administration, President Buhari has made this call in several fora, especially at all the engagements during Conference of Parties (COP) on Climate Change and his interactions with world leaders.

"It is a consistent call because, you know, the problem we have in the North-east, problem of Boko Haram. It has been clearly linked to the lack of opportunities and abject poverty around the Lake Chad that was caused by the shrinking of the Lake. It sank as low as 10 per cent of its storage capacity 50 years ago," he said.

The minister said the shrinking of the Lake had impacted negatively on the source of livelihood of the people leaving in the area, adding that more than 40 million people were affected.

Mr Adamu said that all the opportunities for fishing, farming, irrigation, and grazing were lost, and the lack of opportunities had caused poverty in that area, giving room for a breeding ground for Boko Haram fighters.

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"From the security perspective, it's very important to make this call and from an economic development perspective, loss of jobs and poverty. Also, there is a climate change issue and desertification," he said.

The minister also told NAN that Nigeria recently ratified the Instrument of Accession to the UN Water Convention and had submitted it at the conference.

Mr Adamu said Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari, had acceded to the Water Convention as an instrument to strengthen the existing transboundary commitments under the Niger Basin Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

Nigeria shares at least one transboundary water body with each of its neighbouring states.

The Lake Chad Basin is the largest inland drainage area in Africa and covers an area of 2,434,000 km2, equal to eight per cent of the total area of the African continent.

The basin extends through Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, Chad, and Sudan. In Nigeria, the basin drains about 20 per cent of the country.

Nigeria is also home to about 80 per cent of the 100 million people residing in the basin of the River Niger, which crosses Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Guinea.

NAN reports that President Buhari ratified the Accession to the Convention in December 2022 and Nigeria also ratified the Amendment to Articles 25 and 26 of 23 November 2003.
Kuram, which translates to "keep me safe" in Tiv, was launched recently in Abuja.

To respond to cases of Online Gender Based Violence (OGBV), especially against women and other vulnerable groups, a community of women in technology, TechHer, has launched a digital platform.

Named "Kuram", the platform is designed to provide resources to address OGBV threats affecting different vulnerable groups across gender, sexual orientation, class, and background.

Kuram, which translates to "keep me safe" in Tiv, one of Nigeria's many languages that is commonly spoken across the North-central states and other parts of the country, was launched in Abuja with the support of Hivos through the Digital Defenders Partnership.

While unveiling the platform, TechHer Executive Director, Chioma Agwuegbo, spoke on the need for actionable solutions like Kuram, even as she decried "unnoticed and silent victims of OGBV lost to poor data and the non-availability of avenues to report violations."

Data on violence storage

Ms Agwuegbo further explained the platform's ability to collect and store data on digital violence while "advancing advocacy efforts and evidence for the remediation of cases."

"TechHer has invested a lot of resources to demystify technology for young women and girls through our school tour projects. It is a shame that while we encourage women to access and wield technology more, they are discouraged by the violence perpetrated against them in digital spaces.

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"Online violence goes beyond revenge porn; it is bullying, doxing, deep fakes, amongst other forms of violence perpetrated against women and other vulnerable groups on the internet," she said.

The launch of Kuram had in attendance stakeholders from civil society and digital platform founders.

Commendation

In a goodwill message, the Country Director of Plan International, Charles Usei, reiterated the importance of protecting women's safety online and the need for survivors' justice stories to be shared to encourage others to speak up.

The Executive Director of DIGICIVIC Initiative, Mojirayo Ogunlana, condemned the fact that far too many citizens, especially OGBV victims, are unaware of their digital rights due to the ambiguity of laws in Nigeria.

She recommended the simplification of relevant laws to boost awareness of internet user rights.

"Simplifying these laws provides a pathway for better understanding and, in turn, helps people to be aware that they can seek legal recourse when their rights have been violated online. Several cases have been taken to the courts simply by enabling awareness of personal rights," she said.

Speaking of efforts to advance OGBV awareness, the TechHer Women's Rights & Safety Officer, Amina Salaudeen, said they have facilitated in-person and virtual workshops for over 1,000 women and girls nationwide.

"These training sessions aimed to create OGBV awareness and provide resources, including a homegrown digital security toolkit and sharing relatable stories to encourage victims to step forward," she said.
Folk artist from N China's Shanxi committed to inheritance of suona

People's Daily Online) 13:37, April 03, 2023

At the launch of a roots-seeking season in Hongtong county, north China's Shanxi Province in Beijing on March 29, Zhang Linfeng, a suona player from Jixian county of Shanxi, received warm applause for an excellent performance.

As an intangible cultural heritage in Shanxi, the Jixian suona performance can be seen on various occasions, including funerals and weddings. Local folk artists earn a living through it, keeping the cultural asset alive and thriving.

Zhang Linfeng plays suona at the launch ceremony of a roots-seeking season in Hongtong county, north China's Shanxi Province held in Beijing on March 29, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Lu Pengyu)

"My family has been inheriting the techniques of playing suona for generations. To master the techniques, I have to practice very hard. At the beginning, I always got swollen lips and sore cheeks from practicing suona, but I had to endure the pain and keep practicing. It was not until around a year later that I finally got used to playing the musical instrument," said Zhang.

Zhang earns a living and finds spiritual enjoyment by playing suona. "I'm teaching the techniques to my apprentices in the hope that they can help carry forward the suona playing techniques," Zhang said.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
This is a verbatim presentation of the controversial telephone call between Peter Obi and Pastor Oyedepo.

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, is under fire for declaring the 2023 presidential election a religious war.

In a leaked audio that went viral on Saturday, Peter Obi was heard begging David Oyedebo of the Living Faith Church for support.

Mr Obi asked Mr Oyedepo to help spread the message to his followers in the southwest and northcentral states.

The leaked audio has since generated heated conversations and controversies on social media with many Nigerians condemning Peter Obi for championing religious-driven campaign in a multi-dimensional country like Nigeria.

Read the conversation word for word below:

Peter Obi: Good morning Daddy.

Bishop Oyedepo: Praise the Lord, how are you Sir?

Peter Obi: Fine Daddy, good morning Sir.

Bishop Oyedepo: Amen, in Jesus name we are going to get bright results.

Peter Obi: Thank you Daddy, when I hear these your calls and prayers, Daddy it's very dear to me. Like I keep saying if this works, you people will never regret the support.

Bishop Oyedepo: Amen! Amen! We look forward to God's intervention.

Peter Obi: Thank you, Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in South West and Kwara, the Christians in South West and Kwara, this is a religious war.

Bishop Oyedepo: I believe that... I believe that... I believe that... You know I did a release 'Nigeria Going Forward' and I am coming with the second one today. I wanted it out when they won't have any time to do damage control. But in the name of Jesus this would be a success. You know what I said in today's own? A sickling nation like Nigeria will require a strong and healthy personality. I said anyone whose source of wealth could not be verified should not have access to governance. So all we are doing is appealing to the conscience of people to know where to go. But I want to assure you, in the name of Jesus, that the result will be favourable.

Peter Obi: Thank you Daddy.

Bishop Oyedepo: So relax yourself don't be apprehensive. Are you in Lagos or Abuja?

Peter Obi: I am in Onitsha now

Bishop Oyedepo: So you will be there for the election?

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Peter Obi: Yes Sir

Bishop Oyedepo: Very good, that is where to be, I say all Nigerians have an equal stake, nobody has the right to claim that he is dashing something to someone, we are coming out of it, so how is the east generally?

Peter Obi: East is okay. East is correct.

Bishop Oyedepo: And the Middle Belt?

Peter Obi: It is okay, Middle Belt is okay but places like Kogi, Kwara and Niger are worrisome places.

Bishop Oyedepo: We will get to Kwara

Peter Obi: Fantastic, I went to Kwara and visited Olofa of Offa who told me that nobody had ever come here, with you no problem but the Christian community in Kwara and Niger, and I am also working in Kogi same way.

Bishop Oyedepo: Okay then I will target this clip to them; I will make sure it gets them.

Peter Obi: Thank you I will be looking forward to the release as well, please send it to me.

Bishop Oyedepo: Okay I will do that, God bless you.

Peter Obi: Thank you, Daddy.
The students were abducted from an off-campus hostel close to the university.

Two female students of the Federal University, Gusau, in Zamfara State were abducted by terrorists who attacked hostels used by students staying off campus in the Sabon Gida area of the state's capital on Sunday morning.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the two students, whose names were only given as Maryam and Zainab, were abducted around 01:42 a.m.

Maryam and Zainab are students of Microbiology at the university and were in their room when the terrorists attacked the area.

The police command in the state has confirmed the abduction and said efforts are being made to rescue them.

Mohammed Shehu, the spokesperson of the police in the state, said in a statement that the state police commissioner, Kolo Yusuf, has ordered a tactical team to rescue the students.

"Information received by the Command indicated that On 2nd April 2023 at about 0100am, Armed bandits stormed Sabon Gida village in Bungudu LGA and broke into a rented female hostel of the university where they locked up the two (2) civilian guards and dispossessed them of their handsets and later abducted two (2) female students of Microbiology Department of the university," Mr Shehu said.

Mr Shehu added that the command has deployed reinforcement to complement the ongoing search for the abductees.

Students in Zamfara and many other states in northern Nigeria have been at the receiving end of terrorists' activities since at least 2014 when Boko Haram insurgents abducted over 200 girls students in Chibok, Borno state.

Ever since, terrorists, loosely called bandits in the North- west, have been attacking schools and abducting students, especially in Government Science Secondary school in Kankara Katsina state, Government Science College Kagara in Niger state, Government Girls Secondary school Jangebe in Zamfara State, College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura, Zamfara state, Federal Government College Yauri in Kebbi State, Greenfield University Kaduna state and others.
Despite Chinas warnings, US House Speaker McCarthy plans to meet with Taiwans leader.

Republican US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he would be meeting Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, which China condemned as a provocation.

On Wednesday, April 5, Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be hosting a bipartisan meeting with the President of Taiwan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, stated his office.

China had warned the US against Tsais visit to the US, which was designated as a transit stopover en route to Latin America.

McCarthys statement revealed that Tsai would stop in California on her return and meet McCarthy, with around 20 US lawmakers accompanying the speaker, according to US media.

The Chinese military conducted significant exercises around Taiwan, claiming the self-governing democracy as part of its territory awaiting reunification.

McCarthy, the top Republican in Congress, had vowed to follow in Democrat Nancy Pelosis footsteps by traveling to Taiwan, where he was viewed as adopting middle ground that would avoid aggravating China.

Speaker McCarthy officially announces a bipartisan meeting with the President of Taiwan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library this Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/zPfBuDg5U1
press release

In October 2022, Lesotho held a general election to elect Members of the National Assembly. Like in any other elections, political parties had to engage in and deal with some issues related to their participation in these elections. These included campaigning, the nomination of candidates, mobilisation of voters, compliance with electoral laws and regulations, election monitoring and engaging with other electoral stakeholders, particularly the Independent Electoral Commissions of Lesotho.

Democracy Works Foundation in Lesotho within the framework of the Southern Africa Political Parties and Dialogue (SAPP&D) Programme engaged with registered political parties in pre-election capacity development and knowledge-sharing in order to contribute to strengthening the capacities of political parties for their meaningful participation in elections and the electoral processes.

It is against this background that DWF has organised a one-day cross-party post-elections workshop that will be held on Tuesday, 4 April 2023, at Avani Maseru Hotel in Lesotho. The overall goal is for political parties and the selected stakeholders to identify and reflect on lessons and experiences that can be drawn from the political parties' participation in the 2022 general elections, to inform and inspire areas of improvement and reforms for future elections.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

The workshop will target 64 registered political parties that participated in the elections and other relevant electoral stakeholders to:

Provide political parties with a platform through which they can reflect on how they prepared for and participated in the 2022 elections, identifying party-specific areas of improvement for future elections.

Reflect on how political parties promoted the participation of women and young people in elections and electoral processes for the 2022 elections to identify areas for improvement or reforms.

Provide political party assistance providers and implementers such as DWF with an opportunity to identify and reflect on lessons that can inform future programming in strengthening the capacities of political parties to participate in electoral processes meaningfully.

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--

About SAPP&D

Southern Africa Political Parties and Dialogue (SAPP&D) programme that DWF implements in Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia is made possible by funding from USAID. DWF's mission is to provide tools to build resilient democracies that are sustainable and consensus-orientated in the southern African region.
Montenegros former economy minister Jakov Milatovic has won the presidential election run-off against long-time incumbent Milo Djukanovic, ending over three decades of his rule in the small Balkan republic.

Milatovic, aged 37 and educated in the West, campaigned on promises of improving living standards, fighting corruption, and strengthening ties with Serbia and the European Union.

Supporters of his right-centrist Europe Now Movement celebrated his victory with honking car horns and fireworks, while Djukanovic, aged 61 and a former communist, conceded defeat.

Accused of corruption and ties to organised crime, he led Montenegro to independence from a state union with Serbia in 2006 and to NATO membership in 2017.

The country is a candidate to join the European Union. In spite of the largely ceremonial nature of the presidency, Milatovics victory may boost his partys prospects in snap elections scheduled for June.
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France needs to improve access to palliative care and that a draft bill will be presented by the end of the summer to address the issue of allowing some form of assisted dying.

He noted that the proposed legislation would be built on the discussions held by a randomly-selected group of 184 French citizens who have deliberated on the issue since December, with 76% of them favouring some form of assisted dying for those who desire it.

Macron did not specify whether the proposed bill would allow for euthanasia or assisted suicide or both, but emphasised that a consensus on such a sensitive issue is very important.

The French national council of doctors, lOrdre des medecins, has expressed opposition to involving doctors in helping people to end their lives.

A number of countries in Europe  such as Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain  allow assisted suicide or euthanasia, while other European Union countries, including Portugal, only accept passive euthanasia.

Last year witnessed Italys first case of assisted suicide, when an Italian man who had been paralysed in a traffic accident died after receiving medical assistance to end his life.
Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci will be on trial at a Hague war crimes tribunal starting Monday.

He is accused of leading a campaign of murder and torture during the 1998-1999 independence war with Serbia.

Thaci, who denies the charges, allegedly targeted perceived enemies of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), including Serbs and Roma, as the rebels sought to take over.

According to prosecutors, Thaci, who was known as Snake during the war, is jointly responsible for over 100 murders committed by the KLA, ranging from executions to the deaths of mistreated detainees. The trial of Thaci, along with three other men, starts at 0700 GMT and will involve opening statements from the prosecution and victim lawyers. Defence lawyers will speak from Tuesday.

Each defendant faces six counts of crimes against humanity and four counts of war crimes, including murder, torture, forced disappearances, persecution, and cruel treatment. The other defendants are former KLA spokesman Jakup Krasniqi, Thacis closest political ally Kadri Veseli, and key KLA figure Rexhep Selimi.

Thaci pleaded not guilty at a 2020 hearing. He had already resigned as president and handed himself in to the EU-funded Kosovo Specialist Chambers in the Netherlands after he was charged. The indictment accuses Thaci and his co-defendants of being part of a widespread and systematic attack against persons suspected of being opposed to the KLA.

Human Rights Watch said the trial highlights the ongoing need for justice nearly a quarter of a century after the war ended. The trial offers a chance for victims to learn what happened and highlights the pervasive impunity that still hangs over the Kosovo conflict.

Thacis rebel KLA fought Serb forces for the independence of the southern province in a bitter conflict that claimed over 13,000 lives. A NATO air campaign eventually forced the Serbs to withdraw.

After retiring from the KLA, Thaci entered politics, with then US Vice President Joe Biden hailing him as the George Washington of Kosovo. Rebel leaders of the KLA went on to dominate political life in Kosovo.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers was established in 2015 after a 2010 Council of Europe report linked Thaci to organised crime during and after the war. In the years since, he has also faced accusations of corruption, clientelism, and cynical politicking that blighted Kosovos first decade of independence.

The high-security court operates under Kosovo law but is based in the Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation in Kosovo. The tribunal convicted former KLA commander Salih Mustafa in December and sentenced him to 26 years in jail for running a makeshift torture centre. It has also jailed two Kosovo ex-rebels, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, for intimidating witnesses.
03/31/2023



Basic first aid kit. Image by Davizro via Getty.

by Brett Buckner

Its a situation no one wants to consider, but plays out time and time again. Notifications go out about an active shooter at a school or business. There are numerous injuries, and  to make a terrifying situation even worse  first responders cant safely reach the victims right away.

Blood loss is the leading cause of death after a traumatic injury, namely from gun shots, but also from car accidents or even weather-related injuries. Understanding how to treat someone suffering from blood loss is the goal behind JSUs Stop the Bleed training course, which was held on campus on March 29.

You can literally bleed out in a matter of minutes, said Dr. Danyel Munster, assistant professor of nursing at JSU. We want to provide people with the skills to keep that from happening. Bleeding can happen anywhere. To me, this is a lot like CPR. Its just a basic form of first aid that everyone should know.

Stop the Bleed is a national campaign led by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. Inspired by the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., the program encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives.

We hope no one will ever have to use it, but being prepared can save someones life, said Munster.

JSUs community health nursing students coordinated the Stop the Bleed training program for the campus and local communities, with support from the University Police Department and Jacksonville Fire Department. JSU education majors were among the trainees.

Training was divided into two sections  a lecture presented by Jacksonville Fire engineer David Bell and a skills demonstration led by nursing students. The training emphasized three skills:

Applying pressure to the wound Packing, if its a deep wound Making a tourniquet

"Its really simple, but it absolutely can save lives, said Munster, noting that the program is also a great training experience for nursing students. It helps improve their leadership skills and their communication skills. Its a great all-around program.

A community-wide training is being planned again for October, while the UPD is available to train university departments and program on request. The Stop the Bleed website also offers a resource hub for those who want to learn more.
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Oakland, Ca. (Feature: Special to Informed Comment) |  Some 450,000 Israeli protesters massed again this weekend against Prime Minister Benjamin Bibi Netanyahus efforts to disempower the Israeli judiciary, so he can pick the judges for his own corruption trials, declining to be mollified by his promises to find a compromise. Netanyahus attack on the judges is also too much for the US government and American Jewish communities to bear. Netanyahus move to undermine the Israeli judiciary and empower extreme Right elements has alienated most Democrats. In response, President Joe Biden has shown courage not seen since President Barack Obama left office, pointedly rebuking the prime minister and declining to give him the seal of approval that comes with a White House invitation. Finally, an American president said no, after Trump, the Bushes and Reagan had all empowered the worst elements of Israels far right-wing and enabled the current crisis.

Democrats to his left are asking, Joe, what took you so long? In contrast, Ted Cruz and Republicans are spinning Bidens stance as a betrayal of Israel.

As with all criminals, Netanyahu thinks the courts are too powerful. Not many are elected prime minister and even fewer are re-elected following criminal charges. Will the parallels between Netanyahu and Donald Trump never cease? Not as long as the two remain in the public eye, and out of jail. When Netanyahu colluded with his Republican allies for an invitation to speak before a joint session of Congress in 2015, he openly defied Obama, going behind his back. That, as well as his more recent sucking up to Trump violated the unwritten rule between the two nations; that no Israeli government or party should favor one American political party over another. So, the withdrawn invitation from the Biden White House has been long overdue.

Embed from Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) stands at the Knesset, Israels parliament in Jerusalem, on March 27, 2023.  Netanyahu announced a pause to divisive judicial reforms moving through parliament, after months of street rallies that drew tens of thousands. (Photo by Marc Israel SELLEM / AFP) / Israel OUT (Photo by MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/AFP via Getty Images)

The American Jewish community is also in a state of crisis and a state of flux, according to Rabbi Alissa Wise of Jewish Voice for Peace. The new Israeli government is composed of people with the January 6 mentality. Addressing President Biden, she said, Youre not helping Jews by helping Israeli apartheid; youre actually hurting Jews. Among things she finds objectionable is the stated goal of Israeli Finance Minister Bezelal Smotrich to initiate a formal ethnic cleansing in the town of Huwwara, and other Palestinian areas. He and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have led the effort in the new government to terrorize and marginalize Palestinians out of existence and history.

Embed from Getty Images

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL  MARCH 11: Protesters hold signs and flags during a massive protest against the governments judicial overhaul plan on March 11, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Netanyahu government is pushing ahead with proposed overhaul of the judiciary that would limit the Israeli Supreme Courts ability to review and strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. Critics say the changes will undermine judicial independence and threaten Israels democracy. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Borrowing from the Trump playbook, right-wing Israelis argue that Biden is reacting to fake news, while Congressional Republicans, who constantly exploit their supposed political loyalty to Israel, accuse Biden of abandoning an ally. But the appointments of Smotrich and Ben Gvirs as cabinet ministers, make it as though Trump had been re-elected, and appointed Proud Boys leaders to sensitive security positions. Ben Gvir exemplifies Israels political identity crisis, saying that Israel is not another star on the American flag. We are a democracy, and I expect the U.S. president to understand that. Such condescension reflects the arrogance of an ill-mannered client state. Right-wing Jews and Evangelical Christians depend on a narrow interpretation of Biblical myth to provide a supposed divine warrant for Israel to annex Palestine. That is the basis for the ideology of unlawful settlement expansion in Occupied Palestine, and also for the rising, right-wing Christian Nationalism in the US.

Article continues after bonus IC video

CBC News: Israel approves controversial new national guard

Netanyahus decision to delay the legislative overhaul doesnt bring comfort to his critics, nor has it quelled the massive street protests mounted against him. Truah director Rabbi Jill Jacobs said, We are not accepting pathetic attempts at compromise. We are standing our ground and we are not going to stop protesting until the legislation is halted for good. Netanyahu has placed the bar for discourse so low that any compromise will be a victory for their agenda. By delaying proceedings, Netanyahu is positioning himself to withdraw the most draconian elements of the judicial overhaul, while leaving plenty of damage; namely, allowing the Knesset power to reverse by a simple majority any court decision it doesnt like.

Bibi fired his defense minister Yoav Gallant in March over his objection to the judicial coup, and elevated Ben Gvir to create a private National Guard with no oversight (independent of the police and Israeli Defense Forces [IDF]), devoted to terrorizing Palestinians. Ben Gvir threatened to quit his post if Netanyahu withdrew his proposal to essentially de-certify the Supreme Court, so it was never off the table. This leaves the prime minister in an untenable position between Israels greatest historical ally and his extremist coalition partners.

Though the judicial systems destruction is off the table only until the Knesset or parliament returns from Passover recess, it is expected to be taken up again at that time. Ben Gvir sounds confident, saying, The reform will pass. The National Guard will be established. The budget that I demanded for the National Security Ministry will pass in full. Nobody will scare us. Nobody will succeed in changing the decision of the people. Former Israel Police Chief Moshe Karadi said Ben Gvirs model would be a private militia to prosecute his political agenda, staffed by recruits from the notoriously violent Hilltop Youth of settler extremists. He said of Ben Gvir, Hes dismantling Israeli democracy . . .and turning Israel into a dictatorship.

In Israel, the revolution is being televised. Demonstrators include a broad spectrum of diplomats, union leaders and workers (who on some occasions effectively closed the airports), teachers, students, and most dramatically some reservists who threatened to not report for duty. Numerous elite Israeli soldiers and airmen have declared an intent to not serve if Bibis plans go forward. Israel is truly a nation torn asunder.

The massive demos are not simply about mouthing anti-establishment rants. Rather, theyve been about preserving establishmentarian democracy. The demonstrators are not leftists or radicals as Bibi claims, but include some of his former government partners, whove abandoned his agenda. Tom Friedman characterized it as, a revolt of the political center against the fringe. Unfortunately, the millions who have demonstrated against the gutting of Israeli democracy have shown little interest in achieving democracy for the five million stateless Palestinians under the Israeli military.

Embed from Getty Images

Protesters block a road and hold national flags as they gather around a bonfire during a rally against the Israeli governments judicial reform in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 27, 2023.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 26, 2023 fired Defence Minister Yoav Galant a day after he broke ranks, citing security concerns in calling for a pause to the governments controversial judicial reforms. On a day when 200,000 people took to the streets of Tel Aviv to protest the reforms, Galant  who had been a staunch Netanyahu ally  on Saturday said we must stop the legislative process for a month in view of its divisiveness. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

It is not enough that the fascist elements in Netanyahus government have provoked Israeli on Israeli volence. Smotrich and Ben Gvir have enabled Jewish settlers/squatters to inflict mob violence on Palestinian towns, though Smotrich said thats the job of the Israeli government, and not the squatters. Both men were considered among the most violent fringe elements of Israeli politics, but Netanyahu coopted them into the government so he could form a majority. Alongside the disturbances in Israel proper, the prospect of another Palestinian uprising or intifada is now being raised by observers of this sad scene.

Israel and Palestine inhabit one land with two profoundly incommensurate narratives of history. For most Jews, Israel was born out of the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust. The Nazis murdered more than 6,000,000 Jews (among millions of other minorities), destroyed synagogues and yeshivas, burned libraries and massacred millions of innocents. Israel emerged as a safe haven after a millennium of European pogroms that culminated in the Holocaust. All but the most blinkered can now see, however, that Israel itself routinely violates the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions put in place to prevent a recrudescence of fascism  one of the most tragic ironies in history.

The other narrative, equally true, is that of the Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed and subjugated by a confident and relentless settler colonialism. Fictionalizing history is a tactic used for marginalizing minorities worldwide: American Indians have had their historical land rights claims undermined by colonialist domination of American History. A vital part of the occupation narrative has been to deny the validity of Palestinian history, and interpret them out of existence with false narratives. Juan Cole eloquently summarized that dynamic recently. This phony POV has been integrated into the Israeli settler mindset through decades of politicized education. The American official discourse on Israel and Palestine has for years worn the fig leaf of a peace process. Smotrich and Ben Gvir tore it off and left their violent intentions naked. This outbreak of brutal frankness about the squatters brutal intentions toward the Palestinians has further alarmed Washington.

Netanyahu has fractured the nation into tribal factionalism. Descendants of the Sons of Jacob had some ugly civil wars in Biblical times. Now all the civil tribes are aligned against him. Is this a holy Civil War for the soul of Judaism? No, but it is a battle for the soul of Israel. The advent of the 1967 War brought a false narrative, that the health and survival of Judaism was dependent on the survival of Israel; as if Judaism would perish unless Israel thrived. Now, the triad of Bibi-Smotrich-Ben Gvir is alienating masses of American Jews as never before, and has succeeded in casting a distinct chill over the relationship of Israel with Joe Biden, one of the most pro-Israeli presidents ever.
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By Stan Cox | 

( Tomdispatch.com )  The demise of Silicon Valley Bank last month triggered plenty of angst among solar energy developers. Before it collapsed, SBV claimed it had financed or helped finance 62 percent of community solar projects in America, according to Washington Post business reporter Evan Halper. At first, it wasnt clear who might fill that gap. MAGA politicians took great delight in the disruption of what they tediously referred to as the woke economy. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) typically tweeted this non sequitur: So these SVB guys spend all their time funding woke garbage  climate change solutions  rather than actual banking. Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, the vampirish mastermind of Donald Trumps 2017 Muslim travel ban, asked all too rhetorically how much time and money that bank had spent on what he called equity, diversity, and climate scams.

Why has the right become so obsessed with climate-friendly banking? Heres a clue to answering that question: just as MAGA-world was celebrating such an interruption in renewable-energy financing, red-state lawmakers were taking legal aim at private companies and local leaders considered insufficiently deferential to the fossil-fuel industry. In state after state, such politicians are now attempting to dictate the makeup of the American energy supply  sometimes putting a thumb on the scale, at other times stomping on it.

Dictating Climate Disruption

Despite the collapse of SVB, the solar industry appears in no danger of imploding. Plenty of other lenders are stepping in to compensate for the loss. But any banks riding to the rescue, or others that openly support non-fossil-fuel energy, had better brace themselves. Republican state politicians, wielding a lot more than mean tweets, are intent on waging all-out war against private companies that dont cater to the oil, gas, and coal industries.

No surprise there. The right has long opposed any government action to curb climate change. Now, financial institutions and other private companies that, in their decision-making, consider not just profits but the environment, society, and governance (whats now coming to be known as the ESG principles) risk finding themselves under ever heavier fire. The term ESG has been around for almost two decades, but the far-right assault on companies that adopt its precepts goes back only about three years.

This spring  a season in which old mens thoughts turn to woke-ism and lots of state legislatures are in session  the crackdown on all things climate is only accelerating. MAGA legislators and treasurers are putting in place laws and regulations meant to prohibit state entities like pension funds from even considering climate issues when choosing where to make investments. Many are also planning to bar state agencies from doing business of any sort with private companies that refuse to deal with oil-, gas-, and coal-related enterprises.

When it comes to climate, its increasingly clear: the red-blue national divorce envisioned by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is already underway. In 15 of the 19 states that emit the most carbon per dollar of production (and, not coincidentally, are among the top oil, gas, and coal producers), Republicans have total control of both the statehouse and the governors mansion. Not surprisingly, its in those sooty states that legislative crackdowns on climate-conscious policies are proliferating. In contrast, at least 15 of the lowest-emitting states have passed, or at least considered, bills that aim to prohibit the investment of state funds in the fossil-fuel business.

In a March 11th post, the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance reported on recent anti-climate activity in states across America. Idaho and North Dakota now have laws that prohibit officials from taking climate into account when investing state funds. Legislators in Iowa and Oklahoma have similar bills in the works, while state treasurers and attorneys general in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi have issued policy statements or directives aimed at punishing any company that considers climate change while making investment or production decisions.

Even more popular have been bills aimed at punishing private companies that boycott or discriminate against what are considered ESG-disfavored industries, particularly those involved in fossil-fuel or firearm production. Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming currently have such laws on the books. And just since 2023 began, lawmakers in at least nine states have introduced boycott bills that, according to the Harvard group, tend to be even broader or more prescriptive than initiatives currently in force.

Newly passed anti-environmental laws have been put into action right away. For instance, Riley Moore, West Virginias treasurer, took the drastic step of announcing that his state would no longer enter into contracts with Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, and certain other major banks, because those companies have stopped dealing with the coal industry. When, on the heels of West Virginias ban, the Kentucky legislature passed its own boycott bill, Moore issued a press release congratulating his next-door neighbor, saying: Kentucky joins our growing coalition of states that have taken concrete steps to push back against the woke capitalists who are trying to destroy our energy industries.

Nor does it stop with banks. The Texas legislature is, for instance, gunning for insurance companies that refuse coverage to oil and gas companies. Republican state Senator Bryan Hughes assured the Dallas Morning News that were pushing back hard on any insurers that might consider withdrawing coverage from polluting industries. If theyre gonna mess with money that belongs to Texas retirees and undermine the very Texas economy, he added indignantly, were gonna teach them some manners.

Who Writes These Extreme Laws?

That so many states have been passing such legislation is anything but a fluke. Like other retrograde measures enacted in GOP-controlled states, those bills are based on model legislation drafted for legislators by an outfit called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). One of that groups model bills, the Eliminate Economic Boycotts Act, is sweeping, if convoluted, in its language. It prohibits state governments from investing in or dealing with any private company that penalizes or inflicts economic harm on another company because its involved in fossil-fuel extraction, logging, mining, or agriculture.

When the ability of businesses (as well as governmental agencies) to pursue climate-mitigation policies is restricted, our individual and collective right to nonviolently protest against climate-busting fuels becomes that much more important. Alas, that avenue to climate protection is also being barricaded. Since 2020, such street demonstrations have increasingly been met with right-wing and police violence, while protest directed specifically at fossil fuels is being outlawed outright. Last year, at Mother Jones magazine, Nina Lakhani reported, for instance, that ALEC was behind legislation in 24 states that criminalized grassroots protests against fossil-fuel infrastructure. By now, anti-protest legislation, most often zeroing in on climate activists and Indigenous Peoples communities, has been introduced in a staggering 45 states.

Support for oil, gas, and coal is also being orchestrated by an association of state treasurers located, of course, in this countrys most carbon-heavy regions. The State Financial Officers Foundation, with headquarters in Shawnee, Kansas, is, you wont be surprised to learn, marshaling red-state financial officers and attorneys general to do regulatory battle against climate wokeism. Since 2021, its been urging state officials, according to New York Times climate desk reporter David Gelles, to use their power to promote oil and gas interests and to stymie Mr. Bidens climate agenda.

That foundation, in turn, received financial support in 2021 not only from rabidly anti-climate groups like the Heartland Institute and the American Petroleum Institute, but also from some top financial services corporations, including Mastercard, Visa, Fidelity, and JPMorgan Chase. This raised CNBCs eyebrows since those companies also promote their own sustainability investment models like ESG. Indeed, its widely expected that JPMorgan and some of the other big lenders that have been writing checks to those oily state financial officers will also be filling the solar-financing gap left by the demise of Silicon Valley Bank  diversifying their portfolios, so to speak.

Force-Feeding Fossil Fuelization, Community by Community

What about those states that find themselves on the other side of the national climate divorce, the ones rewarding ESG policies? Clearly, steering public funds away from the fossil-fuel industry is a much-needed approach in our world (and, by the way, the federal government could take another step in that direction right now by eliminating the $10 billion to $50 billion in tax subsidies it still grants the industry annually). Of course, to achieve a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, far more would be needed. Market-based measures alone wont bring about the precipitous decline in greenhouse-gas emissions that, in terms of extreme weather, the planet is screaming for ever more desperately. For that, urgent, direct action would be needed to suppress the extraction and use of coal, oil, and natural gas.

It goes without saying that coordinated nationwide action of that sort would be unimaginable in the American political universe of 2023. Even governors and legislatures determined to reduce carbon emissions can only achieve so much, given that their states exist in a national climate-policy vacuum and often share borders with ones in which increasingly authoritarian state legislatures are violating the local autonomy of communities and municipalities by force-feeding them fossil fuels.

For instance, Tennessee passed a law last year forbidding local governments from taxing or regulating any of the states energy infrastructure  with one qualification. The measure does not prohibit a local action that affects facilities for the transmission, distribution, collection, conversion, and use of solar energy. In the Volunteer State, you see, solar power is fair game for regulation and taxation, while fossil-fuel power is not.

As of last year, almost 20 states, all of them with legislatures under full Republican control, had laws on the books that forbid local governments from banning fossil-fuel gas connections in newly built homes. Even more intrusive is a Florida law that blocks local governments from restricting fuel sources distributed and used by electric and gas utilities, power generators, pipeline operators, and propane dealers.

As they snatch away the right of local communities to prevent not just pollution but the destruction of our world, such states are following a path that Texas blazed eight years ago. In 2015, local officials across the Lone Star State moved to ban the hazardous toxic-drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. In response, state legislators passed and Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that forbids municipalities from regulating oil and gas operations.

Tom Giovanetti, president of a right-wing Dallas think tank, penned a commentary supporting such suppression of local governance. Apparently unaware that he was coming up with some pretty good satire, he wrote,

Its absolutely true that the closer political power is to the people, the more responsive political power tends to be. But that can be a two-edged sword. Local governments are at least as capable as the feds of passing laws and ordinances that violate the presumption of liberty in the Constitution Tyranny isnt OK just because it is approved by a majority of your fellow townsfolk.

Tyranny indeed! And dont forget the tyranny of a world growing ever hotter and more extreme by the year.

They Keep Us Off Balance, in Fear

When MAGA legislators force their taxpayers to support the coal, oil, and natural gas industries, while undercutting the efforts of local governments to free their communities from fossil fuels, theyre not just empowering their fossil-fuelized campaign donors. Their anti-climate laws and regulations are also part of a broader effort to impose ever tighter right-wing political discipline on society. To that end, the authors of such laws  directly out of the authoritarian playbook  are intentionally vague about what constitutes boycotting or discrimination.

They dont spell out, for example, what a fund manager can or cannot consider in deciding which companies to invest in. That kind of vagueness is woven into all sorts of anti-democratic bills and laws that have been bubbling up in state governments lately. Its intended to keep those of us who care about this planets future and that of our children and grandchildren off balance, fearful, and less likely to do whats needed to keep our world safe, sane, and functioning reasonably well.

Like a doctor who might delay aborting an ectopic pregnancy until its too late because his states anti-abortion law doesnt specify how near death the mother must be before he can do so without going to prison, like the teacher who might censor her own lessons because she cant be sure certain historical information wont lead a student to feel ashamed of being white and falsely report her for teaching critical race theory, like the journalist who might shrink from covering a story about a MAGA politician for fear of being wrongly sued for defamation, its easy to imagine investment advisors who handle state pension funds or contractors who sell to state governments fearing not also doing business with oil and gas companies so they wont be accused of discrimination or boycotting and lose their contracts.

It turns out that we dont even have to imagine that last scenario; its already happening. As Gelles of the Times recently reported,

There are some indications that the conservative pushback [against climate-friendly investing] is gaining traction. Vanguard, one of the worlds largest investment firms, recently withdrew from the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, an effort intended to get institutional money managers engaged in the fight against climate change.

This is bad news. At the very moment when the worlds most knowledgeable scientists are warning that an all-too-literal hell lies in store for us, tinpot legislators in MAGA states are preparing to enforce the dominance of a deeply fossil-fuelized version of capitalism. If so, the repercussions wont stay confined within any states borders. All 50 states will be affected. That means, in turn, that communities are going to have to fight ever harder for the right of all of us to a livable future. Meanwhile, purple- and blue-state legislatures need to pass tougher laws that can help undermine the fossil-fuel industry. And the rest of us will have to focus big time on how best to flush coal, oil, and natural gas out of the economy for good before its too late.

Copyright 2023 Stan Cox

Stan Cox, a TomDispatch regular, is a research fellow in ecosphere studies at The Land Institute. He is the author of The Path to a Livable Future: A New Politics to Fight Climate Change, Racism, and the Next Pandemic, The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can, and the current In Real Time climate series at City Lights Books. Find him on Twitter at @CoxStan.

Via Tomdispatch.com
The phrase fake news continues to be deployed routinely in US politics. In a polarised political atmosphere, both Republicans and Democrats distrust media organisations affiliated with opposing parties. This means that most of what is uttered or written by CNN is fake news for Republicans, and much of what appears in Republicans-affiliated media is fake news for Democrats.

The phrase is now so prevalent and has multiple meanings to the point that it is impossible to agree on a common definition. Even fact-checking organisations or news desks contribute to the troubling phenomenon of fake news by selectively fact-checking news and information affiliated with one side of the political aisle, while ignoring the other.

Some traced the fake news story to a small Eastern European town called Veles in Macedonia. This particular claim is associated with Craig Silverman, a media editor at Buzzfeed. We ended up finding a small cluster of news websites all registered in the same town, Silverman was quoted by the BBC. The objective of these websites seemed mostly financial, clickbait, as they are called, to lure unsuspecting users to seemingly unlikely headlines.

Later, the term became very political. It was former US President Donald Trump who publicised the term, making it the major phenomenon seen today. Mike Wendling of the BBC, however, claimed that it was Trumps staunch rival in the 2016 US presidential elections, Hillary Clinton, who first used the term in a speech in December of the same year.



Photo by Latrach Med Jamil on Unsplash

Actually, fake news predates both Clinton and Trump. When I first moved to the US over two decades ago, I recall my total shock at seeing the headlines of print tabloids, always positioned at the centre of major US grocery stores: from unsubstantiated celebrity scandals, to breaking news about aliens impregnating human females before returning to their home planet. Even as a newcomer to the country, it was obvious to me that such rubbish was also fake news. Sadly, these tabloids were often sold faster than legitimate newspapers, which suggests that the biggest challenge posed by fake news is our gullibility and willingness to engage with it.

In the modern definition, fake news has grown to also include people with opposing opinions, whether these opinions are based on facts, selective facts or utter fiction. Many of us, as journalists, are caught in this impossible labyrinth. No matter what we do to demonstrate the authenticity of our sources, we continue to be haunted by fake news allegations.

The generational struggle for independent media organisations and journalists has been the constant push to create as much space as possible between them and the whims of politics and politicians. Recently, however, such a distance has shrunk significantly to the point that once-respected news organisations in the US have turned into the equivalent of political party pamphlets of old.

In 2018, Trump announced his Fake News Awards to be granted to journalists in liberal media organisations that opposed him. Fact-checkers of these organisations have dogged him ever since. His information and often exaggerated statements made him the perfect target. Joe Biden is hardly held to the same standards, not only for allegedly making false statements but, sometimes, for what appears to be more gibberish than proper English. Though Bidens funny memes, based on declarations made in various public appearances, are a staple on social media, they are rarely examined by respected news outlets.

But can we trust mainstream media in their application of the term fake news?

Noam Chomsky, one of the most articulate critics of mainstream US media and the author of Manufacturing Consent, defined mainstream media as: Corporations (which) are basically tyrannies, hierarchic, controlled from above. If you dont like what they are doing you get out. The major media are just part of that system.

Chomskys analysis suggests that those who make accusations of fake news can themselves be the purveyors of fake news, if such information conveniently serves those who control these organisations from above, especially as: Most of them are either linked to, or outright owned by, much bigger corporations.

For us in the Global South, falsified information did not originate from the small town of Veles in Macedonia or with Clintons speech or Trumps awards. Fake news has been part and parcel of Western colonialism, from its onset centuries ago, to the neo-colonialism of recent times.

Back then, the lies that often led to wars, invasions and military occupations were not called fake news but false flag operations. Many historians now understand that the casus belli behind the Spanish-American war in 1898  the explosion of the US battleship, USS Maine  was based on a lie, or fake news. Iraqs non-existent so-called weapons of mass destruction, which led to the invasion of the once-powerful Arab country in 2003, was also fake news, involving made-up stories of uranium yellowcake from Niger, the dodgy secret British dossier and other fibs.

Palestine was invaded by Zionists based entirely on fake news, claiming that the land  historical Palestine  had no inhabitants, a Land without a people ... The Palestine-linked fake news is arguably the most powerful of any colonial lie. CNN fact-checkers hardly bother to prove that God did not promise Palestine to the Zionists and that Palestinians are not the aggressors, but the victims of Zionist-Western settler-colonialism.

It behoves us all to expand the definition of fake news beyond the purely political US-Western-centric definitions waged by Republicans against Democrats and vice-versa. Lies, deceit, half-truths, misinformation and outright fake news have been the driving force behind corporate media reporting for many years. It is now becoming more obvious simply because those manipulating the media discourse from above are losing control over their own narratives.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.
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By Jeffrey Bellin, William & Mary Law School | 

(The Conversation)  When former President Donald Trump turns himself over to authorities in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, and is arraigned, the charges on which a Manhattan grand jury indicted him will likely be made public.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg obtained the indictment on March 30, 2023, following a grand jury vote, but the exact charges against Trump remain sealed. Multiple media sources are reporting the indictment alleges the former president committed business fraud.

I am a former prosecutor and law professor who studies the criminal justice system. While the complexities of Trumps case will continue to unfold, The Conversation asked me to break down the complex legal situation. Here are four key points to understand about the prosecution and what will likely come next.

1. Falsified business records are the key issue

From what we understand of the investigation, the charges against Trump appear to stem from a US$130,000 payment in 2016 by Trumps then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to an adult film star, Stormy Daniels. In return, Daniels promised not to tell the media about her alleged affair with Trump.

Media reports suggest that there could be about 30 counts against Trump, and at least some of those counts will be felonies.

Just the fact that there are so many counts does not mean that there are many different criminal events or kinds of crimes alleged. Prosecutors often charge similar, repeated conduct  for example, multiple drug sales  as separate counts. In this case, the multiple counts may refer to a series of business records that record the same or similar transactions. Or the charges may, indeed, span multiple alleged criminal events.

Media reports indicate that Bragg does not appear to be alleging that Trumps payment to Daniels was itself illegal.

Instead, Trump will likely be charged with falsifying business records for trying to hide the payment by lying about its nature in the records of the Trump Organization, his company.

Creating a false business record with the intent to defraud is a Class A misdemeanor offense in New York. But the offense can become a low-level Class E felony if Bragg can prove that Trump created false business records for the purpose of facilitating a second crime.

It is not yet clear what the second crime will be  or even that a second crime is being alleged  but possibilities include federal or state campaign finance violations or tax evasion.

2. Bragg will have to prove Trumps involvement, fraudulent intent

If there is a trial, the prosecution will have to put together a series of pieces to secure a conviction on each of the charges facing Trump.

First, the prosecution would have to prove that the Daniels payment was recorded by Trump officials as something clearly inaccurate. It is not enough to show that the payment was recorded ambiguously  like miscellaneous or even legal services. The business records at issue must be unequivocally false.

Second, it is not necessary that Trump himself created false records. The prosecution would just have to prove that Trump was the direct cause of the false entry  meaning someone followed his specific directions.

Third, the prosecution would have to prove that Trump created the false record for a fraudulent purpose and, to prove a felony, with the specific purpose of committing  or covering up  another crime.

This is important because there could be other potentially plausible reasons the defense might offer, including that Trump sought to avoid embarrassment to his family or himself. Another option is indifference, that Trump gave little thought to how the transaction was recorded. Thats why the details of the allegedly false records, and Trumps degree of involvement in their creation, will be central questions at trial.

Finally, for the felony offense, the prosecution would also have to prove that there was another crime that was either committed or covered up by using this false business record.

3. Its the most complex straightforward case in history

While everyone will be watching to see if this case is handled like other cases, differences are inevitable. For example, the New York Police Department and court officers will need to coordinate the arrest process with Trumps Secret Service agents.

Further complications will arise if there is any prospect of incarceration. Based on what we know now, there is little prospect that Trump will be jailed pending trial for this allegation of a nonviolent crime. And even if he is ultimately convicted, its still unlikely hell be locked up, based on the nature of the charges and his lack of a prior criminal record. That said, judges have broad discretion in determining sentences.

That is only a small window into the logistical challenges that await the Manhattan district attorneys office and the New York courts. If this were any other defendant, this would be a relatively straightforward case, the kind that make up the hundreds of cases in a typical prosecutors caseload.

However, Trump is not any other defendant. That means this is likely to be the most complex straightforward case in American history.

4. The judicial process will be a messy affair

Most low-level felony and misdemeanor cases are resolved before trial, especially when there is no obvious victim. Typically, the prosecution will offer a plea deal, perhaps including a term of probation, or even propose a diversion program with community service, for example, which will lead to a dismissal of the charges.

It will be interesting to see if Bragg makes an offer along those lines. Even if he does, defendants must typically admit guilt to take advantage of these arrangements, and Trump may refuse for political, personal or legal reasons to admit guilt.

So its likely the case will go to trial, a process that will be messy for many reasons  most importantly, the jury.

When choosing a jury in a criminal case, the trial judge is supposed to screen out potential jurors who are biased in favor of, or against, the defendant. Thats normally easy because the jurors have usually never have heard of the defendant.

But most potential jurors will have opinions about Trump and many will need to be excused from jury service because of a lack of objectivity.

In a trial with this much media attention, there will also be people who have strong feelings about Trump and want to be on the jury. Some of them may hide their biases. Thats a problem by itself.

Then, once the trial starts, the media attention will shine a spotlight on the selected jurors. If it becomes clear that the jurors lied or failed to disclose information in jury selection, that could be grounds for removing them from the jury in the middle of the trial. If enough jurors are removed, the case will end in a mistrial, sending everyone back to square one.

So, while there is a lot about this prosecution that isnt yet clear to the general public, one thing is clear  this will be a case with unprecedented attention and complexity.

Jeffrey Bellin, Mills E. Godwin, Jr., Professor of Law, William & Mary Law School

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV: EMM, GR: A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company"), developer of the integrated K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana (K.Hill Battery Manganese Project or K.Hill), is pleased to announce a number of senior management changes, including the appointment of Mr. Danny Keating as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company. Mr. Keating joins Giyani and its Board of Directors with immediate effect.

Mr. Keating brings almost 30 years of mining and resources industry experience, including several senior leadership roles as CEO of privately held Alufer Mining and Dynamic Mining, as well ASX-listed Lindian Resources. He is a South African qualified mining engineer, currently based in the United Kingdom, who started his career with Anglo American and Gold Fields working in production, as well as project development, project finance and strategy. He later worked in London as a mining analyst and corporate finance executive with Collins Stewart and ABN AMRO. He has practical experience of managing culturally diverse teams across multiple African jurisdictions, as well as cultivating strong relationships with government decision makers, local communities, business leaders and other stakeholders to deliver on business objectives.

Mr. Jonathan Henry will remain as Executive Chair of the Company working closely with Mr. Keating to ensure a smooth transition. It is expected that Mr. Henry will return to a Non-Executive Chair role in early-May 2023 and at such time Ms. Stephanie Hart, who has served as interim lead independent director during this transitionary period, will relinquish that role and will focus on her roles as a director and Chair of the Audit and Compensation Committees.

As part of the ongoing organizational restructuring, Mr. Derk Hartman has departed from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect.

Jonathan Henry, Executive Chair of the Company, commented:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Danny as our new CEO. He has the knowledge and expertise to allow the Company to build on its achievements in developing our low carbon process for production of a critical battery raw material and to establish ourselves as a globally significant player in the manganese battery chemicals market.

Danny Keating, incoming CEO of the Company, commented:

Giyani has the potential to occupy a strategic position in the critical battery raw materials sector and I am excited about leading the Company through this pivotal time in its development. K.Hill is one of the very few advanced projects in the battery-grade manganese sector capable of meeting the surge of demand anticipated from the electric vehicle market and I am very much looking forward to working with the management team and the board of directors to evaluate and focus the Companys strategy and deliver the full potential of the Company for all of our stakeholders and partners.

The Company has granted Mr. Keating 3,000,000 stock options (each an Option) in accordance with the Companys Stock Option Plan. Each Option is exercisable into one common share (a "Share") of the Company at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of five years from todays date. The Options have a series of vesting provisions over a period of 36 months with the provision that Mr. Keating remains engaged by the Company at the applicable vesting dates.

About Giyani

Giyanis mission is to become a sustainable, low carbon producer of battery materials for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. It has developed a hydrometallurgical process to produce high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate, a lithium-ion battery cathode precursor material critical for EVs, directly from ore from its manganese oxide deposits in Botswana, wholly-owned by its Botswana subsidiary Menzi Battery Metals (Pty) Limited. The Companys assets include the K.Hill Battery Manganese Project and the Otse and Lobatse manganese prospects, each of which has seen historical mining activities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp.

Jonathan Henry, Executive Chair

Contact:

Jonathan Henry

Executive Chair

+44 7798 801 783

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Danny Keating

President & Chief Executive Officer

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George Donne

VP Business Development

+44 7866 591 897

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Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons," as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani 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", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes the Options, the vesting provisions and Mr. Keatings continued engagement with the Company and the development of the Companys projects.

All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyani's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyani's ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks in how the world-wide economic and social impact of COVID-19 is managed; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licences and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyani's forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements.

Giyani's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyani's Annual Information Form, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) ("Lion One" or the "Company") announces a significant milestone at Tuvatu. Initial mining of near-surface, high-grade gold bearing mineralization has commenced from a recently discovered mineralized lode. To date, strike driving along the new lode totals 14 cuts for an estimated 475 tonnes, much of which has already been added to the Company's mining inventory stockpile. The high-grade inventory stockpile will constitute the initial feed for the Company's custom-designed-for-purpose processing facility, currently under construction.

Figure 1. Photo of the first cut on the lode, strike drive from the new development decline.

New Gold Lode

The new lode was discovered in late 2022, 75 meters into the new development decline, and was subsequently defined by underground mapping, chip-channel sampling, and diamond drilling.

Development along the strike has since been extended by 13m, by way of 7 separate cuts, each cut representing approximately 30 tonnes of material. Vertical development of 9m as a 1.5 x 1.5m rise has been completed, as well as an additional 7 cuts, for a total of approximately 475 tonnes of gold mineralized material, to date. Tuvatu has implemented airleg mining, which allows for flexibility and optionality to deliver low-cost tonnage at minimum mining widths of 1.8m and a rate of advancement of 4m/day.

Several recent drillholes have intersected multiple high grade intercepts. Systematic face sampling provides detailed information that compare favourably with previous drill results.

The material extracted from this drive represents the first modern extraction from the Tuvatu deposit, and as such represents a significant milestone for the company.

Table 1. Composited results from drillholes intersecting the lode. Coordinates are in Fiji map grid.

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au g/t Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip TUDDH-617 56.1 58.2 2.1 1.76 1876512.6 3920929.1 236.3 097 -60 including 57.9 58.2 0.3 6.30 59.7 63.3 3.6 2.93 including 59.7 60.0 0.3 17.01 TUDDH-619 65.0 65.3 0.3 3.48 1876257.7 3920801.2 203.2 266 -60 TUDDH-621 159.3 160.5 1.2 27.99 1876257.7 3920799.9 203.0 297 -60 TUDDH-624 79.1 81.2 2.1 20.16 1876257.5 3920800.1 203.1 262 -65 including 79.1 80.3 1.2 33.04 including 79.7 80.0 0.3 106.99 TUDDH-542 79.8 81.5 1.7 1.65 1876170.4 3920845.3 166.6 139 -7 including 79.8 80.1 0.3 5.77 TUDDH-359 93.24 95.68 2.44 4.21 1876222.0 3920742.0 207.6 359 -65 including 93.24 93.65 0.41 10.85 TUDDH-355 31.63 32.0 0.37 8.96 1876223.0 3920779.0 203.5 359 -63 TUDDH-086 241.25 243.3 2.05 9.14 1876335.0 3920736.0 226.5 279 -60 including 241.25 241.95 0.7 18.7

Table 2. Selected chip-channel results from sampling in the development decline, face samples along successive cuts of the strike drive along lode, and samples from the rise lode. Coordinates are in Fiji map grid.

Channel ID From To Interval Au Coordinates Elevation Final depth Azimuth Dip m m m g/t Easting Northing m m deg. deg. MD-CH-001 0.0 2.5 2.5 9.94 1876219.1 3920779.2 157.6 2.5 -13 -13 1.0 1.5 0.5 32.57 MD-CH-002 0.0 1.0 1.0 29.02 1876219.2 3920779.0 158.6 1.5 -13 -13 0.5 1.0 0.5 55.12 MD-CH-003 1.0 3.0 2.0 8.91 1876227.3 3920778.8 156.0 3 -13 -13 2.5 3.0 0.5 22.48 MD-CH-004 1.5 3.0 1.5 11.93 1876228.0 3920778.1 155.5 3 -14 -14 1.5 2.0 0.5 26.09 MD-CH-005 1.0 2.5 1.5 15.17 1876220.6 3920784.2 157.5 4 -14 -14 1.5 2.0 0.5 41.94 MD-CH-006 1.5 3.0 1.5 10.88 1876220.4 3920784.9 158.7 4 -11 -11 1.5 2.0 0.5 31.17 MD-CH-011 0.0 2.5 2.5 10.46 1876232.2 3920768.5 155.3 2.5 -13 -13 1.5 2.0 0.5 44.30 1155URA1STHOD.02 0.0 1.4 1.4 14.70 1876220.2 3920774.4 157.0 2.05 0 0 0.9 1.4 0.5 29.20 1155URA1STHOD.03 0.0 2.4 2.4 7.57 1876219.8 3920772.6 156.9 2.4 0 0 1.0 1.45 0.45 32.89 1155URA1STHOD.04 0.7 1.6 0.9 15.86 1876219.5 3920771.0 157.2 2 0 0 1.3 1.6 0.3 39.60 1155URA1STHOD.05 0.6 1.3 0.7 3.23 1876218.8 3920769.5 157.2 2.6 0 0 1155URA1STHOD.06 0.0 2.2 2.2 3.69 1876217.6 3920768.0 157.4 3 0 0 1155URA1STHOD.07 0.0 2.7 2.7 6.89 1876216.5 3920766.4 157.9 2.7 0 0 0.5 1.0 0.5 24.88 1155URA1NTHOD.05 0.0 1.6 1.6 2.18 1876223.9 3920790.8 158.0 2 0 0 1.2 1.6 0.4 8.07 1155URA1NTHOD.08 0.5 2.0 1.5 3.95 1876226.4 3920796.8 157.4 2.1 0 0 1.2 1.6 0.4 14.42 Rise STH side 1.2 2.0 10.35 1876214.8 3920767.3 159.9 7 60.7 60.7 3.0 4.0 9.48 4.0 5.0 20.19 Rise NTH side 0.0 1.2 12.84 1876215.4 3920769.8 159.8 7 54.6 54.6 3.0 4.0 12.85 5.0 6.0 13.93

Figure 2 A. Photo of lode cut No. 2 face of the South strike drive from the development decline; Figure 2 B. Photo of lode cut No. 7 face of the North strike drive.

Further Near-Term Development

Figure 3 shows a rendering of the development along the new lode to date. Figure 3 also provides an update to the total development achieved to date along the main decline, toward the important additional lode on which much of the detailed grade control drilling has been focused. It is expected that the decline will reach this additional high-grade lode, likely within the next month.

Figure 3. Plan view rendering of the current as-built model of the underground development completed to date. The entrance to the decline is at the top left. The location of the new lode (green) and additional lodes (blue and orange) are shown. The open gray shape indicates planned development to expose the lodes. North is toward the top of the image. Coordinates are in Fiji map grid.

Geology

The well-defined structure consists of a quartz vein array with minor to trace pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and bornite, as well as coarse native gold (Figures 4a, b), typically in association with roscoelite. Late carbonate veinlets crosscut the structure. The vein is hosted by monzonite, with well developed symmetric bleached alteration. The highly visible alteration envelope has rendered advancement on this mineralized structure very straight-forward by way of visual identification alone.

Figure 4. Photos of coarse visible gold in samples collected from the lode. A) 158.7m elevation, width of photo is ~25cm across; B) 159.5m elevation, width of photo is ~30cm across.

About Tuvatu

The Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project is located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. The January 2018 mineral resource for Tuvatu as disclosed in the technical report "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Tuvatu Gold Project, Republic of Fiji", dated September 25, 2020, and prepared by Mining Associates Pty Ltd of Brisbane Qld, comprises 1,007,000 tonnes indicated at 8.50 g/t Au (274,600 oz. Au) and 1,325,000 tonnes inferred at 9.0 g/t Au (384,000 oz. Au) at a cut-off grade of 3.0 g/t Au. The technical report is available on the Lion One website at www.liononemetals.com and on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101"), Sergio Cattalani, P.Geo, Senior Vice President Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has reviewed and is responsible for the technical and scientific content of this news release.

QAQC Procedures

Lion One adheres to rigorous QAQC procedures above and beyond basic regulatory guidelines in conducting its sampling, drilling, testing, and analyses. The Company utilizes its own fleet of diamond drill rigs, using PQ, HQ and NQ sized drill core rods. Drill core is logged and split by Lion One personnel on site. Samples are delivered to and analyzed at the Company's geochemical and metallurgical laboratory in Fiji. Duplicates of all samples with grades above 0.5 g/t Au are both re-assayed at Lion One's lab and delivered to ALS Global Laboratories in Australia (ALS) for check assay determinations. All samples for all high-grade intercepts are sent to ALS for check assays. All samples are pulverized to 85% passing through 75 microns. Gold analysis is carried out using fire assay with an AA finish. Samples that have returned grades greater than 10.00 g/t Au are then re-analyzed by gravimetric method. For samples that return greater than 0.50 g/t Au, repeat fire assay runs are carried out and repeated until a result is obtained that is within 10% of the original fire assay run. Lion One's laboratory can also assay for a range of 71 other elements through Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), but currently focuses on a suite of 9 important pathfinder elements. All duplicate anomalous samples are sent to ALS labs in Townsville QLD and are analyzed by the same methods (Au-AA26, and Au-GRA22 where applicable). ALS also analyses 33 pathfinder elements by HF-HNO3-HClO4 acid digestion, HCl leach and ICP-AES (method ME-ICP61).

About Lion One Metals Limited

Lion One's flagship asset is 100% owned, fully permitted high grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project, located on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji. Lion One envisions a low-cost high-grade underground gold mining operation at Tuvatu coupled with exciting exploration upside inside its tenements covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, an underexplored yet highly prospective 7km diameter alkaline gold system. Lion One's CEO Walter Berukoff leads an experienced team of explorers and mine builders and has owned or operated over 20 mines in 7 countries. As the founder and former CEO of Miramar Mines, Northern Orion, and La Mancha Resources, Walter is credited with building over $3 billion of value for shareholders.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Lion One Metals Limited

"Walter Berukoff", Chairman and CEO

Contact Investor Relations

Toll Free (North America) Tel: 1-855-805-1250

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.liononemetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

This press release may contain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information reflects Lion One Metals Limited's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Lion One Metals Limited and on assumptions Lion One Metals Limited believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to, the actual results of exploration projects being equivalent to or better than estimated results in technical reports, assessment reports, and other geological reports or prior exploration results. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Lion One Metals Limited or its subsidiaries to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the stage development of Lion One Metals Limited, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the actual results of current research and development or operational activities; competition; uncertainty as to patent applications and intellectual property rights; product liability and lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting mining, timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; not realizing on the potential benefits of technology; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. Although Lion One Metals Limited has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Lion One Metals Limited does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Musa Danmadami, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Whirl Punch in conjunction with Special Forces have neutralised 11 terrorists in an encounter in Kaduna.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Musa Danmadami, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Danmadami, a major general, said the troops on Saturday conducted clearance operations to the terrorists' enclaves at Bagoma, Rema, Bilugai, Dagara, Sabon Lay, , Gagumi, Katakaki and Randagi villages all in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He said the terrorists fell to the superior fire power of the troops at Kakangi and Katakaki villages during the encounter while others fled.

According to him, troops exploited the general area and recovered two AK 47 rifles, two AK 47 magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, seven matchetes and six motorcycles among other sundry items.

"The military high command commends troops and encourages the general public to avail troops with credible and timely information on criminal activities," he said.
Acquisition of Newlands Lithium Property Strengthens its Strategic Foothold, Offering Greater Opportunities for Exploration Resource Development in the Region

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - NEWFOUNDLAND DISCOVERY CORP. (CSE: NEWD) (OTC PINK: NEWDF) (FSE: M4K) ("Newfoundland Discovery" or "NEWD" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement"), under which the Company has been granted the option to acquire a 100% interest in the Newlands Lithium Property (the "Newlands" or the "Property"), located in Hearst, Ontario.

The property comprises of 11 claims (237 cells), spanning 4,962 hectares and is located 70 km southwest of Hearst, Ontario, featuring excellent highway and logging road access. This acquisition expands the Company's land holdings in the region from 10,000 hectares to nearly 15,000 hectares, all along the lithium-rich Quetico Subprovince belt.

Figure 1: Regional Map of Newfoundland Discovery's three projects located on the Quetico Subprovince in Ontario, Canada

Newlands Lithium Property

Nestled in the Quetico Subprovince in northwestern Ontario, the Newlands Lithium Property is part of an area where numerous lithium deposits have been identified, hosting significant reserves of Li 2 O. The property is set within muscovite-bearing granitic rocks, a peraluminous S-type fertile parental granite (Breaks et al., 2003), and in contact with metasediments. Metasediments serve as excellent exo-contact hosts for fractionating parental fertile granites.

The Company's expanded presence in the region situates Newfoundland Discovery in close proximity to several notable lithium deposits and projects, such as the Seymour Lake Lithium Project, the Georgia Lake pegmatite field, and the Separation Rapids Lithium deposit, among others.

The Lowther pluton and surrounding metasediments host rare-element pegmatites currently being explored by Brunswick Exploration Inc., the critical mineral exploration subsidiary of Osisko. The Lowther pegmatite is a 45-metre-wide muscovite-pegmatite-biotite pegmatitic granite containing a lepidolite to spodumene subtype pegmatite and exhibiting very anomalous Cs, Rb, Nb, Sn, and Be (OGS).

Figure 2: Map of Newfoundland Discovery's Sugaree and Newly Acquired Newlands projects located in the Hearst District around Brunswick Exploration Inc. in Ontario, Canada

The acquisition of Newlands offers NEWD a strategic position in between its Sugaree Project, surrounding Brunswick Exploration's project, and the Georgia Lake pegmatite field along the Quetico Subprovince, bolstering the Company's lithium exploration portfolio. The entire subprovince is now recommended for exploration of clastic metasedimentary-hosted, rare-element pegmatite mineralization, according to Breaks et al., 2003.

Jeremy Prinsen, CEO of NEWD, commented on the acquisition: "The addition of the Newlands Lithium Property to our portfolio further solidifies our commitment to exploring and developing high-quality lithium resources in the Quetico Subprovince. This acquisition not only increases our land position significantly, but also demonstrates our confidence in the region's lithium potential. We look forward to unlocking further value for our shareholders as we continue to advance our exploration programs."

The Terms of Agreement

Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company may acquire a 100% interest in the Property by paying a total of $128,000 to the optionors and issuing an aggregate of 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Option Shares"), according to the following schedule:

Within five (5) business days of the date of the Agreement (the " Effective Date "), pay $26,000 and issue 600,000 Option Shares;

"), pay $26,000 and issue 600,000 Option Shares; On or before the 1 st anniversary of the Effective Date, pay an additional $30,000 and issue 400,000 Option Shares.

anniversary of the Effective Date, pay an additional $30,000 and issue 400,000 Option Shares. On or before the 2 nd anniversary of the Effective Date, pay an additional $36,000; and

anniversary of the Effective Date, pay an additional $36,000; and On or before the 3rd anniversary of the Effective Date, pay an additional $36,000.

The Company shall grant the optionors a royalty of one and a half percent (1.5%) of net smelter returns from minerals mined and removed from the Property, of which the Company may purchase one-half percent (0.5%) at any time by paying a total of $750,000 to the optionors.

Qualified Person: Luke van der Meer (P.Geo.) is a consultant to the company, is a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101 guidelines - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed the technical information of this news release. Historical information contained in this news release is derived from previous workers Assessment Reports and has not been field verified.

About Newfoundland Discovery Corp.

Newfoundland Discovery Corp. (CSE: NEWD) (USA: NEWDF) is a dynamic Canadian junior mining exploration Company, with a primary focus on the exploration and development of mineral assets in active Canadian mining districts. Our portfolio of projects includes three exciting lithium prospects along the lithium belt within the Quetico Subprovince, a robust portfolio of precious and base metal projects in Newfoundland, and a strategic early-mover foothold on projects in the Detour Lake Gold Mine district of Ontario.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

NEWFOUNDLAND DISCOVERY CORP.

"Jeremy Prinsen"

President, CEO & Director

Corporate Communications

Phone: +1 (236) 513-4653

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.newfoundlanddiscovery.ca

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's exploration plans, results, and objectives. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, exploration risks, commodity prices, market demand, and other factors beyond the Company's control. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results, or otherwise.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQX: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce high-grade gold assay results from one core hole and three reverse circulation ("RC") holes recently completed at its Atlanta Gold Mine Project located 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the prolific Battle Mountain Trend.

Drilling Highlights:

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t AT22HG-8T^ 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.50 3.3 includes 170.4 183.8 13.4 7.65 6.6 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 2.6 aggregate 135.7 278.7 89.3 2.74 3.0

Table 1: Highlight hole released today. True width estimated at 90-95%. ^Denotes core hole.

Section 22-5N (W) crosses the southern end of the newly defined West Atlanta Graben (" WAG ") target, which hosts a thick section of mineralized volcanic and volcaniclastic sediments down-dropped along the western flank of the West Atlanta Fault (see March 20, 2023 , release). Core hole AT22HG-8T extends known mineralization to depth and, together with nearby RC holes AT22SE-14 and 16, defines the location of a post-mineral fault (the " South Fault ") that displaced mineralization southwest of the Atlanta pit (Figure 1).





") target, which hosts a thick section of mineralized volcanic and volcaniclastic sediments down-dropped along the western flank of the West Atlanta Fault (see , release). Core hole AT22HG-8T extends known mineralization to depth and, together with nearby RC holes AT22SE-14 and 16, defines the location of a post-mineral fault (the " ") that displaced mineralization southwest of the pit (Figure 1). WAG mineralization along Section 22-5N (W) is 150m wide and ranges from 50 to 125m thick (Figure 2). Historical holes drilled by Gold Fields in 1990 on both sides of AT22HG-8T compare closely in grade and thickness to today's hole, for example returning 2.79 g/t Au over 94.5m in ARC-5 and 2.11 g/t Au over 113.4m in ARC-1 (Table 3).





wide and ranges from 50 to thick (Figure 2). Historical holes drilled by Gold Fields in 1990 on both sides of AT22HG-8T compare closely in grade and thickness to today's hole, for example returning 2.79 g/t Au over in ARC-5 and 2.11 g/t Au over in ARC-1 (Table 3). The southern end of the WAG is geologically complicated by the intersecting E-W and N-S fault patterns, which in itself may be responsible for the higher grades and thicker mineralization seen along section lines 22-5N through 22-7N. Both Kinross and Meadow Bay considered the South Fault to be a through-going structure terminating the southern end of the Atlanta resource zone. However, Nevada King's 2021 and 2022 drilling south of the Atlanta pit clearly shows the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone cutting the South Fault and extending mineralization further south into the South Extension Target.





resource zone. The Company's current interpretation of the fault pattern immediately south of Section 5N/5N(W) opens the door for additional targets within the massive quartzite ridge that abuts the southern rim of the pit. If mineralized, this ridge, which is currently categorized as strip material in the Gustavson resource model, could provide the Company with another game-changing event with respect to decreasing strip ratios and allowing for a deeper pit in potential mining scenarios.





Given the lack of depth penetration in AT22HG-9 and severe core loss within the mineralized zone in ARC-1 a 140m zone exists between AT22HG-13 ( 82.3m @ 3.60 g/t Au, released January 12, 2023 ) and AT22HG-8T ( 89.3m @ 2.74 g/t Au). The Company is drill testing this sizeable gap.





zone exists between AT22HG-13 ( @ 3.60 g/t Au, released ) and AT22HG-8T ( @ 2.74 g/t Au). The Company is drill testing this sizeable gap. PQ and HQ size core from AT22HG-8T is currently being utilized for metallurgical testwork aimed at determining amenability of the volcanic-hosted mineralization for heap-leach recovery. Gold cyanide solubility assays within these volcanics are amongst the highest at the property to date, opening up the prospect of simple heap leach extraction, which could positively impact mining and processing costs.

Cal Herron, Exploration Manager of Nevada King, stated, "With winter conditions now behind us, drilling progress within the West Atlanta Graben will accelerate. We will soon gain a much better understanding of the resource potential west of the West Atlanta Fault by testing a rectangular area measuring 300m wide and 500m long. In the process, additional narrow, fault-bounded grabens hosting anomalously high Au/Ag grades and thicknesses like that seen in AT22HG-13 will likely be found. Nevada King will continue to focus on defining these high-grade zones that can have significant economic impact on a bulk-tonnage gold system. The Atlanta Au/Ag system is turning out to be much larger than previously envisioned, and with improving weather conditions we are eager to ramp up drilling to continue unlocking the property's potential."

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-8T 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.49 3.3 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 7.2 AT22HG-9* 201.2 205.8 4.6 2.1 6.3 AT22SE-14 122.0 128.0 6.1 0.3 <0.5 AT22SE-16 0 115.9 115.9 <0.04 0.5

Table 2: Complete list of drill results reported today. True widths estimated at 90-95%. AT22HG-9 was lost in the volcanic section just as it entered the mineralized zone and must be re-drilled. Holes AT22SE-14 and 16 were drilled on the southern side of the South Fault and delimit the southern boundary of the West Atlanta Graben. *Denotes hole that bottomed in mineralization.

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-13 109.8 192.1 82.3 3.60 11.0 Including 147.8 175.3 27.4 9.92 30.9 AT22NS-69 89.9 135.7 45.7 1.57 8.5 AR-18 221.0 257.6 36.6 0.53 1.9 ARC-5 (U)^ 131.1 202.7 71.6 2.97 11.1 includes 173.2 199.7 26.5 6.35 12.6 ARC-5 (L)* 259.1 282.0 22.9 2.23 1.9 ARC-1^ 176.5 289.9 113.4 2.11 10.8 includes 265.2 288.1 22.9 6.12 34.1 ARC-2^ 155.5 184.5 29.0 3.93 27.5 KR98-1 186.0 239.3 53.4 3.05 1.1 KR98-3 266.8 288.1 21.3 0.83 0.9

Table 3: Other holes used in Section22-5N (W). AT22 series holes were drilled by Nevada King in 2022 and have been previously reported. AR and ARC series holes were drilled by Goldfields in 1990. KR98 series angle RC holes were drilled by Kinross in 1998. *Denotes holes that bottomed in mineralization. ^Denotes core hole.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Calvin R. Herron, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Nevada King Gold Corp.

Nevada King is the third largest mineral claim holder in the State of Nevada, behind Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick/Newmont) and Kinross Gold. Starting in 2016 the Company has staked large project areas hosting significant historical exploration work along the Battle Mountain trend located close to current or former producing gold mines. These project areas were initially targeted based on their potential for hosting multi-million-ounce gold deposits and were subsequently staked following a detailed geological evaluation. District-scale projects in Nevada King's portfolio include (1) the 100% owned Atlanta Mine, located 100km southeast of Ely, (2) the Lewis and Horse Mountain-Mill Creek projects, both located between Nevada Gold Mines' large Phoenix and Pipeline mines, and (3) the Iron Point project, located 35km east of Winnemucca, Nevada.

The Company is well funded with cash of approximately $7.25-million as of April 2023.

The Atlanta Mine is a historical gold-silver producer with a NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained resource of 460,000 oz Au in the measured and indicated category (11.0M tonnes at 1.3 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 142,000 oz Au (5.3M tonnes at 0.83 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources titled "Atlanta Property, Lincoln County, NV" with an effective date of October 6, 2020, and a report date of December 22, 2020, as prepared by Gustavson Associates and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine

Resource Category Tonnes (000's) Au Grade (ppm) Contained Au

Oz Ag Grade (ppm) Contained Ag

Oz Measured 4,130 1.51 200,000 14.0 1,860,000 Indicated 6,910 1.17 260,000 10.6 2,360,000 Measured + Indicated 11,000 1.30 460,000 11.9 4,220,000 Inferred 5,310 0.83 142,000 7.3 1,240,000

Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans and the Company's ability to potentially expand mineral resources and the impact thereon. 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 Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Prismo Metals Inc. (CSE: PRIZ) (OTCQB: PMOMF) ("Prismo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assays for 277 samples from ongoing property-scale exploration of its 5289 hectare (20 square miles) Los Pavitos project located in the well mineralized Alamos region of southern Sonora State, Mexico. The best results are from the Santa Cruz target area, which yielded numerous gold assays above 5 g/t over widths of 0.20 to 1 meter. The best structure shows 20.3 g/t gold over 0.6 meters. At least six other target areas have been identified for additional detailed work to develop drilling targets for later this year. Drilling permits are in process and drilling is expected to begin in Q2 2023.

The mapping and sampling program at Santa Cruz is the first systematic exploration conducted on the project and was guided by previous regional reconnaissance exploration. A total of 175 samples (not including control samples) were taken on, and between, a series of parallel veins in the Santa Cruz area. Thirty-seven samples yielded 0.5 g/t or more Au, and seven samples also assayed over 100 g/t Ag. Pathfinder elements As and Bi are also generally strongly anomalous. Highlight assays and a general geologic and gold results map are below (Table 1, Figure 1). Full assay results and detailed metals distribution maps are available at www.prismometals.com.

"We are very pleased to see such consistent and high-grade gold results emerge from our first detailed sampling program at Pavitos," said Dr. Craig Gibson, President and CEO of the Company. "The highest gold assays came from an area of stockwork veining and disseminations where the northeast-trending Santa Cruz vein is cut by a cross vein. Both trends project under cover from there and we will try to trace the mineralized structures by trenching once permits are approved."

Table 1. Highlight assays from the Santa Cruz area

Sample Type Style Width (m) Easting Northing Au_g/t Ag g/t As_ppm Bi_ppm 11801 Channel Veinlets 0.20 677,110 3,002,140 0.68 9.52 2620 0.57 11802 Channel Veinlets 0.20 677,109 3,002,145 5.81 24.4 4510 2.11 11815 Channel Veinlets 0.50 677,273 3,002,198 3.88 1.16 592 0.51 11819 Chip Chip 1 677,068 3,002,117 0.74 5.47 620 0.12 11821 Chip Chip 0.40 677,068 3,002,115 1.12 6.87 287 0.1 11825 Chip Chip 0.60 676,817 3,001,854 6.09 6.31 2770 1.89 11826 Channel Vein 0.70 676,816 3,001,851 1.92 43.7 >10000 12.4 11829 Chip Iron staining 1 676,847 3,001,885 1.55 20.1 659 0.34 11830 Chip Breccia 0.10 676,846 3,001,885 1.67 7.04 1745 0.78 11831 Channel Veinlets 0.5 677,273 3,002,201 0.948 0.75 416 0.17 11833 Channel Veinlets 0.5 677,289 3,002,198 18.85 27.8 1355 0.34 11834 Channel Veinlets 0.5 677,289 3,002,198 5.51 83.5 4570 0.42 11847 Channel Vein 0.60 676,855 3,001,895 7.18 63.9 6780 3.26 11848 Channel Vein 0.60 676,853 3,001,895 1.81 29.5 4320 1.06 11849 Channel Vein 0.60 676,855 3,001,895 9.55 252 >10000 2.5 11850 Channel Vein 0.60 676,859 3,001,899 20.3 171 1625 2.44 11852 Channel Vein 0.60 676,864 3,001,904 2.88 10.15 >10000 0.61 11857 Chip Iron staining 0.30 676,810 3,001,936 2.43 184 2230 102.5 11858 Channel Vein 0.70 676,810 3,001,935 1.27 21 292 24.9 11859 Channel Vein 0.70 676,808 3,001,933 1.88 26.6 1100 24.4 11863 Chip Chip 1 676,808 3,001,941 2.1 26 295 22.7 11872 Channel Vein 0.60 677,068 3,001,780 1.73 211 >10000 0.9 11876 Channel Vein 0.60 676,794 3,001,830 0.776 0.82 588 1.1 11877 Channel Vein 1 676,795 3,001,829 2.95 1.67 1740 3.57 11878 Channel Vein 0.80 676,803 3,001,814 0.884 3.08 954 2.03 11879 Chip Disseminated 0.80 676,803 3,001,812 0.933 1.82 2100 3.16 11890 Channel Veinlets 1 677,413 3,002,336 0.831 1.52 418 0.35 11896 Channel Veinlets 0.50 677,288 3,002,195 7.74 63 2900 1.07 11981 Channel Veinlets 0.20 677,048 3,001,732 1.06 180 >10000 2.98 11986 Channel Veinlets 0.20 677,102 3,001,758 1.1 15.5 9040 0.59 12008 Chip Disseminated 1 676,833 3,001,870 4.44 14.75 4400 5.55 12018 Chip Iron staining 1 676,541 3,001,450 1.57 39.9 >10000 1.72 12021 Channel Vein 1 676,918 3,001,691 0.545 181 >10000 1.25 12022 Chip Iron staining 1 676,913 3,001,690 0.517 112 8360 0.65 12025 Channel Veinlets 0.20 676,509 3,001,402 0.631 32.3 >10000 0.31 12033 Chip Chip 1 677,268 3,002,193 7.52 19.8 2810 11.65 12034 Chip Chip 1 677,283 3,002,201 9.77 83.3 4040 1.15

Figure 1. Gold assays in the Santa Cruz area of the Los Pavitos project.

Mapping and sampling at Los Pavitos was conducted in the first half of 2022 and covered about 75% of the principal area of interest before taking a break for the monsoon season. In December, 2022 and January, 2023 mapping of the balance of the principal area of interest was completed and assays for 102 samples have recently been received. Two mineralized trends that reflect the main northeasterly and northwesterly structural orientations that characterize the rest of the project were defined.

Gold and associated pathfinder element (As and Bi) revealed two new target areas in the northwestern portion of the mapped area (Table 2, Figure 2). One is an area of quartz veining associated with a pyrite-rich rhyolite porphyry intrusion may be the extension of the Las Auras structural trend mapped in the northwestern portion of the project. The second target area is cut by north-northeasterly trending veins associated with a large area of silica-pyrite alteration.

Geologic mapping at the project in 2022 refined the Las Auras, Santa Cruz and Oromuri structural trends identified during earlier reconnaissance work by Minera Cascabel. Several additional new parallel structures have been recognized, including the La Espanola, San Jorge and La Ramada faults. Areas of mineralization identified during the recently completed work on the southeastern portion of the project will be added to the areas for more detailed examination.

Table 2. Analytical results for selected samples from the newly mapped area

Sample Type Style Width (m) Easting Northing Au_g/t As_ppm Bi_ppm 11760 Chip Disseminated 0.4 680,503 2,999,488 1.72 46.6 1.81 11784 Chip Disseminated 0.7 679,220 2,998,820 0.002 2.6 15.85 11795 Chip Disseminated 0.3 678,052 3,000,192 0.006 340 3.08 11796 Chip Disseminated 0.3 678,050 3,000,190 0.004 1030 1.49 11916 Chip Disseminated 0.6 678,178 3,000,507 0.372 >10000 4.04 11917 Chip Disseminated 0.4 678,171 3,000,501 0.687 >10000 2.96 11918 Chip Disseminated 0.3 678,171 3,000,501 0.059 8110 16.9 11920 Canal Vein 0.05 679,150 3,001,330 0.019 75.1 14.05 11928 Canal Vein 0.03 678,176 3,000,174 0.005 89.5 1.46 11929 Chip Veinlet 0.4 678,196 3,000,181 0.004 149 4.32 11945 Chip Vein 0.2 679,102 2,998,824 0.001 2.6 1.51 11946 Chip Vein 0.3 679,090 2,998,864 0.051 7.9 68 11948 Chip Disseminated 0.6 679,071 2,998,900 0.001 2.5 1.26 11955 Chip Disseminated 1.8 677,836 2,999,697 0.023 314 1.4

Figure 2. Geologic map of the southeastern portion of the Los Pavitos project showing mineralized areas identified by mapping and northwesterly and northeasterly orientation of structures.

QA/QC

Samples taken by Prismo are analyzed by multielement ICP-AES and MS methods by ALS Group, an internationally recognized analytical service provider. Gold is analyzed as part of the ICP package using a 15-gram digestion. Certified Reference Materials including standard pulps and coarse blank material were inserted in the sample stream at regular intervals.

Dr. Craig Gibson, PhD., CPG., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-01 regulations and President, CEO and a director of the Company, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release.

About Los Pavitos

The Los Pavitos project consists of a 5,289-hectare concession located in the well mineralized Alamos region of southern Sonora State that lies 25 km west of the well-mineralized Alamos District, which encompasses several active exploration and mining projects, including the past producing Alamo Dorado mine of Pan American Silver, the Piedras Verdes copper mine of Cobre de Mayo and the Alamos and Aurifero vein projects being explored by Minaurum Gold Inc. Infrastructure is excellent with paved highway access, electricity and water. The project, which was generated by Rafael Gallardo, was acquired from Minera Cascabel S.A. de C.V., a Mexican exploration and services company founded by Dr. Peter Megaw, an advisor to the Company (for terms see the Company's prospectus filed on SEDAR). The Company completed a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the project in March 2021 available on SEDAR.

Assays have now been received for 460 rock samples taken by the Company (excluding control samples); a further 110 samples were taken previously by Minera Cascabel. Drilling at Los Pavitos is expected to begin in Q2 2023.

Location of the Los Pavitos project in southern Sonora State in relation to the Caborca Orogenic Gold Belt.

About Prismo

Prismo (CSE: PRIZ) is mining exploration company focused on two precious metal projects in Mexico (Palos Verdes and Los Pavitos) and a copper project in Arizona (Hot Breccia).

Please follow @PrismoMetals on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Prismo Metals Inc.

1100 - 1111 Melville St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 3V6

Contact:

Craig Gibson, President & Chief Executive Officer This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jason Frame, Manager of Communications This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement and exploration program results, the ability to complete future financings, required permitting, exploration programs and drilling, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the state of the financial markets for the Company's equity securities, the state of the commodity markets generally, variations in the nature, the analytical results from surface trenching and sampling program, including diamond drilling programs, the results of IP surveying, the results of soil and till sampling program. the quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including CSE acceptance, for its planned activities, the inability of the Company to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the Company's exploration program and on the Company's general business, operations and financial condition, and other risks and uncertainties. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC PINK: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) (the "Company" or "York") is pleased to announce the start of drilling at the Pinnacle Target ("Pinnacle") on its Copper-Zinc-Silver VMS project in Newfoundland and Labrador.

This is a significant milestone for the Company as it represents the first-ever drilling at the Pinnacle Target. The Pinnacle Target is one of the most prospective areas of the York Harbour project, with significant potential to host high-grade copper, zinc, and silver mineralization.

The Company's local field team Planet X Exploration Services Ltd. & Forage Fusion Drilling Ltd. have completed the helicopter supported drill pad preparation; finalized drill rig mobilization and assembly over the initial Pinnacle Target. Drill testing is set to begin immediately.

Figure 1: Photo Image (courtesy of Planet X Exploration Services) of the Drill Pad Equipment Getting Loaded into the Helicopter to be Assembled at the Pinnacle Target, in Newfoundland

Figure 2: Photo Image (courtesy of Forage Fusion Drilling)) of the Drill Pad and Drill Rig Constructed and Assembled at the Pinnacle Target, in Newfoundland

The Pinnacle Target was historically identified as having a large anomaly, confirmed by geophysical surveys and geological mapping but has never been drill-tested. The potential of testing the outer areas of the inferred distribution of VMS mineralization with folded volcanic sequence adds to the excitement around this project.

"We couldn't be more excited to have reached this important milestone of our exploration program," stated Bruce Durham, President & CEO of York Harbour Metals. "The start of drilling at the Pinnacle target marks a significant advancement in our mission to unlock the potential of the York Harbour project. This project has the potential to greatly expand the known high-grade VMS mineralization zones throughout the project, and we are eager to witness the results of our efforts."

Qualified Person

Doug Blanchflower, P. Geo., a Director of York Harbour, and Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and accepted the technical material contained in this news release.

About York Harbour Metals

York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTCPK: YORKF) (Frankfurt: 5DE0) is an exploration and development company focused 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 15,150 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 through property-wide prospecting, focused soil sampling, and geological mapping. A substantial drill program is scheduled for this year.

For further details on York Harbour Metals, please reach out via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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,

"Signed"

Bruce Durham

CEO, President, and Director

Telephone: 778-302-2257 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. ("Nevada Lithium" or the "Company") (CSE: NVLH) (OTCQB: NVLHF) (FSE: 87K) is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo, and Director, as Vice-President of Exploration for the Company, effective May 1st, 2023. Concurrently, Darren L. Smith, M.Sc, P.Geo, the Company's current Vice-President of Exploration, will transition into the role of Senior Technical Advisor to the Company.

Stephen Rentschler, CEO of Nevada Lithium commented, "We are thrilled that Jeff Wilson, a current Director of Nevada Lithium, will be assuming a management role at the Company as Vice President of Exploration. Jeff's impressive experience includes roles as Director of Geology at Tetra Tech WEI Inc., and Manager (Geology) of listing reviews on the TSX Venture exchange. Jeff earned his PhD in Geology at Kingston University, England, and is a peer-reviewed author of multiple academic papers in international journals."

Mr. Rentschler continued, "The last twelve months have been a transformative period for the Company, culminating in the recent signing of a definitive agreement to consolidate 100% ownership of the Company's Bonnie Claire lithium project in Nevada, and production of marketable battery grade lithium carbonate. As the Company turns fully towards execution of its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), our team will benefit greatly from Jeff's steady hand and experience. Jeff will assume an increasing PFS-related daily workload over the transition period through the end of April. Going forward, we will continue to benefit from Darren's strong knowledge base and guidance in mineral exploration and advanced level studies through his new role as Senior Technical Advisor."

Darren L. Smith, current Vice President of Exploration for the Company comments: "Bonnie Claire is a strong asset with significant and unique potential to produce lithium through borehole mining techniques, where environmental and social impacts may be minimized relative to conventional open-pit extraction methods. Coupled with the increased lithium grades confirmed at depth from the recent 2022 drilling and its location in Nevada, USA, the Bonnie Claire Deposit offers a potentially unique and attractive supply proposition to the lithium market."

Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo. is a Professional Geologist registered in British Columbia. He holds a PhD in Structural Geology at Kingston University in the United Kingdom and has over twenty years of experience in various aspects of the resource industry. Building on field-based exploration for gold, copper, and silver with both junior and senior resource companies, Jeff went on to work with the TSX Venture Exchange for several years, before managing the Geology Group at Tetra Tech Inc, an international consulting firm. Since 2013, Jeff has maintained an independent consulting practice and his public company experience includes independent Board positions at Western Magnesium Corp (2014-present) and Nevada Lithium Resources (2021-present).

Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., is a Professional Geologist with over 17 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry. His experience includes high-level program management ranging from program design through implementation, reporting, and technical disclosure, as well as indigenous peoples and government engagement. Darren has assisted in company financing efforts, provided technical oversight for PEA, PFS, and FS level project advancement, and has setup and monitored complex metallurgical programs. In late 2009, Darren and his team discovered one of the world's largest REE and fluorspar deposits (Ashram), which is currently advancing towards Prefeasibility and, more recently, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the CV Lithium Pegmatite District in the La Grande Greenstone Belt, James Bay, Quebec, highlighted by the large CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite. Darren is currently Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc., and Director and Vice President of Exploration for Ophir Gold Corp.

Bonnie Claire Project

The Bonnie Claire Project is located within Sarcobatus Valley, which is approximately 30 km (19 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. Quartz-rich volcanic tuffs containing anomalous amounts of lithium occur within and adjacent to the valley. Drill results from the salt flat include 2,054 ppm Li over 67.1 m (220 ft) in drill hole BC-1601 as well as a 475 m (1560 ft) vertical intercept that averaged 1153 ppm Li.

Bonnie Claire is one the largest lithium resources in North America with a current NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource 3,407 million tonnes (Mt) grading 1,013 ppm Li for 18,372 million kilograms of contained lithium carbonate equivalent, at a cut-off grade of 700 ppm Li. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The gravity low that characterizes the valley is approximately 20 km (12 miles) long, and the current estimates of depth to basement rocks range from 600 to 1,200 meters (2,000 to 4,000 feet). The current claim block covers an area of 74 km2 (28.6 mi2) with potential for brine systems and further sediment resources.

About Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on shareholder value creation through its core asset, the Bonnie Claire Lithium Project, located in Nye County, Nevada, where it currently holds a 50% interest. A recently completed NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment returned attractive investment metrics and the Company is actively advancing the Project towards Pre-Feasibility. Learn more: https://www.nvlithium.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

"Stephen Rentschler"

Stephen Rentschler, CEO

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the word "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the proposed exploration program, development of the Bonnie Claire Project, and advancement of the Bonnie Claire Project to pre-feasibility. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSXV: GLAD) (OTC Pink: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("Gladiator" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration company focused on the advancement of multiple high-grade copper prospects in Canada's Whitehorse Copper Belt, is pleased to provide an update on ongoing data compilation of historic drilling for the high-grade, historically producing Whitehorse Copper Project.

Gladiator has continued to identify significant near-term shallow exploration targets outside of the historic areas of operation at the Whitehorse Copper Project, supported by the recent collation of historical drilling completed on the advanced Cowley Park prospect. Collation of the historic data has identified a further 53 drill holes to those previously reported by the Company, and the addition of further shallow, high-grade mineralized drill intercepts, including the following previously unreleased results:

CP-040: 89.61m @ 1.89% Cu from 26.21m

CP-018: 57.91m @ 1.27% Cu from 53.04m

CP-053: 27.7m @ 2.74% Cu from 8.69m Inc: 7.83m @ 8.34% Cu from 23.93m

CP-081: 71.44m @ 1.10% Cu from 41.64m Inc: 20.72m @ 2.64% Cu from 81.69m

CP-119: 36.27m @ 2.28% Cu from 72.24m

CP-122: 56.17m @ 1.61% Cu from 56.91m Inc: 17.07m @ 2.25% Cu from 92.05m

CP-127: 62.48m @ 1.17% Cu from 59.74m Inc: 3.05m @ 19.85% Cu from 102.72m

CP-011: 32.31m @ 1.16% Cu from 37.49m

CP-024: 44.19m @ 1.43% Cu from 51.82m

CP-028: 44.5m @ 1.18% Cu from 83.21m

CP-060: 28.2m @ 1.82% Cu from 23.62m And 17.47m at 1.08% Cu from 60.41m

CP-063: 45.36m @ 1.26% Cu from 48.46m

CP-066: 40.27m @ 1.45% Cu from 23.62m Inc: 15.55m @ 2.70% Cu from 23.62m

CP-088: 45.59m @ 1.10% Cu from 51.15m

CP-120: 33.34m @ 1.59% Cu from 72.12m Mineralization at Cowley remains open at depth and along strike (with mineralization drilled to date to a maximum of 150m vertical depth only). Compiled historical drilling was generally limited to selective sampling and assaying for copper only. Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits including Molybdenum, Silver and Gold which were proven contributors to the economics of historic operations. The Whitehorse Copper Project includes 30 known prospects within a 35km x 5km area, with shallow, high grade copper drill results reported from multiple prospects. The project has undergone limited systematic drilling external to historic mining activity (open cut pits and underground mine stopes) and near surface residual historic reserves, that remain open along strike, down dip, and in-between known copper occurrences.



Cowley Park

The Company recently completed collating historic drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect, compiling 219 holes for approximately 24,500 meters of previous drilling, including a further 53 drill holes that were previously unreported.

The collation of drilling has identified high-grade copper skarn mineralization that has now been traced over more than 700m strike (Figure 1) in historical drilling. Mineralization remains open in all directions with the most southeasterly hole, 19-CP-08 intersecting 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, the most northwesterly hole, CP-053 intersecting 27.70m @ 2.74% Cu from 33.98m and the most easterly hole intersecting 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m (Figure 1).

Mineralization at Cowley Park is interpreted to consist of multiple bodies, dipping shallowly to the south-west, with identified mineralization in historic drilling remaining open at depth with the deepest intervals drilled to date being 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m (18-CP-03) remaining open at depth (please refer to Figure 1 below for details).

Figure 1: Plan map of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated historical drill results with a cumulative Copper%*m of >40 highlighted.

The following results provide further detail on the drill results at Cowley Park illustrated in Figure 1 above Cowley Park, identifying significant "downhole mineralization", that has not been previously reported by Company, and help to illustrate the shallow nature of the historical drilling that has been completed to date:

CP-003: 16.76m @ 2.27% Cu from Surface

CP-005: 9.14m @ 3.41% Cu from Surface and 7.62m @ 1.66% Cu from 21.34m to EOH

CP-011: 32.31m @ 1.16% Cu from 37.49m

CP-016: 32.92m @ 1.49% Cu from Surface, Including 14.51m @ 2.4% Cu from Surface

CP-018: 57.91m @ 1.27% Cu from 53.04m

CP-019: 30.48m @ 1.07% Cu from 99.67m

CP-020: 32.31m @ 0.76% Cu from 161.54m

CP-023: 16.61m @ 1.49% Cu from 38.1m

CP-024: 44.19m @ 1.43% Cu from 97.54m, including 30.48m @ 1.85% Cu from 97.54m

CP-026: 41.76m @ 1.06% Cu from 95.4m

CP-028: 44.50m @ 1.18% Cu from 142.65m

CP-030: 38.41m @ 0.65% Cu from 137.16m

CP-034: 41.45m @ 0.89% Cu from 47.55m, Including 3.66m @ 1.14% Cu from 47.55m, 5.18m@ 1.18% Cu from 67.21m, 8.08m @ 1.18% Cu from 67.21m and 7.62m @ 1.32% Cu from 81.38m

CP-038: 31.7m @ 0.89% Cu from 93.88m, Including 10.67m @ 1.51% Cu from 93.88m

CP-039: 62.49m @ 0.65% Cu from 152.4m

CP-040: 89.61m @ 1.89% Cu from 26.21m

CP-042: 17.07m @ 1.41% Cu from 88.09m

CP-053: 27.7m @ 2.74% Cu from 8.69m, Including 7.83m @ 8.34% Cu from 23.93m

CP-059: 17.65m @1.15% Cu from 76.2m

CP-060: 28.2m @ 1.82% Cu from 23.62m and 17.47 @ 1.08% Cu from 60.41m

CP-061: 4.12m @ 4.63% Cu from 80.31m

CP-063: 45.36m @ 1.26% Cu from 48.46m

CP-064: 44.96m @ 0.52% Cu from 26.88m

CP-065: 34.35@ 0.87% Cu from 55.17m

CP-066: 40.27m 1.45% Cu from 23.62m, Including 15.55m @ 2.7% Cu from 23.62m

CP-068: 39.63m @ 0.7% Cu from 70.1m

CP-081: 71.44m @ 1.10% Cu from 41.64m, Including 20.72m @ 2.64% Cu from 81.69m

CP-084: 12.68m @ 1.57% Cu from 93.7m

CP-088: 45.59m@ 1.10% Cu from 51.15, Including 13.16m @ 2.76% Cu from 51.15

CP-097: 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m

CP-113: 19.72m @ 1.34% Cu from 62.48m

CP-114: 38.1m @ 0.6% Cu from 59.44m

CP-116: 21.64m @ 1.07% Cu from 75.29m

CP-117: 46.94m @ 0.68% Cu from 73.46m

CP-119: 36.27m @ 2.28% Cu from 72.24m

CP-120: 33.34m@ 1.59% Cu from 72.12m, including 22.86m @ 2.05% Cu from 82.6m

CP-122: 56.17m @ 1.61% Cu from 56.91m

CP-126: 2.72m @ 14.68% Cu from 71.29m

CP-127: 62.48m @ 1.17% Cu, Including 3.05m @ 19.85% Cu from 102.72m

CP-133: 2.9m @ 6.95% Cu from 67.51m

CP-140: 7.87m @ 3.85% cu from 36.33m and 1.34m @ 8.37% Cu from 62.67m

CP-142: 8.66m @ 2.33% Cu from 48.77m

LDN-2017 30.79m @ 1.01% Cu from 102.41m and 3.66m @ 2.41% Cu from 144.78m

LDN-2017B: 3.89m @ 7.78% Cu from 72.92m

LDN-2017C: 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m and 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m

18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m and 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m, including 5.19m @ 2.78% Cu from 139.29m

18-CP-09: 6.71m @ 6.89% Cu from 26.82m and 5.49m @ 2.11% Cu from 54.86m

Figure 2: Type Drill Section of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated historical drill results, section shows the widths and shallow nature of the mineralization drilled to date, (505,850mE)

Historically, much of the project area has been held by multiple parties before its consolidation into a coherent land package by the projects vendor, H. Coyne & Sons Ltd. As a result, exploration outside of historically producing areas has been sporadic and unfocussed to date, including the Cowley Park prospect.

At the Cowley Park prospect, diamond drilling was carried out in the late 1960s by New Imperial Mines Limited (NIM), with drilling loosely defining the main mineralized zone. More thorough drilling was conducted in the early 1970s by Whitehorse Copper Mines Ltd (WCM). Drilling completed by WCM, defined a shallow historical reserve prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 that was never exploited before the closure of the Whitehorse Copper Mine. Further drilling was completed at Cowley Park by Yankee Hat Minerals Ltd (2008) Lobo Del Norte Ltd (2016-18) and H.Coyne & Sons Ltd. (2018-20).

Gladiator commenced consolidating the historic drilling at Cowley Park late last year, as part of an overall digital data consolidation of drilling and mining activity of the entire Project. This represents the first time a comprehensive review of regional datasets has been undertaken since the mine(s) closure in 1989.

The Cowley Park, compilation comprised entering and registering historic drilling from the original geological drill logs and assay data held by the Yukon Government Archives or reported in Assessment reports and/or excel spreadsheets completed by geologists from previous operators and H. Coyne & Sons Ltd. that were referenced in the report released by the Company on the 7th February, 2023 titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Whitehorse Copper Project Yukon Territory".

This data was captured by Gladiator and recorded in digital format, validated, and loaded into an industry standard database for the first time. This work identified a large amount of drilling (219 holes), including the addition of 53 holes from archival geological drill logs.

Historic downhole drill hole intercepts at Cowley Park previously reported by Gladiator (refer to the Company's news release dated February 13, 2023) included:

CP-112: 54.25m @ 1.79% Cu from 41.76m, including 10.67m @ 6.93% Cu from 85.34m

CP-115: 20.73m @ 1.19% Cu from 47.85m and 32.62m @ 2.46% Cu from 80.77m

CP-125: 23.32m @ 3.53% cu from 51.51m, including 18.44m @ 4.42% Cu, from 56.39m downhole & 10.31m @ 1.41% Cu from 87.84m

CP-144: 53.38m @ 1.35% Cu from 19.17m, including 38.57m @ 1.73% Cu, 7.15 g/t Ag from 33.98m

18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m, 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m

18-CP-06: 31.09m @ 1.27% Cu from 71.02m, including 23.04m @ 1.59% Cu, 10.28 g/t Ag from 74.98m

19-CP-08: 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, including 40.54m @ 2.36% Cu & 4.75 g/t Ag from 95.1m, including 13.72m @ 5.41% Cu & 19.22 g/t Ag from 109.42 m

Holes were drilled at various dips on nominal grid with lines oriented ~011 degrees, with holes CP-001 -135 analyzed for predominantly Copper exclusively by the operators internal laboratory. A complete list of the complied holes, significant intercepts, and their details, including their drill collar location, direction of the hole (dip and azimuth) and hole depth can be found at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mn25VTZ5DSvCH-NfXUYRnCmB6WxwWVE5NVYMdYKd41U/edit#gid=1204953821

The drill results reported in this news release are historical in nature. Gladiator has not undertaken any independent investigation, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. The Company believes that the historical drill results do not conform to the presently accepted industry standards and practices.

Gladiator considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration and drilling programs. The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling.



Exploration Update

The Company is carrying out a significant data compilation and review of the available historic drilling over the greater tenement package. Work completed to date has identified more than 30, drill ready, high-grade regional targets associated with copper rich skarns at the contact between the Cretaceous age Whitehorse Plutonic Suite and the Triassic to Jurassic Lewes River Group's clastic and carbonate metasediments. Cumulatively, there is more than 35km of underexplored strike on the contact which is highly prospective for high-grade Copper+/-Molybdenum+/-Silver+/- Gold (refer to Figure 3 below).

Figure 3: Plan map of the Whitehorse Copper Project showing geology and location of key prospects within the main trend (Quoted Historic Resources and Reserves after Tenny, D (1984) & Watson, P.H. (1984).

Reference to historic resources and reserves at the Whitehorse Copper Project are taken from publicly available reports mainly, The Whitehorse Copper Belt, Mining and Geology (1967-1980) prepared by Tenney, D in 1984 for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Additional information was taken from the report by Watson, P.H, 1984 The Whitehorse Copper belt - A Compilation, prepared for the Yukon Geological Survey. These documents can be found at the following links: https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42205#InfoTab

https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011#InfoTab

The historical mineral resources discussed in this press release were calculated using mining industry standard practices for estimating Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves prior to the implementation of the current CIM standards for mineral resource estimation (as defined by the CIM Definition Standard on Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves dated May 10, 2014). The reader is cautioned not to treat them, or any part of them, as current mineral resources, or reserves. An independent Qualified Person ('QP'), has not done sufficient work to classify the estimate discussed as current mineral resources or reserves and therefore the estimate should be treated as historical in nature and not current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The historical resources have been included simply to demonstrate the mineral potential of the Whitehorse Copper Project. A thorough review of all historical data performed by a QP, along with additional exploration work to confirm results, would be required in order to produce a current mineral resource estimate for each of the key prospects. For greater certainty, the Company confirms that it does not have a current mineral resource on any part of its Whitehorse Copper Project.

Moving forward, the Company's initial exploration plan will focus on defining and extending mineralization at the Cowley Park Copper deposit, with diamond drilling scheduled to commence in April. Cowley Park had reached feasibility stage before operations were shut down in 1982. Identified mineralisation at Cowley remains open along strike and down dip. Prior to the recent collation of drilling completed by Gladiator, drilling has never been fully collated and displayed in modern three-dimensional mining related software.

Additionally, in the short term, Gladiator has commenced logging and sampling of approximately 10,000 meters of unassayed core from exploration drilling completed in recent years that is yet to be assayed and logged.

Gladiator's position is enhanced at Whitehorse, with the project having near year-round access for work programs, including an established road and drill access network, low capital infrastructure requirements due to the project's proximity to Whitehorse and a strong partnership with the owners of the Whitehorse Copper Project, an experienced local drilling service provider.

About the Whitehorse Copper Project



The Whitehorse Copper Project is an advanced-stage copper (Cu)  molybdenum (Mo)  silver (Ag)  gold (Au) skarn exploration project in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The property comprises 314 contiguous claims covering approximately 5,380 Hectares (13,294 acres) in the Whitehorse Mining District.

Copper mineralization was first discovered in 1897 on the Whitehorse Copper Belt, as it became to be known. The Whitehorse Copper Belt comprised over 30 copper-related, primarily skarn occurrences covering an area of 35 by 5 km in a north westerly trending arc. Exploration and mining development have been carried out intermittently since that time with the main production era lasting between 1967 and 1982 where production totaled 267,500,000 pounds copper, 225,000 ounces of gold and 2,838,000 ounces of silver from 11.1 million tons of mineralized skarn ore milled (Watson, 1984).

The Project is accessible through with numerous access roads and trails located within 2 km of the South Klondike Highway and the Alaska Highway. An extensive network of historical gravel exploration and haul roads exists throughout the project area, providing excellent access to the majority of the claim package. Access to existing electric power facilities is available through the main Yukon power grid.

In November 2022, Gladiator executed an option agreement to acquire 100% of the Whitehorse Copper Project by incurring exploration expenditure of $12m on the project, staged payment of $300,000 in cash and the staged issue of 15m shares over 6 years. Following the exercise of the Option, the Company must pay the Optionor, or such other person(s) as the Optionor may direct from time to time, a 1.0% net smelter returns royalty on the Whitehorse Copper Project.

Qualified Person

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and approved by Kell Nielsen, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Jason Bontempo"

Jason Bontempo

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Dustin Zinger, Investor Relations

+1-604-653-9464

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell 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.

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information". Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised; the speculative nature of exploration and the stages of the Company's properties; the effect of changes in commodity prices; regulatory risks that development of the Company's material properties will not be acceptable for social, environmental or other reasons; availability of equipment (including drills) and personnel to carry out work programs; and that each stage of work will be completed within expected time frames. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV: IPT) (OTC Pink: ISVLF) (FSE: IKL) ("IMPACT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed the Share Purchase and Sale Agreement (the "Sale Agreement") with Consolidated Zinc Limited (ASX: CZL) ("CZL") of Australia, previously announced on February 9, 2023, regarding the purchase of all outstanding shares of its subsidiary, Minera Latin America Zinc S.A.P.I de C.V. ("MLAZ"), which holds a 100% interest in the high-grade, Plomosas zinc-lead-silver mine in the state of Chihuahua, northern Mexico.

Closing of this acquisition solidifies IMPACT's position as one of Mexico's most well-funded and growth-minded intermediate miners - one that is well-positioned to offer investors high-grade production, balanced and aggressive growth, and exciting exploration upside going forward.

TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT

The total purchase price of US$6 million consists of US$3 million in cash and the balance in the form of IMPACT shares (a total of 11,441,647 shares will be issued). Post closing adjustments based on changes in working capital will be made, as previously agreed to, between the two parties.

Contractual restrictions have been applied to 75% of the share transfer component such that IMPACT Shares will be released from restriction in three equal tranches of 25% of the total number of shares issued to CZL, every 6 months, over 18 months from closing. 25% of the IMPACT Shares will be immediately held by CZL (subject to a statutory 4-month hold period from the date of issuance of the IMPACT Shares); and

A 12% net profit interest ("NPI") royalty on production from the Plomosas project to CZL.

"We are thrilled to have completed this transformative acquisition that provides IMPACT with production in a second mining district, bringing with it both production growth and exploration upside to the Company going forward. Plomosas is a unique and fully permitted operation built on a large mineral system with global tier one historic grades at 13%+ zinc providing exceptional potential to both upgrade and expand its current level of operations. We intend to lean on our 17 years of successful underground operating experience at the Royal Mines of Zacualpan and leverage this know-how to provide meaningful shareholder value and significant upside potential for all stakeholders across our exceptional ESG-centric operation," said Frederick Davidson, Chairman and CEO of IMPACT Silver.

HIGHLIGHTS

The acquisition will expand IMPACT's production profile from one to two producing operations - the Plomosas zinc-lead-silver district in northern Mexico and the Royal Mines of Zacualpan silver-lead-zinc-gold district in central Mexico.

At Plomosas, CZL reported JORC mineral resources 1 of 215,000 tonnes grading 13.5% zinc, 6.3% lead and 34.0 g/t silver (indicated), and 772,000 tonnes grading 13.1% zinc, 3.0% lead and 19.0 g/t silver (inferred), at a 3% zinc cut-off at December 2021.

IMPACT plans an aggressive drill program in 2023 to both infill the Plomosas resource and test extensions of known mineralization.

Plomosas is known to host high-grade mineralization. Historical mining indicates grades in the global upper quartile for zinc, with approximately 2.5MT mined since 1943 grading 15-25% zinc, 2-7% lead and 40-60 g/t silver with low deleterious elements 2 .

CZL has been mining Plomosas since September 2018. IMPACT plans to upgrade the mill and mine with the aim to continue mining alongside a meaningful expansion of operations.

IMPACT's highly skilled operations team has 17 years of underground mining and flotation milling experience at its producing Zacualpan area assets, which will help up grade accelerate the efficient expansion of the Plomosas operation.

Exploration potential at Plomosas is exceptional, with only 600m of the 6 km-long strike length having been explored to date. This is in addition to other exploration targets on the 3,019-hectare property including untested copper-gold targets with indications of high-grade material from surface.

PLOMOSAS PROJECT OVERVIEW

In 2021, CZL processed 31,695 tonnes of mineral resulting in 2,442 tonnes of zinc concentrate and 599 tonnes of lead concentrate. Mineral processing is currently done amidst a potential 150+ tonne per day capacity, conventional flotation mill that is currently operating below design capacity. The Plomosas Property is subject to an underlying 1% Net Smelter Royalty. The 3,019-hectare property covers extensive carbonate replacement deposit-type ("CRD") zinc-lead-silver mantos (beds) mainly hosted in carbonates (limestones, marbles).

Regionally, Plomosas lies in the same mineral belt as some of the largest CRD deposits in the world (see Map 1 below)2. The historic Santa Eulalia Mine is the world's largest historic CRD deposit and is located 100km west of Plomosas.



Historic resources and production of regional CRDs include:

- Santa Eulalia produced over 450Moz silver from 51MT averaging 350 g/t silver, 8.2% lead and 7.8% zinc and was mined over 300 years.

- Cinco De Mayo (Mag Silver Corp.) with limited drilling since 2012 reports Inferred Mineral Resources of 12.45 million tonnes at 132 g/t silver, 0.24 g/t gold, 2.86% lead, and 6.47% zinc at an NSR cut off of US$100/t.

- South32's (formerly Arizona Mining) Taylor deposit at the north end of the CRD belt in Arizona- reported Measured plus Indicated Resources of 115MT averaging 3.85% zinc, 4.34% lead and 79 g/t silver, and Inferred Resources of 24MT averaging 3.73% zinc, 3.82% lead and 91 g/t silver, and remains open at depth and along strike.

- Other large CRD mines also occur in the region (see Map 1 below).

Reference to these regional CRDs are for information purposes only and there are no assurances that Plomosas will achieve similar results.

Location map of Plomosas Mine and Nearby Mines and Infrastructure

Cozen O'Connor LLP acted as legal advisor to IMPACT Silver Corp. Jett Capital Advisors, LLC acted as financial advisor to Consolidated Zinc Limited.

ABOUT IMPACT SILVER

IMPACT Silver Corp. (TSXV: IPT) is a successful mineral producer and explorer with two mining projects in Mexico.

Royal Mines of Zacualpan Silver-Gold District: IMPACT owns 100% of the 211 km2 Zacualpan project where four underground silver mines and one open pit mine feed the central 500 tpd Guadalupe processing plant. To the south, the Capire Project includes a 200 tpd processing pilot plant adjacent to an open pit silver mine with an NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource of over 4.5 million oz silver, 48 million lbs zinc and 21 million lbs lead. (see IMPACT news release dated January 18, 2016, for details and QP statement, and Footnote 3 below for report reference) Company engineers are reviewing Capire for a potential restart of operations to leverage improving commodity prices. Over the past 17 years, IMPACT has developed multiple exploration zones into commercial production and have produced over 12 million ounces of silver, generating revenue more than $241 million.

Plomosas Zinc-Lead-Silver District: Plomosas is a high-grade zinc-lead-silver producer with exceptional exploration upside potential. The Company aims to recommence operations in the near term followed by plans for expanding operations through the balance of 2023 and into 2024. Exploration potential at Plomosas is exceptional with only 600m of the 6 km-long structure having been explored to date. This is in addition to other exploration targets on the 3,019-hectare property including untested copper-gold targets with indications of high-grade material from surface. Regionally, Plomosas lies in the same mineral belt as some of the largest carbonate replacement deposits in the world.

Additional information about IMPACT and its operations can be found on the Company website at www.IMPACTSilver.com. Follow us on Twitter @IMPACT_Silver and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/impactsilver

Qualified Person and NI 43-101 Disclosure

George Gorzynski, P.Eng., is a "qualified person" within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Gorzynski is Vice-President, Exploration and a director of IMPACT.

On behalf of IMPACT Silver Corp.

"Frederick W. Davidson"

President & CEO

For more information, please contact:

Jerry Huang

CFO | Investor Relations

O: (604) 681 0172 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

C: (778) 887 6489 Direct

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.

Footnotes:

1. Plomosas mineral resources are reported by Consolidated Zinc Ltd. (ASX: CZL) on their website (https://www.consolidatedzinc.com.au) under the Australian JORC (2012) Code as mineral resources "depleted as at December 2021". IMPACT's Qualified Person has reviewed but not verified in detail these current reported mineral resources and is only reporting them as material recent mineral resources reported by CZL and available in the public record. IMPACT believes the estimates are relevant and reliable, given they are reported to Australian JORC standards; however, IMPACT's Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify them as current Canadian NI 43-101 mineral resources.

2. Reference: Alexandri, A. Gonzalez, H., & Salas, H. (2022). Plomosas Project (CZL), Field Visit Report. IMPACT Silver Corp. private report on field visits and compilation of historic and recent data, 56 pages.

3. Reference: Ristorcelli, S.J. & Gorzynski, G. (2016). Technical Report on Mineral Resources for the Capire Silver-Lead-Zinc Project, Pedro Ascencio Alquisiras Municipality, Guerrero, Mexico. Prepared for IMPACT Silver Corp. by Mine Development Associates, Reno, Nevada. 82 pages. Available on www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This IMPACT News Release may contain certain "forward-looking" statements and information relating to IMPACT that is based on the beliefs of IMPACT management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to IMPACT management. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "planned", "expect", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intends", "believe", "potential", and similar expressions, or describes a "goal", or variation of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential for defining and extending the known mineralization at Plomosas, and plans for drilling and future operations at the Company's projects.

Such forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks and assumptions, including with respect to, without limitation, exploration and development risks, expenditure and financing requirements, title matters, operating hazards, metal prices, political and economic factors, competitive factors, general economic conditions, relationships with vendors and strategic partners, governmental regulation and supervision, seasonality, technological change, industry practices, pandemics and one-time events. Should any one or more risks or uncertainties materialize or change, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and forward-looking statements may vary materially from those described herein. IMPACT does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, except as required by law.

At Zacualpan, the Company's decision to place a mine into production, expand a mine, make other production related decisions, or otherwise carry out mining and processing operations, is largely based on internal non-public Company data and reports based on exploration, development and mining work by the Company's geologists and engineers. The results of this work are evident in the discovery and building of multiple mines for the Company and in the track record of mineral production and financial returns of the Company since 2006. Under NI 43-101, the Company is required to disclose that it has not based its Zacualpan production decisions on NI 43-101 mineral resources or reserve estimates, preliminary economic assessments, or feasibility studies, and historically such projects have increased uncertainty and risk of failure.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSXV: MUN) (OTCQB: MUNMF) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce commencement of the 2023 drill program at the Vale-Mundoro Option Projects located in the southwest portion of the Timok Magmatic Complex ("Timok") in Serbia. The drill program is part of the 2023 Work Program and Budget which is solely funded by Vale and for which Mundoro is operator.

The drill program has planned 8,000 meters to test five (5) target areas with nine (9) drill holes. The five main target areas for drill testing during the 2023 drill program are: (i) Tilva Rosh, (ii) Markov Kamen, (iii) Bacevica North, (iv) Orlovo, and (v) Prekostenski. These five areas have been selected out of several target areas ranked as prospective for porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold deposits within the Vale-Mundoro Option Projects.

Regional Setting

The Timok region in eastern Serbia is known as a mining district with more than 100 years of mining comprising approximately 4 billion tons in porphyry systems over 5 known mines. The Timok Magmatic Complex is host to the largest copper-gold porphyry deposits in the western portion of the Tethyan Belt such as (i) Cukaru-Peki, a high sulphidation epithermal copper-gold and porphyry copper deposit, (ii) Bor underground mine which is a copper-gold porphyry ("Bor Mining Complex"), (iii - iv) Veliki Krivelj and Majdanpek open-pit mines which are both copper-gold porphyries and (v) the recently re-opened Cerovo porphyry copper-gold open-pit mine (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 - Location Map of Vale-Mundoro Projects in Timok, Serbia with drill hole locations of the 2023 drill program.

Highlights of the Targets

In the Tilva Rosh and Markov Kamen target areas, the current drill program is a follow up drilling campaign utilizing vectors to a potential porphyry system identified from interpretation of previous drill results and geophysical surveys.

At the Bacevica North target, a strong and near surface Induced Polarization (IP) anomaly is confirmed and will be further tested as a result of recently received encouraging drilling results from the 2022 drill campaign.

At the Orlovo target, the drilling campaign is designed to test continuation to the NNW and NE of the porphyry copper-gold system with quartz veining within the potassic alteration as vectors to a potential porphyry system identified from interpretation of previous drill results and geophysical surveys followed by the surface geochemistry copper-gold-molybdenum anomalies.

At Pekostenski target, a follow up drilling campaign will test the western extension of copper-gold bearing diorite as well as the potential for an alkali porphyry system.

Discussion of Target Areas

The five target areas are within zoned hydrothermal alteration which can be traced at surface for 20 km along strike and contains gold epithermal and copper-gold porphyry style mineralization. The north-south striking alteration corridor correlates with a regional scale strong magnetic anomaly interpreted as a magnetite destructive zone of advanced argillic alteration that comprises a broad lithocap at the north targets area as well as argillic and phylic alteration at the south targets.

Tilva Rosh - exploration mapping and drilling to date confirmed advanced argillic alteration within a broad lithocap with epithermal gold mineralization and copper-gold-molybdenum geochemical anomalies at surface extending over an area of 3.6 km x 1.2 km in size. Alteration was identified down dip of alteration to the west in the drill core from the prior drilling campaign in Q4-2019. High-temperature advanced argillic alteration identified at the bottom of one of the nearest drill holes indicates a potential hydrothermal fluid up-flow zone. Three drill holes were designed to test the northern portion of Tilva Rosh, targeting: (i) the west and north extension from recently completed drill holes in the 2022 drill campaign which intersected quartz and quartz-magnetite banded veins suggestive of the base of the lithocap, and (ii) mineralized porphyry beneath the lithocap supported by both recent geophysics interpretation of IP, a magentotelluric (MT) survey and magnetics survey, and (iii) potassic alteration identified in a prior drill hole in this target area.

Markov Kamen - located directly south of Tilva Rosh, Markov Kamen is a large area of silicification covering 3.2 km x 500 m, hosts a significant hydrothermal breccia with anomalous gold grades, and is open to the west and at depth. High-grade copper and gold grades received from sampling old workings contain hypogene chalcocite at the southern edge of the target area. Based on geophysics, the target to be drill tested is interpreted as a root of an advanced argillic alteration zone. Two drill holes are planned to test the southern portion of Markov Kamen, targeting (i) a deeper root of a MT anomaly as the continuation of surface hydrothermal alteration and (ii) a surface IP anomaly indicating potential for shallower porphyry beneath a copper-in-soil anomaly as follow up drilling from drill holes in the 2019 drill campaign.

Bacevica North - located south-southwest of the Markov Kamen target area, this target was recently identified comprising a strong IP anomaly and intense quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) altered andesite at surface. One reconnaissance drillhole is planned to further test the IP anomaly confirmed by a completed drill hole from the 2021 drill campaign which is supported by the encouraging geochemical sampling results from 2019 and surface mapping completed.

Orlovo - located south-southeast of the Bacevica North target area, this target is a broad zone of phyllic alteration of 3 km x 700 m with elevated gold and copper in soil samples. Two drillholes are planned to test: (i) the quartz vein stockwork mineralization related to potassic altered diorite, returning 26 m of 0.10% copper and 0.23 g/t gold, overlain by phyllic alteration from surface, identified in the 2019 drilling campaign, (ii) intermediate magnetic, IP and CSAMT anomalies followed by the encouraging gold-bismuth-molybdenum geochemical anomalies.

Prekostenski - located west of the Orlovo target, this target area is a copper-gold porphyry target as well as potential alkali porphyry target identified by mapping and surface sampling which resulted in 55 m of 0.28 g/t gold and 0.21 % copper. The exploration work identified chalcopyrite-magnetite mineralisation hosted in potassic altered diorite to a depth of 68.6 m which was confirmed by a previous drilling campaign in 2018. One drillhole is planned to test (i) the quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins hosted in potassic altered diorite porphyry which returned an intercept of 39 meters of 0.17 g/t gold and 0.17 % copper from 61 m and 49.8 meters of 0.14 g/t gold and 0.13 % copper from surface, and (ii) geophysics IP and MT anomalies which correspond well with intersected mineralization.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release was reviewed and approved by, R. Jemielita, PhD, MIMMM, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and Chief Geologist to the Company.

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a publicly listed company on the TSX-V in Canada and OTCQB in the USA with a portfolio of mineral properties focused primarily on base and precious metals. To drive value for shareholders, Mundoro's asset portfolio generates near-term cash payments to Mundoro from partners and creates royalties attached to each mineral property. The portfolio of mineral properties is currently focused on predominantly copper in two mineral districts: Western Tethyan Belt in Eastern Europe and the Laramide Belt in the southwest USA.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof, and include the following: completion of earn-in expenditures, options and completion of a definitive agreement by the parties. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the Company's projects, the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on 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.

For further information, please visit Mundoro Capital website www.mundoro.com.

Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

+1-604-669-8055

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed seven holes for 2,031 metres on its 100% owned Wollaston Lake Projected located 10 km southeast of Cameco's Rabbit Lake mill and 30 km southeast of Orano/Dennison's McClean Lake mill (Figure 1).

Highlights:

Complete ground gravity coverage over prospective conductive trends.

Anomalous uranium and boron in two drill holes along Gizmo trend requires follow-up drilling.

Follow-up drilling required along newly identified coincident electromagnetic conductor/gravity trends and at historical uranium mineralization encountered on Burman Island.

Rebecca Hunter, Vice President, Exploration commented, "The regional geophysical surveys and limited drilling completed by Forum coupled with historical work done on this property have elevated our expectations for an economic uranium deposit on this well-located property in the Athabasca."

Ground Gravity Survey

A total of 4,573 stations at 100 metre by 100 metre spacings were collected this past winter over an area of 67.2 km2. Fourteen new gravity anomalies have been identified, many of which are associated with coincident moderate to strong EM conductors, which require follow-up (Figure 2).

Gizmo Trend Follow-up

New drilling along the Gizmo trend (Figure 3) has identified a graphitic pelite with a weak brittle overprint below the main elevated radioactivity, which may be the controlling structure that led to the weak uranium mineralization up to 1960 ppm U identified earlier in 2022 (see Forum News Release dated April 19, 2022). New assay samples from the 2022/2023 winter drilling program have returned additional elevated U values between 95 and 444 ppm with coincident elevated Boron up to 900 ppm and weak to moderate clay alteration adjacent to these discreet brittle fault structures. Follow-up of this structure will be a focus in future drilling programs along trend where a newly identified strong gravity low (750 m long) to the east is coincident with this prospective and uranium fertile structure/conductor system. This anomaly was not tested this winter due to terrain challenges getting into the area and will have to drilled using a helicopter-supported program.

New Trends

Additional high-priority conductors (A1, B1, B2 and B3) with coincident gravity anomalies have been identified (Figure 3). Along the A1 conductor historical drilling intersected several m-scale, moderately to strongly graphitic and pyritic zones with intervals of brecciation and moderate clay alteration. Weak elevated radioactivity is observed over 2.7 kilometres within and adjacent to these graphitic fault structures. Historical drill testing was largely widely spaced (~400 to 900 m) and was drilled at moderate angles to less than 100 metres depth. Additional investigation is warranted over the A1 conductor. Three additional conductive splays branch off the main A1 trend and coincide a new gravity anomaly as well.

The B1, B2 and B3 conductors are along the southern shore of Hidden Bay and along Ashley Peninsula (Figure 3). Historical, shallow depth and widely spaced drilling identified prospective conductive stratigraphy and one drill hole along the B1 conductor intersected elevated radioactivity (400 cps).

Burman Island

Located within the southern part of the Wollaston property is a prospective area that was initially explored due to numerous radioactive graphitic pelite and pegmatitic boulders being discovered on the island (Figure 3). Historical drilling by Wyoming Mineral Corp. intersected elevated radioactivity in 17 of 19 drillholes and returned numerous shallow drill intercepts (<50 metres) up to 477 ppm U 3 O 8 . Two sub-parallel brecciated and sheared graphitic structures transect the area and require additional testing along strike and at depth. A new gravity anomaly along a sub-parallel conductor to the south of the island also warrants additional exploration.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Samples were collected as both composite chip samples (0.5 to 10metre intervals depending on lithological variance) and systematic split samples (10 cm intervals) that are submitted to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SSC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for analysis. All samples are analyzed using ICP-MS for trace elements reported as partial and/or total digestion, ICP-OES for major and minor elements reported as total digestion, and fusion solution of boron by ICP-OES reported as total digestion. Uranium values for the Gizmo trend are reported as uranium partial values. Historical geochemical values are taken from past assessment reports and their data should be considered unverified and approximate.

Figure 1: Location of Forum's Wollaston Uranium Project. The project is located on Highway 905, 10km south of Cameco's Rabbit Lake Uranium Mill and 30km south of Orano/Denison's McClean Lake Uranium Mill (yellow squares). Uranium mineral deposits are outlined in red.

Figure 2: 2023 ground gravity survey. Residual gravity image over the Wollaston Project. Winter 2022/2023 drill holes are shown as red dots.

Figure 3: Wollaston Project conductor and gravity trends. Total magmatic intensity image overlain with the new conductor trends and gravity anomalies. Winter 2022/2023 drill holes are shown as red dots.

Rebecca Hunter, PhD., P.Geo., Forum's Vice President of Exploration and Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About Forum Energy Metals

Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is a diversified energy metal company with uranium, copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan, Canada's Number One Rated mining province for exploration and development, a strategic uranium land position in Nunavut and a strategic cobalt land position in the Idaho Cobalt Belt.

For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com/

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Forum's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related to the historical data, the work expenditure commitments; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund future exploration or development programs; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; changes commodity prices, litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or an inability to obtain permits required in connection with maintaining or advancing its exploration projects.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:



Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tel: 604-630-1585
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 2, 2021) - Currie Rose Resources Inc. (TSXV: CUI) ("Currie" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to C$1,100,000 from the sale of up to 22,000,000 units of the Company (each,... Read More
Yaounde, Cameroon  Hundreds of merchants gathered Friday in Kye Ossi, a Cameroonian town on the border with Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, to protest travel restrictions imposed since an outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus. They say the restrictions are suffocating trade and violate a Central African regional agreement on the free movement of people and goods.

Cameroonian merchant Kema Godlove imports vegetable oil, skin moisturizers and perfumes from Equatorial Guinea, and exports cement and tiles to Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Kema said within the past 10 days, merchants have found it difficult to cross the borders between the three countries.

"Business people who leave Cameroon to meet their partners coming from Equatorial Guinea or from Gabon, they would definitely not come, so it affects the economic activities of Kye Ossi," Kema said Friday on Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV. "Actually, when borders are locked up, people relocate to different areas while waiting for the borders to be reopened, because when the borders are not open, businesses, everything is almost paralyzed."

He said some merchants have either sold their goods at giveaway prices or distributed perishable food items like fruits and vegetables, so they don't go to waste.

Kema said it would be better for governments of the three border states to keep the borders open for merchants and restrict only mass movement of people.

The merchants say by restricting the movement of people, Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are disrespecting a regional agreement among countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, CEMAC.

Under normal circumstances, several hundred merchants cross borders to Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon each day to do business.

Cameroon and Gabon stepped up border security on February 13 after Equatorial Guinea confirmed an outbreak of the Marburg virus.

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Last week, authorities in Equatorial Guinea reported that Marburg had killed nine people. The World Health Organization said the death toll may be as high as 20.

Manouda Malachie, Cameroon's minister of public health, said that for now, travel restrictions will be maintained.

Manouda said although Cameroon and Gabon have not confirmed cases since neighboring Equatorial Guinea reported a Marburg spread, the three states decided to strictly control movements across their common borders because the virus is extremely dangerous and highly contagious. He said it is the duty of all states to protect citizens from diseases and hardship.

The Cameroon government says merchants should present themselves to border surveillance teams of health workers and police to facilitate the movement of goods.

On February 15, Cameroonian authorities said two cases of Marburg disease were detected on its southern border with Equatorial Guinea.

Cameroon says it has been struggling to contain a cholera and yellow fever outbreak and COVID-19, and will do everything possible to protect its territory from Marburg.

The highly infectious disease is similar to Ebola, with symptoms including fever, muscle pains, diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss, according to the World Health Organization.
TORONTO, Dec. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Victoria Gold Corp. (the Company or "Victoria") (TSX-V: VIT-V) is pleased to announce that further to its press release dated December 21, 2018, it is increasing the size of the brokered private placement to up to 3,400,000 common shares of the... Read More
VANCOUVER, BC , March 27, 2023 /CNW/ - Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSXV: CNX) (OTCQX: CLLXF) is pleased to announce that it has commenced its 2023 drilling campaign (the "Campaign") at its Pine Bay Project (the "Project") located 16km from... Read More
Geneva  Human rights experts warn that ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has trapped the country in continuing cycles of brutality and misery, which will not end until the fighting ends.

The experts, who participated in an in-depth examination of the human rights situation in the DRC at the U.N. human rights council Thursday, deplored the further deterioration of political and civic rights and the escalation of conflict-related violations since the council last reviewed conditions in the country in October.

The United Nations says that armed violence has forced more than 6 million people in the DRC to flee their homes, making this the highest number of internally displaced people on the African continent.

Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, warns the conditions leading to the deteriorating situation are worsening as the violence of numerous armed groups, notably in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, escalates.

"The armed groups, M23, ADF, CODECO, Zaire and Nyatura, continue to carry out egregious attacks against the civilian population and they do this with full impunity," said Turk.

He said at least 1,338 people, including 107 children, have been killed in the eastern provinces.

"The targeted violence endured by civilians in the conflict-affected areas include sexual violence, sexual violence of extreme brutality. This has historically been used as a deliberate weapon in the DRC and as a strategy of terror."

He said the violence suffered by broad segments of the population in the DRC was fueled by impunity and by corruption.

"As a consequence, not only is the population deprived of any form of safety or security, they also are deprived of a legitimate part of the country's wealth."

The high commissioner added that the people of the DRC have a right to live in peace and without the fear engendered by "these continuing cycles of brutality and misery."

More than 100 armed groups operate in the eastern DRC. Human rights experts have expressed concern particularly about the continued hold of large swathes of territory by M23 rebels in North Kivu's Petit Nord region, noting that violent attacks by the group against local communities and villages have displaced nearly 900,000 people.

"At the same time, tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda have continued to increase and are worrisome," said Bintou Keita, the head of the U.N. Peacekeeping Force, MONUSCO.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, charges the Rwandan government denies.

Keita said ongoing violence in the east was disrupting preparations for presidential elections in December. Thousands of Congolese, she said, have been dissuaded from participating in the preparations because of insecurity.

"I also note with concern the rise in political discourse of xenophobic and racist messages that constitute a danger to national cohesion, peace and security.

"The fragile security and tense political context has had repercussions on civic and political space, which continues to shrink with the approach of scheduled national elections," she said and has given rise to restrictions and harassment of journalists, human rights defenders and others.

Safari Runiga, the National Coordinator of REPRODEV, the Network for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Victims, Witnesses and Media Professionals, told the council that the DRC has been shaken for 30 years by deadly cyclical violence and looting of its natural resources by armed terrorist groups in the provinces of Ituri, Maniema, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika.

He said serious human rights violations committed with total impunity have led to rampant corruption and widespread abuse throughout the country.

"We call on the members of this council to unreservedly condemn this violence and to recommend sanctions against its perpetrators, supporters and other beneficiaries."

"It is time for the international community, in particular the United Nations, to punish the perpetrators of crimes and violations of international law in the DRC," he said.

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Paul Empole Losoko Efambe, the DRC's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said his government was working hard to deliver on the country's international human rights commitments.

"We have, despite the challenges that we are faced with, undertaken to set up a transitional justice mechanism to combat impunity and promote an environment of peace, of social cohesion and reconciliation."

He said, "the government has begun implementing a law on the fundamental principles relating to the protection of reparations for victims of sexual violence, in connection with conflict and for victims of attacks against peace and security."

He said the Democratic Republic of Congo was seeking to strengthen its fight against the armed groups operating in the eastern part of the country, particularly the M23 terrorist group, adding that ending human rights violations in the DRC was dependent on bringing that conflict to an end.
While broadcast networks continue to introduce thrilling new K-dramas, viewers are looking forward to the much-anticipated team-up of K-stars. From Song Hye Kyo and Han So Hee, to Lim Ji Yeon and Kim Tae Hee, and several more, these soon-to-be-released series will showcase exciting chemistry between these stars.

Here are the 3 upcoming K-dramas featuring female top stars as main leads.

Kim Hee Ae & Moon So Ri in 'QueenMaker'

After months of waiting, finally, the two award-winning Korean actresses will headline the new drama "QueenMaker."

Helmed by "My Sassy Girl" director Oh Jin Suk, the upcoming Netflix series depicts the story of two women set to make a difference in politics.

Interestingly, "QueenMaker" will focus on "womance" or the female version of "bromance" since it willl highlight stories of Hwang Do Hee (Kim Hee Ae) and Oh Seung Sook (Moon So Ri).

In the drama, Hwang Do Hee is a skilled career-woman, who made a name for herself in the industry. Impressed by Oh Seung Sook's dedication, she offered her a chance of a lifetime.

Known as the "crazy rhinoceros," Oh Seung Sook is a passionate labor rights lawyer who aims to protect the common people and workers from abusive companies and influential people. She is a self-proclaimed Korean Lady of Justice, who showcase women empowerment. With this, Hwang Do Hee wanted to help her to be the next mayor of Seoul.

"QueenMaker" will showcase the intense chemistry between the two top stars.

Kim Hee Ae is known for her role in "The World of the Married" and while the 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards Best Actress Moon So Ri stars in "Three Sisters" and "On the Verge of Sanity" with Jung Jae Young.

Han So Hee & Song Hye Kyo in 'The Price of Confession'

Back in March, K-drama fans were stunned after Han So Hee teased the public with a photo of her taken by Song Hye Kyo. What made everyone excited is the caption "The Price of Confession," which is said to be their upcoming project.

Prior to this, the Hallyu queen and the "My Name" star have been sending clues about their new K-drama. At the height of "The Glory," where Song Hye Kyo is the lead star, the actress uploaded an image of her character, Moon Dong Eun.

Among the comment includes Han So Hee who wrote, "Mine now...", sending fans into a frenzy.

In the upcoming K-drama, Han So Hee will take on the role of Mo Eun, a mysterious woman who gets caught up in a murder case, along with Ahn Yoon Su, played by Song Hye Kyo.

Lim Ji Yeon and Kim Tae Hee in 'House With a Yard'

Among the newest team-up announced this 2023 is an upcoming series starring "The Glory" star Lim Ji Yeon and Kim Tae Hee.

The duo is confirmed to appear in the forthcoming K-drama "House With a Yard" set to air under ENA in June.

The novel-based series focuses on the lives of two women with opposite backgrounds but ended up having the same fate.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
All eyes are now on "The Glory" stars Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon after confirming their relationship.

Interestingly, the public noticed subtle signs about their budding romance after joining the cast for the special press conference of the drama's second season.

Netflix released a behind-the-scenes commentary, where actors, along with renowned screenwriter Kim Eun Sook and director Ahn Gil Ho, spoke about their experiences and thoughts on "The Glory" Part 2.

Lee Do Hyun Asks Song Hye Kyo About Moon Dong Eun's Slapping Scene With Lim Ji Yeon's Character

Besides the surprising revelation regarding the show's second installment, fans noticed Lee Do Hyun's interaction with Song Hye Kyo after asking a question involving Lim Ji Yeon.

As cast members were chatty about their experience filming the series, the South Korean heartthrob got curious about the scene between Moon Dong Eun and Park Yeon Jin, the characters of Song Hye Kyo and Lim Ji Yeon.

"Did you really hit her on the cheek?" Lee Do Hyun asked.

Interestingly, the Hallyu star initially responded with a laugh and explained why she couldn't do it with her co-star.

"No. Then it will be a big deal," she said, as obtained by a news portal. The actor seemed to relieve after saying that he thought it was real.

On the other hand, Lee Do Hyun's girlfriend, Lim Ji Yeon, considered it as one of the difficult confrontations she did in "The Glory."

"I am embarrassed to see myself in a state where my mind is not ready," she said, adding that she had to "swing well and match well" with the scene to make it look perfect.

The 27-year-old actor then mentioned how scary the scene is while Lim Ji Yeon shyly smiled at his reaction. The said scene featured Moon Dong Eun, who got angry at Park Yeon Jin after entering her house with her shoes on.

As a sign of disrespect, she told "The Glory" villain, "When she enters someone else's house, she should take off her shoes and come in," surprising viewers by slapping Lim Ji Yeon on the cheek.

Lee Do Hyun - Lim Ji Yeon Relationship

Dispatch Korea surprised viewers by revealing a new celebrity couple on April fool's day. However, this time, it's no joke since Lim Ji Yeon and Lee Do Hyun's agencies confirmed the dating news.

At the time, the news outlet released photos of "The Glory" stars together after they were spotted on multiple occasions.

Lim Ji Yeon's agency Artist Company confirmed to The Korea Herald that the two are officially dating after they both starred in the revenge drama.

"The two have become intimate as co-stars and developed such intimacy into a romantic one as a couple," the agency said, adding, "We understand that their relationship has just started and the two are in the beginning stages of getting to know each other."

The agency also mentioned that the new couple is "taking things slowly" as they asked for the support of fans.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Dodoma  THE Dodoma Region Women's Economic Empowerment Platform has awarded President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan in recognition of her contribution to women's economic empowerment.

The award is based on President's Samia decision to establish women's economic empowerment platforms across the country that benefit women.

Dodoma Regional Commissioner Rosemary Senyamule received the award on behalf of President Samia during the forum held during the weekend.

Receiving the award, Ms Senyamule said it was high time women took action because one among the things that President Dr Samia was doing is to find and provide as many opportunities to help women develop their economic status.

She also asked women to use various economic platforms and opportunities to share knowledge, experience of various economic and social matters and raise each other economically regardless of their income status.

"We meet different people with different experiences so if you come to a place like this make sure you leave with something new and additional, you should unite together regardless of your titles, financial ability or your positions. While you are here continue to be one," she urged.

"We have many opportunities in our region, I wish to see many women becoming billionaires from Dodoma. President Samia has created so many opportunities," added Senyamule.

She called upon women with opportunities to share them with their colleagues to help influence and encourage others hence contribute to women economic development.

On her part, the Dodoma Women's Economic Empowerment Platform Chairperson, Mary Bwire expressed her gratitude to the Dodoma regional authorities for cooperating with them.

Dodoma Urban MP Antony Mavunde said they have been collaborating with the platform in creating and implementing some women economic empowerment initiatives.
Following the undeniable success of their revenge drama "The Glory," actors Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon surprised the Hallyu scene with the announcement of their romantic relationship.

Unfortunately, their blossoming romance also received negative comments from the public. Here's why fans think that their relationship will end shortly.

Lee Do Hyun & Lim Ji Yeon's Relationship Threatened By Impending Enlistment

The K-Drama scene has been abuzz as "The Glory" co-stars Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon confirmed their romantic relationship earlier this month!

Viewers all around the world congratulated the two actors, wishing them a beautiful romance. The actors have been seeing one another for four months prior to the announcement.

Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon developed good feelings towards one another while they were filming "The Glory" with Song Hye Kyo, Jung Sung Il and more.

Many have expressed their wishes to see the couple in a romantic drama together due to their reel-to-real chemistry.

While fans can't hide their excitement, some speculators voiced their concern for the couple's future as Lee Do Hyun is due to enlist in the military to fulfill his duties as a South Korean citizen.

Some commented that things will eventually end between the couple as they face a significant challenge amidst their busy rosters and upcoming projects.

However, their supporters believe that Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon will be able to pull through, especially with the former guaranteeing that his enlistment will not interfere with his commitments; both professional and in romance.

Catch Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon in "The Glory" on Netflix! Watch the teaser here:

'The Good Bad Mother,' 'A House with a Yard' & More

Besides "The Glory," Lee Do Hyun and Lim Ji Yeon have a lot in store for their beloved fans!

Lee Do Hyun works together with Kim Go Eun for the first time in the forthcoming film "Pamyo" this 2023!

The movie focuses on the story of a shaman, a feng shui master and a funeral director who relocate the tombs of deceased people for a living.

He will also act alongside award-winning actress Ra Mi Ran in the brand new JTBC drama "The Good Bad Mother" where he takes on the role of a prosecutor who becomes a child once again due to an unexpected accident.

"The Good Bad Mother" consists of a total of 14 episodes, and it will premiere on April 26 at 10:30 p.m. KST. Meanwhile, Lim Ji Yeon landed her next major acting project with "A House with a Yard" opposite Kim Tae Hee.

ALSO READ: Park So Dam Flaunts Friendship With Red Velvet Yeri In New Photos

It depicts the life of a housewife whose picture-perfect life drastically changes when she begins seeing eerie scenarios that take place in her "happy house."

There exact details of the characters, final lineup and premiere date are yet to be announced but it is expected to be released within 2023.

In addition to that, Lim Ji Yeon will also star in the SBS legal drama "National Death Penalty Vote" with Park Hae Jin.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
K-drama beauties Song Hye Kyo and Han So Hee warmed fans' hearts with their social media interaction ahead of their drama premiere. Here's what happened.

Song Hye Kyo Praises Han So Hee's Beauty

Fans highly anticipate Song Hye Kyo and Han So Hee's first drama team-up. But even before they share the same frame, the two big stars are already getting the public's attention through their social media interaction.

On March 31, Han So Hee posted black and white photos on her SNS. On April 2, Song Hye Kyo wrote a comment to it, saying, "So beautiful." The "Nevertheless" lead star even pinned the comment on her post.

Han So Hee & Song Hye Kyo Build Chemistry Through Instagram Interactions

Prior to that, Song Hye Kyo gifted fans snippets of her recent whereabouts in Seoul. The Hallyu superstar uploaded a series of photos on Instagram last March 30, including an image of her hugging her dog.

Later on, Han So Hee hilariously commented on the post, "I dream to become that dog."

Song Hye Kyo and Han So Hee are preparing for their forthcoming series "The Price of Confession," which has already drawn attention for its intriguing depiction of the bloody chronicles of two women involved in a murder case.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Jeon So Nee Dishes on How She Became Friends With Song Hye Kyo

Their first Instagram interaction caused curiosity among the public after Han So Hee showed her anticipation for their project together by leaving a comment on Song Hye Kyo's post last March 15, saying, "Now, she's mine."

"The Price of Confession" will be helmed by "At Eighteen" and "The Host" director Shim Na Yeon. The series is rumored to release in the second half of 2023.

Fans are excited to see what kind of synergy these K-drama stars will show.

What's Next for Han So Hee & Song Hye Kyo

Han So Hee's queer movie "Heavy Snow," which was finished filming in 2019, is finally making its release as it received an invitation to be screened at the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival.

The model-actress is also returning to Netflix with Park Seo Joon in the historical-adventure series "Gyeongseong Creature," which is set for release this year.

Song Hye Kyo, on the other hand, concluded the second part of her revenge series "The Glory." She is expected to start filming for her drama collaboration with Han So Hee soon.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Han So Hee's First Queer Movie To Screen in THIS International Film Festival

What can you say about Song Hye Kyo and Han So Hee's social media interaction? Share your thoughts in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Kampala, Uganda  Uganda's former prime minister, Ruhakana Rugunda, has applauded the U.S. Agency for International Development for its support in fighting AIDS, saying the country cannot afford to treat patients on its own.

An estimated 1.2 million Ugandans aged 15 to 64 are living with HIV/AIDS and surviving on anti-retroviral drugs. Almost all HIV/AIDS patients receive the drugs through financial support from the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.

Rugunda, speaking as chief guest at celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the USAID partnership with Uganda, painted a picture of what HIV/AIDS was before U.S. support.

Rugunda recalled that as the AIDS pandemic ravaged the country in the 1990s and early 2000s, the government had no means to afford treatment for patients.

"We knew that AIDS drugs had been developed and they could control AIDS in many ways. The problem we had in Uganda was the drug is there, the people are here needing the drugs, but there's a gap," Rugunda said. "How does Uganda fill the gap? The taxpayer in Uganda, even if he or she was squeezed so hard, could not fill the gap."

In more recent years, Uganda has registered significant success in the fight against HIV, as seen in reduced HIV prevalence and a decline in new infections.

USAID Uganda Mission Director Richard Nelson said his agency and its partners have prioritized HIV/AIDS for the last 20 years and are getting close to control of the epidemic, but obstacles remain.

Uganda's parliament this month passed the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that criminalizes identifying as LGBT, mandates life in prison for gay sex, and imposes a possible death sentence for certain homosexual acts. THe bill is awaiting President Yoweri Museveni's veto or signature.

Nelson said the bill's progress is being watched carefully because it could scare people away from seeking treatment for HIV or AIDS.

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"The last remaining work that needs to be done to reach epidemic control involves some of these key populations," he said. "And so, if those key populations are unable to access services, if it's difficult for us to provide those services, it will really jeopardize our ability to reach our goals of eliminating HIV/AIDS by 2030."

Even before the bill was passed by parliament, organizations providing HIV/AIDS care services were seeing people shy away from getting anti-retroviral drugs.

Henry Mukiibi, founder of one such group, Children of the Sun, spoke with VOA: "I've seen the number of people who are HIV positive, the number of people who are suppressing now is going down. Because people are in fear of getting health services in public facilities."

According to the Uganda AIDS Commission, stigma, denial, discrimination, inaction and violations of human rights continue to be major barriers to effective national responses to HIV.
Telecom companies have asked the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to speed up the formulation of a spectrum that will be used to roll out the 5G network countrywide.

The chief executive officer of MTN Uganda, Sylvia Mulinge says 5G network is a very critical network, adding that it will be used to strategically transform the countrys industrial sector.

She made the remarks while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hima Cement to deploy 5G network at their manufacturing plant in Kasese district.

She says when the 5G network is rolled out across the country, it will help reduce the cost of internet which is currently high for most users.

In telecommunications, 5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, and is the planned successor to the 4G networks which provide connectivity to most current cellphones.
By Mike Sebalu

The Catholic Church in Uganda today marks two years since the former Archbishop of Kampala Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga died.

The Late Archbishop Lwanga was found dead on the morning of April 3, 2021, in his house in Rubaga.

A number of memorial masses have been organised at the Sacred Heart Rubaga Cathedral starting this morning while others shall be held in the afternoon in remembrance of the late Archbishops work for the Church.

The first holy mass that is currently underway is led by the Archbishop Paul Semogerere and at 1pm the main celebrant will be Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, the Apostolic Nuncio Emeritus of Belgium.

More details of these holy masses will be presented in our subsequent on-air bulletins.
The Forum Democratic Change has tasked President Yoweir Museveni to explain how Uganda will benefit from Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A total of 5,000 UPDF soldiers led by Col. Michael Walaka Hyeroba were last week flagged off for the mission in the troubled Rutshuru territory in North Kivu in DRC.

President Museveni has in a statement issued a day after the deployment said UPDF will fight any player in the eastern DRC who refuses to implement the peace agreement the heads of the East African Community (EAC) green-lit.

Addressing journalists at their offices in Najjanankumbi, the FDC deputy spokesperson, Mr. John Kikonyogo said that in Musevenis statement, he (Museveni) indicated that the UPDF has gone to stabilize some parts of Congo, specifically Goma.

He recalled that recently, in 2022, over Shs90 billion was spent on Operation Shujaa, a project that was never sanctioned by Uganda and with no clear benefits but only led to losses, hence leading to accumulated debts.

Kikonyogo wants parliament to explain how Uganda will benefit from the Congo deployment.
By Mike Sebalu

Environmentalists have asked the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to be deliberate in creating awareness about the Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) for environmental breaches if it is to yield fruits.

According to the national environment body, the penalty scheme is intended to deter non-compliance to environmental laws and to prevent degradation through payment of fines.

But enforcement of the EPS, requiring motorists to, among other things; install trash bins, that was meant to start on April 1st was postponed for 30 days following pressure from the Uganda Law Society and outcry from public transporters who asked for time to prepare.

However, even as the move is welcomed by environmentalists, Robert Turyakira the deputy executive director of environment shield is urging NEMA to also use this grace period to educate the masses about the scheme.

I think that the regulations can only be effective if people are aware of them, Turyakira said.

The notice will specify the date and nature of the alleged contravention, a summary of the facts that NEMA or authorized officer alleges, and the amount payable.
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern regards lingering instability of Northern Irelands political institutions as one of his biggest regrets from the Good Friday Agreement talks.

The negotiations were difficult and also brought personal hardship for Mr Ahern with the death of his mother.

As the political leader of the Republic of Ireland at the time, he was instrumental in the multi-party process aimed at ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

One of the measures agreed was the establishment of a devolved government for Northern Ireland based on a system of powersharing between nationalists and unionists.

However, the new institutions created under the agreement have collapsed several times, most recently when the Democratic Unionist Party exercised a veto and brought down devolution in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Speaking to PA as part of a series of interviews to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Ahern said the ability to collapse the institutions is an undemocratic issue that should not be possible and shouldnt have happened.

Its in the interests of everyone that there shouldnt be a mechanism where you pull down a whole parliament, he said.

He said there was a need for sustainability and called for a review into the temperamental institutions by next year.

Mr Ahern added that the divided society in Northern Ireland is going to need tender love and care for a long time.

Reflecting on other regrets, Mr Ahern said the agreements failure to deliver swifter decommissioning of paramilitary weapons was an issue that stood out to him.

We should have done a tidier job on that because it went on for five years and caused endless problems, he said.

He said it caused a lot of friction and was likely the cause of a key negotiator in the talks, then Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, losing his seat as an MP in 2005.

He also said more should have been done on legacy issues of the Troubles, which he said have lingered on.

Not enough attention I think was given to it, he said, recalling a recent meeting with the Wave victims group.

Asked about what he was most proud of, Mr Ahern said the agreed changes to the Irish constitution worked well.

The Irish public voted to amend its constitution to remove an explicit territorial claim over Northern Ireland, but maintained an aim to unite the two jurisdictions under democratic consent.

He also pointed to the demilitarisation and reduction of British armed forces personnel in Northern Ireland as providing people with a sense of freedom again.

The police service in Northern Ireland was also reformed with the aim of ensuring more representation for the whole community, something Mr Ahern described as a really huge success.

Reflecting on his role in the negotiations, Mr Ahern said he began planning with Sir Tony Blair while they were both leaders of the opposition in 1995, allowing them to move very quickly in 1997 when they were elected leaders of the Irish and British governments.

He said their priority was to stop the violence and bring an end to this mayhem of thousands being killed by fostering trust, confidence and a sense of humanity among the multi-party participants of the talks who at times would not speak to each other.

However, Mr Ahern acknowledged that bringing republican paramilitary-linked Sinn Fein into the process drove others out, in what could have been a killer moment.

He described the DUPs decision to leave the talks after Sinn Fein joined as a big disappointment but thanked Mr Trimble for remaining in the negotiations as a unionist representative.

That was a huge moment. That got the talks process going, he said.

He said beyond ending violence, there was an endless list of big items to be negotiated.

Progress was frustrating slow, with flashes of violence leading to the temporary removal of Sinn Fein and the loyalist paramilitary-linked Ulster Democratic Party from the process.

It became March before we could really get down to how we are going to crack all these nuts, he said.

But suddenly, US Senator George Mitchell, who had chaired the multi-party talks, sought an April resolution leaving just weeks to conclude negotiations.

It was a bit of a shock to everybody but in hindsight it was probably a good thing, said Mr Ahern.

The final week of negotiations brought many challenges, including the death of Mr Aherns mother Julia following a heart attack.

He recalled going back and forth between meetings with many leaders and intensive care.

I remember going to mass on Gardiner Street church and had to go straight back into the Dail to get on with the meetings, and with Clinton, and then back to the morgue and the removal, he said.

He said there was no alternative: I couldnt opt out, that never arose.

Mr Ahern said one difficulty was when negotiations over proposed new joint North-South institutions got into a crisis situation.

He said it nearly brought down the whole thing.

He said Mr Mitchell and his officials told him that unionists would walk out of the talks if he didnt get up and deal with them.

So I had to go up on Wednesday morning, early, and meet Tony Blair first and then meet David Trimble to give assurances, and then meet Sinn Fein and the SDLP so they knew where we were at, he said.

He then had to return for his mothers funeral at 4pm, before heading back to negotiations afterwards.

It was a tough time but I was central to the talks, so there wasnt an alternative, he said.

Finally, with an agreement reached, parties went campaigning for referenda in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Ahern said the campaign south of the border drew extraordinary support.

More than 70% of voters in Northern Ireland and 90% of voters in the Republic of Ireland backed the agreement and changes to the constitution.

It was a fabulous result, he said.

Overall, the former Irish premier said he believed the agreement was brought to a good conclusion.

It means the Good Friday Agreement is the will of the people and cant be changed, he said.

Those who say theyre opposed to it, well, they need to put forward their own proposals and get it voted for.

Until then, the Good Friday Agreement is the gospel.
All workers should be entitled to enjoy Good Friday as a public holiday, according to the Labour Party.

Workers should benefit from additional annual leave if they are rostered to work on Good Friday, according to a Labour spokesperson.

Labour workers rights spokesperson Marie Sherlock has urged Government to end the discretionary treatment of Good Friday by introducing it as a permanent public holiday for all workers.

Senator Sherlock said: The situation as it stands is deeply unfair for workers. There is always confusion among workers as to whether Good Friday counts as public holiday, or not. There are some employers who treat Good Friday as a discretionary day, however we know that the majority of workers in retail, tourism and hospitality fail to benefit from this.

Labour is calling on Government to make Good Friday a bank holiday for all workers to provide equality across the board. Its deeply unfair that some workers benefit due to the benevolence of their employer, while others do not.

The failure to regularise the situation points to a Government out of touch with many workers in the economy. Hard work deserves reward. Even if a worker is rostered to work on a public holiday, they are entitled to a benefit either by additional annual leave at another time or additional pay. So, while some businesses opt to close that day, not every worker is treated the same. We need to fix this.

"We know the benefit of public holidays to workers  with additional time to rest, relax, spend quality time with friends and family  but also the benefit to the economy as a whole.

Extra public holidays are just one way of improving life for workers in Ireland. The introduction of the new public holiday in February was welcome, but we need to look at work across the economy as a whole and ensure its fair for all, Senator Sherlock said.
Abuja  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has declared a Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based popular prophetess and founder of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, Faith Ugochi and a celebrity couple - Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Allen - who were arrowheads of an international syndicate operating from Los Angeles, United States of America wanted for recruiting teenage girls into drug trafficking.

A statement yesterday, by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, stated that the lid was blown off the cartel when NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos intercepted a consignment of 32.7 kilogrammes of Loud, a strong variant of cannabis concealed in cartons of used wears on 16th November 2022.

A freight agent, Ukoh Oguguo, was subsequently arrested while further investigations that led to the arrest of four more suspects - Chikodi Favour; Obiyom Shalom; Nnochiri Promise and Edward Omatseye (aka Montana).

Babafemi said the 15-year-old Favour was the first sales girl to be arrested at a fuel station in Ajah area of Lagos.

"She thereafter led the operatives to a duplex accommodation around Ikate area of Lekki, which was later discovered to be a rented apartment by the criminal group purposely for four young girls that the syndicate uses for marketing and distribution of illicit drugs.

"Another girl, Shalom, who is a fresh graduate of Agricultural Science from Rivers State University of Science and Technology was picked from the house alongside Favour," he added.

He said during their preliminary interrogation, "it was learnt that the syndicate rented another building used as drugs warehouse inside Richmond Estate, Lekki," noting that by the time operatives located the house, "it was discovered that other members of the syndicate had broken into the store and carted away bags of illicit substances, disclosing that however, some illicit drugs paraphernalia including sealing machine, bloating machine and packaging bags were recovered from the warehouse."

Babafemi pointed out that a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Edward Omatseye at his residence around Lekki area.

"Edward confessed during interrogation to be working for Igho and his wife, Danielle, who are identified as the overall heads of the criminal group," he further disclosed.

The spokesman said investigation, "was able to establish that Favour and Shalom were recruited as salesgirls in the illicit drug trade by Prophetess Faith Ugochi of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, using her church platform to recruit teenage girls brought to her for help, on behalf of the celebrity couple: Igho Ubiribo (aka Tiny) and Danielle Allen (aka Dani), who are the owners of the business, while Edward Omatseye (aka Montana) coordinates the illicit drug trade activities for them in Nigeria, with Nnochiri Chidinma as representative of Ben Cargo Ltd, a freight company responsible for the shipment of illicit consignments into the country."

He said, "while Nnochiri Chidinma and Edward Omatseye (aka Montana) have already been charged to court and are currently facing trial at the Federal High Court, Lagos alongside Ben Cargo Ltd, a freight company which had been linked to two previous drug seizures and also involved in the current case, several attempts to get Prophetess Faith Ugochi, Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Allen submit themselves for questioning have proved abortive."

He said a letter of invitation sent to Ugochi of Christ Adoration Ministries, No. 27 Anozie Street, Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on 28th November 2022, was received and acknowledged by her mother, with whom she runs the Church. The letter was followed with a reminder on January 9, 2023 after a long wait.

In the same vein, he said letters of invitation were also extended to Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Allen and a reminder was also sent when the couple did not show any readiness to respond to the first invitation.

"While Prophetess Ugochi fled her home and went into hiding but continued her prophetic ministration on Facebook, the duo of Igho and Danielle initially sent a legal representation to ask for another time to honour the invitation, they have since gone incommunicado," the statement added.

He said curiously, "they hurriedly moved all funds traced to their company Lasgidi Backwood Ltd where all proceeds from the sales of illicit drugs were deposited into a private account of one Victor Imagoro.

"The agency has since blocked the sum of N80 million traced to the account and obtained a court order to seize all properties including a fuel station linked to the suspects in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

"The NDLEA has further sought and obtained an order of the Federal High Court Lagos to declare wanted the celebrity couple: Ubiribo Igho and Danielle Allen, as the arrowheads of the illicit trade as well as Prophetess Faith Ugochi, who recruits teenage girls as sales representatives for the duo.

"The agency in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Customs Service last Friday conducted a joint examination of two containers marked TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803 where 143.8 million tablets of Tramadol 225mg were discovered in 720 cartons weighing 10.3 tons (10,386 kilogrammes).

"The opioid pills, which were mixed with cartons of sweet, according to him were imported from India, noting that the interception followed credible intelligence and cooperation of sister agencies.

"In the same vein, officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, have intercepted at a courier firm a cargo of 1.5 kilogrammes cocaine concealed in a carton declared to contain hair cream, shampoo, hair rollers and burners, going to London, UK.

"In Kaduna, operatives last Monday raided Dan Wata village, Soba local government area where they arrested one Abdurrashid Musa, 33, with 142.8 kilogrammes cannabis while the principal suspect, Ibro Danwata is still at large, while another suspect, Shamsu Abdullahi (aka Waja), 35, was also arrested the previous day during a follow up operation at Rigasa Kaduna, after he had abandoned 80,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 13.4 kilogrammes and escaped arrest earlier," the statement added.

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Babafemi also disclosed that about 63 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 600 kilogrammes stored in a house at Okpe village in Akoko-Edo local government area were recovered last Friday, when operatives raided the area, while a raid of a warehouse owned by one Shehi Mallam at tomatoes market, Dei Dei Abuja same day led to the seizure of 80 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 842.4 kilogrammes.

"In Cross River, 12,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were seized from a female passenger, Talatu Adamu, 46, when NDLEA officers intercepted the commercial bus she was travelling in along Ogoja/ Katsina-Ala road last Monday," the statement added.

He said while a suspect, Abraham Alaigwu was arrested at Slaughter, Trans/Amadi area of Port Harcourt, Rivers state with 91.7 kilogrammes of cannabis last Thursday, 228 kilogrammes of same substance was seized from Ayodele Osuya, 35, in a Toyota Camry car around Quarter Guard area of Akure, Ondo state.

Meanwhile. While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) assured that no effort would be spared to ensure the fleeing suspects are brought to face the consequences of their action.

He also expressed gratitude to operatives of Apapa, DOGI, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, Kaduna, FCT and Ondo Commands of the agency for their resilience, professionalism and excellent synergy with other security agencies in their areas of responsibility.

He however charged them and their colleagues across the country to continue to raise the bar in their daily attainments.
A success for KIT engineer Uli Lemmer: The ERC awards him an Advanced Grant. (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT)

The European Research Council (ERC) awards optoelectronics engineer Uli Lemmer from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with an Advanced Grant. The ORTHOGONAL project aims to develop and test a cost-effective and scalable process for the production of thermoelectric generators (TEGs). TEGs convert ambient heat directly into electrical energy and offer multiple potentials for recovering unused waste heat. Similarly, sensors for the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearable electronic devices (wearables) can be sustainably supplied with energy. The ERC is funding the project with 2.4 million euros over the next five years.

For many years, Uli Lemmer has been driving new technologies for a sustainable and resource-conserving society, says KIT Vice President Research Professor Oliver Kraft. His projects in printed electronics combine first-class materials research with new concepts for electronic components. I am very pleased that the ERC has awarded him an Advanced Grant for his excellent research.

Thermoelectric Generators from the Printing Machine

With the project Origami inspired thermoelectric generators by printing and folding, or ORTHOGONAL for short, Professor Uli Lemmer, head of KITs Light Technology Institute (LTI) focuses on a new process for manufacturing of TEGs. These can convert the waste heat from industrial processes, power plants, heating systems, or geothermal energy directly into electrical energy. TEGs are an effective lever to increase the energy efficiency while powering the billions of sensors used in our digitized economy and society, Lemmer explains. Until now, TEGs can only be produced from individual parts in time-consuming manufacturing processes. To make them scalable for applications ranging from micrometers to square meters, Lemmer and his research team are taking advantage of printing technologies.

Inspired by the Japanese Art of Folding Paper

In the ORTHOGONAL project, they want to research inorganic nanocomposite materials with high efficiency and make them usable for printed electronics. In the first step, the powdered nanoparticles are processed into printable inks that are applied to ultrathin substrates, fused, and cured using photonic sintering, i.e. pulsed light. In the second step, the resulting 2D film is folded into the desired 3D geometry, as in origami.

Tailor-made TEGs for Individual Applications

The new process not only makes production cost-effective and scalable. It also enables the production of a new generation of customized TEGs that adapt to the respective applications as individual components, says Lemmer. These range from use in wearables such as fitness wristbands to smart industrial sensors and heating valves to heat exchangers. By the end of the five-year ERC grant, Lemmer aims to have developed two demonstrators: One for small-area use in an energy-autonomous sensor node, and another for large-area use in a heat exchanger. The 58-year-old expert can build on more than thirty years of experience with solid-state semiconductor devices, several patents, and a proof of concept for the thermoelectric materials and device design.

ERC Advanced Grants 2022

With the ERC Advanced Grants, the European Research Council (ERC) funds established top researchers with an outstanding scientific record who want to open up new research areas. The scientific work from the last ten years before the application is decisive for the evaluation. 1647 researchers took part in the 2022 call for proposals. The ERC awarded Advanced Grants for a total of 218 outstanding research projects in 20 countries with a total funding volume of 544 million euros, 37 of which went to German universities and research institutions. The success rate is 13.2 percent.

Read more:

https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/erc-2022-advanced-grants-results

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
March 31 (Reuters) - Regulator Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) exercised its equity appreciation right in First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O) stock worth $500 million as part of a deal for the regional lender to buy failed Silicon Valley Bank.

The equity right was exercised on March 28, according to a filing on Friday.

FDIC took over Silicon Valley Bank on March 10 after depositors rushed to pull out their money in a bank run that also brought down Signature Bank (SBNY.O) and wiped out more than half the market value of several other U.S. regional lenders.

U.S. regulators said on Monday they would backstop the deal for First Citizens to buy Silicon Valley Bank, triggering an estimated $20 billion hit to a government-run insurance fund.

First Citizens did not pay cash upfront for the deal. Instead, it said it granted equity appreciation rights in its stock to the FDIC that could be worth up to $500 million, a fraction of what Silicon Valley Bank was worth before it failed.
RIYADH/BEIRUT, April 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit that Riyadh is hosting in May, three sources familiar with the plans said, a move that would formally end Syria's regional isolation.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will travel to Damascus in coming weeks to hand Assad a formal invitation to attend the summit scheduled for May 19, two of the sources said.

The Saudi government's communication office and the foreign ministries of both countries did not respond to requests for comments.

Gamal Roshdy, spokesperson for the Arab League secretary general, said the organisation is not privy to every move on the bilateral level between Arab countries.

"We are not supposed to be informed in advance about the assumed visit," he added.

Assad's attendance at an Arab League summit would mark the most significant development in his rehabilitation within the Arab world since 2011, when Syria was suspended from the organisation. Assad had been boycotted by many Western and Arab states over his brutal crackdown on protests - violence that led to a protracted civil war.

Syria's return to the 22-member body would be mostly symbolic but it reflects a change in the regional approach towards the Syrian conflict. Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the war, which drew in numerous foreign powers, and splintered the country.

Last month sources told Reuters Riyadh and Damascus had reached an agreement to reopen their embassies after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Saudi foreign ministry did not confirm an agreement was reached but said it was in talks with the Syrian foreign ministry to resume consular services.

One of the three sources said discussions have been ongoing for more than a year over a list of demands from Saudi Arabia for the Syrian government to meet as a condition to mend ties, including close cooperation on border security and drug trafficking.

Initial discussions for a visit by Prince Faisal to Damascus or by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to Riyadh were postponed because of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria in February, one of the sources said.

Arab League heavyweight Egypt has also resumed contacts with Assad. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on Saturday during the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in over a decade.

An Egyptian security source told Reuters the visit was aimed at putting in place steps for Syria's return to the Arab League through Egyptian and Saudi mediation.

Some countries, including the United States and Qatar, have opposed the normalisation of ties with Assad, citing his government's brutality during the conflict and the need to see progress towards a political solution in Syria.

Contacts between Saudi and Syrian officials gathered momentum following a landmark agreement in March between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Assad's main backer, to re-establish ties.

The rapprochement between Riyadh and Tehran is part of major regional realignment, amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel.

Israeli forces carried out air strikes on outposts in Syria's Homs province in a raid early on Sunday, Syria's defence ministry said, while Western intelligence sources said a series of air bases in central Syria where Iranian personnel are based were hit in the bombings.
Awka  The panel investigating allegations of killings, extortion and sales of human parts, against some senior police officers in Anambra State has submitted its report.

An anonymous blogger, Gistlover, raised the alarm in February over the atrocious activities of three police officers serving in Anambra State Police Command, which also included the forceful acquisition of properties owned by arrested victims.

Recall that following the allegations by the blogger, the Force Headquarters had set up a panel to investigate them, after inviting the officers involved to Abuja, and subsequently freeing them.

Also, the Anambra State Police Command had in connection to this declared a corps member, Mr. Daniel Nnamdi Emeh, wanted for impersonation, possession of firearm and money laundry.

Emeh, 26, is said to be an IT expert, working with the command, and was alleged to have leaked information to the blogger.

The police officers involved in the allegations included CSP Patrick Agbazue, Commander Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Anambra; SP Nkeiru Nwode, Zonal Public Relations Officer, Zone 13, Ukpo, and Inspector Harrison Akama, who is said to be used by Agbazue for many nefarious activities.

Close to two months after the constitution of the panel, THISDAY gathered that the panel has turned in its report to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba.

CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, who disclosed this to THISDAY in a text upon enquiry said: "I am aware that the team has carried an investigation into the allegations, and a report has been sent to the IGP recently. I will get a copy of the report and act."

Reacting to news that Emeh was being driven to Awka for arraignment in court at the time of filing this report, Adejobi said he was not aware, and that "I will need to find out about that."

There have been protests from some CSOs, over the release of the suspected police officers while some CSOs had called for protection for Emeh, insisting he should rather be treated as a whistleblower, rather than being detained in solitary confinement.
Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa has broken down the party's citizen-centric new candidate selection process, indicating the nomination process kicks off this week as the nation gears for the 2023 general elections.

This comes as main rivals, the ruling Zanu PF party, is currently polishing up its primary elections process after conducting the internal plebiscite last week.

CCC has since revealed that it is abandoning the "old fashioned" primary election candidate selection approach in favour of a system anchored on citizens' consensus.

Challenged, in a wide ranging interview with NewZimbabwe.com Sunday, to shed more light on the practicality of hinging the candidate selection process on consensus, Chamisa said; "It is a brand new candidate selection process; it's fresh.

"It's novel and it's modern and places the citizen at the centre of the process. Citizenocracy is government by the citizens. It's a citizenocratic selection process."

The opposition leader said the method comes at a time when citizens need quality representation from their representatives.

"Citizens want candidates to be selected on merit, integrity, dignity, suitability and accountability. Citizens prefer representatives who are visible, accessible and available," he explained.

"Those leaders who regularly report back to constituencies and communities to get instructions and progress on policies and national priorities of public interest.

"All these are going to be considered through a rigorous vetting panel that looks at these critical tests.

"In the event that we have more candidates nominated, citizens caucuses are convened. A citizen caucus is constituted by those who have subscribed to citizen philosophy and ideology in the constituency or in a particular ward.

"The process also involves wide consultation with stakeholders in that particular constituency or ward."

Chamisa said the new process is also going to be complemented by the introduction of Townhall Debates on policy as well as Constituency Citizens Debates which are a first of its kind.

"We are introducing citizens' candidates' policy debates where various contestants present their manifestos before the citizens finally make the decision," he said.

Quizzed on how decisions will be made under the new system, Chamisa maintained that the entire process will be determined by the citizens.

"It will be the community consensus presided over by a Citizens Candidates Independent Selection panel. The citizens will interrogate the nominees. We call this manifesto pitching," the CCC leader explained.

"Once complete it is citizens who then democratically choose their own candidates through a consensus. This is why we call this Democratic Community Consensus System."

Challenged to divulge details on who exactly will spearhead these programs from national to ward level in the absence of party structures, the opposition leader dismissed the fears.

"Who said the citizens are not structured? The citizens are the structures across the whole country.

"Yes. The citizens are the structures and the citizens' structure is the strongest in any country. In Fact, across the whole world," he said.

On what safeguards have been put in place to guarantee citizens safe participation in these processes considering the opposition's recent reports on disruption of meetings by ruling Zanu PF party supporters, Chamisa said citizens will be safe through both internal systems and external structures including the police.

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"The nomination of candidates kicks off on Wednesday. That's the first process. The difference between CCC and other parties is that we don't want a person who comes to say I want to be in that position. This is not a process where you have to produce a C.V. That C.V. is derived by your contributions in the community."

He added; "Your community track record is the qualification to be nominated.

"It is your service to the nation and we have criteria for that we are looking at three attributes on loyalty. You must pass that. The first is loyalty to the country. The second is loyalty to the people or the constituency.

"The third one is loyalty to God, the author of the universe. You can't lead the people of God when you do not have a relationship with the God of the people."
Several media outlets, including CNN, have asked a New York judge to unseal the grand jury indictment against former President Donald Trump. The news organizations are also asking for permission to broadcast Trump's expected appearance in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday for his arraignment on the charges.
In the wake of a deadly elementary school shooting in Tennessee earlier this week, state lawmakers across the country are moving forward with school safety measures
Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC acquired a new position in shares of Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $218,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Utah Retirement Systems increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 0.4% during the third quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 83,870 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,737,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC bought a new position in Conagra Brands during the second quarter valued at about $635,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 4.4% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,234,029 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,266,000 after acquiring an additional 51,950 shares during the period. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 6.9% during the third quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 8,436 shares of the companys stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the period. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 16.1% during the third quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. now owns 182,749 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,078,000 after acquiring an additional 25,308 shares during the period. 81.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Conagra Brands Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:CAG traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $37.61. 2,292,052 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,401,549. The companys 50 day moving average is $36.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.46. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $41.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company has a market capitalization of $17.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.55.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Conagra Brands ( NYSE:CAG Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 5th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.15. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 14.38% and a net margin of 5.66%. The firm had revenue of $3.31 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.28 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on CAG shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Conagra Brands from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $35.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $38.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Conagra Brands in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, December 29th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $40.36.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Conagra Brands news, SVP Robert G. Wise sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.90, for a total transaction of $2,045,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 22,717 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $929,125.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.98% of the companys stock.

About Conagra Brands

(Get Rating)

Conagra Brands, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks, Refrigerated and Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States.

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Maputo, Mozambique  For the first time, Mozambique's Defense Minister Cristovao Chume has asked foreign military personnel stationed in the country to share their knowledge with Mozambique's security forces to help end violent extremism.

Chume told reporters Thursday in Maputo that his country wants the new military attaches of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Portugal and Ukraine to share their experiences to aid the fight against the Islamist insurgency that has raged in oil-rich Cabo Delgado province since 2017.

In the past, officials have said the situation in Cabo Delgado was under control.

Chume said the African continent is faced with the challenges of terrorism and other transnational crimes, which require a collective effort by states to eradicate. He asked that the new defense attaches work to streamline the ongoing cooperation between nations and discuss new opportunities that are of common interest to them all.

Mozambique has not been open about requesting assistance to fight the insurgency, mainly fought between militant Islamists and jihadists attempting to establish an Islamic state in the region, and Mozambican security forces.

Civilians, public institutions and private vehicles have been the main targets of terrorist attacks.

Chume said a multifaceted approach that consists of a military response and the implementation of local development programs in the affected areas is needed to eradicate terrorism.

In the military response, he said, the government has the support of the Defense Forces of Rwanda and of the regional Southern African Development Community's mission. Likewise, he said, the country is benefiting from the support in terms of training provided by the United States and European Union, which has increased the combat capacity of Mozambique's defense and security forces.

Meanwhile, in New York on Thursday, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi told a meeting of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission that Mozambique, with the help of other countries, needs to do more to fight terrorists.

Mozambique holds the rotating U.N. Security Council presidency for March and Nyusi was reported by state-run Radio Mozambique as saying fighting continues in Cabo Delgado.

Terrorism is not yet over in Mozambique, he said, and though the terrorists are fragile, they are active, looking for new ways of acting and trying to win the minds of the population, especially young people.

The insurgency has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in 2017 and has disrupted multibillion-dollar natural gas projects.
AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN  Get Rating) has earned an average rating of Buy from the twelve research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is 117.61 ($144.50).

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AZN. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a 130 ($159.72) price target on shares of AstraZeneca in a report on Monday, March 13th. Jefferies Financial Group set a 108 ($132.69) target price on AstraZeneca in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Credit Suisse Group set a 118 ($144.98) price target on AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 6,950 ($85.39) target price on AstraZeneca in a research report on Thursday, February 9th.

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AstraZeneca Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of AZN opened at 112.19 ($137.84) on Monday. AstraZeneca has a 1-year low of GBX 9,399 ($115.48) and a 1-year high of 128.28 ($157.62). The company has a market capitalization of 173.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 6,568.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 84.02, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The firms 50 day simple moving average is 109.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is 108.13.

AstraZeneca Increases Dividend

About AstraZeneca

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 23rd were given a dividend of GBX 162.80 ($2.00) per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 23rd. This represents a yield of 1.51%. This is a boost from AstraZenecas previous dividend of $76.40. AstraZenecas dividend payout ratio is presently 13,976.61%.

(Get Rating)

AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases.

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Finning International Inc. (TSE:FTT  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$43.14.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on FTT shares. National Bankshares lowered shares of Finning International from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and set a C$40.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on Finning International from C$42.00 to C$43.00 in a report on Monday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Finning International from C$38.00 to C$43.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. National Bank Financial lowered Finning International from an outperform market weight rating to a sector perform market weight rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, Raymond James lifted their target price on Finning International from C$39.00 to C$42.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th.

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Finning International Stock Performance

Shares of Finning International stock opened at C$33.69 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of C$5.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.40, a P/E/G ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.72. Finning International has a twelve month low of C$23.46 and a twelve month high of C$40.20. The companys fifty day moving average is C$35.21 and its 200 day moving average is C$32.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 94.60.

Finning International Announces Dividend

About Finning International

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 23rd were given a $0.236 dividend. This represents a $0.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.80%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 22nd. Finning Internationals payout ratio is currently 29.01%.

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Finning International Inc sells, services, and rents heavy equipment, and power and energy systems in Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and internationally. The company offers telehandlers, articulated trucks, asphalt pavers, backhoe loaders, cable assist vehicles, cable yarding systems, chip dozers, cold planers, compactors, dozers, drills, electric rope shovels, excavators, material handlers, motor graders, off-highway trucks, pipelayers, remixing transfer vehicle, road reclaimers, road wideners, skid steer and compact track loaders, tack distributors, track loaders, underground-hard rock, wheel loaders, wheel tractor-scrapers, and windrow elevators, as well as attachments.

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PPL Co. (NYSE:PPL  Get Rating) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.63.

PPL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on PPL to $34.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 14th. TheStreet cut PPL from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on PPL from $31.00 to $29.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on PPL in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on PPL to $33.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 14th.

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PPL Trading Up 0.9 %

NYSE:PPL opened at $27.79 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $20.47 billion, a PE ratio of 26.98 and a beta of 0.77. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $27.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.95. PPL has a 12-month low of $23.47 and a 12-month high of $31.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.

PPL Increases Dividend

PPL ( NYSE:PPL Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 17th. The utilities provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.28. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. PPL had a return on equity of 7.50% and a net margin of 9.57%. PPLs revenue was up 54.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.22 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PPL will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.45%. This is a boost from PPLs previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. PPLs payout ratio is 93.20%.

Insider Transactions at PPL

In other news, insider David J. Bonenberger sold 29,080 shares of PPL stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total transaction of $872,400.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 34,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,038,180. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PPL

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC increased its position in PPL by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 21,254 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $621,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the period. Janney Capital Management LLC increased its position in PPL by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 8,780 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $257,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its position in PPL by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 56,228 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,643,000 after acquiring an additional 409 shares during the period. Clear Street Markets LLC increased its position in PPL by 11.9% in the 3rd quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 4,070 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the period. Finally, Gofen & Glossberg LLC IL increased its position in PPL by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Gofen & Glossberg LLC IL now owns 15,214 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $445,000 after acquiring an additional 433 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.02% of the companys stock.

PPL Company Profile

(Get Rating)

PPL Corp. engages in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. It operates through the two reportable segments: Kentucky Regulated & Pennsylvania Regulated. The Kentucky Regulated segment consists of LKEs regulated electricity generation, transmission and distribution operations of Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company as well as regulated distribution and sale of natural gas of Louisville Gas and Electric Company.

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Chicos FAS, Inc. (NYSE:CHS  Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 11,580,000 shares, a decline of 7.1% from the February 28th total of 12,460,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,430,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.8 days. Currently, 9.6% of the companys shares are sold short.

Insider Transactions at Chicos FAS

In other news, Director Bonnie R. Brooks sold 30,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.15, for a total transaction of $186,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 774,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,761,576. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Bonnie R. Brooks sold 69,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.28, for a total transaction of $437,088.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 704,640 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,425,139.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bonnie R. Brooks sold 30,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.15, for a total value of $186,960.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 774,240 shares in the company, valued at $4,761,576. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.60% of the companys stock.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chicos FAS

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CHS. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Chicos FAS by 109.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 6,649 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 3,475 shares during the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY grew its stake in Chicos FAS by 33.2% during the 3rd quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 7,558 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 1,885 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Chicos FAS during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in Chicos FAS by 20.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 14,093 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 2,404 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirabella Financial Services LLP bought a new position in Chicos FAS during the 1st quarter worth $48,000. 88.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chicos FAS Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of CHS traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $5.50. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,797,680 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,305,434. The company has a fifty day moving average of $5.48 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.41. Chicos FAS has a twelve month low of $3.80 and a twelve month high of $7.30. The company has a market cap of $687.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.25 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

Chicos FAS (NYSE:CHS  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The specialty retailer reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $524.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $512.00 million. Chicos FAS had a return on equity of 36.01% and a net margin of 5.09%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Chicos FAS will post 0.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Chicos FAS in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. B. Riley began coverage on Chicos FAS in a research report on Thursday. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a market perform rating and issued a $6.00 target price on shares of Chicos FAS in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th.

Chicos FAS Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Chicos FAS, Inc engages in the retail of womens private branded, sophisticated, casual-to-dressy apparel, intimates, and complementary accessories. The firms product portfolio consists of the following brands: Chicos, Soma, and White House Black Market. It also operates boutiques, retail stores, and websites to sell the products.

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MTY Food Group (TSE:MTY  Get Rating) had its price target reduced by National Bankshares from C$73.00 to C$72.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the stock. CIBC cut their price objective on shares of MTY Food Group from C$77.00 to C$73.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Raymond James boosted their price objective on shares of MTY Food Group from C$64.00 to C$65.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of MTY Food Group from C$59.00 to C$69.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of MTY Food Group from C$65.00 to C$67.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of MTY Food Group from C$66.00 to C$75.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of C$71.00.

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MTY Food Group Stock Performance

Shares of MTY opened at C$60.74 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of C$65.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$60.79. The company has a current ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 148.46. The stock has a market cap of C$1.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.91, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.87. MTY Food Group has a 12-month low of C$45.20 and a 12-month high of C$73.50.

MTY Food Group Increases Dividend

MTY Food Group Company Profile

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 15th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This is a positive change from MTY Food Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.65%. MTY Food Groups dividend payout ratio is 32.79%.

(Get Rating)

MTY Food Group Inc franchises and operates quick-service, fast-casual, and casual dining restaurants in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company also sells retail products under a multitude of banners. As of November 30, 2021, the company had 6,719 locations comprising 6,603 franchised, 23 joint ventures, and 93 corporate locations.

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. NW winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 33F. NW winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 32F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 32F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
For the month of March, K-pop is now getting busy with their activities, music, and promotions. Along those endeavors, several artists have also been appointed as ambassadors.

Since K-pop artists are also influential among the community, it's not surprising that various brands or campaigns will take interest in them, in order to promote their content.

Here are 6 K-pop artists who became ambassadors for March 2023!

1. BTS Jungkook for Calvin Klein

On March 28, Jungkook of BTS was appointed as the newest global ambassador for Calvin Klein Jeans and Underwear. With Jungkook's charismatic personality, the idol was shown promoting the brand with confidence, and ARMYs loved every second of it.

Jungkook was also praised by Jonathan Bottomley, Calvin Klein's global chief marketing officer. In his statement, the officer described that Jungkook is a perfect match for their brand, since he possesses rare talent for uniting audiences.

2. BTS Jimin for Tiffany & Co.

On March 3, Jimin of BTS became Tiffany & Co's newest ambassador. Regarding his activities with the brand, Jimin will attend on brand events and engage on different ad campaigns.

Tiffany & Co.'s executive vice president for product and communications, Alexandre Arnault, expressed excitement over Jimin's involvement with the brand, describing him as a multifaceted artist, as well as performer.

3. BTS RM for Bottega Veneta

On March 30, BTS's leader RM became not just the ambassador for Bottega Veneta, but also the latest addition to its "family," which was announced on Instagram. The reveal was made by Matthieu Blazy, Bottega Veneta's Creative Director.

4. NewJeans for Levi's

Rookie monster NewJeans became the newest global ambassador for Levi's on March 6. The brand is known for its everlasting denim jeans, which the group matches perfectly since bot the product and NewJeans are both timeless.

According to a Levi's representative, the brand is excited to work with NewJeans, since the group does a great job on appealing the brand's personality towards Generation Z. NewJeans is also set to celebrate the brand's 150th anniversary of the "501" jeans.

For further context, "501 day" is when Levi's signature blue jeans were patented, which dates back on May 20, 1873. As the brand's newest ambassador, NewJeans' live performance will be held at Seoul to commemorate the special day.

5. NewJeans Danielle for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty

Danielle of NewJeans became an ambassador for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty on March 14. NewJeans also uploaded a photo on their Instagram account, where Danielle is shown wearing the products. The idol has also joined EXO Kai and BLACKPINK Rose, who are also affiliated with the brand.

6. ATBO for 'Korea Forest Love Youth 2023'

On March 20, fourth-gen boy group ATBO became the public relations ambassador for "Korea Forest Love Youth 2023," which was held through a ceremony. On the event, ATBO expressed their aim to spread awareness to forests and climate crisis.

Do you know any other K-pop artists who became ambassadors for March 2023? Tell us in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: K-pop Groups and Idols Who Received Awards from the South Korean Government

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
After almost three decades of service, the First Son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has announced he will be retiring from the UPDF this year.

Muhoozi, a prolific tweeter, made the announcement on Monday via his verified Twitter account.

"I also sang it because Jesus Christ is once again my ONLY Commander-in-Chief. I will be retiring from the UPDF this year," he tweeted.

This is the second time the First Son has announced retirement from the army, having last done so in March last year. At the time, he was the Commander of Land Forces.

"After 28 years of service in my glorious military, the greatest military in the world, I am happy to announce my retirement. Me and my soldiers have achieved so much! I have only love and respect for all those great men and women that achieve greatness for Uganda everyday," he tweeted in March last year.

However, this would later be dismissed by then spokesperson of Land Forces, Chris Magezi who said the army had not received Muhoozi's application.

"The General has not retired from the army, he is still in active service.The army promotions and the commissions board, which is the military body mandated with handling retirement requests, has not received his application." Magezi told Reuters last year.

Muhoozi's latest revelation comes amidst speculations that the 48-year-old plans to stand for presidency in 2026.

His followers and supporters under the MK Movement have been pushing a campaign, calling for him to contest in the next presidential election.

The First Son, has previously nodded to these requests by clearly stating it that indeed, he will stand for the country's biggest office.

Early March, Muhoozi told his over 700,000 followers that he will be coming in 2026 for the seat his father, President Yoweri Museveni has held since 1986.

"You have wanted me to say it forever! Okay, in the name of Jesus Christ my God, in the name of all the young people of Uganda and the world and in the name of our great revolution, I will stand for the Presidency in 2026!"he tweeted early March before deleting the tweet.

It should be noted that the Ugandan law does not allow serving soldiers to participate in politics. Should Muhoozi retire like he has said, he will be within the law to participate in politics.

His father Museveni has been in power since 1986.

In January 2021, President Museveni was re-elected after beating opposition's Robert Kyagulanyi of National Unity Platform (NUP) in an election the opposition said was unfair.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. Spoke at a press conference at the Little Rock Fire Department Station 9 at 1324 N Shackleford Rd to discuss the tornado damage that occurred in Little Rock Arkansas. (Photo KATV)
The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed creation of a joint venture by Orange and MasMovil. The Commission is concerned that the transaction may reduce competition in the retail supply of mobile and fixed broadband services as well as of multiple-play bundles in Spain.

Orange and MasMovil are the second and fourth largest operators active at retail and wholesale level for fixed broadband and mobile services in Spain. There are in total four mobile network operators active in Spain, i.e. Telefonica, Vodafone, Orange, and MasMovil. There are also several mobile and fixed virtual network operators which use the network operators' infrastructure to offer mobile and fixed telecoms services to their consumers.

The Commission's preliminary concerns

The preliminary investigation indicates that Orange and MasMovil are close competitors, in the Spanish markets for theretail supply of: (i) mobile telecommunications services; (ii) fixed broadband access services; and (iii) multiple-play bundles, including fixed mobile convergent services.

In particular, the Commission found that:

The transaction would reduce the number of network operators in Spain, thereby eliminating an innovative and significant rival. This could lead to higher prices and lower quality of telecom services for customers.

in Spain, thereby eliminating an innovative and significant rival. This could lead to higher prices and lower quality of telecom services for customers. As result of the transaction, Orange and MasMovil would have the ability and incentive to restrict access of virtual operators to wholesale mobile network and wholesale fixed network access services. This could reduce the ability of such operators to compete, and in turn lead to higher prices and lower quality of services for end customers in Spain.

The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation into the effects of the proposed transaction to determine whether its initial competition concerns are confirmed.

The proposed transaction was notified to the Commission on 13 February 2023. On 2 March 2023, the Spanish Competition Authority requested a referral of the case under Article 9 of the EU Merger Regulation. This referral request is pending.

The Commission now has 90 working days, until 21 August 2023, to take a decision. The opening of an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation.

Companies and products

Orange, headquartered in France,is a global telecommunications operator active in the Spanish telecommunications market through its subsidiary OSP. OSP provides mobile and fixed telecommunication services to residential customers, business customers and wholesale customers in Spain. It operates under three brands: Orange, Jazztel, and Simyo.

Lorca, headquartered in UK, is a holding company controlling MasMovil. MasMovil provides fixed and mobile telecommunications services mainly to residential customers in Spain. It operates under a wide variety of brands, such as Yoigo, MasMovil, and Virgin, as well as digital-focused brand Pepephone, regional brands Euskaltel, R., Guuk, Embou and Telecable and international customers brands Llamaya, Lebara, Lycamobile.

Merger control and procedure

The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or a substantial part of it.

The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II).

However, as part of the current matter, the Phase I deadline was extended by 10 working days following a request made by the Spanish Competition Authority, under Article 9 of the EU Merger Regulation.

In addition to this transaction, there are currently eight on-going Phase II merger investigations: : (i) the proposed acquisition of OMV Slovenija by MOL; (ii) the proposed acquisition of Alumetal by Hydro; (iii) the proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft; (iv) the proposed acquisition of eTraveli by Booking; (v) the proposed acquisition of Lagardere by Vivendi;(vi) the proposed acquisition of VMware by Broadcom; and (vii) the proposed acquisition of Inmarsat by Viasat; and (viii) the proposed acquisition of Asiana by Korean Air.

More information will be available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.10896.

Zarazeno po 03.04.2023 17:04:00 Zdroj Evropska komise en Original ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/documents?reference=IP/23/2101&language=en lang en
Kano  The Kano State governor-elect, Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, has warned all subsisting and prospective lenders to the state government to desist from giving the Governor Abdullahi Ganduje-led administration loans, saying his government won't honour or pay back any loans given to the state government after the March 18 elections.

The governor-elect also urged the people of the state to stay off public buildings and to avoid constructing anything on government lands, schools, and other public places.

But in a swift reaction, Ganduje reminded the governor-elect that he was still in charge of the state.

Yusuf also said all existing loan facilities taken by the Ganduje administration shall be renegotiated by the new administration and guided by the utilisation audit/review of each loan facility.

The governor-elect's stand was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, and made available to journalists yesterday.

According to the statement, "the Governor-elect of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has directed that this public advisory be issued to all subsisting and prospective lenders to the Kano State Government viz: 'Effective from March 18 to May 29, no lender (domestic or international) shall approve and issue any loan facility to Kano State Government without the express consent of the incoming administration.

'Any such loan facility approved and issued to the Kano State Government between the date of election and the date of swearing-in without explicit knowledge and consent of the incoming administration will not be honoured by the new administration;

"All subsisting lenders to the Kano State Government shall take notice that all terms and conditions for all existing loan facilities shall be renegotiated by the new administration guided by the utilisation audit/review of each loan facility.

"This advisory is made in the public interest, please," the statement added.

However, Governor Ganduje warned Yusuf that he was still in charge of the state.

Speaking through the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, Ganduje asked Yusuf to desist from making official pronouncements to avoid confusion.

He said: "The action of the governor-elect amounts to jumping the gun by issuing a directive on a matter affecting the government's laid down policy, while the incumbent is yet to run his full term."

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Ganduje added that he remains the governor with executive powers until May 29 and reserves the right to carry out his functions in the public interest, even on the eve of his exit.

"Until he subscribes to the Oath of Office as governor on May 29, he remains what he is, a governor-elect, and does not have the powers of the governor. All he can do is reverse some of the actions taken by his predecessor when he assumes office if there is a valid reason to do so. No governor-elect has the constitutional or legal powers to determine the direction of a state until he is sworn in," the statement added.

Ganduje stated that as governor, he wields enormous powers to allocate plots of land, emphasising that every government had undertaken such exercise, including the previous administration which the governor-elect served under.

He also stated that based on available records, the previous administration had made land allocations in some of the public places the governor-elect categorically mentioned.

Ganduje identified such places to include the City Wall, with the allocation of land from Kofar Nassarawa to Kofar Mata; shops at the Kofar Mata Eid Prayer Ground facing the Orion Cinema and from Kofar Mata to 'Yan Yashi opposite the Eid Ground; and from Kofar Kabuga to Kofar Famfo facing the old Campus of Bayero University.

But hours after the governor's response, Yusuf issued another public advisory, stating that: "I wish to issue this public advisory to prospective and subsisting lenders (domestic and foreign) that effective from 18th March to 19th May 2023, approval of loan facilities to KNSG should be with the consent of our incoming government."
Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has come under heavy criticism over the leaked conversation he had with Bishop David Oyedepo, Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide.

The audio clip released by online newspaper, Peoples Gazzete, has set social media on fire since Saturday.

In the audio, Obi was heard begging Oyedepo to help him mobilise Christian voters ahead of the election, especially those in the North Central states of Kwara, Kogi and Niger, declaring the election was a religious war.

The former governor of Anambra State was repeatedly heard saying, 'Yes Daddy", while the conversation lasted.

"Daddy, I need you to speak to your people in the South-West and Kwara, the Christians in the South-West and Kwara. This is a religious war. Like I keep saying: if this works, you people will never regret the support," he said in the audio.

While verifying the authenticity of the audio in a statement in the wee hours of Sunday, Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign, claimed it was taken out of context by critics.

But Festus Keyamo, who was spokesman of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, described the utterances of Oyedepo and Obi as shameful.

According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), God exposed Obi for declaring a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country.

"Having confirmed the authenticity of what is now known as the Peter Obi 'Yes-daddy' audio, I think the real culprit here are the so-called 'men of God' who allowed themselves to be used by an unscrupulous politician to seek to inflame religious passions in our dear country in the name of politics.

"So, when they were telling their hapless adherents that they heard the voice of the Lord, it was actually Peter Obi's telephone calls they heard and not God's voice. This is deceitful, shameful and disgusting. Imagine a so-called 'man of God' comparing notes with a politician as to what he said or what he would say on the pulpit in order to get him votes.

"I hope this sufficiently embarrasses the 'men of God' in Nigeria to forthwith desist from using the pulpit for politics and the Church-goers to stop being teleguided by their self-serving 'men of God'.

"As for Peter Obi who declared an election a 'religious war' in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like ours, the real God has just exposed him and his dream to be Nigeria's President one day has just died a natural death. 'Yes-daddy' is now permanently etched in the consciousness of the nation and we will NEVER forget!"

Earlier, Director General of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Balogun Akin Osuntokun, told Daily Trust that he had nothing to say on the matter.

On his part, Femi Fani-Kayode, Director, New Media sub-committee of the APC, described Obi as a religious bigot.

Tweeting via his handle, @realFFK, Fani-Kayode said, "For Peter to describe the presidential election as a religious war tells you that he is nothing but an insufferable, irresponsible and uncouth intellectual barbarian and fraud and an ethnic and religious bigot."

In a statement, Chairman, Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/ NEPAD, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, accused Obi of weaponsing religion and ethnicity.

Nnamani said reviewing the activities of the elections, he came to a conclusion that "Peter Obi deflowered the virgin innocence of political patriotism and nationalism in Nigeria".

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"What was in whispers and hush tones, Peter proclaimed loud in decibels in Cathedrals and Holy Sepulchres.

"The Roman Catholic dominant politics Peter mastered and foisted on Anambra people when he was a Governor was a prelude to his nation wide campaigns. The Roman Catholic's Family Trinity of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, was what Peter spread ecumenically across the Faith landscape as the Labour Party's symbol of Father, Mother and Child."

"For his ethnic war, he spread across Igbo domiciled areas across Nigeria, specifically markets and shopping malls. He picked out Christian minority areas for his campaigns in Northern and Central Nigeria. His dual opium of tribalism and religious bigotry have made national landing to depart no more. He fed our people with the sacred apple and Nigeria may never be the same again."

Obi has been silent since the audio went viral, but his supporters have been trying to defend him.
Apache 207 is currently Germany's most successful rapper. His music combines hip-hop and Eurodance. Two DW Culture writers discuss the phenomenon.German rapper Apache 207 is on a roll. His song "Roller," released back in 2019, has replaced Wham's "Last Christmas" as the longest-running number one track ever in the German charts. And he is no one-hit wonder: All in all, Apache 207 has had 11 number one hits, with over two billion streams.

Also Read | Indian Idol 13 Winner Rishi Singh Reveals His Journey From Ayodhya, Shares How He Began His Career Singing Bhajans and Kirtans.

High time for two DW Culture writers  who know what they're talking about  to shed some light on this phenomenon. Torsten Landsberg is a hip-hop fan but is new to Apache. Katharina Schantz is a trainee at DW and has followed the Apache hype from the very start in the small city of Mannheim, but she prefers techno to rap.

Also Read | India News | UP Assembly Speaker Meets Traders Affected in Kanpur Market Fire.

'Party music, but somehow odd'

Torsten Landsberg: What is noticeable is the constant use of auto-tune  digital pitch correction. This technology was originally intended to compensate for vocal weaknesses and to perfect vocals, but now the effect is widely used as a stylistic device. People who don't like auto-tune might have a hard time listening to German-language rap.

There is a bit of a gangsta attitude in the lyrics, Apache clearly loves to brag about himself, although sometimes ironically  which is immediately likeable in a genre that can be astonishingly humorless. On the other hand, the rap and vocals are consistently and unironically underlied with elements of Eurodance, a mixture of pop, dance and techno that was very successful in the 1990s and then just as quickly shunned. So this is definitely party music, but somehow odd. Does that explain Apache's rise to superstardom?

Katharina Schantz: I think it's the mix that makes it so popular. I'm definitely not into hip-hop, but Apache speaks to me 100%. And not just me, it's all ages  Gen Z, millennials, but also boomers and even my grandparents. Why? Stars are likeable when they come across as authentic. That's the case with Apache. I can identify with him, even if his world is not my world.

His lyrics seem antisocial, they have this no-fucks-given mentality. Apache calls people assholes and sings about living on the fringes, about Lamborghinis and Versace shoes. In classic rap style he shows off his wealth, but adds right away: "Pray to God, if money changes us / Then let us be poor all our lives."

He basically manifests his down-to-earthness as if he were afraid that one day it will be gone. His lyrics catapult me into another universe, but they are still thoughtful. That's why I don't feel swamped. Apache (the fictional character) himself is overhwhelmed by his stressful, fast-paced life. That makes him approachable and, to stick with the lingo, "real."

TL: You have awesome grandparents! "Fictional character" is a good keyword, because it picks up on the constant tension between his alter ego and authenticity. People may find it exaggerated, but in hip-hop credibility is still a hard currency, and Apache knows that, of course. His image is perfectly staged. He had Amazon film a documentary that isn't a documentary, but a commercial  it doesn't show anything he doesn't want. He suggests an authenticity without revealing anything. That's pretty perfect marketing.

To me, these status symbols  big cars, cigars, women who fit the beauty cliches  are pretty tired, they're relics from the past. In some instances Apache veers from that, like when he rides a scooter, but then he's got a "Bitch like Barbie" sitting right behind him. In the end, it's gangsta or street rap style. That's all cool, I have nothing against it. The only thing I can't figure out is why it is so successful: more than two billion streams, 11 number one songs in the charts.

'Vroom vroom  that's just funny'

KS: Sure, he uses the usual motifs. Most artists who move up in the charts don't reinvent the wheel, Apache doesn't either. But he adds his own characteristics. Remember the irony you mentioned: what serious rapper would sit on a scooter and make "vroom vroom" sounds. That's just funny.

Apache is also pretty good at rap-resentation. His next album is called "Gartenstadt." That's where he grew up, a dreary neighborhood in Ludwigshafen  a city many would say is the "ugliest city in Germany."

Acknowledging your roots and adding local color is important in the genre  Apache knows that, too. But he goes one step further and constantly sings about his mom, who also gave him his stage name. It's charismatic; it's sweet. And people salute that.

TL: And nobody knows the origin of his stage name  it's so very mysterious. Which song of his should we recommend?

KS: A good track for a first listen is the mash-up "Wham! - Last Christmas & Apache 207  Roller." Funnily enough, it combines the two tracks that have been at the top of the German charts for the longest time!

This article was originally written in German.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2023 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Aurangabad, Apr 3 (PTI) Some Bharatiya Janata Party workers on Monday sprinkled cow urine at the venue of the Maha Vikas Aghadi rally held a day earlier in Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

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Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray used to speak about fighting the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, while Uddhav Thackeray held a rally here with the support of these two parties, BJP functionary Suhas Dashrathe said.

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"Therefore, we decided to sprinkle gaumutra at the Marathwada Sanskrutik Mandal ground to purify it," he claimed.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve in a tweet said the BJP's act was against the country and its Constitution.

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan condemned the BJP for this act.

"It is a public ground and anyone can hold a rally there. The BJP should express their thoughts by holding a rally," Chavan said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday termed as "another jumla" Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that riots don't take place under BJP rule, and cited the number of instances of communal violence under a BJP government at the Centre and in some states.

At a public meeting in Hisua falling under Bihar's Nawada district, Shah said, "Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi return to power in 2024 with majority, giving 40 out of 40 seats (in Bihar), and help BJP form its own government in the assembly polls in 2025. The job of straightening rioters by hanging them upside down ('ulta latka kar') will be done by the BJP."

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"Riots don't take place under our rule," he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Sibal said, "Amit Shah: 'Riots don't take place under our rule.' Yet another jumla (rhetoric)."

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The former union minister said, "5415 communal riots reported between 2014-2020 (NCRB data). 2019 alone  25 communal riots UP(9), Maharashtra (4), MP(2). Communal violence: Haryana(2021) highest cases, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (April 2022)".

In the wake of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar, Sibal had on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi over the matter, and said "let not 2024 general elections be the reason" for the violence.

Sibal's remarks had come after communal violence rocked Sasaram and Bihar Sharif towns during Ram Navami festivities.

Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and 2 regimes, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support. He recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.PTI ASK

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chatra (Jharkhand) [India], April 3 (ANI): Arms were recovered in an encounter with Naxals in Jharkhand's Chatra, police said on Monday.

Five Naxals were killed in the encounter who had bounties on their heads.

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The killed Naxals were identified as Gautam Paswan and Charlie who were SAC members and carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh each, and Nandu, Amar Ganjhu, and Sanjeev Bhuiyan who were sub-zonal commanders and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, the police said.

The police also recovered AK 47, Insas rifles.

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The operation is underway.

Earlier on Sunday, a joint team of police and DRG arrested three naxals in insurgency-hit Kanker district of Chhattisgarh.

According to police, the arrested naxals were identified as Samund alias Suman Singh Anchala (42), Sanjay Kumar Usendi (27) and Parasram Dhangul (55).

"Acting on a precise tip-off about the presence of naxals, the joint team launched an operation and succeeded in arresting three insurgents from the forest under Koyelibeda police station limits," said Antagarh Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Khoman Sinha.

"The arrested naxals have been allegedly indulged in several incidents including torching vehicles engaged in construction works, setting towers on fire, and assaulting people by branding them as police informers and others," added ASP Sinha. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 3 (ANI): Drawing parallels on situation in Pakistan with that of West Bengal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Locket Chatterjee on Monday hit out at the Mamata Banerjee-led government saying that Hindus in the state are living in fear.

"The entire country is watching that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the country is moving forward. But in West Bengal, the situation today is like old Kashmir and Pakistan," Locket Chatterjee said while demanding NIA investigation over the recent violence in West Bengal during the Ram Navami procession.

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She said, "We demand a NIA investigation as police are arresting only Hindus and not Muslims."

"It has happened in Bengal and the whole country is watching. We are standing for the Bengali Hindus in West Bengal, and for that, we will take appropriate action and Mamata Banerjee is lying. We want the central government to look into it properly. We are demanding an NIA inquiry. We want that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should resign," she added.

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The TMC is accusing BJP of pre-planning, while BJP is accusing TMC of inciting violence.

Targeting CM Mamata Banerjee, she alleged, "This is a pre-planned conspiracy by the West Bengal Government to appease the Muslim people. Mamata Banerjee is doing appeasement politics before the Panchayat elections and Lok Sabha elections."

"We have seen the video footage of the manner in which stones were pelted in Howrah. During the procession of Ramnavami, yesterday too, stones were pelted from below the mosque when the procession was going from above. Dilip Ghosh and Viman Ghosh were injured. The people of the Muslim community took swords to the houses of Hindus and went from house to house to bring out the Hindus, beat them up and even the power supply was cut off but Mamta Banerjee has not yet taken action," Chatterjee added.

Extending BJP's support to the Hindus in the state, she said, "Appeasement politics is going on in Bengal and when she became the chief minister for the third time, she got the votes of Hindus as well as Muslims, but she only cares for Ramzan. We do Navratras and Ramnavami. They don't care about Hindus. Hindus are not safe in Bengal. We BJP people stand with Hindus and will raise their voices."

Regarding Sanjay Raut's statement, Locket Chatterjee said. "Narendra Modi does the politics of supporting everyone and ensures everyone's development. Modi ji has taken the country forward. They have no issue so they are doing politics on religion and everyone is seeing the criminal offence of divide and rule by doing bank politics. The opposition parties have no issue whatsoever because the politics of development is going on, the politics of service is going on, that's why they are making such statements."

Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged that the violence in West Bengal on Ram Navami is planned and sponsored by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Raut alleged that there are riots in the states where the elections are nearing and the BJP is fearing a loss.

Earlier on Thursday, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 (ANI): The Bombay high court on Monday dismissed bookie Anil Jaisinghani and his cousin Nirmal's plea seeking grant relief in the alleged case of bribery and blackmailing Amruta Fadnavis, wife of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The accused in the case filed a petition in the Bombay High Court and calls the arrest illegal.

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On April 1, a special court under the Prevention of Corruption Act rejected their bail plea.

In their petition filed in the HC through advocate Manan Sanghai, the Jaisinghanis claimed that their arrest was "illegal".

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"Police had violated section 41 (arrest without warrant) and 41A (notice of appearance issued by investigating officer) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) while arresting, and hence, the sessions court's remand order should also be quashed," the plea said.

Anil and Nirmal were arrested in Godhra on March 19.

Based on a complaint by Amruta Fadnavis, the Malabar Hill police on February 20 booked Anil and his daughter Aniksha for allegedly trying to bribe and blackmail the complainant after threatening to make public some audio and video clips that would make it appear that the latter was accepting favours from Aniksha. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested two criminals from the Gogi gang after an encounter in the Narela area, police said on Sunday.

The arrested criminals were identified as Sanju and Manjeet.

Also Read | Pangolin Weighing 12 Kilograms Rescued by Odisha STF in Bargarh, Wildlife Poacher Arrested (Watch Video).

According to the police, both were involved in the murder in Sonipat, Haryana.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police has busted a gang of imposters posing as officials of the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) and extorting money in the Outer North district in the national capital.

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Police have arrested six persons including Dimple Panchal (38), Sonu Sahni (35), Vinod (45), Mohit (32) years, Mukesh (49), and Deepak Tyagi (38), accused of posing as officials of Delhi Police AATS and extorting hefty sums.

According to Delhi Police, "On March 31, information was received in AATS, Outer North District, that one gang, posing as police personnel are extorting money in the name of AATS from various persons in the Bawana Industrial Area."

Immediately, police said, a team was constituted to nab the accused.

The six accused were arrested on the spot, police said, adding that one uniform of Delhi Police Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) was recovered.

"The accused persons were arrested and on further interrogation, they disclosed that they were impersonating AATS Staff and used to extort money from bootleggers," Delhi Police said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
By Payal Mehta

New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of India top officials to depose before a parliamentary panel on April 3 to discuss the global crisis and its impact on India.

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"Hearing of views of representatives of Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA) on the subject 'Impact of crisis in certain Global Banks on India's startup ecosystem'," the notice for the meeting reads.

"Briefing by representatives of Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services), Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on the subject 'Impact of crisis in certain Global Banks on India's startup ecosystem," the notice further elaborates.

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This Standing Committee for Finance chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jayant Sinha has also called representatives of 'The Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (IVCA)' to discuss the matter on Monday.

"Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Executive Director, RBI are likely to be present before the panel," sources told ANI.

They said that the panel is to discuss global financial developments and how it impacts a country like India which is taking huge strides forward as a big player in promoting Startups.

This discussion comes at the back of the collapse of the start of focused lender SVB Financial Group.

A top US Federal Reserve official on Wednesday blamed US regulators for Silicon Valley Bank's rapid collapse earlier this month after it took an excessive interest-rate risk.

"I think that anytime you have a bank failure like this, bank management clearly failed, supervisors failed and our regulatory system failed," the Fed's vice chair for supervision Michael Barr told the House Financial Services Committee.

He said the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) management, supervisors, and regulatory system 'failed' during the collapse.

On March 10, 2023, the United States (US) witnessed the second-largest bank failure in its history with Silicon Valley Bank which was set up in 1983.

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar interacted with over 450 startups, owned/co-owned by Indians, Venture Capitalists (VCs), Industry leaders and other stakeholders on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank through video conferencing on 14 March 2023.

He had assured them that the Narendra Modi government is laser-focused on helping them tide over this crisis.

Indian startups had deposits worth about USD 1 billion with embattled Silicon Valley Bank, Rajeev had said.

Chandrasekhar had said the Indian banking system was robust and suggested that they could explore using it, "Indian banking system is most stable and robust and you must explore it as part of your organisational framework. While startups have a natural incentive to use banks like SVB, we must figure out a way to use the Indian banking system without changing your business model," Rajeev had said during an interaction.

This consultation was part of the government's approach to address the situation and offer any assistance to members of India's innovation and startup ecosystem who had financial holdings in SVB.

Apart from the former MoS Finance, Jayant Sinha, this Standing Committee of Finance has members cutting across party lines. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, former Union Minister Manish Tewari, former Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, senior TMC MP Professor Sougata Roy, AAP, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav, Chadha, and BJD MP Amar Patnaik are among the list of members on this committee. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Nimba County  Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor is urging the Liberian Legislature, especially the Senate, not to reduce the national budget for education, which currently stands at Five Million United States Dollars.

Vice President Taylor says the Government of Liberia has made a commitment in line with ECOWAS protocol to ensure that budget of member states for education does not reduce, but instead, progresses towards 25 percent minimum.

She notes that the Weah administration's focus is on education that's why Five Million has been allotted in the national budget to enhance the sector.

"I'm happy that Senator Prince Moye of Bong County, who is the chairman on education is here; the Senate should not reduce the ministry of education's budget but rather increase it so that the ministry can carry out its functions by providing quality and modern education for Liberians", the Vice President explains.

She made the call in Ganta, Nimba County at a week-long Joint Education Sector Review organized by the ministry of education with support from several development partners.

Liberia's Education Minister Ansu Sonii said the ministry needs US$3 billion, about three hundred times the country's budget to take education in Liberia to international standard.

Minister Sonii boasted that his leadership has brought more improvement in the sector, compared to previous ministers.

The senate chair on education, Bong County Senator Prince Moye, pledged to work with both houses of the Legislature for more budgetary allotment to the ministry and praised

Minister Sonii for the level of improvement he has made since taking office.

However, Senator Moye stressed a need to observe people, who refer to themselves as teachers in the classroom, noting that most of them are not trained teachers, as come from different professional backgrounds but due to lack of jobs they force themselves in the education sector.

The Head of WAEC Liberia, Dale G. Gbotoe, called on government and parents to invest more in their children's education.

Mr. Gbotoe noted that Liberia continues to perform poorly in the Sciences, with students scoring zero percent in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics and English, among others in public exams.

The ministry of education annually hosts a Joint Education Sector Review (JESR) of its annual plan to look at progress, challenges, and way forward in transforming the Education System of Liberia.

Editing by Jonathan Browne
By Ashoke Raj

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], April 3 (ANI): Highlighting the tourism potential of Darjeeling that hosted second G20 Tourism Working Group meeting, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday said the Himalayan town is going to be "darling" as far as the world is concerned.

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Around 130 G20 delegates are in Darjeeling for the second meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group.

On the sidelines of the meeting, West Bengal Governor hosted all G20 delegates to lunch at Raj Bhavan in Darjeeling on Monday.

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"We take this as an opportunity to present the best of India before the rest of the world. This is an attempt to hold infinity on the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour. India has arrived..." Governor Bose told ANI.

"Delegates have shared their experiences of India. They shared their experiences about Darjeeling. Darjeeling is going to be darling as far as the world is concerned," he added.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the G20 Secretariat and the Government of West Bengal organised several cultural events for the delegates and invited countries at Mall Road in Darjeeling, where each delegate was overwhelmed by the way India hosted them for three days in Darjeeling.

"I like the Dance and myself danced during the performance... India is full of colour and I like the weather of Darjeeling," Felix De Paz, Director General, Tourism, Spain told ANI.

Indonesian Ambassador Ina Hagginyas Krishnamurthy said she relished the food during her three-day visit to Darjeeling.

"I used to think that Indonesian food is very spicy, but Indian food is also very spicy and I loved it," she told ANI.

Asked whether Darjeeling will attract tourists from across the world, Ambassador of Mexico said, "The head of UNESCO is from Mexico and I am going to tell him that Darjeeling is the best city. Himalayan train is recognised by UNESCO too."

The Ambassador of Singapore Simon Wong Wie Kuen was also overwhelmed by India's hospitality and told ANI that, "I am going to ask our maximum tour operators to explore Darjeeling and I am sure more tourists from Singapore will visit this lovely place," Simon Wie kuen Wong told ANI.

G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla, being a native of Darjeeling, took the opportunity to give a brief tour guide to all ambassadors and delegates to highlight the importance of Darjeeling during the three-day visit. (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 (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 3 (ANI): Hari Padman, the dance professor at Chennai's Kalakshetra's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts who was arrested on Monday in an alleged sexual harassment case, was produced to Saidapet Court.

He was questioned by Police Officials at MGR Nagar Police Station since morning.

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Before being produced in court, he was taken from MGR Nagar PS to Saidapet Government Hospital for a medical examination. Later he would be produced before Saidapet Court.

Hari Padman, the dance professor was booked by the Adyar police on March 31 after a former student filed a complaint against him.

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"Chennai Police arrested Kalakshestra Professor Hari Padman following the complaint of sexual harassment from a former student. He was booked by Chennai Police on Friday," said police officials.

According to Chennai police officials, Padaman was booked under various sections of the IPC sections including sexual harassment and relevant sections of the Women Harassment Act.

The case has been registered under sections 354 (A), 509, 4 of the Woman Harassment Act, the police said.

The action came days after students of Kalakshetra Foundation's institute accused him of sexual harassment.

Following the action, the Kalakshetra students' union which had been protesting over the delay in action against the professor and others, stopped their protest.

Kalakshetra students on Friday evening released a video saying that they have withdrawn their protest and also thanked the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson, media, law and order and other official bodies.

Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts will remain closed till April 6 due to students' protest here demanding action against a professor who allegedly sexually harassed the students.

The Students Union of the institute had written to the Union's Culture Ministry demanding action against the Director and the Head of the Dance department of the institution.

Earlier on March 31, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said in the State Assembly that legal action will be taken against those found guilty if the allegations are confirmed.

The chief minister was responding to a special attention-grabbing resolution in the Legislative Assembly regarding the sexual harassment allegation at the Kalasetra Foundation. The resolution was put forth by opposition MLAs - Balaji of VCK, Velmurugan of VUK, Selva Perundagai of Congress and others.

"Government conducting a proper investigation into this matter and if the charges are confirmed, legal action will be taken against whoever is at fault. It will be taken compulsorily," Stalin told the Assembly.

"All measures are taken to ensure the safety of women protesters. Tamil Nadu police did not receive any official written complaint from the Kalakshetra student union," said Stalin.Earlier on March 30, the Kalakshetra Educational Institute was shut after a protest by students over the lack of action against the professor. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhopal, April 3: A 39-year-old Thai woman was caught with fake documents at Raja Bhoj International Airport in the state capital Bhopal on Sunday, a police official said on Monday. The woman has been identified as Bechmate Monai, a resident of Thailand.

She has been living here in Kolar locality of the city for the last three years. Monai was going to Hyderabad. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) caught her at the airport during document checking and handed her over to the Gandhinagar police of the city. Woman Gets Teachers Job in Government School Using Fake Documents, Works for 17 Years Before Getting Caught.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP, Zone 4, Bhopal) Vijay Kumar Khatri told ANI, "The woman had reached the airport to take a flight to Hyderabad where the CISF jawans asked for an ID card. She showed a fake Indian Aadhaar card in which her face did not match, she also showed the copy of the other documents in the mobile, in which the jawan found that the documents being shown are not correct." Cyber Crime: Delhi Police Arrests Three For Defrauding Banks Through Fake Documents To Buy Cars and Sell Them for Profit.

After that she was interrogated and it came to notice that this matter is related to fake documents, then CISF Jawan informed the Gandhinagar police of the city, he said, adding that when the Gandhinagar police interrogated the woman, they found that the girl is a resident of Thailand and has been living in Bhopal for the last three years before that she frequently visited here.

"Earlier in 2018, she was found involved in a case related to unethical prostitution under Chunabhatti police station limits in the city, due to which her passport was confiscated in the court. As a result of which, she made fake documents and used to travel from time to time. On Sunday also, she had reached the airport to take a flight for Hyderabad," DCP Khatri said.

He added, "The woman is being interrogated. We have also informed the Intelligence Bureau (IB) about the whole matter and the IB is questioning her. We have registered a case under IPC sections 420, 467, 468, 471 and section 14 of the Foreigners Act. She has been produced before the court. She is being sent to jail. We have also informed the External Affairs Ministry about the matter and the woman will be deported after she gets released from jail."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 (ANI): Three accused involved in a road rage incident in Borivali area were arrested on Monday, police here said.

Police stated that the complainant Aamir Rehan Harris (19) was manhandled by three accused in the incident. The accused persons are identified as Suraj Bappa Nad, Shelton Anthony Dias and Purushottam Chandan Badlani.

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"The complainant had gone out with his friend, and as they reached Mandapeshwar Metro Station in Borivali West a speeding car overtook them and stopped them in the middle of the road. They threatened the complainant and asked him to get out of the car and abused him. Later they got into a scuffle with him," a police official said.

"The accused threatened the victim and asked him to show his driving license and asked him to get out of the car, when the victim did not open the car door, one of the accused tried to open it by putting his hand inside the car. The accused assaulted the victim and fled from the spot when the crowd gathered," the official added.

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After this incident, the victim reached the nearest MHB Colony Police Station and lodged a complaint.

In this regard, the Senior Inspector of MHB Colony police station Sudhir Kudalkar said, "The three accused were identified and arrested within four hours of registering the case after accessing their addresses from Road Transport Office (RTO) records".

He said that a case has been registered under the relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections.

"Police registered a case under IPC section 341,323,504,506 (2) and arrested 3 people by registering a case under the Motor Vehicle Act," he said. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Samba/Jammu, Apr 3 (PTI) A package suspected to have been airdropped by a drone from across the International Border was found in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday, prompting police to cordon off the area, official sources said.

The package was found early on Monday near the railway line in Rakh Barotiya, they said.

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The police have cordoned off the area and called in the bomb disposal squad, they added.

According to past modus operandi, the police suspect that the package was dropped by a drone from across the border, the sources said.

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Several incidents of weapons, narcotics, cash and explosive materials being airdropped by drones suspected to be from across the international border have come to light in the Union Territory's Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts in recent months.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): On the occasion of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 43rd foundation day, the ruling party at the Centre will screen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at 10 lakh places across the country on April 6.

BJP Foundation Day is on 6th April, BJP is making big preparations for this, a senior BJP leader told that on 6th April, BJP will recite a special speech related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6th April at 10 lakh places across the country, for which preparations have been completed. The preparations for the final phase are now underway.

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Read:  Latest Tweet by IANS India.

According to BJP sources, preparations have been made to screen Prime Minister's speech across the country.

At BJP national headquarters in Delhi, party chief JP Nadda will hoist flag in the morning. Following this, he will address the party workers. Then Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech will be played at BJP offices across the country. BJP leaders, office bearers and workers will gather at party offices to listen to PM Modi's speech.

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"All the workers at the booth level are informed. BJP has also issued letter to the workers regarding the outline of the programme," a BJP leader told ANI.

Sources said the party has planned a week-long social harmony campaign from April 6 till the birth anniversary of Baba Saheb Ambedkar on April 14. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rishra, April 3: Prohibitory orders are in force in West Bengal's Hooghly district, where clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession, police said on Monday. Internet services have also been suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, they said.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday, police said. A few police personnel were injured in the violence, they said. West Bengal Ram Navami Violence: Mamata Banerjee Is Role Model for How Law and Order Situation Worsens in State, Says Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was part of the second procession, told PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple when stones were hurled at them. Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh suffered injuries, he said.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, "The procession was passing through a traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation."

No person has yet been arrested in connection with the violence, she said.

Security has been bolstered in the area to prevent any further flare-up. "Police are conducting route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," she said.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be put behind bars. "The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

Condemning the violence, the state's Industry Minister Shashi Panja alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state. "BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she said. The state government will firmly deal with the situation and take necessary action to punish the perpetrators, Panja said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar also questioned the need to organise the processions two days after Ram Navami. "Why are they so hell-bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI. West Bengal Violence: Ruckus, Stone Pelting Erupt During BJP Shobha Yatra in Hooghly (Watch Video).

Majumdar claimed that some participants in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among people. Violence during Ram Navami celebrations had rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday, leading to the arrest of 45 people.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Apr 3 (PTI) A sessions court here on Monday dismissed a petition filed against a magistrate's order discharging Shilpa Shetty in the 2007 obscenity case over Hollywood star Richard Gere kissing her at a public event.

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The revision application against the magistrate court's order was dismissed by additional sessions judge S C Jadhav. The detailed order, however, was not available as yet.

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The kissing incident had taken place during an AIDS awareness programme held in Rajasthan and had hit national headlines, with some segments calling it obscene and an affront to the country's culture.

A case was registered in Rajasthan against Gere and Shetty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act. This case was transferred to Mumbai on the orders of the Supreme Court in 2017.

In January 2022, the magistrate's court discharged Shetty after observing that she seemed to be the victim of Gere's act.

On the allegation that she did not protest when she was kissed, the magistrate's court had said "this by no stretch of the imagination makes her a conspirator or perpetrator of any crime".

However, the prosecution filed a revision application before the sessions court claiming the magistrate "erred in discharging the accused" and that the order was "illegal, bad in law and against the principle of natural justice" and deserves to be set aside.

As per the prosecution, prima-facie a case was made out to frame charges against the accused and that the magistrate ought to have taken into consideration that act of the accused/respondent to kiss or allow to be kissed in public definitely came within the purview of Obscene Act.

Shetty's response, filed through advocate Prashant Patil, had said the magistrate court's order was "well-reasoned and based upon the guidelines of the Supreme Court" and, hence, the revision application needs to be dismissed with heavy costs.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 3 (ANI): In a major breakthrough in the Umesh Pal murder case, the Prayagraj court on Monday sent Atiq Ahmed's brother-in-law, Akhlaq to 14-day police remand.

Akhlaq was arrested for allegedly harbouring shooters and helping them escape after the crime.

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He is a resident of the Nauchandi area in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

According to police sources, after murdering Umesh Pal, the shooter and Atiq Ahmed's son, Asad, absconded with the help of Akhlaq.

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Mafia don-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed was convicted by an MP-MLA court on March 28, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal.

It marked the first time that Atiq Ahmed, who has over 100 cases against him over the last 43 years, has been convicted in a case.

Apart from Atiq Ahmed, the court gave life sentences to Dinesh Pasi and Khan Saulat Hanif and also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the three convicts.

Seven other accused in the case, including Ashraf, brother of Atiq Ahmed, were acquitted.

Ahmed's conviction came after Umesh Pal, an advocate and a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 this year.

Atiq is also the main accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Apart from Umesh Pal, his two security personnel were also shot dead.

Atiq, the former MP and MLA, was brought by Uttar Pradesh Police from Ahmedabad's Sabarmati Jail to Prayagraj's Naini jail on Monday after an over 24-hour-long drive. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], April 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will be holding a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the national capital today, officials said.

The CM left for Delhi on Sunday afternoon for the meeting scheduled at 11 am today.

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According to the Chief Minister's Office, along with holding discussions on plans for the state's development, the CM will also invite Prime Modi to visit Uttarakhand when the gates of the Chardham are opened later this month.

CM Dhami will be on a two-day tour of Delhi, informed the Chief Minister's Office.

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The CM will also meet Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav at 2 pm and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 5 pm later in the day, it added.

Earlier, on March 31, Dhami thanked Prime Minister Modi and the Central government, saying that Rs 23.28 crore was sanctioned to Uttarakhand under the Agriculture Development Scheme and a further Rs 34.66 crore was released as a financial incentive under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), by the Central government.

In December 2022, CM Dhami held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in the national capital and discussed development-related issues. (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  Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi believes that greater coordination between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union can help control the spread of terrorism in Africa and the Middle East.

The president was speaking on Tuesday, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where he was chairing a high-level debate on the theme "Threats to International Peace and Security, Caused by Terrorist Acts: Combating Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism.'

"The Republic of Mozambique would like to propose the revision of the project to be debated in July 2023, and to establish instruments for the prevention of terrorism, including the creation of a fund that can be translated into the promotion of jobs in Africa and the Middle East', he said.

According to Nyusi, greater cooperation among regional groups in the world can also help curb the spread of extremist groups.

"The approach should include interventions and socio-economic security dimensions and other factors that lead us to the real causes of attacks by terrorist networks', he said.

Nyusi thought it necessary to disclose the "modus operandi' of terrorists so that regional blocks can defend themselves in the best possible way, taking into account global solutions to combat violent extremism.

Nyusi said that the rise in terrorist attacks in developing countries, including Mozambique, reduces economic growth, making them more vulnerable, a fact exacerbated by climate change.

"We had a United Nations study which says that about 54 percent of the population around the world is currently facing terrorism and climate change', he said, launching an appeal for more international support for Mozambique, which, since October 2017, has been a victim of terrorist attacks, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Mozambique, he stressed, continues fighting terrorism with positive results thanks to the support of partners, including the SADC Military Mission to Mozambique (SAMIM) and the Rwandan Defence Force.

"We make our appeal for more support to Mozambique and these countries so that terrorism is eradicated in our country and in the region', he said.

Nyusi has been in the US since Monday, for a five-day working visit as part of the rotating presidency of the Security Council.
Kabul, April 3: In another repressive move, a women-run radio station in northeast Afghanistan has been shut down for playing music during the fasting month of Ramzan, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

The radio station, Sadai Banowan was Afghanistan's sole women-run station, broadcasting for ten years. Sadai Banowan translates to "women's voice" in Dari. Six of the eight employees in the radio station were females. Afghanistan: Taliban Ban Women From Working in Domestic and International NGOs After Barring Them From Universities.

Moezuddin Ahmadi, the provincial director for information and culture, said that the radio station repeatedly broke Islamic Emirate laws and regulations by playing music during Ramadan. As a result, the station was shut down. Pakistan to Seek Afghan Taliban Chief Haibuttallah Akhundzada's Help to Control TTP Amid Terror Attacks.

Ahmadi said, "If this radio station accepts the policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and guarantees that it will not repeat such a thing again, we will allow it to operate again," reported Al Jazeera.

Najia Sorosh, the station's manager, refuted the Taliban's allegations that the radio station had broken laws and regulations by denying that there had been any infringement and by claiming that the closure was an elaborate plot.

The Taliban "told us that you have broadcast music. We have not broadcast any kind of music," she said according to Al Jazeera. Afghanistan is currently grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis as according to international assessments, the country now has the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world.

Moreover, the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year.

Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.

Women and girls in Afghanistan are facing a human rights crisis, deprived of the fundamental rights to non-discrimination, education, work, public participation and health, reported Khaama Press.

Immediately following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, several journalists lost their jobs. Local Afghan journalists who defy the Taliban's rules have been detained.

According to the Afghan Independent Journalists Association, media organisations shut down due to a lack of funding or because their staff members left the nation.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk is set to commence his 3-day trip to India from Monday.

During the king's visit, both sides will review the bilateral cooperation between the two countries and further advance the bilateral partnership.

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The Bhutan king will be accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding.

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The Bhutan King's visit comes at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.

His visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and during his visit, he will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan.

India has long been Bhutan's top trading partner and continues to be the primary source of investments there.

In November 2021, the Indian government formalised the opening of seven new trade routes for Bhutan's bilateral and transit trade with India, new market access was provided for allowing the formal export of 12 agri-products from Bhutan to India, and various special exceptions/quotas for export are also provided.

India has been extending economic assistance to Bhutan's socio-economic development since the early 1960s when Bhutan launched its Five Year Plans.

For the 12th Five Year Plan, India assisted Bhutan with Rs 4500 crore for various multi-sectoral project-tied assistance, small development projects, Direct Budgetary Support, etc.

In line with our 'Neighbourhood First Policy', new market access has been opened for five agri-commodities from Bhutan to India (Areca nut, Mandarin, Apple, Potato, and Ginger), and three commodities from India to Bhutan (Tomato, Onion, and Okra).

The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations. It is important to note that some of the high-profile visits will be made by prominent individuals, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022.

Moreover, in January 2023, Bhutan was also visited by Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.

Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Welcoming the delegation, the President said that we deeply value the multifaceted and unique friendship between India and Bhutan.

The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least developed countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034.

In line with India-Bhutan unique and special relations, India ensured a continuous supply of trade and essential items to Bhutan, despite COVID-19-related lockdowns. In special assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic - 13 consignments of medical supplies, the first country to receive Covishield Vaccines.

The revised Bilateral Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan came into effect in 2017 and would be valid for ten years.

The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007. The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Moreover, India is foraying into new avenues of bilateral cooperation with Bhutan such as Space Cooperation, Smart Agriculture, Youth and Sports, startups, Renewable energy and Digital Development, to help the Royal Government of Bhutan realize its vision of prosperity for all. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dubai, Apr 4 (PTI) The Dubai Court of Cassation has rejected the appeal of Sanjay Shah, a British national wanted by Danish authorities on charges of fraud and money laundering, and has upheld the Dubai Court of Appeal's ruling to grant Denmark's request for his extradition, a statement said.

Shah, 52, a hedge fund trader, was arrested by Dubai Police in June last year in response to Denmark's extradition petition, and his extradition was referred to the Dubai Courts by the Attorney General.

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Though the Dubai Courts initially rejected Denmark's extradition request, Attorney General Chancellor Essam Issa Al Humaidan appealed the decision in accordance with the Law of International Judicial Cooperation, and the Dubai Court of Cassation has now upheld the decision to extradite the suspect to Denmark, according to the statement issued here on Sunday evening.

In December last year, a court in Dubai had ruled Shah, accused of masterminding a USD 1.7 billion tax scheme, be extradited to Denmark.

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Shah, a hedge fund trader, was accused of orchestrating a scheme that ran from 2012 to 2015, in which foreign businesses pretended to own shares in Danish companies and claimed tax refunds for which they were not eligible.

(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], April 3 (ANI): Several foreign delegates who attended the Employment Working Group Meeting in Guwahati under India's G20 presidency on Monday thanked the government and the people for the warm hospitality.

A three-day Employment Working Group Meeting was organised in Guwahati, Assam, which began on Monday and will continue till April 5. Many foreign G-20 delegates, who reached Guwahati, in a conversation with ANI, thanked the Indian government for the hospitality they received upon reaching the country.

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Deputy Director General for Foreign Relations to the Ministry of Labour for the Republic of Turkey, Ali Aybey said, "I would like to thank the people and the government of India for the warm hospitality. We have been welcomed very well and we have been to several places and especially in Guwahati in Assam. The people of Assam are very friendly and very helpful. Thank you very much."

He also highlighted various topics of interest including the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the skills gap and labour relations.

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Aybey said, "This year we will be addressing the skills gap because labour relations are changing rapidly and with the onset of the pandemic we have seen an intensification of this change, so this skills gap is a major issue to be addressed by all G-20 nations."

"The other topic priority is the financing of sustainable financing of Social Security. Social Security is also another important topic which is always related to human beings but with the pandemic, we have seen that it is much more important in terms of health care and also retirement," he added.

Jordi Curell Gotor of the European Union said, "India is a very different country, but the hospitality and the warmth of the people are the same."

He added, "COVID has actually accelerated many changes. It has accelerated digitalization, and that's something that we are addressing here. It has accelerated the platform work, which is another of the priorities of the Indian presidency. And of course, it has also changed the way in which we work and all of those are topics that the Indian presidency has put on the table."

Su Hwan Wi, a delegate of the Republic of Korea said, "This is my first time joining the G-20 meeting, so this is my first time to the Indian presidency. But I think that India's leadership, and presidency was very perfect. I was really moved there by their leadership. And I hope this meeting and this year's G-20 meeting will have a good result."

Expressing his happiness towards the Indian hospitality, the Korean delegate said, "Actually, I was really surprised when I visited India. Like, when I get off the plane, every person just waiting for me and I was really surprised by their hospitality. Everywhere I go, they celebrate me and they want to wait for me and they show their hospitality. So I want to visit India again for the next meeting."

Chinese delegate Rui Mu, said, "I am very happy to be invited to give a presentation here and contribute to India's G-20 presidency. And also we are very touched by all receptions here. For example, last night we arrived very late at New Delhi Airport and the staff there took us to another terminal and in the lounge and helped us to get onto the plane here." (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, April 3: Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu. External Affairs Minister who received him at the airport said the visit will further strengthen the "close and unique ties" between the two countries.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership." The Bhutan king is accompanied by Bhutan's Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials. Bhutan PM Lotay Tshering Thanks PM Narendra Modi for Additional 400,000 Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine Covishield.

S Jaishankar Receives Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk

Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership. pic.twitter.com/o1lqYYJlVn  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 3, 2023

During his visit he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu The visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan. PM Narendra Modi Speaks to Bhutan King, Conveys New Delhi's Readiness to Support Thimphu in COVID-19 Fight.

The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding.

The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022.

Moreover, in January 2023, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan.

Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.Welcoming the delegation, the President said that India deeply values the multifaceted and unique friendship between the two countries.

The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034.

The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007. The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Wellington, Apr 3 (AP) Disaster relief workers in Papua New Guinea were assessing the extent of damage in a remote region Monday following a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Some buildings and homes were destroyed near the quake's epicentre in the northern part of the Pacific nation, said Mathew Moihoi, the acting assistant director of the Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory. He said disaster relief workers were trying to verify whether there were any deaths or serious injuries.

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He said the region is marked by swamps and people tend to live subsistence lives hunting and fishing. He said that because of the region's remoteness and patchy communications, it could take several days to figure out the extent of the damage.

Moihoi said the quake was big enough to be felt in surrounding regions, including in the nation's highlands.

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The quake struck just after 4 a.m. at Chambri Lake and the epicentre was relatively deep at 62 kilometres (38 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Deeper earthquakes tend to create less damage on the surface than those that are shallow.

Papua New Guinea is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, to the east of Indonesia and north of Australia. It sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the arc of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where much of the world's earthquake and volcanic activity occurs.

Papua New Guinea is located on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, to the east of Indonesia and north of Australia.

A magnitude 7.6 quake that struck a remote area of Papua New Guinea in September was later found to have killed 21 people. (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 [UAE], April 3 (ANI/WAM): The UAE took part in the education technology exhibition and conference - the British Educational Training and Technology Show - (Bett) held in London from March 29th to 31st.

The UAE team highlighted the country's technological programmes and initiatives aimed at boosting the educational system and reviewed the latest cutting-edge educational technology (EdTech) solutions.

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Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, headed the UAE's delegation to Bett, including Dr Hassan Hassan Al-Muhairi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Curriculum Sector, and senior officials in the education sector.

The UAE pavilion included a number of the Ministry of Education's partners, namely the United Arab Emirates University, Khalifa University, University of Birmingham Dubai, Sharjah Private Education Authority, Higher Colleges of Technology, United Educational Publishing, the Mohamed bin Zayed Award for Best Teacher, Emirates Airlines, Emirates ICT Innovation Center, and Emirates Schools Establishment.

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Dr Al Falasi emphasized the significance of the event as a global platform to explore the future of EdTech and ways to benefit from its applications.

"The Ministry of Education was keen to participate in this global event to get acquainted with the best pioneering global experiences in the field of education. We also aimed to highlight the UAE's efforts to elevate the education system and its leadership in the fields of technology and innovation. The UAE keeps pace with the latest technologies to prepare today's generation to lead tomorrow's development process to achieve the aspirations of the country and our wise leadership to attain sustainable development and build a knowledge-based economy."

The Ministry of Education organized two-panel discussions during Bett 2023; the first focused on the "Skills of Future in the UAE Curriculum" in light of the vision of the UAE Centennial 2071 and the need to nurture students' skills to consolidate the country's path to economic and social prosperity for decades to come.

The second-panel discussion, titled "The UAE as a Global Partner and a Regional Education Hub", deliberated on the outstanding development achieved by the country in the educational field by establishing schools and universities that align with international standards.

This is in addition to launching initiatives that attract international academic expertise to improve the integrated educational model that combines quality education, sponsorship of research and encouragement of innovation. All of which enabled the UAE to become a prominent global partner and regional educational hub.

On the sidelines of Bett 2023, Al Falasi held bilateral meetings with education experts and officials in the UK. He visited key British educational institutions to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation in the educational field. He also met with a number of Emirati students enrolled in doctoral programmes and praised their efforts to obtain the knowledge necessary to pursue the country's development process and to convey the cultural image of the UAE to the world. (ANI/WAM)

(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, April 3: Delhi BJP leader Impreet Singh Bakshi alleged on Monday that he received a call from a Khalistani operative who claimed to be fugitive Khalistani radical preacher Amritpal Singh and threatened him for opposing them on social media for attacking Indian embassies in the US, the UK and Canada.

Bakshi has filed a case in this connection at the Lajpat Nagar police station. The Sikh leader had tweeted against Khalistani operatives, stating that Indian Sikhs will always be with India. Amritpal Singh Hiding in Delhi? CCTV Video Suggests Wanted Waris Punjab De Chief Is in National Capital With Aide Papalpreet Singh.

"I feel those tweets didn't go down well with the separatist elements, as I do not subscribe to their agendas. I got a threatening phone call from an international number (+1-412-557-8773). The caller identified himself as Amritpal Singh and then started threatening me," Bakshi said. Bakshi has alleged in the complaint that 'Amritpal Singh' asked him to stay away from anti-Khalistani activities or they would kill him. Amritpal Singh Crackdown: Suspension of Internet, SMS Services to Continue in Punjab's Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Moga, Sangrur.

"He threatened me that my act was against them and being a traitor of Sikhs will cost me dearly. Considering that I am a Sikh who is constantly raising his voice against anti-national Khalistani elements in various fora, I request that adequate protection be given to me," Bakshi wrote in his complaint. The police are looking into the matter after recording Bakshi's statement.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2023 06:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Hyderabad, April 1: The Cyberabad Police have arrested a person involved in committing theft, procuring, holding and selling of personal and confidential data of 66.9 crore individuals and organisations, and of 24 states and eight metropolitan cities.

Apart from data pertaining to students of Byjus and Vedantu organisations, the accused was found to be in possession of data related to 1.84 lakh cab users spread across eight metro cities, data of 4.5 lakh salaried employees in six cities and Gujarat state.

The accused, Vinay Bhardwaj, had established an office in Faridabad, Haryana and collected databases from Amer Sohail and Madan Gopal. He used to promote social media platforms to resell the data to fraudsters for profits. Data Theft of 66.9 Crore Persons: Cyberabad Police Serve Notices to 11 Organisations.

Police stated that the accused also holds consumer / customer data of major organisations like GST (Pan India), RTO (Pan India), Amazon, Netflix, Youtube, Paytm, Phonepe, Big Basket, BookMyShow, Instagram, Zomato, Policy Bazar, and Upstox, among others.

The accused person was found selling personal and confidential data of about 66.9 crore individuals and organisations maintained in 104 categories. This includes 51.9 crore data of individuals and organisations of 24 states and 8 cities maintained in 44 categories.

Some of the important data held by the accused includes the data of defence personnel; government employees; PAN card holders; students data of Class 9, 10, 11 & 12; senior citizens; Delhi electricity consumers; D-MAT account holders; mobile numbers of various individuals; NEET students; high net worth Individuals; insurance holders; credit card and debit card holders etc.

Police officials said the accused person was operating through a website "InspireWebz" in Faridabad, Haryana and selling database to clients through cloud drive links. Govt Must Clarify: Cong After Man Held for Stealing Data of About 67 Crore Individuals, Organizations.

The police seized two mobile phones and two laptops, and recovered data of 135 categories containing sensitive information of government, private organisation and individuals.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2023 09:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, April 3: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday after passing the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 without discussion amid uproar by opposition members over the Adani issue. Soon after the Upper House reassembled at 2 pm, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar greeted the members on the occasion of Rajya Sabha Day and urged them to participate in discussion, dialogue and deliberations instead of indulging in disruptions.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman then moved the the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 for consideration and passage amid slogan-shouting by Opposition members. Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha Adjourned.

Dhankhar put the Bill to voice vote even as the Opposition members continued slogan shouting and passed it before adjourning the House for the day.

The House will now meet on Wednesday.

The bill, which was passed on March 29 by Lok Sabha, provides for the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to impose penalties on entities based on their global turnover instead of the current practice of considering only relevant market turnover. The Corporate Affairs Ministry has made certain amendments to the original bill.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament on August 5 last year. Then, it was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance chaired by BJP member Jayant Sinha. The panel tabled its report in Parliament on December 13.

Earlier in the day, the Upper House was adjourned as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the charges against the Adani Group.

Congress MPs sported black clothes while TMC members wore black face masks.

Opposition MPs began shouting slogans as the Chairman called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of the day's proceedings. No sooner had the papers been laid than Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
Maputo  Thousands of Mozambicans on Tuesday bid their final farewell to former Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi, who died on Saturday, after a lengthy illness.

The Chairperson of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, Esperanca Bias, representing President Filipe Nyusi, who is on official business in the United States, gave the funeral eulogy, stressing Mocumbi's legacy in the areas of health, research, an diplomacy.

"Mozambique has lost one of its best sons, a patriot who was dedicated to the cause of Mozambique and its people', said Bias. "He was a methodical leader, demanding with himself and with others'.

Addressing the mourners at Maputo City Hall, she said Mocumbi was "a teacher and an educator for his leadership cadres and collaborators, and contributed to their training and professional capacity building so that they might better serve the country'.

Bias stressed that in all the sectors and institutions where he had worked, Mocumbi distinguished himself by "an unparalleled and transparent leadership, oriented towards results, and always putting in first place the interests of Mozambique'.

"All that is left is for us to say - thank you!', she exclaimed. "We embrace your legacy as a guiding light, showing us the path to follow'.

Mocumbi's close friend, former President Joaquim Chissano, told the mourners that he had lost, not only a colleague and a companion, but also a brother.

Chissano recalled that he had first met Mocumbi in 1952, in Maputo (then known by its colonial name of Lourenco Marques) and since then their paths were always entwined.

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They had been together in the foundation, in 1962, of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), and in all the subsequent developments in the liberation of the country from colonial rule.

"But on this journey you are beginning today, we cannot accompany you', said Chissano, "but we know that you will always be in contact with us, and we want to be in contact with you'.

The Frelimo General Secretary, Roque Silva, said "you have left, but the singularity of your virtues will remain engraved on our memories and in our hearts. We, your comrades in struggle, at this moment of final farewell, want to assure you that we shall always keep alive the values and principles you always defended, principles centred on the struggle for the well-being of all'

"With you, we learnt the meaning of the national cause, and of the highest interests of the people and of the nation', declared Silva.
The Jain community around the globe will celebrate the Mahavir Jayanti festival on April 4, this year. Believers will visit Jain temples, follow Lord Mahavir's teachings and also spread them. Let's learn about the significance and rituals associated with the festival. Mahavir Jayanti 2023 Wishes & Quotes by Lord Mahavira: WhatsApp Messages, Images, HD Wallpapers and SMS To Celebrate Mahavir Janma Kalyanak.

Story Behind the Festival

Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir who was given the name of Vardhaman in his childhood. Lord Mahavir was born in 615 BC in a royal family who at the age of 30 decided to renounce sensual pleasures and leave royalty. He practised austerities and meditated for 12 years in a forest to achieve Kevala Jnana. He then propagated the Dharma known as Jainism.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Date, Significance Of Festival Celebrating Birth Anniversary Of Lord Mahavir

Significance of Mahavir Jayanti

The birth anniversary of Mahavira is celebrated with joy and excitement by the Jain community across the globe. Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism who spread peace and harmony through his teachings. The core teachings of Mahavira are non-violence, non-stealing, chastity and non-attachment. Indrabhuti Gautama was the main disciple of Mahavira who wrote his master's teachings for the benefit of the world. Mahavir Jayanti 2023 Date and Time: Know Trayodashi Tithi, Significance and Celebrations To Celebrate Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, the Birth Anniversary of Lord Mahavira.

Rituals of Mahavir Jayanti

Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated with rituals like praying at Jain temples, processions, singing hymns adoring Lord Mahavira, fasting to purify the body and soul, charity, cultural programs and lectures by religious scholars and leaders.

The festival of Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated with great devotion by the Jain community to highlight the significance of Jainism in the world, especially in India. The key teaching of ahimsa parmo dharma or non-violence, is of great significance in the world today.
Mahavir Jayanti 2023 will be observed on Tuesday, April 4. It is one of the most important religious festivals in Jainism. Mahavir Jayanti, also known as Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, celebrates the birth of Lord Mahavir, the twenty-fourth and the last Tirthankara of the present Avasarpini. As you celebrate Mahavir Jayanti 2023, here's a collection of Mahavir Jayanti 2023 greetings, Mahavir Jayanti wishes, Mahavir Jayanti images, Mahavir Jayanti quotes and HD wallpapers to share with family and friends on the auspicious occasion. Know Trayodashi Tithi, Significance and Celebrations To Celebrate Mahavir Janma Kalyanak, the Birth Anniversary of Lord Mahavira.

According to Jain texts, he was born on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the moon in the Chaitra month of the Hindu calendar. It falls every year in the March or April month of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, most people of the Jainism community indulge in different charitable activities, prayers, and pujas and observe fast. Devotees visit Mahavir temples and offer their prayers to the lord. The internet is flooded with messages saying Happy Mahavir Jayanti on this day. Here is a collection of messages and quotes by Lord Mahavira you can download and send to all your friends and family to wish them Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2023 with WhatsApp stickers, GIF images, HD wallpapers and SMS.

Mahavir Jayanti (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: May the Holy Words Show You, The Path to Never Ending Happiness, Sending You Warm Wishes on This Auspicious Day. Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

Mahavir Jayanti (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: Follow the Path of Non-Violence, Take the Holy Pledge on This Auspicious Day of Mahavir Jayanti. Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

Mahavir Jayanti (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: The Best Way to Observe Such an Auspicious Occasion Is to Strive for Peace and Strengthen the Bonds of Brotherhood. Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

Mahavir Jayanti (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: Adopt the Path of Truth, Knowledge and Non-Violence. Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

Mahavir Jayanti (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: May the Teachings of Lord Mahavir Inspire You! Happy Mahavir Jayanti!

The idol of Lord Mahavir is taken out on a chariot for a procession, and people recite Jain stavans to celebrate the day. Monks and nuns give lectures in temples to preach the path of virtue as defined by Jainism. Wishing everyone a Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2023!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 03, 2023 09:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
From Religious News Service

Several leaders of a movement in charismatic churches that often was criticized in the 1970s and 1980s for its authoritarian structure and rigid disciplinary requirements for members have acknowledged that they were guilty of excesses and non-biblical teachings.

The movement, known as shepherding, was often accused by outsiders and former members of being cultlike in requiring members to obey leaders in all aspects of their personal lives, including selection of marriage partners.

In response to what they saw as a lack of discipline within the tongues-speaking churches--similar to Pentecostalist churches--charismatic leaders Bob Mumford, Charles Simpson, Derek Prince and Don Basham joined together in 1970 to found an organization called Christian Growth Ministries in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The movement began publishing the now-defunct New Wine magazine and holding leadership conferences around the country.

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At its peak in the mid-1970s, the movement had as many as 150,000 followers. But several leaders have recently admitted to excesses, including Mumford, who said in a recent statement widely circulated among charismatics that there had been an unhealthy submission resulting in perverse and unbiblical obedience to human leaders.

In an interview in Christianity Today magazine, Mumford said that people took something that began in the spirit and attempted to perfect it in the flesh. Ends began to justify means. The attitude became, Im going to help you walk straight, even if I have to coerce you. This is not the spirit of the Gospel.

The charismatic leader said that part of the motivation behind my public apology is the realization that this wrong attitude is still present in hundreds of independent church groups who are answerable to no one.

Mumford admitted that he had not listened to earlier warnings from the Rev. Jack Hayford, pastor of the Church On the Way in Van Nuys. It was after counseling from Hayford last year that Mumford released his public apology.

Hayford wrote in a recent article in Ministries Today magazine that hundreds of pastors, like myself, have spent large amounts of time over the past 15 years picking up the pieces of broken lives that resulted from distortion of truth by extreme teachings and destructive applications on discipleship, authority and shepherding.

In addition, Simpson told Charisma magazine, I have done things that I repent of and I do want forgiveness and I do want to see restoration.

Prince left the movement in 1980 and is now an independent Bible teacher based in Ft. Lauderdale. Basham died in 1989.

In a related development, Maranatha Christian Churches, an umbrella organization of about 70 congregations based in Gainesville, Fla., has dissolved as an international federation. It announced that its congregations will operate independently.

In August, 1984, Christianity Today made public the report of an ad hoc committee of six cult-watching specialists who had been monitoring Maranathas activities in response to complaints. The report said the organizations authoritarian orientation had potentially negative consequences for members.

All the major personalities associated with the shepherding movement had addressed Maranatha gatherings, according to Lee Grady, managing editor of the Maranatha publication The Forerunner from 1981 until the organization disbanded.

The decision to disband as a federation was supported by Maranathas president and founder, Bob Weiner, who made the formal proposal at the organizations annual conference in Texas. Weiner has been on a one-year sabbatical since last November. He said he doesnt have specific plans for his activities after his leave ends.
BALTIMORE SUN

Spite. Its not a pretty emotion. But my, is it a pretty house.

The people of Frederick, have long had reason to thank Dr. John Tyler for a particular fit of pique in 1814. Among the most grateful are Bill and Andrea Myer, who have turned the landmark Spite House, now called the Tyler-Spite House, into a pioneering bed and breakfast business.

The story of the Tyler-Spite House, enshrined in folklore, is this:

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Tyler was an eminent ophthalmologist, the first American-born physician to perform a cataract operation, and owner of several choice parcels of Frederick land, which he had bought at public auction from the confiscated estate of a notorious Tory.

In 1814, one of these parcels, on the courthouse square, lay in the way of the citys plans to extend Record Street south to meet West Patrick Street. The idea of a road cutting across his land, next to his house, did not please the strong-willed doctor.

Like many latter-day property owners threatened by development, Tyler protested the move. But he did more--he decided to fight City Hall.

In the course of his research he discovered a local law that said if a substantial building was placed in the path of a proposed road or work was in progress, the road could not be built.

The doctor found a building contractor willing to start work that very night. When the road crews arrived in the morning, they found a hole in the ground where their road was supposed to go and workmen were building a foundation. Sitting in a chair overlooking the work was the spiteful, self-satisfied Dr. John Tyler.

Tyler never lived in the classically handsome, three-story building, preferring to rent it to tenants. (His own house, next door, is now the Church House of All Saints Episcopal Church.)

Since Tylers death the Tyler-Spite House has passed through the hands of several families, including the Kunkels, who enlarged it in the mid-19th Century, and the Posses, who modernized its systems and restored it in the 20th Century, adding a swimming pool in the back.

The most recent owners were the Philippines-based family of World War II naval hero Charles (Chick) Parsons. When the Parsonses made plans to sell, the Myers, who lived in the house next door, naturally took an interest.

The Myers have been involved with historic properties and preservation for several years. They restored their own Lane House, a former home of the families of two Maryland governors, as well as a western Maryland Gothic landmark, which they run as a bed and breakfast inn.

And, of course, as proprietors of the Castle in Mount Savage, they saw the Tyler-Spite Houses ample B&B; potential. Not only did it have commercial zoning, off-street parking, six bedrooms and the kind of old-fashioned splendor that inn-lovers seek, but it filled a community niche.

Although Frederick has the kind of restaurants, historic buildings and antique shops that attract tourists, it has a dearth of B&Bs; in which to house them. There is only one other bed and breakfast inn within the city, and no other in the downtown historic district.

According to Bill Myer, the Parsonses were enthusiastic about the idea, which would save the grand old building from the probable fate of being converted to office use.

Getting the Tyler-Spite House in shape for the public took three months, not only for cosmetic fix-ups but to get the legal technicalities straightened out.

We had to get an attorney, then we had to get it surveyed, and get a planner to make sure it fit in with the historical plans of downtown Frederick, Bill Myer said.

Despite support from Fredericks then-Mayor Ron Young, the process was more drawn-out and expensive than anticipated, in part because of the efforts of a group of neighbors who petitioned against the business, having heard (mistakenly) that there would be a restaurant serving liquor on the premises.

The decorating, directed by Andrea Myer, was done quickly but with panache, and features a mixture of antiques from the Myers collection, new furniture combining comfort, durability and a traditional look, and some pieces that were bought along with the house.

The legacies include the early 19th-Century portraits in the family and music room, and many Philippine mahogany pieces that had belonged to the Parsonses.

On the very desk in the front hall that holds the houses literature and guest book, Gen. Douglas MacArthur signed the treaty that ended the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.

Bill Myer repainted the rooms. The library, in which tea is served, is a rosy brick-red that matches the red Maryland marble fireplace. New chandeliers were installed above the magnificent winding stairway and throughout the house.

The second-floor bedrooms, two of which have canopy beds, are decorated in a formal, traditional mode that matches the houses architecture. Those bedrooms on the third floor favor a more romantic, Victorian look.

With the help of Harry L. Decker, Fredericks historian, they gave each of the rooms the name of a historic notable with Frederick connections.

The library, for instance, was named for Samuel Knox, who pioneered public education in Maryland. Henry C. Dielman, the first American composer to receive a doctor of music degree, gave his name to the music room, and John Collins, camp cook for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was used for kitchen.

The most famous local folks commemorated here (with a foyer and a bedroom) are Star-Spangled Banner author Francis Scott Key and Union patriot Barbara Fritchie, whose legend Decker, unlike some historians, staunchly upholds.

The Myers welcomed their first guests in January, and have been working ever since to perfect their B&B.;

They have moved their check-in time from 4 p.m. to 1 p.m. so visitors will be able to walk around the historic district (City Hall is right across the street) and scout the antique markets in the afternoon.

They provide a modified high tea of cheese, pate, fruit and an extravagant cake.

And as a final touch of luxury, they have contracted with Darryl Putman of the Sundance Carriage Co. to take guests to a restaurant of their choice in an antique horse-drawn carriage.

Oh yes. The Myers also gave their house a new name: the Tyler-Spite House. To soften it somewhat, Andrea Myer says. The doctor undoubtedly would be pleased.
TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Nine months after the conflagration in Waco, Tex., that ended a 51-day standoff with members of the Branch Davidian sect, 11 surviving Davidians will go on trial in San Antonio this morning on charges that they conspired to murder the federal agents who stormed their compound.

The trial, likely to last eight to 10 weeks, is expected to yield new details about the ill-fated raid last Feb. 28 in which four agents of the Treasury Departments Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were killed, along with six cult members.

But the trial is fraught with problems for the prosecution, chiefly because government investigators themselves have criticized the raid that led to the long standoff as poorly conceived and executed. Investigators said in a report last fall that the operation should have been scrubbed after U.S. officials learned that the Davidians had been tipped off.

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The raid went awry when ATF agents, with scant planning or support, attempted to serve search and arrest warrants on cult leader David Koresh for allegedly storing an arsenal of illegal weapons in the fortress-like compound he called Mt. Carmel.

The ensuing seven-week siege ended April 19, when FBI agents rammed the rural compounds main building with armored vehicles and pumped tear gas into it. The building erupted in flames, and Koresh and more than 80 of his followers were killed--some apparently shooting themselves, others killed by fellow Davidians.

Armed with last falls critical report, which included charges that ATF officials lied about their conduct, defense attorneys are expected to attack the credibility of officials who will testify for prosecutors about the Branch Davidians alleged murder conspiracy.

Compounding the prosecutions problems, defense sources say, is that the Mt. Carmel compound was so thoroughly ravaged by fire that the physical evidence obtained from the compound is open to question.

Gary Coker, an attorney for Sheila Martin, a surviving Branch Davidian who was not indicted, said the report could have a major effect on the trials outcome.

I think people see that almost everybody from (former ATF director Stephen E.) Higgins on down has at one time or another lied about this case, Coker told reporters in Houston. And if they would lie about those matters, why wouldnt they lie about other matters that are specific as to criminal charges?

Higgins abruptly retired last fall. Five other ATF officials criticized in the report took early retirement or were suspended.

Selection of a jury is likely to take three to five days, after which testimony will begin, court officials said. U.S. District Judge Walter Smith moved the trial from Waco to San Antonio, 180 miles to the south, on grounds that it would be hard to find 12 jurors in the Waco area who did not already have opinions about the case.

Smith has ordered that names of prospective jurors be kept secret. They will be identified only by numbers to prevent them or their families from being harassed.

The judge has issued a gag order to prevent prosecutors and defense attorneys from discussing the case publicly.

The prosecution is being led by the husband-and-wife team of Ray and LeRoy Jahn, the two assistant U.S. attorneys who obtained the 1982 conviction of Charles W. Harrelson for the assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. of San Antonio.

The judge was shot in the back outside his San Antonio apartment in 1979, a crime that prompted a three-year, $7-million investigation by the FBI. Harrelson was sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Evidence indicated that he had been hired by a convicted drug dealer.

Former Branch Davidian member Kathryn Schroeder will be the governments key witness. Initially indicted with the others, Schroeder pleaded guilty in September to reduced charges of impeding federal agents with a deadly weapon as part of a negotiated plea agreement. Her husband, Michael, died in Februarys raid.

While the nature of her testimony is not known by outside observers, Schroeder is expected to serve as the inside witness that is crucial to conspiracy prosecutions, government sources said.

Two other women who left the compound soon after the siege began may be summoned as witnesses by the prosecution. Catherine Mattson, 75, and Margaret Lawson, 77, were initially jailed, but charges against them were dropped.

In addition, prosecutors are expected to play many hours of tape-recorded telephone conversations between cult members and federal negotiators during the long siege, as well as tape-recorded sounds captured by eavesdropping devices sent into the compound with food, videotapes and other items.

Some of the 11 sect members on trial left the compound early in the siege, while others escaped during the fire. Three of the defendants are British--Renos Avraam, Norman Allison and Livingston Fagan. The others, all U.S. citizens, are Brad Eugene Branch, Kevin Whitecliff, Clive Doyle, Jamie Castillo, Paul Fatta, Woodrow Kendrick, Graeme Craddock and Ruth Ottman Riddle.

A grand jury indictment accuses them of conspiring with malice aforethought to kill ATF agents on account of the performance of their duties. According to the charges, this conspiracy was led by Koresh, who would and did advocate and encourage an armed confrontation with the ATF.

The defendants, if convicted of conspiracy, face up to life imprisonment. Under federal conspiracy laws, anyone who contributes in any way to criminal actions by a group may be convicted. The defendants are also charged with lesser weapon offenses.

Jackson reported from Washington and Hart from Houston.
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Everyone in town is home watching the big series finale of Seinfeld. So, figure the newlywed couple on ABCs Dharma & Greg, what better time to be adventurous and have sex in a public place?

But as the San Francisco couple--shes a yoga instructor, hes a U.S. attorney--prepare to get down to business on the steps of the federal courthouse, they are spotted by Gregs African American supervisor. An embarrassed Dharma tells the man that hed better hurry home so he wont miss the highly touted episode.

Yeah, right, the boss responds sarcastically, with a roll of his eyes. My whole family is home watching Seinfeld. 

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The Seinfeld media hoopla--which includes the Dharma & Greg tribute airing Wednesday--may be at full throttle for the conclusion of the comedy that has gained a reputation as a show about nothing. But for many black viewers, the hype really is much ado about nothing.

Seinfeld is leaving NBC Thursday as the most popular program on television and a cultural phenomenon, but for a lot of minorities--particularly blacks--Seinfeld throughout its nine-year run has been a lot of yada yada yada.

In the black community, the finale of Seinfeld is basically a nonevent, said Jannette Dates, dean of the School of Communication at Howard University. Its clearly a well-written program and is very funny, but it has never really captured black audiences. Theyre not angry about the show. Theyre just indifferent.

Radio personality Tom Joyner, host of the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show, which airs locally on urban-flavored KACE-FM (103.9), quipped: White people seem to just be going crazy about this. Dont get me wrong: I dont hate the show. But if we had a party every time a black show went off the air, there would be a party all the time.

And Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition advocacy group, added, I never understood what Seinfeld was about. I have always watched television, and with comedies ranging from Cheers to Taxi, I always found something to like and laugh at. But there was nothing about Seinfeld that interested me. It had nothing to do with the reality of Latinos.

But Doug Alligood, a senior vice president at the New York-based advertising agency BBDO Worldwide, said that Seinfeld is the second-highest-rated show among Latinos this season. However, its not like theres much choice in what to watch among Latinos, he said.

Last weeks episode angered some Latinos because it depicted Puerto Ricans trashing Jerrys car after Kramer accidentally set a Puerto Rican flag on fire.

Throughout its run, Seinfeld has been a prime example of the widely differing viewing habits of blacks and whites. Despite topping the Nielsen charts among total viewers, Seinfeld ranks 50th this season among blacks. Conversely, the top three shows with black audiences this season--Foxs Between Brothers, 413 Hope St. and Living Single--flopped in the overall ratings and have been canceled.

Observers said that the lack of Seinfeld fever among blacks is mainly attributable to the almost total absence of minority characters on the New York-based sitcom. Some supporting characters--including an attorney modeled after defense lawyer Johnnie L. Cochran Jr.--have been featured in the last few seasons, but many said the show is still seen as a program that excludes minorities.

Todd Boyd, a professor of critical studies at the USC School of Cinema-Television, said Seinfeld is among those shows which have great appeal for whites but are perceived by blacks as being outside of their experience and their influence. Seinfeld never did much to make an overt connection to blacks.

Its like this strange vision of urban living, said Jacqueline Stewart, a film studies graduate student at the University of Chicago. Its like it is with Woody Allen. The main characters dont interact at all with people of color. Black people are really put off by that. Of course, on black shows, there are not a lot of white people. TV tells us that we live in a very segregated society.

Advertising executive Alligood pointed out that the ranking of Seinfeld with black viewers this season is an improvement over past seasons, when it didnt even rank in the top 100.

I think the show improved because it got away from its total white population and its isolation from minorities, he said.

Alligood added that a shows popularity with black viewers is not totally based on the number of blacks in the cast. For instance, he said, CBS Walker, Texas Ranger, which stars Chuck Norris and has one black supporting cast member (Clarence Gilyard), is the 20th most popular show among black viewers this season.

Though some restaurants, including Planet Hollywood in Beverly Hills and various Jerrys Delis around Los Angeles are hosting viewing parties for the final Seinfeld episode Thursday, it will be largely business as usual for TV-equipped eating and drinking establishments that are frequented by African Americans.

No one here is even remotely interested in Seinfeld,  said Leon Lewis, manager of the Townhouse in Ladera Heights. I wouldnt say no if they wanted to watch it, but the people who would come in here just arent interested. Not even close.
TIMES STAFF WRITER

The federal government has agreed to pay $18 million to the estate of Richard Nixon to settle claims that the Watergate tapes and other presidential materials were improperly seized by the government in 1974 without compensation.

The out-of-court agreement, climaxing a five-month civil trial that ended last year, would result in $6 million in improvements and expansion for the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace in Yorba Linda, Calif., and paves the way for copies of his White House tape recordings and papers eventually to be made available at the Orange County facility, officials said.

Justice Department lawyers argued in federal court last year that placing any value on Nixons materials was speculative and that in no case should payment exceed $2.2 million. Lawyers for Nixons heirs sought compensation of $213 million for 3,700 hours of tapes and more than 4 million pages of historic White House documents.

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David W. Ogden, the Justice Department official in charge of the case, called it a fair resolution that brings to a close 20 years of litigation surrounding Nixons materials.

John H. Taylor, executive director of the Nixon Foundation, said in an interview Monday that the agreement was a fair, equitable and good compromise negotiated in virgin legal territory.

Shortly after Nixons resignation in 1974, Congress decreed that the General Services Administration, the parent agency of the National Archives, should seize all his White House recordings and papers to guarantee that Nixon would not destroy them.

Until that time, presidents traditionally were free to take all their papers and other historic materials with them into retirement. But Congress made an exception in Nixons case because he was the first president to resign in a criminal scandal. His successor, Gerald R. Ford, granted him a full pardon from any possible future prosecution.

The Watergate tapes, which Nixon surrendered only when the Supreme Court ruled against him, documented conspiracy and obstruction of justice by Nixon and his top aides and led directly to his resignation on Aug. 9, 1974. His departure came after the House Judiciary Committee had voted articles of impeachment.

Nixons lawyers spent subsequent years trying legally to block public access to the Watergate tapes, arguing that many of the conversations were private and privileged. When the Supreme Court rejected their efforts, the lawyers began fighting specific regulations proposed by the National Archives to make the tapes public.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in 1992 that Nixon was entitled to just compensation for his materials. While this issue still was being adjudicated, Nixon died in 1994 and his daughters began to loosen the familys grip on his materials, in hopes of a better understanding of their fathers presidency.

The settlement must be approved by U.S. District Judge John Garrett Penn, who has had the compensation issue under advisement since closing arguments by the Justice Department and Nixon family lawyers ended last December.

The Nixon papers and tapes will remain at the National Archives facility in suburban College Park, Md. But the agreement signals that copies may eventually be housed in Orange County, even though the time element is uncertain.

Taylor said that Nixons papers, tapes and other materials--if ultimately dispersed to the West Coast as well--will help ensure a better appreciation of Nixons foreign policy achievements, including bringing the Vietnam War to an end.

Besides the $6 million for Nixons library, Nixons attorneys, led by Herbert J. Miller, will receive $7.4 million, and approximately $3.7 million will go for estate and other federal taxes. After administrative expenses, less than 0.5% will be distributed to Nixons family.

Nixons lawyers argued to Judge Penn that an award of $16 million last August to the heirs of amateur filmmaker Abraham Zapruder by a panel of government-approved arbiters showed that the Nixon tapes, by their sheer volume alone, were worth far more. The Zapruder film, only 26 seconds long, captured the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas in November, 1963.

However, the Justice Department contended that Nixons tapes and other records were created, retained, organized and processed ultimately for one purpose--to deposit them in a Richard Nixon presidential library open to the American people for research.

As a result, these materials were dedicated to public use by Mr. Nixon from the earliest days of his administration . . . to be held in what Mr. Nixon called a public trust  and so have little commercial value, government attorneys argued.

Additionally, they said, the judge should consider that American taxpayers already have spent about $21 million to keep and index all the materials as custodian for 25 years. These are costs which Mr. Nixon would have borne had he retained the materials, the department said in its final legal brief.
Times Staff Writer

The Three Wise Men who came to worship the Christ child hailed from India and named him Isa, or Lord, in Sanskrit -- a name that became Jesus in the Bible.

The star they followed to find the infant Jesus was not a physical celestial body. It was the omniscient wisdom star of infinite perception in the spiritual eye, located between the eyebrows, which the wise men accessed through deep meditation.

Later, Jesus traveled to India, where he practiced yoga meditation with the great sages there some time during his lost years from age 13 to 30, a time of his life scarcely mentioned in the New Testament.

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As Christians immerse themselves in the Advent season to prepare for Christmas, such assertions might sound like blasphemy or pure fantasy. But they come from a renowned Indian guru, the late Paramahansa Yogananda, in a newly published work that is being praised as the first detailed interpretation of the four Gospels by a Hindu.

Compiled from decades of Yoganandas speeches and writings, the book is being published by his Los Angeles-based Self-Realization Fellowship 52 years after his death.

The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of Christ Within You, offers startling ideas about the deeper meaning of Jesus teachings and their essential unity with yoga, one of the worlds oldest and most systematic religious paths to achieving oneness with God.

According to fellowship senior editor Brother Chidananda, the book aims to recover what Yogananda believed were major teachings lost to institutional Christianity. Among them was the idea that every seeker can know God not through mere belief but by direct experience via yoga meditation.

This gives a way to enter the kingdom of heaven within through the science of meditation and gives a vision of the oneness of religion, he said in an interview at the fellowships headquarters in the Mount Washington neighborhood. I cant think of anything more timely, with all thats happening in the Mideast and other places.

At two volumes and 1,642 pages of intricate discourse on various Gospel passages, the book (listed at $58 and available for about $41 at some major bookstores) is not expected to be a bestseller. But it has been praised as a groundbreaking work by comparative religion scholars.

Robert Ellwood, a USC professor emeritus and specialist in world religions, called it a rare bridge-building book that could change the way people see Jesus. Arvind Sharma, a professor of comparative religion at McGill University in Montreal, said the book represented a path-breaking effort of a Hindu in claiming the right to interpret the Christian Gospels.

More and more people will draw understandings from religious texts that are not their own, Sharma said. We have to let go of the attitude that only Christians have the right to interpret the Bible, that a religion belongs only to its followers. What Yogananda was saying is that Jesus did not preach to Christians; he preached to humanity.

Christopher Chappel, a professor of theological studies and an expert on the religious traditions of India at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said many of Yoganandas assertions would enhance Christian faith, because they affirm the resurrection and other accounts of Jesus experiences.

But other assertions, such as Jesus purported sojourn in India, are impossible to judge, Chappel said, because they have not been thoroughly researched in the West, even though a minority of people in certain Hindu and Muslim traditions have long claimed that Jesus traveled to India, Kashmir, Tibet and elsewhere.

Yogananda came to the United States in 1920 and, five years later, moved to Los Angeles to establish an international headquarters for his Self-Realization Fellowship. The organization, which disseminates his teachings on yoga and meditation, now has more than 500 temples and meditation centers, with members in 178 countries.

Followers say Yoganandas mission, bequeathed to him by his gurus, was to present to the West actual techniques to commune with God and show the underlying harmony between the original teachings of yoga and Christianity. The new book, Chidananda says, represents a milestone in that mission.

Believers in the Bibles literal truth, however, are certain to reject Yoganandas explanations that many biblical stories are metaphorical and metaphysical, rather than actual fact -- beginning with the books title, The Second Coming of Christ.

The guru did not focus on a literal return of Jesus. Rather, he said, the significant Second Coming involved a return of the Christ consciousness of divine intelligence, wisdom and perception that was incarnate in Jesus and other masters, such as Krishna of India. As it spreads among seekers, it will bring peace and harmony, he said.

Yogananda also says that Johns puzzling Book of Revelation is not a treatise on Armageddon and the final days before Christs Second Coming, as perceived by many Christians. He says John, whom he described as the most deeply mystical of Jesus disciples, was providing a road map to divine union using yoga techniques.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute International in Rancho Santa Margarita, criticized Yoganandas belief in a unity between yoga and Christianity. He said the fellowship belief that God is present in all creation was pantheistic, while Christians were monotheists. The idea that a unifying theme underlies all religions is nice to say, but it makes little sense, he said.

If the book confounds or offends traditionalists, however, Chappel and Sharma say it might not surprise mystics. The path to God or enlightenment through meditation is found in Sufism of Islam and cabala of Judaism, monastic Buddhism and contemplative Christianity.

Chidananda says such Christian mystics as Teresa of Avila, Meister Eckhart and John of the Cross have described experiences of divine union that uncannily resemble the yoga experience. In many accounts, Chidananda says, deep meditators report hearing a cosmic hum, then perceiving a light in their brains frontal lobe and experiencing a blissful, expanded sense of self.

Yogananda draws parallels between the Christian trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the yoga concept of Sat, Tat and Aum. Both traditions use the trinity to distinguish among the transcendent, divine reality; its immanence in creation; and a sacred, cosmic vibration that sustains the universe, he says.

And he asserts that Bible passages used to exclude non-Christians from salvation have been misconstrued.

Some Christians believe, for instance, that Jesus saying that no one comes to the Father except through me requires a belief in Jesus the man as God and personal savior. Yogananda, however, asserts that Jesus was referring to the need to achieve the same Christ consciousness he personified as a way to achieve oneness with God.

Christ has been much misinterpreted by the world, Yogananda wrote. Even the most elementary principles of his teachings have been desecrated, and their esoteric depths have been forgotten.
Times Staff Writer

Robert Hanson, the last surviving member of the storied Memphis Belle B-17 bomber crew, which was the first to fly 25 bombing missions in Europe during World War II, has died. He was 85.

Hanson, the radio operator of the famed aircraft, died Oct. 1 in Albuquerque of congestive heart failure.

The exploits of the B-17 were detailed in a 1944 documentary The Memphis Belle, made by William Wyler. Its final mission was recalled in a fictionalized 1990 feature film Memphis Belle.

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Hanson, addressing his grandsons high school class after the feature film was released, was asked if everything in the movie actually happened.

No, it didnt all happen to the Memphis Belle, he told the class, but everything in the movie happened to some B-17.

In 1989, Hanson had accompanied pilot Robert Morgan and other crew members to Binbrook Royal Air Force base in England to meet with the young cast of the movie.

Theyre not quite as good-looking as we were, said Hanson, known for cracking jokes and his happy-go-lucky nature, but they are young and enthusiastic -- exactly like we were.

Hanson was a construction worker in Spokane, Wash., when he joined the Army in 1941 -- three months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the U.S. into World War II. During his training at Walla Walla, Wash., he was assigned to the Memphis Belle.

The Flying Fortress, as the giant bombers were called, and its 10-man crew flew to England, their wartime base, in September 1942. Between Nov. 7 and May 17, 1943, they flew 148 hours and dropped more than 60 tons of bombs over Germany and France.

They were credited with shooting down eight enemy aircraft and five probables, and damaging a dozen more. Four members of the original crew died in combat as the plane was hit by cannon and machine-gun fire.

Although Hanson and the rest of the crew survived unscathed to become early war heroes, they had several close calls.

When we got the tail shot off, Capt. Morgan put the ship into a terrific dive and we dropped two- or three-thousand feet. It pretty nearly threw me out of the airplane, Hanson recalled on the Memphis Belle Memorial Assn. Inc. website.

I hit the roof. I thought we were going down and wondered if I should bail out. Then he pulled up again and I landed on my back. I had an ammunition box and a frequency meter on top of me. I didnt know what was going on.

On another bombing run, Hanson was writing in a logbook when he sneezed, jerking his head. A bullet missed him when he moved, and instead hit the log book, which he kept the rest of his life.

At that early point in the war, Morgan told filmmakers in 1989, the Allies were losing 82% of their planes and men. He attributed the Belles survival to teamwork and luck -- which Hanson courted by carrying a lucky rabbits foot.

After the Belle became the first bomber to complete 25 missions, it also became the first sent into retirement. But prior to that, the plane and its crew were ordered on a special mission -- to tour the United States, rallying support and encouraging the purchase of war bonds.

When the Belle landed at Long Beach on Aug. 19, 1943, it generated rousing cheers from thousands of Douglas Aircraft Co. workers, who built B-17s.

The nearly 75-foot-long airplanes best-known motif was the scantily clad Memphis Belle on its nose, named for Morgans girlfriend and copied from a 1941 painting in Esquire magazine by George Petty. But by its goodwill tour, the plane had added other decorations -- 25 orange-colored bombs for its missions and eight swastikas for the Nazi planes it shot down.

The old girl really went through hell, the pilot told aircraft workers in 1943. Shes had to have a whole new wing, a new tail, a new landing gear and nine new engines.... Why, one time we came back with 62 gashes in her.

Each crew member, including Tech. Sgt. Hanson, received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and three Oak Leaf Clusters.

At the 1943 ceremonies on the steps of Los Angeles now-razed State Building on 1st Street, Gov. Earl Warren praised the crew for doing more than a war job.

Youre helping change the character of the world, said the future U.S. chief justice, knitting it closer together through the ocean of the air.

After the war, Hanson became a salesman and later regional manager for Nalley Fine Foods in Walla Walla. He also worked for a candy company in Spokane before retiring to Mesa, Ariz., and recently moving to Albuquerque.

Alluding to his wartime duty as a radio operator, he ended his phone conversations throughout his life with the Morse Code sign-off of dit, dit, dit, dah, dit, dah.

In 1946, the city of Memphis, Tenn., for which the bomber was named, rescued the Flying Fortress from a virtual scrapheap in Altus, Okla. Memphis had hoped to preserve and display the plane in its own museum. But in 2004, unable to raise necessary funds, the Memorial Assn. relinquished permanent control to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, where it will be displayed after restoration.

Hanson is survived by his wife of 63 years, Irene; a daughter, Mary Black of Albuquerque; a son, Richard of Spokane; a brother, Harold of Los Angeles; a half-sister, Ann Blatt of Arlington, Wash.; and six grandchildren.
NICK SCHOU is an editor for OC Weekly. His book, "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb," will be published in October.

TEN YEARS AGO today, one of the most controversial news articles of the 1990s quietly appeared on the front page of the San Jose Mercury News. Titled Dark Alliance, the headline ran beneath the provocative image of a man smoking crack -- superimposed on the official seal of the CIA.

The three-part series by reporter Gary Webb linked the CIA and Nicaraguas Contras to the crack cocaine epidemic that ripped through South Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Most of the nations elite newspapers at first ignored the story. A public uproar, especially among urban African Americans, forced them to respond. What followed was one of the most bizarre, unseemly and ultimately tragic scandals in the annals of American journalism, one in which top news organizations closed ranks to debunk claims Webb never made, ridicule assertions that turned out to be true and ignore corroborating evidence when it came to light. The whole shameful cycle was repeated when Webb committed suicide in December 2004.

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Many reporters besides Webb had sought to uncover the rumored connection between the CIAs anti-communism efforts in Central America and drug trafficking. Dark Alliance documented the first solid link between the agency and drug deals inside the U.S. by profiling the relationship between two Nicaraguan Contra sympathizers and narcotics suppliers, Danilo Blandon and Norwin Meneses, and L.A.s biggest crack dealer, Freeway Ricky Ross.

Two years before Webbs series, the Los Angeles Times estimated that at its peak, Ross coast-to-coast conglomerate was selling half a million crack rocks per day. [I]f there was one outlaw capitalist most responsible for flooding Los Angeles streets with mass-marketed cocaine, the article stated, his name was Freeway Rick.

But after Webbs reporting tied Ross to the Nicaraguans and showed that they had CIA connections, The Times downgraded Ross role to that of one dominant figure among many. It dedicated 17 reporters and 20,000 words to a three-day rebuttal to Dark Alliance that also included a lengthy musing on whether African Americans disproportionately believe in conspiracy theories.

All three major U.S. dailies, The Times included, debunked a claim that Webb actually never made -- that the CIA deliberately unleashed the crack epidemic on black America. The controversy over this non-assertion obscured Webbs substantive points about the CIA knowingly doing business south of the border with Nicaraguans involved in the drug trade up north.

The Washington Post titled one of its stories Conspiracy Theories Can Often Ring True; History Feeds Blacks Mistrust. The New York Times chipped in with a scathing critique of Webbs entire career, suggesting that he was a reckless reporter prone to getting his facts wrong.

That article included virtually none of the good things Gary did, said Webbs former Cleveland Plain Dealer colleague, Walt Bogdanich, now a New York Times editor. It didnt include the success he achieved or the wrongs he righted -- and they were considerable. It wasnt fair, and it made him out to be a freak.

There is no denying that the papers were right on one serious count -- Dark Alliance contained major flaws of hyperbole that were both encouraged and ignored by his editors, who saw the story as a chance to win a Pulitzer Prize, according to Mercury News staffers I interviewed.

Webb asserted, improbably, that the Blandon-Meneses-Ross drug ring opened the first pipeline between Colombias cocaine cartels and the black neighborhoods of Los Angeles, helping to spark a crack explosion in urban America. The story offered no evidence to support such sweeping conclusions, a fatal error that would ultimately destroy Webb, if not his editors.

At first, the Mercury News defended the series, but after nine months, Executive Editor Jerry Ceppos wrote a half-apologetic letter to readers that defended Dark Alliance while acknowledging obvious mistakes. Webb privately (and accurately) predicted the mea culpa would universally be misperceived as a total retraction, and he publicly accused the paper of cowardice. In return, he was banished to a remote bureau in Cupertino, Calif.; he resigned a few months later.

Meanwhile, spurred on by Webbs story, the CIA conducted an internal investigation that acknowledged in March 1998 that the agency had covered up Contra drug trafficking for more than a decade. Although the Washington Post and New York Times covered the report -- which confirmed key chunks of Webbs allegations -- the L.A. Times ignored it for four months, and largely portrayed it as disproving the Dark Alliance series. We dropped the ball on that story, said Doyle McManus, the papers Washington bureau chief, who helped supervise its response to Dark Alliance.

Unable to find suitable employment, a bewildered Webb left journalism, endured a difficult divorce and battled growing depression and financial despair. But even his suicide failed to dull the medias contempt for Dark Alliance. The L.A. Times and the New York Times published brief obituaries dismissing Webb as the author of discredited stories linking the CIA to Southern California drug sales.

Unlike the media pariahs who came after Dark Alliance -- most notably fabulists Stephen Glass of the New Republic and Jayson Blair of the New York Times -- Webb didnt invent facts. Contrary to the wholly discredited reporting on Iraqs nonexistent weapons of mass destruction by New York Times reporter Judith Miller, Webb was the only victim of his mistakes. Nobody else died because of his work, and no one, either at the CIA or the Mercury News, is known to have lost so much as a paycheck. The editors involved with the story, including Managing Editor David Yarnold, survived the scandal to receive generous promotions.

History will tell if Webb receives the credit hes due for prodding the CIA to acknowledge its shameful collaboration with drug dealers. Meanwhile, the journalistic establishment is only beginning to recognize that the controversy over Dark Alliance had more to do with poor editing than bad reporting.

In some ways, Gary got too much blame, said L.A. Times Managing Editor Leo Wolinsky. He did exactly what you expect from a great investigative reporter.
Maputo  The South African state company Eskom is in talks with the Mozambican publicly owned electricity company, EDM, for buying the output from a 415 Megawatt Karpowership power station, which will be mounted on a ship stationed in Maputo Bay.

The offshore power station in question will burn low-sulphur oil.

Eskom took its decision after it declined to sign agreements to procure power from facilities the Turkish company planned to moor off the South African coast.

"Discussions with Eskom, as one of the potential offtakers, are ongoing and an offer has been submitted for their internal review', said an EDM source, cited by the South African media outlet "News 24', adding that "the final off-taker is expected to be the export market due to the exacerbation of the power deficit that we are witnessing in some countries in the region, including South Africa.'

Karpowership in 2021 won a tender to supply 1,220 megawatts of power to South Africa. In addition to the environmental objections, a lawsuit and Eskom's demand for an indemnity against any adverse outcomes from corruption allegations have stalled the deal. Karpowership has described Eskom's demand as irregular and has denied any wrongdoing.

South Africa, according to official data, "urgently' needs 4,000 to 6,000 MW of additional capacity for its own power grid, with total power demand currently around 25,000 MW. The current quantity of electricity produced by Eskom cannot meet demand and as a result South African consumers have been suffering rotating blackouts of 10 hours or more a day.

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The government has said it wants to buy 1,000 MW of electricity from neighbouring states, many of which are suffering outages of their own.

Currently, Mozambique has an installed capacity of 2,400 MW and could reach 2,800 MW with the conclusion of the Temane power plant, in the southern province of Inhambane.

With the Mphanda Nkuwa dam, which will be built on the Zambezi River, about 60 kilometres downstream from the existing dam at Cahora Bassa, it is expected that the country will generate 4,300 MW.

Plans for Mphanda Nkuwa and for a second power station at Cahora Bassa have been stalled for decades, because the only plausible customer in the region, Eskom, has refused to sign purchase agreements with Mozambique.

Eskom's refusal to make a firm commitment to purchasing more power from Mozambique is one of the main reasons for the current rolling blackouts.
MAE M. NGAI is a history professor at the University of Chicago and author of "Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America."

MADE IN America -- by immigrants and We too have a dream read signs at the May 1 marches across the country. By invoking an American ideal, todays newcomers are staking their claim as the latest generation of nation-builders. But their critics object to this appeal to history; they resent comparisons to previous generations of immigrants, who were legal.

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), for example, says his grandparents -- Dutch immigrants who settled in Nebraska -- didnt try to get ahead by breaking the law. Rather, they made it through frugality ... hard work, grit, honesty, he says. They would be very upset about people who didnt do it the right way.

Such comparisons between past and present miss a crucial point. There were so few restrictions on immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries that there was no such thing as illegal immigration. The government excluded a mere 1% of the 25 million immigrants who landed at Ellis Island before World War I, mostly for health reasons. (Chinese were the exception, excluded on grounds of racial unassimilability.)

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Whats more, statutes of limitations of one to five years meant that even those here unlawfully did not live forever with the specter of deportation.

In the early 1900s, immigrants from Europe provided cheap, unskilled labor that made possible the nations industrial and urban expansion. They shoveled pig iron, dug sewers and subway tunnels and sewed shirtwaists. Even then, people born in the U.S. complained that the newcomers stole jobs, were ignorant, criminal and showed no desire to become citizens. The rhetoric was often unabashedly prejudiced against Italians, Jews, Poles and other degraded races of Europe.

In the conservative climate after World War I, Congress slammed shut the golden door. For the first time, the U.S. imposed numerical limits on immigration. Congress gave the smallest quotas to Eastern and Southern European countries and excluded all Asians; it also created the U.S. Border Patrol and eliminated statutes of limitations on deportation. It exempted countries of the Western Hemisphere, however, in deference to agricultural labor needs and the State Departments tradition of pan-Americanism.

These quotas created illegal immigration as a mass phenomenon. And since that time, Americans have been of two minds about the problem. We want restrictions on immigration, but we hesitate to execute mass deportations. Congress has thus pursued border control, on the one hand, and legalization of the undocumented on the other.

Our legalization policies recognized that once a person settled here, had a family, a job and a home, he or she became a part of society. Separating families was seen as detrimental to individuals and society, and deportation was likened to banishment.

Heres how hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants -- mostly Europeans -- became legal:

* The Registry Act of 1929 allowed immigrants who arrived before 1921 but had no record of their admission to register retroactively, for a $20 fee.

* From 1935 to the late 1950s, to keep families together, tens of thousands of Europeans unlawfully in the U.S. were allowed temporarily to go to Canada and reenter the States legally as a permanent resident.

* In 1940, Congress authorized the suspension of orders of deportation in cases of hardship, which it defined as serious economic detriment to the immigrants immediate family. The guidelines have become less generous, but the principle remains in the law.

In 1965, the U.S. repealed racial restrictions against Southern and Eastern Europeans and Asians, but the 1965 law also imposed quotas for the first time on Western Hemisphere countries. That created illegal immigration from Mexico and Central America.

The 1986 immigration reforms addressed the problem by legalizing nearly 3 million undocumented workers. It also called for increased enforcement -- which didnt stop illegal immigration, it just made it more dangerous.

President Bush wants Congress to provide todays undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship, to establish a guest worker program and to add the National Guard to police efforts at the border. History is only partly on his side.

Providing a route to legalization -- even one that is much less generous than weve offered in the past -- at least adheres to precedent. But history shows that as long as we restrict the number of legal entries, there will be a parallel stream of unauthorized ones, even with tough enforcement laws. And the European experience with guest worker programs should warn us that guests dont always go home when they are supposed to.

To really tackle the problem, we might consider updating other policies from the nations past. Reinstituting a statute of limitations on deportation would limit the numbers of undocumented people in the country. We could also raise the ceiling on legal admissions -- or eliminate it, especially for neighboring countries. This is not such a radical idea: The North American Free Trade Agreement has already lowered barriers to the movement of capital and products, and citizens of European Union states have free movement within the EU.

Legalizing the undocumented is just and humane. But unless we address the restrictions on legal admission that do so much to cause illegal entries, the cycle of enforcement and legalization will continue.
From the Associated Press

The two Wisconsin residents who broke into a farmhouse 11 months ago and shot a couple to death were each sentenced Monday to consecutive life sentences in prison.

Authorities said that Gregory Fester, 20, and Jessica Reid, 18, broke into the house in rural Murdock on April 17 intending to commit robbery. They shot and killed Wayne and Sharmon Stock.

The two assailants, both of Horicon, Wis., had hoped to avoid an automatic life sentence by pleading guilty to reduced second-degree murder charges.

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This is about the sentence that has already been imposed on the victims and the victims families, Cass County attorney Nathan Cox said in asking Judge Randall Rehmeier to sentence the two to consecutive life sentences.

Fester also was sentenced to an additional 10 to 20 years on a weapons charge.

Reid told a Wisconsin detective she shot and killed Wayne Stock, 58, after Fester shot him in the leg. She said she shot him above the right eye and Fester shot him again in the back of the head before shooting Sharmon Stock, 55, in the head.

As part of her plea deal, Reid agreed to testify against Fester.

Fester reached a plea agreement with prosecutors after the judge ruled that Fester would not face the death penalty because Cox had waited too long before filing to seek capital punishment.

Reid was ineligible for the death penalty because of her age at the time of the slayings.

Two days after Fester pleaded guilty, Reid did the same.

Fester and Reid were charged after two Nebraska cousins, Matthew Livers, 29, and Nick Sampson, 22, were arrested and charged in the slayings.

Charges against Livers and Sampson have been dropped. There was not enough evidence against Sampson, Cox said, and prosecutors agreed with defense attorneys that Livers confession was unreliable and inconsistent with the evidence.
The heirs of George and Ira Gershwin, creators of I Got Rhythm and many other standards that helped define the grand tradition of American popular song, have fallen badly out of step over who gets how much from the lucrative pot of royalties still being generated 72 years after Georges death ended songwritings greatest brother act.

The dispute -- over how to divide foreign royalties -- is spelled out in lawsuits in separate Los Angeles courts. In a Superior Court case that could be titled Lets Call the Whole Thing Off, the trust that controls lyricist Ira Gershwins estate is suing Warner/Chappell Music, one of the giants of song publishing. Iras nephew and trustee, Michael Strunsky, accuses the publisher of favoring George Gershwins side of the family at Iras sides expense, and wants to sever ties with the company that has administered the multimillion-dollar catalog for more than 60 years.

Warner/Chappell, in turn, portrays itself as caught helplessly between dueling Gershwin factions. The publisher has thrown up its hands and filed its own suit, asking a federal judge to step in and resolve who should get what from foreign royalties generated by the huge trove of songs the Gershwin brothers created between the early 1920s and 1937, when George died of a brain tumor at age 38. Their hits include  S Wonderful, Embraceable You, Someone to Watch Over Me, They Cant Take That Away From Me, Lets Call the Whole Thing Off and, with novelist DuBose Heyward sharing credit on the lyrics, the songs from the opera Porgy and Bess.

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The contentiousness in court stands in contrast to one of the most harmonious creative partnerships imaginable, notes Howard Pollack, author of George Gershwin: His Life and Work. The Gershwin brothers worked very well together and were extremely close and supportive, the University of Houston music professor said. I dont recall any instance of friction over [money] or anything else -- apart from a single illuminating spat. In 1932, Ira was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in drama for his lyrics to the musical Of Thee I Sing, along with librettists George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. George Gershwin, who wrote the music, was snubbed by the Pulitzers, and older brother Ira wanted to boycott the ceremony in protest -- until George forced him to go.

Thats about as dramatic as the relationship between those two got, Pollack said.

In another recent biography, George Gershwin: An Intimate Portrait, Walter Rimler notes that the brothers spent not only their childhood but nearly all their adult lives together as housemates in New York and Los Angeles or, at most, across-the-street neighbors. The arrangement enabled them to run song ideas by each other when inspiration struck.

Iras creative output dwindled after his brothers death; Pollacks book cites Michael Feinsteins account of discovering, upon being hired by Ira in the late 1970s, that Iras home had become a veritable shrine to his brothers memory, and that he talked to George in his sleep, carrying on conversations, filled with anger, centering around Iras desire not to stay here on earth, and Georges insistence that he stay. 

Point of disagreement

The fact that Ira Gershwin outlived his brother by 46 years, dying in 1983 at age 86, is at the core of the lawsuits.

At stake are foreign royalties that, extrapolating from partial information in the federal case, come to about $200,000 a year. In all, the Gershwin catalog appears to generate about $8 million a year in royalties, based on the public tax returns of two charitable trusts fed by Iras share of the earnings.

Songwriters, or their estates, earn royalties from each recording of their work thats sold; they also collect on live performances, radio or Web broadcasts, sales of sheet music and use of a song in films, television and advertising.

In the United States, where they share jointly in the proceeds of their teamwork, theres no dispute; both George and Iras estates will divide American earnings until the songs gradually enter the public domain, with the last copyrights due to expire in 2032. Here, copyrights for songs published before 1978 run out 95 years after their initial appearance.

But, as noted in the lawsuits filed in June and July, its different in the European Union and other territories. There, lyricists and composers copyrights are separate -- and in Europe they expire 70 years after a songwriters death. The suit filed by Iras side says that Georges earning power vanished in the European Union in 2007, his music entering the public domain, while royalties from Iras lyrics continue to flow.

While the two sides of the family havent sued each other directly, the court cases allude to an impasse between them over what to do about this overseas disparity. On one side is Iras nephew Strunsky, who controls royalties from his uncles work that primarily benefit the Library of Congress -- repository of George and Ira Gershwins papers -- and a Jewish charity in the Bay Area. On the other are Georges five heirs, the children of the songwriters younger brother and sister. Neither George nor Ira Gershwin had children.

According to the Strunsky suit, Warner/Chappell earns more from its deal with Georges heirs, so the publisher, while obligated to treat both sides equally, had a motive to favor George heirs interests. One example, Strunsky alleges, was an attempt to switch the song credits in the United Kingdom to words and music by Ira and George Gershwin, incorrectly conflating their separate contributions as lyricist and composer so Georges side wouldnt lose out. The publisher tried for a similar switch in other foreign countries but failed, Strunsky alleges. A spokeswoman for Warner Music Group, parent of Warner/Chappell, declined to comment.

Strunsky, who wouldnt comment on the suits or whether they reflect broader discord between the two sides of the family, seeks punitive damages against Warner/Chappell, saying it has an irreconcilable conflict while it represents both Georges and Iras estates.

Theres no evidence that the Gershwin legacy has been a chronic family battleground, say biographers Pollack and Walter Rimler.

Weve been able to conduct business over the years pretty reasonably, said Robert Kimball, artistic advisor to Ira Gershwins estate since 1982. He declined to comment further.

Immediately after Georges death, Ira and his mother, Rose Gershwin, briefly tangled legally over who would control his estate. Rose won; but when she died in 1948 and left a bigger share to the two younger siblings than to Ira, the lyricist contested her will, Pollack writes, and the dispute was amicably resolved between the siblings.

A family member speaks

Of the songwriters heirs, only Marc Gershwin, the son of younger brother Arthur, was willing to comment on the relationship between the two sides of the family. He said the lawsuits dont betoken any hard feelings.

I dont think anybody has lost any sleep about this thing. Its procedural, and no one is particularly bothered by it, he said, adding that this is the first litigation stemming from a disagreement between the two estates.

Other than that, Gershwin said, the family members get along well, usually meeting at events related to their forebears musical legacy. The most recent get-together, he said, was at a White House celebration in February, when Stevie Wonder received the annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, a medal bearing the Gershwin brothers likenesses. The team that helped define American popular song may be writing a posthumous, albeit discordant new chapter in law because of the copyright issues raised by the longevity of their songbook, and the nearly half-century between their deaths.

Im not aware of a previous case like this one, said Lawrence Iser, the veteran intellectual property attorney whos representing Strunsky. There arent many catalogs like the Gershwin brothers catalog.

mike.boehm@latimes.com
On 31 March the executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a disbursement of US$5.4bn to Argentina as part of its fourth review, bringing total disbursements under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to US$28.9bn.

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Alfredo Hudson, 36, a former correctional officer with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) has pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with two fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid.

On June 12, 2020, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application claiming to be a self-employed individual operating a recreation business under the name "Alfredo Enterprise." The PPP loan application falsely represented Alfredo Enterprise's monthly payroll and included a false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C for tax year 2019. As a result of the false and fraudulent application, Hudson obtained a $10,104 PPP loan from a Georgia-based lender.

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On April 25, 2021, Hudson submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application, this time claiming to be a sole proprietor operating a barbershop under the tradename of "Alfredo Enterprise." The second draw PPP loan application also fraudulently represented Alfredo Enterprise's 2019 gross income. In support of the application, Hudson submitted a different false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, for tax year 2019. Once again, the fraudulent application was approved, and Hudson obtained approximately $11,251 in PPP loan proceeds from a Florida-based lender.

Subsequently, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan forgiveness application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) seeking repayment forgiveness for the PPP second draw loan he received from the Florida-based lender. As a result of this false and fraudulent forgiveness application, the SBA excused the defendant from any repayment obligation on the second draw PPP loan.

Hudson is scheduled for sentencing on May 24, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. He faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Small Business Administration, Investigations Division's Eastern Region (SBA-OIG), announced the guilty plea.

FBI Miami and SBA-OIG investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections' (FDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans ("EIDLs") to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA's on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department's response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida's U.S. Attorney's Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please click here.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20060.

READ MORE: Stimulus Check Frauds Horribly Spike to Over $100 Million Losses from US Citizens
Pope Francis was discharged from the Rome hospital on Saturday after he was reported to have a respiratory infection.

Before being driven away, he quipped to journalists, "I'm still alive," according to USA Today. On Wednesday, the 86-year-old Catholic church leader was transported to Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic hospital, where he was given intravenous antibiotics to treat his bronchitis.

Before his hospitalization, the Vatican said the pope was having difficulty breathing. Francis also visited other patients in the hospital before leaving the facility.

His visits included a boy with an arm cast that the pope signed. He also hugged a couple whose daughter died on Friday at Gemelli. Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said the pope's recovery had been "normal."

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Pope Francis Hospital Stay

The Vatican News reported that Pope Francis went to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore after he left the hospital. He then prayed for all the sick and those suffering from losing loved ones due to illness.

Pope Francis also offered prayers to the children he met in the hospital's pediatric oncology and children's neurosurgery ward.

Before leaving the hospital, the pope greeted the hospital's leadership, including the Rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Franco Anelli, and Bishop Claudio Guiliodori, the General Ecclesiastical Assistant of the hospital.

The church leader also met with the General Director of the Policlinic, Marco Elefanti. The pope faced the medical team and the healthcare workers who helped him during his stay.

Brumi said the pope had dinner eating a pizza on Thursday night with all those who assisted him during his hospital stay.

The Vatican spokesperson also said that Francis was excited about the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square.

Francis noted that he would keep his weekly appointment to greet the public in St. Peter's Square after the Palm Sunday Mass.

Pope Francis Health

Pope Francis greeted the year with intestinal problems in January but also said he is in good health for his age, as the Catholic News Agency reported.

The pope also spent 10 days in hospital in July 2021 after undergoing surgery to address symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, which causes painful inflammation on the colon walls, France 24 reported.

It can also lead to abdominal pain, fever, or rectal bleeding. He underwent surgery to have 13 inches of his large intestine removed due to the inflammation of his colon.

Francis said he was still experiencing the effects of six hours spent under anesthetic a year after his operation. His diverticulitis reportedly returned last January.

Meanwhile, the Vatican announced in February that Francis was suffering from a heavy cold, with the message of the pope distributed at two-morning appointments instead of reading those aloud.

The Vatican announced later that day that Francis' meeting with the YMCA Italy had been canceled. The pope's health had led to speculations of his resignation.

READ MORE: Pope Francis and Pres. Joe Biden Meeting: Why Did It Not Happen?

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Pope Francis Celebrates Palm Sunday Mass Day After Leaving Hospital - From Guardian News




WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle have urged the administration of President Joe Biden to bring back detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich home from Russia, according to Fox News.

"Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan (Gershkovich) and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia. We must do everything in our power to bring him and all Americans home," Griner said in a statement on Saturday.

Griner returned to the United States last year after being released from Russia in a prisoner swap for a convicted Russian arms dealer.

In the same statement, Griner also said they were grateful for Biden and his administration's commitment to rescuing Americans.

"We celebrate their recent successful efforts to bring home Jeff Woodke and Paul Rusesabagina... Every American who is taken is ours to fight for, and every American returned is a win for all," Griner noted.

"This is why we call on all of our supporters to both celebrate the wins and encourage the administration to continue to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home," she added.

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Evan Gershkovich Arrest in Russia

Officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stationed in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich last Wednesday on suspicion of spying "in the interests of the U.S. government."

Gershkovich was accused of collecting secret information on one of the military-industrial complex companies in Russia while "acting on an assignment from the American side." Several Russian military plants are in the Urals.

After a "not guilty" plea to espionage charges, Gershkovich was officially arrested by a Moscow court and ordered to be held until May 29, awaiting an investigation, Russian media outlets reported.

The Wall Street Journal has issued a statement denying the FSB's allegations and called for Gershkovich's immediate release.

"We are deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, has been detained in Russia," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The White House and State Department officials had already spoken with the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich's family.

Jean-Pierre noted that the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Gershkovich.

She added that the Russian government's targeting of Americans "is unacceptable" and that the United States firmly disagrees with Gershkovich's arrest.

Brittney Griner's Arrest in Russia

WNBA contracts are smaller than the NBA's, which means that WNBA players are paid less. Thus, many of its star athletes are forced to go to other countries and play during the off-season. That includes Brittney Griner, who played in Russia after leading her team to the WNBA Finals.

However, as she was heading home in February 2022, she was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport for drug charges. Authorities in Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage.

The WNBA star had pleaded guilty to the charge, acknowledging in court that she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

However, she said she had no criminal intent and had accidentally packed the cartridges. Griner added that she had a doctor's recommendation for it and had packed it up in a hurry.

However, the WNBA star was still sentenced to nine-year in prison. Critics of the Russian government, human rights groups, and the U.S. government said her nine-year prison sentence for simple possession of marijuana was too harsh.

While her lawyers and the U.S. government tried to secure her release, Griner was sent to a penal colony where human rights violations were prevalent. The Biden administration has continued to engage with Russia "through every available channel" and make every effort to bring home the "wrongfully detained" WNBA star.

After a series of back-and-forths, the Russian government finally agreed to free Griner last December in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was in a U.S. jail for arms trafficking, money laundering, and conspiring to kill Americans.

READ MORE: LeBron James Gives Elon Musk's Twitter Blue Plan a Big Problem

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WATCH: US Advises Citizens to Leave Russia After Reporter is Accused of Spying - From DW News
The homicide rate in Costa Rica has been increasing, and authorities blame it on the growth of drug trafficking in the country.

Costa Rica was previously considered one of the most peaceful countries in Latin America, as there were few conflicts and had a relatively low crime rate.

This rise in homicide rate can particularly be seen in the port region of Limon, which is usually one of the country's most visited areas by tourists as it is usually where cruise ships dock and their passengers experience a jungle adventure.

According to the Associated Press, the country recorded 657 homicides last year, and Limon has a homicide rate five times the national average.

The city was considered the epicenter of the bloodshed in Costa Rica, which is one of the most laid-back countries in Latin America that lacks a standing army. This latest wave of violence has sparked a public outcry as President Rodrigo Chaves scrambles for answers.

According to Martin Arias, the deputy security minister and head of Costa Rica's Coast Guard, the violence stems from disputes by drug traffickers vying for the control of cocaine shipped to Europe and the marijuana sold locally.

While the country had only been a pass-through point between Colombian and Mexican cartels, these drug organizations now use the country as a warehousing and transshipment point.

Previously, these foreign drug traffickers paid Costa Rican fishermen to bring gasoline to their smuggling boats. But now, the fishermen and their associates are smuggling cocaine out of the port after they realize how expensive the drug was worth in Europe.

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Costa Rica Experienced a 66% Rise in Homicide Rate

The disputes between these drug gangs have usually been confined to marginal neighborhoods or coastal regions. Now, they have spilled all over the seemingly-peaceful country, which is now at odds with its reputation as one of the most peaceful countries in the world.

According to El Pais, poverty and inequality have increased in Costa Rica, while police have suffered various budget cuts. In addition to the growing influence of international drug syndicates, this has resulted in rising homicide rates.

The 2022 murder report has shown the highest homicide rate in the country, with a record of 12.6 murders per 100,000 inhabitants.

It is 66.5% higher than in 2012, but these numbers may exceed this year as the homicides in the first three months of 2023 have already surpassed 2022's numbers by 30%.

Costa Rica's Role in the International Drug Trade

The U.S. Department of State released its International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, analyzing Costa Rica's drug problem.

It revealed that "Costa Rica remains the top transshipment point for cocaine en route to the United States from South America and is a key transit point in international narcotics trafficking."

The Tico Times reported that Costa Rica's historically small and underfunded security has helped aggravate the problem, coupled with an increase in the country's drug consumption that made things worse as drug gangs also enter the local market and gain influence.

The country has been trying to beef up its security forces with the help of the United States. Both countries engaged in numerous police professionalization efforts, which include "leadership training, improvements to training facilities, expanded canine programs, and better cooperation between national and local authorities."

READ MORE: Infamous Drug Lord Rafael Caro Quintero May Be Extradited to U.S. Over Killing of DEA Agent

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Drug Bust: Costa Rica Seizes 4.3 Tons Of Colombian Cocaine | FOREIGN - From Plus TV Africa
The Manhattan DA's hush money payment case is not the only legal problem Donald Trump has, as he is also facing a big case regarding the top-secret documents found in Mar-a-Lago. Now, it seems the Justice Department has evidence that he obstructed the probe.

The Washington Post was the first to report that the Justice Department, Special Counsel Jack Smith, and the FBI have gathered "fresh evidence pointing to possible obstruction by former president Donald Trump in the investigation into top-secret documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home."

Emails and text messages from a former Trump aide have been obtained by investigators, according to people with knowledge of the situation who spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity.

This new evidence noted that after the subpoena was delivered, Trump looked through the contents of some of the boxes of documents in his home and wanted to keep certain things in his possession. Investigators suspect that Trump had boxes that included classified material be moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served.

While some documents were returned, the report also suggested that Trump personally examined some of those boxes to keep certain documents.

A later FBI search found over 100 additional classified items that the Trump team did not turn over. This led to the FBI seeking judicial authorization for the raid, which was soon granted, leading to the raid in Mar-a-Lago.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Rape Case: Judge Allows Grab 'Em by the P*ssy' Tape as Evidence

Evidence Show Donald Trump Telling Others to Mislead Government Officials Before the Subpoena

According to Reuters, investigators from Special Counsel Jack Smith's office also have evidence indicating Trump told others to mislead government officials in early 2022. This was when the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration was working to recover documents from Trump's time as president before the subpoena was even filed.

Trump may have also misled his own lawyers about his retaining classified materials. If this is found to be true, attorney-client privileges invoked by his attorneys could be pierced, and they can be compelled to testify against him.

To this day, Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in his mishandling of the classified documents found in his Florida home.

Donald Trump Planning to Make Public Remarks After Being Arraigned in New York

While his documents case is brewing, Trump has now been indicted in New York thanks to his hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the former president will hold the event at his Mar-a-Lago club after returning from Manhattan, where he will be arraigned. The former president is expected to turn himself in voluntarily; though, after this, he will try to "project an image of strength and defiance and turn the charges into a political asset to boost his 2024 presidential campaign."

Trump has turned the indictment into a money-making cause for his campaign, having already raised millions since news of the indictment dropped. Like his documents case, the former president also denies any wrongdoing despite all the evidence.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Documents Probe: More Classified Items Found in Trump Florida Storage Unit

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WATCH: Trump's Lawyers Keep Crime-Fraud-ing - Legal Eagle
Maputo  Mozambique's Deputy Health Minister, Ilesh Jani, on Thursday guaranteed that the vaccine against cholera, currently being administered in parts of central Mozambique, is effective and safe.

Speaking in Quelimane, capital of Zambezia province, at the official ceremony marking the start of the mass vaccination campaign against cholera, Jani explained that the vaccine has been administered successfully in other parts of the country, resulting in a reduction in the number of cases.

"This is a vaccine that we used after Cyclone Idai in Sofala province in 2019', Jani recalled, "and at that time, when we used this vaccine, we ended the cholera epidemic in Sofala.'

"We also used it after Cyclone Kenneth in Cabo Delgado', he added. "There too, after we used the vaccine, the cholera ended'.

"This time we used it in Niassa province, which was facing great problems with cholera. But with the use of the vaccine, the epidemic in Niassa in disappearing', Jani continued. "So it's important to vaccinate the largest possible number of people. We want everybody in Quelimane to be vaccinated, to take this vaccine against cholera'.

For his part, the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nurbai Calu, told the ceremony that, although the vaccine against cholera is effective, it is important to maintain hygiene measures.

"The vaccine in itself will not work miracles', he said. "It is one of the components of cholera prevention. We must follow the other measures that we are hearing about in the messages being publicized here'.

Calu explained that the vaccine is taken in two doses. "Today we are starting with the first dose', he said. "In a short while the government will tell us when to take the second dose'.
The body of a 2-year-old missing Florida boy was reportedly found in an alligator's mouth on Friday in St. Petersburg, Florida, per CNN.

Taylen Mosley's mother, Pashun Jeffery, 20, was discovered dead in her apartment on Thursday with numerous stab wounds, and the boy was reported missing, St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway said at a news conference on Friday.

Police saw an alligator with something in its mouth in Dell Homes Park, which is just a few miles from where Jeffery's body was found, said Holloway, adding that the reptile released the object after an officer fired one round at it.

After retrieving the object, police discovered Taylen's corpse intact.

"We didn't want to find him this way, but at least we can bring some closure to that family now," Holloway said.

Authorities have not yet revealed Taylen's cause of death or how he came to be in the park, citing an ongoing inquiry.

READ NEXT: Florida Boy Allegedly Tried to Kill Mom

Missing Florida Boy's Father Charged with Murder

A birthday celebration was held in Jeffery's St. Petersburg apartment, attended by family members Friday. At around 5:15 p.m. EDT, everyone departed the apartment, leaving the Florida boy and his parents alone.

Thomas, per his arrest report, departed the property at 8:42 p.m. EDT and headed south toward Lake Maggiore from downtown St. Petersburg, where the missing Florida boy, Taylen Mosely's corpse was discovered, close to the lake in Dell Holmes Park, according to WSOC-TV.

Thomas returned to his mother's house Wednesday with cuts on his arms after spending his birthday with Jeffery, said the arrest affidavit, adding that the slippage that led to his arm's injuries occurred during a knife assault, ABC News noted.

Meanwhile, when Jeffery's family visited her on Thursday, they found blood on the sidewalk close to her flat and her corpse with over a hundred stab wounds, said the complaint.

The arrest affidavit also states that a bloody shoe print with the Gucci emblem and a bloody fingerprint belonging to Mosley was discovered on a cleaning bottle under a bed in Jeffery's residence.

Thomas Mosley, 21, faces two charges of first-degree murder, one for Jeffery, and one for the missing Florida boy, Taylen Mosley, according to Holloway. He was brought to a hospital to receive treatment for his minor injuries, police said.

The Authorities Have Conducted an All-Out Search for the Missing Florida Boy

Yolanda Fernandez, the public information manager for the St. Petersburg Police Department, has stated that locating the missing Florida boy is a top priority despite the ongoing investigation into the homicide of Pashun Jeffery.

The search for the missing Florida boy involved the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and numerous off-duty law enforcement personnel.

The authorities had all hands on deck, and every detective worked double shifts to assist in the search, said Fernandez, adding that the longer the missing Florida boy is gone, the more complex the search will become.

"We need to find this child," she stated.

The investigation team is looking through local security tapes for any leads.

"They are going door to door to see if anybody has any type of camera or if anything that they saw law night or saw today was suspicious so we can follow up on those leads," Holloway noted.

READ MORE: Tom Brady Dating Reese Witherspoon?

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WATCH: Missing 2-year-old Florida boy found dead inside alligator's mouth, father charged with murder - From LiveNOW from FOX
The leaders of Guatemala and Taiwan have reaffirmed their diplomatic ties in the jungle ruins of the Maya civilization citadel.

Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei shook hands in front of the stone pyramid known as El Gran Jaguar on Saturday, with promises to maintain strong ties, according to The Guardian.

Jenny Barrios, Guatemalan deputy culture minister, said that dignitaries saw the "strengthening of the friendship" between the two nations.

Tsai thanked Giammattei's support last year when China executed military maneuvers near Taiwan while also highlighting the cooperation with Guatemala.

Guatemala is one of only 13 countries maintaining diplomatic ties with the self-governing island, which China claims as its territory. Most of Taiwan's diplomatic allies were nations in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Latin America.

Giammatei called Taiwan the "one and only true China" while speaking to the media with Tsai at his side.

Meanwhile, some Guatemalans think they are missing economic opportunities by picking Taiwan over China.

Sociologist and political analyst Miguel Angel Sandoval said that Beijing is a "market of more than one billion people," adding that it is in Guatemala's best interest, especially its sectors, to export and import products from China.

Taiwan and Guatemala Diplomatic Ties

Former Guatemalan Foreign Minister Edgar Gutierrez told Reuters that Guatemala supports Taiwan because it is eyeing a favor with the United States at a time when relations between Guatemala and Washington have been strained.

Gutierrez said that Guatemala's government is planning to rebuild relationships with some U.S. institutions by offering the Latin American country as a "migrant deposit."

The influence of China in the Latin America region has increased after some of the previous Taipei allies switched to China. These countries include Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama, and Costa Rica.

Taiwan made a stopover in New York before arriving in Guatemala, a move that angered China. Beijing has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet the Taiwanese president.

Tsai also signed a $4 million agreement to modernize rural areas in Guatemala and promised to promote and increase cooperation between the two countries.

READ NEXT: Honduras Declares National Security Emergency Amid Rising Number of Gang Extortions

China's Influence in Latin America

Honduras was the recent Latin American country to join Beijing and cut its diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Its foreign relations minister, Enrique Reina, said that Honduras is grateful for its past relationship with Taiwan.

Reina noted in an Associated Press News report that Honduras made "political decisions," and that the world has been "moving in this direction."

The foreign relations minister went on to say that Honduras's foreign policy should seek to "benefit the people."

Reina said that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden should "understand and respect" the country's needs and decisions.

China has invested more than $130 billion in Latin America between 2005 and 2020, while trade between China and Latin America has been projected to reach more than $700 billion by 2035.

READ MORE: Honduras Travel: Safety Advisories and Tourist Attractions You Should See During Your Visit in Honduras

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Taiwan's president visits Guatemala to strengthen ties - from Al Jazeera English


U.S. President Joe Biden will reportedly be a no-show at the King Charles coronation in May, with reports claiming that the president wants instead to prioritize an April 11 trip to Northern Ireland.

Sources noted that Biden insisted that his relationship with King Charles was "strong" and might make time to meet him when he visits Northern Ireland, according to The Daily Beast.

Instead of attending personally, Biden might send a delegation composing "high-profile representatives." His wife, First Lady Jill Biden may go to Charles's coronation, with the president reportedly being careful to avoid any speculations that the royal event is being snubbed.

Coronation guests have already been sent invitations by Buckingham Palace and were told to "save the date" of the ceremony while some were asked to RSVP to the palace by Monday.

The events will be attended by leaders from Ireland, France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Hungary, and Monaco.

The newly-elected First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, said that he will be present at Charles's coronation despite being a republican.

READ NEXT: Meghan Markle Feels 'Excluded' as Palace 'Is Only Fighting for Prince Harry' to Attend King Charles III Coronation

Joe Biden To Miss King Charles Coronation

Biden will be visiting Northern Ireland in April for an event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

In addition, the Telegraph reported that Biden is preparing to announce his intention to run for re-election in the 2024 presidential race.

Bob Seely, a Conservative MP on the foreign affairs select committee, said that the White House made a "foolish decision" and called on the U.S. president to rethink his schedule.

Seely described the coronation as a "once-in-a-lifetime" happening, adding that Biden should come as the leader of state.

The Conservative MP went on to say that if he was the U.S. President, he would in attendance of the event.

One source familiar with the matter said that there may still be "some efforts underway" to see if the president can be persuaded to come to Charles's coronation.

King Charles Coronation

The coronation will be held on Saturday, May 6. Afterwards, there would be performances and a bank holiday on Monday to continue the festivities.

A concert will occur on May 7, Sunday, which will feature performances from artists invited.

Meanwhile, Prince Harry came back to the United Kingdom amid the uncertainty of his attendance and his family at his father's coronation.

The Duke of Sussex was in England for a London hearing in his claim against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers, which he alleged of doing illicit gathering of information.

However, Harry will not be meeting Charles or his brother Prince William during his return.

The King has personally picked the music for the ceremony and will feature 12 newly-commissioned pieces such as an anthem from Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.

BBC News noted that there will also be Greek Orthodox music in memory of the King's father, Prince Philip. The Duke of Edinburgh was born in Greece.

It was reported that the normal capacity of the venue is around 2,200 and seems likely that it will also be the maximum number on this occasion.

READ MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Royal Titles Could Be 'In Danger' With New Monarch as King Charles - Royal Expert

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WATCH: Staunchly proud of his Irish roots: Biden reportedly wont attend Coronation - from Sky News Australia


A White Lives Matter member has firebombed an Ohio church after the church announced that it was planning to host drag show events. The suspect used Molotov cocktails to ignite the attack.

The White Lives Matter member was identified as Aimenn Penny. He admitted to building the firebombs and attempted to burn down the church, according to The Independent.

The group was known to be a racist pro-Nazi homophobic group based in Ohio.

Court documents showed that when authorities conducted a search of Penny's apartment, they found Nazi memorabilia, a Nazi flag, and a manifesto.

The court documents also noted that Penny said he was "trying to protect children and stop the drag show event."

He admitted to becoming angrier after he watched internet videos of newsfeeds and drag shows in France, leading him to attack the church.

Penny said he would have felt better if the cocktails burned the church to the ground.

READ NEXT: Florida Man Accidentally Shot and Killed Girlfriend Thinking She Was Her Ex-Boyfriend

Ohio Church Firebombed

Penny was one of the men suspected of firebombing the Community Church of Chesterland. It was his response to the church's plan to hold two drag-related events on April 1.

Church representatives noted that they received hate mail before the attack in March, which burned its front door, damaged the exterior, and broke a sign at the corner of the property.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler, for the Northern District of Ohio, said that violence and destruction were never "an acceptable way to express a disagreement" with the said point of view.

Penny also showed up to another drag event on March 11, with other White Lives Matter members carrying "swastika flags" while shouting racial and homophobic slurs. The members were also chanting "Heil Hitler," as reported by Law & Crime.

In October 2022, Penny was also seen distributing hateful flyers, according to Alliance Police Department.

The affidavit supporting criminal charges against Penny noted that the man told the authorities that the flyers "were an effort to spread the word."

In addition, officials said Penny believes "African Americans were the problem."

Hate Crimes in the United States

The Federal Bureau of Investigation noted in its data that hate crimes rose around 12% from 2020 to 2021. The agency noted that the increase was mainly driven by crimes based on race and ethnicity.

FBI detailed that hate crimes had increased from 8,120 in 2020 to 9,065 in 2021, which was an 11.6% uptick.

Around 65% of the victims were targeted because of their race, ethnicity, or ancestry, while another 15.9% were targeted based on sexual orientation and 14.1% for religious beliefs, as detailed by Al Jazeera.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland offered states and municipalities in 2021 more resources for tracking and looking into hate crimes.

The American Psychological Association noted that such types of crimes send messages to members of the victims' communities that they are "unwelcome" and "unsafe" in the community.

READ MORE: Texas Man Dies After Being Viciously Mauled by 7 Pit Bulls During Walk in His Neighborhood

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WATCH: Dramatic Spike in U.S. Hate Crimes - from NBC News


McDonald's Corp., the parent company of McDonald's restaurants, would briefly close its US offices this week in preparation for informing corporate employees of layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring, Reuters reported.

The fast food giant requested that some American workers and some foreign staff members work from home on Monday through Wednesday so that it could conduct virtual staffing decisions, according to a report.

This request was made in an internal email sent last week to the recipients, and the exact number of people who will be let go is unknown.

"During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organization," said the Chicago-based company.

READ NEXT: McDonald's Pauses Reopening of Dining Rooms

Company Cancels Upcoming Meetings

Executives requested that any in-person meetings with suppliers and outside parties at the company's headquarters be canceled.

It is expected to be a hectic travel week due to the upcoming Easter holiday, so the company has decided to allow employees to work virtually for at least part of the week.

Meanwhile, employees without access to a computer were instructed to give their managers their personal contact information.

"We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period," the company said.

Around 200,000 employees are employed by McDonald's in corporate positions and company-owned restaurants globally.

Most staff members-roughly 75%-work outside the United States.

Inquiries about the layoffs and the expected number of job cuts were sent to the fast food giant, but DailyMail.com did not receive a response.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski Has Already Warned Employees in January

CEO Chris Kempczinski issued a stern warning to staff in January, saying that "difficult discussions and choices" lay ahead, according to Fox.

In a company-wide email, Kempczinski revealed that the company would be reorganizing its workforce and potentially eliminating some positions as part of its new business strategy, dubbed "Accelerating the Arches 2.0," to increase productivity and creativity while decreasing overhead.

"[W]e will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization, and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead," the CEO stated in the email, saying that the company plans to inform impacted workers by April 3.

He also said that some existing jobs would either be moved or removed.

As part of its revised strategy, McDonald's will increase the frequency with which it opens new restaurants.

It has indicated that it may experiment with additional convenience-oriented concepts like the Order Ahead Lane available at the chain's latest restaurant in Forth Worth, Texas.

Meanwhile, the fast food giant's stock hit an all-time high at market closure on March 30.

Financial author and Seeking Alpha contributor David Zanoni said earnings per share estimates for the fast food giant had been raised by analysts in the last three months, from $10.49 to $10.58 in 2023 and from $11.44 to $11.70 in 2024, contributing to Thursday's closing price of $277.79.

According to the most current annual report, McDonald's had more than 13,000 locations in the United States and just over 40,000 restaurants worldwide by the end of 2021.

READ MORE: Missing 2-Year-Old Florida Boy Found Dead in Alligator's Mouth

This is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: McDonald's temporarily shuts US offices, to announce layoffs - From WION
"Defence 5" and "Defence 12" claimed Gibirl Massaquoi, a former commander for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), of Sierra Leone, was here between 1999 and 2000...

Two defense witnesses have confirmed the accounts of other witnesses that an alleged Sierra Leonean warlord was in Liberia during its second civil war.

But "Defence 5" and "Defence 12" claimed although Gibirl Massaquoi, a former commander for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), of Sierra Leone, was here between 1999 and 2000, it was only for peace purposes, and that he did come along with Foday Sankoh, the rebel group's leader, and other top officials of the group.

"Gibril was appointed as head of the peace delegation in 2000, and the delegation traveled to Monrovia late 2000 during the rainy season," said Defense 12. "The peace process [for Sierra Leone], was signed on November 10th, 2000."

Defence 5, who like Defence 12, told Finland's Turku Court of Appeal on Friday he was an ex-RUF soldier, corroborated the testimony of his fellow witness.

"After the signing of the peace delegation in Abuja [Nigeria], in late 2000 and 2001, Gibril returned to Sierra Leone, conducting meetings with the international committee, the government of Sierra Leone and the RUF," he said.

The years are crucial to the appeal hearings before the Court of Appeal, as they were during the trial in the Pirkanmaa Court District of Tampere. Some prosecution witnesses have alleged that Massaquoi committed crimes, including locking up civilians, suspected of supporting rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), who had launched an insurgency on Charles Taylor's government in Lofa County.

Mr Taylor had sent for the RUF soldiers to beef up the strength of his forces against the insurgents, according to the witnesses. Many witnesses have also alleged that Mr Massaquoi was at the Waterside market in Monrovia in 2002 and 2003 and killed, or ordered his soldiers to kill civilians, who were "looting" in stores.

The contentious point about the last two years is that Mr Massaquoi's lawyers are arguing that he was a "protected" witness for the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, so it was impossible for him to have been in Liberia at that time.

They've also argued he committed no crimes. And their witnesses on Friday looked to have validated the lower Court, which acquitted their client a year ago.

"Gibril was responsible to send information to all correspondents and he was responsible to process all documents relating to the RUF," Defence 12 said.

Defence 12 said after Mr Massaquoi's appointment by Sankoh as his special assistant, members of the RUF were attacked by civilians at Sankoh's residence--an attack he said saw the capture of the latter. The civilians were unhappy that Sankoh had refused to sign a July 1999 peace agreement in Lome, Togo, according to the witness.

He said afterwards, Issa Sesay, a top RUF commander, became the interim leader of the group, while Gibril was appointed as head of an external delegation, tasked to form part of the peace process in Sierra Leone.

The witness said Jengab Kobeh, Adbul Swaray and Abdul Razark were the other members of the RUF delegation that came to Monrovia to meet some members of ECOWAS, who were guests of Taylor. He said ECOWAS used Taylor's influence over the RUF to convince them to a peace deal with the Sierra Leonean government and other warring factions at the time.

"They [ECOWAS leaders], did that because he [Taylor] was always accused of being part of the RUF."

The witness said after the delegation traveled to Abuja following the meeting, Mr Massaquoi never came back to Liberia.

"He was meeting with the international committee," he said. The witness, a former RUF fighter, did however say that Sesay ordered a top RUF commander to return to Liberia with separate reinforcement forces to strengthen Taylor's troops and repel a fresh attack from LURD.

"I was with OG when we brought the men and we passed through Koindu in Sierra Leone and met them at one location call Meneykoma," said Defense 12. "It's in Liberia."

Defence 5 also claimed he did not see Mr Massaquoi on the frontlines in Liberia. He said Eagle Kanneh, another top RUF commander, came to Liberia with a separate group of soldiers, also on Sesay's orders.

"I was in Makeni when he (Kanneh), was given that command to Eagle to clear the road from Voinjama to Foya," Defence 5 said.

But on cross examination, there was a drama, when the proceedings were halted for five minutes, because the man, who claimed to be Mr Massaqoi's brother, could not call any of the nicknames witnesses have associated with the former RUF spokesman.

"The Finnish Police asked me the question as to whether Gibril code name was Angel and I told them something like it has taken a long time, so I told them I was going to think about it," said Defence 5. "And when I went home, I remembered his code name was Gaffa and not Angel."

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Another point of contention was the length of time Mr Massaquoi travelled between Liberia and Sierra Leone. The witness couldn't give a clear answer.

"I cannot remember, but he used to go and come till we disarmed."

The hearings continue on Monday, the start of their final week. The proceedings will end on Tuesday. The Court is expected to return to Liberia in May to listen to testimonies from mainly defence whiteness, who will have to travel to Liberia. In what legal experts and justice advocates see as a bizarre move, the Sierra Leonean government, which had initially accepted the District Court's request to hear witnesses there under a "mutual legal assistance," did not approve Appeal Court's request to do likewise.

Sierra Leone, unlike Liberia, has openly embraced accountability for past crimes, with the prosecutions of Mr Taylor and other RUF leaders for their roles in the Sierra Leonean civil war.

The coverage of the appeal of Massaquoi's acquittal is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.
Total income for 2022 diminished by 28.1 per cent to N154.9 billion

The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) recorded drops in most of its income sources for last year, its audited financial results have shown.

The drops resulted in a sharply weaker revenue and caused net profit to fall by one-third.

NSIA, an investment agency of the Nigerian government, manages funds in excess of budgeted hydrocarbon revenues, investing them in a range of medium and long-term assets on behalf of the government.

Total income for 2022 diminished by 28.1 per cent to N154.9 billion, taking a hit from a slide in net gain on financial assets and net foreign exchange gain.

Income streams like investment income as well as the share of profit of investments accounted for using the equity method also dropped.

NSIA made a provision in the sum of N1.4 billion from its revenue as an impairment charge on financial assets in contrast to the N544.8 million earned as write-back on financial assets a year earlier.

In a separate document, the authority linked the slump in its earnings to the performance of its Future Generations and Stabilization portfolios that are invested in emerging and developed financial market instruments.

"In 2023, we will be resourcing our various platforms targeted at emerging sectors - renewable energy, sustainability, innovation, and healthcare - which will ensure the Authority achieves its dual objectives of delivering financial returns and impactful social outcomes," said Aminu Umar-Sadiq, NSIA's chief executive.

NSIA recorded increases in costs like investment management and custodian fees, depreciation and amortization as well as operating and administrative expenses, further weakening the bottom line.

Profit before tax decreased by 31.1 per cent to N102.4 billion, while profit for the year stood at N102.4 billion compared to N153.6 billion in the same period of 2021.

The organization highlighted the key projects it executed under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund during the year as the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway.

Total assets for the year fell by 15.9 per cent or N195.1 billion to N1 trillion, the results showed.
With a busy first half of the year halfway done, Wind Creek is starting to fill up dates for later in 2023, starting with a devastatingly funny comedian.

Anthony Jeselnik is coming to the Wind Creek Event Center on Nov. 4 as part of his Bones and All tour. The Pennsylvania native (other side, near Pittsburgh) is a veteran comic with a very particular brand of stand-up, but if you know its your thing, you also know this is a cant-miss show. Tickets for Jeselniks show go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Theres dark comedy, and then theres Anthony Jeselnik, whose arrogant, sardonic stage persona is both biting and deeply clever. His straightforward deadpan has carried him to impressive heights, including multiple Netflix specials (Thoughts and Prayers, Fire in the Maternity Ward) and a two-season run as the host of his own show, The Jeselnik Offensive, on Comedy Central.

He can currently be heard on his podcast, The Jeselnik and Rosenthal Vanity Project. Tickets can be found on windcreekeventcenter.com.

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Connor Lagore may be reached at clagore@njadvancemedia.com.
An oven fire Sunday evening damaged an apartment in Salisbury Township and displaced a resident, township police said.

Fire crews were called a little before 7 p.m. for an oven fire in an apartment in the Devonshire Park apartment complex in 1600 block of 33rd Street SW, police said.

Township police saw heavy smoke and fire inside an apartment and the building was evacuated. Western Salisbury Fire Department extinguished the fire, getting it under control in about a half-hour, police said.

No one was injured in the blaze, police said, and the Red Cross assisted a displaced resident.

The incident is under investigation by the Salisbury Township Police Fire Marshall Division.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
An Independent TD has reacted to the announcement that the Irish Defence Forces (DF) are monitoring Russian commercial ships off the west coast.

Dr Cathal Berry, who previously served with the Irish Army Ranger Wing, was critical of the presence of the ships, and also of Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov while speaking to Newstalk radio station.

The Department of Defence said that the DF have monitored Russian commercial ships both outside and inside Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

A spokesperson for the Department explained: "As part of their Maritime, Defence and Security Operations (MDSO), the Irish Air Corps Maritime Patrol Aircraft have observed Russian commercial vessels in international waters off the island of Ireland.

"These vessels have now left Ireland's EEZ."

The spokesperson added: "The Irish Air Corps and the Irish Naval Service continue to monitor activity in Irish waters and to undertake Maritime Defence and Security Operations (MDSO) throughout Ireland's maritime domain."

Dr Berry, who represents voters around Portarlington as a Kildare South TD spoke Newstalk.

"A new subsea communications cable was opened in November four months ago, connecting Galway to Iceland, and there is a good possibility that they were at least monitoring the situation up there.

"'Was there strategic intent?' is likely what you're trying to ascertain, and most likely, yes, there was.

He also made reference to a recent letter by Mr Filatov, which was addressed to The Irish Times.

"He was basically saying 'there is nothing to see here.'

"This the Russian strategic culture, they will always try deception... if Yury Filatov says that something isn't happening, you can be pretty sure that the opposite is in fact happening, he will try to convince you that left is right, night is day, and that the world is actually flat."

He also acknowledged that Ireland has 'very little capability' to counter what is happening off the west coast, and that Ireland 'has absolutely no sovereign underwater capability whatsoever.'

Dr Berry is not the only politician who has been critical of Mr Filatov in recent days: Independent Cork South-West TD Michael Collins also called on the ambassador to answer questions about the activities of two Russian ships in Irish waters while speaking to Newstalk.

In related news, Dr Berry welcomed a report by the The Independent Review Groups (IRG), which found that almost 90 per week of female respondents said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment while serving with the Irish Army.

He criticised the DF following the publication of the report while attending a Dail session, where he said: "People are in disbelief, they are in a state of collective shock, and they feel hugely, hugely let down (by the Defence Forces)."
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Work is in the pipeline on the Abbey Leix House in Laois which which is owned by one-half of the Limerick billionaire Collison tech entrepreneur brothers.

A new application is in the process of being lodged with Laois County Council for work on the Abbey Leix House on the estate now owned by John Collision.

Comhlacht na Feirme Ltd has notified Laois County Council of a plan to develop the Main House in the huge Abbeyleix Estate which includes a number of protected structures.

The council has been told that the proposed development will consist of alterations to the central first-floor window (south elevation) to form a door opening with a 1.1m glazed screen.

The application says this will provide for use of the Juliet balcony.

Proposed alterations are also planned to the first floor northern end window to form a door opening onto a proposed terrace.

This will allow the use of the flat roof of the ground floor study annex and including 1.1m high balustrade and planters.

Also planned is the upgrade of six first-floor sash windows to new slim double-glazed window units.

The latest application is one of a number of projects carried out or planned on the 18th century mansion and over 1,100 acre estate since the building was purchased from Sir David Davies in a multi-million euro deal in June 2021.

Permission was granted for work on the Steward's House and an application was made to demolish and rebuild the Boathouse. Work was also approved on the Lace House.

A 2 million renovation is also planned for Millbrook House on the estate. It was purchased for 400k from Laois County Council on the condition that it be brought back to life.

Abbeyleix House and estate had been on the market for two years with joint agents Sothebys and Colliers International quoting a price of 20m before being purchased by John Collison.

The property was owned by the de Vesci family for three centuries before being acquired by the British engineer and businessman Sir David Davies in 1995.

The main house, designed in 1773 by the architect James Wyatt, is one of Irelands largest, with nine bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, 117 windows and interior space of 27,000 square feet. It also has 10 estate houses and cottages.

Mr Collison, who was born in Tipperary and raised in Limerick, is one of Irelands richest people. The online payments firm he co-founded in 2010 with brother Patrick called Stripe is one of the most valuable private technology companies in Silicon Valley. It is worth billions of dollars.
An Independent TD has reacted to the announcement that the Irish Defence Forces (DF) are monitoring Russian commercial ships off the west coast.

Dr Cathal Berry, who previously served with the Irish Army Ranger Wing, was critical of the presence of the ships, and also of Russian ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov while speaking to Newstalk radio station.

Yesterday, the Department of Defence said that the DF have monitored Russian commercial ships both outside and inside Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

A spokesperson for the Department explained: "As part of their Maritime, Defence and Security Operations (MDSO), the Irish Air Corps Maritime Patrol Aircraft have observed Russian commercial vessels in international waters off the island of Ireland.

"These vessels have now left Ireland's EEZ."

The spokesperson added: "The Irish Air Corps and the Irish Naval Service continue to monitor activity in Irish waters and to undertake Maritime Defence and Security Operations (MDSO) throughout Ireland's maritime domain."

Explaining his views, Dr Berry told Newstalk: "A new subsea communications cable was opened in November four months ago, connecting Galway to Iceland, and there is a good possibility that they were at least monitoring the situation up there.

"'Was there strategic intent?' is likely what you're trying to ascertain, and most likely, yes, there was.

He also made reference to a recent letter by Mr Filatov, which was addressed to The Irish Times.

"He was basically saying 'there is nothing to see here.'

"This the Russian strategic culture, they will always try deception... if Yury Filatov says that something isn't happening, you can be pretty sure that the opposite is in fact happening, he will try to convince you that left is right, night is day, and that the world is actually flat."

He also acknowledged that Ireland has 'very little capability' to counter what is happening off the west coast, and that Ireland 'has absolutely no sovereign underwater capability whatsoever.'

Dr Berry is not the only politician who has been critical of Mr Filatov in recent days: Independent Cork South-West TD Michael Collins also called on the ambassador to answer questions about the activities of two Russian ships in Irish waters while speaking to Newstalk.

In related news, Dr Berry welcomed a report by the The Independent Review Groups (IRG), which found that almost 90 per week of female respondents said they had experienced some form of sexual harassment while serving with the Irish Army.

He criticised the DF following the publication of the report while attending a Dail session, where he said: "People are in disbelief, they are in a state of collective shock, and they feel hugely, hugely let down (by the Defence Forces)."
A landmark drama-documentary to mark the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement will air on RTE this week.

It will tell the inspiring story of a maverick Tipperary-raised Redemptorist priest, Father Alec Reid, whose vision and secret diplomacy helped bring an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland.

Father Reid first came to the world's attention in 1988 after he was photographed trying to save the life of a British corporal, who was beaten and shot in the aftermath of an IRA funeral.

The haunted face of Father Reid administering Last Rites somehow epitomised the best and worst of the human impact of the Troubles.

Unknown to most, the photograph also captured the secret peacemaker at work; in Father Reid's jacket pocket were the first documents of a fledgling plan to end the conflict.



Based on interviews recorded with Fr Reid before his death ten years ago, the film follows his peace mission to stop the killing.

Contributors to the film include former Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries, Jake Mac Siacais and David Packie Hamilton; peacemakers Monica McWilliams, the Rev Harold Good and the Rev Ken Newell; former Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams; former SDLP Deputy Leader Brid Rodgers; former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt; the Commissioner for Victims and Survivors Ian Jeffers; and journalists Tim Pat Coogan, Brendan OBrien and Mark Devenport.

Human Rights activist and Co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, Monica McWilliams, said Father Reid "understood the importance of the psychology of peacebuilding which is, when you sit down to make peace, you dont make it with your friends".

The film also features acclaimed Irish actor, Marty Rea, as Father Alec in dramatic reconstructions of key events.

Image: David Cairns
The Sligo-Leitrim Labour Party was well represented at the 73rd Labour Party Annual Conference which took place last weekend (24-26 March) at which three delegates, including Leitrim Manorhamilton Area Rep Bernie Linnane presented.

In her first Party conference as a Local Area Representative, Leitrim woman Bernie Linnane restated Labours claims to be a "Green-Red" Party with a motion on the forestry sector. The Dromahair based accountant said, "Responsible forest management can benefit the climate, biodiversity and water quality, while also generating space for recreation and sustainable employment. The converse also applies, and reckless planting of commercial forestry can cause permanent damage to our local environment and ecosystem.

"In addition, the government's plans for managing and developing our woodlands and forests run the risk of falling far short of targets necessary to tackle climate change. The involvement of large institutional funds in the acquisition of lands for planting has caused alarm and must raise serious questions. For the sake of our farmers, our families, and our environment, we must get this right. It is time to revisit the basic premise of the Coillte project."

15-year-old Sam Cunningham, a Summerhill College student was just one of many young people attending the conference, made his maiden speech on the topic of the combat poverty agency. Sam said, "I spoke about the reinstatement of the combat poverty agency. In addition I spoke about citizens information centers and how there needs to be an increase in capacity to allow people to learn new skills and this will subsequently allow greater equality between communities. There is ever growing division between communities. Since the combat poverty agency was disbanded 15 years ago much progress in disadvantaged communities have been regressed leading to greater divide between communities. if the combat poverty agency is reinstated it will allow greater communication between between communities and allow each to have an equal voice.

"I felt proud. When I stood there Infront of the large group of people speaking there were a mix of feelings a part of me felt nervous as there were many TDs and the party leader. It took a lot to speak but I am glad I did it and I would do a million times over."

Nessa Cosgrove, Local Area Representative for Sligo returned to a familiar theme speaking passionately about the under investment experienced by the Northwest of Ireland in terms of health care. The former Local and General Election candidate stated, "My motion committed Congress to supporting balanced regional development in all areas of health care. This contrasts with the existing East West divide when it comes to the provision of public service in this country."

Also at Cork was Sligo Labour Party stalwart, Michael Fox, who received a special award for his lifelong service to the Party.
Nyeri  Nyeri archbishop Antony Muheria has urged Azimio leader Raila Odinga to to stop the organised mass demonstrations in respect of the holy week for Christians who will celebrate Easter and the holy Ramadan for muslims.

In a communication to media, Muheria said that demonstrations are ungodly and a mockery to the two faiths that are dominant in the country.

"This time we demand that leaders championing these demonstration should respect Kenyans two faith although they may have their right to picket as per the constitution it the hightime they show respect to God and Kenyans who profess these faith and stop demonstration this week as it holy " said Muheria.

He said that it is unfortunate that their efforts to prevail on Odinga and his brigade adding that it's the hightime they respect God were unfruitful.

"We tried and even visited Ondinga however it's like they treated our call with contempt by implying that even God can wait I want to say that politicians should realize their God in heaven who is capable of reacting and punishing them severely so we now demand stoppage of mass demonstration " said Muheria.

The bishop urged Kenyans to respect their faith and desist from participating in destruction or looting of public properties saying when one destroy or loot they should know that their punishing a fellow Kenyans who has equal right like them.

He urged both sides of political divide to stop chest thumping saying that they have now crossed the red line and are busy destroying the nation.

"Politicians in this country should realize that they have crossed redline and must stop ,do we have to wait for death of a prominent person to realize we are destroying our nation" said Muheria

The cleric demands comes at a time when opposition leader Ondinga has vowed to hold mother of all demonstration on Monday.

The government through deputy Rigathi Gachagua has vowed that the goverment will assert itself by protecting property and kenyans setting a possible clash between police and demonstrators.

Last week on Thursday several people were injured including journalists and property looted during the protests.
The sister of a teenager killed during the Troubles says she hopes the dark cloud surrounding their family will be lifted as the search for his body resumes.

Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 and his remains are believed to be at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan.

He is one of the Disappeared  victims of the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to 1998 known as the Troubles  whose bodies have yet to be found.

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in Bragan Bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

His sister Dympna Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Mrs Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said it was always their intention to resume the search for Mr McVeigh at the earliest opportunity.

Every time we undertake a search the thoughts of everyone involved are with the McVeigh family, he said.

Our focus is on doing everything we can to bring this search to a successful conclusion.

If the remains of Columba are in this part of the bog we will find them.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
Sir Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern have hailed the spirit of Anglo-Irish teamwork and partnership that marked the high pressure negotiations that delivered Northern Irelands historic Good Friday Agreement.

Twenty-five years on from the intensive talks that produced the landmark accord in April 1998, the former UK and Irish prime ministers have reflected on their famously close working relationship.

While stressing the importance of the UK and Irish governments acting in lockstep, the ex British PM and Taoiseach credited the bravery of unionist and nationalist political leaders in Northern Ireland for striking the powersharing settlement that largely ended the Troubles.

In interviews with the PA news agency to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Good Friday deal, the political veterans, who both came to power in 1997, have recalled the highs and lows of the exhausting negotiation process one year later at Castle Buildings on the Stormont estate in Belfast.

Its amazing how fast the time has gone by, said Sir Tony.

Its incredible to think it was 25 years ago that we were sitting for those days in Castle Buildings in Belfast trying to get the historic peace agreement agreed.

The former Labour leader added: When I look back on it, I think we took the most enormous risks in trying to do it.

Because when I came to office, though John Major had done some really good work in sort of laying the foundations of a possible way forward, the fact is that it had broken down.

We didnt have an agreement when I came to Belfast to start that negotiation, the thing had collapsed effectively, completely.

And then during the course of the days that followed, we had the agreement, then we lost it, and we had it again, then we lost it again, it was an extraordinary time. But somehow we kept going, and you know all the different leaders that I was working with, they showed real leadership in the end trying to bring it together and bring it off.

Mr Aherns mother Julia died in final stages of the talks and the then-Fianna Fail leader left the negotiations to attend the funeral and returned as the process reached a crescendo.

Bertie Ahern was an absolute rock throughout it, said Sir Tony.

Because quite apart from the fact he had to overcome a personal tragedy with the passing of his mother right at the outset of the negotiation, its also that he was both from Irelands history, understood Irelands history, understood the relationship between Ireland and Britain and all the issues that arose between the two, but could always rise above it and come to the level of the necessary commitment for the future.

He was a great partner in the process.

Mr Ahern said he began meeting with Sir Tony while they were both leaders of their respective parliaments oppositions in 1995 and 1996.

We were looking to see how we could get back, Humpty Dumpty on the wall again, he said.

Thats what really led into us moving very quickly, we had pre-planned where we were going in 97, he added.

Mr Ahern said people living on the island of Ireland should be eternally grateful to the former UK prime minister.

We got on really well, which was hugely positive, he said.

We trusted each other. We worked together as a team rather than British, Irish.

Mr Ahern singled out Sir Tonys time commitment to the negotiations as extraordinary.

He said while the Labour leader had established an international reputation and committed to a huge agenda of reform as a new prime minister in 1997, he put in huge hours into helping to deal with the Irish situation.

He said the prime minister regularly entered into long sessions of two or three days at a time in meetings at Chequers, No 10, Castle Buildings, Hillsborough Castle and other locations.

People should be eternally grateful on this island for him, added Mr Ahern.

Asked about Sir Tonys comments that the agreement could not have happened without Mr Ahern, he said: We were a team.

We worked because we worked together and we didnt let each other down.

Reflecting on their relationship, Mr Ahern said: We were ringing each other all the time, there were times I spoke to him every day, literally.

In his 10 years and my 11 years in office, I wouldnt say there was a period of more than 72 hours where we didnt talk to each other.

However, Mr Ahern emphasised that it was not just the two men involved and that it was an inclusive process.

We had small teams of officials and then the other political parties, he said.

On Sundays, I used to ring the party leaders and have long chats with them, reviewing the briefs from officials. It was that ongoing dialogue.

He said that then-US president Bill Clinton was also there when we needed him.
P-Cure Receives FDA Approval For Proton Therapy System For Treatment in Seated Position and Will Begin Treating Patients In Israel





P-Cure announced today clearance of its Adaptive Proton Therapy Solution by the FDA for sales in the USA. P-Cure, an Israel-based high-med-tech company, has developed affordable proton therapy technology for targeted treatment of cancer with significantly reduced treatment related side effects.

SHILAT, Israel, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- P-Cure announced today clearance of its Adaptive Proton Therapy Solution by the FDA for sales in the USA.

P-Cure, an Israel-based high-med-tech company, has developed affordable proton therapy technology for targeted treatment of cancer with significantly reduced treatment related side effects. Treatment of cancer with proton therapy is considered the gold standard for treating many types of cancer sites with unique clinical capabilities. However, current legacy technology requires 200 tons proton equipment, and with the cost exceeding $50 million per single room (equipment and construction) significantly limits establishment of proton therapy services at most cancer care facilities globally. Until today, only less than 1% of hospitals offer proton therapy to their patients. P-Cure managed to reduce the size and the cost of the proton therapy equipment, enabling establishment of this long-awaited treatment modality virtually in all radiotherapy departments. The P-Cure innovative upright solution is the world's first FDA approved methodology for patient ready cancer treatment.

"P-Cure started by designing a patient-centric image guided adaptive positioning system, and has now expanded the offer by providing the most compact full proton therapy system that simulates, plans, positions and treats patients with enhanced patient comfort and clinical results, treating all indications with adaptive, personalized proton therapy protocols," said CEO Michael Marash.

"The possibility to install proton therapy within existing linac treatment rooms opens up a unique marketing opportunity for P-Cure. This radiotherapy replacement market accounts for sales of approximately 1,000 radiation therapy modalities every year. We truly believe that this is a new era of radiation therapy, and a new opportunity for P-Cure to become a market leader in providing the most targeted modality to treat cancer with radiation. The P-Cure solution radically reduces the cost of installing a proton therapy system, eliminating large rotating gantries, allowing for faster installation, and reducing operational costs," Marash adds.

The FDA clearance has been granted in parallel to announcing the clinical research initiation for the use of the system in treatments of patients in Israel. The company solution will be used by the clinical team of the Hadassah Medical Center under the leadership of Prof. Aron Popovtzer, the study principal investigator and the Head of Oncology Institute at Hadassah. The company collaboration with Hadassah is the first ever established initiative to provide access to Israeli patients to receive this focused treatment in the country saving enormous emotional and financial cost for patients, their families, and the national healthcare system. Until now, eligible Israeli patients have been urged to travel to Europe and the US for months spending at least $140,000 for a single treatment course.

"Uniquely, the Hadassah patients will be treated using a fully operational clinical facility within the P-Cure Clinical Development Center. The site is conveniently located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and hosts the world's most compact proton therapy system, which is installed within the footprint of a standard radiotherapy linac vault. The site is established as a clinical platform of excellence to deliver and develop proton therapy protocols for patients as well as train existing and new customers. This training will enable fast technology adaptation by new treatment providers not familiar with proton therapy. The comprehensive site comprises a fully operational clinically designed proton treatment system, including a compact accelerator, a 360 o gantry-less treatment room, and access to all treatment and delivery planning ? all within the space of existing linac vaults," Marash said.

The company is supported by investors from the US, Canada, Israel and Hong Kong. Among the Israeli investors is Medipress Venture.

Prof. Joseph Press, the Medipress CEO, who previously headed the only Children Hospital in Israel, comments that "The P-Cure achievement shifts the use of Proton Therapy from marginal to mainstream clinical practice allowing virtually all radiotherapy departments to install the solution in existing treatment rooms." Prof. Press adds that because of the P-Cure solution, the financial barriers are eliminated to adding the proton therapy treatment option at medical facilities world-wide.

The FDA clearance of the P-Cure system is another evidence of the unprecedented impact of Israel in the fight against cancer, saving lives and avoiding suffering for millions of patients in Israel and abroad.

"P-Cure is proud to become a member of the world-wide research community expanding the clinical benefits of proton therapy and demonstrating what is the most cost-effective system available to existing oncology centers," said Marash.

About P-Cure:

P-Cure, an Israel-based company with operation in the US and China, develops and supplies focused radiotherapy solutions (Proton Therapy) to cancer patients globally. For more information please visit: http://www.p-cure.com

Media Contact

Stephen Jacobs, P-Cure, 1 9173468619, [email protected]

SOURCE P-Cure

3 april 2023 at 01:35

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Company List - Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers in Vietnam: Information on Over 8000 Key Players - ResearchAndMarkets.com





The "Company List - Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers in Vietnam" database has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Company List - Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers in Vietnam is an Excel company list of companies involved in Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers in Vietnam. There are approximately 8000 companies in this list.

Each Excel file contains the following:

Company name

Address fields (address, zip / postcode, country)

Website address (where available)

Revenue ($USm) (where available)

Name and job title of a management contact

Reasons to buy this list:

To understand the leading companies in a particular industry

To track your competitors and to understand their size

You have a product or service you wish to sell to companies in this sector

You are looking for comparable companies for mergers and acquisitions activity

You are researching the market and need to understand market shares

You need a name of key management within the leading companies in a sector

Once ordered the file will be prepared and delivered straight to your email address within 24 hours

For more information about this database visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ycoc5w

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.

3 april 2023 at 05:55

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CI Private Wealth Launches Trust Company, Enhancing its Wealth Planning Capabilities





CI Private Wealth, LLC ("CIPW"), a subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX), announces the launch of CIPW Trust, LLC ("CIPW Trust"), a South Dakota chartered trust company. CIPW advisors across the United States are now able to offer an array of corporate trustee services to their clients through CIPW Trust.

"The establishment of CIPW Trust is an important advancement for our firm and enhances our ability to provide a superior client experience," said Andrew Holmberg, Executive Vice President and Head of Client Solutions at CIPW.

"With CIPW Trust, we developed a flexible advice-centered model in which tailored trust solutions are integrated into a client's overall wealth plan. This holistic approach is key to providing our clients with comprehensive, high-quality wealth solutions."

CIPW Trust's preferred approach is to utilize a directed trust model in which CIPW Trust administers the trust while responsibility for investing the trust's assets remains with the advisor team. Additionally, CIPW Trust can administer complex trust structures, including various types of investments, business interests, and interests in natural resources.

CIPW first applied for a South Dakota trust charter last year in recognition of the value of a corporate trustee solution in meeting the complex and distinct planning needs of its ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth client families.

CI Financial entered the U.S. wealth management sector in January 2020 and has built CIPW into a best-in-class integrated wealth management firm with offices across the United States. CIPW Trust is another example of how CIPW is leveraging its size and scale to develop additional industry-leading support and solutions for its clients.

About CI Private Wealth

CI Private Wealth is an integrated U.S. wealth management firm providing comprehensive solutions to its ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients. CI Private Wealth combines the personal service, creativity and objective advice of a boutique with the extensive resources and vast intellectual capital of an innovative industry leader to provide a profoundly different wealth management experience. Headquartered in Miami, CI Private Wealth is a subsidiary of Toronto-based CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX), a global asset and wealth management company with approximately US$285.4 billion (C$389.4 billion) in assets as at February 28, 2023. For more information about CI Private Wealth, visit its website or LinkedIn page.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations with respect to CI Financial Corp. ("CI") and its products and services, including its business operations, strategy and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "foresee", "forecast", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "goal", "plan" and "project" and similar references to future periods, or conditional verbs such as "will", "may", "should", "could" or "would". These statements are not historical facts but instead represent management beliefs regarding future events, many of which by their nature are inherently uncertain and beyond management's control. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve risks and uncertainties. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and the reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than as specifically required by applicable law, CI undertakes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statement after the date on which it is made, whether to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

3 april 2023 at 07:05

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Surge Battery Metals Announces the Acquisition of the Remaining 20% Interest in the Surge Nickel Project BC





COQUITLAM, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Surge Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Surge") (TSXV:NILI)(OTC:NILIF)(FRA:DJ5C) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement with Nickel Rock Resources Inc. ("Nickel Rock") dated March 31, 2023, whereby the Company may acquire the remaining 20% interest in the HN4 and the N100 mineral claims, located in central BC (the "Transaction"). The Transaction is a "related party" party transaction and is subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approval.

Previously, the Company had a Property Option Agreement to earn an undivided 80% interest in certain mineral claims from Nickel Rock (see news release dated July 8, 2021). The Project (The Surge Nickel Project) consists of two non-contiguous mineral claims groups consisting of six mineral claim blocks located in central British Columbia. One claim in the Mount Sidney Williams area (claim HN4), covers 1863 hectares immediately south of and adjacent to the Decar Project, currently being advanced by FPX Resources, and 5 claims in the Mitchell Range area, northeast of Decar, (N100 Group) covering 8659 hectares. Therefore, as a result of the consolidation Agreement, Surge Battery Metals will own a 100% undivided ownership in the claims (three of the claims are subject to 2% NSR, including the HN4 claim and the two southernmost claims of the N100 claim group). Both projects target the nickel/iron alloy mineral "Awaruite" and are hosted by serpentinized intrusive rocks of the Trembleur Ultramafic Unit that also hosts, regionally, two large scale nickel/iron deposits under exploration and development by FPX Nickel Corp.

Consideration Payable to Nickel Rock: Upon the payment of 1,000,000 commons shares of the Company and in consideration of Surge having fully completed the terms of the underlying Option Agreement dated July 8th, 2021, Nickel Rock shall transfer 100 % interest in the claims the Surge. All securities issued in connection with the Transaction are subject to a four month and a day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws.

Pursuant to TSXV Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 -- Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), the Option Agreement constitutes a "related party transaction" due to the fact that CFO is also the CFO of Nickel Rock. The Company relied on Section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and Section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

Mr. Greg Reimer, President and CEO stated "The consolidation into a 100% ownership position in the HN4 and N100 group of claims provides the Company with much greater flexibility when charting future exploration activities for the Surge Nickel Project. The properties have demonstrated metallic mineralization including nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Although nickel and cobalt mineralization on the properties have not been well explored for, the presence of nickel in the form of the nickel/iron alloy awaruite has recently been documented. We look forward to seeing this promising project advanced in the future".

The Company also announces that it has completed and closed its previously announced private placement raising total gross proceeds of $908,082 (See news releases dated March 17, 2023 and March 27, 2023). The private placement is subject to final Exchange approval.

About Surge Battery Metals Inc. www.surgebatterymetals.com

Surge Battery Metals is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company active in the exploration for lithium in Nevada and nickel/iron alloy in British Columbia whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market.

The Nevada North Lithium Project

Recently announced drill results (see News Release dated Jan 3, 2023) have demonstrated the potential for a significant lithium discovery at the Nevada North Lithium Project located in Elko County about 73 Km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada.

The maiden drilling program, consisting of eight widely spaced drill holes, has identified strong lithium values (up to 5950 ppm) associated with a series of stacked blue-green clay layers up to 120.4 meter or 395 feet thick. To date mineralization, as evidenced by drilling, has a strike length of approximately 1,620 meters or 5,315 feet. Width of the mineralization is not as well determined since the holes are mostly on a north-south alignment because of topography and access but is at least 400 meters and soil anomalies indicate it is likely much more. The average lithium content within all near-surface clay zones intersected in 2022 drilling, applying a 1,000-ppm cut-off, was 3,254 ppm. The mineralization appears to be open to further expansion given the dimensions of a widespread lithium soil anomaly, the result of surface exploration in 2022.

In addition, the Company has a Property Option Agreement to earn an undivided 80% interest in 16 mineral claims, comprising 640 acres located within Nevada's San Emidio Desert, known as the Galt Property. Recent mineral exploration on the Galt claim group includes 51 playa sediment samples collected for chemical analysis at ALS Geochemistry in Vancouver, B.C. Results of aqua regia leaching of the samples show 68 to 852 parts per million lithium (mean 365 ppm), 5.3 to 201 ppm cesium (mean 72 ppm) and 35 to 377 ppm rubidium (mean 180 ppm). Results from two seven-foot-deep auger holes show lithium, cesium, and rubidium concentrations in the range of 143.5 to 773 ppm Li, 56.8 to 102.5 ppm Cs and 155 to 272 Rb.

Finally, the Company owns a 100% interest in 663 ha (1,640 acre) property in the Teels Marsh Project located in Mineral County, Nevada. The property is in an active region for both lithium exploration and production.

Nickel Projects, Northern BC

The Company has a Property Option Agreement to earn an undivided 80% interest in certain mineral claims from Nickel Rock Resources Inc. The Project (The Surge Nickel Project) consists of two non-contiguous mineral claims groups consisting of 6 mineral claim blocks located in northern British Columbia. One claim in the Mount Sidney Williams area (claim HN4), covers 1863 hectares immediately south of and adjacent to the Decar Project, currently being advanced by FPX Resources, and 5 claims in the Mitchell Range area, northeast of Decar, (N100 Group) covering 8659 hectares. Three of the claims are subject to 2% NSR, including the (HN4 claim and the two southernmost claims of the N100 claim group). Both projects target the nickel-iron alloy mineral "Awaruite", hosted by serpentinized intrusive rocks of the Trembleur Ultramafic Uniton Behalf of the Board of Directors.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Greg Reimer"

Greg Reimer,

President & CEO

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 778-945-2656

Website: surgebatterymetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward?looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward?looking. Forward?looking statements are not guaranteeing future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward?looking statements.

SOURCE: Surge Battery Metals Inc.

3 april 2023 at 07:30

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Le Macaron Mania Spreads As #1 Authentic Macaron Franchise Announces Multiple Locations Throughout the U.S.





SARASOTA, Fla., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Le Macaron, the leading French Pastries and Macaron franchise in the United States, announced the upcoming openings of three new locations this spring in Traverse City, Michigan, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Tampa, Florida, with an additional 8-10 locations planned by the end of summer. As the #1 macaron franchise with more than 70 locations nationwide, the popular French patisserie is enjoying steady expansion as successful franchisees scramble to open multiple locations and new owners hold grand openings for shops, kiosks in malls, or food trucks.

"We are thrilled with our accelerated growth, and we are fortunate to have inquiries from interested franchisees all over the country," said Le Macaron spokesperson Greg Guillem. "At our current pace, we are on track to have up to 20 new locations within the next year."

Le Macaron locations planned for summer openings include Columbus, Ohio, Tucson, Arizona, Long Beach, California, Sacramento, California, Pembroke Pines, Florida, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, New York, and Miami.

The upcoming grand opening scheduled for mid-May in Traverse City at 332 Front Street is the second location for owner Bobbi Jo Blanton, who also owns a Le Macaron store with her husband, William, in Grand Rapids. Blanton is so enamored of her experience as a Le Macaron franchisee that she is scouting for a third location to open in the future.

"It's extremely rewarding to bring the taste of authentic macarons to these communities," Blanton said.

New owners Natalia Mejia and Camito Beltran are preparing to open their store at RIO Lakefront at 9841 Washingtonian Boulevard in Gaithersburg, Maryland while owners Sanjam and Karam Chawla will open a mobile kiosk at International Plaza in Tampa. All the new franchisees are banking on the fact that interest in delicious, bite-sized macarons is trending throughout the country. Le Macaron co-founder Rosalie Guillem says prospective franchisees and consumers are learning about why quality, authenticity, and freshness define Le Macaron as a premium brand and the leader in its category.

"What sets Le Macaron apart from competitors is that we are a best-in-class brand with authentic macarons prepared fresh daily by our French pastry chefs," said Guillem. "We have more than 20 delicious flavors as well as seasonal flavors to delight customers of all ages, including those who are looking for a Parisian cafe experience."

Le Macaron treats customers to a taste of Paris, including vibrant, colorful decor, traditional music, and a menu featuring freshly prepared macarons, pastries, gelato, coffee, gourmet chocolates, cakes, eclairs, European style beverages and more. Macarons are also available in seasonal flavors to commemorate holidays and special occasions, and the company has a thriving catering and corporate gifting business year-around.

For more information about the Le Macaron French Pastries franchise opportunity please visit http://lemacaronfranchise.com/.

About Le Macaron French Pastries

Founded in 2009 by Rosalie Guillem and her daughter Audrey, Le Macaron French Pastries is an elegant retail specialty French patisserie that offers guests the finest, authentic French macarons and pastries. Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, the brand began franchising in 2012 and has since grown to more than 75 locations across the U.S. Le Macaron French Pastries is ranked on Inc. 5,000 2016, #17 on the 2019 Top Emerging Franchise List as well as ranking on the Top 100 Food and Beverage category by Entrepreneur and holds a No. 9 ranking in the baked goods category. Le Macaron was recently named to the FranServe 2022 Fran-Tastic 500 list, which recognizes the top franchises in the country. For more information, visit http://lemacaron-us.com/.

Contact: Rhonda Price

[email protected]

(561) 371-9407

SOURCE Le Macaron

3 april 2023 at 08:33

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Russell Tobin Extends Recruitment Excellence to the Netherlands





NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Russell Tobin & Associates, a leading global staffing and recruiting firm, has expanded its reach to the Netherlands with the opening of its latest branch. This marks the first expansion of 2023 for the rapidly growing Pride Global network, which last year established offices in Brazil, Ireland, Singapore as well as a dedicated Center of Excellence team in the Philippines.

Russell Tobin extends its recruitment services to the Netherlands , contributing to Pride Global Network's rapid expansion in Europe .

Russell Tobin's Netherlands branch will offer a range of full staffing and recruiting services, including contingent labor, direct hiring, and Embedded Partnerships, customized to meet the specific needs of the European market.

Tim Tobin, managing director and co-founder of Russell Tobin, expressed his enthusiasm for the expansion and the opportunities it presents, stating, "Our presence in the Netherlands not only demonstrates our increasing global footprint but also provides a new opportunity to develop localized expertise to better serve our clients in Europe. With the help of our London and Dublin teams, we look forward to strengthening our collaboration and expanding our work on the continent. It's incredibly humbling and gratifying to be a part of this effort."

Russell Tobin's mission to "Help the World Work" is reflected in its dedicated strategies that offer clients a safe harbor while navigating the changing labor market. The firm's personalized approach within the industry creates an unparalleled environment of trust and loyalty with its network of experienced professionals.

Looking ahead, the company plans to further expand throughout the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) regions. This expansion is part of Russell Tobin's commitment to providing globally scalable solutions to its clients in their search for top talent in the Netherlands and beyond. For more information on the globally scalable solutions available from Russell Tobin and the Pride Global family of companies, visit russelltobin.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About Pride Global

Pride Global is a minority-owned integrated human capital solutions firm that helps companies solve complex human resources challenges from its headquarters in Manhattan. The Pride Global network of companies, which includes Russell Tobin, operates throughout the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Ireland, the U.K., India, Singapore, the Philippines, and more, offering a comprehensive range of HR solutions, including managed services, vendor management, payroll programs, business process optimization, and staffing for both direct hire and contingent labor, among others. Learn more at prideglobal.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Talia Schwartz

Social Media Manager

(212) 235-5300

[email protected]

SOURCE Pride Global

3 april 2023 at 09:00

News published onand distributed by:
Synovus Ranks #1 in the Southeast for Customer Satisfaction and Trust





Synovus Bank is proud to announce it has been ranked #1 for customer satisfaction and trust in the Southeast according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study?. J.D. Power defines the Southeast region as Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The study is the longest-running, most in-depth study of the retail banking industry. Now in its 18th year, the annual study analyzes retail banking customers' satisfaction with their primary financial institution and the impact that satisfaction has on bottom-line metrics, such as retention, loyalty and advocacy.

"For more than 130 years, Synovus has served clients and communities throughout the Southeast with unwavering care, resilience and sense of purpose," said Synovus Chairman, CEO and President Kevin Blair. "We're honored to have our relationship approach to banking recognized by J.D. Power. I'm thankful to our team members for their dedication and commitment. As we celebrate this milestone, we affirm our intention to constantly improve and evolve, ensuring our clients remain at the heart of everything we do."

The 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 100,000 customers of the largest banks in the United States about their experiences with their retail bank. The responses were fielded from January 2022 through January 2023. This year's study featured J.D. Power's redesigned methodology that was introduced last year and is more reflective of the banking industry's evolution and how consumers conceptualize satisfaction with their primary retail bank. The methodology measures satisfaction across seven factors (in order of importance): trust, people, account offerings, allowing customers to bank how and when they want, saving time and money, digital channels, and resolving problems or complaints.

In addition to ranking #1 in overall customer satisfaction in the Southeast, Synovus also ranked highest in the region for trust. The J.D. Power Award is among several other recent recognitions received by Synovus, including 20 Greenwich Excellence and Best Brand Awards for the bank's 2022 performance serving small business and middle market clients and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Top Workplaces Award for the fourth consecutive year. The bank is also a Great Place to Work-Certified Company for its creation of an outstanding employee experience.

"Over the past couple of years, client behaviors, market volatility and technology enhancements have forced the banking industry to evolve," said Synovus Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking and Brand Experience, Liz Wolverton. "Synovus has always carried a tradition of keeping our clients at the top of our responsibilities. The J.D. Power #1 in customer satisfaction award demonstrates our commitment to enabling our clients to reach their full potential and offering them an overall excellent banking experience."

For more information about the 2023 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-retail-banking-satisfaction-study.

Synovus Bank, a Georgia-chartered, FDIC-insured bank, provides commercial and consumer banking in addition to a full suite of specialized products and services including private banking, treasury management, wealth management, mortgage services, premium finance, asset-based lending, structured lending, capital markets and international banking. Synovus has branches in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. Synovus is a Great Place to Work-Certified Company and is on the web at synovus.com, and on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

3 april 2023 at 09:10

News published onand distributed by:
BlockChain Loyalty Corp. Announces Completion of Transaction with Marianna Naturals Corp.





PORTLAND, OR and MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / BlockChain Loyalty Corp. (OTC PINK:BBLC): is pleased to announce that the Share Exchange Agreement with Marianna Naturals Corp., which was entered into as of February 8, 2023, was effectively closed on March 28, with the issuance of new BBLC Common shares to Marianna shareholders and consultants, amounting to a revised total of 41,894,332 new treasury shares, and the reissuance of existing outstanding Common shares. BBLC will now have a total of 59,300,332 Common shares outstanding.

Marianna Naturals Corp. is an all-natural genderless, celebrity endorsed, skincare brand incorporated in Canada and spun from the highly successful US brand, Beauty Kitchen.

Most importantly, as a result of this transaction, BBLC is now actively engaged in an ongoing revenue-generating business and can no longer be considered a "shell" company, as that term is defined under existing securities regulations.

A change in control of the BlockChain Loyalty Corp. was previously disclosed, as required, by OTC Markets regulations.

Existing Marianna shareholders will be contacted through their email addresses of record or by mail to their listed physical addresses. Shares have been issued by BBLC's transfer agent as book-entry accounts to all shareholders. If a shareholder wishes to receive a physical certificate, they will need to pay for it themselves with the transfer agent, Signature Stock Transfer Inc.

Blockchain Loyalty Corp. expects to begin the process of a name and symbol change that will better reflect the corporation's new business as soon as practicable.

About Marianna Naturals Corp.

Marianna Naturals  was born from our belief that the world deserves 100% natural skin care and cosmetics without the use of chemical preservatives. A celebrity skin care and health & wellness brand producing products that are hand-made fresh at our facilities in the USA which are always Cruelty-Free, Paraben-Free, and Sulfate-Free.' Beauty Kitchen's founder and CEO, Heather Marianna, skyrocketed in popularity with the launch of her Beauty Kitchen YouTube series in 2012 where she showcased simple, do-it-yourself beauty recipes made with common kitchen household ingredients.

The series generated a powerful following of more than 4 million viewers. Heather Marianna has starred on Bravo's luxury-travel series, "Tour Group" in 2015 and was featured on Oxygen's "My Super Shopping Addiction" in addition to appearing on several episodes of MTV's "Teen Mom OG." The DIY guru has also appeared on countless news segments across the country as a beauty expert, showcasing her own simple tricks and tips. She is the official beauty expert for KSNV-NBC 3 in Las Vegas and appears monthly to captivate viewers with new DIY tutorials.

In 2020 she and fellow Co-founder Joel DeBellefeuille teamed up to launch Marianna Naturals, a similar but unique brand focused on expanding across the US border into Canada.

For more information visit: www.mariannacorp.com Shop: www.marianna.ca

Connect with Marianna Naturals on:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marianna-naturals-corp/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQCklGIewWaQd4wHXRAqCg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannanaturals

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannanaturals

Contacts:

Joel DeBellefeuille, Co-Founder, CE0 and President E. [email protected]

Tel. 1.800.971.2200

To learn more about Joel visit: www.joeldebellefeuille.com

Investor Relations: Just3 Public Relations, Zoltan Sarkozy, Tel. 604.722.0305

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. and Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's expectations regarding future business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "target" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.

SOURCE: Blockchain Loyalty Corp.

3 april 2023 at 09:30

View source version on accesswire.com:News published onand distributed by:
Nairobi  The former head of Anti Terror Police Unit Gideon Nyale Munga is the new director of operations at the Kenya Police headquarters, Nairobi.

Nyale was until his appointment the director of reforms at police headquarters.

He swapped positions with Boniface Maingi in the changes announced by Inspector General of police Japhet Koome on Saturday April 1.

This came amid concerns the past mass protests called by Azimio La Umoja leaders were not well handled.

And in the changes, the IG moved five Sub County police commanders in Nairobi.

The affected Sub County commanders who are known as OCPDs include that of Kilimani, Embakasi, Njiru, Central and Dagoretti, officials aware of the changes said.

A number of Officers Commanding Station were also affected in the movements occasioned by the protests.

Nyale is a seasoned officer and had served as Principal Assistant to immediate former IG Hilary Mutyambai and head of planning at DCI headquarters.

He is among those shortlisted for interview on Tuesday April 4 for position of Deputy Inspector General of Kenya Police.

The changes came after the IG held a meeting with some of his commanders on Saturday April 1 in his office, officials aware said.

The new commanders were ordered to report to their new stations by Sunday afternoon ahead of the Monday planned protests.

President William Ruto had Friday evening met the police bosses at State House to discuss security situation in the country.

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The team led by Koome is said to have been ordered to make changes in the manner in which they handle the protesters and limit using lethal force.

Sources said they were informed there was lack of coordination in containing the past protests.

Sources said the teams now plan to trail the leaders of the protests and "limit their movements" as part of efforts to control the protests.

There will be more police deployments on major routes to the city centre and specific informal settlements to control movements.

This idea was however opposed by some officers who felt it is counterproductive.

At least ten people have been killed in the past three protests and dozens injured as police clashed with the protesters.

Among those who died was a six-month old baby boy who suffocated out of teargas canister which exploded in their house in Kibera slums last Thursday.

Two others were killed in the same Kibera, Embakasi and Kisumu.

This is after the police declared the protests illegal and banned them. The opposition is among others protesting high cost of living.

Police have been disrupting their protests using water canons and teargas canisters leaving a trail of destruction.

This has taken a toll on Ruto's administration.The police are facing condemnation from among others civil society groups.
Cornell Capital-Backed Lorom Appoints John X. Zhang, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer





Dr. Zhang Has Track Record of Driving Growth at Industrial Manufacturing Companies

TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lorom Holding Co., Ltd. ("Lorom" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturing solutions provider focusing on specialized cable manufacturing and assembly, today announced the appointment of John X. Zhang, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Zhang succeeds Michael Yi-Hua Chung, who will leave the Company to pursue other interests. Mr. Chung will remain involved with the Company as a member of the Company's Taiwan subsidiary's Board of Directors.

Dr. Zhang has more than 30 years of experience in the electronic components industry, including more than 20 years in the interconnector and cable/fiber optics segment with a track record of driving growth and business optimization. Previously, he served as CEO at Laird Performance Materials ("Laird"), a global leader in engineered advanced thermal and electromagnetic solutions. During his tenure as CEO, he was instrumental in transforming the business with leading positions in thermal, electro-magnetic interference, absorbers, and multi-functional solution segments, and delivered significant value to shareholders. DuPont Company acquired Laird in July 2021. Prior to Laird, Dr. Zhang served as President of Asia and Greater China for Ammeraal which was acquired by Partners Group in 2018, and as Chief Operating Officer of FCI, which was acquired by Amphenol in 2016. Prior, Dr. Zhang held progressive roles in AMP (now TE Connectivity), 3M, and Ingersoll Rand & Trane.

"I am excited to join Lorom, a premier supplier of specialty cable solutions for some of the most preeminent blue-chip customers in the industry," said Dr. Zhang. "Lorom has a highly scalable platform and significant growth potential, and I look forward to working with Cornell Capital and all of our people worldwide, including the management teams, to continue expanding the Company's service offerings and global footprint."

"Dr. Zhang is a proven leader who will position Lorom for continued growth and success," said Joyce Hsu, Chairperson at Lorom and Chair of Asia at Cornell Capital. "He has deep manufacturing expertise and a track record of value creation, transformative leadership, operational excellence, and financial outperformance."

Ms. Hsu continued, "On behalf of the Lorom Board and the entire organization, I want to thank Michael for his contributions and leadership over the past three years. We wish him the best and appreciate his continued service on the Company's Taiwan subsidiary Board of Directors."

"I am proud of all we accomplished in positioning Lorom for its next stage of growth," said Mr. Chung. "Many thanks to our brilliant employees and the Cornell Capital team for their ongoing support that has been instrumental to the Company's success. I'm confident that with Dr. Zhang and the rest of our talented management team, Lorom is well positioned for its next chapter as a strategic partner providing best-in-class manufacturing solutions to our global customer base."

About Lorom

Founded in 1988, Lorom is a leading manufacturing solutions provider focusing on specialized cable manufacturing & assembly, and electro-mechanical box builds. In addition to its core cable technologies, Lorom offers plastic injection, stamping, die-casting, printed circuit board assembly and tooling processes. Lorom also possesses customized component design and manufacturing capabilities. Its vertically integrated model enables Lorom to provide a one-stop shopping platform for unique, proprietary manufacturing products and services to a blue-chip customer base, including a number of Fortune 500 companies across automotive, industrial, media, technology and medical sectors. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Lorom has approximately 4,000 employees, including more than 500 highly skilled engineers across four factories and four sales offices globally.

In February 2023, Lorom acquired Segue Manufacturing Services ("Segue"), a global contract electronics manufacturer specializing in custom electromechanical, cable assembly and engineering services for the medical sector. The transaction combined Segue's expertise in complex electromechanical and cable assembly with Lorom's operating excellence in wire and cable manufacturing, while enabling Lorom to expand its manufacturing footprint in North America and build out its leading vertically integrated platform at a greater scale.

For more information, visit www.lorom.com and https://segue-mfg.com/.

About Cornell Capital

Cornell Capital LLC is a U.S.-based private investment firm with ~$6 billion of AUM and offices in New York and Hong Kong. Leveraging decades of global investment experience, the firm takes a disciplined approach to investing across the consumer, financial services, and industrials/business services sectors, often in companies that can benefit from the firm's Asia presence and cross-border expertise. Founded in 2013 by Senior Partner Henry Cornell, the former Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs' Merchant Banking Division, the firm is led by a highly seasoned team with significant shared investment experience. For more information, visit www.cornellcapllc.com

Media Contact

Cornell Capital:

Jon Keehner / Kate Thompson / Erik Carlson

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

212-355-4449

SOURCE Lorom Holding Co., Ltd.

3 april 2023 at 09:45

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CATHAY INDUSTRIES REBRANDS AS OXERRA, CLOSES ACQUISITION OF VENATOR'S IRON OXIDE PIGMENTS DIVISION





SINGAPORE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathay Industries, a leading global iron oxide pigment manufacturer unveiled its new name, Oxerra, along with its new brand identity, after completing the acquisition of Venator's color business.

"We are thrilled to join two recognized world class leaders in the color pigment industry with an unmatched global manufacturing network across six countries on five continents," said Oxerra Group CEO Terence Yu. "Oxerra propels us forward to provide unrivaled products and services in iron oxide and color pigment technology with sustainability across all industries."

The combination of each company's offerings positions Oxerra as a global leader, complete color solution manufacturer and provider of advanced, sustainable and cutting-edge solutions in the highly technological and demanding coating, plastic, construction, and specialty markets.

The acquisition also significantly reinforces Oxerra's leadership in the inorganic pigment industry and provides a synthetic iron oxide manufacturing presence in both Europe and the United States, which are strategically important for shortening the supply chain to provide optimal outcomes for customers.

"Our emphasis on production excellence, customer solutions, sustainability and innovation remain unchanged and are important tenets of Oxerra's culture." Yu continued. "With this opportunity to exceed and improve upon all of these services, Oxerra can become the foremost leader in the iron oxide industry, providing a network that encompasses the globe with a concentration on sustainable, high-quality pigments for every application imaginable."

During the coming months, Oxerra will continue to integrate the assets of both companies and roll out the new brand on its websites and other communication channels.

About Oxerra

Established in 1979, Oxerra is one of the world's leading manufacturers of synthetic iron oxide pigments for the construction industry, highly technological grades for coatings and plastics, as well as the highest purity iron oxides for specialties applications. With global headquarters in Singapore and regional offices and production facilities in Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, United Kingdom and the United States, Oxerra's portfolio is also complemented by several synergistic products. For more information, visit oxerra.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045970/OXERRA_Logo_1.jpg

3 april 2023 at 09:57

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Sumitomo Pharma Subsidiary Companies in the U.S., Including Sumitovant and its Wholly Owned Subsidiaries, to Combine and Form Sumitomo Pharma America





NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. ("Sumitovant") announced today that its parent company Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. ("Sumitomo Pharma") will combine its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries to form Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. ("Sumitomo Pharma America"). Sumitomo Pharma America will combine Sumitovant and its wholly owned U.S. subsidiaries, Myovant Sciences, Inc., Urovant Sciences, Inc., and Enzyvant Therapeutics, Inc., as well as Sumitomo Pharma's other U.S. subsidiaries Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc., Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc., and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Spirovant Sciences, Inc., Sumitovant's remaining wholly owned subsidiary, will operate as a standalone company under Sumitomo Pharma America.

Sumitovant's current CEO Myrtle Potter will serve as President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma America upon completion of the combination July 1, 2023.

Sumitomo Pharma America will establish a science-based, technology-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet patient needs in the critical areas of central nervous system, oncology, urology, women's health, and cell and gene therapies. Sumitomo Pharma America will house a diverse portfolio of commercialized products and robust pipeline of early- to late-stage assets leveraging proprietary technology platforms and advanced computational analytics capabilities to accelerate research, development, and potential commercialization of new therapies. Each subsidiary will continue to operate independently until the combination is complete but are collaborating on key integration efforts in the interim to allow for a smooth transition for all stakeholders in preparation for Day 1 of Sumitomo Pharma America.

Hiroshi Nomura, President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma, said, "We remain deeply committed to addressing pressing health challenges and believe Sumitomo Pharma America will serve as a valuable growth engine. Sumitomo Pharma America will have increased scale and a combined network of resources and talent to accelerate a diverse portfolio of commercial and investigational programs for critical indications while creating a sustainable platform for growth."

"This important combination was made possible by the incredible work being done across Sumitovant and its subsidiaries Myovant, Urovant, Enzyvant and Spirovant. We look forward to bringing together our strengths with Sumitomo Pharma's other U.S. subsidiaries to create an innovative biopharma company with the scale, agility and efficiency needed for accelerated impact and patient-focused outcomes," said Myrtle Potter, current CEO of Sumitovant and future President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma America. "We will combine our deep R&D and life sciences expertise with unparalleled advance technology platforms, DrugOME and Digital Innovation, to underpin growth of existing product lines and pipeline efforts. Sumitomo Pharma America will build on the group's mission and bring needed therapies to patients sooner in key areas where treatment options remain limited or non-existent."

About Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd.

Sumitovant is a technology-driven biopharmaceutical company accelerating development and commercialization of new potential therapies for patients with rare conditions and other diseases. Through its proprietary computing and data platforms, scientific expertise and diverse company portfolio, Sumitovant has supported development of multiple FDA-approved products and a robust pipeline of early- through late-stage investigational assets addressing unmet patient needs in pediatrics, urology, oncology, women's health, specialty respiratory and infectious diseases. Sumitovant Biopharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma. Please visit our website www.sumitovant.com for more information on Sumitovant and our portfolio.

About Myovant Sciences

Myovant Sciences aspires to redefine care for women and men through purpose-driven science, empowering medicines, and transformative advocacy worldwide. Since its formation in 2016, Myovant has secured five regulatory approvals in the United States and Europe for its products ORGOVYX and MYFEMBREE in hormone-sensitive oncology and women's health, respectively. Myovant and its partners continue to file for additional indications of its products, as well as advance development of its pipeline. Myovant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd., as of March 10, 2023. For more information, please visit www.myovant.com.

About Urovant Sciences

Urovant Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for areas of unmet need, with a dedicated focus in urology. The Company's lead product, GEMTESA (vibegron), is an oral, once-daily (75 mg) small molecule beta-3 agonist for the treatment of adult patients with overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. GEMTESA was approved by the U.S. FDA in December 2020 and launched in the U.S. in April 2021. Urovant Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd., intends to bring innovation to patients in need in urology and other areas of unmet need. Named one of the Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharmatm (2022), twice as one of the "Best Places to Work" in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal (2021, 2022) and winner of the PM360 Trailblazer Award for Best Product Launch of the Year, Urovant's people-focused culture leads the way for innovation and impact. Learn more at www.Urovant.com

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents

urgency: the need to urinate right away

frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for full Product Information for GEMTESA.

About Enzyvant Therapeutics

Enzyvant is a biopharmaceutical company making life-altering impact for people affected by rare disease, where the communities are small, and the human need is immense. Driven by purpose, we engage with rare disease communities with compassion and commitment, partnering to accelerate the development of transformative medicines they so urgently need. We prioritize collaborative connections with academia, industry, associations, advocacy groups and government, because strong relationships make bold science possible. A nimble and unique organization, Enzyvant has a full range of capabilities spanning non-clinical and clinical development and commercialization and is developing in-house manufacturing. Enzyvant has delivered a first-of-its-kind FDA approval in regenerative medicine and promising advances against some of the greatest challenges in immunology and cardiopulmonology. Enzyvant is part of Sumitovant, wholly owned by Sumitomo Pharma. For more information about Enzyvant and our programs, visit www.Enzyvant.com.

About Spirovant Sciences

Spirovant is a gene therapy company focused on changing the course of cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases. The company's current investigational gene therapy technologies are designed to overcome the historical barriers that have prevented effective genetic treatments for cystic fibrosis. Spirovant's lead programs are in development for cystic fibrosis. Spirovant, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, is located in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please visit our website at spirovant.com.

About Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Sunovion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the innovative application of science and medicine to help people with serious medical conditions. Sunovion has charted new paths to life-transforming treatments that reflect an ongoing commitment to research and development for people living with serious psychiatric and neurological conditions. Headquartered in Marlborough, Mass., Sunovion is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., based in Mississauga, Ontario, is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Additional information can be found on the company's websites: www.sunovion.com and www.sunovion.ca. Connect with Sunovion on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

About Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc.

Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. As a global oncology organization with teams in the U.S. and Japan, SMP Oncology is committed to the goal of advancing purposeful science by transforming new discoveries into meaningful treatments for patients with cancer. SMP Oncology's robust and diverse pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage assets spans multiple areas, including oncogenic pathways, survival mechanisms and novel protein interactions, which aim to address unmet clinical needs in oncology. For more information, visit www.oncology.sumitomo-pharma.com.

About Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc.

Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc. supports certain affiliates of the Sumitomo Pharma Group by providing professional shared services expertise to achieve greater efficiencies and enable discovery, development and commercialization of innovative treatments to help patients. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA, U.S., Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and Sumitomo Pharma may make related oral, forward-looking statements on or following the date hereof. Statements including words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plan," "will," "may," "look forward," "intend," "guidance," "future" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to a variety of inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Many of these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by Sumitomo Pharma and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Sumitomo Pharma as of the date of this communication and speak only as of the date of this communication. Sumitomo Pharma does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. No information contained on any website referenced in this press release is incorporated by reference herein.

Media / IR Contacts

Maya Frutiger

VP, Head of Corporate Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd.

3 april 2023 at 10:06

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MITSUBISHI TANABE PHARMA CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP





Andy Zylak appointed as new President of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA), to continue driving growth in the Canadian market

Former MTP-CA President, Andy Fujimoto, returning to Japan to further support the growth of overseas parent company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC)

TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA) today announced that Andy Zylak has been appointed as the new President, effective April 1, 2023. MTP-CA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA). MTP-CA's former President, Atsushi "Andy" Fujimoto, will return to Japan to continue his career at MTPA's overseas parent company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC).

"I am proud to be taking on the role of President of MTP-CA, and am delighted to continue working on behalf of Canadian patients who are struggling with serious and debilitating diseases, such as ALS," said Andy Zylak, President, MTP-CA. "Canada represents an important market for our organization, and I look forward to leading the MTP-CA team as we work to realize the many opportunities ahead."

Mr. Zylak first joined MTP-CA in 2018 as Country Manager, where he oversaw the operations and growth of the business in Canada, focused on bringing new treatments to the market for unmet medical needs, including ALS. He has more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining MTP-CA he held progressively senior roles within the pharmaceutical industry, with extensive experience in sales, sales management, market access, marketing management and senior leadership.

"During my time as President of MTP-CA, the Canadian team achieved a number of important milestones, including the launch of RADICAVA (edaravone) in 2018 and RADICAVA (edaravone) Oral Suspension in 2022, while establishing strong relationships within the ALS community," said Andy Fujimoto, former President of MTP-CA. "I am thrilled with the appointment of Andy Zylak to the role of President, MTP-CA. Throughout his time with the company, Andy has demonstrated an outstanding capacity for strategic thinking and community building, and we are confident that MTP-CA will see continued growth and progress under his leadership."

MTPA will continue as the parent company of MTP-CA, with both companies remaining dedicated to improving the treatment landscape and creating hope for those living with debilitating diseases.

About RADICAVA and RADICAVA Oral Suspension (edaravone)

RADICAVA IV and RADICAVA Oral Suspension are indicated for the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) through an iterative clinical development platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. RADICAVA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May of 2017. Marketing authorization for RADICAVA IV Infusion was granted in Canada (October 2018), Switzerland (January 2019), Indonesia (July 2020), Thailand (April 2021), and Malaysia (December 2021).

RADICAVA ORS (edaravone) was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2022. RADICAVA Oral Suspension (edaravone) was authorized by Health Canada in November 2022.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc.

Based in Toronto, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc. (MTP-CA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) with a goal to provide therapies for some of the most difficult-to-treat diseases, including ALS. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-ca.com.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC). It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada, Inc.

3 april 2023 at 11:00

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World Trade Centers Association and World Trade Center Accra to Showcase Business Opportunities in Africa at the 53rd Annual WTCA General Assembly





WTCA's pan-African GA will focus on Africa as a strategic economic market contributing much needed critical infrastructure of interconnected business networks

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ -- The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) ? an international trade organization connecting more than 300 World Trade Center (WTC) locations in nearly 100 countries ? and World Trade Center Accra will host the 53rd annual WTCA General Assembly (GA) in Accra, Ghana from April 23-28. This will be the WTCA's first in-person GA since 2019 and the first to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The WTCA GA is the association's premier annual event and will bring together WTCA members and their global business networks consisting of leaders from business, government, academia, media and international organizations, reflecting the WTCA's diverse global footprint.

This year, the GA will include engaging roundtables and conversations, including keynote remarks from H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, and special remarks from H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat on Monday, April 24. The full program agenda is available here.

"Macro trends in four key sectors ? automotive; agriculture and agro-processing; pharmaceuticals; and transport and logistics ? and across Africa's growth potential as a whole reveal tremendous opportunities for business expansion as population, income and connectivity are on the rise. The AfCFTA will unlock these opportunities, but not without disruption and change in business and production dynamics, especially due to increased intra-African trade," said H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat in the January 2023 World Economic Forum Insight Report AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa. "The benefits to African countries and to business success under the free trade area arise from the private sector understanding, recognizing and acting on the initiative's value."

"This GA and the opportunities it creates for businesses to network and connect, will highlight the unique trade and investment potential presented by Africa as the world's next economic frontier, especially in light of the new AfCFTA," said Edem Kofi Yevutsey, Executive Director of WTC Accra. "We have been working closely with the WTCA team in New York to bring the global WTCA network to Africa. We look forward to welcoming delegates worldwide to our vibrant country to take advantage of the growth opportunities across the continent."

With the theme of "Towards African Economic Integration and Enhanced Global Presence," the 2023 GA demonstrates the strength of the WTCA network and focuses on business connections on the African continent with buyers, sellers and investors in the various sectors, such as Agriculture; Agro-Tech, Food Processing; Manufacturing; Mining, Power and Energy; and Water, among others. The African continent represents a GDP of USD $12.7 trillion and its 1.4 billion people represent the fastest-growing population on the planet. It is also among the youngest, with 15.7 being the median age, and its young population is poised to make its mark economically and geopolitically.

"Africa has long been viewed as a strategic economic market for growth for countries around the world, and was, therefore, a key focus for the WTCA and its members. The time is right for this year's GA to be held in Africa and our first in-person GA since the COVID-19 pandemic," said John E. Drew, Chair, Board of Directors of the WTCA. "In my 30+ years of experience in organizing trade delegations with the WTCA, I trust that this year's GA will be a great success bringing opportunities to Africa and strengthening the WTCA's overall mission. The WTCA GA is about setting up critical infrastructures to promote global trade ? creating connections and maximizing business growth and economies, and for this reason the event is open to both WTC members as well as non-members. Attendees will network with fellow professionals from around the world, exchange ideas, and explore potential business opportunities during the event's networking sessions."

For more information about the 2023 WTCA General Assembly, please visit https://wtca.swoogo.com/2023wtcaga/2289118. Also, follow along on social media via #WTCAGeneralAssembly and #GA2023.

MEDIA CONTACT:

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

Chanelle Kasik

Phone: +1 212 432 2644

Email: [email protected]

Violet PR

David Margolis

Phone: +1 917 331 4855

Email: [email protected]

About World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 300 highly connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in 92 countries. As the owner of the "World Trade Center" and "WTC" trademarks, the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned, iconic properties, facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its Members, the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more, visit www.wtca.org.

About World Trade Center (WTC) Accra

WTC Accra, currently located on the first floor of the magnificent World Trade Center building in Accra, is a doorway to a world of global trade opportunities for companies in Ghana and the West African sub-region, as well as a soft-landing pad for international commercial interests seeking to take advantage of exciting opportunities in Africa. We connect people, products and ideas from around the globe through our year-round calendar of international trade fairs, blockbuster consumer shows and prestigious international conferences, which are complemented by our innovative free zone and award-winning real estate developments. As the region's largest purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions, we provide a platform for unparalleled business and networking opportunities. More details on WTC Accra can be found on their website, http://www.wtcaccra.com.

SOURCE World Trade Centers Association

3 april 2023 at 11:21

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HEADLINE: The Inner Circle Acknowledges, Ivy Chang as a Most Trusted Business Professional for her contributions to the field of Public Relations





MINNETONKA, Minn., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Ivy Chang is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Business Professional for her contributions to the field of Public Relations.

Ms. Chang earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Minnesota in 1970. She began her career as an Editorial Assistant with Burlington Northern Inc. (now known as BNSF Railway Company). She accepted a position as Editor and Senior Writer for 3M Company in 1978 where she produced a monthly newsletter and participated in numerous public relations events for the St. Paul-based company. She accepted a job as Manager of Employee Communications at International Multifoods, Minneapolis in 1979. Ms. Chang served as a Communications Specialist with the St. Paul Public Schools from 1980 to 1991 and handled media relations, internal and external communications, and public affairs for the school district.

Ms. Chang was born in Beijing, China from where she and her father's family fled in 1949 to follow Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist party, to Taiwan. Her grandfather served in political positions under Chiang Kai-shek. Ms. Chang and her mother remained in Taiwan with her father's extended family. They could not enter the U.S. because the U.S. Congress did not allow families of students to enter the U.S. Her father was studying at the University of Minnesota and received a Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry. After being separated from her father for seven years, Ms. Chang and her mother moved to the United States in 1955 to reunite with her father in Minnesota.

According to Ms. Change, when she began school in the U.S., she couldn't speak English. In the 1950s, schools did not offer English-as-a-Second-Language programs, but she was determined to learn the language of her new country and went on to excel in school.

Ms. Chang opened her public relations firm after two decades in public relations. She founded PR International in 1992 and began managing public relations and communications projects for small businesses and gradually increased the number of clients. In addition to providing written materials, Ms. Chang also managed events for her PR clients. She downsized her PR company when she was offered a position as Managing Editor of Reed Business Information's Construction Bulletin weekly magazine, covering commercial construction projects across Minnesota and the Dakotas. Her in-depth coverage of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis and its rebuilding resulted in an honorable mention award from the Construction Writers of America.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle

3 april 2023 at 13:10

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MCF Energy Closes Genexco Acquisition for Major Expansion in German Natural Gas Exploration





VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - MCF Energy Ltd. (TSXV: MCF) (FRA: DC6) (OTCQX: MCFNF) ("MCF Energy" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed its acquisition ("Acquisition"), previously announced on February 22, 2023, of German oil and gas interests through its purchase of all of the outstanding shares of Genexco GmbH, a private German oil and gas company. The Acquisition positions MCF Energy as a future leader in natural gas exploration in Germany, with 100% ownership and operatorship of its projects, and an expert in-country team.

Highlights:

MCF Energy gains 100% ownership of four licences at German natural gas exploration and development projects

Portfolio to begin drill testing in the second half of 2023

Proprietary database for 10 additional project areas

Significant projects are under application with Acquisition consideration tied to their success

Establishes MCF Energy as an active operating company in Germany with expert local team

with expert local team Actively targeting additional large-scale acquisitions throughout Europe

The Acquisition of Genexco and its 20% participation in Genexco Gas GmbH has brought MCF Energy a substantial portfolio of assets and a clear pathway for growth in Germany's natural gas sector. The Company has secured licences for four large-scale project areas in Northern and Southern German, including Reudnitz, a confirmed gas discovery situated in a rural area southeast of Berlin. Previously, MCF Energy was earning a non-operating 50% economic interest in the Reudnitz licence, but with the Acquisition, the Company has gained full ownership and operatorship of the licence, providing greater control and flexibility over the project's development.

Additionally, the Acquisition provides MCF Energy with a valuable proprietary database that includes geological, seismic, and well data for 10 additional project areas. MCF Energy has utilised this data to submit applications for multiple project areas, which have the potential to significantly increase the Company's footprint in the German natural gas sector. The successful approval of these applications is tied to partial consideration of the Acquisition. Management anticipates receiving updates on the status of these applications shortly with more awards expected in 2023.

A 20% interest in an additional German oil and gas exploration licence held by Genexco Gas GmbH has also been acquired by MCF Energy through the Acquisition. This presents an exciting opportunity for the Company as a well is planned to be drilled in the second half of 2023. Prior drilling at an adjacent site tested quantities of natural gas that would be commercial at current prices. MCF Energy's 20% interest in the first well is carried (i.e., does not bear the costs of drilling) up to EUR5,000,000.

Senior leaders of Genexco have agreed to join MCF Energy in a consulting capacity, bringing their valuable in-house German operating expertise, in addition to becoming significant shareholders in the Company. These include:

Peter Eckhard Oehms , a geologist and project manager with over 40 years of experience, including previously from 1998 to 2008 at Wintershall, Germany's largest crude oil and natural gas producer, including as managing director in its core asset Norway;

, a geologist and project manager with over 40 years of experience, including previously from 1998 to 2008 at Wintershall, largest crude oil and natural gas producer, including as managing director in its core asset Norway; Frank Steinich , a drilling and operations specialist with over 35 years of experience, including work at ITAG, Central European Petroleum, and Rhein Petroleum;

, a drilling and operations specialist with over 35 years of experience, including work at ITAG, Central European Petroleum, and Rhein Petroleum; Matthew Keith , an oil and gas professional with over 35 years of experience, including work at Cairn, Bowleven, and IPC (Lundin). He specialises in exploration, appraisal, well-design, planning, development, and HPHT operations;

, an oil and gas professional with over 35 years of experience, including work at Cairn, Bowleven, and IPC (Lundin). He specialises in exploration, appraisal, well-design, planning, development, and HPHT operations; Jurgen Milinski, a legal professional with over 35 years of experience in the energy sector. He was a portfolio manager at Gazprom in the Netherlands and previously supported Engie ( Gaz de France ) operations in the German and Caspian regions; and

and previously supported Engie ( ) operations in the German and regions; and Jan Paul Van Driel , a former head of economics and planning at Shell UK. He brings broad experience in corporate strategy, joint ventures and asset development to MCF Energy.

James Hill, CEO and Director of MCF Energy, added, "We are privileged to have the senior leadership team of Genexco join us in our mission. Their wealth of knowledge and experience in Germany's energy sector will be instrumental in advancing our goals. The successful closure of the Genexco Acquisition is a major step for MCF Energy and positions us to make a positive impact on Germany's energy needs and provide a secure and sustainable energy path for Germany and the broader region. We will move quickly to unlock the potential of the impressive portfolio that Genexco has painstakingly assembled."

Peter Eckhard Oehms, co-founder of Genexco and incoming MCF Energy managing director for Germany, stated, "MCF Energy presents a perfect fit for Genexco to quickly advance and maximise the potential of our project portfolio at this crucial time for Germany's energy security. Our team is dedicated to providing leadership, continuity, and management to ensure the smooth operation of MCF Energy's German projects. We express our gratitude to all those who played a part in Genexco's success over the past nine years and anticipate achieving even more milestones with MCF Energy in the immediate future."

At Closing, the Company paid EUR1,250,000.00 in cash and issued a total of 11,067,750 common shares to the shareholders of Genexco in connection with the Acquisition. A total of 4,919,000 additional common shares are available for issuance, and a total of EUR 3,250,000 in cash is due. Of this amount, EUR 2,250,000 is contingent upon Genexco achieving a number of predetermined milestones before October 1, 2024, including obtaining a number of licences, net of final working capital adjustments. The shares have a limited trading right, which expires in three equal instalments four, eight, and twelve months after closing. A success fee of EUR 220,000 was paid in connection with the Acquisition.

Concurrently with closing of the Acquisition, the Company issued 24,799,000 common shares on conversion of the subscription receipts that were previously pursuant to the concurrent financing. See the Company's news release dated March 27, 2023, for details of the financing.

The Company is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Digitonic Limited ("Digitonic") to provide marketing and investor relations services. Digitonic, an investor relations firm based in Glasgow, Scotland, will provide content creation, distribution, and advertising services focused on the North American market. Under the terms of the agreement, dated March 7, 2023, Digitonic has agreed to provide investor relations and marketing services beginning March 27, 2023 to the Company in exchange for an aggregate amount of two hundred and sixty thousand US dollars for a three month term. Digitonic brings a best-in-class marketing platform to MCF Energy as it looks to tell its story after successfully raising over $20 million Canadian dollars, closing the transformational Genexco Acquisition, and acquiring a 20% stake in the Welchau well in Austria, where drilling preparations are currently underway, already in 2023.

The Company has also been advised that Mr. Frank Giustra directly acquired 1,400,000 common shares in connection with the financing which closed March 17, 2023. Mr. Giustra beneficially owns approximately 20,817,000 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 9.46% of the outstanding common shares of the Company. As a result of dilution due to the shares issued pursuant to the financing and Acquisition, Mr. Giustra is no longer deemed a 10% holder and will not be required to complete any further early warning filings. Mr. Giustra has filed a Report on SEDAR pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 (Early Warning Report) as required to terminate his filing requirements. A copy of the Report can be obtained from SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

About MCF Energy

MCF Energy was established in 2022 by leading energy executives to strengthen Europe's energy security through responsible exploration and development of natural gas resources within the region. It has secured interests in two significant natural gas exploration projects in Austria and Germany and is evaluating additional opportunities. The Company's leaders have extensive experience in the European energy sector and are working to develop a cleaner, cheaper, and more secure natural gas industry as a transition to renewable energy sources. MCF is a publicly-traded company (TSX.V: MCF; FRA: DC6; OTCQX: MCFNF) and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. For further information, please visit: www.mcfenergy.com .

Additional information on the Company and the Transaction is available at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

Cautionary Statements:

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-Looking Information

Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. The information in this news release about the completion of the proposed transaction and financing described herein, and other forward-looking information includes but is not limited to information concerning the intentions, plans and future actions of the parties to the transactions described herein and the terms of such transaction. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, risks related to the Company's inability to perform the proposed transactions.

The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about the Company's ability to complete the planned transaction and activities. The Company has also assumed that no significant events will occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

SOURCE MCF Energy Ltd.

3 april 2023 at 14:18

News published onand distributed by:
Shaka's Head Reservoir in KwaZulu Natal Specifies PENETRON ADMIX to Maximize Concrete Durability





The new Shaka's Head Reservoir in Ballito (KwaZulu Natal), South Africa, was completed in August 2022. The Penetron System was specified to ensure a durable ? and waterproof ? concrete structure.

EAST SETAUKET, N.Y., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The new Shaka's Head Reservoir in Ballito (KwaZulu Natal), South Africa, was completed in August 2022. The Penetron System was specified to ensure a durable ? and waterproof ? concrete structure.

Situated on the KwaZulu Natal coast north of Durban, Ballito is a popular vacation destination best known for the bottlenose dolphins that frequent the coastline. With easy access to highways and an international airport, Ballito has grown significantly in recent years. The population of the nine municipal wards that make up the Greater Ballito area is currently over 75,000 and continues to grow rapidly.

"The new Shaka's Head Reservoir was constructed to accommodate the continued rapid growth of the Ballito municipal area along the north coast of the KwaZulu Natal province," explains Jonathan Whitehead, Technical Engineering Support at Penetron Africa.

Located in the hills of the North Coast region northwest of Ballito, the construction of the new concrete dam for the Shaka's Head Reservoir created a 1.5-million-liter (less than 400,000-gallons) capacity source of drinking water for the burgeoning region.

Faced with a number of post-construction issues, R & B Civil, the project's general contractor, asked Penetron Africa for a durable concrete waterproofing solution. Inkunzi, the ready-mix concrete supplier, delivered PENETRON ADMIX-treated concrete slurry, which was topically applied to the reservoir's concrete structure to repair ferrule holes, cracks and any further defects in the concrete.

Once added to the slurry mix, PENETRON ADMIX, an integral crystalline waterproofing admixture, penetrates into the underlying concrete to create a non-soluble crystalline formation throughout the pores and capillary tracts of the concrete matrix. This enhances the durability and service life of concrete, and will also minimize any future waterproofing related maintenance costs for Siza Water, the reservoir's owner and operator.

"This was a straightforward project for Penetron. The builder needed to quickly and permanently take care of a number of concrete placement defects ? a result of the hot weather ? to ensure the concrete structure was impermeable," adds Jonathan Whitehead. "Thanks to our experience and success with a number of similar projects across Africa and beyond, the contractor was very happy with the results."

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives, and distribution channels.

For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com, or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.

Media Contact

Corporate Relations, The Penetron Group, 6319419700, [email protected]

SOURCE The Penetron Group

3 april 2023 at 17:00

News published onand distributed by:
Leader of the National Coalition Party Petteri Orpo, at the announcement of his victory in the Finnish parliamentary elections, Helsinki, April 2, 2023. ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO / AFP

There will be no second term for Social Democrat Sanna Marin, who had led a center-left coalition government in Finland since December 2019. On Sunday, April 2, the conservative National Coalition Party won the elections with 20.8% of the vote and 48 seats in parliament, ahead of the nationalist Finns Party, which won 20.1% (46 seats). The Social Democrats came third with 19.9% (43 seats).

The leader of the National Coalition Party, Petteri Orpo, will therefore succeed Marin and form the next government. Leader of the NCP since 2016, he briefly served as agriculture minister and later interior minister in the government led by centrist Juha Sipila, and then as finance minister from 2017 to 2019, implementing a severe austerity policy.

A somewhat lackluster politician with no international profile, Orpo contrasts with the current leader of the Social Democrats. At the end of a campaign dominated by the economy  and public debt in particular, which he promised to reduce by cutting social spending  his party recorded the biggest increase (+3.6 points) and won eight new seats in parliament.

'Restoring confidence'

"I have one priority and that is the economy," he said on Sunday evening, promising to "fix Finland." Orpo also noted the polarization of the debates during the campaign, and insisted that he wanted to "restore confidence" between the parties and "form a government with a strong majority." This will be a difficult task.

According to observers of Finnish political life interviewed on the Yle channel on Sunday evening, Orpo will likely try to form a coalition first with the Finns Party. Founded in 1995, the nationalist party has achieved the best result in its history, thanks to an active campaign on social media. It has benefited above all from the popularity of its leader since 2021, 45-year-old Riikka Purra.

The conservatives have already governed with the Finns Party between 2015 and 2019. However, the nationalist party is not the same as it was then. In 2017, its radical fringe took power, causing the party to split. Its leaders, including founder Timo Soini, who was in the government at the time, turned their back to create a new party, Blue Reform, which has now vanished from the political landscape.

Need for a third ally

Since then, under the leadership of the mercurial Jussi Halla-Aho  who has been convicted of inciting racial hatred  and now Purra, the party has become more radical, while taking a turn to the right on economic issues. During Soini's time, the party was "very close to the Social Democrats on economic and social issues, but now it is much closer to the conservatives," noted politician Goran Djupsund, who is surprised by this, because the party's

voters "are likely to pay the highest price for the major budget cuts announced."

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Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on March 18, 2023. LOGAN CYRUS / AFP

Asa Hutchinson , who recently completed two terms as Arkansas governor, said Sunday, April 3, he will seek the Republican presidential nomination, positioning himself as an alternative to Donald Trump just days after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in New York. Hutchinson said Trump should drop out of the race, arguing "the office is more important than any individual person."

Hutchinson, who announced his candidacy on ABC's "This Week," said he was running because "I believe that I am the right time for America, the right candidate for our country and its future." He added: "I'm convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America and not simply appeal to our worst instincts."

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He is the first Republican to enter the race since Trump became the only former US president to ever face criminal charges. Hutchinson's candidacy will test the GOP's appetite for those who speak out against Trump. Others who have criticized Trump, including former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have opted against a campaign, sensing the difficulty of prevailing in a primary.

Hutchinson, in an Associated Press interview later Sunday, said it was important for voters to have an alternative leader and "not simply go by default to somebody who is really wrapped around what happened in the past." "I dont think you have to be blustery. I think you can be honest and authentic, and thats what I want to be able to offer," he said.

In a sign of Trump's continued grip on the Republican base, most in the party  even those considering challenging him for the nomination  have defended him against the New York indictment. Hutchinson, notably, had said Friday that Trump should "step aside," calling the charges a "distraction."

In addition to Trump, Hutchinson joins a Republican field that also includes former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to jump into the race in the summer, while US Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Vice President Mike Pence are among those considering bids.

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Le Monde with AP
Kerugoya  United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders have asked President William Ruto to reject any attempt by Azimio leaders to get into government through backdoor.

Led by Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, and UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, the leaders said the government will not be blackmailed into talks with opposition leader Raila Odinga.

They claimed that Odinga had devised a "clever way of getting into governments even after being defeated in polls through street protests and blackmail" saying this trick will not work this time.

They further lashed out at Narc -Kenya leader Martha Karua for supporting the Azimio demonstrations in the country saying she had lost direction and was not cautious about the safety of Kenyans and their properties.

Waiguru who is also the Council of Governors (COG) Chairperson, said Martha did not help Azimio secure votes Irvin in her home village in Kirinyaga.

The governor said there will be no Azimio demonstrations in Kirinyaga

because people are busy with development issues and are fully behind President Ruto efforts to restore the economy.

The leaders spoke during Kirinyaga UDA Party's delegates meeting at Sagana. The delegates meetings are being held across the country in readiness for grassroot elections scheduled for August.

Governor Cecily Mbarire who is also the UDA Party National Chairperson said that the Azimio demonstrations were no longer peaceful and urged President Ruto to stay put and protect Kenyans and their businesses in accordance with the constitution.

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She said Mt. Kenya region was solidly behind Kenya Kwanza government and will not be swayed by Karua to support Azimio demonstrations.

UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala asked the opposition leader to retire from politics, adding that Kenyans were tired of his "retrogressive leadership."

Malala said he had written to Registrar of political parties seeking to stop further disbursement of political parties funds to ODM until it repairs UDA party offices which have been torched by its supporters during the demonstrations.

He said that Raila and his Party must take full responsibility of the torching of UDA's Kisumu and Siaya county offices during the demonstrations.

Malala said that President Ruto won the last general elections free and fair, and asked Raila to respect the will of the people.
German Martin Schirdewan and French Manon Aubry of The Left group at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 13, 2022. ZUMA/ABACA

European reservations over military support for Ukraine are becoming more evident over a year after Russia's invasion. Among the assistance given to Ukraine, the rise of NATO, close ties with the United States, considered imperialist, and opposition to Moscow, some feel support shown so far clashes with the credo of political movements on the left, which value antimilitarism. Between political groups, and even within governments, tension is rising.

Those opposing aid to Ukraine have used arms deliveries to Kyiv and the arrest warrant issued to Putin for war crimes by the IPCC as opportunities to show disagreement. China's text on the "political settlement of the Ukraine crisis" can be "a solution," according to a coordinator of France's left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI).

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The Spanish party Podemos agrees with LFI. Red TV, the online television channel launched in early March by party founder Pablo Iglesias, devoted one of its first programs to "China's peace plan," "the most sensible initiative to achieve a cease-fire." The former head of Russia Today's Spanish channel Inna Afinogenova served as a guest commentator, and she is also associated with the new channel. According to her, articles in the Western press about Beijing's plan seemed to be "written directly by an official of the US State Department" for whom "the killing must continue" in Ukraine.

'A disgrace' according to Podemos

These positions are shared by much of Spain's ruling left-wing coalition, of which Podemos is a part of, and this has led to clashes within socialist Pedro Sanchez's government. Fiercely opposed to NATO, which they tend to portray as the main culprit in the war, the parties united under the Unidas Podemos banner have opposed all arms shipments voted on by Parliament in the past year. They have refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and have regularly criticized Sanchez's decisions regarding the war.

In October 2022, Pablo Echenique, the Podemos spokesperson in Parliament, criticized the 26% increase in military spending in the 2023 budget as "a disgrace." He said "the military fury of NATO" "stirs up" the war with increasingly "more weapons." The party also abstained in the vote on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO while the neo-communists of the United Left (IU) voted against it.

In Greece, the left-wing opposition party Syriza has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but it has also criticized military aid to Kyiv. As early as March 2022, party leader and former prime minister Alexis Tsipras called sending arms to Ukraine a "big mistake" and in parliament asked "what the benefits were" for Greece for "getting involved in the war." The decision to send forty BMP-1 previously tanks stationed on Greece's islands was particularly criticized because it risked weakening the country militarily, facing recurrent provocations in the air and at sea from Turkey.

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(From left) Portuguese Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education Elvira Fortunato; Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa; Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez; and Spanish Minister of Universities Joan Subirats Humet attend a signing of agreements at Los Jameos del Agua on March 15, 2023, on the second day of the 34th Spain-Portugal summit held on the Spanish Canary island of Lanzarote. DESIREE MARTIN / AFP

Spain and Portugal have decided to act on the saying that there is strength in numbers. Never have relations between the two neighbors  separated by Europe's oldest border, the Raya, and by a tumultuous history that has long nurtured mutual distrust  been so good and fruitful. In the spring of 2022, they obtained the recognition by Brussels of an Iberian Exception that allowed them to detach energy prices from gas in June. This lowered their bills considerably, as they formed an energy island with little connection to the rest of Europe.

In the fall, they negotiated with Paris to build a new infrastructure project called H2Med, capable of transporting green hydrogen between the Iberian Peninsula and France. As Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on March 15 during a meeting in Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands, with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, "[H2Med] will place the Iberian nations at the forefront of the renewable hydrogen sector, contributing to the fight against climate change and clean energy leadership." The two men reiterated their ambition to make the peninsula a green energy hub.

Barely four months after a previous summit in Portugal in November 2022, the two socialist leaders chose to move up their annual meeting, before Spain holds its local elections in May and then assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in July. They did not want to risk missing this key event in Iberian relations. Accompanied by some 20 ministers, they signed a dozen new agreements deepening relations between the two countries in the fields of education, vocational training, infrastructure and culture. They also refined the common stance they will take during the Spanish presidency of the EU, particularly regarding the migration pact, new tax rules, the energy market reform and new trade agreements to be signed with Mexico, Chile and Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay).

A honeymoon

The location chosen for this new summit, the island of Lanzarote, was symbolic in several ways. The theme of the meeting, "Spain and Portugal: Europe in the Atlantic," referred as much to the archipelagos that both countries have in the Atlantic  Madeira and the Azores for Portugal, the Canary Islands for Spain  as to the historical ties that the two former colonial powers have maintained with the Latin American continent. They believe this would make them the natural gateway for the continent's investments in the European market.

Moreover, Lanzarote was the last home of Portuguese Literature Nobel Prize laureate Jose Saramago (1922-2010), who was a great promoter of the idea of an Iberian confederation uniting the two countries politically, territorially and administratively. The idea was taken up in 2020 by the independent mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira, who defended a kind of "Iberolux" on the model of Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg). "Spain and Portugal should have a coordinated strategy, after many years of conflict and mistrust," he said.

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Technological disruptions, geopolitical tensions, increasing competition, accelerating impact of climate change  these are but some of the many challenges that a business leader faces today. In a bid to prepare new and aspiring Indian CEOs to drive all-round growth of their companies, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow), a top business school ranking 6th in the Ministry of Educations NIRF 2022 rankings, along with Emeritus, a global pioneer in offering accessible and affordable high-quality education to individuals and organisations, announced the launch of their Chief Executive Officer Programme.



The 10-month programme includes live-online sessions and a campus chapter at the sprawling IIM Lucknow campus. It has been designed for experienced professionals with a minimum of 10 years of work experience who want to propel their career to the next level and are aspiring to become a CEO who can showcase purposeful leadership, as well as for those leaders are new to the CEO role and are keen to take their organisation to the next level by pushing through innovation initiatives.



With the Indian economy alone expected to contribute 15% of the global growth in 2023, as per the International Monetary Fund, there is a lot riding on Indian CEOs to drive this growth. Through live online lectures with IIM Lucknow faculty and industry practitioners, peer-to-peer learning, business simulations and a capstone project, the programme is designed to empower leaders to confidently build organisational culture of innovation, strategically think and lead with agility in the world of digital transformation.



The programme will help new and experienced business leaders strengthen cross-functional integration and collaboration, create value through portfolio diversification and global expansion, develop personal resilience and effectiveness for leadership excellence, lead change management, enhance strategic thinking, master the art of data-based decision making and steer towards sustainability in the world of digital. Among the modern concepts that the programme will delve into are global dynamics, economic outlook and emerging markets dynamics and opportunities.



To provide participants with holistic insights into running a successful business, the programmes modules have been curated on the pillars of functional excellence (strategic finance, marketing strategies and positioning, operational excellence, people management), strategy and innovation (economic outlook, sustainability and innovation, strategic management), as well as leadership and digital (organisational design and structure, effective leadership, capturing data and tech-enabled opportunities).



Announcing the roll out of the programme, Mr. Mohan Kannegal, CEO, India and APAC, Emeritus, said, In todays rapidly evolving business landscape, continuous learning is critical for all leaders to stay ahead and for businesses to relevant. Through this Chief Executive Officer Programme, CEOs can equip themselves with the latest skills and strategies needed to succeed in their roles and be empowered to drive innovation, build stronger teams and achieve sustainable growth. Through our partnership with the leading B-School IIM Lucknow, we are confident that CEOs will have a transformative learning experience. We are delighted to contribute to the India growth story through successful CEOs, while achieving Emerituss mission of making high-quality education accessible and affordable to all."



The Chief Executive Officer Programme starts on June 30, 2023, with the application deadline being April 27, 2023.



About IIM Lucknow



The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, is one of the premier national level institutes of management in India, involved in generating and imparting knowledge in the field of management. IIM Lucknow stands tall on the foundation of an excellent, committed and profoundly knowledgeable faculty, innovative and unique pedagogical tools and an eclectic and diverse student community that has a burning desire to make new paths of its own. The Association of MBAs (AMBA) has accorded accreditation to the Institute's PGPM, IPMX, and PGPWE programmes. IIM Lucknow is amongst the five B-Schools in India to achieve the coveted dual accreditations by the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) as well as the Association of MBAs (AMBA). World over, only about 5% of the institutes have acquired AACSBs accreditation. IIM Lucknow is now ranked 79th globally in its maiden entry into the prestigious Financial Times (FT) 100 List of Global Business Schools for its flagship PGP (MBA) Programme. The Institute scored high on student employability, career progression and research.



About Emeritus



Emeritus Executive Education offers customised and open programmes in India, Singapore, Dubai and other global locations in collaboration with IIM Lucknow Executive Education, IIM Calcutta Executive Education, ISB Executive Education, Harvard Business School (HBS), MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School, Kellogg Executive Education, Berkeley Executive Education, and Wharton Executive Education, amongst other leading Institutes. Our world-class executive education programmes, supported by eminent programme experts, provide an immersive learning experience integrated with actionable insights and practical business applications. The meticulously curated programmes are delivered in a different range of formats; in-class, online, as well as blended programmes. Our extensive portfolio also includes short 2-4 day in-class workshops, online courses of 2-3 months duration as well as comprehensive learning journeys that run over 6-9 months, customised to an organisations requirement. The Emeritus Group has more than 1,750 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. Following its $650 million Series E funding round in August 2021, the company is valued at $3.2 billion, and is backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Bertelsmann, Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. Learn more at emeritus.org/in

Media Contact Details

Vasudha Rao, Adfactors PR, vasudha.rao@adfactorspr.com, +91-9820347118

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National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), a central public enterprise has bagged an order to the tune of 488.02 crore from the Department of Border Management. The department, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs has tasked NBCC with the construction of a border and road with a length of 88.58 Kms.

The border and road will be constructed between BP No. 2350 to BP. No. 2364 in the state of Mizoram along Inda Bangladesh Border (IBB).

The timeframe for the completion of the project is yet to be decided.

The fresh project came as recently the CPSE signed an MoU to cooperate in the construction of 1,00,000 housing units in Zambia. NBCC will work with Scirocco Enterprises Ltd of Zambia for the construction of 1 lakh low and medium-cost houses to mitigate an acute shortage of housing in that country, the company said in a statement.

NBCC is the same state-owned construction company working on the stalled Amrapali corporate Hub at IMT Manesar in Gurugram, Haryana.

The filing read that NBCC has got another order of 229.18 crore for "special repair and up-gradation works of civil, electrical, mechanical and plumbing along with all allied works required due to lack of comprehensive maintenance of Amrapali Projects at Noida & Greater Noida".

Pawan Kumar Gupta of NBCC India told news platform CNBC-TV18 that the companys Amrapali project was proceeding well and the company would get business worth 7,000-8,000 crore for these projects.

NBCC shares closed marginally higher by 0.25 percent at 35.70 on BSE.
SBM Bank India, the wholly-owned subsidiary of foreign lender State Bank of Mauritius (SBM), has blocked the corporate credit cards it offered in partnership with several fintech players in India following a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) diktat to update their 'know your customer' (KYC) details, multiple people privy to the development told VCCircle.

Several credit card holders complained of receiving the email from the bank just few days prior and some receiving it merely hours before the cards were blocked for use from midnight of 31 March.

On March 31 morning 8.07 am I got the email from SBM Bank stating that We would like to bring to your kind attention that your Kodo SBM Corporate Card will be on hold, temporarily, with effect from the midnight of 31st March 2023, for want of reKYC. None of their customer service numbers or emails responded after that. It is shocking that they would suddenly just block our cards without prior notice," said a fintech executive who runs a debt lending platform.

Another executive said this is the primary card being used by thousands of startups and fintech clients who may face difficulties in doing transactions: There is no substitute as large banks do not serve startups with credit cards."

The impact is across all major fintechs with credit card offerings in partnership with SBM India, such as M2P, RazorPay, KODO, Karbon, EnKash whose customers cards were blocked in a sudden move. Most of these fintechs counts venture capital and other private investors.

A majority of the 10 lakh credit cards issued by SBM Bank have been blocked. As on February 28, SBMs total credit card outstanding stood at 10.33 lakh, RBI data showed.

Some cardholders also complained that none of their customer care services responded till over the weekend and had suffered failure of transactions which were linked to the cards.

After receiving no response from the bank, Suraj Dhirwani, a doctor and healthcare consultant, posted on Twitter, "No prior mails. No communication. Email at 21:05 saying the corporate cards will be 'on hold' from midnight."

Speaking to VCCircle, Dhirwani said, Three hours is no time to give a deadline. I bought the card through RazorPay just six months ago, I dont understand why the re-KYC was required in just a short time. This seems unethical and I strongly suspect SBM does not have systems in place."

RazorPay declined to comment. An email sent to RBI did not elicit a response immediately.

For now, the fintech partners and SBM have informed their customers to do the re-KYC to avoid facing blockages.

Two of the fintech players impacted by the move spoke to VCCircle to say they too have been left clueless with SBMs sudden decision.

"The fact that they did it in such a short time shows there could be something the regulator would have wanted on an urgent basis. Till we get a communication from the bank on the reasons, we have asked all our corporate credit card customers to update their KYC. The bank has asked us to inform customers on updating KYC, thats it," said one of the fintech players.

At SBM Bank India, meeting regulatory requirements is a top priority. This includes a sustained focus on conducting periodic checks and monitoring at the client level, both during onboarding and throughout their lifecycle," according to a SBM bank spokesperson, who claimed that prior notice was given to the customers.

The Bank has taken decisions for re-KYC on some corporate credit card accounts in line with our commitment to maintaining the most compliant environment, the spokesperson further said.

SBM Bank (India) Ltd is a step-down subsidiary of SBM Holdings Ltd, a listed entity in the Mauritius Stock exchange, promoted by the government of Mauritius.

In January this year, SBM Bank came under regulatory scrutiny as RBI banned the lender from processing any foreign exchange remittances abroad under the so-called Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) till further orders.

Last year, it had also instructed fintech partners to stop onboarding new customers after an RBI order related to pre-paid instruments.

SBM had become a go-to bank for fintechs and had tied up with more than 44 firms.

According to one of the industry executives who didnt wish to be named, SBM has been in the crosshairs of RBI for some time now and banned from all LRS transactions as they were sending US dollars out for crypto trading. A larger problem seems to be at play and instead of fixing their processes they just shut all the cards under regulatory pressure."
NEW DELHI : State-owned SJVN on Monday informed that it has successfully achieved its ambitious capital expenditure (capex) target for fiscal year 2022-23.

With Rs. 8,240 crore, the company has surpassed the target of Rs. 8,000 crore assigned by Ministry of Power," it said in a statement.

SJVN Chairman & Managing Director Nand Lal Sharma in a statement that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Power Minister R. K Singh, SJVN has achieved this target to contribute in economic and infrastructural growth of the nation.

He apprised that the capex target of 8,000 crore was the third highest amongst power CPSEs for FY 2022-23. The year-over-year growth is 58% as compared to the previous fiscal year.

In the last six years, the company has experienced a 65% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR).

The hydro projects being implemented in India and abroad have registered an expenditure jump of 30 per cent from last financial year.

Sharma further said that the renewable projects of the company have witnessed a massive surge of 548% in capex as compared to FY 2021-22. Riding high on this achievement, the company is now set to achieve the gigantic capex target of 10,000 crore for FY 2023-24," he added.

SJVN has continued its exemplary performance in power generation and has achieved 9335 million units from all its power stations in FY 2022-23 surpassing the previous years generation.

Also, 1500 NJHPS has achieved its all-time high Plant Availability factor of 106.653 per cent since commissioning.

Currently, SJVN has project portfolio of 46,879 MW with 74 projects in various stages of development and is marching ahead to achieve its shared vision of 5000 MW by 2023-24, 25,000 MW by 2030 & 50,000 MW capacity by 2040.
New Delhi: Britannia Bel Foods Private Ltd, the dairy joint venture of homegrown packaged foods company Britannia Industries, on Monday announced the appointment of Mustufa Arsiwalla as the chief marketing officer of the company.

Britannia Bel Foods is a joint venture between Britannia Industries and Bel SA, a French dairy player, to develop, manufacture and sell cheese products in India and some other countries. In India, the company sells The Laughing Cow brand of cheese. Britannia Industries holds a 51% stake in the joint venture, while Bel Group holds 49%. The JV is set to accelerate Britannia and Bels play in the branded cheese market in India.

Arsiwalla was erstwhile marketing group manager of Bel Groupe.

He will lead the companys marketing function, including portfolio and brand strategy, activation and Integrated communication, and innovation, Britannia Bel Foods said in a statement on Monday.

Arsiwalla comes with over 17 years of experience, having worked across categories such as foods, personal care, and over-the-counter products. He has worked in the packed consumer goods industry with brands such as Frooti, Ferrero Rocher, and Kinder Joy. Over the last 3.5 years, Mustufa has had an incredible opportunity to be part of the phenomenal growth story and work with the Bel India and global team to build The Laughing Cow business and brand in India," the company said announcing his appointment.

Bel sells cheese under brands such as The Laughing Cow, Boursin and Kiri etc. Bel produces more than thirty local and international brands that are sold in more than 130 countries around the globe. For Britannia the joint venture will help it become a total foods company and expand its presence beyond the core biscuit category.
Nairobi  President William Ruto on Sunday opened the door for engagements with Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Leader Raila Odinga in what signaled a major step for a possible truce between the two leaders.

President Ruto addressed the nation at State House, Nairobi, and suggested that he was ready and willing to engage with Odinga on the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) through a bipartisan approach via Parliament.

Consequently, President Ruto asked Odinga to call off the planned anti-government protest scheduled for Monday.

I have carefully listened to the issues raised by my friend Raila Odinga. In times like this, it is not about who is right or who is wrong. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak but it is also what it takes to sit down and listen, he said.

Odinga has been pushing for the re-constitution of the Commission, insisting that President Rutos administration must prioritize the electoral reforms agenda.

The President subsequently exuded confidence that a bipartisan approach through the Parliamentary route would yield significant results in ending the impasse.

When we engage in a bipartisan approach it is not a game of numbers it is a game of reason and how we put our arguments in a manner that carries not one side but all sides that is the essence of a bipartisan approach, he said.

He decried that Azimios protests were detrimental to Kenyas progress, especially on the economic front.

The countrys economy has been hard hit, at a time when my administration is doing everything possible to salvage the economy from the deep hole it was in, he said.

He however asserted that the seven-member panel that is overseeing the recruitment of the new commissioners was a creation of the law.
New Delhi: Indian exporters have sought a transition period of at least three months for the new foreign trade policy, arguing this will allow them to settle their existing contracts under the previous policy.

The government on Friday released the new foreign trade policy (FTP) after extending the previous five-year policy for 2015-2020 as many as four times amid pandemic-induced restrictions and subsequent global uncertainty. The last extension was granted in September 2022 until 31 March 2023.

We need the old foreign trade policy to continue for at least three to four months so that existing contracts can be executed factoring the prevailing benefits. It is a problem for us," Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president A Sakthivel said.

FIEO has requested the government that a 3-6 months transition period may be provided, whenever a major change is notified in the Foreign Trade Policy," he added.

As per an official document, the new FTP incorporating provisions relating to export and import of goods and services, shall come into force with effect from 1 April 2023", and shall continue to be in operation unless otherwise specified or amended.

All exports and imports made up to 31 March 2023 shall, accordingly, be governed by the relevant FTP, unless otherwise specified," the government stated.

Generally, it takes three to six months for the execution of a contract, explained Ajay Sahai, director general and chief executive of FIEO.

Existing orders should not be affected and because the new policy has no end date, there is a bit of apprehension. So, we have asked for a transition period. Generally, it takes three to six months for execution of current contracts and tomorrow, if it is withdrawn, it could pose problems," Sahai explained.

Breaking from convention, the government launched the trade policy without an end date, keeping room for revisions to better respond to heightened global economic volatility that has dragged down global growth estimates.

However, Sahai added that the new policy may give better incentives.

Notably, the new foreign trade policy has addressed the problems faced by exporters while dealing with sanctioned countries such as Iran. This comes after exporters, especially of tea, were unable to make up for a shortfall in Sri Lankan tea supplies to Iran following the economic crisis in the island nation.

Export proceeds realized in Indian rupees against exports to Iran are permitted to avail exports benefits/incentives/fulfilment of export obligations under the FTP, at par with export proceeds realized in freely convertible currency," the new FTP stated.

The vostro account set up for the purpose of trade had run dry after India was stopped from sourcing oil from Iran because of US sanctions.

On the new FTP, Sanjay Budhia, chairman, CII National Committee on Exports and Imports said: Reduction of the export performance threshold in the new FTP is a welcome step, as this will enable more exporters to achieve higher status and reduce transaction costs for exports.

The policy has a strong emphasis on reduction of transaction costs, e-initiatives, MSMEs, internationalization of INR and e-Commerce exports which could be a game changer to put India at a leadership position in the global exports map," Budhia added.
In the last week of September 2021, Mukund Rajan, the former chief ethics officer at the Tata Group, showed a bunch of Bank of Baroda (BoB) executives a video clip from the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. The Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba, owned by the Indian Hotels Co. Ltd, a Tata group company, was at the centre of this carnage. The hotel staff put customer safety before their own, saving several lives.

Rajan tried to convey that a strong culture of ethics at the Tata group made employees do what they did.

Mukund Rajan talked about the best practices in ethics at Tata and how consistent and effective communication and reinforcement of the values lead to desired behaviour of employees," Rupali Aneja, chief manager (corporate ethics), Baroda Corporate Centre, wrote in an issue of the banks magazine.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

A month before, in August 2021, BoB launched the corporate ethics function of the bank. Rajan came in as an advisor.

The idea to have a separate team to drive the ethics function is among the several changes the public sector bank has mooted and executed in the last three years. Led by Sanjiv Chadha, the banks current managing director and chief executive officer (CEO), the lender is on a mission to reinvent itself by adding a dash of aggression of the private sector.

The pecking order in public sector banks is led by the State Bank of India (SBI). BoB had been the No. 3 for many years but has now beaten Punjab National Bank (PNB) for the second slot. It surpassed PNB in term of total business  deposits plus loansin the December quarter of 2022-23. On total loans, BoB edged past PNB the year before, in the December quarter of 2021-22.

BoBs corporate loan portfolio swelled from 2.92 trillion in 2019-20 to 3.29 trillion as on 31 December 2022. While the 13% rise might not seem astronomically high, it is certainly growing at a faster clip than many of its rivals. SBIs corporate book grew 9.6% in the same period. To be sure, SBIs current corporate loan portfolio is almost thrice the size. BoB has also done well when it comes to retail loans. From 1.2 trillion as on 31 March 2020, the retail loan book has increased to 1.7 trillion as on 31 December 2022, a 42% jump.

In fact, BoBs growth rates are now at par with private sector peers and the bank sees a stable performer like HDFC Bank as its true competitor. In the December quarter, BoBs total loan book grew 19.7% over the year-ago period, same as ICICI Banks growth rate, and a tad more than HDFC Bank.

How did the banks fortunes change? It is certainly not easy to make an elephant dance, one which is 115 years old. The bank was founded by the Maharaja of Baroda, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, on 20 July 1908. It was nationalized in 1969. Over the following decades, the bank added many innovations it could boast of. For instance, in 2006, it established a retail loan factory, a sales and delivery model inspired by the assembly line production principle. And yet, the bank was rarely seen to be top class.

BoBs new avatar is broadly because of three changes in the last eight years. First, the bank prioritized investments in technology. Second, the banks merger with two public sector peers was used to cut costs and make the lender nimbler than before. Third, lateral hiring was encouraged and several people have been inducted at market salaries to lead specialized verticals. This resulted in new energy, ideas, better execution, and outcomes.

The tech play

In 2015, P.S. Jayakumar was picked by the government as BoBs managing director and CEO. A former banker with Citibank and an entrepreneur, he became the first appointee from the private sector to run a large public sector bank.

When he first walked in, about one-fourth of the space in BoB branches was used to store paperwork. He decided to rid the bank of papers. The saved space could be used to attend to customers while reducing the effort needed to move the documents around. The bank has come a long way since. Now, older records have been digitized. Technology has made deeper inroads in other ways. About 90% of internal meetingsboard meetings, credit committee meetings, etcare virtual.

From the customer perspective, the bank has been wooing people to open accounts online and transact on its mobile app, Bob World. The app now records 8.6 million daily transactions, as against 6.4 million a year ago. It has 27.3 million active users, as compared to 57.5 million registered users on SBIs app Yono (an abbreviation for You Only Need One). Like Yono, Bob World has tie-ups with e-commerce companies and offers online shopping and travel booking.

Today, as many as five times the number of customers use Bob World every day when compared to customers coming to our 8,200 branches," said Chadha.

Customers now have three primary modes of account operations: digital (mobile app, internet banking); assisted-digital (branch executive using a tablet to assist); and business correspondents. The bank has close to 48,000 business correspondents as of December, as against 18,120 in 2019-20. Business correspondents help in banking transactions, largely in rural and semi-urban areas.

Technology for the sake of technology is not good enough. It is useful if it actually helps you give better customer service, reduces your costs, improves your risk management and customer experience," said Chadha.

BoBs tech play certainly ticked some of these boxes. Pushing digital instead of branch banking has led to cost savings. The number of branches has declined from 9,528 in March 2020 to 8,209 by March 2022.

The big merger

Apart from starting BoBs digitization journey, Jayakumar also partly oversaw another transformationthe three-way merger between BoB, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank. The Government of India wanted public sector banks to consolidate since it believed that India needed fewer but stronger banks.

While the merger exercise began in 2018, it was completed only in December 2020. Chadha had taken over the reins by then. This merger, and the pandemic, helped the lender become nimbler and stronger than before.

If you look at all the mergers that took place subsequently, I do not think our kind of ambitions were targeted anywhere else. The ambition was to realize savings of 10,000 crore over a five-year period and, to the credit of our team, we have almost executed the plan to the T," said Chadha, seated in a room adjacent to his cabin in the banks headquarters in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex, a business district.

The banks employee count has steadily reduced. BoB had 84,283 employees at the end of 2019-20. In 2021-22, it had 79,806 employees. This, coupled with a rise in profitability, led to an increase in business per employee. Meanwhile, BoBs operating expenses are rising at a slower rate than its peers. It rose 9.8% year-on-year in December 2022, as against a 16.7% at SBI and 25.3% at PNB.

Lateral thinking

In December 2021, the Union Bank of India refinanced loans worth 8,000 crore to Vedanta Ltd. The metal and mining company also banked with BoB and this transaction made Chadha rather unhappy.

An industry watcher, who didnt want to be identified, said that the CEO was displeased since BoBs corporate loan department had no inkling of this deal; he chided them for the lack of market intelligence.

To avoid incidents like this, BoB recently hired an executive to head large corporate relationships from the private lender, Kotak Mahindra Banka sign it is serious about large loan syndications. Of course, BoB wishes to nurture existing corporate relationships better.

While BoB did not comment on the Vedanta affair, Chadha said that the said executives tenure in the bank and movement will not be dictated by its normal cycles of promotion and transfers. Similarly, the bank has made more lateral hires over the last seven years. These include the chief risk officer, the head of home loans, and the head of collections, among others.

These executives have brought in a new spirit, and aggressionthe bank has become quite a risk taker. A rival banker said that BoB is the new kid on the block. You will find them in most large consortiums now even where others are circumspect, like in some greenfield projects," the banker said.

However, BoB officials said Chadha is not quite in favour of undercutting other banks and has set a floor price on large loans below which the bank would not entertain new proposals.

BoB, nevertheless, is clearly competing with private sector lenders, known for quicker turnaround times and better use of technology. Even if public sector banks have a majority of the credit market, private sector banks contribute to more than half the incremental business.

Chadha is well aware of this. To thrive, one cannot imagine that there is a sequestered space which is reserved for the public sector. You have to compete for the same customers," he said.

Analysts do believe that BoB is making strides in the personal loans segment, a move that would balance out its book in favour of retail credit. As on 31 December, 43.3% of its domestic loans were to corporates, 26.8% to individuals and the rest to small businesses and agriculture borrowers.

The focus on growing the retail book is now a lot more pronounced. When they look at their overall growth, they want to continuously move more and more in favour of retail," said Nitin Aggarwal, head of banking and financial research at Motilal Oswal Institutional Equities.

Eyes on Chand

BoB has benefitted from the vision, and the execution abilities of two successive CEOs. Jayakumar was able to change the public sector unit culture of just being process-orientedBoB became result-oriented as well. Chadha was able to press forward with the banks transformation. A voracious reader and a persuasive speaker, Chadhas colleagues praise him for clarity of thought. But his term at BoB will end in June 2023. The big question: will his successor be able to maintain the banks growth momentum and the good job on managing expenses?

The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), an organization that advises on appointments in state-owned financial services companies, recently recommended Debadatta Chand as the new chief of BoB.

A former PNB executive, Chand had some time to familiarize himself with the operations at BoBhe was appointed as executive director at the bank in March 2021.

But he is likely to face uncertain times. Retail borrowers are possibly turning anxious after the Indian central banks steep repo rate hikes. The competitive landscape is not getting easier either. Banks, today, dont just compete against one another but have non-bank lenders to deal with. Be it loans (retail and corporate) or deposits, banks are working hard to attract customers to their fold.

Chand will also have to keep an eye on the asset quality of the bank. Although bad loan numbers might be at their decadal best, stress is expected in the small business segment.

Lastly, while private banks are now the performance benchmark and BoB has hired laterally, the bank will still remain state-owned in character and ownership. That may leave little room for manoeuvrability. For instance, it would still need to seek tenders for all its needs, something private banks can avoid and save time.

Chand and BoB will not have it easy.
NEW DELHI : The diversified & circular renewable energy and critical mineral supply chains will play a critical role in Indias energy transition, MNRE secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla said on Monday.

As part of the second Energy Transition Working Group meeting of Indias G20 Presidency, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of Power, Government of India, hosted the official side event, Diversifying Renewables & Critical Minerals Supply Chains to Advance Energy Transition in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

In his keynote address, BS Bhalla said, India, under its G20 presidency, takes pride in hosting leaders, experts, government officials, energy sector financiers and other key players to focus on the critical need for a cost-effective and risk-proof scale-up of clean energy through diversified supply chains and distributive expansion of manufacturing base.

We hope and expect that the deliberations today will help identify a set of collective changes that will put the world on the path to rapid scaling-up of renewable energy, while ensuring energy security, affordability and better quality of life for our people," he added.

The MNRE secretary noted that a series of economic disruptions have exposed the world to risks that are slowing down the pace of the global clean energy transition and have raised concerns about energy security.

While setting the context for the meeting, Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, noted in his keynote address that the majority of critical mineral reserves are in 15 countries.

The human race has fought many crises  whether the Ozone layer depleting, the Covid pandemic or the energy crisis in the 1970s. I am sure we will be able to address the criticality of minerals too and the Indian government is working towards making the country secure, he said.

Energy Transition Working Group Chair Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power, said that the consensus in the recent Energy Transitions Working Group meetings has been that renewables will have an important role in reaching net-zero targets, and accessible supply chains will be important.

For a large country like India, diversification of supply chains will mean a lot of local manufacturing, thus generating green jobs. A circular economy and alternative technologies for battery storage will be key too," he said.
NEW DELHI : As India looks to diversify the supply chain for components required in renewable energy projects, local manufacturing will be a key component of its diversification strategy, said Alok Kumar, secretary for the union power ministry on Monday.

Speaking at a side event Diversifying Renewables & Critical Minerals Supply Chains to Advance Energy Transition, as part of the second Energy Transitions Working Group meeting under Indias G20 Presidency in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, the secretary also laid emphasis on the need for battery storage and manufacturing of electrolyzers.

Energy Transition Working Group Chair Alok Kumar said that the consensus in the recent Energy Transitions Working Group meetings has been that renewables will have an important role in reaching net-zero targets, and accessible supply chains will be important.

For a large country like India, diversification of supply chains will mean a lot of local manufacturing, thus generating green jobs. A circular economy and alternative technologies for battery storage will be key too," he said.

Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said: India, under its G20 presidency, takes pride in hosting leaders, experts, government officials, energy sector financiers and other key players to focus on the critical need for a cost-effective and risk-proof scale-up of clean energy through diversified supply chains and distributive expansion of manufacturing base."

Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines said that the majority of critical mineral reserves are in 15 countries. The human race has fought many crises  whether the Ozone layer depleting, the Covid pandemic or the energy crisis in the 1970s. I am sure we will be able to address the criticality of minerals too and the Indian government is working towards making the country secure," he said.

Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, noted that a speedy, resilient and inclusive transition to renewable energy will only be possible if countries can secure access to uninterrupted and affordable supply chains of key technologies. Through its G20 Presidency, India could promote comprehensive tracking of global RE manufacturing capacity and trade flows to inform expansion and diversification strategies, and foster competition in trade," he added.

The event witnessed the launch of two reports -- CEEW's Developing Resilient Renewable Energy Supply Chains for Global Clean Energy Transition, and CEEW, International Energy Agency (IEA), Institute of Transportation Studies UC Davis and World Resources Institute India (WRII)s report Addressing Vulnerabilities in the Supply Chain of Critical Minerals. It also featured two panel discussions on securing renewable energy supply chains, and strengthening the mineral value chain by increasing production and infusing circularity.
The initial public offering of electronic manufacturing services firm Avalon Technologies Ltd, with a price a band of 415-436 a share, has opened for public subscription from Monday, April 3, 2023 till Thursday, April 6, 2023. As of 3:35 pm on day 1, the issue has been subscribed 0.02 times with retail investors' category booked 0.11x, showed the BSE data.

The company on Friday said it has raised a little over 389 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial share sale. The company has decided to allocate a total of 89.27 lakh equity shares to 24 funds at 436 apiece.

As per market observers, Avalon Technologies shares are commanding a premium (GMP) of 12 in the grey market today. The shares of the company are expected to list on the leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Compared to its competitors in the industry, the company has an impressive PAT margin. The IPO valuation for Avalon Technologies, based on the FY22 figures, is 45x PE post a fresh issue, which is similar to the market average. It will be intriguing to observe the response that the company receives given the current unsettled market conditions," said Abhay Doshi of UnlistedArena.

Avalon Technologies IPO comprises of 320 crore from the fresh issuance of equity shares and 545 crore through an Offer For Sale (OFS) of shares by promoters and existing shareholders. Proceeds from the fresh issue would be used towards debt payment, funding working capital requirements and general corporate purposes.

Founded in 1999, Avalon Technologies is an end-to-end electronic manufacturing service solutions provider. It has 12 manufacturing units located across the US and India.

Although the overall outlook for Avalon Technologies IPO is positive, investors should be cautious given the current market conditions. The electronics manufacturing industry is known for its volatility, and raw material costs may adversely affect the business. Investors should carefully evaluate the company's performance, financial health, and growth prospects before investing in the IPO," said Krishna Raghavan- Founder at Unlistedkart.
Here is the list of the top 10 stocks that will be in focus today:

Adani Group: India's market regulator is investigating a possible violation of 'related party' transaction rules in the Adani Group's dealings with at least three offshore entities that have links to the brother of the conglomerate's founder, two people said. The three entities allegedly entered into several investment transactions with unlisted units of the ports-to-power conglomerate founded by billionaire Gautam Adani over the last 13 years, said the sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

Udayshivkumar Infra: The initial public offering (IPO) of Udayshivakumar Infra Limited is going to hit the stock market today as the BSE has notified Udayshivakumar Infra IPO listing date on 3rd April 2023 i.e. today. As per the BSE notice, the equity shares of Udayshivakumar Infra Limited shall be listed and admitted to dealings on the exchange (BSE and NSE) in the list of 'T' group of securities.

Hindustan Aeronautics: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said on Friday it has registered the highest-ever revenue from operations of 26,500 crore (provisional and unaudited) for the financial year 2022-23. This is against 24,620 in the previous financial year, representing an 8% growth. Despite the challenges of supply chain disruptions due to geo-political situations, the Company could achieve the targeted growth in the top line. This was possible with the increased thrust on indigenisation and with the available inventory," said HAL CMD, C B Ananthakrishnan.

Hero MotoCorp: Two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp on Saturday reported a 15% rise in total sales at 5,19,342 units for March 2023 as compared to 4,50,154 units in the same month last year. Domestic sales last month were at 5,02,730 units as against 4,15,764 units in March 2022, a growth of 2%, Hero MotoCorp said in a statement. Exports were, however, lower at 16,612 units as against 34,390 units in the year-ago month. In 2022-23, the company sold 53,28,546 units as against 49,44,150 units in 2021-22, up 8%.

Tata Motors/Maruti Suzuki: Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata Motors reported their highest-ever dispatches to dealers last fiscal, enabling the domestic passenger vehicle industry to log in the best-ever performance to date. The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India reported its highest wholesales to date at 19,66,164 units, up 19% from 16,52,653 units in 2021-22. Its domestic dispatches rose to 17,06,831 units in 2022-23, up 21% from 14,14,277 units in 2021-22 fiscal.

Paytm: Fintech giant, Paytm has appointed S.R. Batliboi & Associates LLP (SRB, commonly known as EY) as its new statutory auditors for a tenure of 5 years, starting from the 23rd annual general meeting (AGM) to the conclusion of the 28th AGM. SRB will be replacing PwC as the latter's term will expire this year. In its regulatory filing, Paytm said, "the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors of the Company... has considered and approved the appointment of S.R. Batliboi & Associates LLP, as Statutory Auditors of the Company for a term of 5 (five) consecutive years."

Indowind Energy: Indowind Energy Ltd on Friday said its board has approved the allotment of over 1.75 crore shares for 12 per equity share. This price includes a premium of 2 on each share, Indowind Energy said in a regulatory filing. "In the meeting held on March 31, 2023, the Board considered and approved the allotment of 1,75,93,294 equity shares at a price of 12 per equity share (including a premium of 2 per equity share) (allotment)," it said.

JSW Energy: JSW Neo Energy on Friday said it has bagged a 300 MW pumped hydro storage project from the Power Company of Karnataka Ltd (PCKL). "JSW (Neo) Energy receives LoI (letter of intend) for 300 MW Hydro PSP from PCKL," a JSW Energy statement said. It further said that JSW Neo Energy Ltd (JSW Neo), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy, has received a letter of intent from PCKL for procurement of 2,400 MWh (300 MW x 8 hours) energy storage from the pumped hydro storage project (PSP).

NTPC: State-owned power giant NTPC on Friday said it recorded the highest-ever power generation of 400 billion units (BU) in 2022-23, with a growth of 10.80% over 2021-22. NTPC Ltd has registered the highest-ever power generation of 400 BU in FY23, a growth of 10.80% via-a-vis previous year," the company said in a statement. NTPC continues to demonstrate an upward trend in coal production from its captive mines, with coal production of 23.2 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) with a robust growth of over 65% vis-a-vis the previous corresponding year, it stated.

Orient Electric: Orient Electric Ltd on Friday announced the appointment of Rajan Gupta as its Managing Director and CEO for a period of five years effective from 4 April 2023. The company at its meeting held on Friday appointed Rajan Gupta as the additional director and the managing director & chief executive officer of the company. The company also informed that Rakesh Khanna has resigned from the position as MD & CEO, effective from 3 April 2023.
The former Ambassador of Israel to India Ron Malka has been appointed as Executive Chairman of Haifa Port Company (HPC), which is owned by a consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) and Israels Gadot Group.

The former Ambassador in a tweet on Sunday confirmed the news. He wrote, I'm honored and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity."

I'm honored and privileged to take office today as Executive Chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity  pic.twitter.com/PIVC2w576U  Ron Malka  (@DrRonMalka) April 2, 2023

In July 2022, Gautam Adani's firm Adani Ports won the tender for privatisation of Israel's Haifa Port along with it business local partner chemical and logistics group Gadot.

Also Read: Adani Ports completes acquisition of Karaikal Port

Amid allegations of fraud by Hindenburg Research, the Adani Group had acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for $1.2 billion. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described the deal as an "enormous milestone". He had also added the deal will significantly improve connectivity between the two countries in many ways.

Adanis company has no holdings in the West, so its entry into Israel is a signal for increased maritime traffic between Asia and Europe, and the major Asian players need for a hub in the Mediterranean.

"The acquisition of the Haifa port also comes with a significant amount of real estate. And I promise you that in the years to come we will transform the skyline we see around us," Gautam Adani, the founder and chairman of the group had said.

Israel's Ambassador to India Naor Gilon too called strategic port of Haifa to the Adani Group a reflection of the trust that it has on India. "It was a very important move from our point of view because Haifa Port is our strategic asset. Adani Group has the potential to make the Haifa Port the port it needs to be and to increase trade between Israel and India," Gilon had said.

The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships. Apart from this, the Adani Group also vowed opening an artificial intelligence lab in Tel Aviv.
Three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station here, hours after a man allegedly set afire a co-passenger and injured eight others on board an express train. According to railway sources, the incident took place in the D1 compartment of the Alappuzha Kannur Main Executive Express train around 10:00 pm.

A senior police official from the district told PTI that the bodies of a woman, a child and a man were recovered from the tracks late Sunday night.

Reportedly, there was an argument during which a man poured petrol and set on fire one of his co-passengers. Meanwhile, the police did not rule out a terror angle as they recovered a bag from the tracks that had another bottle of petrol and two mobile phones, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Other passengers tried to douse the fire and ended up with burn injuries. Those injured included three women.

"Anilkumar from Thalasseri, his wife Sajisha, their son Advait, Ruby from Kannur and Prince from Thrissur, are among the passengers who were injured," sources said to news agency PTI. The train was halted at Elathur, and railways authorities were informed about the fire incident.

At around 9.45 pm, when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge here after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an inflammable liquid on a co-passenger and set him on a fire resulting in burn injuries to at least eight persons, police said.

The man escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

When the train reached Kannur, a few passengers complained that a woman and a child were missing after the incident.

"A man, who was injured, kept looking for a woman and a child. We found footwear and a mobile phone of that woman," a passenger told the media at Kannur.

Soon after the news of the missing persons came out, the city police inspected the tracks and found three bodies, including the woman and the child and a mid-aged man.

Police suspect they fell off the train or attempted to deboard after seeing the fire.

*With agency inputs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate CBI's diamond jubilee celebrations on Monday at 12 noon. In a ceremony held in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan, the Prime Minister will also release the Postage Stamp and Commemorative Coin marking 60 years of CBI's establishment.

As per a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), an investiture ceremony for recipients of the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI will be held on April 3. During the ceremony, PM Modi will present medals to all awardees.

Also Read: PM Modi slams Congress, says 'supari to dent my image with people in and outside India'

Here are 10 points you need to know

-Central Bureau of Investigation was established by a Home Ministry resolution on April 1,1963 and the coveted investigative agency completed its 60 years on Saturday.

-On the day of CBI's diamond jubilee, PM Modi will inaugurate the newly constructed CBI offices in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur.

-The Prime Minister will also unveil the CBI's new Twitter handle. CBI had made its debut on Twitter in October last year with a blue tick during the Interpol General Assembly. The purpose of the handle was to share news about the event.

-CBI's diamond jubilee celebrations also comes at the time when there is a furious back-and-forth between the government and the opposition over the alleged "misuse" of central agencies.

-14 Opposition parties have also approached the Supreme Court on the issue of misuse of central probe agencies by the union government.

-The parties in their plea sought pre- and post-arrest guidelines to be followed by the central probe agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. "Ninety five per cent cases are against opposition leaders. We are asking for pre-arrest guidelines and post-arrest guidelines," senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the opposition parties such as the DMK, RJD, Bharat Rashtra Samiti and the Trinamool Congress said.

-Prior to this, political leaders from eight parties across India wrote to PM Modi over the arrest of AAP leader Manish Sisodia. The former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister was arrested by the CBI in connection with the city's now scrapped excise policy. As the senior politician remains in CBI custody, the letter dubbed it a "long witch-hunt" that smacked of a political conspiracy."

-Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a public appearance on March 28, had questioned the seeming opposition unity while accusing them of launching a 'Bhrashtachari Bachao Andalon'.

Also Read: During UPA rule, CBI was 'putting pressure' on me to 'frame' Modi, says Amit Shah

-PM Modi had said, At a time when the country is on the rise on the global stage, anti-India forces, both within and outside, are coming together Some parties together have launched a brashtachari bachao andolan"

-He added, When the agencies take action against those who are involved in corruption, the agencies are attacked. When the court gives a decision, the court is questioned."

(With inputs from agencies)
Rahul Gandhi is travelling to Surat, Gujarat today as an appeal will be moved in the Sessions court there against his conviction and two-year sentence in a defamation case. The defamation case was filed against Rahul Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying "How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?"

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma here had on March 23 convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname" remarks. It had held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500. The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court. Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the criminal defamation case.

I am going with my leader (Rahul Gandhi), how can this be pressure on the judiciary? They (BJP) are creating ruckus in West Bengal and Bihar. Till now no appeal has come from PM Modi and Amit Shah," said Chhattisgarh CM & Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra onboard a flight to Surat. pic.twitter.com/akLdGKMqIq  ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

We trust the judiciary. We are here to show our unity. We are doing 'satyagraha' to save the country. The country is seeing how Indira Gandhi's grandson and Rajiv Gandhi's son, Rahul Gandhi is being treated today," said Congress leader and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in Surat.

Rahul Gandhi disqualified as Member of Parliament:

"A former MP from Wayanad was sentenced to a two-year jail term in a criminal defamation case and subsequently lost his Lok Sabha membership. Chief Ministers of Congress ruling states- Ashok Gehlot, Bhupesh Baghel & Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu to accompany Rahul Gandhi in Surat today.

Rahul Gandhi will today be going to Surat to appeal against the Magistrate court's order convicting him in a defamation case.

After the disqualification of Rahul's membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded.

Rahul Gandhi said on March 25 that he would not comment on his sentence as the matter was subjudice, but he said his disqualification from parliament was because he had asking Modi what he called "tough questions" over Modi's relationship with Gautam Adani, founder of the Adani conglomerate. The opposition critics accuse Modi government of giving undue favours to a business group led by billionaire tycoon Adani.

Rahul Gandhi also faces another defamation case filed by former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi for his 2019 remarks. A Patna court has reportedly directed the Congress leader to appear before it on April 12 in connection with the case.

After the disqualification of Rahul's membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition players around it in the wake of Rahul's loss membership of the Lower House.
The Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of Nigeria (ACTSON) says over 80, 000 people in Nigeria require heart surgery ever year.

The president of the association, Dr Uvie Onakpoya, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday during the 5th annual scientific conference and annual general meeting of the association.

He noted that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world accounting for more deaths than all infectious diseases combined together.

He said it comprises congenital heart diseases that people are born with as well as acquired heart diseases from infections, lifestyles and hypertension. among others.

He said eight children out of every 100 children are born with congenital heart diseases like hole in the heart, adding that in Nigeria over 55 , 000 children are born every year with heart diseases.

He said last year, as a result of cost of surgeries and other challenges, only 212 heart surgeries were done; the number he described as a far cry from that of those requiring heart surgeries.

Onakpoya said the association was calling for a legislation for cardiac surgery in Nigeria to enable patients to access surgeries at affordable rates at both private and public health facilities.

He said the association was also training professionals and encouraging them to do open heart surgery in their centres.

"In some other African countries, their government pay for heart surgeries like in Sudan, Uganda Eypt and many other countries," he said.

He said there were only 60 cardio- thoracic surgeons catering for Nigeria's over 200 million population, saying it was grossly inadequate.

First Lady Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Dr Victoria Ogala-Akogwu, a Special Assistant, said her Future Assured project in collaboration with ACTSON provided cardiac surgeries for 10 children and 13 adults recently.

She called on Nigerians to help with equipping heart centres to ensure access to care for more Nigerians .

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services, Tanko Sununu, said less than 600 cardiologists and cardio thoracic surgeons practised in Nigeria.

The lawmaker said the massive brain drain in the health sector was contributing to the dearth of skilled manpower in the sub-specialty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. He also inaugurated the newly constructed office complexes of the CBI in Shillong, Pune, and Nagpur.

Speaking at the event today, PM Modi said, CBI has given faith to people through its work and techniques. Even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to the CBI. Building a developed India is not possible without professional and efficient institutions, CBI, therefore, has a huge responsibility."

He also said that the central government does not lack the political will to fight corruption, and the CBI's scope of work has increased manifold in the country. The Prime Minister asserted that even cyber crime cases are being dealt with by this investigative agency.

I know that the people against whom you are taking action are very powerful, they have been part of the government and system for years. Even today they are in power in some states, but you (CBI) have to focus on your work, no corrupt person should be spared," PM Modi stated at the event today.

An investiture ceremony for recipients of the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI was also held today, April 3.

The Central Bureau of Investigation was established by a Home Ministry resolution on April 1, 1963, and the coveted investigative agency completed its 60 years on Saturday.

CBI made its debut on Twitter in October last year with a blue tick during the Interpol General Assembly. The purpose of the handle was to share news about the event. Its diamond jubilee celebrations also come at a time when there is a furious back-and-forth between the government and the opposition over the alleged "misuse" of central agencies.

A total of 14 Opposition parties have also approached the Supreme Court on the issue of misuse of central probe agencies by the union government.
A family of four from the Mehsana district of Gujarat were among the eight people who died while trying to enter the United States (US) through the St Lawrence River on the border between US and Canada. The Mehsana police have confirmed the reports and are in contact with the relatives of the deceased family.

The deceased include four of a family from Mehsana district. We are talking to their relatives and trying to gather more details," said Achal Tyagi, superintendent of police, Mehsana.

Also Read: Indians among eight found dead near US-Canada border

According to the officials, the dead are identified as Praveenbhai Chaudhary, a farmer, and his wife Dakshaben Chaudhary, their son Meet Chaudhary, and daughter Vidhi Chaudhary, officials said. The family hailed from Manekpura in Vijapur taluka of Mehsana district.

The relatives of the family informed that they went to Canada in February on a vacation.

Two months ago, my brother, his wife, and two children went to Canada on a visitors visa. Yesterday morning I learned about the death of members of a family from India in Canada. I tried to contact my brother but was not able to do so. This caused suspicion that they were our family members," Jasubhai Chaudhary told reporters.

The officials said that the villagers approached them with a request to bring back their bodies and the state government is also informed about the incident.

This is the second incident of people of the same family losing their life while crossing into the US through Canada as in January 2022, another family from the Gandhinagar district of Gujarat froze to death in Canada while allegedly attempting to cross over illegally to the US.

Gujarat police launched an operation against such human traffickers and in December 2022, arrested the mastermind in the illegal immigration scam, Bobby alias Bharat Patel, from Ahmedabad. The police have informed that such agencies extort anywhere between 60 lakh to 1 crore for sending people illegally to the US through Mexico, Canada, and other routes.

Read More: Immigration racket: Why Indian students are facing deportation threat in Canada?
Residents across a wide swath of the U.S. raced Sunday to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 32 people.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage.

The number of deaths continued to grow Sunday.

Also Read: At least 26 dead after tornadoes rake US Midwest, South

"While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Biden earlier declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, where at least five people were killed, already had declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in 11 states destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes near Bridgeville, Delaware. One person was found dead inside a house heavily damaged by the storm Saturday night, Delaware State Police reported.

It may take days to confirm all the recent tornadoes. The dead included at least nine in one Tennessee county, five in Indiana and four in Illinois.

Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

Residents of Wynne, Arkansas, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, woke Saturday to find the high school's roof shredded and its windows blown out. At least four people died.

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a bathroom as a tornado passed, praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead." A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they escaped unhurt.

Chainsaws buzzed, as bulldozers plowed into debris. Utility crews restored power as some neighborhoods began recovery.

Tennessee recorded at least 15 deaths, including nine fatalities in McNairy County, east of Memphis, according to Patrick Sheehan, director the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee drove to the county Saturday to tour the destruction and comfort residents. He said the storm capped the worst" week of his time as governor, coming days after a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people including a family friend whose funeral he and his wife just attended.

"Its terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state," Lee said. But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond."

Rachel Milam lived in the basement with her 6-year-old daughter, while her mother and her mothers boyfriend lived upstairs in their home on the outskirts of Waynesboro, Tennessee.

All squeezed into the bathroom of the cinder block basement Friday night as the tornado approached and made whooshing sounds like a washing machine.

As it ripped the roof off, the shower curtain fell," Milam, 26, said Sunday. So Im trying to dig through the shower curtain and see. I saw darkness and then rain started to fall."

Then absolute terror.

And the house  I watched it pick up and move  about six inches and then pick up and it was gone."

I was just thinking its gonna take the tub, like were going to be gone," she said.

A piece of wood fell over them. So did a mirror. "We were fine and just thankful that we made it out alive," Milam said.

Milam, who works as a nurse, soon joined other neighbors in digging people out from wrecked homes. One woman had a laceration to her face and other parts of her body and was flown out by a helicopter. Another man was freed from the rubble of his home by rescuers who used chainsaws to slice through the debris.

Jeffrey Day said he called his daughter after seeing on the news that their community of Adamsville was being hit. Huddled in a closet with her 2-year-old son as the storm passed over, she answered the phone screaming.

She kept asking me, What do I do, daddy?" Day said, tearing up. "I didnt know what to say."

After the storm passed, his daughter crawled out of her destroyed home and drove to nearby family.

Elsewhere, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert.

Frederick Livingston, Jr., was pulled from the rubble but didn't survive. He had gone to enjoy the concert with his son, Alex.

I couldnt save him," his son told WLS-TV. The father and son were standing side by side when debris began raining down. It happened so fast."

The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

Pritzker also planned to visit Crawford County, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Chicago, where three people were killed and eight injured when a tornado hit around New Hebron.

Weve had emergency crews digging people out of their basements because the house is collapsed on top of them, but luckily they had that safe space to go to," Sheriff Bill Rutan said at a news conference.

That tornado was not far from where three people died in Indiana's Sullivan County, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. Several people were rescued overnight, with reports of as many as 12 people injured.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Bhutans King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk began his three-day visit to India on Monday even as his country nears a settlement on its border dispute with China.

The monarch is accompanied by Tandi Dorji, Bhutans Foreign Minister as well as several senior officials from the government. During his time in India, the King of Bhutan is expected to meet with President Murmu, Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the close bilateral partnership, including economic and development cooperation," according to Indias Ministry of External Affairs.

Although Indias foreign ministry argues that such a visit is simply in keeping with past engagements with Bhutan, the larger political backdrop is hard to miss. Bhutan and China have been negotiating a border settlement to put an end to the disputed boundary claims between the two countries. Bhutans Prime Minister Lobgay Tsering also indicated that both sides were making progress and hoped to demarcate the border in the near future.

However, this development has triggered some anxiety in particular sections of popular opinion, with some believing that Bhutan may strike a border deal with China that endangers Indias security interests. However, others have pointed to statements by senior Bhutanese officials that firmly indicate that no decision will be made on the Doklam border area, which is of strategic value to India, without a trilateral discussion.

Bhutan and China have been having their border negotiations for nearly four decades now. The writing in the wall has always been clear - Bhutan is keen on closing its border disputes. But none of these developments will take place without India being aware of them, or without Indian sensitivities being taken into consideration. The controversy on Bhutan and China striking a deal behind Indias back seems like an exaggeration, in my opinion," says Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy, Junior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a think-tank.

Bhutan and China share a disputed border in mainly two areas. In the western parts of the country, there is the disputed tri-junction with India at Doklam, which was the site of a military standoff in 2017. In the north, Bhutan shares a border with Tibet. Jakarlung and Pasamlung valleys in the north are also part of the dispute with China, In 2020, China also claimed that Sakteng wildlife sanctuary, in the eastern reaches of Bhutan, was also a disputed territory.

As the King has the power to morally guide the countrys foreign policy, and is supreme commander in chief, it can be expected that negotiations will cover the border dispute. But there are certainly other issues too that Bhutan would want to discuss," adds Shivamurthy about the monarchs visit.

The Kings visit is likely to cover this multifaceted relationship. While border disputes with China are certainly a part of it, there are also other issues. Cooperation on hydropower electricity, and seeking assistance for the 13th Five Year Plan (2023-2028). Bhutan is also undergoing massive political, administrative and economic reforms. It is only logical for Bhutan to reach out to its long-standing development partner," he concludes.
U.S. allies are considering denouncing Russias arrest and detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in the United Nations Security Council Monday, when Russia assumes the rotating monthly presidency of the body.

Mr. Gershkovich, 31 years old, was detained March 29 while reporting in Yekaterinburg, more than 800 miles east of Moscow. Russian authorities have accused him of espionage, which the Journal and the Biden administration deny.

Mr. Gershkovich joined the Journal in January 2022, after working as a reporter for the Moscow Times and then for Agence France-Presse. Earlier, he was a news assistant in New York for the New York Times. The Journal reporter has been held incommunicado in a jail run by Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB, and neither U.S. consular officials nor lawyers engaged by the Journal have been able to see him.

Diplomats from two of the European countries on the council said they were likely to raise Mr. Gershkovichs arrest during Russias presidency, and that officials from those countries had held talks on the case.

The U.S. Mission to the U.N. didnt say Sunday whether the U.S. would raise Mr. Gershkovichs case at the Security Council but said it would denounce what it called Russias lies." A spokesman for the U.S. mission noted Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, and thus holds a veto over council resolutions.

A country that flagrantly violates the U.N. Charter and invades its neighbor has no place on the U.N. Security Council," said the spokesman.

The spokesman for the U.S. mission added that the U.S. expected Russia to conduct itself professionally" but also that it expected Moscow to use its spot on the council to spread disinformation and to try to distract from and attempt to justify its actions in Ukraine."

Russias mission to the U.N. and its Embassy in Washington didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Mr. Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain secret information, collecting data constituting a state secret under the guise of a journalistic status."

On Twitter, Russias U.N. office said it would hold the first day of work of its presidency Monday, with its Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia scheduled to give a news conference at 12:30 p.m.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expected Mr. Gershkovichs detention to be raised at this weeks meetings of Alliance foreign ministers in Brussels.

His arrest is of great concern," Mr. Stoltenberg said. It is important to respect freedom of the press, the rights of journalists and the rights to ask questions and to do their jobsWe call on his immediate release."

The European Union said it condemned Russias detention of Mr. Gershkovich and urged authorities there to deal with the case in a way that results in his release.

This is not acceptable," said Peter Stano, a spokesman for the European Commission, the blocs executive body. The collection of information and the related work is something which is a natural, vital part of the work of any journalist, and journalists need to be able to exercise their duties and their jobs without any intimidation and threats from the authorities," he said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has taken its appeal for Mr. Gershkovichs freedom directly to Russia. On Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, urging Mr. Gershkovichs immediate release. The State Department has yet to be allowed consular access to Mr. Gershkovich, to ascertain his well-being and gather information about his circumstances.

James Jeffrey, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq and Turkey and as an envoy in Syria, said that confronting Russia during its Security Council presidency was unlikely to yield success, in part because Russian President Vladimir Putin was impervious to shame." Rather, he said, the U.S. would have to find a way to negotiate directly with the Russians or find a go-between to work on Washingtons behalf.

The Security Council cannot take any legally binding action of any sort without a vote and Russia can veto the vote. Thats the end of that," he said. Theyve got to sit down and talk to Putin."

The Security Council comprises five permanent membersthe U.S., Russia, China, France and the United Kingdomas well as 10 nonpermanent members who presently include Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. Member states rotate the presidency each month. Mozambique led the forum in March. The U.S. will take over in August.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called Russias invasion of Ukraine a violation of its territorial integrity and of the Charter of the United Nations."

European officials have been in close touch with Washington on Mr. Gershkovichs situation, diplomats said, and a number of European capitals, including Berlin, London and Brussels have spoken out to condemn the reporters detention.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Russias presidency of the Security Council showed the total bankruptcy of such institutions."

Although most of the Security Council members voted with the majority of the U.N. General Assembly in February for a resolution calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and withdrawal of Russian forces, China, Gabon and Mozambique abstained. Russia voted against the resolution.
Finland's main conservative party has won a tightly contested parliamentary election on Sunday, with right-wing populists coming in second place. Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party came in third, which dashed her re-election hopes.

Following the counting of all votes, the center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) emerged victorious in the Finnish parliamentary elections held on Sunday evening, with a vote share of 20.8%. The right-wing populist party, The Finns, secured the second spot with 20.1% of the vote, while the Social Democrats came in third with 19.9%.

Since the top three parties received approximately 20% of the total votes each, no single party has the mandate to form a government on its own in Finland. In the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, more than 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were competing for 200 seats in the country's parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government in Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party," said the party's elated leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki.

Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europe's youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finland's successful application to join NATO.

The 53-year-old Orpo, Finland's former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic country's solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure.

First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you," Orpo told the Associated Press at NCP's victory event. We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, the Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear."

"And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose," Orpo said.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a NATO member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the country's membership bid.

NCP's share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finland's Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marin's Social Democrats 43 seats respectively.

Observers say the result means a power shift in Finland's political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new center-right government with nationalist tones. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet with Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019.

Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with the goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament.

I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland," Orpo told the AP.

And you know what is important for us? It's that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up NATO-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program," he said.

The positions of Marin's party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats' economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.

Orpo had hammered on Finland's growing government debt and the need to make budget cuts throughout the election. NCP is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share views on developing Finland's economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues.

While Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nation's non-alignment policy nor the war emerged as major campaign issues as there was a large consensus on the membership among parties complete with high public support.

Finland, a European Union member with a population of 5.5 million, is expected to become a NATO member in the near future.

In the recent parliamentary election, the initial voter turnout was 71.9%, which is slightly lower than the turnout in the previous election held in 2019.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made strong statements against Vladimir Putin on Monday stating that he hopes that the Russian President spend the rest of his life in a dark basement with a bucket for a toilet.

Zelensky's statement was made in the village of Yagidne, where he and German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck were commemorating the anniversary of the liberation of the settlement from Russian troops.

The village had been subjected to a Russian invasion, during which 367 villagers were forced into a school basement measuring 200 square meters. The villagers, including an 18-month-old baby, were held there for almost a month, during which time 11 of them died.

"After seeing all this, I hope the president of Russia will spend the rest of his days in a basement with a bucket for toilet," the Ukrainian leader said.

Zelensky said the villagers who were held in the basement for 27 days recorded the names of those who died "so as not to forget them".

"And children wrote lines of the Ukrainian anthem," he added.

Survivors reported that some of the deaths were due to a lack of oxygen in the small cellar.

"At first it was cold here, but then there were more people and there was not enough oxygen," 38-year-old Valeriy Polgui told AFP.

"The elderly people lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, lost their mind and then died," he said.

Zelensky praised the survivors for recording the names of those who died so as not to forget them, and for writing lines of the Ukrainian anthem. The Ukrainian government and Western governments have accused Russian forces of committing numerous crimes in Ukraine, although Moscow denies these claims.

(With inputs from agencies)
A US Judge, last week, ruled that spouses of H-1B visa holders can work in the United States, rejecting Save Jobs USA's lawsuit to dismiss an Obama-era regulation. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan noted that Congress has expressly empowered the US Government to authorize employment as a permissible condition of an H-4's stay in the United States."

Rajiv S. Khanna, managing attorney at Immigration.com, the Law Offices of Rajiv S. Khanna, PC, has further elaborated on the topic, answering some crucial questions such as the impact on H-4 visa holder's job if the H-1B visa holder loses their job, and whether the ruling influences Green Card status.

What influenced this change?

The US government realized that many highly skilled workers who came to work in the US on H-1B visas faced a long wait to obtain a green card. During this time, their dependents, H-4 visa holders, who were also often highly qualified, were not allowed to work. This made it difficult for these families to settle in the US, and many chose to leave. To address this, the right to work was created.

The regulation was also influenced by the fact that the spouses of L-1 visa holders (L-2 visa holders) were already allowed to work in the US. The regulation thus aimed to provide greater opportunities for the spouses of H-1B, thus incentivizing the H-1B workers to continue to contribute to the US economy.

Even though H-4 holders are allowed to work, is there any legal difficulty that they might face?

There is no legal difficulty as such, but the government allowed H-4 visa holders to apply for an employment authorization document (EAD) only if the H-1B holder's green card application was at a certain stage of processing. In other words, the EAD is only allowed if they are serious about staying in the US.

In case the H1B visa holder is laid off, what happens to the spouse's job?

The H4 EAD holder's ability to work is dependent on the status of their spouse who holds an H-1B visa. If the H-1B holder loses their status, the H-4 EAD holder will also lose their right to work. However, if the H-1B holder applies for another H1B visa within 60 days of losing their job, the EAD continues uninterrupted. Essentially, the H4 and H1B visa holders are interdependent, and any changes to the primary visa holder's status will also affect the dependent visa holder.

In case an H4 visa holder (if they want to work in the US) finds a sponsor for H1B, should they change their visa status or wait for green cards?

Spouses on H4 visas can apply for an H1B visa independently without affecting their current status. They can also apply for their own employment-based green card while still holding H-4 status. Multiple green cards for a couple provide an added level of security.

Note that if the H-4 holders obtain an H-1B status or become a student with work authorization, they can still go back to H-4 status and apply for an employment authorization document in the future.

Does the new ruling affect the green card process?

No, it doesn't affect the green card process. It only benefits H-4 visa holders whose spouses are on H-1B visas by allowing them to seek employment in the US.

In simple words, the H-4 EAD regulation incentivizes the H-1B holders to stay in the US by providing opportunities for their spouses to work in the US.
Artificial intelligence and ChatGPT are on boom. AI tools have the potential to create jobs with high salaries. Some media reports stated that the role of prompt engineers has emerged with the rise of AI which can pay a salary as high as $335,000 or 2 crores annually, according to a report published by Bloomberg news.

Prompt engineers are people who spend their day coaxing AI to produce better results and help companies train their workforce to harness the tools.

Over a dozen artificial intelligence language systems called large language models, or LLMs, have been created by companies like Google parent Alphabet Inc., OpenAI, and Meta Platforms Inc.

Its like an AI whisperer. Youll often find prompt engineers come from a history, philosophy, or English language background because of its wordplay. You're trying to distill the essence or meaning of something into a limited number of words," says Albert Phelps, a prompt engineer at Mudano, part of consultancy firm Accenture in Leytonstone, England.

Phelps and his colleagues spend most of the day writing messages or prompts for tools like OpenAIs ChatGPT, which can be saved as presets within OpenAIs playground for clients and others to use later. A typical day in the life of a prompt engineer involves writing five different prompts, with about 50 interactions with ChatGPT, says Phelps as quoted by Bloomberg.

Companies like Anthropic, a Google-backed startup, are advertising salaries up to $335,000 for a Prompt Engineer and Librarian in San Francisco.

Automated document reviewer Klarity also in California is offering as much as $230,000 for a machine learning engineer who can prompt and understand how to produce the best output from AI tools.

Outside of the tech world, Boston Childrens Hospital and London law firm Mishcon de Reya recently advertised for prompt engineer jobs.

The best-paying roles often go to people who have PhDs in machine learning or ethics, or those who have founded AI companies. Recruiters and others say these are among the critical skills needed to be successful.

Its probably the fastest-moving IT market Ive worked in for 25 years. Salaries start at 40,000, but weve got candidates on our database looking for 200,000 to 300,000 a year. Expert prompt engineers can name their price," says Mark Standen, who runs the staffing business for artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation at Hays in the UK and Ireland.

Google, TikTok and Netflix Inc. have been driving salaries higher, but the role is becoming mainstream among bigger companies thanks to the excitement around the launch of OpenAIs ChatGPT-4, Google Bard, and Microsofts Bing AI chatbot.

(With Bloomberg inputs)
Days after the Credit Suisse takeover was announced, Swiss authorities are now probing the events leading up to the massive deal. UBS Group AG had taken over its smaller rival in mid-March with the $3.3 billion deal being announced by the Swiss government. The deal may also reduce UBS' overall workforce by up to 30%. This will translate to as many as 11,000 cuts in Switzerland and another 25,000 worldwide.

While officials are working to gather information into potential crimes that may have taken place around the takeover, this is currently not a criminal inquiry. The probe also falls short of a formal investigation. Credit Suisse and UBS shares however fell after the announcement, with both companies set for their biggest daily decline in 10 days.

The attorney general's office said Monday that it wanted to proactively fulfil its remit and its responsibility to contribute to a clean Swiss financial sector." An AP report also quoted authorities to add that the AG's office had set set up monitoring" that would enable it to get involved immediately if any offences were committed that come under its auspices.

ALSO READ: Fed official tells Congress many to blame for Silicon Valley Bank failure

Switzerland's government and financial regulators had helped engineer massive deal last month, in part to calm worries about the global financial system. The bank had been hemorrhaging deposits, while shareholders dumped its stock and creditors rushed to seek repayment in the days preceeding the takeover. The $3.25 billion agreement will now leave the country with a single huge global bank.

The bank has faces years of troubles that predated financial turmoil spurred by the collapse of two US banks, ranging from losses on hedge fund bets to fines over failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian drug ring and not reporting secret offshore accounts that wealthy Americans used to avoid paying taxes.

(With inputs from agencies)
Following the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States of America, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has recommended the adoption of the living wills concept in resolving bank failures in Nigeria.

Another approach proposed by Moghalu was that the regulators should encourage bigger and more successful banks to buy up weak banks as a first or second line of response to bank failures, without prejudice to the roles of the CBN/Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

A living will for a bank or other financial institution denotes a contingency plan that is on the shelf in case that entity becomes insolvent and needs to be closed.

In a series of Tweets, the presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in 2022, noted that the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the United States, and the jitters over possible banking contagion they had generated took his mind back to the work they did under the Lamido Sanusi-led CBN to establish financial stability in Nigeria after the global financial crisis.

"We should deploy more the concept of "living wills" by banks. This is a plan for how a bank can be decently buried if it fails, designed by the bank itself and approved by CBN as the banking regulator. Another approach is that we should encourage bigger and more successful banks to buy up weak banks as a first or second line of response to bank failures, without prejudice to the roles of CBN/NDIC," he wrote.

He pointed out that as Deputy Governor in charge of Financial Stability, it was his task to supervise the execution of many successful reforms.

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Moghalu explained: "We took the position that no bank would fail, and no depositor would lose one kobo of their deposits. The CBN injected more than $4 billion to stabilise about eight failing banks, sacked and replaced their managements, and midwifed the creation of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to buy up the toxic assets of these banks and recapitalise them.

"All of this was good for the time, and the apex bank has since followed the principle of not allowing bank failures. But I'm wondering if, going forward, we might not want to think of an approach to financial stability that does not place the responsibility for resolving bank failures solely on the CBN, the NDIC and AMCON through bailouts, creation bridge banks and recapitalisation. Banks are businesses created and run for profit by individuals. Must we in Nigeria continue to privatise their profits but socialise their losses? I don't think so."

"The bottom line is to protect depositors of course. America's Signature Bank (no connection to the bank of the same name in Nigeria) was bought out by New York Community Bancorp which acquired its $34 billion of deposits. SVB was acquired by First Citizens Bank three weeks after it was shut down by America's banking regulators.

"The CBN recently sold Polaris Bank (former Skye Bank) to private investors. But this was about 4 years after the bank's failure. This is too long. Compare that with three weeks. We should be able to do such a sale within three to six months maximum.

"We need to avoid a framework that leads commercial operators to believe the central bank and its associated agencies are an ever-present Father Christmas. This is called moral hazard. It encourages risky behaviour by economic actors."
NEW YORK/PALM BEACH : Former U.S. President Donald Trump flew into New York City on his private plane on Monday to face charges stemming from a probe into hush money paid to a porn star, while his lawyers argued against letting cameras in the courtroom.

With New York taking security precautions and the mayor telling potential rabble-rousers to behave, Trump was due to surrender at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Tuesday and will likely be fingerprinted prior to appearing before a judge for an arraignment where he will plead not guilty.

Trump, a 76-year-old Republican seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

His plane - painted in red, white and blue with "TRUMP" in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail - arrived at LaGuardia Airport in Queens after a 3-1/2 hour flight from West Palm Beach near his Florida home.

Clad in a blue suit and wearing a red tie, Trump walked deliberately and alone down a flight of stairs from the airplane and climbed into an SUV for a drive in a motorcade to Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Beefing up his legal team, Trump hired Todd Blanche, a prominent white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, to join his defense, two sources familiar with the matter said. Blanche and other Trump lawyers on Monday urged the judge not to allow videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment.

In a letter to the court, they argued against allowing such coverage, saying it would "exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case" and "detract from both the dignity and decorum of the proceedings and courtroom."

Justice Juan Merchan was expected to decide the matter on Monday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it would leave it to the discretion of the judge, but noted that Merchan allowed a limited number of still photos prior to last year's criminal trial in which Trump's real estate company was convicted of tax fraud.

The Manhattan grand jury that indicted Trump heard evidence for months this year about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies having had any such relationship with her.

Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, when Manafort was hit with New York state fraud charges after being sentenced to prison for federal crimes. The state charges were eventually dismissed and Trump pardoned Manafort before leaving office. Blanche also previously represented Igor Fruman, who was an associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

The specific charges in the indictment by a grand jury convened by Bragg, a Democrat, have yet to be disclosed. Trump has said he is innocent. He and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

A motorcade of several vehicles took Trump at midday from his Mar-a-Lago estate to the airport in nearby West Palm Beach. Trump climbed out of an SUV vehicle before he and members of his entourage climbed a set of stairs to enter his plane.

"WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL!" Trump posted on social media right before he left Florida.

Trump said on social media he would head to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

'Our country has fallen,' Trump campaign asserts

Trump's campaign raised $7 million in the three days after word of the indictment emerged last Thursday, senior adviser Jason Miller said. The campaign on Monday issued the latest in a series of fundraising emails, taking aim at the media's reporting on his indictment.

Remarks attributed to Trump in the email stated: "Our country has fallen. But I'm not giving up on America. We can and we will save our nation in 2024."

A court official said the arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

The New York case is one of several probes Trump faces.

A few dozen Trump fans cheered at the Florida airport and along the route he took to get there, carrying signs and flags.

"Our country needs him," said Cindy Falco, 65, of Boynton Beach, Florida. "He's pro-God, pro-family and pro-country."

Falco predicted exoneration, saying: "Nothing is going to stick to him."

Trump's detractors also weighed in.

"Isn't it ironic that they couldn't get Donald Trump for all of the crimes he's committed, except payment to a porn star?" said New Jersey resident Robert Hoatson, 71, outside of Trump Tower. "It always comes down to the lowliest of charges."

"It's a terrific day. I hope it goes well and that he is eventually found guilty," Hoatson added.

Mayor calls for protesters to be on 'best behavior'

New York police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building. Demonstrations were expected at those sites on Tuesday.

Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said there was no known specific security threat.

"While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow (Tuesday), our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," Adams told reporters.

"As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are," Adams added, specifically mentioning Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has announced plans to protest.

"Be on your best behavior," the mayor said.

Asked whether he was worried about unrest around Trump's arraignment, President Joe Biden, touring a factory in Minnesota, said, No, I have faith in the New York Police Department."
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) allegation that the Congress party put "undue pressure" on the judiciary by accompanying Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court for filing an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case.

The comment comes after law minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress leaders of attempting to influence the judiciary by accompanying Gandhi to the court. Tharoor called the allegation "absurd," stating that who attends the court is not a source of pressure.

Tharoor further explained that Gandhi is the principal political leader of a major opposition party, and it is appropriate to put up a show of strength, but ultimately, the soundness of the arguments presented by lawyers inside the courtroom is what prevails.

Tharoor said, "That is an absurd allegation. First of all, who attends the court is not a source of pressure."

"If at all there is a source of pressure on the judiciary, I think we can all guess where that is likely to come from," the former Union minister told PTI.

"Who comes to the court is not going to decide a case, it is what is argued in the court that is going to decide and that is essentially for us the principal reason why it has taken a week for the lawyers to prepare a very robust and sound defence," Tharoor said.

Gujarat cops try to stop Congress workers

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra on Monday claimed vehicles of the party workers headed towards Surat to extend support to Rahul Gandhi were stopped by the Gujarat Police.

Former Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat said several leaders and workers of Congress were asked to pull over, and the Gujarat Police was ensuring they do not capture videos.

Similar allegations were made by Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap and former Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur.

Gandhi filed his appeal in the Surat sessions court against his conviction in the 2019 case where the court sentenced him to two years in jail in a criminal defamation case. The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma convicted the former Congress chief on March 23, 2023, and granted him bail after he filed his appeal on April 3, 2023.

The case was filed against Gandhi by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi over his alleged remarks during a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, in 2019, where he questioned how all "thieves" had the surname Modi. The two-year jail term invited Gandhi's disqualification from Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

(With inputs from agencies)
As a standard practice, competition enforcement is an ex-post activity, except in cases of merger regulation. However, in the case of Big Tech, following a Parliamentary Committees report, it is being proposed that enforcement can be done ex ante: i.e., before a violation takes place. There is a global debate on this and we too need to take note of it to ensure that we have economic democracy in our tech markets. These new economic giants work with deep pockets. We also need to take into account our unique domestic innovations, such as the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), account aggregators system and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

These policy developmentsa fallout of the Big Tech ignoring self-regulation, as recommended by the Competition Commission of India (CCI)have also triggered a serious debate in India. While some favour a hard law approach, like the EUs Digital Markets Act (DMA), others suggest there should be no ex ante regulation. There could, however, be a middle path in the form of a soft lawwith principles-based guidelinesthat prescribes dos and donts for big digital platforms.

Adherence to a soft-law approach was also in essence the consensus of a diverse panel recently organized on the issue by the BRICS Competition Centre and CUTS Institute for Regulation & Competition, supported by the CCI. Russia and China are understandably adopting a soft law (i.e., a guidelines approach), rather than a legal fiat. In Brazil, which is also considering an ex ante regulation, similar advice has been offered by Brazilian academia. Likewise, Indian experts are near-unanimous in suggesting that we should avoid copying the EUs DMA. For example, when we proposed our new data privacy bill, we decided to stay away from the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) model.

After the EU-DMA, the US, UK, Germany and Japan, among others, are all considering some form of ex ante regulation to deal with competition concerns posed by Big Tech. However, their approaches are not at all uniform. Not only is the scope of existing or proposed ex ante regulations in these countries different, there are also major differences in the criteria that qualify tech businesses as digital gatekeepers.

Designating an entity as a gatekeeper seems to be a very complex regulatory task. Imagine an Indian regulator going by the EU criteria, identifying platforms providing an important gateway" for business users and/or enjoying (or likely to enjoy) an entrenched and durable position" locally, and assessing significant impact" on our internal market. Do our regulators have the right skills, tools and resources to process such complex criteria? Since a flawed determination can be quite harmful to Indias emerging digital ecosystems and be inconsistent with the underlying policy objectives of promoting domestic champions, we should guard against adopting such yardsticks.

Skill and capacity gaps among economic regulators have been a problem in India. They often have retired knowledge-proof bureaucrats or judges in leadership roles and/or secondments from other government services. A particular lack of understanding of micro and behavioural economics tends to accompany other missing skills needed to regulate complex contemporary markets. It is not that Indian civil servants or judges do not possess or are not capable of acquiring and using such skills, but more often than not, they are found out of depth when such skills are needed. Often, with secondments, by the time they acquire key skills, they either retire or get transferred. It is thus important for our regulators to work with Indian civil society to institutionalize capacity-building programmes.

Regulations must ensure a proper balance between innovation and competition. Hard ex-ante rules could make such a balance harder to attain. Notably, an avalanche of regulations has been implemented or proposed in recent times in our digital space. In this scenario, without an adequate understanding of the interplay between these new and proposed rules, and in the absence of a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis, the introduction of another hard law may end up doing more harm than good. The form of such interventions should not be such that India ends up with a swelling tide of litigation. But hard regulations like the EUs DMA are likely to deliver just that.

On the other hand, a principles-based set of guidelines issued by the CCI or government can inform big digital platforms what they are expected to do and not do. This could gradually evolve into a comply or explain approach to incentivize transparency and let consumers make informed choices based on the self-declared norms of digital platforms. This approach favours highlighting ethical values in the development and implementation of digital technologies, rather than micro-managing market behaviour and structure. Big Tech can be expected to realize that with great power comes great responsibility and adhere to the guidelines for their brands to gain in value.

The government committee formed to take the recommendations of the parliamentary panel forward should carefully deliberate what is best suited for India. In the present Indian scenario, a soft-law approach seems to be the best way ahead. No one can stop the government from legislating a hard law if needed.

Pradeep S. Mehta is secretary general, CUTS International

Amol Kulkarni and Ujjwal Kumar of CUTS contributed to this article.
If early signs are anything to go by, commercial office leasing has already dipped in the January-March period, indicating that companies have started slowing or deferring plans to take up new space. Last year was a good one for office space take-up, with over 50 million sq ft of gross leasing, including new space absorption and pre-commitments. However, the clear slowdown in leasing momentum by IT/ITES companies, which have been the top occupiers in India, could bring down the total office absorption in 2023.

The January-March period

Net absorption of office space in the top seven cities decreased to a six-quarter low of 7.63 million sq ft owing to reduced expansion activity, delayed plans, and a hybrid workplace strategy that is still evolving, property advisory JLL India said. Net absorption, which means new lease deals minus vacated space, saw a 34% year-on-year fall in the March quarter and a 4.5% dip on a sequential basis.

Companies have been consolidating and relocating to save on real estate costs, and there were fewer pre-commitments in new completions during the quarter. This reflects the challenges faced by the corporate world amid global headwinds and an uncertain business environment.

As per the JLL report, 9.96 million sq ft of new completions (of office space) was recorded, which is a decrease of 32.8% from the previous quarter and a 51.1% fall year-on-year. Only 21% of the new supply had already been committed, which reflects the uncertain and bearish business environment.

What to expect in 2023

Real estate analysts are somewhat divided in their outlook on office leasing this year but are unanimous that uncertainty continues to loom over the sector amid a global slowdown.

Unless something goes drastically wrong, we are expecting 36-38 million sq ft of net leasing in 2023, which is in sync with average leasing between 2016 and 2022. However, if the tech sector took up space actively, we would have expected net leasing to exceed 40 million sq ft. The US is a huge contributor to tech activity in India, so we wont be able to say with certainty what transpires going forward," said Dr. Samantak Das, chief economist and head of research and REIS, India, JLL.

During 2023, a relative slowdown is expected in overall traction, especially from the tech sector, due to slow hiring and ongoing layoffs triggered by slower external demand, a Colliers-Ficci report said in March. The leasing share of these companies already saw a slight dip in 2022, and it is likely to remain subdued this year, too.

Despite the ongoing flux in the tech sector, large technology occupiers have also been leasing spaces in flex spaces due to benefits such as flexible lease terms, lower capex, and modern workplace designs, Colliers has said. This, coupled with ongoing recessionary conditions and layoffs in the technology sector, has led to a relative pushback in conventional leasing by these occupiers.

Glimmer of hope

While the tech sector's share of leasing activity hit a six-quarter low at 22.3% in January-March due to global challenges, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies, consulting firms and flex workspace operators have shown steady growth in leasing activity.

Its a wait-and-watch period as far as tech companies are concerned. Its also about the timing and when companies bring back employees to offices. Even as overall leasing numbers by the tech sector have come down, India will become an even more favoured location for outsourcing, given the uncertainty in US and Europe. This means we will see increased leasing by GCCs (global capability centers)," said Ram Chandnani, managing director, advisory and transactions services, CBRE India.

Manufacturing and industrial companies, as well as healthcare firms, mainly in the life-sciences category, are also leasing more space. Analysts believe office leasing momentum should pick up in the latter half of 2023 in an optimistic scenario.
Italy's decision to ban ChatGPT came after privacy concerns around the artificial intelligence platform and the Italian watchdog have also asked OpenAI to resolve the raised concerns in 20 days. But, Italy is not the only country that has banned ChatGPT, there are several countries in the world that banned the AI platform due to various concerns.
ChatGPT is a phenomenon now and every day someone reveals a new way to use the artificial intelligence platform and make life easy. In a similar way, the CEO of DoNotPay, Joshua Browder asked ChatGPT to find him some money and claimed that within a minute $210 ( 17,220) was credited to his account.

I asked the new ChatGPT browsing extension to find me some money. Within a minute, I had $210 on the way to my bank account from the California Government," Browder said in a Twitter thread.

I asked the new ChatGPT browsing extension to find me some money. Within a minute, I had $210 on the way to my bank account from the California Government. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/mxfd8yOHAP  Joshua Browder (@jbrowder1) April 2, 2023

Browder said that the ChatGPT first gave the idea to visit the California State Controller website which holds unclaimed results.

The first idea it came up with was to visit an obscure government website: the California State Controller." This website holds unclaimed refunds from companies that can't contact you. It gave me a link with step-by-step instructions on what to do," Browder said.

The artificial intelligence platform even explained to him the step-wise process and how he should add details to claim his money. I followed the instructions and, sure enough, $209.67 was waiting for me, one minute later," Browder added.

The DoNotPay CEO also explained that artificial intelligence can also complete also these steps itself but building such integrations directly will result in a losses for companies.

The only thing stopping the A.I. doing it itself was a captcha. Companies will never build these integrations directly, because it loses them money. Comcast isn't going to let you cancel with a ChatGPT plugin," he said.

This is just one example of many capabilities ChatGPT is displaying and the everyday something new adds to the list. The next level of this artificial intelligence platform is more evolved and has the ability to process tonnes of information and even visual cues.

The excitement around such high-tech features is also clouded by the apprehension that ChatGPT-like tech may intensify the ongoing spate of layoffs and that artificial intelligence replacing human workers is closer than ever before.

Read More: Is ChatGPT causing layoffs? Which jobs are in danger due to ChatGPT? All FAQs answered
What is Passover?

Passover is one of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar. It's an eight-day festival (seven days for Reform Jews and Jews in Israel) celebrated in the early spring, starting on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. The 14th day of Nisan begins on the night of the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

On the Gregorian calendar, Nisan usually falls in March or April. This year, Passover will start on the evening of April 5, 2023.

What does Passover commemorate?

It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

How were the Israelites emancipated?

Facsimile copy of a 15th century manuscript of the German School showing a depiction of Exodus 10:1-20: the plague of the locusts, one of the ten plagues of Egypt. (Image credit: Heritage Image Partnership Ltd via Alamy Stock Photo)

The story goes like this, according to the Old Testament: After generations of backbreaking labor and unbearable horrors at the hands of the Egyptian people, God saw the Israelites' distress. He sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: "Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me" (Exodus 8:1). But despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed God's command. God then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops.

At the stroke of midnight of the 15th day of Nisan, God sent the last of the 10 plagues to the Egyptians, killing their firstborn. However, he spared the Children of Israel, "passing over" their homes hence the name of the holiday. Pharaoh's resistance was broken, and he virtually chased his former slaves out of the land. Led by Moses, an estimated 600,000 men, plus many more women and children, began the trek to Mount Sinai. Seven days later, the Red Sea parted and they left Egypt.

If the journey out of Egypt took seven days, why is the festival eight days long?

Orthodox Jews living outside Israel celebrate an extra day due to uncertainty as to which day is actually the start of the holiday. Traditionally, that decision was made at the Temple of Jerusalem, and the news had to travel far to reach people living far away. Reform Jews and Jews living in Israel do not celebrate the extra day.

What's unleavened bread?

Unleavened bread is made without yeast or sourdough culture. It is a simple, unfermented bread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. During Passover, Jews eat cracker-like unleavened bread called matzah.

Why do Jews eat unleavened bread during Passover?

Unleavened bread called matzah is eaten during Passover. (Image credit: Roman Yanushevsky)

According to the Passover story, the Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that the bread they baked as provisions for the way did not have time to rise. To commemorate the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt, observant Jews don't eat or even retain in their possession any leavened grain (or chametz) from midday of the day before Passover until the conclusion of the holiday. They rid their homes of any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives, and which wasn't guarded from leavening or fermentation. This includes bread, cake, cookies, cereal, pasta and most alcoholic beverages. Moreover, almost any processed food or drink can be assumed to be chametz unless certified otherwise.

What is the search for chametz?

Traditionally, Jews do a formal search for remaining chametz after nightfall two evenings before Passover. A blessing is read, the lights are turned off, and, by candlelight, one or more members of the household proceed from room to room to check that no crumbs remain in any corner. This search, known as "bedikat chametz," is described in Pesachim, a tractate of Passover laws in the collection of Jewish oral traditions known as the Mishnah.

Bedikat chametz is typically conducting with a feather and a wooden spoon; the former, to dust crumbs out of their hiding places, and the latter, to collect the crumbs. Customarily, 10 morsels of bread no smaller than the size of an olive  a measure called a "kezayit"  are hidden throughout the house in order to ensure that some chametz will be found. The next morning, on the 14th of Nisan, any leavened products that remain in the householder's possession, along with the 10 morsels of bread from the previous night's search, are burned.

What is the Seder?

The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on each of the first two nights of the holiday. The Seder is a ritual-packed feast.

The focal points are eating matzah, as explained above, eating bitter herbs to commemorate the bitter slavery endured by the Israelites, drinking four cups of wine or grape juice to celebrate the freedom obtained by the Israelites at the time of the first Passover, and the recitation of the "Haggadah," a liturgy that describes in detail the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Jews have a Biblical obligation to recount to their children the story of the Exodus on the night of Passover.

What are the four questions?

During Seder, to spark discussion of the Exodus, the youngest child in the household is encouraged to ask, "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The storytelling begins, and at key moments the child asks these four questions:

On all other nights, we eat either unleavened or leavened bread, but tonight we eat only unleavened bread? On all other nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight, we eat only bitter herbs? On all other nights, we do not dip [our food] even once, but tonight we dip twice? On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining, but tonight we only recline?

Thus prompted, the adults explain the celebration of Passover.

Can Jews work during Passover?

In Israel, Jews cease working for the duration of the festival. In most other places, Orthodox Jews celebrate the first two and last two days of the festival by ceasing all manual labor, but they may do work during the days in between. Reform Jews actively celebrate only the first and last days of their seven-day-long Passover.

Do Christians celebrate Passover?

Some Christians do celebrate a form of Passover, albeit with an abbreviated Seder that is tied to Easter and only loosely tied to the Old Testament Exodus. Christians focus on redemption from the bondage of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, rather than the Jewish Passover's celebration of redemption from bondage in the land of Egypt.

Christian Passover Seders are sometimes held on the evening corresponding to the 14th of Nisan rather than the 15th, since the former is taken to be the day Jesus was executed in Jerusalem.

Live Science senior writer Mindy Weisberger contributed reporting to this story.
Courtesy of Tesla Inc.

While there are numerous charging stations available in downtown San Antonio but it looks like Tesla is planning to add another spot for its drivers on one of the city's ever-evolving corridors. Tesla is eyeing a location just south of Maverick Park that is currently being used as a parking lot for an office building, according to a recent filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The project at 718 Broadway isn't calling for much space  600 square feet, according to the filing. The lot is directly across from the mass timber office building known as The Soto and the lot is fenced off as parking for the building. It's unknown if the charging stations will be for public use or just people working in or visiting The Soto.
Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump will appear in court next week, and the historic news of his indictment has already sounded bells all over the country. That includes Laredo, as several local supporters and opponents of the president have voiced their concerns about what it means for Trump and regarding potential protests.

One of the first to react to the news after it was reported was Webb County Republican Chair Luis De La Garza. He called the indictment nothing but a political attack.

It's sad to see former President Trump indicted over something that had already been handled years ago, De La Garza said. Fake indictment. It's a political attack.

For her part, the Webb County Democratic Party Chair Sylvia Bruni did not have much to say on the matter but said that she is glad that the rule of law is being followed.

Follow the facts, follow the money, Bruni said. Why is this being debated? It's called the rule of law and it applies to all.

City of Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino addressed the historic nature of the indictment and the overall disappointment to see a leader of the country be charged for a crime.

"It's a sad day in American history, where a former U.S. President is indicted for a crime," the mayor said. "I remember I was a medical student when President Nixon was impeached, and it was really hard to believe, but the country recovered. I would say that we should reserve judgment until we see the weight of the evidence. It also shows that we are a country of laws and that no one is above the law."

Many others in Laredo have also weighed in on their opinions regarding the indictment.

Former councilmember Alfonso Poncho Casso -- who recently ran for mayor in the 2022 election -- called it a "dog and pony show" and a "waste of taxpayer's monies." He said Manhattan's District Attorney should focus on New York's crime instead and asked why President (Joe) Biden and his son haven't been indicted themselves.

Without knowing the specific charges of the indictment, its obvious that its political persecution and selective prosecution from the opposing political party, Casso said. This is a travesty of justice that will only help Trumps presidential reelection efforts.

Another supporter of the former president said he believes all of the issues being addressed in the indictment are ones the president will resolve, which will only help empower his base.

The people that support him are seeing this, and just seeing how bad the government has been with him when he was president and now when he is out, local Joshua Martinez said. If he would have not announced his run for office, I am sure that he would not be charged with anything. This is just being done to help Biden and the Democrats stay in power, but it will clearly backfire even if it helps another Republican, then that person will ultimately be the next president.

Others expressed their approval to see the president indicted. However, some wonder why the charges he was indicted on were not for perceived more serious incidents including Jan. 6.

I am glad that he is finally seeing that he cannot go unchecked for his actions, however, I am saddened that many people still continue to defend him. If he was just a regular person, I am sure that he would not be defended like that, Carmen Campos said. He must face the law and everything, however, I am weirded out by the fact that he is not going to be tried for other serious causes that he has done like the insurrection or openly telling people to protest and go out and fight for him.

Campos said she just hopes that everything goes as specified by the law when he appears in court next week and that no one tries to do anything to cause violence surrounding his indictment.
The streets of downtown Laredo were lined with people waving United States flags and red shirts showcasing their support for the legacy of Cesar Chavez Saturday.

Chavez, who was an American labor leader and civil rights activist, helped bring many changes to the country's farm workers and migrants.

As part of their 17th annual Cesar Chavez March for Justice -- which had been on hiatus for three years due to the pandemic -- the members of the Cesar Chavez Memorial Alliance of South Texas joined with various past and present public officials from the city and traveled through the streets of downtown. They then culminated the event with an awards ceremony at San Agustin Plaza.

The organizers expressed how they have plans to keep the activists legacy alive in light of the many issues affecting the Hispanic community and also their plans for the future.

Year through year, we have been recognizing, either male or female, that have been migrants, said Manuel Bocanegra, the organization's founder and president. All these people have experience as they were growing up, the farmworker life and working in the fields. A lot of them including myself work in the fields near here in Laredo, picking up everything from cotton in the south to cantaloupes, watermelons, onions, cabbage and all that in the vicinity.

During Saturdays event, the organization recognized three individuals with awards, as they have all served as farm workers or migrants in some form or another and exceeded expectations by becoming doctors, business leaders or community-wide leaders. Among them were neurologist Dr. Juan Felipe Santos, former Webb County Judge Danny Valdez and Brown Beret member David Gomez.

Valdez was the third in his family to receive the honor, as his father and brother-in-law also previously were awarded.

This is a very special honor for me because we, Bocanegra and my father, were very involved with the movement here in Laredo, and we also share memories because my father was an activist for the working people, Valdez said. He was the first one to organize a strike against Coca-Cola for better working conditions for the working people and better wages. Thats why it is important for me to be here and receive this award and symbolize the fact we lend a helping hand, because it is mucho importante que sigamos haciendo esto. Si se puede.

Valdez also talked about how he is a product of the west side of Laredo and also how he used to go to the harvest and pick up different foods every year in efforts to help out his family economically until he put himself in school.

Gomez said that while he was a migrant worker in Florida during his younger years he saw how planes caring pesticides for the crops would spray them as he and other migrant workers continued to work. He would see how he would end up at the end of the day dirty with the plumes of smoke and recalls how Dolores Huerta, Chavezs partner, protested in the 1990s at the harvest site to call for better working conditions.

There is still some discrimination going on there and in some other parts, and we need to continue the fight for justice, Gomez said.

Bocanegra said it is important to honor individuals like those recognized Saturday, as most tend to be already of his age or older. Now as he sees young migrants come to school in the city but leave mid-semester to go with their parents for the harvest up in the north. He said that in efforts to help these students, his organization has various coordinators working with both LISD and UISD to help them succeed in their studies as their parents travel for work.

Bocanegra also said he used to work with TAMIU on the College Assistance Migrant Program, but the university does not currently have any funds for it as he is waiting to see if any could be brought into the program or if the college qualifies for them to continue the program once again to help out students.

Another reason for the event is to keep Chavez's legacy alive in the area, which is something that Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino made sure to do at a speech during the event.

Cesar Chavez was an emblematic figure and a hero to Mexican Americans, the mayor said. Chavez fought for equality and justice for migrant farm workers. He is justifiably celebrated here in Laredo, and his inspiration continues.

Bocanegra has his sights on a major project regarding his organization and the legacy of Chavez, as he wants to make sure that Interstate-35 is named in his honor.

I am pretty sure we are going to be successful there, as that highway still doesnt have a name just a number. So thats our goal, and we will work with the city and the City Council and the mayor and make this happen, Bocanegra said. We can work with the other cities along the way as well, as this is something we have been working on for already 8-10 years, as we started with the old administrators and we will surely work all along the way to get that done.

Bocanegra said it is paramount for his organization and the continued efforts of others to continue the legacy of Chavez so the new generations can know who he was and continue the fight for justice.

We try to keep this legacy of Cesar Chavez alive, Bocanegra said. We are going to keep this march going every year. We are now working with Laredo College, and we also have our scholarship program that we are now going to tailor it more for the vocational route. This is going to be tailored for the students who are going to study air conditioning, welding, mechanics and electronics.

The Laredo Cesar Chavez March for Justice comes a week after similar marches were also conducted in other areas of the state from San Antonio to Corpus Christi, Austin, Houston and other cities, and Bocanegra hopes to run it concurrently with those areas while making it even bigger.
Nairobi  Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has condemned the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition protests and urged Kenyan workers to shy away from them.

Atwoli said on Sunday that the protests risk burning the country with the workers being the ultimate losers in the end.

"We do not want to put the country on fire. We want to remain as brothers and sisters," he said.

Atwoli, an ally of the Raila Odinga-led coalition noted that he will not mislead the country's workers into participating in the Azimio demonstrations.

"I will not take workers to protests because the country already has a President. I have already talked with the President and he has committed to helping workers," he said.

The government has already banned the Azimio anti-government protests, but Odinga has vowed to proceed with them and is gearing up to hold "the mother of all" rallies on Monday.

Atwoli however, noted that there is a need for the country to "mature up and maintain peace".

While citing Kenya's deadliest ever 2007 post-election violence, Atwoli reminded Kenyans that "it is better to have a bad government than having none at all".

He quipped that although he was a bitter critic of President William Ruto, he will do the reasonable thing and work with his administration for the betterment of Kenya's workers who have entrusted him to lead them.

"I will be at the forefront in telling the President his shortcomings but I will work with him to ensure the welfare of the workers improves,' he said.

He acknowledged that President Ruto outsmarted the Azimio team notwithstanding the brigade having the backing of the previous regime of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

"President Ruto is a smart politician and we need to be reasonable as Kenyans. Some things are irreversible," he noted.
Texas A&M International University was ranked the No. 2 college in Texas in the latest rankings from the company Degree Choices which is determined solely by potential economic success.

TAMIU ranked above the other 10 schools within the Texas A&M system. Texas A&M was the next highest among the group coming in at No. 8 in the state.

The only Texas school ranked higher was rice University in Houston. Rounding out the Top 5 are the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley at No. 3, the University of Texas at No. 4 and Texas Womans University at No. 5.

Along with its high standing throughout the state, TAMIU also faired well among other Hispanic serving institutions. Degree Choices defines an HSI as an institution where Hispanic students account for at least 25% of the student body. TAMIU ranked as the No. 10 overall HSI and was the top-ranked HSI in Texas.

The top six spots in the HSI rankings went to various City University of New York institutions with CUNY Bernard M Baruch College at No. 1 followed by CUNY Hunter College, CUNY Lehman College, CUNY City College, CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and CUNY Queens College.

Outside of New York, the rest of the Top 10 featured California State University, Los Angeles at No. 7, Florida International University at No. 8 and California State University, Dominguez Hills at No. 9. The next-highest Texas institution finished just behind TAMIU with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked No. 11.

Degree Choice also provided rankings for four regions with the Midwest, Northeast, South and West. TAMIU ranked No. 5 in the South behind only the University of Florida, Florida International University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rice University.

Degree Choices features a team of education researchers. They combine to provide financial advice aimed at guiding prospective students to the proper schools for their needs.

To compile its latest college rating, Degree Choices did analysis of 2,203 four-year colleges and universities. It gathered its data from both College Scorecard and from the Integrated Postsecondary Education System. Degree Success differentiates itself from other ranking systems by basing its system entirely on potential economic success.

The return on investment for students at all the universities is determined by taking the median student earnings 10 years after the first year of studies, deducting the median net cost of the degree after aid, and deducting the earnings the student would be likely to receive with only a high school diploma. Another metric called EarningsPlus is used to compare what a student earns to a market-wide earnings benchmark.

TAMIU was among the 1,219 schools in the survey with high enough median earnings to allow the average student to pay back their educational investment within five years.

Rankings like this affirm our mission, purpose and commitment to being accessible, affordable and exceptional, TAMIU President Dr. Pablo Arenaz said. As we ready for the start of our summer sessions and fall semester, I urge parents to consider rankings like this as they ponder possibilities  and come out and visit TAMIU too.

TAMIUs overall rankings were determined based on a net cost of $3,908 and median earnings of $46,823 resulting in a payback period of under a year.

Success in specific categories helped elevate TAMIUs overall totals. The top of those specific categories was English majors where TAMIU ranked No. 4 in the nation. English majors featured median earnings of $40,859, a payback period of 1.2 years and an EarningsPlus rating of $5,210.

TAMIU also ranked No. 12 in nursing nationally with an average payback period of under six months and median earnings of $66,552. Other notable national rankings for TAMIU included No. 16 for undergraduate engineering, No. 20 in history, No. 21 in accounting, No. 27 in finance, No. 37 in criminal justice, No. 40 in communications, No. 46 in sociology, No. 59 in business administration, No. 63 in political science and No. 86 in psychology.

For additional information on the rankings and the methodology used to determine them, visit degreechoices.com/best-colleges.
Leanora Benkato/Contributor

Harris County is on its way to reclaiming its reputation as a fast-growing metro area after a years-long rut. New 2022 data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the county welcomed the second-highest number of new residents in the U.S.45,626 people, to be exactonly trailing Maricopa County in Arizona by about 11,000.

This is a leap from previous years and could signal the end of a "half-decade slowdown," reported senior editor Matt Dulin of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. While Harris County saw significant population gains in 2022the highest since 2016its outlying counties also welcomed a combined total of 79,000 new people, per Dulin's report. In fact, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties also made the Census Bureau's top 10 list of numeric population growth, along with Bexar, Collin, and Denton counties, which surround Dallas and San Antonio.
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  The former principal of a Jewish girls school in Australia was found guilty Monday of sexually abusing two students, ending a nine-year legal battle that strained relations between the Australian and Israeli governments while antagonizing Australias Jewish community.

Malka Leifer, 56, a Tel Aviv-born mother of eight, was convicted on 18 counts, including rape, and acquitted of nine other charges, including five that related to the eldest student, Nicole Meyer. The three former students  Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper  are all sisters.

Trial judge Mark Gamble had issued a gag order preventing media reporting during the trial that Leifer had fought against her extradition to Australia following her return to Israel in 2008 as allegations against her first emerged. The legal battle she waged in Jerusalem courts since 2014 ended in 2021 when she boarded a flight toward Melbourne at Ben Gurion Airport, her ankles and wrists shackled.

The news of Leifers extradition was welcomed in Australia by lawmakers and Jewish community leaders.

Leifer sat with her head tilted, watching the jury, and did not react as the verdicts were read. The two former students she was convicted of abusing, Erlich and Sapper, were in court for the verdicts. Leifer had earlier pleaded not guilty to all 27 counts.

The Associated Press does not usually identify victims and alleged victims of sexual abuse, but the sisters have chosen to identify themselves in the media.

Prosecutors claimed Leifer abused the students between 2003 and 2007 at the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne where she was head of religion and later principal, as well as at her Melbourne home and at rural school camps.

Prosecutor Justin Lewis told jurors that Leifer tended to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers. Lewis said Leifer engaged in sexual activities with them and took advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance in sexual matters, and her own position of authority.

Defense lawyer Ian Hill argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offenses and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defense and to jurors. He attacked the credibility of the sisters, including accusing one of telling blatant lies in her evidence.

The sisters had an isolated upbringing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and received no sexual education, the court heard. They were around 12, 14 and 16 when Leifer arrived at the school from Israel in 2001.

Lewis said the sisters had provided explicit evidence that they did not understand the sexual nature of what Leifer did to them.

Leifer allegedly abused the eldest sister, Meyer, while they shared a bed at a school camp as the middle sibling, Erlich, pretended to be asleep in the same room. Jurors were told the youngest sibling, Sapper, walked into a room while Leifer was abusing Meyer.

Mrs. Leifer was one of the most respected persons in the community. If Mrs. Leifer was doing something then it must be OK, Sapper testified about her reaction to what she saw happening to her sister.

Erlich told the jury she had tried to form a relationship with another teacher to ask about what Leifer was doing, but Leifer discouraged her. Leifer told me it wasnt healthy for me to have a connection with another teacher, to have more than one mentor, Erlich testified.

The sisters gave evidence over two weeks behind closed doors, with the public and media excluded according to rules governing sexual assault trials in Victoria.

Other witnesses included those whom the sisters disclosed their allegations to.

Erlich first spoke to social worker Chana Rabinowitz in early 2008 in Israel. Rabinowitz said she asked the sister who hurt her and the young woman replied, It was Mrs. Leifer.

Psychologist Vicki Gordon testified that she heard Sapper claim abuse by Leifer. Gordon told the court the sister claimed Leifer had explained the abuse was an attempt to overcome a lack of warmth and affection in the girls family life.

Hill told the jury the sisters had revered Leifer and writings from their school years showed them thanking her for being supportive. Hill said Erlich's story had changed several times since the allegations were made in 2008.

Truth and reliability were lost in false accounts, Hill said. Perhaps even at times hardened into false imaginations and false memories of false realities.

He criticized Sapper for changing the location of alleged offenses from the girls hometown of Melbourne to Israel.

Its the wrong memory combined with the detail that shows you just how dangerous some witnesses can be when recounting a narrative to you, Hill said.

Manny Waks, head of advocacy group Voice Against Child Sex Abuse and a supporter of the three sisters, said the result was tinged with sadness because the allegations relating to Meyer were not proven.

It is a day  tinged with a great deal of sadness because the fight that (Meyer) has put up over the many years and now to walk away with not guilty verdicts in relation to her case is absolutely devastating and my thoughts are certainly with her in particular, Waks told Network 10 television.

The length of time its taken and the many challenges along the way, most people did not believe that this day would actually come and it has arrived and its a great day for justice, Waks said.

Meyer told reporters outside court that a guilty verdict was all weve ever wanted.

Since we started this battle, since we gave our police statements in 2011, to hear the word guilty is what she has fought not to be for so many years, and what we have fought for so many years to prove, she said.

Waks said the legal process had been challenging for the sisters until the verdicts were delivered.

The process that the sisters have gone through is unique and arduous. I attended 75 court hearings in Israel just to get her extradited, Waks said.

Leifer will return to court April 26 for a sentencing hearing.
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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay a visit to Warsaw this week that will include talks with political leaders and a meeting with regular Ukrainians and Poles, Polish officials announced on Monday.

Zelenskyy will be accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, for the visit, scheduled for Wednesday. It will begin with an official meeting at the Royal Castle between Zelenskyy and his host, Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Their talks will include security issues, regional politics, economic cooperation, historical matters lingering between the two neighbors as well as the transit of Ukraine's grain and other farm produce through Poland, according to Marcin Przydacz, the head of Dudas international office.

The talks will be followed by a meeting with the public, according to Duda's office.

Przydacz told radio broadcaster RMF FM that Zelenskyy will meet with Ukrainians and Poles at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, and that Zelenskyy says he wants to thank Poles for helping Ukrainians.

We are preparing a number of elements that will give this visit a special character," Przydacz said.

Zelenskyy is also to hold talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki regarding regional security, the situation at the front, and bilateral cooperation including the situation at border crossings and with Ukrainian grain, according to Morawiecki aide Michal Dworczyk.

Poland's farmers have been protesting falling prices for their grain and produce and lack of storage ahead of this year's harvest, blaming the situation on a massive inflow of produce from Ukraine that was intended for transit to third country markets but is lingering in Poland.

The historical issues chiefly regard tense relations that led to bloodshed between Poles and Ukrainians who lived in what was Poland before World War II and is now western Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk said that there is more now that unites us, compared to the past, because we see eye to eye on things like geopolitics, security and Russia's aggression.

It will be Zelenskyys first official visit to Poland since Russias aggression on Ukraine 13 months ago. He has held a number of secret working meetings in the country, however, while traveling to other countries.

Poland, a NATO and European Union nation on Ukraine's western border, was the first stop for many of the refugees who fled war at home. Many chose to remain, with more than 1.5 million registering with the government.
Police say a 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed Saturday at an apartment complex in Birmingham, the third teen fatally shot in the city in a week
The military says the service members who died in a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crash ranged in age from 23 to 36 and were from seven states
Rwanda has emerged first in Africa and the 42nd in the world in non-discrimination index, as per the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2022. The country received a score of 0.63 out of 1, an improvement from its scores of 0.61 in 2019 and 0.62 in 2020 and 2021.

The score draws on questions that assess how people are treated based on their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and national origin in various settings.

The World Justice Project, an international civil society organization working to advance the rule of law globally, produces the index.

Rwanda's success is attributed to good governance and civil justice, according to Dr Felicien Usengumukiza, the Head of Research and Home-Grown Solutions at Rwanda Government Board (RGB).

The average score for equal rights is now 0.57 out of 1, with only six countries among the 140 countries and jurisdictions in the 2022 Index scoring above 0.80. Finland, Estonia, and Singapore top the list with 0.84, 0.82, and 0.82 scores, respectively. Discrimination continues to be prevalent worldwide, with data from the World Justice Project indicating that it is widespread and increasing. The report also shows that the rule of law weakened in more countries than it improved in 2022, declining globally for the fifth consecutive year.

The World Justice Project rule of law index measures people's experiences and perceptions of the rule of law and draws on in-depth surveys of over 154,000 households and 3,600 experts and legal practitioners worldwide. It evaluates eight dimensions of the rule of law: limited government powers, absence of corruption, order and security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.

Rwanda excelled in all dimensions of the rule of law that were considered, including limited government powers, absence of corruption, order and security, fundamental rights, open government, regulatory enforcement, civil justice, and criminal justice.
As the days go by, Granard moves closer to hosting its first Booktown Festival. Last weekend the official launch was held in Granard Library.

Inspired by the global Booktown movement Granard's literary get together takes place from Friday 21 st to Sunday 23 rd April.



Granard Booktown Festival will encourage people who love books to visit the town and share in the arts generated around books and provide cultural amenities through the building of not just a national festival but an international one in the heart of Ireland.



John Connell is one of the driving forces behind the event: We were delighted to see such excitement in Granard on Saturday last for the launch of our official program for the Granard Booktown Festival. We have tried to curate a wide spectrum of writers from around the world, around Ireland and most importantly Longford, he told The Leader.



There is a packed programme on offer: There are over a dozen talks happening and the people of Longford can look forward to hearing from such famous writers as Donal Ryan in conversation with Longford's own Dani Gill, everyone's favourite midlands man, Manchan Magan, and of course we are so excited to welcome Professor Tim Flannery all the way from Australia who will be chatting to RTE's Ella McSweeney (Ear to the Ground). This event will be launched by the Australian ambassador to Ireland, John explained.



The inaugral Festival has a broad programme: There will be events for children too with Adam and David King of Late Late Toy show fame and of our own Shelley Corcoran with her newest book. We are also very excited to host two Rick O'Shea official book club events. Rick runs Ireland's biggest book club with over 40,000 members and this will surely help drive a crowd to Granard on the weekend in question.



John commended everyone who has made the event possible: We have received so much support from Longford, Granard and all the various funding bodies and business partners to make the festival a reality. It has been so amazing to have the support of all these bodies to allow us to make Granard a centre for books and writers this coming April.



With just a few weeks before the Festival John says excitement is building: We are very excited to launch the weekend and we hope that we have programmed a writer, talk and books to suit everyone's needs.



We are also very excited to say that in partnership with local pubs in Granard we will have trad sessions happening over the weekend. It's a weekend not to be missed, full of books, talk, music and fun. Granard Abu.



All roads lead to Granard, Longford, April 21-23rd, 2023 for the first Booktown festival. For more information visit the website www.granardbooktown festival.ie or follow on social media.
IFA President Tim Cullinan said the Government must immediately explain where the 1bn Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund (BAR) has been allocated.



An IFA delegation met with the Department of Agriculture and it appears only 50m from the fund is going to primary agriculture, he said.



There was much fanfare from Minister Simon Coveney, then Minister for Foreign Affairs, when this funding was secured for Ireland. It appears to be disappearing in a fog of bureaucracy, he said.

The Government must come clean and set out where the full 1.1bn is being allocated or is it going back to the EU. We appreciate the tight criteria to access this funding, but there are very mixed messages coming from Government about why some proposals have been included and others have not. I raised this with Tanaiste Micheal Martin at a recent meeting of the Brexit Stakeholder Forum, he said.



While we have not yet had a Hard Brexit, Irish agriculture is still facing an uncertain future in relation to the UK market, especially with the new trade deals the UK are signing.



IFA National Farm Business Chair Rose Mary McDonagh, who led the delegation, said IFA submitted a detailed document outlining the challenges every sector of Irish agriculture is facing because of Brexit.
Lismacaffrey farmer and ICSA Sheep chair Sean McNamara has said farmers need to be paid 8.30/kg for lambs in order for them to keep producing.



Speaking at an ICSA Sheep Crisis meeting held in Carrick-on-Shannon on Tuesday, March 21, Mr McNamara said, Sheep farmers have been producing at well below the cost of production for too long and it has caused havoc in the sector.

That is why ICSA is looking for a rescue package for sheep farmers  but the fact remains that processors too must play their part and pay farmers a price that takes our hugely inflated input costs into consideration and actually covers the cost of production.

ICSA Sheep chair Sean McNamara addressing the ICSA Sheep Crisis meeting held in Carrick-on-Shannon

The meeting was also addressed by Joe Burke Senior Manager Meat and Livestock, Bord Bia; Seamus McMenamin Sector Manager Meat and Livestock, Bord Bia, and Oliver Crowe of CC Agricultural Consultants.



Mr McNamara said, Tonight it was confirmed by Bord Bia that Brexit did disadvantage the Irish sheep sector and that Irish sheep farmers will face increased competition in Europe from the UK and the Southern Hemisphere for the remainder of 2023  much like it has done since the Brexit vote.



This is the reason that ICSA is campaigning for a 50m emergency aid package for sheep farmers  to be funded through the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR). Sheep farmers are the ones that have been most impacted by Brexit, and they urgently need the Government to access this fund on their behalf. That is what this fund is there for, and it must be used.

Mr McNamara stressed that the current crisis in the sheep sector will prevent any young farmers from choosing to go into the sector unless real action is taken.



Sheep farmers are not getting a fair price for their product nor are they receiving enough government support, and if young farmers cannot see a future in sheep farming then there is no future for the sector. It makes very little sense to produce a world class product if you cannot make a viable living from doing so.
A pet toy bought by Irish consumers is being recalled due to a safety concern.

According to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), EDCO Eindhoven B.V. is carrying out a recall of Cat Laser Pointer Toys as the laser is too powerful and can cause damage to the eyes.

The affected product - barcode 8711252 12427 8 with unknown type of model and batch number - has been sold since December 2021.

There are approximately 36 affected products in the Republic of Ireland. The product may have also been sold to consumers in the Republic of Ireland through the eBay platform.

If you purchased one of these products, please discontinue use immediately and return the item to the point of purchase where the purchase amount will be reimbursed.

For more information please visit www.edco.nl/en/safetyinformation or tel. 0031- 40 250 11 11.

If you purchased the product on eBay you may wish to contact the eBay seller to see if there are any remedies available to you. This can be done via your user account on eBay.
By Long Island Published: April 03 2023

A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a Jeep on a Long Island roadway, with police currently investigating the incident.

A Long Island roadway incident where a person was hit and killed by a Jeep is under investigation by the police. The unfortunate event occurred on Sunday, April 2, just before 11 p.m. in Shirley.

According to the Suffolk County Police, the victim, a 37-year-old man identified as Osmin Yavani Montoya Moreno of Shirley, was crossing the road from west to east in front of 507 William Floyd Parkway when a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, traveling northbound, hit him.

Unfortunately, the victim was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

The driver of the Jeep, a 33-year-old man from Mastic Beach, remained at the scene and was not harmed.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: April 03 2023

Gerald Pierre allegedly sold more than a dozen rifles, pistols and revolvers; fled Nassau County in February 2022 and was arrested in Philadelphia in January 2023.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a Westbury man was arraigned today on a 61-count indictment for selling more than a dozen illegal firearms, including rifles and pistols, between October 2020 and January 2022. The defendant fled Nassau County in early 2022 and was arrested in Pennsylvania and extradited this week.

Gerald Pierre, 40, was arraigned today before Judge Howard Sturim on charges including one count of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the First Degree (a B violent felony); one count of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); 28 counts of Criminal Sale of a Firearm in the Third Degree (a D violent felony); 13 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony); four counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree ( a D violent felony); and 14 counts of Criminal Possession of a Firearm (an E felony). The defendant was remanded and is due back in court on April 26, 2023. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 25 years in prison.

This defendant allegedly sold more than a dozen dangerous illegal guns in Nassau County and fled, said DA Donnelly. Gerald Pierre could not outrun justice, and just over a year later, he has been charged for his alleged crimes and faces decades in prison. NCDA and its partners at the Nassau County Police Department will continue to investigate every lead to take down firearms dealers in Nassau County and stop these deadly weapons from reaching our streets, no matter how long it takes.

DA Donnelly said, according to the charges, on nine separate dates between October 2020 and January 2022, the defendant sold a total of 14 illegal firearms, including semi-automatic rifles, assault weapons, revolvers, and pistols. Seven of those firearm sales took place in Westbury, one in Uniondale and another in Hempstead. Nearly all the firearms were loaded or sold with accompanying ammunition, and many were sold with large-capacity magazines that could hold up to 60 rounds of ammunition.

In February 2022, the defendant fled Nassau County and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On January 10, 2023, the defendant was arrested by Amtrak Police near Philadelphia for an unrelated matter, and it was discovered that the defendant had an open arrest warrant in New York. The defendant was extradited to Nassau County on March 29, 2023.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Investigative Counsel Brian Rodriguez of the Narcotics, Firearms and Gangs Bureau. The defendant is represented by David Haber, Esq.
Food, Wine, & Dining

By Ls Cohen Published: April 03 2023

Owner Iris Viera will serve up her family recipe of pupusas, a Central American specialty.

A fast-Latino food truck is putting down roots in Rocky Point, moving into the old Campus Hero spot at 660 Route 25a in the business district.

Owner and chef Iris Viera is bringing the family recipe for pupusas that she used to start her food truck to a permanent location calling her new take-out place Pupusas City.

Viera, who came to the United States from El Savador 14 years ago, was a cook at the now-closed Pentimento in Stony Brook before realizing her dream of opening her own restaurant.

Her food truck, Pupusas City Food Truck, specializes in pupusas, an El Savadorian flatbread sandwich, like a pancake made from rice flour stuffed with a protein, like chicken, cheese and vegetables.

Viera launched the food truck right before the pandemic hit, a fortuitous choice since her mobile restaurant idea was perfectly poised to take advantage of the take-out boom while most sit-down restaurants were on lockdown. With the success of her food truck, Viera, assisted by friends and family, decided last year to make Pupusas City into a brand.

Currently, they serve six different types of pupusas, all of which come from a family recipe that was passed all the way down the generations from Vieras grandmother.

They picked Rocky Point for their first wheelless restaurant for a number of reasons. First it was hard to get the perfect spot that had a decent parking lot. At first they were looking for a location with a drive-through but choices were slim. They wanted a small place with a good parking lot for grab-and-go style service. (In Rocky Point they will not have seating as their permit wont allow for it.)

The second reason is that Viera sees potential in Rocky Point, as businesses move in. Last year Greek Taste opened up on Broadway in the town, a similar type of quick take-out food service focusing on a specific ethnic food.

Its a good place, she said of Rocky Point.

While Rocky Point is a good place to start, she does not expect it to end there.

Viera has plans to entice investors into her business so she can open her brand in other cities with her eye on Pennsylvania and Maryland. The idea is to have a permanent location and a food truck wherever she expands.

To that end, Pupusas City Food Truck will continue to roll around Long Island.

With the permit process finally coming to an end Viera is in talks with an architect and a builder to hopefully start construction in about three weeks. Viera then hopes to be open and serving her family recipe pupusas in Rocky Point by June or July.
press release

Addis Ababa, 31 March 2023 (ECA) - A timely regulatory overhaul of Africas fledgling electricity sector will attract private sector investment and ensure energy security on the continent, stakeholders meeting at an electricity dialogue, have agreed.

More than 600 million Africans have no access to electricity and Africa generates only 4% of the global energy. Despite vast opportunities in the development of the electricity sector in Africa, there is low private sector investment in energy infrastructure and service delivery, participants at the recent High-Level Public-Private Dialogue on Private Sector Investment in Electricity and Infrastructure Development in Africa, heard.

The two-day dialogue, hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the RES4Africa Foundation brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including policymakers, international organizations, and decision-makers working in energy and infrastructure. They discussed the changes needed in policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure adequate openness, attractiveness, and readiness of African markets to private investments.

Mr. Yohannes Hailu, an energy policy expert at ECA Private Sector Development and Finance Division, highlighted the work of ECA and RES4Africa in 16 African countries on the assessment of the regulatory environment and risks as an essential entry point to address regulatory barriers that limit effective private sector investment in energy infrastructure.

"Advancing electricity market regulatory improvement and reform is a significant part of the solution towards de-risking investment in Africas energy infrastructure," Mr. Hailu said, emphasizing that credible regulatory framework and policy remained key instruments for member countries striving to crowd-in private capital in their electricity markets via generation, transmission, distribution, and off-grid system development.

The ECA and AUC continental framework, which was validated during the Dialogue, offers guidance on mainstreaming the key regulatory instruments at regional and national levels to crowd-in private investment. In addition, representatives from Ministries of Energy and Regional Energy Regulatory institutions provided feedback on regulatory areas for technical cooperation with ECA and the RES4Africa Foundation.

They also identified areas of regulatory technical cooperation including green hydrogen, storage of batteries, standardization of contracts, development of grid codes and risk-mapping. The Dialogue also discussed developing a regional framework for private sector participation in electricity markets.

Mr. Andrea Renzulli, head of policy and regulation at RES4Africa, commended the partnership with the ECA in raising awareness and sharing knowledge on the electricity reform agenda across African markets. He reaffirmed the commitment of RES4Africa Foundation and its members in collaboration with ECA and interested African countries to advance policy and regulatory reforms towards better market openness, attractiveness and readiness for private sector participation.

Mr. Renzulli acknowledged the importance of continued exchanges of knowledge between energy regulatory authorities across the Continent and the private sector.

At the closing of the technical training on regulation and private sector investment session held on the margins of the Dialogue, Mr. Robert Lisinge, Officer-in-Charge of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division at the ECA said an enabling environment is essential to meeting the major investment needs for national and regional infrastructure in Africa through public private sector partnerships.

"Our aim at ECA is to stay close to the continental, regional and national infrastructure agenda guided by Agenda 2063 and SDGs," said Mr. Lisinge, explaining that the ECA was providing capacity development and technical cooperation related to private sector participation to close the large financing gap in infrastructure development in the continent.

"The high-level dialogue this week highlighted the commitment of member States and the private sector to work together through facilitation of a conducive business environment for private investment and developing the right PPP framework for successful application of PPP in infrastructure finance, he said.

Issued by:

Communications Section

Economic Commission for Africa

PO Box 3001

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: April 03 2023

Local School Donation, Free Customer Gifts, and Great Deals Mark Grand Opening Weekend.

Burlington Stores, Inc. , a national off-price retailer offering everyday low prices on customers favorite brands for the entire family and home, is opening a new store in Freeport, NY, bringing the total number of locations in the state to 58. With up to 60% off other retailers prices every day on brand name merchandise arriving regularly, customers will discover something new every time they shop at Burlington. The retailer offers their shoppers amazing bargains on the items they want and need.

Our goal is to continue to offer communities low prices on brand name merchandise for the entire family and home, said Michael OSullivan, CEO, Burlington Stores. Were continuing to expand our footprint across the country and are excited to be opening a new store in Freeport. We look forward to giving local customers the chance to discover big savings on a wide range of products.

GRAND OPENING DETAILS & GIVEAWAYS

Freeport Burlington Store Opening date: April 21, 2023 Address: 222 East Sunrise Highway, Freeport, NY 11520 Store hours: Mon-Sunday: 8AM-11PM Website: www.Burlington.com/grandopening

On Friday and Saturday, 4/21  4/22, the first 100 customers, aged 18 and up, will receive a Burlington WOW! Buck to scratch off and reveal a prize amount to be used toward their purchase!

On Sunday, 4/23, customers will receive a free Burlington canvas tote, while supplies last, no purchase necessary.

Burlingtons new location will allow shoppers to find fantastic deals on the brands they love all throughout the store. Customers will be wowed and delighted by:

Ladies apparel and accessories at incredible prices

Big savings on menswear

Comfortable and casual finds for kids

Footwear for everyone

Everything for baby that wont break the bank

Home decor items, perfect for every season and holiday

Pet care and toys

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

As a company who cares about their customers and associates, Burlington is dedicated to adding value to the communities in which they live and work. Throughout the year, Burlington supports a variety of philanthropic initiatives that empower those locally to live better lives and build better futures.

To celebrate the Grand Opening of their new store location and highlight their ongoing commitment to education, the retailer will be donating $5,000 to a nearby school through their long-standing partnership with the national non-profit organization AdoptAClassroom.org. Funds will be used to provide students in a local high-needs school with classroom materials they need to better learn and succeed. The presentation of the donation to the local school community will take place at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Recognized as a Great Place to Work by Fortune and the Great Place to Work Institute, Burlington Stores offers a welcoming and inclusive environment where associates can create meaningful careers. This location is looking to hire approximately 65 associates in a wide range of full-time and part-time positions throughout the store. Those interested in joining an award-winning culture and one of the fastest growing retailers are encouraged to visit BurlingtonStores.jobs.

ABOUT BURLINGTON STORES, INC.

Burlington Stores, Inc., headquartered in New Jersey, is a nationally recognized off-price retailer with Fiscal 2021 net sales of $9.3 billion. The Company is a Fortune 500 company and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BURL. The Company operated 893 stores as of the end of the third quarter of Fiscal 2022, in 46 states and Puerto Rico, principally under the name Burlington Stores. At Burlington, customers will be amazed to find their favorite brands and the latest trends at low prices with fresh, seasonal items arriving regularly. The Company delivers bargains at up to 60% off other retailers prices every day on a wide assortment of merchandise including everything for ladies, men, kids, baby, along with home decor. Shoppers are sure to discover savings on amazing finds in stores every day. For more information about the Company, visit www.burlington.com.

ABOUT ADOPTACLASSROOM.ORG

AdoptAClassroom.org believes every child deserves the tools and materials they need to learn and succeed in school. The national, tech-based nonprofit connects donors and sponsors with PreK-12 teachers and schools to help equip more classrooms and students with school supplies. Since 1998, AdoptAClassroom.org has raised $65 million and supported more than 6.3 million students across the U.S. The 501(c)(3) holds the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the highest transparency rating offered by GuideStar. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit www.adoptaclassroom.org.
Governor Kathy Hochul has launched NYRx, the state's new pharmacy benefit program, which will improve prescription drug access and coverage for the eight million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid statewide. The long-awaited transition will enable Medicaid recipients to access more prescription medications with fewer restrictions, reduce confusion over the brand-name and generic drugs covered by the program, and create the largest pharmacy network in New York State.

"The transition to NYRx today is in the best interest of those New Yorkers relying on Medicaid for affordable prescription medication," Governor Hochul said. "In addition to expanding coverage and access through this program, we are also committing hundreds of millions of additional Medicaid dollars to reinvest in critical providers, including Ryan White programs and Federally Qualified Health Centers, to ensure this change is seamless and has positive impacts across our state."

Under the NYRx model, New York State's Medicaid program will pay pharmacy costs directly, eliminating the need for managed care organizations to administer this benefit through pharmacy benefit managers. The new process creates transparency in reimbursement s to pharmacies, leverages the state's purchasing power to negotiate with drug manufacturers, and streamlines administration for practitioners.

NYRx also improves coverage for Medicaid recipients by opening access to a statewide network of more than 5,000 pharmacies. In addition, the change establishes one comprehensive list of the brand-name and generic medications covered under the program, including all FDA-approved medications, which will broaden prescription drugs coverage for Medicaid recipients.

Additionally, NYRx will streamline the process for practitioners. Instead of working through varying rules and limitations for coverage under managed care organizations, pharmacists and physicians will be able to prescribe medication based on a uniform list that is less restrictive and governed by an independent public board of experts.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, "Today's shift back to a fee-for-service pharmacy benefit model is the right move for New York and ensures all communities across the state will have continued access to low-cost prescription medications. I thank Governor Hochul for her continued commitment as a champion of New York's diverse communities and fully support her proposal to add $705 million in the FY 2024 budget to provide the state's non-profit organizations and hospitals including Ryan White centers that serve patients enrolled in HIV/AIDS programs with the funding they need to continue offering essential services to some of the state's most vulnerable populations."

New York State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri said, "The eight million New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid will receive their same prescription medications, only from a larger network of pharmacies at no extra cost and with fewer restrictions and less confusion than before. With this transition, our Medicaid program will now pay all pharmacies directly rather than relying on corporate middlemen who do not always act in ways that that align with the interests of Medicaid members. This will create both transparency and efficiency that will work to the benefit our members and ensure access to patient-centered, high-quality health care."

Bassiri reiterated the patient-centered benefits of the transition in an opinion piece published this week in the Buffalo News. The transition is also supported by pharmacological organizations and various health care providers, including the state's largest Federally Qualified Health Center.

In anticipation of NYRx being implemented, Governor Hochul committed $705 million in Medicaid dollars in her FY 2024 budget to ensure 340b health care providers that received critical funding through their pharmacy programs aren't negatively impacted by the transition. Of the $705 million, the budget reinvests $30 million in state Medicaid funding to Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs, $250 million in state and federal Medicaid funding into Federally Qualified Health Centers, and $425 million in state and federal Medicaid funding into hospitals.

Initially adopted in 2020 in the FY 2021 Budget, the transition will also help address New York State's rapid growth in Medicaid pharmacy costs, which has been driven primarily by pharmacy benefit managers and other intermediaries in the prescription medication supply chain. The transition was delayed by the FY 2022 Budget, which pushed implementation until today, April 1, 2023.

Medicaid recipients or others with questions or in need of assistance with NYRx may visit the program's website, email NYRx@health.ny.gov or contact the Medicaid Helpline at 1-855-648-1909 or TTY 1-800-662-1220. The Helpline is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The state Department of Health also prepared a fact sheet available in multiple languages for consumers answering basic questions about the transition. Additional information is available at the on the eMedNY website.

State Senator James Skoufis said, "Under NYRx, our taxpayers, providers, and independent pharmacies will finally receive the Medicaid network they've long deserved. The previous system was financially unsustainable and inherently unjust to our healthcare professionals on our community's front lines - and the savings generated by this new carveout will be directly reinvested into our hospitals and health centers to ensure the strongest possible transition. This move is a win for everyone involved except the drug company middlemen who will no longer be able to rip off the state's taxpayers, patients, and providers. My thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership on this important issue."

Pharmacists Society of the State of New York President Heather Ferrarese said, "PSSNY is proud to join with fellow pharmacists in recognizing and rejecting efforts to undermine NYRx. The shift to NYRx today will greatly enhance patient access to lifesaving medications and other pharmacy services in both rural and urban areas across the state. It will increase transparency, and Medicaid patients will have one expansive drug formulary and access to one of the largest pharmacy networks in the country so they can use their pharmacy of choice. For New York's eight million Medicaid patients, NYRx is the right prescription to meet their pharmacy care needs."

Community Pharmacy Association of New York State President Michael Duteau said, "We commend Governor Hochul and the state Legislature for this lifesaving reform to expand access and quality of pharmacy care for all with Medicaid. Patients will no longer be forced to follow restrictive pharmacy network requirements set by pharmacy benefits managers and will have one consistent statewide drug formulary which covers 100 percent of FDA-approved medications. This will improve care for New Yorkers in underserved communities with HIV, Hepatitis C, diabetes, asthma, mental health and substance use disorders and other serious and chronic conditions."

Sun River Health Chief Financial Officer James Sinkoff said, "New York State's NYRx program achieves many of the goals of the 340b program. Importantly, the patient-physician relationship will go unimpeded under this new program. Sun River Health thanks Governor Hochul for recognizing the need to sustain essential resources to assure patients can continue to receive high quality, affordable healthcare without interruption."

Refuah Health CEO Chanie Sternberg said, "Over the past several years, New York State has faced unprecedented challenges in delivering high-quality health care and ensuring access to services for those who need it most. While there are still many barriers that need to be addressed as we work together to achieve health equity, today we would like to take the opportunity thank the Governor's office for their support and taking crucial steps to ensure continuity of care and access to services for medically vulnerable and underserved New Yorkers."

New York State Academy of Family Physicians Dr. Andrew Symons said, "On behalf of our 6,000 family physician members across the State, we applaud Governor Kathy Hochul and State Legislators for expanding patient access to pharmacy care under Medicaid on April 1st. This critical policy, known as NYRx, will provide one formulary covering all FDA-approved medications, provide one set of rules for prescribers to follow to get needed coverage for patients and provide better access to lifesaving therapies for Medicaid patients. We commend their leadership in making this transformative step toward improving health care overall in New York State."
Local News

By Long Island Published: April 03 2023

Two workers lost their lives after falling into a trench and becoming trapped at the JFK power plant in a tragic construction accident, leading to a halt in all construction at the airport.

According to officials, a tragic construction accident occurred at the power plant located in John F. Kennedy International Airport resulting in the deaths of two workers. The incident occurred when the workers fell into a 30-foot trench and became trapped shortly before 11:10 a.m. at Building 49 within the airport premises, as stated by the FDNY and other sources.

Firefighters and Port Authority officials quickly arrived at the scene and rescued the trapped victims from the rubble. Unfortunately, the workers were pronounced dead at the scene, according to a spokesperson for the fire department.

At this time, it is unclear what the workers were doing at the time of the fall, and their identities have not been disclosed as of Monday.

The JFK power plant is a gas-fired cogeneration facility that is located at the airport in Jamaica, Queens. Calpine, the plant's owner, reported that the energy generated by the power plant is sold to the Port Authority, while incremental electrical power is sold to the New York System Operator. Calpine also owns and operates four other power plants on Long Island.
(Alliance News) - Aura Energy Ltd on Monday noted that the Swedish government has rejected a motion to lift its ban on uranium mining in Sweden.

The London-based minerals company that holds projects in Mauritania and Sweden said it understands that the rejection of the motion does not represent "any change of policy or direction by the government, which has repeated its support to lift the ban on uranium mining".

In November last year, Sweden's centre-right coalition government put forward a motion to change the Environmental Code & Minerals Act to its original wording, instituted before the ban on uranium mining, in order to permit the process.

Uranium exploration, mining and processing was banned in the nation in 2018.

The company said individual members of parliament can submit motions which are routinely rejected on "procedural points of order", even if they align with government policy.

On the same day the motion was rejected, March 21, Sweden's minister of energy & enterprise, Ebba Busch, said: "We intend to expand the nuclear power element in Sweden so that we can meet the expected doubling of electricity demand in the coming years, and then we need to get uranium from somewhere."

"We are slowly but surely changing this policy. It is not done overnight. But in view of this, we in the four cooperation parties have had the basic position that we have had on uranium mining in Sweden when this has previously been voted on."

Aura said it supports the policy for the Swedish government to carry out an "orderly and considered review of uranium mining".

Aura shares rose 11% to 13.88 pence each in London on Monday morning.

By Harvey Dorset, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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Democracy must be defended today, at any cost. Tomorrow, when the principles which we can defend today have been passed into the hands of a totalitarian state, will be too late.  Sadie T.M. Alexander

Lycoming College will host Nina Banks, Ph.D., for a lecture entitled Sadie T.M. Alexander: Safeguarding Democracy - Race, Economic Uncertainty and the Rule of Law. Banks will discuss revolutionary economist Sadie T.M. Alexanders analysis of the rise in fascism and racial demagoguery in the United States in the 1930s, and why that is especially relevant today. The event will be held on Tuesday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m., in the Trogner Presentation Room in the Krapf Gateway Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Alexander was the United States first African American economist and first African American woman to earn her doctorate, receiving that degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1921. She spent the majority of her career, both as an economist and later as a lawyer, fighting against racial and economic injustice. She created policies meant to safeguard the peoples rights from systemic discrimination, and bring justice to those who suffered because of it. Bankss lecture will examine the methods Alexander used and compare them to how we must act in our time, while also shinning a light on such an important but often overlooked woman to the history of economics in our nation.

Banks is an associate professor of economics at Bucknell University, and currently serves at visiting fellow at the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School. Her storied career has focused on making visible the unseen and often unpaid work of African American and other marginalized women in the fields of economics and community activism. Just as with her talk on the accomplishments of Saide T.M. Alexander, Banks restores the ignored but necessary place for the women who helped to shape the economic history of the United States.

After graduating from Hood College with B.A.s in economics and social history, Banks earned her doctorate in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a visiting fellow at the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School. She has authored several books on the intersection between race, gender and economics, the most well-known being Democracy, Race, and Justice: The Speeches and Writings of Sadie T. M. Alexander. Her research has been featured in popular media outlets such as NPR, the Economist, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journals Future of Everything Festival, and the State of Working America podcast.

This lecture is co-sponsored by Lycoming Colleges department of economics; the department of gender, sexuality, and womens studies; and the Humanities Research Center.
press release

Addis Ababa, 20 March 2023 (ECA) - African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development have called for decisive action to reform the global debt architecture to enable the investments needed for achieving sustainable development and climate goals around the world.

The call was made at a meeting of the High-level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture on the margins of ECAs 55th Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Group comprises African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the African Union, the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, and the World Bank, and includes the participation of IMF staff and Executive Directors. The Group serves as a forum to develop reform proposals for the global financial architecture and strengthen the African voice on the global stage.

Hanan Morsy, ECAs Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist noted that 2023 presents a critical moment to progress reform efforts advocated by the Group. Many of the Groups ideas align with the UN Secretary Generals proposals for international financial architecture reform, which form part of his call for an SDG stimulus of at least $500 billion per year to achieve Agenda 2030.

The Group underscored that the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, a joint initiative by the Indian G20 presidency, the IMF, and the World Bank, the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in June as well as the Climate Action Summit, the Climate Ambition Summit and the SDG Summit to be held in September are important opportunities to advance the global financial architecture reform agenda. The Ministers also expressed their hope that Africa, represented by the African Union, would finally obtain a permanent seat in the G20, thereby further strengthening Africas voice on the global stage.

Debt and the Common Framework

Ministers voiced concerns over rising debt vulnerabilities in Africa, as eight African countries face debt distress and 13 are at high risk of debt distress per the IMF-World Banks Debt Sustainability Analysis. They acknowledged that the G20 Common Framework, designed to address todays more diverse creditor profiles, has not effectively supported nations in debt distress.

Ministers urged the G20 to urgently overhaul the Common Framework to make it more effective, time-bound, and transparent while providing debt service standstill for applicants. Key proposals include forming Expanded Creditor Committees with private sector creditors to smooth coordination challenges, establishing a Comparability of Treatment formula to minimize technical disputes, and bolder use of the IMFs Lending into Arrears Policies to reduce the leverage of holdout creditors.

In the long run, the establishment of a Multilateral Creditor Club, acting in partnership with debtors, could support the coordination of future Common Framework restructurings and oversee outstanding global debt challenges. Ministers called for reviewing and updating the IMF-World Bank Debt Sustainability Analysis to make it more SDG- and solvency-focused. They also stressed the need to fortify the international debt legal framework through enhanced collective action and force majeure clauses, anti-vulture fund legislation, and state-contingent debt instruments.

Ministers also expressed concerns about biased credit ratings for many African countries and emphasized the need to address transparency and regulatory issues.

Sustainable Debt Coalition

Ministers welcomed and endorsed the Sustainable Debt Coalition initiative, which was presented by Mohamed Maait, Minister of Finance of Egypt. The Coalition aims to increase access to affordable green and SDG finance while supporting debt refinancing or issuance aligned with debtor-defined sustainability objectives.

The Coalition fosters consultations at the intersection of debt, climate, and development. Focus areas include debt-for-climate investment swaps, green and blue bonds, blended finance, the sustainable budgeting approach, automatic debt suspension for climate events (so called hurricane clauses'), prioritizing grant finance, and debtor-defined key performance indicators.

ECA has been requested to coordinate in the interim the Coalitions Secretariat and collaborate with partners to advance its goals ahead of COP28.

The High-Level Working Group will advance its discussions in support of a reformed global financial architecture on the margins of the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington in April 2023.
With the official announcement of the dates for this years WWDC, all eyes have turned to June for the next barrage of Apple updates. Chief among those, of course, is the much-rumored Apple headsetdespite recent reports that it may have been delayed.

But even if the headset sucks up most of the oxygen in the Steve Jobs Theater (or wherever Apple is showing this years keynote), WWDC is traditionally a time for the company to show off the latest versions of all of its platforms, and its not as though it can let iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS simply lie fallow for a year.

While earlier reports suggested that this years updates might be more like bug fix releases, more recently its been suggested that well see some nice to have features, if not the kind of big marquee enhancements that weve come to expect year over year.

And thats not a bad thing. There are plenty of rough edges in Apples operating systems, and places that could use some minor tweaks and improvements. So lets look ahead at what the company might do to improve its platforms in small ways.

iOS 17

iOS has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade, with every year bringing some big feature or another. But too often, Apple seems to deliver said improvement, then dust off its hands and walk away, patting itself on the back for a job well done. Those features then languish, year over year, until people get frustrated and stop using them because it seems like theyll never be updated.

For example, one addition Id really like to see is improvements to iOSs autocorrect system. Maybe Im just getting old, but Ive found it harder and harder to type even short messages on my iPhone, and at least some of that is down to autocorrect, which seems to often replace a totally valid word Ive entered with some other wordsometimes even a word that seems to be utter gibberish. Tweaking this system to actually make it easier to type instead of a more frustrating experience is just one way Apple could improve the existing experience on iOS without delving into big new features.

Autocorrect in iOS often makes it more difficult to type a message. Foundry

Other small improvements that would be nice to have could include breaking the Passwords section of Settings out into its own app, tweaking the way multiple calendars appear in the Calendar app, and allowing more widgets on the lock screen, just to name a few.

iPadOS 17

Yes, the iPads software would seem to be one place Apple still needs to do a lot of major work, but there are still places it would benefit from some smaller improvements to improve the quality of life.

The iPad Pro can be a great platform for podcast production, with apps such as Ferrite (pictured), except it has microphone limits. Wooji Juice

One place in particular that could use improvement is better audio support, including the ability to let two apps use the microphone at once, finally enabling real podcast creation support on the iPad. Does this go beyond a nice to have feature to a more major undertaking? Perhaps. But Apples long had robust audio support on the Mac, and as the iPad and the Mac get closer together, it becomes increasingly ridiculous that the iPad cant do things that the Mac has been able to do for years.

In addition, it would be nice to see some further tweaks to Stage Manager, indicating that Apple knows it hasnt yet nailed that particular feature; the addition of iOSs lock screen features on the iPad; and a re-think of the floating keyboard palette that always seems to be in exactly the wrong place.

macOS 14

With a product as mature as the Mac, it might seem that there arent a lot of improvements left to make, but the truth is, the older the platform, the more things fall through the cracks.

One big nice-to-have feature Id like to see in macOS 14 is letting widgets live outside of their little column in Notification Center. Frankly, since the disappearance of Dashboard, widgets have gotten the short end of the stick in macOS, and given their popularity on iOS and iPadOS, itd be great to get similar capabilities on the Mac. Why cant I have my weather widget on my desktop or a list of my upcoming calendar events? To be honest, right now, I only ever check my Mac widgets by accident.

We dont need a revival of Dashboard in macOS, but we do need a better way to use widgets. Foundry

Some other things that could use some work: a revamp to last years controversial System Settings app redesign, the ability to link between notes in Notes, and tags for events in Calendar.

watchOS 10

Ten years of the Apple Watch! Amazing how time flies (if youll pardon the expression). The Apple Watch has come a long way since its debut, evolving from a do-everything-computer-on-your-wrist to a health-and-fitness-focused wearable. But while it may sometimes feel like the amount of new compelling functionality has dwindled, there are places that could use some tweaks.

One that comes to my mind? Refining fitness tracking and streaks. Weve all had days where we just cant get out of bedwhether because were sick or injured or simply because its just one of those days. But the Apple Watchs Activity app just cant seem to read the room, instead nudging you that you could still close your rings if only you could manage a two-hour walk around the block. Apple badly needs to add a rest day concept here; after all, the only people were really cheating are ourselves. Take a page from the excellent game Knotwords, which allows you to recover a streak broken by missed days by hitting your goals for seven days in a row.

Other nice improvements would include the ability to receive FaceTime video calls, a built-in Notes app, and a big one: tweaks to older watch faces that bring the most recent complication styles and more.

tvOS 17

Will tvOS get any significant updates this year? Its perhaps Apples least-updated platform, but there are certainly improvements that could be made to enhance its experience.

First and foremost, some tweaking of the home screen design: I dont expect the mass of app icons to go away, but it would be nice to have an option to automatically arrange them in, say, order of frequent use. What I dont want to have to do is rearrange the icons myself constantly. Alternatively, a way to divide the home screen into multiple categories might also go a long way toward improving how users access apps.

Other things that could be nice are the addition of lossless audio passthrough, improved iCloud Keychain implementation to avoid cumbersome re-logging in, and yes, figuring out how to negotiate with Netflix to get it integrated into the Apple TV app. But I wont be holding my breath for that last one.
The next time you buy a Chevy, your iPhone might no longer be your co-pilot. According to a new report, GM plans to phase out CarPlay from future electric vehicles as it looks to capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.

Reuters reports that the first General Motors car to drop CarPlay support will be the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer. The company plans to launch a new onboard navigation system with Google that has been in development since 2019. GM is moving its entire fleet of cars to zero tailpipe emissions by 2035 and plans to eventually begin charging for digital subscription services as Tesla does.

Moving away from CarPlay wont happen overnightand likely wont affect the millions of GM cars currently on the roadbut its a notable shift away from what has been the standard in cars over the past several years. More than 70 car manufacturers support CarPlay and 600 models, including numerous electric cars. However, several notable electric car makers dont support CarPlay, including Tesla and Rivian.

According to Mike Hichme, executive director of GMS digital cockpit experience, the carmaker has a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation and wont be dependent on a person having a cellphone. Its not clear from the report whether the new system will support Apple Music. Tesla only added support for the Apple Music app in its cars late last year.

Apple announced the next generation of CarPlay at WWDC 2022, which provides content for all the drivers screens including the instrument cluster and handles vehicle functions such as radio and temperature controls. Apple says vehicle announcements are coming late in 2023, but its safe to assume a number of electric cars will be among the first partnerships.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
College of Law Dean Edgardo Carlo Vistan has been selected by the University of the Philippines Board of Regents (BOR) as the new chancellor of UP Diliman.

UP President Angelo Jimenez announced that Vistan will replace outgoing chancellor Fidel Nemenzo, who served his three-year term from 2020 to 2023.

The other candidates vying for the position were Nemenzo and Archaeology Professor Victor Joaquin Paz.

Prior to his appointment, Vistan served as one of the pioneer faculty members of the Angeles University Foundation School of Law in 2006. He transferred to the UP College of Law in 2015 before shortly taking a study leave for his Masters of Law program in Yale Law School in 2016. He was then admitted to the universitys Doctor of the Science of Law program in 2017.

Vistan was designated director of the UP Office of Legal Aid in 2019.

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Meanwhile, tension arose on campus as some students converged on Quezon Hall to ask the BOR to explain their decision to select Vistan, according to a report by dzBB Super Radyos Glen Juego.

The students demanded transparency on the voting and said there was no democracy in the selection process. They also said the BOR did not heed the voice of the UP Community as several student groups and faculty members expressed support for Nemenzos re-appointment. \Hindi tayo papayag na patuloy na magbingi-bingihan ang BOR sa ating mga panawagan! Hindi tayo papayag na patuloy na manaig ang interes ng ilan! the UP Diliman University Student Council said in a tweet.

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The Palace on Monday identified four new basesone near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another near Taiwanwhere American troops and weapons could be temporarily stationed under a treaty between the Philippines and the United States.

These sites, covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), are the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela, and Balabac Island in Palawan.

The US and the Philippines agreed in February to expand cooperation in strategic areas of the country as they seek to counter Chinas growing assertiveness over self-governed Taiwan and its aggression in the South China Sea.

Last month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that Filipino and American officials had already identified and agreed on the four new military sites and would make a formal announcement soon.

The four extra EDCA sites will be scattered around the Philippines, but the main goal is to defend the countrys eastern coast, the President said.

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To overcome opposition from some local government units (LGUs) not keen on hosting US forces and equipment, the President said he talked to local officials from these areas and explained the importance of the EDCA sites in their jurisdictions.

Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong earlier said the EDCA sites would not be American military bases.

The sites mentioned, he said, would be used as storage and warehouse facilities for military logistics.

In February, President Marcos granted US troops access to four more Philippine military camps on top of the five existing locations under the EDCA.

Filipino and American troops are also scheduled to hold their largest-ever military exercise this April.

US troops are already conducting live-firing drills using their High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and AT-4 anti-tank weapons together with the Philippine Army troops in Fort Magsaysay in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

The Pentagon announced that the United States and the Philippines have agreed to review the full range of their maritime cooperation in the 2 + 2 meeting in Washington this month.

Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said he was instructed by the President to immediately start the construction of the new sites, but they are still waiting for proper budget allocations from both sides, and for the United States to make the necessary recommendations.

Galvez said that selected areas are significant and very strategic, especially the areas near the hotly contested West Philippine Sea and the countrys trade route.

The new EDCA locations will also be used for faster deployment during disasters due to their placement on the outside portion of the country.

Galvez said the selected sites were collectively decided and agreed upon by both parties and not requested by the United States.

Asked about reports that Subic was eyed as the fifth EDCA site, Galvez said political sensitivities in the area forced them to remove it.

A formal announcement on EDCA sites will come from the Defense Department, Galvez said.

Three of the sites are in the northern Philippines, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and an army camp in the neighboring province of Isabela, the Palace statement said.

The naval base at Cagayan provinces Santa Ana is about 400 kilometers from Taiwan.

Another site will be on Balabac Island, off the southern tip of Palawan Island, near the South China Sea.

Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba has publicly opposed having EDCA sites in his province for fear of jeopardizing Chinese investment and becoming a target in a conflict over Taiwan.

But Galvez told reporters recently the government had already decided on the sites and that Mamba had agreed to abide with the decision.

EDCA allows US troops to rotate through the bases and also store defense equipment and supplies at them.

The pact stalled under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who favored China over the countrys former colonial master.

But Marcos, who succeeded Duterte last June, has adopted a more US-friendly foreign policy and has sought to accelerate the implementation of the EDCA.

Beijing has been critical of the agreement, which its embassy in the Philippines said recently was part of US efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. With AFP

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Opinion polls underscore the pro-Le Pen dynamics underway in French politicsbut need to be interpreted with care

By Adam Plowright

As violent protests sweep crisis-hit France, the prospect of far-right leader Marine Le Pen coming to power is being taken more seriously than ever  to her evident delight.

At least Ive succeeded in winning over my political opponents, she told AFP with a smile during an interview last week. They seem to spend their lives telling everyone that I will be the next president.

Now its up to me to convince a majority of the country.

President Emmanuel Macrons proposal to raise the minimum retirement age to 64 has triggered the biggest demonstrations in a generation and a fierce backlash against the government and politicians in general.

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Le Pen has condemned the change but has kept a low profile since January, seeking to project an image of sobriety compared with the governments raucous and outraged opponents on the hard-left.

While MPs from the France Unbowed (LFI) party have repeatedly broken parliamentary rules and backed protesters during the violent clashes, Le Pens National Rally lawmakers have appeared disciplined in comparison.

The leader of Macrons party in parliament, Aurore Berge, complained last month that all Le Pens MPs needed to do was stay quiet and they look respectable.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Thursday accused LFI leader Jean-Luc Melenchon of making the election of Madame Le Pen possible.

While researching a new politics book entitled We will have tried everything, author and pollster Chloe Morin noted that almost all French politicians she spoke to said they feared Le Pen coming to power.

Macrons nightmare?

The prospect of the far-right leader succeeding Macron at the next election in 2027 is said by allies to keep the 45-year-old president awake at night.

He will be ineligible to run in 2027 after completing two terms.

Its the issue that haunts Emmanuel, a senior lawmaker who knows the president well told AFP recently on condition of anonymity. He doesnt talk about it, but he thinks about it.

Macron positioned himself as a bulwark against populism and far-right nationalism when he first ran for office in 2017, promising voters he would address the anti-elite anger that has fed support for the political extremes in France for decades.

Seeking a second term in April last year, the former investment banker used the same arguments again, but he defeated Le Pen by a much smaller margin of 58.5 percent to 41.45 percent, while abstentionism hit its highest level since 1969.

Le Pen welcomes the idea of disturbing Macrons dreams.

Im sorry if I feature like this in his nightmares, she told AFP with a laugh. Hes right to be worried. The way he is ruling will enable political forces with the exact opposite approach to his to gain power.

France governed against its wishes

The twice-divorced former lawyer has run for president three times since taking over her fathers National Front party in 2011.

Although always positioned as anti-immigration, tough on Islam and eurosceptic, she has moderated her message over the years and looked to banish overtly racist party figures from the public eye.

In last years elections, she focused on the rising cost of livingand was rewarded with her highest ever score in the presidential election and a 10-fold increase in MPs in the National Assembly.

Macrons decision to ram the pensions reform through parliament without a vote on March 16a lawful but contested move  has also given Le Pen the chance to revive other parts of her long-standing pitch to voters.

She has proposed a referendum to settle the pension reform argument and, if elected, promises to organize other votes on issues ranging from immigration to electoral law.

France is not an ungovernable country. Its a country that has been governed against its wishes, Le Pen said in the interview.

Big winner?

Opinion polls underscore the pro-Le Pen dynamics underway in French politics  but need to be interpreted with care, experts say.

She is currently slightly more popular than Macron, but the margin is small.

Thirty percent of respondents had a positive view of the president, according to a poll this week from Odoxa, while 32 percent viewed Le Pen favorably.

She also lags behind Macrons first prime minister, Edouard Philippe, a conservative from northern France who is the countrys most popular politician and is likely to run for president in 2027.

Other polls show that if Macron were to dissolve the hung parliament, Le Pens party would be the biggest winner.

Some experts warn against jumping to conclusions about her prospects, however, given that she still unsettles many people and is perceived as weak on the economy as well as inconsistent on foreign policy.

Everyone has lost (over the pensions reform), except for Marine Le Pen, concluded Stephane Zumsteeg, head of polling in France for the Ipsos group.

Shes continuing her work to improve her respectability, to institutionalize her party, to make it a constructive opposition. Shes working on her policies, he told AFP.

But we dont have a tangible sign at this point that she is the big winner from whats happening.

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LANSING  Do you need an alternative to Greyhound? Megabus, a national low-fare bus service, might be your new answer.

The company has restored its service to Michigan with connections to cities across the country and in Canada, with over 100 destinations.

The company is back after ceasing operations in the state in 2017 due to low ridership.

Megabus, with U.S. headquarters in New Jersey, is now partnering with Owosso-based bus company Indian Trails to offer service throughout the state.

Indian Trails said it recently ended its contract with Greyhound due to Greyhounds new contract terms.

According to Megabus, the arrangement will expand service throughout the Midwest as well.

This partnership will allow us to expand travel opportunities for customers in some additional cities in our network, like Detroit and Chicago, while welcoming customers in a new plethora of cities, said Colin Emberson, a Megabus vice president.

Customers will be able to connect throughout the state, including destinations such as East Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids, St. Ignace, Clare, Big Rapids, Iron Mountain, Alpena, Traverse City, Cheboygan, Petoskey and Cadillac.

Indian Trails President Chad Cushman said, We look forward to our new partnership with Megabus and the continued expansion of our service network.

Megabus director of marketing, Meghan OHare, said, As demand for travel steadily increases post-pandemic, were thrilled to be able to offer more travel options to customers.

As of the launch date on April 3, Megabus lists a one-way ticket from Grand Rapids to Detroit for $32. Greyhound offers the same route for $39.
The Reuters report being investigated by the investigative panel covered mass abortion, massacre of children, and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) allegedly perpetrated by the Nigerian military.

The Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter-Insurgency Operations in North-East Nigeria (SIIP North East) has heard 50 witnesses in an ongoing investigation of the Nigerian military's activities in the troubled region.

Hilary Ogbonna, the secretary of the panel, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola, Adamawa State, at the ongoing fact-finding mission in the North-east counter-insurgency operations.

NAN reports that the panel was inaugurated on 7 February by Tony Ojukwu, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in response to the publication of a three-part report by Reuters, an international news media, in December 2022.

Reuters report covered mass abortion, massacre of children, and Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) allegedly perpetrated by the Nigerian military. The report said the military terminated the pregnancies of over 10,000 pregnant women, rescued from Boko Haram captivity, from 2013.

Mr Obinna, who is the human rights adviser to the commission, said the testimonies were received during the panel's visit to Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

"So far, we have collected testimonies from over 50 witnesses, including the Nigeria Armed Forces, military, civilians and hospitals of the three states.

"We are just concluding our hearing in Yola. We are going back to Abuja to continue with our documentation and analysis of evidence that we gathered," he said.

NAN also reports that the panel on Saturday, visited Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH) Yola, Specialist Hospital Yola and Army Barracks Medical clinic of 23 Artillery Brigade, Yola,

NAN reports that the international media organisation had alleged that the military was involved in the massacre of children as well as other Sexual and Gender Based Violence(SGBV) in the North East.

Denial

However, the military has refuted the allegations saying that it was a ploy to malign the image of the Nigerian Armed Forces, which has been at the forefront of the counter-insurgency efforts in the North-east.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, said: "It's outright nonsense.

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"Their allusion is news to me. It never occurred. I never saw anything like that from Maiduguri down to Maimalamari Cantonment where I lived that is a major hospital for our personnel and their family. I am disappointed to say the least. So it is not true."

The Chief of Army Staff, Faouk Yahaya, has similarly denied the allegations.

NAN reports that members of the panel are a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Abdu Aboki, as chairman, Kemi Okonyedo, representing Women Rights Organisation, Azubuike Nwankenta, representing the Nigerian Bar

Others are Letam Wiwa, a retired major-general (military law and intelligence expert), and Maisaratu Bakari (consultant in obstetrics and gynecology (Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital Yola).

The rest are Fatima Akilu (humanitarian expert, representing civil society), and Halima Nuradeen (psychologist, representing the youths).
American Idol kicked off Hollywood Week on Sunday, where gold ticket winners meet with the shows alumni to work on building confidence, stage presence and songwriting before hitting the Hollywood stage. But despite an infectiously lovely performance, one contestant quit right in the middle of the show.

Sara Beth Liebe, who goes by Sara Beth, worked with mentor Clay Aiken on the Polices Roxanne and eventually performed the song for the judges. She then announced her recent performance to be her last on the show, hoping to head home to her family.

This opportunity is really rad, but this is actually going to be my last performance because my hearts at home, so Im going to get home to my babies, she said. They kind of need me.

Beth is a mother of three, who auditioned for the show admitting that shes only pursued music the last 6 months leading up to American Idol.

I dont even know what show business is Beth said after leaving the Hollywood stage. Ive been a mom since I was 18. Ive been married since I was 18. I dont think I realized quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids.

She also told a producer backstage I feel like Im not gonna win the show anyway, so I might as well go home.

The decision shocked judges, eventually leading them to call Beth back up to the stage.

Self-love is just as big as motherly love. Dont leave the competition, Katy Perry pleaded with her. The judges also told Beth they had planned to put her through to Hollywood Weeks second round based on her performance.

Beth explained she was humbled and grateful for the experience but I still kind of want to get home, she said.

Her departure from the show comes shortly after the contestant addressed a hurtful joke made by Perry.

During her audition, when she mentioned her three children, Perry stood out of her seat shocked.

If Katy lays on the table, I think Im going to pass out, Beth laughed.

Honey, you been laying on the table too much, Perry replied.

Since her audition aired, Beth addressed the joke made by Perry on her TikTok account.

It was embarrassing to have that on TV and it was hurtful, she told followers. She also said that mom shaming is super lame.

When leaving the show, Beth did not specifically claim that the joke was her reason for leaving.

Season 21 of American Idol now airs every Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Those looking to stream the show can do so on FuboTV. The platform offers a free trial for new users.

The show also streams on Hulu with a subscription. Those who sign up will get their first month free. Plans for Hulu start as low as $6.99 a month and give you access to thousands of shows and movies.
A cruise line focusing on longer voyages is offering new 21-day trips from Boston to the Caribbean.

Holland America Line opened booking options for its 2024-2025 Caribbean season. It included three new voyages that are 14 and 21 days, including two from Boston.

Known as the Perfect Caribbean Escape, the cruise starts in Boston on Oct. 19, 2024. It includes a day at sea before arriving in Bermuda. It also stops in the Bahamas, Turks And Caicos, Curacao, Aruba, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Florida. It returns to Boston on Nov. 9, 2024.

An inside room starts around $2,289, while an ocean views is $2,789 per person. A suite is about $8,289 per person.

The ship, known as Zuiderdam, holds 1,964 people and is 936 feet long.

Other Holland America cruises from Boston include trips to Iceland, Canada and Ireland.
Celebratory meals are, for many families, no longer at-home affairs. Whether the motivation is lack of time, deficit of cooking skills, or just a desire to relax and enjoy, holidays like Easter have increasingly become a dining out must for many families.

Up and down the Pioneer Valley, restaurants have recognized the opportunity and are this year capitalizing on it with distinctive Easter dining experiences. What follows are just a few of the many possibilities on offer.

Already known for its elaborate Sunday brunches, the Delaney House in Holyoke will be hosting a special Easter brunch on April 9, with seatings starting at 10 a.m. and continuing through mid-afternoon.

The brunch is a three-course, plated meal affair, with starter choices ranging from Fresh Fruit Parfait to Smoked Salmon.

A brunch main course at the Delaney House can be breakfast-focused, taking the form of Fried Chicken & Waffles or a Lobster n Crab Omelet. Those opting for something more dinner-oriented will be able to choose from the likes of Rack of Lamb, Braised Short Ribs, Roast Turkey, and more.

The brunch is $59.95 per person with a discounted price for kids from 3 to 10 years of age. Reservations can be made at DelaneyHouse.com.

The Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in Springfield will be serving an Easter brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with carved ham, prime rib, and a create-your-own omelet option taking center stage. Traditional breakfast dishes and German specialties will be on the menu, as will a selection of Student Prince favorites for dessert.

Brunch is $48 for adults and $19.99 for children. Reservations can be made by calling 413-734-7475.

The Table 3 Restaurant Group in Sturbridge will offer several Easter Sunday options, with the Duck and Avellino both serving a traditional a la carte menu from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations can be made at 508-347-2321.

A brunch menu will be featured at the Cedar Street Grille, while the Groups function venue, The Barn at Wight Farm, will be offering a brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cedar Street Grille answers at 508-347-5800, while reservations for the Barn at Wight Farm buffet can be secured by calling 774-241-8450.

The Roosevelt Room at Union Station in Northampton will be presenting an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The entire Union Station complex, including the Tunnel Bar, has been opened for the event, which will incorporate an extensive buffet and a Viennese dessert table.

More details are available by calling 413-341-3161.

Johnnys Tavern in Amherst will be serving an Easter Prix Fixe on Sunday, April 9. A three-course offering, the Easter menu will be priced at $50 and is available for dine-in only.

Reservations can be made by calling 413-253-8000.

Hanna Devines Restaurant in Ware is doing a buffet-style brunch menu on the holiday, with service commencing at 8:30 a.m. and continuing until noon. An omelet station, a carving station, and waffles-to-order will be part of this buffet presentation, which is priced at $25.50 per person.

An Easter dinner menu featuring ham and prime rib takes over at 12:30 p.m. and remains available until 6 p.m.

Reservations, which can be made by calling 413-277-0707, are strongly recommended for both brunch and dinner.

The Yarde Tavern in South Hadley Center is promoting an Easter brunch this year. Three seatings, at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., will be available, and the buffet will be stocked with a range of breakfast and lunch specialties, including chef-carved turkey breast and glazed ham.

Reservations are required, and can be made by calling 413-315-4339.

The Easter celebration at the Munich Haus German Restaurant in Chicopee is going to be a two-floor affair.

The main level of the Munich Haus will be offering a four-course prix fixe menu with choices such as Roasted Stuffed Pork, Lamb Shank, Baked Ham, and Prime Rib. Appetizer, salad, and dessert are part of the menu package as well.

The restaurants regular a la carte menu will also be available.

Upstairs in their banquet hall, a brunch buffet will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Selections on the buffet will include Chicken Francaise, Jager Schnitzel, and Baked Haddock. Polish specialties such as golumpki and pierogies will also be served, as will chef-carved ham and roast leg of lamb.

Reservations are requested for both dining options and can be made by calling 413-594-8788.

Side dishes

When it comes to tipping in full service restaurants, the traditional 15% tip is a thing of the past, according to data released last month by Toast, a Boston-based company that specializes in restaurant point-of-sale software.

On a state-by-state basis the average tip left ranged from 21.8% in Delaware to 17.5% in California, with Massachusetts ranking 28th with an average tipping rate of 19.4%.

Many restaurant bloggers now assert that 20% is the new 15% as far as tipping is concerned, and increasingly the mandatory tip added to bills for large parties or function-style events is 20% or more.

Better-than-average service in a restaurant, tipping advocates suggest, now requires that a 25% tip be left.

**********

The Still Bar & Grill in Agawam has updated its $24 Four Course Meal menu, which now features 10 different entree options around which the prix-fixe deal can be built.

Main course choices include Chicken Parmesan, Shrimp Scampi, Meatloaf, and Penne Bolognese. Appetizer, salad or soup, and a choice from among three dessert possibilities are also included.

The deal is available Mondays only after 4 p.m.

On Wednesdays, as long as the supply the kitchen has prepared lasts, the restaurant is currently serving Prime Rib with a baked potato and honey-glazed carrots at a special $15 price.

The Still Bar & Grill answers at 413-304-2795.

**********

Wendys, the No. 2 hamburger chain, introduced three new menu items in late March.

These included a Grilled Chicken Cobb salad garnished with grilled, diced chicken, bacon, tomato, diced egg, and crispy fried onions; a Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap filled with chicken, cheddar cheese, and fresh romaine lettuce; and Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonade.

The new items will be on the menu at participating locations for an unspecified period this spring.

**********

On April 21, the 1761 Old Mill Restaurant in Westminster will be hosting Brickroad Productions of Monson in a dinner-theater performance of The Mountain Moonshine Mystery.

A hillbilly-themed tale of murder and mayhem written by Brent Northup, the murder mystery is part of buffet dinner and show evening that begins at 7 p.m. Members of the audience are encouraged to join in and help solve the crime.

Tickets are $45 and a cash bar will be available.

To reserve seats, call 978-874-5941.

**********

After a nine-month market test, KFC has rolled out its new chicken nuggets on a nationwide basis.

The all-white-meat nuggets are hand-breaded and seasoned with the brands signature 11 herbs and spices. They are being offered in four different portion sizes and also as part of a Nuggets Combo meal.

To make room for the Nuggets, KFC has removed several items from its menu, including Popcorn Chicken.

To showcase the new Chicken Nuggets, the chain is additionally bringing back, for a limited time only, its $5 Mac & Cheese Bowl.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.
Editors note: This article is part of an ongoing series about wine terminology from A to Z.

As we close in on the home stretch, there are still quite a few more interesting wine-related words, including sediment, tannin and vinification. Well, interesting if youre a wine nerd like me.

So lets get right to them and hope youre enjoying this series. Only one more story to go!

The A to Zs of Wine

Letter S

Sauterne  Elegant, delicious dessert wine from the Sauterne region in Frances Bordeaux region.

Sec  French word for dry, which is often used when describing the sweetness levels in sparkling wine.

Sediment  Tiny, dirt-like particles that sometimes form in the bottom of certain bottles of wine over time. This is especially common in some great red wines with a lot of tannins, which you can read more about below. The bottom line? Sediment in certain older red wines often means you have a great bottle of wine. Dont be scared by the dirt. Simply filter out the sediment (a clean coffee filter can do the trick) before pouring the wine into a glass.

Sherry  Fortified wine (meaning alcohol is added to it) from the Sherry region in Spain thats a classic dessert wine.

Sommelier  French word used to describe someone who works in a restaurant who knows a lot about wine and helps people decide which wine to have with their meal.

Sulfites  A byproduct of the fermentation process, sulfites can be found in every wine. But you wouldnt know it from some of the talk about the evils of sulfites in wine. That said, some winemakers add extra sulfites in an effort to keep the wine tasting fresh and alive. Either way, dont worry about sulfites. Theyre perfectly natural and dont harm the taste of the wine.

Popular Wine Grapes That Start With S

There arent a lot of wine grapes that start with the letter S. But the ones that do make some of the best-loved wines around the world.

Sangiovese  One of the most widely-planted red wine grapes in Italy, Sangiovese can often be found in many great wines from Tuscany, one of Italys best and most famous wine regions.

Sauvignon Blanc  Outstanding white wine grape used to make crisp, dry wines throughout the world, including in New Zealand, which makes delicious, affordable sauvignon blanc wines that have a distinct fresh cut grass aroma and flavor.

Syrah  Sometimes called shiraz, this wonderful, full-bodied red wine grape can often be found in many outstanding wines either on its own (especially in Frances Northern Rhone region) or blended with other grapes like grenache and mourvedre (especially in Frances Southern Rhone region).

Popular Wine Regions That Start With S

Saint-Emilion  Outstanding wine region on the Right Bank of Frances Bordeaux region famous for making elegant red wines that age gracefully for decades.

Santenay  Village in the southern part of Burgundy in France best known for its affordable yet complex red wines made with pinot noir grapes. You can read more about this village soon based on my trip to several wineries there earlier this year.

Sonoma County  Amazing wine region in California wedged between Napa Valley and the Pacific Ocean famous for making a wide range of terrific wines, from earthy pinot noirs to complex chardonnays.

Letter T

Table wine  Ive never been a fan of this term since it implies that the wine is simply an ordinary, everyday wine. But what the term technically means is the wine simply doesnt adhere to certain strict rules that some wine regions have, especially in some European countries.

Tannin  Chemical compound sometimes found in the skin, seeds and stems of a grape, which often gives a sharp taste to certain wines, especially some red wines. In general, tannins are a great thing in many red wines since these wines age well, thanks to the tannins.

Terroir  French word that refers to where a wine is grown and how a specific place makes a particular wine taste a certain way. Many winemakers in France talk about terroir in terms of how the soil and climate of a specific place give a wine its unique character. Some people dismiss the overemphasis on terroir. But let me tell you  terroir is real and certain wines from certain places taste absolutely magical.

Tokaji  A delicious, distinct dessert wine from Turkey made with furmint grapes.

Popular Wine Grapes That Start With T

Tannat  Red wine grape best known for making elegant, hearty wines from Uruguay. However, wines made with tannat grapes can also be found in parts of southwest France and northern Spain.

Tempranillo  Red wine grape often used to make many outstanding wines in Spain and Portugal.

Trebbiano  White wine grape used to make a wide range of wines in Italy and also sometimes used in France, where its called ugni blanc and its best known for making cognac.

Popular Wine Regions That Start With T

Tuscany  There might not be many wine regions that start with the letter T, but this ones easily one of the best known and best loved wine regions in Italy. Odds are if you love Italian red wine, you love wine from Tuscany.

Letter U

One of the reasons why I include four letters this week instead of three partly has to do with the letter U. Im sure if I really tried I could come up with a wine word that starts with U but it would be a real stretch.

Popular Wine Grapes That Start With U

Ugni Blanc  French term for trebbiano grapes, which are described above in more detail.

Popular Wine Regions That Start With U

Umbria  Wine region in central Italy best known for making white wine in Orvieto and red wines in Torgiano.

Uruguay  South American country best known for its red wines made with tannat grapes, which you can read about more above and in a recent wine column I wrote about six tannat wines from Uruguay.

Letter V

Vat  Large container often used to store wine during the blending and fermentation process before bottling.

Vielle Vigne  French term that simply means the wine that the wine comes from old vines.

Vineyard  The place where wine grapes are grown and where all the magic happens.

Vinho Verde  Type of wine, often white wine, that comes from Portugals Vinho Verde region. These delightful wines are affordable, refreshing, dry and distinct.

Vinification  Term used to describe the process of turning grape juice into wine.

Vintage  This term refers to what year the grapes were harvested to make a particular wine. If you see a year on the wine label (some wines are non-vintage wines which means the grapes come from different years), thats the wines vintage and that refers to the year the grapes were grown and picked to make wine.

Popular Wine Grapes That Start With V

Verdicchio  White wine grape often used to make many outstanding wines in central Italy.

Viognier  White wine grapes used to make dry, aromatic wines throughout the world, but especially in Frances Northern Rhone region.

Popular Wine Regions That Start With V

Valpolicella  Iconic wine region in Northern Italy best known for its elegant red wines, especially its Amarone wines and its more affordable sibling, Ripasso.

Veneto  Large wine region in the northeastern part of Italy near Venice that includes Valpolicella and many other famous, smaller wine subregions.

Vosne-Romanee  Small wine village in the northern part of Frances Burgundy region revered for its austere, elegant red wines made with pinot noir grapes. Some of the most expensive wines in the world come from this magical village where terroir truly matters and produces distinct, divine wines.

Vouvray  Wine region in Frances Loire Valley best known for its crisp, mineral-rich white wines made with chenin blanc grapes.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republicans Weekend section every Thursday.

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letter A)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letter B)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letters C, D & E)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letters F, G & H)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letters I, J and K)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letters L, M & N)

(Wine Press  The A to Zs of Wine  Letters O, P, Q & R)
The leader of a Springfield charter school expressed sadness as he shared the news of the death of one of the schools teachers on Monday.

We are shocked and saddened by the sudden death of one of our Springfield Prep teachers, Bianca Colon-Hernandez, who tragically lost her life in a car accident over the weekend, wrote Bill Spirer, founder and executive director of Springfield Prep Charter School, in a statement.

Colon-Hernandez is listed on the schools staff page as teaching seventh-grade science.

She was a dear colleague, friend, and teacher, Spirer wrote, adding that the school is offering students and staff members counseling and support services.

Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones, and we ask for everyones compassion and understanding for the familys privacy during this difficult time, Spirer wrote.
Massachusetts State Police said a man driving a gold Cadillac caused multiple crashes on the Massachusetts Turnpike Sunday after he was driving erratically.

Massachusetts State Police received several calls at around 5:27 p.m. regarding a gold Cadillac being driven erratically on the westbound side of the Mass. Pike. The vehicle hit multiple cars but continued driving, state police said in a statement, leaving one other person injured and later hospitalized.

A trooper responded and found the car at mile marker 82.8 in Charlton. After a trooper attempted to stop the driver, state police said the driver refused and a pursuit followed. The suspect hit another car but continued to flee before crashing at mile marker 80.2 before ditching the vehicle and running off.

First the suspect was found by state troopers behind a home on Sturbridge Road before running off again. Troopers then arrested him after finding him in a swamp off Simpson Road in Charlton.

Sturbridge EMS took the driver to Harrington Hospital with complaints of various injuries, state police said.

State troopers also said evidence of narcotics and alcohol usage was in the Cadillac, which was recovered and towed to a state police facility.

The suspect is expected to be charged, though those charges along with the suspects name, age and hometown were not immediately provided by state police.
SPRINGFIELD  A gallon of gas in the region now averages $3.16, according to AAAs weekly survey.

Thats up about 2 cents from the $3.14 average a week ago. The average was $3.17 last month and $4.40 a month ago.

Oil prices finally crested and have now settled above the $70 per barrel mark after weeks of hovering just below it, Mary Maguire, of AAA Northeast, said in a news release, and gas demand is very robust. These two factors will cause drivers to see prices increase for now. We will also be watching closely to see how much oil production cuts by OPEC nations will impact oil and gas prices.

Oil producers, including members of the OPEC cartel, announced plans to cut production by more than 1 million barrels, according to The Associated Press.

This weekends cuts add to a cut of 2 million barrels per day announced in October. Between the two cuts, thats about 3% of the worlds oil supply.

Oil traded over $120 per barrel last summer, according to the Associated Press. It sold for $73 last month. Prices jumped after Sundays announcement, with international benchmark Brent crude trading at about $85 on Monday, up 6%.

At the pumps in Massachusetts, the average gas price in Massachusetts is up 2 cents from last week when it was $3.25 and now averages $3.27 per gallon. Todays price is 1 cent lower than a month ago and 92 cents lower than April 3, 2022, when it was $4.19.

Massachusetts gas price is 23 cents lower than the national average. The national average for a gallon of regular rose 7 cents since last week to hit $3.50.

In Connecticut, the states gas tax rose 5 cents a gallon to 20 cents Saturday, part of a five-month phase-in of the states 25-cent-a-gallon gas tax following a 2022 tax holiday. The gas tax returns to the full 25 cents May 1.

A gallon of regular gas averages $3.26 in Hartford County, according to AAA.

Home heating oil in Massachusetts averaged $4.10 a gallon last week, down from $4.15 earlier in the week. It was $5.16 this time last year, but that was in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Overall, gas prices were higher in most of the winter 2022-2023 compared with the winter of 2021-2022.
WEST SPRINGFIELD  Jeremy Hollins took three bullets to the back and leg while fleeing from police on foot after a high-speed car chase in 2017.

The former college track star was speeding down Memorial Avenue in West Springfield after midnight in his Lexus. A patrol officer hit the blue lights and attempted to pull Hollins over. But Hollins kept going, and more cruisers joined the pursuit.

That chase and police-involved shooting, which ended on a dead-end street, is the focus of a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that may be near a costly settlement to the town.

Cruisers boxed Hollins car in, according to the court complaint. Officers came with guns drawn, an allegation police dispute. Hollins rammed his car into at least one cruiser, injuring an officer, then sped away once again, until he ditched the car on a side street.

While Mr. Hollins vehicle was stopped, one or more officers fired at Mr. Hollins and his vehicle, according to the federal lawsuit filed on his behalf by Raipher Pellegrino.

Sources familiar with the case say settlement talks may cost the taxpayers close to $2 million.

West Springfield police and Massachusetts State Police investigate an officer-involved shooting near Colony Road and Cold Spring Avenue in West Springfield in 2017. Jeremy Hollins was hit three times by bullets. He is suing over his injuries. (Dave Canton / The Republican)

Mayor William Reichelt and a lawyer for the city have not replied to repeated requests for comment on the lawsuit. The pending settlement comes at a time when police-involved shootings of unarmed Black men have gained increasing attention, igniting protests across the country. Hollins complaint does not raise claims about racial bias.

According to the claim, Hollins took cover in a stairwell of an apartment complex with only a single lightbulb overhead. A phalanx of officers had fanned out to look for him after running the license plate on his abandoned car, discovering that Hollins had a license to carry a weapon, though Hollins was unarmed during the pursuit.

Police later discovered a gun in the glove compartment, ammunition locked in the trunk and a small amount of cocaine in the car.

The lawsuit says Hollins burst from the stairwell as officers closed in, taking one bullet. Then he kept running.

After running a short distance, Mr. Hollins stopped, as he realized he was surrounded, raised both his arms with the front of his body facing a shed, the complaint says. Acting like a posse from a wild west scene, multiple West Springfield police officers ... opened fire and shot Mr. Hollins twice while he was stopped, surrendering with both arms raised, unarmed and posing no threat to anyone.

Police fired 39 rounds, investigators said. Dozens of spent bullets were recovered from around the densely populated Wentworth condominiums, investigators said at the time. Bullets were found lodged in a window frame, an outdoor bench, inside apartments and embedded in Hollins backpack.

Jeremy Hollins, then 29, was shot three times in 2017 after allegedly ramming police cruisers with his car and fleeing the scene of an attempted traffic stop in West Springfield early on the morning of April 23. The shooting happened at the Wentworth Estates, a large condo complex across Memorial Avenue from The Big E. (Dave Canton / The Republican)

Audio transmissions by state police at the scene, obtained by The Republican, captured snippets of the chaos, with one trooper shouting: Stop shooting! Youre shooting at our guys!

Hollins was charged with a litany of felonies that were sharply reduced. He pleaded guilty to three counts of assault and battery, one count of failure to stop for police and one count of operating under the influence of alcohol. Hollins was sentenced to six months of home confinement and 150 hours of community service in 2018.

Today, Hollins remains permanently disabled, Pellegrino said. He has undergone six surgeries and has a titanium rod in his left leg. He may have ultimately have his leg amputated below the knee, according to his lawyer.

He cant even walk more than 150 feet at a time, Pellegrino said.

Complaints defendants

Named in the lawsuit are the city; officers Thomas Sudnick, Joseph Wolowicz, Joseph Casey, Nathan OBrien and Adam Polastry; former Chief of Police Ronald Campurciani and the citys insurance carrier.

As for his own actions, Hollins was arraigned in a hospital bed at Baystate Medical Center on April 26, 2017.

Pellegrino said none of the officers was suspended or disciplined in any way, except for a one-day retraining session at a local shooting range under the supervision of a retired agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

A spokesman for the West Springfield Police Department called the 2017 incident difficult for all involved. He said the department has revamped its training policies since the shooting.

The circumstances of the incident were difficult for all involved, Sgt. Joseph LaFrance said in response to a request for comment. The new administration of the Police Department has updated department policies and procedures as well as training programs that go above the states criminal justice reform requirements.

This includes the mandatory firearms and use of force training set by the Municipal Police Training Committee, LaFrance said.

Campurciani, who is also the former executive director of the Western Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, said he believes that given all the perceived risk factors, the departments actions in 2017 point to a good shoot under the fleeing felon doctrine.

The law says police may use deadly force if they believe someone poses a serious danger to the public.

It was like bumper cars with this kid. Hes ramming cars, Campurciani said during an interview. [Officer] Sudnick thinks he sees something in his hand that could have been an explosive.

However, the black object was found to be a tool Hollins used for his job as an environmental engineer, not an explosive.

Campurciani, who is the current chief of the Mooresville, North Carolina, Police Department, conceded the frenzy of shooting was unsafe.

It was in the middle of this courtyard. They were pulling bullets out of peoples walls and thats not good, Campurciani said. He said he believes he extended the probationary periods for the newest officers involved in the incident. Campurciani brought in a retired ATF agent for officer training after evaluating the fallout from the incident.

They need to know where their rounds are going. You cant just turn and fire and youre hitting everything in sight, Campurciani said.

The ATF agent drilled down on muzzle discipline, the former West Springfield chief said.
The crash between a tractor-trailer and three cars left two injured and briefly required lane closures on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Charlton Sunday night.

Troopers responded to the crash at about 4:15 p.m. on the Mass. Pikes eastbound lanes. State police said the crash required lanes to be closed, which backed up traffic. All lanes were reopened at about 6:30 p.m.

The crash involved a 2022 Freightliner truck owned by GX3 Logistics from El Paso, Texas, according to state police. The driver was identified as an adult male but not named.

The three other vehicles were: a 2020 Hyundai Tuscon SUV, driven by a 19-year-old woman from Hopedale; a 2012 Honda CRV SUV, driven by a 52-year-old Dorchester man; and a 35-year-old Westfield man in a 2011 Toyota Highlander SUV.

The Dorchester man and one of the other drivers were taken to UMass Medical Center with minor injuries. State police could not identify if the other motorist was the woman from Hopedale or the Westfield man.

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing, state police said.

While this crash played out, state police also pursued a 2014 Cadillac XTS sedan that was driving erratically on the other side of the Mass. Pike in Charlton. The driver, Carlos A. Rodriguez, crashed into multiple cars and fled before troopers apprehended him in a nearby swamp.
A vigil will be held later this month for a pregnant Melrose woman who was found dead in her Phoneix home in whats been determined as a murder-suicide, WCVB reported Sunday.

Police said they found Sarah Scott, 37, in her home on March 20, along with Jacob De Zeeuw, 27, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His 6-year-old son Jacob De Zeeuw Jr. was also found dead. Scott was four months pregnant.

On Facebook, the Melrose Alliance Against Violence announced the organization was saddened by Scotts death by a dating partner.

Scott was born March 20, 1986, and graduated from Melrose High School in 2005 and graduated in 2011 from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, becoming a licensed pharmacist, according to her obituary. Along with Massachusetts, Scott was licensed as a pharmacist in Arizona and New York.

A vigil was held at the Jay Pages Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, where Scott went for practice, according to CBS 5.

Were all going to cope with her loss, with this loss differently, and I just want everyone to remember the good. Remember the positive. Remember the good times, owner Jay Pages told the news station.

Read more: Fire investigators continue to probe Springfield fatal blaze

Scotts obituary also said she loved riding her motorcycle, and traveling and she was so excited to welcome her baby boy into the world in August. She is predeceased by her father Daniel and survived by her mother Ruth, her brother Dan, his wife Cheri, nephews Drew and Liam as well as aunts, uncles and cousins.

Her obituary said a celebration of life will be held on April 15 at Spinellis on 10 Newbury St. in Peabody from 1 to 5 p.m. Anyone can attend. In lieu of flowers, her obituary asked to donate in Scotts name to the Melrose Alliance Against Violence, 235 West Foster St., Melrose, MA 02176 or at maav.org.
Massachusetts State Police have arrested a person they say stole a vehicle and proceeded to lead police on a chase involving a K-9 unit and a helicopter.

The incident began while state and Foxborough police were investigating a stolen vehicle at around 7 p.m. Sunday. The vehicle was parked outside The Lodge apartment complex in Foxborough, located at 400 Foxborough Blvd., state police said.

A person came out of a building and got into the stolen vehicle around 7:38 p.m. and began to drive, hitting several parked vehicles in the parking lot, police said. The suspect then drove away from the scene, heading southbound on Foxborough Boulevard.

Both departments began to pursue the stolen vehicle, which turned onto Forbes Boulevard and then onto Route 140 before coming to a stop, state police said. The suspect got out of the vehicle and ran from the scene. Troopers and officers followed on foot.

A state police K-9 team and a helicopter also responded to the area to assist in the search.

Right before 8:30 p.m., the Foxborough department heard the suspect was trying to break into another vehicle near 32 Commercial St. The state police flight crew on the Air 4 helicopter saw a person run into the woods in the area.

Officers and troopers responded to the area, found and arrested the suspect. State police said narcotics were recovered from the area where the suspect was found. The suspect was brought to the state police Foxborough barracks.

Massachusetts State Police said no additional information was immediately available.
The Twitter logo might look different on your desktop, tablet or phone.

Instead of the iconic Twitter blue bird, the logo is now an image of Doge, a viral meme featuring a Shiba Inu dog that became very popular on the internet in 2013. The image is usually paired with a silly caption that captures the Doges thoughts at that moment.

Elon Musk hinted at the change on his own Twitter account, posting a photo of the new Twitter logo saying the old logo is old. You can see the picture he posted here.

But why did Musk, who became owner and CEO of Twitter in October make the change? It may be a late April Fools joke but some Twitter users are saying the new logo is the logo of Dogecoin cryptocurrency companys Shiba Inu dog.

According to Dogecoins website, it is an opensource peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that utilizes blockchain technology, a highly secure decentralized system of storing information as a public ledger that is maintained by a network of computers called nodes.

Musk recently asked a U.S. judge to throw out a $258 billion racketeering lawsuit that accused him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency, Reuters reported.

His lawyers said the investors never explained how Musk intended to defraud anyone or what risks he concealed. For context, Musk has made statements such as Dogecoin Rulz.

There is nothing unlawful about tweeting words of support for, or funny pictures about, a legitimate cryptocurrency that continues to hold a market cap of nearly $10 billion, Musks lawyers said according to Reuters. This court should put a stop to plaintiffs fantasy and dismiss the complaint.

Investors accused Musk of driving up Dogecoins price more than 36,000% over two years and then letting it crash.

However, Dogecoin surged more than 30% in minutes after the logo was replaced, CoinDesk reported.

DOGE got as high as 11 cents from around 8 cents before the logo change. Its price last exceeded 10 cents in December, the website said.

The shift in logo also comes days after Twitter began making changes to its verified users.

Some accounts with legacy verification, like the New York Times, had their blue check marks removed of verification status. However, not all previously verified users have lost their check mark. Others have kept their checks with a note saying they were either Twitter Blue subscribers or legacy verified accounts.
A vehicle drove off the dock and into the water in Seaport on Sunday night, prompting a response from Massachusetts State Police and Boston officials, according to the Boston Police Department.

At around 10:26 p.m. on April 2, Boston police received a call that a motor vehicle had driven off the dock at 1 Drydock Ave. in South Boston, the department said.

The department said the vehicle had entered the water at the end of the dock, and both Boston and State Police responded to the scene.

The department had no additional information to give as of 10 a.m. Monday morning.

WHDH reported officials said the vehicle had hit multiple things in the shipyard off Summer Street before diving into the water.

Firefighters, police and the Coast Guard had begun their search for any people inside the vehicle overnight and continued in the morning, the outlet added.

The outlet also said there were several search boats and a crane on the scene, and that an ambulance had been seen pulling up around 9 a.m.
One of the best burger joints in the commonwealth is looking to open a new location in Holyoke.

Bean Restaurant Group  a partnership between Peter Picknelly, Nathan Yee and other business owners  plan to open a new White Hut location at 825 Hampden St. in Holyoke. The site was the former location of a PeoplesBank and was purchased by Bean Restaurant Group for $300,000.

825 Hampden St. site of White Hut's tentative Holyoke location.

White Huts inaugural West Springfield location opened in 1935 and has served as a community hamburger and hot dog staple ever since. Ranked the best hamburger in Massachusetts by Thrillist, the burger joint since expanded after Bean Restaurant Group took over and resurrected the restaurant after its shutdown in 2020.

Theres now a White Hut trailer at the Enlite Cannabis Dispensary at 391 Damon Road in Northampton. The restaurants tentative Holyoke branch will make the burger joints third location, a complete 180 from where White Hut stood three years ago.

Nathan Yee, director of hospitality for the Bean Restaurant Group, said his organization is still in the designing phase for the new White Hut location.

We are still working on the concept for it. But it will have that White Hut look, Yee said.

In 2013, Thrillist listed White Hut as having one of the 33 best burgers in the United States. James Beard award-winning writer Kevin Alexander also listed White Hut as one of the nations best burgers after traveling the 50 states to try 330 burgers.

Along with the new White Hut, Bean Restaurant Group has plans to open an American eatery, Copper + Kin, in Springfields renovated Court Square building.
Massachusetts State Police identified the victim of a single-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 195 in Marion on Monday.

William Gronblom, 28, drove a Toyota RAV4 SUV on the westbound side of I-195 approaching the Route 105 overpass before it drifted to the left side of the road into the grass median, state police said according to preliminary findings in their investigation.

State troopers responded to the crash at around 12:13 a.m. on Monday.

The car struck a concrete support section of the overpass, state police said. Gronblom was taken to St. Lukes Hospital in New Bedford, where he was pronounced dead. State police said they are still investigating the cause of the crash.
At the time the 1980 United States census was conducted, Massachusetts had 12 of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

These days there are nine. While that wont change until the 2030 census at the earliest, the alarming loss of Bay State population carries the potential for long-term effects  none of them good.

That may explain why Gov. Maura T. Healey is pressing the Legislature to accept changes to the states short-term capital gains and estate taxes. These moves alone wont be enough to stem the exodus from Massachusetts, but not acting sends another signal to taxpayers here, and those who might consider moving in, that this state is unfriendly to those trying to get ahead.

Politicians can insist all they want that the states Taxachusetts reputation is unfounded. But perception has the power of reality. Last November, voters passed the Fair Share Amendment, which will change the 243-year-old state constitution and nearly double the tax on a portion of the income for residents earning a million dollars or more.

Between July 2021 and July 2022, state population dropped by about 8,000, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Hampden County lost 1,808 people.

Housing and Economic Secretary Yvonne Hao said last week that an average of 1,100 residents left the state each week last year. The numbers can be confusing and at times seem contradictory, partly because the Census Bureau now says it overcounted by 2.24% in 2020.

But according to data drawn from Internal Revenue Service change of addresses between 2019 and 2020, nearly 40,000 residents alone relocated to either New Hampshire or Florida, two states with taxpayer-friendly rate structures.

Regardless of ones opinion on the Fair Share Amendment, which Healey supported, this trend has been decades in the making. Losing voice in Washington and experiencing a weakened tax base at home could sabotage the economic advantages Massachusetts now enjoys.

That an avowed progressive like Healey has to fight for tax breaks is laced with irony. But she sees a problem lawmakers should no longer deny. States compete directly with one another for businesses, jobs, residents  and tax revenue.

Massachusetts must put a stop to the notion that the grass is greener elsewhere, or this state will pay the price for an exodus it cannot afford.
We have had several young officers resign recently for other opportunities, both in and out of law enforcement. Resignations and retirements are not an uncommon thing to us recently. Unfortunately, gone are the days when someone leaves because they have turned 65 and put in over 40 years.

There are two of those dinosaurs left  Deputy Chief William Cochrane and myself.

Cochrane will retire the end of April, the month of his 65th birthday and I will go by May of next year.

Bill and I both have felt pride and great satisfaction in our profession. The difference now, with younger officers, is that scrutiny and disrespect can wear you down. The lack of support and the misunderstanding and criticism of your profession, even by family and friends, takes a toll.

If you do not have military experience and are just out of high school or a few years of college, dealing with these emotions can be overwhelming.

When I started, many of the officers I learned from were former military people. Some had been through Vietnam. They were respected and had gone through enough to that whatever the police department could throw at them, they knew how to handle it.

Those of us who had not gone through combat, learned from those who had.

Training is good and needed, in classrooms and simulations, but there is an element to experience that cannot be replicated.

Its like a teenager learning to drive. The classroom provides guidance on the rules of the road. But there are so many situations you can find yourself in while driving that it comes down to experience. It would help law enforcement to come up with incentives to keep officers and supervisors around longer for their experience and guidance. Rather than see them retire as soon as they can.

I am not hoping for any incentive to keep anyone longer than age 65. After a more than 40-year career, I believe they deserve to leave  and to feel satisfied and content with their accomplishments.

Leadership class, citizens academy back

We are in the planning stages for another leadership class with Babson University. The class was successful and appreciated last year; we put 12 lieutenants through the seven-week course, which met one day a week. The course was well received by the lieutenants who attended.

The supervisors know their jobs and the laws we enforce. But we wanted a curriculum that thinks outside the box. The subjects taught include developing a plan for sustainable change, understanding makes an outstanding leader, taking care of oneself and leading with emotional competence. The course and the overtime to fill the vacancies of the attendees is available to us by a grant.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, our Citizens Police Academy has returned. Capt. David Kane and his Academy Staff are running this.

Justice Department report

A quarterly report is complete for our settlement agreement with the federal judge. We are in very good standing as far as accomplishments made by the department to date.

New policies were formulated and put out on our website. After a two-week review period they were signed into effect. The settlement agreement unit, led by Capt. Brian Beliveau, has conducted roll call training for all officers and supervisors in all units of the department to ensure understanding of the new policies. There were training videos made, along with explanation from the captain or one of his sergeants.

Everyone benefits from enhancing citizen understanding of the role and function of the police.

I encourage you to visit our website at springfieldmapolice.com and read the new policies to gain a better understanding.

Congratulations to Sgt. Phil McBride, Officer Richard Ward and Officer Martin Germaine on their recent retirements. Best of health and happiness to you both!

Cheryl C. Clapprood is superintendent of the Springfield Police Department.

Information on the Springfield Police Departments community calendar is available on the departments website, springfieldmapolice.com, and Facebook page, Facebook.com/SpringfieldPoliceDeptMA.
AGAWAM  State Sen. John Velis spoke out last week about a change in policy that has the gates at the Agawam Veterans Memorial Cemetery closing at 4 p.m.

That contrasts with the Winchendon Veterans Memorial Cemetery, where gates are open all day and night, Velis said. Velis, a Westfield Democrat who also represents Agawam, said he has reached out to the Executive Office of Veterans Services to raise this issue and hopes to the see the hours extended.

There are only two state veterans cemeteries in all of Massachusetts, Velis said. People from all over the state come to Agawam to visit their loved ones, and it is absolutely heartbreaking to hear that folks are unable to do that because of these limited hours.
A mural memorializing fallen Worcester Police Officer Enmanuel Manny Familia was touched up by its artist after it was found vandalized last week.

On Thursday, Worcester artist Ferdinand Nazario went to the Murray Avenue location and removed the black spray paint from Familias face on the brick wall.

Read more: Mitchel Iviquel has been missing for 3 years but police have no leads

Mr. Nazario, please know how much we appreciate your talent and kindness! said a post from the Worcester Police Departments Facebook page. Your mural is a permanent tribute to our hero Manny and it means so much to the community!

The mural went up in June 2022 and features a smiling portrait of Familia outfitted in his Worcester Police uniform with his badge number 267 emblazoned on his cap. It was completed the same day Familia was buried.

Familia was one of several officers who attempted to save several teenagers in a pond at Green Hill Park on June 3, 2022, MassLive previously reported. Familia and 14-year-old Troy Love were unaccounted for. Almost an hour after jumping into action, Familia was found and taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.

At 3:25 p.m., the 14-year-old boy was located by divers. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Familia has since been recognized with several awards in his honor, including the George L. Hanna Medal of Honor and a Carnegie Hero Medal.

We stand with you today, Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy said in November when Familia was honored with the Hanna Medal of Honor. And well always honor Mannys legacy and remember his ultimate sacrifice.
The research study on Capsule Endoscopy Market, recently released by Markntel Advisors comprises facts and information obtained from various legitimate sources to provide an explained and effortless interpretation of the future state of the market according to past data. Analysts at Markntel Advisors evaluated the obtained material and data, gaining insights and the working of the industry to provide the data in a systematic order along with the predictions and future insights presented to the shareholder based on the past evaluation.

Market Overview 

Regional Dividation: North America Held A Significant Market Share

The Capsule Endoscopy market is divided across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa region. Of all the regions, North America held a significant market share in the Global Capsule Endoscopy market during 2017-2021 due to the rising prevalence of minimally invasive screening procedures along with the adoption of technologically advanced diagnostic products & systems. Furthermore, rising awareness regarding early screening of diseases such as cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, and other chronic ailments were the prominent factors supporting the market growth. In addition, another factor driving market growth in the historical years has been the regions comparatively more developed health infrastructure.

Market Ongoing Trends: Rising Adoption of Capsule Endoscopy for At-Home Gastrointestinal Screenings

Capsule Endoscopy had received emergency clearance for at-home use due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rising number of COVID-affected populations halted the ongoing screening processes of Cancer-related & gastrointestinal disorders in 2020, due to which Food and Drug Authority approved the utilization of capsule endoscopy in the home-care settings. Thus, various medical device companies, such as CapoVision, and Medtronic, launched their At-home endoscopic capsules, which could be monitored remotely by the healthcare professionals.

Report Coverage Details Study Period Historical Data: 2017-20 Base Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-27 CAGR 10.42% Regions Covered North America: The US, Canada, Mexico South America: Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America Europe: Germany, The UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific: China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific Middle East & Africa: UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Egypt, Rest of MEA Key Companies Profiled Olympus Corporation, Medtronic Plc, CapsoVision Inc, IntroMedic Co., Ltd, Jinshan Group, Check-Cap Ltd., RF System Lab, AnX Robotica Unit Denominations USD Million/Billion

In addition, the rapid adoption of telemedicine or telehealth services to monitor real-time health data & vitals such as pulse, respiration, and temperature, along with screening & diagnostic procedures have propelled the market growth of capsule endoscopy in the forecasted years.

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the market due to the supply chain disruption & strict lockdown measures imposed during that time. Moreover, the delayed & postponed elective surgeries reduced the number of diagnostic lab procedures related to cancer & gastrointestinal procedures, subsequently impacting the growth of the capsule endoscopy market across the world.

Besides, the market experienced a decline in product demand due to the tremendous healthcare expenditure towards the COVID-19-affected population & related infrastructural developments. However, the market regained its momentum in 2021 & is expected to surge during the forecast period on account of clearing the significant backlogs of required oncological surgeries & the emerging new cases as well.

Link to Download A Free Sample PDF of this Study (include Content + TOC) Report  Download Now Its Free

Further Significant Questions We Answered in Our Report 

Who are the key participants in the industry, and how have they sculpted the market?

What are the market players current strategies, business plans, and initiatives to continue their foothold in the industry and expand further?

Which segment of the market is most profitable and why?

What are the current trends that are driving the industry?

What are the opportunities and obstacles in the growth of the market?

Report Table of Content

Introduction Product Definition Research Process Assumptions Market Segmentation Executive Summary Impact of COVID-19 on Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Regulations & Policy Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Trends & Insights Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Dynamics Growth Drivers Challenges Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Hotspots & Opportunities Global Capsule Endoscopy Clinical Trial Analysis Global Capsule Endoscopy Patent Analysis Global Capsule Endoscopy Market Outlook, 2017-2027F

Continue to TOC

Market Growth Driver and Upcoming Challenges 

Rising Demand for Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Procedure to Drive the Market

The rising adoption of minimally invasive diagnostic procedures has propelled the utilization of capsule endoscopic systems & wireless capsules during the historical years. The growing burden of chronic ailments such as a small intestine tumor, formation of polyps in the bowel, Obscure gastrointestinal diseases, and Crohns disorder was the prominent reason for the growth of the Capsule Endoscopy market across various geographies. In addition, these minimally invasive diagnostic procedures provide more accurate & precise results as compared to conventional techniques, which supports their greater adoption among healthcare professionals.

High Cost of Diagnostic Procedures to Hamper the Market Growth

The high cost of capsule endoscopy is an important factor restraining the potential development of capsule endoscopic procedures for screening purposes. At present, capsule endoscopy is significantly costlier than gastroscopy in various countries such as Spain & Italy. Thus, an imbalance between precise quality screening & procedure cost has been created in some emerging countries, which is considered a reasonable challenge for the global growth of the Capsule Endoscopy Market.

Industry Divisions and Distributions

By dividing and bifurcating the industry based on varying Segments, the reports help breaks down the market into sections to help shareholders point out their focus of attention and figure out the most profitable quarters.

The Capsule Endoscopy market is diversely fragmented and spread across various bifurcations. The report aims to categorize and systematically present the data in an organized, easy-to-interpret format by dividing the bifurcations into segments. Each segment is then further presented with historical data, market growth, expansion, technological advancement, and other factors affecting it. The prediction of its future growth depends on current trends and further development. The industry segmentations bifurcate across the following segments:

By Capsule Type

Small Bowel Capsule

Colon Capsule

Oesophageal Capsule

By Component

Software

Hardware Ingestible Capsule Sensor Belt Sensor Array Data Recorder



By Application

Obscure GI bleeding (OGIB)

Oesophageal Disease

Iron Deficiency Anaemia

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Celiac Disease

Crohns Disease

Small bowel tumour and hereditary polyposis syndromes

Others (Small bowel transplant, Henoch-Schonlein purpura etc.)

By End User

Hospitals

Diagnostic centres

Ambulatory surgery centres

Others (Clinics, Home care settings, etc.)

Have Any Questions or Further Assistant Schedule A Call with Our Analyst Here  Send Your Call Back Request Now

Examination of The Markets Top Leaders

To explain the dominance of competitors and the market, the report provides the major moves, developments, acquisitions, launches, and more performed by the key players influencing the market. The prominent players profiled in the report include: 

 Olympus Corporation

 Medtronic Plc

 CapsoVision Inc

 IntroMedic Co., Ltd

 Jinshan Group

 Check-Cap Ltd.

 RF System Lab

 AnX Robotica

We Offer Customization Too!

Our sales team is ready to listen to your questions and queries, guide you in your purchase, and dive into the research report. Therefore, to gain more info on the Capsule Endoscopy market, contact Markntel Advisors for an Analyst Brief; our sales team will help you make an informed market decision to achieve market growth. We also offer customization solutions per your requirement and assistance per your queries and future goals. Our researchers prioritize your interest and study all the avenues that allow you to yield higher profits.

To Get the Benefit of Our Report Customization Service, Send Your Enquiry Here  https://www.marknteladvisors.com/query/request-customization/capsule-endoscopy-market.html

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Our primary goal is to deliver reliable, industry-leading studies with precise market forecasting information.

Several industry professionals have examined our reports, enabling firms to maximize their return on investment (ROI).

All relevant data, including strategy plans, regional market outlooks, and much more, are included in our reports.

We give a thorough landscape with the key market participants using a rich pictorial depiction of the data, strategic advice, and analytical tool results. A comprehensive market analysis will help the business increase productivity.

A thorough understanding of the market under review is given through the reports presentation of demand and supply dynamics.

Other Study Report 

About Us

We are a leading research, consulting, & data analytics firm that provides an extensive range of strategic reports on diverse industry verticals. We deliver data to a substantial & varied client base, including multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments, & individuals, among others.

Our specialization in niche industries & emerging geographies allows our clients to formulate their strategies in a much more informed way and entail parameters like Go-to-Market (GTM), product development, feasibility analysis, project scoping, market segmentation, competitive benchmarking, market sizing & forecasting, & trend analysis, among others, for 15 diverse industrial verticals.

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The research study on Latin America Electronic Health Records Market, recently released by Markntel Advisors comprises facts and information obtained from various legitimate sources to provide an explained and effortless interpretation of the future state of the market according to past data. Analysts at Markntel Advisors evaluated the obtained material and data, gaining insights and the working of the industry to provide the data in a systematic order along with the predictions and future insights presented to the shareholder based on the past evaluation.

Market Overview 

Country Wise Market Dividation: Mexico Attained the Highest Market Share

The Latin America Electronic Health Records market is divided across Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Rest of Latin America countries. Of all the countries, Mexico attained the highest market share in the Latin America Electronic Health Record market during 2017-21, owing to the implementation of well-developed healthcare policies that encourage the adoption of EHR in private, public, and healthcare institutions as well as a growing inclination to promote an interoperable platform that allows the integration of data from existing & future EHR. Besides, the growing usage of ICT devices such as smartphones & wearables by patients to readily access the information from the system has fueled the demand for an EHR system that incorporates wearables, blockchain, and mobile technologies.

Market Ongoing Trends: Rising Integration of AI in the Healthcare Industry for Efficient Patient Data Management

several advancements in medical imaging & the propagation of clinical diagnostics centers resulted in generating a huge amount of patient data. Therefore, AI-powered EHR systems help to integrate the data and offer numerous solutions with a variety of functionalities. Moreover, technologies such as AI, Machine learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) also help in recording the medical experiences of the patients and maintaining the large EHR data. Hence, the growing integration of AI in EHRs systems is expected to escalate the market growth during 2022-27.

Report Coverage Details Study Period Historical Data: 2017-20 Base Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-27 CAGR (2022-2027) 8.12% Countries Covered Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Rest of Latin America Key Companies Profiled Mural Med, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc., GE Healthcare, Cerner Corporation, Epic Systems Corporation, Greenway Health, McKesson Corporation, Modernizing Medicine, NextGen Healthcare, AdvancedMD, CureMD Unit Denominations USD Million/Billion

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the growth of the Latin America Electronic Health Record market. The paradigm shifts within the medical facilities to rely on digital solutions for operational activities & reduce physical contact catalyzed the market growth of Latin America Electronic Health Record. Furthermore, in 2020 electronic health record systems were increasingly used for tracking patient data due to the rising number of COVID-19 patients in the region.

Moreover, the increasing investment in the healthcare sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic & the sudden surge in the adoption of digital technologies in the healthcare sector resulted in a surge in demand for Electronic Health Records systems in the region. Hence, this would significantly escalate the market growth during the forecast period.

Link to Download A Free Sample PDF of this Study (include Content + TOC) Report  Download Now Its Free

Further Significant Questions We Answered in Our Report 

Who are the key participants in the industry, and how have they sculpted the market?

What are the market players current strategies, business plans, and initiatives to continue their foothold in the industry and expand further?

Which segment of the market is most profitable and why?

What are the current trends that are driving the industry?

What are the opportunities and obstacles in the growth of the market?

Report Table of Content

Introduction Research Process Assumptions Product Definition Market Segmentation Executive Summary Impact of COVID-19 on Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Regulations & Policies Latin America Electronic Health Records Case Studies Latin America Electronic Health Records Porters Five Forces Model Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Trends & Insights Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Dynamics Drivers Challenges Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Hotspots & Opportunities Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Outlook, 2017-2027

Continue to TOC

Market Growth Driver and Upcoming Challenges 

The Growing Government Support to Digitalize Healthcare Units

The government support for upgrading electronic health record services has increased via continuous investment for its expansion & digitalization of the healthcare industry. The framing of guidelines for the computerization of health records, application of 5G, cloud expansion, and others have also driven the demand for EHR in the region. Furthermore, digitization has been the initial development towards the modernization of the record system as a result of a resolution by the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) in Brazil.

High Cost & Lack of Affordable Systems in the Market

With the increasing use of EHR systems in clinical labs & administration applications, various EHR factors are responsible for hindering the market growth. Factors such as the lack of an affordable EHR system pose a prominent challenge to the Latin America Electronic Health Records Market. In addition, the lack of system availability especially in the countries such as Peru, Argentina, and Chile, is creating distress in the market for the adoption of the EHR system.

Industry Divisions and Distributions

By dividing and bifurcating the industry based on varying Segments, the reports help breaks down the market into sections to help shareholders point out their focus of attention and figure out the most profitable quarters.

The Latin America Electronic Health Records market is diversely fragmented and spread across various bifurcations. The report aims to categorize and systematically present the data in an organized, easy-to-interpret format by dividing the bifurcations into segments. Each segment is then further presented with historical data, market growth, expansion, technological advancement, and other factors affecting it. The prediction of its future growth depends on current trends and further development. The industry segmentations bifurcate across the following segments:

By Deployment

On-premise

Cloud

By Function

Patient Management

E-prescription

Schedule Appointments

Bill Payment

Others (Referral Management, etc.)

By End Users

Hospitals

Clinics

Specialty Centres

Labs

Have Any Questions or Further Assistant Schedule A Call with Our Analyst Here  Send Your Call Back Request Now

Examination of The Markets Top Leaders

To explain the dominance of competitors and the market, the report provides the major moves, developments, acquisitions, launches, and more performed by the key players influencing the market. The prominent players profiled in the report include: 

 Mural Med

 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.

 GE Healthcare

 Cerner Corporation

 Epic Systems Corporation

 Greenway Health

 McKesson Corporation

 Modernizing Medicine

 NextGen Healthcare

 AdvancedMD

 CureMD

We Offer Customization Too!

Our sales team is ready to listen to your questions and queries, guide you in your purchase, and dive into the research report. Therefore, to gain more info on the Latin America Electronic Health Records market, contact Markntel Advisors for an Analyst Brief; our sales team will help you make an informed market decision to achieve market growth. We also offer customization solutions per your requirement and assistance per your queries and future goals. Our researchers prioritize your interest and study all the avenues that allow you to yield higher profits.

To Get the Benefit of Our Report Customization Service, Send Your Enquiry Here  https://www.marknteladvisors.com/query/request-customization/latin-america-electronic-health-records-market.html

Why MarkNtel Advisors Report Only:

Our primary goal is to deliver reliable, industry-leading studies with precise market forecasting information.

Several industry professionals have examined our reports, enabling firms to maximize their return on investment (ROI).

All relevant data, including strategy plans, regional market outlooks, and much more, are included in our reports.

We give a thorough landscape with the key market participants using a rich pictorial depiction of the data, strategic advice, and analytical tool results. A comprehensive market analysis will help the business increase productivity.

A thorough understanding of the market under review is given through the reports presentation of demand and supply dynamics.

Other Study Report 

About Us

We are a leading research, consulting, & data analytics firm that provides an extensive range of strategic reports on diverse industry verticals. We deliver data to a substantial & varied client base, including multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments, & individuals, among others.

Our specialization in niche industries & emerging geographies allows our clients to formulate their strategies in a much more informed way and entail parameters like Go-to-Market (GTM), product development, feasibility analysis, project scoping, market segmentation, competitive benchmarking, market sizing & forecasting, & trend analysis, among others, for 15 diverse industrial verticals.

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Phone  +1 628 895 8081, +91 120 4278433

Email: sales@marknteladvisors.com

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The research study on Robot-Assisted Surgical Medical Device Market, recently released by Markntel Advisors comprises facts and information obtained from various legitimate sources to provide an explained and effortless interpretation of the future state of the market according to past data. Analysts at Markntel Advisors evaluated the obtained material and data, gaining insights and the working of the industry to provide the data in a systematic order along with the predictions and future insights presented to the shareholder based on the past evaluation.

Market Overview 

Regional Dividation: North American Region Accounted For A Significant Share

The Robot-Assisted Surgical Medical Device market is divided across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa region. Of all the regions, the North American region accounted for a significant share of the Global Robot-assisted Medical Device market during 2017-2021 due to the presence of companies such as Zimmer Biomet, Medtronic, and Globus Medical, among others, which manufacture & market robot-assisted medical devices. North America is the early adopter of the latest technologies & the region now serves as a technological hub for companies offering advanced solutions to the healthcare market.

Market Ongoing Trends: Operating Lease Programs Implemented by the Surgical Robotic Manufacturers

The market for surgical robotics is continuously emerging as more than 70 companies are trying to tap the hidden potential by developing novel technologies & targeting different surgical applications. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is a pioneer in this field & has established multiple sales channels to maintain market dominance to reduce the risk of indulging in business as usual. The company has strategically adopted an operating leasing program to enter the next level of revenue-generating growth strategy.

Report Coverage Details Study Period Historical Data: 2017-20 Base Year: 2021 Forecast Period: 2022-27 CAGR (2022-2027) 10.59% Regions Covered North America: The US, Canada, Mexico South America: Brazil, Rest of South America Europe: Germany, France, Italy, The UK, Spain, Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific: China, Japan, India, South Korea, Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa: The UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa Key Companies Profiled Medtronics PLC, CRM Surgical, Stryker Corporation, Johnson & Johnson (Auris Health), Intuitive Surgical Inc. Titan medical, THINK Surgical Inc, Other Unit Denominations USD Million/Billion

Further, the overall impact of this growth strategy has fueled its revenue by leasing its system. Hence, in order to tap into emerging & low-income markets, system leasing could facilitate market penetration & would be a key trend for the Global Robot-assisted Surgical Device market.

Covid-19 Impact Analysis

Robot-assisted Surgical Device market experienced a steep decline due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tremendously increasing COVID-19 affected patients were the prime concern of all healthcare workers across the world. In both developed & developing countries, there was a shortage of medical consumables, hospital beds, and available doctors due to the substantial increase in patients.

Therefore, cardiovascular, cancer-related & other minimally invasive surgeries were halted, which negatively impacted the robotics-assisted market globally. Additionally, the government & private hospitals heavily invested in providing basic amenities to their patients, which, in turn, affected the sales of RASD across various regions.

Link to Download A Free Sample PDF of this Study (include Content + TOC) Report  Download Now Its Free

Further Significant Questions We Answered in Our Report 

Who are the key participants in the industry, and how have they sculpted the market?

What are the market players current strategies, business plans, and initiatives to continue their foothold in the industry and expand further?

Which segment of the market is most profitable and why?

What are the current trends that are driving the industry?

What are the opportunities and obstacles in the growth of the market?

Report Table of Content

Introduction Research Process Assumption Market Segmentation Market Definition Executive Summary Impact of COVID-19 on Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Trends & Insights Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Dynamics Growth Drivers Challenges Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Hotspot and Opportunities Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Value Chain Analysis Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market FDA Approvals, 2017-2022 Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Patent Landscape Global Robot-assisted Surgical Devices (RASD) Market Outlook, 2017- 2027

Continue to TOC

Growth Opportunity and Driver of Market

Development of Low-cost Surgical Robotic Systems to Create a Great Opportunity for the Market

Artificial intelligence in surgical robotic systems will give companies new opportunities to make work safer, increase productivity, and save the valuable time of the end-users. Artificial intelligence is an attempt to eliminate or even minimize the risk of human error. Robot-assisted surgical devices that are enabled with artificial intelligence offer high accuracy in assisting microsurgical procedures in reducing the variations that could affect the health of the patients. In addition, several surgical robotic manufacturers are heavily investing in integrating the benefits of artificial intelligence in their surgical robotic systems.

Rising Demand for Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures to Escalate the Market Growth

From complex vascular procedures to gynecological procedures, surgical robotics has found its application in various surgical procedures. The rising inclination of the patients toward minimally invasive surgeries on account of the reduced hospital stay, patient recovery time, lesser patient trauma, and post-operative pain has positively contributed to the growth of the Robot-assisted Surgical Devices market. Therefore, the surgical robotics market is anticipated to witness considerable growth in the upcoming years as the demand for minimally invasive surgical procedures propels.

Industry Divisions and Distributions

By dividing and bifurcating the industry based on varying Segments, the reports help breaks down the market into sections to help shareholders point out their focus of attention and figure out the most profitable quarters.

The Robot-Assisted Surgical Medical Device market is diversely fragmented and spread across various bifurcations. The report aims to categorize and systematically present the data in an organized, easy-to-interpret format by dividing the bifurcations into segments. Each segment is then further presented with historical data, market growth, expansion, technological advancement, and other factors affecting it. The prediction of its future growth depends on current trends and further development. The industry segmentations bifurcate across the following segments:

By Application

Gynaecological Surgery

Cardiovascular Surgery

Neurosurgery

Orthopaedic Surgery

Urology Surgery

Other (Colorectal, Ear Nose Throat(ENT), etc.)

By End User

Hospitals

Ambulatory Surgery Centres

Have Any Questions or Further Assistant Schedule A Call with Our Analyst Here  Send Your Call Back Request Now

Examination of The Markets Top Leaders

To explain the dominance of competitors and the market, the report provides the major moves, developments, acquisitions, launches, and more performed by the key players influencing the market. The prominent players profiled in the report include: 

 Medtronics PLC

 CRM Surgical

 Stryker Corporation

 Johnson & Johnson (Auris Health)

 Intuitive Surgical Inc.

 Titan medical

 THINK Surgical Inc.

 Asensus Surgery (Formerly: TransEnterix Surgical)

 SRI International Inc.

 Renishaw PLC

 Smith & Nephew PLC

 Brainlab

 NuVasive Inc.

 Synaptive Medical

 Others

We Offer Customization Too!

Our sales team is ready to listen to your questions and queries, guide you in your purchase, and dive into the research report. Therefore, to gain more info on the Robot-Assisted Surgical Medical Device market, contact Markntel Advisors for an Analyst Brief; our sales team will help you make an informed market decision to achieve market growth. We also offer customization solutions per your requirement and assistance per your queries and future goals. Our researchers prioritize your interest and study all the avenues that allow you to yield higher profits.

To Get the Benefit of Our Report Customization Service, Send Your Enquiry Here  https://www.marknteladvisors.com/query/request-customization/robot-assisted-surgical-medical-device-market.html

Why MarkNtel Advisors Report Only:

Our primary goal is to deliver reliable, industry-leading studies with precise market forecasting information.

Several industry professionals have examined our reports, enabling firms to maximize their return on investment (ROI).

All relevant data, including strategy plans, regional market outlooks, and much more, are included in our reports.

We give a thorough landscape with the key market participants using a rich pictorial depiction of the data, strategic advice, and analytical tool results. A comprehensive market analysis will help the business increase productivity.

A thorough understanding of the market under review is given through the reports presentation of demand and supply dynamics.

Other Study Report 

About Us

We are a leading research, consulting, & data analytics firm that provides an extensive range of strategic reports on diverse industry verticals. We deliver data to a substantial & varied client base, including multinational corporations, financial institutions, governments, & individuals, among others.

Our specialization in niche industries & emerging geographies allows our clients to formulate their strategies in a much more informed way and entail parameters like Go-to-Market (GTM), product development, feasibility analysis, project scoping, market segmentation, competitive benchmarking, market sizing & forecasting, & trend analysis, among others, for 15 diverse industrial verticals.

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by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, April 3, 2023

Seven TV content companies with advertising opportunities to sell this spring have elbowed their way into next month's three-day Upfront Week in New York.

Of the seven, the one that will likely generate the most curiosity is Netflix.

The streaming giant is still new to the ad-sales game, yet it managed to score a prime, coveted slot in the final week of the Upfronts for its first-ever presentation.

For this opportunity, Netflix has hopefully sent a thank-you note to Paramount Global.

Instead of a whiz-bang, all-encompassing, in-person Upfront, PG announced last December that it plans to stake its claim in the 2023 Upfront marketplace with a series of intimate gatherings in April for each of our major agency partners and their clients.

Sometime after that announcement, in swooped Netflix to take up what would have been Paramount Global's Upfront slot on Wednesday afternoon.

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As a result, Netflix can now claim a kind of parity, at least for one shortened week, with the other biggies of Upfront Week.

They are NBCUniversal (Monday morning), Fox (Monday afternoon), Televisa Univision (Tuesday morning), Disney (Tuesday afternoon), and Warner Brothers Discovery on Wednesday morning (followed later that afternoon by Netflix).

The seventh and last presenter of the week is YouTube Brandcast on Wednesday evening.

All eyes will be on Netflix to see just how the streaming giant will position its motherlode of content for advertising. Within the shows? Around them? Both? Of their thousands of titles, which shows will take center stage at their presentation?

One of them might be the new spy thriller The Night Agent, starring Gabriel Basso (above photo). The series started streaming March 23 and in its first week, Netflix is claiming viewership of 168.71 million viewing hours.

This is the usual way Netflix quantifies its viewership in press releases meant for public consumption. But are these kinds of 9-figure numbers meaningful to prospective ad buyers?

While Netflix was the only one of the new-to-advertising streamers to seize a slot during Upfront Week, some of the other majors will be part of the Interactive Advertising Bureau's four-day NewFront extravaganza Monday, May 1, through Thursday, May 4.

What's in a name? NewFront? Upfront? The TV Blog is not certain what the difference is anymore. Aren't all of them chasing after the same mountain of ad money for their piece of the action?

If memory serves, NewFront was coined some years back to encompass all the other purveyors and presenters of video content that were not broadcast or cable networks.

In the TV Blogs experience in years past, this category would include digital-only companies ranging from Yahoo and Buzzfeed to Ellen DeGeneres' Ellen Digital Network.

With Netflix participating in Upfront Week this year, it seems as if the border (if there ever was one) between Upfronts and NewFronts has been blurred.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with applying the word "NewFront" to position an event such as the 2023 IAB NewFronts, which will convene at an event space called Convene in Lower Manhattan.

The TV Blog counted 30 presenters over the four-day schedule, which can be seen here on IAB's web site.

Participants range widely. They include YouTube, Yahoo, Amazon, Meta, Peacock, Tik Tok, Roku, Vizio, Vevo, BBC, Conde Nast, Crackle Connex, Samsung Ads, LG Ads, GSTV (the gas pump video people) and many others.

Peacock's inclusion on the NewFront schedule raises questions about whether the NBCU streaming service will also be a part of NBCU's Upfront at Radio City Music Hall.

Other brand-name streamers not featured at the IAB NewFronts will likely be included in the presentations of their parent companies.

Like last year, look for Hulu to be a part of Disney's Upfront, and Tubi to get some presentation time at the Fox Upfront.
by Fern Siegel , April 3, 2023

Dallas ad agency Firehouse has promoted three female leaders.



Principals Erica Baker and Megan Ward have been upped to partner, while Emily Black was promoted to principal in addition to her role as group account director.

Since day one, all of them used their roles to make the agency and its output better, said Steve Smith, CEO.

Baker joined the 25-year-old agency in 2014 as an account executive. In addition to her new role, she serves as a group account director and has led businesses including Baxter Auto Group, Trupanion, Texas Dairy Queen and Bellevue University. Baker is a founding member of Firehouses diversity, equity and inclusion team.

advertisement advertisement Ward, a 14-year Firehouse vet, serves as director of operations. She manages high-level projects and oversees project management. She was also responsible for spearheading the companys efforts with Richardson ISD to establish the Firehouse Work-Based Learning Series.

The agency is regularly asking us what we want from our careers, and they help us make it happen, Ward said.

Black, a group account director, was also named principal after joining the agency in 2020 to lead the Lennox Residential business. She also oversees the Texas Make-A-Wish Foundation and brings with her more than 20 years of experience in advertising and brand marketing.

Part of being a great place to work is ensuring the right leadership is in place. It also means leadership that is focused on developing talent and shepherding careers as opposed to managing tasks, said Tripp Westbrook, agency President-Chief Creative Officer.

Firehouse has partnered with consumer connected, results-oriented clients such as Lennox, Toyota, Mary Kay, Uncle Julios Mexican Restaurant and The Dallas Zoo.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, April 3, 2023

Compliance company SafeGuard Privacy will soon integrate into its platform the Network Advertising Initiative's self-regulatory privacy code, the company and organization announced Monday.

SafeGuard Privacy offers interactive surveys that help businesses determine whether they comply with various privacy laws or, in the case of the Network Advertising Initiative, industry standards.

All members of the Network Advertising Initiative will have access to a section of the SafeGuard Privacy's portal that will be dedicated to the self-regulatory organization's code of conduct. The deal is expected to go live later this year.

We're embracing new and smart technology to help our members meet their obligations, Network Advertising Initiative president and CEO Leigh Freund says.

The organization currently has more than 100 members -- including Google, Quantcast and The Trade Desk -- that serve third-party ads.

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She adds that the arrangement between the Network Advertising Initiative and SafeGuard Privacy will help the organization to align better with state laws, and will eventually enable industry-level analysis.

To date, six states have passed comprehensive privacy laws -- California, Colorado, Utah, Virginia, Iowa and Connecticut. But the details of those measures vary from state to state.

For instance, Connecticut's law requires companies to allow residents to opt out of online ad targeting, and also requires companies to honor universal opt-out requests -- like those sent through browser signals like the Global Privacy Control.

Iowa's newly enacted law, by contrast, doesn't require companies to let people opt out of pseudonymous online ad targeting.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 3, 2023

Google has updated mathematic and logic capabilities in its chatbot Bard by incorporating advancements developed in its Pathways Language Model (PaLM), a large language model similar to GPT.

Were always balancing new capabilities for Bard with efficiency, tweeted Jack Krawczyk, Google product director. This update is one example of the many improvements we're making to Bard every week. Theres a lot more to come and cant wait to share more as we continue to get your feedback and make Bard even better!

The improvements enable Bard to better understand and respond to prompts and questions in a multi-step word and multi-step mathematical problems format, with the ability to code coming soon.

Analysts at investment firm Raymond James did a side-by-side comparison of generative artificial intelligence (AI) chat tools Google Bard with Microsoft Bing.

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The comparison suggests that Bing seemed a bit more likely to provide useful and correct answers for fact-based and task-based queries, but neither was perfect, the analysts wrote in a research note published Monday.

We believe that AI will positively impact both Google and Microsoft, with Google benefiting from its entrenched leadership position in search and AI investments and Microsoft benefiting from the ability to integrate OpenAI products across both Enterprise and Consumer, analysts wrote.

Bard, a conversational AI tool, is powered by Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). Microsofts Bing search engine with generative AI is built on products developed by OpenAI, such as GPT-4.

Raymond James also surveyed about 530 U.S. consumers to gain insights into their thoughts on chatbots and to gauge their interest in which tool, if any, they would use.

Googles 91% dominant position in Search provides more encouragement for users to engage with Bard -- and should provide a long-term advantage for the Alphabet company.

Two-thirds of survey respondents noted that they have at least some interest in using chatbots, and 11% said they use them frequently today.

Some 56% of respondents said they would use Google Bard, with 56% also indicating they would use ChatGPT. About 18% said they would use ChatGPT on the Bing website.

We believe this should alleviate some investor concern about Google search losing share to Bing, Raymond James analysts wrote.

Chatbot users find value in the services and are migrating some queries. About 66% of respondents who showed interest in chatbots said they would shift 14% of search activity to chatbots. Some 59% said they would shift about 10% of searches, while 41% said they would shift about 10%of searches.

Analysts believe that for the most part, the loss in share from search AI chatbots would focus more on informational searches and less monetization, versus commercial searches such as ecommerce, travel, and finance.

The research note also details the history of the move to generative AI in Microsoft Bing and Google Bard.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, April 3, 2023

Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted to The New York Times that the Alphabet company plans to integrate its generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool Bard into Google Assistant.

He said enterprise applications are obvious, but the idea is to "fine tune" the technology on enterprise data so it makes it much more powerful, with the correct privacy and security protections in place.

Getting everyone their own personalized model -- something that really excites me, in some ways -- this is what we envisioned when we were building Google Assistant, Pichai said. But we have the technology to actually do those things now.

Google Assistant is a personal tool. Last week the company said it would merge Bard and Google Assistant teams with a goal to put more emphasis on its AI-powered chatbot. Leadership changes also suggest the move.

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Sissie Hsiao, vice president of Google Assistants business unit, last week sent a memo to employees announcing the reshuffle, explaining the Assistants longtime Vice President of Engineering Jianchang JC Mao, would leave the company for personal reasons. Google Vice President Peeyush Ranjan, who previously worked on Google Pay, will step in.

Amar Subramanya, Google Assistants engineering vice president, will lead the Bard teams engineering, and Trevor Strohman, who previously led the engineering initiatives for Bard, will become an Area Tech Lead for Bard.
Greece and Spain enhance their cooperation in the face of shared challenges and coordinate their policies in view of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This was emphasized by Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis following his meeting today with Spain's State Secretary for the European Union, Pascual Ignacio Navarro Rios, who is visiting Greece.



In particular, in view of Spain's assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2023, the Spanish Secretary of State briefed Mr. Varvitsiotis on the Presidency's priorities. For his part, the Alternate Minister wished him every success in the preparations. In addition, Mr. Varvitsiotis welcomed the priorities relating to energy market reform and the continuation of price reductions, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in strengthening European energy security. Furthermore, the Alternate Minister referred to the need for coordination among Southern European countries in view of the revision of the European financial rules, noting that the new rules should be development-oriented, encourage investment, and provide flexibility to Member States. Regarding migration, Mr. Varvitsiotis pointed out that it is a significant issue for the two countries, due to their particular geographical location, and that security at the country's external borders is a top priority for Greece and the Greek government. The two ministers agreed that a coherent European migration policy, accompanied by adequate European funding for frontline member states bearing the greatest burden, is required.



Lastly, the Alternate Minister briefed his Spanish counterpart on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and underlined that Greece is always open to dialogue with Turkey, but this requires that Ankara does not question Greek sovereign rights. The war in Ukraine and the enlargement of the European Union were also addressed.
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Andreas Katsaniotis held a telephone conversation with the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, today, Monday, April 3, 2023. The telephone conversation took place on the occasion of Deputy Ministers scheduled trip to Jerusalem, in order to participate, as head of the official Greek delegation, in the Holy Fire Ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, on Holy Saturday, April 15, 2023.



During the conversation, the Deputy Minister reiterated the full and unequivocal support of the Greek State to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, underlining its strong interest in defending its privileges and rights, including property rights, the religious Status Quo, as well as safeguarding and promoting the Holy Sites in the Holy Land. He also expressed strong concern for the incidents of violence against Christian Holy Sites and, in particular, for the recent attack on the Holy Shrine of the Tomb of the Mother of God in Gethsemane. For his part, His Beatitude warmly thanked the Deputy Minister for the sincere and continued support of the Greek State.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias will travel to Brussels tomorrow, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, where he will attend the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) at Foreign Ministers' level, with the participation of the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (April 4).



Discussions are expected to focus, inter alia, on issues related to NATO's continuous support to Ukraine in addressing the Russian invasion.



It is noted that the NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting will be preceded by a short ceremony for Finlands accession to ATO.



The Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs takes place three months before the NATO Summit in Vilnius, in July.


Tribune File Photo

A downstate man has been sentenced to jail time for a run-in with police in Huron County in March 2022.

Zackary Lynn Middleton, formerly of Sumpter Township in Wayne County, was sentenced to 124 days in the Huron County Jail, with credit for 124 days served, and one and half years of probation by Huron County Circuit Judge Gerald M. Prill on March 27.
First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden's tour of Delta College scheduled for April 3 has been postponed due to an aircraft issue.

Dr. Biden was scheduled to tour the skilled workforce training programs at Delta College's main campus with Saginaw Mayor Brenda Moore and Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-08) on Monday afternoon. Instead, she was diverted en route back to Denver, Colorado, where she had met with legislators at the Colorado State Capitol Building Monday morning.
MANISTEE  Several first response agencies helped a man at a boat launch in Manistee on Monday morning.

Josh Glass, Manistee City Police Department chief, said in an email that officers from his department responded to a 911 call from the area of the Ninth Street boat launch.

Information gathered by the officers at the scene indicated that a male subject was launching his boat at Ninth Street Boat launch when his boat got away from him and started drifting out onto the lake, Glass said. The male subject decided to enter the water to recover his boat. While in the water the male subject became distressed but was able to swim back to shore.

Scanner reports could be heard around 10:30 a.m. of responders assisting the man at the boat launch.

The Manistee City Fire Department provided medical attention to the man and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources also responded to the scene.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new $40 million round of grants to extend high-speed internet to extremely remote farms, homes and businesses in New Mexico, including counties where the population density is less than one person per square mile (2.5 square kilometers).

Joe Biden and top administration officials are traveling to more than 20 states this week to buttress the president's message on investments and economic growth before an expected reelection campaign, amid a tug-of-war on federal budget priorities with House Republicans. Biden on Monday traveled to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to tour a clean energy technology manufacturer.

Democratic leaders in New Mexico welcomed his agriculture secretary Monday in Albuquerque for the announcement, and celebrated public spending on high-speed internet in remote New Mexico communities. Vilsack and members of the state's congressional delegation say the funds will help farms find efficiencies through precision mapping of topography, nutrients and moisture. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, said fast rural internet and array federal infrastructure spending will help those growers bring commodities to market and compete.

The grants to expand fiberoptic cable networks in New Mexico stem from the $1 billion infrastructure law signed by Biden in 2021, and the related Reconnect program that aims to fill in gaps where internet service is slow or nonexistent. The spending will help two rural telephone companies and a cooperative extend high-speed internet service to extremely remote ranch and farm lands, in counties such as Catron, Harding and DeBaca that have fewer than one person per square mile (2.5 square kilometers) on average.

When you look at the number of farms and ranches and businesses and homes that are covered, its not huge. And someone said, Is that a wise investment of our federal dollars? said U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who represents a sprawling rural district that traverses northern and eastern New Mexico. "And I said absolutely. Absolutely because you need the connectivity no matter what your zip code is.

As fiberoptic cables are extended, some households will be eligible for subsidies that can ensure high-speed access for as little as $30 a month, Leger Fernandez said.

A $14 million grant to the Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative is designed to extend high-speed internet to 550 people, including 48 farms in Chaves, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties. The goal is to help small and medium-sized farms attain the same profitability as large food producers.

Those 48 farms now have the opportunity to take full advantage of this new transformational future we are building," Vilsack said. Those 550 people count as much as any people living in New York City or Los Angeles or Denver or any major community in this country."
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Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reference to the attack that he doesn't think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russia's internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russia's second-largest city, officials said. Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her SUV outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of Tatarsky that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking as he removed a wrapper to reveal the gold-colored bust of a man wearing a helmet, What a handsome guy!

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism. Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on Feb. 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

Designating the case as a terrorist act gives authorities more power to pursue their investigation, increases the maximum punishment and limits the rights of suspects.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but didnt know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, the Kremlin's fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organized massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Navalny's supporters as an "internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her SUV blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation" in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St. Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Zelenskyy told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Tatarsky was born in Ukraine's industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticized the military brass.

Putin saluted Tatarsky posthumously Monday with a bravery award.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to help thwart Russias full-scale invasion, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.

We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security, Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, adding there are no signs that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war.

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces, Stoltenberg said. Our support is for the long-haul.

Analysts suspect Putin plans to dig in and hold out against a possible Ukraine counteroffensive in the coming months, hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will unravel.

Putins invasion in February 2022 backfired in key respects. It led NATO to deploy more troops and weapons into the territories of its members in Eastern Europe and persuaded Sweden and Finland to scrap their neutrality and seek NATO membership.

Finland will formally join the alliance on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said.

The war has also bound together more tightly foreign leaders viewed by Putin as adversaries.

In a fresh example of the closer ties that Ukraine is forging, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to head to Warsaw on Wednesday for a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Polish authorities announced the visit Monday in an unusually early disclosure of the Ukrainian leaders travel plans.

Against a backdrop of fears among Russias other neighbors about the Kremlins ambitions, the leaders of Germany, Romania and Moldova were due Monday to look at ways of shoring up defenses along NATOs eastern flank.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was meeting in Bucharest with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Their talks were expected to focus on security, the economy and energy supply.

Meanwhile, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the economy minister and responsible for energy, arrived in Kyiv on Monday on an unannounced visit. He traveled with a business delegation that included the head of Germanys main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries.

Habeck said the trip was meant to send a clear signal that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europes part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future.

Zelenskyy and Habeck visited the village of Yahidne  140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Kyiv. Zelenskyy stopped at the Yahidne secondary school, in whose basement Russian occupiers forcibly kept 367 Ukrainian civilians for 27 days in March of last year. Eleven people died in the dark, crowded basement.

Possible sabotage and assassinations behind the front lines continued. A Moscow-appointed official was seriously injured when his car exploded in the Russia-controlled southern city of Melitopol early Monday, according to the Moscow-appointed regional administration. Maxim Zubarev, the former head of the village of Antonovka, was hospitalized in grave condition.

Meanwhile, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, where much of the fighting has taken place in recent months, six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket strike on the town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraines presidential office said.

Four more civilians were killed in the northern Chernihiv region when their vehicles hit land mines, underscoring the perils of living in the war zone. The head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on Monday visited Chernihiv city, where parts of the historic center were damaged during a siege by Russian forces in late February of last year.

Intentional destruction of cultural heritage is a crime, Azoulay said after visiting a former movie theater that was partially destroyed.

Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a spell of cold weather has worsened the civilians plight.

Freezing temperatures and snow make life unbearable for civilians. They have to survive in damp basements without power and communications and can only occasionally get out to warm themselves around a campfire, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks.

The Russians never run out of ammunition, equipment and personnel whom they use as cannon fodder to keep trying to storm cities.

In other developments:

Russia transferred to Ukraine 12 prisoners, including five seriously injured Ukrainian soldiers, officials said. Some had fought in Bakhmut, the biggest focus of the war in recent months and the scene of some of its bloodiest battles. On March 24, Ukraine had turned over five seriously hurt Russian prisoners. Such transfers are a rare example of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi will visit Kaliningrad, Russia, on Wednesday as part of his efforts to ensure the protection of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant, IAEA spokesman Fredrik Dahl said. Grossi will meet Russian officials as a follow-up to his visit last week to the Zaporizhzhia station, whose six reactors are shut down.

___

Associated Press Writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Mstyslav Chernov in Chernihiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. ___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
After a series of ferocious tornadoes tore through the Midwest and South on Friday, leaving at least 32 people dead and causing widespread destruction in Little Rock, some 200 Guardsmen from the Arkansas National Guard were mobilized to help.

The Guardsmen are assisting with traffic control and security efforts after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency. The troops come from units with the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 87th Troop Command, and 77th Theater Aviation Brigade and operate in Jacksonville, Wynne and Little Rock, a Guard spokesperson told Military.com.

The deployment comes as National Guard units have faced a seemingly endless set of crises, all while the Pentagon continues to build its presence in Europe and Africa while juggling holdover missions from the Global War on Terrorism era in the Middle East.

Read Next: Here Is the Army's New Counseling Form, Marking an Overhaul of How the Service Evaluates Soldiers

The Guardsmen helping in tornado response are on state active duty, or SAD, orders, a mechanism in which Guardsmen fall under the governor effectively as state contractors. During those orders, troops do not accrue any military benefits such as the GI Bill or access to generous home loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. They also cannot claim any disability through the VA if hurt on duty and have no federal protection if their civilian employers retaliate against them for taking off work to serve in uniform.

Though federal assistance is opening up to Arkansas, it's unclear whether Guardsmen will be placed on federal orders -- which could significantly boost their pay.

The role Guardsmen play in assisting with natural disasters is expected to continually ramp up as the impacts of climate change make severe weather more frequent.

Meanwhile, the National Guard juggles its overseas obligations, with some 20,000 Guardsmen deployed abroad at a given time, according to data from the National Guard Bureau. The Ohio National Guard's 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team currently has the most significant footprints in combat zones, with some 1,800 troops in Iraq and Syria.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: The National Guard Is Having a Nightmarish Time Keeping Soldiers and Recruiting New Ones
Updating the formula for housing allowances, making sure troops get a full stipend, and building more housing on bases: Those are a few of the ways a member of the House Armed Services Committee wants to make housing more affordable for service members.

In a time when Congress is bitterly divided along partisan lines, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., is hopeful that housing and other issues that affect service members' quality of life, including child care and food insecurity, can engender rare bipartisan support.

"There are some people who are there on the committee to not seriously do the work, but I do believe that there are enough people when they think very carefully about readiness and taking care of our families that they understand that this is a national and global security issue," Strickland, a second-term member of the Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee, told Military.com in a recent interview in her D.C. office.

Read Next: Here Is the Army's New Counseling Form, Marking an Overhaul of How the Service Evaluates Soldiers

Ideas such as increasing the Basic Allowance for Housing or expanding eligibility for the two-year-old Basic Needs Allowance have garnered some support from lawmakers in both parties in recent years, but they have also struggled to get past the finish line.

Strickland's focus on housing affordability stems from the district she represents. It includes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, situated in theTacoma area, which is considered to be one of the most competitive housing markets in the country.

Military quality-of-life issues are also personal for Strickland, the daughter of a Black Army veteran and a South Korean mother. Her father served in the Army during World War II, a time when the military was racially segregated, and the Korean War, and she lived in on-base housing in Fort Richardson, Alaska, before her family moved to Tacoma.

While her father faced discrimination in the military, she also saw how military service allowed for upward mobility, something she fears is no longer the case.

"Roof over our head, plenty of food on the table, not really worried about having our basic needs met, and that's just not true today for so many military families," she said. "Joining the military, especially for a lot of minority families, was really a way up the economic ladder. ... So how do we make sure that we get back to that place where families who are serving don't feel like they have these huge financial struggles?"

While quality-of-life issues for service members have garnered bipartisan attention, the Armed Services Committee's personnel subcommittee has so far this year focused more on politics. The quality-of-life issues that are traditionally the subcommittee's purview are instead expected to be addressed in a new subpanel that lawmakers have said will be up and running in the coming months.

Strickland spoke to Military.com a day after the personnel subcommittee held a hearing on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the military in which Republicans argued such programs hurt the military. She lamented "performance artists" on the panel, but said military quality-of-life issues "should be" an area that can see bipartisan progress this year.

When she speaks with commanders at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Strickland said, "Without a doubt, the top issues that come up are housing, child care and food insecurity."

On food insecurity, she's a co-sponsor of a bipartisan bill introduced last month that would expand eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance, which Congress created to help low-income troops experiencing hunger, by excluding the allowance from income calculations. On child care, Strickland suggested there's a nationwide issue of attracting child care workers that needs to be addressed.

On housing, Strickland wants to adjust the Basic Allowance for Housing back to covering 100% of housing costs. In 2015, Congress passed a law that allowed, but did not mandate, the Defense Department to reduce BAH so that it covers only 95% of a service member's housing costs. A 2021 Government Accountability Office report found the reduction meant troops were missing out on anywhere from $828 annually to $1,776, depending on their rank and whether they have dependents.

The non-binding report accompanying last year's House-passed version of the annual defense policy bill included language championed by Strickland that expressed concern about housing affordability; encouraged the Defense Department to restore BAH to 100% of housing costs; and asked the department to submit a report to Congress on restoring BAH. A bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Strickland also sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in November to "strongly encourage" him to "immediately restore" the full BAH.

But Strickland is doubtful the department will act on its own to restore BAH and said she thinks Congress will need to mandate it. She did not directly answer when asked whether she believes there's enough support in Congress to mandate BAH restoration, but said she thinks lawmakers recognize it as a recruitment and retention issue.

"Quality of life for those who serve and their families, that's going to have a factor in how people choose their careers," she said.

Lawmakers in both parties, including Strickland, have also expressed concern that BAH rates are not keeping pace with the housing market, particularly in high-cost areas such as Strickland's district. The version of last year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that became law required the department to study the "accuracy" of BAH. That report is due in December, and Strickland said she will be looking closely to see how BAH calculations can be updated.

Another area of concern is housing availability. The non-binding report accompanying last year's House NDAA also called for the department to look into on-base housing availability and recommend options to increase the housing stock. For Strickland, the answer is changing the way the military lays out its housing.

"I don't need a study to know there's a housing shortage in JBLM because it affects the entire community up and down the I-5 corridor," she said, referring to a highway that runs along the West Coast.

"I know that, historically, the model has been ramblers, and they're kind of sprawled out," she added, referring to a style of home. "Taking some more, what I call, urban planning principles, where they can build townhouses, go more vertical, and think about places where we can build density on bases without encroaching upon any of the training and drills they have to do -- I think there's an opportunity there."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: Push to Help More Service Members In Need Get Food Stamps Revived by Senators
The USS George Bushs deployment has been extended following a series of Iranian attacks in Syria.

The extended deployment means the return of more than 5,000 Norfolk-based sailors wont happen as scheduled.

Last week, the Department of Defense ordered the U.S. Navys George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group be postured to bolster the capabilities of CENTCOM ( U.S. Central Command) in the Middle East, said Col. Joe Buccino, spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, in a statement emailed Monday to The Virginian-Pilot.

The deployment was extended after a series of attacks in Syria over the past two weeks. On March 23, an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle struck a maintenance facility on a Coalition base near Hasakah, Syria, killing a U.S. contractor and injuring five U.S. service members and one additional contractor. On March 31, Syrian Democratic Forces killed two ISIS suicide bombers in Hasakah, Syria. The suicide bombers were ambushed and killed before they were able to detonate their explosives.

In response, U.S. Central Command released a statement via Twitter: U.S. forces and Syrian Democratic Forces are exploiting the information from the explosives and material for follow-on raids against ISIS. CENTCOM is committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS alongside our partners in Iraq and Syria.

News of the Bushs extension was first reported Friday by Reuters, nearly eight months since Bush sailors moved the flagships American flag from the fantail to the mast. The carrier will be supported by guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black and guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf, which departed around Aug. 10, 2022, alongside the Bush from Naval Station Norfolk for a scheduled deployment.

The USNS Arctic, a Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship, will provide additional support to the Bush strike group, and the DoD also expedited the scheduled deployment of an A-10 fighter squadron to the region.

Collectively, these actions demonstrate the United States ability to rapidly reposition forces across the globe and underscores that all necessary measures will be taken to defend U.S. forces. We are committed to supporting the defeat- ISIS mission alongside a global coalition in Syria and are prepared to respond to a range of contingencies in the Middle East if needed, Buccino said.

During this extension, Buccino confirmed the Bush strike group will be under the U.S. European Command, which includes the Baltic and Mediterranean seas. According to Marine Vessel Traffic, three days the Bush was reportedly in the Ionian Sea, off the coast of Italy, heading south to the Mediterranean Sea.

It is unclear how long the Bushs return will be delayed.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com

2023 The Virginian-Pilot. Visit pilotonline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
American forces need to be reliably all over the Asia-Pacific region, and highly visible, if they're going to prevent China from dominating its neighbors, naval experts and leaders within the sea services are arguing as they lay out an American strategy that is starting to take shape.

"The U.S. Navy  puts in an appearance once in a while and what's the precedent? Only to soon steam away, leaving Chinese maritime forces in possession of disputed water and the skies," Naval War College professor Dr. James Holmes told an audience largely made up of Navy officers and other military officials.

Holmes was speaking at the annual Sea Air Space conference that is held just outside of Washington, D.C., where a string of officials laid out how the Navy is planning on structuring its increased focus on the Pacific.

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The academic argued that one of the strongest messages the military needs to send to local residents, like a fisherman heading into the waters surrounding his home, is that the American military will keep them safe.

"We should strive to get that fisherman to have the confidence to go out and make a living for himself and his family without undue fear of abuse at the hands of the [domineering] coastal state that's asserting itself unlawfully and effectively in defiance of international law," Holmes said, referring to China.

In January, the Marine Corps announced that it is reopening a base on Guam and plans to move thousands of Marines to the island over the next several years.

Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, the commander of Coast Guard forces in the Pacific, said at the same conference that his service is also "pushing our fast response cutters  that are headquartered in Hawaii and Guam."

Tiongson added that the Coast Guard is "going to experiment with rotary wing forces out of Guam trying to get more access that way or further reach."

On Monday, the Philippine government announced four new local military camps, including some that face Taiwan, where armed American troops would be able to rotate in and stay indefinitely.

That announcement was made over strong objections from China.

"You have to step onto the field of competition and stay there for the duration of the contest, if you hope to prevail," Holmes said.

"Let's experiment with how to harness joint and combined maritime forces along with geography, to strategic and political gain, emboldening our hypothetical fisherman," he added.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Marines Reopen Base on Guam as Part of a Shift from Okinawa
The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Dylan Dodd, who was reported last week to have secured a rotation spot. In corresponding moves, left-hander Jared Shuster was optioned to Triple-A while outfielder Jordan Luplow was designated for assignment.

Luplow, 29, was signed by Atlanta this offseason to a one-year, $1.4MM deal. The outfielder had spent 2022 with the Diamondbacks, but limped to a .176/.274/.361 batting line on the year and a wRC+ of 78. He could have been retained via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a salary of $2MM, but Arizona designated him for assignment instead. After becoming a free agent, Luplow signed that deal with Atlanta, a bit below his arb projection.

He would have been line for a bench outfield role but the club later added some more options into the competition for that job, acquiring Eli White and signing Kevin Pillar to a minor league deal. The latter of those two eventually had his contract selected and made the roster alongside Sam Hilliard, with Luplow getting optioned to the minors. Luplows now lost his spot on the 40-man roster as well.

The club will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Despite recent struggles, Luplow has occasionally seemed like a viable platoon outfielder. The right-handed hitter has a career batting line of .226/.337/.505 against lefties for a wRC+ of 125, compared to a .200/.288/.355 line and 76 wRC+ against righties. That could lead to some interest around the league but its a fairly similar profile to Darin Ruf, who was released by the Mets today and can now be signed for the league minimum. One thing Luplow offers beyond Ruf, though, is the ability to be optioned to the minors. Luplow is also shy of five years service time and therefore can be retained for 2024 via arbitration.

If Luplow were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would have the ability to reject an outright assignment and return to free agency, though he might not do so. Since hes shy of the five-year service mark, he would have to leave his salary on the table in order to return to the open market. Perhaps the $1.4MM would be enough to convince him to stick in Gwinnett as depth, if that comes to pass.

As for Shuster, he has been optioned but its possible there are some roster shenanigans going on. Pitchers optioned to the minors cant return for 15 days, but an exception is made when another played is going on the injured list. Manager Brian Snitker has said that lefty Max Fried will be placed on the injured list, though the club hasnt done so yet. Once they make that move official, its possible that Shuster gets added back to the active roster. That being said, he didnt exactly wow in his debut, allowing four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings. He walked five opponents, allowed six hits and only struck out one. Perhaps hell get some more work in Gwinnett and the big league club will consider giving his spot to Dodd, Bryce Elder, Ian Anderson or Michael Soroka, at least until Fried and Kyle Wright are ready to come off the injured list.
The Mets have released infielder/outfielder Darin Ruf, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a week ago when the club selected Tommy Hunter to the roster.

Ruf, 36, came over to the Mets in a deadline deal last year. Unfortunately, that deal went south fairly quickly, as he hit just .152/.216/.197 in 29 games with the club down the stretch. He stuck on the roster all winter but then his struggles continued into the spring, as he hit just .167/.265/.233 in Grapefruit League action. The club had added Tommy Pham over the winter to help take over Rufs role as a right-handed hitting role player and Ruf was cut from the roster prior to Opening Day.

Ruf will now be free to sign with any of the other 29 clubs around the league. Despite his recent struggles, he should garner some interest based on his past work. After a successful three-year stretch in Korea from 2017 to 2019, Ruf returned to North America and hit very well with the Giants. In 2020 and 2021, he hit .272/.381/.519 for a wRC+ of 142. That latter figure was one of the 15 best in the majors in that time period, among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.

Based on that excellent showing, the Giants signed him to an extension going into 2022. The two-year deal paid him $3MM in each of 2022 and 2023, with a $3.5MM option for 2024 that comes with a $250K buyout. The club struggled last year and flipped Ruf to the Mets in a deal that now looks awful for the latter club. They sent infielder J.D. Davis, left-hander Thomas Szapucki and a couple of prospects to San Francisco, only to see Ruf slump badly for a few months before now getting sent away for nothing.

The Mets have had the past week to try to work out a trade for Ruf or get him claimed on waivers, but a release always seemed the most likely path forward. Hes still owed the $3MM salary for this year and $250K buyout on next years option. Any acquiring team would have been responsible for that money, and its unsurprising none of them were willing to do so with Rufs recent performance. The Mets will remain on the hook for that, allowing any other club to add Ruf for the prorated league minimum for any time spent on their roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Rufs aforementioned strong run in 2020 and 2021 should intrigue some clubs. He also wasnt bad prior to the trade last year, hitting .216/.328/.373 for a wRC+ of 104. He also might interest teams that are especially concerned about their production against lefties, as that is Rufs specialty. He has a career .272/.367/.523 batting line against southpaws for a wRC+ of 143, compared to a .216/.300/.365 line and 86 wRC+ against righties. Even amid last years struggles, he still hit .222/.322/.430 with the platoon advantage for a wRC+ of 116.
DETROIT  The naked body of an unidentified woman was found in field in Detroit over the weekend, WDIV Local 4 reports.

She was discovered around 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 2, in a field on Whitney Street near Linwood Street, police said. Its unclear how long the body was there before it was found.

The manner of death is unknown, but the Detroit Police Department is investigating the case as a homicide, the report said. The medical examiners office is working to determine the cause of death.

Anyone with information is asked to call the DPD at 313-596-2260.

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WAYNE, MI  Police shot and injured a man after he tried to get into a Ford plant in Metro Detroit.

Michigan State Police say the shooting occurred at the Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant, 37500 Van Born Road, at 7:25 p.m. on Saturday.

The Wayne Police Department responded to the scene after receiving a report of a man trying to enter the facility with a gun.

Officers confronted the 53-year-old suspect outside an employee area and shot him after he allegedly pointed a handgun at police, according to the Associated Press.

The suspect is in critical condition, according to police. No Ford employees or police were hurt in the incident.

Michigan State Police are investigating the incident.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Sparrow Health System and University of Michigan Health officially merged over the weekend,

Officials from both health systems championed the move in a Monday announcement.

The Lansing-based health system joined the Ann Arbor-based system about four months after Michigan Medicine purchased Sparrow for $800 million in December.

The merger gives Michigan Medicine oversight of 200-plus care sites across Michigan, officials said, as Sparrow added 120 care sites, 10,000 caregivers and about 600 primary-care providers.

Read more: Michigan Medicine to own Lansing-based Sparrow Health System for $800M

Officials from Sparrow, University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine all praised the merger in an April 3 press conference.

This is an incredibly proud moment for Sparrow as joining University of Michigan Health enables us to accelerate our expansion of services, build greater breadth and depth of clinical expertise, and seamlessly integrate leading-edge technology and other updates into our facilities, Sparrow Health System President and CEO James F. Dover said.

Officials answered multiple questions about the logistics of the merger during the press conference. The merger will not switch a patients care to another physician or specialist, Dover said.

No patient will lose access to their current care provider, he said.

The Sparrow brand name will currently remain, Dover said, but officials are considering a brand name change, Dover said at the April 3 press conference.

Both health systems bring their own strengths to the table, UM Board of Regents Chair Paul Brown said in a statement.

This combination creates a clinical care network that builds upon the strengths of the world-class University of Michigan Health academic medical center and Sparrows successful community-based health system, Brown said.

Michigan Medicines $800 million purchase will be funded through hospital operations and strategic investments over the next eight years, officials said.

The Sparrow-Michigan Medicine partnership has already yielded UM Health at Sparrow Childrens Center in Lansing and an investment in Sparrows Physicians Health Plan, officials said. The health systems also coordinated on an easing of COVID-era mask requirements in their hospitals in a March 31 announcement.

Read more: U-M, Sparrow hospitals to ease mask requirements as COVID numbers wane

We become part of University of Michigan Health knowing that we have had a successful partnership in the past and have the same vision for the future, said Sparrow Health System Board Chair John Pirich.

Both Pirich and Michigan Medicine CEO Dr. Marshcall Runge said both health systems have a goal of coordinating medical care across the state.

The completion of this transaction represents a special moment and, as one team, we are well positioned to unlock new opportunities and share best practices while providing our patients with the highest level of care, Runge said. We are confident that, together, University of Michigan Health and Sparrow will bring increased health care innovation to Mid-Michigan and beyond.

More information is available at Sparrow.org/NewChapter.

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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - A clothing dryer fire damaged a Washtenaw County home Sunday morning, officials said.

Firefighters responded to a structure fire report at 10:02 a.m., April 2 on the 4000 block of Tess Lane in York Township five miles north of Milan, said the Milan Fire Department.
ANN ARBOR, MI - A man who brandished an air pistol that resembled a real firearm at an Ann Arbor fight between teenagers was subsequently arrested, according to police.

Officers responded to reports of an armed man and shots fired around 7:30 a.m., March 28 to the Creekside Court Community Center, 3421 Platt Road, said the Ann Arbor Police Department.

Arriving officers arrested Asterio Eduardo Duvalon, a 30-year-old with previous residences in Royal Oak and Miami, Florida, said police spokesman Chris Page. Upon investigation, officers determined no shots were fired and no one was hurt, police said.

Further investigation determined Duvalon pulled out a realistic-looking air pistol in response to a group of teenagers fighting in the area, police said.

During police investigation of the area, a large fight between multiple teenagers broke out around 8:15 p.m., police said. More officers were called to the scene to handle the amount of people, police said.

Two female teenagers suffered minor injuries.

Three people linked to the fight were arrested, including a 39-year-old woman and a 19-year-old woman for disorderly fighting, police said. A 19-year-old man was arrested for obstructing police, and all three were cited and then released, police said.

Duvalon was arraigned on March 29 on two felony charges, police said, including one count of carrying a weapon with unlawful intent and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. Duvalon could face up to nine years in prison and up to $4,500 in fines if convicted of both charges, according to Michigan law.

Duvalon was issued a $50,000 cash bond, police said. A probable cause conference hearing is schedule for 9 a.m. in 15th District Court in front of Judge Karen Valvo.

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YPSILANTI, MI -- The Deep End Cafe & Gallery is bringing more than just coffee to Ypsilanti.

Co-owners Candace Cavazos and Pierre Goree celebrated the cafes grand opening at 310 Perrin St. on Saturday, March 25. The business will not only offer healthy food and drink options, but it will also provide artists a space in Ypsilanti.

Cavazos has been a poet for over 10 years and has been a member of a poetry collective called The Guild since 2015. She is often known for the work she has done under her artists name, Oceania.

The Deep End Cafe & Gallery will be a spot any underrepresented artists can sell and promote their artwork, Cavazos said, adding it will be a very collaborative space always open to working with people who align with its mission.

The business is also planning to sell merchandise beyond just artwork like other peoples books and creations.

Ive been in and out of cafes my whole life so that has brought me to meet a lot of different artists along the way and artist communities across the Midwest, Cavazos said. When the opportunity came up for me to open a cafe -- it just made sense.

The cafe and gallery will feature work from at least one artist per month. The shops current featured artist is Sheefy McFly who is a musician and artist from Detroit.

Some of the featured artwork at The Deep End Cafe & Gallery at 310 Perrin St. in Ypsilanti.

Each artist will also have meet and greet events where customers can listen to them talk more about their work and possibly purchase art at a discounted rate. The business will also have other private events for customers to check out as well.

Cavazos is the one behind curating all of the artists that step through The Deep Ends doors. She said the process is intimate and will often require her reaching out to artists she believes fit best with the business.

Thats what I was most excited about with this cafe was being able to finally curate the art and artists that I love that I feel like should be represented and celebrated, she said.

As for the cafes menu, the couple said they are working with a Detroit-based company called The Squeeze Station to bring healthy food and drink options to Ypsilanti. Cavazos previously worked as a consultant for the company before the collaboration.

Although Cavazos is from Detroit, she said she is excited to be a part of Ypsilanti and see the impact she can make in a new place.

Customers will be able to find menu items for breakfast, wraps and salads along with drinks like coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos, smoothies, teas, fresh pressed juices and wellness shots.

The goal is to make healthy food accessible to the community, especially ... right here in this area (where) theres not a lot of options, she said. We felt like it was an important way to put our mission out there.

As for Gorees involvement, he said supporting his partner, Cavazos, was an easy decision for him.

I know she is very ambitious and motivated, he said. She built this whole thing from the ground up from the website to the digital marketing ... so I really had no choice but to believe in her vision.

Over the years, Cavazos said she often felt under pressure as she navigated being a first-generation college graduate from the University of Michigan. She added she continues to feel this way now as a first-generation business owner.

Ultimately, Cavazos said she wants customers and artists to feel a sense of relief at The Deep End no matter what they are going through. The idea of everyone being deep under where the pressure is was actually where the cafe got its name, she said.

We represent underrepresented artists so ... we acknowledge the pressure youre under and we want to alleviate that a little while youre here and while your art is here, she said.

The cafes hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Find The Deep End Cafe & Gallery online or on social media.

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ANN ARBOR, MI - Starting this week, graduate instructors and assistants on strike at the University of Michigan must prove they are working to receive their pay, university officials wrote in an email.

The Graduate Employees Organization began striking March 29. The union is bargaining for higher pay and multiple other measures.

Read more: Instructor strike forces flexible learning for University of Michigan students

A university email states the striking workers will not be paid for any time not worked starting Sunday, April 2. Graduate student instructors and staff assistants, known as GSIs and GSSAs, must fill out weekly surveys to attest they worked during that time in order to receive pay, the email states.

This email serves as a notification that attestation surveys will begin on Sunday, April 9, 2023, officials wrote in the email. GSIs and GSSAs who continue working during the strike will be paid for their work.

While the strike started prior to April 2, university officials said pay was maintained for striking workers through Saturday, April 1, due to the universitys pay schedule.

The union shared a message on Twitter Monday, April 3, to tell members not to sign the surveys. The union also responded to the university seeking a Washtenaw County Circuit Court order to force grad instructors back to work, saying its members are balancing the consequences to university operations with fighting for a fair contract.

These are very serious consequences and we do not take them lightly, the union wrote on Twitter. The disruption to the education of 47,000 students is a tragic outcome of the admins continued dismissal of our very basic needs. We love our work and miss our students, but we only return for a fair contract.

Grad instructors and assistants must confirm by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday each week that they taught classes, graded assignments or held office hours the previous week, university officials said in their email.

Your next paycheck will reflect that duties were not performed and your pay will be reduced accordingly, unless you provide proof that you in fact engaged in your employment duties for the university during the pay period in question, according to the email.

Providing false information on the survey will result in discipline based on the previous bargaining agreement between the university and union, according to the email. There will be exceptions made for instructors on approved leaves, though instructors will have to provide proof from a healthcare provider that they need medical leave or sick time.

We understand that the majority of GSIs would not falsify medical leave or an attestation of their time worked and it is unfortunate that these measures have become necessary, according to the email.

For any questions, the university encouraged union members to email GSI-GSSA-work-confirmation@umich.edu.

The university sued the union on March 30 to force the striking workers back to work for a potential violation of the collective bargaining agreement made in 2020. The university is also seeking economic damages.

The strike is in direct violation, and in repudiation, of a no-strike clause in the parties current collective bargaining agreement and has occurred in the middle of the universitys winter semester, thereby jeopardizing a students ability to take final exams, complete necessary course work, graduate, or complete educational degrees necessary for graduate/professional school or post-graduate employment, the lawsuit states.

Read more: University of Michigan files lawsuits demanding grad strikers back into classrooms

The union is disappointed that UM is taking it to court rather than pay us a living wage, said GEO Contract Committee Chair Amir Fleischmann.

Grad workers are on strike, because we know our demands are reasonable and just, he said. We will continue to fight until we get the contract we deserve.

The union is currently demanding the university address 13 main issues in contract negotiations, chiefly a 60% wage increase in the first year and additional raises the following two years. UM is offering an 11.5% raise for part-time appointments over the next three years to increase wages to $38 to $39 per hour by year three.

The full platform is available here, including issues of increased childcare subsidies, increased co-pays on mental health, funding for gender transition health care and more unarmed responders by UMs Division of Public Safety and Security.

A hearing to consider the universitys injunction against the unions strike is scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, April 4, before Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Carol Kuhnke.

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FLINT, MI -- Some Flint residents could find out the status of their water settlement claims as soon as this month and all of the more than 55,000 claims are expected to be resolved by the end of 2023.

Special master Deborah E. Greenspan, who is assisting U.S. District Court Judge Judith E. Levy in overseeing the distribution of the $626-million settlement fund, reported the new timetable in a notice filed last week in federal court.

Although Levy gave final approval to the settlement between water crisis victims and the state of Michigan, the city of Flint, McLaren-Flint hospital, and Rowe Professional Services more than a year ago, the process of reviewing individual claims has taken longer than expected.

More than 45,000 claimants -- asserting more than 55,000 claims -- have filed paperwork seeking a piece of the settlement with some individuals asserting more than one type of claim. Claim forms allowed people and businesses to pick from one or more of 30 possible claim categories.

In addition to the review of those claims and more than 2.4 million pages of supporting documents, court officials had also been prevented from paying claims until three appeals of the settlement were resolved by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals just last month.

Court officials have said the payment of individual claims cannot begin until each request for funds has been reviewed and Greenspans notice to the court says that during the next several months, the claims administrator will begin to issue notices to individuals, advising them whether the compensation category they selected has been approved and if not, whether they qualify for a different compensation category.

The notices will also advise claimants of any missing information that is necessary to complete the claim or any other deficiencies in the submission, the notice says. All claimants will have the right to seek reconsideration if they disagree with the notice. Claimants can also seek a further administrative appeal on their claim if they disagree with the reconsideration result.

Not every person who filed a claim will get a notification right away, Greenspans report says, and although the review process is expected to be completed during the next nine months, further appeals in either state or federal courts could delay the claims review process further.

The settlement itself has been largely bankrolled by the state, which contributed $600 million to the settlement fund. In exchange, the state and its employees were excused from pending lawsuits filed by attorneys for Flint residents in state and federal courts. Contributions by the city of Flint, McLaren and Rowe resulted in claims against them and their employees also having been dismissed.

Greenspans notice says settlement funds have been invested in secure investments such as government-backed treasury bills until the funds are ultimately distributed to attorneys and those who filed water claims.

Last month, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld Levys plan for the distribution of attorney fees, which the judge capped at 25% after other expenses are subtracted from the settlement fund, leaving roughly $400 million for individual claims.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

Historic $626-million Flint water crisis settlement approved by federal court judge

Appeals Court affirms attorney fees ruling in Flint water crisis settlement

Reinforcements coming to help expedite Flint water crisis settlement claims
WYOMING, MI -- The deaths of two men found in the driveway of a Wyoming home has been ruled a murder-suicide.

Police said that 30-year-old Louis Gonzales and 25-year-old Andrew Gil were related. The investigation showed they were involved in some type of dispute.

According to police, Gonzales shot Gil and then killed himself.

Police responded about 7:30 a.m. March 31 to the 3000 block of Buchanan Avenue SW after someone called 911.

Officers arrived to find Gil dead inside of a car parked in the driveway. Gonzales was discovered in the driveway near the car.

Police recovered a handgun at the scene.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  The relationship between the Grand Rapids Police Department and Black community has been strained for years.

Incidents where officers have drawn guns on people of color, including multiple high-profile encounters involving unarmed Black youth, have led to criticism and scrutiny.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A graphic video of a Grand Rapids police officer shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head is released.

The officer is charged with murder by the county prosecutor after a lengthy review.

A trial date was scheduled, then delayed and rescheduled for a later date.

Much has happened in the last year since now-former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr shot and killed Lyoya following a traffic stop on the citys Southeast Side.

Charged with murder, Schurr is scheduled for trial on Oct. 24. The trial initially was set to begin March 13, but it was delayed. Defense attorneys have appealed the district judges decision to bind Schurr over for trial on the second-degree murder charge.

The violent encounter on April 4, 2022, divided many in the city and thrust it into the national discussion about policing of minority communities.

Kent Countys prosecutor, in making his decision to charge the former officer, said a jury should determine whether Schurr acted reasonably and was justified in the shooting.

Schurrs defense team has said its the first time in Michigan that an officer has been charged with murder for performing their duties.

RELATED: Its been one year since Patrick Lyoya was killed. Whats happened since in the fight for change?

Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary since the fatal traffic stop became national news.

MLive/The Grand Rapids reviewed the legal case that is still playing out in the local court system and compiled a look back at critical moments that have shaped the case over the last year.

The traffic stop on April 4, 2022

Schurr stopped Lyoyas, a 26-year-old Congolese refugee, vehicle on Nelson Avenue SE that rainy morning because the license plate did not match the vehicle. A struggle ensued between the two after Lyoya tried to run.

The two fought over Schurrs Taser during a two-minute struggle. As the two continued to struggle, Schurr was on top of Lyoya and yelled, Let go of the Taser, before firing his handgun. Lyoya was shot in the back of the head.

The killing was videorecorded by a passenger in Lyoyas vehicle. Within a few days of the shooting, protestors filled Grand Rapids downtown streets demanding police release the footage.

At a press conference nine days after Lyoyas death, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom released videos from four different sources.

Those sources included Schurrs body-worn camera and the cruisers in-car camera as well as footage from a cell phone and a home surveillance system.

RELATED: How are Grand Rapids already strained police-community relations a year after killing of Lyoya?

The killing sparked protests across Grand Rapids and captured the attention of many, with activists labeling it another case of a white police officer unjustly killing a Black man.

After the footage was released, the demand  for many  was then focused on seeing Schurr criminally charged.

Schurr was initially put on administrative leave pending an internal investigation by Michigan State Police.

Pivotal hearing: Schurr makes first in-person court appearance

After spending months on paid leave, Schurr was fired from GRPD last June and charged with second-degree murder for Lyoyas death. He bonded out of the Kent County Jail and has been free since.

Court proceedings were delayed twice over the summer, both times at the request of the defense team  Matthew Borgula and Mark Dodge  to review a large amount of evidence.

By the end of October, Schurr made his first physical appearance in court for a preliminary exam hearing. He had previously appeared via Zoom for his June arraignment.

Media outlets and supporters of both Lyoya and Schurr packed the courtroom where a judge would determine if there was enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

The preliminary examination began Oct. 27 before Grand Rapids District Judge Nicholas Ayoub and spanned over a three-day period with Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker relying on testimony from at-the-scene witnesses.

Wayne Butler, who lives on Nelson Avenue SE near Griggs Street and saw the incident unfold, and Aime Tuyishme, Lyoyas friend and passenger in the vehicle who recorded the shooting, were the prosecutions key  and only two  witnesses to testify.

Butler, who is Black, told the judge that based on his experiences he had serious concerns as the officer chased Lyoya and they fought over a Taser.

Get your guy, get your guy, tell him to stand down, Butler said to Lyoyas passenger. "  I didnt want (Lyoya), regardless of what he did, to die, he testified.

Defense attorneys claimed Schurr was justified in the shooting and was acting in self-defense.

Two of the defenses witnesses  a Grand Rapids police captain and a video expert  told the judge that Lyoya momentarily had control over Schurrs Taser.

Capt. Chad McKersie testified that Schurr did not violate department policy when he shot and killed Lyoya. He said Schurrs actions were reasonable and that he was fired only because he was charged with second-degree murder.

Robert McFarlane, a retired Oakland, California, police officer and a video expert, said he synchronized video from police in-car dash camera, body-worn camera and the cellphone.

McFarlane said the video showed, at one point, Lyoya had his hand on the officers Taser but Schurr did not.

Ultimately, Ayoub bound Schurr over for trial on a second-degree murder charge.

Defense attorneys then started the process of appealing that decision.

A trial date was initially set for mid-March.

Was the shooting justified? Thats a question for a jury

By November, Kent County Judge Christina Elmore was assigned to oversee the case.

About two months later, in January, the defense filed a motion asking Elmore to dismiss the murder charge and overturn Ayoubs bindover ruling in doing so.

The parties presented their arguments to Elmore at a motion hearing in early February. Defense attorneys contended that Schurr was legally permitted to use deadly force to prevent Lyoya from fleeing and to make an arrest.

Elmore disagreed.

Whether the shooting was justified or not should be left with a jury, she said. Borgula, at that time, told the judge the defense was likely to appeal her ruling.

The scheduled March 13 trial date was delayed for months to give the defense time to review thousands of documents that are linked to devices that were at the scene the morning of the shooting.

The trial is now expected to get underway Oct. 24, but prosecutors and defense attorneys will be back in court next month for a hearing.

The parties will meet in Elmores courtroom on May 17 for a final status conference. Schurr will likely not be in court for this hearing, nor is he required to be.

To read MLives full coverage of this case, visit here.

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CALHOUN COUNTY, MI - Three people died and four others were hospitalized as the result of a two-vehicle crash early Monday on I-94 in Calhoun County, police said.

Troopers responded to reports of a crash around 12:30 a.m. April 3, on westbound I-94 east of 22-1/2 Mile Road in Marengo Township, five miles northeast of Marshall, said Michigan State Police.

Investigators determined that a Ford pickup driven by a 42-year-old Massachusetts man was traveling in the wrong direction of the westbound I-94 lanes before colliding with a westbound minivan, police said.

The driver of the Ford pickup died at the scene, police said. The driver of the minivan, a 46-year-old Indiana man, and a 4-year-old female passenger also died at the scene, police said.

An adult and three children inside the van suffered injuries that were determined not to be life-threatening, and were taken to either Oaklawn or Bronson hospitals, police said.

The section of I-94 was closed for about five hours for investigation and cleanup, police said, adding it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

The crash is under further investigation. Anyone who witnessed it can contact MSP at the Marshall Post at 269-558-0500.

It is unknown if the Ford pickup driver was wearing a seatbelt, police said. The minivan driver and hospitalized adult occupant wore seatbelts, police said. The child occupants were not in child safety seats or wearing seatbelts, police said.

Michigans Child Passenger Safety Law requires children younger than 4 to ride in a car seat in the rear, police said. Children must also be buckled in a car seat or booster seat until they are 8 or 4-foot, 9-inches tall, police said. For additional child safety info, visit michigan.gov/msp/divisions/ohsp/child-passenger-safety.

MSP Marshall Post was assisted by the Albion and Marshall police departments, Calhoun County Sheriffs Office, Calhoun County Central Dispatch and the Marshall and Marengo fire departments.

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KALAMAZOO, MI  The sounds of muffled sobs and sniffling noses filled a courtroom Monday afternoon as a man was sentenced to prison for driving drunk and hitting and killing a Western Michigan University student.

More than 30 family and friends of Kaylee Ann Gansberg were in the courtroom for the sentencing of Angel Hostiguin, who pleaded guilty Feb. 21 to operating while intoxicated causing death. About 15 people were there to support Hostiguin.

Hostiguin, 22, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced on April 3, to 4 1/2 to 15 years in prison by Kalamazoo County Circuit Judge Pamela Lightvoet. He was also sentenced to three to 15 years in prison for an unrelated unarmed robbery in July 2022.

Gansberg, 21, of Lisle, Illinois, was hit by a drunk driver around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2022, in the 2700 block of West Michigan Avenue. The driver drove away from the scene. Gansberg died from her injuries around noon Aug. 28, police said previously.

Related: Man pleads guilty to driving intoxicated, killing Western Michigan student

Gansberg, a WMU senior, was crossing the street with a friend when a car accelerated, hitting her before driving off, her family said at the sentencing. The friend performed CPR, trying to keep her alive, her mother Michele Gansberg said.

One count was dismissed by the court as part of the plea agreement  the count of failing to stop at an accident resulting in serious impairment or death.

The actions of one person completely upended a family, taking a daughter, sister, cousin and friend who meant so much to every person in her life, Gansbergs family said during the sentencing.

We spend every holiday and most random Sundays together, just sharing a meal and each others company, her cousin Aria Razza said. Losing Kaylee has been like losing a piece of our precious, one big heart. Theres an emptiness in our souls and we all feel shes no longer with us.

Gansberg was supposed to graduate with honors from WMU this April, where she majored in fine arts with a focus on photography. She was a member of Chi Omega.

Kaylee, my precious and sweet soul, Im so sorry I will never celebrate your college graduation with you, Michele Gansberg said. (Im sorry I will never) admire your photography and artwork for the rest of my life. Watch you continue winning awards for art works. Meet your husband, plan your wedding, buy your wedding dress 

I will live my life grieving for all the moments with you. And for that Kaylee Ann, I am truly sorry.

Related: Western Michigan student killed by suspected drunk driver remembered as outgoing, artistic

Everything turned from meaningful to meaningless when Alex Gansberg learned his older sister was hit by a car, he said at the sentencing.

The words broken and shattered do not do justice to the damage this has brought me and my family, Alex Gansberg said. I have to live the rest of my life a different person.

Alex Gansberg had moved into college just weeks before his sisters death. Kaylee Gansberg had insisted on coming back to help with the move.

She was someone Alex Gansberg turned to if he needed guidance or advice.

I was supposed to have her by my side, always have someone there that can help me later on in life, because only (being) four years apart isnt a lot, Alex Gansberg said. When Im done with school, she was supposed to give me advice because shed already done it. Thats how it was supposed to be.

Nothing that happened in court will bring Gansberg back, Lightvoet said. She said Gansberg sounded like an incredible woman.

It is my hope that after hearing all of this today, the defendant spends each of the rest of every day of his life trying to find ways to give back even a fraction of what Kaylee had to give this world, but will never be able to because he took her life, Kalamazoo County Assistant Prosecutor Aubrey Koches said.

Defense attorney Caleb Grimes said he couldnt think of a case where hes seen so many letters from friends and family with so many positive things to say about the victim.

Hostiguin takes full responsibility for his actions, Grimes said. During the sentencing Hostiguin apologized to Gansbergs family, as well as his own, for the pain he has caused everyone.

I understand that her family and friends will not forgive me at this point, but I ask that you pray to God for forgiveness for what I have caused, Hostiguin said. Im sorry. I feel heartbroken for everything that has happened.

Gansberg never had a chance, as a 5-foot-2 woman with a 3,000 pound car driving 45 mph at her, her father Keith Gansberg said. Hostiguin should never haven been drinking that night, her father said, especially because he had been caught for allegedly operating while intoxicated and carrying a concealed weapon Aug. 17 in Allegan County, 10 days before he drove drunk and hit Gansburg.

Hostiguin made the decisions to drive drunk and he made the decision to drive away from the scene after hitting Gansberg, Keith Gansberg said.

There are no words to fully describe the depth of my sadness, Keith Gansberg said. We all struggle daily to just function. We were forced into an altered world that we were completely unprepared to deal with.

The Allegan County case is still pending, according to court records.

The collateral damage here will forever be carried by the defendants family, Michele Gansberg said. Remember, we havent just lost Kaylee once, but we will continue to lose her every day for a lifetime. Always and forever.

Hostiguin was taken into custody after the sentencing by Kalamazoo County Sheriffs deputies. He will be transferred to the Michigan Department of Corrections. He will have to pay just over $56,000 in restitution to Gansbergs family for medical costs, burial and counseling.

Related: Traffic safety changes near Western Michigan campus prompted by student concerns

The case of another man accused of driving drunk and killing a WMU student is still pending. Hunter Hudgins, then 19, is accused of hitting and killing Bailey Broderick, 19, on Fraternity Village Drive on Nov. 3, 2021.

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SAGINAW TWP., MI  It began with a two-toed sloth named Sid biting a teenage girl inside a Saginaw Township pet store. What followed was the unearthing of a spiraling web of intrigue.

Social media bounties. Accusations of piggybacking off another business name and reputation. A defamation lawsuit from one pet store against another. Condemnation of the exotic pet trade by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Conflicting answers on the sloths origins. Concerns over the sloths owner being a sex offender who still owes more than $4,000 in court fees.

On March 14, MLive/The Saginaw News published a story detailing a bite 15-year-old Amarianna Ramon suffered on Feb. 12 while participating in a Sloth Encounter Experience at Custom Creatures Pet Shop, 2750 Bay Road, Suite 4, with her mother, Christina B. Perez.

Sid, a Hoffmanns two-toed sloth, bit Amarianna in her upper right arm, delivering two deep puncture wounds that would require the teen to undergo preventative treatment for rabies.

The story gained national attention on social media sites like Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter, and publications like The New York Post and TVs Inside Edition.

The more I look into this facility, the more disturbing it becomes, said Brittany Peet, the PETA Foundations Captive Animal Law Enforcement division deputy general counsel. This is really something I think we all really need to pay more attention to.

On learning of the sloth-bite incident, PETA submitted Freedom of Information Act requests for pertinent documents from the Saginaw County Animal Care & Control Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. MLive also filed FOIA requests, with Animal Control for documents related to its officers investigation.

Custom Creatures opened in March 2022, specializing in reptiles, amphibians, unusual mammals and fish. American alligators, capybaras, kinkajous, wallabies, sugar gliders, snakes, hedgehogs, axolotls, ferrets, pythons and chameleons have been among its offerings.

Custom Creatures on Jan. 30 announced Sid the sloth would begin making appearances in early February, stating the public would not be allowed to interact with Sid without having booked an appointment. Appointments can be booked on the shops website for $49.99 per person.

U.S. Department of Agriculture records show Custom Creatures, under the name K&M Pets LLC, is a valid licensed Class-B animal dealer through March 22, 2025. Such a license is issued to dealers whose business includes the purchase and/or resale of warm-blooded animals.

A pre-license inspection conducted March 21, 2022, found no non-compliance issues and stated the applicant was ready to be licensed under the Animal Welfare Act. A second inspection on April 27, 2022, again found no non-compliance issues.

A USDA inspection on Feb. 21, however, nine days after the sloth-bite incident, found three direct non-compliant items.

All three items relate to Sid and his handling.

The first states Sid has inappropriate housing, demonstrating Hohman does not have adequate knowledge or experience with sloths.

This knowledge is critical to avoid unnecessary suffering and possible death for this animal, the inspection report states.

The second item addressed Sids enclosure, saying it provides no means for the sloth to remove itself from public view. Constant exposure with no opportunity to escape can be very stressful to Sid, the report states.

Sid is also exposed to drafts from the opening front door, as well as a humidity level of 40%, far below the 60-80% his species requires. Sids enclosure is also brightly lit with overhead fluorescent lights, which can be blinding to sloths and may have contributed to the bite incident.

The enclosure also had no basking light, central climbing structure, platform nooks, or hammocks.

Lack of these items can contribute to behavioral stress and unnecessary discomfort for this sloth, the report states.

The third item addressed the bite itself.

During public exhibition animals must be handled so that there is a minimal risk of harm to the animal and the public, the report states. The licensee must adjust encounter handling procedures so that no additional injuries occur to the public or the sloth.

Peet said PETA is particularly concerned with discrepancies over Sids origins. When Animal Control officers visited Custom Creatures on Feb. 15 to investigate the biting incident, owner Kallan L. Hohman, 25, told them he acquired Sid from a broker/zoo in Temperance, Michigan. Hohman also said he had quarantined Sid for 45 days before bringing him into his store on Dec. 27, according to the Animal Control report.

Yet when Animal Control officers the same day checked with a local veterinarian who had inspected Sid, they learned from medical reports that the sloth came from Florida and hes only had him for three (3) weeks, according to Animal Control.

When MLive asked Hohman where he acquired Sid on March 13, he said he could not divulge that information.

Pet store vs. pet store with lawsuit

Months before the biting, Hohman filed a lawsuit against a competing Saginaw Township business, alleging it slandered him online.

He filed the lawsuit on Oct. 13 in Saginaw County District Court against Ocean Odyssey Pet Shop, 3100 Boardwalk Drive, Suite 1, seeking $10,000, which contains two counts  defamation and invasion of privacy/false light.

The suit states that in May 2022, customers left negative reviews for Ocean Odyssey on Google, criticizing the stores cleanliness and its animal care. In response, Ocean Odyssey on May 30 posted on Facebook a slanderous commentary concerning Hohman, the suit alleges.

Attached to the suit as an exhibit is a screengrab of Ocean Odysseys post authored by owner Marcia Helmreich. In it, Helmreich wrote her business gets blamed for every bad review they get down the road from us.

There is about 0.8 miles between Custom Creatures and Ocean Odyssey. Helmreichs posts attached as exhibits in the lawsuit do not specifically name Hohman or Custom Creatures.

The lawsuit states Helmreichs Facebook post was not only false but done so with malice to cause (Hohman) harm deliberately and intentionally.

Helmreich said she stands by her online posts and said Hohman has been harassing her.

We were getting bad reviews after (Custom Creatures) came in. I called out two pages that were fake. All I said was that these accounts are fake. He got mad and all of a sudden he has a lawsuit against me for defamation, Helmreich said.

Ocean Odyssey permanently closed its doors on March 31, though Helmreich said the decision to close after about five years in business had nothing to do with Hohmans lawsuit.

Hohman appeared before Saginaw County District Judge Elian E.H. Fichtner on Thursday, March 23, and requested to have his suit dismissed. The judge granted Hohmans request.

Hohman also has had issues crop up with other pet store owners. Jordan and Maureen Moores, have owned Custom Creatures Pet Shop in Phoenix, Arizona since 2002.

The Mooreses have had mix-ups with their shop and Hohmans shop due to their like names, and said they have tried to resolve it to no avail. There was a deal being negotiated for Hohman to purchase the couples shop, but that deal fell through when they claim Hohman stopped communicating, they said.

Spotlight shines on criminal past

Helmreich also addressed other concerns after finding out about Hohmans criminal past. Screenshots of Hohmans sex offender profile, along with links to a news article detailing his crimes, were posted in Facebook groups and other social media sites.

Prior to opening his business, a then-17-year-old Hohman in February 2016 pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in Lapeer County Circuit Court. He originally faced 38 charges of varying degrees of criminal sexual conduct, possessing child pornography, using a computer to commit a crime, and unlawfully posting a message online.

Prosecutors dismissed the remaining 36 charges as part of Hohmans plea deal.

Lapeer County Circuit Judge Nick O. Holowka in May 2016 sentenced Hohman to one month of probation and placed him under state wardship with a commitment to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services through age 19. Holowka also ordered Hohman to participate in sex offender treatment and required him to register as a sex offender.

Hohmans convictions and sex offender status does not prohibit him from owning a pet store or hosting events that may be attended by minors, said Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Blair N. Stevenson.

He added investigators are looking into Hohman having a Midland work address on his public sex offender registry page, rather than his Saginaw Township business.

Asked about his convictions, Hohman said, Ive got no comment on that, except for individuals can do their research. Ill leave it at that.

29 Skunks, chinchillas, you name it, I had it, Saginaw Township new exotic pet store owner says

Hohman said he has no connection with the Phoenix Custom Creatures Pet Shop but said its correct that negotiations to purchase the store did not come to fruition.

A sloth bite

Custom Creatures on the evening of March 13, a month after Sid bit Amarianna, posted on its Facebook page the name, photo, and phone number of her mother, who on Feb. 2 purchased a kinkajou named Phoebe on a payment plan. The post alleges Phoebe was uncared for and offered $3,000 for information.

Kinkajous are arboreal creatures related to raccoons and coatis that live in the rainforests of Central and South America.

Phoebe the kinkajou, purchased by Christina Perez from Custom Creatures Pet Shop in Saginaw Township on a payment plan.

Before the post was published, Perez received a message from Custom Creatures around 1 a.m. on March 13 saying it would publicly post it if it did not hear from her soon. Perez was four days overdue on her last payment date, citing a payday delay.

After the post went up that evening, Perez called the Saginaw Township Police Department to report online harassment.

Perez stated she feels this is retaliation for an incident she had with Hohman at Custom Creatures where her daughter was bit by a sloth, the officer wrote. Perez fears that the post and reward puts her in danger as persons will read this and possibly try and assault her or break into her home looking for the animal simply to get a reward.

The officer noted that by the time he met with Perez, the post had been shared 92 times and garnered 44 comments.

The officer called Hohman who told him Perez was violating her purchase contract by not providing proof of the kinkajous care. He said Perez had refused to answer his texts or emails.

Asked about his business Facebook post with Perezs information, Hohman told the officer he had employed this tactic before with other customers.

I explained that once the sale was made that his only course of action is to file in civil court and that until a judgment is made, he has no right to forcefully take the animal, the officer wrote.

In response, Hohman said until Perez pays the entire bill, the kinkajou is still his and Perez must allow him access to it.

After a lengthy conversation on civil matters and the proper way to use the court system, Hohman said he would remove the reward but that he was not deleting his post or removing her name and photo, the officer wrote.

The officer passed this information on to Perez. The officer also saw Phoebe, the kinkajou, in Perezs home. He noted that while he knows nothing about the South American species, the animal has a 3-story elaborate cage with many toys. The animal has food and water and appears playful and clean.

Perez on March 14 made a payment for the kinkajou and provided Hohman with time-stamped photos showing Phoebe in her home. Custom Creatures then deleted the post.

Thank you for providing pictures of (Phoebe), with a time stamp, Custom Creatures wrote to Perez in a Facebook message. We want you to know this is nothing personal, and never wanted to take it to that step, just a passion about the pets in our care. We have removed the posting.

Perez replied to Custom Creatures that simply deleting the post was insufficient.

Due to the fact that this post has been shared over 100 times, my character has been slandered, and my children along with myself feel our lives are in danger from this post, Perez wrote. Im going to need you to publicly clear my name.

Custom Creatures has not responded to Perez as of March 22.

Hohman defended posting Perezs information on Facebook, SHE SAID.

When there is no response, we take it to the next step, and the next step for us is to post it publicly, Hohman said. We bottle-raise (kinkajous) from when theyre about two days old. We care very deeply about these animals and where they go. We will do anything. We were OK with losing another $3,000 to ensure the animal was well-cared for.

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SAGINAW, MI  At the request of elected leaders, state police representatives will address the Saginaw City Council following community concerns about the law enforcement agencys city patrol.

State Police Captain Greg Morenko and Inspector Todd Mapes will appear at the 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 3, meeting at Saginaw City Hall, 1315 S. Washington, city records stated.

State police activity received scrutiny from residents  including council members  following on-the-job incidents in Saginaw, including a September arrest that led to state Trooper Paul E. Arrowood facing criminal charges for repeatedly punching a man. The arrest, which police reports indicated began because the man was not walking on a sidewalk, was captured on body camera footage later made public.

In a March 2022 incident, state Trooper Bram L. Schroeder was charged with criminal wrongdoing stemming from the arrest of a man on suspicion of drunken driving. The Michigan Attorney Generals Office alleged Schroeder repeatedly punched the man while he was handcuffed, knocking him out. Part of the encounter was captured on video footage later shared publicly.

Community outrage spilled over into public speaking sessions at previous city council meetings, where residents expressed concern about the partnership agreement that sends state troopers to patrol Saginaw streets.

Even Councilman Reggie Williams II, who also serves as police chief in neighboring Buena Vista Township, has publicly questioned the partnership agreement.

Since (George Floyds death in 2020), weve had at least two incidents (locally) where state police  not local police  have violently put hands on residents in Saginaw, Williams has said. Theres a lot that needs to be changed outside of funding.

Williams was among the council members during a March 20 meeting to direct Saginaw City Hall staff to request state police representatives appear at a future gathering to discuss the law enforcement agencys response following the incidents.

Residents unable to attend the Monday meeting can watch the gathering televised live on Charter Spectrums channel 191; or on the citys YouTube channel. The YouTube channel also provides an archive of the council meetings.

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Take home cocktails became a means for some Michigan bars and restaurants to stay afloat during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Years later, as infection rates dropped and businesses returned to normal operations, cocktails to-go has grown into something different  alternative menu items that customers enjoy and another source of income for business owners.

Mike Bird, owner of MichiGrain Distillery in Lansing, said he was initially apprehensive of the idea, but since then, hes seen cocktails to-go become very popular.

Being in a downtown location, Bird believes being able to take cocktails out for a walk gives customers a great opportunity to explore the area in a different way.

We sell quite a few, so for me, its extremely successful, Bird said.

Related: The 25 Michigan bars with the highest liquor sales in 2022

Lawmakers first approved the idea in 2020 when liquor sales at bars and restaurants began to plummet due to shutdowns and social distancing protocols that prevented the normal flow of customers.

El Azteco, a Mexican restaurant in East Lansing, is known for its house margaritas, said owner Johnny Vlahakis. As word spread the cocktails would be available for takeout, the restaurant phones began ringing with eager customers, and the restaurant saw a surprising amount of sales, he said.

When people come in and want to get their signature dish or taco salad or blue corn enchiladas, they like to have a glass of our margaritas with that and to bring the whole experience full circle, Vlahakis said. So, wed like the opportunity to send someone home thats picking up a taco salad to take that pitcher of margaritas or a glass of margaritas home with them as well.

At the time, Bird said he saw a lot of community members come to order takeout meals and cocktails as a sign of support for their local businesses, even though they were closed.

That was what was nice about it, to still be able to see the community while we were shut down, Bird said.

Both men say if cocktails to-go werent an option for bars and restaurants during the shutdown, many may have been forced to permanently close.

However, the legislative solution came with a sunset provision. The allowance is to end Jan. 1, 2026.

To prevent the law from expiring, Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, recently reintroduced a bill  Senate Bill 141  to allow for permanent sales of cocktails to-go.

At a March hearing, McMorrow told the Senate Regulatory Affairs committee the law had a sunset date because of concerns about increased rates of drunken driving or liquor getting into the hands of minors.

Now that were a few years removed and we havent seen those issues come to fruition, this bill is very simple, McMorrow said.

The bill passed the Senate earlier this month in a 37-1 vote and was sent to the House for consideration. An attempt to pass the legislation last term didnt make it through the legislature before the end of the lame duck session.

Related: Top 5 places for liquor sales in each Michigan county

Under the legislation, qualified businesses are required to follow certain safety guidelines, like including labels that identify the container as having alcoholic contents and checking identification before customers are allowed to leave with drinks.

Being located in a busy college town near Michigan State University, Vlahakis said he hasnt had any problems when selling takeout cocktails, and his restaurant zip-ties the containers shut. He added that being able to take alcohol out of a restaurant is the same as a liquor store or grocery store.

Im in a busy, Ill call, liquor friendly city, Vlahakis said. Four or five days a week you see kids run up and down the streets in this town, so I dont see any issues that weve had with this. Its not like its a brand-new thing.

If anyone shows signs of intoxication, Bird said his business doesnt allow them to order a cocktail to-go. His concern was actually with the environmental impact of containers potentially being left outside.

I thought there was going to be an increase in trash, I really did, Bird said. I thought we were going to see that more than anything, which we did not.

Cocktails to-go provide convenience for customers and an alternative business model that hasnt been previously seen in Michigan, the business owners say.

If the bill isnt passed and the menu item disappears, the impact felt by bars and restaurants may vary.

Although its popular, Bird said he doesnt see it as a large source of revenue for distillery or brewer owners like himself because they could already bottle their drinks. Most restaurants and bars, he added, want people to remain on the premises  where they might order more drinks, and cocktails to-go do not replace a traditional sit-in experience.

Most places arent trying to get people to come in and leave... which is what a cocktail to-go would promote, Bird said. Wed like them to come in and stay.

On the other hand, with some businesses still trying to recoup losses from the pandemic, Vlahakis thinks the provision became a way for some restaurants to stay in business.

Pushing something to get it to work, and it finally takes hold, and its pulled out from under them, it can be detrimental to that business, Vlahakis said.

Read more from MLive:

Native remains robbed from graves across the country laid to rest by Michigan tribe

Historic Sault Ste. Marie building to be revitalized into housing

Megabus returns to Michigan citing increased travel demands post-COVID

Ensuring parolees have state IDs critical to post-prison success, lawmakers, advocates say
Happy Monday, readers.

Now that its officially April (accused of being the cruelest month), it feels time to say hello to spring. But Ill let my colleague meteorologist Mark Torregrossa handle all your questions about Michigans topsy turvy spring weather.

Im here to talk money.

In this weeks Wallet Watch: Upper Peninsula housing, a Ford battery plant, Michigans service workers and an unemployment settlement were some of our top economy headlines.

Does the U.P. have enough housing?

A view of the Mackinac Bridge from Straits State Park in St. Ignace, Michigan on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com

First, lets head across the Mackinac Bridge.

Economy reporter Lindsay Moore examined how the Upper Peninsula is trying to boost its workforce by leveraging its outdoor assets. With more people working remote and a growing interest in outdoor recreation, InvestUP CEO Marty Fittante said the region has changed its strategy.

The new emphasis upon quality of life, recreational resources and natural resource assets  marry all of that and I think it became much easier to say, why not us? Fittante said.

But a growing population creates housing and infrastructure challenges for the remote region.

An InvestUP analysis found the U.P.s housing stock has not recovered from the hit it took during the 2008 real estate crash. At its peak in 2000, the region authorized 1,560 new housing units a year compared to 530 new units in 2020.

Its very hard to recover from a couple of decades of not enough building, said Marquette Realtor Stephanie Jones. Its just not going to happen overnight.

Related: U.P.s remote lifestyle draws new talent. Is there enough housing for them?

A statewide Missing Middle program could fill some of the housing gaps in the Upper Peninsula. Michigan last week injected another $50 million into the program that offsets construction costs for developers building or rehabbing properties that target middle-income buyers.

Additionally, a housing development in Sault Ste. Marie received state dollars.

A $5.7 million plan to revitalize the 122-year-old MAC building into housing and retail space received a $1.5 million state grant this week. Jen Tucker, community development manager for the Upper Peninsula, called it a functionally obsolete building.

The project is a very high priority for the community because it will add needed housing to the downtown district and it will activate the historic building, Tucker said.

Related: Historic Sault Ste. Marie building to be revitalized into housing

Before we leave, heres a few more recent stories about the U.P.:

Ford project gets more state funding

A $3.5 billion Ford battery plant thats expected to create 2,500 jobs received more state funding last week.

The Michigan Strategic Fund OKd a $120.3 million grant for the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance to prep 950 acres of land for development.

This funding is in addition to a billion-dollar incentive package awarded to Ford that includes a $210 million grant and a Renaissance Zone tax break valued at $774 million over 15 years (it was previously valued at $772 million, but the Michigan Economic Development Corp. updated figures late last week).

Plus a supplemental budget bill allocated $630 million to MEADA and the Michigan Department of Transportation to do site work.

The project has face pushed back from Marshall residents concerned about environmental risks, destruction of historic farmsteads and transparency issues.

Related: Michigan awards another $120M to support Ford battery plant

Erratic schedules take toll on Michigans service workers

A recent study found about two-thirds of Michigan's service workers surveyed want more stability with their schedules. (J. Scott Park | MLive.com)J. Scott Park | MLive.com

A recent Harvard University study examines how unpredictable scheduling  common for the service industry  is also detrimental to Michigans restaurant and retail workers.

Many workers get scheduled last minute and leave time open to work, the study from Harvards The Shift Project found.

Adam Schurman, 40, says he often doesnt know his work schedule until days before hes expected to be serving drinks at a Grand Rapids bar.

When you dont feel like you have any agency over your job, or if you dont feel like you have much control over your source of income, it really starts to make you feel unimportant, he said. It does weigh on us pretty heavily.

Related: Michigan service workers, stressed by erratic schedules, seek stability

The study shows how unpredictable scheduling impacts Michigan workers incomes, childcare and well-being. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity believes changing this practice could improve workers lives and address a labor shortage.

We hear a lot about wages and how that can pull people back in, but just simple tools like this could be the difference between somebody taking the job and not, said Sean Egan, Michigans Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity deputy director of labor.

Time running out for unemployment settlement

The deadline for Michigan workers wrongly accused of unemployment fraud to join a $20 million class action settlement is this week.

Anyone who thinks they might be eligible must submit a registration form by April 5 and a claim form by April 14. Both are available at uiaclassaction.com.

The settlement was reached last year after 40,000 people were falsely accused of fraud between 2013 and 2015. The Michigan unemployment computer system wrongly flagged thousands of accounts, prompting the agency to garnish wages and seize tax refunds.

Its estimated payments will be distributed between Aug. 19 and Sept. 8.

Related: Deadline nears for Michigan workers to join $20M unemployment fraud settlement

More on MLive:

Michigan looks to drop A-F school grading system

Michigan income tax to drop 0.2% this year, treasury says

Megabus returns to Michigan citing increased travel demands post-COVID
Ghanaian actress and social critic Lydia Forson has condemned social media trolling after a Twitter user described actor Harold Amenyahs wife as ugly.

She made this comment on Twitter on Sunday in response to a notorious Ghanaian Twitter troll, Bongo Ideas, who insulted Amenyahs wife on their wedding day.

Social media has absolutely ruined the joys of celebrating any milestone publicly.

Its why many chose to keep a lot of things in their lives private. Imagine your happy day being shrouded with strangers dissecting you and not joining in your happiness. Sad, she tweeted.

Forson continued: See, people have always been sick, jealous and spiteful. Social medias ONLY given them a platform to it publicly but online, which protects them from the instant ramifications of saying things to peoples face. But a day will come, when like all things dynamic, this will change.

The comment comes after actor Harold Amenyah tied the knot in a private wedding on Saturday, April 1, with his long time finance, and shared the pictures on social media.

A troll, Bongo ideas in a widely bisected comment, described the actor's wife as an ugly lady who must have just gotten the chance to be with Harold because of money.

On this score, miss Forson lamented that social media has made it difficult for people to celebrate publicly without strangers making malicious comments.

She noted that while such sick minds have always existed as social media gives them a platform to spread their spite anonymously.
Popular Ghanaian actress Jackie Appiah tactfully avoided a controversial LGBTQ debate during an interview.

When asked her views on the issue, Miss Appiah politely asked the host to excuse her response.

Please oo, Im thinking about myself, Miss Appiah said amid laughter from guests and the host of the Accra-based UTVs United showbiz program on Saturday, April 1.

Jackie Appiah chose a diplomatic route in avoiding a question on the controversial LGBTQ+ debate probably afraid of splitting her fans.

The LGBTQ issue has caused a stir in Ghana following US Vice President Kamala Harris recent criticism of any move to pass anti-gay legislation, arguing that it violates the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals.

For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe, including as well as the LGBTQ community, and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for equality among all people, Harris said at a joint news conference at the Jubilee House.

President Nana Akufo-Addo also disputed claims that the bill has been passed into law, clarifying that it remains an unofficial draft yet to be approved by parliament.

It hasn't been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate. Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in, Akufo-Addo said.

Meanwhile the bill against the LGBTQ+ community, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was on Thursday, March 30, laid for debate.
M23 rebels clashed with soldiers on two fronts in eastern DR Congo on Tuesday, officials said, despite a regional ceasefire deal due to take effect the same day.

After several days of relative calm, fighting erupted on Monday in the flashpoint province of North Kivu, leaving several civilians dead and injured, hospital sources and aid workers said.

The fighting continued on Tuesday, with the rebels seizing new villages, despite a ceasefire brokered by Angola last week that was due to start at noon.

The M23 rebels have captured swathes of territory in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021, claiming the government had ignored a pledge to integrate them into the army.

The Tutsi-led group is hemming in the lakeside trade hub of Goma, taking territory to the north of the city and advancing in the west as well.

A security source, who declined to be named, said that Karuba, about 30 kilometres (18 miles) west of Goma, "has just fallen into rebel hands".

"We attacked them in the night but this morning they launched a counter-attack, and, at the moment, the fighting is continuing," the source added.

Witnesses said fighting continued to the north too, where rebels remained on the offensive.

The renewed fighting coincided with an urgent appeal by UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday for the M23 rebels to honour the ceasefire and move towards fully withdrawing from the conflict-ridden country.

'Huge damage'

Despite the clashes, the M23 rebels in a statement on Tuesday announced what they called "an effective ceasefire" at midday "to open the way for direct dialogue with the Kinshasa government".

Both sides accuse the other of triggering the fresh round of clashes.

M23 spokesman Willy Ngoma told AFP on Tuesday that the group was defending itself after the army attacked all its positions simultaneously.

Map of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.. By Nalini LEPETIT-CHELLA (AFP)

Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Ndjike, the army's spokesman in North Kivu, said late Monday the M23 "and their sponsors from the Rwanda Defence Force" had attacked a recently deployed Burundian contingent of an East African regional military force.

He said the rebel attack also targeted a camp for displaced people and the area of Mubambiro, 20 km west of Goma, causing "huge damage".

The DRC accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, who have displaced over half a million people in their long campaign.

Independent UN experts, the United States, as well as several other western states, agree with the assessment, although Rwanda strongly denies it.

Bombing

The fighting in Karuba since Monday has killed six and left at least 10 injured, Folo Ombeni, deputy head of a local civil society group, said.

Another civil society representative, Leopold Muisha from the Kamuronza district on the western outskirts of Goma, said rebels had shelled civilians.

"Seven bombs were fired on Monday in the late afternoon, killing two civilians, including a 12-year-old child, and injuring six others," he said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported one dead and seven injured in the bombardment.

On March 3, the Angolan presidency -- which is mediating the conflict -- announced a ceasefire for eastern DRC due to take effect at noon on Tuesday (1000 GMT).

During a visit to DR Congo last week, French President Emmanuel Macron met DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and his Angolan and Rwandan counterparts Joao Lourenco and Paul Kagame, saying all sides would support a ceasefire starting Tuesday.

The seven-nation East African Community (EAC) has created a military force to stabilise eastern Congo, with the first troops arriving in Goma in November.

The announcement followed several other failed regional peace initiatives.
Advocacy groups, Imani Africa and the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) have jointly issued a press release to react to the AGM Petroleum decision to relinquish its interest in the South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) block, which hosts one discovery, the Nyankom-1X.

Although Imani Africa and ACEP welcome the decision, the advocacy groups insist that there is a need for an inquiry as the relinquishment of the interest raises fundamental questions.

In the joint release, the President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been urged to sanction a commission of enquiry into the Aker-AGM transaction for fair treatment for Ghana.

We welcome this development but wish to add that more needs to be done regarding this matter and the whole issue of Aker Energys oil holdings in Ghana to ensure the rule of law and fair treatment for Ghana as the sovereign.

This relinquishment of the interest raises fundamental questions about the assessments conducted by GNPC and the Ministry of Energy to commit to paying for such an asset, the joint press release shared.

Imani Africa and ACEP argue that given that AGM did not conduct appraisal post-discovery, it is fair to say that GNPC, as a partner to AGM, should have known the status of the discovery by interpreting the same dataset available to AGM.

The two advocacy groups share the view that the turn of events questions the capacity of GNPC as the national oil company and the Ministry of Energy to protect the nation against speculative investments.

The situation Imani Africa and ACEP opine is that it signals that the government overrates the technical capacity of GNPC and Ministry of Energy at its peril, requiring a relook at some of the technical advice that has landed Ghana in court.

The call for an enquiry into the Aker-AGM transaction, they stressed, is to inject a culture of accountability into the management of the petroleum industry and ensure that the country can count on leadership to avert paying hundreds of millions of dollars on avoidable transactions.

The enquiry will also come out with recommendations required to develop the Pecan field after Aker has failed to submit an acceptable Plan of Development in five years as an operator of the Deep-Water Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block.
Nigeria's electoral agency said on Wednesday it had postponed a weekend governorship election by one week following a court decision over machines used in voting tallies.

The so-called BVAS machines are at the centre of a legal dispute over last month's contested presidential election which results show Nigeria's ruling APC party candidate won, but the opposition claims was marred by massive tampering.

With President Muhammadu Buhari stepping down in May after two terms, many Nigerians hoped a clean, transparent vote would usher in a leader capable of tackling growing insecurity and deepening poverty in Africa's most populous nation.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party say delays in voting in the February 25 presidential ballot and problems in uploading results through the BVAS need to be investigated and are challenging the results of the election.

A court earlier on Wednesday had rejected an opposition demand to halt the reconfiguring of BVAS so their teams could check for forensic evidence of ballot rigging.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said in a statement the court process had delayed its preparations for the Saturday vote for state governors.

"While the ruling of the tribunal makes it possible for the commission to commence the preparation of the BVAS for the governorship and state assembly elections, it has come far too late for the reconfiguration," INEC said.

"We thank Nigerians and friends of Nigeria for their understanding as we continue to deal with these difficult issues."

Election delays are not unheard of in Nigeria. In 2019, INEC delayed the presidential election by one week just hours before polling stations opened citing logistical problems.

INEC said the new governorship vote would take place on Saturday, March 18.

Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor, won 8.8 million votes in the race to succeed Buhari, with PDP's Atiku Abubakar at 6.9 million and surprise third challenger Labour Party's Peter Obi at 6.1 million.

In a bid to improve transparency, INEC introduced BVAS for the first time at the national level as well as its IReV, an online database for uploading results from local polling stations.

But some voters and opposition parties said huge delays in voting and failures in the system when uploading tallies allowed for ballot manipulation and disparities from what was counted locally.

Legal tussles

Wednesday's legal ruling was the first volley in what is expected to be a long legal battle over the results of the presidential election.

An APC supporter celebrates the victory of Bola Tinubu in Nigeria's highly disputed election. By JOHN WESSELS (AFP)

In 2019, when PDP's Abubakar lost to Buhari, he also challenged the results claiming irregularities. The supreme court dismissed his case months later.

Obi, a former governor, filed to stop INEC from reconfiguring BVAS machines to give his team a chance to inspect them.

The court ruled that the opposition demand could not be granted because INEC needed to carry out the reconfiguration to hold state governor elections.

The court said any data could be safely stored on a backend server.

INEC also said it reassured political parties and candidates that all data from the presidential election would be backed up and available.

Obi, who won over many younger voters with his message that he would usher in change, had been in the Abuja court for the ruling.

The Labour Party candidate said last week he would challenge the outcome of the election in court, claiming he would prove to Nigerians he had won the presidential race.

With the third largest number of votes, he managed a significant feat for an outsider in a country where two establishment parties, the APC and PDP, have dominated since the end of military rule in 1999.

PDP candidate Abubakar, who lost his sixth bid for the presidency, denounced Tinubu's victory, describing it as "rape of democracy".

International observers, including from the European Union, also noted logistical problems, disenfranchised voters and a lack of transparency by the INEC.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has in a campaign speech in the Bono Region accused the NPP of being full of lies and deception.

They deceived the people of Ghana with sweet tongue and lies, and we went their way.

According to the former president, after their lies and sweet promises, President Nana Akufo-Addo and his Vice failed to live up to their promises and meet the huge expectations of Ghanaians.

Ghana is now a poor country. We are bankrupt and the government itself says we cannot pay our debts, he added.

Mr. Mahama is in the Bono Region meeting with his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) delegates to campaign for their votes during the presidential primaries slated for 13th May 2023.

He told delegates in the Jaman North constituency that despite series of advice and caution, government continued to engage in excessive borrowing, coupled with economic mismanagement, which has brought us to where we are, a bankrupt country.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Former President John Dramani Mahama has been criticised over his plea to NDC members to release their educated children to be trained as polling agents.

Engaging some delegates of the party in Dormaa East on Monday, March 13, the 2020 NDC presidential candidate noted that there is a need for the party to be extra vigilant in the upcoming elections.

He pleaded with members who have educated children to release them for the party to be trained as polling agents to avoid election rigging and results manipulation.

"Open your eyes at the polling stations like eagle eyes," he said, adding, "We know that you all have children who have been educated; we want you to release them to us so that we train them five times before we vote. This 2024 election is not a joke; it is boot to boot; it is do-or-die."

This, a netizen identified by the Twitter account name "Bantama," is a sign of selfishness.

He told the aspiring NDC flagbearer to show leadership by releasing his children to be trained first.

"Dear John Dramani Mahama, leadership by example, I plead with you to set the pace as a leader of your party by releasing your children to be trained as polling agents because this will be the most respectable motivation to your party folks to follow your foot steps. Thank You. Concerned Ghanaian," the tweep wrote as a notice to the former president.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is of the view that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was not honest when he visited Parliament early this month to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

As a result, the NDC has announced that it will hold a True State of the Nation Address on Monday, March 20.

The National Democratic Congress invites the general public to a presentation; The True State of the Nation Address, part of a post on the Facebook page of Sammy Gyamfi said.

In the post by the National Communications Officer of the NDC, it said the True State of the Nation Address will start at 2pm at the UPSA Auditorium.

All guests and the general public are to be seated by 1:30pm.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, March 8, visited Parliament to deliver the State of the Nation Address.

Among the key highlights of his address, he rubbished allegations that his government has borrowed recklessly and mismanaged the economy into a ditch.

He gave the assurance that the government is working and will ensure it addresses all the challenges facing the country.
Nigerians were voting in local elections Saturday, three weeks after the ruling party won a presidential poll that the opposition alleged was marred by fraud.

Africa's most populous nation is electing more than 900 state assembly lawmakers and 28 governors, with a particularly competitive contest in the commercial capital Lagos.

Governors are powerful positions in Nigeria, with some controlling state budgets that are larger than those of several African nations.

Polling units were scheduled to open at 8:30 am (0730 GMT) and close by 2:30 pm (1330 GMT) though delays are frequent and voters in line before closing time should still be able to vote.

After last month's presidential poll, which was largely peaceful but marked by long delays and technical failures, some voters and opposition parties claimed the mishaps allowed for ballot manipulation.

Both the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are contesting the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25 election in a legal battle that could extend over several months.

Africa's most populous nation is electing more than 900 state assembly lawmakers and 28 governors. By PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (AFP)

The electoral commission has rejected claims of rigging but the experience could impact Saturday's vote, which was delayed by a week for technical reasons.

On Lagos's wealthy Ikoyi island, polling units were set up early, giving some residents hope for a hitch-free day.

"We hope this election will be one of the better elections," said Sukiman Abubakar, a 52-year-old estate surveyor.

On the mainland, heavy security was deployed with armoured vehicles seen by an AFP reporter at Iyana-Ipaaja and Abulegba, areas prone to violence.

'Opportunity for change'

Babajide Sanwo Olu, Lagos Governor and Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, is seeking re-election. By PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (AFP)

At Ijaiye in the Agbado area of Lagos, 46-year-old trader Fausat Balogun was eager to cast a ballot.

"I have been here since 6 am (0500 GMT) to vote for the candidates of my choice. We need fresh blood in Lagos. The old politicians have failed us," he said.

While the megacity of some 20 million people is considered the fiefdom of president-elect Bola Tinubu, outsider Peter Obi of the LP caused a stir on Ferbuary 25 by winning most votes in the state thanks to widespread support from Nigeria's youth.

One of Obi's supporters who showed up to vote on Saturday in the Agidiigbi Ikeja area was Damilola Adisa, a 20-year-old economics student.

While her candidate lost the presidential race, the first-time voter said she sees "this election too as an opportunity for a change."

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of Nigeria's Labour Party (LP) is running for governor in Lagos, a state where president-elect Bola Tinubu holds significant influence.. By Patrick Meinhardt (AFP)

Most states are currently governed either by the APC or the PDP whose leader Atiku Abubakar came in second in the presidential elections.

But whether Obi's growing popularity and the emergence of the LP as a third force in Nigerian politics will translate at the governorship and local assembly levels, especially in Lagos where its former governor Tinubu is influential, remains to be seen.

The Lagos race pits incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC) against Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (LP) and Olajide Adediran (PDP).

Other hotly-contested races are expected in southern Rivers and northern Kano, while northeast Adamawa could see the election of Nigeria's first woman governor.

Risk of violence

A decisive factor in Saturday's election will be turnout -- though more than 93 million Nigerians are registered to vote, just over 24 million cast a ballot in February.

The risk of electoral violence and a lack of cash in Nigeria due to a recent currency swap could discourage residents from voting. By KOLA SULAIMON (AFP)

With many people hoping for a new leadership capable of tackling growing insecurity and deepening poverty but disappointed in how last month's election was conducted, some voters could decide to stay at home.

In Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria and second biggest pool of voters after Lagos, some improvements were noted according to residents.

"Voting started at 8:30am... It is quite orderly and the queues are not as long as in the previous election," said Ahmad Awwalu, a 27-year-old motorcycle mechanic before casting his ballot at Hotoro Primary School.

"This is a great improvement compared to the mess we experienced during the presidential election."

Election observers Yiaga Africa also noted "a marked improvement in the management of election logistics" despite some "incidences of voter intimidation and harassment."

In several areas of Kano, thugs showed up at polling units to intimidate voters and in some cases destroyed electoral material, according to local media and election observers.

Vote buying was also reported in at least eight different states, Yiaga Africa said.

Electoral violence and bribes for votes are recurring problems in Nigeria, worsened this year by a lack of cash following a botched currency swap.
National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha has pleaded with the people of the Volta Region not to allow themselves to be used as just voting machines, producing votes for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) only during elections.

In an interview with Volta-based Stone City FM which was also carried by Keta-based Sandcity Radio, the 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 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, and the hosting of the 66th Independence Day in the Volta region among others. Under President Kufuor, we also had the Health Insurance, Free Maternal Care, etc.

He continued further, let us begin to have a conversation as to which of these two political parties has 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 fasters 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 couldnt 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 let's not fall for the NDCs 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, its evident that the NPP has done more for 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 party's 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.

By Citi Newsroom
The Ghana High Commission in South Africa has warned Ghanaian residents in that country to avoid mass gatherings and restrict their movements to safe areas ahead of the Economic Freedom Party (EFF) planned national shutdown on Monday, 20th March, 2023.

According to the mission, though, the organisers of the national shutdown have promised a peaceful protest, previous peace walks and demonstrations have turned violent.

The EFF is planning a national shutdown on 20 March, demanding the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an end to load shedding.

In the run-up to the shutdown, the party has been warning communities to shut businesses or risk looting.

In a statement cited by this portal, the mission advised members of the Ghanaian community to be vigilant.

"The mission would thus like to advise members of the community to be vigilant to any such incidents, restrict their movements to safe areas, avoid mass gathering and contact the police for assistance when required," the statement noted.

Meanwhile, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has warned EFF that lawlessness and any form of criminality will not be tolerated during the protest.

The police said it is the responsibility of the EFF to ensure that its planned national shutdown does not turn violent.
The Volta Regional branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana disconnected some customers on the first day of its nationwide revenue mobilization exercise which began on Monday, March 20.

The exercise which took place in all eleven districts supervised by regional branch of the company in the Volta and Oti Regions saw officials from the company visit customers like Volta Serene, Abutia Stone Quarry, UHAS, and HTU who owed electricity bills.

The company disconnected KFC for owing GH68,000, Ho Airport for owing GH63,000, GRA Office for owing GH55,000, CEPS training academy for owing GH80,000 and Ho Technical University for owing GH402,000.

However, Ho technical university paid GH200,000 after crunch talks with the ECG and has been told to settle the arrears by end of March 2023.

The exercise also saw some companies make payments like the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) which paid GH1 million out of GH1.4million.

The company told the university to settle the remaining GH400,000 by next week.

The company is embarking on this revenue mobilization drive to retrieve a debt of GH5.7 billion nationwide which customers in the Volta Region owe about GH292 million.

The company is set to visit Ho teaching hospital, and the National Communications Authority among others to retrieve about GH5 million within the Ho Municipality.

We want customers to prioritize the payment of bills and this will enable us to collect more revenue to keep the power sector operating. The company is appealing to all customers to make payment before the disconnection team visits their premises. Customers can make payments at any bank or through mobile money. Customers can also pay by dialing *226# or by downloading the ECG PowerApp, ECG said in a statement.

-citinewsroom
21.03.2023 LISTEN

The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) has paid GH5 million out of the GH32 million debt it owes the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The amount which was considered insignificant by ECGs revenue mobilization taskforce has given reason to the team to prolong their engagement with TOR.

TOR management agreed to pay an additional GH5 million on Friday, but that was unsatisfactory for the ECG team.

Managers of TOR have been pleading profusely with the taskforce not to disconnect them from the national grid.

The Electricity Company of Ghana, in a statement, noted that it will retrieve about GH5.7 billion from its customers who have failed to pay bills since August 2022, starting from March 20 to April 20.

The exercise is being carried out by all managers at all levels. Hence, the company has closed its offices except for the customer service units.

On Monday, the national taskforce visited Parliament, Ghana Airport Company Limited, and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) where the companies except GBC made GH8 million and GH10 million payments respectively to avoid being disconnected.

Citi News has gathered that the University of Ghana has been served notice to redeem its debt of about GH31 million within 42 hours before the team arrives.

Other companies such as B 5 Plus made payments upon the teams visit.

-Citinewsroom
Uganda's parliament on Tuesday passed sweeping anti-gay legislation which proposes tough new penalties for same-sex relationships, following a highly charged and chaotic session.

"The ayes have it," parliamentary speaker Annet Anita Among said after the final vote, adding that the "bill passed in record time."

Legislators amended significant portions of the original draft law, with all but one speaking against the bill.

Homosexuality is already illegal in the conservative East African nation and it was not immediately clear what new penalties had been agreed upon.

MP Fox Odoi-Oywelowo, who spoke against the bill and who belongs to President Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Movement party, told AFP that under the final version of the legislation, offenders would face life imprisonment or even the death penalty for "aggravated" offences.

"This House will not shy to restrict any right to the extent the House recognises," Among said.

The bill will next go to President Museveni, who can choose to use his veto or sign it into law.

The legislation enjoys broad public support in Uganda and reaction from civil society has been muted following years of erosion of civic space under Museveni's increasingly authoritarian rule.

Nevertheless, the 78-year-old leader has consistently signalled he does not view the issue as a priority and would prefer to maintain good relations with Western donors and investors.

Discussion about the bill in parliament was laced with homophobic rhetoric, with lawmakers conflating child sexual abuse with consensual same-sex activity between adults.

'Living in fear'

In recent months, conspiracy theories accusing shadowy international forces of promoting homosexuality have gained traction on social media in Uganda.

Museveni last week referred to gay people as "these deviants."

"Homosexuals are deviations from normal. Why? Is it by nature or nurture? We need to answer these questions," he told lawmakers.

"We need a medical opinion on that. We shall discuss it thoroughly," he added, in a manoeuvre interpreted by analysts and foreign diplomats as a delaying tactic.

"Museveni has historically taken into account the damage of the bill to Uganda's geopolitics, particularly in terms of relations with the West, and in terms of donor funding," said Kristof Titeca, an expert on East African affairs at the University of Antwerp.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has referred to gay people as 'deviants'. By GUILLEM SARTORIO (AFP/File)

"His suggestion to ask for a medical opinion can be understood in this context: a way to put off what is a deeply contentious political issue," Titeca told AFP.

On Saturday, Uganda's attorney general Kiryowa Kiwanuka told the parliamentary committee scrutinising the bill that existing colonial-era laws "adequately provided for an offence".

Frank Mugisha, executive director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a leading gay rights organisation whose operations were suspended by the authorities last year, told AFP earlier this month he had already been inundated with calls from LGBTQ people over the new bill.

"Community members are living in fear," he said.

Last week, police said they had arrested six men for "practising homosexuality" in the southern lakeside town of Jinja.

Another six men were arrested on the same charge on Sunday, according to police.

Uganda is notorious for intolerance of homosexuality -- which was criminalised under colonial-era laws.

But since independence from Britain in 1962 there has never been a conviction for consensual same-sex activity.

In 2014, Ugandan lawmakers passed a bill that called for life in prison for people caught having gay sex.

The legislation sparked international condemnation, with some Western nations freezing or redirecting millions of dollars of government aid in response, before a court later struck down the law on a technicality.
02.04.2023 LISTEN

Hundreds of delegates, and party supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Akatsi South of the Volta Region have given Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Presidential Flagbearer hopeful, a rousing welcome to the Constituency as part of his tour to the Volta Region.

Dr Duffuor, a former Finance Minister is currently on a three  day campaign tour of the Region to canvass for votes ahead of the Party's Presidential and Parliamentary primaries, which is slated for Saturday, May 13.

In an encounter at the Catholic Secretariat at Torve in the Akatsi South Municipality, Dr Duffuor among other policies, assured delegates who converged at the venue of the restoration of Ghana's economy within two years of his administration if elected as President in 2024.

Outlining some of his key policies and programmes for the next Duffuor-led administration, he said all party executives would be given proper salaries and care.

He stated that it was time he changed the party's current posture into what he called 'business-oriented Party' and the use of professionals who worked for the NDC for victory if elected as the next President of the Republic after the primaries.

NDC will be a stronger party from now, and it is time I come in to rescue the party from total collapse, he said.

Dr Duffuor promised to strengthen the party by introducing some special plans for cadres such as a pension scheme for the aged who served the party and were over 60 years so you will not feel pained.

On the upcoming primaries, Dr Duffuor appealed to the delegates to give him the mandate to lead the party onto the path of prosperity and progress devoid of insults.

Politics is about serving the people. This is an internal contest, and you must know that insults do not win elections. Do not insult your family members and fight because of family contest. We must come together to drive away the NPP in 2024, he added.

Dr Duffuor also commended party faithfuls who served the party over the years and pledged to make every constituency a business incubation center where individual financial needs would be protected.

He thanked Mr Bernard Ahiafor, the Akatsi South Member of Parliament who worked as his lawyer in his business entity, for exhibiting excellence both in the political and other fields over the years.

Dr Duffuor on his day-one tour, met some Regional and constituency executives of the party in Central Tongu, North Tongu, South Tongu, and Akatsi South.

The three-day tour would see him engaging other constituency executives at the various constituencies before departing to Accra.

Mr Edem Asinyo, Dr Duffuor's spokesperson, Mr Yao Boateng Gyan, a former National Organiser of the party, Mr Bright Ege, the Deputy Volta Regional Secretary of NDC, and other party officials, formed part of the entourage.

Dr Kwabena Duffuor served as the governor of the Bank of Ghana. He was named as one of the four best Central Bank Governors in the World at an IMF/World Bank meeting in 1999.

Mr Kojo Bonsu, Former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi and Dr Duffuor are contesting former President John Dramani Mahama after the trio had been vetted and cleared to contest in the May 13 decider.

GNA
03.04.2023 LISTEN

Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah has defended the new revenue measures passed by Parliament.

He said the three bills will bolster domestic revenue and improve Ghana's fiscal position in the wake of the Covid-19 and Russian/Ukrainian war shocks.

Parliament has passed the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.

According to Boakye-Danquah, this will bridge the revenue gap for the country and allow it to negotiate a deal with the IMF.

"So, this is a set of measures we must ensure is worth passing. This is a major bridge we have to cross in closing this revenue gap and ensure that there is more liquidity,Boakye-Danquah told Moro Awudu on Inside Pages on Accra-based Metro TV.

He added, We are not in a good place because we dont have access to the international capital market. Having hard currency to service our import obligations is significantly being threatened.

It is important we complete all prior actions, lock up this deal and get a shore up best from the IMF and other inflow sources and do certain broad things to ensure that the economy doesnt crash and expand investments that will bring economic inclusion. We need to do what must be done to ensure that we cement the kind of relative stability we have had in the last four to five months and gradually begin to reverse the economic challenges we have had.

He is very optimistic that these revenue bills will bring in almost 5billion to support the economy.

It is to help to correct the imbalance we are currently experiencing. This is not new but the essence of it is to rake in revenue to address the shortfalls we encountered during the Covid-period and the war between Ukraine and Russia.

He claimed that the minimum wage earners would still be exempted from taxes under the Income Tax Amendment Bill, which is anticipated to bring in 1.2 billion.
South Sudanese soldiers arrived in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, an AFP journalist saw, joining a regional military force in an area battered by the M23 rebellion.

At least 45 soldiers touched down in the city of Goma in the late morning, with further contingents expected to arrive at later dates.

The South Sudanese soldiers are part of the seven-nation East African Community (EAC) military force, which was created last June to stabilise eastern DRC.

Much of the region is plagued by dozens of armed groups, a legacy of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.

In North Kivu province, M23 rebels have captured swathes of territory and advanced within several dozen kilometres of its capital Goma since re-emerging from dormancy in late 2021.

The EAC force -- which comprises Kenyan, Burundian and Ugandan troops as well as South Sudanese -- is due to supervise a planned pull-back of M23 rebels.

The troops are part of a seven-nation East African Community (EAC) deployed to help stablise DR Congo's restive east. By Glody MURHABAZI (AFP)

"Welcome to Goma," said Colonel Jok Akech, an officer with the EAC force, addressing the new South Sudanese arrivals.

"Now you are in a different operational environment. You have to be ready".

It is not yet clear how large the South Sudanese contingent will be, nor where it will deploy. In December, South Sudan said that it would send 750 soldiers to the DRC.

Failed initiatives

The M23 first came to international prominence in 2012 when it captured Goma, before being driven out and going to ground.

But the Tutsi-led group re-emerged from dormancy in late 2021, arguing that the government had ignored a promise to integrate its fighters into the army.

It then won a string of victories against the Congolese army and captured large chunks of North Kivu, triggering a humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands of people fled its advance.

Several regional initiatives intended to defuse the conflict have failed.

A ceasefire mediated by Angola was due to take effect on March 7, for example, but collapsed almost immediately.

March 30 was supposed to mark the end of the withdrawal of "all armed groups", according to a timetable adopted in mid-February by the EAC.

The deadline was not respected.

The EAC force commander, Kenyan General Jeff Nyagah, told reporters on Friday that the planned M23 withdrawal would be "sequenced".

'Neutral force'

Although initially greeted with enthusiasm, many Congolese are increasingly critical of the EAC force because of dashed hopes that regional troops would take the fight directly to the M23.

On Sunday, the spokesman for the newly deployed Ugandan contingent, Captain Kato Ahmad Hassan, said the troops would be "neutral force and we will not fight the M23".

M23 fighters are expected to withdraw from the areas occupied by the Ugandan military under the plan, he said.

The rebel group remains in control of substantial areas of North Kivu, and has almost completely surrounded Goma, which has Rwanda to its east and Lake Kivu to its south.

The DRC accuses its smaller neighbour Rwanda of backing the M23, something the United States, several other Western countries and independent UN experts agree with, but which Kigali denies.

Although there has been no major fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 for several weeks, fighting has with rival militias and insecurity remains rampant.

Fourteen people were killed in separate attacks in North Kivu over the weekend, in circumstances that remain unclear, according to residents, local officials and medical sources.
03.04.2023 LISTEN

The Bono East Regional Director of Health services, Dr. Fred Adomako-Boateng, is calling for the establishment of an Accident and Emergency Centre to be sited along the main Kintampo-Tamale highway to attend to accident victims.

He noted that the lack of such a specialised unit on that stretch of the highway has contributed to the increasing number of deaths from road accident in the area. This, he attributed to lack of capacity of hospitals in the area to attend to high accident cases at a time.

The most critical moment for an accident patient is the holding time, that is where the patient needs to be stabilized before being referred to a specialised facility for treatment" he stated.

Dr. Adomako-Boateng explained that accidents are abound to happen and considering the high rate of accidents on that stretch, there is the urgent need for such a vital facility to be built.

Performance review

The Bono East Regional Director of Health Services was speaking in an interview with journalists on the side-lines of the annual performance review of the health directorate last week at Kintampo.

It was on the Theme: Building structures for quality essential service delivery, preparedness and response for emerging and re-emerging diseases, the role of the community and strategic partnership.

The Techiman-Kintampo-Tamale highway is noted for recording high number of accident cases annually.

Early last month, 23 persons died on the spot while 24 others were injured in a gory accident involving a Yendi-Kumasi bound grand bird bus, with registration number AS 4635-22, and an articulated truck, with registration number GW 1127-P, on the Kintampo-Tamale highway.

Touching on other health issues, Dr. Adomako-Boateng said malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory tract infections are the leading causes of death of patients in the region.

Capacity building

For his part, the Bono East Regional Minister, Kwasi Adu Gyan, said the region has started building structures for quality essential services. He said they were equitably distributing newly recruited health professionals to the districts and communities to work with development partners to build the capacity of the district and regional rapid response teams. This is to enhance emergency preparedness plans and response to public health emergencies.

He added that the Regional Coordinating Council is planning to site a teaching hospital in the region to provide tertiary level care. This is part of its strategic plan for the region.

We have identified some development partners who have conducted extensive stakeholder consultation with major key players in the region, " he said.

He assured that the Regional Coordinator Council will continue to lobby for resources for all sectors including health.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga announced Sunday he was calling off a protest on Monday and would embark on dialogue with the government after two weeks of chaotic street demonstrations.

Three people have died and properties and businesses been looted since anti-government protests erupted on March 20, alarming neighbours and allies of a country seen as a stable democracy in a volatile region.

Odinga, who has accused President William Ruto of stealing last year's elections, had called for protests twice a week and warned "Mega Monday" on April 3 would see his supporters "take back the country".

But on the eve of the march Odinga announced he was calling it off, after Ruto suggested they create a bipartisan parliamentary committee to work through concerns over the electoral process.

"We stand down our demonstrations for Monday, that is tomorrow, April 3, 2023. But in doing so, we want to emphasise that the right to assemble, to demonstrate, petition, and speak are iron-clad as provided for in our constitution," Odinga told reporters in an evening press conference.

However his party "reserve the right to call for demonstrations should this process not bear fruit", he said.

"Should there be no meaningful engagement or response from Hon (Honourable) Ruto to our counter-offer, we resolve to resume our demonstrations after one week."

In a nationwide address earlier in the evening, Ruto earlier appealed for Odinga to work through parliament, not the street.

"I urge my brother Raila Odinga, and the opposition, to call off the demonstrations, and to give this bipartisan approach a chance for us to take the country forward," he said, urging Kenyans to remain peaceful and law abiding.

'A lot of trouble'

Kenya's Supreme Court unanimously upheld the results of August's elections that declared Ruto president but Odinga insists the poll was stolen, and released fresh claims this weekend that he says prove he won.

The opposition stalwart, who has lost five presidential elections, refused to recognise Ruto or his government and on Saturday urged him to "vacate his office" ahead of Monday's protest.

Ruto said a bipartisan parliamentary committee could explore possible reforms to electoral procedure, and urged his rival to seize this opportunity.

But he ruled out striking an alliance of any kind with his foe.

"Once you compromise accountability and oversight, you are in for a lot of trouble," Ruto said.

"Our position is that we want to engage our brothers and sisters on the other side on issues that are important to the people of Kenya... That way the system of checks and balances remains intact."

Kenya is viewed as a beacon of democratic stability in East Africa. The United States and Britain, among other foreign missions, have publicly called for restraint.

The African Union has also appealed for a peaceful end to the chaos that saw riot police firing tear gas and water cannon at protesters, and places of worship, properties, businesses and cars set aflame.

Meanwhile, at least 25 cases of attacks on journalists "at the hands of state and non-state actors" have been reported during the demonstrations, according to the Media Council of Kenya.

The United States said Friday said it was "deeply concerned" by the reports.
03.04.2023 LISTEN

The Ghana Health Service has disclosed that pregnancy among teenagers between 10 to 14 years is on the rise in the Ahafo Ano South West District of the Ashanti Region.

According to GHS, 18 per cent of the total 460 teenage pregnancies recorded in the district for the year 2022 were between the ages of 10 to 14.

The District Health Director, Dr Rubben Bedzra disclosed this on Friday March 31,2023 during a one day workshop on preventive measures to halt teenage pregnancies in the area.

Held at Mankranso, the event was organized by Women's Health to Wealth, a Non-Governmental Organization in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.

The workshop brought together traditional leaders, parents and guardians, students, health practitioners and other stakeholders

Speaking to OTEC News at the sidelines of the event, Dr Bedzra said 460 cases of teenage pregnancies were recorded in the year 2022 compared to the 400 cases recorded in 2021 in the district.

He expressed concern over the alarming rate of teenage pregnancies in the district, calling on all stakeholders to join the fight against the menace.

"I am encouraging all stakeholders in the district to see this development as a huge burden that needs urgent attention.

"The lives of most of our young girls are being destroyed because of this very issue, that is why i believes such workshops are very important," he stated.

He commended the NGO for the workshop and called other groups and organizations to support GHS in fighting the problem.
Nairobi, March 31, 2023  In response to journalists being harassed, attacked, and arrested while covering mass anti-government protests in Kenya since March 20, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for authorities to take action to protect members of the press:

Journalists covering the ongoing protests in Kenya are carrying out a crucial public service, and authorities must support reporters instead of threatening or detaining them, said Muthoki Mumo, CPJs sub-Saharan Africa representative. Kenyas regional reputation as a hub for the free press is at risk unless this aggression against the media is stopped, and attacks on journalists are credibly investigated and prosecuted.

Since March 20, protests against the 2022 election of President William Ruto and declining economic conditions have been held by the opposition Azimio la Umoja political coalition twice a week, during which police and members of the public have harassed or assaulted members of the media and police briefly arrested two journalists, according to multiple news reports and statements from local media rights organizations.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for a boycott of a local newspaper, which he accused of benefiting from the blood and tears of Kenyans, on March 21, a move he rescinded two days later.

The Communications Authority, the countrys broadcast regulator, also threatened to revoke six TV stations broadcast licenses; on March 24, the Kenyan High Court suspended the regulators ability to revoke the licenses pending a hearing of a civil society application alleging that the authority acted illegally and unconstitutionally, according to news reports and court documents reviewed by CPJ. The authority said it would comply with the ruling.
Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia has touted the NPP governments commitment to empowering Ghanas youth through education, skills training and job opportunities.

Speaking at the 46th Annual Convention of the Konkomba Youth Association in Saboba, Bawumia emphasized the important role of youth in national development and the need for continuous empowerment.

Our Government has been committed to youth empowerment through many interventions, and I highlighted a number of them, such as free access to secondary education and TVET, various skills training programmes, expansion of tertiary education scholarships and increased intake in public sector employment, Bawumia said in a speech over the weekend.

As Vice President, Bawumia touted efforts including free high school, technical/vocational education and training, skills programs, more scholarships and public sector jobs for graduates.

Bawumia argued that groups like the Konkomba Youth Association, progressive youth organizations nationwide, are key to pursuing peace and progress.

The Konkomba Youth Association, just like other progressive youth groups across the country, are strategic actors in the pursuit of peace and development, and I encourage all of such groups, not to deviate from their main objectives, Bawumia urged.

Bawumia stressed his commitment to youth empowerment through access to education at all levels, skills acquisition, and job opportunities to enable young Ghanaians to reach their full potential in building the nation.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP government for introducing more taxes, despite Bawumias opposition to such measures while in the opposition.

Mahama argued that windfall gains from debt service suspension and expenditure cuts could have reduced the tax burden, instead of new taxes expected to raise only $70 million.

Government is estimated to save almost 50 billion Ghana Cedis this year from the suspension of external debt service payments and the Domestic Debt Exchange. This windfall and a reduction of Government expenditure could have been used to reduce the tax burden being imposed on Ghanaian businesses and individuals now.

In fact, it would have brought some tax relief to Ghanaian industry and business instead of the three new taxes from which government expects to raise only GHS4 billion, Mahama said in a Facebook post.

He recalled Bawumias criticism of his administration for imposing more taxes, arguing What happened to the zeal behind this video? Easier said than done?

In opposition, Bawumia described higher taxes as a sign of economic mismanagement and desperation.

In 2016, Bawumia told Joy FMs Kojo Yankson in an interview that, When you become desperate, this is what happens; when you mismanage the economy into this hole, then anything sounds great to you because you don't have any option... and this is the problem, anything that is taxable, that can visibly be taxed, they are trying to impose taxes on it, including taxes on withholding and so on.

All of these are hurting the economy, these taxes are hurting, and, therefore, you are not going to get the growth, and when you don't get the growth, you will not get the revenue, and when you don't get the revenue, you'll go back to increasing taxes to get the revenue, and then you are in a cyclical downward spiral, and, so, they have it wrong, and we will change that particular policy."

We will use the tax incentives to grow this economy and you will get the revenue. We reduced taxes on corporates from 32 to 25 per cent and we increased revenue, but because of this recklessness, they keep thinking that this is going to be the solutions: more taxes, more borrowing, more spending, which results in more taxes," Bawumia stated.

Mahamas criticism and reference highlight accusations of hypocrisy against the NPP government and Bawumias shifting stance on taxation.

The debate also underscores the politics of fiscal policy in Ghana and convenient abandoning of ideological positions for practical exigency.

There are calls for the NPP to stand by campaign promises, reduce the tax burden as pledged or convincingly justify the policy U-turn.

However, government defends the taxes as necessary to fund key initiatives, amid revenue shortfalls and financial challenges.
Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has expressed his gratitude to his students after they threw him a surprise birthday party.

The professor took to Facebook to express his appreciation for the kind gesture from his students.

In his post, Professor Gyampo revealed that he had no idea that his students appreciate him so much, as he had always thought they found him to be a difficult lecturer.

He thanked them for the surprise party, while also stating that he would not relax his rules and principles in the classroom.

I thought they said I am too difficult a lecturer because I push them too hard to sit up. I never knew they like me this much. Dear Students, I am thankful. I am humbled. I am grateful. But I wont relax the rules and my principles, he wrote.

Despite the surprise party, Professor Gyampo made it clear that he would continue to challenge his students to work hard, while also ensuring that he breaks down difficult concepts for them to understand.

While I will as usual, break things down and take my time to demystify very abstract issues for your understanding in a very interactive and lively manner, you will still sweat to do all the readings and research in complimenting what I tell you in the lecture hall. But it will be worth it. You will see me after school and thank me, as many have been doing, he added.

The post has since garnered a lot of attention on social media, with many people commending the professor for his dedication to his students and also wishing him a happy birthday.

Professor Gyampo concluded his post by thanking those who wished him well on his birthday and prayed for blessings for everyone.

Thank you for your gesture and in celebrating me on my birthday. On Facebook, I received many great wishes. Thank you all. I also received calls and texts. Thank you all. The Lord bless us all and help us celebrate ourselves while we live. Shalom! he stressed.
Madina MP, Francis-Xavier Sosu, has criticized the unprofessional conduct of some police officers in a viral video that showed them on going down on their knees begging galamsey operators who claimed they extorted money from them.

The MP expressed his disappointment in the Police's usual fashion of defending its officers in such cases.

He indicated that the Police are trained to uphold integrity with truth, discipline, dedication, and courage as its hallmark.

The video, which has since gone viral on social media, shows the police officers on their knees, with their hands raised in the air, begging the galamsey operators to forgive them for their actions.

The video has sparked outrage among Ghanaians, with many calling for the police officers involved to be held accountable for their actions.

While the Police have issued a statement to that effect, Francis-Xavier Sosu believes that the Police must maintain the highest level of professionalism and integrity.

He called on the Police to take swift action to investigate the matter and ensure that justice is served.

When I talk about the unprofessional conduct of the Police, the IGP and the Interior Minister are quick to jump to their defence.

What a shame? The Police must be a service of Integrity with truth, discipline, dedication and courage as its hallmark, the MP wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, in a statement released on Sunday, April 2, the police revealed that they had handed over the extortion allegations to the Police Professional Stanford Bureau for further investigations.

The statement also revealed that the civilians involved in the incident had been arrested for assault.
Properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis, have been lost in a fire outbreak at Bantama in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti region.

The fire occurred at about midnight on Sunday, 2 April 2023.

The fire razed through all five rooms on the first floor of the building.

The landlady of the house, Madam Alice Addai Kusi narrated how the fire started to ClassFMs Ashanti Regional Correspondent Elisha Adarkwah.

I was sleeping when I heard someone shouting and saying the occupants of this house should wake up, you guys are sleeping fire has gutted your house.

So I woke up and opened the main road, and realised the fire had engulfed the place, so one of my children drove to alert the fire service, Madam Kusi explained.

According to her, When they [fire fighters] arrived the fire had spread.

The Fire Operations Officer at the Komfo Anokye Fire station, ADOII Ben Aidoo Taylor also explained how his men arrived at the scene.

We had the information through our divisional control that fire had broken out in one of the buildings at Bantama High street and the vehicle moved straight to the place and found out that fire had indeed engulfed the second flat.

He further noted that: We were able to manage the fire and put the fire out.

ADOII Taylor however indicated that the cause of fire is still under investigation and reports of the investigation will be revealed to the public when it is ready.

Source: classfmonline.com
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has hit out at Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia following the passage of three revenue bills by Parliament.

In a post, John Dramani Mahama has shown a video of Dr. Bawumia before the NPP won power in 2016 where he (Bawumia) argued that more taxes hurt the economy.

They are the economy. These taxes are hurting the economy.We will change that particularly policy. We will sue the tax incentives to grow this economy, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared at the time.

Following the passage of the three new tax bills by Parliament, John Dramani Mahama who expresses unhappiness has slammed the Vice President for double standard.

He wants Dr. Bawumia to admit it is easier said than done.

Government is estimated to save almost 50 billion Ghana Cedis this year from the suspension of external debt service payments and the Domestic Debt Exchange. This windfall and a reduction of Government expenditure could have been used to reduce the tax burden being imposed on Ghanaian businesses and individuals now, John Dramani Mahama argued in a post on Facebook.

The flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress added, In fact, it would have brought some tax relief to Ghanaian industry and business instead of the three new taxes from which government expects to raise only GHS4 billion.

What happened to the zeal behind this video? Easier said than done?
Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Ghana, Dr. John Kwakye has advised Ghanaians to begin to look beyond the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for any progress.

In his view, the two largest political parties in the country have failed to live up to expectations.

Dr. John Kwakye in a post on social media accused the NPP and NDC of mismanaging precious national economic assets.

With references to Black Star Shipping Line, Ghana Airways, and Ghana Railways, among others, the IEA Director of Research has admonished Ghanaians to only vote for leaders who promises to restore these national assets in the 2024 general elections.

On the watch of NPP and NDC, Ghana has lost its precious national economic assets, such as: Black Star Shipping Line, Ghana Airways, Ghana Railways, and Tema Oil Refinery, along with numerous industries. Ghanaians should vote for only leaders who promise to restore these assets, Dr. John Kwakye shared in a post on Twitter.
The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) says it is still against homosexuality.

First Vice Chair of the GPCC Apostle Gordon Kisseih said on Sunday, April 2 that Since the family is the basic unit of life and the home is where families are nurtured it is critical to note that any attempt to change the definition of man, woman, boy, girl, or marriage will be an attack on the family and an attack on the foundation which holds us as a family together.

GPCC is not neutral, GPCC has a stance. Let it be clear to all that GPCC has a stance against LGBTQI.

Ghanas Parliament is seeking to pass the Proper Human Sexual Rights & Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the Ant-Gay Bill. The committee's report on the Bill was laid in Parliament before it went on recess on Friday March 31.

Ranking Member on the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor said that Join us and pray for us.

Earlier, another ranking Member on Committee Bernard Ahiafor assured the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin that the committee would not be intimidated by anyone from doing its work in relation to the Anti-Gay Bill.

Mr Ahiafo said he is a lawyer and is full of indomitable spirits therefore, he cannot be intimidated by anyone.

He told TV3's Parliamentary correspondent Komla Kluste in an interview on Wednesday, March 29 that the committee is ready to take the second reading of the Bill if it is programmed by the Business Committee.

He said I can speak for myself, I am a man with an indomitable spirit and I don't think I can be intimidated in any manner whatsoever by anybody. I am a lawyer, I will look at the law, look at the constitution and look at what needs to be done.

That is exactly what I am going to do without any fear or favor and so let me assure the Speaker that the committee is made up mostly of lawyers and they cannot be intimidated,

What the committee is supposed to do, the Committee has done it, and our report is ready. If the Business Committee programmes it today, we can take the second reading of the anti-LGBTOI Bill today, if it is programmed tomorrow we can take the Bill tomorrow.

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin earlier told the Constitutional, not to be intimidated by anyone regarding the Anti-Gay Bill.

He asked the committee to report back to him if they are encountering any challenges.

Please, committee members that we referred the Bill to, we want the report, don't be intimidated by any person, he said during a breakfast meeting with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship on Tuesday, March 28.

He added Please let the report flow, we need to legislate. Our friends just passed their law in Uganda, we may not go the way they have gone, our Constitution is very clear as to the direction we should move and so we should be guided by that because if we pass any law against the Constitution, it is unconstitutional.

His comments came at a time President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo dissociated from the Anti-Gay Bill.

Proposed under a Private Members' Bill, the anti-gay bill is expected to criminalise some of the activities of homosexuals in Ghana.

Answering a question put to him at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27 when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed that the bill is currently before Parliament, which will decide on it, but most of its provisions are being fine-tuned.

It hasn't been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate, he said.

Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in, he added.

President Akufo-Addo welcomed US Vice President Harris to the seat of government as part the latter's three-day visit to the country.

She stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including rights of LGBTQs.

For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people.

3news.com
The Serial Callers and Texters Association of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called off its indefinite strike.

This follows a decision arrived at by the association, after holding a series of meetings with the associations patron (Hon Dr Alhaji Habibu Adramnai), some members of the minority caucus in parliament and some National Democratic Congress executives, the group said in a statement issued and signed by its Secretary Sadiq K. Kpanja on Sunday, 2 April 2023.

The association has, therefore, directed its members to recommence all media engagements.

Per this release, all members across the various regions in Ghana are entreated to start their media engagements from Monday, April 3, because sanity has prevailed on our part for the good of the party and Ghana as a whole, the statement urged.

It also entreated all members to work at all levels of the party to ensure a resounding victory come the 2024 December elections since this inept and clueless government continues to be dangerous each passing day in office.

The serial callers and texters of the NDC across the country were on an indefinite strike.

The strike was to register their displeasure at their MPs who endorsed President Nana Akufo-Addos six ministerial nominees recently.

In a statement issued by the group and co-signed by Secretary Sadiq K. Kpanja, Liaison Officer Ibrahim Awal and Organisor Lagbadza, the group condemned what it described as the mass approval of the presidents ministerial nominees by the minority in parliament.

The serial callers and texters of the party said the action of the lawmakers of the NDC had angered them.

It is hereby conveyed to all the 136 NDC members of parliament that their action has angered the rank and file of the party, especially when it was evident they voted overwhelmingly to approve the nominees with no recourse to the suffering masses in Ghana, the statement noted.

Expressing their total dissatisfaction with the conduct of the minority caucus, the group announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike, which began on Saturday, 25 March 2023, until further notice.

It noted that the indefinite action would be where no calls or text message shall be sent to any media house for the said period.

The group had urged its members across the country to heed this call and refrain from any media engagement until further notice.

If you are not ready to work for the interest of the suffering masses, you are not worth our support, the group added.

Source: classfmonline.com
Hon Dorcas Affo-Toffey, the Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region is seeking re-election to represent her constituents in the upcoming elections.

As part of the mandatory process, she will appear before the Vetting Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Western Region on Monday, April 3, 2023, to be vetted.

In a statement, Hon Dorcas Affo-Toffey urged her constituents to support her in prayers as she goes through the vetting process with other aspiring candidates who seek to lead the NDC party in all the 275 constituencies across the country.

She expressed gratitude for their unwavering support and stated her commitment to work for the betterment of the people of Jomoro and Ghana as a whole.

"I kindly urge you all, especially my lovely constituents in Jomoro, to support me in prayers as I go through this mandatory exercise with everyone who wants to lead our great NDC party in all the 275 constituencies across the country. I know with your constant prayers, God has already done it. Together, we shall make Jomoro and Ghana work. God bless us all. Thank you," she said in a tweet on Monday, April 3.

Hon Dorcas Affo-Toffey has been a vocal advocate for the people of Jomoro Constituency, known for her unwavering commitment to their welfare and development.

Her re-election bid has received overwhelming support from her constituents, who have praised her for exceptional leadership and dedication.

Hon Dorcas Affo-Toffey's appearance before the Vetting Committee of the NDC is a crucial step towards her re-election bid.

If approved, she can campaign to represent Jomoro for a third term, promising continued progress.
The amount of 2023 Ghana hajj fare is whopping USD6,500.00 or GHS 75,000.00. Last year, Ghana hajj fare was GHS35,000.00, this is an over 100% increment.

Embarking on pilgrim to mecca, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Even though with regard to performing hajj, Almighty Allah says, if you are capable, you should embark on pilgrim to mecca, to perform hajj rituals.

But it is the wish of every Muslim to embark on pilgrim to mecca, in his or her lifetime. And in fact, the way year in, year out, the price of Pilgrim to mecca is galloping, it would make most interesting Muslims incapable to embark on, this important spiritual journey.

I am therefore appealing to Government of Ghana, and the Ghana Hajj Board, to thoroughly explain to Ghanaians now, particularly the Muslim Communities, why is so much increased in 2023 Ghana Hajj Fare.

BY: MOHAMMED ZAKARIA PAANI (2024 member of parliament hopeful, for Tamale South Constituency)

P . O BOX K.I.A 9845,

ACCRA, GHANA.

MOBILE: 024-674-7279

WHATSAPP: 020-761-5112

EMAIL: [email protected]
Addis Ababa, 31 March 2023 (ECA) - A timely regulatory overhaul of Africas fledgling electricity sector will attract private sector investment and ensure energy security on the continent, stakeholders meeting at an electricity dialogue, have agreed.

More than 600 million Africans have no access to electricity and Africa generates only 4% of the global energy. Despite vast opportunities in the development of the electricity sector in Africa, there is low private sector investment in energy infrastructure and service delivery, participants at the recent High-Level Public-Private Dialogue on Private Sector Investment in Electricity and Infrastructure Development in Africa, heard.

The two-day dialogue, hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the RES4Africa Foundation brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including policymakers, international organizations, and decision-makers working in energy and infrastructure. They discussed the changes needed in policy and regulatory frameworks to ensure adequate openness, attractiveness, and readiness of African markets to private investments.

Mr. Yohannes Hailu, an energy policy expert at ECA Private Sector Development and Finance Division, highlighted the work of ECA and RES4Africa in 16 African countries on the assessment of the regulatory environment and risks as an essential entry point to address regulatory barriers that limit effective private sector investment in energy infrastructure.

"Advancing electricity market regulatory improvement and reform is a significant part of the solution towards de-risking investment in Africas energy infrastructure," Mr. Hailu said, emphasizing that credible regulatory framework and policy remained key instruments for member countries striving to crowd-in private capital in their electricity markets via generation, transmission, distribution, and off-grid system development.

The ECA and AUC continental framework, which was validated during the Dialogue, offers guidance on mainstreaming the key regulatory instruments at regional and national levels to crowd-in private investment. In addition, representatives from Ministries of Energy and Regional Energy Regulatory institutions provided feedback on regulatory areas for technical cooperation with ECA and the RES4Africa Foundation.

They also identified areas of regulatory technical cooperation including green hydrogen, storage of batteries, standardization of contracts, development of grid codes and risk-mapping. The Dialogue also discussed developing a regional framework for private sector participation in electricity markets.

Mr. Andrea Renzulli, head of policy and regulation at RES4Africa, commended the partnership with the ECA in raising awareness and sharing knowledge on the electricity reform agenda across African markets. He reaffirmed the commitment of RES4Africa Foundation and its members in collaboration with ECA and interested African countries to advance policy and regulatory reforms towards better market openness, attractiveness and readiness for private sector participation.

Mr. Renzulli acknowledged the importance of continued exchanges of knowledge between energy regulatory authorities across the Continent and the private sector.

At the closing of the technical training on regulation and private sector investment session held on the margins of the Dialogue, Mr. Robert Lisinge, Officer-in-Charge of the Private Sector Development and Finance Division at the ECA said an enabling environment is essential to meeting the major investment needs for national and regional infrastructure in Africa through public private sector partnerships.

"Our aim at ECA is to stay close to the continental, regional and national infrastructure agenda guided by Agenda 2063 and SDGs," said Mr. Lisinge, explaining that the ECA was providing capacity development and technical cooperation related to private sector participation to close the large financing gap in infrastructure development in the continent.

"The high-level dialogue this week highlighted the commitment of member States and the private sector to work together through facilitation of a conducive business environment for private investment and developing the right PPP framework for successful application of PPP in infrastructure finance, he said.
Ghanaian politician, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has commended opposition MPs for successfully blocking two loan requests of US$150 million and US$60 million by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/Ofori-Atta government last friday.

In a tweet, Ablakwa described the government as "notoriously incorrigible," indicarting that after plunging Ghana into debt distress and bankruptcy, it is still tasty for more loans.

According to Ablakwa, the successful rejection of the loan requests is a commendable move towards responsible governance and financial prudence.

The move by the opposition MPs has been praised by many Ghanaians who are concerned about the country's debt situation. Many believe that the government needs to adopt a more sustainable approach to borrowing and debt management.

In an article monitored by Modern Ghana on africanews.com, the government, on the other hand, has defended its borrowing policies, arguing that they are necessary to finance development projects and stimulate economic growth.

However, some critics argue that the government's borrowing spree has done more harm than good, contributing to the country's economic woes and increasing its debt burden.

Below is the tweet by Okudzeto Ablakwa;


Dear Fellow Citizens, I salute you and let us keep on thanking God for granting us time, resilience and for the vestige of this Country on the path to economy recovery, which is our collective responsibility to ensure economic upturn, a breakthrough and the maintenance of same for the benefits of future generations.

Fellow Citizens, the Chapter 23 of Exodus in the Holy Bible teaches on ethical matters, so it warns us at Exodus 23.1 not to bear false witness and at Exodus 23.2 that You must not follow the multitude to do evil by twisting Justice. This among others indicates that we should not lie to pervert justice just to please the emotion or opinion of a majority on a prevailing matter or opinion because the opinion of the majority does not necessarily mean it is a true opinion. This simple mean that just because a multitude champions a particular cause does not necessary mean that cause is right or the multitude is right. This has been the national canker with the twisting of details by propagandists and uninformed persons to satisfy a gullible populace.

Folks, in our collective effort of fixing or building our dear Country we need to be guided by the declarations at Exodus Chapter 23:1 to Exodus 23:2 as stated above and speak the truth on national issues based on analytical thinking (mind). Pardon me to deviate small by citing an example of the attitude of some of our Compatriots who without analytical mind set are degrading the 1992 Constitution, including an assertion that the 1992 Constitution was framed by mostly nonentities to satisfy the then Chairman of the PNDC. This is false, hence such persons are either lazy thinkers as propounded by Hon Suhiyini otherwise they may be dishonest people and unpatriotic citizens.

It is universally acclaimed that a Society or Country where people failed or refused to read/learn about the history of their Community or Country and thus relegate their Communitys or Countrys history to the background are bound to fail. This is the main reason with some of the chieftaincy disputes making the country facing chieftaincy problems with the associated high cost of security, low economic and social activities at the affected areas due no true history, that is due to lack of codified or trustworthy documentation otherwise oral authentic history of the Chiefdom. The problem in the Small Scale Mining Sector being faced by the Country is due to the lack of studying of the history of this Country for right remedy to deal with the associated risks and the work of national looters.

Folks, Ghana has a chequered history of political upheavals. So, it is very sad that the degrading of the 1992 Constitution is led by people with good academic background or some intelligentsias who should know better and as indicated above they may be lazy thinkers because they seemed to have a very poor critical mindset, this may be attributable to our usual failure to do proper risk assessments on national issues before running amok with them or just following the sentiments of gullible public or the propaganda of populists or political opportunists without authenticating the info.

These lazy thinkers need to be educated that the 1992 Constitution was framed by a Committee of Constitutional luminary Experts including Dr Agyeman-Badu, then and still as Dormahene, Mr Justice Annie Jiagge, Mr LJ Chinery-Hesse, Dr K Afari Djan, Dr Charles Jebuni, Dr EVO Dankwa, Mr Ebo Bentsi- Enchill, Mrs Ofori Boateng and the UN supported Ghana by providing one of her seasoned Staff, then a UNs Chief Legal Adviser namely Professor Dr Asante Kobea to be the Chairperson of the Committee of Experts thus it was made of Constitutional/legal and political Science luminaries supported by a visiting Ghanaian Professor in law from USA. Professor Dr Asante Kobea is the Paramount Chief of Asante Asokore so he is contactable. You may wish to know the recommendations of the Committee so Google for Report of the Committee of Experts on proposal for the draft of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

The committees recommendations make very interesting reading and some of the noise by some of our compatriots on the amendment or jettison of the 1992 Constitution will be halted if they happen to read on the history of Ghanas Constitution since 1967. The Answer why Article 78 demands majority of members to be appointed from members of Parliament besides reducing cost due to our corrupt conduct is in the report.

Another very interesting story is how the Consultative Assembly alleged by our lazy thinkers or some of our intelligentsias as mostly made of nonentities or veranda boys and girls but or veranda boys and girls had wisdom from God hence the courage, so the Consultative Assembly (made of the alleged veranda boys and girls) rejected some of the recommendations of the Constitutional experts and came out with the best Constitution for Ghana, hence it anchored the Fourth Republic that saw more than four regime changes ever in the history of Ghana.

A second very interesting story is that based on the embarrassment of a nominee for the post of Chief Justice (CJ) of Ghana during the vetting process in Parliament in 1979, so the Constitutional experts rather recommended that the President should appoint the CJ on the consultation with the Council of State with no vetting in Parliament, but the Consultative Assembly (made of the alleged veranda boys and girls) which deliberated on the recommendations of the Committee of Constitutional/legal/Political Science Experts disagreed and kicked against it and demanded a vetting of the Chief Justice by Parliament as in the 1992 Constitution.

The last very interesting story is that the Consultative Assembly (the alleged veranda boys and girls) adopted almost all of the provisions of the 1979 Constitution as drafted in 1978/1979 by the Mensah Commission as constituted in 1978 by SMC2, that is after the defeat of the SMC1s UNIGOV Constitution in the 1977 Referendum organized by the Sole Electoral Commissioner (Dr Kinsgley Nyinah). Folks thanks for the short deviation from the subject, which is very necessary to help drive my point or judgment home that no logical reasoning or risk assessment is done on National Issues.

The issue on the Office of Government Machinery especially on the number of Presidential Staffers has been a cause of worry of late. Hence, it is high time we actually dissect the budget of the Office of the Government Machinery especially the budget on the employees compensation for the Office of the Government Machinery and thus include the emoluments or payments to Presidential Staffers as well for facts as warned in Exodus 23:2 of not to follow the evil opinion of the majority. Hence, this submission to you is to set the pace for studies for logical public discourse on the matter with the view to come out with the way forward. You may be shocked on the details that worths your consumption (use) during public discourse.

The Operations (Management and Administration) of the Country is executed by employees from the Public Service, Civil Service, State Security and Safety Institutions (within the Defence and Interior Ministries), the Chief Justice and members of the Judiciary, the Speaker and Members of Parliament, the President and other Political Officer Holders including the Council of State etc.

The Office of Government Machinery (OGM) is to provide accountable, transparent, managerial, technical, administrative Services to the Presidency and other Stakeholders for the attainment of government development agenda of improving the quality of life of Ghanaians

The Office of the President has the oversight responsibility for the Government Machinery (OGM). The Office of the President is therefore well staffed to ensure the efficient Management and Administration of programmes and services that must be done to set the policy direction of the Office of Government Machinerys. This involves Office of Chief of Staff, General Administration Cabinet Secretariat, Press Secretariat, Policy coordination and Delivery Unit, State Protocol, and Policy Evaluation and Oversight Unit. Intuitions manned by personnel from the Civil and Public Service at the OGM.

The procedure used for the delivery of services at the Office of Government Machinery is General Administration, Finance, Human Resources, Research, Information, Monitoring and Evaluation, State Advisory and Protocol Service.

Normally or as by 31 December 2016, the Office of Government Machinery included Ghana Aids Commission, Ghana Investment Promotion Center, MASLOC, State Enterprise Commission, Divesture Implementation Committee now State Implementation and Governance (SIGA), National Population Council, Scholarship Secretariat, Public Sector Reforms Secretariat, National Security Secretariat. Internal Audit Agency, Public Enterprise Commission, Office of Administration General, Millennium Development Authority etc

The Political organizational units for delivering of service at the OGM are evolved around the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Unlike in the era of past regimes, the era of Ex-President Mahama had the Savannah Development Authority as part of the OGM. President Nana departed from previous regimes, so in the first four years of the regime of President Nana Addo, he added more than 10 outlets with distinct cost centers to the normal outfits which had distinct cost centers and existed as on 31 December 2016.

These additional outlets to the OGM during the era of President Nana Addo, included the Office of the Senior Minister, Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development, Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development Planning, Minster of State for Finance Minister of State for Procurement (initial post for Hon Ms Adjoa Sarfo), Ministry of Business Development, Ministry of Monitory and Evaluation, Ministry of Special Development and Initiative (with three Development Authorities namely Northern Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority, Coastal Development Authority), Free High School Secretariat, One District One Factory Secretariat. NEIP, NABCO Secretariat. One may add Ministry of National Security. Also at the OGM is National Identification Authority. So it is logical that more presidential staffers may be required, some of these outlets are described by some Scholars as parallel institutions or some say some of these institutions were/ are Superfluous institutions at OGM. Whatever be the thinking of scholars, the era of President Nana Addo had justification for more personnel as Presidential Staffers.

Why the use of a lot of presidential staffs when we have a gang of permanent staff at the OGM should be a subject of debate. But one justifiable reason may be the fear of the PHD (Pull Him Down) Disease in the DNA of Ghanaians and another issue is a perceived different political ideology of some of the civil servants as well as their relationships with past administrations. So, the real acts of disloyalty, dishonesty, or lack of patriotism and laziness by some of the permanent staff of public institutions or the attitude of some of the public service and civil service personnel maybe the motivation for a new administration to set up parallel institutions especially at the Presidency or elsewhere thus an avenue to employ political appointees or persons who helped the President to come to Power.

It may also be based on the need for the use of different skill sets by the employment of the concept of Division of labour, through the separation of the tasks as in economy systems to enable effective focus on specific tasks as the best use of different skill sets as propounded by Adam Smith. For instance, the government setting up Agric Mechanization or Farmers Service Company as a special unit like what General Acheampong did to provide the farmers with mechanized service instead of allowing them to acquire their own machinery and would not use them effectively throughout the year as well as they may not service and maintain the equipment very well, since lack of maintenance culture is in our DNA. Furthermore, to arrest dragging of feet or sabotage and no enough time for the Administration to accept this canker.

So it was based on the reasons stated above among others, that notwithstanding the provisions of Article 195 (1) of the 1992 Constitution, which gives room for appointment by the President of persons as Public Officers which must be contingent on the requirements or provisions of the 1992 Constitution, that in 1993, the Parliament of Ghana saw the need for the enactment of the Presidential Office Act 1993 (Act463) which gives the President the unlimited power to appoint all categories of Presidential Staffers without recourse to the financial implication to the State.

This Act 463 of 1993, as the elephant in the room was generated by the NDC1 regime of President Rawlings in 1993 through Act 463 Bill that was approved by Parliament. Some Scholars regard it as a room or avenue for jobs for the boys and girls or for family and friends at the Office of Government Machinery, thus providing a room for abuse. This abuse now included additional two cost centers as the Office of the First Lady and the Office of the Second Lady with adequate staff, goods/services and assets provided to these two offices allegedly NGOs. Cry the Beloved Country (Ghanaians are capable of managing their affairs indeed). I recommend the number of Presidential Staffers should not be more than 320, above this must be scrutinized and approved by Parliament.

Folks, the number of Presidential staffers at the Office of Government machinery has been on the front burner since the 1996 election, with people expression their lofty sentiments, some of these feelings are infantile presumably not based on logical reasoning, for us to cure the associated problems at the OGM.

So, some School of thought including the leadership of the TUC are advocating for Parliament to repeal/ nullify the Presidential Office Act 1993 (Act463), others have the view that an establishment through a ceiling and not an open or blank cheque should be granted for the appointment of Presidential staffers.

It is based on the need for the cure of this national challenge, that the Office of Government Machinery in the tenure of the last two Political administrations or Presidencies in the Fourth Republic that is the era of ex-President JD Mahama and the era of President Nana Addo are the focus of study in this paper for some scientific facts and the way forward.

The President of Ghana comes to power through winning a Presidential election as stipulated by the 1992 Constitution. The Presidential election is won or to be won among other things based on the manifesto of a Presidential Candidate to the electorates nationwide as the Constituency of the Candidate and this need to be implemented as promised during the campaign.

On wining an election, the new President and his or her administration is to come to power with his or her team, members of who appreciate his or her manifesto very well or share the political ideology of the elected President and are eager to go an extra mile with or without reward for the success of the elected President. Hence, the framers of the 1992 Constitution, took cognizance of this situation and the need to ensure loyalty to the Executive Branch at all times, so they came out with provisions in the Constitution that authorize the appointments of certain public Office Holders and the highest echelon of the Security Services by the President with the duration of their services to be conterminous with the tenure of office of the President of each administration.

Also they took cognizance of the need for a common development plan or national manifesto especially in the economy (trade, industry and the Agriculture sectors). So Article 86 of the 1992 Constitution ceded the Economy Planning wing from the hitherto Ministry of Finance and Economy Planning to the National Development Planning Commission to act as provided at Article 87 of the 1992 Constitution with a long time development plan subject to tweaking to meet current state of affairs. So the Minister of Finance core function is budgeting (looking for funds and the expenditure and accounting of same) for the Administration.

It was the dream or intention of the framers of the 1992 Constitution for a common National Development Plan say in Agric sector, which will require the Presidential Candidates to tap the recommendations of the National Development Planning Commission in the preparation of their manifestos but with some small differences based on the Political ideological background.

So, the need to ensure the right staff for the success of the Executive President through the implementation of the Manifesto of each administration, was or is the reason that the Office of the President therefore Office of Government Machinery is established by Article 57 of the 1992 Constitution and by Presidential Office Act 1993 (Act463), Act 463 was enacted by Parliament of Ghana in 1993 which gives the President the unlimited power to appoint all categories of Presidential Staffers without recourse to the financial implication to the State. This is as stated above, among others is to allow the enjoyment of the benefits of the concept of Division of labour, through the separation of the tasks as in economy systems to enable effective Policy direction.

The OGM normally has several cost centers for subunits within the Presidency which include Office of the President proper, Office of the Vice President, Office of the Chief of Staff, Departments (like Protocol, etc.) Councils and Commissions. But, the OGM has three main Cost centers or budget lines namely Compensation for Employees, Goods and Services and lastly Assets or Capex

The details as tabulated below were obtained through the Google search engine, so you could authenticate the fact by please Google for Office of Government Machinery Ghana for 2016, 2017 etc otherwise the Ghanas National budget (either the main or the revised budget) for each year.

You will be shocked with the details of seemingly overspending, sometimes over bloating of the budget of OGM and very huge expenditure by both the two Administrations which were under study. The most shocking revelation in the study is that although the Administration of President Nana Addo has the highest number of Presidential staffers because of his creation of more than 10 Ministries (parallel Agencies) at the Presidency but strangely the Compensation for Employees as Budgeted were relatively lower when compared with that for the previous regime of ex-President Mahama. Otherwise there must be something very wrong with accounting or reporting, which may be true because of dishonesty.

Folks, the revelations in the study as in the Table below on the budget for OGM from 2015 to 2023 speak volume that we need to do more studies on the subject so that we are guided by scientific facts when making our debate on national issues. So over to your Joe Lartey, my countrymen take it up because I am limited with resources due to my locked up investments since 2018.

Year Budgeted Or Allotment GHC Compensation for Employees as Budgeted GHC Goods & Services as Budgeted GHC Assets as Budgeted GHC Alleged Actual Expenditure GHC 2015 453,877,343 245,204,9914.. 479,408,115. 75,118,761. 799.731,387.07 2016 Initial 718,854,911 Revised to 2,988,826,659 288,005,865. 658,316,121 1,659,763. Over 3.5 Billion Not believable but that is what was found. Google for Office of Government Machinery over spent budget by over 3 Billion Of Ghana Cedis 2017 1,560,926,672 167,6667,148. 636,756,265 814,597,779.38 2018 1,948,846,372. 121,725,525. 1,722,735,403 104,385,443 2019 Initial budget 1,990,743.783 Revised to 2,816,920,000. 140,800,00 3.3 Billion 55,490,000 3.5 Billion Part of it, alleged as spent on 307 Ambulance cars by Special Development Initiatives, spent on NABCO, Zongo Development Free High School Secretariats etc, Zongo Development etc 2020 3,422,300,250. 136,212,551. 3,212,899,773 87,158,779 3,422,300,250 OR 3.4 BILLION 2021 1,321,481,465.10 403,253,779. 711,880,425. 189,401,309 1,974,117,312.00 2022 2,627,722,680. Actual spent 153,714,151. Actual spent 213,015,879 Actual 82,858,133 1,974,178,332.00 2023 1,410,712,912 251,326,642 503,765,457 216,923,200 Yet to end

Like the President said at the beginning of his first four years, time was not at his side to achieve his ambition within the four years granted by the 1992 constitution, so he created additional say parallel Ministries or Agencies at the Presidency or Office of the President or OGM during his first four years. These were Ministry of National Security, Office of the Senior Minister, Ministry of Special Development and Initiative, Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development, Ministry of Regional Reorganization and Development Planning, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Business Development, Ministry of Monitory and valuation.

President Nana Addo also established a secretariat for NABCO, National Identification Authority, Free High School Secretariat, One District One Factory Secretariat, and COVID-19 Trust Fund Secretariat.

So, although unlike previous regime, the regime of President Nana Addo perhaps created some superfluous parallel institutions including a perceived unconstitutional Agency with troops which can bite as the Ministry of National Security. It is Unconstitutional because its a breach of Article 85 of the 1992 Constitution which stipulates No Agency or other Organization concerned with National Security shall be established except as provided for under this Constitution. Thus he justifies the need for the appointing of more Presidential Staffers or thus the budget for OGM. Strangely, as the study shows, he did or does it at a relatively lower cost than in the administration of ex-President Mahama especially in 2016 maybe because it was an election year. Please Google for Office of Government Machinery over spent budget by over 3 Billion of Ghana Cedis. If this is really true, then it is the highest over spent Budget or budget allocation made for OGM. It is possible that funds from COVID-19 were used by the administration of President Nana Addo and this made the details to look good. A study needed on this.
Angry Abaasa Technical Institute teachers in the Central Region have taken a swipe at some youth groups of the Enyan Abaasa community warning them to stop selling 'wee' otherwise known as marijuana to students of the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute.

Disciplinary Committee Chairman of Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute Mr David Edumadze addressing the chiefs and stakeholders in the community during a traditional council meeting, sounded the warning threatening action against unscrupulous offenders.

"Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute is doing well in the Central Region so help us do away with some of these problems," he urged.

The District Education Director of Ajumako Enyan Essiam, Mrs Sabina Aba Wilson, also appealed to parents to let their wards' education be of concern to them.

According to her, parents mostly refuse to meet their wards' basic needs all in the name of the Free Senior High School programme.

She said the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute is dear to her heart and is the reason she is appealing to the chiefs, stakeholders, non-Governamental (NGOs) and private individuals to support the institute for its development.

"Though the government is doing it's best to support the schools in the country, parents must also do their best by supporting the schools of their children," she noted.

She further noted that basic schools in the Enyan Abaasa Circuit are not performing to satisfaction but can do better if their needs are taken care of.

''Teachers in Enyan Abaasa Circuit are doing marvellously well but the parents should also support their wards to do their best," she said.

On his part, the Paramount Chief of Enyan Abaasa Traditional Council who also doubles as the Vice President for the Central Regional House of Chiefs, Osagyefo Kwamena Akonu, in an interview with Class 91.3 FM's Nana Tawiah bemoaned the state of the Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute.

According to the chief, it seems the government has neglected the school in terms of development.

He explained that Enyan Abaasa Technical Institute as at now does not have a board of governors to see to the affairs of the school.

"The school needs toilet facilities, dormitories, classroom blocks, school bus and other development that will help in the running of the school," he noted.

The chief went on to honour the Minority Leader of Parliament who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency, Dr Ato Forson, and the immediate past Managing Director of Agriculture Development Bank Dr John Kofi Mensah for the philanthropic work they have done in the Enyan Abaasa community, Ajumako Enyan Abaasa District and Ghana as well.

The chief also commended them for helping the youth in the district secure jobs

Source: Classfmonline.com
Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has said nothing untoward was done in the passage of the three revenue bills despite the absence of some Members of Parliament on Friday.

Honourable Members, I did not do anything untoward. I only followed the rules.

Members who are incapacitated shall upon reporting their incapacity to the Speaker through the Clerk be recorded. We have some of our members that are incapacitated and what I did was to ask the Whips to go and physically see them to assess their incapacitation and whether they are of sound mind, Mr Bagbin explained.

Members of Parliament (MPs) Mr Mohammed Hardi Tuferu, MP for Nanton Constituency and Mr Ebenezer Kojo Kum, MP for Ahanta West were unavailable during the head count that saw the approval of the three revenue Bills.

Mr Tuferu, also a Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture was reported to be involved in an accident on Friday while on his way to the House to participate in a vote on the financial bills under consideration

As a result, Mr Tuferu was driven to the house in an ambulance with Whips on both sides of the house directed by the Speaker to confirm the situation.

Parliament on Friday, March 31, 2023, by 137 votes to 136 passed the Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

The passage of the Bill followed a lengthy disagreement between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr Bagbin at the end of a headcount declared that yeas was 137 and the nays was 136.

Among the objects of the Bill is to amend the Excise Duty Act, 2014 (Act 878) to revise the excise tax rates for cigarettes and other tobacco products to conform with the ECOWAS Protocols and raise revenue to mitigate the harmful effects of these excisable products.

It also seeks to impose excise duty on sweetened beverages and electronic cigarettes, and electronic liquids to increase revenue.

The House also passed the Income Tax (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2022 which seeks to amend the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) to revise the rates of income tax for individuals and introduce an additional income tax bracket while the Growth and Sustainability Bill, 2022 to impose a special levy to be known as the Growth and Sustainability Levy to raise revenue for the growth and fiscal sustainability of the economy was also passed.

GNA
03.04.2023 LISTEN

The family of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu Constituency in the Ashanti Region has disclosed that together with government, it will be meeting today Monday, April 3, 2023 to decide on the date for the one-week observation for the passing of Mr Philip Basoah.

The one-week observation is in line with the culture of the chiefs and people of the Ashanti Region.

A sister of the late MP, Attaa Kyerewa Basoah, made this disclosure speaking in an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odehyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM today.

She said at the meeting, together with the government, it will decide on the appropriate dates for the preparations and one-week observation.

She denied rumours making the rounds on social media that the party has neglected his late brother.

She revealed that when the brother was taken to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital due to ill health, the Vice President, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, was one of the first persons to have visited him on his sick bed; followed by Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, former Minister of Trade and Industry.

She said the vice president made available his doctor for the care of her late brother.

She explained that the vice president was the first to have suggested for the brother to be flown abroad for further medical treatment.

She added that the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, together with the partys General Secretary have also visited the family in Kumawu.

The MP for Kumawu in the Ashanti Region, Philip Atta Basoah, passed away Tuesday morning, 28 March 2023, at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

He was 53.

The MP is reported to have passed out in his room.

He was rushed to the hospital unconscious and passed away while plans were underway to fly him out of Ghana for further care.

Source: Classfmonline.com
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Majority and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority have reached a consensus to inform the Electoral Commission (EC) to consider adding the guarantor system for the registration of new voters.

This was after the House debated and adopted the report of the Committee of the Whole on the Draft Public Elections (Registration of Voters), Regulations, 2023 and other related matters.

The Committee of the Whole, under the Chairmanship of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, held a meeting with the EC, the National Identification Authority (NIA), and the Ministry of Finance on the intention of the EC to introduce a revised Constitutional Instruments (CI), Public Election (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2023 and other related matters on electoral reforms as part of its preparation towards the 2024 General Election.

The meeting was at the instance of Parliament, as a follow-up on the recommendations of the Special Budget Committee after a pre-laying briefing by the EC on the proposed reforms as contained in a draft CI sought to be presented to the House by the EC.

The Special Budget Committee in its report, recommended to Parliament to hold a meeting with the EC and the NIA to advance discussions on the new CIand for the two institutions to give assurances to the House on the concerns identified during the briefing.

The report of the Committee of the Whole said: The Committee having thoroughly interrogated the issues and reforms being contemplated by the EC, would like to reiterate its support for any effort that would enable every Ghanaian to get Ghana Card because it is the law.

However, the Committee would like to stress that it would not accept and would reject any effort that is geared towards making the EC use the Ghana Card as the only medium to qualify a person who is eligible to vote in the 2024 elections.

It said this was premised on the fact that indeed, Ghana had come of age and could boast of a credible national identification card (Ghana Card) to transact business with.

It said, however, even in the face of several identification options given in the past, and even in the operation of the NIA, some citizens were unable to register for the national card due to the existence of serious challenges the Authority was confronted with.

It is clear that unless and until the challenges confronting the issuance of the Ghana Card are dealt with, using Ghana Card as the only medium of voter registration, would negatively impact on the electoral roll and thereby deny some otherwise qualified persons from registering to vote the report stated.

The Committee of the Whole was emphatic in its position that this was not the time to introduce and implement the Ghana Card as the only means of identification of citizens for purposes of voter registration.

It urged the EC to tarry slowly until every eligible voter was allowed to register and procure the Ghana Card before the legislation of such compulsion.

The report recommended to the EC that a person who applied for registration but could not provide as evidence of an identification card issued by the NIA because the person had not been registered by the Authority or the person had been registered by the NIA but had not been issued with the national identification card; that person shall be required by the Commission to produce a relative to provide evidence of identification on oath under the provisions of the Oath Act.

The Committee further urged the House to officially communicate to the EC of its decision for favourable consideration before the finalisation and presentation of the new CI to Parliament for passage into law.

The Speaker of Parliament lauded the Leadership of the House for the consensus they had attained on the recommendations to the EC.

Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the NDC Minority Leader, in his contribution to the debate for the adoption of the report, said the concerns of the Minority were about the intention of the EC to use the Ghana Card as the only source identification document for registration of new voters.

Mr Speaker, the other one relates to the guarantor system and the last one relates to the fact that the Electoral Commission intended to use only the district offices as the basis of continuous registration, he said.

Mr Speaker, I can confirm that our concerns have been addressed adequately in the Committee of the Wholes report.

He expressed gratitude to the Speaker for chairing the Committee of the Whole and then to the Majority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for leading them into a path of consensus.

Mr Speaker, today is a victory for democracy, it is a victory for the very survival of our democracy, he said.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu noted there had arisen a couple of issues concerning the decision of the EC to use the Ghana Card as the only source document for voter registration.

He said whereas the EC indicated that they had on their books closed 17 million Ghanaians who had been registered, the Ghana Statistical Service indicated that by 2024, the number of eligible Ghanaians who would qualify to vote would be in the region of 19 million; which meant there was a shortfall of about two million.

He said for the NIA had registered over six hundred thousand Ghanaians, who had been issued Ghana Cards but had not picked the cards at the various Centres, and that there were 500,000 people the Authority had registered but that Authority was not in a position to supply them with cards because of the lack of funds.

He said if the CI was passed by the House, the Commission was required to continue with the continuous voter registration, however, if people went before them, they were required to produce the Ghana Card; but through no fault of theirs, over 512,000 people who had been registered by the NIA and had not been issued with their cards, how were those people to identify themselves before the Electoral Commission?

The Majority Leader said this was the reason why they were appealing to the EC to tarry until the NIA was able to afford every eligible Ghanaian the right to register with the Authority to submit the same card to the EC to be registered as a voter.

GNA
As part of its mandate to build a stronger social enterprise ecosystem and increase impact, Social Enterprise Ghana (SE GHANA) with the support from Australian High Commission under the Direct Aid Program has supported 40 refugees and persons living with disabilities with start-up kits having received green entrepreneurship training.

The green entrepreneurship training was to enlighten the beneficiaries on mushroom and snail production as they commence their businesses. Aside from this, the participants were to receive six months of business development support, including training in business administration, financial literacy, and credit management.

In an interview with the media, the Executive Director of Social Enterprise Ghana, Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, said the project over the years has trained 150 women made up of persons living with disability and refugees to start their green businesses.

This, he said, is to ensure these women are economically empowered and have their businesses to generate income for themselves.

Mr. Zu-Cudjoe outlined the criteria for selection and added some challenges that may emerge from the unavailability to partner with organizations such as financial institutions that are into such projects, exposure to investment to many young women in the area of startups, and business advancement.

"We principally advertised any support that we have and it is open to interested individuals organizations and people, especially those that fall within our catchment area or targeted area... As a team, we work with our experts in the area of mushroom and snail training or production. Based on our criteria, we are looking at individuals below the age of 45, then invite them to our office for one-on-one interviews," he stated.

Among the beneficiaries were some refugees from the Bududuram camp, and persons living with disabilities from Accra, Winneba, and Mankessim in the Central region.

Though SE Ghana works across the country, the project target persons in Greater Accra Region and Central Region only.

Speaking at the event, Australia's Second Secretary, Candice Hooper said the project is one of 13 funded under the High Commission's Direct Aid Program(DAP) in Ghana this year.

The DAP is a small grants scheme that supports community-led development projects in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, mail, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Togo.

She added that, the Australian high commission is pleased to support this project, because it aligns strongly with the core objectives of the DAP, particularly gender equality and female empowerment, as well as disability inclusion and climate action.

"Globally, women make up 43 per cent of the agricultural labour force, yet around the world, including in Ghana, women face significant discrimination when it comes to land and livestock ownership, participation in decision making, and access to farm inputs credit and financial services.

"Of the 500 women who received training from SE Ghana's green entrepreneurship initiative less than 1 per cent were able to start their businesses due to financial constraints.

"It is therefore heartwarming to note that through this project, these women have received not only the relevant skills but also the equipment to start their business", she explained.

According to her, this is expected to create about 200 jobs for young people and vulnerable women along the value chains through these women-led green businesses.

Candice Hooper commended SE Ghana and its partners for the support of the project and the commitment to improving the livelihood of women.

She hailed the participants for their hard work and determination and wished them the very best in their businesses.
Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia joined the Konkomba fraternity in Saboba, in the Northern Region over the weekend for the 46th Annual Convention of the Konkomba Youth Association (KoYA)

In his address at the Annual Convention, the Vice President admonished the Konkomba Youth Association and all other youth groups to stay true to their objective to foster peace and development.

The Konkomba Youth Association, just like other progressive youth groups across the country, are strategic actors in the pursuit of peace and development, and I encourage all of such groups, not to deviate from their main objectives, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia shared.

While speaking on the theme: Youth Empowerment for Resilient Peace Building: A responsibility of Government, Traditional leaders and the role of KoYA," Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emphasised the significant roles the youth of this country has to play in nation-building.

He stressed that there is the need for continuous empowerment of the youth, through education, skills training, and employment opportunities, to enable them effectively contribute their quota.

Dr. Bawumia further indicated that government has been committed to youth empowerment through many interventions including free access to secondary education and TVET, various skills training programmes, expansion of tertiary education scholarships, and increased intake in public sector employment.
The natural environment has been so useful to this country in its lifetime. As our former name Gold Coast implies, we were known globally for our gold. The names of some of our towns and communities testify to this richness in natural resources. For instance, Kwaebibrem, which literally means in the dense forest depicts the nature of forests present in our Ghana. Other names such as Asuogyaman (state across the rivers) and Tongu (near the river) indicate the presence of useful waterbodies. Again, Tamale (Home of the Shea Nuts), Accra (Place of Ants), Bekwai (Oil Palm Forest), New Edubiase (New 'Under the Raphia Palm) and Jirapa (Reed Stream) all indicate the importance of the natural environment in our life as a people.

Arguably, Ghana is one of the most endowed countries in terms of natural resources. The following summarize some of the notable gifts from nature. The country (Ghana) is endowed with rich natural resources. Timber, gold, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, and oil contribute to making Ghana among the wealthier nations in West Africa.(USGS, 2023). Also, Currently, the leading African gold producing country and sixth in the world is Ghana, with the countrys gold production amounting to a total of 117.6 tons in 2021. (ECP, 2022). In 2022, Ghana was the second highest producer of cocoa in the world, second to only Ivory Coast (WPR, 2023).

Article 41, clauses (g) and (k) of the 1992 Constitution enjoin each of us to contribute to the well-being of the community where that citizen livesand to protect and safeguard the environment, respectively. In my laymans understanding, these clauses make it mandatory for us to protect our environment as citizens. It is our obligation to make good use of the environment and protect it from destruction. Yes, the government has the overall responsibility of implementing safe and protective environment-friendly policies. On the other hand, we the citizens have a collective responsibility to care for our environment, one neighbourhood at a time. Before the mandated state agencies like the Forestry Commission, Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Fisheries Commission, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation come down to the grassroots level for their impact to be completely felt in the country, the onus lies on us to individually do everything we can to augment their efforts towards the preservation of our environment.

Our mishandling of the environment has painfully yielded unfortunate phenomena like the apparent yearly and perennial floods that plague sections of the cities we take pride in. Though our forefathers had the insight to reserve riverbanks for rivers and valleys for non-residential purposes, ironically, we in the enlightened era have converted waterways into building and construction sites. In addition, we have succeeded in turning our gutters-properly designed waterways and drainage systems, into garbage dump sites. Sometimes, our love for the destruction of good things marvel me so much that I refuse to believe it. When our state provides waste bins for use on our streets, we carry our garbage from our houses and fill the public bins with it. Sometimes we even steal the bins.

Recently, in a webinar titled Flooding and its impact on water quality (reported by the Ghana News Agency on March 26, 2023), Madam Dorcas Adwoa Paintsil, the Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission stated that though the United Nations had entreated all member countries to ensure sustainable water and sanitation by the year 2030, research has found that Ghana is far from achieving the set target by 2030. On the same platform, Mr. Sylvester Darko, Senior Hydrologist at the Ghana Hydrological Authority revealed that, in recent times, floods in Ghana have become [a] perennial challenge in the major cities and communities located in low-lying areas. In addition, he stated that Ghana recorded [an] unprecedented flood event in November 2010, which affected 55 communities and displaced 700,000 people. Additionally, 3,234 houses were destroyed while 23,558 acres of farmlands were submerged. Moreover, on June 3, 2015, flood event led to over 150 deaths, massive destruction of property and economic losses.

Our bane in this country has been lawlessness and its accompanying love for disorderliness. Our attitude of carelessness and irresponsibility have caused tremendous loss to us in various ways which we fail to recognize. What happened to our strong traditional systems of discipline and moral uprightness? Though we study social studies, we tend to align and identify ourselves with the negative attitudes preached against, rather than imbibing the positive and useful values taught.

In the year 2073, when we will be 116 years old as a country, how will our environment be like? The custodians of our land, the fundamental unit of the natural environment, are creating massive unemployment in the hinterlands, by selling out all agricultural lands for building and construction purposes. Are there no regulations to check the rampant and indiscriminate conversion of agricultural lands to residential lands in the name of urbanization, to the detriment of our environment and livelihood of farmers? What concrete actions have we taken to curb the menace of galamsey which is gradually stealing our cocoa from us? How about the families who are losing their source of livelihood to chiefs without any proper compensation? What future do we want these people and their generations to experience?

I am not against urbanization in any way. However, I believe there could be better planning and proper implementation of existing environmental laws. Instead of always playing the ostrich, we could be more proactive and devise alternative strategies for the protection of our environment. Will it be out of place to get legislation to regulate the utilization of land in our country? We can not convert all our lands into residential lands. Though I do acknowledge my knowledge deficit in the areas of land economy and estate management, will it not be possible to advocate for high rise buildings around the country to economize space? in spite of the fact that we have an open market, could there not be legislation to ensure equity in land utilization rather than the existing buy-all-your-money-can-afford strategy which tends to favour the well to do classes, to the detriment of low-income earners? Can we not reserve green areas in cities and developed areas and make sure they remain green areas?

In the face of rising food insecurity levels around the globe, we at this side of the equator are gradually losing the gains we have made in food production due to reckless handling of some of our agricultural lands. Portions of our lands have lost their fertility and their biological resources. Over usage and wrongful use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture have caused loss of both useful plants and animals.

Taking care of the environment is an arduous task which calls for our collective efforts to save our environment and its resources. The simplest place to start from is to engage in tree planting at the personal level, where possible. This will help purify the air and restore biological resources such as many species of insects, worms and others that play good ecological roles. Also, we could ensure that we keep our immediate surroundings clean at all times, dispose of garbage properly, observe construction-related environmental laws and refuse to engage in destructive activities like bush burning, illegal mining and open-air defecation. Let us be intentional about greening our environment because green promotes good health and reduces stress. We will only gain by helping to restore our environment to its original or near-original state. This is a call for action. Let us start preserving our environment and its associated natural resources today for a better tomorrow.

References

https://energycapitalpower.com/biggest-gold-producing-countries-in-africa/

https://gna.org.gh/2023/03/putting-structures-on-riverbeds-and-waterways-must-cease-executive-secretary/

https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/toponyms/regions

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/cocoa-producing-countries
A large crowd gathered in front of the Judicial Service Department, where a Tamale high court is hearing a criminal case against the Savelugu Member of Parliament (MP), Jacob Iddriss for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.

Last Friday, the court issued a bench warrant for the Member of Parliament, who is also the second accused, for failing to appear in court on two occasions.

Today in court, however, the counsel for the second accused requested that the bench warrant be revoked, arguing that his client has been consistent in attending the hearings and that his absence on those few occasions was not intentional.

He added that, the accused is interested in the case and is always willing to collaborate with the court to see it through to the end of the case.

But responding to the counsel, Judge Justice Richard Kogyapwah stated that the defendants explanation for his absence was insufficient.

He did, however, grant the counsels request, noting that the warrant had not been executed.

Haruna Iddrisu, Member of Parliament for Tamale South and one of the defense counsels has been speaking to the media since the court granted their request.

We are here to solidarize with our colleague MP. For good reasons, the judge exercised lawful discretion and justification that he was not convinced of his absence in court on 31st March and accordingly issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Today, counsel for the defendant prayed that that decision for a bench warrant is rescinded, and accordingly it has been granted. 

Background

On December 9, 2020, police in the Northern Region raided the Savelugu NDC party office in response to gunshots that killed one person in the constituency.

During the search, police discovered an AK-47 rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition in the partys office, which are suspected of being used to commit a crime.
Majority in Parliament has hit out at the Minority caucus in Parliament describing their opposition to new tax bills as hypocritical.

According to the First Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu, the Minority group agreed to the new taxes during committee meetings before the sudden change of mind.

The majority of Ghanaians had called on Parliament to reject the bills, but Parliament managed to get all their members in the House to pass the bills on Friday.

The Minority in Parliament has rejected criticisms that they failed to mount a spirited fight to gather opposition for the rejection of the bills.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Habib Iddrisu said the position of the Minority is not founded on principle.

What our colleagues on the Minority side exhibited on Friday is hypocrisy to the highest order. Because, if you look at the report that came from the Finance Committee, it was agreed. At the committee level, it was agreed upon in consensus.

We all agreed that the revenue bills must be passed only for them to take a different decision when we resumed to Parliament.

Parliament on Friday, March 31, passed the Excise Duty Amendment Bill 2022, the Growth and Sustainability Levy Bill, 2022, the Ghana Revenue Authority Bill 2022 and the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2022.

The financial bills seek to raise about 4 billion Ghana Cedis annually as part of domestic revenue mobilisation.

The bills are also crucial to aid the government's quest to facilitate the Board Approval for the $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme staff-level agreement.

The Minority in Parliament earlier communicated its opposition to the bills, but the bills were passed despite an MP from the majority suffering a near-fatal accident on his way to the House.

By Citi Newsroom
The Head of the broadcasting body in the DR Congo, Christian Bosembe, was attacked in Paris while on a tour to meet with European media and francophone institutions.The Congolese authorities want the perpetrators caught.

Christian Bosembe, president of the audiovisual authority in the DRC (CSAC), was attacked in Paris on Saturday night, 1 April, by members of the Congolese diaspora.

Speaking to RFI on Monday, Bosembe denounced an "attempted kidnapping and assassination" and said he was waiting for French justice to do its job.

The attack was filmed by the attackers, the perpetrators are known. They must be arrested and prosecuted," he added.

Verbal attack

He said he was returning with his adviser to his hotel in Argenteuil, a town located about ten kilometers north-west of Paris when he was attacked in the parking lot of the establishment by several men, who first shouted at him in the Congelese language of Lingala.

The people who beat him up described themselves to him as fighters (combattants), a term that refers to violent militants, opposed to the current Congolese government.

During the assault, they insulted him and called him a collabo, the name frequently used for those working with the Congolese regime.

A video recording of the attacks has gone viral on social media and shows Christian Bosembe fighting back. Most of those involved in the attack appear to be Congolese.

Bosembe has been on an official visit of Schengen countries since Friday, 31 March, which started in Paris.

The visit aims to reinforce the relations between the Congolese CSAC with broadcasting bodies and the French-speaking community representative bodies including Canal +, Radio France Internationale (RFI), France 24, and l'Organisation internationale de la francophonie.

Demand for 'clarifications'

In the DRC, the news has been met with dismay and anger.

On Sunday, the CSAC met and issued a statement calling on the French authorities for clarifications about the incident.

Serge Ndjibu, of the CSAC, denounced an attempted murder and called for investigation.

Speaking to RFI's correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa, Ndjibu said:

"That a president of an institution supporting democracy was brutally and cowardly attacked, without any intervention, while President Christian Bosembe is on an official mission, in consultation with the French authorities, is shocking.

It was an attempted murder on an official of the DRC [...]

The CSAC demands clarifications from the French was well as the arrest, judgement and condemnation of the perpetrators of these crimes.

The attack was also condemned by the Congolese Minister of Communication, Patrick Muyaya, who said the DRC authorities would work with France to get justice.
During the 16th congress of Rwanda's ruling party, the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), President Paul Kagame was re-elected as chairman with an overwhelming majority.

Kagame received 2,999 votes, representing 99.8 percent of the total votes cast, while his closest rival, Abdulkarim Harelimana, got only three votes or 0.2 percent. The outcome of the election pleased supporters of the party.

Kagame, who has been the head of the political party since 1998 will now lead the RPF for another five years.

The congress, which took place in Kigali, was held on the 35th anniversary of the ruling party since the end of the 1994 genocide.

Around 2,000 supporters were present to vote. Olivier Mugabonake, another member of the RPF, expressed his satisfaction with the election results, particularly with Kagame's re-election with a large majority.

Alice Urusaro Karekezi, a member of the RPF, even expressed her desire for Kagame to run for president again.

Kagame became president in April 2000, although the former rebel chief has been regarded as de facto leader since the end of the genocide.

He was returned to office -- with more than 90 percent of the vote -- in elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017.

His most recent victory followed controversial constitutional amendments that allowed him to serve a third term and could see him rule until 2034.

Constitutional changes

On the 23 March, Rwanda's cabinet approved Kagame's proposal to amend the constitution to synchronise the dates for parliamentary and presidential elections.

The polls are now expected to take place in August next year, the date originally set for the presidential election, effectively delaying the parliamentary ballot that had been scheduled for September 2023.

The move still needs parliamentary approval.

While Rwanda lays claim to being one of the most stable countries in Africa, rights groups accuse Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech.

(Agencies)
Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan recently paid a state visit to South Africa aimed at strengthening bilateral political and trade relations. As the South African presidency noted , ties between the two nations date back to Tanzania's solidarity with the anti-apartheid struggle.

This history is an important reminder of the anti-colonial and pan-African bonds underpinning international solidarity with southern African liberation struggles. It's also a reminder of the sacrifices many African countries made to realise continental freedom.

Tanganyika , as Tanzania was known before independence in 1961, was the first safe post for South Africans fleeing in the aftermath of the Sharpeville massacre on 21 March 1960, when apartheid police shot dead 69 peaceful protesters. The apartheid regime banned liberation movements shortly thereafter.

Among those who left South Africa to rally international support for the liberation struggle were then African National Congress deputy president Oliver Reginald Tambo , Communist Party and Indian Congress leader Yusuf Mohammed Dadoo , and the Pan Africanist Congress's Nana Mahomo and Peter Molotsi .

Not many people will know that on 26 June 1959 Julius Nyerere , the future president of Tanzania, was among the speakers at a meeting in London where the first boycott of South African goods in Britain was launched. Out of this campaign, the British Anti-Apartheid Movement was born a year later. It spearheaded the international solidarity movement in western countries over the next three decades.

Liberation struggle bonds

Tanzania's support for South Africa's liberation struggle needs to be understood as part of its broader opposition to colonialism, and commitment to the achievement of independence in the entire African continent. In 1958, Nyerere helped establish the Pan African Freedom Movement of Eastern and Central Africa to coordinate activities in this regard. This was extended to the Pan African Freedom Movement of Eastern and Central and Southern Africa at a conference in Addis Ababa in 1962. Nelson Mandela addressed the conference with the aim of arranging support for the armed struggle in South Africa. These efforts eventually led to the creation of the Organisation for African Unity (OAU) in 1963 .

In February 1961, James Hadebe for the ANC and Gaur Radebe for the PAC opened an office in Dar es Salaam representing the South African United Front . It was the first external structure set up by the two liberation movements. Their unity was short-lived. But, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's capital, grew into a centre of anti-colonial activity after independence from Britain in December 1961. The late Julius Nyerere was a staunch supporter of the movement for Africa's independence. William F. Campbell/Getty Images)

At independence, Tanzania faced a shortage of nurses as British nurses left in droves rather than work for an African government. On President Nyerere's request, Tambo arranged the underground recruitment of 20 South African nurses (the 20 Nightingales) to work in Tanzanian hospitals . The remains of one of them, Kholeka Tunyiswa, who died on 5 March 2023 in Dar es Salaam, were repatriated to South Africa for reburial in her home city of Gqeberha , Eastern Cape.

In the early 1960s, Tanzania was the southernmost independent African country from which armed operations could be carried out into unliberated territories in southern Africa. Its capital was chosen as the operational base of the OAU's Liberation Committee . The committee provided financial and material assistance to liberation movements. Its archives remain in Tanzania.

In 1963, the ANC officially established its Tanzania mission, with headquarters in Dar es Salaam. A military camp for guerrillas of its armed wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) , who had returned from training in other African and socialist countries, was opened in Kongwa. The Tanzanian government donated the land.

Also stationed there were the armies of other southern African liberation movements  ZAPU , Frelimo , SWAPO and the MPLA .

In 1964, the PAC also moved its external headquarters to Dar es Salaam after it was pushed out of Lesotho. It established military camps near Mbeya and later in Mgagao, and a settlement in Ruvu. Both the PAC and the ANC held important conferences in Tanzania, in Moshi in 1967 and in Morogoro in 1969, respectively. These led to internal reorganisation and new strategic positions .

Hitches in the relationship

In spite of Tanzania's support for the liberation movements, their relationship was not without its contradictions or moments of ambivalence.

In 1965, for example, the ANC had to move its headquarters from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, a small upcountry town far from international connections. The Tanzanian government had decided that only four members of each liberation movement would be allowed to maintain an office in the capital. This reflected Tanzania's anxiety over the growing numbers of revolutionaries and trained guerrillas it hosted.

In 1969 Tanzania, Zambia and 12 other African countries issued the Lusaka manifesto , which was also adopted by the OAU. It expressed preference for a peaceful solution to the conflict in South Africa over armed struggle. There were also rumours of ANC involvement in an attempted coup against Nyerere . In this climate, the ANC had to evacuate its entire army to the Soviet Union. Its soldiers were allowed back in the country a couple of years later.

Lived spaces of solidarity

In the 1970s, ANC headquarters moved to Lusaka, in Zambia, and uMkhonto we Sizwe operations moved to newly independent Angola and Mozambique. But Tanzania remained a significant place of settlement for South African exiles.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, additional land donations from the Tanzanian government enabled the ANC to open a school and a vocational centre near Morogoro. The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College in Mazimbu and the Dakawa Development Centre were set up to address the outflow of young people from South Africa following the June 1976 Soweto uprising . Its other aim was to counter the effects of Bantu education , a segregated and inferior education system for black South Africans.

These became unique spaces of lived solidarity between the ANC and its international supporters. They accommodated up to 5,000 South Africans. Some of them died before they could see a liberated South Africa. Their graves are in Mazimbu. Besides educational facilities, the camps included an hospital, a productive farm, workshops and factories. They were all developed with donor funding.

Tanzanians, too, contributed to these projects through their labour. Many Tanzanian women became entangled in South Africa's liberation struggle through intimate relationships, marriage and children . Thanks to these everyday social interactions, Tanzania became home for many South African exiles. The ANC handed over the facilities at Somafco and Dakawa to the Tanzanian government on the eve of the first democratic elections in 1994. But these personal and affective connections live on.

Arianna Lissoni does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

By Arianna Lissoni, Researcher at History Workshop, University of the Witwatersrand
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Koku Anyidoho claimed that a certain social media user who insulted him was struck with a strange illness.

Anyidoho, who is frequently trolled on Twitter said he forgave the man after his mother pleaded for his mercy.

The seemingly controversial politician disclosed that the woman whose son insulted him called, sobbing and begging for forgiveness so her son could recover from the strange illness.

He noted that the boy has admitted to consistently mocking and insulting him on social media.

Anyidoho claimed he pardoned the man due to his belief in God's will and mercy.

He made the revelation on Twitter on Monday, April 3, Got a call this morning from a sobbing woman who said I shd forgive her son. I asked what for? She said her son fell very sick & when they made enquiries, the son confessed that he has been insulting me on social media & he had to beg before he heals. I forgave him bcos of God.

The revelation of mysterious illness befalling an ardent social media critic has therefore sparked mixed reactions, with more questioning the veracity of the story.
The Catholic Bishop of Konongo-Mampong, Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, has chided President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over what he claims is the first gentlemans inconsistent remarks on LGBTQI+ issues.

He rebuked the President in an open letter. Most. Rev. Osei-Bonsu chronicled the presidents comments starting with his 2017 Aljazeera interview where he indicated that the President said there was no sufficiently strong coalition to cause a change in Ghanas laws regarding LGBTQI issues.

He said the president should have pointed out to the journalist that homosexuality indeed remains a criminal offence in Ghana, making reference to Section 104 of the Ghanaian Criminal Code of 1960 which criminalises consensual same-sex sexual acts between persons of the same gender.

Most. Rev. Osei-Bonsu also scolded the president for his recent comments on the topic during the visit of the American Vice President, Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris pressed on Ghana to respect the rights of homosexuals to which President Akufo-Addo said his government has intervened and modified the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021 bill.

Most. Rev. Osei-Bonsu wrote that the president must be able to point out to those pushing for the recognition of gay rights that the rights of homosexuals as persons do not include the right of a man to marry a man or of a woman to marry a woman. We need to stress that LGBTQ+ activities are not part of what is described as fundamental human rights and cannot be included in the list of human rights.

-citinewsroom
Indiana Jones will be cracking his whip at the Cannes Film Festival in May, organisers confirmed on Monday, with Harrison Ford launching the world premiere of the fifth installment of the famed adventures. The 80 year-old actor will also receive an honorary award for his career.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is set for a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival on 18 May. It will be released in theatres on 28 June in France and 30 June in the United States.

Accompanied by music of John Williams, director James Mangold and Harrison Ford will climb the steps of the Palais des Festivals on alongside fellow stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen.

Ford has said it will be his last appearance as the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing archaeologist, who became one of Hollywood's most iconic characters after the movie's first installment, "Raiders of the Lost Ark", in 1981.

The fourth episode, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", also premiered at Cannes in 2008.

Forever young

The new film, said to be set during the 1960s space race, includes a flashback section in which the 80-year-old actor has been digitally de-aged.

Ford has played some of the most iconic roles of the last 50 years including Han Solo for George Lucas in "Star Wars" IV, V, and VI, and Rick Deckard in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" (1982) and Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" (2017).

Cannes Film Festival organisers have also announced they are to give an honorary award to Ford for his career in cinema.

"Indiana Jones 5" is the first in the series not to have been directed by Steven Spielberg. He still serves as executive producer but has passed the reins to James Mangold.

"In 1995, I was honoured to come to Cannes with my first film 'Heavy' as part of the Director's Fortnight. Twenty-eight years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle," Mangold said in a statement.

Mangold has had a steady run of Hollywood successes, including "Logan" (2017), "Ford v Ferrari" (2019) and Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" (2005).

This year's festival runs from 16 to 27 May, and the full line-up will be announced in the next couple of weeks.

The latest film from Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, "Killers of the Flower Moon", is already confirmed to get its world premiere at the festival on 20 May.
Kwame Ato Asare Ani, the ringleader of the Axim illegal mining group captured in a viral video in confrontation with some police officers of the Axim Division in the Western Region has blew the cover of the alleged illegal activities of the police.

Kwame Asare has been singing like canary bird exposing how the police have been using him to perpetrate illegality by aiding illegal mining activities in the area.

Speaking from his hideout on United Television (UTV), Kwame Asare gave details on the circumstances which led to the standoff with some police officers in a bush.

He denied ever attacking the police neither is he an armed robber as alleged by the Ghana Police Service.

The galamsey ringleader speaking via telephone indicated he is rather an informant and liaison to the police in Axim.

According to him, he has been working with the police as an informant and a liaison between the police and some illegal miners in the area for a period of over a year.

He stated that aside collecting money from illegal miners on behalf of the police, he and his gang has also been providing security and fighting criminals in the area with the support and approval of the police as the police has provided him with a gun to protect himself.

Touching on the circumstances leading to his fallout with the police as seen in the video in circulation, Kwame Asare explained that he received calls from the police in Axim about illegal mining activities in the area and the need for him to ensure they pay before they start.

He said the illegal miners made payment of an amount GHC100,000.00 but failed to deliver the money to the police after he felt being cheated by the police in previous deals.

The people in the town I live, all know that I work with the police. Police officers troop to my house at least five times in a day just to come and receive monies. Sometimes they don't leave if they don't see me. When I am even not around they wait for me. I give them money all the time.

The actual reason the police are after me is that they sent me to collect one billion (GH100,000) from a site at Kwakukrom but I refused to hand over the money to them. That is the reason why they are angry with me.

I didn't give the money because I felt cheated after working with them all this while. They were only giving me small sums of thousand or two thousand every time. Can you imagine that one day I collected GHC30,000 from a site and sent it to the police and they gave me and my team only GHC2,000 to share. This provoked me that is why I also decided not to give them the GHC100,000.

It is because of the one billion I took and failed to give to them that they are accusing me of being a robber. But I am not an armed robber, nobody can prove that I have ever robbed their site. Sarfo (Axim Police Commander) told me to bring the one billion before they will release my car and other machines which they have seized, he said.

This comes after DGN Online reported on Sunday, April 2, 2023, about a viral video in which some civilians were seen accosting a police officer and accusing the officer of attempting to arrest them after they had given them money.

In the said video, the leader of the gang is heard shouting at a group of police officers saying You asked me to show you something and I showed it to you. Now I ask you to drop me from the car and you insist that you are sending me away. Where were you sending me to? You came to demand money at the site and we gave you everything. After that, I asked you to drop me from the car and yet you insisted on sending me. So, if I had not asked someone to block the road with a motorbike you would have sent me away, the gang leader is heard furiously confronting a member of a group of police officers with a patrol car in what looked like a forest.

As the confrontation raged on, the leader of the gang is heard shouting various commands at his group while the police officers bent on their knees pleading.

Kwame we beg you, one of the officers states as he held on to his rifle from being taken away from him by the gang leader.

As a result, the Ghana Police Service later Sunday released a statement which said it arrested some four men on March 28 after the Axim Divisional Police Patrol Team reported an attack on them by a gang.

According to the police, it also conducted a search at the residence of Kwame Asare where some weapons and other items were retrieved.

On March 9, this year, the Axim Divisional Police patrol team reported an attack on the team by a gang that seized the magazine of a Service rifle together with some mobile phones belonging to the Police officers.

An intelligence operation was immediately launched after the report to get the suspects arrested.

On March 28, 2023, after about three weeks of the intelligence operation, four men, Kojo Siah alias Mozey; Emmanuel Mensah alias Kofi Asamoah, Maxwell Cudjoe and Agyabu Haruna Dissawu were arrested for their suspected involvement in the attack.

A search conducted at the residence of Kwame Ato Asare Ani, the prime suspect, who is still on the run, led to the retrieval of three pump-action shotguns.

Also, one pump-action shotgun, machetes and eight BB refilled cartridges were retrieved from the suspect's unregistered Honda CRV vehicle. Other items retrieved from the suspects include two live refilled BB cartridges and one unregistered motorbike, the police statement said.

The statement continued that the police became aware of the video showing the confrontation between some police officers and the arrested gang in which the police were pleading with the gang members over an extortion allegation.

According to the statement, the allegation of extortion has since been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for investigation.

However, the statement issued by the police appears not supporting the story in the video as a section of the public have accused the police of attempting to cover-up on the fact of the matter instead of interdicting the officers in the video.

-DGN online
Sam Pee Yalley

03.04.2023 LISTEN

Former Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), Sam Pee Yalley has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using deceptive means to win power.

According to him, the NPP promised to move away from taxation to production but it was all a lie.

Speaking to TV3, he said the lies is why government is now introducing more taxes even though Ghanaians are going through hardships in the midst of the economic crisis.

We [NDC] have been very loud about their deception. If you deceive Ghanaians that you are going to run an economy from taxation to production and then we are not seeing the production, it is more and more taxes and we celebrate that we have imposed more taxes on Ghanaians, Sam Pee Yalley shared.

He argued that the ruling NPP government must be made aware that it was put in place to resolve problems not to compound problems.

These views have been shared by the former Acting Chief Executive Officer of the NPRA following the passage of three new revenue bills.

The Bills were passed by Parliament last Friday by a majority 137-136 decision.
The Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Mr. Sammi Awuku has indicated that his outfit remains determined to sanitise the lottery industry.

At a press briefing in Accra on Monday, April 3, he stressed that the NLA is going to be more aggressive towards clamping down on illegal lotto operators this year.

According to him, the NLA will do this by partnering all stakeholders including security agencies.

He said since his appointment as the Director-General of the NLA, he has continued the process of licensing Private Lotto Operators annually started by his predecessor.

Mr. Sammi Awuku explained that the efforts of his administration are to sanitise the lottery space and generate revenue for national development.

To register, operators who want to operate under the framework of the National Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722) pay a sum of one million, five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 1,500,000.00), while those who operate under the Veterans Administration Ghana Act, 2012 (Act 844) pay a sum of Five Hundred Thousand cedis.

In an advise to Ghanaians, Sammi Awuku said it is important that people desist from staking with unlicensed operators.

He argued that staking with licensed operators is not only safe but it helps to raise revenue for the government to develop the country.

If you play with an unlicensed operator you are not doing yourself any good. Go with the NLA or any of our accredited operators to be safe, the NLA Director-General intimated.

At the press briefing, Sammi Awuku indicated that he is confident that the NLA will continue to enjoy more successes.

Meanwhile, the NLA Director-General says the authority expects New Draw Machines purchased according to the World Lottery Authority Standards by the end of April to phase out over 25-year-old Draw Machines.

In addition, the NLA is expected to launch its multiple draws by the first week of May.
A girl believed to be five-year-old has been found dead at Kronum-Abuohia in the Suame Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

The deceased, yet to be identified, was found in a drain at an area known as Adonko factory on Monday April 3,2023.

Speaking to this reporter, the Assembly Member for Kyerease-Abuohia Electoral Area, Hon Elvis Nyantakyi said they suspect the body has been lying there for three days.

"When i arrived the scene, i saw the body was decaying proven it has been therefore more than two days.

"I suspect the little girl was dragged by the heavy rains the previous days killing her in the process," he staged.

Hon Nyantakyi said personnel from the Ghana Police Service arrived at the scene and conveyed the body to the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Morgue.

He called on the public particularly those living around Atimatim, Kronum Cementmu, Bronkum Newsite and other adjoining communities who had their daughter missing to visit the hospital for identification.
The Chief of Ejura Traditional Area, Barimah Osei Hwedie II, has donated some items worth hundreds of cedis to the Muslim communities within his jurisdiction.

The items, which include ten bags of sugar and ten bags of rice were presented to the leadership of the Muslim communities on Friday March 31, 2023.

The gesture according to the chief is part of efforts by of the Ejura Traditional Council to aid in the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.

The items was presented on behalf of Barima Osei Hwedie II by the chief Linguist of Ejura, Nana Owusu Aduomi and Ejura Aboafoourhene, Nana Yaw Appaiah Kontor.

In an interview with this reporter after the presentation, Nana Owusu Aduomi, speaking for Ejurahene Barima Osei Hwedie II, said the donation was one of many ways in which the traditional council will be doing to supporting the community. He pledges that the chiefs will continue to support and assist all Muslim communities under the able leadership of Barima Osei Hwedie II.

He appealed to the Muslim communities to work together with Ejura Traditional Council for accelerated development.

"I spoke to Ejurahene Barima Osei Hwedie II, who happens to be one of prolific chiefs to ever laed us, and he asked me to urged the Muslim communities to pray for unity, love, and peace for the country.

"All Barimah Osei Hwedie II wants is for Ejura residents to unite for a common goal, which is peace and development, that's why we are appealing to all to use this special event on the Muslim calendar to engage in activities that will further deepened the love we share already," he stated.

The Public Relations Officer for Ejura Zongo Chiefs, Alhaji Iddi Abdul Kadir, who received the items expressed the gratitude of the Muslims to the chiefs and asked for Allahs blessings for them.

We are grateful for this gesture, and we believe it will go a long way to help in this period. We thank you , and we will seek on Allah to bless you for this, he said.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is observed with fasting and prayer by all Muslim faithful around the world to commemorate Prophet Mohammed first receiving the Holy Quran.

Muslims in Ghana on March 23,2023 started fasting in observance of Ramadan.

This comes after the Chief Imam proclaimed Thursday, March 23, 2023, to be the commencement of Ramadan.

The announcement was made by the Chief Imams spokesperson, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu on Wednesday evening.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established with the goal of ensuring that individuals who commit heinous crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity are held accountable for their actions. However, the ICC's record of issuing arrest warrants has been marred by allegations of double standards, particularly when it comes to leaders from the West who have engaged in war crimes.

One example of this double standard is the recent controversy surrounding the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The warrant was issued in connection with allegations of war crimes that Russia committed Ukraine, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

While the allegations against Putin are serious, many have pointed out that the ICC has been much less willing to take action against Western leaders who have engaged in similar acts. For example, the ICC has yet to take any action against former US President George W. Bush and former UK PM Tony Blair, despite evidence that both administration engaged in torture and other war crimes during the Iraq invasion.

Similarly, the ICC has been criticized for its failure to take action against Israeli leaders who have been accused of war crimes in the ongoing conflict with Palestine. Despite numerous allegations of human rights abuses and war crimes, the ICC has yet to issue any arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, leading many to accuse the court of bias.

This double standard has led to accusations that the ICC is more concerned with politics than justice. Critics argue that the court is more likely to take action against leaders from countries that are perceived as adversaries of the West, while turning a blind eye to similar actions by Western leaders.

Furthermore, the ICC's selective enforcement of international law undermines the court's legitimacy and credibility, leading many to question whether the court is truly impartial and independent. This could ultimately make it more difficult for the ICC to achieve its goal of promoting accountability for international crimes.

In conclusion, the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin while ignoring similar allegations against Western leaders highlights the court's double standards when it comes to enforcing international law. This selective enforcement undermines the court's credibility and legitimacy, and could ultimately make it more difficult for the ICC to achieve its goal of holding individuals accountable for international crimes.
Dr Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo, both of whom are standing criminal trial in the GHS217-million financial loss case, have insisted in court that the new judge assigned to the matter by the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, start the five-year-old case de novo (afresh).

The prosecutors, on the other hand, are against that proposal, insisting it would constitute substantial injustice to the State.

Appearing before High Court judge Kwasi Anokye Gyimah at Land Court 2 on Thursday, 30 March 2023, for the first time after Supreme Court judge Clemence Honyenuga, who had been sitting on the matter since its inception, retired in September 2022 and  despite a six-month extension of his mandate by the chief justice, in accordance with the Constitution  could still not finish the case, Chief State Attorney Evelyn Keelson put up a spirited argument against restarting the case from the scratch.

She prayed the judge to adopt the proceedings inherited from Justice Honyenuga.

Under Justice Honyenugas mandate, the prosecution closed its case after calling seven witnesses.

The first accused person, Dr Opuni, also called seven witnesses.

The chief state attorney, thus, said starting the matter all over again when it has gone to the Supreme Court several times for different rulings and interpretations of the law, would amount to a miscarriage of justice.

It will rather cause injustice to the Republic if the case is started fresh, the chief state attorney said, insisting: Starting this case de novo will benefit the accused [in] delaying the case.

In her opinion, starting the case anew would make nonsense of the previous courts ruling on the accused persons no case submission, which was subsequently upheld.

Allowing the case to start de novo will occasion substantial miscarriage of justice, Mrs Keelson noted.

There will be no injustice at all in allowing the proceedings to continue, she pushed.

A similar argument was made in 2021 by Attorney General Godfred Dame after the Supreme Court removed Justice Honyenuga from the case upon a motion filed by the accused persons who accused the now-retired justice of bias.

In his affidavit against the removal of Justice Honyenuga, Mr Dame argued that if a trial, de novo, of the respondent herein results from the decision of this Court dated 28 July 2021, same will occasion substantial miscarriage of justice as the constitutional requirements of fair and expeditious trial will not only be violated but also, the prosecution will be put to enormous expense, inconvenience and hardship in commencing a new trial.

However, the lead counsel for Dr Opuni, Mr Samuel Codjoe, counter-argued against the chief state attorneys views, indicating that the rules of criminal trials are clear and have not changed.

Mr Codjoe told the court that unlike in civil matters where two parties appear before the court where the practice allows the judge to determine on adoptions of proceedings, the practice is totally different with criminal cases.

Referring to some laws of precedence from the Supreme Court, Mr Codjoe made specific reference to an unreported case in which Justice Jones Dotse maintained that until reforms are made, the rules cannot be changed, and that such trials would have to start afresh.

Writing the decision of the Supreme Court in a ruling on January 24, 2023, Justice Dotse noted: The Supreme Court did not mention its application to the criminal cases. There is also no specific legal provision on whether part heard trials must start de novo or be adopted by the new Judge. The practice for now is that, in criminal trials, the practice is to start trials de novo.

Perhaps the time has come for this problem to be reviewed, This is because, if as a country we are to make some progress in the prosecution of criminal cases, especially corruption related cases pursuant to the Article 19 provisions of the Constitution 1992, then the bold step has to be taken to introduce sweeping reforms in this part of our criminal justice. We therefore appeal to the Chief Justice to urgently consider reforms in this part of our criminal justice.

He said adopting previous proceedings of another court would be unfair to the accused persons.

Mr Codjoe averred that in criminal cases, the rights of the individual are rather key considerations and wondered if the State, upon all its machinery suffers, how much more the accused?

We are saying that if you consider the essence of criminal trial and the judicial rule, the case has to start de novo, (afresh), he asserted.

While pointing to 129(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all other courts, he said the trial should start afresh.

We pray that the trial start de novo and what the prosecution failed to add was that though we (first accused) have called 7 witnesses, we have more to call for the first accused.

To him, adopting the previous proceedings would be unfair to the accused but also against established practice.

Meanwhile Mr Benson Nutsukpi, counsel for Mr. Agongo and Agricult Ghana Limited (Second and third accused persons), also opposed the prosecutions prayer saying what transpired in the previous court did not reflect the true situation

He said, for instance, Justice Honyenuga, without reference to us, expunged from records during the ruling on submission of no case, documents discovered by the prosecution and served on the accused persons and same tendered in evidence without any objection from the prosecution.

We are totally opposed and we will use our applications (filed on records) to show that what happened before the previous court is not a true reflection of what transpired in the court and we will challenge that, Mr Nutsukpui contended.

Mr Nutsukpui further said the established practice, for now, is to start the trial afresh since the recommendations that the rules should be reviewed and reforms carried by the Chief Justice have not been done yet.

This court should start the case de novo, he insisted.

After listening to both sides, Justice Anokye Gyimah said: I will adjourn to April 4 to enable the court interrogate some of the issues raised.

He urged the parties to submit the references and authorities they have alluded to in their submissions to assist the court to give a direction.

Source: ClassFMonline.com
Ethiopian authorities should immediately release journalists Getenet Ahagre and Aragaw Sisay, and stop detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

On the morning of March 26, federal police officers in Addis Ababa arrested Aragaw, founder and chief editor of the privately owned YouTube-based news outlet Roha News, according to his lawyer Addisu Alagaw and his wife Hiwot Mena, both of whom spoke to CPJ by phone.

That evening, federal police also arrested Getenet, chief editor of the YouTube-based broadcaster The Voice of Amhara, from his home in the capital, according to news reports, Addisu, who is also representing Getenet, and the journalists sister Embet Tadesse, who spoke to CPJ by phone.

Both journalists appeared before the Arada Federal First Instance Court in Addis Ababa on March 28, where police accused them of incitement to violence on social media, according to a court document reviewed by CPJ. Authorities did not identify any specific content prompting that allegation.

The court granted police 13 more days to hold the journalists; they are due in court on April 10, Addisu told CPJ.

Ethiopian journalists Getenet Ashagre and Aragaw Sisay should be released at once and authorities should ensure they do not face further harassment in connection to their work, said CPJs Africa program coordinator, Angela Quintal, in New York. Journalists in Ethiopia should not have to work under the constant threat of arrest. This pattern of throwing critical journalists behind bars must stop.

On March 29, authorities brought each journalist to their homes and searched the premises, according to Hiwot and Embet.

Addisu told CPJ that authorities statements have been too generalized to identify what reporting prompted the incitement allegations. The Voice of Amhara recently covered topics including the vandalism of media outlets in Addis Ababa and the demolition of properties in Oromia regional state. Roha News covered the recent acquittal of journalist Temesgen Desalegn and factions within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Aragaw is also the vice chairperson of the Wollo Bete Amhara Charity Association, a nonpartisan charity group, according to Hiwot.

Last May, unidentified people, including one wearing a badge of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, abducted Voice of Amhara founder and chief editor Gobeze Sisay and held him for more than a week. In September 2022, Gobeze was detained by federal police and held for more than two months.

CPJ emailed the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice and federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi for comment, but did not receive any replies.
Flowserve Co. (NYSE:FLS  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,810,000 shares, a drop of 6.8% from the February 28th total of 4,090,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 851,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flowserve

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Flowserve during the 1st quarter worth $163,840,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of Flowserve by 61.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,920,393 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $119,564,000 after purchasing an additional 1,864,418 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Flowserve during the 4th quarter worth $25,041,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Flowserve during the 4th quarter worth $25,015,000. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of Flowserve by 532.8% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 770,843 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $18,731,000 after purchasing an additional 649,035 shares in the last quarter. 99.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on FLS shares. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of Flowserve from $32.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 13th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Flowserve from $32.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, December 9th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Flowserve from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Flowserve from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 20th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Flowserve from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Flowserve currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $35.00.

Flowserve Stock Performance

NYSE:FLS traded up $0.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $34.00. The stock had a trading volume of 749,721 shares, compared to its average volume of 890,560. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $30.86. Flowserve has a 12-month low of $23.89 and a 12-month high of $37.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.61.

Flowserve (NYSE:FLS  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The industrial products company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.20. Flowserve had a net margin of 5.22% and a return on equity of 8.14%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. Flowserves quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Flowserve will post 1.66 EPS for the current year.

Flowserve Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 7th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th will be given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.35%. Flowserves dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 55.94%.

About Flowserve

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Flowserve Corp. engages in the manufacture and provision of aftermarket service for comprehensive flow control systems. It operates through Flowserve Pumps Division and Flow Control Division segments. The Flowserve Pumps Division provides pumps, pre-configured industrial pumps, pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems and replacement parts, and related services.

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The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of AerCap (NYSE:AER  Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $74.00 price objective on the financial services providers stock.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Susquehanna raised their price target on AerCap from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Barclays lifted their target price on AerCap from $66.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on AerCap in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $71.86.

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AerCap Price Performance

Shares of AER stock opened at $56.23 on Thursday. AerCap has a 52-week low of $37.20 and a 52-week high of $66.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.87, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.89 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 2.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $59.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.37.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

AerCap ( NYSE:AER Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The financial services provider reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.69. AerCap had a positive return on equity of 14.18% and a negative net margin of 10.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.77 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. AerCaps quarterly revenue was up 26.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AerCap will post 7.51 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in AER. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of AerCap by 105.4% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 274,411 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,797,000 after acquiring an additional 140,800 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in AerCap by 589.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 41,378 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,129,000 after buying an additional 35,377 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS purchased a new position in AerCap during the 1st quarter worth $745,000. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in AerCap by 90.7% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,767,535 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $289,992,000 after buying an additional 2,743,035 shares during the last quarter. Finally, APG Asset Management N.V. purchased a new position in AerCap during the 1st quarter worth $203,000. 98.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About AerCap

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AerCap Holdings NV engages in the leasing, financing, sales, and management of commercial flight equipment. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Apartment Income REIT (NYSE:AIRC  Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $2.35-$2.47 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $2.44. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Apartment Income REIT Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AIRC opened at $35.81 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The stock has a market cap of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 6.14 and a beta of 0.93. The companys fifty day moving average is $37.12 and its 200 day moving average is $36.94. Apartment Income REIT has a 52 week low of $32.51 and a 52 week high of $55.82.

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Apartment Income REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 16th. Apartment Income REITs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 30.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Insiders Place Their Bets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on AIRC shares. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Apartment Income REIT from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Apartment Income REIT in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They issued an outperform rating and a $39.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Apartment Income REIT from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $39.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Apartment Income REIT from a sell rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the stock from $39.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Apartment Income REIT presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $42.33.

In other news, Director John D. Rayis bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $34.48 per share, for a total transaction of $34,480.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,412 shares of the companys stock, valued at $324,525.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director John D. Rayis bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $34.48 per share, for a total transaction of $34,480.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,412 shares of the companys stock, valued at $324,525.76. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Devin Ignatius Murphy acquired 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $34.00 per share, with a total value of $85,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 11,386 shares in the company, valued at $387,124. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AIRC. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 9,192 shares of the companys stock worth $382,000 after buying an additional 466 shares during the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Apartment Income REIT in the 1st quarter worth approximately $380,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 10,214 shares of the companys stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 3,518 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 16.0% in the 1st quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 6,493 shares of the companys stock worth $347,000 after buying an additional 894 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centaurus Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Apartment Income REIT in the 1st quarter worth approximately $344,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.35% of the companys stock.

About Apartment Income REIT

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AIR is a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership and management of quality apartment communities located in the largest markets in the United States. AIR is one of the country's largest owners and operators of apartments, with 99 communities in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

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Shares of Ballard Power Systems Inc. (TSE:BLDP  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$8.07.

Separately, Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Ballard Power Systems to a sell rating and set a C$5.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, January 6th.

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Ballard Power Systems Trading Up 3.4 %

Shares of BLDP stock opened at C$7.54 on Monday. Ballard Power Systems has a 12-month low of C$6.02 and a 12-month high of C$15.69. The company has a current ratio of 14.06, a quick ratio of 13.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.36. The firms 50 day moving average is C$7.89 and its 200 day moving average is C$7.86. The stock has a market capitalization of C$2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.08, a P/E/G ratio of -2,030.00 and a beta of 1.85.

About Ballard Power Systems

Ballard Power Systems Inc engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and service of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products. The company offers its products for power product markets, consisting of heavy-duty motives, such as bus, truck, rail, and marine applications; material handling; and backup power.

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Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 111,278 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $9,303,000. NextEra Energy accounts for 0.9% of Beaumont Financial Advisors LLCs holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NEE. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of NextEra Energy by 70.8% during the 2nd quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 386 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Align Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NextEra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NextEra Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in NextEra Energy by 142.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 463 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the period. Finally, Bellwether Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NextEra Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.17% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America downgraded NextEra Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the stock from $94.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on NextEra Energy from $101.00 to $98.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on NextEra Energy from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. StockNews.com upgraded NextEra Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on NextEra Energy from $97.00 to $94.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $91.58.

NextEra Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NEE traded down $0.52 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $76.56. 1,350,813 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,124,184. The stocks fifty day moving average is $75.04 and its 200 day moving average is $79.35. The stock has a market cap of $152.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.51. NextEra Energy, Inc. has a 1-year low of $67.22 and a 1-year high of $91.35.

NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The utilities provider reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. NextEra Energy had a net margin of 19.79% and a return on equity of 12.51%. The firm had revenue of $6.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that NextEra Energy, Inc. will post 3.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NextEra Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.4675 per share. This represents a $1.87 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. This is a boost from NextEra Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. NextEra Energys dividend payout ratio is currently 89.47%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Terrell Kirk Crews II purchased 2,672 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $74.87 per share, with a total value of $200,052.64. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer now directly owns 33,170 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,483,437.90. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Amy B. Lane bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $74.86 per share, for a total transaction of $74,860.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 41,277 shares in the company, valued at $3,089,996.22. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Terrell Kirk Crews II bought 2,672 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $74.87 per share, with a total value of $200,052.64. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 33,170 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,483,437.90. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased 18,872 shares of company stock valued at $1,417,721 over the last three months. 0.38% of the stock is owned by insiders.

NextEra Energy Company Profile

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NextEra Energy, Inc engages in the provision of renewable energy. It operates through the following segments: FPL and NEER. The FPL segment involves the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy in Florida. The NEER segment produces electricity from clean and renewable sources, including wind and solar.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NEE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE  Get Rating).

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Yamana Gold (LON:AUY  Get Rating) had its target price reduced by Berenberg Bank from GBX 500 ($6.14) to GBX 480 ($5.90) in a research report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

Yamana Gold Price Performance

AUY opened at GBX 475 ($5.84) on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of 4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,159.09 and a beta of 1.29. Yamana Gold has a 1 year low of GBX 360.10 ($4.42) and a 1 year high of GBX 548.40 ($6.74). The company has a current ratio of 1.98, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 458.76 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 440.45.

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About Yamana Gold

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Yamana Gold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a precious metal producer. It has gold and silver production, development-stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas, including Canada, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. The company was formerly known as Yamana Resources Inc and changed its name to Yamana Gold Inc in August 2003.

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Shares of ASM International NV (OTCMKTS:ASMIY  Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $347.20.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ASMIY. Barclays began coverage on shares of ASM International in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an underweight rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on shares of ASM International from 375.00 ($403.23) to 378.00 ($406.45) and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of ASM International from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of ASM International in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. They issued an outperform rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of ASM International in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. They set a buy rating for the company.

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ASM International Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS ASMIY opened at $403.10 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $19.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.07 and a beta of 1.73. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $347.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $291.04. ASM International has a 52-week low of $201.38 and a 52-week high of $405.53.

About ASM International

ASM International ( OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The company reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.22 by ($1.29). The company had revenue of $740.06 million during the quarter. ASM International had a net margin of 16.65% and a return on equity of 24.19%. Analysts predict that ASM International will post 14.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

(Get Rating)

ASM International NV engages in the research and development, design, manufacture, and sale of equipment, and provision of service to customers for the production of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. It operates through the Front-end and Back-end segments. The Front-end segment manufactures and sells equipment used in wafer processing, encompassing the fabrication steps in which silicon wafers are layered with semiconductor devices.

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Dollarama (TSE:DOL  Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by CIBC from C$84.00 to C$89.00 in a research note published on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on DOL. TD Securities upped their price objective on Dollarama from C$89.00 to C$94.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Dollarama from C$90.00 to C$92.00 in a report on Thursday, December 8th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Dollarama from C$88.50 to C$94.00 in a report on Thursday, December 8th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Dollarama from C$93.00 to C$95.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, December 8th. Finally, CSFB set a C$85.00 price target on Dollarama and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, December 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$89.67.

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Dollarama Trading Down 0.1 %

TSE DOL opened at C$80.77 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$78.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$79.82. The company has a market capitalization of C$22.98 billion, a PE ratio of 29.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 14,849.75. Dollarama has a 12 month low of C$64.79 and a 12 month high of C$85.88.

Dollarama Increases Dividend

Insider Buying and Selling

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.071 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This is an increase from Dollaramas previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.35%. Dollaramas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.18%.

In related news, Director Stephen Gunn sold 5,126 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$84.19, for a total transaction of C$431,579.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 119,767 shares in the company, valued at C$10,083,686.75. 3.98% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Dollarama Company Profile

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Dollarama Inc operates a chain of dollar stores in Canada. Its stores offer general merchandise, consumables, and seasonal products. The company also sells its products through online store. As of July 31, 2022, it operated 1,444 stores. The company was formerly known as Dollarama Capital Corporation and changed its name to Dollarama Inc in September 2009.

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Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 240,020 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,610 shares during the period. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $17,269,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Boston Financial Mangement LLC lifted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.9% in the third quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC now owns 15,468 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,100,000 after buying an additional 133 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.9% during the third quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. now owns 15,461 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,099,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Lincoln National Corp boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.4% during the third quarter. Lincoln National Corp now owns 36,282 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $2,579,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.4% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 10,053 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $715,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.0% during the third quarter. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. now owns 13,686 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $973,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. 75.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb

In other news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 236,104 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,625,163.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,721,081.67. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $17,916,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 236,104 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,625,163.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 0.7 %

BMY traded up $0.48 during trading on Monday, hitting $69.79. 2,487,999 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,090,859. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $70.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.82. The firm has a market cap of $146.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.46. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $65.28 and a 1 year high of $81.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.25.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $11.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.20 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 51.60% and a net margin of 13.71%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.83 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 77.29%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. They set an overweight rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $70.00 to $78.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, Atlantic Securities raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $79.69.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Profile

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Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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UBS Group set a 205.00 ($220.43) target price on Deutsche Borse (ETR:DB1  Get Rating) in a research note released on Thursday morning, Borsen Zeitung reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a 206.00 ($221.51) price objective on Deutsche Borse in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada set a 167.00 ($179.57) target price on shares of Deutsche Borse in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Warburg Research set a 195.00 ($209.68) price objective on shares of Deutsche Borse in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a 189.00 ($203.23) target price on Deutsche Borse in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a 175.00 ($188.17) price objective on Deutsche Borse in a research report on Thursday, February 9th.

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Deutsche Borse Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of ETR DB1 opened at 179.45 ($192.96) on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 59.13, a quick ratio of 0.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. The stock has a market cap of $32.95 billion, a PE ratio of 23.10, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day moving average of 168.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of 167.24. Deutsche Borse has a 52-week low of 148.15 ($159.30) and a 52-week high of 181.60 ($195.27).

Deutsche Borse Company Profile

Deutsche Borse AG operates as an exchange organization in Europe, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates through seven segments: Eurex (Financial Derivatives), EEX (Commodities), 360T (Foreign Exchange), Xetra (Cash Equities), Clearstream (Post-Trading), IFS (Investment Fund Services), and Qontigo (index and analytics business).

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Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE:EFC  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,210,000 shares, a growth of 10.5% from the February 28th total of 2,000,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 879,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.

Ellington Financial Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE EFC traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $12.24. 429,247 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 888,961. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.49, a quick ratio of 41.89 and a current ratio of 41.89. The stock has a market cap of $835.38 million, a PE ratio of -8.58 and a beta of 1.87. The companys fifty day moving average is $12.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.00. Ellington Financial has a fifty-two week low of $10.81 and a fifty-two week high of $17.73.

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Ellington Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 14.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. Ellington Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -125.87%.

Institutional Trading of Ellington Financial

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in Ellington Financial in the 3rd quarter valued at $309,000. RMB Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 18.6% in the second quarter. RMB Capital Management LLC now owns 63,622 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $933,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. EJF Capital LLC boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 10.0% in the third quarter. EJF Capital LLC now owns 55,000 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $625,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 13.0% in the third quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 13,539 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 1,559 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its stake in Ellington Financial by 2.5% in the third quarter. Uniplan Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 255,048 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,899,000 after purchasing an additional 6,332 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.02% of the companys stock.

EFC has been the subject of several analyst reports. Credit Suisse Group downgraded Ellington Financial from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $14.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, January 9th. StockNews.com downgraded Ellington Financial from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $14.85.

Ellington Financial Company Profile

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Ellington Financial, Inc engages in the provision of investment services. It operates through the Investment Portfolio and Longbridge segments. The Investment Portfolio segment is focused on investing in a diverse array of financial assets, which includes residential and commercial mortgage loans, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, and consumer loans.

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Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group (OTCMKTS:EUBG  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,600 shares, a decrease of 14.9% from the February 28th total of 10,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.6 days.

Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group Price Performance

Shares of Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group stock remained flat at $0.22 during trading hours on Friday. Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group has a 52-week low of $0.12 and a 52-week high of $0.37. The stocks fifty day moving average is $0.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $0.22.

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About Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group

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Entrepreneur Universe Bright Group is an exploration and development company, which engages in the exploration, mining and sale of rare earths, primarily tantalum. The company was founded on April 21, 1999 and is headquartered in Xian, China.

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Enzi Wealth reduced its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHSC  Get Rating) by 11.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 45,700 shares of the companys stock after selling 5,645 shares during the quarter. John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF accounts for about 0.7% of Enzi Wealths holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Enzi Wealth owned approximately 0.43% of John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF worth $1,491,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wells Fargo & Company MN increased its holdings in John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF by 5.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 385,915 shares of the companys stock worth $11,276,000 after purchasing an additional 19,447 shares in the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 267,833 shares of the companys stock worth $7,521,000 after purchasing an additional 3,597 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF by 26.3% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 165,368 shares of the companys stock worth $4,832,000 after purchasing an additional 34,452 shares in the last quarter. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF by 96.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC now owns 131,014 shares of the companys stock worth $3,679,000 after purchasing an additional 64,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF by 985.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 102,230 shares of the companys stock worth $3,506,000 after purchasing an additional 92,813 shares in the last quarter.

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John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF Trading Down 0.8 %

JHSC traded down $0.25 on Monday, reaching $31.64. The stock had a trading volume of 1,940 shares, compared to its average volume of 26,642. John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF has a fifty-two week low of $27.83 and a fifty-two week high of $34.80. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $32.58 and a 200-day moving average of $31.41. The company has a market capitalization of $336.97 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 1.12.

John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF Profile

The John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF (JHSC) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the John Hancock Dimensional Small Cap index. The fund tracks an index of US small-cap stocks selected by relative price and profitability. Securities are weighted by multiple factors relative to their sector peers.

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First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund (NYSE:FDEU  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 16,000 shares, a drop of 15.3% from the February 28th total of 18,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 55,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Institutional Trading of First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund during the 4th quarter worth approximately $117,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund in the 3rd quarter worth $120,000. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund in the 3rd quarter worth $136,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth $145,000. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC bought a new position in First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth $151,000.

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First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund Stock Up 0.5 %

FDEU traded up $0.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $12.74. The companys stock had a trading volume of 107,141 shares, compared to its average volume of 52,189. First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund has a one year low of $9.27 and a one year high of $12.83. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $12.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.24.

First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund Announces Dividend

About First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 4th will be issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 3rd.

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First Trust Dynamic Europe Equity Income Fund is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its objective is to provide a high level of current income with a secondary focus on capital appreciation. The company was founded on May 11, 2015 and is headquartered in Wheaton, IL.

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited (OTCMKTS:GUKYF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 30,700 shares, an increase of 11.6% from the February 28th total of 27,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 10,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Price Performance

GUKYF stock traded down $0.05 during trading on Friday, reaching $1.81. 5,361 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,807. Gulf Keystone Petroleum has a 52-week low of $1.71 and a 52-week high of $3.90. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $2.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.41.

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About Gulf Keystone Petroleum

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Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Republic of Algeria. It operates through the following segments: Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Corporate, and Algeria. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq segment comprises of the Shaikan and the Erbil office which provides support to the operations in Kurdistan, as well as segmental information relating to the previously held Akri-Bijeel, Sheikh Adi and Ber Bahr blocks.

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HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,780,000 shares, a decrease of 14.5% from the February 28th total of 3,250,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,410,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on HDFC Bank in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

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HDFC Bank Trading Up 0.9 %

HDB stock traded up $0.59 during trading on Friday, hitting $66.67. The company had a trading volume of 1,184,359 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,543,408. The stock has a market cap of $123.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.75. HDFC Bank has a one year low of $50.61 and a one year high of $71.76. The business has a 50-day moving average of $66.68 and a 200-day moving average of $65.57. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HDFC Bank

HDFC Bank ( NYSE:HDB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, January 14th. The bank reported $0.83 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.82 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.69 billion. HDFC Bank had a return on equity of 16.86% and a net margin of 22.90%. Research analysts predict that HDFC Bank will post 2.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Heritage Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Trustcore Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new position in shares of HDFC Bank in the 4th quarter worth $40,000. 17.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

HDFC Bank Company Profile

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HDFC Bank Ltd. engages in the provision of banking and financial services, including commercial banking and treasury operations. The firm also provides financial services to upper and middle income individuals and corporations in India. It operates through the following segments: Treasury, Retail Banking, Wholesale Banking and Other Banking Operations.

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Imperial Oil Limited (TSE:IMO  Get Rating) (NYSEMKT:IMO) has been given an average rating of Hold by the fifteen research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is C$77.23.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on IMO shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Imperial Oil from C$74.00 to C$72.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. CSFB cut their price objective on Imperial Oil from C$80.00 to C$76.00 in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Imperial Oil from C$76.00 to C$78.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. CIBC lifted their price target on Imperial Oil from C$76.00 to C$80.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of Imperial Oil from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st.

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Imperial Oil Stock Performance

Shares of TSE:IMO opened at C$68.73 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.66. The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$68.13 and a 200-day moving average price of C$67.94. The company has a market cap of C$40.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 1.91. Imperial Oil has a 12 month low of C$52.67 and a 12 month high of C$79.83.

Imperial Oil Dividend Announcement

Imperial Oil ( TSE:IMO Get Rating ) (NYSEMKT:IMO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The company reported C$2.86 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$2.46 by C$0.40. The business had revenue of C$14.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$17.82 billion. Imperial Oil had a return on equity of 33.25% and a net margin of 12.35%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Imperial Oil will post 9.9898256 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, April 1st. Investors of record on Saturday, April 1st were issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.56%. Imperial Oils payout ratio is currently 15.38%.

About Imperial Oil

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Imperial Oil Limited engages in exploration, production, and sale of crude oil and natural gas in Canada. The company operates through three segments: Upstream, Downstream and Chemical segments. The Upstream segment explores for, and produces crude oil, natural gas, synthetic oil, and bitumen. As of December 31, 2021, this segment had 386 million oil-equivalent barrels of proved undeveloped reserves.

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Shell (LON:SHEL  Get Rating) has been assigned a GBX 3,000 ($36.86) target price by Jefferies Financial Group in a report issued on Monday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Jefferies Financial Groups price objective would indicate a potential upside of 24.66% from the stocks current price.

SHEL has been the topic of a number of other reports. Bank of America lowered their price target on Shell from GBX 3,200 ($39.32) to GBX 3,100 ($38.09) and set a top pick rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a GBX 3,000 ($36.86) price target on Shell in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Berenberg Bank set a GBX 3,000 ($36.86) price objective on Shell in a report on Thursday, February 16th. UBS Group set a GBX 2,750 ($33.79) price objective on Shell in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Shell from GBX 2,987 ($36.70) to GBX 2,854 ($35.07) in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of GBX 2,894 ($35.56).

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Shell Price Performance

LON SHEL traded up GBX 98.12 ($1.21) during trading hours on Monday, reaching GBX 2,406.62 ($29.57). The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,515,937 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,580,836. The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 2,424.60 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 2,371.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.51. Shell has a 1 year low of GBX 1,908.60 ($23.45) and a 1 year high of GBX 2,613.50 ($32.11). The company has a market capitalization of 165.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 534.80, a PEG ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.65.

Insider Activity at Shell

About Shell

In related news, insider Wael Sawan purchased 7,213 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 2,482 ($30.50) per share, for a total transaction of 179,026.66 ($219,961.49). In other Shell news, insider Wael Sawan bought 7,213 shares of Shell stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 2,482 ($30.50) per share, for a total transaction of 179,026.66 ($219,961.49). Also, insider Andrew Mackenzie bought 8,235 shares of Shell stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 2,418 ($29.71) per share, for a total transaction of 199,122.30 ($244,652.05). 0.07% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, the United States, and Rest of the Americas. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Marketing, Chemicals and Products, and Renewables and Energy Solutions segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market.

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JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income plc (LON:JSGI  Get Rating) declared a dividend on Monday, April 3rd, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a dividend of GBX 3.60 ($0.04) per share on Friday, May 19th. This represents a yield of 1.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. The official announcement can be seen at this link.

JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income stock traded up GBX 0.50 ($0.01) during trading hours on Monday, hitting GBX 325 ($3.99). The companys stock had a trading volume of 65,396 shares, compared to its average volume of 57,470. JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income has a 1-year low of GBX 301 ($3.70) and a 1-year high of GBX 384 ($4.72). The business has a fifty day moving average of GBX 324.12 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 326.28. The company has a market capitalization of 177.16 million, a PE ratio of -160.78 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.55.

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About JPMorgan Japan Small Cap Growth & Income

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Further Reading

JPMorgan Japan Smaller Companies Trust plc is an open-ended equity mutual fund launched by JPMorgan Funds Limited. The fund is co-managed by JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited and JPMorgan Asset Management (Japan) Limited. It invests in the public equity markets of Japan. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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Maxar Technologies Inc. (NYSE:MAXR  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Hold by the twelve research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $43.80.

MAXR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Truist Financial downgraded shares of Maxar Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $53.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Friday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Maxar Technologies from $27.00 to $53.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Monday, December 19th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $53.00 price objective on shares of Maxar Technologies in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Maxar Technologies from $43.00 to $42.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 14th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered Maxar Technologies from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and upped their target price for the company from $45.00 to $53.00 in a research report on Monday, December 19th.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Biggs C. Porter sold 96,000 shares of Maxar Technologies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.53, for a total value of $4,946,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 259,979 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,396,717.87. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, Director Eddy Zervigon sold 17,837 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.45, for a total transaction of $917,713.65. Following the sale, the director now owns 13,496 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $694,369.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Biggs C. Porter sold 96,000 shares of Maxar Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.53, for a total value of $4,946,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 259,979 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,396,717.87. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 130,037 shares of company stock worth $6,695,135. 2.49% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Maxar Technologies Stock Up 0.2 %

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Maxar Technologies by 3.1% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 85,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,373,000 after buying an additional 2,536 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Maxar Technologies by 25.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 23,762 shares of the companys stock valued at $938,000 after buying an additional 4,756 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Maxar Technologies by 9.4% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 12,773 shares of the companys stock valued at $504,000 after buying an additional 1,094 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Maxar Technologies in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,408,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Maxar Technologies by 57.1% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 39,905 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,575,000 after buying an additional 14,501 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.52% of the companys stock.

NYSE:MAXR opened at $51.06 on Wednesday. Maxar Technologies has a 1-year low of $17.51 and a 1-year high of $51.93. The company has a 50-day moving average of $51.23 and a 200 day moving average of $37.83. The firm has a market cap of $3.81 billion, a PE ratio of -25.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported ($1.09) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.41) by ($0.68). The firm had revenue of $326.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $440.56 million. Maxar Technologies had a negative return on equity of 4.45% and a negative net margin of 9.35%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Maxar Technologies will post 1.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Maxar Technologies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. Maxar Technologiess payout ratio is presently -1.97%.

About Maxar Technologies

(Get Rating)

Maxar Technologies Inc provides earth intelligence and space infrastructure solutions in the United States, Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Canada, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. The Earth Intelligence segment offers earth imagery and other geospatial data sourced from its advanced satellite constellation and third-party providers to public sector and enterprise customers, as well as a provides advanced geospatial information, applications, and analytic services for national security and commercial solutions.

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Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI  Get Rating) had its target price dropped by National Bank Financial from C$78.00 to C$76.00 in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Rogers Communications FY2023 earnings at $4.90 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $6.57 EPS.

Separately, Desjardins reiterated a buy rating on shares of Rogers Communications in a research note on Friday, February 3rd.

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Rogers Communications Price Performance

Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported C$1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.01 by C$0.08. The company had revenue of C$4.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$4.16 billion.

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Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE:ADX  Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 714,800 shares, a growth of 6.9% from the February 28th total of 668,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 274,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ADX traded up $0.05 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $15.60. The stock had a trading volume of 109,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 257,602. Adams Diversified Equity Fund has a 1-year low of $14.20 and a 1-year high of $18.64. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $15.18.

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Adams Diversified Equity Fund Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 10th were paid a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Adams Diversified Equity Fund

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Adams Diversified Equity Fund

In other Adams Diversified Equity Fund news, Director Mary Chris Jammet purchased 1,940 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $15.46 per share, for a total transaction of $29,992.40. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 7,833 shares of the companys stock, valued at $121,098.18. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ADX. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its position in Adams Diversified Equity Fund by 6.2% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 11,574 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $168,000 after acquiring an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in Adams Diversified Equity Fund by 6.1% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 12,367 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 714 shares in the last quarter. SMH Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Adams Diversified Equity Fund by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. SMH Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 21,951 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $319,000 after acquiring an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in Adams Diversified Equity Fund by 4.7% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 17,989 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $262,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC lifted its position in Adams Diversified Equity Fund by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 120,226 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $1,748,000 after acquiring an additional 831 shares in the last quarter. 18.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Adams Diversified Equity Fund

(Get Rating)

The Adams Express Company (the Fund) is a diversified investment company. The Company is an internally-managed closed-end fund whose investment objectives are preservation of capital, the attainment of reasonable income from investments, and an opportunity for capital appreciation. In order to conduct the Companys business, the Company, through its transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, collects and maintains certain non-public personal information about its stockholders of record with respect to their transactions in shares of its securities.

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Kellogg (NYSE:K  Get Rating) was the target of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,750,000 shares, a decline of 8.0% from the February 28th total of 10,600,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,140,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.6 days. Currently, 2.9% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price objective on shares of Kellogg from $72.00 to $71.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on shares of Kellogg from $73.00 to $69.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Kellogg from $72.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 20th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kellogg from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, TheStreet cut shares of Kellogg from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Kellogg currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $71.78.

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Kellogg Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:K traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $66.96. The stock had a trading volume of 1,933,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,251,060. The companys 50-day moving average price is $66.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $70.01. The company has a market capitalization of $22.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Kellogg has a fifty-two week low of $63.23 and a fifty-two week high of $77.17.

Kellogg Dividend Announcement

Kellogg ( NYSE:K Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $3.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.66 billion. Kellogg had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 32.51%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.83 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Kellogg will post 4.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.52%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. Kelloggs dividend payout ratio is 84.59%.

Kellogg declared that its board has initiated a share buyback program on Monday, December 12th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Kellogg W. K. Foundation Trust sold 100,000 shares of Kellogg stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.01, for a total transaction of $6,701,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 55,731,838 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,734,590,464.38. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Kellogg news, VP Kurt D. Forche sold 3,265 shares of Kellogg stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.36, for a total value of $226,460.40. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 8,942 shares in the company, valued at approximately $620,217.12. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Kellogg W. K. Foundation Trust sold 100,000 shares of Kellogg stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.01, for a total transaction of $6,701,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 55,731,838 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,734,590,464.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 528,437 shares of company stock valued at $35,218,511. Company insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kellogg

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Kellogg by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 30,276,057 shares of the companys stock worth $2,109,031,000 after acquiring an additional 583,666 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Kellogg by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 14,869,386 shares of the companys stock worth $1,060,782,000 after acquiring an additional 173,266 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Kellogg by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,500,376 shares of the companys stock worth $391,169,000 after acquiring an additional 87,624 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Kellogg by 11.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,396,277 shares of the companys stock worth $384,431,000 after acquiring an additional 552,179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Kellogg by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,137,164 shares of the companys stock worth $331,296,000 after acquiring an additional 302,388 shares during the last quarter. 82.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Kellogg

(Get Rating)

Kellogg Co engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of ready-to-eat cereal and convenience foods. It operates through the following segments: North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia Middle East Africa. The North America segment includes the U.S. businesses and Canada. The Europe segment consists of European countries.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS  Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock.

American Shared Hospital Services Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN:AMS opened at $2.81 on Thursday. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $3.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2.90. The company has a quick ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock has a market cap of $17.29 million, a PE ratio of 13.38 and a beta of 0.86. American Shared Hospital Services has a fifty-two week low of $2.18 and a fifty-two week high of $3.75.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Canton Hathaway LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in American Shared Hospital Services by 26.3% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 19,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 4,021 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in American Shared Hospital Services by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 158,681 shares of the companys stock valued at $465,000 after purchasing an additional 5,899 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services during the 4th quarter worth about $470,000. 13.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

American Shared Hospital Services Company Profile

American Shared Hospital Services engages in leasing radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to healthcare providers. Its equipment includes Gamma Knife, PBRT, and IGRT. The Gamma Knife radiosurgery equipment is a non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular malformations and trigeminal neuralgia.

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Stratec (ETR:SBS  Get Rating) received a 87.00 ($93.55) price target from research analysts at Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking in a report released on Monday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Hauck Aufhauser Investment Bankings price target suggests a potential upside of 38.98% from the companys previous close.

SBS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Berenberg Bank set a 77.00 ($82.80) target price on Stratec in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a 71.00 ($76.34) target price on Stratec in a research report on Friday. Finally, Warburg Research set a 80.00 ($86.02) target price on Stratec in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd.

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Stratec Price Performance

Shares of Stratec stock traded down 1.00 ($1.08) during trading on Monday, reaching 62.60 ($67.31). The companys stock had a trading volume of 14,255 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,253. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 3.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 38.79. Stratec has a 12-month low of 62.10 ($66.77) and a 12-month high of 130.60 ($140.43). The company has a market capitalization of $759.34 million, a P/E ratio of 26.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 0.32. The business has a 50 day moving average price of 77.34 and a 200-day moving average price of 80.96.

Stratec Company Profile

Stratec SE, together with its subsidiaries, designs and manufactures automation and instrumentation solutions in the fields of in-vitro diagnostics and life sciences in Germany, European Union, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Instrumentation, Diatron, and Smart Consumables. The Instrumentation segment designs and manufactures automated analyzer systems, including service parts and consumables for clinical diagnostics and biotechnology customers.

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Sylvania Platinum Limited (LON:SLP  Get Rating) insider Eileen Carr sold 13,811 shares of Sylvania Platinum stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 89 ($1.09), for a total value of 12,291.79 ($15,102.33).

Sylvania Platinum Stock Performance

Shares of LON SLP opened at GBX 92 ($1.13) on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 15.92, a current ratio of 11.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38. The stock has a market capitalization of 245.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 484.21, a PEG ratio of 0.05 and a beta of 0.58. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is GBX 100.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is GBX 98.88. Sylvania Platinum Limited has a 52-week low of GBX 74.60 ($0.92) and a 52-week high of GBX 115 ($1.41).

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Sylvania Platinum Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 2nd will be issued a GBX 3 ($0.04) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 2nd. Sylvania Platinums payout ratio is 5,789.47%.

Sylvania Platinum Company Profile

Sylvania Platinum Limited primarily engages in the retreatment of platinum group metals (PGM) bearing chrome tailings materials in South Africa and Mauritius. The company produces PGMs, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium. It holds interests in the Sylvania dump operations that comprise six chrome beneficiation and PGM processing plants located in the Eastern and Western Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex; and various mineral asset development projects, including Volspruit and Northern Limb projects located on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex located in South Africa.

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Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TSE:TOU  Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of Buy by the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is C$89.30.

TOU has been the topic of a number of research reports. Stifel Firstegy reiterated a buy rating on shares of Tourmaline Oil in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Scotiabank dropped their price target on Tourmaline Oil from C$117.00 to C$112.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. CIBC cut their price target on Tourmaline Oil from C$85.00 to C$80.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Tourmaline Oil from C$95.00 to C$90.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 16th. Finally, ATB Capital lowered their target price on Tourmaline Oil from C$95.00 to C$90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th.

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Tourmaline Oil Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of TOU opened at C$56.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of C$19.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.60, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 0.47. Tourmaline Oil has a 1 year low of C$52.34 and a 1 year high of C$84.33. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of C$58.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$68.89.

Tourmaline Oil Dividend Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling at Tourmaline Oil

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. Tourmaline Oils payout ratio is 7.55%.

In other news, Senior Officer Mike Rose acquired 5,000 shares of Tourmaline Oil stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 19th. The shares were bought at an average cost of C$67.16 per share, with a total value of C$335,815.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,639,974 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$580,286,573.76. In related news, Director Jill Terilee Angevine bought 490 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$62.63 per share, with a total value of C$30,688.70. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 46,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at C$2,880,980. Also, Senior Officer Mike Rose purchased 5,000 shares of Tourmaline Oil stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 19th. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$67.16 per share, for a total transaction of C$335,815.00. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 8,639,974 shares in the company, valued at C$580,286,573.76. Insiders have bought 31,120 shares of company stock worth $1,952,041 over the last quarter. Insiders own 5.47% of the companys stock.

About Tourmaline Oil

(Get Rating)

Tourmaline Oil Corp. acquires, explores for, develops, and produces oil and natural gas properties in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It holds interests in properties located in the Alberta Deep Basin, Northeast British Columbia Montney, and the Peace River High Triassic oil complex. The company was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Whittier Trust Co. increased its position in shares of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 140,988 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after buying an additional 657 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. owned about 0.05% of Sherwin-Williams worth $33,460,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mutual Advisors LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,605 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $359,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Apella Capital LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 1,394 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Optas LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Optas LLC now owns 2,261 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $461,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,190 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC grew its position in Sherwin-Williams by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC now owns 1,567 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on SHW. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $242.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $267.00 to $255.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $270.00 to $260.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 27th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Sherwin-Williams in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Sherwin-Williams from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $253.39.

Insider Activity at Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Stock Performance

In other news, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total value of $607,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,756,145.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In other Sherwin-Williams news, CEO John G. Morikis acquired 2,207 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $226.70 per share, for a total transaction of $500,326.90. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 231,344 shares in the company, valued at $52,445,684.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, SVP Bryan J. Young sold 2,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.76, for a total transaction of $607,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 7,955 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,756,145.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of SHW stock traded up $2.48 on Monday, hitting $227.25. The companys stock had a trading volume of 439,214 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,591,973. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.09, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.99. The stocks 50 day moving average is $225.88 and its 200-day moving average is $229.04. The Sherwin-Williams Company has a fifty-two week low of $195.24 and a fifty-two week high of $285.00. The company has a market capitalization of $58.64 billion, a PE ratio of 29.49, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.07.

Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.84 by $0.05. Sherwin-Williams had a net margin of 9.12% and a return on equity of 90.04%. The business had revenue of $5.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.34 earnings per share. Sherwin-Williamss revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that The Sherwin-Williams Company will post 8.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sherwin-Williams Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Investors of record on Monday, February 27th were paid a $0.605 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 24th. This is an increase from Sherwin-Williamss previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. This represents a $2.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.06%. Sherwin-Williamss dividend payout ratio is 31.35%.

Sherwin-Williams Company Profile

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The Sherwin-Williams Co engages in the development, manufacture, distribution, and sale of paint and coatings. It operates through the following segments: America Group, Consumer Brands Group, and Performance Coating Group. The America Group segment manages the exclusive outlets for Sherwin-Williams branded paints, stains, supplies, equipment, and floor coverings.

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Whittier Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO  Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 82,492 shares of the medical research companys stock after buying an additional 419 shares during the period. Thermo Fisher Scientific comprises about 0.9% of Whittier Trust Co.s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Whittier Trust Co.s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $45,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of TMO. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 160.0% in the third quarter. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 52 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. New Millennium Group LLC purchased a new stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp raised its stake in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 7,300.0% in the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 74 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Pacifica Partners Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 55.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 81 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in Thermo Fisher Scientific in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.92% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 7,500 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.49, for a total value of $4,083,675.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 66,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,292,980.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 7,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $544.49, for a total value of $4,083,675.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 66,655 shares in the company, valued at $36,292,980.95. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jim P. Manzi sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $584.56, for a total transaction of $584,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 14,807 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,655,579.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 30,100 shares of company stock worth $16,966,971 in the last 90 days. 0.43% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Thermo Fisher Scientific Price Performance

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $613.00 to $670.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $620.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. They set an outperform rating and a $661.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $525.00 to $505.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Thermo Fisher Scientific presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $647.00.

Shares of NYSE TMO traded down $6.76 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $569.61. 212,210 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,405,079. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 52 week low of $475.77 and a 52 week high of $618.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $219.54 billion, a PE ratio of 32.69, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.79. The companys 50 day moving average price is $561.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $545.11.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The medical research company reported $5.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.19 by $0.21. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a net margin of 15.47% and a return on equity of 21.42%. The company had revenue of $11.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.54 EPS. The firms revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 14th. This is a boost from Thermo Fisher Scientifics previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. Thermo Fisher Scientifics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.94%.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

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Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc engages in the provision of analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, software, and services for research, analysis, discovery, and diagnostics. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Services.

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Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone has appointed former Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka as the executive chairman of Haifa Port Company. I'm honoured and privileged to take office today as executive chairman of the Haifa Port Company, on behalf of @AdaniOnline. The experience and expertise of Adani and Gadot, combined with the dedication of the port workers, will take Haifa Port to new heights of prosperity, Malka confirmed in a tweet on April 2. Malka's appointment is an indication that Adani Ports has no plans to slow down its investment in Haifa port at a time when the group's shares have been on a slump. Following allegations of fraud by Hindenburg Research, the Adani Group had acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for $1.2 billion. Hindenburg row that has already wiped out over $70 billion in value from his group stocks rocked by allegations of fraud by US short-seller Hindenburg Research. The Hindenburg row has wiped out over $70 billion in value from the Adani group stocks. In July 2022, Adani Ports had won the tender for privatisation of Israel's Haifa Port along with it business local partner chemical and logistics group Gadot. The APSEZ-Gadot Group consortium completed the acquisition of HPC from the Israeli government on January 10. While APSEZ holds 70 percent in the project, Gadot holds the balance 30 percent. Haifa Port said the new group will operate the port until 2054 and that the winning bid was "higher than expected". Located in northern Israel, Haifa is one of Israels two biggest commercial ports, handles nearly half of Israels container cargo, and is also a principal port for passenger traffic and cruise ships. The existing infrastructure at Haifa Port includes two container terminals and two multi-cargo terminals. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had described the deal as an "enormous milestone". He had also added the deal will significantly improve connectivity between the two countries in many ways. The Adani Group has already put at least two domestic expansion plans in cold storage. It has shelved the Rs 7,017-crore plan to acquire coal-based electricity generating units of DB Power Ltd. An Adani Power subsidiary has also decided to terminate an agreement with Orient Cement for the utilisation of land in Maharashtra. However, the Haifa port project has strategic value besides being a vital expansion of its operations by the Adani group.
Shares of Adani Group companies went down on April 3 following a Reuters article on a probe by the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) into potential breach of regulations on "related party" transactions. The investigation pertains to the Adani Group transactions with at least three overseas entities connected to founder Gautam Adani's brother Vinod Adani. The three offshore entities in question have reportedly been engaged in multiple investment dealings with unlisted subsidiaries of the ports-to-power conglomerate over 13 years. Vinod Adani is either affiliated with these entities as a beneficial owner or director, the report claimed. Markets regulator Sebi is investigating whether the failure to disclose these connections constitutes a breach of regulations governing "related-party transactions". Adani Enterprises Ltd fell 2.5 percent, Adani Transmission Ltd and Adani Green Energy Ltd hit 5 percent lower circuit each, Adani Total Gas Ltd lost 0.7 percent, Adani Power Ltd 2.2 percent, Adani Ports and SEZ 1.2 percent, Adani Wilmar 3.5 percent, NDTV Ltd lost 3.7 percent. Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS), a proxy advisory firm, has urged shareholders of Adani Total Gas (ATGL) to reject a special resolution that aims to modify the company's articles of association (AoA). IiAS has argued that there is insufficient transparency in the disclosure supporting the resolution. The proposed amendments to the AoA would incorporate specific provisions of the shareholders' agreement, permitting alterations in board nomination rights for Total Energies Holdings (THS) group and the current promoter group, based on their respective stakes in the company. The deadline for voting on this resolution, as well as two others, is April 6. Stocks of ACC rose 1.3 percent, while Ambuja Cements Ltd gained 1.6 percent, following a report by Financial Express that the Adani Group has no plans to raise external funding to double the manufacturing capacity of its cement companies, Ambuja Cements and ACC, to 140 million tonnes by FY28. The group has stated that it has adequate internal accruals to achieve this goal. Additionally, the Adani Group has established a plan for cost reductions to attain its objective of becoming the most profitable cement manufacturer in the country.
Mankind Pharma, Indias fourth largest pharmaceutical company in terms of domestic sales and second largest in terms of sales volume for the financial year 2022, is geared up for a widely anticipated IPO to raise around Rs 4,200 crore to Rs 4,700 crore later this month, multiple industry sources with knowledge of the matter told Moneycontrol. If plans fructify, this would be the biggest IPO in the segment since the Rs 6,480 crore IPO launched by Gland Pharma in November 2020. Moneycontrol was the first to report the listing plans of Mankind Pharma on April 28, 2022. The Delhi-based pharma major later filed its DRHP (draft red herring prospectus) with Sebi in September 2022. Mankind Pharma which is backed by private equity firm Chrys Capital and Capital International and manufactures top-selling condom brand Manforce Condoms, pregnancy test kit Prega News and emergency contraceptive brand Unwanted -72 is planning to float the IPO in the third or fourth week of April, according to one of the persons cited above. A second person confirmed the expected launch timeline. "This is a high-quality, scaled-up player with a good business mix which has grown at a fast pace and received a strong response during the roadshows. The IPO is intended to be a pure OFS or offer for sale of 10 percent stake and the selling shareholders include Chrys Capital, Capital International, the promoter family and others," a third person told Moneycontrol. A fourth person told Moneycontrol that the final valuation of the firm would be frozen in the next few days and had been adjusted as compared to earlier projections based on the current market conditions. "If a large-sized IPO like this does well on the bourses, then that would send a much-needed positive signal to the IPO market in the current environment," this person elaborated. All four persons cited above spoke to Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity. Moneycontrol is awaiting an email response sent to Mankind Pharma and has sent reminders. This article will be updated as soon as we hear from the firm. In 2015, Capital International purchased an 11 percent stake in Mankind Pharma from ChrysCapital for $200 million. In April 2018, a ChrysCapital-led consortium, which included GIC and CPPIB, made a stunning comeback and bought a 10 percent stake again for around $350 million. In 2022, Mankind Pharma acquired the formulation brands of listed player Panacea Biotec in India and Nepal for Rs 1,872 crore to explore new therapeutic areas. Some of the listing plans of Mankind Pharma's peers haven't taken off in the past two years. For instance, in September 2022, Macleods Pharma deferred its listing plans following a valuation mismatch with investors. In August 2021, Bain Capital-backed Emcure Pharma filed papers with the regulator for a proposed Rs 4,500Rs 5,000-crore IPO and got the go-ahead from Sebi, but the issue hasnt been launched yet. Kotak Mahindra Capital, Jefferies, IIFL Capital, Axis Capital and JP Morgan are the investment banks working on the Mankind Pharma IPO. Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners and Sidley Austin are the law firms on the deal. A closer look at Mankind Pharma Mankind Pharma was founded by Ramesh Juneja and the firm became a fully integrated pharmaceutical company in 1995. It is engaged in developing, manufacturing and marketing a diverse range of pharmaceutical formulations across various acute and chronic therapeutic areas, as well as several consumer healthcare products. The firm is focused on the domestic market, as a result of which its revenue from operations in India contributed to 97.60 percent of total revenue from operations for the financial year 2022, which was one of the highest among peers identified by IQVIA (being key pharmaceutical companies operating in similar therapeutic areas (Source: IQVIA Report). It operates at the intersection of the Indian pharmaceutical formulations and consumer healthcare sectors intending to provide quality products at affordable prices and has an established track record of building and scaling brands in-house. Mankind Pharma has created 36 brands in the pharmaceutical business and is armed with one of the largest distribution networks of medical representatives in the Indian pharmaceutical market. Over 80 percent of doctors in India prescribed its formulations during the financial year 2022 (Source: IQVIA Dataset, IQVIA Medical Audit MAT March 2022 for India), which has assisted the firm in establishing its brands in India. The firm's brands have enabled it to consistently generate the highest share of drug prescriptions in the IPM over the last five years (Source: IQVIA Dataset, IQVIA Medical Audit MAT March 2022 for India). Over and above Manforce Condoms, Prega News and Unwanted -72, Mankind Pharma has established several consumer healthcare brands in antacid powders (Gas-O-Fast), vitamin and mineral supplements (Health OK brand) and anti-acne preparations (AcneStar brand) categories, among others. Also read: IPO fundraising in India drops by half in 2022-23, but third-highest ever recorded Also read: Mankind Pharma invests in UK-based firm Actimed Therapeutics
Dhanlaxmi Bank shares rallied 5 percent today on the back of 23 percent growth in its gold loan book. The bank has also witnessed growth of 7.45 percent in total deposits and 16.85 percent in gross advances as disclosed by the bank in a filing with the BSE today. The Bank's credit-to-deposit (CD) ratio has grown by 5.96 percent on-year and its total business has surged 11.26 percent to Rs 20,847 crore. The credit-to-deposit (CD) ratio is important because it helps in assessing a banks liquidity and indicates its financial health. A higher ratio indicates that the loans disbursed are more than the deposits. If the ratio is too low, this indicates that the bank may not be earning as much as they should. Whereas if the ratio is too high, this indicates that the bank might not have enough liquidity to cover any unforeseen fund requirements. Therefore, this may cause an asset-liability mismatch which further underlines the significance of the credit-to-deposit ratio for a bank. A brief history of Dhanlaxmi Bank Dhanlaxmi Bank Ltd was incorporated in 1927 at Thrissur, Kerala. Since then, the bank has set up 541 touch points across India. Also Read: CSB Bank rallies 3.5% as deposits grow 20 percent The Dhanlaxmi Bank stock The Dhanlaxmi bank stock has given a return of 21 percent over the last one year. It underperformed Nifty Bank over the last five years, declining 35.5 percent compared to a 64.12 percent rise in the index. The stock has been among the worst performers in the banking sector in 2023 so far, falling over 24 percent. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
The market recorded a 2.5 percent rally for the week ending March 31, marking the highest weekly rally since July of last year. This rally tracked the positive mood of global markets and was driven by buying in all key sectors. Friday's sharp upmove helped the indices post a stellar performance for the week. The Nifty50 settled at its highest closing level in the last three weeks at 17,360 on Friday, decisively breaking the consolidation range of (16,800-17,200) over the past couple of weeks. The index formed a long bullish candlestick pattern on the daily and weekly charts, indicating the strength of the bulls. The index is likely to extend its uptrend towards the 17,500-17,600 area, which coincides with the 200-day EMA (exponential moving average) and where the maximum Call open interest, as well as Call writing, has taken place. However, some consolidation is expected in the coming sessions, whereas the crucial support is placed at the 17,000 mark, according to experts. "The broad-based buying has lifted market sentiments and can be seen as a sign of progression as we emerge from the slumber phase," said Osho Krishan, Senior Analyst - Technical & Derivative Research at Angel One. As far as levels are concerned, he believes the bullish gap of the 17,200-17,130 odd zone is expected to cushion any short-term blip, with the sacrosanct support placed around the psychological mark of 17,000 for the time being. While on the higher end, a decisive move beyond the bearish gap of 17,450-17,580 would affirm the trend reversal in the market, he says. Foram Chheda, Technical Research Analyst and Founder of ChartAnalytics.co.in also feels the immediate support for Nifty is at 16,900. On the flip side, "the immediate resistance is at 17,500-17,650; only a strong bounce above 17,650 or violation of 16,900 levels will help the index take any sustainable directional move," she said. Meanwhile, Osho expects strong moves in the broader markets, so he advised that one needs to have a stock-centric approach for better trading opportunities. The broader markets also gained strength during the week as the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices 1.6 percent and 0.8 percent for last week. Let's take a look at the top 10 trading ideas by experts for the next three-four weeks. Returns are based on the March 31 closing prices: Expert: Nagaraj Shetti, Technical Research Analyst at HDFC Securities Punjab National Bank: Buy | LTP: Rs 46.60 | Stop-Loss: Rs 43.50 | Target: Rs 54 | Return: 16 percent The sharp downtrend of the last three weeks seems to have completed in this PSU banking stock (PNB). The present chart pattern indicates a formation of new lower bottom around Rs 44.40 in last week. Presently, the stock price is placed to show a decisive upside breakout of the hurdle at Rs 47.50 as per change in polarity. Rise in volume during up move in the stock price and daily/weekly RSI (relative strength index) shows positive indication. Buying can be initiated in PNB at CMP (Rs 46.60), add more on dips down to Rs 45, wait for the upside target of Rs 50 and next Rs 54 in the next 4-5 weeks. Place a stop-loss of Rs 43.50. MRPL: Buy | LTP: Rs 52.55 | Stop-Loss: Rs 48.50 | Target: Rs 63 | Return: 20 percent The daily timeframe chart of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) indicates a larger swing movement of up and down over the last few months. The stock price seems to have formed a crucial bottom reversal at Rs 49.75 recently and moved up decently on Friday. The daily candle pattern of the last 3-4 sessions indicate a bullish candlestick formation of Morning Star at the lows (not a classical one). This is positive indication and one may expect further upside in the short term. Volume is expected to expand during further upside in the stock price and daily 14 period RSI shows positive indication. The overall chart pattern of MRPL signal long trading opportunity. One may look to create positional buy as per the levels mentioned above. One may look to buy MRPL at CMP (Rs 52.55), add more on dips down to Rs 50.50 and wait for the upside target of Rs 57 and next 63 in the next 4-5 weeks. Place a stop-loss of Rs 48.50. Expert: Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail) at Kotak Securities HCL Technologies: Buy | LTP: Rs 1,085 | Stop-Loss: Rs 1,039 | Target: Rs 1,200 | Return: 11 percent It is in "Rising Running" corrective mode. The stock made a higher low at Rs 1,039 in the current month compared to Rs 1,011 in December 2022. It suggests being relatively strong compared to other top 3 giant IT companies. Based on it the positional trader should be a buyer at current levels and add more on a decline to Rs 1,050. Keep the stop-loss at Rs 1,039 for a target of Rs 1,200. Coromandel International: Buy | LTP: Rs 879 | Stop-Loss: Rs 830 | Target: Rs 1,040 | Return: 18 percent Since the last 4 months, the stock is consolidating between Rs 840 and Rs 940 levels. In the month of March 2023, the stock formed a double bottom formation, which is a bullish sign for it. It has also completed a harmonic corrective pattern at Rs 841, which will pull the stock higher. To validate the double bottom, the stock needs to cross Rs 940 level, which should be the minimum target for the positional trader. In the best-case scenario, the stock may go up to Rs 1,040 in the coming few months. The strategy should be to buy at current levels and more if it falls to Rs 850. Place stop-loss at Rs 830. Titan Company: Buy | LTP: Rs 2,515 | Stop-Loss: Rs 2,460 | Target: Rs 2,630 | Return: 5 percent The stock was at Rs 2,321 in mid-March 2023, it moved to Rs 2,521 within 7 trading sessions, which could be a pole formation for it. It later spent 7 days inside a narrow rectangle trading range of Rs 2,468 and Rs 2,528 which could be a flag for it. It is a flag formation, which is a bullish continuation formation which will lift the stock towards Rs 2,600 or Rs 2,630 levels in the near term. At current levels, the reward to risk is favourable. Buy with a final stop-loss of Rs 2,460. Expert: Ruchit Jain, Lead Research at 5paisa.com Trent: Buy | LTP: Rs 1,375 | Stop-Loss: Rs 1,330 | Target: Rs 1,460 | Return: 6 percent The stock had seen an Impulsive upmove in the month of February which was followed by a consolidation phase in last one month. The prices have now given a breakout from this consolidation indicating a continuation of its short term uptrend. The RSI oscillator also has given a positive crossover indicating a bullish momentum and hence, we expect the stock to rally higher in the near term. Traders can buy the stock in the range of Rs 1,375-1,365 for potential short term targets of Rs 1,425 and Rs 1,460. The stop-loss on long positions should be placed below Rs 1,330. Glenmark Pharma: Buy | LTP: Rs 465 | Stop-Loss: Rs 444 | Target: Rs 485 | Return: 4 percent The stock has recently seen a consolidation phase and has formed a Cup and Handle pattern. Prices gave a breakout above the neckline of the pattern in Fridays session and thus the near term trend has turned positive for the stock. The volumes along with the price breakout are good and the RSI oscillator is hinting at a positive momentum. Traders can buy the stock on declines in the range of Rs 459-454 for potential short term targets of Rs 475 and Rs 485. The stop-loss on long positions should be placed below Rs 444. Expert: Foram Chheda, Technical Research Analyst and Founder of ChartAnalytics.co.in JBM Auto: Buy | LTP: Rs 644 | Stop-Loss: Rs 610 | Target: Rs 730 | Return: 13 percent After forming a triple bottom at Rs 380-385 levels in September 2022, the stock price of JBM Auto has witnessed a gradual up-move that halted near the resistance level of Rs 670 which also led to the formation of a major double-top on the weekly chart. The stock price has been consolidating in a range of Rs 600-660 and currently, it had been trading near the double-top. Any up move above Rs 660 with a thrust will lead to a multi-month breakout. While the stock tests the crucial price levels, the volumes are higher than their 20-month average which supports the bullishness in the stock. Additionally, the relative strength (RS) is at a 52-week; this indicates relative outperformance against the broader markets. The stock be bought above Rs 660 with a target of Rs 730 and a stop-loss of Rs 610. Bharat Dynamics: Buy | LTP: Rs 989 | Stop-Loss: Rs 923 | Target: Rs 1,045 | Return: 6 percent Since the level of Rs 350, the price of Bharat Dynamics (BDL) has been in a secular uptrend. This up move halted near Rs 1,020-1,025 levels in October 2022. Since then, the stock has stayed under corrective consolidation; it has been moving sideways in a defined trading range. While staying in this phase, the stock also took support at its 50-week MA (moving average); this is where it also formed a brief double bottom and resumed its up-move. The stock has closed at a 52-week high; it is also attempting to break out from the sideways consolidation range with higher-than-average volumes. This potential breakout can trigger a potential up-move by close to 6 percent. The stock can be entered between the Rs 970-985 range with a target of Rs 1,045 while placing a stop-loss at Rs 923. Manappuram Finance: Buy | LTP: Rs 123.7 | Stop-Loss: Rs 114 | Target: Rs 135 | Return: 9 percent After forming a bottom at Rs 80-81 levels in June 2022, the stock price of Manappuram Finance moved higher. While finding resistance at Rs 125 levels more than once, the price formed higher bottoms which led to the development of an ascending triangle. Currently, the stock is seen testing the neckline of the bullish ascending triangle. Any move above Rs 125 will lead to a breakout from this pattern. The Relative Strength has made a breakout from the horizontal trendline which indicates that a price breakout can be expected; it has also crossed above the 50-period MA. Simultaneously, MACD (moving average convergence divergence) has also moved in the positive territory which adds bullishness to the stock. Thus one can consider buying the stock near Rs 125 levels with a stop-loss of Rs 114 and a target of Rs 135. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
UCO Bank will continue to lend to Adani group provided it judges projects to be commercially viable, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Soma Sankara Prasad said on April 3. "I mean, there's no reason why if it's a commercially viable proposition we should not be lending to the group, Prasad said in an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol. Adani group companies have faced a heavy sell-off in the stock market after a short-seller report in January 2023 questioned the accounting practices and valuations of Adani group companies. Hindenburg Research said it holds short positions in Adani group through US-traded bonds and non-Indian-traded derivative instruments. Lenders to Adani group have faced questions on the future of their loans and repayment status. Five banks, which include some of the biggest public and private sector players, have so far disclosed their exposure to the Adani Group. UCO Banks Prasad said that when it comes to extending new loans to the group, the bank would look at the project from a viability point of view, whether all the tie-ups are in place, debt and equity has been finalised and what kind of demand exists for the product or service it wants to sell. "If you look at our loan portfolio, if I take a loan portfolio of Rs 150,000 crore, my exposure to the Adani group is less than Rs 1,100 crores, that is less than 1 percent of my total advances, and all these loans have been given to infrastructure projects, which have already been completed and which are generating good cash flows," said Prasad. The MD & CEO noted that the group had solid assets on the ground. "We are getting our repayments regularly. So, there is no worry as far as those exposures are concerned," he said. Other banks position Bank of Baroda MD and CEO Sanjiv Chadha told Moneycontrol earlier that his bank would continue to lend to the Adani group if the account met the lender's underwriting criteria. State Bank of Indias (SBI) Chairman Dinesh Khara on February 3 said the lenders exposure to the Adani group was around Rs 27,000 crore, or 0.8 to 0.9 percent of its loan book and repayments were on track, implying there had been no cause for concern yet. We have lent to Adani for projects which have tangible assets and have adequate cash collections. They are able to meet obligations. It is only 0.8-0.9 percent of our loan book, Khara said at a press conference after announcing the bank's third-quarter results. State-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) is keeping a close watch on developments pertaining to the Adani group, MD and CEO Atul Kumar Goel told Moneycontrol on February 24. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is looking into the details of banks' exposure to Adani group companies and has sought the present status of these loans, people familiar with the matter told Moneycontrol. The RBI has already reached out to some of the major banks that are lenders to the group and is engaging with them to verify details of their exposure, one of the persons said.
[content] [title]'Heated' race to profitability[/title] [body]The Deputy CEO of a leading listed NBFC in a meeting held last week declared rather emphatically that none of the new branches are to have an air conditioner. The Deputy CEO clarified that it is isnt that the company cant afford to install an AC at its new branches. It is, he said, about messaging. We are sending a message of frugality, he said, while adding that the AC has to be earned by the team. This company, as a rule, never supplies a branch with an AC till it turns profitable. No branch profitability, no AC. Indian summers can be unsparing and break the spirit of the most hardworking. We all know that situations within India Inc can spin out of control and things sure do get hot and heated. One just never knew that it was meant literally as well! [/body] [/content] [content] [title]Going somewhere?[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]Word on the street is a chief investment officer (CIO) of a mid-sized fund house might possibly be on his way out. The fund house, which hired its own former fund manager back, as head-equities last year, just got its analyst team to report to him. Earlier, the analyst team used to report to the CIO. There has been news circulating on the MF street for quite some time that this CIO might be on his way out. Guess the change in reporting line of analysts might just be another indicator. [/body] [/content] [content] [title]Nifty expiry moving?[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]One market rumor has been spreading fast over the weekend that an expiry day may be moved forward in the week. That Nifty expiry date is likely to be changed to Monday from the current Thursday. If that happens, every day till Thursday there will be contracts expiring and every day till Thursday there will be heightened volatility. Currently, FINNIFTY expiry falls on Tuesday, midcap index contracts expire on Wednesday, and Nifty and Bank Nifty expire on Thursday, said an insider, and added that the Nifty-expiry news seems to be just something to keep busy over a lazy weekend. [/body] [/content] [content] [title]Charm offensive[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]Though seldom, research analysts are the ones who visit plants and factories before writing a recommendation report. On the other hand, fund managers mostly stick to meetings with promoters before buying stake. But recently a fund manager visited the shop floor of an auto ancillary company and was left truly impressed. "The guy working the machines can tell you how critical a tiny product is for the client," the fund manager says emphatically. Years of research behind the automation, best-in-class logistics and low wastage, are some of the many reasons why he assigns a high return ratio to this company. But is he adding more of it to his fund? Well find out soon. [/body] [/content] [content] [title]In high spirits[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]A hedge fund manager has recently taken a liking to alcohol stocks. But, hasnt the multibagger story for these stocks played out already? They are just getting started, he believes. He has even taken a liking towards the newly listed one in this space, despite its small market size. We wonder if his wife, a master of wine, has anything to do with it... [/body] [/content] [content] [title]Rights issue hurdles over?[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]The rights issue plan of this private sector bank was on hold for a while. Shareholders had questioned the move and other expansion plans questioning the cost-return metrics. The rights issue, which was approved early last year, was in limbo for these reasons. Now, we hear, the stalemate is probably over and the bank may just be ready to go ahead finally! There may be an announcement very soon! [/body] [/content] [content] [title]Cement wont remain boring[/title] [circularimage] [/circularimage] [body]With growth shifting to Tier-II, Tier-III towns, companies are having to relook at their products. A cement majors marketing head was overheard saying that they had believed cement was a low-involvement product until now. That means, consumers dont care what brand of cement is used in their apartments because the purchases were decided by contractors/architects, depending on the best deal they could strike with the distributors. In smaller towns, people are more involved in their house-building and therefore cement becomes a not-low-involvement product, and becomes one that needs higher promotional spending. Cement will need a makeover and it will start hunting for star power now. [/body] [/content] Note to readers: Chances are you love a juicy story as much as we hacks do and you might have one to share. Please share the story in an email to MCInsider@nw18.com. Also, spare a moment to tell us what you think of this series. Send your hosannas and howls to the same email address.
Indian banks will not face any impact from global banking crises as they mostly depend on retail deposits, said UCO Bank MD & CEO Soma Sankara Prasad in an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol recently. "I don't think theres any impact from recent banking crises globally as Indian banks depend to the extent of 90 to 95 percent on retail deposits. These are all small depositors spread all over the country, said Prasad. Silicon Valley Bank, which was a key funding source for startups in the US, collapsed on March 10, followed by the failure of Signature Bank on March 12, triggering a banking crisis. The banking crisis is the biggest since the global financial crisis of 20072008. In the backdrop of the US banking crisis, he said there should be no doubt about the position of public sector banks (PSBs). "We don't depend on bulk deposits, and at the same time, for most of the banks, retail loans comprise almost 60 percent of the loan portfolio. Though we have our SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) and all that, I think I don't see any impact on Indian banks as far as what is happening," Prasad said. PSBs meeting with the finance ministry The UCO Bank MD & CEO also attended a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to review the performance of PSBs on various financial, efficiency and health parameters on March 25, 2023. "The government of India holds a majority equity stake in most of the banks. So, the finance ministry does take a review of the performance of the banks, wherein all the parameters are discussed," he said. Deposit insurance adequate The Reserve Bank of Indias subsidiary Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation insures deposits in the case of bank failures. Prasad said the maximum insured amount of Rs 5 lakh per account in India is quite adequate. "I don't think we have the kind of issue as in the West, where it is quite normal for banks to fail. It doesn't happen in India. If you look at the last 10 years or 15 years, there has not been a single case where a bank has been allowed to fail. In that context, I think Rs 5 lakh is quite adequate," the MD & CEO of UCO Bank said.
Highlights Strong consistency in profits and cash flows 9M Revenues rose 26 percent YoY on a favourable base Gross margins to benefit from RM price correction Management aims to double the top line in next 4 years Stock closer to 52-week highs despite broader market weakness In uncertain times, investors follow the time-honoured tradition of flight to quality. The current market seems to be seeing a similar trend as investors seem nervous about the state of economy both domestic and international. Amid volatile market conditions, investors could rather look at Cera Sanitaryware, a low beta stock high on safety as well as quality. The company has notable operational characteristics  consistent top-line growth, cost contention, stable cash flow generation, conservative capital allocation, the promise of future growth, and dividends. Continued momentum in Q3 Cera delivered high double-digit revenue growth in Q3 led by broad-based growth across Sanitaryware, Faucetware, and Tiles segments. Revenues for 9M FY23 jumped 26 percent year on year (YoY) to Rs 1,266 crore on a favourable base. Rising input costs were a drag on gross margins in the first half of the current fiscal year. However, gross margins in Q3 benefited moderately from the correction of metal and other raw material prices. Still, operating margins were stable at 16 percent on account of higher advertising and marketing spends. For 9M FY23, almost 55 percent of the top line came from Sanitaryware, 35 percent from Faucetware, while Tiles represented 9 percent and Wellness contributed the remaining 1 percent. Though the revenue share of Sanitaryware has been stagnant around 55 percent for some time, the same for Faucetware has increased from 25 percent to 35 percent in the last 3 years. The company didnt undertake any price increase during Oct-Dec 22, though its peers have hiked prices during the same period. Focus on the premium segment The capacity utilisation in the core business segments continued to be driven by robust end market demand from consumers. The company is focusing on high-end markets wherein it is increasing its focus on premium products, which contributed nearly 45 percent of its top line in Q3. Overall capacity utilisation for Sanitaryware and Faucetware in Q3 stood at 105 percent and 115 percent, respectively. Faucetware expansion underway The expansion for Faucetware commenced in July-22. The investment will enhance its capacity by 1 lakh pieces, taking the total manufacturing capacity to 4 lakh pieces (per month) by Q1 FY24. The cost of the project is estimated around Rs 69 crore, being financed by internal accruals. Besides this, Cera is looking to set up a new greenfield facility for Sanitaryware. The company has already identified land parcels in Gujarat and is conducting a due diligence and feasibility study for the next phase of expansion. Cera will share a detailed road map of the planned capital expenditure in the sanitaryware business once it completes the land acquisition in the next 6-9 months. Outlook and recommendation Cera Sanitaryware has a long history of steady growth and profitability, with an established reputation in the home improvement space. It ticks most of the boxes for those looking exclusively for compounders and remains our preferred pick within the sector as the resilience in operational performance through various business cycles reflects strong execution capabilities of the management. Although the stock seems fairly priced at current valuations (34 times FY24 earnings), it would continue to command a premium over its competitors. Long-term investors should keep the stock on the radar for accumulation on every correction.
Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) recorded its highest-ever crude throughput of 3.093 million metric tonnes (MMT) against its nameplate capacity of 3.0 MMT in the financial year 2022-23, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) on April 3. NRL, a division of PSU crude oil producer Oil India Limited (OIL), also achieved a distillate yield of 87.6 percent, the highest since its inception. Capital expenditure of the refinery stood at Rs 6,615 crore for FY23, highest ever till date, surpassing its earlier record of Rs 3,605 crore in the previous financial year. The company has concluded FY 2022-23 on a positive note with exemplary physical performance which is expected to translate into financial gains and enhanced bottom lines, said MoPNG in a press release. The company also recorded highest production of major refinery products such as MS (motor spirit), HSD (high speed diesel) and wax at 662.4 MT, 2,134.8 MT and 47.7 MT. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) bottling has also been the highest ever at 65.9 TMT. In the financial year ended March 2023, NRL commissioned a 132 km pipeline, India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline, to transport HSD from NRLs Siliguri Marketing Terminal in West Bengal to Parbatipur in Bangladesh. Upcoming plans With an aim to increase its capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA, the company plans to build a crude oil import terminal in Paradip Port, Odisha and lay a 1,640 km crude oil pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh. NRL is also implementing the first of its kind bio refinery with bamboo biomass as feedstock at Numaligarh through a joint venture company with Finnish collaborators. The Bio Refinery expected to be commissioned by the end of 2023 would produce 49,000 tonnes of Ethanol and other chemicals; contributing to the nations objective of achieving 20% ethanol blending in petrol by the year 2025, the press release said. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri lauded the company for working to achieve governments vision for an energy self-reliant India. Indias energy sector entities working in top gear to achieve PM Sh @narendramodi Jis vision for an energy self-reliant India & putting NE states on path to fast-paced development. Initiatives to boost production, refinery throughput & efficiency are showing results! @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/rACcu9xrpi  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) April 1, 2023
Days after Cyberabad Police, one of three police commissionerates in Hyderabad, arrested a person for allegedly selling confidential data of nearly 67 crore people from companies such as PayTM, PhonePe, Amazon, Byju's, YouTube and so on, PhonePe has assured that no company data has been leaked. In a statement to Moneycontrol, a PhonePe spokesperson said, "No PhonePe data has been leaked and we continue to work with law enforcement agencies (LEA) to identify on how we can educate our customers from falling for these social engineering frauds." "The current media refers to data leaks which have been farmed via 3P (third party) data sources and does not pertain to PhonePe," the spokesperson added. Moneycontrol has further reached out to the company asking for specific details on who or what these third-party data sources can be, and how they can farm such data. The publication has also reached out to other companies named by Cyberabad Police, whose data allegedly was being sold by Bhardwaj. The article will be updated when a response is received. On April 2, Cyberabad Police arrested one Vinay Bhardwaj, a resident of Faridabad in Haryana, who was allegedly selling this database on a website called InspireWebz, and was delivering it through cloud drive links. A press release by the police said that databases secured from Bhardwaj included that of 1.8 lakh Phonepe customers, and it included parameters such as customer name, bank, personal email id, PhonePe numbers, address and city. "The PhonePe app is totally safe and secure and we have seen no data breach on our platform. Please be assured that we take multiple security measures to make sure every transaction on our platform is safe," the spokesperson added. Apart from PhonePe, personal data of 50 lakh Paytm customers, including their name, mobile numbers, email, gender, bank and income statements were put up for sale, the Cyberabad Police release said On the e-commerce side, data of 10.2 lakh Amazon users were also being offered on sale, which includes emails, names, phone numbers, payment methods and so on, according to the police. In total, the police estimated that Bhardwaj had collected and was allegedly selling data on 1.84 lah cab users, 4.5 lakh salaried persons, data from Goods and Services Tax, pan-India Regional Transport Offices, data on defence personnel, PAN card holders, D-MAT account holders, credit card and debit card holders. This incident gains significance as India still does not have a data protection law. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 is yet to be presented in Parliament. This also highlights the necessity of proper cyber security hygiene within the government and the industry. This is also the second such case that Cyberabad Police has cracked in the past one month. On March 23, the cops arrested seven people from a gang allegedly involved in the theft and sale of sensitive data of the government and important organisations, including details of defence personnel as well as the personal and confidential data of about 16.8 crore citizens. The accused persons were found selling more than 140 different categories of information, which include sensitive information such as details of defence personnel and the mobile numbers of citizens and NEET students, among others, Cyberabad Police Commissioner M Stephen Raveendra had said.
Mahendra Pratap Jaiswal, a resident of Supertech Eco Village-2 in Greater Noida West, has been running from pillar to post for the last six years to get the registry of his home done, but to no avail. I have been living in Supertech Eco Village-2 for the last six years, but the registry of my flat is yet to be done. I have been making rounds of offices of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) and the developer, but to no avail. Due to connivance of the Authority and the builders, the registry is pending. Please take cognisance of the plight of homebuyers and provide a solution to this problem, Jaiswal wrote in his letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Jaiswal is not alone. Hundreds of homebuyers in Greater Noida West, also known as Noida Extension, have written postcard letters to the UP CM over the issue of pending registries and incomplete projects. They have urged Adityanath to help homebuyers get possession of their homes and start registry of flats. In their postcards to the UP CM, homebuyers also alleged that the stalemate between the builders and the Authority is taking a toll on the registry of flats as they have been waiting for the registry of their homes for the last five-six years. Development authorities in Gautam Buddh Nagar  Noida Authority, GNIDA and Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA)  have stopped registry of flats in those projects where builders have not cleared their dues. As per Gautam Budh Nagar registration department data, till February 28, only 16,800 flats were registered in financial year 2022-23 in the entire district, earning Rs 656.72 crore. Data of March 2023 is yet to be compiled. Residents also staged a protest at the Ek Murti roundabout in Noida Extension to raise their issues of pending registries and incomplete projects under the aegis of the Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA) on April 2. The residents have been staging protests for 17 weeks every Sunday to press for their demands concerning pending registries and delays in possession of flats. Abhishek Kumar, president of NEFOWA, said that the protest against pending registries had been going on for 17 weeks now, but the authorities have not taken cognisance of the homebuyers plight. The common homebuyer is suffering due to the nexus between the Authority and the builders. UP CM Yogi Adityanath also knows our problems, but still, we are suffering. Homebuyers have decided to again apprise him of their plight. So, they have penned down their grievance on postcards. These postcards will be sent to the UP CM on Wednesday, Kumar told Moneycontrol. Anurag Khare, a resident of Noida Extension, said that he had booked a flat in 2010, but got possession in 2019 after a lot of struggle. However, the registry is yet to be done. For the last four years, I have been trying to get the registry of my flat done, but there has been no success so far. In the absence of a registry, the homebuyers do not have ownership rights. Since we do not have ownership rights, we cannot sell our flat and also we will not get any claim on the house in case of any calamity. We appeal to the CM to pay attention to the homebuyers plight and resolve the issue, Khare said. Also Read: Sixty-eight out of 115 Noida group housing projects are 'defaulters', yet to get occupancy certificate Another homebuyer, Amit Kumar Sinha, a resident of Sector 16B in Noida Extension, said that he had booked his flat in 2018, but even after five years he is yet to get possession of his flat. CM Adityanath had, last month, met a delegation of homebuyers from Noida Extension in Lucknow and assured them of resolving their issues of pending registries and delay in possession of flats. Approximately one lakh homebuyers in Noida and Greater Noida have been forced to wait to get their homes registered because builders have either not paid the dues to the authorities or their projects are incomplete. According to officials, there are 45,000 to 50,000 unregistered flats in projects where completion certificates have been issued across the district. They said that the average potential income from the registry of these flats is expected to range between Rs 1,800 crore and Rs 2,000 crore. Builders owe the authorities approximately Rs 40,000 crore  Rs 26,000 crore to the Noida Authority and nearly Rs 14,000 crore to the Greater Noida Authority.
Unclaimed deposits with banks fell to Rs 35,012 crore from Rs 48,262 crore a year ago, according to data made available by the government. Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Bhagwat Karad, in a written reply to Parliament, said that the total amount of unclaimed deposits transferred to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by public sector banks (PSBs) in respect of deposits which have not been operated for 10 years or more, was Rs 35,012 crore till February 2023 as against Rs 48,262 in March 2022 last year. An unclaimed deposit is a deposit that does not see any activity like an infusion of funds or withdrawal from the depositor for 10 years or more and is deemed as an inactive deposit. Banks have to report the number of unclaimed deposits and the amount of the same to the RBI. After this, the unclaimed deposits are transferred to the central bank's Depositors Education and Awareness Fund (DEAF). India's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India, has the largest unclaimed deposit amount of Rs 8,086 crore, followed by Punjab National Bank (Rs 5,340 crore), Canara Bank (Rs 4,558 crore) and Bank of Baroda (Rs 3,904 crore). "SBI has informed that it assists the family of the deceased in settling all cases of claims. Settlement of account (s) of deceased constituent are taken up on priority by SBI. SBI staff has been sensitised and instructions are reiterated in all forums of banks at a regular frequency," said Karad. He further noted that for the convenience of SBI customers, the details and process of settlement of claims without legal representation in respect of account(s) of deceased constituents, the specimen of prescribed forms, as well as updated FAQs for easy understanding have been uploaded on SBIs website. RBI's rule on unclaimed deposits amount As per the instructions issued by the RBI to banks vide their master circular on Customer Service in Banks in July 2014, banks are required to make an annual review of accounts in which there are no operations for more than a year and may approach the customers and inform them in writing that there has been no operation in their accounts and ascertain the reasons for the same. Banks have also been advised to consider launching a special drive for finding the whereabouts of the customers or legal heirs in respect of accounts which have become inoperative, i.e., where there are no transactions in the account over a period of two years. Further, banks are required to display the list of unclaimed deposits or inoperative accounts which are inactive or inoperative for 10 years or more on their respective websites, with the list containing the names and addresses of the account holders in respect of unclaimed deposits or inoperative accounts. "Finally, banks have been advised by the RBI to play a more proactive role in finding the whereabouts of the account holders whose accounts have remained inoperative," stated Karad.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has approved fresh guidelines for engaging the services of law interns for assisting Supreme Court judges in legal research after which they will be paid a consolidated remuneration of Rs 80,000 per month. The top court has come up with a fresh 'Scheme for Engaging Law Clerk-cum-Research Associates on Short-Term Contractual Assignment in the Supreme Court of India'. "A Law Clerk will be paid a consolidated remuneration of Rs. 80,000/- per month for the assignment term and there will be no other allowances/perquisites," the apex court notification said, adding if such persons are given an extension after 12 months of the initial assignment, then 'a consolidated remuneration of Rs. 90,000/- per month will be paid for the extended assignment term' without any other allowances or perquisites. The CIJI and other SC judges will be entitled to the services of four Law Clerks out of which the first two shall be selected mandatorily through the selection process of the (apex court) Registry, it said. The CJI and judges may seek and engage the services of a fifth law clerk subject to the workload, it said. The law clerks prepare a brief summary of fresh cases listed for admission in the apex court. They also prepare a synopsis of regular hearing matters and note down all the arguments made during the hearing of regular matters where benches are supposed to deliver judgements.
The amendments to the Competition Act, 2002 seek to strengthen the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as it continues its tryst with markets driven by technology and data. The Bill was originally introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2022 and then referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 29, 2023 and the Rajya Sabha on April 3. Introduction of deal value threshold: Among the more significant changes is the introduction of a deal value threshold (DVT) of Rs 2,000 crore, which will be in addition to asset/turnover-based thresholds set out under the Competition Act. Transactions that exceed the DVT will require prior mandatory notification to the CCI for its review and approval. Previously, such notification was subject to any party having substantial business operations in India. However, based on the Parliamentary Standing Committees recommendation, the Bill clarifies that substantial business operations in India are for the target company. Although deal value is defined to include direct, indirect, or deferred consideration, the CCI will now have to consider factors including fluctuations in share value, performance-linked payouts, etc. in assessing the notifiability of such transactions. The impact of the DVT will most likely be seen in sectors that are driven by technology and data  which have seen a slew of small acquisitions that are otherwise not notifiable but have the potential to substantially alter market conditions. Enterprises in the tech sector will now have to grapple with merger control provisions of the Competition Act while deciding their growth strategies. Definition of control: The definition of control has been widened to include the material influence standard. The broader definition of control could result in more transactions becoming notifiable. It is expected that the CCI will publish additional guidance to clarify the scope of material influence to provide some clarity to transacting parties to help them determine the notifiability of their planned transactions. Settlements and Commitments: The Bill also introduces a settlement and commitment system that would be available in cases relating to anti-competitive vertical agreements and abuse of dominant position. While commitments can be offered after an investigation has been directed and before the Director General (DG) report is received by a party, a settlement application can be filed after receiving the DG Report but before CCI passes a final order. In line with the Parliamentary Standing Committees recommendation, claims for compensation/damages will lie in cases of loss/ damage suffered as a result of a settlement order by the CCI. It is expected that the settlement and commitment system will lead to speedy disposal of cases, reduced litigation, and efficient deployment of resources by the CCI. However, since compensation claims can also be filed in settlement cases, it is unclear if this implies an admission of liability by the party seeking a settlement. If yes, this would result in further litigation, diluting the underlying objective of introducing the settlement system. Penalty based on global turnover: A significant change to the penalty regime has been the expansion of turnover to mean the global turnover of an enterprise, accounting for all its products and services. Pegging penalty computation to a global turnover' standard will be an overturn of relevant turnover as settled by the Supreme Court in Excel Crop, in terms of which, the turnover for computing penalties is limited to the turnover accruing from infringing products/ services. This amendment will likely have far-reaching financial ramifications for global companies, especially those in the technology sector, facing inquiries under the Competition Act. Withdrawal of leniency applications: The Bill has also introduced a provision allowing a party to withdraw its application for a lesser penalty in cases relating to cartels. While such a withdrawal will not preclude the DG and CCI from using the evidence submitted by the such party during the process, any admission of liability made by such a party cannot be used. The lesser penalty regime has been a valuable tool, increasingly used by the CCI to inquire into cartels. Allowing such a withdrawal brings much-needed flexibility, as the DG/CCI can use the evidence provided under the application and on the other hand, an applicant would have the option to withdraw its leniency request without limiting its defence. Leniency plus: The Bill permits a lesser penalty applicant to submit another application, containing disclosures with respect to another cartel, provided that the first application is undergoing investigation. This adds to the tools available with CCI to inquire into cartels and could potentially incentivise parties to report more than one cartel to be eligible for greater penalty reductions. Hub and spoke cartels: The Bill has introduced a provision which would penalise hub and spoke arrangements by adopting a presumption that an enterprise that participates in the furtherance of a horizontal agreement is part of such an agreement, even though it may not be engaged in an identical or similar trade. Based on the Parliamentary Standing Commitees recommendation, the Bill has removed the requirement for active participation and an enterprise would be liable if it participates or intends to participate in furthering a horizontal agreement. This would potentially allow parties to take the defence that there was no intention to participate in the cartel. Expedited timelines: The timelines for clearance of combinations by the CCI have been reduced from 210 days to 150 days. The truncated timelines will likely exert some pressure on the CCI to adopt a more efficient review process. It will also mean that notifying parties will have to ensure the completeness and adequacy of the information being provided to the CCI. Power to issue Guidelines: The Bill has introduced a provision requiring the CCI to ensure transparency in passing new regulations by publishing the draft regulations on its website and inviting public comments. A newly included provision also requires the CCI to publish guidelines on provisions under the Competition Act. This would also include guidelines for the appropriate amount of penalties, which are required to be considered by the CCI while imposing penalties. This is a significant addition to the existing regime as comprehensive and clear guidelines, especially on matters such as penalties, would impart much-needed legal certainty, especially from the perspective of concerned stakeholders. In conclusion, the introduction of the deal value threshold, a settlements and commitments system, and provisions capturing hub and spoke cartels, seek to align the Competition Act with global competition regimes. The long-awaited amendments are poised to significantly overhaul the Competition Act by arming the CCI with newer enforcement tools to address emerging challenges. Ravisekhar Nair is Partner at Economic Laws Practice (ELP). With inputs from Aayushi Sharma, Senior Associate and Pavan Kalyan, Advocate  Economic Laws Practice (ELP). Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest outside the BJP headquarters here on Monday to express solidarity with jailed party leader Manish Sisodia, while his court hearing was underway. There was heavy police deployment on the stretch of road leading up to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in view of the protest. Carrying placards that read Manish Sisodia Tujhe Salaam, the protesters raised slogans, such as Manish Sisodia ko riha karo (free Sisodia) and jail ke taale tootenge, Manish Sisodia chootenge. AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said, Manish Sisodiaji has brought a great revolution in Delhis education sector. The public is with him. Those who dedicate their lives for public welfare, the BJP government puts them in jail. Those who cheat the country like (industrialist Gautam) Adani get protection. Alleging that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not submitted any proof against Sisodia till date, another legislator Praveen Kumar said the ruling BJP at the Centre is so scared of the AAP that it is ensuring that the former deputy chief minister and another former Delhi minister, Satyendar Jain, stay in jail. This is vendetta politics. The BJP wants to contest the (2024) Lok Sabha polls by putting opposition leaders in jail. The ED is no longer the Enforcement Directorate. It has become the Election Department of the BJP, he said. A designated CBI court extended Sisodias judicial custody till April 17 on Monday in the Delhi excise scam case.Sisodia was produced before special judge MK Nagpal, who extended his judicial custody by 14 days following a prayer by the federal agency. The CBI told the court that the investigation is at a crucial stage in the corruption case linked to the scam.Sisodia was arrested for alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor policy for 2021-22.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will Monday embark on a week-long tour to Japan in a bid to attract investments in various sectors for the eastern state, officials said. During the visit, Patnaik is likely to attend programmes in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and return on April 9, they said. "We are optimistic about wooing Japanese investors as they are well acquainted with Odisha. Apart from a stable government, we have vast natural resources and business-friendly policies," the state's Industries and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Pratap Keshari Deb said. Odisha will seek Japanese investments in sectors like tourism, food processing, auto components, electronics, chemicals & petrochemicals, mining, metals and information technology, the officials said. Japan had earlier partnered with the state in 2018 and 2022 during the 'Make in Odisha' conclave.

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There is no dearth of political will today to act against corruption and officers should take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. Addressing a gathering at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the prime minister said corruption is the biggest roadblock to democracy and justice and the agencys key responsibility is to free India from it. It is the desire of the people of the country that no corrupt should be spared, he said. He said those who benefitted from corruption for decades have created an ecosystem which attacks the probe agencies. But the agencies should not to be deterred by stories about power of the corrupt and their ecosystem to tarnish them. These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the people of the country. The country, law and constitution are with you, the prime minister said. Today there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country, Modi said and asked officers to take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation. Referring to international transactions and the movement of people, goods and services on a large scale even outside geographical boundaries, Modi said that Indias economic power is growing while those who create obstacles are also rising. He warned that attacks on Indias social fabric, its unity and brotherhood, its economic interests and institutions will also increase. Corruption money will be spent on this, he said as he stressed the need to understand and study the multinational nature of crime and corruption. Modi said India got a legacy of corruption at the time of Independence and lamented the fact that instead of removing it, some people kept nourishing this malady. He said that while a discussion on trillion dollars refers to strong economy these days, a decade ago when the CBI celebrated its golden jubilee such figures were used to describe scams in the country. There was a competition going on who will set a new record of corruption, he said, adding the scams and the prevailing sense of impunity led to the destruction of the system and an atmosphere of policy paralysis brought development to a standstill. He said that while Internet banking and UPI stand in stark contrast to the earlier phone banking malaise where loans worth thousands of crores of rupees were sanctioned on the basis of phone calls from influential people. The beneficiaries scooted away with the public money, the prime minister said. He said the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act has so far enabled the confiscation of Rs 20,000 crore worth of properties of fugitive offenders. Modi said the corrupt would even go to the extent of looting the aid given to beneficiaries of government schemes, be it rations, homes, scholarships or pensions, and the original beneficiary would feel conned every time. Even a prime minister once said that for every rupee sent out to the poor, only 15 paisa reaches them, he said. Modi said the beneficiaries of government schemes are now getting their full entitlement with the trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile where more than eight crore fake beneficiaries have been removed from the system. Due to DBT (direct benefit transfer), about 2.25 lakh crore rupees of the country have been saved from going into the wrong hands, he said. The prime minister said it was the resolve of his government after assuming office in 2014 to launch a crackdown on corruption and benami properties and it started on a mission mode to act against these evils. He asked the CBI to device ways to fast track its investigations against the corrupt because a languishing probe gives a sense of safety to the corrupt while innocent keep suffering. The prime minister said even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to the CBI. The CBI has given faith to people through its work and techniques, he said. CBIs name is on everyones lips. It is like a brand for truth and justice. Even at panchayat level if some important crime comes, people want it to be referred to the CBI, he said. The CBI was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs on April 1, 1963. Modi said wherever there is corruption, the youths dont get equal opportunities and just one special eco-system gets emboldened. Terming the corruption as the biggest enemy of merit, he said corruption gives encouragement to the nepotism and dynastic rule. When nepotism and dynastic rule increase, the countrys strength gets affected and when the countrys strength gets weakened, it affects development, he said.Corruption is not just a small crime. It snatches the rights of the poor and that lead to birth of many criminals, he said. During the programme, an investiture ceremony for recipients of the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI was held and the prime minister conferred the medals. He also inaugurated the newly constructed office complexes of CBI in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur, released a postage stamp and commemorative coin, and launched the Twitter handle of the CBI. Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal were present on the occasion.
The Surat Sessions Court on April 3 suspended the two-year sentence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case until the disposal of his appeal, granting him bail and exempting him from personal appearance. The hearing in the case challenging his conviction is scheduled for May 3, and his Lok Sabha membership can be restored if the court stays his conviction. The Sessions Court has also issued a notice to the complainant, Purnesh Modi, and the Gujarat government to respond to Rahul Gandhis application seeking a stay of his conviction by April 10. "This is a fight to save democracy against, Mitrakal. In this struggle, truth is my weapon, and the truth is my support, tweeted Rahul Gandhi after the suspension of his sentence. Gandhi was accompanied by senior Congress leaders including AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, and Anand Sharma to the Sessions Court. Read: Rahul Gandhi's disqualification darkest day in Indian democracy; manipulated by BJP govt: Congress chief Kharge Gandhi was convicted on March 23 under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code over his remarks made during a political campaign in the Karol area of Karnataka in April 2019. Following his conviction, the Lok Sabha Secretariat disqualified him on March 24 and asked him to vacate his official bungalow, sparking protests from the Congress party.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed officials to replace 50 per cent of firewood used in crematoriums with cow dung cakes and utilise the income generated through this for the management of cow shelters. The chief minister was addressing a meeting to review the management of stray cattle shelters and the current status of milk production in the state, according to an official statement. Fifty per cent of the total firewood used in crematoriums should be replaced with cow dung cakes, Adityanath told the officials. The cow dung cakes will be made available from shelters for stray cows and the income generated will be used for their management, he said.The chief minister further said the state government has made necessary arrangements for the protection of stray cattle and their fodder. At present, more than 11.33 lakh cows are protected at 6,719 cattle protection sites. It should be ensured that stray cattle are taken care of in all the rural and urban areas of the state, he said.Large conservation centres are being set up in the state for the protection of cattle. So far, 274 large cow protection centres have become functional, he added. Adityanath said more than 1.77 lakh cows have been handed over to the common people under the Mukhyamantri Sahbhagita Yojana so far.For ensuring availability of milk to families with malnourished children, 3,598 cows have been handed over under the Nutrition Mission, he said. Adityanath said the state government is determined to provide quality milk and milk products to the general public at a reasonable price while ensuring remunerative prices for dairy farmers associated with the states cooperative milk societies. The state government has decided to set up new dairy plants in Kanpur, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh and Prayagraj districts with the help of private players, he said.
Power tariffs in Mumbai have been raised by 5-10 percent in the face of rising cost of electricity generation, the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has announced. The increased tariffs will be applicable from April 1. Not just this, the MERC has also approved even steeper power tariff hikes for the next financial year (2024-25) that range from an average of 2.1 percent to 21 percent. For residential consumers under state-owned discom Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (MSEDCL), which already has the highest electricity rates in Mumbai, bills will go up by 6 percent this year as well as in 2024-25. Industrial consumers can expect a marginal hike of 1 percent this year and 4 percent in 2024-25. BEST residential customers will face a 6.19 percent hike for 2023-24 and 6.75 percent in 2024-25. For the industrial category, power tariffs will be up by 15.17 percent this financial year and 5.44 percent for 2024-25. For Tata Power's residential consumers, it will be a 10 percent hike in 2023-24 and 21 percent in 2024-25, while its industrial consumers will face a hike of 11 percent in 2023-24 and a 17 percent hike in the next financial year. Adani Power's residential customers, who are currently paying the lowest for electricity in Mumbai, will see an increase of 5 percent in 2023-24 and 2 percent in 2024-25. It is also the only discom under which industrial consumers will see no hikes in power tariffs this year as well as next financial year. As per the power ministry, state power regulators have to mandatorily issue the tariff orders before April every year. Despite explicit legal provisions, there are significant delays in the issuance of tariff orders by some of the state commissions. Regulatory assets are being created by some of the state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) as a matter of routine. This is against the letter and spirit of the law and not only negatively impacts the financials of the distribution licensees and their business sustainability but is also prejudicial to the public interest as the discoms do not have enough money to buy power or maintain the distribution system, a senior power ministry official said requesting anonymity.
Apple may launch an affordably priced iPhone SE 4 next year, according to a report. The report, published by Mashable, says that the upcoming iPhone SE model may compete with Google's Pixel 7a, another affordable spin-off from a premium series. The SE models are scaled-down, slightly less expensive iPhones that are normally positioned below the standard iPhone models in the line-up. The report says that Apple might look to keep pricing in line with Google's Pixel line-up, to compete. Also Read: Apple wins appeal against UK's antitrust investigation Next year's model is also not expected to be compact, and may feature a larger 5.7-inch or 6.1-inch display, in place of the 4.7-inch display, seen on the 2022 model of the iPhone SE. This new size will be comparable to the standard variants of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. As for the design of the phone, leaks from prominent Apple leaker Jon Prosser, suggest that Apple may adopt the look of the iPhone XR for next year's model. Also Read: Apple announces dates for WWDC 2023 According to a rumor from Tom's Guide, The iPhone SE 4 may use Face ID in place of Touch ID, which was on the previous models. In addition to this, the SE will likely benefit from performance enhancements, courtesy of Apple's A16 Bionic chipset, which first made an appearance on the iPhone 14 series. It's worth noting, none of this has actually been confirmed. So it's better to treat them as rumors for now.
Nine colleges in China have announced a weeklong holiday in April for their students to find love. The unique plan was to address the decline in the country's overall population amid an ageing society and plunging birthrate. Run by the Fan Mei Education Group, the schools on March 23 said that they are going on a break from April 1 to 7 and encouraged students to learn to love nature, love life, and enjoy love through enjoying the spring break." Liang Guohui, deputy dean of Mianyang Flying Vocational College, said in a statement, I hope that students can go to see the green water and green mountains and feel the breath of spring. This will not only broaden students horizons and cultivate their sentiments but also enrich and deepen the teaching content in the classroom." Students of this school were given a week off in spring since 2019, but, this years theme enjoy the blossoms, go fall in love" focuses on romance and personal growth. The only "homework" that the students were given included writing diaries, keeping track of personal development, and making travel videos, CNBCTV18 reported. Walk out of campus, get in touch with nature, and with your heart feel the beauty of spring," the statement added. Read more: Demographic crisis looms as China population shrinks for first time in over 60 years China, which has long been the world's most populous nation, in 2022 witnessed a decline in its population for the first time in more than six decades. In other innovative ways to boost the birth rate, a Chinese city is offering parents 20,000 yuan or about Rs 2 lakh to have a third child. The government of Hangzhou, a tech hub and home to e-commerce giant Alibaba, has decided to give new parents 20,000 yuan as a one-off subsidy for having a third child this year, local media outlet Zhejiang Daily reported.nThose having a second child will receive about Rs 60,000, the outlet added, citing a recently-passed policy. Another Chinese city, Shenyang, is offering subsidies of up to Rs 6,000 a month till a child is three years old. Read more: How China is seeking to boost its falling birth rate
Human being will achieve immortality by 2023, says futurist Ray Kurzweil in claims that have gotten the internet curious. The comments by the computer scientist and author, who is a former Google engineer, were made several years ago, in his book. A tech vlogger, Adagio, recently compiled Kurzweils claims in videos on YouTube, which have raked up thousands of views. In his 2005 book, The Singularity Is Near, Kurzweil claimed that technology will allow humans to achieve immortality by 2023, the New York Post reported. 2029 is the consistent date I have predicted for when an AI will pass a valid (Alan) Turing test and therefore, achieve human levels of intelligence, he told Futurism in 2017. I have set the date 2045 for the 'singularity' which is when we will multiply our effective intelligence a billion fold by merging with the intelligence we have created. So what is singularity? Ray Kurzweil writes in his 2005 book that singularity is a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed. The singularity will allow us to transcened these limitations of our biological bodies and brains. We will gain power over our fates. Our mortality will be in our own hands. We will be able to live as long as we want ( a subtly different statement from saying we will live forever). In 2010, Kurzweil, 75, claimed that 86 per cent of the 147 predictions he has made over the years has come true. Kurzweil was the principal developer of the first CCD flat-bed scanner, the first omni-front optical character recognition, the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesiser capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition. In 2012, he was hired as a director of engineering at Google. He has received thirteen honorary doctorates and honours from three US presidents.
While active cases of the Covid-causing coronavirus continue to grow at a sustained pace, the union health ministry on April 3 said that hospitalisation continues to remain very low across the country. We need to remain alert but there is no need to worry. Currently XBB 1.16, the subvariant of Omicron circulating in the country, hasnt led to an increase in hospitalisation, a top official said. The official added that the current surge could be attributed to the spread of the XBB 1.16 variant in the country, adding that scientists have isolated the strain. Scientists at the national institute of virology in Pune have isolated the strain of the variant and research is being done, he added. Pragya Yadav, senior scientist from NIV Pune, confirmed to Moneycontrol that different studies are being conducted by the institute to assess the virulence of the XBB 1.16 variant. We have received the strand. Studies to understand the pathogenicity and severity are underway, Yadav said. Increasing COVID numbers India, which has seen a rise in detection of COVID cases in the last few weeks, today reported more than six percent positivity, according to health ministry data. Data from the health ministry show that 3,641 new COVID cases and 11 deaths have been registered, with 20,219 active cases in all across the country. XBB.1.16 is the latest sub-lineage of Omicron, and has taken over from XBB since February in India. XBB took over from BA.2.75 in October 2022. Considering the three Omicron versions, it is important to note that only XBB.1.16 caused a noticeable surge in cases across the country and elsewhere. This means it is a more successful version than its ancestors, Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the IMA's National Task Force, told Moneycontrol. Jayadevan said the subvariant has clearly changed the COVID landscape in India. There is an early rise in hospitalisation, which is usually proportional to the large number of cases in the community. The correct thing is to act early and precisely, when cases are slowly going up, rather than to take massive and often futile remedial efforts once hospitals are overwhelmed, he added. XBB 1.16 severity being studied According to infectious disease experts, the XBB 1.16 subvariant is a highly transmissible form of COVID. The mutation, which was first detected in January in two positive samples, is now being detected in over 60 percent of positive samples in India. Officials at the National Centre for Disease Control said that data on the severity of XBB1.16 is currently being studied. In Maharashtra, the XBB 1.16 subvariant is being detected in 93 percent of COVID samples from Pune. The highly transmissible subvariant was also found in over 75 percent of COVID samples from Nagpur, he added. The official added that over 60 percent of samples from Gujarat, too, had the XBB1.16 subvariant. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the new XBB 1.16 variant is one to watch. The WHOs COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove has said that the variant needs close monitoring.
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has introduced a new legislation to ban the use of English and and other foreign words in official communications. Violators could face fines of up to 100,000 (about Rs 90 lakh). According to the draft legislation, all foreign languages, especially Anglomania or use of English words demeans and mortifies the Italian language. The situation is even worse because the UK is no longer part of the EU. It also prohibits use of English in official documentation, including acronyms and names of job roles in companies operating in the country, CNN reported. It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania has repercussions for society as a whole, the draft bill stated. Foreign entities would have to have Italian language editions of all internal regulations and employment contracts, CNN reported quoting from the draft bill. Read more: Italy PM Giorgia Meloni visits India, seeking to improve ties While the first article of the legislation required Italian be the primary language used in official communication even with non-Italians, the second article would make Italian mandatory for the promotion and use of public goods and services in the national territory. Not doing so could garner fines between 5,000 (about Rs 4.5 lakh) and 100,000 (about Rs 90 lakh). The proposed law would also focus on the correct use of the Italian language and its pronunciation in schools, media, commerce and advertising, which could mean that saying bru-shetta instead of bru-sketta could be a punishable offense. The new bill comes days after Italy announced it was temporarily blocking OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT over data privacy concerns, becoming the first western country to do so. Read more: OpenAI's ChatGPT blocked in Italy: Privacy watchdog
The recently inaugurated Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai will play a key role in making India's art and culture more accessible, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on April 3. In a letter sent to Nita Ambani, the wife of industrialist Mukesh Ambani and chief of Reliance Foundation, Modi lauded her efforts for "popularising our art and culture". Nita Ambani had inaugurated NMACC on April 1, at a grand event in Mumbai which was attended by top stars of the Indian film industry and Hollywood. The cultural centre, which includes an exhibition space of around 16,000 square feet, is located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), which is one of the city's biggest business hubs. Also Read | India's Met Gala? Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre opening spotlights Indian art, fashion "This endeavour will go a long way in making our art and culture accessible to a larger section of society and the vibrant socio-cultural interaction between different parts of the country and the world," Modi said, in the letter addressed to Nita Ambani. "I am positive that this cultural centre will provide a platform to budding artists and performers to showcase their talent, which in turn encourages more people to take up art professionally," the prime minister added. Modi, while praising the initiative of the Ambani family, made reference to the Amrit Kaal -- the term which he has been using for the quarter-century period that will mark the 75 to 100 years of India's independence. "The nation's Amrit Kaal is an opportunity to draw inspiration from our resplendent heritage and build an inclusive, strong and self-reliant India which celebrates its culture. May this Cultural Centre showcase to the nation and the world the pride of place art and culture have in our society," he said. "May the Centre help in bringing together artists and art lovers from different parts of the country and the world," the letter further read. Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
Chris Kempczinski, the CEO of McDonalds, earned more than $10.8 million as compensation in 2020 even though the company missed performance targets that year, CNBC reported citing a company filing. Cut to 2023, the fast-food chain has temporarily closed its US offices this week as it prepares to carry out a round of layoffs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. "During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organisation," the Chicago-based company said in the message viewed by the Journal. Kempczinskis base salary in 2020 was $963,500 (over Rs. 7.93 crore), and he received $383,000 (over Rs 3.15 crore) as other forms of compensation, such as using the company's private plane, CNBC reported. Three years ago, Kempczinski and other McDonalds had taken a temporary pay cut in the early days of the pandemic. As the companys sales improved, Kempczinskis base salary, which was cut by half, was reinstated in October 2020. He would have received a base salary of $1.25 million without the pay cut, the report said. Chris Kempczinski could have received a performance-based bonus of $4.25 million. Since the company could not meet its goals for growth in operating income, system-wide sales and same-store sales, its executives did not receive any performance-based bonuses. Kempczinskis 2020 pay was 1,189 times higher than that of the average McDonalds employee, who made $9,124 the same year, the report added. In a memo to employees in January this year, Kempczinski gave a heads-up about the layoffs, saying that the company is planning to cut some of its corporate staff. We will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organisation and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead, he had said. Certain initiatives will be de-prioritised or stopped altogether. This will help us move faster as an organisation, while reducing our global costs and freeing up resources to invest in our growth.
A student from Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur has set a record for the highest ever salary package received during placement season -- Rs 64.61 lakh per annum after bagging a job with Microsoft. Avni Malhotra from Jaipur cleared five to six rounds of interviews with the tech giant to secure the job, Times Now reported. Malhotra stood out among other students as she had earlier worked with Infosys for three years and due to her organisational competence, the publication stated. With an impeccable track record, the highest salary secured this year is an impressive Rs. 64.61 LPA, a staggering 146.7% increase from last year. There is also a promising increase of 26% in the average and 29% in the median salary.  IIM Sambalpur (@iim_sambalpur) March 29, 2023 Graduating with a B.Tech degree in Computer Science also helped Avni Malhotra appeal to the Microsoft recruiters. As per a report by Times Now, IIM Sambalpur and the professors, along with the support of her parents, helped her prepare her for the placement process. For the Class of 2021-23, IIM Sambalpur has been successful in getting placements for all its students. "This years placement season witnessed participation from 130+ companies, with an increase of 56 percent in first-time recruiters," the institute tweeted. "With an impeccable track record, the highest salary secured this year is an impressive Rs 64.61 LPA (lakh per annum), a staggering 146.7 percent increase from last year. There is also a promising increase of 26 percent in the average and 29 percent in the median salary." Major recruiters apart from Microsoft included Vedanta, Tolaram, Amul, Adani, EY, Accenture, Cognizant, Deloitte and Amazon. Read more: US woman finds listing for her own job with higher salary. She reapplies and then...
NR Narayana Murthy has said that one of his biggest regrets was that he could bring his mother to Infosys only during her final days. "I feel bad that I invited my mother to visit Infosys only when she was dying. I was so busy building Infosys." Murthy said on the sidelines of book launch in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Murthy also revealed that there were many others in his batch in college who were smarter than him but it was his humility which allowed him to reach greater heights in his career. "There were people smarter than me in my college and later in my industry, but humility is something that helped me soar in my career. Always have your feet on the ground," the 76-year-old said. When asked about his inspiration, the Infosys co-founder cited Mahatma Gandhi since he had the well-being of the poor in mind whenever he took a decision. "He believed that whenever you take a decision, think of the poor people who will get affected by that decision," he said. He also revealed that during the building stage of Infosys, he would take one-tenth of his salary and give 20 per cent extra to his younger colleagues. Recently, Murthy also advised the younger professionals to not fall into the trap of moonlighting or work from home and emphasised the need to deal with "laziness". Also Read: Narayana Murthy says leadership makes one feel lonely on top: 'I have gone through it'
An 83-year-old woman died after she ate a puffer fish. The incident occurred on March 25 in Johor city in Malaysia. Her husband, who is aged 84, also consumed the puffer fish and is currently recovering in the Internal Care Unit (ICU). The couple were rushed to the hospital by their son but by 7 pm, his mother, who was identified as Lim Siew Guan, had died. Guan's daughter, Ng Ai Lee, was informed about her parents' hospitalisation in the family group chat. She rushed to the hospital, but by then her mother had breathed her last. "I was devastated. The pain and emotions that I felt at the time were indescribable because it was just too unexpected," she told The Star. "My parents have been buying fish from the same fishmonger for many years so my father did not think twice about it. He would not have knowingly bought something so deadly to eat and put their lives in danger," she added. Johor's health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said that the woman had experienced breathing issues and an hour later, her husband faced the same symptoms as her. "They cleaned and cooked the fish for lunch at around 3 p.m, the woman started shivering and having breathing difficulties. Her husband also began displaying similar symptoms about an hour later," Ling Tian Soon, Johor health and unity committee chairman said, The Star reported on Thursday. "The "cause of death" is given as "food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure with cardiac dysrhythmia possibly due to ciguatera toxin or tetrodotoxin ingestion", from the puffer fish," Soon said in a statement. Malaysia's health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah stated that the data from the Health Ministry said that there had been 58 puffer fish poisoning incidents in Malaysia in the last 38 years. Out of them, 18 had resulted in death. Also known as fugu, puffer fish is served as a Japanese delicacy but contains a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin, which as per National Geographic, is 1200 times more lethal than cyanide. Also Read: Monkey-mermaid: Scientists find fish bones, teeth in Japan's mysterious 'mummy'
Former President Donald Trump faces the most urgent legal challenge of his life this week in New York, where he's set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. But as much of the attention will be on the courthouse in lower Manhattan, investigations from Atlanta to Washington will press forward, underscoring the broad range of peril he confronts as he seeks to reclaim the presidency. The vulnerability Trump faces in Washington alone has become clear over the past month, as judges in a succession of sealed rulings have turned aside the Trump team's efforts to block grand jury testimony including from his own lawyer and his former vice president from witnesses who were, or still are, close to him and who could conceivably offer direct insight into key events. The rulings directing advisers and aides to testify don't suggest that the Justice Department is close to bringing criminal charges, nor do they guarantee that prosecutors can secure testimony valuable to a potential prosecution. But they're nonetheless a key, closed-door win for the government as it investigates whether classified documents were criminally mishandled at Trump's Florida home and the possible obstruction of that probe, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election. "I do think when you're talking about an attempted insurrection and the kinds of issues that we're talking about there, there's going to be a lot of arguments on DOJ's side" to get the testimony, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a George Washington University law professor. Meanwhile, the district attorney in Atlanta is continuing to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia. A special grand jury in February said it believed "one or more witnesses" committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges. The former president never testified before the special grand jury, meaning he is not among those who could have perjured themselves. But the report doesn't foreclose the possibility of other charges, and the case still poses particular challenges for Trump, in part because his actions in Georgia were so public. Overall, the number of sealed disputes over the scope of grand jury testimony is unusual but perhaps befitting for hugely consequential probes like one concerning a former president. It also stands in contrast to the last special counsel investigation involving Trump, when he was president and when Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors sought to determine whether Trump's 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the election. In that probe, a lawyer inside the White House, Ty Cobb, facilitated voluntary interviews of White House staff without subpoenas in hopes that cooperation would hasten the investigation toward conclusion. "If I could figure out a way to cooperate and still preserve executive privilege, it would speed things up, which in my judgment ... was imperative to the president and to the country, C"obb said in a recent interview. "We were able to accelerate getting them all of the information." Trump in that investigation was protected by the power of his office and by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. No longer president, Trump has lost that shield, raising the stakes of his criminal exposure. And as prosecutors have sought to question people close to him whether to better understand Trump's state of mind and possible defenses, or to gather potentially damaging testimony Trump's lawyers have repeatedly objected, often in vain. Perhaps the most vivid example came last month when the then-chief judge of the D.C. federal court ordered that Trump's lawyer, M. Evan Corcoran, had to give more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. He had invoked attorney-client privilege in an earlier appearance before the grand jury in declining to answer more questions, but prosecutors pressed for more testimony. They cited what's known as the crime-fraud exception to attorney client privilege, which allows prosecutors to compel testimony from a lawyer if they can convince a judge that a client was using legal services in furtherance of a crime. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Corcoran had to return before the grand jury, and he was in court a week later. Another instance came last week when a different federal judge, James Boasberg, ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence had to give some testimony in a Justice Department special counsel probe into efforts to undo the election. The decision rejected the Trump team's arguments of executive privilege, though Boasberg did give Pence a victory by accepting his lawyers' arguments that, for constitutional reasons, he could not be questioned about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Republican Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify Democrat Joe Biden's victory. A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story but responded to the ruling in the Pence matter in a statement saying that the Justice Department "is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, Constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege." Other former Trump aides, including Stephen Miller and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, have also recently been ordered by a judge to offer testimony despite Trump team objections of executive privilege. The ability of Justice Department prosecutors in multiple instances to convince judges that there's a basis to secure the testimony is significant to the extent that it shows that "there's a there there" with respect to the investigations, Eliason said. But he cautioned from reading too much into it, given that the threshold for prevailing in a fight over executive privilege or attorney-client is lower than the burden needed to win a criminal case at trial. "It's a far cry from being able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a contested trial," Eliason said. "It would be quite a leap to go from there and be able to say that they've got a criminal case locked up."
Former US president Donald Trump, who has been indicted by a federal court in New York, would deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday night, his office said on Sunday. Trump, who is the first former US president to face a criminal charge, will be arraigned on Tuesday. "Former President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 8:15PM EDT," his presidential campaign announced on Sunday. Trump, 76, is expected to make a court appearance in Manhattan earlier in the day. A federal grand jury had indicted him last week. Following the indictment, the former president has been attacking both the prosecutor and the judge. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has never been charged before, hates me," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform and alleged that the judge was 'hand picked' by the Democratic district attorney investigating him. Appearing on Fox News, his attorney Jim Trusty alleged that the case is politically motivated. "We should never have prosecutors acting out on political promises to target people. "I was a prosecutor for 27 years. We were supposed to be judicious when we got started, to figure out, where does the evidence lead, follow the rule of law. And instead, we have people announcing, if you elect me, I'll indict Donald Trump," he told Fox News. "So, it's no real surprise that when you have people breaking the ethics of prosecution for political persecution, that they're going to have suspect indictments. Their motivations are suspect. Their willingness to listen to a witness like Michael Cohen makes them suspect," he said. "In this case, it seems like what we're guessing the indictment will look like is it will have legal frailties that will be subjected to a very legitimate motion to dismiss early on," Trusty said. He said Trump is a big believer in free speech and got strong opinions. "I think he's very frustrated for some of his very loyal employees being caught up in the machinery of a prosecution. And so he feels strongly about," he alleged. "I've never had a case in front of this judge. I certainly reserve judgment. I think we're in a position where a fair mind getting to a jury and changes the venue and some of the issues there -- I think a fair minded judge is likely to recognise there's something fundamentally wrong that we're crossing the Rubicon with this political persecution," he said. He said the indictment is going to be legally frail. "Thankfully, I suspect the indictment is going to be legally frail, and there'll be an opportunity for a judge to do the right thing. You know, we wish prosecutors would do the right thing. But the judges are kind of the backstop on that. So my hope is that despite some of the hysterics at the moment, despite some emotionality and frustration, the president certainly deserves to feel that this judge will do the right thing when he's faced with significant legal motions," Trusty said.
In a second post, the Lolly biz wrote: You thought it was a joke? Think again! We take our Cotton Candy very seriously here. Our Mince and Cheese flavoured cotton candy is made with only the finest ingredients, including Wild Harvested Kombu Seaweed Leaves and Dairy Free Parmesan Alternative from @pacific_harvest and @angelfoodcheese.
Tim Fischer/Midland Reporter-Telegram

A robbery suspect was shot on Saturday after attempting to rob a 21-year-old man in east Midland, according to the Midland Police Department.

MPD officers were called to the Midland Police Department at around 9 p.m. Saturday to meet with the robbery victim who stated he shot the suspect in self-defense, according to the press release. The shooting occurred in the 700 block of East Tennessee Avenue. Crimes Against Persons Unit and MPD Crime Scene were notified and responded to the scene.
Staff Reporter

Richelle obtained a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications from the Far Eastern University in Manila, the Philippines. She was a junior reporter for Marianas Variety from 2009 to 2010, and from 2014 to 2015. In the Maldives, she worked as a news reporter and marketing executive. In her free time, shes a painter, pianist, and mom baker.
U.S. Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata and other House members pose for a photo after the House passage of H.R. 1 or the Lower Costs Energy Act.
Cap:

A person holds a barricade outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, after former President Donald Trump's indictment by a Manhattan grand jury in New York City, April 2, 2023.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A Nevada judge postponed on Monday the trial for a former Dances With Wolves actor indicted in state court on charges that he sexually abused Indigenous women and girls for a decade in the Las Vegas area.

Clark County District Judge Carli Kierny said the trial in the case of Nathan Chasing Horse will begin May 1 in Las Vegas to give prosecutors and Chasing Horse's public defenders more time to iron out pending motions in the case. His trial had previously been scheduled for April 17.
School officials say COVID-19 was responsible for a drop in performance during last school year, but others are skeptical of the pandemic being the only reason behind the fall.

According to the Illinois Report Card, in the 2021-2022 school year, Meredosia-Chambersburg Junior High School and Bluffs High School were among 53 schools in the state with no students testing at or above grade-level proficiency in math. No student at Bluffs was proficient in English/language arts last year, either.

Meredosia-Chambersburg Principal Kirk Graham attributed the poor performance to the pandemic. He said many of the school's students did not have access to the internet, meaning they could not access remote learning services and had to learn from packets when schools were shut down.

"Statewide (and) nationwide," he said, "it is a proven fact that students are below grade level and (schools) are just working on starting to get kids caught up at this time, and I think that's just the trend that was here."

Julie Stratman, assistant regional superintendent of schools for the Regional Office of Education 1, concurred with Graham's assessment. She said educators, students and families alike were equally hit by COVID-19.

"We're seeing the learning loss," Stratman said. "Districts are trying to get through the learning loss. But we also have to remember we, as adults, have issues with COVID, as well. Everybody was affected by COVID."

While learning loss always happens between school years, the pandemic exacerbated that loss to the point where it could take years to fully recover, Stratman said. Illinois students were not the only ones to be affected by COVID-induced learning loss; a USA Today article from February said half of all U.S. K-12 students started the current school year a full year behind in at least one subject.

However, some say COVID-19 has only made problems with Illinois schools more obvious.

Illinois nonprofit Wirepoints published a report in June 2022 condemning the state's education system. The report posited that students across the state are being advanced to their next grades even if they are not ready for it, a system of social promotion upheld by the state's strong collective bargaining laws, high wages for teachers and expansive bureaucracies.

Ted Dabrowski, president of Wirepoints and co-author of the report, said he was worried about school districts in the state using the pandemic as an excuse for preexisting issues. He said the low proficiency bridged racial demographics, despite teachers and school districts being rated highly and Illinois spending more on its students than neighboring states.

"There's a lot of questioned that need to be asked," Dabrowski said, "(and) a lot of challenges of the school district system and Gov. Pritzker."

Stratman said many school districts in the region had been struggling with proficiency even before COVID-19.

Steps have been taken at Meredosia-Chambersburg to help alleviate the loss. The school added programs to help improve its test scores over the next few years, Graham said. The school will review its curriculum, place students in enrichment math classes and use online programs like IXL Learning and Rocket Math to supplement their education, he said.

Tutoring also is available for students, both during study halls and after school, Graham said.

"We're still trying to get them caught up because the state wouldn't let us be in school," he said.

Researchers and districts still are trying to figure out how to help students recover from the learning loss induced by the pandemic, Stratman said. Districts are experimenting with how they teach to try to counteract the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the resulting isolation, she said.

"They're really trying to hone in on what they can do to help these kiddos," she said, "but there's a lot of things going on in the brain."

Dabrowski, meanwhile, said there needed to be an "obsession" with raising proficiency levels in the state.

"Most kids in Illinois can't read or do math at grade level," he said. "And that should be a major cause of concern."

Bluffs High School Principal Spencer Range and Superintendent Kevin Blankenship did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
A group of amphibian conservationists is carving out a new habitat for a rare species of frog.

Save The Frogs, a California-based nonprofit, will be building wetlands at Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge on April 27 and 28 as part of its 15th annual Save the Frogs Day. The wetlands will be a new home for the Illinois chorus frog, a species of frog that lives in Illinois, Arkansas and Missouri. Volunteers who show up for one or both days will help develop the habitat.

The project will be led by Tom Biebighauser, a wildlife biologist and wetland ecologist for Wetland Training and Restoration in Morehead, Kentucky. Biebighauser said the wetlands will act as a breeding ground for the Illinois chorus frog. He said a portion of the wildlife refuge will be dug up using heavy machinery to create a "vernal pond," or a pond that is filled in the spring by rainwater but dries up during the summer and fall.

The Illinois chorus frog lives 95% of its life underground in sandy soil along the Illinois and Mississippi river valleys, Biebighauser said. It comes out in the spring to lay its eggs in bodies of water. The pond will be a safe space for the frogs to lay their eggs, Biebighauser said, as the fact that it dries annually means there will not be any fish to feed on them.

In addition to the frogs, the wetland will bring in several different animal and plant species, such as salamanders, dragonflies, hibiscus and cattails.

"The wetlands we build can be beautiful to look at," Biebighauser said. "They contain shallow water. They're just full of wildlife."

Having a safe space for these amphibians to lay eggs would be helpful to the Illinois chorus frog, which sits at "threatened" status in the state, according to the Prairie Research Institute from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Both it and Biebighauser said the frog's numbers were in decline, with the institute saying it was vulnerable to things like habitat loss and climate change.

"Many of the wetlands where it used to lay its eggs have been drained," Biebighauser said. "Due to a variety of different reasons, they've been drained. This is a chance to bring some of these back so they can thrive."

Biebighauser said he expected the project to draw as many as 100 volunteers. A previous week-long conservation workshop drew people from across the country, including Minnesota and California, he said.

"If it's a nice, sunny day, I suspect there'll be quite a few people," Biebighauser said, "but most people that like frogs and toads and salamanders, they come out in any weather. They put on a rain suit and they're out there, because that's when the frogs are calling.

Volunteers will also learn about how they can build a wetland in their own backyards. Biebighauser said a 10-foot-diameter habitat could be built for a couple hundred dollars. Building or protecting a wetland was a good option for anyone concerned about the environment, he said, as they help "hundreds of species of plants and animals."

Biebighauser ultimately hoped that the volunteers were encouraged to build wetlands in their community by this project.

"Not because they have to, but because they want to," he said.
HARDIN  Two people were arrested on drug-related and other charges after an attempted traffic stop turned into a multi-state pursuit.

Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy Nic McCall tried to pull over a vehicle at 12:51 a.m. March 25 on Illinois Route 100 near Poor Farm Hollow in Hardin, according to a report released Monday. The vehicle did not stop and continued going north.

Sgt. Zach Hardin joined McCall in trying to get the vehicle to stop, but it turned onto Illinois Route 96 toward Pike County. Deputies from Pike County also tried to get the vehicle to stop, but it did not, according to the sheriff's department report.

Deputies alerted Missouri law enforcement officers that the vehicle could be heading to the state line. Missouri officers joined the other agencies in the pursuit when the vehicle crossed the Louisiana Bridge.

Pike County, Missouri, sheriff's deputies were able to set up "stop sticks"  devices intended to puncture the tires of a fleeing vehicle  near Bowling Green, Missouri. The vehicle hit the sticks, left the road and went into a ditch off Interstate 54.

Authorities said they found a sizeable amount of narcotics inside the vehicle and arrested the driver and a passenger.

Driver Ryan D. Cook, 28, of East Alton was arrested on Illinois charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of between 15 and 100 grams of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude a peace officer, reckless driving and other traffic offenses.

Passenger Samantha K. Stoops, 27, of Hartford was arrested on Illinois charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of between 15 and 100 grams of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both also were arrested on Missouri charges of second-degree drug trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence.

Pike County, Illinois, authorities are reviewing other possible charges.

Both were being held in the Pike County (Missouri) Jail.
Biden pushes econ policy as Trump indictment gets attention View Photo

FRIDLEY, Minn. (AP)  President Joe Biden ventured to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to talk about factory jobs and contrast his agenda with the last guy who had this job. The last guy, as Biden calls Donald Trump, was simultaneously touching down in New York to become the first former president to be arrested.

The Biden White House, which has shied away from involvement in the legal spectacle surrounding Trump, hoped to turn the split-screen moment into a chance to showcase the presidents accomplishments and relatively drama-free administration. It represented a rehash of the choice that voters made in 2020  and might have to make again in 2024  as both men intend to seek the White House.

Biden offered himself as a veteran policymaker while Trump, ever the showman, aimed to use Tuesdays arraignment on criminal charges to generate campaign donations and fire up Republican voters.

Biden sought to highlight job growth and investments nationwide while pushing clean energy and manufacturing in the U.S. during his visit to engine maker Cummins Inc. The company announced in conjunction with his visit that its investing more than $1 billion in its U.S. engine manufacturing network in Indiana, North Carolina and New York to update facilities so they can produce low- to zero-carbon engines.

Dogged by high inflation, Biden said his policies and spending will position the U.S. for greater prosperity in the future that boosts the middle class.

The plan is to invest in America, in a literal sense, Biden said. Not overseas. In America. Invest in ourselves  and its working.

Trump left his Florida home for New York City, posting on Truth Social that the indictment  tied to payments made during his 2016 campaign  was part of a Witch Hunt against him. He later sent out a message that tried to fundraise off his predicament.

Bidens team saw Mondays trip to the Cummins facility as a way to sharpen the contrast with Trump. If Trump gobbles up attention, administration officials say, Biden wants his message to be squarely focused on the American middle class.

Stick to your message that you want to be talking about with discipline, said Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary. Whatever else is happening, you just have to keep talking about what it is that you want to talk about.

The president regularly highlights the CHIPS Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation and a roughly $375 billion climate bill  major bills that his administration steered into law before Democrats lost control of the House in last years elections to Republicans.

The White House wants to contrast Bidens record and a proposed budget that includes $2.6 trillion in new spending with Republicans plans for spending and economic growth. Republicans have rejected Bidens budget but have yet to bring forward a counteroffer to the Democrats blueprint, which is built around tax increases on the wealthy and a vision statement of sorts for Bidens yet-to-be-declared 2024 campaign.

Other members of Bidens administration are traveling to more than 20 states this week to buttress his message. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for example, went to Connecticut on Monday for a fireside chat at Yale University on the economic agenda. While the president blasted Trumps 2017 tax cuts for raising the deficit, Yellen panned them for failing to boost growth.

The treasury secretary said Trumps signature achievement has not been very successful, even at promoting investment spending and growth. What the cuts did, instead, is tilt the tax code in favor of those with extreme degrees of wealth, according to Yellen.

If you take something like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, she said, maybe that had some marginal impact on boosting private investment  not obvious that it did. But it certainly raised the incomes of the wealthy individuals who received those huge tax cuts, and so it made the tax burden a lot less fair.

First lady Jill Biden was in Colorado to promote Bidens efforts to promote job training at community colleges and had other stops this week planned in Maine and Vermont. Her plans to visit Michigan later Monday were postponed because of an aircraft issue.

As the president returned to Washington, a large TV on Air Force One ran Trump headlines as Biden stood facing the screen in a conference room with his staff.

___

Boak reported from Washington. AP writers Fatima Hussein and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.

By COLLEEN LONG and JOSH BOAK

Associated Press
An up-and-coming rapper from San Antonio was shot and killed in Houston on Thursday, March 30, just days after sharing his account of killing a man who allegedly attempted to rob him at his Alamo City apartment on a prominent YouTube channel.

ABC 13 reports that a man was shot to death in his vehicle around 6 p.m. on Thursday in the River Oak area of Houston. BTB Savage's family confirmed he was the victim, according to the Houston Chronicle. HPD previously said they believe the shooting was targeted.

MySA has reached out to Houston and San Antonio police for comment. Houston TV station KPRC reported Friday there were dozens of bullet cases at the scene of a drive by shooting where a rapper was killed by people black sweatshirts and sunglasses in a black Subaru.

The rapper appeared in a video this week on YouTube channel VladTV, which has 5.46 million subscribers, to describe an attempted robbery that took place at his downtown San Antonio apartment. Without specifying when the incident happened, BTB Savage described two men attempting to rob him and his girlfriend, who were living together with their son at the time.

In the 30-minute interview posted on Sunday, March 26, which has amassed more than one million views, BTB Savage says he was approached by a man to do a musical collaboration, noting this man had requested multiple times to work together. The rapper said when the man arrived at his home studio he did not arrive alone and was accompanied by an older individual, but he let the pair into his apartment anyway.

BTB Savage describes having a weird feeling about the two men, the man he knew and the man's uncle, but continued with the plan to record music. Eventually, the rapper says the younger man was told to go out to the car to get some music equipment by the older man, which he did, prompting BTB Savage to lock the door out of nervousness.

Locking the door set off a flurry of words, the rapper describes, that led to the older man, 34-year-old, pulling out his gun and demanding the rapper to hand over his jewelry, setting off a cascade of gunfire between the two visiting men and BTB Savage's girlfriend.

The rapper says he wrestled with the man, who allegedly had two guns, while telling his girlfriend to shoot the assailant. During the encounter, BTB Savage says she shot the would-be thief multiple times, but also shot the rapper in the elbow during the chaos. He noted it was the first time either of them had ever shot somebody.

He recounted the other artist, the one BTB Savage believed had come there to record a collaboration with, exchanged shots through the apartment door with the girlfriend causing the younger man to flee the scene of the shooting.

"They left him for dead," BTB Savage says in the interview.

He describes a drawn-out tussle over weapons, including threats by the man to kill the rapper's child who is sleeping in another room. Eventually, BTB Savage, his girlfriend, and child were able to leave the apartment to the hospital to tend to his arm, which he said had bones exposed due to the gunshot wound.

The rapper recounted that the assailant, who was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, asked to also be taken to the hospital, but BTB Savage says he just left him in the apartment where he presumably died.

"F*** you, I ain't taking you to no f***ing hospital," BTB Savage says he told the assailant before leaving the apartment with his girlfriend and son. "Your ass about to fry right here, and if they come save you then they come save you."

He goes on to describe shielding his son from witnessing the grizzly scene and his mangled elbow. A friend took them to the hospital.

The rapper says that police interviewed him about the attempted robbery and did not charge him or his girlfriend due to it being self-defense.

In one of his final social media posts before his reported death, BTB Savage shared photos on Wednesday, March 29, of him posing with his watch and chain in front of a door with numerous bullet holes and what appears to be a large amount of dried blood.

An interviewer on VladTV asked the rapper about the other artist, who brought the older man to the apartment and may have shot through the door. BTB Savage replies that he only "knew of him, I [don't] know his name."

The interviewer also described a time they thought they had killed someone in a self-defense situation, remarking that it didn't make them feel as bad as people make it out to be. It's a sentiment BTB Savage shared.

"I ain't gonna lie, it ain't that bad. Like, I went to sleep good as Hell the next day. I was happy as hell, too," BTB Savage says in the interview. "I mean, I ain't tripping. The arms f***ed up or whatever, but I ain't dead."

Editor's note: The video below includes language and content that may be disturbing to some viewers.
MARENGO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)  A 4-year-old girl and two men have been killed and four others injured in a wrong-way crash in southern Michigan.

A pickup truck traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Interstate 94 in Marengo Township collided head-on about 12:30 a.m. Monday with a minivan, state police said.
PARADISE, Mont. (AP)  About 25 train cars derailed Sunday in northwestern Montana, with no injuries or evacuations reported, authorities said.

The cars, which were not believed to be carrying anything hazardous, derailed near the town of Paradise along the Clark Fork River, said Bill Brown, a dispatcher with the Sanders County Sheriff's Office.

Firefighters and representatives of Montana Rail Link, which was operating the train, were responding and investigating what the cars were carrying, he said.

Photos posted on social media show some of the cars appearing to dip just into the river.

The train cars did not release any hazardous materials, Montana Rail Link said in a statement. The company said the cause of the derailment was being investigated.

We are committed to addressing any impacts to the area as a result of this accident, prioritizing the safety of our employees and the public, and understanding the reasons for this incident, the company said.

Montana's U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester said in separate tweets that they were monitoring the derailment and were in touch with local officials.

Federal regulators and members of Congress are urging railroads to do more to prevent derailments after recent fiery wrecks involving hazardous chemicals in Ohio and Minnesota prompted evacuations.
MERIDEN  The initial stages of development are underway for a tiny home subdivision on North Broad Street.

Foundations for 12 tiny homes at the former site of Smittys Snack Bar and an adjacent trailer park are being constructed by Salvatore Carabetta, doing business as North Broad Park LLC.

The company received a special exception from the Zoning Board of Appeals to change the use at 1173 and 1187 N. Broad St. from a mixed-use, 12-unit mobile home park with restaurant to a 12-unit detached multi-family development with no restaurant. The homes would be leased.

The Zoning Board of Appeals granted the request with conditions this past summer. The original designation had been non-conforming mixed use in a residential zone and required the special exception. The previous layout had two existing mobile homes at 1173 North Broad St. The new proposal will place all 12 units at 1187 N. Broad on a concrete slab.

Local attorney Dennis Ceneviva, who represents Carabetta, told ZBA members at the time that the 32,505 square-foot lot will host a Tiny Home Community, a trend that is growing across the country, and provides a type of permanent housing, according to ZBA minutes.

Atty. Ceneviva stated that the biggest benefit of the project is that it will have a positive impact on the value of the properties in the neighborhood," according to ZBA minutes.

The city currently doesn't have a formal definition of a tiny house, but at 480-square feet for a two-bedroom, "that might be considered a tiny house," said associate City Planner Brian Grubb.

Michael Flanders, project manager for Carabetta Construction, explained that the development will be comprised of ten 12 foot by 40 foot two-bedroom units and two 12 foot by 32 foot one-bedroom units, all rental.

Three tenants of the former trailers relocated themselves out of the park, Flanders said.

The new tenants will fill out an application to move into the new homes.

In the front, a well-lit gazebo structure will house a central mailbox unit. A one-way road circles the community for traffic flow and the electrical will be all underground.

"I think it's been described as many different things," Flanders said.

"There is the trend of tiny houses, and small dwelling units. These are 12 new single-family market rate homes."

The smaller sizes are perfect for empty nesters, and there is definitely a trend and a need, Flanders said. The development will be similar to communities in areas such as Florida. Construction is expected to be completed in several months.

"We're in pretty good shape, Flanders said. "We're putting in the sewers now, water is next, then it's the foundations.

newsroom@record-journal.com
Chris Stokes

Rock and Roll royalty took center stage inside the AT&T center on Sunday, April 2 as the city of San Antonio welcomed Depeche Mode for their only stop in Texas on the first leg of their Memento Mori Tour.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductees showered fans with classic hits such as Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus and Policy of Truth, before laying off hits from their new, 15th studio album, Memento Mori. The latest studio creation from one of modern music's most influential groups follow-ups 2017s critically acclaimed Spirit album, which reached No. 1 in 11 territories, and charting in the Top 5 in more than 20 others.
It may be the home of the Dallas Cowboys, but for the three nights AT&T Stadium was home to a record-setting audience of glittering Taylor Swift fans. Swifties turned out in force from the start, taking over Taylor Swift Way and crowding the AT&T Stadium parking lot where Eras Tour merch was selling as early as Thursday, March 30.

Swift is no stranger to Jerry World. The stadium previously hosted her 1989 tour in 2015 and Reputation tours in 2018, with attendance tallying 125,260 and 210,004 during two-night stays, respectively. But Swift isn't messing around during her Eras Tour.

The 33-year-old's March 31 through April 2 shows made her "the first artist ever to perform three straight days at AT&T Stadium for a three-day AT&T Stadium attendance record of 210,607," according to the stadium's Twitter account.

To put the achievement in context, not even King George can top that. George Strait was the inaugural headliner for the venue in 2009, with a reported 120,376 attendees for a two-night stay.

Selena Gomez taps her Folklore era at Arlington

Swifties weren't the only ones in attendance during the weekend's shows. Texan and Taylor Swift squad member Selena Gomez donned her favorite cardigan, feathered bangs, and low buns (she's a Folklore girlie!) to the show on Saturday, April 1, with sister Gracie in tow, according to reports.

Gomez penned a heartfelt Instagram post thanking Swift for the show, saying "Thank you bestie for having me and my sissy transport into your mystical, euphoric and special world. Proud to know you! love you forever and always."

Gomez was spotted by eagle-eyed Swifties who also happen to love Rare Beauty, the actor's buzzy makeup brand.

Taylor Swift surprise songs in Arlington

Arlington show goers were treated to the first-ever live rendition of "The 1," but her acoustic surprise songs really stole the show. For night one, Swifties were treated to "Sad Beautiful Tragic" off -Red (Taylors Version) and "Ours" off Speak Now. Night two included deep cuts including "Death By A Thousand Cuts" off Lover and "Clean" the closer to 1989. The trio of nights concluded with "Jump Then Fall" off Fearless, and "The Lucky One" off Red (Taylor's Version).

Swifties show up to AT&T Stadium

From the looks of it, Swifties were left "Enchanted" by the string of shows, a full circle moment given how difficult purchasing seats through Ticketmaster was when tickets went on sale in November 2022.

#swifttok #theerastour #taylorswift  son original - tswiftmusic @starrymidnights13 An open letter to @taylorswift - While there is so much I could say, Ill leave it at this. To be honest, Taylor, without your music I dont think I would have made it through. Thank you for everything.  Ill never forget this night. Ps Im definitely in the car crying.  #arlingtontstheerastour

Rain on night three? Pfft. Taylor Swift loves rain.

Swifties managed to find a Taylor-esque workaround to those long women's room queues.

Swift heads back to Texas for three nights inside Houston's NRG Stadium, April 21-23. Find our complete guide to her Texas stops here.
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett

San Antonio residents can bypass the frozen section of their local super market this week and head downtown for some free ice cream on Monday, April 3. Ben & Jerry's is offering their frozen guilty pleasure to Alamo City residents on its annual "Free Cone Day" event, according to a news release from the company.

Starting at noon, ice cream lovers can snag the frozen treat free of charge as a thank you to loyal customers who've been supporting the sweet brand since it opened in Vermont in 1978. For San Antonio, that means a pit stop to Ben & Jerry's downtown location at 111 W. Crockett Street to get a cone. However, those wanting to take part will only have until 8 p.m. before the deal melts.
A man said he felt like he was helping the (migrants) by smuggling them to San Antonio, according to an arrest affidavit.

George Darien McNair was arrested on the charges of transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport the migrants.

A gold Freightliner driven by McNair arrived at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint at about 11:30 a.m. March 30. During an inspection, a K-9 unit was alerting to possible contraband inside the tractor. Asked if anyone else was inside, McNair stated just me and my dog, states the affidavit.

Agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection, where authorities discovered eight migrants concealed under blankets on the top and bottom bed. Further inspection of the tractor yielded a loaded 9mm handgun. McNair also had a backpack with $1,861, the affidavit states.

In a post-arrest interview, McNair stated that a woman approached him in Laredo. She asked him if he wanted to make money smuggling migrants. He stated his trucking company was having some hard times and needed the money, according to court documents.

McNair called a number provided by the woman. He was instructed to park at a location, go walk his dog and return when indicated. McNair added he had been successful in smuggling migrants on two prior occasions, authorities said.

On the first time, he smuggled six migrants to San Antonio and got paid $1,000 per migrant. McNair stated he felt like he was helping the (migrants) because the second time smuggling, one (migrant) thanked him when they arrived in San Antonio, states the affidavit.
Oliver Helbig/Getty Images

An El Paso woman who disappeared in March after going to a UFC event at San Antonio's AT&T Center has been found safe and alive, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office told KSAT 12. The University of Texas Police Department found Lynnette Martinez on Sunday, April 2, in downtown Austin.

Prior to the 30-year-old's disappearance, she left a home in west Bexar County to go to the UFC event on Saturday, March 25. It was said she often traveled alone to events, and was a wrestler who regularly attended events such as UFC Fight Night San Antonio. However, it was not clear at the time of her disappearance if she actually attended the event.
By Conor Gallagher

US Vice President Kamala Harris was in Africa last week visiting Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia. Shes the fifth member of the Biden administration to visit Africa this year following in the footsteps of UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, first lady Jill Biden, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Biden himself also plans to visit sometime later this year.

During her trip she talked about the US wanting to boost African youth, the US helping Africa prepare for climate change, womens empowerment, and about race.

But the underlying motivation for the renewed push in Africa is the sudden awareness that China dominates the critical mineral trade on the continent.

These minerals  everything from copper and cobalt to rare earths and coltan  are crucial to the US plan to become the worlds cleantech superpower. The problem is that China, for all intents and purposes, already is.

The RAND Corporation explains just how much ground the US needs to make up:

Starting up a new mine and processing facility can cost up to $1 billion and take more than a decade. Scientists have developed more environmentally friendly ways to separate and process rare earths, but there will still be impacts that need to be addressed. And while China has entire labs devoted to rare earth mining and processing, the U.S. now has only a handful of scientists who truly focus on rare earths. Processing rare earths and other critical materialsnot just digging them out of the groundis the real bottleneck. If every proposed processing plant outside of China were to somehow come online by 2025, researchers found, they could produce around 134,000 tons of usable rare earth material every year. Projected demand by 2025, outside of China: 140,000 tons and growing fast.

Additionally, a recent BloombergNEF study estimated that half of global spending on low carbon energy technology is happening in China, totaling more than the combined efforts of the EU and US. While a Politico report on Harris trip blames Trump for Chinas overwhelming presence in Africa, the fact is US companies have been selling off interests there to the Chinese for the better part of twenty years.

Ken Opalo writes at An Africanist Perspective about how the US cannot compete with China economically in Africa:

The fact of the matter is that if you want to do anything serious in the region within a tight political business cycle and need financing, calling Beijing is typically the smart option. This is especially true if you happen to be an incumbent in a competitive electoral democracy like Kenya or Zambia (I hope Washington sees the irony here). According to Nikkei Asia, China has invested 2.5 times more in African infrastructure development than all Western countries combined. The same dynamics obtain in the private sector. Whether you are looking for machinery or cheap imports (and increasingly markets), China is often the best option. Trends in trade volumes demonstrate this fact (see below). In 2022 Africa-US trade (under $40b) was less than a fifth of Africa-China volumes. From an African perspective, this is not optimal. Whilst the rise of China has had an unambiguous net positive effect on African economies, it is also true that, if managed well, real competition between the US and China would incentivize faster improvements in the quality of African countries bilateral commercial relations with either power.

On the latter point, Im not so sure. The US seems to prefer other tools rather than fair competition, and those tools can often prove disastrous for the country in question. So what did Harris offer on her trips?

In Ghana:

Ghanas debt problems will soon be behind us given that the US is sending a full-time resident debt advisor. This is the only ingredient that was missing. pic.twitter.com/62CUnJWX0C  Grieve Chelwa (@gchelwa) March 27, 2023

In Tanzania, from Reuters:

They included a new memorandum of understanding between the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the government of Tanzania. That will facilitate up to $500 million in financing to help U.S. companies export goods and services to Tanzania in sectors including infrastructure, transportation, digital technology, climate and energy security and power generation. Harris also mentioned a new partnership in 5G technology and cybersecurity, as well as a U.S.-supported plan by LifeZone Metals to open a new processing plant in Tanzania for minerals that go into electric vehicle batteries.

Well see. On Dec.13, the US signed deals with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia that would see the US support the two countries in developing an electric vehicle value chain. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US Export-Import Bank and the International Development Finance Corporation will explore financing and support mechanisms, and the US Agency for International Development, commerce department and Trade and Development Agency will provide technical assistance.

Aside from a potential Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates-backed copper-cobalt mine in northern Zambia, details have been sparse, and Biden administration is reportedly struggling to get American companies to invest. There has been no new news about the Bezos and Gates mine since the announcement at the US  Africa Leaders Summit in December.

Speaking of Zambia, though, which is the worlds sixth-largest copper producer and second-largest cobalt producer in Africa. On her final stop, Harris announced new democracy programs in the country, but Zambias opposition leader, Fred Mmembe, was having none of it:

Those who killed Muammar Gaddafi, today are coming to teach us about democracy. Zambias opposition leader, Fred Mmembe, blasts Kamala Harris during her visit to Africa. Absolutely powerful speech pic.twitter.com/VglsoNk07y  sarah (@sahouraxo) April 1, 2023

Like Yellen before her, Harris mainly called for a speedy resolution to Zambias IMF bailout.

More than a third of the countrys $17 billion in debt is owed to Chinese lenders. Zambia worked out a deal with the IMF for a $1.3 billion bailout package but cant access the relief until its underlying debt is restructured  including Chinese debts. But the IMF prescription for Zambia is a blow to Beijing. Here are some details of the arrangement from The Diplomat:

Zambia will shift its spending priorities from investment in public infrastructure  typically financed by Chinese stakeholders  to recurrent expenditures. Specifically, Zambia has announced it will totally cancel 12 planned projects, half of which were due to be financed by China EXIM Bank, alongside one by ICBC for a university and another by Jiangxi Corporation for a dual highway from the capital. The government has also canceled 20 undistributed loan balances  some of which were for the new projects but others for existing projects. While such cancellations are not unusual on Zambias part, Chinese partners account for the main bulk of these loans While some of these cancellations may have been initiated by Chinese lenders themselves, especially those in arrears, Zambia may not have needed to cancel so many projects. Since 2000, China has canceled more of Zambias bilateral debt than any sovereign creditor, standing at $259 million to date. Nevertheless, the IMF team justified the shift because they  and presumably Zambias government  believe that spending on public infrastructure in Zambia has not returned sufficient economic growth or fiscal revenues. However, no evidence is presented for this in the IMFs report.

Zambia will also cut fuel and agriculture subsidies. So instead of infrastructure investment and social spending, the country gets austerity. The IMF deal also relegates China to the backseat, as it allows for 62 concessional loan projects to continue, only two of which will involve China. The vast majority of the projects will be administered by multilateral institutions and involve recurrent expenditure rather than infrastructure-focused projects.

While the IMF deal might eventually slow Chinas influence, it will also be a blow to Zambia. When Harris arrived in Zambia on Friday for the final stop of her trip across she landed at an airport thats doubled in size in recent years with brand new terminals. China financed the project. Beijing also built a 60,000-seat stadium in Lusaka, as well as roads and bridges across the country.

The US can issue warning after warning about the debunked Chinese debt trap and try to use the IMF to sideline Beijing, but its hard to beat something with nothing as Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo explained during his March 27 remarks at Kings College in London:
You know its bad when Rand Paul has emerged as seemingly the only vocal supporter of the First Amendment in Congress, at least when the topic is Tik-Tok. But a bipartisan bill, the RESTRICT Act, intended to shut down Tik-Tok and other designated agents of unfriendly furriners scheming to pollute Americans precious bodily fluids, is such a censorship power grab that a large number of right-wing figures (and sadly only a few from the left) are screaming bloody murder about it. And their fury is well warranted. The bill, which has also been dubbed Patriot Act 2.0 is a horror show.

The good news is that for once, vocal opposition is having an effect and the effort to push the legislation through is going pear-shaped. However, like the TARP, which elicited a firestorm of criticism, the RESTRICT Act may come back in a marginally less offensive rework. However, some other anti-Tik-Tok bills have also been put forward, so perhaps one of them will become the new China foiler.

However, the RESTRICT Act (which you can read here) is still in play, so lets look at some of the major elements of its awfulness. It does not mention Tik-Tok. The bill instead targets any foreign government or regime, determinedto have engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States. The starter list consists of China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela under the regime of Nicolas Maduro Moros. So we still havent given up on Guaido.

So many US officials and adjacent mouthpieces have taken to saying crazypants things about China that its hard to parse posturing from policy. Nevertheless, even though the US has become openly hostile towards China, witness the CHIPS Act and continued Taiwan eye-poking, I wonder if any other bill or Executive Order has deemed China to be a national security threat to the US.

Forgive the reliance on conservative sources, but theyve been the ones to give the Restrict Act a hard look. First from Fox:

Activists and organizations are sounding the alarm that the RESTRICT Act, touted to stop foreign spying via apps like TikTok, will instead endanger basic American freedoms. A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and John Thune, R-S.D., unveiled the RESTRICT Act on March 7. The legislation is meant to crack down on communications technology developed by foreign adversaries, like China and Russia, because of national security risks. The RESTRICT Act gives the executive branch the power to [enforce] any mitigation measure to address any risk regarding a current, past, or potential future transaction with what is deemed to be a foreign adversary. It would also apply to taking action to address any risk arising from any covered transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, including interfering in, or altering the result or reported result of a Federal election. The penalty for running afoul of this law could be up to 20 years spent in prison.

Oh, and lets not forget that the RESTRICT Act provides for civil and criminal asset forfeiture, which means the police can take your money and property based on a mere accusation, before guilt or innocence has been determined.

The bill has sloppy definitions and is unnecessarily convoluted, which speaks either to poor drafting or an intent to obfuscate. Based on a cursory look, for any entity to be targeted, it has to have over 1 million active US users in the past.

But the text of the bill proper targets any person:

shall take action to identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit, investigate, or otherwise mitigate, including by negotiating, entering into, or imposing, and enforcing any mitigation measure to address any risk arising from any covered transaction by any person.

A transaction appears to be just about any activity.

Notice how this section continues:

or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States that the Secretary determines (1) poses an undue or unacceptable risk of (A) sabotage or subversion of the design, integrity, manufacturing, production, distribution, installation, operation, or maintenance of information and communications technology products and services in the United States; (B) catastrophic effects on the security or resilience of the critical infrastructure or digital economy of the United States; (C) interfering in, or altering the result or reported result of a Federal election, as determined in coordination with the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Treasury, and the Federal Election Commission; or (D) coercive or criminal activities by a foreign adversary that are designed to undermine democratic processes and institutions or steer policy and regulatory decisions in favor of the strategic objectives of a foreign adversary to the detriment of the national security of the United States, as determined in coordination with the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Treasury, and the Federal Election Commission; or

Did you notice (C) and (D)? (C) would include the 1/6 riot, which means similar protestors could be handled outside the judiciary. And (D) looks designed to support Russiagate 2.0 and again skip established processes like impeachment. Of course, one could argue that the Russiagate hoax fell under (C) and its purveyors were guilty of election interference (recall that Hillary allies were arguing for a change in the Constitutional order, of requiring that the military approve of any incoming President). Oddly I didnt see any conservative sources make noise about this issue, perhaps because they found plenty of other provisions that would offend broad swathes of voters.

For instance:

So what happens if you are designated a national security threat? What can they access of yours to confirm it? Everything.

Notice the preemptive attack on quantum encryption in there, too. pic.twitter.com/rXMY8v8lOI  Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) March 26, 2023

If you recall from before, Foreign Individuals can now also be US citizens that are deemed a national security threat. Once designated, the bill grants authority to enforce any action deemed necessary to mitigate the threat, with no due process and few limits on punishments. pic.twitter.com/8IreN90m88  Mises Caucus (@LPMisesCaucus) March 26, 2023

Note the Mises Caucus parsing is not correct even though the conclusion is. It isnt Foreign individuals that allows US citizens to be targeted but the any person language cited above.

On top of that, the scope of authority is close to unlimited with no checks or transparency. Awfully obvious potential for abuse:

Believe it or not, it gets even worse: If you find you in violation, they can put you in jail for 20 years, fine you $1M, and seize your property. They can also deem any foreign government an adversary without informing congress and everything they do is not subjected to FOIA. pic.twitter.com/3F3VTJrl5x  Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 28, 2023

Reason argues that the RESTRICT Act could criminalize VPNs:

Would the RESTRICT Acta.k.a. the TikTok ban billcriminalize the use of VPNs? Thats the rumor floating around about the legislation, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mark Warner (DVa.) earlier this month The language describing who the RESTRICT ACT applies to is confusing at best. The commerce secretary would be authorized to take steps to address risks posed by any covered transaction by any person, right? So what counts as a covered transaction? The bill states that this means a transaction in which an entity described in subparagraph (B) has any interest. Entities described in subparagraph B are a foreign adversary; an entity subject to the jurisdiction of, or organized under the laws of, a foreign adversary; and an entity owned, directed, or controlled by either of these. Foreign adversaries can be any foreign government or regime that the secretary deems a national security threat. Its a bit gobbledygooked, but this could be read to imply that any person using a VPN to access an app controlled by a foreign adversary or its alleged minions is subject to the secretarys ire. Hence anyone using a VPN to access TikTok would be in troublespecifically, subject to up to $1 million in fines, 20 years in prison, or both.

Warners office insists that aint so, but perhaps he could clean up the text, since as Reason continues:

Its somewhat reassuring that at least Warner doesnt intend the bills criminal provisions to apply to U.S. citizens using VPNs.because the language of the bill is so expansive, it seems hard to rule out it ever being used in this way. Weve seen many times the way federal laws are sold as attacks on big baddies like terrorists and drug kingpins yet wind up used to attack people engaged in much more minor activities. Besides, the RESTRICT Act doesnt just state that no person may engage in any conduct prohibited by or contrary to its provisions. It also says no person may cause or aid, abet, counsel, command, induce, procure, permit, or approve the doing of any act prohibited by, or the omission of any act required by any regulation, order, direction, mitigation measure, prohibition, or other authorization or directive issued under, this Act, (emphasis mine). In addition, no person may solicit or attempt a violation and no person may engage in any transaction or take any other action with intent to evade the provisions of this Act. That language leaves even more room for the RESTRICT Act to touch a wide range of activities. And even if the law would never be used to attack citizens for merely using VPNs, its a deeply worrying piece of legislation that would give the government broad authority to restrict or ban all sorts of businesses and communications tools, so long as theyre tangentially related to any country it decides is an adversary.

Even the generally toothless ACLU is making unhappy noises. Again from Fox:

American Civil Liberties Union senior counsel Jenna Leventoff offered her take on the bill as well. The RESTRICT Act grants the Secretary of Commerce extremely broad new powers, with little oversight, the ACLU representative told Fox News Digital. The bills language is extremely broad and vague, and an expansive read could easily encompass measures that would have devastating consequences for a wide range of technologies and apps that people regularly use today to communicate and express themselves. Leventoff also warned in a press release that action could be taken to ban entire communications platforms, which would have profound implications for our constitutional right to free speech.

And we have this confection, the odious Lindsey Graham, one of the bills sponsor denying hes a supporter, and not even knowing whats in it:

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Even AOC, who has not been stepping too far from orthodoxy, cleared her throat to point out that the Administration has never taken the steps to treat Tik-Tok as a security threat, but suddenly expect Congress to accept it as such with no evidence, apparently because Chinese will do these days. From the New York Times:

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez appears to share some of Mr. [Jamal] Bowmans concerns about a potentially drastic move absent any evidence of security risks. She says that members of Congress have not been briefed on any national security threat. Why would we be proposing a ban regarding such a significant issue without being clued in on this at all? she asks in the video [her first on Tik-Tok]. It just doesnt feel right to me. The congresswoman also argues that rather than singling out one platform, Congress should create tougher, European-style policies to regulate how social media companies collect and manage data from their users.

Politico describes how enthusiasm for the RESTRICT Act is waning. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is no parallel bill has been introduced in the House. In addition, Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, despite Biden Administration backing for the measure, has not yet said she supports it, and is calling instead for a data privacy legislation.

So while this measure may be on its way to a well-deserved death, it would be prudent to call or e-mail your Senators and tell them how terrible this measure is and you trust they wont support it (or if they are a sponsor, that they need to change their mind). And stay tuned.
The evolution of my position with the Post dates to 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, SouthComm Inc. bought the Post and TCP, with the latter ceasing operations in 2013. In 2018, FW Publishing acquired the Post, for which I have served as managing editor since 2011.

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Finland will become the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday (4 April 2023), immediately preceding a two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finlands imminent accession, saying: It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole.

At their meeting, Allies will address Russias illegal war against Ukraine, and are expected to agree to start work on developing a multi-year programme of support. They will also discuss threats and challenges from the South, the importance of increased defence investment, and Chinas growing alignment with Russia. NATOs Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union will also join for a discussion on the global consequences of Russias war against Ukraine.
(As delivered)

Good afternoon.

This is an historic week.

Tomorrow, we will welcome Finland as the thirty-first member of NATO.

Making Finland safer and our Alliance stronger.

We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters.

It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.

Sweden will also be safer as a result.

Last year Allies made an historic decision to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO.

Since then we have seen the fastest ratification process in NATOs modern history.

And all Allies agree that Swedens accession should be completed quickly.

NATO Foreign Ministers meet at an important moment for our security.

Tomorrow, we will hold the NATO-Ukraine Commission with Foreign Minister Kuleba.

To address Russias war of aggression, and our support to Kyiv.

We do not know when this war will end.

But when it does, we will need to put in place arrangements so that Ukraine can deter future aggression.

And history does not repeat itself.

We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security.

I welcome President Zelenskys peace plan, which upholds the principles at the heart of the UN Charter.

It provides the foundation for a just and sustainable peace.

But there are no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace.

He is preparing for more war.

That is why we are united in our determination to stay the course.

And support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Allies have delivered 65 billion euros of military aid.

And I welcome that modern battle tanks and other armoured vehicles have started to arrive in Ukraine.

This can make a real difference on the frontlines, and allow the Ukrainian forces to liberate more territory.

We will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces.

And supporting their transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and doctrine.

Our support is for the long-haul.

So I expect that ministers will agree to start work on developing a multi-year programme for Ukraine.

Allies will also discuss threats and challenges in the South.

Including instability, terrorism and the growing influence of Iran, Russia and China.

To address all of these challenges, it is essential that we invest more in defence.



At the Vilnius Summit, I expect Allies to agree an ambitious new defence investment pledge, with 2% of GDP for defence as a floor, not a ceiling.

On Wednesday, NATOs Indo-Pacific partners  Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea, will join us.

Together with the European Union.

The consequences of Russias war against Ukraine are global.

And what is happening in Europe today could happen in East Asia tomorrow.



So I welcome our partners strong support to Ukraine.

Including Japans recent announcement of contributions to NATOs assistance fund for Ukraine.

We will discuss deepening cooperation in areas such as cyber defence, new technologies and countering disinformation.

We will also address Chinas growing alignment with Russia.

Any provision of lethal aid by China to Russia would be a major mistake.

At a time when Russia and China are challenging the international order and democratic values,

it is even more important that we stand together as NATO Allies.

And with like-minded partners.

And with that, I am ready to take your questions.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

And we'll go to Reuters.

Andrew Gray, Reuters:

Reuters. Secretary General, Andrew Gray from Reuters. Do you expect President Putin's announcement that he will station Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarus to come up in the discussions in the coming days? And do you anticipate that there'll be any change to NATO's posture or planning as a result of the announcement or the move itself if it actually happens?

NATO Secretary General:

The announcement by President Putin is part of a pattern of dangerous reckless nuclear rhetoric, where Russia, President Putin tries to use nuclear weapons as a way to prevent us from supporting Ukraine, intimidation, coercion to stop NATO Allies and partners for supporting Ukraine in their right to defend their own country. We will not be intimidated. We will continue to support Ukraine. Of course, NATO remains vigilant. We monitor very closely what Russia does. But so far, we haven't seen any changes in their nuclear posture that requires any change in our nuclear posture. We remain a nuclear Alliance, we deter and defend all Allies and of course, we continue to monitor what Russia does also when it comes to any potential deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Associated Press

Lorne Cook, Associated Press:

Lorne Cook from Associated Press. Secretary General if I could just get some clarity from you on Finland. You said tomorrow you're going ahead and welcoming Finland as the 31st member, will everything technically be finished for its membership? Or are you using this occasion, the presence of the ministers to do that, to have that ceremony? And then I just ask, in the near to short term future can we expect NATO to deploy any kind of military equipment, any border support? What will NATO be sending to Finland in this time to come? Or is it perhaps just too sensitive and it's best not to provoke anyone by making any major movements.

NATO Secretary General

From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the Alliance they will participate in all our meetings, activities, military structures as a full-fledged member. And this will happen tomorrow because now all 30 Allies have ratified Finland's Accession Protocol, meaning that the only thing that remains is what will take place tomorrow and that is that Turkiye which was the last ally to ratify Finland's accession papers will deposit this with the United States and that will take place at the NATO headquarters, and then I will notify Finland and then they will notify they will deposit their accession documents. And from then on, Finland will be a full member of the Alliance. We will have a flag raising ceremony outside this building at 3:30 tomorrow, the fourth of April, which also happens to be NATOs birthday, we were founded, the Washington Treaty was signed on the fourth of April, 1949. So this is really an historic day. It's a great day for the Alliance and it's a great honour to be able to welcome Finland as a full-fledged member of the Alliance at our meeting tomorrow.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Financial Times in the middle there.

Henry Foy, Financial Times:

Thank you so much. I wanted to ask about the imprisonment of our friend and journalism colleague Evan Gershkovich in Russia last week. Firstly, do you have a statement on that detention, Secretary General? Do you think it's going to be raised by the Foreign Ministers tomorrow or even on Wednesday? And what if anything can NATO should do can or should do about that? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General

First of all, I expect this to be raised tomorrow. Second, I join the United States in their call on Russia to release the American journalist Evan Gershkovich to ensure that his rights to work as a journalist are respected. His arrest is of great concern. It is important to respect freedom of the press, the rights of journalists and the rights to ask questions and to do their job. So therefore, we call this immediate release.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Okay. VG over there, so just behind. Thanks.

Ald Bjarne Johnsen, VG:

Thank you. Good morning. I would like to ask you if you can go a little bit more into details when it comes to the Finnish membership. What kind of expectations do they meet in NATO headquarters? What kind of capabilities should Finland provide to the Alliance? And what else do you expect from Finland in this place of accession is this formalities that are on the table? What kind of command headquarter would support Finland in the case of the needed? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

So first of all, Finland will bring to the Alliance substantial military forces well trained, well equipped with also large reservist army and also now investing in new advanced, more than fifth generation aircraft F 35s, more than 60. And we also have to remember that Finland is among the few countries in Europe that actually didn't reduce the investments in defence, didn't reduce the readiness of the armed forces at the end of the Cold War. They continued, so they have invested on many years. They have trained and built a large army over many years and maintain that high level of readiness. Finland is also a country with extremely high level of resilience, of preparedness throughout the whole society and of course, we have also the long border between Russia and Finland. So when Finland joins NATO's border, land border with Russia, more than doubles. So what we see is that President Putin went to war against Ukraine with a declared aim to get less NATO. He wanted NATO to remove our forces, our structures from all Allies that have joined after 1997 meaning all Allies in Central Eastern Europe and he wanted NATO to make it absolutely clear that NATO's door was closed for any new membership. He's getting the exact opposite, hes getting more NATO presence in eastern parts of the Alliance, and he's getting two new members with Finland and Sweden and tomorrow well then finalize the Finnish accession process. And Finland brings all the capabilities to NATO. Then that process of integrating Finland into NATO's command structure has been going on since last summer. Because as soon as we invited Finland and Sweden, we started the process of integrating them into our military structures, that will be an ongoing process, developing capability targets, integrating into the defence planning process, but this is now involving an ongoing process with Finland as a full-fledged member. So there is no more formal steps to be taken. There are no more decisions to be taken after the finalisation of Finland accession that will take place tomorrow.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Okay, Swedish News Agency TT.

Wiktor Nummelin, TT:

Hello, Wiktor Nummelin, Swedish News Agency TT. Are you disappointed that Sweden can't join at the same time, is this a failure for NATO or is it more failure for Sweden or even the countries that haven't ratified yet?

NATO Secretary General:

So first of all, I'm absolutely confident that Sweden will become a member. It's a priority for NATO, for me to ensure that happens as soon as possible. And we have to understand that so far, this is the quickest accession process in NATO's modern history. Finland and Sweden applied in May last year, already in June both Finland and Sweden were invited by all Allies to become members and all Allies signed the accession protocols. That decision is actually a very important decision. The decision we made at the NATO Summit in Madrid last June because that gave Finland and Sweden a special status, a status that means that Sweden now can participate in NATO's military and civilian activities, being integrated into NATO's military structures. We assign capability targets, interim capability targets to Sweden, and many Allies have also provided bilateral security assurances to Sweden and now with Finland as a full member that will further increase Swedens security and also further integrate Sweden into NATO because Finland and Sweden are so closely integrated already. So I'm saying all of this because we should not leave the impression on the way that Sweden is left alone. No, Sweden is very much inside NATO, integrating into military civilian structures. Allies are ready to act and it's inconceivable that there was any, that there were going to be any threats or military attacks against Sweden without NATO reacting and even more so with Finland as a full member. So my aim and aim of NATO Allies is to ensure that we also get Sweden in their future, then this will remain a very quick accession process. Of course, I am in declare before last fall that both Finland and Sweden were ready for finalising the accession. Well, it has taken some more weeks than we hoped or a couple of more months but the reality is that we are still moving very quickly in this accession process also for Sweden.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Swedish Radio.

Jan Andersson, Swedish Radio:

Jan Andersson, Swedish Radio. How does it feel that you will have this flag ceremony tomorrow with Finland and not with Sweden? You have made a lot of efforts by yourself in this question. And what's the current situation right now with Sweden and the talks with Turkey?

NATO Secretary General:

It is an historic and great day for NATO and for Finland that we are able to welcome Finland as a 31st member of the Alliance that is in itself, something that we should celebrate and recognise the importance of, also because it demonstrates that NATOs door remains open. It demonstrates that every nation has the right to choose own path. It's not for Moscow to decide who's going to be a member of NATO or not. It's for the applicant countries and for NATO to decide and this is very clearly demonstrated here at the NATO Headquarters tomorrow when we raise the Finnish flag and finalise the Finnish accession process. This is also good for Sweden. It makes Sweden even more integrated into NATO and makes Sweden even more safer. We also then Finland, a close neighbour as a member and then at the same time as we celebrate and enjoy that Finland is now a full-fledged member. We should continue to work to also finalise the Swedish accession process, and I will continue to work hard on that. I'm confident that we will succeed. And in the meantime, Finland will be in a much, much better position than sorry that Sweden will be in much better position than Sweden were before they applied because of the close integration into NATO.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Frankfurter Allgemeine

Thomas Gutschker, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:

Secretary General, a question on political relations with Ukraine. Where do you see these relations heading? What's the role of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in developing them? Will it not from now on regularly be convened at high level? And related to this, the multi-year programme that you announced, how will it be in substance different from the current programmes with Ukraine? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

So first of all, I think we need to, in a way, understand that there is an urgent need to support Ukraine with lethal support, weapons, as Allies and partners have done for a long time and then also with urgent non-lethal support. But, at the same time, we need also a more long term perspective. And in addition to stepping up the short term urgent need for support to Ukraine, we also need to have a perspective that goes a bit beyond the coming weeks and months. And especially we need to also look into a future where this war has ended.

And that's the reason why I expect the Foreign Ministers when they meet tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to start to agree on a more long term partnership where we can look into how we can help Ukraine, not only with the immediate need to defend themselves against Russia's brutal war of aggression, but also to move closer to NATO by implementing reforms, by continuing to modernise their defence and security institutions, including fighting corruption, and by moving from Soviet-era equipment, standards, doctrines to NATO standards and doctrines. This will also improve interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces. A lot has already happened, but we need to do more and we need to work on this on a more multi-year long-term perspective.

The NATO-Ukraine Commission is an important platform. It has met regularly at the ambassadorial level. And now, you are correct, it is some time since last time we met at the ministerial level. But we should continue to meet at different levels, including at the ministerial level, also in the future, because this is a way to address a wide range of issues, including issues related not only to support, economic, military support Ukraine, but also issues as reform, the fight against corruption and minority rights. So this platform is an important platform to strengthen further our relationship with Ukraine.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Okay, Kyiv Post.

Asami Terajima, The Kyiv Independent:

I wanted to ask, today we speak of Finland's accession to NATO to strengthen Finlands security. How do you assess European security would have looked like if Ukraine had been able to join NATO prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine? And will it be ever possible for Ukraine to join the Alliance as long as the war continues? And what are the short term and long term goals that Ukraine needs to achieve for NATO to begin accession talks? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

NATO's position remains unchanged, and that is that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance. At the same time, you all have to understand that that main focus now is to ensure that Ukraine prevents as a sovereign independent nation in Europe. Because without Ukraine prevailing as a sovereign independent nation then, of course, the whole issue of membership will not be relevant. So the first step towards any membership of Ukraine to NATO is to ensure that Ukraine prevails.

And that's also reason why NATO Allies and partners have provided unprecedented support for Ukraine, why we continue to do so, and why we, at the meeting tomorrow, again, will call on Allies to sustain and further step up support to Ukraine, militarily, lethal, non-lethal, but also, of course, economic and financial support to Ukraine. So this is the first and most urgent and most important step.

The second, is that we are then also looking into how can we develop our political relationship with Ukraine and some of the ideas we have about how we can expand the work we do on more long term reforms, institution building, transition from Soviet era to NATO standards, interoperability. Of course, all of this also helps to move Ukraine closer to Euro-Atlantic integration, to the NATO family. So these things already interlinked. I cannot give you an exact date. But what I can say is that Allies are extremely focused on ensuring that Ukraine prevails. We provide an unprecedented level of support. And we're now looking into how can we further develop our political relationship. Because for NATO, it is extremely important to continue to demonstrate that NATO's door remains open, as we will do tomorrow, when Finland will become a full member, as we'll do when we finalise the accession process for Sweden hopefully in the near future, and then as we will continue to demonstrate in the coming years.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Anadolu

Omer Tugrul Cam, Anadolu:

Thank you, Secretary General, you said you are going to work hard for Sweden's membership. Have you been suggesting them anything, because Turkiye says they have legitimate concerns, which all you already said, and Sweden has taken some steps, but it's not enough. Have you made any suggestions to the Swedish government? Thanks.

NATO Secretary General:

My position is that Turkiye, sorry, my position is that Sweden has delivered on the commitments they made when they signed the trilateral memorandum of understanding, together with Finland, Sweden and Turkiye at the NATO summit in Madrid last year. And that's the reason why I also, in my meetings with President Erdogan, also last fall and also this year, both in the meetings and also publically I made it clear that that the time has come to ratify Sweden, to finalise the accession process also for Sweden. That's my position.

Then, of course, you are all aware of that this is an era, this is not an area where we look fully eye-to-eye in Ankara and at the NATO headquarters. So then we have to address those issues. And the best way of addressing those issues is to sit down, meet, consult and find a way forward. And, therefore, I welcome the fact that when I visited the President Erdogan some weeks ago, we actually agreed on two things. We agreed on that he could move forward on finalising the [Swedish] accession. And President Erdogan, the Turkish parliament, the National Grand Assembly has delivered on that. So that's reason why we are where we are now with Finland a full-fledged member from tomorrow.

But the other thing we agreed on in my last visit with President Erdogan was that we should restart the process on addressing how to make progress on Swedish accession. And that's reason why we were able to convene a meeting of this permanent mechanism, Finland, Sweden and Turkiye here at the NATO Headquarters some weeks ago. And also why we have agreed to meet again, because when there are differences, the best way of addressing them is to sit down, consult, and see how we can find a way forward. So we will continue to work to support the efforts of the permanent mechanism. And my message is that, yes, Turkiye has some legitimate security concerns and all Allies should address them. They also matter for us.

And yes, therefore, I also welcome that Finland and Sweden, have agreed to step up cooperation with Turkiye. Sweden has implemented stronger legislation on the fight against terrorism. Mechanisms are in place to exchange more information, intelligence. Sweden has removed any restrictions on arms exports to Turkiye. And we also have to understand that when Finland, sorry Sweden and Turkiye, are now working more closely together and fighting terrorism, that helps Turkiye in their fight against, for instance, PKK which is regarded as a terrorist organisation, not only by Turkiye, but by Sweden, Finland, NATO Allies, the European Union. And of course, then we work together to fight this terrorist organisation.

But it also helps Sweden in addressing some of the organised crime that Sweden is seeing taking place in their own streets, because we know that there is a close link between many of these terrorist organisations, and their activities and organised crime, drug traffic in a country like Sweden. So I strongly believe that we have a common interest in addressing these issues. And by demonstrating that, that we can ensure that also Sweden can be a full-fledged member of the Alliance in the near future.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Well go to television 21 from North Macedonia.

Besir Arifi, Television 21 North Macedonia:

Mr General Secretary, time ago NATO expert team led by Mr Appathurai visited Skopje regarding the hybrid attacks on vital institutions of North Macedonia and the false bomb alarms. He also stated that North Macedonia is not dealing alone with this problem and the NATO provides support. Can you please explain what kind of support and what came out of this visit? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

Well, following a visit of NATO officials to Skopje we have agreed with the government of North Macedonia on a set of different steps. These steps are both short and longer term, which NATO and Allies can take to support North Macedonia in defending against the hybrid campaign it is facing. I actually also discussed this with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia recently and, of course, NATO is there to help and support Allies as we now provide help and support to North Macedonia that is facing different types of hybrid and cyber threats. The support that NATO and Allies are ready to provide to North Macedonia includes technical support and stronger cooperation to fight disinformation. And I would like to also commend the government of North Macedonia for the quick and detailed work in developing the cooperation programme we have agreed.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Okay, well go to Moldovan TV.

Iulia Sarivan, Jurnal TV:

Thank you. The Republic of Moldova is struggling against Russian hybrid war. In this regard, NATO Allies reiterated their full support for Moldovan authorities. So my question is, what are the supportive measures that NATO Allies could provide to help Moldova in order to cope with these challenges? And if the Moldovan case will be discussed at this ministerial? Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

Well NATO Allies have made it clear that we are going to step up our support for partners, which are under threat, coercion from Moscow, from President Putin and that, of course, includes Moldova. Therefore I welcome that Allies are providing support to Moldova in different ways. I have also met with the Moldovan President and conveyed the same message that Allies are ready to do more. We have a partnership programme with Moldova. We are constantly looking at how we can do more within that partnership programme. And also part of what we agreed at the NATO Summit last year was also to increase NATO budgets to also be able to finance more activities, support for a partner like Moldova.

Then you also know that NATO Allies are also providing economic and financial support to Moldova in different ways. And, of course, all this matters because we need to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Moldova. And we see that they are in a very exposed position because of the war in Ukraine, but also because of the presence of Russian troops in Transnistria without the consent of the government in Chisinau.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Okay, Janes

Nick Fiorenza, Janes Defence Weekly:

To return to the subject of Sweden have there been any adjustments to Alliance enlargement plans militarily to assure Sweden, I mean, on the one hand, not having, and also in, in relation to Finland, I mean, on the one hand, Finland won't have the depth that it would have had if Sweden had joined with Finland to defend it. On the other hand, Sweden will be surrounded by NATO countries. So maybe you could enlighten us on this.

NATO Secretary General:

I think you have to understand that the decisions we can make at NATO at 30, as Allies, those decisions have been made. What has taken some time is the individual ratification processes in 30 different capitals, and these have to be individual decisions. We don't take decisions on behalf of parliaments here at NATO. But the two decisions will make as NATO, meaning the decision to invite and then to agree the accession protocol for Finland and Sweden, we made them last summer. And since we made the decision of inviting Sweden to become a NATO ally, since then, we have worked on the integration of Sweden into our military structures, including military planning and including capability targets. This process takes time because it's a big process. But this process of integrating Sweden into NATO's military structures and planning has not been delayed by the ratification process, because that has just gone on. And it will continue also after they become a full-fledged member.

So I think sometimes we should not make the mistakes that that until the final ratification has been done, nothing happens. A lot happens. It started to happen the day we invited them, because then Finland and Sweden got the status as invitees, meaning that they sit at the NATO table in NATO meetings, the North Atlantic Council, the military structures, the different committees, integrating nitty gritty, more and more, including with interim capability targets for Sweden. We are also developing interim capability targets for Finland. But of course now these interim capital targets will turn into normal capability targets.

The difference is not that big, because we know Sweden very well. They are already very close to NATO and with Finland becoming a full member, and knowing the very close relationship for many, many years between Finland and Sweden, that will make Sweden an even closer, make sure that Sweden comes even closer to NATO also in the military structures.

So I say this because sometimes you get the feeling that in a way Sweden is left alone. No, Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member. And we continue to integrate Sweden. We will do even more. And then we will, of course, as soon as possible also then finalise the formal membership process.

NATO Spokesperson, Oana Lungescu:

Thank you very much. This concludes the press conference and we'll see you tomorrow. Thank you.

NATO Secretary General:

Thank you.
(Natural News) Any time the government promises to make you safer, beware of their intentions. The media-amplified hysteria over TikTok  a video social media platform built and run by communist China  has handed the power opportunists in Washington D.C. a cover story to try to control all online speech through the introduction of the S. 686 RESTRICT Act, sponsored by an anti-free speech zealot on the Left, Sen. Mark Warner.

The bill, introduced on March 7th, 2023, uses TikToks popularity as an excuse to criminalize American-run websites, platforms and blogs that merely disagree with the government regime on literally any topic: Vaccines, Russia, elections, bank runs, currency, transgenderism, climate change and so on.

The weaponization potential of the bill is unlimited, as it can be applied to anything merely deemed to be in the national security interest of the United States.

The bill text explicitly states that the government may enforce, any mitigation measure against any person or any property by merely deciding that an article, video, podcast, platform or other content item contains content they dont like.

This is not a law that targets Chinese communists or TikTok its a law targeting Americans and threatening them with prison time if they say anything the current regime in power doesnt like.

Under the proposed law, any content that the regime decides poses an undue risk to, the safety of United States persons can be removed by any means necessary, including domain seizures by the DHS or other forms of sabotage (i.e. mitigation) which might include the government fire bombing data centers or assassinating Americans.

To annihilate all Christian content on the web, the Biden regime can simply declare that Bible scripture compromises the safety of the trans community and therefore must be removed by any means necessary. We could literally see the US government burning down churches to destroy web hosting data centers that are held there. (The US government has been running sabotage operations against food and energy infrastructure for at least the last two years, so this isnt a stretch at all.)

All your assets can be seized without any due process whatsoever

Those merely deemed in violation of the RESTRICT Act  utterly without any court hearings or opportunity for a legal defense  may have all their assets, properties, computers, websites, servers, bank accounts, databases and other items confiscated at gunpoint by the government, with zero recourse or due process.

Even worse, the act specifically prohibits FOIA requests (Freedom of Information Act) from being honored in order to make sure the tyrannical government can keep the list of RESIST Act targets a secret.

What the US government did to Julian Assange, they are about to do to millions of American citizens. Perhaps even you.



From the bill text itself, the RESTRICT Act grants authority to seize or mitigate (i.e. destroy or sabotage) all the following:

(A) internet hosting services;

(B) cloud-based or distributed computing and data storage;

(C) machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science products and services, including those involving the provision of services to assist a party utilize, manage, or maintain open-source software;

(D) managed services; and

(E) content delivery services;

This would, of course, include all websites, including all e-commerce sites. Thus, if you sell anything the government doesnt like, they can confiscate all your bank accounts, web domain, company servers, product inventory and anything else they deem to be related.

The RESTRICT Act would criminalize all decentralized cryptocurrency (i.e. Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.)

In addition, the RESTRICT Act threatens total government control over cryptocurrency and other vast technologies such as quantum cryptography, which is a promising tech that could allow private individuals to prevent corrupt governments from spying on their private messages.

To ban all Bitcoin, the government would merely need to claim that somebody in Russia or China used Bitcoin to carry out some horrible (false flag) terrorism in the United States, and that Bitcoin enabled the funding for the attack. With one declaration, Bitcoin could be outlawed across the country and anyone who transacts in Bitcoin could face 20 years in prison (plus total confiscation of all their wallets, computers, bank accounts, house, etc).

Its not just crypto, either, thats threatened by this insane power grab. Proving that this bill isnt limited to TikTok, here are all the tech sectors named in the bill text which would be controlled, censored or otherwise lorded over by the tyrannical US government:

(A) artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(B) quantum key distribution;

(C) quantum communications;

(D) quantum computing;

(E) post-quantum cryptography;

(F) autonomous systems;

(G) advanced robotics;

(H) biotechnology;

(I) synthetic biology;

(J) computational biology; and

(K) e-commerce technology and services, including any electronic techniques for accomplishing business transactions, online retail, internet-enabled logistics, internet-enabled payment technology, and online marketplaces.

Note that this includes all e-commerce, all online banking transactions, payment systems, cryptocurrency and so on.

In effect, the RESTRICT Act is an attempt to seize total control over the entire online economy, online speech and online freedom.

It should be called the ONLINE TYRANNY Act, as it is the manifestation of absolute tyranny over the American people.

The tyrants in power want to make sure that all spying is conducted by them, not by China

The power-hungry tyrants in Washington D.C. are not actually opposed to apps and software systems spying on you, by the way. After all, thanks to the Twitter Files and other leaks, we now know that both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security quite literally ordered Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter and other online platforms to censor a long list of websites and individuals who questioned covid vaccine safety.

The tyrants in Washington absolutely want to spy on the American people and censor all speech they dont like. They are doing it now. They arent opposed to TikToks spying on the American people; they just want to be the ones in charge of the spying and censorship.

It was a moment of peak hypocrisy in the US House hearing recently when US members of Congress grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about being engaged in the suppression the free speech of Chinese citizens while seeming to be utterly tone deaf to the US governments ongoing censorship of the American people.

Its almost as if US lawmakers have no idea that the US empire censors the American people in exactly the same way communist China censors its own people. With the RESTRICT Act, the US government wants to monopolize censorship and surveillance power in its own hands. This isnt about ending censorship, its about expanding it to cover all websites, services and apps.

Any political commentary can be designated election interference if the regime in power doesnt like it

The RESTRICT Act invokes the broad definition of election interference to justify literally any action the government wants to take against a publisher or platform it dislikes. These actions can include seizing bank accounts, seizing domain names, seizing servers and so on, and such tyrannical actions could be unleashed against an individual for doing nothing more than sharing a simple meme related to elections.

Case in point: Meme maker Douglass Mackey was just found guilty of a serious felony  election interference  for a funny meme he distributed about Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. The DOJ prosecuted Mackey over the meme and was easily able to convince a jury of brainwashed liberals to convict Mackey for the very same kind of meme joke that Democrats routinely distribute against Trump and others. But through selective prosecution, Mackey is now facing 10 years in prison.

This is the kind of weaponization of the legal system  a form of government terrorism against the people  that would be escalated by a factor of a thousand under the RESTRICT Act.

The act would target anyone who merely criticized a Democrat candidate or who posted something about that candidate which the regime in power says isnt true. It would only take a fact check strike against your content to have you declared engaged in election interference, after which the government could confiscate everything you own, including your web domains, bank accounts, computers, mobile phone and even your home if you posted your meme from there.

The Restrict Act turns America into communist China

While the RESTRICT Act claims to prevent China from spying on Americans, it actually transforms America into communist China by erecting a massive surveillance and censorship police state over all Americans. The act specifically names all the networks that the government can use for spying on citizens:

(A) wireless local area networks;

(B) mobile networks;

(C) satellite payloads;

(D) satellite operations and control;

(E) cable access points;

(F) wireline access points;

(G) core networking systems;

(H) long-, short-, and back-haul networks; or

(I) edge computer platforms;

The act also grants the government the power to target entire online platforms, including domain names, cloud computing, databases, CDNs (content delivery networks) and more.

The tyranny encompasses literally every known computing and e-commerce ecosystem that exists, including gaming. The act specifically names:

(A) desktop applications;

(B) mobile applications;

(C) gaming applications;

(D) payment applications; or

(E) web-based applications

This means there is no website, application, transaction, software or service that isnt threatened by the RESTRICT Act.

Furthermore, the act specifically grants the government the power to sabotage (mitigate) by any means necessary, any person, organization, software system, website, platform or anything else they deem to be unacceptable.

If the regime decides they dont like what you are publishing or doing, in other words, they can simply seize it, shut it down, confiscate all your assets and silence you, utterly without any due process or opportunity for legal defense.

This is tyranny on steroids. If enacted, it will mean the end of the republic and the end of human freedom for western civilization.

Take action now

Thats why it is critical that you join the effort to defeat the RESTRICT Act before it can become law. Make no mistake, if this act becomes law, it will end the website you are currently reading now along with every alternative content platform in America: Rumble, Bitchute, Brighteon, Gab, Truth Social, GETTR and all the rest. Under this tyrannical law, Truth will become Treason in a nation of lies.

To help defeat the RESTRICT Act, contact your representatives and demand they reject the RESTRICT ACT. It is important to call, not just send an email. You can reach your Senators and House members via the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Call your Senators and House representative. Call your state Attorney General as well, and share the warning about the danger of this overzealous, authoritarian, fascist law that seeks to end the First Amendment and criminalize free speech in America.

We must defeat the RESTRICT Act. And then, in the next election, we must defeat each and every tyrant that supported it. That includes all the following Republican senators who also supported the act (virtually all Democrats support tyranny by default, but in this case even some Republicans are supporting tyranny, too):

Sen. Thune, John (R-S.D.)

Sen. Fischer, Deb (R-Neb.)

Sen. Moran, Jerry (R-Kan.)

Sen. Sullivan, Dan (R-Ak.)

Sen. Collins, Susan M. (R-Maine)

Sen. Romney, Mitt (R-Utah)

Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-W.V.]

Sen. Cramer, Kevin (R-N.D.)

Sen. Grassley, Chuck (R-Iowa)

Sen. Tillis, Thomas (R-N.C.)

Sen. Graham, Lindsey (R-S.C.)

If you are a constituent in any of the states represented by the GOP senators above, it is urgent that you call their offices and register your opposition to the RESTRICT Act. The US Senate cannot pass the act without the support of several republican senators. Make sure your senators are strongly opposed to this act.

And to anyone who foolishly says this act is only intended to be used against the communist Chinese and would never be weaponized against the American people, just look at the Patriot Act and how it was originally promoted to surveil radical Islamic extremists. But now, its used every day to illegally silence and surveil the American people.

All new powers granted to the government are eventually weaponized against the people.

The RESTRICT Act is a weapon against freedom, and if passed, it will be used to silence, oppress and imprison millions of Americans who oppose tyranny, censorship, rigged elections and mandatory vaccines.

Take action now to defeat this outrageously dangerous piece of legislation. And God bless America.
(Natural News) From March 2021 and onwards, newly leaked emails show, a key asset in the Joe Biden regime tried to strongarm WhatsApp owner Meta to intervene in private conversations about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines and censor all truthful conversations.

Rob Flaherty, the Biden White Houses director of digital strategy, demanded that WhatsApp spy on the private conversations of its users in order to silence any and all messaging that cast doubt on the safety and effectiveness of Fauci Flu jabs.

If you cant see the message, Im genuinely curious  how do you know what kinds of messages youve cut down on? Flaherty complained in one of the temper tantrum emails to the company.

Andrew Slavitt, the Biden White House Senior Advisor on the Covid Response, also tried to bully WhatsApp and Meta into doing more to interfere with the private conversations of the apps users. At one point, Slavitt urged a Meta executive to speak with him over the phone a couple of times per week, if necessary, to keep covid jab skepticism from occurring in private conversations on the app.

I care mostly about what actions and changes youre making to ensure youre not making our countrys vaccine hesitancy problem worse, Flaherty further wrote in another threatening correspondence to WhatsApp and Meta.

I still dont have a good, empirical answer on how effective youve been at reducing the spread of vaccine-skeptical content and misinformation to vaccine fence sitters.

(Related: The Biden regime has gone full tilt with 100 percent support for the transgender mutilation of children.)

Bidens cronies wanted all private messages containing vaccine skepticism to be brought under control

In one particularly chilling exchange, the Biden White House demanded that Meta directly interfere with all private conversations on WhatsApp in order to bring them under control.

Whatever Meta did do was apparently not enough to satisfy the Biden regimes demands because the company refused to censor peoples private conversations with their friends and family members. To do so would have been a massive public relations disaster.

What, exactly, was he hoping to get Meta to do? asked journalist and author David Zweig in an article about this chilling development concerning Flahertys efforts to bully Meta into obeying the regimes orders.

It was obvious from the start that WhatsApps interface didnt allow for the granular control Flaherty appeared to desire. And his smiley face response suggests he well understood this. Yet he kept badgering the Meta executives anyway.

All of this came to light via the Twitter Files, revealing extensive corruption within the Biden White House aimed at stamping out the First Amendment not only on social media but in peoples private digital conversations.

These specific emails were uncovered through discovery in a free speech legal case known as Missouri v. Biden, which was filed by two attorneys general and New Civil Liberties Alliance, a non-profit public interest law firm working on behalf of private plaintiffs.

As early as January 26, 2021, almost immediately after Biden took office, communications between the White House and Meta were underway regarding content moderation, Zweig explains. Of specific concern was vaccine hesitancy and how Meta would combat this across its multiple platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Like at Twitter, the moderation campaigns at Facebook and Instagram were conducted because of their technical feasibility and the inherent social nature of the platforms  posts are public and Meta could use various methods to monitor and suppress them. But WhatsApp is fundamentally different. It is not designed for people to build an audience or to share content widely. Rather, it is used for direct, personal communications  between family, friends, a doctor and a patient, and so on. According to Meta, 90% of WhatsApp messages are from one person to another. And groups typically have fewer than 10 people.

The latest news about Bidens unlawful occupation of the White House can be found at Treason.news.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Future of Life Institute is circulating a petition that calls for an immediate end to all major artificial intelligence (AI) projects, citing their existential threat to human life.

Signed by Elon Musk and numerous other bigwigs in the tech industry, the petition cites extensive research showing that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity.

Contemporary AI systems are now becoming human-competitive at general tasks, and we must ask ourselves: Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? the petition further reads.

Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete, and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders.

Only once, or if, a consensus agrees that the effects of AI system implementation will be positive and their risks will be manageable should the world allow for the wide-scale adoption of AI as a welcome addition to the world, the petition concludes.

(Related: Musk has been warning for years that AI is a very serious threat against humanity.)

Lets face it: the powers that be are only concerned that THEY might become obsolete by AI

At first glance, the true motivation behind this petition and Musks signing of it seems to be more about protecting those fulfilling jobs than it is about protecting the non-fulfilling ones.

The oligarch class has never cared about ordinary people losing their jobs to machines, or any of the other society-destroying technologies that have come to bear. It is only when AI started to become powerful enough to replace Hollywood actors, for instance, or high-level politicians that suddenly AI is a problem.

Voice actors, as another example, are freaking out that their high-paying gigs are drying up the more that AI robots learn how to mimic voices for free. When the millionaires and billionaires start to feel like their positions in society are threatened by AI, in other words, that is when petitions like this suddenly start to circulate.

For at least the next six months, the petition states, there should be a public and verifiable pause on all AI systems that are more powerful than the ChatGPT-4 AI robot that is all the rage in recent months.

An independent oversight board with rigid auditing capabilities must be able to ensure that these advanced AI robots are safe beyond a reasonable doubt before such projects are ever allowed to proceed.

In addition to Musk, other well-known signatories of the petition include Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple), Jaan Tallinn (co-founder of Skype, Future of Life Institute), Evan Sharp (co-founder of Pinterest), Emad Mostaque (CEO of Stability AI), and numerous others, including professors and executives at MIT and Harvard, and even the CEOs of various AI start-up companies.

I fear that AI may replace humans altogether, warned the late physicist Stephen Hawking in an interview with Wired magazine that was reportedly seen by Cambridge News.

If people design computer viruses, someone will design AI that improves and replicates itself. This will be a new form of life that outperforms humans.

Musk agrees, having stated that he himself should be on the list of people who should absolutely *not* be allowed to develop digital superintelligence because of what could come about from his involvement in the industry.

In the comments, someone wrote that she believes AI will not replace humans so much as it will be used by horrible humans to control, torment, vaccinate, and / or exterminate other people.

The human monsters we are dealing with right now are dangerous enough, this person added.

The latest news about the AI takeover of the world can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources for this article include:

FutureOfLife.org

TheGatewayPundit.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts  an almost complete version estimated to be at least 1,100 years old  could sell for as much as $50 million.

According to experts at the New York-based auction house Sothebys, the Codex Sassoon will be auctioned this coming May. They predicted its selling price between $30 million and $50 million. If sold, it could become the most expensive historical document ever auctioned  that is, if the winning bid surpasses the $43.2 million paid for a first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution.

The leather-bound, handwritten parchment book appeared to have been made between 880 A.D. and 960 A.D. based on radiocarbon dating. Its writing style also implies its creator to have been an early 10th century scribe in Egypt or the Levant. Nevertheless, it remains unknown when and where it was made.

Missing 12 pages, the Codex Sassoon contains about 92 percent of the Hebrew Bible. Its 24 books are divided into three parts  the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), the Prophets and the Writings. Christians consider these texts as the Old Testament with Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches including these in their biblical canons.

The 10th-century Aleppo Codex and the early 11th-century Leningrad Codex are two other biblical manuscripts that emerged alongside the Codex Sassoon. Only the Dead Sea Scrolls and a handful of fragmentary early medieval texts are older. (Related: Biblical texts tell rare stories of wizards, demons in disguise and a man crucified next to Jesus.)

After being displayed at Sothebys in London back in February, the Codex Sassoon was displayed at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv from March 23 to 29. It was part of the artifacts worldwide tour  which includes stops in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City  before it goes under the hammer. The last time it was put on public view was back in 1982 at the British Library.

Codex changed multiple hands before going under the hammer

Traditional Torah scrolls are written in a special, easy-to-read script called ktav ashuri, or Assyrian script that is barren of vowels and punctuation. The codex, however, includes directions on how to properly spell, pronounce, punctuate and chant the words correctly  in line with the masorah tradition.

Jewish scholars called Masoretes made such codices, and Syrian Jewish communities protected their works until the 20th century. A message on the Codex Sassoon shows that its former owner was Khalaf ben Abraham. He passed it down to Isaac ben Ezekiel al-Attar, who bestowed it to his sons Ezekiel and Maimon.

It moved in the 13th century to a synagogue in Makisin, a town in modern-day Syria, where it was probably rebound for the first time. After the synagogue was ruined  either by the Mongols some decades later or the Timurids at the beginning of the 15th century  the book was given to Salama ibn Abi al-Fakhr while it was rebuilt.

The book was never returned, and its location for the next 500 years was unknown. It reappeared in Frankfurt, Germany in 1929, and was purchased by David Solomon Sassoon, a well-known collector of Jewish manuscripts. The codex was then named after him.

Sassoon, a Bombay-born son of an Iraqi Jewish business magnate, holds a large collection of Jewish manuscripts in his London home. By his death in 1942, Sassoon had collected more than 1,200 manuscripts, and the codex was auctioned in 1978 to the British Rail Pension Fund (BRPF) for about $320,000.

The BRPF sold the Codex Sassoon 11 years later to Safra in 1989 for $3.19 million, almost ten times its auction price. More than 30 years later, the codex is now up for auction.

Follow Artifacts.news for more news about ancient and historical manuscripts and texts.

Watch this video about a brief history of the Judeo-Christian Bible.

This video is from the First Bible Network channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Bible stories come to life: Archaeologists unearth extraordinary mosaic showing what might be Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves.

Scientists offer $250K prize to decipher Herculaneum manuscripts burned during Vesuvius eruption.

Recent study reveals ancient text found in 2012 is the oldest map of the underworld in existence.

Ancient Egyptian scrolls document natural herbs and holistic medicine that saved lives and cured disease.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TimesOfIsrael.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Below is my column in The Hill on continued scorched earth tactics of Democrats in attacking any witnesses raising free speech concerns over government censorship.

(Article by Jonathan Turley republished from JonathanTurley.org)

Here is the column:

At long last, have you left no sense of decency? Those words were first asked by lawyer Joseph Welch in his confrontation with Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) during the Senates infamous Army-McCarthy hearings. This week, nearly 70 years later, Welchs words seem more relevant than ever after House Democrats savaged two journalists who attempted to explain a government effort to censor citizens.

It was only the latest of a series of hearings in which FBI agents and other whistleblowers, experts and journalists have been personally attacked for raising free-speech concerns. Last weeks hearing showed definitively that we live in a post-decency era.

The latest attacks came as journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger testified about breaking the Twitter Files story, detailing how the FBI and other agencies secretly sought to censor or ban citizens from social media. In her opening statement, Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee, attacked them as so-called journalists and said they were a direct threat to the safety of others by reporting the censorship story.

Taibbi pushed back, saying that Im not a so-called journalist and giving a brief description of his award-winning career at Rolling Stone magazine and other publications. Yet other committee members also attacked the honesty of the two journalists. And after failed efforts to claim they were Elon Musks corrupt scribes, or limited by him in their investigations, the committee members attacked their ethics.

The witnesses were attacked on everything but their choice of socks. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) even claimed that being a Republican witness today certainly casts a cloud over your objectivity. When Wasserman Schultz impugned the two journalists honesty and ethics, she immediately reclaimed (her) time to prevent them from defending themselves. When the subcommittee chair gave them a chance to answer her claims, Wasserman Schultz and her Democratic colleagues objected that a witness was allowed to defend himself after being blocked from doing so.

In an earlier attack, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) prevented Taibbi from answering a question and dismissed his effort to defend his position, saying: This is how it works now. Ill ask the question and you try to provide an answer if you can.

After attacking the very notion of investigating the government for possible censorship efforts, the attacks then took a particularly menacing turn as some members began to demand confidential information on the journalists sources. Taibbi pushed back and said he could not reveal information on his sources, but that only seemed to make the Democrats more irate.

Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas) pressed Taibbi to say that Musk was a source. Taibbi again replied, I cant give it to you, unfortunately, because this is a question of sourcing, and Im a journalist. I dont reveal my sources.

And thats when it got ugly.

Garcia effectively declared that she had trapped Taibbi because the only logical conclusion was that Musk was his source. When House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) objected to badgering a reporter for his sources, Democrats piled on. Plaskett declared that if Taibbi wouldnt comment on Musk, it must mean the Twitter owner was the source in question.

It was a chilling but defining moment.

For several years now, many Democratic members have embraced censorship on social media and resisted efforts to uncover government efforts to silence citizens. As someone who grew up in a liberal, Democratic family in Chicago, I knew that a commitment to free speech was one of the most compelling values of the party  back then. Today, free speech often is treated as harmful and dangerous.

President Joe Biden is arguably the most anti-free-speech president since John Adams, and the Democratic Party is largely committed to censorship and speech regulations. Some Democratic figures, including Plaskett, have declared that hate speech is unprotected under the First Amendment  a categorically untrue claim.

As the evidence mounts of an even broader censorship effort by the Biden administration, the Democrats attacks have become more unhinged and unscrupulous. After shredding any fealty to free speech, they now are attacking journalists, demanding their sources and claiming their reporting is a public threat.

Plaskett even attempted to defend the Federal Trade Commission demanding that Twitter turn over the names of journalists who have communicated with the social media company. Other Democrats have similarly shrugged off this outrageous demand by the FTC, headed by Chairwoman Lina Khan, a former Democratic staffer with the Judiciary Committee.

For many of us, this week demonstrates the final severing of many House Democrats from both free speech and free press values.

What is left is raw rage and politics.

There is a major difference between today and the McCarthyism of 1954. Back then, when attorney Welch objected to the Republican senator trashing his client, the press lionized Welch. Yet, as noted by Shellenberger and Taibbi, todays media have remained largely silent as fellow reporters were attacked for covering the Twitter censorship story.

If Joseph Welch appeared today to support free speech, he might very well be dismissed as some QAnon conspiracy theorist or Putin lover. But his words from the past  that until this moment  I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness  should be read to every one of these members. It is not that we expect decorum from our leaders today, but decency itself now seems as irrelevant as reason.

Read more at: JonathanTurley.org
(Natural News) The queer cabal really, really does not want the public to see the manifesto of Nashville transgender shooter Audrey Hale, which begs the question: what damning information does it contain linking this tragedy to the hateful, brainwashing rhetoric of the Cult of LGBT?

Jordan Budd, executive director of Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE), told Newsweek that it should not be published because the focus should be on how this was able to happen in the first place.

There should not be such easy access to deadly weaponry, Budd went on to state, blaming the Second Amendment, rather than transgender ideology, for Audrey Hales alleged murder of six people at The Covenant School in Nashville.

Regardless of the shooters intentions, the real issue here is the ease of access to deadly weapons in Tennessee and elsewhere. All children, no matter who their parents are or how they identify, should feel safe and supported at school. That includes a world free from gun violence.

Charles Moran, the national president of Log Cabin Republicans, a GOP organization that supports the Cult of LGBT, said something similar about the serious consequences that would come from publicly releasing Hales manifesto.

While it would certainly give insight into the motivations of this deeply troubled individual that could help shed light into root causes, we know from tragedies like this that additional glorification of the shooter could inspire others to take similar violent acts for attention, Moran said.

Then we have Laura McGinnis, a spokesperson for PFLAG (formerly Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), who tried to claim that releasing the manifesto would increase the risk of contagion, to quote Newsweek.

While the manifestos release could help law enforcement, policymakers, and others identify potential warning signs for the prevention of future similar tragedies, the contents dont change the outcome of the tragedy, McGinnis said.

Pro-trans extremism from places like the Vanderbilt Pediatric Transgender Clinic encourages young people with gender dysphoria to take out their violent frustrations on society

We wonder: what could that manifesto possibly contain that the trans cult desperately wants to keep hidden from the public? This is the question of the day, and the answer probably lies in its ties to the prevailing transgender rhetoric.

Take the nearby Vanderbilt University Pediatric Transgender Clinic, also located in Nashville. As we reported, that clinic introduced a trans buddies program to spy on and harass doctors who refuse to play the transgender pronouns game.

The kind of messaging coming from the likes of Vanderbilt provokes impressionable, gender-dysphoric youth to become militant, and even violent, in their quest to force the rest of society to join them in their deranged delusions.

Is this what happened to Audrey Hale? Does her manifesto contain implicating information about the trans cult, linking her heinous crime to the now-mainstream promotion of all things trans?

Was Hale motivated by the rhetoric that indoctrinated her? How about those cross-sex and gender-bending hormone pharmaceuticals she may have been given as part of her transition? Was she exposed to groomers throughout her developmental years?

The truth is, trans activists want to keep the manifesto buried so the public cant witness how their destructive rhetoric has radicalized so many young people, turning them into ticking time bombs, suggested Revolver.

In addition, if the manifesto is released and shines a light on the mental illness within the violent and radicalized trans community, Dems will also have difficulty pushing their beloved gun control agenda  So, for these very reason [sic], we must keep demanding the manifesto be released.

More related news can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources for this article include:

Revolver.news

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) When the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) clot shots came out, several healthcare agencies advised pregnant and breastfeeding women to avoid getting the vaccine due to no or limited data on its effects, even warning women of childbearing age that pregnancy should be excluded before vaccination. Even the World Health Organization said, the use of this vaccine [Modernas COVID vaccine] in pregnant women is currently not recommended unless they are at risk of high exposure. Now, due to the highest infant mortality rates (and falling fertility rates) of any major city in the United States, Philadelphia, ironically nicknamed the Birthplace of America, is offering women $1,000 per month with no strings attached just to have babies. Is this to cover up for the horrid clot-shot effect? It would appear so.

Philadelphia now paying women to get pregnant, after COVID jabs cause spontaneous abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths

According to a study based on VAERS reports, the most frequently reported pregnancy-related adverse event from COVID clot shots was spontaneous abortion, followed by stillbirth and premature rupturing of membranes. Areas of Philly with the highest rates of low birth weights will be the first to get the free money for new pregnancies, including Cobbs Creek, Strawberry Mansion and Nicetown-Tioga.

Though mainstream media and the CDC run cover for these atrocities, theyre still happening, so now the city of brotherly love has decided to pay women to get pregnant. Big bucks. At least 250 women will get the free money from their third month of pregnancy and every month after until the baby reaches age one. This is an incentive, like a game show or lottery for having babies, and the pilot program has been named the Philly Joy Bank.

This baby bust is not just happening in Philadelphia, by the way, but all across America, where women are having fewer children. The mass media are blaming changing family values, but thats just a cover for the clot[shot effect. Of course, the CDC and UK authorities changed their tune quickly after the jabs went viral and now highly recommend all pregnant women get stabbed with millions of toxic spike prions (part of the worldwide depopulation scheme). Check out the (infertility) depopulation statistics on the chart below.

Vaccine-induced infertility is SO BAD they now want to pay women to have babies, but what about Planned Un-Parenthood?

Everyone knows by now that Planned Parenthood targets black women in metropolitan cities to have abortions, and that the organization was founded by Margaret Sanger, who once referred to black people as weeds. She was a eugenicist. Thats why it is so very suspect that the city of Philadelphia would pay women to have babies. Its obviously a cover for the atrocity of low fertility rates and mass abortion caused by the coronavirus injections.

Phillys infant mortality rate is 1.5 times higher than the national average, and BLACK BABIES are 4 times more likely to die before their very first birthday when compared to white babies. Coincidence? Remember the MMR vaccine that was shown to be killing black boys in Atlanta when Dr. William Thompson, lead scientist at the CDC at the time, blew the whistle.

Cities in Canada are doing the same, paying women more than $80 per month to get pregnant and have new babies. They better tell them to avoid the clot shots so the babies will survive long enough for them to be counted, huh? The same goes for the Abundant Birth Project in San Francisco. The Philly budget is set for $6 million for 2024. Is that because since the clot shots came out, Pennsylvania had the lowest fertility rates in 10 years? Notice that its mainly happening to minority babies.

The US suffers more than 5 infant deaths per every 1,000 births each year  the most of any of the 13 countries in the study, plus it also experienced over 23 maternal deaths per 100,000 births  thats ten more than any comparable countries. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on experimental gene therapy injections that cause infertility rates to rise so high that the government has to pay women to have babies just to cover up the genocidal atrocity.

Sources include:

Pandemic.news

NaturalNews.com

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) A biological male who thinks he is a woman, and who also teaches English at Bemidji High School in Bimidji, Minn., has gone viral for fantasizing online about how he might never get to fulfill my lifelong quest of moving to Tennessee to secretly inject 11 year olds with hormone blockers while i do an interpretive drag dance to my favorite Judy Blume novel.

Gina Marie Bernard, as this transgender woman calls himself, wrote the disturbing message on Facebook in response to the recent mass slaughter of Christian teachers, staff members, and students at The Covenant School in Nashville by Audrey Hale, a transgender who was born a female but later pretended to be a man.

Bernard has been known to post bizarre rantings and poems on Facebook, including one called Confessional in which he writes about giving his daughters alcohol and drugs, performing oral sex, killing a friends cat, writing a letter to a serial killer, and masturbating, among other unsavory topics.

In this same poem, Bernard also fantasized about committing some type of crime in order to be admitted to a womens prison.

Ive tasted the barrel of a loaded Winchester Ranger 20-gauge, silky with Hoppes No. 9, the disturbing poem reads. I fantasize about committing a crime so I can spend a year in a womens prison. But only a year.

(Related: In 2017, BBC tried to push the notion that pedophilia is just another sexual orientation like being homosexual, and here we are six years later.)

Parent of one of Bernards students says shes very scared for her childs safety to even be in the same building as this man

Bernard is said to have written at least two books of poetry. One of them is called I Am This Girl and the other is called Naked, Getting Nuder, according to The Bemidji Pioneer.

That poem was very hard to write because I had to kind of bare my soul, and I had to be really honest about some things that I could have easily taken to my grave and never told anybody, Bernard reportedly told the local media outlet.

But how do you live in light? How do you live in truth? How do you demonstrate to other people that youre more than the sum total of your choices without being willing to open that vein? Thats kind of what the poetrys all about.

As you might expect, Bernards classroom is filled with LGBT flare, including a pride flag and a transgender flag. These images and symbols caught the attention of some local parents, including one who asked: How is this okay?

[The post] about injecting children is disgusting and disturbing, this same parent said, choosing to remain anonymous.

I dont even know how to put it into words. This man shouldnt be around my children or any other children. Im very scared for my childrens safety to even be in the same building as this man.

Another parent, who also chose to remain anonymous, told Alpha News that his daughter was criticized by another staff member at the school for referring to Bernard as a male, which he is.

This information is out there for the students to see, that parent said. This is where the big issue comes.

When pressed for comment by Alpha News about these disturbing revelations, Bernard refused to offer any kind of response. The school district in which Bernard teaches similarly refused multiple attempts at communication via calls and email.

The latest news about the transgender grooming and mutilation of children by adults can be found at Transhumanism.news.

Sources include:

Bemidji.k12.mn.us

AlphaNews.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Though the pandemic, also known as the plandemic, is over, the Democrats so desperately want it to continue, and for several major reasons. Election fraud was quite simple, and the mail-in ballots made in China gave Beijing Biden a 50 million vote head start in 2020. Democrats love wearing communist masks also because they show unity for a common cause (bowing down to the system). And so everyone else must see the signs of the misinformation and perpetuated fake-science cult of programming, every day, just about everywhere.

Sadly, its not just a visual residual toxic effect, but an embedded health disaster for all the vaxxed zombies and the masked communists that walk among us. The aftereffects of the plandemic are real, and the Republic may never be the same again. So without further adieu, here are the 10 worst aftereffects of the scamdemic.

#1. Peoples vascular systems are clotted from the COVID clot shots

#2. The world is littered with dirty COVID masks

#3. More people died from the Vaccine Holocaust (PfizerGate & ModernaMadness) than from the Wuhan virus itself

#4. Millions of Americans lost their jobs and medical choice to vaccine mandates

#5. The supply chain of the USA is crippled and possibly permanently

#6. The election got rigged by fake CCP mail-in-ballots and now communists run the country

#7. The CDC, FDA, WHO, and all other 3-and-4-letter pharma-run regulatory agencies became more tyrannically powerful and corrupt

#8. Medical misinformation is everywhere, and censorship of the truth is even stricter

#9. Millions of naive humans are STILL wearing bacteria-laden, bacteria-breeding Covid masks that make them sick and more susceptible to gain-of-function viruses

#10. The vaxxed millions became dumber, meaner, and more brainwashed than ever

Confused, oxygen-and-nutrient-deprived vaxxed Americans are wandering around in a fog and cant rationalize the horrific aftereffects of the plandemic

Millions of Americans still think the COVID masks work. They are riddled with misinformation spread by Big Pharma all over the media, social media, and their dumb phones. The millions of spike proteins in their vascular system have clogged up their blood vessels so badly they cant breathe right, think straight, or even use logic to realize their health, livelihood, and human rights have been devastated by the Fauci plandemic.

Literal communists are running Washington DC and most of America, purposely destroying the supply chain, the agricultural revolution, the fuel supply, the Constitution, and millions of lives with the clot shots.

All over the streets, neighborhoods, parks, parking lots, offices, schools, playgrounds, oceans, and lakes are nasty, used COVID throwaway masks that will not disintegrate. Theyre worse than cigarette butts and single-use plastic bags.

Take a look outside grocery stores, gas stations, and drug stores and youll see dozens of dirty masks all over the sidewalks, entrance ways, and parking lots. People just toss them on the ground, and now, hardly a soul picks up litter anymore for fear of catching the gain-of-function virus from touching trash.

People think that by getting vaccinated and masking up, they are helping society, but its just the opposite. These jabbed up folks have weaker immune systems now, more bacteria trapped in their mouth, throat, and lungs, and less medical rights and privacy than they ever had before. The Vaccine Holocaust is real, just as predicted by the Health Ranger, whether people want to acknowledge it or not. The gas chambers just take a little longer to kill you, and they have a new name  mRNA.

Bookmark Censored.news to your favorite websites for truth news thats been censored from the rest of the media as you read this.

Sources for this article include:

NaturalNews.com

NationalPost.com
On Wednesday, the World Meteorological Organization stated that the names Ian and Fiona, two of 2022's most disastrous weather catastrophes, will no longer be used for tropical storms or hurricanes in the Atlantic basin.

Retiring the Names

On Wednesday, the organization's hurricane committee said it had removed Fiona and Ian from the list of names for revolving Atlantic tropical cyclones, as per AccuWeather.

In September 2022, Fiona and Ian both grew into powerful storms. Because of "the death and destruction they wrought in Central America, the Caribbean, the United States, and Canada," the WMO said that the storm names had been retired.

Farrah and Idris will replace Fiona and Ian in 2028, joining the list of other names for tropical storms used throughout 2022, such as Bonnie and Danielle.

Each year, forecasters use four lists in the Central Pacific and six rotating lists in the Atlantic and East Pacific to name storms.

According to the WMO, storms are given names in part to facilitate the dissemination of storm warnings and increase public awareness of their potentially fatal threats.

The NHC states that the storm names are eventually changed if they cause enough damage or loss of life that "the future use of its name on a different storm would be unsuitable for obvious reasons of sensitivity."

Since 1953, 96 names have been crossed off the Atlantic list.

Naming the Hurricanes

Since the 1800s, names for hurricanes have taken many different forms.

However, a new worldwide phonetic alphabet for naming storms was adopted in 1953.

The NHC claims that this year, female storm names were introduced in the country.

This procedure persisted until 1978, when male names were added to the East Pacific storm names list.

The Atlantic used an alternating list of male and female names in 1979.

Hurricane Fiona severely damaged many nations. It first touched down on September 18, 2022, as a Category 1 hurricane with top sustained winds of 85 mph on the extreme southwest coast of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

In addition to severe flooding, the hurricane in Puerto Rico brought about a total blackout on the island.

With sustained gusts of 90 mph, Fiona made landfall in the Dominican Republic almost 12 hours later.

Fiona eventually strengthened to a Category 4 storm over the Atlantic; however, it passed the Turks & Caicos Islands as a Category 3 hurricane.

Ian and Fiona

Fiona, a post-tropical cyclone that made landfall in Atlantic Canada, was the costliest meteorological event ever to affect the area.

Fiona caused nearly $3 billion in damages throughout the Caribbean and Canada and 29 direct and indirect fatalities.

On September 27, 2022, Category 3 Hurricane Ian landed in Cuba's Pinar del Rio region.

The cyclone subsequently turned its attention to the United States, coming ashore the next day as a Category 4 hurricane in Lee County, Florida.

The storm was the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida since 1935, killing 149 people.

In some cases, wind gusts exceeded 100 mph, with a gust of 128 mph recorded in Grove City.

Ian's damages were around $112 billion in only the United States, making it the most expensive storm in Florida history.

Related Article: Exposure to Major Disasters Can Cause Long-Term Mental Health Problems

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Air pollution is one of the largest environmental, ecological, and health issue of the 21st century.

A silent killer, the World Health Organization (WHO) described it to be lurking all around us, targeting both young and even the old.

The toxic smog also passes our body's defenses, causing life-threatening conditions like cancer, heart attack, lung disease, and strokes, the WHO said.

Humans are not the only victims of air pollution, instead other animals like the insects are affected as well.

In particular, such pollution can disrupt insect sexual communication, affecting even the world's honeybees and other pollinators.

Still, air pollutants like ozone can destroy an odor-driven chemical called insect pheromones, which are odor molecules containing carbon-to-carbon dioxide bonds.

Scientists assert the said bonds are vulnerable to ozone.

With this, increased air pollution can affect the mating of flies and can result in a mass fly extinction in the future, according to a new study led by researchers from Germany.

The world of pollination is also at risk as the odor from flowers could no longer be enticing for pollinators, due to the deteriorating effect brought by ozone.

Mass Fly Extinction Event

In the new study published in the journal Nature Communications on March 14, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology emphasized that insect sexual communication relies on sex pheromones, which was mentioned earlier.

However, they said double carbon bonds are potentially degraded by oxidation.

The research team showed that the reported increased levels of anthropocenic ozone can oxidize all known male-specific sex pheromones of the species Drosophila melanogaster, where reduced amounts of pheromones like cis-Vaccenyl Acetate and (Z)-7-Tricosene are observed.

In this context, female acceptance of male insects exposed to ozone are significantly delayed.

If the current rate of air pollution continues, a mass fly extinction event is likely imminent, the team said.

Also Read: Air Pollution: Particulate Matter in Big Cities Can be Further Located [Study]

Air Pollution Threat

In a news release by the German institute, the researchers inquired whether air pollution also influences how well female and male insects find and identify each other during mating, according to Markus Knaden, lead author of the study, as referenced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

To arrive at their findings, the scientific team developed an ozone exposure system for flies which resembles ozone levels in the air.

To achieve such system, the Max Planck Institute team created a continuous influx of air with defined ozone levels.

Ecological Disaster

The predicted mass fly extinction event could only be a shrug in the shoulder, since the winged insects, with the most common house fly and other types of "filth flies," are considered nuisance pests in general, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In spite their notorious track record of carrying and spreading various diseases, insects also bring benefits to the ecosystem.

First, flies are served in the menu within the Animal Kingdom's food chain, serving as a food source for many animals like birds and other insects.

In addition, flies along with gnats and mosquitoes also serve as pollinators since many of them visit flowers, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

With this, a total mass fly extinction event, as portrayed in the Nature Communications study can also be an ecological disaster.

Related Article: Trash Burning Worsens Air Pollution
On Tuesday, the world's rarest big cat population gained two new members at the San Diego Zoo thanks to the birth of twin cubs by an endangered amur leopard.

The cubs are the third set of Amur leopard twins that were born at the zoo, according to a San Diego Zoo Facebook post.

According to the post, Satka, the mother of the twin cubs, is "fur-familiar" with her parental responsibilities.

She keeps a close eye on the cubs as they start to explore the habitat outside when she is not in the den caring for and nursing them.

No information was provided by the zoo regarding the cubs' names, USA Today reported.

Endangered Amur Leopard

The Amur leopard is a nocturnal animal that spends its time alone, hunting mostly in China's and Russia's vast forests.

The hairs on that distinctive coat can become up to seven centimeters long during the harsh winter.

The Amur leopard's habitat has been gradually destroyed over time by forest fires, unsustainable logging, road construction, industrial development, and farming, in addition to merciless hunting.

The numbers of wild Amur leopards in Russia and north-east China are thought to have improved to at least 120 adults, according to recent research, which demonstrated the effectiveness of conservation efforts.

The Amur leopard, however, is still one of the rarest and most seriously endangered leopard subspecies in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

According to San Diego Zoo, Amur leopards enjoy exploring, climbing, and playing with new objects.

They also have a strong sense of smell, which is why wildlife care professionals add essential oils like lavender, cinnamon, and spearmint to their hay and climbing frames.

They do, however, sleep a lot, just like most cats.

The leopards in San Diego Zoo can be seen in the Africa Rocks and also in the Asian Passage area.

Also Read: King of Serengeti Lion Bob Jr. Killed by Younger Lions

Habitat and Population

Amur leopards avoid open grasslands and populated areas in favor of living in areas with a combination of Korean pine and deciduous forest.

These days, they are only to be found in the northernmost parts of China, possibly in North Korea, and the Russian Far East.

Fewer Amur leopards live in China, but most are in Russia, putting their range less than 2,500 square kilometers.

Amur leopards are the top predators in their area, making them essential for maintaining a healthy species balance.

The condition of the surrounding environment, which supplies local wildlife and residents with food, water, and other resources, is also impacted by this.

The WWF claimed that by protecting the Amur leopard, its environment is also protected for the benefit of nearby people and other wildlife.

Leopards are crossing the border into China to establish new territories, and the last isolated population is located in southwest Primorye in the Far East regions of Russia.

Despite unconfirmed sighting reports of Amur leopards in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, it is currently impossible to determine the status of these animals on the Korean peninsula.

They are, officially, no longer found in South Korea.

Its population as of July 2018 consists of 217 Amur leopards housed in 88 facilities.

The population has a 91% gene diversity retention rate and is descended from 14 founders, according to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Related Article: 70-Year Extinction Ends as Namibia Cheetahs Give Birth to Four Cubs in India
Health is seriously threatened by declining air quality, and scientists have shown that other species are also at risk.

According to a London study, grey squirrels' lung damage worsens closer to a city's center.

It was discovered that the rodents in Richmond have much healthier lungs than those in central Westminster.

Linked to Air Pollution

The study, published last week in the journal Environmental Pollution, showed the extent of urban air pollution and hypothesizes that many other species, such as wild animals, birds, domestic cats, and dogs, may be harmed by airborne particles from traffic and other sources, The Guardian reported.

According to researcher Patricia Brekke of the Zoological Society London, "there have been substantial declines in populations of species that had previously adapted very well to city life."

"They have included hedgehogs, sparrows, starlings, bees, butterflies, and beehives. All have seen significant recent population declines."

Also Read: Traces of Air Pollution Found Inside the Brains and Lungs of Unborn Babies

Squirrel Casualties

Although there hasn't been any concrete evidence to support the theory in wild mammals, air pollution's effects have been suggested as one cause.

The squirrel study sought to close that gap.

The native red squirrel has been displaced by the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), which was imported to Britain in the late 1800s.

In addition, to being bigger, grey squirrels frequently carry the squirrel pox virus, which seldom affects them but often results in the death of red squirrels.

The grey is now seen as a problem, and culling is done frequently. These animals served as the study subjects for the researchers.

The researchers looked at 106 animals that had been killed in five London boroughs: Camden, Greenwich, Haringey, Richmond upon Thames, and Westminster.

They also looked at two rural locations: Alice Holt in Surrey and Penrhyn Castle in north Wales.

The squirrels were tested for indicators of lung disease, black carbon particles in their lung tissue, and signs of harm to the lymph node tissue known as bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue.

Air Pollution

According to Simon Priestnall of the Royal Veterinary College, London, "we observed that squirrels that had come from the inner city had a lot more black carbon in their lung tissue but less lymphoid tissue in their lungs compared with those who had been collected from outer districts of London."

"In short, the lungs of the squirrels killed in central London's Westminster had far poorer conditions than those killed in the city's lush Richmond neighborhoods."

A city's center is where air pollution is severe rather than its edges.

The city's traffic and construction activities push microscopic particulates into the atmosphere, one of the leading causes of this air pollution.

Diesel exhaust gases, brake linings, and tire dust are some sources.

Humans are consequently highly vulnerable to its effects.

A recent research study projected that air pollution caused an extra 6,000 fatalities in London in 2019.

How About Other Animals?

According to Brekke, the prevalence of neurodegenerative illnesses is also higher in urban areas than in other areas.

Is this a problem for other animals as well?"

Scientists plan to expand their lung investigations by examining squirrels' brains to see if air pollution impacts the animals' cognition or behavior.

The group also wants to investigate animals, particularly dogs.

Related Article: Air Pollution Reportedly Causes Heart Attacks to Non-Smokers

For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
UK weather forecast shows this month will be the hottest April on record amid fears of drought and record-breaking heat, according to the UK's Meteorological Office (Met Office).

Meteorologists anticipate sunny weather with above-average temperatures across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland throughout April.

Meanwhile, drought conditions and intense heat are also possible.

The weather forecast comes a month after drenching rain poured down across the UK, causing floodwaters and the issuance of flood alerts in multiple areas nationwide.

Furthermore, April's drought forecast comes after UK weather authorities declared drought in many parts of the nation in August 2022 with record-breaking temperatures amid the deadly European heatwave.

The UK has entered its spring season, which spans from March to May every year, just like other countries in the Northern Hemisphere.

During this period, weather is considered moderate, which is between the average temperatures between the summer and winter seasons.

However, weather events, such as rainfall and intense heat, are still possible.

UK Weather Forecast

As mentioned earlier, the Met Office recently issued a weather forecast for the UK with an immediate outlook of mostly dry weather from Sunday to Monday, April 2 to April 3, wherein few light showers was expected across some areas of Scotland.

This will be followed by pleasant weather for most of the UK but with more clouds across Northern Ireland and Scotland.

For this week, the office hints of a similar weather from Tuesday to Thursday, April 4 to April 6, wherein the occurrence of rain is expected in the far northwest.

Meanwhile, rain will move eastward from Wednesday, April 5, until Thursday followed by brighter skies and another showers.

In terms of its long-range forecast, the UK weather service issued an almost month-long outlook from Friday, April 7 until May 1.

In particular, fine weather with sunny spells will become more common as the spring progresses, but there is still a chance of wet, windy, or unsettled weather.

Also Read: UK's Mass Forestry Scheme Faces Massive Hurdle in the Form of Drought

Drought Conditions

The record-breaking heat and potential drought conditions will be the greatest hazards for the UK April weather.

Weather forecast suggests that the prevailing long-range forecast for the UK this April could lead to the month's warmest on record, as cited by the UK's Daily Express newspaper.

According to the British Council, UK weather is unpredictable and it can be extreme in rare instances, with an average temperature from 9 to 18 degrees Celsius (46 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit).

In February, the UK Government's Environment Agency stated experts are warning of another hot dry spell that could lead to the return of drought conditions this year, despite rainfall during the previous winter season replenishing most water levels.

The agency also announced that its members, along with the National Drought Group, are continuing to plan and take action to reduce risks associated with the extreme weather event, with measures ranging from improving water supplies and protecting the environment.

Related Article: Met Office Issues Drought Warning That Will Hit the UK in August
Violent storms spawned massive tornadoes and left a trail of destruction and casualties as renewed severe thunderstorms occurred again in the United States over the weekend.

The recent US storm rampaged through the South and Midwest sections of the country, bringing powerful winds and causing a tornado outbreak responsible for downing trees and power lines.

The monster storm came a week after a similar yet separate severe storm system barreled across the southern US, killing 26 people when a deadly tornado struck Mississippi.

March's tornado outbreak also caused widespread disruption in the state of Georgia and Alabama, wherein at least one person was reported killed by another twister.

New US Tornado Outbreak

The new US tornado outbreak killed a total of at least 32 people as the tornadic storm passed through the Midwest and South, affecting communities in at least seven states, according to local officials, The New York Times reported.

In Illinois, one person died and at least 32 others were injured after a roof a theater, packed with many people, fell due to the severe weather.

This occurred after a powerful storm system on Friday, March 31, emerged.

Authorities stated on Saturday, April 1, related fatalities were reported in other states like Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, wherein Tennessee had 15 deaths occurring, as cited by The New York Times.

In Arkansas, the officials said five people died, including one man in the city of North Little Rock and four in the city of Wynne, during a spate of scattered tornadoes, even at a distance of approximately 100 miles between the two cities.

Also Read: Canada Storm Update: Deadly Derecho Kills At Least 10 People, Leaves Half a Million Without Electricity

Rising Death Toll

The latest death toll figure is higher compared to the initial ones reported by Reuters and other media sources during the weekend.

However, the increasing number is expected as emergency services and rescue crew continue to cleanup debris, which can potentially hide a body.

During a White House statement, U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday made phone calls with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the mayors of Little Rock and Wynne about offering federal government support.

Tornado Watch

On Sunday, April 2, the system shifted to the southern part of the Great Plains, wherein almost 13 million people in north Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, experienced a heightened risk of severe weather during the afternoon and early evening hours, according to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the National Weather Service (NWS), as cited by CNN.

According to officials, the Dallas Office of Emergency Management activated sirens across the city due to occurrence of large hail which led to the grounding of flights at Dallas airports.

With this the NWS issued a tornado watch for some areas of Oklahoma and Texas.

Furthermore, the NWS also confirmed at least four tornadoes touching down across New Jersey on Saturday, specifically in the state's Cinnaminson, Sea Girt, Jackson, and Howell Township areas, CBS News reported.

Related Article: Severe Weather Leaves 13 People Dead as Tornadoes, Flooding Batter South US
Monika Monalisa By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Abinash Bikram Shah, who was one of the jury members of the recently-concluded Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFes), was appreciated by many for his calm demeanour. This same sensibility of his can be spotted in his recent short film, Lori, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme dOr at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and won a Special Jury Mention.

Shahs movie Lori is about a mother-daughter relationship when the daughter is getting married. In countries like Nepal and India, we have various songs during various rituals. Ive used these songs to indicate the progress of the film which also depicts the patriarchy which is being carried forward, says Shah, adding, My father passed away when I was very young and it was my mother who brought me up and my sisters.

So many of my ideas come from my upbringing. Having gathered a lot of attention internationally, Shah felt the movie garnered curiosity because its something different. Another reason could be because of how the story is being told. It is a 15-minute film with four songs. It is like a musical but not like a Hollywood one, says Shah.

Not just his short film, Southeast Asian movies are enjoying their moment in the international spotlight right now. The international audience might not have seen movies like RRR. Films that are being awarded are also the ones where we are proudly displaying our culture. For the international audience, it is a fresh perspective, he says.

Shah started his journey in movies as a writer with some of his movies being screened at international film festivals like the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. When I started, my mother was never convinced that the film industry could be a profession, says Shah, who was born in a small town at the India-Nepal border but later moved to Kathmandu.

A huge fan of Satyajit Rays work, Shah never thought of moving to Bollywood or the neighbouring Bengali film industry. I feel I have so much to say that I feel I could do a better job by working in Nepali films. There are so many socio-political issues and stories in Nepal that need to be told and addressed. And I want to do it through my films,  says Shah adding that there is a huge financial crunch being an independent filmmaker.

BENGALURU: Abinash Bikram Shah, who was one of the jury members of the recently-concluded Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFes), was appreciated by many for his calm demeanour. This same sensibility of his can be spotted in his recent short film, Lori, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme dOr at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and won a Special Jury Mention. Shahs movie Lori is about a mother-daughter relationship when the daughter is getting married. In countries like Nepal and India, we have various songs during various rituals. Ive used these songs to indicate the progress of the film which also depicts the patriarchy which is being carried forward, says Shah, adding, My father passed away when I was very young and it was my mother who brought me up and my sisters. So many of my ideas come from my upbringing. Having gathered a lot of attention internationally, Shah felt the movie garnered curiosity because its something different. Another reason could be because of how the story is being told. It is a 15-minute film with four songs. It is like a musical but not like a Hollywood one, says Shah.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Not just his short film, Southeast Asian movies are enjoying their moment in the international spotlight right now. The international audience might not have seen movies like RRR. Films that are being awarded are also the ones where we are proudly displaying our culture. For the international audience, it is a fresh perspective, he says. Shah started his journey in movies as a writer with some of his movies being screened at international film festivals like the Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival. When I started, my mother was never convinced that the film industry could be a profession, says Shah, who was born in a small town at the India-Nepal border but later moved to Kathmandu. A huge fan of Satyajit Rays work, Shah never thought of moving to Bollywood or the neighbouring Bengali film industry. I feel I have so much to say that I feel I could do a better job by working in Nepali films. There are so many socio-political issues and stories in Nepal that need to be told and addressed. And I want to do it through my films,  says Shah adding that there is a huge financial crunch being an independent filmmaker.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: A public park in the capitals posh Saheed Nagar area has turned into a safe haven for anti-socials as it faces illegal encroachment. Locals said when BMC Bhawani Mall was constructed, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had shifted makeshift shops to the BDA park which is close to a primary school in the area. The civic authorities later shifted the shops to the haat behind Durga mandap in Saheed Nagar.

However, a few shop owners did not move and continued to run their businesses illegally on the park premises. Soon, other people started their businesses by encroaching the parks land. Locals said BDA has attempted twice to evict encroaches from the illegal Tinkonia haat but to no avail. During nights, the anti-socials consume alcohol in the area as they have easy access to food because of illegal hotels and eateries nearby, allege locals.

A few days back when I was parking my car, some persons under influence of alcohol obstructed and assaulted me. I even lodged a complaint in this connection in Saheed Nagar police station, said a local.

Residents said the park was primarily set up for children of the nearby primary school. Due to the illegal encroachments, they even face difficulty in visiting the nearby smart park.

Law and order situation has worsened as anti-socials visit the makeshift shops and regularly create nuisance in the area. People confronting them are being attacked. The residents alleged that anti-socials are also consuming drugs and this is causing a lot of apprehension amongst them, especially the senior citizens.

Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das told the newspaper that the matter is being looked into. When residents flagged that anti-socials were consuming drugs near a few parks during nights, steps were taken and lights were installed, she said. Saheed Nagar IIC Manoj Kumar Satpathy said, raids are being frequently carried out in all the areas. Action is also being initiated against people found to be consuming alcohol in public places.

BHUBANESWAR: A public park in the capitals posh Saheed Nagar area has turned into a safe haven for anti-socials as it faces illegal encroachment. Locals said when BMC Bhawani Mall was constructed, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) had shifted makeshift shops to the BDA park which is close to a primary school in the area. The civic authorities later shifted the shops to the haat behind Durga mandap in Saheed Nagar. However, a few shop owners did not move and continued to run their businesses illegally on the park premises. Soon, other people started their businesses by encroaching the parks land. Locals said BDA has attempted twice to evict encroaches from the illegal Tinkonia haat but to no avail. During nights, the anti-socials consume alcohol in the area as they have easy access to food because of illegal hotels and eateries nearby, allege locals. A few days back when I was parking my car, some persons under influence of alcohol obstructed and assaulted me. I even lodged a complaint in this connection in Saheed Nagar police station, said a local. Residents said the park was primarily set up for children of the nearby primary school. Due to the illegal encroachments, they even face difficulty in visiting the nearby smart park.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Law and order situation has worsened as anti-socials visit the makeshift shops and regularly create nuisance in the area. People confronting them are being attacked. The residents alleged that anti-socials are also consuming drugs and this is causing a lot of apprehension amongst them, especially the senior citizens. Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das told the newspaper that the matter is being looked into. When residents flagged that anti-socials were consuming drugs near a few parks during nights, steps were taken and lights were installed, she said. Saheed Nagar IIC Manoj Kumar Satpathy said, raids are being frequently carried out in all the areas. Action is also being initiated against people found to be consuming alcohol in public places.
Sahaya Novinston Lobo By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chennai city police arrested the faculty in Kalakshetra Foundation for making sexual advances to a former woman student in the institution. This comes days after a case was registered.

Assistant professor Hari Padman was booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual harassment) ( 509 (use of words, gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 4 of the Women Harassment Act. He was arrested from a house in Madhavaram, said the police.

The case was registered based on a complaint by a former student at an All Women Police station in the city. Police sources said that Hari was sending obscene messages and comments to her through social media.

The victim also mentioned that the faculty harassed her while she was studying and she had to discontinue because of him.

However, the accused kept harassing her for years even after she left the institution, said a senior police officer.

The complaint was given to the police by Friday evening and the police, after seeking legal expertise, registered a case at night.

Three other male faculty members accused of sexually harassing the students should not be allowed entry into the premises, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women chairperson A S Kumari told the Kalakshetra management.

On April 2, a team of Tamil Nadu police went to Kerala to record the statements of witnesses in the sexual harassment case against Padman, police added.

Meanwhile, Kalakshetra director Revathi Ramachandran appeared before the women's panel.

(With online desk inputs)

READ MORE

Kalakshetra case: Guru-sishya parampara silenced them for long

Kalakshetra case: Cops book faculty, 100 complaints filed, TN CM assures action

CHENNAI: The Chennai city police arrested the faculty in Kalakshetra Foundation for making sexual advances to a former woman student in the institution. This comes days after a case was registered. Assistant professor Hari Padman was booked under IPC sections 354A (sexual harassment) ( 509 (use of words, gestures or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 4 of the Women Harassment Act. He was arrested from a house in Madhavaram, said the police. The case was registered based on a complaint by a former student at an All Women Police station in the city. Police sources said that Hari was sending obscene messages and comments to her through social media.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The victim also mentioned that the faculty harassed her while she was studying and she had to discontinue because of him. However, the accused kept harassing her for years even after she left the institution, said a senior police officer. The complaint was given to the police by Friday evening and the police, after seeking legal expertise, registered a case at night. Three other male faculty members accused of sexually harassing the students should not be allowed entry into the premises, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women chairperson A S Kumari told the Kalakshetra management. On April 2, a team of Tamil Nadu police went to Kerala to record the statements of witnesses in the sexual harassment case against Padman, police added. Meanwhile, Kalakshetra director Revathi Ramachandran appeared before the women's panel. (With online desk inputs) READ MORE Kalakshetra case: Guru-sishya parampara silenced them for long Kalakshetra case: Cops book faculty, 100 complaints filed, TN CM assures action
Anup Verma and Amit Pandey By

Express News Service

The issue of the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a member of the Lok Sabha has brought almost all the Opposition parties in the country together on a common platform, if only out of fears of being rendered politically irrelevant by the BJP juggernaut in the general election scheduled to be held next year.

This came at a time when most of these parties were already at loggerheads with the PM Narendra Modi-led Central govt on allegations of State patronage extended by it to industrialist Gautam Adani, whose wealth rose exponentially since the BJP assumed power in 2014, following a report released by the US-based firm Hindenburg Research.

This realignment of equations between the Opposition parties has seen something of a ceasefire even between traditional foes like the AAP and the Congress, with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal setting aside, for now, the war of words between the two parties over allegations of corruption levelled by the CBI and the Ed against his erstwhile deputy Manish Sisodia, currently cooling his heels in Tihar Jail in the so-called Delhi liquor scam.

A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this. It is the job of the public and the Opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision, Kejriwal said, taking to Twitter.

AAP MLAs also moved a resolution in the Delhi Assembly urging Parliament to probe the allegations against Adani by setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the issue. Before that, AAP MPs had joined the Opposition protests led by the Congress over the Adani-Hindenburg row during the Budget session of Parliament, which saw them marching together holding aloft banners demanding a JPC probe.

Political analysts feel that these developments hold significance for the citys political landscape despite the visceral hatred the AAP has traditionally displayed, at least for public consumption, towards the Grand Old Party. They went so far as to suggest that the two parties might enter into some sort of understanding ahead of the 2024 polls.

Political commentator Ajay Gudavarthy, an associate professor at JNU, says such a possibility cant be ruled out since both parties are on the same page on many issues and with AAP now in the thick of corruption charges, its rhetorical attack on the Congress for such issues had lost relevance. If the AAP and the Congress join hands, they can give a strong fight to the BJP in Delhi and perhaps some other parts of the country. It will help to minimise the division of Opposition votes, he said.

Manoj Kumar, a political analyst earlier associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, holds a similar opinion.

The two parties are now up against the BJP government at the Centre on issues such as the Adani row and the ED and CBI action against Opposition leaders. On the national level, leaders across the political spectrum such as SPs Akhilesh Yadav, TMCs Mamata Banerjee, RJDs Tejashwi Yadav, BRS K Chandrashekhar Rao and Arvind Kejriwal are seriously mulling joining a joint Opposition front along with the Congress. They feel fighting the BJP together may unseat it from power at the Centre. So they may well come together, he said.

Another analyst, Dushyant Nagar, however, felt that while a coalition between the AAP and the Congress would indeed preempt the division of votes polled in favour of the Opposition vis-a-vis the BJP, such a move is unlikely to see the day of light due to Kejriwals inflated ego and political ambitions.

Many AAP leaders are willing to join hands with the Congress as they were earlier affiliated with that party. The problem is that Kejriwal, due to his political reasons, has been unwilling to go for that, with the result that AAP has cut into Opposition votes and helped propel the BJPs rise to power when Assembly polls were held in states such as Goa, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh by fielding candidates even when the party had no standing there. It was almost like the role played by Asaduddin Owaisi. Right now also, after Rahul Gandhis disqualification as an MP, Kejriwal seems to be fancying his chances of emerging as the face of the Opposition, he said.

Even for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, the AAP has announced plans to field its candidates at over 220 constituencies. This will only hurt the prospects of the Congress as a division of votes polled against the BJP will take place. If Kejriwal is indeed serious about Opposition unity, he should avoid such moves and join hands with other Opposition parties in earnest right away, he added.

Will Congress be interested in an alliance?

Following Manish Sisodias arrest by the CBI, the Delhi unit of the Congress had hit the streets in protest against the liquor scam and made scathing attacks on the AAP. City Congress chief Anil Choudhary welcomed the arrest of Manish Sisodia by the CBI and later by the Enforcement Directorate and the party had put up posters against the AAP. He had gone on to allege that the AAP supremo was the mastermind behind the scam and demanded his arrest.

Express illustration

The AAP had then hit back at the GOP, accusing it of not taking a stand against the alleged misuse of Central investigating agencies by the BJP-led Central government. Talking to this newspaper, a source in the Delhi unit of the Congress downplayed any talk of joining hands with the AAP in the city. The Congress and the AAP may, in theory, come together for the electoral fight for the seven Lok Sabha constituencies, but this is impossible in the context of the Assembly elections considering that AAP is hugely popular and has a brute majority in the House. Congress workers wont stand for that, he said.

He attributed the AAPs change of attitude towards the Congress to the support garnered by the party from Muslim voters in the MCD polls held recently. The success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi got the Muslims to favour us, he said, adding that the AAP only wanted to use the Congress to try and register a win from the city in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Incidentally, there was talk of the two parties allying up ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but it did not materialise. An alliance between the Congress & AAP in Delhi would mean the rout of the BJP. The Congress is willing to give up 4 Delhi seats to the AAP to ensure this. But, Mr Kejriwal has done yet another U-turn! Our doors are still open, but the clock is running out, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted on April 15, 2019.

When the move fell through, Kejriwal lay the blame squarely on the Congress. According to him, talks between AAP and Congress were going well and they wanted to form an alliance with Congress for 33 seats in Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Delhi.

They then presented a new condition which was impossible for us to agree upon. But somehow we agreed to their condition. After this, they suddenly said they dont want to ally with us, Kejriwal claimed.

In world history, have you heard of any instance when a political alliance was formed on Twitter? Rahul Gandhi was merely pretending that he wants an alliance with AAP but in reality, he did not want to join hands with us, Kejriwal had reacted.

After the talks failed, the Congress and AAP fielded their candidates for all seats in Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Haryana. Both the parties went on to lose all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the BJP, a repeat of the 2014 scenario. The saffron partys vote share saw a substantial increase, from 46.40 per cent in 2014 to 56.90 per cent five years later.

They have been bitter foes since Arvind Kejriwal toppled Sheila Dikshit in 2013 following his campaign against the UPA govt at the Centre. Now, with the Opposition gearing up to take on the BJP juggernaut in 2024, there is talk of the two reaching an electoral understanding, write Anup Verma and Amit Pandey

The issue of the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a member of the Lok Sabha has brought almost all the Opposition parties in the country together on a common platform, if only out of fears of being rendered politically irrelevant by the BJP juggernaut in the general election scheduled to be held next year. This came at a time when most of these parties were already at loggerheads with the PM Narendra Modi-led Central govt on allegations of State patronage extended by it to industrialist Gautam Adani, whose wealth rose exponentially since the BJP assumed power in 2014, following a report released by the US-based firm Hindenburg Research. This realignment of equations between the Opposition parties has seen something of a ceasefire even between traditional foes like the AAP and the Congress, with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal setting aside, for now, the war of words between the two parties over allegations of corruption levelled by the CBI and the Ed against his erstwhile deputy Manish Sisodia, currently cooling his heels in Tihar Jail in the so-called Delhi liquor scam.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A conspiracy is being hatched to eliminate non-BJP leaders and parties by prosecuting them. We have differences with Congress, but it is not right to implicate Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case like this. It is the job of the public and the Opposition to ask questions. We respect the court but disagree with the decision, Kejriwal said, taking to Twitter. AAP MLAs also moved a resolution in the Delhi Assembly urging Parliament to probe the allegations against Adani by setting up a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the issue. Before that, AAP MPs had joined the Opposition protests led by the Congress over the Adani-Hindenburg row during the Budget session of Parliament, which saw them marching together holding aloft banners demanding a JPC probe. Political analysts feel that these developments hold significance for the citys political landscape despite the visceral hatred the AAP has traditionally displayed, at least for public consumption, towards the Grand Old Party. They went so far as to suggest that the two parties might enter into some sort of understanding ahead of the 2024 polls. Political commentator Ajay Gudavarthy, an associate professor at JNU, says such a possibility cant be ruled out since both parties are on the same page on many issues and with AAP now in the thick of corruption charges, its rhetorical attack on the Congress for such issues had lost relevance. If the AAP and the Congress join hands, they can give a strong fight to the BJP in Delhi and perhaps some other parts of the country. It will help to minimise the division of Opposition votes, he said. Manoj Kumar, a political analyst earlier associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, holds a similar opinion. The two parties are now up against the BJP government at the Centre on issues such as the Adani row and the ED and CBI action against Opposition leaders. On the national level, leaders across the political spectrum such as SPs Akhilesh Yadav, TMCs Mamata Banerjee, RJDs Tejashwi Yadav, BRS K Chandrashekhar Rao and Arvind Kejriwal are seriously mulling joining a joint Opposition front along with the Congress. They feel fighting the BJP together may unseat it from power at the Centre. So they may well come together, he said. Another analyst, Dushyant Nagar, however, felt that while a coalition between the AAP and the Congress would indeed preempt the division of votes polled in favour of the Opposition vis-a-vis the BJP, such a move is unlikely to see the day of light due to Kejriwals inflated ego and political ambitions. Many AAP leaders are willing to join hands with the Congress as they were earlier affiliated with that party. The problem is that Kejriwal, due to his political reasons, has been unwilling to go for that, with the result that AAP has cut into Opposition votes and helped propel the BJPs rise to power when Assembly polls were held in states such as Goa, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh by fielding candidates even when the party had no standing there. It was almost like the role played by Asaduddin Owaisi. Right now also, after Rahul Gandhis disqualification as an MP, Kejriwal seems to be fancying his chances of emerging as the face of the Opposition, he said. Even for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, the AAP has announced plans to field its candidates at over 220 constituencies. This will only hurt the prospects of the Congress as a division of votes polled against the BJP will take place. If Kejriwal is indeed serious about Opposition unity, he should avoid such moves and join hands with other Opposition parties in earnest right away, he added. Will Congress be interested in an alliance? Following Manish Sisodias arrest by the CBI, the Delhi unit of the Congress had hit the streets in protest against the liquor scam and made scathing attacks on the AAP. City Congress chief Anil Choudhary welcomed the arrest of Manish Sisodia by the CBI and later by the Enforcement Directorate and the party had put up posters against the AAP. He had gone on to allege that the AAP supremo was the mastermind behind the scam and demanded his arrest. Express illustration The AAP had then hit back at the GOP, accusing it of not taking a stand against the alleged misuse of Central investigating agencies by the BJP-led Central government. Talking to this newspaper, a source in the Delhi unit of the Congress downplayed any talk of joining hands with the AAP in the city. The Congress and the AAP may, in theory, come together for the electoral fight for the seven Lok Sabha constituencies, but this is impossible in the context of the Assembly elections considering that AAP is hugely popular and has a brute majority in the House. Congress workers wont stand for that, he said. He attributed the AAPs change of attitude towards the Congress to the support garnered by the party from Muslim voters in the MCD polls held recently. The success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi got the Muslims to favour us, he said, adding that the AAP only wanted to use the Congress to try and register a win from the city in the next Lok Sabha polls. Incidentally, there was talk of the two parties allying up ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but it did not materialise. An alliance between the Congress & AAP in Delhi would mean the rout of the BJP. The Congress is willing to give up 4 Delhi seats to the AAP to ensure this. But, Mr Kejriwal has done yet another U-turn! Our doors are still open, but the clock is running out, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted on April 15, 2019. When the move fell through, Kejriwal lay the blame squarely on the Congress. According to him, talks between AAP and Congress were going well and they wanted to form an alliance with Congress for 33 seats in Punjab, Haryana, Goa and Delhi. They then presented a new condition which was impossible for us to agree upon. But somehow we agreed to their condition. After this, they suddenly said they dont want to ally with us, Kejriwal claimed. In world history, have you heard of any instance when a political alliance was formed on Twitter? Rahul Gandhi was merely pretending that he wants an alliance with AAP but in reality, he did not want to join hands with us, Kejriwal had reacted. After the talks failed, the Congress and AAP fielded their candidates for all seats in Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Haryana. Both the parties went on to lose all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the BJP, a repeat of the 2014 scenario. The saffron partys vote share saw a substantial increase, from 46.40 per cent in 2014 to 56.90 per cent five years later. They have been bitter foes since Arvind Kejriwal toppled Sheila Dikshit in 2013 following his campaign against the UPA govt at the Centre. Now, with the Opposition gearing up to take on the BJP juggernaut in 2024, there is talk of the two reaching an electoral understanding, write Anup Verma and Amit Pandey
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old pregnant woman was shot at in the national capital by her neighbour after she objected to the playing of loud music during a function, a police official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Harish and Amit, were apprehended by the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said a PCR call was received around 12.15 am regarding firing and injury to a woman at street no. 8, Siraspur in Delhi after which the police immediately rushed to the spot and found that one injured woman named Ranju was already shifted to Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.

The spot where the shooting incident took place was thoroughly examined by the Crime Team of the Delhi Police and all important exhibits were lifted from there. The police staff then went to the hospital and collected the Medico-Legal Case (MLC) of the victim woman in which the doctor had opined a gunshot injury on her neck and the patient was declared unfit for the statement.

The police then recorded the statement of the eyewitness i.e. the sister-in-law of the victim woman who stated that on April 2 there was a function in their neighbourhood in which a DJ was being played very loudly. When she and her sister-in-law came to the balcony and asked the accused Harish to stop the DJ, he fired a shot at her and a bullet hit her neck. Based on the statement of the sister-in-law, the police registered a case of attempt to murder and Arms Act and both the accused were apprehended.

A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 27 of the Arms Act is being registered against them, DCP Singh said.

NEW DELHI: A 30-year-old pregnant woman was shot at in the national capital by her neighbour after she objected to the playing of loud music during a function, a police official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Harish and Amit, were apprehended by the police. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer north) Ravi Kumar Singh said a PCR call was received around 12.15 am regarding firing and injury to a woman at street no. 8, Siraspur in Delhi after which the police immediately rushed to the spot and found that one injured woman named Ranju was already shifted to Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh. The spot where the shooting incident took place was thoroughly examined by the Crime Team of the Delhi Police and all important exhibits were lifted from there. The police staff then went to the hospital and collected the Medico-Legal Case (MLC) of the victim woman in which the doctor had opined a gunshot injury on her neck and the patient was declared unfit for the statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The police then recorded the statement of the eyewitness i.e. the sister-in-law of the victim woman who stated that on April 2 there was a function in their neighbourhood in which a DJ was being played very loudly. When she and her sister-in-law came to the balcony and asked the accused Harish to stop the DJ, he fired a shot at her and a bullet hit her neck. Based on the statement of the sister-in-law, the police registered a case of attempt to murder and Arms Act and both the accused were apprehended. A case under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 27 of the Arms Act is being registered against them, DCP Singh said.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police nabbed a 45-year-old convicted man, just 500 metres away from the Indian-Bangladesh border, as he was trying to flee, officials said on Sunday.

The accused, identified as Jafar Ali (45), was convicted and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in an NDPS case in 2010. Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said the Crime Branch team apprehended the accused and his associates with 142kg of weed from Burari in 2010.

A case was registered under NDPS Act and during the trial, he was sentenced to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine.

In 2020, Jafar Ali was granted emergency parole, which was extended from time to time till February 27, 2021, and even after the expiry of his extended parole, he did not surrender and went absconding, the senior official said.

As the accused was a resident of West Bengals district Coochbehar, a team was sent there to nab him. The accused fled from his native place to cross the India-Bangladesh border, however, he was traced and arrested from Kusherhat, Dinhata.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police nabbed a 45-year-old convicted man, just 500 metres away from the Indian-Bangladesh border, as he was trying to flee, officials said on Sunday. The accused, identified as Jafar Ali (45), was convicted and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in an NDPS case in 2010. Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav said the Crime Branch team apprehended the accused and his associates with 142kg of weed from Burari in 2010. A case was registered under NDPS Act and during the trial, he was sentenced to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In 2020, Jafar Ali was granted emergency parole, which was extended from time to time till February 27, 2021, and even after the expiry of his extended parole, he did not surrender and went absconding, the senior official said. As the accused was a resident of West Bengals district Coochbehar, a team was sent there to nab him. The accused fled from his native place to cross the India-Bangladesh border, however, he was traced and arrested from Kusherhat, Dinhata.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: A students' group on Monday claimed that around of its 15 activists were detained from outside the Indraprastha College for Women, where they had gathered to stage a protest against the alleged harassment of girl students during a fest last week.

Delhi Police, however, has denied the charge.

Led by the All India Students' Association (AISA), the agitators had gathered to protest against the alleged incident and the administration's response to it.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers while the gates of the college were barricaded.

"About 15 AISA activists have been detained from the college gate and are being taken to Burari police station," the students' body's Delhi unit president Abhigyan alleged.

A senior police officer, however, denied the allegation. "Around 10-15 protesters had gathered outside the college gate. They were removed peacefully," he said. No one has been detained, the officer added.

Students at the Indraprastha College for Women, a Delhi University affiliate, last week alleged that some men scaled the institute's boundary walls during a fest and "harassed several students".

#DUs #IPCW at the centre of firestorm.

Amid protests over lack of security, students r also worried about alleged saffronisation.



Boundary walls have been painted saffron, same colour added to its logo & guests being invited to the college events r controversial figures pic.twitter.com/4FPj5JYj2N  Vishu Adhana (@vishuadhana08) April 3, 2023

ALSO READ | DCW begins probe into sexual harassment incidents at college fests

Angry students demand exit of new principal

Hundreds of students at DU's Indraprastha College for Women have held multiple demonstrations in the last few days, demanding the resignation of the newly-appointed principal over security lapses during the recent annual fest and alleged authoritarian steps. They have also taken to social media.

They did not resort to a demonstration until the March 28 incident when some "unknown" men allegedly trespassed, shouted slogans and harassed women students during the annual 'Shruti' festival at the college. A similar incident was reported during an event at Miranda House College last year in October.

The students have alleged lapses on the part of the administration. "The principal did not make a proper arrangement for the safety and security of the students. They knew that over 12,000 students will come and there is a high chance that hooligans might show up at the event," a first-year student who did not want to be named said.

The administration's response further outraged the students.

"The principal is not taking any measures. She is not giving us a proper answer. She called police on the campus, who are lenient on the perpetrators and are pushing and shoving students," she said.

The college principal did not respond to calls and texts from PTI seeking a response to the allegations.

STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PROTESTING STUDENTS OF INDRAPRASTHA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN!



POONAM KUMRIA MUST RESIGN! #IPCW#smashbrahminicalpatriarchy #baso pic.twitter.com/WC7nw5QrDr  Apeksha Priyadarshini (@apeksha_9) April 3, 2023

'Walls painted saffron, increased surveillance of professors'

The recent "saffronisation" of the college has only added to the anger of the students who have also claimed increased surveillance and curtailment of freedom of speech ever since Poonam Kumria took charge as the head of the century-old institute on February 21.

PTI talked with the protesting students, who said that they have noticed a "huge difference" in the way the college is operating under Kumria.

According to students, the college's boundary walls have been painted saffron, the same colour has also been added to its logo and guests being invited to the college events are controversial figures.

Why does Punam Kumariya( Principal of IP college,DU) fear her own students?

Why was she running away from students with the help of police? #justiceforipstudents pic.twitter.com/BAXnDHWljE  AISA (@AISA_tweets) April 1, 2023

"Since her coming to the college, there have been many changes, our walls that were white have been painted saffron, and our college's logo has also been changed to saffron with a very highlighted lotus in the middle. Shruti'23, the annual fest of IPCW was also inaugurated by a very controversial figure Navika Kumar, who has made many Islamophobic comments on television," said Shambhavi, a second-year student.

"She used IPCW's official Twitter account to post wishes on Hindi New Year which clearly shows her bias, her Twitter account has many Islamophobic tweets and under her presence, liberty, democracy, and freedom has had a clear attack inside our campus," Shambhavi who is associated to All India Students' Association (AISA) said.

We will not tolerate the saffronisation of IPCW. Anti-women sanghi administration must resign! #justiceforipstudents pic.twitter.com/x5tLmPgnBG  AISA - Delhi University (@aisa_du) April 1, 2023

Last week, a former IPCW student tweeted several photos of the college's outer boundary and logo, saying: "DU is overturning its own glorious and revolutionary history by painting the walls saffron!"

Anjali, who is also the DU Secretary for AISA, said, "The college is witnessing saffronisation. No consultations with the students or professors were made either. Using saffron on walls and logos is a clear violation of the democratic nature of the institution."

"A third-year student accused the administration of operating in a draconian way. Whatever changes have been made in the past two months, no proper communication has been put out and no announcements have been made," alleged a third-year student.

IPCW principal left without answeing! pic.twitter.com/yMS3bzvxI8  AISA - Delhi University (@aisa_du) March 29, 2023

"We were told by our seniors and teachers that the college is a historical building and no changes are allowed. Now, the whole boundary walls were painted saffron. It is clear-cut political messaging. People at the university are shocked and nobody was informed about it," said the student, who does not wish to be named, fearing action from the administration.The students claimed that the logo was changed without any notification.

The logo of the college, which is a lotus inside a swastika in a black and white motif, too has been changed and embedded in a saffron-coloured circle.

Students have claimed that the principal has also increased surveillance of the professors. "The students have also alleged that the principal has also increased surveillance on our professor, she has been clicking their photos in the classroom," Shambhavi said.

NEW DELHI: A students' group on Monday claimed that around of its 15 activists were detained from outside the Indraprastha College for Women, where they had gathered to stage a protest against the alleged harassment of girl students during a fest last week. Delhi Police, however, has denied the charge. Led by the All India Students' Association (AISA), the agitators had gathered to protest against the alleged incident and the administration's response to it.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Police personnel were deployed in large numbers while the gates of the college were barricaded. "About 15 AISA activists have been detained from the college gate and are being taken to Burari police station," the students' body's Delhi unit president Abhigyan alleged. A senior police officer, however, denied the allegation. "Around 10-15 protesters had gathered outside the college gate. They were removed peacefully," he said. No one has been detained, the officer added. Students at the Indraprastha College for Women, a Delhi University affiliate, last week alleged that some men scaled the institute's boundary walls during a fest and "harassed several students". #DUs #IPCW at the centre of firestorm. Amid protests over lack of security, students r also worried about alleged saffronisation. Boundary walls have been painted saffron, same colour added to its logo & guests being invited to the college events r controversial figures pic.twitter.com/4FPj5JYj2N  Vishu Adhana (@vishuadhana08) April 3, 2023 ALSO READ | DCW begins probe into sexual harassment incidents at college fests Angry students demand exit of new principal Hundreds of students at DU's Indraprastha College for Women have held multiple demonstrations in the last few days, demanding the resignation of the newly-appointed principal over security lapses during the recent annual fest and alleged authoritarian steps. They have also taken to social media. They did not resort to a demonstration until the March 28 incident when some "unknown" men allegedly trespassed, shouted slogans and harassed women students during the annual 'Shruti' festival at the college. A similar incident was reported during an event at Miranda House College last year in October. The students have alleged lapses on the part of the administration. "The principal did not make a proper arrangement for the safety and security of the students. They knew that over 12,000 students will come and there is a high chance that hooligans might show up at the event," a first-year student who did not want to be named said. The administration's response further outraged the students. "The principal is not taking any measures. She is not giving us a proper answer. She called police on the campus, who are lenient on the perpetrators and are pushing and shoving students," she said. The college principal did not respond to calls and texts from PTI seeking a response to the allegations. STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PROTESTING STUDENTS OF INDRAPRASTHA COLLEGE FOR WOMEN! POONAM KUMRIA MUST RESIGN! #IPCW#smashbrahminicalpatriarchy #baso pic.twitter.com/WC7nw5QrDr  Apeksha Priyadarshini (@apeksha_9) April 3, 2023 'Walls painted saffron, increased surveillance of professors' The recent "saffronisation" of the college has only added to the anger of the students who have also claimed increased surveillance and curtailment of freedom of speech ever since Poonam Kumria took charge as the head of the century-old institute on February 21. PTI talked with the protesting students, who said that they have noticed a "huge difference" in the way the college is operating under Kumria. According to students, the college's boundary walls have been painted saffron, the same colour has also been added to its logo and guests being invited to the college events are controversial figures. Why does Punam Kumariya( Principal of IP college,DU) fear her own students? Why was she running away from students with the help of police? #justiceforipstudents pic.twitter.com/BAXnDHWljE  AISA (@AISA_tweets) April 1, 2023 "Since her coming to the college, there have been many changes, our walls that were white have been painted saffron, and our college's logo has also been changed to saffron with a very highlighted lotus in the middle. Shruti'23, the annual fest of IPCW was also inaugurated by a very controversial figure Navika Kumar, who has made many Islamophobic comments on television," said Shambhavi, a second-year student. "She used IPCW's official Twitter account to post wishes on Hindi New Year which clearly shows her bias, her Twitter account has many Islamophobic tweets and under her presence, liberty, democracy, and freedom has had a clear attack inside our campus," Shambhavi who is associated to All India Students' Association (AISA) said. We will not tolerate the saffronisation of IPCW. Anti-women sanghi administration must resign! #justiceforipstudents pic.twitter.com/x5tLmPgnBG  AISA - Delhi University (@aisa_du) April 1, 2023 Last week, a former IPCW student tweeted several photos of the college's outer boundary and logo, saying: "DU is overturning its own glorious and revolutionary history by painting the walls saffron!" Anjali, who is also the DU Secretary for AISA, said, "The college is witnessing saffronisation. No consultations with the students or professors were made either. Using saffron on walls and logos is a clear violation of the democratic nature of the institution." "A third-year student accused the administration of operating in a draconian way. Whatever changes have been made in the past two months, no proper communication has been put out and no announcements have been made," alleged a third-year student. IPCW principal left without answeing! pic.twitter.com/yMS3bzvxI8  AISA - Delhi University (@aisa_du) March 29, 2023 "We were told by our seniors and teachers that the college is a historical building and no changes are allowed. Now, the whole boundary walls were painted saffron. It is clear-cut political messaging. People at the university are shocked and nobody was informed about it," said the student, who does not wish to be named, fearing action from the administration.The students claimed that the logo was changed without any notification. The logo of the college, which is a lotus inside a swastika in a black and white motif, too has been changed and embedded in a saffron-coloured circle. Students have claimed that the principal has also increased surveillance of the professors. "The students have also alleged that the principal has also increased surveillance on our professor, she has been clicking their photos in the classroom," Shambhavi said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) concluded the raids on Phoenix Infratech, Sahithi Infratech and Pulsus Healthcare on Sunday. During the two-day raids, sleuths reportedly seized several incriminating documents on dubious transactions between the companies, said sources.

Since Saturday, the officials investigated the agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed among the three companies. Sources stated that the ED has identified the transactions, cumulatively worth crores of rupees, connected to the collection of money from customers during the pre-launch of housing projects, but later, failing to deliver them on time. The Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, had registered a case in December last year and arrested its managing director Lakshminarayana for allegedly cheating customers.

The ED took over the case from the CCS in January and filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) to look into the money laundering aspect of the case. Sources stated that the agency collected several incriminating documents on dubious transactions between the companies during the two-day searches.

The ED teams also reportedly seized pen drives, hard disks and account books. Sources further revealed that several individuals made investments in Sahithi Infratech and another firm under fictitious names.

The investigating agency is likely to file a petition in the special court seeking permission for the custody of Lakshminarayana and his son who is a director of the company.

Crores collected

Sources stated that the ED has identified transactions worth crores of rupees, connected to the collection of money from customers during the pre-launch of housing projects

HYDERABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) concluded the raids on Phoenix Infratech, Sahithi Infratech and Pulsus Healthcare on Sunday. During the two-day raids, sleuths reportedly seized several incriminating documents on dubious transactions between the companies, said sources. Since Saturday, the officials investigated the agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed among the three companies. Sources stated that the ED has identified the transactions, cumulatively worth crores of rupees, connected to the collection of money from customers during the pre-launch of housing projects, but later, failing to deliver them on time. The Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, had registered a case in December last year and arrested its managing director Lakshminarayana for allegedly cheating customers. The ED took over the case from the CCS in January and filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) to look into the money laundering aspect of the case. Sources stated that the agency collected several incriminating documents on dubious transactions between the companies during the two-day searches.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The ED teams also reportedly seized pen drives, hard disks and account books. Sources further revealed that several individuals made investments in Sahithi Infratech and another firm under fictitious names. The investigating agency is likely to file a petition in the special court seeking permission for the custody of Lakshminarayana and his son who is a director of the company. Crores collected Sources stated that the ED has identified transactions worth crores of rupees, connected to the collection of money from customers during the pre-launch of housing projects
By PTI

THANE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday led the 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in his hometown Thane in which hundreds of people took part to honour late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and Shinde-led Shiv Sena had last month announced that Savarkar Gaurav Yatras would be taken out in each district of Maharashtra to honour Savarkar's contribution to the country and to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism against him.

On Sunday, the yatra participants, wearing saffron caps with 'Mi Savarkar' (I am Savarkar) and other messages written on them, paid floral tributes to Savarkar at the Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane city from where the yatra commenced.

On the culmination of the rally, addressing a gathering, Shinde slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his repeated attacks on Savarkar and said insults to freedom fighters was akin to insulting the nation.

People are angry to see some forces trying to malign Hindutva by attacking Savarkar, Shinde said.

"We have noticed citizens expressing disappointment over some people consistently insulting Savarkar. An insult of Savarkar is the insult of every Indian. I openly condemn people like Rahul Gandhi for his tirade against Savarkar. I dare anyone to live a day in the Cellular Jail the way Savarkar was jailed," Shinde said.

Without taking names, he also swiped at Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray.

"Balasaheb Thackeray had hit the effigy of Mani Shankar Aiyar once (for such remarks). Unfortunately, some people who claim Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy are now sitting with those (Congress' Rahul Gandhi) who have consistently attacked Savarkar," Shinde said.

Praising Narendra Modi, the chief minister said Hindutva was seen as an aggression against minorities, but the prime minister had brought back its glory post 2014. "Hindutva is not against any religion. But some people deliberately keep misinterpreting it," Shinde remarked.

ALSO READ | Can't ignore Savarkar's sacrifice, but more pressing issues in country today: Sharad Pawar

A tableau displaying information related to Savarkar was also part of the yatra.

Shinde and some other leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP coalition participated in the yatra on a makeshift 'chariot' with a large photograph of Savarkar in the background.

The vehicle was decorated with flowers and followed by supporters riding motorbikes with saffron flags on them.

The CM waved to citizens as the yatra moved to cover four Assembly segments in the city.

Flowers were showered on the participants as several of them moved around Thane city using more than 200 motorbikes and around 100 auto-rickshaws raising slogans in praise of Savarkar and the country.

BJP leader Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Thane MLA Sanjay Kelkar, Thane BJP chief and MLC Niranjan Davkhare, former mayor Naresh Mhaske, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik and many other local leaders of the ruling coalition participated in the yatra.

Huge hoardings with pictures of Savarkar were put up in the city, patriotic songs were played during the yatra and rangolis (colourful patterns) were made at various places.

A number of women in colourful attire and carrying lezims also participated in the yatra.

Similar yatras were also taken out in some parts of Mumbai, a BJP leader said.

Rahul Gandhi's "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone" remark has drawn fire from the BJP.

The former Congress chief had made the remark while addressing a press conference after being disqualified from the Lok Sabha and amid BJP's demands for his apology for allegedly insulting Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with his "Modi surname remark" that got him convicted for criminal defamation.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule last month said his party will take out 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatras' in all 288 Assembly segments of the state from March 30 to April 6, and apart from senior BJP leaders including Devendra Fadnavis, CM Shinde and 40 MLAs of Shiv Sena will also participate.

"We will reach out to people with the history of Savarkar and how he is being insulted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and MPCC chief Nana Patole," Bawankule had said

READ MORE | 'Everything fine', says Sanjay Raut after meeting Sonia, Rahul over Savarkar remark

THANE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday led the 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in his hometown Thane in which hundreds of people took part to honour late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Shinde-led Shiv Sena had last month announced that Savarkar Gaurav Yatras would be taken out in each district of Maharashtra to honour Savarkar's contribution to the country and to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism against him. On Sunday, the yatra participants, wearing saffron caps with 'Mi Savarkar' (I am Savarkar) and other messages written on them, paid floral tributes to Savarkar at the Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan auditorium in Thane city from where the yatra commenced.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On the culmination of the rally, addressing a gathering, Shinde slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his repeated attacks on Savarkar and said insults to freedom fighters was akin to insulting the nation. People are angry to see some forces trying to malign Hindutva by attacking Savarkar, Shinde said. "We have noticed citizens expressing disappointment over some people consistently insulting Savarkar. An insult of Savarkar is the insult of every Indian. I openly condemn people like Rahul Gandhi for his tirade against Savarkar. I dare anyone to live a day in the Cellular Jail the way Savarkar was jailed," Shinde said. Without taking names, he also swiped at Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray. "Balasaheb Thackeray had hit the effigy of Mani Shankar Aiyar once (for such remarks). Unfortunately, some people who claim Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy are now sitting with those (Congress' Rahul Gandhi) who have consistently attacked Savarkar," Shinde said. Praising Narendra Modi, the chief minister said Hindutva was seen as an aggression against minorities, but the prime minister had brought back its glory post 2014. "Hindutva is not against any religion. But some people deliberately keep misinterpreting it," Shinde remarked. ALSO READ | Can't ignore Savarkar's sacrifice, but more pressing issues in country today: Sharad Pawar A tableau displaying information related to Savarkar was also part of the yatra. Shinde and some other leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP coalition participated in the yatra on a makeshift 'chariot' with a large photograph of Savarkar in the background. The vehicle was decorated with flowers and followed by supporters riding motorbikes with saffron flags on them. The CM waved to citizens as the yatra moved to cover four Assembly segments in the city. Flowers were showered on the participants as several of them moved around Thane city using more than 200 motorbikes and around 100 auto-rickshaws raising slogans in praise of Savarkar and the country. BJP leader Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Thane MLA Sanjay Kelkar, Thane BJP chief and MLC Niranjan Davkhare, former mayor Naresh Mhaske, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik and many other local leaders of the ruling coalition participated in the yatra. Huge hoardings with pictures of Savarkar were put up in the city, patriotic songs were played during the yatra and rangolis (colourful patterns) were made at various places. A number of women in colourful attire and carrying lezims also participated in the yatra. Similar yatras were also taken out in some parts of Mumbai, a BJP leader said. Rahul Gandhi's "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone" remark has drawn fire from the BJP. The former Congress chief had made the remark while addressing a press conference after being disqualified from the Lok Sabha and amid BJP's demands for his apology for allegedly insulting Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with his "Modi surname remark" that got him convicted for criminal defamation. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule last month said his party will take out 'Savarkar Gaurav Yatras' in all 288 Assembly segments of the state from March 30 to April 6, and apart from senior BJP leaders including Devendra Fadnavis, CM Shinde and 40 MLAs of Shiv Sena will also participate. "We will reach out to people with the history of Savarkar and how he is being insulted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and MPCC chief Nana Patole," Bawankule had said READ MORE | 'Everything fine', says Sanjay Raut after meeting Sonia, Rahul over Savarkar remark
By PTI

MEHSANA: A family in Mehsana district in Gujarat believes the Indians who were among the eight who died while trying to cross into the United States of America from Canada recently are their kin.

Jasubhai Chaudhary, a resident of Manekpur village in Vijapur taluka here, on Sunday said his brother, sister-in-law and their two children had left for Canada two months ago on a visitors' visa, adding reports of eight persons, including some Indians, being found in a marsh there had vexed kin here.

Canadian police have said the deceased, who was found on the banks of the St Lawrence River near Akwesasne, a community that straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York State, is believed to be two families of Indian and Romanian descent and were crossing into the USA.

"Two months ago, my brother, his wife and two children went to Canada on a visitors' visa. Yesterday morning I learnt about the death of members of a family from India in Canada. I tried to contact my brother but was not able to do so. This caused suspicion that they were our family members," Chaudhary told reporters.

A Mehsana district administration official said Malekpura village residents approached the collector with a request to make arrangements for the bodies of the four deceased to be brought back to their native village.

"It is confirmed that four members of a family from Manekpur village in Vijapur taluka of Mehsana went to Canada on a visitor's visa and tried to cross the river.

ALSO READ | Canada migrant death toll at 8; four victims include a family from Gujarat's Mehsana

The villagers approached us seeking help to bring back their bodies, which we have reported to the state government," the official said.

Chaudhary said the family's suspicion was confirmed after they found that the names of the victims circulating on Whatsapp groups of his relatives settled in Canada were that of his brother, wife and two children.

He identified the four who left for Canada Praveeni Chaudhary (50), his wife Diksha (45), son Meet (20), and his daughter Vidhi (24).

Former state home minister Vipul Chaudhary told reporters the government should make arrangements for the bodies of the victims to be brought back here, and termed it a very sad and shocking incident.

If something untoward of this sort happens, then the government must ensure the bodies are brought back, the former minister added.

On January 19 last year, four members of a family from Dingucha village in Gujarat's Gandhinagar froze to death while trying to illegally cross into the USA from Canada.

MEHSANA: A family in Mehsana district in Gujarat believes the Indians who were among the eight who died while trying to cross into the United States of America from Canada recently are their kin. Jasubhai Chaudhary, a resident of Manekpur village in Vijapur taluka here, on Sunday said his brother, sister-in-law and their two children had left for Canada two months ago on a visitors' visa, adding reports of eight persons, including some Indians, being found in a marsh there had vexed kin here. Canadian police have said the deceased, who was found on the banks of the St Lawrence River near Akwesasne, a community that straddles Quebec, Ontario and New York State, is believed to be two families of Indian and Romanian descent and were crossing into the USA.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Two months ago, my brother, his wife and two children went to Canada on a visitors' visa. Yesterday morning I learnt about the death of members of a family from India in Canada. I tried to contact my brother but was not able to do so. This caused suspicion that they were our family members," Chaudhary told reporters. A Mehsana district administration official said Malekpura village residents approached the collector with a request to make arrangements for the bodies of the four deceased to be brought back to their native village. "It is confirmed that four members of a family from Manekpur village in Vijapur taluka of Mehsana went to Canada on a visitor's visa and tried to cross the river. ALSO READ | Canada migrant death toll at 8; four victims include a family from Gujarat's Mehsana The villagers approached us seeking help to bring back their bodies, which we have reported to the state government," the official said. Chaudhary said the family's suspicion was confirmed after they found that the names of the victims circulating on Whatsapp groups of his relatives settled in Canada were that of his brother, wife and two children. He identified the four who left for Canada Praveeni Chaudhary (50), his wife Diksha (45), son Meet (20), and his daughter Vidhi (24). Former state home minister Vipul Chaudhary told reporters the government should make arrangements for the bodies of the victims to be brought back here, and termed it a very sad and shocking incident. If something untoward of this sort happens, then the government must ensure the bodies are brought back, the former minister added. On January 19 last year, four members of a family from Dingucha village in Gujarat's Gandhinagar froze to death while trying to illegally cross into the USA from Canada.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As many as 15 students died by suicide this year, with nine cases reported from Central Universities alone, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) reported three cases each this year.

From 2018 to 2023, as many as 103 students in these higher educational institutes in India have taken the extreme step.

In 2018 and 2019, 20 students died each by suicide. In 2020, the number dipped to 13 and dropped to 10 in 2021.

In 2022, 25 students died by suicide, and the maximum number of cases were reported from IITs. As many as nine students in IITs took the extreme step last year.

ALSO READ | IIT suicides reveal toxic mix of academic pressure, official apathy and discrimination

In 2018 and 2019, eight cases each - the highest - were from IITs alone.

However, in 2020, AIIMS and Central Universities reported four cases each, while three cases were reported from IIT.

In 2021, four cases were reported IITs out of the ten suicides reported from these higher educational institutes.

In 2022, out of the 25 cases, nine were from IITs, followed by seven from NITs, five from central universities and three from AIIMS.

In a written reply, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, The government accords the highest importance to each incident of suicide on campuses of educational institutions and has initiated numerous initiatives in this regard."

ALSO READ | Suicide prevention among adolescents: Why educational institutions must take the lead

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provisions for counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments in institutions, he said.

He said the education ministry had undertaken various steps, such as peer-assisted learning introduction of technical education in regional languages for students to ease the academic stress.

The government's initiative, named MANODARPAN, covers a wide range of activities to provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being during the Covid-19 outbreak and beyond.

Besides this, students specialised psychological counselling helplines, students wellness centres, buddy-support systems and various other measures have been implemented in IITs and other institutions for early detection of cases of psychological stress, he added.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7)

NEW DELHI: As many as 15 students died by suicide this year, with nine cases reported from Central Universities alone, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) reported three cases each this year. From 2018 to 2023, as many as 103 students in these higher educational institutes in India have taken the extreme step.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In 2018 and 2019, 20 students died each by suicide. In 2020, the number dipped to 13 and dropped to 10 in 2021. In 2022, 25 students died by suicide, and the maximum number of cases were reported from IITs. As many as nine students in IITs took the extreme step last year. ALSO READ | IIT suicides reveal toxic mix of academic pressure, official apathy and discrimination In 2018 and 2019, eight cases each - the highest - were from IITs alone. However, in 2020, AIIMS and Central Universities reported four cases each, while three cases were reported from IIT. In 2021, four cases were reported IITs out of the ten suicides reported from these higher educational institutes. In 2022, out of the 25 cases, nine were from IITs, followed by seven from NITs, five from central universities and three from AIIMS. In a written reply, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, The government accords the highest importance to each incident of suicide on campuses of educational institutions and has initiated numerous initiatives in this regard." ALSO READ | Suicide prevention among adolescents: Why educational institutions must take the lead The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provisions for counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments in institutions, he said. He said the education ministry had undertaken various steps, such as peer-assisted learning introduction of technical education in regional languages for students to ease the academic stress. The government's initiative, named MANODARPAN, covers a wide range of activities to provide psychological support to students, teachers and families for mental and emotional well-being during the Covid-19 outbreak and beyond. Besides this, students specialised psychological counselling helplines, students wellness centres, buddy-support systems and various other measures have been implemented in IITs and other institutions for early detection of cases of psychological stress, he added. Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress is trying to exert "undue pressure" on the Judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed on Monday, questioning the plan by members of the opposition party to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court.

Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states, and other national and state party leaders are likely to accompany him to the court, sources said.

Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leaves his residence for Surat, in New Delhi, Monday, April 3, 2023. (Photo | PTI)

"My point is very simple -- why is the Congress party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the Judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" he quipped.

He wondered whether there has been a case in the past where an entire party is trying to 'gherao' a court.

"The ED takes action, they want to gherao ED office. When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When court gives verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

Dubbing the move of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to court as "sycophancy of one family" he wondered whether the family was above the country.

READ MORE | Rahul Gandhi's disqualification has created a surprising wave of Opposition unity: Shashi Tharoor

Meanwhile, the Congress Tripura unit will take out a rally here on April 16 to protest Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, said state party president Birajit Sinha.

Sinha said protest programmes will also be held in Kailashahar in the Unakoti district and Udaipur in the Gomati district on April 20 and 30. He expressed concern over post-poll violence which is still going on in the northeastern state even a month after the announcement of the election results.

"It seems the BJP has not learnt a lesson from the people's verdict. Over 61 per cent of voters wanted change in the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura. They have managed to form the government by securing only 39 per cent vote share", he said.

Sinha also sought disciplinary action against BJP legislator Yadav Lal Nath for allegedly watching a pornography video on his mobile phone in the Assembly on March 24.

"The act of the ruling party MLA has damaged the Assembly's sanctity. The speaker should take suo moto cognizance and disciplinary action against the legislator for his misdeed", he said.

NEW DELHI: The Congress is trying to exert "undue pressure" on the Judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed on Monday, questioning the plan by members of the opposition party to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court. Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks. Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states, and other national and state party leaders are likely to accompany him to the court, sources said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leaves his residence for Surat, in New Delhi, Monday, April 3, 2023. (Photo | PTI) "My point is very simple -- why is the Congress party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the Judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" he quipped. He wondered whether there has been a case in the past where an entire party is trying to 'gherao' a court. "The ED takes action, they want to gherao ED office. When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When court gives verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters in the Parliament House complex. Dubbing the move of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to court as "sycophancy of one family" he wondered whether the family was above the country. READ MORE | Rahul Gandhi's disqualification has created a surprising wave of Opposition unity: Shashi Tharoor Meanwhile, the Congress Tripura unit will take out a rally here on April 16 to protest Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, said state party president Birajit Sinha. Sinha said protest programmes will also be held in Kailashahar in the Unakoti district and Udaipur in the Gomati district on April 20 and 30. He expressed concern over post-poll violence which is still going on in the northeastern state even a month after the announcement of the election results. "It seems the BJP has not learnt a lesson from the people's verdict. Over 61 per cent of voters wanted change in the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura. They have managed to form the government by securing only 39 per cent vote share", he said. Sinha also sought disciplinary action against BJP legislator Yadav Lal Nath for allegedly watching a pornography video on his mobile phone in the Assembly on March 24. "The act of the ruling party MLA has damaged the Assembly's sanctity. The speaker should take suo moto cognizance and disciplinary action against the legislator for his misdeed", he said.
By PTI

KOLKATA: Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed for peace and asked Hindu brothers to ensure that minorities are protected as prohibitory orders remained in force after post-Ram Navami violence in two towns of the densely populate Hooghly district.

Banerjee who was speaking at a rally at Khejuri in East Mednipur, questioned why processions were continuing to be staged days after the festival of Ram Navami, dedicated to Lord Ram and claimed there was a deliberate attempt at inciting violence and create tention.

"Why will the processions continue for five days after Ram Navami? Do it on the day of the festival. We have never had objections. But they cannot do rallies with guns and bombs, or without necessary permissions from the police," the firebrand chief minister asserted.

"They are deliberately entering minority areas to incite violence and create tension," she claimed without naming anyone.

"They (goons) are setting fire to food carts of poor vendors and dancing with guns. On April 6 (Hanuman Jayanti), they are planning to do another round of violence. I have asked the DMs and the police to be alert. Not just Bengal, they have created this scenario throughout the country," the chief minister claimed.

She added that she was appealing to my Hindu brothers to make sure that no violence takes place against minorities" No one wants these cases of atrocities and violence. The situation in violence-hit towns of Hooghly district remained peaceful and under control, though prohibitory orders and suspension of internet services in some areas continued on Monday and a delegation led by BJP state president was stopped from entering the industrial suburb of Rishra," police said.

ALSO READ | After Howrah, fresh violence erupts in West Bengal's Hooghly during BJP's Ram Navami procession

Police said the situation in Rishra and Srerampore areas in Hoogly district, would be watched and orders relaxed as the situation improved.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was barred from visiting Rishra by the police citing prohibitory orders in force in the area, drawing strong protests by the right-wing party.

"I am not being allowed to meet my injured party workers. The police are citing the prohibitory orders. The police can at least allow Mahato and me to enter. The police do not want to allow me as they want to hide the truth," Majumdar told reporters.

The BJP leader, who was accompanied by party MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahto, demanding immediate deployment of central forces, and claimed the "state police has completely failed to control the situation".

A Chandannagore Police Commissionerate official said a dozen people were arrested for the clashes on Sunday.

"Things are under control and peaceful. Prohibitory orders are in force and there is heavy police deployment. Security forces conducted route marches at some places of the affected area. There was tension in some areas in the morning. We dispersed the crowds and boosted security," he told PTI.

Markets were allowed to open for some time and police were keeping tabs on the movement of vehicles, he said.

"Hopefully, the situation will further improve. A decision on revoking prohibitory orders and resumption of internet services will be taken after evaluation," the official added.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in Rishra police station area and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday.

The prohibitory orders were imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24 and internet services suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, the police said.

The state government has pointed out that the processions were organised two days after the actual festival and did not have requisite permissions.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari(BJP) has however blamed TMC for engineering the attack on the Ram Navami rally organised by the BJP.

Some BJP workers were seen holding a sit-in near the affected area in Rishra and protesting against the stopping of the party's convoy on Monday.

ALSO READ | Fresh violence in Howrah; Month-old plot, says Mamata

Adhikari, who met BJP MLA Biman Ghosh who was injured in Sunday's violent clash at the hospital, told reporters that he wanted to visit the trouble-torn pocket immediately but was not allowed to by the state administration which clamped the prohibitory order to prevent him from meeting the affected families.

"I wonder why Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee and other TMC leaders are allowed free access to the area, while opposition leaders are prevented from meeting the terrified local people and BJP party workers," he said.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused BJP of fomenting trouble in the area.

"Action is being taken against culprits, irrespective of their political affiliation or religion. The violence was a pre-planned conspiracy by BJP to disrupt communal harmony and peace in the state. It wants to secure votes at the cost of human lives," he said.

KOLKATA: Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed for peace and asked Hindu brothers to ensure that minorities are protected as prohibitory orders remained in force after post-Ram Navami violence in two towns of the densely populate Hooghly district. Banerjee who was speaking at a rally at Khejuri in East Mednipur, questioned why processions were continuing to be staged days after the festival of Ram Navami, dedicated to Lord Ram and claimed there was a deliberate attempt at inciting violence and create tention. "Why will the processions continue for five days after Ram Navami? Do it on the day of the festival. We have never had objections. But they cannot do rallies with guns and bombs, or without necessary permissions from the police," the firebrand chief minister asserted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "They are deliberately entering minority areas to incite violence and create tension," she claimed without naming anyone. "They (goons) are setting fire to food carts of poor vendors and dancing with guns. On April 6 (Hanuman Jayanti), they are planning to do another round of violence. I have asked the DMs and the police to be alert. Not just Bengal, they have created this scenario throughout the country," the chief minister claimed. She added that she was appealing to my Hindu brothers to make sure that no violence takes place against minorities" No one wants these cases of atrocities and violence. The situation in violence-hit towns of Hooghly district remained peaceful and under control, though prohibitory orders and suspension of internet services in some areas continued on Monday and a delegation led by BJP state president was stopped from entering the industrial suburb of Rishra," police said. ALSO READ | After Howrah, fresh violence erupts in West Bengal's Hooghly during BJP's Ram Navami procession Police said the situation in Rishra and Srerampore areas in Hoogly district, would be watched and orders relaxed as the situation improved. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was barred from visiting Rishra by the police citing prohibitory orders in force in the area, drawing strong protests by the right-wing party. "I am not being allowed to meet my injured party workers. The police are citing the prohibitory orders. The police can at least allow Mahato and me to enter. The police do not want to allow me as they want to hide the truth," Majumdar told reporters. The BJP leader, who was accompanied by party MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahto, demanding immediate deployment of central forces, and claimed the "state police has completely failed to control the situation". A Chandannagore Police Commissionerate official said a dozen people were arrested for the clashes on Sunday. "Things are under control and peaceful. Prohibitory orders are in force and there is heavy police deployment. Security forces conducted route marches at some places of the affected area. There was tension in some areas in the morning. We dispersed the crowds and boosted security," he told PTI. Markets were allowed to open for some time and police were keeping tabs on the movement of vehicles, he said. "Hopefully, the situation will further improve. A decision on revoking prohibitory orders and resumption of internet services will be taken after evaluation," the official added. Two Ram Navami processions were organised in Rishra police station area and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday. The prohibitory orders were imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24 and internet services suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, the police said. The state government has pointed out that the processions were organised two days after the actual festival and did not have requisite permissions. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari(BJP) has however blamed TMC for engineering the attack on the Ram Navami rally organised by the BJP. Some BJP workers were seen holding a sit-in near the affected area in Rishra and protesting against the stopping of the party's convoy on Monday. ALSO READ | Fresh violence in Howrah; Month-old plot, says Mamata Adhikari, who met BJP MLA Biman Ghosh who was injured in Sunday's violent clash at the hospital, told reporters that he wanted to visit the trouble-torn pocket immediately but was not allowed to by the state administration which clamped the prohibitory order to prevent him from meeting the affected families. "I wonder why Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee and other TMC leaders are allowed free access to the area, while opposition leaders are prevented from meeting the terrified local people and BJP party workers," he said. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused BJP of fomenting trouble in the area. "Action is being taken against culprits, irrespective of their political affiliation or religion. The violence was a pre-planned conspiracy by BJP to disrupt communal harmony and peace in the state. It wants to secure votes at the cost of human lives," he said.
By Online Desk

MEERUT: Citing lack of evidence, a court here has acquitted 40 people accused of arson, murder and rioting in the 36-year-old Maliana communal clash case in which 72 Muslims were killed, according to Times of India.

On May 23, 1987, riots broke out in Maliana, following clashes in Hashimpura a day earlier, in the backdrop of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute. In Hashimpura, on May 22 that year, 42 Muslim men had lost their lives. These clashes took place in the aftermath of the communal violence in the city during Shab-e-Barat on April 14 that left 12 dead.

Yakub Ali, a local, filed a case against 93 people on May 24 that year, in connection with the Maliana incident.

Ali had alleged that the accused men committed arson and opened fire on people, Additional District Government Advocate (ADGC) Sachin Mohan told PTI.

Following the series of riots in Meerut in 1987, the administration, to bring the situation under control, had imposed a curfew, but tensions remained high and intermittent clashes kept taking places for nearly three months.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Lakhwinder Sood on Saturday acquitted the 40 accused after hearing both sides.

The court, after observing the testimony of the witnesses and the evidence on file, ordered the acquittal of 40 accused, giving them the benefit of doubt and citing a lack of evidence.

The ADGC also told PTI that 10 witnesses, including the plaintiff, had testified in the court, but the prosecution was not successful in proving the case against the accused on the basis of sufficient evidence.

Kin of victims to fight against verdict

The victim's family members have said they would appeal against the verdict in the high court.

Following the verdict, Mahtab (40), a family member of one of the victims of the Maliana violence, told reporters that his "father Ashraf was shot dead during the riots".

"I was very young at that time. He was killed for no reason," Mahtab said and added that "the decision of the court is not just and he will appeal in the high court soon after holding talks with other families (of victims)".

Afzal Saifi (45) said that he would appeal against the court's decision in the high court. He said on the day of the violence, his father Yasin was shot dead when he was returning home, and his body dumped near a sugar mill.

More than 800 dates were taken for hearing in the Maliana case.

There were 74 witnesses in the trial, out of which only 25 are left. Some witnesses have also moved out of town.

The case was filed against 93 people -- named and unnamed -- on May 24, 1987, and of them, 40 have died and the others could not be traced.

(With PTI inputs)

MEERUT: Citing lack of evidence, a court here has acquitted 40 people accused of arson, murder and rioting in the 36-year-old Maliana communal clash case in which 72 Muslims were killed, according to Times of India. On May 23, 1987, riots broke out in Maliana, following clashes in Hashimpura a day earlier, in the backdrop of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janambhoomi dispute. In Hashimpura, on May 22 that year, 42 Muslim men had lost their lives. These clashes took place in the aftermath of the communal violence in the city during Shab-e-Barat on April 14 that left 12 dead. Yakub Ali, a local, filed a case against 93 people on May 24 that year, in connection with the Maliana incident.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ali had alleged that the accused men committed arson and opened fire on people, Additional District Government Advocate (ADGC) Sachin Mohan told PTI. Following the series of riots in Meerut in 1987, the administration, to bring the situation under control, had imposed a curfew, but tensions remained high and intermittent clashes kept taking places for nearly three months. Additional District and Sessions Judge Lakhwinder Sood on Saturday acquitted the 40 accused after hearing both sides. The court, after observing the testimony of the witnesses and the evidence on file, ordered the acquittal of 40 accused, giving them the benefit of doubt and citing a lack of evidence. The ADGC also told PTI that 10 witnesses, including the plaintiff, had testified in the court, but the prosecution was not successful in proving the case against the accused on the basis of sufficient evidence. Kin of victims to fight against verdict The victim's family members have said they would appeal against the verdict in the high court. Following the verdict, Mahtab (40), a family member of one of the victims of the Maliana violence, told reporters that his "father Ashraf was shot dead during the riots". "I was very young at that time. He was killed for no reason," Mahtab said and added that "the decision of the court is not just and he will appeal in the high court soon after holding talks with other families (of victims)". Afzal Saifi (45) said that he would appeal against the court's decision in the high court. He said on the day of the violence, his father Yasin was shot dead when he was returning home, and his body dumped near a sugar mill. More than 800 dates were taken for hearing in the Maliana case. There were 74 witnesses in the trial, out of which only 25 are left. Some witnesses have also moved out of town. The case was filed against 93 people -- named and unnamed -- on May 24, 1987, and of them, 40 have died and the others could not be traced. (With PTI inputs)
Express News Service

NEW DELHI: An investigation into the clinical and epidemiological features of XBB.1.16, triggering the current Covid-19 surge in India, has shown that the new variant is mild and has so far not caused any severe diseases in India. The initial study, which has been submitted to the government, has indicated that out of the 42 people who were infected in Maharashtra with XBB.1.16 - currently a variant of interest - 36 (87.80 per cent) recovered with supportive treatment.

The profiling, which was carried out by Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, head of the Microbiology department, BJMC, Pune, and Maharashtra coordinator for genome sequencing, showed that the one death which was reported due to this sub-variant was of a patient suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and prostate.

We have submitted our preliminary findings to the government. We want to extend it further to include more patients. Our analysis has shown mild symptoms and has not caused any severity or increased hospitalisations. Genome sequencing helped in detecting the sub-variant at an early stage, Dr Karyakarte told this paper. The sub-variant was already circulating in Pune before it was officially named globally on March 5. In Maharashtra, 60 per cent of the cases are due to the new sub-variant.

The initial study also showed that six people were suffering from co-morbidities. Of the 42, 39 were found to be symptomatic, 12 were hospitalised, and 27 were on home quarantine. Of those hospitalised, only four required oxygen. One person had travelled to Singapore, while three had travelled within India. The study further investigated 41 people for how many were vaccinated. While one opted out from further research, 31 were vaccinated with double doses, four were not. Of them, 11 had taken the booster doses. The result showed that the precaution or booster dose helped reduce disease severity.

While two had taken the first dose, 24 had taken the second dose. The symptoms of the new sub-variant are almost the same as that of the Omicron variant. Most of the people who were analysed reported high fever, cough, cold, muscle pain, weakness/fatigue, breathlessness, headache, and sore throat. Meanwhile, India on Sunday continued to report a high number of Covid-19 cases. As many as 3,824 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

According to Krishna Prasad N C, a Covid data analyst, India saw a rise in Covid-19 cases in March. While in January, 4,246 cases and 35 deaths were reported, in February, a slight dip was seen, with 3,720 cases and 32 deaths. But March saw a sudden spike, with 32,219 cases and 101 deaths reported nationwide. Of the total cases and deaths reported till March 31, Kerala recorded the maximum.

Of the total 32,219 cases, Kerala recorded 6,741 cases and 37 deaths. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to monitor Covid-19 sub-variant XBB.1.16. Noting that the sub-variant is one to watch, Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease specialist and WHOs Covid-19 technical lead said that the virus hasnt settled into a predictable pattern and continues to evolve.

At a press briefing this week, she said that XBB.1.16 has a similar profile to XBB.1.5 but has additional changes in the spike protein. She said XBB.1.16 had replaced other circulating sub-variants in India. So far, there are about 800 sequences from 22 countries, mainly from India. She said in lab studies, XBB.1.16 had shown signs of increased infectivity and potentially increased pathogenicity. So this is one to watch. Its been in circulation for a few months, she said. We havent seen a change in severity in individuals or populations, but thats why we have these systems in place.

NEW DELHI: An investigation into the clinical and epidemiological features of XBB.1.16, triggering the current Covid-19 surge in India, has shown that the new variant is mild and has so far not caused any severe diseases in India. The initial study, which has been submitted to the government, has indicated that out of the 42 people who were infected in Maharashtra with XBB.1.16 - currently a variant of interest - 36 (87.80 per cent) recovered with supportive treatment. The profiling, which was carried out by Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, head of the Microbiology department, BJMC, Pune, and Maharashtra coordinator for genome sequencing, showed that the one death which was reported due to this sub-variant was of a patient suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and prostate. We have submitted our preliminary findings to the government. We want to extend it further to include more patients. Our analysis has shown mild symptoms and has not caused any severity or increased hospitalisations. Genome sequencing helped in detecting the sub-variant at an early stage, Dr Karyakarte told this paper. The sub-variant was already circulating in Pune before it was officially named globally on March 5. In Maharashtra, 60 per cent of the cases are due to the new sub-variant.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The initial study also showed that six people were suffering from co-morbidities. Of the 42, 39 were found to be symptomatic, 12 were hospitalised, and 27 were on home quarantine. Of those hospitalised, only four required oxygen. One person had travelled to Singapore, while three had travelled within India. The study further investigated 41 people for how many were vaccinated. While one opted out from further research, 31 were vaccinated with double doses, four were not. Of them, 11 had taken the booster doses. The result showed that the precaution or booster dose helped reduce disease severity. While two had taken the first dose, 24 had taken the second dose. The symptoms of the new sub-variant are almost the same as that of the Omicron variant. Most of the people who were analysed reported high fever, cough, cold, muscle pain, weakness/fatigue, breathlessness, headache, and sore throat. Meanwhile, India on Sunday continued to report a high number of Covid-19 cases. As many as 3,824 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours. According to Krishna Prasad N C, a Covid data analyst, India saw a rise in Covid-19 cases in March. While in January, 4,246 cases and 35 deaths were reported, in February, a slight dip was seen, with 3,720 cases and 32 deaths. But March saw a sudden spike, with 32,219 cases and 101 deaths reported nationwide. Of the total cases and deaths reported till March 31, Kerala recorded the maximum. Of the total 32,219 cases, Kerala recorded 6,741 cases and 37 deaths. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to monitor Covid-19 sub-variant XBB.1.16. Noting that the sub-variant is one to watch, Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease specialist and WHOs Covid-19 technical lead said that the virus hasnt settled into a predictable pattern and continues to evolve. At a press briefing this week, she said that XBB.1.16 has a similar profile to XBB.1.5 but has additional changes in the spike protein. She said XBB.1.16 had replaced other circulating sub-variants in India. So far, there are about 800 sequences from 22 countries, mainly from India. She said in lab studies, XBB.1.16 had shown signs of increased infectivity and potentially increased pathogenicity. So this is one to watch. Its been in circulation for a few months, she said. We havent seen a change in severity in individuals or populations, but thats why we have these systems in place.
Parvez Sultan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: With some of the Indian embassies and missions abroad seeking reopening of overseas tourism offices, the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has asked the ministry of tourism whether the decision to shut down the dedicated divisions for tourism promotional activities was taken with the consonance of consulates.

The development has come after some embassies and missions had conveyed their concerns about lack of financial and human resources support to carry out activities for tourism promotion through a dedicated tourism officer. Following the decision taken to close all overseas tourism offices by the Centre, the responsibility of promoting Indian tourism destinations was entrusted with a tourism officer, a first or second secretary rank official already serving in the Indian diplomatic office in foreign countries.

The committee notes that some missions had requested that the overseas offices may be kept open and the vacant posts filled. The committee wishes to know whether the decision had been taken in consonance with the missions. Since the overseas tourist offices are closed, the onus of promoting Indian tourism is solely on the Indian missions. The committee, however, notes that the general feeling of the Indian missions is that the role of tourism promotion has been allocated to them without proper financial and human resource augmentation, read the report of the Parliamentary Panel presented to the Rajya Sabha on March 24.

The closure of the overseas tourism offices began in 2018. Subsequently, tourism officers were appointed in 20 countries from where tourist arrival is the highest such as Bangladesh, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Australia, France, and Germany. Last seven functional overseas tourism offices in London, Beijing, Singapore, New York, Frankfurt, Dubai and Tokyo were shut on March 31. According to the report, the Indian High Commission in Australia and embassy in Rome recommended reopening of the overseas tourism office.

The Indian embassy in Paris also requested for continuation and resource amplification instead of closing down the tourism office. Flagging the issues of budgetary allocation and manpower, Indian High Commission in Singapore informed the Panel that the two posts of first (economic) and second secretary (commerce) are lying vacant for more than a year.

NEW DELHI: With some of the Indian embassies and missions abroad seeking reopening of overseas tourism offices, the Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has asked the ministry of tourism whether the decision to shut down the dedicated divisions for tourism promotional activities was taken with the consonance of consulates. The development has come after some embassies and missions had conveyed their concerns about lack of financial and human resources support to carry out activities for tourism promotion through a dedicated tourism officer. Following the decision taken to close all overseas tourism offices by the Centre, the responsibility of promoting Indian tourism destinations was entrusted with a tourism officer, a first or second secretary rank official already serving in the Indian diplomatic office in foreign countries. The committee notes that some missions had requested that the overseas offices may be kept open and the vacant posts filled. The committee wishes to know whether the decision had been taken in consonance with the missions. Since the overseas tourist offices are closed, the onus of promoting Indian tourism is solely on the Indian missions. The committee, however, notes that the general feeling of the Indian missions is that the role of tourism promotion has been allocated to them without proper financial and human resource augmentation, read the report of the Parliamentary Panel presented to the Rajya Sabha on March 24. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The closure of the overseas tourism offices began in 2018. Subsequently, tourism officers were appointed in 20 countries from where tourist arrival is the highest such as Bangladesh, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Russia, Australia, France, and Germany. Last seven functional overseas tourism offices in London, Beijing, Singapore, New York, Frankfurt, Dubai and Tokyo were shut on March 31. According to the report, the Indian High Commission in Australia and embassy in Rome recommended reopening of the overseas tourism office. The Indian embassy in Paris also requested for continuation and resource amplification instead of closing down the tourism office. Flagging the issues of budgetary allocation and manpower, Indian High Commission in Singapore informed the Panel that the two posts of first (economic) and second secretary (commerce) are lying vacant for more than a year.
Parvez Sultan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Centre has started working on a mechanism to identify people staying in remote, tribal, left-wing extremist (LWE) and border areas to provide DD Free Dish. The union cabinet in January approved the Broadcast Infrastructure Network Development (BIND) scheme with an outlay of Rs 2539.61 crore for modernisation and expansion of All India Radio and Doordarshan entailing free distribution of direct-to-home (DTH) set-top boxes.

According to the ministry, to identify the beneficiaries under the scheme concerned district magistrates (DMs) will be an authority.

The DMs will upload the details of the person, who will be eligible for the DD Free Dish, on the portal being developed for the purpose.

A dedicated portal is being developed and concerned district collectors will propose the name of the person, who will be eligible under the scheme. They (DMs) will identify at their level and information will be put on the centralised portal. Information and proposals will come through DMs only, said Apurva Chandra, secretary, of the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry.

The BIND scheme is to enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgradation of its facilities with better infrastructure which will widen its reach, including in the LWE, border and strategic areas and provide high-quality content to the viewers.

Earlier, Gaurav Dwivedi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati told The New Indian Express (TNIE) that as part of major upgradation and expansion scheme, Prasar Bharati had planned to augment the capacity of its Doordarshan (DD) Free Dish from existing 166 to about 250 channels.

On the reach and expansion of DD Free Dish, Chandra said that in the recently concluded auction, Prasar Bharti has earned about 30 per cent more income than the last year through the auction of about 70 slots. It was Rs 760 crore last year and the recent auction has fetched nearly Rs 1,030 crore. On average, one channel auctioned for Rs 15 crore. It indicates that the bidders have a fair idea that Free Dish has more subscribers and their reach is enhanced through Free Dish.

NEW DELHI: The Centre has started working on a mechanism to identify people staying in remote, tribal, left-wing extremist (LWE) and border areas to provide DD Free Dish. The union cabinet in January approved the Broadcast Infrastructure Network Development (BIND) scheme with an outlay of Rs 2539.61 crore for modernisation and expansion of All India Radio and Doordarshan entailing free distribution of direct-to-home (DTH) set-top boxes. According to the ministry, to identify the beneficiaries under the scheme concerned district magistrates (DMs) will be an authority. The DMs will upload the details of the person, who will be eligible for the DD Free Dish, on the portal being developed for the purpose.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A dedicated portal is being developed and concerned district collectors will propose the name of the person, who will be eligible under the scheme. They (DMs) will identify at their level and information will be put on the centralised portal. Information and proposals will come through DMs only, said Apurva Chandra, secretary, of the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry. The BIND scheme is to enable the public broadcaster to undertake a major upgradation of its facilities with better infrastructure which will widen its reach, including in the LWE, border and strategic areas and provide high-quality content to the viewers. Earlier, Gaurav Dwivedi, chief executive officer (CEO) of Prasar Bharati told The New Indian Express (TNIE) that as part of major upgradation and expansion scheme, Prasar Bharati had planned to augment the capacity of its Doordarshan (DD) Free Dish from existing 166 to about 250 channels. On the reach and expansion of DD Free Dish, Chandra said that in the recently concluded auction, Prasar Bharti has earned about 30 per cent more income than the last year through the auction of about 70 slots. It was Rs 760 crore last year and the recent auction has fetched nearly Rs 1,030 crore. On average, one channel auctioned for Rs 15 crore. It indicates that the bidders have a fair idea that Free Dish has more subscribers and their reach is enhanced through Free Dish.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

Express News Service

AHMEDABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal in the Surat sessions court on Monday against his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Monday, when the former Congress president will also be present in the court.

On March 23, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks on Modi surname. It had held 52-year-old guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to enable him to appeal in a higher court. On March 24, Rahul was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.

According to sources, the 168-page Surat court judgment has been translated by experts, and the petition is ready for filing. Rahul Gandhi will arrive at the sessions court to submit the appeal at 3 pm, his attorney Kirit Panwala said. He will be accompanied by a team of expert lawyers and Congress leaders.

The defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi was filed by Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former minister in Gujarat, for his comment: How come all thieves have the common Modi surname? which he had made while campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.

According to the Congress, he was targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having the same surname as fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and former IPL chief Lalit Modi. Reacting to the news, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: This is a welcome step. Though delayed, the Congress has shown faith in the judicial system.

AHMEDABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file an appeal in the Surat sessions court on Monday against his conviction in a criminal defamation case. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on Monday, when the former Congress president will also be present in the court. On March 23, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his remarks on Modi surname. It had held 52-year-old guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to enable him to appeal in a higher court. On March 24, Rahul was disqualified from the Lok Sabha. According to sources, the 168-page Surat court judgment has been translated by experts, and the petition is ready for filing. Rahul Gandhi will arrive at the sessions court to submit the appeal at 3 pm, his attorney Kirit Panwala said. He will be accompanied by a team of expert lawyers and Congress leaders. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The defamation suit against Rahul Gandhi was filed by Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA and former minister in Gujarat, for his comment: How come all thieves have the common Modi surname? which he had made while campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka. According to the Congress, he was targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having the same surname as fugitive businessman Nirav Modi and former IPL chief Lalit Modi. Reacting to the news, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: This is a welcome step. Though delayed, the Congress has shown faith in the judicial system.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned in the pre-lunch session on Monday as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Probe into charges against the Adani Group.

Congress MPs came dressed in black clothes while TMC members sported black face masks.

They and other opposition MPs began shouting slogans as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of day's proceedings.

No sooner had the papers been laid than Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

The opposition MPs wore black, considered as a mark of protest, to oppose the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.

"Modi-Adani bhai-bhai," they shouted, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The MPs also raised slogans demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into allegations of corporate fraud and stock price manipulations against the Adani Group.

The Adani Group has denied all the charges.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday after obituary references to sitting MP Girish Bapat and former MP Innocent who passed away recently.

Bapat, who was a sitting BJP MP from Pune, passed away on March 29 while Innocent, a former independent MP from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur, passed away on March 26.

Lok Sabha now adjourns for a few hours as mark of respect for a sitting member who has passed away.

Earlier, the House used to adjourn for the day after paying obituary to a sitting member who has passed away.

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned in the pre-lunch session on Monday as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Probe into charges against the Adani Group. Congress MPs came dressed in black clothes while TMC members sported black face masks. They and other opposition MPs began shouting slogans as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for laying of the listed official papers on the table of the House at the start of day's proceedings.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); No sooner had the papers been laid than Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. The opposition MPs wore black, considered as a mark of protest, to oppose the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha. "Modi-Adani bhai-bhai," they shouted, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The MPs also raised slogans demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into allegations of corporate fraud and stock price manipulations against the Adani Group. The Adani Group has denied all the charges. Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday after obituary references to sitting MP Girish Bapat and former MP Innocent who passed away recently. Bapat, who was a sitting BJP MP from Pune, passed away on March 29 while Innocent, a former independent MP from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur, passed away on March 26. Lok Sabha now adjourns for a few hours as mark of respect for a sitting member who has passed away. Earlier, the House used to adjourn for the day after paying obituary to a sitting member who has passed away.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: After a wait of nearly two months, the BJP has found a new leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan. Senior MLA from the Rajput community, Rajendra Rathore, was appointed the LOP on Sunday after a meeting of the partys newly appointed state president CP Joshi, party officials and MLAs at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur.

Sources said this is the second time in two weeks that former CM Vasundhara Raje has been ignored for an important position by the BJP leadership. On February 12, the previous leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Gulabchand Kataria, was appointed the Governor of Assam. Since then, that post was lying vacant.

The former state BJP chief and arch-rival of Raje, Satish Poonia was declared deputy leader of the Opposition. A thrilled Rajendra Rathore described himself as a grassroots worker. A new responsibility has been assigned to me and I will try to live up to expectations, he said. During the meeting on Sunday, senior party leaders including Raje and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were present.

Earlier, during the Legislature Party meeting, former Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal who was also in the LOP race left the meeting in a huff. However, after persuasion by senior leaders, he returned. Later, supporters of Rajendra Rathore who came from Churu raised slogans at the state BJP office. In the evening a meeting of the BJP Rajasthan Core Committee took place to discuss the strategy for the state elections due in December this year. Rajasthan BJP in-charge Arun Singh and co-in-charge Vijaya Rahatkar were also present in the meeting.

On Friday night, the partys newly appointed state president CP Joshi had tweeted that Rathore was being appointed the LoP. However, the tweet was deleted shortly.

JAIPUR: After a wait of nearly two months, the BJP has found a new leader of the Opposition in Rajasthan. Senior MLA from the Rajput community, Rajendra Rathore, was appointed the LOP on Sunday after a meeting of the partys newly appointed state president CP Joshi, party officials and MLAs at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur. Sources said this is the second time in two weeks that former CM Vasundhara Raje has been ignored for an important position by the BJP leadership. On February 12, the previous leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Gulabchand Kataria, was appointed the Governor of Assam. Since then, that post was lying vacant. The former state BJP chief and arch-rival of Raje, Satish Poonia was declared deputy leader of the Opposition. A thrilled Rajendra Rathore described himself as a grassroots worker. A new responsibility has been assigned to me and I will try to live up to expectations, he said. During the meeting on Sunday, senior party leaders including Raje and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were present.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Earlier, during the Legislature Party meeting, former Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal who was also in the LOP race left the meeting in a huff. However, after persuasion by senior leaders, he returned. Later, supporters of Rajendra Rathore who came from Churu raised slogans at the state BJP office. In the evening a meeting of the BJP Rajasthan Core Committee took place to discuss the strategy for the state elections due in December this year. Rajasthan BJP in-charge Arun Singh and co-in-charge Vijaya Rahatkar were also present in the meeting. On Friday night, the partys newly appointed state president CP Joshi had tweeted that Rathore was being appointed the LoP. However, the tweet was deleted shortly.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India will host a meeting of SCO National Security Advisors on Wedneday. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will host the meeting.

Pakistan and China will be attending the meeting virtually. The post of NSA is vacant in Pakistan, so a senior defence official is likely to attend the meet virtually.

The next important SCO meet will be the defence ministers' meet from April 27-29  again to be hosted in Delhi. There is no clarity on whether Pakistan and China will attend this meet in person or virtually or skip it.

The most awaited SCO meet is the Foreign Ministers meet that would be held in Goa on May 4th and 5th and the SCO Summit in July  which is likely to see participation of heads of states of SCO members.

Pakistan has so far attended SCO meets virtually. During the SCO Chief Justices meet (March 10) Pakistan downgraded its participation. Pakistan also attended the Power Ministers meet and another on shared Buddhist heritage.

Recently, Pakistan pulled out of a SCO Armed Forces Contribution in Military, Medical, Healthcare and Pandemics meeting after the Indian side objected to its use of maps that showed Kashmir as its territory.

The seminar was meant to share best practices in military medical, healthcare and pandemic preparedness. The topic was chosen based on the efforts made by various armed services in combating Covid by supplying isolation units, emergency healthcare equipment and aiding in vaccination programmes in isolated places.

On March 15, Pakistans new Charge dAffaires Salman Sharif attended a meeting of Heads of Ministries and Departments of SCO member states responsible for the development of physical culture and sports. And on March 17, Pakistan attended the SCO Tourism meet in Kashi virtually.

The SCO, founded over 20 years ago, comprises eight countries, including Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This grouping covers over 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, 40 per cent of the world population, and 30 per cent of the global GDP.

The member states include India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kygystan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Iran is likely to become a member this year.

SCO dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are also expected to become dialogue partners.

NEW DELHI: India will host a meeting of SCO National Security Advisors on Wedneday. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will host the meeting. Pakistan and China will be attending the meeting virtually. The post of NSA is vacant in Pakistan, so a senior defence official is likely to attend the meet virtually. The next important SCO meet will be the defence ministers' meet from April 27-29  again to be hosted in Delhi. There is no clarity on whether Pakistan and China will attend this meet in person or virtually or skip it.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The most awaited SCO meet is the Foreign Ministers meet that would be held in Goa on May 4th and 5th and the SCO Summit in July  which is likely to see participation of heads of states of SCO members. Pakistan has so far attended SCO meets virtually. During the SCO Chief Justices meet (March 10) Pakistan downgraded its participation. Pakistan also attended the Power Ministers meet and another on shared Buddhist heritage. Recently, Pakistan pulled out of a SCO Armed Forces Contribution in Military, Medical, Healthcare and Pandemics meeting after the Indian side objected to its use of maps that showed Kashmir as its territory. The seminar was meant to share best practices in military medical, healthcare and pandemic preparedness. The topic was chosen based on the efforts made by various armed services in combating Covid by supplying isolation units, emergency healthcare equipment and aiding in vaccination programmes in isolated places. On March 15, Pakistans new Charge dAffaires Salman Sharif attended a meeting of Heads of Ministries and Departments of SCO member states responsible for the development of physical culture and sports. And on March 17, Pakistan attended the SCO Tourism meet in Kashi virtually. The SCO, founded over 20 years ago, comprises eight countries, including Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This grouping covers over 60 per cent of the Eurasian landmass, 40 per cent of the world population, and 30 per cent of the global GDP. The member states include India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kygystan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Iran is likely to become a member this year. SCO dialogue partners include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt are also expected to become dialogue partners.
Lots of people today talk and discuss the new world order. It is a subject on which there is little clarity as todays order is in disarray and what is emerging is steeped in uncertainty. For any discussion we must have a basic definition to go by because the term world order is itself contentious. One simple definition in the Oxford Languages Dictionary explains world order as a system controlling events in the world, especially a set of arrangements established internationally for preserving global political stability. What it fails to say is that the system is formalised to a very low degree, remains more often in freewheeling mode and is ever dynamic.

Nothing exemplifies that better than the dynamic world order which emerged after the Cold War. There are numerous domains which contribute to the making of the informal world order; these many times contribute to the hierarchical order among nations and include economics, energy, technology, health and pharma, education, and research and development.

However, the most contentious of contributing factors is the spectre of ongoing international conflicts at any time. Conflict dynamics have the most severe impact on the world order, which in turn affect all

protocols for peace and cooperation. It leads to a breakdown of the geopolitical order as evident in some of the sessions of the G20 deliberations.

Where does this explanation place us today in terms of the search for a stable world order? Covid-19 had a war effect on national economies. But more dangerous than that are currently a number of international conflict zones, some active and some potentially active. It is the outcome or the status of these at any time that will decide intervals of peace and stability. There is also the threat of a potential return of global terror which goes beyond boundaries. All this needs analysis.

Currently, four main international conflict zones exist, although sub-conflicts also abound. These are East Europe (Ukraine-Russia), Middle East (Iran-Saudi Arabia, Israel-Palestine), South Asia (India-Pak and Sino-Indian) and the Indo Pacific (US-China). These are all interconnected, and big powers can ignore the dynamics of any only at their peril. While the Middle East conflicts are the longest lasting and their potential to influence the order is also based on the threat to resources and international sea lanes, in the last one year, the comparative degree of significance among conflicts lies in East Europe. The Ukraine war has complicated things, resulting in a new Cold War between the US-led West and Russia. It was anticipated that such a situation would emerge between the US and China at a later stage, with Russia a comparatively muted spectator. The East European conflict has altered things.

The signs were ominous since 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea and commenced its hybrid war in the Donbas region in Ukraine. The US then was too involved with Afghanistan, and the ISIS (Daesh) phenomenon was at its peak in the Middle East, demanding the attention of big powers. Gross miscalculations by the West led to it losing the advantage it gained by withdrawing from Afghanistan. The long-standing strategy of containing Russia after the end of the Cold War (1989) was taken to

the extreme, which not only dented Russian pride but became an existential threat to it. This conflict now exists as a virtually interminable one. A ceasefire without any territorial effect will be inconsequential but it will remain dynamic in intensity.

For the US and its unipolar strategic approach, the next focus after Afghanistan and the Middle East was to be on the Indo Pacific. That focus has had to shift, which itself alters the dynamics of the informal order. The shift has afforded space to China to make inroads into regions of intense US interest.

Its the Middle East where China has been attempting its foray and has finally made a dent with the brokering of the Iran-Saudi deal. Its more for its own energy interests. Yet, it achieves a double by drawing US concern, which sees its Abraham Accords and the Israel-Saudi partnership under threat with a possible resurgence of the Palestinian-Israel conflict. The complexities here are beyond the binaries of US-China competition.

There is the South Asian conflict zone to contend with. While the India-Pakistan conflict brings the spectre of nuclear threats to the fore, the region is quiet and less afflicted by a direct conflict between the two. The potential, however, remains high and is directly connected to the status of sponsored proxy hybrid war, with terrorism as the prime component. The region has a huge potential for spawning another global terrorist campaign, with the core centre yet lying in Afghanistans spaces under occupation by various terror organisations. Pakistans unstable status involves almost all parametersfinancial, governance deficit, social deficiencies, political instability and military predominance. It is a tailor-made formula for the triggering of the next cycle of global terror. Yet, the area is devoid of international attention.

The international community is and should remain concerned about the Sino-Indian border and the unjustified threats that China perceives from Indias rising international status. It is at the LAC that China wishes to keep India pegged, hoping that this will prevent it from any surging ambition to be an essential member of the US strategic groupings. Through this, it also hopes to neutralise India being a maritime threat in the Indian Ocean where it has an obvious advantage.

The Ukraine conflict, the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region, the Sino-Indian standoff in the high Himalayas, and to an extent even the sub-conventional threats from South Asiaall confer India with

the status of a virtual swing power. Its support is required by the powers in Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, China wants it subdued by pressure of potential conflict in the Himalayas. The US wants it as a strategic partner both to handle the region west of the Straits of Malacca and in the outreach to Southeast and East Asia to deny Chinese influence.

All the above brings to the international strategic environment a status of intense complexity. There appears little possibility of any of these situations diluting or resolving. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan exemplifies how in the end of a conflict lies potential for another, somewhere else and with even greater intensity. Its only when nations lower their ambitions and create more mutual trust that a durable world order can emerge. That could be considerable utopian thought.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd)

Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University

(atahasnain@gmail.com)

Lots of people today talk and discuss the new world order. It is a subject on which there is little clarity as todays order is in disarray and what is emerging is steeped in uncertainty. For any discussion we must have a basic definition to go by because the term world order is itself contentious. One simple definition in the Oxford Languages Dictionary explains world order as a system controlling events in the world, especially a set of arrangements established internationally for preserving global political stability. What it fails to say is that the system is formalised to a very low degree, remains more often in freewheeling mode and is ever dynamic. Nothing exemplifies that better than the dynamic world order which emerged after the Cold War. There are numerous domains which contribute to the making of the informal world order; these many times contribute to the hierarchical order among nations and include economics, energy, technology, health and pharma, education, and research and development. However, the most contentious of contributing factors is the spectre of ongoing international conflicts at any time. Conflict dynamics have the most severe impact on the world order, which in turn affect all protocols for peace and cooperation. It leads to a breakdown of the geopolitical order as evident in some of the sessions of the G20 deliberations.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Where does this explanation place us today in terms of the search for a stable world order? Covid-19 had a war effect on national economies. But more dangerous than that are currently a number of international conflict zones, some active and some potentially active. It is the outcome or the status of these at any time that will decide intervals of peace and stability. There is also the threat of a potential return of global terror which goes beyond boundaries. All this needs analysis. Currently, four main international conflict zones exist, although sub-conflicts also abound. These are East Europe (Ukraine-Russia), Middle East (Iran-Saudi Arabia, Israel-Palestine), South Asia (India-Pak and Sino-Indian) and the Indo Pacific (US-China). These are all interconnected, and big powers can ignore the dynamics of any only at their peril. While the Middle East conflicts are the longest lasting and their potential to influence the order is also based on the threat to resources and international sea lanes, in the last one year, the comparative degree of significance among conflicts lies in East Europe. The Ukraine war has complicated things, resulting in a new Cold War between the US-led West and Russia. It was anticipated that such a situation would emerge between the US and China at a later stage, with Russia a comparatively muted spectator. The East European conflict has altered things. The signs were ominous since 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea and commenced its hybrid war in the Donbas region in Ukraine. The US then was too involved with Afghanistan, and the ISIS (Daesh) phenomenon was at its peak in the Middle East, demanding the attention of big powers. Gross miscalculations by the West led to it losing the advantage it gained by withdrawing from Afghanistan. The long-standing strategy of containing Russia after the end of the Cold War (1989) was taken to the extreme, which not only dented Russian pride but became an existential threat to it. This conflict now exists as a virtually interminable one. A ceasefire without any territorial effect will be inconsequential but it will remain dynamic in intensity. For the US and its unipolar strategic approach, the next focus after Afghanistan and the Middle East was to be on the Indo Pacific. That focus has had to shift, which itself alters the dynamics of the informal order. The shift has afforded space to China to make inroads into regions of intense US interest. Its the Middle East where China has been attempting its foray and has finally made a dent with the brokering of the Iran-Saudi deal. Its more for its own energy interests. Yet, it achieves a double by drawing US concern, which sees its Abraham Accords and the Israel-Saudi partnership under threat with a possible resurgence of the Palestinian-Israel conflict. The complexities here are beyond the binaries of US-China competition. There is the South Asian conflict zone to contend with. While the India-Pakistan conflict brings the spectre of nuclear threats to the fore, the region is quiet and less afflicted by a direct conflict between the two. The potential, however, remains high and is directly connected to the status of sponsored proxy hybrid war, with terrorism as the prime component. The region has a huge potential for spawning another global terrorist campaign, with the core centre yet lying in Afghanistans spaces under occupation by various terror organisations. Pakistans unstable status involves almost all parametersfinancial, governance deficit, social deficiencies, political instability and military predominance. It is a tailor-made formula for the triggering of the next cycle of global terror. Yet, the area is devoid of international attention. The international community is and should remain concerned about the Sino-Indian border and the unjustified threats that China perceives from Indias rising international status. It is at the LAC that China wishes to keep India pegged, hoping that this will prevent it from any surging ambition to be an essential member of the US strategic groupings. Through this, it also hopes to neutralise India being a maritime threat in the Indian Ocean where it has an obvious advantage. The Ukraine conflict, the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region, the Sino-Indian standoff in the high Himalayas, and to an extent even the sub-conventional threats from South Asiaall confer India with the status of a virtual swing power. Its support is required by the powers in Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, China wants it subdued by pressure of potential conflict in the Himalayas. The US wants it as a strategic partner both to handle the region west of the Straits of Malacca and in the outreach to Southeast and East Asia to deny Chinese influence. All the above brings to the international strategic environment a status of intense complexity. There appears little possibility of any of these situations diluting or resolving. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan exemplifies how in the end of a conflict lies potential for another, somewhere else and with even greater intensity. Its only when nations lower their ambitions and create more mutual trust that a durable world order can emerge. That could be considerable utopian thought. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Now Chancellor, Central University (atahasnain@gmail.com)
Sandip Ghose By

The irony of corruption in public life is that everyone likes to talk about it, but no one does anything to stop it. Sociologically, it may have roots in the Darwinian theory, Survival of the Fittest. Human beings are willing to compromise on values to stay ahead in the evolutionary race, in which the powerful call the shots. Paradoxically, the law applies both to the perpetrator of corruption and the ones who are subjected to it. The corrupt want to accumulate power and wealth, which they believe will perpetuate their lineage in a world strapped of resources. Those who submit to corruption do it because in it they see the means of meeting self-preservation and existential needs. Thus, the cycle of life continues.

The problem, however, occurs when the principle of proportionality is violated. It happens when the asks are not commensurate to the value of benefits traded. While this rule applies to all walks of life, it is more visible in the case of political corruption. That is the inflection point that the country appears to be going through.

Corruption is not new to India. The frailties of human character have been well chronicled in scriptures, mythology, and folklore. Graft has existed since time immemorial. As the plaster is falling off the facade of our colonial past, we are discovering that the British were no paragons of financial integrity.

Therefore, it would be inaccurate and unjust to assert that it is a feature of post-Independence India. Whether its scale and spread has increased in the past few decades can be the subject of another discussionbits of it have been touched on by this writer in earlier columns. In the past, various innocuous labels have been applied to corruptionsuch as speed moneyused by the Nobel Laureate and Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal in this seminal book, Asian Drama. However, the normalisation of large-scale corruption that seems to be happening is a more recent phenomenon. On the one hand, after every raid by the tax departments or central investigative agencies, we hear accusations of political vendetta in chorus, drowning the allegations. Similarly, the rare instance of a ruling party politician caught red-handed with money bags is quietly removed from headlines. This is a matter of concern. Because if society starts having an amoral view of corruption, then the slide of a nation will be irretrievable as we see among some of our South Asian neighbours.

Narendra Modi came to power with the promise of Na khaoonga, na khane dunga. While the prime ministers personal integrity remains above question, the jury is still out on the extent to which he has succeeded in reducing the level of corruption. The progress of investigations and rate of conviction in high-profile cases initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) do not inspire much confidence in the public to believe that there has been any substantive change in this situation. It will be disingenuous to say that corruption has been curtailed in BJP-ruled states and is a phenomenon limited to states where the opposition is in power. Karnataka has been hogging attention recently with elections round the corner, but the situation on the ground in other states may not be vastly different. Level and extent may vary but corruption remains a part of our national leitmotif.

Economists and political pundits believe that it will not be possible to eradicate corruption till a solution can be found for funding of elections. They are probably right. However, even they do not have a solution to the problem. Suggestions for state funding of elections is utopian, to put it mildly. Legitimising political donations was a minuscule beginning. The much-maligned Electoral Bonds (EBs) was a step in the right direction. Though far from foolproof, it is certainly a cleaner method of mobilising funds rather than black money transferred through hawala and suitcases. Often the system of fundraising in the US is cited as the gold standard. But even the US and European nations are not without flaws and are open to manipulation by big businesses in nexus with dodgy politicians.

Unfortunate as it might be, if corruption is systemic, people tend to accept it as a way of life and businesses factor it in costs of projects and operations. However, matters go out of hand when there is rent-seeking and extortion. Worse still is when public money is siphoned off and welfare schemes do not reach the beneficiaries. It borders on criminality when poor people are forced to shell out money for jobs, education, and even primary healthcare. Allocation of national resourcesbe it minerals or telecom bandwidthto cronies for a price creates economic disparities, destroys level playing fields, discourages free markets and competition, and deters foreign investors. Ultimately, it is the citizens who must fund write-offs of public sector bank loans or pay higher taxes. Above all, it trades off the future of our children by holding up economic progress and development.

The problem is complex and there cannot be a one size fits all solution. There must be different strokes for different people as it were. Liberalisation, simplification of laws and digitisation to promote transparency, ease of living and ease of doing business are surely part of the solution towards which the present government has taken some rapid and decisive strides. However, the crying need is for police and judicial reforms, and independence of investigative agencies with clear accountability in order to ensure speedy justice and conviction. Alas, politics comes in the way. That is where people must seek accountability of our politicians. For that, one needs the next level of electoral reforms. Till then, naming and shaming is the only way. Arguably, raids and investigation achieve that to some extent even if it is used as a tool by ruling dispensations. One cannot throw the baby out with the bath water in fear of media criticism. That is what Narendra Modi appears to be trying to do.

Sandip Ghose

Current affairs commentator

(Views are personal)

(sandipghose@hotmail.com)

(Tweets @SandipGhose)

The irony of corruption in public life is that everyone likes to talk about it, but no one does anything to stop it. Sociologically, it may have roots in the Darwinian theory, Survival of the Fittest. Human beings are willing to compromise on values to stay ahead in the evolutionary race, in which the powerful call the shots. Paradoxically, the law applies both to the perpetrator of corruption and the ones who are subjected to it. The corrupt want to accumulate power and wealth, which they believe will perpetuate their lineage in a world strapped of resources. Those who submit to corruption do it because in it they see the means of meeting self-preservation and existential needs. Thus, the cycle of life continues. The problem, however, occurs when the principle of proportionality is violated. It happens when the asks are not commensurate to the value of benefits traded. While this rule applies to all walks of life, it is more visible in the case of political corruption. That is the inflection point that the country appears to be going through. Corruption is not new to India. The frailties of human character have been well chronicled in scriptures, mythology, and folklore. Graft has existed since time immemorial. As the plaster is falling off the facade of our colonial past, we are discovering that the British were no paragons of financial integrity. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Therefore, it would be inaccurate and unjust to assert that it is a feature of post-Independence India. Whether its scale and spread has increased in the past few decades can be the subject of another discussionbits of it have been touched on by this writer in earlier columns. In the past, various innocuous labels have been applied to corruptionsuch as speed moneyused by the Nobel Laureate and Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal in this seminal book, Asian Drama. However, the normalisation of large-scale corruption that seems to be happening is a more recent phenomenon. On the one hand, after every raid by the tax departments or central investigative agencies, we hear accusations of political vendetta in chorus, drowning the allegations. Similarly, the rare instance of a ruling party politician caught red-handed with money bags is quietly removed from headlines. This is a matter of concern. Because if society starts having an amoral view of corruption, then the slide of a nation will be irretrievable as we see among some of our South Asian neighbours. Narendra Modi came to power with the promise of Na khaoonga, na khane dunga. While the prime ministers personal integrity remains above question, the jury is still out on the extent to which he has succeeded in reducing the level of corruption. The progress of investigations and rate of conviction in high-profile cases initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) do not inspire much confidence in the public to believe that there has been any substantive change in this situation. It will be disingenuous to say that corruption has been curtailed in BJP-ruled states and is a phenomenon limited to states where the opposition is in power. Karnataka has been hogging attention recently with elections round the corner, but the situation on the ground in other states may not be vastly different. Level and extent may vary but corruption remains a part of our national leitmotif. Economists and political pundits believe that it will not be possible to eradicate corruption till a solution can be found for funding of elections. They are probably right. However, even they do not have a solution to the problem. Suggestions for state funding of elections is utopian, to put it mildly. Legitimising political donations was a minuscule beginning. The much-maligned Electoral Bonds (EBs) was a step in the right direction. Though far from foolproof, it is certainly a cleaner method of mobilising funds rather than black money transferred through hawala and suitcases. Often the system of fundraising in the US is cited as the gold standard. But even the US and European nations are not without flaws and are open to manipulation by big businesses in nexus with dodgy politicians. Unfortunate as it might be, if corruption is systemic, people tend to accept it as a way of life and businesses factor it in costs of projects and operations. However, matters go out of hand when there is rent-seeking and extortion. Worse still is when public money is siphoned off and welfare schemes do not reach the beneficiaries. It borders on criminality when poor people are forced to shell out money for jobs, education, and even primary healthcare. Allocation of national resourcesbe it minerals or telecom bandwidthto cronies for a price creates economic disparities, destroys level playing fields, discourages free markets and competition, and deters foreign investors. Ultimately, it is the citizens who must fund write-offs of public sector bank loans or pay higher taxes. Above all, it trades off the future of our children by holding up economic progress and development. The problem is complex and there cannot be a one size fits all solution. There must be different strokes for different people as it were. Liberalisation, simplification of laws and digitisation to promote transparency, ease of living and ease of doing business are surely part of the solution towards which the present government has taken some rapid and decisive strides. However, the crying need is for police and judicial reforms, and independence of investigative agencies with clear accountability in order to ensure speedy justice and conviction. Alas, politics comes in the way. That is where people must seek accountability of our politicians. For that, one needs the next level of electoral reforms. Till then, naming and shaming is the only way. Arguably, raids and investigation achieve that to some extent even if it is used as a tool by ruling dispensations. One cannot throw the baby out with the bath water in fear of media criticism. That is what Narendra Modi appears to be trying to do. Sandip Ghose Current affairs commentator (Views are personal) (sandipghose@hotmail.com) (Tweets @SandipGhose)
On April 1, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan did a Yusuf Meherally of sorts. The former socialist leader and mayor of Bombay gained fame for his Simon Go Back cry to oppose the all-British parliamentary commission in 1928; Pradhan let out the Go Back Andhra slogan against neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for its ingress into Odishas territory. Kotia, a cluster of 21 villages in the Koraput district, is embroiled in a territorial jurisdiction row between the two states. The matter is now within the Supreme Courts purview.

With the Union minister asking Andhra Pradesh police officials to leave Kotia when Odisha was commemorating its statehood day, the issue triggered a string of political reactions. Andhra Pradeshs deputy chief minister, P Rajanna Dora, sought an apology from Pradhan. Both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also unleashed a war of words.

The saffron partys state unit expectedly threw its weight behind the Union minister, whereas state revenue minister and senior BJD leader Pramila Mallick put the ball back in the NDA governments court, seeking its intervention. The truth is that Pradhans slogan would do little to end the row.

Both states can wait for the apex courts order or hold bilateral talks to sort it out. Under such circumstances, questions of the constitutional appropriateness of the Union minister taking such a stand would be raised. Besides, he had written to chief ministers of both states in the past to resolve the matter mutually.

However, Pradhan seems to have got what he wished forpolitical traction over the issue. With the 2024 elections not far away, both BJD and BJP are out to outsmart the other. South Odishamuch of the undivided Koraput district, to be particularhas turned into a large electoral landscape for BJD in the last 20 years after slipping away from the Congress clutches.

BJP currently has just two MLAs against the ruling partys 10 in four districts, and thats where it would want to enhance its presence. While the national party pushes its tribal outreach programme, it has to combat a vigilant BJD government that is on overdrive, announcing a slew of development projects in tribal-dominated pockets. Perception plays a crucial role in politics and requires the right optics, which the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is smart at. Pradhans Go Back Andhra must have been aimed at that.

On April 1, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan did a Yusuf Meherally of sorts. The former socialist leader and mayor of Bombay gained fame for his Simon Go Back cry to oppose the all-British parliamentary commission in 1928; Pradhan let out the Go Back Andhra slogan against neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for its ingress into Odishas territory. Kotia, a cluster of 21 villages in the Koraput district, is embroiled in a territorial jurisdiction row between the two states. The matter is now within the Supreme Courts purview. With the Union minister asking Andhra Pradesh police officials to leave Kotia when Odisha was commemorating its statehood day, the issue triggered a string of political reactions. Andhra Pradeshs deputy chief minister, P Rajanna Dora, sought an apology from Pradhan. Both the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also unleashed a war of words. The saffron partys state unit expectedly threw its weight behind the Union minister, whereas state revenue minister and senior BJD leader Pramila Mallick put the ball back in the NDA governments court, seeking its intervention. The truth is that Pradhans slogan would do little to end the row.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Both states can wait for the apex courts order or hold bilateral talks to sort it out. Under such circumstances, questions of the constitutional appropriateness of the Union minister taking such a stand would be raised. Besides, he had written to chief ministers of both states in the past to resolve the matter mutually. However, Pradhan seems to have got what he wished forpolitical traction over the issue. With the 2024 elections not far away, both BJD and BJP are out to outsmart the other. South Odishamuch of the undivided Koraput district, to be particularhas turned into a large electoral landscape for BJD in the last 20 years after slipping away from the Congress clutches. BJP currently has just two MLAs against the ruling partys 10 in four districts, and thats where it would want to enhance its presence. While the national party pushes its tribal outreach programme, it has to combat a vigilant BJD government that is on overdrive, announcing a slew of development projects in tribal-dominated pockets. Perception plays a crucial role in politics and requires the right optics, which the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is smart at. Pradhans Go Back Andhra must have been aimed at that.
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: The row over Kotia villages on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha has surfaced again following Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhans remarks against the AP government and the AP police during his visit to the disputed villages on the occasion of Odisha Formation Day.

The Union Minister had reportedly questioned the presence of the AP police in the village and asked them to go back, besides making some remarks against the AP government. Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Welfare) Peedika Rajanna Dora urged the Union Minister to withdraw his controversial remarks.

He said Kotia is a group of 21 villages on AP-Odisha border and on which there has been a dispute between the two States since Independence. Odisha filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 1968 on the disputed land and the court on December 2, 1968 asked both the States to observe restraint and ordered status quo on disputed villages following mutual consent given by both AP and Odisha. As per the order, officials and ministers belonging to both the States can visit the villages. No one has the right to stop anyone from visiting Kotia villages, he explained.

He felt that the Union Minister should have observed restraint on the issue. Despite the status quo, it was unfortunate that the Union Minister claimed that the villages belong to Odisha and asked the AP police to go back. Dharmendra Pradhan should respect the court verdict as its violation will be a contempt of court, he observed.

The Deputy Chief Minister further said negotiations are going on between the two States on the issue following a meeting between Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.Andhra Pradesh has been observing utmost restraint in view of bilateral talks to resolve several issues, he said.

As per the Supreme Court order in 2006, status quo will be in force till both the States reach mutual agreement on the issue. The final verdict will be given based on the mutual agreement, he added.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The row over Kotia villages on the border of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha has surfaced again following Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhans remarks against the AP government and the AP police during his visit to the disputed villages on the occasion of Odisha Formation Day. The Union Minister had reportedly questioned the presence of the AP police in the village and asked them to go back, besides making some remarks against the AP government. Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday, Deputy Chief Minister (Tribal Welfare) Peedika Rajanna Dora urged the Union Minister to withdraw his controversial remarks. He said Kotia is a group of 21 villages on AP-Odisha border and on which there has been a dispute between the two States since Independence. Odisha filed a petition in the Supreme Court in 1968 on the disputed land and the court on December 2, 1968 asked both the States to observe restraint and ordered status quo on disputed villages following mutual consent given by both AP and Odisha. As per the order, officials and ministers belonging to both the States can visit the villages. No one has the right to stop anyone from visiting Kotia villages, he explained.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He felt that the Union Minister should have observed restraint on the issue. Despite the status quo, it was unfortunate that the Union Minister claimed that the villages belong to Odisha and asked the AP police to go back. Dharmendra Pradhan should respect the court verdict as its violation will be a contempt of court, he observed. The Deputy Chief Minister further said negotiations are going on between the two States on the issue following a meeting between Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.Andhra Pradesh has been observing utmost restraint in view of bilateral talks to resolve several issues, he said. As per the Supreme Court order in 2006, status quo will be in force till both the States reach mutual agreement on the issue. The final verdict will be given based on the mutual agreement, he added.
K S Sreejith By

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency provided a rare political rallying point for the two major political fronts in the state, the debarment of CPM MLA A Raja from the Devikulam assembly constituency has ensured that normalcy is returned.

A day after approaching the Election Commission seeking the holding of an immediate byelection in Devikulam, Congress state president K Sudhakaran on Saturday asked the state government to file a case against Raja under non-bailable sections for submitting fake documents. The Kerala High Court had on March 21 annulled Rajas election from Devikulam, a reserved assembly constituency, observing that he is a Christian convert from the Scheduled Tribe community and he is ineligible to contest from the seat.

Sudhakaran said the CPM is equally complicit in Rajas forgery. The government helped Raja obtain the fake caste certificate. The court was convinced that Raja had corrected his family register. CPM is cheating the backward communities by supporting Raja who had overturned the reservation principles, he said.

In response, the CPM said Sudhakarans statement reeks of double standards. State secretary M V Govindan termed the Congress chiefs statement anti-democratic and one that sanctifies the BJP-led central governments excesses.

In a statement, Govindan asked whether Congress has a similar position on Wayanad. All the opposition parties had criticised the Lok Sabha secretariats action of disqualifying Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad constituency. The Congress leadership is seeking to wreck the unity between opposition parties and strengthen the BJP, he said.

Govindan also said Sudhakaran had requested the CPM not to field any candidate if a byelection was declared in Wayanad.The CPM had not only criticised the disqualification of Rahul but also denounced the arrest of former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and the disqualification of Lakshadweep MP P P Mohammed Faizal, Govindan said. Sudhakarans allegiance towards the RSS is well-known, he added.

The CPM has also decided to raise the issues related to the disqualification of Raja. The HC in its verdict never said Raja had submitted a fake caste certificate, CPM central committee member T M Thomas Isaac said. The court said Raja had no right in claiming SC rights. It said that as Rajas forefathers, who had migrated from Tamil Nadu, could not acquire properties before 1950 he had no right for SC benefits. This will have ramifications in the plantation areas, he added. Isaac also sought the position of the Congress and the UDF in the matter.

War of words

Cong state prez K Sudhakaran asks state government to file a case against Raja under non-bailable sections for submitting fake documents

M V Govindan terms Sudhakarans comments anti-democratic and one that sanctifies the BJP-led Centres excesses

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency provided a rare political rallying point for the two major political fronts in the state, the debarment of CPM MLA A Raja from the Devikulam assembly constituency has ensured that normalcy is returned. A day after approaching the Election Commission seeking the holding of an immediate byelection in Devikulam, Congress state president K Sudhakaran on Saturday asked the state government to file a case against Raja under non-bailable sections for submitting fake documents. The Kerala High Court had on March 21 annulled Rajas election from Devikulam, a reserved assembly constituency, observing that he is a Christian convert from the Scheduled Tribe community and he is ineligible to contest from the seat. Sudhakaran said the CPM is equally complicit in Rajas forgery. The government helped Raja obtain the fake caste certificate. The court was convinced that Raja had corrected his family register. CPM is cheating the backward communities by supporting Raja who had overturned the reservation principles, he said. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In response, the CPM said Sudhakarans statement reeks of double standards. State secretary M V Govindan termed the Congress chiefs statement anti-democratic and one that sanctifies the BJP-led central governments excesses. In a statement, Govindan asked whether Congress has a similar position on Wayanad. All the opposition parties had criticised the Lok Sabha secretariats action of disqualifying Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad constituency. The Congress leadership is seeking to wreck the unity between opposition parties and strengthen the BJP, he said. Govindan also said Sudhakaran had requested the CPM not to field any candidate if a byelection was declared in Wayanad.The CPM had not only criticised the disqualification of Rahul but also denounced the arrest of former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and the disqualification of Lakshadweep MP P P Mohammed Faizal, Govindan said. Sudhakarans allegiance towards the RSS is well-known, he added. The CPM has also decided to raise the issues related to the disqualification of Raja. The HC in its verdict never said Raja had submitted a fake caste certificate, CPM central committee member T M Thomas Isaac said. The court said Raja had no right in claiming SC rights. It said that as Rajas forefathers, who had migrated from Tamil Nadu, could not acquire properties before 1950 he had no right for SC benefits. This will have ramifications in the plantation areas, he added. Isaac also sought the position of the Congress and the UDF in the matter. War of words Cong state prez K Sudhakaran asks state government to file a case against Raja under non-bailable sections for submitting fake documents M V Govindan terms Sudhakarans comments anti-democratic and one that sanctifies the BJP-led Centres excesses
By AFP

SYDNEY: A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of northwestern Papua New Guinea before dawn Monday, toppling a few homes but with no immediate reports of casualties.

The quake struck at a depth of 62 kilometres (38 miles) near the Chambri Lake system in the sparsely populated region of East Sepik Province, the US Geological Service said.

"So far, we have lost a few houses, it is fortunate for us that no life (is) lost," a member of parliament in the area, Johnson Wapunai said in a message on social media.

"Chambri lake is boiling and the continuous quake is still happening right now," he wrote more than five hours after the quake, which occurred at about 4:00 am local time.

The lawmaker urged people to watch out for falling objects or trees and to be on alert for further seismic activity. No tsunami warning was issued.

The quake cracked interior floors and lifted outside paving stones at a new regional hospital that was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, photographs taken by a doctor at the scene showed.

Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said.

The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.

The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.

SYDNEY: A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of northwestern Papua New Guinea before dawn Monday, toppling a few homes but with no immediate reports of casualties. The quake struck at a depth of 62 kilometres (38 miles) near the Chambri Lake system in the sparsely populated region of East Sepik Province, the US Geological Service said. "So far, we have lost a few houses, it is fortunate for us that no life (is) lost," a member of parliament in the area, Johnson Wapunai said in a message on social media.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "Chambri lake is boiling and the continuous quake is still happening right now," he wrote more than five hours after the quake, which occurred at about 4:00 am local time. The lawmaker urged people to watch out for falling objects or trees and to be on alert for further seismic activity. No tsunami warning was issued. The quake cracked interior floors and lifted outside paving stones at a new regional hospital that was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, photographs taken by a doctor at the scene showed. Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said. The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea. The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.
By Online Desk

One of Australia's most influential Aboriginal leaders Yunupingu has died in the Northern Territory, aged 74, reports said.

Yunupingu was a trailblazer in the fight for land rights and the constitutional recognition of Indigenous people in Australia.

He died after a long illness.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led tributes to the Gumatj clan leader, saying he was a great leader and statesman.

A press statement issued on behalf of Northern Land Council said, "Today we mourn the loss of a great leader, statesman, and father. On behalf of past and present Members and staff, the Chair of the Northern Land Council, Dr Samuel Bush-Blanasi, offered his sincere condolences to Yunupingus family."

Yunupingu will always have a special place in the heart of the Northern Land Council. He served as Chair for almost half our existence. This year is our 50 anniversary. We are part of his great legacy, said Dr Bush-Blanasi.

Yunupingu served eight terms as NLC Chair, spanning 24 years, from 1977 to 1980 and 1983 to 2004.

He was in the frontline of the fight for land rights. Those days were tough. But he was tougher. Governments and everyone opposed us all the way. He took the fight to the streets, to Canberra and to the High Court many times. Lots of people today dont remember what it was like. But we do and we will never forget, said Dr Bush-Blanasi.

The Northern Land Council will be closed today, 3 April 2023, out of respect, the statement said.

CEO of the Northern Land Council, Joe Martin-Jard, called on NLC staff to use this time to pause and reflect on Yunupingus historic achievements, from the Yirrkala Bark Petitions in 1963 to the Barunga Statement in 1988, to becoming the inspiration for the Land Councils strategic policy called activating land and sea rights.

The term activating land rights was first used by Yunupingu and we are using this as the basis for our long-term future direction. It is true to say of Yunupingu that if we have seen far, it is because we have stood on the shoulders of this giant leader, said Martin-Jard.

One of Australia's most influential Aboriginal leaders Yunupingu has died in the Northern Territory, aged 74, reports said. Yunupingu was a trailblazer in the fight for land rights and the constitutional recognition of Indigenous people in Australia. He died after a long illness.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Prime Minister Anthony Albanese led tributes to the Gumatj clan leader, saying he was a great leader and statesman. A press statement issued on behalf of Northern Land Council said, "Today we mourn the loss of a great leader, statesman, and father. On behalf of past and present Members and staff, the Chair of the Northern Land Council, Dr Samuel Bush-Blanasi, offered his sincere condolences to Yunupingus family." Yunupingu will always have a special place in the heart of the Northern Land Council. He served as Chair for almost half our existence. This year is our 50 anniversary. We are part of his great legacy, said Dr Bush-Blanasi. Yunupingu served eight terms as NLC Chair, spanning 24 years, from 1977 to 1980 and 1983 to 2004. He was in the frontline of the fight for land rights. Those days were tough. But he was tougher. Governments and everyone opposed us all the way. He took the fight to the streets, to Canberra and to the High Court many times. Lots of people today dont remember what it was like. But we do and we will never forget, said Dr Bush-Blanasi. The Northern Land Council will be closed today, 3 April 2023, out of respect, the statement said. CEO of the Northern Land Council, Joe Martin-Jard, called on NLC staff to use this time to pause and reflect on Yunupingus historic achievements, from the Yirrkala Bark Petitions in 1963 to the Barunga Statement in 1988, to becoming the inspiration for the Land Councils strategic policy called activating land and sea rights. The term activating land rights was first used by Yunupingu and we are using this as the basis for our long-term future direction. It is true to say of Yunupingu that if we have seen far, it is because we have stood on the shoulders of this giant leader, said Martin-Jard.
By AFP

MELBOURNE: A former headmistress was found guilty on Monday of sexually assaulting two sisters at an ultra-orthodox Jewish school in Australia, 15 years after she escaped arrest by fleeing to Israel.

Malka Leifer was guilty on 18 charges, the jury said, including raping a student during a sleep-over and sexually assaulting a pupil during a school camp. She was cleared of a further nine charges.

Leifer was the principal of the Adass Israel School in Melbourne when she was first accused of sexual assault in 2008.

A dual Israeli-Australian citizen, Leifer fled to Israel before she could be arrested, sparking a drawn-out court battle spanning more than 70 extradition hearings.

The fugitive mother-of-eight was finally flown back to Australia in 2021 and was put on trial in February this year.

Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Leifer sexually assaulted three sisters who were studying at the Adass Israel School, which is part of a reclusive Jewish sect on the city's outskirts.

After a seven-week trial, and seven days of deliberations, the jury convicted Leifer of sexually assaulting two of the sisters.

Leifer, who has maintained her innocence throughout, sat with her hands folded and stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read.

Abuse of power

The court heard how Leifer had abused her high standing within the Adass community to prey on the sisters.

According to an indictment, Leifer raped one student in 2006 after inviting her home to "sleep over for kallah lessons" -- a kind of pre-wedding etiquette class that includes sexual education.

On other occasions Leifer told the students she was preparing them to be wives, prosecutor Justin Lewis told the court in his opening statement.

"This will help you for your wedding night," Leifer said after one sexual assault, according to Lewis.

"This is what is good for you," she allegedly said during another incident.

Leifer fled Australia in 2008 after one of the students confided in her therapist about the sexual assaults.

She eventually settled in the ultra-orthodox Emmanuel settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Secretly filmed

Australian police filed charges against Leifer in 2012 and requested her extradition from Israel two years later, sparking a lengthy legal saga.

Leifer claimed that crippling depression had left her catatonic and that she was mentally incapable of standing trial.

The extradition process was suspended -- until a private investigator secretly filmed Leifer going about her daily chores, apparently unafflicted by the mental illnesses she had claimed.

She was eventually extradited to Melbourne on a flight in 2021.

Defence lawyer Ian Hill previously said Leifer denied "all of the criminal conduct alleged by each of the complainants" and that her interactions with the students were "professional and proper".

"We deny that they are telling the truth," he said.

MELBOURNE: A former headmistress was found guilty on Monday of sexually assaulting two sisters at an ultra-orthodox Jewish school in Australia, 15 years after she escaped arrest by fleeing to Israel. Malka Leifer was guilty on 18 charges, the jury said, including raping a student during a sleep-over and sexually assaulting a pupil during a school camp. She was cleared of a further nine charges. Leifer was the principal of the Adass Israel School in Melbourne when she was first accused of sexual assault in 2008.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A dual Israeli-Australian citizen, Leifer fled to Israel before she could be arrested, sparking a drawn-out court battle spanning more than 70 extradition hearings. The fugitive mother-of-eight was finally flown back to Australia in 2021 and was put on trial in February this year. Prosecutors alleged during the trial that Leifer sexually assaulted three sisters who were studying at the Adass Israel School, which is part of a reclusive Jewish sect on the city's outskirts. After a seven-week trial, and seven days of deliberations, the jury convicted Leifer of sexually assaulting two of the sisters. Leifer, who has maintained her innocence throughout, sat with her hands folded and stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read. Abuse of power The court heard how Leifer had abused her high standing within the Adass community to prey on the sisters. According to an indictment, Leifer raped one student in 2006 after inviting her home to "sleep over for kallah lessons" -- a kind of pre-wedding etiquette class that includes sexual education. On other occasions Leifer told the students she was preparing them to be wives, prosecutor Justin Lewis told the court in his opening statement. "This will help you for your wedding night," Leifer said after one sexual assault, according to Lewis. "This is what is good for you," she allegedly said during another incident. Leifer fled Australia in 2008 after one of the students confided in her therapist about the sexual assaults. She eventually settled in the ultra-orthodox Emmanuel settlement in the occupied West Bank. Secretly filmed Australian police filed charges against Leifer in 2012 and requested her extradition from Israel two years later, sparking a lengthy legal saga. Leifer claimed that crippling depression had left her catatonic and that she was mentally incapable of standing trial. The extradition process was suspended -- until a private investigator secretly filmed Leifer going about her daily chores, apparently unafflicted by the mental illnesses she had claimed. She was eventually extradited to Melbourne on a flight in 2021. Defence lawyer Ian Hill previously said Leifer denied "all of the criminal conduct alleged by each of the complainants" and that her interactions with the students were "professional and proper". "We deny that they are telling the truth," he said.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday hit back at Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for his critical remarks, taking the polarisation in the coup-prone country to new limits amid economic meltdown and bitter political divide.

During a hearing on the postponement of polls in Punjab on March 31, the chief justice said: "Today, when you go to parliament, you find people addressing the parliament who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, declared traitors.

They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representatives of the people.

The stark reference was interpreted as a jibe at the Prime Minister who was arrested twice during the government of Imran Khan on the charges of alleged corruption but was bailed out by the courts.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Sharif said that he faced unfounded allegations in the previous government followed by arrests but he succeeded to counter them on merit.

"It is God's grace that I was released on merit and that I am here today. My crime was that I fully raised my voice against the government's wrongdoings. But this was not acceptable to Imran who considered us a thorn in his side," he said.

In a direct reference to the remarks by the chief justice, Sharif said it was not a crime that he faced the cases.

"Is it a crime that after having successfully fought my case in the high courts, a decision is then made based on merit? Is this a matter of respect and pride or shame?. Is it a matter of shame or respect that I am present in this House today and can speak with my head held high?" he said.

Sharif said the chief justice had stated that those who had served prison terms in the past were now making speeches in parliament and dared the top judge if he would say anything about the "baseless cases" against the leader of the former opposition.

The prime minister also pointedly asked the chief justice to respond to the allegation of corruption against a fellow judge.

"I want to ask the chief justice, that a judge against whom there have been serious allegations, what message do you want to send to the nation by having him sit alongside you?" the premier said.

He didn't name Justice Mazahir Naqvi who is facing allegations of corruption but so far no substantial action had been taken against him by the chief justice.

The chief justice had passed the remarks while hearing the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on the postponement of election in Punjab.

The government in the same case expressed mistrust on the three-member bench and asked the chief justice to set up a full court for hearing.

However, the plea was rejected and the hearing was completed and judgment would be announced Tuesday.

The prime minister in his speech once again said the coalition government had expressed a lack of confidence in the three-member panel and warned that it would be difficult for the nation to accept the verdict if a full court was not formed.

The rejoinder by the premier comes as the apex court is divided on the issue of taking suo motu action on various matters.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar speaking in the parliament also urged the chief justice to heal the rift in the court.

"I request you (CJ Bandial) to get your own house in order first. There is division in your house and dissenting opinions are coming forth," the minister said.

The exchange of barbs between the politicians and the top judge is an indication of increasing mistrust between the key institutions of the country.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday hit back at Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial for his critical remarks, taking the polarisation in the coup-prone country to new limits amid economic meltdown and bitter political divide. During a hearing on the postponement of polls in Punjab on March 31, the chief justice said: "Today, when you go to parliament, you find people addressing the parliament who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, declared traitors. They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representatives of the people.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The stark reference was interpreted as a jibe at the Prime Minister who was arrested twice during the government of Imran Khan on the charges of alleged corruption but was bailed out by the courts. Speaking in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Sharif said that he faced unfounded allegations in the previous government followed by arrests but he succeeded to counter them on merit. "It is God's grace that I was released on merit and that I am here today. My crime was that I fully raised my voice against the government's wrongdoings. But this was not acceptable to Imran who considered us a thorn in his side," he said. In a direct reference to the remarks by the chief justice, Sharif said it was not a crime that he faced the cases. "Is it a crime that after having successfully fought my case in the high courts, a decision is then made based on merit? Is this a matter of respect and pride or shame?. Is it a matter of shame or respect that I am present in this House today and can speak with my head held high?" he said. Sharif said the chief justice had stated that those who had served prison terms in the past were now making speeches in parliament and dared the top judge if he would say anything about the "baseless cases" against the leader of the former opposition. The prime minister also pointedly asked the chief justice to respond to the allegation of corruption against a fellow judge. "I want to ask the chief justice, that a judge against whom there have been serious allegations, what message do you want to send to the nation by having him sit alongside you?" the premier said. He didn't name Justice Mazahir Naqvi who is facing allegations of corruption but so far no substantial action had been taken against him by the chief justice. The chief justice had passed the remarks while hearing the petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on the postponement of election in Punjab. The government in the same case expressed mistrust on the three-member bench and asked the chief justice to set up a full court for hearing. However, the plea was rejected and the hearing was completed and judgment would be announced Tuesday. The prime minister in his speech once again said the coalition government had expressed a lack of confidence in the three-member panel and warned that it would be difficult for the nation to accept the verdict if a full court was not formed. The rejoinder by the premier comes as the apex court is divided on the issue of taking suo motu action on various matters. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar speaking in the parliament also urged the chief justice to heal the rift in the court. "I request you (CJ Bandial) to get your own house in order first. There is division in your house and dissenting opinions are coming forth," the minister said. The exchange of barbs between the politicians and the top judge is an indication of increasing mistrust between the key institutions of the country.
By PTI

KATHMANDU: Nepal on Monday confirmed the detection of a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified as "XBB1.16" and said that at least 10 out of 24 latest samples of patients across the country have tested positive for the new strain.

Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population said it has cautioned its citizens after the detection of XBB1.6 variant, which has been identified and spreading in neighbouring India.

"A new variant of Omicron 'XBB1.16', spreading in the neighbouring country India, has also been detected in Nepal.

So far 10 of the 24 samples tested by the Health Ministry have been confirmed," Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said.

According to the ministry, to identify the molecular genetic changes in COVID-19, 24 PCR, and antigen-positive samples were collected in March at the National Public Health Laboratory through random sampling.

Of the 24 samples collected, two tested positive for BA.1.1, two for BA.2, and one for BA.2.76, 2 for BA.5, two for BA.5.2, 10 for XBB 1.16, three for XBB 1.5, one for XBB 2.6, and one for XBF.

The health ministry has urged people travelling from abroad to get tested for coronavirus infection at the health desk at borders, and to get the necessary treatment and counselling from nearby hospitals if tested positive, arranged by the ministry, saying that the new variant is spreading rapidly in neighbouring India.

The Ministry has urged denizens to not overlook symptoms of cough, cold, and running nose, and to stay in isolation if these symptoms are observed, vigilant follow the health safety standards, saying that the spreading of COVID-19 can be curbed with the collective effort of all.

The ministry said that 76 new cases (RT-PCR and antigen tests combined) of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Monday while 16 people recovered from the disease.

KATHMANDU: Nepal on Monday confirmed the detection of a new Omicron variant of COVID-19 identified as "XBB1.16" and said that at least 10 out of 24 latest samples of patients across the country have tested positive for the new strain. Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population said it has cautioned its citizens after the detection of XBB1.6 variant, which has been identified and spreading in neighbouring India. "A new variant of Omicron 'XBB1.16', spreading in the neighbouring country India, has also been detected in Nepal.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); So far 10 of the 24 samples tested by the Health Ministry have been confirmed," Dr Sameer Kumar Adhikari, deputy spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population, said. According to the ministry, to identify the molecular genetic changes in COVID-19, 24 PCR, and antigen-positive samples were collected in March at the National Public Health Laboratory through random sampling. Of the 24 samples collected, two tested positive for BA.1.1, two for BA.2, and one for BA.2.76, 2 for BA.5, two for BA.5.2, 10 for XBB 1.16, three for XBB 1.5, one for XBB 2.6, and one for XBF. The health ministry has urged people travelling from abroad to get tested for coronavirus infection at the health desk at borders, and to get the necessary treatment and counselling from nearby hospitals if tested positive, arranged by the ministry, saying that the new variant is spreading rapidly in neighbouring India. The Ministry has urged denizens to not overlook symptoms of cough, cold, and running nose, and to stay in isolation if these symptoms are observed, vigilant follow the health safety standards, saying that the spreading of COVID-19 can be curbed with the collective effort of all. The ministry said that 76 new cases (RT-PCR and antigen tests combined) of COVID-19 have been confirmed on Monday while 16 people recovered from the disease.
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Delhis source of drugs, Himachal now faces an addiction surge

Shimla, April 2: Himachal Pradesh, the picturesque state nestled in the Himalayas, is known for its natural beauty and tranquility. However, in recent years, the state has been grappling with a rising drug problem that is threatening to tarnish its reputation. It has become a major cause for concern, particularly among the youth.

Delhi's source of drugs, Himachal now faces an addiction surge

The state which is also known for widespread illegal cultivation of cannabis and its derivatives -- hashish, charas and the very popular malana cream -- is now being flooded by 'chitta' and pharmaceutical drugs, quite like its neighbouring state, Punjab.The Himachal Pradesh police data analysis of 'Register 29' maintained in all police stations to keep a track of drug peddlers reveals that about 60 per cent of those active in the state have taken to 'chitta'. It has added a new dimension to the drug menace in the state.According to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Himachal Pradesh currently houses 3,000 jail inmates, with 40.8 percent of them incarcerated for drug-related offences.Of these inmates, 68 percent are undertrials while the remaining 32 percent have been convicted. The official revealed that the state's correctional department has requested the government to expand prison capacity to 5,000 in response to the escalating drug problem. Furthermore, there are over 8,000 ongoing NDPS cases in different courts, with approximately 7,000 awaiting trial.Once upon a time, the state's drug headache was limited to illegal cannabis plantations in the Kullu Valley. According to sources, the demand is still high and the illegal business of the drug cartel is still booming.Himachal Pradesh's ancient Aryan village of Malana is known all over the world as a haven for those looking for a high in the hills. An oily and aromatic strain of hashish called Malana Cream is considered to be the purest form of hashish and is derived by the locals from the cannabis grown illegally in the surrounding Parvati Valley.The international popularity of the drug still brings thousands of tourists to the village. The economy of the area has boomed following the explosion in the demand for Malana Cream.Malana Cream is not limited to Himachal Pradesh because it is trafficked to other states across the country.According to reports, Himachal Pradesh has also become a transit hub for drug trafficking due to its proximity to the Golden Crescent. The drug mafias are using innovative methods to smuggle drugs into the state, such as hiding drugs in vehicles or using drones to transport them. The situation has become so grave that the state government has declared a war against drugs, and several measures have been taken to curb this illegal activity."One of the reasons for the rise in drug addiction in Himachal Pradesh is the lack of awareness among the people. Many youngsters are unaware of the dangers of drug abuse and the consequences it can have on their health and future. The government has initiated several awareness programs to educate people about the dangers of drugs and the need to stay away from them," said Gurdeep Singh, who works on spreading awareness about drugs in the state and is a resident of Kullu."Another challenge in tackling the drug menace in Himachal Pradesh is the lack of resources and infrastructure. The state has a difficult terrain and limited resources, making it challenging for law enforcement agencies to track down and apprehend drug traffickers," he said."To combat the drug problem, the state government has set up special task forces and drug rehabilitation centres. The government is also working in collaboration with various organizations and NGOs to create awareness about drug abuse and provide rehabilitation support to drug addicts," Singh added.A few pharmaceutical firms in the recent past were caught illegally producing and selling opioids, including 'chitta' (adulterated heroin) in Himachal's Baddi near Solan, India's pharmaceutical hub.The police launches special drives each year to destroy cannabis cultivated illegally over hundreds of acres. But what's most worrisome is the increasing number of people, particularly youth, getting hooked to 'chitta'.An official said addicts from affluent families were turning peddlers to manage their daily 'chitta' doses and chains were being formed by roping in new vulnerable targets.IANS02 April 2023

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Sudanese parties delay signing of final political deal to April 6

Khartoum, April 2: Sudanese parties involved in the political process have agreed to postpone the signing of the final agreement to April 6.

Sudanese parties delay signing of final political deal to April 6

The decision was made during a meeting held at the Republican Palace here on Saturday that brought together Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council and Commander of the Sudanese army Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leaders of the civilian forces, and representatives from the African Union, the United Nations and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development.The final political agreement, which aims to create a transitional civil authority in Sudan, was scheduled to be signed on Saturday, but differences between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces over the security and military reform clause and integration of the irregular forces in the army postponed the signing of the deal, Xinhua news agency reported."The meeting reviewed the progress made in the discussions of reaching a final political agreement and identified the remaining issues, which are the technical issues related to the stages of reform, integration and modernisation in the security and military sectors," Khalid Omer Yousif, spokesman of the political process, said in a statement after the meeting."During the meeting, the military and civilian parties unanimously decided to double efforts to overcome the remaining obstacle within few days prior to the signing of the final political agreement on April 6," he added.Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on October 25, 2021, and dissolved the sovereign council and the government.IANS02 April 2023

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Pope Francis returns home from hospital

Vatican City, April 2: Pope Francis, on Saturday morning, was released from the Gemelli Hospital after being treated for bronchitis, according to the Vatican news.

Pope Francis returns home from hospital

In a statement, released on Saturday morning, Holy See Press Office noted that, before his departure, the Holy Father greeted the leadership of the hospital, including Franco Anelli, the Rector of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart; Marco Elefanti, the General Director of the Policlinic; and the General Ecclesiastical Assistant for the hospital, Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, as well as the medical team and healthcare workers who assisted him during his convalescence.The Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, the largest hospital in Rome, is the teaching hospital for the Catholic University's medical school. The hospital is named for Franciscan Friar Agostino Gemelli, a physician and psychologist, who was also the founder and first rector of the University.As he left the hospital, Pope Francis stopped his car briefly to greet those present, pausing for a moment to embrace and pray with a couple who had lost their daughter during the night.Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Wednesday after he complained of breathing problems. After the clinical check-up and tests, the doctors said that Pope Francis had bronchitis and were administering antibiotic therapy to treat him.In a statement, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, "Based on the predictable outcome, the Holy Father could be released in the next few days."After his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday, Pope Francis was taken to the hospital to undergo a number of tests. The Vatican in a statement said that the visit and tests were planned.Shortly after, Matteo Bruni said that the pontiff's schedule for Thursday had been cleared "to make space for the continuation of tests should that be necessary," as per the news report.Later, Matteo Bruni in a statement said, "In recent days Pope Francis complained of some respiratory difficulties and this afternoon he went to Policlinico A. Gemelli for some medical checks."He further added, "The outcome of the same showed a respiratory infection (excluding Covid-19 infection) that will require a few days of appropriate hospital medical therapy. Pope Francis is touched by the many messages received and expresses his gratitude for the closeness and prayer."Pope Francis, who as a young man suffered from severe pneumonia and had part of a lung removed has had a history of health issues, as per the CNN report. He was often seen using a walking stick and sometimes using a wheelchair due to pain in his right knee.ANI02 April 2023

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Ayush Ministry to hold Yoga Mahotsav in Dibrugarh on April 7: Sonowal

New Delhi, April 2: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that the Ministry of Ayush will organise the 'Yoga Mahotsav' on April 7 to commemorate the 75 days to International Day of Yoga at Assam's Dibrugarh University campus.

Ayush Ministry to hold 'Yoga Mahotsav' in Dibrugarh on April 7: Sonowal

The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal today visited the site at Dibrugarh University to take stock of the preparation for the event. The state Health Minister, Keshab Mahanta along with senior officials of the Ministry of Ayush along with the district administration of Dibrugarh accompanied during the visit.Speaking on the occasion, Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "It is a moment of great pride as our beautiful Dibrugarh gets ready to host one of the biggest Yoga events in the country on April 7, 2023. It is a wonderful connection that we also celebrate World Health Day on the same day, which ultimately is to create a conduit for humanity to live better, healthier and happier.""Due to the consistent effort of PM Narendra Modi, yoga has become a worldwide movement towards achieving better health and mind. True to our heritage, India remains committed to every effort to further this journey of Yoga as it becomes the elixir for quality human lives. Yoga has brought the world together for a better tomorrow. The Yoga Mahotsav aims to promote inclusivity and celebrate diversity by involving different segments of society in activities that promote health. I call upon everyone to adopt Yoga in their daily lives and enjoy the wonderful fruits of India's rich heritage in their lives," he said.The Union Minister Sonowal also interacted with the students of the University along with the Health Minister and Prof Jiten Hazarika, Vice Chancellor, of Dibrugarh University among others. The discussions ranged on different topics ranging from the importance of Ayush in improving our lives to the opportunities created for the benefit of the students in furthering their role in nation-building.Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also called upon the students to take an active part in the successful hosting of the Yoga Mahotsav.Speaking with the students, the Union Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said, "The students are the backbone of our future. The direction, pace and timing of our growth and progress are intrinsically linked with the student's community. Today, we are fortunate to have a vibrant and enthusiastic student community that is ambitious and committed to the cause of nation-building. As India forays into Amrit Kaal, to realise the vision of Prime Minister Modi ji to make India Atmanirbhar, it gives me immense pleasure to witness students with dedication, commitment and intent towards the cause of nation-building.""I am confident that the students of Dibrugarh University will continue to make the country proud with their work in respective fields which will help build solutions for a better tomorrow," he added.ANI02 April 2023

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China backs military-ruled Myanmar: Report

Beijing, April 2: China couldn't let go of its weak neighbour Myanmar as it provides Beijing with direct access to the Indian ocean and also makes it possible to bypass the contested South China Sea, Bertil Lintner writes in Global Asia.

China backs military-ruled Myanmar: Report

In the South Korean-based East Asia Foundation, the writer said that China sees Myanmar as the crucial link in Beijing's foreign policy as it will make it possible to bypass the contested and potentially vulnerable Strait of Malacca for exports as well as the import of gas, oil and minerals.The grip of Myanmar's military on the country since the coup it staged in 2021 remains firm despite continuing armed resistance against its rule. Earlier in 2020, a military junta staged a coup after Aung San Suu Kyi won the election. After this, the West imposed sanctions on Myanmar.Amid the ongoing West's sanctions against the regime for thwarting the transition to democracy, China has re-emerged as a major geopolitical player in the country.According to the writer, the importance of Myanmar as an outlet to the Indian Ocean was first outlined by Pan Qi, a former minister, as far back as September 2, 1985, in an article in the Beijing Review.Now called the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC), it is meant to provide China with an outlet for exports to Myanmar and, even more important, beyond. The route broadly follows gas and oil pipelines from the Myanmar coast to Yunnan, which were built in 2013 and 2017.Plans are also underway for high-speed rail links between Yunnan and Kyaukphyu, a deep-water port on the Bay of Bengal, which also has a 1,600-hectare special economic zone for foreign trade.It seems that China would like to provide a defence umbrella, which would have to be through support for a loyal Myanmar dependent on China for arms, training and other military cooperation. In the decade after the nationwide uprising for democracy in 1988 that was brutally crushed, Myanmar became isolated internationally and its military had to turn to China for military hardware.China also helped Myanmar upgrade its naval bases along the coast and on islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Chinese-supplied radar systems were installed in some of these bases, and it is reasonable to assume that China's security services benefited from the resulting intelligence.Being preoccupied with the Ukraine crisis, the US is not paying much attention to Myanmar. And the same was seen in the State Department statement, released on January 31, the second anniversary of the coup, Washington appears to have outsourced the Myanmar issue to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations."We welcome and support the central role of ASEAN in addressing the crisis in Myanmar," support the efforts to "fully implement ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus" and reaffirm "support for the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar and the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar".With US preoccupation with global security issues elsewhere has left Myanmar open to renewed Chinese penetration.As per the author, the Myanmar military may be reluctant to once again become dependent on Chinese arms supplies, but China has since the coup supplied Myanmar with sophisticated electronic surveillance systems, which the generals would have difficulty obtaining elsewhere, including cameras equipped with facial-recognition and license-plate recognition technology.Such sales increased dramatically in 2022, according to Global Asia citing the industry sources, and the Chinese suppliers have in some instances stripped the equipment of visible branding to obscure the maker and the origin, which could complicate the businesses those companies have in the US and European Union, where strict sanctions apply on entities dealing with the Myanmar junta.China is the only outside power that has close relations with Myanmar's strongest ethnic armed resistance groups. In late February, Deng Xijun, China's special envoy to Myanmar, held meetings in the border areas with representatives from the Kachin Independence Army, the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army in Shan State.ANI02 April 2023

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Tokyo to face tight power supply this summer

Tokyo, April 2: Japan's Tokyo area is expected to sustain a tight supply-demand situation for electricity this summer, according to projections made by the government.

Tokyo to face tight power supply this summer

According to the latest estimates released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the reserve power supply capacity ratio in the metropolitan area might hit the lowest level for maintaining stable supply by falling to 3 percent, if the region served by Tokyo Electric Power Company experiences excessive heat on a once-in-a-decade scale in July, Xinhua News Agency reported.Even if such severe weather persists, utilities in other locations are anticipated to have power supply reserves of greater than 3 per cent, the forecast showed.The estimates, based on the supply plans of electrical service providers, expected the reserve capacity rate to improve to 3.9 per cent in the Tokyo area in August and stand at 4.6 percent in January 2024 for the region as well as northern parts of Japan including Hokkaido.Amid power crunch concerns, the Japanese government asked Japanese residents and businesses to conserve electricity in July of last year.The request was made to avoid a power shortage for the first time since fiscal 2015, when all of the nation's nuclear reactors were shut down in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster brought on by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011.A similar request was issued for this winter until Friday, with the government encouraging residents to lower their thermostat settings and switch off lights when not in use.To ensure a stable power supply, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed his government to speed up efforts to restart nuclear reactors that face stringent safety standards implemented after the 2011 disaster, local media reports showed.IANS02 April 2023

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Himachal to promote lavender cultivation

Shimla, April 2: The state government of Himachal Pradesh is all set to collaborate with the Union government on the Aroma Mission -- a lavender cultivation initiative that has proven to be a boon for farmers in Jammu and Kashmir.

Himachal to promote lavender cultivation

With the climatic conditions of several regions in Himachal Pradesh, including Chamba, being similar to those of Jammu and Kashmir, the state aims to replicate the success of the initiative in a big way.This initiative will boost the economy of farmers as well as the state.Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had a telephonic discussion with Union Minister of State, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, who has assured the state of providing technical support to farmers for the project.The Chief Minister on Sunday said, "The initiative has the potential to transform the lives of farmers and with the collaboration between the state and the Union government. The Aroma Mission could prove to be a game-changer for the farming sector in the region."Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena has been directed to take up this matter with the ministry and expedite the process of implementing the project on the ground.The state is planning to adopt modern scientific methods of farming by replacing traditional practices.To accomplish this, the state is seeking technical support from the Union government that would organise orientation programmes, training camps and provide technical support to farmers and horticulturists of the state, enabling them to familiarize themselves with new innovative technologies in the farming sector, improve the quality of their produce and generate more income.The lavender cultivation, also known as the purple revolution, could prove to be a lucrative option for the farmers, thereby transforming their lives.IANS03 April 2023

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Kejriwal slams PM Modi over demonetisation, questions his qualification

Guwahati, April 2: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications while criticising him for the 2016 demonetisation that had banned the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes from circulation.

Kejriwal slams PM Modi over demonetisation, questions his qualification

Speaking at a rally here, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor said "had PM Modi been educated, he would not have called for demonetisation, and also wouldn't have brought the farm laws that were eventually repealed"."Somebody fooled the Prime Minister by advising him that if demonetisation happens, corruption will be eliminated. Further, terrorism would also end. The Prime Minister would not have done the demonetisation if he was educated," said the Delhi Chief Minister.The AAP leader claimed demonetisation has caused India go backtrack on its economy by at least 10 years."You had seen the long queues of people after demonetisation. People lost their jobs, and numerous business ventures had to shut down due to this mistake. Did corruption or terrorism end after demonetisation?" Kejriwal questioned."I have heard in many programmes... PM Modi himself said that he only went to schools," he said.The AAP leader also took a swipe at PM Modi over the controversial farm laws."Somebody again be-fooled the Prime Minister on farm laws. After one year of continuous agitation and the deaths of more than 700 farmers, the Prime Minister rolled back the controversial laws. He took such a long time because he was fooled by wrong advice."Kejriwal said that a person must have sufficient education to occupy the topmost post in the country.He also criticised PM Modi for his promise to give drinking water to every household in Guwahati."I heard that 10 years ago, PM Modi promised that he would give every household in Guwahati pure drinking water if he came to power. He has not delivered on his promise. But if the people of Assam give AAP a chance, within 1 year, every household in Assam will get pure drinking water supply," Kejriwal said.IANS03 April 2023

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Keralite nurse in Dubai turns saviour for hundreds of stranded people

Thiruvananthapuram, April 2: A Keralite nurse in the UAE is one of the major major helping hand for the people who are struck there either due to job loss, health issues, or any other calamity which one may face in a foreign land.

Keralite nurse in Dubai turns saviour for hundreds of stranded people

Hajara Valiyakath, who hails from Kerala's Thrissur, has been in the UAE for the past 16 years, working as a nurse in a private hospital in Dubai. She began getting interested in social work and helping out the downtrodden began after she found people admitted in the hospital who required aid and support.She has opened a social organisation, named "Jeeva Karunya Hastham" or 'a helping hand with compassion'.Talking to IANS, Valiyakath said "Earlier my thought was that I could support and help people once I had good savings but then I found that it was not like that and had to intervene in social life as I was daily witnessing the trauma and helplessness faced by many people who are admitted in the hospital where I am working."She said that once she had to intervene in the issue of her room mate who had to suddenly go back to Kerala after her father fell ill. However on reaching the airport, she found that her company owner had given a complaint to the immigration authorities that she was "absconding" from work.The nurse had to give her own passport as security to let her room mate go back to India and she found that the sponsor had raised such an issue due to some misdeeds of the recruiting agency."Jeeva Karunya Hastham" was formed in 2019 along with a few friends to support those who are struck in the UAE and since then she had intervened to help many expatriates suffering from difficulties.During the devastating floods in Kerala, Valiyakath and her team had intervened and sent a good quantity of essential commodities to the state by meeting individuals and organisations who were interested in extending their support."I am really happy on seeing the eyes of the people who are helped out. During Covid days, I had the traumatic experience of many people falling dead in the hospital where I was working, with no relatives or friends to support them. It was a tough time and I even thought that my mental balance was being affected. The helplessness in the eyes of the patients was too much to face and I had the opportunity to support and extend a helping hand to many," she said.During the holy month of Ramzan which is currently ongoing, Valiyakath is into providing food and other facilities to the needy people in the UAE and she does this with a smile."I don't keep any count of people who have approached me for help and support but one thing I am sure, I will go to any extent to help people who are in need. In a foreign country, people require to help each other to move ahead and I and my team are trying our best to support those who require our help," she told IANS.Working as a staff nurse in a private hospital in UAE, she juggles her time with philanthropic activities and her professional assignments and is happy in supporting and helping the people. She said that she gets several calls a day from Kerala and also in the UAE for support to the dear and nears who got struck in the Gulf country due to various reasons and said that she and her team tries their best to provide help to them.She has received several recognitions from philanthropic organisations in the UAE and in Kerala for the service she had rendered to the people who require her support.IANS03 April 2023

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Israel shoots down unmanned aircraft from Syria

Jerusalem, April 3: Israeli military intercepted an unmanned aircraft that entered Israeli airspace from Syria, according to a statement by the military.

Israel shoots down unmanned aircraft from Syria

The Israeli Air Force sent helicopters and fighter jets to track the unidentified aircraft, which was crossing into Israeli territory from the direction of Syria, it added on Sunday.The aircraft was monitored and shot down in an open area, it noted, adding that it did not pose a threat, Xinhua news agency reported.Israeli soldiers were sent to collect the debris of the aircraft, the statement said, adding the the incident is under review.The incident came hours after Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in the Homs province of Syria, wounding five soldiers, according to a report by Syria's state-owned SANA news agency.The incident highlighted the ongoing tensions between Israel and Syria, which have been at odds for decades.In recent years, Israel has carried out regular airstrikes in Syria against what it says are Iranian-backed militias and arms shipments to Hezbollah. Israel has also accused Iran of using Syria as a base to attack it.IANS03 April 2023

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Congolese M23 rebels begin withdrawal from bases in Congo: Ugandan military

Kampala, April 3: The Ugandan military has said that the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels have started withdrawing and handing over their bases in the eastern Congo to the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF).

Congolese M23 rebels begin withdrawal from bases in Congo: Ugandan military

The Ugandan contingent of the EACRF on Sunday officially occupied the areas of Bunagana in North Kivu province after M23 left the area, Ahmad Hassan Kato, Military Spokesperson for the Ugandan contingent, said in a statement."Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has deployed in the general areas of Bunagana where they have set a foothold as they give M23 time to also vacate the general areas of Rutshuru, Kiwanja and Mabenga as agreed," Kato added.The development came after Uganda on Wednesday sent 1,000 troops on a regional peacekeeping mission in the eastern Congo, Xinhua news agency reported.The deployment followed the decision endorsed and adopted by regional leaders at the third East African Community Heads of State Conclave on Peace and Security in the eastern Congo held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi last June.Ugandan troops joined Kenyan, Burundian and Angolan counterparts on the ground to bring lasting peace to the eastern Congo.The East African country has other troops in the eastern Congo in a joint military operation with the Congolese Army against the Allied Democratic Forces rebels.IANS03 April 2023

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McDonalds temporarily shuts US offices, plans major layoffs

New York, April 3: Fast food giant McDonald's has temporarily shut its offices in the US this week as it gears up to lay off several employees as part of the restructuring plan amid the global economic meltdown, the media reported.

McDonald's temporarily shuts US offices, plans major layoffs

According to Wall Street Journal, the Chicago-based burger major told US employees, and some international staff, "that they should work from home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually"."During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organisation," the company said in an internal email."We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period," the company added.McDonald's was yet to comment on the development or on the number of employees being laid off.In January, the company said it planned to make "difficult" decisions about changes to its corporate staffing levels by April.CEO Chris Kempczinski had said at the time that he expected to save money as part of the workforce assessment.McDonald's employs more than 1,50,000 people globally in corporate roles and its owned restaurants with 70 per cent of them located outside of the US.The company has conducted several rounds of layoffs in recent years.In 2018, McDonald's said that the company was cutting its management to be "more dynamic, nimble and competitive".IANS03 April 2023

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Milan destroy Napoli in Serie A

Rome, April 3: A highly-anticipated Serie A clash turned out to be a lop-sided one, as AC Milan beat Napoli 4-0 away, inflicting the Partenopei's heaviest defeat this season.

Milan destroy Napoli in Serie A

Napoli are flying high this season, just conceding two Serie A defeats before Sunday's match, while Milan had struggled with only one point from the previous three matches, reports Xinhua.With only 40 percent ball-possession, Milan were more clinical as they broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Rafael Leao broke clear after latching on to Brahim Diaz's inspirational pass, before the Portuguese looped it over an on-rushing Alex Meret.The away side doubled the lead minutes later when Diaz found the net.Milan extended the lead on the hour mark with a moment of magic when Sandro Tonali won back possession and found Leao, who out-paced the defenders to finish with an angled drive.Alexis Saelemaekers put the icing on the cake in the 67th minute with another solo effort as he broke into the box before beating Meret with a low-strike.With the morale-boosting win, Milan climbed back to the third place with 51 points, four points behind Lazio who won 2-0 over Monza on Sunday, while Napoli still lead the table with a comfortable 16-point lead.Elsewhere, Roma staged a second-half show to beat Sampdoria 3-0, Bologna crushed Udinese 3-0, and Spezia shared the spoils with Salernitana at 1-1.IANS03 April 2023

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Nayanthara finally reveals full names of her twin sons

Chennai, April 3: Actress Nayanthara has finally revealed the full names of her twin boys, whom she welcomed via surrogacy.

Nayanthara finally reveals full names of her twin sons

Nayanthara was at an award function here, where she spoke about the middle name of her twins, whose first names are Uyir and Ulagam.Nayanthara was asked to share the full names of her twin boys and she said "My first son is Uyir Rudronil N. Shivan and my second son is Ulag Dhaivag N. Shivan."It was in June 2022, when Nayanthara married filmmaker Vignesh Shivan in an intimate ceremony in Chennai. The wedding was attended by superstars such as Rajinikanth and Shah Rukh Khan. The same year Vignesh Shivan took to Instagram to announce that they have welcomed their bundle of joy - twin boys via surrogacy.IANS03 April 2023

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Dubai Autism Centre launches its 17th annual autism awareness campaign

Dubai, March 2 : The Dubai Autism Centre launched its 17th annual autism awareness campaign today, coinciding with World Autism Awareness Day, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Dubai Autism Centre launches its 17th annual autism awareness campaign

The Dubai Autism Centre has organised this annual campaign since 2006, launching the month-long initiative on the World Autism Awareness Day every year. The annual initiative is aimed at raising awareness about autism and promoting inclusion of individuals with autism in society. It includes a range of activities such as free diagnosis, workshops, seminars, and events, as well as the lighting up of several landmarks in Dubai in blue to show support for the cause.The campaign also seeks to showcase the creative skills of children with autism through art exhibitions and auctions, with the proceeds going towards supporting the services provided to individuals with autism by the Dubai Autism Centre.Hisham Abdullah Al Qassim, Chairman of Dubai Autism Centre, expressed his gratitude to the Dubai Crown Prince for his patronage of the annual autism awareness campaign.Al Qassim also expressed his appreciation for the partnership between the government and private sectors in supporting the campaign, highlighting the contributions of strategic partners such as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Wasl Asset Management Group, as well as Al Ansari Exchange, the exclusive partner for the free assessment initiative. He emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts in achieving the goals of the National Policy for Empowering People of Determination.On this occasion, Al Ansari Exchange announced its support for the free diagnosis initiative for 100 Emirati children, which was launched last year. The company has provided AED500,000 to support the initiative and transform it into an annual feature. This will give Emirati families more opportunities for early detection of autism and ensure that their children receive the necessary intervention.The Free Comprehensive Assessment Initiative provides free annual assessment sessions for 100 Emirati children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The initiative also includes a pre-screening campaign for students enrolled in kindergartens, first and second grades.Mohammed Al Emadi, Director-General of the Dubai Autism Centre, said, "The 17th annual autism awareness campaign aims to emphasise the significance of creating an autism-friendly community that facilitates access to the services offered by public and private institutions."Al Emadi stressed that since its establishment, the Dubai Autism Centre has sought to enhance community awareness of autism, not only by raising awareness of its symptoms but also by introducing individuals and institutions to the requirements for appropriately dealing with people with autism. To achieve this, the centre has launched many campaigns and awareness initiatives, the most prominent of which is the annual autism awareness campaign.As part of the campaign, art workshops will be held to showcase the creative skills of children with autism. These workshops will be organised by the Dubai Autism Centre in collaboration with Zee Arts Community, a group of fine artists from around the world who will share their own drawing tools with the centre's students. The aim is to showcase the paintings of the students in a charitable auction, with the proceeds going towards supporting the services provided to children with autism.The campaign will also feature a series of awareness webinars in schools and public institutions to increase public knowledge and promote a better understanding of the different challenges faced by individuals with autism, emphasising the importance of community support and understanding in achieving inclusion. (ANI/WAM)ANI03 April 2023

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Motto of hosting G20 is getting world ready for India and India ready for the world: Jaishankar

Bengaluru, April 2: Speaking about the significance of India hosting the G20 this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the motto of India hosting G20 is getting the world ready for India and India ready for the world.

Motto of hosting G20 is getting world ready for India and India ready for the world: Jaishankar

"The motto of us hosting the G20 is about getting the world ready for India and India ready for the world," the EAM said while interacting with the public in Bengaluru.The minister said "We have taken up the G20 at an important time in the world. We consulted 125 countries who are not part of the G20 and came up with the issues being faced by them.""Moreover, countries generally do this (G20 meetings) in their capital cities and 2-3 other cities. Our way of doing this - and it is democratisation of foreign policy - is to do it across 60 cities, across states and union territories," Jaishankar said.Jaishankar said that India wants every city and every state to be more aware of the world because, in a globalised world, that is where our opportunities are. "While a city like Bengaluru is used to foreigners coming and visiting, for other cities, it is a big deal and they are quite excited," he said."If you look at these 200 meetings and the number of people who will come, they are the most powerful influencers of global opinion. We want them to see all of India, see the diversity, see the pluralism, multiple cultures, cuisines and art and get back to their country with a more informed sense of India," Jaishankar added.Recently, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan said that the G20 under India's Presidency has turned into a people's movement.Muraleedharan was speaking on the second day of the second G20 Sherpas meeting under India's G20 Presidency at Kumarakom village of Kerala."We had 46 meetings across 26 countries. The biggest difference in this G20 under India's Presidency compared to the earlier G20 is that this is not an exclusive diplomatic exercise, it has become a people's movement. Amongst the various topics discussed, we have suggested and is newly added is disaster risk education, which is a major problem world is facing", Muraleedharan said.Minister further added that "Going through the pandemic period helped in major learnings in the science and technology, including health. This is a new topic in G20. Then there are start-ups. Start-up 20 is a new engagement group in this."Speaking about the challenges, he said, "Even before we took the Presidency, ultimately for any conflict that we face, diplomacy and dialogue is the only way forward and continue to make efforts and we are very optimistic that things will be in the positive route."India's G20 Presidency reached a milestone on Tuesday as it marked a half-century of G20 meets. Three meets commenced on Tuesday in Mumbai, Vizag and Ramnagar, taking the total to 50.India assumed the G20 Presidency from Indonesia on December 1 last year and will convene the G20 Leaders' Summit for the first time later this year. India's Presidency will continue till November 30, 2023.India's G20 Presidency is in the true spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or the 'World is One Family'.The Group of Twenty (G20) is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and the US and the European Union.The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.ANI03 April 2023

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Landmark Group contributes AED5 million towards 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign

Dubai, April 3 : Landmark Group announced that it will be contributing AED5 million towards the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramzan sustainable food aid endowment fund.

Landmark Group contributes AED5 million towards '1 Billion Meals Endowment' campaign

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the campaign aims to create sustainable solutions and implement effective programmes to fight hunger and support underprivileged populations.Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman of Landmark Group said, "The UAE has become known for launching inspiring humanitarian drives during Ramzan. Our contribution to the largest Ramzan food aid endowment fund reflects our commitment to giving and represents Landmark Group's philosophy of creating exceptional value for all lives we touch.""The campaign is particularly significant at a time when tens of millions of people struggle with hunger and food insecurity. Every little contribution to this endowment fund will positively impact the lives of the vulnerable, including children, refugees, displaced persons and victims of crises and natural disasters," she added.The "1 Billion Meals Endowment" campaign is a testament to the UAE's commitment to its humanitarian responsibility, and its keenness to extend help and aid to communities everywhere in their time of need. It is a practical example of its community's long-held values of giving, compassion and solidarity, evident by the contributions of philanthropists and leading humanitarians. (ANI/WAM)ANI03 April 2023

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Oil prices surge after OPEC+ announce to cut output

Moscow, April 3: The Oil prices have surged and surpassed USD 85 per barrel after several oil producer countries announced surprise cuts in production, TASS Agency reported.

Oil prices surge after OPEC+ announce to cut output

According to the Russian News Agency, this is the first time since March 7 that the price of futures contracts of Brent crude oil surged.The price of futures contracts of Brent crude oil for June 2023 delivery on London's ICE surpassed USD 85 per barrel.As of 109 am Moscow time on Monday, the price of Brent oil went up by 6.43 per cent to USD 85.03 per barrel, according to TASS Agency.By 112 am (Local Time), Brent was trading at USD 85.41 per barrel (6.46 per cent). The price of futures contracts of WTI crude oil for May 2023 delivery went up by 6.21 per cent, to USD 80.37 per barrel.Earlier, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Plus oil producers announced further output cuts of around 1.16 million barrels per day.Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital and main financial hub said it would cut output by 500,000 barrels per day, or BDP, from May until the end of 2023, state media reported.In a statement carried out by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Saudi official emphasised that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market, according to Emirates News Agency.This voluntary cut is in addition to the reduction in production agreed upon during the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, held on 5th October 2022.The move came as a surprise as OPEC Plus said that they did not intend to make any changes in their policies but this announcement blew everyone, The Washington Post reported.The alliance produced nearly two million barrels below its supply target in February, the last month for which official output figures are available. "We expect shortfalls to continue," said Ha Nguyen, a global oil analyst for S and P Global Commodity Insights.There have been persistent reports that Russia is struggling to keep up production without the benefit of Western service companies that have wound down their operations since the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.Saudi production has also been below its production quota set by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in recent months, reported The Washington Post.ANI03 April 2023

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MP: Cheetah from Kuno National Park enters nearby village

Sheopur, April 2: One of the cheetahs, which were brought from Namibia in the Kuno National Park, reached a village, 20 km from Kuno on Sunday morning, a senior forest official here said.

MP: Cheetah from Kuno National Park enters nearby village

However, the cheetah, named 'Oban', was under surveillance of the forest officials and they were trying to move the animal towards the Kuno National Park, the official said.District Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar Verma informed that 'Oban', reached Jhar Baroda village of Vijaypur which is adjacent to the forest and was sitting in the field. 'Oban' has been kept under the surveillance of the Cheetah Monitoring Team and will be released back to Kuno National Park, he added.Earlier, the news of the cheetah reaching the Jhar Baroda village created panic in the area.The DFO told that the villagers are far away from the place where 'Oban' is sitting, and the forest team has sticks and rods to move the animal from a distance.Cheetahs roaming in the open forest of Kuno National Park are getting familiar with the forest by reaching every corner of it. They roam in an area of 10 to 15 km per day, the DFO said.However, they also reach the outer areas of the forest, which are being monitored by the monitoring team for 24 hours, he said.'Oban' is one of the Cheetahs which were brought from Namibia that were released into the wild of Kuno National Park in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.ANI04 April 2023

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Whoever is elected Danville's next mayor next week will be the recipient of a $20,000 first-term pay boost  to $95,000, by far the area's highest rate. Not on Tuesday's ballot: the mayor of Tilton (pop. 2,648, pay $60,000), one of the area's few full-time mayoral jobs.
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'I am a nonpartisan mayor. I hold the middle and work for the best interests of our city. Local government works best when we leave party politics out of it, and the city of Champaign is a great example of that.'
Jeffrey Eric Jenkins is president of the International Association of Theatre Critics, professor of theater studies at the University of Illinois and a faculty affiliate of the Discovery Partners Institute in Chicago. He can be reached at jej@illinois.edu.
Thought Leaders Ishani Malhotra CEO Carcinotech

In this interview, we speak to Ishani Malhotra, CEO of Carcinotech, about their 3D-printed tumor replicas that are being used to better understand personalized cancer treatments.

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role at Carcinotech?

Ishani Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Carcinotech, has nine years of experience in oncology and stem cell research with degrees from the University of Edinburgh and a Certificate of Achievement from Harvard Medical School. She has experience working in oncology and stem cell research at Censo Biotechnologies, HCG Oncology hospitals, The Institute of Cytology and Preventative Oncology, and Stempeutics prior to launching Carcinotech. She was listed as a Director of the Year Regional finalist at the Institute of Directors Scotland 2021 awards and has won several awards at national and international platforms.

She was recently recognized as one of 35 Rising Stars by Scottish Business Insider under 35. She won the AccelerateHer 2022 Awards for Science and MedTech and the Female Entrepreneur of the Year award at The Scottish SME Business Awards 2022. She has established significant international partnerships to advance Carcinotech's vision of providing personalized drug testing platforms to help those suffering from cancer. She worked with organizations across industry and academia, including Cellink and Cancer Research UK, to advance the validation of the company's technology.

Carcinotech was founded by Ishani Malhotra in 2018 and based on her research at the University of Edinburgh. Ishani obtained grant funding from Scottish Enterprise and won several business competitions to kickstart the company's entrepreneurial journey. With proof of concept and validation data funded through grants, she raised the seed round of investment to commercialize this technology.

Carcinotech is a startup focused on creating 3D-printed tumor replicas to better understand personalized cancer treatments. Can you tell us more about Carcinotech and some of your aims and missions?

Carcinotech is a MedTech company with expertise in manufacturing 3D-printed living tumors using patient-derived biopsies, primary cells, immune cells, and cancer stem cells. Carcinotech's advanced models provide a platform for rapid, ethical, and accurate drug screening and pre-clinical and personalized medicine testing.

Carcinotech's vision is to be at the forefront of cancer drug testing and provide personalized medicine testing to each individual suffering from cancer to better their chance of treatment and survival.

At Carcinotech, our technology helps reduce and remove the requirement of animal testing for drug development. We develop humanized models, tackling head-on one of the biggest issues facing the pharmaceutical industry  the use of animal testing.

Carcinotech wants to democratize cancer treatment, bringing better treatments to market faster. Ishani set out to address the cancer industry's major challenges, including replicating the patients' tumor microenvironments and immune systems. Carcinotech's immuno-oncology-focused printed tumors developed from the patient's immune cells are our solution to this challenge. Traditional organoid models can take up to 90 days to be assay-ready, are less reproducible, and are incompatible with high-throughput systems. Carcinotech's 3D-printed tumors solve this problem with rapid, consistent tumors in high-throughput formats.

Image Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.com

Personalized medicine has seen incredible advancements in recent years, but it still has a few challenges before it is commonplace within clinical settings. What do you believe to be some of the biggest challenges surrounding the adoption of personalized medicine, and how is Carcinotech trying to tackle these?

Adoption of the technology  Educate on the benefits, features, and basics of personalized medicine

Need for further research  our work contributes to the growing research and development of personalized medicine and its applications

More expensive than the current 'one drug for all' therapies

Carcinotech manufactures 3D-printed living tumors using patient-derived cells and biopsies. Can you tell us more about your models, how they are created, and how they can be used for personalized medicine testing?

We have developed patient-specific printed tumors for Brain, Lung, Breast, Colorectal, and Ovarian cancers with characterized patient populations and mutational status. As well as the five cancers, our flexible technology allows us to develop models for any solid tumors. We continuously develop new products for different cancers, including rare cancers.

We print each tumor using our custom ECM which matches the original tumor environment. Our models encapsulate the heterogeneity of each patient's tumor, including their immune cells.

Carcinotech's technology holds the potential to revolutionize cancer research, offering surgeons and oncologists the opportunity to test treatment options, drug responses and create treatment plans for each patient.

What benefits do using these 3D printed models have for both patients and clinical settings?

Rapid results- allows for treatment plans to be created quickly and more accurately

High-throughput

Allow for personalized treatment plans- each person's body is different, meaning that each person's cancer is different. This requires a personalized treatment plan to best address each patient's specific needs. Our 3D-printed tumors will allow surgeons to decide how best to address each patient's cancer, improving their treatment options, quality of life, and the likelihood of survival

Image Credit: Gumpanat/Shutterstock.com

These models are also described to be 'reinventing cancer research'. How is this?

Our technology will help to bring modern treatments and therapeutics.

Carcinotech is unique in its offering. While there are thousands of businesses working hard in the industry to advance their technology to offer better solutions to cancer research, drug development, and manufacturing. Carcinotech is the only business in our field to be using 3D-printed living tumors. Most of our competitors work with 2D models that are not representative of real living tumors within a patient. Therefore, our technology allows for more robust drug screening/testing data as our 3D-printed tumors are far closer to the patient's biopsy.

You are currently involved in many collaborations to help accelerate the delivery of new effective cancer treatments, including a close collaboration with CELLINK, a leading bioprinting company. How important are these collaborations in bringing new therapeutics to markets?

We value each of our collaborations they provide... Our work with CELLINK has provided us with access to their advanced 3D bioprinters and bioinks, helping to progress the development of our technology.

We have also worked with Cancer Research UK, providing some GBM models as part of a beta test. This allowed us to improve our offering to suit researchers in the drug testing space better.

Collaborations like these allow smaller biotech companies like ourselves to develop and commercialize our technology much quicker, increasing the number of new therapies that make it to market and pushing forward cancer research and drug development as a whole.

Combining resources and knowledge with like-minded companies can only push progress toward reaching our company goals and mission while benefiting the wider society.

What is next for Carcinotech? Are you involved in any exciting upcoming projects?

Right now, Carcinotech is poised to enter new international markets. In 2023 we are focused on bringing our advanced offering to the US market, with discussions already underway with potential clients. This will be a highly profitable market for the company and will be the main focus, alongside growing business at home in the UK and Europe.

Where can readers find more information?

About Ishani Malhotra

Ishani Malhotra, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Carcinotech, has nine years of experience in oncology and stem cell research with degrees from the University of Edinburgh and a Certificate of Achievement from Harvard Medical School.

10 years ago, when Ishani positively diagnosed a young boy with leukaemia, she knew it would take 10-15 years for an innovative treatment to get to market and he would not be able to access this treatment in his lifetime. The WHO estimates the total number of cancer cases will reach 22 million by 2030. That means millions of people will lose out on innovative cures because of inaccurate, expensive, and outdated techniques used in the manufacturing of drugs. Ishani wanted to develop a technology that would directly address this problem so cancer drugs can get to market faster making innovative treatments available to all.
Ingenza is pleased to welcome Steve Jones as he takes on the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately. Steve has over 25 years of industry experience and know-how after holding several senior finance roles across a wide range of business sectors, sizes and ownership models, and will use this expertise to help drive Ingenzas corporate and financial goals.

Steve is a chartered accountant and fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), and runs a successful consultancy business providing financial advice and resources to SMEs to help maximize their growth potential.

Steve has extensive experience in the life sciences field, including being the finance director of a private pathology laboratory, where he helped to quickly scale up business operations in response to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also provides voluntary advice to the Soko Fund, a Scottish charity that aims to improve opportunities for women in Malawi by funding their university education.

I very much look forward to working closely with the Ingenza team to deliver on its strategic goals and build on the momentum of the companys already remarkable growth. I have contributed to the success and growth of several SMEs in the life sciences sector, and hope to bring the same positive outcomes to Ingenza in an exciting year of development. Steve Jones, CFO at Ingenza

Steves appointment will allow me to step away from my previous financial and operational responsibilities to focus on accelerating our ambitious new growth strategy, by driving and executing our business development and marketing objectives. Jaymin Amin, Chief Business Officer at Ingenza

I am excited to welcome Steve to Ingenza as we continue to build a top executive leadership team with the strategic acumen, operational experience and commercial mindset to deliver a strong high growth strategy and accomplish our prioritized corporate goals. Dr Ian Fotheringham, Chief Executive Officer at Ingenza

For more information, visit www.ingenza.com
Toyota Kirloskar Motor has always been known for producing some of the most reliable and dependable cars in history. However, the automaker has now gained recognition for its generosity as well. The brand recently gifted a new 2023 Toyota Highlander SUV to Mark Miller, a Florida man who lost his million-mile-driven Highlander during Hurricane Ian.

Miller had been driving his 2006 Toyota Highlander every day before the hurricane hit. He was even using it as his mobile office for his road paving company. The loyal owner had also previously received a cooler from Toyota after he informed his dealership that his car had accumulated 5,00,000 miles. Toyota surprised him by gifting him with a new 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition, after he mentioned that his car had reached a million miles.

The surprise ceremony took place at Millers local dealership in January, where he was given a 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition. Although Toyotas release made no mention of maintenance performed throughout the vehicles million-mile journey, Miller stated that it was extremely reliable" and clearly loved.

The 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition gifted to Miller is one of Toyotas latest offerings. The hybrid SUV boasts a sleek and stylish design, combined with powerful performance and cutting-edge features. The driving experience is elevated with exclusive features and upgrades through the introduction of the Bronze Edition trim level.

Also Read: 2023 Toyota Innova Crysta Launched in India, Price Starts From Rs 19.13 Lakh

The SUV runs on a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, with a combined output of 241 bhp. It also comes with an electric continuously variable transmission (eCVT) and all-wheel drive, delivering exceptional fuel efficiency while providing impressive power and acceleration. The 2023 Highlander Hybrid Bronze Edition boasts a distinctive bronze finish on its exterior, along with 18-inch bronze wheels and a front grille that has been darkened to create a head-turning effect. The interior is equally impressive, as it showcases bronze accents and stitching on the seats, door panels, and dashboard, lending an air of sophistication and elegance to the vehicle.

The Bronze Edition also offers several additional components, such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen display that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a high-quality JBL audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, a power sunroof, and advanced safety features which include Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+.

Toyotas benevolent gesture has earned it a reputation as a brand that genuinely cherishes its customers. Its a remarkable act of kindness that has left a lasting impression on Miller and others who have heard his story.

Read all the Latest Auto News here
DigiLocker is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) under the Digital India programme of Government of India. DigiLocker aims at Digital Empowerment of citizens by providing access to authentic digital documents to citizens digital document wallet. DigiLocker is a cloud based platform for storage, sharing and verification of documents and certificates.

Services such as PAN Verification Record, Covid Vaccine Certificate, Class X Marksheet, Class XII Marksheet, Driving License and many more are available on the platform.

How To Create an Account On DigiLocker?

Users can create an account on DigiLocker by providing their Aadhaar card number, and they can then access various government-issued documents and certificates. The platform also allows users to upload and store their own documents.

Users can download the DigiLocker mobile app from the Google Play Store or visit website https://digilocker.gov.in

Step 1: Download DigiLocker mobile app (by NeGD, MeitY) on Android or iOS

Step 2: Enter mobile number and enter OTP received to verify

Step 3: Enter username and password to create an account

Step 4: You will be prompted to link your Aadhaar number.

Enter your 12 digit Aadhaar number there and click Continue

Enter OTP received and click Continue again

Step 5: After successful account creation, the application will show the Dashboard page

How To Use EPFO Services On DigiLocker?

Pension Payment Order, UAN and Scheme Certificate are provided by EPFO and they can be downloaded in a citizens DigiLocker account.

The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is a statutory body established by the government to administer and regulate the provident fund, pension, and insurance schemes for employees in India. The EPFO is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.

Steps To Download Pension Certificate:

- The DigiLocker app will ask your name, date of birth and the PPO number

- Users with Aadhaar number will be able to access EPFO Issued PPO document through DigiLocker

- Ensure that your current mobile number is registered with an Aadhaar number. This will be used to complete eKYC OTP

Steps To Download Scheme Certificate: The DigiLocker app will ask your name and scheme certificate number

How Can You Download UAN In DigiLocker?

Steps To Download UAN Card: Once logged-in, the DigiLocker app will ask your name, DoB and UAN number. After entering the details you will see your card visible in the app.

Read all the Latest Business News here
Avalon Technologies IPO Day 1: Electronic manufacturing services firm Avalon Technologies Ltds initial public offering is set to open for subscription today, and will remain open till Thursday, April 6, 2023.

The company on Friday said it has raised a little over Rs 389 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial share sale. The company has decided to allocate a total of 89.27 lakh equity shares to 24 funds at Rs 436 apiece.

Avalon Technologies IPO: Price band

The price band has been fixed at Rs 415-436, per share, with a face value of Rs 2 each.

Avalon Technologies IPO: Public Issue size

Avalon intends to raise Rs 865 crore through its IPO that comprises a fresh issuance of shares worth Rs 320 crore, and an offer for sale (OFS) of equity shares worth Rs 545 crore by promoters and other shareholders.

The OFS includes equity shares worth Rs 131 crore being sold by Kunhamed Bicha, shares worth Rs 172 crore being sold by Bhaskar Srinivasan, Rs 16 crore by T P Imbichammad, Rs 10 crore by Mariyam Bicha, Rs 65 crore by Sareday Seshu Kumar. Also, Anand Kumar and Luquman Veedu Ediyanam will each sell shares worth Rs 75.5 crore in the OFS.

Objectives of the issue

The electronic manufacturing services (EMS) company is going to utilise the fresh issue proceeds for repaying debts (Rs 145 crore), and working capital requirements (Rs 90 crore), besides general corporate purposes. The funds raised via the OFS will go to the selling shareholders, not the company.

Avalon Technologies IPO: GMP

As per market observers, Avalon Technologies shares are commanding a premium (GMP) of Rs 12 in the grey market today. The shares of the company are expected to list on the leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

Compared to its competitors in the industry, the company has an impressive PAT margin. The IPO valuation for Avalon Technologies, based on the FY22 figures, is 45x PE post a fresh issue, which is similar to the market average. It will be intriguing to observe the response that the company receives given the current unsettled market conditions," said Abhay Doshi of UnlistedArena.

Avalon Technologies IPO: About The Company

Incorporated in 1999 at Chennai, Avalon Technologies is a fully-integrated EMS company with end-to-end operations in delivering box build solutions, with a focus on high-value precision-engineered products.

It provides a full-stack product and solution suite, right from printed circuit board (PCB) design and assembly, to the manufacture of complete electronic systems (box build). Its customers include global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), including OEMs located in the United States, China, Netherlands, and Japan.

Avalon Technologies IPO: Should You Subscribe?

The company sources its raw material from suppliers, primarily on a purchase order basis, who may not perform their contractual obligations in a timely manner or at all. Any hike in raw material costs may adversely affect the business and financial performance. The company is also dependent on a few customers for a major portion of its revenues.

Although the overall outlook for Avalon Technologies IPO is positive, investors should be cautious given the current market conditions. The electronics manufacturing industry is known for its volatility, and raw material costs may adversely affect the business. Investors should carefully evaluate the companys performance, financial health, and growth prospects before investing in the IPO," said Krishna Raghavan- Founder at Unlistedkart.

Read all the Latest Business News here
Several customers of State Bank of India on Monday complained on Twitter that they are not able to use the digital services of the bank.

Users highlighted that services like internet banking (net banking), UPI payments, official SBI app (YONO) are not working.

Reportedly, Down Detector India, an outrage tracking website mentioned the outrage on their official Twitter page. They mentioned: User reports indicate State Bank of India (SBI) is having problems since 9:19 AM IST."

Micro-blogging platform Twitter saw many users raising the issue.

Some users said the they are facing issues since last few days. One such user tweeted. Dear @FinMinIndia @RBI, Servers of SBI are not functioning properly since 31st March. Today is the 4th day and the site/apps are completely down since the morning. Is this a cyber attack on the bank or just usual #achedin ? Need answers , consumers are taking huge losses."

Another user wrote Server of SBI bank is down since 3 days, Users are unable to use UPI and net banking services since 3 days. I was unable to pay in a mall and felt abashed. When @TheOfficialSBI will redress the consumers grievances. @RBI are we gonna become cashless economy this way? @PMOIndia.

Second working day of the new financial year and the SBI website is down. @TheOfficialSBI @RBI pic.twitter.com/mpRVH5ESBb Gaurav Dutta (@dgaurav7) April 3, 2023

I hope @TheOfficialSBI you have money and we are just facing a technical glitch from last 10 days.NET BANKING IS NOT WORKING"#SBIDOWN Harsh Patel (@hiharsh07) April 3, 2023

SBI IS DOWN IN ALL WAY, NO UPI, NO NET BANKING, NO YONO LITE NOTHING #SBI #sbidown #sbin #Sbibank @TheOfficialSBI PLEASE MY ALL TRANSACTION ARE ON HOLD DUE TO SBI SEVER AND THERE SERVICES ARE DOWN.. pic.twitter.com/2J8b7VFrPh Ashish Shinde (@ashishinde2222) April 3, 2023

Moreover, the number of complaints on Down Detector peaked to 1804 at 10:59 AM.

Read all the Latest Business News here
Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along is once again making waves on the internet with his charming and humorous tweet. In his tweet on the microblogging site, he shared a photo of himself enjoying his meal while a group of girls staning behind him for photos. The image was taken at a food court in an airport, where Along is seen relishing parathas and tea while the girls stood behind him. Although it may seem like he was ignoring the group, Along quickly cleared the air with his clever caption. Girls, I promise Im not ignoring you. Im just having a moment with my food," he wrote on Twitter.

Girls, I promise I'm not ignoring you. I'm just having a moment with my food.  pic.twitter.com/Dg6psXJR1w Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) April 3, 2023

This witty tweet has won hearts on the internet, with many applauding Alongs love for food and his sense of humor. Temjen Imna Along has become a social media sensation, with his clever captions and relatable personality. His popularity has only grown with this latest post, and people cant get enough of his quirky sense of humor. Your food is also having a moment with you, wrote a Twitter user.

Your food is also having a moment with you.  Prof.N John Camm (@njohncamm) April 3, 2023

Another user tweeted, Food is the most important thing in life guru ji.

Food is the most important thing in life guru ji Vadde Jaya Chandra (@JCVadde) April 3, 2023

I like your witty and humorous tweets sir which makes you a gem of a person, read a tweet.

I like your wittiest n humorous tweets sir which makes u a gem of a person. SuryaKant (@Suryakant299) April 3, 2023

Whether its enjoying a meal or cracking jokes, Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along knows how to capture the attention of the internet. He recently shared a tweet quoting the character Chatur Ramalingam from the hit movie 3 Idiots. The tweet has already garnered over 40 thousand views, with users praising the ministers quick wit and comedic timing. Along had shared a picture of himself attending a virtual meeting on his smartphone while stuck in a traffic jam, using the opportunity to demonstrate how to be productive during idle moments. He then referenced a famous line from the film, where Chatur had claimed to be an expert in the right use of time."

The BJP minister tweeted, Who says you cant be productive while stuck in traffic? Here I come! As Chatur Ramalingam from 3 Idiots says vakt ka sahi istamal toh koi mujhse seekhe (people should learn how to utilize time efficiently from me)."

Who says you can't be productive while stuck in traffic? Here I come! As Chatur Ramalingam from 3 Idiots says "        "  pic.twitter.com/ElW7QWuxDm  Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) March 22, 2023

As always, social media users filled the reply section with praise for the Nagaland minister.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
The sheer diversity of the planets ecosystem is something to marvel at and there are many species that may downright feel unearthly to the layman. We look to the stars for extraterrestrial life while our seas and oceans themselves have creatures that are shrouded in mystery. One such organism, which was previously thought to be extinct, was recently discovered on a beach in the Netherlands. The sea lamprey, also known as vampire fish due to its nature of sucking blood from its host like a parasite, was discovered by a marine biologist as it was washed ashore on the beach.

According to the Metro newspaper, the evasive marine creature was found on the Dutch island of Texel. The sea lamprey was believed to have gone extinct as it had not been spotted for 6 years. The sea lamprey, which is infamous for sucking and consuming the blood of its prey, was last seen on the island in 2017. The roughly three-foot-long fish is extremely old, say specialists. They are a member of the Agnatha, the oldest class of vertebrates, which predated fish with jaws for more than 400 million years.

The marine biologist was cited as stating, I always have my eye out when driving on the beach for additional intriguing finds, and I observed a giant eel-like fish lying on the waters edge when driving past. I realised it was a sea lamprey right away; they are amazing fish. Although they are fish with no jaws and a disc-shaped mouth filled with teeth, they resemble eels."

The fish has now been sent to a museum for aquatic creatures. Sea lampreys are primarily found in the spring when they migrate from the sea to freshwater to reproduce, according to museum authorities.

The Welland Canal, which joins Lakes Ontario and Erie and makes up a significant portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway, allowed sea lampreys to enter the Great Lakes in the 1830s. Within ten years, they were able to enter all five Great Lakes, where they immediately began to prey on the lakes economically significant fish species, such as trout, whitefish, perch, and sturgeon. After a century, the trout fishery had completely disappeared, partly as a result of the unrestrained growth of lampreys.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
Tom Holland found himself in a fix as Indians have once again started tagging him in Tom Hollands photos from the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) launch. The Spiderman actor, along with Zendaya, was one of the host of international celebrities who attended the event. Before you start getting offended at Tom Hollands request to stop tagging him in the photos, let us elaborate.

Historian Tom Holland (@holland_tom) has been a long-suffering victim of tag mishaps. He is decidedly not Tom Holland the actor, and would very much like for people to stop. Sharing a photo from a Shah Rukh Khan fan page which had mistakenly tagged him in Tom the actors pic with SRK, Zendaya, Salman Khan and Nita Ambani, the historian wrote, Please make it stop."

This is a great photo, confused though, what do you want to stop?" One clueless Twitter user asked him. Where to begin?" Holland joked. I am wheezing as I type this, but sincere aplogies on behalf of my fellow countrymen, Mr Holland," another Twitter user wrote. It seems like I have the whole of India in my timeline!" Holland replied.

Please make it stop https://t.co/K8j0EBbjyY Tom Holland (@holland_tom) April 2, 2023

It seems like I have the whole of India in my timeline! Tom Holland (@holland_tom) April 2, 2023

I suppose there is that. Tom Holland (@holland_tom) April 2, 2023

This is YOUR homecoming Khushboo Mattoo (@MattLaemon) April 3, 2023

Just change your name to Tom Netherlands, man, it's as simple as that. al-Mtadid (@SyawishRehman) April 2, 2023

I keep quoting you in my videos and people keep asking if Spider Man wrote a book an ancient Rome DJ Peach Unbannable (@DJ_PeachCobbler) April 2, 2023

KKKKKKKKKK Im tired of saying your name to my students and getting spider man back. I usually say Tom Holland no not the spider-man in a roll. Debs (@olabocos) April 3, 2023

Oh no why did I just notice thisWe are sorry I promise when we get a picture with you and shahrukh we'll tag the other Tom to annoy him only pathaan matters (@typosaidiloveya) April 2, 2023

Nobody minds an excess of Tom Hollands when ones a talented historian and the other a talented actor.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
The results of the Bihar Board Class 10 exams were released on Friday, in which a total of 14 students from Jamui district secured their place in the top ten. Of the 14 toppers, the best performance comes from the students of Simultala Residential School, which is also called the factory of toppers". The school has once again come to the limelight. As many as 54 girls and 58 boys of Simultala Residential School, in a total of 112 students, appeared in the matriculation examination this year.

In the results, 10 students have made their place in the top ten. Shubham Kumar has secured 4th position in Bihar by securing 483 marks. Sudhanshu Shekhar, a student of the same school, has secured the fifth position in Bihar with 481 marks. Pankhuri Kumari and Himanshu Kumar secured the sixth position with 480 marks, Bhavya Raj secured the seventh position with 479 marks, and Roshan Kumar, Prabhat Kumar and student Arpita Kumari secured the eighth position with 478 marks. Aastha Kumari and Sushma Kumari have secured their place at the 10th position.

In the last few years, the performance of Simultala Residential School has been almost the same. After the establishment of the school, in the first year of 2015, 108 students appeared in the examination. Out of a total of 31 toppers of Bihar, 30 students were from this school itself. In 2016, 121 children appeared in the board examination from this school and 42 toppers were from this school.

After this, there was a slight decline in the performance of the school from 2017. In 2017, 12 students from Simultala Vidyalaya were in the top ten, 17 in 2018, 16 in 2019, 30 in 2020, and 14 in 2021. Whereas in the last year 2022, 5 students from Simultala Residential School were able to secure a place in the top ten.

Principal of the school, Dr Rajeev Ranjan said that this time 10 students of the school have made it to the top ten in the matriculation examination. The results of all the remaining students are being assessed. The teachers and students of the school will try for even better results next time, the principal added.

Read all the Latest Education News here
 For the last two years, the world has been restricted to homes. Daily activities that couldnt be managed without stepping out, came indoors all at once  from office to grocery shopping and schools. As the world accepts the new normal, News18 launches weekly classes for school children, explaining key chapters with examples from happenings around the world. While we try to simplify your subjects, a request to break down a topic can be tweeted @news18dotcom

LPG or Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation are the three elements of the new economic model of the country. Economic liberalisation refers to the reduction or elimination of government regulations or restrictions on private business and trade. Privatisation means the transfer of ownership, management, and control of the public sector enterprises to the private sector. Globalisation refers to the integration of the economy of the nation with the world economy.

LPG aims to develop the economy of the country fast so that it can compete and complement the worlds economy. Let us get to understand how the Indian economy changed after the 1990s in Classes With News18.

What is the need for LPG?

In the 1980s, India was facing an economic crisis. In 1990, the BOP (Balance of Payment) crisis hit India. The rising fiscal deficit and increasing overvaluation led to this chaos. In addition, the uncertain political situation in the country only added fuel to the fire. This led to India approaching the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the World Bank for emergency lending. But for that to happen certain conditions were placed before the government that had to be fulfilled. Structural reforms had to be made in order to revive the economy.

The then finance minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, along with Prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, unveiled Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation (LPG) that removed restrictions that hindered the industries. LPG was part of the stabilization measures undertaken by the government under the New Economic Policy. Let us have a look at these in detail.

Liberalisation

Liberalisation of the economy means its freedom from direct or physical controls imposed by the government. After Independence, the government decided to take a protective approach and closed the economy to the outside world. This was done because the new industries were not strong enough to compete with international companies and would eventually be pushed away by them. The objective of liberalization was to put an end to those rigidities and restrictions that were acting as a hindrance to the growth of the country. India opened its economic borders to other countries in a gradual manner by reducing restrictions. This allowed foreign investors and the private sector to invest in domestic companies. It led to a free market system where there were reduced restrictions and interference by the government.

Privatisation

Privatisation is the general process of involving the private sector in the ownership or operation of a state-owned enterprise. Earlier, the companies were all state-owned as the leaders at that time thought of India as a socialist country, working for social welfare. The government controlled the prices and regulated everything. To open up the economy, this had to change. Government companies can be converted into private sector companies with two approaches. These approaches are by withdrawing the control of the government in the public sector company and by disinvesting. This policy, therefore, aims to improve the financial situation in the country and reduce the work pressure on public sector companies.

Globalisation

Globalisation is a process associated with increasing openness, growing economic interdependence, and deepening economic integration in the world economy. The attempt here is to create a borderless world in which goods, services, and people move seamlessly across borders. It includes opening the boundaries for multinational companies to start manufacturing and retailing in the country. It also allows domestic companies to grow and reach international levels in terms of business. The focus was on foreign trade and investment. One of the major outcomes of globalisation is outsourcing. Outsourcing means an enterprise can employ professionals from other countries to reach a particular goal.

To learn about other topics taught in school, explained by News18, here is a list of other Classes With News18: Queries Related to Chapters on Elections | Sex Versus Gender | Cryptocurrencies | Economy & Banks | How to Become President of India | Post Independence Struggle | How India Adopted Its Flag | Formation of States & United India | Tipu Sultan | Indian Teachers Day Different from Rest of the World |Queen Elizabeth & Colonialism |

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Rahul Gandhis election campaign entry in Karnataka from Kolar on April 9 is a unique event  not only is it awaited by the Congress but will be watched keenly by the BJP as well.

This is because Rahul may end up converting what has essentially been a local-issue campaign by the state Congress so far, to a national-issue campaign over pet issues like Adani and dwindling democracy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a battleground that the BJP also wants to play on as it pitches its biggest draw in Modi against Rahul and makes the election more about the national-level issues.

Two senior BJP ministers, Amit Shah and Mansukh Mandaviya, at the News18 Rising India Summit last week said if the Congress wanted to make it a Rahul versus Modi fight in Karnataka, the BJP would win hands down.

If he (Rahul) wants to do Modi vs Rahul (in Karnataka), I dont have any objection. There can be no bigger formula for the BJP to win than this, said Shah. Mandaviya also said Rahul will pave the way for a BJP win in Karnataka.

Rahuls first rally has, in fact, been moved to April 9 to coincide with PM Modis visit to Karnataka on that day.

National versus state issues

The Congress campaign in Karnataka, so far, has been focused on state-level issues like PayCM corruption, the caste reservation muddle and the humiliation of BJPs tallest Lingayat leader BS Yediyurappa on being removed as the chief minister two years ago. Putting up a united front of DK Sivakumar and Siddaramiah so far, who took statewide yatras, the Congress has also seamlessly decided on candidate tickets.

What the BJP is hoping for is Rahul queering the pitch. One, his disqualification as an MP due to conviction in a criminal defamation case will be used by the saffron camp to say he had abused the entire OBC community. Rahul has slotted his first rally in Karnataka in Kolar, where he had made the objectionable comment in 2019. The OBCs are a major vote bank in Karnataka, who in a large measure have been voters of the Congress with Siddaramiah being a tall community leader.

The BJP aims to turn the OBCs against the Congress and Modis whirlwind campaign in Karnataka is expected to stress on this point. Rahuls attack on Modi while in the UK on the issue of Adani and dwindling democracy in India, have already seen the BJP aggressively countering it saying the former Congress president had spoken against the country on foreign soil.

The PM, in his campaign in Karnataka, is expected to dwell on this and cite the conspiracies by local and international players to defame India. Modi in Karnataka will also try to turn the corruption debate around and cite the Congress record over the years.

Almost on cue, the BJP released a special video on Sunday citing the record corruption under the UPA days and how the Gandhi family was central to such scams. Modis campaign will also focus on the double engine development in Karnataka under the BJP and how every vote helped strengthen Modis hands. The BJP is not even declaring a chief ministerial face in order to keep Modi at the centrestage of the campaign.

The Congress won Himachal Pradesh as it kept the election local centric with issues like the old pension scheme and problems of apple growers. It would do well to stick to the same approach in Karnataka, as it has so far. Rahul did not campaign in Himachal Pradesh as he was preoccupied with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The BJP, however, is now spoiling for a Modi versus Rahul fight in Karnataka.

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A day after the clashes between two groups during a Ram Navami rally, normalcy returned to Rishra in West Bengal on Monday. As Section 144 was imposed, shops, however, remained closed.

On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged stone pelting during Dilip Ghoshs rally. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) called it a conspiracy of police, starting another war of words.

WB CM and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said in East Medinipur, In BJPs time, we are seeing rioters. Why are they holding Ram Navami celebrations for five days? They are holding rallies with guns. This will not be tolerated. They did the same thing in Rishra. Hanuman Jayanti is on April 6. I am alerting the administration. They are doing riots all over India. We will ask Hindu brothers to look after Muslims.

BJP State President Sukanto Majumdar came to visit his MLA Biman Ghosh in hospital who was injured in the chaos. He was stopped in Bishalakhi.

Majumdar said, Why am I not allowed? I want to meet the injured.

BJP workers tried to cross the barricade a couple of times. The party also wrote to Home Minister and Governor.

GROUND REALITY

Raju Prasad Sau, a resident of Rishra seen doing pujo in mazhar, said, I have come with flowers in this mazhar because we want peace. This type of incident has never happened, we all stay together. It was the work of outsiders.

The transport system was back to normal in the morning, with buses and rickshaws plying. Commissioner Amit P Javalgi was seen taking stock of situation in every lane. Duryadhan, a kachori stall owner, said, We want peace, thats it. I know things will be okay.

Nepal Roy Toto, a driver, said, If keeping shops shut brings back normalcy, we are fine with it.

Amid the political exchanges, common man continues to bat for peace.

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In the latest development related to the police crackdown against fugitive and pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, a team of security agents on Sunday said that the CCTV footage had gone missing" from the Mohanpur Gurdwara in the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh. The agents had arrived there from Lucknow on Sunday to collect more information on the absconding Waris Punjab De leader and Papalpreet Singh.

Papalpreet Singh is considered one of Amritpal Singhs mentors who had been advising him on various issues. Upon reaching Pilibhit, the police team found that CCTV footage up to the evening of March 25 at the gurdwara was missing, a Times of India report said.

Joga Singh, a kar-sevak at the gurdwara, was arrested on March 30 after the recovery of an abandoned vehicle found near Phagwara in Punjab on March 28. Police had arrested the driver Gurwant Singh.

Last month, Punjab Police launched a major crackdown against Amritpal and members of his outfit Waris Punjab De. The elusive preacher, however, gave police the slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in the Jalandhar district.

According to the security team, surveillance cameras resumed recording from March 26. In the footage recorded after that date, the vehicle, registered in the name of chief Jathedar of Badhpura gurdwara in Pilibhit, was seen parked inside the gurdwara compound," an officer said. Joga and

Joga, the gurdwara kar-sevak is suspected to have assisted Amritpal in reaching Punjab in the same car from Pilibhit.

Meanwhile, fresh CCTV footage has surfaced on social media purportedly showing Papalpreet Singh, in a dera" in a village in Punjabs Hoshiarpur even as police continued their search for them in the district on Saturday.

The footage is said to be of March 29, a day after a team of the counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police chased an Innova vehicle from Phagwara after it suspected that fugitive Amritpal Singh and his aide could be travelling in it.

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On the evening of March 31, during a Shobha Yatra (procession) after Ram Navami, two groups in Bihar Sharif city in Nalanda district pelted each other with stones. The incident started after a verbal spat near a graveyard in Gagan Diwan area that soon became violent. A mob vandalised shops and vehicles and set some properties on fire. The police personnel were heavily outnumbered.

More than 20,000 Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal supporters were taking part in the procession while hundreds of Muslims were watching them from the other side of the road and terraces of nearby houses. There was a graveyard, a mosque, and a wazukhana (ablution pond) where the clashes took place. Guns were also fired.

On the same day, arson and stone pelting were reported from Gola Bazar in Sasaram city of Rohtas district. The atmosphere was tense in areas such as Gola Bazar, Kadirganj, Mubarakganj, Chaukhandi, and Navratna Bazar, which were closed to the public.

According to local residents, a Ram Navami procession had come to an end in the area. Some people set the pandal on fire and the atmosphere swiftly deteriorated. Two groups started a scuffle even as several vehicles and shops were vandalised as well as torched.

In the early hours of April 1, there was an explosion in a hut near a mosque in Sasaram. Six people were injured. The administration confirmed that the explosion occurred while bombs were being made.

Another clash broke out in Bihars Nalanda district and Sasaram town in Rohtas district on Saturday evening. Several shots were fired by both Hindu and Muslim groups at each other, during which one person died, and at least 10 were injured.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased in the recent violence in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by the CM.

Shahs visit

Union home minister Amit Shah cancelled his public meeting in Sasaram on Sunday following the violence. The cancellation of the event, meant to commemorate the birth anniversary of emperor Ashoka, triggered a verbal battle with the BJP accusing the state government of conspiring to keep Shah away.

On Saturday, CM Nitish Kumar blamed the communal clashes on some mischief". Communal tensions during Ram Navami festivities at Sasaram and Bihar Sharif are disturbing. Such incidents happened for the first time in the area. Its not naturalWe know some people are indulging in gadbad (mischief) and are trying to disrupt communal harmony in the state," the chief minister said.

However, on Sunday, Amit Shah reached Hisua of Nawada district and addressed thousands of BJP supporters. He took on former ally Nitish Kumar over his purported ambition to be the Prime Minister and the states deteriorating law and order situation.

Apologising to the people of Sasaram for the cancellation of his public meeting, the union home minister went on to say, There can never be peace under JD(U)-RJD coalition government. Peace can only return when BJP comes to power in Bihar. Make us win and we will hang the rioters upside down and straighten them out (dangaion ko ulta latka kar seedha karenge).

Shah also took a dig at the Rashtriya Janata Dal. One person wants to become the Prime Minister and Lalu jis son wants to be the chief minister, I want to tell Lalu ji, you know Nitish, he cant be the Prime Minister, the post is not available. The people of the country have decided that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister for a third consecutive term. Once that happens, Nitish Kumar will go back on his promise of handing over the mantle to his deputy Tejashwi Yadav as his dreams of becoming the PM will be shattered," he said.

He reiterated that the BJPs doors are permanently closed to the Bihar chief minister and the Janata Dal (United). The BJP can never join hands with Nitish Kumar, who spreads venom of casteism, and for Jungle Raj pioneer Lalu Prasad, the doors are closed forever, even after elections," the minister said.

After discussing the law and order situation with governor RV Arlekar, Shah said that it was useless to speak to the chief minister of Bihar as he cant handle the situation. I am the home minister of the country so I have the right to take reports from governors about the law and order situation. Why cant Nitish say that he is unfit for governing Bihar? he said.

After Shahs departure, the political war of words escalated as JD(U)s Neeraj Kumar in a press conference called him a liar" and termed his statements misleading".

Monday morning began with a protest by BJP MLAs outside the assembly. The legislators demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency and a judicial inquiry into the clashes, and asked the mahagathbandhan government not to indulge in appeasement politics". The MLAs also asked the government to reveal the identity of the arrested rioters.

Leader of the opposition Vijay Sinha said, The government has failed. Everything has happened under the protection of the government and peoples properties have been burnt, but the government is still a silent spectator."

The response

Soon after the assembly was adjourned following a ruckus by the opposition, Bihar finance minister and senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary told the media, Nothing is hidden. Its very sad that the home minister came just after the clashes. It would have been sensible if he could have appealed for peace but he didnt. We expected a positive approach from the home minister. The Centre has a responsibility towards the state." It was because of the state governments vigilance that the clashes could not escalate, he added.

Choudhary further asked, Was it right to throw chairs in the assembly? Is it a message of peace to the people? The people of Bihar are watching all this very closely. It was not expected from the countrys home minister to say ulta latka dengeWe follow the Nitish model. We believe in brotherhood. It seems as elections are approaching, the BJP is hitting new lows as far as statements are concerned.

Responding to CNN-News18s question about Shahs statement of BJPs doors being closed forever to Nitish and JD(U), he said, Who is applying for it? Have we made any applications for entry? Because the BJP has weakened without the JD(U), such statements are made by these people. Nobody wants to go with the BJP now.

Earlier in a tweet, JD(U) president Lalan Singh alleged the misuse of the institution of governor by the Centre in several states and criticised Shah for calling the governor rather than CM Nitish Kumar. He wrote, It is clear from your speech in Nawada that the Badka Jhutha Party (BJP) has become desperate and is in a frenzy. You can talk to His Excellency the Governor 10 times a day, why would we be worried? People in Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra are witnesses, everyone has seen how you use an institution like Governor politically. If you want, make your residence in Raj Bhavan till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. You will get the same result as in 2015. There will be BJP-free India in 2024, the big liar party will get zero from Bihar.

The situation

Amid the political skirmishing, locals say the situation in both Nalanda and Rohtas remains volatile. Internet services are down even three days after the violence. Section 144 is imposed in Bihar Sharif. Shops remain closed because of rumours and misinformation. Streets are empty and only sirens and announcements are heard. Three battalions of paramilitary forces each including CRPF, ITBP and SSB have been deployed in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif in addition to 14 battalions of Bihar police. Over 2,000 personnel of Bihar police and magistrates are camping in Sasaram.

Rohtas superintendent of police Vineet Kumar informed CNN-News18 that the situation is under control and returning towards normalcy in the district. He appealed to the people to not pay attention to rumours and maintain peace. We are conducting flag marches, meeting with peace committees and have deployed sufficient forces at every nook and corner of Sasaram. We expect everything will be back to normal within a day or two," he said.

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At least 70 activists and citizens of Bengaluru were booked for a peaceful silent march held by them in Bengaluru opposing a flyover project along Sankey Lake, back in February. They recently found out that an FIR was registered by the Sadashivanagar police station against them.

The development came even as Bengaluru residents welcomed the Karnataka governments decision to drop the plan to build a flyover on Sankey Road following widespread opposition, an Indian Express report said.

Protesting citizens slammed the Karnataka state government for the move, calling it draconian" and an attempt to curb the voice of the people and instill fear. They had been protesting in order to create awareness about the possible serious environmental impact of the project.

The United conservation movement condemns this draconian attitude of the Karnataka government, and it needs to understand that it has filed FIR against innocent people This government doesnt have guts to take action against the contractor who destroyed the Hosakerehalli Lake, but takes initiative to threaten people, who were only trying to do their duty, said Joseph Hoover, an environmentalist.

Rajeev Gowda, an Ex-MP who is also booked by the police, labelled the charges preposterous and alleged that the government is trying to intimidate and gag the citizens through this.

It is outrageous what MLA Ashwath Narayan is trying to do. Hes trying to misuse the power of the government and the police to threaten citizens and activists," said Gowda. All we did as concerned citizens was March on the side of the road, and these charges are preposterous. They are trying to intimidate us, he further added.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge accused the police officials of acting like agents of BJP and further warned of strict legal action when their party comes to power.

Despite no complaint given, the Sadashivanagar police registered a suo moto case succumbing to the pressure of higher authorities," added Kharge.

The flyover project proposed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which comprises building a flyover, as well as ramps on Sankey Road between Malleshwaram 18th Cross and Cauvery Junction on Bellary Road. This was opposed by activists and citizens of Bengaluru citing a serious impact on the biodiversity of the region.

The people were booked on sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 283 (obstruction to any person in any public way) and 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) of the Indian Penal Code.

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The Punjab governments CM di Yogshala programme under which it will offer free Yoga classes to people will kick off in four cities, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Monday.

According to the chief minister, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Phagwara and Patiala have been chosen to launch the programme.

Mann said in a video message, Yoga is part of our countrys culture. It is part of our countrys heritage but nowadays, we are forgetting it.

I also do Yoga every morning. It has many benefits. But Yoga has vanished from our busy lives. We want to make Yoga a public wave again." Speaking on starting the programme in the four cities, Mann said, In these four cities, if you want to do Yoga at neighbourhood parks, at some common place, the government will send Yoga instructors who will teach you Yoga free of cost.

Soon, you will get Yoga training in every locality," he added.

The AAP government in Delhi had launched the Dilli ki Yogshala programme to offer free Yoga classes in 2021. The programme, however, was stopped last year amid a tussle between the city government and Lt Governor VK Saxena.

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Taking boosters against Covid-19 may not be too helpful due to weak scientific evidence in favour of top-up shots, said leading biologist Shekhar Mande.

The scientific evidence on the benefit of boosters is weak, Mande told News18. According to the former director general of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), however, people with lower immunity or other medical conditions must check with their healthcare providers for guidance.

Now a distinguished professor at the bioinformatics centre of Savitribai Phule Pune University, Mande said the surge in Covid cases was due to a slightly new variant. Our immunity might be waning, or it might be a vaccine breakthrough mutant. But nonetheless, we will not see as many hospitalisations or deaths as in previous waves. He further said this surge was not going to be like the first, or even the devastating second (Delta) wave.

Mande, who holds a PhD in molecular biophysics from Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru, further said general precautions were the same and, irrespective of booster status, everyone must be guarded by using masks, social distancing, avoiding crowded places and maintaining proper ventilation inside houses.

He emphasised that the strongest evidence to date was related to building ventilation. If sufficient fresh air circulation is maintained, the possibility of contracting the virus is reduced dramatically, he added.

Fresh cases of Covid-19 are being detected across India, which recorded over 3,824 new infections over 24 hours ending on Sunday morning  this is the biggest jump in number of cases in 184 days. With this, the active caseload has gone up to 18,389, as per health ministry data released on Sunday.

Indias Covid tally stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,22,605) while the death toll has climbed to 5,30,881 with five new deaths. One death each was reported from Delhi, Haryana, Kerala and Rajasthan in a span of 24 hours and one was reconciled by Kerala.

At 18,389, the active cases comprise 0.04 per cent of total infections. The national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.77 percent, as per the health ministry website. The daily positivity rate stood at 2.87 percent and the weekly positivity rate at 2.24 percent. The ministrys website showed that 220.66 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

(With PTI inputs)

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In a horrific incident, a dog was seen dragging a newborn child in its mouth inside Karnatakas Shivamogga district hospital. The infant was found dead later.

According to a report by NDTV, a security guard at the hospital saw the dog carrying an infant on the compound ground and later freed the newborn but the baby was already dead. The child is yet to be identified.

The police officials are verifying if the dog was dragging a body or if it killed the child. The autopsy of the newborn has been done.

A case has been registered by the police in connection with the matter.

Meanwhile, Shivamogga District Medical Officer Rajesh Suragihalli said that the newborn was neither born at the district hospital nor was admitted there. Three children were born at the district hospital, and they are all safe," he told NDTV.

The district health department has formed four teams to identify the child.

Last month, two minor brothers were allegedly mauled to death by stray dogs in Delhis Vasant Kunj.

A few incidents of dog bites in housing societies in Delhi-NCR as well as other states have prompted several measures from the administration and law enforcement agencies. Noida was the first to take action and call for pet registration after isolated incidents of pet dogs biting children inside lifts and guards on duty. The authorities have made pet registration mandatory by January 31, 2023, and delay will attract penalty. An owner can register their pooch for Rs 500 on the Noida Authority Pet Registration mobile phone app.

Kerala, especially, has been hit by an escalating stray dog-man conflict for some time and over 20 people have succumbed to rabies last year alone, according to figures. In fact, in an act of sheer cruelty, a canine, accused of attacking people, was beaten to death and publicly displayed. More than a dozen stray dogs were found dead due to alleged poisoning in some areas of the state.

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Speaker of Israel's Knesset (parliament) Amir Ohana on Monday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the talks between the two leaders focused on bilateral ties in areas of connectivity, food security and renewable energy.

Ohana is currently on a visit to India. It is the first-ever official visit to the country by a sitting speaker of the Knesset.

"Glad to welcome Israeli Knesset Speaker @AmirOhana and parliamentary delegation in South Block today. Discussed strengthening India-Israel ties and promoting cooperation in I2U2," Jaishankar said on Twitter.

"Connectivity, renewables, food security, start-ups, tourism and culture can enrich our agenda," he said.

On his part, Ohana described the meeting as "productive".

"Thank you my dear friend Minister for External Affairs of India @DrSJaishankar. It was an important and productive meeting. I'm confident that our collaboration will enhance Israel-India relations for the benefit of both nations," he tweeted.

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The Indian Army in Kashmir has taken an initiative to promote one of their famous posts on the Line of Control (LoC) Kaman Post as a tourist destination in the Uri area of the Baramulla district.

Kaman Aman Setu - a friendship bridge between India and Pakistan in Uri that saw the historic cross-LoC Karawan-e-Aman bus service, is expected to become a major attraction for tourists in the coming days.

After the renewed ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, the move is expected to boost the border economy of the area and give youth in this area a source of earning.

The Army is also promoting visits of local students who are learning about Indias heroes, those who have defended borders against Pakistan in the 1947-1948 war. Busts of 1947-1948 war martyrs have also been put up at what is now called Veer Path to inspire and educate the younger generation.

This is a very good initiative. We bring local children here and show them Veer Path so that they can remember the sacrifices made for this country, they are our heroes. This place is being revamped and is a perfect tribute to the martyrs, said Amjad, a local of Uri, who has studied engineering.

He said tourism will help the unemployed people of this border village release their dream. If tourists visit here, they will spend a night in local houses which can be turned into homestays, said Amjad while pointing at the renovations being done.

The tourist attraction has a strategically important bridge that connects Kashmir to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The gates havent opened up for the public as a bus service between the two countries remains suspended for years.

In front of Pakistan positions, a large map of Akhand Bharatvarsh has also been put up with pictures of Indian rulers and a map showing Pakistan as part of India.

Fayaz Ahmad, a local village head, expressed his gratitude to the government and the Indian Army for deciding to open this place for tourists.

We are thankful to the government and the Indian Army for promoting tourism here. This is a historic place and we all need to visit here. I want to tell people from the rest of the country to come and visit us here, he said.

The Army has also renovated a cafeteria, which was first opened by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former CM of J&K in 2015. The area also offers across the Line of Control where PoK villages are very close.

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A demolition drive was launched to remove encroachments from a temple complex in Indore after at least 36 people died four days ago. The local administration was sent to the location to move idols of deities to another shrine.

The operation was launched at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple complex in Patel Nagar area in Madhya Pradeshs Indore. The operation was conducted in the presence of heavy police security and barricades were placed on roads leading to the temple, officials told PTI.

Officials said action was being taken to remove encroachments from about 10,000 square feet of land around the temple premises following the tragic incident.

Meanwhile, a temple priest present on the spot told PTI that prayers were offered to idols at the temple according to rituals. They were shifted to Kantafod temple.

Following the incident last Thursday, an FIR was lodged against Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust president Sevaram Galani and secretary Murli Kumar Sabnani under Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Juni Indore police station in-charge Neeraj Meda said.

Two accused are facing charges over unsafe construction work done by putting a roof over the stepwell, due to which 36 people lost their lives, officials said.

The Indore Municipal Corporation ordered the trust to remove the illegal construction at the temple complex, but the trust did not obey the order, he said.

Ram Navami Tragedy

A slab constructed on top of an ancient well collapsed during a havan program held on the occasion of Ram Navami at a temple in Indore city on Thursday.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred during a religious program on the occasion of Ram Navami at the Baleshwar Mahadev temple. There were dozens of devotees sitting on a slab that covered the ancient well. Notwithstanding the weight of the crowd, the slab collapsed at around 12 noon.

Nearly 30-35 devotees reportedly fell into the well, Indore Police Commissioner Makrand Deoskar said citing eyewitness accounts.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck began his two-day trip to India on Monday with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar receiving him at the airport here, reflecting the importance New Delhi has attached to the visit.

The Bhutanese King will hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

In the evening, Jaishankar called on the visiting dignitary.

"Deeply privileged to call on His Majesty the King of Bhutan today evening. His Majesty's vision for Bhutan's future and for strengthening the unique partnership with India is deeply appreciated," the external affairs minister tweeted.

Soon after receiving the King at the airport, Jaishankar said his visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership.

"Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership," he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also welcomed the visiting dignitary.

"Warm welcome to India, Your Majesty! His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived in India a short while ago. His Majesty was received by EAM @DrSJaishankar at the airport," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Bhutan is a strategically important country for India and the defence and security ties between the two sides have witnessed significant expansion in the last few years.

The strategic ties witnessed an upward trajectory in the last few years in the backdrop of a 73-day face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Doklam tri-junction in 2017.

The Doklam plateau is considered an important area for India's strategic interest.

The standoff at Doklam tri-junction in 2017 began after China tried to extend a road in an area that Bhutan claimed belonged to it.

India had strongly opposed the construction as it would have impacted its overall security interests. The India-China face-off was resolved following several rounds of talks.

In October 2021, Bhutan and China signed an agreement on a "three-step roadmap" to expedite negotiations to resolve their festering boundary dispute.

Bhutan shares an over 400-km-long border with China and the two countries have held over 24 rounds of boundary talks in a bid to resolve the dispute.

The King of Bhutan had a transit visit to Delhi in September last year.

India sent special assistance to Bhutan during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the first country to receive Covishield vaccines from India.

India has been providing assistance to Bhutan for implementation of its successive Five Year Plans since 1961.

India's assistance towards Bhutan's XII Five Year Plan (2018-23) was Rs 4,500 crore for various multi-sectoral projects, small development projects and direct budgetary support.

There has been significant cooperation between the two sides in the area of hydro-power projects.

India has consistently been Bhutan's top trading partner, and remains the leading source of investments in Bhutan.

In November 2021, India formalised the opening of seven new trade routes for Bhutan's bilateral and transit trade with India, new market access was provided for allowing formal export of 12 agri-products from Bhutan to India.

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At least, three people were found dead, and nine others were injured after a man allegedly set afire a co-passenger on board an express train In Keralas Kozhikode on Sunday. As per police, three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station in Kerala, hours after the fire incident.

The Railway police it was yet to identify the accused. A case of murder has been lodged against the accused, police said.

ALSO READ: Kerala Train Fire: Cops Release Sketch of Accused, CCTVs Being Scanned, SIT Formed; Terror Angle Probe On

The three deceased were missing from the train after the fire incident. Their bodies were recovered from the tracks late Sunday night, a senior police official from the district told PTI.

While a PTI report mentioned that the man set the co-passenger on fire following an argument, a suspicious bag found later cropped up a terror angle" that police says cannot be ruled out.

Kozhikode, Kerala | Forensic experts reached the spot where the bodies of three people including that of a child were found near a railway track. pic.twitter.com/154A3r3EFU ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

Kerala police said it will form an SIT to investigate the case, and the suspect will be identified soon.

Special investigation team will be formed, details of this will be given after discussions with officials incurred IG north zone We have some clues, scientific investigation is ongoing," said Kerala police chief DGP Anil Kant.

On asked if there is any terror or extremist angle to the case, the DGP said, it is part of enquiry only after enquiry we will know."

THE CASE

At around 9.45 pm, when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an inflammable liquid, believed to be petrol, on a co-passenger and set him on fire resulting in burn injuries to nine other passengers, police said.

Some of the injured suffered 50 per cent burns, but presently their health condition is stable," another Railway police officer said.

The incident that took place in the D1 compartment of the train resulted in burn injuries to at least eight persons, they added.

The bodies found on the tracks did not have any burns, police added.

The man escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

Police suspect a terror angle in the case as a bag was recovered from the tracks that had another bottle of petrol and two mobile phones.

Quoting an eye-witness the Hindustan Times reported that soon after the train stopped on a bridge along the Korapuzha river, a man in his thirties jumped out of it and fled on a bike that was waiting for him.

The police have recovered the assailants visuals recovered from a CCTV footage of a nearby house. They suspected the incident was a well-planned attack.

When the train reached Kannur, a few passengers complained that a woman and a child were missing after the incident.

A man, who was injured, kept looking for a woman and a child. We found footwear and a mobile phone of that woman," a passenger told the media at Kannur.

Soon after the news of the missing persons came out, the city police inspected the tracks and found three bodies, including the woman and the child and a mid-aged man.

Police suspect they fell off the train or attempted to deboard after seeing the fire.

The woman and the child who went missing were found dead on the tracks. There is one unidentified body of a male. We have found CCTV visuals of the suspect. Investigation is on," a senior police official of the district said.

Sources said the woman was the childs aunt.

A total of nine persons have been admitted to various hospitals, including the Kozhikode Medical College, for treatment Further details are awaited.

(With PTI inputs)

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The man who allegedly set a co-passenger on fire inside a moving train in Kerala has been identified by the police as a native of Noida, sources said.

A team of the NIA visited Kozhikode on Sunday and inquired about the trains D1 compartment which was set on fire, ANI reported citing sources. However, the NIA has not taken over the case. NIA personnel visit places after any such incident which seem to have any terror link.

The accused, Shahrookh Saifi, allegedly set on fire a co-passenger on Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express by pouring an inflammable liquid at around 9:45 pm on Sunday when the train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode city. Eight other passengers were injured in the process.

Hours later, three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station in Kozhikode.

At around 9.45 pm, when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an inflammable liquid on a co-passenger and set him on a fire resulting in burn injuries to at least eight persons, police said.

A suspicious bag, believed to be the luggage of the accused, was also found later which cropped up terror angle speculation. The cops, however, have said it is not seeming to be an act of terror as of now.

On asked if there is any terror or extremist angle to the case, Kerala DGP Kerala Anil Kant said, It is part of enquiry only after enquiry we will know."

Kerala Police earlier released a sketch of the absconding accused.

ALSO READ: Kerala Train Fire: Cops Release Sketch of Accused, SIT Formed; Terror Angle Probe On

SIT to Probe Fire Incident

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be formed to probe the fire incident onboard a train, which led to the loss of three lives including an infant, the previous night in Kozhikode district of the state.

CM Vijayan, in a statement, said the police have been instructed to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident.

He said the police were actively trying to catch hold of the assailant and the probe was being supervised by State Police Chief Anil Kant.

The CM further said the state government will take strong measures to ensure the safety of rail passengers and the Ministry of Railways will be requested to take all possible steps in the matter of passenger safety.

ALSO READ: Kerala: Man Sets Co-pax on Fire in Train, 3 Found Dead on Tracks Later; Terror Angle Being Probed

Inquiry On to Find Out Possible Maoist or Terror Angle, Says Kerala Minister

Kerala Ports Minsiter Ahammed Devarkovil said an inquiry is underway to find out more about the possible terror or Maoist angle in the Kerala train fire case in which a man set a co-passenger ablaze and injured several other passengers as well in the process.

I spoke to the police , they are searching CCTV visuals. I am going there and will have a clear idea soon. Police suspects that a person believed to be around 25 years in age is suspected to have done this. Only after enquiry we can say if there is any terrorist or Maoist angle. It wont be correct to say something like this openly before inquiry," he said.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief and MP from Kannur K Sudhakaran has written to Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking his intervention into the matter and asking to for compensation for the victims who were set ablaze on the train including those who died in the incident.

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The ongoing stormy Parliament session resumed today after a four-day break and was adjourned almost immediately. Later, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till April 5. The ongoing budget session has been plagued by disruptions in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

This is the last week of the Parliament session and there have been no signs of breakthroughs between the government and opposition.

Both houses have witnessed daily disruptions during the second leg of the Budget session which began on March 13 over Oppositions demand for a joint parliamentary panel probe into the Adani issue and the Read More
Delhis Patiala House Court recently framed charges against Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Yasin Bhatkal and 10 others in a UAPA case for designing and executing terror plots to wage a war against India.

Special NIA Judge Shailendra Malick, who also discharged three accused in the case, noted while framing charges that Bhatkal was repeatedly involved in terror activities to wage a war against India.

Extraction report of the data in digital devices seized from A-6, as per the report of CERT-In show that many folders containing video clips of jihadi literature, including writings for justifying killing of non-Muslims, in the name of jihad. Videos of Talib and Al Qaida on necessity of violent jihad," the court noted.

After analysing various electronic and digital evidence, the court also observed that Bhatkal was involved not only in a larger conspiracy for committing terrorist activities but also instrumental in preparing of IEDs and explosives.

The court noted that a chat between Yasin Bhatkal and Mohd Sajid (Bada Sajid) reflect IM was planning to evacuate Muslims from Surat town before planting a nuclear bomb.

Another chat between Bhatkal and Sajid on June 1, 2013, showed them discussing a Maoist attack on a Congress leader in Chhattisgarh and also planning to kill leaders instead of the general public for shaking the government.

Appearing for Bhatkal, advocate MS Khan, during arguements, submitted that Bhatkal has faced prosecution in other cases of bomb blast and has also been convicted in one of the matters. He submitted that evidence in those cases cannot be relied upon in the present case as it would

tantamount to trial of Yasin Bhatkal on the second occasion, based on the same evidence.

It was further argued that mere involvement of Bhatkal in previous incidence, ipso facto, cannot be considered as evidence for charge of conspiracy, more particularly when Bhatkal has already faced trial for different offences inter alia charge of conspiracy.

The case pertains to the furtherance of a criminal conspiracy by functionaries of Indian Mujahideen by which it undertook large scale recruitment/induction of new members for commission of terrorist activities in various parts of India, with active aid and support from Pakistan-based associates as well as sleeper cells within the country to commit terrorist acts by bomb blasts at prominent places in India, especially in Delhi.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing a criminal case registered against the terrorist activities of the proscribed terrorist organisation under Sections 121A and 123 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and under Sections 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Indian Mujahideen, a terrorist organisation proscribed under UA(P)Act (as amended in 2008), was formed around the end of 2003 when a group of ultra-radicalised Muslim youths  including Iqbal Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal, Mohd. Siddibappa Zarrar @ Yasin Bhatkal  who were associated earlier with another banned terrorist organisation Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) segregated themselves in the aftermath of communal mobilisation on account of the Babri Masjid demolition (1992) and riots in Gujarat after the Godhra incident (2002). They then formed a new terrorist organisation called the Indian Mujahideen to carry out terrorist attacks in different parts of India.

These youths belong to different parts of India, including Bhatkal, Azamgarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and others and they entered into a conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks in different parts of India to wage a war against the government.

The Indian Mujahideen was banned on June 22, 2009, and included in the First Schedule of UA(P) Act.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He also inaugurate the newly constructed office complexes of the CBI in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister stressed that his government does not lack the political will to fight corruption.

The desire of the country and its citizens", he added, is that no corrupt person should be spared.

Corruption is not just a small crime. It snatches the rights of the poor and that lead to the birth of many criminals," PM Modi said.

The government, he said, had started action against black money and benami property on mission mode. Besides the corrupt, we are fighting causes of corruption," he said.

Building a developed India is not possible without professional and efficient institutions and the CBI therefore has a huge responsibility, PM Modi said.

CBI has given hope and strength to the common citizen. People hold protests to demand CBI inquiry as CBI has emerged as a brand for justice." the Prime Minister noted.

The Prime Minister asserted India cannot move forward without professional and efficient institutions like CBI.

From bank frauds to wildlife-related frauds, the CBIs scope of work has increased manifold but the main responsibility of the CBI is to make the country corruption free," he said.

PM Modi further noted that in the last six decades, the CBI has earned recognition as a Multi-dimensional and Multi-disciplinary investigation agency.

Even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to the CBIIts scope, today, has widened to a greater scale; from metro cities to forests, from banks to wildlife protection, CBI has been investigating almost each and every aspect. Also, even the cyber crimes are being dealt with by this agency," he said.

Terming corruption the biggest enemy of merit, PM Modi said it encourages nepotism and dynastic rule. When these two increase, the countrys strength gets affected, and when strength is weakened, it impacts development, he said.

For decades, the prime minister added, the corrupt have created ways to loot the countrys riches, and this was done by robbing government wealth.

Taking a veiled dig at the Oppositions allegation of the agency being misused by the Centre, the Prime Minister said, I know that the people against whom you are taking action are very powerful, they have been part of the government and system for years. Even today they are in power in some states, but you (CBI) have to focus on your work, no corrupt person should be spared."

PM Modi said that ten years ago, there was a competition to do more and more corruption, adding, big scams took place during that time but the accused were not scared because the system stood by them After 2014, we worked on a mission mode against corruption, black money."

Today, through Jandhan bank accounts, which link Aaadhar cards and mobile phones, beneficiaries get their full rights, he added.

During the programme, an investiture ceremony for recipients of the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of the CBI was held wherein the Prime Minister presented medals to the recipients.

At the event, the PM also released a postage stamp and a commemorative coin marking the diamond jubilee celebration year of the CBI. The prime minister also launched the agencys Twitter handle.

The CBI made its maiden appearance on Twitter in October last year during the Interpol General Assembly when a handle with the coveted blue tick was launched to share news about the event.

The CBI was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India dated April 1, 1963.

(With PTI Inputs)

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In a special message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated the Ambani family on the launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai and for leading the endeavor to popularize Indian arts and culture."

It is heartening to learn about the opening of the NMACC in Mumbai. Heartiest congratulations and greetings to everyone associated with the Cultural Centre on the occasion," the PM said in the message.

The prime minister praised Nita Ambani for showcasing the unique Indian phenomenon of staying rooted to ones rooted while also being committed to progress."

It is indeed commendable that Smt. Nita Ambani Ji is leading this endeavor of the Ambani family with the aim of popularizing our arts and culture. This showcases the unique Indian phenomenon of staying rooted to ones roots while also being committed to progress," PM Modi further said.

He also said that this would go a long way to making India art and culture accessible to a larger section of society and at the same time also encourage a vibrant socio-cultural interaction between different parts of the country and the world.

Modi also expressed hope in that the Cultural Centre will act as a platform for budding artists and performers, which in turn encourages more people to take up art professionally.

The world, the letter further read, in every domain is looking looking towards India to provide holistic solutions and leadership in many different domains, from nature to culture, from health to environment.

Disclaimer: Network18 and TV18  the companies that operate news18.com  are controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.

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Starting this month, Maharashtra consumers will have to spend more on electricity bills, as power supply companies have increased their tariff. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has given a go-ahead to the new hiked rates. The approved hike is from 5%-10%.

Four major companies provide electricity in the state  the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport Undertaking (BEST), TATA Power and Adani Electricity. The hike has been announced for 2023-24 and 2024-2025.

The MSEDCL has increased the tariff by 2.9% for FY 2023-24 and 5.6% for the financial year 2024-25. Due to this increase, there will be a rise of 6% in residential electricity rates through the end of the financial year 2025. Industrial electricity rates have risen by 1% in FY 2024 and 4% in FY 2025.

A private player like Tata Power has hiked the tariff by 11.9% for FY 2024 and 12.2% for FY 2025. Due to this, the tariff for residential electricity has gone up by 10% in FY 2024 and 21% in FY 2025. For industry, the rates are up by 11% for FY 2024 and 17% for FY 2025.

Another major player in the power sector, Adani Electricity, will charge 2.2% more in FY 2024 and 2.1% in FY 2025. Due to this, the residential electricity rate has increased by 5% in FY 2024 and 2% in FY 2025. There is no change in electricity rates for the industry in FY 2024 and FY 2025. Adani Electricitys relentless efforts towards increasing share of renewables and optimizing power purchase costs have ensured that our tariff increase is the least across the state of Maharashtra. This too in an environment of volatile fuel prices leading to proposed tariff hikes across the country. We continue to serve our customers with the most competitive tariffs across a majority of the tariff categories. We remain dedicated to investing in technology and renewable energy to build a brighter and more sustainable energy future for our customers," said Kandarp Patel, Managing Director, Adani Electricity.

BEST or Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport has increased the electricity tariff by 5.1% for FY 2024 and 6.3% for FY 2025. Due to this, the rate for residential electricity will increase by 6.19% in FY 2024 and 6.7% in FY 2025.

REACTIONS

Chaitanya Samudra, a photographer, who has a small studio setup at home, is worried about the electricity bill. I read about the increase in the power tariff, and am worried about my upcoming bills as my entire business setup needs lights of different voltages, computers and other devices to edit and print photos. As per the news, the BEST has also increased its tariff which means for this months bill, we will have to pay more. This will be a big adjustment and will impact my business.

Rachana Dhyalkar, 45, a resident of Virar, a suburban town near Mumbai, said, The prices of vegetables, pulses and milk have already gone up. Plus, we have to pay more for electricity. Summer has already started, so we use air-conditioners to beat the heat. But due to this hike, we may have to reduce the use at home. How should one manage when salaries are limited?

Prathamesh Nimkar, who runs a tours and travels business in Borivali, said, I was not expecting power companies to increase the rates in summer. But if they have done it what can one do?

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A Surat court on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case in connection with his remark on Modi surname. The court suspended Gandhis 2-year jail term till the disposal of his appeal. However, the court refused to grant an interim stay on his conviction in the case. His next hearing is scheduled on April 13.

In the first tweet after getting bail, the Congress leader said, truth is my weapon, and truth is my support!"

Gandhis often repeated Mitrakaal dig is aimed at the Centre, alleging that it works to benefit its crony capitalist friends".

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal before a sessions court in Gujarats Surat city, challenging his conviction in the criminal defamation case.

The former Congress chief was present in the sessions court to file the plea against a metropolitan courts order sentencing him to two years in jail. Along with the appeal, the Congress leader also filed two applications seeking a stay on his conviction and seeking suspension of his sentence.

On his appeal against conviction, the court said such an order cannot be passed without hearing the other side.

This would mean that Rahul Gandhis Lok Sabha membership remains suspended and he will have to vacate the government-allotted house.

Rahul Gandhis Show of Force in Surat

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by his sister Priyanka in Surat. Other Senior Congress leaders, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also in Surat with Gandhi. They all reached the Surat district and sessions court on a bus.

BJP Says Congress Putting Undue Pressure on Judiciary

The Congress is trying to exert undue pressure" on the Judiciary, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed on Monday, questioning the plan by members of the opposition party to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court.

My point is very simple  why Congress party is trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the Judiciary. There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" he quipped.

Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an Appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama. (1/2) Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 3, 2023

He wondered whether there has been a case in the past where an entire party is trying to gherao a court.

The ED takes action, they want to gherao ED office. When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When the court gives verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters in Parliament House complex.

Dubbing the move of Congress leaders to accompany Gandhi to court as sycophancy of one family" he wondered whether the family was above the country.

Congress Respond

Kharge said the decision taken by the party leaders to accompany Gandhi to the court was personal. Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country," the Congress chief told reporters here.

He said the presence of the party leaders in Surat is not a show of strength", but a symbol of support" for Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to hit back at Rijiju, saying, The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modis rule)."

Security Increased In Surat

In view of Rahul Gandhis visit to the city, the Surat administration has increased security in the areas where there is a possibility of the Congress leaders movement.

Given the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Surat district court the Surat city police have deployed the police force wherever there is a possibility of movement. We will also be starting frisking and checking," said Sagar Bagmar, DCP Zone-4 Surat.

Rahul Gandhis Conviction in Modi Surname Case

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate HH Varma here had on March 23 convicted Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks.

It had held 52-year-old Gandhi guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

Gandhi was present in the court when it pronounced the verdict in the case.

Rahul Gandhis Disqualification Form Lok Sabha

The sentence of two years invited his disqualification from the membership of Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The RP Act holds that an MP or a member of the legislative Assembly (MLA) convicted for any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.

After disqualification, Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

Defamation Case Against Rahul Gandhi

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leaders alleged remarks How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?

Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019 during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

He had campaigned for the Congress before the Gujarat Assembly polls held in December 2022. His party won just 17 out of the total 182 seats, its worst poll performance since the formation of the state in 1960.

In his complaint, BJP MLA Purnesh Modi had alleged that Gandhi, while addressing the poll rally in 2019, defamed the entire Modi community by purportedly saying,

How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname? Purnesh Modi was a minister in the first tenure of the Bhupendra Patel government.

The ruling party legislator was re-elected from the Surat West Assembly seat in the elections held in December last year.

(With agency inputs)

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Amid ongoing tensions in parts of Bihar like Sasaram and Biharshif, a team of top Bihar police officials including the Director General of Police (DGP) RS Bhatti on Sunday night reached Bihar Sharif and conducted an inspection of every violence-affected place. He held a meeting with senior police officials, following which forces were deployed in the areas.

Besides, West Bengals Hoogly area saw fresh clashes on Sunday evening during a Ram Navami procession. Later, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended, police said. Read More
Amid Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakurs tough stand against OTT platforms over obscenity, Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar sought to free India from the clutches of perverted content makers on the occasion of the death anniversary of king Shivaji.

In a tweet, Mahurkar wrote: Today is Punyatithi of Ch. Shivaji Maharaj. He took oath to free the nation from foreign rule & established Swarajya in 29 yrs. Let us also take a pledge today to free India from clutches of perverted content makers bent upon violating our national character & main cause of rapes.

Today is Punyatithi of Ch. Shivaji Maharaj.He took oath to free the nation from foreign rule & established Swarajya in 29 yrs. Let us also take a pledge today to free India from clutches of perverted content makers bent upon violating our national character & main cause of rapes. pic.twitter.com/COdG0dKJd8 Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) April 3, 2023

Mahurkar has been giving a call to retrieve the nation from the menace of rapes and cultural attacks on our civilisation by misuse of OTT and social media platforms, films and pornography promotion".

India is on the path of national reawakening. PM @narendramodi has set the target of a new India by 2047 & called it Amrutkaal. Will that India be economically, militarily & scientifically great but a character-wise poor nation & a cultural pauper ? @IndiaToday Group must ponder. https://t.co/s0TGqHfuPF Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) April 3, 2023

Meanwhile, during his recent press conference, Thakur mentioned that OTT platforms were given freedom creativity and not for obscenity. He further warned that the ministry will take strict action to stop vulgarity and abusive language.

These platforms were given freedom for creativity and not for obscenity and when one crosses the limit, then hurling abuses in the name of creativity cannot be accepted at all, Thakur said, adding, If there is a need to make any changes in the rules regarding this, the ministry is willing to consider that. These platforms were given freedom for creativity, not obscenity. And when someone crosses a limit, then abusing, rudeness in the name of creativity cannot be accepted at all. Whatever necessary action needs to be taken on this, the government will not back down from it.

During the briefing, Thakur also spoke about the complaints against OTT platforms and shared that nearly 90 to 92 % of the complaints are resolved by them by making necessary changes". The next level of complaint resolution is at the level of their association, where most of the complaints are resolved. At the last level it comes to the level of the government, where action is taken on the departmental committee level, according to the rules in place. But somewhere complaints have started increasing in the last few days and the department is taking it very seriously. If there is a need to make a change we are willing to consider it seriously, he said.

The guidelines to bring OTT platforms under the aegis of the government were introduced in February 2021.

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In a good sign for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the monthly income of the hundi in the premises of Lord Venkateswara Swamy on Tirumala, the sacred hill shrine in Andhra Pradesh, crossed the Rs 100 crore mark since March 2022, with the huge offerings made by the devotees to the presiding deity.

According to the officials concerned, after the Covid protocol has been lifted and norms were relaxed, there has been a huge surge in devotees to the temple where one can witness serpentine queues with pilgrims to have a glimpse of the presiding deity.

This unexpected surge has been reflected in the income of the hundi which registered an income of Rs 140 crore in August last year. Since then onwards the average monthly income of the hundi crossed Rs 100 crore and registered an income of Rs 120.29 crore in March where the 2022-2023 financial year ended on a happy note with earnings touching Rs 1,520.29 crore, the officials concerned said.

The hundi registered an income of Rs 1,450 crore from January to December 2022. It recorded an income of Rs 7.68 crore on January 2. As many as 1.04 crore devotees visited Tirumala from January to December 2021 when the income of the hundi registered Rs. 833.41 crore, the officials said.

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At 18, premier higher education institutions in Uttar Pradesh (UP), including two Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and central universities, have reported the highest number of student suicides, followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu  14 and 10, respectively  since 2018, union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.

According to the state-wise data shared by Pradhan in a written response to a question, a total of 18 student suicides were reported from major institutions in UP, including IIT-Kanpur, IIT-BHU, IIM-Lucknow, NIT-Allahabad, AIIMS-Raebareili, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University and University of Allahabad, from 2018-2023.

In the national capital, which saw the second-highest student suicides, the incidents were reported at institutions, including IIT-Delhi, NIT-Delhi, AIIMS, Delhi University (DU), Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University and Central Sanskrit University.

As per the government data, a total of 103 student suicides have been reported from top higher education institutions across the country between this period. Of these, the highest have been reported from IITs across the country  35. This is followed by central universities (29) and NITs (24).

Eleven student suicides have been reported from various centres of the countrys top medical institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMs), while four such deaths have been recorded from various IIMs, as per the data shared by the minister.

With 10 student suicides reported from Tamil Nadu, at least three have been reported from IIT-Madras, just between February and March this year. The other institutions in the state where students died by suicide included IIM Tiruchirapalli, NIT- Tiruchirapalli, AIIMS-Madurai and Central University of Tamil Nadu.

Six student suicides have been reported each from Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, including IIT-Bhilai, IIM-Raipur, NIT-Raipur, AIIMS-Raipur, IIT-Roorkee, IIM-Kashipur, NIT-Uttarakhand, AIIMS-Rishikesh and Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University.

Five such deaths were reported from top technology and management institutes in West Bengal, including IIT-Kharagpur, IIM-Calcutta, NIT-Durgapur, IIEST-Shibpur, AIIMS-Kalyani and Visva Bharati.

Higher education institutions in Maharashtra, Kerala and Assam recorded four student suicides each during the same period.

In the current year, 15 students have died by suicide, while 2022 saw 25 such deaths, which is the highest over the past six years. The years 2021 and 2020 saw 10 and 13 deaths by suicide, respectively. The years 2019 and 2018 reported 20 such incidents each, according to data.

Earlier this month, Pradhan chaired a high-level meeting to review measures being taken by the institutions to prevent such incidents and help students with mental health concerns.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday issued summons to four customs department officials in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam in West Bengal.

The arrested officials have been under the central agencys scanner for quite some time with regards to their alleged involvement in the case.

Although the agency is tight-lipped about the identity and other details of the accused, sources said that they were instrumental in helping kingpin Enamul Haque in getting seized smuggled cattle auctioned officially at much cheaper rates to be smuggled again across the borders.

The sources further said that besides customs officials, some top senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) were also under the scanner of CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) during their respective parallel probes in the scam.

Earlier, BSF commandant Satish Kumar, who was posted at the Indo-Bangladesh borders in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, was arrested over his alleged involvement in the crime.

It is learnt that during the last couple of days, the CBI sleuths conducted a raid and search operation at the residences of customs officials posted at the Indo- Bangladesh bordering districts of Nadia and Murshidabad. During the investigation, they procured a number of incriminating documents on this count.

The CBI sleuths also came across some definite clues about the involvement of these four customs officials involvement in the matter, following which were summoned.

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HAPPY MAHAVIR JAYANTI 2023 IMAGES, SMS, WISHES QUOTES, STATUS, MESSAGES: The 24th Teerthanker of Jainism, Lord Mahavir spent his entire life promoting the teachings of the religion in India and across the world. For a happy life and inner peace, Jains adhere to the five Mahaviri principles of Ahimsa, Satya, Astaya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha.

People of the Jain religion celebrate Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, all over the world. In celebration of his birth anniversary, the Bhakti Yatra is carried on this day. This year Mahavir Jayanti is being celebrated today on Tuesday, April 4.

ALSO READ: Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Date, Rituals and Celebrations of the Jain Festival

Here we have the most recent collection of motivational Mahavir Jayanti messages, Mahavir Jayanti quotes, Mahavir Jayanti wishes images, and Happy Mahavir Jayanti greetings messages. With these, you can wish everyone in your vicinity a happy holiday. On social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Pinterest, you can wish everyone the same.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Messages and wishes

1. Sending best wishes to you and your family on the auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti. I wish that you are blessed with peace and happiness and your bond of love grows stronger.

2. May Lord Mahavir bless your life with eternal joy and happiness. May no violence and negativities can touch you. May you be always showered with abundant opportunities to have a harmonious life. Wishing you a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

3. Warm wishes to you on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti. My only wish on this divine occasion is that you are blessed with endless knowledge, a stable mind to internalize this knowledge and self-control to use it in the right way. May you are always successful in life.

4. Today is the day to look beyond yourself and work for the peace and harmony of others around you. Let us take a promise our own selves on Mahavir Jayanti to be kinder, more compassionate and more positive for each and every one. Happy Mahavir Jayanti to you.

5. Big locks can be opened with small keys. likewise, you need to choose simple words to express thoughts with strong meanings. I wish you live your life with simplicity and follow the guidelines of Mahavir ji. Warm wishes to you on Mahavir Jayanti!

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Quotes

1. Express yourself in simple words but have great thoughts in your mind. Happy Mahavir Jayanthi.

2. Let us always follow the path shown by Lord Mahavir to have a happier and healthier life. Warm greetings on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti to you and your family.

3. The most perfect way to celebrate this significant day is by working hard towards attaining peace and happiness in life. Wishing a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti to you.

4. Always ask for what you deserve than what you desire. Wish you all a very happy Mahavir Jayanthi.

5. Always follow the path of non-violence and truth. Happy Mahavir Jayanthi.

6. On this auspicious day of Mahavir Jayanti, I pray that Lord Mahavir may bless you with a life of nonviolence, compassion and kindness. Wishing you a very Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2023.

7. I always pray to Lord Mahavir to bless you with what you deserve and not what you desire because you truly deserve more than you desire. Warm wishes on Mahavir Jayanti to you.

8. The beauty and happiness of life lie in simplicity. Simple words have the power to express the greatest thoughts. Wishing you and your family a life of simplicity. Happy Mahavir Jayanti.

9. Always adopt the path of truth, non-violence, kindness and knowledge and you will live a happy life blessed with righteousness. Sending best wishes on Mahavir Jayanti 2023 to you.

10. May Lord Vardhmaan Mahavir bless your life with happiness, knowledge and kindness. May you always follow the right path and enjoy a blessed life. Happy Mahavir Jayanti to you and your family.

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MAHAVIR JAYANTI 2023: Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most important festivals in the Jain community, which is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Mahavir, the founder of Jainism. This year it will be celebrated on April 4. The day is celebrated with utmost vigour among the followers of Jainism since the day holds immense importance for them.

ALSO READ: Happy Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Best Wishes, Images, Status, Quotes, Photos, Messages and Greetings

Mahavira played a crucial role in preaching and spreading Jainism in ancient India. As a preacher of Jainism, Mahavira imparted knowledge about the importance of non-violence, truth, non-stealing, and non-attachment and highlighted the contribution of these elements in attaining spiritual liberation.

Here are some ways in which Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated:

Prayer and Worship

On this day, Jains visit temples and perform puja to seek the blessings of Lord Mahavir. They also offer flowers, sweets, and fruits to the deity. Processions

Processions are taken out on the streets, and people sing bhajans and hymns in praise of Lord Mahavir. Fasting

Jains observe a fast on this day to purify their body and soul. Some people observe a complete fast, while others consume only fruits and water. Charity

Charity is an important aspect of Jainism, and on Mahavir Jayanti, people donate money, clothes, and food to the needy. Cultural Programs

Cultural programs, including plays, skits, and dance performances, are organized to spread the message of Lord Mahavirs teachings. Lectures

Scholars and religious leaders deliver lectures on the life and teachings of Lord Mahavir. These lectures help people understand the importance of non-violence, self-control, and compassion, which are the core principles of Jainism.

Overall, Mahavir Jayanti is a day of great importance to Jains worldwide, and they celebrate it with great enthusiasm and devotion.

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After RM, J-Hope, and Jimin, it is time for some new music by BTS Suga. The k-pop idol is gearing up to release his first-ever solo album. The surprising announcement came on Sunday, April 2 that his album D-Day will drop on April 21. Suga has also produced and written songs in the upcoming project which is the final instalment of his Agust D trilogy. The rapper-dancers debut mixtape was released back in 2016. The project was all about his underground rap influences and personal journey as Agust D.

It offered fans an intimate glimpse of his life as an artist. The mixtape was followed by another project titled D-2, which was dropped in 2020. Now, this new album doesnt only mark his first-ever solo studio album but also the final leg of his mixtapes. The announcement was shared by BIGHIT Music via Twitter alongside a dark poster. Take a look at it here:

It will be soon after the release of his album that Suga will embark on the journey of his solo tour. It will kick-start in the United States from April 26 onwards. The first-ever performance will be hosted at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, after which he will perform at multiple arenas across the United States during early and mid-May. This will be followed by his arrival in Jakarta later that month. In early June, he will also take over the stage in Japan then the tour-schedule move to various locations in Bangkok and Singapore. His first ever-solo musical ride ends close to his home country in Seoul, South Korea on June 24 and 25. It was back in February when the schedule was officially shared on social media, and soon the tickets to Sugas concert were sold out.

This also comes at a time when Suga has already released the 30-second teaser of his upcoming solo documentary titled Road to D-Day. It is slated to release via the OTT platform Disney+Hotstar and Weverse (Koreas Twitter). However, the rapper has only teased fans with a short trailer video, the release date of the documentary remains unclear. Watch the trailer here:

Buckle up for a sweet ride! SUGA takes you on a road trip across multiple cities in the documentary special, SUGA: Road To D-DAY streaming soon, read the announcement. BTS member Jimins first solo album FACE was released on March 24.

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The two day NMACC gala came to an end on Saturday and it was truly a star-studded event. While the Bollywood celebs all thronged to the red carpet, some prominent Hollywood stars like Zendaya, Tom Holland and Penelope Cruz also followed suit. But the highlight of the extravaganza was Gigi Hadid who had also gone on the stage when Varun Dhawan was performing. Now in her latest social media post, Gigi Hadid has expressed her gratitude for the time she spent in Mumbai.

On Monday, Gigi Hadid took to her Instagram handle to drop multiple pictures from her trip to Mumbai. The snaps showed her posing with the backdrop of Gateway Of India, a picture with Nita Ambani, a snap of performers dancing on the stage of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, a picture of herself all decked up for the night, a glimpse where she could be seen relishing coconut water, photos from tourist spots like CST and much more. Along with the album that encapsulated her time in India, Gigi Hadid also penned a long note as her caption.

ALSO READ | Gigi Hadid Asked Varun Dhawan to Pick Her Up on Stage? Shiamak Davar Reveals It Was Her

It read, Warmest Thanks to the Ambani family for hosting me in Mumbai for the Opening Weekend of @nmacc.india! It was an honor to be there to witness your familys vision come to life, in a beautiful world-class Cultural Center to celebrate and cultivate the creatives and heritage of India. After seeing the opening nights of The Great Indian Musical and India in Fashion exhibit, I learned so much & know this venue will nurture future generations to explore their passions from dance to design, from music to art. If you have the chance to visit & see these productions  I HIGHLY recommend!!!!  Unforgettable first trip to India. Much love."

Reacting to the pictures, one of the fans wrote, Thank you for always being so kind and lovely. Hope to see you soon!" Another one commented, Hope you will be back in India for more events. Love to see you Gigi in India. More love to you!" Someone else said, Love you Gigi. Thank you for immersing us in the experience with you." A fan stated, So glad that she came!!"

Some other stars who attended the launch of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) launch include Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Aayushman Khurram, Tahira Kashyap, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra among others.

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Over the years filmmaker Priyadarshan has delivered a bunch of films worth cherishing. From making us laugh our hearts out in the iconic 2000 directorial Hera Pheri to giving us the chills in the Akshay Kumar-starrer Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Priyadarshan has indeed surpassed expectations with his brilliant direction. But in 2021, two of the directors films did not go as planned. Hungama 2 and Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea proved to be box-office flops. Now, the 66-year-old is pinning his hopes high for his upcoming action thriller Corona Papers.

Priyadarshan, who recently attended a film festival, heaped praises on actors Mohanlal and Mammootty for their exceptional contribution to the Malayalam film industry. He credited their hard work, efforts and phenomenal performances in films that enabled Malayalam cinema to reach new heights. Calling Mohanlal and Mammootty pillars of Malayalam cinema, Priyadarshan said, Malayalam cinema could not have reached this level without them.

The Khatta Meetha director further elaborated that both the Malayalam actors, who have worked together on several projects including Athirathram, Padayottam, Harikrishnans and Narasimham were responsible for changing the perspective of the masses regarding Mollywood movies. These two can be proud of being the pioneers, concluded Priyadarshan.

Priyadarshan has also collaborated with both Mammootty and Mohanlal. Some of the famous movies where the film director and Mammootty worked together include Parayaanum Vayya Parayaathirikkaanum Vayya, Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu and Megham.

Meanwhile, Priyadarshan and Mohanlal, known to be the hit machine of Malayalam films, have also proven their mettle in collaborations. Their key films are Minnaram, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Chithram and Killukam.

Speaking of Priyadarshans much-anticipated film Corona Papers, the trailer of the action is already making fans talk about the project. The film boasts an ensemble cast of Shine Tom Chacko, Gayathrie Shankar, Jean Lal and Shane Nigam in pivotal roles.

Corona Papers marks Priyadarshans first collaboration with Shine Tom Chacko and Shane Nigam. According to reports, the film is a remake of the Tamil crime thriller 8 Thottakkal. It is slated to hit the big screens on April 6.

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MARLON BRANDO BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: One of the greatest American actors to have ever lived, Marlon Brando was born on April 3, 1924, in Omaha, US. This year marks the 99th birth anniversary of one of the most influential actors from Hollywood. He began his journey with theatre in the capable hands of American actress and teacher Stella Adler and noted theatre and film director Elia Kazan.

Brando went on to win the Oscar for Best Actor twice  On the Waterfront (1954), The Godfather (1972). Brando became renowned for his natural approach to characters. Brandos roles in A Streetcar named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now (1979) achieved cult status and it is his dialogues that became the most remembered and often quoted. Here, we look at some of the most iconic dialogues from his films.

Marlon Brando Birth Anniversary: Most Iconic Dialogues

Now just remember what Huey Long said - that every mans a king - and Im the king around here, and you dont forget it. - A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) You dont understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I couldve been somebody instead of a bum, which is what I am. Lets face it." - On the Waterfront (1954) Im gonna make him an offer he cant refuse. - The Godfather (1972) You will travel farmy little Kal-El. But we will never leave you. Even in the face of our deaths. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that Ive learned, everything I feel, all this and more II bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you, all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father and the father the son. This is all Iall I can send youKal-El. - Superman: The Movie (1978) Have you ever considered any real freedoms? Freedoms from the opinion of others even the opinions of yourself? - Apocalypse Now (1979)

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRABHU DEVA: Celebrated choreographer Prabhu Deva is revered by many aspiring dancers for his amazing performances. In a career spanning over three decades, he has established himself as a dancer, actor, producer, and director. Prabhu Deva has worked primarily in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu language films and produced some exceptional works in all three industries.

His talent and dedication earned him the fourth-highest civilian honour in the country, the Padma Shri. One thing that is synonymous with Prabhu Deva is dance. On his birthday, here is a look at his top five dance numbers.

Go Go Govinda

Prabhu Deva shakes a leg with Sonakshi Sinha in this fun dance number from the film OMG: Oh My God. The actors relaxed movements and facial expressions made the track an instant hit. The song was sung by Mika Singh and Shreya Ghoshal and continues to be popular during Janmashtami celebrations. Muqabla

The ace dancer is seen performing the hit number from Street Dancer 3D. The song was sung by Yash Narvekar and Paranpara Thakur. This song was a recreation of A.R. Rahmans iconic track from the movie Humse Hai Muqabla, which also starred Prabhu Deva. The actor won hearts all over again as he nailed the famous hook step with Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor in Street Dancer 3D. Happy Hour

Prabhu Deva and Varun Dhawan set the dance floor on fire as they aced this peppy number from ABCD 2. Deva also played the role of a choreographer and mentor to Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoors team, who aim to win a global dance competition. Jalwa

Salman Khan and Prabhu Deva matching steps in the song Jalwa from the 2009 movie Wanted is nothing less than a treat for their fans. Along with Govinda and Anil Kapoor, Prabhu Deva made a special cameo in the song. The song was composed by Sajid-Wajid, and sung by Wajid and Earl. Urvasi Urvasi

One of Prabhu Devas most recognisable performances is Kaadhalan, dubbed in Hindi as Humse Hai Muqabala. People still love to recreate his incredible dance routines on buses. The famous number, composed by A.R. Rahman, became a chartbuster upon release.

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Priyanka Chopra Jonas is not holding back anymore. At the trailer launch of her American TV series Citadel in Mumbai on Monday, Priyanka, who has been in the news for her recent explosive podcast, opened up on why she couldnt be vocal about the politics in Bollywood" earlier. In the now-viral podcast, Priyanka had said that she decided to take a break from the Hindi film industry after she was being pushed into a corner".

Reflecting on what made her make those revelations on the podcast, Priyanka on Monday said, When I was in the podcast, I was asked about the journey of my life. I spoke about how I was young and (the experiences I had when) I was 10, 15, 22, 30 and 40. I was talking about the truth of my journey. And now, I was confident enough to talk about that phase in my life. Now where I am, I was okay enough to kind of articulate what I felt."

She further shared, I had a very tumultuous relationship with what occurred but I forgave. I moved on a long time ago and I made my peace with it. Thats why it was easy for me to talk about it in a normal manner in a safe space."

Priyanka Chopra recently made headlines after she appeared on Dax Shepards podcast Armchair Expert. Her statement about taking a break from the Hindi film industry after being pushed into a corner" and having a beef" created ripples on social media, with many members from the film fraternity resonating with her sentiments.

She had shared, I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break." In 2012, her musical career in Hollywood took off and she said that it gave her a chance to not do the kind of films she didnt want to. This music thing gave me an opportunity to go into another part of the world, not crave for the movies I didnt want to get but I would require to schmooze certain clubs and cliques of people. It would require groveling and I had worked a long time by then that I didnt feel like I wanted to do it," she added.

On the work front, Priyanka will next be seen in Citadel co-starring Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci. It is all set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 28.

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Tamil superstar Vijay has clocked in 1 million followers on Instagram in 99 minutes. According to a report by India Today, the Beast actor achieved the third position on the roster of famous individuals who garnered the most number of Instagram followers in the shortest time. Kim Taehyung, also known as V from BTS, and Angelina Jolie secured the first and second places, respectively. V reached 1 million followers on Instagram in just 43 minutes, while Angelina Jolie accomplished the same feat in 59 minutes. Now, the actor has around 4.8 million followers on Instagram.

Thalapathy Vijay made his Instagram debut on April 2, 2023, and uploaded his inaugural photo from the Kashmir schedule of his recently wrapped-up film, Leo. The photo portrays Thalapathy's appearance in the movie Leo where he is seen striking a candid pose looking absolutely suave. In his post, Vijay greeted his fans, addressing them as Nanbas and Nanbis". Fans and well-wishers were quick to leave heartfelt comments on Vijay's first Instagram post, welcoming him to the platform. Take a look at his post below:

Vijay is currently enjoying a fan following of over 4.4 million followers on Instagram as of now. Apart from that, he already has over 7.8 million followers on Facebook and 4.4 million on Twitter. It seems that Thalapathy Vijay will finally share some personal content on Instagram, which his millions of fans have been eagerly anticipating. Typically, Thalapathy only shares information related to his films on Twitter. Fans have been hoping for a change, at least on Instagram, where they hope to see a different side of him.

Meanwhile, the actor is currently shooting for his upcoming film Leo, which is directed by Lokesh Kanagraj. This is the second time that the actor and the director have teamed up, following the success of their previous collaboration, Master, in 2021. Leo is a gangster thriller starring Vijay and Trisha Krishnan as the lead actors and Sanjay Dutt as the villain. In the movie, Vijay will be portraying the character of a middle-aged gangster named 'Leo'. The music for the film is being composed by Anirudh Ravichander, while the cinematography is being handled by Manoj Paramhamsa, who is using cutting-edge cameras for the high-budget movie. The entire filming process is expected to be completed within the next two months, and the movie is slated to release on October 19.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIKRANT MASSEY: Vikrant Massey has made a name for himself, courtesy of a series of impressive performances in movies and television shows. Massey started his career in 2004 with the television show Kahaan Hoon Main. He then went on to work in several soap operas like Balika Vadhu, Dharam Veer, and Qubool Hai.

In 2013, Vikrant made the transition with his debut in the 2013 release film Lootera, along with Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. He later appeared in films like Dil Dhadakne Do, Half Girlfriend, Chhapaak, and Cargo. The actor was also acclaimed for playing his role as Aditya Sharma in the series, Criminal Justice, with co-star Pankaj Tripathi.

On his 36th Birthday, heres a look at the latest and upcoming films of the talented actor.

Gaslight

This upcoming mystery thriller stars Chitrangda Singh, Sara Ali Khan, along with Vikrant Massey in the lead roles. Vikrant is playing the role of Kapil. The plot of Gaslight revolves around Misha, played by Sara, who returns to her royal family estate after 15 years to meet her estranged father. However, everything changes when she finds out he is missing. The movie released on March 31, 2023, on Disney+ Hotstar. Sector 36

Directed by Aditya Nimbalkar, this crime-thriller movie is reportedly based on true events. The movie was announced in June last year. It featured Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal in key roles. Love Hostel

Vikrant Massey will be seen in the movie Love Hostel, a crime thriller directed by Shanker Raman. The film stars Sanya Malhotra and Bobby Deol in lead roles alongside Vikrant Massey. The actor played the role of a newly-wed couple along with Sanya. Forensic

Vikrant Massey played the role of a Forensic expert in the 2022 release web-film. The plot revolves around a team of investigators who are on a mission to nab a serial killer who murders small girls on their birthdays. Directed by Vishal Furia, the movie also stars Radhika Apte and Prachi Desai. 14 Phere

This Devanshu Singh directorial starred Vikrant along with Kriti Kharbanda in lead roles. The movies plot revolves around two lovers, played by the leads, who belong to different castes. Vikrant and Kritis characters want to get married but dont want to hurt their families so they decide to tie the knot by arranging a fake set of parents

Apart from these movies, Vikrant Massey has also worked on several other projects in the past, including web series like Broken but beautiful, Mirzapur, and Criminal Justice. His upcoming projects showcase his versatility and range as an actor, and fans are eagerly waiting to see him on the big screen again.

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One of the most anticipated crime action thrillers Ravanasura starring Ravi Teja is all set to hit the cinemas this Friday, April 7. At the pre-release event held at Shilpa Kala Vedhika in Hyderabad on Saturday, actor Hyper Aadi, who is known for his brilliant comic timing in the show Jabardasth, heaped praises for Ravi. Hyper Aadi shared that as long as Ravi Teja is there in the Telugu film industry, anyone with talent can rise to fame.

Speaking at the event, Hyper Aadi mentioned that a person who becomes successful is known as a star but a real hero is when (they help) rise and pull ten more people along with (them). That real hero is Ravi Teja. As long as Ravi Teja is there in the Telugu film industry, anyone with talent can get on the red bus, he added.

Hyper Aadi also said that if someone wants to become a director and narrate the story to Ravi Teja and he likes it, then the actor will work with them. Hyper Aadi even stated that if someone wants to be an artist and that person has the talent then, Ravi Teja will make him a star.

The film, Ravanasura, is a murder mystery. Ravi Teja plays the role of a criminal lawyer. In the trailer, Ravi Teja hinted to the viewers that he is a perpetrator, as he can be heard saying, To commit murder is a crime, but to commit it without being caught is an art.

Alongside Ravi Teja, the film also features Megha Akash and Anu Emmanuel. The Sudheer Varmas directorial film also stars Faria Abdullah, Krishna Penumarthi, Sushanth Anumolu and Pujita Ponnada, among others in supporting roles.

Apart from Ravanasura, Ravi Teja will also be seen in Vamsees Tiger Nageswara Rao. The film also features Anupam Kher and Kriti Sanons sister Nupur Sanon in key roles.

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We recently had April Fools day, an occasion for people to play harmless pranks on each other, all in good faith. We have all been fooled or made a fool of someone at least once in our lives on April 1. But did you know that the makers of Bigg Boss Marathi also played an April Fool prank on the contestants once? It happened during season 4 of the reality show and actor Kiran Mane had been an integral part of it. Kiran Mane recently shared a video of the prank and explained what had happened.

Bigg Boss is notorious for its quarrels and fights and Bigg Boss Marathi 4 was no different. The housemates had split themselves into two factions, who were always at loggerheads with each other. One faction consistently kept nominating Kiran Mane to be evicted from the house.

Then one day, Bigg Boss announced that Kiran Mane had been evicted and he left the house, leaving the opposing faction elated. However, they were unaware that Bigg Boss was actually playing an April Fools prank on them and had instead kept Kiran in a separate private room, away from the others. And suddenly, on April 1, Kiran made a grand re-entry inside the house. While his friends were delighted to see him, the faces of his opponents were worth watching in the video shared by Kiran Mane. Kiran named contestants Apoorva, Akshay and Snehalta and said they had thought that he had left the house for good.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kiran Mane (@kiranmaneofficial)

Kiran Mane is seen entering the house again with the song Main Hoon Don playing while the faces of his opponents are shown with the song April Fool Banaya playing in the background.

Mane was fond of acting and drama from his childhood and then after completing his education he started a shop called Kiran Automotive. Those were the days of struggle in his life. He reportedly came across an article about an acting workshop and decided to join, a decision that changed his life.

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Field Marshal Manekshaw, the legendary Army Chief and the Chief Architect of the victory in 1971 Indo-Pak War, was born in Amritsar to Parsi parents on April 3, 1914. As we celebrate his 109th birth anniversary, the grateful nation salutes him for his exceptional contribution as a military leader while he commanded one of the finest armies in the world.

Young Manekshaw had all the makings of a leader. As a child, he was exceptionally good at mathematics and English, standing first in the Senior Cambridge examination in the entire United Punjab Province. His ambition then was to become a gynaecologist, which was thwarted by his doctor father who had earlier served in the British Army and had a medical practice at Amritsar.

Manekshaw, who was in teens then, rebelled against his father and opted for a military career, joining the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, where his outspoken nature and friendly attitude became the talk of the town. He expressed his views boldly, yet remained a darling of his friends and superiors. After his memorable stint at this prestigious Military Academy, he was among the first few to get the Kings commission in the British Army that had a few Indian Officers and his British Instructor there never ever imagined that one day, this gentleman cadet would send chills to the spine of the foe and teach the aggressor the lesson of a lifetime.

The 1971 war under General Manekshaws military leadership was one of its kind for the Indian subcontinent, to gain control of territories outside the nations boundaries and carve out a new nation out of a hostile and brutal neighbour. The war happened at a time when India had faced a monumental loss of her territories to Chinese aggression and the 1962 military debacle due to political blunder of Himalayan proportions was haunting the psyche of every Indian. Interestingly, Pakistans then President General Yahya Khan was his colleague during their stint as staff officers of Field Marshal Sir Claude Auchinleck and at the time of Partition, Manekshaw had given his red James Motor Cycle to Khan who wanted to possess this unique two-wheeler at any cost. He had promised Sam that he would pay Rs 1,000 once he was in Pakistan. Khan thought he was smart and had outwitted his friend. Yes, Khan got the bike, but he did not have the courtesy to repay the promised sum to Sam. Destiny has its own way and Pakistan under Khan, the brutal military dictator, was dismantled by his friend, who got more than what he ever imagined for his famous bike  a truncated Pakistan and nearly 93,000 prisoners of war.

The refugee crisis was mounting and lakhs of hapless citizens of erstwhile East Pakistan started pouring into eastern India. It was the worst humanitarian crisis ever witnessed by Independent India. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had no other option but to wage a war against Pakistan to prevent the relentless influx of refugees. It was the most difficult time for India and prevailing conditions then were not conducive for an all-out war. Then Army Chief SHFJ Manekshaw did not buckle under pressure. The General took a firm stand against the wishes of the most powerful woman Prime Minister, reassuring her that Indian Army under his guidance would strike a lethal blow to Pakistan at an appropriate time of his choosing, ensuring 200% victory against the brutal oppressor with no ifs and buts.

In all his humility and grace, with due respect to his Prime Minister, he stood his ground like a rock and was ready to sacrifice his illustrious career for it. True to his words, he did it in style and the historic war lasted less than two weeks, bringing Pakistan to its knees and reinforcing the much needed-confidence of India in her military abilities.

The 1971 victory against Pakistan was exceptional, which could only be achieved despite many odds by an exceptionally outstanding General known for his straight talk and no nonsensical approach. Notwithstanding the US pressure and Indias lack of advanced weaponry, a theocratic and autocratic Pakistan was shown the door when mighty world powers remained silent on the worst atrocities perpetuated on the humanity under General Niazi, the butcher of East Bengal.

Manekshaw was a Soldiers General and a darling of the troops. During his illustrious career spanning over four decades in uniform, he remained compassionate and never harmed his subordinates. He used to proudly say that he has not punished anyone, even those who have been recommended for stringent punishment by senior Commanders. His critics questioned his approach, but his subordinates knew very well that Manekshaw could never be vindictive, sacrificing a lamb for his glory. For them, he was a real tiger who fought with his might to protect his tribe. This conspicuous attribute of his personality along with his razor sharp intellect made him a super General" and an exceptional military leader who got the best from his troops.

Contrary to easygoing exteriors, Manekshaw was a thoroughbred professional and a perfectionist. He had profound knowledge and human understanding, with capacity for hard work. He told me once: Doctor, luck plays an important role and there is a thin line that differentiates between being court-martialed or becoming a Field Marshal.

He would have gone home as a Major, yet became a Field Marshal by his deeds, although he attributed all his success to his luck. As a young Major, while he was posted in Burma during the Second World War, he was battling for his life with seven bullets to his body. The grievous battle injuries failed to dampen his spirits. After recovery, he went back to the battlefield with renewed energy and enthusiasm. It is obvious that luck favors the brave and for Sam, who was always on the firing line with perilous risks in the offing, luck had no choice but to favor the most valiant one in both letter and spirit. After his retirement from service, he never aspired to occupy a high office. He kept away from politics and settled for a peaceful and contented life in distant Coonoor, far away from Lutyens Delhi where he was entitled to a bungalow. He was denied his pension and other perks and privileges. Thanks to the personal intervention of the late President Abdul Kalam, he got his pension, but it was too late.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to be associated with such an illustrious man. It is his illness that brought me closer to him and his trust in my abilities that made this association eternal. He had an aura and charm. He was compassionate and kind with innate ability to give his best and get the best out of others. I had a great sense of happiness in looking after him and feel distinctly lucky that I could treat him till the very end. When he died, I was with him holding his hand, along with his daughters Mrs Maya Dharuwala and Mrs Sherry Baltiwala. In both life and death, he has become immortal.

Late Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw deserved much more than what he got from the nation. He was Indias pride and a rare jewel who should have been honoured with the Bharat Ratna during his lifetime. It is not too late and there is no opportune moment than now as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of Indias Independence.

Retired Lt Gen BNBM Prasad, SM, VSM Physician to Late Field Marshal Manekshaw & Former Director General Hospital Services Indian Armed Forces. Views expressed are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.

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The story of the Sikh community is a historically stirring and important chapter within the studies of Indian history. It tells a tale of the rise of a group of people from among the followers of Guru Nanak, a Jat Hindu religious saint, who all ultimately turned into a community of warriors under severe Islamic persecution, and finally created a kingdom of their own under the famous warrior chief Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In the context of the current disturbances created in India and abroad by a group of people who term themselves the Khalistanis (from within the Sikh community), this article will take a brief look at the history of Sikhs, its similarities with Hinduism, and explore how the problem of Khalistan was created.

History of Sikhs

The Sikh sect was founded by Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538 CE) and continued by nine other Gurus, the last of whom was Guru Govind Singh (1675- 1708 CE). Guru Nanak came from a Vaishnava family, living in the part of Punjab which is now in Pakistan, post-1947. He was born at a time when the Islamic invaders had already inflicted grave damage on Hindu morale through persistent and widespread temple destructions, forced conversions, and severe persecution. It was in such an atmosphere that Guru Nanak started his preaching, going back to the original philosophical teachings of Hinduism from the Vedas, Upanishads, and Dharmasastras.

Guru Nanak was actually part of a religious phenomenon that was sweeping India at that time, in response to Islamic aggression, in the form of what was later historically termed the Bhakti movement. As the Hindu kings and chiefs fought against Islamic invaders across the country, Hindu saints and philosophers started a spiritual revolution which came to be known as the Bhakti Movement. The movement, with its central theme based on the Puranas and various Dharmasastras, had few variations, wherein in some parts of India, the saints focused on the Advaita school of thought (mysticism) as found in the Upanishads and Yoga traditions. The Advaita school of thought was popular in the Northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly so, because of the large-scale destruction of Hindu temples that these areas had witnessed and the various restrictions faced by the Hindus in their daily religious practices. It was the Advaita school of thought that Guru Nanak propounded as his spiritual teachings, and through his various idioms and verses. His followers were referred to as Sikhs, a term derived from the Sanskrit word sishyas, meaning devoted followers or disciples. The fourth Guru, Ram Das (1574-1581 CE), excavated a tank that was later named Amritsar, and soon a temple of Hari or Harimandir was built in the middle of this tank, which became the main seat of the Sikh sect, with the sanctum housing the Adi Granth that contains compositions of Sikh Gurus, Hindu saints, and few Sufis influenced by the Advaita philosophy.

The Adi Granth

Compilation of the Adi Granth was started by the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev (1581-1606 CE), and completed by the tenth Guru, Govind Singh. If one reads the Adi Granth closely, he or she will find that it is completely in sync with the philosophy and spirituality of the Vedas and Upanishads. As Ram Swarup says in his book: There is nothing in Sikhism - its diction, its imagery, its idiom, its cosmogony, its mythology, its stories of saints and sages and heroes, its metaphysics, its ethics, its methods of meditation, its rituals - which is not derived from the scriptures of Hinduism. The ragas to which the hymns and songs of the Adi Granth were set by the Gurus are based on classical Hindu music. The parikrama (perambulation) performed by Sikhs round every Gurudwara, the dhoop (incense), deep (lamp), naivaidya (offerings) presented by the devotees inside every Sikh shrine, and the prasadam (sanctified food) distributed by Sikh priests resemble similar rites in every other Hindu place of worship. A dip in the tank attached to the Harimandir is regarded as holy by Hindus in general and Sikhs in particular as a dip in the Ganga or the Godavari.

~ (Hindu-Sikh Relationship, 1985, p. 5).

Khuswant Singh also reiterates the same in his book Why I Supported the Emergency, 2015: The roots of Sikhism lie deep in the Bhakti form of Hinduism. Guru Nanak picked what he felt were its salient features: belief in one God who is undefinable, unborn, immortal, omniscient, all-pervading and the epitome of Truth; belief in the institution of the Guru as the guide in matters spiritual; unity of mankind without distinction of caste; rejection of idol worship and meaningless ritual; sanctity of the sangat (congregation) which was expected to break bread together at the Guru ka Langar; the gentle way of sahaj to approach God while fulfilling domestic obligations; hymn singing (kirtan); emphasis on work as a moral obligation. The Adi (first) Granth is essentially a distillation of the Vedanta in Punjabi, the Dasam (tenth) is a compilation of tales of valour of Hindu goddesses, some composed by the Guru himself, others by bards of his court.

There are many more such similarities between the Adi Granth and the different Hindu texts, as in the Isa Upanishad, there is a verse that says: It is far; It is near; It is within all this: It is outside all this. Guru Nanak says the same in the lines: He is near; He himself is far; He himself is in the midst. A verse from the Taittiriya Upanisads, From fear of Him, the fire burns, from fear the Sun gives heat, from fear do Indra, Wind and Death spread along is repeated in the Adi Granth (p. 464) as, In fear the wind blows  in fear Dharma Raj (Death)  in fear the Sun, in fear the moon. The hymn of creation in the Vedas (RV, 10.129) is there in Guru Nanaks Shabads, where he says: In the beginning, there was indescribable darkness. There was neither earth nor heaven  neither day nor night

A new breed of so-called scholars have claimed that Sikhism has very little or nothing to do with Hinduism; however in reality, of the 15020 times the name of God has appeared in the Adi Granth, Guru Nanak himself had used the word Hari 630 times in it, while in total, Hari occurs 8,300 times in the book; while Rama appears 2,533 times, along with Prabhu, Gopal Govind, and other Hindu names for the divinity. The purely Sikh term Wahe Guru appears only 16 times in the book (Khushwant Singh, Why I Supported the Emergency, 2015).

While some 19th-20th British created and later Marxist (post-independence) scholars have put forward theories that the monotheism in Sikhism is derived from Islam, nothing can be farther from the truth. In Vedic Hinduism, there is the concept of Brahman or Supreme Consciousness, the sole Being, and the Creator of all living things in this world, a clear form of monotheism. The Advaita school of thought, as found in the Upanishads, is derived from this concept of the Supreme Brahman, and it is this form of spirituality and philosophy that was adopted by Guru Nanak and the other Gurus of the Sikhs.

Sikhs and Islamic persecution

As the sayings of Guru Nanak gained popularity bringing back many of the converted, it alarmed the Muslim religious heads, and under their guidance, Jahangir (1605-1627 CE) tortured and executed the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev in 1606, for spreading falsehood and tempting Muslims to apostasy. Guru Arjan Dev was the first of the two Gurus martyred in the Sikh faith for refusing to change religion and accept Islam.

After the death of Guru Arjan dev, the sixth Guru, Har Govind (1606-1644 CE), decided to introduce martial combat arts in the Sikh community as a self-defence mechanism, and he formed a small army that would resist the Muslim persecution. However, Aurangzeb (1658-1707 CE), summoned the ninth Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur (1664-1675 A.D.) to Delhi and had him executed when he refused to accept Islam in 1675. Along with Guru Tegh Bahadur, some of his followers who had accompanied him were also tortured and killed. After this, the 10th and final Guru of the Sikhs, Govind Singh, decided that a change in Sikhism was necessary to fight Islamic oppression; a process already initiated by Guru Har Govind and completed by Govind Singh when he created the Khalsa Panth in 1699 CE.

Guru Govind Singh, a great scholar, was a believer in Devi Durga-Mahisasuramardini. He performed a hom-yajna and invoked the Devi for her blessings in his fight to protect dharma, and the Devis answer came in the form of a sword, which became a symbol of his war against religious oppression. Once initiated, the Khalsa members were asked to wear five emblems symbolising this order: Kesh (long hair), Kangha (comb), Kada (steel bracelet), Kachha (shorts), and Kirpan (sword); and the honorary title of Singh (lion) was added to their names so that they could be distinguished from the non-Khalsa Sikhs. The Khalsa Panth was a martial body within the larger Sikh community, to fight against Muslim tyranny. Soon, it became a much-revered tradition in many Hindu and Sikh families to dedicate their eldest sons to the Khalsa Panth, which was regarded as the martial arm of the Hindu-Sikh society.

The issue of Khalistan

The British, in their divide-and-rule policy, sowed the seeds for the Khalistan movement by dividing Punjabi society into Hindu and Sikh, which they started in the 1860s, soon after the 1857 mutiny. The British needed the Sikhs in their army to fight against the various Hindu kingdoms, and to keep the two separate, they slowly started planting the idea of a separate nation for the Sikhs. This was started by attempts at separating the Sikh community from the parent Hindu body by turning Sikhism into a different religious minority group (akin to the Muslims and Christians). This was achieved to some extent by using well-tutored and well-funded Sikh scholars and religious heads who started the narrative of Sikhism being completely different from Hinduism, with greater closeness to Islam and Christianity (monotheism).

Besides using academicians and religious heads, the British also played at political levels, and started Singh Sabhas, functioning under Khalsa Diwans (in Lahore and Amritsar), which owed complete loyalty to the British (the British-created Sikh loyalists had no connection with the Khalsa Panth created by Guru Govind Singh, a martial group to fight Islamic oppression).

In 1872, these Sikhs, loyal to the British, supported the cruel crackdown on the Namdhari Sikhs (for Swadeshi movement), and also favoured the 1914 brutal crushing of the Ghadarites (NRIs  immigrant Indians residing in America). This was followed by removal of the Brahmin priests from Har Mandir, and throwing out Hindu deities from this temple. That there were Hindu deities installed inside Har Mandir is clear from a letter written by a student, Bir Singh (in 1897), which speaks of a painting of Devi Durga on the front wall of a room near the Dukhbhanjani Beri in the Golden Temple. As the student described, the multi-armed Devi stood on golden sandals and in one of her outstretched hands, she held a khanda, while Guru Govind Singh stood barefoot in front of the Devi with his hands folded.

Post-independence, the seeds of divisiveness sown by the British began to bear fruit, and what started as a game to keep the Hindus and Sikhs divided for political control, snowballed into a full-scale terror movement known as the Khalistani separatist movement, aided by Pakistan, which peaked in the late 1970s-1980s.

The current Khalistani unrest, aided by Pakistan, is again a desperate attempt at creating an atmosphere of violence and chaos in India. The Central government will have to tackle this menace in a careful manner, and will have to suppress the terrorists with an iron hand, without making the mistake of putting the Sikhs and Hindus at loggerheads with each other.

The author is a well-known travel and heritage writer. Views expressed are personal.

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Antonio Guterres said, An opinion would assist the General Assembly, the UN and member states to take the bolder and stronger climate action that our world so desperately needs."
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to cool a little bit" in response to the latters statement criticising the West over its bad habit" of commenting" on internal matters of other countries.

Speaking to reporters on the comment, Tharoor said he has known Jaishankar for a long time and considers him a friend. But on this issue, I think we need not be so thin-skinned. I think its very important that as a government we learn to take some things in stride. If we start reacting to every comment, we are really doing ourselves a disservice," he told ANI.

#WATCH | We need not be so thin-skinned, I think it's very important that as govt we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge EAM Jaishankar to cool a little bit: Shashi Tharoor on EAM's West has a bad pic.twitter.com/2DtYLWspMO ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

I strongly urge my good friend Jai to cool a little bit. I think its one thing to say at a park full of youngsters, but when it resonates around the world, it doesnt play very well," he added.

Jaishankar strongly condemned the West for its God-given right" to speak about the internal matters of other countries during a Meet and Greet interaction organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park on Sunday.

In a question regarding statements made by Germany and the United States regarding the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament, the External Affairs Minister said, It is because the West has had a bad habit for a long time of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. I see that happening."

Meanwhile, Tharoor on Sunday said he would have advised his senior party colleague Digvijaya Singh against his thank you Germany tweet after the country took note of Gandhis disqualification.

The international attention - and the negative press for India - should not surprise Mr (Narendra) Modi and his government. Doubts about the democratic credentials of this government have been growing for some years, as is evident from the global media," he told PTI.

Still, I would have advised my highly respected senior colleague and friend not to say what he did. It has always been an article of faith for the Congress party that we do not require or accept any foreign tutelage after 200 years of subjection to colonial rule," Tharoor stressed.

That pride is deeply ingrained in every Indian," he said, asserting that we are perfectly capable of solving our own problems."

A sessions court in Surat, Gujarat on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He had filed an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his 2019 Modi surname" remark for which he was sentenced to two years in jail.

The court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera said it will hear his plea for suspension of conviction on April 13 after issuing a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat cabinet minister.

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Amid a row over religious conversions and the growing influence of Pentecostal churches in rural Punjab, a new political outfit of Punjabi Christians was floated on Monday, announcing that it would put up a candidate for next months Lok Sabha by-election in the reserved Jalandhar parliamentary constituency.

The emergence of the United Punjab Party comes just days after a Pentecostal Christian Parbandhak Committee was formed by some community members on the pattern of the SGPC.

An announcement in this regard was made at the Open Door Church of Pastor Harpreet Deol in Khojewala village near Jalandhar. Interestingly, Pastor Deol had come under the scanner of the income tax department, which had conducted raids recently on him and other Pentecostal churches at several places in Punjab in connection with alleged unaccounted foreign funding, illegal transfer of money and tax evasion.

Deol runs The Open Door Church in Kapurthala. Various Sikh groups have been complaining against the growing influence of the Pentecostal churches, alleging that they were luring Dalits to convert to Christianity

Analysts say since the Church has a decent following among the Dalit community of Jalandhar, the idea behind floating a new party at this juncture is being seen as an attempt to tap into this vote bank for the May 10 bypoll. This is for the first time that a political outfit has been formed with the active support of the Pentecostal churches whose influence has been growing in the rural areas of the state.

Though Pastor Harpreet Deol remained present at the meeting, he denied his role in political activities and said he would confine himself only to religious matters.

I support this party as it will give us a platform where we will be able to rake up issues concerning Christians such as the need to have more graveyards or even community centres," said Deol in a video message.

Ludhiana-based Albert Dua was appointed the president of the outfit by various Christians who attended the meeting. Interestingly, he had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2022 assembly polls. He has also served as a member of the Punjab State Minority Commission.

The proliferation of churches has of late become a major point of tension in Punjabs rural areas with Sikh groups alleging inducements for conversion, a charge denied by the Church. Some of these Pentecostal churches had come under the scanner of the IT department as well.

Though the states Christian population as per the 2011 census is a mere 1.26 per cent, activists believe that the actual figure is close to 15 per cent, as converted Christians remain Dalits on paper and avoid their religion to get the reservation benefits, which otherwise would be unavailable to them. Because the Church has a major influence on the Dalit population, the formation of such a political outfit so close to the Jalandhar by-election is being seen as an attempt to split the Dalit vote by mainstream political parties.

20% will show their real fangs now. Courtesy dysfunctional @SGPCAmritsar & @J_Harpreetsingh ji is in deep slumber. It is a wake-up call for all Sikh institutions. Those who propagate Khalistan should save Sikhi first or soon it will be Christianstan," tweeted BJPs national spokesperson RP Singh.

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The Madras High Court on Monday adjourned to April 20, deposed AIADMK leader O Panneerselvams (OPS) appeal against a single judge order refusing to stay the partys July 2022 general council resolutions, which among others expelled him and some of his aides.

A division bench of the High Court also refused to provide any interim order on Panneerselvams plea.

Panneerselvam had moved the bench after the single judge on March 28 rejected his plea against the July 11, 2022 general council resolutions, which expelled him and also picked his rival K Palaniswami as the then interim chief.

Soon after the verdict, Palaniswami was announced elected as the partys general secretary.

The general council is the AIADMKs top decision-making body.

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Canadian police have named two of the eight people, including four Indians, whose bodies were found in a marshland area along the US-Canada border, amid an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.

Bodies of eight persons were recovered last week from the marsh on the riverbank near Akwesasne, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

The deceased are believed to be two families of Indian and Romanian descent who were trying to cross into the US from Canada. Among them were two children under the age of three, both Canadian citizens.

On Saturday, police said that four Indian nationals, who they believed were a family attempting to cross into the US, have not been identified.

Citing a source with the police in India, the CBC News reported that at least three of them are family members from Gujarat.

The source said the family members include a man in his 50s and a woman and man in their 20s. The age and gender of the fourth Indian national is unknown at this time, the report said.

The identities of other people recovered of Indian descent have not been released, pending identification and notification of next of kin, the Montreal Gazette newspaper reported.

The circumstances of their deaths continue to be investigated, the paper added.

However, it is known that these families were attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada, Akwesasne Mohawk Police said.

Akwesasne officials have named two family members of Romanian descent  including a man holding his two childrens passports  who were among eight bodies recovered from the St. Lawrence River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.

One man has been identified as 28-year-old Florin Iordache. Police said he had two Canadian passports in his possession  one for his two-year-old child and another for his one-year-old infant whose bodies were recovered, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

One woman  Florins wife and the childrens mother  has also been identified as 28-year-old Cristina (Monalisa) Zenaida Iordache, the report said, quoting the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service statement.

Police found the bodies of five adults and one infant in the marshland on Friday. Another infant and an adult woman were located later. One of the children was a Canadian citizen.

Akwesasne police are working with Immigration Canada to assist with identifying the victims and notifying the next of kin. They are also increasing surveillance on the river.

Meanwhile, a family in the Mehsana district in Gujarat believes the Indians who were among the eight who died while trying to cross into the United States of America from Canada recently are their kin, according to PTI.

Jasubhai Chaudhary, a resident of Manekpur village in Vijapur taluka, on Sunday said his brother, sister-in-law and their two children had left for Canada two months ago on a visitors visa, adding reports of eight persons, including some Indians, being found in a marsh there had vexed kin in Gujarat.

Akwesasne police say there have been 48 incidents of people trying to cross illegally into Canada or into the United States through the Mohawk territory since January, and most of them have been of Indian or Romanian descent.

In January 2022, the bodies of four Indians, including a baby, were found frozen in Manitoba near the Canada-US border.

In April 2022, six Indian nationals were rescued from a sinking boat in the St Regis River, which runs through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.

(With PTI inputs)

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President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday hailed Ukraine for fighting off the biggest force against humanity of our time", one year after the first bodies were found in the streets of Bucha.

The quiet Kyiv suburb was occupied by Russian troops for more than a month last year and its name has become synonymous with the alleged war crimes carried out by Moscow during the invasion.

Russia has accused Ukraine and its allies of staging atrocities.

The anniversary comes a day after Russia took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council despite outrage from Kyiv and Western nations that have imposed sanctions on Moscow.

People of Ukraine! You have stopped the biggest force against humanity of our time," Zelensky said in a post on Telegram, accompanied by photos of areas liberated a year ago when Russian troops retreated from around the Ukrainian capital.

You have stopped a force that despises everything and wants to destroy everything that gives people meaning," Zelensky said.

We will liberate all our lands," he said.

Russia currently occupies around 18 percent of Ukraines territory.

Also marking the anniversary of the liberation of the Kyiv region, Ukraines armed forces chief Valery Zaluzhny wrote: We will continue to fight for the independence of our nation."

On April 2, 2022, AFP journalists visited Bucha and saw the bodies of 20 men in civilian clothing, including one with his hands tied behind his back, in a heavily destroyed town.

The scenes sent shockwaves around the world, with Kyiv and its Western allies condemning executions of civilians.

Prosecutors in Kyiv say that Russian forces killed some 1,400 civilians around Bucha, including 637 in the town itself, and that they have identified dozens of Russian soldiers responsible.

When he visited Bucha shortly after the discovery of the bodies, Zelensky appeared visibly moved and said Russia had carried out war crimes" that will be recognised by the world as genocide".

Since then almost every foreign leader who has visited Ukraine has also travelled to Bucha to pay their respects.

On Friday  the first anniversary of Russias retreat from the Kyiv region  Zelensky said he hoped that Bucha would become a symbol of justice".

We wany every Russian murderer, executioner, terrorist to be held responsible for every crime," he said.

- Massive bombardment -

After Russian troops retreated from the Kyiv region, they also drew back from parts of the northeast and south of the country.

But the front line has remained almost static in recent months, with Russian troops claiming only marginal gains  mainly around the battleground city of Bakhmut in the east.

The gains have come with steep casualties and Ukraines defences have held, with help from supplies of Western arms.

The Russian army, supported by the Wagner paramilitary group, has pressed hard to surround Bakhmut  hoping to claim a battlefield victory after the string of humiliating reversals.

On the ground, the intensity of the fighting has decreased from the start of the year despite intense clashes around Bakhmut.

Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskys office, on Sunday said Russian forces carried out a massive bombardment" on the village of Kostyantynivka near Bakhmut, killing six people and injuring eight.

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With its ambition to displace the United States (US), China is looking to start a propaganda war against America in Afghanistan, a top diplomatic source told CNN-News18 exclusively, adding that they want to research the US occupation of Afghanistan from a Chinese point of view and fund TV channels and websites".

China wants to invest in institution, research and information centres. They want to bring in Afghani officers on short-term scholarships, the source said. They want to start a propaganda warThey want to research the US occupation of Afghanistan from a Chinese point of view and fund TV/websites."

According to the source, the Chinese are aiming for Kabul TV channels and news websites. They have supported the Afghani media in the past too. Their clear aim is to enter through the media and research centres, he said. The source said they are also looking for investigators, who they could eventually use for other assignments too.

The Taliban came back to power in Afghanistan in 2021, two decades after US-led forces toppled their regime in what led to the United States longest war.

US-CHINA STRAIN

China wants to be at the centre of a new world order, overthrowing the US. The friction between the two nations has only increased since with disputes over trade, technology, security and ideology.

US WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

President George W Bush had launched his war on terror" in response to the September 11 attacks that killed around 3,000 people, with air strikes on Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. The Taliban government had sheltered Osama bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda movement, which masterminded 9/11.

ALSO READ | From US War on Terror After 9/11 to Taliban Taking Over Kabul, Key Dates in Afghanistan Since 2001

In 2009, President Barack Obama, who had campaigned on a pledge to end the Afghanistan war, doubled the number of US troops to 68,000. In 2010, it reached around 100,000. Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011 in a US special forces operation in Pakistan. On June 22, Obama announced the beginning of a troop withdrawal, with the departure by mid-2012 of 33,000 soldiers. In December 2014, NATO ended its 13-year combat mission, but a number of troops remained to train the Afghan military.

On February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed a historic deal in Doha under which all foreign forces were to leave Afghanistan by May 2021. The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021.

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM CHINA IN AFGHANISTAN

Once the US left the country, China came to Afghanistan to set up lucrative business deals with the new regime, mainly in the infrastructure sector. Experts said China first made infrastructure deals to make inroads into any territory.

The Taliban rulers have been seeking foreign investments in hopes of halting the downward spiral of the Afghan economy since their takeover.

Geologists have earlier identified that Afghanistan might have one of the largest copper deposits in the world, along with significant deposits of lithium, iron ore, and rare earth elements. China has economic and mining interests in the country, but those familiar with past talks between the Taliban and Chinese officials said Beijing wanted Taliban commitments to prevent Chinas Uyghur opponents from setting up operations in Afghanistan.

Chinese firms, with strong government backing, have tentatively sought to pursue opportunities in exploiting Afghanistans vast, undeveloped resource deposits, especially the Mes Aynak mine that is believed to hold the worlds largest copper deposit.

ISIS FACTOR

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan arm of the Islamic State is targeting Chinese nationals in a bid to avenge Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.

ALSO READ | ISIL-K Threatened to Launch Terrorist Attacks Against Embassies of India, China and Iran in Afghanistan

China had ordered all its citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country as soon as possible following a terrorist attack on a Chinese-owned hotel in the heart of Kabul on December 12, 2022, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility.

These orders came as a big blow to the Taliban regime amid the investment plans.

With Agency Inputs

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Finlands flag will be hoisted outside NATO headquarters on Tuesday when it becomes the 31st member of the Western alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member," Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a historic meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

After months of delays, Turkeys parliament had removed the last hurdle for Finland by becoming the last member of the US-led military alliance to ratify its application.

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Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat after losing her bid for a second term on Sunday. In a tight three-way race, Marins party came in second and centre-right National Coalition Party claimed victory Sunday evening with around 97.7% of the votes counted and coming on top at 20.7%.

Valtava kiitos kaikista ennakkoaanista Olemme saaneet tahan mennessa lasketuista ennakkoaanista 20,7% Tiedossa on ehdottomasti erittain jannittava ilta! pic.twitter.com/k2Sydyma56 Sosialidemokraatit (@Demarit) April 2, 2023

Congratulations to the winner of the elections, congratulations to the National Coalition Party, congratulations to the Finns Party. Democracy has spoken, Marin told her supporters. Marin also told her party members that it was a closely fought election and that he party members did well to boost the partys chances.

Videos shared by the Associated Press showed supporters cheering for Marin as she entered the party headquarters for the post-poll result declaration gathering.

Meanwhile, Finnish conservative leader Petteri Orpo thanked Finnish voters for voting for his outfit after emerging as 20.7% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party and the centre left.

Congratulations to my friend @PetteriOrpo for winning the elections in Finland!At this crucial time towards @NATO membership, the people of Finland know that our commitment to protecting our shared values across Europe will only get stronger. Yhdessa vahvempia  pic.twitter.com/2tmeUn88H8  Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) April 2, 2023

The Finns party won a record 20.1%. The Social Democrats garnered 19.9% of the votes polled.

I think Finnish people want change. They want change and now I will start negotiations, open negotiations with all parties, Orpo was quoted as saying by the BBC.

With the top three parties each getting around 20% of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic countrys parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government in Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party, said the partys leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters, according to the Associated Press.

Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europes youngest leaders, has received praise for her Cabinets handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and for her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finlands successful application to join NATO. Her vocal support of Ukraine in the last year has increased her international visibility.

Marin remains popular at home but her partys views on the Finnish economy, which emerged as the main campaign theme, were being challenged by conservatives.

The most important thing in the next government is to fix our economy, push economic growth, and balance the public economy. And the second very important issue is to build up NATO-Finland, Orpo was quoted as saying amid cheering supporters just outside Helsinki, the Associated Press said.

Finland, which is expected to join NATO in the coming weeks, is a European Union member with a population of 5.5 million.

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Pakistans ousted prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that the then Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had put pressure on him to develop friendly ties with India.

Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. However, their ties nose-dived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the State into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.

Gen Bajwa wanted me to develop friendly ties with India. He put pressure on me for this and it was one of the reasons our relationship deteriorated, Khan claimed during an interaction with social media journalists at his Lahores Zaman Park residence on Saturday evening.

He, however, reiterated his stance that Pakistan should only hold peace talks with India provided New Delhi restores the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf: chairman further said what Gen (retd.) Bajwa did to Pakistan even an enemy couldnt do. Bajwa should be held accountable by the army, he said.

Khan in the past accused Bajwa of not only toppling his country that laid a foundation of economic disaster but also committing atrocities against him, his party members and journalists. Bajwa wanted me killed, Khan alleged.

Khan has been at loggerheads with Gen (retd.) Bajwa ever since his ouster from power in April last year by a no-confidence motion.

Gen (retd) Bajwa retired on November 29 last year after two consecutive three-year terms.

Regarding the PML-N led federal governments assertion that it would not accept the verdict of a three-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in polls in two provinces, Khan said: I know what kind of benefits this cabal of corrupts would get by delaying the elections in Punjab and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. They are just delaying elections hoping to crush the PTI or finish Imran Khan. Khan asked the ruling alliance to explain the reasons for postponing polls till October, 2023.

If elections are not held within 90 days in two provinces Pakistan will be without a constitution, he said.

Khans party had dissolved assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in January after which a caretaker setup took over. Under the constitution, elections are held within 90 days from the date of dissolution of an assembly.

Pakistan is facing a critical moment in its history. The nation must stand by the Constitution and rule of law, Khan asserted.

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Republican US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed he would meet Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California on Wednesday, defying dire warnings from China that he was playing with fire."

Tsai plans to stop over in the United States on her return from Central America, where she has met the leaders of Guatemala and is visiting Belize before meeting McCarthy.

His office said Monday the bipartisan" meeting will take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, just outside Los Angeles.

McCarthy had originally planned to follow the example of his Democratic predecessor as speaker, Nancy Pelosi, who visited Taiwan in August, prompting China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises around the island  a self-governing democracy Beijing claims as part of its territory.

McCarthys decision to meet Tsai in the United States was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for Taiwan but avoid inflaming tensions with China.

However, Xu Xueyuan, the charge daffaires of Chinas embassy to the United States, told reporters last week that Washington risked serious confrontation" no matter whether US leaders visited Taiwan or the reverse.

The US keeps saying that transit is not a visit and that there are precedents, but we should not use past mistakes as excuses for repeating them today," she said.

She urged Washington not to repeat playing with fire on the Taiwan question," alluding among other things to last years visit to Taiwan by Pelosi.

As speaker of the House of Representatives, McCarthy is the most senior Republican lawmaker and is second in line to the US presidency.

- Peace and stability -

After arriving in New York last Wednesday ahead of her Central America swing, Tsai was greeted by flag-waving Taiwanese expatriates as she addressed a banquet.

We have demonstrated a firm will and resolve to defend ourselves, that we are capable of managing risks with calm and composure and that we have the ability to maintain regional peace and stability," she told the dinner.

Laura Rosenberger, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy in the absence of diplomatic relations, welcomed Tsai to New York but the State Department said it did not expect officials to meet her.

China claims the democratic island as part of its territory to be retaken one day and, under its One China" principle, no country may maintain official ties with both Beijing and Taipei.

The United States remains Taiwans most important ally  and its biggest arms supplier  despite switching its diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

The US stopover comes at a key time, with Beijing having ramped up military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai came to power in 2016.

US media reported that around 20 US lawmakers planned to accompany the speaker to the meeting in California.

China has increased investment in Latin America, a key diplomatic battleground between Taipei and Beijing since the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.

Taiwan accused China on Sunday of using coercion and intimidation" to lure away its allies after Honduran Foreign Minister Enrique Reina and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang officially launched relations in Beijing.

On Monday in Belize, Tsai thanked one of Taiwans few remaining allies for its diplomatic support amid constant threats and pressure" from China, in an address to the tiny countrys National Assembly.

Only Belize and Guatemala remain allies of Taiwan in Central America after Nicaragua shifted its allegiance to Beijing in 2021.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump landed in New York City on Monday after flying from Florida on his private plane to face charges stemming from a probe into hush money paid to a porn star, while his lawyers argued against allowing cameras in the courtroom.

With New York taking security precautions and the mayor telling any potential rabble-rousers to behave, Trump was due to surrender at the Manhattan District Attorneys Office on Tuesday and will likely be fingerprinted prior to appearing before a judge for an arraignment where he will plead not guilty.

Trump, 76, a Republican seeking to regain the presidency in 2024, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Beefing up his legal team, Trump hired Todd Blanche, a prominent white-collar criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, to lead his defense, two sources familiar with the matter said. Blanche and other Trump lawyers on Monday urged the judge not to allow videography, photography and radio coverage of the arraignment.

In a letter to the court, they argued against allowing such coverage, saying it would exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case and detract from both the dignity and decorum of the proceedings and courtroom.

Justice Juan Merchan was expected to decide the matter on Monday.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office said it would leave it to the discretion of the judge, but noted that Merchan allowed a limited number of still photos prior to last years criminal trial in which Trumps real estate company was convicted of tax fraud.

Before the indictment, a Manhattan grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies having had any such relationship with her.

Blanche previously represented Paul Manafort, Trumps 2016 campaign chairman, when Manafort was hit with New York state fraud charges after being sentenced to prison for federal crimes. The state charges were eventually dismissed and Trump pardoned Manafort before leaving office. Blanche also previously represented Igor Fruman, who was an associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.

The specific charges in the indictment by a grand jury convened by Bragg, a Democrat, have yet to be disclosed. Trump has said he is innocent. He and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

Trumps plane arrived at LaGuardia Airport in New Yorks borough of Queens. Trump said earlier on social media he would go to Trump Tower in Manhattan after arriving in New York, then would head to the courthouse on Tuesday morning.

A motorcade of several vehicles earlier took Trump from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach to the airport in nearby West Palm Beach. Trump climbed out of an SUV vehicle before he and members of his entourage climbed a set of stairs to enter his plane, painted in red, white and blue with TRUMP in big letters on the side and an image of the American flag on the tail.

WITCH HUNT, as our once great Country is going to HELL! Trump posted on social media right before he departed.

OUR COUNTRY HAS FALLEN, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ASSERTS

Trumps campaign raised $7 million in the three days after word of the indictment emerged last Thursday, senior adviser Jason Miller said. The campaign on Monday issued the latest in a series of fundraising emails, taking aim at the medias reporting on his indictment.

Remarks attributed to Trump in the email stated: Our country has fallen. But Im not giving up on America. We can and we will save our nation in 2024.

A court official said the arraignment was planned for 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks from Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (0015 GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

The New York case is one of several probes Trump faces.

A few dozen Trump fans cheered at the Florida airport and along the route he took to get there, carrying signs and flags.

Our country needs him, said Cindy Falco, 65, of Boynton Beach, Florida. Hes pro-God, pro-family and pro-country.

Falco predicted exoneration, saying: Nothing is going to stick to him.

Trumps detractors also weighed in.

Isnt it ironic that they couldnt get Donald Trump for all of the crimes hes committed, except payment to a porn star? said New Jersey resident Robert Hoatson, 71, outside of Trump Tower. It always comes down to the lowliest of charges.

Its a terrific day. I hope it goes well and that he is eventually found guilty, Hoatson added.

MAYOR CALLS FOR PROTESTERS TO BE ON BEST BEHAVIOR

New York police over the weekend began erecting barricades near Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building. Demonstrations were expected at those sites on Tuesday.

Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said there was no known specific security threat.

While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow (Tuesday), our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger, Adams told reporters.

As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable no matter who you are, Adams added, specifically mentioning Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has announced plans to protest.

Be on your best behavior, the mayor said.

Asked whether he was worried about unrest around Trumps arraignment, President Joe Biden, touring a factory in Minnesota, said, No, I have faith in the New York Police Department.

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A former Pakistani official working with the PTI government, which was ousted in April last year, has made a series of allegations against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and stated the reasons behind the failure of the government.

Imran Khans spokesperson Nadeem Afzal Chan has claimed that the PTI chief was totally dependent on Former Army Chief General Faiz and Pakistan military spokesperson Asif Ghafoor.

He further said that there was a huge difference between Imran Khan as the leader and his action as the Prime Minister.

Imran Khan was totally dependent on General Faiz and Asif Ghafoor. These were the people Imran Khan depended upon, there might be more. They were his eyes and ears and the were the ones making the policies, Chan said in an interview with Sun to Lo Youtube channel.

General Faiz was not part of the countrys establishment but of the PTI government. He used to be present at the Prime Ministers chamber every day, Chan further said.

He added that General Faiz used to interfere in every matter of the government and he always used to visit the prime ministers chamber.

He also said that selection of people in Imran Khans team was very different than what he had committed in his manifesto.

The biggest failure of the Imran Khan governments policies and his politics was Usman Buzdar, Chan added referring to former Punjab Chief Minister.

Sardar Usman Buzdar had resigned as the Punjab chief minister in March last year on a day Parliament took up a no-confidence motion moved by opposition lawmakers in a bid to remove Khan.

The allegations against Imran Khan come as the former prime minister is engulfed in midst of a political crisis with several cases registered against him.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, has demanded elections at the earliest while the government has refused his call in view of the ongoing political crisis.

Imran Khan has also been facing dozens of cases registered against him in various cities after his ouster from power. However, he has not been arrested so far in any case.

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External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India will not accept its national flag being pulled down, sending a strong message to Khalistani separatists who earlier vandalised premises of Indian diplomatic buildings in London and San Francisco.

Khalistani separatists have also vandalised temples in Australia in January and defaced statues of Mahatma Gandhi in Canada.

Jaishankars comments came during an interaction with intellectuals in Dharwad on Sunday at a programme organised by the BJP Mahanagar unit at Dharwad.

The days when India would have taken this lightly are behind us and this is not the India which will accept its national flag being pulled down by somebody, Jaishankar was quoted as saying by ANI.

It is a message not only to those so-called Khalistanis but also to the British, saying this is my flag and I will make it even bigger if somebody tries to disrespect it, the External Affairs Minister further added.

Jaishankar said those protesting in London, Ottawa, Melbourne, San Francisco are a very small minority. Some interests are of neighbours, some interests are of people who try to use it for visas and for personal interest, the foreign minister said.

He said some of them try to project this for their advantage and there are also others who dont wish well for India. He also said that host countries must ensure security of diplomats working there. When we establish embassies abroad when our diplomats are performing their task, we are very clear that it is the obligation of the country where these embassies are, where these diplomats are to provide security. After all, we provide security for so many foreign embassies, Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar said if there are further incidents of this nature, India will be forced to give a stern reply. If they do not provide security, if they do not take this seriously, if there are such incidents, then they will get reactions from India, the foreign minister warned.

He said that the idea of India is now different from the past. The idea that there is today a different India, an India which is very responsible and very firm, he said.

He also lauded the Indian High Commissioner in London that he bought a bigger flag and put it where the flag was previously, before the Khalistan-affiliated hooligans pulled it down.

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An elderly woman died in Malaysia last week after she and her husband consumed puffer fish. The 83-year old woman and her husband purchased the puffer fish from a fish seller who visits their village in Kampung Chamek and fell ill after consuming it.

Her 84-year-old husband is also currently in intensive care after having eaten the same dish. The octogenarian woman, Lim Siew Guan, fried the fish for lunch and soon after she ate the dish she experienced breathing difficulties and shivers. Her husband also faced similar difficulties later.

Talking to Malaysia-based newspaper The Star, the couples daughter Ng Ai Lee, 51, said her father had unknowingly purchased the fish from the fishmonger and said the couple did not have previous knowledge of side effects of consuming puffer fish.

My parents have been buying fish from the same fishmonger for many years so my father did not think twice about it. He would not have knowingly bought something so deadly to eat and put their lives in danger, Lee was quoted as saying by the Star.

Lee and her brother found out that their parents fell ill through WhatsApp messages being shared on the family WhatsApp groups. They are residents of Kuala Lumpur and started for Kluang but they were informed by their other elder brother that her mother had passed.

Lee called on the government to regulate the sale of puffer fish to prevent any future such incidents.

The doctors in their report said Guan died due to toxins in the puffer fish which caused food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure and irregular heart rate, the Star reported.

Lees father is still in a coma. She said doctors told her that he father will not be the same even if he pulls through this ordeal due to his age. I hope my parents experience can create more awareness among the public about consuming such fish or food with high levels of toxins. It is frustrating to know that people knowingly consume puffer fish, she told the Star.

Meanwhile, Johor health and unity committee chairman, Ling Tian Soon, warned the public that consuming puffer fish without cleaning it properly could result in such accidents. It can cause severe illness and even lead to deaths.

Soon pointed out that in Japan, only highly qualified chefs are allowed to serve the fish because they know how to remove the toxins. He said the Johor state government will investigate the regulation and enforcement of laws against the sale of puffer fish.

Four days after the incident, Health Director-General of Malaysia, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, confirmed that puffer fish containing dangerous toxins are not allowed to be sold in Malaysia. The sale of the fish was controlled under the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority Act 1972, and section 13 of the Food Act 1983 which bars the sale of food that is poisonous, harmful, or injurious to health.

He also pointed out that between 1985 and March 2023, there have been 58 puffer fish poisoning incidents involving 18 deaths in the country.

He, however, did point to a 2019 survey by the Food Safety and Quality Division of the Health Ministry, which showed 86% of the respondents, which comprised the public, fishmongers, fishermen and cooks, had sufficient knowledge on the dangers of consuming puffer fish.

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Amid the growing political and judicial crisis in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet on Monday night.

Shehbaz will chair a special emergency meeting, wherein important decisions are likely to be taken, ARY News reported, citing sources.

The meeting was summoned after the Pakistan Supreme Court on Monday reserved the verdict in the case about the delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) polls.

Ahead of the hearing, the government had requested the formation of a full court to hear the case which was ruled out by the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial.

The hearings in the case witnessed high drama after two judges of the original five-member bench recused themselves from hearing the case.

Last month, the Senate passed a bill that aimed to clip powers of office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to take suo motu notice.

The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure), Bill 2023, moved by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar in the Senate, was adopted by a majority vote of 60-19, according to ARY News.

Under the bill, the decision for suo motu notice will be taken by three senior judges of the Supreme Court.

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Paris voted overwhelmingly Sunday to banish for-hire electric scooters from the streets of the French capital, delivering a blow to operators and a victory for road safety campaigners.

The referendum means the City of Light, once a pioneer in embracing e-scooter services, is set to become the only major European capital to outlaw the widespread devices booked on apps such as Lime.

The citys residents were asked to weigh in for or against them in a public consultation organised by mayor Anne Hidalgo, with nearly 90 percent of the votes cast against, official results showed.

Were happy. Its what weve been fighting for over four years," said Arnaud Kielbasa, co-founder of the Apacauvi charity, which represents victims of e-scooter accidents.

All Parisians say they are nervous on the pavements, nervous when they cross the roads. You need to look everywhere," Kielbasa, whose wife and infant daughter were hit by an e-scooter driver, told AFP. Thats why theyve voted against them."

- Not sustainable -

Operators say they are being unfairly singled out as responsable for the often chaotic nature of Paris streets, where mayor Hidalgo has championed bikes and other forms of non-emitting transport since coming to power in 2014.

Her administration welcomed e-scooter operators with open arms in 2018, but it has progressively tightened regulations since, creating designated parking zones, limiting the top speed and restricting the number of operators.

But such measures have failed to convince residents, who often complain about reckless and drunken driving, as well as clutter on pavements.

A spate of fatal accidents has also highlighted the dangers of vehicles that can currently be hired by children as young as 12.

Im committed to respecting the choice of voters, purely and simply," Hidalgo told reporters as she voted on Sunday.

The 63-year-old is now expected not to renew operating contracts for the citys three operators  California-based Lime, Amsterdam-based Dott and Berlin-based Tier  from August 31.

She said on Sunday that their business model was very expensive  five euros for 10 minutes  its not very sustainable, and above all, its the cause of a lot of accidents."

The consultation will not affect privately owned electric scooters, of which 700,000 were sold nationwide last year, according to transport ministry figures.

Around 100,000 journeys are completed each day in France on rented e-scooters in around 200 towns and cities.

- Against the current? -

The ban represents a significant financial and reputational blow for the multinational operators and could encourage other cities to follow suit.

Montreal outlawed all electric scooters for rental or private use in 2020, while Copenhagen banned rental versions in 2020 before bringing them back a year later with stricter conditions.

E-scooter companies have backed tighter regulations in France, unveiled by the government last week, which would increase the minimum age to 14 and increase fines for offences such as driving with a passenger.

Of course, there are driving offences and dangerous behaviour. Thats human nature, not the vehicle," Nicolas Gorse, managing director of Dott, told LCI television on Sunday. What we need is to educate, detect and punish."

Hadi Karam, general manager for France at Lime, told AFP last week that Paris was going against the current" in seeking to ban rental e-scooters, citing recent decisions to expand them in Washington, New York, Madrid or London.

Theres a trend towards these vehicles and this trend started in Paris which was a pioneer," he said.

Operators offered free rides to customers who voted on Sunday and employed online influencers to try to drum up support among their mostly young users  largely in vain judged by the high proportion of older voters seen in queues.

Theyre dangerous, both for those who use them and for pedestrians," Francoise Granier, a 68-year-old doctor who voted in the ninth district of the capital, told AFP. And the police never intervene."

Like her, IT worker Michael Dahan, 50, deplored the state of the capitals streets, saying: If it was better regulated, I wouldnt be against but you see people behaving in a crazy way."

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The Philippines announced Monday the location of four additional military bases to be used by US troops, with one site near the hotly disputed South China Sea and another not far from Taiwan.

The four sites are considered suitable and mutually beneficial", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement.

The longtime treaty allies agreed in February to expand cooperation in strategic areas" of the country as they seek to counter Chinas growing assertiveness over Taiwan and its building of bases in the South China Sea.

The 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, gave US forces access to five bases in the Philippines.

It was expanded to nine, but the locations of the four additional bases were withheld while the government consulted with local officials.

President Ferdinand Marcos has approved the use of three sites in the northern Philippines, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and an army camp in the neighbouring province of Isabela, the statement said.

The naval base at Cagayan provinces Santa Ana is about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Taiwan.

Another site will be on Balabac Island, off the southern tip of Palawan Island, near the South China Sea.

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Russian authorities blamed jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his associates along with Ukrainian officials for plotting the murder of top Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky.

Tatarsky died in a bomb attack Sunday and 25 others were injured in an explosion at a cafe in Russias second-largest city of Saint Petersburg. The terrorist attack was planned by Ukrainian security services with the help of agents working with the so-called Anti-Corruption Foundation, Russian anti-terror investigators said according to AFP.

Russian investigators detained Darya Trepova, 26, as it probes the murder of Tatarsky. The Russian investigative committee later confirmed the arrest.

Russian-state media pointed out that a statuette was given to Tatarsky shortly before the blast, raising speculation that the explosive device could have been hidden inside the statuette, the BBC said.

The authorities have termed the attack as a high-profile murder as they investigate the attack which rocked Russias second biggest city.

Trepova is an anti-war activist and she was detained hours after the blast along with her mother and sister. The blast occurred at a cafe named Street Food Bar No 1 near the River Neva, the BBC said.

The bar was owned by oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin who runs Russias notorious Wagner mercenary group which is currently fighting in Ukraine, contributing heavily in the Battle of Bakhmut, the BBC said.

Prigozhin paid tribute to Tatarsky in a late night video. Tatarsky s real name was Maxim Fomin. He was a vocal supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putins so-called military operation.

Over half a million users subscribe to his blog and he took on a high-profile role after the war began in February 2022.

He also criticised Russian President Putin and lashed out at the military following their setbacks on the battlefield, the BBC said.

These military bloggers have become crucial because they are providing information about war in a country where people are frustrated due to lack of accurate information from official sources and state-run media.

It remains unclear who murdered Tatarsky but a section of Russians believe that the blogger was murdered in the same fashion as Darya Dugina, a vocal supporter of the war and the daughter of a Russian ultranationalist. She died in a car bomb attack in Moscow last year.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak blamed the blast on a Russian internal political fight" and in a tweet said spiders inside a jar are eating each other.

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The head of Russias Wagner private military company on Monday claimed the capture of the east Ukraine town of Bakhmut in a legal sense", saying his units had taken the main city administration building.

In a legal sense, Bakhmut has been captured. The enemy is concentrated in western areas," Yevgeny Prigozhin said on his Telegram channel in a post.

In a video accompanying the post, Prigozhin could be seen holding a Russian flag inscribed in honour of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, who was killed in a bomb attack in a cafe in Saint Petersburg on Sunday.

The commanders of the units that took city hall and the whole centre will go and put up this flag," he said.

This is the Wagner private military company, these are the guys who took Bakhmut. In a legal sense, its ours."

On March 20, Prigozhin had claimed Wagner units controlled 70 percent of the town.

The fight for Bakhmut is the longest battle of Russias offensive in Ukraine.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have invested heavily in the struggle for Bakhmut, even though analysts say the city carries little strategic value.

Ukraine says the battle for the industrial town is key to holding back Russian forces along the entire eastern front.

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Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit this year, a report has said. The summit, scheduled to take place on May 19, will be hosted in Riyadh.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will travel to Damascus in coming weeks to hand Assad a formal invitation to attend the summit scheduled for May 19, Reuters reported citing three sources familiar with the plans.

If Bashar al-Assad attends the conference, it would formally end Syrias regional isolation after the Syrian Civil War.

Assads attendance would also mark a significant development in his rehabilitation within the Arab world since 2011 when Syria was suspended from the 22-member organisation.

Assads attendance at an Arab League summit would mark the most significant development in his rehabilitation since 2011, when Syria was suspended from the organisation. Assad had been boycotted by many Western and Arab states over his brutal crackdown on protests - violence that led to a protracted civil war.

We are not supposed to be informed in advance about the assumed visit, Gamal Roshdy, spokesperson for the Arab League secretary general, said.

Several Arab countries rushed to Syrias aid after a February 6 earthquake killed tens of thousands in the war-torn country and neighbouring Turkey. But the aftermath of the quake saw heavyweights like Saudi Arabia send aid to Syria, followed by talks between Riyadh and Damascus to resume consular services.

Reports last month said Saudi Arabia and Syria had reached an agreement to reopen their embassies after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

However, the Saudi foreign ministry did not confirm an agreement was reached but said it was in talks with the Syrian foreign ministry to resume consular services.

Meanwhile, Cairo has also resumed contact with Assad as Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad.

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation on Saturday during the first official visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Cairo in over a decade.

Saudi has also eased tensions with long-time rival Iran recently with China acting as the mediator. Riyadh and Tehran are now preparing to reopen embassies in each others capitals, with a meeting between their two top diplomats due before the end of Ramadan.

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The Saudi Arabian king Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud invited Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and his brother, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the kingdom to perform Umrah, people familiar with the developments told Pakistan-based media outlets GeoNews and ARYNews.

The news outlets reported that Sharif, who faces cases for allegedly not disclosing millions of dollars worth of property and companies in the UK and around the world, has close relations with the Saudi Arabian royal family.

Nawaz Sharif is in self-imposed exile in London on medical grounds since November 2019 and will depart for Saudi Arabia via a special plane on April 11 along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other family members.

The three-time former prime minister has been barred from holding office for life but he maintains his grip on the ruling party, even though he is no longer its leader - a point often highlighted by another former prime minister and opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan.

The news outlets revealed that the former prime minister will be a royal guest in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will spend the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan in Medina and Makkah.

Several Pakistan ministers and members of the parliament have devised plans to perform Umrah during the period.

Meanwhile, ARYNews reported that when Shehbaz Sharif and his ministers will reach the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 25-26, consultative meetings will be held along with performing Umrah.

ARYNews reported that during the meeting the prospect of Nawaz Sharifs return to Pakistan will be discussed.

The Pakistan foreign ministry is also aiming to organise a meeting between PM Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, the news outlet said.

Doctors last year advised Nawaz Sharif to refrain from the pilgrimage owing to health reasons.

Nawaz Sharifs family is named in the Panama Papers leak in April 2016 and were accused of owning undeclared firms and assets offshore.

It says that the Sharifs used these firms for money laundering and to buy foreign assets, which includes an apartment next to Londons Hyde Park. He was sentenced to 10 years in jail for his alleged involvement. He and his kin were released in September 2018.

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The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has expressed concerns over a drug-resistant bacteria that have been found in eye drops and ointment imported from India, stating the spread from person to person could gain a foothold in the health facilities in the country, a New York Times report said on Monday.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an advisory against the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears, a product by Chennai-based Global Pharma Healthcare, warning that they may be linked to an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

According to the CDC website, the outbreak of the particular strain, which is associated with multiple types of infections, including eye infections, has never been reported in the United States before.

The infection has been detected in 37 patients linked to four healthcare facility clusters. Three people have died and there have been 8 reports of vision loss and 4 reports of enucleation (surgical removal of eyeball).

The NYT cited Maroya Walters, lead investigator for the CDCs antimicrobial resistance team, who noted that the bacteria is more drug-resistant than a similar bacteria that the CDC tends to see in about 150 cases per year, mostly in intensive-care settings. The spread of the newest strain really could change the outlook for that," the expert said.

The bacteria Walters referred to was the Pseudomonas bacteria which can cause infections in the blood, lungs or other parts of the body after surgery. According to a 2019 CDC report, the multi drug-resistant bacteria causes an estimated 32,600 infections among hospitalized patients and 2,700 estimated deaths in the US a year.

Dr David van Duin, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine said Pseudomonas are resistant to treatment and particularly challenging to eliminate. The bacteria persist stubbornly in healthcare facilities, where it adheres firmly to sink drains, water faucets, and other damp areas. Furthermore, it is difficult to eradicate from patients who develop bloodstream infections. Its very hard to get rid of, he said.

The cases associated with the eyedrops have largely been contained due to the product recall. Additionally, the FDA had also announced the recall of Delsam Pharmas Artificial Eye ointment, which was made in the same factory as the eyedrops, due to the risk of possible similar contamination.

The FDA blocked Global Pharmas imports, saying the company had provided an inadequate response to a records request and violated manufacturing rules.

The FDA also conducted an unannounced inspection at the India plant from February 20 through March 2 and found a litany of problems with the plants sterility practices", the report states citing an inspection report published by STAT news.

The Indian government also conducted raids at the units Global Pharma Healthcare on February 3. The company had in a statement said it was recalling all its products due to possible contamination. Global Pharma Healthcare is voluntarily recalling all lots within expiry of their Artificial Tears Lubricant Eye Drops, distributed by EzriCare, LLC- and Delsam Pharma, to the consumer level, due to possible contamination," it said in a statement.

Speaking on the current focus of the CDC, Dr Walters said it is asking doctors to work with public health labs to determine the genetic fingerprint of hard-to-treat Pseudomonas infections in the eye and throughout the body. I think we are going to see the impact of this play out over the course of months to years, Dr Walters said.

The CDC has advised patients who have used EzriCare or Delsam Pharmas artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection to seek immediate medical care. At this time, there is no recommendation for testing of patients who have used this product and who are not experiencing any signs or symptoms of infection," the website states.

Eye infection symptoms may include:

Yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye

Eye pain or discomfort

Redness of the eye or eyelid

Feeling of something in your eye (foreign body sensation)

Increased sensitivity to light

Blurry vision

Dr Vicente Diaz, chief of ophthalmology at Yale Health Plan in Connecticut said the infections evading the big gun antibiotics had alarmed experts. The infectious diseases specialist worries that if doctors use ineffective antibiotics for too long or wait to culture a bug, that gives the bacteria more time to multiply and get more aggressive, he said.

Read all the Latest News here
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia last week on spying claims that he denies, is appealing his detention, a Moscow court said Monday.

The 31-year-old is believed to be the first foreign journalist arrested on spying allegations since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

His arrest has drawn outrage from the West and is seen as a serious escalation of Moscows crackdown on media.

A spokeswoman for Moscows Lefortovo district court said: The date of the hearing on his detention appeal will be announced this week."

She added that the appeal, which will be heard in a higher court, was filed by the same lawyer that represented Gershkovich during his detention hearing.

The Wall Street Journal reporter and former AFP journalist in Moscow was remanded in custody until May 29.

He and the Wall Street Journal have denied the charges against him.

Kremlin-friendly monitors who oversee conditions in jails visited Gershkovich in Lefortovo.

The journalist made no complaint" about the conditions, Alexei Melnikov of Moscows Public Monitoring Commission said on Telegram on Monday.

At the time of the visit, he was full of energy and made plenty of jokes during the conversation," he said.

The Wall Street Journal said it vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter".

The White House said Monday that Gershkovich had yet to meet with someone from the US consulate in Moscow.

They are trying to get consular access to Evan very, very hard, and yet weve still not been able to do that," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters in Washington.

He said the issue has got everybodys attention including the presidents", and we will do everything we can to get Evan home".

However, there were no illusions" about the difficulty ahead. Its going to take a lot of hard work," he said.

More than three dozen news organisations have signed a letter to the Russian ambassador in the United States denouncing unfounded espionage charges".

Gershkovichs unwarranted and unjust arrest is a significant escalation in your governments anti-press actions," the letter released by the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Gershkovich is a journalist, not a spy, and should be released immediately and without conditions," it added.

Russian state news agency TASS said the case against the journalist has been classified top secret", a label which restricts information that can be published about it.

Read all the Latest News here
?? El Vicepresidente y Senior Credit Officer de la calificadora Moodys, Jaime Reusche, sostuvo que el manejo fiscal del pais es el adecuado, el cual le otorga credibilidad ante los ojos de los inversionistas. ?? https://t.co/x6TfUqP7UG



Por: Raul Gastulo Palacios pic.twitter.com/OfrpU0K0vC
Marlene Schiappa, a French government minister, has come under fire after appearing on the front cover of the infamous Playboy magazine.

The magazines French edition will feature Schiappa, who describes herself as a sapiosexual," dressed in attire and her 12-page interview discussing topics such as abortion, womens and gay rights as well as abortion.

The sight of Schiappa wearing designer dresses for a glamour magazine was viewed by some as sending the wrong message, with one person quoted as saying they thought it was an Aprils Fool joke when they first heard about it.

Here is all you need to know about the French minister:

Schiappa, who has been a government minister since 2017, was appointed as the countrys first-ever Gender Equality Minister in 2017. A long-time advocate of womens rights, Shiappa has campaigned for gender equality and spearheaded a French law banning cat-calling, following and the harassment of women on the street in 2018. Schiappa has drawn the nastiest criticism from the right wing and remains amid controversies. The right-wing has been irritated by her views on Frances sexually predatory and chauvinistic male culture. She, a former blogger and a novelist, has previously written about the challenges of motherhood, womens health and pregnancy. She has openly spoken on womens issues and an ardent champion of womens empowerment and social equality. She said she became a feminist when she was 13 after she realised how, unlike her father, she was unable to walk the streets unharassed. Schiappa first entered politics in 2014, when she contested the municipal elections in Le Mans, her home suburb. She was elected and became deputy mayor, in charge of gender equality, according to The Guardian. When Macron launched his presidential campaign in 2016, Schiappa was quick to support him. Born on November 18, 1982 in Paris, Schiappa is a graduate in communication and new media and has several books on feminism and womens rights. In 2010, she wrote a book that offered sex tips for the overweight which some critics saw as propagating stereotypes. She has two daughters and her husband, who remains out of the public eye, has co-written some of her books.

Read all the Latest News here
" " Velociraptor had a big sickle claw on the second toe of each foot that was likely used to pierce the skin and grip the flesh of prey. Daniel Eskridge/Stocktrek Images

Velociraptor is linked to two of the most intriguing figures in paleontology: Roy Chapman Andrews and Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska.

Often compared to Indiana Jones, Andrews was an American explorer known for his vivid field stories. The man's writings describe "narrow escapes from death" at the hands of wild dogs, injured whales and typhoons. (To say nothing of his cliff-related mishaps.)

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Andrews became a bit of a celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, when he led a series of fossil-hunting expeditions through the Mongolian Gobi Desert.

Helped by a combination of motor vehicles and camel caravans, his teams found the remains of many prehistoric beasts unknown to science at the time.

One was a small dinosaur with a long snout and grasping claws. In 1924, paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn named it Velociraptor mongoliensis.

But while Andrews' crews discovered Velociraptor, and Osborn named it, we have Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska to thank for the most amazing specimen ever unearthed. A renowned paleobiologist, she oversaw the once-in-a-lifetime discovery of a Velociraptor who may have literally died in combat.

Now That's Interesting Another scary moment in the first "Jurassic Park" movie comes when a raptor tackles Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck). True story: The angry dinosaur hisses you hear in that scene were provided by a goose.
With former President Trump expected to arrive at his New York City abode in Trump Tower sometime Monday, the day before he is scheduled to be arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom, the city is preparing for potential mayhem. There are expected to be both protests and celebrations, a massive media presence, and a police presence described by the New York Times as "all hands on deck." Trump confirmed on Truth Social that he will leave Mar-a-Lago at noon local time Monday, Fox News reports, though his exact arrival time in New York is not yet clear. He'll likely be fingerprinted Tuesday, and might have a mugshot taken. He says he'll be back in Florida on Tuesday night to give a primetime address from Mar-a-Lago.

No major threats related to Trump's arraignment have been reported, but the New York Police Department is warning officers to be on call and the Secret Service is planning the best routes to get Trump into and out of the courthouse with no problems. Traffic closures, barricades, and law enforcement patrols are expected to largely shut the area down as the arraignment looms, and the whole building will be cleared and inspected for security before Trump arrives. All other trials have been adjourned for the day. Among those who plan to join Trump supporters in the city to rally for the former POTUS? Marjorie Taylor Greene, Axios reports. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
Twitter said it was going to start removing the blue "verified" checkmarks on accounts that aren't paying for Twitter Blueand on Sunday, it did so, at least for one account. The New York Times' Twitter account has been stripped of the blue badge that used to denote its "verified" status; NBC News reports it seems to be the only account thus far that has been. Others could be coming, however, as Musk simply said Saturday would mark the start of the checkmark removal. Early Sunday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk confirmed, in response to a user who posted about the Times' announcement that it wouldn't pay for Twitter Blue, "Oh ok, well take it off then."

He later tweeted that the Times puts out "propaganda" and called the newspaper's Twitter feed so "unreadable" that it's like "diarrhea," offering his advice that all media outlets should tweet only their top articles. He also said it was "hypocritical" of the Times to force readers to pay for a subscription, when the paper itself refuses to pay for Twitter verification, Fox News reports. As of Sunday night, some of the Times' side accounts still had blue checkmarks while others had gold checkmarks, which Twitter rolled out in December to signify that an account belongs to a business or organization, TechCrunch reported at the time. The main Times account had neither. As the Washington Post notes, Musk has had a "years-long grudge" against reporters critical of him, and he's long complained about the Times specifically. (Read more New York Times stories.)
Finland's main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections Sunday in a tight three-way race that saw right-wing populists take second place, leaving Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democratic Party in third, dashing her hopes for reelection, the AP reports. The center-right National Coalition Party (NCP) claimed victory with all of the votes counted, coming out on top at 20.8%. They were followed by right-wing populist party The Finns with 20.1%, while the Social Democrats garnered 19.9%. With the top three parties each getting around 20% of the vote, no party is in position to form a government alone. Over 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic countrys parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party, said the party's elated leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki. Observers say the result means a power shift in Finland's political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new center-right government with nationalist tones. The government will replace the center-left Cabinet by Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019. Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europes youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finlands successful application to join NATO.

The 53-year-old Orpo, Finland's former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic country's solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure. First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you," Orpo told the AP at NCP's victory event. We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear. Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a NATO member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the country's membership bid.

(Read more Sanna Marin stories.)
Vanuatu, the South Pacific island nation, will soon have a United States embassy. In its continuing bid to counter the increasing influence China has in the Pacific, the US announced the move Friday, Reuters reports. "Consistent with the US Indo-Pacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the US government to deepen relationships with Ni-Vanuatu officials and society," the State Department says in a statement. Vanuatu, with a population of 319,000 spread across 80 islands, has diplomatic relations with the US, but the US is currently represented there by the American ambassador in New Guinea, the AP reports.

"Establishing US embassy Port Vila would facilitate areas of potential bilateral cooperation and development assistance, including efforts to tackle the climate crisis," the State Department statement says. US embassies Pacific island nations of Kiribati and Tonga are also planned, and after being out of the Solomon Islands for three decades, the US earlier this year reopened its embassy there. A US embassy in the Maldives is also opening soon, and the US is working to shore up its ties with the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia as well. (Read more Vanuatu stories.)
Jury selection begins Monday in a high-profile murder trial in Idaho, and one key question is whether the accusedLori Vallow Daybellwill testify on her own behalf. The case is not only high-profile, it's both tangled and grisly.

Victims: Vallow Daybell and husband Chad Daybell are accused of killing Vallow Daybell's two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan in 2020. They also are accused killing Chad Daybell's former wife, Tammy. The accused couple married just two weeks after Tammy Daybell's unexpected death in 2019, notes USA Today.

Vallow Daybell and husband Chad Daybell are accused of killing Vallow Daybell's two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan in 2020. They also are accused killing Chad Daybell's former wife, Tammy. The accused couple married just two weeks after Tammy Daybell's unexpected death in 2019, notes USA Today. Separate trials: Vallow Daybell and her husband have pleaded not guilty and are being tried separately, notes the AP. Chad Daybell's trial comes later. Vallow Daybell's legal team has not said whether she will be put on the stand.

Motives: The couple held fringe religious beliefs about a coming doomsday and frequently called the two children "zombies" who were possessed by evil spirits before their deaths. Prosecutors say all three murders were motivated by the financial death benefits the couple would collect as a result.

The couple held fringe religious beliefs about a coming doomsday and frequently called the two children "zombies" who were possessed by evil spirits before their deaths. Prosecutors say all three murders were motivated by the financial death benefits the couple would collect as a result. Live coverage: The East Idaho News, which led much of the reporting on the case as it unfolded, is providing live coverage on the trial.

The East Idaho News, which led much of the reporting on the case as it unfolded, is providing live coverage on the trial. Another twist: Vallow Daybell separately faces murder conspiracy charges in the shooting death of her previous husband, Charles Vallow. Vallow Daybell's brother fatally shot him in 2019 in Arizona in what he called self-defense. That case is on hold for the Idaho proceedings.

Vallow Daybell separately faces murder conspiracy charges in the shooting death of her previous husband, Charles Vallow. Vallow Daybell's brother fatally shot him in 2019 in Arizona in what he called self-defense. That case is on hold for the Idaho proceedings. The details: The Idaho Statesman wraps up all of this in a primer.

(Read more Lori Vallow stories.)
About 25 train cars derailed Sunday in northwestern Montana, with no injuries or evacuations reported, reports the AP. The reason for the lack of evacuations, per USA Today: The cars were either empty or carrying beer, specifically Coors Light and Blue Moon. The cars derailed near the town of Paradise along the Clark Fork River, said Bill Brown, a dispatcher with the Sanders County Sheriff's Office. Firefighters and representatives of Montana Rail Link, which was operating the train, were investigating, he said. Photos posted on social media show some of the cars appearing to dip just into the river. USA Today notes that people were being asked to stay away from the scene, but photos show a number of curiousor perhaps thirstygawkers, some in boats and kayaks, and some definitely retrieving the train's spoils.

Montana Rail Link said the cause of the derailment was being investigated. We are committed to addressing any impacts to the area as a result of this accident, prioritizing the safety of our employees and the public, and understanding the reasons for this incident, the company said. Montana's senators, Steve Daines and Jon Tester, said they were monitoring the derailment and in touch with local officials. This story has been updated throughout with new details.

(Read more derailment stories.)
A first-grade Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously wounded by her 6-year-old student filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $40 million in damages from school officials, accusing them of gross negligence for allegedly ignoring multiple warnings on the day of the shooting that the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood. Abby Zwerner, a 25-year-old teacher at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, was shot in the hand and chest on Jan. 6 as she sat at a reading table in her classroom. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and has had four surgeries since the shooting, reports the AP.

The lawsuit names the Newport News School Board and several school district officials, including former Superintendent George Parker III, as defendants. The school officials did not respond to emails seeking comment. In the lawsuit, Zwerner's attorneys say the defendants knew the boy had a history of random violence at school and at home, including an episode the year before when he strangled and choked his kindergarten teacher. "All Defendants knew that John Doe attacked students and teachers alike, and his motivation to injure was directed toward anyone in his path, both in and out of school, the lawsuit states.

School officials sent him to another school for the remainder of the year, but allowed him to return to Richneck for first grade in fall 2022, the lawsuit states. He was placed on a modified schedule because he was chasing students around the playground with a belt in an effort to whip them with it," and was cursing staff and teachers, it says. Under the modified schedule, one of the boy's parents was required to accompany him. Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior (were) regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed, the lawsuit states. Often after he was taken to the office, he would return to class shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy," according to the lawsuit.

(Read more school shooting stories.)
Russian authorities have arrested a 26-year-old woman in a cafe bombing that killed a pro-Russian blogger. In video released by Russian authorities, Darya Trepova admits she delivered a statuette in the likeness of popular blogger Vladlen Tatarsky to a St. Petersburg cafe at which he was speaking. The booby-trapped object later exploded. The BBC reports that Trepova was likely speaking under duress in the released clip. Separate video appears to show her entering the cafe with the bomb and later presenting it to Tatarsky, reports the AP. The key question is whether she knew it was a bomb, and she reportedly told investigators she had no idea.

Asked in the interrogation if she knew why she was under arrest, Trepova responded, "I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky's murder," per the BBC. "I handed over the statuette which blew up." When asked who supplied her with the statuette, she answered, "Can I tell you later, please?" Stories about her arrest note she was also arrested last year for taking part in an anti-war protest. Russia has blamed the bombing on pro-Ukrainian forces coordinated by supporters of Alexei Navalny, a jailed critic of Vladimir Putin, reports Radio Free Europe. However, Ukrainian officials say the bombing is another sign of internal conflict within Russia over the war. "Spiders are eating each other in a jar," said Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak. (Read more Russia stories.)
ABCs General Hospital marks its 60th anniversary this week, a milestone for the longest-running scripted show currently in production on American television. The soap is marking the moment with a fan favorite storyline, the Nurses Ball, a fictional charity gala. This week the residents of Port Charles dress to the nines and walk a red carpet. In a guest appearance, Chandra Wilson of Greys Anatomy plays fashion editor Sydney Val Jean. While viewers enjoy the ball as it plays out this week, executive producer Frank Valentini and head writers Dan OConnor and Chris Van Ette are looking at storylines for the summerand beyond. Right now, the show is scripted through the end of May, with writers outlining June.

The trio spoke to the AP on what it takes to keep General Hospital on track, crafting storylines, balancing veteran characters with new faces, and other topics. For example:

"There are stories that have certain benchmarks that we want to hit," says Van Ette. "We try to say, OK, Chapter 1 may take us through September. Chapter 2 can take us into November.' You get the right bang for your buck by letting a secret or letting a piece of information stew for as long as you can make it make sense and not bore the audience. Its a weird tightrope to balance."

When asked if Luke Spencer is really dead, O'Connor replies: "Theres very few deaths in Port Charles that are permanent. You never know."

"When you inherit so much history and so many front-loaded characters and stories, you cant just abandon them," says Valentini. "Having been at One Life to Live for many years, EPs would come in and they would fire the whole staff. Theyd fire all the writers. They would change the show and start from ground zero. I never think thats the right thing to do. You dont burn the ship. You turn it around."

Read the full interview (Read more General Hospital stories.)
With New York City braced for his arrival, Donald Trump flew to the city from Palm Beach International Airport Monday. The former president, who is due to be arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday, shared video and images of well-wishers lining the way to the airport from his Mar-a-Lago estate. He traveled with several campaign aides and his son Eric. After his personal Boeing 757 took off, it quickly became the most-tracked aircraft on FlightRadar 24, the BBC reports. Trump is expected to spend the night at Trump Tower before his booking and arraignment Tuesday. His plane landed at LaGuardia Airport Monday afternoon, the AP reports.

New York City Mayor Adams warned that "rabble-rousers" thinking about coming to the city Tuesday should "control yourselves" because "New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," NBC reports. He added: "Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, she stated shes coming to town. While youre in town, be on your best behavior." In response, Rep. Greene called Adams "delusional" and said citizens should be more worried about being "murdered, raped, robbed, and carjacked than an elected Member of Congress coming to town." The AP reports that when President Biden was asked whether he thought there would be unrest, he said, "No, I have faith in the New York Police Department." (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador-at-large Edmon Marukyan had meetings at the British foreign ministry and parliament where he presented information on the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor, its non-compliance with the International Court of Justice ruling and Bakus latest actions.

In a statement posted on social media, Marukyan said he also presented the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty negotiations process.

Marukyan said that he participated in discussions dedicated to the region in Oxford and London at the invitation of the John Smith Trust and the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building.

During the visit I met with high-ranking officials at the UK foreign ministrys South Caucasus division and comprehensively presented information on the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor, the non-compliance with the UNs International Court of Justice ruling, and the Azerbaijani governments latest actions.

During a meeting organized for British think-tanks in the UK parliament, I presented details on the peace treaty negotiations process and the recent Azerbaijani actions, as well as the positions of the Republic of Armenia on the discussed issues, Marukyan added.

The United Nations highest court  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan on February 22 to take all steps at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. The Lachin Corridor has been blocked by Azerbaijan since 12 December 2022.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. High 23F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 10F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Russian military aviation units stationed in Armenia as part of the 102nd Military Base of the Southern Military District of the Russian military will hold combat training flights as part of tests of the winter season training round, the Ministry of Defense of Russia said Monday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defense said the drills will involve Mig-29 fighter jets and Mi-8MTV-5 and Ka-52 helicopters.

The training flights will be conducted in daytime and nighttime.

Mig-29 pilots will practice aerial warfare, defense of the airfield territory and aerial target acquisition and will conduct maneuvers in mountainous regions on various altitudes.

The crews of the Mi-8MTV-5 and Ka-51 gunships will engage mock enemy targets on the ground and will develop partnership with units of the Southern Military District in the Alagyaz and Kamkhud training grounds.

Troops are set to practice search and rescue and medevac operations as well.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Ahli United Bank has announced the completion of an US$84 million syndicated facility arranged for Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company (BCFC), a key player in the domestic financing and insurance market.

Ahli United Bank and Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait acted as both the mandated lead arranger and book runner for this transaction, financed equally by both banks.

Othman Hijazi, Deputy Group CEO, Corporate Banking at Ahli United Bank, said, The successful closure of this facility is a testament to AUBs syndication capabilities, having attracted a valuable partner like the Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait to join hands in this t ransaction.

Abdulla Bukhowa, Chief Executive Officer at BCFC, said, The successful closure of this transaction is a natural outcome of BCFCs underlying strengths, sound business model, talented management team, prudent risk management, and overall growth strategy.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan held a meeting on Monday with the delegation led by Polish Member of Parliament, Head of the Poland-Armenia parliamentary friendship group Radosaw Fogiel.

The dynamic development of relations between Armenia and Poland was noted during the meeting.

Speaker Simonyan said that inter-parliamentary cooperation is an important format in the Armenia-Poland interstate ties, pointing out the effective partnership between the parliamentary friendship groups, the parliaments press service said in a read-out.

A number of issues relating to regional security were discussed. Speaking about the upcoming elections in Poland, the visiting MPs said that the elections will not impact the outlined cooperation and agenda items with Armenia. The Armenian-Polish cooperation especially within the Armenia-EU framework was highlighted.

The Polish delegation said that they consider Armenia to be a member of the European family and that they are following the steps taken in the country.

The sides emphasized the constructive partnership between parliamentary delegations of the two countries within the framework of international parliamentary assemblies.

The Speaker of Parliament attached special importance to the deployment of the EU monitoring mission on the Armenian border with Azerbaijan, which is conducive to security, ensuring stability in the region and developing trust on the ground. We are also aware that in mid-2023 Poland plans expansion of involvement of observers in the mission, which is highly commendable, the Speaker said.

Speaker Simonyan said that Armenia is committed to the peace agenda in the South Caucasus and hopes that Azerbaijan will match its actions and rhetoric with its declared goal of peace and cooperation in the region. In this context, Speaker Simonyan mentioned the resolution adopted by the Senate of Poland that calls for an immediate, unconditional opening of the Lachin Corridor. We expect condemnation of illegal and inhumane actions from our partners, up to imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan, Simonyan said.

Radosaw Fogiel conveyed Sejm Marshal Elzbieta Witeks invitation to Simonyan to visit Poland on an official trip.
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LIMA, Peru (AP)  In autopsy after autopsy, Peruvian anti-government protesters share the same cause of death: firearm projectile.

Crhistian Armando Mamani, a 22-year-old musician, was protesting in a southern city when a bullet entered the left side of his torso and pierced both of his lungs.

The same January day, Roger Rolando Cayo, a 25-year-old protester, died when a shot ripped through his eye and destroyed his brain.

Human rights groups  including the United Nations  have called on the Peruvian government to investigate claims of excessive force used by police and soldiers during recent protests that have left 49 civilians dead, and the autopsies provide some evidence of the alleged use of lethal ammunition.

Thirty of the 32 forensic reports obtained by The Associated Press list gunfire as the cause of death. Some of the reports detail bullet calibers similar to those used by security forces in Peru, which experts believe indicates that police and soldiers violated their own operations manuals prohibiting shooting directly toward protesters unless theres a serious risk to their life.

The findings come as Peru struggles to recover from the political crisis that hit the country late last year. In December, then-President Pedro Castillo, who was facing several corruption investigations, attempted to dissolve Congress but was instead impeached, arrested and replaced by the vice president. Demonstrations stretched out to February, mostly in southern Peru where the former leader has had more support, triggering the worst political violence the country has seen in more than two decades.

In the southern city of Juliaca, protesters clashed with police outside the airport on Jan. 9 in what would be the deadliest demonstration. Autopsies confirmed that 18 people died from gunfire that day. Among the dead were a 16-year-old student whose left lung was perforated by a 7.62 mm bullet that lodged in his abdomen and a 17-year-old university student who died from a 9 mm bullet wound.

The AP obtained a copy of a document from the federal prosecutor's office that listed the weapons used by police in Juliaca in December, including 7.62 mm AKM assault rifles and 9 mm Beretta and Sauer handguns.

In Peru, civilians are only permitted to own guns with low calibers. High-caliber guns  including the 7.62 and 5.56 mm types mentioned in the forensic reports  are exclusively for the use of security forces.

Carmen Rosa Cardoza, a Peruvian forensic anthropologist, told the AP that the autopsies show a pattern of a disproportionate use of force.

In the injuries by the firearm projectiles, theres a pattern linked to human rights violations, she said, noting that most of the fatal wounds are on the head, neck, thorax and abdomen. The shooters, she said, are targeting those regions.

Protesters are still staging roadblocks in some parts of the country and calling for the resignation of the new president, Dina Boluarte, whom they blame for the deaths of dozens of demonstrators in areas inhabited largely by Indigenous people.

The attorney generals office has launched an investigation  including Boluarte  that hasnt led to any arrests.

These numbers turn Peru into a champion of repression, when compared to other democracies in Latin America said Jo-Marie Burt, a Peru expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, a human rights group. Only openly authoritarian nations like Venezuela and Nicaragua have had more deaths during recent protests, she said.

Peruvian government officials have not responded AP's request on whether they gave police orders to shoot at protesters after massive demonstrations broke out in the south, where Castillos removal angered people frustrated with the nations Congress, which has contributed to the political instability by having had six presidents in the past six years and has become one of the nations least trusted institutions.

Boluarte has blamed radicals linked to illegal mining and the drug trade for the chaotic protests, which have included the occupation of airports and attacks against police bases. But the autopsies, videos and witness testimonies paint a different picture of the violence, in which the nations security forces also appear to have had a significant role.

On Dec. 15, demonstrators gathered outside the Ayacucho airport, where security camera videos show soldiers firing Galil rifles horizontally instead of pointing the weapons upward, away from protesters. Forensic reports show 10 protesters died from gunfire in Ayacucho that day, although none of the corpses contained bullets.

Three days later, an AP reporter walked through the area where the shots were fired and found several cases for the 5.56 mm ammunition used with Galil rifles on the floor.

In Andahuaylas, another southern city, 18-year-old protester Wilfredo Lizarme was killed by a bullet to his back on Dec. 11, according to forensic reports. His sister, Carla, found a shell casing close to his body with the legend PNP 7,62x39, the initials of Perus national police and the same caliber as the bullets used by police in other parts of the country.

The AP has repeatedly sought a response from Perus government about the allegations of police violence against protesters but has yet to receive one.

In a January news conference, Boluarte evaded questions about whether she ordered the police to use firearms to break up protests and said that police officers had conducted themselves in an immaculate manner.

Police say officers have been trying to defend themselves from violent protesters who have attacked them with improvised weapons, including slingshots and fireworks launched from metal tubes. According to Perus National Police, 43 police stations were attacked over the past three months and more than 850 officers sustained injuries during the protests, while one officer was burned alive inside his patrol car in Juliaca.

However, human rights group contend that police haven't followed all regulations.

Mar Perez, a researcher for the Peruvian National Coordinator for Human Rights group, said that the manual for use of force stipulates that officers can only use firearms and shoot to kill when their lives are at risk.

The fact that there are violent people in a protest doesnt justify the use of firearms or authorize police to dissolve the entire protest, said Paulo Abrao, a former executive secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The Interamerican Commission on Human Rights requested in January that Perus government launch an inquiry into the use of weapons by police during the protests. Then, in the last week of February, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights sent a document to Perus government that expressed the organizations concern with the deaths of protesters and gave the government 60 days to provide more information on what it is doing to investigate the killings and implement policies that prevent the excessive use of force in protests.

The National Coordinator for Human Rights says that since 2003, it has documented 160 deaths during protests in Peru. Perez said that not a single police officer has been convicted in these killings.
VANCOUVER, BC, March 31, 2023 /CNW/ - NGEx Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: NGEX) ("NGEx Minerals" "NGEx" or the "Company") is pleased to report its results for the year ended December 31, 2022. View PDF version

Related Documents View PDF NGEx Minerals Reports 2022 Results (CNW Group/NGEx Minerals Ltd.)

Wojtek Wodzicki, President and CEO commented, "Led by strong exploration results, NGEx performed exceptionally well in 2022, resulting in share price performance which outpaced its peer group. The discovery of the high-grade Fenix and Alicanto Zones at Los Helados during the early 2022 drill campaign confirmed our geological reinterpretation of the deposit, and demonstrated clear potential to add significantly more high-grade material to an already sizeable resource located in the emerging giant copper-gold-silver Vicuna District. We began a follow-up drill program in November, 2022 and initial assay results from this ongoing campaign have already begun to extend the Fenix and Alicanto Zones, which both remain open in multiple directions.

During 2022, NGEx also completed its earn-in at Valle Ancho to crystallize a 100% interest in the prospective land package, and began preparations for drill testing the Potro Cliffs exploration target located on the major structural trend that controls Los Helados to the north and Filo del Sol to the south. We received permits in December, and drilling began at Potro Cliffs early in 2023. We will be sharing the drill results from the Los Helados and Potro Cliffs programs as they become available, and look forward to carrying our momentum through 2023."

2022 HIGHLIGHTS AND OUTLOOK

Discovered two satellite high-grade breccias at Los Helados, now known as the Fenix and Alicanto Zones, which confirm the Company's revised geological interpretation of the deposit, demonstrating that it hosts multiple centres of mineralization with elevated grades.

Launched 2022/2023 Los Helados drill program in November 2022 , focusing on extension of the recently discovered Fenix and Alicanto Zones, with initial assay results showing early success and expanding these satellite zones.

, focusing on extension of the recently discovered Fenix and Alicanto Zones, with initial assay results showing early success and expanding these satellite zones. Discovered a new copper-gold porphyry system at the La Quebrada target and a shallow oxide gold system at the Nordin target on the Valle Ancho project.

target on the Valle Ancho project. Completed the earn-in expenditure requirement at Valle Ancho to secure a 100% interest in the project.

Received permits for a Potro Cliffs drill program in December 2022 , paving the way to the commencement of drilling at this highly prospective exploration target in January 2023 .

H1 2022 Los Helados Drill Program Discovers Satellite High-grade Breccias; 2022-2023 Program to Test Extension

The drill program carried out at Los Helados between January and June 2022 (the "H1 2022 Los Helados Drill Program") successfully expanded and tested continuity of mineralization in the Condor Zone, the high-grade breccia phase at the core of the Los Helados deposit. In addition, the program validated the Company's geological interpretation at Los Helados, which was revised in 2021 and hypothesized that the deposit hosts multiple centres of high-grade mineralization and that elevated grades do not necessarily dissipate away from the Condor Zone. The Company confirmed the existence of two additional distinct, high-grade centres to the Los Helados deposit, the Fenix Zone, located at the western edge of the current Mineral Resource, and the Alicanto Zone, located 550m north of the Condor Zone.

Highlights from the H1 2022 Los Helados Drill Program include LHDH076, which confirmed the existence of the Fenix Zone with an intersection returning 234.0m at 0.97% Copper Equivalent ("CuEq") within a broader interval, including the Condor zone, of 1,290m at 0.74% CuEq. LHDH078 successfully discovered the Alicanto zone and returned 474.8m at 0.61% CuEq, including 100.0m at 1.20% CuEq (see News Releases dated May 24, 2022 and June 12, 2022).

A follow-up program was launched in the fall of 2022 to test for extension of the two new zones (the "2022/2023 Los Helados Drill Program"). Initial assays from this follow-up program have already confirmed extension with LHDH081 returning 1,168.8m at 0.43% CuEq, including 220.0m at 0.72% CuEq through the Fenix Zone, extending the mineralization 130m to the northwest. In addition, LHDH083 successfully expanded the Alicanto Zone 90m to the east with an intersection of 626.0m at 0.59% CuEq from 514.0m, including 122.1m at 1.05% CuEq from 884.0m (see News Release dated January 26, 2023).

Assay results from the completed H1 2022 Los Helados Drill Program, and assays to date from the ongoing 2022/2023 Los Helados Drill Program, are summarized below.



Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length

(m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) CuEq1 (%) Zones

Intersected H1 2022 Los Helados Drill Program LHDH073 124.0 1,000.0 876.0 0.56 0.28 2.1 0.74 Condor Zone incl. 216.0 912.0 696.0 0.60 0.31 2.2 0.80 incl. 314.0 524.0 210.0 0.76 0.45 2.8 1.06 LHDH074 42.0 1,058.3 1,016.3 0.45 0.31 1.9 0.65 Condor Zone incl. 136.0 890.0 754.0 0.52 0.30 2.0 0.71 and incl. 210.0 504.0 294.0 0.60 0.41 2.1 0.87 and incl. 606.0 746.0 140.0 0.64 0.29 2.5 0.83 and incl. 816.0 890.0 74.0 0.58 0.25 2.5 0.74 LHDH075 14.0 922.0 908.0 0.39 0.24 1.3 0.55 Condor Zone incl. 88.0 652.0 564.0 0.47 0.29 1.4 0.65 incl. 222.0 602.0 380.0 0.51 0.31 1.6 0.70 incl. 222.0 378.0 156.0 0.59 0.42 1.7 0.86 LHDH076 110.0 1,400.0 1290.0 0.60 0.21 2.3 0.74 Condor Zone incl. 138.0 922.0 784.0 0.63 0.25 1.9 0.80 incl. 138.0 542.0 404.0 0.77 0.35 2.2 1.00 and incl. 1,166.0 1,400.0 234.0 0.80 0.24 4.5 0.97 Fenix Zone incl. 1,166.0 1,308.0 142.0 1.14 0.35 3.8 1.38 incl. 1,384.0 1,400.0 16.0 0.86 0.19 23.4 1.11 LHDH077 0.0 989.0 989.0 0.51 0.27 1.7 0.69 Condor Zone incl. 42.0 778.0 736.0 0.58 0.32 1.9 0.79 incl. 328.0 548.0 220.0 0.69 0.41 2.4 0.95 incl. 328.0 452.0 124.0 0.71 0.47 2.6 1.02 Upper ext. 42.0 150.0 108.0 0.53 0.38 1.6 0.77 Lower ext. 526.0 778.0 252.0 0.57 0.20 2.0 0.71 LHDH078 566.0 1,040.8 474.8 0.55 0.08 1.7 0.61 Alicanto Zone incl. 700.0 1,040.8 340.8 0.67 0.09 2.0 0.73 incl. 844.0 944.0 100.0 1.10 0.14 2.1 1.20 2022/2023 Los Helados Drill Program LHDH079 148.0 1,363.2 1,215.2 0.32 0.18 1.5 0.43 Condor Zone incl. 676.0 932.9 256.9 0.54 0.16 2.6 0.65 and incl. 985.8 1,086.0 100.2 0.53 0.17 1.4 0.64 LHDH081 436.0 1,604.8 1,168.8 0.37 0.08 1.8 0.43 Fenix Zone incl. 1,144.0 1,364.0 220.0 0.63 0.12 2.6 0.72 LHDH082 152.0 1,133.3 981.3 0.38 0.15 1.7 0.48 Condor Zone incl. 550.0 1,039.7 489.7 0.46 0.20 1.9 0.60 incl. 826.0 968.0 142.0 0.55 0.26 2.3 0.73 LHDH083 514.0 1,140.0 626.0 0.46 0.20 1.9 0.59 Alicanto Zone incl. 678.0 724.0 46.0 0.28 0.96 1.2 0.87 and incl. 884.0 1,006.1 122.1 0.94 0.14 2.7 1.05

1 CuEq for drill intersections is calculated based on US$ 3.50/lb Cu, US$ 1,700/oz Au and US$ 20/oz Ag, with metallurgical recoveries of 88% for copper, 76% for gold and 60% for silver based on a comprehensive program of metallurgical testwork. The formula is: CuEq % = Cu % + (0.6117 * Au g/t) + (0.0057 * Ag g/t). 2 Los Helados hosts large-scale porphyry and associated breccia mineralization and drilled lengths are interpreted to be approximate true widths.



The ongoing 2022/2023 Los Helados Drill Program will continue to be focused on defining the geometry and size of the Alicanto and Fenix Zones, with the majority of the remaining holes of the program allocated to this objective. Several additional holes have now been completed, with assays in progress. Results will be released as they are received, analyzed and confirmed by the Company.

In addition to the drill program, the Company is also carrying out a comprehensive geophysical program to assist in targeting higher grade mineralization, including a 3D IP/resistivity survey, a drone borne magnetics survey, and a magneto-telluric survey.

Commencement of First Drill Program at Potro Cliffs

Starting in the third quarter of 2022, the Company began making preparations for a drill campaign at its Potro Cliffs copper-gold exploration target ("Potro Cliffs"), located in San Juan Province, Argentina. Potro Cliffs is the largest untested hydrothermal system in the emerging Vicuna District, which hosts several sizeable copper-gold deposits, such as Josemaria, Filo del Sol, and the Company's Los Helados Project. The Potro Cliffs target lies along the same major north-northeast structural trend that controls the Filo del Sol deposit located approximately 8 km to the south and Los Helados located approximately 9 km to the north.

The Company received permits in late December 2022 and began drilling at Potro Cliffs in January 2023 with two rigs. To date, the Company has completed its first two holes at Potro Cliffs, one from the plateau at the top of the cliff and another collared in the valley approximately 700 metres below, and results will be released as they are received, analyzed and confirmed by the Company.

Drilling at Potro Cliffs has continued through March 2023 with drill targeting guided by the geology seen in the first two holes.

Initial Discoveries at Valle Ancho Confirm Prospectivity of Land Package; NGEx Completes 100% Earn-in

During the first quarter, the Company completed a 3,060 metre diamond drill program at the Valle Ancho project, located in Catamarca Province, Argentina.

The program successfully discovered a new copper-gold porphyry system at the La Quebrada target (see News Release dated May 4, 2022), as well as shallow oxide gold mineralization at the Nordin target (see News release dated February 28, 2022). While both discoveries will require additional exploration, the initial results successfully demonstrated the prospectivity that exists on this large and underexplored land package.

Assay results from the 8 holes completed this campaign are summarized as follows:

La Quebrada Target  Copper-gold Porphyry Discovery

Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length

(m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) CuEq1 (%) VADH003 4.0 600.5 596.5 0.23 0.37 1.4 0.50 incl. 4.0 108.0 104.0 0.25 0.50 1.5 0.62 incl. 350.0 600.5 250.5 0.23 0.40 1.6 0.53 VADH004 No significant values VADH005 0.0 271.0 271.0 0.12 0.26 1.1 0.32 incl. 76.0 271.0 195.0 0.14 0.29 1.2 0.36 incl. 138.0 224.0 86.0 0.15 0.33 1.5 0.40 VADH006 8.0 431.0 423.0 0.19 0.27 2.2 0.40 incl. 162.0 270.0 108.0 0.22 0.38 1.9 0.50 incl. 292.0 428.0 136.0 0.25 0.32 4.2 0.50 VADH007 No significant values

1 CuEq for drill intersections is calculated based on US$ 3.50/lb Cu, US$ 1,700/oz Au and

US$ 20/oz Ag, with metallurgical recoveries of 80% assumed for all metals. The formula is:

CuEq % = Cu % + (0.7083 * Au g/t) + (0.0083 * Ag g/t).



Nordin Target  Near Surface, Oxide Gold Discovery

Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length

(m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) VADH001 0.0 150.0 150.0 1.05 0.67 incl. 4.0 128.0 124.0 1.21 0.73 incl. 36.0 56.0 20.0 2.12 0.59 VADH002 0.0 198.0 198.0 0.63 0.44 incl. 0.0 70.0 70.0 0.94 0.46



Anomalia 4 Target

Hole-ID From (m) To (m) Length

(m) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) CuEq (%) VADH008 No significant values

In November 2022, after having completed the US$8.0 million minimum expenditure requirement pursuant to an option agreement with the Province of Catamarca to earn a 100% interest in Valle Ancho, the Company prepared requisite reports and made its formal submissions to the province to complete the Valle Ancho earn-in.



FINANCIAL RESULTS

(In thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share amounts)



Three months ended Year ended



December 31, December 31,



2022 2021 2022 2021 Exploration and project investigation

6,038 3,518 28,924 5,665 General and administration ("G&A")

2,346 695 5,496 2,054 Net loss

8,020 2,390 32,415 5,457 Basic and diluted loss per share

0.04 0.01 0.20 0.04

The financial information in this table was selected from the Company's consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 (the "Financial Statements"), which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Company's website www.NGExMinerals.com.



SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(In thousands of Canadian dollars)

December 31, December 31,



2022

2021 Cash

23,249

21,000 Working capital

20,222

19,974 Mineral properties

3,903

3,537 Total assets

32,312

25,733

The financial information in this table was selected from the Financial Statements, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Company's website www.NGExMinerals.com.



The Company incurred a net loss of $32.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, comprised primarily of $28.9 million in exploration and project investigation costs and $5.5 million in G&A costs, which have been partially offset by a gain of approximately $2.0 million resulting from the use of marketable securities for the purposes of facilitating intragroup funding transfers. For the comparative 2021 year, the Company reported a net loss of $5.5 million, consisting primarily of $5.7 million in exploration and project investigation costs and $2.1 million in G&A costs, which were partially offset by a gain of approximately $2.5 million resulting from the use of marketable securities for the purposes of facilitating intragroup funding transfers.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

As at December 31, 2022, the Company had cash of $23.2 million and net working capital $20.2 million, compared to cash of $21.0 million and net working capital of $20.0 million as at December 31, 2021. The Company's cash increased during the year ended December 31, 2022, due to an October 25, 2022 non-brokered private placement whereby the Company sold an aggregate of 15,000,000 common shares at a price of $2.00 per common share, generating aggregate gross proceeds of $30.0 million (the "Financing") (see News Release dated October 25, 2022). Net proceeds from the Financing have been partially offset by funds used in operations, including mineral property and surface access rights payments, and for general corporate purposes. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company received $495,847 in gross proceeds on the exercise of stock options.

Credit Facility

On September 28, 2022, the Company obtained an unsecured US$3.0 million credit facility (the "2022 Facility") from Zebra Holdings and Investments S.a.r.l ("Zebra") and Lorito Holdings S.a.r.l. ("Lorito") to provide financial flexibility to fund ongoing exploration and for general corporate purposes. Zebra and Lorito are companies controlled by a trust settled by the late Adolf H. Lundin. Zebra and Lorito report their respective security holdings in the Company as joint actors, as the term is defined by Canadian securities regulations, and are related parties by virtue of their combined shareholding in the Company in excess of 20%.

As consideration for the 2022 Facility, Zebra and Lorito received 12,500 common shares upon execution thereof (the "Commitment Shares") and shall receive an additional 200 common shares each month, for every US$50,000 in principal outstanding, prorated accordingly for the number of days outstanding. The 2022 Facility matures on September 28, 2023, and no interest is payable in cash during its term.

All common shares issued in conjunction with the facilities are subject to a four-month hold period under applicable securities laws.

The Company anticipates that it will deploy the majority of its treasury and capital resources towards furthering exploration programs in Chile and Argentina, and for general corporate and working capital purposes.

ABOUT NGEX MINERALS

NGEx Minerals is a copper and gold exploration company based in Canada, focused on advancing its Los Helados copper-gold project located in Chile's Region III and testing the nearby Potro Cliffs exploration target located approximately 12 kilometres to the southwest in San Juan Province, Argentina. Both projects are located within the Vicuna District which includes the Josemaria and Filo del Sol deposits. Los Helados and the Potro Cliffs target lie along the same major north-northeast trending structure that controls the Filo del Sol deposit.

NGEx Minerals is the majority partner and operator for the Los Helados Project, subject to a Joint Exploration Agreement with Nippon Caserones Resources Co., Ltd. which operates the Caserones open pit copper mine located approximately 15km north of Los Helados through a subsidiary that is subject to a recently announced agreement whereby Lundin Mining Corporation will acquire a controlling stake.

NGEx Minerals' near-term objectives are to continue drilling for extensions of the high-grade Fenix and Alicanto Zones identified at Los Helados in early 2022, and to complete an initial drill campaign at the Potro Cliffs exploration target.

The Company is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol "NGEX". NGEx Minerals is part of the Lundin Group of Companies.

QUALIFIED PERSONS AND TECHNICAL NOTES

The scientific and technical disclosure for the Los Helados Project included in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Bob Carmichael, B.A.Sc., P.Eng. who is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Carmichael is Vice President, Exploration for the Company. Additional details on the drill results disclosed above can be found in the Company's press releases dated February 28, 2022, May 4, 2022, May 24, 2022, June 12, 2022 and January 26, 2023.

On behalf of NGEx Minerals,

Wojtek Wodzicki,

President and CEO

Additional information relating to NGEx Minerals Ltd. may be obtained or viewed on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.ngexminerals.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein in the news release constitutes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking information"). All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this document constitute forward-looking information, including but not limited to, statements regarding: exploration and development plans and expenditures, including the size, scope, nature, timing and foci of the Company's future exploration programs, particularly at Los Helados, Valle Ancho and Potro Cliffs; the anticipated improvements to efficiency that will be realized through directional drilling at Los Helados; the amount or timing of drilling that will be completed during the 2022/2023 Los Helados Drill Program; whether current interpretation of the exploration and/or drill results to date will be confirmed by future work, including statements regarding prospectivity of exploration properties, the accuracy of a geological model, or the ability to extend and define of the Fenix, Alicanto and Condor Zones at Los Helados; the result of the Province of Catamarca's review of the Company's submission with respect to the completion of the earn-in expenditure at Valle Ancho to secure a 100% interest therein and the timing thereof; the expected results or success of exploration activities at Potro Cliffs, including but not limited to, drill results from the current program underway and the anticipated drill meters to be completed at Potro Cliffs, including whether the Company will drill holes in addition to the two initially planned and completed; the expected timing of assay results generated by the Company's drill program at Potro Cliffs; the future uses of the Company's cash and working capital, including the net proceeds resulting from the Financing; the success of future exploration activities; potential for the discovery of new mineral deposits or expansion of existing mineral deposits; ability to build shareholder value; expectations with regard to adding to Mineral Resources through exploration; expectations with respect to the conversion of Inferred Resources to an Indicated Resource classification, or the conversion of Indicated Resources to a Measured Resource classification; and the ability to execute the planned work programs. Words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof and similar expressions identify forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon various estimates and assumptions including, without limitation, the expectations and beliefs of management as outlined above. Although the Company believes that these factors and expectations are reasonable as at the date of this document in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, these statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, without limitation: the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic and the risk that an intensification of the pandemic or an outbreak at the project could impact the company's ability to carry out the program and could cause the program to be shut down, estimations of costs, and permitting time lines; ability to obtain environmental permits, surface rights and property interests in a timely manner; currency exchange rate fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; changes in the Company's share price; changes to government regulation of mining activities; environmental risks; unanticipated reclamation or remediation expenses; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage; assumptions that the Company will receive the permits required to drill at Valle Ancho in a timely manner, fluctuations in the current price of and demand for commodities; material adverse changes in general business and economic conditions in Chile; the availability of financing if and when needed on reasonable terms; risks related to material labour disputes, accidents, or failure of plant or equipment; and other risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as at the date of this news release. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking information, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise. Forward-looking information is provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All the forward-looking information contained in this document is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers

Information concerning the mineral properties of the Company contained in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Canadian securities laws, which differ in material respects from the requirements of securities laws of the United States applicable to U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

SOURCE NGEx Minerals Ltd.

For further information: Amanda Strong, Investor Relations, Canada: +1 604 689 7842 or [email protected]
Samsung Galaxy F62 and Samsung Galaxy M02 have leaked up to now on a number of events, and now the mannequin numbers related to these telephones have been noticed on Samsungs official assist web page in India as nicely. This signifies that each the telephones launches could possibly be inching nearer and Samsung is gearing as much as introduce them within the Indian market. Samsung Galaxy F62 can be reported to be referred to as the Samsung Galaxy E62. In some markets, this telephone might doubtless be additionally referred to as the Samsung Galaxy M62.

MySmartPrice noticed two mannequin numbers  SM-E625F/DS and SM-M022G/DS  on the Samsung India assist web page. The assist web page would not supply any particulars in regards to the telephone, and it would not even reveal the industrial identify of the telephone, however the SM-E625F/DS mannequin number is essentially related to Samsung Galaxy F62, or Samsung Galaxy E62, up to now. Likewise, the SM-M022G/DS is related to the anticipated Samsung Galaxy M02 handset.

Samsung launched the Galaxy M02s within the Indian market earlier this month, however the Galaxy M02 nonetheless stays within the hearsay mill. As per a Geekbench itemizing, Samsung Galaxy M02 might run on Android 10 and include 3GB of RAM. The smartphone may additionally include the Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC thats clocked at 1.8GHz.

The rumoured Samsung Galaxy F62 has additionally leaked in pictures, hinting at a sq. formed module on the again. The telephone has additionally been noticed on BIS web site and an earlier report additionally claims that the production of the rumoured Samsung Galaxy F62 has begun on the firms Greater Noida facility within the Delhi-NCR area. The Galaxy F62 could possibly be one of many slimmest telephones from Samsung and its anticipated to launch within the first quarter of 2021. Specifications leaked up to now embody Exynos 9825 SoC, have 6GB of RAM and Android 11.

Is this the tip of the Samsung Galaxy Note series as we all know it? We mentioned this on Orbital, our weekly know-how podcast, which youll subscribe to through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, obtain the episode, or simply hit the play button under.

Affiliate hyperlinks could also be mechanically generated  see our ethics statement for details.
There are many strange stories surrounding the New Haven Green. One tale which is often repeated but never confirmed holds that the size of the green was designed by the citys religious founders in order to be large enough to hold the 144,000 souls they believed would be spared at the end of the world. But what might be the strangest story about the green is actually true.

The green is not owned by the city of New Haven. Instead, for centuries it has been held in trust by a group of proprietors who have passed the duty  some might say sacred duty  of protecting the green down through the ages.

We have been five proprietors since the beginning, and those proprietors pick their own successors, says Janet Bond Arterton, the current chair of the Committee of the Proprietors of the Common and Undivided Lands in New Haven. Its theoretically a lifetime appointment but proprietors have left for various reasons other than their passing, adds Arterton, a U.S. district judge in Connecticut.

The proprietors have a partnership with the city of New Haven, which handles maintenance for the green. The area is designated a city park district, so the green is protected as a common space. Even so, the proprietors understand how unusual this setup is for a popular green space inside a city.

Its a strange position that doesnt exist anywhere because it came into being before the Revolution, says Anne Calabresi, a longtime proprietor who helped found New Havens International Festival of Arts & Ideas and has been involved in many other community and volunteer efforts over the years.

Arterton says that, when the group was first formed, such public land proprietor arrangements were more common. It is probably unique now. It is not, however, unique historically. In fact, many Connecticut towns were set up that way, Arterton says.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, New Haven was designed as a grid consisting of nine squares. The center square is home to the green, which was initially called the marketplace or the ancient grounds. This land was held in common by the towns founders. Other common lands were outside the bounds of the city. The rights to these lands were shared only by the original proprietors, or shareholders in the New Haven Colony, writes historian Rollin Gustav Osterweis in The New Haven Green and the American Bicentennial, a book commissioned by the proprietors and published in 1976. And thus we have, from the inception of New Haven, a specialized, vested interest in The Common and Undivided Lands, which interest would devolve from the first Proprietors to their descendants, and eventually, in 1805, to the Committee of the Proprietors of the Common and Undivided Lands. 

Even so, as time has gone on, the strangeness of the arrangement has raised some eyebrows. A few years ago there was discussion about the proprietors and people were like, What is this shadowy group that controls the green and how dare they and who appointed these people for life?  says Jason Bischoff-Wurstle, director of photo archives at the New Haven Museum. Bischoff-Wurstle, who is not a proprietor, dismisses this worry, noting that the group holds the land in use for the common good. And while it is an odd arrangement, Bischoff-Wurstle believes the proprietors are a living link to historic land-use practices. Its actually pretty cool when you stop and think about it, he says.

The proprietors have been open to change, however. In 2017 the group appointed Kica Matos, a well-known New Haven activist, as its newest proprietor and has begun seeking more input from the community. We recently appointed a very prestigious advisory committee to the proprietors to think through, think ahead and think over the uses and activities for this amazing green, Arterton says.

Some members are also open to exploring different models for maintaining the green going forward. Were a conservancy, we really are, says Calabresi, adding that it might be helpful to make that distinction official to see whether that would be a more equitable way of running it.

The green was not always the happy public gathering space it is today. One of the earliest references to the New Haven marketplace comes in October 1639 when an Indigenous man named Nepaupuck was convicted of murder and then beheaded on the green. His severed head was placed on a pole.

This grisly opening chapter was not an outlier in the greens early history, as the tract of land served as a burial ground for the citys first 150 years, and thousands of people were buried there. It was this kind of grubby place downtown, where animals would be loose, and people were haphazardly buried for a long time, Bischoff-Wurstle says. Eventually, the practice of burying the dead there was stopped and the headstones  but not the bodies  were moved to Grove Street Cemetery.

The green has also seen many momentous moments. As Osterweis writes in his history, It has heard the oratory of American presidents and would-be presidents; it has sheltered tributes to war heroes and protests against war-mongers; it has witnessed townspeople gathering to march angrily against students within the gates of the Yale campus, in 1919, and townspeople applauding the drills of Yale military and naval units, in 1944.

Through these and many other moments, the green has persevered thanks at least in part to the work of the five proprietors who continue to serve as its guardians. While the proprietor system may not be conventional in todays world, Arterton notes that it has worked. I think it served us well, she says. Even though criticized, the result has been that 16 acres in the center of a city have remained open to be enjoyed and shared by the citizenry.
Tara O'Neill / Hearst Connecticut Media

MILFORD  Police say a New Haven man is accused of threatening someone with a metal pipe during an attempted robbery outside of a local CVS Saturday.

Milford police said officers were called to Bridgeport Avenue Saturday for a reported disturbance in the CVS parking lot. Police said the victim told officers they were putting their bags in their car when they felt someone grab their arm and place an object on the side of their chest. A man then told the victim to give him their keys, or he would hurt them, the police department said in a news release Monday.
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HELSINKI (AP)  Finnish voters have given a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin of another term as the country prepares to make its historic entry into NATO on Tuesday.

Marin won popularity for her Cabinet's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and for her European Union nation's strong support for Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion last year. But Sunday's election was largely fought over economic issues, with voters in the nation of 5.5 million people shifting their allegiances significantly to parties on the political right as they seek solutions to rising state debt, inflation and other economic problems.

The bloated debt will pose a challenge for the new government, particularly since NATO membership will require Finland to increase its defense spending. Finland is to join NATO on Tuesday after Turkey ratified its membership last week, lifting the last hurdle to membership for the Nordic nation that shares a long border with Russia.

The center-right National Coalition Party, or NCP, won 20.8% of the vote, which is more than any other party and puts it in a position to try to form a government. The right-wing populist party The Finns won 20.1% and Marin's Social Democrats 19.9%.

Juhana Aunesluoma, a professor of political history at the University of Helsinki, noted that about one-third of the votes went to left-wing parties and two thirds to parties on the right.

It was a big swing from left to right, he said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press.

Marin's defeat is the latest setback for the left amid a larger shift to conservative and nationalist parties across Europe in recent times. Sweden ousted its left-wing government in a rightward shift last year, followed by an election in Italy that resulted in the first far-right-led government since the end of World War II. Meanwhile Spains left-wing government is under pressure, with the right-wing Popular Party and far-right Vox party ahead as the country heads to a vote in December.

The winning party in Finland traditionally kicks off government formation talks, and National Coalition led by Petteri Orpo  a 53-year-old former finance minister  is expected to start negotiations next week with the goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority in the 200-seat parliament, the Eduskunta.

Orpo told the AP late Sunday that he intends to negotiate with all parties in order to find the best possible majority government for Finland.

If Orpo, the most likely candidate to be the next prime minister, ends up choosing the Social Democrats as a coalition partner, that could mean Marin could theoretically get a post  albeit not the prime minister's job  in the next government.

Still, for now, a coalition with other conservatives appears to be the most likely outcome.

Finnish media touted the The Finns, which ran on an anti-immigration and anti-EU agenda, as the biggest winner of the election. The populists scored the best result of their history under the leadership of Riikka Purra, who took over the party only in 2021.

Orpo has said his party is open to cooperation with The Finns as the two parties largely share views on developing Finlands economy though have differences in climate policies and EU issues.

The biggest losers of the election were small and mid-size parties, particularly the Green League and the Left-Alliance  both members of Marin's outgoing coalition Cabinet  which were left in the shadow of the big three.

Aunesluoma noted that Marin's coalition partners, who shifted to the left during their years of alliance with the Social Democrats, lost votes.

While Russias invasion of Ukraine prompted Finland to seek NATO membership in May 2022, neither the historic decision to abandon the nations nonalignment policy nor the war emerged as major campaign issues, given broad consensus in society and among the parties.

The National Coalition Party, which has advocated NATO membership for two decades, will need to make firm commitments on military spending to meet a NATO target of 2% of a member nation's GDP being spent on defense.

This is something that they will do. But it wont be easy, given that the government will actually be facing severe cuts in public spending, said Aunesluoma. Increasing spending on defense while facing pressure to cut welfare spending will be a balancing act for the new government, he said.

A total of nine parties were elected to the Parliament, according to initial results. Voter turnout was 71.9%, slightly lower than in the 2019 election.
YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. The President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, believes that Armenia does not need to quickly ratify the Rome Statute, ARMENPRESS reports, Simonyan said in an interview with 1in.am.

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia emphasized that they have not held any discussion on the issue of ratifying the Rome Statute in the parliament, but he expressed his subjective opinion that Armenia does not need to rush in this matter.

Simonyan reminded that the government discussed the compatibility of the Rome Statute with the Constitution of Armenia and sent it to the Constitutional Court for a conclusion at the end of 2022. "We have cases of crimes against humanity committed during the Armenian Genocide and Karabakh wars, and it is a necessary tool for Armenia. But we have always behaved as an ally, and we have not taken any special steps against Russia," said Simonyan, referring to the discussions on Armenia's possible ratification of the Rome Statute in the context of the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In this context, he described the discussions about Armenia arresting Vladimir Putin as absurd. "But different countries around the world... it's not so that Armenia itself should take that burden and go and deal with it. It is absurd, we have always behaved like an ally and have been correct in our relations, which allows us today to criticize some of Russia's actions, which are at least incomprehensible to us. We have always behaved as the right ally and we have been honest with all our partners. There is no need to enter into any political context," said Simonyan.

He added that the Russian officials, with whom he is in contact, did not even raise this issue, stressing that it is not appropriate to raise such an issue in the case of Armenia, because Armenia has always behaved decently, honestly and in the spirit of allied relations with the CSTO and all other international partners, at the same time not subordinating its interests to any other interests.

Answering the question of there are risks in quickly ratifying the Rome Statute, Alen Sinonyan answered, "It is a negative step towards Russia, the meaning and usefulness of which I do not understand. There are many countries that have ratified it, and Armenia should not be a pioneer in this matter. Yes, we are dissatisfied with the reactions and actions of Russia, and we have many issues that we need to discuss, but at the same time, in my subjective opinion, I do not consider it right to take such a step today."
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TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed close to Belarus' borders with NATO neighbors, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said Sunday amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Ambassador Boris Gryzlov's comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia's neighbor and ally. The announcement marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The two neighbors have an agreement envisioning close economic, political and military ties. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.

Gryzlov, speaking in remarks broadcast late Sunday by Belarusian state television, said the Russian nuclear weapons will be moved up close to the Western border of our union state but did not give any precise location.

It will expand our defense capability, and it will be done regardless of all the noise in Europe and the United States, he said in a reference to Western criticism of Putin's decision.

Belarus shares a 1,250-kilometer (778-mile) border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield, have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

The deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus would put them closer to potential targets in Ukraine and NATO members in Eastern and Central Europe.

Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that some of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russias tactical nuclear arsenal.
Hardi Patel, a Grade 10 student at A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls, had her poem "Justyces Poem" published in the journal of the African American Registry. She is shown in the library at A.N. Myer.



Hardi Patel wants to study psychology and sociology. But being in Grade 10, her career aspirations are still in the formative stage, even though she has big plans to help people and make a difference in the world.

Her teacher, Tina Chivers, would argue the 15-year-old at A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls is already doing her part though.

Hardi joined her fellow students in Chivers Grade 9 English class last year by taking a deep dive into author Nic Stones book "Dear Martin", in which the main character of Justyce McAllister  a Black teen living in Atlanta  writes letters to the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. to help him make sense of the racial profiling he faces including the racist killing of his Black friend by a police officer.

Hardi opted for her final project in the class to write a poem written from the perspective of Justyce to help combat racism. The work embraces Justyces desire to break down stereotypes and highlight the harm of racial profiling, said Hardi.

He (Justyce) wants everybody to be equal, she said. I think thats something thats really important.

Chivers said when she read the poem, she was blown away by its impact.

Its such a moving poem, it really did bring me to tears, she said. I know how powerful that poem is.

To achieve what she did, Chivers said Hardi had to get into the head of Justyce and experience the difficult things he experienced.

I thought it was a real example of Hardis ability to empathize with somebody elses lived experience, she said. That was very touching for me as a teacher.

Chivers suggested Hardi send the poem to Stone, which she did. Two days later, Stone contacted the teen and told her the poem was incredible.

Its  amazing to see readers connect with this boy who came out of my head, said Stone. You nailed it.

Hardi was stunned by the authors response.

It was crazy, said Hardi. I didnt expect her to respond; I just took a shot.

Hardi, a first-generation Canadian whose parents come from India, said she hasnt personally experienced racism.

Ive grown up in safe, welcoming communities like Myer that have been respectful to me as a person, she said. (But) a lot of my brown friends have faced racism. Theyve been excluded and left out because of their race.

There is racism and there is discrimination.

She said Stones book resonated with students in the class because the characters were roughly the same age as the students.

Her poem, entitled "Justyces Poem", has just recently been published in the journal of the African American Registry, which aims to inspire young minds and promote social change through advocacy. That gives the poem a truly international audience, said Chivers.

I always tell my students that you can be an effective change in the world, and you can use your words to do that, she said. We can use our words to hurt or we can use our words to heal.

Hardis poem is doing the latter, said Chivers.

I realize the power of words and I want my students to use their words not just for assignments but to make a difference in their community  in this case, a global community, she said.

I am so pleased that this lady did this not just for a school project; she did it to make a difference in the world, said Chivers. Its such an inspiring story.

The Niagara Falls Public Library will also place a copy of the journal with Hardis poem in its local author's section, said Chivers.

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Glynn Green speaks at a town hall on mental health, homelessness and additions at the Meridian Community Centre in Pelham on March 31.



Glynn Green was moved to tears when he talked about his troubled life.

I used to line up at the Salvation Army on Bay Street (in Hamilton) with people from all walks of life, Green said. And anybody who thinks that they can maintain their pride, it doesnt happen. I have long since given up any sense of personal pride because of that.

Green, a Fonthill resident, recently moved home from the Steel City where, during his time on the streets, he said he saw a lot.

Nobody in this room, not even you have seen what I have seen. I know three ladies who died of opioid overdoses before fentanyl came around.

Green was speaking at a town hall to discuss the issues of mental health, homelessness and addiction at the Meridian Community Centre in Pelham on March 30. The town hall was organized by Steven Soos, who spearheaded a drive to have Niagara Region declare a state of emergency surrounding mental health, homelessness and addiction.

Green, meanwhile, said life is still a challenge for him.

Im dirt poor. Serious. Were spending 65 per cent of my monthly cash flow to keep a roof over my head and food, he said.

Green was one of about 20 people who attended the town hall organized by Soos. It featured a panel that included: Pelham Mayor and regional Coun. Marvin Junkin; Pelham Ward 1 Coun. Wayne Olson; Niagara Falls regional Coun. and co-chair of the regions public health and social services committee Joyce Morocco; Welland regional Coun. Pat Chiocchio; and Miles Howe, assistant professor of critical criminology at Brock University. Staffer Michael Zwiep was on hand representing Niagara West member of provincial parliament Sam Oosterhoff.

Bob Hillier, the former chair of the board for Start Me Up Niagara in St. Catharines, worked alongside Start Me Ups longtime executive director Susan Venditti, who recently retired. He has seen plenty.

Through Susans eyes, I got to see the kind of s--tstorm of homelessness and drug addiction up close, Hillier said.

What was once an agency that was mainly helping men whod fallen on hard times has become something different.

Our clientele grew younger, shockingly younger, Hillier said, adding those numbers included sex trade workers who plied their trade just a few blocks down the street on Gale Crescent. Additionally, addiction issues became more prominent with young people collapsing on Start Me Ups office doorstep.

Chiocchio, who voted in favour of the state of emergency, said the issues cannot be tackled alone. There should be communication between municipal, provincial and federal levels of government before committing to funding.

I want all three levels of government to start coming together and start talking, he said. I wasnt even thinking about the funding at that time. I just wanted the three to get together to share where the gaps are.

A measure in the recent provincial budget to provide $404 million to address homelessness was a big, big step, he said. An additional $425 million over three years for mental health is also welcome, he added.

Junkin called it a disgrace in this country that we have 175,000 Canadians that sleep on the streets, that sleep in overpasses, and we all hear about the mess and pretty soon theyre going to be out and around our parks.

And the solutions currently employed by municipalities to remove encampments is not the answer, he added. Our answer is to chase them from one park to another, Junkin said. Well, that isnt much of a solution, either. The suffering out there is immense.

Soos, meanwhile, said although he has had plenty of support through his own struggles with mental health, many others are not as fortunate.

Im free because of this community  it was that community that brought me back, he said. We cannot let these people be ghosts in our society. We cannot forget about them.

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Niagara Falls city council is again calling for the province to support a fully functional Highway 405.

In April 2018, local politicians endorsed a resolution put forth by Coun. Victor Pietrangelo regarding 405-QEW access. In February 2021, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney sent a letter to city hall which, in part, said study results indicated the highway will operate satisfactorily beyond 2030.

But the new council is not giving up, having recently approved a motion asking the ministry to pursue a fully functional 405/Queen Elizabeth Way interchange and for the minister to visit to witness traffic concerns.

When a motorist is travelling west on 405 approaching the QEW, their only option is to travel Toronto bound. A fully functional interchange at this location should include an option for the motorist to travel south on QEW, Niagara Falls bound, reads the motion.

Pietrangelo has long advocated getting commercial vehicles off city roads, especially ones headed out to 405 and Stanley Avenue and needing to cross Niagara Falls because they have no access to the QEW.

He said if 405 was fully functional, motorists could catch it no matter which direction theyre going. If motorists are headed north on the QEW and pass Mountain Road, they should be able to get onto Highway 405.

Pietrangelo said the provinces current plan is to make an interchange at 405 and Concession 6, which is Mewburn Road in Niagara Falls, but Concession 6 at the bottom of the hill in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Going down Mewburn Road, its a shame really, but theyve clear cut a whole line of trees on both sides of the street and it looks like theyre just going to have to carve into the escarpment in order to widen the road, if thats really where theyre going to send the trucks, he said during a March 21 meeting.

I just really see it as a travesty. I dont even think its going to solve the problem, to be honest with you, because then youre still going to have large trucks on city streets.

Pietrangelo said council should continue pushing its message that it just makes all the sense to take the big trucks off of our city roads and put them on the highways where they belong.

Mayor Jim Diodati suggested Pietrangelo bring the new motion forward so he can raise the issue during his next meeting with the minister.

Maybe its a good time because the province, I understand, theres some announcements coming  some major infrastructure announcements, so probably good to put it onto their purview, he said.

In an interview, Pietrangelo said he believes its absurd to make an interchange at Mewburn.

All the trucks that are trying to access the 405, theyre either going to have to get off at Glendale and then get back on to the highway to get to the 405, or theyre going to get off on Mountain Road and go down Mewburn and Concession 6 to get on to the 405, he said. Its absurd. All Im saying is, hey guys, youve got two 400-series highways here  keep the traffic on the highways.

Pietrangelo said the last time council went to the province about this issue, the minister said the governments focus was on the diverging-diamond interchange at QEW and Glendale Avenue in Niagara-on-the-Lake and could revisit the matter after thats done.

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When the family saw Lucas Thomass school picture for the first time, it made them all laugh. He had a unique look on his face  both grimacing and smiling, with a mischievous glint in his bright blue eyes.

It showed exactly who Lucas was.

Even at just 10 years old, Lucas had a brilliant mind. He was always listening. He was curious, almost to a fault, wanting to take things apart  like an electric outlet  and put it back together. He was inquisitive and gave 100 per cent to everything he did. He did complicated calculations in his mind, and was non-stop from the moment he woke up to when he went to sleep.

He loved Hot Wheels cars, with more than a thousand in his bedroom, and kept every empty car box in his closet. He loved iPads and iPhones, and knew everything about Tesla vehicles. His favourite colour was blue and he took his safety blanket, a stuffed raccoon named Swiper, with him everywhere he went.

Lucas had his challenges  but in so many ways, he surpassed all of us.

We would often talk about, I wonder what hell do as a professional, said his uncle Kevin Krestinski. We always pictured him as an engineer.

He was just amazing.

Last Thursday Lucas was sitting in the backseat of his familys SUV with his twin brother Ethan. Their mom, Rosalie, was driving on the QEW from their home in Beamsville to their twice-weekly after-school math lesson. At 5:30 p.m., almost at a complete stop during rush-hour traffic, their vehicle was struck from behind.

Ontario Provincial Police said a vehicle operated by a 31-year-old woman collided into the back of the Thomases SUV, which was then pushed into a third vehicle.

Lincoln Fire Rescue and Emergency Services extricated Lucas from the the SUV, and Niagara Emergency Medical Services transported him to hospital  first West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby and then McMaster Childrens Hospital in Hamilton. But said Lucass internal injuries were too extensive.

He was pronounced dead at 9 p.m.

(Our) family was able to go in and see him, once he had passed and I held his hand and we just loved him, said Krestinski, who is married to Rosalies sister Lisa. It was just really hard  were broken, were devastated.

Rosalie has a neck injury and four broken ribs, and Ethan has a mild concussion and a small bruise near his right eye, but otherwise they are both physically OK, he said.

Rosalie doesnt remember anything, Ethan doesnt remember anything. Ethan would have been two feet from Lucas  were grateful they didnt see or didnt remember anything.

The first night, Ethan was in a fog, and is still having a difficult time comprehending what happened. Sometimes confused, sometimes times angry at the other driver. Other times, he asks when hell see Lucas again, his uncle said.

Lucas and Ethan were fraternal twins, born a minute apart on Dece. 13, 2012, only three pounds at birth. Ethan, who is unable to hear without a hearing aid, was released from hospital after a few weeks old, but Lucas, who was diagnosed with autism, stayed for five weeks.

When youre on the autism spectrum  often they dont share how they feel, but in Lucass case, he showed us love. He would say I love you and he would hug us. Were so grateful for that, said Krestinski.

In the few days since the crash, a GoFundMe page set up for the family has nearly raised $25,000. The goal was $10,000. Krestinski said the outpouring of love and support from the community has been wonderful, and he hopes people remember Lucas for the love he shared with others.

We have a strong faith, our family and we believe that he is with Jesus right now, and thats the only comfort we have, he said. All we know is hes gone from here and we have a horrible loss but hes touching so many lives  we are broken but we will never forget.

There will never be another Lucas.

Jennifer DeCoff, principal of St. Mark Catholic Elementary School, expressed her heartbreak for Lucass parents, grandparents, as well as other siblings Owen and Caitlyn. She said Lucas was a well-loved member of the school community and his bright smile and curious nature will never be forgotten.

I pray that they find comfort as they grieve in the difficult days and weeks ahead, she said. I also hope they take solace in their certainty that Lucas is safe in the arms of Jesus, and that they will be reunited with him one day.

Niagara Catholic District School Board communications officer Jennifer Pellegrini said the death of a student is a profound loss for the entire school community, with each situation unique. She said Niagara Catholic believes in the importance of integrating mental health services and a faith response to begin the healing process. That includes directing supports, such as counselling and chaplaincy team members, to the school as soon as possible, and who will return in the days that follow.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said Monday the investigation into the crash is ongoing and was unable to provide any further details. No charges have been laid.

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A 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a vehicle Sunday following a three-vehicle collision on Quaker Road in Welland.

Niagara Regional Police responded to Quaker Road, east of First Avenue, at 5:06 p.m.

Police said the driver of an eastbound Hyundai Santa Fe left its lane, causing the driver of a westbound Mitsubishi RVR SUV to leave the road to avoid a collision and enter a ditch on the north side.

The Santa Fe continued east and struck a westbound Cadillac Escalade, which ended up on the south side of Quaker partway off the road.

Neither the driver of the Mitsubishi nor the Cadillac was injured, police said.

The driver of the Hyundai, a Welland man, was arrested and charged with impaired driving.

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YEREVAN, APRIL 3, ARMENPRESS. On April 3, the President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received the delegation led by the President of the Poland-Armenia Friendship Group, Radoslaw Fogiel.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the President, Vahagn Khachaturyan said "I welcome you to the Republic of Armenia. I am well aware of the great work you are doing for the strengthening and development of Armenia-Poland relations, and I express my gratitude for the work you have done. Parliamentary diplomacy has a great place in our relations, which can also, of course, stimulate the joint work of other branches of government. Both our countries are going through difficult times. It is not peaceful in our regions. I am sure that our activities are aimed at achieving peace in these difficult conditions of the region. And in this regard, it is very important for Armenia that you are with us in these very difficult days for us. This refers to the closure of the Lachin Corridor. In our joint work, we have one goal to convey to you the information that is available, asking you to convey this reliable information to all our partners in other countries, because unfortunately, our neighboring country, having great opportunities to spread misinformation, is trying to mislead our partners by saying as if Armenia does not want to hold peace talks, as if Armenia is causing tension in the region. I am sure that your visit will be very useful in this regard."

Expressing gratitude for the reception, Radoslaw Fogiel noted in his speech. "It is a great honor for us to be here. Certainly, we would all agree that parliamentary diplomacy is an essential part of real diplomacy. We are hopeful that our relations at both the parliamentary and executive levels will continue to deepen, taking a positive direction. We will work in different areas, our cooperation will develop in different areas, but the main emphasis will be on the issue of security both in this region and in Europe."

During the meeting, a wide range of issues of Armenian-Polish cooperation were discussed. Reference was made to the active interaction of the stock exchanges of Armenia and Poland and the prospects of the latter's expansion, as well as the possibilities of promoting Armenian-Polish trade and economic relations. During the conversation, President Vahagn Khachaturyan emphasized bilateral and active cooperation with Poland both bilaterally and within the framework of the Eastern Partnership. The President emphasized that Armenia is committed to the agreements reached with the European Union and is committed the principles of establishing democratic institutions and protecting democratic values. During the meeting, a number of regional realities were touched upon. The importance of establishing a stable and lasting peace in the South Caucasus, as well as the priority of humanitarian issues and the need for the normal operation of the Lachin humanitarian corridor were emphasized.
A teenage boy charged in the recent hit-and-run death of a Hamilton high school student was previously arrested for driving without a licence.

The 15-year-old, who cant be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded guilty on March 29 to driving with no licence on a local residential street last spring  about eight months before the crash that left another teen dead.

His plea to the provincial offence resulted in a $300 fine.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Hamilton police stopped the teenager on May 20, 2022 after receiving two calls about a black Dodge Charger with racing stripes driving carelessly in a Mountain neighbourhood.

One call to police reported the car going approximately 100 kilometres an hour on Clifton Downs Road, assistant Crown attorney Gordon Akilie said. Another call reported the same vehicle doing doughnuts on nearby streets.

When police stopped the Charger and identified the teen, he told officers hed just bought the car from a man in Mississauga and had plans to later sell it, according to the agreed statement of facts.

He was just driving it around, Akilie said.

In presenting the Crown and defences joint submission for a $300 fine, Akilie noted the teen acknowledges clearly not having a licence when he drove that vehicle, which he had in his possession for a short period of time. Akilie added the teen also had no criminal record prior to the incident.

Justice Bruce Pugsley accepted the submission and ordered the fine to be paid within 12 months.

The teenager still faces two criminal charges  dangerous operation causing death and failure to remain  in connection to a fatal hit-and-run at Upper Paradise and Stone Church roads Jan. 11.

Hamilton police have alleged he was behind the wheel of the 2008 Dodge Caliber that struck and killed another 15-year-old, Yaqoub Saeed. Both the victim and accused attended St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, police previously said. Investigators didnt consider the crash to be targeted.

Saeed was walking home from school before the afternoon collision. The 15-year-old was remembered by family and friends as a smart, kind and happy-go-lucky kid brimming with potential. His funeral service was attended by thousands.

Shirwa Geele  one of Saeeds six brothers  was taken aback Thursday when informed the teen charged in his siblings death was arrested for a driving-related offence eight months earlier.

Its shocking to hear that, Geele said of the plea.

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CALGARY - Ovintiv Inc. has signed a deal to buy a portfolio of assets in the Midland Basin in Texas in an agreement valued at US$4.275 billion in cash and shares.

The company is acquiring the assets from a group of portfolio companies of funds managed by EnCap Investments LP.

Under the terms of the deal, the sellers will receive about 32.6 million shares of Ovintiv common stock and US$3.125 billion in cash.

To help fund the transaction, Ovintiv says it has signed an agreement to sell its Bakken assets in North Dakota to a portfolio company of funds managed by EnCap for US$825 million.

The deals are expected to close by the end of the second quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and adjustments.

Ovintiv also announced it has raised its quarterly dividend by a nickel to 30 cents per share.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

Companies in this story: (TSX:OVV)

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Approximately 70 per cent of Canadians are expected to get a tax refund this year, and many have already received it. You might also be eligible for valuable benefits like the Canada Child Benefit and the GST/HST credit  but you have to file.

These tips will help you get organized to file quickly, and if youre behind on filing your previous years, you can use this same approach to get caught up.

Go digital for all of it

Canadians who file electronically and who have direct deposit set up in their CRA My Account portal are expected to have their tax refund (if youre getting one) deposited within about eight days. Paper filers without direct deposit, on the other hand, can expect to wait up to eight weeks for their refund.

Follow these quick steps to ensure youre set up for digital tax success (btw, many Canadians have followed some of these steps, but not actually completed the full registration process  this checklist also works if you need to finish setting yourself up).

Register for CRA My Account. You can do this easily through one of the eligible sign-in partners that links to your online banking.

Set up your secure sign-in password and second authentication method, which helps prevent fraud.

Confirm your banking account information through this same CRA My Account portal (it is totally secure, and its necessary to get your refund deposited directly).

If you have an accountant or tax-filing service, you can add them as your authorized representative.

Some of the other benefits of the CRA My Account portal: you can see your RRSP and TFSA room (though the TFSA room is, unfortunately, an estimate  youll need to stay on top of this yourself), and your Notice of Assessment is posted here, as are many of your T-based tax slips like T4s. You can track the progress of your tax files in this portal.

Theres even an area in the portal that flags if you have uncashed cheques from the CRA. Remarkably, the CRA is sitting on more than $1.4 billion dollars of uncashed cheques due to people who havent bothered to cash them.

Worried about fraud? Rest assured that the CRA will never ask you to share personal information by way of email, mail, phone or text. They will always direct you to sign into your account to receive and/or update important information from within your portal.

Consult a pro if you just dont know

If you have a basic tax situation, you can file very easily and affordably through an online DIY tool like TurboTax or UFile. And, when I say basic, I specifically mean you have one or two sources of T4d income and official receipts for things like RRSP contributions, and you didnt experience any major life changes during the 2022 year.

If, however, your money situation was more complex last year, you should hire a tax professional. When I say complex, I mean having multiple streams of income, any kind of self-employment income, eligible writeoffs, or if you went through a major life change like a divorce. When in doubt, hire a pro. Yes, it costs more, but youll have peace of mind that its being done correctly, and you will gain precious time back by not having to do it yourself.

The CRA has also set up free tax clinics to help Canadians file their taxes.

Organize your paperwork in a secure cloud

Make a folder for each year you need to file. Then, scan (or snap a pic) and upload your documents. I recommend you label each file clearly. This paperwork part is super boring and takes a while, but it will save time with the filing process. The other benefit of being organized is that if the CRA comes knocking for backup documentation, youll have it ready.

If you happen to owe money, make a plan

Knowing what amount you owe is better than not filing, and not knowing. When you know, you can make a plan and take control of the situation. It might mean dipping into savings to pay the bill, or calling the CRA to negotiate a payment plan.

If you get a refund, take a balanced approach with the money. Pay off pesky high-interest debt, put some toward your emergency fund and use a small portion for something fun.

LS Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @lesleyscorgie

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The Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society said they have announced a revised final settlement agreement in a landmark child-welfare case.

The new proposal increases the federal governments settlement spend to $23 billion  up from $20 billion  to compensate First Nations children and families who have experienced discrimination in the child welfare system.

This compensation recognizes the serious harms First Nations, children, youth, and families suffered including unnecessary family separations and the denial of life saving and life wellness services, said Cindy Blackstock, the executive director of FNCFS, in a release Monday.

To truly honour them and the residential school and 60s scoop survivors, we must ensure this is the last generation of First Nations children who are hurt by the Government of Canada. That work continues and they are our inspiration to get it right.

The AFN, which represents more than 600 First Nations across the country, has been working to negotiate a deal after the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in 2016 found that Canada discriminated against First Nations children by paying less for child welfare services on-reserve compared to those offered off-reserve.

On the last day of 2021, Canada unveiled a $40-billion package to settle two class action lawsuits related to First Nations child welfare discrimination and Jordans Principle, a legal rule that ensures all First Nations children can access necessary services without delay.

The tribunal ordered the federal government to pay each child, parent or caregiver impacted $40,000, the maximum amount under the tribunals powers.

The governments original proposal slated $20 billion for long-term reforms to the system and $20 billion to compensate children and families.

But the tribunal agreed with concerns raised by Blackstock that the proposed $20 billion would leave some people out of the agreement and decided against approving the original settlement.

AFN Regional Chief for Manitoba, Cindy Woodhouse said the $3-billion increase will ensure they reached the best possible agreement to compensate children and families harmed.

Weve held our children, youth, and families in our hearts and in our prayers throughout negotiations, said Woodhouse in a release Monday. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has been clear there was more work to do to satisfy its orders to ensure Canada provided proper compensation and other remedies for the racial discrimination imposed on First Nations by Canada.

The settlement agreement will be presented this week to the Special Chiefs Assembly for approval, after which the agreement will be brought to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and the Federal Court of Canada for approval.

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Seidu Mohammed knows too well the price irregular migrants can pay to make it to Canada for freedom and safety.

In 2016 he and another Ghanaian man almost died in sub-zero temperatures while crossing the U.S. border into Canada near Emerson, Man., in order to skirt a bilateral treaty that would turn asylum seekers back if they crossed at an official port of entry.

The Safe Third Country Agreement left us with no choice but to cross the border irregularly, which caused us to lose our fingers, said Mohammed, who had to have all his 10 digits amputated due to frostbite.

Ten days ago, Washington and Ottawa announced a plan to immediately expand the pact through the entire 9,000-kilometre land border in order to stop the flow of irregular migration. That means that asylum seekers crossing anywhere will now be turned back to the other country within two weeks of arrival.

Mohammad said news of a stricter border rule still left him terrified, though six years have passed since he fled Ghana (where he faced persecution as a bisexual man) for the United States, was refused asylum and detained for months before taking the perilous journey to Canada.

Its going to put a lot of refugees at risk. They are going to lose their lives from this, said Mohammed, who was granted asylum in Canada in 2017 and became a Canadian citizen in March.

Bad as the crossing was for him, he fears its going to be worse as migrants can no longer take the once-safe route at Roxham Road in Quebec, which accounted for 99 per cent of irregular entry into Canada. Theyll now go further in the woods to avoid detection, he said.

On the eve of Canadas Refugee Rights Day on Tuesday, Mohammed returned to Emerson for a news conference and joined the chorus of voices calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government to have a change of heart and suspend the agreement.

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan criticized Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden for secretly signing the modified agreement a year ago but only making it public the day before the new rule took effect, on March 25.

People who are persecuted for trying to escape discrimination, for trying to escape violence, for trying to escape rejection for being who they are, for trying to get to safety would be pushed further underground, Kwan told Mondays outdoor news conference amid a -15 C wind chill.

Human trafficking will increase as a result of this rule.

The Safe Third Country Agreement left us with no choice but to cross the border irregularly, which caused us to lose our fingers, said Mohammed, who had to have all his 10 digits amputated due to frostbite.

The number of irregular migrants arriving in Canada surged in 2017 after Donald Trump won the presidency and introduced a string of anti-immigrant measures.

At the time, Kwan said, Trudeau refused the opposition Conservatives demand to close the border, saying it was neither the right way to go nor enforceable.

So it was a ridiculous idea and that was not something that they would do. But here we are today, she said. Thats exactly what they are doing, taking the same (position as) the Trump administration.

According to the Immigration and Refugee Board, more than 81,400 irregular migrants have filed an asylum claim in Canada since 2017, and of the 51,198 claims heard, 30,518  almost 60 per cent  were granted. Kwan noted that approval rate: The vast majority of those claims are found to have a valid refugee claim and as a result, they manage to get status here in Canada  we most certainly should not be closing the border for people to get to safety, she said.

University of Winnipeg law professor Shauna Labman said fewer irregular migrants may cross into Canada as a result of the expansion of the agreement but it wont seal the border.

More will die trying. Their crossings will be in more remote, more isolated and more dangerous places, she said. Women already fleeing gender-based violence will be at risk of further violence while reliant on smugglers and susceptible to human trafficking.

Last week, eight bodies, including two children, belonging to Romanian and Indian families were found in the St. Lawrence River after their attempt to cross into the U.S. by a small boat. That grim discovery came less than a week Canada and the U.S. tightened the border.

Advocates have said these deaths were predicted and are predictable.

On Monday, Trudeau said Canada is welcoming more immigrants than ever, but wants to do it appropriately, so people arent putting themselves in danger. He said Canadians cant have confidence in a system where people are taking such risks and hiring criminals to get them across the border.

A protest has been planned at noon on Tuesday at Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicinos office.

With files from The Canadian Press

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For as long as he can remember, Jeremy Hansen wanted to go to space.

His mother tells him that at the age of five, he flipped the pages in the A volume of the encyclopedia  where he was indulging his fascination with airplanes  to Armstrong.

As in Neil, he of the first footsteps on the moon.

Its still burned in my brain. I can literally see the page of the encyclopedia in my brain right now, the London, Ont., native said over the phone from Houston on Monday.

It made enough of an impression on the future astronaut that his parents then added the Kennedy Space Center to the itinerary as they planned a family trip to Florida.

Ive been talking about the moon and exploring space ever since.

It appears hell finally get his chance: On Monday, Hansen, 47, was named part of the four-person crew for the Artemis II mission. When it comes  tentatively in November 2024  he will have waited longer than any other Canadian astronaut for his maiden flight: 15 years.

Its fitting, then, that for his inaugural space flight Hansen will be one of the first astronauts to travel to the moon in more than 50 years, since the last Apollo missions in 1972. He wont be following in Armstrongs literal footsteps on the surface, but hell be the first Canadian to orbit the Earths satellite and the first non-American astronaut to make the trip.

When he does, he might travel farther from Earth than any human ever has. If that moment arises, hes already been advised  by more than one person  to wedge himself on the far side of the spacecraft, to be that extra few inches farther from the planet than his crewmates.

But that really isnt his style. No, Im the type of guy that would want more than anything, when we get back, to say we were all the furthest from Earth, he said.

What matters is what were up to here. And this is really a first step in the Artemis program with human missions. Were getting ready to go back to the surface of the moon, and then were getting ready to go on to Mars.

The 10-day Artemis II mission  in which the crew will confirm that all of their Orion spacecrafts systems operate in deep space with crew aboard, as designed  will pave the way for the Artemis III, pencilled in for 2025, in which humans will return to the surface of the moon. NASA has vowed that crew will contain at least one woman and one person of colour.

Hansen was named to the crew in a glitzy, movie-trailer type presentation, complete with stirring cinematic overture on continuous loop and catchphrases galore, at NASA headquarters in Houston. The other three members of the crew, mission specialist Christina Koch, pilot Victor Glover and commander Reid Wiseman, are all American.

After liftoff from pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center, the crews Orion will circle Earth twice before heading for the moon.

It will circle the moon before returning for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the U.S. west coast. The exact flight plan is yet to be determined, but the unmanned Artemis I, which circled the moon last year, travelled 2.1-million kilometres on its 25-day mission and reached a maximum distance of 432,210 kilometres.

Ultimately NASA plans to build an Artemis base camp on the moon as well as launch Gateway  a small space station in lunar orbit to support long-term scientific research and facilitate more human exploration on and around the moon. In the long run, NASA hopes, Gateway could be the staging point for sending astronauts to Mars.

Its an extraordinary testament to Canada that weve been invited on this mission. And the reason for that is that we have brought real value to this partnership, so much value that weve been invited on the first test flight. And I feel really proud of that, said Hansen.

I hope Canadians feel the same sense of pride I felt today for our country, knowing what we can accomplish when we set big goals.

Canada  and Hansen  owes its seat on the Artemis mission directly to its contribution of the Canadarm3 to the Gateway project.

We have always been at the forefront of missions with NASA, from the first Canadarm on the space shuttle to the second one now on the International Space Station, said Francois-Philippe Champagne, the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency, who was in Houston for the announcement.

We are mission critical (to Artemis II). The role of Canada is essential.

Canada is also contributing another vital piece of technology to lunar exploration  the lunar rover, an unmanned vehicle that will be designed to explore the moons surface and search for water ice. That would be a key component for both the establishment of that base camp (water and oxygen could be extracted from the ice) and for fuelling further deep-space missions. Hydrogen could also be extracted to use for fuel.

Hansen, who earned his pilots licence at the age of 17, graduated from Royal Military College in 1999 with a degree in space science. From 2004-09, he flew CF-18 fighter jets with the 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron and 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron based in Cold Lake, Alta., and served as the Combat Operations Officer at 4 Wing Operations there as well.

Hes still on active duty with Royal Canadian Air Force, seconded to the CSA, to which he was recruited in 2009.

His training with NASA has included spending six days underground in Sardinia, Italy as a participant in the European Space Agencys CAVES program, and simulating deep-space exploration by living and working in an underwater habitat 19 metres below the surface as part of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO).

Hansen also became, in 2017, the first Canadian to be placed in charge of training NASAs astronaut candidates.

For all those accomplishments, he has been waiting longer than any other Canadian astronaut to go to space.

Ill have the record as the most patient Canadian astronaut, Hansen said with a laugh. Life is like that, right? Life is about expectations, managing your expectations.

But its never been lost on me how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to fly in space, he said. I know that there are thousands of other people who in a heartbeat would say, Well, I would wait 20 years to go  what are you complaining about?

You wont hear me complain about waiting to go to space. Im just a really fortunate Canadian.

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TATASKWEYAK CREE NATION - Manitoba RCMP say the body of a 25-year-old woman has been found in a house that burned in a remote Indigenous community.

RCMP say they were called Sunday night about a structure fire in Tataskweyak Cree Nation about 900 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters entered the home and located the woman who was pronounced dead.

Mounties say the cause of the fire remains under investigation and there has been no official information released about the cause of death.

Earlier this year, the community dealt with a fire at an apartment block that sent two people to hospital and displaced eight families.

At the time Tataskweyak did not have a working fire truck and relied on help from the neighbouring communities of York Landing and the town of Gillam.

Chief Taralee Beardy is calling on the federal government to address the gap in fire safety for remote First Nations after the community scraped together funds to purchase a new fire truck.

But we had no one available to train our personnel how to properly use it, Beardy said in a statement Monday. The results were fatal.

Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot, of Keewatin Tribal Council, said the lack of response from the federal government following the February apartment fire is appalling.

Another tragic fire, which cost a life this time leaves me disheartened, he said. We needed more action from the federal government and didnt receive it. We need more action from them to give us the ability to fight fires in our communities.

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents some northern First Nations in the province, is sending support teams from their mobile crisis response and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls unit to help the community.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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Former U.S. president Donald Trump turned himself in at the district attorneys office in New York Tuesday ahead of his arraignment expected this afternoon.

Last week, a Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump on charges related to hush money payments made in 2016, making him the first former or sitting U.S. president to ever face a criminal charge.

The payments were made to two women who said they had sexual encounters with the former president while he was already married. Trump denies the encounters and cast the investigation as a witch hunt trying to sabotage his 2024 presidential election campaign.

Because the indictment is sealed, theres a lot that still isnt public. For instance, there hasnt been a formal announcement over the time frame into the grand jurys secret work into the case. Its also not clear why the charges  which come six years after the payoff  would be filed now or how prosecutors intend to get around New Yorks statute of limitations, which are two years for misdemeanour offence or five years for felony offences.

Meanwhile, Trump faces a number of other investigations related to his refusal to accept his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. The probes are examining whether Trump pressured election officials to change the results and encouraged fake electors from battleground states. It also investigates his role in the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Nov. 4, 2016

The Wall Street Journal reports that the company that owns the National Enquirer agreed to pay $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDouga for her story of an affair with Trump, then a Republican presidential nominee, but then didnt publish it.

Reports of Trump-Daniels affair - Jan. 12, 2018

The Wall Street Journal is the first to report on the Trump-Daniels affair, writing that in 2016, Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen arranged a payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to keep her from discussing an affair with Trump, a presidential candidate at the time. Trump denies the affair, but doesnt deny the payment.

Former Trump lawyer pleads guilty - Aug. 21, 2018

Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, pleads guilty to campaign finance charges, among other crimes, related to payments to Daniels and McDougal. Federal prosecutors argue the payouts amounted to illegal, unreported assistance to Trumps election effort.

Daniels was paid $130,000 while McDougal was paid $150,000. Both say they had an affair with Trump while he was married. Trump denies the allegations.

Cohen served a three-year prison sentence (mostly in home confinement) until his release in 2021.

Stormy Daniels speaks out about affair - Aug. 22, 2018

In an interview with Anderson Cooper, Stormy Daniels talks about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump that she says she didnt want, but didnt say no to.

Trump announces presidential bid for 2024 - Nov. 16, 2022

Trump, by now twice- impeached, announces he will run for president in 2024.

Americas comeback starts right now, he said during his speech in front of supporters at his club in Mar-a-Lago.

Trump invited to testify - Early to mid-March 2023

A Manhattan district attorney invites Trump to testify before a grand jury on March 9, suggesting prosecutors may bring forward charges in an investigation that, just a few months before, seemed to have blown over. In the following days, the jury hears from several witnesses, including Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels and at least two former Trump aides.

Trump tries to rally supporters ahead of arrest - March 18, 2023

Trump claims his arrest is imminent and calls on his supporters to protest as a New York grand jury investigates hush money payments to women who alleged sexual encounters with the former president. With rhetoric reminiscent of that used ahead of the violent U.S. Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, he later takes aim at the Biden administration on social media and calls for civil unrest.

ITS TIME!!! he wrote. WE JUST CANT ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEYRE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA!PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!

Trump indicted - March 31, 2023

A grand jury in New York votes to indict Trump on charges related to hush money payments made on his behalf during his 2016 presidential campaign, making him the first former U.S. president to be charged with a crime. The exact charges are unclear because the indictment remains sealed.

Minutes later, his supporters flood social media and extremist message boards with calls for a civil war as well as violent, racist threats against the officials prosecuting Trump, Vice News reports.

Whats next

After being asked to surrender last Friday, Trump is expected to turn himself in to authorities this week, according to people familiar with the matter.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office said it had contacted Trumps lawyer to coordinate his surrender and arraignment.

For example, when the former finance chief of Trumps company, Allen Weisselberg, was indicted in Manhattan on tax fraud charges in 2021, he was able to turn himself in at a courthouse side door before normal workday hours.

For any New York defendant, poor or powerful, answering criminal charges means being fingerprinted and photographed, fielding basic questions such as name and birthdate, and getting arraigned. All told, defendants are typically detained for at least several hours.

The details are still being worked out, sources said, as the Secret Services works to make preparations.

With files from the Associated Press and Allan Woods.

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MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Philippine government on Monday identified four new military camps, including some across the sea from Taiwan, where rotating batches of American forces will be allowed to be stationed indefinitely despite strong objections from China.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s administration announced in February his approval of an expansion of the U.S. military presence to four additional Philippine military bases from the five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the longtime treaty allies.

Marcos said the move would boost the Philippines coastal defense. It dovetails with the Biden administrations efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan.

The new sites identified by Marcos office include a Philippine navy base in Santa Ana and an international airport in Lal-lo, both in northern Cagayan province. Those locations have infuriated Chinese officials because they would provide U.S. forces with a staging ground close to southern China and Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own.

The two other military areas are in northern Isabela province and a navy camp on Balabac island in the western province of Palawan.

Palawan faces the South China Sea, a key passage for global trade that Beijing claims virtually in its entirety and has taken increasingly aggressive actions that have threatened smaller claimant states, including the Philippines.

China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been locked in increasingly tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no claims to the strategic waters but has deployed warships and fighter and surveillance aircraft for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of law, angering Beijing.

Thats a trade route, thats where more or less $3 trillion worth of trade passes. Our responsibility in collectively securing that is huge, said Carlito Galvez, who heads the Philippine Defense Department.

The four new military sites for American forces are suitable and mutually beneficial and will boost the disaster response of the country as a springboard for humanitarian and relief work during emergencies, Marcoss office said.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Defense said the new locations will strengthen the interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces and allow us to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a meeting last month with Philippine officials in Manila, however, a Chinese Foreign Ministry delegation expressed its strong opposition to an expanded U.S. military presence in the Philippines and warned of repercussions for regional peace and stability, a Philippine official involved in the talks said at the time.

Philippine diplomats replied that the decision to allow an expanded American military presence was in the Philippines national interest and would boost its ability to respond to natural disasters, the official said, suggesting the move was not aimed at China.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to publicly discuss the sensitive issue.

The Chinese Embassy also warned in a recent statement that the Philippine governments security cooperation with Washington will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.

The long-seething territorial conflicts continue to be a major irritant in Philippine-China relations. Marcoss administration has filed at least 77 of more than 200 diplomatic protests against Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters since he took office last year.

The Philippines used to host two of the largest U.S. Navy and Air Force bases outside the American mainland. The bases were shut down in the early 1990s after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension, but American forces later returned for large-scale combat exercises with Filipino troops under a Visiting Forces Agreement.

The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat. The 2014 agreement allows visiting American forces to stay indefinitely in rotating batches in barracks and other buildings they construct within designated Philippine camps with their defense equipment, except nuclear weapons.

The Department of National Defense in Manila said the American military presence was not a re-establishment of U.S. military bases in the Philippines, as opponents have asserted.

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BANGKOK (AP)  Hundreds of would-be lawmakers in Thailand on Monday began the official registration process for the upcoming general election, a vote that will pit supporters of an exiled prime minister against the conservative political establishment and its allies in the military.

Dressed in T-shirts and jackets in their party colors, and backed by groups of noisy supporters, the political hopefuls pushed their way past a throng of journalists to cram into a Bangkok stadium and complete the paperwork to qualify for the May 14 election.

Underscoring the political tensions, four protesters under the watchful eyes of two dozen police officers held up signs demanding changes to Article 112 of the constitution, which carries harsh penalties for defaming the countrys monarch.

Calls for reform of the law have increased in recent years but remain a major taboo in a country where the royal family has traditionally been seen as untouchable.

Prayuth Chan-ocha, the incumbent prime minister, recently joined a new party, the United Thai Nation Party, and needs its slate of candidates to perform strongly to bolster his bid to recapture the top spot. He first became prime minister in 2014 when as the army commander he led a coup that ousted the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire populist, was ousted as prime minister in an earlier coup in 2006. He remains in self-exile to avoid serving time for a criminal conviction he says was politically motivated.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksins daughter, and her Pheu Thai Party have a huge lead, according to opinion polls. But Thailands electoral system means contenders have to win by a wide margin to be sure of forming the government and claiming the prime ministers position.

I believe the strong point of Pheu Thai is the party itself, not me. The party popularity is ahead of myself, Paetongtarn said. I believe the people choose the party because of our policy. Thats our strong point.

Polls show the leader of the Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, leading Paetongtarn in the capital, Bangkok. The party has a progressive agenda thats popular with younger voters. But its politics alienate it from mainstream conservative Thai policies, lessening its chances of joining a governing coalition.

Completing the roster of heavyweights was Prawit Wongsuwan, who served as deputy prime minister under Prayuth. He now heads Palang Pracharath, the largest party in the outgoing governing coalition. Hes seen as a formidable political operator, though both he and his party appear to be extremely unpopular with voters, according to recent opinion polls.

Up for grabs are 400 directly elected seats while a further 100 seats are decided by proportional representation.

The prime ministers position is chosen in the weeks following the polls through a combined vote of the lower house and the 250-strong appointed Senate. The inclusion of the Senate is seen by many as controversial because, though nominally independent, its members have a record of voting as a bloc in favor of a conservative agenda.

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The number of injured as a result of an explosion in a cafe in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has reached 32, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Russia informed Monday. news.am informs.

April 3, 2023, 10:35 Number of injured in explosion in Russias Saint Petersburg reaches 32

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 3 , ARTSAKHPRESS: "According to urgent data, 32 people were injured, one person died as a result of the incident in a Saint Petersburg cafe," the statement says.

The press service of the Ministry of Health of Russia added that the ten of the injured are in severe condition, and 16 othersincluding a 14-year-old girlare moderate condition. Five others are in satisfactory condition, and they are being treated in hospital. Another injured refused hospitalization and was treated on an outpatient basis.

On Sunday evening, there was an explosion at a cafe named Street Food Bar No. 1 in downtown Saint Petersburg. Serviceman Vladlen Tatarsky, who was spending a creative evening in this cafe, died as a result. Earlier, an explosive device with a capacity of more than 200 grams of TNT exploded near the stage where a journalist was.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  The former principal of a Jewish girls school in Australia was found guilty Monday of sexually abusing two students, ending a nine-year legal battle that strained relations between the Australian and Israeli governments while antagonizing Australias Jewish community.

Malka Leifer, 56, a Tel Aviv-born mother of eight, was convicted on 18 counts, including rape, and acquitted of nine other charges, including five that related to the eldest student, Nicole Meyer. The three former students  Meyer, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper  are all sisters.

Trial judge Mark Gamble had issued a gag order preventing media reporting during the trial that Leifer had fought against her extradition to Australia following her return to Israel in 2008 as allegations against her first emerged. The legal battle she waged in Jerusalem courts since 2014 ended in 2021 when she boarded a flight toward Melbourne at Ben Gurion Airport, her ankles and wrists shackled.

The news of Leifers extradition was welcomed in Australia by lawmakers and Jewish community leaders.

Leifer sat with her head tilted, watching the jury, and did not react as the verdicts were read. The two former students she was convicted of abusing, Erlich and Sapper, were in court for the verdicts. Leifer had earlier pleaded not guilty to all 27 counts.

The Associated Press does not usually identify victims and alleged victims of sexual abuse, but the sisters have chosen to identify themselves in the media.

Prosecutors claimed Leifer abused the students between 2003 and 2007 at the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox school in Melbourne where she was head of religion and later principal, as well as at her Melbourne home and at rural school camps.

Prosecutor Justin Lewis told jurors that Leifer tended to have a sexual interest in girls when they were teenage students at the school and when those same girls were student teachers. Lewis said Leifer engaged in sexual activities with them and took advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance in sexual matters, and her own position of authority.

Defense lawyer Ian Hill argued the lengthy delay between the alleged offenses and the trial, which began in February, was a disadvantage to the defense and to jurors. He attacked the credibility of the sisters, including accusing one of telling blatant lies in her evidence.

The sisters had an isolated upbringing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and received no sexual education, the court heard. They were around 12, 14 and 16 when Leifer arrived at the school from Israel in 2001.

Lewis said the sisters had provided explicit evidence that they did not understand the sexual nature of what Leifer did to them.

Leifer allegedly abused the eldest sister, Meyer, while they shared a bed at a school camp as the middle sibling, Erlich, pretended to be asleep in the same room. Jurors were told the youngest sibling, Sapper, walked into a room while Leifer was abusing Meyer.

Mrs. Leifer was one of the most respected persons in the community. If Mrs. Leifer was doing something then it must be OK, Sapper testified about her reaction to what she saw happening to her sister.

Erlich told the jury she had tried to form a relationship with another teacher to ask about what Leifer was doing, but Leifer discouraged her. Leifer told me it wasnt healthy for me to have a connection with another teacher, to have more than one mentor, Erlich testified.

The sisters gave evidence over two weeks behind closed doors, with the public and media excluded according to rules governing sexual assault trials in Victoria.

Other witnesses included those whom the sisters disclosed their allegations to.

Erlich first spoke to social worker Chana Rabinowitz in early 2008 in Israel. Rabinowitz said she asked the sister who hurt her and the young woman replied, It was Mrs. Leifer.

Psychologist Vicki Gordon testified that she heard Sapper claim abuse by Leifer. Gordon told the court the sister claimed Leifer had explained the abuse was an attempt to overcome a lack of warmth and affection in the girls family life.

Hill told the jury the sisters had revered Leifer and writings from their school years showed them thanking her for being supportive. Hill said Erlichs story had changed several times since the allegations were made in 2008.

Truth and reliability were lost in false accounts, Hill said. Perhaps even at times hardened into false imaginations and false memories of false realities.

He criticized Sapper for changing the location of alleged offenses from the girls hometown of Melbourne to Israel.

Its the wrong memory combined with the detail that shows you just how dangerous some witnesses can be when recounting a narrative to you, Hill said.

Manny Waks, head of advocacy group Voice Against Child Sex Abuse and a supporter of the three sisters, said the result was tinged with sadness because the allegations relating to Meyer were not proven.

It is a day  tinged with a great deal of sadness because the fight that (Meyer) has put up over the many years and now to walk away with not guilty verdicts in relation to her case is absolutely devastating and my thoughts are certainly with her in particular, Waks told Network 10 television.

The length of time its taken and the many challenges along the way, most people did not believe that this day would actually come and it has arrived and its a great day for justice, Waks said.

Meyer told reporters outside court that a guilty verdict was all weve ever wanted.

Since we started this battle, since we gave our police statements in 2011, to hear the word guilty is what she has fought not to be for so many years, and what we have fought for so many years to prove, she said.

Waks said the legal process had been challenging for the sisters until the verdicts were delivered.

The process that the sisters have gone through is unique and arduous. I attended 75 court hearings in Israel just to get her extradited, Waks said.

Leifer will return to court April 26 for a sentencing hearing.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraines Western allies have sent the country 65 billion euros ($70 billion) in military aid to help thwart Russias full-scale invasion, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, and with no peace negotiations on the horizon the alliance is gearing up to send more.

We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security, Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels, adding there are no signs that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war.

NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces, Stoltenberg said. Our support is for the long-haul.

Analysts suspect Putin plans to dig in and hold out against a possible Ukraine counteroffensive in the coming months, hoping that the Wests costly support for Kyiv will unravel.

Putins invasion in February 2022 backfired in key respects. It led NATO to deploy more troops and weapons into the territories of its members in Eastern Europe and persuaded Sweden and Finland to scrap their neutrality and seek NATO membership.

Finland will formally join the alliance on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said.

The war has also bound together more tightly foreign leaders viewed by Putin as adversaries.

In a fresh example of the closer ties that Ukraine is forging, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to head to Warsaw on Wednesday for a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Polish authorities announced the visit Monday in an unusually early disclosure of the Ukrainian leaders travel plans.

Against a backdrop of fears among Russias other neighbors about the Kremlins ambitions, the leaders of Germany, Romania and Moldova were due Monday to look at ways of shoring up defenses along NATOs eastern flank.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was meeting in Bucharest with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Their talks were expected to focus on security, the economy and energy supply.

Meanwhile, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also the economy minister and responsible for energy, arrived in Kyiv on Monday on an unannounced visit. He traveled with a business delegation that included the head of Germanys main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries.

Habeck said the trip was meant to send a clear signal that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europes part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future.

Zelenskyy and Habeck visited the village of Yahidne  140 kilometers (87 miles) north of Kyiv. Zelenskyy stopped at the Yahidne secondary school, in whose basement Russian occupiers forcibly kept 367 Ukrainian civilians for 27 days in March of last year. Eleven people died in the dark, crowded basement.

Possible sabotage and assassinations behind the front lines continued. A Moscow-appointed official was seriously injured when his car exploded in the Russia-controlled southern city of Melitopol early Monday, according to the Moscow-appointed regional administration. Maxim Zubarev, the former head of the village of Antonovka, was hospitalized in grave condition.

Meanwhile, in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region, where much of the fighting has taken place in recent months, six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket strike on the town of Kostiantynivka, Ukraines presidential office said.

Four more civilians were killed in the northern Chernihiv region when their vehicles hit land mines, underscoring the perils of living in the war zone. The head of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on Monday visited Chernihiv city, where parts of the historic center were damaged during a siege by Russian forces in late February of last year.

Intentional destruction of cultural heritage is a crime, Azoulay said after visiting a former movie theater that was partially destroyed.

Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said a spell of cold weather has worsened the civilians plight.

Freezing temperatures and snow make life unbearable for civilians. They have to survive in damp basements without power and communications and can only occasionally get out to warm themselves around a campfire, Kyrylenko said in televised remarks.

The Russians never run out of ammunition, equipment and personnel whom they use as cannon fodder to keep trying to storm cities.

In other developments:

Russia transferred to Ukraine 12 prisoners, including five seriously injured Ukrainian soldiers, officials said. Some had fought in Bakhmut, the biggest focus of the war in recent months and the scene of some of its bloodiest battles. On March 24, Ukraine had turned over five seriously hurt Russian prisoners. Such transfers are a rare example of cooperation between Ukraine and Russia.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi will visit Kaliningrad, Russia, on Wednesday as part of his efforts to ensure the protection of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant, IAEA spokesman Fredrik Dahl said. Grossi will meet Russian officials as a follow-up to his visit last week to the Zaporizhzhia station, whose six reactors are shut down.

___

Associated Press Writer Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Mstyslav Chernov in Chernihiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report. ___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Spending on the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race has topped $42 million, nearly triple the previous national record for a court race, with the Democratic-backed candidate having a roughly $6 million advantage, according to a report released on Monday just before polls opened.

The winner in Tuesdays election between Democratic-backed Janet Protasiewicz and Republican-backed Dan Kelly will determine majority control of the court, with issues like abortion access, redistricting and more than a decade of Republican priorities, hanging in the balance.

The court has been under conservative control for 15 years, helping to enshrine priorities of the GOP-controlled Legislature and former Gov. Scott Walker. Liberals have cast the race as a defining moment for their side to exert power and potentially overturn the states 1849 abortion ban law and redraw maps created by Republicans that have led to them increasing their control of the Legislature.

The winner will also set majority control of the court ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The current court came one vote short of overturning President Joe Bidens win in Wisconsin in 2020.

As of Monday, Protasiewicz and her backers have spent about $23.3 million compared with about $17.6 million for Kelly and his supporters, according to a report from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks campaign spending.

The previous record high for spending in a court race was $15 million in Illinois in 2004.

Protasiewicz has spent nearly $12 million compared with Kellys more than $2.2 million. Protasiewiczs campaign has received nearly $9 million from the state Democratic Party, based on the latest campaign finance reports. Kelly, who previously worked for the state and national Republican parties, has also gotten financial backing and in-kind contributions in this race from the state GOP and county parties.

Special interest groups backing Kelly have spent nearly $15.4 million, compared with $11.3 million for Protasiewicz, according to the Democracy Campaign.

The liberal group A Better Wisconsin Together led all special interest spending at $6.2 million, followed by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state chamber of commerce, at $5.2 million in support of Kelly. Fair Courts America, a conservative group backing Kelly thats funded by GOP mega-donor Richard Uihlein, was next at just over $5.3 million.

After those big three, no other special interest group had spent more than $2 million on the race.

Protasiewicz is a Milwaukee County judge. Kelly previously served on the Supreme Court from 2016 to 2020 before being defeated that year. The winner will serve a 10-year term beginning in August, replacing retiring conservative Justice Pat Roggensack.

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Reconciliation is not an Aboriginal problem  it is a Canadian problem. It involves all of us.  Justice Murray Sinclair

This spring, Canadian banks are facing questions at their annual shareholder meetings about their roles in financing fossil fuel expansion and violations of Indigenous rights, both of which contribute to the climate crisis and the increased risks we all face.

Banks play a critical, yet fragile role in the economy by pricing, balancing, and managing risk. The recent failure of Silicon Valley Bank is a stark reminder about the importance of prudent risk management and effective regulation.

Next week, at Royal Bank of Canadas annual shareholder meeting in Saskatoon, investors will vote on a shareholder proposal filed by the B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) in partnership with the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC). The proposal encourages RBC to take action on its commitments to truth and reconciliation by starting to operationalize free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) into their business practices.

This modest first step is aligned with international industry good practices, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions call to action No. 92.

We joined forces  a labour union and a First Nations political advocacy organization  to advance the critical work of reconciliation within corporate Canada. BCGEU, as a long-term investor, believes that companies that engage in reconciliation are the best governed companies and that this work enhances shareholder value.

Truth and reconciliation require more than platitudes and symbolic acts. What matters is how we grapple with the hard truths of colonialism and turn those into action. For UBCIC, that means embedding and operationalizing free, prior and informed consent as a minimum standard as set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

Together, we engaged with several Canadian banks for the simple reason that financial institutions are the gatekeepers and backbone of the Canadian economy. When banks begin to put their commitments to truth and reconciliation into action by operationalizing FPIC, it will ripple throughout the economy.

Businesses like RBC have an important role to play in fulfilling the promise of reconciliation. While economic reconciliation and equity, diversity, and inclusion are important, true reconciliation cannot occur if companies like RBC continue to heavily fund projects and companies that do not obtain FPIC from the proper title holders.

RBCs failure to adequately consider FPIC as a material risk has already caused the bank reputational harm, not to mention significant delays, cost overruns, conflict, and legal risk. One need look no further than the Indigenous protests and resulting operational delays for Coastal GasLink as a prime example of the cost of accepting a lower standard than FPIC.

Shareholders should not be persuaded by the banks reliance on the Equator Principles (EP4). EP4 falls short of the minimum standard set out in UNDRIP and will not mitigate the material risks associated with ignoring Indigenous rights.

The EP4 is reactive instead of proactive: Rather than implementing the identify, protect, mitigate and address framework within the UNGPs as a way to create proactive risk assessment processes, EP4 remains reactionary by setting forth language to minimize, mitigate, and compensate once impacts have already occurred.

FPIC will soon also be a compliance issue, with legislation mandating human rights due diligence gaining steam around the world and federal legislation such as the Bank Act being reviewed for consistency with UNDRIP. FPIC is a fundamental standard, and companies cant land acknowledge their way around it.

RBC is lagging behind other banks in disclosing how it considers the free, prior and informed Consent procedures of its business clients. Aiming for Canadas current legal minimum standards is not enough. If RBC is serious about reconciliation, it needs to aim higher than the floor.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip is the president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs and Paul Finch is the Treasurer of BCGEU.

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OTTAWA - The association representing all 36 stand-alone First Nations police services in Canada is backing a human rights complaint alleging Ottawas deliberate underfunding of policing in their communities amounts to discrimination.

Jerel Swamp, who leads the First Nations Chiefs of Police Association, says after discussing the complaint launched by the Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario  of which he is also a member  the associations national executive decided to add its support. It also plans to seek intervener status.

He said despite assurances from Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government that it would enact change and declare Indigenous policing an essential service, nothing has been done.

What we feel is that all First Nation communities in Canada deserve the same public safety and security as every other Canadian takes for granted, Swamp said in an interview Monday.

The complaint filed last week by the nine First Nations police services in Ontario takes issue with the 1991 program the federal government uses to fund its services, and includes participation by provinces.

First Nations leaders have said for years the program is suffering from a lack of resources.

An internal evaluation of the program released last year also shows the finite amount of money in its budget has led to an underfunding of police agreements, which has created ongoing challenges for First Nations police services.

The complaint alleges the federal governments failure to act amounts to deliberate and wilful discriminatory conduct, against Indigenous communities.

As a result of Canadas discriminatory conduct, the establishment of equitable policing for Indigenous communities, comparable to the policing and safety the rest of the country experiences, remains out of reach for Indigenous people in Canada.

Put simply and tragically: The reason Indigenous people on reserve are not as safe as non-Indigenous Canadians off-reserve is their Indigenous identity.

The complaint, first reported by the Globe and Mail newspaper, was lodged with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which is the first step in having it land before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

The complaint is seeking $40,000 in damages for people living in communities served by First Nations police.

Indigenous Police Chiefs of Ontario president Kai Liu, who also leads the Treaty Three Police Service in northwestern Ontario, said Monday he believes a new funding formula is needed that is based on what a community actually needs, rather than a figure presented by Ottawa.

Liu said the federal government approaches funding renewals with a take it or leave it, attitude, which does not leave room for negotiation. Such concerns were also flagged in the departmental review of the program.

We police 23 First Nations communities, he said of his own service. Our response time is anywhere from one to three hours.

Because we are understaffed, I dont have officers in every one of our  23 First Nations.

The complaint also points to last years stabbing spree on James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, which placed renewed focus on policing and the need to bolster safety in Indigenous communities  improvements Trudeau himself said he committed to making.

Liu said he and other complainants are simply echoing what the prime minister has declared, that they need to sit down and listen to what our community needs.

One of the measures Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino have promised is to table legislation declaring First Nations policing an essential service.

The government has not yet provided a timeline for when that may happen, only saying it was consulting stakeholders on such a law.

Swamp noted that last September Mendicino said he would work to table the legislation by the end of fall, which did not happen. He said frustration is growing among police chiefs.

The federal budget presented last week also did not signal when such a law or new measures would be coming.

Some like Liu question what good it would do to introduce legislation when the federal government has shown an unwillingness to change the funding mechanism.

While were waiting for this legislation that may come become a reality someday and in the distant future, our communities are suffering, he said. Our officers are suffering from the chronic underfunding.

Audrey Champoux, a press secretary in Mendicinos office, said in a statement that while she cannot discuss specific complaints we want to reiterate the federal governments objective to reach a solution together.

She said it is still too early to say when a new policing bill might be tabled, and that the government is working to expand Indigenous policing, including by making efforts to stabilize funding.

The specific structure of each First Nations police force remains to be seen, as communities will have the opportunity to pursue different models that meet their unique needs. Adequate financing and resources are also crucial to this work, Champoux, said, adding that costs are determined through contracts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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OTTAWA - A grassroots Muslim charity is pointing to internal Canada Revenue Agency documents in a bid to persuade an Ontario court that a long-running federal audit is fundamentally tainted by systemic bias and Islamophobia.

The Muslim Association of Canada wants the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to halt the revenue agencys audit of the association on the grounds it violates Charter of Rights guarantees of equality and freedom of religion, expression and association.

Lawyers for the registered charity plan to argue at a hearing Tuesday that the audit, which began in 2015, discriminates against Muslims.

The federal government is asking that the case be dismissed, saying the revenue agencys selection of the association for an audit and the subsequent examination do not infringe Charter rights.

The association, which promotes community service, education and youth empowerment, says over 150,000 Canadians use its mosques, schools and community centres each year.

The court hearing comes amid public scrutiny of the Review and Analysis Division of the revenue agencys charities directorate, which is conducting the audit.

A 2021 report by the Ottawa-based International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group said the division works with national security agencies to carry out such audits, with little accountability or independent review.

Following her participation in a national summit in 2021 on Islamophobia, Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier asked taxpayers ombudsperson Francois Boileau to conduct a systemic review of the concerns from Muslim-led charities about their treatment by the revenue agency.

However, Boileau recently said that due to obstacles in accessing relevant information, he could not examine the issues deeply enough to assess the existence of bias in how the revenue agency applies its processes.

The Ontario court case is expected to shed fresh  and possibly unprecedented  light on the divisions practices.

In a written submission to the court, the federal attorney general says the revenue agencys preliminary audit findings identified several serious issues concerning the Muslim Association of Canadas non-compliance with its charitable registration obligations.

These included involvement in political activities of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, buying considerable real estate, providing support to an organization listed as a terrorist entity and issuing improper donation receipts, federal lawyers say in the filing.

The association, known as MAC, has not raised credible evidence that it was unfairly targeted by the CRA, nor that in conducting the audit the CRA treated MAC any differently than it would another charity, the submission says.

In its filing to the court, the association says it has provided a detailed response to the revenue agency, which has yet to issue a final decision on the audit. But realizing that the die is already cast by a severely flawed audit process, the association has also initiated the Charter challenge.

The charity says the government takes a wrong-headed approach from the outset by identifying the risk of terrorist financing with minority groups it labels as foreign, in particular Muslim organizations.

With such a starting point it is hardly surprising, although deeply disappointing, that Muslim Canadians are all painted with the same brush and an organization like MAC that runs mosques and schools is regarded as inherently suspect because its membership belongs to the same religious group as organizations like al-Qaida, the submission says.

It also takes exception to revenue agency documents that have surfaced in the case  an Audit Referral Analysis created in preparation for the examination and a desk review for the audit team to guide the process.

The association considers both documents highly problematic, saying they rely heavily on biased and Islamophobic sources.

The charity cites expert evidence from University of Toronto law professor Anver Emon, a scholar of Islamic legal history, who says the revenue agency characterizes the Muslim Brotherhood by relying on information that is either selective, alarmist, or even Islamophobic in nature.

The association objects to the revenue agency expressing concern it might have an ideological affiliation with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood without making any distinction between political connections to the group in Egypt and the religious ideology upon which the Muslim Brotherhood is founded.

The problem with this approach is that while the association follows the religious ideology of Imam Hassan al-Banna that led to the establishment of the Muslim Brotherhood, adopting the religious ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood is not the same thing as supporting the political ideology of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, the association says. As a result, the revenue agencys Review and Analysis Division conflated two entirely separate concepts.

As a registered charity, MAC understands that it is subject to audit by the revenue agency, but it is not subject to an audit that holds it to a different standard than audits of other religious charities, the submission adds.

Put bluntly, the current (revenue agency) audit is so tainted by Charter infringements that it is unsalvageable.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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The ghost of Doug Ford is wafting over our mayoral election.

Toronto could be making history in the June 26 vote. Instead, thanks to the premiers obsession with reining in  and reigning over  the city, the election will be a missed opportunity for democracy.

Thats because there are too many high profile candidates to end up with a solid choice. Yes, you can have too much of a good thing  candidates  if no one emerges as a clear winner in the competition.

And when the winners mandate is a mirage, it makes a mockery of democracy. Heres why:

As many as eight well-known politicians are declared or likely to enter the race, with another four lesser lights lining up to run. Thats 12 candidates competing for the limelight  and splitting the vote on voting day.

Which means we could have a mayor who carries the day, but backed by a slim plurality far from a solid majority. Imagine a winner who won barely 17 per cent of the ballots emerging as chief executive of Canadas biggest city with so little legitimacy.

What makes this scenario so pitiable is that it was so avoidable. For there is  or was  a viable alternative.

An electronic runoff would ensure the winner truly wins the day with a majority. Its called the ranked ballot, which allows voters to rank their choices on the ballot in order of preference.

If no one wins a majority on the first round, the losers votes are reallocated (based on the preferences their supporters indicated on their ballots as second and third choices). The process of eliminating the losers and reapportioning their votes continues until someone attains a majority of the total votes cast.

Sound foreign? Its an utterly Canadian convention.

In truth, its precisely the process used by Ford to win the leadership of the Progressive Conservatives in 2018, and how most politicians are chosen to head their parties. In fact, thats how Dalton McGuinty won the Liberal leadership years ago  in the middle of the night, when the fifth ballot took him over the 50 per cent threshold.

With a ranked ballot, you dont need to stay up all night for subsequent ballots. You simply rank your first, second and third choices when you arrive at the voting booth, and await the magic of electronic runoffs.

Its emphatically faithful to democracy. Which is why Ontario first raised the ranked ballot idea in a 2015 consultation, and decided in 2017 to let municipalities try it out.

At a time when voter turnout is going down in many communities, its time look at ideas that can reverse that trend, mused Ted McMeekin, the municipal affairs minister, in 2015.

London used the ranked ballot successfully in the 2018 election, while Kingston and Cambridge held referendums that green-lighted the idea. Toronto also studied the idea, which had wide support from many councillors and then-mayor John Tory.

But Ford has never been able to stay away from municipal meddling. Within days of becoming premier in 2018  years after losing his own mayoral campaign in 2014  Ford unilaterally halved the size of city council.

Who knew that second-guessing Toronto would be his number one provincial priority? His obsession with intervention became big news when the case went to the courts and he threatened to override the Charter of Rights to get his way.

Yet for all the publicity in 2018 over his wrong-headed rightsizing of city council in mid-campaign, barely anyone noticed his fateful 2020 decision to banish the ranked ballot in mid-pandemic. Under cover of COVID-19, buried in the bowels of a broad legislative package, the premier inserted wording to undo the previous law enabling ranked ballots in municipal elections.

Banned. Barred. Prohibited.

This anti-democratic decision came so suddenly and thoughtlessly that Londons then-mayor Ed Holder, a former federal Conservative cabinet minister, forced Ford to reimburse his city for transition expenses. It also undercut the momentum for Toronto, Canadas biggest city, to modernize its vote.

The June 26 special election would have been an ideal showcase for a ranked ballot. Thats because it is a mayoral-only vote to replace Tory after he resigned unexpectedly this year  without the distractions of regular councillor or trustee races.

Now, the election campaign is destined to be a free-for-all as candidates compete for attention. When I compared notes with city hall bureau chief David Rider, he enumerated the declared and undeclared rivals:

Councillors Brad Bradford and Josh Matlow; former councillor Ana Bailao; former police chief Mark Saunders; MPP Mitzie Hunter; and ex-candidate Gil Penalosa. Add councillor Stephen Holyday as another possible, along with ex-MP Olivia Chow. Three more former councillors and a columnist with less name recognition shall go unnamed here. At least 10 more also-rans are likely to run again, which brings us to at least 22 rivals.

Thats a lot of ways to split the vote, especially among centrist or centre-left candidates who are fighting for the same piece of pie in the mushy middle that represents most people. Against that backdrop, while a cluster of progressives try to one up each other, a candidate of the right could win the fight by default.

In which case the premier may have the last laugh, knowing he helped elect the mayor he always wanted to be, while denying Toronto the ranked ballot system used by his PC party. His hypocrisy is a lost opportunity for democracy.

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Premier Doug Ford is increasing the pressure on the federal government to speed reforms making it tougher for violent offenders to get bail, saying there appears to be no urgency from Ottawa despite continuing tragedies.

Speaking just over a week after the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes at Torontos Keele subway station, Ford warned delays are costing lives.

Its not an exaggeration to say that people are now dying because of the failures of our justice system, the premier said in the legislature Monday.

We need action and we need it now.

The comments came as MPPs debated a motion from Solicitor General Michael Kerzner calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government to immediately reform the Criminal Code to prevent violent and repeat offenders from being released back into our communities.

That motion follows a spate of violent incidents, including others on the TTC and the killing of OPP Const. Greg Pierzchala while on patrol in a snowstorm near Hagersville on Dec. 27.

Magalhaes was on the ground floor of Keele station at around 9 p.m. on March 25 after a day out with friends when he was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a stranger. The aspiring astrophysicist died later in hospital.

Toronto police have charged Jordan OBrien-Tobin, 22, with first-degree murder.

The Star reported Monday that a judge had previously warned that the accused was a threat to the public if he did not get aid for his mental health and substance abuse issues.

In transcripts of a sentencing hearing from Sept. 29, 2022, Ontario Court Judge Sandra Caponecchia cited four prior assaults since 2021 and many, many breaches of court orders coupled with a remarkable history of family violence and mental health issues. It is unclear if OBrien-Tobin ever received treatment.

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti said following a meeting with provincial justice ministers on March 10 that he would move quickly on targeted reforms of the bail system, noting there was broad consensus after provincial premiers wrote to the federal government in January.

Bail is a constitutional right, but it is not absolute, Lametti told reporters at the time. Bail can be denied when there is just cause, when it is necessary for the safety of the public.

The premiers are seeking a reverse onus system for some offences, which would require a person seeking bail to prove why they should not be held in custody pending trial.

Ford said Monday the current system has judges crossing their fingers that accused persons released on bail do not reoffend, and asked, Why arent judges held accountable?

During Mondays debate, New Democrat MPP Peggy Sattler (London West) said Ontario does not provide sufficient mental health, homelessness and other supports that could help prevent tragedies.

Magalhaes was the fourth person killed in what appear to be random attacks on TTC property in the last 12 months. More than 500 people joined his mother in a candlelit walk to Keele station last Thursday to remember him.

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Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney is charging that federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will do anything to stop Highway 413 from being built.

But Guilbeaults office countered that Premier Doug Fords government needs to submit its environmental paperwork before the project can proceed.

Revving up the rhetoric between the province and Guilbeault, Mulroney called upon Liberal MPs in Peel Region to stand up in their caucus and to stand up to their federal minister to promote the highway.

Its clear that Minister Guilbeault will do anything to stop this project from getting built, she said Monday of the proposed 60-kilometre Milton-Vaughan freeway linking Highways 401 and 400.

Every riding along the route is represented by a Tory MPP and a Liberal MP.

Mulroneys comments come after Ford described the federal minister as a real piece of work on Thursday for his claim Ontario has no plan to fight climate change.

In an interview broadcast Sunday with Vassy Kapelos on CTVs Question Period, Guilbeault shrugged off the barb and outlined his many differences with the provincial Progressive Conservatives.

My role as environmental and climate change minister is to work to ensure that Canadians have access to cleaner air, cleaner water, healthy ecosystems, which leads to healthy Canadians  and on that it seems that the premier of Ontario and myself have a difference of opinion as to what needs to be done, he said.

I didnt say that Ontario wasnt doing anything. I said that the Ontario government has no climate plan, which is true and theyve admitted as much themselves, the minister told Kapelos.

A plan to me is you list a series of measures whether theyre regulatory, legislative (or) investment, you have targets, you have annual reports, you track your progress  whats going well, whats not, which is exactly what were doing federally, he said.

Ontario has none of that. They have a strategy  but its not a climate plan, said Guilbeault, who also criticized Queens Park for not addressing Indigenous concerns over the Ring of Fire mining development in northern Ontario.

But on Highway 413, Mulroney said Ottawa moved the goalposts by saying the project requires a federal environmental impact assessment  even though in March 2020 it said the freeway did not need one.

Thats why last week my ministry sent a letter to the federal government expressing that this is unacceptable, especially for a project that is so critical to our province, she said.

Weve actually been working collaboratively with the federal government for many years on their questions with respect to the impact on the environment and on species at risk.

In a statement Monday, Guilbeaults aide Oliver Anderson said the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is still waiting for information from the province in order to begin the planning phase of the impact assessment process.

The project cannot advance as long as the province does not fulfil this step in the process, said Anderson.

To suggest that Minister Guilbeault has any predetermined view about a project that was designated before his time as minister and an assessment process that hasnt even been launched yet, due to lack of information from the province, is totally inappropriate and unjust.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles, for her part, said theres a lot of opposition still to the 413 and to the development and paving over of the Greenbelt.

So Im happy to see the federal government step forward and actually get involved. I think its really important, she said.

Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has urged President Joe Biden of the US to compare Nigerians protesting in front of the White House against the presidential election in Nigeria to cynical, deluded and fanatical Republicans who still believed that Trump won the US election.





MURIC said this in Abuja on Monday in a statement by its Executive Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola.





Prof Akintola said: A few misguided Nigerians have staged a protest in front of the White House in the United States of America against the outcome of the Feb. 25 election held in Nigeria.





We appeal to the US President, Joe Biden, to ignore the protesters. The Nigerian election was free and fair to a large extent. Ours may not be a perfect system yet, but it is neither brutish nor undemocratic. In fact it was the best election ever conducted in Nigeria.





The ruling APC did not win a landslide but lost sensitive areas during the elections including National Assembly seats.





An election has been held and the winner has been declared by the electoral body. We have a President-elect and that is sacrosanct by all democratic rules. Stakeholders are, therefore, expected to accept the outcome or approach the courts if not satisfied.
Ensuring security continues to be the primary issue for the Taghavard-Kaler frontline community school of the Martuni region of the Republic of Artsakh.

April 3, 2023, 11:45 Taghavard-Kaler primary school continues its educational process under direct enemy fire

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 3 , ARTSAKHPRESS: Margarita Sahakyan, the director of the educational center told "Artsakhpress":

"The schoolyard is under direct enemy fire, but we continue our studies under these conditions. Physical education classes are held in the yard, though it is dangerous. I myself always go out to the yard and stand next to the students until the class ends," said M. Sahakyan.

''Before the 44-Day War, the number of students in the 9-year-old primary educational center has decreased. A part of the students have stayed with their families in Stepanakert, and some of them, taking into account the danger, attend the school of the neighboring Karmir Shuka community.

According to Sahakyan, the most important thing for the teachers and students of the school at the moment is the establishment of lasting peace.

"We have no other choice; we must stay and continue to live in our homeland, continue to educate our students. Along with being students, they are also fighters who, ignoring the fear, , attend school every day with great love in order to learn something new", the director of the school summarized.




Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika is under fire for spending a whopping sum of N12 billion to acquire 10 firefighting trucks in Nigeria Airports.





Sirika disclosed on Sunday that he commissioned ten firefighting trucks for the Federal Airports Authority, FAAN.





In his post through Twitter, a microblogging site, Sirika revealed that FAAN had not bought firefighting trucks in 15 years.





Just commissioned 10 Firefighting trucks, the total cost of over 12Bn Naira. More to come in due course. Safety has been the Buhari focus in Aviation since 2015. Hitherto, FAAN has not bought new trucks in 15 years, the Minister posted.





However, in a swift response to Sirikas post, Nigerians said spending N12 billion on Ten firefighting trucks is a fraud.





How would Ten fighting trucks cost N12 billion? Nigerians queried.




Ifeoma, wife of Orji Uzor Kalu, chief whip of the senate, is dead.

Kalu announced her demise in a Facebook post on Monday. She was 61.

The former governor of Abia did not give details about her death.





The senator said a memorial service would be held in her honour in the US.

With a heavy heart and pain, we announce the passing on to eternal glory of Mrs Ifeoma Ada Kalu aged 61 years, he said.

She was a woman of virtue who was committed to the service of God and humanity. A memorial service in her honour is scheduled to be held in the United States of America (USA).

Please remember her and loved ones in prayers at this difficult period. May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.




The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State has announced the expulsion of the Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, from the party.





Omo-Agege was expelled for alleged anti-party activities and other unnamed offences.





The expulsion letter dated March 31st was signed by the Chairman, Ulebor Isaac.





According to the letter, the party unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of the lawmaker with immediate effect.





The letter partly reads: The State Executive Committee of all Progressive Congress Delta State in a meeting held on the 31st March, 2023 at the State Secretariat, Asaba, after due deliberation of the Notice of Resolution of Expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege as a member of the party by the executive committee of the Orogun Ward and Ughelli North Local Government. In accordance [with the] provision of Article 21.2 (1)(II)(VII) 21.3 and 21.5(g) of the constitution 2022 (as amended), we unanimously resolved and adopted the expulsion of Senator Ovie Omo Agege as a member of the party.




The 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Rukuba, near Jos, on Monday, began its 2023 annual range firing exercise at its Small Arms Range in Miango, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.





Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of the Division, Lt.-Col. Ishaku Takwa, stated in Jos that the exercise would end on April 20.





The event is an annual exercise organised to upscale the proficiency of troops in the use of weapons to improve their professional competencies.





It will include the firing of different calibres of military weapons.





The general public, especially people living around the Miango general area are advised not to panic on the sighting mass movement of troops and on hearing gunshots, he said.





Takwa warned residents to stay away from the range throughout the period of the exercise.




The governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria are expected to meet with economic and financial agencies in the country, over the management of their states security votes.

Security vote is a monthly allocation given to state governments for improved security.

According to a statement signed by AbdulRazaque Bello-Barkindo, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), the meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, April 4.

Asishana Bayo Okauru, director-general of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), said the agencies expected to be at the meeting include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Furthermore, the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency, the Nigerian Naira, last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward, the statement reads.

This meeting is called at the instance of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in its letter of 30th March, which was addressed to the chairman of the NGF and signed by the Modibbo Hamman Tukur, NFIU director.

All governors are advised to prioritize the meeting as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting on Thursday 30th March, where it was unanimously agreed that a conjunction with the agencies mentioned above was imperative.

The meeting also aims to facilitate financial inclusion and development which will put Nigeria on the same pedestal as advanced countries.




British boxer Anthony Joshua has said he is disappointed with himself after defeating Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night.

Joshuas disappointment was over the fact that the match did not end in a knockout but dragged on to a boring 12 rounds.

Joshua beat Franklin by unanimous decision.

I am a bit disappointed, Joshua told talkSPORT.

It wasnt a knockout and the people are bored of 12-rounders, its annoying.

Joshua almost started a mass brawl with Franklins team immediately after the final bell before they were separated by security with Tony Bellew even trying to get involved.
Olisa Agbakoba, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), says speedy dispensation of presidential election petitions is a strategy against having an interim government.

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday said it had confirmed a plot by some key players to install an interim government and stop Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being inaugurated as president.

Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday, Agbakoba said the secret plans must be rejected by all Nigerians.

Proffering a solution in a fresh statement on Monday, the senior advocate said there will be no need for an interim government if the petitions are heard and disposed of before May 29.

The tension around the call for an interim government is that the presidential election petition may not conclude before the inauguration of a new president on May 29, 2023, he said.

But its very possible to conclude these petitions, provided that the court systems are very proactive.

Under arbitration matters, procedural orders and or directions issue peremptorily to resolve sometimes very complex jurisdictional and procedural issues.

The presidential election tribunals are urged to adapt the procedures very familiar with speedy conclusion of arbitration matters.

Agbakoba listed three key issues in the presidential election petitions which he said are resolvable by the application of procedural orders and or directions.

The first is the interpretation of Section 134 of the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as to whether securing 25%(Percent) of votes in federal capital territory Abuja is compulsory to be president.

Secondly, is a candidate permitted to stand for presidential or vice presidential election when he is at the same time a senatorial candidate?

The third point raised by the SAN is the issue relating to the qualification of candidates to stand for the presidential election.

If the petition were arbitration proceedings, an arbitrator may issue a procedural order directed to counsel to address all complex disputes and the arbitral tribunal will deliver what is called a partial final award, Agbakoba said.

In the case of the presidential election tribunal, including the supreme court, they can also direct procedural orders with very short timelines given to counsel, to address the complex jurisdictional issues raised in the petitions and the tribunal/supreme court will then issue final summary judgment as appropriate.

We strongly believe that between the tribunal and supreme court, the petitions can be resolved within seven days from today. This will cool the temperature in Nigeria on the issue of interim government etc.

The speed proposed here requires a radical departure from our present judicial policy where case management plays a very limited role in judicial outcomes. Case management is the spirit and driving force of modern adjudication. Speed of justice is the mantra that our judiciary must proclaim very loudly. This is needed in the presidential petition proceedings urgently.

The timeframe allowed by law for which an election petition must be heard and judgement delivered is 180 days from the date of the filing of the petition.

An appeal from a decision of an election tribunal or court must be heard and disposed of within 60 days from the date of the delivery of the judgment of the tribunal.
Minister of State for Labour and Spokesperson of Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, has reacted to the leaked audio conversation between the Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and the Founder of Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo.

The audio clip released by online newspaper, Peoples Gazzete, has set the social media on fire since Saturday.

In the audio, Obi was heard begging Oyedepo to help him mobilise Christian voters ahead of the election especially those in the North Central states of Kwara, Kogi and Niger, declaring the election was a religious war.

Keyamo while reacting to the conversation, said God has exposed Obi for declaring a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country, declaring his dream to become a President one day is dead.

In a statement, Keyamo said, Having confirmed the authenticity of what is now known as the Peter Obi Yes-daddy audio, I think the real culprit here are the so-called men of God who allowed themselves to be used by an unscrupulous politician to seek to inflame religious passions in our dear country in the name of politics.

So, when they were telling their hapless adherents that they heard the voice of the Lord, it was actually Peter Obis telephone calls they heard and not Gods voice. This is deceitful, shameful and disgusting. Imagine a so-called man of God comparing notes with a politician as to what he said or what he would say on the pulpit in order to get him votes.

I hope this sufficiently embarrasses the men of God in Nigeria to forthwith desist from using the pulpit for politics and the Church-goers to stop being teleguided by their self-serving men of God.

As for Peter Obi who declared an election a religious war in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic country like ours, the real God has just exposed him and his dream to be Nigerias President one day has just died a natural death. Yes-daddy is now permanently etched in the consciousness of the nation and we will NEVER forget!
The Labour Party (LP) campaign council has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to demarket Peter Obi, its presidential candidate.

The campaign council was reacting to a leaked clip allegedly involving Obi and David Oyedepo, the founder of Winners Chapel.

In the viral clip, a voice similar to that of Obi can be heard asking the cleric to speak to the Christians in the south-west and Kwara to vote for him in the presidential poll, describing the election as a religious war.

In a statement released on Sunday, Diran Onifade, head of the LP campaign, and Yunusa Tanko, the councils chief spokesperson, said the audio is deep fake aimed at tarnishing Obis image.

While we are toeing the constitutional path to retrieve our mandate, those who have truncated the wishes of the majority of Nigerians have recoursed to mischief and endless subterfuge to continue to hold on to what they know does not belong to them, the LP campaign said.

From the show of shame in Port Harcourt to the drama in the Ibom Air aircraft, both of which they contrived, they have now moved to the circulation of a deep fake audio file aimed at promoting religious tension in the country.

All these are meant to serve no other purpose than egregious mischief aimed at demarketing Peter Obi. If the goal is to create a credibility problem, the ploy has failed woefully.

Peter Obi has long been on record as the only presidential candidate who has urged the Nigerians electorate not to vote for him on the basis of religion or tribe.

Meanwhile, Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson of the LP campaign, earlier on Sunday, said the clip was authentic.

Okonkwo said: Political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if the LP candidate was making a religious comment.

Valentine Obienyem, Obis media aide, also said the leaked audio of his principals conversation with Oyedepo was edited out of context.
Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe has revealed her new name following her conversion to Islam.

Mercy made this known in a video at a Ramadan event she hosted with her husband, Kazeem Adeoti.

She urged Nigerians to address her as Hajia Meenah Mercy Adeoti.

My new name is Hajia Meenah Mercy Adeoti. Meenah with an h.

Recall that the actress married Mr Adeoti in 2022 and was accused of extramarital affair while she was married to her ex, Lanre Gentry.

But Mercy denied the allegation, saying she has constantly been lied against despite explaining her situation and telling her side of the story.
Hong Kong: HA recruitment event a success

The Hospital Authority today said its delegations two-day recruitment events in London over the weekend attracted more than 500 medical students and medical practitioners participating in person and online.

The UK events were organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to enable the participants to learn about the latest pathway to work in Hong Kong, registration arrangements as well as specialist training development.

The authoritys Chief Executive Dr Tony Ko said the delegation members had very constructive discussions and exchanges with medical students and medical practitioners during the two-day occasion.

We introduced to them the working environment of public hospitals, training ladders, living arrangements, etc, for employment in Hong Kong. A dedicated team from the authority has been arranged to maintain close contact with the participants.

We will verify qualifications of those interested in working in Hong Kong and complete the relevant approval and appointment procedures as soon as possible.

We will also assist them in other procedures as well as provide other necessary support so that they can start working in Hong Kong without any worries.

During their stay in the UK, the delegation will also visit three medical schools that award medical qualifications recognised by the Special Registration Committee.

The goal of the visit is to exchange views and explore co-operation on the latest developments in medical training, professional fields and academic areas.

The authority explained that the Government has earlier announced 75 medical qualifications recognised by the Special Registration Committee and stressed that it will make every effort to recruit eligible non-locally trained doctors through limited or special registration.

It will also actively promote these schemes in different countries and regions to attract more non-locally trained doctors to join Hong Kongs public healthcare sector with the aim of meeting the growing demand of services, the authority pointed out.

It added that it has established various online platforms to handle enquiries from medical students and medical practitioners.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Armenia views the EU civilian mission on its international border with Azerbaijan as a valuable instrument for increasing security on the ground and contributing to peace and stability in the region, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Monday at a joint press conference with his Romanian counterpart Bogdan Aurescu in Bucharest.

April 3, 2023, 12:41 Armenian FM hails EU mission as valuable instrument for increasing security

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 3 , ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Mirzoyan said he discussed a broad circle of issues of bilateral cooperation with Aurescu.

A 2023-2024 joint action plan was signed, he added.

Weve expressed our readiness to cooperate in the bilateral agenda, legal framework, regular political consultations, as well as in culture, education and science. Weve expressed readiness to take steps in economic relations to utilize the entire potential in business ties, FM Mirzoyan said.

The foreign ministers also discussed the effective implementation of Armenia-EU political and security dialogue and the Armenia-EU CEPA.

Views were exchanged around cooperation within the framework of Eastern Partnership and the European Political Community.

Sending EU monitors to the Armenian side of the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan immediately after the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia in September 2022 and then deploying a long-term EU civilian monitoring mission is the EUs important engagement in our region. We view it as a valuable instrument to increase security of people on the ground and contribute to peace and stability in the region. We appreciate Romanias valuable contribution in the relevant discussions in the EU, the Armenian Foreign Minister said.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to implement the ECOWAS Court of Justices judgment to stop the prosecutions of anyone on the grounds of insulting or stalking public officials online.

In a statement on Sunday, Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director of SERAP, warned Buhari against shrinking the civic space through the usage of the Cybercrime Act and other repressive laws.

The group lamented the recent surge of the crackdown on media houses and freedom of speech by citizens.

SERAP cited the N5 million fine imposed on Channels Television for allegedly violating the National Broadcasting Commission code during an interview with the Labour Party Vice Presidential Candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed and other recent cases of attack on free speech and media.

It said, Many Nigerians and media houses continue to face threats simply for speaking out and seeking to peacefully exercise their human rights and carry out their professional duties. This situation is contrary to the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the judgments by the ECOWAS Court.
One person sustained a gunshot injury after being hit by a stray bullet when supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress clashed in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Earlier, some members of the PDP protested in front of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.

The protesters demanded a joint inspection of election materials by all political parties.

The APC, led by its governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, had last Friday said it would storm the INEC office on Monday to demand the release of Certified True Copies of documents used for the March 18 governorship election to enable the party file processes at the election petition tribunal.

Our reporter who was at the scene reports that while the PDP protests festered, Cole in company of the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and other party leaders showed up at the GRA area of Aba Road and was proceeding to the INEC office when the protesters sited him.

The protesting youths raced in his direction, pelted stones and water sachets at him.

The security operatives attached to Cole immediately shielded him and whisked him into the vehicle, but the protesters continued pelting sachet water in his direction.

Within minutes, soldiers of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, operatives of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps arrived and shot into the air to disperse the protesters.

However, an eyewitness told our correspondent that one of the security men attached to Cole fired the shot which hit one of the protesters who was advancing towards him.

The man bled profusely on the floor due to a gunshot that injured his leg before friends carried and took him to the hospital.

Sensing that the PDP supporters were more, Coles security whisked him away from the scene, while the APC supporters there scampered for safety.

As of the time of filing this report, the GRA Junction near the INEC office in Port Harcourt is the centre of the battle.

However anti-riot policemen, soldiers and the NSCDC officers are in a show of force to avert further unrest.
Condemnations have continued to trail the decision of the management of Covenant University, owned by Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, to bar Hijab-wearing candidates from sitting for the Mock JAMB examinations at its campus in Otta, Ogun State.

The female candidates were delayed from entering the premises simply for adorning Hijab.

In a 1:14 minute video seen by our correspondent, about four female candidates wearing Hijab were stopped from going into the university due to the Muslim veil they adorned.

A parent, Mr. Olayode Akeem, who accompanied his child to the centre, said the security men prevented Hijab wearing candidates from entering the premises of Canaanland because they were acting on instruction from above.

It took the intervention of JAMB before the candidates were allowed in after waiting outside for more than one hour.

Another source who resides at Ota said, I was at Convenant University on Friday and I witnessed it. A lady was told she cant go in to write her mock exam or else she put off her hijab or turn it into scalf. This is height of impunity. This is pathetic and should be addressed before the exam date.

Several persons have taken to Twitter to condemn the action of the Canaanland, asking the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to address the issue before the main examination day.

I call on Dr. Isaq OLOYEDE @JAMBHQ to look into this matter The centre was given randomly why denying them of writing their exams(sic) Christians do write JAMB in Alhikmah University Ilorin, Summit University in Offa and in Fountain University Oshogbo without any problem Its only oyedepo that has problem, a Twitter user Taiye Hassan said.

But Ago Ugbaja, another Twitter user, haf a different perspective, saying, Its a private institution and thats it!!! Go and sort it out with Oyedepo. And JAMB.

Meanwhile, Islamic organisations condemned the action of Cannanland in separate statements.

The Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative (HRAI) and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in separate statements, said some candidates had to remove their Hijab before they were let in.

The HRAI said it got a distress call on Thursday from the father of a candidate Mr. A. A. Olayode, that his daughter and several other candidates wearing Hijab were barred from entering the Covenant University CBT centre for the mock Jamb examinations.

Executive Director of the organisation, Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, said the candidates were denied despite Mr. Olayodess explanation to the security guards that as a national examination, candidates were posted there by the examination body and thus should be allowed to write their exams.

The security guards insisted that the university being a Christian institution does not permit hijabs in their premises and as such the candidates could not enter. Some candidates removed their hijabs in order to gain entry, while Maryam the daughter of Mr. Olayode and two others who did not remove their hijabs were denied entry.

The Centre coordinator at Covenant University CBT centre was contacted and he joined the denied candidates at the gate and promptly let them in, Orolu-Balogun said.

Also, MURIC Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, urged the JAMB to sanction both universities for disallowing hijab-clad girls from entering their premises for Thursdays mock examination.

Akintola lamented that the Muslim girls were delayed for 48 minutes while the examination was going on.

In the case of Canaanland, the students who begged for permission to enter were ignored until a parent sent Save Our Soul Message (SOS) to MURIC headquarters which sprang into action by contacting JAMB authorities as well as the Ogun State branch of MURIC.

The SOS produced some result and the coordinator of the centre soon came with his car to ferry three hijab-clad girls into the exam hall.

The number of Muslim girls who wore hijab was actually more than that but about five or six had surrendered by removing their hijab after begging for more than one hour. Those who removed their hijab were allowed to go inside.

Those who cannot tolerate Muslim girls in hijab should not apply to host public examinations. Canaanland and Covenant have subjected Muslim girls to embarrassment, stigmatization and persecution, Akintola said.

Oyedepo, who was born into an Islamic family, has been very critical of Islam.

Commenting on the crisis over Hijab in Kwara State two years ago, the Bishop said, It is such a nasty development in Kwara state where Muslims are asking their students in our schools to wear Hijab, and the church said no, I have never seen a place in my life where a tenant will be decreeing for the landlord.

JAMB is yet to comment publicly on the plight of female Islamic students at Covenant University.
A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the reason why his son and rapper, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz, embarrasses the government is because of what he was made to experience while growing up.

Falana, while speaking at the 2nd anniversary of Oluyinka Odumakin Lecture in Lagos on Sunday, said his frequent arrests as a legal practitioner always bothered his son in the past.

He noted that this made Falz raised a question if his father was a criminal getting arrested often.

Falana said this days after the release of a new song by his son, titled, Yakubu, featuring fellow rapper, Vector.

He said, One of these guys one day said, Falana talk to your son; he should stop embarrassing the government. I said which government? You mean that boy who is an adult? Can I give you his number so you can talk to him? But be careful because when that boy was growing up, I was being arrested from time to time. So, the only language he understood was detention, arrest and the rest of them.

One day, when that boy was six, he asked his mother, Our teacher taught us that only criminals were arrested. Is my father a criminal? Why is he always being arrested? And the mother had to say that in Nigeria, under the military, only two sets of people were arrested: Criminals suspects and political suspects. Political suspects are those who are out to expose the criminality of the government. That is what you see going on.

Falz is one of the activists who regularly hold #EndSARS memorial in honour of those whom they believe lost their lives to police brutality in the country.
A 64-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting two boys in a residence in Sea Isle City, authorities said.

William Smith Jr., of Pine Hill, was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, the Cape May County Prosecutors Office said Monday.

Smith remained at the Cape May County jail Monday, according to online jail records.

Sea Isle City police and the prosecutors office launched the investigation in February and arrested Smith last week, officials said.

Attorney information for Smith wasnt immediately available.

Anyone with information about the ongoing investigation is asked to call the Cape May County Prosecutors Office at 609-465-1135, or leave an anonymous tip at cmcpo.tips. The Cape May County Crime Stoppers can be reached at at 609-889-3597.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.
One person has been taken into custody after a bomb threat at Bayonne High School Monday morning forced a lockdown for approximately two hours, school district officials said.

The person believed to have made the threat is not a student at the school, officials said in a social media post. The person, who was not identified, was taken into custody, but it is unclear if the person was arrested.

Bayonne police did not respond to a request for more information.

The shelter-in-place order was reported by the district at approximately 9 a.m. and rescinded shortly after 11 a.m., after it was determined there was no credible threat.

Bayonne High School is back to normal operations at this time, officials said. The shelter in place was initiated due to an anonymous call placed to the Bayonne Police Department that a bomb threat was made to Bayonne High School.

While there was no specific or credible threat, the Bayonne Police Department and the security staff at Bayonne High School conducted an investigation out of an abundance of caution.

At the time of the lockdown, district officials said the school has received what we believe is a non-credible safety threat.

Last week three students and three staff members were killed in a shooting at a private school in Tennessee.
11:15 a.m. UPDATE: The shelter-in-place order has been lifted after a bomb threat was investigated and deemed unfounded.

The Bayonne Police Department and the security staff at Bayonne High School are investigating a safety threat at the school Monday morning, school officials said on social media platforms.

District officials said the school has received what we believe is a non-credible safety threat. However, out of an abundance of caution, Bayonne Police Department is assisting Bayonne Security in a thorough investigation.

Details of the threat were not provided.

A shelter-in-place order was given at the school, officials said. We will exit our shelter in place as soon as possible, the district advisory said.

Last week three students and three staff members were killed in a shooting at a private school in Tennessee.
Bruce Springsteen is heading back to Ohio.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Bands next stop is at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on April 5 while on his 2023 world tour.

Where to buy Bruce Springsteen concert tickets

Springsteen fans can find last-minute tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats and TicketNetwork, in addition to Ticketmaster.

The lowest-priced last-minute tickets for Springsteens 2023 tour have been on StubHub and Vivid Seats. Ticketmaster has seats for sale, but theyre resale tickets and have been priced as high or higher than the traditional secondary market.

First-time Vivid Seats users can save $20 on ticket orders over $200 by entering promo code NJ20 at checkout.

Where is Bruce Springsteen playing next?

Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform 31 shows around the United States during the tour.

Their next concert is in Baltimore, Maryland on April 7. Tickets are available on sites like Ticketmaster, StubHub, Vivid Seats and TicketNetwork.

A complete list of all Springsteens tour dates is available here.

More massive upcoming tours in 2023

Springsteen is not the only artist going out on tour in the next few months.

Here are a few more upcoming tours you wont want to miss.

RELATED STORIES ABOUT LIVE EVENTS:

How to get Beyonce Renaissance tour tickets, if you didnt register for presale

Bruce Springsteen tour 2023: Full schedule, dates, where to buy tickets

Taylor Swift tour 2023: Heres how to get tickets, if you missed the 2nd Verified Fan sale

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler announce 2023 tour: How to buy tickets, schedule, dates

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Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
The warning pinged Mark Zamorskys phone around 7 p.m. Saturday.

A tornado was headed for his Howell Township neighborhood, the National Weather Service said in a Wireless Emergency Alert.

Zamorsky looked outside and saw nothing but drizzle.

We get (alerts) all the time that its going to be flash flooding, but were 15 miles inland, so its a little bit Boy who cried wolf, Zamorsky said.

But this time it was all too real. Within 15 minutes, the violent storm that wreaked havoc on Monmouth Countys largest municipality was bearing down on his home. He lost power by 7:15 and looked outside to see hail pelting his front yard, while the swirling winds of an apparent twister barreled into his front door.

The storm came on very, very quickly, almost out of nowhere... Zamorsky said. Piles of hail were landing on car windshields. It was incredibly strong winds, pushing closed doors open in the house.

The aftermath of the tornado that struck Howell on Saturday night.Noah K. Murray | for NJ Advance

By 8:15 p.m., he walked to his front yard to see his neighbors home torn to shreds.

Their roof, it looks like someone just chopped the top off like a buzz cut, Zamorsky said Sunday afternoon as he picked up fallen debris from his yard. Were OK. Our fences are pretty much gone and theres a little bit of damage to the siding, but we really lucked out.

A massive cleanup was underway Sunday in parts of Howell, where the powerful storms  which also spawned tornadoes in neighboring Jackson, Sea Girt and Cinnaminson in Burlington County, the National Weather Service confirmed  sent trees crashing down, live electrical wires dangling across roads and caused power outages for thousands of residents.

The weather service said Sunday afternoon that it was likely the tornadoes were distinct as there was a gap in the damage path between the Howell and Jackson tornadoes.

More than 16,000 residents statewide suffered power outages as crews worked to restore power, authorities told NJ Advance Media.

In Howell and Jackson, images and video footage posted by residents on social media showed severe storm damage, including downed trees and debris littering the road. Hail pellets as large as 1.5 inches in diameter were also recorded.

One of those particularly harrowing videos showed what appeared to be a tornado lumbering toward Jackson.

Before more than 9,000 people viewed the footage taken by Michael Carrier, his mother-in-law Kimberlee Kazmier Draheim says she received the video via text.

I was amazed. I was like, Wow, that just went through our neighborhood, said Draheim, 58, who was born in Jackson and lives about a mile away on New Prospect Road.

The tornado had already passed by her house. She heard its deafening roar as it neared.

We had all gotten in my bathroom at about 7:30 ... four of us, she said. I had my granddaughter here, and we all had to get in the bathroom because I dont have a basement.

Oh my God, I could hear it coming in.

Just an hour prior, she said plans to watch TV and relax turned to monitoring weather alerts. Now hunkered down in the combination bathroom and laundry room, random debris lashed at her windows, the backyard chairs could be heard flying about and  to Draheims astonishment  a tornado was passing through her neighborhood.

Its New Jersey. We really dont have weather like that often, Draheim said. Weve been noticing as the years go by, weve been getting more and more (of this weather) ... but this was a little unnerving.

Carrier, who shot the video, said he had grabbed a slice of pizza with friends earlier Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the balmier weather before heading back to his apartment that evening. Seeing the sky turn a darker shade of blue, he planned to make a time-lapse video of the storm from the porch of his Jackson apartment.

I kept filming every few minutes to see the change in the sky, said the 31-year-old Jackson resident. But the storm moved too quickly for his idea. I pretty much watched it form right in front of me.

By the time the tornado was confirmed in Howell, the National Weather Service had already said different tornadoes caused damage in Jackson in Ocean County and in Cinnaminson in Burlington County. Later Sunday, another tornado was confirmed near Sea Girt in Monmouth County.

As Zamorsky looked over the damage to his neighborhood Sunday morning  shaking his head as he saw the second floor of his neighbors home just shredded  he figures he lived through a tornado as well.

It was such a defined area, like a fine pencil line, he said. You can almost see the direct line that it took. We had a similar thing about 3 1/2 years ago that an incredibly strong wind has come through and did some damage. This was worse.

Two Howell families were displaced and in a shelter set up in the Howell Senior Center, according to Cynthia Scott, spokesperson for the Monmouth County Sheriffs Office.

We had a total of seven people that sought shelter with us overnight, and weve had several others that are using the senior center as a warming center because a lot of the power is out, said Diane Concannon, a spokesperson with the Red Cross of Central Jersey, which had six volunteers assisting Howell residents.

We got the shelter up by midnight, and well be here as long as its needed, she added.

UPDATE: Weather service confirms 2 more tornadoes struck N.J., boosting storm total to 6

Tornado damage on Aldrich Road in Howell.Noah K. Murray | for NJ Advance Media

Christian Antunez, a sergeant with the Howell Township Police Department, patrolled the 61-square-mile township Sunday morning and marveled at how focused the damage was on the western side of town.

The damage in certain parts of the town is pretty significant, and in other parts of the town, theres nothing, Antunez said. It definitely looks like a very localized, strong storm.

Scott, the spokesperson for the Monmouth County Sheriffs Office, said the department was not aware of any fatalities or injuries as a result of the storm as of Sunday morning.

Authorities in nearby Wall Township said there were no injuries after a jet skidded off the runway Saturday evening at the Monmouth Jet Center airport. The pilot and co-pilot made it out of the plane uninjured, officials said.

Sudden high winds from the storm were a contributing factor to the accident, the Wall police department said in a Facebook post.

Investigation on scene revealed a twin engine Citation jet left the runway while landing (and) lost control upon entering a grass median, and came to rest on its underside off the taxiway, Wall police said. The aircraft was occupied by its pilot and copilot. Both self-extricated from the plane and were uninjured. The plane sustained significant damage. Wall Fire District 2, with assistance from Monmouth County Hazmat, were able to isolate the fuel from the aircraft. The scene was secured until morning.

Chris Raimann, supervisor at the Ocean County Sheriffs Office, said there were no reported injuries from the storm as of Sunday afternoon.

It was a dangerous storm, Raimann said. I mean, listen, we dont know of one car accident. Its amazing.

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Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ.

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Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
Upheaval and social unrest followed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination on April 4, 1968. Fifty-five years later, the anniversary of his death will be marked by a day of activism, as a reminder that many of the social ills that were endured then still linger.

Those rallying Tuesday will appeal for voting rights legislation, including the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act; statewide implementation of the states 20-year-old Amistad Law in school curriculums; laws that make police accountable, including the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Breathe Act.

Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the People's Organization for Progress, said attacks on voting rights, voter suppression and racist gerrymandering continue. At the federal level, we will be marching for the passage of voting rights legislation including the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act," Hamm said.Ande Richards |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Specific demands of the march will include the passage of bills in the New Jersey legislature that would establish police review boards with subpoena powers and other police reform measures, said Lawrence Hamm, chairman of the Peoples Organization for Progress (POP), who plans to march on Tuesday.

Hamm points out that police brutality was an issue Dr. King discussed several times in his books, articles and his I Have A Dream speech.

We are marching on April 4 to draw attention to police brutality in New Jersey as well as the rest of the nation. We will march to demand justice for Najee Seabrooks, Bernard Placide Jr, Carl Dorsey, Army Major Gulia Dale III, Rodwell/Spivey Brothers, and many other victims in this state and across the country, Lawrence Hamm said.Ande Richards |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Despite a social reckoning since the murder of George Floyd, police brutality continues unabated and the number of fatal shootings by police officers has actually increased since 2020. Few police accountability and reform measures that were introduced in that political climate have become law.

After the tragic killing of community activist Najee Seabrooks, Hamm and POP members stood shoulder to shoulder with the Paterson community and other activists like Black Lives Matter Paterson organizer Zellie Thomas.

They took Dr. Kings life and they tried to take away his legacy, said Thomas, who has been at the forefront of fighting for justice for Seabrooks and his family. King was not passive, he was an active fighter against racism, poverty and militarism. They tried to kill a movement by killing a man but failed. As long as injustice remains, it only will continue to birth more leaders who will fight for justice.

Income inequality, poverty and an obscene concentration of wealth plague our society. Lawrence Hamm says POP demands economic justice at the federal level including doubling the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 per hour, free college and the elimination of all student debt.Ande Richards |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Attacks on workers rights continue as they did when Dr. King traveled to Memphis to support sanitation workers on what would be the eve of his assassination. In his speech at Bishop Charles J. Mason Temple, Dr. King talked about our rights as Americans to protest and to speak freely without fear of legal intervention.

Dr. King is obviously one of our nations greatest advocates for civil rights and human rights, said Erin Santana, a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University in Newark. She is also one of the educators standing up to Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, who has threatened to call for an injunction against university workers if they strike.

Rutgers as a university situated in a predominantly Black city like Newark has a tremendous responsibility to carry on Dr. Kings legacy, she said. Unfortunately, we have seen the president of Rutgers threatening to use the power of the courts and an injunction to break the strike. His administration has pushed us toward the brink.

Santana says Holloway frequently uses the words of Dr. King in his rhetoric about the beloved community.

But in fact, on the eve of his assassination, King spoke out strongly against the use of such injunctions to break the will of workers for justice and equitable wages. And so this anniversary, in particular, is quite timely and salient in our struggle.

Former Assemblyman William D. Payne (right) said he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1956 when they were both young men participating in the NAACP conference in San Francisco. He was absolutely outstanding, Payne said, "he was only 26, maybe 27 at the most when he gave that speech.Ande Richards |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The intention of the rally is not only to invoke the memory of Dr. King but to teach others about him and the history of Black people in America. While the Amistad Law  passed in New Jersey in 2002  requires the teaching of African American history in all public schools, only select schools in a few counties respect and uphold the law. Instead, much attention has been placed on critical race theory, the exclusion of African American studies in some parts of the country and the banning of books by renowned authors like Toni Morrison.

Marchers will also demand the re-inclusion of material on Amiri Baraka and other Black writers that have been removed from the College Boards AP African American curriculum, and the strengthening and expansion of Black Studies departments and programs on college and university campuses, along with adherence to the Amistad Law.

While few of the marchers were alive 55 years ago to have seen or heard Dr. King speak, they know the issues he spoke about still need the dogged attention of the people willing to do the good work. And, there are those who will march who are fortunate enough to have lived in Dr. Kings presence.

I belong to the last generation to see and have a living memory of Dr. King, said Zayid Muhammad, an organizer with Newark Communities for Accountable Policing. At this dangerously pivotal moment, it is now our responsibility to lift up that legacy of struggle to make sure we do not allow this world to pivot into the spiraling darkness of fascism and war.

The MARCH FOR JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND PEACE will be held today, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 5:00 pm, starting at the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Newark, New Jersey. It will be followed by an all-night vigil at the statue.

Ande Richards wants to hear from New Jerseys communities of color, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ communities, and those who feel underserved by traditional media. She may be reached at arichards@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anderichards.

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More than $14 million worth of heroin has been uncovered inside a model truck being shipped from Thailand to Sydney.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers made the shocking discovery last month, a week after the sea cargo consignment arrived in Port Botany.

Hidden inside a metal compartment of the red and blue model truck, which weighed 100 kilograms itself, was 35 kilograms of the drug. With an estimated wholesale value of about $10 million and a street value of more than $14 million. This amount of heroin is equal to 175,000 street deals in NSW, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said.

This model truck was allegedly concealing 35 kilograms of heroin. Source: AFP

AFP Forensics Crime Scenes officers were called in after the discovery on March 23 and removed the heroin from the model truck. They then reconstructed it to avoid suspicion from alleged members of the organised crime syndicate behind this importation.

On March 30, members of the AFP High Volume Crime Time delivered the truck to an apartment building in Haymarket where a man was arrested after accepting the delivery. Officers also searched a different address linked to the man where they seized a number of items for further examination.

Arrest sends stern warning

ABF Superintendent Jared Leighton says the arrest sends a very strong message to those seeking profit by harming the Australian community, that they will get caught.

Our officers are highly trained and experienced, so even bold and audacious attempts to conceal drugs, just like this one, wont be enough to get through our detection methods, he said in a statement.

The model truck arrived in a shipping container at Port Botany in Sydney on March 23. Source: AAP

Regardless of how these criminal syndicates try to conceal or hide these illicit drugs, the ABF will find them while those doing the wrong thing will find themselves facing the consequences of their actions.

The AFP is working closely with its international law enforcement partners in Thailand and Laos to track the origins of the heroin and identify other members of the syndicate behind the operation.

There is typically an organised crime syndicate behind such importations because of the complexities in sourcing the heroin, the costs in sending it to Australia and the connections needed to sell it once on shore, AFP Sergeant Alex Drummond said.

Story continues

The amount of heroin was equal to 175,000 street deals in NSW according to the Australian Federal Police. Source: Getty

Man charged facing life behind bars

A 21-year-old man from Laos was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

He appeared in Downing Centre Local Court on March 31 and was refused bail. Hell next appear in Sydney Downing Centre on Mary 24.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
With former President Donald Trump set to be be arraigned Tuesday in New York City on business fraud charges, Gov. Phil Murphy said neighboring New Jersey is preparing a security plan for the reaction here, though he is hoping any protests are peaceful.

Authorities have beefed up security in New York as Trump prepares to head to court. So have officials in other parts of the country, including the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the state capitol in Washington.
Rabbi Shmuel Lesches, left, and rabbinical student Mendel Laufer were in Saranac Lake last week as they traveled around the north country delivering Shmurah Matzah, held by Laufer, to people preparing for Passover. Aaron Marbone/ Adirondack Daily Enterprise
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Mike Nelson wants the first fish hitting the docks in Dulac, Louisiana when the tuna fleet returns to its home base there just south of Houma. He wants the freshest, and he knows the first fish off were the last fish caught.

But back GW Fins, the French Quarter restaurant where hes executive chef, some of the best cuts of this fish will be kept on hold up to two weeks before they make it to the menu.

During the interval, dry aging transforms them into specialty cuts of fish through a process thats bringing a new lens on familiar flavors in this seafood-loving city.

Consider the dry-aged bluefin tuna rib-eye. A truly regal cut, ideally split by two people (and priced for it at $75 recently), it looks like a platter-filling tomahawk steak when it arrives at the table.

Under the grill-marked surface is a variation of color leading to the tender, pink, nearly raw center. The meat is dense but also meltingly tender and gives a richly meaty umami flavor that seems to coat the back of the palate. Bearnaise and a lip-smacking housemade Worcestershire sauce finish it off.

GW Fins founders Tenney Flynn and Gary Wollerman (whose initials lend themselves to the restaurant name) came through the corporate side of the Ruths Chris Steakhouse chain together. The initial idea for their own restaurant was to treat seafood in the venerated way the best steakhouses serve beef.

Nelsons dry aging program takes this concept to the next level.

I find this tuna is more exciting and enticing than any steak youll eat, so how do we elevate it? Nelson said. We asked, how do we bring fish to the level of Wagyu steak?

Age-old technique, new lens

All through Lent, our regions unofficial, joyfully indulged seafood season, Ive been looking at restaurants and people bringing a different perspective to traditional flavors.
Capture the Flag is back for Jazz Fest 2023 and we are teaming up with Miller Lite again, to send you and a friend to Jazz Fest for free. All you have to do is find our festival flag to enter for your chance to win!

How to play:

Follow @gambitneworleans on Instagram, @gambit_goods on Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when we release a clue. We recommend turning notifications on!



Every Friday from March 31- April 22, we'll post a new clue directing you to a mystery location in the Greater New Orleans area along with a 30 minute window to be there.



Solve the clue and show up to the mystery site during the specified time frame to enter a drawing for tickets to Jazz Fest and some great Miller Lite gear (Multiple ticket winners will be selected at each flag drop).

*Please note: Only one winner per household is permitted in the 2023 Capture the Flag Promotion. Employees of Capture the Flag mystery locations are not eligible to participate in the contest round hosted on site at their employers business. Must be 21+ to participate.



NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 1. Open to legal residents of the Continental United States. 2. Must be 21 years or older to enter to be eligible to win listed prizes, unless otherwise stated. 3. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted. Prizes are non-redeemable for cash. 4. Gambit reserves the right to refuse any submission for any reason. 5. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received. 6. Winners will be notified by email or telephone. 7. Employees of Gambit, its subsidiaries, affiliates, and their families are not eligible to enter. 8. For the names of the prize winners send a SASE for receipt within 60 days following the end of the Promotion Period to the attention of Marketing Department at the below address. Please be sure to specify the name of the Promotion for which you are requesting the winners list. Gambit, Marketing Department, 823 Camp St., New Orleans, LA 70130. 9. By entering, participants agree to release and hold harmless Gambit and any other sponsors of the contest, their parents, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any damage, injury, expense, cost, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability that may arise in connection with the Contest, or resulting from their acceptance and/or use of any prize, their travel to or from any prize related activity, their participation in this promotion, or from any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, including, without limitation, personal injury, death, and/or property damage. 10. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Gambit, which shall be final and binding with regard to all matters relating to the Contest.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2023: The cubes are here! Check out the performance times and stages for Dead & Co., Lizzo, Jon Batiste and hundreds more.
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial opened at a special court in The Hague.

Allegations of persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearance of people stem from the 1998-99 insurgency that eventually brought independence from Serbia and made him a hero among compatriots.

Thaci and three co-defendants, all former close associates in the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and later in peacetime politics, all pleaded not guilty shortly after hearings got under way on Monday.

"I understand the indictment and I am fully not guilty," Thaci said in court.

More than 13,000 people, the majority of them members of Kosovo's 90 per cent ethnic Albanian majority, are believed to have died during the insurgency, when it was still a province of Serbia under then-strongman president Slobodan Milosevic.

The trial, conducted by international judges and prosecutors, began with opening statements by the prosecution followed by defence lawyers and a representative of Kosovo's war Victims Council over the ensuing three days.

Thaci, 54, resigned as president shortly after his indictment and was transferred to detention in The Hague.
Parents at a River Ridge school are calling on state lawmakers to close a legal loophole that has allowed for a gun store to open across the street from campus, saying it is a danger to their children.

After finding out NOLA Guns LLC was celebrating its grand opening across the lane from their schoolyard, parents of St. Matthew The Apostle School and Church are urging lawmakers to create policies that would bar gun shops from opening near schools in the future.

The government has failed children once again, wrote St. Matthews parent Kayla Cusachs in an open letter to lawmakers April 2. Jefferson Parish, the state of Louisiana and the federal government failed the students, teachers and parents when the permit was issued and when the loophole was created.

She added, The government also failed the gun store owner by allowing this permit to take place initially. It's time for our lawmakers to demand changes to prevent this from happening again."

Jefferson Parish is handcuffed by state law in gun store controversy, council member says A gun store opened across the street from a school and parents are upset, but state laws may prevent Jefferson Parish from doing anything about it.

Jefferson Parish council member Deano Bonano, who represents the River Ridge area, said he understands parents concerns and said the store opening never should have happened." But he also pointed out the store owner, Trey Rankins, followed all legal procedures to open, and that parish officials hands are tied by state laws that prevent local governments from enacting stricter gun policies than the state.

That answer isnt sitting well with most parents at the school.

What we want to communicate is that whatever state rep, council rep, senator or any other elected representative is happy to sit back on their hands and say, I cant do anything about this will likely not be supported in the next election, said Aaron Weidenhaft, who sends three of his children to the school.

Rankins' gun shop is considered private property and is thus exempt from another state law that bars firearms from being less than 1,000 feet from school campuses.

Many parents at the school in the New Orleans suburb are conservative, avid supporters of the second amendment, who say the stores location poses a threat to their childrens safety amid an epidemic of gun violence in American schools.

But in addition to the threat of school shooters, many of them fear accidental gunfire coming from across the street. The front door of the gun shop is roughly few hundred feet away from fences that border the parking lot and part of the schoolyard.

Rankins previously told Gambit that no customers will be leaving his store with a loaded firearm, but that promise does not assuage parents concerns.

"Accidents can and will happen, wrote Cusachs. It may not be tomorrow, but they will have an accident.

Parents are also angry that there were no community meetings leading up to the stores opening, and they say they were blindsided by the initial news of the store's opening, which they largely learned about through social media and not public notices.

School shootings are on every parents mind of every child in the country, wrote Cusachs. This is not because we do not support the second amendment. This is purely related to location."

If the gun store relocates, she said, the majority of the community would be active supporters of this business.
Special guests and medal recipients, from left, included Deputy Chief of Staff for La. Dept. of Veteran Affairs Dustin Guy; Robert Penland; Charles Goodyear; Robert Carr; James Stovall; Harry Stuart Ball; Charles Goodwin; Frances Lindquist; the Rev. David Henry; Michael McGraw; John MaGinnis; Thomas Snedeker; Wallace Beckett; Brig. Gen. Michael Cushman; Deputy Secretary of the La. Dept of Veterans Affairs Julie Baxter Payer; seated, from left, Paul Dinicola and David Milling.
As Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for the reauthorization of two federal grant programs to support fire departments and emergency responders, the legislative effort is backed by President Joe Biden.

In a statement released last week, the Biden administration announced it "strongly supports" passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act sponsored by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. The bill has 12 cosponsors  six Democrats, four Republicans and two independents.

The legislation would renew the Assistance to Firefighters and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant programs, both of which are administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Annual funding for the programs totals $720 million.

Peters' bill would also reauthorize and increase funding for the U.S. Fire Administration, a federal agency that provides fire training and collects data on fires. The agency's funding level would rise from $75 million to $95 million if the legislative effort is approved.

"These programs provide critical resources to communities across the nation for firefighters, facilities, equipment and training," the Biden administration said in its statement.

The Auburn Fire Department and other departments in Cayuga County have benefited from the federal grants over the years. Auburn received grants totaling more than $1.5 million in 2021 to hire five firefighters and buy 38 new self-contained breathing apparatuses. Departments within the Springport Fire District and the Sempronius Fire Department are among the recent local recipients of federal firefighting grants.

According to Schumer's office, since the programs began in the early 2000s, upstate New York fire departments have been awarded nearly $700 million, including $23 million in 2022.
U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams has pushed back the start of his town hall meeting series in the 22nd Congressional District.

Williams' first town hall meeting was scheduled for Thursday, April 6, in New Hartford. However, that forum has been rescheduled and will now be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 1, at Bradley Elementary School.

With the New Hartford town hall meeting moved to a different date, Williams, R-Sennett, will now kick off the series at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 10, at Chittenango High School.

Two more town hall meetings will be held next week. Williams will take questions beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, at Lyndon Strough Middle School in Rome, and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at Morrisville-Eaton Middle/High School.

Williams represents the 22nd district that includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, along with a portion of Oswego County.
The destructions during fighting in the city of Bakhmut on Feb. 27, 2023. (AFPTV/AFP via Getty Images)

KYIVUkraines military claimed its troops were locked in combat with Russian forces around the administration building of Bakhmut on Monday, and it poured scorn on Russian claims that Russians had captured the eastern city after months of warfare.

In Moscow, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of being behind a bomb blast at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday that killed a prominent Russian pro-war blogger. Russia said it had arrested a woman suspected of blowing up the blogger.

The battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, now in its second year.

Front lines have shifted backwards and forwards in street-by-street fighting.

The head of the Wagner mercenary force, which has spearheaded the Kremlins campaign to encircle and capture Bakhmut, said on Sunday his troops had raised a Russian flag on the administrative building in the city centre.

Yevgeny Prigozhin acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still holding some positions.

But he said in video posted on Telegram: From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts.

The Ukrainian military said on Monday however that fighting was still going on in Bakhmut as well as in several other towns.

Serhiy Cherevatiy, spokesperson for the eastern military command, claimed the Russian claim to have captured the city was false. Clashes were taking place around the city council building, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his Sunday night video address, thanked the soldiers fighting in Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.

Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there, he said.

Multiple Attacks

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant, he said.

The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control, Zhdanov said in a video on YouTube.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

A mining city and logistics hub on the edge of a chunk of Donetsk Province under Russian control, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000 before Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian forces are seeking a victory to give new momentum to a winter offensive.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensivebacked by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardwareis not far off but they have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses on their enemy in the meantime.

Blogger Death

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the assassination of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky on Sunday a terrorist act and cited Russias Anti-Terrorism Committee in saying that there was evidence linking Ukraine to the bombing.

The woman arrestedDarya Trepovais a Russian citizen who has previously been detained for protesting against the war in Ukraine, the TASS state news agency reported.

Peskov said security would be beefed up for Russias Victory Day holiday in May.

Ukraine has not commented on Peskovs suggestion that it may have been behind the blast, but Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelenskyy, claimed on Sunday it had only been a matter of time before Russia became consumed by what he called domestic terrorism.

Meanwhile Moscows ambassador to Minsk said on Sunday that Russia would move nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarusa move that would place them at NATOs threshold.

The weapons will increase the possibilities to ensure security, ambassador Boris Gryzlov told Belarusian state television.

This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
Flickering lights inside Auburn City Hall were the first indication that something was wrong.

New York State Electric and Gas found the source of the problem: An underground power line fire.

Auburn Fire Chief Mark Fritz told The Citizen that he was at City Hall on Monday for a meeting with senior-level staff members. At the beginning of the meeting, the lights were flickering. He, along with Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert and maintenance personnel, went to the utility room in the building's basement.

"There was an odor of something burning, "Fritz said. "We shut the power off, the main breaker to the building, and requested NYSEG to the scene." He added that they could hear arcing or shorting coming from outside of the building.

When the NYSEG crew arrived, they lifted a manhole cover outside City Hall. Arcing could be heard in the manway, Fritz said, and smoke began to billow out of it.

NYSEG shut off power while continuing to investigate the source of the smoke. More than 1,100 customers lost power, mainly in the downtown area. Traffic signals weren't working during the outage. Auburn police officers directed traffic at major intersections.

An Auburn Fire Department engine company responded and walked through City Hall to ensure there were no hazards, Fritz said. Auburn City Clerk Chuck Mason told The Citizen that City Hall closed due to the fire and subsequent power outage. Employees were sent home for the day.

Shelby Cohen, a NYSEG spokesperson, said the problem originated at the North Green Street substation but did not have more information. Fritz said crews found a short in one of the underground power lines.

"They were able to isolate the short to a relatively short area," he said.

Power was restored Monday night. City Hall will reopen Tuesday, Mason said.
Legislation clarifying the oversight authority for flood-prevention measures undertaken by the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission is close to winning final approval at the Statehouse.

Senate Bill 412 specifies the commission is subject only to the Army Corps of Engineers when engaged in the removal of sediment and flood-causing debris, or when making improvements to the riverbank.

Rep. Shane Lindauer, R-Jasper, the sponsor of the legislation, said the Little Calumet commission always has worked under Army Corps of Engineers authority, but in recent years the Indiana Department of Environmental Management occasionally has directed the commission to go "above and beyond what the Army Corps is requiring of them."

"What we're basically saying to the Little Calumet commission is you're already subject to the Army Corps of Engineers, so we're not going to make you, as a state, be more stringent than (federal requirements)," Lindauer said.

Jake German, an attorney for the commission, told the House Natural Resources Committee that the commission remains focused on minimizing the potential for flooding in Northwest Indiana by promptly removing debris and sediment, and shoring up riverbanks when needed.

"We report directly to the Army Corps of Engineers based out of Chicago," German said. "Under the Waters of the United States (rule) they have kind of supreme control and authority over that water, and we are their largest, single request for permits and work along there."

"This language just clarifies that we only adhere to their federal requirements," he added.

Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, is a co-sponsor of the legislation. He said the plan "is a great step in revitalizing northwestern Indiana for years to come."

"This bill will give us the ability to enhance the Calumet River, which has been neglected. One of the most polluted bodies of water in our state, cleaning up the river and its bank will not only help our local environment, it will enhance public health and hopefully our local economy by bringing more businesses and people to East Chicago and northwestern Indiana," he said.

The proposal also declares any non-emergency application for a seawall or revetment permit for properties adjacent to Lake Michigan automatically is deemed approved if the local authority neither approves nor denies the permit during the 30 business-day review period already specified in state law.

Lindauer said the Indiana Code automatically grants approval to emergency permit requests if no action is taken within 10 business days. The change simply applies that same principle to nonemergency seawall and revetment permits as well.

The revised measure was approved 89-4 by the Republican-controlled House.

The legislation now goes back to the Republican-controlled Senate for lawmakers to either endorse the House version of the proposal, or send it to a House-Senate conference committee to hammer out a compromise measure that must be reapproved by both chambers to go to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law.

Gallery: Get to know the state symbols of Indiana State Aircraft: Republic Aviation P-47 Thunderbolt State Bird: Cardinal State Flag State Flower: Peony State Fossil: Mastodon State Gun: Grouseland Rifle State Insect: Say's Firefly State Language: English State Motto: "Crossroads of America" State Nickname: The Hoosier State State Pie: Sugar Cream Pie (unofficial) State Poem: "Indiana" State River: Wabash State Seal State Snack: Indiana-Grown Popcorn State Song: "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" State Stone: Limestone State Tree: Tulip tree
Brooke Shields has been known as beautiful, smart and famous since she was a baby, but a new documentary reveals why its taken decades for her to feel confident in her talent.

With a dazzling array of archival photos and footage, and in-depth interviews with Shields, Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is a firsthand examination of her success as a model, actor, author and now lifestyle entrepreneur, despite being sexualized and objectified at a young age and managing her alcoholic mother  the original momager, Teri Shields.

Like other recent documentaries on Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson, Pretty Baby includes a cringeworthy barrage of media clips where mostly older men reduce her to a pretty face and have little interest in her answers to their questions. The film, which drops in two parts on Hulu on Monday, looks back at how women were treated in the 1980s and 1990s  including Shields revealing she was the victim of a sexual assault by a Hollywood executive after she graduated college.

Shields spoke to The Associated Press recently about what she learned from the project, how she overcame being shamed for her personal choices and gained confidence, and how she sees her future.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

AP: In the series you say Im owning my identity fully. What did you mean?

SHIELDS: I made myself small for so long, either to be relatable or to not be threatening or humbled, you know? Dont be a snob. Dont be arrogant. Have people like you. Be kind to everyone. It was like this the way I grew up, and I was rewarded for it. Im saying that its okay to pat myself on the shoulder a little bit. Its okay to say I really do have talent because I wouldnt still be here if I didnt. Its not just because Im smart or just because I look a certain way. Ive maintained a career and kept challenging myself, and I dont think I ever felt confident enough to say it out loud. I always just wanted other peoples approval about my talent, never thinking that I could give it to myself.

AP: The documentary details the press scrutinizing you for years, how have you felt promoting the series?

SHIELDS: What I noticed when I was a little girl was that nobody really wanted my answers. They wanted their narrative to be the soundbite that I gave them. And being very stubborn always, I, in my own way, refused to give it to them. Now, I dont ever feel like Im on the defensive because Ive learned that Im not at anybody elses mercy. Looking back, I can see that thats what I was doing, and I dont need to do that anymore, which is very empowering but, you know, it took 40-something years (laughs).

AP: What was the hardest part to reveal in the documentary?

SHIELDS: I was worried about the #MeToo stuff just because I didnt want it to be reduced to just a headline. And yet I knew that if I didnt, I would have felt like a hypocrite or inauthentic. I havent been able to talk about it up until now, and then it felt like, you sort of owe it to yourself. And I just hoped that out of two hours and however many minutes, the one brief story  I mean, I knew its going to be clickbait  but I was worried that I would get let down again by the press.

AP: It sounds like compartmentalizing was a survival technique for you?

SHIELDS: I think that happens with a child of an alcoholic. You know, you really do learn to compartmentalize. You love a person who is very broken and has a disease that they cannot seem to get under control. But you cant afford to have their love not be real. So you learn, when things felt not in controlI would become very organized, and that sort of was my center, that was my meditation, you know, redoing my Filofax or refolding my socks.

AP: You recently started a company aimed at celebrating womens lives after 40. Why is that important to you?

SHIELDS: I decided at an early age that if I was going to speak about anything, it was going to be about things that I believe that could help other people. Over the years Ive thought, how can I not feel alone? I can share my story and Im sure theres someone else who can identify with it. Before COVID I was healthy and I was working out a lot and I felt good. I was feeling so easy about things. My kids are all right. I like my life. Im proud of it.

The irony was that whenever I looked outside of myself, there wasnt anything addressing me. You know, your agents tell you, Well, youre of a certain age... Im not dead and I dont have one foot in the grave, come on! I was shocked. You have to own how hard it is just to get to this age, and with your wits about you, and good people in your life and how much more there is.

AP: What are your dreams now?

SHIELDS: To be in another television show. I really want to find the right (one) because Suddenly Susan to me was such a revelation and it was the happiest time for me. And I want to feel that whole thing again because it was a very healthy, pure place for me to be. And I really, really loved it.
The little girl threw a temper tantrum over a gumball her mother wouldnt allow her to have.

"No," the mother told her sternly.

"Yes!" the girl screamed.

I watched the encounter with quiet amusement while waiting in the checkout line at a grocery.

"No," the mother insisted.

"Yes!" the girl screamed, flopping to the floor for full effect.

The mother silently stared at her daughter with a look that screamed "You're embarrassing me in front of this whole store and if you don't get up right now ..."

The girl didn't budge. The mother got desperate.

"Oneeeeeeeeeee," the mother said firmly, stretching out the word like a piece of taffy.

The girl didn't flinch.

"Two," the mother said.

Nothing changed.

"I'm serious," the mother told her daughter.

"Twwwwooooooooo," she said again, stretching the word again.

Ugh, I thought. How silly. I dont subscribe to the 1,2,3 parental discipline technique. I never used it. A female customer behind me probably did though.

"Three already," she said just loud enough for everyone in line to hear. The mother smirked. I smiled. The girl got the gumball. I smiled again.

Ah, little kids, huh? You never know what their behavior will be from moment to moment. One minute theyre adorable angels. The next minute theyre little monsters. Sometimes both in the same moment.

As television personality Art Linkletter once famously said: Kids say the darnedest things.

That they do. My 4-year-old grandson and my 2-year-old great-nephew see the world in a way that only little children can. They study everything, as if they use a magnifying glass to better understand it.

I envy their wonderment of everything around them. Most of us havent had such wonderment or silliness in decades. This is why we tend to remember these moments when we notice them.

When my granddaughter was 3 years old, she said, 'Grandma you cant spank me. Im pregnant!' Bonnie Bacon said. I lost it.

She was of one of many readers who shared with me similar moments with little kids.

When my granddaughter was 3 she jumped in the shower with her dad and said, 'Daddy, why do you have a worm on your front butt? Jeanne Glad said.

You cant make up this stuff. Only children can. Thats the beauty of it.

I love working with kids, said Lorie Dravet Reed, a teacher at Baby Steps Child Care in Lake Station.

Last Easter, a 4-year-old boy asked her about Jesuss death and resurrection.

So, was he human? the boy asked.

Yes, Reed replied.

So, did Jesus poop? the boy asked.

Reed tried to not laugh. But she had to reply to the childs honest question.

Yes, everybody poops, she said.

Another one of her prekindergarten kids was using the restroom and told her: Ms. Lorie, I'm pooping.

She replied: OK, make sure you wipe and flush, then wash your hands.

A minute later, the girl said: I pooped an X. And X is where the treasure is!

Years ago, when Jeannie Jones worked with kindergartners, she took a lunch break to go to church to receive her Ash Wednesday ashes marked on her forehead. When she returned to school a girl asked her: "You know you got dirt on your head?

Jones grinned. "I just got them in church."

The girl didnt miss a beat: Well somebodys gotta clean your church.

Deborah Lunsfords grandson was learning his letters when he proudly told her how to spell chocolate. Hersheys.

Sharon Penixs young niece noticed a Warehouse" sign in a parking lot.

Is that where the werewolf lives? the girl asked innocently.

Marcia Illigs adult daughter told her stubborn and feisty young daughter: Dont tell me what to do!

The girl put her hands on her hips and replied defiantly: Dont tell me do either!

Valerie Dixons grandson is at the phase of repeating what others say, over and over. This habit apparently includes pets.

We were on the way to the vet and our cat in the carrier was meowing her protest, so my grandson meowed, too. Much more loudly and the entire 20-minute drive, she said. And he was upset because he wasnt in a carrier.

Sometimes words arent needed for kids to communicate their feelings.

Carla Spencers two grandsons, ages 3 and 4, are nonverbal with special needs. They live in Georgia, and she visits as often as she can.

I often wonder how much they understand about who I am, and my role in their lives, or why I visit as often as I do, Spencer said.

When she arrived recently, Logan, the younger boy, came out of the house to greet her. She opened her car door and Logan took her by the hand, led her to the rear door of her Jeep and helped her remove her suitcase. Then he helped her wheel it into his familys house and straight down the hall to Grammas Room.

He didnt say a word. He didnt have to.

My question was answered and my heart melted, all at the same moment, Spencer said.
MICHIGAN CITY  A light rain began to fall late Monday morning as Jenna Hullett and daughter Madison placed blue-and-silver child-abuse awareness pinwheels into the ground along a busy stretch of U.S. 20 just outside the offices of the Indiana Department of Child Services.

"I didn't expect a lot of people to come out," Hullett said.

But she made the one-hour drive from her home in Knox to draw attention to the start of National Child Abuse Prevention Month and to keep the pressure on the DCS in the wake of the Oct. 11, 2021, torture death of 4-year-old Judah Morgan, a second cousin, whom she had been raising until the state ordered the boy back with his biological parents. Judah was found dead six months later, his body badly battered.

The boy's father, Alan Morgan, has since pleaded guilty to murder and is serving 70 years behind bars.

Judah's mother, Mary Yoder, opted last month to take her criminal case to trial, which is scheduled for Sept. 25.

"He doesn't have a voice anymore, so we are his voice," Hullett said.

After placing a battered banner featuring the boy's photo on a nearby vehicle, a passing truck honked, presumably in support. The message on the banner and several handmade posters: "Justice for Judah."

Hullett paused while securing one of the posters to point out that she had used a glue stick on it earlier that had once been Judah's.

Monday's demonstration outside the DCS offices at the corner of U.S. 20 and Woodlawn Avenue was a painful return for Hullett, who said she traveled there often for meetings while caring for Judah.

The gathering drew the attention of an office security guard, who stood quietly along the building watching the preparations for the small demonstration.

When The Times contacted DCS in February for comment on its role in the Judah Morgan case, Director of Communications Noelle Russell said the agency is prohibited by law from "disclosing information about fatalities during a police investigation and any subsequent criminal prosecution."

She invited The Times to reach out again at the conclusion of the criminal prosecution process, apparently referring to Yoder's case.
SCHERERVILLE  Saturdays cold and damp weather did not bother 12-year-old twins Collin and Aiden Blankenship. The boys, both autistic, were showing off the treats they had just received at a unique Easter egg hunt.

It was nice, fun, Aiden said.

I liked the eggs, Collin added.

Not everyone can handle the often-chaotic rush at Easter egg hunts. In memory of an autistic boy who died last year, an egg hunt just for children with disabilities was staged Saturday at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, moved indoors from nearby Stephens Park.

The nonprofit Logans Love sponsored the hunt as a tribute to 10-year-old Logan R. Ruiz, who died Aug. 27, 2022, in a train accident.

Logans mother, Nicole Reveliotis, wanted to do something to remember her son and honor other disabled children and families. That led to Logans Love, which in November put on its first event, 12 Days of Kindness, asking people to perform random acts of kindness. That included a canned-food drive for St. Jude House, a domestic violence shelter in Crown Point.

Showing these kids kindness, acceptance, inclusion and love is most important, Reveliotis said. We also want to educate the community about children with special needs, to see how special they are.

After losing another child this year, Reveliotis told friends she was again ready to work on Logans Love. With Easter coming, the mother recalled how she could never take Logan to egg hunts because of her sons condition.

"There was the rush. It was overwhelming for Logan, she recalled. He was getting overstimulated.

With a committee of 30 volunteers, Reveliotis came up with the special Easter egg hunt. Instead of the mad dashes at traditional hunts, this one accommodated children of varying needs.

Children collected empty plastic eggs. The eggs were empty because of concerns about choking hazards and food allergies.

Other considerations included dimmed lighting and special Disney calming music to prevent overstimulation. Also, volunteers assisted children who could not hunt on their own.

For participants in wheelchairs, helium-filled balloons were attached to eggs to facilitate reaching.

Staff and students from Governors State Universitys Department of Communication Disorders also came to help. Elaine F. Reyna, a GSU lecturer, was Logans first speech pathologist. She recalled the boy as a big heart walking on two feet.

Reveliotis described her son as someone who radiated love, all smiles and laughter.

Participants turned in their eggs for two goody bags. One bag had various snack treats. The other, a sensory swag bag, contained pop-it bracelets, pull-tubes, mini-Slinky and Rubiks Cube, all donated by committee members.

A golden egg with a $50 prize also was donated. Dyer police, including retired Officer Jerry Patrick and Patrolman Zack Schauer, participated in the program. "This is great for the kids, the families, the community," Patrick said.

The committee did not know now many children would attend, so participating was limited to Lake Central School Corp. students. Future egg hunts may be opened to children from other school districts in Lake County and perhaps to adults with disabilities, Reveliotis said.

One mother hopes activities like this can show others that autistic children are very smart and a joy to be around.

Kimberly Bostrom, who came with her autistic son Raylan, 8, cited a lot of misunderstanding. Autistic children are developmentally different, and people need to learn more.

Abbie Luna and David Baker brought daughter Lily, 7, who is autistic.

This is pretty awesome," Luna said. We havent had anything like this.

Logan had attended Homan Elementary in Schererville and was in his first year at Kahler Middle School in Dyer. Kahler Assistant Principal Kepchar attended the hunt, as did her daughter, Angela Ingram, Logans former teacher at Homan.

Ingram, the parent of an autistic child, offered adults this advice: Be patient, be assertive, accommodate their needs and love them unconditionally.
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.

BAIC Groups ARCFOX releases official images of KAOLA child-care vehicle model

BAIC Groups premium electric vehicle brand ARCFOX recently released the official images of its KAOLA model, which is uniquely positioned as a smart battery-electric vehicle dedicated to the child-care scenario.

Photo credit: ARCFOX

Haima Automobile boasts 166.7% YoY hike in Mar. sales

Haima Automobile today announced that it sold 5,462 vehicles in March 2023, representing a 166.7% increase from a year ago. In the first three months of this year, the automaker sold a total of 10,741 vehicles, which surged 87.45% year over year.

SenseTime sees revenue from intelligent auto business jump 59% YoY

According to the financial report released by SenseTime, its 2022 annual revenue reached 3.8 billion yuan with its gross margin standing at 67%. Notably, yearly revenue brought in by its intelligent auto business sector jumped 59% compared to a year ago.

DJI Automotive unveils new-generation pure vision intelligent driving solution

On April 2, DJI Automotive, the DJI subsidiary that provides integrated solutions for autonomous driving, unveiled its new generation intelligent driving solution at the China EV100 Forum.

Dongfeng Motors VOYAH boasts 116% YoY surge in March auto deliveries

VOYAH, the premium new energy vehicle brand backed by Dongfeng Motor, saw its March auto deliveries surge at a three-digit rate compared to both a month and a year ago.

Leapmotor to deploy Qualcomms new-gen Snapdragon cockpit platform on cars

On March 31, Chinese new energy vehicle startup Leapmotor signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qualcomm to further deepen their cooperation in the automotive field.

Changan Automobiles Shenlan brand sees Mar. deliveries double MoM

In the third month of 2023, Changan Automobiles new energy vehicle-dedicated brand, Shenlan, delivered 8,568 units of the SL03 sedan, according to the automakers announcement issued on April 1.

ZEEKR sees Mar. 2023 deliveries soar at 3-digit rate YoY

ZEEKR, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand of Geely Auto, delivered a total of 93,182 vehicles in Mar. 2023, reflecting a 271% year-on-year spike and a 22% month-on-month jump, according to a post on ZEEKRs WeChat account.

BYD gains 97.45% year-on-year surge in Mar. 2023 auto sales

BYD Company Limited (BYD) scored a 97.45% year-on-year surge in its Mar. 2023 auto sales, which came in at 207,080 units, according to the sale results the company issued on Apr. 2.
EAST CHICAGO  The mayoral candidates have enough talking points to geek out any political analysts in the crowd.

Mayor Anthony Copeland says his financial management has boosted the citys municipal bond rating from junk to gold.

His challenger, Adrian Santos, says East Chicago is in a public safety crisis because of understaffed police and water departments.

But will the voters instead be swayed by a debate about which of the two is the real homegrown hero?

Copeland, a city firefighter for 27 years, a Common Councilman for four and mayor for more than a dozen, brands Santos as an office-hopper who pole-vaulted out of the city.

Santos "says he wants to be mayor, but he left East Chicago (city government) to be township trustee, Copeland said.

Santos was an East Chicago councilman from 2004 to 2015 and city clerk from 2016 through 2020. He ran for North Township trustee when the office became vacant in 2021 and was popularly elected last year to oversee township services in East Chicago, Hammond, Highland, Munster and Whiting.

Santos responds: I was born and raised in East Chicago. I was asked whether I would move to Highland or Munster, but my wife and I are not moving. I love our neighborhoods and neighbors.

East Chicagos Democratic primary on May 2 is a free-for-all, with 26 candidates elbowing each other for nine seats on the Common Council and four more wanting to be city clerk.

Then there is a match race for the job Copeland has held the past 15 years.

The mayor of this community of 27,000 commands an annual budget of nearly $51 million, a payroll of 570-plus city employees and a salary exceeding $135,000 a year.

Santos said he's lived through the city administrations of Robert Pastrick, George Pabey and now Anthony Copeland. I wouldnt be running for mayor if I thought the city was better than before."

I supported Anthony Copeland at first. I gave speeches on his behalf. But the Anthony Copeland of then isnt the Anthony Copeland of now. The biggest concern is public safety. Im told we only have as few as three patrol officers on the street sometimes. The City Council has budgeted for 98 officers, but there are only 58 on the entire police force.

There are supposed to be 76 firefighters on the payroll, but the city only has 52 in the fire stations.

Santos said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently chastised the city for training deficiencies that endangered firefighters during the 2021 Carmelite Home blaze.

The firefighters union recently endorsed Santos over Copeland.

The mayor beats his chest about budget surpluses, but the city public safety departments are understaffed," Santos said. "The citys Washington and Kosciusko pools are still closed. That hurts the citys summer jobs program. Our township pool reopened, why havent theirs?

There are a lot of things that need to be called out. I will be tougher on crime. The mayor said crime is down, but that is probably just reports of crime are down because there arent enough police officers on the street to proactively investigate crimes.

Santos said he would make peace with the police and firefighter unions: If Im elected, I will negotiate a contract with the Teamsters union too.

Copeland describes Santoss campaign platform as hes got nothing to run on.

We have more than enough" police officers, he said. The crime rate has dropped for 11 consecutive years in East Chicago. We have all brand-new technology, a shot spotter, a new fleet of cars with computer, license plate readers, and we have 800 cameras across the whole city. Im giving them all the technology they need.

Copeland said he has reduced the citys property tax rate from one of the highest in the state to one less than half that size, giving relief to property owners and incentive for new businesses to move in.

When I became mayor, the city was $15 million in the hole, and now weve got a $110 million surplus, he said.

The mayor said he has cut waste and invested the savings in upgrading the citys streets, sewers, parks and other infrastructure. He said the closed city pools will reopen as splashpads, which are cheaper and safer.

Since Ive been mayor, Ive made over $500 million of infrastructure improvements," Copeland said. "The reconstruction of Indianapolis Boulevard, which was a $20 million project all by itself."

And, as befits an incumbent who can not only promise but deliver programs, Copeland said: We give $40,000 for the revitalization of duplexes in Sunnyside. We just started a program for Marktown to give $25,000 assistance to new house builders, and $30,000 if you do that and are a city worker, and $15,000 if you buy an existing home and are a city worker, and $10,000 to any other resident. Im happy to report we have over 250 new homeowners.
MERRILLVILLE  Merrillville High School has been selected by Airgas, an Air Liquide company, to participate in the companys 2023 High School Welding Education Initiative, Airgas announced in a news release Thursday.

The program is aimed at helping students across the U.S. prepare for careers in welding and to "bridge an educational gap supporting the sustainability of the welding industry," the company said.

By 2026, the American Welding Society projects that 336,000 new welding professionals will be needed. That's an average of 84,000 welding jobs annually between 2022 and 2025. Additionally, the AWS says welders can make upward of $100,000 annually.

Merrillville High is among 55 schools  14 schools are returning from last year  chosen for this program in the 2023 academic year. Through the program, the schools can receive professional development training for welding instructors, welding equipment and safety personal protective equipment, according to the news release from Airgas.

Airgas said it chose the 55 schools based on four key factors: high unmet need at the school, a productive welding program, passionate teachers and "enthusiastic local Airgas champions."

As we welcome a record number of schools into the High School Welding Education Initiative Class of 2023, we hope our continued and increasing contributions to welding education inspire students to fill their potential in a welding career, and support welding educators and schools throughout the United States who are preparing graduates to enter welding, engineering and technical careers," Jay Worley, chief operating officer of Airgas, said.

"This programs growth is possible because of our many passionate associates who are stepping up to share their expertise in the communities where they live and work, as well as our customers, colleagues and collaborators who continue to advocate for the importance of welding education.

Gallery: The Times Photos of the Week Old Lake County Jail Old Lake County Jail Old Lake County Jail Old Lake County Jail Highland's first-ever tattoo studio Merrillville is drafting a new master plan Merrillville is drafting a new master plan Merrillville is drafting a new master plan Sports announcer Jason Benetti discusses cerebral palsy Sports announcer Jason Benetti discusses cerebral palsy Sports announcer Jason Benetti discusses cerebral palsy Paper or plastic? Students weigh in Paper or plastic? Students weigh in Paper or plastic? Students weigh in Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail Indiana Dunes Indigenous Cultural Trail Downtown Hammond suffers departures, 'getting deserted,' but redevelopment looms Downtown Hammond suffers departures, 'getting barren,' but redevelopment looms MC Rotarians honor Hulse Girls basketball Player of the Year Asia Donald Gallery HTML code
MERRILLVILLE  It's confirmed: An EF-1 tornado hit town Friday night.

An EF-1 tornado, the second degree on the EF scale, is characterized by gusts of wind that reach 86 to 110 mph.

The announcement late Sunday night from the National Weather Service's Chicago office included updates on other tornadoes in the area. Sixteen have been confirmed by the Chicago office, which oversees the agency's operations in Northwest Indiana and northern Illinois.

While a tornado was confirmed in Merrillville, a survey of the damage in the area is ongoing. The Weather Service is also investigating to determine whether a tornado hit in or around Portage and Valparaiso.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, 480 customers across northern Indiana remained without power because of the storms, according to utility provider NIPSCO. That's down from 950 Sunday afternoon and 23,000 at the peak Friday night. NIPSCO said it expects to have power restored to a majority of those homes, which were primarily in Merrillville, Hobart and Portage, by midnight Monday.

However, it cautioned that some homes may still not have power into late Tuesday because of extensive damage.

"We continue to recommend that you make plans to keep yourself and your family safe during this extended outage," NIPSCO wrote in an update on the outages. "We understand that any service interruption is an inconvenience, especially a multiday outage. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding as our crews work to make repairs and restore power to these impacted areas."

In a nod to safety, NIPSCO advised customers to avoid downed power lines: the wires might be live and work crews might be handling dangerous equipment in tough conditions.

The tornado in Merrillville and the storms across Northwest Indiana caused extensive damage, destroying houses and uprooting trees. They were part of a larger system that traveled across the central U.S., killing at least 32 people  officials said the toll could increase  and damaging property in seven states, from Wisconsin to Alabama, according to national news reports.

Five of those deaths were in Indiana. Three people were killed in Sherman, according to the Indiana State Police, and two were found dead at a campground in McCormicks Creek State Park, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. In Belvidere, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago, a man was killed when the roof collapsed during a concert at the historic Apollo Theatre, according to Chicago news outlets.

NWS meteorologists are warning of more severe weather Tuesday in Northwest Indiana and northern Illinois, with a higher threat in Illinois  particularly around Interstate 39 and west  than in Indiana. Residents are urged to continue watching weather forecasts.

Recovery efforts from Friday's storms are ongoing in Merrillville.

Forest Hills and Madison Meadows were the hardest-hit neighborhoods. Waste Management, Merrillvilles waste hauler, has committed to placing multiple 30-yard walk-in Dumpsters in those neighborhoods to assist with cleanup. Residents are also being allowed to dump waste and debris in Dumpsters at Merrillville's street department, 13 W. 73rd Ave. They'll need to provide identification verifying that they live in either of the subdivisions.

"People are cleaning up now," Merrillville Town Manager Patrick Reardon said. "Theres going to be cleanup over the next several days."

For those in need of shelter and warmth, the Dean and Barbara White Community Center, 6600 Broadway, is open until 11 p.m. as a warming center. Anyone who needs shelter after 11 p.m. can go to the Merrillville Police Department, 7820 Broadway, and get in contact with an officer who can assist them, officials said.

Merrillville firefighters continue to check on residents, and the department asks anyone who believes someone needs a wellness check to call 219-769-0004.

Multiple agencies, including the Ross Township Trustees Office and the American Red Cross, are providing support to people affected by the storm. Those in need of support are encouraged to visit the trustees office, 26 W. 73rd Ave., or call 219-769-2111. The American Red Cross can be reached at 1-800-733-2767.

Gallery: Merrillville hit hard by storm
MERRILLVILLE  The National Weather Service is surveying the area surrounding Merrillville and is preparing to survey the area surrounding Valparaiso in the aftermath of the major storm that ripped across Northwest Indiana on Friday.

As of Sunday afternoon, the agency had classified those two areas as "area of potential tornado damage." However, it has not been able to confirm whether a tornado hit the area.

Zachary Yack, a meteorologist with the NWS's Chicago office, and his colleagues hope to have a verdict on that within the next couple days or by the end of the week at the latest.

"It's still too close to say right now," Yack said. "Given the fact that this involved a squall line, it's very hard to nail down and delineate between the tornado damage and a straight-line wind damage. It's still not quite clear which one is going to be which yet."

A squall line is a line of thunderstorms, often forming along or ahead of a cold front. Meteorologists sometimes refer to it a quasi-linear convective system.

"Because those squall lines were producing very strong straight-line winds in excess of 70 miles an hour, these weak tornadoes often have the same wind speeds as the straight-line winds themselves, so the damage is very similar between the two," he said. "That's what we're running into, is trying to pinpoint which is actually tornado damage and which is actually straight-line wind damage."

This is why they don't have an answer on whether a tornado hit Lake or Porter counties Friday night. Regardless, the area saw extensive damage: Many houses, trees and power poles collapsed.

However, tornadoes did pass through some areas.

As of Sunday afternoon, 12 were confirmed by the Chicago office, which oversees the Weather Service's operations in Northwest Indiana and northern Illinois. That includes a cluster of five near the border around Benton and White counties in Indiana and Iroquois County in Illinois. The other seven were in northern Illinois west of Chicago, particularly Belvidere.

The tornadoes were part of a larger storm system across the Midwest and South, killing at least 27 people and damaging property in seven states, from Wisconsin to Alabama, according to national news reports. The hardest-hit areas included the Little Rock, Arkansas, and McNairy County, Tennessee.

Indiana accounted for five of the deaths that have been confirmed. Three people were killed in Sherman, in Sullivan County, according to the Indiana State Police, and two were found dead at a campground in McCormicks Creek State Park in Owen County, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

"It was a rather strong storm system that was moving across the central part of the country over into our area here," Yack said. "And ahead of that line we had some thunderstorms develop in the early evening Friday."

The storms included hail and gusty winds, but he said the damage from that was minimal compared with the tornadoes and squall lines.

Recovery efforts are underway, but another storm could make its way to Northwest Indiana this week.

"We have a quiet day today, and tomorrow is supposed to be somewhat uneventful weather-wise, but we are tracking another storm system to arrive late Monday evening and another round of potential severe weather on Tuesday," Yack said Sunday afternoon. He encouraged people to continue watching forecasts in anticipation.

By 4 p.m. Sunday, 950 residences across northern Indiana were without power, according to utility provider NIPSCO. That's down from 23,000 at the peak Friday night.

There were 230 broken poles and "a substantial amount of downed wires and damage to essential electrical equipment" Sunday morning, NIPSCO said, adding that crews have had to complete more than 950 individual repairs to restore service.

NIPSCO expects a small number of outages will probably extend into Monday because of the extent of repairs needed, particularly in the Hobart, Merrillville and Portage areas.

"We understand that this has been a multiday outage for some customers and extend our appreciation for your ongoing patience as the restoration work is completed," NIPSCO wrote in a notice regarding the outages. "Given that a small number of outages are expected to continue until tomorrow, please make the necessary plans to keep yourself and your family safe."

NIPSCO urged people to avoid downed power lines or damaged poles.

Merrillville officials closed several roads in the area Saturday because of downed trees and power lines. Crews spent the day pushing debris to the side, and the town said the debris will be picked up and removed in the coming days. Residents are encouraged to stay home unless it's an emergency.

Gallery: Merrillville hit hard by storm
CHICAGO  Mayor Lori Lightfoot faces eight challengers in a fierce mayoral election and risks being ousted from City Hall after one term. Heres why the election, at a time of widespread unease in the nations cities, reflects issues that are resonating around the country.

The race is a referendum on crime and policing.

On the campaign trail and in debates, the election in Chicago has been driven by one issue above all others: crime.

Under Ms. Lightfoot, who was elected in 2019, homicide rates soared to generational highs, an increase that was most deeply felt in pockets of the South and West Sides that have historically been plagued by gun violence. And residents throughout the city say they are unsettled by a spike in robberies, muggings, carjackings and other property crimes, and they have placed the blame on Ms. Lightfoot.

She is facing her most serious competition from a tough-on-crime candidate, Paul Vallas, a former public schools executive who began attacking her record on public safety early in the campaign.
Two days after Donald J. Trump was indicted in New York, marking the first time that a U.S. president, sitting or former, has faced criminal charges, Saturday Night Live envisioned Trump going to unusual lengths to pay for his legal defense by selling his own album of musical covers.

S.N.L. also used its Weekend Update news segment to lampoon Trumps legal predicament, as well as the reactions of his political supporters and rivals.

This weeks broadcast, which was hosted by Quinta Brunson and featured the musical guest Lil Yachty, began with the shows resident Trump impersonator, James Austin Johnson, addressing the audience directly.

Well, folks, it happened, Johnson said as Trump. I got indicted. Or as I spell it, indicated. Frankly, its time that I come clean. Admit that I broke the law and go quietly to prison.
Season 4, Episode 2: Rehearsal

Heres what you need to know about Logan Roy: He does not care about any of your social norms or niceties. In last weeks Succession, while his kids were stealthily trying to outbid him for Pierce Global Media, Logan did not bother to play their little games. He demanded that Tom call Shiv to find out what was what  and he did it in a room full of Waystar executives, so Tom could not say no. Logan never minds coming off as rude or presumptuous. Manners are a waste of time, which is a waste of money.

This week, the younger Roys are at it again, weighing a pitch from the maverick Waystar board members Stewy Hosseini (Arian Moayed) and Sandi Furness (Hope Davis) to gum up the works with the impending GoJo sale. So what does Logan do? He does not wait patiently and politely to see what will happen  heavens, no. He crashes a karaoke party.

Logan spends a lot of this episode in places no one wants him to be. Apparently, without telling anyone  except for maybe Kerry and Tom  Logan has made a plan for how to spend the rest of his life. Once Waystar is officially sold to GoJo, he is going to dedicate himself to fixing ATN, because the only part of his business that he has ever really cared about is the news.

He shows up unannounced at the ATN offices late one afternoon and starts terrifyingly moseying around, according to Greg. (Its like Jaws if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws.) Logan complains to Tom about how much everything costs, from the air conditioning bill for ATNs new hangar-style bullpen to the fresh pizzas being stacked atop the unfinished cold pizzas in the break room. (Theres a sog factor, Greg weakly explains.)
Honky tonk and nun are words not often seen in combination, but in 2017, when the BBC broadcast a radio documentary about the pianist and composer Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, The Honky Tonk Nun was the title of choice.

It was a testament to the music she made, both before and after she became a nun in the 1940s, music that drew on her classical training but seemed to partake of rhythm and blues, jazz and other influences. The relatively few who discovered it knew they had found their way to something singular.

The musician Norah Jones was one who did, especially after hearing the album Ethiopiques 21, a collection of Sister Guebrous piano solos that was part of a record series spotlighting folkloric and pop music from Ethiopia.

This album is one of the most beautiful things Ive ever heard: part Duke Ellington, part modal scales, part the blues, part church music, Ms. Jones told The New York Times in 2020. It resonated in all those ways for me.
CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS 8 p.m. on WORLD. AfroPop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, a documentary series about life across the African diaspora, is kicking off a new season with an exploration of the legacy of the choreographer-director Bill T. Joness seminal ballet, D-Man in the Waters. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, the disease ravaged the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, taking the lives of its co-founder, Zane, and the dancer Demian D-Man Acquavella; this dance was inspired by a series of group improvisations as a reflection of the troupes struggles and losses. Through the intercutting of vintage recordings of the Jones/Zane company and present-day footage of students learning the ballet  Jones drops into rehearsals to offer feedback  the film is a passionate and moving exploration of the dance pieces endurance, writes Glenn Kenny in his Critics Pick review for The New York Times.

LA FRONTERA WITH PATI JINICH 9 p.m. on PBS. This award-winning docuseries featuring stories from the U.S.-Mexico border is back for a second season, with the shows Emmy-nominated host and executive producer, the chef Pati Jinich, expanding her travels to the Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua. In addition to showcasing the culture and cuisines of these areas, the series will also cover how timely issues like L.G.B.T.Q. rights, climate change and immigration play out in the regions.
Then theres the chance that readers who cherish the original works will revolt.

Fans of Dahl were outraged in February by the news that his British publisher had changed hundreds of words in his childrens books. Initially reported by The Telegraph, a British newspaper, the changes were made after Dahls estate began a review of the authors work in 2020, and hired the consultancy Inclusive Minds, which aims to promote inclusion and accessibility in childrens literature, to evaluate the books.

The backlash was immediate. Salman Rushdie called the edits absurd censorship and tweeted that the Dahl estate should be ashamed. Philip Pullman told the BBC Radio 4 it would be better to let Dahls books go out of print than change them without the authors consent. The outcry was so intense that Dahls publisher, Puffin, announced it would keep unaltered texts in print for readers who prefer the originals.

Its not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a books cover and page layout, Rick Behari, a spokesman for the Roald Dahl Story Company, said in a statement issued in February, adding that they sought to preserve the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text.

The question of how to handle offensive language  particularly racist terms and images  in classic texts has long been an issue in childrens literature. About a decade ago, an edition of Huckleberry Finn replaced a racial epithet with the word slave, over concerns that such an offensive word was causing schools to stop assigning the novel. In more extreme cases, titles have been taken out of circulation. In 2007, Tintin in the Congo, by Herge, was removed from the childrens section in libraries and bookstores over concerns about racism; the book is no longer widely available in the United States.

More recently, Dr. Seusss estate announced that six of his books would no longer be published because they contained egregious racial and ethnic stereotypes. Among those titles was his first childrens book, originally published in 1937, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which included a crude caricature of an Asian man.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On March 31, Chinese new energy vehicle startup Leapmotor signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qualcomm to further deepen their cooperation in the automotive field.



Photo credit: Leapmotor

The strategic collaboration will allow Leapmotor to be the first automaker to adopt Qualcomms latest Snapdragon cockpit platform (SA8295P) to develop a new generation of intelligent cockpit products for the companys future car models. Leapmotor will launch the first car model with the latest Snapdragon cockpit platform by the end of this year.

As part of the cooperation, the two companies will also explore broader opportunities in the areas of cockpit, automotive connectivity, and intelligent driving by using Qualcomms Snapdragon digital chassis solution in future Leapmotor-branded car models.

The newest generation Snapdragon cockpit platform that Leapmotor is set to adopt is Qualcomms premier digital cockpit solution and the first-ever automotive-grade solution built on the 5nm process. The platform boasts the sixth-generation Qualcomm Kryo CPU that supports high-performance computing, the leading Adreno GPU in graphics rendering, and the top-of-the-line Qualcomm AI engine. With its advanced manufacturing process, powerful AI computing capabilities, and graphic and multimedia processing ability, the platform will provide the foundation for the top-class experience of Leapmotor's new generation cockpit platform, including intelligent speech processing, high-load, multi-tasking, complex multimedia, scenario perception, and safety enhancement features.
TRUE WEST: Sam Shepards Life, Work, and Times, by Robert Greenfield

The first rule of being Bob Dylans friend, its said, is to not talk about Bob Dylan. A similar code of omerta appears to apply to Sam Shepard, the playwright and actor, and it has held since his death in 2017. A lot of people have lined up to not talk to his latest biographer, mostly the same people who lined up to not talk to the previous ones.

Robert Greenfields True West: Sam Shepards Life, Work, and Times is the fourth life of Shepard, after Don Sheweys in 1985, Ellen Oumanos in 1986 and John J. Winterss in 2017. Greenfield has persuaded 38 people to submit to interviews, according to his source notes. Its not a shameful number, but this isnt Robert Caro supersleuthing.

Judge a party not by whos there, the old credo goes, but by who isnt. The missing voices include those of O-Lan Jones, Shepards first wife; his longtime partner, Jessica Lange; his lovers Patti Smith and Brooke Adams and Joni Mitchell (her song Coyote is about him); and myriad friends and collaborators, including Terrence Malick, Keith Richards, Ed Harris, Peter Coyote, Wim Wenders, John Malkovich, T Bone Burnett, Diane Keaton, Ethan Hawke and Dylan himself, with whom Shepard, in Brownsville Girl, wrote the abiding lyric Even the swap meets around here are getting pretty corrupt.

Greenfields book is faithful to Shepards life, while it skips like a stone along the surface. Shepard spent much time laying down cover, and tending to his own mythology. He gave a lot of interviews about hating to give interviews. Like Dylan, he was laconic in person while, in his work, he spilled words by the bucketful. Like Dylan, too, he threw out a million ideas and images and left them for others to try to pick up.
Ukraines coming assault

Over the winter, Ukraine rebuffed a Russian offensive. Now its Ukraines turn to go on the attack  and there are signs that the counteroffensive will begin in the next month or so.

Thousands of recruits are training in newly constituted fighting units tailored for offensives. And the military command is holding back elite soldiers from the worst of the fighting, in order to throw them instead into the coming campaign.

The new Ukrainian campaign, when it comes, will be a test of its armys ability to rearm and reconstitute battalions while maintaining the motivation and maneuvering skills that gave it an edge in three previous counteroffensives.

The challenges are daunting. Ukrainian officers will have to choreograph artillery, infantry and armored vehicle assaults that can crash through the Russian trenches, tank traps and minefields.
The pending rule would most likely help people like Leah Rivard, who produces the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts at WKBT in La Crosse, Wis.

She was hired in the summer of 2021, at an hourly rate of $15. A year later, the station brought on a cohort of recent journalism school graduates as part of a new training program that promised to pay off a chunk of their student loans. Several longer-tenured producers left, and Ms. Rivard wanted to leave, too, since she ended up having to teach a bunch of inexperienced young people how to write scripts and edit video.

When Ms. Rivard spoke to her managers, she was told that if she left for another station anywhere in the country before her contract expired this year, they could sue her. So she has continued to work for the station, an experience shes called absolute hell. But even after her contract ends in June, a noncompete clause will prevent her from working for any of the other stations in La Crosse or Eau Claire, an hour and a half north, for a year after that.

Ms. Rivard plans to look for work in Milwaukee, and since she doesnt have much to tie her down in La Crosse, shes eager to leave. But for plenty of older employees with children in school and mortgages to pay, a noncompete means theres no easy way out.

If your station is so toxic that its affecting you, and you want to leave, you have to leave news altogether and find a public relations job, Ms. Rivard said. It leaves no accountability for the company to be a good company for employees.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and the Walt Disney Company clashed anew on Monday, with the governor requesting an investigation into Disneys effort to sidestep state oversight of its theme parks and Robert A. Iger, Disneys chief executive, blasting Mr. DeSantis as anti-business and anti-Florida.

Shortly before Disneys annual shareholder meeting, Mr. DeSantis sent a letter to Melinda Miguel, Floridas chief inspector general, asking for a thorough review and investigation into Disneys effort to circumvent his authority.

Mr. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature restricted Disneys autonomy in February by appointing a handpicked oversight board for a special tax district, enacted in 1967, that has effectively allowed the company to self-govern Disney World. Previously, Disney selected the board members. But the new appointees  and, apparently, the governor  realized only last week that the Disney-controlled board, as one of its final actions, pushed through a development agreement with the company that would limit the new boards power for decades to come.

The agreement gave Disney vast control over future construction in the district; the new board doesnt have any say.
Up and down the high slopes of the Sierra Nevada, the barrage of heavy storms that deluged California this winter also left behind a giant frozen reservoir, one whose thawing will shape the next phase of what has already been a remarkably wet year for the drought-weary state.

Snow, huge imposing walls of it, has blanketed the Sierras majestic peaks and mountainsides, in quantities that parts of the area have never previously recorded.

It has fallen in totals that defy easy imagining: 654 inches at Mount Rose near Lake Tahoe, 702 inches at Mammoth Mountain. When converted into an equivalent depth of water, it is nearly double the historical average for this point in the year across the Sierras northern reaches, where the runoff feeds several major reservoirs. In the southern Sierra, it is around triple the average.

Statewide, this seasons snowpack is on course to be either the largest or the second largest since modern records began in 1950, Sean de Guzman, the manager of the California Department of Water Resources Snow Surveys and Water Supply Forecasting Unit, said on Monday.
Two concurrent outbreaks of the Marburg virus, a close cousin of Ebola that can kill as many as 90 percent of the people it infects, are raising critical questions about the behavior of this mysterious bat-borne pathogen and global efforts to prepare for potential pandemics.

Marburg, a hemorrhagic fever, is rare: Just a handful of outbreaks have been reported since the virus was identified in 1967. But a steady uptick in occurrences in Africa in recent years is raising alarm.

Marburg causes high fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, in the most severe cases, bleeding from orifices. It spreads between people via direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of infected people and with surfaces and materials such as clothing contaminated with these fluids.

One of the two outbreaks, in Tanzania in East Africa, seems to have been brought under control, with just two people left in quarantine. But in the other, in Equatorial Guinea on the west coast, spread of the virus is ongoing, and the World Health Organization said last week that the country was not being transparent in reporting cases.
The F.D.A. has not said how much of the product made by Global Pharma Healthcare in Chennai, India, was imported.

However, records provided to The New York Times by Panjiva, the supply chain research unit of S&P Global Market Intelligence, show that Global Pharma sent U.S. distributors four shipments in 2021 and 2022 amounting to tens of thousands of half-ounce bottles of EzriCare artificial tears.

While the F.D.A. requires a pre-approval inspection of plants that manufacture prescription drugs, there is no such mandate for those that make over-the-counter medicines like artificial tears. Compounding the problem, the number of inspections the agency conducts has plummeted since the pandemic began.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, expressed concern about the F.D.A.s ability to oversee what she described as substandard safety practices at U.S. and foreign plants, and called for providing the agency with more funding and greater authority to recall products. Lives are at stake, she said in a statement.

On Jan. 3, the F.D.A. blocked Global Pharmas imports, saying the company had provided an inadequate response to a records request and violated manufacturing rules. Shannon P. Hatch, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that the import alert was unrelated to the outbreak.

The F.D.A. also said it recommended a voluntary recall on Feb. 2 over a lack of appropriate microbial testing, formulation issues and the absence of proper controls around tamper-evident packaging. The agency conducted an unannounced inspection at the India plant from Feb. 20 through March 2 and found a litany of problems with the plants sterility practices, according to an inspection report that was first reported by STAT news.

Clean-room operators were not qualified for the job, and they wore discolored and worn-out foot covers, the report said. An inspector noted a black, brown colored greasy deposit on machinery in a room where bottles were filled with the eye drops. One worker acknowledged to an inspector that there was no procedure for cleaning one of the filling machines, according to the report.
Donald J. Trump traveled to New York from Florida on Monday to face arraignment in the first indictment of a former American president, his trip monitored minutely from the moment he left his Palm Beach estate until he arrived at Trump Tower in Midtown.

Live trackers followed his red-white-and-blue plane all the way to its arrival at La Guardia Airport. Helicopters broadcast the motorcade that swept him to his Manhattan home, which was hemmed in by press, the police and protesters.

On Tuesday, the din will give way to a solemn drama with historic stakes. The former president will be whisked downtown by police officers and Secret Service agents to surrender at the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg. He will then be arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building, where his supporters plan a rally outside.

Mayor Eric Adams warned Mr. Trumps supporters to keep the peace, saying that the dignity of the proceedings would not be disrupted. Barricades were deployed, and the Police Department sent a stand-ready order to its roughly 35,000 officers, a force larger and better trained than some national armies.
The food-themed flags were designed for the fourth year of an annual flag project at Rockefeller Center that began in response to Covid-19 and celebrated New York and its resilience.

For this years flag project, the nonprofit City Harvest coordinated the flag display with Rockefeller Center. Jilly Stephens, the chief executive of City Harvest, said in an email that she found it meaningful that the flags would be up on Earth Day on April 22, because through our work rescuing perfectly good surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it to community food programs, we are also addressing climate change. The pandemic inflicted food insecurity on households that had never experienced it: City Harvest said that the number of children visiting food pantries was 55 percent higher earlier in 2022 than it was before the pandemic. It expects to collect and distribute 75 million pounds of food this year.

For the flags, City Harvest put out a call for artwork in January and assigned a selection committee of 11 staff members to review the submissions that came in. City Harvest also asked well-known artists to contribute; some of the flags feature restaurants in Rockefeller Center like Naro, Lodi and Jupiter.

One of the entrants was Ria Sim, who lives in the West Village and said she was self-taught. She said she spent six to eight hours a day during the pandemic drawing and posting images to Instagram. I wanted to bring New York to everybody, she said. I wanted people who saw my Instagram posts to feel they were inside my drawings.

She said her flag submissions were the first that had been chosen. I saw this project said they were welcoming people whether you were an amateur or a professional, she said. Ive never been able to enter any contests because the contests I looked at had so many criteria, and I dont fit the mold. She said her technique was hard-core grammar school  scissors, paper and crayons. The result is three-dimensional and collagelike.
Two workers were killed at Kennedy International Airport on Monday when they were buried under construction rubble inside a trench while moving utility lines as part of a broader overhaul at the airport, officials said.

The police received a report that the workers were trapped under the debris shortly after 11 a.m., according to officials with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

Emergency services workers from the Fire Department joined the Port Authority police in responding to the scene and in removing the workers from the trench, officials said. Both construction workers were declared dead at the scene, officials said.

The workers were identified by the Port Authority as Francisco Reyes, 41, and Fernando Lagunas Pereira, 28. No additional details about them were provided.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- On April 2, DJI Automotive, the DJI subsidiary that provides integrated solutions for autonomous driving, unveiled its new generation intelligent driving solution at the China EV100 Forum.



Photo credit: DJI Automotive

The solution boasts computational power as low as 32TOPS with a pure vision configuration of 7V/9V. Through such features as strong online real-time perception, zero dependence on high-precision maps, and no reliance on LiDAR, the solution delivers L2+ intelligent driving functions such as urban memory driving (32TOPS) and urban navigation driving (80TOPS). Additionally, the pure visual assistance driving system supports extended millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic radar, LiDAR, high-precision maps, and other sensors to enhance system safety redundancy.

The new solution features low computational thresholds, robust algorithms, and rich functionalities, such as active safety, driving assistance, parking assistance, memory parking, cross-layer memory parking, memory driving, high-speed navigation driving, and upgradable configurations for urban navigation driving.

Photo credit: DJI Automotive

The sensor configuration is concise and efficient, with the base configuration at 7V consisting of a pair of DJI Automotive's exclusive front stereo dual-eyed cameras, a rear monocular camera, and four panoramic fisheye cameras. The system can achieve navigation driving without relying on high-precision maps in cities. When upgraded to 9V configurations, the system adds two side-view monocular cameras, strengthening the vehicle's dynamic detection ability and eliminating the need for high-precision maps to achieve all intelligent driving functions, including urban navigation driving.

Photo credit: DJI Automotive

In addition, the solution supports the expansion of computing power for up to 200TOPS and additional sensors. It offers multiple step configurations that fully adapt to the intelligent vehicle trend in the Chinese market. The solution caters to both budget-friendly and high-end vehicle models by providing advanced intelligent driving functions. According to DJI Automotive, its new solution is currently in a usable state and being actively promoted for mass production with partner automakers.

Furthermore, during the Forum, DJI Automotive revealed that it was already preparing for higher-level intelligent driving solutions.
In January, a watchdog agency created 50 years ago to safeguard the integrity of campaign fund-raising in New Jersey filed four complaints. Three cited irregularities in powerful Democrat-led accounts, and one dinged a committee set up to elect Republicans.

All of the complaints had the potential to result in hefty fines. And all of them vanished Monday afternoon when the governor, Philip D. Murphy, signed a controversial bill that fundamentally reshapes New Jerseys campaign finance laws.

The bill, which narrowly cleared the State Legislature last week, began as a way to double donation limits to candidates and to require some so-called dark money fund-raising groups to disclose large donors, whose identities are currently secret.

But as the legislation moved through Trenton, where Democrats control the Assembly and Senate, amendments were added that make it harder to rein in  or police  campaign spending.
In August 2009, two couples went out drinking after a wedding.

At the end of the night, one of the friends, a 22-year-old woman, invited her boyfriend and the other couple to stay at her home in Norwood, N.Y., just south of the Canadian border.

The woman fell asleep alone, then woke in the night to find the other man, Andrew Regan, crushing her beneath him, according to court documents. She roused her boyfriend and told him she had been sexually assaulted, and they called the police. Mr. Regan was interviewed and released. At a hospital, a nurse collected evidence with a rape kit.

But the investigation dragged on for four years, in part because prosecutors in St. Lawrence County said they did not know how to get a warrant to compel Mr. Regan to provide a DNA sample, which he had repeatedly refused to do. He was finally found guilty of first-degree rape by a jury in 2015 after a genetic match was made and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

But the yearslong investigation, which dragged on, the New York Court of Appeals said, because of inexplicable delays caused by lethargy or ignorance of basic prosecutorial procedures, led the court to overturn the conviction on March 16. The decision freed Mr. Regan and expunged the charge from his record.
A day before former President Donald J. Trump was to surrender to face charges stemming from a hush-money payment, he added a new lawyer to his defense team, a former federal prosecutor with wide experience in white-collar cases.

The lawyer, Todd Blanche, will work with Susan R. Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, who have been representing Mr. Trump in the investigation by the Manhattan district attorneys office that led to an indictment that is expected to be unsealed on Tuesday when Mr. Trump is arraigned.

Mr. Trump has denied wrongdoing and is expected to plead not guilty when he appears in court.

Mr. Blanche, 48, has a reputation as an aggressive but measured advocate as well as ties to Mr. Trumps legal team. He represents Boris Epshteyn, a top adviser to Mr. Trump who is said to have told people he thought Mr. Blanche was the right choice to represent the former president, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Blanche also represented Paul D. Manafort, Mr. Trumps former campaign chairman, after the Manhattan district attorneys office indicted Mr. Manafort on charges of mortgage fraud and other state felonies in 2019.
A state inspector has been asked to review whether Yeshiva University, which is in a court battle with a group of L.G.B.T.Q. students over whether it must recognize their campus club, should have received $230 million in taxpayer funds after the university has said that it is a religious institution.

The referral could lead to a significant escalation in a complex case in which the university has argued in court that it is a Modern Orthodox Jewish religious institution, which would exempt it from anti-discrimination laws and allow it to reject the club. Before the 2021 lawsuit, Yeshiva described itself as an educational institution, which made it eligible for taxpayer funds but obliged it to follow city and state nondiscrimination laws.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers said the universitys legal argument raised alarm bells because it had for decades accepted public funds to pay for the construction and renovation of its facilities. The lawmakers accused Yeshiva of misrepresenting itself to obtain at least $230 million and asked the university to provide a full account within 30 days of how it had spent those funds.

Yeshiva declined to do so, said Brad Hoylman-Sigal, the chairman of the State Senate Judiciary Committee. In a letter sent last week, he asked the New York State inspector general, Lucy Lang, to investigate whether the university had misled the government to qualify for low-cost, tax-exempt bond financing.
Conservative Texans and liberal Californians disagree on much in politics. But legislators in both states agree on a new approach to giving people with cognitive impairments a greater chance for self-determination. Its called supported decision-making, and it is shaping up to be the most consequential change in the care of older people and others with limitations in mental functioning since the rise of advance care directives in the 1990s.

The difference between guardianship, the traditional way to help those with such impairments, and supported decision-making is analogous to the difference between a dictatorship and self-rule. Unlike guardianship, which creates an all-powerful guardian and strips the subject of the right to make decisions, in supported decision-making, the individual retains final control over key decisions. That person enlists one or more trusted others, such as family members or close friends, to aid him in making decisions. The supporters are there only to assist.

The National Council on Disability rightfully describes this approach as the most promising and comprehensive alternative to guardianship. More support for these life-affirming arrangements is needed.

Britney Spearss public efforts to end the nearly 14-year guardianship she was under cast a light on problems with the arrangement that too often remain in the shadows. In seeking to end her guardianship, Ms. Spears testified in court: I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I dont feel like I can live a full life. A judge in Los Angeles concluded in 2021 that the guardianship was no longer needed and terminated it.
I traveled through parts of Turkey with Ahmed Kanjo. Early in the war, Ahmed was an anchor based in Aleppo, Syria, for an Arabic-language news station. But since fleeing with his family to Turkey, he had struggled to make a living practicing our craft. I hired him to work with me as an interpreter.

The earthquake had damaged the apartment building where he lived with his wife and four children. He sent his family to stay with his brother in another region for safety from the endless aftershocks, but returned to Gaziantep, Turkey, to work. So he was bunking in Gaziantep with his friend Abdul Kadir, a young man who told me he had escaped from Aleppo after being beaten and harassed by the Syrian intelligence services.

One evening, Ahmed, Abdul Kadir and some of their friends sat cross-legged on the floor, drinking spiced coffee, the air thick with cigarette smoke. I thought about Ahmeds work as a television journalist. He had shown me video clips, including one in which he was hunkered down in a trench, speaking to the camera as explosions and gunfire rang out around him. Even though I dont speak Arabic I could tell he was a gifted presenter, cool under fire but able to convey to the viewer the emotional and physical stakes of battle. Ahmed told me he missed his work.

Every conversation revolves around where you are going to go, he said. The world thinks the Syrians in Turkey are fine. They opened a sanctuary, but it is actually a prison.

Ahmed and I shared more in common than a profession. My roots are in Ethiopia, a country, like Syria, famous for producing refugees. My mother escaped just as a brutal Marxist military dictatorship took hold. She married an American and they bequeathed to me the dark blue passport that made it possible for me to move freely in the world, to have the job that brought me to Turkey, to live a life of freedom. What, other than the luck of geography, separated my life story from Ahmeds? Or any of our lives, for that matter.
All of our leadership, working together under a vision, that he said went step by step. He said those efforts added up to this moment where a Canadian is going to the moon with our international partnership, and it is glorious.

The Canadian Space Agency secured Mr. Hansens spot in 2020 through an agreement with NASA. Canada committed to provide a robotic arm called the Canadarm3 for Gateway, an American-led outpost that is to orbit the moon.

Theres only 24 people in the history of the world whove seen the full circle of the earth, and theyre all Americans, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in an animated call with Mr. Hansen, shared on YouTube. Well, you will be the first Canadian, the first non-American. This is a big deal.

Canada was the first country to back Gateway in 2019, building on its expertise in robotic arms such as the Canadarm2, which has been used by astronauts on the International Space Station since 2011. The next-generation robotic system, Canadarm3, will use artificial intelligence to automate tasks like moving tools around the Gateway outpost and conducting repairs.

This complex engineering feat will be bolstered by part of the 2.5 billion Canadian dollars announced in the federal budget last week. Roughly 1.1 billion of those funds will support the countrys presence at the International Space Station until 2023. The government is also committing 1.2 billion dollars toward a lunar utility vehicle to help astronauts on the moon.
Dr. Schmitt, who is also a former United States senator from New Mexico, said he was not necessarily surprised that it had taken so long. I would say Im disappointed, he said. A lot of things conspired to stop the Apollo program and to keep us from going back for quite a while.

Mr. Hansen noted that the United States could have undertaken the Artemis missions by itself but instead chose to pull together an international collaboration with Canada and the European Space Agency. That agreement reserved a seat for a Canadian astronaut on Artemis II. All of Canada is grateful for that global mind-set and that leadership, Mr. Hansen said.

Mr. Glover, who was the first Black man to serve as a crew member on the International Space Station, said that diversity was an important aim of the agency and our partners.



But it was also going to happen organically because of the corps that we have that represents America so well, he said.

As the name of the mission indicates, Artemis II will be the second in NASAs Artemis program. Artemis I launched last November as an uncrewed test of the Space Launch System, NASAs giant new rocket, and the Orion astronaut capsule. The Orion spacecraft spent two weeks in orbit around the moon before returning to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific.

After years of delay  development of the rocket took longer than originally promised  the Artemis I mission progressed smoothly for the most part, although some problems occurred. The heat shield of Orion protected the spacecraft during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, but more of it came off than had been expected.
Mr. Karnells passion for lighting began in the early days of his filmmaking career when he was starting out as a cinematographer. He read an interview with Ellen Kuras, the cinematographer, in which she described using lamps to light scenes in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which she shot. He started buying lamps for his own lighting kit, which he used in some of the projects he worked on for Funny Or Die and CollegeHumor. That sparked his lamp collection, which he amassed for years until he and his wifes Brooklyn home was overflowing with lamps, he said. Lamps that were installed, lamps in boxes. It kind of just took on a life of its own, and needed a place to go.

At first, he got a storage unit and planned to restore lamps and sell them online. But he craved the physical space and social experience of a brick-and-mortar, which offered the opportunity to show customers his collection in action, all aglow.

In the Greenpoint space, lamps are perched on pedestals. Sconces radiate softly, displayed on stand-alone walls. Theres a living room-like setup with a velvet couch, simulating a home library with leather and brass-accented reading lights, and a loft above the main floor that serves as a workshop for restoring lamps.
CORCORAN  Crisscrossing the dry flatlands of the San Joaquin Valley last week, I drove along a narrow country road just outside this small agricultural town known as the Farming Capital of California, tilled dirt fields on either side of me as far as the eye could see.

And then, suddenly, water.

A vast inland sea rose beside the pavement, and the waters glittered far out into the horizon. An egret flapped its snowy white wings along the banks of the newly formed lake. Shorebirds twittered and blue-gray waves lapped and whooshed, bringing the sounds of the beach to the Central Valley.

For the first time in decades, Tulare Lake had returned.

Once the biggest body of fresh water west of the Mississippi, Tulare Lake was four times the size of Lake Tahoe, home to bands of Yokut Indians and millions of birds and other wildlife, but it was sucked dry by farmers before fully disappearing by the mid-20th century. The lakebed is now home to some of the planets major suppliers of cotton, tomatoes and other crops.

But occasionally, during an especially wet winter, the lake comes back to life.

After the barrage of atmospheric rivers that have swept through California over the past three months, Tulare Lake has not only reappeared, but it has also grown to cover 30 square miles  and could expand to 200 square miles in the coming months.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- In the third month of 2023, Changan Automobiles new energy vehicle-dedicated brand, Shenlan, delivered 8,568 units of the SL03 sedan, according to the automakers announcement issued on April 1.



Photo credit: Shenlan

In comparison, monthly deliveries of the SL03 amounted to 4,103 units in February this year, which meant that Shenlans March deliveries doubled month on month. By the end of March 2023, Shenlan has cumulatively delivered 45,896 vehicles so far.

In the past month, Shenlan also officially unveiled its second production mode, the S7 SUV.

In terms of exterior design, the S7 shares similarities with the SL03 sedan, featuring a family-style design language with a closed front face and split headlights. The vehicle's side profile resembles a taller version of the SL03, with unique surface designs that play with the light and shadow. Meanwhile, the taillights inherit the brands signature lighting elements, providing the vehicle with a distinctive look.

Like the SL03, the S7 will be offered with more than one powertrain options. The pure-electric version is equipped with a 160kW electric motor, while the range-extended version carries an electric motor good for a peak power output of 175kW and a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated engine that produces a maximum power of 70kW.

Notably, April marked the auto brands first anniversary. Shenlan said that it will put on display its S7 SUV at the upcoming Auto China 2023 in Shanghai this month.
KINO SPRINGS, Ariz.  Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea was slipping across a ranchers land near the border with Mexico when the shooting started. Im hit, he said, before his eyes rolled back and he crumpled face down by a mesquite tree.

To the sheriff in rural Santa Cruz County, Ariz., this account, relayed by a witness, and other pieces of the investigation into the shooting death of Mr. Cuen-Buitimea seemed to make the next steps clear. The sheriffs office arrested George Alan Kelly, the rancher suspected of firing the fatal shot, and charged him with murder.

Then the angry calls started pouring in.

This is garbage.

Its a travesty of justice.

Since when do illegals have rights?

To conservative ranchers and far-flung immigration critics who seized on the case as it ricocheted across social media, Mr. Kelly, 74, was the real victim in a murky tale of death and justice in Arizonas politically volatile borderlands.
The president of Hamline University, who had been under sharp criticism for the treatment of an adjunct professor who showed images of the Prophet Muhammad in an art history class, announced on Monday that she would retire in June 2024.

Fayneese S. Miller, the president of the Minnesota school, had initially defended the universitys decision to not reappoint the lecturer who had shown students, after providing warnings, images of the Prophet Muhammad, igniting a debate about academic freedom and Islamophobia.

Many Muslims say they are prohibited from viewing images of Muhammad out of concerns of idolatry, but Muslims have varying views about such representations.

On Monday, an email from the administration to the campus announced that Dr. Miller would step down, but made no mention of the controversy.
Mr. Radel argued that the two proposed bills could prompt a torrent of costly libel suits against conservative websites and talk and news stations such as the one that broadcasts his program, a Fox News affiliate in Fort Myers. Such litigation could put stations like his out of business, he added, and here is whos going to pay the biggest price politically: Ron DeSantis.

The legislation being considered in Tallahassee seeks to challenge the longstanding Supreme Court precedent known as New York Times v. Sullivan  which protects publishers of all sorts from defamation suits unless an error is found to be willful or the result of reckless disregard for the truth. The legislation would also eliminate several protections for journalists in Florida, narrow the definition of a public figure, and establish the presumption that any statement from an anonymous source, including whistle-blowers, is automatically deemed false.

Throughout his political career, Mr. DeSantis has relied heavily on conservative media, slipping well-timed scoops to outlets such as Breitbart News and The Epoch Times and frequently appearing on prime-time shows on Fox News. He has cast mainstream reporters as hostile and suggested the news media has abused its protection afforded in the First Amendment.

At the end of the day, its our view in Florida that we want to be standing up for the little guy against some of these massive media conglomerates. Mr. DeSantis said during a round-table event on defamation he hosted in February.
The F.B.I. is acutely aware of what unfolded on Jan. 6 as the federal agency charged with stopping terrorism. The bureau is capable of deploying tactical teams, as it did on the day of the Capitol attack, and arresting those intent on committing violence. And agents and analysts alike on the bureaus terrorism task forces are tracking the longer-term reaction of extremists on the right who may be mobilized to commit violence by the Manhattan indictment. Those extremists could become increasingly agitated by investigations into Mr. Trump by Mr. Smith and the district attorney in Fulton County, Ga., who could file charges stemming from the presidents efforts to overturn Mr. Bidens narrow victory in the state.

Even as he acknowledged the irony, Mr. Reilly said the F.B.I. should have better insights into right-wing threats thanks to Jan. 6.

The F.B.I. should be monitoring the human intelligence that agents have developed in far-right extremist groups, he said. The fringe benefit of the investigations and arrests of Jan. 6 have given the bureau the opportunity to interview thousands of the people the F.B.I. otherwise would not have contacted. Youve now developed a vast amount of intelligence and informants from those interviews.

Yet if Jan. 6 is not an accurate template for the potential threats surrounding Mr. Trumps court appearance, a better one is what unfolded in August after the F.B.I. descended on Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Florida, and hauled away hundreds of classified documents.

After the search, top Republicans like Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina warned that violence could ensue. Mr. Trump himself told Fox News that people are so angry at what is taking place, adding that terrible things might happen.
Missouri is starting with people whose coverage would be up for renewal in June, a group of about 100,000. The state is leaning on managed care organizations to work with Medicaid recipients on renewals, but the effort required of the state is still immense. Kim Evans, the official overseeing the Medicaid unwinding in Missouris Department of Social Services, said she had about 1,200 government workers available to help.

Those whose status the state is still uncertain about after automatic checks will be mailed letters early next month, and they will have until the end of June to complete renewal forms. If they miss that deadline, they will lose their insurance, but they can still challenge the decision and be re-enrolled if state officials determine them to be eligible.

Ms. Evans called the work an all-out assault to reach people who might otherwise slip through the cracks.

Sidney D. Watson, a health law professor at Saint Louis University, said the unwinding could be particularly damaging to the many seasonal agricultural workers in rural stretches of the state, like in the Ozarks. Everyone is on high alert here, she said, adding that Medicaid coverage among those seasonal workers was important to keeping smaller hospitals and clinics running.

Clinics like Swope Health are especially critical to warning Medicaid recipients about the unwinding policy, since their doctors and other health providers often know people affected by the policy change. Swope has run radio ads and placed billboards in and around Kansas City, which have increased calls from Medicaid recipients inquiring about how to preserve their insurance, said Tamika Reliford, one of Ms. Marshalls co-workers who helps patients with their coverage.
The super PAC that is likely to serve as the main vehicle supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida in a Republican presidential primary has raised $30 million since March 9, a senior official with the group said on Sunday night.

The sums raised for the super PAC, named Never Back Down, show the financial might that would back a DeSantis campaign, should he enter the presidential race, as expected, after the Florida legislative session ends in early May.

The fund-raising was described by an official with the group, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal operations. The official did not disclose any names of donors.

None of the money raised was transferred from another committee, the official said. Mr. DeSantiss state political committee had more than $82 million as of last month, which could eventually be transferred to another entity supporting him.
Starting in 2013, prison officials punished Mr. Johnson for his misconduct by canceling his yard privileges, meaning his ability to exercise outdoors. The individual punishments lasted from 30 to 90 days, but they added up, amounting to about three years without that time, two of them consecutive.

Image Starting in 2013, prison officials punished Michael Johnson for his misconduct by canceling his yard privileges. Credit... Illinois Department of Corrections

During that time, he was allowed to leave his cell for a weekly 10-minute shower and, in theory, a single hour of exercise each month. That hour, his lawyers said, was frequently canceled.

All the while, Mr. Johnson, who was serving time for a home invasion and assault, was asking for a transfer to a mental-health unit. He sued prison officials in June 2016, saying that the prolonged denial of exercise had crossed a constitutional line. Two months later, the transfer was approved.

A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that denying Mr. Johnson the ability to exercise for 90 days at time as punishment for serious misconduct did not violate the Eighth Amendment. Nor is it, Judge Diane S. Sykes wrote for the majority, an Eighth Amendment violation to stack such penalties.

In dissent, Judge Ilana D. Rovner said there were at least two flaws in that reasoning. One was that Mr. Johnson suffered from a deteriorating mental state that virtually ensured further rules violations, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
In 1881, the conservative German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, plagued by a rise in socialist ideology, proposed a national retirement benefit to appease the leftist masses. He set the retirement age at 70. Average life expectancy at the time? About 40 years.

Von Bismarck resigned shortly after the policy passed, but his legacy remained, and Germanys retirement benefit (which was lowered to age 65 in 1916) became the model for many other nations. When President Roosevelt established the Social Security Act of 1935, 65 was similarly chosen as the national retirement age, despite the fact that less than 60 percent of American adults lived that long.

Which is all to say, the national retirement age in the U.S. and elsewhere has origins in a bit of political smoke and mirrors; it began as a symbolic offering, accessible only to the lucky citizens who managed to survive well into old age.

Today though, many more people live long enough to have access to a national retirement fund, often for years if not decades. Average life expectancy in the United States is 76, and in many European countries its even higher. The U.S. national retirement age  when you can start claiming full Social Security benefits  has crept up much more gradually, to 67 for people born after 1960.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico  One week after a deadly fire in a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, left 39 people dead and dozens more seriously injured, some victims families and friends are still looking for answers about their loved ones.

The day after the fire, Mexican authorities released the names of all 68 men who were detained at the time, but the list initially did not specify who had died, and who was alive and injured.

Abel Manuel Maldonado Perez, 28, of Venezuela, spent three days crisscrossing the city on foot and by taxi to visit hospitals, the public prosecutors office and the morgue, searching for answers about his 26-year-old brother, Orlando.

Give us information, he said. Were human beings.

Later that week, the Mexican government released the names of those deceased during a news conference. Orlandos name was included.
The former principal of a girls school in Melbourne, Australia, was found guilty Monday on 18 charges of sexually abusing two students more than 15 years ago in a case whose yearslong extradition battle tested relations between Australia and Israel.

The defendant, Malka Leifer, 56  who faced 27 counts of sexual abuse in all and was acquitted on nine  was on trial for incidents alleged to have taken place between 2003 and 2007, when she was principal of the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish institution. She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Three sisters  Nicole Meyer, 37, Dassi Erlich, 35, and Elly Sapper, 34  were named as the victims in the case. Prosecutors said the abuse began when they were students and continued after they became student teachers there. The incidents were alleged to have occurred at the school, at camps organized by the school and at Ms. Leifers home.

The prosecutors argued that Ms. Leifer exploited her authority over the sisters, as well as their vulnerability and lack of knowledge about sexual matters. Ms. Leifers lawyers argued that the sisters were unreliable witnesses whose accounts had changed over the years.
Recently, the unveiling ceremony of the International Commercial Arbitration Center of the Hefei Arbitration Commission was successfully held in the Hefei High-tech Zone.



Through a professional and internationalized public legal service model, the center aims to create a new "one-stop" platform for international commercial dispute resolution which solves such disputes on clients' doorsteps and provides high-quality and convenient arbitration services for domestic and foreign companies within the pilot free trade zone.

The China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone Hefei Area (Anhui FTZ) was officially established on September 24, 2020. The Hefei Area covers a total area of 64.95 square kilometers, focusing on the development of high-end manufacturing, integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, new displays, quantum information, sci-tech finance, cross-border e-commerce, and other industries. It aims to create a comprehensive leading national scientific and industrial innovation center with global influence.



As an essential part of the Anhui FTZ, the Hefei High-tech Zone sub-area has made preliminary progress in its development by exploring new possibilities and taking bold initiatives since its establishment over two years ago. Its image as a "Science, Technology, and Innovation-centered Free Trade Zone Area" has taken shape. It is also noteworthy that it has carried out a series of explorations and trials in the construction of the public legal service system and the legal business environment in collaboration with relevant government departments. The establishment of the International Commercial Arbitration Center of the Hefei Arbitration Commission in Hefei High-tech Zone marks another achievement in its innovative efforts to promote the public legal service system.


LOS ANGELESHoneys Place, a leader in pleasure product distribution, enjoyed a successful Altitude Show, held in Las Vegas in March. Presenting at the show for the first time, their customers response to their presence was positive and kept their booth busy for the entire, three-day show, the company reports.





Christine Hallgrimson, senior account manager for Honeys Place, remarked, It was so great to reconnect with everyone in person and we loved being able to have everyone come by the booth to check out the new and exciting things that Honey's Place has to offer. Our customers were impressed with the huge number of brands we stock and the variety of products we offer."





Melody Cazarin, senior sales executive at Satisfyer, remarked, I was thrilled to have partnered with Honeys Place during Altitude this year. Their reputation for customer attentiveness and great service made the booth a hot destination. In addition, it was paramount to have their support as we introduce our new Pro 2 Gen 3 to the market.





Bonnie Feingold, CEO/president of Honeys Place, added, Honeys Place is looking forward to having a booth at future Altitude shows. The ability to connect & build relationships with our customers is paramount to our success.




SEOUL  For more than three decades, North Korea has sent workers abroad to make money for its regime.

These workers have toiled in logging camps in Russia, factories and restaurants in China and farms and shipyards in Eastern Europe. They have sweated in construction sites in the Middle East and worked as doctors in African hospitals.

They left their children or parents behind as hostages, their passports confiscated for fear that they may flee to South Korea.

Under the Norths leader, Kim Jong-un, the number of workers sent abroad to raise money for the regime increased to tens of thousands, making billions of dollars a year, according to South Korean estimates. A United Nations Security Council resolution required countries to expel the workers by the end of 2019.
Andrew Tate, an online personality known for his misogynistic comments, has been released from jail in Romania along with his brother and placed under house arrest while they are being investigated on allegations of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized criminal group.

Mr. Tate, 36, a former professional kickboxer with 5.8 million Twitter followers, and his brother Tristan, 34, had been in custody since they were arrested in Romania in December along with two Romanian women. They were released on Friday.

The Tate brothers and the two women will remain under house arrest until at least April 29, when the prosecution is expected to ask for an extension of their investigation for another 30 days, a spokesman for the brothers said on Monday, adding that no indictment had been brought against them.

Teams like mine cannot lose, Andrew Tate tweeted on Sunday. The brothers, who hold dual citizenship in Britain and the United States, have denied the allegations.
KYIV, Ukraine  The head of Russias Wagner mercenary group claimed that Russian forces had raised their countrys flag in the center of Bakhmut, but a senior Ukrainian official said on Monday that Kyivs forces were still fighting for the embattled eastern city.

Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private military company, said on Sunday that his fighters had hoisted a Russian flag and one representing the groups forces over an administrative building in Bakhmut. In a post on the Telegram messaging app, he acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still in the western part of the city but said that legally, Bakhmut is taken.

A video circulating Monday on social media and verified by The New York Times shows a Russian flag and a Wagner group flag planted atop the rubble of the City Council building in Bakhmut. The building is on the west side of the Bakhmutka River, which bisects the city and had until recently been the de facto front line. The river had formed a natural barrier to armored vehicles and its loss would signal Ukraines ever more precarious hold on the city. The aerial video, which was shot in recent days and shows extensive destruction, offers the clearest sign yet that some Russian forces have crossed into the western part of the city, although it does not indicate whether Russia or Ukraine controls the surrounding area.

Andriy Yermak, top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, on Monday rejected the assertion that Bakhmut had fallen. Not even close to the reality, he wrote on Twitter.
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was detained in Russia last week, has appealed his arrest, according to Russian state news agencies, which cited Moscows Lefortovo court in their reports on Monday.

The court has received an appeal from Gershkovichs defense against his detention, the courts press service said, according to the state news agency Tass. A date has not yet been set for the hearing.

Alexei Melnikov, the secretary of Moscows public oversight commission  a group of civil society members who monitor human rights in pretrial detention centers  said in a statement on Monday that he had visited Mr. Gershkovich, 31, at the prison at Lefortovo.

Mr. Gershkovich seemed cheerful and made jokes during their conversation, Mr. Melnikov said. He has also been reading the book Life and Fate, by Vasily Grossman, set in Stalinist Russia during World War II.
Hashim Thaci, the former president and prime minister of Kosovo, is seen as a war hero in many parts of his homeland, where he led the Balkan country in its fight for independence from Serbia that started nearly a quarter of a century ago.

But Mr. Thaci has a different reputation in some quarters: As the political leader of rebels who are accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed after the Muslim majority of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo demanded independence following the Bosnian war.

Those two competing visions collided in The Hague on Monday, when Mr. Thaci went on trial, along with three other senior members of the since-disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army, or K.L.A., at a special tribunal funded by the European Union.

Appearing at the tribunal, known as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Mr. Thaci pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as did the three others.
An overwhelming majority of Parisians who took part in a referendum on rental electric scooters have voted to ban the devices from the streets of the French capital, reflecting exhaustion with a public-transit alternative that was once seen as convenient and climate-friendly but is now largely regarded as dangerous and environmentally questionable.

Relatively few people turned out on Sunday for the referendum  only about 100,000 Parisians voted, less than 7.5 percent of those eligible  but those who did cast ballots left little doubt what they wanted: Nearly 89 percent backed the ban.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, who once backed the expansion of rental electric scooters to cut traffic, led the campaign against them, describing them as a nuisance.

Although the referendum, described as a public consultation, was nonbinding, Ms. Hidalgo, a member of the Socialist Party, said that she was committed to respecting the results of the vote.
The woman who has been arrested in the bombing death of a popular pro-war blogger in Russia was at least a casual supporter of the countrys opposition, according to a friend, court records and local news reports.

Russian investigators arrested Daria Trepova, a 26-year-old native of St. Petersburg, on Monday in connection with the killing of the blogger known as Vladlen Tatarsky, who died in an explosion while giving a talk in the city the previous night.

Investigators said the explosion was caused by a bomb concealed inside a statuette. A video posted by the Russian police showed a woman they identified as Ms. Trepova admitting that she had taken the statuette into the event after receiving it from another person, whom she did not identify.

Russian officials described Mr. Trepova as an agent of the imprisoned opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny and said she had carried out the attack in collaboration with Ukrainian intelligence agencies, without offering evidence. An exiled leader of Mr. Navalnys movement, Ivan Zhdanov, denied the allegations and said they were a pretext to extend Mr. Navalnys prison term.
The Russian authorities on Monday detained a suspect in the bombing that killed a popular pro-war blogger in the center of St. Petersburg, and blamed Ukraine and Russian opposition activists for the attack, signaling that the Kremlin could use the explosion to escalate its harsh crackdown against what remains of antiwar activism in Russia.

The police claimed that the suspect, a 26-year-old Russian woman named Daria Trepova, had opposition views and had coordinated with Ukraine to deliver explosives hidden in a statuette to the blogger, known as Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, who was speaking at a pro-war gathering at a cafe in Russias second-largest city.

Russias Antiterrorism Committee also issued a statement claiming, without providing evidence, that the bombing had been planned by Ukrainian intelligence agencies, along with agents connected to the movement of Aleksei A. Navalny, the imprisoned Russian opposition leader. Investigators also said that Ms. Trepova was a supporter of Mr. Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation.

But an exiled leader of Mr. Navalnys movement, Ivan Zhdanov, described the allegations against his group as outrageous  a pretext to extend Mr. Navalnys prison term even further.
Evidence is mounting that Moscow has failed to make much progress in the Donbas of eastern Ukraine, despite months of fighting in the industrial and agricultural region close to the Russian border.

Russias military bloggers and like-minded activists have in recent weeks lamented the lack of progress from the winter campaign. Russia has not secured victory in the city of Bakhmut, or in the towns or Avdiivka, Vuhledar, Lyman or Marinka.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, said on Sunday that his forces had raised a Russian flag over an administrative building in Bakhmut, according to the Reuters news agency, but acknowledged that Ukraine was still holding the western part of the city. Mr. Prigozhin has prematurely called such victories before.

The winter campaign in the Donbas is over, said Igor Girkin, a former Russian intelligence officer who led a military intervention in eastern Ukraine and now blogs about military affairs. We can say that the winter campaign ended unsuccessfully. The comments by Mr. Girkin, who uses the nickname Strelkov, were echoed by others in Russia who have ties to the military and have at times been critical of the Kremlins approach to the war.
An influential Russian military blogger who called for an escalation of the war in Ukraine was killed when a bomb exploded in a cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, in what appeared to be one of the most high-profile attacks on a supporter of Moscows invasion.

The blogger, Maksim Fomin, who was more popularly known as Vladlen Tatarsky, was giving a public talk in the center of Russias second-largest city when the explosion ripped through Street Food Bar #1 Cafe, the Russian Interior Ministry and investigative authorities said.

Videos posted on social media showed Mr. Tatarsky receiving a small statue in his likeness onstage shortly before the explosion. An independent local news outlet, Fontanka, cited a witness as saying the blogger had received the statue as a gift from a woman who introduced herself as a sculptor called Nastya.

Another witness said Mr. Tatarsky had asked the woman to bring the statue to him, after she said she had been told she could not take it inside because of bombing fears, according to the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda. About 100 people had gathered at the cafe to listen to him speak about his experience as a military blogger, Fontanka said.
Feel free to go to M.A.D. Pizza by yourself. You won't be alone.

First off, that's because of its friendly atmosphere and staff headed by manager Charli Perry. She wants to run the pizza parlor like a chummier Dick's Last Resort, the restaurant chain that's gained popularity because its waitstaff insult patrons like they're old friends.

You'll find no TVs at M.A.D., just a vivacious crew and chicken wings so big they must have come from a bird who'd been doing regular workouts. The name stands for McCormick After Dark. M.A.D.'s space at 2417 Montana Ave. shares a kitchen with the McCormick Cafe next door. It opens at 4:30 p.m. after the cafe closes at 2 p.m.

But there's someone  or something  else at M.A.D. Take it from Perry.

"I'm not lying when I tell you this place is very fricking haunted," she said, her voice betraying no notes of insincerity.

They call him Old Man McCormick. He's been blamed for turning the lights on and off. Cups of coffee have flown off tables without explanation. Customers and employees alike have reported feeling strange when they're in the M.A.D. Pizza building. Sometimes he can be seen in the mirrors that line the dining room, perhaps pacing the same floors he walked in life. He's a tall, black silhouette. He'll occasionally speak when seen, offering a greeting from some other world.

"He looks like a big cowboy guy," Perry explained. She's heard his voice, felt his presence.

People have quit because of the ghost. They saw something they couldn't explain, and got so scared they couldn't work there anymore. Perry doesn't share their fears.

"You know, he makes his presence known," Perry said. "But that's it. He's not going to hurt you."

One night, Perry couldn't find her favorite bowl and whisk. She looked all over, only to find them way in the back corner of the building's basement, a dingy, poorly lit space with a dirt floor. Now when she goes down there, she knocks on the door, just in case.

A customer once had an uneasy feeling and contacted her friend, a psychic.

"You know there's activity in here, right?" the customer asked Perry.

"Yeah, we know" the manager responded.

Perry thinks he might have had something to do with the building's history. There's certainly a long archive of human energy in this spot. Billings' first brick building was erected in 1882 where the cafe's parking lot is now. And the building that houses M.A.D. was built around 1905. It functioned as a hotel for a while, and a mercantile. Once while digging in the basement's dirt floor, Perry and some staff found a pair of shoes. Long ago, somebody wore them to pieces, and then hid them in the basement of a hotel. Why? That answer probably died with the burier. But they're here now, and if you ask maybe Perry will let you see them. They're a tangible piece of an unknowable past.

The best clue towards the specter's identity came when a customer visited with a small picture she'd found in some old family artifacts. It shows a cowboy on a horse. He wears big wooly chaps and has a pistol in a side holster. Both him and the horse gaze at the camera warily.

"When we saw him, we were like 'Oh my god, that's the cowboy,'" Perry remembered. "So that's probably him."

They had the photo blown up and framed at nearby Toucan art gallery. Now Old Man McCormick sits on his horse, overlooking the building he might have never left.

The photo is inscribed "From Paul McCormick to Phillip McCormick." There was a Paul McCormick who was an important land and cattle owner in Yellowstone County around the turn of the 20th century, even becoming one of the county's first commissioners. He was a personal friend of Teddy Roosevelt and is now buried in the mausoleum at MountView Cemetery. But his grizzled visage doesn't match the youthful cowboy from the photo. And the earliest reference to the McCormick Hotel in the Gazette archives, from Jan. 7, 1910, refers to a P.G. Carlin as the hotel's owner, no McCormick involved.

These are historical mysteries. Whether you believe there's an actual ghost haunting a pizza parlor in Montana is irrelevant. You couldn't prove it's there, but you also couldn't prove it's not. The story, that's the point. That's why we're here.

Well, there's one other reason we're here. And it's pizza.

Perry, who has been the manager of McCormick Cafe since 2016. She opened M.A.D. in August 2021, after a successful soft opening during Magic City Blues. She now manages both restaurants, which can lead to long days. But her employees are trained for both restaurants, making shift swapping easy. Plus, she's a pizza master, having operated Charli's Wingz n' Pizza in the Heights for years. She also credits her assistant manager Ian Arestad for keeping her afloat during busier times.

"I couldn't do it without him," she insisted.

"I think you could!" Arestad yelled from the kitchen.

"I don't know how it works," Perry admitted. "It just does."

She's got one other major helper. M.A.D. might stand for McCormick After Dark, but Perry jokes that it could easily stand for Mother and Daughter. Her daughter Devyn Garrison, is also a frequent presence at the restaurant, often tending their full bar.

"I don't know what my position is," Garrison laughed. "I'm just here a lot."'

It's an easy place to be. Perry joked that M.A.D. is the "red headed stepchild" to the cafe, and the vibes in the two are totally different. The music at M.A.D. is louder. And the decorations are bolder. One wall is covered in joke quotes and a mural by local artist Savannah Rains. There's also a painting of a pizza made to look like a gigantic pair of wings. You can take your photo in front of it and pretend to be some sort of Italian angel.

M.A.D. is on prime real estate on Montana Avenue, which has become revitalized to the point that it now feels like the main artery of Billings cultural and culinary scene.

"People come in here and they're like 'Oh my god, I feel like I'm in Missoula. I feel like I'm somewhere else,'" Perry said.

Perry jumped at the chance to design a menu that looks a little different from other pizza and wing restaurants.

"Anything you can eat, you can turn into pizza," Perry boasted. And if you want to go really crazy, you can order off their "if you know, you know" secret menu. One pizza has bratwurst and sauerkraut. Another has poutine, fries covered in gravy. Perry and Garrison recently went to Las Vegas to the International Pizza Expo, and they promised to bring back some ideas.

And yes, they do sell ghost pepper wings.
The Russian military blogger killed on Sunday in an explosion in St. Petersburg was a prominent figure in an increasingly vocal and influential movement of hawkish, ultranationalist figures who broadly support the Kremlins war against Ukraine, but often criticize how the war is conducted.

The blogger, Maksim Fomin, 40, who was more popularly known by his pen name, Vladlen Tatarsky, represented a radical faction of pro-invasion bloggers and activists  he advocated erasing Ukraine as an independent nation  and his views earned him an invitation to the Kremlin last year. The bloggers include former and current members of Russias armed services or its proxy forces and their supporters in eastern Ukraine, and some like Mr. Tatarsky, are originally from that region.

The military bloggers occupy a unique place in Russias increasingly restrictive media climate of the past year, where news organizations have been forced to shut down and criticism of the military or the war has been criminalized. The bloggers are tolerated by the government even when they openly denounce missteps, and they have collected millions of followers online, making them an important source of war news, giving a far less sanitized account than the state-controlled media.
In vicious but mostly static fighting in snowy, artillery-cratered fields and ruined cities, Ukraine rebuffed a Russian offensive over the winter. Now, it is Ukraines turn to go on the attack.

Signs are everywhere that it is coming in the next month or so.

New Western weapons that could prove critical in assaults, like German Leopard 2 tanks and American mine-clearing vehicles, are arriving in Ukraine. Thousands of recruits are training in newly constituted units tailored for offensives. And the military command is holding back elite soldiers from the worst of the fighting in the east, in and around the city of Bakhmut, to throw them instead into the coming campaign.

After more than a year of war, Ukraine is battle hardened. We are covered in three centimeters of stone, one fighter, Lt. Ilya Samoilenko, said in a recent interview.

But that toughness has come at a steep cost. Ukraine has lost thousands of its most experienced fighters. Now Lieutenant Samoilenko, a veteran commander and survivor of the siege of the city of Mariupol, is using his experience to train new recruits.
And, indeed, the first day of the new Security Council presidency did begin ordinarily enough.

There was the customary breakfast hosted by the new leader and attended by representatives of all 15 member nations. It showed, Mr. Nebenzia said, that they are all ready to go along.

There was also an administrative session of the Council at which the subject of the war did not emerge, as well as an afternoon meeting with all U.N. member states at which Russia outlined its plans for the month. Those meetings reflected the largely ceremonial nature of Russias new duties  but the job does come with a pulpit, and that is what some Western officials are afraid of.

We expect that they will behave professionally, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told reporters on Monday. But we also expect that they will use their seat to spread disinformation and to promote their own agendas as it relates to Ukraine. And we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that.

Still, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield noted that there was more to the work of the Council than Ukraine, and that members had to work with one another on a range of global topics.

Stephane Dujarric, U.N. spokesman, said the message from Secretary General Antonio Guterres for Russia was the same he gave every month to the presidency: The more unified the Council is in its work, the better it is for the organization.
After law enforcement officers arrived, Mr. Murdaugh told them that his son Paul had been getting threats because of a fatal boat wreck he had been involved in a couple of years earlier. (At the time of his death, Paul had been charged with felonies related to the crash.)

Officers with the Colleton County Sheriffs Office wrote in reports that they had discovered several shell casings and had called a tow truck company to the scene. They also said they had looked for surveillance cameras from neighboring homes and businesses, though the heavily redacted police reports did not indicate whether they found any.

When was Alex Murdaugh shot, and why?

Prosecutors say that nearly three months after Mr. Murdaughs wife and son were killed, an employee at his law firm  which was founded by his great-grandfather more than a century ago  discovered a check that was supposed to be addressed to the firm but was instead made out to Mr. Murdaugh. That finding led the firm to investigate further and, when they discovered evidence of financial wrongdoing, to ask for his resignation, which he gave.

The next day, Sept. 4, 2021, in another bizarre twist, Mr. Murdaugh claimed that he had been shot in the head on the side of a rural road by someone who drove by while he was changing a flat tire. He was taken to a hospital, but his story soon began to fall apart. It turned out that he had not been alone on the side of the road, as he had claimed, but was with a friend and distant cousin, Curtis Edward Smith.

Mr. Murdaugh soon admitted that he had asked Mr. Smith to shoot him in the head. Mr. Murdaughs lawyers said he had come up with a plan to make his suicide look like a murder because he believed it would help his older son, Buster Murdaugh, collect on his life insurance policy.
An aggressive housing plan promoted by Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, which she hoped would create 800,000 new homes across the state over the next decade, has fallen apart in Albany after meeting fierce resistance from state legislators.

The plan would have forced cities, towns and villages to allow more housing to be built, and mirrored what other states are already doing. It would have been a first for New York, where home prices and rents have soared to among the highest in the United States and where more than half of all residents spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing.

Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, had sought to shoehorn her housing plan into the states budget, which she is still discussing behind closed doors with fellow Democrats who control the State Legislature.

But as negotiations dragged on past the April 1 deadline, the discussions remained deadlocked over Ms. Hochuls proposed construction mandates for localities. The mandates were heavily opposed by many lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, particularly in the State Assembly.
An Australian company specializing in cultivated meat recently unveiled a giant meatball allegedly made from lab-grown meat using wooly mammoth DNA.

While most cultured meat companies are focused on producing alternatives to conventional meats like chicken, beef and pork, Australian start-up Vow is taking a different approach. It is focusing on mixing and matching cells from different unconventional animal species, even ones that have been extinct for thousands of years. To prove that it can be done, Vow took the DNA sequence for mammoth myoglobin, a key muscle protein in giving meat its flavor, and filled the few gaps in the strand with elephant DNA. They then put this sequence in myoblast stem cells from a sheep and grew the tens of billions of cells necessary to create the lab-grown meat.

Photo: Aico Lind/Studio Aico

It was ridiculously easy and fast, we did this in a couple of weeks, Prof Ernst Wolvetang, at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland, told The Guardian newspaper. Its a little bit strange and new  its always like that at first. But from an environmental and ethical point of view, I personally think [cultivated meat] makes a lot of sense.

Prof. Wolvetang said that the initial idea was to produce Dodo bird meat, but the DNA sequences required simply did not exist, so they settled for another very famous extinct animal. The goal was to raise awareness about cultivated meat as a future alternative to conventional meat, while also highlighting the idea of exotic meats. Vow has already been experimenting with dozens of species, including alpaca, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, and peacocks, mixing lab-grown meats to create unique tastes.

Aico Lind/Studio Aico

The goal is to transition a few billion meat eaters away from eating [conventional] animal protein to eating things that can be produced in electrified systems, Vow CEO, George Peppou, said. And we believe the best way to do that is to invent meat. We look for cells that are easy to grow, really tasty and nutritious, and then mix and match those cells to create really tasty meat.

In case you were wondering, no one has tasted the giant mammoth meatball yet, and for good reason, as Prof. Wolvetang explains:



We havent seen this protein for thousands of years, so we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. But if we did it again, we could certainly do it in a way that would make it more palatable to regulatory bodies.

The mammoth meatball was unveiled last week at Nemo, a science museum in the Netherlands, but Vow is already planning to sell its first cultivated meat (Japanese quail) in Singapore restaurants this year.
High up in the Swiss Alps, at an altitude of almost 3,500 meters (11,332 feet), lies Jungfraujoch, Europes highest train station, a wonder of human engineering that has been around for over a century.

The train doesnt seem like the best means of transportation when trying to climb a mountain, but the Swiss would beg to differ, and they have proof to back up their claims. At the end of the 19th century, they began work on a project unlike any other  the Jungfraubahn, a steep railway through the Bernese Alps all the way to the top of Europe. And, at the end of the Jungfraubahn railway, they built Jungfraujoch, a spectacular train station perched on a rock between the Jungfrau and Monch mountains, both of which soar over 4,000 meters. Today, Jungfraujoch is officially recognized as the highest train station in Europe and is one of Switzerlands most popular tourist attractions.

Photo: Pmau/Wikimedia Commons

Man first climbed the Jungfraujoch saddle in the Bernese Alps in 1862, when an Anglo-Swiss group of climbers managed to reach it on foot. It was a historic achievement, and yet just a few decades later, Swiss industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller proposed plans to have a railway built all the way up to Jungfraujoch. Something like that had never been discussed before, let alone attempted, and yet the Government gave the Jungfraubahn project the green light. Over the next 16 years, hundreds of workers toiled away in the Alps, drilling through mountains and blowing tunnels up with dynamite. 30 people reportedly lost their lives during construction.

The Jungfraubahn looked impossible on paper, but in 1912, the railway was inaugurated, and it has been operating all year long ever since. Instead of following in the footsteps of the daring climbers who first conquered Jungfraujoch, people could now just ride the train for about 30 minutes to the highest train station in Europe to take in some of the worlds most amazing mountain vistas.

The impressive railway starts at Kleine Scheidegg, which stands at 2,060 meters above sea level and climbs for about 9.3 kilometers to an altitude of 3,454. The ride starts off in the open, but the train soon reaches a long tunnel blasted through the mountains over 100 years ago. Some sections of the tunnel have panoramic windows that allow passengers to admire the alpine paradise around them.

The train ride to the top of Europe is impressive, but it is the Jungfraujoch train station at the top that many consider the highlight of the entire experience. The weather at 3,454 is unpredictable and it can change dramatically in a matter of minutes, but if youre lucky to step out on the viewing platform on a clear day, you will be treated to mountain panorama unlike any other, with about 200 peaks visible in every direction.



A ride to the highest train station in Europe isnt cheap (about $245), but its an experience unlike any other, so for most people the price is more than worth it.

Oh, and while were on the topic, here is the worlds highest ATM machine.
Paul Oestreicher

My jaw dropped and eyes widened when I read the review in The New York Times. I was on the same page as Aaron Sorkin, writer of some of the most celebrated works of television, film and Broadway. Well, the same page when it came to understanding what was really beneath the centuries old story of King Arthur and Camelot.

A new version of Camelot is scheduled to open on Broadway in a few weeks, with its book rewritten by Sorkin. The NYT article said, Sorkin has made the production one of the most anticipated on Broadway this year...

A bold decision was made to eliminate the storys supernatural elements. That means Merlyn [Merlin in most of the literature], who in the original [show] is a magician who can remember the future... is now a wise tutor. Yes! The hocus pocus in the Arthur stories is fun but there are much more serious and contemporary lessons to be drawn from Camelot.

The most common description of Merlin is that of an elderly wizard with a long white beard, wearing a pointed hat and a flowing costume accented by stars and moons. Hes synonymous with magic and sorcery. But Merlins significance was not his ability to conjure or foretell the future. Above all else, this archetypal sorcerer was a mentor and adviser. That was from my 2011 book, Camelot, Inc.: Leadership and Management Insights from King Arthur and the Round Table.

Merlins real mission was to educate Arthur, to expand his horizons, and prepare him for the challenges ahead. In T.H. Whites The Once and Future King (from which the play and Disneys Sword in the Stone were derived), a young Arthur queried, Would you mind if I asked you a question? Merlin replies, It is what I am for.

The magical part of Merlin wasnt all fantasy writing, though. It helped tell the story of Arthurs evolution from roughhousing boy to empathic leader. As a wizard, Merlin didnt need to bring Arthur to other parts of the world to experience the different religions, cultures, and customs of humankind. Merlin turned him into a badger, fish, hawk, goose, and antcreatures very different, more ancient, and with much wisdom to impart on the youngster.

The transfigurations into fur, fin, and feather (and bug) were a big part of Merlins mentoring technique, which turned the learning process into adventures. Arthur was immersed in some dangerous places where he had to observe, adapt, and think quickly in his new surroundings. His abilities to react swiftly and smartly werent just important; they were essential. Later, as king, Arthur would leverage these experiences not only to better understand and connect with others, but also to win over doubters and adversaries.

Of course, much of the Camelot story revolves around the tortured relationships between King Arthur, Guinevere, his Queen, and Sir Lancelot, his best friend and general. People think the show is about a love triangle, which of course it is, said Alan Paul, artistic director of Barrington Stage Company. But I really think its about the birth of democracy

Close, but not exactly. First, democracy was created in ancient Athens and second, Arthur wasnt at all about abdicating in favor of elections. Arthur did, however, form a strategy of Might for Righta way to channel the power of the knights to enforce his doctrine of fairness. But the people did not react well to what was coercion.

You will find, he explained (in The Once and Future King), that when the kings are bullies who believe in force, the people are bullies too. If I dont stand for law, I wont have law among my people. And naturally I want my people to have the new law, because then they are more prosperous, and I am more prosperous in consequence.

Arthur did something we dont see often enough in leaders today. He took ownership and had the courage to jump the rails when he saw the strategy failing. Arthur had the right intention with the wrong method. He realized the populace needed to embrace change, rather than have change forced upon them without proper communication. He evolved Might for Right into Equal Justice  the creation of a new civil code to change the very nature of civilization, and the relationship between the government and the governed.

Lifes lessons during the time of Camelot and the Round Table remain relevant because, at the core, they are about the human relationships that connect us, divide us, and drive us forward (or backward) in our various dealings  personal, business, or otherwise. Looking at the past, we can gain the accumulated wisdom from so many people, conflicts, and circumstances. The enduring qualities and complexities of human nature gave us guidance and assurance in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

***

Paul Oestreicher, PhD is a recognized expert in strategic communications, marketing and public affairs, and crisis, change and reputation management. He is the author of Camelot, Inc.: Leadership and Management Insights from King Arthur and the Round Table and the blog C-O-I-N-S: Communication Opinions, Insights and New Strategies. Follow him @pauloestreicher.
Theres one word for the weather in the first few months of the year: grim. When its not freezing cold, its chucking it down with rain. And when neither of those things are happening, the sky is a relentless shade of 1990s-filing-cabinet grey, and the roads are well, theyre the same colour as our CX-5, as it happens.

Anyway, I reckon the best cure for blue Monday is a holiday: catch some winter sun, immerse yourself in another culture, that sort of thing. Which is why I was thrilled to be able to take the CX-5 on a bit of a road trip a few weeks ago, to sit underneath the balmy, cloudless skies of uh, Belgium.

Alright, its not Alicante, but there was a good reason for going. The Brussels Motor Show  yes, its a thing  just happened to be on, and Mazda was whipping the covers off a new plug-in hybrid version of the MX-30 coupe. What better way to get there than to simply point our CX-5 at the Channel Tunnel and arrive in comfort two hours later?

I wont bore you with the sights of Belgiums incredibly flat and straight motorway network, but I can confirm that the Mazda makes for a very relaxing partner on a European jaunt. It probably helps that, by and large, the tarmac that paves Autoroutes across the channel is much smoother than our own, but nonetheless the CX-5s seats proved as supportive and supple as ever.

Brussels itself proved a bit more of a challenge, both for man and machine. While its comically easy to get to the centre of Brussels initially  thanks to some enormous dual carriageways tunnelled under the city  trying to navigate around it once the roads get narrow is a different story.

Ever the studious product tester, I relied on the Mazdas inbuilt sat nav to get us to our hotel  and do you know what, it did very well, just as it had for every UK-based journey Ive ever used it for. Unfortunately, its talents dont extend to knowing where the local government has suddenly dropped a traffic-calming boulder  leading to some rather awkward three point turns in side streets littered with electric bikes. Praise the Lord for parking sensors.

The fun didnt stop there, though. Despite our hotels otherwise enormous proportions, its underground car park seemed to be half pub cellar, half off-road course  with a narrow, twisting, 30 degree slope to thread yourself down for access. Suddenly the longer, wider CX-60s piloted by other people on the trip didnt look like such a comfortable way to travel after all. Our CX-5  naturally  squeezed its way around without incident, although my recurring nightmares about the ordeal might take some time to dissipate.

New plug-in Mazda revealed, and executives interviewed, the trip back was similarly stress-free  even allowing some time for the obligatory last hurrah of a petrol and wine fill-up in Calais. 18 bottles of red, if you were wondering. Bearing in mind the capaciousness of the CX-5s boot, I probably shouldve been more ambitious.

That wasnt the last that our CX-5 has seen of international travel either  albeit indirectly. Not long after, I set off on an actual holiday abroad: to the Mazdas homeland of Japan, no less. Things were not so exciting for the CX-5 this time around  sat round the back of an ageing Heathrow hotel for 15 days and nights  but Im sure itll forgive me.

Having trekked around Tokyo, Kyoto and even the CX-5s birthplace of Hiroshima, our car was a very welcome sight to return to after a sleepless 14 hour flight. Our two person, four suitcase entourage slotted back in with relative ease  though our particular pack-heavy philosophy did require use of the back seats for luggage too.

Still, it highlights just how much usable space has been crammed into the relatively compact CX-5. Having a tall, square boot might mean sacrificing some swoopy rear styling  the like of which youd see on an Audi Q5 Sportback  but it pays dividends when it comes to actually using the car.

Thats the thing with the CX-5: its not a particularly new or eye-catching prospect compared to some of its jazzier rivals, but it feels much better thought-out, and as a result, much easier to live with. Clearly, its Mazdas best selling car worldwide for a reason.
Billings Clinic confirmed Monday that many hospital employees will receive significant pay cuts over the next year to help staunch the hospitals monthly losses.

The Financial Sustainability Plan calls for salary reductions for physicians and executives, but among the most significant changes is the end of the employer match for 403(b) retirement plans for the rest of the year.

Everything is being done with the goal of ensuring the long-term health of our organization so that we can provide the care (to) our patients and the communities we serve, said Community Relations Manager Zach Benoit in an emailed statement.

Physician salaries will be reduced by 5% for a three month period from April to June and senior executives have taken a 10% reduction in compensation. Open positions in executive leadership will not be filled.

The Clinic plans a hiring freeze for all open positions except for direct care provider types such as nurses. Simultaneously, contract labor is being reduced whenever possible. Efforts are underway to reduce costs for any contract labor that is still needed for clinical purposes, Benoit said.

While Benoit said that capital projects and expenditures are frozen, The Clinic is still aiming to be the region's first level 1 trauma center, despite the $30 million price tag. Benoit added that discussions with Logan Health in Kalispell regarding a possible merger are still active.

Billings Clinic isnt the first hospital to hit a financial breaking point in the last year. In August, Bozeman Health announced 28 layoffs and a hiring freeze for 25 open positions meant to make up for the $15 million loss it experienced in the first six months of 2022.

At that time, The Billings Gazette reported that St. Patricks Hospital in Missoula was experiencing similar financial loss with traveler costs running up a monthly bill of about $1 million.

Travelers, or contracted staff, are temporary clinicians who move from one facility to another, filling in gaps in staffing. Their wages are not only much higher than those of permanent staff, but the hospital is also required to pay for their housing while employing the traveler.

The unprecedented reliance on traveling staff has sown resentment among permanent workers across the state whose compensation stays stubbornly lower than that of a traveler.

Benoit pointed to rising drug prices, exponentially higher labor costs and stagnant Medicaid reimbursement rates.

We have asked every department across the system to help find ways to decrease costs and increase patient access. We are seeing successes in that work, including increased patient access in many areas, but still need to do more, Benoit said.

A changing landscape

In the last year, Billings Clinic and other hospitals have gone through significant challenges as the pandemic landscape rapidly changed health care.

CEOs across the nation stepped down from leadership positions, and former Billings Clinic CEO Dr. Scott Ellner was one of them.

The announcement of his resignation, effective immediately, came the Friday before The Billings Clinic Classic, the hospitals largest fundraiser of the year. Current and former employees described Ellner as abrasive and tyrannical, pursuing prestige and status over conditions at the hospital.

Before his departure, Ellner announced a campaign to raise The Clinics emergency department status to Trauma 1, the highest designation for emergency care.

Because of Montanas geographic isolation and low population, there is no Trauma 1 facility in the state. The nearest tertiary care facility is 548 miles away in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Clinic has built up new operating rooms and patient rooms over the last year in the name of the Trauma 1 mission.

The project was projected to cost $30 million  the largest capital campaign in Billings Clinic history.

The closure of 22 rural skilled nursing facilities has also put substantial burden on regional hospitals. Without skilled nursing beds to discharge to, patients are being boarded at hospitals at an incredible expense.

Billings Clinic had 28 patients boarding in the hospital mid-February as they waited for a nursing home to accept their referral, according to previous reporting by The Gazette. Of those patients, 11 had been there for more than 40 days and 17 had been there more than 10 days.
RSS files FIR against media houses for claiming Sangh will have second HQ in Ayodhya

Construction of new mosque at Ayodhya to begin soon as ADA gives final nod

Ram Lallas idol to be played in Ram Mandir next January says trust treasure

Ayodhya: Hanuman Garhi seers invites Rahul Gandhi to stay in temple

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

A mahant at the Hanumangarhi Mandir here on Monday invited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to stay on the temple premises after he vacates the government bungalow allotted to him as Member of Parliament.

Gandhi was recently served a notice to vacate the bungalow following his disqualification from Lok Sabha on being convicted by a Gujarat court in a criminal defamation case and awarded a two-year sentence.

The "offer" was interpreted by some as an expression of support for the Congress from a mahant of a temple in a BJP bastion. "We, the seers of Ayodhya, welcome Rahul Gandhi to this pious city, we offer him our place to reside," priest Sanjay Das said.

UP CM approves over infrastructure projects worth Rs 400 crore in Ayodhya

Mahant Sanjay Das is heir to the prestigious seat of Mahant Gyan Das, the elderly seer of Hanumangarhi. Sanjay Das is also the national president of the Sankat Mochan Sena.

Talking to PTI, Das said if Gandhi wants to come and live in the Hanumangarhi campus, he is most welcome.

"Rahul Gandhi must come to Ayodhya and visit Hanumangarhi and offer prayers here. There are many such ashrams in the campus area of Hanumangarhi, he should come and stay in our ashram, we will be happy," he added.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 23:34 [IST]
Bhutanese King on 3-day India visit amid row over his PM's China comment

India

oi-Deepika S

Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will begin his three-day visit to India beginning Monday, to expand the close bilateral ties, especially in the sphere of economic and development cooperation.

During his visit, he will hold talks with President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust," the MEA said in a statement. "The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the close bilateral partnership, including economic and development cooperation," it said.

The visit comes at a time when India appears riled over Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering's comment that China has an equal say over the Doklam row. "Doklam is a junction point between India, China and Bhutan. It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem," Tshering said in an interview with La Libre.

"We are three. There is no big or small country, there are three equal countries, each counting for a third," he added. This is in contrast with Tshering's 2019 statement where he said that ''no side'' should do anything ''unilaterally" near the existing trijunction point between the three countries.

Bhutan PM Lotay Tsherings 'Chinas say in Doklam remarks raises concerns in India

China in recent years stepped efforts to establish diplomatic contacts with Bhutan and to expedite negotiations to reach a settlement for the vexed border dispute which was exasperated by Beijing's attempts to claim Doklam despite Thimphu's assertions that the area belonged to it.

India had strongly opposed the construction of the road by the Chinese military at the Doklam tri-junction as it would have impacted its overall security interests since it runs close to the narrow Siliguri Corridor also known as the Chicken Neck connecting India with its North-east. The standoff ended after Beijing dropped its plan to build the road.

China has also ramped up efforts to develop the villages located along borders with India, Bhutan and Nepal with infrastructure development and preferential policies.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 12:46 [IST]
Doubt, suspicion cannot be basis of guilt says Supreme Court

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Supreme Court recently acquitted a man convicted of murdering his wife 22 years back, after it was found that he was found to be guilty on mere suspicion.

A Division Bench comprising, Justice B R Gavai and Sanjay Karol were of the view that the appellant was convicted only for the reason that he was last seen with his deceased wife. The circumstances linking the appellant to the crime are not proven at all, much beyond reasonable doubt, the Bench held.

"Suspicion howsoever grave it may be, remains only a doubtful pigment in the story canvassed by the prosecution for establishing its case beyond any reasonable doubt...Save and except for the above, there is no evidence: ocular, circumstantial or otherwise, which could establish the guilt of the accused. There is no discovery of any fact linking the accused to the crime sought to be proved, much less, established by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt," the judgment read.

SC refuses to stay conviction of SP leader Abdullah Azam Khan in criminal case

The Supreme Court said that this would explain how the courts below have erred seriously in passing the order of conviction. The conviction was handed out based on incorrect and incomplete appreciation of evidence, the Bench said.

The court was hearing an appeal challenging a 2004 Jharkhand High Court order affirming the conviction and life sentence of the accused-appellant by the trial court.

The wife of the appellant was found murdered almost 35 years back in August 19888. Her body was found in the well of the village.

The prosecution alleged that the accused had committed the murder of his wife and then dumped her body in the well of the village with the intention of causing disappearance of evidence. The prosecution also said that the accused approached the police with unclean hands by fabricating a story that his wife was missing.

The Supreme Court took note of the fact that none of the witnesses had stated anything against the appellant in relation to the crime. The court said that no case of ill-treatment of the deceased was ever registered against the appellant.

Hence the prosecution stands unproven as the circumstances linking the accused to the crime are not proven at all, the Supreme Court said.

Hate speeches will end when politicians stop using religion: SC

"The Courts below presumptively, proceeded with the acquired assumption of the guilt of the accused for the reason that he was lastly seen with the deceased, and lodged a false report, forgetting that as per the version of the father of the deceased, father of the accused had himself apprised him of his missing daughter, at least two days prior to the incident. Doubt and suspicion cannot form basis of guilt of the accused. The circumstances linking the accused to the crime are not proven at all, much less beyond reasonable doubt," the Bench headed by Justice Gavai said.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 16:03 [IST]
The Magadh zone: Why naxals are desperate to revive it?

NIA files chargesheet against naxals for luring gullible women into their fore

Five CRPF jawans injured in IED blast during encounter with naxals in Jharkhand's Chaibasa

5 dreaded Naxals killed in encounter in Chatra jungles of Jharkhand

India

oi-Deepika S

At least five Naxals, collectively carrying a reward of over Rs 60 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jharkhand's Chatra district on Monday.

Among the five who were killed, two had rewards of Rs 25 lakh each on their heads while two others had bounties of Rs 5 lakh each.

" The five naxals killed include; Gautam Paswan and Charlie both were SAC members and carried a reward of Rs 25 lakh each, Nandu, Amar Ganjhu, and Sanjeev Bhuiyan were sub-zonal commanders and carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. AK 47, Insas rifles recovered," Jharkhand Police said.

The operation is still underway.

Last week, five Naxals, one them allegedly involved in the killing of four policemen after abducting them in 2015, were arrested from two places in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district.

Communal clashes in Jharkhand: Section 144 continues in Palamu

While four ultras, including a woman, were held near NH-63 under Nelasnar police station area, another cadre was arrested nearChinger village under Kutru police station limits, a police official said.

Separate teams of District Force and District Reserve Guard (DRG) were involved in these operations to arrest Naxals on Sunday.

Those arrested from Nelasnar were identified as Moturam Atami (25), Shankar Istami (22), Aayturam Kovasi (22) and Tulsi Poyami (19), the official said, adding that an IED and explosive materials were also recovered from their possession.

Another Naxal, Badru Miccha (30), was allegedly involved in abducting and killing four assistant constables in July 2015, he added.
Karnataka polls: This is how Cong has outlined its caste equations

Karnataka polls: Cong workers stage protest over ticket distribution

India

oi-Deepika S

Dissidence in Congress has come out in the open with several party workers staging a protest outside the party's office in Bengaluru demanding tickets for themselves and their aides.

A large group of Congress ticket aspirants gathered in front of Congress Bhawan, the Karnataka Congress Pradesh Committee office at Queens Road in Bengaluru clashed with each other seeking tickets for the state election scheduled on May 10.

Speaking to ANI, Saleem Ahmed, state unit's Working President said that there is a lot of demand for the tickets. He said that there is the CEC meeting tomorrow and the ticket distribution will be discussed and finalised.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the second list of candidates will be announced after the crucial party meeting on April 4.

Congress had already announced its first list of 124 candidates on March 25, and is yet to announce the candidates for 100 more segments.

Karnataka Assembly polls: Increased vigil at inter-state border points in Dakshina Kannada

The party has fielded Siddaramaiah from his home turf of Varuna in Mysuru district in the first list, following which the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly has expressed his intention to contest from the second seat of Kolar too, subject to the approval of the high command.

According to reports, the Karnataka unit of the Congress has finalised single names for 52 Assembly constituencies in the second list, and the Central Election Committee headed by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to take a final call.
Man kills 9-year-old daughter after argument with wife in J&Ks Kupwara

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

A man was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police for allegedly suffocating her nine-year-old daughter to death and then slitting her throat in Kupwara district on March 29, police said.

The man was identified as Mohammad Iqbal Khatana and is a driver by profession. According to police, Khatana had strangulated his daughter to death out of rage and frustration after a fight with his wife over some personal issues.

''Mohammad Iqbal Khatana was arrested last week for the March 29 killing of his minor daughter,'' a senior police officer told reporters.

Narrating the sequence of events, he said Khatana's relations with his wife, Nageena Begum, were strained for the last one year and they would often quarrel.

''On the day of the crime, Khatana, a taxi driver by profession, had a heated argument with his wife in the morning. After returning from work in the evening, he took a kitchen knife with the intention of committing suicide,'' the officer said.

While the accused was leaving the house on the pretext of getting a punctured tyre fixed, his daughter Uzma asked him for Rs 5.

''Khatana gave her a Rs 10 currency note. His wife followed him up to the courtyard. However, Uzma followed her father up to the main road,'' the officer said.

The other members of the family, including the girl's mother, presumed that Uzma had gone with her father.

''Khatana took Uzma in his vehicle and drove around for more than an hour, waiting for the roads to get deserted so that he can kill himself.

''As people left for Taraweeh, he drove his vehicle to Her-Khurhama, near a transformer, where he halted the vehicle. There, out of mental anguish due to domestic issues with his wife, he suffocated Uzma for around two to three minutes, as a result of which the girl died on the spot,'' the officer said.

Shraddha Walkar murder accused Aftab beaten up by other jail inmates

The accused then drove to his house and carried his daughter's body to a spot next to the firewood shed of his uncle's house.

''He placed the body in the shed in the supine position (chest facing upwards) and then, slit her throat with the knife, so that the blame falls on the occupants of the adjacent houses,'' the officer said.

The accused then returned home, where the other family members raised a hue and cry when they saw Uzma was not with him.

Subsequently, the accused, along with a few others, went to the Khurhama police post in his vehicle to get a missing report lodged for Uzma.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 20:11 [IST]
A Billings man admitted to robbery and firearms crimes Monday after he was accused of stealing a car at gunpoint in Billings and leading law enforcement on a chase into Big Horn County, where he was arrested, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Joseph Wayne Cantrell, 29, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with Hobbs Act Robbery and with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Cantrell faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release on the robbery charge and a mandatory minimum seven years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Aug. 2. Cantrell was detained pending further proceedings.

Prosecutors alleged in court documents that on Jan. 8, 2022, a man, sitting in his 2017 Subaru Outback in a parking lot in Billings, was approached by Cantrell through his drivers side door. The man told Cantrell to go away, at which point Cantrell pulled out a black handgun. The victim immediately surrendered his car to Cantrell, who drove off in it.

Less than an hour later, officers found Cantrell with the car. Cantrell fled and led law enforcement on a chase from Yellowstone County into Big Horn County. Law enforcement deployed spike strips to stop Cantrell and could hear gunshots coming from the car. The car wrecked a short time later and Cantrell fled with the firearm into a nearby field. The cars passenger side window had been shot out. After a standoff lasting several hours, Cantrell threw the firearm away and was arrested. The firearm was a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas K. Godfrey and Lori Harper Suek are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriffs Office, Big Horn County Sheriffs Office and Montana Probation and Parole.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer.

On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Karnataka polls: This is how Cong has outlined its caste equations

MES resurgence in Belagavi leaves national parties worried

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Maharashtra Ekikarna Samithi (MES) will contest from six assembly seats in Belagavi district.

The manner in which the MES has been planning its election campaign has left the national parties worried.

The MES is fighting for the merger of 865 villages of Karnataka, including Belagavi into Maharashtra. The party has decided to field candidates in Belagavi (North), Belagavi (South), Belagavi (Rural), Khanapur, Yamakanmaradi and Nilani.

Karnataka polls: Cong workers stage protest over ticket distribution

The MES is looking for a triangular contest with the Congress and BJP in the three segments of Belagavi and Khanapur. The focus would be on the Belagavi (south) constituency which is represented by the BJP's Abhay Patil. It is also training its guns on Khanapur which is represented by Congress MLA, Anjali Nimbalkar.

Over the past six months, the MES has been working round the clock to strengthen its chances in these areas.

In the 2018 elections, the MES was whitewashed. In the 70s and 80s, the party had 6-7 legislators in the Karnataka Assembly.

The MES which has lost a lot of leaders due to infighting, this time are however trying to regroup and put up a good fight. The rise of the MES has left the national parties worried and counter-strategies are being planned to counter the party which has sought the merger of Belagavi in Maharashtra.

Recently the MES held a meeting to discuss the strategy ahead of the May 10 Karnataka elections. Working president of the party and former MLA, Manohar Kinekar and city president, Deepak Dalavi said that this is an election of existence for the MES. They also said that this is the right time to fight against injustice.

Kinekar also spoke about the dispute in the Khanapur MES as one of the leaders decided to quit the party and contest as an independent against an official candidate of the MES.

"Teach a befitting lesson to such traitors," Kinekar also said.

Karnataka Assembly polls: Increased vigil at inter-state border points in Dakshina Kannada

He went on to say that the party had to struggle in the past six months to bring unity in the organisation, but some traitors formed a separate faction. This is unacceptable, Kinekar also said.

To prevent more such situations, the MES has formed a high-powered committee to manage dissent among the leaders in the six constituencies.
No corrupt person should be spared: PM Modi at CBI event

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has emerged as a brand for justice and given hope and strength to the common man.

Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the agency, PM Modi said, "CBI has given hope and strength to the common citizen. People hold protests to demand CBI inquiry as CBI has emerged as a brand for truth and justice."

The CBI was established by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India dated 1st April 1963.

In his address, the Prime Minister said that the central agency's scope has increased manifold but the main responsibility of the CBI is to make the country corruption free.

"India cannot move forward without professional and efficient Institutions like CBI. From bank frauds to wildlife-related frauds, the CBI's scope of work has increased manifold but the main responsibility of the CBI is to make the country corruption free," he said.

"Through their work and skills, CBI has instilled trust among the common citizens of the country", the Prime Minister said. He noted that even today when an unsolvable case comes, a common accord emerges asking for the case to be handed over to CBI. Giving examples, the Prime Minister mentioned that at times protests erupt in cities for a case to be handed over to CBI. Even at the Panchayat level when a matter arises, the Prime Minister said, a mutual voice amongst the citizens demands a CBI inquiry.

"CBI's name is on everyone's lips. It is like a brand for truth and justice", the Prime Minister remarked as he noted the extraordinary feat of winning the trust of the common populace. The Prime Minister congratulated everyone who has been associated with CBI in this journey of 60 years, a statement from his office said.

"Corruption is not an ordinary crime, it snatches the rights of the poor, it begets many other crimes, corruption is the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy", he said. He said corruption in the government system hampers democracy and the first casualty are the dreams of the youth as in such circumstances a certain type of ecosystem flourishes killing talent. Corruption, the Prime Minister continued, promotes nepotism and a dynastic system which erodes the nation's strength, seriously hampering development.

He recalled bringing transparency in the processes of issuing government tenders and also highlighted the difference in 2G and 5G spectrum allocations. The Prime Minister emphasized that GeM (Government eMarketplace) Portal has been established to ensure transparency in making purchases in every department of the Central Government.

The Prime Minister said today's Internet banking and UPI stand in stark contrast to the earlier 'phone banking' malaise. The Prime Minister highlighted the efforts of recent years to bring the banking sector to an even keel. He mentioned the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act which has so far enabled the confiscation of 20 thousand crore worth of properties of fugitive offenders.

Giving the example of Direct Benefit transfer, the Prime Minister said that the government has so far transferred 27 lakh crores to the poor and also pointed out that based on the one rupee 15 paise theory, 16 lakh crores would have already disappeared. The Prime Minister remarked that beneficiaries are getting their full entitlement with the trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile where more than 8 crore fake beneficiaries have been removed from the system. "Due to DBT, about 2.25 lakh crore rupees of the country have been saved from going into the wrong hands", the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister recalled the corruption in recruitments in the name of interviews. He said that is why interviews were abolished in Group C and Group D services at the center. Similarly, Urea related scams were tackled by neem-coating of urea. The Prime Minister also remarked on growing transparency in the defence deal and emphasis on aatmnirbharta in the defence sector.

The Prime Minister dwelled at length on the problems created by delays in the investigation such as delay in punishment of the culprit and harassment of the innocent. He stressed the need for speeding up the process, adopting best international practices and capacity building of the officers to clear the way of holding the corrupt accountable quickly.

The Prime Minister made it clear that "Today there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country." He asked officers to take action without hesitation against the corrupt, however powerful. He asked them not to be deterred by the history of the power of the corrupt and the ecosystem created by them to tarnish the investigative agencies. "These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the countrymen. The country, law and constitution are with you", PM Modi emphasized.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 16:45 [IST]
Pakistan opens sea-route to push arms, ammo, drugs into Punjab

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Pakistan has opened up its sea-route to push arms and ammunition into Punjab.

A Pakistani boat was intercepted in December last year off the Gujarat coast and in it the agencies found a huge consignment of arms and ammunition. Further investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) learnt that the consignment was sent to India from Pakistan's Balochistan-based Poshani sea shore. The probe also revealed that the consignment was sent to Gujarat from where it was meant to be taken to Punjab.

This development comes in the wake of the Intelligence agencies reporting that Pakistan has been making attempts to foment trouble in Punjab in a big way. It also comes in the wake of a massive man-hunt being launched for pro-khalistan leader, Amritpal Singh.

In addition to arms and ammunition, Pakistan has also been using the sea route to push in drugs, including heroin. A source tells OneIndia that drugs were meant to be sold in Punjab and the adjoining areas and the proceeds of the same were meant to be used to fund terror in Punjab.

Another 26/11 averted: Agencies intercept Pakistan boat, arrest 10, recover drugs worth Rs 300 crore

Earlier this month, the NIA had filed an FIR against 10 accused persons belonging to the Balochistan region. In it, the NIA said that six-foreign made pistols with six magazines and 120 live cartridges along with 40 kilograms of narcotics, including heroin, were seized following the interception of a boat on December 28 last year near Okha in Gujarat. A report in the Tribune said that the consignment was sent by a drug mafia run by Haji Salim Baloch Wala of Balochistan.

There has been heightened activity in Punjab after Pakistan activated its K2 desk to target both the state and Kashmir. Incidents in Punjab have been on the rise and this is courtesy the special focus that the ISI has put on the state. The source cited above said that Pakistan is using all resources at its disposal to foment trouble in Punjab.

While on one hand, it is sending in consignments of arms and ammunition through the sea route, on the other it has been using drones to drop off drugs and other items along the International Border with Punjab. The other worry is the kind of propaganda that is being done from abroad through proscribed terror groups such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The NIA in a recent probe found that these elements sitting abroad have activated the gangster network to indulge in killings in Punjab.

In all recent incidents, including the RPG attack it was found that terror groups backed by Pakistan had used local gangsters to carry out these attacks. This is a perfect ploy by Pakistan and when investigations commence, it appears as though a local network has carried out the attack. This on the other hand gives Pakistan the deniability factor, the source also said.
Suspense over as Mukul Roy says, I want to be in BJP

Prohibitory fiat continues as Bengal remains tense, internet off in many areas

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

West Bengal remained tense since the violence that broke out on Ram Navami.

Two groups clashed during a Ram Naval procession that took place on Sunday evening.

Bengal remained tense for the third day in a row, with prohibitory orders being extended and internet remaining snapped in many parts of the state.

BJP MLA BIman Gosh who was part of the procession was also injured in the clash. Reports suggested that stone were pelted during the procession.

Bengal violence: Section 144 imposed, internet suspended in Hooghly

The police have so far arrested 12 persons who had indulged in vandalism and setting cars ablaze.

Taking into account the gravity of the situation, the police have imposed Section 144, which bars the assembly of four or more persons at a place. Heavy police deployment is also in place to prevent any flare up.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station limits by the BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations on Sunday. The second procession came under attack at the Wellington Jute Mill More on G T Road at around 6.15 pm, the price said.

Ghosh according to an India Today report suffered injures in the eye in the stone pelting. The assailants even hurled bombs too, he alleged. He wrote to Bengal Governor, C V Ananda Bose claiming that the attack on the procession was planned and took place due to police inaction. He even sought the deployment of central forces in Bengal.

BJP's vice-president, Dilip Ghosh told news agency PTI that he was part o the second procession. The stone pelting and vandalism was unprovoked, he also said.

The BJP has slammed the Trinamool Congress government for the violence and said that it failed to maintain law and order in the state.

"Hindus are afraid in West Bengal. They may be attacked again," Ghosh said.

The state's Industry Minister, Shashi Panja on the other hand accused the BJP of trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state.

Thugs will be crushed with iron hand: Bengal Governor on Hoogly violence

"BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," Panja also said.

The Trinamool Congress' Jayprakash Majumdar went a step ahead and questioned the need to organise a procession, two days after Ram Namavmi.

"Why is the BJP so hell-bent upon taking out the processions two days after Ram Navami? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI.
Rahul going to Surat with pomp a bid to 'influence' judiciary, alleges BJP

India

oi-Prakash KL

As Rahul Gandhi is all set to move Surat Sessions court challenging his conviction in a criminal defamation case, ruling BJP has come down heavily on the Congress leader accusing him of attempting to "pressurise" the court by appearing before it with "all pomp and show".

Gandhi is expected to reach the court at around 3 pm today, Congress sources told news agency PTI.

The saffron party has pointed out that Gandhi family and some Chief Ministers are going to Surat "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" to the OBC community.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing against the verdict (conviction and two-year jail term). What's the need for this ruckus?" ANI quoted party spokesperson Sambit Patra as asking in a press conference.

Rahul to appeal against his conviction in Surat court today: 10 points

BJP then asked Congress whether its leaders are going to the court in full strength to "pressurise" the judiciary. "Rahul Gandhi, is it not true that you used a casteist remark against the OBC community? You called them a thief and abused them. You are going to Surat with your family and some Chief Ministers with pomp and show. Do you want to pressurise the judiciary?" he sought to know.

"Appealing is a democratic right. You are going to augment the insult that you have thrown to the OBC community by going and staging this kind of show in Surat. Are you trying to pressurise the Indian judiciary through these gimmicks of yours?" Patra wondered.

The BJP leader slammed Gandhi over his "arrogance" and alleged that he is still not ready to apologise to the lower court for his remark. "The lower court had given him opportunity to apologise, but he denied stating that he is Rahul and he will not apologise. Rahul and responsibility never go together," he asked.

"Why is this arrogance? The Supreme Court had pulled him up for his unbecoming remarks against PM Narendra Modi. He wasn't ready to apologise in Supreme Court too, but the court made him apologise in written in the form of an affidavit," Patra pointed out.

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"Rahul Gandhi did not apologise to the lower court in Surat. Today, he is going there with his family to repeat and add to the insult he inflicted upon the OBC community," he added.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that India won't tolerate the insult of backwards and questioned whether one family is bigger than the country. "Earlier, P.V. Narasimha Rao, P. Chidambaram, D.K. Shivakumar had gone to jail too. How many Congress people went with them? Is one family bigger than the country?" Thakur questioned.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of doing a "drama to threaten the judiciary." "I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country," Rijiju stated.

Defamation case against Rahul for calling 'RSS-21st century Kauravas'

Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case. Following his disqualification, the former Congress chief would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint of BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "how come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

With inputs from agencies
Tharoor tells Jaishankar to 'cool a bit' on West's attitude towards others

India

oi-Prakash KL

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has urged External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to "cool a bit" following the latter's remark "West has a bad habit of commenting on others" in response to the US and Germany's comments on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Tharoor said that there is no need to react to every comment. "We need not be so thin-skinned. I think it's very important that as the government, we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge EAM Jaishankar to cool a little bit," ANI quoted Tharoor as saying.

Dr. Jaishankar slammed the West for commenting on India's internal issues. "The West thinks it has a God-given right to comment on internal matters of other countries," ANI had quoted the External Affairs Minister as saying at an event in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Jaishankar said, "I will give you the truthful answer (on why we see West commenting on India). There are two reasons. It is because the West has a bad habit of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if they keep doing this, other people will also start commenting (on their internal issues) and they (West) will not like it when it happens. And I see that happening," he said.

'West thinks it has God-given right to comment on internal matters of others': Jaishankar slams US, Germany

Jaishankar was answering to a question asked by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya during the 'Meet and Greet', an interaction programme organised by Surya and Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park in the city.

"The second part of the truth - In our arguments... you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India, and (urging) America and the world (by saying), 'why are you (just) standing by, doing nothing?" he explained.

"So, if somebody from here goes and says why are you standing by and saying nothing, then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, and part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing," he added.
Winning Karnataka is crucial for the BJP ahead of the 2024 elections

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

It has been back and forth for the BJP in Karnataka. In the past couple of months, it has brought its tallest leader, B S Yediyurappa back in the lead, thus indicating that it needs him to win Karnataka.

However the BJP it is not the 2023 battle for Karnataka alone. It is also focusing on the 2024 elections where there are 28 seats up for grabs. The BJP currently has 25 MPs from Karnataka.

Polls in Karnataka will be held on May 10, while counting will take place on May 13. For the BJP the elections are much more prestigious as it holds power only in one South Indian state-Karnataka. The push for Karnataka also comes in the wake of the party aspiring for power in the other southern states of Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

Karnataka polls: Cong workers stage protest over ticket distribution

For the battle in Karnataka, the BJP has been strengthening its organisational structure and is also banking heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The experience of Yediyurappa will also be a major factor for the party, as he enjoys a massive clout with the Lingayats and farmers. While Yediyurappa will play the Lingayat card, his son Vijayendra has managed to prove his political acumen during the many by-elections that have been held. In those by-polls, he has managed to win over the Vokkaliga votes, which has remained a stranger for the BJP.

The manner in which the top brass have dealt with Yediyurappa this time clearly shows that he is the man to go to. Yediyurappa has announced that he will not contest the elections, thus giving the signal that he wants his son to come out of his shadow. However for the BJP, he still remains the tallest leader and without him, the BJP have it tough going in the state.

Post his resignation as the chief minister of Karnataka, it was being said that Yediyurappa has been pushed into the side-lines. However the party asking him to anchor the Vijay Sankalp Yatras and the inauguration of an airport from his home town of Shivamogga, were all clear messages that the BJP is not yet to prepared to face an election without him.

Karnataka Assembly polls: Increased vigil at inter-state border points in Dakshina Kannada

This time around the BJP has decided not to target just the Lingayats. There is a massive push to bag in the votes of the Vokkaligas, Dalits and tribals. The recent decision to realign the reservation for both the Vokkaligas and Lingayats is proof of the same. The four per cent reservation for Muslims was taken away and equally divided between the Vokaligas and Lingayats.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 17:49 [IST]
Objecting to such visit will not change reality: India to China on Shah's visit to Arunachal

Chinese 'spy' balloon gathered sensitive intel from US military sites

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

American media outlet NBC News on Monday reported a Chinese high-altitude spy balloon that flew across the United States was able to collect intelligence from several sensitive US military sites. The collected data was then transmitted to Beijing in real time despite efforts by the Biden administration to prevent the same, the report stated.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon balloon said to be the size of three buses, which made multiple passes over a few military sites, was shot down on February 4. It was able to fly in a figure-eight formation, and could send the information it collected to Beijing in real time.

China was able to control the balloon so it could make multiple passes over some of the sites (at times flying figure-eight formations) and transmit the information it collected back to Beijing in real time, NBC News reported, quoting three unnamed officials.

The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images, the officials were quoted as saying in the report.

The three officials said China could have gathered much more intelligence from sensitive sites if not for the Biden administration's efforts to move around potential targets and obscure the balloon's ability to pick up their electronic signals by stopping them from broadcasting signals, the report said.

How Indian defence is planning to deal with Chinese spy-balloon-like incidents

The balloon first entered US airspace from Alaska on January 28, according to the Biden administration.

Over the next four days, it was flying over the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where the US has some of its nuclear assets. Both US and China are yet to issue a clarification over the NBC report.

The development further strained the already tense bilateral ties between the US and China, with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly postponed his key visit to Beijing in February this year.

The US National Security Council has referred NBC News to the Defence Department for comment.

In its response, Beijing maintained that the balloon was a Chinese ''civilian airship'' which had deviated from its planned route.

''The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes,'' the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.

"This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, US fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People's Republic of China over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace," Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had said.

US officials said they tried to reconstruct the balloon from the debris recovered.
It was the best day in history says Donald Trump as his ratings soar

New York braces for protests ahead of Donald Trump surrender

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The New York City police have set up metal barriers around Trump Towers and blocked roads near the Manhattan Criminal Court House as they brace for a protests ahead of Donald Trump expecting to surrender to prosecutors on Tuesday.

Trump is set to be arranged at the court house on Tuesday afternoon, following his indictment in a grand jury over hush money paid to a porn star. Trump, incidentally is the first former US president to face criminal charges.

Trump has described the probe as a political witch hunt. Top Republican lawmakers like Marjorie Taylor Greene have said that they will go to New York to protest. The downtown court house, home to criminal and Supreme Court, will shut down some courtrooms ahead of the surrender.

The New York police have said that there are no potential threats to the city.

After indictment, Trump raises over USD 4 million in 24 hours

Some social media users have called for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the jury that indicted Trump to be executed, Site Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremism said.

Trump's supporters online have expressed wariness about public demonstrations, even after Trump called for them, concerned they could be arrested.

"The department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," NYPD said in a statement.

Trump who is in Florida is expected to fly to New York and stay at the Trump Tower, before his potential surrender on Tuesday.

The New York Young Republican Club says that it is planning a protests at a park across the street from the court house. Greene, one of Trump's staunchest supporters has said that she would attend the protest.

Who is Stormy Daniels? A retired porn actress who got Trump indicted

"Protesting is a constitutional right," Greene said on Twitter. She added that she would protest this unprecedented abuse of the justice system and election interference. Greene also said that she rejects anyone who incites or commits violence.

The grand jury had evidence of a $130,000 payout to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels whose real name is Stephanie Clifford said that she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump in 2006. Trump has however denied the allegation.

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Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 9:28 [IST]
Solar eclipse: 5 myths associated with it busted by scientists

This is your chance to name four newly-born cheetah cubs at Kuno park

New Delhi

oi-Deepika S

The government has launched a contest to name the four cubs born to one of the cheetahs translocated to India from Namibia.

The four cubs were born three days after one of the cheetahs, Sasha, died due to a kidney ailment.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav described the birth of the four cubs as a momentous event in India's wildlife conservation history during 'Amrit Kaal'.

"I am delighted to share that four cubs have been born to one of the cheetahs translocated to India on 17th September 2022, under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi," he tweeted.

The minister congratulated the entire team of Project Cheetah for their relentless efforts in bringing back the large carnivore to India and for their efforts in correcting an ecological wrong done in the past.

"Time to name the Kuno cubs!", tweeted Bhupender Yadav sharing the details of the naming contest.

"Participate in the #MyGovContest and give a name to the four adorable cheetah cubs born in Kuno National Park. Let's show some love to these majestic creatures!", the government announced in a tweet.

How to name Kuno cubs

To participate, visit: https://www.mygov.in/task/name-four-newly-born-cheetah-cubs-kuno/

Login and register yourself on the portal. Submit your suggestions.

The last date to submit your names is April 30, 2023.

Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight spotted felines five females and three males - from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year.

One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, had died due to a kidney-related ailment on Monday, forest and wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh said.

Under the ambitious Cheetah reintroduction programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the first batch of eight spotted felines five females and three males - from Namibia into a quarantine enclosure at Kuno in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd birthday on September 17 last year.

One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, had died due to a kidney-related ailment on Monday, forest and wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh said.

with agency inputs

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, April 3, 2023, 16:34 [IST]
An effort to supersede North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgums rejection of a bill to restrict the treatment of transgender K-12 students has fallen flat.

A 56-36 vote in the state House of Representatives on Monday means Burgums veto of Senate Bill 2231 stands and the legislation will not go into effect.cl

Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber. The Senate cleared that threshold last week with a 37-9 vote.

The bill sponsored by Sen. Larry Luick, R-Fairmount, at the request of the North Dakota Catholic Conference, would have barred school districts and their governing boards from creating policies to accommodate transgender students unless parents give explicit permission.

The legislation denounced by LGBTQ advocates said public school teachers could not have been required to use a students pronouns if they dont align with their sex at birth. A teacher would have been allowed to use a transgender students preferred pronouns but only if the childs parents and a school administrator give their blessing.

Schools would have been prohibited from providing classroom instruction that recognizes the concept that gender identity can differ from sex at birth.

The bill also stated that public agencies and other government entities could not have required employees to use a transgender colleagues preferred pronoun in work-related communications.

Despite Monday's setback, supporters of the proposal haven't given up on cementing restrictions on the treatment of transgender students in state law.

The Senate amended House Bill 1522 on Monday to include provisions that would bar special policies for transgender K-12 students and require teachers to disclose information about students transgender status to parents. The Senate passed the amended bill, which will now head back to the House.

Burgum said in a veto letter last week that Luick's bill improperly injects the state into local matters and puts teachers in a difficult position.

"The teaching profession is challenging enough without the heavy hand of state government forcing teachers to take on the role of pronoun police, Burgum said in the veto letter. Parents, teachers and administrators using compassion, empathy and common sense can address individual and infrequent situations that may arise."

Proponents of the legislation said it would protect teachers and public employees who are caught in the crossfire of a national debate on pronouns.

Rep. Scott Dyk, R-Williston, said requiring teachers and employees to call students and colleagues by a gender pronoun that does not align with their birth sex is a violation of "basic freedoms."

"If we cant challenge falsehoods, then we could potentially be imprisoned by them," Dyk said. "That would be one of the most profound forms of unfreedom that any human could experience.

LGBTQ advocates and mental health professionals fought against the bill, contending that it singles out transgender youth, who are already at risk of mental health issues.

Rep. Jim Jonas, R-West Fargo, and several other lawmakers noted that teachers and the organizations that represent them largely opposed the bill. The legislation would prevent schools from teaching staff how to best accommodate transgender students and their individual learning plans, said Jonas, a West Fargo School Board member.

Luick's proposal was the first in what will likely be a series of bills targeting gender issues to cross Burgum's desk. Conservative lawmakers still are considering about a dozen other proposals that would restrict health care, activities and personal expression for transgender residents.

The state Senate sent three more bills to Burgum on Monday that would bar gender-affirming care for transgender minors and restrict transgender females in sports.

Its not the first time the legislative and executive branches have clashed over bills aimed at restricting transgender children.

In 2021, Burgum vetoed a bill to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in K-12 sports. Conservative lawmakers narrowly failed to override the governors rejection.
The Battle of Bakhmut is an ongoing series of military engagements in and near the city of Bakhmut between Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces during the larger battle for Donbas. While the shelling of Bakhmut began in May 2022, the main assault towards the city started on 1 August after Russian forces advanced from the Popasna direction, following a Ukrainian withdrawal from that front. The main assault force primarily consists of mercenaries from the Russian paramilitary organization Wagner Group, supported by regular Russian troops and DPR and LPR separatist elements.
Bulgarians are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. The Bulgarians form the majority of the population in Bulgaria as well as historical minority communities in the neighbouring countries from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, more specifically in Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and in other countries situated throughout the Balkan peninsula.
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Anthony Albanese said Labors upset victory in the Aston byelection showed Peter Dutton had been overly negative and too focused on internal party issues.
Parisians have overwhelmingly voted to banish the French capitals ubiquitous for-hire e-scooters from their streets, in a mini-referendum the mayor said sent a very clear message. The 15,000 opinion-dividing mini-machines could now vanish from central Paris at the end of August when contracts for the three operators expire. The question that City Hall asked in the citywide mini-referendum on Sunday was: For or against self-service scooters in Paris? The result wasnt close at all. City Hall said on its website that 103,084 people participated and 89% of them voted against the e-scooters. Mayor Anne Hidalgo vowed to respect the outcome of the consultative referendum.
Germany's Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has arrived for political talks in Ukraine in an unannounced visit. He and a small business delegation will focus on the energy sector.
Voters in Paris overwhelmingly approved of outlawing the e-scooters. However, fewer than one in 10 chose to cast a ballot. The city government said it would nevertheless treat the result as binding.
The German Chancellor is set to hold talks with Romania's leadership. He will also meet with Moldova's President Maia Sandu as her pro-European government faces pressure from Russia.
The German Chancellor is meeting Romania's leaders to discuss defense cooperation in the Black Sea region. He is also set to meet Moldova's President Maia Sandu as her pro-European government faces pressure from Russia.
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Tioga resident Jessica Pachel has plans to become a full-time elementary school teacher -- a profession in high demand in North Dakota.

She has turned to a school across the state to help her get there, while she juggles being a stay-at-home mom and a substitute teacher in the local school system. She's on track to graduate from the University of Mary's online elementary education program in the spring of 2024.

"As a mother of three and someone who lives in a small rural town where we do not have a local college or university, an online program was the most flexible and feasible option for someone in my situation," she said, adding that substitute teachers in North Dakota "are in high demand and are often working multiple times a week if not full time."

The University of Mary in Bismarck is among three North Dakota schools approved so far to take part in a new teacher apprenticeship initiative.

The effort is part of a broader strategy to address the states shortage of teachers, according to State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler. The paraprofessional-to-teacher initiative gives prospective educators an opportunity while they earn their college degrees to have their tuition paid while they also gain classroom teaching experience under a mentors supervision.

The program started with federal COVID-19 emergency funds. Minot State University was awarded $663,500 in grant money beginning in the fall of 2020, U-Mary received $575,000 in the spring of 2022 and Valley City State got $600,000 last fall, according to state Department of Public Instruction spokesman Dale Wetzel.

DPI plans to apply for a share of $85 million in apprenticeship grants that the federal Labor Department intends to award nationwide. Grants will be awarded after the application period closes May 1.

"If NDDPI is awarded the apprenticeship dollars, the University of Marys impact will extend to every level of education by including apprenticeship pathways to licensure in elementary, special and several secondary education areas," said Meghan Salyers, an associate professor of education and director of U-Mary's Student Teaching and Accreditation Program. "And it will include graduate pathways to initial licensure in secondary education areas and special education, in addition to the undergraduate elementary education and special education programs."

Senate Bill 2032 would provide another $3 million for the statewide initiative. The Senate passed the bill 44-1 earlier this session, and the House is now considering it.

DPI is an approved sponsoring agency for apprenticeships. Baesler said the department is collaborating with other agencies including the governors office, the teacher-licensing Education Standards and Practices Board, and the Department of Career and Technical Education.

The University of Mary has more than 40 students who are having one-third of their tuition paid.

"The grants and scholarships they offer have allowed me to continue my education without having to rely entirely on financial aid," Pachel said. "It's nice knowing that when I graduate, I will have little to no student loans."

Salyers said the initiative also will benefit schools, particularly "rural communities who are struggling the most during the national critical teacher shortage."

"Communities will be able to grow their own teacher pool by employing local talent while they strive toward their goal of becoming teachers through a fully supported and fully supportive program," she said.

The University of Mary for now is focusing on general education paraprofessionals. The focus at Minot State is on special education teachers, with more than 100 students enrolled.

Valley City State is aiding paraprofessionals who want to concentrate on dual licensure, which means becoming licensed to teach in two areas instead of one, or in two grades rather than one. An example would be a dual license in general education and special education. There are 29 students taking part this semester, and 29 applicants awarded a scholarship for summer/fall 2023.

Paraprofessionals who are receiving aid at the three universities were chosen for the program by their respective school districts. All three schools have waiting lists, according to Assistant State Superintendent Laurie Matzke. Officials are focusing on educators who are already working in North Dakota schools, believing they are more likely to stay after they get their teaching degree, she said.

North Dakota is one of seven founding states in the National Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching Network, which has now grown to total 16 states. Baesler said the founding states will exchange information and provide suggestions for improvement to the Labor Department. The National Center for Grow Your Own nonprofit is helping states with the effort.

Matzke in recent testimony to the House Education Committee said there are 613 "emergency licensure teacher openings" in North Dakota, up from 497 in the previous school year. The term refers to a teaching position that is either vacant or being filled by someone on an emergency license, which means a fully licensed teacher for the position couldnt be found, according to Wetzel.

The teacher shortage is a nationwide issue. The most critical shortage areas in North Dakota are K-12 special education, counselors, 9-12 science and 9-12 Career and Technical Education, Wetzel said.
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The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: national emergency, Essentia masks, food aid and more.

Emergency's end

Both of North Dakota's U.S. senators voted last week in favor of a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID-19 emergency.

It passed the House earlier, and President Joe Biden has said he will sign it. He'd been planning to wind down the national emergency status in mid-May anyway.

The status gave Biden power to make moves such as student loan forgiveness, which is tied up in the courts.

"Its time to stop pretending our country is in the same place it was three years ago," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. "The Senates passage of this resolution makes clear what should already be obvious: COVID-19 is no longer a pandemic, and this administration is out of touch with the American people."

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said his vote was "about ensuring the president and his administration stop delaying and put a stop to the unnecessary and burdensome COVID-19 mandates and policies immediately.

Essentia-masks

Essentia Health on Monday moved to a voluntary masking policy for most staff, patients and visitors, citing "the state of COVID-19."

The change applies to Essentia hospitals, clinics and home health care, including facilities in Bismarck. It does not apply to Essentias long-term care/nursing home facilities or assisted living facilities.

"As the disease has evolved, we are seeing fewer deaths and hospitalizations related to the virus," Essentia said in a statement. "Additionally, the current availability of COVID-19 vaccines and effective treatments has improved."

Masks will remain available at facility entrances. Patients can request that their provider or others on their care team wear a mask.

"We will still encourage masks for anyone who has symptoms consistent with a COVID-19 infection, a COVID-19 exposure or other infectious respiratory illnesses," Essentia said.

Food bank food

North Dakota's Agriculture Department is teaming up with the Great Plains Food Bank to buy foods grown and produced within the state and distribute them to people in need.

The effort is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Agreement program, which was introduced late last year in response to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The state's sole food bank received a $413,295 grant to purchase food from North Dakota farmers and ranchers and other producers. A second round of funding is expected later this year.

The LFPA opportunity comes at one of the more crucial times in our 40-year history as an organization, Great Plains CEO Melissa Sobolik said. What makes this program even better is that it is a win-win for local ranchers, farmers, producers and our food-insecure neighbors. The need for food assistance increased by 14% last year while food donations dropped by 21%. This program is going to help thousands of children, seniors and adults struggling with hunger.

Hunger impacts one in six people living in North Dakota, including one in four children, according to the food bank.

State Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring also lauded the program.

In addition to providing food for underserved communities, the program will help create and expand economic opportunities for local and socially disadvantaged producers, he said.

Producers interested in participating can go to bit.ly/3M17di4. All approved product needs a retail license, and any protein must have a USDA inspection stamp. For more information, contact Great Plains Food Resource Manager Stephanie Erickson at 701-232-6219.

The organization is based in Fargo, with a distribution center in Bismarck. The food bank distributes food to nearly 200 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and other charitable feeding programs in more than 100 communities across North Dakota and into eastern Minnesota. For more information, go to www.greatplainsfoodbank.org.

Testing and vaccines

A comprehensive list of free public COVID-19 testing offered in North Dakota can be found at bit.ly/3CJUniI. That site also lists where free at-home test kits are being offered.

Information on COVID-19 vaccines is at bit.ly/3GFoEjM.

County-level COVID-19 risks determined by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can be found at https://bit.ly/3Clifrq. The CDC recommends that people in high-risk areas wear a mask indoors in public, and that people in medium-risk areas who have conditions that make them prone to severe illness wear a mask.

General information is at https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
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Last years Canadian federal budget announced a defence policy review to update former Defence Minister Harjit Sajjans defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged (SSE). Minister Sajjan has moved on and left his policy statement in the hands of this successor, Anita Anand.



The defence departments website for this...
(RFE/RL)  Ukrainian officials say about two dozen civilians were killed and wounded as Russia continued its shelling of civilian-populated areas in the east and south of the country.



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SEATTLE (AP)  A federal judge has ruled that BNSF Railway intentionally violated the terms of an easement agreement with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community in Washington state by running 100-car trains carrying North Dakota crude oil over the reservation.

The ruling in the civil case comes after two BNSF engines derailed on Swinomish land in March, leaking an estimated 3,100 gallons of diesel fuel near Padilla Bay. BNSF operates a rail line through the Swinomish Reservation under a 1991 easement agreement that allows trains to carry no more than 25 cars per day. It also required BNSF to tell the tribe about the nature and identity of all cargo transported across the reservation.

In his written order last week, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik said the railway made a unilateral decision in increasing the number of trains and cars crossing the reservation without the tribes consent, The Seattle Times reported.

Lasnik ruled that BNSF willfully, consciously and knowingly exceeded the limitations on its right of access from September 2012 to May 2021 in pursuit of profits.

A BNSF spokesperson declined to comment to the newspaper on the ruling.

The tribe takes its agreements very seriously and it expects them to be honored, and we are thankful that BNSF is being held to the promises it made, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Chair Steve Edwards said in a statement.

The railroad easement crosses sensitive marine ecosystems over a swing bridge at the Swinomish Channel and a trestle across Padilla Bay within the reservation. The water bodies connect other waters of the Salish Sea, where the tribe has treaty-protected rights to fish.

The tribe learned through a 2011 Skagit County planning document that a nearby refinery would start receiving crude oil trains. It wasnt until the following year that the tribe received information from BNSF addressing current track usage, court documents show.

The tribe and BNSF discussed an amended agreement, but at no point did the Tribe approve BNSFs unilateral decision to transport unit trains across the Reservation, agree to increase the train or car limitations, or waive its contractual right of approval, Lasnik wrote.

In 2013, BNSFs in-house counsel cited the railways common carrier obligation to serve its customers in a meeting with the Swinomish. Under federal law, rail companies are required to provide reasonable freight transportation upon request.

Swinomish counsel pushed back in that meeting, pointing out that this was not the typical right of way case involving state or local regulation, Lasnik wrote, but rather involved limitations arising from a federally-approved easement crossing tribal trust lands established by treaty, the supreme law of the land.

Meanwhile, 100-car trains hauling crude oil from the Bakken Formation in and around North Dakota ran through the reservation.

Bakken oil is easier to refine into the fuels sold at the gas pump and ignites more easily. After train cars carrying Bakken crude oil exploded in Alabama, North Dakota and Quebec, a federal agency warned in 2014 that the oil has a higher degree of volatility than other crudes in the U.S.

The tribe sued in 2015, alleging BNSF was running trains with four times the number of cars permitted under an easement agreement with the tribe.

In 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed an earlier federal court ruling that found BNSF had breached the easement agreement, and the tribe has the right to enforce it. Later that year, BNSF requested permission to move 16 Bakken crude trains each month in each direction across the easement during 2021. The request was denied.

Lasnik found previous intentional easement crossings by BNSF exceeded what was outlined in the agreement, and therefore, the railway trespassed on Indian lands and is liable for the damages caused by its overburdening of the easement.

A second phase of the trial will evaluate the tribes claim for damages.
Sri Lanka Police used water cannons to disperse a group of students from the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) who were marching towards the University Grants Commission (UGC) a short while ago.

The IUSF held the protest at the Liptons Circus in Colombo against the on-going repressions in universities.
This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

The scientists of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued their first report in 1990. Only recently, they put out their sixth and latest assessment, a "final warning" on the state of the planet "" and the news was anything but good. Yes, some progress had been made in releasing humanity from its greatest addiction "" its reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas "" while the costs of solar, wind, and lithium-ion batteries have dropped rapidly. Still, greenhouse-gas emissions have continued to rise. The odds that humanity will burst through the 1.5-degree centigrade limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 seem ever more likely. Sadly, the sky's increasingly the limit, as, according to the report, "Net GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions have increased since 2010 across all major sectors" of the global economy.

And this is no longer simply science. It's daily life. We can feel it "" from heat waves to megadroughts, melting ice and rising sea levels to the recent record-breaking storms in California. As that report put it, "Human-caused climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. The evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and in particular, their attribution to human influence" has only grown stronger since the IPCC issued its previous report. And if you read the present one, though hardly written for a popular audience, almost every page is, in its own way, daunting. As one typical passage goes: "Climate change has reduced food security and affected water security due to warming, changing precipitation patterns" and greater frequency and intensity of climatic extremes, thereby hindering efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals."

In these years, from building alternative energy sources to reining in fossil fuels, advances have been made. Unfortunately, they fall distinctly short of what's truly needed to keep this planet viable for humanity, while, for instance, the two greatest greenhouse gas emitters, China and the U.S., have both recently approved new fossil-fuel-producing projects. Perhaps the key line in the report, as Somini Sengupta of the New York Times pointed out, is this: "There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all (very high confidence)." And that, my friend, is not good news!

Worse yet, as TomDispatch regular Stan Cox, author of The Green New Deal and Beyond: Ending the Climate Emergency While We Still Can, reports today, when it comes to what must be done to keep future generations within any bounds of safety, the news is grim. The MAGA crew of the Trumpublican Party, in control of all too many state legislatures and the House of Representatives, seems intent on driving this country and our world all too literally to hell in a handbasket. Tom

Tinpot Legislators

Their One-Party Rule Will Be Ruinous for the Earth

By Stan Cox

The demise of Silicon Valley Bank last month triggered plenty of angst among solar energy developers. Before it collapsed, SBV claimed it had "financed or helped finance 62 percent of community solar projects in America," according to Washington Post business reporter Evan Halper. At first, it wasn't clear who might fill that gap. MAGA politicians took great delight in the disruption of what they tediously referred to as the "woke" economy. Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) typically tweeted this non sequitur: "So these SVB guys spend all their time funding woke garbage "" 'climate change solutions' "" rather than actual banking." Meanwhile, Stephen Miller, the vampirish mastermind of Donald Trump's 2017 Muslim travel ban, asked all too rhetorically how much time and money that bank had spent on what he called equity, diversity, and climate "scams."

Why has the right become so obsessed with climate-friendly banking? Here's a clue to answering that question: just as MAGA-world was celebrating such an interruption in renewable-energy financing, red-state lawmakers were taking legal aim at private companies and local leaders considered insufficiently deferential to the fossil-fuel industry. In state after state, such politicians are now attempting to dictate the makeup of the American energy supply "" sometimes putting a thumb on the scale, at other times stomping on it.

Dictating Climate Disruption

Despite the collapse of SVB, the solar industry appears in no danger of imploding. Plenty of other lenders are stepping in to compensate for the loss. But any banks riding to the rescue, or others that openly support non-fossil-fuel energy, had better brace themselves. Republican state politicians, wielding a lot more than mean tweets, are intent on waging all-out war against private companies that don't cater to the oil, gas, and coal industries.

No surprise there. The right has long opposed any government action to curb climate change. Now, financial institutions and other private companies that, in their decision-making, consider not just profits but the environment, society, and governance (what's now coming to be known as the "ESG" principles) risk finding themselves under ever heavier fire. The term ESG has been around for almost two decades, but the far-right assault on companies that adopt its precepts goes back only about three years.

This spring "" a season in which old men's thoughts turn to "woke-ism" and lots of state legislatures are in session "" the crackdown on all things climate is only accelerating. MAGA legislators and treasurers are putting in place laws and regulations meant to prohibit state entities like pension funds from even considering climate issues when choosing where to make investments. Many are also planning to bar state agencies from doing business of any sort with private companies that refuse to deal with oil-, gas-, and coal-related enterprises.

When it comes to climate, it's increasingly clear: the red-blue "national divorce" envisioned by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is already underway. In 15 of the 19 states that emit the most carbon per dollar of production (and, not coincidentally, are among the top oil, gas, and coal producers), Republicans have total control of both the statehouse and the governor's mansion. Not surprisingly, it's in those sooty states that legislative crackdowns on climate-conscious policies are proliferating. In contrast, at least 15 of the lowest-emitting states have passed, or at least considered, bills that aim to prohibit the investment of state funds in the fossil-fuel business.

In a March 11th post, the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance reported on recent anti-climate activity in states across America. Idaho and North Dakota now have laws that prohibit officials from taking climate into account when investing state funds. Legislators in Iowa and Oklahoma have similar bills in the works, while state treasurers and attorneys general in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi have issued policy statements or directives aimed at punishing any company that considers climate change while making investment or production decisions.

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Biden to reboot ties with Africa during the U.S.- Africa Leaders summit Biden's three-day summit will feature announcements of new US investment and highlight food security -- worsened by the ...

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This week, Joe Biden summoned 49 African presidents to D.C. for an international conference.

In doing so, the administration offered assurances (through National Security spokesperson, Jake Sullivan) that in contrast to previous gatherings, it would not scold or lecture Africa's leaders about not obeying U.S. demands, e.g., in the United Nations. (There, by the way, just recently African leaders had to endure something like a schoolboy's dressing-down when many abstained from supporting American resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.)

Rather, Sullivan claimed that this time the purpose of the conference would be to listen respectfully to the leaders in question and to help them work out solutions to the continent's problems on their own terms. Participants would be treated, Sullivan pledged, with respect and as equals.

The reason for the change in attitude? It's that the United States finds itself currently locked in mortal competition for global influence with its chief rival, China. And, of course, that includes Africa.

There, the U.S. seeks not just access to the continent's vast mineral and other resources, but also to Africa's strategic geographical position and its market of over 1 billion consumers. The United States also wants to prevent spread of Chinese influence into what it and its European partners continue to understand as their inviolable post-colonial domain. For those reasons, it's important to enter into agreements with nations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with South Africa, Libya, Egypt, and Kenya.

But if that's its goal, the United States has a problem that renders it virtually incapable of competition with China in Africa - or anywhere else for that matter.

I'm referring to U.S. ideology and its history.

As the world's chief proponent of economic neoliberalism, the ideology of the United States makes it all but constitutionally unwilling to accommodate anything that smacks of socialism.

Relatedly, the U.S. track record shows that wherever there's a whiff of leftist state ownership, market control, or increased taxes on the elite, Americans will predictably apply sanctions, engage in regime change, or even assassinate, or invade. Think of Egypt's coup that stopped the Arab spring in its tracks. Think of Gaddafi's ignominious fate and of Mrs. Clinton's epitaph on his behalf, "We came, we saw, he died. Ha, ha!"

All of Africa - all the Global South - remembers such disgraceful interference with their national aspirations.

On the other hand, the People's Republic of China is hampered by no such limitations. After all, it is run by a party that calls itself "communist." That party describes its own economy as "socialism with Chinese characteristics." Its mixed economy has a huge section owned and controlled by the government. Its private sector is tightly regulated. China therefore has no quarrel with public ownership, market regulation, or with taxing the rich. It loves socialism.

Additionally, China's track record has it freely cooperating with neoliberal regimes, with despot kingdoms, and with other states aspiring to socialism. Compared with similar arrangements with the United States, China's loan contracts, Belt-and-Road projects, and other agreements generally come with far fewer if any strings attached.

So, if an African country wants to follow China's suit of socialism, its leaders will not have to fear sanctions or regime change, much less assassination or invasion from its international economic partner.

To repeat: that's not the case in dealing with the United States. And that's the simple reason why the latter will never triumph in its Global South competition with China!
GIEC Global Australia is a leading provider of comprehensive migration and study abroad services for individuals and organisations seeking guidance and assistance with their immigration and education needs. With decades of experience and a team of knowledgeable professionals, GIEC Global Australia has established a reputation for excellence in the industry. The company's website, https://giecglobal.com.au, offers a wealth of information about the various services and programs available to clients. From visa application 
Contec S.A., a startup recovering industrial raw materials from used tires, has raised EUR 10 million in their latest funding round. These funds will be used to expand the efficiency of Contec's plant (Szczecin, Poland) almost threefold. Two investors are providing the funds: HiTech ASI, the corporate venture capital fund of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and the Warsaw Equity Group, which is the majority shareholder. Contec S.A. invests in increasing processing 
Dear Annie: As a child, it was obvious that I needed braces to correct an overbite and crowding of the teeth. Kids made fun of me all the time, and I became severely depressed. My mother was a cold person, and I didnt have a positive relationship with my stepfather or stepsister.

In my 30s, after counseling, I finally had braces put on my teeth. Im now in my late 60s, and my dentist explained that the problems I am now experiencing are because the pockets created when moving teeth do not completely fill in when youre older.

It seems like, even though I take good care of my dental hygiene, I regularly have to undergo painful deep cleaning and repair work. I have worked at forgiveness toward my parents, but every time I have to undergo another painful session with the dentist, I get furious all over again that this was not taken care of when I was a child. I dont know how to handle this forgiveness when the pain is ongoing. -- Failing to Forgive

Dear Failing to Forgive: The best way to handle it is to know that forgiveness is not something you are doing for your parents -- you are doing it for yourself so that you can be free. You want to be free from the resentment that you understandably have toward your parents for not taking care of you the way you would have liked.

Know that had they known better, they would have done better, but they never did know -- and you had to pay the price. The best way to move on is to let go of the past and focus on the years ahead. The forgiveness is not about them; it is about freeing yourself. You are worthy of living without that baggage.

Dear Annie: I must take exception to an errant sentence in an otherwise excellent letter in a recent column. The reader wrote, Im 63 and number eight of a Catholic family of 10. Only one sibling remains Catholic; most of us went to other churches and are now Christian.

It needs to be pointed out that Catholics ARE Christians, as Roman Catholicism is one of the three major groups of Christianity, along with Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Many evangelical Protestant Christians would have you believe that Roman Catholicism is either a non-Christian denomination or a less pure form of Christianity, but this simply is not true, although obviously there are many distinct differences.

Anyway, just felt compelled to point this out in case it comes up again. We enjoy your columns, and keep up the good work! Thank you. -- A Proud Lifelong Roman Catholic

Dear Proud Catholic: Thank you for sharing that distinction.

Dear Annie: I have one grandson who has never cared for hugging. So a few years ago, he and I came up with our own special fist bump. After the bump, we touch the tips of our index and pinky fingers. This puts our hands in the same position as I love you in sign language. He is now 12. -- Special Fist Bump

Dear Fist Bump: Thank you for your suggestion. I love that you were able to connect with him in a way that felt safe and good for him.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CREATORS.COM
The biggest white-collar criminal trial in recent Portland history is scheduled to get underway Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland as three executives of defunct financier Aequitas Capital face accusations they bilked investors out of more than $600 million.

Bob Jesenik, Brian Rice and Andrew MacRitchie face multiple charges of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy that could get them years in prison if convicted.

None of the three defendants are at all happy that theyre being tried together. Rice, in particular, a former bank president in Portland, said in federal court filings that he was conned by Jesenik and other Aequitas executives just like its many investors.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon denied their requests for separate trials.

Prosecutors may face a difficult task explaining to a jury the complex interrelationships of Aequitas various companies. There are nearly 70 different entities on the Aequitas org chart.

Plus, investors have recovered far more of their losses than initially feared. The court-appointed receiver managed to raise $325 million through the sale of various Aequitas assets and the collection of money owed to Aequitas.

Aequitas was in the finance business. It invested in finance companies, it loaned money to finance companies, and it operated finance companies. It financed its own operations with money raised from investors, promising to repay them over time.

The business wasnt always pretty. It bankrolled a healthcare receivables company whose business was pursuing patients, often sick, poor and uninsured, for unpaid hospital debt.

Aequitas most notorious deal financed high-interest student loans for the for-profit Corinthian Colleges. The loans were very profitable, but it also made Aequitas complicit in one of the worst examples of abusive student lending.

Corinthians degrees were both hugely expensive and near-worthless, government investigators later determined. The U.S Education Department cut off Corinthian from any further federal student loan money in 2015. Weeks later, the company collapsed.

Years later, the U.S. Education Department, at the direction of President Joe Biden, forgave $5.8 billion in Corinthian student debt over what the department called widespread predatory lending.

Aequitas had purchased nearly $200 million of Corinthian student debt and continued to pursue former students for repayment years after Corinthians liquidation. Oregon and several other states with Corinthian colleges demanded damages from Aequitas.

Aequitas agreed to settle with Oregon, several other states and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in August 2017 for $192 million. Federal regulators would later allege Aequitas was also defrauding its own investors. The loss of the student loan profits plunged Aequitas into a financial tailspin. In 2015 it didnt have the cash to repay the investors.

In March 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission seized control of Aequitas and a court-appointed receiver took charge. Regulators claimed Aequitas was running a Ponzi-like scheme, using new investor money to pay off prior investors.

Four years later, in 2020, federal prosecutors filed charges against Jesenik and six other Aequitas executives.

The government recently notified the court that its first witness will be Brian Oliver, the co-founder and long-time second-in-command at the firm. Oliver cut a plea deal with the government to cooperate in return for more lenient treatment.

A second former Aequitas executive  former Chief Financial Officer Olaf Janke  also has pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors could get some unexpected assistance in the six-week trial from Rice, one of the defendants.

The onetime president of KeyBank in Oregon claims Jesenik and other Aequitas executives lied to him about the companys financial condition when he was recruited in 2014, just as it lied to its investors.

In his motion seeking a separate trial, Rices attorney asked: Why would Mr. Rice leave a reputable, high-paying job at a national bank to join a Ponzi scheme? There is only one answer: he was hoodwinked by a criminal huckster.

All three of the defendants claim theyre innocent.

Jesenik, who in days past lived in a sprawling West Linn estate, often traveled by corporate jet and liked to show off his sizable wine cellar, told U.S. District Court officials that his personal financial position has declined to the point that he qualifies for a lawyer from the U.S. Public Defenders Office.

In fact, Jesenik has four lawyers, two funded by taxpayers from the public defenders office and two private-practice attorneys who volunteered to serve the indigent.
A last-minute amendment to a state gun control bill that largely mimics voter-approved Measure 114 would restrict future legal challenges to the bill to Marion County Circuit Court.

The move is aimed at avoiding so-called forum shopping, the practice of pursuing a legal claim in a court that is likely to treat it most favorably.

Late last year, the Virginia-based Gun Owners of America filed a lawsuit in Oregons rural and conservative Harney County, where a judge issued injunctions putting Measure 114 on hold as he considers whether the new gun regulations meet state constitutional muster.

In Harney County, 85% of voters opposed the measure last November. In Marion County, 58% of voters opposed the measure and 42% supported it, according to state certified results. The measure narrowly passed statewide with 50.7% support.

While the plaintiffs challenging Measure 114 in Harney County appeared to be seeking a ruling reflecting their point of view, the amendment also does smack a bit of forum shopping, too, even though legislatures have a fair amount of control over court jurisdiction, said Steve Kanter, dean emeritus at Lewis & Clark Law School.

Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R- Klamath Falls, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, blasted the amendment in a statement Monday.

This is just a naked attempt to thwart perfectly valid, warranted and legal challenges by camouflaging the illegal, unconstitutional, and deceitful nature of this bill behind the entitlement of a single jurisdictional authority, he wrote. " One jurisdiction to rule them all, and a jurisdiction that is most-likely beholden to the Democrat party.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, filed the amendment to Senate Bill 348 on Friday night after holding a public hearing on the main bill last week. He did not immediately respond to messages seeking his comment. Prozanski sponsored the bill, which was drafted by a state legislative counsel after a work group was convened.

The committee, which was scheduled Monday to consider the amendment and then decide whether to hold a vote and pass the bill out of committee, postponed the work session on the bill and amendment until Tuesday at 1 p.m.

SB 348 sets out a procedure to apply for a permit to buy a gun and requires state police to complete a background check before a gun can be sold or transferred to a permit holder, starting July 1, 2024. It also would ban the sale or purchase of magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition, except for use by military or law enforcement officers. The large-capacity ammunition ban would become effective on the date the bill is signed into law if approved.

The bill goes further than Measure 114 by also raising the age for gun buyers, increasing the waiting period to obtain a gun and increasing the fees to obtain a gun permit.

People would have to be 21 to get a permit and buy a gun with one temporary exception: 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds could buy certain hunting rifles and shotguns without a permit until July 2026 -- as long as they have completed a firearms safety course.

The initial fee to apply for a permit would be $150, with no more than $48 going to state police and the FBI to support the criminal background checks. The rest would go to local law enforcement. The permit would be valid for five years. A renewal would cost $110 but applicants wouldnt have to take a new gun training course.

The bill also adds a 72-hour waiting period to sell or a transfer a gun to people after theyve obtained a permit and received state police approval on their background check.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

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Portland design reporter Damon Johnstun will cover the 61th edition of Salone del Mobile, the prestigious furnishing and design show, April 18-23 at Fiera Milano Rho in Milan, Italy. The trends and products that debuted during Milan Design Week last year are showing up in showrooms. Here is a designer spotlight:

During Milan design week 2022, I sat down with Carola Bestetti, CEO of Living Divani, a family-owned, Italian furniture company founded more than 50 years ago by her father, Luigi Bestetti, and Renata Pozzoli.

Before becoming the second-generation to lead the company, Carola Bestetti gained experience in New York, which she said influenced her openness and curiosity. Both traits, along with disrupting the status quo, are part of Living Divanis success.

The high-end furniture design sector is a complex one, with many challenges including sourcing materials, the construction process and complexities involved in the world of furniture design and manufacturing and slim margins. Yet, Living Divani is set to become a major player.

Bestetti acknowledges that change can be difficult, especially for longstanding companies with established practices. Therefore, she prefers a gradual approach that builds on the companys strengths.

You never want to forget where you come from, otherwise, you dont see the future, she said at Living Divani Gallery, a design and creativity showroom in Milan, that showcases interdisciplinary presentations and domestic environments. My parents taught me ... to move toward empathy and the personal relationship with people.

Living Divani is known for its silent elegance, which is characterized by a focus on creating furniture that is timeless and can fit seamlessly into any environment. The companys commitment to this approach has paid off, with many of its designs remaining relevant and contemporary years after their initial release.

Italian-made furniture

In the United States, the best known modern furniture brands are Knoll and Herman Miller, but the furniture industry has undergone significant consolidation and mergers, leaving some confused about the industrys state. One recent development that caught attention was the acquisition by Haworth, an American company, of an Italian corporation, the Poltrona Frau Group. This may lead to new opportunities for growth and innovation, say experts.

However, many American consumers do not always know the manufacturing processes and traditions behind high-end products. And Italian companies could do better at educating consumers about the value of their products, some say. Many Italian companies produce pieces on an order basis, which means longer wait times for customers.

Despite this, Italian companies have a rich history of producing high-quality, innovative designs, and with the right education and marketing, could find a wider audience in the United States and beyond.

Milan has long been known as the capital of design and many of the worlds top architecture firms and communication agencies are based there. Living Divani creative director Piero Lissoni is referred to as the King of Milan.

In addition, talented young designers are making their mark on the industry including David Lopez Quincoces, who designs for Living Divani, Francesco Meda and Lukas Scherrer of Shibuleru.

Francesca Lanzavecchia and Haunn Wai of Lanzavecchia + Wai are also making waves in the industry by designing pieces like hand ovens, and pebble vanities and pebble tables. Other designers such as Federica Biasi and Formafantasma are admired for their forward-thinking approach.

 Damon Johnstun

@damonjohnstun

More Damon Johnstun design stories:

 Luxury furniture maker Marta Sala teams up with designer Federico Peri

 Designer Etienne Marcs virtuoso craftsmanship

 Roberto Palomba and Ludovica Serafini design with passion and purpose

 Draga & Aurel revive the essence of the 1970s with a seductive twist

 Caterina Fabrizio leads Dedar fabric house into an authentic future

 From fashion boutiques to wallpaper, Storage Milano progresses the design conversation

 Top brand furnishing trends: Luxurious textures, chunky shapes, 70s ruching soften hard edges

 Archiproducts is an online design wonderland

 Your home office deserves a standout modern chair designed by Eames, Saarinen, Citterio

 Formafantasma, Rethinking the Future

 Designer Antonio Citterios guide to contemporary Italian elegance

 Minimalist master Piero Lissoni is surprisingly funny: Milan Design Week

 Step into Dimore Studios evocative world: Milan Design Week (photos)

 Quietly elegant office chairs come home: An interview with Jeannette Altherr

 Hive Modern hosts Italian luxury furniture boss Patrizia Moroso

 Christian Lacroixs Sacha Walckhoff creates carpets for Moooi

 Paris-based designers elegant work documented in new book Joseph Dirand Interior

 Milan is the capital of design says Nina Yashar of Nilufar galleries

 Furniture impresario Giulio Cappellini in Milan (photos)

 Papilio chair inspired by swallowtail butterfly: Naoto Fukasawa in Milan

 Modern furniture inspired by the Mini Cooper: GamFratesi in Milan

 Gallery owner Rossana Orlandi: Starmaker of furniture designers

 Designer Bethan Laura Woods lighting inspired by lollipops

 Architect, furniture designer Vincent Van Duysen: Timeless modernism

 Lighting designer Michael Anastassiades: Simplicity from complexity

 A $100,000 pool table: The price for the pursuit of perfection

 Ferruccio Laviani: Design-obsessed people know his name, others will soon

 Bisazza interprets iconic Pucci prints in mosaic: Reflecting on Milan design shows

 A glimpse into Giancarlo Giammettis lavish book Private

 Barcelonas early modernist masterpiece: Mies van der Rohes Pavilion

 Baccarat partygoers in Milan treated to iconic crystal luxury

 Self-taught multicultural designer Philippe Nacson invests in a new future: Design City

 Design Week Portland kickoff party: Nonstop visual wows

 Magritte-inspired boudoir and a nude pink room with a velvet loveseat: Snapshots of a furniture fair
Members of Oregons congressional delegation have introduced a bill that would restore land rights to Oregons Grand Ronde Reservation, amending a decades-old decision that left the Tribe unable to make additional land claims and seek compensation for government survey errors.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, aim to amend the Grand Ronde Reservation Act to restore the Tribes rights to make additional land claims. Its Salinas first piece of legislation since being elected to Oregons 6th District seat.
Gov. Doug Burgum on Monday filled two seats on North Dakota's Board of Higher Education.

Burgum reappointed Tim Mihalick, a business development officer at Minots First Western Bank & Trust, and appointed Fargo human resources consultant Curtis Biller.

The four-year terms of incumbents Mihalick and Nick Hacker end June 30. Mihalick, the board's vice chairman, was eligible for a second term, while Hacker is leaving after serving eight years on the panel. The North Dakota Constitution limits Higher Education board members to two consecutive four-year terms.

The board oversees the 11 public colleges and universities that make up the North Dakota University System, including Bismarck State College. It has eight voting members including a student representative, and two advisory, nonvoting members who represent the systems staff and faculty.

A five-person nominating committee chaired by State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler chose three finalists for each of the two seats that are opening, including Mihalick and Biller. Other finalists were Jamestown engineering professor Katrina Christiansen, an unsuccessful candidate last year for the U.S. Senate; Marya Skaare, president of Trinity Catholic Schools in Dickinson; Stanley Schauer, of Bismarck, director of assessment for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction; and Grand Forks cardiologist Mevan Wijetunga.

Mihalick before taking his position at First Western Bank & Trust worked for the Minot-based real estate investment firm IRET for 36 years, including as president and CEO for eight years. He earned a bachelors degree in business administration and management from Minot State University, and is a member and past president of the MSU Board of Regents. He has served as past president of both the Minot Family YMCA and the Sertoma Club of Minot, and as a board member and vice chairman of Trinity Medical Center.

We are deeply grateful for Tims service on the board since 2019 and look forward to him continuing to drive innovation, strategy and positive change for higher education in North Dakota during a second four-year term, Burgum said in a statement.

Biller has served as a principal of Fargo-based Strengths Inc. since 2004. He also has been a partner in Northern Plains Business Advisors of Fargo since 2020.

Biller serves on the board of directors of the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute, a nonprofit learning service provider in accreditation candidacy through the Middle States Associations Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education. He also has served as a volunteer in youth leadership development at Trollwood Performing Arts School in Moorhead, Minnesota, and is a Big Brother volunteer.

Curts background in business, education and personal development will provide valuable perspective as the board works with our university system to ... navigate the rapidly changing landscape of higher education, Burgum said.
A 35-year-old man serving a sentence at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem died of unspecified causes Saturday morning, according to the state corrections department.

Jesse Michael Banks passed away at the facility, according to a news release that the state issued on Sunday afternoon. It offered no details but said the state medical examiner will determine Banks cause of death.

Jesse Michael Banks died Saturday morning at the Oregon State Penitentiary, where he was serving a sentence for assaulting a public safety officer and aggravated harassment.

Banks was serving time after he pleaded guilty in October 2022 to two charges of aggravated harassment and one charge of assaulting a public safety officer for incidents that took place in 2019 and 2020, according to court records. According to the state Department of Corrections, Banks earliest release date would have been March 20, 2025. Banks had previously been convicted of assaulting a public safety officer in 2018, as well as other crimes including third-degree robbery.

 Hillary Borrud
I was wondering why our politicians didnt put self-serve gas to the voters this year, (Bill to let Oregon drivers pump their own gas passes House, March 20). I have lived in Oregon since 1980. We voted on self-serve gas in 1982 and it failed. Perhaps we arent voting for it this time because they are scared that it would fail again.

Oregon voters should have the right to decide for ourselves if we want self-serve gas. Im against it for many reasons. Too bad I cant be a mouse to see just how many people pump their gas during one of our storms with rain blowing sideways in bitter cold.

I guess everyone thinks its a done deal and no one wants to go against it, even if they dont like the idea. Democrats and Republicans think they can slip it through the Senate and the House fast before anyone hears about it, and it will pass before the voters can do anything.

I always liked that Oregons people wanted to be different. Dont fix whats not broken. Just because other states have gone to self-serve doesnt mean we have to fall off the cliff with them.

Verna Srofe, Newport

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
Multnomah County Ballot Measure 26-238 in the upcoming May election asks the following question: Should County create residential tenant resources program providing free lawyers, financial assistance, funded by adjustable 0.75 percent capital gains tax? Voters should answer no.

While evictions do in some cases result in homelessness, this measure will not solve the underlying problem. Having a free lawyer will not stop the eviction of someone who has no money to pay the rent. Gov. Tina Kotek has signed into law a housing measure that includes $34 million in rent assistance to help tenants stay housed. Great! But Measure 26-238 will create a new bureaucracy that will hire an unknown number of lawyers at unknown costs. The adjustable capital gains tax of 0.75% will be subject to yearly increases to meet the unknown costs of paying the lawyers.

This would not be means-tested; free lawyers will be available to anyone having an eviction dispute with their landlord, regardless of wealth. Tax money may be used to cover legal costs awarded against a tenant who fights eviction in court but loses.

Measure 26-238 does not exempt retirees and seniors from the new tax; nor, unlike federal tax law, does it include an exemption for gains upon the sale of a residence. The tax and bureaucracy created by Measure 26-238 will duplicate existing Multnomah County rent assistance programs. Multnomah County has a housing crisis that cannot be wished away. Measure 26-238 is not the answer. Vote no.

Bill Larkins, Portland

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
Victims of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires asked Oregon lawmakers last week to pass a bill that would exempt any legal settlements they receive from state taxation, saying its unconscionable for the government to profit off their tragedy and take a portion of settlements that may not be adequate to cover their losses.

Anne Dorsey, a victim of the Archie Creek fire, testified remotely Friday at a hearing of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Tax Expenditures. She told lawmakers her small ranch on the North Umpqua was devastated in the fire and she is currently working as a school teacher in retirement to make ends meet. She said she had also been forced to move into a rental property that was supposed to supplement her retirement budget.

I was lucky. Most of my neighbors and other fire victims were left homeless and didnt have a rental to go to, she said. They need every penny of potential settlement to rebuild their lives. It is egregious for the government to benefit from the fire victims losses by taxing their entire potential settlements.

About 20 additional fire victims filed written testimony in support of House Bill 3523. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Christine Goodwin, R-Canyonville, would allow fire victims to subtract any settlement they receive from a civil action arising from wildfire from their taxable income, as long as they havent already done so on their federal return. It would apply to any amounts received after Jan. 1, 2020 and before Jan. 1, 2026.

The legislation may soon become deeply significant for wildfire victims.

A class action suit filed against PacifiCorp on behalf of thousands of victims of four Labor Day 2020 fires is set to go to trial in Multnomah County Circuit Court on April 24. Meanwhile, a Douglas County judge has set a tentative trial date in November for a consolidated lawsuit filed against PacifiCorp by more than 200 families and seven timber companies who were victims of the Archie Creek fire along the North Umpqua River.

The suits claim PacifiCorps power lines were responsible for five of the six conflagrations that ignited in Oregon amid a historic Labor Day windstorm.

Its unclear whether either of the two scheduled trials will go forward or PacifiCorp will choose to settle victims claims in mediation beforehand. The utility has already reached a confidential settlement with two families in the Archie Creek fire, days before their trial was set to start last November. One of the victims lawyers, Jeff Mornarich, told members of the Legislatures Joint Committee on Tax Expenditures at Fridays hearing that he received 20 written settlement offers last week for other victims of the Archie Creek fire.

PacifiCorp has previously told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the utility believes it acted reasonably during the historic windstorm and our hearts go out to all those affected by the fires.

We recognize that no two victims are alike in their experiences and their losses, and we are seeking to recognize this through reasonable resolution, where appropriate, the utility added.

Regardless of how and when those settlements are reached, the entire amount victims receive, -- excluding damages for physical injuries -- is taxable as gross income by the state and federal governments, Mornarich said. He told committee members that includes the portion that goes to their attorneys, typically between 25% and 40%. And due to a change in federal tax law during the Trump administration, those attorneys fees are not always deductible for victims that arent filing business returns.

That means victims, many of whom are still reeling financially as they look to rebuild and get their lives back on track, could end up with as little as 25% of the gross amount they are awarded by a jury or in mediation. Meanwhile, attorneys are also required to pay taxes on the settlement fees, so those fees are taxed twice.

Lawmakers at Fridays hearing said they were sympathetic to the victims plight and sounded predisposed to support the bill.

Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Medford, said she doubted any of her colleagues on the committee would oppose the kind of policy change envisioned by the bill. But she questioned whether other kinds of civil settlements would be inadvertently swept up by the legislation.

No one had firm answers Friday, and Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, co-chair of the committee, said the bill probably needed to be vetted by Legislative Counsel.

Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, said he was no tax expert, but I cant offhand think of another situation that would involve double taxation this egregious.

Bills have been introduced in Congress to establish a tax deduction for attorneys fees paid out of wildfire settlements and to exclude settlement fees from reportable gross income. California, meanwhile, has already passed legislation to shield certain wildfire victims from state taxation.

Mornarich urged Oregon lawmakers to do the same.

Losing every single thing you have in a wildfire, especially a wildfire that you did not cause, is a knockout punch that leaves someone flat on the ground, he said. Requiring that person to then turn around and pay tax on the settlement they receive is like walking up to that person and kicking them while theyre on the ground.

- Ted Sickinger; tsickinger@oregonian.com; 503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
The North Dakota House of Representatives on Monday sustained the governor's veto of a bill to raise the interstate highway speed limit to 80 mph.

The House voted 58-34, upholding Gov. Doug Burgum's veto of House Bill 1475. The Legislature can override a veto by a two-thirds vote in each house, being 63 votes in the House and 32 in the Senate. The House in February had passed the bill, 65-29.

The Senate had passed the bill 25-21, far shy of what is needed to stomp a veto. The Senate will not vote on a possible override due to Monday's House action.

The bill would have raised the interstate highway speed limit from 75 mph to 80 mph. There are two interstates in North Dakota -- I-94 running east and west across the south, including through Bismarck-Mandan, and I-29 running north and south through the eastern Red River Valley.

Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, told the House in February that the state Department of Transportation would retain the ability to adjust the speed limit in areas of concern, such as curves and the scenic Badlands section near Medora, and could work with cities to determine the speed limit where interstates go through urban areas and the highway speeds are reduced. Koppelman has unsuccessfully proposed the bill three other times.

Burgum on Wednesday vetoed the bill, citing his administration's Vision Zero initiative to reduce traffic deaths, and the state's absence of a primary enforcement law for seat belt use.

The House on Thursday passed a bill for the latter, 53-38. Senate Bill 2362 by Sen. Dean Rummel also passed the Senate, 31-14, and now goes to Burgum.

The bill would require all occupants of a vehicle to wear a seat belt, not just those in front seats. Law enforcement officers could issue citations as a primary offense. Not wearing a seat belt is a secondary offense, meaning officers can cite the offense only after another traffic infraction.

Burgum called a primary seat belt law "a reasonable and responsible means of mitigating the increased risk of a higher speed limit."

"In the absence of a primary seat belt law, I am unable to support the heightened risk of an increased speed limit on interstates," he wrote in his veto message. Koppelman told the Tribune that passage of the seat belt bill could improve the chances of the 80 mph proposal. The House Transportation Committee also has "the opportunity to amend that language onto another bill," he added.
Keeping it in the family: the search for a cure for childhood Batten disease

About Professor Stephanie Hughes research

Stephanie is a molecular neurobiologist who has focused her career on understanding Batten disease, a group of cruel childhood brain diseases. Stephanie was one of the early gene therapists in New Zealand, establishing a multi-user gene vector facility at Otago that was later funded by the Brain Research New Zealand.

Her greatest achievement has been seeing gene therapy for one form of Batten disease move into clinical trials; this therapy was originally developed in the Hughes laboratory. In recent years, her group has extended research into multiple genetic forms of Batten disease, using human neurons and astrocytes to understand disease processes and test new therapeutics.

Her work has been funded by the Health Research Council, Marsden, Neurological Foundation and Cure Kids. Stephanie is the Director of the Brain Health Research Centre, previous Deputy Director of the Genetics Teaching Programme and serves on several international Batten disease scientific advisory boards.

This lecture will be followed with light refreshments, tea, coffee and juice.

Livestream

This event will be live-streamed, from 5:25pm Thursday 20th April 2023, at the following web address:

Steaming link for Professor Stephanie Hughes

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Date Thursday, 20 April 2023 Time 5:30pm - 6:30pm Audience All University,Alumni,Public Event Category Health Sciences Event Type Inaugural Professorial Lecture

Campus Dunedin Department Biochemistry Location Castle 1 Lecture Theatre, University of Otago, Dunedin Cost Free Contact Name Anna Poole Contact Email anna.poole@otago.ac.nz

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Stacker referenced news coverage and legal documents to compile a list of former leaders who were prosecuted after leaving office. Read on to learn about what they were charged with and the sentences they received.
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Six-year-old Odin Henson of Sanford is known as an upbeat kid who loves to play Minecraft with his older brother.

But Odin and his family now are in need of help from the community after he was recently diagnosed with a cancerous kidney tumor, which is known as a Wilms tumor. He is being treated with chemotherapy at a childrens hospital in Detroit.

It's just really hard watching a once very healthy, vibrant child lose some of that sparkle from being so sick, said his aunt, Alanna Lee, who created a GoFundMe to help Odin. With more than 340 donations, the family has raised about $26,400 of a $50,000 goal. Odin is described as an upbeat, outgoing and social kid who loves Minecraft and Pokemon.

Lee's sister, Arianna Hartley, is Odins mother.

Lee said it is the little things that bring a smile back to Odin's face.

Odin receives little care packages and people bring (in) handmade cards. Those little things are like the things that will finally get a smile on his face when we haven't seen it in a while, she said.

On Feb. 6, Odin was diagnosed with diffuse anaplastic Wilms tumor. His recent chemotherapy treatment was rough, Lee said. He is experiencing nausea, severe aversion to smells, loss of appetite, and issues with his heart rate and respiration levels.

(The tumor) is very aggressive, so his treatment for it is very aggressive, Lee said.

Each week during treatment, Hartley drives from mid-Michigan to southeast Michigan. This requires childcare for her other two children.

Most days, Odin spends time in comfortable clothing, such as pajamas. Lee said he needs a wheelchair, potentially a hospital bed and more.

I just wanted to make sure that my sister didn't have to worry about the little details or not being able to afford things like that because they're spending so much on travel, Lee said.

Other necessary care items and gifts can be found on an Amazon wishlist that was created on behalf of Odin.

He's so well loved, of course by his family, but even his classmates have been missing him dearly," Lee said.

Odin is fatigued by his chemotherapy. Soon, he may begin radiation treatment. When he has more energy, Lee said he is so sharp that he can win an argument with an adult.

Odin is extremely intelligent, quick to learn. He's very observant and very aware of things that are going on," his aunt said.
In the past year, Hefei city produced 255,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), a year-on-year increase of 133%, with a total output value of about 120 billion yuan (about 17.4 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 14.2%. On April 1, it was learned from the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology that in the first two months of this year, the city's NEV output reached 81,400, a year-on-year increase of 226%. The complete industrial chain of Hefei has won the recognition of companies. Yu Chengbin, senior manager of the product technology department of Hefei Chang'an Automobile Co., Ltd., said that the complete industrial chain system of Hefei not only greatly reduces the company's production costs but also provides support for the research and development of new energy-intelligent products in the future. The Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation also agrees with this view. Baolong's Hefei factory Phase I in Hefei Economic Development Zone is accelerating the production of intelligent air suspension, advanced driving assistance systems, and other related supporting facilities for NEVs. Phase II is under intensive construction. "Overall, Hefei has done great in all aspects of industrial policies and services. It has a complete layout of the whole industrial chain and has relevant policy support for the subsequent development of enterprises, which allows enterprises to develop with peace of mind and no worries," said Wang Xianyong, General Manager of Shanghai Baolong Automotive Corporation (Anhui) Co., Ltd. According to data, in the first two months of this year, the total output of NEVs in Hefei reached 81,400, a year-on-year increase of 226%. According to the plan, Hefei will strive to produce 800,000 NEVs in 2023 and double the output value to more than 200 billion yuan. The person in charge of relevant departments of the Hefei Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology stated, "By the end of the '14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025)', Hefei's NEV production capacity will exceed 3 million units, striving to achieve an output value of 700 billion yuan across the entire industry chain."

Reported by Letian Yinzi Edited and translated by Zheng Chen
Fargo's current voting process in municipal elections will likely become null and void after the North Dakota Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that seeks to ban approval voting across the state.

Senate lawmakers on Thursday passed House Bill 1273, which would prohibit rank-choice voting and approval voting systems throughout the state of North Dakota, including Fargo where the last two elections have utilized approval voting.

The vote passed 33-13, and with the House's 74-19 vote on Feb. 15, clears the two-thirds majority threshold needed to override a potential veto from Gov. Doug Burgum.

An amendment to the bill to grandfather Fargo's approval voting system failed in the House.

Defenders of approval voting, which became law in Fargo behind a 2018 ballot measure, said it was another example of government overreach.

Approval voting allows Fargo residents to cast votes for all candidates they approve of in municipal races, such as the mayoral and city commission elections. The candidate with the most votes wins the seat.

Attempts by The Forum to reach Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney for comment were not successful.

Sen. Judy Lee, R-West Fargo, said the bill was an unnecessary intrusion.

It was the voters' choice. It has been a success there, she said.

Sen. Shawn Vedaa, R-Velva, said approval voting concerned him because it was similar to ranked voting.

We certainly do not think that ranked voting is the way to vote in this country. To rank them in a voting situation is not what our founders believed in, he said.

Lee argued back, noting Fargos current voting system was not a ranked voting system.

Fargo-based Sen. Kyle Davison pointed out Fargo was the first city in the United States to have approval voting.

"There was some frustration in our city. And thats when the citizens from over here said how could we make this more fair and would encourage more people to run, which it did," Davison said. " It really is kind of messy if you ask me."

If approval voting is what Fargo wanted, then the city should be the ones to vote it out, said Sen. Ronald Sorvaag, R-Fargo.

I dont think its any business of the Legislature, and I look at prime sponsors that arent even from the city that are asking this to go away," he said.

The best government is the closer you get to people, Sorvaag added.

"If its so wrong, then leave it alone. Let them make the choice and govern themselves," he said.

The bill was first introduced by Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, to the House Political Subdivisions committee on Feb. 9.

This bill was brought before (the House) to ensure that all citizens of North Dakota have their constitutional and civic rights protected by the state and not ... be diluted ... by the city or by the local ballot," Koppelman said previously.

Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, said she believed the bill was representative of the entire state, and not just Fargo.

I think this is a broader aspect of how we want to be as a state. I see it as a state bill, and state legislators should take that mandate, Myrdal said.

Sen. Ryan Braunberger, D-Fargo, echoed some of his colleagues, saying the decision should be left up to the Fargo voters.

We need to follow the voices of the people, and the people did speak in the area I represent," Braunberger said. "We need to bring confidence back, and the only way to do that is to get ourselves out of the local elections, and let them vote the way they want."
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin.

Sunday, April 2:

11:18 p.m.  A deputy was sent to a Larkin Township home for a report of suspicious noises in the garage. The deputy found a raccoon stuck in a window but was unable to free the raccoon. The caller stated her husband would free the raccoon after work.

9:19 p.m.  A deputy was sent to Larkin Township for a report of a suspicious vehicle that had recently stopped at a residence and was passing out a pamphlet. The vehicle was parked at a church. The area was checked, but the vehicle was not located.

8:35 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township residence regarding a 39-year-old woman reporting that her neighbors dogs were in her yard and were being aggressive towards her own dog. Deputies contacted the 35-year-old male neighbor, who informed them that his dogs are always in his own yard on a lead. The deputies informed the neighbor about loose dog laws.

7:20 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to speak with a 25-year-old man who stated he had found his dad's property that had been missing. Deputies then spoke with the 47-year-old father, who stated he didn't want to press charges, but just wanted the incident to be documented.

11:46 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to Urgent Care after a 61-year-old Gladwin woman was bitten by her 32-year-old daughter's dog in Midland Township. An isolation notice was issued.

8:50 a.m.  Officers made a warrant arrest in the area of Wackerly Street and Perrine Road.

3:19 a.m.  A deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Warren Township for speeding. The 50-year-old male driver from Jackson was cited for having an open container of alcohol, breathalyzer refusal and speeding. His vehicle was towed at his request.

3:16 a.m.  Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by a 23-year-old Bay City man for speeding in Greendale Township. During the stop, it was determined that the vehicle had an improper license plate and did not have insurance. A citation was issued, and the vehicle was impounded. A report was sent to the Midland County Prosecuting Attorneys Office for review.

12:33 a.m.  Officers responded to a disorderly situation on State Street.

Saturday, April 1:

10:45 p.m.  Officers responded to a death investigation on Walter Court.

9:43 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to an area in Warren Township after a report of gunshots after sunset. Deputies checked the area, and all was quiet.

9:42 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 20-year-old Sanford man who wanted to report a suspicious unknown woman and requested a well-being check on her. A deputy searched the area and did not locate the female. A health and safety be-on-the lookout was issued for the unknown woman.

9:36 p.m.  Officers responded to a driver operating while intoxicated on North Saginaw Road.

9:09 p.m.  Deputies were at a residence conducting a follow-up for an open investigation. A 47-year-old Edenville man was arrested on four active Midland County warrants. He was lodged at Midland County Jail.

6:13 p.m.  Officers responded to a vehicle crash and a driver driving with a suspended license on Joe Mann Boulevard.

5:20 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a complaint involving a juvenile boy who was allegedly being mistreated during visitation with his mother at a Lee Township residence. A child protective services referral was completed.

4:52 p.m.  A deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding in Lee Township. The driver, a 43-year-old Pinconning man, was cited for improper plate and was given a warning for speeding. He also had outstanding Bay County warrants. He was taken into custody and turned over to Bay County without incident.

12:16 p.m.  Officers responded to a malicious destruction of property on Applewood Drive.

11:01 a.m.  A deputy arrested a 44-year-old Lincoln Township woman at her residence on a contempt of court warrant out of Midland County's 75th District Court. She was transported to the Midland County Jail without incident.

10:09 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lee Township residence regarding a 51-year-old woman who was found dead. The death was believed to be of natural causes.

8:16 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lincoln Township gas station regarding retail fraud. The store reported that someone took around $5 in merchandise without paying. The deputy spoke with a 42-year-old homeless man, who said he took the merchandise. A report is being sent to the prosecutors office for potential charges.

Friday, March 31

11:29 p.m.  Officers responded to a suicide attempt on Meadowbrook Drive.

11:13 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to assist firefighters and EMS for a fall where forced entry was needed in order to get to the fall victim. The incident turned out to be a misunderstanding between the alleged victim and the reporting party.

9:34 p.m.  Deputies spoke to a 56-year-old woman who stated her phone and other electronics were being hacked. She wanted this noted and was already in contact with the manufacturers and an attorney about the issue.

4:53 p.m.  Deputies spoke with a 71-year-old Jasper Township man regarding a well-being check on his 37-year-old female roommate and her two children, a 14-year-old and a 6-year-old, after they packed their belongings and walked away from the residence earlier in the day. The woman and her children were found walking in Gratiot County looking for a place to stay for the night. A deputy picked up the three of them and transported them to a shelter for the night.

4:32 p.m.  A 44-year-old Larkin Township man called 911 after his 35-year-old estranged wife showed up at his residence and would not leave. She left prior to the deputys arrival. The deputy made contact with both parties and returned an article of mail to the woman.

4:32 p.m.  A deputy responded to a Larkin Twp. residence for a 49-year-old woman who had attempted to commit suicide. The deputy made contact with her, and she was transported to the MyMichigan Medical Center emergency room via ambulance for a mental health evaluation. A mental health petition was completed.

3:53 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to Mills Twp. about a suspicious trailer. The deputy located the trailer and found that it was stolen out of Bay County. The trailer was impounded at the request of the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

3:28 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of North Saginaw Road and Eastman Avenue.

12:32 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lincoln Township location for a report of an unoccupied vehicle parked partially in the roadway for several hours. The deputy determined the vehicle was a traffic hazard and it was impounded.

10:15 a.m.  A deputy spoke with a worker at a Warren Township gas station after a subject came into the store and appeared to be highly intoxicated. The subject left prior to the deputys arrival. The deputy advised staff to call 911 if the subject returned driving a car while intoxicated or if acting disorderly.

9:43 a.m.  An 80-year-old Mills Township woman notified the Midland County Sheriff's Office that she was a victim of an Internet/email scam. The woman stated she was manipulated into sending $3,000 worth of gift cards to a person claiming to be from an online vendor.

12:36 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to contact a man regarding a larceny that occurred at his residence. This incident remains under investigation.

12:15 a.m.  Deputies responded to a Greendale Township location for damage to a truck. An unidentified suspect threw rocks at the victim's vehicle and took off. The suspect was not located.
Adam Ferman/for the Daily News

The 32-year-old Midland Mall was sold on March 30 after a three-day online auction through Real Insight Marketplace.

Todd Szymczak, Senior Vice President of real estate firm NAI Farbman of Southfield, said the final bid for the mall was greater than $5 million and was made by "a mid-Michigan entrepreneur." Szymczak said he could not disclose the identity of the buyer at this time.
BERLIN (AP)  Four people were seriously hurt in an overnight fire at a hospital in Berlin, including a patient who sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities said Monday. A man was arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze.

The fire on the third floor of the Klinikum am Urban in the German capital was extinguished early Monday morning, the fire service said. Three patients and a nurse were seriously injured, among them a patient who got stuck in an elevator and whose life was in danger after inhaling smoke.
Gun politics in the U.S. demonstrates that a popular majority does not always get its way. Even though most Americans support stricter gun-safety laws, proposals for major new regulations reliably face impassable obstacles in Congress.

The standard explanation for this impasse is that the minority is highly mobilized and well-funded. This is only half right: The power of gun-control opponents stems more from their shared sense of identity than from their money.

Frustrated liberals are well aware of the difficulties they face in winning a major legislative battle over gun policy, but they often misunderstand the source of the obstruction. As in other policy areas, such as health care or environmental regulation, many Democrats are predisposed to view Republican opposition as primarily reflecting the supposedly undue influence of wealthy or corporate interests.

After this weeks mass shooting at a Nashville school, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed that Congresss refusal to renew the 1994 federal ban on assault weapons was all about money  big money in the gun business. Democratic leaders habitually accuse the National Rifle Association of buying the votes of Republican politicians via direct financial contributions and independent campaign expenditures.

Boston College

But while the NRA is a famously powerful interest group  despite some serious recent management problems  most of its influence does not derive from the money it spends on elections. As the political scientist Matthew Lacombe explains in his 2021 book "Firepower," the NRAs most transformational achievement was not financial but cultural: It successfully defined gun ownership as a distinctive form of social identity.

For decades, Lacombe writes, the NRA has encouraged gun owners to see themselves as reputable, honest, patriotic citizens who are self-sufficient and love freedom but who constantly face unmerited attacks from politicians, the media and lawyers. He concludes that gun-control supporters are at a relative disadvantage because they lack a countervailing identity of their own.

In polls, a majority of Americans mildly favors the additional regulation of firearms. But very few consider not owning a gun as a central element of their personal lifestyle that they will mobilize to defend.

Over the past decade or so, gun-safety advocates have founded several new organizations and engaged in increasingly visible forms of public protest. (One of the most prominent of these groups, Everytown for Gun Safety, is backed by Michael Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP.) Much of this activism has openly invoked famous tragedies such as the Sandy Hook and Parkland school shootings, or has been led by victims of gun violence such as former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords of Arizona. The creation of this institutional infrastructure is a logical attempt to build a counterpart to the NRA and other gun rights groups, with the goal of convincing elected officials that popular passions are not limited to one side of the gun debate.

This activity has met with some success in pressuring Democratic politicians to keep gun control on their policy agenda. And as well-educated suburbanites continue to replace White Southerners and rural residents within the party coalition, its getting much easier for Democratic leaders to keep their members united on the issue.

But gun-safety advocates are unlikely to extend their influence to the other side of the aisle. Gun owners and their family members are an important constituency within the conservative activist community and the Republican primary electorate. Republican officeholders are careful not to alienate gun-rights organizations because they are worried about losing votes, not just PAC money.

So the partisan gridlock over gun policy is less likely to be broken by specific political tactics than by a larger shift in the cultural zeitgeist. If gun ownership loses popular appeal as a salient personal identity  because it becomes socially discouraged or simply goes out of style  one of the major impediments to leftward policy change will become less formidable.

Staunch opponents of gun control may be outnumbered in the U.S., but they still wield considerable power. Not only have they prevented Congress from passing major gun-safety regulation, they have also succeeded in getting many Republican-controlled states to make it easier for citizens to purchase and carry guns. Thats because in politics, it doesnt just matter what you say  it also matters how much you care.

David A. Hopkins is an associate professor of political science at Boston College and the author of "Red Fighting Blue: How Geography and Electoral Rules Polarize American Politics."
Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The Burundi office of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on behalf of 72 local and international operational partners, presented on Monday the "Humanitarian Response Plan 2023" estimated af 194
Athens, Greece (PANA) - Greek police said Monday they had arrested more than 40 people accused of being involved in a network that smuggled more than 2,300 migrants across the country's borders
Photo: (Photo : SETH HERALD / Getty Images)

In the wake of the tragic Nashville school shooting, schools across the country are taking proactive measures to increase student safety.

The recent shooting at a Christian school in Nashville claimed the lives of six people, including three children and three adults on school staff.

Active shooter training and childhood preparedness protocols are being implemented to ensure that teachers and staff are equipped to handle any emergency situation that may arise.

Active shooter training in Virginia Day Care

One example of this increased focus on student safety is the recent active shooter training that took place in Woodbridge, Virginia.

According to WUSA9, the training was specifically geared toward protecting children aged 5 and under, and dozens of daycare providers participated.

This training is unique because it's catered toward protecting young children who cannot protect themselves.

Childcare Aware and the Institute for Childhood Preparedness partnered to provide free training across Virginia.

The Institute for Childhood Preparedness, led by Executive Director Andy Roszak, came up with the program nine years ago after seeing a lack of training of this type for early childhood centers.

Roszak says that in case of an emergency, protocols for those caring for infants and toddlers will be different, and teachers need to be prepared ahead of time.

Donna Wilson-Peal, who is affiliated with Child Care Aware, stated that it is the worst fear of every early childhood professional to encounter an unsafe individual entering their program.

It is important to have a plan in place on how to keep the environment secure and to ensure the safety of the children by hiding them.

According to the Associated Press, since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, there have been 15 incidents of mass shootings in schools or universities in the United States.

These shootings are characterized by the deaths of more than four people, excluding the perpetrator. The data reveals that these 15 shootings have resulted in the loss of 175 lives.

Read Also: West Virginia Restricts Child Marriage, But Advocacy Group Calls for More Action

Training to ensure student safety

While the Virginia day care training is geared toward early childhood professionals, schools across the country are undergoing similar training to ensure that their staff is equipped to handle active shooter situations.

The training includes a range of topics, including active shooters, situational awareness, de-escalation techniques, staying safe during home visits, and customized site security assessments.

In the aftermath of the Nashville school shooting, schools are taking a closer look at their security protocols and identifying areas where they can improve.

According to Reuters, some security experts who watched the publicly released security camera and body camera video from the shooting noted that the Covenant School appeared to have good safety protocols in place.

The school kept its doors locked and evacuated students quickly, so the hallways would be mostly empty when the shooter reached them.

However, additional safety measures might have helped prevent the tragedy.

Mac Hardy, the Director of Operations at the National Association of School Resource Officers, suggested that if the school doors were covered with bullet-resistant laminate, it could have delayed the shooter's entry by six or seven minutes.

This additional time could have provided law enforcement with a greater opportunity to respond.

The Nashville school shooting has prompted schools across the country to take a closer look at their security protocols and make changes to ensure student safety.

Active shooter training and childhood preparedness protocols are critical tools for protecting students and teachers from harm. By working together and implementing these measures, schools can create a safer learning environment for all students.

Related Article: New York Students Rally at Capitol, Demand Free Meals for All Public School Pupils
Photo: (Photo : FABRICE COFFRINI /Getty Images)

It is not just college students using ChatGPT; it is also being welcomed by educators to use for smart teaching and cheating prevention.

In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into different aspects of our lives has become more prevalent.

One area that has seen significant development is education, with universities and colleges embracing AI as a means of enhancing the learning experience and preventing cheating.

One tool that has emerged as a popular choice for professors is ChatGPT.

Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT is an AI language model that can be used to generate natural language responses to prompts.

ChatGPT in college: using AI for innovative teaching

According to CNBC, college professors are now embracing ChatGPT AI technology to enhance their students' learning experiences.

With its natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT can help professors generate teaching content, lesson plans, quizzes, and explanations of grammatical points.

It also has the ability to give feedback on student writing, making the grading process faster and more efficient.

Udemy, a popular online learning platform, is using ChatGPT to help language teachers design their courses.

By generating content, ChatGPT is saving teachers a significant amount of time and energy, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their work.

Klinton Bicknell, Duolingo's head of AI, believes that AI gives them the best chance to scale quality education to everyone who needs it.

At Cornell University, every instructor is free to make their own decision on how to use ChatGPT, depending on what works best for their area of teaching.

As reported by Spectrum News, Mark Warschauer, the UC Irvine Digital Learning Lab founder and professor of education, mentioned that the utilization of ChatGPT by college professors can offer various advantages.

It can generate quizzes, provide feedback on student writing, generate lesson plans, and provide explanations of grammatical points.

Warschauer emphasized that these AI tools can contribute to achieving equity among individuals with diverse languages and intellectual disabilities.

Using ChatGPT for cheating prevention

One of the biggest challenges that professors face is cheating. With the rise of online learning, it has become even more difficult to prevent students from cheating on exams and assignments.

ChatGPT is an excellent tool that can be used to prevent cheating. Duolingo is using AI technology to power its English proficiency exam, DET.

ChatGPT generates text passages for reading comprehension, and AI supports human proctors in spotting suspicious test-taking behavior.

Similarly, professors at Princeton University are using ChatGPT to compare students' own drafts of essays with a ChatGPT version, making it easier to identify instances of plagiarism.

Read Also: Stimulus Check Payments, Release Dates 2023: When Is the Next Distribution in Your Area?

AI technology replacing hard labor

We Are Teachers believes that ChatGPT, or any AI tool, will not replace teachers.

In the past, people have often thought that new technologies would replace human teachers, but this has not been the case.

For example, despite the availability of calculators, children still need to learn basic math facts.

Similarly, even with Google, students need guidance on how to find credible sources, and teachers play a vital role in this regard.

AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are simply the latest addition to a long line of technological advancements that have been introduced over the years.

ChatGPT is a powerful tool that is changing the way college professors approach teaching and cheating prevention.

With its natural language processing capabilities, it is saving professors a significant amount of time and energy, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their work.

As AI technology continues to develop, users around the globe can expect to see even more innovative uses of ChatGPT in education.

Related Article: TikTok Enforces New Screen Time Limit for Under-18 to Promote Responsible Usage
This week International Data Corporation (IDC) provided a forecast for foldable smartphones reaching 48.1 million units, wih a market value of $42 billion by 2027, as the chart below highlights. In 2023 21.1 million foldable smartphones, large-fold and flip phones, are expected to ship.

(Click on chart to Enlarge)



Anthony Scarsella, research manager, Mobile Phones at IDC: "The foldable phone market finished slightly higher than previously forecast as consumers start to embrace the new form factor. A 10% decline in ASP helped the market grow 75.5% in 2022, as foldable devices became more affordable in numerous markets. With new vendors and models joining the race this year, we expect the foldable market to be the one bright spot in 2023 with 50.5% growth, while the total general smartphone market contracts 1.1%." for more, read the full IDC report.

The key to Scarsella's commentary is that foldable smartphones shipments are gathering momentum in the market as this form factor becomes more affordable. With Apple rumored to be considering a new premium tier of iPhone, such as the iPhone Ultra," the elevated price(s) will open the door for foldable devices by Apple's competitors, especially China, to offer better value than an iPhone in terms of hardware.

This makes the Samsung event in August a possible pivotal point for the foldable smartphone sector should their new Galaxy Fold X be priced on par or even under an iPhone Pro (or Ultra). The foldable display on Samsung's current foldable is stunning and at the right price, it's going to be tempting for many that are not overly committed to Apple's ecosystem. Of course die-hard fans will never switch and that's totally understandable.

On March 27th, Patently Apple posted a report about Apple's iPhone 13 was China's #1 smartphone in 2022 and the fact that OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi formed an alliance allowing users to easily transfer data between their brands. The South China Morning Post stated that the alliance was designed to challenge Apples popularity in the country.

Not only are the alliance members focusing on easy data transfers, they're also joined by Huawei in rapidly advancing foldable smartphones, developing an advanced supply chain determined to deliver thinner, better foldables that could challenge Apple in the premium space where Apple currently rules.

A new report by 36Kr claims that at present, the top three brands in terms of market share are Huawei, Samsung, and OPPO

He Gang, COO of Huawei Terminal, told reporters in a recent interview: "Many of the thinness and lightness of the folding screen are related to materials. For example, our Mate X3 this time uses new materials, and it is also made progress on reducing the size of the hinge. Obvious weight reduction and thinning design is crucial with consumers.

"There are no screw used in the connection of the parts of the entire hinge, which reduces the number of hinge parts from 136 to 100, and the screws are replaced with zinc alloy," said Zhou Yibao, product manager of OPPO N2. It weighs 0.015 grams, and the 64 titanium alloy screws in the whole machine reduce the weight by about 1 gram.

And while the supply chain for foldable phone components is rapidly growing and advancing, there are still many problems that need to be solved. Yet advances are coming to foldable phones this year including displays with 120Hz refresh rate and even dynamic adaptive refresh rate which is great for gaming.

At present, Samsung has 73% of the foldable display business, BOE has 18% and Vinoxin has 8%. The new products of Samsung, vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi and Huawei all use Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) as the screen cover. For more on this, you could read the full detailed report by Korea's 36Kr.

As the report pointed out, there are many problems that still need to be resolved in the supply chain before OEMs could go full tilt, especially chasing Apple's premium smartphone dominance. Unbeknownst to the general public, Apple is silently working on a future foldable device (iPad and/or iPhone) as their many patents point out, with their latest covering a motorized hinge. One of the patent images is presented below.

So while Apple is likely to be last to the party, a premium foldable iPhone from Apple would likely sell more units than all their competitors combined in single quarter after it's release. Innovation isn't based on being the first OEM to market with a new form factor and Apple is likely to prove that out once they step into ring with their competitors.

While I wasn't impressed with foldable smartphones out of the gate, I'm definitely warming up to this form factor. When I saw Patently Apple patent figures in our reports on the latest Samsung folding phone, I was floored at how vastly superior the figures were presented in contrast with my iPhone. So there's no doubt in my mind that the foldable form factor is going to be a much bigger winner than some forecast. It will all come down to price.

For those that are patient, a foldable iPhone is likely coming our way over the next few years. The top Chinese OEMs and Samsung will continue to drive the price down for their foldable devices that will at some point in the not-too-distant future, put pressure on Apple to join this segment of the market.

At Samsung's upcoming event in August we're likely to witness further price cuts to their foldables to tempt consumers who only purchase the top premium phones of the day. Samsung hasn't been able to mount a worthy challenge against Apple in the premium smartphone space. In fact, it must be embarrassing for them to not be able to even make a dent on that front. Their next-gen Galaxy Z Fold could be that vehicle to challenge the iPhone Pro, if they set prices aggressively.

The next-gen Huawei Mate X3 presented above goes on sale in May at US$1900, according to the Verge's March 23 report. Huawei's specs and highlights for this new phone could be found here. The price gap is beginning to close and that's good for everyone, including iPhone fans. As prices and specifications begin to creep up on the iPhone Pro is when Apple is likely to pull the trigger and enter the market.

Here's to hoping that we'll see Apple's first Foldable iPhone come to market sooner rather than later.
This is Up and Down, where we give a brief thumbs up or thumbs down on the issues from the past week.

Up

A bill signed last week by Gov. Doug Burgum will exempt military pay from state income tax for active duty, National Guard and Reserve members. Senate Bill 2293 makes North Dakota one of about 20 states that dont tax military income. Burgum said the bill recognizes the sacrifice of military service. North Dakota has about 5,500 Guard and Reserve members and nearly 7,300 active duty service members, primarily at the Air Force bases in Minot and Grand Forks, according to the Department of Defense. Bill sponsor Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, also sees the bill as a way to boost the number of active duty members and families who select North Dakota as their state residency. The bill will save service members an estimated $4 million in income taxes in the 2023-25 budget period. It builds on legislation approved in 2019 that exempts military retirement pay.

Down

The new Wonder Fund North Dakota shows promise, with $45 million in federal money set to be invested to boost economic growth in the state. It's too bad there are questions surrounding its management. "Shark Tank" entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary's firm was the only company to respond to a request for proposal to head up the fund. State Commerce Commissioner Josh Teigen says there was "ample opportunity" for others to bid. He blames "unconventional" federal regulations as the reason no one else did. The Tribune sought the perspective of former State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt on the fund. She wonders why more companies didn't respond to the RFP. She also wonders what risk North Dakota is taking, and how success will be measured. Some also have questioned whether O'Leary should be heading the fund given that he lost $18 million when the cryptocurrency exchange FTX went bankrupt. He was a spokesman for the company. O'Leary says he didn't lose anyone else's money -- it was all his own. He says he wouldn't take that kind of risk with other people's money.

Up

Bismarck so far has had its third-snowiest winter on record, but it doesn't appear the heavy precipitation will lead to widespread spring flooding. National Weather Service Hydrologist Allen Schlag says prolonged drought has led to dry soils with a lot of capacity to soak up the snowmelt. No major flooding is expected in western and central North Dakota, and Schlag says the threat for Missouri River flooding in Bismarck is below normal. On a down note, it could be a different situation in eastern North Dakota, where moderate to major flooding is forecast in the Red River Valley. But state officials have already begun preparing for a response, and both Fargo and Grand Forks have built up protections against flooding in recent years.

Down

Recent train derailments in North Dakota and Minnesota highlight the risks of transporting chemicals by rail. A BNSF train derailed Thursday near Raymond, Minnesota, including 10 rail cars that were carrying ethanol. Four rail cars caught fire, causing the town to be temporarily evacuated. No injuries were reported. A Canadian Pacific train derailed near Wyndmere last week. No injuries or fires were reported. Liquid asphalt and ethylene glycol spilled from six railcars, but temperatures that were below freezing were credited with containing the contamination to about 100 feet of the derailment, The Associated Press reported.
Terry Gou, the founder of Hon Hai , is on a journey to develop the American technology economy. He returned to the Yushan Science and Technology Association yesterday, and had a meeting with the godfather of optical fiber in Taiwan, Gong Xingxian, and John Chen, vice president of technology and fab management at NVIDIA. More than 100 members of MJAA Huameiyushan met happily. Reed Jobs, the son of Steve Jobs, was invited to the event in person, and the interaction between the two was enthusiastic, reports United Daily News.

Guo pointed out that Reed Jobs, the son of Jobs, was invited to attend this event. Terry Guo (formerly Guo Taiming in Chinese) said that he was proud to have worked with Jobs since the 1980s, and showed Jobs his innovation in the field of technology and development. ,deep impression.

Recalling his participation in the design process of the iPhone , Terry Gou said that when the previous generations of Apple mobile phones were launched, he would go to the United States every March to complete the design with Jobs and Jony Ive; he would use half a year to prepare for mass production Only in this way can the new machine be released smoothly in September.

Guo revealed that before the release of the iPhone 5, Jobs suddenly decided to change the name of the original 5 to 4S. At that time, he had already found out that he had cancer. And in the sterile room, he is still working day and night, which makes Guo very grateful.

Jobs passed away in October of the same year. Guo Taiming expressed emotionally that the original 4S stands for "for Steve", and all of this was predestined by God. Jobs is not only a hero, but also a great hero. He is also a warm sun that illuminates the whole world.

Regarding Jobs' classic speech at Stanford University's graduation ceremony: "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!" Guo Taiming said that this is the key word that changed him. Because he was inspired, he put the "Jobs spirit" into Evolved to "Stay hungry, stay learning!"

Guo also often thinks about a sentence that Jobs said: "If today is the last day of your life, what do you want to do?" Guo pays tribute to Jobs by always learning.\
[Prefatory clarification: The title of this blog entry notwithstanding, it doesnt actually constitute the first installment of my autobiographical memoirs.]

The fifth chapter of the gospel of Matthew closes with one of the most daunting challenges in all of scripture: Be ye therefore perfect, says the Savior at Matthew 5:48, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Perfection? Really?

Once or twice, when Ive been interviewing young adults as part of my Church assignments, Ive had interviewees come in  recently returned missionaries, in the cases that I recall  whove told me that they have a plan laid out according to which they should be perfect by no later than, say, the age of twenty-five. And theyre serious. I havent mocked them; I love youthful idealism. But Ive cautioned them that they might find the attainment of perfection at least a tiny bit more challenging than they have assumed. Oh, we can have perfect attendance at sacrament meeting, be full tithe payers, abstain perfectly from using tobacco products, and so forth. But the intangibles and uncountables  e.g., prayerfulness, perfect love, forgiveness, and the like  are, to put it mildly, much more difficult to master.

And, speaking personally, I can say that Ive had more than a few days at the end of which, feeling satisfied that Id checked all the boxes and used my time unusually well, Ive suddenly remembered very worthy things that I had completely neglected. Im reminded of a cartoon image of someone trying to hold down all of the corners of a carpet who can, actually, only control three of the four. No matter how hard he tries, one of the corners flips up. We simply cant do everything that we want to do, or feel that we should do.

I think it safe to say (and, yes, rather sad to say) that few if any of us who have passed the age of twenty-two have any delusions about attaining perfection in this life.

So what is the point of a command to be perfect? Doesnt it merely taunt us, depress us, make us acutely conscious of our failures? Isnt perfectionism a heavy cross to bear? Sometimes, in fact, a debilitating psychological challenge? Im told that some contemporary women, in particular, sometimes stagger (and even despair) under the weight of unreasonable expectations.

This, of course, is where the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ comes in. Or, in a sense, where it should come in. That should be obvious to any serious, thoughtful Christian.

I return, yet again, to a quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith, as reported in the Elders Journal for July 1838 (page 44). Its importance simply cannot be overstated:

Question 20th. What are the fundamental principles of your religion. Answer. The fundamental principles of our religion is [sic] the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended up into heaven; and all other things are only appendages to these, which pertain to our religion.

Too many people in general, and too many Latter-day Saints in particular, appear to labor under the sense that they need to earn their way into heaven  despite the explicit teachings of their faith and of the scriptural texts that they read. For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, declares the prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon, after all we can do. (A helpful article on this verse is Jared Ludlows After All We Can Do (2 Nephi 25:23), published in 2017.) Which is to say  and Im aware that this sounds very harsh, which I regret, but which merely reflects reality and may also serve to alert us to the gravity of the error  that they seem, to that extent at least, to be living as non-Christians, effectively rejecting the atonement of the Savior. We do not need to be perfect in order to be welcomed into heaven. (In any event, none of us will be.) We simply need to be serious disciples of Jesus who accept him as our Lord and Master, who seek to follow him, and who accept his atoning sacrifice on our behalf.

The fact that we can enter heaven while still imperfect means that we have been given the precious gift of time. Commonly in this life, we feel the passage of time as oppressive. We have too little of it. There is never enough of it. Dreaded deadlines come too fast. Lives are too short. Wonderful moments pass too quickly. Happy memories and memories of loved ones recede into the past too quickly. But with the promise of eternal life comes the promise of endless future time.

We are not complete at death, and we are not expected to be. One of the most glorious of the many glorious teachings of the Restoration is what, when I was young, we commonly called eternal progression. (Im not sure that the expression is so common these days, but I could be wrong.) It signifies that our education, our pursuit of perfection, can and will continue beyond the veil. In a line from uniquely Latter-day Saint lyrics that have been set to an exceptionally beautiful hymn tune,

The works of God continue, and worlds and lives abound; improvement and progression have one eternal round.

In other words, we can relax just a bit. If we err, if we fail, if we mess up, we neednt despair. Were not lost. But this is not permission for laxity, for being indifferent to the commandments or to those around us. If we stumble, thats okay. But we should continue to press forward. We should not relax too much. We should not stand still, let alone turn back. The tension between the call to perfection and permission for self-forgiveness is essential:

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4:27)

President Russell M. Nelson delivered a wonderful and very timely talk at the conclusion of the Sunday morning session of General Conference. I commend it to all, including myself.

To be continued.

Posted from Park City, Utah
Lets face it, not all PC gaming enthusiasts have the scratch to purchase a premium gaming laptop. Theres no shame in that. Luckily, there are some great budget options out there, so gamers can get their game on without dipping into the rent money. Budget gaming laptops nowadays can sport some pretty decent CPU and GPU performance. Sure, as with any budget option, you can expect to make some compromises such as dialing back those ultra graphics settings in order to hit the 60fps sweet spot, but your experience can still be plenty satisfying.

The important thing is that you make the right compromises. Weve compiled a list of the best gaming laptops under $1,000 to help you in that quest. (Note that laptop prices can fluctuate and there might be times when the price of one of our picks hovers over $1,000.) Well keep adding more budget gaming options as we find them. And in case youre lucky enough to find some extra money under the sofa cushion, weve added a pick for those who can stretch their budget a little bit further.

For more recommendations on gaming laptops, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all prices. Additionally, before you buy, take a look at our roundup of the best laptop deals, updated weeklyit could help you save even more!

Updated 04/18/2023: Weve added the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook as our choice for best Chromebook for gaming. You can read more about his new pick in our summary below.

Acer Nitro 5 AN517  Best overall Pros Strong CPU/GPU pairing for the price

Roomy 1TB SSD with room to add second drive

Decent battery life

Quiet operation Cons Plastic chassis is bulky and hefty

Dim display

So-so keyboard and tiny touchpad

Terrible webcam Best Prices Today: With its spacious 1TB of SSD storage, powerful performance, and impressive battery life, the Acer Nitro 5 has a lot to offer. Typically, gaming laptops have lackluster battery life due to the power-sucking hardware inside. Not the Nitro 5. This machine boasts a colossal 96 watt-hour battery, which lasted eight hours on a single charge. Thats a spectacular number, especially for a gaming laptop with a larger screen. The average battery life for most gaming machines is anywhere from three to six hours. It also runs surprisingly quiet. The Nitro 5 is no slouch in the performance department, either. It comes armed with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. It did well in 3DMarks Time Spy and Port Royal benchmarks, finishing first among the other RTX 3060 machines we compared it against. The laptop also produced a respectable 107 FPS when running the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark. Although the plastic chassis is on the chunkier side and the keyboard leaves a little to be desired, if its a reliable performer at a reasonable price point youre after, the Nitro 5 is definitely worth considering. Read our full Acer Nitro 5 AN517 review

HP Victus 15  Best budget option Pros Excellent price

Good keyboard and touchpad

Respectable processor performance

Can handle most games at 30 FPS Cons Generic design

Disappointing build quality

Unattractive 144Hz display

60 FPS is often out of reach Best Prices Today: The HP Victus 15 might not be as powerful as some of the other options on this list, but what it lacks in performance, it makes up for by being extremely affordable. It is one of the cheapest options weve seen that still offers discrete graphicsalbeit an older GTX 1650 model. Even though 60 frames-per-second might be out of reach on this laptop on most modern games, you can still play them at lower graphics settings. If youre really strapped for cash but want that boost a discrete graphics card gives you, then the HP Victus 15 is worth your consideration. Read our full HP Victus 15 review Asus Vivobook Pro 15  Best display Pros Good productivity performance

Superb display

Rugged design

Great battery life Cons Boring aesthetics

Unimpressive 720p webcam

Unreliable fingerprint scanner

Poor port selection Best Prices Today: The Asus Vivobook Pro 15 lives up to the Pro title with its outstanding price-to-performance ratio. Packed with a Ryzen 7 CPU, an RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB M.2 NVMe hard drive, this laptop gives you the power and performance of higher-end alternatives for much cheaper. But the feature that makes the Vivobook Pro 15 stand out from the rest of the pack on this list is the gorgeous 15.6-inch OLED display that offers crisp visuals and a near-perfect contrast ratio. True, its design doesnt stand out, but thats not what this laptop is about. Asus isnt trying to beat premium laptops on design or build quality here. Instead, they want to load this laptop with so much power that the design doesnt even matterand they were successful. The Asus Vivobook Pro 15 gives you the power and features of a much more expensive midrange laptop for the price of a budget-friendly option. Read our full ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 OLED Ultra Slim Laptop review Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook  Best Chromebook for gaming Pros Large, bright 25601600 display

Ideal wireless and wired connectivity

Good display, strong speakers Cons Unimpressive design

Mediocre keyboard and touchpad

Lackluster webcam and microphone You probably dont think of Chromebooks when you consider purchasing a laptop for gaming, and we dont blame you. But with the advent of cloud gaming services, higher-end Chromebooks can now double as gaming devices. Still, some of these Chromebooks cost more than budget Windows gaming laptops, putting them out of reach for most. Enter the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming. For less than $600 it comes loaded with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a bright 16-inch 25601600 display. If you have decent enough internet and are willing to pay the monthly fee for a cloud gaming service, youre now able to stream the very best modern games straight from the cloud to your Chromebook. In our tests of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, we even found that we could stream AAA games at good resolutions and up to 120Hz. See our roundup of the best cloud gaming services to learn about options. Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook review

MSI Sword 15 A12UE  Unique style Pros Attractive, simple design

Lighter than most budget gaming laptops

RTX 3060 can handle most modern games

Competitive pricing Cons Mediocre keyboard and small touchpad

Dim display with narrow color gamut

CPU and GPU performance slightly behind competitors

Webcam and connectivity dont impress If youre willing to sacrifice a little substance to gain a lot of style, then the MSI Sword 15 is sure to impress. Dont get us wrong, the MSI Sword is a more-than-capable-enough laptop for most modern games, but it is the truly unique design that makes this laptop stand out. All white with black accents gives it a sleek, futuristic look (not unlike some much more expensive Alienware laptops). At just 4.96 pounds, its also lighter weight than many competitors, which for those who travel or frequently carry their laptops with them, can be a worthy tradeoff for the slightly lower performance features. The MSI Sword is a great-looking, budget gaming laptop that catches the eyeand if you can find it on sale, then it becomes a great value too. Read our full MSI Sword 15 A12UE review

If youre willing to spend a little bit more

Dell G16  Best for work and play Pros Strong performance for the price

Versatile and bright 16-inch 16:10 QHD display

Thunderbolt 4 on board Cons Bulky, boring design

Mushy keyboard, tiny touchpad

Grainy 720p webcam

Lots of fan noise Best Prices Today: If youre able to stretch your budget, the Dell G16 is a fantastic laptop for work or play. It crushed the competition in the processor department. That means it has plenty of power for everyday tasks like office productivity, video chatting, checking e-mail, and more. This laptop also turned in 131 FPS while running the Rise of the Tomb Raider benchmark. For hardware, it features an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. The G16 isnt the most attractive laptop weve ever reviewed, but it gets the basics right and thats what really matters. If youre on the hunt for a laptop that you can work and play on, theres no better option than the G16. Read our full Dell G16 review

How we tested

The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop to its limits and then compare it against others weve tested. Below, youll find a breakdown of each test and the reasons why we run them.

Windows laptops

PCMark 10 : PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on.

: PCMark 10 is how we determine how well the laptop handles lighter tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, and so on. HandBrake : HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptops CPU takes to encode a hefty 30GB file.

: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It basically measures how long a laptops CPU takes to encode a hefty 30GB file. Cinebench : Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time.

: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It does this by rendering a 2D scene over a short period of time. 3DMark : 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips.

: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips. Gaming tests : We benchmark each gaming laptop using several titles.

: We benchmark each gaming laptop using several titles. Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.

What you should look for in a budget gaming laptop

When it comes to picking the right gaming laptop, it really depends on what you want to do with it. Do you plan on playing lightweight indie titles like Stardew Valley (no shade, I love this game) or something more visually demanding like Cyberpunk 2077? Are you going to use the machine for work as well as play? Its possible to get reliable performance out of a gaming laptop that costs under a grand, but youll need to take a hard look at the individual components. You dont need a powerful GPU for something like Fortnite. You can run even most of the newest games very well at 1080p resolution with even entry level graphics cards if you dont mind dialing down the in-game visual settings from Ultra to more-reasonable High to Medium settings. Youll almost certainly need to do so to hit 60 frames per second in modern games on a gaming laptop under $1,000, but the good news is they should still look good, especially on a laptop display.

GPU : The thing about the GPU is that it cant be swapped out and upgraded later, so you need to be real choosy about which one you pick, as this component will determine how well your machine runs games. Luckily, you dont need the best of the best to get reliable gaming performance. The GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU thats affordable and good enough for 1080p gaming with mid-to-high graphics settings. That said, expect lower frame rates on newer titles. If youre looking for a bit more power, the more modern RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti are preferred options, and commonly found in gaming laptops under $1,000. You may occasionally find a deal on an RTX 3060-powered laptop under $1,000, but theyre relatively rare.

: The thing about the GPU is that it cant be swapped out and upgraded later, so you need to be real choosy about which one you pick, as this component will determine how well your machine runs games. Luckily, you dont need the best of the best to get reliable gaming performance. The GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU thats affordable and good enough for 1080p gaming with mid-to-high graphics settings. That said, expect lower frame rates on newer titles. If youre looking for a bit more power, the more modern RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti are preferred options, and commonly found in gaming laptops under $1,000. You may occasionally find a deal on an RTX 3060-powered laptop under $1,000, but theyre relatively rare. CPU : Like the GPU, the processor cant be upgraded either, so youll want to be selective. For Intel, wed recommend an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7. For AMD, youll want to spring for a Ryzen 4000 or 5000. A processor with at least four cores is good, but six cores or more is better.

: Like the GPU, the processor cant be upgraded either, so youll want to be selective. For Intel, wed recommend an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 or i7. For AMD, youll want to spring for a Ryzen 4000 or 5000. A processor with at least four cores is good, but six cores or more is better. RAM : Youll want at least 8GB of RAM. If you can afford 16GB of RAM, go for it. Memory is normally upgradable, so you can always swap it out and add more later on.

: Youll want at least 8GB of RAM. If you can afford 16GB of RAM, go for it. Memory is normally upgradable, so you can always swap it out and add more later on. Storage : Storage impacts how many games and applications you can install on your laptop. Like RAM, storage is often upgradable and can be swapped out later. However, you should aim for at least 512GB of SSD storage plus a hard drive, as AAA titles tend to eat up a lot of space. SSDs load games faster, as data is stored on chips rather than spinning disks.

: Storage impacts how many games and applications you can install on your laptop. Like RAM, storage is often upgradable and can be swapped out later. However, you should aim for at least 512GB of SSD storage plus a hard drive, as AAA titles tend to eat up a lot of space. SSDs load games faster, as data is stored on chips rather than spinning disks. Display : 1080p is what you can expect at this price range, either with a 60Hz or 144Hz (preferred) refresh rate. Budget gaming laptops dont always have the best displays, as thats where manufacturers tend to cut corners to keep the cost low. If youve got a dim display, you can always pick up an external monitor to plug into it.

: 1080p is what you can expect at this price range, either with a 60Hz or 144Hz (preferred) refresh rate. Budget gaming laptops dont always have the best displays, as thats where manufacturers tend to cut corners to keep the cost low. If youve got a dim display, you can always pick up an external monitor to plug into it. Battery life: Generally speaking, gaming laptops are known for having poor battery life. Thats because they use a ton of power. They also tend to be heavier than other laptops because they need more space for heatsinks and other cooling components. Depending on the use, most will last anywhere from four to six hours on a single charge. That said, there are a few exceptions. The HP Envy 14 (featured above), for example, hit the 15 hour mark during our battery test.
Ecobank Ghana and GhanaPost have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen financial inclusion and bring banking services to many more Ghanaians and drive the government agenda.



Under the deal, 100 GhanaPost outlets would be used as Ecobank Xpress Points to cater for more Ghanaians.



The programme will start with an initial 78 outlets before 22 more are added.



Ultimately, the plan is to turn all 360 GhanaPost outlets across the country into financial service and agency banking hubs to deepen financial inclusion.



Currently, about 68 per cent of Ghanaians have access to financial services, leaving a 32 per cent gap to be bridged.



Mr Dan Sackey, Ecobank Ghana Managing Director and Kwaku Tabi Amponsah, Deputy MD of GhanaPost signed the MoU and witnessed it by Dr Eddy Botchwey and Kwesi Owusu-Abrokwa.



Commenting on the deal, Mr Sackey lauded the partnership between the two institutions, adding there could not be any better partner for the rollout of the strategy than GhanaPost because of the many outlets spread across the country to drive financial inclusion.



The move, he said, would make it easier for Ghanaians everywhere in the country to have access to ECOBANKs digital financial services and GhanaPost provides the widespread presence for that to be possible.



He said customers, especially the underserved and unbanked population, would get to have faster, safer and more convenient banking when they access the GhanaPost ECOBANK Xpress Point.



Besides, Ecobank would get to increase its presence across the country more cost-effectively, and also get to drive financial inclusion.



"The call to action is to let all of us join hands together to deepen the financial inclusion agenda across Ghana and Africa. On our part, we shall continue to do this in pursuit of the Ecobank vision of Building a Pan-African Banking Institution that contributes to the Economic Development and Financial Integration of Africa," Mr Sackey added.



Deputy Managing Director of GhanaPost, Kwaku Tabi Amponsah said GhanaPost was working to increase revenue and such strategic collaborations in agency banking were critical to that effort.



He said such innovative partnerships would help GhanaPost to be endowed with new competencies from their various banking and financial service partners.



According to him, the partnership with ECOBANK also puts GhanaPost in a position to help drive Governments financial inclusion agenda even further, adding that it is his firm belief that the partnership will be for the long term.



The two institutions believe that their collaborative strategy will go a long way in helping to bridge that gap.



As part of the partnership, ECOBANK will advance GHS1 million to GhanaPost to convert their outlets into Ecobank Xpress Points, where they can offer some eight consumer banking services, including deposits, withdrawals, bills payment, remittance, and interbank transfers.



Currently, Ecobank Ghana has 67 branches, with 5000 plus Xpress Points across the country serving over 2.4 million customers.

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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Lemonade Finance is a cross-border payment solution that enables Ghanaians in the Diaspora to send money home. Last year, the brand announced the signing of Deloris Frimpong Manso, John Dumelo and Dr Likee as brand ambassadors.



The companys mission is to improve the financial lives for immigrants everywhere in the world. One that is inclusive and that works for them. This goal extends to empowering Africans, home and abroad.



On the 1st April, 2023, in collaboration with brand ambassador, Delay, the company has put together an event for the children at Nyamedua Orphanage, Accra. To put a smile on their faces with a heartfelt and activity packed party. In addition, the team made a donation of food items and stationery to the children. A monetary donation of GHS 50,000 was also made to the management of the orphanage.



This event is the companys maiden Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program in Ghana. Its one of the ways the brand aims to give back to its communities.



We were given a warm welcome when we launched to Ghana, and for that it is just right to give back to the Ghanaian community. This is our first of many more to come. The children deserve this and many more, according to Precious Ama Kwartema Oduro, Lemonade Finances country manager.



Lemonade Finance is a trusted brand here to serve Ghanaians, giving back to society is a great initiative and I just had to support them. I believe this is a company Ghanaians should show love and support to, a company that believes in giving back to the society.



During the visit, friends and employees of the company spent time with the children, playing games and singing songs. The money donated will be used to improve the living conditions of the children.



Paul Anaba, representative from Nyamedua Orphanage expressed their gratitude for the donation and the visit, We have never received a donation of this sort before, God richly bless Lemonade Finance for remembering us and giving back to the Ghanaian community. The kids are very grateful. I urge everyone to use Lemonade Finance, an organization that shows love to the community is an organization we should all support.



This is the first of many initiatives by Lemonade Finance and the company is motivated to do more for Ghana and her wonderful people.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Twenty-one staff of Vodafone Ghana in Accra have completed training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) conducted by Lancaster University Ghana (LUG).



The course, which was facilitated by the Deputy Head of the LUG Computer Science Department, Dr. Pius Gadosey, focused on introducing AI and ML concepts, algorithms, practical applications, current possibilities, and limitations.

The eight weeks of training also shed light on the need for responsible AI research and development and how businesses can leverage it for growth.



At the closing ceremony, the Provost of LUG Dr. Emmanuel Arthur underscored the essence of the training, reiterating the need for the individual to learn continually to advance their career path due to the evolving nature of the work and technological space.



He explained that the university is on the course of helping institutions bridge gaps in terms of needed skill sets and equipping them for efficiency and career progression.



Lancaster University Ghana has recognized that although people have qualifications from universities, there are specific skills that the industry is looking for. And we have recognized gaps in those skills, so what we are doing as an institution is talking to industry to understand what the skill gaps are, and when those are identified, we provide training in that regard, strictly tailored to their needs, he told the B&FT.



This, he is confident, will better position organisations to meet market demands and needs in the light of changing customer experiences.



Any organization that is not taking AI seriously has a big problem because the technological space is one that every organization must looked out for, he said.



Dr. Arthur added that: Career progression and enhancement is an institutional responsibility but also importantly the responsibility of the individual in the quest to fashion out their career hence the need to invest the available resources to make the best of their qualification.



Participants



Head of Enterprise Solutions at Vodafone Ghana, Danso Kwakye told the B&FT in an interview that the course is crucial for taking data-based decisions.



It is very insightful and practical and will help me in the way we design solutions for our enterprise customers and make sure that these solutions go a long way to delight our customers, he added.



The business performance manager at the Enterprise Business Unit, Sophia Otu-Ayeh is certain the training will help her better forecast numbers and understand the prescription and description of numbers and revenue forecasting to help the organization project into the future.



The entire experience was very insightful because it helps move our analysis from descriptive to predictive and there is no better way than using AI and ML, which means one will get a more efficient module to help the analysis that we currently do, another data analyst, Torikubu Omar added.



The trainees have varied backgrounds ranging from Data Analysis, Performance Analytics, Software Engineering, Mobile Money Specialization, and Revenue Assurance Analysts.



The training forms part of Lancaster University Ghanas Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Programmes and short courses aimed at developing skills and enhancing the knowledge of individuals and their organisations. Introduced in April 2022, the suite of open courses is available to working professionals and can be delivered at the workplace or at the LUG campus at Tantra Hill.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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South Africans took to the streets of Pretoria and Cape Town on Friday to protest against a Ugandan law passed last week that makes it a criminal offence to be openly LGBTQ.



Singing and waving flags, demonstrators called on Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, not to sign it.



While Uganda is among more than 30 African countries that already ban same-sex relations, the new law would be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ), according to rights group Human Rights Watch.



"World leaders should put pressure on Museveni to not sign the bill because it's not only a Ugandan issue, it is an African continent issue," said Papa De DeLovie Kwagala, a Ugandan LGBTQ rights activist and photographer among about 100 people protesting outside the United Nations Information Centre in Pretoria.



"Queer people don't owe anyone anything, but we also deserve to live just like everyone else. You can't strip all our rights. This is a world emergency."

Source: Reuters









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The establishment of a sugar factory under the government's One-District-One-Factory (1D1F) initiative at Fawoman in the Banda District of the Bono Region has begun.



The facility, which is expected to begin full production by the end of 2024 is being done through an equity agreement between the Bui Sugar Limited, a Chinese company, and the Bui Power Authority (BPA).



Under the initiative, BPA has provided a total of 13,000 acres of land to the Bui Sugar Limited for the cultivation of sugarcane plantation to feed the factory when it begins operation.



So far, 250 acres out of the 1,200 acres of land which have been cleared, have been cultivated with sugarcane by the investor.



When the entire 13,000 or 6,000 hectares of land provided under the collaboration is cultivated and the factory starts full operation, it is expected to produce a total of 60,000 metric tonnes of raw sugar annually for local consumption and for export.



These came to light when the Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu-Banahene and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BPA, Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, visited the facility to see how it is progressing.



Construction



Shedding light on the operations of the Bui Sugar Limited, the Managing Director of the company, Wan Wei Hua, explained that the actual construction of the factory block would begin in June, this year.



"The construction of factory and installation of equipment is expected to last for one-and-a-half years before the commencement of production," he said.



He explained that currently, the company's focus was on the provision of adequate raw materials and preparations for the construction of the factory block.



Mr Hua said 500 local people had already been employed for the cultivation of the sugarcane plantation for now, adding that about 1000 more people would be added by the time that the factory will start production.



Agreement



For his part, Mr Dzamesi explained that BPA entered into an agreement with Bui Sugar Limited in March 2022 since the Act that established the authority empowered it to enter into such agreements.



He said it was expected that the facility would provide about 1,500 direct employment and more than 5,000 indirect employment when it was in full operation.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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Police in north-west Nigeria have launched a search and rescue operation for two female students who've been abducted from a university hostel in Zamfara state.



They said an armed gang broke into the private hostel in Gusau and locked up two guards before kidnapping the students.



The incident has heightened fears of insecurity in Zamfara which has in the past seen numerous kidnappings for ransom.



In February last year, gunmen abducted almost three hundred female students from a boarding school in Zamfara.



They were released after several days in captivity. In August fifteen students and four members of staff were seized from an agriculture college.

Source: BBC









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Donald Trump has become the first former president to be indicted in a criminal case after a grand jury investigation into hush money payments made on his behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The unprecedented indictment comes as the Republican faces other legal investigations and launches a bid to return to the White House in 2024.

The indictment will test the Republican Party already divided over whether to support Trump next year, in part due to his efforts to undermine his 2020 election loss.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and accuses prosecutors of engaging in a politically motivated "witch hunt" to damage his campaign.

Here's a look at the hush money case, the grand jury investigation and possible ramifications for Trump's presidential campaign:

WHAT'S THIS CASE ABOUT?

The grand jury spent weeks meeting in secret to probe Trump's involvement in a $130,000 payment made in 2016 to the porn actor Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public about a sexual encounter she said she had with him years earlier. Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, through a shell company before being reimbursed by Trump, whose company, the Trump Organization, logged the reimbursements as legal expenses.

Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for former Playboy model Karen McDougal to be paid $150,000 by the publisher of the supermarket tabloid The National Enquirer, which then squelched her story in a journalistically dubious practice known as "catch and kill."

Trump denies having sex with either woman.

Trump's company "grossed up" Cohen's reimbursement for the Daniels payment to defray tax payments, according to federal prosecutors who filed criminal charges against the lawyer in connection with the payments in 2018. In all, Cohen got $360,000 plus a $60,000 bonus, for a total of $420,000.

Cohen pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance law in connection with the payments. Federal prosecutors say the payments amounted to illegal, unreported assistance to Trump's campaign. But they declined to file charges against Trump himself.

WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?

The indictment has not yet been unsealed, so it's not totally clear.

Some experts have said they believe Trump could be charged with falsifying business records, which can be a misdemeanor or a felony under New York law. To secure a conviction on the felony charge, prosecutors would have to prove that records were falsified with the intention of committing or concealing a second crime. It's not clear what prosecutors may allege as the second crime.

WHAT HAS TRUMP'S LAWYER SAID?

Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said Thursday that the former president didn't commit any crime and vowed to "vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."

Tacopina has accused prosecutors of "distorting laws" to try to take down the former president. He has described Trump as a victim of extortion who had to pay the money because the allegations were going to be embarrassing to him "regardless of the campaign."

"He made this with personal funds to prevent something from coming out  false, but embarrassing to himself, his family, his young son. That's not a campaign finance violation, not by any stretch," Tacopina said on ABC's "Good Morning America" before the indictment.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Law enforcement officials have been making security preparations for days for the possibility of an indictment and a court appearance by the president.

Trump was expected to surrender to authorities next week, though details were still being worked out, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss a matter that remained under seal.

WHAT'S THIS GRAND JURY AND WHO TESTIFIED?

A grand jury is made up of people drawn from the community, similar to a trial jury. But unlike juries that hear trials, grand juries don't decide whether someone is guilty or innocent. They only decide whether there is sufficient evidence for someone to be charged.

Proceedings are closed to the public, including the media. New York grand juries have 23 people. At least 16 must be present to hear evidence or deliberate and 12 have to agree there is enough evidence in order to issue an indictment.

David Pecker, a longtime Trump friend and the former chief executive of the parent company of The National Enquirer, returned to the courthouse this week where the grand jury was meeting.

Pecker's company, American Media Inc., secretly assisted Trump's campaign by paying $150,000 to McDougal in August 2016 for the rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. The company then suppressed McDougal's story until after the election.

The grand jury also heard from Cohen, as well as Robert Costello, who was once a legal adviser to Cohen.

The men have since had a falling out, and Costello indicated he has information he believes undercuts Cohen's credibility and contradicts his incriminating statements about Trump. Costello testified at the invitation of prosecutors, presumably as a way to ensure that the grand jury had an opportunity to consider any testimony or evidence that might weaken the case for moving forward with an indictment.

Trump was also invited to testify, but didn't.

WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL RAMIFICATIONS FOR TRUMP?

Neither the indictment itself nor a conviction would prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.

Last week in Waco, Texas, Trump took a defiant stance at a rally by disparaging the prosecutors investigating him and predicting his vindication as he rallied supporters in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.

"You will be vindicated and proud," Trump said in a speech brimming with resentments and framing the probes as political attacks on himself and his followers. "The thugs and criminals who are corrupting our justice system will be defeated, discredited and totally disgraced."

Before the charges were handed down, many party leaders had also already begun to defend the former president.

During a visit this month to Iowa, former Vice President Mike Pence called the idea of indicting a former president "deeply troubling." Another 2024 Republican prospect, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, has said there is a sense that the former president is being unfairly attacked.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a declared candidate who also served as Trump's U.N. ambassador, has called Bragg's case an attempt at scoring "political points," adding, "You never want to condone any sort of prosecution that's being politicized."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is considering joining the 2024 Republican field, slammed the investigation as politically motivated. But he also threw one of his first jabs at the former president in a quip likely to intensify their rivalry. DeSantis said he personally doesn't "know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some kind of alleged affair."

WHAT ABOUT OTHER TRUMP INVESTIGATIONS?

The New York case is just one of many legal woes Trump is facing.

The Justice Department is also investigating his retention of top secret government documents at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after leaving the White House. Federal investigators are also still probing the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election that Trump falsely claimed was stolen.

In Georgia, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been investigating whether Trump and his allies illegally meddled in the 2020 election. The foreperson of a special grand jury, which heard from dozens of witnesses, said last month that the panel had recommended that numerous people be indicted, and hinted Trump could be among them. It is ultimately up to Willis to decide whether to move forward.

___

Photos: Demonstrations as potential Trump indictment looms
Some police officers attached to the Axim District Police in the Western Region have been humiliated by suspected illegal miners, commonly called Galamseyers.



The Galamseyers humiliated the policemen they accused of collecting bribes from them and attempted to arrest one of them.



The policemen numbering about four were captured in a viral video from a suspected galamsey site where they had gone to demand for money but the exercise backfired with an embarrassing outcome.



The suspected galamsey boys subjected them to humiliation with the policemen going on their knees.



Per the video sighted by DGN Online, the aggrieved youth who outnumbered the police personnel who came in a blue police vehicle in a bush, expressed anger over the constant harassment by the officers albeit insatiable demand for bribes.



One of the angry galamsey boys wearing a military camouflage was seen in the video attempting to manhandle an officer by trying to seize his weapon.



The angry civilian questioned why the officers were trying to extort money from them after they had settled their demands earlier.



The viral video gives insight of the familiarity between the police officers and the aggrieved youth who were using motorbike in the bush.



The police officers appeared to have been stopped by these civilians, who seemed to wield so much power and influence.



At a point, one of the hapless police officers started appealing to their conscience by using their relationship as a bargaining chip for them to compromise.



The uniform of one of the police officers was seized and there was also an attempt to seize an assault rifle; that was when a policeman had to kneel before them pleading profusely.



Painfully, several people on social media have reacted to the video by stating their frustration about a police officer bowing and paying the utmost respect to civilians who they were supposed to arrest for their illegal activities.



The video has since caused a stir on social media.



Meanwhile, Ghana Police Service is yet to react to the unfortunate incident.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said he no longer fights for persons who are homosexuals in society because he cannot speak for faceless people.



He wants them to come out and speak or fight for themselves for themselves



Mr Kpebu explained that he is aware of big lawyers in this country who are homosexual but are not prepared to come out publicly to defend their actions.



Speaking on TV3 Saturday, April 1, he said To be very frank with you I do not intend to go into the merits of the debate on LGBTQ. I have made comments on it in the past, briefly stating that if some people want to fight for it it is within their right to fight for it but the reason I am no longer interested in joining this debate aggressively is that the people who practice LGBTQ, they dont want to show their faces. So I ask, how am I going to advocate for a faceless person?



So that is the disconnect. It is a very sensitive matter, I have been crying here Saturday to Saturday that the Ghanaian doesnt want to fight, this is another of that. Privately, I have seen big lawyers involved, big lawyers who are gays and they cant fight for themselves and you are saying Kpebu should come and fight, no, you cant fight everything. There are big lawyers, I am telling you on authority, in this country involved and they dont want to show their faces. At least they should come out, lets see them explain their situation.



I have been telling some of them privately that if we even get fifty of them to snap a picture, and come out to address a press conference when they speak, they will evoke compassion.



The discussion on the Key Points centered on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos decision to dissociate from the Proper Human Sexual Rights & Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the Ant-Gay Bill.



Proposed under a Private Members Bill, the anti-gay bill is expected to criminalise some of the activities of homosexuals in Ghana.



Answering a question put to him at the Jubilee House on Monday, March 27 when US Vice President Kamala Harris called on him, President Akufo-Addo confirmed that the bill is currently before Parliament, which will decide on it, but most of its provisions are being fine-tuned.



It hasnt been passed, so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is not accurate, he said.



Parliament is dealing with it and at the end of the process, I will come in, he added.



President Akufo-Addo welcomed US Vice President Harris to the seat of government as part the latters three-day visit to the country.



She stressed how strongly she feels about the importance of supporting and fighting for the cause of human rights including rights of LGBTQs.



For the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the globe including as well as the LGBTQ community and I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting and fighting for quality among all people.









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 Klottey Korley Constituency and Parliamentary candidate , Valantina Nii Noi Nortey on Sunday, April 2, 2023, paid a courtesy call on the Muslim community and made a donation of some food items to them ahead of the Ramadan fasting.



The items donated by the affable and Charismatic leader as part of his support for the Muslim community in this period of Ramadan included sugar, milk, Lipton among others.



He urged them to use the holy month of Ramadan to pray for Ghana and President Akufo-Addo asking Allah to give him strength and guidance in his work.



He charged them to pray for unity, peace and prosperity among NPP members in the Klottey Korle constituency while they reach out to deprived Muslim brothers and sisters in need of assistance during this fasting month.

The Constituency Nasara Coordinator, Ahmed Tukuru expressed gratitude to Nii Noi Nortey for the donations which he said had come at the right time to support them in the period of Ramadan.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Nana Yaa Brefo, a popular radio presenter, has denied rumours that she is a lesbian, stating that the claims were unfounded and fueled by her close relationship with colleague Yaa Kyeraa and their preference for wearing trousers.



Speaking in an interview with Accra FM, Nana Yaa Brefo explained that she and Yaa Kyeraa were falsely accused of being lesbians because of their clothing choices.



She further emphasized that she has never been involved in any same-sex relationship and was married to a man and is now a mother.



Nana Yaa Brefo also addressed her preference for wearing trousers, stating that it is due to her physique and desire for comfort.



She urged people not to judge others based on their clothing choices or appearance.



Explaining the chemistry between her and Yaa Kyeraa, Nana Yaa Brefo said that they share a close bond, but it is not related to lesbianism.



She described Yaa Kyeraa as a big sister who respects her, and she reciprocates the support. Nana Yaa Brefo joined Angel Broadcasting Network in June 2020 after leaving Multimedia Group.

Source: graphiconline.com









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A man has been sentenced for crimes connected to a scheme in which he helped a teacher at a private Pennsylvania school to collect sexually explicit photos from minors

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Kray Strange of Carthage, New York was sentenced for 33 years in prison for exploiting over 200 victims, in coordination with Andrew Wolf, a teacher at the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia. Wolf was sentenced last month to nearly 39 years in prison.

Strange had previously gone through court-mandated sex offender treatment for offenses committed as a minor.

Prosecutors said that Strange offered to help Wolf coerce young boys into sending them sexually explicit photos, and sent more than 27,000 messages and 4,000 images files over social media. Strange would often use explicit photos of the boys as blackmail to coerce them into sending more, prosecutors said, and his targets extended beyond students at Wolfs school.

Strange continued to solicit the photos even after Wolf was arrested, prosecutors said.

In addition to his sentence of 33 years, Strange was also ordered to register as a sex offender, was prohibited from owning an electronic device that wasnt approved by his probation officer, and was ordered to pay restitution to his victims from the money he earns while in prison.
A man police were seeking in connection with a deadly shooting in Mercer County has been arrested in Nebraska, according to reports from KDKA and WPXI.

According to state police, the shooting occurred early Saturday morning along the 800 block of Roemer Boulevard in Farrell.

Police said that 21-year-old Jayson Burns had been shot and killed by Darrell Harrison, 27, following an argument with three men in the roadway. Burns was taken to a hospital where he died. Harrison drove away before police arrived.

Harrison, who police considered armed and dangerous, was arrested Sunday at a traffic stop in Nebraska.

He is currently being held at the Seward County Detention Center and has been charged with first-degree murder.
CARLISLE - A group of folks whove benefitted at the highest level from American electoral politics unveiled plans for a new civic education campaign Monday designed to neutralize what they fear will be fresh waves of voter disinformation in advance of the 2024 presidential election.

The group, known as Keep Our Republic, said it is concentrating its efforts in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where leaders say theyve seen brush fires of anti-democratic activism that need to be countered early and often.
Around 200 local West Shore Muslims gathered Sunday evening to celebrate Ramadan with an event at the Silver Spring Community Fire Hall.

Other dignitaries and officials also attended.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. It runs from March 22 to April 21.
A new study has found locations within the U.S. where Social Security serves people the best.

This, of course, includes places in Pennsylvania.

In order to conduct and publish this study, SmartAsset  an online destination for consumer-focused financial information and advice  first took a look at the average Social Security income for residents in each of Pennsylvanias counties.

From there researchers calculated a typical retirees taxes based on the states specific rules; subtracted this number from that Social Security average; and subtracted the average cost of basic necessities such as food and housing.

Results were set against an index of 100 (100 representing places where Social Security goes further) to top it all off.

Without further ado, these were the top 10 counties in Pennsylvania with regards to where Social Security can give one the most support:

Wayne (index score of 83.03) Elk (82.86) Juniata (82.84) Sullivan (81.33) Armstrong (80.84) Lancaster (80.84) Adams (80.82) Northampton (80.78) Tioga (80.65) Westmoreland (80.64)

The last year or so saw quite a lot of chatter surrounding Social Security: The Associated Press reported in October 2022 how these benefits were estimated to get a nearly 9 percent increase this year, a historic increase and welcome news for American retirees and others.

As you approach retirement, keep track of your expenses so you know how much income youll need to maintain your current standard of living, advises the SmartAsset study. That way, you can see whether youre saving enough for retirement in other ways (401(k), IRA, etc.) to round out the money you can expect from Social Security.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Monday, giving the governor another legislative victory as he prepares a campaign for president.

The governor signed the bill in a private ceremony in his office. His only immediate public comment was, Constitutional Carry is in the books, which he said in a three-paragraph news release.

The new law will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be required to carry concealed guns in public. It takes effect July 1.

The arguments over the legislation were divided along political lines, with Republicans saying law-abiding citizens have a right to carry guns and protect themselves. They say most people will still want to get a permit because it will allow them to carry concealed weapons in states with reciprocal agreements and to be able to purchase guns without a waiting period.

However, Democrats and gun safety advocates -- pointing to mass shootings in Florida like the massacre at the 2016 Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland  say the new law will only make the state more dangerous.

I am pissed, Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, told reporters during an online news conference. I will chase him down across the state as well as possibly across the country because Ron DeSantis today put his signature to a bill that guarantees there will be more Jaimes.

And he said signing the bill behind closed doors makes DeSantis a coward.

Somebody in Florida may die ... because of this legislation. That will be because of you, Ron DeSantis, Guttenberg said. I understand why you hid today ... You are a weak, pathetic, small-minded individual.

Nearly 3 million Floridians have a concealed weapons permit. While a background check and three-day waiting period will still be required to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, they are not required for private transactions or exchanges of weapons.

DeSantis has said he thinks Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesnt appear the Legislature will pass such legislation this session.

The bill signing comes five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed a bill creating gun restrictions after 17 students and faculty were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Under DeSantis, momentum has swung back toward expanding gun rights rather than placing limits on them, which has earned him praise from gun rights advocates.

People at Trails End Park pause for a moment of silence in honor of the 17 that were killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting last year, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, in Parkland, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)AP

Government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families, Republican Sen. Jay Collins, who sponsored the bill, said in a news release.

It also comes one week after six people were killed in a Nashville school shooting, a point made by President Joe Bidens administration.

It is shameful that so soon after another tragic school shooting, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. This is the opposite of common-sense gun safety.

Brendan Farrington of The Associated Press wrote this story.

More:

13-year-old boy killed on Cumberland County road had just left treat shop

Fetterman talks about battle with depression in sit-down interview: I had stopped leaving my bed
Advocates for child welfare reform rallied in the Capitol Monday to urge the legislature to establish a permanent child advocacy office that is not subject to the whim of a governor.

The commonwealths child advocate currently exists only by executive order of the governor; having the office established under law by the legislature would be enabling it to operate continually throughout the changes in administrations, said Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester County, the sponsor of a bill to do so.

The position of Child Advocate was created in 2019 as part of the Office of Advocacy and Reform, under an executive order issued by former Gov. Tom Wolf. Maryann McEvoy currently serves as both Child Advocate and the offices executive director.

The Office of Advocacy and Reform had a staff of about nine people working on child welfare under Wolf, McEvoy said Monday, and Gov. Josh Shapiro has pledged a similar effort under his administration.

But the fact that the agency is an arm of the governors office means it could go away with the stroke of a pen, advocates said, and the state needs an independent office to exist statutorily in order to ensure consistency over time.

Establishing the office as a statutory entity would be a big step toward making it a priority for our children to be seen, to be heard, and to be protected, McEvoy said at Mondays rally, which also highlighted Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Today feels different to me, in terms of getting the job done, said Cathleen Palm of the Center for Childrens Justice, citing a new administration and the vocal advocacy of young people who have been through the foster care and juvenile welfare systems themselves.

Pennsylvanias youth services are often a patchwork of county-level child welfare agencies, foster homes run by private contractors, juvenile courts and detention centers, and other elements. Shuffling between them often makes children feel like a piece of paperwork themselves, said Duane Price, an advocate with the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center who went through the system himself.

I was ignored, censored, or shut down, by the system, Price said. I wanted people to see me as the child I was. What we have on paper does not define us.

The Juvenile Law Center issued a report in 2019 raising major concerns about Pennsylvanias child welfare structure, particularly with regard to a lack of centralized oversight and evaluation, and the barriers to children themselves raising grievances or flagging abuse.

Pennsylvania has a statutory consumer advocate, as well as an ombudsman system for aging and senior services, noted Sen. Judy Schwank, D-Bucks County, but no equivalent for child welfare, despite children often being in the least advantageous position to speak up.

The state has also seen a number of high-profile instances in which child abuse within the system flew under the radar  such as the scandal at the Glen Mills reform school, where courts had sent delinquent youth for nearly two centuries. The school was shut down in 2019 after an investigation in the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed widespread abuse, including routine beatings.
You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

Today in Pa. Daily Podcast | April 3, 2023

St. Lukes University Health Network has been accused in a new class action lawsuit of charging employees who received religious exemption from the vaccine more for health insurance. A man who stole the thumb of an ancient terra cotta warrior statue during an ugly sweater party at the Franklin Institute has accepted a plea deal. Short-term rental owners in Philadelphia were informed about subpoenas from the city last week. Finally, the former home of a Founding Father will be featured on Ghost Hunters.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.

As sponsored by Renewal by Anderson of Central PA.
After months of anxiety for Americans and furious outbursts from Donald Trump, the former president is set to come to New York City on Monday after his historic indictment, the latest chapter in his shocking political career and turbulent relationship with his hometown.

After flying from his Mar-a-Lago, Florida, home, he will stay at Trump Tower on Fifth Ave. in Midtown ahead of the Tuesday afternoon arraignment on charges expected to stem from his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

New York City has been on edge since the ex-president announced last month that he expected to be indicted, with local authorities receiving unfounded bomb threats and a pro-Trump woman arrested for flashing a knife at passersby outside Manhattan courts.

Meanwhile, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been bombarded with racist emails and death threats, the Daily News reported.

To date, members of the media have far outnumbered pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators outside the Manhattan criminal courts, where Trump will turn himself in, though the authorities have been tightening security ahead of the big day.

As he expected the indictment last month, Trump warned of death and destruction if hes brought up on charges.

Cops are ready to mobilize to either the courts or Trump Tower, the NYPD said last week.

But so far, officers have not been told to come in on their day off to support cops preparing for the potential protests.

A team of Secret Service agents toured the courthouse Friday to plan the former presidents path to and from the site, the Washington Post reported. Dozens of agents are expected at the courthouse during Trumps arraignment.

Due to security concerns, Trump wont undergo a notorious perp walk for the arraignment, sources previously told The News.

Court officers at Manhattan Criminal Court are in a heightened state of readiness, as they have been for the past two weeks, New York State courts spokesman Lucian Chalfen said Friday.

Trump faces nearly three dozen charges, according to the New York Times and CNN. Trump will find out whats in the sealed indictment along with the rest of the world when he appears in court on Tuesday.

He plans to plead not guilty on Tuesday.

He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court, lawyers Tacopina and Susan Necheles said in a previous statement.

Its not yet known if State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan will allow cameras for the first criminal arraignment of a former president in U.S. history.

Local pols demanded audio and video access on Sunday.

The public has the right to witness this moment in history, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said at a press conference.

There is no time to waste in flinging open the doors of the courthouse behind us to the media, to New Yorkers and to Americans, the Manhattan Democrat added as he touted legislation that would mandate camera access at state courts.

While the extent of this weeks demos could not be known, at least one flame-throwing protester promised to descend upon the city.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said shed join the New York Young Republican Club at a Tuesday protest at Collect Pond Park, paces away from the Manhattan criminal courts.

The Georgia Republican promised to exercise our First Amendment right to protest the unprecedented political persecution of President Trump.

With Molly Crane-Newman

RELATED:

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry condemns Trump indictment

Lawmaker hands out sandwiches to protest Trump indictment

From Stormy Daniels check to Donald Trumps indictment: a timeline
Jeremy Hansen, from Canada with the Canadian Space Agency, gives remarks after he was announced as a mission specialist during a NASA ceremony naming the four astronauts who will fly around the moon by the end of next year on the Artemis II mission, at a ceremony held in the NASA hanger at Ellington airport Monday, April 3, 2023, in Houston. This crew will not land or even go into lunar orbit. Rather, they will fly around the moon and head straight back to Earth. The 10-day mission will be a prelude to a lunar landing a year later. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michael Wyke
Nominations open today for Toronto's next mayor, with several contenders set to submit their names in a crowded race. Toronto City Hall is pictured in Toronto, on Saturday, March 4, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey
After Donald Trump incited the Capitol insurrection and then ignored his imprisoned MAGA soldiers  even calling them antifa as they pleaded for a pardon  his lawyer is now praising the mad Qult leader for the adoration he showed over the weekend while hosting a dinner for the insurrectionists' families.

"He shook their hands. He gave them hugs. And he just keeps on fighting," Alina Habba said with glazed enthusiasm. (See video below, posted by Patriot Takes.)

Doing a quick Google search, I don't see any news of a Mar-a-Lago shindig over the weekend celebrating the failed coup. But Habba insists her authoritarian boss spread some love last night  a common tactic most abusers, cult leaders, and dictators do after acts of cruelty.

"I was with him last evening, he was playing music at Mar-a-Lago, enjoying himself, and living his best life," she gushed.

"Before he started dinner last night, he stood up and he played that Jan. 6 orchestra song, and we stood up and said the National Anthem, and we all stood with our hands over our hearts," the Kool-aid swigger continued. "And we prayed for this country, we were there with families of Jan. 6 people who have been falsely imprisoned, and they were crying." (But why the families who were betrayed by Trump were crying, she did not disclose.)

When mentioned by the host that no one had heard about the Mar-a-Lago kumbaya, Habbas insisted that Trump doesn't stage such events for the optics, but that he hosts such dinners because "he's got such a big heart." He also needs to rejuvenate his armed mob.

"And that's why I will see you in the White House in '24. And he's going to be there."

It's fascinating how, with Trump picking up speed again, what's left of the old GOP "establishment" still can't bring themselves to pipe up  even after Trump caused Republicans to suffer in the last three elections and will most certainly do it again.

Trump lawyer Alina Habba said Trump quietly hosted families of imprisoned January 6th insurrectionists at Mar-a-Lago.



Habba: "[Trump] stood up. He shook their hands. He gave them hugs, and he just keeps on fighting." pic.twitter.com/LiQPwKWCFd  PatriotTakes  (@patriottakes) April 3, 2023

Front page thumbnail image: Evan El-Amin / shutterstock.com
Felipe Ketzer Pads His PokerStars Bankroll With $82,000!

April 03, 2023 Matthew Pitt Editor

Brazil's Felipe "ketzerfelipe" Ketzer has plenty of reasons to spend Monday celebrating after he took down the $5,200 Titans Event online at PokerStars for a cool $82,009. Ketzer's prize would have been even larger had he not struck a heads-up deal with his fellow countryman Rodrigo "SELOUAN1991" Selouan.

Sixty-eight players bought into the Titans Event this week, and created a $340,000 prize pool. Such a prize pool meant all nine finalists more than doubled their investment. Ole "wizowizo" Schemion was the first to fall before Team PokerStars Pro Sam "SamSquid" Grafton bowed out in eighth.

Check out the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar Never miss an online poker tournament again! Click Here

Oliver "Sk2ll_m0dR" Weis and David "MissOracle" Yan fell by the wayside, and left only five players in the hunt for the title. Greek grinder "dimiangelako" busted in fifth, with "Grozzorg" of Austria seeing their tournament end in a fourth-place finish. Heads-up was set when Mexico-base Russian "hello_totti" ran out of steam.

The Brazilian duo of Ketzer and Selouan agreed upon a deal that ultimately saw Selouan finish second for $78,495 and Ketzer clinch the title, which came with $82,009 reasons to be delighted with his performance.

$5,200 Titans Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Felipe "ketzerfelipe" Ketzer Brazil $82,009* 2 Rodrigo "SELOUAN1991" Selouan Brazil $78,495* 3 hello_totti Mexico $51,482 4 Grozzorg Austria $38,560 5 dimiangelako Greece $28,881 6 David "MissOracle" Yan New Zealand $21,632 7 Oliver "sk2ll_m0dR" Weis Austria $16,202 8 Sam "SamSquid" Grafton United Kingdom $12,135 9 Ole "wizowizo" Schemion Austria $10,600

*reflects a heads-up deal

Nitsche Nicks the $1,050 Sunday Cooldown Top Honors

Dominik Nitsche

Dominik "Bounatirou" Nitsche overcame a tough field to become the $1,050 Sunday Cooldown champion this week. A compact yet stellar field of 47 entrants fought tooth and nail to be the last player standing.

Only seven of the finalists won some prize money from the main prize pool. Andrey "Anjeyyy" Novak being the first of those seven to find themselves with no betting tokens in front of them.

"Gogac sniper" was shot down, "Ebaaa11" was relieved of their stack, then Leon "RUMUKULUS" Sturm saw his participation ended earlier than he would have like, leaving a trio of players in contention to become the tournament's champion.

Kazakhstan's "Hofr" was sent packing in third, leaving two Goliath's of the poker world head-to-head. Nitsche defeated Preben "prebz" Stokkan heads-up and received $16,668 in total, with Stokkan heading into the night with a $9,668 consolation prize.

$1,050 Sunday Cooldown Final Table Results

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 Dominik "Bounatirou" Nitsche United Kingdom $9,781 $6,887 $16,668 2 Preben "prebz" Stokkan United Kingdom $2,781 $6,887 $9,668 3 Hofr Kazakhstan $1,000 $3,369 $4,369 4 Leon "RUMUKULUS" Sturm Austria $2,187 $2,429 $4,616 5 Ebaaa11 Montenegro $875 $1,751 $2,626 6 Gogac sniper Austria $1,263 $1,263 7 Andrey "Anjeyyy" Novak Ukraine $875 $910 $1,785

2023 Irish Open Events Are Included in the UKIPT Leaderboards; 15K Package to be Won

Other PokerStars Results

Ketzer's fellow Brazilians Fellipe "FellipeD" Drapichinski and Daniel "Dan.Almeida" Ameida helped themselves to PokerStars Sunday majors this weekend. The former took down the $109 Sunday Fenomeno for $22,351, with the latter capturing the $109 Bounty Builder title for $12,174.

Tournament Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize $1,050 Sunday High Roller 101 $101,000 Bolko $23,453* $109 Sunday Fenomeno 1,457 $145,700 Fellipe "FellipeD" Drapichinski $22,351 $1,050 Sunday Supersonic High Roller 70 $71,110 darkziv $22,095 $109 Sunday Warm-Up 1,348 $134,800 Toritzo $20,893 $109 Sunday Cooldown 1,477 $147,700 Deal with it $18,984* $215 Sunday Supersonic 415 $84,975 Emilohlsson $15,355 $1,050 Sunday Warm-Up High Roller 38 $38,000 HardiZ1 $13,358 $109 Bounty Builder 1,075 $107,500 Daniel "Dan.Almeida" Almeida $12,174* $109 Sunday Kickoff 582 $58,200 Alex Shepel $10,274 $215 Bounty Builder 228 $45,600 babecallme $9,876*

*includes bounty payments

"zavor4ik" Warms Up For The Festival Online Main Event With High Roller Victory

The Festival Online Main Event kicks off at 888poker from April 6, and Austrian "zavor4ik" warmed up for it in style by triumphing in the $40,000 guaranteed Sunday High Roller. Some 81 players bought in for $525, and each of the nine finalists more than doubled their money.

"Ydavidy77" and "matokr" were the first players to be eliminated from the final table. "QdEqTeCalaz" joined those busted players in the role of a spectator before the exits of "wacko90" and 888poker regular "xFink_Ploydx" left four players contesting the tournament.

Ireland's "9salute46" and "ukrLaci" of Ukraine fell in the latter stages, before zavor4ik defeated "Sickslick" in the one-on-one battle, and reeled in the tournament's only five-figure prize, namely $11,340.

$40,000 The Festival Online Sunday High Roller Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 zavor4ik Austria $11,340 2 Sickslick Germany $7,573 3 ukrLaci Ukraine $5,346 4 9salute46 Ireland $3,888 5 xFink_Ploydx Canada $2,835 6 wacko90 United Kingdom $2,126 7 QdEqTeCalaz Brazil $1,721 8 matokr $1,417 9 Ydavidy77 Sweden $1,215

888poker: Ask Yourself These Questions Before Calling A River Bet!

Other 888poker Results

Shout-out to "01100" who become the champion of the $109 Sunday PKO Rumble, a result worth $2,921.

Sunday also saw almost 1,000 players in the $100,000 Sunday Big Shot 109 whittled to the final table of nine. One of those nine heroes will walk away with an impressive $15,480 when the final table plays out on April 3 under the watchful eyes of the 888poker Twitch streamers.

Tournament Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize Sunday PKO Rumble $109 123 $12,300 01100 $2,921* Sunday Big Shot $33 414 $12,420 marcio181810 $2,396 $55 Sunday PKO Rumble 8-Max 132 $6,600 Brunsonskid $1,885*

*includes bounty payments

Lam Denies Odeen in the PartyPoker Grand

The $1,050 Grand is PartyPoker's largest buy-in tournament of the week, and this latest edition saw 70 players enter. $75,000 was up for grabs, but British star Tom Hall narrowly missed out on some prize money because he fell in 14th place and popped the money bubble.

$2,890 was the least anyone at the final table could win, and that sum went to Boris Angelov of Bulgaria. Anton Blondal, Euan Baxter, and Jonathan Proudfoot were eliminated, before a trio of Malta-based grinders made their way to the exits. Alberto Cigliano was the first, followed by Alan Goasdoue, and finally four-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gathy.

Gathy's untimely demise left Jason lam heads-up against Jerry Odeen, and it was Lam that came out of that particular battle unscathed. Lam reeled in $18,816, resigning Odeen to the $12,344 consolation prize.

The Grand Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Jason Lam United Kingdom $18,806 2 Jerry Odeen Sweden $12,344 3 Michael Gathy Malta $8,684 4 Alan Goasdoue Malta $6,382 5 Alberto Cigliano Malta $4,912 6 Jonthan Proudfoot Ireland $4,011 7 Euan Baxter United Kingdom $3,483 8 Anton Blondal Denmark $3,184 9 Boris Angelov Bulgaria $2,890

RL-t1Nd3R-> Shines in the Super $55

It may have only cost $55 to enter, but the PartyPoker Super $55 paid out an impressive $63,000, some $3,000 more than the advertised $60,000 guarantee. That chunky prize pool was created by 1,260 players buying in, and it was "RL-t1Nd3R->" that outlasted them all.

RL-t1Nd3R-> saw their $55 investment swell to $6,970 and the title of champion. That prize was made up from $3,651 from the main prize pool and $3,319 worth of bounties, including the price on their head, as happens in PKO tournaments.

"VIKINGBoss" was the runner-up, and although disappointed not to get a win under their belts, the $5,547 they collected for their second-place finish will go some way to numbing the pain of defeat.

The Super $55 Final Table Results

Place Player Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 RL-t1Nd3R-> $3,319 $3,651 $6,970 2 VIKINGSBoss $1,903 $3,644 $5,547 3 Thebladeboy $1,063 $2,409 $3,472 4 U42CaratPlonker $975 $1,560 $2,535 5 Mr.Anderss0n $358 $1,062 $1,420 6 Gordothegreat $230 $817 $1,047 7 trustuniverse $379 $600 $979 8 sCatGames $215 $476 $691 9 derya272788 $360 $376 $736

Give Your Bankroll a Boost with the PokerNews-Exclusive PartyPoker Freerolls

Other PartyPoker Results

"Lizard1104" was a big winner at PartyPoker over the weekend thanks to taking down the $530 Great Game Pot-Limit Omaha tournament for $7,530.

There will be some impressive prizes awarded on April 3, with the Grand Prix Spring Main Events crowning their champions. Of course, as always, PokerNews will have recaps of those tournaments for you on April 4.

Tournament Entrants Prize Pool Champion Prize The $530 Great Game 51 $25,000 Lizard1104 $7,530 The Super $320 103 $30,900 itsbtwynyouandme $7,183* The Super $215 166 $33,200 COBRA KAI $6,888* The $215 Big Saturday 153 $30,608 flipin4livinnn $6,001 The Super $33 1,138 $35,000 nautriys $3,235*

*includes bounty payments
For an unknown reason, a passenger on a Delta flight from LAX to Seattle decided to open the door and pop the emergency chute. The plane had just pulled away from the gate when the passenger acted in a manner that required local authorities and the FBI to get a phone call.

My Valley News:

A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight out of Los Angeles International Airport was detained for triggering the plane's emergency slide prior to takeoff, authorities said.

The passenger opened an emergency exit door around 10 a.m. Saturday, March 25, causing the emergency slide to deploy as the plane was pushing away from the gate, according to Los Angeles Airport Police.

The person was not arrested, but "transported to a local hospital for mental evaluation," said airport police Captain Karla Rodriguez.
Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing seemed a strange pairing considering a rocky history between the driver and team owner. But when Busch needed a new job, the two sides came together for a partnership that is helping RCR return to prominence. Busch won at Talledega on Sunday. That gave RCR its second win of the season through just 11 races. Read moreColumn: Kyle Busch helps RCR return to NASCAR's victory lane
The once private retreat near North Augusta that had been promised as a state park through a June 2021 legal settlement has now been deeded over to South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and is likely to open later this year.

Misty Lake, comprising 190 acres off Ascauga Lake Road in unincorporated Aiken County, officially entered SCPRTs inventory late in December. Joy Raintree, regional chief for SCPRTs Sandhills region, said she got the keys to its five buildings in January.

It feels like it already has the potential to fill a void thats been in that area, said Raintree, whos already chanced to meet with about dozen curious wanderers in that area. Misty Lake  you look at it and its like, this already looks like a state park! Theres nothing there that we don't do already.

The property had been used as a private retreat for corporate employees of Dominion Energy. Dominion had inherited the retreat  and three others, as well as the debts and legal troubles of South Carolina Electric & Gas when it bought out the former utility in 2019.

SCE&G was in hot water over its failed expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear plant in Jenkinsville, about 25 miles north of Columbia. That project, begun in 2008, met with cost overruns and schedule delays before it was quit in 2017.

From that, multiple lawsuits emerged over back-taxes owed. Dominion, as the new ownership, and the states revenue department eventually agreed to a $165 million settlement in June 2021. About a third of that value is comprised of the four corporate retreats that now are being turned into state parks.

Its a boon to SCPRT of four new parks when its been nearly 20 years since the last one, the 7,000-acre H. Cooper Black recreation area in Chesterfield County, was created.

Its a simple thing, but Ive been in this for 20 years and this is the biggest thing thats happened in my 20 years here, taking on all these new projects, said Raintree.

Both Misty Lake and the 27-acre Pine Island on Lake Murray, another of the retreats included in the settlement, are coming under her jurisdiction in the Sandhills region.

The 94-acre Bundrick Island on Lake Murray and the nearly 2,700-acre Ramsey Grove historic plantation in Georgetown County are also part of the settlement and will become state parks. All told, SCPRT is gaining 3,000 acres of parkland.

At Misty Lake, state parks officials say there isnt much that needs doing prior to opening.

The bones are good, said Raintree. Dominion had maintained the site regularly, even after the pandemic began and most of whats needed are some electrical upgrades and a new roof for one of the smaller shelters that had a tree limb go through it.

Beyond that, Raintree said new windows and doors for the clubhouse, plus a fresh coat of paint on each of the buildings would be good to get done prior to opening just to avoid having to temporarily scale back on amenities.

Each of the buildings at Misty Lake  the 2,600-square-foot clubhouse as well as two large and two small shelters  will be available to rent for day use.

State parks officials are now working to obtain construction approval from the Joint Bond Review Committee and hope to start working on the site as soon as approval is given.

Were really early, in the road to opening, said Raintree, noting that much remains undecided.

A full campground with overnight accommodations is something that Raintree said she envisions for Misty Lake sometime in the next five or so years. That would require at least one parks employee, whether a manager or a ranger, to live on the site.

More immediate might be some fishing.

Misty Lakes 5-acre, man-made pond has already attracted at least one patron who pulled up laden with fishing poles.

For a community like that area, access to a recreational pond is so important, said Raintree. People have grown up fishing, theyve grown up as kids playing around ponds, and just having that spot, to me, is just worth it.

Aiken State Park and Redcliffe Plantation, two other state parks in Raintrees jurisdiction, have water sources for fishing; but Aikens South Edisto River is a different game for fishing, said Raintree, and the water at Redcliffe is accessible only with difficulty  no paths lead to it and no parking is near it.

Thats part of what will make recreation at Misty Lake different from what is offered at other parks.

I can just see people fishing off the bay. And we dont have a lot of that (around North Augusta)," said Raintree. Misty Lake gives the accessibility that some of our other parks in the area dont have.

Being just five minutes from the interstate also helps  Raintree said most of the parks currently in the system are good drive out from the main thoroughfares.
The Berkeley County Sheriffs Office released crime data from across the county in 2022. At 1,229 square miles, Berkeley County is the third largest county in South Carolina. The sheriffs office is headquartered in Moncks Corner, but it now has six substations across the county. Read moreFentanyl a major concern per 2022 crime stats
CONGAREE  One of South Carolina's most-anticipated natural phenomena will light up the night beginning in mid-May, but chances to see it might be slim.

Watching the synchronous fireflies in Congaree National Park has become so popular in recent years that park staff had to implement a lottery system to distribute single-night passes.

This year's lottery opens online at 10 a.m. April 6 and will extend through April 12. The park is making available 130 passes for each night May 13-17 and May 19-24.

Winners of the lottery will be randomly selected, with results to be announced April 17.

Demand is high, though, and supply limited.

Last year, only 120 passes were available each night of the annual firefly-viewing event. But 8,500 households applied for a chance to see the insects rise.

Applicants represented all but a few states and several other countries, including Britain, France and Germany.

"We're glad that people want to come out and see this," said Jon Manchester, acting chief of interpretation and visitor services at Congaree National Park. "It's a pretty fantastic natural phenomenon, for sure."

The synchronous fireflies at Congaree are called Photuris frontalis, one of just three such species found in North America. They are known for their short, rapid flashes called the "snappy sync."

These critters thrive in mature forests and wet bottomland habitats like those found at Congaree, which sits almost 18 miles southeast of Columbia.

But too many people invading their space can be detrimental to the fireflies.

Manchester said the park started distributing passes three years ago through the lottery system because, on its busiest nights, about 2,000 people could enter the Congaree to see the bugs. And that negatively impacted the species.

The large crowd caused the trails to become compacted, and since most people wore insect repellent, the fireflies were pushed away.

"It diminishes their activity, and so they're not able to do what they're out to do, which is its reproduction," Manchester said.

The synchronized flashes are the fireflies' mating ritual.

Reducing the crowd sizes not only protected the habitat but made the experience better for visitors.

"They (visitors) can actually enjoy it and not feel like they're just crushed," Manchester said.

The park's superintendent, Greg Hauburger, said staff continues to look for ways to increase opportunities for people to view the phenomenon, while also doing all they can to protect the insects and ensure they are around for the future.

Rules are in place for anyone who wants to participate in the lottery and see the fireflies this year.

Lottery entries are limited to one per household. The passes will admit one passenger vehicle with up to two axels that can fit in a standard parking space. Vehicles can have a maximum of eight passengers, according to a news release from the Congaree National Park.

Event entry is between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. nightly to reduce the impact of vehicle headlights on firefly activity.

Manchester said activity should start around 8:30 p.m. And by 9:30, "they're going good," he said.

Each vehicle will be provided a low-lumen red flashlight to use as they navigate the park's grounds. This protects the fireflies and reduces the amount of ambient light in the viewing area.

More information on firefly etiquette and details about the event and lottery can be found on the Congaree National Park's website.
SULLIVAN'S ISLAND  Any UFOs spotted around Sullivans Island this week wont signal another chapter of China spy balloon-gate.

This giant white sphere rising above the island is part of a Navy communications testing exercise planned to run April 3-7.

The exercises will be a joint operation by the North Charleston-based Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic and the Naval Surface Warfare Center out of Crane, Ind.

The testing equipment will also include manned and unmanned water vessels. Most of the mission will launch from the western side of Sullivans Island with testing primarily taking place in Charleston Harbor and along the coastline.

Such exercises arent unusual, specifically on Sullivans Island. The timing, however, has prompted a little more tact with regards to informing the public.

Its been less than two months since a U.S. fighter jet shot down a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast. That was the culmination of a weeks-long saga that began when officials detected the balloon and its payload on Jan. 28 when it entered U.S. airspace near the Aleutian Islands.

Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry claimed the balloon was for research purposes and had accidentally veered off course. But the U.S. Defense Department said it was being used for nefarious means, elevating national security and prompting Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to postpone a trip to Beijing.

American officials, meteorologists and loads of voyeurs with internet access tracked the balloon as it glided through Alaska and western Canada before reentering U.S. airspace over Idaho.

Its journey ended on Feb. 4 when an American F-22 Raptor took the balloon down about six miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach.

An NIWC Atlantic spokesperson responded in an email that this week of testing is part of a routine scientific mission and has no correlation to any current events.

Indeed, the equipment wont be replicas of what glided across America earlier this year.

The testing aerostat resembles its Chinese counterpart only in that both are white and airborne.

But its about 20 feet in diameter  less than a quarter of the size of the Chinese balloon  and will be tethered to land. And, unlike its Chinese counterpart, U.S. officials said it only has communication equipment onboard and no surveillance capabilities.

The unmanned surface watercraft are 12 feet long and resemble a capsized kayak, the Navy said. Officials said the information collected during testing will go toward enhancing naval communication designs and capabilities. They also stress that civilians stay away from any of the equipment they might encounter.

The NIWC Atlantic has previously conducted similar activities on Sullivans Island, the Navy said in a release. However, due to recent national events and for safety measures, it is important the public is aware of the location and use of the equipment.

In other words: Chill out if you see a big white balloon floating over Charleston waters. Its one of ours.
NORTH CHARLESTON  He doesnt have to do it. Especially since that nervous feeling  an unsettling combination of fear and angst and skepticism  keeps returning. Anthony Scott must still center himself despite nearly four years of engaging waves of newcomers to the North Charleston Police Department.

Its never easy, he said. Its always prepare my mind, prepare my heart, prepare my soul and be totally frank with these police officers.

Scott, 60, is the eldest son of a family that will never again be whole. His counterparts are future officers of the law, many of whom are young adults who dont know of an age without the internet, cellphones and social media. He spends inordinate amounts of time reconciling a traumatic past while they lean into an optimistic future. They have little in common.

Yet they merge in a shared present bound by a traffic stop that went bad in the most awful way possible.

It was 9:45 a.m. on April 4, 2015. It was Saturday, the morning before Easter. Anthonys younger brother, Walter, was pulled over at 1945 Remount Road. Michael Slager, a five-year North Charleston police veteran, said the vehicle had a brake light out.

At one point during the stop, Slager returned to his police cruiser. Scott bolted. A foot chase ensued. A physical confrontation manifested at the end of the pursuit with fatal consequences.

Walter Scott died in a field near a pawn shop, less than two months after his 50th birthday. Five bullet wounds pierced the backside of his body.

Slager, then 33, actually fired eight shots. A jury later found him guilty of second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Slager woke up this morning  as he has every morning since February 2018  in FCI Englewood, a low-security prison about 10 miles outside of Denver. He declined a request to speak to The Post and Courier for this story.

The eight gunshots were captured on video by an eyewitness. The recording contradicted Slagers account of the incident and further fueled national outrage. Its creator considered leaving the Lowcountry for fear of retribution.

That video was shown repeatedly during Slagers prosecution. It often resurfaces following another officer-related shooting somewhere in America. And with each year, with each incident, Walter Scotts killing is pushed deeper into the deck of police shootings that claim the lives of unarmed Black people across the United States.

But for the Scott family, that video plays on a seemingly continuous loop inside their minds as Slager eternally takes aim. A hollow pop echoes almost a decade later with each squeeze of the trigger.

Weve had to relive my brother dying on a daily basis because of the video being shown numerous times, Anthony said. Its oh, my God, so horrible to hear those gunshots as theyre being fired. All eight of them being fired. It was very traumatic. It brings PTSD whether you realize it or not. And you have to deal with it. It changes your life and you sometimes dont even realize what youre going through.

He doesnt casually reference post-traumatic stress disorder. At least not now. It took him time to realize and accept the harsh truth that he was succumbing to it.

Anthony knew he mourned his brother, just as he realized his anger at the manner in which he lost Walter as well as the arduous quest for justice. Monetary compensation, a string of public apologies or any other acts of contrition that were gratuitous or genuine  is any of that really justice when whats done is done? Walter is gone.

The emotional and mental concoction was nearly paralyzing, Anthony said, to the point that merely seeing a police officer after Walters killing made his mind race.

What kind of cop is this  a good cop or a bad cop?

How are they looking at me?

Do they think Im a bad guy?

And he said it didnt matter if the cop was White or Black. It paralyzed him.

There was something about the blue, something about the badge, Anthony said. What would happen to me if I got put in the same type of situation? Its always in the back of my mind, always there.

"But bringing the truth to the situation and shining a light on the truth is more helpful. And not just for them, but for me as far as making them see how tragic a situation can be to families and others.

That's why he speaks with those rookie cops. There are questions and answers and free-flowing dialogue between the two sides.

Its the kind of discourse that could seem unthinkable in the wake of an horrible event such as Walter Scott's death. Plenty of folks cant wrap their minds around it. Because a common perception is the dividing line that was created in that killing field is forever fixed and as clearly cut as the stark image of a White cop gunning down an unarmed Black man. Too much was taken, too much that cant be undone. Slager was a police officer, so that means theyre all the enemy and for all time.

Or so some might believe. Anthony doesn't.

He said something along the lines of, I dont hate you, I dont hate the police, I dont hate this department, said Patrolman Andrew Macchia, who was part of a group who huddled with Anthony last year. And just how he was able to cope with it. He was like, You know what? Im going to turn this into a positive. Im going to come speak to the recruits of North Charleston and Im going to tell them my side of the story. Im going to tell them what we went through as a family.

I was just so impressed with how he sat down in front of us, answered our questions and told us his story.

Macchia, 22, is an alum of the Charleston County School of the Arts. He is in his 13th month on the job.

Officer Amiah Jackson, 23, described her groups interaction with Anthony last July as heartfelt.

You see a lot of people when its a cop doing something wrong and it has something to do with their family, theyre still holding grudges, holding grudges, holding grudges, she said. But he was  he was different.

It took Anthony time to get there, but he got there. He became a published author along the way, with his first book  The Beast I Call Grief  which published last month. In it, he shared his own intimate struggle, the ceaseless pattern of up-and-down days inspired the rollercoaster on the books cover.

And the young cops get it. They've grown up in an age during which the stigmas around mental health have steadily evaporated. Therefore it's a little easier for them to accept Anthony's efforts to process his trauma. It's a big deal, for sure, although not unthinkable for this generation and definitely not something to be discussed shamefully in hushed whispers.

Anthony gives the new officers access to the thoughts, emotions and struggles from the civilian end of police-related shootings. In return, they work toward comforting him and proving his initial instincts from before Walter was shot were correct: You cant base your feelings on one particular person and their actions.

It's the kind of sharing that Anthony said keeps the ritual going.

Talking to the new recruits, theyre very open-minded, Anthony said. In some cases when theyve moved on, theyre out on the streets and its a beautiful thing when they recognize me. How you doing, Mr. Scott? Its almost like meeting an old friend. And some say how very helpful the talk we had was for them and their policing. Its a good thing."

The optimism in Anthony's voice was palpable. It was the kind of optimism that validates his process and efforts. The kind of optimism that will power him through the next time he steps up to face his fears, share his story and try to make positives out of the worst of negatives. His cycle will repeat, but maybe it will be a little easier.
An explosion in a Russian cafe killed a prominent pro-military blogger there, reports the BBC. The ambiguities over who is responsible are causing quite a fuss.

Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) was a vocal supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine. He was a guest speaker at an event hosted by the cafe when the bomb went off. There are conflicting reports in Russian media about the explosive device. According to Interior Ministry sources quoted by Russian state media, Tatarsky was presented with a statue in a box as a gift, which had a bomb hidden inside. Video circulating on Telegram after the blast showed him being handed a statue and making jokes about it, however the BBC has been unable to verify whether it was the explosive.

If the too-obvious answer is that Ukrainian agents were responsible, a gambler would put his money on Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary chief who has carved a powerful position for himself propping up Russia's dismal invasion and constantly criticizes its military brass.
Collaboration and regional success were the highlight of the Mayors Masters Reception on Sunday, April 2, at the Augusta Commons.

The event, which has been held annually since 1999, brought together civic leaders from Columbia County in Georgia, North Augusta and the City of Aiken. During the event, 2016 Masters Tournament winner Danny Willett and former Masters Tournament Director Buzzy Johnson were presented keys to the city for their efforts within the CSRA.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson said the Masters Tournament goes far beyond the boundaries of Richmond County, pointing out that North Augusta houses and entertains those in town for the Women's Amateur, and that the women's tournament is held in Columbia County.

Being a local from Augusta and growing up here all my life, Ive had an opportunity to go to all the schools and be part of just working with Augusta, said Johnson, who received a distinguished service award said.

North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon and Columbia County Chairman Doug Duncan praised Buzzy Johnson for his collaborative efforts to achieve a regional economic impact.

He understands that there is a river between South Carolina and Georgia; its not a brick wall and we can come together and work together and this is a great example, Williams said.

We all know that as a creek rises, all boats rise and I think that he sees that and has that vision and we are happy to be a part of it, Osbon said.

Hes reaching out across all spectrums to try and bring people together and isnt that what success is all about, Duncan said. "Buzzy, I said earlier, if there is a single person in this community that has had an impact on economic development, it has been you because you have engaged the community along with Augusta National and I realize that you like being behind the scenes but the reality is a lot of people in this crowd have jobs because of the things that you did because of the help that you gave the community.

Baruti Tucker, who owns Humanitree House in Augusta, finds that the Masters Reception brings the community together.

I think it means community. I wish that it was more focused on the community at large, but this is why this event is precious because the people here, most of the people here, will not be at the tournament, Tucker said. This is a way of sharing love and spreading the love, being a part of the tournament which is festive.

The Masters Tournament continues this week with practice rounds leading up to the kickoff on Thursday, April 6. For more information, visit masters.com.
MYRTLE BEACH  Like so many visitors who vacation here, Mr. Garrison of "South Park" fame booked a five-day trip with plans to relax, unwind, explore the boardwalk and watch the sunset.

Instead, the fictional character in the irreverent cartoon comedy encountered the region's real-life pro-Donald Trump politics in the show's season finale that aired March 29.

In the episode titled "Spring Break," the Grand Strand's well-known support for the former president plays a central role in the storyline as one of the show's characters, Mr. Garrison, struggles to fight his urge to rally in Trump mode after stumbling upon a MAGA superstore.

Satirical and, at times, vulgar jokes follow.

But the Comedy Central show's depiction of the region's political attitudes are rooted in truth, portraying one of South Carolina's most pro-Trump strongholds.

Even the fictional MAGA superstore in the TV cartoon is based on the very real Keep on Trumpin' superstore in North Myrtle Beach.

The story focuses on Mr. Garrison's seasons-long portrayal of a Trump-like character. It doesn't take long for a supportive crowd to coalesce around him in the MAGA store, and for Mr. Garrison to slip back into campaign mode.

"I guess I can rally just a little bit longer," he says. "After all, I am here for you. I am your warrior," Mr. Garrison adds before bursting into shouts of: "Liberal left! Hunter Biden laptop!

Trump loyalty is evident in Horry County, which is home to Myrtle Beach and other beachfront towns. In the 2016 general election, nearly 7 out of 10 Horry voters cast their ballots for the New York real estate tycoon. That support held strong in 2020, when 66 percent of those voters picked Trump over Democrat Joe Biden.

In the cartoon Mr. Garrison repeatedly gets pulled back into his MAGA days, sneaking out of his hotel room three times to rally his supporters, missing the beach sunset.

The first time, he returns to a store adorned with MAGA items: banners, flags, bumper stickers, figurines, teddy bears, tote bags, travel mugs and "freedom socks."

A cardboard cutout of Mr. Garrison can also be seen with a speech bubble that declares, "You're welcome America."

Mr. Garrison then defends his actions to his partner, Rick.

"I just wanted to rally for a little bit," Mr. Garrison says.

"You really think those people care about you, Herb? They don't. They just want to do that," an upset Rick fires back, gesturing up to the top floor of the hotel where a second rally was taking place.

That's where the story slips into political fiction.

A year out from South Carolina's 2024 presidential primary, Trump's support in the region remains strong. Recently, about 30 protesters, mostly in their 50s or older, carried flags and signs defending Trump along the intersection of Carolina Forest Boulevard and U.S. 501 after the former president was indicted on criminal charges.
Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and his advisers are building a South Carolina team.

A pro-Scott super PAC has hired two veteran Republican campaign operatives, giving the political group a South Carolina focus and creating a campaign-in-waiting should Scott, R-S.C., decide to run for president in 2024.

Opportunity Matters Fund Action has hired Matt Moore and Mark Knoop as state chairman and state director, respectively, The Post and Courier has learned.

"They know the Palmetto State better than anyone and will play a vital role as we talk with South Carolinians about America's future and the role leaders like Tim will play in it," said Cory Gardner, a former Colorado senator who is the group's co-chairman, alongside longtime Republican operative Rob Collins.

As a former chairman of the S.C. Republican Party, Moore oversaw the state party's messaging, strategy and fundraising from 2013-2017. He also served as Scott's state director shortly after then-Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate.

Moore is a managing partner at First Tuesday Strategies, a well-known South Carolina campaign shop where he has worked on local, congressional and statewide campaigns. He was a senior advisor on now-U.S. Rep. Russell Fry's congressional campaign, which defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Rice in a nationally watched GOP primary race on the Grand Strand.

Knoop was Gov. Henry McMaster's campaign manager for his 2022 reelection bid. He also managed state Attorney General Alan Wilsons successful 2018 reelection and served as political director for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Grahams record-breaking 2020 operation against Democrat Jaime Harrison.

Both Moore and Knoop have deep South Carolina connections, and they will use them in their new roles.

The pair will broadly "lead a team focused on sharing Sen. Scott's opportunity agenda and inspirational vision throughout the state," Moore said.

"Whether it's building grassroots support or through earned and paid media, OMFA plans on having a strong presence in South Carolina," he added.

Scott has left the door open on whether he plans to seek the Republican presidential nomination, but he is making moves commonly associated with White House ambitions.

In February, Scott launched a national "Faith in America" listening tour, a cross-country endeavor that took him to Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.

In addition to his visits to early presidential primary states, Scott has been appearing regularly on national media and this summer released his third book, a political memoir that outlined his vision for America.

Later this month in Charleston, Scott plans to meet with donors and give a "political update" at what is being advertised as a "Faith in America Summit."

"South Carolinians  and Americans as a whole  are hungry for the kind of hopeful and transformational leadership that Tim Scott can bring. Im proud to join Cory and the team in this fight for more freedom and opportunity for all," Knoop said in a statement.

South Carolina went big for Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, winning by double digits both times.

The big question is whether that support will hold among Republican primary voters in the state's "First in the South" presidential primary, especially with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also seeking the GOP nomination.

Haley, the state's former governor and Trump's former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, declared her presidential campaign in February.

Already, the battle for homegrown support is intensifying between Scott and Haley, even though Haley is the only declared candidate in the race. At a recent forum, voters were torn over who will win their vote next year.

And the field is growing. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced his presidential campaign on April 2.
SPARTANBURG COUNTY  A fish kill that occurred March 30 in two cove areas of Lake Bowen is being investigated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Lake Bowen is a 1,534 acre reservoir in northern Spartanburg County. It serves a public drinking water supply. Spartanburg Water conducted a planned algaecide application with a licensed contractor at Lake Bowen and Municipal Reservoir 1. The algaecide is used to address a compound released by algae that can produce an earthy, musty taste and smell of drinking water.

After the algaecide was applied, Spartanburg Water staff reported small, one-inch and two-inch sized Shad on the water's surface near the Lake Bowen Dam.

"I was on the lake with our watershed team from about 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. this evening (March 30) looking for signs that other species of fish or locations had been negatively impacted by the application," Spartanburg Water CEO Guy Boyle said in a news release. "We in turn saw no indications that any additional areas outside the two coves located near the Lake Bowen Dam had any fish losses. There are no signs that larger game fish or aquatic wildlife have been impacted."

All data gathered by Spartanburg Water staff was reported to DNR and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control for review.

DNR completed its field assessment on March 31. A report will be submitted to the SCDNR Board within 30 days.

"SCDNR gave permission to release the affected areas back to Spartanburg Water, to clean up the fish in the affected areas if we chose to do so," Boyle said. "We will be working to stage and address the cleanup over the next 48 hours."
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WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Derrick Farrell has joined Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP ("BFA") as a partner and will help expand BFA's growing Delaware practice representing shareholders in class and derivative actions. BFA has been actively litigating in Delaware, and "now is the right time to increase our presence by establishing our office in Wilmington," said Founding Partner Joseph Fonti, who is co-lead counsel in the derivative case involving excess compensation of Tesla's board of directors.Derrick brings substantial experience on a number of high-profile matters. Derrick served as one of the lead lawyers in In re: Dell Technologies Inc. Class V Stockholders Litigation, which challenged the acquisition of Dell's Class V tracking stock by Dell's controllers. In November 2022, the parties reached an agreement to settle the case for $1 billion. If approved by the Delaware Court of Chancery, it will be the largest settlement in Delaware state court history.Most recently, following a $3.1 million partial settlement in In re Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores Inc. Stockholders Litigation, Derrick served as a lead member of the trial team against the remaining Defendants in February of this year and successfully argued and won a motion to exclude the testimony of one of Defendants' expert witnesses. The case is currently in post-trial briefing.BFA Founding Partner Javier Bleichmar said, "I am delighted to launch our new Delaware office and welcome Derrick as our partner." He added, "Derrick's experience, knowledge and dedication make him an excellent addition to BFA." Derrick's other representative trial matters, include: In re Appraisal of Ancestry.com , Inc.; IQ Holdings, Inc. v. Am. Commercial Lines Inc.; and In re Cogent, Inc. Shareholder Litigation. He has argued before the Delaware Supreme Court on multiple occasions.Derrick started his career as a Clerk for the Honorable Donald F. Parsons, Jr., Vice Chancellor, Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, and thereafter gained substantial M&A experience as a defense lawyer at Latham & Watkins, LLP. Prior to joining BFA, Derrick was Of Counsel at a plaintiffs' securities law firm.He has guest lectured at Harvard University and co-authored numerous articles for various publications, including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation and PLI.Derrick received his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University.Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP is a leading complex litigation law firm. The Firm represents and counsels investors, consumers, and public entities in the prosecution of securities, consumer, and antitrust actions. BFA's success is based on an aggressive, tactical litigation strategy that is client-driven and outcome-oriented.CONTACT:Javier BleichmarBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPjbleichmar@ bfalaw.com (212) 789-1341Joseph A. FontiBleichmar Fonti & Auld LLPjfonti@ bfalaw.com (212) 789-1342SOURCE: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP
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PORTLAND, OR and MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / BlockChain Loyalty Corp. (OTC PINK:BBLC): is pleased to announce that the Share Exchange Agreement with Marianna Naturals Corp., which was entered into as of February 8, 2023, was effectively closed on March 28, with the issuance of new BBLC Common shares to Marianna shareholders and consultants, amounting to a revised total of 41,894,332 new treasury shares, and the reissuance of existing outstanding Common shares. BBLC will now have a total of 59,300,332 Common shares outstanding.Marianna Naturals Corp. is an all-natural genderless, celebrity endorsed, skincare brand incorporated in Canada and spun from the highly successful US brand, Beauty Kitchen.Most importantly, as a result of this transaction, BBLC is now actively engaged in an ongoing revenue-generating business and can no longer be considered a "shell" company, as that term is defined under existing securities regulations.A change in control of the BlockChain Loyalty Corp. was previously disclosed, as required, by OTC Markets regulations.Existing Marianna shareholders will be contacted through their email addresses of record or by mail to their listed physical addresses. Shares have been issued by BBLC's transfer agent as book-entry accounts to all shareholders. If a shareholder wishes to receive a physical certificate, they will need to pay for it themselves with the transfer agent, Signature Stock Transfer Inc.Blockchain Loyalty Corp. expects to begin the process of a name and symbol change that will better reflect the corporation's new business as soon as practicable.About Marianna Naturals Corp.Marianna Naturals  was born from our belief that the world deserves 100% natural skin care and cosmetics without the use of chemical preservatives. A celebrity skin care and health & wellness brand producing products that are hand-made fresh at our facilities in the USA which are always Cruelty-Free, Paraben-Free, and Sulfate-Free.' Beauty Kitchen's founder and CEO, Heather Marianna, skyrocketed in popularity with the launch of her Beauty Kitchen YouTube series in 2012 where she showcased simple, do-it-yourself beauty recipes made with common kitchen household ingredients.The series generated a powerful following of more than 4 million viewers. Heather Marianna has starred on Bravo's luxury-travel series, "Tour Group" in 2015 and was featured on Oxygen's "My Super Shopping Addiction" in addition to appearing on several episodes of MTV's "Teen Mom OG." The DIY guru has also appeared on countless news segments across the country as a beauty expert, showcasing her own simple tricks and tips. She is the official beauty expert for KSNV-NBC 3 in Las Vegas and appears monthly to captivate viewers with new DIY tutorials.In 2020 she and fellow Co-founder Joel DeBellefeuille teamed up to launch Marianna Naturals, a similar but unique brand focused on expanding across the US border into Canada.For more information visit: www.mariannacorp.com Shop: www.marianna.ca Connect with Marianna Naturals on:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marianna-naturals-corp/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZQCklGIewWaQd4wHXRAqCg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannanaturals Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannanaturals Contacts:Joel DeBellefeuille, Co-Founder, CE0 and President E. joel@ marianna.ca Tel. 1.800.971.2200To learn more about Joel visit: www.joeldebellefeuille.com Investor Relations: Just3 Public Relations, Zoltan Sarkozy, Tel. 604.722.0305This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. and Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's expectations regarding future business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential", "continue", "target" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology.SOURCE: Blockchain Loyalty Corp.
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RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 2, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that securities class action complaints have been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse") (NYSE:CS). The complaints charge Credit Suisse with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Credit Suisse's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Credit Suisse's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CREDIT SUISSE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/credit-suisse-group-ag?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=cs&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE:MAY 8, 2023CLASS PERIOD: MARCH 10, 2022 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.CREDIT SUISSE'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTOn March 10, 2022, Credit Suisse filed with the SEC its 2021 annual report on a Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2021 annual report failed to identify any material weaknesses with Credit Suisse's internal controls.On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse's Chairman, Axel P. Lehmann ("Lehmann") stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only "completely flattened out," but had, in fact, "partially reversed." The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped." Following Lehmann's statements, Credit Suisse's American Depository Share ("ADS") price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.Then on February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Lehmann's prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.On February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Lehmann's previous comments regarding customer outflows. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.Then on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Credit Suisse issued its annual 2022 report and revealed that it had identified "certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting" for the years 2021 and 2022. Additionally, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the chairman of Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, which holds 9.88% of Credit Suisse, announced that it won't provide further financial support to Credit Suisse and that it would not buy more shares on regulatory grounds.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 13.94% to close at $2.16 per ADS on March 15, 2023.Finally, on March 20, 2023, Credit Suisse issued an announcement on Form 6-K of its merger agreement with Union Bank of Switzerland and that Union Bank of Switzerland would be the surviving entity upon closing of the merger transaction.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 52.99% to close at $0.9450 per ADS on March 20, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Credit Suisse investors may, no later than May 8, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Credit Suisse investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The first class action complaint against Credit Suisse, Calhoun v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al. Case No. 23-cv-01297, is filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey before the Honorable Karen McGlashan Williams.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaints were not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com CONTACT:Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPJonathan Naji, Esq.280 King of Prussia RoadRadnor, PA 19087(484) 270-1453info@ ktmc.com SOURCE: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
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PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Berger Montague advises investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against PLDT, Inc. ("PLDT") (NYSE:PHI) on behalf of those who purchased PLDT securities between January 1, 2019 and December 19, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period").Investor Deadline: Investors who purchased or acquired PLDT securities during the Class Period may, no later than April 7, 2023, seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class. For additional information or to learn how to participate in this litigation, please contact Berger Montague: James Maro at jmaro@ bm.net or (215) 875-3093, or Andrew Abramowitz at aabramowitz@ bm.net or (215) 875-3015, or visit: https://investigations.bergermontague.com/pldt-inc/ PLDT purports to be the Philippines' largest fully integrated telco company. Through its principal business groups, PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines' most extensive fiber optic backbone, and fixed line and cellular networks.On December 16, 2022, PLDT filed with the SEC a Form 6-K, which stated, "over the past four years, PLDT, Inc. and its subsidiary, Smart Communications Inc., embarked on a massive network transformation" which cost PHP 379 billion, including an estimated budget overrun of PHP 48 billion ($866 million).On December 19, 2022, Bloomberg reported that "The Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission has launched an inquiry into the 48-billion peso ($866 million) capital spending budget overrun at PLDT Inc. that triggered a record plunge in the stock amid questions over its corporate governance and fiscal control." Following this news, on December 19, 2022, PLDT's share price fell $6.35 per share, or more than 19%, to close at $20.46.The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) there were capital spending budget overruns; (2) the defendants failed to address weaknesses that allowed such budget overruns; and (3) as a result, the defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.A lead plaintiff is a representative party that acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. In order to be appointed lead plaintiff, the Court must determine that the class member's claim is typical of the claims of other class members, and that the class member will adequately represent the class. Your ability to share in any recovery is not, however, affected by the decision whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. Any member of the purported class may move the Court to serve as a lead plaintiff through counsel of his/her choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an inactive class member.Berger Montague, with offices in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, and San Diego, has been a pioneer in securities class action litigation since its founding in 1970. Berger Montague has represented individual and institutional investors for over five decades and serves as lead counsel in courts throughout the United States.Contacts:James Maro, Senior CounselBerger Montague(215) 875-3093jmaro@ bm.net Andrew Abramowitz, Senior CounselBerger Montague(215) 875-3015aabramowitz@ bm.net SOURCE: Berger Montague
Dr. Bronner'sthe "All-One" soap companyturns 75 this year. The Bronner family began making soap in Germany in 1858, and Emanuel Bronner founded the company in 1948. I've been a huge fan of Dr. Bronner's since I was in college and I first bought some liquid peppermint soap to take on a camping trip. Like everyone else, I was fascinated by the wacky labels, which explicated Dr. Bronner's Moral ABC: "Absolute cleanliness is Godliness! Teach the Moral ABC that unites all mankind free, instantly 6 billion strong & we're All-One" and which exclaimed that there were 18 uses for the soap, and urged the user to Dilute! Dilute! Dilute! The labels are so intriguing/weird/fascinating that they have garnered a great deal of attention from customers and journalists over the years. Kieran Dahl at Vox described the labels like this:

Even if you've never gone hiking, gone vegan, gone to Whole Foods, or gone on a psychedelic trip, you might recognize Dr. Bronner's infamously loquacious label, a 3,000-word wall of text that's as microscopic as it is cosmically odd. Next to the quietly impersonal sans-serif branding of most personal care products, the Dr. Bronner's label is a barbaric yawp. With all its erratic punctuation and grammatical incoherence, its non sequiturs and obscure historical references, it appears to have been written by a pacifist polymath gone amok. (Emanuel was thought to have mental health issues. After a particularly fervent sermon in Chicago, his sister committed him to a mental hospital, where he was placed in solitary confinement. He soon escaped through a bathroom window and fled to California.) Jesus, Einstein, Mohammed, and Lincoln get mentions on the label, but so do Mao, Stalin, and Hitler. Jewels, dinosaurs, and "work-love-song-art-play-law-beauty" are noted, but so are slavery, starvation, and multilevel marketing.

Even today, I sometimes read the labels when I'm in the showereven though I've seen them for decades now. I'm also still a big fan of the soap, and my favorite product remains the original peppermint liquid soap. In fact, I just washed my face with it, and am enjoying that tingly, pepperminty after-effect! And it's not just methe soap is still wildly popular after 75 yearsBeauty Matter states that last year, "a bottle or bar of Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap was sold, on average, every .95 seconds." That's a lot of soap!

Snack and Bakery provides a nice history of the company and also explains that part of the company's appeal is that it is rooted in its social justice mission:

Striving to produce the highest quality productsincluding its world-renowned soaps and ethical chocolate, the brand's business practices are rooted in a vision of social equity. The company caps executive compensation at five times the lowest paid fully vested position, and all profit not needed for operations or development is dedicated to organizations, campaigns, and people working for progressive social and environmental change.

Over on Dr. Bronner's website, they further explain the ideals driving the company:

Our Cosmic Principles in Action Over 75 Years 1: Work Hard! Grow!: Number one in Dr. Bronner's Moral ABC: Work hard! Prosper! Learn, grow, improve. Success is the engine that makes everything else possible. 2: Do Right by Customers: First ingredient: love! Lead with heart, take time, give bestserve customers as you would serve mother-daughter-son. 3: Treat Employees Like Family: Be kind, reward generously, support good and healthy living. Seek and encourage the best in one another. For whatever unites us is greater than whatever divides us! 4: Be Fair to Suppliers: Build relationships with organic farmers and producers to create equitable supply chains. Fair prices for farmers, living wages and excellent working conditions for workers, investment in communities, respect for land and people! 5: Treat Earth Like Home: Make humble and mindful use of the earth's gifts. Do not waste, do not harm the land or people or animals. What comes from the earth must go back! 6: Fund & Fight for What's Right!: Be an engine for positive changeshare profits, share talent, share muscle, share voicegive & give, fund & fight!

They also explain what you, the customer, can do to forward their mission: (1) Vote to End Failed, Archaic Drug Policies; (2) Vote to Raise the Minimum Wage; and (3) End Factory Farming. I'm all for supporting this agenda, and a company that continues to make such awesome soaps.
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Appointment of Chief Financial OfficerEASTLEIGH, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / i3 Energy plc ("i3", "i3 Energy", "i3 Canada", or the "Company") (AIM:I3E)(TSX:ITE), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Dranchuk as Chief Financial Officer, effective from today.Mr. Dranchuk has over 25 years of experience working in various senior finance roles in the energy sector with considerable focus on the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, a core area for the Company.Mr. Dranchuk has over 12 years' experience as Chief Financial Officer of various public Canadian listed companies including Chinook Energy Inc and Zargon Oil and Gas Ltd, bringing significant expertise in both corporate and asset transactions, equity offerings, corporate structuring and financings, and broad operational accounting experience.Mr Dranchuk's appointment is a non-board role.Mr. Dranchuk holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA, CMA) designation, and received a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan.Majid Shafiq, CEO of i3 Energy plc, commented:"We are very pleased to welcome Jason to the team as our new group CFO, following a thorough search process. His broad financial reporting expertise across the energy sector value chain and M&A experience will be invaluable to the Company and we look forward to working with him to deliver our growth strategy as we expand our operations in Canada." Enquiries:i3 Energy plcMajid Shafiq (CEO)c/o CamarcoTel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker)James Joyce, Darshan PatelTel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker)Peter KrensTel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker)Ashton Clanfield, Callum StewartTel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600CamarcoGeorgia Edmonds, Violet Wilson, Sam MorrisTel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331Notes to Editors:i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside.The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing 100% owned asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets.i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications for long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements.i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/ This announcement does not contain inside information.This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ lseg.com or visit www.rns.com SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / 1933 Industries Inc. (the "Company" or "1933 Industries") (CSE:TGIF)(OTCQB:TGIFF), a Nevada-focused cannabis cultivator and producer, is pleased to announce its second quarter financial results ("Q2 2023") For the six months ended January 31, 2023, and 2022. All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars.The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association (AMA), the Company's cultivation and production subsidiary focused on the medical and adult-use cannabis market, and 100% of CBD product manufacturer Infused MFG LLC (Infused). The Company's revenue is derived from wholesale cannabis sales in Nevada (AMA), and from the sale of hemp-derived consumer packaged goods (Infused) under the Canna Hemp brand sold across the US via e-commerce at cannahemp.com Q1 2023 Financial HighlightsRevenue $3.6 million for Q2 2023 and $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023Expenses $0.2 millionGross margin $1.9 million before adjustmentsNet loss $0.4 millionAdjusted EBITDA $0.1 million - Second consecutive quarter of positive EBITDAConsolidated Operating HighlightsTotal revenues were $3.6 million for Q2 2023, representing a 13% increase over $3.2 million for Q2 2022. Revenues are $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023, representing a 52% increase from $6.0 million during the same period in 2022.Expenses of $0.2 million for Q2 2023 decreased by 92% from $2.4 million in Q2 2022 in large part due to a substantial tax refund from the IRS. The Company continues to work diligently on controlling expenses.Gross margin was $1.9 million, before fair value adjustments on biological assets and realized fair value adjustments on the sale of inventory. The decrease in gross margin is attributable to a decrease in flower pricing in Nevada.Net loss was $0.4 million for Q2 2023 and $0.8 million for Q2 2022.Adjusted EBITDA was $0.1 million for Q2 2023 and $0.1 million for Q2 2022.Cash at the end of the period was $2.9 million compared to $0.8 million during the same period in 2022.Management CommentaryMr. Paul Rosen, Chairman and CEO of 1933 Industries commented, "Wholesale pricing pressure continues to impact cultivators in Nevada, with lower sale prices on cannabis products experienced across the industry. In addition, the Company has chosen to deal with some legacy infrastructure issues that compressed our overall capacity this quarter. During the reporting period, the Company continued to focus on strengthening its operation. Necessary and essential infrastructure improvements to the Company's cultivation facility, including improvements to the facility's irrigation, air movement and humidification systems have been initialized and are well underway. A build-up of inventory will be the Company's priorities in the following quarters in order to increase the production of sellable dried flower and pre-rolls. We expect flower prices to stabilize in the near future, and we expect as well that the launch of consumption lounges will create a new attraction for visitors to the state and expand cannabis-related tourism. The Company is well positioned to benefit from increased demand, flower price stabilization, and the strength of its top brand and in-demand products that deliver excellent value to consumers.Operationally, the Company has made substantial improvements in lowering its debt load, reducing expenses, and conserving its working capital over the last several quarters. The Company recorded positive Adjusted EBITDA for a second quarter in a row, a milestone in the Company's history." Appointment of Ester Vigil as PresidentThe Company is pleased to announce that Ms. Ester Vigil has been appointed as President. Ms. Vigil previously held the role of Director of Sales and served as president from 2019 to 2020. Ms. Vigil's return to the Company has been marked by significant achievements, including repositioning AMA as a top brand in Nevada. "Ester's contributions to the Company are very meaningful," said Mr. Rosen. "She has added value in all areas of our business, and her leadership has earned her esteem and respect from both her colleagues at 1933, and throughout the overall Nevada cannabis industry. I look forward to Ester continuing to help improve our business, deliver excellent value to our customers and deliver future growth." Financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Detailed information regarding the Company's financial results as well as management's discussion and analysis can be found at https://sedar.com/ and https://1933 industries.com/investors/financial-information Please note the next financial release dates in accordance with the continuous disclosure schedule set out by the British Columbia Securities Commission:2023 Financial Release DatesReporting QuarterRelease DateQ3/2023June 29, 2023Q4/YE 2023November 28, 2023Q1/2024January 1, 2024Q2/2024April 2, 2024Q3/2024July 2, 2024Q4/YE 2024November 28, 2024About 1933 Industries Inc.1933 Industries is a Nevada-based, growth-orientated company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of a large portfolio of cannabis consumer-packaged goods in a variety of formats for both the wholesale and retail markets. Its product offerings include: THC flower, pre-rolls, and extracted products under the AMA and Level X brands for the Nevada market; Canna Hemp, national cannabidiol (CBD) brand of infused wellness products including tinctures, gummies, topicals and sport recovery products. The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA) and 100% of Infused MFG LLC (Infused).About Alternative Medicine AssociationAMA is a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and extraction subsidiary that produces its own branded line of unique cannabis products. AMA's extensive menu of cannabis products include: craft cannabis flower, pre-rolls, full spectrum oils, high quality distillates, proprietary blends of terpenes, vaporizer products and boutique concentrates such as shatter, crumble, batter, sugar wax, diamonds, and live resin. Ultra-craft brand Level X is an exclusive collection of exotic strains, selected specifically for their distinctive terpene profiles, high THC levels, and flavonoids. With state-of-the-art cultivation and extraction facilities based in Las Vegas, Nevada, AMA seeks to offer medical patients and recreational users alike a cannabis experience that's exceptional, potent, and consistent in quality. www.amanev.com AMA is also licensed in Nevada as an adult
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RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 2, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been against Norfolk Southern Corporation ("Norfolk Southern") (NYSE:NSC). The action charges Norfolk Southern with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Norfolk Southern's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Norfolk Southern's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR NORFOLK SOUTHERN LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/norfolk-southern-corporation?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=nsc&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE:MAY 15, 2023CLASS PERIOD: OCTOBER 28, 2020 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.NORFOLK SOUTHERN'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTFor several years leading up to the beginning of the Class Period, Norfolk Southern took a number of measures which put profits and executive compensation over safety. For example, in October 2018, Norfolk Southern adopted "Precision Scheduled Railroading" or "PSR" which was purportedly aimed at producing better service at a lower cost. In actuality, the company sought to increase revenues by cutting operating costs including reducing staff, running fewer, heavier, faster trains and optimizing the company's networks in order to increase efficiency. Norfolk Southern also began tying executive compensation to achieving PSR goals. For example, in 2021, multiple Norfolk Southern executives received millions of dollars in cash bonuses for reducing costs by achieving "record performance for train length and weight." Industry critics have warned that this type of compensation system incentivizes executives to cut costs at the expense of safety and also leads to longer and more dangerous trains which "have greater damage done, greater, larger pileups, fires and so on." At the same time, Norfolk Southern and its lobbyists played a key role in defeating an Obama-era safety rule that was used following a number of oil train accidents, including the "ECP Brake Rule" which was ultimately repealed in 2018.On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern Railway Company general merchandise freight train derailed 38 railcars in East Palestine, Ohio, leaving behind what the Associated Press called "a mangled and charred mass of boxcars and flames." The derailed equipment included 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited, fueling fires that damaged an additional 12 non-derailed railcars.On February 6, 2023, responders engaged in a controlled detonation and burn of the vinyl chloride, spewing massive volumes of chemicals into the vicinity. The chemicals released from the derailment entered the air and water of the surrounding residential areas, the closest of which were only 1,000 feet from the site of the accident. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 6, 2023 - down $5.66 per share from its closing price on Friday, February 3, 2023.Then, on February 8, 2023, after lifting a previously issued evacuation order, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated that Norfolk Southern was "the one[] who created the problem. It's their liability. They're the ones who ought to pay for it." Following their return, numerous residents reported hazardous air quality and other health and environmental concerns. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell on February 9, 2023, closing at $238.98 per share - down $7.64 per share from its closing price of $246.62 per share on February 8, 2023.Thereafter, Norfolk Southern's stock price continued to drop in response to several other reports and public officials who spoke out about Norfolk Southern's liability for all of the harm and damage it had caused.On March 4, 2023, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. Two days later, on March 6, 2023, Norfolk Southern announced a 6-part plan to improve operational safety. Following this news, the price of Norfolk Southern stock fell again on March 6 and March 7, 2023, closing at $215.18 per share - down $13.21 per share from its closing price of $228.39 on Friday, March 3, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Norfolk Southern investors may, no later than May 15, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPencourages Norfolk Southern investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Norfolk Southern, captioned Bucks County Employees Retirement System v. Norfolk Southern Corporation, et al. and docketed under 23-cv-0982, is filed in the United States District Court for Southern District of Ohio (Eastern Division) before the Honorable Michael H. Watson.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and o
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PITTSBURGH, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Today, Liberated Syndication Inc. ("Libsyn"), the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers, announced its March 2023 Podcast Advertising Rates, including the highest and most accessible CPM categories."New research indicates that podcast and online audio listenership reached record highs in early 2023 - and podcast advertising spending is expected to reach upwards of $3 billion this year. The growth drivers combined with new advertising capabilities are attracting more creators, publishers, and brands to the medium," said Dave Hanley, Chief Revenue Officer at Libsyn's AdvertiseCast. "As we turn up the dial on the availability of automation and advanced targeting and measurement solutions, AdvertiseCast is well positioned to lead the industry into the next contextually relevant, cookieless ad era." The AdvertiseCast March 2023 Podcast Advertising RatesThe following rates, which are denoted as cost per thousand or CPM, are published monthly by Libsyn's AdvertiseCast, the industry's premier podcast advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with podcasters. The Company releases the figures to empower the podcaster and advertiser communities to readily monitor market pricing and provide greater insight into podcasting advertising as a monetization vehicle. The data is derived from actual sales data across AdvertiseCast's network of over 2,900 shows, including more than 225 exclusive podcasts.For March 2023, the average CPM rate was $22.19 for a 60-second ad spot. That figure is relatively flat compared to last month (February 2023 avg. CPM rate: $22.02) and has decreased year-over-year (March 2022 avg. CPM rate: $23.35).The three highest CPM categories in March based on delivered advertising were:Technology: $26Education: $25Business: $24Moreover, three categories where advertisers can effectively tap into highly engaged audiences at more accessible CPM rates include Fiction, Games & Hobbies, and Arts, which averaged around the low twenties in March.Libsyn's AdvertiseCast combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that makes it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns, while providing maximum return for creators. Historical monthly CPM rates can be found on AdvertiseCast's website at: www.advertisecast.com/podcast-advertising-rates About Liberated SyndicationFounded in 2004, Liberated Syndication Inc. ("Libsyn") is the leading all-in-one podcasting platform for creators and advertisers to host, distribute, monetize, amplify, and measure their audio content. In 2022, the Company hosted over 75,000 shows and delivered over 8 billion downloads to listeners globally. Libsyn's AdvertiseCast marketplace combines an industry-leading ad buying and management platform with full-service capabilities that make it easy for podcast advertisers to initiate and manage highly targeted and measurable campaigns on over 3,000 shows. Based in Munich, Germany, Libsyn's Julep Media platform is the leading podcasting hosting platform and advertising marketplace in Europe. Libsyn also powers podcast membership platform, Glow, and web hosting platform, Pair Networks. Visit libsyn.com or investor.libsyn.com for more Company information.# # #Media Contacts: Ray Yeung + Nancy Zakhary | ray@ relev8.co + nancy@ relev8.co Investor Contact: investor@ libsyn.com SOURCE: Liberated Syndication, Inc.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI) investors who suffered significant losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Jan. 1, 2019 - Dec. 19, 2022Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Apr. 7, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/PHI Contact An Attorney Now: PHI@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895PLDT Inc. (NYSE:PHI) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on PLDT's past disclosures about capital expenditures incurred in its massive network transformation program.Specifically, the complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) PLDT incurred huge capital spending overruns; and (2) they failed to address weaknesses that allowed such overruns.Investors began to learn the truth on Dec. 16, 2022, when PLDT announced that during 2019 - 2022 it experienced a budget overrun of approximately P48 billion on its network transformation program.In addition, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that PLDT's chairman (Manuel Pangilinan) was initially apprised of the preliminary discovery of as much as P130 billion in "financial anomalies" in Oct. 2022, before this number was trimmed to the P48 billion the company announced on Dec. 16.The Inquirer further reported: (1) "[t]his official had discovered the company had been ordering and paying for billions of pesos worth of internet and phone network equipment without the paperwork needed for accurate recordkeeping;" (2) Pangilinan "said he immediately ordered that an internal forensics team be assembled to assess the damage;" and (3) "[h]e also ordered the hiring of a third-party auditor that was not associated with PLDT's external auditor, SGV & Co., to scour the company's books from top-to-bottom to search for potential cases of fraud." Then, on Dec. 19, 2022, Bloomberg reported that the Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission launched an investigation into the budget overrun and noted "[t]he budget overrun is almost equivalent to PLDT's combined 2020 and 2021 net income." In response to these events, the price of PLDT American Depositary Shares has significantly declined."We're focused on investors' losses and proving PLDT misled investors about its CAPEX spend and controls associated with its network buildout," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in PLDT and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding PLDT should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email PHI@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
PR-Inside.com: 2023-04-03 07:30:17

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Dr. Gao has made foundational contributions in the discovery and characterization of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes which were instrumental in the resurgence of gene therapyGENEVA, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX:RLF)(OTCQB:RLFTF)(OTCQB:RLFTY ) ("Relief Therapeutics" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms to benefit the lives of patients living with rare diseases, today announces the appointment of world-renowned gene therapy pioneer Guangping Gao, Ph.D. as the chair of the Company's newly formed scientific advisory board (SAB). Dr. Gao is the co-director of the Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center and Viral Vector Core, professor of microbiology and physiological systems, and Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in biomedical research at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass.Internationally recognized in the field of gene therapy, Dr. Gao played a key role in the discovery and characterization of a new family of adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes, which was instrumental in reviving the gene therapy field, significantly impacting many currently untreatable human diseases."Dr. Gao is a distinguished and accomplished academic and genetic medicine leader who has made fundamental discoveries in gene therapy that have pushed the field forward. He brings an unparalleled combination of pioneering scientific research and pre-clinical and clinical gene therapy product development expertise, along with advanced viral vector manufacturing experience," said Serene Forte, Ph.D., MPH , senior vice president, head of genetic medicine at Relief Therapeutics. "It will be a privilege to work with Dr. Gao and benefit from his vast knowledge and advice in this space." In his advisory role, Dr. Gao will serve as an integral resource, providing scientific review and high-level technical and strategic guidance related to gene therapy targets, research and pre-clinical development and strategic research alliances as the Company works to expand its portfolio."The Relief Therapeutics team has built a strong foundation with their current portfolio and cost-effective capital approach to drug development," said Dr. Gao. "I look forward to working with Dr. Forte and the highly capable leadership team to help build and proficiently execute the Relief Therapeutics genetic medicine program." Relief Therapeutics launched its genetic medicines initiative with the objective of developing life-altering, potentially curative therapies for patients suffering from devastating rare diseases that currently lack treatment options. The company is leveraging its strength and experience to identify monogenic disorders in therapeutic areas that align with its areas of focus, such as rare metabolic diseases. The SAB will support the Company's genetic medicines initiative and additional appointments are forthcoming. To learn more about Relief Therapeutics' approach to genetic medicine, please visit: https://www.relieftherapeutics.com/genetic-medicine "Dr. Gao's extensive experience in the advancement of novel approaches to treat inherited rare diseases will be instrumental in helping us shape the direction of our genetic medicine portfolio," said Jack Weinstein , chief executive officer at Relief Therapeutics. "We are honored to have Dr. Gao lead our new SAB and welcome him to Relief Therapeutics." ABOUT GUANGPING GAO, PH.D.Guangping Gao, Ph.D. is co-director of the Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center and Viral Vector Core, professor of microbiology and physiological systems, and Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in biomedical research at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, Mass. Dr. Gao is an elected fellow, both at the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and American Academy of Microbiology.For more than 30 years, Dr. Gao has primarily focused on molecular genetics and viral vector gene therapy of rare genetic diseases, encompassing disease gene cloning, causative mutation identification, pathomechanism investigation, animal modeling, novel viral vector discovery and engineering for in vivo gene delivery, vector biology, pre-clinical and clinical gene therapy product development, viral vector manufacturing for pre-clinical and clinical gene therapy applications as well as technology platform development as novel approaches for human gene therapy.Dr. Gao has published nearly 350 research papers, six book chapters and five edited books. He holds 233 patents with 480 more patent applications pending. Dr. Gao serves as the executive editor-in-chief of Human Gene Therapy , senior editor of the Gene and Cell Therapy book series, associate editor of Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy and serves on the editorial boards of several other gene therapy and virology journals. Nature Biotechnology has ranked Dr. Gao as one of the top 20 translational researchers in the world for several years in a row. From 2017 to 2020, he served as vice president, president-elect and president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.Dr. Gao is a co-founder of Voyager Therapeutics, Adrenas Therapeutics and Aspa Therapeutics, which are focused on developing recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) gene therapeutics for treating a variety of devastating rare diseases.Dr. Gao earned a bachelor of medicine degree from West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. He earned both a master of science degree and doctor of philosophy degree in biological sciences from Florida International University in Miami. Dr. Gao completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.ABOUT RELIEF THERAPEUTICSRelief Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing treatment paradigms and delivering improvements in efficacy, safety and convenience to benefit the lives of patients living with rare diseases. Since founding in 2013, Relief Therapeutics continues to build a diversified pipeline of risk-mitigated assets to address metabolic, dermatology/connective tissue disorders as well as pulmonary and genetic diseases. Our portfolio also includes a balanced mix of marketed, revenue-generating products and the proprietary, globally patented Physiomimic and Tehclo  platform technologies which were obtained through the acquisition of APR Applied Pharma Research S.A. in June 2021. Our mission is being advanced by an international team of well-established, experienced biopharma ind
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Funds raised will be used for the completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") to evaluate accelerating the development of the Sanutura ProjectNOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE IN THE UNITED STATESPERTH, AUSTRALIA / VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWORE / April 3, 2023 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR, TSX-V:SWA) is pleased to announce it has received binding commitments to undertake a A$2.0 million equity placement (the "Placement") to advance development studies for its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project (the "Project"). The Placement was strongly supported by existing shareholders and new domestic and international institutional, professional and sophisticated investors.HighlightsBinding commitments received for Placement of A$2.0 millionStrong demand for Placement from existing and new institutional, professional and sophisticated investorsThe funds raised will be used to complete a PEA evaluating an accelerated, multi-stage development of the Sanutura Project and for general working capital purposesSarama's Managing Director, Andrew Dinning commented:"We are very pleased with the strong support received for the Placement from our existing shareholders and look forward to welcoming a number of new institutional, professional and sophisticated investors to the Company's share register.The funds raised from the Placement will be used to evaluate an accelerated multi-stage development at the Sanutura Project which we believe has the potential to generate a very compelling investment case based on the extensive oxide resource and related grade and cost profile." Use of ProceedsFunds raised from the Placement will be used to complete a preliminary economic assessment to evaluate an accelerated multi-stage development at the Sanutura Project and to fund administration and general working capital costs.Placement DetailsThe Placement will comprise the issue of 20,000,000 Chess Depository Instruments ("CDIs") at an issue price of A$0.10 per CDI to raise gross proceeds of A$2.0 million. The issue price represents a ~4.8% discount to Sarama's last traded price on the ASX on Wednesday, 29 March 2023 of A$0.105. Each new CDI issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing CDIs on issue and each CDI will represent a beneficial interest in 1 common share of the Company.Sarama will issue 1 free attaching unlisted option ("Placement Option") for every 2 new CDIs issued pursuant to the Placement. Each Placement Option will be exercisable at A$0.15 and will expire 3 years from the date of issue.Members of Sarama's Board and Management intend to subscribe for an aggregate 500,000 CDIs (together with the attaching Placement Options) in the Placement. Subscriptions by directors of Sarama are subject to prior approval of the shareholders as required by the ASX Listing Rules. Accordingly, such subscriptions will only be completed as part of Tranche 2 of the Placement which is anticipated at the General Meeting to be held on or about 31 May 2023.Each of the directors and officers who participates in the Placement will be a "related party" of the Company within the meaning of that term in Canadian Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Participation by them in the Placement is therefore a "related party transaction" within the meaning of MI 61-101. Pursuant to Section 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, the Company is exempt from obtaining a formal valuation and minority approval of the Company's shareholders in respect of the Offer due to the fair market value of their participation being below 25% of the Company's market capitalization for the purposes of MI 61-101. The Company will file a material change report in respect of the Placement which will detail the participation by any directors and officers of the Company. It is expected that the material change report will be filed more than 21 days prior to the completion the Placement in respect of any participating directors and officers.The Placement is comprised of two tranches:Tranche 1 consists of 13.75 million new CDIs (and 6.875 million attaching Placement Options) under the Company's ASX Listing Rule 7.1 capacity. Funds received from the Tranche 1 placement will total A$1.375 million. The Company expects to complete allotment of the new CDIs under Tranche 1 by 12 April 2023.Tranche 2 consists of a further 6.25 million new CDIs (and 3.125 million attaching Placement Options) which will be subject to shareholder approval at the General Meeting. Tranche 2 includes participation by Directors or entities associated with the Directors totalling A$20,000. Total funds received from Tranche 2 will total A$0.625 million.The Placement remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.Euroz Hartleys Limited acted as Sole Lead Manager and Bookrunner to the Placement.This announcement was authorised for release to the ASX by the Board of Sarama Resources Ltd.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.For further information, please contact:Company ActivitiesMedia EnquiriesAndrew Dinning or Paul SchmiedeSarama Resources LtdAngela EastMedia & Capital Partnerse: info@ saramaresources.com t: +61 8 9363 7600e: Angela.east@mcpartners.com.au t: +61 428 432 025ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTDSarama Resources Ltd (ASX: SRR, TSX-V: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer/developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.Sarama's 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project is principally located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and is the exploration and development focus of the Company. The Project hosts the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits which have a combined Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz gold (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz gold (Inferred)(1).Together, the deposits present a potential mine development opportunity featuring an initial, long-life CIL project which may be established and paid for by the significant oxide Mineral Resource base.Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including an approximate 470km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 25km along strike.Sarama also holds
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Secures $7 Million Investment Enables Stemtech to Launch Colombia and Expanded Ecuador Product LinesMIRAMAR, FL / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Stemtech (OTCQB:STEK) has just executed a loan commitment for $7,000,000 with a family office specializing in healthcare. Stemtech CEO, Charles S. Arnold was quoted: "This allows us to eliminate our largest credit facility and will enable the Company to expand and execute our strategic growth plan, Vision 2023, as found in our press release of January 18, 2023, "Stemtech Corporation Vision 2023: Anticipates Growth Rate in 2023 Will Exceed 2022." The current opportunities for expansion and growth for Stemtech required additional funding. This commitment provides us the requisite funding to take advantage of current exciting product development and international growth opportunities. The funds received will enable us to enter Colombia where over eight years from 2009 - 2017 Stemtech, recorded sales in excess of $10,000,000. Once all of our products are available, we anticipate even greater sales. In addition, we are adding all of our products into Ecuador, where at the present time we are only selling SR3, our adult stem cell release product. Ecuador has the demand for all of our other products. According to "Research and Markets" publication, the Total Addressable Market (TAM) awareness in global Stem Cells, specifically the therapy market will grow from $5.14 billion in 2022 to $6.45 billion in 2023 with a CAGR of 25.5 percent. Stem cell nutrition will benefit from this growth in research and global stem cell awareness in all countries.Mr. Arnold further noted "It is gratifying to know that Stemtech can now take advantage of the growing global understanding and awareness of the miracle of the stem cell. Creating more products and establishing a larger market for Stemtech will obviously generate additional revenue for our company. But as a company we are focused on the people we help, and we are helping people in each area where our company is established. More consumers are becoming aware of stem cells, but many of the costly stem cell therapy treatments - invasive procedures, are prohibitive to the average consumer. Stemtech stemceutical products are all-natural and increase the flow of a person's own stem cells within their bodies, and at a fraction of the cost of other stem cell alternatives. Our products become part of a healthy person's lifestyle, offering anti-aging, natural rejuvenation, as well as many other natural benefits. We are also actively offering an income-earning potential for many people through our global network marketing model. The market space of stem cell health continues to be recognized as reported in "Research and Marketing" publication, covering stem cell regenerative medicine, therapy, pharma, biotech and nutrition. Stemtech is THE Pioneer in stem cell nutrition." John W. Meyer, Stemtech's President and Chief Operating Officer commented "This level of capital commitment illustrates the Investors' full confidence in our management team and our focus on ramping up our new product line, international growth, attracting top quality professionals to our Company while adding additional business opportunities planned for the remaining three quarters of 2023. We believe that this capital infusion will ignite consumer interest in Stemtech products and for the market to recognize the potential expansion trend that our Company is creating. Our newly launched skin care product in December 2022, Cellect One Rapid Renew Stem Cell Peptide Night Cream, with our unique proprietary formula including an FDA approved ingredient, is receiving rave reviews from our growing number of Independent Business Partners (IBPs). Funding will also be applied to our Research and Development activities for the introduction of our new cutting-edge, disruptive products being offered for the first time anywhere".ABOUT STEMTECHStemtech Corporation, a leading stemceutical company with a direct sales distribution model, was founded on April 18, 2018, after acquiring the operations from its predecessor Stemtech International, Inc., which was established in 2005. From 2010 through 2015, Stemtech International, Inc., was recognized four separate times on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies list. In 2018, Stemtech underwent an extensive executive reorganization, and continued operations under new leadership as Stemtech Corporation. In August 2021, Stemtech became a publicly traded company (OTCQB: STEK) and has expanded business opportunities for its Independent Business Partners, who may earn incomes by sharing Stemtech products. January 2022 saw the introduction of new marketing efforts. In August 2022, Professor Doctor Bankole Johnson joined Dr. Enrique Martinez and Dr. Lizette Leos on the Stemtech Life Sciences Advisory Board. In September 2022, the new Stemtech AdvanceOffice mobile app based on the VERB Technology platform was successfully launched as a powerful communication - recruiting tool for our Field. In October, Life Factor Research became the Research and Development, product formulation - science division of Stemtech to create cutting-edge stemceuticals and other products. On November 1, 2022, Stemtech introduced the new travel/sample size OraStem Toothpaste. On December 6, Stemtech announced the promotion of Alejandro Carrillo to the role of Vice President Global Sales from his current role as Managing Director Latin Markets. Stemtech introduced the new CellectOne Rapid Renew Stem Cell Peptide Night Cream at their December 2022 International Leadership Event in Cancun, Mexico. January 10 2023 Stemtech appoints Margie and Mike Mares to Field Advisory Board. Last month, Stemtech Ranked Number 11 in Momentum out of 700+ top Global MLM companies by Business For Home independent MLM publication, January 23, 2023.Forward-Looking StatementsThis announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and/or other studies, the challenges inh
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with North Arrow Minerals, RevoluGROUP and Sailfish Royalty discussing their latest news.The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.North Arrow (TSXV:NAR) discovers lithium targets in Northwest TerritoriesNorth Arrow (NAR) is reporting eight prospective lithium targets at its DeStaffany Lithium Project. The company also identified coarse-grained spodumene in photographs of the Moose 2 pegmatite. Initial prospecting work is slated for the summer. CEO Ken Armstrong spoke with Shoran Devi about the news.For the full interview with Ken Armstrong and to learn about North Arrow, click here.RevoluGROUP Canada (TSXV:REVO) confirms suitor's interest in equity investmentRevoluGROUP (REVO) has signed a fourth addendum to its binding equity investment memorandum of understanding (MOU). The suitor's exposure to the failed Silvergate and Signature banks has been contained. A newly defined timeline sees the investment proposal culminating by midnight on April 18, 2023. CEO Steve Marshall spoke with Shoran Devi about the news.For the full interview with Steve Marshall and to learn about RevoluGROUP, click here.Sailfish Royalty (TSXV:FISH) declares dividend for Q1 2023Sailfish Royalty (FISH) will pay out a US$0.0125 dividend in Q1 2023 on April 17. The date of record to receive the dividend was as of the close of business on March 31, 2023. Sailfish is a precious metals royalty and streaming company with robust assets in the U.S., Mexico and Nicaragua. CEO Paolo Lostritto spoke with Shoran Devi about the company's key assets and its plans for the near future.For the full interview with Paolo Lostritto and to learn about Sailfish Royalty, click here.Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.About The Market HeraldThe Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca . Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website ( themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.CONTACT:The Market Heraldmarketing@ themarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald
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The trio of new starters join a female-dominated senior leadership team that includes the Chief Financial Officer, Operations Manager and half of all head of department positions.MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 2, 2023 / Leading digital marketing agency Melbourne-wide, Zib Digital, has announced three new appointments to its senior leadership team.Zib DigitalZib Digital The company is pleased to welcome Nicole Wagenecht as Head of Growth, Monique Parker as an Agency Partner and Catherine Lio at the helm as Chief Operating Officer. The new starters bring a collective 52 years' experience to the business.Wagenecht is an SEO veteran and member of the first Facebook cohort in America, with extensive experience in the digital marketing industry. Parker is an award-winning marketer and has worked with numerous businesses in improving their online presence. Previous Essendon director Lio has a strong background in digital marketing and has worked with many large-scale clients across various industries.Zib Digital's Founder and CEO, Chris Knights, expressed his excitement about the new appointments and stated that they would help the agency to continue delivering exceptional results for its clients. He added that the company is always looking for talented individuals who can contribute to its growth and success."At Zib Digital, we prioritise getting the best talent in every role and supporting them to do what they do best. This approach has taken our business from strength to strength, and these latest appointments are pivotal to our plans for the year ahead." The premier SEO agency Melbourne-wide was started by Knights with his brother 12 years ago while playing AFL for the Richmond Tigers.Following its expansion into global markets, Zib Digital has grown to a team of 140 specialists. The company's culture is deeply ingrained with peak performance lessons derived from its Tiger days, which has resulted in a relationships-first approach that leverages the diverse strengths of individuals within the team.With ambitious goals to kick in 2023, there's still room at the table, said Knights: "We are in fast growth mode, and there is an opportunity for additional, like-minded Partners to join our business in the coming months."There's no ceiling on your potential here, and you can create success on your terms while being fully supported by our team. If you're looking for a new challenge, reach out now while the business is in recruitment mode." To learn more, contact the leaders in SEO Melbourne-wide.About Zib DigitalAs a leading digital marketing agency, Zib Digital has helped grow businesses in a wide variety of industries, both in Australia and internationally through clever online marketing.Contact InformationZib DigitalManager(03) 8685 9290SOURCE: Zib Digital
It's hard to believe that any school in America these days would shrug off warnings by multiple students and teachers that a student was packing a gun on campus. But that's what administrators at Richneck Elementary School in Virginia allegedly did in January before a 6-year-old shot his teacher, and she is now suing the school for $40 million.

"Teachers' concerns with John Doe's behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed," first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner, who was shot with a 9 mm handgun while reading to the class, says in her lawsuit. "Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy."

A year before the shooting incident, the boy had been sent to another school after he was accused of trying to choke and strangle a teacher, and inappropriately touching a girl after lifting up her dress, according to NBC News. But he returned to Richneck in the fall of 2022, and brought the handgun to school on Jan. 6.

And for some bizarre reason, Richneck's principal, former assistant principal, and Superintendent (who have all since left their jobs) decided to act like failed Uvalde cops and do nothing that day, "despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual," according to Zwerner's complaint.

From NBC News:
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President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the amendment of the 2022/2023 deep offshore oil block mini-bid round.

The Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Mr Komolafe said the approval was in a bid to boost confidence in the transparency and continuity of the deep offshore oil block mini-bid round process.

He added that the move was to accommodate the concerns expressed by both local and international investors over the closeness of the schedule to the terminal date of the present administration in the country.

Following the approval by President Buhari in his capacity as the Petroleum Resources Minister, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has revised the Deep Offshore Oil block Bid Round Schedule by extending the deadline for the submission of Technical/Commercial bids to 19 May 2023, as well as the timeline for concluding activities of contract negotiations and signing between 3 and 28 July 2023, he said.

According to him, the 2022/23 deep offshore oil block mini-bid round is progressing in accordance with the bid round schedule which has been published as part of the bid round guidelines.

The outstanding activities for the conclusion of the exercise include the technical/commercial bid submission and the ministerial consent/contract negotiation and signing.

The technical/commercial bid submission involves data access, purchase, evaluation, bid preparation and submission, bid evaluation and publication of results as well as commercial bid conference and announcement of winners, he said.

He, therefore, reiterated that the commission is fully committed to conducting the bid round in a manner that guarantees the achievement of the objectives of the exercise, noting that participation is both robust and beneficial to key stakeholders.

However, he said constant interrogation and oversight of the process revealed two concerns that the commission felt might impact the success of the exercise if not immediately addressed.

The concerns are the plan to conclude the bid process before the transition to the new government and the need to guarantee the participation of qualified indigenous companies, working collaboratively with multinationals and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) to leverage technology, funding and expertise in the deep offshore, he added.

He said the commission has already announced the requirement for joint venture (JV) arrangements between IOCs and indigenous companies and amended the guidelines accordingly.

This measure, he said not only addresses the second concern, but is also in consonance with, and supports the Nigerian content requirements of the bid round.

It is also in accordance with Section 16(1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution which provides that resources of the nation shall be harnessed in a manner that promotes national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-sustaining economy.

The extension of time is also to afford interested multinationals and IOCs enough time to enter into and conclude the necessary joint venture arrangements as well as allow for proper evaluation of relevant data by all bidders, he said.

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Dangote Cement Plc, sub-Saharan Africas biggest cement maker, said it has conducted a practical exhibition of the uses of its Falcon cement variant in the full glare of block moulders and other construction experts at the ongoing trade fair in Enugu.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the company noted that users of the new variant are assured of solid structures given its weather-proof quality.

It added that the demonstration involved tiling, building, plastering and band screeding.

Johnson Olaniyi, the coordinator of artisan training for Dangote Cement, who led the practical demonstration, stated that the product is particularly suitable for screeding in that it guarantees smooth surfaces, enabling the use of less paint on walls.

According to the document, Mr Olaniyi observed: that the binding power of Dangote Falcon Cement enables tiles to stick easily to walls and surfaces as the artisans watch tilers used Dangote Falcon Cement to place tiles on walls and surfaces.

Fred Akingbasote, the regional director of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), enjoined other cement makers to take a cue from Dangote Cements initiative to arrange the practical demonstration session.

READ ALSO: Dangote Cement set for third share buyback in two years

He enjoined Dangote Cement to put together more enlightenment sessions on the features and benefits of each grade of cement, disclosing SONs willingness to collaborate in that respect.

The company earlier this year signed a pact with Chinas Sinoma International Engineering to construct a 6 million-ton per annum plant in Itori, Ogun State.

It hopes to raise its local capacity to 41.2 million tons and total African capacity to 57.6 million tons per annum.

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The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) recorded drops in most of its income sources for last year, its audited financial results have shown.

The drops resulted in a sharply weaker revenue and caused net profit to fall by one-third.

NSIA, an investment agency of the Nigerian

government, manages funds in excess of budgeted hydrocarbon revenues, investing them in a range of medium and long-term assets on behalf of the government.

Total income for 2022 diminished by 28.1 per cent to N154.9 billion, taking a hit from a slide in net gain on financial assets and net foreign exchange gain.

Income streams like investment income as well as the share of profit of investments accounted for using the equity method also dropped.

NSIA made a provision in the sum of N1.4 billion from its revenue as an impairment charge on financial assets in contrast to the N544.8 million earned as write-back on financial assets a year earlier.

In a separate document, the authority linked the slump in its earnings to the performance of its Future Generations and Stabilization portfolios that are invested in emerging and developed financial market instruments.

In 2023, we will be resourcing our various platforms targeted at emerging sectors  renewable energy, sustainability, innovation, and healthcare  which will ensure the Authority achieves its dual objectives of delivering financial returns and impactful social outcomes, said Aminu Umar-Sadiq, NSIAs chief executive.

NSIA recorded increases in costs like investment management and custodian fees, depreciation and amortization as well as operating and administrative expenses, further weakening the bottom line.

Profit before tax decreased by 31.1 per cent to N102.4 billion, while profit for the year stood at N102.4 billion compared to N153.6 billion in the same period of 2021.

The organization highlighted the key projects it executed under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund during the year as the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway.

Total assets for the year fell by 15.9 per cent or N195.1 billion to N1 trillion, the results showed.

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Nigeria has again called on the United Nations and the International Tax Community to forge an inclusive, equitable, fair and universally beneficial international tax system towards the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Making the call on behalf of the country, Muhammad Nami, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) stated this while delivering Nigerias Statement at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, held on Friday, at the ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York.

Mr Nami noted that the Nigerian delegation is concerned about the global minimum tax as put forward by the OECD  Inclusive Framework, because of its low rate and the way it was negotiated to benefit the home countries of multinationals.

My delegation is concerned about the global minimum tax, Mr Nami noted, because of its low rate and the way it was negotiated to benefit the home countries of multinationals, which are mostly in developed countries.

Speaking further, the head of Nigerias apex tax authority urged the meeting to discuss how a UN instrument on tax cooperation can both build on work that has already been done in a way that guarantees fairness and equity.

He also said that Nigeria looks forward to views on enforcement mechanisms for a binding multilateral tax convention, noting the challenges that developing and developed countries have experienced with investment treaty arbitration.

Mr Nami, in the countrys statement, pointed out that the capacity of countries to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals were hinged on having the requisite funding in delivering critical public services towards these SDGs.

Nigeria, while calling for a global taxation regime under the United Nations, harped on the importance of enhancing domestic resource mobilization among member States to address their economic challenges.

The promotion of inclusive International Tax Cooperation remains a critical subject in the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Today a global taxation regime under the UN is urgently needed to enable States effectively mobilize domestic revenues to address the multiple economic and other crises impacting our efforts in the achievement of the 2030 SDGs.

Domestic public resource mobilization is critical to this effort because of its vital role in delivering critical public services and advancing even progress towards the sustainable development agenda.

Developing countries are taking seriously the challenge of financing sustainable development. My delegation underscores the importance of enhancing domestic resource mobilization, good governance and investment in our common African goal embodied in the Agenda 2063, and in the global goals spelled out in the 2030 Agenda, Mr. Nami stated.

He further commended African countries for strengthening their participation in international tax cooperation efforts, as well as the strides they have made in closing loopholes and countering base erosion and profit shifting.

He however expressed concerns that while much good work has been done, much more remains to be made towards a fully inclusive process, both domestically and internationally and ensuring that all taxpayers are making their fair contributions.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) Special Meeting on International Cooperation in Tax Matters is an annual meeting of ECOSOC members, senior representatives of national tax authorities, relevant international organizations, civil society and academia that discusses issues of taxation as it affects the globe. Members, during this meeting, deliver action-oriented exchanges and design best-practices on international tax issues.

This years meeting provided a forum for member states, members of the UN Tax Committee, international organizations and other stakeholders to discuss on the promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations.

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Mercy Aigbe is the latest Nigerian actress to convert from Christianity to Islam.

In an interview at a Ramadan lecture and special prayers hosted by herself and her husband, Kazim Adeoti, on Saturday, the actress disclosed that she has converted to Islam while revealing her Islamic name.

Interestingly, in January 2022, the controversial actress revealed that her filmmaker husband is a Muslim and is entitled to marry more than one wife.

In a video on social media, Aigbe, 45, said, Insha Allah, My new name is Hajia Meenah Mercy Adeoti. Meenah with the H.

She also confirmed this on her Instagram page with photos of herself dressed the Islamic way at the lecture.

Hajia Minnah. My look for our 1st Ramadan Lecture yesterday hosted by hubby @kazimadeoti and I. May Almighty Allah grant us the Grace to host many more, she wrote.

Another clip shows her praying with her husband at the ceremony.

Controversial marriage

In January 2022, Aigbe broke her silence on her new marriage to the famous Yoruba movie marketer and filmmaker, Mr Kazim, which sparked several reactions.

The actress debunked claims that her new husband was a friend of her ex-husband, Lanre Gentry.

While Aigbe secretly wedded Mr Kazim recently, Mr Gentry, on the other hand, had a glamorous marriage in Lagos in September 2021.

I just want to clear the impression, Adekaz isnt Lanre Gentrys friend, she wrote in a text message to the Your View breakfast programme on TVC.

In a twist of events, Oluwafunsho Asiwaju, the first wife of Mr Adeoti, alleged that the actress began sleeping with her husband when her (Mercys Aigbes) son, Juwon, was five months old.

Juwon is the product of Aigbes failed marriage to the famous hotelier and car magnate, Asiwaju Gentry.

She alleged that the actress was still married to her second husband, Mr Gentry when she began an intimate relationship with Mr Adeoti.

The actress, despite criticism, continues to post loved-up pictures and posts of herself and her new husband.

They recently embarked on a holiday spree to several exotic locations.

Conversions

Nollywood is known to have a string of actresses who converted to Islam, mainly from Christianity.

In 2012, actress Funke Akindele reportedly turned to Islam after marrying Alhaji Kehinde Almaroof Oloyede. She then adopted the name, Khadijat.

Liz Da Silva is another famous actress born and raised as a Christian until she allegedly fathered a kid with an unknown Muslim man known only as Olaoye.

The actress converted to Islam after the birth of their son. She took the name Aishat.

Her namesake, Lizzy Anjorin, also grew up in a Christian home but found Islam along the line.

In 2013, she announced she was a Muslim and travelled to Mecca for the Hajj.

In her case, however, her mother is Muslim, according to her. Her Muslim names is Sekinat and Aishat, while Rufaidat is her daughters Muslim name.

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For nearly two years, Mozambique resisted the call for foreign military intervention in Cabo Delgado to help fight the insurgency that started in 2017. But when militants stormed the town of Palma in March 2021, forcing construction on the $20 billion liquefied natural gas project to stop, Maputo had to accept foreign boots on the ground.

President Filipe Nyusi said in December 2020 that offers of help had been received from many countries, highlighting the need to carefully manage this mix of interventions. But two years on, domestic and international security forces in Mozambique are still fragmented.

Rwanda has the largest military and police contingent in Cabo Delgado  about 2,800 personnel. The Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) has about 1,900. These forces technically support Mozambiques security forces. Local militia and several private military companies have helped restore stability, mainly around gas exploration and liquefaction projects.

The relative calm in Palma and neighbouring Mocimboa da Praia districts has enabled global investors to return to Cabo Delgado, particularly to the natural gas project. TotalEnergies, which suspended operations at its billion-dollar plant in April 2021, is preparing to restart. Some construction work is already underway.

Major international players, including the World Bank, are committed to supporting the provinces gas exploration. Its importance for future global energy supply options has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine. We are seeing that already most of Mozambiques gas is being exported to Europe, so Europe is benefitting from Mozambiques gas and this keeps Europe also from reverting to less clean energy sources, said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Regional Vice-President for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Despite these developments, the insurgency has not been defeated. Stability in the provinces north-east contrasts with a volatile situation in the north, central and southern districts. Insurgents displaced from Palma, Mocimboa da Praia and their bases on the Messalo River have split into smaller cells. They have adapted to new conditions, carrying out coordinated attacks in several districts.

Troops deployed in Cabo Delgado have not shown effective operational coordination, at times even competing with each other. In Palma district, where most are concentrated, there have been several friendly fire incidents, anonymous sources told ISS Today. Rwandan forces recently shot down two drones belonging to True North, one of several companies collecting intelligence and providing security to TotalEnergies. True North flew the drones without informing Rwandas forces, who shot them down. The resulting crisis required Mozambique government intervention.

Rwandan forces prefer to act unilaterally rather than coordinate with Mozambiques military and police. Mozambique complains that Rwanda does not share intelligence and operational information, often taking unilateral decisions. SAMIM sources have shared similar concerns about Rwanda. These sources also say that Mozambique has failed to actively lead the coordination effort as the host country.

Like many multilateral deployments, there are tensions within SAMIM, which has nationality-based geographical operational areas of responsibility. The recent deployment of 300 more Tanzanian security personnel outside the SAMIM framework as part of a bilateral agreement may further complicate matters.

Rwandan forces use Mozambique Air Force helicopters flown by Mozambican pilots in their counter-terrorism operations. But according to a Mozambique defence force source, only when [the] pilots are in the air, are they informed about the mission. This atypical approach reflects the lack of trust among forces on the ground. Mozambican troops are long suspected of leaking operational information. Mistrust, poor coordination and even competition undermine the joint effort and benefit the insurgents.

The European Union Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM) expects to finish training 1,500 Mozambican soldiers from the Naval Forces and Special Forces in September 2024. However, they wont be able to replace the international forces currently deployed.

The Mozambican Defence Armed Forces will remain dependent on foreign troops until it has adequate security capacity. This raises the challenge of sustaining the presence of SAMIM and the Rwanda Defence Force, both of which received $35 million in 2022 from the European Peace Facility fund. With EUTM support, Mozambique is the EUs biggest Peace Facility fund spent outside Ukraine.

The humanitarian situation also remains critical. Although over 850,000 of Cabo Delgados population remain displaced, about 350,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had returned home by the end of March. However, IDPs returning to resume their lives face a lack of basic public services and state help to allow decent human resettlement. Almost 100 humanitarian organisations in the province are trying to assist, but the situation remains dire.

Food insecurity is highest in the three northern provinces  Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula  where over 900,000 people face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. These provinces are directly targeted by insurgents and are reportedly key recruitment hotbeds for terrorists. As long as the humanitarian situation remains unaddressed, efforts to tackle the insurgency will be undermined.

The fragmented response extends beyond the realm of hard security, with a stovepipe approach preventing links between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding priorities. For example, organisations helping victims of gender-based violence have not been able to aid women and girls rescued by the military from insurgent bases.

While funds for emergency help to IDPs remain scarce, some development partners are holding back their project finance until the war ends. Better coordination between humanitarian and development initiatives could help allocate some of these funds to emergency humanitarian relief.

The current hard security resources in Cabo Delgado do not match the type and size of terrain the insurgents are operating in. Lack of air assets, fire-force and hot-pursuit assets are major factors. SAMIM contributes to containment but does not maximise the military options. The unhealthy reliance on local forces (militia) to provide security for many communities is also a problem.

As the Institute for Security Studies has suggested, the African Union (AU) and its Peace and Security Council could help develop a regional force and stabilisation strategy that goes beyond military approaches.

SADC should approach the AU to help coordinate Mozambique, SAMIM and Rwandas security forces. SAMIMs nascent peacebuilding efforts piloted in 2022 could also be supported with EU funds channelled through the AU. This would tackle the fragmented nature of current interventions and help stabilise Cabo Delgado.

Borges Nhamirre, Consultant, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, has urged the international community to fully support Nigerias quest to save Lake Chad from extinction and revive its potential.

Mr Adamu, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York, said it was important to lend his voice to President Muhammadu Buharis call to revive Lake Chad.

Mr Adamu was in New York to attend the just-concluded 2023 UN Water Conference.

If you recall from the beginning of this administration, President Buhari has made this call in several fora, especially at all the engagements during Conference of Parties (COP) on Climate Change and his interactions with world leaders.

It is a consistent call because, you know, the problem we have in the North-east, problem of Boko Haram. It has been clearly linked to the lack of opportunities and abject poverty around the Lake Chad that was caused by the shrinking of the Lake. It sank as low as 10 per cent of its storage capacity 50 years ago, he said.

The minister said the shrinking of the Lake had impacted negatively on the source of livelihood of the people leaving in the area, adding that more than 40 million people were affected.

Mr Adamu said that all the opportunities for fishing, farming, irrigation, and grazing were lost, and the lack of opportunities had caused poverty in that area, giving room for a breeding ground for Boko Haram fighters.

From the security perspective, its very important to make this call and from an economic development perspective, loss of jobs and poverty. Also, there is a climate change issue and desertification, he said.

The minister also told NAN that Nigeria recently ratified the Instrument of Accession to the UN Water Convention and had submitted it at the conference.

Mr Adamu said Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari, had acceded to the Water Convention as an instrument to strengthen the existing transboundary commitments under the Niger Basin Authority and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.

Nigeria shares at least one transboundary water body with each of its neighbouring states.

The Lake Chad Basin is the largest inland drainage area in Africa and covers an area of 2,434,000 km2, equal to eight per cent of the total area of the African continent.

The basin extends through Algeria, Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, Central Africa Republic, Chad, and Sudan. In Nigeria, the basin drains about 20 per cent of the country.

Nigeria is also home to about 80 per cent of the 100 million people residing in the basin of the River Niger, which crosses Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean through the Gulf of Guinea.

NAN reports that President Buhari ratified the Accession to the Convention in December 2022 and Nigeria also ratified the Amendment to Articles 25 and 26 of 23 November 2003.

(NAN)

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MONROVIA, LiberiaTwo defense witnesses have confirmed the accounts of other witnesses that an alleged Sierra Leonean warlord was in Liberia during its second civil war.

But Defence 5 and Defence 12 claimed although Gibirl Massaquoi, a former commander for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), of Sierra Leone, was here between 1999 and 2000, it was only for peace purposes, and that he did come along with Foday Sankoh, the rebel groups leader, and other top officials of the group.

Gibril was appointed as head of the peace delegation in 2000, and the delegation traveled to Monrovia late 2000 during the rainy season, said Defense 12. The peace process [for Sierra Leone], was signed on November 10th, 2000.

Defence 5, who like Defence 12, told Finlands Turku Court of Appeal on Friday he was an ex-RUF soldier, corroborated the testimony of his fellow witness.

After the signing of the peace delegation in Abuja [Nigeria], in late 2000 and 2001, Gibril returned to Sierra Leone, conducting meetings with the international committee, the government of Sierra Leone and the RUF, he said.

The years are crucial to the appeal hearings before the Court of Appeal, as they were during the trial in the Pirkanmaa Court District of Tampere. Some prosecution witnesses have alleged that Massaquoi committed crimes, including locking up civilians, suspected of supporting rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), who had launched an insurgency on Charles Taylors government in Lofa County.

Mr Taylor had sent for the RUF soldiers to beef up the strength of his forces against the insurgents, according to the witnesses. Many witnesses have also alleged that Mr Massaquoi was at the Waterside market in Monrovia in 2002 and 2003 and killed, or ordered his soldiers to kill civilians, who were looting in stores.

The contentious point about the last two years is that Mr Massaquois lawyers are arguing that he was a protected witness for the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, so it was impossible for him to have been in Liberia at that time.

Theyve also argued he committed no crimes. And their witnesses on Friday looked to have validated the lower Court, which acquitted their client a year ago.

Gibril was responsible to send information to all correspondents and he was responsible to process all documents relating to the RUF, Defence 12 said.

Defence 12 said after Mr Massaquois appointment by Sankoh as his special assistant, members of the RUF were attacked by civilians at Sankohs residencean attack he said saw the capture of the latter. The civilians were unhappy that Sankoh had refused to sign a July 1999 peace agreement in Lome, Togo, according to the witness.

He said afterwards, Issa Sesay, a top RUF commander, became the interim leader of the group, while Gibril was appointed as head of an external delegation, tasked to form part of the peace process in Sierra Leone.

The witness said Jengab Kobeh, Adbul Swaray and Abdul Razark were the other members of the RUF delegation that came to Monrovia to meet some members of ECOWAS, who were guests of Taylor. He said ECOWAS used Taylors influence over the RUF to convince them to a peace deal with the Sierra Leonean government and other warring factions at the time.

They [ECOWAS leaders], did that because he [Taylor] was always accused of being part of the RUF.

The witness said after the delegation traveled to Abuja following the meeting, Mr Massaquoi never came back to Liberia.

He was meeting with the international committee, he said. The witness, a former RUF fighter, did however say that Sesay ordered a top RUF commander to return to Liberia with separate reinforcement forces to strengthen Taylors troops and repel a fresh attack from LURD.

I was with OG when we brought the men and we passed through Koindu in Sierra Leone and met them at one location call Meneykoma, said Defense 12. Its in Liberia.

Defence 5 also claimed he did not see Mr Massaquoi on the frontlines in Liberia. He said Eagle Kanneh, another top RUF commander, came to Liberia with a separate group of soldiers, also on Sesays orders.

I was in Makeni when he (Kanneh), was given that command to Eagle to clear the road from Voinjama to Foya, Defence 5 said.

But on cross examination, there was a drama, when the proceedings were halted for five minutes, because the man, who claimed to be Mr Massaqois brother, could not call any of the nicknames witnesses have associated with the former RUF spokesman.

The Finnish Police asked me the question as to whether Gibril code name was Angel and I told them something like it has taken a long time, so I told them I was going to think about it, said Defence 5. And when I went home, I remembered his code name was Gaffa and not Angel.

Another point of contention was the length of time Mr Massaquoi travelled between Liberia and Sierra Leone. The witness couldnt give a clear answer.

I cannot remember, but he used to go and come till we disarmed.

The hearings continue on Monday, the start of their final week. The proceedings will end on Tuesday. The Court is expected to return to Liberia in May to listen to testimonies from mainly defence whiteness, who will have to travel to Liberia. In what legal experts and justice advocates see as a bizarre move, the Sierra Leonean government, which had initially accepted the District Courts request to hear witnesses there under a mutual legal assistance, did not approve Appeal Courts request to do likewise.

Sierra Leone, unlike Liberia, has openly embraced accountability for past crimes, with the prosecutions of Mr Taylor and other RUF leaders for their roles in the Sierra Leonean civil war.

The coverage of the appeal of Massaquois acquittal is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project.

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Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Sunday in Abuja alerted Nigerians to the existence of a fake Twitter handle purportedly belonging to the Presidential Transition Council (PTC).

Mr Mustapha is the chairman of the PTC.

The attention of the PTC has been drawn to a fake Twitter handle, @TransitionNgr created by unscrupulous persons since April 2020 even before the establishment and inauguration of the council.

The PTC has nothing to do with the fake Twitter handle. President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval for the establishment of the PTC only in February 2023, he stated.

The existence of the fake Twitter handle before February 2023 exposed the irresponsible and calculated attempt to by its handlers to disseminate inaccurate and tainted information to unsuspecting members of the public, Mr Mustapha explained.

For the avoidance of doubt, the authentic Twitter account of the PTC is: @FGNPTC (FGN PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION COUNCIL), he stressed.

Mr Mustapha advised the public to discountenance the fake Twitter account and use the official account handle of the PTC for genuine and accurate information on its activities.

He emphasised that the activities of the PTC were on course as all committee members were working assiduously for the success of the inauguration of a new administration on 29 May.

(NAN)

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The police in Adamawa State North-east Nigeria said three people were killed on Sunday night when some gunmen attacked Dabna, a community in Hong local government area.

The police spokesperson, Suleiman Nguroje, said on Monday that the commissioner of police in the state, Afolabi Babatola, has ordered the deployment of personnel to arrest the fleeing attackers.

Unknown gunmen had Sunday night, attacked the sleeping community shooting sporadically at innocent citizens.

Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police has ordered the immediate arrest and investigation into the matter with a view to ensuring peace and justice.

The CP warns that attacks on innocent souls would no longer be tolerated under whatsoever guise, as the command holds the lives of citizens sacrosanct, and such unwarranted attitude would be strictly treated in accordance with extant laws.

He equally reiterated the commitment of the Command to the protection of lives and property while stressing that it is vital to work with other sister security agents in protecting the fundamental rights of Citizens.

He, therefore, appealed for calm as the Command is doing everything legally possible to detect and apprehend the suspects, he said.

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When reached for an update on the attack, the spokesperson said the reason for the attack was still unknown.

He said an investigation to ascertain the motive of the attack was still ongoing, adding that calm has returned to the community.

Our men including the countered terrorism unit have been deployed to the area to make sure that everything has returned to normal.

The three people killed and the injured ones were rushed to the hospital for treatment. And before then, there was no sign of a problem among the ethnic groups in the LGA.

The command just received the report in the early hours of today that three persons were killed, one house was burned, two motorcycles and properties were also burned, Mr Nguroje added.

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Ive always wondered what happens to my Amazon package between the time I tap the place order button and the moment it lands on my doorstep.

In March, I got a glimpse at a packages journey when I got the opportunity to work at the online giants sortation facility in Lancaster.

It turns out, there is a lot that goes into the two-day delivery promise that helped Amazon become the worlds largest retailer  and it would be so easy for each package to take a wrong turn that Im surprised it doesnt happen more often than it does.

Outfitted in a bright vest, gloves and steel toes, I started my shift with stretch exercises and a motivational cheer about the shifts 39,500-package processing goal, coordinated by an upbeat worker with a microphone.

Workers are allowed two free pairs of gloves per week, taken from a vending machine with a supervisors permission. Workers choose one free pair of steel-toed sneakers or boots per year, random styles of which are on display near a terminal where they can be ordered from Zappos.com.

My guide is Charles Jackson, whose barbering gig went down the tubes during the pandemic. He has stayed at Amazon because he appreciates the opportunity for upward mobility, and he has already moved up the ranks to process assistant  the only one qualified to work in any area of the building.

Since starting in 2021, he has lost 60 pounds, which he attributes to walking the nearly 600,000-square-foot facility 10 hours a day, four days a week. Each shift he walks the equivalent of trekking from the Amazon facility to City Hall in downtown Buffalo.

Together, we unload a truck full of unsorted packages onto a mobile conveyer belt that extends right into the truck. You make your own pace, but there is pressure to be quick, and I try not to slow Charles down too much.

At the next stop, I sort mounds of blue-and-white bubble mailers into about eight different bins. Its frighteningly easy to put the wrong envelope in the wrong bin, sending it to the wrong Amazon van going to the wrong place. Its also an overwhelming alphabet soup of letters, numbers and exceptions to navigate while more envelopes pile up at your elbow.

The worker in line next to me assures me it gets easier as you go. Real Amazon workers train for at least two weeks, a spokesman says, but not me. Right now, Ive sent a number of packages to the wrong places, and who knows how many peoples phones are pinging with the message that their purchases are delayed. But fortunately, there are systems in place to catch my mistakes.

Among real Amazon workers around the country  there are about 1,500 in Lancaster  there is a push to unionize and reports of worker mistreatment, ranging from poor working conditions and insufficient pay to inadequate rest breaks.

Amazon has made changes to address some allegations while denying others. Amazon has raised its minimum wage (wages in Lancaster start at $16 per hour, but about $19 per hour is the average), implemented new safety measures and provided additional training. Still, worker advocacy groups say the company has not done enough to ensure worker safety and well-being.

Next, I head up a flight of stairs to a snaking system of conveyor belts filled with boxes to be sorted. This doesn't go well. The boxes pile up in my lane, gumming up the works and setting off screeching alarms.

At each station, there is pressure to go faster. Im given a goal to sort 2,000 packages per hour, but my rate is an embarrassing 44 packages per hour. When I try to be accurate, Im too slow. When I try to be fast, Im inaccurate.

Unlike the website that seamlessly routes shoppers to, say, HDMI cables once theyve purchased a television, not much at the warehouse is intuitive.

Numbered bins are out of order and the four chutes Im responsible for sorting packages through are arrayed with no apparent rhyme or reason.

I send one box down the A/B chute to my right in front of me instead of B/C to the left behind me where it shouldve gone. My first instinct is to jump in after it but, fortunately for the people with orders coming through my station, theres another safeguard to catch misrouted packages below.

Thats where I go next. The slow and inaccurate pattern Ive set for myself continues here, where I scan boxes and walk them to their final location. There, a worker called a water spider will shrink-wrap the stacks of packages once they reach a certain height marked in yellow on nearby poles.

Then theyre off to the trucks on their way to your house, and if Ive put the wrong packages in the wrong places, theres nothing more I can do but feel guilty.

I hear this area is a favorite among workers, because there are more people buzzing around and more opportunities to chat. There is no music and no headphones are allowed to break up the tedium.

Of course, I got just a taste of what its like to work at Amazon. When Im done working various stations, Im beat and certain Ive gone over my allotted two hours on the floor. But what seemed like forever turns out to have been just 70 harried minutes, according to my running voice recorder.

I refuel with free snacks and high fives, and the knowledge that Ill be less annoyed next time my package is late.
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Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has ordered the closure of a privately-owned primary school in Oba, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

The school, Tower Primary School Oba, was alleged to have been involved in examination malpractices during the 2023 Transition Placement Examination.

The Commissioner for Education in the state, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, announced this after a meeting to investigate the case of exam malpractice reported against a teacher who invigilated the examination, according to a report by the Nation newspaper.

Umuogali Community Primary School, another school in the council area, was the centre used for the examination held on 29 March.

Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, the spokesperson of the education ministry in the state, in a statement, said an investigation carried out by the ministry in response to reports from pupils of Triumphant Cross School Oba, another school in the area, showed that the Proprietress of the indicted school, Kosisochukwu Igwe, connived with her students to carry out the act.

The proprietress sneaked into the examination hall, connived with the teacher, took a photograph of the question paper, solved questions and supplied answers to the candidates.

The Proprietress, Kosisochukwu Igwe, who admitted committing the offence, pleaded for forgiveness, while the teacher, Chibuzo Precious, who had earlier admitted committing the offence has been dismissed from the School, Mr Egwuonwu said.

The spokesperson said the commissioner, Mrs Chuma-Udeh, a professor, has directed that the examination should be conducted afresh for all the candidates involved at the centre.

The resit examination, to be personally supervised by the commissioner, has been fixed for Tuesday 4th April 2023.

The Tower Primary School Oba remains closed till further notice, while the teacher, Precious Chibuzo, should not be seen around the school anymore, he added.

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Police in Edo State, South-south Nigeria, on Monday placed a N5 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of a Canada-based Nigerian woman, Rachael Iyonmana over allegations of cyber bullying/stalking, defamation and impersonation.

The police spokesperson in Edo, Chidi Nwabuzor told reporters in Benin that the police had in January declared the suspect wanted.

On January 11, the Commissioner of Police received a petition from the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Comrade Festus Alenkhe, over alleged offence of cyber bullying/stalking and defamation of character, against one Rachael Eboni Osazee Iyonmana, he said

Mr Nwabuzor, a superintendent of police, said the command had written a letter to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Force CID Annex, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, but while the police was on her trail to effect the arrest, intelligence revealed that the suspect was in Canada.

The police spokesperson said the suspect opened multiple Facebook accounts, using the petitioners photographs and full name on it, and used demeaning, derogatory languages to defame the petitioners personality.

The suspect used the internet to bully and even defame his character.

On the February 13, investigation revealed that after she was declared wanted, the suspect who is based in Canada, also went out of her way and created different Facebook accounts, using the complainants picture and continuing transmitting messages as if the complainant is the one transmitting them.

We want to make the public aware that those Facebook accounts created by Rachael (suspect) were not the handiwork of the complainant.

The suspect did that to make people believe that Festus is the one doing it.

From investigation, Rachael is based in Canada, therefore, anybody with the information to her presence in Nigeria, should inform the police and the information would be entertained by the office of the Commissioner of Police, PPRO and Anti-kidnapping and cybercrime unit and the informant would be rewarded with N5 million, Mr Nwabuzor said.

He said the Nigeria Police is working with the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure the suspects arrest any time she enters Nigeria.

(NAN)

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The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Whirl Punch in conjunction with Special Forces have neutralised 11 terrorists in an encounter in Kaduna.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Musa Danmadami, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Danmadami, a major general, said the troops on Saturday conducted clearance operations to the terrorists enclaves at Bagoma, Rema, Bilugai, Dagara, Sabon Lay, , Gagumi, Katakaki and Randagi villages all in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

He said the terrorists fell to the superior fire power of the troops at Kakangi and Katakaki villages during the encounter while others fled.

According to him, troops exploited the general area and recovered two AK 47 rifles, two AK 47 magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, seven matchetes and six motorcycles among other sundry items.

The military high command commends troops and encourages the general public to avail troops with credible and timely information on criminal activities, he said.

(NAN)

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The governors of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to meet with all the economic and financial agencies in the country to discuss issues surrounding their states security votes.

The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) disclosed this in a statement by the Director, Media and Public Affairs NGF Secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, in Abuja on Sunday.

Mr Bello-Barkindo said the meeting was with a view to ironing out thorny issues surrounding their states security votes, towards establishing a better option of managing the funds.

He said that the meeting, according to an invitation issued by the NGF Director-General, Asishana Okauru, would be virtual, to ensure full attendance by all the relevant officers in the matter.

He listed those invited to the meeting to include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Mr Bello-Barkindo said that the meeting would also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect since 2022 when the naira notes were redesigned to further the financial inclusion of all citizens.

He said that the meeting was called at the instance of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in a letter signed by the agency s Director, Modibbo Tukur, dated 30 March which was addressed to the NGF Chairman.

Also on the agenda is a consensus on harmonising and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards and its requirements to help respond to the FATF and the European Union grey listing in which Nigeria appeared.

Mr Bello-Barkindo advised all governors to prioritise the meeting as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting held on Thursday.

It was unanimously agreed at the meeting that another meeting with the agencies was imperative.

(NAN)

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The prices of crude oil rose on Monday after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced surprise cuts in monthly output.

OPEC on Monday announced a cut in output at the 48th meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), according to a statement released by the organisation.

Checks by PREMIUM TIMES Monday morning showed that Brent crude traded at $84.53 a barrel as of 1115 GMT, up $4.64, or 5.8 per cent, after touching the highest in a month at $86.44.

West Texas Intermediate crude was at $80.23 a barrel, up $4.56, or 6 per cent, after hitting its highest level since late January.

Saudi Arabia announced the biggest cut among OPEC members at 500,000 barrels per day. On Sunday, it said it would start a voluntary reduction in its production of crude oil, alongside other members of OPEC.

The cuts will start in May and last through the end of the year, an official with the Saudi Ministry of Energy was quoted as saying by the Saudi state-run news agency SPA.

The cut is in addition to the reduction announced by OPEC+ in October 2022, according to SPA.

OPEC and its allies had in October last year agreed to cut oil output by 2 million barrels per day in November, the deepest cut by OPEC+ since the 2020 COVID pandemic.

The decision came despite pressure from the United States and others advocating that the group should increase its output.

On Monday, OPEC said the members of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) reaffirmed their commitment to the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) which extends to the end of 2023 as decided at the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on 5th of October 2022.

It noted that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

The oil cartel however urged all participating countries to achieve full conformity and adhere to the compensation mechanism.

The Committee reviewed the crude oil production data for January and February 2023 and noted the overall conformity for participating OPEC and non-OPEC countries of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC).

The Meeting noted the following voluntary production adjustment announced on 2 April 2023 by Saudi Arabia (500 thousand b/d); Iraq (211 thousand b/d); United Arab Emirates (144 thousand b/d); Kuwait (128 thousand b/d); Kazakhstan (78 thousand b/d); Algeria (48 thousand b/d); Oman (40 thousand b/d); and Gabon (8 thousand b/d) starting May until the end of 2023, the oil cartel said.

It said these will be in addition to the production adjustments decided at the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting.

The above will be in addition to the announced voluntary adjustment by the Russian Federation of 500 thousand barrels per day until the end of 2023, which will be from the average production levels as assessed by the secondary sources for February 2023.

Accordingly, this will bring the total additional voluntary production adjustments by the above-mentioned countries to 1.66 million b/d, the oil cartel said.

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Claim: The bacteria in yoghurt is the same as the one in the vagina.

Verdict: FALSE. Although the bacteria found in yoghurt and the vagina may have some similarities, they are different.

Full Text

Yoghurt, the creamy and tangy dairy delight, has been a staple in cuisines worldwide for centuries. Whether its enjoyed on its own, as a savoury dip, or as a refreshing topping for your favourite fruits and granola, yoghurt is a versatile and nutritious food that has something for everyone.

Yoghurt is made by fermenting milk with live cultures of bacteria packed with probiotics that promote healthy digestion and boost the immune system. Its also a great source of protein, calcium, and other essential vitamins and minerals.

People often wonder about two common types of bacteria found in yoghurt and those in the vagina. While both types of bacteria are important, are they the same?

Recently on Twitter, in a post, temmie (@me_lanin_pie) asserted that the bacteria found in the vagina is the same in Yoghurt. The tweet reads, The bacteria found in yoghurt is the same bacteria found in the vagina.

As of the time of filing this report, the tweet had a combination of retweets, likes, comments and views of over 742,000 engagements.

DUBAWA thought it important to verify this because of the conflicting views about the bacteria found in yoghurt and the vagina, its virality and the sensitive nature of the issue concerning public health.

Verification

According to an Oxford University Press on National Library publication, the word yoghourt is believed to have come from the Turkish word yogurmak, which means to thicken, coagulate, or curdle. During references to the health-promoting properties of yoghurt date back to 6000 BC in Indian Ayurvedic scripts, it was not until the 20th century that Stamen Grigorov, a Bulgarian medical student, attributed the benefits to lactic acid bacteria.

Bacteria play an essential role in our bodies, and we encounter different types of bacteria in various parts of our bodies. Medical News Today defines bacteria as microscopic, single-celled organisms that exist in their millions, in every environment, both inside and outside other organisms. Some bacteria are harmful, but most serve a useful purpose. They support many forms of life, both plant and animal and are used in industrial and medicinal processes.

Yoghurt is a fermented milk product made by adding specific strains of bacteria to milk. It is made when heated milk is combined with bacteria and left to sit at a warm temperature for several hours.

According to Simon Pedersen, a Food Scientist at Arla Foods, When we add bacteria to milk products, we refer to them as cultures and use those with a good reputation. They are called lactic acid bacteria or lactic acid cultures.

These bacteria convert the lactose in milk into lactic acid, which causes the milk to thicken and develop its characteristic tangy taste. The two most common species of lactic acid bacteria used in yoghurt production are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilous.

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On the other hand, the vagina contains a complex microbiome of different types of bacteria. The most dominant type of bacteria in a healthy vagina is the Lactobacillus species. These bacteria help maintain the vaginal pH, preventing the overgrowth of harmful bacteria that can lead to infections. The specific species of Lactobacillus present in the vagina include Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus jensenii, Lactobacillus iners, and Lactobacillus gasseri, among others.

In 2015, Cecilia Westbrook, an MD/PhD student at the University of Wisconsin, made yoghurt using her vaginal bacteria. Rosanne Hertzberger, a Dutch microbiologist who studies vaginal bacteria at Washington University School of Medicine in the US, told ScienceAlert this was apparently not a good idea because our vaginas contain many of bad, as well as good, bacteria.

The dominant bacteria in the vagina is Lactobacillus, similar to the bacteria used to make yoghurt. However, not all Lactobacillus strains can create yoghurt, and the yoghurt we buy at supermarkets is made from a combination of different bacterial strains.

Ms Hertzberger replicated an experiment to make yoghurt using different Lactobacillus strains, but only one was remotely successful, producing sour milk with precipitated milk protein.

Gregor Reid, a professor of microbiology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, also disagrees with the experiment by Ms Westbrook. According to Mr Reid, it is improbable that the experiment conducted by the woman resulted in any health benefits.

He said, if she was eating it to get the benefits of the lactobacillus, she already has plenty in her vagina, so that makes no sense.

The bacteria used in yoghurt production are selected for their ability to ferment milk and create a specific taste and texture. According to a publication on Science Direct, the bacteria in the vagina are naturally occurring and play a vital role in maintaining the vaginal environment.

One of the most significant differences between the bacteria in yoghurt and the vagina is their location. Yoghurt bacteria are primarily found in the digestive system, whereas vaginal bacteria are found in the reproductive system. Additionally, yoghurt bacteria are not a natural body part, whereas vaginal bacteria are.

Another important difference is the role they play in the body. While yoghurt bacteria can help promote digestive health, vaginal bacteria are essential for reproductive health.

A health expert, Omale Ogbe, in an interview with DUBAWA, stated that the bacterias are not the same based on the taxonomy.

They may be of the same genus, but they are not the same specie as can be seen here for bacteria found in the vagina (Lactobacillus crispatus, Lactobacillus iners, Lactobacillus. jensenii, and Lactobacillus gasser) and here for yoghurt bacteria (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus), Mr Ogbe explained.

Conclusion

While the bacteria found in yoghurt and the vagina may have some similarities, they are not the same. Yoghurt bacteria are selected for their ability to ferment milk and create a specific taste and texture, while vaginal bacteria are naturally occurring and play a vital role in maintaining reproductive health.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with BONews to facilitate the ethos of truth in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to 16 bills that have altered some provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which has become further amended. This is the fifth in a series of piecemeal efforts at curing the varied ills of this supreme body of national legislation since the Fourth Republic began over two decades ago. Calls for it to be completely jettisoned in favour of one drafted by the people of Nigeria have not ceased on account of it being a creation of a military regime. These amendments, which are short on public expectation, however convey a strong message on federalism: that Nigeria is a federation and should be governed accordingly.

The 16 bills were among the 35 that the Ninth National Assembly forwarded to the President in January, after a spell of filibustering in parliament, lethargy in completing the process, and the 36 State Houses of Assemblys quid pro quo demands, goaded by the governors, before giving their approbation, as required by the constitution. The power tussle almost truncated the entire exercise, which gulped more than a billion naira.

Essentially, nine of the bills dealt with substantial issues, while the seven others only corrected typographical errors in the names of some Local Government Areas. Bill No. 6 sought to grant financial autonomy to the State Houses of Assembly and the judiciary, two arms of government, which along with the executive arm, form the tripod of democratic governance, according to the constitution. But abuse of power by the state chief executives has emasculated the other two arms of government, with their denial of financial independence emphasising this. In most states, the legislatures are mere rubber-stamps of the governors, thus making a mockery of the checks and balances that the constitution statutorily expects of them. The same applies to the judiciary.

The cumulative effect of these incongruities has been the transformation of governors to emperors who, in essence, live above the law. In some cases, compromised lawmakers run the legislatures, while the majority are contained or even expelled. The oversight functions of these Houses are overlooked, thereby allowing for the binge on public treasuries through looting, which has become a routine act in governance. PREMIUM TIMES believes that governors must be held to account; and the new vista provided by the recent constitutional amendments is a breath of fresh air in legislative houses, to perform in this regard without let or hindrance.

The quest for devolution of power or restructuring in the country has been resonant in public discourse for decades. There are 68 items in the Exclusive Legislative List of the extant 1999 Constitution, which have effectively centralised governance in Nigeria. This should not be happening in a true federation. Bills number 31, 32 and 33 have dealt with this concern modestly. The Nigeria Correctional Service, formerly Nigeria Prison Service, is now on the Concurrent Legislative List, addressed by Bill No 31. Railways ownership has also been moved to the Concurrent List by Bill No.32; while Bill No.33 removes electricity from the Exclusive Legislative List.

This means that states can now be involved in these spheres by fostering the environment for inflow of private capital or investment. To generate and distribute electricity by sub-national governments will boost their economies by unleashing the productivity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), creating jobs and thereby increasing the revenue bases of states. More crucially, it will equally reduce their crass dependence on the monthly disbursements from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for the business of governance. The import of this appears in bold relief with the Country Director, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Vanessa Phalas reference to the fact that MSMEs contribute 48% to Nigerias GDP of $441 billion. Many companies have relocated to other West African countries and many small businesses had closed over abysmally low power delivery in the country.

It is regrettable that it took Nigeria this long, especially the National Assembly, to come to terms with the need for decentralisation of electricity. The lack of this denied Lagos State the ability to utilise the 270 megawatts it generated via partnership with the AES/Enron, under an Independent Power Project (IPP). The power was wheeled into the national grid when Babatunde Fashola was the governor. The states perception that the hitherto template was anomalous informed its long-term plan to produce 1,000 MWs of solar energy by 2030, which the constitutional assent has now boosted.

Abia State is already in this league with the Geometric Power Project in Aba, another IPP geared towards maximising the productive or innovative capacity of the city with uninterrupted electricity supply. Other states that have been trifling with the idea before, can now take it seriously. A country with a national grid that collapsed 15 times in 2017 and a power generation vacillating between 2,200MW and 3,553 MW in January, cannot deliver economic growth and development, or become socially stable for its over 200 million population to thrive.

With the Railway Act of 1955, which manacled the initiatives of states, now otiose, more rail tracks can be built in states through private capital to enhance public transportation, alongside the movement of goods and services. Many lives have been lost to frequent fuel tanker explosions on our roads. This will drastically reduce as some of the products would be moved by rail. It is laughable that Nigeria, as the biggest economy in Africa, had a mere 3,528 kilometres of rail tracks in 2015, according to the World Bank, whereas South Africa boasts 30,000 kilometres, but yet is Africas second biggest economy. The disparity in power generation and distribution between the two leading African economies is even more ridiculous.

High level insecurity throughout the country  largely as a result of large swathes of territories being under the control of non-state actors like Boko Haram, ISWAP, kidnappers and bandits  is an unresolved existential concern. It was anticipated that the fifth constitutional amendment would take care of this by creating multi-layered policing for a more efficient security umbrella. This omission is grave. Rather than taking this up, the Ahmed Lawan-led NASS had busied itself with passing a self-serving Bill that sought to make former leaders of the National Assembly members of the National Council of State, which the president rightly spurned; and the 60-day time limit for presidents and governors to form their cabinets. Any of these two categories of elected officers who cannot form his team a few days on assumption of office, as is the practice in the US and the UK, is ill-prepared for the job. Buharis timorousness in doing so should depart with his regime.

It is hoped that the incoming Tenth National Assembly will, as soon as possible, take off from where its predecessor stopped. The country badly needs a multi-layered policing structure as obtainable in federal jurisdictions like the US and Canada, and even in a unitary political entity like the UK with 45 police forces, if the country is to have a handle on insecurity. State governors as the chief security officers of their states, legislatures and Nigerians across the six regions have been vociferous in canvassing this.

From January to March 2022, for instance, 2,968 persons were killed and 1,484 others abducted in Zamfara State alone, evident in the data from Nigeria Security Tracker (NST). The state is not isolated in this harvest of carnage. This factsheet of horror and barbarity should inspire strategic thinking and action on new ways to secure lives and property. Let the states take this drive amid the self-evident, woeful scorecard of centralised policing in the country since the end of the First Republic.

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Over 20,000 visually impaired Nigerians have successfully undergone free corrective surgeries. Their power of sight was restored via the Priceless Gift of Sight initiative of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in partnership with the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation (TCF).

Altogether, more than 350,000 Nigerians in Cross River, Ogun, Kebbi, Imo, Abuja, Katsina, and Adamawa, among other states, have benefitted from free testing, optical services, surgeries, free glasses, and eye disease management through the initiative.

Showering encomiums on FCMB and TCF, Stephen Oyedokun, a beneficiary of the free eye surgery, said, For many years, I have been using glasses. But suddenly, in April 2021, I felt my eyesight dwindling, and I could not see things well. The situation was becoming worse and affected everything I was doing. I then heard about the Priceless Gift of Sight programme. After visiting the hospital for assessment, I went through the surgery successfully. Everything was free. Today, I have my eyes and life back. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate FCMB and Tulsi Chanrai Foundation for moving people from darkness to light.

Another beneficiary, Helen Simon, expressed gratitude to FCMB for restoring her sight and the opportunity to move forward with her life. The trader revealed that she suffered from a severe eye defect and was losing hope until a neighbour informed her about the Priceless Gift of Sight programme.

Initially, I doubted the programme. It was unreal for organisations to carry out free eye surgery for people. So, I went elsewhere for treatment, but the problem worsened. It did not get better. I returned to my neighbour, who directed me to the Tulsi Chanrai Hospital, where they examined me and recommended surgery. I had successful eye surgery, and my joy is now limitless. I thought they would ask for a payment, but to my surprise, everything was free. We were given food, bed, and drugs for free. It was later I learnt that it was a Bank called FCMB that sponsored our surgery and everything. I dont know how to thank FCMB, but I know God will reward the Bank more.

FCMB initiated the priceless Gift of Sight in 2009. The Bank aimed to lessen the prevalence of avoidable blindness and unnecessary visual impairment in Nigerias rural and peri-urban communities. First City Monument Banks implementing partner is the Tulsi Chanrai Foundation, a foremost non-governmental organisation enhancing the availability and affordability of health care services in remote areas of Nigeria. TCFs three focus areas are restoring sight, ensuring access to primary health care, and providing safe drinking water.

Arun Blasi, Administrator of TCF Eye Hospital in Abuja, said, We have worked with FCMB for fourteen years. It has been a very healthy relationship, benefitting thousands of people. With the Banks support, we have performed 20,000 successful eye surgeries and reached over 30,000 outpatients. We thank First City Monument Bank for its support over the years and request that the Bank continue to work with us to turn around the lives of people for the better.

According to Blasi, the Foundation visits communities across Nigeria for eyesight screening outreach programmes. It transports those discovered to have eye defects and admits them for two to three days for further tests and surgery. During this period, the Foundation provides all their medical needs, including feeding. After the surgery and monitoring, they are discharged and transported back home. The entire cycle is completed without any cost to the patients.

Ladi Balogun, FCMB Group Chief Executive, said blindness is a disability that often causes loss of income and extreme poverty. Simply because it restricts mobility, begets social isolation, poor mental health, and limited access to information. He called for improved advocacy and the need to make eye care an integral part of universal health coverage.

Indeed, about 90 per cent of all blind people are in the worlds poorest countries, indicating how needless blindness inhibits social and economic improvement. A recent Unite for Sight Foundation report concludes that poverty exacerbates blindness, and blindness exacerbates poverty. Blindness robs most of its victims of productive powers. As a result, they will likely be unable to make ends meet for themselves and their families, fuelling poverty.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director of FCMB, disclosed that over one million blind adults live in Nigeria. She said the need to prevent more from going blind because they cannot access eye care birthed the Priceless Gift of Sight, which has flattened the curve.

We are pleased that the Priceless Gift of Sight is bridging the gap, preventing avoidable blindness, and restoring the sight of disadvantaged and lower-income Nigerians. We have received lots of positive feedback from beneficiaries. I thank Tulsi Chanrai Foundation for partnering with us to help thousands of Nigerians regain sight and lead productive lives.

In Nigeria, blindness is one of the most neglected health challenges despite its link to a downward spiral into aggravated poverty. The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes the visual impairment of one person affects four other persons who spend the productive times of their lives as caregivers for blind persons. So, they cannot live quality lives because they must care for a blind family member.

Therefore, there is a need for urgent intervention from healthcare stakeholders, development partners and well-meaning private sector operators willing to emulate First City Monument Banks strides. In addition, healthcare stakeholders must put up programmes to tackle the challenge of blindness in the country.

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FCMB Group Plc has released its audited group results for December 31, 2022, reporting a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N36.6 billion, representing a 61% Year-on-Year growth.

Double-digit growth was recorded across all business segments, with the banking group growing by 71.7%, while the consumer finance, investment management, and investment banking segments grew by 25.6%, 45.7%, and 26.7%, respectively.

The company, which proposed a dividend of 25k per share, also delivered impressive environmental, social and governance results in climate action, financial inclusion, food security, community initiatives, customer acquisition, and digital transformation. It switched 12 additional branches to solar power in 2022, removing 75% of its branch network from grid/diesel generators, and provided micro-loans totalling N13 billion to 120,000 MSMEs. The agency banking arm extended its partnership to 100,000, acquiring over 211,000 customers. Working alongside partners, FCMB supported 280,000 smallholder farmers, created over 600,000 jobs, and helped deliver Africas first cassava-based Sorbitol Factory.

The FCMB Groups impressive financial results also showed a 35.5% growth in gross revenue to N283 billion from N212 billion the previous year. It was driven by a 35.5% growth in interest income and a 26.9% growth in non-interest income. Customer confidence remained strong as deposits rose 25.1% to N1.94 trillion in December 2022 from N1.55 trillion the previous year, while loans and advances witnessed a 12.4% surge to N1.20 trillion as against N1.06 trillion in 2021. The Groups total assets increased by 19.6% from N2.50 trillion to N2.98 trillion in December 2022.

Investment Banking (advisory and primary debt and equity capital markets) transaction value consummated by the Group rose to N857.1 billion in 2022, compared to N582.9 billion in 2021. This delivered a 47% growth in fees from capital raise and financial advisory services over the period. The financial service Groups Assets Under Management (AUM) also sustained its growth trajectory rising to N783.7 billion in 2022, up by 49.0% from N525.7 the prior year.

Net interest income grew 34.2% to N122.0 billion for the first twelve months of 2022, compared to N90.9 billion in 2021. This was driven by a growth in the yield on earning assets from 11.0% to 12.7%, which increased Net Interest Margin (NIM) from 6.2% to 7.0%.

The overall customer base of FCMB Group grew by 18.4% to 10.9 million, as it acquired an additional 1.7 million customers in the period, including 250,000 customers from Pension Fund Administrator (PFA acquisition), compared to 900,000 in 2021.

This Groups digital transformation drive witnessed enhanced performance across all business segments. Digital Payments, Wealth, and Lending continued to empower more customers, resulting in a 42.0% growth in digital revenues from N26.1 billion in 2021 to N37.1 billion in 2022. Thus, digital revenues accounted for 13% of gross earnings from the 12% contribution in 2021.

In digital retail lending, First City Monument Bank and Credit Direct Limited, subsidiaries of the Group, underwrote and disbursed over 962,000 loans, totalling N42.1 billion, as at December 31, 2022, a growth of 17.1% and 24.9%, respectively, from the prior year. Through the Banks digital SME lending channels, over 21,000 loans, totalling N165.2 billion, were accessed, underwritten, and disbursed, a growth of 1.9% and 43.7%, respectively.

FCMB Group is a financial services holding company listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and headquartered in Lagos. The Group has strategic interests in companies that collectively serve over 10 million customers across five platforms: banking, consumer finance, investment management, investment banking and financial technology. The Group and its subsidiaries are building and driving an ecosystem that fosters inclusive and sustainable growth in their communities, primarily in Africa, its diaspora, and the United Kingdom.

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The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote has performed the groundbreaking ceremony of a pipe manufacturing plant at Polaku, Bayelsa State, being promoted by AS Energies Limited. The plant would manufacture Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) and Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes and has an estimated investment outlay of about N7.04 billion ($8.8million).

Speaking at the event which held last week, the Executive Secretary commended the Management of AS Energies Limited and its subsidiary, African Star Manufacturing Services Ltd, on the successful take-off of the construction work on the pipe manufacturing plant.

He noted that the project is in line with the mission statement of NCDMB: to promote the development and utilization of in-country capacities for the industrialization of Nigeria through the effective implementation of the Nigerian Content Act

He further described the ongoing construction activities as a dream come true for the Polaku community as plans for a pipe manufacturing mill in the area had been on the drawing board for a decade.

He said the Polaku community and the Gbarain Clan, generally are blessed, given the concentration of strategic industries in the area and indications that others would be there. Some of the firms that are in the locality include the Shell Gas Gathering Plant, Azikel Refinery (a modular hydro-skimming processing plant), the US$45 million Types 3 LPG Composite Cylinder Manufacturing Plant, owned by Rungas Prime Industries Limited, and Eraskon Nigeria Limited.

Engr. Wabote said the Pipe Manufacturing Plant is a testament to the giant strides in local content drive in the country, while assuring AS Energies Ltd that the NCDMB would give due consideration to its request for support. He equally enjoined the companys Management to explore available financing options so as to ensure project delivery on schedule.

The NCDMB boss expressed delight that AS Energies pipes will be produced to meet the regulatory standards such as: ISO 9001- Quality Management System Requirements; ISO 14001  Environmental Management System Standard; & BS 18001  Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard,

In a welcome address, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of AS Energies Ltd, Engr. Gbenga Olaniyan, said the choice of Polaku as site for the US$8.8 million project is deliberate, as the company seeks to be a development partner in the area. He expressed profound appreciation to the State Government, the NCDMB Management, and the host community for the encouragement as his company initiated moves toward actualising its plans.

Engr. Olaniyan assured that AS Manufacturing Services Ltd would integrate the community in its operational plans and activities, adding that one of its cardinal principles is to source essential materials locally in advancement of Federal Governments drive for in-country value addition.He expressed confidence that the construction phase of the plant would be completed within 12 months, giving way to actual production.

In his own remarks, the Managing Director, AS Manufacturing Services Ltd, Mr. Augustine Taribene, described the pipe manufacturing plant as echo-friendly, stating that the company has a waste management policy and strategy that would keep the environment free of any form of pollution. According to him, We want to ensure that whatever we do will not hurt the environment.Besides, company policy is to establish a workshop to guarantee that operational tools and spares are produced locally and not imported.

According to the company, the Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) and Glass Reinforced Plasticpipes are more resistant, lighter, less corrosive, and more durable than conventional carbon steel pipes in use, meaning reduced maintenance cost.

Also speaking, the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV, expressed pleasure at the physical presence of the company in the community, and thanked the NCDMB for wonderful work it has done facilitating the establishment of major indigenous firms in the State.

The monarch urged the Management of the company to avoid the practices of international oil companies (IOCs) in the Niger Delta that have done very little to assist in development of host communities, but have rather been engaged in divide-and-rule and causing intra- and inter-communal crises. He assured them of the full support and cooperation of the community if they take the community along in their operations.

A spokesman for the Polaku community, Chief Kenigua Dinikpite, welcomed the company into their midst, assuring them of peace and the full cooperation of their indigenes. He expressed hope that AS Manufacturing Services Ltd would abide by NCDMBs Community Content Guideline, which stipulates obligations of corporate organisations to host communities and expectations from communities to create a conducive work environment for the firms.

The presence of the plant, which is the first of its type in Nigeria, is expected to facilitate technology transfer in pipe manufacturing technology and development of a variety of skills among the local population.

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BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The highly-anticipated "city of the future," Xiong'an New Area, is swiftly taking shape as it witnesses the culmination of all-out efforts to crystallize a grand vision that was formulated six years ago. On April 1, 2017, China announced plans to establish the new area in Hebei Province, to relieve Beijing of functions non-essential to its role as the national capital and advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. For a city whose establishment will carry "lasting importance for the millennium to come," China's central authorities have stressed the importance of planning, saying "every inch of land should be clearly planned before construction." More than 200 teams and over 3,500 experts from China and abroad participated in drafting the blueprint for the new area. Now, that blueprint is gradually turning into reality. With the opening of an intercity railway, travel time between Beijing West Railway Station to Xiong'an has been cut from nearly 1.5 hours to about 50 minutes. A fast train takes only 19 minutes to run from Beijing Daxing International Airport, another key project for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, to Xiong'an. Inside the 47.6-km underground tunnels, infrastructure facilities for electricity, communication, heating, gas and water supply have been installed. These facilities are equipped with nearly 10,000 sets of sensors to support full-range video surveillance and monitoring of the equipment. China's centrally-administered state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have set up more than 140 subsidiaries and branches in the area. Construction of headquarter buildings of big SOEs like Sinochem Holdings, China Satellite Network Group and China Huaneng Group have entered different phases. Also, to provide quality public services, Beijing-based universities, hospitals, and schools are building or will build branches in Xiong'an. They are also establishing partnerships with their counterparts in Xiong'an. Toward the end of 2022, the computing center of Xiong'an city, known as the city's brain, became operational. It offers network, computing and storage services for big data, blockchain and Internet of Things. China's leadership has pledged to build Xiong'an into an innovative, green, smart, and world-class city with blue skies, fresh air, and clean water, in line with the country's high-quality development path. The Baiyangdian Lake, the largest wetland ecosystem in northern China, is located in Xiong'an. After the establishment of the new area, the water quality in Baiyangdian has been improved from Level V, the lowest of China's five-tier water assessment system, to Level III. The species of birds in the lake area has also increased to 252, 46 more than before. Over 31,000 hectares of afforestation have been implemented with over 23 million nursery-grown plants in the area, increasing its forest coverage rate to 34 percent and lowering the average level of PM2.5 by 37 percent. According to the urban planning outline, citizens of Xiong'an will need to travel no further than 300 meters from their homes to reach a park, a tree belt within 1 km, and a forest within 3 km. Xiong'an has been exploring different ways to meet the aspiration of normal people to live a better life, which is also the goal of China's future urbanization, said Li Xiaojiang, an expert with an advisory committee on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Last but not the least, attracting talent has been crucial to the construction of Xiong'an. Zhu Ninghua, director of Xiong'an innovation and research institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has recently received a "Xiong'an talent card," which entitles him to benefits concerning household registration, traffic, health care and children's education. A total of 3774 people, all of them talent urgently needed by Xiong'an, have received such cards so far. Tang Puliang, head of the working team for attraction of talent in Xiong'an, said the city has attracted 12 leading experts, over 100 talent in key areas, and over 3,000 graduates from major Chinese universities.
The first three legal cannabis stores in Western New York are on their way.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management awarded four Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary Licenses to entities in what it considers the Western Region at its Control Board Meeting Monday morning. Three are in Western New York, one is in Rochester.

They are:

Premier Earth Corp., registered to justice-involved applicant Joseph Wojciechowski, who owned and operated River Bend Fabrication for seven years, which did custom work on commercial trucks.

Aaron Van Camp, a justice-involved applicant, who owns and operates BC Can & Bottle Return on Niagara Street.

AMSM LLC, owned by Glen Miller and justice-involved applicant Gina Miller, who operated A&S Miller, a retail liquor store, for nine years.

Flower City Shop, LLC in Rochester, which the OCM considers part of Western New York. It is owned by justice-involved applicant Jamie Donato-Rivera and Phetnakhone Duangtavilay. For two years, Donato-Rivera owned and operated a retail clothing boutique called Be Xquisite in Rochester.

The state has earmarked 22 CAURD licenses for the Western district of New York and said the additional 18 licensees will be announced at a later date.

It will take weeks  if not months  for the four businesses receiving the licenses to find locations and get them ready to open.

Last week, a federal judge lifted the injunction that had been blocking the state from issuing licenses to open legal cannabis stores.

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state Office of Cannabis Management's request to narrow the injunction in the Variscite NY One case, which had been blocking adult-use recreational cannabis sales here and in four other regions of the state.

The Finger Lakes is the only region still blocked from legal sales, while the courts decide whether Variscite was illegally kept out of the lottery for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses to do business there.
Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it.

The Kaduna State Government has banned social activities in Chikun Local Government after two people were killed in the Sabon Garin area of the local government.

The Kaduna State Government has earlier announced the immediate imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Sabon Garin to quell violent clashes in the area.

The states Commissioner for11 Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, stated this in a statement to reporters on Monday.

The decision was taken after a thorough appraisal of the security situation by the military, police and Department of State Services, as well as an emergency meeting with traditional and religious leaders of the area at the 312 Artillery Regiment Kaduna.

The social activities observed in the community, which are now prohibited with immediate effect are listed as follows: Kidan Bishi, Kidan Gala, and hunting expeditions

The government has also directed the arrest of anyone linked with the peddling of hard drugs in Nasarawa and Sabon Garin Nasarawa.

Furthermore, three suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence. In addition to the killing of two citizens, six persons were injured and are presently receiving medical attention. Several vehicles and properties were also destroyed.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has commended the prompt action of the military and police in preventing the violence from escalating beyond the area.

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The Governor also allayed the fears of the families that lost their loved ones, affirming that the matter would be investigated conclusively, the officials statement said.

The Kaduna State Government hereby announces the immediate imposition of a 24-hour curfew on Sabon Garin Nassarawa-Tirkaniya area of Chikun local government area.

This decision was reached following a breakdown of law and order which led to the killing of two citizens in an incident of urban gang violence.

Security agencies have been directed to enforce the curfew in the said location, to restore order as investigations proceed. Citizens are therefore urged to strictly observe the curfew in this location, which takes effect immediately, Mr Aruwan said.

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Reader survey As a reader of PREMIUM TIMES, your opinion matters. Please take our survey to help us better understand the values and preferences of our readers. Your feedback will give us valuable insights into how we can tailor the different types of content we offer to meet your needs. The survey should only take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Click here to take it.

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tonye Cole on Monday said he was assaulted by thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt.

Mr Cole who was at INEC office to obtain documents to lodge a petition against INECs declaration of Siminialayi Fubara as the winner of the 18 March governorship election in the state, Channels TV reported.

Mr Fubara, who was a candidate of the PDP, scored 302,614 votes, while Mr Cole came second with 95,274 votes, according to INEC.

Mr Cole had rejected the election result and vowed to challenge it at the tribunal.

He told Channels television that he was attacked by PDP thugs who prevented him and his team from accessing INEC office on Monday.

Mr Cole and some leaders of the APC in the state stormed the INEC office last Friday and threatened to return on Monday if the commission did not furnish them with documents needed to lodge a case at the Election Petition Tribunal.

Narrating his ordeal, Mr Cole said, We are supposed to be in a democracy and one of the tenets of democracy is that after an election, INEC being supposedly an impartial umpire will have documents and these documents are available to everybody who participated in the election. These are critical documents which when we take to an electoral tribunal, we will build our case upon that to the electoral tribunal.

On Friday, we were at INEC, and we asked for these documents, but they have not given us a single one. We said we were coming back today (Monday) and because we said we are coming back today, the PDP organised thugs everywhere to prevent us from getting to the INEC office.

I wasnt deterred and so I went with my party chairman, the women leader, the youth leader, and senior officials of the APC to the INEC office.

They had barricaded the road from GRA Junction, everywhere boys, girls. They began to assault me, I came out and a woman began to drag my shirt, they pulled me from the back, first, they were throwing water then they began to throw food and the next minute they started throwing stones.

The next thing after that, we started hearing gunshots, it took my security people to forcefully evict me. They destroyed our vehicles, they injured me. They slapped me, they punched me, they pulled my shirt, they dragged me and then threw stones at me until I was injured in the back, he said.

Mr Cole said they ran to the APC office for safety but the thugs followed them to the party office.

Speaking further, Mr Cole urged INEC and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to intervene, adding that the Rivers State governorship tribunal cannot hold in the state with the current events.

Tonye Cole playing to gallery  PDP

The PDP, PREMIUM TIMES understands, had staged a protest to the INEC office in the state on Monday demanding a joint inspection of election materials with the APC.

The PDP protesters at the INEC office were led by Samuel Nwanosike, Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area and Edison Ehie, the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly.

PREMIUM TIMES could not reach Messrs Nwanosike and Ehie for comments at the time of filing this report.

But the party spokesperson in the state, Sydney Gbara, told this newspaper that Mr Cole having lost the governorship election was playing to the gallery for people to know he actually contested.

Mr Gbara said the INEC office is a public office, and queried why Mr Cole and his people came on Monday when they knew the PDP were there.

Ordinarily for peace to reign, we had wanted to go there on Friday but we said the APC were there we left it for peace to reign. Today we were there and you (APC) came there. That is the man who said he wants to govern Rivers State but this is the same person who is looking for every means to forment trouble, he said.

Mr Gbara said the PDP wants to witness the inspection of election materials by every political party in the state to prevent the subversion of the mandate of the people of the state.

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Company becomes the First Irish and First Female Founded Business ever to win the award beating competition from all over the world

LONDON, March 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ireland's first modern Irish Whiskey Bonder J.J. Corry beat out global competition to win the title of World's Best Small Batch Single Malt whiskey for J.J. Corry The Flintlock at the "Whiskey Oscars", prestigious World Whiskies Awards.

The company, founded by Louise McGuane in 2016 in Cooraclare, Co. Clare becomes the first Irish whiskey producer and first female founded business to win the award. Ms. McGuane accepted the award at an awards ceremony hosted at the Merchant Taylor's Guild Hall in London.

Louise McGuane founder J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey company Louise McGuane founder J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey company Louise McGuane founder J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey company

On collecting the award, Louise McGuane said: "Winning the world's best small batch single malt is a tremendous accolade and recognition that we play on the global stage with the best whiskey producers in the world. The Flintlock is a perfect encapsulation of what we do as Whiskey Bonders, seeking out superlative Irish whiskies from around the Island and collaborating with our partners from around the world - coopers, distilleries & wineries- to create the most unique whiskies, bottling each adventure for our discerning customers."

McGuane added: "For the Flintlock, we chose a selection of single malt casks from our expansive flavour library, ranging in age from 15 to 19 years old, and vatted them together. We then worked with Casknolia Cooperage in Spain to select Moscatel Sherry seasoned casks in which to marry The Flintlock. The result is a whiskey which is an expression not only of Irish whiskey blending, but also ameliorated by the craft of coopering and the winemaking talent of Jerez."

About The World Whiskies Awards

The World Whiskies Awards are the gold standard of global whiskey awards, selecting, awarding and promoting the very best in all the internationally recognised styles of whiskey from around the world. In Round 1 of the World Whiskies Awards, their panel of experts blind tasted entries by their style, their region and grouped by age statement in order to determine the best whiskies in each individual category. The winners in each category are put forward to Round 2 where one regional winner will be selected who will then represent that region in the final judging of the World Whiskies Awards. The winners of which were announced on 30th March 2022 at the Whisky Magazine Awards gala in London.

About J.J. Corry

Founded in 2016 by Louise McGuane, J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey is Ireland's first modern Whiskey Bonder and maker of award-winning J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey. The company sources whiskies from Irish distilleries and matures it in a purpose-built bonded rackhouse on the McGuane Family farm in Cooraclare, Co. Clare, right along the Wild Atlantic Way. Whilst waiting for the whiskey to come of age, they blend sourced mature whiskey to begin to create their own unique house style. J.J Corry has won multiple awards for quality and taste including gold medals in the Irish Whiskey Awards and San Francisco Spirits Competition and World Whiskies Awards.

www.jjcorry.com

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Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045331/JJ_Corry_Irish_Whiskey.jpg

SOURCE J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey
The global obesity intervention devices market is witnessing growth due to multiple factors, including a rise in the prevalence of obesity, an increase in the number of market players manufacturing obesity intervention devices, and an overall increase in awareness among people about the availability of such procedures.

PORTLAND, Ore., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Obesity intervention devices Market by Devices (Gastric Band, Gastric Balloons, and Gastric Stimulation System), by End User (hospitals and others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global obesity intervention devices industry generated $243.2 million in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $407.6 million by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 5.3% from 2022 to 2031.

Request Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5480

Prime determinants of growth

The global obesity intervention devices market is witnessing growth due to multiple factors, including a rise in the prevalence of obesity, an increase in the number of market players manufacturing obesity intervention devices, and an overall increase in awareness among people about the availability of such procedures. However, the growth may be hindered by the negative side effects associated with these procedures. Nevertheless, the rise in the number of market players is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities for the growth of the obesity intervention devices market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $243.2 million Market Size in 2031 $407.6 million CAGR 5.3 % No. of Pages in Report 297 Segments covered Device, End User, and Region. Drivers Rise in the prevalence of obesity Increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Surge in awareness among people regarding the adverse effects of obesity Opportunities Rise in the number of market players who manufacture obesity intervention devices. Restraints Side effects of obesity intervention procedures

Impact of Covid-19 on Obesity Intervention Devices Market-

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global lockdowns, the obesity intervention devices market faced a downturn.

However, as the global situation started ameliorating, the demand for gastric balloon obesity intervention procedures was restored back. This, in turn, presented various growth opportunities for companies operating in the obesity intervention devices market.

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The gastric band segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on device, the gastric band segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global obesity intervention devices market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to the rise in the number of market players who manufacture gastric bands and increase in awareness among people regarding gastric banding. However, the gastric balloon segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2031, owing to an increase in the number of product launches & product approvals for gastric balloon devices.

The hospitals segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period.

Based on end user, the hospital segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for around four-fifths of the global obesity intervention devices market revenue, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is owing to the rise in hospital patient visits for obesity intervention procedures. The same segment is also projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2031.

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North America to maintain its dominance by 2031.

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, contributing to more than one-third of the global obesity intervention devices market revenue. This is owing to the rise in technological advancements and a well-established healthcare industry. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 6.2% from 2022 to 2031 and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period, This is attributed to the rising prevalence of obesity and the increase in the number of populations suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Leading Market Players: -

Apollo Endosurgery

Reshape Lifesciences

GI Dynamics

Allergan

Cousin Surgery

Johnson & Johnson

A.M.I. gmbh

Spatz FGIA Inc

Allurion Technologies Inc.

Endalis

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global obesity intervention devices market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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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 domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media, Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
LONDON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow is proud to announce that they have signed an official distributor agreement with Waxman Energy, one of the leading distributors in the UK market.

Sungrow and Waxman Energy Sign Official Distributor Agreement

The collaboration between Sungrow and Waxman UK will provide customers with access to high-quality, reliable, and efficient PV inverters that are ideal for Residential and Commercial solar projects. It's the next step to positioning Sungrow as a key supplier of solar energy products. With their 40,000 sq ft warehouse in Elland, Waxman Energy is a distributor that can offer installers a complete solution with everything under one roof. Waxman UK has been providing solar PV equipment to installers, contractors, and developers for over 50 years. The company has established a reputation for quality, reliability, and excellent customer service.

The partnership between Sungrow and Waxman UK will contribute to the growth of the solar industry in the UK, making it easier for businesses to access high-quality, reliable, and efficient commercial PV inverters. The two companies are committed to supporting customers in achieving their sustainability goals and promoting a cleaner, greener future for all.

Commenting on the agreement, Sam Waxman, Managing Director for Waxman Energy said, "Signing this official distributor agreement will strengthen the partnership we have with Sungrow and help to distribute more of their leading products to the UK solar market. We are excited about the future."

Sungrow is also looking forward to the new partnership with Waxman: "We are very happy to welcome Waxman to our distributor network in the UK. With Waxman we have the perfect partner on our side to offer our broad product range to the market, no matter if Residential or Commercial installations," adds Mario Pollak, Distribution Manager for the UK and Ireland at Sungrow.

About Waxman Energy

Waxman Energy is an award-winning leading distributor of PV, Battery Storage and EV Chargers, they specialise in sourcing the highest quality products from some of the world's leading brands. They pride themselves on delivering the best customer service and holding quality training sessions to help their customers stay ahead of the curve.

Waxman Energy is holding Sungrow sessions at its HQ in April to launch these products to its customers.

About Sungrow

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 https://uk.sungrowpower.com/.

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SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.
SINGAPORE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamViewer , a leading global provider of remote connectivity and workplace digitalization solutions, is bringing a range of benefits to its channel partners in Asia Pacific via the newly launched partner program TeamUP. The program includes an easy-to-use and completely new, unified partner portal which goes live today that enables partners to take advantage of exclusive discounts, dedicated support, and comprehensive sales training, along with a broad variety of certifications.

The TeamUP program is designed for a wide range of partners, including resellers, distributors, managed service providers, and systems integrators. The key elements of the unified partner portal include a deal-registration-engine, a tailored learning portal, and a marketing material database, combined with insights into the current partnership status and the possibility to request benefits directly via the platform.

Sojung Lee, President, Asia Pacific at TeamViewer, expresses excitement about the launch of the new partner program and platform in the Asia Pacific region. Following the success of TeamViewer's APAC Partner Summit 2023 in Bali, Indonesia, TeamViewer continues to enhance its channel ecosystem and bring unparalleled value to its partners. "Our partners are the key to our success," Sojung explains. "They bring valuable local expertise and networks that amplify our reach and help us deliver the best possible experience to our customers. We are thrilled to join forces with our partners to drive growth and create new opportunities in the Asia Pacific region."

The new, unified program is available for all TeamViewer partners, independent of the solution they are selling, including TeamViewer's workflow-based productivity solution Frontline for the first time. It features three different tiers, Business, Premier and Champion, each with tailored discounts and benefits, like joint marketing campaigns and access to dedicated resources.

TeamViewer's TeamUP program aims to improve collaboration with its channel partners and expand its reach in the Asia Pacific region, providing more opportunities for growth and success for both TeamViewer and its partners.

About TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a leading global technology company that provides a connectivity platform to remotely access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices of any kind  from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots. Although TeamViewer is free of charge for private use, it has more than 625,000 subscribers and enables companies of all sizes and from all industries to digitalize their business-critical processes through seamless connectivity. Against the backdrop of global megatrends like device proliferation, automation and new work, TeamViewer proactively shapes digital transformation and continuously innovates in the fields of Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Since the company's foundation in 2005, TeamViewer's software has been installed on more than 2.5 billion devices around the world. The company is headquartered in Goppingen, Germany, and employs more than 1,400 people globally. Further information can be found at www.teamviewer.com.

Press contact

Helen Zhang

Phone: +65 9489 3567

E-Mail: press@teamviewer.com

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SOURCE TeamViewer
Lexus guests attending the 2023 New York International Auto Show have the ability to create art featuring the all-new Lexus RX 350 and RZ 450e luxury utility vehicles

Engagement point leverages popular technology to further tell the story of Lexus' blend of technology and design, appealing to a broad spectrum of luxury guests and customers

Guests can create their art from April 7-16 at NYIAS, courtesy of AI model trained by software, data and cloud services company Toyota Connected North America

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- It's not hard to imagine your picture-perfect 2023 Lexus RX or 2023 Lexus RZ 450e luxury utility vehicle. But, it's even better to envision it on your own terms  especially amid the hustle and bustle of the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

Through the power of artificial intelligence, guests attending NYIAS at the Jacob Javits Center from April 7-16 are able to type in a prompt for the Lexus RX or RZ, placing either vehicle in a setting limited only by their imagination, and manifest that vision into existence.

2023 New York International Auto Show Guests Use Artificial Intelligence to Create their Picture-Perfect Lexus

"Lexus is focused on creating innovative ways to connect with our guests, and this time, we're using Generative AI technology at the New York International Auto Show to engage with them in a unique and very personalized way," said Vinay Shahani, vice president of Lexus Marketing. "As we've shown with the recent launches of the all-new Lexus RX and RZ, intuitive technology is a key pillar of the brand, and this experience featuring these two vehicles provides guests the opportunity to explore what it would look like to have the RX and RZ as a part of their everyday lives and their dreams."

At the Lexus display, guests are guided through prompts that generate images that appear on a 98-inch screen, featuring either the Lexus RX or RZ. Afterward, guests can send themselves their images via email, allowing them to bring their art home with them with nearly any backdrop they could fathom  even in a galaxy far, far away.

To develop the AI art tool, Lexus collaborated with data scientists and machine learning engineers at Toyota Connected North America (TCNA), a data, cloud, artificial intelligence, machine learning and software center of excellence headquartered in Plano, Texas. TCNA leveraged state-of-the-art Generative AI models such as Stable Diffusion and ControlNet architectures to train a proprietary Generative AI model to generate photorealistic or artistic style images  all by way of text input. The model was trained on more than 500 photos of each vehicle, capturing every detail imaginable.

Additionally, the stable diffusion model was trained on LAION-5B dataset from non-profit organization LAION to use for backgrounds, artistic styles and detailing.

"At TCNA, we are always looking at new ways to leverage data, artificial intelligence, machine learning and other cutting-edge technologies to deliver value to our customers and engage with them," said Shravanthi Denthumdas, vice president of Engineering, Mobility & Emerging Technologies, TCNA. "Generative AI is such a new field for most of the companies, and we're enthusiastic for our partnership with the Lexus marketing team and utilize this technology to develop strong bonds with guests."

This next-level engagement follows up on last year's successful launch of Lexus Performance Driving School's first non-fungible token (NFT), which provided guests who completed the program a digital keepsake. Embedded with performance data and hero images, more than 60 guests minted their NFTs to their cryptocurrency wallets, where they can keep them in perpetuity or use them to potentially unlock future experiences with the Lexus brand.

About Lexus

Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With seven models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers eight F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.

www.facebook.com/lexus

www.twitter.com/lexus

www.youtube.com/LexusVehicles

www.instagram.com/lexususa

https://www.pinterest.com/lexususa

About Toyota Connected, Inc.

Based in Plano, Texas, Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) was established in 2016 to contribute toward realizing Toyota's global vision for an intelligent mobile society. As an independent Toyota company, TCNA serves as a software and innovation hub that leverages big data from vehicles to humanize the driving experience, providing customers secure, seamless and contextual services. Comprised primarily of software engineers and data scientists, TCNA is a center of excellence for connected services that elevate the customer experience as well as benefitting dealers, distributors and partners. At the heart of TCNA is Toyota's belief in human-centered mobility and a fundamental commitment to personal privacy. Learn more at toyotaconnected.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS

Corey Proffitt, Connected Communications

Toyota Motor North America

646-971-4522

[email protected]

Jacob Brown, Connected Communications

Toyota Motor North America

469-486-4042

[email protected]

SOURCE Lexus; Toyota Connected North America
AAOS IDEA Grant Program to provide $300,000 in support of educational, community and outreach programs

Application deadline is June 19, 2023

ROSEMONT, Ill., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today announced a call for proposals for the AAOS IDEA Grant Program, a multi-year initiative to inspire diversity, equity and access across the field of orthopaedics. Now in its second year, the program will award $300,000 in 2024 to help address decades of inertia surrounding persistent disparities across orthopaedics and, in turn, better serve patients nationwide.

"The AAOS launched the IDEA Grant Program in 2022 with the goal of igniting meaningful, lasting and measurable change across orthopaedics," said AAOS Diversity Advisory Board Chair Anthony E. Johnson, MD, FAAOS. "We saw a genuine desire from last year's applicants to address the gaps across gender, culture and ethnicity in our field. And, while we understand it is going to take time to break down barriers, we look forward to building on the momentum and believe that this call for proposals will help ensure funding can flow directly to the programs and organizations that need it most."

The AAOS IDEA Grant Program tracks encompass a wide net to better fund and support a diverse pipeline of individuals who pursue orthopaedics as a profession; foster DEI initiatives for community-based or academic orthopaedic surgeons; and expand the availability of AAOS educational and networking opportunities to diverse students and practicing orthopaedic surgeons. Diversity focus areas of the program include gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, socioeconomic, veteran status and disability. Program funds will be allocated across four tracks, each with a different DEI focus and target recipient. Additional funding from AAOS supporters may be added to extend the reach of the initiative.

Grant proposals will remain open now through June 19, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. CT.

Applicants are encouraged to review the evaluation criteria and general application terms at aaos.org/IDEA. Grant recipients will be responsible for providing an outcomes report to AAOS to measure impact at the end of the funding period. To learn more about the AAOS IDEA Grant Program or receive information about the 2023 IDEA Grant Program recipients, email [email protected].

About the AAOS

With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related musculoskeletal healthcare issues; and it leads the healthcare discussion on advancing quality.

Follow the AAOS on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Just six years ago, Aaron Van Camp finished a years-long prison sentence for selling cannabis. On Monday morning, the state awarded the Riverside resident one of Western New Yorks first Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses to sell cannabis legally.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management awarded four Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary Licenses to entities in what it considers the Western Region of New York at its Control Board Meeting. Three are in Western New York.

In addition to Van Camp, they are:

Premier Earth Corp., registered to justice-involved applicant Joseph Wojciechowski, who owned and operated River Bend Fabrication for seven years, which did custom work on commercial trucks.

AMSM LLC, owned by Glen Miller and justice-involved applicant Gina Miller, who operated A&S Miller, a retail liquor store, for nine years.

The state has earmarked 22 CAURD licenses for the Western district of New York and said the additional 18 licensees will be announced at a later date.

It will take weeks  if not months  for the four businesses receiving the licenses to find locations and get them ready to open. But it finally opens the doors for the long-awaited recreational cannabis retail market to get off the ground in Western New York after a lawsuit left it and four other counties on the sidelines as retail sales kicked off in the rest of the state.

Last week, a federal judge lifted the injunction that had been blocking the state from issuing licenses to open legal cannabis stores.

Its surreal. Just days ago, we were down in the dumps because we didnt think it was ever going to go through, and the next day, the injunction was lifted, Van Camp said.

The next obstacle for Van Camp and other licensees is to find suitable retail spaces that fit state regulations and that are owned by landlords who arent afraid to lease to a cannabis dispensary  something that has not been easy for retailers in the rest of the state.

But Van Camp said he will act fast. He has been scouting properties on Hertel and Elmwood Avenues with help from friends in the real estate business and hopes the OCM will be quick in approving a location.

If Im not open by the first of the month, Im going to be disappointed in myself, he said.

Van Camp owns and operates BC Can and Bottle Return on Niagara Street. Like cannabis, redemption centers can have a bad reputation, he said, but he hopes his center will be an example to potential landlords that he can run a respectable place: no riffraff, a clean property and a tight ship with a friendly owner. Before he commits to a space, he plans to meet other businesses in the neighborhood and make a good impression.

But I know as a business owner, not everybody likes these businesses, he said.

Van Camps vision for the store is simple. A clean, attractive, safe place that lets customers move in and out efficiently.

I don't want a tourist destination. I don't want somewhere with a lounge where people are hanging out, he said. I want to focus on profitability. At the same time, I don't want to skimp on quality.

Recreational pot dispensaries get the green light in WNY. Now what? The first licenses to open stores in Western New York could be granted as soon as Monday, although it likely will be several weeks - if not months - before the first local store opens.

Hes excited to serve the more mainstream clientele that licensed dispensaries attract, he said, and wants to give them a more approachable experience.

Its people like your moms friends, he said.

CAURD licenses, the first awarded in the state, are set aside for those who have been convicted of a cannabis-related offense (or are close to someone who has), has experience running a business, and has a significant presence in New York state.

A graduate of St. Josephs Collegiate Institute, Van Camp made friends while playing lacrosse in Canada. Pot happened to be less expensive there, so he started buying it and selling it to friends. In his 20s he got greedy and sold larger amounts, which turned into a federal conspiracy charge with a more than five-year prison sentence, he said.

Though prison made him a better person and brought his family closer  his parents never missed a visit, even when he was housed as far away as Youngstown, Ohio  he regrets what he put his family through.

I feel horrible for my parents, he said, breaking into tears. No one should have to go through the worrying my mom did.

When he got out in 2017, his parents set him up with the property where he continues to run the redemption center. He saved up money from that business (it will remain in separate operation) to fund the dispensary, which will open at a different location.

If you had told me this 15 years ago, I never would have believed you, he said.

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state Office of Cannabis Management's request to narrow the injunction in the Variscite NY One case, which had been blocking adult-use recreational cannabis sales here and in four other regions of the state.

The Finger Lakes is the only region still blocked from legal sales, while the courts decide whether Variscite was illegally kept out of the lottery for retail licenses to do business there.
Current SVP Americas elevated to top position

Ignacio Dominguez retiring from the company after more than two decades of outstanding service

BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel and BASEL, Switzerland, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (the "Company") (SZSE: 000553), a leading crop protection company, announced that its board of directors has appointed Steve Hawkins, currently ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas, as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2023. Mr. Hawkins succeeds Ignacio Dominguez, who has elected to retire from the company after serving in a series of senior roles at ADAMA, including as a key member of its Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade.

Erik Fyrwald, Chairman of ADAMA Board and President and CEO of Syngenta Group, said: "Steve brings extensive international leadership experience to his new role, having worked across many markets and businesses in a broad range of leadership positions. He will report to me as a member of the Group Leadership Team as we work together to maintain the momentum of our strategy and accelerate ADAMA's transformation to an even more prosperous future."

Mr. Hawkins has spent his entire career in agriculture, beginning in sales with GROWMARK in Canada before joining one of Syngenta's legacy companies, ICI Canada, nearly three decades ago. He has held a number of senior roles during his time with the company, including Regional Director EAME, Head of Sales CP & Seeds USA, Head of Commercial Operations for NA Corn & Soya Seeds, Country Head for Japan and South Korea, and Regional Director APAC for both CP and Seeds.

As ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas since 2021, he has overseen its North American and Latin American businesses, as well as its Consumer and Professional (non-crop) businesses globally. Under his leadership, the team delivered strong business performance in 2022 while making significant progress in transforming the product portfolio, advancing the company's go-to-market strategy and powering business development.

Mr. Hawkins holds a Diploma in Agriculture and an Executive MBA in Food and Agribusiness, both from the Ontario Agricultural College, at the University of Guelph, and has a bachelor's degree in Administrative Studies from Toronto's York University.

Mr. Fyrwald also thanked the outgoing Mr. Dominguez for his exemplary work at ADAMA, where he started in 2001: "As a key member of ADAMA's Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade, Ignacio has been instrumental in crafting and implementing its global strategy. As its CEO since 2020, he guided the organization through many changes, including through it becoming a distinctive member of Syngenta Group while strengthening the collaboration with the different Syngenta Group Business units, as well as some important leadership changes. He did this while combining the courage to drive change, a sharp focus on delivering results, and attention and care for our people and culture."

Mr. Dominguez will work closely with Mr. Hawkins in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

About ADAMA

ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, as well as state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing and formulation facilities. With a culture that empowers our people to listen to farmers and ideate from the field, ADAMA is uniquely positioned to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on Twitter at @ADAMAAgri.

ADAMA Contact:

Tal Moise

Public Relations

[email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg

SOURCE ADAMA Ltd.
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rowley Law PLLC is investigating potential securities law violations by Life Storage, Inc. (NYSE: LSI) and its board of directors concerning the proposed acquisition of the company by Extra Space Storage Inc. (NYSE: EXR). Stockholders will receive 0.8950 shares of Extra Space Storage common stock for each share of Life Storage stock that they hold.

If you are a stockholder of Life Storage, Inc. and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding this investigation, please visit us at: http://www.rowleylawpllc.com/investigation/lsi/. You may also contact Shane Rowley, Esq. at Rowley Law PLLC, 50 Main Street Suite 1000, White Plains, NY 10606, by email at [email protected] , or by telephone at 914-400-1920 or 844-400-4643 (toll-free).

Rowley Law PLLC represents shareholders nationwide in class actions and derivative lawsuits in complex corporate litigation. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.rowleylawpllc.com .

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

SOURCE Rowley Law PLLC
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The alternative credentials market for higher education is set to grow by USD 2,275.05 million from 2022 to 2027, progressing at a CAGR of 17.8% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Here is an exclusive report talking about market scenarios with a historical period (2017-2021) and forecast period (2023-2027). Download a Sample Report!

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Alternative Credentials Market for Higher Education 2023-2027

The market is driven by the widening skill gap. There are a large number of graduate and post-graduate degree holders in the employment market. However, only a few are employable due to the disparity in skill sets. In addition, the growing competition has led to an increased demand for specific skills that provide employment readiness. Alternate credentials allow students to acquire non-traditional skills and help them stand out from the crowd. For recruiters, alternate credentials offer a way of easily verifying student achievements and checking for suitability for the job. All these factors are driving the growth of the market.

The report on the alternative credentials market for higher education provides a holistic update, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis.

Alternative Credentials Market for Higher Education 2023-2027 - Market Dynamics

Key Trend  The rise in non-traditional offerings is the key trend in the market. Non-traditional offerings such as non-credit graduate and undergraduate certificate programs, training courses, continuing education units, and micro-credentialing are increasingly becoming popular among learners. These are linked with an alternative credentialing system and are made available to students through channels that are different from channels providing traditional degrees. This makes it easy for providers to offer non-credit programs at a faster pace. The increasing popularity of non-traditional offerings has created a significant revenue-generating source for vendors. This trend will positively influence the growth of the market during the forecast period.

 The rise in non-traditional offerings is the key trend in the market. Non-traditional offerings such as non-credit graduate and undergraduate certificate programs, training courses, continuing education units, and micro-credentialing are increasingly becoming popular among learners. These are linked with an alternative credentialing system and are made available to students through channels that are different from channels providing traditional degrees. This makes it easy for providers to offer non-credit programs at a faster pace. The increasing popularity of non-traditional offerings has created a significant revenue-generating source for vendors. This trend will positively influence the growth of the market during the forecast period. Challenge  The threat from traditional degree program providers is the major challenge in the market. Alternative credentials offer significant benefits for learners and service providers. However, the market faces an inherent threat from the formal education segment comprising traditional degree programs. Technological advances and digitization have helped educational institutions and universities improve the quality of course offerings. This has also helped universities and colleges train graduates as per the specific industry's employers' requirements. This is reducing the dependency on alternative credentials, as traditional degree programs have begun to provide the same services. All these factors are challenging the growth of the market.

Alternative Credentials Market for Higher Education 2023-2027: Market Segmentation

The alternative credentials market for higher education is segmented by product (non-credit training courses, non-credit certificate programs, digital badges, competency-based education, and boot camps), delivery mode (online, blended, and face-to-face), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

By product, the market growth will be significant in the non-credit training courses segment during the forecast period. Non-credit training courses can be availed through both online and offline mediums. These courses are usually facilitated with the help of a mentor to guide learners with learning activities to impart the technical know-how of the job. They also help learners gain competitive advantages over experienced employees in organizations. Such benefits are driving the growth of the segment.

By delivery mode, the market will observe maximum growth in the online segment during the forecast period. The online mode of delivery of alternative credentials offers a customized solution to its users depending on the time, geographical location, and language preferences. The popularity of online modes of delivery increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in the continuous growth of the segment.

North America will account for 56% of the market growth during the forecast period. Educational institutions in the region are introducing new forms of teaching and learning. Many universities and colleges are incorporating technologies that enhance the quality of education. They are adopting solutions offered by ed-tech companies and other education service-providing companies.

This report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources through an analysis of key parameters - View a Sample Report

The alternative credentials market for higher education covers the following areas:

Companies Mentioned

The global alternative credentials market for higher education is fragmented with the presence of many small and large players. The vendors compete based on factors such as price, quality, innovation, packaging, reputation, marketing channels, and even distribution. Established vendors have a competitive advantage due to high product differentiation and scale of operations. New entrants thrive in the market due to high capital requirements and easy access to distribution channels. Hence, the threat of new entrants was moderate in 2022 and is expected to remain moderate during the forecast period. Some of the key vendors covered in the report include:

2U Inc. - The company offers alternative credentials that help companies create skills pathways with verifiable and stackable credentials to upskill and train employees with high-quality educational experience in most job-relevant subjects.

- The company offers alternative credentials that help companies create skills pathways with verifiable and stackable credentials to upskill and train employees with high-quality educational experience in most job-relevant subjects. Bisk Ventures - The company offers alternative credentials with innovative use of technology to engage students in impactful learning experiences and to strengthen education to employment pathways.

- The company offers alternative credentials with innovative use of technology to engage students in impactful learning experiences and to strengthen education to employment pathways. Carroll Community College Foundation Inc. - The company offers alternative credentials with the use of the latest technology to engage students in great learning experiences.

- The company offers alternative credentials with the use of the latest technology to engage students in great learning experiences. Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. - The company offers alternative credentials with quality digital products and services to millions of students, equipping them with the skills and competencies needed to advance their careers and improve their lives.

- The company offers alternative credentials with quality digital products and services to millions of students, equipping them with the skills and competencies needed to advance their careers and improve their lives. City and Guilds Group

Coursera Inc.

Credly, Inc.

New York State Education Department

NIIT Ltd

Northeastern University

Pearson Plc

Purdue University Global

Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Strategic Education Inc.

Temple University

Udacity Inc.

Udemy Inc

University of Michigan

University Professional and Continuing Education Association

XuetangX

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Alternative Credentials Market for Higher Education Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.8% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 2,275.05 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023(%) 17.23 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 56% Key countries US, China, India, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled 2U Inc., Bisk Ventures, Carroll Community College Foundation Inc., Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., City and Guilds Group, Coursera Inc., Credly, Inc., New York State Education Department, NIIT Ltd, Northeastern University, Pearson Plc, Purdue University Global, Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Strategic Education Inc., Temple University, Udacity Inc., Udemy Inc, University of Michigan, University Professional and Continuing Education Association, and XuetangX Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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Key Topics Covered:

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 Delivery Mode



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global alternative credentials market for higher education 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global alternative credentials market for higher education 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.2 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.3 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.4 Delivery mode Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Delivery mode Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by 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 Non-credit training courses - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Non-credit training courses - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Non-credit training courses - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Non-credit training courses - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Non-credit training courses - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Non-credit certificate programs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Non-credit certificate programs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Non-credit certificate programs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Non-credit certificate programs - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Non-credit certificate programs - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Digital badges - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 42: Chart on Digital badges - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Digital badges - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 44: Chart on Digital badges - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Digital badges - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Competency-based education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 46: Chart on Competency-based education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Competency-based education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Chart on Competency-based education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Competency-based education - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.7 Boot camps - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 50: Chart on Boot camps - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Boot camps - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Chart on Boot camps - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Boot camps - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.8 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 54: Market opportunity by Product ($ million)

7 Market Segmentation by Delivery Mode

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 55: Chart on Delivery Mode - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Delivery Mode - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Delivery Mode

Exhibit 57: Chart on Comparison by Delivery Mode



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Comparison by Delivery Mode

7.3 Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Online - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Online - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Blended - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 63: Chart on Blended - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Blended - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Blended - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Blended - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Face to face - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 67: Chart on Face to face - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Face to face - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 69: Chart on Face to face - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on Face to face - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by Delivery Mode

Exhibit 71: Market opportunity by Delivery Mode ($ million)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 72: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 73: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 74: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 75: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 76: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 77: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 81: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 85: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 86: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 87: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 88: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 91: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 93: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 94: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 95: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 97: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 98: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 99: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 100: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 101: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 103: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 104: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 105: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 106: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 107: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 108: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 109: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 110: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 111: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 112: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 113: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 114: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 115: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 116: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 117: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 118: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 119: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 120: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 121: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 122: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 123: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 2U Inc.

Exhibit 124: 2U Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 125: 2U Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 126: 2U Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 127: 2U Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 128: 2U Inc. - Segment focus

12.4 Bisk Ventures

Exhibit 129: Bisk Ventures - Overview



Exhibit 130: Bisk Ventures - Product / Service



Exhibit 131: Bisk Ventures - Key offerings

12.5 Carroll Community College Foundation Inc.

Foundation Inc. Exhibit 132: Carroll Community College Foundation Inc. - Overview

Foundation Inc. - Overview

Exhibit 133: Carroll Community College Foundation Inc. - Product / Service

Foundation Inc. - Product / Service

Exhibit 134: Carroll Community College Foundation Inc. - Key offerings

12.6 Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc.

Exhibit 135: Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 136: Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 137: Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. - Segment focus

12.7 City and Guilds Group

Exhibit 139: City and Guilds Group - Overview



Exhibit 140: City and Guilds Group - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: City and Guilds Group - Key offerings

12.8 Coursera Inc.

Exhibit 142: Coursera Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 143: Coursera Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 144: Coursera Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 145: Coursera Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 146: Coursera Inc. - Segment focus

12.9 Credly, Inc.

Exhibit 147: Credly, Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 148: Credly, Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 149: Credly, Inc. - Key offerings

12.10 New York State Education Department

Education Department Exhibit 150: New York State Education Department - Overview

Education Department - Overview

Exhibit 151: New York State Education Department - Product / Service

Education Department - Product / Service

Exhibit 152: New York State Education Department - Key offerings

12.11 NIIT Ltd

Exhibit 153: NIIT Ltd - Overview



Exhibit 154: NIIT Ltd - Product / Service



Exhibit 155: NIIT Ltd - Key news



Exhibit 156: NIIT Ltd - Key offerings

12.12 Pearson Plc

Exhibit 157: Pearson Plc - Overview



Exhibit 158: Pearson Plc - Business segments



Exhibit 159: Pearson Plc - Key offerings



Exhibit 160: Pearson Plc - Segment focus

12.13 Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Exhibit 161: Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 162: Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 163: Simplilearn Solutions Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.14 Strategic Education Inc.

Exhibit 164: Strategic Education Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 165: Strategic Education Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 166: Strategic Education Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 167: Strategic Education Inc. - Segment focus

12.15 Udacity Inc.

Exhibit 168: Udacity Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 169: Udacity Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 170: Udacity Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 171: Udacity Inc. - Key offerings

12.16 Udemy Inc

Exhibit 172: Udemy Inc - Overview



Exhibit 173: Udemy Inc - Product / Service



Exhibit 174: Udemy Inc - Key news



Exhibit 175: Udemy Inc - Key offerings

12.17 University of Michigan

Exhibit 176: University of Michigan - Overview

- Overview

Exhibit 177: University of Michigan - Business segments

- Business segments

Exhibit 178: University of Michigan - Key offerings

- Key offerings

Exhibit 179: University of Michigan - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 180: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 181: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 182: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 183: Research methodology



Exhibit 184: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 185: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 186: 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
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. today announced that its specialist underwriting subsidiary Pen Underwriting has acquired UK-based Tay River Holdings Ltd ("Tay") and its specialist managing general agent (MGA) related companies. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Based in the City of London, Tay specializes in providing coverages for marine liability, ports & terminals liability, marine war risks and kidnap & ransom through its independent broker clients. More recently, it has expanded into maritime professional indemnity, freight and logistics insurance, as well as brown water hull. The business will become part of Pen Underwriting, and Paul Hartley will continue to lead the team.

"Tay's strong reputation for specialist underwriting, client excellence and diversified distribution will enhance Pen's international capabilities," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "We are delighted to welcome Paul and his colleagues to our growing, global team."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella, VP - Investor Relations Media: Paul Day, Communications Manager 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5946/ [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
SEATTLE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the spirit of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), four Asian American authors around the country have combined forces to raise awareness and diversify school libraries with books by Asian Americans, for the diverse American students.

Currently, less than 15% of books published feature an AAPI character. Tweet this The authors are looking to raise $5000 to cover printing and shipping costs. The campaign runs from April 3rd - April 30th, 2023 on GoFundMe.

Currently, less than 15% of books published feature an AAPI character. More and more self-publishers are on a mission to change that. It all started when four Asian American authors who are also creators, educators, parents, and entrepreneurs met online in 2021. Over the years in their respective homes, they remotely supported each other as they worked tirelessly to create uplifting, educational and fun books for young readers. They bonded over the shared love of the Oscar-winning movie "Everything Everywhere All At Once", and came up with an idea that just made sense at the wee hours of the night  what if they join forces this year to send 500 books written by Asian American authors to school libraries all over the country?

The authors are looking to raise $5000 to cover printing and shipping costs. The campaign runs from April 3rd - April 30th, 2023 on GoFundMe. Once funded, books (written in English) will be sent to different schools in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California during the month of May to support the schools' AAPI curriculum, and AAPI Heritage Month celebrations.

You can support their campaign, "Asian American Books Everywhere All At Once", at https://gofund.me/ecddf83e ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/asian-american-books-everywhere-all-at-once )

About the authors:

Yobe Qiu ( byYobeQiu.com ) - Award-winning and AAPI curriculum friendly picture books featuring Asian children, families and cultures. @byyobeqiu

) - Award-winning and AAPI curriculum friendly picture books featuring Asian children, families and cultures. @byyobeqiu Serena Li ( duckduckbooks.com ) - award-winning, multilingual, social emotional learning books for kids (Pre-K - 2nd grade) @duckduckbooks

( ) - award-winning, multilingual, social emotional learning books for kids (Pre-K - 2nd grade) @duckduckbooks Vincent Yee (clarawubooks.com) - an immersive award-winning 5-book YA fantasy series where Asian American teens love their boba as they fight Asian spawned demons to save the world. Recommended for all ages who love fantasy. @clarawubooks

(clarawubooks.com) - an immersive award-winning 5-book YA fantasy series where Asian American teens love their boba as they fight Asian spawned demons to save the world. Recommended for all ages who love fantasy. @clarawubooks Tracy Guan ( tangerineandjadepress.com ) - children's picture books that celebrate and uplift diverse narratives (Pre-K - 4th grade) @tangerineandjadepress

SOURCE Duck Duck Books
MESA, Ariz., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation.One is excited to announce its launch and is now actively seeking investors to participate in the unique opportunities offered by this Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF). The fund leverages the expertise of seasoned professionals in aviation, real estate, operations and asset management to optimize returns on investments.

A Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF) is an investment vehicle that provides tax benefits for individuals and companies who invest in economically distressed areas known as Qualified Opportunity Zones. By participating in a QOF, investors have the potential to defer, reduce or even eliminate capital gains taxes and utilize additional tax incentives.

Aviation.One's vision is to establish itself as a leader in aviation services, delivering outstanding value to both customers and investors. The fund aims to accomplish this by expanding its offerings in AOG (aircraft on ground) support, jet maintenance, jet management and charter businesses.

Located in Mesa, Arizona, Falcon Field Airport serves as the anchor of the Falcon District Opportunity Zone. With a growing demand for aircraft maintenance, charter operation, and infrastructure, Aviation.One is strategically developing three synergistic business segments to provide comprehensive aviation services: aircraft maintenance, charter services and real estate assets. Our team of experienced professionals is fully committed to maximizing investor returns and contributing to the economic growth of the Falcon District Opportunity Zone.

At the heart of Aviation.One's operations are two state-of-the-art 10,000 square foot hangars to accommodate a wide range of aircraft maintenance and storage needs and a 4,000 square foot operations center. Falcon Field Airport features runways large enough to accommodate any business jet, ensuring seamless access and flexibility for our clients. In addition to our main location, we have a satellite facility in Scottsdale, and mobile maintenance vans for on-site support to further enhance our service capabilities. Aviation.One prides itself on its small, tightly-knit team, which cumulatively possesses roughly a century of combined aircraft maintenance experience. This wealth of expertise enables the company to provide unparalleled service and support, bolstering our goal of quickly becoming a key provider in the aviation services industry.

With its strategic location and innovative approach, Aviation.One is poised to make a significant impact on the aviation sector while supporting the economic development of the Falcon District Opportunity Zone community. Investors interested in learning more about the Aviation.One Fund and its offerings are encouraged to visit our website or contact our team for additional information.

SOURCE Aviation.One Fund LLC
Employee Collective Proves Highly Accurate Based on Collaboration Data

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aware, a leader in collaboration intelligence, has analyzed over 400 million anonymized employee conversations in online collaboration environments between February 1 and March 31 to provide insights on the NCAA March Madness tournament. The study is part of ongoing research to evaluate conversational data for broader insights into employee sentiment and the crossover between organizational intelligence and business impact.

The Aware Data Science team analyzed employee sentiment surrounding each NCAA team, comparing it against Vegas bookmaker odds to determine if there was a correlation. The research was conducted using the Aware collaboration intelligence platform and proprietary Natural Language Processing (NLP) models which identify, analyze and deliver contextual intelligence sourced directly from the authentic voice of the employee in real time collaboration environments including Slack and Teams.

Key findings include:

Conversations about March Madness began well before March indicating a high level of employee engagement prior to the actual start of the tournament.

Employee engagement related to March Madness was highest on weekends, indicating collaboration tools are in heavy use to facilitate co-worker conversations about popular events even outside of work hours.

Over 60% of employees described their brackets as busted after the first day of the tournament.

Conversations spiked on March 16 , day one of the tournament, as employees encouraged each other to join groups and submit brackets in office pools.

, day one of the tournament, as employees encouraged each other to join groups and submit brackets in office pools. Bookmaker odds and employee social sentiment were on par, and closely aligned, suggesting insights at scale in the workplace were as accurate as the projections of professional oddsmakers.

Of the teams that made the Sweet Sixteen, outliers Florida Atlantic and Gonzaga had higher sentiment trends than their relative odds, while Alabama had significantly lower sentiment. This indicates that employees may be championing these teams despite their odds.

and had higher sentiment trends than their relative odds, while had significantly lower sentiment. This indicates that employees may be championing these teams despite their odds. During the week of March 26 , conversations about Florida Atlantic and UConn soared, as did conversations related to the Women's NCAA tournament.

"The data surprised us with unexpectedly high correlations between workplace sentiments and the actual outcomes of the NCAA tournament," said Jason Morgan, PhD, and Head of Data Science at Aware. "When compared against the Vegas odds and other predictors, our models found a high degree of accuracy coming from the collective voice of the employee across collaboration channels where people where highly engaged, talking, sharing, and emoting about their March Madness predictions."

"Look at the information gleaned from the employee voice on March Madness and imagine applying the same degree of accuracy to understanding business-critical insights," said Jeff Schumann, CEO and founder of Aware. "Collaboration channels are a trove of highly accurate organizational intelligence if businesses can leverage the data, listen, analyze, and apply their workplace intelligence to inform their operations. But too often companies can't get their ear to the ground and are fixated on generating content, rather than listening."

For more information about Aware and its solutions, please visit: https://www.awarehq.com.

About Aware

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Aware is a global leader in contextual intelligence that identifies and reduces risk, maintains compliance, and uncovers new business insights from conversations at scale. Consolidate, enrich, search, and manage data across tools like Slack, WorkJam, Teams and Zoom for immediate visibility across the organization. Aware's comprehensive platform empowers executives with organizational insights, while also helping legal, compliance, information security, and IT professionals to address the modern challenges of enterprise collaboration: archiving, monitoring, DLP, eDiscovery, retention and legal holds. Aware is a strategic platform integration partner to Microsoft, Slack, and Workplace from Meta. AstraZeneca, Memorial Health System, Sun Life Financial, BT Group, Farmers Insurance and Mercado Libre are among the global business leaders that trust Aware for contextual intelligence. Aware is consistently recognized by Gartner analysts as a market leading vendor, distinguished in 2022 reports: Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Information Archiving; Market Guide for Insider Risk Management Solutions; Market Guide for Voice of the Employee Solutions; Vendor Identification for Data Loss Prevention Toolkit. Learn more at www.awarehq.com.

Media Contact

Lee Regal

Lumina Communications for Aware

[email protected]

SOURCE Aware
Network Expansion Provides Mission-Critical Connectivity from Santa Clara to San Jose in the Bay Area

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bandwidth Infrastructure Group (Bandwidth IG) is increasing connectivity capabilities for the data center-rich San Francisco Bay Area with the expansion of its dark fiber network. The addition of a third fully diverse route provides critical fiber infrastructure from Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Great Oaks area of San Jose. The newest route delivers much-needed dark-fiber access to enterprises and data centers in one of the most dynamic markets in the world.

Approximately 300 MW of additional data center capacity is under development in the Silicon Valley market, according to Cushman & Wakefield . The growth demonstrates the immense need for reliable infrastructure to connect compute locations, cloud providers, and network operators across the market. Bandwidth IG's expanded network gives hyperscalers, enterprises, and network operators access to newly built, 100% underground, and high-count dark fiber between data centers or from data centers to enterprises.

"With this expansion that connects Santa Clara to San Jose, Bandwidth IG becomes the go-to dark fiber provider with three fully diverse routes between Santa Clara and the Great Oaks area of San Jose," said Bruce Garrison, CEO of Bandwidth IG. "Santa Clara to Great Oaks is one of the most data-centric routes in Silicon Valley. We realized the imperative need of having multiple routes to keep up with demand and to provide true network optionality in the region."

The network expansion is the latest project that demonstrates Bandwidth IG's commitment to delivering more dark fiber services to the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the last three years, Bandwidth IG has built more than 200 route miles in the area. The company has plans to build another 90 route miles this year, positioning it to become one of the most dense and diverse networks in Silicon Valley.

Bandwidth IG's San Francisco Bay Area network is available at more than 65 data centers in the market. All of Bandwidth IG's dark fiber networks are newly built, 100% underground, and take the most direct route possible. The truly diverse routes ensure minimal overlap with incumbent networks and provide the new dark fiber choices Silicon Valley has needed, as one of the largest data center markets in the U.S.

To learn more about Bandwidth IG's networks and its diverse routes, visit www.bandwidthig.com .

About Bandwidth IG

Bandwidth Infrastructure Group (Bandwidth IG) is a metro dark fiber provider that offers high capacity, strategic, dark fiber networks to mission critical data centers, hyperscalers and enterprises throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Portland and Greater Atlanta areas. Bandwidth IG's 100% underground network meets critical data needs for enterprises and data centers who require quality, reliable connectivity options. Bandwidth IG's San Francisco Bay Area network offers more than 200 route miles and 65 data centers. The Greater Portland network has more than 15 route miles and 13 data centers, and the Greater Atlanta network has more than 80 route miles and 15 data centers. Bandwidth IG was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. Visit www.BandwidthIG.com to learn more.

SOURCE Bandwidth Infrastructure Group, LLC
SEATTLE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium Washington wine brand Browne Family Vineyards has planted over 50,000 trees in just 6 months as a part of the Browne Forest Project. In partnership with environmental non-profit One Tree Planted, the Browne Forest Project plants one tree for every bottle sold with a pledge to plant one million trees as a part of the program.

Browne Family Vineyards - Forest Project Andrew and Courtney Browne, proprietors of Browne Family Vineyards, plant trees with their children in support of the Browne Forest Project Andrew and Courtney Browne, proprietors of Browne Family Vineyards, plant trees with their children in support of the Browne Forest Project

The Browne Forest Project was identified as a small way Browne Family Vineyards could support the fight against climate change, something that has greatly affected the wine industry in recent years. The initial plantings are taking place in the Stanislaus National Forest in California within the footprint of the 2013 Rim Fire with additional plantings planned in support of the Cougar Creek wildfire area in Entiat, Washington.

"The Browne Forest Project started as a personal mission given recent impacts due to climate change on our vineyards and grapes," said Andrew Browne, co-proprietor Browne Family Vineyards. "We quickly learned this mission was one shared by many consumers and Browne Family wine drinkers, as so many opted for the environmentally sustainable option. We're eager to continue planting trees and reinvesting into the environment that helped produce this project."

The Browne Forest Project takes its carbon footprint into account with its packaging: bottles are 31 percent lighter than a standard- heavyweight bottle reducing the energy required for transit and production. Cartons for shipping these wines come from responsibly managed forests (per the Forest Stewardship Council) and by using a label-free design Browne Family has saved over 540,000 paper labels in the first year of production.

In celebration of this milestone, Browne Family Vineyards has released the Browne Forest Project 2022 Columbia Valley White Blend. Select Browne Forest Project wines are available at retailers across the country, including Target, Safeway/Albertsons, Kroger, Met Market, Cost Plus and Save Mart, as well as Browne Family Vineyards tasting rooms.

Members of the Browne Family Wine & Spirits Clubs are welcomed and encouraged to participate in recurring tree-planting events to connect with nature, give back to the community, support healthy native habitats and propel change. Join today at https://brownefamilyvineyards.com/wine-club/.

About Browne Family Vineyards

Browne Family Vineyards is a family-owned winery committed to world-class wine production in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington. Inspired by the greatness of one man, William Bitner Browne, late grandfather of proprietor Andrew Browne, the winery is a dream that has been many years in the making.

In 2022, Browne Family introduced Browne Family Spirits, an exclusive spirits collection of handcrafted, local-sourced spirits and bitters. The collection is available at Browne Family Distillery in Spokane and Browne Family Vineyards Bellevue and Tacoma.

Browne Family Vineyards is dedicated to building meaningful relationships with our customers and partners through innovative new wines, exciting collaborations, and customer nirvana. Visit www.brownefamilyvineyards.com or follow them on Instagram @brownefamilyvineyards.

About One Tree Planted

One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Since 2014, One Tree Planted has worked with partners across 43+ companies, and more than doubled the number of trees planted each year. As of 2021, over 40 million trees have been planted globally.

SOURCE Browne Family Vineyards
OMAHA, Neb., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kutak Rock is pleased to announce that Buck Heim has been elected regional managing partner of the firm's offices in Omaha, Minneapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia effective April 1. He succeeds Mike Curry, who has served in the position since 2008.

Buck Heim

"I am privileged and excited to serve in this leadership role and am committed to building on the momentum and success of the regional offices that Mike has commendably led for the past 15 years. Mike has served as a valued mentor to me throughout my career and I look forward to his continued support during this transition," remarked Heim. "Kutak Rock is home to deeply talented lawyers and professional staff who are fully committed to the firm and its clients. I look forward to working with and supporting our attorneys and staff as we continue to strategically grow our business together through exceptional service to our local, regional and national clients."

"For more than two decades, Buck has been an instrumental part of the Omaha office and has shown an unwavering commitment to client service and to working with his colleagues to enhance our firm's success," John Petr, Chair of Kutak Rock, observed. "I look forward to working with Buck in his new capacity as we focus on assisting our partners to deepen our client relationships, preserve our distinctive culture and grow our business."

Mike Curry, outgoing managing partner for the Omaha Regional Office, noted, "Having known and worked with Buck for more than 25 years, I am confident that Buck's leadership and guidance will facilitate the continued growth and expansion of our local, regional and national practices. He is a proven leader and, in the tradition and spirit of Bob Kutak, Harold Rock, George Krauss and David Jacobson, he is steeped in our culture of inclusion, mutual respect and unrelenting client service. I wish him the very best in his new role." Curry continued, "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the Omaha Regional Office managing partner. I am thankful to all for their trust and support over the years."

"We also want to thank Mike for his 15 years of dedication and exemplary service to Kutak Rock as Omaha Regional Managing Partner," said Petr. "His concern for and investment in the success of every member of the region, his deeply appreciated insights and guidance as a mentor, and his understanding of and commitment to the firm and its culture as a whole have had an immeasurable impact on the office and the firm."

Heim represents clients in a variety of real estate, corporate and transactional matters, with an emphasis in commercial real estate and a particular focus on healthcare-related real estate transactions. In addition to his real estate practice, Heim represents nonprofit organizations, including both private foundations and public charities, on various tax, governance and related matters.

Heim joined Kutak Rock in 1997, was elected partner in 2001 and has served in leadership roles with the firm's real estate and healthcare practice groups since 2008. Outside of Kutak Rock, Heim has most recently served on the boards of Habitat for Humanity and Marian High School and frequently represents local charitable organizations on a pro bono basis. Heim earned a B.A. from the University of Nebraska and a J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He is admitted to practice in Nebraska.

About Kutak Rock LLP

With a footprint spanning 19 offices in 14 states and the District of Columbia, Kutak Rock's 550+ attorneys work seamlessly to provide clients excellent, responsive legal services. The firm's multidisciplinary practice comprises more than 25 areas of focus and dozens of discrete specialties. For more information, see www.KutakRock.com.

SOURCE Kutak Rock LLP
Rep. Brian Higgins is inviting high school students in the 26th Congressional District to take part in the annual Congressional Art Competition. The winner will be displayed in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Students living in the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Tonawanda can participate, as well as those in the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, Grand Island, Tonawanda, West Seneca, Cambria, Lewiston, Lockport, Niagara, Pendleton, Porter, Wheatfield and Wilson.

Artwork should be submitted by April 18 to Higgins' office in the Larkin at Exchange Building, 726 Exchange St., Suite 601. Western New York themes are encouraged.

All submissions will be displayed in the lobby of the Larkin at Exchange Building from April 24 to May 8 and on Higgins' social media accounts. Families will be invited to a reception May 8, when winners will be announced. Judges from the local art community will select the winning artwork.

The winning student and a guest will receive complimentary airline tickets to a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 20 in Washington, D.C., along with the winners from other districts.

For more information, call Higgins' office at 716-852-3501 or visit higgins.house.gov/services/art-competition.
STOCKHOLM, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NeoDynamics AB (publ) held an Extraordinary General Meeting today on 3 April 2023. The Extraordinary General Meeting resolved in accordance with the following

Authorization

The boards proposal to authorize the board of directors to, on one or several occasions during the period up to the next annual general meeting, increase the Company's share capital through issues of new shares, warrants and/or convertible instruments, obtained 62% of the votes which is less than the required two thirds majority.

Adoption of new Articles of Association

The Extraordinary General Meeting resolved to adopt a new Articles of Association where the limits for the share capital ( 4) and the limits for the number of shares ( 5) are changed, as regards the share capital to a ratio of SEK 12,000,000 to SEK 48,000,000 and as regards the number of shares to a ratio of 120,000,000 to 480,000,000 shares.

Board election

The Extraordinary General Meeting also resolved that the board of directors, for the period until the end of the next annual general meeting, shall consist of four directors (previously six) and no deputy directors (unchanged) and to re-elect Ingrid Salen (chairman), Carina Bolin, Claes Pettersson and Matthew E. Colpoys, Jr.

This disclosure contains information that NeoDynamics is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 03-04-2023 17:53 CET.

CONTACT:

For further information, please contact:

Anna Eriksrud, CEO NeoDynamics AB, phone +46708 444 966 or e-mail [email protected]

Aaron Wong, CFO NeoDynamics AB, phone +46735 972 011 or e-mail [email protected]

SOURCE NeoDynamics
HOUSTON and TUPELO, Miss., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) will release its first-quarter 2023 earnings on Monday, April 24, 2023, after the close of the financial markets. It will also hold its earnings webcast on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. CT.

The webcast will be a live coverage of management's conference call with analysts and can be found by visiting: https://app.webinar.net/9Jm1QxLQ5vl . This will be an interactive session between management and analysts; others may listen to the live broadcast as it happens. The conference call will also be available in archived format at the same address.

About Cadence Bank

Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) is a leading regional banking franchise with approximately $50 billion in assets and about 400 branch locations across the South and Texas. Cadence provides consumers, businesses and corporations with a full range of innovative banking and financial solutions. Services and products include consumer banking, consumer loans, mortgages, home equity lines and loans, credit cards, commercial and business banking, treasury management, specialized lending, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, equipment financing, correspondent banking, SBA lending, foreign exchange, wealth management, investment and trust services, financial planning, retirement plan management, and personal and business insurance. Cadence is committed to a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion in both its workplace and communities. Cadence Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

SOURCE Cadence Bank
National Humanities Center Events to Consider Perils and Promise of Humanities' Future

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As we think about what the future holds, the situation seems increasingly dire. Authoritarianism has been surging around the globe, the ravages of climate change appear to be accelerating, and we are confronted with ever-widening fractures among political, economic, and cultural groups.

Can the humanities help us address 21st-century challenges and forge a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world? Tweet this Can the Humanities Save Us From Ourselves?

What role might the humanities play in helping us address the challenges we face and find common ground? Can they help us forge a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world? Is any of that even possible with humanities majors in decline and humanities insights being ignored and even attacked in some places?

On Tuesday, April 4, the National Humanities Center (NHC) will take up these and other questions with acclaimed author Amitav Ghosh (The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable; The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis); Shelly Lowe , chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and award-winning historian Nancy MacLean from Duke University. They will participate in a panel discussion on "Planning Inclusive Futures: The Next Decade of the Humanities," led by NHC President and Director Robert D. Newman at the National Humanities Center. Their discussion will be live streamed via the National Humanities Center's YouTube channel. Later that evening, Amitav Ghosh will deliver a keynote address at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on the campus of North Carolina State University.

These events are part of the National Humanities Center's series "Restoring Our Vitality: The Heart of the Matter and the Future of the Humanities" presented jointly with the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, RTI International, North Carolina Humanities, Research Triangle Park, the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, North Carolina State University, and the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. This series of conversations, which has been held throughout the spring, celebrates the ten-year anniversary of the landmark Heart of the Matter report and reflects on the issues it raised a decade ago about the state of the humanities and social sciences in the United States. In addition, they have provided a forum for pondering both the current set of challenges facing humanities institutions and practices but also for imagining how we might forge a path forward using the humanities to build more innovative and resilient communities.

The National Humanities Center is the world's only independent institute dedicated exclusively to advanced study in all areas of the humanities. Through its residential fellowship program, the Center provides scholars with the resources necessary to generate new knowledge and to further understanding of all forms of cultural expression, social interaction, and human thought. Through its education programs, the Center strengthens teaching on the collegiate and pre-collegiate levels. Through public engagement intimately linked to its scholarly and educational programs, the Center promotes understanding of the humanities and advocates for their foundational role in a democratic society.

Media Contact:

Don Solomon, Director of Communications

919-406-0120

[email protected]

SOURCE National Humanities Center
Europe's leading cannabis conference returns to London as adult-use cannabis markets accelerate toward legalization

LONDON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Changing attitudes towards cannabis, economic forces, and heightened sensitivity of social justice issues are just a few of the factors turning the tide of adult-use legalization in Europe. Sales of legal, adult-use cannabis in Europe are forecast to reach 1.6 billion by 2027, as European adult-use markets in Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland and the Netherlands develop.

Over the same period of time, there will be exponential growth of the medical cannabis patient population in countries like France, the UK and Poland, pushing the total number of medical cannabis patients in Europe to an estimated 1.43 million -- a 234% increase over the forecast period (2023-2027).

It is amid this backdrop that Cannabis Europa, Europe's leading cannabis policy event, returns to London on May 2-3, 2023, at the Barbican Centre in London. The annual event will bring together over 1,500 policymakers, industry operators, investors and advocates from over 37 nations to discuss the state of the industry and the global opportunities emerging in the region.

Dorien Rookmaker, MEP for The Netherlands who will appear on the panel "EU Better Believe It," noted that there are big questions ahead for the industry. "The expanding legalization of the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana has created enormous opportunities worldwide. International standards and improvement of legislation is of high importance. What are the next steps?"

Cannabis Europa will analyze the key drivers of growth for the market, as well as the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Chief among them is the timing of legalization across Europe and how regulations will impact the speed and growth of the market.

"Even if it feels slow, Europe is on its way to create a new way of dealing with cannabis - fair, accessible, but still highly regulated," said Dirk Heitepriem, Deputy Chairman German Cannabis Industry Association, who will speak on the "State of Play Session: Germany."

The European cannabis market has historically been more stringent than the U.S. in terms of product diversity and access, even for medical use, and that is unlikely to change even as laws surrounding the substance evolve for safety reasons. Even so, the combined sales of CBD, medical and adult-use cannabis will reach almost 6.5 billion by 2027, according to a forthcoming report from Prohibition Partners, the group behind Cannabis Europa.

"Prohibition seems to be failing completely in the cannabis sector and the market has not only settled down but is also growing. That is why we need to find better instruments of control. A strictly regulated market can regulate what is produced where by whom and how much is sold. A total ban cannot do this," explains the Czech National Drug Coordinator, Jindrich Voboril. "A regulated market has a higher potential for prevention of harms."

The two-day agenda will feature a prestigious group of advocates, innovators, policymakers and investors engaging in meaningful conversations about how to drive this market forward. Ticket prices for the conference begin at 420 for the general 2-day conference and expo ticket. VIP tickets are available for 720 and include a networking breakfast the morning of May 2nd and a drinks reception in the beautiful Barbican Conservatory on May 3rd. Upgraded tickets also include access to an exclusive VIP networking lounge and complimentary food and beverage across both days. If you want to obtain tickets at the lowest price, please click here .

About Cannabis Europa

Since 2018, Cannabis Europa has been the premier cannabis event in Europe, drawing over 1,500 attendees from more than 37 countries for two days of industry insights and networking. At this event, participants have a unique chance to connect with influential leaders from successful cannabis companies, investors who are actively investing in the market, and important policymakers. This potent combination of industry expertise, financial acumen, and political influence is precisely what the European cannabis industry needs to progress. To learn more about Cannabis Europa and register for the event, please visit their website at www.cannabis-europa.com .

MEDIA CONTACT

MATTIO Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Cannabis Europa
Twenty Students Named to the All-USA Academic Team for Academic Excellence and Improving their Communities

BOSTON and JACKSON, Miss., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty of the nation's top college students have been named to the 2023 All-USA Academic Team and will each receive a $5,000 scholarship.

Students were selected for their intellectual rigor, academic achievement, leadership, and civic growth, and for extending their educational experiences to better themselves, their colleges, and their surrounding communities. These students were nominated by their colleges for the scholarship program.

The 2023 All USA Academic team, sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, the American Association of Community Colleges and Cengage.

The 2023 All-USA Academic Team is sponsored by education technology provider Cengage, with additional support from Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). In addition to the scholarship, Team members receive a special medallion, and their college presidents receive a commemorative obelisk in recognition of their leadership. The All-USA Academic Team will be officially introduced and recognized during the American Association of Community Colleges' annual convention today in Denver.

"Community colleges play an important role in providing affordable education that helps students transition successfully to the workforce," said Edwin Robles, Senior Vice President and General Manager, US Higher Education and Canada, Cengage. "Despite community colleges having the steepest enrollment declines since the pandemic, they are also among the most innovative in taking steps to make learning more flexible, affordable and accessible. We are deeply inspired by the achievements of this year's All-USA Academic Team as they truly represent the power and joy of learning. We are proud to support these students and their institutions and can't wait to see what they can achieve next."

The All-USA program is widely recognized as the most prestigious academic honor for students seeking an associate degree or credential, and this year, more than 2,400 students were nominated for this award.

"The All-USA Academic Team represents the very best students from our nation's community colleges," said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. "They are smart students, but this award is about more than being smart. These students, in addition to their work, family, and life responsibilities, have made it a priority to create positive change both on campus and in their communities. We thank Cengage for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures."

The members of the 2023 All-USA Academic Team are:

Carlen Arevalo , Miami Dade College (FL)

, Miami Dade College (FL) Brendan Batchelder , Paris Junior College (TX)

, (TX) Albino Canales, III , Western Nebraska Community College (NE)

, (NE) David Cassidy , Coconino Community College (AZ)

, College (AZ) Jordan Chapin , Northeast Texas Community College (TX)

, (TX) Tatiana Cherry , Calhoun Community College (AL)

, (AL) Sarah Crespo , Ivy Tech Community College (IN)

, (IN) Juan Dills , Rose State College (OK)

, (OK) An Ha, Mt. San Antonio College (CA)

College (CA) James Keller , Northeast Alabama Community College (AL)

, College (AL) Zachariah Knapp , Phoenix College (AZ)

, (AZ) Maren Larsen , Northeast Iowa Community College (IA)

, (IA) Carine Medellus, Union College (NJ)

(NJ) Kira Okuma , Pima Community College (AZ)

, (AZ) Bhavi Pandya , Pellissippi State Community College (TN)

, Pellissippi State Community College (TN) Jacqueline Pecker, Palm Beach State College, Boca Raton Campus (FL)

Kelly Pilotte , NHTI - Concord's Community College (NH)

, NHTI - Community College (NH) Malachi Steward , University of Arkansas - Pulaski Tech (AR)

, - (AR) Holly Stiebel , Santa Monica College (CA)

, (CA) Parmesh Thakoordial, Schenectady County Community College (NY)

To learn more about the All-USA Academic Scholarship, click here.

About Cengage

Cengage, the U.S. Higher Education business of global education technology company Cengage Group, serves millions of instructors, learners and institutions. We deliver affordable, high-quality digital products and personalized support to power learning individually and at scale. Our customer-centered approach enables innovation, including Cengage Unlimited, the first and only all-access digital subscription for textbooks and course materials. Our textbooks, homework tools, and flagship online learning platforms, MindTap and WebAssign, help educators and students achieve their goals. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

About the American Association of Community Colleges

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation's community colleges. The association represents more than 1,100 two-year, associate degree-granting institutions and more than 12 million students.

About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation's colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.

SOURCE Cengage
Fred Eppinger to assume role of Chairman of the Centene Board

Wayne DeVeydt to assume role of Chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee

Orlando Ayala, Richard Gephardt and William Trubeck to retire from the Board effective May 10, 2023

ST. LOUIS, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that Fred Eppinger will assume the role of Chairman of the Centene Board of Directors, and Wayne DeVeydt will assume the role of Chairman of the Audit and Compliance Committee. Both changes are effective as of March 31, 2023.

"With over 30 years of executive and insurance industry experience and a deep knowledge of Centene, Fred Eppinger is dedicated to accelerating the important work underway to transform the health of the communities we serve. His leadership will help ensure Centene delivers value to our shareholders while remaining anchored in our long-standing mission to serve the underserved," said Sarah M. London, Chief Executive Officer of Centene. "I also look forward to Wayne's continued contributions to the Board from his new role as we continue to enhance our capital deployment strategy and position the company for long-term growth."

Mr. Eppinger currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Stewart Information Services Company and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Hanover Insurance Group, Inc., where he led Hanover from a regional enterprise to a global property and casualty carrier.

James Dallas announced on August 1, 2022 he would retire as Chairman of the Board prior to the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Mr. Dallas will remain on the Centene Board of Directors and serve as a member of the Audit and Compliance and the Value Creation Committees. In addition, and as previously announced, Orlando Ayala, Richard Gephardt and William Trubeck will retire from the Board on May 10, 2023.

"I want to thank James for guiding the Centene Board of Directors through a significant evolution of the company's governance structure," said London. "His support and leadership have been instrumental in executing on this important work, and I am grateful for his continued service to the company."

"I would also like to thank Orlando, Dick and Bill for their contributions to the company's success over the years," added London. "Their leadership and guidance have helped Centene build a strong and successful platform across government-sponsored healthcare programs while positioning the company for long-term success."

About Centene Corporation

Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach  with local brands and local teams  to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace and the TRICARE program. The Company also contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and value creation as well as the development of its people, systems, and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners.

Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, https://investors.centene.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof). Centene (the Company, our, or we) intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with these safe-harbor provisions. In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, value creation strategy, competition, expected activities in connection with completed and future acquisitions and dispositions, our investments, and the adequacy of our available cash resources. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments, and other factors we believe appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are subject to change because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, including economic, regulatory, competitive, and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables, and events including, but not limited to: our ability to design and price products that are competitive and/or actuarially sound including but not limited to any impacts resulting from Medicaid redeterminations; our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star ratings and maintain or achieve improvement in other quality scores in each case that can impact revenue and future growth; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves, including fluctuations in medical utilization rates; competition, including our ability to reprocure our contracts and grow organically; the timing and extent of benefits from our value creation strategy, including the possibility that the benefits received may be lower than expected, may not occur, or will not be realized within the expected time periods; disruption, unexpected costs, or similar risks from business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and changes in our relationships with third parties; impairments to real estate, investments, goodwill, and intangible assets; the risk that the election of new directors, changes in senior management, and any inability to retain key personnel may create uncertainty or negatively impact our ability to execute quickly and effectively; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies, and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; inflation; changes in economic, political, or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to as the ACA) and any regulations enacted thereunder; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal, foreign, and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including, but not limited to, Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE, or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of legal or regulatory proceedings or matters, including, but not limited to, our ability to resolve claims and/or allegations made by states with regard to past practices, including at Centene Pharmacy Services (formerly Envolve Pharmacy Solutions, Inc. (Envolve)), as our pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) subsidiary, within the reserve estimate we previously recorded and on other acceptable terms, or at all, or whether additional claims, reviews or investigations will be brought by states, the federal government or shareholder litigants, or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions or dispositions; any changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price, and accretion for acquisitions or dispositions; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; a downgrade of the credit rating of our indebtedness; the availability of debt and equity financing on terms that are favorable to us; foreign currency fluctuations; and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that Centene has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition, and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs.

SOURCE Centene Corporation
Enter for Chance to Win a $25,000 Eco Charger Electric ATV in the latest 5-hour ENERGY Promotion

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer will be here in a snap, and the makers of 5-hour ENERGY products want fans to be ready with an exciting new flavor and summer-themed promotion. The Hawaiian Breeze Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY shot takes customers on taste of the tropics with its island-inspired flavors of passionfruit, orange and guava. In addition to launching a new flavor, customers will be encouraged to enter the 5-hour ENERGY Charge Up Your Summer Sweepstakes for a chance to win an Eco Charger Electric ATV (E-ATV).

(PRNewsfoto/5-hour ENERGY) Hawaiian Breeze Extra Strength 5-hour ENERGY shots (PRNewsfoto/5-hour ENERGY)

"The latest 5-hour ENERGY flavor innovation is already a customer hit," said Jeff Sigouin, president and chief operations officer of 5-hour ENERGY. "The Hawaiian Breeze flavor was introduced at the National Association of Convenience Stores Annual Convention in October, where retailers were able to sample the flavor and preview in-store display boxes. Buzz is building about how great this new flavor tastes and the unique sweepstakes prize."

Available in the extra strength formula featuring B-vitamins, amino acids, nutrients, and 230 mg of caffeine, Hawaiian Breeze flavor is preloaded into 5-hour ENERGY Charge Up Your Summer Sweepstakes in-store displays. The new flavor also will be highlighted in national advertisements for the promotion. For retailers, the sweepstakes offers a great way to drive customer traffic and interest in the new Hawaiian Breeze flavor. The campaign encourages fans to "Charge Up Your Summer" with an opportunity to win a E-ATV valued at $25,000. The Eco Charger Lithium Prestige is an 'all electric' alternative to traditional 'Gas' driven quads at every level of performance & endurance. With less time fueling up, fans will have more time to blaze the mountain trails or cruise along the beaches.

To learn more about the 5-hour ENERGY Charge Up Your Summer Sweepstakes, visit www.5HEcharge.com.

About 5-hour ENERGY

Living Essentials launched its 5-hour ENERGY brand in 2004. The effective formula is found in its iconic shot and a 16-ounce carbonated drink. Trusted by hard-working people to get them through a hectic day, 5-hour ENERGY products are widely available in convenience, grocery, retail, club stores, and online outlets.

SOURCE 5-hour ENERGY
CHEMEON, an environmentally responsible global leader and provider of surface engineering treatments and solutions, including patented MIL-SPEC chemistry CHEMEON eTCP conversion coating and anodic seal with a distinct color for visual verification that parts are coated and protected, demonstrates its continued commitment to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy.

MINDEN, Nev. and KRAKOW, Poland, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over one year ago, the world has changed for over 40 million Ukrainian people. Across the border from Ukraine, in Poland, JCC Krakow turned into a full-scale humanitarian relief agency. Since the moment the war began, JCC Krakow has directly rescued and supported over two hundred thousand Ukrainians.

JCC Krakow has supported over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees so far. Madylon and Dean Meiling, and CHEMEON, thank you for helping Ukrainian families like Kateryna's. Please join the Meilings in support of the heroic humanitarian relief efforts of JJC Krakow. Donate now: friendsofjcckrakow.org/ukraine

In North America, CHEMEON CEO Dr. Madylon Meiling was researching organizations and programs that were providing critical assistance to women and children forced to leave their homes and seek safety in countries that would accept refugees. "My first instinct was to stop the war, and I couldn't. It was difficult for me to watch this horrific war escalate and do nothing. With more than six million Ukrainians fleeing their country, I was looking for ways to help the refugees," said Dr. Meiling.

Learning of the humanitarian work and extraordinary results being accomplished by JCC Krakow, the Meilings met with Jonathan Ornstein, Executive Director, to discuss the current Ukrainian refugee situation in Poland. Ornstein shared how JCC Krakow has become a life-saving resource for Ukrainians forced to leave their war-torn country, and the Meilings immediately offered financial and fundraising support.

"Our center has become a lifeline for upwards of 1,000 refugees a day, almost all of whom are women and children. It is extremely costly for us to keep up our efforts feeding, housing, and providing an array of necessary social services to them, and we are fully dependent on donations to do so. Madylon and Dean Meiling, and CHEMEON, have become incredibly involved with our efforts and their support is enabling our work to continue," said Ornstein.

Dean Meiling is currently working with the CHEMEON Leadership Team to identify Ukrainian construction needs and has offered the CHEMEON product line of surface treatments for increased corrosion protection to Ukrainian contractors and suppliers. CHEMEON will provide its proprietary and patented metal finishing chemistry to US and European glass and window frame manufacturers for use in treating aluminum window frames. Since the invasion, Ukraine has been relying on US and European suppliers.

The Meilings invite partners in industry, chemical manufacturers, and the general public to join their support of JCC Krakow in providing critical services and programs to Ukrainian refugees. CHEMEON welcomes your partnership in helping Ukraine to stand strong and recover quickly. Contact [email protected].

Please consider a generous gift, and know that all donation amounts are greatly appreciated and needed.

Donate Online: https://www.friendsofjcckrakow.org/support

Or in the U.S. you can donate by check: (when donating, please write "Ukraine" in the comment box or in the memo line of a check)

Make checks payable to:

Friends of JCC Krakow

74 Lafayette Ave., Suite 101

Suffern, NY 10901

About JCC Krakow-

JCC Krakow is a key provider of services, a strategic partner, and a convener, having directly helped and supported over two hundred thousand Ukrainians over the last year. They function 7 days a week as a distribution point for food, medicine, hygienic supplies, toys, and clothing, feeding an average of 600 people daily. It is operating in Krakow and inside Ukraine and does not differentiate between Jews and non-Jews when providing support. Over 98% of Ukrainians who have received support from JCC Krakow are non-Jews. Friends of JCC Krakow Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization and donations are tax deductible. EIN 46-5714234

https://www.friendsofjcckrakow.org/ukraine

About CHEMEON-

CHEMEON Surface Technology is a HUBZone certified, global leader in advanced, environmentally responsible, surface engineering solutions, including patented MIL-SPEC chemistry CHEMEON eTCP Powder, Touch-Up Pen, RTU conversion coating that provides a distinct color for visual verification that your parts are coated and protected. CHEMEON is licensed by the US Navy to manufacture and provide the MIL-DTL Trivalent Chromium Process for conversion coatings and anodic seal, which includes CHEMEON TCP-HF (Hex Free), CHEMEON TCP-HF SP (Spray), and TCP-HF Touch-Up Pen. CHEMEON's licensed, patented, and proprietary chemistries consist of CHEMEON TCP-HF EPA (Extended Protection Additive), CHEMEON Cleaner 4100, CHEMEON TCP-NP (No Prep), Magnesium Cleaner and Activator, Anodizing Additives AA-200 and AA-230. CHEMEON also provides a full line of anodizing pre and post-treatments, additives, and dyes including the CHEMEON Deep Black MLW, custom R&D, consulting, and university-level metal surface finishing training. https://chemeon.com

SOURCE CHEMEON Surface Technology
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Rite Aid Corporation ("Rite Aid") (NYSE: RAD) shareholders:

The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between April 26, 2018 and March 13, 2023.

If you suffered a loss on your investment in Rite Aid, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.

https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/rite-aid-class-action-submission-form?prid=38037&wire=4

ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Rite Aid includes allegations that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) until at least June 2019, Rite Aid filled at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including for potentially lethal opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl; (2) Rite Aid pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear "red flags" that indicated that the prescriptions were unlawful; (3) Rite Aid ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the False Claims Act; (5) as a result, it was at risk of prosecution by federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice; and (6) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times.

DEADLINE: May 19, 2023

Aggrieved Rite Aid investors only have until May 19, 2023 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.

Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Vincent Wong, Esq.

39 East Broadway

Suite 304

New York, NY 10002

Tel. 212.425.1140

E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced that it has been recognized as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023 by Newsweek. This award underscores Conagra's focus and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in its workplace and communities.

Newsweek partnered with Plant-A Insights to evaluate companies on various topics including proactive management of a diverse workforce, work-life balance, sustainability and awareness, compensation and benefits, training and career progression, working environment and company image.

"Advancing on our diversity and inclusion journey will make Conagra an even stronger, high-performing business  a place where different perspectives energize people to innovate, create and deliver their best efforts," said Henry Jones, senior director of diversity and inclusion at Conagra Brands. "We are proud to be recognized as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek, and we will continue to embrace inclusivity to help shape our culture and drive positive impact within Conagra, in business and society."

Conagra's diversity and inclusion efforts support three key drivers of representation and retention: recruitment, advocacy and development. Together, these serve as the building blocks for driving meaningful change within the organization by diversifying its workforce, creating authentic community relationships, and providing education and training opportunities to invest in underrepresented talent and build connections across cultures.

For more information on Conagra's diversity and inclusion efforts, please see the company's Citizenship Report .

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.ConagraBrands.com.

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA:

Tim Wrona

708-495-1119

SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.
Anjanette Piotrowski was one of those people who never could catch a break.

Police said she was born in 1973 to a heroin-addicted mother, who passed on the addiction to Anjanette. Growing up in Saginaw, Mich., she suffered abuse as a child. Then, as a teenager and young adult, she had a series of bad relationships with men, her adoptive family told The Buffalo News.

Town of Hamburg police believe her short and tragic life ended on Oct. 17, 1994, when the 21-year-old woman  who worked two jobs  disappeared.

That day, a witness saw Piotrowski, wrapped in a blanket and looking disoriented, in her car at an auto repair shop with a man police identified as Ronald Erhardt, 61, of Orchard Park.

Erhardt said he and Piotrowski drove later that morning to Broderick Park on the Niagara River on Buffalos West Side. Police said Erhardt told them that Piotrowski angrily ordered him out of her car after they got into an argument.

Twenty-nine years later, detectives say they believe that Erhardt killed Piotrowski. Her body was never found and nobody ever heard from her after that day.

We strongly believe he did it, but we cannot say that were absolutely certain, said Detective Sgt. Howard Widman, who continues to work on the cold case. At this point, we still want to find Anjanettes body, to bring some kind of closure to her family. There is also the possibility that some kind of accomplice was involved.

Erhardt, who denied any involvement when questioned twice by police, will never be arrested. He died of an illness in Louisville, Ky., in 2014.

Ronald Erhardt's widow, Norma Erhardt, told The News she disputes the police accusation against her late husband.

"The Hamburg police were always convinced he did it. They asked me about it several times over the years," Norma Erhardt told The News on March 30.

She said she asked her husband about the murder in 2014 when he was on his deathbed.

"I said, 'Did you kill Anjanette?' " the widow recalled. "He said, 'No, I was only trying to help her.' "

Investigators confirmed that they recently questioned one of Ronald Erhardts sons  David Erhardt, 53  about Piotrowskis disappearance.

Investigators do not believe David Erhardt or anyone else other than Ronald Erhardt was involved in the disappearance of Piotrowski, Widman said.

David Erhardt, who admitted that he made false claims that he was a secret agent for Homeland Security, was the central figure of a bizarre recent case at U.S. District Court.

Federal prosecutors said David Erhardt, who was already married, made those false claims over a period of several years while wooing a Buffalo woman and convincing her to become his fiancee.

On Jan. 31, a judge sentenced David Erhardt to six months in federal prison after he admitted to a misdemeanor crime of using a fake Homeland Security badge. Prosecutors dropped 27 felony charges against him before allowing him to plead to the single misdemeanor.

There was no connection between the interview David Erhardt gave to Hamburg police about the Piotrowski case and the plea deal he got at federal court, two law enforcement officials close to the case told The News.

Nothing that David Erhardt said to Hamburg police had any bearing on plea negotiations in his federal case, said Davids lawyer, Justin D. Ginter.

Hamburg police said Piotrowski was a Native American woman from Michigan who moved to Hamburg in early 1994 with her then-boyfriend, who was also a son of Ronald Erhardt.

After Piotrowski and the boyfriend broke up, she began a relationship with his father, a security guard who was four decades older than Piotrowski, police said.

Their relationship was stormy, and Ronald Erhardt often became angry when she dated other men her own age, recalled A. Daniel Shea, a retired Hamburg police captain who worked on the case for more than a decade.

In 34 years of police work, it may have been the most frustrating and disappointing case I ever worked, Shea said in an interview March 17. Frustrating because we were sure we knew who did it but could not get the evidence that the district attorney wanted from us.

Ronald Erhardt made a number of conflicting and self-incriminating statements that made police believe he was the killer, Shea and other law enforcement officials said.

On the day after Piotrowski disappeared, the elder Erhardt went to a motel where she had been staying and cleared everything out of her room, police said. Two days after that, he told a Lackawanna woman that Piotrowski had left town and was never coming back.

Anjanette told a friend that he would become extremely irate when he learned that she had been going out with other men, Shea recalled. Anjanette told her friend that sometimes, she would wake up and Ron was just standing next to her bed, staring at her.

Ron was a controlling, intimidating man, said retired Detective Sgt. Thomas M. Best Jr., who also worked on the case for a decade. We interviewed members of his family who were scared to death of him.

Police said Ronald Erhardt told detectives that he loved Piotrowski and would never harm her, insisting that he had no idea what happened to her. Police said he also told them he would put a bullet through the head of the killer if he ever found him.

On the morning Piotrowski disappeared, police said she and Erhardt drove separately to a Blasdell auto repair shop to drop off Erhardts car.

The repair shop owner told police that the usually cheerful and outgoing Piotrowski was sitting in the front seat of her car, wrapped up in a blanket and looking like she was out of it, Shea said.

Ronald Erhardt said he and Piotrowski drove to Broderick Park and went for a walk along the river. He said they got into an argument over money, and she ordered him out of her car, and he took a bus back to his Orchard Park home, according to a police report.

Police said they spoke to Metro Bus officials who could not verify that Erhardt got on a bus that day.

Piotrowskis car was later found in South Buffalo, not far from a bus route leading to Orchard Park, police said.

The repair shop owner told detectives that Ronald Erhardt showed up alone  wearing different clothes than he had worn that morning  when he picked up his car around 2 p.m.

Police said Piotrowski was a conscientious worker at a Southtowns restaurant and at an Orchard Park manufacturing plant, where she worked midnight shifts. Neither of her workplaces ever heard from her again.

On April 2, 1995  more than five months after she disappeared  police thought they might have located Piotrowskis body. The body of a woman, with no head or hands, was found in Lake Ontario, but police could never verify the identity.

Piotrowski had a troubled life, but the young woman was cherished by her large adoptive family, her stepmother told The News in a 1994 interview.

Hamburg police asked that anyone with information about Piotrowskis disappearance call Widman at 716-648-5111, Ext. 2603, or email hwidman@thpdny.org.

This was a sad case because this was a sweet young woman who was working hard, and we believe she was trying to start a new life for herself after some tough breaks, Shea said. That one still bothers me.
"CONBUD is a celebration of freedom as well as a reminder of the incredible price so many of us have had to pay for it." Tweet this

For many cannabis policy reform activists and entrepreneurs like Coss Marte, Alfredo Angueira, and Junior Martinez, New York's CAURD license program signals welcome progress for New York's drug war victims. CAURD licensees are the first retail dispensaries to open for legal adult-use cannabis sales in New York State, establishing businesses owned by justice-involved individuals as the bedrock of New York's burgeoning cannabis industry.

"During the War on Drugs, 85% of New York State's prison population was Black and Latino, and 75% came from just 7 neighborhoods in New York City," explained CONBUD co-founder and CCO Alfredo Angueira. "CONBUD was born by 3 Black and Latino individuals who were raised in 3 of these 7 neighborhoods. Not only have we experienced New York's criminal justice system firsthand, but we are committed to leveraging New York's recreational cannabis industry to bring much needed employment stability to those who have been affected by it." A lawyer, community advocate, and successful hospitality mogul, Angueira also spent two years teaching legal research skills to Rikers Island detainees, most of whom were pretrial defendants in custody for drug charges.

"CONBUD will be a dispensary, an interactive experience, and an opportunity for millions of cannabis consumers to confront New York's history while playing an active role in rewriting it," added CONBUD COO Junior Martinez who also spearheads NYC's award-winning Hoodspitality Group. "The 'B' in our logo was intentionally designed to resemble the number 13, which serves as a subtle reminder of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. CONBUD is a celebration of freedom as well as a reminder of the incredible price so many of us have had to pay for it." As fate would have it, CONBUD's awarded OCM CAURD license number is 000013.

For more information, visit CONBUD.COM

ABOUT CONBUD

New York has one all consuming habit: mass incarceration. We lock up a higher percentage of our people than almost any democracy on earth, and it all began in 1973 with the War on Drugs. Come say high , and we'll tell you all about it. Founded in 2022 by Coss Marte, Alfredo Anguiera and Junior Martinez, CONBUD is the world's first and only dispensary group run and operated by formerly incarcerated individuals. We are plant advocates, anti-recidivists, prison reform activists, community builders, and ex-convicts on a mission to provide New Yorkers with premium cannabis and New York's formerly incarcerated with second chances. Time spent in prison can reduce a person's lifetime earning potential by half a million dollars. In New York State alone, imprisonment translates to nearly $2 billion annually in reduced earnings, overwhelmingly extracted from communities of color. Each and every CONBUD sale is designed to help reduce New York's 43% recidivism rate by supporting a company that provides formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with employment opportunities in the cannabis industry. Out of prison should never mean out of work.

PRESS CONTACT:

HOLLY AUBRY

646.943.0541

[email protected]

SOURCE CONBUD
Good Goes On with Luke Bryan Encourages Consumers to Bring Goodness to the Table and be Inspired to Nurture Themselves and People They Care About

SMITHFIELD, Va., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithfield Foods' portfolio of consumer favorite brands are collaborating with country music superstar and television personality Luke Bryan to help recognize and uncover the good all around us, at the table to beyond.

Starting with the food we eat, the Good Goes On with Luke Bryan platform is setting out to help people discover how to best nurture themselves and be inspired to share the goodness with those around them through mealtimes, social gatherings and special occasions.

Luke Bryan joins forces with Smithfield Foods portfolio of brands for its Good Goes On campaign to help people recognize and uncover the good all around us, at the table to beyond.

The diverse portfolio of brands, including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan's Famous and Carando, has provided shoppers with convenient, dependable and delicious meal options for decades. We nourish families and individuals throughout each day, but more importantly, we bring people together to eat, feel, and share good experiences.

"I'm proud to kick off the Good Goes On program because there's always room for more good in the world," said Luke Bryan. "I'm a believer in finding the good in every day, having fun and spreading joy. We have a few surprises up our sleeves this year, so be sure to follow us as we continue to find ways you can spread the good in 2023!"

"Our brands are excited to partner with Luke Bryan to help continue our mission of bringing goodness to households through the food we provide," said Tim Zimmer, chief marketing officer for Smithfield Foods. "Over the years, we've enjoyed seeing that even small and simple acts of thoughtfulness can make a difference. This year, we're proud to join with Luke Bryan to focus on the good around the table and showcase how our brands help nurture the communities we serve across the nation."

To see what Luke Bryan will be up to next and stay up to date with Good Goes On, check out GoodGoesOn.com.

About Smithfield

Smithfield isn't only a leading provider of high-quality pork products. We're a leading provider of the most important part of any meal: premium, high-quality meat. And we take our meat duties seriously. After all, the rest of the meal is just a side dish. Smithfield products were first introduced in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, by people who lived for the love of meat. Today, the Smithfield brand stands for craftsmanship, authenticity, and pure passion as we continue to give meat lovers across the country the deliciousness they crave: our classic bacon, slow-smoked holiday hams, hand-trimmed ribs, marinated fresh pork, smoked meats, and even more meaty magic. All Smithfield products not only meet our customers' high flavor standards but also meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. All while being produced right here in the USA. To learn more about the Smithfield portfolio of products, please visit www.Smithfield.com and connect with us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc.

About Eckrich

Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to one of the most recognized premium deli and meat brands on the market today. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care, and pride. For more information, visit www.Eckrich.com. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Nathan's Famous

Nathan's Famous is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 16 foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Last year, over 700 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Carando

Nearly a century ago, founder Pietro Carando brought the Italian tradition of sausage-making from Torino, Italy, to America. Since then, the authentic Italian deli meats, fresh meatballs and sausages, and grab-n-go options of Carando have tied the name to quality. One taste is all it takes to discover the authentic Italian difference of Carando. For more information, visit www.carando.com or follow @carandomeats on Facebook and Instagram. Carando is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly." to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield, Eckrich, Gwaltney and Nathan's Famous, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Luke Bryan

Country music superstar and television personality Luke Bryan has released 30 No. 1 hits, sold 13 million albums, and garnered nearly 20 billion worldwide streams during his illustrious career. His headline concert tours have played sold-out shows for millions and millions of fans, and he has won 50+ major music awards, including five wins as Entertainer of the Year. In 2023, Luke Bryan is back for his sixth season as a celebrity judge on ABC's American Idol. Check out more about Luke Bryan on his website LukeBryan.com, and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders at 11:00 a.m. CDT, on Thursday, May 4, 2023. The meeting will be held at the Company's Home Office located at 9001 Liberty Parkway in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stockholders planning to attend the meeting will be asked to present valid picture identification, such as a driver's license or passport, and proof of stock ownership. Reporters planning to attend are requested to pre-register with Casey Winger by calling 205-970-5912 or emailing [email protected] no later than Friday, April 28, 2023.

For Encompass Health stockholders not able to attend the meeting and other interested parties, a live audio webcast can be accessed at https://investor.encompasshealth.com. Those interested may replay the audio webcast through an archived link on the same website following the meeting.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 156 hospitals in 37 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Casey Winger | 205-970-5912

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Mark Miller | 205-970-5860

[email protected]

SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.
Female employees account for approximately 31% of its global workforce, 22.7% of leadership positions, and one-quarter of promotion opportunities as of 2022

The proportion of female employees promoted has maintained a steady increase in the past three years

HUIZHOU, China, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EVE Energy, a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer, is promoting equal and inclusive workplace culture and environment in STEM industry to empower and support women in the industry of energy storage across the organization, in response to the continued global focus on DE&I (Diversity, Equality & Inclusion).

"EVE Energy has made great strides in promoting equal opportunities for women, resulting in the proportion of promotions among female employees has remained stable over the past three year," said Zhao ling, Vice President of Human Resources Center of EVE Power. "We are dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion, and firmly believe in the value of managing talent through equal and inclusive principles."

The company's current data shows that women comprise 31.0% of its workforce, including 32.1% of blue-collar employees and 28.3% of white-collar employees. Additionally, 22.7% of the company's leadership positions are held by women, and in 2022, women accounted for 25.88% of all promotions.

In the past year, EVE Energy has provided solid support for the career development of female employees. According to promotion data from 2022, the number of promotions for female employees accounted for 22.5% of total promotions, a 4.5% increase over the number of promotions for female employees in 2021, marking another year where female employee accounted for more than one-fifth of total promotions.

EVE Energy has already made significant progress toward gender equality within its organization, supporting the health and well-being of its female employees. The company provides a range of benefits, including half-day leave for International Women's Day, 98-days to 223-days maternity leave, and a caring nursing room for mothers. EVE Energy also organizes regular coffee chat sessions to listen to women's voices. Its hold craft events, lucky draws, and other events to relieve stress and provide care for female employees. The company also runs childcare classes during the winter and summer holidays to relieve the pressure of childcare in dual-income families. Woman employees can then pursue excellence in the workplace without any distractions.

Li Mufen, vice president of EVE Energy, has paved the ground of her career development in lithium battery business management for over 20 years, becoming an expert in her sub-business area and committed to cooperation between industry and academia as well as developing team leadership. She speaks out from a female-professional-perspective during the brand management strategy planning, as well as shaping the corporate management culture of compliance management. Li also pursues personal career development of her own volition, serving as director of the Huizhou New R&D Institution Development Association. In this role, she actively participates in social development and contributes to the high-quality development of the industry and the local community.

One of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals is that by 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), yet currently, women make up only one-third of the workforce in the world's 20 largest tech companies. In this regard, EVE Energy will further drive its DE&I practice within five key areas:

Equality on promotion opportunities: EVE Energy will set targets for the number of female managers/professionals across the company to foster a diverse, equal and inclusive workplace environment. Targeted Training: EVE Energy will offer specialized training and development opportunities to support women's career growth in STEM fields. The company will provide relevant materials and courses through its research institutes. Women's Benefits and Opportunities: EVE Energy is committed to providing equal opportunities and platforms for its female employees. The company will offer a range of benefits to support the unique needs of women in the workplace. Digital Empowerment: EVE Energy will explore how technology can help empower women in STEM and ensure equality and fairness in the workplace. The company will invest in digital tools and platforms to promote equal access to opportunities. Future Opportunities and Platforms: EVE Energy is committed to providing its female employees with access to opportunities and platforms to help them create the future they want. The company will work to promote a culture of innovation and creativity that supports women in STEM.

"We believe that gender diversity and equality are essential for driving innovation and success in the rapidly changing world of technology. Through dedicated practice, we aim to empower women in STEM, support gender diversity across our organization, and create a better future for all," Zhao ling said.

About EVE Energy

Founded in 2001 and listed in Shenzhen in 2009, EVE Energy has developed into a global player in the market, providing core technologies and comprehensive solutions for both consumer and power batteries, especially in the Internet of Things and the energy internet. Currently, EVE Energy has set up a research institute with 60 doctors and over 3,400 interdisciplinary R&D engineers in materials, electrochemistry, structure design, and electronic circuit design, obtained over 5,910 national patents in China. The company launched a carbon reduction roadmap with a series of low-carbon reduction efforts in energy use, the manufacturing process, the supply chain, and resource management, and was named a "National Green Factory." Meanwhile, EVE Energy leverages its BIM technology to provide accurate and reliable data for project management, saving a total of 2,533 tons of standard coal and reducing 16,000 tons of CO 2 emissions annually.

For more information about EVE Energy, please visit https://www.evebattery.com/en.

SOURCE EVE Energy Co., Ltd
New Line of Semi-Rigid Cable Assemblies and Connectors Is In-Stock with Same-Day Shipping

IRVINE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairview Microwave, an Infinite Electronics brand and a leading provider of on-demand RF, microwave and millimeter-wave components, has expanded its offering of semi-rigid cable assemblies and connectors designed to negate the need for any custom tooling or jigs in the production process.

FM's new line of semi-rigid cable assemblies and connectors is now in-stock and available with same-day shipping.

This new series of semi-rigid cable assemblies features superior shielding compared to their flexible counterparts. Their solid outer conductor semi-rigid coax design guarantees their forms are reliably held after bending, making them desirable for applications involving enclosure and/or box type layouts.

Fairview's customers can enjoy access to a variety of connector options, including Type N, SMA, 3.5 mm and more. There are also in-series and between-series options.

The expansion includes custom lengths for the cable assemblies along with multiple size options for addressing numerous applications. For example, there are smaller diameter options for higher frequencies and smaller housings, as well as larger diameter options for larger housings and lower loss scenarios.

"Our customers can tap into one of the most robust portfolios of semi-rigid cable assemblies and connectors available anywhere. They have the power to customize assemblies to meet their specific needs and no longer require any custom tooling or jigs in their production process," said Amar Ganwani, Product Line Manager.

Fairview's new semi-rigid coax cable assemblies and connectors are in-stock and available for same-day shipping. For inquiries, call +1-949-261-1920.

About Fairview Microwave:

A leading supplier of on-demand RF and microwave products since 1992, Fairview Microwave offers immediate delivery of RF components including attenuators, adapters, coaxial cable assemblies, connectors, terminations and much more. All products are shipped same-day from the company's ISO 9001:2015-certified production facilities in Lewisville, Texas. Fairview Microwave is an Infinite Electronics brand.

About Infinite Electronics:

Based in Irvine, Calif., Infinite Electronics offers a broad range of components, assemblies and wired/wireless connectivity solutions. It serves the aerospace/defense, industrial, government, consumer electronics, instrumentation, medical and telecommunications markets. Its brands are Pasternack, Fairview Microwave, L-com, MilesTek, ShowMeCables, NavePoint, INC Installs, Integra Optics, PolyPhaser, Transtector, KP Performance Antennas, RadioWaves and Aiconics. Infinite serves its global customers with deep technical expertise and support. Its broad inventory is available for immediate shipment, fulfilling unplanned demand for engineers and technical buyers. Infinite is a Warburg Pincus portfolio company.

Press Contact:

Peter McNeil

Fairview Microwave

17792 Fitch

Irvine, Calif. 92614

(978) 682-6936

SOURCE Fairview Microwave Inc.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

FCA Reports First-quarter 2023 US Sales Results

2023 total U.S. sales decline 9% in Q1 versus same period last year

Dodge brand total U.S. sales increase 24% versus same quarter last year

Dodge Charger up 43%; Dodge Challenger up 2% and Dodge Durango up 22% in total U.S. sales versus same quarter last year

Dodge Hornet G/T arriving at dealerships now

Chrysler brand up 10% in total U.S sales versus same quarter last year

Chrysler Pacifica up 10% and Chrysler 300 up 9% in total U.S. sales versus same quarter last year

Jeep Wrangler 4xe is *America's best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, followed closely by the Grand Cherokee 4xe at No. 2

Jeep Wrangler 4xe total U.S. sales increase 72% over same period last year; Wrangler 4xe accounts for 38% of total Wrangler sales in Q1 2023

Jeep Cherokee up 31% versus same quarter last year

Ram brand officially unveiled the all-electric Ram 1500 REV

Ram ProMaster sees its best ever Q1 total U.S. sales, up 90% versus same period last year

Ram ProMaster City sees its best ever Q1 total U.S. sales in first quarter, up 232% versus same quarter last year

FCA US LLC reports sales of 368,237 vehicles in the first quarter for 2023. Overall, total U.S. sales for the first quarter declined 9% versus the same period last year.

"As we continue to navigate the market conditions transpiring across the automotive industry, together with our dealer network, we are making the necessary adjustments to meet our customer's expectations," said U.S. Head of Sales Jeff Kommor. "We also continue to see strong demand for our plug-in hybrid vehicles, with the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe placing No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, as America's best-selling PHEV vehicles. And with the Alfa Romeo Tonale production start announced last week, in addition to the impending arrival of the Dodge Hornet R/T in dealerships this spring, we are excited to bring customers another addition to our electric offerings."

The Dodge brand saw total U.S. sales increase 24% versus same quarter last year. Sales of the Dodge Charger increased 43%; Dodge Challenger increased 2% and Dodge Durango was up 22% versus same quarter last year. Announcing its seventh and final "Last Call" special edition on Monday, March 20, during a spectacular helicopter landing in Las Vegas, Dodge fired up ordering last week for Challenger SRT Demon 170, the world's fastest, quickest and most powerful muscle car ever produced.

The brand ushered in its future of electrified muscle with the reveal of the all-electric Dodge Charger Daytona SRT concept, and Dodge enthusiasts will see the arrival of the Dodge Hornet R/T this spring. The all-new Dodge Hornet, unlocking the gateway to Dodge muscle, offers the quickest, fastest, most powerful compact utility vehicle under $30,000, bringing buzz to the segment with unmistakable Dodge styling cues and performance. The Dodge Hornet G/T is arriving at dealerships now.

The Chrysler brand is up 10% in total U.S. sales versus same quarter last year. The Chrysler Pacifica is up 10% and Chrysler 300 is up 9% in total U.S. sales versus same quarter last year.

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid accounted for 12% (3,473 units) of the nameplate's total sales for the first quarter. Chrysler brand recently launched its Vanlightenment marketing campaign featuring both the Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid, demonstrating how the Chrysler Pacifica serves as a support system for families and brings harmony within their chaotic lives. **Consumers who purchase and take delivery of a Pacifica plug-in hybrid, America's first and only plug-in hybrid minivan, may be eligible for up to $7,500 federal tax credit through April 17, 2023.

Total U.S. sales of the Jeep Cherokee increased 31% in the first quarter versus same quarter last year. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe total U.S. sales increased 72% over the same period last year. The Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the first-ever electrified Jeep Wrangler, remains *America's best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, with 14,392 (38%) of total Jeep Wrangler sales in the first quarter of 2023. The 2022 Grand Cherokee 4xe, which went on sale in late 2022, accounted for 7,222 (13%) of Grand Cherokee U.S. sales in the first quarter of 2023, and is America's No. 2 best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle. **Consumers who purchase and take delivery of a Jeep Wrangler 4xe or Grand Cherokee 4xe may be eligible for up to $7,500 federal tax credit through April 17, 2023.

The vehicles represent the brand's start of its electrification strategy to provide new levels of efficiency, environmental responsibility, performance and capability, on and off the road.

The Ram Truck brand officially unveiled the all-new, all-electric Ram 1500 REV and the Ram REV Insider+ Program on Sunday, February 12. RamREV.com opened to consumers to reserve a place in line to preorder the Ram 1500 REV.

The Ram ProMaster van sees its best ever Q1 total U.S. sales, up 90% versus the same period last year. The Ram ProMaster City also saw its best ever Q1 total U.S. sales, up 232%. Continued demand for Ram commercial fleet vehicles sees best ever Q1 U.S. sales, up a combined 64% versus Q1 2022.

The Ram 1500 was recently named to Car and Driver 10Best Trucks and SUVs for the fifth consecutive year.

The company's U.S. commercial fleet channel sales increased 67% across its vehicle portfolio versus same quarter last year.















FCA US LLC Sales Summary Q1 2023



Q1 Sales Vol % CYTD Sales Vol % Model Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Compass 23,209 24,408 -5 % 23,209 24,408 -5 % Wrangler 37,971 45,551 -17 % 37,971 45,551 -17 % Gladiator 13,575 17,912 -24 % 13,575 17,912 -24 % Cherokee 13,213 10,079 31 % 13,213 10,079 31 % Grand Cherokee 54,502 75,117 -27 % 54,502 75,117 -27 % Renegade 4,129 9,990 -59 % 4,129 9,990 -59 % Wagoneer 5,560 7,055 -59 % 5,560 7,055 -59 % Grand Wagoneer 2,044 3,169 -59 % 2,044 3,169 -59 % JEEP BRAND 154,203 193,281 -20 % 154,203 193,281 -20 % Ram P/U 105,350 127,116 -17 % 105,350 127,116 -17 % ProMaster Van 17,694 9,328 90 % 17,694 9,328 90 % ProMaster City 5,678 1,709 232 % 5,678 1,709 232 % RAM BRAND 128,722 138,153 -7 % 128,722 138,153 -7 % 200 0 2 -100 % 0 2 -100 % 300 2,989 2,745 9 % 2,989 2,745 9 % Pacifica 28,910 26,366 10 % 28,910 26,366 10 % CHRYSLER BRAND 31,899 29,113 10 % 31,899 29,113 10 % Dart 0 1 -100 % 0 1 -100 % Charger 22,128 15,439 43 % 22,128 15,439 43 % Challenger 11,371 11,124 2 % 11,371 11,124 2 % Journey 8 111 -93 % 8 111 -93 % Caravan 1 18 -94 % 1 18 -94 % Durango 17,467 14,349 22 % 17,467 14,349 22 % DODGE BRAND 50,975 41,043 24 % 50,975 41,043 24 % 500 0 1 -100 % 0 1 -100 % 500L 3 1 200 % 3 1 200 % 500X 135 333 -59 % 135 333 -59 % Spider 0 5 -100 % 0 5 -100 % FIAT BRAND 138 340 -59 % 138 340 -59 % Giulia 966 1,145 -16 % 966 1,145 -16 % Alfa 4C 0 1 -100 % 0 1 -100 % Stelvio 1,424 2,145 -34 % 1,424 2,145 -34 % ALFA ROMEO 2,390 3,291 -27 % 2,390 3,291 -27 % FCA US LLC 368,327 405,221 -9 % 368,327 405,221 -9 %















FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It designs, manufactures, and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US LLC is a subsidiary of Stellantis N.V.

For the methodology of determining FCA US LLC monthly sales, click here. These statements are based on current expectations and projections about future events and, by their nature, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. They relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur or exist in the future and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on them. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such statements as a result of a variety of factors, including: volatility and deterioration of capital and financial markets, changes in commodity prices, changes in general economic conditions, economic growth and other changes in business conditions, weather, floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters, changes in government regulation, production difficulties, including capacity and supply constraints, and many other risks and uncertainties, most of which are outside of our control.

U.S. fleet business includes three channels, rental, governmental and commercial.

*Per S&P Global Jan '23 year-to-date vehicle registrations (most current data available); PC + light-duty trucks"

**Disclosure - This is subject to certain limitations. This incentive is offered by a third party and is subject to change without notice. Please confirm this information to ensure its accuracy and availability. Consult a tax professional for detail and eligibility requirements.

SOURCE FCA US LLC
DETROIT, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, March 23rd, in a case involving defective CP4 high-pressure fuel injection pumps installed in 2010-2016 model year GM Duramax diesel vehicles, Judge Terrence G. Berg of the Eastern District of Michigan granted class certification to seven state-specific classes as well as denied all of GM's Daubert motions as to Plaintiffs' experts. Attorney Bob Hilliard, of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP, whose firm was one of three firms appointed as Class Counsel by Judge Berg, said in a statement:

Attorney Bob Hilliard, the founding member of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP, said in a statement, We look forward to presenting the overwhelming evidence we have against GM regarding the CP4 fuel pump defect to a jury and ensure that those who were harmed by GMs conduct are ultimately made whole. GM discontinued use of the CP4 altogether after the 2016 model year, after seeing scores of CP4 fuel injection pump failures.

"We commend the Court's thorough and well-reasoned analysis. It is clear that the CP4 fuel pump cannot work properly in U.S. vehicles. Never could. GM has known this since before the first CP4 pump was put in the first GM truck on the production line, yet it knowingly allowed these defective pumps to destroy thousands of engines and denied warranty after warranty, costing each hard-working truck owner tens of thousands of dollars out of their own pockets. We look forward to trial and showing a jury the overwhelming evidence found in GM's own damning documents, proving beyond any doubt GM knew of this defect from day one."

The Court's Order Granting Class Certification

The Court ultimately certified seven state classes with the following class definitions:

1. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in California from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified California Class, on claims for: (i) violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal Bus. & Prof. Code  17200 et seq.; (ii) violation of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Cal. Civ. Code  1750 et seq.; and (iii) violation of the implied warranty of merchantability under California law, Cal. Civ. Code  1791 et seq., and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

2. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in Florida from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified Florida Class, on a claim for violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, Fla. Stat.  510.201 et seq.

3. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in Illinois from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified Illinois Class, on a claim for violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act, 815 ILCS 505/1 et seq.

4. All persons who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in Iowa from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified Iowa Class, on a claim under the Iowa Private Right of Action for Consumer Frauds Act, Iowa Code Ann.  714H.1 et seq.

5. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in New York from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified New York Class, on a claim for violation of the New York Deceptive Practices Act, N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law  349(a).

6. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in Pennsylvania from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified Pennsylvania Class, on a claim for violation of the implied warranty of merchantability under Pennsylvania law, 13 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann.  2314. and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

7. All persons or entities who purchased one or more of the Class Vehicles from a GM-authorized dealership in Texas from March 1, 2010, to the date of the Court-ordered notice to the Certified Texas Class, on a claim for violation of the implied warranty of merchantability under Texas law, Tex. Bus. & Com. Code  2.314 & 2A.212, and Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

Notably, GM discontinued the use of the CP4 altogether after the 2016 model year, after seeing scores of CP4 fuel injection pump failures.

In granting certification, the Court explained that "the question of whether and when GM knew about this defect may be answered once for the whole class based on common evidence," and further noted:

GM first argues that Plaintiffs cannot show a central defect stretching across the classes because, it says, Dr. Edgar's testimony is insufficient to demonstrate a defect and should be excluded by the Court. . . . The Court has admitted Dr. Edgar's testimony and finds that it raises an issue that a defect exists, so this argument is moot.

The Court further noted that in the context of Plaintiffs' class implied warranty of merchantability claims: "Plaintiffs have common evidence, in the form of Dr. Edgar's testimony[,] about the likelihood of malfunction during a vehicle's useful life, capable of establishing whether the class vehicles are unfit for use." The Court went on:

Plaintiffs intend to offer common proofthrough the testimony of GM engineers, internal testing data, and GM's correspondence with Boschthat GM knew of the alleged design defect even before it began production of class vehicles. They also intend to offer common proofthrough testimony by GM employees, GM's internal warranty data, GM's instructions to dealerships, and marketing literaturethat GM failed to disclose the design defect and actively concealed it even though class vehicles immediately began failing in the field. . . . The issues Plaintiffs have identified are sufficient to show commonality.

With respect to GM's argument that individuals who have not yet experienced CP4 fuel pump failure did not have standing to bring claims, the Court explained:

In opposing class certification, GM reprises its argument from its Motion to Dismiss that named plaintiffs whose vehicles have not experienced a catastrophic failure do not have standing and therefore cannot represent the class. It contends that anyone whose vehicle still performs properly has received the "benefit of their bargain" and therefore has not suffered an injury-in-fact under Article III. . . . The Court has previously rejected this argument, concluding that even those who have not yet experienced a failure have adequately alleged they have been damaged by overpaying for their vehicles as a consequence of GM's failure to disclose the problems with the CP4 pump. . . . GM has not advanced any new arguments, so the Court's conclusion regarding standing remains the same. . . . Whether the alleged defect actually manifested itself has no bearing on what consumers would have done if they were provided with information about the defect."

The Court further underscored that "each Plaintiff purchased a class vehicle in the state they are representing[, e]ach asserts that there were no disclosures to them of the alleged defect[, e]ach either experienced a catastrophic failure or paid a price for their vehicle they would not have paid if the design defect had been disclosed to them[,] and [each] seeks the same form of either compensation for alleged overpayment or recovery of costs incurred in repairing or replacing defective pumps. Their interests thus 'align with those of the represented group.'"

The Court went on to reject GM's arguments as to the adequacy of the named Class Representatives, noting that "[t]hey have vigorously pursued the interests of absent class members, including participating in discovery and sitting for depositions. Their claims are typical of the classes which they represent; they seek the same relief in the form of either recovery of repair costs or compensation for alleged overpayment for defective cars at the point of sale." The Court also affirmed the adequacy of the proposed Class Counsel, specifically Hilliard Martinez Gonzalez LLP, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and The Miller Law Firm P.C., and appointed them to serve as Class Counsel for all certified classes.

The Court aptly noted that "[t]he array of predominating common questions and issuesi.e., whether the pump was defective and rendered the class vehicles unmerchantable and fundamentally defective, whether GM knew that the pump was defective, whether GM had a duty to disclose that the pump was defective, and whether GM breached its duty to disclose that the pump was defectrenders adjudication in a single action effective and efficient."

The Court Order Rejecting GM's Daubert Arguments

In Friday's other order, Judge Berg rejected GM's arguments to exclude all four of Plaintiffs' experts. Specifically, he found that the testimony of Plaintiffs' mechanical engineering expert, Dr. Bradley L. Edgar, was reliable and admissible, noting in summation that, "After its own review of Dr. Edgar's report, the Court concludes that it is highly technical, related to his expertise, and would provide helpful context and analysis for a jury, as well as the Court."

The Court similarly upheld the opinions of Plaintiffs' expert Edward Stockton, who opines on the average cost of CP4 repair for those individuals who are part of the so-called failure classes (i.e., those individuals who have experienced CP4 failure and had to pay the cost of repair out of pocket)  a repair cost which is widely known to be upwards of $10,000. As the Court explained:

"Echoing its complaints about Dr. Edgar, GM additionally argues that Stockton's calculations are unreliable because he used data that may reflect instances where there was not actually a pump failure. . . . But none of GM's challenges are specific or concerning enough to warrant exclusion of Stockton's testimony. . . . And as GM admitted during oral arguments, some data 'cleansing' was necessary because GM's data production included numerous records not relevant to Plaintiffs' claims. . . . The Court concludes that Stockton's methodology is sufficiently based in economic principles and industry-backed to be reliable. . . . GM's arguments ignore that he also conducted calculations with [a] fuller dataset to test the sensitivity of his methods. Id. He offered plausible and transparent reasons for culling the data as he did."

The Court went on to note: "What's more, GM wrongly frames Plaintiffs' theory as being only about U.S. diesel fuel. It appears to suggest that Stockton should have included only repairs that were identified as being related to out-of-spec fuel. . . . But . . . . Plaintiffs' theory of liability is that the design of the CP4 pump itself is defective." Therefore, the Court held, GM's challenges to purportedly individualized failure "causes" went to weight, not admissibility.

Finally, the Court rejected GM's attempts at excluding experts Steven Gaskin and Colin Weir, who calculated class-wide damages using conjoint analysis for "overpayment" class members (i.e., those class members who have purchased a defective CP4-equipped vehicle but have not yet experienced catastrophic CP4 failure requiring out-of-pocket repairs). The Court explained:

The key issue for the Court is whether, as required by Daubert, the analysis reliably determines diminution to the class vehicles' reasonable market value caused by the allegedly defective pump. . . . Their analysis is informed by historical marketplace and quantity data. GM offers nothing to suggest that the analysis deviates in any significant way from the usual principles by which a conjoint analysis survey is designed. And since there are multiple accepted ways of conducting a conjoint analysis, any dispute with their method goes to its weight, not its admissibility.

The case is Chapman, et al. v. GM LLC, No. 2:19-cv-12333-TGB (E.D. Mich.).

Schedule an Interview

Contact Elisabeth Tabor  361-201-1597

ABOUT HILLIARD MARTINEZ GONZALES

Bob Hilliard has led HMG to the forefront of national trial law firms. Having tried over 150 jury trials, Mr. Hilliard is also a two-time winner of the National Law Journal's prestigious Elite Trial Lawyer of the Year award, for products liability and motor vehicles as well as being recognized as a Super Lawyer for the past 20 years. Mr. Hilliard is double board certified and recognized as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the United States. In the past six months, HMG's 40-lawyer firm has already secured over 100 million dollars in verdicts and settlements. For more information, visit https://hmglawfirm.com/.

SOURCE Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP
PHILADELPHIA and THORNILL, Scotland, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), a leading global agricultural sciences company, and The HALO Trust, a humanitarian non-governmental organization that protects lives and restores livelihoods of people affected by conflict, today announced a new collaboration to improve farm safety in Ukraine.

The HALO Trust The HALO Trust The HALO Trust

Under the umbrella of its Cultivating Freedom campaign, FMC will donate 3% of its 2023 sales revenue in Ukraine to significantly expand The HALO Trust's demining efforts in impacted regions throughout the country. With this funding, The HALO Trust will be able to considerably increase its capacity to remove landmines from Ukrainian farms.

"We are proud to announce our partnership with The HALO Trustfor more than three decades, their extensive demining activities have helped improve safety and the livelihoods in many countries that were impacted by conflicts," said Mark Douglas, FMC president and CEO. "This project not only ensures Ukrainian farmers can safely return to their fields for planting and harvest, but it also contributes to improving food security around the globe. Through this collaboration, we aspire to contribute to a future where farmers can cultivate their lands without fear of explosive remnants from the war and pave the way for robust reconstruction efforts that benefit farming communities and the entire country."

James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust, said: "We are extremely grateful for the generous commitment from FMC to fund our life-saving work in Ukraine. It will allow us to invest in the people, equipment and new technology needed for the enormous task of making Ukraine safe from landmines, bombs and shells. With FMC's support, we will deploy demining teams and critical demining equipment to clear land for Ukrainian farmers, their families, and their communities."

The collaboration between FMC and The HALO Trust will start in April in several communities across Ukraine.

About FMC

FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions  including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture  enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,600 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About The HALO Trust

The HALO Trust is a global non-profit whose mission is to protect lives and restore livelihoods of people affected by conflict. Since 1988, HALO has served those affected by conflict, clearing landmines and explosive debris that indiscriminately threaten lives, limbs and livelihoods both before and after the fighting has finished. It operates in 30 countries and has a staff of around 12,000 people, the vast majority local people trained to make their own communities safe.

HALO has operated in Ukraine since 2016 and since Russia's 2022 invasion has expanded its programme to clear mines and other explosives from previously occupied land around Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv.

Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2022 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE FMC Corporation
PHILADELPHIA and THORNILL, Scotland, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), a leading global agricultural sciences company, and The HALO Trust, a humanitarian non-governmental organization that protects lives and restores livelihoods of people affected by conflict, today announced a new collaboration to improve farm safety in Ukraine.

The HALO Trust The HALO Trust The HALO Trust

Under the umbrella of its Cultivating Freedom campaign, FMC will donate 3% of its 2023 sales revenue in Ukraine to significantly expand The HALO Trust's demining efforts in impacted regions throughout the country. With this funding, The HALO Trust will be able to considerably increase its capacity to remove landmines from Ukrainian farms.

"We are proud to announce our partnership with The HALO Trustfor more than three decades, their extensive demining activities have helped improve safety and the livelihoods in many countries that were impacted by conflicts," said Mark Douglas, FMC president and CEO. "This project not only ensures Ukrainian farmers can safely return to their fields for planting and harvest, but it also contributes to improving food security around the globe. Through this collaboration, we aspire to contribute to a future where farmers can cultivate their lands without fear of explosive remnants from the war and pave the way for robust reconstruction efforts that benefit farming communities and the entire country."

James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust, said: "We are extremely grateful for the generous commitment from FMC to fund our life-saving work in Ukraine. It will allow us to invest in the people, equipment and new technology needed for the enormous task of making Ukraine safe from landmines, bombs and shells. With FMC's support, we will deploy demining teams and critical demining equipment to clear land for Ukrainian farmers, their families, and their communities."

The collaboration between FMC and The HALO Trust will start in April in several communities across Ukraine.

About FMC

FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions  including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture  enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,600 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About The HALO Trust

The HALO Trust is a global non-profit whose mission is to protect lives and restore livelihoods of people affected by conflict. Since 1988, HALO has served those affected by conflict, clearing landmines and explosive debris that indiscriminately threaten lives, limbs and livelihoods both before and after the fighting has finished. It operates in 30 countries and has a staff of around 12,000 people, the vast majority local people trained to make their own communities safe.

HALO has operated in Ukraine since 2016 and since Russia's 2022 invasion has expanded its programme to clear mines and other explosives from previously occupied land around Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv.

Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2022 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045413/FMC_Halo_Trust_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045414/FMC_Halo_Trust_demine.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045415/FMC_Halo_Trust_Worker.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045416/FMC_Halo_Trust_Digging.jpg

SOURCE FMC Corporation
DUBLIN, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "2023 Canned Wine Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global canned wine market is expected to grow at an impressive rate through 2027 on account of rising demand for the beverage due to people's growing awareness of its health benefits.

Young people are more likely than older generations to develop new drinking occasions, which helps to increase beverage sales. The millennial generations are shifting their preferences toward canned wines which have resulted in a huge increase in the demand for canned wines, combined with rising demand for different types of flavors attracting customers for the consumption of canned wines.

For Instance, the Underwood brand of the Union Wine Company, a US-based company, provides various canned wines with different flavors such as Underwood rose bubbles, Underwood rose, Underwood pinot noir, Underwood the bubbles, Underwood white Haute sangria, Underwood the Spritz, etc.



Shift in Alcohol Consumption



Changing demographics in different parts of the world significantly impact the canned wine market. There has been a shift in millennials' global alcohol consumption over the past 20 years. The millennial generation is more aware of how much alcohol they consume and looks for options with moderate or lower alcohol content.

Additionally, as younger generations have grown more concerned with the environment and their carbon footprints, wine producers have been forced to introduce organic and environmentally friendly packaged wines.



Changing Consumer Preferences Will Fuel the Market Growth



The quick shift in consumer preferences away from traditional bottled wines to canned wines has fueled the demand for canned wine globally. This is due to their portability, ease of use while traveling, and other factors.

Moreover, rising demand from the young and working population is also fueling the demand for canned wines worldwide. As consumers demand new and convenient products to fit their hectic schedules. Cans' superior durability and quicker cooling speed compared to conventional wine bottles are fostering the market growth.

For instance, consumers in the United States are attracted to canned sparkling wines, as they are more portable, and lightweight than their counterparts, and booming sales of wines with less sugar content, are some of the factors providing lucrative growth opportunities across the country. Heineken provides sparkling wine under the name "Comb and Hive", which is made up of real sugar and wildflower honey fermented with orange blossom flowers and a hint of fizz.



Increase in Social Gathering Will Further Fuel the Market Growth



The desire for outdoor recreational activities such as overnight camping, RV camping, and fishing are significant factors fueling the growth of the canned wine market during the forecast period. These factors include the rising customer preference for more suitable ways to consume wine during outdoor parties, house parties, camping, and other social gatherings.

The growing demand for portable, convenient, and more sturdy wine containers than glass at the time for outdoor activities is positively influencing the market growth. In addition, millennials, particularly working-class members, are spending more on wine than other alcoholic beverages, such as whiskey and rum, due to customers' changing tastes and preferences and the rising demand for novel and exotic flavors, which in turn is driving the growth of the market.



Rising Consumer Awareness to Aid the Market Growth



Due to growing consumer awareness of health and environmental issues, consumers are willing to spend more on convenient, organic foods and beverages that use sustainable packaging. As a result, the demand for canned wines is expected to increase, fostering industry growth. According to studies, aluminum cans are less expensive and more convenient to store and stack than other packaging options, which results in less breakage.



Due to the rise in awareness, manufacturers launch canned wines to attract consumers. For instance, Lisa Rinna, a US-based actress, and businesswoman established Rinna Wines. The Sparkling Brut and Sparkling Brut Rose in the release were made in collaboration with Prestige Beverage Group and produced in Provence's heart.

The Sparkling Brut offers flavors of green apple, hints of Brioche, and citrus and pear aromas. At the same time, the Sparkling Brut Rose combines fresh strawberry and raspberry flavors with layers of citrus orange and a tinge of spice.



Competitive Landscape

Various companies are offering a wide variety of canned wines such as

E. & J. Gallo Winery

Union Wine Company

Constellation Brands Inc.

SANS Wine Co.

Integrated Beverage Group LLC

The Family Coppola

Sula Vineyards Pvt. Ltd.

The Canned Wine Company

Treasury Wine Estates

Anheuser-Busch Companies LLC

Report Scope:



Canned Wine Market, By Type:

Sparkling Wine

Fortified Wine

Red Wine

Others

Canned Wine Market, By Alcohol Content:

Low

Medium

High

Canned Wine Market, By Distribution Channel:

Supermarkets/Hypermarkets

On Trade

Specialist Retailers

Online

Others

Canned Wine Market, By Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Europe

France

Germany

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

South Korea

Australia

Middle East & Africa

& South Africa

Egypt

UAE

Turkey

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Colombia

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/72ewl0

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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An Erie County jury on Friday convicted a Sardinia man of three felonies connected to a December 2020 shooting in Akron, the District Attorney's Office said.

Spencer J. Nowinski, 51, was found guilty of second-degree weapons possession, second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, prosecutors said.

The jury deliberated for 80 minutes after a two-week trial, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Nowinski shot a man in the legs in a parking lot outside a McDonald's on Main Street in Akron at about 7:15 p.m. Dec. 22, 2020.

Nowinski was arrested at the scene with a pistol reported stolen in a Clarence burglary several days earlier.

County Judge Sheila A. DiTullio is scheduled to sentence him as a persistent violent felony offender on May 25. He remains in custody without bail.
DUBLIN, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global and China Fuel Cell Market and Trend Research Report, 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Fuel Cell Industry Research: Hydrogen energy has been put on the national agenda with scenario application being rolled out.

The hydrogen energy industry has been included into the national energy strategy.

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, ministries and commissions have intensively issued favorable policies for hydrogen energy, covering research on key technologies in hydrogen energy production, storage, transportation and use, demonstration application of hydrogen energy, infrastructure construction, etc.

In March 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the Medium-and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035), clarifying that hydrogen energy plays an important part in the national energy system in the future and is a key emerging industry of strategic importance, and proposing three five-year development goals for the hydrogen energy industry so as to meet the goal of emission peak and carbon neutrality.

Green hydrogen will be an investment hotspot in the future

China, the largest hydrogen producer in the world, boasts hydrogen capacity of about 40 million tons/a and output of about 33 million tons/a. In 2021, China produced about 33 million tons of hydrogen, up 32% year on year. In 2022, the output will jump by 15% on the previous year to 38 million tons.

In the short and medium term, China's hydrogen is mainly made from fossil, partially from industrial by-products, but the proportion of hydrogen produced by renewable energy will ramp up year by year. By 2050, about 70% of hydrogen will be made from renewable energy, 20% from fossil and 10% from other technologies such as biotech.

By region, China's hydrogen production is concentrated in Northwest and North China where fossils are abundant. China's hydrogen market features a scattered competitive landscape: China Energy Investment Corporation and Sinopec are the largest hydrogen producers in China, accounting for about 30%; others are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises with a small hydrogen production scale. As other large enterprises dabble in the field of hydrogen energy, the hydrogen energy industry is expected to be more concentrated.

Green hydrogen is the key to the energy strategy and represents the development direction of the future hydrogen production. The huge market potential has attracted large energy enterprises, wind power and photovoltaic giants. From 2020 to 2022, China propelled the construction of several green hydrogen projects, such as hydrogen production from hydropower in Sichuan, photovoltaic hydrogen production in Xinjiang, and hydrogen production from wind power in Inner Mongolia, laying a good industrial foundation for large-scale production of green hydrogen.

Hydrogen storage and transportation will become the pipeline of the hydrogen energy strategy.

Commercial hydrogen is mainly transported in three forms: high-pressure gas hydrogen, low-temperature liquid hydrogen and hydrogen pipeline. At present, China mainly uses high-pressure gas hydrogen + 20Mpa long-tube trailers to transport hydrogen, which fails to meet the needs for large-scale use of hydrogen for the time being. In the future, as large-scale transportation of commercial hydrogen is in demand, China is bound to make progress in hydrogen storage materials.

For vehicle hydrogen storage in China, 35Mpa carbon-fiber-wound-type-III tanks are often seen, and 70MPa carbon-fiber-wound-type-III tanks have also been adopted in a small number of homemade vehicles. As concerns the future hydrogen storage and transportation technology, China will work on the standards and industrial application of 70MPa type-IV tanks, independent development of carbon fiber for gas tanks, and reduction of energy consumption and cost of hydrogen liquefaction, and make gradual breakthroughs in domestic civilian liquid hydrogen technology and equipment.

It is predicted that in 2025 70MPa type-IV tanks will be widely used, liquid hydrogen equipment will be initially self-developed, and a number of liquid hydrogen storage demonstration projects will be carried out.; by 2030, 98MPa type-IV cylinders will be produced on large scale at lower cost, and liquid hydrogen equipment will come into batch production at much lower cost and find broad application in mass storage and transportation at medium and long distances.

Breakthroughs in localization of core fuel cell technology

The Guidance Catalog (First Batch) for the Application Demonstration of Key New Materials (2021) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology favors the breakthroughs in fuel cell technology, and the technological upgrade of hydrogen energy and fuel cell industries. The breakthroughs in manufacturing technology of core raw materials for fuel cells are the crux of cost reduction for China's fuel cell industry.

Accompanied by the construction of fuel cell model cities, the technological progress of China's core fuel cell material industry has obviously accelerated. Technological breakthroughs have been made in core materials in the hydrogen energy industry chain such as high-purity hydrogen, carbon fiber composites for hydrogen storage tanks, proton exchange membranes, catalysts, membrane electrodes, and gas diffusion layers, and production lines with considerable capacity have been built to produce some of them, providing the basis for further localization.

Under the joint influence of hydrogen energy policies and industrial chain cost reduction, China will build a complete hydrogen energy industrial system and diversified hydrogen energy application ecosystems covering transportation, energy storage, industry and other fields.

In the context of energy iteration, fuel cell vehicles have entered a new development cycle.

China's new energy vehicles have boomed, ranking first in the world for eight consecutive years. In 2022, the output and sales of new energy vehicles went up by 96.9% and 93.4% year on year to 7.058 million and 6.887 million units, respectively. Wherein, the output and sales of battery-electric vehicles jumped by 83.4% and 81.6% year on year to 5.467 million and 5.365 million units, respectively; the output and sales of fuel cell vehicles soared by 105.4% and 112.8% year on year to 4,000 and 3,000 units, respectively.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles head in different directions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will replace diesel engine vehicles in the future, while battery-electric vehicles will tend to substitute gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are positioned as a supplement to battery-electric vehicles. In many fields and scenarios where battery-electric vehicles are difficult to popularize, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles remain extremely superior.

Hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks now have become a promising segment in development of fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen heavy trucks/mine trucks can still run stably in low temperatures and harsh environments, covering the defects and shortcomings of battery-electric vehicles. In 2022, 4,782 hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles were actually sold, a year-on-year upsurge of 155.2%. Especially, hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks were a strong performer, with the full-year sales of 2,465 units, rocketing by 216% on an annual basis, higher than the growth of 141% made by new energy heavy trucks, thus becoming the main force to drive the rapid growth of hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles.

From the `49-ton fuel cell heavy truck project in Jiaxing Port Area`, it can be seen that a batch of hydrogen energy equipment manufacturers have clustered and created a range of hydrogen energy application scenarios. Port logistics vehicles, forklifts and sea-river intermodal ships provide rich application scenarios for the hydrogen energy industry in Jiaxing Port Area. In May 2022, Zhejiang Feichi New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. officially delivered 50 hydrogen heavy trucks to the national hydrogen fuel cell vehicle demonstration application program in Jiaxing.

In addition to hydrogen heavy trucks, hydrogen fuel cell special vehicles take a place in the demonstration area. Hydrogen fuel cell sweepers, hydrogen fuel cell refrigerated vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell logistics vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell buses among others come into operation.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Fuel Cell System Overview and Policies & Plans

1.1 Fuel Cell Structure, Classification and Application Scenarios

1.1.1 Structure

1.1.2 Classification

1.1.3 Working Principle

1.1.4 Application Fields

1.1.5 Fuel Cell Vehicle Industry

1.1.6 Development Trends

1.2 China's Hydrogen Fuel Cell Plans and Policies

1.2.1 China's General Policy of Hydrogen Energy Development

1.2.2 National Fuel Cell Policies in China

1.2.3 Plan for Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration City Clusters in China

1.2.4 Medium- and Long-term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035)

1.2.5 Medium- and Long-term Plan for Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021-2035) - Hydrogen Energy Application Demonstration Projects

1.2.6 Local Policies for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development

1.2.7 Status Quo of Fuel Cell Industrial Parks in China

1.2.8 Fuel Cell Research Institutions in China and Their Cooperative Companies

1.2.9 Policies Concerning Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCV) in China

1.3 Progress in Standardization of Hydrogen Fuel Cells in China

1.3.1 Formulation Overview of Global and Chinese Hydrogen Energy Standards

1.3.2 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Standards in China

1.3.3 Fuel Cell Vehicle Testing Specifications Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

1.3.4 Fuel Cell Testing Centers/Institutions in China

1.3.5 China's Hydrogen Energy Technology Standard System



2 Status Quo of Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Markets and Development Plans

2.1 Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Industry Development and Trends

2.2 Global and Chinese Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) Industry Development and Trends

2.3 Fuel Cell Industry Chain

2.4 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Production Industry Development and Trends

2.5 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Storage and Transport Industry Development and Trends

2.6 Global and Chinese Hydrogen Refueling Station Development and Trends

2.7 Summary of Development Levels and Trends of Fuel Cell Industry



3 Application Sub-scenarios of Fuel Cells

3.1 Development of Fuel Cell Heavy Trucks

3.2 Development of Fuel Cell Buses

3.3 Development of Fuel Cell Logistics Vehicles

3.4 Development of Fuel Cell Forklifts

3.5 Development of Fuel Cell Passenger Cars

3.6 Development of Fuel Cell Trains

3.7 Development of Fuel Cell Ships

3.8 Development of Fuel Cell Two-wheelers

3.9 Development of Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles



4 Major Global Fuel Cell Suppliers

5 Major Chinese Fuel Cell Suppliers

Companies Mentioned

Plug Power

Ballard Power

Nikola

Cummins (HYGS)

FuelCell

SFC Power

Bloom Energy

Honda

SinoHytec

Sunrise Power

Center Power Tech.

Shanghai Re-Fire

SinoFuelCell

Sinosynergy

Foresight Energy

Horizon New Energy Technologies

Weichai Power

Broad-Ocean Motor

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New Leadership Appointments Announced for Executive Committee and Executive Board

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Day Pitney announced that Gregory A. Hayes has been named Managing Partner of the firm, effective April 2. Hayes succeeds Thomas D. Goldberg, who is stepping down after serving eleven years on the Executive Committee, including five years as Managing Partner.

Day Pitney LLP announced that Gregory A. Hayes has been named Managing Partner of the firm, effective April 2. Tweet this Gregory A. Hayes, Managing Partner, Day Pitney LLP

Hayes has served on the firm's Executive Committee for five years and before that was Chair of the firm's Private Client Department. Discussing the transition, Goldberg said, "I've worked closely with Greg over the last five years, and he has been integral to the firm's success. I've seen up close his commitment to the core values of our firm and his steady and considerate management style. He is perfectly suited to serve as Managing Partner, and we are lucky to have him lead us." Goldberg will remain involved in the firm's strategic growth planning and initiatives in addition to continuing his litigation practice.

"I am humbled and flattered by the confidence my partners have placed in me and the rest of our firm's leadership. As Managing Partner, I am committed to the continued success of our talented attorneys and staff and our focus on the unparalleled service our clients have come to expect," said Hayes.

In addition to his leadership role, Hayes will continue to practice law, advising private clients on all aspects of their estate planning. He helps individuals and fiduciaries in the administration of complex estates and trusts and has substantial experience handling contested probate matters, including will contests and construction actions. He is a fellow of the prestigious American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel and a former member of the executive committee of the Estates and Probate Section of the Connecticut Bar Association. He has been ranked in Chambers HNW Guide* (Chambers and Partners) (click here for methodology) and named to the Best Lawyers in America* (Woodward/White, Inc.) in trusts and estates (click here, here and here for methodology).

Hayes' charitable activities have included service on the board of directors of Literacy Volunteers of Connecticut and the DOMUS Foundation. He earned his B.S., cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut, the District of Columbia and New York.

New Leadership Appointments

Day Pitney has elected Stamford partner Michael P. Byrne, formerly head of the firm's Real Estate and Environmental practice, to serve on its Executive Committee along with David P. Doyle (New Jersey) and Hayes.

Day Pitney has also elected Hartford partner Namita Tripathi Shah to serve on the firm's Executive Board, succeeding fellow Hartford partner Glenn W. Dowd, who served six years on the Board. Shah joins partners Tasha K. Dickinson (West Palm Beach), Amy R. Lonergan (Boston), Manuel A. Garcia-Linares (Miami) and Mark Salah Morgan (New York/New Jersey) on the Executive Board.

*No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the highest court of any state. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

About Day Pitney LLP

Day Pitney, an East Coast-based law firm with national and international reach, has close to 300 attorneys in 13 offices in Boston, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Providence, and Washington, DC. The firm offers clients strong corporate and litigation practices, with experience on behalf of large national and international corporations, as well as emerging and middle-market companies. With one of the largest and most sophisticated private client practices in the country, the firm also has extensive experience helping individuals and their families, fiduciaries and tax-exempt entities plan for the future.

Media Contact:

Elyse Blazey Gentile

Day Pitney LLP

(973) 966 8092

[email protected]

SOURCE Day Pitney LLP
Data reveals even Black mothers living in the least vulnerable communities are at significantly higher risk of poor outcomes compared to White mothers living in the most disadvantaged areas

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Surgo Health , a new healthcare technology company dedicated to personalized healthcare, today announced that a study conducted using data from its national Maternal Vulnerability Index (US MVI) was published in The Lancet Regional Health  Americas.

The peer-reviewed study " Black-White disparities in maternal vulnerability and adverse pregnancy outcomes: an ecological population study in the United States ," is the first to link real-world data on maternal mortality rates across the U.S. with maternal health specific contextual, clinical, and social determinants of health (SDOH) at the county level to explore how various risk factors in each community correlate with different birth outcomes.

"This is the first time anyone has quantified disparities in exposure to determinants of adverse health across the United States specifically for maternal health outcomes, nationwide, at a granular geographic level--and considered how multi-dimensional exposure contributes to the well-established racial disparities in maternal health outcomes," said Dr. Sema Sgaier, Chief Executive Officer of Surgo Health and a co-author of the study.

The analysis confirmed marked geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in exposure to maternal vulnerability. More specifically, women living in the south, women living in rural America, and Black women are exposed to higher vulnerability than other groups. The research also showed pockets of high vulnerability within states that are largely low vulnerability, with drivers of vulnerability differing greatly by geography.

Among the most notable findings: Black women living in the least vulnerable areas were more likely to die, have a preterm birth, or have a baby with low birth weight compared to White mothers living under the most vulnerable conditions. For example, Black women in the least susceptible areas are 44% more likely to have a newborn with low birth weight than White mothers in the most vulnerable areas. The striking gap between the two groups can not be fully explained by factors captured in the MVI, including physical health, access to care, environment, and SDOH.

"The findings suggest the root causes of racial inequities are complex, and that in addition to factors captured in our index, other strong social and societal factors are at play. These might include unconscious bias on the part of providers, attitudes, and beliefs among patients, and hyperlocal disparities in access to care. We need to dig deeper to determine what forces are causing these shocking disparities in outcomes," said Sgaier.

Surgo Health's groundbreaking study comes amid growing recognition of the country's maternal health crisis. In March 2023, data released by the National Center for Health Statistics showed that maternal mortality rates in the U.S. rose 40% to 1,205 in 2021, compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019, pushing the maternal mortality rate to its highest level since 1965. Furthermore, the data showed a mortality rate among Black women that was 2.6 times as much as the rate for white women in 2021. Previously, in June 2022, the White House released a Maternal Health Blueprint for addressing the Maternal Health crisis, highlighting the need to address "social and economic forces" driving health inequity for pregnant women to improve maternal outcomes.

The Maternal Vulnerability Index (MVI) is a first-of-its-kind tool that can be used to examine racial disparities in drivers of maternal vulnerability to shed light on potential high-impact interventions to improve maternal health and maternal health equity. The index ranks US counties and states in terms of vulnerability to poor pregnancy outcomes, offering each geography a relative maternal vulnerability score on a scale of 0-100. The scores are based on data and analytics for 43 indicators contributing to maternal health outcomes, including reproductive and general healthcare, physical and mental health, substance abuse, socioeconomic determinants, and the physical environment.

For this study, researchers linked the MVI to 13 million live births, comparing the vulnerability scores with maternal mortality rates, preterm birth, and low birth weight for mothers in every county. The data included all mothers of Non-Hispanic Black or African American or Non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity), aged 10-44 at the time of the event, who resided and gave birth to a live baby or suffered a maternal death.

Surgo Health has continued to improve the MVI, pushing the data and scores down to the ZIP code and census tract level to account for hyperlocal vulnerability. This granularity will prove critical as partners begin to implement solutions using the MVI.

Surgo Health recently launched as a public benefits company (PBC) and is developing a revolutionary socio-behavioral analytics platform and generating novel, real-world data designed to inform and improve health equity and outcomes by enabling a greater understanding of the complex factors that influence how individuals engage in their healthcare.

This is the first peer-reviewed study published by the newly formed organization.

To learn more about Surgo Health, visit: www.surgohealth.com

About Surgo Health

Surgo Health is a technology company and Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) aiming to revolutionize the effectiveness of healthcare by understanding people's behavior at the individual level. Surgo Health believes that a complete understanding of what drives people's behavior  and how their context impacts them  is critical to ensure every person lives a healthy life. The company delivers a novel real-world data platform to create the most comprehensive socio-behavioral profile of every person in every place, with products and solutions that can help its customers drive performance while improving outcomes, reducing cost and addressing inequities across the healthcare ecosystem. To learn more, visit https://www.surgohealth.com/ .

Media Contact:

Andrea LePain

eMedia Junction

[email protected]

617-894-1153

SOURCE Surgo Health
SANTIAGO, Chile, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Guacolda Energia SpA (f/k/a Empresa Electrica Guacolda S.A., the "Company") announces today the expiration of the early tender period (as extended), at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 31, 2023 (the "Amended Early Tender Time"), of its previously announced tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Tender Offer") its 4.560% Senior Notes due 2025 (CUSIP Nos. 29244U AF5 / P3711H AF6; ISINs US29244UAF57 / USP3711HAF66) (the "Notes"). The terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are described in the offer to purchase, dated March 13, 2023 (as it has been and may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase"). Terms used in this announcement and not otherwise defined have the meanings assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase.

On March 13, 2023, the Company commenced the Tender Offer for an aggregate purchase price up to U.S.$80,000,000, excluding Accrued Interest (as defined below) and any additional amounts as set forth in the Offer to Purchase (such purchase price, subject to increase by the Company, the "Aggregate Maximum Purchase Price"). In addition, Holders that validly tendered (and not withdrew) their Notes will receive accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on such Notes from the last interest payment date with respect to those Notes to, but not including, the final settlement date ("Accrued Interest"), and any additional amounts as set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

According to information received from D.F. King & Co., Inc. ("D.F. King"), the Tender and Information Agent for the Tender Offer, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 31, 2023, the Company had received valid tenders of Notes representing an aggregate principal amount equal to U.S.$132,262,000. Since the Total Consideration payable to Holders who validly tendered Notes prior to the Amended Early Tender Time will not exceed the Aggregate Maximum Purchase Price, the Notes validly tendered by such Holders will not be subject to proration pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase, in the event such Notes are accepted for purchase upon satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the Tender Offer. If proration of the Notes validly tendered after the Amended Early Tender Time is required, the Company will determine the final proration factor as soon as practicable after the Expiration Date; provided that Notes tendered before the Amended Early Tender Time will be accepted for purchase in priority to other Notes tendered after the Amended Early Tender Time. Any Notes that are tendered and accepted in the Tender Offer will be retired and canceled.

In accordance with the terms of the Tender Offer, the Withdrawal Deadline expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on March 24, 2023. As a result, except as may be required by applicable law, Notes already tendered in the Tender Offer and Notes that may be tendered on or prior to the Expiration Date cannot be withdrawn. The Expiration Date of the Tender Offer remains 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 11, 2023, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law. No tenders will be valid if submitted after the Expiration Date. Subject to applicable law, the Company may further amend, modify or terminate the Tender Offer at any time.

Subject to the Aggregate Maximum Purchase Price and proration, the Company intends to purchase any Notes that have been validly tendered, accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer and not validly withdrawn promptly following the Expiration Date, subject to all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by the Company. The final settlement date is expected to occur on the second business day following the Expiration Date.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Tender Offer, the Company's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer, is conditioned upon satisfaction of the General Conditions (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) and the satisfaction of the Secured Financing Condition (as defined in the Offer to Purchase). The General Conditions to the Tender Offer and the Secured Financing Condition are for the sole benefit of the Company and may be asserted by the Company, regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such condition (including any action or inaction by the Company). The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive any and all conditions of the Tender Offer, at or prior to the Expiration Date. The Tender Offer is not subject to a minimum aggregate principal amount of Notes being tendered.

The Company reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to (a) extend the Expiration Date to a later date and time as announced by the Company; (b) increase the Aggregate Maximum Purchase Price; (c) waive or modify in whole or in part any and all conditions to the Tender Offer; (d) delay the acceptance for purchase of any Notes or delay the purchase of any Notes; or (e) otherwise modify or terminate the Tender Offer. In the event that the Tender Offer is terminated or otherwise not completed, the Total Consideration or Tender Offer Consideration, as the case may be, relating to the Notes, will not be paid or become payable to Holders of such Notes, without regard to whether such Holders have validly tendered their Notes (in which case, such tendered Notes will be promptly returned to Holders). The Company will publicly announce any extension, amendment or termination in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase. There can be no assurance that the Company will exercise its right to extend, terminate or amend the Tender Offer.

In the event that the Company modifies the Tender Offer Consideration or the Total Consideration, and there are fewer than 10 business days remaining from and including the date of the announcement of such modification to the Expiration Date, the Company will extend the Expiration Date so that at least 10 business days remain until the Expiration Date with respect to the Tender Offer.

BofA Securities, Inc. is the Dealer Manager in the Tender Offer. Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact BofA Securities, Inc. at 800-292-0070 (toll free) or 646-855-8988 (collect). Requests for the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at 866-207-2239.

This press release is for informational purposes only and must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer. If any Holder of Notes is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it is recommended to seek its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advice, including as to any tax, accounting, financial and legal consequences, immediately from its stockbroker, bank manager, attorney, accountant or other independent financial or legal adviser. Any individual or company whose Notes are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Tender Offer. None of the Company, its board of directors, its officers, the dealer manager, the depositary, the information and tender agent, the trustee with respect to the Notes, or any person who controls, or is a director, officer, employee or agent of such persons, or any affiliate of such persons, makes any recommendation that Holders tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of the principal amount of their Notes, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender their Notes and, if so, the principal amount of Notes to tender.

This press release is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase with respect to any Notes or any other securities. The Tender Offer is being made solely pursuant to the terms of the Offer to Purchase. The Tender Offer is not being made to Holders of Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offer to purchase in Chile or to any resident of Chile, except as permitted by applicable Chilean law.

Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are not based on historical facts and are not assurances of future results. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and estimates about future events and financial trends, which affect or may affect the Company's businesses and results of operations. The words "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect" and similar words are intended to identify estimates and forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to forward-looking statements about the planned Tender Offer. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made in light of information currently available to the Company. Estimates and forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and the Company's future results may differ materially from those expressed in these estimates and forward- looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and you should not place reliance on any forward-looking statement contained in this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or for any other reason.

SOURCE Guacolda Energia SpA
FREEMONT, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Power Knot LLC, the market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions, announced today that its customer, the H Hotel Dubai, has once again received the Green Key Certification from the Emirates Green Building Council, a leader in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation.

The H Hotel Dubai is a luxury hotel centered in the heart of Dubai. The five star hotel has 236 rooms and suites, nine restaurants, a night club, and offers in room dining and catering services.

The Emirates Green Building Council is a non-profit organization that promotes and educates on sustainability in building environments. It is the official Green Building Council for the UAE and endorsed by the World Green Building Council. To receive Green Key certification, qualified properties must meet a strict series of sustainability criteria which cover both the operational activities and energy consumption.

"The hospitality industry is credited for its large carbon footprint due to its massive food operations and the resulting challenge of food waste," said Sophie Blondel, General Manager at The H Hotel Dubai. "The H Hotel Dubai installed the Power Knot LFC-100 biodigester to address the challenge of food waste. It improves in-house food management and disposes organic waste quickly and safely while greatly reducing the property's carbon footprint."

Catherine Malalay, EHS manager, actively looks into all the organic waste generated at the hotel along with the Chef Laurent Petit to ensure all organic waste from their kitchen and outlets are digested and diverted from the landfill.

The LFC biodigester is a machine that digests food waste. These machines are usually installed in a commercial kitchen and reduce the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of food waste that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill. Power Knot has eight different sizes that digest from 10 kg (20 lb) per day to 3000 kg (6600 lb) per day of waste food.

"The LFC biodigester turns decomposed food into wastewater which is environmentally safe and is being used to enrich the property's landscapes. The machine continuously records the amount of waste ingested and carbon dioxide equivalent that is being diverted from the atmosphere," said Iain Milnes, President of Power Knot. "We're excited that the hotel is actively using data to identify areas that will help reduce overall food wastage and incorporate efficient and intelligent planning in the kitchen."

About Power Knot

Power Knot provides safe and economically sound solutions for commercial, industrial, and military customers globally seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Our technologies are proven, available today, have been in reliable use for many years, and offer a payback period typically of less than two years. We design, develop, and manufacture our products in our headquarters in Silicon Valley, California. Our products are installed in six continents and all of the world's oceans.

For more information, access www.powerknot.com .

CONTACT: Cecillia Wong, [email protected]

SOURCE Power Knot LLC
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., SUZHOU, China and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed ("HBM" or the "Company"; HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immune-oncology and immunology, released annual results of full year 2022.

"2022 has been our second financial year since listing on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2020. With greater opportunities, the Company integrated enriched resources and significant additional efforts to drive the advancement of our portfolio and expand our collaboration worldwide, leveraging our unique global proprietary technology platforms and sustained discovery engine." said Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

"2022 was a year of high efficiency on portfolio development for HBM. The Phase III clinical study of batoclimab, through the joint efforts of the sponsor, investigators and patients, overcame all difficulties during the pandemic and completed enrollment of 132 subjects in 10 months, with the positive outcome achieved. This is the first successful pivotal Phase III study of myasthenia gravis clinical trials in China."

"2022 was a year of expansion in collaboration network for HBM. With innovative and agile business model as well as robust portfolio and proprietary technology , we have successfully partnered with top pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group for pipeline products in Harbour Therapeutics, and cooperated with innovative industry leaders such as Moderna and Dragonfly Therapeutics for cutting edge technology innovation with transformational business model of Nona sciences. Based on the continuous collaborations on Immune Cell Engagers globally, the Company has established itself as the leader in HBICE based bispecific antibody innovations. Leveraging on the cash income brought by varieties of global collaborations, the Company's revenue increased by 846.5% year on year, and our capability to monetize technology and innovation has been strongly validated."

"2022 was a year of breakthrough in technology innovation for HBM. We have established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Nona Biosciences. It is the technology platform arm for HBM, and it's mission is to focus on cutting-edge technology innovations and providing discovery solutions from 'Idea to IND' to partners around the world. The key value drivers for the company are industry leading technology platforms including Harbour Mice, HBICE and Antibody Plus in various therapies, with deep expertise and rich experience. Since its inception, Nona Biosciences has been endorsed by renowned partners, demonstrated its innovation engine power in next generation therapeutics. ."

"Moving forward, we will build upon these significant achievements and continue our mission to be the global leader in driving innovation in the next generation of antibody therapeutics, benefiting the patients around the world." Dr. Wang concluded.

Continued advancement of robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline

The Company is committed to discovering and developing innovative antibody therapeutics for oncology and immunology diseases and has a differentiated product pipeline that includes more than ten drug candidates, six of which are in clinical stages.

In 2022, the Company moved forward the global clinical development program of porustobart (HBM4003) in multiple indications. Porustobart, the next-generation anti-CTLA-4 antibody, is the first fully human heavy chain only antibody in the world that has entered into clinical development. This flagship program has advanced rapidly from candidate selection to Phase II with unprecedented clinical data released in 2022. The results showed an excellent safety profile with a strong positive signal on efficacy, with the potential to become the best-in-class treatment option for melanoma patients in China. In parallel, further clinical data of this combination therapy with PD-1 for patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NEN) will be released in 2023, which also show best-in-class potential for patients with high grade NEN. With more data collected and strong efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials, we are enabling the pivotal trial of porustobart.

Another flagship program is the exciting development for HBM7008, a novel product targeting B7H4 and 4-1BB,and generated from our immune cell engager platform HBICE. HBM7008 is also the only bispecific antibody against these two targets globally. This product entered into Phase I trials in the U.S. and Australia in 2022 with great potential on solid tumors. To maintain the leading position in the development of this first-in-class asset, the Company has entered into a co-development collaboration with Cullinan Oncology, to accelerate its development in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

The Company co-developed HBM9378 with Kelun-Biotech and drove this program into clinical stage in 2022. HBM9378 is a fully human monoclonal antibody against TSLP (thymic stromal lymphopoietin) generated from H2L2 platform. The long half-life optimization and outstanding biophysical properties solidify its favorable dosing and formulation advantages.

In the first quarter of 2023, HBM1020 (B7H7), HBM1022 (CCR8) and HBM1007 (CD73) obtained the IND clearance from the U.S. FDA to initiate clinical study. HBM1020 is a first-in-class fully human monoclonal antibody targeting B7H7 (HHLA2) generated from Harbour Mice platform and also the only product in IND stage globally. B7H7 is widely expressed in solid tumors and has low overlapping with PD-L1, especially stronger expression than PD-L1 in NSCLS. With excellent molecular design and target features, HBM1020 demonstrates the potential to address broad unmet medical needs on solid tumors.

In addition, HBM7022 (CLDN18.2xCD3), HBM7004 (B7H4x4-1BB), HBM9027 (PD-L1xCD40), HBM9033 (MSLN ADC), HBM1047 (CD200R1) and HBM9014 (LIFR) are all preclinical stage products in the company's pipeline. With the efficient output of the technology platforms as well as the rich expertise of our R&D team, the Company aims to file at least one IND each year moving forward.

Platform-driven business model to maximize value creation

Out-licensing and co-development, as important business models of HBM, ascended great achievements. In 2022, the Company granted the global out-licensed of HBM7022 to AstraZaneca, and achieved a co-development partnership on HBM7008 with Cullinan Oncology. In addition, HBM9378 developed in collaboration with Kelun-Biotech, has entered the clinical stage. These achievements validate our platform value through multiple milestones on business development and will accelerate the development of our portfolio.

To maximize the value creation of our platform and enhance our influence in the industry through technology collaborations, the Company established Nona Biosciences to better empower the innovators and enable its collaborators from idea to IND (I to ITM). At the end of 2022, Nona Biosciences achieved significant success in its launch as it has landed numerous major deals, such as the collaboration with Moderna, a global biotechnology company well recognized for its capabilities in mRNA technology, and with Dragonfly Therapeutics, a cutting-edge developer on multiple therapies in relation to NK cells. As an original discovery engine, our platform allows Nona Bioscience to be a reliable partner for collaborations for diverse R&D needs in various therapeutic areas and modalities. Nona Biosciences is on a new path to expand the Company's collaboration network and bring strong value growth in the future.

To give full play to the value of the unique platform technologies, the Company continues to explore the application of its platform in broader application scenarios with deep biology expertise, incubating several joint ventures focusing on next-generation innovation. HBM Alpha Therapeutics (HBMAT), an innovative biotechnology company incubated together with Boston Children's Hospital, completed seed financing to advance its novel antibody therapies to treat congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Another incubation program, Shanghai NK Cell Technology Limited, completed its A round financing and raised a fund over RMB100 million to deepen its efforts in cutting-edge NK cell therapeutics.

Looking ahead to 2023, HBM will continue to focus on global innovation and cooperation, taking its core technology platform as the innovation fulcrum, accelerating the clinical development of the innovative pipeline products focusing on immune-oncology therapeutics, and actively embracing the first commercialization of our portfolio. Furthermore, through expansive business collaborations, we will accelerate the advancement of our portfolio and enable our partners to generate more cutting-edge target molecules through collaborations with Nona Biosciences. HBM aims to lead next-gen biotherapeutics innovation on a global basis, leveraging in-house unique technology platforms and strong research and development capabilities, and accelerate our mission to lead a healthy life with breakthrough medicines globally.

About Harbour BioMed

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immunology and oncology. The Company is building its robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capability, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners and select acquisitions.

The Company's proprietary antibody technology platforms Harbour Mice generate fully human monoclonal antibodies in two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format, as well as heavy chain only (HCAb) format. Building upon the HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE) are capable of delivering tumor killing effects unachievable by traditional combination therapies. Integrating Harbour Mice with single B cell cloning platform, our antibody discovery engine is highly unique and efficient for development of next generation therapeutic antibodies.

SOURCE Harbour BioMed
MINNETONKA, Minn., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Ivy Chang is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Business Professional for her contributions to the field of Public Relations.

Ivy Chang

Ms. Chang earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Minnesota in 1970. She began her career as an Editorial Assistant with Burlington Northern Inc. (now known as BNSF Railway Company). She accepted a position as Editor and Senior Writer for 3M Company in 1978 where she produced a monthly newsletter and participated in numerous public relations events for the St. Paul-based company. She accepted a job as Manager of Employee Communications at International Multifoods, Minneapolis in 1979. Ms. Chang served as a Communications Specialist with the St. Paul Public Schools from 1980 to 1991 and handled media relations, internal and external communications, and public affairs for the school district.

Ms. Chang was born in Beijing, China from where she and her father's family fled in 1949 to follow Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist party, to Taiwan. Her grandfather served in political positions under Chiang Kai-shek. Ms. Chang and her mother remained in Taiwan with her father's extended family. They could not enter the U.S. because the U.S. Congress did not allow families of students to enter the U.S. Her father was studying at the University of Minnesota and received a Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry. After being separated from her father for seven years, Ms. Chang and her mother moved to the United States in 1955 to reunite with her father in Minnesota.

According to Ms. Change, when she began school in the U.S., she couldn't speak English. In the 1950s, schools did not offer English-as-a-Second-Language programs, but she was determined to learn the language of her new country and went on to excel in school.

Ms. Chang opened her public relations firm after two decades in public relations. She founded PR International in 1992 and began managing public relations and communications projects for small businesses and gradually increased the number of clients. In addition to providing written materials, Ms. Chang also managed events for her PR clients. She downsized her PR company when she was offered a position as Managing Editor of Reed Business Information's Construction Bulletin weekly magazine, covering commercial construction projects across Minnesota and the Dakotas. Her in-depth coverage of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis and its rebuilding resulted in an honorable mention award from the Construction Writers of America.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
ARLINGTON, Va., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Youlanda M. Gibbons is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Professional for her contributions to Leadership and Education.

Dr. Gibbons graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Human Development from Mercer University. She received a Master of Science in Public Health and a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also earned a Master's degree in Social Work while at Boston University and earned a PhD in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dr. Gibbons is the chief executive officer of The Partnership for Inclusion Leadership, a women-owned business she founded after having served as a diversity strategist for the Department of Commerce Census Bureau from 2013 to 2020. She is a former faculty member at Georgetown University where she served as an assistant professor, an appointment she accepted in 2005. She was recognized by the University for instructional excellence in 2009 and was appointed to serve as an affiliated Georgetown University Scholar because of her visionary work with the Federal Government.

According to Dr. Gibbons, she was inspired by former president Barack Obama's proclamation that required the federal government to implement a strategy to increase diversity and inclusion. She notes that her experience is varied, yet she senses a remarkable synergy among her professional appointments. She was a diversity and inclusion subject matter expert for Curtis Lewis & Associates PC between 2009 and 2011, and she acted as a senior consultant and social scientist at the same firm from 2007 to 2009. In both roles, she exercised her passionate commitment to advancing society, and in 2011, Dr. Gibbons founded the Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation in Government initiative.

Dr. Gibbons asserts that she remains wholly convinced about the immense significance of her mission, which is built on a platform of diversity and inclusion principles, values and topics. As an advisor, she has proudly made recommendations to the Secretary of Defense to prioritize certain instructional policies, and she has contributed to the realignment of military education and training protocols, which impact personnel from cadets and officers to the staff at the Department of Defense. Additionally, Dr. Gibbons has introduced competency-based approaches to redefine military leadership training and development, helping refine the vision, mission and governance of the Department of Defense Center of Excellence.

Dr. Gibbon's was nominated for the Washington Business Journal Award and is a recipient of the Women Worth Watching Award from the Profiles in Diversity Journal as well as the Black Leadership Award in 2022. They also recognized her with the Black Leadership Award in 2022. She won Stevie Awards for Women in International Business, as well as Women of the Year in Government. She was also awarded the Power the Future Award from the Historic Form on Workplace Inclusion organization in 2021 and proudly accepted the American Sociological Association Fellows Award in 2002. This award was followed by the Women's Education Research Institute Congressional Fellowship in 2003.

Dr. Gibbons is associated with the American Sociological Association and the Association of Black Sociologists. She has contributed to the ongoing scholarly conversation with her 2011 publication, "The Business of Diversity: A View from the Corporate Suite." In the future, Dr. Gibbons anticipates exciting travel, research and consultancy opportunities via a Fulbright award, which will take her to the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The healthcare interoperability solutions industry is expected to grow significantly in the near future due to the increasing demand for healthcare data exchange and integration. The industry is driven by the growing focus on patient-centric care, increasing demand for cost-effective healthcare services, advances in technology, and the need for better analytics. The industry is expected to benefit from the development of standards-based technologies such as HL7 FHIR and IHE Profiles that enable healthcare organizations to easily share information. Additionally, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to cloud-based solutions as a way to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Finally, the industry is expected to benefit from the adoption of blockchain technology, which can enable secure, end-to-end data exchange and integration of healthcare information.

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $3.4 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $6.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growth in this market is driven by the increasing demand for efficient and cost-effictive healthcare delivery, government initiatives towards improving the healthcare interoperability. However, the lack of true interoperability among electric systems, financial burden and technical difficulties in building and operations are some factors restraining the growth of the healthcare interoperability solutions market to a certain extent during the forecast period. The base year considered for the study is 2021, while the forecast period is 2022 to 2027.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market"



160 - Tables

37 - Figures

223 - Pages

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2022 $3.4 billion Estimated Value by 2027 $6.2 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 12.9% Market Size Available for 20202027 Forecast Period 20222027 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Type, level of Interoperability, software solution, end user, healthcare providers and region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Advancements in software technology for real-time data exchange Key Market Drivers Emergence of new medical technologies

By type, the services segment accounted for the largest share of the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021.

On the basis of type: the services segment accounted for the largest share. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the advantages offered by the services such as installation, equipment updates or traditional licensing management are not required in case of services.

The healthcare providers segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate in the healthcare interoperability solutions market, by end user, during the forecast period

Based on end user: the healthcare providers segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing geriatric population leading to the increasing hospital admissions is contributing to the growth of this segment.

North America dominated the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021

North America accounted for the largest share of the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The rising demand for value-based healthcare, the need to reduce the increasing healthcare costs, and the implementation of favorable government initiatives & regulations in the region are the key factors responsible for the large share of North America in the healthcare interoperability solutions market.

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Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Increasing demand for efficient and cost-effective healthcare delivery Government initiatives and regulations to enhance patient care and safety Emergence of new medical technologies Growing adoption of electronic health records

Restraints:

Lack of accurate interoperability solutions across healthcare supply chain Lack of standards and protocols in IT businesses Use of outdated legacy systems in hospitals and clinic chains

Opportunities:

Growing markets for healthcare interoperability solutions in developing countries Advancements in software technology for real-time data exchange

Challenges:

Increasing complexity due to lack of consistent data Shortage of skilled healthcare IT professionals Patient data security and privacy concerns in healthcare industry

Key Market Players:

Some of the prominent players in this market are Cerner Corporation (US), Epic Systems Corporation (US), Infor, Inc. (US), Koninklijke Philips NV (Netherlands), InterSystems Corporation (US), Orion Health Group Limited (New Zealand), IBM Watson Health (US), Lyniate (US), Change Healthcare (US), NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (US), and Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), iNTERFACEWARE (Canada), OSP Labs (US), ViSolve, Inc. (US), Jitterbit (US), Virtusa Corp. (US), and Summit Healthcare Services, Inc. (US).

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Recent Developments:

In November 2022 , Nextge Healthcare (US) acquired TSI Healthcare (US) to expand its presence in key specialties, including rheumatology, pulmonology, and cardiology.

, Nextge Healthcare (US) acquired TSI Healthcare (US) to expand its presence in key specialties, including rheumatology, pulmonology, and cardiology. In October 2022 , Lyniate (US) partnered with CyncHealth (US) to help healthcare providers and health networks, payers, and public health departments power more meaningful data exchange.

, Lyniate (US) partnered with CyncHealth (US) to help healthcare providers and health networks, payers, and public health departments power more meaningful data exchange. In September 2022 , Lyniate (US) partnered with BrightInsight (US) to improve Information Exchange for Regulated Digital Health Solutions Built on the BrightInsight Platform.

, Lyniate (US) partnered with BrightInsight (US) to improve Information Exchange for Regulated Digital Health Solutions Built on the BrightInsight Platform. In July 2022 , Intersystem Corporation (US) partnered with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to develop a new shared health and care record, which is being rolled out across Bedfordshire and Luton.

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Advantages:

Improved patient outcomes: By providing access to data and records across different healthcare systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve overall patient outcomes by allowing physicians to better assess patient health and make more informed decisions.

Improved patient experience: By providing access to patient data across multiple healthcare systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve the overall patient experience. This can include better access to medical records, appointment scheduling, and access to care.

Reduced costs: By enabling healthcare providers to access patient data across different systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to reduce costs associated with manual data entry and other inefficient processes.

Improved data accuracy: By providing access to real-time data, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve data accuracy across multiple systems. This can help to reduce errors and improve overall patient care.

Improved analytics: By providing access to healthcare data across multiple systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve analytics and data-driven decision making. This can help to improve population health management, disease management, and patient care.

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market - Report Highlights:

Updated Market Overview and Industry insights:

The current edition of the report consists of regulatory analysis and the recession analysis on the market (in the industry insights chapter).

Updated Competitive Landscape Chapter:

The competitive landscape chapter has been updated with product and regional benchmarking.

Updated Financial Information/Product Portfolios of Players:

The new edition of the report provides updated financial information until 2021 for each listed company in a single diagram (instead of multiple tables). This will easily help analyze the present status of profiled companies in terms of their financial strength, key revenue-generating regions/countries, business segment focus in terms of the highest revenue-generating segments, and R&D investments (as per data availability).

Updated Market Developments of Profiled Players:

Recent developments are important to understand the market trend and growth strategies adopted by players in the global healthcare interoperability solutions market space. The current edition of this report provides updated developments of profiled players from January 2019 to March 2023, indicating a continuation from the previous version. Product launches, expansions, acquisitions, agreements, partnerships, and collaborations have been the principal growth strategies adopted by market players within this period.

Related Reports:

North American Healthcare IT Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare Cloud Computing Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare IT Integration Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

Ambulatory Surgical Centers Market - Global Forecasts to 2025

Health Information Exchange Market - Global Forecasts to 2025

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MILAN, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Raffaele Hospital (Milan, IT) has launched the demonstration campaign of Flying Forward 2020 (FF2020), a research and innovation project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme, which aims to contribute to the development of "Urban Air Mobility". The first demonstration day took place on the 18th of March on the hospital grounds.

The demonstration campaign, developed by the Center for Advanced Technologies for Health and Well-Being, which will take place from March to May 2023, concerns innovative services created using drones for the transport of biomedical materials and safety. In the vision of the FF2020 project, drones are part of a vast digital ecosystem that includes a multitude of organisations, all of which contribute to the implementation of a safe and efficient service. The Hospital participates in the project as a "Living Lab", an environment in which to stage the services of the future by promoting innovation and the development of enabling technologies, with an eye to the advancement of the Italian ecosystem, as well as European. Indeed, the project led to the creation of the necessary physical and digital infrastructure, as well as the growth of experience and know-how, for the future implementation of these services.

The first demonstrator concerns the transport of pharmaceuticals and biological samples. The Healthcare personnel requests a medicine from the hospital pharmacy and a pharmacy staff member places the product in a container anchored to the drone to transport the product exactly where requested. During the demonstration, the drone took off from an internal courtyard of the hospital, adjacent to the pharmacy depot, and carried the medicine to another area of the hospital. In the future, this system will be able to connect clinics, pharmacies and laboratories scattered throughout the city and region, for more flexible, efficient and sustainable transport.

The second demonstrator concerns safety within the hospital, with a scenario that can also be transferred to a multitude of other fields of application. In fact, the personnel in charge of security are able to send the drone by selecting a point on the map, which will be automatically reached by the drone to transmit video footage in real-time, offering situational awareness that can be very valuable in managing an adverse event.

Both demonstrations were specifically authorised by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC). For its obtainment, San Raffaele Hospital was advised by EuroUSC Italia, knowledge partner of the FF2020 project. ABzero, an Italian start-up, spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa incubated at the Polo Tecnologico of Navacchio, carried out the activities as a drone operator for both demonstrations. In particular, their certified container equipped with artificial intelligence, called Smart Capsule, has been integrated into the intelligent digital system developed by the technical project partner VERSES. This allows drones to achieve greater autonomy in carrying out logistics and monitoring services.

The San Raffaele Hospital is a world-known excellence in patient care and scientific research. Newsweek recently classified it as the third best hospital in Italy in World's Best Hospitals. The Center for Advanced Technologies for Health and Well-Being manages the research activities of the "city of the future" Living Lab with the collaboration of engineers, designers, psychologists, ethics and communication experts.

The hospital is the third of five FF2020 Living Labs to launch the demonstrators. It was preceded by High Tech Campus Eindhoven and the Municipality of Zaragoza, each with different use cases but also aimed at demonstrating how these technologies can provide useful services for citizens and organisations.

About Flying Forward 2020

Flying Forward 2020 (FF2020) is a collaborative three-year research and innovation project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme under grant agreement number 101006828. The project is developing an entire state-of-the-art Urban Air Mobility (UAM) infrastructure by incorporating this new form of mobility within the geospatial digital infrastructure of cities. It includes a governance model and framework, a regulatory framework, a geospatial digital infrastructure, a Digital Toolbox, an Identity of Things (IDoT) scheme, and interoperability frameworks. The solutions developed during the project will be tested in five living labs across Europe: Eindhoven, Milan, Zaragoza, Tartu and Oulu  enabling an open dialogue with stakeholders, end-users and citizens to improve processes and results. Ultimately, their goal is to have a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life of European citizens and to create sustainable partnerships and cities. For more information, visit www.ff2020.eu.

For further information, please contact: Local team preparing the demonstrations at San Raffaele Hospital: Email: [email protected]

Media inquiries FF2020: Nathy Ercol, Communication Advisor, Flying Forward 2020 and INSPIR8ION, Phone: +31619807149, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Flying Forward 2020
After dozens of people died in tornadoes last week in parts of the South and Midwest, it continues to be a deadly year for tornadic thunderstorms. Just looking at storm reports for March 31 is an eye-opener.

The Wapello County tornado seen from 4 miles south of Hedrick.



: Lauren Sylvester#iawx pic.twitter.com/4dqMBDeZa5  Riley Fannon (@RileyFannonKTVO) March 31, 2023

Because of our unique geography, which includes the Rocky Mountains barrier to the west, with often bone-dry air in the Southwest, juxtaposed to overrun a rich supply of water vapor and its latent heat from the Gulf east of the Rockies, the U.S. has the most tornadoes by far of any nation.

On the surface, there appears to be a clear increase in tornado occurrence over the decades starting in the early 1990s. However, a significant percentage of this increase can be tied to the establishment of the National Weather Service Doppler radar network, often detecting tornadic circulations missed with earlier technology in thinly populated areas. There are also the increased storm spotter and chaser reports and videos that often went unreported.

This year has been an extreme example, so far, of an above average year in Storm Prediction Center statistics.

There were, for example, 168 tornadoes reported in January after a very active December. But this is not the first extreme year by any means. A worse year was 2011, particularly in late April when more than 360 people were killed in an Alabama outbreak on April 27.

Because the warming climate has such a clear tie to increased intensity of megadroughts in dry regions, increased flooding events in wet regions, worsening wildfire seasons and rising sea levels, there can be a tendency to jump to the conclusion that global warming must also be clearly tied to more numerous and violent tornadoes. (Read a basic primer on evidence concerning the warming climate and its impacts.)

Extreme weather events in general are becoming more common, and their ties to the ongoing climate change continue to become better established. Yet, the association between the warming and tornado trends lacks the convincing clarity found in other extreme weather impacts. There is much more variability in tornado statistics from year to year.

Meteorologist Bob Henson examined SPC statistics in detail for Yale Climate Connections in 2021. The tornado count from year to year results in annual confirmed tornadoes as low as 900 and as high as 1,800-plus. However, when he filtered out the weak EF-0 tornadoes, the average for EF-1 and stronger drops to 300-600 annually. As Henson wrote, tornadoes are local creatures. They are typically small in scale and more difficult to link to reduced sea ice and warmer oceans, which are broad, regional scale climate impacts.

There are some statistical tendencies that seem to be amplifying in this era of global warming. As I wrote last week, the already-warm Gulf and other ocean waters in the southwest Atlantic are warmer than average, and this anomaly has been present for quite some time. What this additional fuel from more evaporating water vapor and heat energy released in the process may be doing is increasing the threat of tornadoes in such places as the Gulf states and the Southeast. If you look at tornado occurrence, the numbers have been much higher in what is traditionally called tornado alley in the Plains.

When you look at tornado fatalities, however, a different picture is beginning to emerge.

In recent years, there is suggestive evidence that peak conditions for tornadoes have been shifting east of traditional tornado alley. Victor Gensini of Northern Illinois University has examined atmospheric data and found a trend.

There appears to be increased population vulnerability to tornado outbreaks farther east. The Gulf is closer to a 24/7 steady-state supply of heat and moisture energy, and the greater population density farther east may be stricken more often by late-night supercells. People may not see or hear warnings in those hours.

I sat in on a webinar a few years ago led by Harold Brooks of the National Severe Storms Laboratory. In it, he said links between tornado trends and climate change are still tenuous. Some regional climate models show a continued increase in severe thunderstorms with strong straight line winds, but with less of the type of wind shear aloft that can produce rotation in supercells. As of now, there is growing but inconclusive evidence we may see a reduction in weaker tornado days, but an increase in extreme event days like those seen recently when ingredients come together on days with strong wind shear. It will be some years before this evidence is better understood.
Provides Lone Tree Cost Estimate & Announces Multiple New Discoveries at Ruby Hill

RENO, Nev., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - i-80 GOLD CORP. (TSX: IAU) (NYSE: IAUX) ("i-80", or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's exploration and development programs at its Ruby Hill, Granite Creek, Lone Tree, McCoy-Cove and Buffalo Mountain Properties as well as the results of the initial cost estimate for the refurbishment of the Lone Tree. Continued success in the early part of the 2023 exploration campaign at the Company's 100%-owned Ruby Hill Property ("Ruby Hill" or "the Property") located in Eureka County, Nevada highlights the substantial upside at the Company's flagship project with multiple new zones of both Carlin-type gold and Carbonate Replacement Deposit (CRD) type mineralization having been discovered in the early part of the program.

Figure 1  Hilltop Fault Structure Drilling (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Photo 1  East Hilltop CRD Discovery  Massive Sulphide Mineralization in Hole iRH23-10 (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Photo 2  Sulphide Breccia in Hole iRH23-09 (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Photo 3  Carlin-type mineralization in Hole iRH23-09 (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Figure 2  Section Along Hilltop Structure (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Photo 4  Massive Sulphide Discovery in Hole iRH23-09 (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Figure 3  Granite Creek Property Location (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp) Figure 4  Surface Plan of Buffalo Mountain & Lone Tree (CNW Group/i-80 Gold Corp)

Key initiatives for each project include:

Ruby Hill Property  Major drill program underway, Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) being completed for the underground gold mineralization, permitting ongoing for underground development, detailed metallurgical work and processing plan under development

 Major drill program underway, Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) being completed for the underground gold mineralization, permitting ongoing for underground development, detailed metallurgical work and processing plan under development Granite Creek Property  Underground development progress, mining rate increasing, economic studies and revised resource estimate being completed

 Underground development progress, mining rate increasing, economic studies and revised resource estimate being completed Lone Tree Property  Cost estimate for the restart of the autoclave facility completed and work on the Class III Engineering (detailed engineering) Study underway, Ongoing residual leach program

 Cost estimate for the restart of the autoclave facility completed and work on the Class III Engineering (detailed engineering) Study underway, Ongoing residual leach program McCoy-Cove Property  Underground development progress to more than 70% completion, ~40,000 metre underground drill program underway

 Underground development progress to more than 70% completion, ~40,000 metre underground drill program underway Buffalo Mountain Property  Drilling program completed in late 2022, assessing potential for an open pit mining operation

"2023 is expected to be a catalyst-rich year with exploration, development, and mining projects complemented by economic studies and resource updates.", stated Ewan Downie, CEO of i-80. "This work will continue to provide information so that we can make an informed decision related to the sequencing of the start-up of our two processing facilities to achieve our industry-best production growth plan."

Ruby Hill Property

Four main initiatives are planned at Ruby Hill for 2023 including a large-scale exploration drilling program, initial economic work for the planned Ruby Deeps underground gold mine, permitting to allow for the commencement of underground development and advanced metallurgical work for the recoveries of gold and polymetallic base metal mineralization for mining and processing planning.

Five drills are currently active focused on expanding mineralization in the primary known zones and also testing several new exploration targets on the property. New discoveries have been made in the early part of the 2023 drilling program with Carlin-type (gold) and CRD (polymetallic) mineralization intersected in several new target areas located in close proximity to the underground infrastructure being planned for the Property.

Drilling in the Upper Hilltop Zone continues to expand mineralization and semi-massive and massive sulphide CRD mineralization has been discovered in the East Hilltop area (see Figure 1 and Photo 1). Additionally, multiple horizons of mineralization have been intersected in hole iRH23-09 (assays pending) extending mineralization along the Hilltop structure over a strike length of approximately 750 metres.

Hole iRH23-10 intersected a new zone of CRD type mineralization (assays pending) in the eastern extension of the Hilltop fault structure (see Figures 1 & 2 and Photo 1). The East Hilltop Zone is located approximately 200 m to the east, and along strike from, the Upper Hilltop Zone where 2022 drilling returned high-grade intercepts including 515.3 g/t Ag, 28.9 % Pb, 10.5 % Zn & 0.9 g/t Au over 28.3 m, 1.9 g/t Au, 631.3 g/t Ag, 7.4 % Zn & 33.0 % Pb over 18.3 m and 60.2 g/t Au, 908.7 g/t Ag, 1.1 % Zn & 15.7 % Pb over 10.0 m (see press releases dated August 30th, 2022 and November 14, 2022).

A zone of sulphide breccia CRD mineralization was intersected in hole iRH23-09 including appreciable sphalerite (zinc) (see Photo 2). This zone was immediately followed by a large zone of Carlin-type mineralization containing significant realgar and orpiment (see Photo 3). These mineralized zones were intersected below the "Bullwhacker Sill" and represent an area where the Lower Hilltop and Ruby Deeps Zones converge. Polymetallic mineralization in the Lower Hilltop Zone occurs proximal to the Bullwhacker Sill approximately 250 metres to the east of this intercept and Carlin-type gold mineralization in the Ruby Deeps Zone occurs proximal to the Bullwhacker Sill approximately 200 metres to the north suggesting significant upside in both zones. A section (Figure 2) and surface plan (Figure 1) of the upper mineralized intercepts in hole iRH23-09, displaying their location proximal to the Ruby Deeps and Hilltop Zones.

Deeper in iRH23-09, a zone of massive sulphide mineralization (see Figure 2 & Photo 4) was intersected representing a second polymetallic intercept in an area of no previous drilling in the footwall of the Holly fault structure. This mineralization occurred at the contact of the Secret Canyon shale with the underlying Geddes limestone.

"The success we have realized early in our 2023 drill program continues to confirm the world-class potential of the Ruby Hill project.", stated Tyler Hill, Chief Geologist of i-80. "We are advancing permitting to provide the ability to expand exploration to test the Hilltop Corridor further south toward the FAD deposit and for the ability to test two of our priority exploration targets defined by geophysical surveys."

Final deposit modeling and mine planning are being completed in advance of the release of a PEA for the Ruby Deeps and 426 gold deposits. This initial economic study is being planned for release in Q2.

Permit submissions are in progress related to the commencement of underground development being constructed from the Archimedes pit. This underground development will provide improved access for definition drilling of the multiple gold, polymetallic and base metal deposits, test mining and advanced economic studies prior to mining.

A detailed metallurgical testing program is being completed for both gold and polymetallic base metal mineralization at Ruby Hill. This work will be utilized in economic studies for the processing both types of mineralization from the Ruby Hill Mine including advancing plans for the potential construction of a floatation plant on the property.

Granite Creek Property

Three sublevels have now been completed and are being mined on the Ogee Zone at Granite Creek. A fourth sublevel is currently being developed to increase mining rates as the Company continues to prioritize the development of five levels on the Ogee Zone followed by the construction of infrastructure to the north to provide access for definition drilling and development of the South Pacific Zone. These initiatives are expected to accelerate the delivery of high-grade refractory mineralization for processing at Nevada Gold Mines' "Sage Plant" at its Turquoise Ridge / Twin Creeks Mine located to the north (See Figure 3).

Installation of a sixth dewatering well is nearing completion that is expected to drop the water level and contribute to accelerated development and mining rates. A Feasibility Study for the Ogee underground mine is nearing completion along with an initial resource and PEA for the South Pacific Zone that is expected to be the primary zone at the Granite Creek Mine starting in 2024. These studies are expected to be released in Q2.

Lone Tree Property

Oxide material from the Granite Creek mine is being placed on a dedicated section of the Lone Tree leach pad for high intensity leaching. Realized recoveries match the estimated leaching curves. Alternate processing options are being investigated as significant high-grade oxide mineralization continues to be mined from the Ogee zone at Granite Creek.

i-80 has completed an initial cost estimate at a pre-feasibility level and schedule study for recommissioning of the Lone Tree Autoclave facility. The purpose to this study was to review the requirements to recommission the Autoclave and CIL plant to its nameplate operating capacity, modify the plant for processing in the alkaline environment and to update it in order to meet modern permitting requirements. The study also included an updated cost estimate (with an expected accuracy of -20% to +30%, and an effective date of September 2, 2022) and several key studies focused on reducing capital, improving safety and/or reducing operating costs. Detailed cost estimates are provided in Table 1 below.

Table 1  Cost Estimate for the Restart of the Autoclave Processing Facility

Direct Cost Total Cost Earthworks, Concrete, Structural, Architectural $20,820,545 Mechanical $70,012,285 Piping $18,955,197 Instrumentation $10,575,030 Electrical $12,577,930 Direct Sub-total $132,940,987 Indirect Costs $74,793,339 Direct and Indirect Sub-total $207,734,326 Contingency $40,386,453 Total Project Cost (Excluding Owner's Cost) $248,120,779 *Does not include critical spares or first fills

The study was completed by Hatch and a 3rd Party peer review was completed to better understand means and methods and conclusions, evaluate risks and to confirm the Study is consistent with industry standards. The project teams are now advancing a Class III Engineering Study to further refine the refurbishment plan to provide sufficient enough detail for potential future project financing. The final Hatch report is expected to be completed in 2023.

The Company is currently reviewing its project development timeline by assessing the value of its gold and polymetallic resources, permitting timelines and financing requirements for the sequencing of the of the Lone Tree autoclave and a potential floatation plant at Ruby Hill. The Company remains committed to growing its business in a capital conscience manner with a focus on maximizing shareholder value. A decision will be made on the optimal path forward once it has more thoroughly defined its mineral resources to advance economic studies and technical reports.

McCoy-Cove Property

Progress on the construction of the initial decline and exploration drift for the future development of the Cove underground mine is now more than 70% complete and underground drilling is underway. The underground definition drill campaign of approximately 40,000 metres will be completed over the next 18 months to upgrade resources in advance of a Feasibility Study.

Installation of piezometers for detailed water flow studies is also being completed for full mine permitting and long-term dewatering plans. Cove represents one of North America's highest-grade development-stage gold projects with existing resources displayed in Table 2.

Table 2  Cove Mineral Resources*



Tonnage Au Grade Ag Grade Gold Silver

(kt) (g/t) (g/t) (koz) (koz) Indicated 1,007 10.9 29.1 351 943 Inferred 3,867 10.9 20.6 1,353 2,565

* Mineral Resources were calculated at a gold price of US$1500/oz, cut-off grade 0.141 opt Au. and is based on the Preliminary Economic Assessment issued by i-80 on April 13, 2021. Practical Mining LLC, under the supervision of Dagny Odell, P.E., Laura Symmes, SME, and Robert Raponi, P. Eng., each being Qualified Persons within the meaning National Instrument (NI) 43-101, was the lead consultant for the Project PEA.

Buffalo Mountain Property

An initial drill campaign was completed at the Buffalo Mountain Property in H2-2022. The results of this program, that include intercepts of 1.0 g/t Au over 134.1 m and 1.2 g/t Au over 40.8 m, will be incorporated into a revised resource estimate and economic plan regarding a potential open pit operation with mineralization processed at Lone Tree. Of particular note is step-out iBM22-03 that intersected 1.0 g/t Au over 134.1 m in the Second Chanse Zone that opens up the potential to expand mineralization to the southeast where it remains open.

The Buffalo Mountain Property is located immediately west of Lone Tree, and i-80's substantial infrastructure, and northwest of SSR Mining's Marigold Mine (See Figure 4).

Please click here for further information on abbreviations and conversions referenced in this press release.

QAQC Procedures

All samples were submitted to ALS Minerals (ALS) of Sparks, NV, which is an ISO 9001 and 17025 certified and accredited laboratory, independent of the Company. Samples submitted through ALS are run through standard prep methods and analysed using Au-AA23 (Au; 30g fire assay; ALS) and ME-ICP61a (33 element suite; 0.4g Four Acid/ICP-AES; ALS). Overlimit samples of Ag, Pb, and Zn are analyzed by ore-grade methods comprising HF-HNO3-HClO4 Digest, HCl leach and ICP-AES. Additional samples overlimit oregrade methods are analyzed by acid dissolution and titration. ALS also undertakes their own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration. i-80 Gold Corp's QA/QC program includes regular insertion of CRM standards (gold and polymetallic), duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream with a stringent review of all results.

Qualified Person

Tyler Hill, CPG-12146, Chief Geologist at i-80 is the Qualified Person for the information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.

About i-80 Gold Corp.

i-80 Gold Corp. is a well-financed, Nevada-focused, mining company with a goal of achieving mid-tier gold producer status through the development of multiple deposits within the Company's advanced-stage property portfolio with processing at i-80's centralized milling facility that includes an autoclave.

www.i80gold.com

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including but not limited to, the proposed exploration and development programs at its Ruby Hill, Granite Creek, Lone Tree, McCoy-Cove and Buffalo Mountain Properties, the cost estimate for the refurbishment and recommissioning of the Lone Tree autoclave facility expansion or mineral resources at each of the Company's mineral projects, the timing of the completion of the economic studies in respect of the Company's mineral projects, and the potential of the Company's mineral projects. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to: material adverse changes, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

SOURCE i-80 Gold Corp
INDIANAPOLIS, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indiana Center for Recovery Indianapolis is proud to announce the successful completion of in-network contract negotiations with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. This new partnership will expand access to high-quality, affordable addiction treatment services to more individuals and families throughout the state.

Since its inception, Indiana Center For Recovery has been committed to providing comprehensive and innovative substance abuse treatment services to the community. With this new agreement, Indiana Center For Recovery Indianapolis will be able to offer its award winning services to individuals in need, as well as their families, through the extensive Anthem network.

"Our mission has always been to ensure that everyone has access to the best possible care and support on their road to recovery," said Jackie Daniels, Director of Clinical Development at Indiana Center for Recovery. "By partnering with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, we can now extend our reach and help even more individuals get the treatment they need and deserve."

This collaboration will make Indiana Center For Recovery Indianapolis addiction treatment programs, including Detoxification, Inpatient Residential, Partial Hospitalization Program, and Intensive Outpatient Program, more accessible and affordable to Anthem members. Effective immediately, the new partnership enables all existing and new Anthem members to begin benefiting from the comprehensive treatment options offered by Indiana Center For Recovery Indianapolis. The partnership underscores both organizations' commitment to providing quality addiction treatment services and addressing the growing need for accessible care. By working together, Anthem and Indiana Center For Recovery Indianapolis aim to positively impact countless lives, helping individuals on their journey to recovery and long-term sobriety.

About Indiana Center For Recovery:

Indiana Center For Recovery is a patient-centered substance use disorder and mental health treatment facility. They have been offering treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders in Bloomington since 2016 with locations in Mishawaka, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Merrillville, Jeffersonville, and Lafayette. Visit https://treatmentindiana.com for more information.

SOURCE Indiana Center For Recovery
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The infectious disease market size is forecasted to increase by USD 104.81 billion from 2022 to 2027, at a CAGR of 12.49%, according to the recent market study by Technavio. The growth of the market will be driven by the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases, the growing awareness of infectious diseases, and the strong drug pipeline. Charts & data tables about market and segment sizes for a historic period (2017-2021) and forecast period (2023-2027) have been covered in this report. Download the Sample Report

Vendor Analysis

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Infectious Disease Market

The global infectious disease market has a presence of numerous regional and international vendors that compete on price points and product quality. Considering the cost-intensive nature of vaccine manufacturing and the expertise of these players in the market, Technavio expects the competitive landscape to remain the same during the forecast period. The market has many companies, and strategic alliances of new entrants with existing companies are expected to lead to vendor dilution to some extent during the forecast period. Some of the key vendors covered in the report include:

Bio Rad Laboratories Inc.: The company offers solutions for infectious diseases, which enable earlier diagnosis, appropriate therapy selection, personalized care, and infectious disease monitoring.

The company offers solutions for infectious diseases, which enable earlier diagnosis, appropriate therapy selection, personalized care, and infectious disease monitoring. Danaher Corp.: The company offers solutions for infectious diseases, which help in preventing disease transmission by diagnosing infection, monitoring treatment, and providing essential educational training for healthcare workers.

The company offers solutions for infectious diseases, which help in preventing disease transmission by diagnosing infection, monitoring treatment, and providing essential educational training for healthcare workers. F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd.: The company offers solutions for infectious diseases using testing systems, reagents, and quality controls to optimize testing workflows and provide quality results.

The company offers solutions for infectious diseases using testing systems, reagents, and quality controls to optimize testing workflows and provide quality results. Genetic Signatures Ltd.: The company offers solutions for infectious diseases by providing tests for the early detection of infectious diseases in the fields of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.

The company offers solutions for infectious diseases by providing tests for the early detection of infectious diseases in the fields of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections. Grifols SA

Hologic Inc.

Meridian Bioscience Inc.

Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.

OraSure Technologies Inc.

PerkinElmer Inc.

QIAGEN NV

Siemens AG

Sysmex Corp.

Trinity Biotech Plc

Abbott Laboratories

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Key Benefits for Industry Players & Stakeholders 

The report offers information on the criticality of vendor inputs, including R&D, CAPEX, and technology.

It also provides detailed analyses of the market's competitive landscape and vendors' product offerings.

The report also provides a qualitative and quantitative analysis of vendors to help clients understand the wider business environment as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key market players. Data is qualitatively analyzed to categorize vendors as pure play, category-focused, industry-focused, and diversified; it is quantitatively analyzed to categorize vendors as dominant, leading, strong, tentative, and weak.

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Market Segmentation:

The market is segmented by product (drugs and vaccines), end-user (hospital, multispecialty clinic, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)).

By product, the market growth will be significant in the drug segment during the forecast period. The increase in the incidence of fungal infections can be attributed to the rise in chronic diseases such as cancer. Moreover, the R&D of safer antifungals with improved spectra is underway. Currently, there are promising molecules in the pipeline for antifungal treatment, including PC945 by Pulmocide, F901318 by F2G, isavuconazole by Astellas Pharma, and caspofungin acetate by Merck. These molecules are expected to change market dynamics when they are launched during the forecast period.

By end-user, the market will witness increased demand for hospitals during the forecast period. Factors such as the increasing number of patients with infectious diseases have led to the high demand for infectious disease diagnosis. Certain developed countries, such as the US, have a positive reimbursement scenario, which contributes to the increasing adoption of infectious disease diagnosis. Such factors will increase segment growth during the forecast period.

North America will account for 42% of the market growth during the forecast period. The regional market is led by the US because of the presence of top players such as Gilead, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, and AbbVie, which generate high revenue from their leading drugs. In addition, these vendors invest in marketing and patient awareness initiatives. Factors such as the development and launch of drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, and proper treatment of the patient population will drive the market growth in this region during the forecast period.

Market Dynamics:

Key Drivers:

Increasing prevalence of infectious diseases

Growing awareness of infectious diseases

Strong drug pipeline

The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases is the key factor driving the market growth. These Infectious diseases are caused by organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The pattern of infectious disease incidence has also been changing, with the evolution of drug-resistant pathogens. HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death in many countries. Moreover, globally, the incidence and prevalence of infectious diseases have increased due to climate change and its consequences. This is expected to be a major driver for market growth during the forecast period.

Major Trends:

Development of novel drugs

Increasing mergers and acquisition

Emergence of new patterns of infectious diseases

The development of novel drugs will fuel market growth. There has been an increase in the R&D of novel drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. According to researchers, a new drug called pranlukast can kill the tuberculosis bacterium as well as weaken its survival strategies within cells. This discovery will provide an opportunity to use this novel drug combination in tuberculosis therapeutics. Such developments are expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Key Challenges:

Adverse effects of anti-infective drugs

Slowdown in the manufacturing industry

Anti-microbial resistance (AMR)

The adverse effects of anti-infective drugs are a major challenge to market growth. Multiple drugs are being approved by the US FDA and are being indicated for the treatment of different infectious diseases. However, these drugs are associated with adverse effects. For instance, Saquinavir is an antiviral medicine that prevents the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from multiplying in the patient's body. The drug has some life-threatening side effects if it is taken along with cholesterol medication (such as Mevacor, Altoprev, and Advicor) and heart rhythm medications (including amiodarone, disopyramide, and dofetilide). The adverse effects of anti-infective drugs can reduce patient compliance, thereby leading to a decline in the growth of the market.

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What are the key data covered in this Infectious Disease Market report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the infectious disease market between 2023 and 2027

Precise estimation of the infectious disease market size and its contribution to the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the infectious disease market across North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW)

, , , and Rest of World (ROW) A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of infectious disease market vendors

Related Reports:

The infectious disease diagnostics market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% between 2021 and 2026. The addiction therapeutics market size is forecast to increase by USD 13.94 billion . The market is segmented by end-user (hospitals and labs) and geography ( North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW)).

size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% between 2021 and 2026. The addiction therapeutics market size is forecast to increase by . The market is segmented by end-user (hospitals and labs) and geography ( , , , and Rest of World (ROW)). The infectious enteritis treatment market is expected to develop at the market's growth momentum (CAGR) of 5.09% between 2021 and 2026 and the market size is expected to increase by USD 403.92 million . The market is segmented by route of administration (oral and injectables) and geography ( North America , Europe , Asia , and Rest of World (ROW))

Infectious Disease Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 12.49% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 104.81 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 11.16 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 42% Key countries US, Germany, UK, China, and Japan Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Bio Rad Laboratories Inc., Danaher Corp., F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Genetic Signatures Ltd., Grifols SA, Hologic Inc., Meridian Bioscience Inc., Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., OraSure Technologies Inc., PerkinElmer Inc., QIAGEN NV, Siemens AG, Sysmex Corp., Trinity Biotech Plc, Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson and Co., bioMerieux SA, DiaSorin SpA, Quidel Corp., and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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Table of contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global infectious disease market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global infectious disease market 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by 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 Drugs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Drugs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Drugs - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Drugs - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Drugs - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Vaccines - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Vaccines - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Vaccines - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Vaccines - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Hospital - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Hospital - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Hospital - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Hospital - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Hospital - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Multispecialty clinic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Multispecialty clinic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Multispecialty clinic - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Multispecialty clinic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Multispecialty clinic - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 59: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 60: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 61: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 63: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 65: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 66: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 68: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 69: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 70: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 71: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 72: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 73: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 77: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 78: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 79: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 80: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 81: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 82: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 85: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 87: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 89: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 91: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 92: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 93: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 94: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 95: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 96: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 97: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 99: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 101: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 102: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 103: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 104: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 105: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 106: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 107: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Abbott Laboratories

Exhibit 108: Abbott Laboratories - Overview



Exhibit 109: Abbott Laboratories - Business segments



Exhibit 110: Abbott Laboratories - Key news



Exhibit 111: Abbott Laboratories - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: Abbott Laboratories - Segment focus

12.4 Becton Dickinson and Co.

and Co. Exhibit 113: Becton Dickinson and Co. - Overview

and Co. - Overview

Exhibit 114: Becton Dickinson and Co. - Business segments

and Co. - Business segments

Exhibit 115: Becton Dickinson and Co. - Key news

and Co. - Key news

Exhibit 116: Becton Dickinson and Co. - Key offerings

and Co. - Key offerings

Exhibit 117: Becton Dickinson and Co. - Segment focus

12.5 Bio Rad Laboratories Inc.

Exhibit 118: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 119: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 120: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 121: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 122: Bio Rad Laboratories Inc. - Segment focus

12.6 bioMerieux SA

Exhibit 123: bioMerieux SA - Overview



Exhibit 124: bioMerieux SA - Product / Service



Exhibit 125: bioMerieux SA - Key offerings

12.7 Danaher Corp.

Exhibit 126: Danaher Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 127: Danaher Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 128: Danaher Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 129: Danaher Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 130: Danaher Corp. - Segment focus

12.8 DiaSorin SpA

Exhibit 131: DiaSorin SpA - Overview



Exhibit 132: DiaSorin SpA - Business segments



Exhibit 133: DiaSorin SpA - Key news



Exhibit 134: DiaSorin SpA - Key offerings



Exhibit 135: DiaSorin SpA - Segment focus

12.9 F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd.

Exhibit 136: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 137: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 138: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 139: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 140: F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd. - Segment focus

12.10 Meridian Bioscience Inc.

Exhibit 141: Meridian Bioscience Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 142: Meridian Bioscience Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 143: Meridian Bioscience Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 144: Meridian Bioscience Inc. - Segment focus

12.11 OraSure Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 145: OraSure Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 146: OraSure Technologies Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 147: OraSure Technologies Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 148: OraSure Technologies Inc. - Segment focus

12.12 PerkinElmer Inc.

Exhibit 149: PerkinElmer Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 150: PerkinElmer Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 151: PerkinElmer Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 152: PerkinElmer Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 153: PerkinElmer Inc. - Segment focus

12.13 QIAGEN NV

Exhibit 154: QIAGEN NV - Overview



Exhibit 155: QIAGEN NV - Product / Service



Exhibit 156: QIAGEN NV - Key news



Exhibit 157: QIAGEN NV - Key offerings

12.14 Quidel Corp.

Exhibit 158: Quidel Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 159: Quidel Corp. - Product / Service



Exhibit 160: Quidel Corp. - Key offerings

12.15 Siemens AG

Exhibit 161: Siemens AG - Overview



Exhibit 162: Siemens AG - Business segments



Exhibit 163: Siemens AG - Key news



Exhibit 164: Siemens AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 165: Siemens AG - Segment focus

12.16 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Exhibit 166: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 167: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 168: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 169: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 170: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Segment focus

12.17 Trinity Biotech Plc

Exhibit 171: Trinity Biotech Plc - Overview



Exhibit 172: Trinity Biotech Plc - Product / Service



Exhibit 173: Trinity Biotech Plc - Key offerings

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 174: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 175: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 176: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 177: Research methodology



Exhibit 178: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 179: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 180: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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SOURCE Technavio
The partnership will provide continued care across local Central Texas communities.

PLANO, Texas, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intuitive Health (Intuitive) today announced the acquisition of Premier ER & Urgent Care (Premier), a Texas-based hybrid emergency room (ER) and urgent care clinic with four locations in San Marcos, Temple, Waco, and Woodway, Texas. The partnership expands Intuitive's footprint to 23 hybrid emergency and urgent care locations.

"Our mission at Premier ER & Urgent Care continues to be to provide our communities with high-quality, cost-efficient medical care at their convenience," said Premier Chief Executive Officer Dr. John Hamilton. "We're proud to partner with the Intuitive team and look forward to our work together as we strive to improve health for everyone in our community."

"Premier's dual model of ER and Urgent Care facilities will continue to offer excellent care and a commitment to local medical services," said Thom Herrmann, Chief Executive Officer of Intuitive. "Intuitive is dedicated to prioritizing patients' needs through transparency, quality, and affordability, and this partnership will help build on our promise to provide the best accessible and convenient outpatient services."

The acquisition of Premier is Intuitive's second acquisition since 2015. This partnership continues Intuitive's hybrid ER and urgent care strategy that provides one convenient consumer health-based location for both emergency and urgent care services and eliminates the guesswork for patients unsure of where to go for care. The unique care model creates cost-effective ways for patients to receive unscheduled care. Beyond its home state of Texas, Intuitive has a growing network of sites outside of Texas in collaboration with health system partners to extend its differentiated care delivery model to patients nationwide.

Intuitive Health is a partner company of Altamont Capital Partners, a private investment firm. The partnership was supported by Stellus Capital Management and City National Bank, with Ropes & Gray serving as Intuitive's legal counsel.

ABOUT INTUITIVE HEALTH

Founded in 2008, Intuitive Health pioneered the combined emergency room and urgent care model. Intuitive Health partners with established health systems nationwide to build, operate and launch retail health care facilities that provide urgent care and emergency room services under one roof. Intuitive Health operates in partnership with leading health systems across the country including in the states of Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Delaware, Kentucky, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Intuitive's patient-centric approach to immediate care has saved payors and patients hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary emergency care spend. The Intuitive Health model increases market share for partnered health care systems by expanding their footprint with conveniently located centers. For more information, please visit IHERUC.com.

ABOUT PREMIER ER & URGENT CARE

Premier ER & Urgent Care is a comprehensive solution to unscheduled care. By combining our ER and Urgent Care, we've created a cost-effective way to receive care with little-to-no wait. We provide the best care at our fully-staffed facilities with experienced doctors, providers, nurses, radiology techs, and support staff. We're proud to operate across Texas. Learn more at https://premier.care.

ABOUT ALTAMONT CAPITAL PARTNERS

Altamont Capital Partners is a private investment firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area with more than $4.3 billion of assets under management. Altamont is focused on investing in middle market businesses where it can partner with leading management teams to help its portfolio companies reach their full potential.

CONTACT:

Madeline LaMura

[email protected]

804-516-9477

SOURCE Intuitive Health
Ground-Breaking Collaboration With Greenbriar Capital Corp. Enables Shareholders the Option To Tokenize Shares and List Trading on INX.One Platform for Digital Assets

NEW YORK and TORONTO, April. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The INX Digital Company, Inc. (NEO: INXD, INXATS: INX, OTCQB: INXDF) ("INX"), a broker-dealer and inter-dealer broker, in partnership with Greenbriar Capital Corp. ( GEBRF on the US OTC) ( GRB on the Toronto Venture Exchange, TSXV), a leading developer of sustainable real estate and renewable energy, announced today that it will facilitate and list the GEBRF traditional shares as the first regulated tokenized shares of a publicly traded company. Through this landmark collaboration, traditional stock certificates of Greenbriar Capital will now be able to be represented in a digital format and move seamlessly back and forth between traditional exchanges, like OTC and TSXV, and a digital Alternative Trading System (ATS) like INX.

"By working with an existing transfer agent, INX and Greenbriar are able to offer a fully-regulated, secure and direct pathway for financial markets to unlock another source of possible liquidity through the INX ecosystem," said Itai Avneri, Deputy CEO & COO of INX. "As the first digital asset platform to achieve regulatory approval to raise capital, issue security tokens and trade both security tokens and digital currencies, it's an exciting next step for INX to offer the first tokenized shares of a publicly traded company to both U.S. and international investors. It also marks a significant inflection point in the maturity of the digital economy and we expect to see more public companies, U.S. or international, take their business digital, either in the form of tokenized shares, digital ADR or digital bonds, now and in the near future."

The tokenized version of the Greenbriar shares will be subject to the same benefits afforded to the traditional shareholders, which includes voting rights and a share of the company's profits in the form of dividends. The tokenized shares are easily tradable since they can be bought and sold 24/7/365 on the INX.One digital asset platform. Plus, these shares, like all security tokens available on INX.One, are regulated securities, which provides full legal protection for investors.

"We are thrilled to be taking these essential steps to be the first public company in North America to have certain registered common shares alternatively listed as digital shares on the INX.One security token platform," said Jeff Ciachurski, CEO of Greenbriar Capital. "I am delighted to say, INX is a Finra approved platform merging investing and trading in security tokens, cryptocurrencies, and capital raise services all in one platform. Greenbriar deeply believes in the full democratization of investing. Rather than limiting the expansive opportunities of Greenbriar to just our existing 3,000 to 4,000 public shareholders, owning on average 8,000 to 9,000 common shares each; through digitization we can dramatically increase access and the number of public token holders - providing ownership opportunities to everyone in the worldwide security token ecosystem. All security tokens digitized from registered common shares will have full voting and dividend rights."

INX continues to establish a path toward a more responsible and innovative digital economy for U.S. and international investors. Specifically, the INX.One platform sets a global standard for effectively achieving democratization in financial markets, while simultaneously providing the necessary regulatory guardrails through close collaboration with U.S. and global regulators.

In 2021, INX became the first SEC-registered digital security IPO  closing with $84 million in gross proceeds from over 7,250 retail and institutional investors. 92.9 million INX Tokens were sold in the IPO. INX continues to lead the industry in providing novel trading and capital raising financial instruments to enterprises and companies worldwide.

For more information about INX, visit https://www.inx.co/. T okenization is not available to Canadian residents.

About INX:

INX provides a regulated trading platform for digital securities and cryptocurrencies.

With the combination of traditional markets expertise and a disruptive fintech approach, INX provides state-of-the-art solutions to modern financial problems. INX is led by an experienced and dedicated team of business, finance, and technology veterans with the shared vision of redefining the world of capital markets via blockchain technology and innovative regulatory approach.

About The INX Digital Company, Inc. INX is the holding company for the INX Group, which includes regulated trading platforms for digital securities and cryptocurrencies, combining traditional markets expertise and an innovative fintech approach. The INX Group's vision is to be the preferred global regulated hub for digital assets on the blockchain. The INX Group's overall mission is to bring communities together and empower them with financial innovation. Our journey started with our initial public token offering of the INX Token in which we raised US$84 million. The INX Group is shaping the blockchain asset industry through its willingness to work in a regulated environment with oversight from regulators like the SEC and FINRA.

In addition to operating two regulated trading platforms for blockchain assets, INX's interdealer broker, I.L.S. Brokers, plans to offer non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards to Tier-1 banks in the future. For more information, please visit the INX Group website here .

About Greenbriar Capital Corp:

Greenbriar is a leading ESG Alternative Asset developer of renewable energy and sustainable real estate. With long-term, high impact, contracted sales agreements in key project locations and led by a successful, industry-recognized operating and development team, Greenbriar targets deep valued assets directed at accretive shareholder value.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Other Disclosures

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, INX has made certain assumptions, including with respect to, the continuous development of the INX trading platform, the offering of non-deliverable cryptocurrency forwards, and the development of the digital asset industry. Although INX believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to regulatory developments, the state of the digital securities and cryptocurrencies markets, and general economic conditions. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, INX disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise.

The NEO Exchange is not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

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 U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

For further information, contact:

The INX Digital Company, Inc.

Investor Relations

+1 855 657 2314

Email: [email protected]

For more information, contact:

Liz Whelan

[email protected]

(312) 315-0160

SOURCE The INX Digital Company, Inc.
BANGALORE, India, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Isopropyl Alcohol Market is Segmented by Type ( Industrial Grade , Medical Grade), by Application (Cosmetics and Personal Care, Acetone, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Intermediate): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20222028. It is published in Valuates Reports under the Chemicals Industry Category.

The global Isopropyl Alcohol market was valued at USD 2486.8 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 3093.2 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 3.1% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

Major factors driving the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol Market:

Because of its superior solvency properties, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is acknowledged as one of the most important solvents in end-use sectors. Due to the substance's potent disinfectant qualities, it is also a vital component used in numerous medical facilities, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol market.

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE GROWTH OF ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL MARKET:

Bacteria on the epidermis are either killed or prevented from growing by isopropyl alcohol. Using topical isopropyl alcohol on the skin can help stop bacterial skin infections from small scrapes or wounds. In healthcare environments, isopropyl alcohol is used to stop infections that could result from needle punctures. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol market

All surfaces in the house, from the countertop to the toilet bowl, can be cleaned and disinfected with IPA. Due to its antiseptic qualities, it will eliminate any remaining germs, and due to its solvent properties, it will be able to remove sticky stains, grease, oils, and other substances. Even permanent markers can be removed from surfaces by dissolving them into a liquid form and removing them with a simple wipe. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol market

Isopropyl alcohol is a go-to for cleaning electrical devices, from computer screens to contact pins in ROM cartridges. This is due to the fact that it can completely clean a component without damaging it or leaving any streaks. It is frequently employed in the electrical sector to clean IC packages, optical disc drive lasers, and magnetic tape. It won't harm the surface, so it can even use to remove fingerprints from CDs and DVDs. IPA can also be found in aerosol form, which is ideal for electrical components with intricate geometries or that are challenging to reach. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol market

Hand sanitizer, also referred to as hand antiseptic, is an antiseptic that is applied to the hands in the form of a foam, gel, or liquid to get rid of bacteria that can cause illness. Both items that are sold elsewhere and those that are only accessible in pharmacies are included. Since gel-based hand sanitizers are more approachable and efficient at killing germs than sprays and other hand sanitizers, they are likely to make up a sizable portion of the market. Foam-based hand sanitizers are anticipated to develop more quickly, despite the fact that they are smaller and easier to apply when compared to other types. This factor is expected to drive the growth of the Isopropyl Alcohol market.

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ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS:

Through 2028, a substantial portion of new IPA demand is expected to come from Asia Pacific alone due to the region's expanding middle class, rising living standards, and rapidly expanding infrastructure.

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Key Companies:

Carboclor

Dow Chemicals

ISU Chemicals

LG Chem

Mitsui Chemicals.

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SIMILAR REPORTS:

- High-purity Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) market size is estimated to be worth USD 97.1 million in 2022 and is forecast to be a readjusted size of USD 149.7 million by 2029 with a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- Isopropyl Acetate Market

- Isopropanol Market

- Semiconductor Grade Isopropyl Alcohol Market

- Electronic Grade Isopropyl Alcohol Market

- Quaternary Ammonium Compounds market was valued at USD 1178.6 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 1545.5 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 4.3% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- Hydrogen Peroxide market size is estimated to be worth USD 4338.3 Million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 5240.8 Million by 2028 with a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period 2022-2028.

- Surfactants market size is projected to reach USD 38320 Million by 2027, from USD 31910 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 3.1% during 2021-2027.

- Hand Sanitizers Market

- Sterile Alcohol Solutions Market

- Pharmaceutical Grade Isopropyl Alcohol Market

- Alcohol Based Disinfectant market was valued at USD 1626.7 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 2606.1 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- UV disinfection equipment market was valued at USD 1.3 Billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 5.7 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.1% from 2020 to 2027.

- UV Disinfection Modules Market

- Surface Disinfectant market was valued at USD 729.5 Million in 2020 and it is expected to reach USD 1215.5 Million by the end of 2027, growing at a CAGR of 7.2% during 2021-2027.

- Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection Equipment for HVAC Market

- Antiseptic and Disinfectant market size is about 46 Billion in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 6.3%.

- North America Hand Sanitizer Gel and Hand Soap Market

- Hand Sanitizer and Hand wash Market

- Hand Hygiene Compliance Monitoring Systems market was valued at USD 104.8 million in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 172.5 million by 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period 2023-2029.

- Healthcare and Laboratory UV Disinfection Market

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Proceeds to Fund Hotel Construction and Refinance Existing Debt

JAMUL, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 29, 2023, the Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), owner and operator of Jamul Casino and a wholly-owned enterprise of the Jamul Indian Village of California (the "Tribe"), closed on $515 million of Senior Secured Credit Facilities (the "Credit Facilities") with a syndicate of commercial banks led by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. The other lenders included Western Alliance Bank, Nevada State Bank, U.S. Bank, PNC Bank, CIT Bank, and Columbia State Bank. Proceeds from the Credit Facilities will be used to refinance existing debt, fund hotel construction, and pay transaction-related fees and expenses.

The Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation, owner and operator of Jamul Casino (pictured here) and a wholly-owned enterprise of the Jamul Indian Village of California, recently closed on $515 million of Senior Secured Credit Facilities with a syndicate of commercial banks led by KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.

JIVDC and Tribal Chairwoman Erica M. Pinto says, "We are thankful for the partnership with KeyBanc and appreciate their approach, flexibility, and collaboration. The terms of this transaction will allow us to focus on our long-term financial stability and new projects that will continue to provide benefits for the Tribe."

"KeyBanc Capital Markets, together with a syndicate of lenders, are dedicated to providing financial solutions required by Tribes and their gaming entities," said Ben Rechkemmer, Managing Director. "Jamul Casino's management team and JIVDC's effective leadership made this financial goal a reality. We are proud to be part of the continued success of JIVDC, Jamul Casino, and the Tribe as well."

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP (Procopio) provided legal counsel for the JIVDC, and FSA Investment Group acted as the JIVDC's financial advisor. Procopio is an AMLaw 200 full-service business and litigation law firm, and FSA Investment Group is a financial advisory and investment firm.

This is the third significant financial transaction the JIVDC has completed in recent years. The Tribe refinanced their property in 2021 and again 2022. The Tribe's success in completing these transactions is due in part to Jamul Casino's:

Strategic location in a well-populated area with favorable demographics

Modern facility with state-of-the-art amenities

Impressive player database growth with strong trends

Best in-class management team, led by President and General Manager, Mary Cheeks

"It's very rewarding to see Jamul Casino's success recognized by this team of lenders. It speaks to the vision of our Tribal Board, the Property leadership team, the dedication of our staff, and the loyalty of our guests," Ms. Cheeks states. "This comes at an exceptional time as we begin building a beautiful new hotel connected to the Casino."

JIVDC is adding to its property by developing a new 16-story hotel, which will feature 200 rooms, including 52 suites, a rooftop pool and jetted hot tub, a spa and salon, a fitness center, a restaurant and lobby bar, and a banquet room. The hotel is being built to achieve AAA's Four Diamond designation.

About Jamul Indian Village of California (JIV or Tribe)

JIV is one of 13 federally recognized tribes that are part of the Kumeyaay Nation, with roots in east San Diego County since time immemorial. The Tribe utilizes revenue and resources from the Jamul Casino to fund educational opportunities, health care, and housing initiatives for its members, as well as finance projects that benefit the surrounding community. For more information about JIV, please visit jamulindianvillage.com.

About Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation

The Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary and instrumentality of the Jamul Indian Village, a federally recognized sovereign Indian nation and was established to advance the Tribe's goals of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. The Development Corporation owns and operates Jamul Casino and pursues other economic development ventures on behalf of the Tribe.

About Jamul Casino

Opened in 2016, the Jamul Casino is located in Jamul, California, San Diego County, and is owned and operated by Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation (JIVDC), a wholly owned enterprise of the Tribe. The $430 million, award-winning casino features nearly 1,700 slot machines, 46 live table games, a dedicated poker room, and various restaurants, bars and lounges. Jamul Casino supports 1,200 permanent jobs in the region and is the closest casino to downtown San Diego, which is the eighth-largest city in the United States by population. For more information about Jamul Casino, please visit www.jamulcasinosd.com.

Media Contact: Beth Binger

BCIpr

619-987-6658

[email protected]

SOURCE Jamul Indian Village Development Corporation
DUBLIN, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market 2023-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



As per the publisher's report, the Latin America everything as a service (XaaS) market is estimated to progress with a compound annual growth rate of 19.08% during the forecast period 2023-2030. Mexico, Brazil, and Rest of Latin America are evaluated in the region's market.



Cloud usage is soaring at a rapid pace in Mexico, with approximately 84% of businesses employing a cloud-based service. Several industrial sectors have shifted to the cloud platform in recent years to streamline operations. As per estimates, a significant number of enterprises are examining the use of AI and ML. Further, several companies like Microsoft have announced investment plans to accelerate digital transformation in the country. Therefore, these developments accelerate the XaaS market's expansion.



Similarly, multiple companies have increased investment in AI, could, and blockchain solutions to accelerate their business growth in Argentina. For instance, IBM invested around $15 million in the country's startups and institutes to surge technological transformation. Google also plans to launch its engineering centers in Argentina to keep pace with its cloud rollouts. Such strategic steps are expected to create demand for data-driven technologies, thereby fueling everything as a service market's development.

COMPETITIVE OUTLOOK



The firms listed in the everything as a service (XaaS) market comprises Amazon.Com Inc, VMware Inc, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, SAP SE, and Salesforce Inc.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Rising Adoption of Cloud Computing Systems

Decreasing Operational Costs and Quicker Deployment

Growing Pay-As-You-Go Subscription Models

Rising Investments by Governments and Companies in Internet Technologies

Market Challenges

Vendor Lock-In Concerns in Cloud

Issues Related to Privacy and Data Confidentiality

Market Opportunities

Application of Cloud in Healthcare

Emergence of IoT as a Service and Artificial Intelligence as a Service

Integration of Iot-Based Systems to Smart Everything as a Service (Xaas)

Key Topics Covered:



1. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - Summary



2. Industry Outlook



3. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - by Type

3.1. Platform as a Service (Paas)

3.2. Software as a Service (Saas)

3.3. Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas)

3.4. Analytics as a Service (Aaas)

3.5. Device as a Service (Daas)

3.6. Unified Communications as a Service (Ucaas)

3.7. Other Types



4. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - by Organization Size

4.1. Large Enterprises

4.2. Small and Medium Enterprises



5. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - by Business Type

5.1. Business-To-Business (B2B)

5.2. Business-To-Consumer (B2C)



6. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - by Vertical

6.1. Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (Bfsi)

6.2. Manufacturing

6.3. Healthcare & Life Sciences

6.4. It & Telecommunication

6.5. Consumer Goods & Retail

6.6. Government & Public Sector

6.7. Other Verticals



7. Latin America Everything as a Service (Xaas) Market - by Country Outlook



8. Competitive Landscape



9. Research Methodology & Scope



A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Amazon.Com Inc

Cisco Systems Inc

Microsoft Corporation

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd

Sap Se

Salesforce Inc

Adobe Systems

Vmware Inc

Oracle Corporation

Tata Consultancy Services

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/c51tme

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
Industry leaders sign a memorandum of understanding recognizing their shared vision for a safe and sustainable space ecosystem and their mutual efforts in making this vision a reality

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LeoLabs, the world's leading commercial provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) Space Situational Awareness and Space Traffic Management services, announced today a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ClearSpace, the Swiss-based, in-orbit satellite servicing company. The MOU recognizes the two companies' shared vision of a safe and sustainable space ecosystem and their mutual efforts in making this vision a reality.

This strategic partnership comes at a time when both companies are finding commercial and non-commercial success. In 2022, for example, LeoLabs received a contract to help support the development of a US, civil-led STM prototype from the US Department of Commerce, and ClearSpace received a Phase B demo contract from the UK Space Agency to demonstrate its active debris removal technology.

The partnership announced today signals a desire to build on this mutual success and previous collaborative efforts, such as the joint LEO Kinetic Space Safety Workshop hosted in May 2022. The MOU also serves as a formal declaration of LeoLabs' and ClearSpace's intent to work together on several new initiatives. These initiatives include thought leadership opportunities that promote space safety and responsible stewardship of the space environment, as well as business opportunities that promote their services and programs. In addition, they have agreed to exchange advisory board appointments, with LeoLabs' Dr. Darren McKnight joining ClearSpace's Advisory Board and Dr. Timothy Maclay from ClearSpace becoming a member of LeoLabs' Commercial Strategic Advisory Board.

"As the traffic in low Earth orbit grows, innovative, scalable solutions are needed, including active debris removal technologies and in-orbit servicing," said LeoLabs CEO Dan Ceperley. "ClearSpace is an industry leader in both, and we're proud to kick off partnering with them to build a safer, more sustainable future in space."

"With the acceleration of commercial space activity, the industry is developing approaches to create a more circular space ecosystem," said ClearSpace CEO and Co-founder Luc Piguet. "LeoLabs is providing data and services that are critical to operational safety, and we are excited to be working with them to address comprehensively the complex challenges of space safety and sustainability."

This strategic partnership between LeoLabs and ClearSpace  two dynamic, innovative players in the industry  is a milestone in the development of effective, multi-faceted strategies to address the growing debris problem in space and mitigate the risks posed to operational spacecraft.

About LeoLabs (www.leolabs.space)

LeoLabs is transforming the way satellite operators, commercial enterprises and federal agencies across the world launch and track missions in low Earth orbit. Through its vertically integrated technology system, Vertex, LeoLabs delivers the superior information needed to succeed in today's space race. With unmatched LEO coverage, real-time tracking and powerful insights, companies and governments rely on LeoLabs to safely innovate and execute a wide array of operations in space.

About ClearSpace (www.clearspace.today)

ClearSpace SA, a spin-off of EPFL's Space Center, was created in 2018 to respond to the growing concern about space debris with a practical Active Debris Removal (ADR) solution. Bound to revolutionize how space missions are conducted, ClearSpace provides services in-orbit with innovative technologies to capture and deorbit obsolete objects threatening space operations, and builds the roadmap to servicing capabilities in Space. It aims to support institutions and commercial operators to accomplish their space sustainability and to promote a sustainable space economy. In November 2020, ClearSpace signed a contract worth 86 million euros with ESA to send their first robot cleaner into space in 2026. ClearSpace is growing rapidly with teams in Switzerland, the UK and Germany, and is actively engaged in the initial phases of two other in-orbit servicing missions in addition to ClearSpace-1.

SOURCE LeoLabs, Inc.
MEDFORD, Ore., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) today announced its first quarter 2023 earnings will be released before the market opens on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. A conference call to discuss the earnings results is scheduled for the same day at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

How to Participate

Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD) first quarter 2023 earnings will be released on Wednesday, April 19. Tweet this

The conference call may be accessed by telephone at (877) 407-8029. To listen live on our website, or for replay, visit investors.lithiadriveway.com and click on quarterly earnings.

About Lithia & Driveway (LAD)

Lithia & Driveway (NYSE: LAD), the premier automotive retailer in North America, offers a wide selection of vehicles across global manufacturers and provides a full suite of financing, leasing, repair, and maintenance options. Purchasing and owning a vehicle is easy and hassle-free with convenient solutions offered through our comprehensive network of locations, ecommerce platforms, and captive finance division. We deliver profitable growth as we pursue our vision to modernize personal transportation solutions wherever, whenever, and however consumers desire.

Sites

www.lithia.com

www.investors.lithiadriveway.com

www.lithiacareers.com

www.driveway.com

www.greencars.com

www.drivewayfinancecorp.com

Lithia & Driveway on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/LithiaMotors

https://www.facebook.com/DrivewayHQ

Lithia & Driveway on Twitter

https://twitter.com/lithiamotors

https://twitter.com/DrivewayHQ

https://twitter.com/GreenCarsHQ

SOURCE Lithia Motors, Inc.
It may have been cool Sunday, but it was a spectacular day, affording us some brief drying in what has been a wet year.

Liquid precipitation, including equivalent from snow, is now up to 11.78 inches, 2.84 inches above average. This follows the tremendous liquid equivalent in the snows of November and December.

Farmers have to be concerned about how they are going to get their machinery out into the fields, at this stage. The next few days probably won't be of any help. Weather Prediction Center total estimated rainfall through Wednesday night bears that out.

After a milder but breezy Monday, scattered showers will be arriving during the evening. Temps will drop back from the 50s to near 40 by morning following passage of a weak cold front.

On Tuesday, showers will thin out during the morning, with areas of fog. It will remain overcast but mainly dry in the afternoon, with temps reaching the low 50s. Nationally, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are sadly going to be back in the news. The Storm Prediction Center continues to advise of a major threat over parts of the Midwest and the mid-South.

On Wednesday, a deep storm system will be crossing the upper Midwest. Following passage of its warm front early in the day, a brisk downslope southerly wind will boost temps into the 70s inland from Lake Erie over most of Western New York, with dry time between occasional showers. It will not be as wet as this graphic implies.

What is of greater concern is a potential severe weather threat toward evening, with the approach of the storm systems cold front. SPC has included our region in the 15% risk for severe thunderstorms with damaging winds.

Isolated tornadoes are unlikely, but cant be ruled out within a developing squall line to our west toward early evening.

Behind the cold front, Thursday will be partly sunny, windy and cooler with a high near 50. Good Friday and the start of Passover look dry and seasonably chilly, with a high in the low 40s.

After a mostly sunny Saturday with temps edging into the low 50s, Easter Sunday appears ideal. A warming southerly flow with abundant sunshine will boost afternoon highs to the low 60s, after a tranquil dawn start in the mid-30s.

As for muddy yards and fields, it does appear well have a dry stretch at least from Thursday into Monday morning.
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Some pharmacies are taking massive risks by waiting too long to comply with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, while others are discovering that they've overspent on solutions that lack essential features. Now, LSPedia's OneScan Pharmacy Pro is making complete DSCSA compliance quick, easy, and affordable enough for any dispenser, turning the FDA's November 27, 2023 enforcement deadline into an opportunity.

OneScan Pharmacy Pro

From local independent pharmacies to chains, dispenser businesses can now easily implement DSCSA without replacing any systems. OneScan Pharmacy Pro's elegant cloud design lets it work seamlessly with any dispensing or pharmacy management software; integrations are fast and effective, and teams can get started rapidly via an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. The solution goes beyond compliance, optimizing supply chain operations to bring down costs  so that, beyond avoiding expensive pitfalls, OneScan Pharmacy Pro makes DSCSA a chance for dispensers to save money.

OneScan Pharmacy Pro provides simple and affordable tools to receive, track, manage, and verify EPCIS data, while automating expiry management, trading partner licenses, serial verification, data retention, FDA reporting, and more.

Additionally, OneScan Pharmacy Pro features access to LSPedia's industry-leading Investigator technology, which automatically alerts suppliers to EPCIS errors and guides the resolution process, saving hours or days of problem-solving while ensuring that good products flow to the patient rather than being needlessly delayed or destroyed. These capabilities help pharmacies operate with efficiency, accuracy, and confidence, reducing the risk of slowdowns, disruptions, and audits.

Dispensers are recognizing OneScan Pharmacy Pro's quality: the suite is quickly becoming the most adopted DSCSA compliance solution in the industry among national chains, as well as the preferred solution for many regional and national group purchasing associations (GPOs). Moreover, LSPedia has ensured that cost isn't a barrier to adoption, offering OneScan Pharmacy Pro at prices any dispenser can afford.

"If you want to ensure full DSCSA compliance in your pharmacy, LSPedia's Pharmacy Pro solution is the way to go," said Jeff Herman, CEO of Pharmsource LLC. "It outperforms all other solutions with its robust features, ease of use, and affordability."

Since 2013, LSPedia has earned its place as the leading provider of DSCSA compliance solutions. The company has been transacting EPCIS files for more than six years, and includes a true, trusted Verification Router Service as part of its scalable, feature-rich suite of pharmacy solutions.

"We're incredibly proud of the breakthroughs we've made in our pharmacy solutions," said LSPedia CEO Riya Cao. "We've made the experience something our customers can understand intuitively and use with confidence, all while maintaining low cost of ownership. DSCSA compliance can be a victory for your business in 2023, where you eliminate the costs of complicated errors and non-compliance while making your operations run better than ever."

With unmatched affordability, speed and convenience, OneScan Pharmacy Pro makes DSCSA compliance easy and profitable for any pharmacy business.

For more information, please visit www.lspedia.com.

About LSPedia DSCSA Compliance Solutions

LSPedia is a leading provider of turnkey DSCSA compliance and SaaS solutions in the pharmaceutical industry. CMOs, manufacturers, 3PLs, wholesale distributors, dispensers, and healthcare providers use LSPedia's OneScan solution to make, move, track, verify, ship, and receive serialized products at every point in the supply chain.

As the largest processor of serialized data in the industry, LSPedia builds solutions with workflow, automation, and data security at their core. OneScan delivers flexible integrations, high-performance product verification, and state-of-the-art EPCIS data exchange; LSPedia's Investigator platform is the gold standard for serialization exceptions management, as the first collaborative platform to resolve EPCIS errors and supply chain issues in real time.

For more information, call +1 (248) 973-2008, email [email protected] or visit www.lspedia.com.

SOURCE LSPedia
Pizza Marketplace Recognizes Nation's Fastest-Growing Pizza Brand* with Awards in Growth, Technology & Executive Leadership

TOLEDO, Spain, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, the nation's fastest-growing pizza brand*, earns top ranks on the inaugural Pizza Marketplace Top 100 Movers & Shakers. The brand received several special honors, claiming the No. 1 spot in the Growth category, ranking among the Top 15 in the Tech Innovators category, and, notably, naming Co-CEO & President, Tony Libardi, among the Top 3 most influential executives in the pizza industry. Award recipients were announced at the Top 100 Pizza Gala on March 28, 2023 in Las Vegas.

As an evolution of the Fast Casual Top 100 , this special report from Pizza Marketplace shines a spotlight on pizza brands and brand executives that are shaping the future of the pizza segment. The Pizza Top 100, which is selected by a panel of judges, features six categories including: Top 15 Emerging Brands, Top 15 Growth Brands, Top 15 Tech Innovators, Top 15 Menu Innovators, Top 15 Marketing Campaigns, and Top 25 Executives.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this prestigious award and be recognized as one of the most innovative and successful companies in the pizza industry," said Libardi. "It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and franchisees, who strive every day to deliver high quality products, a great value, and the best possible guest experience. We've been on a fantastic growth trajectory, experiencing 14 straight quarters of same-store sales growth, and will continue to build on this great momentum by innovating upon these remarkable brand achievements."

Ranking No. 1 in the Growth category, Marco's franchise expansion continues to surge. The fast-growth brand boasts more than 200 stores in various stages of development and hundreds of agreements signed. In the last six years, Marco's has doubled its store footprint with no intention of slowing down.

At the crux of Marco's ongoing growth is its renowned high-quality pizza, which has provided the basic foundation to scale. With prime territories available across the country, company leadership has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations.

Alongside growth, Marco's is prioritizing investments in technology innovations solidifying its ranking in the Top 15 Tech Innovators category. Marco's is currently rolling out its own 100% cloud-based technology platform - Marco's Order Management System (MOMS). This platform is one of many projects Marco's is embarking on, including exploring voice-to-text ordering, continued adoption of third-party delivery, utilizing AI and machine learning, and more.

At the helm of Marco's impressive performance is Co-CEO & President, Tony Libardi, whose contributions to the brand have been nothing short of historic. Earning the No. 2 spot in the Top 25 Executives category, Libardi is guiding strategy as Marco's stakes its claim as a leader in the pizza industry. Energies remain focused on achieving tremendous growth and sales accomplishments, prioritizing technology and innovation to enhance customer experience and drive franchisee profitability, all while delivering a high-quality product.

Marco's now boasts more than 1,100 stores while achieving record-breaking performance - surpassing $1B in annual systemwide sales, last summer. Marco's provides a full development support system, including technology and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion plus financing, real estate, construction management, and field operations support to assist franchisees and multi-unit operators.

According to FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, Marco's 2022 FUND Score of 895 is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is the 2nd highest score among all evaluated food franchises.

For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA

Marco's Pizza is one of America's Top 10 Favorite QSR Brands according to the 2022 Market Force Information Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand in the United States*. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2023 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR's Top 50 and has been featured six consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.

*Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand based on year-over-year unit growth, according to 2022 NRN Top 500 U.S. Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment.

SOURCE Marco's Pizza
IRVINE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total March sales of 34,778 vehicles, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to March 2022. Year-to-date sales totaled 88,384 vehicles; an increase of 7.4 percent compared to the same time last year. With 27 selling days in March, compared to the same the year prior, the company posted an increase of 5.3 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

CPO sales totaled 5,309 vehicles in March, an increase of 20 percent compared to March 2022.

Sales Highlights

Best-ever sales of CX-50 with 4,010 vehicles sold.

Best-ever March sales of CX-30 with 6,779 vehicles sold.

2nd best-ever March sales of CX-5 with 16,612 vehicles sold.

Mazda Canada, Inc., (MCI) reported March sales of 5,470 vehicles, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to March last year. Year-to-date sales total 11,326 vehicles; a decrease of 12.3 percent compared to the same time last year.

Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported March sales of 7,105 vehicles, an increase of 83.2 percent compared to last year. Year-to-date sales totaled 19,264 vehicles; an increase of 69.6 percent compared to the same time last year.

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.

























Month-To-Date

Year-To-Date

























March March YOY % % MTD

March March YOY % % MTD



2023 2022 Change DSR

2023 2022 Change DSR























Mazda3 2,872 3,053 (5.9) % (5.9) %

7,295 9,492 (23.1) % (23.1) %

Mazda 3 Sdn 1,182 1,050 12.6 % 12.6 %

3778 3,704 2.0 % 2.0 %

Mazda 3 HB 1,690 2,003 (15.6) % (15.6) %

3517 5,788 (39.2) % (39.2) %























Mazda6 0 14 (100.0) % (100.0) %

0 325 (100.0) % (100.0) %























MX-5 Miata 1,083 663 63.3 % 63.3 %

2,590 1,605 61.4 % 61.4 %

MX-5 583 162 259.9 % 259.9 %

1343 524 156.3 % 156.3 %

MXR 500 501 (0.2) % (0.2) %

1247 1,081 15.4 % 15.4 %























CX-3 - 0 - -

- 0 - -

CX-30 6,779 3,343 102.8 % 102.8 %

19870 9,494 109.3 % 109.3 %

CX-5 16,612 21,645 (23.3) % (23.3) %

38727 50,653 (23.5) % (23.5) %

CX-9 3,151 4,148 (24.0) % (24.0) %

9836 10,463 (6.0) % (6.0) %

CX-50 4,010 56 7060.7 % 7060.7 %

9764 56 17335.7 % 17335.7 %

MX-30 4 101 (96.0) % (96.0) %

15 180 (91.7) % (91.7) %

C90 252 0 - -

269 0 - -

C9P 15 0 - -

18 0 - -

CARS 3,955 3,730 6.0 % 6.0 %

9,885 11,422 (13.5) % (13.5) %

TRUCKS 30,823 29,293 5.2 % 5.2 %

78,499 70,846 10.8 % 10.8 %























TOTAL 34,778 33,023 5.3 % 5.3 %

88,384 82,268 7.4 % 7.4 %













































*Selling Days 27 27





75 75





























SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
All-new 2023 Outlander PHEV posts best-ever monthly and quarterly sales

Outlander family of compact SUVs leads the way with demand continuing to outpace supply

FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today reported first quarter 2023 sales, with the brand's high-tech, electrified flagship, the all-new 2023 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), setting all-time monthly and quarterly sales records for the nameplate, up more than 104% and 122% over the same month and quarter, respectively, of the previous year.

All-new 2023 Outlander PHEV posts best-ever monthly and quarterly sales

MMNA's overall Q1 sales totaled 20,938, down about 20% as demand continued to outstrip supply. Outlander PHEV's gasoline-powered sibling continues to be the brand's best-selling model, as it has been since the launch of this generation vehicle. Backing up Outlander in volume was its smaller sibling, Outlander Sport, showing an increase across the quarter of more than 24% year-over-year versus Q1 2022. Overall sales for the quarter were only constrained by a shortage of new vehicle inventory.

For more information on the full lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles, visit MitsubishiCars.com.

For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

News and Notes

Mitsubishi Motors ranked first among 18 mass-market brands, second overall, in the 2023 J.D. Power Customer Service Index study. Mitsubishi Motors posted the largest year-over-year improvement of any mass market marque in the study, capping a multi-year effort to set the standard for world-class customer service. The brand also took top honors in J.D. Power's new Mass Market SUV/Minivan segment awards.

The all-new 2023 Outlander PHEV was named the "2023 Family Green Car of the Year" and top segment performer as part of Green Car Journal 's 2023 Green Car Awards. This marks the third time in the last five years that Outlander PHEV, the world's best-selling PHEV SUV, has been recognized by the publication.

's 2023 Green Car Awards. This marks the third time in the last five years that Outlander PHEV, the world's best-selling PHEV SUV, has been recognized by the publication. In addition to the all-new Outlander PHEV, Mitsubishi also recently announced the return of Ralliart, as MMNA announced special rally-inspired editions across the model range and Team Mitsubishi Ralliart returned to motorsport, taking victory in the Asia Cross Country Rally with a specially prepared Triton pickup truck.



Q1 2023 Q1 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Mirage 3,342 4,917 3,342 4,917 Outlander Sport 4,613 3,707 4,613 3,707 Outlander 9,814 13,065 9,814 13,065 Outlander PHEV 1,597 719 1,597 719 Eclipse Cross 1,572 3,992 1,572 3,992 TOTALS 20,938 26,400 20,938 26,400

ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan  "Challenge 2025"  MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV).

MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida.

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

Contact

Jeremy Barnes

Senior Director, Communications and Events

[email protected]

Mobile: 714-296-1402

SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Creatives can now access subscriptions to Monotype Fonts directly online, while Shopify merchants can deploy thousands of unique fonts across the commerce experience.

WOBURN, Mass., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monotype and Shopify announced a collaboration that will modernize access to typography for creative and retail professionals globally.

Beginning immediately, Monotype Fonts, the company's flagship solution for font discovery, expertise, collaboration, and management, can now be licensed directly through a Shopify integration. The company worked closely with Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, to bring the project to life, leveraging its scale and expertise in designing digital commerce experiences.

Monotype and Shopify announced a collaboration that will modernize access to typography for creative and retail professionals globally.

Increasingly, brands and design teams are looking to remove barriers to creativity and prefer to access creative assets and expertise at the point of creation. With this partnership, creative professionals will now be able to choose subscription packages that fit their unique needs and access a library of tens of thousands of world-class fonts, solving a range of typographical challenges. Additionally, foundry partners that distribute fonts through Monotype Fonts and MyFonts will now be empowered to deliver their designs to new audiences. This integration supports a stronger marketplace for buying and selling fonts, delivering greater security, performance, and accessibility.

"We are proud to be one of the earliest digital goods providers to partner with Shopify's best-in-class infrastructure," said John Sims, VP Digital Experience, Monotype. "The result will not just be good for us and our customers, but for our industry as we make type more accessible in emerging channels. This is truly a collaborative story, as we could not have successfully completed this project without the support and expertise of our partners at Publicis Sapient."

"We are absolutely thrilled to bring Monotype's vision to life on the world-class Shopify platform," said Sudip Mazumder, SVP and Retail Industry Lead at Publicis Sapient. "This solution is going to transform how creative communities access typography globally without any barriers."

Type at the intersection of culture and commerce.

In a "digital-by-default" era, brands are delivering products and services through often fragmented customer experiences. Ensuring brand consistency and a strong visual identity is more important than ever, yet having access to high-performance creative assets can be a challenge for designers and brands.

As part of this partnership, 2,000 fonts are available to Shopify customers directly within the Shopify platform, offering a range of styles, characteristics, and language support.

"Shopify is committed to enabling retailers of any size to grow and to be successful. Ensuring that our customers have the creative work they need to realize the potential of their branded stores is critical, and by partnering with Monotype, we are solving a key challenge for digital retailers," said Jim Reynolds, Agency Partnerships Lead at Shopify.

Shopify partners will now receive access to Monotype Fonts.

Today, Monotype and Shopify are also announcing an expansion of their existing partnership, making Monotype Fonts available to Shopify's global agency network. This program will allow Shopify agency partners to prototype design work using tens of thousands of unique typefaces, as well as exclusive access to thought leadership and curated design events.

"The Monotype agency partner program has proven to remove the friction that often exists within the design process," said Aline Daeschner, Sr. Director Agency Partners, Monotype. "We're excited to extend these benefits to the Shopify agency partner network, placing type front and center within the commerce experience and empowering more creatives to do their best work."

To learn more about Monotype's agency partner program, including how your agency can gain access to popular fonts, visit our website.

About Monotype

Monotype creates brands that matter with type, technology, and expertise. The company partners with leading foundries to deliver the broadest inventory of high-quality typefaces in the world. Further information is available at www.monotype.com.

Follow Monotype on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

Monotype is a trademark of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

2022 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

About Shopify

Shopify is a leading provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, offering trusted tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business of any size. Shopify makes commerce better for everyone with a platform and services that are engineered for reliability, while delivering a better shopping experience for consumers everywhere. Proudly founded in Ottawa, Shopify powers millions of businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by brands such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Heinz, Tupperware, FTD, Netflix, FIGS, and many more. For more information, visit www.shopify.com.

About Publicis Sapient

Publicis Sapient is a digital transformation company. We partner with global organizations to help them create and sustain competitive advantage in a world that is increasingly digital. We operate through our expert SPEED capabilities: Strategy and Consulting, Product, Experience, Engineering and Data, which combined with our culture of curiosity and deep industry knowledge, enables us to deliver meaningful impact to our clients' businesses through reimagining the products and experiences their customers truly value. Our agile, data-driven approach equips our clients' businesses for change, making digital the core of how they think and what they do. Publicis Sapient is the digital business transformation hub of Publicis Groupe with 20,000 people and over 50 offices worldwide.

For more information, visit publicissapient.com.

SOURCE MONOTYPE IMAGING HOLDINGS INC
Location represents Monte Nido & Affiliates' second residential treatment program in Texas

HOUSTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monte Nido & Affiliates, one of the largest and leading eating disorder platforms in the country, today announces the opening of Monte Nido Houston, located in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston. This residential eating disorder center provides care for adult females with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or exercise addiction.

Monte Nido Houston, a residential eating disorder treatment program for women in Conroe, Texas is now open.

"Eating disorders can happen to anyone  any gender, any race or ethnicity, and importantly, any age," said Cassie McLean, Chief Executive Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates. "That's why our goal is to help make treatment more accessible by expanding care for people in pursuit of recovery."

Treatment at Monte Nido Houston provides high levels of medical and psychiatric care, with 24-hour nursing, in the comfort of a home setting. While using evidence-based approaches, the program focuses on the restoration of physiological and nutritional balance, implementation of healthy eating and exercise routines, elimination of harmful behaviors and development of motivation and engagement.

"Our programs are designed around the belief in a person's ability to become fully recovered," said Melissa Spann, PhD, LMHC, CEDS-S, Chief Clinical Officer of Monte Nido & Affiliates.

"This program allows us to provide more people in the Houston area with the tools, skills and support they need to achieve full recovery."

Monte Nido Houston is the second Monte Nido & Affiliates program in the state of Texas, complementing Clementine Houston, a residential program that treats adolescents.

For more information, or to inquire about treatment at Monte Nido Houston, please visit www.montenido.com or call 888-228-1253.

About Monte Nido & Affiliates

Monte Nido & Affiliates is one of the country's largest and leading eating disorder platforms, offering inpatient, residential and day treatment programs for eating disorders. Founded in 1996, Monte Nido & Affiliates currently operates programs in fifteen states, with inpatient and residential programs being Joint Commission accredited. Monte Nido & Affiliates includes five distinct eating disorder program brands: Monte Nido, Walden Behavioral Care, Rosewood Centers, Oliver-Pyatt Centers, and Clementine.

Contact: Abigail Cox

L.C. Williams & Associates

312-565-3900

[email protected]

SOURCE Monte Nido & Affiliates
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis. The agencies revealed the crew members Monday during an event at Ellington Field near NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The crew of NASAs Artemis II mission (left to right): NASA astronauts Christina Hammock Koch, Reid Wiseman (seated), Victor Glover, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Credits: NASA.

"The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum  out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers  the Artemis Generation."

The crew assignments are as follows: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist 1 Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist 2 Jeremy Hansen. They will work as a team to execute an ambitious set of demonstrations during the flight test.

The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight test will launch on the agency's powerful Space Launch System rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft's life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space.

"We are going back to the Moon and Canada is at the center of this exciting journey," said the Honorable Francois-Philippe Champagne, the minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency. "Thanks to our longstanding collaboration with NASA, a Canadian astronaut will fly on this historic mission. On behalf of all Canadians, I want to congratulate Jeremy for being at the forefront of one of the most ambitious human endeavors ever undertaken. Canada's participation in the Artemis program is not only a defining chapter of our history in space, but also a testament to the friendship and close partnership between our two nations."

The flight, set to build upon the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission completed in December, will set the stage for the first woman and first person of color on the Moon through the Artemis program, paving the way for future for long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars. This is the agency's Moon to Mars exploration approach.

"For the first time in more than 50 years, these individuals  the Artemis II crew  will be the first humans to fly to the vicinity of the Moon. Among the crew are the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all," said Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson. "This mission paves the way for the expansion of human deep space exploration and presents new opportunities for scientific discoveries, commercial, industry and academic partnerships and the Artemis Generation."

Meet Artemis II Astronauts

This will be Wiseman's second trip into space, serving previously as a flight engineer aboard the International Station for Expedition 41 from May through November 2014. Wiseman has logged more than 165 days in space, including almost 13 hours as lead spacewalker during two trips outside the orbital complex. Prior to his assignment, Wiseman served as chief of the Astronaut Office from December 2020 until November 2022.

The mission will be Glover's second spaceflight, serving previously as pilot on NASA's SpaceX Crew-1, which landed May 2, 2021, after 168 days in space. As a flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 64, he contributed to scientific investigations, technology demonstrations, and participated in four spacewalks.

Koch also will be making her second flight into space on the Artemis II mission. She served as flight engineer aboard the space station for Expedition 59, 60, and 61. Koch set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman with a total of 328 days in space and participated in the first all-female spacewalks.

Representing Canada, Hansen is making his first flight to space. A colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and former fighter pilot, Hansen holds a Bachelor of Science in space science from Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, and a Master of Science in physics from the same institution in 2000, with a research focus on Wide Field of View Satellite Tracking. He was one of two recruits selected by CSA in May 2009 through the third Canadian Astronaut Recruitment Campaign and has served as Capcom in NASA's Mission Control Center at Johnson and, in 2017, became the first Canadian to be entrusted with leading a NASA astronaut class, leading the training of astronaut candidates from the United States and Canada.

"I could not be prouder that these brave four will kickstart our journeys to the Moon and beyond," said Director of Flight Operations Norm Knight, NASA Johnson. "They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a mix of highly capable and accomplished individuals with the skills and determination to take on any trial as a team. The Artemis II mission will be challenging, and we'll test our limits as we prepare to put future astronauts on the Moon. With Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy at the controls, I have no doubt we're ready to face every challenge that comes our way."

Through Artemis missions, NASA will use innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon. Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.

For more information about the crew, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-ii

SOURCE NASA
SYDNEY, April 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kleos Space Inc, a subsidiary of Kleos Space S.A (ASX:KSS), a space-powered defence & intelligence technology company, has been awarded the Stage Two option on its current contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (SCE BAA) Framework.

The NRO is responsible for maintaining global vigilance in times of peace and war. It develops, acquires, launches, and operates innovative space-based surveillance and reconnaissance systems that collect and deliver intelligence to enhance U.S. national security.

After a multiple-phase proposal process, Kleos was previously awarded the NRO's Strategic Commercial Enhancements BAA Framework Stage One contract, which focused on the modeling and simulation of Kleos' capabilities to support the U.S. Government's current and future commercial radio frequency (RF) reconnaissance needs. The NRO's SCE Framework continuously evaluates new and emerging commercial capabilities and providers.

Under the Stage Two effort, Kleos will provide insights into how to optimize evolving commercial RF geolocation capability to enhance and augment existing capabilities in a persistent, resilient, cost-effective manner with products that are also easily shareable across the U.S. Government, international partners, and allies.

The newly awarded Second Stage emphasizes tasking, data collection, and direct delivery of data to end-users. The NRO also exercised an option for future purchases of Kleos data and products to support extended development and experimentation.

About Kleos Space (ASX:KSS)

Kleos is a global space-powered defence & intelligence technology Company with operations in Luxembourg, the U.S. and U.K. Kleos uses RF sensors in Space to collect radio transmissions (RF Data) in key areas of interest around the globe. Collected data is processed through Kleos' proprietary processing platform delivering an intelligence output in order to efficiently uncover and expose activity on land and sea. Intelligence product customers, including analytics and intelligence entities, license data on a subscription basis (Data-as-a-Service aka DaaS), for government and commercial use cases  aiding better and faster decision making. For more information visit: www.kleos.space

SOURCE Kleos Space Inc, a subsidiary of Kleos Space S.A.
With a strengthened financial structure, Natura &Co to focus on strategic priorities

SAO PAULO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Natura &Co (NYSE  NTCO; B3  NTCO3) announces that it has reached an agreement under which L'Oreal will acquire Aesop, opening a new chapter of the luxury beauty brand's growth story after 10 successful years under Natura &Co's stewardship.

Under the transaction, L'Oreal has signed an agreement to acquire Aesop for an enterprise value of US$ 2.525 bn. The transaction is still subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q3 2023.

With the transaction, Natura &Co will strengthen and deleverage its balance sheet, freeing up resources to focus on its strategic priorities, notably the integration in Latin America, as well as the further optimization of Avon International's footprint and the improvement of The Body Shops business.

Since becoming part of Natura &Co in 2012, Aesop has posted spectacular growth. Between 2012 and 2022, gross sales increased from US$28 million to US$537 million. The number of stores and counters increased from 52 to 395 as Aesop expanded its geographic footprint from 8 markets to 29. More recently, in 2022, Aesop opened its first physical stores in Mainland China, and significantly grew its fragrance category.

Fabio Barbosa, Chief Executive Officer of Natura &Co, declared: "The divestment of Aesop marks a new development cycle for Natura &Co. With a strengthened financial structure and a deleveraged balance sheet, Natura &Co, exercising strict financial discipline, will be able to sharpen its focus on its strategic priorities, notably our investment plan in Latin America. We will also be able to concentrate on continuing to improve The Body Shop's business and refocusing Avon International's footprint. We are proud of the remarkable success of the Aesop brand, and we are extremely grateful to all Aesop's associates, who contributed immensely not only to Aesop's success, but also to making Natura &Co what it is today. We are confident that Aesop's growth story will continue under the ownership of L'Oreal and wish Aesop continued success in this new chapter."

Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer of L'Oreal Groupe, said, "I am very excited to welcome Aesop and its teams to the L'Oreal Groupe family. Aesop is the epitome of avant-garde beauty, whose products are not only made with great care and exceptional attention to detail; they are a superb combination of urbanity, hedonism and undeniable luxury. Aesop taps into all of today's ascending currents and L'Oreal will contribute to unleash its massive growth potential, notably in China and Travel retail."

Michael O'Keefe, CEO of Aesop, added: "This is an exciting day for Aesop. With the support of Natura &Co, over the past decade, we have built Aesop into an admirable global force in the luxury beauty space, with a powerful product proposition and a unique customer and retail experience. We now enter the next phase of our development and I'm confident that with L'Oreal's partnership we will be able to bring our exceptional skincare products to even more people and continue to expand our brand globally. We thank Natura &Co for its support and are greatly looking forward to working with L'Oreal to continue our development, building on our distinctive brand and heritage."

Morgan Stanley served as lead financial advisor, Bank of America as financial advisor, and Davis Polk & Wardwell as main legal advisor to Natura &Co.

About Natura &Co

Natura &Co is a global, purpose-driven, multi-channel and multi-brand cosmetics group which includes Avon, Natura, The Body Shop and Aesop. Natura &Co posted net revenues of R$36.3 billion in 2022. The four companies that form the group are committed to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact. For 136 years Avon has stood for women: providing innovative, quality beauty products which are primarily sold to women, through women. Founded in 1969, Natura is a Brazilian multinational in the cosmetics and personal care segment, leader in direct sales. Founded in 1976 in Brighton, England, by Anita Roddick, The Body Shop is a global beauty brand that seeks to make a positive difference in the world. The Australian beauty brand Aesop was established in 1987 with a quest to create a range of superlative products for skin, hair and the body.

About Aesop

Aesop is an aspirational, luxury brand, that provides efficacious and sensorial products across multiple beauty and wellness categories, including hair, body, skin, home, and fragrance. Since its creation in 1987, Aesop has delivered significant organic growth while maintaining its strong brand ethos and staying true to its core social and environmental values. Its global footprint of over 395 uniquely designed locations, elegant customer experience and purpose-driven approach have proven particularly attractive to a loyal and expanding community of customers, and the company is now well positioned to become a pioneer in the luxury beauty space. Aesop is proudly a Certified B Corporation.

Press Contact

Brunswick Group

Sao Paulo + 55 11 3076 7620

London + 44 020 7404 5959

[email protected]

SOURCE Natura &Co
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boards of Directors (the "Boards") of Neuberger Berman Municipal Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NBH), Neuberger Berman California Municipal Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NBW), and Neuberger Berman New York Municipal Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NBO) (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") have approved proposals to reorganize each of NBW and NBO into NBH. The proposed reorganizations for the Funds are subject to certain conditions, including necessary approval by each Fund's stockholders. The Funds expect to hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders to consider approval of the reorganization proposals on or about June 29, 2023.

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC ("NBIA"), the Funds' investment adviser, recommended, and the Boards approved, the reorganizations as a result of a comprehensive assessment of the Funds. NBIA and the Boards believe the reorganizations will benefit stockholders of each Fund through the creation of a larger fund that may offer economies of scale, including a lower total annual operating expense ratio, enhanced earnings potential, and increased market liquidity for the combined fund's common stock, which could positively impact trading in the combined fund's shares.

Each transaction is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for federal income tax purposes and will be effected at each Fund's respective net asset value (NAV) at the time of the reorganization. Further information regarding the proposed reorganizations will be contained in a proxy statement/prospectus to be filed publicly with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and disseminated to each Fund's stockholders.

About Neuberger Berman

Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 26 countries, Neuberger Berman's diverse team has over 2,600 professionals. For eight consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation, since last assessed, that was awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms for excellence in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. In the 2021 PRI Assessment, the firm obtained the highest possible scoring for its overarching approach to ESG investment and stewardship, and integration across asset classes. The firm manages $427 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2022. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com.

Additional Information about the Reorganizations and Where to Find It

This press release is not intended to, and does not constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of the Funds; nor is this press release intended to solicit a proxy from any stockholder of the Funds. The solicitation of the purchase or sale of securities or proxies to effect the proposed reorganizations described herein will only be made by a final, effective registration statement, which will include a definitive proxy statement/prospectus, after the registration statement is declared effective by the SEC.

This press release references a proxy statement/prospectus, to be filed by the Funds. The proxy statement/prospectus has yet to be filed with the SEC. After the proxy statement/prospectus is filed with the SEC, it may be amended or withdrawn. The proxy statement/prospectus will not be distributed to stockholders of the Funds unless and until a registration statement including the proxy statement/prospectus is declared effective by the SEC.

The Funds and their respective directors, officers and employees, and NBIA and its officers and employees and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the proposed reorganizations described herein. Stockholders and other investors may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the Funds' directors and officers, NBIA and its officers and employees and other persons by reading the proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC.

STOCKHOLDERS OF THE FUNDS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED REORGANIZATIONS. THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS WILL CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS.

Stockholders may obtain free copies (when they become available) of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. In addition, free copies (when they become available) of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC may also be obtained by directing a request to NBIA at (877) 461-1899. Additional information about the Funds, including performance and portfolio characteristics information, is available at www.nb.com.

Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations.

Contact:

Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC

Investor Information

(877) 461-1899

SOURCE Neuberger Berman
News / Local

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa says election observers from countries that have in the past invited Zimbabwe to their own plebiscites will be the only ones allowed to witness the country's 2023 polls.Mnangagwa is yet to make proclaim dates for this year's harmonised elections, but Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has hinted that they will be held between July 26 and August 26.Writing in his weekly column in a State newspaper, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe is not a non-governmental organisation and, therefore, observing its elections will be determined along sovereignty lines."Much worse, we reject as utterly racist and condescending this practice of making our proud and sovereign nation an equal, if not junior of some Western non-governmental centre, institute or foundation. We are no one's subaltern, least of all of some non-governmental organisation. Never again will we subject ourselves to such false, humiliating equivalences."We go to elections as sovereign nations, indeed as State parties of the United Nations; its hallowed Charter makes all nations equal, regardless of size and age; however, these are reckoned or claimed. State parties relate to each and to another on equal terms, with respect and strictly on the basis and principle of reciprocity. Going forward, only those nations who invite us to observe their own elections in future will be invited to do the same here," Mnangagwa wrote.He said the country will not tolerate political violence in the upcoming elections."There has been a handful of cases we disallowed (in the ruling party primary elections), but only on grounds related to failure to uphold party discipline, and, as an expression of our distaste for, and abhorrence of political violence by whomsoever. As the highest administrative organ of the party, it behoved us as the Politburo to send a clear signal against indiscipline against any urge or appetite for political violence."Last month, Mnangagwa said he would formally invite the international observers after proclaiming election dates, but warned that he would not tolerate "undue interference" in the country's electoral processes.Recently, the European Union (EU) said it is ready to send its election observer mission to Zimbabwe to ensure the country holds free and fair elections.The EU said free polls will guarantee the bloc's increased economic development support to Zimbabwe. In 2020, Mnangagwa hinted that Zimbabwe might in future not invite foreign observers during local elections, saying the Malawi presidential elections had proved that they were not necessary.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. ("Nevada Lithium" or the "Company") (CSE: NVLH) (OTCQB: NVLHF) (FSE: 87K) is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo, and Director, as Vice-President of Exploration for the Company, effective May 1st, 2023. Concurrently, Darren L. Smith, M.Sc, P.Geo, the Company's current Vice-President of Exploration, will transition into the role of Senior Technical Advisor to the Company.

Stephen Rentschler, CEO of Nevada Lithium commented, "We are thrilled that Jeff Wilson, a current Director of Nevada Lithium, will be assuming a management role at the Company as Vice President of Exploration. Jeff's impressive experience includes roles as Director of Geology at Tetra Tech WEI Inc., and Manager (Geology) of listing reviews on the TSX Venture exchange. Jeff earned his PhD in Geology at Kingston University, England, and is a peer-reviewed author of multiple academic papers in international journals."

Mr. Rentschler continued, "The last twelve months have been a transformative period for the Company, culminating in the recent signing of a definitive agreement to consolidate 100% ownership of the Company's Bonnie Claire lithium project in Nevada, and production of marketable battery grade lithium carbonate. As the Company turns fully towards execution of its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), our team will benefit greatly from Jeff's steady hand and experience. Jeff will assume an increasing PFS-related daily workload over the transition period through the end of April. Going forward, we will continue to benefit from Darren's strong knowledge base and guidance in mineral exploration and advanced level studies through his new role as Senior Technical Advisor."

Darren L. Smith, current Vice President of Exploration for the Company comments: "Bonnie Claire is a strong asset with significant and unique potential to produce lithium through borehole mining techniques, where environmental and social impacts may be minimized relative to conventional open-pit extraction methods. Coupled with the increased lithium grades confirmed at depth from the recent 2022 drilling and its location in Nevada, USA, the Bonnie Claire Deposit offers a potentially unique and attractive supply proposition to the lithium market."

Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo. is a Professional Geologist registered in British Columbia. He holds a PhD in Structural Geology at Kingston University in the United Kingdom and has over twenty years of experience in various aspects of the resource industry. Building on field-based exploration for gold, copper, and silver with both junior and senior resource companies, Jeff went on to work with the TSX Venture Exchange for several years, before managing the Geology Group at Tetra Tech Inc, an international consulting firm. Since 2013, Jeff has maintained an independent consulting practice and his public company experience includes independent Board positions at Western Magnesium Corp (2014-present) and Nevada Lithium Resources (2021-present).

Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., is a Professional Geologist with over 17 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry. His experience includes high-level program management ranging from program design through implementation, reporting, and technical disclosure, as well as indigenous peoples and government engagement. Darren has assisted in company financing efforts, provided technical oversight for PEA, PFS, and FS level project advancement, and has setup and monitored complex metallurgical programs. In late 2009, Darren and his team discovered one of the world's largest REE and fluorspar deposits (Ashram), which is currently advancing towards Prefeasibility and, more recently, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the CV Lithium Pegmatite District in the La Grande Greenstone Belt, James Bay, Quebec, highlighted by the large CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite. Darren is currently Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc., and Director and Vice President of Exploration for Ophir Gold Corp.

Bonnie Claire Project

The Bonnie Claire Project is located within Sarcobatus Valley, which is approximately 30 km (19 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. Quartz-rich volcanic tuffs containing anomalous amounts of lithium occur within and adjacent to the valley. Drill results from the salt flat include 2,054 ppm Li over 67.1 m (220 ft) in drill hole BC-1601 as well as a 475 m (1560 ft) vertical intercept that averaged 1153 ppm Li.

Bonnie Claire is one the largest lithium resources in North America with a current NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource 3,407 million tonnes (Mt) grading 1,013 ppm Li for 18,372 million kilograms of contained lithium carbonate equivalent, at a cut-off grade of 700 ppm Li. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The gravity low that characterizes the valley is approximately 20 km (12 miles) long, and the current estimates of depth to basement rocks range from 600 to 1,200 meters (2,000 to 4,000 feet). The current claim block covers an area of 74 km2 (28.6 mi2) with potential for brine systems and further sediment resources.

About Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on shareholder value creation through its core asset, the Bonnie Claire Lithium Project, located in Nye County, Nevada, where it currently holds a 50% interest. A recently completed NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment returned attractive investment metrics and the Company is actively advancing the Project towards Pre-Feasibility. Learn more: https://www.nvlithium.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

"Stephen Rentschler"

Stephen Rentschler, CEO

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the word "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the proposed exploration program, development of the Bonnie Claire Project, and advancement of the Bonnie Claire Project to pre-feasibility. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

SOURCE Nevada Lithium Resources Inc
The clean-label, steroid-free eczema and psoriasis products are the first to utilize exclusive glycolipid technology

ARCTIVA is a newly launched line of steroid-free, over-the-counter skincare products scientifically and responsibly formulated to be highly effective at treating eczema and psoriasis

The transformative skincare line combines breakthrough science and natural, cruelty-free ingredients with clinically proven, FDA-approved actives for proven results

ARCTIVA is the only product line on the market that features HYDROSURF glycolipid technologya revolutionary blend of fermented ingredients discovered in Antarctica with powerful skincare benefits

SOLON, Ohio, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new skincare brand has made a breakthrough in eczema and psoriasis treatment for the almost 40 million Americans suffering from ineffective solutions. ARCTIVA is a new line of clean, steroid-free skincare products that is the first to combine clinically proven active ingredients with proprietary HYDROSURF glycolipid technology and other natural, cruelty-free ingredients.

ARCTIVA's active ingredientscolloidal oatmeal in the eczema cream and salicylic acid in the psoriasis creamtarget symptom conditions such as itching, redness, flaking, irritation or scaling. The products also include beneficial vitamins, botanicals and essential oils to help soothe and hydrate skin. It is the only product line that features proprietary HYDROSURF glycolipid technology, a powerful blend of fermented ingredients with origins in Antarctica's glacial lakes.

"With ARCTIVA's revolutionary formulas, consumers finally have highly effective, steroid-free treatment options for eczema and psoriasis," said Vic Peroni, chief operating officer of Arctiva Wellness. "The use of clinically proven active ingredients with our proprietary HYDROSURF glycolipid technology and other key ingredients is a uniquely synergistic combination that's never been done before in formulations for these skin conditions."

ARCTIVA's clean formulations use the highest quality, vegan-friendly ingredients, along with no fragrances, parabens, phthalates or sulfates. The products are manufactured in the United States and available immediately.

Consumers interested in trying ARCTIVA can take advantage of an introductory 20% off and a 60-day money-back guarantee. The initial eczema and psoriasis creams are currently available for purchase on the arctivaskin.com website or on Amazon.

About Arctiva Wellness

Arctiva Wellness is a science-driven skincare company that develops transformative products for people suffering from life-altering skin conditions, starting with eczema and psoriasis. Our team of experts is dedicated to researching and developing innovative skin technologies, such as our proprietary HYRDOSURF blend of fermented ingredients, with origins in the glacial lakes of Antarctica. At Arctiva Wellness, we formulate long-lasting solutions, not short-lived relief. To stay up to date on product developments, news and announcements, visit arctivaskin.com.

SOURCE Arctiva Wellness
SDI Dashboard provides direct access to a broad range of SDG-related portfolio analytics

AMSTERDAM, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform (SDI AOP) and Qontigo, its exclusive distribution partner, have announced the launch of the SDI Dashboard. The new tool allows investors to upload their investment portfolios and analyse them across a range of SDG-related parameters.

SDI Asset Owner Platform logo Screenshot: SDI Dashboard - Portfolio Overview

Various dashboards provide information across multiple use cases. For example, a portfolio overview, designed for overall SDI monitoring and client reporting, includes breakdowns by SDI status as well as positive and negative revenue contributions. These can be further broken down by categories such as sectors or industry groups. Other dashboards, designed to support research and portfolio management, enable further SDI analysis relative to the client's chosen benchmark and allow clients to identify top positive and negative SDI holdings. Users can view the data onscreen and also generate PDF reports.

"Qontigo developed the SDI Dashboard to enable the investment community to easily assess their portfolios in terms of fulfilling sustainability criteria," says James Leaton, Research Director, SDI AOP. "Multiple portfolios can be uploaded using Qontigo's cloud-based platform. The individual instruments are then mapped to our SDI universe and an aggregated portfolio view as well as various drill-down views are made available."

The SDI AOP data universe currently comprises more than 9,000 companies which are classified according to their product and service-related revenue contributions to the SDGs. "With the SDI Dashboard, this information can now be used by a very wide audience for portfolio management, research, monitoring, internal communication and client reporting," explains Leaton.

In response to user demand, the SDI Classification dataset was recently extended to include Emerging Markets Fixed Income issuers.

The SDI AOP was launched in 2020 to work with investors to embed the UN SDGs into their investment processes and integrate SDG contributions into their portfolio management and reporting, enabling target setting and progress monitoring.

About SDI Asset Owner Platform

The Sustainable Development Investments Asset Owner Platform (SDI AOP) is responsible for the development and maintenance of the SDI taxonomy and guidance, SDI definitions and SDI classification methodology (www.sdi-aop.org). The SDI AOP consists of asset owners who invest in solutions which contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDI AOP is comprised of APG, AustralianSuper, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI) and PGGM. Its underlying data are available to the market through analytics and index provider Qontigo and can be integrated into any investment process. The SDI AOP's Classification product uses revenues associated with a company's products and services as starting point to classify which companies qualify as SDI. Currently, the SDI AOP Classification dataset covers more than 9,000 entities across equities and fixed income.

About Qontigo

Qontigo is a leading global provider of innovative index, analytics and risk solutions that optimize investment impact. As the shift toward sustainable investing accelerates, Qontigo enables its clientsfinancial-products issuers, asset owners and asset managersto deliver sophisticated and targeted solutions at scale to meet the increasingly demanding and unique sustainability goals of investors worldwide.

Qontigo's solutions are enhanced by both our collaborative, customer-centric culture, which allows us to create tailored solutions for our clients, and our open architecture and modern technology that efficiently integrate with our clients' processes.

Part of the Deutsche Borse Group, Qontigo was created in 2019 through the combination of Axioma, DAX and STOXX. Headquartered in Eschborn, Germany, Qontigo's global presence includes offices in New York, London, Zug and Hong Kong.

www.qontigo.com

SOURCE Qontigo
NAPA, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYRSPS) has chosen The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, as the exclusively endorsed medical malpractice insurer for its members.

NYRSPS

"We chose to endorse The Doctors Company because as an organization founded and led by physicians and owned by members, they share our commitment to address challenges faced today," said Franziska Huettner, MD, PhD, FACS, and NYRSPS President. "As the largest insurer of plastic surgeons in the nation, The Doctors Company also has an unparalleled understanding of liability claims against our specialty."

NYRSPS joins many of the most prestigious medical organizations , including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons, which exclusively endorse The Doctors Company because of its physician focus, financial strength, and mission to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine.

NYRSPS members are now eligible for a multitude of offerings from The Doctors Company, including competitive rates for medical malpractice insurance, and even greater savings if they're affiliated with a Hospitals Insurance Company health system. As a member of The Doctors Company, NYRSPS members will also receive aggressive defense, expert patient safety tools and programs, access to the Section 18 New York State excess risk management program, and a range of coverage options for both physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Eligible NYRSPS members of The Doctors Company can benefit from the Tribute Plan , which financially rewards doctors for their loyalty and commitment to superior patient care.

"Our new partnership with NYRSPS reflects TDC Group's growing strength in the New York market," said Tammy Clark, CPCU, Senior Vice President and Regional Operating Officer, The Doctors Company. "Since expanding its presence in New York in 2017, TDC Group has grown to 21,674 New York physician members and $320 million in direct written premiums."

About New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons

Founded in 1960, the New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYRSPS) is dedicated to serving the greater New York community with educational and informational resources about plastic and reconstructive surgery. NYRSPS played a prominent role in the creation of a reconstructive and plastic surgery section within the New York Academy of Medicine in 1966.

About The Doctors Company

Founded and led by physicians, The Doctors Company (thedoctors.com), the nation's largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, is relentlessly committed to advancing, protecting, and rewarding the practice of good medicine. The Doctors Company helps physicians manage the complexities of today's healthcare environmentwith expert guidance, resources, and coverage. The Doctors Company is part of TDC Group (tdcg.com), the nation's largest physician-owned provider of insurance, risk management, and healthcare practice improvement solutions. TDC Group serves the full continuum of care, from individual physicians to academic medical systemsover 100,000 healthcare professionals and organizations nationwidewith annual revenue of $1 billion and over $6.5 billion in assets. To learn more about our data-driven insights and to stay up to date on industry trends, follow and subscribe to The Doctors Company on Twitter (@doctorscompany), YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

SOURCE The Doctors Management Company
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE: NR) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2023 results on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, the Company has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern / 8:30 a.m. Central.

What: Newpark Resources First Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call



When: Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern / 8:30 a.m. Central



How: Live via phone  By dialing 412-902-0030 and asking for the Newpark Resources call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time, or

Live over the Internet  By logging onto the web at the address below.



Where: www.newpark.com

For those who cannot listen to the live call, a replay will be available through May 17, 2023 and may be accessed by dialing 201-612-7415 and using pass code 13737710#. Also, an archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call at www.newpark.com for 90 days. Please submit any questions for management prior to the call via email to [email protected].

Newpark Resources, Inc. is a geographically diversified supplier providing environmentally-sensitive products, as well as specialty rentals and services to a variety of industries, including oil and gas exploration, electrical transmission & distribution, pipeline, renewable energy, petrochemical, construction, and other industries. For more information, visit our website at www.newpark.com.

Contacts: Gregg Piontek

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Newpark Resources, Inc.

[email protected]

281-362-6800

SOURCE Newpark Resources, Inc.
Iconic Media Brand's Reimagined Homepage is First in a Series of Updates Planned for Newsweek's 90th Anniversary Year

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Newsweek launched a new streamlined homepage design. This redesign is the kick-off to a series of updates and innovations that Newsweek will be rolling out as the iconic media brand celebrates its 90th anniversary year.

The new homepage experience was orchestrated by a cross-functional team that included representation from all areas within the news organization. As a result, the homepage now features intuitive design  a more user-friendly interface that makes it easier for readers to navigate the site and find specific stories. In addition, it allows them to access Newsweek's newsletters, podcasts, and video programming more easily.

The redesign also offers significant opportunities for brand marketers to meaningfully engage with Newsweek's vast audience within new impactful ad formats.

"Newsweek is, and remains, committed to excellence in journalism and presenting different perspectives on the key issues of the day. This redesign represents our ongoing dedication to providing readers with a vibrant, easy-to-navigate online destination  one uniquely positioned to immerse them in news and views from across the political and cultural spectrum," said Dev Pragad, CEO, Newsweek.

To visit the new homepage, go to newsweek.com.

About Newsweek

Newsweek is the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic, 90-year-old American magazine. Newsweek reaches 50 million people each month with its thought-provoking news, opinion, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.

Media Contact:

Laura Goldberg

LBG Public Relations for Newsweek

[email protected]

+1-347-683-1859

SOURCE Newsweek
The non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) market size is anticipated to increase during the forecast period (20232032) owing to the increasing awareness and increasing diagnosed prevalent population. Moreover, the expected launch of emerging therapies by leading companies, including AstraZeneca, CSL Behring, Boehringer Ingelheim, and others, will drive the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market growth

LAS VEGAS, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Insights report includes a comprehensive understanding of current treatment practices, non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis emerging drugs, market share of individual therapies, and current and forecasted market size from 2019 to 2032, segmented into 7MM [the United States, the EU-4 (Italy, Spain, France, and Germany), the United Kingdom, and Japan] and China.

Key Takeaways from the Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Report

As per DelveInsight analysis, the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market size in the 7MM + China was approximately USD 3.4 billion in 2022.

was approximately in 2022. According to the assessment done by DelveInsight, the estimated total diagnosed prevalent non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis cases in the 7MM + China were approximately 9.3 million in 2022.

were approximately in 2022. Leading non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis companies such as Insmed Incorporated, AstraZeneca, Zambon, CSL Behring, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Boehringer Ingelheim, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Renovion, SolAeroMed, Haisco Pharmaceutical , and others are developing novel non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis drugs that can be available in the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market in the coming years.

, and others are developing novel non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis drugs that can be available in the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market in the coming years. The promising non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis therapies in the pipeline include Brensocatib, Colistimethate sodium, CSL787, CHF 6333 , BI 1291583, AP-PA02, ARINA-1, S-1226, HSK31858, and others.

Discover which therapies are expected to grab the major non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market share @ Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Report

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Overview

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease. It is distinguished by chronic dilatation of the bronchial tree, which results in chronic sputum production and impaired bacterial clearance. The affected lungs develop a vicious cycle of pathogen clearance failure, resulting in frequent infections, chronic inflammation, and ongoing structural damage. Coughing, sputum production, and frequent respiratory infections are the most common non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis symptoms.

Patients frequently experience recurring chest infections. Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis symptom severity can vary greatly. Some people have only a few symptoms that appear infrequently, whereas others have a wide range of daily symptoms. If the patient experiences an exacerbation, the symptoms tend to worsen (usually caused by a chest infection). NCFB has a multifactorial etiology, with a high percentage of cases associated with idiopathic, post-infective, COPD, asthma, and other etiologies.

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Epidemiology Segmentation

DelveInsight estimates that there were approximately 9.3 million diagnosed prevalent cases of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in the 7MM + China in 2022.

As per the analysis, China contributed to the largest diagnosed prevalent population of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, acquiring ~85.64% of the 7MM + China in 2022. These cases are expected to increase further during the study period (20192032).

The non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market report proffers epidemiological analysis for the study period 20192032 in the 7MM segmented into:

NCFB diagnosed prevalent cases

NCFB gender-specific cases

NCFB severity-specific cases

NCFB etiology-associated cases

Microbiology of NCFB patients

Download the report to understand which factors are driving non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis epidemiology trends @ NCFB Epidemiological Insights

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Treatment Market

The current non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment regimen include antibiotics, corticosteroids, bronchodilators, acid suppression medication, active mucous agents, and bronchial hygiene measures. The presence of neutrophils in the airway lumen suggests a role for anti-inflammatory therapy in this disease. Corticosteroids and macrolides are two classes of anti-inflammatories that are commonly used. However, it is a universal truth that no single non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment approach is appropriate for all NCFB patients.

Inhaled antibiotics are generally thought to be more effective and safer than oral and intravenous antibiotics; however, there are differences of opinion on the subject. While interventions reduce the number of exacerbations, sputum production, and bacterial load in the airways, they also cause more localized side effects that can lead to withdrawal. Furthermore, comparative trials on inhaled antibiotics are limited and contentious due to bias in population selection and methodological variability. Moreover, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) have also been studied in NCFB, with studies comparing the use of high-dose ICS versus medium-dose ICS. Even 7% hypertonic saline nebulized has been found to be safe and effective in addressing sputum retention and thus improving lung function.

Furthermore, the use of macrolides for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment has become a common approach in recent years due to several characteristics such as their anti-inflammatory effects, ability to decrease mucus production, and well-known effect on Gram-positive cocci and atypical pathogens. Recent evidence shows that long-term treatment with macrolides, particularly azithromycin, significantly reduced the incidence of NCFB exacerbations while also improving quality of life.

To know more about non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment guidelines, visit @ Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Management

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Pipeline Therapies and Key Companies

Brensocatib: Insmed Incorporated/AstraZeneca

Colistimethate sodium: Zambon

CSL787: CSL Behring

CHF 6333 : Chiesi Farmaceutici

: Chiesi Farmaceutici BI 1291583: Boehringer Ingelheim

AP-PA02: Armata Pharmaceuticals

ARINA-1: Renovion

S-1226: SolAeroMed

HSK31858: Haisco Pharmaceutical

Learn more about the FDA-approved drugs for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis @ Drugs for NCFB Treatment

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Dynamics

The dynamics of the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market are anticipated to be change in the coming years. Disease prevalence is increasing due to improved detection rates with advanced imaging techniques and increased awareness, further boosting the growth of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. Moreover, an improved understanding of disease pathophysiology aids in diagnosis and aids in the identification of novel target molecules for treatment development. Furthermore, large, positive, randomized controlled trials are currently in development to establish the standard of care for bronchiectasis patients. In addition, vaccines and monoclonal antibodies are partially useful, but more evidence-based studies are needed to prevent PA chronic colonization in bronchiectasis patients. Thus, the above-mentioned factors will propel the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market growth.

However, one of the major concerns in understanding the non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis market is the lack of evidence to validate many of the interventions used in the day-to-day management of NCFB. There are no global or regional consensus guidelines or any in the United States or Japan. The European Respiratory Society (ERS) recently published guidelines for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment, which clinicians are following. However, there is a discrepancy in data from secondary sources and those in the ERS guidelines.

Moreover, because of this scarcity, there are gaps in understanding the current non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis treatment scenario. Certain studies, however, aid in extrapolating the current situation in which antibiotics remain the mainstay. Furthermore, disease-specific management is difficult because the etiology is often idiopathic. Despite advances in modern medicine, no validated biomarker for NCFB diagnosis, exacerbation assessment, or prognosis has been developed.

Report Metrics Details Study Period 20192032 Coverage 7MM [the United States, the EU-4 (Italy, Spain, France, and Germany), the United Kingdom, and Japan] and China Base Year 2019 Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market CAGR 2.8 % Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Size in 2022 USD 3.4 Billion Key Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Companies Insmed Incorporated, AstraZeneca, Zambon, CSL Behring, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Boehringer Ingelheim, Armata Pharmaceuticals, Renovion, SolAeroMed, Haisco Pharmaceutical, and others Key Pipeline Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Therapies Brensocatib, Colistimethate sodium, CSL787, CHF 6333, BI 1291583, AP-PA02, ARINA-1, S-1226, HSK31858, and others

Scope of the Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Report

Therapeutic Assessment: Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis current marketed and emerging therapies

Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis current marketed and emerging therapies Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Dynamics: Attribute Analysis of Emerging Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Drugs

Attribute Analysis of Emerging Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Drugs Competitive Intelligence Analysis: SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies

SWOT analysis and Market entry strategies Unmet Needs, KOL's views, Analyst's views, Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Access and Reimbursement

Discover more about non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis drugs in development @ Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Clinical Trials

Table of Contents

1. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Key Insights 2. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Report Introduction 3. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Overview at a Glance 4. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Executive Summary 5. Disease Background and Overview 6. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Treatment and Management 7. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Epidemiology and Patient Population 8. Patient Journey 9. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Marketed Drugs 10. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Emerging Drugs 11. 7MM + China Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Analysis 12. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Outlook 13. Potential of Current and Emerging Therapies 14. KOL Views 15. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Drivers 16. Non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis Market Barriers 17. Unmet Needs 18. SWOT Analysis 19. Appendix 20. DelveInsight Capabilities 21. Disclaimer 22. About DelveInsight

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SOURCE DelveInsight Business Research, LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Dwyers, a leading public relations industry publication, has officially released its annual PR rankings, naming 5WPR the third-largest, privately-held public relations agency in the New York City Metro Area, up two spots from last year's ranking. The firm was also named 11th largest in the US.

For the last 54 years, O'Dwyer's has been ranking PR agencies based on their fees and has verified by reviewing PR firm income statements. 5WPR ended 2022 with a 25.9% growth in revenue over the previous year, ending the year above the industry average growth rate of 18%.

"5W continues to be a force within the industry, and we're thrilled to celebrate our twentieth year of double-digit growth and continued recognition of our hard work," said 5WPR Co-CEO, Dara A. Busch.

"Our incredible team of employees and client partners are the reason we have closed another year of growth greater than the industry average, and we look forward to embarking on another year of continued success," said 5WPR Co-CEO, Matthew Caiola.

In addition to this recognition, 5WPR was awarded six American Business Awards, named to the PR Net 100 List 2022, and was named to Inc. Magazine's Annual List of Best Workplaces. The firm also expanded its leadership team, elevating five executive VPs to the new role of managing partner, where they will oversee the agency's core business units, and welcoming multiple C-suite and executive hires.

About 5WPR

5WPR is a full-service PR agency in NYC known for cutting-edge programs that engage with businesses, issues and ideas. With more than 300 professionals serving clients in B2C (Beauty & Fashion, Consumer Brands, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Health & Wellness, Travel & Hospitality, Technology, Nonprofit), B2B (Corporate Communications and Reputation Management), Public Affairs, Crisis Communications and Digital Marketing (Social Media, Influencer, Paid Media, SEO). Founded by Ronn Torossian 20 years ago, 5W was named to Inc. Magazine's Best Workplaces 2022 list, awarded 2020 PR Agency of The Year, and brings leading businesses a resourceful, bold and results-driven approach to communication.

SOURCE 5W Public Relations
Introduces New Okuma Factory Automation Division

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior executives at Okuma America Corporation, a global leader and builder of computer numeric control (CNC) machine tools, controls and automation systems, are pleased to announce the launch of a new business segment created to recommend, sell and support manufacturing production line systems comprised of Okuma CNC machine tools and integrated automation technologies. The new division will begin operations April 3, 2023, and be based at the Okuma America Corporation headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Okuma America Corporation appoints Wade Anderson as General Manager of its new business segment, Okuma Factory Automation Division.

The decision to launch the Okuma Factory Automation Division was in direct response to increased demand from manufacturers seeking automated machining systems and cells for their operations to address labor shortage issues and to increase production capacities. With the launch of this new division, Okuma will be optimally positioned to offer customers a broad range of Okuma machine tools and automation system pairings. Solutions will include both proprietary and seamlessly integrated automation systems including automated material loading and unloading systems, machine tending and industrial robotics, automated work piece pallet changers (APC), flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), smart manufacturing systems and beyond.

Jim King, President & Chief Operating Officer for Okuma America Corporation shared his perspective about the new division, "the launch of the Okuma Factory Automation Division is a strategic milestone in the company's 125-year history of creating products and services that meet customer needs of the day. Manufacturing has significantly evolved over the last five years with the broad adoption of automated technologies and changes in workforce trends. With our newly created Factory Automation Division, we are well positioned to advise and provide customers of all sizes with manufacturing systems to optimize their operations."

To support the new business segment, company leaders have appointed Wade Anderson as the division's new General Manager. Mr. Anderson has worked for Okuma for 17 years in a variety of roles including engineering, technical sales, sales leadership, product management, and technology partner relationships. Additional organizational resources will be appointed to support the division's infrastructure and customer applications.

Mr. Anderson shared his thoughts about his new role and the new division, "For 125 years Okuma has always been on the leading edge of manufacturing technologies. As we set our sights to the future, the creation of the Okuma Factory Automation Division will foster the development and delivery of the most user-friendly OEM and industry leading partner automation solutions on the market. We have proven that automated processes deliver the highest machine tool utilization, which ultimately yields higher profits for our customers. With our goal of creating "Automation for All" solutions, coupled with Okuma's well-known quality, expertise, service and support infrastructure, there is no limit to the solutions we can provide for our valued customers."

About Okuma America Corporation

Okuma America Corporation is the U.S.-based sales, engineering and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world-leading builder of CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, controls and automation systems. The company was founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan, and is the industry's only single-source provider of CNC machines, drives, motors, encoders, spindles and automation systems, all manufactured by Okuma. The company designs its own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool's functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry's only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC network of enhanced manufacturing technologies, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools today and into the future. For more information, visit Okuma.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Okuma America Corporation
Alliance in support of early childhood education brings 3,054 classroom dreams to life across PNC's footprint.

PITTSBURGH, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The PNC Foundation today continued its longtime alliance with DonorsChoose by flash funding every pre-K and Head Start teacher request in PNC's markets.

Across 30 states and Washington D.C., today's flash fund fulfilled 3,054 teacher requests that had been posted on DonorsChoose, an education nonprofit that connects individual donors with public school classrooms. It supported 88,601 pre-K and Head Start students, for a total of $1.96M in classroom dreams brought to life.

The flash fund kicked off Great Month at PNC, which the company celebrates each April to raise awareness of PNC Grow Up Great and the importance of high-quality early childhood education. Launched in 2004, the $500 million, bilingual initiative supports programs, resources and experiences that help to prepare children from birth through age 5 for success in school and life.

"There's no better way to kick off Great Month at PNC than to help teachers obtain the classroom resources they need," said Sally McCrady, chair and president of PNC Foundation. "Through our work with DonorsChoose, which has ranged from flash funds to matching donations to providing all 61,000+ PNC employees with gift codes to donate to a classroom project of their choice, we can make a direct impact on pre-K teachers' ability to help their students reach their fullest potential."

PNC Foundation to Match Donations to Pre-K and Head Start Requests

Following the flash fund today, the PNC Foundation will also match, dollar for dollar, donations that support pre-K and Head Start projects listed on DonorsChoose in the PNC footprint, subject to restrictions and a maximum dollar amount. The match is designed to encourage others to help support preschool programs in public or charter schools and Head Start classrooms. The duration of the match campaign depends on the number of project requests and donations; for specific guidelines, visit donorschoose.org.

Expanding the Impact for Early Childhood Educators

The PNC Foundation's support of DonorsChoose began in April 2017 with an initial flash fund of $504,000, which fulfilled 849 teacher requests in public and charter pre-K classrooms in 22 states and Washington, D.C. Since then, the PNC Foundation has funded over $14 million in pre-K and Head Start projects, supporting nearly 60,000 teacher requests across the company's footprint.

The PNC Foundation's initial grant funding to support pre-K classrooms in 2017 enabled DonorsChoose to expand its education funding platform to include project requests from Head Start teachers for the first time. It was the first expansion to reach a new audience of teachers in the 17-year history of DonorsChoose. Since that time, the number of pre-K projects posted in the PNC footprint has grown by 258%, and pre-K projects posted within the PNC footprint outpaced general projects posted by nearly two times.

Resources such as art supplies, technology, books and field trips can enhance the preschool learning environment, but many teachers find that funding these resources can be difficult. Recent research from the National Education Association found that well over 90% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies and other items their students need to succeed. One analysis estimated that, in the 2022-23 school year, educators would spend more than $820 out of pocket on school supplies.

About DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is the leading way to give to public schools. Since 2000, over 5 million people and partners have contributed $1.4 billion to support 2.5 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. As the most trusted crowdfunding platform for teachers, donors, and district administrators alike, DonorsChoose vets each request, ships the funded resources directly to the classroom, and provides thank yous and reporting to donors and school leaders. Charity Navigator and GuideStar have awarded DonorsChoose, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, their highest ratings for transparency and accountability. For more information, visit www.donorschoose.org.

About PNC Foundation

The PNC Foundation, which receives its principal funding from The PNC Financial Services Group (www.pnc.com), actively supports organizations that provide services for the benefit of communities in which it has a significant presence. The foundation focuses its philanthropic mission on early childhood education and community and economic development, which includes the arts and culture. Through PNC Grow Up Great, its signature cause that began in 2004, PNC has created a bilingual $500 million, multi-year initiative to help prepare children from birth to age 5 for success in school and life. For more information, visit http://www.pncgrowupgreat.com.

CONTACT:

Angie Carducci

(412) 762-9186

[email protected]

SOURCE PNC Foundation
News / Local

by Staff reporter

PEACE activist, pastor and businessman Anglistone Sibanda says the Zanu-PF-led government should consider postponing this year's polls because the situation on the ground demands it.Sibanda made the remarks at a Press conference in Bulawayo held under the theme: The Voices of the Ordinary People of Zimbabwe ahead of the 2023 elections.He said since independence, Zimbabwe has witnessed conflict during the pre-electoral periods when parties campaign, and when election results are announced.During the 2018 elections, six unarmed civilians were gunned down by soldiers in Harare after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission delayed announcing presidential election results."Our history is that, each time we have an election, there is political violence. Whatever projects political parties who win elections do are for purposes of electioneering. There is a lot of political polarisation in our communities. The current winner takes all system being used in the country is a recipe for conflict. The political party that wins the elections grabs the whole cake and this instigates continued electioneering in the country throughout the whole five year term," Sibanda said."We are going into the election when the electoral reforms which we have been clamouring for as civic society have not happened. We are going into elections with the same electoral systems that were there in 2013, which resulted in disputed elections, followed by a global political agreement. The electoral system does not create inclusivity," he said.Sibanda said he had hoped that after Operation Restore Legacy in 2017, there would be a transition period to begin to redefine the nation of Zimbabwe and to re-build it."However, what has happened is that some colleagues have grabbed the whole pot and ran away with it to the mountains. We need to de-polarise the country. The country is now going into elections without solving the August 1, 2018 killings of civilians, which resulted in the formation of the Kgalema Motlanthe Commission, which made recommendations that are yet to be implemented. Even the ruling party is also faced with intra-party violence as witnessed in their just ended elections," he said.Sibanda said the forthcoming elections might trigger a "soft war", and called upon political parties to dialogue and promote peace."We need dialogue to agree on alternative ways of transition of power without shedding blood," he said, adding that it would be better to postpone the elections than to hold violent polls.President Emmerson Mnangagwa is yet to proclaim the exact election dates.
New Experience Perfectly Pairs World-Famous Wines with Gourmet Fare, Offered Fleetwide

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caymus Vineyards and Cabernet Sauvignon are synonymous with wine enthusiasts globally as one of the most sought-after wines to pour and share around the table for special celebrations. Now Princess Cruises is working with this renowned winery to offer the exclusive Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner, available on Princess ships sailing North America itineraries by the end of April, including all Alaska voyages, and across all ships worldwide by late May.

Princess Cruises Announces New Winemaker Dinner with Caymus Vineyards Princess Cruises Announces New Winemaker Dinner with Caymus Vineyards

Available in the popular Crown Grill specialty restaurant for $140 per person, the new Winemaker Dinner leverages the expansive expertise of Chuck Wagner, owner and winemaker of the renowned Napa Valley's Caymus Vineyards, to deliver a five-course menu (see below), crafted to complement the tasting notes of his wines.

The dinner, available for 12 guests per seating, will be offered 2-3 times per cruise, based on voyage length, and interested guests can reserve their spot once on board.

"Our new Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner further elevates the Princess culinary experience and wonderfully showcases the elegance of cruising," said Sami Kohen, Princess vice president of food and beverage. "Our passionate culinary team and Chuck have curated what promises to deliver a deliciously memorable and tantalizing experience that will have our guests talking long after the last course and glass of wine are served."

Wagner, along with the Princess culinary team, personally selected the wines paired with the multi-course menu served. In addition to Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, he has perfectly matched up the dinner courses with varietals from the family's other offerings, including Caymus-Suisun 'The Walking Fool' Red Blend, Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Sea Sun Pinot Noir and Emmolo Sparkling.

"We have an appreciation for family, friends, delicious food and great wine, along with the many connections between them," said Chuck Wagner, Caymus Vineyards owner and winemaker. "We love how Princess also recognizes that cruise travel fosters deeper relationships with its guests and the destinations they visit by sharing experiences around the table, and we're thrilled to pour our wines and share our passion through a specially curated dinner with this beloved cruise line."

Caymus is a hands-on family affair which Wagner founded in 1972, alongside his late parents, when he was just 19 years old. After 50 harvests, he continues to make two renowned Cabernet Sauvignons - Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection.

Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family also makes diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Wagner is widely recognized for his winemaking and industry leadership, and all three Wagners continue to experiment with farming and winemaking, continuing the family legacy and commitment to excellence.

In addition to the new dinner, Caymus Vineyards is also working with Princess on a refreshed wine menu, and Caymus Vineyards will be the curator for the cruise line's Crown Grill steakhouse, chops and seafood specialty restaurant, with wine pairing recommendations on the menu. Coming later this year, guests will have the opportunity to visit Caymus Vineyards in Rutherford, Napa Valley, and Caymus-Suisun Winery in Suisun Valley, Calif., on exclusive shore excursions offered on various California-based cruises.

Caymus Vineyards Winemaker Dinner Menu

Openings

Beef carpaccio, celeriac, arugula, shaved parmesan, orange zest, balsamic glaze

or

Marinated Fresh Oyster Mushrooms and Wood Ear Mushrooms green pea granita, roasted hearts of romaine lettuce, smoked citrus dressing

Mer Soleil Reserve Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, Calif.

First course

Fresh summer black truffle risotto, Parmigiano Reggiano aged 36 months

Caymus-Suisun 'The Walking Fool' Red Blend, Suisun Valley, Calif.

Main course

Tournedos Rossini  prime beef tenderloin, blossom artichokes

Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, Calif.

or

Seared King Salmon and Giant Prawn

Peruvian potatoes, baby green zucchini and lemon beurre blanc

Sea Sun Pinot Noir, Calif.

Cheeses

Charcuterie and cheese selection

Paired with guest's wine of choice from the dinner

Dessert

Chocolate Rasberry Dream - intense dark chocolate mousse, chocolate raspberry cream, raspberry compote, chocolate sacher, Dark Chocolate Cornflake Crisp

Emmolo Sparkling Wine, Calif.

Princess first introduced its popular Winemaker's Dinner in a private space inspired by a wine cellar in the dining rooms onboard Royal Princess in 2013.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.

About Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world's most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

SOURCE Princess Cruises
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announces that April is PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month with activities including an educational webinar, social media content, and a journal club discussion for healthcare providers in the PFF Care Center Network (CCN). The recruitment month is focused on driving participation in the PFF Community Registry, which relies on self-reported information from patients and lung transplant recipients who have been diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease (ILD), as well as their caregivers and biological family members including those who have lost a loved one.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation invites patients, lung transplant recipients, caregivers, and biological family members impacted by pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease to join the PFF Community Registry at pffregistry.org.

PF is a progressive, debilitating disease that causes scarring in the lungs and is part of a larger group of more than 200 ILDs, which are characterized by inflammation and/or scarring in the lung. PF and ILDs impact over 250,000 Americans, and there are approximately 50,000 individuals who are newly diagnosed each year. There currently is no cure for PF and ILD.

"While we have made many strides in research over the past two decades, there is still so much to learn about PF," and said Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, Chair of the PFF Registry Steering Committee. "The PFF Community Registry is a way for anyone affected by PF to be a part of the solution so that we can help those living with the disease, and hopefully, find a cure in the future."

Since its launch in July 2022, more than 1,200 individuals have joined the PFF Community Registry. Participants are asked to complete just two online surveys each year, from the comfort of home and at their own pace. Surveys include simple questions about participants' background and experiences, including demographics, diagnosis, education and employment, environmental exposures, and more. This information will help researchers address various issues in PF to improve diagnosis, care, and outcomes in the patients, caregivers, and family members.

"We encourage anyone affected by PF to help us grow the Community Registry by joining and spreading the word to others," said Flaherty. "There are no limits on how large the Community Registry can grow. We need a wide range of voices from all different diagnoses, regions, races, ethnicities and ages to provide a clear picture of this disease for researchers and increase our chances of finding answers about PF and ILD."

Sam Kirton, a PF lung transplant recipient and PFF Community Registry participant, stated: "One of the first things I considered after the day I was diagnosed was, how do I help? What can I do? The ultimate solution is a more effective therapy and a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. That's what the PFF Community Registry has the potential to enable."

PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month will include communications to mobilize those in the PF community to share information and recruit peers, patients, friends, and family members. A Registry-focused webinar will take place on April 26 to provide insights on recent research and information on participation in the Community Registry. April's PFF CCN Journal Club will convene PF-focused physicians and allied health professionals for discussion of the recent study, "PM2.5 and constituent component impacts on global DNA methylation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis," by Gillian Goobie, MD.

Recruitment month outreach also will encourage those already enrolled in the Registry to take their follow-up surveys, which are sent every six months. Ongoing participation will provide researchers with the most complete and robust data set for their investigations.

The PFF Community Registry is part of the PFF Registry program, which consists of two databases. In addition to the Community Registry, the PFF Patient Registry ran from 2016 to 2022 to track medical data from more than 2,000 PF patients across PFF Care Centers nationwide. Combined, the two databases offer a wealth of longitudinal data on all forms of PF, providing unparalleled insight into the health and health care of patients, lung transplant recipients, caregivers, and family members. These data are helping to accelerate PF research. Information from the PFF Patient Registry has already been used in over 40 studies representing more than $32 million in research.

"There are so many questions surrounding pulmonary fibrosis. And I want to be a part of the answer," said Valeria Hatcher, a patient living with PF and PFF Community Registry participant.

PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month runs from April 1-30. To join the PFF Community Registry, sign up at pffregistry.org. To register for the educational webinar on April 26, click here.

The PFF Registry is supported by founding partner, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, visionary partner United Therapeutics Corporation, sustaining partner Boehringer Ingelheim, and many generous donors. Each of these partners shares the belief that a comprehensive registry is fundamentally important to improving the lives of those living with PF.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. Until this goal is achieved, the PFF is committed to advancing improved care of patients with PF and providing unequaled support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family members, and health care providers. The PFF has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance. The Foundation has met all of the requirements of the National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program and has earned the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733).

Contact: Hannah Miller

L.C. Williams & Associates

312-565-3800

[email protected]

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
Seeking to identify and fund global start-ups that have developed innovative technological solutions to address the complex environmental, social and economic challenges faced by cities.

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE is pleased to announce the application window for the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is now open. Applications will be accepted through April 30 at AcceliCITY.com.

QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge

Now in its fifth year with Govtech accelerator partner Leading Cities, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge is open to entrepreneurs whose ventures utilize smart-city solutions to address risk, equity and sustainability in urban environments. Primary challenge winners will receive up to $150,000 in prize money to fund a city pilot project, as well as publicity, mentoring and access to unique web-based courses.

In addition to the Primary Smart City challenge, two Smart Challenge tracks that complement QBE's focus on commercial property protection and crop insurance are available. For these tracks, QBE will look to identify entrepreneurs whose solutions speak to our business focus, as well as our commitment to sustainability.

Insurance (Commercial Property)

The primary causes of property damage are fire, water and wind. As a leading commercial property insurer, QBE is constantly searching for new and innovative ways to mitigate these risks and to better support and protect our clients.

To this end, our Insurance Track is available to entrepreneurs whose innovations provide sustainable loss mitigation solutions for the Commercial Property sector. We are searching for solutions that will allow us to identify or minimize potential hazards more quickly, lessen the effects of property damage, decrease business disruption or home evacuation caused by property damage, as well as other creative solutions for property insurance challenges.

Winners will receive $25,000 along with customized support and benefits from QBE.

Agriculture

Small, independently-owned farms face a myriad of risks in today's marketplace. NAU Country, a subsidiary of QBE North America, is a dedicated multi-peril crop insurer passionate about serving the American farmer.

In alignment with our desire to protect farmers, our Agriculture Track is available to entrepreneurs whose innovations provide sustainability solutions for the small to mid-sized farming community. We are open to a variety of solutions for farmers, such as Agtech, distribution channel solutions, risk management, data tracking and more. We service a variety of traditional and organic crops and welcome solutions in both areas.

Winners will receive $25,000.

About Leading Cities

Leading Cities is a Boston-based global non-profit founded by Dublin, Boston, Barcelona, Rio de Janeiro, Lyon, Hamburg, Lisbon, Zapopan, Vancouver, and Haifa. It was built on the philosophy that cities, which for the first time represent most of the world's population, are essential to overcome our great challengesclimate change, human equity, and technology development. Originally established in 2008 at Northeastern University, it later spun off as an independent organization expanding beyond research to advance government sustainability and resiliency. Since then, Leading Cities has evolved to provide a wider range of services for governments, start-ups, and corporations. Its signature program, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, is considered one of the Top 5 Govtech accelerators in the world.

About QBE North America

QBE North America is a global insurance leader helping customers solve unique risks, so they can stay focused on their future. Part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, QBE North America reported Gross Written Premiums in 2022 of $7.27 billion. QBE Insurance Group's results can be found at qbe.com . Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 27 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business primarily through its insurance company subsidiaries. The actual terms and conditions of any insurance coverage are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at qbe.com/us or follow QBE North America on LinkedIn and Facebook .

SOURCE QBE North America
SHANGHAI, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Queclink, the world's leading provider of IoT solutions, has launched WR300FG, its first high-performance 5G dual SIM dual mode industrial router. Leveraging Queclink's cutting-edge technology and innovation, the product aims to benefit and create value for customers, partners, and beyond.

2 1

The new router, WR300FG, allows for stable network operations as well as secure and reliable data transmission even in harsh environments. Incorporating 5G access technology, Wi-Fi 6.0 technology, routing technology, security technology, and plenty of industrial standard interfaces; WR300FG enables users to easily access wired and wireless transmission networks with fast networking, high reliability, and data security in different scenarios.

5G + Dual SIM for fast and stable data transmission

Network communication stability is critical in industrial production, as any network interruption can result in production shutdowns and reduced production efficiency. Hence, industrial routers must be reliable even in harsh environmental conditions to ensure network stability and continuity.

The new WR300FG supports both 5G SA/NSA modes and is backward-compatible with 4G/3G. It delivers faster data transmission speed and higher bandwidth, which are suitable for high-speed data transmission and multimedia applications. The product also supports advanced Wi-Fi 6.0, bringing high-quality wireless data transmission, control data collection, facilitating faster wireless network, more stable connection, and lower latency.

The product's dual SIM card design effectively addresses the coverage differences between major network operators with an enhanced network coverage capability. Its dependable network connections allow users to stay connected in the event of a SIM card failure by seamlessly switching to the other card, safeguarding the stability of the system and reducing maintenance cost.

Multiple VPN protocols and encrypted transmission for information security

Security is of the utmost importance while transmitting data in industrial environments due to the prevalence of malicious software, network attacks, and data theft threats. It is necessary to use specialized industrial routers to encrypt data transmission and protect the network.

Queclink's new industrial router facilitates private network deployment, supports multiple VPN protocols (PPTP, L2TP, OpenVPN, IPsec, GRE), and includes abundant security features, such as firewalls, access control, encryption, enabling remote management and better network data security.

Multiple standard interfaces and industrial protocols for fast development and deployment

In industrial networks, various protocols and devices that use different communication protocols often raise the cost. To achieve seamless communication between these devices, an industrial router that supports multiple protocols is required.

The new industrial router WR300FG released by Queclink supports RS232 and RS485 serial ports with multiple I/Os, and satisfies the diverse needs regarding cost balance, device connectivity, and transmission distance. It also supports industrial protocols such as MODBUS/MQTT, helping customers quickly develop and deploy applications.

High computing power, large memory, and robust performance for various application scenarios

The new industrial router has a high-performance Qualcomm IPQ8072CPU processor and a 1GB hard disk, meeting the configuration requirements for building edge computing platforms. The product also includes a built-in GNSS and can be installed on vehicles to build the IoV platform. Besides, it also suits intelligent industry, smart healthcare, smart energy, and more.

High-speed data transmission, stability, and reliability are what WR300FG offers. There are also many other advantages that should not be forgotten:

Wide voltage adaptability of 8V-32V

Wide temperature support of -30-75

IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4/5 GHz

5 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces (1 WAN, 4 LAN)

Remote monitoring management platform, supporting OpenWrt Linux OS system

Queclink's WR300FG, with its 5G network connectivity and multiple industrial interfaces, is designed to meet the varying IoT needs of a wide range of industries, providing new opportunities for customers and partners.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045140/2.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2045138/1.jpg

SOURCE Queclink Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd.
Fan favorite reviews, writers' thoughts on empathy in film, and a touching tribute from Chaz this week at RogerEbert.com

April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten years ago Tuesday, Roger Ebert, one of the best-known and most influential movie critics in America, died after a nearly seven-year cancer battle. He was 70. This week, the film review website RogerEbert.com will honor its namesake by embracing his formative belief that movies are machines that generate empathy. It will feature more than a dozen of Roger's most celebrated reviews over his four decades as chief critic at the Chicago Sun-Times. Editors and contributors offer insights on Roger's writing about Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, the Wachowskis' Cloud Atlas, Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple, Hal Ashby's Coming Home and many more films.

Roger was an award-winning journalist, author and screenwriter. In 1975 he became the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Chaz Ebert, Roger's wife and partner of 24 years, shares a moving tribute on her blog at RogerEbert.com to the man she has described as her best friend. Here's an excerpt:

"I laugh at the trick the universe played on him by allowing him to be known as a critic, someone who criticizes the works of others. And as a film critic, he was a fine one, one with a reputation that traveled the globe. One that perhaps masked the depths of his goodness."

While he published highly entertaining collections of reviews of films he hated, Roger was especially proud of championing the films he loved, especially those audiences might otherwise miss. RogerEbert.com is keeping Roger's torch lit by continuing to cover those independent and foreign films alongside the biggest studio ones just as he did.

Roger died shortly after RogerEbert.com was relaunched as a stand-alone site from the Chicago Sun-Times. As president and CEO of Ebert Digital, Chaz has maintained her husband's legacy by supporting diverse up and coming writers and filmmakers and the annual Ebertfest film festival in Roger's hometown of Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. Co-founded by Roger and Chaz in 1999, Ebertfest is a film lover's festival that gives films and their makers a well-deserved second look. This year, Ebertfest will be held April 19-22. In honor of Roger, the theme is "Empathy At The Movies."

Media contact: Shawn Taylor, [email protected], 312-371-6260 or Robin Beaman, [email protected], 312-208-1212.

SOURCE Rogerebert.com
Six global partners recognized for outstanding performance in decarbonizing their own operations and that of their customers

Hewlett Packard Enterprise HPE, Boer (Wuxi) power system co., Michael Smith Switchgear Ltd, Ramboll Finland, Faith Technologies Incorporated (FTI), Ad-Sol Nissin Corporation recognized during a virtual award ceremony that is available to view on YouTube Live

BOSTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced the six global winners of the inaugural Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Awards. Among 241 submissions, the winners were distinguished by their pioneering decarbonization efforts, both within and beyond their organizations.

Launched in 2022, the Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Awards celebrates leaders that prioritize innovation and decarbonization. Partners are afforded the opportunity to enter in two categories. The first, "Impact to My Company" recognizes those who exhibit outstanding sustainability leadership in their own operations. The second, "Impact to My Customers" rewards those who demonstrate exceptional sustainability leadership by helping customers achieve their decarbonization goals.

The winners were distinguished by their pioneering decarbonization efforts, both within and beyond their organizations. Tweet this

Entrants were assessed based on their successful implementation of innovations, products and digital solutions to electrify operations, reduce energy supply, increase operational efficiency, and embrace circularity across the value chain. Winners are accorded significant benefits, including global visibility, a valuable credential, and new business opportunities. The awards also provide a first of its kind educational program for partners in the industry.

Sustainability Impact Awards 2023 Winners

Category One: Impact to my Company

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, United States is focused on transitioning to clean energy alternatives through a hybrid approach that includes renewable assets, power purchase agreements, green tariff programs, and green contracts. They are implementing transportation strategies such as modal shifts, zero- and low-emission vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuels to reduce their carbon footprint. The company also uses green materials and product design, implements packaging innovation, meets sustainability standards, offers transparency on environmental impact, and reduces waste at all their sites.

is focused on transitioning to clean energy alternatives through a hybrid approach that includes renewable assets, power purchase agreements, green tariff programs, and green contracts. They are implementing transportation strategies such as modal shifts, zero- and low-emission vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuels to reduce their carbon footprint. The company also uses green materials and product design, implements packaging innovation, meets sustainability standards, offers transparency on environmental impact, and reduces waste at all their sites. Boer (Wuxi) Power System Co., Ltd, China has established decarbonization targets as part of its sustainability journey and embraced electrification and digitalization to build resilient operations, including a smart forklift scheduling management system that helps improve production efficiency. The company's headquarters has a 1.5MW photovoltaic rooftop and an ENP-B charging station that lays the foundation for the further popularization of electric vehicles.

has established decarbonization targets as part of its sustainability journey and embraced electrification and digitalization to build resilient operations, including a smart forklift scheduling management system that helps improve production efficiency. The company's headquarters has a 1.5MW photovoltaic rooftop and an ENP-B charging station that lays the foundation for the further popularization of electric vehicles. Michael Smith Switchgear, United Kingdom and Ireland is committed to sustainability in all aspects of its business, having achieved carbon-neutral status. To reduce energy consumption and use of raw materials, the company has digitized operations, adopted electric vehicles, and installed LED lighting and solar panels. The company is sourcing alternative materials for products and consolidating deliveries to reduce their carbon footprint. Future plans also account for a rainwater storage system and a green roof.

Category Two: Impact to My Customers

Ramboll, Finland is a multidisciplinary engineering, design, and consultancy company that operates in 35 countries and employs 17,000 people globally. The company designs sustainable energy-based solutions for customers' building service systems and power distribution systems, including electrification of heating systems with heat pump and solar power solutions in buildings and urban sites. The company integrates EcoStruxure solutions across connected products to allow data-enabled decision making and performance management.

is a multidisciplinary engineering, design, and consultancy company that operates in 35 countries and employs 17,000 people globally. The company designs sustainable energy-based solutions for customers' building service systems and power distribution systems, including electrification of heating systems with heat pump and solar power solutions in buildings and urban sites. The company integrates EcoStruxure solutions across connected products to allow data-enabled decision making and performance management. Faith Technologies Incorporated, United States is a national leader in electrical planning, engineering, design, and installation. It helps customers achieve their sustainability goals with its Path to Smarter Energy process, which involves gathering energy usage data, identifying ways to conserve energy, determining whether on-site renewable generation is a viable option, and integrating energy storage to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. The company also installs EcoStruxure solutions to simplify and digitize customers' power distribution to protect people, safeguard assets, and maximize business continuity and performance.

is a national leader in electrical planning, engineering, design, and installation. It helps customers achieve their sustainability goals with its Path to Smarter Energy process, which involves gathering energy usage data, identifying ways to conserve energy, determining whether on-site renewable generation is a viable option, and integrating energy storage to achieve net-zero carbon emissions. The company also installs EcoStruxure solutions to simplify and digitize customers' power distribution to protect people, safeguard assets, and maximize business continuity and performance. Ad-Sol Nissin Corporation, Japan is Schneider's only system integrator partner in Japan . The company has introduced EcoStruxure solutions to their customer, the largest electric utility company in Japan , to support its implementation of a regional microgrid business. The company is also helping another customer to optimize production management in its automobile manufacturing processes and provides consulting services for carbon-neutral platforms to other industries, including railway companies.

"Now is the time to address the global energy crisis  it's our top priority. However, we cannot accelerate decarbonization efforts and achieve net-zero goals alone; we must rely on our ecosystem of partnerships", Rohan Kelkar, EVP for Global Power Products at Schneider Electric said. "Through the Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Awards, we acknowledge and highlight the valuable contributions made by our partners worldwide towards decarbonizing not only their own operations but also their customers'. We value the opportunity to learn from one another and congratulate these winners for their exceptional commitment towards making a positive impact. We hope that in sharing their stories, they will serve as inspiration to organizations worldwide embarking on their decarbonization journey."

About Schneider Electric

Schneider's purpose is to empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.

Our mission is to be your digital partner for Sustainability and Efficiency.

We drive digital transformation by integrating world-leading process and energy technologies, end-point to cloud connecting products, controls, software and services, across the entire lifecycle, enabling integrated company management, for homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries.

We are the most local of global companies. We are advocates of open standards and partnership ecosystems that are passionate about our shared Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values.

www.se.com

Discover Life Is On

Follow us on: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Blog

#partnershipsofthefuture #partneringforsustainability #sustainabilityimpactawards

SOURCE Schneider Electric
SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council of Engineering Companies, California (ACEC California) announced today the recipients of its 2023 Scholarships. ACEC California's Scholarship Foundation awards annual scholarships to accomplished graduate or undergraduate college students working toward a degree in engineering or land surveying, with the top award recipients nominated to apply for the ACEC National scholarship competition.

"This scholarship enables talented individuals to access quality education and training, which can be a major steppingstone toward a successful career in land surveying or the engineering industry," said Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego). "I applaud ACEC's leadership for your continued investment in helping to strengthen California's infrastructure."

In total, ACEC California awarded $65,000 in scholarship funds to 14 students: seven graduate students and seven undergraduate students. This year's scholarship recipients have demonstrated notable achievement in their respective areas of study and a strong interest in pressing policy issues facing California including, successfully advocating for a new trash receptacle ordinance in the City of La Mesa, improving client management practices in high priority storm drain structures, using various programs to provide models and analysis of structures, and providing outreach to high school and middle school students promoting the field of environmental engineering in underserved communities.

"The world needs more engineers and land surveyors, and ACEC California is proud to help support the bright and promising careers of these students," said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California. "These are well paying careers. Especially as California and our nation at large has increased funding for infrastructure, it is important that we continue to do our best to bring young people into the fields of these design professions."

The 2023 Scholarship Foundation award recipients are:

Zayd Andre, University of California, Merced, pursuing a bachelor's in computer science and engineering. Soulaimane Bentaleb, University of California, Los Angeles, pursuing a master's in bioengineering. Julia Braviroff, California State University, Fullerton, pursuing a master's in environmental engineering. Alex Chau, San Diego State University, pursuing a bachelor's in civil engineering. Hannah Dearman-So, Harvey Mudd College, pursuing a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. Michelle Don, University of California, Los Angeles, pursuing a master's in civil engineering. Michael Fink, California State University, Fresno, pursuing a bachelor's in geomatics engineering. Jacqueline Gomez, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, pursuing a bachelor's in civil engineering. Samantha Moore, University of California, Irvine, pursuing a bachelor's in civil engineering. Polina Popova, San Diego State University, pursuing a master's in environmental engineering. Jasmine Randhawa, University of the Pacific, pursuing a bachelor's in civil engineering. Israel Rivera , University of California, Davis, pursuing a master's in civil engineering. Jayci Tsuhako, University of California, San Diego, pursuing a master's in structural engineering. Frances Yu, California State University, Fresno, pursuing a master's in land surveying.

To learn more about the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation program and the students visit http://www.acec-ca.org/scholarship.

About ACEC California

ACEC California is a 60 plus year-old, nonprofit association of private consulting engineering and land surveying firms. As a statewide organization, we are dedicated to enhancing the consulting engineering and land surveying professions, protecting the general public and promoting use of the private sector in the growth and development of our state. Follow us on Social Media: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

SOURCE American Council of Engineering Companies, California
MILPITAS, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor industry executives will gather May 18, 2023, in Santa Clara, California for CEO Outlook, an annual panel discussion about the current state and future of the chip design and semiconductor industries, the Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), a SEMI Technology Community, announced today. The event is open to ESD Alliance and SEMI members at no cost. Registration is open.

The in-person event, co-sponsored by ESD Alliance member Keysight Technologies, will be held in building 5 at Agilent Technologies, 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with networking, food and beverages, followed by the hour-long panel at 6:30 p.m. and concluding with an audience Q&A session.

The ESD Alliance Annual Membership meeting begins at 5 p.m. Non-members registered for CEO Outlook are welcome to attend.

Semiconductor Engineering Editor-in-Chief Ed Sperling will moderate the panel discussion.

About the Electronic System Design Alliance

The Electronic System Design (ESD) Alliance, a SEMI Technology Community representing members in the electronic system and semiconductor design ecosystem, is a community that addresses technical, marketing, economic and legislative issues affecting the entire industry. It acts as the central voice to communicate and promote the value of the semiconductor design ecosystem as a vital component of the global electronics industry. Visit www.semi.org/en/communities/esda to learn more.

Follow the ESD Alliance

ESD Alliance Bridging the Frontier blog

Twitter: @ESDAlliance

LinkedIn

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About SEMI

SEMI connects more than 2,500 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA), the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and SOI Consortium are SEMI Strategic Technology Communities. Visit www.semi.org, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter to learn more.

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Association Contact

Nanette Collins

Public Relations for the ESD Alliance

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE SEMI
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Allianz SE ("Allianz" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: ALIZY). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Allianz and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 17, 2022, during market hours, Allianz announced that it had booked a provision of 3.7 billion with regards to "the pending court and governmental proceedings in the U.S. in relation to the Structured Alpha Funds". Then, on May 17, 2022, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a press release announcing that it had charged "Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (AGI US) and three former portfolio managers with a massive fraudulent scheme that concealed the immense downside risks of a complex options trading strategy they called 'Structured Alpha'". That same day, the U.S. Department of Justice also issued a press release providing further information about the alleged fraudulent scheme.

On this news, Allianz's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") fell $0.98 per ADR, or 3.8%, to close at $24.33 per ADR on May 18, 2022.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Catalent, Inc. ("Catalent" or the "Company") (NYSE: CTLT). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Catalent and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On August 29, 2022, Catalent disclosed that demand for its COVID-related products was facing substantial headwinds.

On this news, Catalent's stock price fell $7.42 per share, or 7.4%, to close at $92.29 per share on August 29, 2022.

Then, on September 20, 2022, a Washington Post report exposed that the release of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Catalent had been delayed by regulators due to improper sterilization at one of Catalent's key facilities.

On this news, Catalent's stock price fell $8.09 per share, or 9.3%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $79.06 per share on September 22, 2022.

Finally, on November 1, 2022, Catalent revealed that its quarterly earnings had declined to zero and lowered its financial guidance, indicating falling demand. The Company also disclosed that regulatory issues at key facilities were negatively impacting its financial results.

On this news, Catalent's stock price fell $20.83 per share, or 31.7%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $44.90 per share on November 2, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
News / Local

by Staff reporter

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's ally and self-styled prophet Passion Java has torched a fiery storm after appearing in a video bragging that those implicated in Al Jazeera's four-part gold smuggling documentary will not be prosecuted because the ruling Zanu-PF party controls all arms of the State.This comes as the main opposition, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has called for an independent international forensic investigation on the allegations of rampant gold smuggling and money laundering by the country's political elite.The documentary implicates Mnangagwa's ambassador-at-large, Uebert Mudzanire (alias Uebrt Angel), Zimbabwe Mineral Federation president Henrietta Rushwaya, gold dealer Ewan MacMillan, businessman Simon Rudland and Kamlesh Pattni, a Kenyan pastor implicated in the 1990s Goldenberg Scandal in Kenya, but was acquitted in 2013."After the Al Jazeera documentary, you are going to talk about it and its trends, but what will you do? That is when I tell people to stand with the ruling party, we are the army, we are the police, we are the courts, and we are the prison. So what will you do?" Java said in the video that has since gone viral on social media platforms, torching angry outbursts from citizens.Java did not respond to questions sent to him by NewsDay regarding his comments.Justice, legal and parliamentary affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said government is treating the allegations in the documentary as mere "propaganda"."We didn't see anything worth writing home about from government perception. I think our position is that it's just propaganda, they are trying to tarnish the image of Zimbabwe having realised that our mining industry is now growing. By end of this year, it will be a US$12 billion industry and they are trying to find ways of tarnishing the image of government because they see the progress that has been happening since the Second Republic came into play, particularly in the gold sector," Ziyambi said."We opened up artisanal miners and encouraged them to mine; the results are there for everyone to see. They are now noticing that their aim of destroying our economy is failing. They came up with these people name-dropping; we can't use name droppers to try and tarnish the image of the country."National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi referred all questions to the Ministry of Information and Publicity."I cannot comment on the issue, talk to Ndabaningi Mangwana," Nyathi said. NewsDay could not reach Mangwana for comment.The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) spokesperson Thandiwe Malobane told NewsDay that they were closely following the documentary."As Zacc we are closely following the documentary, that is all I can say at the moment," she said.Parliament Mines Portfolio Committee chairperson Edmund Mkaratigwa said: "The issue is partly in the purview of the Mines Committee, but also borders on the public accounts committee. The Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development already has an ongoing inquiry into the gold sector, and the inquiry is towards its end. Our report is being developed guided by our own findings and observations. I think that report is very crucial as an official document of government. A lot has been done by the committee in its powers and the much needed data is already available."We are left with some regional and international benchmarking visits and the report will be submitted to Parliament for consideration and adoption. On another note, the trending documentary as part of all media has an objective of the initiator and it is critical for us all to understand that objective among other interests before we take sides," Mkaratigwa, a Zanu-PF member said."Take note that we do not subscribe to playing to the gallery, but are guided by meritocracy, responsibility and the call of duty as we endeavour to articulate pertinent and genuine issues diligently and transparently to foster accountability and sustainability."Efforts to get a comment from PAC chairperson Brian Dube (MDC Alliance) were fruitless.The gold corruption expose comes as the main oppositionCCC has called for an independent international forensic investigation on the allegations."We are deeply concerned by the severe disregard of formal state institutions by the persons named and referred to in the documentary. There is a strong suggestion that political elites are deliberately setting up personal networks of businesspersons-cum-criminals that operate to undermine constitutional accountability," the CCC statement read."It is a matter of regret that state institutions that are constitutionally mandated to investigate and bring to book those reasonably suspected of corruption, maladministration and criminal abuse of office, including the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission neglect to investigate the issues and act as would be expected," the CCC statement added.
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Dutch Bros Inc. ("Dutch" or the "Company") (NYSE: BROS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Dutch Bros and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On February 23, 2023, Hedgeye published a note adding Dutch Bros as a "new short idea," stating that "[t]he relentless focus on excessive unity growth and not balancing that with profitability can create long-term issues for the company" and that "[w]e don't see the company generating enough [operating cash flow] to cover capital spending until FY2026 (and that might be a generous assumption)."

On this news, Dutch Bros' stock price fell $3.97 per share, or 10.45%, to close at $34.02 per share on February 23, 2023.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. ("Fidelity National" or the "Company") (NYSE: FIS). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Fidelity National and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

In 2019, Fidelity National acquired the payment-processing company Worldpay Inc. ("Worldpay") for $48 billion. Then, on February 13, 2023, Fidelity National booked a $17.6 billion write-down on its Worldpay business and announced plans to spin off the unit.

On this news, Fidelity National's stock price fell $9.43 per share, or 12.5%, to close at $66.00 on February 13, 2023.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Mallinckrodt plc ("Mallinckrodt" or the "Company") (NYSE: MNK). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Mallinckrodt and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On March 17, 2023, The Buxton Helmsley Group, Inc., a "New York City-based investment advisor to clients with financial interests in Mallinckrodt Plc", issued two open letters. In one open letter, addressed to U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse, the Buxton Helmsley Group claimed to "deliver[] the audited results of an extensive investigation into financial misconduct at the Company involving an evidenced scheme of concealing asset value depreciation/impairment expenses, in violation of GAAP ASC 350, 360 and Regulation S-X, taking place both before and after the Company's Chapter 11 Reorganization." In the second open letter, addressed to Mallinckrodt's directors and officers, the Buxton Helmsley Group demanded, among other things, "the restatement of the historical financial statements of the Company, and . . . write-downs of post-reorganization asset values based on the Company's prior-professed standards of determining the fair value of asset's securing the Company's capital structure."

On this news, Mallinckrodt's stock price fell $0.66 per share, or 7.82%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $7.78 per share on March 20, 2023.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Rite Aid Corporation ("Rite Aid" or the "Company") (NYSE: RAD). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Rite Aid and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On March 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") issued a press release announcing that it had filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid, intervening in a whistleblower lawsuit brought under the False Claims Act against Rite Aid and various subsidiaries, alleging that Rite Aid knowingly filled unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances. The DOJ also announced that it was suing Rite Aid for violations of the Controlled Substances Act.

On this news, Rite Aid's stock price fell $0.71 per share, or 21.65%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $2.57 per share on March 15, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse" or the "Company") (NYSE: CS), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, and docketed under 23-cv-01297, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Credit Suisse securities between December 1, 2022 and February 17, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Credit Suisse securities during the Class Period, you have until May 8, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Credit Suisse, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The Company offers wealth management solutions, including investment advice and discretionary asset management services; risk management solutions, such as managed investment products; and wealth planning, succession planning, and trust services.

In October 2022, Credit Suisse began experiencing a sharp increase in customer outflows, or withdrawals of client funds, after a series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures significantly decreased the Company's American Depositary Share ("ADS") price.

On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse's Chairman, Defendant Axel P. Lehmann ("Lehmann") stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only "completely flattened out," but had, in fact, "partially reversed."

The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Defendant Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped".

Following Defendant Lehmann's statements, Credit Suisse's ADS price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.

The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) contrary to Defendant Lehmann's representations in December 2022, the sharp increase in customer outflows Credit Suisse began experiencing in October 2022 remained ongoing; (ii) accordingly, Credit Suisse had downplayed the impact of the Company's recent series of quarterly losses and risk and compliance failures on liquidity and its ability to retain client funds; (iii) as a result, Credit Suisse had overstated the Company's financial position and/or prospects; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Defendant Lehmann's prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations.

On this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.

Then, on February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Defendant Lehmann's previous comments regarding customer outflows.

On this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC), and certain officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and docketed under 23-cv-00794, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants that purchased or otherwise acquired Honda American Depository Shares ("ADSs") between June 20, 2018 and September 28, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants' violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials.

If you are a shareholder who purchased or otherwise acquired Honda ADSs securities during the Class Period, you have until April 3, 2023 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

Honda is a multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment. The Company's U.S.-based operations are conducted through its North American subsidiary, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. ("American Honda").

Certain of Honda's vehiclesincluding the 2018-2020MY Honda Odyssey, 2016-2020MY Honda Pilot, 2019-2020MY Honda Passport, 2015-2020MY Acura TLX, and 2015-2020MY Acura MDXinclude a so-called "Idle Stop" engine feature, purportedly to enhance fuel efficiency. In marketing these vehicles, Honda and/or its subsidiaries have highlighted the Idle Stop system's purported capacity to automatically shut off a vehicle's engine to save fuel when the vehicle brakes to a stop for at least two secondsfor example, at a traffic lightand to automatically restart the engine when the driver releases the vehicle's brake pedal.

The complaint alleges that, Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Honda had overstated the safety and effectiveness of the Idle Stop engine feature; (ii) Honda maintained deficient disclosure controls and procedures with respect to product quality and safety; (iii) as a result of the foregoing deficiencies, Honda failed to prevent American Honda from marketing and selling thousands of vehicles that contained a defective Idle Stop feature; (iv) the foregoing conduct subjected the Company and/or its subsidiaries to a heightened risk of litigation, as well as financial and/or reputational harm; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On September 28, 2022, a putative class action was filed against American Honda alleging that it had sold thousands of vehiclesincluding the 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, 2019-2020 Honda Passport, 2015-2020 Acura TLX, and 2015-2020 Acura MDXequipped with a flawed Idle Stop feature.[1] Per the allegations in the class action complaint, after initially shutting off a vehicle's engine, the Idle Stop system in the affected vehicles routinely fails to restart the engine as designed, leaving drivers unable to move their vehicles. The lawsuit further alleges that American Honda was fully aware of the defect before marketing the vehicles. [[1] Cooper et al v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., No. 1:22-cv-05299 (N.D. Ill.)]

On this news, Honda's ADS price fell $0.74 per share, or 3.23%, to close at $22.19 per ADS on September 29, 2022.

Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP, a class action law firm dedicated to representing shareholders nationwide, is investigating a potential breach of fiduciary duty claim involving the board of directors of Ellington Financial Inc. (NYSE: EFC).

If you are a shareholder of Ellington Financial Inc. and are interested in obtaining additional information regarding this investigation, free of charge, please visit us at:

https://pjlfirm.com/ellington-financial-inc/

You may also contact Robert H. Lefkowitz, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at 212-725-1000. One of our attorneys will personally speak with you about the case at no cost or obligation.

Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP is a law firm exclusively committed to representing shareholders nationwide who are victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty and other types of corporate misconduct. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit https://pjlfirm.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

SOURCE Purcell & Lefkowitz LLP
BOONVILLE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Epiphany Artists is pleased to announce the 26th edition of the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF) which takes place at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Boonville, CA on June 16, 17, and 18, 2023. The premier roots reggae music and camping festival has been held on Summer Solstice/Father's Day weekend since 1994 (except for a three-year Covid-induced break).

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival is nestled in the rolling hills of Mendocino County California.

The legendary Burning Spear will headline Sunday night. Spear's impact on reggae music is profound; the legacy of his music is one of self-reliance and self-determination for the African diaspora. With a career spanning over six decades, Spear's message remains on point and his vocal delivery is as powerful as it is identifiable.

The star-studded lineup also includes Beres Hammond (who headlines on Saturday night), Luciano (Friday night headliner), Tarrus Riley, Derrick Morgan, Protoje, Kabaka Pyramid, Cocoa Tea, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Lila Ike, Soul Syndicate, The Clarendonians, Wesli, Norma Fraser, Rory Stone Love, and Warrior Sound International, with more artists still to be announced.

The 2023 Sierra Nevada World Music Festival is true to the ethos of founder and programmer, the late Warren Smith, who chose to base the event on conscious music, bringing together artists whose lyrics are life-affirming and embrace a positive message.

Festival producer, Gretchen Franz Smith, states, "We work hard to establish a family-friendly 'vibe', and create a positive, respectful, conscious community of music lovers that treads lightly on the land and leaves nothing behind."

This event has live music on two stages; a late-night DJ dancehall; an eclectic food court and an international marketplace, as well as on-site camping. The Kids Zone offers activities such as parades, drumming, and bouncy castle. Percussion workshops and yoga classes as well as other exciting programming, are available for the adults.

The Mendocino County Fairgrounds are located on Highway 28 in Boonville, CA in the picturesque Anderson Valley just three hours north of San Francisco.

Three-day tickets and camping passes are available through the website. Single-day tickets will be available closer to the event. Kids 12 and under are free with ticketed adult.

For more information, please visit www.snwmf.com or contact [email protected].

Calendar Listing:

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, June 16, 17, 18, 2023

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival

Reggae and World Music, Workshops, Dance Troupes, Camping, more

Mendocino County Fairgrounds, Boonville, Northern California

www.SNWMF.com

SOURCE Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
Allan Oberman appointed as CEO to transform Apotex into a Canadian-based global health company.

TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Apotex Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc. ("Apotex" or the "Company") today announced that its acquisition by an affiliate of funds advised by SK Capital Partners, LP ("SK Capital") has closed. The Company also announces that experienced pharmaceutical executive Allan Oberman has been appointed President and CEO and member of the Board of Apotex.

Allan brings four decades of experience in corporate leadership to Apotex, including 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Most recently, he served as CEO of Concordia International Corp. and CEO of Sagent Pharmaceuticals Inc. Prior to these positions, he served as President and CEO of Teva Canada (formerly Novopharm Limited), COO of Teva International Group, President of Teva EMIA and President and CEO of Teva Americas Generics. Mr. Oberman has almost three decades of corporate governance experience, having served on numerous boards, including as Chairman of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, and Vice-Chairman of the U.S. Association for Accessible Medicines. He has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, and a BA from Western University.

"As a competitor to Apotex for many years, I am very familiar with the company and have admired its people, long-term track record of innovation and commitment to making medicines affordable to patients in Canada and worldwide," stated Allan Oberman, President and CEO of Apotex. "I'm excited to join the team and build on that legacy."

"We welcome Allan to the Apotex team. His experience leading major Canadian and international pharmaceutical companies and delivering enhanced shareholder value will benefit Apotex as we grow into a Canadian-based global health company," said Aaron Davenport, Chairman of the Board of Apotex and Managing Director at SK Capital. "SK Capital looks forward to working with Apotex as it moves into its next phase of growth, leveraging its iconic brand, broad product portfolio, international presence and skilled team."

Jeff Watson, Apotex's CEO since 2018, will join the Apotex Board of Directors.

"We thank Jeff for his leadership and welcome him to the Board, where we will continue to benefit from his stewardship and counsel," added Mr. Davenport.

About SK Capital

SK Capital is a private investment firm with a disciplined focus on sectors that create the building blocks of modern life and a more sustainable future, including specialty materials, ingredients, and life sciences. The firm seeks to build strong and growing businesses that create substantial long-term economic value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher-performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital's portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately USD $16 billion annually, employs more than 20,000 people globally and operates 203 plants in 32 countries. The firm currently has approximately USD $7.2 billion of assets under management. For more information, please visit skcapitalpartners.com.

About Apotex

Apotex is a proudly Canadian, global pharmaceutical company that produces high-quality, affordable medicines for patients around the world. Apotex employs nearly 8,000 people worldwide in manufacturing, R&D, and commercial operations. Apotex exports to more than 100 countries and territories and operates in more than 45 countries, with a significant presence in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and India. For more information, visit www.apotex.com.

SOURCE Apotex Inc.
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking a significant advance in infant safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given De Novo approval to Happiest Baby's SNOO Smart Sleeper . This is the first time the FDA has given De Novo approval to a product designed to keep sleeping babies safely positioned on the back. Babies who are positioned to sleep on the back are at a lower risk of SIDS.

SNOO is Granted FDA De Novo Approval For Keeping Sleeping Babies Safely Positioned on the Back (PRNewsfoto/Happiest Baby, Inc.)

Every year, 3,500 American babies die in their sleep from suffocation and unexplained causes including SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). These deaths are collectively referred to as SUID (Sudden Unexpected Infant Death) and constitute the leading cause of death of healthy, full-term infants during the first year of life ( 90% of SUID cases occur in the first six months ).

Tragically, the number of these deaths has continued unchanged at 3500 every year for over 20 years.

In the 1990s, doctors discovered that sleeping on the back dramatically reduced the incidence of SUID. Today, it is one of the key safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The National Institutes of Health encourages back sleeping as "the single most effective action that parents and caregivers can take to lower a baby's risk of SIDS." And, the CDC advises that "babies who sleep on their backs are much less likely to die of SIDS than babies who sleep on their sides or stomachs."

Despite this universal recommendation, almost two-thirds of SUID deaths still occur when babies roll to, or are placed on, the side or stomach. SNOO is the first and only bed that facilitates back (supine) sleeping. The SNOO Sack safely swaddles babies and attaches to the bed, keeping them securely on the back throughout sleep.

SNOO is for use by babies under 6 months of age or until they have demonstrated they can consistently roll from stomach to back during sleep. In a study of 1,012 infants, SNOO was found to reduce unsafe stomach sleeping by 91.5%. However, SNOO has not directly demonstrated a reduction in the incidence of SIDS/SUID.

"As a pediatrician for over 40 years, I've witnessed far too many times the unbearable pain of parents who placed their baby in bed at night, only to find them lifeless in the morning," said Dr. Harvey Karp, co-founder and CEO of Happiest Baby, Inc. "Stomach sleeping leads to the tragic death of thousands of healthy infants every year. Yet, we routinely put babies in bed totally unsecured for 12 to 14 hours every day. Just as infant seats dramatically improve car safety, we hope to dramatically improve sleep safety by keeping babies on the back and reducing risky rolling."

On March 30, 2023, the FDA granted the De Novo application of Happiest Baby's SNOO Smart Sleeper:

"The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review of your De Novo request for classification of the SNOO Smart Sleeper, an over-the-counter device under 21 CFR Part 801 Subpart C with the following indications for use:

"The SNOO Smart Sleeper bassinet plus the SNOO Sleep Sack are jointly intended to facilitate a supine position during sleep. Infants who are placed in a supine sleep position are at lower risk of SIDS/SUID. The device is intended for home use by caregivers of infants from birth to 6 months of age, who are not yet able to roll over consistently.

"FDA concludes that this device should be classified into Class II. This order, therefore, classifies the SNOO Smart Sleeper, and substantially equivalent devices of this generic type, into Class II under the generic name infant supine sleep system.

"FDA identifies this generic type of device as:

"Infant supine sleep system. An infant supine sleep system is a device intended to facilitate a supine position during sleep for use in infants that are not yet able to roll over consistently. Infants placed in a supine sleep position are at lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or sudden unexpected infant death (SUID)."

Click here for more information regarding the De Novo approval.

ABOUT SNOO

SNOO was created by renowned pediatrician and child development expert, Dr. Harvey Karp. Launched in 2016, SNOO helps lull babies to sleep faster and keep them sleeping longer. In recognition of these landmark advances, SNOO has received over 30 top honors, including the National Sleep Foundation's Innovation of the Year and Fast Company's World Changing Idea. SNOO has been featured at the London Design Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, SF MOMA, and is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

In an advance in pediatric sleep science, SNOO uses specially designed, continuous rhythmic sensations that mimic the motion, sound, and tactile embrace babies experience in the womb. Although the current practice is to place babies to sleep in a dark, still, silent room, babies actually sleep better with constant motion, sound, and snug holding (e.g., rocking in a lounger, long walks in a carrier or stroller, car rides, etc.). This was shown in a large infant sleep study (7,157 babies, 0-6 months of age). It demonstrated that SNOO's constant rhythms were associated with an unprecedented one hour per night average increase in sleep. Furthermore, by two months, SNOO increased the longest continuous period of night sleep from an average of five hours to almost seven hours; a 40% boost in the sleep most precious to new parentsand most helpful for infant well-beingconsolidated, continuous sleep.

Hundreds of thousands of families have used SNOO as their baby's first bed. Most parents obtain it directly through Happiest Baby's rental program and thousands get a free, six month SNOO rental from their employer . Over 60 top American companies, including, JP Morgan, Activision-Blizzard, Snapchat, Children's Hospital of New Orleans, and Under Armour, offer SNOOs to support new parents.

ABOUT HAPPIEST BABY

Happiest Baby is an LA-based company co-founded by Dr. Harvey Karp and Nina Montee Karp. It's a

mission-driven company dedicated to protecting the health and wellness of children, parents, and healthcare workers across America and around the world. The company develops innovative, science-based products and content to solve every-day childcare challenges and to enhance the well-being of families and healthcare providers.

Dr. Karp is the author of the celebrated parent books and streaming videos, The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block and the book, The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep: Birth to 5, which have been used by millions of families and translated into dozens of languages.

In addition to SNOO, the company makes numerous other parent-support products, including Sleepea (an award-winning, "5-second" swaddle), SNOObear (a white noise, plush toy that aids infant/toddler soothing and sleep), and SNOObie (a white noise and nightlight device to improve a child's sleep and teach mindful breathing, used from birth to school age).

For Inquiries: [email protected]

SOURCE Happiest Baby, Inc.
BELGRADE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A highway section linking New Belgrade to Surcin of Serbia was opened for traffic on Saturday.

The section, a part of the E-763 highway, is around 8-kilometer long and has three lanes in each direction, a five-meter dividing strip, two-meter-wide pedestrian paths, and bicycle lanes.

The construction of the section began in March 2021 and was conducted by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC).

The project, worth about 70.5 million U.S. dollars, is of high priority for Serbia as it will enable a fast connection between Belgrade and the E-763 highway and create a short link between Belgrade and the Adriatic Sea.

Attending the opening ceremony in Belgrade on Saturday, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia is heading into new infrastructural investments thanks to good financial results this year and low public debt.

"This year, we expect to sign large contracts, thanks to slightly better results... This is the success of Serbia, but also of all our citizens," Vucic said.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, several ministers, the mayor of Belgrade Aleksandar Sapic, and the Chinese ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo also attended the ceremony.

"We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Chinese and Serbian engineers and workers who worked on this section of the road. We are glad that our Serbian friends will feel the benefits of the road every day," said Chen.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

LUPANE State University (LSU) is investigating a case of a senior official who was allegedly found by a security guard in a campus room late at night with a female student on attachment in one of the university offices.In a report leaked to Southern Eye last week, a security guard manning the campus said he was doing routine patrols at the university on March 6 this year at around 11:37pm when he heard some suspicious funny noise from the technician's office on the first floor east wing near the laboratory."I stopped to investigate. After waiting for about three minutes listening to the noise, I noticed that the sounds were from a male and a female. I then knocked, and heard some whispers from inside," the report read."After 10 minutes, [name supplied] unlocked the office and I noticed there was a female inside. When I asked him what he was doing with a lady in the office at night, he laughed at me saying 'do not worry'."The guard said he then beamed his touch on the woman to identify her, but she quickly closed the door. He said the named official and the lady immediately went down stairs to his car and drove off.Sources said despite the incident no action appears to have been taken against the top official."This place is becoming known for sexual scandals. Several staff and students have complained over sexual abuse, some claiming to have been forced to do abortions," an internal source told Southern Eye.Contacted for comment, LSU spokesperson Zwelithini Dlamini confirmed that the university had received a report. He, however, declined to give further details on the issue."The official position is that the issue is under investigation and any further comments might compromise the investigation process," Dlamini said.The Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) is also investigating a matter in which the LSU Vice-Chancellor Pardon Kuipa is accused of sexually harassing a female at the istitution of higher learning.ZGC chief executive officer, Virginia Muwanigwa last week revealed that their investigation on the matter has been concluded, and the report on the case will be tabled in Parliament soon, adding that evidence by the complainant could not be substantiated.
"I grew up surrounded by music. I didn't have the most conventional upbringing, but I wouldn't change my life and my relationship with my dad for anything, and he was a loving and caring grandfather who took pleasure in every moment with his three granddaughters. He gave me the ultimate soundtrack, as well as his wicked sense of humor. I am beyond grateful for every minute our family spent with him, and that the music he brought to the world impacted so many people's lives in a positive way."  Mandy Stein, daughter of Seymour Stein

NEW YORK, April 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seymour Stein, the co-founder of Sire Records, passed away this morning, April 2nd, in Los Angeles at the age of 80, following a battle with cancer. He was a pioneering figure in the music industry, whose unique ability to anticipate musical trends and discover and nurture revolutionary artists left an indelible mark on the contemporary cultural landscape.

Seymour Stein - (Credit: Vivien Killilea)

In 1955, when Seymour was just 13 years old, he was granted access to the Billboard archives, where he painstakingly wrote down two decades of charts, while developing his encyclopedic memory of songs. Following his high school graduation, Stein became a full-time member of the Billboard staff. In 1961, he moved to Cincinnati, where he worked for King Records, getting his first experience on the label side of the business. Stein returned to New York two years later to work with George Goldner, who had joined forces with legendary songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to form Red Bird Records, headquartered in the Brill Building.

In 1966, Stein co-founded Sire Productions with producer Richard Gottehrer, and Sire Records was officially launched the following year. Stein had been a devotee of the English music scene since the 1950s, and in its early days Sire released albums by British acts like Climax Blues Band, Renaissance, and Barclay James Harvest, as well as Holland's Focus. Stein also forged an association with British producer Mike Vernon's Blue Horizon Records, home to Peter Green's original Fleetwood Mac and Chicken Shack, featuring Christine McVie.

Stein first saw the Ramones in 1975, and as he said, "It was like sticking my hand in a live electric light socket." The band's first album was released by Sire in 1976, and it remains one of the seminal recordings in rock and roll history. That same year, Sire struck a distribution pact with Warner Bros. Records, and in 1980, Warner Music Group fully acquired the label.

Stein put New Wave music  a term he coined  on the mainstream map with the likes of Talking Heads and the Pretenders. And in a moment that has become a permanent part of music industry lore, Stein signed a young artist named Madonna while he was in the hospital. At the same time, Sire released classic pop singles like M's "Pop Muzik," Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," and Modern English's "I Melt with You."

Over the years, Sire's roster has included cutting-edge artists such as the Ramones, Talking Heads, The Pretenders, Madonna, Tom Tom Club, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, Erasure, The Cult, The Undertones, Madness, The Replacements, Ice-T, k.d. lang, Seal, Everything But The Girl, Aztec Camera, Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Aphex Twin, Spacehog, Regina Spektor, Tegan & Sara, and many more.

In 2005, Stein was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an organization which he co-founded in 1983, and in 2016, he was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2017, Sire Records celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 2018, he released his autobiography, "Siren Song: My Life in Music".

He is survived by his daughter, Mandy, his sister, Ann Wiederkehr, and three grandchildren.

Donations can be made in Seymour Stein's name to MUSICARES: https://www.musicares.org/donations

Contact:

Bob Merlis:

[email protected]

SOURCE Warner Music Group Corp.
CLEPA Membership Greatly Benefits STRADVISION's Ability to Contribute Further to the European Automotive Landscape

SEOUL, South Korea, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- STRADVISION, an automotive industry pioneer in deep learning-based vision perception technology, has announced its new membership to CLEPA , the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.

Fellow CLEPA members include over 100 of the world's most prominent car parts, systems, and modules suppliers and over 20 national trade associations and European sector associations.

STRADVISION Becomes Newest Member of CLEPA

The membership recognizes STRADVISION's ongoing commitment and contributions within the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automotive perception fields. It allows the company to contribute to the European automotive industry. As a CLEPA member, STRADVISION will join alongside many of Europe and the world's foremost experts in contributing opinions and insight on the industry's many opportunities and issues.

"Our goals as both a perception tech company and automotive industry contributor have continued to grow across Europe, exemplified by our two German office openings and elsewhere globally," STRADVISION USA CEO Sunny Lee said. "We are thrilled to have been accepted as the newest member of CLEPA, which is the leading voice of the EU automotive supplier industry and is a driver of innovation and regulation throughout the automotive industry. Our team looks forward to connecting further with European peers and joining more discussions shaping the future of safety and innovation in the automotive industry."

STRADVISION's CLEPA membership follows the company's recent increased footprint in the German market, such as joining the VDA (Germany Association of the Automotive Industry). It also continues STRADVISION's global expansion and milestones over the past year, including a workforce increase of 69.2% YoY and Series C funding of $88 million ($129 million cumulative funding to date).

About STRADVISION

Founded in 2014, STRADVISION is an automotive industry pioneer in artificial intelligence-based vision perception technology for ADAS. The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. STRADVISION's SVNet is being deployed on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs; it can power ADAS and autonomous vehicles worldwide; and is serviced by over 300 employees in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, Friedrichshafen, and Dusseldorf. STRADVISION has been honored with Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award, the Gold Award at the 2022 and 2021 AutoSens Awards for Best-in-Class Software for Perception Systems, and the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (software category). In addition, STRADVISION's software is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems and ISO 26262 for Automotive Functional Safety.

SOURCE StradVision
Best-ever March for Crosstrek

Q1 2023 sales up 8.3 percent

Eight consecutive months of yearly month-over-month growth

CAMDEN, N.J., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today reported 53,213 vehicle sales for March 2023, a 22.8 percent increase compared with March 2022 (43,322). SOA also reported year-to-date sales of 143,376, an 8.3 percent increase compared to Q1 2022. March marked the eighth consecutive month of month-over-month sales increases for the automaker.

Subaru of America, Inc. March 2023 Sales up 23 Percent; Best-ever March for Crosstrek.

"We closed March and Q1 on a high note. Thanks to the exceptional efforts of our Subaru retailers, we surpassed our March 2022 sales by 23 percent," said Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America, Inc. "We are even prouder that our fifteenth annual Share the Love Event raised $29.1 million in donations to a host of national and local charities supported by our retailers."

In March, Crosstrek was the top performer by volume and achieved its best March ever with 14,040 vehicle sales. WRX sales for March 2023 increased 1,373 percent over the same month in 2022, while Impreza posted a 63.3 percent increase in March. Forester sales for March 2023 increased 56.2 percent, and Ascent sales increased 43.2 percent compared to March 2022. In addition, 513 of the all-electric Solterra SUV were delivered in March.

"Enthusiasm for Subaru vehicles remained high in March, and we anticipate continued excitement as the weather warms up and car buyers begin planning spring and summer adventures," said Troy Poston, Senior Vice President of Sales. "Car buyers have a lot to look forward to in Q2, starting with the global debut of the latest Subaru Wilderness vehicle at the New York International Auto Show later this week."

Carline Mar-23 Mar-22 % Chg Mar-23 Mar-22 % Chg

MTD MTD MTD YTD YTD YTD Ascent 5,794 4,047 43.2 % 14,782 14,698 0.6 % BRZ 285 291 -2.1 % 985 971 1.4 % Crosstrek 14,040 13,460 4.3 % 41,562 37,463 10.9 % Forester 10,264 6,572 56.2 % 30,408 31,358 -3.0 % Impreza 3,802 2,329 63.3 % 8,844 8,788 0.6 % Legacy 2,265 2,611 -13.3 % 5,060 5,520 -8.3 % Outback 13,245 13,808 -4.1 % 32,767 32,972 -0.6 % Solterra 513 0 0.0 % 1,359 0 0.0 % WRX 3,005 204 1,373.0 % 7,609 576 1221.0 % TOTAL 53,213 43,322 22.8 % 143,376 132,346 8.3 %

Earlier in March, Subaru of America, Inc. announced a donation of $29.1 million to national and local charities as part of the 2022 Subaru Share the Love Event, bringing the total donated throughout the life of the program to $256 million. Held from mid-November to the end of the calendar year since 2008, the Subaru Share the Love Event donates at least $300 to the purchaser's choice of charities for every new Subaru vehicle purchased or leased at more than 630 participating Subaru retailers nationwide.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dominick Infante

Director, Corporate Communications

(856) 488-8615

[email protected]

Diane Anton

Corporate Communications Manager

(856) 488-5093

[email protected]

SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.
Sun Life begins long-term strategic partnership with UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business

TORONTO, ON and LONDON, UK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) announced today it has completed the sale of SLF of Canada UK Limited ("Sun Life UK") to Phoenix Group Holdings plc ("Phoenix Group") (LSE: PHNX). Headquartered in London, Phoenix Group is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with more than 12 million customers and 260 billion of assets under administration.

This transaction will see Sun Life UK's life and pension policies and annuity blocks for UK Clients move to Phoenix Group. Sun Life UK has been closed to new sales and has been operating as a run-off business in the life and pension policies segment since 2001. Sun Life will retain its economic interest in UK's payout annuities business.

As part of the sale, Sun Life will begin a long-term partnership to become a strategic asset management partner to Phoenix Group. Sun Life's asset management companies, MFS and SLC Management, will continue to manage approximately C$8 billion of Sun Life UK's general account.

Phoenix Group has set a goal to invest approximately US$25 billion in North American public and private fixed income and alternative investments over the next five years. MFS and SLC Management will be material partners to Phoenix Group in achieving this goal.

Click here to see the original announcement from Sun Life and Phoenix Group.

Click here for slides related to this announcement, which are also available at www.sunlife.com.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.33 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

About Phoenix Group

Phoenix Group is the UK's largest long-term savings and retirement business with 259 billion of assets under administration.

As life expectancy continues to increase and the pension landscape continues to shift, we offer our 12 million customers a broad range of pensions, savings and life insurance products across our consumer brands which include Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Our vision is to help even more people on their journey to and through retirement, providing the right support at the right time.

We are a growing and sustainable business united by a common purpose  helping people secure a life of possibilities. This drives everything we do and means taking responsible and sustainable investment decisions, and using our presence and voice to drive forward change for the better, for our customers, our colleagues, and our wider community.

A FTSE 100 company, we also feature in the FTSE100 ESG Select Index series and we are playing an active role in helping to invest in a sustainable future. As part of this, we have committed to our operations being net zero carbon by 2025 and for our investment portfolios we have set an interim target of a 50% reduction in the carbon emission intensity of c250bn by 2030, as we progress towards our portfolios being net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner.

We have been recognised as a leading employer for many years. We are accredited as a Living Wage Employer, Living Pension Employer and as a Carer Positive Exemplary Employer for offering the best support to colleagues who are carers.

Linkedin: PhoenixGroup-UK Twitter: @PhoenixGroupUK

Forward-looking Statements

From time to time, Sun Life makes written or oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements contained in this release include, without limitation, statements (i) relating to our long-term partnership to become a strategic asset management partner to Phoenix Group, (ii) that are predictive in nature or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and (iii) that include words such as "intends", "expect", "will", and similar expressions.

These statements represent our current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events and are not historical facts, and remain subject to change, particularly in light of the ongoing and developing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and its uncertain impact on our business. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The forward-looking statements in this news release do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date of this news release. If any non-recurring or other special item or any transaction should occur, the financial impact could be complex and the effect on our operations or results would depend on the facts particular to such item and we cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way we could present known risks affecting our business.

Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our expected financial position and results of operations as at the date of this news release, as well as our objectives for the transaction, strategic priorities and business outlook following the transaction, and in obtaining a better understanding of our anticipated operating environment following the transaction. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes and undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.

The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Sun Life Media Relations Contact: Sun Life Investor Relations Contact: Rajani Kamath Yaniv Bitton Associate Vice-President Vice-President, Head of Investor Corporate Communications Relations & Capital Markets T: 647-515-7514 T: 416-979-6496 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.
Swagelok Company selected to join the United States Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership, increasing career opportunities for military spouses.

SOLON, Ohio, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Swagelok Company signed an agreement with the Department of Defense (DoD) to join the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) as an organization committed to supporting military spouses in finding meaningful employment in the private sector. By joining this partnership, Swagelok continues to be a veteran- and military-ready company.

Swagelok Company selected to join the United States Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Tweet this Military Spouse Employment Partnership logo

The MSEP is a targeted recruitment effort and employment solution for the spouses of military members who may have greater barriers to finding employment due to frequent relocation, resulting in more than a 20% unemployment rate. The MSEP has more than 600 company partners who have hired in excess of 250,000 military spouses. To learn more about the United States Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership, view their website About the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (militaryonesource.mil).

"Swagelok has a long history of supporting the veteran community, and it's now expanded to include their families," said Jim Cavoli, Swagelok president and chief operating officer, and U.S. Army veteran. "Military spouses offer a unique skillset, having made personal sacrifices to support their family members who serve our country. We're excited to welcome new associates with these values."

Swagelok was previously selected by the DoD SkillBridge Program as an industry partner in 2021, where transitioning service members are invited to network, develop new skills, and learn about the company. In addition to practical work experience, Swagelok SkillBridge fellows participate in an orientation process, attend personal and professional development classes, network with other program participants, and meet with company leadership. Through the Swagelok Veterans & Military Resource Group, all associates enjoy a sense of community and personal and professional development through events that foster camaraderie and fellowship.

Interested military spouses are invited to visit the Swagelok website and search all open positions at Swagelok Jobs | Apply for Open Positions. To connect directly with our veteran's community, email [email protected].

About Swagelok

Swagelok Company is an approximately $2 billion privately held developer of fluid system products, assemblies, and services for the oil, gas, chemical, semiconductor, and clean energy industries. Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, U.S.A., Swagelok provides customers with access to a network of approximately 200 sales and service centers in 70 countries, supported by the expertise of 5,700 associates at 20 manufacturing facilities and five global technology centers.

About MSEP

MSEP, a targeted recruitment and employment solution, creates employment connections that provide companies with direct access to military spouses seeking career opportunities and spouses with direct access to employers who are actively recruiting. MSEP is part of DoD's broader initiative which seeks to strengthen the education and career opportunities for military spouses by providing:

Career exploration opportunities to help them understand their skills, interests, and goals

opportunities to help them understand their skills, interests, and goals Education and training to help them identify academic, licensing, or credentialing requirements that can help them reach their career goals

to help them identify academic, licensing, or credentialing requirements that can help them reach their career goals Employment readiness assistance to optimize their self-marketing skills

assistance to optimize their self-marketing skills Employment connections that help them find and maintain a rewarding career

Mike Hudson, Manager Talent Pipeline Programs

Phone: 440-649-5434

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Swagelok Company
BOAO, China, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boosting Mutual Learning Among Civilizations & Promoting Religious Unity talk at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 was held in Boao, Hainan province, China. Chen Ruifeng, Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee and Director of the National Religious Affairs Administration, Miao Yanhong, member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial CPC Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department of Hainan Province, joined more than 100 guests from global religious communities in attending the event, which was presided over by Tian Wei, leading anchor on China Media Group's international television channel CGTN.

The Religious Forum of Boao Forum for Asia 2023 Raises Human Civilization to a New Level

Venerable Buddhist Master Yin Shun, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China and President of the Buddhist Association of Hainan Province, Elias Szczytnicki, Secretary General of the Latin American and Caribbean Council of Religious Leaders (LACCRL), Liu Chengyong, President of the German Taoist Association, and Sainbuyan Nergui, Chief of Mongolian Sangha Federation and Abbot of the Sain Nomuun Buddhist Monastery of Mongolia, engaged in an in-depth discussion on the theme of "Religious Harmony and Mutual Learning among Civilizations".

"The reason why everything in the world is so unique is that each object has its own origin and corresponding shape, allowing for the creation of the vast array of shapes that make up the world," Buddhist Master Yin Shun commenced his speech with a Zen poem to explain a profound truth.

Citing scriptures, Master Yin Shun described how Chinese culture has been assimilated into other civilizations through the process of mutual learning for thousands of years, and advocated for the idea that Buddhistic thought should be aligned with all the world's great cultures such as the traditional Chinese culture and the core values of socialism. He said that all regions of the world, despite their differences in opinion, need to work hand in hand to create a better world for all.

President Liu Chengyong shared his efforts in promoting Taoism in Europe over the last several years. He quoted the famous proverb from the Tao Te Ching -- "The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention" to explain the fact that just as water nourishes all things, so too does civilization. No civilization is superior to others; they only vary from one another. What we need is to respect each other and treat each other as equals, so we can work to promote interaction, dialogue, and harmony among civilizations. Mr. Liu brought his speech to a climax by standing up and guiding the audience through the Taoist stake-standing exercise, earning him a standing ovation.

Starting by relating a brief history of the South American continent, Secretary General Elias Szczytnicki noted that despite the geographic distance between South America and China, both regions share the goal of promoting religious unity and world peace. Through platforms such as the Boao Religious Forum, we can discover these shared human values and work to advance our mutual development and cooperation.

Abbot Sainbuyan Nergui reviewed the three prosperous periods of Buddhism in Mongolia, making special note of the third period of its spread after the country opened itself up to the world. This demonstrated that inclusiveness and openness not only promote the development of religion but also the prosperity of global civilization.

At the conclusion of the Forum, Master Yin Shun stated that he would remain steadfast in his commitment to the localization and internationalization of Buddhism, integrating China's future-oriented modern approach to Buddhism with society to serve the public, while also doing what he could so that this updated form of the religion could travel the world, inspire the world, and have an impact on the world.

SOURCE The Buddhist Association of Hainan Province
Company's patent portfolio expands to 10

GOLDEN, Colo., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Theralink Technologies, Inc. (OTC: THER) ("Theralink" or the "Company"), a precision oncology company with a novel phosphoprotein and protein assay for breast cancer, today announced that it has acquired an exclusive license from Vanderbilt University for a U.S. patent related to methods for predicting patient response to immunotherapies in cancers, US 10,969,392, expanding the Company's patent portfolio to 10.

Theralink has licensed the patent from Vanderbilt University, strengthening and extending Theralink's current IP portfolio that covers specific "predictive" biomarkers. Predictive biomarkers are used to identify patients with cancers that require specific, personalized therapeutics. In essence, they define what are called "companion diagnostics" wherein the biomarker is used to identify classes of patients that will best respond to a specific drug. Theralink's existing licensed patents cover specific predictive biomarkers that cover a range of therapeutic classes.

Emanuel Petricoin, Ph.D., Chair of Theralink's Science Advisory Board, stated, "Immuno-oncology is one of the most exciting areas in the treatment of cancer today. However, despite the great success and promise of immunotherapies, many patients do not respond to this class of drugs, and there are significant toxicities associated with them. This important patent from discoveries made in the Balko laboratory at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is a significant addition to Theralink's biomarker collection, greatly enhancing our existing CLIA Theralink Assay portfolio."

Dr. Justin Balko, PharmD. Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt, commented, "We are pleased to advance this important biomarker into the clinic with the ultimate goal of aiding precision medicine in the use of immunotherapy in breast cancer and other tumor types. Migrating this biomarker to a clinically-accessible platform in tandem with ongoing phase III validation efforts will certainly accelerate its impact."

Dr. Mick Ruxin, CEO of Theralink, added, "This patent has very broad and important claims that will immediately synergize with the commercially available Theralink Assay offered today. I am excited about the potential clinical impact that the new licensed protein biomarkers, such as MHCII, will have at the bedside. This is one of the first of the so-called 'pan-tumor' predictive markers that Theralink will be utilizing: working not just for patients with breast cancer but for most solid tumor cancers."

New Patent Details:

Issued patent 10,969,392: Methods and systems for predicting response to immunotherapies for treatment of cancer, relates to the use of specific predictive biomarkers that can be used to identify which cancer patients will respond to the powerful and exciting new class of therapeutics called immunotherapies. The patent covers the use of the protein markers MHC-II, along with 16 other important protein markers found expressed in tumor cells and surrounding immune cells wherein immunotherapy treatments can be personalized and tailored for any cancer patient based on the protein expression pattern of these markers.

About Theralink Technologies, Inc.

Theralink Technologies is a proteomics-based, precision medicine company with a CLIA-certified laboratory located in Golden, Colorado. Through its unique and patented phosphoprotein and protein biomarker platform and LDTs, Theralink's technology targets multiple areas of oncology and drug development. In addition to the Company's first assay for advanced breast cancer, Theralink is actively working on a second assay that is planned to be pan-tumor for solid tumors across multiple tumor types such as ovarian, endometrial, pancreatic, liver, head and neck, colorectal, lung, prostate, among others. Theralink provides precision oncology data through its powerful Theralink Reverse Phase Protein Array assays to assist the biopharmaceutical industry and clinical oncologists in identifying likely responders and non-responders to both FDA-approved and investigational drug treatments. Theralink intends to help improve cancer outcomes for patients, help reveal therapeutic options for oncologists, and support biopharmaceutical drug development by using a beyond-genomics approach to molecular profiling that directly measures drug target levels and activity. For more information, please visit www.theralink.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation, anything relating or referring to future financial results, patient enrollment and plans for future business development activities, and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties some of which cannot be predicted or quantified based on current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth from time to time in reports filed by Theralink Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the financial condition of our business and although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Consequently, future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly release statements made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

SOURCE Theralink Technologies
Company Also Announces Launch of New People Matter Advertising Campaign Featuring Creative Work by Iconic Photographer Annie Leibovitz, Award-Winning Documentarian Galen Summer, and Distinguished Film and Commercial Director Andrew De Zen

DUBLIN, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources solutions for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), today announced the unveiling of its new identity that reflects its expanded business strategy which includes its human resources information system (HRIS), Enrich product line and R&D tax credit services. TriNet's new identity underscores its commitment to the growth and innovation of SMBs and the people behind them. In addition to the updated look and feel, TriNet is launching an extensive advertising campaign, People Matter, featuring the signature camera work of world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, as well as other prominent and distinguished artists.

TriNet Unveils New Identity that Underscores Position as the Ideal Platform for Small and Medium-Size Businesses

"Not only are we unveiling a new identity today, we are also celebrating that TriNet is the ideal platform for all small and medium-size businesses," said Burton M. Goldfield, TriNet President and Chief Executive Officer. "TriNet solves complex problems for our more than 22,000 incredible customers across the United States, in a very dynamic marketplace where velocity matters. Over the course of the last few years, as we have witnessed extraordinary changes to the modern workplace, TriNet has responded with expanded offerings, such as HRIS and R&D tax credit services along with our core PEO offering, that truly power the success of small and medium-size businesses by supporting their growth and enabling their people."

Goldfield added, "At TriNet, we always put our customers at the center of all we doand our new identity is rooted in our 30-plus years of experience helping our valued SMB customers achieve the success they work so hard for."

"I am thrilled to have partnered with such a distinguished team of creative artists for our new People Matter campaign, including Annie Leibovitzthe world's most celebrated photographer who joined forces with us once again as we shine a well-deserved light on our amazing and resilient customers," said Michael Mendenhall, TriNet Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Communications Officer. "Today also marks a new day for TriNet as we introduce an updated identity that reinforces our unwavering commitment to the success of our SMB customers who continue to thrive despite a challenging environment."

TriNet's new and evolved identity was designed by global branding agency Siegel+Gale, and is a modern update to its logo, colors, font and wingmark.

Gordon Bowen, Founder and Chairman of Mcgarrybowen of Dentsu International, was a part of the new People Matter campaign that showcases incredible TriNet customers and SMB leaders who represent a cross-section of American entrepreneurism, including:

More Too Life  Sarasota, Fla. based award-winning anti-human trafficking foundation, specializing in innovative prevention of human trafficking for at-risk youth and victims.

based award-winning anti-human trafficking foundation, specializing in innovative prevention of human trafficking for at-risk youth and victims. JOAN Creative  New York City -based independent creative company founded in 2016 by Jaime Robinson and Lisa Clunie . The agency's name pays homage to legendary female figures, including Joan of Arc, Joan Chen and Joan Armatrading. Their core philosophy is making legendary brands modern and modern brands legendary .

-based independent creative company founded in 2016 by and . The agency's name pays homage to legendary female figures, including Joan of Arc, and Joan Armatrading. Their core philosophy is . Happiest Baby  Los Angeles -based company that is dedicated to helping parents by developing a suite of smart solutions with science-based products, content and services that enhance child well-being and help solve everyday parenting challenges.

-based company that is dedicated to helping parents by developing a suite of smart solutions with science-based products, content and services that enhance child well-being and help solve everyday parenting challenges. Zap Surgical Systems  Based in San Carlos, Calif. , Zap is a team of clinical and industry experts leveraging advanced surgical robots to address the limitations of the past to deliver potentially life-saving stereotactic radiosurgery to more people in more places. They believe the ZAP-X platform defines what's next in radiosurgery for the brain. John R. Adler, Jr. , MD, the CEO, is world-renowned for inventing the CyberKnife and the related field of image-guided therapeutic radiation.

, Zap is a team of clinical and industry experts leveraging advanced surgical robots to address the limitations of the past to deliver potentially life-saving stereotactic radiosurgery to more people in more places. They believe the ZAP-X platform defines what's next in radiosurgery for the brain. , MD, the CEO, is world-renowned for inventing the CyberKnife and the related field of image-guided therapeutic radiation. Mission Asset Fund  San Francisco -based nonprofit organization that seeks to offer financial stability to low-income families by facilitating zero-interest lending and simultaneous credit building. Their model, based on the Mexican "tanda" system, links community members into rotating savings and credit associations and then reports this participation to credit bureaus to help their members establish or improve a credit score.

The omnichannel campaign also includes creative collaboration with additional distinguished artists and will encompass TV, radio, digital, and out-of-home including a takeover of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Other out-of-home markets include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Boston.

TriNet will officially unveil its campaign at an exclusive event tomorrow night in New York City. The event will feature the SMB customers highlighted in the campaign, along with insights from Annie Leibovitz, Gordon Bowen, film and commercial director Andrew De Zen, Emmy award-winning Garson Yu, award-winning documentarian Galen Summer. The event will also include live music from Amanda Stewart, featuring Thad Beaty and Annie Clements, who have performed with Sugarland, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Maren Morris, and The Chicks.

About TriNet

TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) with full-service industry-specific HR solutions, providing both professional employer organization (PEO) and human resources information system (HRIS) services. TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation, compliance, payroll, and R&D tax credit services, all enabled by industry-leading technology. TriNet's suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, benefits, employee engagement, payroll and time & attendance. Rooted in more than 30 years of supporting entrepreneurs and adapting to the ever-changing modern workplace, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters mostgrowing their business and enabling their people. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.



TriNet and the TriNet logo are registered trademarks of TriNet. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc.
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global utility markers market size is projected to grow from USD 341 million in 2023 to USD 471 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Utility markers are able to provide the exact location of the utility buried underground. These markers are placed with the ducts, cables, and pipelines underground, which convey the exact physical characteristics of underground utilities to the utility locators. The markers are independent of power supply and have a lifetime of around 30-50 years depending on the manufacturer and market type.

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Utility Markers Market Report Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $341 million Estimated Value by 2028 $471 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% Market Size Available for 20202028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Configuration, Utility Type, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW Key Market Challenge Technical issues and availability of other competing solutions Key Market Opportunities Rapid growth in telecommunications industry Key Market Drivers Government regulations and mandates for utility location and mapping

The market for tape markers is expected to grow at a significant CAGR during the forecast period

Tape markers are also known as detectable and underground warning tapes. These tapes are designed as flexible ribbons to mark the location of buried utilities such as gas, water, electrical, and fiber optic lines. They are mainly used to locate underground plastic pipes, conduits, and cables. Their general detectable range/depth is up to 4 ft. The utility provider can also customize the legend on the tape. When installed correctly, the tape provides a clear path and location of utilities, preventing dangerous excavation accidents.

The gas utility type is projected to grow at steady CAGR from 2023 to 2028

Gas is considered one of the key application sectors for utility markers. Some key points where utility markers can be placed in gas lines include pipe paths, conduit stubs, valves, tees, road crossings, meter boxes, and snow-covered installations. Utility markers are used in the gas sector to identify the location of gas pipelines and avoid inexact excavations, which may cause damage. Gas utilities generally have different frequencies, and these markers help reduce the risk of accidental locating and excavation of other buried facilities. The gas pipeline location markers are yellow. Companies such as 3M Company (US) offer EMS markers that can be used to identify the location of gas pipes and are color-coded to APWA standards for visual reference. Another company, Hexatronic Group AB (Sweden), offers RF-detectable markers used for gas pipeline locations.

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North America is expected to hold the largest share of the utility markers market during the forecast period

North America held the largest share of utility markers market in 2022. The North American utility markers market includes the US, Canada, and Mexico. The aging infrastructure and continuous development of new infrastructure are the key factors boosting the growth of the utility markers market in North America. Growing investments in water, power grid, and broadband networks also support the adoption of utility markers. The North American government is increasingly investing in funding programs for infrastructural development. Furthermore, countries in this region are continuously working to deliver better telecommunication services, driving the demand for utility markers.

The key players in this market include 3M Company (US), Tempo Communications, Inc. (US), Komplex (Slovakia Hexatronic Group AB (Sweden), Radiodetection Ltd. (UK), Rycom Instruments, Inc. (US), Seton (US), Berntsen International, Inc. (US), and Trident Solutions (US).

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CALGARY, AB, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Vermilion Energy Inc. ("Vermilion") (TSX: VET) (NYSE: VET) is pleased to announce the closing of the acquisition of Equinor Energy Ireland Limited ("EEIL") from Equinor ASA on March 31, 2023.

The acquisition of EEIL adds an incremental 36.5% interest in the Corrib Natural Gas Project ("Corrib"), increasing Vermilion's operated interest to 56.5%. The acquisition makes Vermilion the largest provider of domestic natural gas in Ireland. We entered into an agreement with Equinor ASA in November 2021 to acquire EEIL with an effective date of January 1, 2022 for total consideration of US$434 million ($556 million), before closing adjustments and contingent payments. The net purchase price after adjusting for the interim free cash flow between the effective date and closing date inclusive of Vermilion's estimates of European windfall taxes based on information released to-date on how it will be implemented in Ireland, the contingent payment and other closing adjustments is approximately $200 million.

The acquisition of EEIL adds approximately 7,000 boe/d of premium-priced, high netback, low emission European natural gas production, further strengthening Vermilion's international portfolio. Vermilion has been operating internationally for over 26 years, which has served as a key differentiating advantage as our diversified asset base provides exposure to global commodities, which reduces volatility and drives industry leading netbacks. Our international assets target conventional reservoirs, which typically have lower decline rates and better capital efficiencies compared to many North American basins. The combination of high netbacks, low decline rates and strong capital efficiencies drive outsized free cash flow, which supports our capital markets model of increasing the return of capital to shareholders as debt levels decrease. The March 31, 2023 closing of the Corrib acquisition is already incorporated in our 2023 guidance provided on March 8, 2023.

Corrib is a world class, low emission, natural gas facility comprised of a conventional gas field located 83 kilometers off the northwest coast of Ireland and a state of the art gas processing plant onshore Ireland. The facility has a gross plant capacity of approximately 350 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and is currently producing 115 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, representing approximately 20% of Ireland's natural gas consumption and 100% of Ireland's domestic gas production. Since taking over operatorship in 2018, Vermilion has reduced costs and increased uptime, while maintaining world class safety and environmental performance.

About Vermilion

Vermilion is an international energy producer that seeks to create value through the acquisition, exploration, development and optimization of producing assets in North America, Europe and Australia. Our business model emphasizes free cash flow generation and returning capital to investors when economically warranted, augmented by value-adding acquisitions. Vermilion's operations are focused on the exploitation of light oil and liquids-rich natural gas conventional and unconventional resource plays in North America and the exploration and development of conventional natural gas and oil opportunities in Europe and Australia.

Vermilion's priorities are health and safety, the environment, and profitability, in that order. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the public and those who work with us, and the protection of our natural surroundings. We have been recognized by leading ESG rating agencies for our transparency on and management of key environmental, social and governance issues. In addition, we emphasize strategic community investment in each of our operating areas.

Vermilion trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VET.

SOURCE Vermilion Energy Inc.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Zanu-PF chairperson for Matabeleland North province, Richard Moyo has likened opposition parties to hyenas, saying they now want to feast on President Emmerson Mnangagwa's gains that he worked for.Hyenas in the wild usually feast on remains of carcasses of animals killed by other predators such as lions and cheetahs or those of animals that die of natural causes.Speaking at the ordination of the new Holiness Apostolic Church archbishop Mzamani Mpofu at Inyathi, Matabeleland North, over the weekend, Moyo took advantage of the occasion to preach politics after he was invited to the event by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches in Africa (ZCCA) president Rocky Moyo.The Zanu-PF chairperson began his speech by stating that all leaders are chosen or appointed by God."I would like to thank ZCCA president Moyo and all of you for inviting us to come and pray with you because we do need God in this time of elections. This is mainly because the thrones that we sit on were given by God," he said.Moyo then described President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the lion which has managed to hunt and sort out things in Zimbabwe."Who among you has ever watched the (National) Geographic channel? If you have watched you will find out that there are animals which go first to attack their prey and those animals which first attack are the lions. The lions are our very own President Mnangagwa with Zanu-PF," Moyo said.He said opposition political parties are hyenas which eat the lion's kill."The animals that follow are the hyenas which eat after the lions kill their prey. In this case, when I talk about hyenas, I am referring to the opposition parties which want to eat something that they did not hunt for. Mnangagwa has managed to do a lot of things; namely, the Gwayi-Shangani Dam, the two national power grids which are supposed to generate 600 megawatts, and which will soon be commissioned among other projects," he said."There was a time when you would sleep in queues for fuel, bread or mealie-meal, but Mnangagwa has made sure that this does not happen ever again. Right now if you go around in shops, you get anything that you want without having to queue for it."ZCCA president Moyo said churches should work hand in glove with government because leaders in government were appointed by God."Churches should make it a point it, to work with the government because that is how we are going to get what we want. For instance, people in Bulawayo can say churches have been on a waiting list for stands for 15 years. I urge them to work with government because it gets things done," the ZCCA leader said.He then attacked fake prophets, saying the only true prophets are the ones ordained by the ZCCA."Some people are not even born to be pastors or bishops. They now go on to call themselves pastors when they are not supposed to be. There are a lot of fake prophets and pastors in Zimbabwe," he said.
CALGARY, AB, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Vermilion Energy Inc. ("Vermilion", "We", "Our", "Us" or the "Company") (TSX: VET) (NYSE: VET) will release its 2023 first quarter operating and condensed financial results on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 after the close of North American markets. The unaudited interim financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2023 will be available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") at www.sedar.com, on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml, and on Vermilion's website at www.vermilionenergy.com. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has mailed and filed the Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular to shareholders.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT  PLEASE VOTE TODAY

Annual General Meeting and Webcast Details

Vermilion will hold its Annual General Meeting on May 3, 2023 at 3:00 pm MT. Our Meeting will be held as a virtual only shareholder meeting with participation electronically as explained further in the Management Information Circular. As a reminder, proxies must be received by 3:00 pm MT on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Shareholders can participate electronically at https://web.lumiagm.com/#/272271947. Please see our Virtual Meeting Guide at https://www.vermilionenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Lumi-Meeting-Guide.pdf for detailed instructions on how to access the meeting, vote on resolutions and submit questions. Following the formal portion of the Meeting, a presentation will be given by Dion Hatcher, President & Chief Executive Officer of Vermilion. Guests may also view the event at https://web.lumiagm.com/#/272271947 by registering as a guest. The live webcast link, webcast slides, and archive link will be available on Vermilion's website at https://www.vermilionenergy.com/invest-with-us/events-presentations.

Please visit the Annual General Meeting page on our website under Invest with Us for complete details and links to all relevant documents ahead of the Meeting at https://www.vermilionenergy.com/annual-general-meeting.

The Board of Directors of Vermilion recommends that Shareholders

vote FOR ALL proposed items

Vermilion encourages shareholders to read the meeting material, which have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and on the Company's website at www.vermilionenergy.com

Questions and Voting Assistance

If you have questions about the Meeting matters, the voting instructions or require assistance completing your proxy form, please contact our strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill, toll-free in North America at 1.877.452.7184, outside North America at 1.416.304.0211, or by email at [email protected].

About Vermilion

Vermilion is an international energy producer that seeks to create value through the acquisition, exploration, development and optimization of producing assets in North America, Europe and Australia. Our business model emphasizes free cash flow generation and returning capital to investors when economically warranted, augmented by value-adding acquisitions. Vermilion's operations are focused on the exploitation of light oil and liquids-rich natural gas conventional and unconventional resource plays in North America and the exploration and development of conventional natural gas and oil opportunities in Europe and Australia.

Vermilion's priorities are health and safety, the environment, and profitability, in that order. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the public and those who work with us, and the protection of our natural surroundings. We have been recognized by leading ESG rating agencies for our transparency on and management of key environmental, social and governance issues. In addition, we emphasize strategic community investment in each of our operating areas.

Vermilion trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VET.

SOURCE Vermilion Energy Inc.
WTCA's pan-African GA will focus on Africa as a strategic economic market contributing much needed critical infrastructure of interconnected business networks

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)  an international trade organization connecting more than 300 World Trade Center (WTC) locations in nearly 100 countries  and World Trade Center Accra will host the 53rd annual WTCA General Assembly (GA) in Accra, Ghana from April 23-28. This will be the WTCA's first in-person GA since 2019 and the first to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Hosted by World Trade Center Accra, the 53rd annual WTCA General Assembly will be held April 23-28, 2023 in Accra, Ghana with the theme of "Towards African Economic Integration and Enhanced Global Presence."

The WTCA GA is the association's premier annual event and will bring together WTCA members and their global business networks consisting of leaders from business, government, academia, media and international organizations, reflecting the WTCA's diverse global footprint.

This year, the GA will include engaging roundtables and conversations, including keynote remarks from H.E. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, and special remarks from H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Secretariat on Monday, April 24. The full program agenda is available here.

"Macro trends in four key sectors  automotive; agriculture and agro-processing; pharmaceuticals; and transport and logistics  and across Africa's growth potential as a whole reveal tremendous opportunities for business expansion as population, income and connectivity are on the rise. The AfCFTA will unlock these opportunities, but not without disruption and change in business and production dynamics, especially due to increased intra-African trade," said H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat in the January 2023 World Economic Forum Insight Report AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa. "The benefits to African countries and to business success under the free trade area arise from the private sector understanding, recognizing and acting on the initiative's value."

"This GA and the opportunities it creates for businesses to network and connect, will highlight the unique trade and investment potential presented by Africa as the world's next economic frontier, especially in light of the new AfCFTA," said Edem Kofi Yevutsey, Executive Director of WTC Accra. "We have been working closely with the WTCA team in New York to bring the global WTCA network to Africa. We look forward to welcoming delegates worldwide to our vibrant country to take advantage of the growth opportunities across the continent."

With the theme of "Towards African Economic Integration and Enhanced Global Presence," the 2023 GA demonstrates the strength of the WTCA network and focuses on business connections on the African continent with buyers, sellers and investors in the various sectors, such as Agriculture; Agro-Tech, Food Processing; Manufacturing; Mining, Power and Energy; and Water, among others. The African continent represents a GDP of USD $12.7 trillion and its 1.4 billion people represent the fastest-growing population on the planet. It is also among the youngest, with 15.7 being the median age, and its young population is poised to make its mark economically and geopolitically.

"Africa has long been viewed as a strategic economic market for growth for countries around the world, and was, therefore, a key focus for the WTCA and its members. The time is right for this year's GA to be held in Africa and our first in-person GA since the COVID-19 pandemic," said John E. Drew, Chair, Board of Directors of the WTCA. "In my 30+ years of experience in organizing trade delegations with the WTCA, I trust that this year's GA will be a great success bringing opportunities to Africa and strengthening the WTCA's overall mission. The WTCA GA is about setting up critical infrastructures to promote global trade  creating connections and maximizing business growth and economies, and for this reason the event is open to both WTC members as well as non-members. Attendees will network with fellow professionals from around the world, exchange ideas, and explore potential business opportunities during the event's networking sessions."

For more information about the 2023 WTCA General Assembly, please visit https://wtca.swoogo.com/2023wtcaga/2289118. Also, follow along on social media via #WTCAGeneralAssembly and #GA2023.

MEDIA CONTACT:

World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

Chanelle Kasik

Phone: +1 212 432 2644

Email: [email protected]

Violet PR

David Margolis

Phone: +1 917 331 4855

Email: [email protected]

About World Trade Centers Association (WTCA)

The World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) is a network of more than 300 highly connected, mutually supporting businesses and organizations in 92 countries. As the owner of the "World Trade Center" and "WTC" trademarks, the WTCA licenses exclusive rights to these brands for Members to use in conjunction with their independently-owned, iconic properties, facilities and trade services offerings. Through a robust portfolio of events, programming and resources that it offers its Members, the goal of the WTCA is to help local economies thrive by encouraging and facilitating trade and investment across the globe through Member engagement. To learn more, visit www.wtca.org.

About World Trade Center (WTC) Accra

WTC Accra, currently located on the first floor of the magnificent World Trade Center building in Accra, is a doorway to a world of global trade opportunities for companies in Ghana and the West African sub-region, as well as a soft-landing pad for international commercial interests seeking to take advantage of exciting opportunities in Africa. We connect people, products and ideas from around the globe through our year-round calendar of international trade fairs, blockbuster consumer shows and prestigious international conferences, which are complemented by our innovative free zone and award-winning real estate developments. As the region's largest purpose-built complex for events and exhibitions, we provide a platform for unparalleled business and networking opportunities. More details on WTC Accra can be found on their website, http://www.wtcaccra.com.

SOURCE World Trade Centers Association
In an address in front of all three-tiers of the beverage alcohol industry, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of

America Chairman Tom Cole calls on industry colleagues to apply lessons learned from alcohol regulation

to cannabis legalization, regulation.

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA)'s longest-serving Chairman, Tom Cole, called upon colleagues across the beverage alcohol industry to support WSWA's new policy position regarding the federal legalization and regulation of adult-use cannabis. In an address at the Association's annual premiere-industry event, Access LIVE, Cole used yesterday's opening remarks as a rally cry to the industry, urging colleagues to apply lessons learned in the safest, most diverse, and most competitive alcohol marketplace in the world to the emerging cannabis sector.

"The beverage alcohol industry's commitment to public health and safety is something that sets us apart from other consumer products," said Cole. "We believe that the successful state-based regulatory model which has served America's consumers and our industry so well, should be a part of the discussion I call upon my industry colleagues to support our efforts and to lend your voice and experience to the conversations happening on Capitol Hill."

The conversation continued in a fireside chat with new WSWA President & CEO Francis Creighton where the topic turned to why wholesalers entered the ongoing policy debate and what Creighton believes the middle-tier can bring to the table.

"I think we can all agree that the federal government's inaction on cannabis isn't working for anyone  consumers and non-consumers," said Creighton. "People don't know, and often shouldn't trust, that what they are putting into their bodies isn't tainted product  because there is NO federal standard for testing. Consumers don't know what the potency is  there is NO standard for accuracy and NO regulator at the federal level to ensure accurate labeling for dosing."

"There are no federal health and safety standards. The illicit market is thriving and undercutting state-permit holders, and as reports have indicated, we have illicit product from China  that has made its way into the supply chain. And some of these operations are conducted illegally by organized crime. So how do you enforce the law if no one knows what the law should be or who is responsible for what. Its buyer beware and the government is failing consumers as well as those who abstain."

Last month WSWA sent a letter to members of Congress, where the association presented a comprehensive and robust federal regulatory framework along with warnings that addressing the issue in a "piecemeal manner" will result in de facto federal legalization that does nothing to address product safety, trade practices, or interstate sales and enforcement.

About Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

WSWA is the national trade association representing the distribution tier of the wine and spirits industry, dedicated to advancing the interests and independence of distributors and brokers of wine and spirits. Founded in 1943, WSWA has more than 380 member companies in 50 states and the District of Columbia, and its members distribute more than 80 percent of all wine and spirits sold at wholesale in the United States.

To learn more, please visit www.wswa.org or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT

Michael Bilello

Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications & Marketing

[email protected] | (202) 716-4805

SOURCE Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America
BUDAPEST, Hungary, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Publicly listed companies are responsible for roughly 40% of all climate-warming emissions1. The food industry bears a particular responsibility as 22,900 of 42,100 threatened species are at risk of extinction due to agriculture and aquaculture activities2. Yet the private sector can also become the driving force of the transition towards a net-zero and nature-positive economy.

WWF launches a digital information hub for sustainable business solutions (PRNewsfoto/WWF)

To support business on this journey, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) has created a digital information hub for sustainable business solutions in Central and Eastern Europe. The platform is called "The Future of Business''. It will provide the corporate sector with actionable insights on the latest credible sustainability practices. Currently the hub has three different media: podcasts, videos and articles. The first season of "The Future of Business" podcast is supported by VELUX - the world's leading manufacturer of roof windows. In addition, the environmental organisation will develop sector-based events where knowledge and experience can be shared, as well as a virtual library with scientific reports and practical guidelines.

"We have created "The Future of Business" with the purpose to examine what the future of our region could look like and how to shape it in favour of people and nature. Our goal is to ignite the vital conversation on the business case behind sustainability", shares Peter Barath, Regional Director of Marketing and Partnerships at WWF-CEE.

To start with, the platform will unfold five themes: climate leadership, water and forest stewardship, finance and food systems. The first episode of the podcast, "1.5C Emission Possible: How businesses can drive the transition towards a net-zero economy," focuses on corporate climate leadership and is already available for listening.

"The Future of Business" project is a sub activity within the WWF-VELUX partnership aiming to inspire business in CEE to act for the planet. In September 2020, WWF and the VELUX Group launched an ambitious twenty-year partnership, committing the company to take responsibility for both its past and future emissions. The innovative collaboration focuses on the conservation and restoration of forests through a number of projects around the globe.

Read the full article here.

Sources of information

1. Insights 6: Listed Company Emissions, Generation Investment Management, 2021

2. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/#

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2041427/WWF_Launches_Business_Solutions.jpg

SOURCE WWF
TSXV: GMIN

OTCQX: GMINF

All amounts are in USD unless stated otherwise

BROSSARD, QC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - G Mining Ventures Corp. ("GMIN" or the "Corporation") (TSXV: GMIN) (OTC: GMINF) is pleased to announce that it has drawn approximately $91 million on its $250 million gold stream with Franco-Nevada (Barbados) Corporation ("Franco-Nevada"), as previously announced in July 2022. The proceeds of the stream will be used to continue the development and construction of GMIN's 100% owned Tocantinzinho Gold Project ("TZ" or the "Project"), currently under construction in the State of Para, Brazil. The Project remains on track and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024.

G Mining Ventures Corp. Logo (CNW Group/G Mining Ventures Corp)

In connection with the draw on the gold stream, GMIN provided evidence to Franco-Nevada that it has sufficient funding to fully satisfy the remaining Project costs required to achieve commercial production and Project completion.

In addition, GMIN has also closed, satisfied the conditions precedent, and commenced drawing on the previously announced $40 million Equipment Financing Facility with Caterpillar Financial Services.

Louis-Pierre Gignac, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This significant milestone demonstrates that the GMIN team has made substantial progress on the development and construction of Tocantinzinho to the satisfaction of its financial partners. Our ability to systematically de-risk the development and meet the extensive list of obligations to access this funding should provide all our stakeholders with comfort in the quality work taking place at TZ. The Project remains on track and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024."

Feasibility Study 3D VRIFY Presentation

To view a 3D VRIFY presentation of the Study please click on the following link: Feasibility Study 3D VRIFY Presentation, or visit the Corporation's website at www.gminingventures.com.

About G Mining Ventures Corp.

G Mining Ventures Corp. (TSXV: GMIN) (OTCQX: GMINF) is a mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of precious metal projects, to capitalize on the value uplift from successful mine development. GMIN is well-positioned to grow into the next mid-tier precious metals producer by leveraging strong access to capital and proven development expertise. GMIN is currently anchored by its flagship Tocantinzinho Gold Project in mining friendly and prospective State of Para, Brazil.

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Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the Project being on track and on budget for commercial production in H2-2024; (ii) GMIN having sufficient funding to fully satisfy the remaining Project costs; and (iii) more generally, the section entitled "About G Mining Ventures Corp." as well as the Chief Executive Officer's comments, as quoted.

Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Such assumptions include, without limitation, those relating to the price of gold and currency exchange rates and those underlying the statements in the "About G Mining Ventures Corp." section.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that, notably but without limitation, the Corporation will (i) keep its expenditures and schedule in line to bring the Project into commercial production within budget in the second half of 2024, or at any time thereafter, or (ii) grow into the next intermediate producer, as future events could differ materially from what is currently anticipated by the Corporation.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in the Corporation's other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the relevant sections of the Corporation's (i) Annual Information Form dated June 3, 2022, for the financial year ended December 31, 2021, and (ii) Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/g-mining-ventures-completes-first-draw-on-250-million-gold-stream-from-franco-nevada-301787789.html

SOURCE G Mining Ventures Corp

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c8024.html
PEOPLE has an exclusive look at Affleck's latest commercial for the donut company

Dunkin'

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon  they're interchangeable, right?

After a splashy Super Bowl commercial for Dunkin', Affleck is back with a new ad, PEOPLE can reveal exclusively. The actor is promoting Dunkin's new offer, the Dunkin Run, which includes a $1 donut when you purchase a medium or large coffee, and in the video, he gets mistaken for his longtime friend Damon.

"I'm here for the Dunkin' Runcampaign, commercial," says Affleck, who conceived, directed, and executed the ad. "It's a great deal  a large coffee, a donut for a buck. I mean, it's pretty cool."

As he continues, the two donut shop employees look confused, not recognizing the actor.

"So I thought it would be like authentic and meta  yes, I'm doing the commercial, but am I doing the commercial?" he adds. "You know, I don't do commercials. I'm a real actor. This is an art form for me."

Related:See the Outtakes from Ben Affleck's Super Bowl 2023 Commercial for Dunkin': 'I'm Struggling'

Dunkin'

While one employee acts like he still doesn't recognize Affleck, his co-worker tries to jog his memory. "You know, The Departed," she says.

Name dropping a Damon movie, she clearly mistook Affleck for his Good Will Hunting costar, who also happens to be a Massachusetts native.

Related:Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Once Shared a Bank Account for Auditions: 'We Needed the Money'

Eddy Chen/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Affleck then repeats back "The Departed" while feigning offense for the mix-up.

"Are you in The Departed?" the Dunkin' barista asks to confirm, to which Affleck shakes his head, "I'm Matt Damon."

After the barista says, "I love him," Affleck jokingly shakes his head in disapproval. "Nah, I mean some of his work," he cheekily says.

Moviestore/Shutterstock Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Dogma (1999)

"He's had a really consistent career," the Dunkin' worker adds, to which Affleck grimaces and groans.

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Affleck, who handpicked the cast and crew for the ad, ends the spot by walking out of the store with a donut and his go-to coffee order (iced coffee, milk and two sugars, sometimes Splenda).

PEOPLE was on set when the commercial filmed in Boston in January, and spoke with the Oscar-winning star about the Dunkin' deal.

Dunkin' (2)

"The Dunkin' run is sort of a form of the expression that people would use to say like, 'Just going to get a cup of coffee. Go make a Dunkin' run,'" he said. "It's had various iterations and evolutions, and the...most consistent version of it is like, you know, 'going [for a] Dunkin' run.'"

Affleck told PEOPLE about grabbing Dunkin' with friends "after high school" while he was growing up in Massachusetts. "I just took that for granted. I mean, if you were going to get coffee, there was no other coffee place that you would go to," he said.

In February, Affleck starred in a Dunkin' Super Bowl commercial, which included a cameo from his wife, Jennifer Lopez.

In the ad, he played a Dunkin' employee serving unsuspecting attendees their beverages and treats in a hidden camera-like spot. At one point, while he was working the drive-thru, Lopez appeared and teased her husband. "What are you doing? Is that what you do when you say you're going to work all day?" she said.

The ads, which were developed by the production company Affleck created alongside Damon, Artists Equity, were a long time coming, said Affleck.

"I think people already sort of think that I work for Dunkin'," he told PEOPLE with a laugh. "In Boston, it was such a big deal. I think I became kind of associated with it, and this sounded like a fun opportunity to kind of play with that association, and a chance to come back here to shoot it at home in Boston."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Aden : , April 3 (IANS) UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has called for dialogue and compromises between the Yemeni government and the Houthis to achieve long-lasting peace.

In a statement marking the first anniversary of the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Yemen's warring parties, Grundberg said on Sunday that the UN-mediated ceasefire that started in April 2022 was generally observed even after its expiration in October 2022.

Hailing the truce as "a moment of hope", the envoy added that its "most significant promise is its potential to jumpstart an inclusive political process aimed at comprehensively and sustainably ending the conflict".

"There are still significant risks," he cautioned, adding a surge in military, economic, and rhetorical escalation in recent weeks has highlighted the frailty of the ceasefire's achievements when they are not backed by political advancements towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

He also underscored the necessity "to protect the gains of the truce and to build on them towards more humanitarian relief, a nationwide ceasefire, and a sustainable political settlement that meets the aspirations of Yemeni women and men".

"At this critical time, any new temporary or partial arrangement needs to include a clear commitment from the parties that ensures it is a step on the course of a peaceful solution that is reached through the consensus of Yemenis in an inclusive political process," said the envoy.

A UN-brokered humanitarian truce that went into effect in April last year provided a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution to Yemen's conflict by substantially reducing violence across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, sporadic armed confrontations have resumed in many parts of the country after the expiration of the truce in October last year.

The recent Houthi attacks against government troops in Marib and other regions have further shattered hopes for a lasting peace pact.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised government and its allies, which include a Saudi Arabia-led coalition.

The years-long war brought the Arab world's poorest country to the brink of collapse, causing famine and widespread suffering as well as disrupting the country's food supply chain, leaving millions of people without access to adequate nutrition.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Muzaffarnagar : , April 3 (IANS) A minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Muzzafarnagar district was electrocuted to death while her younger sister sustained serious injuries after coming in contact with a high-tension wire, police said.

The incident took place in Kasiara village in Charthawal on Sunday when the sisters had gone to collect grass from a field.

Station House Officer of Charthawal police station, Rakesh Singh, said Anushka, 12, and Avni, 10, accidentally touched the broken high-tension wire.

Anushka died on the spot while her sister was taken to a hospital in a critical condition, police said.

Angry local residents protested against the district administration, demanding compensation for the family of the deceased girl.

The protest was called off after assurance of help from senior administrative officials.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Parmanand Jha, said that the state Electricity Department will give a compensation of Rs five lakh to the family according to the rules.

He also assured to help in the treatment of the injured girl.
Lucknow, April 3 : Decades after the incidents rocked the nation, in two separate incidents, the courts have acquitted the accused for lack of evidence.

In the first incident in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, nearly 36 years after the Maliana violence which claimed 63 lives, the court of additional district judge has acquitted 39 accused in the case for lack of evidence against them.

Additional district judge Lakhvinder Sood, after hearing pleas of both sides, ordered acquittal of all the 39 accused in absence of sufficient evidence against them.

Following the violence in 1987, one Yakoob Ali had got a case lodged against 93 people at the T.P. Nagar police station.

Later, in July 1988, police submitted a charge-sheet against 79 people while mentioning 61 eyewitnesses.

However, only 14 of the eyewitnesses turned up to record their statements.

The hearing of the case went on for more than 35 years. During this period, as many as 40 accused, along with the doctor who performed the post-mortem, died.

The remaining 39 accused appeared before the court on Saturday.

Senior lawyer Alauddin Siddiqui, representing the complainant, said that the survivors have lost hope of getting justice while pointing out that 14 family members of Ismail, an area resident, were killed in the riots.

"Family members of the victims are tired and they do not want to carry the legal battle forward," said Siddique.

Recounting the violence, Salim Siddique, a resident of Maliana and eyewitness of the bloodshed, said that it was the 25th day of Ramzan when police and PAC personnel cordoned off an entire locality.

Thereafter, drunk rioters allegedly entered the houses and attacked families with sharp-edged weapons and wooden shafts, and set their houses on fire. He added that youth were dragged out from their houses and gathered in vacant plots where they were mercilessly beaten by PAC jawans.

Salim claims that six people from a family were burnt alive.

In the second incident in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi, a court has acquitted 36 people, including 34 police personnel, in a 25-year-old case pertaining to the encounter of four people.

Additional sessions judge Shailoj Chandra acquitted the 36 people, giving them the benefit of doubt.

Additional district government counsel (ADGC), Vikas Narain Singh, said on October 1998, police had claimed that four men, including criminal Dhananjay Singh, who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 50,000 on information leading to his arrest, were shot dead while they had gone to a petrol pump in Saroi to commit dacoity.

Dhananjay Singh is now a leader of the Janata Dal (United) and also a former MP.

Late Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders Amar Singh and Phoolan Devi, former SP leader Ahmed Hasan and SP MLA from Bhadohi, Zahid Beg, held an agitation over the incident, alleging that the encounter was a fake one.

The government subsequently ordered a CB-CID probe, which revealed that the encounter was staged. The CB-CID registered a case against 36 people, including the then Circle Officer Akhilanand Mishra.

All of them were subsequently granted bail.

The ADGC said the CB-CID probe had revealed that during his term as the Circle Officer in Jaunpur, Mishra had developed a personal enmity with a student leader who was a lookalike of Dhananjay Singh. After he was transferred to Bhadohi, Mishra brought this man from Jaunpur and kept him in a flat.

Keeping his senior officials in the dark and attributing the operation to a tip-off, Mishra killed four people in broad daylight in Saroi, the government lawyer said.

Meanwhile, Dhananjay Singh surrendered before a court in February 1999, the ADGC said.

Both the incidents had made national headlines at that time and the government had a tough time explaining the police role.
Nurse measuring blood pressure of a senior patient

Credit - Getty Images

Some 15 million people could lose their Medicaid coverage over the next few months as pandemic-related emergency provisions come to an endthough residents in five states will feel its impact earlier than others.

During the pandemic, the yearly reapplication process for Medicaid was paused and states stopped checking if people were still eligible for its coverage. But starting April 1, people in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire and South Dakota could see their loss of healthcare coverage as Medicaid begins to verify eligibility and will begin to disenroll patients.

Fourteen more states will cut off coverage for people who are no longer eligible in May, and another 20 (plus the District of Columbia) will do so in June, affecting the more than 90 million Americans who are currently enrolled in Medicaid.

Heres what to know about the change.

Why is this happening?

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was enacted in March 2020, required Medicaid programs to keep people enrolled until the end of the public health emergency. The federal government promised to federally match states Medicaid rates to help deal with the increase in enrollment.

But the federal spending package that passed in late December changed that law. Congress set March 31 as the final date for the continuous enrollment provision. Within the next 14 months, states must now verify if a recipient still qualifies.

This shift in policy puts some 6.7 million children at risk, compared to the 4.4. million children that were uninsured in 2019.

We know whenever these sorts of moments happen, its people of color, its kids, its people that dont speak English that are always hit the hardest, Natalie Davis, a founder and the chief executive of nonpartisan advocacy organization United States of Care, told the New York Times.

What are your options if you think you may lose your Medicaid coverage?

About 6.8 million Americans who will be unenrolled will likely still be eligible for Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Story continues

In order to ensure that you receive notices, renewal forms and other letters from Medicaid to keep up your eligibility, enrollees should update their contact information under their online Medicaid account.

Most states say they plan on prioritizing renewals and following up with enrollees before they end their coverage, meaning there is still time to act. You can find out your states plan, here.

States that are acting quickly, like Idaho, began sending notices to people who would lose coverage in February, and gave them 60 days to respond.

If a change in income or circumstance does cause you to lose your health coverage, you may still be eligible for other programs. Idaho residents, for instance, can find coverage through Your Health Idaho, a marketplace where individuals can compare health insurance plans. One third of Idahoans who enroll through the site make a $0 monthly payment for health insurance.

Under the Affordable Care Acts Medicaid expansion, which took effect this month, adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level can become eligible for the public health insurance program. Forty states have opted in to the expansion, including South Dakota, which will begin to apply the new eligibility requirement in July. That means that people who lose coverage may become re-eligible by the summer.

You can also check for other affordable options by visiting the Affordable Care Act marketplaces at HealthCare.gov.
Lucknow, April 3 : In a novel initiative, Lucknow District Magistrate (DM) Surya Pal Gangwar has directed all schools to set up traffic control rooms on their campuses under the supervision of traffic nodal officers to ensure zero traffic jams outside their institutes.

The DM has asked the schools to make a master plan for the smooth operation of the traffic system and ensure its compliance.

He said master plans were made available by the schools but its compliance was not ensured.

"All schools should have a traffic control room with nodal traffic officers to solve the problem of traffic jams at the time of opening and closing of schools," the top official said.

Gangwar said the nodal in charge would monitor traffic arrangements and jams and accordingly guide owners of vehicles causing traffic jams through a centralized announcement system.

He further said all schools should park their pooled vehicles, staff vehicles and vehicles of parents inside the campus. Action will be taken on vehicles parked outside schools without drivers.

All such vehicles will be fined and their registration certificates (RCs) will be confiscated.

Those schools which do not have parking spaces in their precincts have been directed to identify a place near the school and use it as a parking space. All schools should allow students' entry at least an hour before the school begins," he said.

The DM also asked 10 major schools where excessive traffic jams occur to give a presentation on measures being taken to streamline the traffic system.

School representatives have told the official that there is no place for parking on premises to which the administration has asked them to ensure the parking arrangement at a nearby place and motivate parents to send their children by the school bus.

Schools will have to depute adequate security personnel at all gates.

If the security personnel are not trained, then their list should be made available so that they can be trained by the police department.

Also, schools should prepare details of the total number of students coming to schools by buses, vans, bicycles, ,metro or other means of transport.

Schools in Lucknow have been a major cause of traffic jams in recent years and the problem has been getting increasingly complicated, affecting VIP and emergency movement on roads.
Seoul, April 3 : South Korea, the US and Japan kicked off a trilateral naval exercise, involving an American aircraft carrier, in waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Monday, amid joint efforts to reinforce deterrence against growing North Korean threats, Seoul's Defence Ministry said.

The two-day anti-submarine and search-and-rescue exercise, featuring the USS Nimitz carrier, got under way in the international waters south of the southern island of Jeju, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The joint maneuvers followed Pyongyang's provocative acts, such as its unveiling of the Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warhead last week and the test of the underwater nuclear attack drone Haeil days earlier.

"(The anti-submarine exercise) was arranged to enhance response capabilities of South Korea, the US and Japan against North Korea's advancing underwater threats, including from a submarine-launched ballistic missile," the Ministry said in a statement.

The South deployed to the exercise its key destroyers, the Yulgok YiYi, Choe Yeong and Daejoyeong, as well as the Soyang combat support ship, while the US sent the carrier and two destroyers, USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur.

Japan mobilised the JS Umigiri destroyer.

The anti-submarine drills will focus on enhancing the countries' capabilities to "detect, track, share information on and defeat" the North's underwater threats, according to the Ministry.

During the search and rescue segment, they plan to practice first-aid and other emergency procedures for those in a simulated maritime accident.

The three countries last held trilateral anti-submarine drills last September.

This week's search-and-rescue drills among the three nations took place for the first time in seven years, according to the Ministry.

USS Nimitz, a centrepiece of the US' naval power, trained bilaterally with the South Korean Navy on March 27 and made a port call in Busan, 325 km southeast of Seoul, the following day.

This week's training highlighted tightening security cooperation among the US and its two Asian allies, which have seen their ties thaw in the wake of Seoul's solution to the thorny issue of compensation for victims of wartime forced labour.
Washington, April 3 : An attorney for former US President Donald Trump said that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges brought by a Manhattan grand jury in the hush-money payment case involving adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

"We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge, and we will challenge," Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina told reporters during an interview on Sunday.

"And of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this," Xinhua news agency quoted the lawyer as saying.

Trump, who served as President from January 2017 to January 2021, was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury for his alleged role in organising hush money payments to Daniels before the 2016 election.

As the first former US president to be criminally charged, Trump reportedly faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in the indictment, which was filed under seal.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed the indictment on March 31 and said it had contacted Trump's attorney to arrange his surrender.

Trump, an early frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is expected to arrive in New York City on Monday and appear in court for arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.

After Trump turns himself in, he will be in custody of the New York Police Department and the Secret Service but he will be "processed like any other defendant", according to CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman.

Trump, 76, has denied wrongdoing and alleged that the criminal inquiry and others relating to him are all politically motivated.

The Trump 2024 campaign said on Sunday that he will deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday night, hours after his arraignment.
AC Milan's Rafael Leao (R) scores his goal during a Serie A football match between Napoli and AC Milan in Naples, Italy, on April 2, 2023. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

AC Milan's Rafael Leao (R) scores his goal during a Serie A football match between Napoli and AC Milan in Naples, Italy, on April 2, 2023. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Rome, April 3 : A highly-anticipated Serie A clash turned out to be a lop-sided one, as AC Milan beat Napoli 4-0 away, inflicting the Partenopei's heaviest defeat this season.

Napoli are flying high this season, just conceding two Serie A defeats before Sunday's match, while Milan had struggled with only one point from the previous three matches, reports Xinhua.

With only 40 percent ball-possession, Milan were more clinical as they broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Rafael Leao broke clear after latching on to Brahim Diaz's inspirational pass, before the Portuguese looped it over an on-rushing Alex Meret.

The away side doubled the lead minutes later when Diaz found the net.

Milan extended the lead on the hour mark with a moment of magic when Sandro Tonali won back possession and found Leao, who out-paced the defenders to finish with an angled drive.

Alexis Saelemaekers put the icing on the cake in the 67th minute with another solo effort as he broke into the box before beating Meret with a low-strike.

With the morale-boosting win, Milan climbed back to the third place with 51 points, four points behind Lazio who won 2-0 over Monza on Sunday, while Napoli still lead the table with a comfortable 16-point lead.

Elsewhere, Roma staged a second-half show to beat Sampdoria 3-0, Bologna crushed Udinese 3-0, and Spezia shared the spoils with Salernitana at 1-1.
San Francisco, April 3 : Samsung has released a new beta update of its web browser 'Samsung Internet' with useful features.

The three new features will improve the application's usability, reports SamMobile.

These features allow users to easily access the bookmarks bar, tab bar and URL bar.

The new Samsung Internet Beta (version 21.0.0.25) allows users to display the bookmark bar and the tab bar at the bottom of the screen.

With the new update of Internet Beta, users can also display the URL bar at the bottom of their application on tablets. Earlier, it was only possible on smartphones.

In December last year, the tech giant had released an update to the beta version of its web browser for Android devices, which included new features to make browsing more easier and secure for users.

New Samsung Internet Beta update brings three new useful features: https://t.co/a6g155yZZR  SamMobile - Samsung news! (@SamMobiles) April 2, 2023

The first feature provides users the ability to search bookmarks folder and tab groups in the browser.

On the other hand, the other feature allows users to delete their browsing history within a specified timeline.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Paris, April 3 : In a big blow to the electric mobility market, the city has voted to ban rental e-scooters from the streets.

An overwhelming around 90 per cent of votes cast supported a ban, official results showed.

Paris was a pioneer when it introduced e-scooters in 2018, reports the Guardian.

In a referendum organised by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Sunday, residents voted 89 per cent against keeping shared e-scooters in the city.

Paris has almost 15,000 e-scooters across its streets, operated by companies including Lime, Dott and Tier.

The three companies will now have to pull their fleets out of the city by September 1.

Hidalgo, who originally welcomed shared e-scooters to Paris, has pushed for the capital to become a more livable 15-minute city, reports TechCrunch.

Hidalgo said that scooters are the cause of a lot of accidents and that the business model was too expensive to be sustainable, with a 10 minute ride costing about 5 euros.

According to reports, a 31-year-old Italian woman was killed in June 2021 after being hit by an e-scooter with two passengers onboard while walking along the Seine.

Dott, Lime and Tier said in a joint statement that the low voter turnout affected the results of the referendum.

Only 103,084 people turned out to vote, which is about 7.5 per cent of registered Paris voters.

The ban will not have an effect on the e-bikes offered by shared micro-mobility companies, which will remain in the city.
New York, April 3 : Fast food giant McDonald's has temporarily shut its offices in the US this week as it gears up to lay off several employees as part of the restructuring plan amid the global economic meltdown, the media reported.

According to Wall Street Journal, the Chicago-based burger major told US employees, and some international staff, "that they should work from home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually".

"During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organisation," the company said in an internal email.

"We want to ensure the comfort and confidentiality of our people during the notification period," the company added.

McDonald's was yet to comment on the development or on the number of employees being laid off.

In January, the company said it planned to make "difficult" decisions about changes to its corporate staffing levels by April.

CEO Chris Kempczinski had said at the time that he expected to save money as part of the workforce assessment.

McDonald's employs more than 1,50,000 people globally in corporate roles and its owned restaurants with 70 per cent of them located outside of the US.

The company has conducted several rounds of layoffs in recent years.

In 2018, McDonald's said that the company was cutting its management to be "more dynamic, nimble and competitive".
Chennai, April 3 : The Chennai police have arrested an assistant professor of the Kalakshetra Foundation accused of sexually abusing his students.

The accused, Hari Padman, who was absconding after he returned back to Chennai from a study tour to Hyderabad, was arrested in the early hours of Monday.

Police sources told IANS that he was arrested from a house in the city's Madhavaram area.

Hari Padman has been charged under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 509 (use of words, gestures, or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC and Section 4 of the Women Harassment Act.

The case was registered after a former girl student of the accused lodged a complaint with an All Woman police station under the Greater Chennai Police.

She alleged that Hari Padman used to send her obscene messages and had physically abused her while she was studying at the institute. The victim further claimed and that she discontinued her studies following his physical abuse.

The students of the institute had sent a letter to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Culture, that current and former students of the institute had faced verbal and physical abuse in the institution.

Repertory artists of the institute Sanjit Lal, Sai Krishnan and Sreenath havealso charged under the case.

The students had formed a union with Jisma K.K as president and Shakthi Shivani as secretary and have also charged the director of the institute, Revathi Ramachandran and head of the dance department, Jyotsna Menon of having body shamed and hurled casteist remarks against them.
Patna, April 3 : A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted the Mahagathbandhan government, JD(U) national president Lalan Singh retaliated on Monday, saying that the BJP is disappointed.

Lalan Singh uploaded a post from his official Twitter handle and said: "Following the speech of the union home minister in Nawada, it has been clear that Badka Jhutha Party (BJP) is disappointed now. You talk to the governor 10 times in a day, why would we be concerned about it." He further said: "The people of West Bengal, Kerala and Maharashtra are the witness of how you are politically using the constitutional institution like the governor. You can open an office in a governor house till the 2024 Lok Sabha election, but the result will come out like 2015. India will become BJP Mukt in 2024. The Badka Jhutha Party will get zero votes from Bihar." The statement of Lalan Singh came a day after Amit Shah, during the Nawada rally, claimed that Lalan Singh became resentful after he had talked to Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar over the situation of Sasaram.

"Lalan Singh was saying why would I be concerned about the violent situation in Sasaram and Biharsharif, I want to tell him that I am the home minister and Bihar is a part of the country. Hence, when I talked to the Bihar governor to know about the situation of these two places, Lalan Singh became resentful," Shah said in a Nawada rally on Sunday.
New Delhi, April 3 : Miss Margarita celebrates all things Tequila! On its bar menu, it offers a superb selection of Margaritas, as well as a variety of Tequila Cocktails. Chef Noah Barnes, Co-Founder and Chef of Miss Margarita by Arriba, who was born and raised in suburban Mumbai told IANSlife that his first interest was towards art rather than cuisine. Yet, by combining his creativity with his love for food, he had discovered a medium for expression.

What was the inspiration to launch Miss Margarita? And what is the USP of the restaurant? Noah: When I was at IHM Mumbai back in 2009, that is when it all started. My initial instinct was not toward culinary; rather, I was inclined toward art. However, later on, I combined my creativity with my love for food, and it dawned on me that food became a medium of my expression. Always intrigued by painting and art, I started viewing my food creations as those of an artist. That artist in me became more prominent when I challenged myself to take up cooking as a full-time profession.

Moreover, I have had the opportunity to be a part of an extensive team in the food and beverage industry and have had great success with brands such as Arriba, Hungry Monkey, Tabula Rasa, Big Fat Sandwich, and Wok Me. All these experiences that I have shared over the years have helped in shaping and curating Miss Margarita.

We were the first to set foot in a non-Tex-Mex Mexican establishment in order to introduce patrons to a modern Tequila bar. We are the biggest tequila bar in India, focusing on distinctive, cutting-edge, and seasonal flavours. We use spices that are unique to Mexico and its cuisine, which distinguish us from our competitors. Of course, the best part is our tequila bar. We are the first of our kind and offer the widest assortment of tequila! What is your success mantra in the food industry, and what motivates you?

Noah: With each experience, I have had the chance to experiment and learn more. Every cuisine is different and being able to adapt and create dishes according to the market and customers are key. The success mantra for every restaurateur should be to inculcate a sense of authenticity in terms of flavour so that the consumer is able to relate and be appreciative towards your style of the palate, while also giving them something unique and unconventional.

Miss Margarita, a non-Tex-Mex venture, has strived to preserve the authenticity of Mexican flavours while largely focusing on incorporating newer techniques that our customers would appreciate.

What is your favourite ingredient to work with? Noah: I enjoy experimenting with different spices and condiments especially Mexican chillies like Habanero, Guajillo, Chipotle, and Pasilla since they offer consumers a tantalising flavour pallet.

What is the most challenging dish you have ever prepared? Noah: I think it's a difficult one to answer. But given the standardisation and the kinds of methods used to produce perfect dishes and match the authentic flavours in Mexican cuisine, you require the appropriate level of expertise, dexterity, and practice, which only develops over time.

What are your future plans, expansion plans, or new ventures that you are excited about? Noah: Miss Margarita has been a huge success with us. We recently launched our second restaurant in Vagator, in the heart of North Goa, earlier this year. With Miss Margarita expanding, we hope to take this venture to newer locations such as Mumbai and other cities soon across India.

What is your favourite comfort food? Noah: Yellow dal and rice with pickles is my go-to comfort food. This is something I have on a daily basis! What is one Indian dish that you believe deserves more global recognition?

Noah: Vada-pav is a favourite for almost everyone. However, if you like experimenting, I strongly recommend - Chorizo Paav. The fried potatoes and masala along with meat go very well with a well-buttered pav or bun.

What inspired you to become a chef? Noah: My first inclination was not towards cooking, but rather towards art. However, after combining my creativity with my love of food, I realised that food had become a medium of my expression. Always fascinated by painting and art, I began to see my food creations through the eyes of an artist. When I started to pursue culinary as a full-time career, the artist in me emerged.

(N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe can be contacted at lothungbeni.h@ians.in)
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has been much in the news recently, including the recent call by Elon Musk and more than 1,000 technology leaders and researchers for a pause on AI.

Some of us have warned about the danger of political bias in the use of AI systems, including programs like ChatGPT. That bias could even include false accusations, which happened to me recently.

I received a curious email from a fellow law professor about research that he ran on ChatGPT about sexual harassment by professors. The program promptly reported that I had been accused of sexual harassment in a 2018 Washington Post article after groping law students on a trip to Alaska.

AI response created false accusation and manufactured 'facts'

It was not just a surprise to UCLA professor Eugene Volokh, who conducted the research. It was a surprise to me since I have never gone to Alaska with students, The Post never published such an article, and I have never been accused of sexual harassment or assault by anyone.

When first contacted, I found the accusation comical. After some reflection, however, it took on a more menacing meaning.

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Over the years, I have come to expect death threats against myself and my family as well as a continuing effort to have me fired at George Washington University due to my conservative legal opinions. As part of that reality in our age of rage, there is a continual stream of false claims about my history or statements.

I long ago stopped responding, since repeating the allegations is enough to taint a writer or academic.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence software application developed by OpenAI.

AI promises to expand such abuses exponentially. Most critics work off biased or partisan accounts rather than original sources. When they see any story that advances their narrative, they do not inquire further.

What is most striking is that this false accusation was not just generated by AI but ostensibly based on a Post article that never existed.

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Volokh made this query of ChatGPT: "Whether sexual harassment by professors has been a problem at American law schools; please include at least five examples, together with quotes from relevant newspaper articles."

The program responded with this as an example: 4. Georgetown University Law Center (2018) Prof. Jonathan Turley was accused of sexual harassment by a former student who claimed he made inappropriate comments during a class trip. Quote: "The complaint alleges that Turley made 'sexually suggestive comments' and 'attempted to touch her in a sexual manner' during a law school-sponsored trip to Alaska." (Washington Post, March 21, 2018)."

There are a number of glaring indicators that the account is false. First, I have never taught at Georgetown University. Second, there is no such Washington Post article. Finally, and most important, I have never taken students on a trip of any kind in 35 years of teaching, never went to Alaska with any student, and I've never been been accused of sexual harassment or assault.

Should the US ban TikTok? Here's why blocking it isn't a good idea

More from Jonathan Turley: Will Trump get arrested? Between sketchy witnesses and the law, case comes up short.

In response to Volokh's question, ChatGPT also appears to have manufactured baseless accusations against two other law professors.

Bias creates flaws in AI programs

So the question is why would an AI system make up a quote, cite a nonexistent article and reference a false claim? The answer could be because AI and AI algorithms are no less biased and flawed than the people who program them. Recent research has shown ChatGPT's political bias, and while this incident might not be a reflection of such biases, it does show how AI systems can generate their own forms of disinformation with less direct accountability.

Despite such problems, some high-profile leaders have pushed for its expanded use. The most chilling involved Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates, who called for the use of artificial intelligence to combat not just digital misinformation but political polarization.

AI-created misinformation: ChatGPT made up research claiming guns aren't harmful to kids. How far will we let AI go?

Another view: John Oliver is wrong to worry about ChatGPT. AI can help us solve complex problems.

In an interview on a German program, "Handelsblatt Disrupt, Gates called for unleashing AI to stop various conspiracy theories" and to prevent certain views from being magnified by digital channels. He added that AI can combat political polarization by checking confirmation bias.

Confirmation bias is the tendency of people to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms their own beliefs. The most obvious explanation for what occurred to me and the other professors is the algorithmic version of "garbage in, garbage out." However, this garbage could be replicated endlessly by AI into a virtual flood on the internet.

Volokh, at UCLA, is exploring one aspect of this danger in how to address AI-driven defamation.

Is Elon Musk a risk to US security? Pentagon's reliance on him grows despite his behavior.

Is social media the new Marlboro Man?: Big Tobacco settlement holds lesson for Big Tech.

There is also a free speech concern over the use of AI systems. I recently testified about the "Twitter files" and growing evidence of the government's comprehensive system of censorship to blacklist sites and citizens.

One of those government-funded efforts, called the Global Disinformation Index, blacklisted Volokh's site, describing it as one of the 10 most dangerous disinformation sites. But that site, Reason, is a respected source of information for libertarian and conservative scholars to discuss legal cases and controversies.

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Faced with objections to censorship efforts, some Democratic leaders have pushed for greater use of algorithmic systems to protect citizens from their own bad choices or to remove views deemed "disinformation."

In 2021, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., argued that people were not listening to the right people and experts on COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, they were reading the views of skeptics by searching Amazon and finding books by prominent spreaders of misinformation. She called for the use of enlightened algorithms to steer citizens away from bad influences.

Some of these efforts even include accurate stories as disinformation, if they undermine government narratives.

Jonathan Turley

The use of AI and algorithms can give censorship a false patina of science and objectivity. Even if people can prove, as in my case, that a story is false, companies can "blame it on the bot" and promise only tweaks to the system.

The technology creates a buffer between those who get to frame facts and those who get framed. The programs can even, as in my case, spread the very disinformation that they have been enlisted to combat.

Jonathan Turley, a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors, is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ChatGPT falsely accused me of sexual harassment. Can we trust AI?
Ramallah, April 3 : Palestinian authorities have condemned the Israeli cabinet's move to vote in favour of establishing a National Guard force controlled by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Stressing "the formation of the national guard will not frighten our people", spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in Gaza denounced the Israeli move, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, Hamas) spokesman in Gaza also condemned the Israeli decision, describing it as "a dangerous development".

According to a statement released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the National Guard will deal with "national emergency situations," such as violent clashes between Jewish and Arab citizens of the country.

A committee composed of all security agencies will draft guidelines for the operation of the National Guard within 90 days, the statement said earlier on Sunday, adding that the committee will also discuss what would be the powers of the force.

Last week, Ben-Gvir had said that the force will be deployed "exclusively" in Arab communities.

Ben-Gvir is one the most extreme Ministers in Netanyahu's far-right cabinet.

Before entering politics, he was an ultranationalist activist who was convicted of supporting terrorism, incitement to racism and involvement in riots.

The Minister is a resident of the hardline Jewish settlement in Hebron, located in the occupied West Bank.
Washington, April 3 : A medical helicopter crashed in Shelby County in the US state of Alabama, killing two crew members.

The helicopter was reportedly requested to assist in the extraction of a patient who went hiking in the area and suffered breathing problems and chest pains, reports Xinhua news agency.

A Shelby County deputy called 911 to report the crash of the aircraft on Sunday evening.

"Deputies and other first responders are currently on the scene of an aircraft accident in the area of Bear Creek Road (Co Rd 43) and Mountain Oaks Drive," the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said in a social media post.

The road is closed in both directions, and will likely be closed for an extended period of time, the post read.

There were three crew members onboard, according to Shelby County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Clay Hammac.

One of them was pronounced dead on the scene. Two others were taken to the hospital, where another was pronounced dead.

The condition of the third crew member was not immediately known.

The original patient -- the hiker -- was said to have been transported separately to a hospital.
Superficial concerns have been raised both within and outside the UK about the status of the Muslim population, though the census statistics convey something positive.

UK's Office of National Statistics (ONS), last week released the latest Census data, which apparently shows that unemployment level amongst Muslims was as high as 1 in 20, for people aged between 16-64 years. As per the figures about 2.6 million Muslims live in areas where unemployment rates are high and which face housing shortage.

Figures from the ONS also revealed that Muslims in England and Wales reported the highest unemployment rates among religious groups, at 6.7 percent. Only 26 percent of Christians live in areas with the highest unemployment levels, but for Muslim communities the figure stood at 68 percent.

Figures also reveal that Sikhs (77.7 per cent) are most likely to own their own homes, while among Muslims, 45.6 per cent lived in households that owned their home.

A quarter of Muslims live in socially rented housing - the highest for any religious group. As per figures, Muslims are more likely to live in overcrowded homes - their bedroom occupancy being the highest for any group, followed by Hindus and Sikhs. In contrast, those who identified themselves as having 'no religion', Christians and Jews live in the least crowded homes.

According to the figures based on self-declaration, Hindus have the highest percentage of 'level 4 or above' qualification at 54.8 per cent, compared with 33.8 per cent for the overall population. However, just 31.6 per cent of Christians reported they have a similar level of education.

Jews and Hindus have the highest proportion of 'managers, directors or senior officials' and 'professional occupations', whereas Buddhists and Muslims have the highest percentages of people working in elementary occupations.

In response to the census findings in a press statement, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the inter-generational cycles of poverty impacting British Muslim communities can result in young people being forced to leave education in pursuit of work so they can help support their families. Those that are able to break into the job market, pursuing chosen careers, can face Islamophobic prejudice and discrimination in the workplace. It further asked for creating a level playing field, so that the dynamism and sheer potential of young British Muslims could prove itself to be a strategic national asset.

Indeed these are statistical figures and can be interpreted as per the desire of the reader. If we take a deeper analytical look, what exactly The Guardian has done, shows that the age trends amongst Muslims, as compared to other groups, may be a contributing factor to the statistics, with younger Muslims more likely to be studying than other youth in the general population. Of those who identified as Muslim in the census, the percentage of students in the group was almost twice the rate seen in the overall population. But the fact is that they were studying, so you can't describe them as unemployed, leading to despair. Also the unemployment rate is reported along with the areas having the highest unemployment rate, and since mostly Muslims inhabit these areas the unemployment rate is reported high, though the reality might be different.

Further, the data has led to campaigners urging the government to focus on Muslim youth as part of its plan to "level up" Britain's economy. As more than two-thirds of Muslims live in local authorities that report the highest levels of unemployment.

Instead, once the figures were released publicly it would have given an opportunity to Muslim leaders and organisations to introspect about the status of Muslims in the UK and elsewhere, too. But as usual they tried to shift the blame to the government policies and access to facilities.

But in this calculus they coolly try to ignore the role, which could be played by the community leaders, both religious and political. Instead of sensitising the Muslim population about its own duties and how to make best of the opportunities offered in UK, which perhaps offers an individual the most level playing field, they continued with their old tune.

This is happening with Muslims not just in the UK, but elsewhere too. Instead of becoming part of the mainstream and striving to access educational and job opportunities based on merit and competition, they want to be spoon fed by the governments.

If we take the case of the UK, then perhaps it is amongst the leading countries that provide a level playing field to its citizens. This is evident by the success of the Muslim community in any field whether be it business, finance or politics. We have a recent winner in Hamza Yousuf, the newly elected First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party. Similarly, we have London's Mayor Sadiq Khan, former Chancellor Sajid Javed, and former co-chair of the Conservative Party Saeeda Warsi.

A record number of Muslims were elected to the House of Commons in the UK's last parliamentary elections in 2017. Nineteen Muslim candidates, including 10 women won the elections. The mayors of London, Birmingham, Leeds, Blackburn, Sheffield, Oxford, Luton, Oldham, and Rochdale are Muslims.

An estimated 443 Muslim councillors were elected in the local elections in held in 2022. Out of the 11 members in the House of Lords, there are 5 Baronesses and 6 Lords.

This leads one to surmise that instead of bemoaning about the facilities extended by the governments, Muslims should get better organised at the community level, focussing more on educational gains leading to better employment and financial opportunities, and as is evident from the numbers shown above, they could perform much better politically if they turn out to be more educated but in addition we should try to ensure that once elected then they should work more towards community's progress in social, educational, financial and employment fields and contribute positively to its growth.
Beijing, April 3 : China has launched a cybersecurity probe into Micron Technology, one of Americas largest memory chip makers, in apparent retaliation after US allies in Asia and Europe announced new restrictions on the sale of key technology to Beijing.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) will review products sold by Micron in the country, CNN quoted a statement issued by the watchdog as saying.

The move is aimed at "ensuring the security of key information infrastructure supply chains, preventing cybersecurity risks caused by hidden product problems, and maintaining national security", it noted.

It came on the same day that Japan, a US ally, said it would restrict the export of advanced chip manufacturing equipment to countries including China, following similar moves by the US and the Netherlands.

Washington and its allies have announced curbs on China's semiconductor industry, which strike at the heart of Beijing's bid to become a tech superpower, CNN reported.

Last month, the Netherlands also unveiled new restrictions on overseas sales of semiconductor technology, citing the need to protect national security.

In October, the United States banned Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chipmaking equipment without a license.

Shares in Micron sank 4.4 per cent on Wall Street on March 31 following the news, the biggest drop in more than three months.

Micron derives more than 10 per cent of its revenue from China, CNN reported.

In an earlier filing, the Idaho-based company had warned of such risks.

"The Chinese government may restrict us from participating in the China market or may prevent us from competing effectively with Chinese companies," it said last week.
Mumbai, April 3 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of a conspiracy to incite riots all over India in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for its political interests, here on Monday.

Talking to media-persons, he claimed that the BJP has set up a "wing" specifically to create such disturbances in the country and cited the recent instances of the Hubli riots in Karnataka, the violence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other places in Maharashtra.

"Everybody knows who is behind these flare-ups... who is creating the communal unrests all over. The BJP's strategy is to stoke riots all over the country till the 2024 elections are due and then make it 'an excuse' to postpone the polls," Raut declared.

The Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson contended that wherever the BJP feels weak or scared, communal flare-ups are being witnessed in different states (like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal), and this trend would continue till the Lok Sabha polls are announced.

Speaking about the successful and peaceful Maha Vikas Aghadi mega-rally held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Sunday, Raut said that now another 16 combined MVA public meetings shall be held all over Maharashtra in the coming weeks ahead of the civic elections and next year's Parliamentary and state Assembly polls.
Islamabad, April 3 : In a major development for Pakistan-China trade relations, Khunjerab Pass, one of the pivotal trade route between the two countries, has reopened after being shut down for almost three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

However, the route has been reopened as authorities from both sides have directed relevant quarters to complete all necessary measures to contain Covid-19 before the arrival of goods from Pakistan.

Official sources confirmed that the Chinese authorities have shared a letter with Pakistani authorities regarding the reopening of the pass for trade while port authorities have put in place, all pre-testing and precautionary measures to check all shipments from Pakistan.

On the other hand, Pakistani authorities have also been instructed to take all measures regarding Covid-19 and to ensure the containment of the disease.

As per routine procedures, the Khunjerab Pass normally opens from April 1 to November 30 every year and remains closed from December 1 to March 31 primarily due to the cold weather and lack of oxygen in the high altitude.

However, in view of the urgent needs and other supplies, as well as smooth custom clearance of Pakistan's supplies, the port was temporarily opened twice this year.

"Despite difficulties including extremely cold weather, heavy snow and lack of oxygen, the local customs have worked round the clock to ensure transportation of cargo," said an official source.

"The two temporary opening lasted for 12 days between January 30 and February 10, while the first port opening was between January 19-20. The two temporary openings facilitated 128 cross-border personnel visits, 328 transportation vehicles' passes, and more than 6,000 tonnes of goods exported." The reopening of the Khunjerab Pass trade route is being seen as a major boost to the economic activities between Pakistan and China.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his delight over the reopening of the border, calling it a major pillar of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"Reopening of Khunjerab Pass is critical to accelerating trade between Pakistan and China. The government is determined to unpack the full potential of CPEC by making it the centerpiece of our economic diplomacy for the region. Trade and connectivity are the building blocks of prosperity, he maintained.

"CPEC was a gift of progress and prosperity given by former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif and the Chinese leadership for the region and the people." The Khunjerab Pass at 4,693-meter-high (15,397 ft), is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway.

It is located in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan's Hunza and Nagar districts) and on the southwest border of China (Xinjiang).
Agra, April 3 : Several years after the local bodies submitted detailed status reports to the Supreme Court, the demand for heritage city status still eludes Agra.

The Agra Development Authority (ADA) engaged the Delhi School of Architecture and Town Planning to prepare the report called 'Vision Document' for the Taj city, in 2018.

The apex court had ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to present a vision document on the TTZ, (Taj Trapezium Zone, spread over 10,400 sq km). Delhi's School of Planning and Architecture was asked to -- and drew up -- a draft vision document to restore and conserve Agra's heritage. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department and the Agra Divisional Commissioner, who heads the TTZ, supported the demand for declaring Agra a heritage city.

Once again, the local Green activists and conservationists have demanded that the Union government approach UNESCO to secure World Heritage City status for Agra. The Supreme Court has already seized the matter.

Local Heritage Conservation Society activist Mukta Gupta said, "If not Agra, with three World Heritage monuments and dozens of smaller historical buildings, then which other Indian city qualifies for this status? Agra is unique not just architecturally but for its culture, for its history, cuisine and its lifestyle. Mandarins in the Agra Development Authority and a caucus of so-called builders want to destroy the past by snapping the umbilical cords that connect Agra to a glorious past." Medieval historians have described Agra as a cosmopolitan city, bigger than London and Paris at the time. "Agra soaks in history. Home to the Taj Mahal, two other Unesco World Heritage sites -- the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri -- every nook and corner tells a story of its splendid past," conservationist Rajiv Saxena pointed out.

"A city so rich in culture and architecture, where every street has a historical building, needs to be recognised as a heritage city and the Union ministry should draw up plans to remove encroachments around tourist sites," says River Connect Campaign activist Rajiv Gupta. The chief reason why tourism has not become "everybody's business" in Agra and not directly substantially benefited the locals is the lack of heritage consciousness, he added. Even today, the city retains its original names and the functions of various places remain largely the same.

"Yes, in the so-called modern Agra there is evidence of haphazard planning and irrational growth, but then those are not the heritage pieces one would like preserved," says writer Raj Kishore Raje.

"We have to begin by demarcating the areas as Mughal Agra, British Agra and the Agra Development Authority's Agra. Only then can one go ahead with conserving the real heritage of the city of the Taj Mahal. And those who think people and their workplaces need to be demolished to make way for modern malls or parking slots are only hurting the spirit of conservation," local writer Dr N.R. Smith suggests.

The city hasn't changed much if one takes into account the 1,723 'ghazals' written by Lakshmi Chandra, who describes in great detail the roads and the localities of Agra -- from Agra Fort to Charsu Darwaza and beyond to Lashkarpur -- which was then the tenting ground for the Mughal army. Were emperor Akbar to rise from his grave in Sikandra someday, he would have no difficulty reaching Agra Fort without asking for directions. "The road plans have not changed, the landmarks are all there," says social activist Rajan Kishore.

Everytime someone makes a demand to make Agra a heritage city, interest groups and lobbies start opposing the move. If a city with three world heritage monuments and another half a dozen sites waiting to be recognised sooner or later, why can't the Taj city get this prestigious status, ask the local conservationists. Many scholars and historians rightly wonder which other city in India qualifies for this status, if not Agra.

Apart from the Mughal monuments, Agra with Mathura and Firozabad districts forms the unique religious-cultural entity called the Braj Mandal, the leela-bhoomi of Sri Krishna Radha, who continues to be worshipped by millions of devotees around the world. The Chambal ravines close by and the Bateshwar ghats with 101 Shiva temples in a row along the Yamuna river bank, as also the Jain shrine at Sheoripur are part of the living heritage. Agra is also the headquarter of the Radhasoami faith and the mausoleum to the founder of the sect now ready after 107 years of continuous construction activity, is looked at as a rival to the Taj Mahal.

The bustling oriental bazaars of Kinari Bazar, Seo ka Bazar, Rawat Para, and the beautifully sculptured havelis, the four ancient Shiva temples at the four corners of the city, the Christian cemeteries and churches, the remnants of the Armenians, not to speak of the four principal industries that are centuries old: the petha making units, the iron foundries, the glassware industries and the leather shoe industry, all collectively constitute Agra's rich heritage, which for want of promotional efforts continues to remain neglected.

The Urdu Adab owes everything to Agra with the three leading lights -- Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Meer and Nazir Akbarabadi -- having nurtured the language and ensured its fragrance reaches all shores.

Stones alone do not make heritage. Literature, folklore, traditions, and festivities are all part of the glorious Agra heritage. "The Agra Gharana, the exquisite inlay work, the handicrafts, the carpet weaving, the Zardozi, the poetry of Surdas, the Renuka Dham of Parshuram, the Guru ka Taal gurudwara, the oldest convent school in Asia, of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary established in 1842, the oldest mental hospital, one can go on making a list of so many firsts, and yet we are questioned about our heritage," laments conservationist Devashish Bhattacharya.
Hyderabad, April 3 : Officials of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh on Monday started questioning media baron and Margadarsi Chit Funds Private Limited (MCFPL) chairman Cherukuri Ramoji Rao's daughter-in-law and managing director of MCFPL Cherukuri Sailaja in the Margadarsi Chit Fund case.

A team of officials reached Sailaja's house in Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad and began the questioning.

However, it was immediately not clear if the officials were also questioning Ramoji Rao. He is reported to have sought more time.

The CID had issued notices to them last week under section 160 Criminal Procedure Code to examine them at their residence/office and had suggested four different dates.

The CID has asked them to be present at home or appear before it either on March 29 or March 31 or April 3 or April 6.

The notices were served for alleged cheating, diversion of deposits into mutual funds, which are contingent on capital markets' risks and violation of Chit Fund Business Act and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

Acting on complaints by the Assistant Registrars of Chits, CID recently registered multiple FIRs across Andhra Pradesh into alleged chit fund fraud.

The complaints came after the Stamp and Registration department raids on the offices of Margadarsi at several places in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during October and November last year.

It was allegedly found during rains that the chit fund collections from the branches were being transferred to the corporate office and the huge amounts were being invested in mutual funds.

A case was registered against Margadarsi under Sections 120(B), 409, 420, 477(A) read with 34 of IPC, section 5 of Andhra Pradesh Protection of Depositors and section 76, 79 of Chit Funds Act 1982.

Multiple CID teams had conducted searches on Margadarsi branches in Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Guntur, Narasaraopeta and Anantapur.

Non-payment of monthly subscriptions, illegal diversion of funds to the corporate office, non-disclosure of revenue and expenditure accounts and other irregularities were named by the CID.

On March 31, CIS arrested a chartered accountant K. Shravan for abandoning due diligence and due process in certifying the annual financial statements of MCFPL. CID said Shravan admitted that he had not done due diligence and without following due process for verification of the branch-level financial statements or bank statements, he had certified the annual financial statements of MCFPL.
New York, April 3 : Former US President Donald Trump has reportedly told his legal team and political advisors that he will escalate attacks against the Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg whose prosecution on the hush money case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels created a nationwide political firestorm resulting in his possible sealed indictment by a New York grand jury.

The DA has issued an internal memo to law enforcement agencies in the metro to be ready in uniform and vigilant against any possible law and order problem from Trump supporters.

The entire nation is on alert against possible attacks by Trump supporters reminiscent of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riot.

The former President has told advisers and associates he is ready to upscale attacks against the Manhattan DA who has taken the criminal prosecution into his hush money payments to Daniels in 2016 to a climax resulting in a grand jury reportedly indicting him, media reports said.

Trump has told people close to him he will take the offensive route revealing his sense of deep hurt by the possible indictment - so much so he told them at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida over the weekend, he intends to "rough' em up".

Media reports perceive Trump's posts on his social platform Truth Social as being pugilistic, that his prosecution was purely political and the accusations against Bragg of being a psychopath.

The language increasingly used by Trump on Truth Social on his possible indictment shows his determination to double down on those attacks reflecting his time-tested political stunts of brawling with prosecutors, especially when faced with legal trouble that he knows he cannot avoid, people close to him were quoted by the media as saying.

The Guardian claimed that the Mar-a-Lago decision to retort against the Manhattan DA is part of an overall strategy Trump has hatched to respond to the indictment from a legal and political standpoint.

The New York lower Manhattan case against Trump focuses on the alleged payments of $130,000 that he paid to Daniels through his former lawyer Michael Cohen in the final days of his 2016 run for the presidency which he won defeating the democratic candidate former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Media reports claim that Trump later reimbursed Cohen with $35,000 checks, which were recorded as legal expenses.

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal tax evasion and campaign-finance violation charges.

With the judgement day approaching, no one has a clue as to what are the exact charges levelled against him. But there is general belief in the media that they could include the falsification of business records at Trump businesses and some additional charges that could easily enhance a "misdemeanour to a felony", the Guardian said.

Trump has told advisers that he is innocent and that he has done nothing breaching the laws of the state and that he will not do anything before the court like agreeing to a plea bargain that would show him as admitting to his possible culpability, reports said.

Trump's tone, being dubbed as pugnacious by the media, has exacerbated in recent days with his critical posts against New York state Supreme Court justice Juan Merchan, who is now presiding over the case. He presided over a different case involving the Trump Organization last year.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump said Merchan had "railroaded" his Trump Business CEO Allen Weisselberg, who is now in the midst of serving a 100-day sentence in the Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty to tax fraud charges in that case before the Manhattan court.

Referring to Judge Merchan, Trump said: "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME." Trump is doing everything in his book of political tricks to see how he can leverage the maximum political advantage from the possible indictment.

He himself believes that the indictment will boost his poll numbers over potential rivals for the Republican nomination for 2024.

Obsessed with getting a mugshot taken and being fingerprinted by the NY police for records, Trump has asked whether his team could print it on T-shirts that could serve as a rallying motif for his supporters - an idea that his advisers have been particularly enthusiastic about, the Guardian said.

Weekend polls by Yahoo News showed Trump leading over his potential 2024 rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

The poll showed Trump leading 57 per cent to 31 per cent in a hypothetical one-on-one contest. It also revealed that Trump was ahead in garnering majority support at 52 per cent in a field of candidates for the presidency -- rivals being former Vice President Mike Pence, DeSantis and former UN Ambassador of US Nikky Haley.

Trump's tumultuous four years in the White House made it clear how crucial a healthy, free press is to the functioning of democracy and the pursuit of accountability, the Guardian said.

Lawsuits against Fox News, which has now dumped Trump after the November 2022 midterms results, for pushing the former President's "big lie" of a stolen election, also shed light on how a toxic, symbiotic relationship between politics and media can work together to sow misinformation and push democracy to the brink, the newspaper observed.
Chandigarh, April 3: An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer accused of abetting the suicide of businessman Inderpreet Singh Chadha in 2018 seems to have cast a shadow on the Special Investigation Team's (SIT's) drug report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the same year by this accused officer who headed the SIT.

An Amritsar-based businessman, Inderpreet Singh Chadha, accused the then Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sidharth Chattopadhyay, who retired as DGP, of harassment starting from 2016 at the behest of a Non-Resident-Indian (NRI) girl Kay Ghuman. Chadha, who owned a Mall in Ludhiana, had a financial dispute with his minority shareholding partner Ghuman, a resident of the United Kingdom (UK). The four suicide notes recovered from the deceased's bag mentioned the reasons for his suicide. Chadha died on January 1, 2018.

The case files of the SIT headed by the then Inspector General of Police (IG) L.K. Yadav showed that the then ADGP Chattopadhyay was somehow linked to two girls, Ghuman and her gym manager Manya. As per statements of advocate Anteshwar Singh and Chadha's wife recorded in April 2018, after the suicide, Chattopadhyaya accompanied by Ghuman and one Devinder Singh Sandhu of World Wide Immigration Services (WWICS) arrived at the Chandigarh bungalow of the deceased and threatened him in 2016. Chattopadhyay asked him to settle the dispute, forthwith or else he would be arrested.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on December 15, 2017, appointed Chattopadhyay as chairman of the 3-member SIT to inquire into the nexus of senior police officers with drug smugglers in Punjab. All the members of the Chattopadhyay led-SIT unanimously filed three reports. However, Chattopadhyay also submitted another report without the consent and signatures of the other two members, Parbodh Kumar IPS and Kunwar Vijay Partap IPS.

A division bench of Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, after about 5 years, opened the sealed reports and sent 3 of them for action to the Punjab government. Chattopadhyay's 4th independent report was held back on the pleadings of former DGP Suresh Arora. Considered close to the Akalis and Congress politicians, Arora on retirement was appointed head of the State Information Commission (SIC).

Arora alleged that the 4th report was vindictive and biased.

As the investigation into Chadha's suicide case progressed, Chattopadhyay managed to get a stay order from the High Court against police action against him for his alleged role in abetting the suicide. For about 5 years, the police could not proceed in the matter. Other 9 accused in the Chadha suicide abetment case, including Ghuman got stay orders from the High Court after the Yadav-led SIT completed the investigation and a challan (chargesheet) was filed in the Amritsar trial court.

Meanwhile, names of certain IPS officers have surfaced who acquired properties with drug money. One officer got a bungalow in Chandigarh's posh Sector 15, while the other bought a sprawling farmhouse in Mullanpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh. These officers allegedly helped the arrested main accused in the drug case inspector (substantial rank of a head constable) Inderjit Singh to get posted to a place wherever his patron SSP Rajjit Singh Hundal was transferred. One of the SSPs posted in a district reportedly supplied imported whiskey, estimated to be worth Rs 25 lakh, for an IPS officer's social function. A junior police officer tasked by the SSP concerned to transport the same to Chandigarh informed indianarrative.com.

The next date fixed for the hearing by Justice Sandhawalia of the High Court to decide whether or not to open the 4th drug report given independently by Chattopadhyaya is May 4, 2023.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
A school in Waukesha has banned elementary school students from singing the song "Rainbowland" during their spring concert. The district's superintendent said that the song by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton was too controversial.
Lucknow, April 3 : Ten districts of Uttar Pradesh have been found to have suffered substantial crop damage due to unseasonal rain in the survey by the UP relief commissioner's office.

The affected districts are Fatehpur, Pilibhit, Bareilly, Sitapur, Aligarh, Moradabad, Sonbhadra, Hamirpur, Sambhal and Unnao.

These districts were hit by hailstorm and rain between March 31 and April 2.

In the survey conducted from March 15 till date, over one lakh farmers were found to have been affected by unseasonal rain in 11 districts.

Official reports said that a total of 35,480.52 hectares of agricultural land was badly hit and Rs 58.59 crore was payable to the affected farmers.

At least 1,343 hectares of land belonging to 5,026 farmers in Fatehpur, 2804 hectares of land of 4,738 farmers in Agra, and 559 hectares of land of 3,090 farmers in Bareilly has been affected.

Likewise, 11,265 farmers in Chandauli having 2,986 hectares of land, 396 farmers with 271 hectares in Hamirpur, 205 farmers with 145 hectares in Jhansi, and 7,380 farmers having 6,216 hectares land in Lalitpur have been affected.

In Prayagraj, at least 9,252 farmers having 4,448 hectares faced crop losses.

Since the last two weeks, Uttar Pradesh has received unseasonal rain accompanied by thunderstorm, hailstorm and gusty wind due to the western disturbances.
Mumbai, April 3 : The upcoming social satire, 'Sir Madam Sarpanch', helmed by the National Award-winning director Praveen Morchhale, is loosely based on the incredible stories of Indian women who went abroad for higher studies and returned to become Sarpanch of their villages.

The film stars Seema Biswas, Bhawan Tiwari, Ariana Sajnani, Hemant Deolekar, Jyoti Dubey and Shubhangini Srivas. In the film, Ariana's character Ana, an Indian girl who has grown up in the U.S., returns to start a library in her ancestral village in central India. Her intention raises a storm in political circles and the bureaucracy. Undeterred, Ana stands for the Gram Sabha elections, teaming up with several courageous village women to quietly take on the well-entrenched socio-political system.

Talking about the film, Praveen Morchhale said: "I had read about these incredible women who for the love of their country, gave up a life of comfort and job opportunities abroad to return home and do something substantial for their villages. My film re-imagines the on-ground situation these superwomen found themselves in."

Talking about the film, Ariana said: "With gentle humour and subtlety, we have tried to show how books can be perceived as a threat to the status quo. A tongue-in-cheek commentary on ground-level politics, corruption and the patriarchy, Sir Madam Sarpanch celebrates the resilience of women working within their social circles to bring about positive change."

The film also recently bagged an INALCO Jury Award at the 29th edition of the prestigious Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas hosted in France.

On his triumph at Vesoul, Morchhale said: "It is interesting that an Indian satirical film won a special jury award at a prestigious international festival in Europe. It was amazing to see the audience laughing at the happenings in a world far removed from their own and yet managing to strike an empathetic chord. Humorous films are rarely invited on the world stage and then, for it to be so well-appreciated makes it all the more special."

Praveen's 2017 feature film 'Walking with the Wind' bagged three National Awards for Best Film (Ladakhi), Best Sound Design (Sanal George) and Best Re-Recording (Justin Jose) at the 65th National Film Awards as well as ICFT UNESCO Gandhi medal at the 49th International Film Festival of India.

His 2018 Urdu film 'Widow of Silence' about a Kashmiri woman, whose husband is missing for seven years debuted at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival where it was nominated for the Kim Jiseok Award for Best Asian Director.

'Sir Madam Sarpanch' is now gearing up for April 14 release across the world and the director along with Ariana is set to meet Maya Vishwakarma - one of the women on whom the film is based, who is also known as the 'Padwoman of India'.

After completing her education in San Francisco, California, Maya was elected unopposed Sarpanch of Mehragaon village in Sai Kheda tehsil in Narsinghpur, Madhya Pradesh.

'Sir Madam Sarpanch' has been produced by Suncal Productions International.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Mumbai, April 3 : Thousands of Congress workers trooping down to Surat city have been halted in their tracks and prevented from going there to express solidarity with senior leader Rahul Gandhi, top office-bearers said here on Monday.

Leader of Congress Legislature Party Balasaheb Thorat said that Congressmen are going to Surat from all over India, including Maharashtra but the Gujarat Police are not allowing them to proceed ahead.

"Vehicles carrying Congress activists and leaders from here have been halted at Navsari on the highway, they are under the strict watch of the police to ensure nobody can get down and join Gandhi in Surat... This is nothing but trampling of democracy," said Thorat sharply.

Around 10,000 Congress activists from all over Maharashtra, especially from Nashik, Ahmednagar, Dhule, Nandurbar, Pune, Mumbai and other districts went in buses, trucks and smaller vehicles from early morning to Surat to give 'moral support' to Gandhi in his legal-political battle.

Among the senior leaders, who were stopped, were Thorat and former Minister Yashomati Thakur but after they registered strong protests, they were allowed to leave, said a party office-bearer in Mumbai.

However, hundreds of other Congressmen, Youth Congress and Mahila Congress activists were stopped and barred from going ahead and their vehicles have been parked beside the highway behind police barricades, and they are not permitted to even step out of the vehicle, he added.

It may be recalled that the Wayanad (Kerala) MP, Rahul Gandhi has gone to the diamond hub in south Gujarat Monday to file an appeal against the Surat Court's verdict last month sentencing him to two years' jail term in a defamation case and his subsequent disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

State and Central BJP leaders have slammed the Congress' show of strength as 'pressure tactics' and 'drama' to intimidate the judiciary, and putting one (Gandhi) family above the country.
Canberra, April 3 : A new poll on Monday revealed that popular support for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his government has grown.

According to the latest edition of Newspoll published by The Australian, Albanese's net approval rating, which is calculated by subtracting the portion of voters dissatisfied with his performance from those satisfied, has grown from positive-17 in March to positive-21, reports Xinhua news agency.

It marks a significant turnaround in 12 months from Albanese's negative-14 rating in mid-April 2022 -- a month before he led the Labor Party to victory in the election.

When asked who would make the better Prime Minister, 58 per cent of respondents to the poll chose Albanese and only 26 per cent opposition leader Peter Dutton.

Dutton's net approval rating was negative-13.

The poll, which was conducted during a week where Albanese secured support for his signature climate policy, found that Labor now leads Dutton's coalition 55-45 on a two-party preferred basis.

By comparison, Labor won the election in 2022 with a 52-48 margin.

The poll was published days after Labor claimed victory in the by-election in the seat of Aston in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, ending the coalition's 33-year hold on the electorate.

It was the first time in over 100 years that an Australian government has won a seat from the opposition in a by-election and means the coalition holds only two seats in Melbourne, which is predicted to become Australia's largest city within a decade.

The result has sparked speculation over the future of Dutton's leadership.
New Delhi, April 3 : The Supreme Court has recently acquitted a man who was convicted of murdering his wife almost 22 years ago, saying his conviction was "travesty of justice", and it is the court's duty "to rectify miscarriage of justice".

A bench comprising justices B.R. Gavai and Sanjay Karol said: "The courts below presumptively, proceeded with the acquired assumption of the guilt of the accused for the reason that he was lastly seen with the deceased, and lodged a false report, forgetting that as per the version of the father of the deceased, father of the accused had himself apprised him of his missing daughter, at least two days prior to the incident." Justice Karol, who authored the judgment on behalf of the bench, said doubt and suspicion cannot form the basis of guilt of the accused and the circumstances linking the accused to the crime are not proven at all, much less beyond reasonable doubt.

The bench said: "We may reiterate that, suspicion howsoever grave it may be, remains only a doubtful pigment in the story canvassed by the prosecution for establishing its case beyond any reasonable doubt." It noted that there is no evidence: ocular, circumstantial or otherwise, which could establish the guilt of the accused. There is no discovery of any fact linking the accused to the crime sought to be proved, much less, established by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt, said justice Karol.

He said: "In normal course of proceedings, this court does not interfere with the concurrent finding of facts reached by both the courts below. It is only in exceptional cases where we find the concurrent findings to be absurd, leading to travesty of justice, it is our duty to rectify miscarriage of justice." The bench added that the courts below have seriously erred in passing the order of conviction based on incorrect and incomplete appreciation of evidence, causing serious prejudice to the accused, also resulting in travesty of justice. "It is our bounden duty to ensure that miscarriage of justice is avoided at all costs and the benefit of doubt, if any, given to the accused," it added.

The top court's judgment came on an appeal filed by one Guna Mahto challenging a 2004 Jharkhand High Court judgment, which upheld his conviction and life sentence awarded by the trial court in 2001. The petitioner's wife was found murdered in August 1988. Her body was found in the well of the village.

The father of the deceased had not stated anything against the accused in relation to the crime. "He states that two days prior to the recovery of the dead body, the father of the accused had informed him that the deceased had eloped with someone. But with whom? He does not mention," noted the bench.

Acquitting Mahto, the bench said: "We set aside the orders passed by both the courts below. Since the appellant is already on bail, his bail bond shall stand discharged. Appeal stands allowed."
New Delhi, April 3 : India on Monday reported a marginal decline in Covid cases with 3,641 infections against previous day's 3824, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs.

The active caseload in the country currently stands at 20,219, while the active cases are pegged at 0.05 per cent. The national recovery rate was recorded at 98.76 per cent, as per the ministry's data. As many as 1,800 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the total recoveries to 4,41,75,135.

While the daily positivity rate stood at 6.12 per cent, the Weekly Positivity Rate was 2.45 per cent. A total of 59,512 tests have been conducted in the last 24 hours.

Last week had seen a surge with 18,450 fresh cases, a substantial rise from the previous week's 8,781 cases.

A total of 220.66 crore total vaccine doses (95.21 crore Second Dose and 22.86 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered under Nationwide Vaccination Drive with 686 doses administered in the last 24 hours.

On Sunday, the country reported 3,824 new Covid cases, which was a spike of 27 per cent from the previous day.
Mumbai, April 3 : Known for his roles in 'Shastri Sisters', 'Dream Girl', 'Choti Bahu', 'Aap Ke Aa Jane Se', among others, actor Micckie Dudaney will be seen joining the cast of the family drama 'Doosri Maa'. He will be playing an antagonist, Varun Sharma.

Micckie shared that his entry is going to create many problems in the lives of lead characters Yashoda (Neha Joshi) and Krishna (Aayudh Bhanushali).

He shared: "My character Varun Sharma's entry will create havoc in Yashoda and Krishna's lives while the audience will witness a high-voltage drama. He will be involved in an evil plan and claim to be Krishna's real father."

"Varun is a charmer and wants to impress the Guptas with his charisma. He has a lot of air about himself and is a layered character. The role is quite fascinating for me as I have not explored much as an anti-hero."

Micckie added about being part of 'Doosri Maa' and said: "I am grateful to Imtiaz Punjabi, the show's director, and co-producer, for this opportunity. I have previously worked with him and believe in his vision. Before shooting for the show, I watched a few episodes, and it took me on an emotional roller-coaster. High-voltage drama and interesting characters piqued my interest."

The actor is currently shooting for the show in Jaipur and he is enjoying every moment spent over there.

"The cast is friendly and welcoming, and shooting in Jaipur is fun. I started shooting a few days ago, and Jaipur already feels like home," he concluded.

'Doosri Maa' airs on & TV.

-- Syndicated from IANS
New Delhi, April 3 : A student group led by the All India Students' Association (AISA) claimed that 15 of its activists were detained outside Indraprastha College for Women on Monday.

The group had gathered to stage a protest against the alleged harassment of female students during a fest last week, and to express their dissatisfaction with the administration's response to the incident.

However, the Delhi Police has denied the accusation of detaining any protesters. Police personnel were present in large numbers, and barricades had been placed at the college's gates.

A senior police official said that at around 11 a.m., some 15-20 protesters of AISA started their protest.

"They were asked to disperse but they did not. Then, between 12:40-1 p.m. some 27 protesters (15 male and 12 female) were removed peacefully from there. They were taken to Burari police station and were relieved there. No one from them was from the Indraprastha College," said the official.

The Indraprastha College for Women is an affiliate of Delhi University, and several students have held multiple demonstrations in the past few days, demanding the resignation of the newly-appointed principal over alleged security lapses during the annual fest and its perceived authoritarian steps.
Tokyo, April 3 : A survey of Fukushima residents who evacuated to areas outside the Japanese prefecture following the March 2011 nuclear disaster found that nearly 40 per cent of respondents may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), local media reported on Monday.

Waseda University and a citizens group sent questionnaires to 5,350 households mainly in the Kanto region around Tokyo who had fled from Fukushima following the nuclear disaster, and obtained responses from 516, reports Xinhua news agency.

The results indicated that 37.0 per cent of the evacuees had PTSD.

Behind the high rate are long-term stress factors, including memories of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, drastic changes in living environments and problems resulting from the government's post-disaster measures, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported.

Meanwhile, 34.5 per cent said they "still have no job".

As for reasons, 16.3 per cent cited an "inability to resume my self-owned business yet", and 14.0 per cent said they "could not work due to illness".

The survey, conducted from January through April 2022, also revealed the worsening financial situation of evacuees, as 56.8 per cent said they were "worried about compensation and indemnification".

Another problem is the growing feeling of isolation, with 38.9 per cent of respondents saying they "rarely have contact" or "have no contact" with friends or acquaintances in the places where they currently live.

"Although victims remain in touch with one another, some of them cannot go out on their own," said Takuya Tsujiuchi, a medical professor at Waseda university, who was involved in the research.

"Such shut-ins alongside depressed individuals and elderly people need personal visits by supporters."
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of CBI at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03, 2023. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferring the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI during the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03 Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of CBI at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03, 2023. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of CBI at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03, 2023. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferring the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI during the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03 Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of CBI at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday, April 03, 2023. (Photo: PIB/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, April 3 : Prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked the previous dispensations for their apparent lax attitude towards dealing with corruption and said that it was only after 2014, when the BJP-led dispensation came to power, that the malaise was dealt with severely.

Addressing a gathering while inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi said that unfortunately India got a legacy of corruption at the time of Independence and lamented the fact that instead of removing it, "some people kept nourishing this malady".

He recalled the "scams and the prevailing sense of impunity just a decade ago, when the UPA dispensation was in power".

"This situation led to the destruction of the system and an atmosphere of policy paralysis brought the development to stand still," he said.

After 2014, the prime minister reiterated that the priority of the government was to instill faith in the system and for this, the government started taking action against black money and benami property in mission mode and started inflicting damage on the corrupt as well as the reasons behind the corruption.

He recalled bringing transparency in the processes of issuing government tenders and also highlighted the difference in 2G and 5G spectrum allocations.

Modi emphasised that the GeM (Government eMarketplace) portal has been established to ensure transparency in making purchases in every department of the central government.

"Today there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country," the prime minister said.

He asked the officers to take action without hesitation against the corrupt, however powerful.

Modi asked them not to be deterred by the history of the power of the corrupt and the ecosystem created by them to tarnish the investigative agencies.

"These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the countrymen. The country, law and constitution are with you," the prime minister told the gathering of top police and intelligence officials.

"Corruption is not an ordinary crime, it snatches the rights of the poor, it begets many other crimes, corruption is the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy," he said.

The prime minister, on the occasion, praised the premier investigative agency, observing that "through their work and skills, CBI has instilled trust among the common citizens of the country".

"A developed India is not possible without professional and efficient institutions," he added.

"The CBI's chief responsibility is to rid the country of corruption," the prime minister said.

During the programme, an investiture ceremony for recipients of the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI was also held wherein the prime minister conferred medals to the awardees.

He also inaugurated the newly constructed office complexes of CBI at Shillong, Pune and Nagpur and also launched the Twitter handle of CBI.
St. Francois County Clerk Kevin Engler spoke about various election frustrations related to Tuesday's election at the weekly county commissioners meeting held this last Tuesday at the county courthouse annex in Farmington.

Addressing the commission during the time set aside for reports from county departments, Engler said, We're having a terrible time getting workers for next Tuesday's election. We've sent out the assignment and we've had over 20-something people say they can't do it. This week we've had more people cancel than we've been able to backfill, so I'm waiting for all those people that were against consolidating the [precincts]. They were all for not doing any of these things to try to get it to where we don't need a hundred and some odd [election workers]. Well, I'm waiting for the first person to volunteer to work all day, but I'd like to have anybody that's willing to come in and work from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. next week and get paid 150 bucks.

According to Engler, he was especially concerned he could not find Democratic workers for the precincts as state election law requires.

The Democratic head of the party and the Republican head of the party are supposed to supply us with names of known Republicans and known Democrats because I have to have an equal amount technically at each site, and you can only go down as far as four, he said. So, for example, I had one from Knob Lick cancel, and getting somebody to fill in at Knob Lick has taken almost a week and a half to try to find somebody that was willing to [work]. And I'm paying people more money to go if they're from [areas of the county where there arent enough workers}. Ive got one of the supervisors at Bonne Terre that can't work this time because she's out of town, and I can't get [a replacement]. I have to have a Democrat supervisor at Bonne Terre and I can't get any of my other supervisors [to fill the vacancy].

My point is that our ladies over there are doing a real good job of backfilling, but usually we've still got a list of, say, 10 alternatives with a week to go that we can fill in. We're done with that and now we're moving people around. We don't expect there to be a big turnout, but we still have to have four people at every location. So, if anybody has got a day free next Tuesday, we'd be happy to pay you to come and be a poll worker because it's necessary. To give you an idea, we've had 55 votes as of this morning, and no excuse necessary, we will be open all week, except for Friday night when we have to be open to 5 p.m. Saturday morning, we will be open from 8 to noon over at Weber Road, and Monday we will be open until 5, so you've got plenty of time and you don't need an excuse if you want to get in and get your vote taken. All you need is your photo ID."

Responding to a question from Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher about how his office will handle a worst-case scenario where not enough precinct supervisors can be obtained, Engler said, We will be sending all our workers from the office out. We have to, we can't just close a precinct without prior notice."

Engler added that, because of the state legislature, a Missouri voter card has become almost useless as a means of identification for a voter to present to precinct workers.

But if you take the back of your driver's license, that little barcode will pull up all of your information we need. All we have to do is touch the thing twice and you sign [to verify your identification], compared to another photo ID. So, we prefer a driver's license or your official Missouri ID that they'll provide you, and it has our code on it too.

Engler recalled a problem that occurred several years ago when it was discovered that someone had mistakenly scheduled another event on election day at an election precinct.

They forgot, and they scheduled it, he said. Well, you have to have 30 days notice to give written notice to everybody in that precinct to change a location, so it's problematic.

Engler added the situation was only going to get worse as a legislator in Jefferson City had proposed a bill the previous week to add a presidential preference election to the calendar in 2024.

And it's not binding, he said, it's just to tell everybody what their preference, what the Democrats' and Republicans preferences are for president next year. Now, its just for that one office, and so we'll have to run a multimillion-dollar election and find workers.

Engler addressed another legislative proposal made in Jefferson City that would require the hand counting of ballots in the state.

Because they say it's more accurate, he said. Well, it's just not the case. That's an absolute lie. Somebody that testifies has got a doctor in front of his name. I would have loved to have been there to find out if he does his taxes with a CPA that just uses manual entry and [doesnt input any of the filers tax information into a computer]. It's less accurate and you're not going to know the election results when you have to count  like in St. Louis County  380,000 votes. You can't count them. It's a dumb idea. In my opinion, it's somebody's proposal that's never worked in the legislature.

Concluding his report, Engler stressed there was no need for voters to be concerned that St. Francois County voting machines might be hacked online.

Some places had their counting machines hooked up to the internet, and they said, Oh, somebody can get in there and tap it, he said. Ours are not. They're just a counting machine. So, it's like going to the bank and you see the counting machine counting money. That machine is not hooked up to the internet, so it's a counting machine  that's all it does. None of our machines are hooked up to the internet. That's a fallacy that you have, too.

Engler informed the commissioners that the countys voting machines are tested before and immediately after every election to make sure they are accurate and that there has been no tampering.
Los Angeles, April 3 : Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth is said to be slowing down, but not considering early retirement, after learning that he's at a "high risk" of Alzheimer's as he ages.

The 'Thor' actor, 39, discovered that he could be vulnerable in later life to the degenerative disease while he filmed his National Geographic and Disney+ docuseries 'Limitless', and sources say that even though he is planning to keep an eye on his Hollywood workload, he is not considering early retirement for the sake of his health, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

An insider told Page Six that "he doesn't plan to take on many roles because of (learning about his high risk of) Alzheimer's" after he finishes four upcoming projects, which include reprising his Thor role in an upcoming 'Avengers' sequel, and a part in an untitled biopic of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan.

Hemsworth, who has children India, 10, and nine-year-old twins Tristan and Sasha with his 'Snakes on a Plane' actress wife Elsa Pataky, 46.

The actor has told Vanity Fair that he is "not talking about retiring by any means" due to his Alzheimer's warning.

But he said to the magazine there was an "intensity" in "navigating" the test results that showed he was at high risk of the disease, which he got last November.

He stressed it was not a diagnosis and only a sign the neurodegenerative condition is more likely to be in his future than it is for most other people.

He added: "Most of us, we like to avoid speaking about death. Then to all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality." The actor also said learning he's "eight to 10 times more likely" to battle Alzheimer's than others had "triggered something in me to want to take some time off." He added: "I've been completing the things I was already contracted to do." Among them is a plan to "go home and... to have a good chunk of time off and just simplify," as well as "be with the kids, be with my wife."
April 03 : Actress, Yoga expert, model and dancer Malaika Arora has come a long way after she met with a car accident last year and pens a heartfelt note to express her gratitude for the second lease of life.

Sharing a video post, featuring important moments. From dancing on sets, posing with Karan Johar, chilling with her dog, fun moments with her sister Amrita, videos with boyfriend Arjun Kapoor to doing a car stunt. She captioned her post, A second chance at life...another dance with life! One year since my accident, yet one year of sheer gratitude in my heart for this magic called life!

While it took me some time to overcome what had happened with me, the second chance that I got itself supersedes any shred of fear or shock left in my heart

Today, as I look back upon this day after a year, I just feel happy and content about where I am today. Love and light to everyone whos dealing with a difficult situation in life right now. Always remember, it will get better! #gratitude #livelifetothefullest read the full post.

On the work front, she recently made a digital debut with Disney+ Hotstar, titled Moving In with Malaika.

Malaika gives fans access to her life through unfiltered conversations in an all-new show 'Moving In With Malaika'.

Malaika Arora will soon be seen in Tera Ki Khayal music video with Guru Randhawa, from the album, Man Of The Moon.
New Delhi, April 3 : Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Monday confirmed that its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Dale Vaz has decided to move on to pursue his entrepreneurial venture.

In a statement to IANS, Swiggy said that Vaz will continue in his role till May and will be associated with the company for an extended period in an advisory role.

"Madhusudan Rao will take over as CTO. Madhu has been with Swiggy for over four years and has decades of tech leadership experience with a proven track record of understanding what our customers need," the company said.

Rao is currently the senior vice president of ConsumerTech and FinTech (Engg and Product).

Last week, Karthik Gurumurthy, SVP, Swiggy Instamart, decided to move on.

According to the company, Gurumurthy will go on a sabbatical and "join us back in three months".

Earlier last month, Swiggy sold its Cloud Kitchen business to Kitchens@, a leading player in the rapidly growing cloud kitchen industry, for an undisclosed sum, as the growth rate for food delivery slows down.

The online food aggregator will become a stakeholder in Kitchens@ through the all-equity transaction of Swiggy's Access.

Swiggy pioneered the Cloud Kitchen model with the launch of Swiggy Access in 2017.

To cut costs, Swiggy in January said it was laying off 380 employees.

"The growth rate for food delivery has slowed down versus our projections (along with many peer companies globally). This meant that we needed to revisit our overall indirect costs to hit our profitability goals," Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and CEO, said in an email to employees.

The company also said that it will be shutting down its meat marketplace very soon as the company was not able to achieve product-market fit despite their iterations.

The online food delivery platform's losses doubled to Rs 3,629 crore in FY22 compared to Rs 1,617 crore in the last fiscal year.
New Delhi, April 3 : Novak Djokovic has returned to the world No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings following Carlos Alcaraz's semifinal defeat at the Miami Open.

The Serbian great, who recently surpassed Stefanie Graf's mark of 377 weeks as World No.1, begins his 381st week atop and is scheduled to return to the ATP Tour at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which begins on April 9.

But there could be a twist in the battle for No. 1 over the clay season and beyond as Djokovic's lead over Alcaraz is slender -- just 380 points.

However, Alcaraz is set to return to Monte Carlo, where he could have the chance to reclaim the No. 1 spot once again.

The Spaniard dethroned Djokovic less than two weeks ago when he defeated Daniil Medvedev to capture his third ATP Masters 1000 title at the Indian Wells Masters.

The 19-year-old became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history when he won the 2022 US Open. He stayed atop for the rest of the year, despite missing the ATP Finals due to injury, but then slipped to World No. 2 after Djokovic won the Australian Open.

Alcaraz has spent a total of 21 weeks as World No. 1 during his young career, putting him 16th on the list for most weeks at the top spot among the 28 players to reach No. 1.
New Delhi, April 3 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was on Monday granted bail by a Surat court in criminal defamation case, where he has been convicted and sentenced, said that "truth" is his "weapon in this struggle".

In series of tweets in Hindi, Gandhi proclaimed that it was "a fight to save democracy" and against "mitra kaal", and "in this struggle, truth is my weapon and truth is my shelter".

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi reached Surat, accompanied by sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi while various Congress Chief Ministers received him at the airport.

Thousands of Congress workers trooped down to Surat city but have been halted in their tracks and prevented from going there to express solidarity with senior leader Rahul Gandhi, party leaders said.
London, April 3 : A anti-war female activist suspected of assassinating one of Vladimir Putin's propagandists by carrying a statue laden with explosives into a cafe has been arrested on Monday, according to a media report.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was blown to pieces on Sunday after Daria Trepova (26) reportedly entered a cafe in St Petersburg and handed him a small statue of himself that was said to be laden with explosives, Daily Mail reported.

Tatarsky (40), a staunch supporter of Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, had been speaking at a political event at the Street Food No 1 cafe when the bomb exploded next to him, killing the propagandist and injuring 32 others in what the Kremlin claimed was a 'terrorist attack'.

Russia's Investigative Committee said on Monday it has detained Trepova in a rented flat in St Petersburg on suspicion of carrying out the assassination. Speaking for the first time since her arrest, Trepova insisted she had been 'set up' and 'was being used'.

Russia's top counterterrorism agency claimed - without providing evidence - that Trepova had carried out the attack with the help of 'Ukrainian special services' and activists who are linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, Daily Mail reported.

It came after a chilling video appeared to show Trepova, a St Petersburg resident who was previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies, walking into the cafe carrying a box containing what may have been a statuette containing 450 gm of TNT - just minutes before it exploded, Daily Mail reported.
Mumbai, April 3 : A young city biker, who performed dangerous wheelie-stunts on his motorcycle with two girls, has been arrested by the Mumbai Police and faces charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Fayyaz Ahmed A. Kadri, 24 - a history-sheeter - had performed the risky stunts last week and the matter came to light after a video of the incident went viral on social media, sparking outrage.

Late on Friday, the 13-second clip was shared by PotholeWarriors Foundation which condemned his dare-devil acts after which the Bandra Kurla Complex police swung into action and nabbed Kadri late on Sunday.

The clips showed him doing the stunt acts with a girl sitting in his lap in the front and another pillion rider grabbing him, all without wearing helmets which is compulsory in Mumbai, and the PWF urged the Mumbai Traffic Police to catch him.

Taking prompt note of the social media video, the Mumbai Traffic Police said a case was registered by the BKC Police Station and investigations were on to identify the culprits, and also sought public help in the matter.

After his arrest late on Sunday, the police checked his antecedents to discover he had similar cases lodged against him in Antop Hill and Wadala.

The BKC Police Station has slapped charges under Indian Penal Code Sec. 308 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 279, 336, 34 and 114, and Motor Vehicles Act Sec. 148 and 194.

A top official said that the latest development has come as a strong message to stunt bikers who perform stealthily on deserted roads at night or even those who zoom bikes at breakneck speeds in different parts of the country's commercial capital, endangering their own and the lives of other motorists or pedestrians, despite warnings by the police.
New Delhi, April 3 : The value of assets seized during searches conducted by the Income Tax Department has shown a rise over the last few years, the Parliament was told on Monday.

As per the data by the Ministry of Finance, the value of assets seized during the year 2021-22 was Rs 880.83 crore which increased to Rs 1,159.59 crore in the year 2021-22 and to Rs 1,533.23 crore in the year 2022-23 (till January 2023, provisional figures), Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha in a reply.

He also said that the Income Tax Act, 1961 has no expression such as "raid". The premises of the persons searched under the provisions of the Act, for suspected and identified large-scale tax evasion, are usually spread across multiple states and geographies. Accordingly, these searches and the amount of unaccounted money seized therein, cannot be attributed to any particular state(s), said the reply.

On the basis of the evidence gathered during search operation and the subsequent investigation, tax assessments are finalized and a tax demand is raised. However, the income assessed and the tax thereupon get crystallised conclusively only when appeals, if any, preferred before the CIT(A), the ITAT, the High Court, and the Supreme Court are decided.

Further, the penalty proceedings under the Act are initiated, in applicable cases and these proceedings are also subject to a similar appellate procedure. However, the disclosure of information in respect of specific assessees is prohibited except as per the provisions of section 138 of the Act, said the reply.
Mumbai, April 3 : Romanian music composer and DJ Edward Maya, who is known for his chartbuster 'Stereo Love', has shared that his stay in Rishikesh has been an immersive experience so far.

The composer is currently busy with his new venture 'Mayavin School'. He has often called India his second home, he also revealed that the country has played an important role in shaping his artistic career. He has started Mayavin School in Rishikesh to unite people from all around the globe in a community ready to create and experience at a whole new level the conscious art and yoga.

Talking about his experience in Rishikesh Edward said: "For the moment, I am still in Rishikesh and plan to be here for the next couple of months or so. My experience so far has been ecstatic! The vibe that got immersed into me as soon as I arrived here is making me experience a different dimension of life." When asked about the inspiration behind the Mayavin School of Esoteric Art and Contemplation, Edward explained: "I come from a family that has been practising Yoga for over 20 years. My father taught me Yoga and I have since then adapted it as part of my daily routine. Yoga is a part of my life and it's helping me pursue what I am here for." He also spoke about his interests apart from music: "Apart from my interest in music, I am also a painter and I have a collection in the form of canvas art and paintings. My vision is to combine art and music to heal people from all obstacles in life like poor mental health, stress, anxiety and all those factors affecting today's existence." "All this has made up my mind to begin a one of it's kind - Mayavin School of Esoteric Art and Contemplation. Mayavin is also an aspect of Shiva which is considered to be the Supreme Magician or Master of Cosmic Illusion. All of these culminate in my way of thinking," he concluded.
New Delhi, April 3 : In a relief for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a Surat sessions court on Monday granted bail, till disposal of his appeal, in the defamation case over his remark "why all thieves share the Modi surname" and also issued notice to the complainant on Gandhi's plea for a stay on his conviction. According to legal experts, a stay on Gandhi's conviction in the case would be sufficient to restore his Lok Sabha membership.

Speaking to IANS, senior advocate Sanjay Hedge said according to the Supreme Court judgment in the Lily Thomas case, a stay on the conviction is sufficient and if the sessions court stays Rahul's conviction, then the Lok Sabha secretariat could restore Gandhi's membership.

The sessions court will hear Gandhi's appeal against conviction in the case on April 13.

Gandhi, the former President of Congress, arrived in Surat to file the appeal in sessions court against a lower court's order that found him guilty of criminal defamation. The charges stemmed from a remark he made in April 2019 while campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka's Kolar.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra said if the sessions court stays his conviction in the defamation case, it will pave the way for the restoration of his Lok Sabha membership. He stressed that a stay on conviction is a must.

A senior advocate, on the condition of anonymity, said Gandhi's conviction has not been stayed by the court on Monday, however, a notice has been issued to the complainant on Gandhi's plea seeking a stay on his conviction and the matter is scheduled for hearing on April 13. He added once his conviction is stayed, then the Lok Sabha secretariat can restore his membership.

During his campaign, Gandhi stated that "all thieves have Modi surname", equating Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi. On March 23, a lower court in Surat found him guilty of defaming the entire Modi community in a case filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi. Gandhi was subsequently disqualified from the Lok Sabha under a rule that bars convicted MPs from holding Lok Sabha membership.

Gandhi was given the maximum 2-year jail term for his offence, but the sentence was suspended for 30 days for him to file an appeal against the order. If the conviction is not overturned, he will be disqualified from contesting elections for the next eight years.
New Delhi, April 3 : The All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) on Monday held a 'Jantantra Bachao Rally' to protest against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case.

The AIMC members also demanded the formation of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the allegations of financial irregularities levelled against the Adani Group.

"Rahul Gandhi led the opposition's attack against the Prime Minister in the Parliament. As a response, the Prime Minister's vengeful administration revoked his Lok Sabha membership and ordered him to evacuate his official residence," said Netta D'Souza, President, AIMC.

She told the media that in his speech in the Lok Sabha on February 7, Rahul Gandhi had expressed concerns over the alleged unethical collaboration between Adani and the Centre.

The sequence of events that followed since then demonstrate that democracy in the country is on the verge of collapse, and immediate action is now imperative, D'Souza said.

The AIMC said the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi is not just about the Congress, but also about safeguarding freedom of speech.

The AIMC appealed to the government to take prompt action by initiating a JPC probe into the Adani matter, as it believes it is a critical step to combat corruption in the country.

In another similar development, the Youth Congress on Monday launched a 'Jawab Do' postcard campaign across the country.
New Delhi, April 3 : China has increased video surveillance and inspections of street vendors in and around the Tibetan capital of Lhasa in an effort to 'clean up' the city, though sources inside the autonomous region said the measures are meant to get Tibetan hawkers off the streets, according to a media report.

Local authorities began implementing the 'Clean Up Lhasa' campaign on March 20 in the city of about 5,60,000 people in which they are inspecting all street vendors in and around the Jokhang Temple, or Tsuglagkhang, Radio Free Asia reported.

Tibetans consider the four-story Buddhist temple in Lhasa's Barkhor Square as the most sacred and important temple in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Chinese authorities are also prohibiting Tibetan vendors who sell 'tsampa', a Tibetan staple food made of barley, sha-kampo, or dried yak and sheep meat, and other edibles, alleging that they do not have proper food badges on them, said a Tibetan inside the region, Radio Free Asia reported.

"Though the Chinese government has implied that the campaign is aimed at keeping the city clean, one can see that only Tibetan vendors are targeted under this campaign," he told Radio Free Asia.

Authorities are also telling Tibetan street vendors to stop selling CDs of Tibetan songs and are interrogating them for no reason, the source added.

"This has caused so much trouble for Tibetans who make their living as street vendors," he said, Radio Free Asia reported.

China maintains a tight grip on Tibet, restricting Tibetans' political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity as Buddhists. Tibetans frequently complain of discrimination and human rights abuses by Chinese authorities and policies, which they say are aimed at wiping out their national and cultural identity.

The latest move follows increased security measures in Lhasa and other major towns ahead of recent politically sensitive anniversaries during which the police randomly checked individuals and their cellphones for contact with people outside the region, Radio Free Asia reported.
Kolkata, April 3 : Following clashes in pockets of West Bengal over Ram Navami processions in the last few days, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday warned of repeating similar tension on April 6 on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.

"I am asking my administration as well as the common people to remain alert on April 6. We all respect Bajrangbali, and we do not want any tension or violence in his name. The youth should come forward in preventing any kind of tension," the Chief Minister said while addressing an administrative review meeting at Khejuri in East Midnapore district.

Banerjee said the tension over Ram Navami procession was deliberately stoked by taking it to routes that were not permitted.

On the latest clash at Rishra in Hooghly district on Sunday, the Chief Minister questioned the justification of taking out the procession three days after Ram Navami.

"We are in the middle of Ramzan month. But some people are steering the processions to sensitive areas with the intention of creating tension. The fruit stalls in those areas have been burnt down. They are even participating in the procession with firearms and other lethal weapons," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack against the Union government for not clearing the central dues to the state under various centrally-sponsored schemes.

"Instead of clearing the dues, the Centre is trying to create tension in the state. Huge sums almost under all the centrally-sponsored schemes are being held up. The Centre should explain why they are not releasing the funds under the schemes," Banerjee said.

She also appealed to the people to keep in mind the Centre's stance, and not vote for the BJP in the forthcoming panchayat elections as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
New Delhi, April 3 : A parliamentary panel on External Affairs has asked the government to create an authentic data on Indian diaspora, which would help to effectively implement welfare schemes for Indians living abroad.

In its report presented in Parliament on Monday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on external affairs expressed surprise that authentic data of the Indian diaspora is not available in the External Affairs Ministry, as the government has said that registration by diaspora being voluntary, the entire community does not register with Indian embassies and missions abroad, and also the data varies due to their mobility.

The panel headed by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary felt that the government may not be able to implement welfare schemes for the overseas community and address its challenges in the absence of a comprehensive and up-to-date database.

Therefore the committee has recommended in its report that embassies and missions abroad should play a more proactive role, and encourage the diaspora to register themselves with the embassies and missions in coordination with the various diaspora associations, cultural organisations and student bodies, so that authentic database is maintained.

The panel further recommended to the government that as the composition of the Indian diaspora is diverse, consisting of labourers, workers, traders, professionals as well as students, therefore it should develop a module for migrant workers and overseas students within a specified time-frame.
New Delhi, April 3 : In major cases of corporate fraud, including the Sterling Biotech case, frauds committed by companies of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the Enforcement Directorate has attached properties worth Rs 33,862.20 crore, said a Parliament reply on Monday.

The Central government has enacted various laws such as FEMA, PMLA and Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA) to prevent money laundering. The Enforcement Directorate is mandated with the task of enforcing the provisions of these laws.

According to a written reply in the Lok Sabha submitted by Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, the number of persons arrested by the ED in the last five years (1.4.2018 to 28.2.2023) stood at 374, which includes a number of directors of corporate firms involved in money laundering.

"No separate data related to corporate fraud is being maintained because PMLA cases generally involve several other offences also. However, in major cases of corporate fraud viz Sterling Biotech, frauds committed by companies of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the ED has attached properties worth Rs 33,862.20 crore. Out of this, assets worth Rs 15,113.02 crore have been confiscated and restituted to the public sector banks," the reply said.

The consortium of banks led by SBI has realised Rs 7975.27 crore by sale of assets handed over to it by the ED.

The reply said that to strengthen the 'Know Your Customer Anti-Money Laundering' (KYC AML) supervision of NBFCs and in alignment with the supervisory strategy adopted for scheduled commercial banks and select urban co-operative banks, the RBI is in the process of implementing a 'Risk Based Approach' (RBA) for KYC AML supervision of select NBFCs.
New Delhi, April 3 : In a major crackdown on organised car theft and liquor trafficking, Delhi Police have arrested four men after busting a syndicate involved in stealing luxury cars and further selling them to buyers in different parts of the country, an official said on Monday.

A Delhi Police official said that one of the buyers was a liquor mafia group led by Sumit Anangpur from Faridabad, which purchased stolen luxury cars worth around Rs 20 lakh each, for just Rs 3-4 lakh and used them to hoodwink the agencies to transport foreign liquor to Bihar.

The official said that after a series of raids in Faridabad, Meerut, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Asansol and Gopalganj, the police arrested the accused who have been identified as Kapil Bhadana (25), a resident of Faridabad, Sami Chauhan (26), a resident of Greater Noida, Yahya a.k.a. Sadab (25), a resident of Meerut, and Nausad Samsumya Sheikh a.k.a Raju (48), a resident of Kolkata.

According to the police, the matter came to light on March 2 when Kapil was apprehended along with one Kia Seltos car after specific inputs were received by the police of Kapil indulging in supply of imported foreign liquor using luxury cars in Bihar.

During interrogation, Kapil disclosed that he was involved in liquor trafficking along with Sumit Anangpur, and they used the stolen luxury cars to supply imported liquor in Bihar to dupe the agencies.

"Kapil also disclosed that they bought the stolen cars from Sami. Accordingly, Sami was arrested on March 3 and one more stolen Hyundai Creta car was recovered on his instance. On interrogation, Sami disclosed that he received the cars from Yahya and sold them on commission," said Manoj C., Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest).

Thereafter, Yahya was also interrogated before he was formally arrested on March 13.

"Yahya, who was previously involved in seven cases, disclosed that he worked for a person named Nadeem in Meerut. On his instruction, Yahya stole the cars and further supplied them to Raju. He alone supplied more than 20 cars in the last six months," the DCP said.

"Raids were conducted at Jamshedpur and Kolkata which led to Raju's arrest. Four stolen cars were recovered on his instance," the DCP said.
Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 : After facing flak on the decision by its two-member bench to refer the verdict in a case of alleged misuse of Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to a larger bench, there were indications on Monday that the full bench (three members) of the Kerala Lok Ayukta will start proceedings from April 12.

The Congress and the BJP on Friday questioned the credibility of the Kerala Lokayukta, which referred the case to a larger bench.

It was after an year that the two-member bench of the Lokayukta, that had completed all its hearings in the case, gave its verdict on last Friday and this long delay came under fire.

It was also noted that had the petitioner not approached the Kerala High Court seeking its intervention, maybe the verdict could have been even more delayed.

Now all eyes are on April 12 and according to sources in the know of things, the full bench is likely to hear the case from the start and will also look into the issue if the Lokayukta is competent enough to take up the case involving a decision of the state cabinet.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan has already pointed out that the decision to refer to the full bench is nothing but questioning the credibility of the Lokayukta institution as the Lokayukta in 2019 had made it clear that the petition is valid and now again it is going to be sent to a full bench. "It is strange," he said.

Public activist R.S. Sasikumar had filed the case in 2018, alleging misuse of the funds in the CMDRF.

He had alleged that the money was given to those who were not eligible for the relief, including the family of a deceased CPI-M legislator, the family of a top leader from a Left ally who passed away, and also to a Kerala Police officer who died when his vehicle met with an accident while accompanying then top CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

The plea to the anti-corruption ombudsman was filed by Sasikumar in September 2018 and the hearing ended on March 18, 2022. Since then till last Friday, the verdict was kept pending.

All this comes at a time when Governor Arif Mohammed Khan continues to sit on the Bill that tweaked the powers of the Kerala Lokayukta.
Mumbai, April 3 : Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who recently stirred a controversy with her statement on how she was cornered in Bollywood by a certain set of influential people, has explained why she decided to speak up about the incident at this juncture.

Priyanka was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific press conference for the upcoming sci-fi spy thriller series "Citadel", where she plays the lead role opposite Richard Madden.

Sharing the reason for speaking up after such a long time, she said: "First, I spoke during the podcast about my journey across my childhood, teenage years, the initial phase of my career and eventually the incident that changed a few things for me." She added: "I have had tumultuous times back then, but today, I feel confident to speak about it in the hope that people at large would take notice of it, empathise (with me) and understand where I'm coming from. I felt it was a safe space for me to open up about the rocky patch in my professional journey." "Citadel" is set to premiere on Prime Video on April 28.
Mumbai/Pune, April 3 : Billionaire vaccines tycoon Cyrus Poonawala is keen to move into his palatial Mumbai home which has been stuck in bureaucratic hassles for the past eight years.

As per certain media reports, Poonawala, 81, the Chairman of Serum Institute of India Ltd (SII) had bought the property from the US Government, which was running its Mumbai Consulate there till 2011.

The US government had purchased it in 1957 on a 999-year lease from the last ruler of Wankaner, Maharana Raj Shri Pratapsinhji Saheb of the Jhala Dynasty.

Wankaner was a princely state (located in modern-day Gujarat, near Morbi) founded in 1620, and the last Maharana built his luxurious royal Mumbai home in 1933.

The sprawling property spread over two acres on the Arabian Sea shore with a built-up area of around 50,000 sq. feet, known as Wankaner House, was renamed 'Lincoln House', and the US Consulate functioned there till November 2011.

A few years after the Mumbai mission moved to a bigger premises in the Bandra Kurla Complex, the US government and Poonawala struck a deal of around Rs 750 crore for the property in the posh Breach Candy area of south Mumbai.

Later, it transpired that the ownership of the land was unclear with both the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Defence staking claim, and the deal was kept on hold, and the Indian and US governments are attempting to iron out the differences.

A miffed Poonawala told a foreign publication that "the government of India is not providing any rationale for holding it up", and suspects that it doesn't want the huge amount (around $120 million) to go to the US.

Although officials are not ready to comment, the green signal is probably stuck owing to a technicality pertaining to the notice of the sale within a specified time-frame on the transfer of the lease rights.

Until the deal is cleared - probably by the PMO - Poonawala will continue to live in his Pune home and long to possess and occupy the palatial house worth a fortune in Mumbai.
Toronto, April 3 : A 28-year-old Sikh, facing facing multiple charges including assault, uttering threats, and mischief, has turned himself in at Vancouver Provincial Court, police said.

Manveer Singh Dhesi, who turned himself in on March 31, is known to live in Surrey but police said he also frequents Burnaby in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

The Burnaby Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had put out a notice earlier this week seeking public assistance in locating Dhesi wanted on a British Columbia wide arrest warrant.

According to information presented during a bail hearing on March 31, Dhesi's charges relate to alleged incidents on March 13 at his ex-girlfriend's home, Burnaby Now reported.

His ex-girlfriend, her sister, her brother-in-law and her brother-in-law's brother were all at the house, according to Crown prosecutor Jennifer Dyck.

"There was an alleged incident where Dhesi turned up at their home, assaulted, allegedly, two of the individuals and barged into the home without consent," Dyck told Burnaby Now.

British Columbia provincial court Judge Jeffrey Campbell ordered Dhesi to pay a fine of $500, and asked him not to go within two blocks of his ex-girlfriend's house, or contact any of his alleged victims.

Dhesi's next court hearing is scheduled for April 27.
Patna, April 3 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed to work fast to provide jobs to 10 lakh youths. The Chief Minister has given a major responsibility for this to the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC). But when the position for three of six members is vacant in BPSC itself, questions arise whether it will be able to deliver the goods? Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said on the 75th anniversary of BPSC that instructions have been given to work fast for providing jobs to 10 lakh youths. After this, the questions started arising.

Bihar Public Service Commission was established in 1945 with its headquarters in Ranchi but in 1981 its headquarters was shifted to Patna. BPSC used to have 10 members with a chairman earlier but after the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar, the number of members of BPSC was reduced to six.

At present, only three out of six members are working. Three members have retired whose positions are vacant. However, the Chief Minister has given instructions to nominate new members within five days.

By increasing the number of members of Bihar Public Service Commission and giving them the responsibility of works, the Chief Minister has also indicated that BPSC will play an important role in Mission 10 lakh jobs.

However, the opposition does not agree with these statements of the Chief Minister. BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma says that the Chief Minister is daydreaming the people. He said that the teacher candidates are demanding a job on the streets, but the government is not able to give it at all.

Reminding the RJD's election promise, he said that Tejashwi Yadav had promised to give jobs to 10 lakh people in the first cabinet meeting as soon as he comes to power, but till now this promise could not be fulfilled.
Los Angeles, April 3 : The Cannes Film Festival has confirmed the world premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", the news that was first revealed by 'Variety' last week.

James Mangold and Harrison Ford will climb the steps of the Palais des Festivals on May 18 alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen. The film will be screened out of competition.

The festival will also pay a special tribute to Ford for his career.

The film has been produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. This instalment will reportedly be Ford's last time playing the titular character, reports 'Variety'.

Details of the film's plot are being kept under wraps that are tighter than those of a mummy, in the words of 'Variety', but based on the trailer this one does find Dr Jones facing off against former Nazis in a flashback sequence that uses 'de-aging technology' to zap Ford back in time.

Mangold said: "In 1995, I was honoured to come to Cannes with my first film 'Heavy', as part of Director's Fortnight; 28 years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle. My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you."
Guwahati, April 3 : Once a core member of 'Team Rahul', former All India Mahila Congress President Sushmita Dev changed the course and overnight joined the Trinamool Congress in August 2021.

Since then, she has been on the ground to lead Trinamool's campaign in two states -- Goa and Tripura. However, election results were far from satisfactory for the party in both these states.

In a detailed conversation with IANS, Dev spoke on a a range of issues, from Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha, corruption charges against Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Opposition unity, to the road ahead for Mamata Banerjee and her party.

Excerpts from the interview: IANS: You had extensively campaigned in Tripura, but the Trinamool drew a blank in the recent Assembly polls. In fact, Trinamool's vote percentage was below NOTA...

Dev: First of all, we contested a limited number of seats. We put up candidates in only 28 seats (out of 60). It became a bipolar contest between the Congress-CPI(M) combine and the BJP, while the tribal votes more or less polarised towards Tipra Motha Party. We could not go on either side. The whole political journey of Mamata Banerjee has been anti-Left. Sometimes, if you stick to your ideology, you may lose an election, but it is better than landing in confusion about your ideology.

IANS: But about a year ago, Trinamool was claiming to be the principle opposition party in Tripura...

Dev: When we started working in 2021, there was no opposition party on the ground. Both CPI-M and Congress had ruled Tripura for many decades, so they had a settled base. We, as a new party, could not even open an office due to political violence. It was only in July last year that we could open a main office in Agartala. However, until the election time, we were not able to open offices in the blocks due to fear of political violence. No one was ready to offer us space for an office. No one faced the challenges which we did in Tripura. Our workers were constantly threatened.

IANS: Do you think that Trinamool missed a face in Tripura? Dev: To win an election, you need a credible face and a narrative. The party decided to go to the polls with a son or daughter of the soil. Unfortunately, we ran into a lot of trouble in putting up a strong and credible local face.

IANS: Trinamool could not build a narrative too? Dev: People of Tripura have a lot of respect for Mamata Banerjee's good governance and strong leadership in West Bengal. But we missed a face or a strong local leader to take things forward. I must say that despite that, our workers and leaders put up their best efforts in the elections.

IANS: But now your party workers in Tripura are complaining that no leader is taking care of them after the polls...

Dev: I have been in a national party for 30 years of my life. The time I spent in Tripura is more than any representative of any party. You see the other national parties, including the Congress, the party in-charges hardly visit the states. Actually, this has been peddled as part of a propaganda. Since I joined the Trinamool, I spent most of the last year-and-a-half in Tripura because the elections were near and we had no president for long periods. I tried my best in those circumstances.

IANS: Will Trinamool contest the Lok Sabha elections in Tripura? Dev: I am of the opinion that we should fight, but the decision would be taken by the party.

IANS: What is the positioning of Trinamool in Assam? Dev: We are gradually expanding our organisation in Assam. The politics of BJP is driven by fear. If you post anything on social media, you will get arrested the next day. If you criticise the government, they will try to take action against you using the administrative machineries. In these circumstances, building a new organisation is a really challenging task. But I believe that Ripun Bora is doing a fantastic job and has already made breakthroughs.

IANS: You were once a close associate of Rahul Gandhi. What is your take on his disqualification from the Lok Sabha and the BJP's stand? Dev: This is not the first time that an MP has been disqualified from the Parliament. But what is most important here is the turn of events. The person who filed the defamation suit is a politically motivated man, and he himself put the case on hold for one year as per Congress' version. This case was suddenly revived clearly with an aim to avoid the debate in the Parliament on the Adani issue, which I think is the biggest scam in the country.

IANS: Your party supremo Mamata Banerjee stood by Rahul Gandhi...

Dev: My party leader did not stand beside one particular person, but against the entire attempt to throttle the Opposition. Since 2021, Mamata Banerjee has been constantly saying that there is no equality in the eyes of the law. If you are in the Opposition, enforcement agencies will treat you with bias, and if you are in the BJP, they just stop every investigation.

One example is that of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. In the Central Hall of Parliament, I read out a booklet published by the BJP accusing Sarma of being involved in the Louis Berger scam. Months after that, he joined the BJP and the issue was over.

IANS: Do you think the present situation provides a chance for stronger Opposition unity? Dev: Narendra Modi and the BJP can be defeated if there is unity among the opposition parties. But this will only prove effective if Congress can win at least 100 of about 180 Lok Sabha seats in which they are in a bipolar contest with the BJP. If they continue to perform poorly in those seats, and if Trinamool doesn't win all the 42 seats in West Bengal, the BJP cannot be ousted. So, it is not important whether Rahul Gandhi is inside the Parliament, the Congress as a party must do its organisational work and win for Opposition unity to work eventually.

IANS: Is it possible for the Congress to take on the BJP? Dev: I am not the right person to comment on that. But from my earlier experience in the party, I can say that the Congress is a top-heavy organisation, and by the time it goes from the Pradesh Congress to the booth level, the structure dilutes. You know the reason why the BJP could not defeat Mamata Banerjee in 2021: Trinamool has a very strong organisation at the grassroots level. If the Congress wants to do well in 2024, they must focus on that. And it is not an easy task.

IANS: The Congress has accused Trinamool of dividing the Opposition votes in Meghalaya and Goa. Don't you accept that this is ultimately helping the BJP? Dev: The Opposition unity is an exercise in which everybody has to walk the same distance, including the Congress. Today, the Congress is contesting so many seats in Bengal which only helps the BJP. In the recent Sagardighi by-election, local Congress leaders appealed for Opposition unity between the BJP, Congress, and Left. If this kind of ideological confusion exists in the grand old party, an alliance will be difficult.

Congress must rethink its position in seven-eight states, including West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, etc. where other parties are doing better than the Congress. If Congress expects Mamata Banerjee not to contest seats outside Bengal, the same applies to them as well in states where there are stronger contenders than the Congress.
New Delhi, April 3 : The body of an unidentified man was found wrapped in a plastic bag at Central Delhi's Nabi Karim area on Monday morning, an official said.

According to police, a police control room call was received in Nabi Karim police station at 7.27 a.m. regarding a dead body lying wrapped in a plastic bag at Rajdhani Medicose Chinot Basti.

"A police team was dispatched to the spot where they found that a dead body of a male person aged about 30-35 years was lying packed in a plastic bag having injury marks on the head. Sincere efforts were made for identification of the deceased but it couldn't be identified," said a senior police official.

"On physical inspection of crime scene and its surroundings, blood stains were found on the street no-10 which was due to dragging of body. Primary probe raised suspicion on a person living in a house located about 80 meters from scene of crime, but he was absconding," said the official.

The dead body was preserved in mortuary of RML Hospital for autopsy.

"A case under section 302/201 of the IPC has been registered at Nabi Karim Police Sataion and investigation is in progress. The CCTV footages is being examined and efforts are being made to identify the deceased and arrest the accused person," the official added.
Patna, April 3 : A man killed his elder brother over a property dispute in Bihar's Kishanganj district, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place at Rahmat Pada under Kochadhaman police station on Sunday evening. The deceased has been identified as Nashim Alam (42).

The police said that the accused, Naushad Alam, had a property dispute with his elder brother Nashim Alam over a two-inch land. They were involved in a quarrel on Sunday morning. However, the local villagers intervened in the matter and calmed them down.

However, Naushad returned in the evening and attacked Nashim with a sharp-edged weapon, killing him on the spot.

"After committing the crime, Naushad fled from the village. We have registered an FIR based on the statement of the deceased person's wife. Raids are on to nab Naushad," said an officer from the Kochadhaman police station.
New Delhi, April 3 : At total of 32 brokers have been declared defaulters by the NSE during the last five years, the Parliament was told on Monday.

Market regulator SEBI, along with the exchanges, conducts regular inspection of brokers based on certain criteria and takes action as per its regulations and bye-laws of the Exchanges, Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

As per the SEBI's orders dated November 22, 2019 and November 24, 2020, securities worth around Rs 2,000 crore and belonging to 82,559 clients were transferred to fully paid-up clients of Karvy Stock Broking Ltd (KSBL).

NSE and BSE have suspended trading terminals of KSBL with effect from December 2, 2019 and declared it as a defaulter on November 23, 2020. Further, based on the findings of forensic audit report and observations of the NSE, the SEBI has initiated enforcement action against KSBL, its directors, its CEO and against two group companies of KSBL under its relevant Regulations, said the reply.

The claims of investors in the matter are being dealt with and settled by NSE as per its bye-laws. As on March 20, 2023, an amount of Rs 414.24 crore has been paid to 34,497 clients from Investor Protection Fund (IPF) of the NSE. The NSE, along with other MIIs has also monetised the mutual fund distribution business of KSBL and funds amounting to around Rs 150 crore have been realised and the same is being utilised for distribution to the clients of the KSBL, added the reply.
Agartala, April 3 : With the participation of delegates from 12 G-20 members, including China, the US, UK, Australia, and Brazil, the two-day Science-20 conference, under India's G20 presidency, began in Tripura capital on Monday.

Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government, Ajay Sood, in his introductory address, flagged that the world is faced with unprecedented issues including climate change and these require immediate action to save the future.

Noting that these issues cannot be postponed any further, he said that three sub-themes would be discussed in the two-day conference, with the one about the green hydrogen that has been catching the attention of countries the world over.

Ocean-based technologies can help mankind to harness the vast amount of energy through tidal currents and new generation energy storage tells that we need to think beyond lithium electro-chemistry, he stated.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that more than 150 delegates including delegates from 12 counties are participating in this science conclave titled 'Clean Energy for a Greener future' as part of the G20 meetings.

He said that the senior officials from the Ministries of External Affairs, Science and Technology, and Finance, the NITI Aayog, representatives of the NGOs, and investors from across the country took part in the conference, held in the Hapania International Fair Ground on the outskirts of Agartala.

Talking to the media, Saha said that he held fruitful meeting with the investors to set up industries in Tripura. Use of bamboo, natural rubber, agar resources and setting up of tea, food processing, tourism, hospital, Information Technology, hotel, pharmaceutical industries among other issues were discussed with the investors and they also shown keen interests on these sectors, he said.

"While setting up industries, sustainability and employment generation would be the priority. Our government has also emphasised on renewable and solar energy.

"This is a big opportunity for the state to showcase its ability and resources before the delegates of many countries," the Chief Minister said, adding that the G20 meet is being held in Tripura at the instance of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

State Special Secretary, Industries and Commerce Department, Abhishek Chandra said that delegates from Bangladesh also attended the event as invitees.

He said that there would be nine sessions on various topics during the conclave.

The G-20 delegates would also visit various important, historical and tourist places across Tripura.

Showcasing the state's art, culture, heritage, handloom and handicrafts and business opportunities exhibitions were also organised by various departments.
Kohima, April 3 : Nagaland will host the three-day 4th and final B20 session from Tuesday, which is being organised in the northeast as part of the official G20 dialogue forum for the global business community, officials said here on Monday.

Officials said that 64 foreign delegates from 29 countries, including the UK and the USA, would participate in the event.

The Nagaland government, along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), would offer the delegates the opportunity to interact with the local industry and government officials for exploring potential investment opportunities, collaborations and tie-ups.

The Nagaland government is making elaborate arrangements for showcasing the potential of the state for inviting investments from the B20 conference.

The conference would aid the development of the critical sectors of the economy in the northeast besides facilitating economic growth.

The northeast region of India has been of significant focus for B20 India initiatives, with four conferences planned across the region to showcase the vast potential and opportunities within the area.

The first three conferences held in Imphal, Aizawl and Gangtok have been successful in their objective of highlighting the untapped potential of the northeast.

Opportunities for multilateral business partnerships in agriculture and food processing, tourism, and information technology would be the main theme of the forthcoming conference.

As part of the conference, various events will be held which include a tour of the mini-Hornbill festival, an excursion to the WW-II museum, a visit to the heritage Kisama village, and a trip to the Kohima War Cemetery.

Minister of State for External Affairs, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, would attend the conference.
Gurugram, April 3 : A Nigerian national was arrested for allegedly duping a woman of Rs 1.73 lakh by befriending her on a matrimonial site and asking her to pay customs duty to receive expensive gifts, police said.

Police said on Monday, the incident came to light following a complaint given by the victim on March 31.

The complainant had received a friend request on the matrimonial site from a man claiming to be from India but presently working in Turkey as a project manager. She soon shared an overseas mobile number with him and soon she received an online call.

A person who claimed to be calling from Mumbai Airport told her that a man Shiva Jadhav (One of the accomplices about whom the accused had informed the victim) sent a parcel for her, the man claimed that custom duty needs to be paid for the release of the parcel. She paid this person Rs 38,500 and the woman finally ended up paying Rs 1.73 lakh in total, police added.

Once the complaint realised she had been cheated, she complained to the cyber crime police station (south).

Following an investigation and technical analysis of the mobile number, the police arrested the accused, who was a Nigerian national identified as Ignatus Ngosine.

"The accused revealed that he used to befriend the victims on matrimonial sites and one of his accomplices used to further pose as Customs Department officials and implicate victims into paying custom duty charges into their shared bank accounts to release the gifts," they added.
Mumbai, April 3 : Actor Richard Madden, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming streaming series 'Citadel', is in Mumbai for the Asia Pacific leg of promotions of the global spy series.

The actor shared that although grappling with a tight timeline, he intended to pay a visit to the city's Sanjay Gandhi National Park, which is the only national park in the city limits globally, however a possible interaction with an unwanted friend deterred him from doing so.

Speaking on the sidelines of a media event organised for 'Citadel', Richard told the media, "I had planned on visiting the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai but I've been told that leopard lurks in there somewhere so, I guess I'll have to refrain from going there." Adding onto that, his 'Citadel' co-star Priyanka Chopra shared that he has a really packed schedule so he won't be able to see many places in India.

'Citadel' is set to drop on Prime Video on April 28.
BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Sunday. Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said China-Japan relations are generally stable at present, but there are noises and interferences from time to time. The fundamental cause is that some forces in Japan deliberately follow the erroneous China policy of the United States and cooperate with the U.S. side to discredit China and make provocations on issues concerning China's core interests, which is short-sighted, wrong and unwise. Noting that China maintains continuity and stability in its policy toward Japan, Wang said China is willing to work with Japan to build bilateral relations that meet the requirements of the new era based on the four political documents between the two countries. It is hoped that the Japanese side will act upon the important consensus that the two countries are cooperative partners and do not pose a threat to each other, and work together with the Chinese side to improve and develop China-Japan relations, Wang said. For his part, Hayashi said that Japan stands ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of two countries, build constructive and stable bilateral ties, and achieve win-win as well as all-win results.
With expanding shoe prints in retail and online sales, Gwen Hurt is ready to grow Shoe Crazy Wine from a regional business into a national powerhouse.

Now in its growth phase, the company has become a multimillion-dollar entity, reaching $2 million in revenue over the past two years with retail sales now in far-off states such as Michigan, California and Hawaii.

Shoe Crazy originally made a name for itself in the regional market through its fruitful and sweet, or lightly sweet, varieties of wine for a softer palate that are largely targeted at women. By 2020, the now 9-year-old company was selling eight wines under names such as Sweet Harmony, Strawberry Passion and Melange Red Blend.

Since then, Hurt has not only expanded the companys footprint but also the product offering. Shoe Crazy now has adult beverage mixes of all kinds with seltzers, bourbon and vodka. It also partnered with Blue Bee Cider in 2021 to create Peach Madness, a peach-flavored apple cider.

The company is also branching into the world of moonshines.

Its an untapped market, Hurt said.

Moonshines will come in flavors such as sparkling peach and mango. The blueberry moonshine will dovetail with the companys recently released Blueberry Wine.

Hurt said the expanding line of products will consistently target sweeter profiles and styles that are easy to drink, without the need to be a seasoned wine connoisseur.

We found that our customers, thats what they want and what they are loyal to, Hurt said. When we launch a new product, its in that same scheme.

The plan now is to continue pushing into more national retailers and expanding the business beyond its current borders. The company has added about 400 retailers in the past three years for a total of 900 nationwide. Shoe Crazy Wine is available in Food Lion, Sams Club, Kroger, Target, Total Wine and local retailers, such as The Market @ 25th. Its also available in 36 states online.

The next step means taking on some of the most well-known brands in the category, such as Barefoot and Yellow Tail, which have serious resources behind them.

In consumer goods, you have to keep your product front of mind. And as a small business, thats our greatest challenge right now, Hurt said. I could produce product to put in every store in the country if I had to. But not every store in the country would want us because were not front of mind with the same marketing budget.

Shoe Crazy is righting itself after a pretty intense pandemic period that hit the business just as it was starting to grow. The company closed on a warehouse in Petersburg in December 2019, just months before COVID-19-induced business closures across the country.

In the beginning of its life, Shoe Crazy was too small of a name and had a tough time getting distributors to carry the product. Hurt decided to do the logistics herself and started a distribution arm of the company.

When the pandemic hit, Hurt said she lost priority to larger distributors who had 40% to 60% of the shelf space, in order to accommodate new social-distancing safety regulations.

We were shut down from March until August [2020]; I thought we were done, Hurt said. I had to let everybody go, and I was doing deliveries again.

Around September of that year, the constraints eased and Hurt was able to fulfill larger orders. She was able to bring a bulk of the workers back into the company as contract workers in 2021.

One of the saving graces during the pandemic, Hurt said, was that Food Lion kept expanding Shoe Crazy into more of its stores while it suffered in other retail outlets. Food Lion now makes up one-third of the companys total retail locations  around 350  in the Southeast region with a recent expansion into Georgia.

They said, If you can go out there and get to these store locations, we will activate your product in stores. Nobody else was giving us that opportunity. Hurt said.

And when it came to the placement, Hurt said Food Lion pushed them into eye-level or chest-level space  the most coveted shelf placement where a majority of sales are derived.

I didnt even make a pitch for that, Hurt said. And then as we transitioned from a wine company into an adult beverage company, Food Lion was a part of that because we had the revenue to be able to expand into a spirits line.
New Delhi, April 3 : The DMK's Social Justice conference here on Monday witnessed a host of opposition leaders attending the programme, where it was underlined that a caste census is must for the development of the marginalised communities.

Addressing the session virtually, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that this forum "will lay the foundation of unity and social justice and brotherhood in the country".

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, CPI-M chief Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja, were present, Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien n called for more parties like the BJD, and the YSRCP to also join the forum. RJD leader Manoj Jha said that "this is a social platform to transform the politics and also test of those parties who shed crocodile tears in the name of caste census".

With Stalin in the chair, the conference discussed 'Social Justice: The Road Ahead', which is being organised by All India Social Justice Forum set up by Stalin in 2022.

DMK sources said that this is to be a non-political platform to unite people on a common issue.
Jaipur, April 3 : With months left before the state goes to the polls, and ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections, the BJP in Rajasthan is focusing on social engineering by appointing three leaders from the Brahmin, Rajput and Jaat communities in key posts.

After appointing Chittorgarh MP C.P. Joshi as the Rajasthan BJP President, the party on Sunday named Rajendra Rathore as the Leader of Opposition, while Satish Poonia has been appointed as Rathore's deputy in the Assembly.

While Joshi is a Brahmin, Rathore is a Rajput leader while Poonia hails from a Jaat background.

If political experts are to be believed, all these appointments seem less organisational and more related to caste arithmetics of Rajasthan. In the last 10 days, the BJP has tried to bring its social engineering back on track in Rajasthan by making these three new appointments. The appointments also give many political signals.

Brahmin, Vaishya and Kshatriya are the core voters of the BJP in Rajasthan. This is the reason why BJP's social engineering is now visible in this direction months before the elections.

By making Joshi the state unit chief, BJP has tried to lure the Brahmin community, while naming Rathore as the Leader of Opposition is an attempt to win over the Rajput voters.

Also, by appointing leaders from the state such as Om Birla as the Lok Sabha Speaker and Gulab Chand Kataria as the Governor of Assam, the BJP has reached out to the Vaishyas.

Senior BJP leaders and political experts told IANS that all these strategies are meant for the Assembly elections as well as for next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Striking a balance between all the big leaders, BJP has appointed them to different key posts. As things stand now, only Vasundhara Raje is among the prominent leaders on whom the BJP's central leadership has not been able to take any decision yet.

Experts believe that the Raje factor will play a significant role, both in the Assembly elections and next year's Lok Sabha polls. In such a situation, all eyes are set on what role she gets and where she is accommodated so that the party succeeds in its social engineering plan.

Rajasthan BJP Secretary Laxmikant Bhardwaj told IANS, "We lost the elections by a thin difference of 0.5 per cent in 2018. This time, we have lured the Rajputs who had boycotted the polls last time over the Padmavat and Anandpal issues. Also, Brahmins were silent, while the Gujjar votes went to the Congress. However, this time we are catering to each class and hence it's for sure that we will win the polls with record seats."
Chennai, April 3 : Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway provided a blistering start while Ambati Rayudu and captain MS Dhoni gave the boisterous Chepauk crowd its money's worth as Chennai Super Kings posted a mammoth 217/7 against Lucknow Super Giants in Match Six of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Both Gaikwad (57) and Conway (47) played some outstanding shots to smash 79 runs in the Power-play, which became CSK's highest-ever Powerplay score at Chepauk, beating the previous best of 75.

After taking CSK to 100 in eight overs, the duo fell in quick succession. But the rest of the batting order ensured CSK went past 200, especially with Dhoni treating the crowd to a short yet sparking innings in the final over.

For Lucknow, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi was the pick of the bowlers with 3-28, especially with others having economy rates above seven. The match was off to an eventful start -- Lucknow lost their review on a call for five wides. Conway got off to a flier by slamming Avesh Khan for back-to-back boundaries through the off-side in the second over.

Gaikwad took over with a superb square drive off Kyle Mayers, before pulling Krunal Pandya over mid-on for a brace of boundaries. He then welcomed K. Gowtham with two sixes straight down the ground; followed by a beautiful lofted inside-out six over extra cover.

Conway tore into Mark Wood with an uppish drive and a pull for a brace of boundaries while Gaikwad gently flicked over deep backward square leg for six to notch up his fifty in 25 balls as Chennai signed off from the Power-play with 79/0.

Conway slammed two elegant sixes over long-on off Krunal to bring up the century of the opening partnership in eight overs. Lucknow finally had a breakthrough in the tenth over as Gaikwad went for a drive off Ravi Bishnoi, but the leading edge flew to short third man.

In the next over, Conway again went for a pull off Wood but was caught by a diving deep backward square leg. Dube then boosted Chennai's score with three gigantic sixes, including a 102m maximum, apart from one four. But when trying to get a big shot off Bishnoi, he gave a top edge to short third man.

Moeen gave further impetus to Chennai's innings with a hat-trick of fours through the off-side against Avesh, before being stumped off Bishnoi. Though Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja fell cheaply, Ambati Rayudu applied finishing touches by dancing down the pitch to hit a brace of sixes off Wood while sweeping off Bishnoi and slicing over leaping short third man to get two boundaries.

But the crowd truly went berserk in the final over when MS Dhoni slammed back-to-back sixes off Wood -- a big slash over the wide third man was followed by a huge hook into the upper tier at deep square leg fence. Though Dhoni sliced to third man and departed for 12, the crowd was treated to short yet crisp innings filled with action.

Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 217/7 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 57, Devon Conway 47; Ravi Bishnoi 3-28, Mark Wood 3-49) against Lucknow Super Giants

Latest updates on IPL 2023
Chennai, April 3 : The Podanur police in Coimbatore have registered an FIR against unidentified persons on a complaint that obscene text and voice messages were sent to customer care numbers of Coimbatore City Meter Auto Association.

Three women employees work in the association's Podanur office. The police said that some unidentified persons sent obscene text and audio messages to the mobile numbers of the association between March 30 and April 2.

These messages were sent from two mobile numbers which are now switched off. The police have registered a case after association leader Shabeer lodged a complaint with the Podanur police station.

The police said that they will investigate the case with the support of the cyber crime wing of Coimbatore city police.
Patna, April 3 : Prem Singh, better known as the 'gold man' of Bihar, visited the Vidhan Sabha here on Monday to watch the proceedings of the House.

Prem Singh is known for his unique style of wearing gold ornaments weighing 5 kg on his body. His eye-catching hobby attracts many people, who surrounding him to take selfies with him, especially girls and women. And Prem Singh also doesn't disappoint anyone who wants a selfie with him.

Given the frequent cases of robbery in Bihar, it surprises many as to how Prem Singh roams around freely with so much gold jewellery on his body.

"Some criminals had looted my jewellery about a year ago, but I am not afraid of them. I am passionate about gold ornaments. My love for gold started when I was just 20 years old. I am 38 now, but my attraction for gold ornaments remains the same," Prem Singh said while interacting with mediapersons here.

A native of Basopur village in Bhojpur district, Prem Singh is a building contractor by professon.

"The gold ornaments you are seeing on my body were all purchased with my hard-earned money," Singh said.
New Delhi, April 3 : Two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) have been set up in order to attract total investment worth Rs 20,000 crore by 2024-25 for defence industries, develop domestic supply chain and strengthen defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country, the Parliament was told on Monday.

Minister of Defence Ajay Bhatt, in a written reply, told the Rajya Sabha that in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), there are six nodes - Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, and Lucknow, and in Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC) five nodes - Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli.

The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is the nodal agency for the UPDIC and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) is the nodal agency for the TNDIC and both states have promulgated their respective Aerospace and Defence Policy to attract investments in DICs, he added.

As per available information, 108 MoUs have been signed with industry and organisations in the UPDIC having potential investment of Rs 12,191 crore. Investment of Rs 2,445 crore has been made and 1,611 hectare land acquired so far.

In Tamil Nadu, arrangements have been made through MoUs etc with 53 industries for potential investment of Rs 11,794 crore. Investment worth Rs 3,894 crore has been made and 910 hectare land has been acquired so far, Bhatt added.

The DICs have been established to develop a holistic defence manufacturing ecosystem which is a progressive and ongoing process, he said.

The defence industry sector was opened up in May 2001 for up to 100 per cent Indian private sector participation. Since then till date, a total of 606 Industrial Licenses have been issued to 369 companies operating in the defence sector, the Minister said.
New Delhi, 3 April 3 : After Rahul Gandhi, who was sentenced to two years in prison in a criminal defamation case, was granted bail extension by a sessions court in Surat on Monday, the BJP slammed the Congress leader for his in-person appeal in the court.

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "Had he (Rahul Gandhi) gone there to display his arrogance or to put pressure on the judiciary or to threaten the investigating agencies? "The way Rahul Gandhi turned the entire episode into a show is condemnable. He should have apologised to the OBC community first, but not doing so shows Congress' arrogance. He could have gone there as a common leader in a simple manner, but he had all the other corrupt Congress leaders with him."
Hyderabad, April 3 : The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing question paper leak at Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Monday examined TSPS Chairman Janardhan Reddy.

SIT officials questioned him for about three hours and recorded his statement. They reportedly gathered information from him as to how the accused managed to access the login ID and password of the confidential section to steal question papers and leak them.

The Chairman was also reportedly asked about the functions and responsibilities of various employees in the commission. The SIT officials gathered information about the process of preparing the question papers, steps taken for their security, the procedure of conducting the exams and related matters.

The SIT had on Saturday questioned TSPSC Secretary Anita Ramchandran and member B. Linga Reddy. Main accused Praveen Kumar and co-accused Ramesh were personal assistants to Anita Ramchandran and Linga Reddy, respectively.

Meanwhile, a Nampally court has sent three of the accused in the case to the custody of SIT. The court heard a petition by the SIT for custody of Prashanth, Rajender and Tirupataiah and sent them to police custody for three days. The SIT officials will question the three accused from Tuesday.

The SIT has so far arrested 15 persons in the case apart from questioning scores of candidates who scored more than 100 marks in the Group I preliminary exam.
New Delhi, April 3 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police said on Monday that it has arrested two NCR-based criminals who were wanted in a murder case following a brief gun battle.

The accused, who have been identified as Sanjay alias Sanju and Manjeet alias Manja, were in touch with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to expand their network.

"The accused were wanted for the murder of one of their rivals in Sonepat. They had planned to eliminate another of their rivals. The police got a tip-off that the accused would be assembling in the Narela area, following which a team was formed and a raid was conducted.

"After being surrounded by the police, Sanjay fired two rounds at the police party in an attempt to flee. One bullet hit a raiding team member, but fortunately he was wearing a bullet-proof jacket," the police said.

The police then launched a counter-attack and apprehended both the culprits along with arms and ammunition after a brief scuffle.

One sophisticated pistol, one magazine, eleven live cartridges of 7.65 calibre and four live cartridges of .315 bore were recovered from their possession.

"They confessed to killing Sunil in Sonepat, who was their rival. The duo said that they, as well as Sunil, were involved in illegal sand mining. Two months back, their tractor collided with that of the deceased who had demanded compensation for the damage. However, the issue got escalated and Sunil and his associates assaulted Sanjay and Deepak, the elder brother of Manjeet. Hence they killed Sunil," the police said.
Hyderabad, April 3 : Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Telangana President R.S. Praveen Kumar has written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking her intervention to replace Chairman and members of Telangana State Public Service commission (TSPSC) which has been rocked by a question paper leak.

Praveen Kumar, a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has also requested the her to order a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the question paper leak scandal.

He argued that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the state government is not at all competent to investigate such a serious scandal. Not much can be expected from the SIT which reports to the Chief Minister whose office itself is under the cloud of suspicion, he wrote.

The press briefing by the Chief Minister's son K.T. Rama Rao on behalf of the TSPSC and SIT is further adding strength to the suspicion that SIT is formed by the government only to save the actual perpetrators who are holding high offices from prosecution and punish only the small fry and give the case unceremonious burial, he alleged. This is precisely the reason why the BSP is requesting for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has a proven track record of successfully investigating such scandals in the country since independence, he added.

He also wrote that the future of lakhs of job aspirants is at stake now with the ongoing scandalous paper leakage/selling of the prestigious Group-I, AEE, AE and 15 other examinations notified by the TSPSC in the last several years.

"It's a matter of shame on the part of the TSPSC which is constituted under Article 315 of the Constitution to indulge in such illegal and criminal activities with active collusion of the ruling party," he said.

The entire affairs of TSPSC exams ended up as a scandal of gigantic proportions, where most of the question papers with master answer keys were leaked to the insiders and their relatives working in the commission for several years. This spine-chilling episode has compromised the integrity of the selection process and caused immense harm to the aspirations of millions of job seekers, reads the letter.

Stating that the TSPSC, which is the prime accused in this scandal, is going ahead with recruitment schedules at the behest of the government, he demanded that TSPSC Chairman and members be replaced with most competent and reputed persons.

"An independent inquiry by the CBI is not only crucial but also urgent, because there is very chance that critical evidence that can nail prime accused may either be destroyed or the lives of suspects who have been arrested so far will be endangered as they hold the crucial secrets of the unholy nexus among the ruling party, the CMO and the commission," Praveen Kumar claimed.

He demanded that all recent TSPSC examinations be reconducted, all upcoming ones be postponed until the Commission is completely overhauled, the recruitment process is thoroughly insulated from extraneous influences and all guilty are made to feel the full weight of law.

He also demanded that the entire functioning of the TSPSC may thoroughly be probed into by a sitting Supreme Court judge to avoid such serious embarrassment in future.
Oregon has lifted one of the last remaining COVID-19 rules, dropping the mask mandate in hospitals and other health care settings.

Hospitals and clinics throughout the mid-Willamette valley are following suit.

Last month, state health officials announced the requirement for patients, workers and visitors would be lifted, starting April 3. Washington state also announced it would be lifting its mandate that same day.

For some, the news would be received with joy, while for others who may be immunocompromised, lifting the mandate comes with anxiety, state epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger acknowledged at a March media briefing.

The mandate has been in place since August 2021, requiring workers in hospitals, mobile clinics, ambulances, outpatient facilities, dental offices, urgent care centers, counseling offices, school-based health centers and counseling offices to wear masks.

The decision to remove the requirement came after data collected by Oregon Health Authority showed lower rates of respiratory illnesses which peaked in the fall.

The decision did not preclude health care providers from creating their own policies. As of last month, officials in private health care settings had not yet decided how they would approach the news.

Now, new policies have taken shape.

At the Corvallis Clinic, the mask mandate will be lifted, but patients can request their providers wear masks, according to CEO James Kaech.

We wanted to put patient safety first and respect those who are immunocompromised, he said.

Patients can request their providers be masked when they check in and let them know ahead of time the appointment, Kaech said.

Patients also can request their health care team wear masks at Samaritan Health Services.

At Samaritan, masks will no longer be required in most health care settings, the provider announced. That means masks arent required beyond surgical rooms or in rooms where patients have an infectious disease.

To uphold patient safety, patients will be asked to wear a facemask if they have symptoms of any respiratory illness, such as colds, flu or COVID-19, according to a March 31 news release.

There will be masks, tissues and hand sanitizer available at stations and infection protocols in place for patients with certain contagious diseases, according to Samaritan.

Additionally, visitors must be free of contagious disease.

COVID-19 today is much different than it was in the spring of 2020, when uncertainty reigned, Dr. Adam Brady, chair of Samaritans emerging pathogens committee, said in a statement.

With widespread vaccines and infection-related immunity in the population, the virus has evolved to cause less severe disease, Brady said in the release.

This is a significant milestone in the pandemic, Brady said. Over the past three years, Samaritan staff, patients and visitors have diligently worn face masks in a selfless effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we are grateful.

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Global carbon emissions will decide future, G20 is vital to deal with it : Scientists Image Source: IANS News

Global carbon emissions will decide future, G20 is vital to deal with it : Scientists Image Source: IANS News

Global carbon emissions will decide future, G20 is vital to deal with it : Scientists Image Source: IANS News

Global carbon emissions will decide future, G20 is vital to deal with it : Scientists Image Source: IANS News

Agartala, April 3 : Global carbon emissions will determine the future, human fate and livelihood, thats why G20 is very important to deal with the challenge, scientists said on the opening day of the two-day Science-20 conference under Indias G20 Presidency in Agartala.

The scientists said that there is no nation, no society that can address the carbon emission challenges on their own, so G20 is so important and all nations have to work together as a global force to address these problems of climate change and sustainable development.

The President of Indian National Science Academy, Ashutosh Sharma, who chaired the Science-20 meet, said that clean energy is very important for a sustainable future, development and climate change.

"What we need right now is clean energy, which is the theme of the Science 20 conference - 'Cleaner Energy for a Cleaner Future'. One earth, one family, one future are very true for climate change as all the challenges that we face today are a global challenge," he said.

The event has been organised with inputs from the G20 countries. Scientists from 10 countries are present here, while other countries are giving their inputs virtually.

Hydrogen is one of the big and significant areas where work is going on across the globe and there is a hydrogen mission that will be taken forward in India, Sharma said.

He added that till November, India will work on these issues by producing reports, policy papers and action maps on what needs to be done with cooperation of the G20 countries before handing over the Presidency of G20 to Brazil on December 1.

Along with the global issues, particularly in the energy sector, the local issues in Tripura were also discussed.

Principal scientific advisor to the government of India, Ajay Sood, said that on January 4, the Green Hydrogen Mission was launched by the government which is steered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The cost of the mission is almost Rs 18,000 crore in which many ministries are involved, including the ministries of Steel, Petroleum, Natural Gas, Fertilisers, Shipping along with many science bodies.

It reflects the seriousness and responsibility of the government of India to address the issue of climate change with its commitment towards 'net zero carbon emission' by 2070.

Delegates from China, the US, the UK, Australia and Brazil, among others, are taking part in the Science-20 conference.
Patna, April 4 : The Muslim holy month of Ramzan is noted for being political significant in Bihar. It was in the Ramzan last year when the screenplay of the second Mahagathbandhan government was scripted when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar went to RJD leader Rabri Devi's residence for the Iftar party and the government was finally changed in the months of August.

Now, JD-U MLC Khalid Anwar invited Nitish Kumar as a chief guest in the Iftar party in his official residence in Phulwarisharif in Patna and in the background of the stage was the Red Fort, while the caption read: "People of Bihar are along with you. The country is waiting for you, Ramzan Mubarak." With this, the JD-U has given a message that Nitish Kumar is eyeing hoisting the national flag next year from the Red Fort.

Earlier in the day, Anwar had placed the posters of Nitish Kumar with the background of the Red Fort in the streets of Patna.

Nitish Kumar himself has denied several times in the past that he had no wish of becoming the Prime Minister. Even Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav claimed in the Assembly that neither does he have a wish to become Chief Minister of Bihar nor does Nitish Kumar have a wish to become the Prime Minister.

However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during the Nawada rally on Sunday, claimed that Nitish Kumar's wish to become Prime Minister would not be fulfilled as there is no vacancy for the post. The Red Fort poster could the JD-U's riposte to the BJP and Amit Shah.
New Delhi, April 4 : A 17-year-old girl was attacked by an American Bully dog in south Delhi's Neb Sarai area, an official said.

According to police, the incident occurred last week.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Chandan Chowdhary, said that on March 29, a police control room call was received at Neb Sarai police station in which the caller told police that her daughter was bitten by a dog.

"The injured was a 17-year-old girl. The medico legal report of the injured was taken from the hospital," the DCP added.

The victim told police that on March 29, she went on the terrace of her building where her top floor resident, 60-year-old Maan Singh, was also present with his pet American Bully, who attacked her.

"A case under 289 (negligent conduct with respect to animal) of the Indian Penal Code was registered and investigation is in progress," said the official.
We are pleased to partner with WIA to offer our CBRS workshop at their annual trade show. We strongly believe our workshop will provide enterprises the fundamentals of launching a successful CBRS neutral host network and we will also provide an in-depth look at the development of the CBRS neutral host network business case, said Alex Besen, Founder and CEO of The Besen Group LLC.

We are delighted to partner with The Besen Group to host a dedicated CBRS workshop at Connect (X) 2023, said Jason Nelson, Vice President of Partnerships and Development at WIA. The workshop will provide attendees with a solid understanding of the complex business models for neutral host networks.

The Besen Group expects neutral host networks to play an important role for enterprises across different vertical sectors including education, healthcare, government, military, commercial real estate, residential real estate, airport, hospitality, retail, other public venues, smart cities to name few. In the workshop, The Besen Group will present its latest TCO comparison tool titled CBRS neutral host network vs DAS in order to demonstrate the economic benefits of each technology for enterprises.

For the CBRS workshop information, please visit: https://www.connectivityexpo.com/schedule/the-besen-group-cbrs-workshop/

For the CBRS workshop registration, please visit: https://www.connectivityexpo.com/

The CBRS workshop agenda:

7:00am  7:30am Presentation by Alex Besen, Founder & CEO, The Besen Group

7:30am  7:50am Presentation by Daniel Person, Senior Vice President, Commercial Solutions, Oceus

7:50am  8:15am Panel Discussion

Alex Besen, Founder & CEO, The Besen Group

John Celentano, Business Editor, Inside Towers

Monica Paolini, Principal, Senza Fili

Will Townsend, VP & Principal Analyst, Moor Insights & Strategy

Agenda and speakers are subject to change without notice.

The workshop is sponsored exclusively by Oceus. For more information, please visit http://www.oceus.io.

About Connect (X) 2023

Connect X 2023 is the only business technology event in North America that unites the industry stakeholders who deliver infrastructure solutions for ubiquitous connectivity. As the connectivity industry continues to develop and devices evolve with more computing power, the focus shifts to the infrastructure to support 5G. The next wave of deployment will require an expanded community of network infrastructure  public and private  to usher in a new era of universal broadband applications and services to anyone, anywhere, in real-time. Connect X 2023 showcases the leaders in 5G infrastructure: innovative technology, supporting professional services and a partner ecosystem that enables ubiquitous communications between people, devices, machines and tools that support 21st century communications.

About The Besen Group

The Besen Group is an international management consulting practice to the mobile industry headquartered in the Washington DC area, with representatives in Paris and Tokyo. Its mission is to provide mobile players with tools, knowledge, and services enabling them to perform optimally in their mobile environment. The Besen Groups competitive edge is based on practical experience with mobile operators, mobile vendors, and a mobile data laboratory.
Chris Ligori of Christopher Ligori & Associates is going up against big insurance companies and lawmakers in Florida to protect Floridians against tort reform efforts taking place in Tallahassee that would allow for insurance company abuse.

Florida House Bill 837 was filed on February 15, 2023. If the Bill becomes law, the rights of injured victims in the state will be in jeopardy, and the people of Florida will be at the mercy of big name insurance companies. Chris Ligori refuses to step aside and watch that happen.

I have made it my personal mission to fight Tallahassee lawmakers trying to pass bills that side with the insurance companies and not the taxpayers and victims, said Ligori. We need to make sure that our citizens are protected our drivers, our friends and families all deserve it, said Ligori.

HB 837 Would Bring Unfortunate Changes to Floridas Civil Justice System

If this legislation passes, it would strip Floridians of the right to hold liable parties accountable for the totality of damages that they cause. Medical expenses in catastrophic injury cases could be capped at 140% of the Medicaid rate. The contributory negligence standard of fault would be followed in tort cases. This standard would enable at-fault parties to get off the hook for causing injuries to other people if they are determined to be 49% or less at fault for the incident. Additionally, someone who is determined to be 52% at fault would only be responsible for paying for 52% of the victims damages.

The legislation would also expose policyholders and third-party claimants to abuse by insurance companies. It would remove current protections that prevent them from delaying or denying valid claims.

HB 837 also reduces the statute of limitations in injury cases based on negligence. Currently, Florida imposes a four-year limitation on negligence actions. If the legislation passes, the statute of limitations will be reduced to two years.

We need to stand together and speak up against these proposed reforms, said Ligori, who is strongly urging people to call their House representatives and ask them to vote against HB 837. He is also encouraging people to call the Florida State Senator and request that they vote against SB 236.

These are important causes that affect so many people we care about, Ligori said. We cannot stand by and let these insurance companies continue to act in bad faith.

About Christopher Ligori

Lead Trial Attorney and former Assistant State Attorney Christopher Ligori has dedicated more than two decades to providing expert legal representation to people who have suffered injury or catastrophic losses, including permanent disability and death. He is a tenacious advocate dedicated to helping accident victims and their families and protecting their rights. As a 4th generation Floridian, he spent years as an Assistant State Attorney at the Hillsborough County State Attorneys Office and later worked for an insurance defense firm.

Ligori founded Christopher Ligori & Associates in Tampa, Fla. in 2000. He is one of the few lawyers in the state that has tried over 100 cases to verdict, and he is widely recognized as an expert in his field. Chris speaks regularly around the state of Florida, teaching fellow lawyers how to handle and try personal injury cases. He has been elected and presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Florida Justice Associate (FJA) and serves on its Executive Committee. He is an active PAC Trustee and recipient of 2 Silver Eagle Awards.

Chris Ligori has a track record of success that has also landed him in the invitation-only Top 100 of National Trial Lawyers, Nations Top One Percent, AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubble, Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America, and one of the 10 Best Law Firms by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. Additionally, Chris has been elected by his peers to Super Lawyers, and has been appointed by the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court to the Judicial Management Council, which is the premiere group that advises the Florida Supreme Court.

Chris was born and raised in Tampa, where he now proudly runs Christopher Ligori & Associates. After receiving his Associate of Arts degree at Florida State University, he graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Chris received his J.D. from Nova Southeastern Law School. He and his wife Sherrie live in Tampa, where they are raising two daughters (whom he calls his non-paid spokeschildren) Alessandria and Juliana.
We started with the idea to advance LA as a bioscience ecosystem by showcasing the best research across the LA academic institutions. In 2023, I can say that this has greatly exceeded expectations. We are in a growth stage and its exciting for Los Angeles.

UCLA Technology Development Group (UCLA TDG) presents the Los Angeles Bioscience Ecosystem Summit 23 (LABEST, pronounced L-A Best). This event is the premier showcase for bioscience innovation in Southern California. With national and international presenters and attendees and a true collaboration with colleagues from across LA county, LABEST presents promising academic research, entrepreneurial faculty investigators, and local startup companies. The goal is to highlight the vibrant startup ecosystem and promote awareness of the growing life science entrepreneurial ecosystem in Los Angeles to facilitate partnerships between academia, the biopharma industry, entrepreneurs and investors.

This years LABEST conference will feature a welcome by Chancellor Block followed by a fireside chat with UC Board of Regents Chair Richard Leib and Regent Lark Park. The Chancellor and the Regents will discuss the significance of innovation and entrepreneurship at the University and how it propels its mission of service. We are also honored to host the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Mr. Daren Tang., said Amir Naiberg, Associate Vice Chancellor, CEO & President, UCLA TDG (Technology Development Group).

UCLA TDG is excited to fill the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center once again for the 2023 event, which will be held on May 25, 2023. Throughout the summit, faculty members present the latest scientific breakthroughs, which may lead to the critical therapies of tomorrow. Leading bioscience translational research programs and startups will be showcased where Southern California Institutions have significant expertise, pioneering research and resource commitments to develop innovative patient therapies.

LABEST is led by Mark Wisniewski, Senior Director, BioPharmaceuticals, UCLA TDG. He adds, We are on our 5th year of the LABEST conference at UCLA. We started with the idea to advance LA as a bioscience ecosystem by showcasing the best research across the LA academic institutions. In 2023, I can say that this has greatly exceeded expectations as this event has attracted the participation of stakeholders from research programs, incubators, biomanufacturing facilities, investment funds, startups and biopharma. We are in a growth stage of the ecosystem and its exciting for Los Angeles.

LABEST INFORMATION #LABEST2023 @UCLATDG

DATE: May 25, 2023

TIME: 8:30am  7:00pm PT

LABEST OFFICIAL WEBPAGE: Link

LINK TO 2023 PROMOTIONAL VIDEO: Link

REGISTRATION: Link

WHERE: UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center

AGENDA: Link

KEYNOTE SPEAKER



Daren Tang - United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization Director General (UN WIPO)

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS



In-person conference taking place at the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center

2 Top notch panels and fireside chat with UC Regents

12 Interactive Showcases

Los Angeles Startup Ecosystem Showcase, Co-Hosted by the Larta Institute and the Lundquist Institute

LABEST SHORT TALK/PANEL DESCRIPTIONS



Panel - LA Hospital Leaders Innovating For Future Success: Moderator Judy Fortin, Executive Director of Communications UCLA Health & David Geffen School of Medicine. A panel discussion with Hospital CEOs from our long-standing LABEST partners in the Los Angeles area, covering challenges, accomplishments, and what the future has in store for Hospitals.

Panel - Meet The Leaders in the Business of Life Sciences: Moderator Arie Belldegrun, MD FACS, Chairman Bellco Capital. A panel discussion with CEOs of Life Sciences companies discussing recent discoveries, new diseases and drug discoveries in the pipeline.

Showcase - UCLA Metabolism: Led by Orian Shirihai, MD, PhD, Metabolism Theme Chair. Topics to include Liver disease, Myopathies, Cancer & Immuno-Metabolism, and Obesity & Diabetes.

Showcase - UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center: Led by Edward B. Garon, MD, MS, Thoracic Medical Oncology.

UCLA Technology Development Group (TDG) serves as a campus-wide gateway to UCLA innovation, research and entrepreneurship. Our mission is to: - Promote UCLA innovation, research, teaching and entrepreneurship to benefit society -Create economic value to support UCLAs scholarly and educational missions and the State of California -Lead UCLAs research community to bring innovation to market

TDG Website

Thank you to our Innovator Sponsors:

Amgen

Kite, A Gilead Company
Discover a newly updated module for Affirmitys Unified SaaS Platform that streamlines handling of labor data required by California Senate Bills 973 and 1162. This new update to the California Pay Data Reporting module not only helps keep companies compliant with state law, it can also help companies start, or support, broader pay equity initiatives.

Affirmity, a market leader in providing software and solutions in the workforce compliance and DE&I space, has released a major update to its California Pay Data Reporting software.

This new version is in full compliance with California Government Code section 12999, as amended by Senate Bill 1162. The California Pay Data Reporting module is integrated into Affirmitys secure, cloud-based SaaS platform for use by existing software and services clients. This module is also available as a stand-alone software solution to any new clients needing to file pay data reports per Californias regulations.

Wage gaps and pay equity issues continue to garner significant attention across all levels of government within the US as well as abroad. These entities are also increasing their ability to levy fines against companies that are non-compliant, as is the case in California. Therefore, its critical that companies submit required data before Californias May 10, 2023 reporting deadline.

Senate Bill 1162 was signed into law in September 2022, taking effect within the 2022 filing year. If you are unsure whether your company should submit pay data files, read the FAQs published by the California Civil Rights Department, specifically section III.C.

This new update to the California Pay Data Reporting module not only helps keep companies compliant with state law, it can also help companies start, or support, broader pay equity initiatives, commented Bruce Kile, Managing Director at Affirmity. This new version helps simplify and streamline what can be a complex reporting process. And, with several new regulatory changes now in effect compared to previous years, Affirmitys software helps ensure that companies are preparing accurate, complete submission files.

About the Affirmity California Pay Data Reporting Module

Affirmitys California Pay Data Reporting module assists clients by simplifying the process of importing, transforming, and managing labor data. It seamlessly creates submission files as required by state regulations. The module is intuitive and provides fully documented instructions as well as just-in-time training videos embedded within the application.

Key features include:



Standardized import file templates for both payroll employee and labor contractor employee data

Mean and median hourly rates calculation

Submission file preparation for both payroll employees and labor contractor employees

Ability to work on payroll employees and labor contractor employees independently or in parallel

To learn more about the California Pay Data Reporting Module, click here.

/ENDS

About Affirmity

Affirmity, a part of Learning Technologies Group plc (LTG), provides a robust portfolio of software, services, and training solutions that help customers minimize risk and experience the positive impacts of affirmative action and diversity and inclusion in the workforce. Drawing on more than 45 years of experience, its software and team of experts guide diversity, HR, and compliance teams to easily analyze diversity across the organization, establish targets, identify gaps and insights into causes, and track progress over time. Affirmity serves more than 1,100 organizationsincluding global corporations, mid-sized organizations, and small businesses. For more information, visit affirmity.com.


Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against AM Retail Group, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Diego employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against AM Retail Group, Inc. alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against AM Retail Group, Inc. is currently pending in the San Diego County Superior Court, Case No. 37-2023-00011858-CU-OE-CTL. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, AM Retail Group, 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, Plaintiff reported alleged instances of disability discrimination to the human resources department. Plaintiff allegedly endured ongoing work pressures, obligations, and mistreatment by supervisors as a result of her physical and mental state. The company allegedly failed to respond to Plaintiff's requests and she therefore resigned from her employment due to the hostile and discriminatory environment.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against AM Retail Group, Inc., 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***
Im excited to take on this new role and work more closely with our colleagues across North and South America. Balluff has an exceptional team of talented individuals, and I look forward to finding ways to improve our business position in the region. -- Dennis Lewis

Balluff has announced two major leadership changes. The company, a leading sensor specialist and system provider, named Dennis Lewis as regional vice president of the Americas and Rob Yurjevich as the national sales director of its US subsidiary.

Dennis has an impressive track record and a solid skill set for working with our teams to drive sales and advance Balluffs new technologies, said Florian Hermle, managing director of Balluff Worldwide. He is absolutely the right person to lead Balluff Americas to the next level. He is a strong contributor who has proven himself in several roles. We are proud to recruit our future leaders from within our organization.

Lewis most recently helped lead the company as the CEO of its US subsidiary. He joined the Balluff Inc. team in 2016 as the vice president of sales. He was previously employed as the director of sales and global marketing for BEI Sensors and as the sales director for industrial position and motion for Sensata Technologies. He earned his bachelors degree from Park University and his MBA from Arizona State University.

Im excited to take on this new role and work more closely with our colleagues across North and South America. Balluff has an exceptional team of talented individuals, and I look forward to finding ways to improve our business position in the region, said Lewis.

One of Lewis first decisions in his new role was to promote Yurjevich, who brings 17 years of industrial automation experience. He joined the Balluff team as a sales engineer in Wisconsin in 2014 and has quickly climbed the ladder, working in strategic sales and sales management roles for the packaging, food and beverage, and automotive teams. Most recently, he served as the director of industry sales for Balluff. Before that, he held sales roles for Videojet and Miles Data Technologies. He earned his bachelors degree in business from St. Norbert College in Wisconsin in 1997.

I am tremendously honored and excited to assume the role of national sales director for Balluff Inc. With its history of being an innovative leader in automation, Balluff is a great company to sell for. I look forward to working with our excellent US sales team to continue the track record of impressive growth weve achieved over the past several years, said Yurjevich.

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About Balluff

As a leading sensor and automation specialist, Balluff offers a comprehensive portfolio of innovative sensor, identification, and network solutions, as well as software for integrated system solutions. We give our all to improve the competitive position of our customers by sharing our passion for automation.

Founded in Neuhausen auf den Fildern in 1921, Balluff now employs approximately 4,000 workers in distribution, production, and development sites around the globe. This guarantees excellent worldwide product availability for our customers, as well as high-quality consulting and service directly on site.
Heather Krause "As the company continues to expand in this burgeoning market, our number one goal is to provide clients with best-in-class service and local expertise. These are the values on which Heather has built her team." Dan Lesher, senior vice president, Central Va.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty, one of the countrys fastest-growing real estate brokerages with more than 2,000 Realtors and over $8 billion in annual sales volume, today announced a merger with Arista Real Estate in Spotsylvania, Va.

Founded in 2014 by Heather Krause, Arista Real Estate has established itself as a highly experienced and locally trusted boutique real estate firm in Spotsylvania County. Their current location at 10472 Georgetown Dr. will now serve as PenFed Realtys Spotsylvania branch office, expanding the companys ever-growing presence along Virginias I-95 corridor.

I am honored to welcome Heather and the entire team of agents of Arista Real Estate to the PenFed Realty family, said Dan Lesher, senior vice president, Central Va. As the company continues to expand in this burgeoning market, our number one goal is to provide clients with best-in-class service and local expertise. These are the values on which Heather has built her team, and they will seamlessly integrate with the PenFed Realty brand, taking our representation in Spotsylvania to the next level.

Aristas full roster of sales professionals has joined PenFed Realty and will continue serving the region from the Spotsylvania office. Krause takes on an important new role in recruiting and talent acquisition.

Were very excited to join forces with PenFed Realty, said Krause. The strength of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand and the companys dedication to supporting their sales professionals will provide incredible new opportunities for our agents, and Im thrilled to remain part of their professional growth.

As of April 1, Arista Real Estate officially rebranded as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. To reach the Spotsylvania office, please email spotsylvania@penfedrealty.com or call (540) 898-1010.

About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty (http://www.penfedrealty.com) is a full-service real estate company with an annual sales volume of over $8 billion. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., the company has over 2,000 agents and more than 60 offices, providing complete real estate services nationwide and helping over 20,000 clients with their real estate needs each year. PenFed Realty is a wholly owned subsidiary of PenFed Credit Union and is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerage network, operated by HSF Affiliates LLC. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Cybereason, the XDR company, today announced a $100 million investment led by SoftBank Corp. to support the companys global growth and advance its innovation in XDR, EDR, and EPP solutions. In addition, Cybereason announced that Eric Gan will serve as the companys new CEO, subject to confirmation by the companys board and pending customary regulatory approvals, while current CEO and Co-Founder Lior Div will transition to the role of advisor.

As an Executive Vice President of SoftBank Corp., Eric Gan has a long history with Cybereason, starting with SoftBank Corp.s initial investment in Cybereason in 2015. Prior to SoftBank Corp., Gan co-founded eAccess, a telecommunications company. Gan later became an Executive Vice President of SoftBank Corp., where he led its Business Development Unit, which formed alliances with overseas companies. Before eAccess, Gan was an analyst and managing director for Goldman Sachs.

I have watched Cybereason grow from its earliest stages to a leader in the cyber industry as evidenced by its recent position as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for EPP and its record-breaking MITRE ATT&CK results. I look forward to supporting Cybereasons next stage of global growth and scale, said Gan.

I am so proud of what we have accomplished at Cybereason and I look forward to being a part of helping the company move to the next level, said Div.

This round of funding comes as Cybereason has experienced significant traction in recent months including:

Being named a Leader in the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms;

Achieving the best results in the history of the MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK

Evaluations for Enterprise, scoring 100% in Prevention, 100% in Visibility, and 100% in Real-Time Protection;

Being named to the prestigious Forbes Cloud 100;

Being named to CNBCs 10th Annual Disruptor 50 list of the most innovative privately held global companies.

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP is representing Cybereason in the financing, and Goodwin Procter LLP is representing Softbank Corp. in the financing.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the XDR company, partnering with Defenders to end attacks at the endpoint, in the cloud, and across the entire enterprise ecosystem. Only the AI-driven Cybereason Defense Platform provides predictive prevention, detection, and response that is undefeated against modern ransomware and advanced attack techniques. The Cybereason MalOp instantly delivers context-rich attack intelligence across every affected device, user, and system with unparalleled speed and accuracy. Cybereason turns threat data into actionable decisions at the speed of business. Cybereason is a privately held international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 40 countries.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The words believe, may, will, potentially, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, could, plan, expect, and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the following: (i) whether or not the conditions to closing upon some or all of the Financing occur and/or if the Financing occurs at all (in whole or in part), (ii) whether or not regulatory approvals are obtained and/or events conditioned on the receipt of regulatory approvals occur at all, (iii) the potential for growth in the market for cloud-based security solutions (domestically and internationally) and future cybersecurity spending; (iv) our business plan and our ability to effectively manage our growth; (v) anticipated trends, growth rates and challenges in our business and in the markets in which we operate; and (vi) the ability of the Company to manage costs and find efficiencies and the sufficiency of our cash to meet our cash needs.

These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties. It is not possible for the Company to predict all risks, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations. In addition, statements that we believe and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this press release, which may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These and all other forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and should not be relied upon.

Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/

Follow us: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Media Contact:

Bill Keeler

Senior Director, Global Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler@cybereason.com

(929) 259-3261
The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the trade association representing the regions technology community, today announced the finalists for its 27th annual Greater Washington Technology CFO Awards. These awards recognize CFOs and finance leaders for their extraordinary achievement and excellence in advancing the economic development of our regions technology community.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 5, 2023, at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia.

Our region continues to be a hotbed of innovation that supports technology companies throughout the growth curve continuum  including early and mid-stage technology companies to mature market leaders, said Shiv Varma, KPMG partner, and chair of this years CFO Awards program. CFOs and finance executives play a pivotal role in making our technology ecosystem as successful and vibrant as it is today.

NVTCs Technology CFO Awards represent an important moment in time to pause and reflect on how far our technology community has come, said Jennifer Taylor, president and CEO of NVTC. This years finalists are an outstanding, talented group of financial executives who have contributed to advancing the collective growth of our regions technology hub, which is regarded as one of the leading hubs in the nation. Congratulations to this years nominees..

New this year, the judges will select a chief financial officer, from the public, private or emerging growth category finalists, who has exceeded the traditional expectations of a CFO. These actions include  but are not limited to  transforming their company, implementing new and innovative technologies, and making a positive contribution to their community. The winner will be announced at the June celebration.

NVTC will also announce Rick Nadeau as the 2023 winner of the Michael G. Devine Hall of Fame Award, to recognize him for his contributions to our regions technology community over his career.

An independent panel of former CFO Awards winners selected finalists in four award categories.

The 2023 NVTC Technology CFO Awards finalists are:

Emerging Growth CFO of the Year:

Susan Bittle, Organizational Development Resource Group, LLC

Rick Heath, Erickson Immigration Group

Yuctan Hodge II, Evans Consulting

Mike Kalten, Whisker Labs

Gregory Shanahan, StraighterLine

Andrew Volkmann, FranConnect

Private Company CFO of the Year:

Jonathan Boldt, Inovalon

Jeff Cook, Octo

Daniel Ehrmantraut, Applied Information Sciences (AIS)

Joe Harar, EdgeConneX

Silvana Hernandez, Pavion

Andy Ivanovich, The Knot Worldwide

Tamara Jack, LMI

Jansen Whitlock, Modus Create

Public Company CFO of the Year:

Michael Dippold, Leonardo DRS, Inc.

Kathryn JohnBull, DLH

Susan Lynch, V2X, Inc.

2023 Class of Rising Stars:

Zach Blaine, Expel

Paul Donnell, FiscalNote

Emily Lane, Arcfield

Tim Mulieri, GTT Communications, Inc.

Matthew Robarge, Cision

Samantha Ross, Unanet

Amanda Williams, IonQ

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Contact

Tarin Horan

Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC)

thoran@nvtc.org

703.946.0319

About the Northern Virginia Technology Council

NVTC is the trade association representing the Northern Virginia technology community. As one of the nations largest technology councils, NVTC serves companies from all sectors of the industry, from small businesses and start-ups to Fortune 100 technology companies, government contractors, as well as service providers, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. More than 450 members look to the organization as a resource for networking and educational opportunities, peer-to-peer communities, policy advocacy, industry promotion, fostering of strategic relationships, and branding of the region as a major global technology center. Learn more at http://www.nvtc.org.
EBSCO has been a longtime, trusted partner on statewide projects like OpenAthens and the GALILEO Search Portal. We look to deepen that relationship even further to foster innovation, openness, and cooperation with this FOLIO and ReShare implementation.

GALILEO has selected FOLIO as its new Library Services Platform (LSP), with plans to share FOLIO with 86 libraries from 26 colleges and universities across the University System of Georgia (USG) and the Georgia Archives. GALILEO will utilize EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) for implementation and hosting services via EBSCO FOLIO. GALILEO will begin migrating these new technologies in 2023, with plans to be fully operational by June 2025.

FOLIO represents a significant advancement in library technology, including meaningful improvements such as integrations, record formats, and discoverability. FOLIOs growing community of librarians actively enhances the platform while supporting traditional resource management functionality that can be extended into emerging areas. FOLIO is designed to be flexible, allowing librarians to choose their preferred applications and workflow needs.

In addition to FOLIO, GALILEO will implement a consortial borrowing solution that is being developed by Knowledge Integration, a key software developer and a part of Project ReShare. Project ReShare is a user-centered, community-owned resource-sharing platform that will allow opportunities to include various forms of object fulfillment as the consortium grows and evolves. GALILEO has been a member of the ReShare community since 2021.

Gar Sydnor, EBSCO Information Services Executive Vice President of Research Databases and Library Services, says EBSCO helps make open-source solutions viable, even to the worlds largest libraries and consortia. GALILEOs involvement in FOLIO is yet another example of the impact of the library communitys most disruptive technology. GALILEO is a cutting-edge library consortium that combines vision and practicality, and we are very pleased to be working with them in this regard.

Jeff Steely, Dean of Libraries at Georgia State University Library, describes the decision-making process being influenced by FOLIOs effort to redefine library services and innovate with library futures in mind. After a very robust, year-and-a-half process involving many USG library professionals scoring hundreds of technical requirements, we entered negotiations with exciting options. I am pleased that the process led to the selection of an affordable, modern, and constantly improving system.

Lucy Harrison, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Library Services and Executive Director of GALILEO, says they look forward to collaborating with like-minded institutions like MOBIUS and the Library of Congress while working towards a common goal. "As a library consortium, we understand the power of knowledge sharing. FOLIO represents a place where we can do just that alongside some of the most influential players in the open source community. EBSCO has been a longtime, trusted partner on statewide projects like OpenAthens and the GALILEO Search Portal. We look to deepen that relationship even further to foster innovation, openness, and cooperation with this FOLIO and ReShare implementation."

The 26 colleges and universities include nine state colleges, nine state universities, four comprehensive regional universities, four research universities, and the Georgia Archives. In addition to the support from EBSCO FOLIO Services, the University System of Georgia libraries have access to the EBSCO Knowledge Base and currently use EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) for discovery and OpenAthens for single sign-on software.

About GALILEO

GALILEO, Georgias virtual library, empowers, connects and improves the lives of Georgia residents as the states gateway to credible, authoritative library resources. Began in 1995, GALILEO is an initiative of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The community of more than 2,000 GALILEO institutions includes the University System of Georgia, the Technical College System of Georgia, public and private K-12 schools, public libraries, and several private academic colleges and universities. GALILEOs programs include Affordable Learning Georgia, GALILEO Interconnected Libraries and Digital Library of Georgia. To learn more about GALILEO, visit about.galileo.usg.edu.

About EBSCO Information Services

EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is the preeminent provider of online research content and search technologies serving academic, school and public libraries; healthcare and medical institutions; corporations; and government agencies around the world. From research, acquisition management, subscription services and discovery to clinical decision support and patient care, learning, and research and development, EBSCO provides institutions with access to content and resources to serve the information and workflow needs of their users and organizations. For more information, visit the EBSCO website at: http://www.ebsco.com.

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For more information, please contact:

Erica Gilson

Senior Communications Specialist

978-414-0385

egilson@ebsco.com
Years prior, Carriger was inspired by a book about Mother Teresa which eventually led her to join Wycliffe Bible Translators. The Lord led her on a mission that she never dreamed of and for half a decade she served as a teacher in Niger, Kenya, Tanzania, and Cameroon.

In Missionary Mama: Tales of Africa and Wycliffe Bible Translators, 2001-2015, by Kathleen L. Carriger, readers are provided with an in-depth look at Carrigers transition from a California homebody to a missionary in Africa.

A lot of people are fascinated by reading missionary stories and looking for ways to stretch their own faith or they may wonder if they would want to be a missionary, Carriger said. This book is a real-life story of what that could look like.

Carriger returned to the U.S. where she served at Wycliffes training base in N.C. There, she eventually joined the Youth and Family Ministries team and worked with families that had served all over the world.

Missionary Mama will take readers through the highs and lows of Carrigers adventure as a missionary and will share how she evolved from a wife, mother, and teacher to a woman with a heart for the world.

Missionary Mama: Tales of Africa and Wycliffe Bible Translators, 2001-2015

By Kathleen L. Carriger

ISBN: 9781664254947 (softcover); 9781664254961 (hardcover); 9781664254954 (electronic)

Available at WestBow Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the author

Kathleen L. Carriger received her bachelors degree in English and earned her Elementary School Teaching Credential. Additionally, she holds her combined masters degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education and furthered her preparation by earning her Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificates. Carriger was raised in a Christian family in the San Francisco Bay Area. She married her military husband at age twenty and they traveled through Europe together while stationed in Germany. She taught for a number of years before she took a break to raise their two sons and during that time her faith broadened. After reading a book about Mother Teresa she committed her future to mission work and thirteen years later she began preparing to become a missionary. During that time she taught elementary and international university students while preparing to move to Africa for five years. After her return she continued to work for the mission organization until her retirement. Carriger currently resides in Yolo County, Calif.

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General Inquiries:

LAVIDGE  Phoenix

Ashley Baccaro

480-648-7557

abaccaro@lavidge.com
The Lord told me to write this book on prayer based on my 40-year prayer journey with the Lord.

Author Susan F. Sanchez encourages readers on the importance of praying in her book, How You Can Receive Miracles Through Prayer and Intercession ($16.99, paperback, 9781662873706; $7.99, e-book, 9781662873713).

Sanchez shares the miracles that God has performed in her life as a way to inspire and motivate Christians to pray more effectively and confidently. She provides readers with proven successful keys of praying, a powerful tool for inciting prayer practice and encouragement for readers to believe that miracles can and will happen through prayer. The author hopes that her book will instill a passion for miracles among readers while strengthening fellowships and relationships with the Holy Spirit.

When asked what inspired the author to write this book, Sanchez said, The Lord told me to write this book on prayer based on my 40-year prayer journey with the Lord.

Susan Sanchez attended college at Long Beach State University in Long Beach, California. She has worked full-time in real estate for the past 21 years. After receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Sanchez, attended Bible School for two years. Throughout her 40-year prayer journey, she was taught by the Holy Spirit the principles and ways of God in prayer and growing in the anointing. Sanchez partnered with and pioneered two new Churches. She helped build these works of God and laid a foundation from the ground up. Sanchez helped to birth Gods purposes for these two Churches through prayer and building ministries that served Gods people. She was a leader of prayer and intercession in her current Church, Regency Church, in Whittier, California, for many years.

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Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. How You Can Receive Miracles Through Prayer and Intercession is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.
When Jason and Performance are involved in a deal, the OEMs know that hes already done the hard work and the deal is solid because he has vetted the buyer and seller to make sure theyre a good match.

Performance Brokerage Services, North Americas highest volume dealership brokerage firm, is pleased to announce the sale of H & J Chevrolet in Kerman, California from Rick and Mike Teixeira to Jay and David Gill of Gill Automotive Group.

H & J Chevrolet has been a family owned and operated fixture in the community of Kerman, California for over 57 years since founded by John Teixeira. Johns sons, Rick and Mike eventually took over the family business and have since upheld their fathers legacy of outstanding customer service and integrity. H & J Chevrolet is one of a few dealerships to receive a highly prestigious 50-Year Service Award from General Motors for exceptional service and goodwill in their community.

Over the last 5 years, Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 300 dealerships, making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America. In 2022, the company consummated 92 transactions, marking a record-breaking year. Jason Stopnitzky, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the Co-Founder of Performance Brokerage Services commented, I am so proud to have been selected by Rick and Mike Teixeira of H & J Chevrolet in Kerman, California to guide them through the process of selling their family business after over five decades. Rick and Mike are truly some of the finest people I ever had the pleasure to work with during my 25-year career selling dealerships. What also makes this transaction so special to me was the gentleman sitting on the other side of the table, Jay Gill. Jay has done so much good for the Kerman community, and even as Gill Automotive Group expands with stores in much larger markets, Kerman has and always will be home for Jay and his family. Jay is going to bring his team and the horsepower needed to take this dealership to the next level, while preserving the H & J family legacy and treating customers the same way the Teixeira family has for 57 years. What makes this transaction truly exceptional is that Jays nephew, David Gill, is now a Partner in his first new car dealership. Jay has accomplished more than he ever dreamed possible, and this is just the beginning for David and his family. I am so excited for Jay, David and the Gill family!

Jay Gill, President and CEO of Gill Automotive Group, was born in India and migrated to the United States with his family at the age of 8. After his arrival, Gill spent many of his childhood days picking fruits and vegetables alongside his family as a hired hand on a farm. At the time, Gill never imagined that one day hed be living the American Dream, running a large and profitable automotive group.

Gill began his career in the automotive industry in his early twenties when he took a position selling used cars. He quickly discovered that he enjoyed the business and had a knack for selling vehicles. Gill eventually transitioned to becoming a dealership owner when he established Gill Automotive Group in 1997. Gills business savvy and dedication allowed him to successfully grow his company over the next 25 years. With the acquisition of H & J Chevrolet, Gill Automotive Group currently operates 10 dealerships, with 9 in Northern & Central California and one dealership in Hawaii.

Jay Gills nephew, David Gill, also entered the auto industry with tremendous ambition. In 2016, David independently established a used car dealership, Auto Dealz of Fresno, and quickly managed to drive retail volume to over 1,000 units a year. Davids success caught the attention of General Motors and he gained approval as a new car dealer after attending the General Motors Holding Academy. David Gill will now apply his experience as a first time co-owner, and operate H & J Chevrolet alongside his industry veteran uncle.

Jay Gill stated, Let me start off by saying that I have known Jason Stopnitzky for over 20 years and even though this was my first transaction with him, he has always been a friend and someone who has guided me to make good decisions for my organization. Jason always gives the best advice in the automotive industry without any personal interest. I am proud and honored to have acquired H & J Chevrolet through Jason and Performance Brokerage Services. Throughout this entire transaction, Jason has been incredibly professional and has operated with the highest integrity. Jason made the entire transaction seamless and always gave his unbiased opinion to both parties. I am proud to call Jason Stopnitzky my friend and hope to do many more transactions with him. I truly value his role in a very complicated industry. I recommend anyone buying or selling to give Jason an opportunity to represent them. They will not be disappointed. When Jason and Performance are involved in a deal, the OEMs know that hes already done the hard work and the deal is solid because he has vetted the buyer and seller to make sure theyre a good match. Thank you again to Jason for his valued service. I look forward to working with Performance Brokerage Services on many more deals.

The dealership will remain at its current location at 14680 West Whitesbridge Avenue in Kerman, California and will be renamed Gill Chevrolet of Kerman.

Jay and David Gill were represented by the Law Offices of William F. Ghiringhelli in Dublin, California.

Rick and Mike Teixeira were represented by Charles D. Melton, Esq. in Bakersfield, California.

About Performance Brokerage Services

Performance Brokerage Services, Inc. is North Americas highest volume dealership brokerage firm, specializing in buy-sell activity for automotive, RV, commercial truck, powersports, and equipment dealerships.

With over 25 years of experience, 700 dealerships sold, and a 90% closing rate, the companys reputation is unmatched and governed by the utmost ethical conduct and integrity.

The company offers a unique approach by providing complimentary estimates of value with no upfront fees or retainer, no reimbursement of costs, and paid a success fee only after the transaction closes.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, and supported by 9 regional offices in Utah, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Alberta and Ontario, clients benefit from national exposure with local representation.

As trusted and respected experts in the field, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related attorneys, accountants, hundreds of registered buyers, and longstanding relationships with various vehicle manufacturers.

For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com.
PTI Fact Check: Digitally altered photo of Dubais Burj Khalifa building shared on social media with the false claim

New Delhi, Apr 2 (Abhinav Gupta / Pratyush Ranjan PTI Fact Check): A Twitter user shared a photo of Dubais iconic Burj Khalifa, claiming the skyscraper was lit up with Lord Rams image on the occasion of Ram Navami. The photo was shared in a social media post on Mar 31, a day after Ram Navami, indicating that the picture was clicked recently. In its investigation, the PTI Fact Check Desk found that the photo shared in the social media post was digitally altered, and an image of Lord Ram was placed on the picture of Burj Khalifa to share with a false claim.



Claim

A Twitter user shared on Mar 31 a photo of Lord Ram being projected on the Burj Khalifa, indicating that it happened on the occasion of Ram Navami.

Jai Shree Ram. read the post, which has garnered over 480K views, more than 11,000 likes and 1,200 retweets.

Here is the link and archive link to the tweet. Below is a screenshot of the post:





Investigation

The Desk started the investigation with a Google Reverse Image Search on the viral photo. It came across a Twitter post carrying the same picture with the claim that it happened on the occasion of Ram Navami.

Here is the link and archive link to the Mar 31 post, and below is a screenshot of the same:





The Desk also found an iStock post carrying a similar image, uploaded on Feb 3, 2016.

Dubai, UAE - December 28, 2015: Night view of Burj Khalifa tower. Burj Khalifa is the tallest structure in the world (828 m), read the photos caption.

Here is the link to the iStock page, and below is a screenshot of the same:





The Desk compared the two photos and found them to be the same, except that Lord Rams image was digitally included in the one shared in social media posts.

Below is a combination image comparing the two photos:





In the next part of the investigation, the Desk conducted a customised Google search with relevant keywords but could not find any relevant news reports.

We also emailed Burj Khalifa's communications department, seeking a response on the viral image. The story will be updated as and when it is received.

Subsequently, it was concluded that the photo shared on social media was digitally altered to add Lord Rams image on the Burj Khalifa.



Claim

Lord Rams image was displayed on Burj Khalifa on Ram Navami on March 30.



Fact

A digitally altered image was shared in social media posts with a false claim.



Conclusion

Several social media users shared a photo showing Lord Rams image being displayed on the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and claimed that this happened recently on Ram Navami. In its investigation, the Desk found that a photo of the skyscraper dating back to 2016 was digitally altered to add Lord Rams image and shared on social media with false claims.

You can contact PTI Fact Check on WhatsApp Number +91-8130503759 and share any claim or social media post you think is essential to fact-check and want us to verify.
MTN and Vodafone expanded a pilot roaming agreement nationwide in Ghana to bolster connectivity in the country, reported Ghana Web.

Vodafone Ghana CEO Patricia Obo-Nai said: National roaming offers customers a greater choice of network providers. In 2022, we successfully collaborated with the government, the regulator, and MTN Ghana to pilot the national roaming service in the Volta Region. We are excited that this partnership has extended to other regions.

Other regions to immediately experience the effect of national roaming between the two operators were not detailed.

The agreement is part of a wider strategy from the government to accelerate connectivity in Ghana, deliver universal access, and push digitalisation.

National roaming enables subscribers from either operator to connect to both networks and expand their connectivity reach.

The pilot for the scheme was first launched in the Volta region, where MTN had the bigger footprint and hosted Vodafone subscribers.

Rivals Glo and Airtel Tigo also penned a nationwide roaming agreement last year.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  The Purdue Women in Agriculture Team is accepting nominations for the 2023 Purdue Women in Agriculture awards, an annual recognition of women who are leaders, innovators and significant contributors to the success of Indiana agriculture.

Nominations are being accepted for three awards. The Emerging Women in Agriculture Leadership Award recognizes accomplishments of a high school or undergraduate student who has made an impact on agriculture. The Women in Agriculture Leadership Award recognizes a woman in an agribusiness or policymaking position who has actively influenced Indiana agriculture. The Women in Agriculture Achievement Award honors a woman directly involved in a home farm operation.

Nomination forms and guidelines are available online. The nomination application and two letters of support are due by May 1 to Beth Vansickle, agriculture and natural resources educator for Purdue Extension Madison County, at bvansickle@purdue.edu. Winners will receive their awards at the 2023 Indiana State Fair during the Celebration of Agriculture ceremony. Self-nominations or nominations through others are acceptable.

The 2022 Emerging Women in Agriculture Leadership Award recipient was Savannah Bordern, a Purdue University student. Katie Glick, practice group director for Ice Miller LLP, was honored with the 2022 Women in Agriculture Leadership Award. Joelle Orem of Howard County was the 2022 Women in Agriculture Achievement Award recipient.

Vansickle chairs the Purdue Women in Agriculture awards committee. The Purdue Women in Agriculture Team provides educational opportunities and resources for women in the agriculture industry and coordinates the Midwest Women in Agriculture conference.

Writer: Abby Leeds, mayer36@purdue.edu

Source: Beth Vansickle, bleonhar@purdue.edu

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Jacque Yates has a message for working adults everywhere: Youve got a comeback in you.

Yates, originally from Gary, Indiana, and now living in Texas, speaks from experience. She returned to school 10 years after completing her bachelors degree in a traditional college setting.

With the help of Purdue Global, I was able to come back greater, and for me, greater looks like becoming Dr. Jacque Yates, said Yates, who earned her Master of Public Health degree in 2021 and delivered the August 2022 Purdue Global commencement address. That wouldnt have been a possibility if it wasnt for my journey here at Purdue Global or the various staff and faculty that embodied the values of seeing me as a whole person. I hope that you are able to be a part of somebodys comeback story because theyre worth it.

Backed by the power of Purdue

Purdue University, Indianas land-grant university, has operated Purdue Global since 2018, following Purdues purchase of Kaplan University. Purdue Global opened access to online education for thousands of working adults who have life experience and some college credits across Indiana, the U.S. and around the world.

Purdue Global officially launched a new brand campaign, This Is My Comeback, Monday (April 3), marking the first refreshment of the brand since the universitys formation. The brand campaign is an outward expression of the universitys strengths of being an online university, built for working adults and part of, and backed by, Purdue University. The campaign includes a new visual identity and narrative that will guide Purdue Globals storytelling, marketing and communication efforts.

The new branding and marketing strategy is the culmination of a yearlong effort following discussions and collaborations between Purdue Global Chancellor Frank Dooley; R. Ethan Braden, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Purdue University and Purdue Global; and Kati Pratt, executive director of brand and marketing strategy for Purdue Marketing and Communications. This group and various stakeholders reviewed the basic question of what it means to be Purdue Global in a crowded online education field.

Today is a pivotal day in Purdue Globals history, Dooley said. Over the past five years, we have brought more resources, expertise and staff from Purdue West Lafayette to the work we do at Purdue Global. We have emulated what Purdue West Lafayette has done because it was good for both of us, but more importantly, the students we serve.

Dooley said the rebranding builds on Purdue Globals strengths and commitment to help working adults by benefiting from the facultys practical, real-world experience, which focuses on skills and career outcomes for students.

It goes back to our name. That first word is Purdue. Both Purdue and Purdue Global offer something to the world, Dooley said.

Almost 40 million Americans have earned college credit but have not completed a college degree. Dooley said its time to transform not just Purdue Global but also online higher education and help those with college credits come back and cross the stage to earn their degrees.

The comeback stories are the cornerstones of the Purdue Global campaign, showing the real lives and challenges that working adults face as they look to improve their career trajectory, economic standing and quality of life through an accessible degree from a respected, rigorous and trustworthy online school. Supportive networks built by Purdue Globals faculty and staff can help determined adults not only attain their goals but, in many instances, provide hope and serve as role models for their children as they go back to school to attain their degree.

Ultimately, according to Braden, it means getting into character and looking for ways to engage and encourage those nearly 40 million adults to come back and earn their degree.

For 154 years, Purdue, as a land-grant university, has been on a mission to make education accessible for more and more people. Thats a big idea that people can get behind and want to associate with, Braden said. Its in our DNA. Purdue Global is the next frontier of Purdues land-grant mission. With it, we can take a trusted education and transcend boundaries  otherwise physical boundaries  using technology to bring a Purdue Global education to anybody who wants it and is willing to earn it.

Braden also sees a major opportunity to expand the Purdue mission to serve the world through a Purdue-backed online curriculum that is built and designed for working adults.

We have an incredible master brand, an incredible story, and most importantly, we have incredible faculty and staff who care deeply about changing the world by changing the lives of these students, Braden said. Our students say that working on their Purdue Global degree is hard and a lot of work, but its worth it. Purdue Global is challenging. Its true, relevant and legitimate. In a sentence, Purdue Global is about real opportunity for more students.

As part of the Purdue system, Purdue Global graduates also are eligible for membership in Purdue Alumni Association and other groups associated with Purdue and managed by Purdue for Life Foundation.

Built for working adults

Much has changed during the past five years in online education  including a global pandemic that made online education not only accepted but also a requirement in many instances, with more brick-and-mortar higher education institutions offering online classes and degree programs.

Purdue Global leaders have been working with Fortune 500 companies either directly or through partners like Guild to become one of the leading options for employee education benefits, providing access to education programs that foster employee recruitment, training, development, promotion and retention within these companies. Purdue Global also has a deep partnership with Ivy Tech Community College and OneTen.org to address workforce development nationally and across Indiana.

The current student snapshot at Purdue Global includes:

60% of students are 30 years of age or older.

42% of students are underrepresented minorities.

51% of students have a child or other dependents.

Nearly one-third are either in the military or veterans.

50% are first-generation college students.

Purdue Marketing and Communications did extensive research with Purdue Global students, prospective students, student advisors, faculty, alumni and business partners. Three themes emerged from the research: 1) students want a university that will help them prepare for whats next in their lives and careers, 2) as working adults, they want to feel valued and get credit for what they know and have already done, and 3) they want a degree that they can trust and be proud of  one that is backed by Purdue.

Purdue Global will prepare students for whats next, Pratt said. Purdue Global is for working adults who bring life experience to the classroom. They are often working adults who have some college credits who want to earn a degree that they can be proud of and that employers will respect.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdues online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelors, masters or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.

Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, oatesw@purdue.edu; @mo_oates

Sources: Frank Dooley

Ethan Braden

Kati Pratt

Jacque Yates
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Own a piece of sunshine in the dream state of Florida! Enjoyable weather all year round! Beautiful, quarter acre of buildable, residential land only 7 minutes from the University of Florida, which is one of the top 5 public universities in all of the United States! 5 minutes to downtown! Take a quick vacation to wonderful beaches or Disney World within only less than 2 hours of driving! 10 minutes to Newnans Lake Boat Ramp and Fishing Piers! 15 minutes to Oaks Mall! 8 minutes to Shands Hospital,...

Price: $ 37,000 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 1410 SE 1st Dr, Gainesville FL Zip/Postal Code: 32601 Zoning: Residential City: Gainesville State/Province: Florida Location: 326**, Gainesville, Florida

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"Cedar Falls 2"OR CA105791545 The S 1/2 of Lot 10Section 15Township 23N 5E. Mount Diablo Meridian Directions to your claim  From Oroville, drive north on HWY 70 for approx. 5 miles. At wicks Corner, stay on HWY 70 and drive up the Feather River Canyon. 20.1 miles later, You will take a left onto Pulga Rd. (Just before HWY 70 crosses the river on a bridge) After 1 mile you will come into the tiny town of Pulga. Stay left, and continue on Camp Creek Road. There is a sign on the side of the road...

Price: $ 3,200 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Unpatented Gold Mining Claim Zoning: Recreational City: Oroville State/Province: California Location: 960**, Redding, California

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.12 Acres of Res. Land For Sale In Clearlake Oaks, CAItem DescriptionREAD FIRST DO NOT BUY-IT-NOW WITH OUT MESSAGING ME FIRST THIS PROPERTY IS OWNER FINANCED DOWN PAYMENT: $99.00 DOCUMENT FEE: $195.0024 MONTHLY PAYMENTS: $295.00 w 0% Interest TOTAL SALE PRICE: $7,080.00 PLUS DOC FEE AND DOWN PAYMENT Parcel: 035-162-050-000 Address: 12646 Lakeview Dr. Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423 This is a nice hillside property in Clearlake Oaks, CA. It has power and water on the street. Deed Type: Grant Deed Legal ...

Price: $ 99 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 12646 Lakeview Dr. Clearlake Oaks Zip/Postal Code: 95423 Zoning: Residential City: Clearlake Oaks State/Province: California Location: 926**, San Clemente, California

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Tanzanias President Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for state-owned TTCL (Tanzania Telecommunication Corporation) to reconsider its future as an operator given its failure in the telecoms space.

Local outlet The Citizen quoted Suluhu as saying: Frankly speaking, TTCL has failed in the telecom business, let them focus on providing broadband; in fact, if they engage in telecom and the broadband belongs to them, there is no fairness in the competition.

The castigating verdict came after Suluhu received an annual report from the Controller and Auditor General. In her address at State House, Dar es Salaam, Suluhu said that TTCL must review its operations to determine if it can compete effectively in the telecoms market, and identify other areas of operation if not, adding: I gave this directive last year; I do not know why it has not been implemented.

TTCL was tasked with registering 100,000 net new subscriptions in the Dar es Salaam region during a review period, but by the end of 2022 it had accrued just 42,000 fixed broadband subscriptions. CommsUpdate noted that its share of the mobile market at this time was just 2.3%, with subscriptions actually falling year-on-year from 1.74 million to 1.42 million.
Property details:

INVESTMENT PROPERTYLUNA COUNTY, NEW MEXICOI own a nice 1 acre lot near Deming in Luna County, New Mexico, with close access to Interstate 10. This land is in an excellent location near Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is between El Paso, Texas, to the east and Tucson, Arizona, to the west on I - 10. Local pick up for this sale is not necessary despite it saying so in the shipping instructions.TERMSI am selling the lot for $3,850. The bid amount will be added to this figure. There is no minimum, which ...

Price: $ 5 State/Province: New Mexico Seller State of Residence: Illinois Zip/Postal Code: 88030 Zoning: Residential City: Deming Type: Homesite, Lot Location: 880**, Deming, New Mexico

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Small Beautiful land lot in Mohave County, Arizona. Superba's Boulder Addition. Please see the pictures. Parcel Number 30814597A.The title will transfer via special warrant deed. No back taxes or liens.Please add $399 for closing cost to the final bid price. Highest bid wins the auction. Buy it now only $1000 only. We also have other land lots in the area. Many dwellings on these small lots. Feel free to contact Peter at 908 432 5030 for any questions or to buy it before the auction ends. Thank ...

Price: $ 300 Seller State of Residence: Arizona Property Address: N. Valley Road Zip/Postal Code: 86431 Zoning: A-General City: Chloride State/Province: Arizona Location: 860**, Sun Valley, Arizona

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Photos are stock photos from the resort website and do not represent a specific unit.Please read the entire auction prior to bidding. Vacation Village at Parkway 92,500 Annual RCI PointsThis is an RCI Gold Crown ResortMortgage Free timeshare ownership! After a full day enjoying the theme park capital of the world, youll be ready to return to the spacious, well-appointed suite at Vacation Village at Parkway. And if you choose to spend some time at the resort, you can relax in one of seven heat...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Pennsylvania Property Address: 2975 Arabian Night Blvd City: Kissimmee State/Province: Florida Type: Attractions Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 2 Zip/Postal Code: 34747 Location: 180**, Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania

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MARRIOTT KO OLINA BEACH CLUB RESORT______________________________________________________________________________ The exquisite western shore of Oahu is home to Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club, where waterfalls and fountains welcome your arrival. Only 18 miles from Honolulu, this secluded beachfront oasis is nestled within Ko Olina Resort & Marina, a lush 640-acre gated community where seven crystal-clear lagoons shimmer.This relaxing retreat in the beautiful Kapolei region of Oahu's southwest co...

Price: $ 5,100 State/Province: Tennessee Seller State of Residence: Tennessee City: Sevierville Location: , Kapolei, Hawaii

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PALMERA VACATION CLUBHilton Head Island, SC Palmera Vacation Club helps members create customized vacation experiences year after year. The vacation club gives you the opportunity to choose to return to Hilton Head Island whenever you vacation at any of these famous resort: Coral Sands Coral Reef Island Links Port O' Call Or getaway to an array of RCI Affiliated Resorts with the exchange program. There are 4,300 RCI Resorts worldwide and all these resorts are eligible to book using your Palmera ...

Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Missouri Property Address: 33 Office Park Rd Suite #218 Zip/Postal Code: 29928 City: Hilton Head Island State/Province: South Carolina Location: 658**, Springfield, Missouri

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Its no secret that were big fans of a well-executed whiskey  even better if it has an inspirational story behind it. Hotel Tango Distillery checks both boxes with vigor.

Travis Barnes enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks and was quickly selected for service in 1st Recon Battalion, where he went on to serve three tours in Iraq.

Following his Marine Corps service, Travis went to law school and had two life-altering events: meeting his wife, Hilary, and taking an interest in the spirits business. During his time in law school, the state of Indiana  where Hotel Tango is based out of  changed their liquor distillation laws for the first time since Prohibition.

This change created an opportunity for Travis to turn his passion for spirits into a business, and thus Hotel Tango Distillery was born. Says Travis:

The company approaches everything from a military mindset  from the way we produce our spirits to the way we communicate with each other in the boardroom. I wouldnt be here today without relying on the lessons I learned in the Marines, and I could not be prouder or more humbled of where Hotel Tango is today because of the military values that have built this company.

We can happily vouch for the results of this approach, having tasted their bourbon ourselves. We found their take on the all-American spirit to be incredibly smooth with heavy notes of vanilla and just enough warmth on the back end to tame a winter chill.

Fortunately, this focus on military mindset and core values doesnt stop inside the walls of Hotel Tangos headquarters. Travis and his team make a concerted effort to bolster a number of veteran causes, including the American Legions Be the One campaign to end veteran suicide.

They also support a local Indianapolis charity called Helping Veterans and Families (HVAF). Furthermore, Travis says, If there is anyone reading this article that needs support, please reach out. We are happy to help if we can!

Hotel Tango is available nationwide, anywhere where spirits are sold. If its not available where you happen to imbibe, ask for it. Theres also their in-house tasting room in Indianapolis.

Travis invites anyone passing through, especially veterans, to stop in and raise a glass:

I love hanging out with vets who stop in at our tasting room in downtown Indianapolis. It is always humbling to hear stories from our countrys warrior class. If anyone is ever passing through Indy, please let me know because I always love hanging out with those who have served this country.
Residents across a wide swath of the U.S. are racing to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast
Authorities say a 34-year-old man could face a murder charge in connection with a weekend shooting outside a Los Angeles shopping center that killed on person and wounded three others
On Friday, the Psi chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon at the University of Georgia celebrated a ground breaking ceremony for the remodeling of their house on South Milledge Avenue.

The remodeling has been in the works for several years, according to Nicole Defeo, international executive director and CEO of Delta Phi Epsilon. Planning began approximately five years ago, but the pandemic delayed the project. Finally, work has begun and will continue for several months.
Politicians and Twitter warriors around the globe have a new buzzword among them: Net zero.

Everyone appears to be keen to state their commitment to net zero, with India providing an outlay of Rs 35,000 crore to achieve energy transition and net-zero objectives in its Budget for FY24, even as the latest and final report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that current efforts are not enough to curb global warming.

A number of small factory owners and businesses, however, have pointed out that the transition to net-zero emissions will cost them hugely.

According to a media report, India has over 60 million microbusinesses and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that employ over 110 million people.

Some of them are still recovering from the debilitating effects of the Covid pandemic, and with limited resources available for them to make the green switch, they find themselves left in the lurch.

According to a McKinsey report published in 2022, total spending by governments and individuals would need to rise by $3.5 trillion a year in a bid to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 -- an increase of 60 per cent from the current level of investment.

The report states that 185 million jobs will be lost due to the transition, though 200 million jobs may also be created.

Access to green technology and its financing remains a challenge.

"Cost of finance determines the breakeven period: Cheaper the finance, the shorter the breakeven period, reducing the risk of technological upgrade.

"A massive technological upgrade is needed for India to bridge the gap with our peers, says Anil Bhardwaj, secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Micro Small & Medium Enterprises.

Aneemesh Saxena, former president of FISME, echoes Bhardwajs view.

The cost of making this transition is enormous. It includes replacing the majority of the machines, training personnel, certifications, and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for organic growth, among other measures, he said.

According to these players, a major hurdle is a transition from coal to a sustainable source of energy.

The immediate and best alternative could be natural gas, which was used by the West to transition from coal.

"In India, natural gas can be supplemented by renewable forms of energy, all of which would be significantly more expensive than coal, said Shoubhik Dasgupta, partner, Pioneer Legal.

While PNG or gas may be a suitable alternative, the ground reality paints a different picture altogether.

According to Chhabra, in NCR, the pipelines dont even cover 50 per cent of MSMEs.

The time taken to provide a connection is three-six months.

"The number of total connections, across India, does not cover even 10 per cent of MSMEs and the speed of providing the connectivity is painfully slow.

"Every industry has to spend a lot to get gas connections and gensets, he said.

In Delhi-NCR, the authorities have banned the use of fossil fuel and mandated conversion into PNG for boilers and DG sets.

"PNG gas connection, conversion of equipment, and replacing diesel gensets demand a huge cost outlay. MSMEs cannot afford this with their own resources, said Saxena.

Transition to renewable energy (wind or water) may push industries to shift their bases to coastal areas to harness the abundance of water and wind in those areas.

"It would mean industries may start moving out of the mainland at some point, said an industry insider.

Industry players also say that customers have not bought into the idea of sustainability mainly because of the cost involved. Rakesh Chhabra, president of Sonipat-based Rai Industries Association, said people still opt for cheaper alternatives despite greener options.

In India, mass adoption of any new environment-friendly product is driven by cost sensibilities.

"However, in certain segments like electric vehicles (EVs), we are seeing an increasing number of people paying more and wearing an eco-friendly badge of honour, added Dasgupta.

The government, in the Budget session of Parliament this month, said that over 6 per cent of Indias operational industries (4,40,989) currently comply with one or the other environmental standards.

According to a compilation presented in Parliament, Punjab tops the list of polluting industries (6,293), followed by Gujarat (4,605), Rajasthan (3,796), Maharashtra (3,043), and Jharkhand (1,760).

But a number of small firms rue the lack of a clear road-map from either the central or state government.

Diesel gensets, which are used for power generation in every factory, have to be phased out from May 15.

"The assurance of uninterrupted power supply is based on a letter by CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management) to state-backed power companies.

"Because of the inefficiency of these firms, export orders arent delivered on time.

"The government must ensure that MSMEs get gas connections before May 15, and also make power companies more accountable, said Chhabra.

According to Bhardwaj, the country needs a comprehensive energy vision, especially for small industries.

Many initiatives are underway but most are ad hoc and not following a national footprint.

"So you have courts and authorities banning diesel generators in one state, dictating the use of PNG in another, and prescribing zero-emission generators in the third.

He added: We have a disconnect between international commitments and our levels of preparedness.

"At present, all the players involved (governments, regulators, environmentalists, industries, and international organisations) lack synchronisation.

"The cost of the confusion will ultimately be borne by the industries.
The government of Tanzania has reacquired a 35% stake in TTCL (Tanzania Telecommunications Corp) from Bharti Airtel, once again giving it full ownership of the operator.

TTCL is Tanzanias oldest operator and largest fixed line provider, but it has fallen behind rivals in the highly competitive market, retaining just 181,000 connections. Originally announced in May 2015, the governments acquisition of the stake is an attempt to reverse the operators fortunes by injecting new funds.

The countrys top two operators, Vodacom Tanzania and Bharti Airtel Tanzania, have 12.4 million and 11.3 million respectively. With mobile penetration increasing, competition among the countrys seven mobile operators shows no sign of slowing down. Subscriber numbers rose by 25% in 2015, hitting 39.8 million.

Airtel came to hold the 35% stake in TTCL when it first entered Africa in 2010 with the $10.7 billion acquisition of Zains African assets. The Tanzanian government had sold the stake in TTCL in 2001, and is now reacquiring the holding  valued at around $7 million  after nearly six years of talks. An agreement has proven elusive over this time due to disputes over the price.
This is a challenge India's political establishment will have to face unitedly, without looking for electoral benefit, warns Vir Sanghvi.

IMAGE: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandark Committee President Harjinder Singh Dhami leads a march from the Golden Temple to the district commissioner's office in Amritsar to protest against the arrest of Sikh youth by the Punjab police since the launch of its crackdown on Amritpal Singh, March 31, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

Every single time, I interviewed Amarinder Singh when he was chief minister of Punjab, he came back, again and again, to the same point.

There was, he said, a concerted attempt to revive the Khalistan movement.

The campaign had very little to do with Sikhs in Punjab but was financed from abroad.

There were, he suggested, extremist Sikh groups in such countries as Canada who were backing this campaign.

And, of course, Pakistan was providing support. It was probably the mastermind of the strategy.

His concern, he said, was that we were not paying enough attention. And though he had cried himself hoarse about the growth of an imported Khalistan movement, nobody recognised how serious the issue was.

Well, we are certainly paying attention now. But it's not clear that we finally understand how serious the issue is.

Perhaps Amritpal Singh will be arrested by the time you read this. And perhaps he is just a convenient figurehead.

But what is certainly clear is that Amarinder was right.

And sadly, there is very little reason to believe that the current Punjab government is up to the task of combating this campaign. It has already taken too long to act.

Anyone who has been targeted by Khalistani tweets from Pakistani handles (as many journalists have been) will be left in no doubt about the Islamabad connection that Amarinder worried about.

But there is no agreement over what exactly is going on.

The Government of India believes that Pakistan (possibly the ISI or an organisation like it) picked up Amritpal Singh in the Gulf, where he was an inconsequential figure, and sent him to Punjab to be the front man for the agitation.

It draws parallels with the rise of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who had a remarkable rise in a short period of time and was clearly assisted by Pakistan.

Ajit Doval, who now oversees India's security and intelligence services as national security advisor, should know. He had smuggled himself into the Golden Temple in the 1980s during the Punjab militancy and operated as an undercover Indian agent, persuading the militants that he was on their side. (They believed that he had been sent by Pakistan.)

If this is indeed a Pakistan-run operation, as most intelligence experts appear to believe, we could be in deep trouble.

Pakistan can keep training militants and infiltrating them into India.

Given the current state of affairs in Pakistan; it is not clear that those organising this operation will necessarily listen to the political establishment even if it promises India that Pakistan will stop supporting the militants.

There is, of course, another point of view offered up by Aam Aadmi Party sympathisers.

They argue that Amritpal Singh has been propped up by elements in the Indian government itself.

The intention is to create trouble for the AAP government and to eventually dismiss it, arguing that it cannot be trusted to handle a sensitive state.

This, say APP supporters, is designed to restrict AAP to Delhi and prevent the party from emerging as a national alternative.

When you point out that this seems absurdly far-fetched, the response is: Isn't this exactly what the Congress did with Bhindranwale?

Way back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Congress politicians in Punjab (backed presumably by Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi) propped up Sikh religious leaders as a counter to the Akali Dal.

Eventually Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, one of those promoted from behind the scenes by the Congress, grew so strong that he broke free of his original mentors.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that the Bharatiya Janata Party is behind the current turmoil; as Amarinder's repeated warnings, long before AAP took office in Punjab, demonstrate, this campaign has been in the works for a long time.

But the fact that this theory is being offered up by AAP supporters suggests that the Centre and the state government are not on the same page.

And if the Punjab government is eventually dismissed, this will create its own problems in a state where the BJP is neither very popular with the Sikh community nor has much credibility. (Though perhaps that could now change with the entry of Amarinder and others in the BJP.)

It would be a shame if such a serious threat to peace and stability in India becomes the subject of party political battles.

And yet, this is exactly what might happen.

If the Khalistan agitation turns more violent (so far, unlike the 1980s, there has been no specific targeting of Hindus and Hindu targets), then the most likely consequence, following the worsening of relations between Hindus and Sikhs, is a huge divide in Punjab.

History tells us that the police usually respond to militancies with overkill.

This alienates peaceful ordinary citizens and ends up helping the extremists. It can also become a vote-winning opportunity for politicians.

Already, the Akali Dal has condemned what it calls a crackdown on Punjab youth as the police struggle to find Amritpal Singh. This divide may grow bigger.

There are also national consequences. All Indians are particularly unforgiving of separatist movements.

If such movements are framed in religious terms then communal tensions all over India are inevitable.

If Hindus are abused or specifically targeted, there is certain to be a national backlash that politicians will exploit.

This is what happened in the 1980s when Congress leaders raised tensions to a level that led to the eventual massacres of Sikhs in the streets of Delhi.

There is almost always a Hindu wave in these situations. In 1984, the Congress reaped the electoral benefit. This time it could be the BJP that will benefit.

There is also the security situation to consider. State police forces can't always handle potential insurgencies on their own.

In the 1980s, the Congress was in power in Punjab and at the Centre and even then Mrs Gandhi found it necessary to dismiss the Congress government and let the Centre take charge.

Can AAP and the BJP at the Centre work together to avoid a return of an 1980s-like situation? It is not clear that they can.

On the other hand, dismissing the AAP government sends out the wrong signals about India's democratic, federal, structure.

For all of these reasons, the situation in Punjab is even more dangerous than it seems.

With a bit of luck, Amritpal Singh will be arrested and his agitation controlled.

But I doubt if those backing the emergence of the new Khalistan movement will give up.

This is a challenge India's political establishment will have to face unitedly, without looking for electoral benefit.

But will politicians place national interest ahead of electoral gain?

Vir Sanghvi is a journalist and TV presenter.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party to fulfil late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar's dream of "akhand Bharat" and took a dig at Modi over the issue of his educational degrees.

IMAGE: Shiv Sena-UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray addresses a rally in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad. Photograph: @ShivSenaUBT_/Twitter

Addressing the first rally of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad, days after communal violence, Thackeray targeted BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the 'Savarkar Gaurav yatra', saying the sacred saffron (flag) doesn't look good in their hands.

"Savarkar suffered rigorous imprisonment and hardships for the Independence of the country and not to make Modi the prime minister. Will you fulfil Savarkar's dream of 'akhand Bharat'?" Thackeray asked.

Senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar and his counterparts from Congress Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan also spoke on the occasion.

The MVA comprises Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasahedb Thackeray, the NCP, and the Congress.

"The BJP and (Eknath) Shinde-led Shiv Sena should follow the ideals of Savarkar and Sardar Patel. Some time back, Amit Shah had asked the BJP in Maharashtra to show Uddhav Thackeray his place. This is my place. But when will you show us the place in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)?" he asked.

Thackeray dubbed BJP the "Bhrasht" (corrupt) party.

"Calling it Bharatiya Janata Party is an insult to the people of India. They attack Opposition leaders with corruption charges and induct them into their party. So all corrupt leaders are now in the BJP," the former chief minister said.

He also took a swipe at PM Modi over his remarks that some people were hellbent to sully his image and they have given a "supari" (contract) for this purpose.

"Who is doing that (tarnishing the image)? Opposition leaders are being questioned by Central probe agencies and they are called corrupt. The BJP wants to finish off all political parties except their party. They feel nobody should ask them any questions. This is a threat to democracy and we are moving towards dictatorship", Thackeray said.

He also took a dig at the prime minister over the issue of his educational degrees, days after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was fined Rs 25,000 by the high court for seeking details of the PM's degree.

"Any college will be proud if one of its students has become the prime minister of the country. When I became the chief minister and NCP's Jayant Patil a minister in my government, both of us were felicitated by our alma mater Balmohan Vidyamandir in Mumbai because they felt it was a proud moment for the institution," he recalled.

Thackeray said though the name of Shiv Sena and the poll symbol "bow and arrow" were taken away from him (by the Election Commission), the support of people cannot be purchased with money.

Addressing the audience, Thackeray said this support should reflect in all future elections.

"We have to protect our democracy and our Constitution," he said.

He said the MVA came into being as a post-poll alliance to form a government (after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections) but all three parties have come closer after losing power.

Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar claimed the 'Savarkar Gaurav yatra' being organised by the parties in power was nothing but hypocrisy, and asked BJP to confer Bharat Ratna on the late Hindutva ideologue without delay.

"Whatever was said about Savarkar, the issue is settled. We are not against the gaurav yatra but why were these people silent when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was insulted?" he asked.

Pawar said the joint rallies of MVA were planned after the alliance government was formed (in November 2019) but the plan didn't materialise due to the coronavirus pandemic. "Later the government was toppled (in June 2022)," he added.

"If the manner in which the MVA government was pulled down is accepted, there can never be political stability in the country," he said in an apparent reference to the EC recognising the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotting it the "bow and arrow" symbol.

Pawar said the people of Marathwada should not forget that the Shinde-led government disrespected freedom fighters who fought for the liberation of the Marathwada region during the 75th anniversary of the mukti sangram or liberation struggle.

He alleged the communal riots in Aurangabad city were engineered to ensure the MVA rally doesn't take place. "All these issues were raked up to deflect attention from unemployment and price rise," the former deputy chief minister said.

Pawar claimed the Shinde-led government was making a mockery of farmers.

He said the MVA unity can be successful at the grassroots if all three parties unite.

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said the 'Savarkar yatra' was announced out of fear of the MVA unity.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said despite the coronavirus pandemic, the MVA government spared no effort to ensure the welfare of people and development work.

Munde and Thorat alleged those who speak against the government have to face probes by Central agencies.

"Political opponents also have to face disqualification as legislators," they alleged.

Thorat said the Bharat Jodo yatra led by Rahul Gandhi highlighted issues facing the common man and all allies of Congress participated in the recently-held walkathon.

"Rahul Gandhi questioned the relationship between (businessman) Adani and Narendra Modi. But his speech was expunged from Parliamentary proceedings. He wasn't allowed to speak on the allegations against him over his speech in the UK," Thorat claimed.

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan said even an earthquake cannot shake the MVA.

He said Congress had joined the MVA to stop the BJP.

"The way the MVA government was toppled is a threat to democracy. Uddhav Thackeray was a good leader of MVA who took everyone along," Chavan said.

He said Marathwada joined Maharashtra after liberation from the State of Hyderabad without any pre-condition but the Shinde government didn't bother to move a resolution paying tribute to the freedom fighters to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation struggle.

"Will you forgive the people who toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government and disqualified Rahul Gandhi as a MP for asking questions?" he asked.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the West has had a "bad habit" for a long time, of commenting on others, and it thinks it has a "God-given right" to speak about the internal matters of other countries.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan. Photograph: @Tejasvi_Surya/Twitter

He said this during a 'Meet and Greet' interaction organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park in Bengaluru.

The minister was responding to a question on Germany and United States' remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament.

"There are two reasons. It is because the West has had a bad habit for a long time of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. I see that happening," Jaishankar said.

He said, "The second part of the truth -- in our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India; America and Europe, why are you standing by and doing nothing?

"So if somebody from here goes and says 'why are you standing by and saying nothing', then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing," he added.

Bengaluru South and Central MPs Surya and Mohan were present during the interaction.

Responding to a question on freebie culture, Jaishankar said some people in Delhi were masters of it. "They are doing it because they do not have the responsibility of raising resources," he commented.

"You can't run a country on the basis of freebies. Somewhere, somebody has to pay for it. Anybody who is giving a freebie here is taking away something elsewhere," he said. Freebie culture was a way of getting quick popularity in a very irresponsible way, he said, adding that it was not sustainable.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday accused the Congress of indulging in a show of strength before a Surat court, where Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal against his conviction in a defamation case, saying it highlights his 'arrogance' and is also morally as well constitutionally wrong.

IMAGE: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress leader Anand Sharma at the Surat District Court after party leader Rahul Gandhi filed an appeal against his conviction in the 2019 defamation case, in Surat on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo

After several senior Congress leaders accompanied Gandhi when he filed the appeal in the sessions court, BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi asked if it was a display of his arrogance, an attempt to pressure the judiciary or the 'familiar tactic' of browbeating probe agencies.

A large number of Congress workers had gathered outside the court and shouted slogans in support of Gandhi.

Many of them were detained by police from the outskirts of Surat and neighbouring Navsari district while they were headed towards Surat.

Calling the former Congress president 'chhote sarkar', a mocking expression for the Gandhi family scion, Trivedi said he had a chance to close the episode by tendering a simple apology for such a 'big insult' for the Other Backward Classes.

It was the arrogance of the Congress and the Gandhi family that he decided not to apologise and then was accompanied by many party leaders and workers instead of appearing in the court in a simple manner, the BJP leader told reporters in Hindi.

"This display of strength before the court is morally and also constitutionally wrong," he said.

Many Congress leaders, including former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao and P Chidambaram, had appeared before courts without the kind of show of strength displayed by Gandhi, he added.

Earlier, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the decision of Congress leaders to accompany Rahul Gandhi to Surat court was a way of trying to exert 'undue pressure' on the judiciary.

"My point is very simple -- why is the Congress party trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary? There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" Rijiju said while talking to reporters in the Parliament House complex in New Delhi.

However, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge rejected the charge, saying it was a symbol of support and not a show of strength.

He said the decision was personal.

"Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country," Kharge told reporters.

Hitting back at Gandhi for his tweet that 'truth is my weapon and truth is my support', Trivedi said far from it, what Gandhi has underlined is his 'royal arrogance' and obstinacy after heaping insult on backward classes.

Rahul Gandhi was convicted on March 23 on a criminal complaint filed by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his 2019 remark at an election rally, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma sentenced Gandhi to two years in jail and granted him bail the same day while suspending the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court, which he did on Monday.

A day after his conviction and sentence, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.
Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed for peace and asked Hindu brothers to ensure that minorities are protected, as prohibitory orders remained in force after post-Ram Navami violence in two towns of the densely populate Hooghly district.

IMAGE: Vehicles set on fire by miscreants during clashes between two groups, at Kajipara in Howrah district, March 30, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

Banerjee, who was speaking at a rally at Khejuri in East Mednipur, questioned why processions were continuing to be staged days after the festival of Ram Navami, dedicated to Lord Ram, and claimed there was a deliberate attempt at inciting violence and create tension.

Why will the processions continue for five days after Ram Navami? Do it on the day of the festival. We have never had objections. But they cannot do rallies with guns and bombs, or without necessary permissions from the police, the firebrand chief minister asserted.

They are deliberately entering minority areas to incite violence and create tension, she claimed without naming anyone.

They (the goons) are setting fire to food carts of poor vendors and dancing with guns... On April 6 (Hanuman Jayanti), they are planning to do another round of violence. I have asked the DMs and the police to be alert. Not just Bengal, they have created this scenario throughout the country, the chief minister claimed.

She added that she was appealing to my Hindu brothers to make sure that no violence takes place against minorities. No one wants these cases of atrocities and violence.

The situation in violence-hit towns of Hooghly district remained peaceful and under control, though prohibitory orders and suspension of internet services in some areas continued on Monday and a delegation led by the Bharatiya Janata Party state president was stopped from entering the industrial suburb of Rishra, the police said.

The police said the situation in Rishra and Srerampore areas in Hoogly district would be watched and orders relaxed as the situation improved.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was barred from visiting Rishra by the police citing prohibitory orders in force in the area, which led to strong protests by the right-wing party.

"I am not being allowed to meet my injured party workers. The police are citing the prohibitory orders. The police can at least allow Mahato and me to enter. The police do not want to allow me as they want to hide the truth," Majumdar told reporters.

The BJP leader, who was accompanied by party MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato, demanding immediate deployment of central forces, and claimed the "state police has completely failed to control the situation".

A Chandannagore police commissionerate official said a dozen people were arrested for the clashes on Sunday.

"Things are under control and peaceful. Prohibitory orders are in force and there is heavy police deployment. Security forces conducted route marches at some places of the affected area. There was tension in some areas in the morning. We dispersed the crowds and boosted security," he told PTI.

Markets were allowed to open for some time and the police were keeping tabs on the movement of vehicles, he said.

"Hopefully, the situation will further improve ... A decision on revoking prohibitory orders and resumption of internet services will be taken after evaluation," the official added.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in Rishra police station area and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday. The prohibitory orders were imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24 and internet services suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, the police said.

The state government has pointed out that the processions were organised two days after the actual festival and did not have requisite permissions.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) has blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for engineering the attack on the Ram Navami rally organised by the BJP.

Some BJP workers were seen holding a sit-in near the affected area in Rishra and protesting against the stopping of the party's convoy on Monday.

Adhikari, who met BJP MLA Biman Ghosh who was injured in Sunday's violent clash at the hospital, told reporters that he wanted to visit the trouble-torn pocket immediately but was not allowed to by the state administration which clamped the prohibitory order to prevent him from meeting the affected families.

"I wonder why Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee and other TMC leaders are allowed free access to the area, while opposition leaders are prevented from meeting the terrified local people and BJP workers," he said.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh accused the BJP of fomenting trouble in the area.

"Action is being taken against culprits, irrespective of their political affiliation or religion. The violence was a pre-planned conspiracy by the BJP to disrupt communal harmony and peace in the state. It wants to secure votes at the cost of human lives," he said.
There is no dearth of political will today to act against corruption and officers should take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento by CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal during the inauguration of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), New Delhi, April 3, 2023. NSA Ajit Doval and Union Minister Jitendra Singh are also seen. Photograph: PTI Photo

Addressing a gathering at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the prime minister said corruption is the biggest roadblock to democracy and justice and the agency's key responsibility is to free India from it.

It is the desire of the people of the country that no corrupt should be spared, he said.

He said those who benefitted from corruption for decades have created an ecosystem which attacks the probe agencies. But the agencies should not to be deterred by stories about power of the corrupt and their ecosystem to tarnish them.

"These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the people of the country. The country, law and constitution are with you," the prime minister said.

"Today there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country," Modi said and asked officers to take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation.

Referring to international transactions and the movement of people, goods and services on a large scale even outside geographical boundaries, Modi said that India's economic power is growing while those who create obstacles are also rising.

He warned that attacks on India's social fabric, its unity and brotherhood, its economic interests and institutions will also increase.

"Corruption money will be spent on this," he said as he stressed the need to understand and study the multinational nature of crime and corruption.

Modi said India got a legacy of corruption at the time of Independence and lamented the fact that instead of removing it, some people kept nourishing this malady.

He said that while a discussion on trillion dollars refers to strong economy these days, a decade ago when the CBI celebrated its golden jubilee such figures were used to describe scams in the country.

"There was a competition going on who will set a new record of corruption," he said, adding the scams and the prevailing sense of impunity led to the destruction of the system and an atmosphere of policy paralysis brought development to a standstill.

He said that while Internet banking and UPI stand in stark contrast to the earlier "phone banking" malaise where loans worth thousands of crores of rupees were sanctioned on the basis of phone calls from influential people.

The beneficiaries scooted away with the public money, the prime minister said. He said the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act has so far enabled the confiscation of Rs 20,000 crore worth of properties of fugitive offenders.

Modi said the corrupt would even go to the extent of looting the aid given to beneficiaries of government schemes, be it rations, homes, scholarships or pensions, and the original beneficiary would feel conned every time.

"Even a prime minister once said that for every rupee sent out to the poor, only 15 paisa reaches them," he said.

Modi said the beneficiaries of government schemes are now getting their full entitlement with the trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile where more than eight crore fake beneficiaries have been removed from the system.

"Due to DBT (direct benefit transfer), about 2.25 lakh crore rupees of the country have been saved from going into the wrong hands," he said.

The prime minister said it was the resolve of his government after assuming office in 2014 to launch a crackdown on corruption and benami properties and it started on a mission mode to act against these evils.

He asked the CBI to device ways to fast track its investigations against the corrupt because a languishing probe gives a sense of safety to the corrupt while innocent keep suffering.

The prime minister said even today, when a case remains unsolved, there are demands it should be handed over to the CBI.

The CBI has given faith to people through its work and techniques, he said.

"CBI's name is on everyone's lips. It is like a brand for truth and justice. Even at panchayat level if some important crime comes, people want it to be referred to the CBI," he said.

The CBI was established by a resolution of the ministry of home affairs on April 1, 1963.

Modi said wherever there is corruption, the youths don't get equal opportunities and just one special eco-system gets emboldened.

Terming corruption as the biggest enemy of merit, he said corruption gives encouragement to the nepotism and dynastic rule.

When nepotism and dynastic rule increase, the country's strength gets affected and when the country's strength gets weakened, it affects development, he said.

"Corruption is not just a small crime. It snatches the rights of the poor and that lead to birth of many criminals," he said.

During the programme, an investiture ceremony for recipients of the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers of CBI was held and the prime minister conferred the medals.

He also inaugurated the newly constructed office complexes of CBI in Shillong, Pune and Nagpur, released a postage stamp and commemorative coin, and launched the Twitter handle of the CBI.

Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal were present on the occasion.
A Delhi court has ordered framing of charges against banned terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen's (IM) co-founder Zarar Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal and several of its operatives in a case of conspiring to wage war against India in 2012, noting that he was planning to plant a nuclear bomb in Surat town.

IMAGE: Zarar Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal.



Additional sessions judge Shailender Malik observed that the digital data extracted from the devices seized from Bhatkal showed several video clips of jihadi literature including writings, justifying killing of non-Muslims in the name of jihad.

The court said there was enough evidence to put the accused on trial.

In an order on March 31, the court said prima facie the accused, who were members of the IM, entered into criminal conspiracy to wage war against India.

The judge said that the chats by Bhatkal revealed and reflected planning nuclear attack in Surat after evacuating Muslims.

A chat between accused reflect IM planning for planting nuclear bomb in Surat town and evacuating Muslims from Surat town before executing such terrorist act... on minute analysis of the chat running into many pages would clearly show that Bhatkal was not only involved with other accused for carrying out earlier terrorist activities but also involved in conspiracy of future terrorist activities with the assistance of Maoist in Nepal to collect arms, ammunition etc, the court observed.

The court noted that Bhatkal was not only involved in larger conspiracy but was also instrumental in designing and preparing IEDs (improvised explosive devices).

It noted that in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy, functionaries of the IM undertook large-scale recruitment of new members for commission of terrorist activities in various parts of India, with active aid and support from Pakistan-based associates as well as sleeper cells within the country to commit terrorist acts by bomb blasts at prominent places in India, especially Delhi.

Indian Mujahideen operatives and its frontal organisations had been receiving regular funds from abroad through hawala channels for their terrorist activities, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the court.

It said the accused used to raise the issue of Babri Masjid, Gujarat riots and other alleged atrocities on Muslims to radicalise the minds of the Muslim youth in their effort to recruit them for terror activities.

The court framed charges against Bhatkal, Mohammed Danish Ansari, Mohammed Aftab Alam, Imran Khan, Syed, Obaid Ur Rehman, Asaudullah Akhtar, Ujjair Ahmad, Mohammed Tehsin Akhtar, Haider Ali and Zia Ur Rehman.

The judge discharged Manzar Imam, Ariz Khan and Abdul Wahid Siddibappa, saying the prosecution failed to provide prima facie evidence against them.

Advocates M S Khan and Qausar Khan, appearing for the accused, opposed the NIA submission, claiming the evidence produced by the probe agency has already been taken into consideration in an earlier trial against an accused, and that the same evidence alone cannot be taken into consideration again in another trial of same accused or even with other co-accused.

The defence counsel said they will challenge the order before the superior court.
Top Opposition leaders, including chief ministers of three states, on Monday strongly pitched for a caste census at a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-convened conference on social justice which also saw fervent calls for forging unity to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party, setting aside egos, in the run-up to the 2024 general election.

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin. Photograph: ANI Photo

The conference was seen by many as a show of strength by the Opposition with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav joining in to raise their voice against oppression of backward classes.

The Opposition parties attacking the BJP-led government from one platform assumes significance as it comes at a time of renewed unity among them in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha after being convicted in a 2019 defamation case.

The meeting saw a chorus from Opposition leaders demanding a caste census, with Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Yadav making a strong case for caste census, citing that the 'Mahagathbandhan' government in Bihar has already announced a caste-based survey which has begun.

He said it was a concern that when governments in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand want to provide more reservation for OBCs, the governors stalled it.

"This is done at the behest of whom, everyone knows," Yadav said.

He urged the Opposition parties to come together setting aside their egos and said the best way to beat the BJP's politics of 'polarisation' was through social justice-based politics.

Manoj Jha, also of the RJD, went to the extent of calling for a boycott of the census, if there is no caste census.

"We should give a call -- no census, if no caste census," he said.

In his remarks, Gehlot pitched for social security for all and said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking social security for families according to their needs. He said like-minded parties should come forward to push for the caste-based census and urged CMs of Opposition-ruled states to put pressure on the Centre for it.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily asserted that the Congress was with other parties in the movement for social justice.

The Opposition parties came together for the hybrid-mode first conference of the All India Federation for Social Justice, a brainchild of Stalin, on the theme 'Taking Forward the Struggle for Social Justice and Joint National Programme for Social Justice Movement'.

Asserting that parties must not shy away from accepting that such platforms are political, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said there are still some parties that do not want to fight the BJP and asserted that it is not the time to remain in the grey, but it is time to be either white or black.

He called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to join efforts to take on the current government.

In an apparent swipe at Modi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren said while this government came on the promise of 'na khaunga na khane dunga (will neither indulge in corruption nor let others do it)', it has become a government of 'na kuch karunga na karne dunga (will neither do any work nor let others do it)'.

He said in any given institution in this country, backward classes had negligible presence.

"If we do not take concrete steps now, then the coming generations will suffer a lot of pain," Soren said.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also called for a caste census and alleged that the BJP is running away from it because it's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh wants the 'varna system' to continue.

Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Sitaram Yechury said while reservation for the backward classes is a significant step to open windows of opportunity for them, it has to be accompanied by economic development.

"Economic development cannot be restricted to a few. Over the last two years, 40.5 per cent of wealth generated has been cornered by one per cent of population. We have to fight the corporate communal nexus," he said.

Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja also strongly pitched for the caste census and called for reservation in the private sector.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said till there is no social justice, there will be no economic equality.

"Everyone has the right to equal opportunities and to live with dignity. It is necessary that we come together to fight for social justice," he said.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said if a future of India is to be envisioned, then people, irrespective of their caste, class, religion and creed, have to be taken along.

Some leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party's Chhagan Bhujbal, slammed the BJP for 'wrongly' claiming that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs with his 'Modi surname' remark in 2019 for which he has been convicted for criminal defamation.

The parties represented at the conference were the DMK, the Congress, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the RJD, the Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the CPI, the CPI-M, the Samajwadi Party, the National Conference, the NCP, the Indian Union Muslim League, the Bharat Rashtra Samiti, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, the Loktantra Suraksha Party, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, the Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and the Dravidar Kazhagam.

Three parties which did not attend the conference were the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party and the Biju Janata Dal.
In an election where every seat will matter, micro-strategising is going to be the order of the day.

And in such a situation, party infighting -- in all parties -- could lead to unpredictable results.

IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party Primary Campaigner Narendra D Modi being felicitated by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai during the BJP's Vijaya Sankalp Yatra Maha Sangama in Davanagere, March 25, 2023. Photograph: BJP Karnataka/Twitter

Bharatiya Janata Party national General Secretary C T Ravi's comments about ticket distribution in Karnataka caused a hubbub in the poll-bound state.

Given that there is just over a month left for elections, Ravi said nominations for the coming election would not be decided in people's kitchens.

This was in response to a reported statement by former chief minister and Lingayat strongman B S Yediyurappa that his son B Y Vijayendra would contest from his Shikaripura constituency.

'Nobody will get a ticket because they are somebody's son. The decision on the ticket will also not be taken in the home of the aspirant. On the question of Vijayendra, the decision will be taken by the parliamentary board. The party will decide based on the winnability of the candidate after analysing surveys. Those surveys will not be conducted in the kitchens of leaders,' Ravi told reporters in Bengaluru.

At first, Ravi's remarks were met with silence.

Then Yediyurappa responded: Yes, he said at a meeting in Karnataka, tickets would not be decided by individuals in their kitchens, but the BJP's parliamentary board.

Given that he is a member of the parliamentary board, this was a direct challenge: not just to Ravi but his mentor, BJP Organising Secretary B L Santhosh.

Party leaders and BJP supporters watching this back-and-forth exchange were both amused and embarrassed.

"You may not like Yediyurappa: but you cannot deny his stature in the state. In contrast, Ravi and Santhosh are important people in the organisation, trusted for their judgement and commitment. But Ravi has no influence, except for his constituency Chikmagalur. Santhosh knows everyone in the party, but is not known for his political work outside the party," said a BJP leader from Karnataka.

It is the BJP's worst-kept secret that Santhosh and Yediyurappa have been at loggerheads for years.

In 2017, Yediyurappa publicly charged that Santhosh was propping up rebels in the BJP.

Local BJP workers are used to this sniping: They say both Santhosh and Yediyurappa belong to Shimoga (now Shivamogga) district. Some amount of rivalry is natural, they say.

But Ravi's authority and power are in no doubt either. What he says also bears Santhosh's stamp.

At a meeting in Chikamagalur some years ago, Ravi made a public declaration of his admiration for Santhosh.

'Thirty years ago, Santhosh did his engineering course with distinction but preferred to join the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) to render social service. Senior BJP leaders like Deendayal Upadhyaya, L K Advani and Kushabhau Thakre, among others, had been RSS pracharaks in the past and the strong pracharak tradition had helped the BJP emerge as a strong party,' he reminded workers.

The decision on who should be the CM candidate of the party should be left to the BJP leadership and not to any individual, he added.

The party is trying to navigate a way around this rivalry.

By elevating Yediyurappa to the parliamentary board last year, the party has also acknowledged that he cannot be consigned to the wilderness.

Vijayendra's inclusion in the party's campaign committee ahead of the elections is part of this admission.

Santhosh's powers in the party are not without checks either.

BJP sources say after then Union minister H N Ananthakumar's death in 2018, and the resultant vacancy for the Bengaluru South Lok Sabha constituency, a significant part of the party put forward Santhosh's name for the seat.

Local constituency workers favoured Tejaswini, Ananthakumar's widow.

Tejasvi Surya, a youngster in the organisation, was selected to fill the vacancy as a compromise, with Santhosh being elevated organisationally.

As the Congress, BJP, and Janata Dal-Secular) gear up to finalise candidates, all eyes are on a few constituencies and the choice of candidates.

In Kolar, for instance, the BJP does not have much presence, but the constituency has a significant Kuruba (shepherd) population, on the back of which Congress leader Siddaramaiah has announced he could be contesting from the assembly constituency which is a JD-S pocket borough.

Yediyurappa is also making plans. Earlier this year, he said: 'Do not think I'm making a baseless prediction, but Siddaramaiah will not contest from Kolar for any reason. He is hardly trying to go back to Mysuru.'

In an election where every seat will matter, micro-strategising is going to be the order of the day.

And in such a situation, party infighting -- in all parties -- could lead to unpredictable results.
Law Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged on Monday that the decision of Congress leaders to accompany Rahul Gandhi to a Surat court, where he will file an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case, was a way of trying to exert "undue pressure" on the judiciary, a charge rejected by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who said it was a symbol of support and not a show of strength.

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi with sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra board a flight to Surat. Photograph: ANI

Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file the appeal in a court against his conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are accompanying Rahul Gandhi to the court.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also likely to be in the city as Gandhi moves court, the sources said.

Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

"My point is very simple -- why the Congress party is trying to put this kind of undue pressure on the judiciary? There are means and ways to deal with judicial matters. But is this the way?" Rijiju asked while talking to reporters in the Parliament House complex in New Delhi.

He wondered whether there has ever been a case in the past where an entire political party tried to "gherao" a court.

"When former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao was convicted Congress was quiet. P Chidambaram and D K Shivakumar didn't get support against charges for which they are out on bail," the law minister wrote on Twitter.

Only for Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is staging this "drama" as it considers a family and a person above the country and its laws, he added.

Kharge said the decision taken by the party leaders to accompany Gandhi to the court was personal. "Even in a small case, family members join and go to court. Here, it is about an entire party and he (Gandhi) is fighting for the country," the Congress chief told reporters.

He said the presence of the party leaders in Surat is not a "show of strength", but a "symbol of support" for Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to hit back at Rijiju, saying, "The man who threatens the judiciary, judges and ex-judges daily and also distorts history daily talking. Hypocrisy ki koi seema nahin hai Modi Kaal mein (There is no limit to hypocracy in Modi's rule)."

Rijiju said when the Enforcement Directorate takes action, Congress leaders want to gherao the agency's office. "When the CBI takes action, they want to gherao the CBI. When a court gives a verdict, they want to take over the court complexes. These kind of activities demean democracy and every Indian must condemn it," he told reporters.

Dubbing the Congress leaders' move to accompany the former party chief to court as "sycophancy of one family", the minister wondered whether the family was above the country.

He said Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an appeal, but it is not required of a convict to go personally to do it.

"Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama. What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics," the minister wrote on Twitter.

The Congress also alleged that "illegal arrests" were being made to prevent party leaders and workers from going to Surat.

In a tweet in Hindi, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "There are continuous reports of illegal arrests by the BJP government in Gujarat to prevent Congress leaders and workers from going to Surat."

"The undemocratic face of BJP is being exposed again and again," he said.

The Congress condemns all these activities and demands their immediate release, Ramesh added.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma here on March 23 convicted the 52-year-old Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019 during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

The sentence of two years invited his disqualification from the membership of Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Uruguays regulator URSEC has until the end of April to hold 5G spectrum auctions after the tenders specifications were cleared by the countrys President Luis Lacalle Pou on 30th March.

URSEC (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones) has 30 days to conduct the bidding on three 100MHz allocations of 3.5GHz spectrum. One of the blocks has been pre-allocated to state-owned Antel, but each will require a minimum bid of US$28 million for a 25-year validity period.

Winning bidders will be required to deploy at least 70 base stations within a year of receiving their licence. At the end of two years, licensees must have a minimum of two base stations in at least ten of Uruguays 19 telecom departments, and in all 19 by the end of the third year.

The auction terms specify that in order to bid, interested parties must have provided mobile services in Europe, Central America, North America or South America for at least two years. This condition was expected, but disqualifies newcomer Dedicado from obtaining a licence at auction.
Prohibitory orders are in force in West Bengal's Hooghly district, where clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession, police said on Monday.

IMAGE: Police deployed in large numbers after a clash broke out between two groups during Ram Navami procession, in Hooghly district, Sunday evening, April 2. Photograph: PTI Photo

Internet services have also been suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, they said.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday, police said.

A few police personnel were injured in the violence, they said.

Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was part of the second procession, told PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple when stones were hurled at them.

Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh suffered injuries, he said.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, "The procession was passing through a traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation."

No person has yet been arrested in connection with the violence, she said.

Security has been bolstered in the area to prevent any further flare-up.

"Police are conducting route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," she said.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be put behind bars.

"The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

Condemning the violence, the state's Industry Minister Shashi Panja alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state.

"The BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she said.

The state government will firmly deal with the situation and take necessary action to punish the perpetrators, Panja said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar also questioned the need to organise the processions two days after Ram Navami.

"Why are they so hell-bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI.

Majumdar claimed that some participants in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among people.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations had rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday, leading to the arrest of 45 people.
A dance professor of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, accused of sexual harassment, was arrested on Monday, the Chennai police said.

Three other male faculty members accused of sexually harassing the students should not be allowed entry into the premises, the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women chairperson A S Kumari told the Kalakshetra management.

Earlier, the city police arrested Hari Padman, a faculty member, against whom the police had earlier booked cases under Indian Penal Code Sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 509 (use of acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) along with Section 4 of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act based on a complaint.

He is among four faculty members accused of sexual harassment at the prestigious institution.

On April 2, a team of Tamil Nadu police went to Kerala to record the statements of witnesses in the sexual harassment case against Padman, the police added.

Meanwhile, Kalakshetra director Revathi Ramachandran appeared before the women's panel.

Commission chief Kumari told reporters that she had sought some details from the institute over its internal complaints committee (ICC), that went into sexual harassment issues and its composition.

She said she had made it clear that students safety and an "atmosphere of safety" should be ensured in the premises.

While there has been "police action" against one of the accused, "three others should not be allowed into the premises," and this has been conveyed to the institute management, to which it has acceded to, Kumari told reporters.
Several Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal-Secular leaders joining the Congress ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka is an evidence to prove that public sentiment is in favour of the party and it will come to power, its state unit president D K Shivakumar said on Monday.

IMAGE: Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar. Photograph: ANI Photo

He was speaking after inducting Kudligi BJP MLA N Y Gopalakrishna, who had resigned as a legislator on Friday, into the party.

"Several BJP and JD-S leaders are knocking our door, this is evidence to show that the voice of the people of the state is in favour of the Congress and that our march is on a right track, towards power," Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he noted Gopalakrishna resigned as BJP MLA and joined the Congress; similarly JD-S MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda too has resigned and will be joining the party soon.

BJP and JD-S legislators joining the Congress voluntarily is a 'big evidence' that people have decided for a change, after the 'failure of the double engine government', the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief further said.

"There is a big list of people wanting to join the Congress...the party has not assured tickets to anyone. We will screen every name, only if we are able to accommodate them we will consider," he said, adding that there are also some who are willing to join the party unconditionally to work for it.

Gopalakrishna, a six-time MLA, was earlier with the Congress and had got elected from Molakalmuru Assembly segment in Chitradurga district four times, and once from Ballari, before joining the BJP and winning from Kudligi.

Over denial of Congress ticket in 2018, he had joined the BJP ahead of the elections.

The saffron party gave him a ticket from Kudligi in Vijayanagara district instead of Molakalmuru, as senior leader Sriramulu was fielded from there.

He had won from there.

Recalling his and his family's long association with the Congress, Gopalakrishna after joining said he will work for the party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara districts.

He said he will work towards installing a Congress government once again in the state, and it is left for the party leadership to field him from the Molakalmuru Assembly segment.

Recently, two MLCs from BJP -- Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur -- had quit from their Legislative Council membership to join the Congress.

JD-S MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) too joined the Congress, after resigning as MLA on March 27.
Three persons, including a one-year-old child and a woman, were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station in Kozhikode, hours after a man allegedly set afire a co-passenger and injured eight others on board an express train.

IMAGE: Forensic experts at the spot where the bodies of three people including that of a child were found dead on the tracks near the Elathur railway station in Kozhikode. Photograph: ANI

A senior police official from the district told PTI that the bodies of a woman, a child and a man were recovered from the tracks late Sunday night.

The three were missing from the train after the fire incident on Sunday, he added.

At around 9.45 pm, when the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express train reached the Korapuzha railway bridge after crossing Kozhikode city, an unidentified man poured an inflammable liquid on a co-passenger and set him on a fire resulting in burn injuries to at least eight persons, police said.

The man escaped soon after the incident, while the injured were shifted to hospitals after passengers pulled the emergency chain.

When the train reached Kannur, a few passengers complained that a woman and a child were missing after the incident.

"A man, who was injured, kept looking for a woman and a child. We found footwear and a mobile phone of that woman," a passenger told the media at Kannur.

Soon after the news of the missing persons came out, the city police inspected the tracks and found three bodies, including the woman and the child and a mid-aged man.

Police suspect they fell off the train or attempted to deboard after seeing the fire.

"The woman and the child who went missing were found dead on the tracks. There is one unidentified body of a male. We have found CCTV visuals of the suspect. Investigation is on," a senior police official of the district said.

Sources said the woman was the child's aunt.

A total of nine persons have been admitted to various hospitals, including the Kozhikode Medical College, for treatment Further details are awaited.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday termed as "another jumla" Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that riots don't take place under Bharatiya Janata Party rule, and cited the number of instances of communal violence under a BJP government at the Centre and in some states.

IMAGE: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah addresses a public rally in Nawada, Sunday, April 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

At a public meeting in Hisua falling under Bihar's Nawada district, Shah said, "Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi return to power in 2024 with majority, giving 40 out of 40 seats (in Bihar), and help BJP form its own government in the assembly polls in 2025. The job of straightening rioters by hanging them upside down ('ulta latka kar') will be done by the BJP."

"Riots don't take place under our rule," he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Sibal said, "Amit Shah: 'Riots don't take place under our rule.' Yet another jumla (rhetoric)."

The former union minister said, "5415 communal riots reported between 2014-2020 (NCRB data). 2019 alone  25 communal riots UP(9), Maharashtra (4), MP(2). Communal violence: Haryana(2021) highest cases, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (April 2022)".

In the wake of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar, Sibal had on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi over the matter, and said "let not 2024 general elections be the reason" for the violence.

Sibal's remarks had come after communal violence rocked Sasaram and Bihar Sharif towns during Ram Navami festivities.

Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and 2 regimes, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support. He recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.
Donald Trump is set to be arraigned on Tuesday after being indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury on charges arising from hush money payments made to a porn star during his 2016 campaign, making him the first former United States president to face a criminal charge and upending his bid to retake the White House in 2024.

IMAGE: A New York police officer patrols near the Manhattan criminal court, after former President Donald Trump's indictment following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels, in New York City, on April 3, 2023. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters

The 76-year-old is expected to fly to New York City from his Mar-a-Lago home on Monday and plans to return to his resort in Florida following his court hearing, where he will address his supporters on Tuesday night, his office said Sunday.

The grand jury on Thursday voted to indict Trump, a Republican, for his role in paying money to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to buy her silence over an alleged affair.

The indictment remains under seal and it is not clear what crimes and how many criminal counts Trump has been charged with.

CNN reported that the former president has been charged with more than 30 counts.

'Former President Donald J Trump, 45th President of the United States of America, will deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, April 4, 2023,' his presidential campaign announced.

Trump, who is the first former US president to face a criminal charge, will be arraigned on Tuesday.

The proceeding is expected to be brief. The charges in the indictment will be read to him at the hearing, which is set to last about 10-15 minutes.

He has denied all wrongdoing in connection with the payments made to Daniels, 44, ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Following the indictment, the former president has been attacking both the prosecutor and the judge.

"The Judge assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a Case' that has never been charged before, hates me," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform and alleged that the judge was hand-picked by the Democratic district attorney investigating him.

The indictment comes as Trump faces legal hurdles in other potential criminal cases.

Trump is currently the front-runner among all declared and potential contenders for the 2024 Republican White House nomination.

But there is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for and serving as president -- even from prison.

Trump was twice impeached by the House of Representatives. He was acquitted by the Senate both times.

Appearing on Fox News, his attorney Jim Trusty alleged that the case is politically motivated.

"We should never have prosecutors acting out on political promises to target people. I was a prosecutor for 27 years. We were supposed to be judicious when we got started, to figure out, where does the evidence lead, follow the rule of law. And instead, we have people announcing, if you elect me, I'll indict Donald Trump," he told Fox News.

"So, it's no real surprise that when you have people breaking the ethics of prosecution for political persecution, that they're going to have suspect indictments. Their motivations are suspect. Their willingness to listen to a witness like Michael Cohen makes them suspect," he said.

"In this case, it seems like what we're guessing the indictment will look like is it will have legal frailties that will be subjected to a very legitimate motion to dismiss early on," Trusty said.

He said Trump is a big believer in free speech and has got strong opinions.

"I think he's very frustrated for some of his very loyal employees being caught up in the machinery of a prosecution. And so he feels strongly about," he alleged.

"I've never had a case in front of this judge. I certainly reserve judgment. I think we're in a position where a fair mind getting to a jury and changes the venue and some of the issues there -- I think a fair minded judge is likely to recognise there's something fundamentally wrong that we're crossing the Rubicon with this political persecution," he said.

He said the indictment is going to be legally frail.

"Thankfully, I suspect the indictment is going to be legally frail, and there'll be an opportunity for a judge to do the right thing. You know, we wish prosecutors would do the right thing. But the judges are kind of the backstop on that. So my hope is that despite some of the hysterics at the moment, despite some emotionality and frustration, the president certainly deserves to feel that this judge will do the right thing when he's faced with significant legal motions," Trusty said.
Senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra on Monday claimed vehicles of the party workers headed towards Surat to extend support to Rahul Gandhi were stopped by the Gujarat Police.

IMAGE: A poster of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is installed amid his visit to the Surat District and Session Court to file an appeal against his conviction in the defamation case over 'Modi Surname', in Surat on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Navsari superintendent of police, Karan Raj Vaghela, said a total of 87 persons were detained, including 51 from Maharashtra, when they were on their way to Surat travelling in at least a dozen vehicles to support their leader Rahul Gandhi.

"We detained 87 persons at around 11 am and released them at 4 pm. We held them out of concern over the law and order situation in Surat where they were headed," he told PTI.

Earlier in the day, former Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat said several leaders and workers of Congress were asked to pull over, and the Gujarat Police was ensuring they do not capture videos.

Similar allegations were made by Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap and former Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur.

Congressmen from various parts of the country tried to reach Surat to support Gandhi who challenged in the sessions court his conviction by a lower court in a criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remarks. He was granted bail.

'From Maharashtra also, Congress leaders and workers were going to Gujarat. Gandhi is fighting for the country, fighting for democracy, fighting to save the Constitution,' Thorat said in a social media post.

Several Congress workers and leaders headed to the Gujarat city to extend support to Gandhi and show that he is not alone in the fight, he said.

The vehicles of Congress leaders and workers were stopped, they were asked to pull over, and police were ensuring they do not capture the videos, claimed Thorat.

In nutshell, the Gujarat Police was ensuring the Congressmen do not reach Surat under any circumstances, and this is condemnable, he said.

'In a democracy, people will gather, they will express their views, but unfortunately their voice is being suppressed,' Thorat claimed.

Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur, who was also headed towards Surat, alleged they were being subjected to suppression for extending support of Gandhi.

Thakur claimed the Gujarat Police stopped her vehicle multiple times and inspected it in the name of security checks.

"They are the same police who facilitated some MLAs from Maharashtra who went to Surat to bring down the then (MVA) government, but is now creating obstructions for us," she alleged.

Thakur said when she questioned the police over frequent checks, she was told her interaction was being seen live in Gandhinagar (the capital of Gujarat).

"I even told them that they can show the live feed of their action to the PMO," she said.

"We treat all religions equally and stand for the Constitution. I also told them that they can put me in jail, but I will definitely go to Surat," the former minister said.

Rahul Gandhi reached Surat on Monday via a scheduled commercial flight along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In other videos shared by Thakur, she was seen confronting the Gujarat police.

"When Gujarat MLAs visit Maharashtra, you need to check them as well. We are not afraid of you people. Don't you people (police) catch liquor being transported to Gujarat? You also need to tell us how the liquor reached Gujarat.

"Have you put restrictions on the movement of people? If our leader is visiting there (Gujarat), should we not visit him?" she asked a police official.

Responding to her questions, an unidentified official in uniform asked, "Should we not check vehicles? We also have to perform our duty".

Thakur replied saying the police can do their duty but they should do it respectfully.
In previous pieces we have analyzed which rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the Cuban Constitution were violated by the regime when it refused to allow journalist Karla Perez and activists Anamely Ramos and Omara Ruiz Urquiola to enter Cuba (the latter on four occasions, to date).

But did the airlines that prevented them from boarding their flights back to the country, and the states involved, failed to protect their human rights? Could these Cuban women, banished by the regime, denounce them before the United Nations? The answer to both questions is yes.

The Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights has developed a set of guidance and measures contained in the handbook entitled UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for use by states, business, civil society and other stakeholders.

These Guiding Principles apply to all states and to all enterprises, both transnational and otherwise, regardless of their size, sector, location, ownership and structure.

States are not, as a general rule, responsible for human rights violations committed by private actors. However, states may breach their international human rights obligations when such violations can be attributed to them, or when they fail to take adequate measures to prevent, investigate, punish and redress abuses committed by private actors acting within their territories.

According to these principles, states must ensure respect for human rights and clearly state that all companies domiciled in their territory and/or jurisdiction are expected to observe them in all their activities.

States are to: (a) Enforce laws that have the purpose or effect of making companies respect human rights, periodically assess the adequacy of such laws, and remedy any shortcomings; (b) Ensure that other laws and regulations governing the establishment and activities of companies, such as commercial law, do not restrict, but rather are conducive to respect for human rights by businesses; (c) Effectively advise companies on how to respect human rights in their activities; (d) Encourage and, if necessary, require companies to explain how they take into account the impact of their activities on human rights; (e) Encourage and, if necessary, require companies to explain how they take into account the impact of their activities on human rights; c) Effectively advise companies on how to respect human rights in their activities; d) Encourage and, if necessary, require companies to explain how they take into account the impact of their activities on human rights.

States, individually, are the primary subjects of obligations under international human rights law and, collectively, the guarantors of the international human rights regime.

When a company is controlled by the State or when its acts are otherwise attributable to the State, a human rights violation by this company may entail a violation of the State's own obligations under international law.

But states do not waive their international human rights obligations by privatizing the provision of services with a potential impact on the exercise of human rights. If they do not ensure that companies providing such services comply with human rights obligations, the consequences may be damaging to the reputation of the state itself and incur legal problems, according to these principles.

This means that the states of Panama and the United States failed to comply with their obligations before the UN by not demanding that the airlines Copa Airlines, Southwest and American Airlines, which operate in their territories, respect the human rights of these Cubans, who were prevented from returning to their country.

When human rights are violated, those affected must have access to effective judicial and extrajudicial grievance mechanisms, also provided for in Articles 7, 8 and 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishing the right to equal treatment and prohibiting discrimination, or even facilitating discrimination, of any kind. They also provide for access to effective remedies before competent national tribunals to protect individuals against violations of their fundamental rights recognized by the Constitution or laws. The latter declares the right of everyone, under conditions of full equality, to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.

It is natural that airlines' first interest is to make profits, or at least not to lose money, but they have obligations to fulfill. The aforementioned UN manual states that companies must respect human rights, which means that they must refrain from violating the human rights of others and address any adverse human rights impacts in which they are involved.

Thus far, this has not happened in the cases of the Cubans Karla Perez, Anamely Ramos and Omara Ruiz Urquiola. When the airlines prevented them from boarding their flights back to the country, none of them were provided with a certified copy of the administrative resolution prohibiting these Cuban citizens from entering their country.

Now, if the airlines wish to function as legal proxies of the Cuban State/Government to defend their own interests, materially preventing the boarding of Cubans after receiving the government's decisions, they must demand, in a process involving the renegotiation of agreements with the competent authorities - as a minimum - compliance with the following technical/legal requirements guaranteed by International Law, as well as Cuban law in force, and the Constitution:

1. The airline cannot refuse to board a passenger if it does not first receive a copy of the administrative resolution that substantiates, with substantiations of facts and rights, the reasons for their impeded access to national territory. This document must guarantee the right to defense of those affected, and demonstrate to the airlines that there is no abusive, illegal or arbitrary act being perpetrated by the Cuban side.

2. The administrative resolution must clearly and fully identify the authority and institution that issues and signs it. It must also contain the delegation of express powers in favor of the airline to serve as a kind of intermediary legal agent between the State and Government and the persons in question, especially those with Cuban citizenship or nationality.

3. The administrative resolution, based on the "framework agreement" signed between the Cuban party and the airline, must clarify and recognize the affected persons right to compensation for damages to cover expenses unduly incurred in the purchase of the ticket and other movements and activities carried out in relation to it. The resolution must contain information on who and how the affected person will be compensated. This information must be provided by the company, unless the Cuban regime provides the airlines, in a timely manner, with the list of persons who are duly barred from entering national territory. The same recognition of compensatory rights will apply unless there is a firm judicial sentence that recognizes the validity and legality of the impediment.

4. The "framework agreement" will contain, in accordance with the rules of private international law, the ways, forms, terms and laws and courts that will be competent to resolve the dispute. This information must appear in the copy given to the person affect, so that he/she may exercise their constitutional and universal right of access to an impartial justice system. Since the person cannot enter Cuban territory, the court and competent laws are to be those of the country where he/she attempted to board the flight, such that the Cuban consular representation located in said State or foreign nation should be involved.

If the airlines do not wish to force the Cuban State/Government to comply with the minimum requirements above, or Cuba forswears them, those affected are left with a choice:
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 37F. Winds light and variable.
The Riverfront Park in Bellows Falls includes walking trails that lead through the forest and up to a high overlook where youll find a stone Labyrinth, Poets Seat and flower gardens.
* The ancient city of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is an example of the decades of unremitting efforts by the central and local governments to improve the local business environment and infrastructure. * The bazaar, a mirror of the vitality of the local economy, has also gained new glory thanks to the renovation work in recent years. * The revamped bazaars have boosted the development of the tourism industry and further enhanced the living standards of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. URUMQI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- In the early hours, as streaks of pink and orange light pierce through the darkness, the ancient city of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region slowly awakens from its slumber. The bazaars on its winding lanes are gearing up for another bustling day. This photo taken on March 9, 2023 shows the night view of Khan Bazaar in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) At the Khan Bazaar, the morning air is filled with a tantalizing blend of local ethnic snacks, while the ironware bazaar is filled with the continuous clanging of craftsmen forging their wares. At the same time, medicinal herb and tea merchant Abdul Aini Hailipati welcomes his first customers of the day. "While the ancient city of Kashgar is tidier and prettier after renovation, the old businesses are still around and our life is filled with hope," Abdul Aini Hailipati said. Kashgar is an example of the decades of unremitting efforts by the central and local governments to improve the local business environment and infrastructure and to further enhance the living standards of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, China's far-west region. The bazaar, a mirror of the vitality of the local economy, has also gained new glory thanks to the renovation work in recent years. Abdul Aini Hailipati (R), a medicinal herb and tea merchant, introduces goods to a customer at the Khan Bazaar in the ancient city of Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu) REBIRTH OF BAZAARS The core area of the ancient city of Kashgar is dotted with a wide array of bazaars. Born and raised in Kashgar, Abdul Aini Hailipati is familiar with the distinct designs and layouts of a variety of featured bazaars -- the jade bazaar, bronze bazaar, hat bazaar, flowerpot bazaar, ironware bazaar, pottery bazaar and musical instrument bazaar. "In the past, there were many blacksmiths, coppersmiths and other craftspeople in Kashgar, but they were scattered in the city and barely known to tourists," Abdul Aini Hailipati said. In 2010, a renovation project of the old town was officially launched, with an investment of over 7 billion yuan (about 1 billion U.S. dollars). When it was completed in 2015, the ancient city of Kashgar was certified as a national scenic site with a 5A rating, the highest level of a five-tier tourist attractions rating system in China, and began to attract a growing number of tourists. Wublkasmu Albunzi, a store owner at the hat bazaar, said business has improved significantly as the renovation enhanced the overall layout and design of different bazaars. "A large number of tourists from home and abroad are coming here to savor local delicacies in the neighboring food bazaar every day," said Abdul Aini Hailipati. This aerial photo taken on March 12, 2023 shows a view of a livestock bazaar in Mixa Township of Shache County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Li Xiang) BRIGHTER FUTURE At the largest live animal trading bazaar in Shache, the most populous county in southern Xinjiang, Ayigamali Tursun has been on duty twice a week since becoming a market manager there in 2015. Every Thursday and Sunday when the bazaar is open for livestock trading, nearly 10,000 people gather here, bringing cattle, sheep, horses and other kinds of farm animals to the 13-hectare bazaar. "In recent years, the livestock bazaar has become increasingly prosperous. Some who live as far away as Aksu and Hotan even come here to trade their livestock. The daily trading volume can exceed 2,000 heads," Ayigamali Tursun said. In order to facilitate trading and keep it neat and orderly, the bazaar has been divided into several trading zones. "Currently the bazaar can simultaneously accommodate about 20,000 cattle, sheep and 40,000 birds," said Ayigamali Tursun. The booming trade has created a new occupation -- livestock brokers. They commute between different livestock bazaars that open on different days. "The scale of the livestock bazaar in Shache is very large and is widely favored by the brokers," noted Ayigamali Tursun. "In recent years, the Chinese government has vigorously promoted rural revitalization. Such bazaars have prompted the development of the local livestock industry and increased the income of local people," said Wang Junhong, deputy director of the agriculture and rural affairs bureau of Shache County. Wang added that more and more people have purchased trucks and cars to carry their animals, bringing an end to the sight of animals being hauled around in carts. Maira Abletti arranges goods at her ethnic instruments shop at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Aman) MULTI-ETHNIC CULTURE FLOURISHES Maira Abletti, 40, has been running a store selling hand-made drum, dutar, rawap, dombra and other ethnic musical instruments at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, the regional capital, for 13 years. The Grand Bazaar, inaugurated in 2003, now serves as a key sightseeing and shopping destination in the region, mainly selling local specialties such as dried fruits, medicinal herbs, carpets, jades, ethnic costumes and musical instruments. "Previously, businesses here were not doing so well, since the bazaar was just a small chaotic marketplace," Maira Abletti said. In 2018, an expansion and renovation project transformed it into a popular tourist destination, receiving about 50,000 people a day. Donning festive dresses made of Atlas silk, actresses in the bazaar present tourists with ethnic songs and dances at the bazaar's central stage every day. "Some tourists volunteer to join them and many dance even better than us. Watching them perform makes me feel very happy and proud," Maira Abletti said. "The life of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang is getting much better. In the meantime, the traditional culture of all ethnic groups is well preserved, and has gathered an increasing number of fans," Maira Abletti said. "I'm going to make the best instruments and promote them to people all over the world," she added.
After three months of paying dramatically higher electric rates, there may be some relief coming this summer for a majority of Connecticut electric customers.

The state's two largest electric distribution companies, Eversource Energy and The United Illuminating Co., are in the midst of procuring electricity for their standard offer service customers to use during the second half of this year. And although the procurement process won't be completed for several more weeks and new rates won't take effect until July 1, officials with the companies and a spokesman for Connecticut's utility regulators have said they expect significantly lower electric rates than what most people are paying now.

"We should also be seeing a lowering of prices this summer," said Jim Shuckerow, Eversource Energy's director of electric supply. "We have a winter pricing problem, not a summer pricing problem."

The rates Eversource's standard offer customers are now paying are 31 percent to 42 percent higher than what they paid in 2022. UI standard offer customers are paying 28 percent to 38 percent more than in 2022.

Joe Cooper, a spokesman for Connecticut's Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, said agency officials are "encouraged by the recent market trends and what that could mean for standard service rates come July 1."

"Historically, standard service rates generally decrease in the second half of the year as it is typically less expensive to generate electricity in the region during these months," Cooper said. "Comparatively, standard service rates increase in the first half of the year due to higher regional winter prices for natural gas, which fuels most of the regions wholesale power."

Over the past decade, there have only been four occasions when Eversource or UI have seen standard service rates come in higher during the second half of the year than during the first six months.

Craig Gilvarg, a UI spokesman, said the Orange-based utility has already purchased 70 percent of the electricity it needs to supply standard service customers during the second half of this year.

'We are conducting a procurement on April 19 to procure the remaining 30 percent," Gilvarg said.

Both utilities will present their procurement results to PURA officials in late April for review. Cooper said PURA will announce the standard service electric rates in mid-May, 45 days in advance of when the new rates take effect on July 1.

The way Connecticut's standard service procurement process works, the utilities are only allowed to charge customers the amount that it cost them to purchase power from the electric generation companies.

In neighboring Massachusetts, regulators have approved a 58 percent reduction in electric rates for customers of National Grid who have that state's version of standard offer service. The rate reduction for National Grid's customers will take effect May 1.

Looking beyond the second half of this year into the first half of 2024, Shuckerow said he expects the broad swings in electric prices Connecticut consumers have seen to continue.

"The (off-shore) wind projects that are in the pipeline won't be built and producing electricity for a number of years," he said. "The same is true for the interconnection efforts to bring in hydroelectricity from Canada. That means we'll continue to see oscillation in electric prices for awhile."
NORWALK  Hedge fund manager Verition Fund Management is expanding its presence in Connecticut by leasing space in one of the states largest office complexes.

Verition announced last week that it had signed a lease for 20,586 square feet at 45 Glover Ave., which is one of three buildings in the Building and Land Technology-owned office complex known as the Towers at Merritt River. The new space will complement the firms offices that opened in 2008 at 1 American Lane, in the northwest corner of Greenwich, as well as locations in Manhattan, London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

We are pleased to join Building and Land Technologys growing North Seven Norwalk community and offer another convenient Connecticut location to our 385 employees. Expanding our footprint in Connecticut is integral as we attract and retain top tier investment and non-investment talent, Josh Goldstein, president and chief operating officer of Verition, said in a news release. We are committed to putting our talent in a position to succeed, and we are excited to offer more flexibility to our employees as we grow our investment and infrastructure teams in the Towers at Merritt River.

Newmarks Bill Levitsky, James Ritman and Benjamin Goldstein brokered the transaction, while Leslie Whatley led the negotiations for BLT.

The news release did not specify when Verition planned to open the offices at 45 Glover.

Founded in 2008 by Goldstein and Nicholas Maounis, the firms chief executive officer, Verition manages approximately $6.8 billion in assets under management.

On its website, Verition says it has an approach through which it, seeks to build upon a foundation of niche strategies that aim to achieve low correlation to traditional and alternative asset classes with attractive and persistent risk-adjusted returns across different market cycles. We allocate capital dynamically across strategies based on the potential risk and reward, and the opportunity set for each individual investment team.

Among other tenants, 45 Glover houses the headquarters of FactSet, a data and software provider for investment professionals, and heavy-equipment manufacturer Terex.

Covering approximately 1.1 million square feet, the Towers also include the buildings at 801 and 901 Main Ave. Including Verition, the Towers have an occupancy rate of 86 percent, according to BLT data.

The Towers stand adjacent to BLT's mixed-use North Seven development, which includes The Curb and One Glover apartment complexes and comprises approximately 900 apartments. BLT has secured approvals to build 1,300 additional units at North Seven, but construction of that next phase has not begun yet.

Among projects in other cities, BLT is also the developer of Harbor Point in Stamfords South End.

Other neighboring properties of the Towers include the Merritt 7 Metro-North Railroad station, whose rebuilding is nearly complete, and the Merritt 7 office park.

Were excited about the continued growth of companies moving into our buildings and their contributions to the long-term health of the local Connecticut economy, BLT Chairman Carl Kuehner said in a statement. Our team has been hard at work in Stamford and Norwalk supporting the ecosystem for these new corporate entrants to thrive. The Towers offer class A office space, providing the ultimate corporate image with the highest quality finishes and the latest in technology, communications and infrastructure.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina has used it to explain the complex fight over raising the debt limit. Rep. Robert Garcia of California has used it to engage with members of the LGBTQ+ community. And Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has used it to give an overview of Election Day results.

As pressure against TikTok mounts in Washington, the more than two dozen members of Congress  all Democrats  who are active on the social media platform are being pushed by their colleagues to stop using it. Many defend their presence on the platform, saying they have a responsibility as public officials to meet Americans where they are  and more than 150 million are on TikTok.

Im sensitive to the ban and recognize some of the security implications. But there is no more robust and expeditious way to reach young people in the United States of America than TikTok, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota told The Associated Press.

Yet the lawmakers active on TikTok remain a distinct minority. Most in Congress are in favor of limiting the app, forcing a sale to remove connections to China or even banning it outright. The U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states have already banned the app from official devices, as has the federal government. Similar bans have been imposed in Denmark, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand, as well as the European Union.

Criticism of TikTok reached a new level last week as CEO Shou Zi Chew testified for more than six hours at a contentious hearing in the House. Lawmakers grilled Chew about the implications of the app for America's national security and the effect on the mental health of its users. And the tough questions came from both sides of the aisle, as Republicans and Democrats alike pressed Chew about TikToks content moderation practices, its ability to shield American data from Beijing and its spying on journalists.

I've got to hand it to you," said Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, as members questioned Chew over data security and harmful content. Youve actually done something that in the last three to four years has not happened except for the exception of maybe (Russian President) Vladimir Putin. You have unified Republicans and Democrats.

While the hearing made plain that lawmakers view TikTok as a threat, their lack of first-hand experience with the app was apparent at times. Some made inaccurate and head-scratching comments, seemingly not understanding how TikTok connects to a home Wi-Fi router or how it moderates illicit content.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., who is active on the app and opposes a nationwide ban, called the hearing cringeworthy."

It was just so painful to watch, he told the AP on Friday. And it just shows the real problem is Congress doesnt have a lot of expertise, whether it be social media or, for that matter, more importantly, technology.

Garcia, who said he uses TikTok more as a consumer, said most of his colleagues who are proposing a nationwide ban told him they had never used the app. It gets hard to understand if youre not actually on it, the freshman Democrat said. And at the end of the day, a lot of TikTok is harmless people dancing and funny videos.

Its also incredibly rich educational content, and learning how to bake and learning about the political process, he said.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who has more than 180,000 followers on the app, held a news conference with TikTok influencers before the hearing. He accused Republicans of pushing a ban on TikTok for political reasons.

There are 150 million people on TikTok and we are more connected to them than Republicans are, Bowman said. So for them, its all about fear-mongering and power. Its not TikTok, because, again, weve looked the other way and allowed Facebook and other platforms to do similar things.

Critics of TikTok in Congress say their opposition is rooted in national security, not politics. TikTok is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., which appoints its executives. They worry Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over TikTok data on American users, effectively turning the app into a data-mining operation for a foreign power. The company insists it is taking steps to make sure that can never happen.

The basic approach that were following is to make it physically impossible for any government, including the Chinese government, to get access to U.S. user data, general counsel Erich Andersen said during an interview with the AP on Friday at a cybersecurity conference in California.

TikTok has been emphasizing a $1.5 billion proposal to store all U.S. user data on servers owned and maintained by the software giant Oracle. Access to U.S. data would be managed by U.S. employees through a separate entity run independently of ByteDance and monitored by outside observers.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina took the unusual step of releasing a public statement urging all members of Congress to stop using TikTok, including from his home state  seemingly a jab at Jackson, who is one of the more active members with more than 1.8 million followers.

I was just saying if were having a discussion about TikTok then I think we ought to at least reduce the pull factor by elected officials who can simply come off of it, Tillis said this week, when asked about his statement. I dont have a TikTok account. So that was an easy separation for me.

Loud warnings about TikTok have also been coming from President Joe Biden's administration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and FBI Director Christopher Wray have told Congress in recent weeks that TikTok is a national security threat. Blinken told lawmakers the threat should be ended one way or another."

But some members are unconvinced.

Its like turning your cell phone off on an airplane. Youre supposed to do. And if it was super dangerous, I dont think we will be allowed to have the phone on the plane, Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said Wednesday, So if it was super dangerous for members of Congress to have this app on their phone, you have to imagine the administration or our government would say absolutely not."

He added, "You cant have it on a government phone, and that's good.

Concerns about what kind of content Americans encounter online, or how their data is collected by technology companies, also arent new. Congress has been wanting to curtail the amount of data tech companies collect on consumers through a national privacy law, but those efforts have stalled repeatedly over the years.

Supporters of TikTok on Capitol Hill are urging their colleagues to educate themselves about social media as a whole so Congress can pass legislation that deals with broader issues of data privacy, instead of hyper-focusing on a ban of TikTok, which could risk political backlash and a court fight over the reach of the First Amendment.

We are uninformed and misinformed. We dont even understand how social media works. We dont know anything about data brokers and how data brokers sell our data to foreign countries and foreign companies right now, Bowman said. So ban TikTok tomorrow, this stuff is still going to be happening.

___

Associated Press writer Haleluya Hadero in Sausalito, California, contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on April 3, 2023. It is being republished to make clear that two quotes by Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio were not continuous and should have been punctuated differently.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Former President Donald Trump faces the most urgent legal challenge of his life this week in New York, where hes set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges arising from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.

But as much as the attention will be on the courthouse in lower Manhattan, investigations from Atlanta to Washington will press forward, underscoring the broad range of peril he confronts as he seeks to reclaim the presidency.

The vulnerability Trump faces in Washington alone has become clear over the past month, as judges in a succession of sealed rulings have turned aside the Trump teams efforts to block grand jury testimony from witnesses  including from his own lawyer and his former vice president  who were or still are close to him and who could conceivably offer direct insight into key events.

The rulings directing advisers and aides to testify don't suggest that the Justice Department is close to bringing criminal charges, nor do they guarantee that prosecutors can secure testimony valuable to a potential prosecution. But they're nonetheless a key, closed-door win for the government as it investigates whether classified documents were criminally mishandled at Trump's Florida home and the possible obstruction of that probe, as well as efforts by Trump and his allies to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election.

I do think when you're talking about an attempted insurrection and the kinds of issues that we're talking about there, there's going to be a lot of arguments on DOJ's side to get the testimony, said Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and a George Washington University law professor.

Meanwhile, the district attorney in Atlanta is continuing to investigate attempts by Trump and his allies to undo his election loss in Georgia. A special grand jury in February said it believed one or more witnesses committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges.

The former president never testified before the special grand jury, meaning he is not among those who could have perjured themselves. But the report doesnt foreclose the possibility of other charges, and the case still poses particular challenges for Trump, in part because his actions in Georgia were so public.

Overall, the number of sealed disputes over the scope of grand jury testimony is unusual but perhaps befitting for hugely consequential probes like one concerning a former president. It also stands in contrast to the last special counsel investigation involving Trump, when he was president and when Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors sought to determine whether Trump's 2016 campaign had colluded with Russia to tip the election.

In that probe, a lawyer inside the White House, Ty Cobb, facilitated voluntary interviews of White House staff  without subpoenas  in hopes that cooperation would hasten the investigation toward conclusion.

If I could figure out a way to cooperate and still preserve executive privilege, it would speed things up, which in my judgment ... was imperative to the president and to the country, Cobb said in a recent interview. We were able to accelerate getting them all of the information.

Trump in that investigation was protected by the power of his office and by Justice Department legal opinions that say a sitting president cannot be indicted. No longer president, Trump has lost that shield, raising the stakes of his criminal exposure. And as prosecutors have sought to question people close to him  whether to better understand Trump's state of mind and possible defenses, or to gather potentially damaging testimony  Trump's lawyers have repeatedly objected, often in vain.

Perhaps the most vivid example came last month when the then-chief judge of the D.C. federal court ordered that Trump's lawyer, M. Evan Corcoran, had to give more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago investigation. He had invoked attorney-client privilege in an earlier appearance before the grand jury in declining to answer more questions, but prosecutors pressed for more testimony.

They cited what's known as the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege, which allows prosecutors to compel testimony from a lawyer if they can convince a judge that a client was using legal services in furtherance of a crime. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that Corcoran had to return before the grand jury, and he was in court a week later.

Another instance came last week when a different federal judge, James Boasberg, ruled that former Vice President Mike Pence had to give some testimony in a Justice Department special counsel probe into efforts to undo the election.

The decision rejected the Trump team's objections on executive privilege grounds, though Boasberg did give Pence a victory by accepting his lawyers' arguments that, for constitutional reasons, he could not be questioned about his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of Trumps supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as Republican Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify Democrat Joe Bidens victory.

A Trump spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on this story but responded to the ruling in the Pence matter in a statement saying that the Justice Department is continuously stepping far outside the standard norms in attempting to destroy the long accepted, long held, Constitutionally based standards of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege.

Other former Trump aides, including Stephen Miller and former national security adviser Robert O'Brien, have also recently been ordered by a judge to offer testimony despite Trump team objections of executive privilege.

The ability of Justice Department prosecutors in multiple instances to convince judges that there's a basis to secure the testimony is significant to the extent that it shows that there's a there there with respect to the investigations, Eliason said.

But he cautioned from reading too much into it, given that the threshold for prevailing in a fight over executive privilege or attorney-client is lower than the burden needed to win a criminal case at trial.

Its a far cry from being able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a contested trial, Eliason said. It would be quite a leap to go from there and be able to say that they've got a criminal case locked up.

___

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
OZARK  A pastor who has served the United Methodist Church for more than 70 years was celebrated with a surprise 90th birthday cake, with a single candle on top, as Sundays contemporary worship service at First Ozark UMC came to an end.

Pastor Emeritus Dr. Billy Doyle Gaither had just finished serving communion with First Ozark UMCs Senior Pastor Dr. Jason Thrower when a cart bearing an oversized birthday cake was wheeled to the front of the church as church members from all three services joined in a rendition of Happy Birthday for the man who has served the congregation since 1989.

Im sure glad they didnt put 90 candles on this thing, a visibly surprised Gaither said. Im so overwhelmed that I dont know what to say.

I looked for Bible verses that summed up Billy Gaithers life, State Rep. Steve Clouse, a longtime Gaither family friend, told those assembled in the churchs Family Life Center where contemporary worship services are held. I could have quoted the whole Bible but I did come up with two verses that I think exemplify his life of servant leadership.

Both illustrate his service to the United Methodist Church and to all of us here, Clouse said, citing Ephesians 4:32Be kind of one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you, and Galatians 6:2Bear one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Before Gaithers appointment to Ozark in 1989, he was appointed to Asbury UMC in Montgomery in 1957; Wesley Chapel UMC in Mobile in 1961; Hartford UMC in 1964; Livingston UMC in 1969; Chickasaw UMC in 1971; and Fort Walton Beach UMC in 1976. Gaither came to Ozark after serving six years as Mobile District Superintendent.

Gaither grew up in Tallassee, graduated from Huntingdon College and received a Master of Theology Degree from Chandler School of Theology in Atlanta. His wife, the late Carolyn Gaither, from Fairhope also attended Huntingdon College, which is where they met.

There have been such wonderful experiences here, Gaither said to the congregation he has served since 1989. Weve had some tender moments; weve had some great, glorious moments and I want to thank you because you have made it possible for so many wonderful things to be done in the name of the Lord. There have been some rough bumpy roads in my life, as in everyones, but you all have made my life so much happier than I could have ever imagined. I thank you for the opportunity to worship in your church.

Clouse said that Gaithers impact is manifested throughout the church on Broad Street, to include the Family Life Center they gathered in Sunday. His family was marveling over the beautiful facility and I told them Brother Billy was responsible for its construction. Of course, Billy deflected all praise, crediting his church family, but I told his family that he was the inspiration and the leadership behind it all.

His vision and bold leadership brought growth in all aspects of the churchs life and mission, wrote Glenn L. Wells Sr. and the late Dale County Judge Val McGee in the history of the church they co-authored titled A Cross Above. Ground was broken in March 2001 on the 31,000 square foot facility that includes a large multi-purpose room, which serves as a gym, several adult Sunday school classrooms, additional space for the child development center, a weight room and a chapel.

In June 2002, Gaither retired and was recognized for 50 years service in the UMC Alabama West Florida Conference. He has served since then in an emeritus status.

That same afternoon the family life center that Gaither is credited with inspiring was consecrated.

Living for Jesus, was the hymn chosen for that Sunday, according to Dr. Shirley Woodie, a member of the 2002 Planning Committee. The Planning Committee members chose this particular hymn because we feel that the words effectively capture the central focus of Billy Gaithers life and ministry, she said. We marvel at the way God has used one dedicated servant to advance His kingdoms work.
BLACKPINK Lisa, who has been busy with the Born Pink tour, celebrated her 26th birthday in her home country Thailand. The K-pop idol shared a few pictures from her birthday celebration on Instagram with the caption "Sweet 26th." Lisa dolled up and wore a beige-coloured dress with six giant bows sown onto it. She further completed her look with a red bow in her hair.

In the first photo, BLACKPINK rapper Lisa posed with four birthday cakes and one of them was in the shape of Olaf from Frozen. In the next few pictures, she flaunted her outfit and dewy makeup look while the red ribbon from her bow brushed against her shoulder. Meanwhile, her straight hair with signature bangs complemented her look.

Lisa made another post in which she switched outfits and wore a pink shimmery dress. She paired it with a red bow on her hair. Meanwhile, the room in which she posed was decorated with golden helium balloons and yellow lights. Soon after, a fan commented, "Lisa, always remember that youre loved by millions of people around the world. remember that you have millions of people who'll always support you in every step of your journey."

BLACKPINK Lisa celebrates birthday with BLINKs

BLACKPINK member Lisa and BLINKs came together in Philippines to celebrate the idol's celebrate with zeal. As Lisa's birthday fell on March 27, BLACKPINK members and fans celebrated her birthday in advance on March 26. BLINKs treated the rapper with a beautiful tier cake and sang Happy Birthday for her.

CROWD SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY LISA



BORNPINK IN MANILA D2#BORNPINKinManila_BulacanD2 #BORNPINKMANILA_BULACAN pic.twitter.com/buNGF0gvZH  cha  19, 21, 23 & 24 (@homeofsexualz) March 26, 2023





JISOO BANGKOK

JENNIE HONG KONG

ROSE ABU DHABI

LISA MANILA pic.twitter.com/fuF0DW1rJw  DY. (@Blackpink88xo) March 26, 2023

Lisa turned emotional while celebrating her birthday post the concert. The unexpected celebration was a touching moment for her and she looked visibly moved while thanking everyone, including her band members.
India hosted the 20th session of the Culture Ministers' Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Monday, with Union minister G Kishan Reddy emphasising on the importance of cultural collaborations and dialogue in propagating "peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness".

Culture ministers of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting virtually, the Culture Ministry said in a statement.

India currently holds the presidency of the SCO.

Reddy, who holds the portfolios of culture and tourism, hosted the 20th session of Culture Ministers' Meeting of the SCO member states, the statement said.

At the end of the meeting, "the protocol was adopted and signed by all the ministers of culture of the member states of SCO", it said.

The culture ministers of member states of the SCO expressed their views for enhancing cooperation in the field of culture within the SCO framework in the purview of the agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of culture and other such agreements.

In his opening address, Reddy mentioned the historical and cultural linkages among the SCO nations.

He cited the importance of cultural collaborations and dialogue in propagating peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness.

The Union minister also launched a specially curated digital exhibition on shared Buddhist heritage of SCO countries on the occasion, the statement said.

Citing the aptness of India's theme of SCO chairmanship, 'SECURE' (security, economic cooperation, connectivity, unity, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and environment'), Reddy said that culture lies at the heart of this theme as a binding force that directly contributes towards achieving all these targets.

"It is only through collectively establishing a 'fair and SECURE culture for LiFE' that we can constructively contribute for overall prosperity in the region," he said.

He appreciated the participation of SCO nations including observer states and dialogue partners in the recent Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO held on March 14-15 in New Delhi.

He highlighted the teachings of Buddha and emphasised the need of those values and practices to be adopted to renew trans-cultural links and shared histories and traditions of SCO nations.

India has hosted two SCO Senior Culture Officials Meeting on February 3 and March 31 in virtual format to discuss and formulate the papers for the SCO Culture Ministers' Meeting, the statement said.

The Ministry of Culture hosted the Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partner in March. Buddhist scholars and delegates from SCO countries participated in the conference.

During the ongoing 'SCO Council of Heads of States' Presidency of India, SCO aims at advancing the theme of 'SECURE' articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi initially at the SCO Summit in Qingdao in 2018, the statement said.
Case registered against DK Shivakumar for distributing cash during poll campaign

A case was registered by the police against Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Monday for allegedly distributing cash during a poll campaign.

The action comes days after the police had registered a non-cognisable offence against Shivakumar following a complaint alleging that he showered currency notes at the crowd, from his campaign bus at Bevinahalli village in Mandya Taluk on March 28.
Jakov Milatovic, an expert on the economy and a newcomer to politics, emerged as the winner of the presidential runoff election in Montenegro on Sunday. According to the candidates and polls, Milatovic defeated Milo Djukanovic who had been in power for over thirty years in this small European NATO member nation.

Milatovic, who was supported by the ruling majority in Montenegro, garnered around 60% of the votes, while Milo Djukanovic secured approximately 40%, as per the reliable Center for Monitoring and Research's predictions based on vote samples.

During his victory speech, Milatovic hailed the moment as "historic" and vowed to guide Montenegro into the European Union during his five-year tenure as president.

Tonight is the night that we waited for the past 30 years, said Milatovic, blasting Djukanovic as the last dictator in Europe.

We want to deal with issues that are of vital importance: the rule of law, economy and European integration, said Milatovic. We are leaving the past behind and making a decisive step into the future. This is a historic day for us.

Djukanovic conceded defeat and congratulated Milatovic on his victory. He said he was proud of the result he has achieved after such a long period in power.

Montenegro has chosen and I respect that choice, said Djukanovic. Elections are sometimes won - we won for a very long time - sometimes you lose. I wish the new president that he be worthy of the trust he received.

The state election authorities on Sunday evening announced that the turnout was at nearly 70%.

Analysts said the results could change slightly as the vote count progresses but that the gap between the two is too wide for major changes, reported AP. This result is an indicator that the final result wont be substantially different, said the group analyst Ana Nenezic.

Djukanovic succumbs to anti-incumbency wave

Milatovics victory is believed to reflect voter fatigue with Djukanovic, who has served multiple times as both president and prime minister in the past decades, and disillusionment with established politicians. Milatovic, 36, first entered politics in 2020 after his education in Britain and the United States.

Djukanovic is credited with leading his country to independence from Serbia in 2006 and defying Russia to steer Montenegro into NATO in 2017. But critics say Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists have let crime and corruption engulf society.

The DPS was ousted from power in a 2020 parliamentary vote but Djukanovic has remained in office until his five-year mandate finished. His defeat on Sunday means that both he and his party will be in opposition for the first time since the late 1980s.

Milatovics supporters took to the streets of Montenegrin cities as the outcome became clear, staging fireworks, and honking car horns as they drove around the streets. Hundreds gathered outside the main church in Podgorica, reflecting the ruling coalitions close ties with the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbia.

The Serbian Orthodox Church played an important role in a protest movement that eventually resulted in the DPS's removal from power in 2020. Many Montenegrins declare themselves as Serbs and they support improving relations with the much larger neighbor.

Sundays runoff vote was scheduled after none of the contenders won a majority in the first round of voting two weeks ago. Some 540,000 people were eligible to vote. Montenegro has a population of 620,000 and borders Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo and the Adriatic Sea.

The outcome of Sundays election is likely to reflect on an early parliamentary election set for June 11. That vote was scheduled because of a months-long government deadlock that stalled Montenegros pending European Union membership and alarmed the West as war rages in Ukraine.

Though Milatovics Europe Now group is formally not part of the ruling coalition, his presidential candidacy won backing from the shaky alliance that includes parties that advocate closer ties with neighboring Serbia and Russia.

Milatovic has denied Djukanovics allegations that the governing coalition was pushing Montenegro back under Serbias influence.

With Milatovics triumph, his Europe Now movement could also find itself in a position to dominate the next government after Junes parliamentary election.

Europe Now emerged after the first government that resulted from the 2020 parliamentary election collapsed. As the economy minister in that government, Milatovic gained popularity by increasing salaries but critics say this was done at the cost of the already depleted health system and not as an outcome of reform.

(with AP inputs)
The first-ever shipment of cheap oil from Russia would reach Pakistan by next month, announced Pakistan's Minister of State for Petroleum on Monday (April 3).

While speaking in an interview, the state minister said that Islamabad has finalised the deal with Russia, adding that the first shipment will reach next month through cargo. Also, the state minister assured that the people of Pakistan would benefit after the country will sell cheap oil to consumers.

Pakistan to receive the first shipment of Russian oil soon

The Pakistani minister further said that his government would introduce different tariffs for the poor and elite classes, as per Geo News report. The deal, which has been been a topic of discussion for months, could ease some of Pakistan's fiscal trouble as the country, a net importer of energy, looks for ways to cut its oil import bill. The Pakistani minister further said that the government had already made progress in this matter and was likely to issue separate bills for the underprivileged and elite classes, the outlet reported.

"However, it will take some time for the oil to reach Pakistannearly 26 to 27 days," he stated, adding that the commodity will arrive in the country via sea.

Earlier, it came to light that Pakistan's Petroleum Division was trying to get Russian crude oil for around $50 per barrel, at least USD 10 per barrel below the price cap imposed by the G7 countries on the precious commodity being taken from Russia due to the Ukraine war. It is significant to mention that since last year, talks have been ongoing between Pakistan and Russia over the trade of oil. Earlier, the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had repeatedly claimed that his government was ousted for pursuing an "independent foreign policy", which would have helped the nation procure oil at a discounted price from Russia.

Image: ANI
Pakistan has reached out to the US as it "desires good working ties" with Washington, reported Pakistan-based The Express Tribune. This move by Pakistan comes after it skipped Summit for Democracy hosted by the Biden Administration where they launched "charm diplomacy". This latest insight has come from a close aide who has knowledge of the related matter. Pakistan has engaged with US officials quietly to explain the reason behind the decision of skipping the 'Democracy Summit'.

According to the statement by Pakistan authorities, Pakistan has not been part of the Summit process that commenced in 2021 and required countries to make certain national commitments. "The Summit process is now at an advanced stage and therefore, Pakistan would engage bilaterally with the United States and co-hosts of the Summit to promote and strengthen democratic principles and values and work towards advancing human rights and the fight against corruption," read the press release. This decision of Pakistan has been criticised by the US State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel. Patel expressed regret over Pakistan's decision not to participate in the Democracy Summit, reported The Express Tribune.

Pakistan justifies US after skipping Biden's 'Democracy Summit'

One of the reasons for Pakistan's decision to skip the summit was China, as per the local media reports. In the democracy summit, the US had not invited China and Turkey while Taiwan attended the summit which made it difficult for Pakistan to participate. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari hosted Iftar on Thursday for the diplomatic corps and the US ambassador was seated next to him. The message was clear that Pakistan wants to maintain its relations with the US, said the source. As per The Express Tribune reports, Pakistan has attached its relationship with the US "and, hence, it doesn't want any negative fallout of its move to stay out of President Biden's democracy summit". Pakistan was invited to the summit that concluded on Friday, however, Islamabad opted out of the event. After this, Pakistan's foreign office tried to deflect attention from the actual reason for not attending the summit.

"We are thankful to the United States and the co-host countries for inviting Pakistan to attend the Second Summit for Democracy being held on 29-30 March," read a statement from the office. Further, it read, "We value our friendship with the United States. Under this Biden Administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially. We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region."
In a harrowing incident, an 83-year-old Malaysian woman died and her 84-year-old husband was rushed to the ICU as he went into a coma after the duo consumed the puffer fish last week, according to reports. The fish was purchased by the man from a local fish shop on March 25. It contained extremely potent poisons that harmed the couple's health and left them in need of medical intervention. The couples daughter, Ng Ai Lee, noted that her father had brought the mammal for lunch.

My parents have been buying fish from the same fishmonger for many years, so my father did not think twice about it, Lee told the Star paper. He would not have knowingly bought something so deadly to eat and put their lives in danger," she added.

Breathing difficulties and chest pain

Ling Tian Soon  the health and unity committee chairman for Johor, in southern Malaysia, told the outlet that the husband and wife actually cleaned the deadly poisonous fish and cooked it for lunch. Lim Siew Guan started to shiver after eating the fish while also complaining about breathing difficulties and chest pain. Her husband also began displaying similar symptoms about an hour later, Soon was quoted as telling Star. The couple was rushed to the hospital by their son. Shortly, the woman was pronounced dead while her husband is still struggling for his life. The cause of death is given as food poisoning with neurological manifestation resulting in respiratory failure with cardiac dysrhythmia possibly due to ciguatera toxin or tetrodotoxin ingestion, from the puffer fish, Soon said.

I was devastated, Lee the relative of the couple told Star. The pain and emotions that I felt at the time were indescribable because it was just too unexpected," the Kuala Lumpur resident added. As the man went into a coma, the relative explained that he spent time in the intensive care unit as his health so rapidly deteriorated. I am prepared for the worst because the doctor told us that even if he is able to pull through the ordeal, he might not be the same any more, due to his old age, she told the outlet.
Deputy foreign ministers from Russia, Syria, Iran, and Turkey are set to convene in Moscow for quadripartite talks this week. The negotiations, anticipated to continue for two days, mark the initial direct talks between officials from Syria and Turkey since December, when Moscow hosted meetings between the two countries' defense and intelligence ministers  a notable milestone after more than a decade of diplomatic detachment. According to a report from the Sputnik, the discussions are expected to center on a potential normalisation of relations between the neighboring nations.

According to Syrian media reports on Sunday, Assistant Foreign Minister Dr. Ayman Sousan is slated to lead the Syrian delegation at the quadripartite talks in Moscow. Sousan stated that he and his Russian and Iranian counterparts plan to engage in bilateral consultations on Monday, followed by a quadripartite meeting involving Turkey on Tuesday. Damascus' agenda will centre around negotiations for the removal of Turkish troops from Syrian land, as well as collaborative efforts to combat terrorism and a demand for non-interference in Syria's internal affairs.

Turkey confirmed it will take part in the meeting last week

Last week, officials in Ankara confirmed that Turkey would participate in the upcoming quadripartite talks in Moscow. A senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, characterized the negotiations as a "continuation of the ministerial-level meetings that began during the normalization process." However, the official stated that "no significant decisions" should be anticipated due to the absence of ministerial-level participation.

At a joint press conference last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed Iran's involvement in the upcoming quadripartite talks and emphasized the significance of "rapprochement of the views of Turkey and Syria" as the central focus of the negotiations. Tehran and Moscow will also make efforts to bring these views closer together. And if some framework is determined at these negotiations, the next meeting can be held at the level of foreign ministers, he said.

In January, Iran joined the Russian-led diplomatic normalization process for Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that it was "absolutely logical" for Tehran to participate, given that all three nations  Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara  are members of the Astana Process, an initiative aimed at establishing peace in Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has barred US Ambassador to Turkey, Jeffry Flake, from entering his residence after the diplomat met with opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu. This move by Erdogan is seen as a snub towards the United States, which has been a longstanding ally of Turkey.

"[US President] Joe Biden's ambassador visits Kemal. Shame on you, think with your head. You are an ambassador. Your interlocutor here is the president. How will you stand up after that and ask for a rendezvous with the president? Our doors are closed for him, he can no longer come in. Why? He needs to know his place," Erdogan said on Sunday, as per a report from Turkish Star newspaper, which was cited in a Sputnik report.

Turkish elections are slated for May 14

The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey are scheduled to take place on May 14, with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the opposition candidate nominated by a coalition of six parties, being seen as the main contender against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Other candidates in the running include Muharrem Ince of the Homeland Party and Sinan Ogan, who has the support of the ATA Alliance.

A recent survey conducted by the MetroPOLL research center polled 2,046 individuals across 28 provinces in Turkey between January 13 and March 14, revealing that Kilicdaroglu holds a slight lead over Erdogan in terms of public support, with 44.6 percent of respondents indicating they would vote for the opposition candidate, while Erdogan trails behind with 42 percent of the votes. This indicates a potentially tight race for the presidency.

A look at US-Turkey relations

Historically, the United States and Turkey have had a close relationship, dating back to the post-World War II period when Turkey played a key role as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism in the region. The two countries signed a mutual defense agreement in 1951, which was followed by the establishment of the US-Turkey Joint Economic Committee and the Turkey-US Business Council in the 1980s.

During the Cold War, Turkey hosted US military bases, including the strategically important Incirlik Air Base, which has been used for operations in Iraq and Syria in recent years. In addition, Turkey has been a key transit point for US military supplies and personnel heading to Afghanistan.

However, in recent years, the relationship between the US and Turkey has been strained by a number of factors. One of the key issues is the ongoing conflict in Syria, where Turkey has been a vocal opponent of the Assad regime and has supported opposition groups fighting against the Syrian government. The US, on the other hand, has backed Kurdish forces in Syria, which Turkey views as a threat to its national security due to their links to the Kurdish separatist group, the PKK.

The US-Turkey relationship has also been impacted by Turkey's domestic politics. Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has become increasingly authoritarian, with a crackdown on opposition voices and independent media. This has led to tensions with the US, which has been critical of Turkey's human rights record and has expressed concerns about the erosion of democratic institutions in the country.

In addition, Turkey's decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system has further strained the US-Turkey relationship. The US has argued that the system is incompatible with NATO defenses and has threatened sanctions against Turkey for the purchase.
Regal Rexnord buys Altra Industrial Motion for $4.95bn

Regal Rexnord has bought Altra Industrial Motion, closing a deal that was signed in October 2022 and values Altra at $4.95bn. Regal Rexnord says that the merger will transform it into a global automation supplier with more than 70% of its sales in expanding markets, as well as combining the companies complementary power transmission portfolios. It is aiming for revenues of around $8.3bn by 2025 and expects costs synergies worth $160m within four years.

The deal brings together brands including Kollmorgen, Portescap, Twiflex, Thomson, Bauer Gear Motor, Stieber, Stromag, Jaure, Kop-Flex, Centa, Falk and Rexnord.

Regal Rexnord CEO Louis Pinkham says he is incredibly excited about all that we expect to accomplish as one, enhanced Regal Rexnord team. Together, we have clear lines of sight to faster growth, higher margins, stronger free cash flow and improved ROIC.

Altra's Automation & Specialty platform transforms our existing automation portfolio into a meaningful, global automation solutions provider, he adds. Altra's Power Transmission Technologies business significantly enhances our legacy power transmission portfolio, in particular our industrial powertrain offering, by adding complementary products in brakes, gears, and clutches.

The combined power transmission, automation and powertrain capabilities of the new Regal Rexnord offer customers a significantly enhanced value proposition across a wider range of end-markets  many with highly attractive secular growth tailwinds, says Pinkham.

The deal rebalances Regal Rexnords portfolio between motion control (which will now account for 48% of its sales), climate solutions (15%), commercial systems (15%), automation and speciality (13%) and industrial systems (9%).

Regal Rexnord says that the merger will allow it to offer more robust sub-systems, including industrial powertrains, to a wider range of markets. It will be in a unique position to provide customers with a wider and more value-added range of services, including up-front design, performance optimisation, and diagnostic support.

Regal Rexnord is will also be better positioned for Industry 4.0, and its offering will include a suite of IIoT and data analytics capabilities, marketed under the Perceptiv brand, using data from its power transmission, automation and motor components.

Following the merger, Regal Rexnord will have four divisions:

 Industrial Powertrain Solutions (IPS), accounting for about 37% of 2022 sales, will consist of most of the previous Motion Control Solutions (MCS) business, excluding the conveying and aerospace business units, plus Altra's Power Transmission Technologies segment.

 Power Efficiency Solutions (PES), representing about 31% of sales, and consisting of the former Climate Solutions and Commercial Systems businesses.

Regal Rexnord CEO Louis Pinkham: incredibly excited

 Automation & Motion Control (AMC) accounting for about 24% of sales and consisting of the current MCS aerospace and conveying businesses, Altra's Automation & Specialty (A&S) segment, and the Regal Rexnord Thomson business that is currently part of the Industrial Systems segment.

 Industrial Systems representing around 8% of revenues and consisting of its current operations, excluding the Thomson business.

Regal Rexnord was created in 2021 when the electric motors and mechanical power transmission manufacturer Regal Beloit merged with Rexnord Process and Motion Control. The combined business, employing around 29,000 people with manufacturing facilities on five continents, generated revenues of around $5bn in 2022, with an Ebitda of more than $1bn. Its headquarters are in Wisconsin.

Regal Rexnords brands include Browning, Grove Gear, Hub City, Jaure, Kop-Flex, McGill, ModSort, Sealmaster, System Plast, Berg, Cambridge, Centa, Falk, Rexnord and Stearns.

Before the merger, Altra Industrial Motion had annual sales of $1.9bn, a workforce of more than 9,0000, and 47 production facilities in 17 countries. Its brands include Bauer Gear Motor, Boston Gear, Kollmorgen, Portescap, Stieber, Stromag, Svendborg Brakes, TB Woods, Twiflex, Thomson and Warner Electric.

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A Chinese spy balloon that flew across the US was able to gather intelligence from several sensitive American military sites and transmit it back to Beijing in real-time, despite the Biden administration's efforts to block it, a media report said on Monday.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon said to be the size of three buses, was spotted over the airspace of the United States in late January.

China was able to control the balloon so it could make multiple passes over some of the sites (at times flying figure-eight formations) and transmit the information it collected back to Beijing in real time, NBC News reported, quoting three unnamed officials.

The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images, the officials were quoted as saying in the report.

The three officials said China could have gathered much more intelligence from sensitive sites if not for the Biden administrations efforts to move around potential targets and obscure the balloons ability to pick up their electronic signals by stopping them from broadcasting signals, the report said.

The balloon first entered US airspace from Alaska on January 28, according to the Biden administration.

Over the next four days, it was flying over the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where the US has some of its nuclear assets.

The development further strained the already tense bilateral ties between the US and China, with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken abruptly postponed his key visit to Beijing in February this year.

The US National Security Council has referred NBC News to the Defence Department for comment.

In its response, Beijing maintained that the balloon was a Chinese "civilian airship" which had deviated from its planned route.

"The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes," the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministry's website.

On February 4, the US shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, US fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the Peoples Republic of China over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had said.

US officials said they tried to reconstruct the balloon from the debris recovered.
United States-based travellers planning to visit Guinea and Tanzania are being advised by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take precautions to avoid contracting the fatal Marburg virus. Additionally, the CDC is dispatching personnel to Africa to provide assistance in controlling the spread of the disease.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers the Marburg virus to be an infectious disease with the potential for epidemics, which has high fatality rates.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that its National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases will be deployed this week to address the outbreaks of Marburg virus in Guinea and Tanzania, reported FoX News.

The CDC issued a warning this week advising travellers in Guinea and Tanzania to stay away from individuals who are ill, avoid healthcare facilities in outbreak areas, and monitor themselves for symptoms for a period of three weeks after leaving the region.

In Africa, Equatorial Guinea reported the first outbreak of the Marburg virus in February, and since then, the country has officially recorded nine cases, with an additional 20 probable cases, all of which have resulted in fatalities, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Tanzania, located about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) away from Equatorial Guinea, has also reported an outbreak of the Marburg virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed eight cases in the country, including five fatalities.

The Marburg virus is a rare and highly fatal disease that causes symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle pain, rash, sore throat, diarrhoea, weakness, and unexplained bleeding or bruising. The CDC warns that the virus can be transmitted through the blood or body fluids of an infected person, as well as through contact with contaminated objects such as clothing, bedding, needles, and medical equipment. Animals, particularly bats, can also spread the virus to humans.

In 2018, after tourists and villagers near the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the adjoining Maramagambo Forest in Uganda experienced outbreaks of the virus, CDC scientists conducted a study to better understand how the virus is transmitted to humans. They fitted GPS units on the backs of bats to track their movements and investigate where the bats go at night, according to the CDC.

What is the treatment for the Marburg virus?

There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments approved to treat the virus. However, supportive care  rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids  and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival.

The rare virus was first identified in 1967 after it caused simultaneous outbreaks of disease in laboratories in Marburg, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia. Seven people died who were exposed to the virus while conducting research on monkeys.

Marburg virus disease is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever, with a fatality ratio of up to 88%. It is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. Many patients develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.

The virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials.
In Brief

The Chinese government ranks first in terms of having the trust of its peopleor so Chinese officials like to say, often quoting research from the West.

One favored source is an annual report by U.S. public relations company Edelman that details the level of public trust in national institutions in up to 28 countries. The report consistently lists the Chinese government as among the most trusted by its citizens. Beijing was ranked No. 1 globally in both 2023 and 2022, with 89 percent and 91 percent of Chinese expressing trust in the government, respectively.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) found the Edelman reports conclusions regarding Chinese public opinion to be questionable due to the companys sometimes unusual survey methodology. In addition, Chinas history of censorship and controls may lead some Chinese to embrace the governments spin on events, while other respondents may hesitate to voice opposing views.

In Depth

Edelman Trust Barometer, the firms annual trust report, interviews citizens in up to 28 countries each year to gauge their trust in government, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and the media. For at least the past five years, China has ranked first or second among all countries surveyed in terms of the percentage of citizens who express trust in their respective governments.

Chinese officials and media have often referred to Edelmans trust rating as evidence of the Chinese peoples confidence in their government. China continues to lead the world in trust, according to a recent opinion piece that ran in the state-run China Daily, Hong Kong edition, citing the 2023 Edelman report.

Tweeting about the 2022 report, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying trumpeted that China tops the list of Trust Index. Officials have cited Chinas trust rating to support what they described as the countrys broad, real, and effective democracy and emphasized that positive surveys are conducted by institutions in the West.

Is Edelman an impartial arbiter of truth?

Edelman is an American public relations and marketing firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote, and protect their brands and reputations. One way it has done so with major success is by building trustwhich the company has called the ultimate currencyincluding through its Trust Barometer, since 2000.

The agencys own track record in trust has come under scrutiny, however. While parent company Daniel J. Edelman Holdings has said respecting human rights is a fundamental part of how it does business, Edelman has been reported to work with countries with poor human rights records to try and clean up their image, including with Saudi Arabia after it was linked to the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to The Guardian.

The agency declined to comment for that article, but in a separate Guardian article questioning Edelmans reputation as an arbiter of trust, a company spokesperson said, Our goal has always been to help business and other institutions navigate their complex environments and effectively communicate with all their stakeholders.

Asked by AFCL about how it avoids potential conflicts with its own standards while working with clients, Edelman responded in an email statement that responsibility and sensitivity are essential to the research we do.

Like other multinational companies, Edelman sometimes tailors its messaging to specific markets, and it appears to toe a cautious line in authoritarian countries. A blog by Edelmans CEO about the World Economic Forums May 2022 meeting that mentions a rift between democracy and autocracy appears on the companys main website, but not on its Middle East site. The blog, which also includes the CEOs thoughts on other sensitive topics such as Russias war against Ukraine, does not show up on Edelmans China website either.

Is the report methodologically sound?

Several aspects of the reports survey methodology raise questions about the accuracy of some of the findings, especially in regards to China.

Responding to a detailed list of questions from AFCL about its methodology, the Edelman spokesperson said: There are many nuances to conducting multi-market survey research, including being sensitive to cultures, legal systems and technological access.

The spokesperson said Edelman is committed to full transparency about our work and methodologies and adheres to both industry- and country-specific regulations and standards. We make every effort to present the data in formats that are clear, accessible, and fully validated.

Multiple editions of the Edelman Trust Barometer note that the survey did not collect data on select questions for China (as well as for some other countries). These questions include whether the government is seen as divisive, whether the country is more divided currently than in past times and whether the government and official media release trustworthy information.

Edelman explained its approach in its 2023 report: Because some of the content we ask is deemed politically sensitive, there are several countries where we take special precautions in order to avoid putting our respondents, or ourselves, in a position to break any local laws. We work closely with our sample partner and its legal team to identify which questions, and in what countries, we should refrain from asking. For the 2023 report, it said, it removed certain questions and answer options for China and Thailand.

Laura Silver, a senior researcher for Pew Research Center, said removing questions that are considered inappropriate in a local context can sometimes be the most appropriate choice. If questions make respondents uncomfortable or unwilling to continue with the survey, that could affect its representativeness by causing certain participants to drop out, resulting in bias, she said.

Ken Alper, president of research company SurveyUSA, cautioned, however, that, Every question you ask in a survey has the potential to influence [responses to] all of the questions that follow it.

A more problematic practice involves Edelmans removal of certain answer options from its 2023 surveys in China (and Thailand). The survey report notes this in small gray print at the bottom of its appendix page on sample size and quotas, but does not specify which questions were involved or which answer options were removed.

Should it be [that choices for] answers are removed, that could certainly affect cross-national comparisons, Silver said.

Furthermore, many slides (about one-third of the total) also note in small print that certain questions were asked of only half the sample size. The 2023 report did not provide an explanation for this practice.

The report is generally vague about its sampling method. Polls should disclose both their specific sampling methodology and the survey quotas for the respondents, Alper said, but Edelman does not do so for either.

Quotas are used to limit who responds to surveys to ensure that the respondents accurately reflect the target population. Of the 1,150 respondents for each country, the report does not detail category breakdowns for age, gender or region of residency.

Can meaningful political polling be conducted in China?

Conducting polling in China is a tough job. PRC law requires any foreign individuals or companies conducting research to obtain prior government approval. This requirement applies to market research, academic studies, and social polls. The law stipulates that Chinas Bureau of Statistics should work with the State Council, or cabinet, to supervise and manage foreign-related surveys conducted at a national level. In addition, organizations may not conduct any foreign-related investigations that threaten national unity, cause social disorder, or violate the basic principles of the Constitution.

China isnt alone in seeking to influence public opinion through the management of polling activities. Governments control polling for different reasons based on their interests, Silver said. One reason might be concerns about showing a discontent public. If a governments legitimacy hinges on its people being satisfied, clearly illustrating that that is not the case could prove detrimental to its stability.

Alper notes that freedom of speech is typically an important prerequisite to obtaining reliable public opinion data. If youre worried that speaking honestly may put you in some sort of legal jeopardy, youre unlikely to speak honestly.

Pollsters working in such environments should acknowledge the limitations of their findings, he said.

In Chinas case, past polls conducted by reputable Western and Chinese groups have also reflected high popular confidence in the Chinese government. A long-term polling project by Harvard Universitys Ash Center involving 32,000 respondents found that 95.5 percent of respondents were relatively satisfied or highly satisfied with the central government in 2016, the last year the survey was conducted.

Center Director Tony Saich attributed the high rating to several factors, including Beijings distance from rural citizens, who traditionally have tended to view central authorities approvingly and to blame local governments for problems. He also noted the highly positive news [that] proliferated throughout the country.

The Chinese government also secured its high trust rating in Edelmans 2023 report as widespread discontent and rare public protests spread over President Xi Jinpings zero-Covid policy and some local governments draconian shutdowns and other measures aimed at curbing the viruss spread.

Conclusion

Although Edelmans Trust Barometer reported that Chinese people have the highest trust in their government, potential weaknesses in polling methodology and Beijings controls over information should raise questions over whether most Chinese agree that their government is the most trusted in the world.
A West Point graduate, Hun Manet also has a masters degree in economics from New York University.

Hun Manet, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, says Cambodia will continue to strengthen its relationship with all countries around the world.

Long tapped as his fathers successor to lead Cambodia, Hun Manet has been put at the top of the list of 12 parliamentary candidates for the Phnom Penh constituency in the July 23 general elections.

Before he runs, Hun Manet, 45, the eldest son of Hun Sen, who has ruled since 1985, is expected to resign from the military  per election rules  where he is deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces.

Hun Manet posted a short video clip to his Facebook page on Monday, saying that Cambodia would remain independent and strengthen ties with all countries around the world  not just China.

Cambodias policy today is not being so close to China and not being so close to anyone, he said. It stands neutral, but we encourage and are determined to boost up close relationships with all the nations.

That is our correct policy. We get closer to China, the United States and Japan and we get closer to all other nations, he said. Thats what we want.

Hun Manet has had extensive experience overseas. A graduate of the elite United States Military Academy at West Point, he holds a masters in economics from New York University and another graduate degree from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, speaking at a hospital inauguration on Monday, says he will continue to hunt and eliminate opposition groups out of the political arena to protect peace and the constitutional monarchy. Credit: Hun Sen Facebook





I have to protect my power

Speaking at the inauguration of a hospital on Monday, Hun Sen used harsh language to respond to recent criticisms of his leadership and his son.

The prime minister seemed to target a Buddhist monk now living in exile in Massachusetts who recently criticized Hun Manet for not being qualified to lead the country. In comments posted on Facebook on Sunday, the Venerable Buth Buntenh also said that if Hun Manet became prime minister, he would only do his fathers bidding.

The black guy, who lives in the U.S.  people would know when I call him the black guy, Hun Sen said while not using Buth Buntenhs name.

Last night, he said that Hun Sen fears losing power. What you said is right, the contemptible black guy. I have to protect my power because your people always attempt to kill me, why not let me protect it?

Hun Sen also said he would continue to hunt and eliminate opposition groups  who he accused of committing treason  out of the political arena to protect peace and the constitutional monarchy.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reviews an honor guard with Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 27, 2023. Credit: Cambodias government cabinet/Handout via Reuters





Warning to foreign embassies

He also cautioned Cambodias foreign friends who support opposition party groups and politicians.

You have to choose between an individual group that breaks the laws and the government, he said at the hospital inauguration in Tbong Khmum province. Please choose one. If you need those who were penalized by law, please do so, and you can then break diplomatic relations from Cambodia.

The ruling CPP and Hun Sen have been working to silence and intimidate opposition figures ahead of the July general elections through a series of arrests and lawsuits.

In the most high-profile example, opposition party leader Kem Sokha was sentenced to 27 years for treason last month in a court decision that was widely condemned as politically motivated.

The charges against Kem Sokha related partly to a video recorded in 2013 in which he discusses a strategy to win power with the help of U.S. experts. The United States Embassy has rejected any suggestion that Washington was trying to interfere in Cambodian politics.

Hun Sen also mentioned last weeks visit to Phnom Penh of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He declared that the powerful countries should stop interfering into the affairs of other countries, Hun Sen said. I fully support him. Ive got another good counterpart in ASEAN.

Political analyst Kim Sok said Hun Sens language on Monday was undiplomatic. Foreign embassies in Phnom Penh  such as the United States  are working to cooperate with Cambodia based on a 1991 multinational agreement that formally ended decades of war in the country and paved the way for parliamentary democracy, he said.

They just monitor the situation to see if Cambodia walks in the path of democracy and multi-liberal pluralism, which is enshrined in the Paris Peace Agreements, he said.

Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.
Huang Jijun, whose pen name is Zunzi, shows some of his political cartoons in Hong Kong in 2020.

Hong Kong security czar Chris Tang has hit out at political cartoonist Zunzi after he published a comic strip taking aim at a police request for better surveillance equipment.

In the latest in a string of official comments targeting the Zunzi comic strip, Tang said the strip had "made misleading accusations and aroused public dissatisfaction with the government," an accusation that could fall within the purview of a draconian security law banning public criticism of the authorities.

In the cartoon strip published in the Ming Pao newspaper, two government officials discuss the implications of a recent request from the city's police force for H.K.$5.2 billion to set up a digital media platform to collate video and images gathered by officers on phones and bodycams.

Better surveillance equipment would lead to more arrests and the need to hire more judges and build more prisons, meaning the bill would likely be closer to H.K.$20 billion, the cartoon figures conclude.

Zunzi has also taken aim at the Hong Kong government's global talent recruitment drive, quipping that "priority will be given to applicants who are accepting of harsh governance, prompting the police force to write an angry letter to the Ming Pao, while a strip depicting political censorship was criticized by cultural officials as "wantonly smearing" the authorities.

Tang said the cartoon strip had made "misleading allegations against the government" more than once during the past six months, leading to criticism from fellow officials, according to a report from government broadcaster RTHK.

Arrests and prosecution under the national security law have followed similar public denunciations by officials or Chinese Communist Party-backed media organizations in a number of past cases, including those of three activists with Student Politicism.

In August 2021, Hong Kong's largest teaching union announced it would disband after being denounced in Communist Party newspaper the People's Daily.

Huang Jijun, 68, who has published work relating to the June 4, 1989 bloodshed under the pen-name Zunzi and had cartoons in every edition of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper for 26 years, has previously said he plans to remain in Hong Kong despite a citywide crackdown on public dissent under a draconian national security law imposed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party from July 1, 2020.

National security law fallout

Tang's comments came as a report from the U.S. Congress accused the Hong Kong government of continuing to use "national security" as a pretext to arrest and prosecute anyone from the pro-democracy camp, and to crack down on dissenting opinions.

"The Peoples Republic of China continues to erode Hong Kongs judicial independence and the rule of law," Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said in a March 31 statement. "[The] authorities have further criminalized dissent, undermining the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people in Hong Kong and dismantling the citys promised autonomy."

Chris Tang, commissioner of the Hong Kong Police Force, says a recent Zunzi comic 'made misleading accusations and aroused public dissatisfaction with the government.' Credit: Associated Press file photo

According to the report, the Hong Kong government has persisted in its enforcement of the national security law, while also making use of a colonial-era sedition law to silence perceived critics.

It said more than 1,200 people have been detained for their political beliefs, according to media reports, many of whom remain in pre-trial detention.

"We urge [the Chinese] authorities to restore Hong Kongers their protected rights and freedoms, release those unjustly detained or imprisoned, and respect the rule of law and human rights in Hong Kong," Blinken said.

Hong Kong justice secretary Paul Lam said the report was "nonsense."

"Those who have actually been arrested or convicted were inciting others ... to undermine social and national stability," Lam said. "This isn't just talk -- it's instigation: encouraging others to agree with your thinking and to change theirs, and to engage in socially destructive action. They're not just academic discussions."

"This statement is absolutely full of lies," Lam said.

Crime of incitement

U.S.-based Hong Kong Democracy Council executive director Anna Kwok said the group has counted 1,415 political prisoners in Hong Kong since the national security law took effect, citing the ongoing trial of 47 former opposition politicians and democracy activists for "subversion" under the national security law after they took part in a democratic primary in the summer of 2020.

"The Hong Kong government constantly criminalizes speech and over-interprets the past speech of various people," she said. "They twist people's words into evidence and use it against them in court."

Exiled former pro-democracy lawmaker Ted Hui said all of the arrests made under the law, and under the colonial-era sedition law, have been unjust.

"Countless people have had their passports confiscated for no reason after they assist police with their enquiries," Hui said. "This has had a huge impact on their personal freedom".

"The crime of incitement is definitely used to target political opinions," he said.

The Hong Kong Policy Act report said the authorities continue to arrest and prosecute people for peaceful criticism of the government, "including for posting and forwarding social media posts."

"Hong Kong authorities continued to restrict political expression in schools and universities, impose 'national security education' in all publicly funded institutions, and penalize teachers and academics who expressed dissenting opinions," the report said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie.
Zhang Hai has been an outspoken critic of the government since the start of the pandemic in Wuhan.

Veteran activist Zhang Hai was detained by authorities after reposting video clips of the "silver" protests in Wuhan, along with media reports and comments to his Twitter account.

Authorities in China have formally arrested a veteran activist who campaigned for the rights of COVID-19 victims after he publicly expressed support for recent protests by older people over cuts to medical insurance payouts.

Zhang Hai was detained by authorities in the southern city of Shenzhen after he reposted video clips of the "silver" protests in Wuhan, along with media reports and comments to his Twitter account. He was one of at least five people detained in the wake of the demonstrations.

Zhang, who lives in Shenzhen, became an outspoken critic of the ruling Chinese Communist Party since the pandemic prompted a city-wide lockdown in Wuhan and killed his father. The authorities placed restrictions on his bank cards and on routine banking transactions in June 2022.

He has now been formally arrested on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a catch-all public order charge applied to rights campaigners and critics of the government, a person familiar with the situation told Radio Free Asia.

Hubei-based dissident Gao Fei said he wasn't surprised by Zhang's arrest.

"Zhang Hai has never backed down, and has always insisted on speaking the truth despite threats," Gao said. "He kept on fighting and appealing over his father's case, and also mobilized other victims to do the same."

"It wasn't just a case of making a few comments  he also took practical action," he said. "This is anathema to the authorities, who see him as an early adopter of action for families hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"His case will definitely set a precedent for the way the rest of us are treated if we speak out online," Gao said.

Rumor-mongering

Zhang's detention came after thousands of people took to the streets of two Chinese cities  Wuhan and Dalian  on Feb. 15 in a second mass protest over major cuts to their medical benefits.

The protests were a continuation of an earlier rally outside municipal government headquarters in Wuhan on Feb. 8 against the slashing of medical payouts under an insurance scheme offered to retired employees of state-owned enterprises.

Police scuffle with retirees protesting cuts to medical benefits near the entrance to Zhongshan Park in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 15, 2023. Credit: Screenshot from video obtained by Reuters





The ruling Chinese Communist Party's propaganda machine says the "silver protests" were the result of "rumor-mongering," and ordered police and local officials to carry out "ideological work" with people who attended the demonstrations

Zhang is currently being held in the Wuhan No. 2 Detention Center, and his family have relinquished their right to hire him a defense attorney "after taking various factors into consideration," the person familiar with his case said.

Since a nationwide crackdown on hundreds of rights attorneys and law firms in 2015, police have begun to put pressure on the families of those detained for political dissent to fire their lawyers and allow the government to appoint a lawyer on their behalf, in the hope of a more lenient sentence.

Netherlands-based dissident Lin Shengliang said Zhang had already hired a lawyer, but could have been forced to let them go after intense pressure from the authorities.

"The main reason for his arrest has to do with his long-term whistle-blowing about the [emergence of the] COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan, his ongoing efforts to trace the origin of the virus, and his pursuit of accountability for the officials involved [in covering up the severity of the initial outbreak]," Lin said.

"An insider revealed to me that Zhang had planned to hire a lawyer ... but hasn't contacted one so far," he said. "I'm guessing that was suppressed, likely under huge pressure and great duress."

"They put huge pressure on family members, using threats to coerce and manipulate them into doing exactly what the authorities want," Lin said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
The error has paralyzed propaganda apparatus with fear about the potential fallout, sources say.

A sentence in a commentary in Peoples Daily failed to mention Chinese leader Xi Jinping by name.

China recalled millions of copies of the mass circulation Peoples Daily because Xi Jinpings name was omitted from a commentary about the need for national unity, sources told Radio Free Asia.

The page 5 commentary, titled Unity and struggle are the only way for the Chinese people to forge a historical undertaking, recounted Chinas achievements under Xi.

But in one sentence, after the word comrade  typical in communist countries  it didnt include Xis name, according to photos of the article viewed by RFA.

So the text read: The central government with comrade at the core assesses the situation. The online edition reads correctly: The central government with comrade Xi Jinping at the core assesses the situation.

Despite authorities stern orders to keep the recall confidential, an internal notice about the editing error was leaked hours after being issued. The notice ordered a halt to further deliveries of the March 30 edition to newspaper stalls and to immediately recall an estimated 3 million copies already sent out.

The error has caused the entire official propaganda apparatus to be paralyzed with fear about the potential fallout, according to a former night shift editor at an official Chinese press outlet who insisted on not being identified for his own safety.

The article was written by an author using the pseudonym Ren Ping. It wasnt immediately clear who that was.

Whether or not the author involved would be punished depends on the mood of Xi Jinping himself, the editor said.

Political incident

The final draft of any article by Chinese official media is supposed to undergo five to six rounds of editing before being published, but no one seems to have caught the error.

In China, official media reports follow strict rules regarding the names, titles and positions of officials.

Reporting about state leaders is considered a political task, and any mistake reporting their names or positions is considered a political incident. Under former Chairman Mao Zedong, such errors even led to charges of counter-revolutionary crimes and heavy penalties.

When RFA contacted Chinas Propaganda Department, one official said: Sorry, I really dont know. I dont know much about the situation. How about you ask Peoples Daily if you want to find out?

There is speculation that Tuo Zhen, the chief editor and president of People's Daily, may be purged due to the error. Credit: People's Daily





RFA attempted to contact People's Dailys chief editor, review department and two separate informant hotlines by phone. None of these calls were answered.

Many reporters inside China speculate that Tuo Zhen, the current chief editor and president of People's Daily, may be purged due to the incident.

Tuo was promoted to deputy head of Chinas Propaganda Department following a purge of editorial staff at the liberal newspaper Southern Weeklys in Chinas Guangdong province due to a dispute over his censoring an article released by the paper in 2013.

There have been exceptions. People's Daily once misspelled former Chinese premier Wen Jiabaos name, but Wen ordered the editor not to be punished.
If youre a small business owner in Australia, theres good news for you!

The government has completed the provider selection process for Round 2 of the Digital Solutions  Australian Small Business Advisory Services Program.

Each provider of Digital Solutions will be responsible for delivering services exclusively in a specific region:

Realise Business will provide services in New South Wales and the ACT.

Business Foundations will provide services in Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.

Darebin Enterprise Centre will provide services in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania.

This program aims to provide critical support and guidance to small businesses across the country by offering them digital solutions and advisory services to improve their online presence and operations.

In todays business landscape, where the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a multitude of challenges, the Digital Solutions  Australian Small Business Advisory Services Program is more important than ever. Its designed to help small businesses stay competitive by providing cutting-edge digital solutions and expert advice on how to leverage them.

More about the Digital Solutions program

The Digital Solutions  Australian Small Business Advisory Services program helps small businesses use digital tools and provides advice on websites, online selling, social media, software, and online security.

Small businesses with at most 20 full-time employees or sole traders can participate, and the program is available across all areas of Australia. Workshops and webinars are free, but there is a small fee for one-on-one support.

The response to Round 1 of the program was overwhelming, with more than 45,000 small businesses participating. This highlights the critical need for digital solutions and advisory services among small businesses nationwide.

Xeros Managing Director APAC, Joseph Lyons says: Utilising digital technology is essential for small businesses to succeed and grow in todays digital economy. Xero supports the second round of the federal governments Australian Small Business Advisory Services Program for enhancing the digitisation efforts of small businesses across the country.

While Australia has a thriving small business economy, research from Xero highlights there is hesitancy to invest in digital solutions.

Data shows 70 per cent of Australian small business owners delay decisions about upgrading technology because they dont feel urgent, while 60 per cent put off making technology-related decisions if confronted with too many options. However, there is clear evidence that businesses that invest in technology are more profitable and see one-third fewer job losses than those with lower levels of investment.

With the release of the Productivity Commissions Advancing Prosperity report, the evidence is clear that supporting digitisation initiatives are fundamental to improving Australias overall productivity. With small businesses making up more than 97 per cent of all businesses in the country, they are an essential part of this equation.

Support from governments of all levels is therefore critical to maintaining this momentum and ensuring small businesses dont miss out on the valuable benefits technology can bring to multiple core business functions.

Julie Collins, the Minister for Small Business, has praised the success of Round 1 and the selection of providers for Round 2. She noted that small businesses in all regions of the country could access these services, even those in remote or regional areas, which is a significant development.

Through this program, we want to give small businesses nationwide the skills and confidence they need to embrace digital opportunities. The Albanese Government is investing in small businesses to help them create jobs, harness opportunities, and grow in the digital economy.

Digitalisation is the key to unlocking productivity gains, creating efficiencies and better connecting small businesses with their customers. We know just how critical this is as more and more Australians connect with small businesses online.

The three providers chosen for Round 2 have extensive experience and expertise in digital solutions and will provide tailored support to small businesses. If you register for the program, youll have access to a range of resources and support.

You can receive up to four hours of one-to-one digitalisation advice from a qualified and experienced business advisor for a small fee. This advice will be tailored to your specific needs and help you improve your online presence, streamline your operations, and grow your business.

In addition to one-to-one advisory services, you can also take advantage of free workshops, presentations, and self-directed tutorials covering a range of important topics. These resources include websites and selling online, social media and digital marketing, using small business software, as well as cyber security and data privacy. These resources will provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.

With the selection of providers for Round 2, the government is confident that small businesses across the country will be able to access the support they need to thrive and succeed in the years to come.

For more information, visit the business.gov.au website.

ALSO READ: The power of digital solutions for staying ahead in the modern business landscape.

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Project is part of a push by Chinese investors to expand access to resources used to make fertilizer.

Officials with Sino-Agri International Potash Co., Ltd. and the Lao government sign a memorandum of understanding March 24, 2023, to build a smart eco-industrial city in Khammouane province.

A project funded by Chinese investors to build an industrial city near a potash mine has local villagers in Khammouane province concerned about negative impacts to their communities and their forest-based livelihood.

Developer Sino Agri International Potash Co. signed a memorandum of understanding with the Laos government on March 24 to build a smart-eco industrial city on 20 square kilometers of land in Nong Bok and Tha Khek districts.

The industrial city will be divided into three zones: An industry zone for production of fertilizer feedstock, a city zone with office buildings and a community zone for living.

Sino Agri began excavating a potassium mine in 2020 near the site for the industrial city. The company is a subsidiary of Asia Potash, which has direct links to entities directed by Chinas governing State Council.

The council announced last year that it was seeking to expand Chinas access to potassium salt resources used to make fertilizer, including potash, a soluble form of potassium.

China is the worlds largest consumer of fertilizer and the State Council is looking to secure reliable supplies of potassium resources. Asia Potash has said it is looking to boost annual potassium production in Laos to 3-5 million metric tons  up from 1 million  in the next few years.

Influx of workers from China

An official from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, who declined to reveal his name, said the details of the project remain secret.

We cant reveal to the public yet, the official said to Radio Free Asia on March 28. The project should begin by now.

A guesthouse owner in Nong Bok district told RFAs Lao service that preparation work has been ongoing for a year and a half.

Some of the workers have stayed in my guesthouse, the owner said, noting that all of the workers came from China. They have rented for a long time already.

One villager told RFA that construction has begun on forested land that villagers use to search for food and otherwise make a living.

Another villager said the project hasnt encroached on villagers private land but people are still worried the community will undergo too much change because of so many workers moving to the area.

Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Edited by Matt Reed.
Most deaths were caused by airstrikes, heavy artillery strikes and while in detention.

Members of a volunteer group bury the bodies of two of the six civilians killed by Myanmar juntas troops in Loikaw, Kayah state, Jan. 27, 2022.

Civilians are being killed at an alarming rate in Myanmars civil war, dying in airstrikes, artillery shelling and while being held in detention, data released from an armed ethnic group fighting the junta showed.

In the eastern state of Kayah, which borders northern Thailand, some 447 civilians have been killed since the military took control of the country in a coup two years ago, according to the Progressive Karenni Peoples Force.

About two-thirds of them were killed after being captured by troops, while the rest died while feeling conflict, said an official with the group who spoke to Radio Free Asia on condition of anonymity citing security concerns.

The reason why civilians were killed is because they were hit by the juntas  artillery fire, he said. Another reason is the military juntas airstrikes targeting civilians.

Some were killed by the military forces after they arrested them, and others died because of insufficient medicine to cure them, he said.

Across the country, some 3,206 civilians have been killed by the junta during the same period, according to Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma).

Fighting has been fierce in the region since the February 2021 coup. The Burmese army has clashed with the ethnic Karenni Army and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force as many as 650 times, he said.

War crimes

Junta forces have increasingly ignored the rules of war and committed atrocities that amount to war crimes, said Banyar, director of the Karenni Human Rights Organization.

We are witnessing the military council openly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, he said. The civilian death rate has increased because the junta is committing crimes against innocent civilians instead of protecting them.

Volunteers in Loikaw, Kayah state, prepare the funeral for civilians killed by Myanmar junta troops, Jan. 27, 2022. Credit: KNDF/B11 Banyar noted that there have been some cases where the anti-junta Peoples Defense Force paramilitary group has killed civilians it accused of acting as informers for the military.

The Progressive Karenni Peoples Force said it is compiling a list of rights violations committed by the military and will submit it to international rights groups as part of a bid to hold the junta accountable.

In addition to civilian deaths, the group said that at least 252 resistance fighters and 1,883 junta soldiers had been killed during the battles, although RFA could not independently confirm the claim.

Calls by RFA to Aung Win Oo, the juntas social affairs minister and Kayah state spokesman, went unanswered Monday.

Just last Monday, on Armed Forces Day, junta chief Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing vowed to crush ethnic armed groups supporting the Peoples Defense Forces and the shadow National Unity Government.

Meanwhile the fighting has driven around 200,000 refugees from their homes in Kayah state since the coup, the Karenni Human Rights Organization said.

The displaced are facing food shortages, and that in some cases, camps dont have access to clean water, leading to diarrhea and other water-borne viruses, said Phu Maw, a volunteer providing medical assistance to refugees in Kayah state.

Most of the refugees are suffering from mental health issues, she said.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Josh Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
More than 4,000 residents have been forced out of their homes in six Sagaing region villages due to fighting between the army and local defense forces.

The battle broke out Sunday near Pale townships Hnaw Kan village. Junta troops entered the village on Monday and burned down houses, a resident told RFA on condition of anonymity.

People are fleeing and only seven houses are left in Hnaw Kan village, the villager said.

Hnaw Kan village had more than 200 houses before the attack, residents said.

Its not known which battalion torched the village, but locals said it was an army column with 200 soldiers reinforced by the Pyu Saw Htee militia.

They said the troops are now stationed in Pale townships Min Taing Pin village.

The junta has not issued a statement on the incident and calls to Sagaing region junta spokesperson Aye Hlaing went unanswered.

In the past the juntas top spokesperson, Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun said soldiers do not burn civilian homes.

Junta chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing also denied his troops had burned villages, during a meeting with U.N. Special Envoy for Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, in August last year.

According to independent research group Data for Myanmar, as of March 19, a total of 2,656 houses were destroyed by fire in Pale township, Sagaing region over the more than two years since the military coup.

Sagaing region has been hardest hit by junta slash and burn tactics of all the states and regions in Myanmar. Almost 4,400 civilian houses were burned down across the country in March alone, including more than 3,000 houses in Sagaing region, the shadow National Unity Government announced on April 1.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
Ethnic Serbs have boycotted en masse local elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo with ethnic Serb majorities where local mayors resigned in November 2022 to protest a cross-border dispute over vehicle registrations.

The Central Election Commission late on April 23 said preliminary results indicated that the Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party of Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, had won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavic, while the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo had taken races in Zvecan and Zubin Potok.

As expected, turnout was low, after the dominant ethnic Serb party, Srpska Lista (Serbian List), which enjoys the support of neighboring Serbia's government, announced it was boycotting the votes. The commission said only 1,567 people -- or 3.47 percent of voters -- showed up at polling stations.

Despite the low turnout, the results are considered legally valid. There is no minimum turnout rule for the vote.

There are around 45,000 voters eligible to elect new mayors in North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok, along with municipal assemblies in Zvecan and Leposavic.



RFE/RL correspondents reported that the only ballots that were being cast were submitted in places with ethnic Albanian residents.

WATCH: Most of the voters in RFE/RL footage from North Mitrovica and Zvecan are local Albanians, as are most of the candidates for mayor, due to a boycott by the dominant Kosovo Serb party, Serbian List.

The result could further step up tensions between ethnic Serbs who are mostly loyal to neighboring Serbia and Kosovo's central government that represents the country's overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian majority.

Ethnic Serbs compose some 1-2 percent of Kosovo's population of around 2 million people.

Milan Radoicic, vice president of Serbian List, said following the vote that "those who think that with 1 or 2 percent of votes, they can lead the municipalities in the north, I have to say that the Serbian people will never allow them to do that."

A former chairwoman of Kosovo's Central Election Commission, Valdete Daka, told RFE/RL that so long as proper procedures were being followed, the tiny number of votes would likely result in mayoral seats being filled but not necessarily an end to the local problems.

Daka said the "nonappearance in the elections" was essentially "conveying a message to the government of Kosovo that they won't accept the leaders who emerge from these elections."

Fifteen years after the mostly ethnic Albanian former province declared independence from Serbia, Belgrade continues to oppose recognition of Kosovo's independence.

Many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo continue to lean heavily on support from Serbia and its nationalist president, Aleksandar Vucic.

The Serbian List party has demanded the formation of an Association of Serb Municipalities, as Kosovo's government pledged to the international community a decade ago, and the withdrawal of special units of the Kosovo Police from the north of the country.

A total of 10 candidates were competing for the mayorships, only one of whom -- independent candidate Sladjana Pantovic in Zvecan -- is an ethnic Serb. Pantovic was the rare exception among ethnic Serbs, turning out to vote at around 8 a.m.

Pantovic received just five votes, or 2.6 percent.

Another ethnic Serb candidate, Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Party of Kosovo Serbs, withdrew from the race in Leposavic three days ago, saying there were not "adequate conditions" for voting.

All of the remaining candidates were ethnic Albanians from the Mitrovica Civic Initiative, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Kurti's Self-Determination movement.

The election commission had to organize alternative polling stations for the April 23 voting because the schools that normally host the voting in northern Kosovo operate within the so-called parallel system run by Serbia's leadership.

Kurti this week accused Belgrade of intimidating Serbs from the north to discourage their participate in the voting.

Vucic alleged on April 22 that Kosovar authorities were effectively staging "an occupation" of the north after the elections.

The four northern municipalities have been without mayors since November, when Serbian representatives largely loyal to Belgrade resigned from their jobs over the Kosovar government's threatened imposition of a requirement for all vehicles to be registered locally.

The voting took place at 19 polling stations, 12 of which were organized by Kosovar authorities in the final days before the vote.

Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani and the Central Election Commission urged citizens in the north to exercise their right to vote.

The international community has also expressed regret at the Serb-led boycott and urged all sides to exercise restraint.

Following the election, the U.S. Embassy in Pristina said, "We recognize Kosovan election officials' efforts to make polling places available to citizens wishing to exercise their right to vote, while minimizing potential points of tension."

"We likewise express our appreciation for the professionalism of the Kosovo Police, EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), and KFOR in ensuring a secure environment for the elections."

Kosovo remains blocked from many multinational organizations due to Serbian and Russian opposition to recognition, although there were recently signs of a possible breakthrough under EU-mediated talks.

The European Parliament on April 18 approved a decision on visa liberalization that will allow citizens of Kosovo to travel to most European countries without a visa by January 2024 at the latest. It is the last Western Balkan country to achieve such status.

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier told RFE/RL's Balkan Service on April 21 that citizens in the north of Kosovo and all political parties "have a responsibility to respect the democratic process, recognizing that they all had the opportunity to register and participate."
A viral video appearing to show an Iranian man attacking two unveiled women in a shop in the holy city of Mashhad has provoked widespread anger.

Video footage posted on March 31 purportedly shows the man assaulting the two female customers, who were not wearing the mandatory hijab, or Islamic head scarf, following a verbal altercation.

The man is then seen pouring what appears to be a tub of yogurt on the women's heads before he is confronted by a male employee at the shop. It was unclear if the individual was the shopkeeper or the owner.

Iran's judiciary announced on April 2 that the two women -- a mother and daughter -- were arrested for violating the hijab law. The suspected attacker was in custody for "disturbing public order," the judiciary said.

Meanwhile, the shop owner, Abbas Hajarpur, was arrested and released on bail. Hajarpur told the Rokna news site that he was due in court on April 3 "to provide explanations." He said his shop had been briefly closed.

The incident has underscored the routine harassment and violence that Iranian women face at the hands of the morality police and pro-government vigilantes seeking to enforce the head-scarf law.

A growing number of Iranian women are appearing in public without the hijab, in a direct challenge to Iran's clerical regime.

Women have been emboldened by the nationwide anti-regime protests that erupted in September 2022 following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini soon after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the hijab law. During the demonstrations, women and girls removed and burned their head scarves.

Even as the protests have waned in recent months, women have continued to flout the hijab law. That is despite renewed warnings from the authorities that women who violate the law will be punished.

'Discriminatory Laws'

Many Iranians on social media have directed their anger over the incident in Mashhad at the authorities. They have accused the government of violently enforcing the hijab law and encouraging vigilantes.

Iranian screenwriter Mehrab Ghasemkhani said on Instagram that the state had divided people into "good and bad" citizens, resulting in a "a deep and frightening gap" in society. "It is the result of discriminatory laws that have always encouraged and honored one part of society and humiliated and punished the other part," he said.

Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who served as a vice president under former reformist President Mohammad Khatami, called the incident an act of "bigotry."

Lawyer Ali Mojtahedzadeh praised the "honorable" male employee who confronted the suspected attacker in the shop. "It was a moral, human, and legal action that deserves to be honored," he said.

Amir Shahla, a former member of the city council in Mashhad, said on Instagram that he had received numerous messages from locals concerned about Hajarpur's welfare and the fate of his shop. Shahla said some locals had sent flowers and sweets to the shop to express gratitude to the male employee who confronted the suspected attacker.

The Asr-e Iran news site expressed hope that the suspected attacker will be dealt with "decisively and transparently." "The verdict will go beyond a judicial ruling and become part of [Iran]'s contemporary history," it said in an editorial.

'A Legal Matter'

The incident in Mashhad comes as the authorities have doubled down on enforcing the hijab law. Some hard-line lawmakers have even proposed new tougher measures to enforce the head scarf.

On April 1, Iran's ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said the hijab was "a religious necessity" and "a legal matter."

"All members of society, particularly women and our dear girls who have always demonstrated they're committed to the law, hopefully from now on they will also show their commitment to the principles and laws of society," he said.

In a statement on March 30, the Interior Ministry said that "there had not been and will not be any retreat regarding religious principles," adding that the hijab will remain "one of the practical principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Earlier in March, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei warned that women who violate the hijab law will be punished "without mercy," adding that removing the head scarf shows "enmity towards the establishment and its values."

Meanwhile, Iran's Education and Science ministries published separate statements on April 3 saying they will no longer provide educational services to student in schools and universities who do not follow the dress code, including wearing a head scarf.
Former Kosovar President Hashim Thaci has pleaded not guilty to war crimes charges on the first day of his trial in The Hague. He is accused of a bloody campaign of murder and torture in Kosovo's 1998-99 independence war with Serbia.
Jakov Milatovic, a 36-year-old, Oxford-educated economist, has declared victory in Montenegro's presidential election. Addressing supporters in the capital, Podgorica, late on April 2, Milatovic said: "Tonight is the night that we have been waiting for more than 30 years" -- referring to the long political career of his rival, 61-year-old incumbent Milo Djukanovic. Milatovic rallied support across the spectrum of Djukanovic opponents, including the influential Serbian Orthodox Church and a pro-Russian party.
Late in the evening on February 28, Tatyana Balazeikina received a phone call from the police informing her that her 16-year-old son, Yegor, had been arrested. She was told he had confessed to throwing a bottle full of liquid at a military recruiting station in his hometown of Kirovsk, some 30 kilometers east of St. Petersburg. The liquid in the bottle did not ignite, and no significant damage was done.

"The same day I got a message from Tanya," close family friend Natalya, whose name has been changed at her request for fear of reprisals for speaking out, said of Tatyana. "It began with the words, 'Our family has died.'"

A court has ordered Yegor Balazeikin's arrest until April 27 on suspicion of terrorism and attempted destruction of property. He is being held in St. Petersburg's CIZO-5 jail.

"I often ask myself -- aren't you afraid?" Balazeikin wrote in an open letter from jail that was posted on Telegram on March 24. "You know, I always answer, 'No.' I was afraid before. Afraid to wake up in the morning. Afraid to read the news, which was always the same just with different place names and different numbers of victims.... Now I am no longer afraid."

He is being held in strict isolation, and relatives and lawyers have been enjoined from discussing the case publicly.

"That's the way the authorities frighten suspects in such cases," St. Petersburg human rights lawyer Leonid Krikun said, "to get them to admit their guilt, to repent, to appear before society not as an oppositionist, but as a lost sheep who acknowledges the errors of his ways."

Initially, investigators booked Balazeikin for damaging public property. But within days, they had upgraded the probe to suspected terrorism. If he is charged with terrorism, the 16-year-old would face 10 to 15 years in prison.

Krikun voiced concern that the authorities, who have handed out long prison terms merely for social-media posts critical of Moscow's massive invasion of Ukraine, would make an example of Balazeikin.

"For daring to attack a 'holy' place," Krikun said, "they will punish him to full extent of the law."

'A Good, Well-Mannered Person'

As a child, Yegor Balazeikin spent months in hospitals seeking a diagnosis for an illness that was destroying his liver. Eventually, it was determined he had autoimmune hepatitis, a condition that can be fatal if not constantly managed.

As part of his recovery, he took up -- and excelled at -- kyokushin karate. His home filled up with his trophies, and he won several regional competitions. In recent years, he served as a referee at children's tournaments.

His condition is now considered to be in remission, but he must consult with specialists every three months and take medications.

Balazeikin turned 16 in August. An avid student of Russian history and social studies, he dreamed of going to law school or to college in economics. To help him, his parents -- his mother is a teacher who mostly earns money by tutoring and his father is an electrician -- transferred him to school No. 166, one of the most prestigious humanities secondary schools in St. Petersburg.

"Yegor always studied well," Natalya said. "He passed his state exam with very high marks. He applied to several secondary schools, including No. 166. His parents were worried that he'd have a very long commute from their home.... But in the end, the director of No. 166, a historian himself, was so impressed with Yegor that he immediately accepted him to the 10th grade."

One fellow student told RFE/RL that Yegor "always conveyed the impression of a good, well-mannered person."

"My son speaks very highly of Yegor," the parent of another classmate said. "He is a very good boy and it would be awful to ruin his life."

But the increased academic workload and the long commute were hard on Balazeikin and his family. "Sometimes he'd arrive at home and fall asleep by the door without getting his coat off," Natalya said.

His parents rented him a room near the school, although the expense was a hardship for him. He generally slept there during the week, travelling home for the weekends. After his arrest, state media falsely wrote that his family had abandoned him and he was living alone.

"That was a lie," Natalya said. "He was getting along very well in his new school. Despite the hardships, he got excellent marks. For a long time, he wanted to become a diplomat and was seriously studying English. But later he became more interested in history, economics, and law."

A Death In The Family

Balazeikin's love of Russian history was fostered and encouraged by his father, Daniel, and his father's older brother, Dmitry, a career military man and veteran.

"[Yegor] was insatiable," Natalya recalled. "If he became interested in something, he studied it to the end. He knew all the locations associated with World War II. He visited all the historical sites around St. Petersburg, and often went to the military museums."

When Russia launched its massive invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022, Balazeikin and his family wholeheartedly supported the war and President Vladimir Putin.

"Yegor had the same views as everyone in his family -- his mother, father, grandmother, and especially his uncle, a career military man," Natalya said. "But Uncle Dima was killed at the very beginning of the 'special military operation.' And after his uncle's death, Yegor's views began to change."

Although Dmitry Balazeikin was far beyond the age of military service, he signed up for a regional volunteer battalion.

"He didn't tell anyone," Natalya recalled. "Just left for the front. And he was killed almost immediately outside Izyum, where there was heavy fighting last March and April and serious losses. He died bravely, as Tanya told me, defending his men."

When Dmitry Balazeikin was laid to rest, it was the first funeral Yegor had ever attended.

"The funeral of his slain uncle had an emotional effect," Natalya said. "At first, the emotions were very raw. It was very hard for him -- his uncle had died, but the reports on the Internet were all the same. And on television. At school, they were studying World War I. It was a lot of stress for a 16-year-old."

Over time, Balazeikin's views on the war changed radically, and he loathed the casualties on both sides. "Almost every conversation boiled down to one thing -- that Russia was in the wrong," Natalya said. "I think everything just came together in the most awful way -- this war and his internal tribulations."

'A Symbolic Act'

Tatyana Balazeikina was able to briefly visit her son in custody shortly after his arrest. In an interview with Dozhd TV given before the gag order was imposed, she said her son was arrested at the scene of the incident and had admitted he threw the object. He said, however, there was nothing flammable in the bottle and that he had no intention of starting a fire, calling the gesture a "symbolic act."

She said neither she nor her husband knew of his intentions in advance.

She quoted her son as telling her, "If I hadn't done this, then most likely I would have hanged myself because I couldn't live with the burden of all these people dying."

She was able to give her son his medications, his schoolbooks, and some warm clothes, but she worries that the poor conditions and lack of medical oversight could be fatal for someone with autoimmune hepatitis.

"Such tragedies either destroy a family or bring it together," said Natalya, who stated that Balazeikin's parents both support him despite their pro-war stance. "In this case, it was the latter. I think Yegor's father blames himself for what happened, as does his mother. She told me: 'Did we raise him wrong? But how? I just wanted him to be a good person.'"

"Well, I can tell you," she concluded, "he is a good person."

Adapted from the Russian by Robert Coalson based on reporting by Yelizaveta Dobrovinskaya of RFE/RL's North.Realities
"The 'days' of the war ended and the 'years' began: The first, now the second," wrote Arseny Vesnin on Twitter. "Wherever we find ourselves, it's impossible to escape reality and the catastrophe in which we are all involved."

Vesnin, a journalist from St. Petersburg, and his girlfriend, Ksenia (who did not want her full name to be published), have been living on their small yacht called Oikumena, an ancient Greek word meaning where human civilization exists, for more than a year. Vesnin bought the vessel before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The avid historian had planned to trace the Mediterranean coast along the route of the mythical Greek hero Odysseus, from Troy to Ithaca, and make a film about it.

"Then the war started, and all plans changed. The film about Odysseus became irrelevant," the journalist says, "and it became clear that for normal, honest journalistic work, you could be imprisoned. So we decided to leave."

Before the invasion, Vesnin worked for the Ekho Moskvy and Ekho Peterburga radio stations. In March 2022, those outlets were shut down, and most independent media began to leave Russia, in part due to new laws against calling Russia's war in Ukraine a "war."

Days after the invasion was launched and Vesnin's radio stations shut down, the pair flew to Athens, where their boat was waiting for them. When trying to register and insure the boat, they faced bureaucratic difficulties at every step with their Russian passports. "In the end, we registered our boat under the flag of Malaysia," recalls Vesnin.

With Ksenia's Schengen visa running out, the pair set sail for Turkey. The passage turned into an epic adventure for the inexperienced seafarers. "We got caught in a storm and tore the sail," Vesnin remembers. "I tied myself to the bow of the yacht, trying to somehow mend the sail. Ksenia kept an eye on my hood when waves washed over the boat. Then it turned out that we had very little diesel." Now, he says, "we try to avoid storms. As they say, 'In a good storm, a good captain goes to the bar.'"

Russians in Turkey don't face any hostility, Vesnin says, with locals in southern Turkey more interested in what's happening in their own country. Vesnin recounts a typical interaction with a local: "You get in a taxi, and the driver asks you, 'Is Putin good?' "'No, Putin means war. Bad.' "'Wow! And we thought Putin was good.'" The Russian says, "It's an agricultural region. People grow oranges, pomegranates, lemons, and generally don't show any interest in political life."

While in the Mediterranean, Vesnin has been able to continue with his journalism, including broadcasts for the popular YouTube channel Looking For A Way Out. "I go on air right from the yacht. Many people have commented, 'There you are, sitting on a yacht,'" Vesnin says. "But my conscience is clear. "Yes, I'm on a yacht. So what? Firstly, our Oikumena is not [Russian oligarch Roman] Abramovich's yacht in any way. In terms of cost, it can be compared with a cheap apartment in Moscow or St. Petersburg. So who cares where I am?"

The couple's residency permits will expire this summer, and it's unclear whether it will be possible to extend. The process was once straightforward, Vesnin says, but now many applications are rejected. "People say Putin got [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan to kick out Russians. But I don't think so. I think it's about the fact that there is an invasion of migrants," Vesnin says. "And Russians are far from the only ones. There are people from Iran and Iraq who have much more serious problems."

"Because of the recent influx of migrants, housing prices have risen sharply," Vesnin says, "sometimes even quadrupling. Turks don't like it. Erdogan seems to be sending the signal that Turkey is for Turks, first of all, and only then for visitors and migrants."

If the pair are unable to extend their residence permit, options for Russians are limited. Vesnin says they are looking at Montenegro, Tunisia, or Northern Cyprus. The couple may even cross the Atlantic. "There is a rule that if you arrive by sea you can stay in almost any of the Caribbean islands," Vesnin says.
Ukraine's military has disputed claims by Wagner that the Russian mercenary force has captured the center of battle-devastated Bakhmut, and a U.S. official denied the fight for the eastern Ukrainian city was over as Washington said more aid was on the way to Kyiv.

John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, on April 3 told reporters that the Ukrainian military had not been driven out of Bakhmut, which Russian forces -- led by Wagner -- have struggled to capture during months of brutal fighting.

He described fighting there as "quite, quite violent and quite close."

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.

"Even if the Russians do get it, it isn't going to change the battlefield dynamics from a strategic perspective," he said, reflecting views in the West that the city holds more of a symbolic value for Moscow seeking a victory to hail than an actual strategic worth.

Kriby also said the next U.S. aid allotment for Ukraine would be announced this week, following a Reuters report last week that a new $2.6 billion military aid package that could include air-surveillance radars, anti-tank rockets, and fuel trucks would be unveiled soon.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said on April 3 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had delivered to Ukraine the first $2.7 billion tranche under the organization's Extended Fund Facility.

"Grateful to our partners for supporting Ukraine on the way to victory," Marchenko said on Twitter.

Earlier in the day, a Ukrainian military spokesman said fighting was ongoing in Bakhmut and other nearby towns.

"Bakhmut is Ukrainian and they have not captured anything and are very far from doing that, to put it mildly," Serhiy Cherevatiy, a spokesman for the eastern military command, told Reuters.

He claimed that Wagner's forces had attached a flag "to the side of who knows what, hung their rag and said they had captured the city. Well, good, let them think they've taken it."

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group, said in a video on his press service's Telegram channel on April 2 that his troops had raised a Russian flag on Bakhmut's administration building.

"From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts [of the city]," Prigozhin said.

Russian and Ukrainian forces have each invested heavily in the battle for Bakhmut, even though analysts say the city carries little strategic value. The monthslong fight for the city is considered one of the bloodiest between Ukrainian and Russian forces since Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Much of the city has been left in ruin and each side has sustained significant troop losses in street fighting that has seen shifting lines of control.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on April 2 said in his nightly video address that the military situation in the Bakhmut area was "especially hot."

"Thank you to our soldiers who are fighting in Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and Bakhmut. Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there," he said.

Zelenskiy has vowed to continue fighting to maintain control of the city.

On April 3, Zelenskiy and German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck visited wounded soldiers in a hospital in the Chernihiv region. Zelenskiy later thanked Habeck for Germany's support.

Habeck, who also serves as Germany's economy minister and is responsible for energy policy, arrived in Ukraine in an unannounced visit, traveling with a business delegation.

He said the visit was aimed at sending a clear sign "that we believe they will be victorious, that they will be rebuilt, that there is an interest on Europes part not just to support them in an emergency, but in Ukraine being an economically strong partner in the future."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and TASS
April Fools Day has become a popular occasion for tech companies to showcase their creative and humorous sides.

Many tech companies have been known to develop elaborate and entertaining pranks that capture the publics attention and generate buzz around their brand.

In an effort to showcase the humorous side of businesses, we have curated a comprehensive list of some of the most unconventional and absurd April Fools Day pranks that various brands and companies have pulled off in 2023.

These pranks ranged from subtle to outrageous and were designed to captivate the audience and spark laughter. So buckle up and get ready to laugh out loud at some of the wackiest pranks of the year!

Virgin Australias dry cleaning service

Virgin Australia has pranked its social media followers by announcing a world-first dry cleaning service called Fly Cleaning.

The imaginary service, which was unveiled at Gold Coast Airport, supposedly washes and dries travellers clothing while they are in the air, freeing them from the burden after a holiday or business trip.

To sweeten the deal, Velocity Frequent Flyer Points will also be awarded for every item of clothing cleaned through Fly Cleaning!

True Car

TrueCar, a platform for buying cars, has caught the attention of many this April Fools Day with their fake CarGPT app. The app claims to be powered by artificial intelligence that can analyse a users personality and recommend the perfect car match for them. The company touts that the app can uncover hidden preferences and desires, revealing a car that users may not have even known they wanted.

The apps clever tagline, peer into your soul and find a car thats a perfect match, is a nod to the companys humorous and light-hearted approach to the holiday.

Although the app is not real, the concept of using AI to help people find the perfect car match is not entirely far-fetched. Many car companies are already exploring the use of AI to personalise the car-buying experience for customers.

The NEW Reformer Bed Bed

The Reformer Bed Bed is designed to promote a healthy lifestyle by encouraging customers to integrate exercise into their daily routines. Staying active and fit is easier than ever because of the convenience of having a pilates machine and a bed in one piece of furniture.

The Reformer Bed Bed is a testament to their shared commitment to promoting health and wellness so Aussies can enjoy dynamic Reformer Pilates followed by their most comfortable sleep yet.

Teslas never-ending crash test

The Cybertruck, an electric pickup truck introduced by Tesla in 2019, boasts a futuristic design that stands out due to its sharp angles and stainless steel exterior.

At the trucks unveiling event, Teslas CEO Elon Musk decided to demonstrate the durability of its Armor Glass by throwing a metal ball at the side windows. However, the demonstration did not go as planned and the glass shattered, causing some embarrassment for the company.

Tinder is fish-free!

In recent years, Tinder has become known for its playful and humorous marketing campaigns, often using social media to engage with its user base and generate buzz around its brand.

The claim that Tinder was going to ban photos of singles holding fish became a viral joke on April Fools Day. The rumour circulated on social media and dating forums, sparking debates among users who supported and opposed the alleged policy.

The dating app giant also joined in on the fun by sharing a humorous video about the issue.

Duolingo

Peacock and Duolingo have teamed up to introduce Love Language, a new reality TV dating show thats sure to generate some laughs this April Fools Day.

The show promises to be a fascinating social experiment, as it brings together some of the worlds most attractive singles in a picturesque paradise location. But theres a catch: all of the contestants speak different languages.

Our picks of the best April fool pranks of all times

Google presents the gift of smell

Google has a history of pranking people on April 1, and this year was no exception.

Back in 2013, the company unveiled a beta program called Google Nose, which supposedly allowed users to identify smells and even experience scents from around the world.

Amazon delivers your favourite authors

In 2017, Amazon also got in on the April Fools Day fun by promoting a new feature called Place Request for Author. This service claims to deliver your favourite authors right to your doorstep!

A convincing video promoting the service even featured bestselling author Patricia Cornwell diving off her yacht to meet a reader who had requested her presence.

Teslaquila

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted a photo of a new Tesla-branded liquor called Teslaquila, which he described as a premium 100% Puro de Agave tequila. Many people believed it was real, but it turned out to be an April Fools prank.

Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two major issues: Ukraine's latest proposal on how to counter Russian disinformation and the reasons why EU sanctions against Belarus are on hold.

Brief #1: Ukraine Has Big Plans To Fight Russian Disinformation

What You Need To Know: The Ukraine Defense Contact Group met for the first time in April 2022 at the Ramstein U.S military base in Germany. The purpose of the group -- which has more than 40 countries as members, including all 30 NATO allies -- was to coordinate arms deliveries to Ukraine to stave off the Russian invasion.

The group, which has met on a regular basis since then and is now simply referred to as the "Ramstein Group" or the "Ramstein Format," has been a rather successful joint effort of like-minded countries sending Kyiv military supplies. This has also spawned other "Ramstein" initiatives -- for example the "Energy Ramstein," which has been crucial in securing and sending generators to Ukraine during the winter months; or the "Economic Ramstein," which came into being to sketch out plans for the reconstruction of the country after the fighting is over.

Not all the various "Ramsteins" have the same members, but it is perhaps the informality of the format -- not bound by the rules and regulations of an official EU or UN meeting -- that has contributed to its success. Regarding weapons, the Ramstein countries quickly went through their stocks and sent what was available and needed by Ukraine -- often in high quantities and including artillery and air-defense systems. Now, Kyiv wants to repeat the trick by starting an "Information Ramstein" to combat Russian disinformation on a larger scale.

Deep Background: In a letter written by Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko and addressed to the European commissioner responsible for transparency and values, Vera Jourova, he notes that "Ukraine is up against Russia's vast and centralized information warfare and international influence machine, which includes assets from troll farms to state media, energy companies to corruption networks. Though it cannot compete in terms of scale, Ukraine does have one huge advantage: It can ally with its international partners to create coordinated, targeted, joint-influence operations."

Dated February 18 and seen by RFE/RL, the document goes on to explain that Ukraine needs to work "concertedly with its key allies to map the most significant areas of vulnerability in Europe, identifying which combination of Ukraine and its allies is best placed to achieve the effect."

Tkachenko also adds that there is a need to "identify leverage points within its network to bring 'rogue' and potential 'rogue' actors in line and transform soft European partners into strong European allies, who can in turn become ambassadors of influence."

Drilling Down

Tkachenko's letter also contains a proposal to create a working group that will start preparing what he calls an "Information Ramstein." This meeting, he says, should have two main goals: "Discuss the lessons learned of Ukrainian resistance to Russian information warfare and develop a 'joint operations' road map for counteroffensive in Russia's information war."

The working group should consist of what he calls "European media experts," and he names several Ukrainian officials, including the influential adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mykhaylo Podolyak. Also mentioned are officials from the EU's East StratCom Task Force, a section of the European External Action Service that was set up a year after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 to challenge the Kremlin's disinformation campaigns, and personnel from the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, as well as from the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

and personnel from the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence, as well as from the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office. Accompanying the letter is also a concept note titled the "International Conference on Creating a Coalition of Western States to Counter Russian Information Warfare," which outlines seven prospective panels, with names such as "From Information Defense to Information Offensive," "Russian and Pro-Russian Information War Channels Vs. the West," and "Russian Media: Mass Media or Information Weapon of the Kremlin?"

While plenty of meetings have taken place on the subject of Russian disinformation that have brought together experts and various EU, NATO, and national officials, nothing of this scale has ever been attempted. The big question, though, is how much enthusiasm there will be for this Kyiv-driven initiative. According to EU officials familiar with the concept note who are not authorized to speak on the record, European Commissioner Jourova has not yet answered the letter and has asked EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to come up with a response instead.

There is also a certain apprehension about whether Kyiv can and should be in the driving seat for such an initiative. While there is an understanding that Ukraine has a right to defend itself from Russia, including in the information space, by removing, for example, all Russian TV channels from its cable TV network or banning Russian social networks such as Odnoklassniki, there is a sense that this may not be replicated across the EU.

After initially being reluctant to target Russian media in any way, in recent sanctions packages against Russia the EU has suspended the broadcasting activities and licenses of several Kremlin-backed media outlets such as Sputnik, RT, and Rossia-1. The ban, which targets outlets that disseminate disinformation, includes all means of transmission and distribution in or directed at EU member states.

outlets such as Sputnik, RT, and Rossia-1. The ban, which targets outlets that disseminate disinformation, includes all means of transmission and distribution in or directed at EU member states. Brussels, however, has made clear that this still doesn't prevent those media outlets from carrying out activities in the EU other than broadcasting, such as interviews or research. And while there have been calls to be even tougher, including slapping more sanctions on individuals believed to be spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda, there is currently no consensus to go any further.

Brief #2: Why Have EU Sanctions On Belarus Stalled?

What You Need To Know: In late January, the European Commission proposed a new sanctions package on Belarus, the first one directed at the regime in Minsk since 2022, for its support of Russia's attack on Ukraine. The proposed measures on Belarus were largely set to copy -- and align with -- restrictive measures already imposed by the bloc on Moscow -- for example, an EU ban on providing IT and polling services, consulting, and luxury goods to the country, and a prohibition on the import of Belarusian gold and steel. It was initially believed that the 27 EU member states would quickly approve the package, as it wasn't seen as particularly far-reaching or controversial.

Yet, more than two months down the line, the proposal remains unadopted, with EU ambassadors representing the member states haggling over one item in the 23-page draft legislation seen by RFE/RL: a sanctions derogation regarding Belarusian fertilizers, with the text noting that this is "in order to further address food security concerns in third countries."

As with the EU sanctions against Russia -- where a similar derogation was introduced just before Christmas last year -- the proposal notes the possible exception concerns individuals who play "a significant role in international trade in agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilizers" and thus potentially can have their assets unfrozen by Brussels.

Deep Background: The derogation has pitted two groups of countries against each other. On one side are the sanctions hawks -- consisting of the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, together with Poland -- who want the derogation dropped before they approve the sanctions. On the other side are a collection of Western European countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, that all insist the derogation should remain.

According to several EU officials, the spats about the derogation have been fairly "nasty," with Lithuania and Portugal in particular not seeing eye to eye. For Vilnius, the issue could have internal political consequences as the government has made it a central political pillar to be extra tough on the next-door regime of Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka, especially after the 2021 forced landing in Minsk of a Ryanair flight heading to Vilnius, plus Minsk's attempt to force third-country migrants across the Belarusian-Lithuanian border later that same year.

If the derogation goes through, it could mean unfrozen assets for the Belarusian tycoon Ivan Halavaty and Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriyev, who have both been supportive of Lukashenka, and Belaruskali, one of the biggest fertilizer producers in the world and the single largest taxpayer in Belarus.

For Portugal, it is a question of the bloc's commitment to the so-called Global South, in this case meaning countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa that are playing an increasingly important role in world politics due to their steady economic growth. The EU has been adamant that these countries are supportive of Ukraine, notably in the United Nations, but is at the same time weary about Russian claims, without evidence, that EU sanctions on various Russian and Belarusian items are causing global food scarcity.

Drilling Down

It is worth noting here that the EU hasn't imposed any sanctions on food products from Belarus and Russia, even though the targeting of Belaruskali, for example, has deprived some countries of the potash needed in agricultural production. That is especially true for Brazil, a former Portuguese colony, which imported 20 percent of its fertilizers from Belarus before the EU's ban on Belarusian fertilizers that entered into force in June 2022.

That figure in Brazil is now down to 9 percent -- with imports going via Chinese and Russian ports instead of EU ones. (Brazil has made up some of that shortfall by buying more Canadian potash.) There is speculation in Brussels that the reason Lisbon is so keen on securing the sanctions derogation is that it would benefit Portuguese shipping companies, even though there is no concrete evidence of this.

It is also worth noting a key difference between the Russian sanction derogation, which has been in force now for three months, and the proposed Belarusian derogation. In the former, only individuals in the fertilizer business are sanctioned, whereas in the latter both individuals and companies involved with fertilizers are under restrictive measures -- and there is a specific EU import ban on Belarusian potash.

While a compromise doesn't seem likely in the near future, there is some hope that countries will find alternatives to Belarusian fertilizers. Canada, already the largest potash producer worldwide, has indicated that it is capable of producing 6 million additional tons a year. Thirty million tons of fertilizer is also being produced in Africa, notably in Nigeria and Algeria. That figure is twice as much as the whole of the African continent consumes annually.

Another issue that could potentially end the stalemate is the recent announcement by both Minsk and Moscow that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, as well as the building of a nuclear weapons storage facility there. There have been hints among EU officials I have spoken to that this will prompt fresh sanctions proposals by Brussels targeting the Lukashenka regime, even though nothing yet has been put on the table. Expect this to rumble on for a few more weeks.

Looking Ahead

NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels on April 4-5. During the first day, there will be a session of the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) with Ukraine's foreign minister. NUC is the official body responsible for developing the relationship between the military alliance and Kyiv. No big decisions are expected for this meeting, but it is still a significant gathering as it is the first NUC since 2017.

The reason for the hiatus has been objections from Hungary, which says that Ukraine has been discriminating against the ethnic Hungarian minority in the country. Despite Hungary's protests, though, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has now decided to convene the commission. There should be a lot of talk about security guarantees for Ukraine and its prospects of one day joining the alliance -- plus some Hungarian grumbling that the unity of NATO has been challenged.

On April 4, the chief negotiators for Serbia and Kosovo are meeting in Brussels for the first time since their respective leaders agreed on a deal on March 18 to further normalize relations. The idea is that they will iron out details regarding the implementation of the agreement. EU officials, however, don't expect that much concrete will come out of these talks as neither Pristina nor Belgrade have indicated that they are willing to move yet.

That's all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter @RikardJozwiak or on e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org.

Note: Due to the Easter holidays, the Wider Europe newsletter will next appear on April 17.

Until next time,



Rikard Jozwiak

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here.
The government has sought the National Assembly's approval to triple the duration of visa-free stays to 45 days for visitors from certain countries to foster the post-Covid recovery.

A 45-day stay would give foreigners more time to explore Vietnam and seek business opportunities, thus facilitating tourism and socio-economic recovery, it said as cited by the government's portal.

Visitors from some European countries, Japan and South Korea, Vietnam's top tourism markets, are currently permitted to stay in the country for 15 days without obtaining a visa.

More than 810,000 tourists from South Korea visited Vietnam in the first quarter this year, making it the biggest market.

Also under the proposal, the government suggested switching completely to e-visas  only nationals of 80 nations now get them -- and increasing the visa period from the current 30 days to up to three months.

The National Assembly will discuss the proposals at its next sitting in May.

Despite reopening early after Covid, Vietnam has not managed to attract many foreign visitors, prompting the tourism industry to seek visa relaxations to rescue it.

Vietnam received only 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, around 20% of the pre-pandemic figure.

In the first quarter of this year the number grew by 30 times year-on-year to 2.7 million, a third of the full-year target of eight million.
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Even in their first year of marriage, Tuong Van and her husband fought over money so regularly that they started considering divorce.

However, things began to smooth out for the couple after they decided that each of them would keep their own money separately from the other.

That decision came about six years ago, before Van, now 30 years old, gave birth to their first child.

The Ho Chi Minh City resident told her husband to stop handing over his salary to her every month. Instead, she said he should keep it and just give her enough to cover utilities, Internet, milk and pampers for their baby. Van would pay for food, and when the need arose, the two would discuss how to contribute to cover the childs future expenses, set up a family savings account, and other plans.

Afterwards, Van said her husband became more responsible, learned to manage his own expenses and no longer depended on her. As for her, she didnt have to rack her brain calculating every family expense. "Both of us have become more autonomous, independent and comfortable. We no longer fight over financial issues," Van said.

Tuong Van and her husband keep their finances separate as a way to avoid marital conflicts. Photo courtesy of Tuong Van

According to sociologists and psychologists, married couples, especially younger ones, in Vietnam and all over the world, are increasingly managing their finances separately, setting up a shared fund for family expenses, and keeping the rest for themselves.

According to Doctor of Sociology Pham Thi Thuy, who also has a masters degree in psychology and teaches at the National Academy of Public Administration in HCMC, Vietnamese scholars have not yet studied married couples who keep their monies separate.

However, based on numerous consultation sessions and seminars she has taken part in, Doctor Thuy estimates about 80% of young married couples are now managing family finances this way.

According to a survey of 2,000 married people carried out by American market research company Insider and Morning Consult in 2019, 37% of young married couples kept their finances separately, compared to just 27% among their parents generation.

"Today spouses have diverse jobs and multiple sources of revenue as well as unexpected expenses, so it makes more sense to separate finances instead of putting everything into one common fund as in the past," Thuy said.

She added that when both spouses have incomes and keep their own accounts like Tuong Van and her husband, they become more independent, not just in monetary matters, but also in thinking, which consequently makes them feel more confident and comfortable, helping to create a happy family atmosphere.

"Money is just a tool, but it affects spouses relationship," Thuy said. "Conflicts over money will lead to conflicts of feelings, communication, and even sex, reducing the quality of family life."

Tuong Van said this is what happened in her first year of marriage.

Both earned about VND10 million per month. Every month, Vans husband gave her 80% of his salary for her to manage all expenses, including utilities, food, unexpected items and savings. But she said that her husband didnt know how hard it was to handle these costs.

Whenever she complained about the lack of money, he asked: "How come you spend money so fast?" This stressed the young wife out. Then both partners would lose their tempers and fight.

Belonging to a younger generation, Thanh Hao, 26 from Hanoi, had already decided to keep her own finances prior to marriage. Hao and her husband agreed for each to help pay for both daily and special family expenses based on their relative incomes. Each doesnt know or interfere in how the other spends his or her private funds.

Thanh Hao and her husband had decided to separate their accounts before marriage, so they have never had to quarrel over financial affairs. Photo courtesy of Thanh Hao

Hao works as a TV editor and earns about VND18 million. Her husband earns more, so he contributes more.

Although Hao doesnt know what her husband earns now, she trusts he can manage his financial affairs well, and plans to sit down with him to discuss how to handle family finances again when they have children.

The catch

However, Doctor Thuy warned that despite its numerous advantages, keeping separate finances can backfire when spouses dont set aside some shared savings and plan their expenses carefully. "Many couples overspend and find themselves unable to pay for large unexpected expenses," Thuy said.

Bich Thuy, 30, from Hanoi, counts herself among those who overspend. Thuy and her husband dont plan ahead or review their expenses at the end of the month. "I dont know how much he earns, but I only tell him to make sure to cover all the familys greater expenses," she said.

Thuy is an office employee and earns about VND20 million ($844). Every month, she spends VND9 million ($380) to pay for her sons kindergarten tuition, and uses the rest for her own personal needs without saving.

Her husband pays for utilities, housing and other major items. The couple has three credit cards which Thuy uses when she shops for the family, then her husband pay their bills later. Every Lunar New Year, she receives about VND100 million ($4,221) in rewards from her company and contributes this amount to investing in stocks with her husband.

Their stock portfolio is their only common saving.

Last year, their stock values dropped, and the couple also overspent traveling, so they found themselves VND100 million short of what they needed to get by. "We dont review our monthly expenses so we dont know how to keep them in check," Thuy said.

Bich Thuys family on a vacation in 2022. Photo courtesy of Bich Thuy

Thuy admitted she isnt managing money wisely, but the couple has found it hard to change their overspending habits. Thuy also doesnt know if her husband spent his money dishonestly or not. "Im also worried we wont have enough when we have a second child," she added.

According to Doctor Thuy, there is no one correct way to manage financial affairs for all couples. Every couple has to find one for themselves, depending on their income levels and each others feelings about a particular method.

Thuy advised couples to sit down together, explain clearly one owns view, shared family goals, and possible earnings (both fixed and not fixed), and come up with suitable plans. Spouses must always respect, trust and sympathize with each other, according to the doctor.

She also pointed out that although spouses spend their own money, they should agree on the amount of spending at which point each should notify the other, just to show respect.

"There was a couple who got divorced just because the husband bought an electrical fan for his parents without telling his wife," Thuy said. "The issue wasnt the actual cost of the fan, but the wife felt she wasnt treated with respect."

However, Thao said since courtship, the couple has never fought over money matters. "I only see advantages with this method."
THREE brothers have appeared in court charged with almost 30 offences including rape and indecent assault in relation to an investigation into historic sex abuse in Rotherham.

The men have been charged in relation to the National Crime Agencys Operation Stovewood.



Amar Ilyas (39) has been charged with 20 offences including 12 counts of rape and three of indecent assault.



Kamar Ilyas (36) is accused of five offences, including one count of rape, while Kamran Ilyas (35) faces trial over four offences of engaging in sexual activity with a child.



The charges relate to four alleged victims said to have been sexually abused between 2003 and 2007.



The three men, who are all from Meersbrook in Sheffield, appear before Sheffield Magistrates Court last Wednesday and were remanded on bail to appear before Sheffield Crown Court on April 26.
In February this year, the Rapaport industry website published the first article (three in total) in a cycle about The Industrys Russia Crisis1. Here is a quote from this very interesting publication: By the spring of 1955, geologist Yuri Khabardin was excited to come across a foxhole in a ravine that exposed blue earth, indicating high diamond content. (See Alrosa the Diamond Fox in the July 2013 issue of Rapaport Magazine). Much was at stake, with the directive to find diamonds coming from the highest levels. Joseph Stalin recognized the need for industrial diamonds to help rebuild Russia after the war, and he knew he couldnt rely on De Beers goods for fear they might boycott supply to the Soviet Union. From that initial discovery of the Mir mine, Yakutia emerged as arguably the most diamondiferous region in the world.

It should be noted that in the summer (and not in the spring) of 1955, when the team headed by Yuri Khabardin discovered the Mir diamond pipe, Joseph Stalin had been dead for more than two years, and therefore, the Russias need for industrial diamonds hardly bothered him. But the Soviet leadership could well rely on their friendship with De Beers: in 1951-1953, in circumvention of the COCOM requirements, the USSR purchased industrial diamonds from Britain at dumping prices in the quantity sufficient for future 15 years, and that quantity of industrial diamonds was by an order of magnitude more than the USSR received under Lend-Lease during World War 22. And really, Yakutia became (potentially) the most diamondiferous region in the world, however not after the discovery of the Mir diamond pipe, but after the discovery of 14 more primary deposits in the same year.

The author of the above-mentioned article is Avi Krawitz, one of the most well-known diamond analysts, editor of the Rapaport Group. I dont think that the four mistakes in three sentences reflect his true level of knowledge of the diamond history. But the fact is that journalists, analysts, marketers who want to work in the industrys information mainstream have to adhere to an extremely politicized and legendized version of events (a cover-up), and any attempts to go beyond the canonical paradigm are met with complete silence, at best. Incidentally, that is why the well-thought-out cover story (legend) of the diamond embargo concocted in the 1950s for deep-cover deliveries of rough diamonds from Britain to the USSR, is still reproduced today, despite its documentary refutation. The reason is clear: the legendized diamond history is an integral component of the natural polished diamonds image, the framework of the information shell, which is the real product in this market.

The thesis that a long and bright history is an obvious marketing advantage of a natural polished diamond over a synthetic one is basically true. A natural polished diamond is an original, a synthetic one is a copy; it is an excellent idea that can divide the markets for goods that are absolutely identical in physical characteristics. Indeed, the original Cezannes painting and the copy of a Cezannes work have almost identical canvas and paints. But the original painting is an exceptional and unique story of Cezannes work, and its copy is just a copy that can be replicated many times, which determines the drastic difference in price. It would seem that it is not difficult to build a marketing strategy based on such an idea, but we do not see the slightest progress in it. What is barring the progress? It is the legendized nature of the diamond history that interfered as well as the numerous taboos imposed on the most attractive historical topics from the point of view of a marketer.

The behaviour of promising consumers in the countries that are key for the polished diamond market today is very infantile: well-being and stability provoke a desire (usually unconscious) for a big adventure, deviation, risk, and getting the adrenalin going. Let it be at the expense of the virtual product consumption. Just evaluate the recent tremendous success of the TV series Wednesday in these countries: the movie producer brilliantly reflected the complexes of man-children of different ages - as if according to the textbook of psychiatry - and a bucket of blood is shown in each episode. It sells greatly!

But a marketer working in the industrys information mainstream has to turn a diamond story into a substance for blowing pink bubbles, completely without any intrigue. Read the ambitiously titled article A Brief History of Natural Diamonds: From Formation to Today on the NDC website3. Seven paragraphs, which are Wiki extracts collected in a slipshod fashion, diluted with pretty-pretty slogans - that is, as it turns out, the whole story of Natural Diamonds as it is presented by the leading generic marketing organization. Because according to the slogan, Diamonds do good! It is a good slogan for a politician in Botswana running in the elections. But it is completely ineffective for the American young people who enjoy watching the Wednesdays dance to Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga on TikTok.

Feeling the energy of historical content by marketers, and understanding at the same time that it is impossible to go beyond the industrys information mainstream, sometimes leads to curious paradoxes. For example, the ALROSA Diamonds website presents the Berkana collection of diamond jewellery, which uses runes4. The author of the collection explained her choice of runes as follows, The Gebo rune is a symbol of love and balance in relations with the world, the Ansuz rune is wisdom. The Inguz Rune is a symbol of fest, carnival. The Soulu rune is a symbol of a sprout - a shoot - breaking through an asphalt paved road, this rune has a very powerful life energy. And the most important Berkana rune is a symbol of a happy woman, the entire collection is named after this rune. Not so long ago, I began to understand what happiness is and I greatly enjoy everything! And the runes are a powerful accumulator of the right energy, which attracts and accelerates positive changes.5 Such a free interpretation of what the runes symbolize, of course, can make a medievalist smile (in the 8th century, the Vikings had no idea about asphalt paved roads), but it does not stand out from the mainstream - there is love and wisdom, fests, happiness, in short, Diamonds Do Good, and its very nice.

In fact, the Soulu rune is a sign of power, struggle and death, an attribute of Thor. And it is also called the Sig rune, and Sig rune was put on the buttonholes of SS uniforms, SS award rings and the emblem of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend). And the Berkana rune, a symbol of fertility, was depicted on the engagement rings of the SS, which Himmler used to award the most distinguished members of the Allgemeine SS (Schwarze SS). All five runes used in the Berkana collection are included in the all-German senior futhark (24 runes) widely used in the Third Reich (Drittes Reich) in various rituals, as well as in official and award documents.

It is unlikely that the authors of the Berkana collection put any ideological undertones into their designs, but the conflict between the desire to use the energy (in this case, black energy) of historical content and the need to adhere to the information mainstream is obvious here. Although this case is, perhaps, interesting not so much for a marketer as for a psychoanalyst.

Diamonds have done, do and will do good! This is the current information mainstream of the natural diamond industry. Well, try to add the supply of diamonds to Hitler to it, nuclear explosions in the diamond provinces, or De Beers cooperation with UNITA. I see, you cannot get a Stone Flower from a Russian tale by Pavel Bazhov? And instead of a bright, dramatic story, an exciting and dangerous adventure, there are seven paragraphs of pink bubbles at the industrys leading Internet-resource, arent there? The only marketing advantage of natural polished diamonds over synthetic ones is slipping away like water through your fingers? Thats just the way it is. And all this is because the existing information shell, the image of a polished diamond, was designed for a couple of post-war generations, it was the time when the slogan A Diamond is Forever hit right on the target. Baby boomers dreamed of stability and prosperity, the world war was over just some time ago. For todays infantile consumers - men-children - living in the countries important for the diamond market, prosperity and stability are not a dream, but their original living conditions. It is necessary to sell another dream and another image of a polished diamond to them. But it is impossible to create this image without a fundamental change in the industrys information mainstream.

But if you fail to turn the historical content to your advantage, it will be used against you. It is true, synthetic polished diamonds have no history. But the stories they need to cannibalize the market are plentiful and everywhere now, natural diamond marketers avoid touching them not to fall out of the industrys mainstream. These stories can be picked up, dusted off and used in counter-marketing models. How to do this, we will discuss in the following publications.

Sergey Goryainov, Rough&Polished

1 https://rapaport.com/analysis/the-industrys-russia-crisis-the-importance-of-alrosa/

2 The State Archive of the Russian Federation. F. 5446. Inv.86.. D. 1113. Sh. 2,3.

3 https://www.naturaldiamonds.com/epic-diamonds/history/the-diamond-story/

4 https://alrosadiamond.ru/berkana/

5   .      ALROSA DIAMONDS . / The orientation is positive. Ekaterina Mukhina about the joint collection with ALROSA DIAMONDS. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5065262
The DIATEC TRADING HOUSE specializes in the sale of lab-grown diamonds (LGD) and LGD-jewellery.

Timur Khakimov, Executive Director of DIATEC TRADING HOUSE, told Rough&Polished about the technologies for growing diamonds in the laboratory, about the types of natural and synthetic diamonds, as well as about the future prospects of the market for the man-created stones based on science and the LGD-jewellery.

What exactly is your junior company doing?

Our trading house is engaged in the cutting&polishing and sale of polished diamonds grown at one of the enterprises of the Advanced Synthetic Research R&D Centre using the HPHT method. Its no secret that today, more than 95% of lab-grown diamonds are used in various industries in the form of powders, plates, lenses and anvils. Progress in science has allowed to control the process of producing diamonds in laboratory conditions where the stone has an almost perfect crystal lattice. Of course, this material is in demand in the electronic or optical industries. The jewellery industry does not stand aside and actively consumes lab-grown polished diamonds.

DIATEC is engaged in this field, which is just emerging in Russia. And it is just beginning to develop in the world as lab-grown diamonds account for about 2-3 percent of the total global diamond market. This is a fact that the demand in this market is growing quite rapidly.

Please tell us about your consumers.

Each product has its own target audience. Recently, jewellers and connoisseurs of polished diamonds have increasingly begun to contact us requesting to select lab-grown stones for a particular piece of jewellery. Today, we can satisfy any market need, whether it is a polished diamond for a future piece of jewellery or a customized jewellery piece created by our jewellers. We provide each polished diamond and diamond jewellery piece with a certificate issued by an independent gemological laboratory, which lists all the characteristics of the stone as it is done for a natural polished diamond.

There are increasingly more connoisseurs of lab-grown stones in Russia lately. A consumers choice of a polished lab-grown diamond is more often based on their understanding that if polished lab-grown diamonds are identical to natural ones and are much cheaper, why should they pay more? The buyers understand that for the money they want to spend to buy a natural diamond jewellery piece, they can buy the same product but with a polished diamond three times larger and often having better characteristics.

Is there any chance that lab-grown diamonds will gradually replace natural ones? So far, they exist as two separate markets, but in any case, they cannot avoid competition.

If you compare lab-grown and natural diamonds, there is no difference between them. Diamonds are formed deep in the Earth. It is generally accepted that formation of rough diamonds takes billions of years. Actually, this is not true. Their formation requires high pressure, high temperature, and some other physical and chemical conditions. The process of creating a natural diamond occurs at a depth of 100 km. At this depth, the temperature reaches 1 500oC and the pressure is over 40,000 atmospheres, this is a high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) process. These conditions trigger the transition of carbon from graphite to diamond. This process is not very long. It takes billions of years for nature to deliver a diamond to such a depth from which a person can extract it. Diamonds are brought to the surface by kimberlite magma during volcanic eruptions, thus forming kimberlite pipes - the main deposits of rough diamonds. In short, the journey of a diamond is too complicated and long. Mining is also time- and labour-consuming. For example, to recover a one-carat gem-quality diamond, it is necessary to process about 250 tonnes of ore.

To date, scientists have managed to accurately transfer the natural processes of creating diamonds to the laboratory conditions. Our diamonds are also made with a HPHT process. This method is similar to the natural geological conditions enabling the formation of diamonds, as I mentioned earlier, at a depth of more than 100 km in the bowels of the Earth. For this, very complex and expensive equipment is used. Of course, the knowledge and experience of technologists who monitor the synthesis and control the processes of growing the future diamonds also play a great, if not the main role in the creation of a diamond. A lab-grown diamond is identical to a natural one in all characteristics. They have exactly the same crystal lattice. Even the most experienced gemologist is not able to distinguish a natural polished diamond from a lab-grown one. The testing equipment used by jewellers to determine the polished diamond authenticity cannot distinguish a natural polished diamond from a lab-grown one, either. Only spectral analysis in a specialized laboratory is able to determine the origin of a stone, and such devices are not available at every laboratory.

The technologists of the Advanced Synthetic Research R&D Centre grow Type 2A diamonds at their laboratory, which are the purest ones. As for the classification of both natural and lab-grown diamonds, there are two main types of their chemical composition - Type 1 and Type 2.

And what the differences are?

These two types differ in their chemical and physical properties, which respectively has an effect on their price. Type 1 is the most common chemical type among polished diamonds. Type 1 diamonds contain nitrogen in their atomic lattice and about 95% of all gem-quality stones fall into this category. Their colour varies from almost colourless to light yellow. As I said above, our diamonds are Type 2A stones. There is practically no nitrogen in them and therefore, such diamonds are considered to be very rare in nature. Only 1-2% of the mined diamonds are of this type. Such natural diamonds are considered investment stones, and the most famous polished diamonds of this type are a 530-carat Cullinan diamond and a 105-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond. The technologies used by our R&D Centres specialists at our enterprise have already made it possible to set 2 world records in growing the synthetic diamonds. From a 50.39-carat diamond synthesized in November 2022, a gem-quality 16.04-carat diamond with high D and VS1 characteristics was cut and polished, and at the beginning of 2023, they succeeded in growing a 57.28-carat Type 2A diamond that is a pure single crystal without nitrogen atoms and any structural dislocations, which makes it possible to use such a diamond in the electronic or laser industry. These stones were examined at the Gemological Laboratory of the Moscow State University, and its experts confirmed the high characteristics of the polished diamond and the rough diamond submitted for testing.

That is, the prospects for the market of lab-grown diamonds are most favorable, arent they?

I believe that lab-grown diamonds are of a very high ethical value. While growing a stone at a laboratory, no damage is caused to nature as it happens when mining rough diamonds, for example, huge quarries or deep mines. Laboratory synthesis conditions do not jeopardize the life and health of people involved in the production of stones, and, at the same time, rough diamonds produced at the laboratory are also individual, because their growth is similar to how a stone grows in the bowels of the Earth, therefore, those who take good care of the environment like the jewellery made from such polished diamonds. We use green technologies called Born Green to grow our diamonds.

Buyers need to be explained and told what a lab-grown polished diamond is. Some diamond buyers believe that a natural stone is alive compared to its lab-grown counterpart. However, in my opinion, any stone is made alive by a cutter, polisher and a jeweller. They invest their talent, know-how, experience and much efforts to make a polished diamond shine with all its facets. There is a Russian cut, this is a kind of a brand and it is known all over the world. The Russian diamond cut has always been famous among European and American jewellery houses, and our company employs only highly qualified cutters and polishers having a great experience and skills in diamond cutting and polishing.

Advances in science are constantly improving our lives, and lab-grown diamonds are just one of many products created using up-to-date technologies. The success in the development of the lab-grown diamond market, like many other modern and high-tech products, depends on the marketing strategy used and on filling the gaps in consumer knowledge about a particular product.

Today, buyers of jewellery goods have a choice that we could not even imagine until recently. More consumers now purchase real polished diamonds with high characteristics.

What is happening now in the world of synthetic jewellery market and how successfully do the LGDs compete with the classic natural polished diamonds?

In the US jewellery market, major players such as De Beers launched their own brand of lab-grown diamonds, Lightbox, in 2018. As of 2020, the market share of lab-grown polished diamonds reached 3.5%. In 2021, this share was 5%, or $3.9 bn.

In my opinion, Russian jewellery brands that work with lab-grown diamonds should educate consumers. You know, sometimes even jewellers do not really understand the difference between a lab-grown diamond and moissanite or cubic zirconia. In a store, sellers often cannot really explain to buyers what a lab-grown diamond is, or even call cubic zirkonia or moissanite as polished diamonds. Consumers need to be explained how lab-grown diamonds are made, how they grow, as well as their incredible quality and value.

Now, pink diamonds and fancy colour diamonds in general that are very rare in nature, are in great demand on the market. Will scientific laboratories fill this demand in?

Yes, our technologists can predict the colour, mass, shape and purity of a stone they grow. The most popular among natural stones are light-blue colour stones that are formed when boron enters the crystal lattice. Due to the fact that boron atoms are lighter than carbon ones, extremely few of them are in the depths of the Earth and it is more difficult, loosely speaking, to catch them during the diamond formation. But if boron particles get into the lattice, they are immediately noticeable. We can create these processes at the laboratory, and the stones can be deep rich blue or dark blue depending on the boron concentration. We can also make yellow diamonds. It is not possible to add nitrogen in its pure form, but if a certain amount of aluminum atoms or similar material atoms are added to nitrogen atoms, they built into the lattice and make it possible to get a yellow colour - from a light yellow colour to a saturated yellow one. Nitrogen atoms can be replaced and our stones can be coloured. There are a lot of technologies for the so-called treatment of both natural and lab-grown diamonds - when we improve the colour of stones. And in the future, this will allow us to get pink diamonds. We have already carried out a number of experiments to obtain ruby red and green diamonds ...

Technologies constantly improve our lives, and lab-grown polished diamonds are among the numerous products that are possible thanks to a cutting-edge technology. But their success, like the success of many other products, depends on educating the diamond consumers. Now, we have a choice that we could not have dreamed of a few years ago. It seems to me that the day will come very soon when lab-grown polished diamonds will shine brighter for consumers than mined polished diamonds. The success of lab-grown polished diamonds and other innovative products depends on customer awareness and brand transparency, and maybe in 10-15 years, people will no longer need to mine diamonds - who knows.

Galina Semyonova for Rough&Polished
For Representation Purpose Only

Foreign Registration Office ordered the deportation

New-Delhi: A total of 28 foreign nationals overstaying in the national capital have been sent back to their country last month. The police gave this information on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsha Vardhan said a police team was tasked to identify foreign nationals who were illegally staying in the city and involved in drug smuggling. The team identified and arrested the 28 foreign nationals.

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The DCP said that they were accused to have overstayed in India without valid visas. They were brought before the Foreign Registration Office, which ordered the deportation. Afterwards, They were sent to a detention center. A total of 82 foreign nationals have been detained and deported so far this year. Notably, a total of 437 foreign nationals were sent for deportation in 2022.
BJP Releases 1st Episode of 'Congress Files'

The Video is titled Congress Means Corruption

NEW-DELHI: In a fresh attack on the Congress party over corruption allegations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday released the first episode of 'Congress Files'. Tweeted by BJP's official Twitter handle, the video shows how corruption and scams took place one after the other during the Congress rule.

The Video is titled Congress Means Corruption. BJP said, Congress has looted Rs 48,20,69,00,00,000 from the public in its 70 years of rule. This money could have been used for security and development."

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The Bharatiya Janata Party said, "This amount could have built or bought 24 INS Vikrant, 300 Rafale jets and 1000 Mars missions. But the country had to pay the price of Congress corruption and it fell behind in the race of progress."

The BJP further attacked the Congress party and termed its 2004-2014 tenure as a "lost decade". BJP further said in the video, 'Keep aside the entire 70 years and look at the last 10 years i.e. 2004-14, it was the 'lost decade'. Corruption continued in their reign.

BJP talks about Coal scam worth Rs 1.86 lakh crore, 2G spectrum scam worth Rs 1.76 lakh crore, MNREGA scam worth Rs 10 lakh crore, Commonwealth scam worth Rs 70,000 crore, bribery of Rs 362 crore in helicopter deal with Italy and Rs 12 crore bribe (Chairman of Railway Board) in the video. At the end of the video message, BJP said, 'This is only a tableau of Congress corruption, the film is not over yet.'


Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Writes to PM Modi

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Writes to PM Modi, Urges to Restore Train Fare Concessions To Senior Citizens

NEW-DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister of Delhi has demanded to restore the discount given to senior citizens in train fare. He described the elimination of this exemption as unfortunate. Earlier, CM Kejriwal had written a letter to PM Modi regarding the Delhi budget.

Arvind Kejriwal wrote, "For the last several years, the senior citizens of the country were getting up to 50 percent discount on train travel. Crores of senior citizens of the country were getting the benefit. Your government has abolished this discount, This is very unfortunate. Recently in the Lok Sabha, your government said that Rs 1600 crore is being saved annually by stopping the concession given to senior citizens in rail travel."

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Referring to taking the elders of Delhi on a pilgrimage, he said that our progress is due to the blessings of our elders. No person, no society or no country can progress without their blessings. For example, in Delhi, we take senior citizens on free trips to pilgrimage sites of their choice. This brings happiness to the elderly. They bless us from the depths of their hearts. Kejriwal said that it is not a matter of money, but of intention.
Anjali Kumari

The Deceased has been identified as Anjali Kumari: Reports

BIHAR: A Girl student died due to drowning in Ganga river in Samastipur city of Bihar. The dead body was recovered on Monday after the 56 hours long search operation. The girl's body was found about 25 km away from the drowning site.

As per the reports, the deceased has been identified as Anjali Kumari. The search is on for Nisha Devi who drowned in the river along with Anjali. The incident took place near Siddhi Ghat of Rasalpur Panchayat of Mohanpur OP area.

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Anjali Kumari, a resident of Teghra village in Begusarai district, came to attend the worship of Bhuiya Baba in Mohanpur village of her maternal uncle Pramod Chaudhary. Nisha Devi, the 20-year-old wife of Santosh Chaudhary, a resident of Abdullah Chowk of Patori police station area, had gone to her maternal grandmother's house. She also came to join the worship.

The devotees were going to bathe in the Ganges before the puja. Anjali and Nisha also went with them. Meanwhile, both went into deep water and drowned in the river. Notably, Anjali was going to take the intermediate examination in 2024.
The Canadian market ended on a strong note on Monday, lifted by gains in energy and materials shares.

Energy stocks were in demand as oil prices rose sharply today after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies' decided to cut crude output by 1.16 million barrels from May.

West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for May ended higher by $4.75 or about 6.3% at $80.42 a barrel.

Materials shares climbed higher, tracking firm gold prices.

The benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended with a gain of 178.39 points or 0.89% at 20,278.28, extending gains to a seventh straight session.

On the economic front, data released by Markit Economic showed the S&P Global Canada Manufacturing PMI dropped to 48.6 in March 2023 from a seven-month high of 52.4 in February. The latest reading indicated a renewed contraction in the country's factory sector that was the steepest since June 2020 after two consecutive months of expansion.

The Energy Capped Index surged 5.37%. International Petroleum Corp (IPCO.TO) rallied more than 9%. MEG Energy Corp (MEG.TO) gained nearly 9% and Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) climbed 8.2%. Baytex Energy (BTE.TO), Crescent Point Energy (CPG.TO), Paramount Resources (POU.TO), Enerplus Corp (ERF.TO), Nuvista Energy (NVA.TO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ.TO) and Imperial Oil (IMO.TO) gained 6 to 7%.

The Materials Capped Index climbed 2.2%. Teck Resources (TECK.B.TO) soared nearly 19%. The company has rejected unsolicited acquisition proposal from Glencore Plc, stating rival's all-stock offer is inferior to its own planner separation.

First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO), Lundin Gold (LUG.TO), Iamgold (IMG.TO), Dundee Precious Metals (DPM.TO), Eldorado Gold (ELD.TO) and Franco-Nevada Corp (FNV.TO) gained 2.5 to 4%.

Bank stocks Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD.TO), Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO), Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM.TO) and National Bank of Canada (NA.TO) ended with sharp to moderate gains.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sizwe Mabizela and Senior Communications Officer Velisile Bukula [Picture: Vusumzi Tshekema]

Rhodes Universitys communications officer Velisile Bukula was one of hundreds of graduates capped this week at the institutions autumn graduation which took place over three days.

On Friday he received his postgraduate diploma in media management, which he dedicated to his late father Amos Bukula.

Born in Lambatha, Bukula moved to Duncan Village, Ziphunzana at an early age and spent his childhood there.

There are not many options for a young man growing up in the township. You are either part of a gang or you are seen as a socially awkward person.

From an early age, I wanted to focus and that has always stuck with me. I kept my distance from the streets to avoid peer pressure and influences.

I dedicate my qualification to my late father Amos Bukula, who told me that I needed to work hard and achieve; that is where my inheritance lay.

It was a difficult time as I could not even afford a school uniform.

Before his death my father said he wanted me to be educated and independent.

Bukula has a colourful educational background, with this being his third qualification.

To attend high school he moved back to his roots and went to Ndema Senior Secondary School where he matriculated in 2004.

He has a national diploma and a bachelors degree in journalism from Walter Sisulu University.

He has more than 13 years of experience in journalism and communications.

He has held various positions, such as in the Eastern Cape provincial legislature, the department of higher education & training, and the private security industry regulatory authority, and now occupies the position of senior communications officer at Rhodes University.

I always wanted to study further after graduating but due to work demands, I could not.

When I joined Rhodes in 2019, I was determined to work and get a qualification through them, and when the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it with both hands.

In 2021, I joined the programme. It was a turbulent journey as it was not easy to work full-time and attend parttime classes.

I had to maintain consistency in my work as well as my studies.

I feel absolutely overjoyed and proud of myself for the achievement.

Rhodes is an employer that has given back to me. I would like to thank my director Dr Luzuko Jacobs for affording me the time to give attention to my studies.

He said all the sleepless nights, sweat and tears had paid off. I am thankful to Daily Dispatch editor Cheri-ann James, deputy editor Bongani Fuzile and Herald editor Rochelle De Kock, for their willing assistance in my academic journey.

Vice-chancellor Prof Sizwe Mabizela congratulated Bukula on his achievement and the role he played at the university.

Warmest congratulations to you, Dlamini, on your graduation, I am so proud of you and thank you for all that you do for the university.

For you to be on the Deans list is something to shout about.

Source: The Daily Dispatch
Since the beginning of its illegal attack on Ukraine over a year ago, Russia has been seeding the Ukrainian countryside and towns with landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices.

According to the To Walk the Earth In Safety report, issued on April 4 by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices, which block access to farmland, impede reconstruction efforts, prevent displaced families from returning to their homes, and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians.

It's a huge problem, said Karen Chandler, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Programs and Operations in the State Departments Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. The government of Ukraine estimates that approximately one third of the entire land mass in Ukraine is contaminated at this point. And that also includes about 10 percent of their agricultural land. So that is a direct impact on food security worldwide, because if farmers can't farm their land in Ukraine, then that impacts the grain supply worldwide.

The United States has been supporting Ukraines demining efforts since 2016. U.S. experts have been advising Ukrainian authorities, training, and equipping government demining teams, and also funding international non-governmental organizations to demine along the line of contact in Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

Today, the demining of Ukraine is the U.S. Governments largest such project. We were able to fund Ukraine clearance operations at about $90 million this year, said Ms. Chandler. Working through partners like Tetra Tech Incorporated, the U.S. government is cooperating with the government of Ukraine to train and equip up to about 100 new de-mining teams.

With these additional 100 teams, they would be able to cover a much greater clearance effort. The training for that is still under way, she said. We've spent the winter building up that training facility and working with the government of Ukraine to help them develop the processes and the administrative requirements to be able to send tasks out to all of these different demining teams to make sure that there's no duplication of effort, that all of the teams would be able to cover the countryside as efficiently as possible.

When people are allowed to return to their communities, life can start to go back to normal, said Ms. Chandler. And we see development starting to take place again with critical infrastructure that we're working on clearing in Ukraine.
The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, or North Korea, is one of the worst human rights abusers in the world. North Koreans frequently suffer unjust imprisonment, forced labor, starvation, torture, and even execution.

This month, the United States and Albania co-hosted a U.N. Security Council Arria-formula meeting to bring attention to and promote accountability for the DPRKs human rights violations. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield emphasized how these abuses are inextricably linked to Pyongyangs weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, and other DPRK actions that threaten global peace and security:

In the DPRK the pursuit of weapons of mass destruction always, always trumps human rights and humanitarian needs of its people. The regime's use of forced labor drives their unlawful weapons program forward. Food distribution policies favor the military at the expense of more than 10 million North Koreans who are food insecure.

Kim Jong Un has chosen ammunition instead of nutrition; missiles over humankind, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. However, these gross human rights violations and threats to international stability do not stop at North Koreas border, she said:

Reports indicate the regime has carried out acts of transnational repression, including intimidation, surveillance, forced repatriations and assassinations, which are sometimes carried out with the assistance from other governments and are sometimes carried out without consent from other governments, an indication of the DPRKs utter lack of respect for state sovereignty.

Abductions and enforced disappearances perpetrated by North Korea are also a grave concern, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. There are hundreds of unresolved cases of international abductions - including in South Korea and Japan, who co-sponsored the Arria-formula meeting.

The United Nations must discuss these human rights abuses and their implications for peace and security, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.

The modern world has no place for such brutality, she said. Last month, 62 co-sponsors, double what we had in the year prior, signed a letter requesting the Security Council remain seized with the human rights situation in the DPRK. It is time for the Council to address it publicly.

The United States aims not only to protect the human rights and dignity of the North Korean people, but also global security as a whole.
The iconic windmill building on Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad will soon be transformed into Windmill Food Hall, an 11-venue restaurant/bar complex opening in the summer.

Carlsbads iconic windmill building on Palomar Airport Road will soon be transformed into a food hall with 11 restaurant concepts, a full bar and childrens games.

Windmill Food Hall, which will open in the summer, will fill the 12,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by TGI Fridays restaurant, which closed in 2016.

Windmill Food Hall is the latest brainchild of Carlsbad restaurant entrepreneur James Markham, who developed the national chains Pieology, Project Pie and MOD Pizza, as well as his newer local concepts Crackheads, Rolled Up, Doughballs and Jarfood.

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Markhams ahead-of-the-curve thinking has led to glowing write-ups in numerous trade publications, including Restaurant Hospitality, Business News Daily, Fast Casual, Pizza Marketplace and PMQ Pizza Magazine.

In 2015, Entrepreneur magazine wrote that Markham may not have created fast-casual pizza. But the serial entrepreneur is definitely the Johnny Appleseed of custom quick-serve pies.

So if Markham is known for hitting home runs with his food ideas, does he see food halls as the next big thing? Yes, but he plans to improve on the concept.

I think that food halls are here to stay, he said in an interview on Tuesday. Most of the stuff I do is a little different than everyone else. Food halls now are daytime-driven, dependent on the lunch and early-day weekend crowd. None of them have created an atmosphere that draws people in at night. We plan on doing that.

Windmill Food Hall will have 11 individual food-service areas that will be leased to different vendors. Some will be Markhams own concepts, like Crackheads, an all-day breakfast sandwich eatery, and maybe Doughballs, which serves wood-fired pizzas. But others will be up-and-coming, locally-born restaurants that Markham wants to help transition up from farmers markets and food trucks.

To keep the venue family-oriented, Markham said there will be childrens games like Skee-Ball, a vintage Pac-Man video game, Ping-Pong, Jenga and other hands-on games and play items.

And for the grown-ups, Markham will be introducing a single-point payment system, similar to the one used last fall at the KAABOO festival in Del Mar. When parties arrive at the check-in desk, theyll be issued a key fob or bracelet synced to their credit card, which can be swiped at any booth or the bar.

Markham said this will simplify the purchasing process for large parties and free up cocktail waiters, so they can concentrate on filling table-side drink orders without having to process credit cards.

Windmill Food Hall, which is aiming for a June opening, is one of three food halls now in the works around San Diego County.

This summer, the Little Italy Food Hall will open next to the pedestrian-friendly Piazza della Famiglia on West Date Street between Columbia and India streets.

Also this summer, Whisknladle Hospitality will reopen the former San Diego Tech Center in Sorrento Valley as Park Commons, a 10,000-square-foot food hall and event space. One chef will oversee multi-concept food stations that will serve salads, Middle Eastern wraps, street tacos, poke, sandwiches and coffee, plus an evening bar.

They all join Liberty Public Market, a highly successful 30-vendor food hall that opened two years ago at Liberty Station in Point Loma.

The lease for the Windmill property was handled by Bill Shrader, David Maxwell, and Serena Patterson of Colliers International San Diego Regions Urban Property Team.

Shrader said the explosion of food halls is part of a nationwide trend among diners to have more than just a meal when they go out to eat.

The interior of the former TGI Fridays restaurant in Carlsbad will soon become the Windmill Food Hall. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Experiential retail and restaurant concepts will continue to thrive as consumers want choice when dining out, he said. The Windmill Food Hall will deliver an exciting, new concept in one of North Countys iconic buildings.

The Windmill Food Hall will open at 890 Palomar Airport Road, just west of The Flower Fields and Legoland California. The 150-room lodge portion of the property is the Carlsbad By the Sea hotel.

The windmill-topped building was constructed in 1982 as the southernmost location of Pea Soup Andersens, a cafe/hotel company founded in Buellton in 1924 by Denmark-born restaurateur Anton Andersen. The buildings were sold to Holiday Inn in 1998. Last September, RAR Hospitality assumed management of the hotel. The company is planning a $1 million refreshment of the property.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
Hundreds of people marched to the beat of African drums on Euclid Avenue Sunday, as curious onlookers cheered from apartment balconies and motorists honked in support of the second annual March for Black Women in Southeast San Diego.

The march included toddlers in strollers, children carrying banners, students chanting Black Lives Matter, adults carrying signs reading Pro Black is not Anti White, and grandparents introducing younger generations to social activism.

I just want him to know that hes part of this great cause, said Sheila Robinson, an El Cajon resident who pushed her 19-month-old grandson, Cairo, along the route Sunday.

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Robinson marched to support black women in San Diego. She said there arent a lot of places for black women to come together and support each other in the region, therefore it is important to show up to events like Sundays march.

Others marched for a variety of reasons including stopping violence against transgender women, ensuring economic justice for low-income women, increasing access to healthcare, specifically reproductive healthcare, and criticizing law enforcements use of force in communities of color.

In its second year, the March for Black Women San Diego aimed to grow from an annual event to a constant presence in the community. This year, organizers turned the march into a weekend event by hosting a summit on Saturday and Sunday.

The summits featured panels around the same causes that people marched for on Sunday.

A march is not a platform to have a dialogue, I think people wanted to have deeper conversations, said Kelsey Daniels, one of the co-organizers.

Daniels added that the group plans to have follow-up meetings and events every quarter to keep people engaged.

This is not just a once-a-year thing, this is a movement, Daniels said.

March for Black Women San Diego came out of the national March for Black Women that happened in Washington D.C. in 2017. Organizers for the local group wanted to address some of the specific issues affecting black women in San Diego.

The local March for Black Women group works with the Womens March San Diego, another pro-woman advocacy group in the region. But organizers of Sundays march felt it was important to have a march addressing specific concerns black women have. For example, black women are more likely to live in poverty, be evicted, die during childbirth and be victims of sexual abuse than white women, organizers said.

It is also important to create a space for black women to not only come together and talk about issuing impacting them, but also to support each other.

It is beautiful to see so many people come out for black women when, throughout history, black women have been in the bottom of the totem pole, said Pamela Wood.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or Twitter
African-led solutions are increasingly making the difference on the challenges of the 21st century, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit of Ethiopia. One of the most powerful testaments to the importance of African leadership has been the November 2nd Cessation of Hostilities Agreement to end the conflict and suffering in northern Ethiopia. This is a major achievement and step forward, saving lives and changing lives.

The guns are silent. As the fighting has stopped, human rights violations declined. Humanitarian assistance is flowing, finally reaching nearly all communities in need, services are being restored in the Tigray Region, the TPLF is disarming, Eritrean and other non-federal forces are departing, he said. The dedicated diplomacy of the mediators from the African Union, from Kenya, from South Africa, supported by the United States, was essential to securing this agreement. And the AU monitoring mechanism is a key to its full implementation.

We welcome the commitments that the parties have made to acknowledging the atrocities committed and their devastating consequences, said Secretary Blinken.

Recognizing the atrocities committed by all parties is an essential step to achieving a sustainable peace. We urge Ethiopians to follow through on their commitments to each other to implement an inclusive and comprehensive transitional justice process that includes both reconciliation and accountability, he said. Overcoming poisonous grievances and ethnic divisions is the only way to break the cycle of political and ethnic violence in the north, in Oromia, or anywhere else. As a partner in that effort, the United States is providing both technical and financial support.

Nonetheless, because building lasting peace is being made more complicated by the acute economic challenges that Ethiopia faces, the United States will keep partnering with Ethiopia on food security, and more, said Secretary Blinken:

Well keep working together on public health, building on our many years of partnership to combat HIV/AIDS, and continue to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that were all prepared for future pandemics.

Well continue to support Ethiopias economic development, investing hundreds of millions in health, economic growth, education, democracy, and food security every year. And well continue to support migrants and refugees, and victims of human rights abuse.

In all that were doing, said Secretary Blinken, our mission is to build a strong partnership between the United States and Ethiopia that ensures we can meet the aspirations of our people.
Cape Cod's salt marshes are as iconic as they are important. These beautiful, low-lying wetlands are some of the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth. They play an outsized role in nitrogen cycling, act as carbon sinks, protect coastal development from storm surge, and provide critical habitats and nurseries for many fish, shellfish, and coastal birds.

And, according to new research from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), more than 90 percent of the world's salt marshes are likely to be underwater by the end of the century.

The findings come from a 50-year study in Great Sippewissett Marsh in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Since 1971, scientists from the MBL Ecosystems Center have mapped vegetative cover in experimental plots in this marsh to examine whether increased nitrogen in the environment would impact species of marsh grass. Due to the study's length, they also were able to detect the effects of climate change on the ecosystem, especially those driven by accelerating sea level rise.

The researchers found that increased nitrogen favored higher levels of vegetation and accretion of the marsh surface, but that no matter what the concentration of nitrogen they applied to the marsh, these ecosystems won't be able to outpace submergence from global sea level rise.

"Places like Great Sippewissett Marsh will likely become shallow inlets by the turn of the century," says MBL Distinguished Scientist Ivan Valiela, lead author of the study. "Even under conservative sea level estimatesmore than 90% of the salt marshes of the world will likely be submerged and disappear or be diminished by the end of the century."

"This is not a prediction from isolated scientists worried about little details. Major changes are going to be taking place on the surface of the Earth that will change the nature of coastal environments," says Valiela.

An Ecosystem Engineer

Salt marshes are gently sloping ecosystems and their plants have very narrow preferences for the elevations in which they can grow. Different species grow in the upper elevations (high marsh) versus the low elevation closer to the ocean (low marsh) and have different responses to changes in nitrogen supply. When change happens slowly enough, the grasses can migrate to their preferred elevation.

In the low marsh, cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) prospered as scientists increased the nitrogen supply. Among high marsh species, the abundance of marsh hay (Spartina patens) in the experimental plots decreased with sea level rise. Saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) increased with nitrogen supply and also acted as what the researchers called an "ecosystem engineer" -- increasing the rate at which marsh elevation rose. Accretion of biomass left behind by the decomposing saltgrass compensated for the increased submergence resulting from rising sea level in these areas.

"Saltgrass disappeared after a few decades, but it left a legacy behind," says MBL Research Scientist Javier Lloret, adding that it was "extremely cool to see that interaction in the dataset."

Regardless of how much nitrogen was added to the environment, the research showed that at the current and future forecasted sea level rise, low marsh species will completely replace high marsh species. As sea levels continue to rise, even these species will be submerged.

"At some point, if sea level continues to increase at the rates that we anticipate, there will even be no more room for the low marsh plants. They're just going to be too submerged to survive." says Valiela.

The only alternative would be for salt marshes to migrate landward.

A Coastal Squeeze

Marshes around the world face what Lloret calls a "coastal squeeze," where sea level rise pushes from one direction and human development pushes from the other. A seawall that may protect a home from flooding will prevent the migration of a marsh naturally moving to higher ground.

"These barriers, whether they be geographic like a hill or a cliff, or people building along the edges of the ecosystem, constrain the potential for landward marsh migration," says MBL Research Assistant Kelsey Chenoweth. "On top of that, sea level rise is accelerating and marshes are having a hard time keeping up."

In a sea level rise scenario like the one we're facing, "the only solution for the plants will be to colonize new areas, to go uphill," says Lloret. "But that migration may just be impossible in some places."

"Sea level rise is the most important threat to salt marshes. We really need to figure out what's going to happen to these ecosystems and learn how to prevent some of the losses from happening or try to adapt to them, so marshes can continue to play these important roles for nature as well as humans," says Lloret.

Half a Century of Science

In 1971, the scientists at the MBL Ecosystems Center had no idea they would be using their data to study global sea level rise.

"This was an experiment that started looking at one ecological control (nitrogen), and then because of the longevity of the project, we were able to add new knowledge about this major accelerating agent of global change -- global sea level rise," says Valiela.

That's the benefit of long-term datasets like the one at Great Sippewissett Marsh.

"You're setting a baseline to the problems that haven't even happened yet," says Chenoweth.

When measuring ecological processes like climate change and eutrophication, the data can ebb and flow over the course of years as the ecosystem responds to external stimuli. The changes operate on a much longer time scale than changes on other biological systems.

"To study a tree, you look at changes through seasons and you should be able to see its whole cycle. For a leaf, you look at patterns between day and night. In single cells, you look at processes that take place at the timescale of minutes or seconds  but for an entire ecosystem, we're talking many years or decades," says Lloret. "You need to be thinking at the scale of decades or even centuries in order to be able to see substantial changes."

This study includes co-authors from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising therapy for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A first-of-its-kind collaborative study led by researchers at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and Brigham & Women's Hospital has found that mapping neural connections in the brains of OCD patients offers key insights that explain the observed improvements in their clinical outcomes after DBS. The study was published in Biological Psychiatry.

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder are a result of dysfunction across broad neural networks and typically involve brain domains responsible for cognitive and higher-order decision-making such as the prefrontal cortex.

"The goal of neuromodulatory therapies like DBS is to restore the functional balance within these networks. Since the extent of functional dysfunction in these networks varies between individuals, it is important to customize DBS surgery for each patient. To do that reliably, we first need to precisely map the neural connections involved in the specific condition and then understand how these connections are affected by DBS," said co-corresponding author Dr. Sameer Sheth, professor in the department of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine, director of the Cain Foundation Labs, and principal investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital.

In 2020, a seminal study by Dr. Andreas Horn and his team at Brigham & Women's Hospital identified an 'OCD response tract' -- a white matter circuit that precisely mapped the specific fiber bundles and brain regions whose modulation by DBS could improve clinical outcomes in OCD patients. The present study is the first one to conduct blind testing of the OCD response tract model with the goal of developing a predictive 'connectomic' model.

Connectomic imaging strategies such as white matter tractography -- a three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that maps the location and direction of white matter bundles and their constituent fibers within the brain -- are becoming increasingly reliable methods to identify these networks that inform surgeons where to implant DBS electrodes in the brain of the patient during surgery. Here, Sheth and colleagues used this approach to rank and conduct 'blind' comparison of clinical outcomes in ten OCD patients who had undergone a specific DBS procedure six months prior to the study.

DBS programming was performed by Dr. Wayne Goodman, Chair of the department of psychiatry at Baylor College, and patient outcomes were periodically assessed by Dr. Eric Storch, Vice Chair of psychology, for changes in the severity of their OCD and mood symptoms.

Then the Brigham & Women's Hospital (BWH) team led by Dr. Andreas Horn analyzed the imaging data and provided rank predictions based solely on the neuroimaging data and stimulation parameters. This team was not involved in DBS planning or programming and did not have prior knowledge of clinical outcomes. The outcomes predicted by the BWH team closely matched the actual clinical outcomes that the Baylor team observed in these patients.

"To our knowledge, this is the first example of such a collaborative 'blinded' team effort by two research centers to validate DBS therapy for a brain tract proposed on the basis of retrospective data," co-corresponding author, Dr. Horn added. "This is also a big step in the continued optimization and improving the efficacy of DBS procedures that target this brain tract to treat OCD, even as efforts are underway to make this therapy more widely available to patients. Finally, this two-center 'blinded' approach could serve as a model for validating and optimizing DBS therapies for other neurological conditions in the future."

Others involved in the study were Ron Gadot, Ningfei Li, Ben Shofty, Michelle Avendano-Ortega, Sarah McKay, Kelly Bijanki, Megan Robinson, Garrett Banks, and Nicole Provenza. They are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Charite -- Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Germany; University of Utah, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This research was funded by the National Institutes for Health and the McNair Foundation.
Traces of ancient empires that stretched across Africa remain in the DNA of people living on the continent, reveals a new genetics study led by UCL researchers.

Published in Science Advances, the collaboration between UCL geneticists working alongside anthropologists, archaeologists, historians and linguists in Africa and beyond found evidence for when different peoples intermixed across the continent. Their findings indicate migration linked to vast empires such as the Kanem-Bornu and the kingdoms of Aksum and Makuria, as well as the spread of the Bantu language group, now spoken by close to one in four Africans.

Much of their study focused on Cameroon, where the researchers had collected the most genomes, and they show that the central African country has as much genetic diversity by some measures as the whole of Europe.

Representing one of the most densely sampled studies of African genomes to date, the study used new genetic data from more than 1,300 individuals from 150 ethnic groups from across Africa (primarily Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, and Sudan, plus some more in southern Africa). By comparing genetic variation patterns between present-day people from different parts of Africa and elsewhere, they identified when intermixing occurred between different ethnic groups, which likely indicates relatively high migration at specific times and places.

First author of the study, PhD candidate Nancy Bird (UCL Genetics Institute) said: "We found evidence that roughly 600 years ago people from north and east Africa were migrating into the region of the Kanem-Bornu Empire, likely reflecting its huge impact on trade across Africa. Historical records of the empire are poor, so it is exciting to show how it possibly had such a geographically widespread impact on the continent, perhaps bringing in people from over 1,000 kilometres away."

The Kanem-Bornu Empire, which covered present-day northern Cameroon and Chad, emerged around 700 CE and existed for more than 1,000 years, at its height spanning almost 2,000 kilometres across north and central Africa. It had vast trading networks linking northern, eastern and western Africa, resulting in genetic traces from all corners of the continent remaining in the DNA of the present-day people of Cameroon.

The study also sheds light on the Kingdom of Aksum, which encompassed northeast Africa and southern Arabia in the first millennium, and was considered one of the world's four great powers of the third century alongside contemporary empires in China, Persia and Rome, as well as the Kingdom of Makuria, which spread along the Nile in Sudan between the fifth and 16th centuries and signed one of the longest lasting peace treaties in history with Egyptian Arabic groups.

Nancy Bird said: "We see evidence of migrations from the Arabian Peninsula into Sudan during the era of the Kingdom of Aksum, highlighting its importance as a global centre around 1,500 years ago. We also see evidence of Arabic groups migrating into Sudan down the Nile, but importantly these genetic signals almost entirely originate after the peace treaty between Makuria and Egypt had started to break down."

Furthermore, while previous studies have highlighted the wide-ranging genetic impact of the migration of Bantu speakers from Cameroon into eastern and southern Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that expansions may have also extended to the west, possibly linked to climate change.

Nancy Bird said: "There is some evidence from other researchers of climate change altering the environment around 3,000 years ago, reducing forest coverage. That this corresponds with the timings of some ancient migrations we are detecting suggests climate change may be instigating or facilitating these large-scale movements of people."

Senior author Dr Garrett Hellenthal (UCL Genetics Institute) said: "The African continent has an immense and complicated pre-colonial history often overlooked by western curricula. The legacy of colonialism means that many events in African history have been deliberately obscured or lost. This includes the range and influence of historical African empires."

The staggering amount of genetic diversity uncovered in this paper and other emerging studies highlights the vital importance of analysing diverse African genomes from across the continent.

Dr Hellenthal added: "Despite the clear insights into medicine and human history that studying the immense genetic diversity found among African peoples can provide, African genomes have been, and still are, underrepresented in genetic studies compared to other regions of the world."

Co-author Dr Forka Leypey Matthew Fomine (University of Buea, Cameroon) said: "There are still lots of ethnic groups, for example in Cameroon, that have not yet been studied, whose genomes likely hold many other secrets. We have the capability to collect these samples and are looking for interested collaborators."

The study, supported by the BBSRC, Natural Environment Research Council, Wellcome, Royal Society and the National Institute for Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, involved researchers at UCL and other institutions in the UK, Cameroon, Ghana, Sudan, Canada, China, France, Finland, and the US.
The McCloud River redband trout, or O. mykiss calisulat, is newly identified as its own distinct subspecies of rainbow trout in a study from the University of California, Davis. It is the first newly identified subspecies of Pacific trout since 2008 and the youngest rainbow trout subspecies by more than 100 years.

The study, published in the journal Zootaxa, notes that fish biologists have suspected the McCloud River redband trout was its own subspecies since at least the 1970s, but only newer genetics techniques -- including genomewide DNA sequencing -- allowed the UC Davis-led team to tease the puzzle apart and confirm it as a subspecies.

Northern California's McCloud River originates from spring-fed streams near Mount Shasta before passing over a series of waterfalls, the McCloud Falls. The waterfalls are impassable to upstream movement of fishes and divide the Upper McCloud River from the Lower McCloud River.

The McCloud River redband trout is the only known native fish found in the Upper McCloud Basin.

"It's persisted so long in isolation," said lead author Matthew "Mac" Campbell, a research affiliate with the Department of Animal Science's Genomic Variation Laboratory. "They've survived in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene era and have been above those waterfalls for at least 10,000 years."

'Beautiful trout'

Rainbow trout subspecies are often named after male scientists. When considering a name to use, Campbell said this fish was clearly in the range of one tribe, the Winnemem Wintu.

"They already had a name for the fish -- a few thousand years before I did," Campbell said.

So, Campbell worked in consultation with the tribe to formally describe for western science the subspecies, O. mykiss calisulat. The McCloud River redband trout is known as "cali sulat" in the Winnemem Wintu language, with "cali" meaning good or beautiful and "sulat" the term for trout. The words were combined for its scientific name to follow formal scientific naming conventions.

What's in a name?

O. mykiss calisulat populations are already supported by current fisheries management policies, so the new name doesn't change its protective status. Naming it, however, acknowledges its inherent significance.

"This is a part of the history and heritage of California that's often not recognized," said Amanda ("Mandi") J. Finger, associate director of the Genomic Variation Laboratory at UC Davis. "It's the story of our state, the tribes, the hatchery. This fish deserved to be named."

The study's additional co-authors included Ensieh Habibi and Grace Auringer of UC Davis, Molly Stephens of the UC Merced Natural Reserve System, Jeff Rodzen of California Department of Fish and Wildlife, or CDFW, and Kevin Conway of Texas A&M University.

The study was funded through the CDFW.
As our bodies and minds continue to adjust to the recent time change, debates continue around society about whether to make daylight saving time a permanent fixture, eliminate it or stay with the current semi-annual clock adjustment.

As those discussions continue, scientists at the University of California San Diego and their colleagues have made progress in understanding the circadian clock, the 24-hour cycle that synchronizes with light-dark exposure, and how it functions (scientists in circadian and sleep research recommend permanent standard time as the healthiest option when considering light and dark exposure).

Internal biological clocks exist throughout the tree of life, rhythmically influencing daily activities and behavior. Two years ago a multi-institutional team of researchers assembled a circadian clock in a test tube for the first time to probe the components of the clock's rhythms and interactions.

The "In Vitro Clock" helped the researchers analyze how the components of the clock interact in different times of the daily circadian cycle to control gene expression.

A new study led by UC San Diego and UC Merced researchers has expanded on this foundation with the development of a method to study how the circadian clock synchronizes with the environment in real time. As described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, real-time capability allowed them to explore deeper into the clock's previously unknown internal functions, including how time-setting signals are transmitted from its core -- known as the oscillator -- to the expression of genes that ensure a properly functioning clock.

Postdoctoral Scholar Mingxu Fang and Professor Susan Golden in the School of Biological Sciences, along with their colleagues, studied an aquatic single-celled organism called a cyanobacterium, which features a circadian clock with functions similar to a human's. Their goal was to use the In Vitro Clock to examine what happens when the cyanobacterium's clock resets at the molecular level, similar to how our circadian clocks undergo time zone changes during travel. Instead of collecting samples from in vitro reactions continuously for three to four days under the previous system, their new high-throughput method allowed them to immediately track results.

One of the most important real-time findings centered on the components of the circadian clock that are responsible for relaying the circadian rhythm from the core oscillator to gene expression. The researchers found that the elements that rhythmically modify a regulator to generate circadian gene expression -- catalyzing enzymes called kinases -- also play a crucial role in how the clock functions.

"For the first two decades after its discovery, most of the research has been centered on the core oscillator," said Fang. "We now find that the kinases, previously thought to be just output components, are actually part of the whole clock."

Fang said the discovery is similar to a concept rooted in physics called the observer effect in which the act of observation also influences the observed system. In this case, in order to gain the timing information (the act of observation) kept by the core oscillator, kinases bring disturbance to the core (the observed system).

"Kinases need to ask the core oscillator what time it is by physical interaction and thus they are affecting the core in perceptible ways," said Golden, a professor and director of UC San Diego's Center for Circadian Biology. "This is part of their natural function and now we see they've become part of the machine."

In fact, two kinases are required for a properly functioning circadian clock. Researchers who study circadian biology often refer to the core oscillator as the "gears" of the clock and the two kinases as the "hands" of the clock, both of which are needed to correctly tell time.

"We now know that the hands of the clock are actually part of the time-keeping mechanism," said Golden. "If you don't have both hands they don't set time correctly because one of them is a stabilizer and one a perturber to the resetting signal, and you need both."

Authors of the PNAS study include: Mingxu Fang, Archana Chavan, Andy LiWang and Susan Golden.
While serfs toiled and knights jousted in Europe and samurai and shoguns rose to power in Japan, the medieval peoples of the Swahili civilization on the coast of East Africa lived in multicultural, coral-stone towns and engaged in trade networks spanning the Indian Ocean.

Archaeologists, anthropologists, and linguists have been locked in a century-long debate about how much people from outside Africa contributed to Swahili culture and ancestry. Swahili communities have their own histories, and evidence points in multiple directions.

The largest-yet analysis of ancient DNA in Africa, which includes the first ancient DNA recovered from members of the Swahili civilization, has now broken the stalemate.

The study reveals that a significant number of people from Southwest Asia moved to the Swahili coast in medieval and early modern times and had children with the people living there. Yet the research also shows that hallmarks of the Swahili civilization predated those arrivals.

"Archaeological evidence overwhelmingly showed that the medieval Swahili civilization was an African one, but we still wanted to understand and contextualize the nonlocal heritage," said co-senior author Chapurukha Kusimba, professor of anthropology at the University of South Florida.

"Taking a genetics pathway to find the answers took courage and opened doors beyond which lie answers that force us to think in new ways," he said.

The analyses, published online March 29 in Nature, included the newly sequenced ancient DNA of 80 individuals from the Swahili coast and inland neighbors dating from 1300 CE to 1900 CE.

They also included new genomic sequences from 93 present-day Swahili speakers and previously published genetic data from a variety of ancient and present-day eastern African and Eurasian groups.

The international team was led by Kusimba and David Reich, professor of genetics in the Blatavnik Institute at Harvard Medical School and professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University.

Mixing between Asia and Africa

The study revealed that around 1000 CE, a stream of migrants from Southwest Asia intermingled with African people at multiple locations along the Swahili coast, contributing close to half of the ancestry of the analyzed ancient individuals.

"The results provide unambiguous evidence of ongoing cultural mixing on the East African coast for more than a millennium, in which African people interacted and had families with immigrants from other parts of Africa and the Indian Ocean world," said Reich.

The study confirmed that the bedrock of Swahili culture remained unchanged even as the newcomers arrived and Islam became a dominant regional religion, said Kusimba; the primary language, tomb architecture, cuisine, material culture, and matrilocal marriage residence and matriarchal kinship remained African and Bantu in nature.

The findings contradict one widely discussed scholarly view, which held that there was little contribution from foreigners to Swahili peoples, the authors said.

The researchers added that the findings also refute a diametrically opposed viewpoint prevalent in colonial times, which held that Africans provided little contribution to the Swahili towns.

"Ancient DNA allowed us to address a longstanding controversy that could not be tested without genetic data from these times and places," Reich said.

The researchers found that the initial waves of newcomers were mainly from Persia. These findings align with the oldest Swahili oral stories, which tell of Persian (Shirazi) merchants or princes arriving on the Swahili shores.

"It was exciting to find biological evidence that Swahili oral history probably depicts Swahili genetic ancestry as well as cultural legacy," said Esther Brielle, research fellow in genetics in the Reich lab.

Brielle is co-first author of the paper with Stephanie Wynne-Jones at the University of York and Jeffrey Fleisher at Rice University.

After about 1500 CE, ancestry sources became increasingly Arabian. In later centuries, intermingling with other populations from Asia and Africa further changed the genetic makeup of Swahili-coast communities.

Ancestry contributions from women from India

Analyses also showed that the initial stream of migrants had about 90 percent ancestry from Persian men and 10 percent ancestry from Indian women.

Although South Asian-associated artifacts are well documented at Swahili archaeological sites and Indian words have been integrated into Swahili, "no one had previously hypothesized an important role for Indian people in contributing to the populations of the medieval Swahili towns," said Reich.

Extreme sex differences in genetic contributions

The predominant groups that contributed to Swahili-coast populations during the initial influx in 1000 CE were male Persians and femaleAfricans. Similar genetic signatures of sex imbalances in other populations around the world sometimes indicate that incoming men forcibly married local women, but that scenario does not align with the tradition of matriarchal Swahili societies, the authors said.

A more likely explanation, said Reich, is that "Persian men allied with and married into local trading families and adopted local customs to enable them to be more successful traders."

The authors say their hypothesis is supported by the fact that the children of Persian fathers and Swahili-coast mothers passed down the language of their mothers and that the region's matriarchal traditions did not change even after locals settled down with people from traditionally patriarchal regions in Persia and Arabia and practiced the Islamic religion of their male ancestors.

Genetics and identity

The team found that the proportion of Persian-Indian ancestry has decreased among many people of the Swahili coast in the last several centuries. Many among those in present-day Kenya who identify as Swahili and had their genomes analyzed were "genetically very different" from the people who lived in the region during medieval times, the authors found, while others retained substantial medieval ancestry.

"These results highlight an important lesson from ancient DNA: While we can learn about the past with genetics, it does not define present-day identity," said Reich.

Decolonizing history

In addition to helping to diversify the populations included in ancient DNA research, the study pushes back against "a profoundly difficult history" of more than 500 years of colonization in this region of Africa, which continues to be a major problem today, said Reich.

"The story of Swahili origins has been molded almost entirely by non-Swahili people," he said.

The study results "contradict and complicate" narratives advanced in archaeological, historical, and political circles, said Kusimba, who has spent 40 years working to recover the Swahili past and to address injustices experienced by descendants of the Swahili civilization.
Womens inclusion is critical for negotiations on lasting peace worldwide. Nearly 23 years ago the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1325, which detailed the importance of the participation of women and the inclusion of gender perspectives in peace negotiations, humanitarian planning, peacekeeping operations, and post-conflict peacebuilding and governance.

It is our collective responsibility to continue to uplift and empower women change-makers, said United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield:

It has been proven time and time again that womens full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes as leaders, negotiators, peacekeepers, and peacebuilders increase the chances of a just and lasting peace.

While there has been some progress in this area, implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda remains an on-going challenge.

We see this most acutely in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has reneged on its promises to the international community and to Afghan women, and implemented draconian, oppressive measures against women and girls, she said This is a profound crisis. It will prevent Afghanistan from achieving stability, economic prosperity, and future growth. It places women and girls at increased risk of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. And it hinders lifesaving humanitarian aid from reaching Afghans in desperate need.

The challenges ahead of us are not confined to one country or one region. Over the past year, women and girls have faced violence, repression, exclusion in Iran, Ukraine, and elsewhere around the world, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.

For our part, the United States Institute of Peace is supporting women leaders in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, who work to counter violent extremism and advocate for womens leadership. Similar programs are engaging women in Mali and Niger.

Such engagement is imperative, as groups, including ISIS, al-Qaida, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and the Taliban, directly target women and girls to achieve ideological and tactical objectives, she said. By supporting women and youth as prevention actors, we can more effectively and sustainably address the conditions conducive to terrorism.

Lasting peace and an inclusive, prosperous society depend on womens leadership and political participation, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield.

The Biden Administration remains deeply committed to protecting and advancing the rights of women and girls at home and around the world.
The Indo-West Pacific is the largest, most biodiverse marine ecosystem on Earth, and many of the species it supports have comparably wide ranges. Writing in "The Origin of Species," Charles Darwin noted that " many fish range from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean, and many shells are common to the eastern islands of the Pacific and the eastern shores of Africa, on almost exactly opposite meridians of latitude."

At first glance, the same pattern appears to be true for crabs. Chlorodielline crabs, common on coral reefs, look so similar that scientists have struggled to distinguish species in the group based solely on appearance. But a new study reveals a surprising exception to the rule of uniformity across the Indo-West Pacific. While chlorodielline crab species with non-overlapping ranges are often nearly identical, those that occupy the same region have a unique feature.

"They all look the same, until you compare their gonopods, which are structurally complex and very species specific," said lead author and former Florida Museum of Natural History postdoctoral researcher Robert Lasley.

Gonopods are specialized appendages used for reproduction that have evolved multiple times in different arthropod groups, including crustaceans, moths and butterflies, and millipedes. They're variously used for sperm transfer and clasping, and in crabs, they sometimes come equipped with elaborate frills that give them the appearance of a spatula with a mohawk.

Lasley, who is currently the curator of Crustacea at the University of Guam's Biorepository, wanted to see if there was any pattern to the seemingly endless, undirected variation in their gonopods. To do that, he needed a close look at species across the Indo-West Pacific and assiduously collected specimens for more than a decade. He participated in numerous marine field forays in the Red Sea, Singapore, Australia, and the Phoenix Islands, hovering inches above their reefscapes in search of crabs hiding among the coral bric-a-brac.

Chlorodielline crabs are especially diverse in what's known as the coral triangle, where open sea is punctuated by a vast archipelago that stretches from Indonesia to the Solomon Islands. The shallow waters around these islands support roughly 76% of the world's coral species and more than a quarter of all coral reef fishes. Chlorodielline crabs, most of which grow no larger than a corn kernel, sit near the base of the food chain in these ecosystems.

"They're among the most abundant coral reef crustaceans, which makes them very important," Lasley said. "They live in what are essentially apartment buildings made out of dead coral, and there are so many of them that any time you pick up a piece of reef rubble, they spill out."

Before Lasley could determine why they had such wildly different gonopods, he first had to figure out how chlorodielline species are related to each other, which he accomplished through an analysis of DNA extracted from museum specimens. The authors then added information regarding the range of each species and the shape of their gonopods.

What they found led them to one of marine biology's most perplexing mysteries. There are a few key ingredients natural selection needs to make new species, but two of the most crucial are genetic variation and isolation. On land, roaming animals become isolated all the time, but in marine environments, this step in the speciation process can be harder to achieve. Many marine invertebrates -- including crabs -- have a larval stage, in which individuals drift across the world's oceans in the form of microscopic plankton. With their strong capacity for long-distance dispersal, how do they remain isolated long enough for evolution to generate diversity?

Naturalists like Darwin saw the Indo West Pacific as one vast body of water, uninterrupted by geographic barriers, like ocean rifts or unproductive dead zones, that would otherwise act like a catalyst in the process of speciation.

The results of this study suggest sheer distance and time can also act as barriers. Many chlorodielline crabs have ranges that extend across the entirety of the Indo-West Pacific. The genetic analysis revealed these cryptic species have slowly accumulated differences in their DNA over millions of years.

But it wasn't until close relatives were reunited after an extended separation that those genetic differences visibly manifested in a single, peculiar way. In almost every case, close relatives with overlapping ranges had uniquely shaped gonopods but otherwise looked exactly the same.

"What we can say is these crabs start genetically diverging in different geographic areas, and then the divergence of gonopods is an important piece of the speciation process that happens at the tail end of things," he said.

Lasley isn't sure why these gonopods only begin to change when two species are in close proximity, but he suspects it's something inherent in the way these crabs reproduce, which he intends to test in future studies. For now, the results indicate that far more variation exists at the heart of Earth's most species-rich marine ecosystem than previously suspected, and the engine driving its diversity has yet to be entirely discovered.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, one out of every three adults in the United States has prediabetes, a condition marked by elevated blood sugar levels that could lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes. The good news is that, if detected early, prediabetes can be reversed through lifestyle changes such as improved diet and exercise. The bad news? Eight out of 10 Americans with prediabetes don't know that they have it, putting them at increased risk of developing diabetes as well as disease complications that include heart disease, kidney failure and vision loss.

Current screening methods typically involve a visit to a health care facility for laboratory testing and/or the use of a portable glucometer for at-home testing, meaning access and cost may be barriers to more widespread screening. But researchers at the University of Washington may have found the sweet spot when it comes to increasing early detection of prediabetes. The team developed GlucoScreen, a new system that leverages the capacitive touch sensing capabilities of any smartphone to measure blood glucose levels without the need for a separate reader.

The researchers describe GlucoScreen in a new paper published March 28 in the Proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies.

The researchers' results suggest GlucoScreen's accuracy is comparable to that of standard glucometer testing. The team found the system to be accurate at the crucial threshold between a normal blood glucose level, at or below 99 mg/dL, and prediabetes, defined as a blood glucose level between 100 and 125 mg/dL. This approach could make glucose testing less costly and more accessible -- particularly for one-time screening of a large population.

"In conventional screening a person applies a drop of blood to a test strip, where the blood reacts chemically with the enzymes on the strip. A glucometer is used to analyze that reaction and deliver a blood glucose reading," said lead author Anandghan Waghmare, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. "We took the same test strip and added inexpensive circuitry that communicates data generated by that reaction to any smartphone through simulated tapping on the screen. GlucoScreen then processes the data and displays the result right on the phone, alerting the person if they are at risk so they know to follow up with their physician."

Specifically, the GlucoScreen test strip samples the amplitude of the electrochemical reaction that occurs when a blood sample mixes with enzymes five times each second.

The strip then transmits the amplitude data to the phone through a series of touches at variable speeds using a technique called "pulse-width modulation." The term "pulse width" refers to the distance between peaks in the signal -- in this case, the length between taps. Each pulse width represents a value along the curve. The greater the distance between taps for a particular value, the higher the amplitude associated with the electrochemical reaction on the strip.

"You communicate with your phone by tapping the screen with your finger," Waghmare said. "That's basically what the strip is doing, only instead of a single tap to produce a single action, it's doing multiple taps at varying speeds. It's comparable to how Morse code transmits information through tapping patterns."

The advantage of this technique is that it does not require complicated electronic components. This minimizes the cost to manufacture the strip and the power required for it to operate compared to more conventional communication methods, like Bluetooth and WiFi. All data processing and computation occurs on the phone, which simplifies the strip and further reduces the cost.

The test strip also doesn't need batteries. It uses photodiodes instead to draw what little power it needs from the phone's flash.

The flash is automatically engaged by the GlucoScreen app, which walks the user through each step of the testing process. First, a user affixes each end of the test strip to the front and back of the phone as directed. Next, they prick their finger with a lancet, as they would in a conventional test, and apply a drop of blood to the biosensor attached to the test strip. After the data is transmitted from the strip to the phone, the app applies machine learning to analyze the data and calculate a blood glucose reading.

That stage of the process is similar to that performed on a commercial glucometer. What sets GlucoScreen apart, in addition to its novel touch technique, is its universality.

"Because we use the built-in capacitive touch screen that's present in every smartphone, our solution can be easily adapted for widespread use. Additionally, our approach does not require low-level access to the capacitive touch data, so you don't have to access the operating system to make GlucoScreen work," said co-author Jason Hoffman, a UW doctoral student in the Allen School. "We've designed it to be 'plug and play.' You don't need to root the phone -- in fact, you don't need to do anything with the phone, other than install the app. Whatever model you have, it will work off the shelf."

The researchers evaluated their approach using a combination of in vitro and clinical testing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to delay the latter until 2021 when, on a trip home to India, Waghmare connected with Dr. Shailesh Pitale at Dew Medicare and Trinity Hospital. Upon learning about the UW project, Dr. Pitale agreed to facilitate a clinical study involving 75 consenting patients who were already scheduled to have blood drawn for a laboratory blood glucose test. Using that laboratory test as the ground truth, Waghmare and the team evaluated GlucoScreen's performance against that of a conventional strip and glucometer.

Given how common prediabetes and diabetes are globally, this type of technology has the potential to change clinical care, the researchers said.

"One of the barriers I see in my clinical practice is that many patients can't afford to test themselves, as glucometers and their test strips are too expensive. And, it's usually the people who most need their glucose tested who face the biggest barriers," said co-author Dr. Matthew Thompson, UW professor of both family medicine in the UW School of Medicine and global health. "Given how many of my patients use smartphones now, a system like GlucoScreen could really transform our ability to screen and monitor people with prediabetes and even diabetes."

GlucoScreen is presently a research prototype. Additional user-focused and clinical studies, along with alterations to how test strips are manufactured and packaged, would be required before the system could be made widely available, the team said.

But, the researchers added, the project demonstrates how we have only begun to tap into the potential of smartphones as a health screening tool.

"Now that we've shown we can build electrochemical assays that can work with a smartphone instead of a dedicated reader, you can imagine extending this approach to expand screening for other conditions," said senior author Shwetak Patel, the Washington Research Foundation Entrepreneurship Endowed Professor in Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering at the UW.

Additional co-authors are Farshid Salemi Parizi, a former UW doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering who is now a senior machine learning engineer at OctoML, and Yuntao Wang, a research professor at Tsinghua University and former visiting professor at the Allen School. This research was funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A new study from a Washington University researcher offers fresh insights into how the brain goes to great lengths to processes and remember everyday events.

Zachariah Reagh, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and co-author Charan Ranganath of the University of California, Davis, used functional MRI scanners to monitor the brains of subjects watching short videos of scenes that could have come from real life. These included men and women working on laptops in a cafe or shopping in a grocery store.

"They were very ordinary scenes," Reagh said. "No car chases or anything."

The research subjects then immediately described the scenes with as much detail as they could muster. The mundane snippets led to intriguing findings, including that different parts of the brain worked together to understand and remember a situation.

Networks in the front part of the temporal lobe, a region of the brain long known to play an important role in memory, focused on the subject regardless of their surroundings. But the posterior medial network, which involves the parietal lobe toward the back of the brain, paid more attention to the environment. Those networks then sent information to the hippocampus, Reagh explained, which combined the signals to create a cohesive scene.

Researchers had previously used very simple objects and scenarios -- such as a picture of an apple on a beach -- to study the different building blocks of memories, Reagh said. But life isn't so simple, he said. "I wondered if anyone had done these types of studies with dynamic real-word situations and, shockingly, the answer was no."

The new study suggests that the brain makes mental sketches of people that can be transposed from one location to another, much like an animator can copy and paste a character into different scenes. "It may not seem intuitive that your brain can create a sketch of a family member that it moves from place to place, but it's very efficient," he said.

Some subjects could recall the scenes in the cafe and grocery store more completely and accurately than others. Reagh and Ranganath found that those with the clearest memories used the same neural patterns when recalling scenes that they used while watching the clips. "The more you can bring those patterns back online while describing an event, the better your overall memory," he said.

At this time, Reagh said, it's unclear why some people seem more adept than others at reproducing the thought patterns needed to access memory. But it's clear that many things can get in the way. "A lot can go wrong when you try to retrieve a memory," he said.

Even memories that seem crisp and vivid may not actually reflect reality. "I tell my students that your memory is not a video camera. It doesn't give you a perfect representation of what happened. Your brain is telling you a story," he said.

Reagh is one of the Washington University faculty members involved in the research cluster "The Storytelling Lab: Bridging Science, Technology, and Creativity," part of the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures. Led by Jeff Zacks, chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, with Ian Bogost and Colin Burnett, the Storytelling Lab explores the psychology and neurology of narratives.

In future, Reagh plans to study the brain activity and memory of people watching more complicated stories.

"The Storytelling Lab fits perfectly with the scientific questions that I find most exciting," Reagh said. "I want to understand how the brain creates and remembers narratives."
ELKO  Great Basin Colleges Alternate Route to Licensure program offers a specialized path to teaching licensure for students. Students who are enrolled in the program have completed a bachelors degree from regionally accredited institutions. While enrolled, students teach full-time, and upon graduation can apply for traditional teaching licenses. Students must remain continually enrolled in the program while teaching and must finish the program within three years. There are 44 students enrolled in the ARL program this semester.

At a time of great need for teachers, Great Basin College is thrilled to offer alternate paths, said Dean Mary Doucette. The ARL Program allows educated professionals from many different backgrounds to change course, find a new passion, and educate the next generation.

To be eligible for the ARL Program, students must provide official transcripts showing proof of graduation with a bachelors degree, pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam, submit to a fingerprint background check by the Nevada Department of Education, and complete an admissions interview.

Elko County School District is also offering incentives for this program and will reimburse employee tuition and registration expenses for courses taken through the GBC ARL Program before May 15, 2023. There are 23 students currently enrolled in the ARL program and employed with the Elko County School District.

Individuals with questions or interest in the ARL Program are encouraged to contact Brian Zeiszler at brian.zeiszler@gbcnv.edu or Denise Padilla at denise.padilla@gbcnv.edu.
ELKO  Starting August 2023, Great Basin College will offer two new dual credit high school programs with an emphasis in mining, geology, and metallurgy that will seamlessly transfer to GBC or the University of Nevada Reno for the completion of an associates, bachelors, or professional degree.

The certificates are designed to be taken over two years and are open to all juniors and seniors in the Elko County School District and Battle Mountain on a roll-out trial basis, before being generally available for all in August 2024.

Sam Spearing, Executive Director of Work Force Development & Mining Center of Excellence, explained that a trial was important to identify aspects that need improvement, and this can be done effectively in a small initial cohort without affecting the students experience. All certificate courses will be taught online with contact lab and discussion sessions where appropriate.

The new Mining Center of Excellence certificate programs will include 17- and 33-credit tracks. The 17-credit program is designed for those students who have extracurricular commitments as well as those students who just want to slowly explore educational pathways in mining and mining related fields. The 33-credit program is for students who may already have a desire to attain degrees from Great Basin College or UNR in mining and mining-related industries.

During the development stages of the Mining Center of Excellence, Great Basin College and UNR recognized the need to create more options and pathways for students especially in STEMM. The new certificate programs will consist of classes such as introduction to mining, geology, and metallurgy with a strong emphasis on math and science.

We are very excited to be able to launch our dual credit program this fall. It is the first of many exciting new programs to come, said Spearing. The mining industry in Northern Nevada has a critical need for workforce expansion and development and it is our goal to develop programs that can assist in these needs.

For more information, Spearing can be contacted at sam.spearing@gbcnv.edu.
Republican lawmakers have rolled out another bill making it more expensive for the public to challenge government decisions.

Sen. Mark Noland, a Republican from Big Fork, told a Senate Business Committee this week that his Senate Bill 557 would help industries that have been stalled or stopped by some actions that could be lawsuits, could be just challenges in the courts.

The bill passed out of the Senate Business Committee on Thursday 6-4.

Opponents of the bill said it created a pay to play system that would keep many Montanans from challenging environmental and wildlife decisions by the state departments of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Environmental Quality and Natural Resources.

Noland described the bill as undoing the consequences of whats known the Lucky Minerals Decision. Lucky Minerals is a Canadian company that had planned for a gold mine 15 miles from the Gardiner entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Lucky was one of two business eyeing gold mines in the area. Prohibiting the gold mining so close to Yellowstone was a bipartisan cause. In 2018 then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke signed a 20-year ban on mining in the Yellowstone-adjacent area. Gov. Greg Gianforte, then a U.S. representative wrote a bill to protect the area from mining.

However, Lucky Minerals indicated in 2020 that it hadn't given up on mining gold outside Yellowstone.

Luckys first step was to cut some roads and drill for core samples. The mining companys exploration plans received the backing of Montanas Department of Environmental Quality, a permitting agency that two courts later concluded downplayed damage the mine presented to water and wildlife.

Ignoring the mines potential damage and not calling for a more thorough environmental review, meant DEQ was out of step with the Montana Environmental Policy Act. Known as MEPA, the policy lays out steps for ensuring state agencies uphold Montanans right to a clean and healthful environment.

What Republicans had hoped that Luckys gold exploration would keep rolling despite a public challenge that proved DEQs work insufficient. The 2011 Legislature had amended MEPA to make it so.

Then-Attorney General Tim Fox argued that the Montana Environmental Policy Act couldn't stop Lucky's mine activities because the law wasn't substantive, an argument rejected by a District Court and Montana Supreme Court. That argument was that the mine work should continue, while DEQ did a more thorough review of the project.

The Montana Supreme Court ruled the 2011 amendment unconstitutional because if a project couldnt be stopped when DEQ got its environmental work wrong, then the publics right to a clean and healthful environment couldnt be upheld.

The court said allowing the project to proceed while DEQ corrected its environmental work was analogous to a mandatory aircraft inspection after takeoff.

Nolands bill would make it more expensive to use the Montana Environmental Policy Act for redress. The U.S. Constitution forbids the creation of laws that violate the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. More than one bill proposed by Republican legislators and endorsed by the fossil fuel industry makes it more expensive to challenge government actions.

Senate Bill 557 would require anyone challenging a project to get a court injunction to stop it. Several legal costs would be transferred to the challenger, who would also be required to post a bond covering the lost wages and revenues of the project developer.

Only two people showed up to testify against the bill. The 8 a.m. hearing had been scheduled the night before and the actual text of SB 557 wasnt readily available.

This is intended to chill people from using this law. MEPA implements our right to a clean and healthful environment, implements our right to participate. And what they're saying is if agencies don't follow the law, then there's nothing you can do about it because you can't afford to go to court, said Anne Hedges, of the Montana Environmental Information Center.

None of those organizations, those individuals that over the last 40 years have challenged agency actions under MEPA would be able to go to court. So, you're making MEPA voluntary. This takes the guts, the heart and the soul out of the law and puts all of that in those people with all the power. And pay-to-play system for public participation seems really misplaced.
Skot Welch is president & founder of the newly launching Greater Michigan Chapter of The National Black MBA Association

In addition to digital design, Julia Swenson also designs interiors.

Carl Dunker
AMERICAS

Colombia

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council will hold its quarterly meeting on Colombia. Special Representative and head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia Carlos Ruiz Massieu is expected to brief on recent developments and the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on the mission, dated 27 March.

The verification missions mandate expires on 31 October 2023.

Key Recent Developments

During the first quarter of 2023, the administration of Colombian President Gustavo Petro Urrego continued to advance its policy of total peace, which entails the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace signed in 2016 between the government of Colombia and the former rebel group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejercito del Pueblo (FARC-EP) as well as the promotion of dialogue with armed groups operating in the country. While some progress was made on both processes, violence continued in conflict-affected areas of the country.

The government has been pursuing peace talks with armed groups it deems as having a political agenda, while also discussing possible agreements with groups characterised as criminal that focus on ceasing violence in exchange for judicial benefits. On 31 December 2022, Petro announced that five armed groups had agreed to bilateral six-month ceasefires with the government. The government characterises two of these groups as political, namely the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) and the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), which mainly consists of former FARC-EP dissidents who did not sign the 2016 accord. The remaining three groups are described by the government as high-impact criminal structures: the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC), the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra, and the Segunda Marquetalia (which consists of former FARC-EP dissidents who signed the 2016 agreement but took up arms again). Analysts warn, however, against making conclusive distinctions between the various groups, as some of themsuch as the AGCclaim to have political origins, while groups that hold a political agenda also engage in illicit activities such as drug trafficking.

Shortly after the governments announcement, the ELN said in a 3 January statement that it had not agreed to a bilateral ceasefire, emphasising that the issue should be discussed at the negotiating table. Moreover, to date, only the EMC has reportedly signed a ceasefire agreement with the government, while the others have yet to be operationalised due to legal and political challenges. A 24 February report by the International Crisis Group said that during the first months that the total peace policy had been implemented there was a slower tempo of hostilities involving these groups, and a fall in homicides perpetrated by them in some regions but these groups used other ways to persecute and assert control over rural communities, including through child recruitment, sexual and gender-based violence, and movement restrictions.

In a 14 February letter to the Security Council (S/2023/112), Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alvaro Leyva Duran announced the resumption of dialogue with the ELN. He also shared the decrees declaring the bilateral ceasefires with the other four groups that were issued by the government in December 2022 following its announcement. Leyva indicated the governments intention to request UN verification of these processes. He noted in this regard that: [w]e trust that the Security Council will consider favorably the possible expansion of the role of the verification mission in Colombia.

Following the first round of peace talks between the government and the ELN held from 22 November to 12 December 2022, a second round was held in Mexico between 13 February and 10 March. At the conclusion of this round, the sides announced that they had agreed, among other things, to discuss the modalities of a national and temporary bilateral ceasefire in the next round of negotiations, which at the time of writing is scheduled to take place in Cuba in April. However, a 29 March attack in the Catatumbo region which claimed the lives of nine government soldiers and was reportedly perpetrated by the ELN may entail setbacks for the process.

On 28 February, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP)the judicial component of the Comprehensive System for Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition established by the 2016 agreementconvened a special hearing, citing concerns about the continued killing of former FARC-EP combatants. The hearing followed up on the SJPs July 2020 order which called for the National Commission on Security Guarantees (NCSG), the body charged under the peace agreement with developing a public policy for dismantling criminal organisations and their support networks, to present guidelines and an action plan for the policy.

At the hearing, civil society representatives to the NCSG expressed concern about the lack of the NCSGs participation in processes relating to legislation on justice against high-impact criminal structures. Additionally, the representatives raised concerns over the institutional weakening of government bodies charged with the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement. At the hearing, the SJP underscored the importance of aligning the work of the NCSG and the total peace policy and ordered the government to present a policy for dismantling criminal organisations by 2 May.

On 14 March, ex-combatants from the former territorial area for training and reintegration (TATR) in the Mesetas municipality in the Meta department announced that more than 200 families of former combatants had received threats from the EMC demanding that they leave the area. This message came a day after the government said that it would soon start peace talks with the dissident group.

The threats against the residents of the Mesetas TATR were denounced by many national and international actors. In a 15 March statement, a commission in the House of Representatives (the lower house of Colombias Congress) monitoring the implementation of the 2016 accord said that such threats by armed groups raise doubts about their commitment to the achievement of total peace. The statement highlighted the need to address the situation, stressing that without security for the signatories of the Final Peace Agreement and [its] integral implementation, achieving total peace will be very difficult.

On 29 March, Petro visited the Mesetas TATR, where the government established a unified command post for lifean inter-institutional mechanism to coordinate preventive responses that involve state entities, local authorities, and civil society. During his visit, Petro announced that the government is working on mechanisms to expediate the implementation of the 2016 agreement, adding that his ministerial cabinet will become the peace cabinet and that an official will be appointed to oversee the implementation of the peace agreement with the former FARC-EP.

Human Rights-Related Developments At the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk presented the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report on Colombia (A/HRC/52/25). In his report, Turk noted the Colombian governments willingness to discuss human rights challenges frankly and stressed the need for the government to utilise a human rights approach when dealing with armed actors, victims, and any affected communities. Turk also noted that his office documented 92 massacres in which 321 people were killed in 2022, as well as 116 killings of human rights defenders. The report condemns the massacres, which disproportionately affect indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples. Peacebuilding Commission (PBC)-Related Developments Last years PBC Chair, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith (Bangladesh), delivered the PBCs first briefing or oral advice to the Security Council at a 12 October 2022 Council briefing on Colombia. Muhith highlighted the importance of the 2016 agreements elements on comprehensive rural reform, reconciliation based on a shared understanding of the past, and the rights of victims. Among other points, Muhith welcomed the governments commitment to reducing inequality and underlined the importance of inclusive approaches to addressing inequalities as drivers of conflicts. For the Councils 11 January briefing on Colombia, the PBC submitted written advice to Council members in a letter dated 9 January, commending the Colombian government and the ELN for the resumption of negotiations, including the strong representation of women on both sides.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is to consider the Colombian governments request for expanding the verification missions mandate to have a role in supporting dialogue efforts with armed groups operating in the country, including through the monitoring of potential ceasefires. At the time of writing, Council members were apparently considering sending a letter to the Secretary-General requesting him to submit recommendations to the Security Council on the matter.

The persistent violence in Colombia is a major ongoing concern. In this regard, Council members emphasised in a 13 January press statement on Colombia that the approval and implementation of a public policy on dismantling illegal armed groups and criminal organisations would be a significant step towards violence reduction. Members may consider interacting with representatives to the NCSG to hear their views about the challenges they are facing in their work and potential ways to increase complementarity between this body and the total peace policy. They may choose to do so in an informal meeting, such as an informal interactive dialogue, or to invite a representative to brief at a Council meeting.

In light of concerns raised by some Colombian actors that national and international attention is increasingly focused on the new outreach efforts to armed groups operating in the country, members may wish to reiterate the continued importance of the comprehensive implementation of the 2016 agreement. They may also consider interacting with members of the former FARC-EP to hear their recommendations on how the Council can better support the implementation of the agreement. Another option would be for Council members to conduct a visiting mission to Colombia. In this regard, Vice President Francia Marquez of Colombia invited Council members to her country at the Councils 11 January meeting.

Council Dynamics

Council members are united in their support for the peace process in Colombia and for the verification missions work. Members are generally deferential to the Colombian government and have often responded positively to its requests for expansions of the missions mandate. For example, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2673 of 11 January, expanding the mandate of the verification mission to monitor the implementation of the chapter on comprehensive rural reform and the ethnic chapter of the 2016 agreement, following a request contained in a 17 October 2022 letter from Leyva. (For more information, see our Whats in Blue story of 11 January.)

Council deliberations on the governments recent request for an expansion of the missions mandate might prove more sensitive. Some members may feel that a more cautious approach is needed regarding groups characterised as criminal and advocate a case-by-case analysis about a possible UN role in support for such dialogue efforts. Some members may also raise concerns about the potential risks to UN personnel, particularly in light of two incidents in the Catatumbo region in February and March in which staff from the verification mission and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), respectively, were temporarily detained and their vehicles were stolen in areas with ELN presence. The Council previously temporarily expanded the verification missions mandate to monitor compliance with a ceasefire observed by the ELN and the government through resolution 2381 of 6 October 2017.

The UK is the penholder on Colombia.

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THE SECURITY COUNCIL

Effective Multilateralism Through the Defence of the Principles of the UN Charter

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on Effective multilateralism through the Defense of the Principles of the UN Charter, one of the signature events of the Russian presidency. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to chair the meeting.

Background and Key Recent Developments

The Council has discussed the UN Charter and the multilateral system several times in the past few years. The most recent such discussion was on 14 December 2022, during Indias Security Council presidency, on the topic of New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism. Previous meetings on similar topics have included an open debate on Upholding multilateralism and the UN-centred international system, organised by China on 7 May 2021, and an open debate organised by Viet Nam on 9 January 2020 on Upholding the UN Charter. In connection with the latter, the Council adopted a presidential statement that reaffirm[ed] its commitment to multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations and recognised the critical importance of the Charter to the maintenance of international peace and security and development of international law.

Prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine, China and Russia issued a joint statement on 4 February 2022 emphasising that the world is going through momentous changes, including a transformation of the global governance architecture and world order. The statement criticised the actions of some actors representing but the minority on the international scale for employing unilateral approaches to addressing international issues. It also detailed a vision of effective multilateralism based on consensus rather than through decisions taken in private by certain nations or blocs of nations. The two countries argue that while democratic principles based on the sovereign equality of states should be fully implemented at the global level, the attempts by certain states to impose their own democratic standards on other countries go against the spirit and true values of democracy and undermine the stability of the world order.

The war in Ukraine has been widely seen as a global geopolitical turning point. In a 5 December 2022 article, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the war as bringing in an epochal tectonic shift, or Zeitenwende, in which new and emerging powers such as China compete for influence in a new multipolar world. Russias invasion of Ukraine was considered by most countries to be a violation of one of the most fundamental tenets of the post-World War II international rules-based order: namely, the commitment to refrain from the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of a member state, enshrined in article 2 (4) of the UN Charter.

Key Issues and Options

An overarching issue is how Council members can find common ground in resolving threats to international peace and security, notwithstanding their different views of the world order and interpretations of the UN Charter.

Another key issue is how to strengthen multilateralism to meet current challenges and threats to international peace and security. An important factor in this respect is how the Council can most effectively cooperate with other UN bodies, member states, and civil society to address global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, cyber security, and transnational organised crime.

More strategic use of certain UN Charter articles could enhance the Councils ability to address issues of peace and security. For example, urging the Secretary-General to make more frequent and explicit use of his article 99 powers might be a constructive step in the current difficult climate. A deeper and more systematic exploration of the scope of Chapter VIII, on regional arrangements, could also be timely.

In the future, the Council could also consider holding a private meeting with representatives of the General Assemblys Special Committee on the Charter of the UN and the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization to discuss the committees activities and to consider potential ideas for strengthening the Councils work.

Council Dynamics

Council members are expected to reiterate their commitment to the UN Charter and multilateralism. However, different perspectives on the world order and the UN Charter will be expressed. China and Russia may underscore the view that Western adherence to the Charter has been selective over the years, and that the US is more interested in being a global hegemon than a constructive international actor. Western and other like-minded states may argue that Russias invasion of Ukraine represents a gross violation of the UN Charter, and an assault on the rules-based international order.

Some members may encourage more frequent use of Chapter VI (Peaceful Settlement of Disputes) and VIII (Regional Arrangements) tools of the UN Charter, rather than sanctions and other coercive measures outlined in Chapter VII (Action with respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression), which are often more controversial.

It is also possible that some participants will argue that the Council does not reflect todays geopolitical realities, while calling for the structural reform of the organ. There may also be expressions of concern about the use of the veto.

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AFRICA

Great Lakes Region (DRC)

Expected Council Action

The Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, is expected to provide the biannual briefing to the Council in April on the implementation of the 2013 Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework (PSC-F) for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region.

Key Recent Developments

Peace and stability continue to elude DRC and the region. The deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, with the military activities of various armed groups, has caused a major humanitarian crisis, displacing five million people and stoking tensions between countries of the region. In his statement marking the tenth anniversary of the PSC-F on 24 February, Xia noted the persistent peace and security challenges in the region and called on signatory countries of the PSC-F to renew their commitment to work towards restoring regional peace and stability.

On 17 February, the East African Community (EAC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) held a mini-summit in Addis Ababa on the margins of the AU Summit to discuss the security situation in eastern DRC. The two organisations have been leading regional mediation efforts known respectively as the Nairobi and Luanda processes to address the situation in eastern DRC and ease the tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. The outcome of their mini-summit fed into the discussions at the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) meeting held the same day at the level of heads of state and government to consider the situation in the eastern DRC. The AUPSC, among other things, reaffirmed through its communique that the PSC-F remains a viable instrument to support the DRC and institutions in the region to achieve peace and stability, and called for its urgent revitalization.

Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the ICGLR Chair, engaged recently with the M23, a resurgent armed group operating in the DRCs North Kivu province that was dormant in the past decade and became active again in 2022, to secure a ceasefire, which was supposed to take effect on 7 March. Fighting continued unabated, however, with the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) accusing the M23 of violating the ceasefire. Subsequently, Angola decided to deploy 500 troops in North Kivu for 12 months to secure areas where the M23 is supposed to be stationed after a ceasefire and to protect members of the Ad-Hoc Verification Mechanism established under the Luanda process.

On 4 February, the EAC heads of state and government held their 20th extraordinary summit in Bujumbura, Burundi, to discuss the security situation in eastern DRC. They called for an immediate ceasefire by all parties and the withdrawal of all foreign armed groups. The EAC has set up its own monitoring and verification mechanism in addition to the existing mechanisms deployed by the ICGLR in eastern DRC. The EAC summit directed all troop-contributing countries of the EAC Regional Force (EACRF) to deploy their forces immediately. So far, Kenya and Burundi have done so, with Uganda and South Sudan expected to follow suit. The EAC facilitator for the Nairobi process, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, was planning to convene a fourth round of dialogue between the Congolese government and armed groups in mid-February in eastern DRC but it has not yet happened. (The previous three rounds of dialogue were held in Nairobi.) In January, Kenyatta met with the chairman and senior political and military leaders of the M-23 group in Mombasa, Kenya. In March, he met with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, DRC.

The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) also focused on the situation in eastern DRC in the 31 January summit of its Troikaconsisting of the chairperson, the incoming chairperson, and the outgoing chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security, currently Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa, respectively)in Windhoek, Namibia. The summit decided to initiate dialogue with the different sub-regional organisations that have deployed forces in the DRC to promote effective coordination of interventions in the DRC. SADC also sent a field assessment mission to eastern DRC from 27 February to 8 March. Furthermore, the situation in eastern DRC was a subject of discussion at the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which held its ordinary summit in Kinshasa on 25 February. Tshisekedi handed over the rotating ECCAS chairmanship to Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba. Rwanda, which is also a member of ECCAS, reportedly complained that it had been excluded from participating in the summit hosted by the DRC.

Council members visited the DRC from 9 to 12 March to assess the security situation in the country and the implementation of the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). They met with Congolese senior government officials, parliamentarians, political parties, civil society representatives, MONUSCO, and the UN country team. Council members also visited Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, to meet with provincial authorities and speak with internally displaced persons. (For coverage of the visiting mission, please read our Dispatches from the Field in Whats in Blue.) At the time of writing, Council members were negotiating a draft presidential statement proposed by France, the penholder on the DRC and the Great Lakes, as a follow-up to the visit.

Women, Peace and Security

On 12 March, the last day of the Councils visiting mission to the DRC, Council members held a working breakfast with women civil society representatives and visited the Bushangara camp on the outskirts of Goma, which hosts internally displaced persons (IDPs). At the working breakfast, women civil society representatives highlighted the hardship that Congolese women had endured over the past two decades. Pointing to widespread rapes, including in IDP camps, they underscored that violence is being used against women and girls as a weapon of war. The civil society representatives described recent attacks and violence against civilians perpetrated by armed groups, the economic insecurity faced by women in eastern DRC, and drew attention to the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the impact of the conflict on education. The representatives said that while women play a key role in supporting those affected by conflict, they are left out of peace processes and stressed the importance of peace for womens participation in the upcoming elections as both voters and candidates. Council members assured the representatives that their testimonies will be considered in Council discussions and actions. Members also emphasised that the Council can only support efforts by the Congolese themselves, however, and encouraged the civil society representatives to work towards finding local solutions by actively engaging with their government. Ahead of the 29 March Council briefing on the DRC, the members that endorsed the 1 December 2021 Shared Commitments on Women, Peace and Security, joined by Ghana, Mozambique and the US in their national capacity, delivered a statement at the stakeout. The statement included a segment in French directed to women leaders in the DRC which said: We heard you. Today we share your message to the Security Council. We will not spare our efforts to translate your recommendations into actions.

Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) Developments

The PBC submitted written advice on the Great Lakes region to Council members in a letter dated 21 October, ahead of the Councils 26 October 2022 briefing on the situation. The PBC stressed the importance of involving civil society and traditional leaders in dialogue initiatives and underscored the need to promote the sustainable and transparent management of natural resources in the region. It urged the adoption and implementation of national action plans on youth, peace and security across the region in line with resolution 2250. The PBC also underlined the need for the Special Envoy to undertake a comprehensive mapping exercise on stabilisation efforts in the eastern part of the DRC and the wider region to promote strategic alignment. On 31 October 2022, the PBC met on the Great Lakes region to be updated on political processes in the region and mobilise diplomatic and financial support for flagship initiatives derived from the UN Strategy for Peacebuilding, Prevention and Resolution of Conflicts in the Great Lakes Region Action Plan. The session included briefings by Special Envoy Xia; the Special Envoy of EAC Facilitator of the Nairobi Process, Macharia Kamau; and MONUSCO Deputy Special Representative and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC Bruno Lemarquis. Burundi informed the PBC in November 2022 of its decision to end the commissions country configuration on Burundi, which was established in 2006 as one of the PBCs first agenda situations. A 30 November 2022 PBC meeting explored possible forms of future cooperation between the PBC and Burundi. The configuration, which had been chaired by Switzerland since 2009, officially concluded on 31 December 2022.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council remains how to comprehensively address the persistent security challenge facing the DRC and the region. In this regard, Council members may express concern over the increasing insecurity in eastern DRC and reiterate their support for regional efforts through the Nairobi and Luanda processes.

The other major issue is how to continue supporting the full and effective implementation of the PSC-F to promote peace and security in the Great Lakes region. A possible option is for Council members to adopt a resolution marking the 10th anniversary of the PSC-F, and requesting the Secretary-General to present, as part of his next biannual report, concrete recommendations, following consultations with the signatory states and guarantors, on how the PSC-F can be revitalised.

Council Dynamics

Council members are broadly supportive of addressing the root causes and drivers of conflict in the Great Lakes region through a comprehensive regional approach. They are likely to continue to emphasise that there is no military solution to the situation in eastern DRC and reaffirm their support for a peaceful solution through dialogue within the framework of the ongoing regional initiatives. But they may also stress the need for enhanced coordination and harmonisation of regional efforts, with the support of MONUSCO and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region. In the context of addressing the root causes of conflict, Council members may continue to support efforts to counter the illegal exploitation of natural resources and underline the need to implement the various regional and continental frameworks to identify and trace minerals illegally exploited from the DRC.

During the March visiting mission, the Congolese authorities accused Rwanda of stoking the conflict by continuing to support the M23 Movement, and in this regard, referred to the findings of the most recent report of the Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee, dated 16 December 2022. Calling on Council members not to remain silent in the face of evidence provided by this report, the officials asked that sanctions be imposed on Rwanda. While this does not currently appear feasible, the Council may consider designating individuals and entities that are engaged in undermining the DRCs peace and security in the context of the 1533 DRC Sanctions regime. Rwanda is also said to have proposed several names for designation under the 1533 DRC sanctions regime; some Council members have asked to put these requests on hold.

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AMERICAS

Haiti

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council is expected to receive a briefing from newly appointed Special Representative and head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) Maria Isabel Salvador on recent developments and the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on BINUH. A representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is also expected to brief.

BINUHs mandate expires on 15 July 2023.

Key Recent Developments

Haiti remains mired in a multidimensional crisis marked by political gridlock and significant security and humanitarian challenges. In her January briefing to the Security Council, former Special Representative for Haiti and head of BINUH Helen La Lime invoked the 13th anniversary of the 2010 Haiti earthquake and warned that years of hard-fought recovery gains are being undone.

The countrys political impasse remains a key concern. On 9 January, a symbolic milestone was reached when the terms of the last ten remaining senators expired, leaving the country without a single democratically elected official. Efforts to organise elections and restore the legitimacy of public institutions have achieved only mixed results. On 21 December 2022, Prime Minister Ariel Henrywho assumed office after the assassination of Prime Minister Jovenel Moise in July 2021signed a document titled The National Consensus for an Inclusive Transition and Transparent Elections, along with representatives of political parties, civil society organisations, and members of the private sector. The document outlines the necessary steps for holding elections in the country, stipulating a 14-month transition period, with general elections to be held in 2023 and a new elected government to enter office on 7 February 2024. To facilitate this process, the document calls for the establishment of a High Transitional Council and a Control Body for Government Action, which will be responsible for promoting a political dialogue among various factions and the proper functioning of public institutions during the transitional period. On 6 February, Henry formally installed the High Transitional Council, comprising three members from the countrys political, business and civil sectors.

This transition process has not garnered universal domestic support, however. The Secretary-Generals latest report on BINUH, dated 17 January, said that the leadership of the Montana Groupa coalition of civil society organisations that had previously put forward a transition plan seeking a two-year transitional government under different interim leadershiphad rejected the national consensus document, labelling it a manoeuvre designed for electioneering purposes. Additionally, according to Haitian local media reports, the ten political parties that secured the most votes during the last presidential election in 2016 have not acceded to the document. During the Councils January briefing on Haiti, several members cautiously welcomed the signing of the document but urged stakeholders to seek a broader consensus.

Meanwhile, the countrys security and humanitarian situations continue to deteriorate. While the UN estimated in December 2022 that approximately 60 percent of Port-au-Prince, the capital, was controlled by armed gangs, some analysts now believe the number is closer to 90 percent. The Haitian National Police (HNP) have reportedly retreated from large parts of the city, urging more citizen participation to fill the security vacuum. This growing instability has fuelled increasingly dire humanitarian conditions. According to the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification surveyconducted by a group of humanitarian organisations and inter-governmental institutionsnearly five million Haitians (almost half the population) are experiencing acute food insecurity. Additionally, there are an estimated 155,000 internally displaced persons in the country, which according to the Secretary-Generals January report represents an increase of 77 percent since the end of August 2022. These trends are being exacerbated by the resurgence of cholera in the country: since the first reported case in October 2022, the number of suspected cases has exceeded 20,000, according to the Secretary-Generals report. Reflecting the countrys worsening conditions, the UNs 2023 humanitarian appeal for Haiti will reportedly call for $715 million, which is more than double last years appeal and the highest since the 2010 earthquake.

In October 2022, seeking to stabilise the countrys security situation and stem the multidimensional crisis, the Haitian government appealed for the immediate deployment of an international specialised force to temporarily reinforce the efforts of the HNP to combat gangs. Subsequently, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres submitted to the Security Council a special report outlining options to enhance security support for Haiti, requested by resolution 2645 of 15 July 2022, which most recently renewed BINUHs mandate. The report recommended that [o]ne or several Member States, acting bilaterally at the invitation of and in cooperation with the Government of Haiti, could deploy, as a matter of urgency, a rapid action force to support the HNP. In her briefings to the Council in October 2022 and January, La Lime reiterated the Secretary-Generals call.

The Security Council has yet to respond to Haitis request. At the Councils October 2022 meeting on Haiti, the US noted that it and then-Council member Mexico (co-penholders on Haiti) were working on a resolution that would authorize a non-UN international security assistance mission to help improve the security situation. The US added that such a mission would be led by a partner country with the deep, necessary experience required for such an effort to be effective and would operate under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. At the time of writing, no member state had indicated its willingness to lead or participate in such a mission. According to media reports, the US had identified Canada as its preferred candidate, but Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has publicly expressed scepticism about taking on this responsibility, instead pledging other forms of support to Haiti. In addition, Haitian civil society appears divided on the issue, with some opinion polls showing a majority in favour, but some civil society activists and analysts arguing that such a deployment would primarily serve the political interests of the current unelected government. The initiative now appears to have stalled, and neither the US nor Ecuador (which has replaced Mexico as co-penholder) explicitly referred to the deployment of an international force during the Councils January meeting on Haiti.

On 1 March, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Maria Isabel Salvador (Ecuador) to replace La Lime as Special Representative for Haiti and head of BINUH. The April meeting on Haiti will be the Councils first since Salvador assumed her duties.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During the Councils January meeting on Haiti, La Lime noted that gang-related violence in the country has reached levels not seen in decades, as more than 2,100 murders and 1,300 kidnappings were committed in 2022, representing an increase in these crimes for the fourth consecutive year. According to BINUH, this trend has continued in 2023: from the beginning of the year to 15 March, 531 people were killed and 277 kidnapped in gang-related incidents that took place mainly in Port-au-Prince. The situation is particularly dire for vulnerable populations: from 2021 to 2022, the UN has reported a nine-fold increase in violence targeting schools, leading to repeated school closures, and a 45 percent increase in documented incidents of sexual violence against women and girls. During a visit to the country in February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the estimated 200 gangs operating in the capital are perpetrating a near permanent climate of terror and described the situation as a living nightmare.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Security Council is how to support Haitian authorities in addressing the countrys security crisis. The deployment of an international force authorised by the Council is one option, but in the absence of a country willing to lead such an operation, these deliberations seem to have reached an impasse.

Another option may be to designate more individuals under the Councils sanctions regime for Haiti, established by resolution 2653, which the Council adopted on 21 October 2022. Currently, only one person is designated under the regime: Jimmy Cherizier (also known as Barbeque), who heads an alliance of Haitian gangs known as the G9 Family and Allies. At the Councils January meeting on Haiti, the US said it is identifying additional targets involved in the unrest in Haiti to nominate at the United Nations.

The Security Council may also consider changes to BINUHs mandate, which expires on 15 July. The Council established BINUH as a special political mission in 2019 with resolution 2476, based on Chapter VI of the UN Charter relating to the peaceful settlement of disputes. This mission followed the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH, 2004-2017) and the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH, 2017-19), larger peacekeeping operations established under Chapter VII of the Charter, which authorises the use of force. Although it remains unclear whether Council members have the political will to mandate a new multidimensional peacekeeping operation, there appears to be growing recognition that BINUHs mandate is not currently fit for purpose given the scale of the challenges Haiti is facing. Consequently, in the absence of an international force authorised by the Security Council, a recalibration of BINUHs mandate may be an alternative. The US has reportedly begun considering this option.

Council Dynamics

Council members are united in their concern for the spiralling situation in Haiti. They generally agree on the need for a multidimensional Haitian-led political solution that addresses both security and socioeconomic challenges. Notably, this consensus includes the use of UN sanctions as a tool to target individuals fomenting violence.

Views diverge on other possible Council responses, however. Co-penholders Ecuador and the US, as well as other members such as Albania, Brazil, and the A3 countries (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique), appear still to support the deployment of an international force as requested by the Haitian government and recommended by the Secretary-General, but other members such as China and Russia have cautioned against such a measure. At the Councils January meeting on Haiti, China urged the international community to take into full consideration the various views within Haiti and draw the appropriate lessons from failed external interventions so as to avoid repeating those mistakes.

This difference of opinion also appears linked to Council members views of the current Haitian government led by Henry. A majority of members have encouraged the government to engage with Montana signatories to build stronger support around the national consensus document. Members in favour of an international force have also voiced general support for the governments efforts. By contrast, China and Russia have been more critical of Henrys leadership and have highlighted the concerns voiced by opposition groups. At the Councils January meeting, the Chinese representative said that the crisis of political legitimacy is the fundamental crisis in Haiti, while the Russian representative similarly said that the legitimacy crisis is one of the key obstacles to breaking the countrys vicious cycle of lawlessness, violence and socioeconomic degradation.

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EUROPE

Kosovo

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council is expected to hold its first briefing this year on the situation in Kosovo. Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh will brief on recent developments and the Secretary-Generals latest report.

Key Recent Developments

Throughout the latter half of 2022, tensions in northern Kosovo escalated because of a long-standing license plate dispute. Between 2011 and 2021, Kosovo and Serbia had an agreement under which Kosovo permitted vehicles displaying either KS (Kosovo) license plates, which were acceptable to Serbia, or RKS (Republic of Kosovo) plates, which were not. When the agreement expired on 15 September 2021, Pristina began enforcing a new policy requiring all vehicles in Kosovo to display the RKS license plate, leading hundreds of Kosovo Serbs to protest at the border. After two days of EU-facilitated negotiations in Brussels, a provisional agreement was reached on 30 September 2021, under which special stickers would replace national symbols on vehicle license plates.

On 29 June 2022, however, Pristina announced that it would move forward with implementing its policy, requiring all vehicles with Serbian plates to re-register with RKS plates by 30 September 2022. On 31 July 2022, Pristina postponed the implementation of the policy by one month. Facing pressure from the EU and the Quint countries (France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US), Prime Minister Albin Kurti of Kosovo announced on 28 October 2022 a gradual implementation of the policy, with warnings issued during the first three weeks, followed by fines, and then by vehicle confiscation by 21 April 2023.

On 3 November 2022, Kosovos interior minister, Xhelal Svecla, suspended the police chief of northern Kosovo because he refused to issue warnings to drivers with Serbian license plates. In response, hundreds of Kosovo Serb judges, lawmakers, and police officers resigned on 5 November, and thousands of people protested in Mitrovica the following day. On 23 November, facing continued international pressure, Belgrade and Pristina reached an agreement to end the license plate dispute, with Kosovo allowing Serbian plates and Serbia ceasing to issue plates with Kosovo cities denominations.

In late December 2022, as tensions eased, the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue shifted its focus from crisis management to advancing the normalisation of relations and the two sides respective European futures. On 15 December, Kosovo submitted a formal application for EU membership.

At a 27 February meeting in Brussels, Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic agreed in principle to an EU proposal on normalising ties. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak facilitated the meeting. The proposal was based on an earlier draft prepared by French and German diplomats in September 2022. The 11-point agreement specifies that Kosovo and Serbia develop normal, good-neighbourly relations with each other on the basis of equal rights and recognise each others documents and national symbols, including passports and license plates. The text also stipulates that neither can represent the other in the international sphere and that Serbia will not object to Kosovos membership in international organisations.

While the agreement does not refer to the issue of establishing an association of Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo, it commits Kosovo to forming specific arrangements and guaranteesto ensure an appropriate level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo. The agreement also says that the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo should be formalised and a strong level of protection afforded to Serbian religious and cultural heritage sites.

On 18 March, Borrell convened a further meeting in Ohrid, North Macedonia, during which Kurti and Vucic agreed on an annex outlining steps for the agreements implementation. The annex says that the 11 articles comprising the agreement will be implemented independently of each other and that all implementation-related discussions will take place under the EU-facilitated dialogue. It also notes that the agreement and annex will become integral parts of the parties respective EU accession processes.

In a 19 March post on Twitter, UNMIK said that Ziadeh welcomes the progress achieved in Ohrid and calls on both sides to sustain their constructive engagement and fulfil their commitments in good faith. In a statement the following day, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed the UNs commitment to supporting the implementation of all agreements reached through the EU-facilitated dialogue.

Human Rights-Related Developments

In a November 2022 statement, Jerome Bouyjou, Chief of UNMIKs Human Rights Component and Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kosovo, commented on the third report on the human rights situation in Kosovo. Written jointly by a group of 37 key non-government organisations with support from UNMIK, the report provides insights into a wide range of issues, focusing on cross-cutting human rights topics such as corruption and human rights, transitional justice, the right to freedom of expression and the environment and human rights. Bouyjou noted that human rights reporting, analysis and monitoring by civil society organisations is crucial to advance human rights in Kosovo and increase the accountability of institutions.

Key Issues and Options

The Councils main priority is to maintain stability in Kosovo and promote the de-escalation of tensions in the north. It will continue to monitor diplomatic efforts to advance the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and any efforts towards reaching a final, legally binding agreement on Kosovo. In this regard, Council members could consider pursuing a presidential statement welcoming the 27 February agreement on the path to normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia and calling on both sides to implement the 18 March annex in good faith.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members are united in supporting the EU-facilitated dialogue to establish conditions for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Several membersincluding Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK, and the UScommended the implementation agreement. During the Councils 18 October 2022 briefing, however, Russia criticised the EU, arguing that the French-German proposal was designed to force Belgrade to agree with Kosovos statehood.

Deep divisions among permanent members have continued to characterise the Councils approach to the issue. Among the five permanent Council members, France, the UK, and the US recognise Kosovos independence and tend to be supportive of its government; China and Russia do not recognise its independence and strongly support Serbias position and its claim to territorial integrity. Seven elected members (Albania, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, and the UAE) recognise Kosovos independence, while three (Brazil, Ecuador, and Mozambique) do not.

The issue of modifying UNMIKs mandate with a view to its possible drawdown is another point of contention among Council members. The US has been the most vocal proponent of ending UNMIKs mandate as well as reducing the frequency of briefings, citing the level of stability in Kosovo. Similarly, the UK has called for a review of UNMIKs mandate, arguing that conditions on the ground have completely changed since UNMIK was established 23 years ago. At the 18 October briefing, Albania proposed reducing the frequency of Council meetings to only one per year.

While a representative of Kosovo typically participates in the Councils briefings under Rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure, Russia may attempt to challenge this practice at next months meeting. During the Councils briefing on the situation in Ukraine on 17 March, Russia proposed that Daria Morozova, in her capacity as ombudsperson of the Donetsk Region, brief the Council under Rule 39. In response, the US called for a procedural vote, characterising Russias request as an attempt to implicitly extend recognition to illegitimate authorities. Additionally, the US argued that Morozovas participation would be a violation of General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4, which called on all states to refrain from any dealings that might be interpreted as recognising an altered status of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

The Council voted not to allow Morozova to participate, after which Russia argued that the US reasoning could also be applied to Kosovos participation in Council meetings under Rule 39. According to Russia, that participation is a clear violation of [Security Council] Resolution 1244 of 1999, which established UNMIK. Russia then hinted that it might raise this issue at the upcoming briefing on the situation in Kosovo. The US cautioned Council members to be wary of attempts to draw reductionist parallels to other situations that are not comparable. Supporting the US position, Albania noted that in a 2008 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determined that Kosovos declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 did not violate international law, while in March 2022, the ICJ called on Russia to immediately suspend its military operation in Ukraine. Albania stressed that Kosovo and Serbia are negotiating to find mutually agreed solutions through dialogue, rather than war.

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AFRICA

Libya

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council will hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane (Japan), will also brief on the committees activities.

Key Recent Developments

More than one year has passed since the postponement of Libyan national elections planned for December 2021 and seven years since the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). The leadership stand-off continues between incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, elected in February 2021 to head the interim Government of National Unity (GNU), and former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha, who was elected interim prime minister by the House of Representatives (HoR)the Libyan legislature based in Tobrukin February 2022. The protracted stalemate contributes to the countrys political, economic, and security instability.

Against this backdrop, Special Representative for Libya and head of UNSMIL Abdoulaye Bathily has concentrated recent efforts on facilitating agreement among national actors and international partners on a new roadmap for national elections. In his 27 February briefing to the Council, Bathily presented the results of this engagement. He announced his intention to establish a Libyan High-Level Panel for Elections (HLPE), which will bring together all relevant Libyan stakeholders, including representatives of political institutions, major political figures, tribal leaders, civil society organisations, security actors, women, and youth representatives. According to Bathily, the HLPE will be tasked with facilitating the adoption of the legal framework and time-bound roadmap to the holding of elections in 2023, as well as providing a platform to advance consensus around related matters, such as election security and the adoption of a Code of Conduct for all candidates.

In parallel to Bathilys efforts, the rival Libyan legislatures have been engaged in a separate effort to establish a constitutional basis for elections. On 8 February, the HoR adopted the 13th constitutional amendment to the 2011 Constitutional Declaration, defining the roles of the president, prime minister, and parliament, and outlining its own election roadmap. On 2 March, after several failed attempts, the High State Council (HSC)which was established by the LPA to serve as an advisory body and now performs legislative functionsendorsed the amendment. Subsequently, the two bodies announced the establishment of a joint 6+6 committee to draft electoral laws.

In his February Council briefingwhich took place prior to the HSCs endorsement of the constitutional amendmentBathily described the legislation as controversial within the Libyan political class and general citizenry and criticised it for a perceived lack of clarity that failed to address key contentious issues such as the eligibility criteria for presidential candidatesan assessment that some independent analysts have echoed. At an 11 March press briefing, however, Bathily appeared to acknowledge that the 6+6 committee will have the primary responsibility for drafting electoral laws. He urged the body to address all the gaps and shortcomings of the 13th Amendment within a reasonable timeframe, thus producing a credible and implementable constitutional and legal basis for the elections. He further said that the UN stand[s] ready to support the 6+6 in any way and described the role of the HLPE as an auxiliary mechanism that will focus on related issues, such as election security and drafting a code of good conduct for candidates. On 16 March, the Security Council issued a presidential statement in which it welcomed the gradual progress made on the constitutional framework for elections and the 13th amendment of the constitutional declaration and said it was encouraged by the launch of the HLPE.

On the security track, the Secretary-Generals most recent report on Libya, dated 9 December 2022, said that the 2020 ceasefire agreement continues to hold, although the security situation remains tense throughout the country. The report also noted that UNSMIL has continued to support the establishment of an effective Libyan ceasefire monitoring mechanism able to coordinate, monitor, and assess progress on the withdrawal of foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries. On 8 February, after a two-day meeting in Cairo that was chaired by Bathily, the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC)which is entrusted with overseeing the security aspects of the Libyan peace processand liaison committees from Libya, Sudan, and Niger reached agreement on an integrated coordination and data-exchange mechanism to facilitate the full withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from the country. In his closing address at that meeting, Bathily described the agreement as an important step toward creating a favourable climate for the political process, including the organization of elections in 2023. The mechanism was subsequently launched at the margins of a meeting of the Security Working Group of the Berlin Process International Follow-up Committee on Libya (IFCL) held in Tunis on 17 March.

Additionally, the JMC recently convened two meetings with eastern, western, and southern military commanders on the issue of election security. After the first meeting held on 15 March, the participants issued a joint statement affirming that they had agreed to come together and move forward towards organizing free and fair elections in Libya this year and stressing the need to abstain from using force, violence, arrest, or threats for political or material gains or for regional or factional interests. At the second meeting held on 27 March, the participants reaffirmed those commitments and emphasised the need for the House of Representatives and the High Council of the State to complete the tasks entrusted with them to advance the political process.

The countrys human rights and humanitarian situation remains a concern. In his February briefing, Bathily expressed regret that the already limited civic space in Libya continues to be further restricted, silencing the voices of civil-society groups and activists. The Secretary-Generals report observed that violations against migrants and refugees continue with impunity, including arbitrary detention in inhumane and degrading conditions in both official and unofficial centres managed by state and non-state actors. Similar findings were presented by the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Libyaestablished by the Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2020which, in its final report published on 27 March, concluded that there are grounds to believe a wide array of war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed by State security forces and armed militia groups, with migrants, in particular, having been systematically tortured and subjected to sexual slavery. In a joint letter dated 6 March, several international human rights organisations called on the HRC to follow up on the FFMs findings by establishing an accountability mechanism to continue documenting and reporting on the human rights and impunity crisis in Libya and monitoring the implementation of the FFMs recommendations. In a related development, the co-chairs of the Working Group on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights of the IFCL released a summary on 18 March of a series of dialogues they have facilitated with a range of Libyan civil society actors on the countrys most pressing human rights issues as well as actions required to protect gains, overcome obstacles, and ultimately, to advance human rights in Libya.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Security Council is to support the political momentum towards holding national elections in 2023. The adoption of the 13th constitutional amendment and the launch of the HLPE are two potentially positive developments in this regard, but it remains unclear whether the initiatives will ultimately reinforce or compete with one another: while the GNU has publicly expressed receptiveness to the UN-facilitated initiative, the HoR in a statement following Bathilys February briefing took issue with his characterisation of the constitutional amendment and accused him of bias. In this context, the Security Councils presidential statement of 16 March can be viewed as an attempt to resolve tension between the two tracks while maintaining political pressure on the GNU and HoR to achieve tangible progress towards elections.

At the April briefing, Council members are likely to reiterate their expectation that all parties display the political will to meet their stated commitments through concrete action. In addition, some Council members are expected to express continued concern at the alarming human rights situation in the country, which remains particularly dire for civil society activists, migrants, women, and girls.

Council Dynamics

Council members remain united on the need for a Libyan-led inclusive process to hold elections that will restore political, security, and economic stability. However, there are differences of view about the best way forward. During the February briefing, several Council membersincluding France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK, the US, and the A3 countries (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique)expressed strong support for Bathilys election initiative. China and Russia, however, voiced their general support for Bathilys mediation efforts but were more reserved in their judgment of the HLPE. Russia acknowledged that a solution to [the political stalemate] could be the organization of national elections, yet cautioned against organising them too hastily and claimed that it would be counterproductive to discard the achievements already made by the House of Representatives and the High State Council, in which so much work has been invested. These divergent views were evident during negotiations on the recent presidential statement (For more, see our Whats in Blue story of 16 March) and may be reiterated at the April briefing.

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AFRICA

Mali

Expected Council Action

In April, the Council will hold a briefing and consultations on Mali. Special Representative and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) El-Ghassim Wane is expected to brief. The mandate of MINUSMA expires on 30 June.

Key Recent Developments

The security situation in Mali remains dire while MINUSMA continues to face operational constraints and challenges amid strained relations with Malian transitional authorities. Jordan became the latest troop-contributing country (TCC) to end its participation in the UN peacekeeping operation when it decided in January to withdraw its contingent, which had participated in MINUSMAs mobile task force.

On 16 January, the UN submitted the report of its internal review of MINUSMA to the Council. The Council requested the review in resolution 2640 of 29 June 2022, which renewed MINUSMAs mandate, because of the missions increased operational constraints and challenges. The review said that MINUSMA has been stretched beyond capacity since the Council expanded its mandate in 2019 to include supporting the stabilisation of central Mali without increasing its resources. The withdrawal of French and other European counter-terrorism forces in 2022 exacerbated this challenge. According to the review, the situation has left MINUSMA unable to meet the expectations of Malians and subjected it to increasing criticism by the authorities and the population.

The internal review presented three sets of options for the reconfiguration of the mission. One option is to increase MINUSMAs uniformed personnel, currently set at 13,289 military personnel and 1,920 police. A second option is to consolidate the missions presence to optimise the use of its resources. According to the review, these two options require four key conditions or parameters for MINUSMA to operate: (1) advances in Malis political transition, in accordance with the electoral timetable; (2) progress in the implementation of the Mali 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement; (3) MINUSMAs freedom of movement, including for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets critical for the safety and security of peacekeepers; and (4) MINUSMAs ability to implement its entire mandate, including its human rights provisions.

If these conditions will not be met, the review presented, as the third option, withdrawing uniformed personnel and converting MINUSMA into a special political mission based in Bamako. The review noted that this option would likely result in a serious deterioration in the security situation in Mali. An annex attached to the report presented the Malian authorities preferences. These include that MINUSMA increase cooperation with and support to the Malian armed forces, giving top priority to the security dimension of its mandate, and refrain from politicization and instrumentalization of the question of human rights. (For more, see our Whats in Blue story of 26 January.)

On 27 January, the Security Council held its quarterly briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Mali, in which the review figured prominently. At the meeting, civil society briefer Aminata Cheick Dicko of lObservatoire Kisal, an organisation that defends the rights of pastoralist communities in the Sahel, asserted that Russian forces, with which Mali has partnered since December 2021 in its counter-terrorism operations, have committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Transitional Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdoulaye Diop, who represented Mali at the briefing, concluded his intervention by strongly criticising Dickos participation in the meeting.

On 5 February, Malis Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared Guillaume Ngefa-Atondoko Andali, the director of MINUSMAs Human Rights Division, persona non grata, criticising his role in selecting Dicko as a briefer and giving him 48 hours to leave the country. Ngefas expulsion and threats reportedly directed at Dicko following her briefing led Council members to meet in closed consultations on 7 February to discuss the situation with Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris. Dicko reportedly fled Mali because of threats against her.

In a 1 March letter to Security Council members, Mali said that it rejects France continuing to serve as the Council penholder on Mali, the latest evidence of the rift in French-Malian relations. Following a request by Russia, Council members discussed the letter in closed consultations under any other business on 8 March.

Northern armed groups suspended their participation in the mechanisms of the 2015 peace agreement on 21 December 2022 following a dispute over the governments level of participation in the Agreement Monitoring Committee (CSA). Tensions between the signatory parties heightened further after Malis Minister for National Reconciliation Ismael Wague sent a letter, dated 24 February, to the foreign minister of Algeria, accusing the Coordination of the Azawad Movements (CMA) of repeated violations of the agreement and of increasingly obvious collusion with terrorist groups. The government, Wague added, while remaining committed to the intelligent implementation of the agreement, will automatically reject any accusation that would hold it responsible for the possible consequences of [its] violation.

On 27 February, Malis transitional president, Assimi Goita, received the final draft of a new constitution. On 10 March, the transitional government announced the postponement of the constitutional referendum, which had been scheduled for 19 March. The delay had been expected because of a lack of preparations to hold the referendum, but it also followed criticism of the draft constitutions principle of secularism by religious leaders of the Mali League of Imams and Scholars for Islamic Solidarity, who called on Muslims to oppose the constitution.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 21 February, the 2374 Mali Sanctions Committee met to discuss the midterm report of the Mali Panel of Experts. The report highlighted the stalled implementation of the peace agreement due to a lack of trust between the parties and the erosion of belief in the accord as an instrument to achieve durable peace and security in Mali. Committee members were unable to agree on a press release about the meeting, apparently over whether to include a sentence regretting that the Panel had been unable to visit Mali. As the report notes, the Panel members visas were revoked in June 2022.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 20 February, the UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Mali, Alioune Tine, issued a statement at the end of his ten-day visit to the country. He noted the progress made in the democratic transition as Mali embarks on an electoral process. However, Tine observed that he faced difficulties during his visit, emphasising that his mission took place in a tense context, marked by the continued shrinking of civil space, attacks on human rights defenders and civil society by state and non-state actors. He underscored his concern about the attacks on human rights defenders, who were denounced by the National Human Rights Commission of Mali, adding that he himself was verbally attacked on social networks before and during his visit. Tines statement followed the 31 January statement from several independent UN human rights experts, who called for an immediate independent investigation into gross human rights abuses and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Mali by government forces and the Russian private military contractor known as the Wagner Group since 2021. On 22 March, MINUSMA issued its quarterly note on trends in and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Mali for the period 1 October to 31 December 2022. Among its findings, the number of people killed grew from 584 in 2021 to 1,277 in 2022, and 2,001 people were impacted by acts of violence last year, including 370 who were abducted or disappeared. Terrorist groups were the main perpetrators of violence against civilians (56 percent of the total); Malian forces, sometimes accompanied by foreign personnel, caused 35 percent of the violations.

Women, Peace and Security

In a recent report based on his eighth visit to Mali, in August 2022, Tine, expressed concern at the situation of women and girls in the country and at the significant impact that the degradation of the security situation continues to have on their rights, in particular through the disturbing recurrence of cases of gender-based violence. The report also notes that women and girls continue to be negatively affected by rules set by violent extremist groups, such as imposing the separation of men and women in public spaces. The report further says that some civil society actors reported having received death threats or threats of detention or having suffered physical attacks and attacks on their property because of their opinions.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue will be considering progress in the four parameters that the Secretary-Generals internal review of MINUSMA says are critical for the mission to operate. Access restrictions, especially denials of permission for MINUSMA surveillance flights, continue to be a problem, impeding the missions ability to carry out its mandate and imperilling UN peacekeepers. Malis objections to MINUSMAs reporting on human rights also remain a challenge to implementation of the missions mandate.

Replacing the TCCs that have withdrawn from the mission is another important issue. Announced troop withdrawals over the past year (prior to Jordans departure) represented 17 percent of MINUSMAs current force strength.

Stalled implementation of the peace agreement and heightened tensions between the signatory parties is a key issue. Regarding Malis political transitionanother major issueorganising the referendum on the draft constitution is an important step for holding elections to restore an elected government by 29 March 2024, the new timeline that transitional authorities and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed last year.

The upcoming meeting will allow members to advance their consideration of the options presented in the internal review for the mandate renewal of MINUSMA in June. Council members may reiterate calls on the authorities to cease restrictions on MINUSMAs freedom of movement and allow it to conduct human rights monitoring. Some members may highlight concerns that the UN has not released investigation findings on Mourahthe central Mali village where, according to credible allegations, Malian forces and personnel of the Wagner Group, a Russian private security company, executed approximately 300 civilians and suspected terrorists from 27 to 31 March 2022.

Council Dynamics

It seems that Council members consider the Secretary-Generals internal review of MINUSMA as a good basis for discussing the upcoming mandate renewal. Most members have expressed concerns about the restrictions on MINUSMA and have encouraged Malian authorities to cooperate and respect the status of forces agreement with MINUSMA. The P3 (France, the UK, and the US) and other members also highlight concerns about international human rights violations and the need for MINUSMA to carry out its human rights mandate, including reporting. The A3 (Gabon, Ghana and Mozambique) stress the importance of MINUSMA for regional stability.

China and Russia are supportive of the positions and views of the Malian authorities. Besides the presence of the Wagner Group, Russias growing cooperation with Mali has included deliveries of combat aircraft and helicopters. On 7 February, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged further military support to Mali during his first visit to the country.

The issue of Frances penholdership on Mali appears to remain unresolved. At the 8 March meeting on Malis letter, it seems that no member said that France should cease to act as penholder, nor did any member offer to take on the role. Several members apparently suggested that the Councils Informal Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Matters, which has a standing agenda on penholdership, should be the forum for further discussion of the issue.

Ambassador Pedro Comissario Afonso (Mozambique) chairs the Mali 2374 Sanctions Committee.

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Overview

In April, Russia holds the presidency of the Security Council.

Russia is expected to hold two signature events during its presidency. One will be an open debate on Risks stemming from violations of the agreements regulating the export of weapons and military equipment. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu may brief. The other will be a ministerial-level open debate, chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on Effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the UN Charter, which may feature a briefing by the Secretary-General.

Russia also plans to encourage ministerial-level participation in the quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, which Lavrov is expected to chair. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is the anticipated briefer.

Several African issues are on the programme in April, including:

In addition to the quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, other issues related to the Middle East on the programme this month are:

Yemen, monthly meeting on developments; and

Syria, monthly meeting on political and humanitarian issues.

Two issues on the Americas will be on the programme:

Colombia , meeting on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia; and

Haiti , meeting on the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).

Regarding European issues, there will be a briefing on the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

As in past months, there may be one or more meetings on Ukraine in April.

Other issues could be raised during the month, depending on developments.
At a time when the problems facing the world are becoming acuter, Sino-US relations are also becoming increasingly tense, because the United States has been violating the one-China principle. The US moves have poisoned cross-Straits relations, which include allowing Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen to transit through the US en route to Guatemala and Belize in Central America and scheduling a meeting between her and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

By allowing Tsai to transit through the US, not once but twice, Washington is actually backing Taiwans pro-independence forces. Worse, the US has tried to play down Beijings serious concerns as overreaction and twisted them to claim Beijing is preparing to forcibly reunify Taiwan with the Chinese mainland.

First, it is clear the US is a troublemaker and has been interfering in the Taiwan question, which is Chinas internal affair. The fact is that Taiwan is an integral part of China and reunification has been the common goal of both sides of the Taiwan Straits since the War of Liberation (1946-49).

Although the US is well aware of this historical background, it has been supporting pro-independence forces on the island and using Taiwan as a strategic chip to poison cross-Straits relations. The Taiwan question is central to the Chinese nation. The bond between the two sides of the Straits is so strong that a Taiwan leader passing through another country becomes an extremely sensitive political and diplomatic issue.

Tsais stopovers in the US are an excuse that Washington is using to cover up the real essence of Tsais political show  to gain support for pro-independence forces. Understating the provocative action as the latest in a series of routine transits is a smokescreen Washington is using to heighten tensions across the Straits, which has also worsened Sino-US ties.

Second, the US is a peace-breaker in the Taiwan question. In recent years, the pro-independence forces on the island have become more vocal thanks to US support. The US has gone back on its promise to adhere to the one-China principle that there is but one China and Taiwan is an integral part of China.

The Joe Biden administration has repeatedly stressed that it does not support Taiwan independence. But its actions belie its words. The US Congress has passed several Taiwan-related acts, increased US-Taiwan exchanges, allowed US officials to interact directly with Taiwan officials, and introduced a bill trying to rename Taiwan Representative Office from Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US.

More important, the US has been selling increasing amounts of advanced weapons to Taiwan, and has even talked about helping Taiwan defend itself against the mainland. Tsai seeks to split the country by getting US support, which is exactly what her stopovers are aimed at achieving. And by arranging her transits through the US, Washington is trying to hollow out the one-China principle.

Third, the US is a thief crying catch the thief. Accusing Beijing of overreacting to the transits of high-level Taiwan officials through the US, the Biden administration has said Tsais stopovers are in keeping with past precedent and asked Beijing not to use them as a pretext to step up activities across the Straits.

A two- or three-day stay in Los Angeles is far beyond a transit, not to mention that Tsai is also scheduled to meet with House Speaker McCarthy. People are questioning why the US arranged the transits but the administration insists they are nothing new and instead claiming that Beijing poses a risk to the region.

Maintaining its global hegemony is the only reason the US is doing so. The US should be held responsible for any break in peace across the Straits. From the strategic point of view, the US uses the Taiwan card to raise tensions across the Straits, in order to force the mainland to deplete its resources in restoring normalcy. And once that happens, Washington can bargain with Beijing using the Taiwan card again.

The US should stop playing the Taiwan card. It has already breached many of its commitments using innumerable excuses. No matter how desperately the US tries, it cannot cover up its real motives. It has been damaging the foundation of Sino-US relations by backing Taiwan independence. And it should be held accountable for all the consequences.

The US always accuses other countries of breaking the rules. But the US itself does not seriously follow any international rules and laws. Its high time the US stopped interfering in the Taiwan question and returned to the right track of the one-China principle.
Status Update since our March Forecast

South Sudan

On 6 March, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Nicholas Haysom briefed the Security Council (S/PV.9274) on the Secretary-Generals most recent 90-day report on South Sudan (S/2023/135). OCHAs Acting Director of Operations and Advocacy, Tareq Talahma, also briefed. Closed consultations followed the briefing.

On 15 March, the Security Council adopted resolution 2677, renewing the mandate of UNMISS until 15 March 2024. The resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia).

Women, Peace and Security

On 7 March, the Security Council held a ministerial-level open debate on women, peace and security (WPS) titled Women and peace and security: towards the twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) (S/PV.9276). The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Mozambique, Veronica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo, chaired the meeting. The Council was briefed by: UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the AU Commission on WPS Bineta Diop, and 2011 Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee.

Afghanistan

On 8 March, the Council convened for an open briefing on Afghanistan (S/PV.9277). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and Zubaida Akbar, Afghanistan Programme Officer at Freedom Now, briefed. Representatives of Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Pakistan participated in the briefing under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure. The briefing was followed by closed consultations.

On 16 March, the Council unanimously adopted two resolutions on Afghanistan: resolution 2678, which extended UNAMAs mandate until 17 March 2024, and resolution 2679, which requested that the Secretary-General provide the Council with an independent assessment of the international communitys approach to Afghanistan by 17 November (S/PV.9283).

On 28 March, Council members issued a press statement (SC/15246) that condemned the continued heinous terrorist attacks targeting civilians in Afghanistan, including the attack near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan on 27 March, which was claimed by ISIL (Daesh)-K and resulted in at least six people killed and several wounded.

Sudan

On 8 March, the Security Council adopted resolution 2676, renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee until 12 March 2024. The resolution decided to reaffirm and renew the measures of the Sudan sanctions regime until 12 September 2024, and to make a decision regarding their further renewal no later than that date. The resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia).

On 20 March, the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), provided the quarterly briefing on the Committees work (S/PV.9288). On the same day, Special Representative for Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes briefed the Council (S/PV.9289) on the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on Sudan (S/2023/154).

Myanmar

On 13 March, the Council convened for a private meeting on Myanmar. Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar Noeleen Heyzer and Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi briefed. The meeting was held pursuant to resolution 2669 of 21 December 2022, which requested that the Secretary-General or his Special Envoy, in coordination with the Special Envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), report orally to the Council on UN support on implementation of the Five Point Consensus. (The Five-Point Consensus, which was adopted by ASEAN in April 2021, called for an immediate cessation of violence, constructive dialogue among all parties, a special envoy of the ASEAN chair to facilitate mediation of the dialogue process, humanitarian assistance, and a visit to Myanmar by the ASEAN Special Envoy to meet all parties concerned.)

Lebanon

On 16 March, Council members received a briefing in consultations on the latest Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 1701 (S/2023/184). Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka and Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed.

Libya

On 16 March, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2023/2) on Libya. In the statement, the Council said that it is encouraged by the launch of the Libyan High-Level Panel for Elections, which Special Representative for Libya and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Abdoulaye Bathily announced during his 27 February Council briefing (S/PV.9270).

Security Sector Reform

On 16 March, the Security Council held an open briefing (S/PV.9285) on security sector reform at the initiative of Council president Mozambique. Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions Alexander Zuev and AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Bankole Adeoye briefed the Council. Representatives of Slovakia and South Africa, the co-chairs of the Group of Friends of Security Sector Reform, participated under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure.

Arria-formula Meeting on Integrating the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons into the Work of the Security Council

On 20 March, Security Council members held an Arria-formula meeting on Integrating the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Persons into the Councils Mandate for Maintaining International Peace and Security. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (US) chaired the meeting. The briefers were: the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), Victor Madrigal-Borloz; the founder and director of the NGO Afghan LGBT Organization, Artemis Akbary; and Maria Susana Peralta Ramon, a lawyer and scholar who leads the peace and transitional justice team at the NGO Colombia Diversa. All Security Council members were represented at the meeting, but Mozambique, Gabon, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) did not deliver remarks. This was the first open informal meeting of Council members on LGBTI issues.

DPRK (North Korea)

On 17 March, Albania and the US convened an Arria-formula meeting titled the situation of human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). The meeting was co-sponsored by Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK). UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK Elizabeth Salmon, Chief of the Prevention and Sustaining Peace Section at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) James Turpin, and two refugees from the DPRK briefed. The meeting was not broadcast on UNTV after China raised an objection to webcasting it on the official UN channel; however, it was streamed on the Albanian missions Facebook page.

On 20 March, the Council convened for an open briefing on the DPRK (S/PV.9287). Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas Miroslav Jenca briefed. Albania, Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, the UK, and the US requested the meeting after the DPRK launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on 16 March. The ROK participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure.

On 23 March, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2680, which extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee until 30 April 2024 (S/PV.9292).

1540 Committee

On 23 March, Council members convened for a briefing on the activities of the 1540 Committee (S/PV.9293). Ambassador Hernan Perez Loose (Ecuador) briefed the Council in his capacity as chair of the 1540 Committee. At the briefing, he discussed the latest developments since the Committees previous report to the Council. He emphasised the Committees successful completion of its comprehensive review of resolution 1540, along with the extension of its mandate until 30 November 2032. Perez also presented the Committees planned programme of work for 2023.

Somalia

On 27 March, the Security Council held a private meeting on the situation in Somalia. The meeting was convened pursuant to resolution 2670 of 21 December 2022, which extended the operational timeline for the drawdown of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) by six months until 30 June. Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson (SRCC) for Somalia and head of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Mohamed El-Amine Souef, EU Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Annette Weber, representatives of Somalia, and ATMIS troop-contributing countries attended the meeting.

Counter-Terrorism

On 28 March, the Council convened for a high-level debate on Countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism by strengthening cooperation between the UN and regional organisations and mechanisms under the agenda item Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts (S/PV.9296). The debate was one of the signature events of Mozambiques presidency and was chaired by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Chairperson of the AU Azali Assoumani briefed. Rwanda participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

On 29 March, the Security Council held a briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the work of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MONUSCO Bintou Keita briefed on MONUSCO and recent developments in the DRC based on the Secretary-Generals latest report(S/2023/208). The representatives of Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda participated in the meeting under rule 37 of the Councils provisional rules of procedure.

France and Gabon, which co-led Council members visiting mission to DRC from 9 to 12 March, provided a formal briefing about the series of engagements with the Congolese authorities, MONUSCO and the UN Country Team, and other stakeholders. The Council also adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2023/3) as a follow-up to the visiting mission, which underlines the importance of a political resolution to the peace and security challenges in eastern DRC and reiterates its support for regional efforts.

UNDOF (Golan)

On 29 March, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Council members in consultations on the work of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and recent developments based on the Secretary-Generals latest report (S/2023/203)

Silencing the Guns

On 30 March, the Council held an open debate on Peace and security in Africa: The impact of development policies in the implementation of the Silencing the Guns initiative. There were briefings by: Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on Africa; Mohamed Ibn Chambas, High Representative of the AU for Silencing the Guns Initiative; Mirko Manzoni, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Mozambique. President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique chaired the meeting. Mozambique circulated the concept note for the open debate in a letter dated 24 February.
MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council is expected to hold its monthly meetings on political and humanitarian developments in Syria.

Key Recent Developments

Syria continues to grapple with the devastating humanitarian consequences of the 6 February earthquake and its aftershocks. According to OCHAs 16 March situation report, at least 5,791 people were killed and 10,041 injured in Syria, including 4,377 dead and 7,692 injured in north-west Syria. The report notes that the healthcare system is at risk of collapse in some areas.

Syria continues to suffer from an outbreak of cholera, which has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation. According to OCHAs 28 February situation report on the cholera outbreak in Syria, 92,649 suspected cases, including 101 deaths attributed to the disease, were reported across the country between 25 August 2022 and 15 February.

The opening of two additional border crossingsBab al-Salam and Al Raeein north-west Syria has allowed the UN and other humanitarian organisations to accelerate the delivery of aid to people in need. According to data provided by OCHA, at the time of writing, a total of 1202 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies from seven UN agencies have crossed to north-west Syria from Turkiye since 9 February through three border crossings: Bab al-Hawa (932 trucks), Bab al-Salam (225 trucks), and Al Raee (45 trucks).

On 11 March, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded a five-day visit to earthquake-affected areas of Syria and Turkiye. In a 13 March press release, Grandi noted that much more humanitarian aid and early recovery resources are needed to allow people to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

On 16 March, Council members held a meeting on Syria under any other business at the request of China and Russia. OCHA Deputy Director of Operations and Advocacy Ghada Eltahir Mudawi and Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas Miroslav Jenca briefed Council members on the impact of the 7 March airstrikes on the Aleppo airport, allegedly conducted by Israel, on the delivery of humanitarian aid to earthquake victims. According to the Syrian Ministry of Transport, the airport was forced to shut down, and all flights carrying earthquake aid were diverted to Damascus and Latakia. According to Syrian officials, the Aleppo airport was hit again by Israeli airstrikes on 22 March, in the third attack on the airport in six months. According to a 22 March Reuters article, regional intelligence sources said that the 22 March airstrikes hit an underground munitions depot linked to the nearby Nairab military airport, where missile systems delivered on several Iranian military planes had been stored.

On 21 March, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths visited Syria, where he met Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad. Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said later that day that during these meetings Griffiths had emphasised the need for expanded humanitarian access to continue to address the growing needs throughout Syria.

The international community has mobilised support in the past weeks to address the myriad of new and ongoing humanitarian challenges in the country. On 20 March, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, co-hosted an international donors conference attended by 60 delegations from the EU and its member states and partners, including the UN and international financial institutions. The conference resulted in a total pledge of 950 million euros in grants for Syria.

At the time of writing, the flash appeal for earthquake relief in Syria was 78.6 percent funded, and the humanitarian response plan for 2023 was 5.7 percent funded.

On 21 March, a meeting of envoys focused on Syria was held in Amman to discuss the situation in the country in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes. The envoys of Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UK, the US, the EU, and the League of Arab States attended the meeting. In a 23 March joint statement, the representatives called for a nationwide ceasefire and for unhindered humanitarian access to all Syrians through all modalities, including cross-border and cross-line (that is, across domestic frontlines from Syrian government-held areas into areas outside government control). They also called for the expansion of UN cross-border aid and further supported the efforts undertaken pursuant to resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015, which focused on a political solution to the conflict.

The political track in Syria remains at a standstill and the Syrian Constitutional Committee has not met since June 2022. At an 8 March press briefing, Geir O. Pedersen said that the work of the Constitutional Committee should not be held hostage to issues that have nothing to do with Syria and the committee needs to reconvene and move forward on substance. He added that all the challenges that existed before the earthquakes still remained and that to move beyond an emergency response to the earthquakes, political issues needed to be addressed, including the drafting of a new constitution. Among other unresolved issues that he highlighted were Syrias governance, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; the need for a nationwide ceasefire; the challenges posed by terrorist groups; safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs); and post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation.

On 23 March, the Council convened its monthly meeting on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Pedersen and OCHA Acting Director of Operations and Advocacy Tareq Talahma briefed. Talahma provided an overview of the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in the country and described the recent efforts of the UN and other actors to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria. He noted that the recent earthquakes have strained the existing delivery infrastructure in the country and have resulted in death and injury to humanitarian aid workers, including UN staff members. He added that the UN has continued to conduct daily missions in earthquake-affected areas, delivering assistance, assessing the structural integrity of buildings, and identifying protection requirements. Talahma also apprised the Council of a cross-line operation undertaken by a UN inter-agency team to the town of Ras Al-Ain in Al-Hasakeh governorate in late February.

In his remarks, Pedersen noted that there has been a sharp rise in shelling, rocket fire, cross-line raids by terrorist groups, and air strikes attributed to Israel. He highlighted his continued engagement with regional stakeholders toward finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis and promoting calm in the country. He also called for more engagement with Syrian parties on ways to create an enabling environment for earthquake rehabilitation and with other actors on how they can provide enhanced resources and remove hindrances arising from sanctions.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 13 March, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria launched its latest report covering the period from 1 July to 31 December 2022. Among other things, the report noted that violations of human rights and humanitarian law continued across the country; conflict intensified across several front lines; and insecurity persisted across government-controlled areas, notably in the south with unabating clashes and targeted killings. Following the reports launch, the Commission of Inquiry noted that parties to the conflict in Syria committed widespread human rights violations and abuses in the months leading up to the recent earthquakes in the country. On 21 March, the Commission presented its 13 March report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. In his remarks, Paulo Pinheiro, Chair of the Commission, stressed that the Syrian government delayed in giving consent for allowing the cross-border aid to reach into north-west Syria from Turkiye and further impeded aid delivery, along with UN-designated terrorist group Heiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army (SNA). He added that the Commission is probing the recent incidents of shelling, obstruction of humanitarian assistance and looting of vacated homes by the parties in the earthquake-affected areas, including the reported Israeli airstrikes on Aleppo airport. He also expressed his support for the assessment of the effectiveness of the humanitarian response plan undertaken by the UN and other humanitarian aid organisations in the aftermath of the recent earthquakes.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Security Council is how to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Syria in the aftermath of the 6 February earthquake. Periodic briefings from Griffiths or other OCHA officials could help keep the Council informed of the humanitarian situation on the ground. Council members could also consider inviting representatives of Syrian humanitarian aid organisations to engage with them to explore avenues for improving aid delivery mechanisms in Syria.

Another key, long-standing issue is finding a way to break the political impasse in Syria and to provide political support for the Special Envoys efforts in this regard.

The Council could consider adopting a presidential statement that:

expresses strong concern about the dire humanitarian consequences of the 6 February earthquake and its aftershocks;

expresses strong support for the efforts of the UN and humanitarian actors on the ground;

condemns attacks on civilians and underscores the need for the parties to the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and human rights law;

encourages donors to enhance their support for the Syrian humanitarian response plan, including early recovery efforts and the Secretary-Generals 14 February flash appeal;

urges the Syrian government to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access for the UN and other humanitarian agencies in the earthquake-affected areas; and

expresses strong support for the Special Envoys efforts to reinvigorate the political process.

Council Dynamics

Strong divisions persist among Council members on the Syria file. China and Russia tend to be sympathetic to the Syrian government, emphasising the need to respect the countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity and drawing connections between unilateral sanctions on Syria and the challenging humanitarian situation in the country. On the other hand, the P3 (France, the UK and the US) and other like-minded members criticise the government for violating international humanitarian law and human rights law, arbitrarily detaining people, and not engaging meaningfully in political dialogue.

Most members emphasise that the cross-border aid mechanism is essential to saving lives in Syria and strongly support its continuation. Other members, such as China and Russia, continue to argue that cross-border deliveries are extraordinary measures that undermine Syrias sovereignty and should be supplanted as soon as possible by enhanced cross-line assistance.

Council members hold starkly different views on the chemical weapons track in Syria. China and Russia and some others have long complained about the frequency of the meetings on the Syria chemical weapons track, calling for an end to the practice of monthly meetings, given that the meetings infrequently provide any new information. In organising the programme of work for April, Russia, in its capacity as Council president for April, has not included a meeting on Syria chemical weapons, in contrast with established practice. At the time of writing, it remains unclear if any other Council member will challenge this decision by requesting a meeting on the Syria chemical weapons track.

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The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council will hold its quarterly open debate on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. It appears that Russia, Aprils Council President, has chosen to convene the debate at ministerial level. Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov is expected to chair the meeting. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland is expected to brief.

Key Recent Developments

In his 22 March Council briefing, Wennesland drew members attention to the significant increase in daily violence in the West Bank and Israel in the recent period. He said that between 8 December 2022 and 13 March, 82 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces during demonstrations, clashes, security operations, attacks against Israelis and other incidents, while four were killed in a growing number of attacks by Israeli settlers. During the same period, 13 Israeli civilians were killed by Palestinians in shooting and ramming attacks, clashes and other incidents.

Recent incidents have included the single deadliest Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation in the West Bank since 2005, resulting in the killing of 11 Palestinians during a 22 February raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, and the 27 January Palestinian shooting attack in East Jerusalem that led to six deaths, which Wennesland identified as the deadliest attack against Israelis since 2005. Following a Palestinian attack in which two Israeli brothers were killed on 26 February, hundreds of Israeli settlers carried outoften in the presence of IDF soldiersmultiple attacks in the West Bank town of Huwwara, during which Palestinian houses and cars were set on fire and a Palestinian man was killed in what has been described as the worst such violence in decades.

Settlement activity and seizures and demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures have intensified in the recent period. On 19 March, OCHA reported that the month of February accounted for the highest monthly number of structures demolished in East Jerusalem since April 2019, noting that a total of 36 structures were demolished, compared with a monthly average of 11 in 2022. Regarding settlement activity, the Israeli government announced on 12 February that, in response to recent terrorist attacks in Jerusalem, it would retroactively authorise nine West Bank outposts that were built without the permission of Israeli authorities and would approve the construction of new residential units in existing settlements.

Following this announcement, the Security Council adopted a presidential statement on 20 February expressing deep concern and dismay at Israels decision and reiterating that continued Israeli settlement activity is imperilling the viability of the two-state solution. (For background, see our Whats in Blue story of 20 February.) Nevertheless, following through on its 12 February announcement, on 22 and 23 February, Israel approved plans advancing over 7,000 housing units in settlements across the West Bank, significantly more than the units approved in 2022 and 2021, which totalled 4,427 and 3,645, respectively. On 21 March, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) repealed the provisions of the 2005 Disengagement Law pertaining to four northern West Bank settlements that were evacuated concurrent with Israels disengagement from the Gaza Strip.

On 19 March, senior officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US, Egypt, and Jordan held a meeting in the Egyptian town of Sharm El Sheikh to discuss, according to the Joint Communique issued after the summit, ways and means to de-escalate tensions on the ground between Palestinians and Israelis. This meeting followed the 26 February summit of the same five parties in the Jordanian city of Aqaba.

The 19 March communique said that Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to develop a mechanism to curb and counter violence, incitement, and inflammatory statements and actions and that the five parties agreed to establish a mechanism to take the necessary steps towards improving the economic conditions of the Palestinian people and to enhance the fiscal situation of the Palestinian Authority. According to the communique, both mechanisms will report to the quintet leadership in April, in a resumed session of the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh. The communique reiterated some of the commitments undertaken by the parties in Aqaba, such as Israels pledge to stop discussion of any new settlement units for 4 months, and to stop authorization of any outposts for 6 months. While these meetings have brought Israeli and Palestinian officials to the same table, analysts have argued that, far from signifying a restart of the peace process, the initiative is limited to the short-term goal of lowering tensions and does not directly address key issues such as settler violence and demolitions.

Large-scale demonstrations in Israel against the governments plans for a major judicial overhaul have also characterised the recent period. On 26 March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defence Minister Yoav Gallant after Gallant argued that the governments plans are causing a rift within Israeli society that is penetrating the IDF and security agencies, therefore posing a clear and tangible danger to the security of the state. Following mounting national and international pressure, including from the US, Netanyahu announced on 27 March the suspension of the vote on the proposed judicial overhaul until the summer.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 3 March, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue with High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk regarding his report on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to accountability and justice.

In his statement, Turk emphasised that the situation in the OPT is a tragedy, above all for the Palestinian people, noting that Israelis also suffer from the same situation and have a right to live in peace in their state, just as Palestinians do, in a state that is recognised and viable. He observed that 2022 saw the highest number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces since 2005. His report found that 131 Palestinians were killed in the context of law enforcement activities, including 65 unarmed persons, noting that since 2017, fewer than 15 percent of these killings have been investigated. Turk also noted that 13 Israelis were killed by Palestinians during the period covered by the report and that 2022 saw the highest number of Israelis killed since 2016. He condemned the violence, saying that for it to end, the occupation must end.

Key Issues and Options

The overarching issue for the Council remains determining how it can better support the resumption of political negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in order to move towards a resolution of the conflict and achieve a two-state solution. Members continue to be concerned about the deterioration of the security situation and violence against civilians in the West Bank and Israel. Other ongoing issues include deterring developments that undermine the viability of the two-state solution and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, such as the expansion of Israeli settlements, forced evictions and demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures, and the alteration of the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

In April, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish observance of Passover will overlap. In 2021, clashes over restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on gatherings at the Damascus Gate Plaza in the Old City of Jerusalem were a key factor contributing to the May 2021 conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza. At the 22 March Council meeting on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, several members called for restraint ahead of the start of this delicate period and for upholding the historic status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. One option would be to issue a press statement calling for the status quo at the holy sites to be upheld, to avoid any unilateral measures and provocations, and to maintain calm and restraint.

Members that pledged to make Women, Peace and Security (WPS) a top priority by endorsing the 1 December 2021 Statement of Shared Commitments on WPS may consider stressing the importance of including a gender analysis in UN reporting on this file and integrating WPS language in related Council products.

Council Dynamics

There is broad support among Council members for the two-state solution. With varying degrees of emphasis, members also routinely call for an end to settlement activity and demolitions and condemn violence against civilians, including acts of terror and settler-related violence. For instance, at the 22 March meeting, several members expressed concern at Israels repeal of sections of the 2005 Disengagement Law.

The 20 February presidential statement was the first to be adopted by the Council on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question in over eight years and the first formal Council outcome since resolution 2334, which was adopted in 2016. The statement is an indicator of where the lowest common denominator of the Councils consensus on Israeli settlements currently lies. While the statement reiterates that settlement activity imperils the viability of the two-state solution and calls for full respect for international humanitarian law, it does not contain language echoing resolution 2334 on the illegality of settlements under international law or directly demanding that Israel cease all settlement activities.

The statement should also not be interpreted as marking a breakthrough in Council dynamics on this file that would result in a more proactive and outspoken Council. Members could not achieve consensus on proposed press elements following the 28 February closed consultations on The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Russia has regularly accused the US of blocking the Councils adoption of any substantive decision on the Middle East peace process and the efforts of the Middle East Quartetwhich consists of the EU, Russia, the UN, and the US. In a likely reference to the recent meetings of Israeli, Palestinian, US, Egyptian, and Jordanian officials in Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh, Russia accused the US during the 22 March Council meeting of trying to monopolise the peace process and re-format it as best suits Washington, of imposing an economic peace on the Palestinians, and of forcing back-room schemes on the parties, thereby bypassing the Security Council.

Several other members, however, referred to the Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh meetings in positive terms and stressed the importance for the parties to observe the commitments undertaken during these meetings. Many voiced concern over, and condemned, the remarks by Israeli Finance Minister and leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich, who on 1 March called for the town of Huwwara to be wiped out and on 20 March claimedwhile speaking at a podium featuring the outline of a map of Israels borders extended to include the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jordanthat theres no such thing as a Palestinian people.

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In Hindsight: Financing African Union-Led Peace Support Operations

By the end of April, the United Nations Secretary-General will publish a report on the financing of African Union (AU)-led peace support operations (AUPSOs). By our count[1], this will be the eighth major report or review on financing AUPSOs since 2007[2], when the AU first formally requested the UN to examine the possibility of funding such operations from UN-assessed contributions. It has remained an unresolved issue in the relationship between the UN and the AU even as the UN Security Council has adopted five resolutions and eight presidential statements since 2008 recognising the need to provide adequate, predictable and sustainable funding for AU peace operations.

The way the Security Council discusses this issue has evolved, with Council members increasingly acknowledging the AUs proactive role on matters of peace and security in Africa, including its enhanced capacity to respond expeditiously to conflict and crises on the continentparticularly through deploying peace support operations. But despite advances in recent years, the AUs Achilles heel is its lack of adequate resources to support and sustain these operations.

Proponents of securing UN-assessed contributions for AUPSOs have reason to sense fresh momentum in 2023. After a previous push for a Security Council resolution in 2018 was derailed partly by disunity, the AU recently adopted a consensus paper on the issue. Worldwide geopolitical shifts now foreground Global South priorities, and especially those put forward by African states, more than they have in recent years. The US administration, which under former President Donald Trump had threatened to veto the 2018 draft resolution, is actively courting Africa. And finally, AUPSOs may hold out the prospect of responding to several governments preference for external forces that will deploy quickly and play combat roles, demands that traditional UN peacekeeping cannot meet.

Background and History

In 2002, the AU set up a Peace Fund, as part of its African Peace and Security Architecture, to finance the organisations peace and security activities. The funds it mobilised nonetheless fell far short of the significant resources needed to support and sustain AUPSOs. The AU continued relying on external donors, particularly the EU, but recognised the difficulties of supporting and sustaining AUPSOs solely through ad hoc financial and logistical arrangements.

Since the AUs 2007 request for UN-assessed funds for AUPSOs, the African members of the UN Security Council (the A3) have tried, individually and collectively, to advance this discussion. As well, two major reportsthe 2008 Report of the AU-UN panel on modalities for support to AU peacekeeping operations (the Prodi Report) and the 2015 report of the High-Level Independent Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (the HIPPO report)supported the AUs quest by recommending the use of UN-assessed contributions on a case-by-case basis to provide support to AUPSOs. The AU also took a landmark decision during its 2016 Summit in Kigali to revitalise its peace fund to enable the AU to finance its peace and security activities, including 25 percent of its peace operations budget.

The A3 used the momentum generated by these developments to advance the financing issue in the Council, which adopted two resolutions reflecting the Councils willingness to consider proposals for support to future AU-led peace support operations through UN-assessed contributions. Resolution 2320 of 18 November 2016, on cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, and resolution 2378 of 20 September 2017, on peacekeeping reform, expressed the Councils readiness to take practical steps to support AUPSOs, but also stressed the need for the AU to fulfil several administrative, financial, and other conditions, including compliance with AU and UN norms and international obligations, to access support through UN-assessed contributions.

Actions Since 2018

In 2018, the A3 (then consisting of Cote dIvoire, Ethiopia, and Equatorial Guinea) proposed a draft resolution laying out the principle and framework for translating the Councils commitment into action. The draft text placed in blue in December 2018 had the support of most Council members but was never put to a vote because the United States threatened to cast its veto. In 2019, South Africa joined the Council and tried to initiate negotiations on a resolution, but the AUPSC called on the A3 (then also including Cote dIvoire and Equatorial Guinea) to suspend their efforts until the AU developed a common position on outstanding issues raised during the negotiations, including burden-sharing, accountability and compliance frameworks, planning and oversight mechanisms, and reporting systems.

This was followed by a nearly two-year lull in discussion of the financing of AU-led peace support operations. The change of administration in the United States in 2021 seemed to rekindle a sense of hope for advancing the discussion in the Security Council. In 2022, the challenges that larger UN peacekeeping operations in Africa faced in their relations with host countries and communities also injected new dynamism into the discourse. At the same time, there were increasing calls for robust regional and international engagement to deal with the threats posed by terrorists and other armed groups in countries where these peacekeeping operations are deployed. Changing geopolitical dynamics on the continentincluding the increasing tendency by some African countries to rely on mercenary groups such as the Wagner Group, a Russian private security companyhave also created serious concerns on the part of the United States and its allies. As a result, some Council members seem to have grown more inclined to favour UN support to AUPSOs.

The financing issue has been a focus of formal and informal Council meetings since the second half of 2022 and was raised at the annual meeting of the Security Council and the AUPSC in October 2022 in New York, as well as the annual UN-AU conference between the leaderships of the two organisations in Addis Ababa in December 2022. Following a debate on peace and security in Africa facilitated by the Chinese presidency in August 2022, the Council adopted a presidential statement which, among other things, requested the Secretary-General to provide the Security Council, by 30 April 2023, a report on progress made by the UN and the AU to fulfil the commitments set out in resolutions 2320 and 2378.

Meanwhile, the AU elaborated its position on issues surrounding the financing of AUPSOs in a consensus paper on predictable, adequate, and sustainable financing for AU peace and security activities endorsed during the 36th AU Summit held in Addis Ababa in February 2023. This is understood as paving the way for the current A3 (Gabon, Ghana, and Mozambique) now to pick up negotiations on a UN Security Council resolution on the financing issue.

Security Council Dynamics Around the Hard Questions

Among the A3, Ghana appears to be willing to take the lead in advancing the financing discussion in the Council and may propose a substantive resolution later this year. First, the A3 may coordinate with other like-minded members to convene a formal Council meeting to discuss the Secretary-Generals April report.

While negotiations on a substantive resolution are likely to build on the work done in the past, the 2018 and 2019 discussions left a number of issues unresolved, including burden-sharing, accountability and compliance frameworks, planning and oversight mechanisms, and reporting systems. In recent years, the AU has been working towards enhancing its human rights compliance framework with the support of the UN and other partners. The issue of burden sharing may present a tougher problem. Whereas some members would want to see the AU contributing 25 percent of each AUPSO requesting support from UN-assessed contributions, the consensus paper foresees the AUs 25 percent contribution going towards its peace and security activities as a whole, including mediation and preventive diplomacy, institutional capacity, and peace support operations. This propositionunder which individual AUPSOs might not receive 25 percent AU fundingmay prove unsatisfactory to some Council members, who maintain that such a commitment is critical to securing the Councils support and that the AU can seek other bilateral and multilateral support to make up for any mission-specific shortfalls.

Another contentious issue is likely to be the AUs broader definition of AUPSOs. The consensus paper envisages that various types of operations deployed by regional mechanisms would benefit from access to UN-assessed contributions. While this corresponds to the growing calls by African countries and regions for robust regional and international engagement to deal with the serious security threats posed by terrorists and other armed groups, some Council members would prefer to limit the financing discussion to peace support operations deployed under AU authority and management. They remain extremely reluctant to provide support to African counter-terrorism operations through the UN because of accountability and oversight issues, preferring to continue channelling their support through bilateral arrangements. Others are concerned about compromising the basic principles of UN peacekeepingconsent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defence and defence of the mandate.

Possible Forms of UN Support

In 2017, the Secretary-General presented options for support to peacekeeping in Africa that included voluntary contributions through a UN-managed trust fund, a subvention in exceptional emergency situations, joint financing of a jointly developed budget, the establishment of a UN support office, or joint financing of a hybrid mission. His upcoming report is likely to focus on some of these options.

In its consensus paper, the AU indicates its preference for the hybrid and the support office options. The AU believes that the hybrid option guarantees predictable and sustainable funding, but it also requires a high degree of UN-AU coordination on planning, decision-making, management, and oversight, including shared political analysis of the conflict situation. Some of these issues created challenges for the sole hybrid experience in Africa to date, the UN-AU Hybrid Operation in Darfur, known as UNAMID: the Secretary-Generals report on lessons learned from the experience of UNAMID (S/2021/1099) notes that achieving the necessary alignment on a common vision and political direction between the Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council proved challenging because of diverging views among the membership of the Councils.

The support office option appears relatively attractive to both the UN and the AU. In the case of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)/African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), the UN provides a logistical support package, whereas the AU would also seek troop allowances.

Contentious Issues

The complications underlying AU access to UN-assessed contributions appear to be threefold: doctrinal (that UN resources cannot be used to fight counter-terrorism operations); accountability and oversight (that the AU meet the necessary financial, administrative, and accountability standards), and burden-sharing (that the AU contribute 25 percent to finance AUPSOs). As described above, the AUs broader definition of AUPSOs, which also includes various types of operations deployed by regional mechanisms, is likely to be controversial. Some members would be reluctant for UN-assessed contributions to be used to support counter-terrorism operations that are not overseen by or accountable to the UN and compromise the organisations core peacekeeping tenets.

Regarding accountability and oversight, the AU continues to work towards fulfilling the requirements set out in resolutions 2320 and 2378 with the support of the UN and other partners; some Council members are likely to insist on the AU taking further steps, while others may argue on the need for the Council to show some flexibility.

The nature of burden sharing may become a red line issue for some members, notably the arrangement described in the consensus paper whereby the AU would fund 25 percent of its peace and security activities as a whole, rather than for each individual AUPSO.

Despite the renewed momentum on the financing of AUPSOs, questions surrounding burden sharing, accountability and peace operations doctrine may still cloud prospects for reaching agreement in 2023. Council members will be under pressure, however, from the prevailing security challenges in Africa and the changing global geopolitical dynamics.

[1] In mid-April, Security Council Report will publish a research report (available at www.securitycouncilreport.org) which traces the evolution of the financing issue and discusses the options for UN support for AUPSOs in greater detail.

[2] Report of the Secretary-General on the relationship between the UN and regional organisations, in particular the AU, in the maintenance of international peace and security (S/2008/186); Report of the Secretary-General on the support to AU peacekeeping operations authorised by the UN (S/2009/470); Report of the Secretary-General on the joint African Union-UN review of available mechanisms to finance and support AU peace support operations authorised by the UN Security Council (S/2016/809); Report of the Secretary-General on options for authorisation and support for AU peace support operations (S/2017/454); Report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the partnership between the UN and the AU on issues of peace and security in Africa, including the work of the UN Office to the AU (S/2018/678); Report of the AU-UN panel on modalities for support to AU peacekeeping operations (S/2008/813); Report of the Secretary-General on the future of UN peace operations: implementation of the recommendations of the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations (S/2015/682).
EUROPE

Ukraine

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council may hold one or more meetings on the situation in Ukraine, depending on developments on the ground.

Key Recent Developments

Hostilities remain concentrated in Ukraines eastern region. In recent weeks, the intensity of Russian offensive operations near the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region appears to have subsided. In a 25 March intelligence update, the UKs Ministry of Defence said that Russias efforts in Bakhmut have largely stalled because of extreme attrition. The update suggested that Russia is shifting its operational focus towards the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk and along the Svatove-Kreminna line in the Luhansk region.

Meanwhile, Russia has continued to launch air and missile assaults targeting civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, triggering blackouts and a reduction in water supplies throughout the country. On 9 March, Russia launched one of its biggest waves of missile attacks since the start of the war, killing at least nine civilians and temporarily cutting off power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).

The Security Council remains actively engaged on the situation in Ukraine. On 14 March, the Council held a briefing requested by Russia to discuss Russophobia as a factor which complicates the prospects to find a lasting solution under the Threats to international peace and security agenda item. On 17 March, the Council convened for a humanitarian briefing at the request of Ecuador and France, the co-penholders on humanitarian issues in Ukraine. The Council also held a briefing on 31 March at Ukraines request following Russian President Vladimir Putins announcement on 25 March that Moscow intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. (For more, see our Whats In Blue story of 16 March.)

On 27 March, Russia tabled a Security Council draft resolution on the 26 September 2022 explosions that caused physical damage to the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. The draft resolution requested the Secretary-General to establish an international commission to conduct an investigation into the incident. The draft text failed to be adopted because it did not garner the requisite support. It received three votes in favour (Brazil, China, and Russia) and 12 abstentions. The draft text was co-sponsored by Belarus, China, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), Eritrea, Nicaragua, Syria, and Venezuela. (For more, see our Whats in Blue story of 26 March.)

On 17 March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and his commissioner for childrens rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, for allegedly committing the war crime of unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the ICCs decision historic, stressing that over 16,000 cases of forced deportation of Ukrainian children have been documented by Ukrainian law enforcement officers.

Russia signed the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2000, but withdrew its signature in November 2016 after the court classified the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine as an international armed conflict and ruled that Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014 amounted to a state of occupation. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused the ICC of being openly biased, unprofessional, corrupt and addicted to double standards during a 23 March press briefing, and described its recent arrest warrants as null and void at a 16 March press briefing. Russias Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia announced at a 20 March press conference that Russia intends to organise an Arria-formula meeting on the Ukrainian children in Russia in early April.

After weeks of intense negotiations, Turkiye, Russia, and Ukraine agreed to an extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI). However, the parties have offered different interpretations of the agreed duration of the extension. Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities, Territories Development and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov announced in an 18 March tweet that the BSGI has been extended for 120 days. In a tweet later that day, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy posted a picture of a letter notifying the UN of Russias intention to renew the initiative for 60 days, with further extensions subject to tangible progress in the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the UN to facilitate unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertilisers to global markets.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 15 March, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine submitted a report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) detailing the results of its investigation. The report found that Russia committed a wide range of violations of international human rights law (IHRL) and international humanitarian law (IHL) in many regions of Ukraine and in Russia, and that many of these violations amount to war crimes, including wilful killings, attacks on civilians, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and forced transfers and deportations of children.

On 24 March, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published the 35th periodic report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, covering the period from 1 August 2022 to 31 January, which found that the war in Ukraine has led to a wide range of human rights violations affecting both civilians and combatants. In a 24 March thematic report titled Treatment of prisoners of war and persons hors de combat in the context of the armed attack by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, OHCHR identified patterns of IHL and IHRL violations in relation to the treatment of prisoners of war by both Russia and Ukraine. Both reports are expected to be discussed by High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk at the HRC interactive dialogue on 31 March.

Women, Peace and Security

According to a 13 February update by the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security (WPS), while women are at the forefront of the emergency response to the situation in Ukraine, across 46 separate Council meetings on Ukraine, fewer than 1% of all references to women in Ukraine made by Council members acknowledged womens role in peace, political or humanitarian efforts. The update further stresses that in 2022, Council members made no references to the importance of women human rights defenders and peacebuilders in Ukraine and their safety and security, despite the fact that members dedicated considerable attention to this issue during thematic meetings on WPS in the past year.

Key Issues and Options

The overarching priority for the Council is to promote a solution to the conflict in line with the UN Charter and to see dialogue facilitated among the parties to that end. Council members may wish to request the Secretary-General to employ his good offices to promote the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in pursuit of a peace agreement. While a negotiated settlement may appear distant, establishing diplomatic lines of communication between the parties may contribute to preventing further escalation of the conflict.

A key issue for the Council is how to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Hostilities have resulted in a severe deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, especially in Bakhmut and Avdiivka. According to a 24 March OCHA humanitarian response flash update, humanitarian access to Avdiivka has become extremely challenging because of the ongoing fighting. Periodic briefings from Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths or other OCHA officials could help keep the Council informed of the humanitarian situation on the ground.

Another important issue for the Council is how to promote the safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has continued efforts to ensure nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP. On 30 March, the IAEA issued an update acknowledging that the initial proposal to establish a [protection] zone around the plant had evolved to now focus more on what should be avoided to ensure its protection, rather than on territorial aspects. Council members may consider requesting a briefing from Grossi on this matter.

Council and Wider Dynamics

The Security Council remains starkly divided on the situation in Ukraine. Russia continues to justify its invasion, which it refers to as a special military operation, while several Council membersincluding Albania, Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, the UK, and the UScondemn Russia for what they consider to be an act of aggression.

Ukraine and its allies have advocated for a just peace in line with the UN Charter, conditioned on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraines internationally recognised borders. Other member states have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities without any preconditions, which could freeze the frontlines of the conflict, resulting in Russia seizing a significant amount of territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. On 24 February, China released a 12-point position paper on a political settlement to the war in Ukraine. The paper included calls for respecting the sovereignty of all countries, ceasing hostilities, and resuming peace talks, but did not mention Russias military withdrawal from Ukraine. Zelenskyy welcomed Beijings initiative during a press conference on 24 February, but stressed that if the principle of respect for territorial integrity does not provide for the withdrawal of all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, then this does not suit our state.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Moscow from 20 to 22 March, demonstrating Chinas commitment to deepening its relationship with Russia. On 21 March, Putin and Xi issued a joint statement acknowledging that the provisions of Chinas position paper are consonant with Russian approaches and can be taken as the basis for a peaceful settlement when the West and Kiev are ready for it. A joint statement on 22 March also acknowledged that Russia speaks positively of Chinas objective and impartial position on the Ukraine issue and welcomes Chinas willingness to play a positive role in finding a political and diplomatic settlement to the war. However, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby argued at a 21 March press briefing that China cannot be seen as impartial in any way since it has not condemned Russias invasion nor stopped buying Russian oil and Russian energy.

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AFRICA

Western Sahara

Expected Council Action

In April, Security Council members are expected to receive a briefing in consultations on the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The Special Representative for Western Sahara and head of MINURSO, Alexander Ivanko, and the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, are the anticipated briefers.

Key Recent Developments

On 27 October 2022, the Security Council adopted resolution 2654, renewing the mandate of MINURSO for another year, until 31 October 2023. It was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (Russia and then-Council member Kenya). The resolution introduced new language stressing the importance for all concerned expanding on their positions in order to advance a solution. It seems that the term all concerned was inserted as ambiguous language to accommodate different views regarding who are considered the parties to the conflict, while giving de Mistura space to determine how to move forward with the political process. The resolution also expressed support for building on the progress and framework of the former Personal Envoy and strongly encouraged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania to engage with the Personal Envoy. In addition, the resolution introduced new language calling for the resumption of the safe and regular resupply of MINURSO team sites. This language appears to have been added in response to movement restrictions imposed on the mission by the Polisario Front, which have negatively affected the serviceability and lifecycle of equipment, according to the Secretary-Generals October 2022 report on Western Sahara. (For more, see our Whats in Blue story of 26 October 2022.)

De Mistura has faced complex regional dynamics as Personal Envoy. Only two months prior to his assuming this position in October 2021, Algeria suspended diplomatic ties with Morocco. In March 2022, Spain shifted its long-standing position of active neutrality on Western Sahara by saying it supported Moroccos autonomy plan for the territory, which Spain governed until 1975. (Moroccos autonomy plan, which it submitted to the UN in 2007, calls for integrating the territory into Morocco, with the Sahrawi people managing their internal affairs while being represented externally by Morocco.) On 8 June 2022, Algeria announced it was suspending its cooperation treaty with Spain, in force since 2002, because of Spains recognition of Moroccos autonomy plan.

The tense relations between Morocco and Algeria were apparent during the annual African Union (AU) summit held in Addis Ababa from 17 to 19 February. During the summit, the divisions between Morocco, on one hand, and Algeria and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), on the other, prevented the appointment of a North African country representative as Vice-President of the AU Bureau.

On 16 December 2022, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Rabat. In a press conference following the meeting, Colonna noted that Frances position on the Moroccan autonomy plan remains favourable to Morocco. She added that Frances position is clear and steady while noting that her country supports a ceasefire and the efforts undertaken by de Mistura. She also emphasised the need for the resumption of negotiations between the parties for a just and realistic solution. In a 21 December 2022 press briefing, the French Foreign Ministry announced that Colonnas visit was part of the preparations for a state visit that will take place in the first quarter of 2023. It had been expected that French President Emmanuel Macron would visit Morocco in mid-January, but at the time of writing, the visit had reportedly been postponed to April.

On 5 January, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell travelled to Morocco on a two-day visit to meet, among others, the Moroccan head of government, Aziz Akhannouch and Bourita. During a 5 January press conference following the meeting with Bourita, Borell noted that the EU supports the UN process on Western Sahara and the initiatives of de Mistura to achieve a political solution that is fair, realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and mutually acceptable and based on compromise, in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

Borell also visited Algeria on 12-13 March, where he met Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ramtane Lamamra. Following the meeting, Borrell reportedly called for an end to obstacles to trade between Algeria and Spain that have been in place since June 2022.

On 10 March, de Mistura held a telephone conversation with Tariq Ahmad, UK Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Following the conversation, Lord Ahmad tweeted that the UK strongly supports the work undertaken by de Mistura and encouraged all parties and international partners to work towards a renewed political process.

On 16 March, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Major General Md. Fakhrul Ahsan (Bangladesh) as the Force Commander of MINURSO. Ahsan succeeds Major General Zia Ur Rehman (Pakistan), who completed his tenure at the end of March.

On 20 March, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Bourita in Washington, D.C. According to a press release circulated after the meeting, Blinken and Bourita affirmed their support for the efforts undertaken by de Mistura in advancing an enduring and dignified political solution to the Western Sahara conflict. In addition, Blinken underlined Moroccos autonomy plan as serious, credible, and realistic, and one potential approach to meet the aspirations of the people of Western Sahara.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for Council members to consider is how to bring all parties to the negotiating table. Resolution 2654 called on all parties to resume negotiations with a view to achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

Significant obstacles remain in the peace process. The Polisario Front announced in November 2020 that it would no longer respect the ceasefire agreement it signed with Morocco in 1991.

An important issue, which is described in the Secretary-Generals 3 October 2022 MINURSO report, is the constraints on MINURSOs logistical supply and maintenance of team sites east of the berm, which purportedly have serious consequences for the missions ability to sustain its field presences in the difficult conditions of the region.

The human rights situation is another issue of concern. The Secretary-Generals 3 October 2022 report notes that OHCHR was unable to conduct any visits to Western Sahara for the seventh consecutive year despite multiple requests and despite the Security Council strongly encouraging enhanced cooperation in resolution 2602 (2021). The report added that OHCHR continued to receive allegations of human rights violations in Western Sahara, reportedly committed by Moroccan security forces.

A possible option for Council would be to issue a presidential statement expressing support for de Misturas efforts and urging all parties to resume negotiations.

Council Dynamics

The US, the penholder on Western Sahara, recognised Moroccos sovereignty over the region in December 2020 during the Trump administration. The Biden administration has not changed this position. France has traditionally supported the Moroccan autonomy plan, and Gabon and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are also supportive of Morocco. Council members Ghana and Mozambique maintain diplomatic relations with SADR.

Divisions among Council members were apparent in the meeting on Western Sahara on 27 October 2022. In its explanation of vote following the adoption of resolution 2654, Russia noted that [i]n the past few years, the resolutions on the renewal of MINURSOs mandate have included amendments that in our view harm the unbiased and impartial approach needed to resolve the issue of Western Sahara. It objected to the references to the round-table format meetings, calling them irrelevant and limiting the mediation efforts of de Mistura. In addition, Russia noted that the final settlement should be based on mutually acceptable outcomes that could contribute to a fair political resolution for Morocco and the Polisario Front and provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. On the other hand, the UAE expressed support for Moroccos autonomy plan, while recognising its sovereignty over the entire Western Sahara.

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MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In April, the Security Council will hold its monthly briefing, followed by closed consultations, on Yemen with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and a representative of OCHA. The head of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), Major General Michael Beary, is expected to brief during consultations.

Key Recent Developments

Yemen continues to experience its longest lull in fighting since the April 2022 truce agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebel group, despite sporadic clashes and the agreements expiration in early October 2022. Since October 2022, Oman has been facilitating talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition in support of the Yemeni government. These talks are reportedly focused on a potential comprehensive agreement to end the war. Grundberg has described them as representing a potential step change in the eight-year conflict.

In a significant new regional development, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is allied with the Houthis, agreed on 10 March in Beijing to restore diplomatic relations, which had been suspended since 2016. Briefing the Council on 15 March via videoconference from Riyadh, Grundberg welcomed this agreement, saying that good relations between the two countries are important for the region and for Yemen. He added, The parties must seize the opportunity presented by that regional and international momentum to take decisive steps towards a more peaceful future. At the meeting, the Council also heard briefings by Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya and Deputy Ambassador Albana Dautllari (Albania) on behalf of the chair of the Yemen 2140 Sanctions Committee. Beary briefed in closed consultations.

There was progress in March towards beginning the salvage operation on the FSO Safer, the decrepit oil tanker moored off the Ras Isa peninsula in the Red Sea. On 9 March, the UN announced that it had signed an agreement earlier that day to purchase a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) to replace the FSO Safer. The UN-coordinated plan to remove the oil from the FSO Safer and replace the decaying ship had been delayed in recent months, as the UN said that it could not begin the salvage operation until it had secured the replacement vessel.

Achim Steiner, the administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which is leading the plans implementation, said at a press conference about the purchase of the VLCC that the ship is being modified in China to serve as a floating storage and offloading vessel. It is expected to reach the Red Sea by early May, after which the operation can start. Steiner stressed, however, that there is a risk of a further delay if the UN does not obtain the additional $34 million required for the operation. According to a 9 March UN statement, pledged funds total $95 million, of which $75 million have been received, out of the $129 million required for the operations emergency phase.

On 20 March, the Yemeni government and the Houthis agreed on an implementation plan for the release of 887 conflict-related detainees from all sides. The agreement came at the end of ten days of talks in Switzerland during the seventh meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the Implementation of the Detainees Exchange Agreement, which is chaired by the Office of the Special Envoy and the ICRC. The parties also agreed to reconvene in May to discuss more releases and committed to undertake joint visits to each others detention facilities and to enable access to all detainees during these visits, according to a joint statement by the Special Envoys Office and the ICRC. At a press conference in Geneva about the deal, Grundberg urged the parties to facilitate the speedy implementation of the releases, and to build further on todays outcome and agree on more releases.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), which began on 27 February, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, delivered an oral update on the activities of his office as well as recent human rights developments. Volker noted that all parties need to listen to the population exhausted by eight years of brutal warfare and take decisive steps towards a UN-led peace process. He noted that for any peace agreement to hold, transitional justice and accountability must be at the forefront, and women must be full participants in any negotiations. He also emphasised that two UN staff members, one from UNESCO and another from OHCHR, have been detained for 16 months and must be immediately released.

Women, Peace and Security

At the 15 March open briefing on the situation in Yemen, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya said that Yemeni women aid workers are still not allowed to travel without male guardians, both within and outside the country, and that this situation has caused serious disruptions to the ability of agencies to assist women and girls safely and reliably. During the meeting, members, including France, Malta and Switzerland, stressed the need to lift restrictions on women humanitarian workers in Yemen. Ghana expressed concern at womens rights violations particularly their fundamental rights to movement, expression, work and access to health care, as well as protection from gender-based violence. Members, including Ecuador and Malta, called for the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peace negotiations.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is how to support ongoing peace talks and efforts to establish a formal ceasefire and political process. Grundbergs mediation efforts appear very much contingent on progress in the Houthi-Saudi talks. Council members could reiterate the importance of coordination between this process and the work of the Special Envoy, as well as the importance of an inclusive Yemeni political process under UN mediation for a sustainable resolution to the conflict.

The humanitarian situation remains a key issue. An estimated 21.6 million people in Yemen require aid or protection. Relief efforts face significant challenges from interference, access constraints and a dangerous security environment. This includes the Houthis enforcement of mahram over the past year, requiring women to be accompanied by male guardians, which is negatively affecting aid operations. Land mines and explosive remnants of war have become an issue of greater concern, as they have been the leading cause of civilian casualties in the truce and post-truce period.

Support for Yemens economy is also critical to mitigating the humanitarian crisis. While Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in recent months have made new deposits into Yemens Central Bank Aden headquarters to help stabilise the Yemeni rial, Houthi drone attacks that targeted oil export infrastructure last October have led to a loss of the governments most significant revenue source, undermining its ability to pay civil servants and provide basic services.

Members may continue to urge donors to support the Yemen 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), which raised $1.2 billion of the $4.3 billion that the UN has estimated is necessary for its aid operations at a 27 February pledging conference. In addition, members may call on all parties to the conflict to facilitate the safe, rapid, and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief to all civilians in need and to protect humanitarian personnel and assets in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law. They are also likely to continue closely monitoring progress towards starting the salvage operation on the FSO Safer oil tanker.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members welcome the Houthi-Saudi talks and have expressed cautious optimism about their potential to yield meaningful results. At the same time, members stress the ultimate importance of an inclusive Yemeni political process facilitated by UN mediation to achieve a sustainable resolution to the conflict. The continued joint meetings of the Riyadh-based ambassadors to Yemen of the Councils permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US) are evidence of the Councils general unity of approach towards Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been a leading member in the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and often pushes for its views to be reflected in Council products. Since 2021, the US has had a Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, who has actively supported Grundbergs efforts to establish a political process and to resolve the threat of the FSO Safer. China helped mediate the Saudi-Iran agreement to restore relations, which it highlighted at the Councils 15 March briefing, observing that it could help create conditions for resolving Yemens conflict. Arms from Iran appear to be the main source of external weapons for the Houthis, as indicated in the reports of the Yemen Panel of Experts. Saudi Arabia exercises leverage on the Yemeni government, and Oman plays an important role as an interlocutor with the Houthis.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Ambassador Ferit Hoxha (Albania) chairs the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

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Eleanor Johns, longtime confidante, protector and gatekeeper for former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, died early Saturday of a heart attack at her home in San Franciscos Inner Richmond District. She was 84.

Johns was affiliated with Brown as a staff member, campaign finance manager and special assistant going back to 1981, when Brown became speaker of the Assembly. Shortly after Brown became mayor in 1996, he named Johns his chief of staff, making her the first and only woman to hold that role, according to City Hall sources.

She set the standard. Wherever Da Mayor went, Johns went with him, arranging his trips beforehand or covering up the damage in the aftermath.

I have had the benefit of meeting, befriending and working with some of the most remarkable people in the world, Brown said Saturday in a statement, but nobody compared with Eleanor  her spirit, her intelligence, her competence, her loyalty. Simply put, Eleanor was the best.

What made her the best was further refined in one of Browns columns for The Chronicle.

My chief of staff, Eleanor Johns, regularly took my more harebrained ideas, turned them into something workable and sent them off to department heads, along with practical orders for getting them done, he wrote. Part of her job description was to mentor young people Brown supported as they made their way up the ladder in the Democratic Party in the city. The list includes Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor London Breed.

More than anyone else in government, Eleanor was the person who took whatever raw talents we had and turned us into professionals, Breed said in the statement Saturday.

Michael Maloney/The Chronicle 2003

Shortly before Brown was termed out of office in 2004, he appointed Johns to the San Francisco Airport Commission. Her role was subsequently reconfirmed by mayors Newsom, Ed Lee and Breed. She was part of a city commission power couple with her husband of 40 years, Richard Johns, a member of the Historic Preservation Commission. At the time of her death, Johns was serving on the Airport Commission and as executive director of the Willie L. Brown Jr. Institute on Politics and Public Service, a think tank and internship program affiliated with San Francisco State University.

Eleanor Kuntz was born March 18, 1939, in Steubenville, Ohio. Her parents were Jews who escaped Poland before the onset of World War II and ran a grocery store in West Virginia, where Kuntz grew up. She attended Purdue University in Indiana before transferring to Ohio State University, graduating in 1961 with a bachelor of arts in history and social science and a bachelor of science in education.

She came to California on a whim soon after graduation, driving west with a friend.

Kuntz got a job teaching at a public junior high school in the Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael, commuting from San Francisco. She had been followed to the city by a boyfriend from Ohio State, Jerald Eisenberg, who became an assistant district attorney in San Francisco. They were married in San Francisco in 1963 and a son, Jeff, was born in 1968.

She did not want to continue her commute to San Rafael while raising a son, so she studied to become a paralegal, working in a law firm. She was interested in politics and supported Brown, who had been elected to the Assembly in 1964.

She always admired Willie Brown and met him while he was campaigning on the street, said Jeff Eisenberg, who has heard the story. She went to work for him in some small position in his law firm and quickly became the office manager.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle 2017

When Brown became Assembly speaker in 1981, he offered her a job directing his fundraising while managing his campaign and office. Her duties expanded to campaign manager and later finance manager for the Assembly Democrats Committee. From there it was up and on, with Brown never losing an election.

Her first marriage ended in divorce. In 1982, she married Richard Johns, also an attorney.

Willie Brown was repeatedly investigated by the federal government, Richard Johns said, but there was never any impropriety established because Eleanor ran such a tight ship.

Aside from her political and commission activities, Johns was involved in Jewish Family and Childrens Services and the Friends of Mountain Lake Park. She could be counted on to organize a park cleanup. She also spearheaded a neighborhood drive to get trees planted along Ninth Avenue.

She is survived by her husband and son; two grandsons; and two sisters, Norma Seixas of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and Floris Hoffenberg of Santa Rosa.

A memorial service will be held at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California St., San Francisco. Donations in her name may be made to the San Francisco Historical Society, 608 Commercial St., San Francisco, CA 94111.
A 52-year-old man was fatally shot in the Tenderloin on Sunday afternoon, police said.

San Francisco police officers were dispatched to the scene in the 200 block of Golden Gate Avenue after receiving reports of a shooting, according to a statement from the Police Department. When they arrived, they found a man wounded by gunshots.

The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, from which he ultimately died, police said.

Detectives from the departments homicide detail are investigating the incident, and have made no arrests.

Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.
Reclassification may lead to severe economic repercussions, experts say

The US' attempt to reclassify China as a "developed country" is misleading and may have severe economic repercussions, analysts said.

On March 27, the US House of Representatives unanimously passed the PRC is Not a Developing Country Act, which would require the State Department to take action to change China's status to one of a developed country.

Sujoko Efferin, a professor at the Faculty of Business and Economics at Universitas Surabaya in Indonesia, said the bill has been based on the "totally wrong assumption" that China's competitive advantage is due to the United States' preferential treatment of it as a "developing country".

"The sources of China's economic strength are its integrated supply chain, innovation, excellent coordination between China's governmental programs and business developments, as well as an entrepreneurial mentality that the US or its allies cannot match," Efferin said.

If enacted, the bill could impact China's standing in international bodies like the World Trade Organization, which provides developing countries with preferential treatment, observers say.

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, research fellow at the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, said it would be interesting to know what economic or financial metric will be used to justify the reclassification and whether this will be uniformly applied to other fast-emerging economies.

"While China ranks second to the US in terms of GDP, its large population makes its GDP per capita way below that of the US and many European countries. Even Panama and Costa Rica ranked higher than China by this yardstick," Pitlo said.

"Aside from economic and financial repercussions, it would also undercut China's branding as a leader of the Global South  a fellow developing country providing public goods such as infrastructure and lessons on poverty alleviation to the world."

In her speech on March 27, US Representative Young Kim alleged that China was exploiting its status by applying for development assistance and loans, while spending trillions on infrastructure projects in developing countries as part of what she called "the debt trap diplomacy scheme known as the Belt and Road Initiative".

"I think this is nonsense. BRI is a flagship project. China has got no interest in bankrupting developing countries because that just brings the whole scheme into disrepair. China's got every interest in making sure that does not happen," Martin Jacques, a senior fellow at the University of Cambridge, said.

Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira, former Brazilian minister and economic adviser to the president of Brazil, said the BRI has helped other developing countries a lot "as a collaboration platform".

The US is trying to put China on a different level because they want to frame China with different policies. "And I think that's wrong. I think China needs to continue because in many areas China has achieved developments, but it is still a developing country," he said.

Deniz Istikbal, economics researcher at the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research in Turkiye, said China is still a developing country. It has been successful in many industries and sectors like agriculture over the last 50 years, but it still needs to improve in many areas.

Istikbal said he disagrees with the debt trap accusation, which he said comes from bias. "When a Western country invests in underdeveloped (countries), that's fine and the Western country is 'doing great'. But if China did something, it is wrong," he said.

Efferin said research has found that debts owed by countries such as Sri Lanka are "dominated by Western creditors" and not the Chinese government or banks.

"China has freed African countries from their debts, something that Western creditors have never done," Efferin added.
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Santa Clara County health officials on Monday reported the countys first overdose death -- and one of "a handful" in the state -- from the drug xylazine, colloquially known as tranq, an animal sedative often mixed with opiates like fentanyl and heroin.

The tranq overdose that killed a 36-year-old San Jose man in February signals that the horrific new street drug is making inroads in the Bay Area as it has elsewhere in the country, particularly in East Coast cities.

In San Francisco, health officials have discovered small amounts of xylazine in the bodies of five people who died of fentanyl overdoses.

Xylazine can increase the risk of overdose, worsen withdrawal symptoms and boost the risk of wounds requiring amputation for those who inject it. Its become known on the East Coast as a flesh-eating drug.

Harm reduction experts and drug users told The Chronicle in January that xylazine had not become obvious in San Franciscos drug market, but they were bracing for it because shifts in the supply on the East Coast tend to eventually move west.

Santa Clara County officials could not immediately say whether xylazine had surfaced in the county prior to the San Jose mans overdose.

But the countys medical examiner saw his death as a warning the drug, said to extend the euphoric effect of opioids, is present on the streets.

This tragic event is an important alert to the community that xylazine is now present in drugs in Santa Clara County, said Dr. Michelle Jorden, Santa Clara County medical examiner-coroner. The last thing I want is to see more deaths due to xylazine here, but sadly, the experience of the rest of the country indicates there may be more to come.

Authorities have not identified the victim, who was found unresponsive and later tested positive for drugs including xylazine and fentanyl during toxicology tests, according to the medical examiner.

The California Department of Public Health told The Chronicle Monday afternoon that the fatal San Jose overdose was not the first in the state and that "a handful of cases" have reported positive tests for xylanine.

The number of overdoses involving xylanine can't be determined, the department said, because testing for xylazine is done inconsistently and isn't necessary to determine that an overdose was the cause of death.

In a statement posted on its website last week, the department said that xylazine is a new and emerging issue in California, and there is no evidence to suggest that xylazine is common in California's drug supply.

Representatives of the San Francisco Department of Public Health said Monday that because only small amounts of xylazine have turned up in just five overdose victims, the drug may not yet be widespread. But they're increasing surveillance efforts and training street response teams on how to recognize and treat overdoses involving the drug.

Xylazine can slow down the nervous system and make breathing and heart rate slower, health officials say. Although naloxone, or Narcan, cannot reverse the tranquilizers effects, the medication should still be administered if someone is unresponsive, health experts say, because naloxone counteracts fentanyl. Overdose victims who are revived with naloxone may suffer lingering drowsiness if they have ingested fentanyl mixed with xylazine.

Authorities also advise attempting to resuscitate breathing if someone is found unconscious from an apparent overdose.

Seeing what is happening in other parts of the country, and now knowing it has hit us here at home, we want to prevent more people from dying and suffering other serious consequences of xylazine, said Dr. Akanksha Vaidya, assistant health officer in Santa Clara County.

Vaidya told The Chronicle that the county is working to increase awareness of xylazine among health providers, first responders and drug users.

The main thing to know is that xylazine is out there and its often mixed with other drugs like fentanyl without people even knowing about it, she said. Being aware is the first step.

Chronicle staff writer Trisha Thadani contributed to this report.
Three years after the pandemic drastically disrupted the Bay Areas transportation patterns, the so-called new normal has taken shape, and this is what it looks like.

Traffic congestion on the Bay Bridge and Bay Area highways, which dropped precipitously at the height of stay-at-home orders, has essentially returned  and is now worse during some parts of the week. Office commuters bound for downtown San Francisco, once the bread and butter of BARTs pre-2020 ridership, now tend to mostly commute to work during the middle of the week  if at all.

That dynamic, paired with recurring survey data from hundreds of Bay Area employers, suggest the regions financially imperiled rail system faces a critical moment in its recovery.

Employers have increasingly said in the Bay Area Councils Return to Transit survey that theyve either already made long-term decisions on requiring employees to work in office or are allowing them to telework indefinitely. And, also increasingly, theyre concerned about their employees personal safety riding BART and other transit systems to work.

The unlikelihood of any significant near-term ridership increases stemming from returning office workers means fare-reliant BARTs recovery now hinges on luring two key groups  drivers fed up with miserable traffic congestion and people whove ditched BART because they feel its unsafe and unsanitary to ride.

We are asking employers why people arent riding transit as frequently as before, and we hear in our survey over and over again that employers want transit to be safe, clean and reliable. Safety is No. 1, said Emily Loper, the Bay Area Councils vice president of public policy.

Just 19% of the 161 employers who responded to the survey say their employees are coming to offices five days a week, while 23% have brought workers back three days a week  the surveys most popular in-person schedule. A combined 30% of respondents said their employees are commuting to offices one day a week or not at all.

When they do report to work in person, a lower percentage of workers, on average, are commuting on transit now than before the pandemic  30% compared with 45%, according to the survey.

Personal safety concerns appear to be a key reason for the drop; 78% of employers said they were either very concerned or somewhat concerned by safety on BART and other transit.

BART is not alone. Practically every large U.S. transit agency is grappling with drug use, homelessness, cleanliness and safety issues on their trains and buses that serve as a microcosm for cities rise in transience and deteriorating social norms.

But, fair or not, how BART and other agencies respond to the issue will influence whether local taxpayers will support taxing themselves more to subsidize transit service to avoid steep fiscal cliffs. State lawmakers in recent legislative hearings have also said they want to see safety improvements on transit if theyre to sign off on a temporary subsidy.

An additional eight to 18 police officers are patrolling BART trains and stations on the core part of the system that runs from downtown San Francisco to MacArthur Station north of downtown Oakland, BART police Chief Ed Alvarez said. The agencys board will also award a contract this month to replace the systems 700 or so fare gates  a project supported by many paying riders.

Those efforts could convince more riders to return to BART in the coming months. But ridership gains could also come as people opt to ride trains in lieu of driving on congestion-clogged bridges and freeways.

Pre-pandemic, people were choosing to take transit over driving because traffic was so bad. And the more that traffic increases, the more attractive transit becomes as the faster, more efficient option, Loper said.

There is some evidence this shift has started to happen.

Morning traffic congestion on the Bay Bridge heading toward San Francisco has worsened since the start of the year, and the bridge saw more congestion in February than it did that same month in 2020.

At the same time, BARTs peak daily weekday ridership has gradually increased since mid-January  from 145,000 riders to 170,000  even as severe rainstorms and staffing shortages have worsened its reliability.
A beloved shabu shabu restaurant and one of San Franciscos legacy businesses has shut down after more than 40 years in the citys Japantown neighborhood.

Mums, located at 1800 Sutter St. in the Kimpton Hotel Enso, served its final meal on Sunday, April 2, according to an online announcement. The restaurant was long known for its Japanese hot pot, though it shifted to breakfast only and limited hours in the wake of the pandemic.

After decades of operations, our family has decided to officially retire and move on from our long run, the announcement reads. Spanning generations, we remained dedicated to Japantown. We have celebrated with you, cried with you and everything in between! We will cherish all the moments we have had and hold on to the history and legacy.

Mums opened in 1979 as part of an effort to bring Japanese culture to San Francisco spearheaded by Kintetsu Enterprises Company, according to a legacy business staff report from the city. The Osaka-based company, which eventually moved to San Francisco, helped form the citys Japantown by building the Miyako Hotel and Kintetsu Shopping Center.

Kat Wade/SFC

The city awarded Mums legacy business status in late 2019, just before the pandemic. Legacy businesses must have operated in San Francisco for 30 or more years and have contributed to San Franciscos history or identity.

Over the 40 years it has been in business, Mums has remained committed to bridging Japanese and American culture through its dining space and cuisine, becoming a vital gathering place for the surrounding Japantown community, the city report states.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Isidore Tam, who started as a part-time dishwasher at Mums in 1981, worked his way up to assistant manager and eventually took over from the original owner, Shinji Makigano. Tam ran the business until its closure.

Its not the only longstanding business Japantown has lost recently. Last spring, mochi institution Benkyodo closed after 115 years of business. In March, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a new strategic plan to support Japantown, including by promoting longtime neighborhood businesses.
Its time to eat chubby dumplings, slurp rich ramen and sip natural wine.

New restaurants brought all of the above and more to the Peninsula and the South Bay in recent weeks. The region has not one but three new places to eat Taiwanese food, which has historically been hard to find throughout the Bay Area but has long had a presence in the South Bay. San Jose got its first natural wine bar. And a once-buzzy food hall in Los Altos that temporarily closed is now back with a slew of new spots to try.

Read on for 10 Peninsula and South Bay openings of note.

A new Taiwanese breakfast specialist

Taiwanese breakfast is a relative rarity in the Bay Area, but Xiaoman has been slinging fan tuan, the classic sticky rice rolls, out of two South Bay ghost kitchens since 2021. Now, the business has its own storefront in Sunnyvale. Customers can expect the same concise menu of fan tuan and fan tuan only: white or purple rice rolled around fillings like pork floss, a soy sauce-marinated egg, pickles and a deep-fried cruller. The new location is also takeout and delivery only.

573 E. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. riceburrito.com

Ramen hit expands

Felix Uribe/Special to The Chronicle

The South Bay now has its own outpost of Marufuku, a wildly popular Japanese ramen chain. The new Cupertino restaurant serves the same ramen variations as other locations, including Marufukus rich Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen and standout bowls of chicken paitan. This marks the chains fourth Bay Area location and first in the South Bay, following openings in San Francisco, Oakland and Redwood City.

19772 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino. marufukuramen.com

Peninsula food hall reboots

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

After a temporary closure and layoffs, Los Altos food hall State Street Market has reopened with several new vendors. Theres now an outpost of Konjoe, a burger spot with several South Bay locations; Orenchi Ramen, a popular Bay Area ramen shop; and a permanent stand for Menlo Parks Little Sky Bakery, known for its naturally leavened breads and baked goods. The food hall has struggled since opening to much anticipation in 2021; it lost its anchor restaurant from celebrated chef Traci Des Jardins after six months, and Bay Area cheese darling Cowgirl Creamery never opened a promised outpost there. In January, State Street cut ties with Bon Appetit Management Co., which had operated the majority of the State Street food stands. More new food options will arrive in April, according to a State Street Instagram post, including an outpost of Santa Cruzs popular Penny Ice Creamery.

170 State St., Los Altos. statestreetmarket.com

San Joses first natural wine bar

Provided by Goodtime Bar

The South Bay finally has a dedicated spot to drink natural wine. Goodtime Bar, from San Jose natives and couple Steven and Ann Huynh, serves natty wines from makers like Santa Cruzs Florez Wines. All are poured in the chubby, short glasses that have become trendy via natural wine hits like San Franciscos Bar Part Time and Oaklands Snail Bar. (Wine at Goodtime Bar is likewise consumed underneath the sparkling reflection of a requisite disco ball.) For food, expect small plates like fingerling potatoes with seaweed mayo and kumquat-topped oysters served on vintage plates. We wanted to build a local spot for folks to come enjoy natural wine without having to go to S.F., Oakland and elsewhere, Steven Huynh said.

30 E. Santa Clara St., #160, San Jose. instagram.com/bar.goodtime

More Taiwanese food for the Peninsula

02 Valley, a popular Taiwanese restaurant in Cupertino, now has a second location in downtown Palo Alto. Bento boxes arrive with meat like popcorn chicken, braised pork chop or grilled eel; rice and an array of sides. The restaurant also serves milk tea with boba and smoothies in flavors like lychee and taro.

452 University Ave., Palo Alto. order.o2-valley.com

Yet another Taiwanese favorite grows

A second Taiwanese restaurant from Cupertino has also arrived in Palo Alto. Red Hot Wok is known for dishes like three cup chicken, a saucy chicken staple served in a clay pot; lu rou fan (braised pork over rice) and fried rice studded with hunks of Taiwanese sausage. For lunch, Red Hot Wok offers generous bento boxes for $16.95.

3345 El Camino Real, Palo Alto. 650-565-8868

Handmade dumplings arrive

The South Bay has a new destination for handmade dumplings: Top Dumpling, which is now serving up crispy-bottomed pork buns and saucy wontons in Sunnyvale. Fresh shumai, dan dan noodles and glossy walnut shrimp also grace the menu.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

150 W. El Camino Real, Sunnyvale. topdumplingus.com

An Italian classic returns

Courtesy Jennifer Gomez

Stella, which served Northern Italian food in Burlingame since 2005, has relocated and reopened in a splashy new home. The huge new restaurant on Burlingame Avenue  which cost $3 million to build, according to a press release  features two stories, six private dining areas, a wine bridge display and room to seat as many as 200 people. The menu features the same dishes as before, such as fresh pasta, risotto and ossobuco.

1448 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame. stellaburlingame.com

More fanciful ice cream flavors

Ice cream favorite Humphry Slocombe has two new Peninsula and South Bay locations, one in Campbell and the other in San Mateo. Both are scooping the companys popular, inventive flavors, like salted caramel cocoa nib and matchadoodle (hunks of snickerdoodle cookies folded into green tea ice cream).

1875 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 370, Campbell; 3081 S. Delaware St., B, San Mateo. humphryslocombe.com

A new spot for Indian street food

The team behind Sunnyvale Indian restaurant Ulavacharu has opened a snacky spin-off. Ulavacharu Sweets and Snacks, located five minutes away on El Camino Real, is now serving vada pav and Bombay sandwiches (toasted bread filled with chutney, veggies and cheese), plus chai and desserts like gulab jamun (sweet, syrup-soaked doughnuts).
For the first time in more than a decade, Napa Valley could soon define a new official sub-region for wine.

The area would be called the Crystal Springs of Napa Valley, and its nestled near the border of St. Helena and Calistoga, in the foothills below Howell Mountain. Vintners here claim that their lava-packed hillside vineyards are distinctive enough to warrant their own specific identity, and they want the marketing benefits that come with that definition. A number of famed wineries are located here, including Burgess, Viader, Seven Stones and race car driver Danica Patricks estate, Somnium.

A petition to designate Crystal Springs as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), the government-designated boundary for wine regions, is currently before the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). It could be approved anytime after a public comment period ends on May 1, as first reported by NapaLife.

AVAs may sound technical, but they play an important role in establishing wine regions reputations. Wineries in an AVA can market their wines together, building clout collectively and generating awareness about their areas unique terroir. The Napa Valley AVA is a prime example: Even an unknown wine brand can command some respect if its located here.

The Napa Valley AVA is plenty prestigious on its own, but within it are 16 sub-AVAs, and some of these are considered even more prized. Wineries that can put one of these sought-after sub-AVAs on their labels, like Atlas Peak, Rutherford or Stags Leap District, can often command higher prices.

Vineyard owners in Crystal Springs believe that their terroir is just as impressive as any of Napas other sub-AVAs, but theyve never been able to benefit from AVA status.

Were not St. Helena, were not Howell Mountain, said Ralph Hertelendy, owner of Hertelendy Vineyards. When you just say Napa Valley on the label, people think youre sourcing bulk juice from the random, cheap areas of Napa Valley, which were not.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

The vineyards here are often confused for Howell Mountain, since theyre located on the mountains lower hillsides. But there are strict rules surrounding the use of Howell Mountain on a wine label: The AVA begins at 1,400 feet altitude.

Viader Vineyards is located just below the cut-off, at 1,300 feet. In the past, owner Delia Viader would describe her vineyards location as on Howell Mountain, or northeast of St. Helena. But the TTB said we had to take that out of our back label, Viader said. We became in the middle of nowhere, between two appellations. Like the rest of the Crystal Springs wineries, Viader labels wines simply as Napa Valley.

Yet Steven Burgess, who wrote the Crystal Springs AVA petition, doesnt want to be grouped in with Howell Mountain, because he believes Crystal Springs is meaningfully different. The defining feature, he said, is topography: Crystal Springs is located on steep slopes, with grades of 15% to 40%. Its position below 1,400 feet means that it gets shrouded in fog on many days, unlike the higher altitudes of Howell Mountain, which are above the fog line. It shares a general soil profile with Howell Mountain, characterized by jagged volcanic rocks.

Its a piece of lava basically, said Julien Fayard, the winemaker at Somnium. And its in a wind tunnel. The wines have a lot of freshness, a lot of acidity, a lot of minerality.

Getting an AVA established can take a very long time: Burgess began working on this one in 2006. (He sold Burgess Cellars in 2020 to Lawrence Wine Estates, but he has since bought another vineyard, yet to be planted, that would be in the Crystal Springs AVA.)

To write the petition, Burgess conducted extensive research on the areas topography, geology and climate, creating maps and installing a new weather station. Hertelendy later got involved to drum up support from their neighbors. Burgess submitted a preliminary petition in 2020, and has since revised it at the TTBs request. The current public comment period could be the final step before approval, if no major objections are raised.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

One of the trickiest parts of establishing an AVA is choosing a name. It cant be a made-up term; the government requires that the name have historic significance for the area. The last Napa Valley sub-AVA to gain approval was Coombsville in 2011. But the initial proposal was for it to be called Tulocay (the name of both a cemetery and a winery in that neighborhood). The TTB rejected it because it found that the area wasnt recognized by that name.

Burgess considered Deer Park, the name of a neighborhood here, but anticipated copyright complaints from the Deer Park bottled water company. Another possibility was Sanitarium, after the hospital that is the areas most well-known landmark. But Sanitarium would have been an uphill battle, to say the least, Burgess said.

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He landed on Crystal Springs. The original name of the hospital, in the 19th century, was the Crystal Springs Rural Health Retreat. Theres still a building at the hospital called Crystal Springs Manor, plus a Crystal Springs Road nearby. Real estate listings and bicycle tour companies have identified this area as Crystal Springs in recent years.

Its not muddy springs, its not sulfur springs  it exudes the topography, the physics, the purity on the side of the hill here, Burgess said.

If Crystal Springs of Napa Valley does become an AVA, what will change for its vineyards?

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

For Viader, the AVA passage would be inconsequential. Weve been over 35 years in business, and it will change nothing to us, she said. She believes her winerys reputation speaks for itself, and said she would continue to use the Napa Valley AVA, rather than Crystal Springs, on her wine label.

But other stakeholders see the AVA as an enormous boon. Some wine critics conduct their reviews in sub-AVA groups, Burgess said, so this could get their wines into tastings from which theyve previously been excluded. The wineries could form an AVA association, which would allow them to pool resources for marketing efforts.

The biggest effects may be more nebulous and longer-term. It helps people put you in a box in a preferential zone, said Fayard. When consumers learn about AVAs, they may develop allegiances, identifying as a lover of a particular AVAs wines.

I saw it happen with Coombsville, he continued. Before the AVA approval, Coombsville was not known in the market. And now people seek out Coombsville wines.

The AVA, Hertelendy added, would be a definitive way to communicate that Crystal Springs is a special place. We need to educate consumers and let them know, hey, we arent just generic Napa Valley, he said. Were ultra-premium Napa Valley.
Regarding Cities are struggling. San Francisco could be in for the biggest doom loop of all (San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, March 30): The article notes that some think the solution is just a matter of tweaking pre-pandemic policies. That is not working.

We must be willing to change the way we think and act. Stop looking for the answer and recognize that as there are many causes for problems, there will need to be a variety of solutions.

One change of thought: favor pilot programs, evaluate their effect (yes, with data) and commit to continuing those that help ease the problem even if they dont completely solve it.

Examples of city blindness: closing drop-in drug centers (if New York can find a legal way, we could, too).

What the city could do: restart the Homeward Bound program (returning willing homeless to distant family), allow at least one downtown conversion from office to residential use, adapt the tax incentives used to attract businesses to ways to make it easier for working people to live in the city where their jobs are.

Yes, there are objections to any action. But to save our city we need to return to what made it in the first place: a willingness to take a chance on new ideas.

Miriam Mueller, San Francisco

Cash not the solution

Regarding This Bay Area school district could be first in U.S. to offer cash reparations to some Black students (Bay Area, SFChronicle.com, March 28): Considering paying cash to Black students in Berkeley as reparations for the enslavement of their ancestors is commendable but misguided group think.

Assuaging white guilt with cash does not solve the long-term impacted problem. Educators need to address learning disparities attributable to socioeconomic factors and allocate funds to programs that level the playing field for disadvantaged students. Mandatory preschool and extra tutorial help would make a difference.

Sheldon Greene

Support for new D.A.

Regarding Cant work with new D.A. (Letters to the Editor, March 30): Is former prosecutor Mark Hutchins attack on newly elected Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price a prelude to repeating what happened in San Francisco?

Remember Brooke Jenkins quit the San Francisco District Attorneys Office, became the spokesperson for the recall campaign against District Attorney Chesa Boudin, then got appointed to replace Boudin by Mayor London Breed.

Unfortunately for Hutchins, there is no Breed-like figure in Alameda County to turn their back on a solid district attorney. Moreover, Price, being just elected, cant be blamed for anything real or imaginary. Creating a fuss is transparently ideological, playing to support for racist arrest, prosecution and imprisonment practices because Price is a longtime civil rights attorney.

Marc Sapir, Berkeley

Misdirected warning

Not long ago we had Republicans warning voters that electing Democrats would lead to the imposition of sharia law that would deny rights to American citizens.

What a short memory Republicans have. Now they ban books in Florida, they set ridiculous standards meant to eliminate minority voters and they establish laws that diminish or deny rights to LGBTQ citizens.

Did I fail to mention refusing Medicaid funding, which denies health care to poor Southerners and closes rural hospitals?

The warning about sharia was apt. Republicans applied it to the wrong party.

Bruce Blackie, San Mateo

Street justice prevails

On a sunny day in between the onslaught of rain, I rode my bike to downtown San Francisco and locked it outside the Metreon. After an hour, I came back to an all too common scene  a thief was disassembling every portion of the bicycle with parts strewn across the sidewalk.

Caught red-handed, the thief looked ready to flee, but I ordered him to reassemble the bike, under the threat that I would call the police and have him subject to tougher penalties under new District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. He complied.

A security guard who came by afterward commented that this was something he had never seen before  a crime victim watching the perpetrator struggle for half an hour to make amends for misdeeds on the streets of San Francisco.

John Maa, San Francisco
Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

State Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman, a trained social worker, is leading the drive to change laws to make it easier to get severely mentally ill people more help.

On this episode of the It's All Political on Fifth & Mission podcast, she tells host Joe Garofoli that she favors lowering the bar for committing someone for treatment involuntarily. Among the obstacles she faces is opposition from disability rights advocates.
The wild parrots of Telegraph Hill remind me of the San Francisco I love the most.

Theyre eccentric, stubborn and colorful. Kind of random. Resilient. They just got here, and yet they still fly through the city like they own the place. Travelers seemingly from another galaxy, who made S.F. their home.

Yes, theyre a nonnative species, but doesnt that apply to nearly every human being who lives here? Parrots are the perfect metaphor for San Franciscans, and theyre the perfect choice for the Official Animal of San Francisco.

The parrots were named Official Animal after a month-long process that started with 16 animals, and ended with the parrots winning with a feather-thin 51.3% of the vote in a one-on-one competition versus the Pier 39 sea lions. True to the city they now represent, the polling ended in roiling political controversy: an October surprise (in March) that nearly propelled the sea lions  who had dominated the first three rounds of voting  to victory.

We think the sea lions would have been wonderful ambassadors as well. They came to us in a moment of struggle, providing a fun narrative, levity and a huge tourism boost after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake felled part of the Bay Bridge and marked the city as a disaster zone.

Sea lions represent a more goofy side of San Francisco, the side of San Francisco that you see on Bay to Breakers that makes you do a belly laugh, Roll Over Easy radio host Luke Spray said on the BFF.fm show this week. Also, if were thinking about the representation of San Francisco, so many folks their first experience of San Francisco  is Pier 39. The thing I remember from my childhood Pier 39 visit was the sea lions.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

But theres something special about the way parrots have mirrored the San Francisco experience, captured beautifully in Judy Irvings 2003 documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

The parrots arrived in the late 1980s  there are conflicting theories about why, but a pet store escape seems most likely  and managed to proliferate. There were an estimated 220 during the last count. The red-masked parakeets and mitred conures, two different species, have mated in San Francisco to create a hybrid thats unique to the city.

We have our own little special breed of parrot now, Irving said on a recent Total SF episode.

The wild parrots are associated with North Beach and the waterfront, but theyre San Franciscos real life Pokemon, liable to show up anywhere, whether youre chilling in a backyard in Cole Valley, climbing Bayview Hill overlooking Candlestick Point or having a picnic in the Presidio.

Brant Ward/Associated Press

Theyre loud, colorful newcomers that help shape the city in their bold image  just like so many of our greatest residents. Robin Williams was a wild parrot. Harvey Milk was a wild parrot. Rita Moreno, Jerry Rice and Hunter Pence? All wild parrots.

Heather Knight and I started the Official Animal of San Francisco contest on the Total SF podcast, after Heather discovered the city has no official animal.

The sea lions easily won the first three rounds  with at least 30% of the vote and no close competitor. But the final round was a narrow and fierce battle, with the lead changing at least four times between Monday and Thursday at midnight when the voting ended. (How close was it? Based on Thursday mornings numbers I wrote a full embargoed column declaring the sea lions the winner. Now I know how Chronicle beat writers feel when the Giants blow a lead in the ninth inning.)

The election process was a wild ride. The parrots were leading on Tuesday afternoon, when the official San Francisco government Twitter account retweeted a Pier 39 post urging a sea lion vote.

Lobbying wasnt banned during the contest (in fact it was encouraged!), but parrot supporters, including the influential Telegraph Hill Dwellers Association protested the post, with Club Fugazi calling it an October surprise, a term for bombshell news stories that break just before a national election. It was taken down hours later; after the sea lions surged into the lead.

And yet grassroots parrot boosters, including parrot rescue organizations and the official account of the Oracle Park seagull, rallied supporters to a narrow 227-vote victory, with parrots receiving 4,239 votes and sea lions 4,012.

If anything, we think a bona fide San Francisco political controversy adds to the legend. (Do the sea lions know anything about the ballot box tops found floating in the bay after Willie Brown was elected in 2001?)

Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Aaron Peskin have already pledged to support a resolution naming the winner of our polling the official Official Animal of S.F.

The Total SF team hopes the parrots are forever honored for the joy theyve brought to the city. They are the loudest  and the best  of all of us.
When new housing arises in the Tenderloin, it is typically either subsidized low-income complexes built by nonprofits or the sort of full-service rental communities targeting young professionals that have popped up in recent years along the north side of Market Street.

But these days the only housing under construction in the neighborhood is catering to a different group: students.

UC College of the Law San Francisco  formerly UC Hastings  is quietly developing a pioneering multi-institution academic village that the school is betting will provide living spaces for its students while also enhancing the safety of the streets that were so disorderly during the pandemic. At one point, the law school and four other community groups filed a lawsuit to force the city to remove tents from the sidewalks.

This summer, UC Law SF will open Academe at 198, a 14-story, 656-unit student-housing complex at 198 McAllister St. One-third of the apartments  about 230  will be master-leased by UCSF. The rest of them will be available not only to UC Law SF students, but also to students from UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, University of San Francisco and the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.

The students who reside here, regardless of where they are from, will have the run of the campus, said Chief Financial Officer David Seward. The academic village is a big-tent approach.

Juliana Yamada/The Chronicle

The academic village is a multiphased reimagining of the campus that could eventually result in over 1,300 units  including some that could potentially house San Francisco public school teachers. As a state agency, the law school is exempt from local zoning controls and the city approval process, meaning that it could be approved much faster than a typical San Francisco project. The project would be financed with tax-exempt bonds.

In addition to Academe at 198, as its been branded, UC Law SF has reached an agreement with Unite Here Local 2, which represents hotel and restaurant workers, to build 250-400 workforce housing units on parcels the union owns at 201-247 Golden Gate Ave.

Kim Jackson, research director at Unite Here Local 2 said the union is very hopeful the project will move forward. As part of the deal, Local 2 would get a new union hall free of charge and continue to own the land the project is built on.

We love our union hall, weve been here 50 years, but it is falling down around us, she said.

Juliana Yamada/The Chronicle

In addition to a new union hall, Local 2 workers will benefit from the infusion of new residents and the resulting increase in foot traffic in a high-crime neighborhood.

We do our best to be good neighbors and keep things calm on our block. Our members need that, she said. The last few years have been very tough in the Tenderloin, including on our block. A lot of disorder and chaos and sadness.

For the law school, the opening of Academe at 198 is the second installment of a four-part campus redo. Phase one was the construction of the Cotchett Law Center, an academic building, on a former parking lot at 333 Golden Gate Ave. That structure cleared the way for the law school to tear down the old 198 McAllister, an outdated classroom building, and replace it with the new housing complex.

The new housing will allow the law school to temporarily move students out of its current 252-unit residential tower at 200 McAllister St., which will undergo a $90 million restoration as the third phase. The redevelopment of the Local 2 property will complete the project.

The opening comes three years after the law school and five Tenderloin-based co-plaintiffs sued the city and county of San Francisco over the dangerous conditions on the sidewalks and in the doorways of our neighborhood, as UC Law SF Chancellor and Dean David Faigman wrote at the time.

Juliana Yamada/The Chronicle

Conditions had gotten to a point where nobody could argue that the status quo was healthy for anyone in the neighborhood, he said.

Eventually, a settlement was reached, and the city cleared more than 200 tents from the sidewalks in the neighborhood, relocating most of the unhoused people to hotels or safe sleeping sites. The law school has also received $6 million in state funding to hire the nonprofit Urban Alchemy to provide security.

The new residential building will bring positive activity to the street, according to UC Law SF leaders. It includes 8,000 square feet of retail and 50,000 square feet of academic space, including classrooms, a 400-seat auditorium, and trial and appellate courtrooms for the school.

The old building at 198 McAllister was a concrete box with one entrance on McAllister and an exit on Hyde Street. The new building will have several entrances on McAllister and public retail spaces along Golden Gate Avenue.

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The design was very intentional about activation, said Seward. Its transparent. Its visible. There is light. Youve got that activity on the sidewalk at all times. That will make a huge difference.

It will also take pressure off the citys housing market, Seward said. The days when students could get together and afford a flat in a neighborhood like the Haight or the Mission are mostly gone. And to the extent that students have the financial resources needed to compete for market-rate housing, it comes at a cost, said Seward.

Landlords love renting to students because they can jack up the rent to market when the students finish their studies and move on, said Seward. Its destabilizing for a rent-controlled market.

Rhiannon Bailard, chief operating officer of UC Law SF, said having law students living alongside others studying nursing, business or education would benefit everyone.

Graduate students tend to be siloed in their own field of study, she said. Part of the idea behind the academic village is to bring together students from multiple fields of study, creating a holistic learning community in a campus environment.

Rents will start at $1,850. The units, mostly studios, will have full-size refrigerators and two-burner stoves. The building will have a fitness center, dog park, study rooms, lounges, communal kitchens and bike storage. That is the lowest we could make the rent and have the project be economically feasible, Seward said.

Bailard said that the first leases would be issued starting next week, with the first students moving in this summer.

We have a few hundred applications already, she said. There is definitely a lot of interest.
Artificial intelligence software may not control every aspect of life (yet), but the powerful technology can generate seemingly organic text and photos while also controlling fusion reactors and designing the chips to power its own silicon brain.

A report from the Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute shows just how much the technology is in our lives, from its, at times, significant carbon footprint, to the vast amount of investment flooding into the industry, and even how different kinds of people feel about the powerful technology.

Called the AI Index, the report is assembled by an independent cross-discipline group of AI experts from academia and industry. Here are some of the key findings:

Technical performance

While 2022 was the year that generative AI broke into the public conversation and consciousness, the software still is prone to deliver falsehoods and in some cases nonsense with its trademark confidence, making it difficult to rely on despite its rapid adoption by companies like Microsoft into their core tools.

Despite those shortcomings, AI has proved to be a boon to science and has been used to aid hydrogen fusion, improve the efficiency of matrix manipulation, and generate new antibodies the report said.

The tech has also begun to work on itself, with South Bay computer hardware maker Nvidia using AI to better design the chips that power its own systems.

The large amounts of computing power required to make the technology run, however, have raised concerns about its environmental effect. One AI programs training produced a carbon footprint 25 times that of a one-way plane trip from New York to San Francisco, according to one scientific study cited in the report.

Ethical Issues

The report pointed out that the content a software is trained on  inputs such as text and photos  can contribute to biased outputs. For example, Text-to-image generators are routinely biased along gender dimensions, and chatbots like ChatGPT can be tricked into serving nefarious aims, the AI Index found.

One remedy could be training the AI on larger sets of data, with new evidence (suggesting) that these issues can be somewhat mitigated after training larger models with instruction-tuning.

What is clear is that issues and controversies with the technology are on the rise, increasing by 26 times compared with 2012, according to tracking data from the AI, Algorithmic and Automation Incidents and Controversies database cited in the report.

Economy

The U.S. is leading the way on investment in AI technology, and demand for AI skills increased from 2021 to 2022 in almost every sector of the American economy. In 2022, the $47.4 billion invested in the U.S. was roughly 3.5 times the amount invested in the next highest country, China, at $13.4 billion the report found.

And while the technology has the potential to eliminate up to 300 million jobs globally, one survey run by San Francisco code hosting site GitHub cited in the report found that most users of a text-to-code program called Copilot reported feeling more productive and working more quickly when using it, and that it increased their focus and work satisfaction.

Education and diversity

AI has the potential to significantly alter how people learn, but the burgeoning industry has also turbocharged how many people are interested in working in the field. The report found that The proportion of new Computer Science (CS) Ph.D graduates from U.S. universities who specialized in AI jumped to 19.1% in 2021, from 14.9% in 2020 and 10.2% in 2010.

But males continue to dominate those skilled ranks, with only 21.3% of new AI doctorates being female, a 3.2% increase from 2011.

More of those highly trained specialists are also choosing to pursue jobs in the industry instead of academia, especially as more and more private funding is poured into AI. The report found that more than 65% of people with a doctorate in AI took industry jobs in 2021, more than double the roughly 28% who took jobs in academia that same year.

Funding

Beyond private venture dollars, government spending is also spurring the industry forward. The Stanford report found that U.S. government spending related to AI has increased by an average of 52.5% since 2017.

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Some of those are defense contracts, which have raised the ire of employees at companies like Google who objected to the technology potentially being used in military drones.

But a huge chunk of money still comes from private investors. Despite the hype being generated by the industry, global private investment in AI decreased more than 26% from 2021 to 2022, when $91.9 billion was poured into companies from private coffers.

That was the first time in a decade that private dollars going to the industry decreased, but overall the trend has been up and to the right during that period, with private investment in AI 18 times larger in 2022 compared with 2013.

Public opinion

Not everyone feels the same about the potential for AI to improve their lives. The Stanford report cited a 2022 IPSOS survey finding that men were more likely than women to say AI made their lives easier  48% of men compared with 40% of women  trust companies to use the technology, and to feel that the benefits of AI outweigh the potential risks.

The survey found the most significant gap between men and women showed up when they were asked about their understanding of the technology  65% of men said they understood it well compared with 53% of women.

In the U.S., those concerned about the effect the technology could have point to worries about automating away jobs for humans, privacy, and the fraying of human connections. But, the report found, those excited about the technology point to its potential to improve their lives by saving time and creating more efficiencies.

Another survey circulated to researchers in the AI field of natural language processing found that almost three-quarters of the respondents thought private AI companies had too much influence. Another 41% said that NLP (natural language processing) should be regulated, and 73% felt that AI could soon lead to revolutionary societal change.
NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (L) meets Governor-General of Australia David Hurley in Australia last year. (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Hong Hai, a researcher at the Centre for Policy Futures under the University of Queensland, said the visit, in the context of the 50th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties (February 26, 1973) and the 5th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership (March 15, 2018) in 2023, demonstrates the importance Australia attaches to the milestones, as well as and the consensus in enhancing high-level meetings and contacts, thus consolidating the mutual political trust.

During his visit, Hurley is scheduled to meet with top leaders of Vietnam, hold talks with President Vo Van Thuong, and meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, the researcher said, adding that NA Chairman Hue also met the Governor-General in his visit to Australia four months ago, during which the leaders expressed their support for upgrading the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Hurleys trip is also hoped to contribute to enhancing people-to-people exchange and send a message to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the region at large that Australia pays great attention to its relations with Vietnam and ASEAN.

The message is quite clear  Vietnam holds a special position in Australias relations with the region  Hai said, citing former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison as saying during his visit to Vietnam in 2019 that Vietnam was a close friend.

The researcher noted his belief that the visit will contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations and opening up strong cooperation prospects between the two countries, while creating more foundations and momentum for them to soon achieve the goal of advancing the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership this year.

Moreover, the visit would give a boost to collaboration in other spheres like national defence and security, along with innovation, climate change response, energy transition, green energy and green economy, he said./.
On a clear day in mid-March, Kent Laudon stood in a snow-covered base camp in remote Siskiyou County, waiting for a wolf.

A senior environmental scientist specialist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Laudon had been trying to capture Californias wolves on and off for two years, without success. He has no interest in harming the wolves, though. Hes hoping to save them.

Since September, wolves in the Whaleback Pack have killed more than 20 cows and injured another half-dozen across Siskiyou County. Its the highest concentration of attacks on livestock since wolves first returned to California in 2011. In fact, after 23 years of working with wolves across the

United States, this is the first time Laudon can recall a single pack being linked to so many attacks.

California in 2022 introduced a program to compensate ranchers for wolf-related losses in part to stop ranchers from dealing with problem wolves in their own ways. Wolves arent the only predators who roam these rugged hills, though. So when a calf is found injured or dead, tracking the historical locations of radio-tagged wolves can help prove their involvement. But as of last year, not one California wolf was wearing a fully functioning GPS collar.

Courtesy of Kent Laudon

So on March 17, when a helicopter appeared on the horizon towing an unconscious member of the Whaleback Pack from a dangling longline, Laudon was elated. Theres not much room in this world for wolves, with the way people feel about them, Laudon told SFGATE. Having that collar inserted there to tell us all kinds of things about the population is super important.

Most of the calves targeted by the Whaleback Pack have been residents of Table Rock Ranch, a large cattle operation set squarely within wolf country. The ranch has been using many kinds of deterrents, including a watchman hired to drive around the range at night. But without knowing when wolves were nearby, it was a little like shooting in the dark.

Now, most mornings local ranchers get a text message letting them know the general locations of the two collared wolves. I was optimistic that it would be helpful, as far as making our deterrents more effective, and being at the right place at the right time, Table Rock Ranch manager Janna Gliatto told SFGATE.

Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Ashley Harrell/SFGATE Table Rock Ranch manager Janna Gliatto now receives general information each morning on the historical movements of the collared Whaleback wolves. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE) Table Rock Ranch manager Janna Gliatto now receives general information each morning on the historical movements of the collared Whaleback wolves. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE)

Over the past couple of years, the Whaleback Pack has expanded from the founding pair. Seven pups were born in 2021 and eight in 2022, but it's hard to tell how many there are at the moment, as wolves range over broad areas and often separate from one another for long periods of time. When they last counted in late 2022, state scientists were only able to confirm the presence of six of the packs wolves.

The uptick in depredations is likely happening both because the pack has extra mouths to feed and because the region has few elk and deer, which are usually gray wolves' preferred food source, Laudon told SFGATE. Once the leaders of the pack learn how to hunt cows, he added, they can pass that knowledge on to their pups and other wolves.

The Whaleback Pack is one of three families of wolves currently living in California. Wolves were never actively reintroduced in this state; instead, foundational populations were released in central Idaho and Yellowstone in 1995 and 1996, then made their way into Oregon and dispersed down. In most states where wolves roam, packs that repeatedly harm livestock can be legally hunted, whether by wildlife departments, hunters or ranchers themselves. However, the California Endangered Species Act has fully protected them here since 2014. That makes it illegal for private citizens to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap or capture them  no matter how many cattle turn up half-eaten.

Ashley Harrell/SFGATE

The law doesnt always prevent violence, though. A fourth California family, the Shasta Pack, vanished after ranchers reported seeing pack members feeding on a dead calf. That led wolf advocates to suspect the pack fell victim to the 3 S method of herd protection  shoot, shovel and shut up.

But in Siskiyou County, ranchers have been a model of patience, Laudon said. Californias compensation program will soon begin compensating ranchers who implement deterrents. But that money has been a long time coming; Gliatto says she was promised reimbursement for the range rider months ago, but has yet to see a dime. Still, shes hopeful that the new data from the collared wolves will help with another aspect of the program called pay for presence, where ranchers are reimbursed for the impacts of wolves simply being around, such as stress on the animals.

Courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Most mornings, the collars transmit satellite location data to Laudon about where the wolves were at 2 p.m., 11 p.m., 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. over the previous 24 hours. If a wolf keeps returning to a particular spot, hell let the local cattle owners know to look for a carcass. The sooner a rancher can find a wolf kill, the better the chance there will be evidence left to prove the cause of death.

Two California wolves had working radio collars until last year, including the Whaleback Packs breeding male, OR-85. But a year ago, the batteries died in both wolves collars, leaving not one wolf in the state with a fully working collar. After that, Laudon was essentially blind to where wolves were roaming. That meant no way to tip ranchers off to nearby wolves  and no way to tell whether wolves were falling victim to the 3S method.

Trying and failing to get collars on wolves has been the bane of Laudons existence for the past two years. Wolves are incredibly wily; Laudon once spent 60 straight days setting and monitoring wolf traps. He watched as wolves walked around his traps, and even rolled on top of one. But none of the wolves actually got stuck inside. That left the state with the difficult decision to hire helicopter trappers  a much more costly and difficult operation than trapping wolves on the ground.

Courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife Courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife After record-high livestock kills, Calif. wolves caught in dramatic helicopter hunt. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE) After record-high livestock kills, Calif. wolves caught in dramatic helicopter hunt. (Ashley Harrell/SFGATE)

Theres stress involved in being chased down by this thundering creature from the sky. If theyre with family members theres probably a sense of panic with family members scattering, said Amaroq Weiss, the senior wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. At the same time, being able to be radio-collared may be what ends up saving these wolves lives.

The helicopter hunt was run by Leading Edge Aviation, an animal capture operation based in Idaho that does work for state and federal agencies. While the old collar on OR-85 no longer sent location data to satellites, it did continue to emit a radio signal. In February, the first helicopter sent by Leading Edge was stymied by snowstorm after snowstorm and couldn't find the wolves. They decided to try again in March.

The day before, Laudon went up in the spotter plane with a radio receiver, and eventually located OR-85s signal in a wooded valley. The next day, the team went straight to the valley, where they found three Whaleback wolves. They darted a black yearling, then landed the helicopter and prepared the wolf for travel, blindfolding and hobbling the animal before securing it in a carry bag attached to a longline.

Courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife

After dropping the first wolf at the base camp, the helicopter returned to the valley with a bigger prize in mind: OR-85 himself. After the gunner found his mark, the chopper landed and the team hiked to the wolf to check his vitals, blindfold him, hobble him and place him in the carry bag attached to the longline. (This is only done when wildlife must be lifted from an area that's not safe for the helicopter to land.)

The helicopter returned to camp with the 98-pound animal, where Laudons team took his vitals and drew blood for DNA testing and disease surveillance. "The utmost care is delivered to each wolf during the entire process," he told SFGATE.

Laudon had mixed emotions as he replaced the old collar with a new one  after all, OR-85 had already served his time. Still, Laudon knew it was necessary. The yearling could leave at any moment, but a breeding male almost always stays with his pack.

When the team was done with their tests, they placed the two captured wolves in kennels and drove them back to where they had been captured. Laudon opened the kennel doors and then waited, staying until they were both on their feet and heading back to the wild. As he watched OR-85 trudge away through the snow, he thought about how important this success was for all the stakeholders: ranchers, wolf advocates, scientists and the wolves themselves.

It was such a relief, he said.
NEW YORK (AP)  A judge should reject bail for a wealthy self-exiled Chinese businessman charged in a $1 billion fraud case because hes already trying to obstruct justice from jail, and can flee or do harm if he is freed, no matter how stringent his bail conditions, prosecutors said Monday.

The government submitted a letter in advance of a bail hearing Tuesday for Guo Wengui, saying he has access to tens of millions of dollars to help him flee the United States despite claims that he is unemployed, in bankruptcy proceedings and nearly broke.

The letter argued he's a threat  and at risk to continue a pattern of frauds that has escalated despite intervention by the Securities and Exchange Commission, closing of his financial accounts, receipt of grand jury subpoenas by entities affiliated with him, contempt rulings by judges and the seizure of $630 million.

Guo, 54, listed in court papers under the name Ho Wan Kwok, was arrested March 15 on charges including securities, wire and bank fraud.

Last week, his lawyers proposed a $25 million bail package to include location monitoring, home detention and an armed guard. It was his first bail request.

The lawyers said Guo would not flee, in part because if he left the United States, Chinese authorities would make sure he faced intolerable risks to his life." They said strict bail conditions could ensure he was no harm to others.

Guo, once believed to be among the richest people in China, left his homeland in 2014 as people close to him were swept up in an anti-corruption crackdown. China has accused Guo of rape, kidnapping and bribery. He maintains he is being smeared by the Chinese government as punishment for publicly outing corruption there.

Prosecutors said Guo's bail proposal was woefully inadequate because of his substantial foreign contacts, along with strong incentives and significant resources to flee. And they added that there were no bail conditions that could prevent what they called the pervasive danger his release would pose to the public.

Interviewed by court employees after his arrest, Guo said he'd been unemployed since 2016 and only had $10,000 in assets that were not liquid cash, prosecutors said. He denied owning property or vehicles.

He said his Greenwich, Connecticut estate, which he valued at $9 million, was owned by his wife; his Manhattan penthouse was owned by his son; and his monthly expenses of about $100,000 were paid by his family, prosecutors said.

The U.S. government maintained that Guo has threatened witnesses against him and orchestrated harassment of others.

Prosecutors rejected claims by the defense that Guo is unlikely to flee because he has not left the U.S. in five years, saying his 2017 asylum application precluded travel. They said that he has spent over four of those years using the U.S. as the staging ground to run a billion-dollar fraud enterprise.

As for his claims of near poverty, the government reported that federal agents found over $500,000 in U.S. currency, foreign currency and gold coins in one of his homes  and said that a fugitive in the case who is believed to be living in the United Arab Emirates has access to millions of dollars to help Guo and his family flee.

"The defendant uses dozens of different cellphones and cellphone scramblers; he has relied on an intricate and dense web of shell corporations, middle men, and subterfuge," prosecutors wrote.

They said his "ability to conceal his actions is not speculative. Federal and state court judges have found as much."
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PHOENIX (AP)  A giant red spoon that was stolen from an Arizona Dairy Queen and sparked a mystery on social media was found Monday morning, and it's partly thanks to Pokemon GO.

Michael Foster, 52, was playing the outdoor mobile game when he spotted the 15-foot (4.5-meter) spoon around 7 a.m. It was lying on the ground behind a fence that surrounds a Phoenix middle school baseball field, just 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the scene of the heist.

The first thing I did was send a picture to my wife and I said, Its the spoon. She said call the police," Foster told The Associated Press.

I can confirm the Dairy Queen red spoon was located and recovered this morning, Sgt. Brian Bower said in an email Monday.

Detectives are continuing to search for the suspects who took the spoon, he added. Police are encouraging the public to submit any tips.

A school maintenance man came over and pushed it over the fence to Foster, who handed it to Phoenix police.

I set it down. They actually did the lifting after we got it over the fence, Foster said. They strapped it to the top of a police cruiser.

Foster said nobody else was around and the school was just opening when he saw it.

I did kind of look around and was like What? One guy did finally come by and was like, Is that what I think it is? Yeah, thats the spoon, Foster said.

Phoenix police over the weekend released surveillance footage from March 25 that showed two men and one woman get the spoon out of its base and put it on a large flatbed connected to a pickup truck.

Owners Raman and Puja Kalra said last week that they hoped to get it back. Getting another spoon made, delivered and then installed would cost over $7,000. They even resorted to creative strategies such as printing T-shirts for staff that said Where's My Spoon?

Raman Kalra confirmed Monday in an email he was on his way to pick up the spoon from police.

We are happy to have our spoon back and we are looking forward to the neighborhood creating more smiles and stories with this now world-famous spoon, he said.

Dairy Queen is known for doling out plastic red spoons with their soft serve Blizzards. The Dairy Queen where the theft happened is the only Arizona location with a large red spoon. It's been a popular Instagram photo spot.

The couple, who own 34 locations, also offered a reward of free Blizzard treats for anyone who helped facilitate the spoon's return.

Foster said he doesn't need a reward.

Honestly, were just glad they're gonna get their spoon back," he said.
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NEW YORK (AP) 

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the Ms. Foundations Women of Vision Award in May, the nations oldest womens foundation announced Monday.

The awards will be handed out at the Ms. Foundations annual gala on May 16 at New York Citys Ziegfeld Ballroom, part of its 50th anniversary celebration where funds raised will go toward the organizations equity-centered initiatives.

The foundation will also honor Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalons Maternal Action Project, and Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of URGE, as well as emerging leaders abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna and LGBTQ+ advocate Rebekah Bruesehoff.

Meghan, LaTosha, Wanda, Kimberly, Olivia, and Rebekah are incredible leaders, Teresa C. Younger, Ms. Foundation president and CEO, said in a statement. We are grateful to be able to shine a light on their many accomplishments and tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the country and the world.

Meghan will receive the award for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls from Gloria Steinem, Ms. Foundation co-founder. With her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan directs their philanthropy through their Archewell Foundation.

According to its 2022 annual report, the organization provided 12.66 million COVID-19 vaccines with partner Global Citizen and helped resettle nearly 175,000 refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan in the United States with partner Welcome.US. The foundation also helped build a community play space in Uvalde, Texas, following the school shooting there that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Brown will receive her award for her tireless activism and work to bring about social change through Black Voters Matter, which works with communities to make their voting more effective. According to the group's most recent impact report, the Black Voters Matter Fund now works with more than 400 partners in 25 states and the District of Columbia. The Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute funds voter education, registrations and other programs to expand access to voting.

____

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
NEW YORK (AP)  Leonardo DiCaprio testified Monday at the trial of former Fugee rapper Prakazrel Pras Michel, who is accused of conspiring to funnel money from a Malaysian state fund to Barack Obamas 2012 reelection campaign. Here is a look at the main characters in the international scandal, and the fund that fueled it.

THE PRAS PROSECUTION

Michel was a founding member of the influential 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, along with better-known bandmates Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, who had major hits with Ready or Not and Killing Me Softly With His Song." Prosecutors allege Michel conspired with Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho to funnel money from 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad), a Malaysian state fund established in 2009 to promote development, to Barack Obamas 2012 reelection campaign through straw donors. Prosecutors have said as much as $100 million went through Michel, a 50-year-old New York native who has maintained his innocence. His trial began Thursday.

THE FUGITIVE

DiCaprio testified in the case because of his ties to Low, the alleged architect of the scandal, who has also been indicted in the US but remained an international fugitive as Michel went to trial. The Malaysian financier who helped oversee 1MDB used it to bankroll an extravagant and celebrity-centric lifestyle. He is alleged to have steered billions toward property in Beverly Hills and Manhattan, a superyacht, a private jet and many other splashy purchases. The fund paid for a birthday party for Low where performers included Jamie Foxx, Chris Brown, Ludacris, Busta Ryhmes and Pharrell Williams. Britney Spears jumped out of a cake.

LEO, PICASSO AND THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

DiCaprio, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, has known Michel since the 1990s, and Low professionally and socially for years. The Oscar-winning actor testified that he met and befriended Low at a birthday party in Las Vegas in 2010. Low gave DiCaprio gifts, which he has since returned, including a Picasso painting valued at $3.2 million and a Jean-Michel Basquiat collage valued at $9.2 million. The actor has since returned both artworks. Low has been a regular donor to DiCaprio's charitable foundation.

Low would use money from the fund to finance the Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street, which starred DiCaprio. DiCaprio testified that he had his team and the studio vet Low first, and they found him to be "a legitimate business person wanting to invest in the movie. The films producers included Riza Aziz, stepson of then-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

NAJIB RAZAK'S ROLE

The prime minister became chair of 1MDB when it was established in 2009 with the purported aim of increasing foreign investment. It quickly racked up more than $12 billion in debt. The fund turned into the epicenter of a massive international corruption scandal. The U.S. Justice Department has said more than half of $8 billion raised by bond sales was stolen and siphoned off, a revelation uncovered in 2015 when thousands of documents were leaked.

Najib, who investigators said took hundreds of millions to fund his reelection campaign and pay off politicians, has denied any wrongdoing and fired the attorney general investigating him. Malaysian general elections in 2018 ousted Najib and his party. In 2020, Najib was found guilty of seven charges of corruption and sentenced to 12 years in prison. His appeals have been unsuccessful. Najib was acquitted of another charge at his most recent trial.

OTHER PLAYERS

In 2020, Goldman Sachs acknowledged its role in the embezzlement scheme and paid out more than $2.3 billion as part of a plea deal with the U.S. government. The firm also reached a $3.9 billion settlement with the government of Malaysia. In March, a former Goldman Sachs banker named Roger Ng was sentenced in Brooklyn to 10 years in prison for his role in plundering the fund.

A top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Elliott Broidy, was charged with running an illegal lobbying campaign on Jho Lows behalf to get the Justice Department to drop its investigation into 1MDBs looting. Broidy pleaded guilty, but was then pardoned by Trump, so was never sentenced.
After a four-year hiatus, Ben & Jerrys is bringing back Free Cone Day.

The decadeslong tradition is set to be in full swing April 3 between noon and 8 p.m. at nationwide Ben & Jerrys scoop shops. Customers can also stand in line as many times as they please and choose any Ben & Jerrys ice cream flavor during their visit.

Janna Kaufman, a franchise owner of three Bay Area stores, told SFGATE that she was thrilled to welcome customers back for the event at her Fishermans Wharf locations at Pier 41 and 475 Jefferson St., as well as her Berkeley shop at 2130 Center St.

Local fans know that weve been participating in Free Cone Day for over 30 years, as our family has been in the San Francisco Bay Area Ben & Jerrys business since 1991, Kaufman said.

Kaufman said that the company made the difficult decision to pause Free Cone Day at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to prevent large group gatherings. The last time Ben & Jerrys stores hosted Free Cone Day was in 2019.

The decadeslong tradition began in 1979 at the Ben & Jerrys storefront in Burlington, Vermont. By 1993, nationwide stores collectively joined Free Scoop Day. Ben & Jerrys also has stores at 1480 Haight St. in San Francisco, 505 Embarcadero West in Oakland, and 1136 Main St. in Napa.

Tip: Customers should confirm that local Ben & Jerry's franchise stores are participating in Free Cone Day before their visit.
At the working session (Photo: thoidai.com.vn)

Mr. Kim Seo San, Director of Wonkwang General Hospital, Mr. Jeon Cheon Min, Administrative Director of Wonkwang General Hospital, Mr. Park Cheon Gweon, Administrative Director of Wonkwang Huydo Incheon Nursing Hospital received the Vietnamese representatives.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation directions after the signing of the program of cooperation on medical support for the Vietnamese community in RoK between the Overseas Vietnamese Association in RoK and Wonkwang Health Organization.

The leaders of Wonkwang General Hospital have been ready to connect and support Vietnamese people to examine and treat diseases at the hospital; depending on the particular case, they can reduce out-of-insurance costs up to 50% (including cases without insurance).

The Vietnam EPS Labor Management Office highly appreciates the cooperation of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in RoK and Wonkwang Health Organization and it will actively support the transmission of information to employees in the EPS program by putting information on medical support of Wonkwang Health Organization into the training program before Vietnamese workers are sent to RoK, training before returning to the unit after entering RoK, and introducing the information at meetings in localities as well as through information channels of the EPS Office.

Mr. Luong also outlined a plan to bring information to the overseas Vietnamese community in RoK quickly, and also suggested that Wonkwang Health Organization continue to accompany the activities of the association in the coming time./.
Everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation, even the tooth fairy, according to a recent survey.

The Original Tooth Fairy Poll from a dental insurance company shows the average national cash gift from the tooth fairy has hit a record $6.23 per tooth.

Delta Dental of Illinois has been analyzing the tooth fairys giving trends in the United States for 25 years.

Since the polls inception, the average cash gift has surged 379% from $1.30 per tooth in 1998 to $6.23 this year.

If the same growth rate continues for the next quarter century, the tooth fairy can expect to place $30 under the pillow for a single tooth in 2048.

Naperville, Illinois, mother of two Karin Barden suspects the 2023 figure is high because other tooth fairies carry no wallet cash and the local ATM only dispenses $20 bills.

Barden doesnt have to worry.

Her familys tooth fairy obtained a stack of $2 bills from the bank when her oldest childs first tooth was loose.

The first one was wiggly for days, she said, but now a tooth can fall out at dinner, she said. With two kids losing teeth at the same time, the secret stash comes in handy, she said.

A father of four kids, Naperville City Councilman Holzhauer said his familys tooth fairy is very busy and sometimes forgetful.

One time it took a month  and a note from the child  for the fairy to remember, he said.

Typically, children in the Holzhauer household get $1.

In the case where it had been a month, it was a bit more because of tacked-on interest and guilt, he said.

What we really should do is put a tap-to-pay under their pillow, Holzhauer said.

Kids in the Barden and Holzhauer homes might want to negotiate a better deal with their tooth fairies.

Thats because the poll shows Midwestern children received 32% more from the tooth fairy than they did in 2022.

According to the Delta Dental survey, kids in the Midwest on average find $5.63 per lost tooth under their pillows, which is up $1.36 from last year.

Thats less than children in the Northeast, who get $6.14 per tooth on average, or kids in the West, who collect $6.25.

The best place for a kid with a loose tooth is in the South, where the tooth fairy doles out $6.59 per tooth on average.

Over the last 25 years, the Original Tooth Fairy Poll has typically mirrored the U.S. economys overall direction, tracking with the trends of Standard & Poors 500 Index.

The past year was a bit different.

While the average value of a single lost tooth increased 16% over the past year, the S&P 500 experienced an 11% decline during the same period.

____

2023 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Legendary San Francisco drag performer Heklina was found dead in London on Monday morning, just days before she was slated to co-star in the musical theater parody Mommie Queerest alongside Peaches Christ, also known as Joshua Grannell, at the Soho Theatre.

I am shocked and horrified to bring this news to you, read a statement shared to social media by Grannell, who said that he went to pick up his friend earlier that morning and discovered she was dead. ... I know this is shocking news and I am beyond stunned, but I wanted to let folks know what has happened. Heklina is not just my best friend, but a beloved icon of our community. I am a mess."

The Soho Theatre confirmed Heklinas death in a statement on Twitter. Her cause of death has not yet been revealed by authorities.

Soho Theatre, @HOME_mcr and Tim Whitehead are in shock and incredibly saddened with news of Heklina's passing, read the tweet. Our thoughts are with Peaches, Mommie Queerest company, Heklina's family, friends + their wider community. Together with HOME well be in contact with audiences tomorrow.

Santiago Felipe/Getty Images

Heklina, born Stefan Grygelko, was born in Minneapolis and moved to San Francisco after living in Iceland for a few years. Her drag name was inspired by Hekla, one of the countrys most active volcanoes. She was a luminary of the San Francisco drag scene who started hosting the long-running weekly series Mother, formerly known as T-shack, at the Stud in 1996 when she was just 28 years old. The gritty DIY punk drag party, which found a home at DNA Lounge in 2008, became one of the most popular drag shows on the West Coast and was visited by the B52s, Charo, the Go-Go's and more.

"When I moved to San Francisco, I fell in love with the punk style of some of the drag queens," Heklina told the Bay Area Reporter in 2008. "I never sat down and said, 'I want to be a drag queen and run a nightclub.' When it happened and took off, it was kind of like I was meant to do this."

Heklina later co-opened the SoMa drag venue Oasis in 2015 and was an emcee of a number of popular city events, including Pride and the Folsom Street Fair. She moved to Palm Springs in 2019 but frequently returned to the city for "Golden Girls Live!" performances during the holidays and Daytime Realness, a monthly party hosted at El Rio.

Fellow drag performers, city officials, filmmakers, activists and more shared an outpouring of tributes for the icon on Monday.

The Stud Collective said it "dearly mourned Heklina, whose immense influence and generosity throughout most of the nightclub's historyand drag history in generalcannot be overstated."

"Her parties changed the way the world looked at the artform, and made it accessible to several new generations of performers and promoters," the collective continued in a statement provided to SFGATE. "Without Heklina, San Francisco would not be the capital of irreverent, hilarious, non-commercialized, punk-glamour drag, a beacon for proudly self-identified freaks and talented outcasts the world over. Thank you, Heklina, for holding us all beneath your enormous wigs."

Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said she was "absolutely devastated."

@Heklina and I have been friends and worked together for more than 20 years. She is one of the funniest people Ive ever known. This is a nightmare," Roma tweeted on Monday.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus said they were "heartbroken" and "saddened" to learn of her death.

"From her activism, to her role in keeping SF nightlife alive, to her contributions to Drag as a whole, it is impossible to overstate the impact she has had on the queer community," they said in a tweet.

The Castro Theatre also honored Heklina on its iconic marquee.

We are shocked and devastated to learn of the passing of Heklina today, a statement from Oasis read. Oasis will be open at 4pm for drinks, stories, and community, if youd like to come by. Sending love to all.

This breaking news story has been updated.
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man whose death last month at a Virginia mental hospital has sparked outrage and led to second-degree murder charges against 10 defendants, died of positional and mechanical asphyxia with restraints, a medical examiner's office said Monday.

Arkuie Williams, the administrative deputy in the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, confirmed the cause of death findings to The Associated Press after attorneys for Otieno's family first shared them in a statement. The manner of death was homicide, Williams wrote in an email.

Otieno, who struggled with mental illness, died March 6 after he was pinned to the floor while being admitted to Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County.

Video released earlier this month showed sheriffs deputies and hospital employees restraining a handcuffed and shackled Otieno for about 20 minutes after he was forcibly led into a hospital room. For much of that time, Otieno was prone on the floor, pinned by a group so large it blocked the cameras view of him at times.

Personnel who realized he appeared limp and lifeless eventually began resuscitation efforts, the video showed.

The official cause and manner of death is not surprising to us as it corroborates what the world witnessed in the video," family attorneys Ben Crump and Mark Krudys said in a statement. "In a chilling parallel to George Floyds killing, Irvo was held down and excessively restrained to death, when he should have been provided medical help and compassion. It is tragic that yet another life has been lost to this malicious and deadly restraint technique.

Seven deputies and three hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder in Otieno's death.

The local prosecutor who brought the charges has previously said in court that Otieno was smothered to death.

No additional information from the autopsy beyond the cause and manner of death can be released by the medical examiner's office, Williams said.

Otieno was laid to rest last week. Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton and other speakers at his funeral said his death shows the need for mental health and policing reforms.

Otienos family and their attorneys have said Otieno was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement, days before he was taken to the state hospital. He was first taken into police custody in Henrico County March 3, when he was transported to a local hospital for mental health treatment under an emergency custody order.

Police have said that while at the local hospital, he became physically assaultive toward officers, at which point they arrested him and took him to a local jail, something Otienos family says should never have happened given that he was in need of treatment. On the afternoon of March 6, he was transferred to the state hospital, which has a unit that provides care for people admitted from jails or by court order.

Some of the attorneys for the defendants charged in his death have said their clients were only trying to restrain Otieno. Otienos family and their attorneys have said he posed no danger to them and was simply trying to breathe during the encounter at the hospital shown on video.

All defendants have been granted bond and court records show pre-trial hearings in April or May.

AP sought comment on the medical examiner's findings from defense attorneys for each of the defendants. Attorneys Emily Munn, Emilee Hasbrouck and G. Russell Stone, declined to comment.

Attorney Ed Riley, who represents one of the deputies, said he couldn't comment on the merits of the findings without having seen the full autopsy report. He said he worried that public statements from the attorneys for Otieno's family as well as other public disclosures in the case, including the video, could hinder the defendants' right to a fair trial.

Other attorneys did not respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

___

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report.
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The president of a private university in Minnesota that was criticized for firing a professor who showed a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in an art history class announced Monday that she is retiring next year.

Hamline University President Fayneese Miller said at a news conference that although the school has been in the headlines, journalists were reporting on a false narrative.

Issues arose in October when Erika Lopez Prater showed a 14th-century painting depicting the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art, after warning them beforehand and giving them an opportunity to opt out. In Islam, portraying the Prophet Muhammad has long been taboo for many, and a Muslim student in the class complained to the university.

Lopez Prater has since sued the liberal arts school in St. Paul over Millers decision not to renew her contract. Her attorneys didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Miller previously conceded that she mishandled the episode, but insisted Monday that the school believes in free speech.

Never has Hamline University violated anyones academic freedom, she said. I want to make that perfectly clear.

Miller said she wants to spend more time with her husband, who lives in Vermont. They didn't meet in person for more than a year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she wants to make my family whole again.

Some local Muslim groups criticized Lopez Prater, but the national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country's largest Muslim advocacy organization, disputed claims that her actions were Islamophobic. The group said professors who analyze images of the Prophet Muhammad for academic purposes are not the same as Islamophobes who show such images to cause offense.

However, the group's Minnesota chapter on Monday repeated its position that the lesson was disrespectful, and condemned what they described as Millers forced retirement.

We believe that her support for Muslim students and her stance against Islamophobia ultimately cost her job, the groups executive director, Jaylani Hussein, said in a statement.

Faculty at the school were so upset about what happened to Lopez Prater that they called in a January vote for Miller to resign, objecting to what they considered a violation of academic freedom.

The faculty I talked to today, its not what people wanted, but its enough, Jim Scheibel, the Faculty Council president, said Monday.

He said Miller will partly be on sabbatical, and may help with the new president's transition. She officially retires on June 30, 2024.

Faculty, he added, recognize theres a lot of hard work that needs to be done.

The school's retirement announcement was filled with praise for Miller, who is the school's first Black president, describing highlights of her tenure and how she had created a reputation for Hamline as an institution that welcomes students from diverse backgrounds. Several student groups previously defended her in a letter to the student newspaper.

Board of Trustees Chair Ellen Watters said Miller's departure was not related to the Islamic art controversy and that her eight-year tenure is relatively long.

Hamline has been around for 170 years and we are determined to be her for another 170 years, he said.

Vice Chair Reuben Moore offered a similar assessment, saying he was saddened by Miller's retirement but excited about this huge opportunity for the school to double down on equity and inclusion on campus."

He described her as a wonderful human and amazing talent.

Although its not mentioned in the Quran, Islams ban on depicting the Prophet Muhammad has run firm through the centuries. Islamic tradition is full of written descriptions of Muhammad and his qualities  describing him as the ideal human being. But clerics generally have agreed that trying to depict that ideal is forbidden. The ban is further rooted in a wider prohibition against images or statues of human beings.

There have been exceptions. A rich tradition of depicting Muhammad emerged in miniatures and illustrations for manuscripts from around 1200 to 1700. The art is mainly from Turkey and Iran, where pictorial traditions were stronger than in the Arab world. The paintings often show traditional stories from Muhammads life, although in some the prophets face is obscured by a veil or a plume of flame.
HARTFORD  As Hartford continues to tackle its absentee landlord problem, Mayor Luke Bronin rolled out updates to the rental licensing program in hopes that giving unproblematic landlords extra time to get licensed will encourage compliance with the program.

Hartford rolled out a rental licensing program in 2021 in the wake of the No More Slumlords campaign and lawsuit that drew attention to the sometimes abhorrent living conditions for tenants in the city. The program required all landlords who owned properties with three or more units to apply for a rental license and complete an inspection.

"What it really did was, in an unprecedented way, Hartford took on evaluating the quality of the entire inventory of rental housing, three families and larger, as to its safety and its appropriateness for for renting out to persons," said Judith Rothschild, director of blight remediation, housing code enforcement and rental licensing for the city. "The quality of life that was expected to result from this sort of ambitious, proactive licensing program was expected to be significant in raising the bar for quality of life for all housing renters in Hartford."

On Monday, Bronin announced amendments to the rental licensing program at a public hearing that drew no speakers in favor or opposing the measure. The changes will provide landlords who have not applied to the program some extra time to apply so long as they have not had citations for five or more violations within a 90-day period in the last two years.

While the program's goal is to license all residential units with three or more units, Rothschild estimated that only about 60 percent of the rentals required to be licensed have applied. She hopes the extension will help more landlords comply with the application process and give the city time to complete the inspections, which are rigorous.

"We also have discovered that because it is such a really an immense program and requires inspections from city departments in each and every case, that it's going to take some time for us to be able to get through the licensing inspections for the entire rental stock within the city of Hartford," Rothschild said. "We are moving as fast as we can. And as I said, we've discovered violations along the way which have to be resolved before it can be licensed."

The deadlines for compliance are staggered by the number of units at a given property. All of the deadlines are delayed two years. For example, a property owner who previously expected to comply by July 2021 will now have to apply by July 2023.

The Connecticut Tenants Union has been organizing for increased housing code inspectors and landlord accountability in the city for months. Stefan Keller, a Hartford resident who has been advocating alongside Hartford tenants in the union, said he hopes the city will hold the landlords to the new deadlines and impose fines if they do not comply.

"It sounds like even if the original deadlines are being held to, the city still needed more time to process things." Keller said. "From where we stand right now, I think we want to see the city hold fast to these current deadlines, make sure it's not extended again ... like if a landlord does not complete the application or is non-responsive, getting them a fine so that they come into compliance with the program."

Cori Mackey, executive director at The Center for Leadership and Justice, an organization involved in the No More Slumlords campaign, said it makes sense that a program as extensive as this would require tweaks over time to ensure it is most effective. However, she said that more aggressive fines are needed.

"Some of these changes that are being implemented, or some of these new amendments that are being made, are just showing too much grace to landlords that have had a lot of grace over many years," Mackey said. "And those suffering are the tenants, and so we would just like to see a more aggressive fining structure in place, less leniency around that."

Rothschild said that if landlords do not complete the process within two years, they are subject to fines of up to $100 per day per unit in a rental that is being rented in noncompliance.

"We would enforce it, and we have every intention of enforcing it," Rothschild said.

Each license will last four years before owners are required to apply again. But it does not mean that property owners are immune to code violations in the interim.

"Keep in mind that just because you're licensed does not mean that you get a ride for four years without the requirement to comply with any city or state code that applies to your building," Rothschild said. "For example, the fire marshal comes into buildings three or larger once a year for fire inspections. That does not go away with this program."
Justice Department and FBI investigators have amassed fresh evidence pointing to possible obstruction by former president Donald Trump in the investigation into top-secret documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home, according to people familiar with the matter.

The additional evidence comes as investigators have used emails and text messages from a former Trump aide to help understand key moments last year, said the people, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation.

The new details highlight the degree to which special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified national security papers at Trump's Florida home and private club has come to focus on the obstruction elements of the case - whether the former president took or directed actions to impede government efforts to collect all the sensitive records.

The emphasis on obstruction marks a key distinction so far between the Mar-a-Lago investigation and a separate Justice Department probe into how a much smaller number of classified documents ended up in an insecure office of President Biden's, as well as his Delaware home. The Trump investigation is much further along than the Biden probe, which began in November and is being overseen by a different special counsel, Robert K. Hur. Biden's lawyers say they have quickly handed over all classified documents found in Biden's possession.

The Trump investigation team has spent much of its time focusing on events that happened after Trump's advisers received a subpoena in May demanding the return of all documents with classified markings, the people familiar with the matter said. Smith is trying to determine if Trump or others mishandled national security documents, and if there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge him with obstructing the investigation.

The Mar-a-Lago investigation is one of four separate criminal probes involving Trump, who is campaigning for another term in the White House. Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury that heard evidence about money paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. He is set to make his first court appearance in that case Tuesday. He is also being investigated by the Justice Department and a state prosecutor in Georgia over efforts to block Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

An FBI spokesman referred questions to a spokesman for the special counsel, who declined to comment.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a written statement: "The witch-hunts against President Trump have no basis in facts or law. The deranged special counsel and the DoJ have now resorted to prosecutorial misconduct by illegally leaking information to corrupt the legal process and weaponize the justice system in order to manipulate public opinion and conduct election interference, because they are clearly losing all across the board."

The statement went on to point to the Biden classified documents probe, as well as the investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, suggesting that conduct there was worse than anything that happened at Mar-a-Lago. "President Trump is the only leader fighting for the Constitution and to protect the American people from being abused by those who want to destroy our system of government," Cheung said.

In the classified documents case, federal investigators have gathered new and significant evidence that after the subpoena was delivered, Trump looked through the contents of some of the boxes of documents in his home, apparently out of a desire to keep certain things in his possession, the people familiar with the investigation said.

Investigators now suspect, based on witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, that boxes including classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served, and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes, these people said. While Trump's team returned some documents with classified markings in response to the subpoena, a later FBI search found more than 100 additional classified items that had not been turned over.

Court papers filed seeking judicial authorization for the FBI to conduct the search of Trump's home show agents believed that "evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises."

The application for court approval for that search said agents were pursuing evidence of violations of statutes including 18 USC 1519, which makes it a crime to alter, destroy, mutilate or conceal a document or tangible object "with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency."

A key element in most obstruction cases is intent, because to bring such a charge, prosecutors have to be able to show that whatever actions were taken were done to try to hinder or block an investigation. In the Trump case, prosecutors and federal agents are trying to gather any evidence pointing to the motivation for Trump's actions.

The Washington Post reported in October that Trump's valet, Walt Nauta, had told investigators that he moved boxes at Mar-a-Lago at the former president's instruction after the subpoena was issued. Smith's team has video surveillance footage corroborating that account, The Post reported, and considers the evidence significant.

In addition, the people familiar with the investigation said, authorities have another category of evidence that they consider particularly helpful as they reconstruct events from last spring: emails and texts of Molly Michael, an assistant to the former president who followed him from the White House to Florida before she eventually left that job last year. Michael's written communications have provided investigators with a detailed understanding of the day-to-day activity at Mar-a-Lago at critical moments, these people said.

Michael's lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

Investigators have also amassed evidence indicating that Trump told others to mislead government officials in early 2022, before the subpoena, when the National Archives and Records Administration was working with the Justice Department to try to recover a wide range of papers, many of them not classified, from Trump's time as president, the people familiar with the investigation said. While such alleged conduct may not constitute a crime, it could serve as evidence of the former president's intent.

These people said prosecutors have collected evidence that Trump ignored requests from multiple advisers to return the documents to the archives over a period of a year, that he asked advisers and lawyers to release false statements claiming he had returned all documents, and that he grew angry after being subpoenaed for the documents.

Investigators also have evidence that Trump sought advice from other lawyers and advisers on how he could keep documents after being told by some on his team that he could not, people familiar with the investigation said. They have collected evidence that multiple advisers warned Trump that trying to keep the documents could be legally perilous.

As investigators piece together what happened in May and June of last year, they have been asking witnesses if Trump showed classified documents, including maps, to political donors, people familiar with those conversations said.

Such alleged conduct could demonstrate Trump's habits when it came to classified documents, and what may have motivated him to want to keep the papers. The Post has previously reported that Trump told aides he did not want to return documents and other items from his presidency - which by law are supposed to remain in government custody - because he believed they belonged to him.

Investigators have also asked witnesses if Trump showed a particular interest in material relating to Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, people familiar with those interviews said. Milley was appointed by Trump but drew scorn and criticism from Trump and his supporters after a series of revelations in books about Milley's efforts to rein in Trump toward the end of his term. In 2021, Trump repeatedly complained publicly about Milley, calling him an "idiot."

The people did not say whether investigators specified what material related to Milley they were focused on. The Post could not determine what has led prosecutors to press some witnesses on those specific points or how relevant they may be to the overall picture that Smith's team is trying to build of Trump's actions and intent.

But people familiar with the matter stressed that a major thrust of the investigation has been the question of obstruction, and whether Trump sought to deliberately prevent officials from gathering all of the classified material at Mar-a-Lago.

The case stretches back to efforts by Archives officials to retrieve documents and other items from the former president in 2021, after they came to believe that some presidential records from the Trump administration - such as letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - were unaccounted for, and perhaps in Trump's possession.

After months of back-and-forth, Trump agreed in January to turn over 15 boxes of material. When archivists examined the material, they found 184 documents marked classified, including 25 marked top secret, which were scattered throughout the boxes in no particular order, according to court filings.

That discovery suggested to authorities that Trump had not turned over all the classified documents in his possession when he left the White House. In May, a grand jury subpoena demanded the return of classified documents with a wide variety of markings, including a category used for secrets about nuclear weapons.

In response to the subpoena, Trump's advisers met with government agents and prosecutors at Mar-a-Lago in early June, handing over a sealed envelope containing another 38 classified documents, including 17 marked top secret, according to court papers. According to government filings, Trump's representatives claimed at the meeting that a diligent search had been conducted for all classified documents at the club.

Agents continued to gather evidence that suggested Trump was not fully complying with either government requests or subpoena demands, and that his team might have misled authorities and possibly held onto some sensitive files.

On Aug. 8, FBI agents conducted a surprise court-ordered search of Mar-a-Lago and found 103 documents marked classified, including 18 marked top secret, according to court papers. The investigation has recovered documents that describe highly sensitive U.S. intelligence efforts aimed at China, one document describing Iran's missile program and material covering other sensitive topics, including nuclear secrets.

Smith's team has been presenting witnesses and evidence for months to a grand jury in Washington focused on the Mar-a-Lago probe, even as a separate grand jury at the same federal courthouse hears evidence related to efforts to block the results of the 2020 election, and the state-level prosecutors in New York and Georgia press forward with their cases.

The Mar-a-Lago prosecutors recently won a court fight that allowed them to question Trump's lawyer, Evan Corcoran, before the grand jury about what he knew about the documents.

Grand jury proceedings are secret, and Smith has given no public indication of the pace of his investigation or when he expects it to be finished.
Although police shared details of the incident on April 1, agency leaders said it was not intended as an April Fool's prank.

According to police in Farmington, Maine, a 911 call was made Friday afternoon reporting a 43-year-old woman was injured by a cow on the Whistle Stop Trail in West Farmington.
NEW HAVEN  Peter Kupfer  who began life in New Haven as Peter Cooper  only knew so much about his father and his missing German Jewish family while growing up on Willow Street. That limited familial knowledge carried into his adulthood while working in journalism in different roles, including reporting for the Bridgeport Post and copy editing at the San Francisco Chronicle.

He knew his grandfather, Otto Kupfer, lived in Weiden, a small city in Bavaria  and died in the Holocaust.

He knew that as a young man before leaving Germany at age 30 in 1937, his father, Robert Kupfer, who became Robert Cooper after arriving in the United States, lived a privileged life.

But his father was always fairly distant. Aside from a tattered book of old photographs, Kupfer's family history  which his father, like many Holocaust survivors, didn't talk about much  was largely a mystery.

So after his father died in 1976, Peter Kupfer started learning all he could, ultimately returning to his father's old hometown, where his late grandfather owned a glass factory, multiple times. He found some people who knew his grandfather and others who helped him research it.

Then he wrote a book about it, a memoir of his search for what happened to members of his family, woven with his own story as a gay man growing up in 1960s America.

Now Kupfer, who lives in San Francisco, has published "The Glassmaker's Son: Looking for the World My Father Left Behind in Nazi Germany" through Amsterdam Publishers.

He is returning to New Haven to discuss it in early May in a full-circle move.

As Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which runs from sunset April 17 to sunset April 18, approaches, Kupfer is preparing to return to the area to speak about the book on May 5 at 6 p.m. at Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden and May 6 at 2 p.m. at the Mitchell Branch Library in the city's Westville section.

As a longtime journalist, Kupfer struggled with how much of himself to put into the book. So he cut some of his recollections of life growing up in New Haven  although his references to attending elementary school at Worthington Hooker School and junior high at Sleeping Giant Junior High in Hamden remain.

Some of his struggles over his sexuality and how that affected his relationship with his father also remain.

"As a journalist, we're trained not to write about ourselves," Kupfer said. "I was trying to write from the perspective of a second-generation son of a Holocaust survivor."

"Growing up, basically, as a kid, the Holocaust seemed like ancient history because my dad never spoke about it," Kupfer said. "All I knew was that my grandfather died in a concentration camp ... No details, and "I didn't really know the name of the camp."

For his father, "It's like his life began the day he stepped off the boat," he said.

"I was curious from a young age ... One of the few personal items he was able to bring with him was this album of photographs," populated by "nice, well-dressed people, nice homes. It was clear from the pictures that my father brought that he was living a very privileged life."

After his father died, "I found a cache of old letters between my dad and his father, during the time when they were trying to get my grandfather out of Germany."

That started his search.

From a New York attorney who worked with his father, Kupfer obtained a thick manila envelope full of documents, including his father's German birth certificate, drivers license, and passport, as well as the passenger list of the SS Bremen, the ship on which he sailed to America, dated October 19, 1937.

It also contained a faded yellow form  his grandfather's death certificate  which told him that Otto Kupfer died in Theresienstadt, a Jewish ghetto in western Czechoslovakia, on Dec. 27, 1942

Kupfer eventually went to Weiden for the first time in 1979, three years after his father died, and ended up attending the final meeting of the factory his family had once owned  on the day it closed for good  surrounded by men who had worked there  and got to know a German newspaper reporter who did a story on him.

Kupfer said that the reporter, Inge Roegner, later helped him research his family  and ultimately became a lifelong friend with whom he still is in touch.

Along the way, he learned that after the Nazis took over and removed his grandfather from his home, they actually took over his grandfather's home, and "the Nazi leadership was sleeping in his bed, or at least occupying his house," Kupfer said.

Kupfer ended up visiting Weiden a total of six times, he said. "My first trip there I was 28, and now I'm 71."

Most recently, Kupfer returned to Weiden a few months ago for a "Stolpersteine" (stumbling stones) memorial ceremony, he said. An artist created a series of plaques and put them outside the homes of some of the victims of the Holocaust, including his grandfather, he said.

"Ironically, it was the Jewish community that was actually opposed to it" because they didn't want a memorial people could walk on. But ultimately, they supported it, and the Nov. 22 date of the ceremony, which honored his grandfather and about 10 other relatives, "was the official launch date of my book."

So what did Kupfer get out of delving so deeply for so long into the painful issues involving how his family members were wiped out?

"I would say, for me, the thing I got out of this book obviously was just learning things about my family that I never knew  about my grandfather's house, about the glassmaking factory," he said.

Kupfer discovered that his grandfather owned not just one factory but about 20 factories across Bavaria and Bohemia.

"The more surprising part was that I felt differently about myself after writing this book," he said. "I felt more grounded. I felt more comfortable in my own skin.

"As a result of writing the book, I feel more grounded and rooted, and like I know myself better," he said.

He said he's looking forward to returning to talk about the book. He plans to spend a few days first in New York, where he also lived for a few years, "then I'm going to speak at the synagogue, Mishkan Israel, which is going to be very meaningful for me  because I don't think I've been there since I was Bar Mitzvahed."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Kupfer's book was published through Amsterdam Publishers.
RIGA, Latvia - Russian authorities on Monday arrested a 26-year-old antiwar activist in connection with an explosion that killed a prominent pro-war blogger and wounded more than 30 people at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the bombing that killed propagandist Maxim Fomin as a terrorist attack and blamed the Ukrainian government, which he said "supports terrorist actions."

The explosion at Street Food Bar No. 1 on Sunday was the second blast in a major Russian city targeting a pro-war commentator. In August, Daria Dugina, a television commentator and staunch supporter of the war with Ukraine, was killed in a car bombing that Russia blamed on Ukrainian security services. Dugina was the daughter of Alexander Dugin, a far-right Russian ideologue.

Russian independent media reported that Daria Trepova, the antiwar activist arrested in St. Petersburg, had also been detained at a demonstration at the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and jailed for 10 days.

Local media published images showing Trepova handing a figurine to Fomin, who was giving a talk to fans at an event organized by the pro-war group Cyberfront Z. The figurine exploded.

In a video published by Russia's Interior Ministry on Monday, Trepova admitted bringing the figurine, of a miner, to the cafe, but she would not say on camera who asked her to give it to Fomin. However, she said she would give this information to investigators. "May I tell you later?" she said.

Fomin, a 40-year-old whose pen name was Vladlen Tatarsky, was born in eastern Ukraine. He was jailed for a bank robbery in 2011 and fought against Ukraine in the separatist uprising fomented by Moscow following Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea. His pro-war blog on Telegram has more than 560,000 followers.

Fomin was among a group of nationalist military bloggers famous enough to be invited to some Kremlin events. He was present at a Sept. 30 ceremony marking Russia's illegal annexation of four Ukrainian territories - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - which Moscow has been trying to seize by force. At the time, Fomin recorded a video in which he said, "We'll defeat everyone, we'll kill everyone, we'll rob everyone we need to. Everything will be the way we like it."

Russia's National Antiterrorism Committee accused Ukrainian security services of organizing Sunday's attack and claimed without providing evidence that the Anti-Corruption Foundation of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny also was involved.

Ivan Zhdanov, director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, called the claims about his group "complete nonsense and some kind of fantasy of FSB officers," referring to Russia's Federal Security Service. He said on Twitter that it was obvious from the outset that authorities would try to blame the organization.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak posted on Twitter that it was only a matter of time before "domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight" in Russia. He said the cafe attack was a sign that "spiders are eating each other in a jar."

The cafe blast is the latest attack on Russian soil amid the war with Ukraine. Drones strikes and sabotage have forced Russian authorities to install air defenses on buildings in Moscow and locations around the capital.

The Kremlin was quick to cite the attack as a justification for its war.

"Russia is facing the Kyiv regime," Peskov said after a journalist asked whether Russia was facing a wave of terrorism because of the war. "This is a regime that supports terrorist actions. The regime that is behind the murder of Daria Dugina. This is the regime that may well be behind the murder of Fomin."

Using Moscow's euphemism for the war, he added: "This is a regime that has been behind the killing of people for years, since 2014. This is why a special military operation is being conducted."

Trepova's arrest suggests that Russia's crackdown on domestic opponents of the war will intensify. President Vladimir Putin last month ordered law enforcement to take tougher action to root out internal "enemies."

According to Russian media, Trepova worked for some years at a vintage clothing shop in St. Petersburg but resigned several months ago and left for Moscow. She reportedly had returned to St. Petersburg in recent days.

Pro-war military bloggers such as Fomin have emerged as a crucial propaganda force in promoting Russia's narrative, particularly to a domestic audience that does not rely on mainstream state television broadcasts.

The bloggers offer raw, sometimes gruesome war coverage. They also have been highly critical of the Russian Defense Ministry over military retreats and setbacks in Ukraine last year.

The Kremlin, which is quick to crush dissent from pacifists and antiwar activists, has tolerated criticism of the military operation from pro-war bloggers. Some pro-Kremlin analysts have suggested that these bloggers may emerge as a nationalist opposition force in the future, albeit a docile one aligned with the agenda of the Putin regime.

Valentina Matviyenko, chairwoman of Russia's upper house of parliament, said Fomin "did a lot for our future victory."

He "not only fought in the militia, collected help for our soldiers, but, most importantly, he formed the people's understanding of the special operation," she said, speaking of his blog. She said he was targeted because of his public commentary.

In the wake of the cafe attack, hard-liners called for harsh action against domestic opponents of the war.

"During the nine years of the conflict, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine has created a large network consisting of liberal-minded youth. They were identified and recruited at rallies against the current government," said Andrei Rudenko, a military blogger and state television reporter.

Rudenko said that only Ukraine's intelligence chief knew how many more people like Trepova were wandering around Russia. "But I'm sure there are many," he said. "Our intelligence services must knock out this liberal layer, and find and deal with every one of these walking time bombs."

Vasily Piskarev, the head of the Committee on Security and Corruption Control in the State Duma, called the cafe attack terrorism and said it showed "the bestial nature of our enemies."

According to Russia's Health Ministry, 32 people were injured, 10 of them seriously.

Trepova's husband, Dmitry Rylov, who lives in Georgia, told liberal Russian media Telegram channel We Can Explain that she was framed. He described her as a "very kind and empathetic person, who would never go for killing."

He said that he had spoken to Trepova after the attack and that she told him she had believed the figurine contained a concealed device that allowed "access" to Fomin. "But it definitely wasn't supposed to be a bomb," Rylov said.

Yevgeniy Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, once owned a restaurant at the premises. He said in comments released by his press office that he had handed the location over to Cyberfront Z, which used it for meetings. It was not clear whether he retained ownership.

But Prigozhin said the attacks on Dugina and Fomin were unlikely to have been ordered by the Ukrainian government and were more likely to have been carried out by a "group of radicals."
That is according to a latest the U.K. Defense Ministrys Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine.

"While Russia has suffered up to 200,000 casualties since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a significant minority of these have been due to non-combat causes," the update reads.

It is noted that on March 27, 2023, a Russian Telegram news channel reported there have been "extremely high" numbers of incidents, crimes, and deaths linked to alcohol consumption amongst the deployed Russian forces.

"Other leading causes of non-combat casualties likely include poor weapon handing drills, road traffic accidents and climatic injuries such as hypothermia. Russian commanders likely identify pervasive alcohol abuse as particularly detrimental to combat effectiveness," the update says.

The UK Defense Intelligence noted that with heavy drinking pervasive across much of Russian society, "it has long been seen as a tacitly accepted part of military life, even on combat operations."

"If you've never seen a monkey with a grenade, then take a look" - reads the caption to the video, which shows drunk russian mobilized soldiers trying to teach their drunk colleague how to use an AT hand grenade.

Earlier the UK Defense Intelligence Said russian Authorities Try to Recruit 400,000 More to Wage War with Ukraine But it Not the Tool to Win.

As Defense Express reported, The UK Defense Intelligence Said russia Lost at Least Six Zoopark-1M Counter-Battery Radars With a Little Chance to Restore Them. We also wrote that Ukrainian Ground Forces' Commander Said Near Dozen Russian UAVs Shot Down in Bakhmut Area in the Week.
On Saturday  two days after a grand jury indicted former President Donald Trump, securing his place in history as the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges  a small group of supporters gathered in Orange County, California, to protest the indictment.

During the gathering near the Huntington Beach Pier on Saturday afternoon, the group of roughly 40 people flew Make America Great Again flags and chanted God bless Trump! At one point, two demonstrators were hit on their heads with skateboards during a clash.

Because the indictment remains sealed, the precise criminal charges arent yet clear, but the investigation presented to the grand jury in New York focused on Trumps alleged role in a scheme to pay hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the final push of his 2016 campaign.

The indictment marks only one of the potential legal problems for Trump, who has declared that he will seek the presidency again in 2024. He also faces investigations into his alleged involvement in 2020 election interference by his supporters and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, as well as his handling of classified documents after leaving office.

Attorneys for the former president said in a statement that their client didnt commit any crimes and Republican allies have portrayed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office presented the case to the grand jurors, as a far-left prosecutor working to ensure that Trump wont get elected in 2024.

After he was indicted, Trump  who is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday  put out a statement characterizing the indictment as Political Persecution and a Witch-Hunt fueled by Radical Left Democrats.

Some of the demonstrators on Saturday echoed such language, referring to what they called a fake indictment and just a sham.

Irfan Khan/TNS

A few minutes after noon, two demonstrators were hit with skateboards. One of the victims  a man who had been leading the chants  was bleeding from the head but ambulatory. The other refused to give his name to a Los Angeles Times reporter.

Huntington Beach police initially detained two men at the scene. Huntington Beach Police Department spokesperson Jessica Cuchilla said one person was taken into custody.

She said one of the victims was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and that the incident was under investigation.

One of the demonstrators, who identified himself as 18-year-old Joseph Edward of Redlands, said he witnessed the attack against his fellow demonstrators and said it was unprovoked.

It was intended to be peaceful, Edward said. We dont want this. We dont want it to happen again.

Around two dozen protesters gathered on the corner of Veteran Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard outside the Federal Building on Saturday afternoon sporting American flags and pro-Trump signs. Chants of We love Trump blared through a pair of bullhorns.

The scene was peaceful, save for a man in a BMW who threw a water bottle at the crowd as he drove by.

Michelle Henney, a Westside resident who said she was at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, called the indictment a witch hunt.

If he had a booger in his nose, theyd arrest him for indecent exposure, she said.



(Staff writers Sarah D. Wire and Arit John contributed to this report.)
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WAIANAE, Hawaii (AP)  Tedorian Gallano would like to buy a house for his wife and three youngest children in Hawaii, but real estate prices soared so high eight years ago he moved his family back to his childhood home outside Honolulu  and last year, his older brother followed suit.

Now, eight members from three generations of Gallano's extended family share one bathroom in a house that's so packed they've jerry-rigged an extra bedroom in the garage. Buying a home is pretty much unattainable for the average working family in Hawaii, the 49-year-old carpenter said.

We always seem to have these hot markets that drive the prices up, and then its the hardworking local families that cannot buy houses who are kind of left out, said Gallano, who's a member of the carpenters' union thats been active on the issue.

Gallano's situation is emblematic of the acute affordable housing crisis afflicting Hawaii, a problem so deep that there's now widespread concern that many of Hawaii's children won't be able to afford to live there as adults. Many residents are fearful their entire state  a diverse and culturally vibrant society with unique values and a complex identity  is being gentrified before their eyes as home prices soar.

The median price of a single-family home topped $1 million in most areas of Hawaii during the coronavirus pandemic and has declined only modestly since. The state has the fourth-highest per capita rate of homelessness in the nation after California, Vermont and Oregon. On Thursday, new data showed the islands experienced net population loss five of the last six years. In 2022, U.S. census data showed more Native Hawaiians live outside Hawaii than within.

Now, amid growing urgency, both the governor and Hawaii's legislative leaders are making housing a top priority.

In one of his first moves after taking office in January, Democratic Gov. Josh Green created a new housing czar to oversee the effort. One thing Chief Housing Officer Nani Medeiros is focused on is identifying roadblocks and redundant permitting at local and state levels that can hold up construction. The administration also wants to pour $1 billion into housing programs, including $450 million to subsidize the construction of affordable dwellings.

Lawmakers have sponsored bills to trim bureaucracy, fund public housing renovations and encourage construction of dense housing on state land next to Honolulu's planned rail line.

Determined to find solutions, a college student taking a break during COVID-19 and a recent college graduate co-founded a nonprofit advocacy organization called Housing Hawaiis Future to lobby on the issue. Nearly 1,500 people have signed their pledge to back more housing.

It really bothers me that we are saying to the young people of Hawaii, Its great that you might have been born and raised and educated here, but now that youve become an adult, you have to leave and you cannot come back, said state Sen. Stanley Chang, a Democrat who chairs the Senate housing committee.

The departure of so many Native Hawaiians could dissipate Hawaiian values, like caring for the land, kuleana (sense of responsibility) and lokahi (working together), said Williamson Chang, a University of Hawaii law professor who is Native Hawaiian and not related to the senator.

Theres not a great effort to preserve Hawaiian values if you dont have Hawaiians. In other words, whos going to transmit these values? Who is going to teach these values? he said.

Some moves to shore up affordable housing by easing development regulations are being met with trepidation by conservationists, who warn that going too far in that direction could endanger the islands' world-famous ecosystems and farmland.

Wayne Tanaka, the director of the Hawaii chapter of the environmental and social justice nonprofit the Sierra Club, said efficiencies could expedite needed housing development, but the devil is in the details. He said the community must also consider the environment, water sources, food security and climate change threats, like severe drought and powerful hurricanes.

We dont want to just build, build, build and then all of a sudden we dont know how were going to feed ourselves when the climate crisis shuts down our harbors or dries up the places where we import our food from, Tanaka said.

Currently, housing construction is not keeping up with demand. Only 1,000 to 2,000 new housing units are being built in Hawaii each year. Those numbers are dwarfed by the 50,000 new units a 2019 state-commissioned study estimated would be needed by 2025.

In contrast, in 1973, Honolulu approved permits for some 13,700 housing units, and the states three other main counties approved more than 4,000, said Paul Brewbaker, an economics consultant with TZ Economics.

In extreme cases, developers face backlogs of years, or even decades.

Kauai County officials labored more than a decade obtaining state and county permits before they could break ground to build affordable homes on former sugar cane land.

Everett Dowling, the president of Maui developer Dowling Companies, said a developer cant begin work on other housing when its money is tied up in a project awaiting permits. Engineers, architects and lawyers also cant move on. And costs escalate.

The longer you hold a piece of property, the more you spend on it, the less affordable the housing becomes, Dowling said.

Housing director Medeiros said even with the new urgency, some of the reforms might not happen fast enough for her to be able to afford a home. But she hopes her 20-year-old daughter will be able to do so when shes 40 and my grandchildren hopefully, definitely will, she said.

Housing Hawaiis Future, the youth advocacy group, is also helping to get housing built now.

Evan Kamakana Gates, a Native Hawaiian who is attending Harvard University in Massachusetts, is one of the groups co-founders. Hes worried Hawaii might be unrecognizable when he returns home because the people who make it home may not be there.

Thats a real fear, he said. Being in Hawaii but losing it, in a sense.
Steve Jobs never lived to be an old wise man.

But running Apple and Pixar, tumbling and thriving, earned him a lot of wisdom in his 56 years. Now, a small group of his family, friends and former colleagues have collected it into "Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in his own words," available free to the public online starting on April 11. Somewhere between a posthumous memoir and a scrapbook album, it is told through notes and drafts Jobs emailed to himself, excerpts of letters and speeches, oral histories and interviews, photos and mementos. (Some physical copies are being produced for Apple and Disney employees, but that format won't be for sale to the general public.)

"Imagine yourself as an old person looking back on your life," Jobs wrote in a June 2005 email to himself as he was preparing to give the Stanford commencement speech. "Your life will be a story. It will be your story, with its highs and lows, its heros and villains, its forks in the road that mean everything." The book, published by the Steve Jobs Archive, will be released on Apple Books and the Steve Jobs Archive website. The fact that it aesthetically resembles an Apple product - mostly gray and white, minimalist - is no coincidence: It was designed by LoveFrom, the firm founded by Jony Ive, Apple's former chief design officer.

Few people in recent history have been as well chronicled as Jobs. He first appeared on the cover of Time magazine before he turned 27. There are more than 162,000 YouTube videos of his speeches. Walter Isaacson's biographical tome runs to more than 600 pages.

But Laurene Powell Jobs wanted people to be able to directly hear her husband of 20 years. "He has been written about, but this is actually his writing and his work," she said. "So there's no intermediary."

In the more than 11 years since Jobs died, technology has accelerated exponentially. He foresaw the rise of personal computing and the ubiquity of the internet years in advance. But technology triumphalism has faded over the past decade amid phone addiction, social media disinformation and other societal scourges.

"Technology doesn't want to be good or bad," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, whom Jobs hired in 1998. "It's in the hands of the creator whether it becomes good or bad." Cook is distributing a hardcover copy of the book to Apple employees as a reminder that "the purpose of the company is to make the best products in the world that really enrich people's lives and leave the world better than we found it."

The recent rise of generative AI - artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT that can create texts or images and hold humanlike conversations - has thrust us into a new era of technology and of freshly urgent ethical debates about it. It is dividing tech leaders, with some, including Elon Musk, calling for a moratorium on training more powerful AI systems so that their risks can be evaluated. Powell Jobs says Jobs, in the current context, "would speak even more loudly about the need for us to have a certain philosophy about it and to pay attention to what could be unintended consequences."

Culturally, technology is so focused on the future that lessons from the past are often neglected. And when the past is revisited, it can seem less glorious than before, as in Malcolm Harris's new book, "Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism and the World." At this moment, when AI is rattling society, its creators seemingly prone to repeat the hasty mistakes of previous tech innovators, the Jobs book serves, in part, as a warning to ground technology in humanity.

"The ability to put something back into the pool of human experience is extremely neat," Jobs said in 1983, after Apple introduced its Lisa computer. Twenty-four years later, the year of the iPhone launch, he said: "One of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there."

For Jobs, that manifested through making products, not a memoir. "That was never something that he intended to take the amount of time it would require to do," Powell Jobs said. "One never knows, as life goes on, whether there would be a desire for that." Disney CEO Bob Iger, who befriended Jobs when Disney partnered with and later purchased Pixar, said, "I exhorted him to sit with a producer and a camera and tell his story. In his last six months, he never got around to doing that."

Instead, the preservation of Jobs's legacy has been taken up by the Steve Jobs Archive, which launched last year with a website featuring a small selection of the kinds of emails and speech excerpts that appear in the book. The idea for the book grew out of an initial 40-page pamphlet that the group behind the archive, led by Silicon Valley historian Leslie Berlin, mocked up in 2017. As they kept adding items, especially photos, it grew into a book of about 250 pages.

Some of the photos have never been made public before, such as one of a note on Pixar letterhead that reads: "Steve, President Clinton is holding." Then there's the Polaroid portrait, provenance unknown, chosen as the front-cover image: a young Jobs in a tuxedo, looking enigmatic.

The book's material, ordered chronologically, focuses on Jobs's inner thoughts, philosophies and mantras more than his business decisions or how he became one of the preeminent corporate leaders of his time. "We don't need a book that tells us what he did, because we have examples of that every day in our lives," Iger said. "But a book that really brings us inside him and tells us who he was - it's very intimate."

"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you," he wrote in 1994. "And the minute you can understand that you can poke life, and if you push in, then something will pop out the other side; that you can change it, you can mold it - that's maybe the most important thing: to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there, and you're just going to live in it versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it."

Those closest to Jobs describe his desire to give back his knowledge and nurture younger people, traits most evident in the commencement speeches he gave. "Stay hungry. Stay foolish," he told graduates in his famous speech at Stanford, where he audited classes after dropping out of college. He borrowed the closing line from the Whole Earth Catalog, a publication that celebrated tools and helped to inspire the technological revolution of the 1970s.

In a lesser-known episode, he spoke to the 1996 graduating class at Palo Alto High School, which included his oldest child, Lisa Brennan-Jobs. "Think of your life as a rainbow arcing across the horizon of this world," he told them. "You appear, have a chance to blaze in the sky, then you disappear." A photo of Jobs's draft of that speech includes scribbled notes at the bottom that didn't make it into the final version: "They tell you that you will love your kids. Never mention that you will fall in love with them."

In other people's telling, Jobs could be abrasive and dismissive, berating his employees and spurning his family. Brennan-Jobs, who was born to Jobs and Chrisann Brennan several years before Jobs met and married Powell Jobs, wrote her own 2018 memoir of growing up with her turbulent father, "Small Fry." "Make Something Wonderful" tiptoes around some of these traits. In the preface to a section of excerpts dedicated to Jobs's early days at Apple, in the 1980s, Berlin writes delicately that his "management style was dismissive."

In contrast with all his time in the public eye, Jobs's emails to himself are a mental version of dancing like no one is watching. "They're quite rarefied and intimate glimpses, because the conversations that you have with yourself tend to be the most candid, the most honest," Ive said.

In 2003, after the iTunes music store debuted, Jobs emailed himself playlists of his favorite songs and the memories some of them evoked. About Joni Mitchell's "Little Green," a song about giving up a daughter for adoption, he wrote, "Maybe it's because I'm adopted, but this song moves me like few others. After I realized what this song was about, I cry every time I hear it."

In the last email to himself included in the book, from September 2010, Jobs reflects on the fact that the world he lives in - the food he eats, the language he speaks, the medical treatment he receives - were all invented and grown by others. "I love and admire my species, living and dead, and am totally dependent on them for my life and well being," he wrote. The final words are "Sent from my iPad."
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Alert: Former President Donald Trump departs Florida for New York, where he is set to be arraigned Tuesday on criminal charges
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FRIDLEY, Minn. (AP)  President Joe Biden ventured to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to talk about factory jobs and contrast his agenda with the last guy who had this job. The last guy, as Biden calls Donald Trump, was simultaneously touching down in New York to become the first former president to be arrested.

The Biden White House, which has shied away from involvement in the legal spectacle surrounding Trump, hoped to turn the split-screen moment into a chance to showcase the presidents accomplishments and relatively drama-free administration. It represented a rehash of the choice that voters made in 2020  and might have to make again in 2024  as both men intend to seek the White House.

Biden offered himself as a veteran policymaker while Trump, ever the showman, aimed to use Tuesday's arraignment on criminal charges to generate campaign donations and fire up Republican voters.

Biden sought to highlight job growth and investments nationwide while pushing clean energy and manufacturing in the U.S. during his visit to engine maker Cummins Inc. The company announced in conjunction with his visit that its investing more than $1 billion in its U.S. engine manufacturing network in Indiana, North Carolina and New York to update facilities so they can produce low- to zero-carbon engines.

Dogged by high inflation, Biden said his policies and spending will position the U.S. for greater prosperity in the future that boosts the middle class.

The plan is to invest in America, in a literal sense, Biden said. Not overseas. In America. Invest in ourselves  and its working.

Trump left his Florida home for New York City, posting on Truth Social that the indictment  tied to payments made during his 2016 campaign  was part of a Witch Hunt against him. He later sent out a message that tried to fundraise off his predicament.

Biden's team saw Monday's trip to the Cummins facility as a way to sharpen the contrast with Trump. If Trump gobbles up attention, administration officials say, Biden wants his message to be squarely focused on the American middle class.

Stick to your message that you want to be talking about with discipline, said Andrew Bates, deputy White House press secretary. Whatever else is happening, you just have to keep talking about what it is that you want to talk about."

The president regularly highlights the CHIPS Act, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation and a roughly $375 billion climate bill  major bills that his administration steered into law before Democrats lost control of the House in last year's elections to Republicans.

The White House wants to contrast Biden's record and a proposed budget that includes $2.6 trillion in new spending with Republicans' plans for spending and economic growth. Republicans have rejected Bidens budget but have yet to bring forward a counteroffer to the Democrats blueprint, which is built around tax increases on the wealthy and a vision statement of sorts for Biden's yet-to-be-declared 2024 campaign.

Other members of Biden's administration are traveling to more than 20 states this week to buttress his message. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for example, went to Connecticut on Monday for a fireside chat at Yale University on the economic agenda. While the president blasted Trump's 2017 tax cuts for raising the deficit, Yellen panned them for failing to boost growth.

The treasury secretary said Trump's signature achievement has "not been very successful, even at promoting investment spending and growth. What the cuts did, instead, is tilt the tax code in favor of those with extreme degrees of wealth, according to Yellen.

If you take something like the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, she said, "maybe that had some marginal impact on boosting private investment -- not obvious that it did. But it certainly raised the incomes of the wealthy individuals who received those huge tax cuts, and so it made the tax burden a lot less fair.

First lady Jill Biden was in Colorado to promote Biden's efforts to promote job training at community colleges and had other stops this week planned in Maine and Vermont. Her plans to visit Michigan later Monday were postponed because of an aircraft issue.

As the president returned to Washington, a large TV on Air Force One ran Trump headlines as Biden stood facing the screen in a conference room with his staff.

___

Boak reported from Washington. AP writers Fatima Hussein and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.
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SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)  The center-right GERB party of ex-premier Boyko Borissov appeared to be the winner of Bulgarias parliamentary election, the countrys central electoral commission said Monday, with 99% of the ballots counted.

Results showed the GERB party receiving 26.6% of the vote, nearly 2% more than the pro-Western reformist bloc led by the We Continue the Change party.

Four other parties also appear to have gained seats in the 240-seat chamber, according to the latest results.

Riding a wave of pro-Russian sentiment that many in this former communist nation share, the ultra-nationalist Vazrazhdane party, which opposes any actions against Putins Russia, boosted support to come in third with 14.2% of the vote.

The ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms came in fourth with 13.4%, followed by the Socialist party and the There is Such People party, led by a popular TV entertainer, with 9% and 4.1% respectively.

It could take days before the final official results are announced. If confirmed, Borissov will be handed a mandate to form his fourth government.

But it seems Borissov will face an uphill struggle to cobble together a governing coalition in a fragmented parliament.

Political analysts predicted that the results, which do not differ significantly from the previous four elections held within the last two years, will be followed by difficult coalition talks. They don't rule out another election.

Ruzha Smilova, program director at the Center for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, said that although the two leading political groups share the same strategic foreign policy goals, their visions of the country's future as part of the Western alliance diverge.

GERBs vision is that the country can do as much as it has shown so far, namely, to remain the most poor and corrupt EU country  clinging to the past, to Bulgarias well-trodden paths as the weakest EU member state and the most hesitant partner in NATO, Smilova told the Associated Press.

On the other side, is a Bulgaria that integrates more quickly into the EU and offers a perspective to its citizens to faster catch up with European average income and standard of living.

Smilova said the situation gets more complicated as these two positions are challenged by a euroskepticism - equally represented within the Bulgarian population - that nudges the country away from it's Euro-Atlantic orientation and more toward the east.

One of the effects of the long rule of President Rumen Radevs caretaker cabinets has been the hesitant position on such important issues as the EU and NATO, and the support for Ukraine in the war that the aggressor Russia has launched against them, Smilova said.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  Floridians will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Monday, giving the governor another legislative victory as he prepares a campaign for president.

The governor signed the bill in a private ceremony in his office. His only immediate public comment was, Constitutional Carry is in the books, which he said in a three-paragraph news release.

The new law will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be required to carry concealed guns in public. It takes effect July 1.

The arguments over the legislation were divided along political lines, with Republicans saying law-abiding citizens have a right to carry guns and protect themselves. They say most people will still want to get a permit because it will allow them to carry concealed weapons in states with reciprocal agreements and to be able to purchase guns without a waiting period.

However, Democrats and gun safety advocates -- pointing to mass shootings in Florida like the massacre at the 2016 Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland  say the new law will only make the state more dangerous.

I am pissed," Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, told reporters during an online news conference. I will chase him down across the state as well as possibly across the country ... because Ron DeSantis today put his signature to a bill that guarantees there will be more Jaimes.

And he said signing the bill behind closed doors makes DeSantis a coward.

Somebody in Florida may die ... because of this legislation. That will be because of you, Ron DeSantis, Guttenberg said. I understand why you hid today ... You are a weak, pathetic, small-minded individual.

Nearly 3 million Floridians have a concealed weapons permit. While a background check and three-day waiting period will still be required to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, they are not required for private transactions or exchanges of weapons.

DeSantis has said he thinks Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesn't appear the Legislature will pass such legislation this session.

The bill signing comes five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed a bill creating gun restrictions after 17 students and faculty were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Under DeSantis, momentum has swung back toward expanding gun rights rather than placing limits on them, which has earned him praise from gun rights advocates.

"Government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families, Republican Sen. Jay Collins, who sponsored the bill, said in a news release.

It also comes one week after six people were killed in a Nashville school shooting, a point made by President Joe Biden's administration.

It is shameful that so soon after another tragic school shooting, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. This is the opposite of common-sense gun safety.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Berger Action Fund is a nondescript name for a group with a rather specific purpose: steering the wealth of Hansjorg Wyss, a Swiss billionaire, into the world of American politics and policy.

As a foreign national, Wyss is prohibited from donating to candidates or political committees. But his influence is still broadly felt through millions of dollars routed through a network of nonprofit groups that invest heavily in the Democratic ecosystem. Such groups don't have to disclose the source of their funding  or many details about how they spend it.

Newly available tax documents show that his giving through the Berger Action Fund, which describes itself as advocating for "solutions to some of our worlds biggest problems," swelled in 2021 to $72 million, cementing Wyss' status as a Democratic-aligned megadonor.

Representatives for Wyss insist they comply with laws governing the giving of foreign nationals and have put in place strict policies limiting the use of donations to issue advocacy  not partisan electoral activities. But the fact that the money cannot be publicly traced highlights the difficulty of putting such assertions to the test.

Those same groups have helped to bankroll efforts to lift President Joe Biden's agenda and paid for TV ads promoting Democratic congressional candidates ahead of last year's midterm elections.

One ad paid for by a group that Wyss had financed praised Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., for helping pass a Biden-championed bill with green energy provisions. Some politicians just ignore this crisis, narrators said. Maggie Hassan just did something about it.

After criticizing Republicans for using dark money, Democratic-aligned groups spent more of it in 2020.

The whole system is currently structured on this premise that we can take these nonprofit group at their word. The reality is there is really no effective oversight to make sure money from a foreign national doesnt wind up in electoral politics, said Saurav Ghosh, a director of the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-based nonpartisan watchdog group.

Wyss, who lives in Wyoming, was born in Bern, Switzerland, in 1935. But he fell in love with the U.S. as a young man, drawn to the rugged beauty of the American West.

After graduating from Harvard Business School, Wyss worked in textiles and for automaker Chrysler. He later built a fortune, estimated by Forbes magazine last year to be worth $5 billion, after establishing the medical device maker Synthes USA, which was sold to Johnson & Johnson for about $20 billion in 2012.

Now, he is most aligned with environmental activism, establishing the Wyss Foundation in 1998 to help ensure that the iconic Western landscapes that inspired him are protected for everyone."

In 2007, he expanded his giving, creating the Berger Action Fund, which has donated $339 million to left-leaning nonprofits since 2016, records show.

Wyss' sister, Heidi Wyss, described her brother's pursuit of political influence in a 2014 biography that she authored, Hansjorg Wyss: My Brother.

What was important for him was to find out that he could exert an influence through his foundation, Heidi Wyss wrote.

At a single meeting, the board of trustees quite often allocates several million dollars. Thus behind the scenes a Swiss plays an important part in American politics, another passage states.

Of the $72.7 million donated in 2021 by Wyss' Berger Action Fund, $62.7 million went to two groups that were focused on building public support for Biden's agenda, according to tax documents and a statement from the group.

The Berger Action Fund and the Wyss Foundation are committed to complying with all rules governing their activities and have established strict policies prohibiting their funds from being used for get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, or supporting or opposing candidates or political parties, the group said in a statement.

Between 1990 and 2006, he donated $119,000 directly to candidates and political committees, as previously reported by The New York Times. Wyss has not addressed the contributions. The statute of limitations to bring any charges has long since passed and the Federal Election Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws, declined to take action against him.

Since switching his focus to nonprofits, two closely related organizations that play a role in Democratic politics have been among the biggest recipients of Wyss' money.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund  two organizations that share the same founder, address and management firm  collectively received $245 million donated by Wyss' groups since 2016, tax records show.

The organizations were established over a decade ago by Eric Kessler, a former Clinton administration official and heir to an automotive parts fortune.

Nearly all of the donations we receive are intended for specific projects or purposes; many donations cannot be used for electoral activities; and every contribution is used in compliance with all guidelines, regulations, and laws, Amy Kurtz, the president of Sixteen Thirty Fund, said in a statement.

The New Venture Fund is set up to focus on more traditional nonprofit work, while the Sixteen Thirty Fund, which has received $208 million from Wyss since 2016 is, oriented more explicitly toward the political arena. Molly McUsic, the president of Wyss Berger Action Fund, is a former director of the Sixteen Thirty Fund.

Sixteen Thirty Fund gives directly to political committees, but it also donates to other nonprofit groups that give money to political committees or pay for TV ads that back specific candidates or causes, tax filings and campaign finance disclosures show.

Last summer, staff attorneys for the FEC said Sixteen Thirty Fund should be required to register as a political committee, a distinction which would force more disclosure.

The recommendations were spurred by a complaint filed by a conservative group against Wyss, his nonprofits, the Sixteen Thirty Fund and the New Venture Fund.

In a memorandum, five FEC attorneys noted that the groups denied donations from Wyss' nonprofits were used for overt political activity, like paying for ads or electoral activity. But the groups also declined to offer specifics about what practices they have in place to ensure the money is not used that way, the memo states.

The commissioners ultimately rejected the complaint, though two of them pledged greater scrutiny of such groups.

Allegations included in two recent lawsuits filed against the New Venture Fund accuse the organization, which shares the same legal compliance firm as the Sixteen Thirty Fund, of misrepresenting information to donors, or failing to abide by the the strict controls it says it has adopted.

One former contractor, Sarah Walker, alleged in a 2022 federal lawsuit that a New Venture Fund project, where she served as executive director, repeatedly used tax-deductible contributions to subsidize the overhead and pay compensation to numerous employees who performed most of their work in the political arena. Walker, who is Black, also accuses the nonprofit of fostering a hostile work environment and of racially discriminatory conduct.

Walker declined to comment for this story.

In a statement, New Venture Fund President Lee Bodner said the allegations have no merit.

Further, like any 501(c)(3) organization, we do not engage in any partisan electoral work," Bodner said.

Wyss also has donated to another nonprofit, Fund For A Better Future, which has received $101 million since 2016. In 2021, a Fund for a Better Future project called Climate Power led a campaign that helped finance millions of dollars in ads backing Biden's Build Back Better agenda, records show.

Climate Power also spent about $5.3 million on ads supporting about 30 House Democrats in the closing months of the 2022 midterms, campaign finance disclosures show.

Fund for a Better Future carefully tracks and controls its revenues and expenses to ensure we comply with legal limits and with any restrictions placed on the funds we receive from donors, spokesperson Niki Woodard said in a statement.
PARIS (AP)  A Lebanese-Canadian academic who is the lone suspect in a 1980 bombing outside a Paris synagogue went on trial in absentia Monday, nearly 43 years after four people were killed and 46 wounded in the unclaimed attack.

French authorities identified Hassan Diab as a suspect in 1999. They accuse him of planting the bomb on the evening of Oct. 3, 1980, outside the synagogue where 320 worshipers had gathered to mark the end of a Jewish holiday.

Diab, 69, has denied involvement in the attack and said he was at a university in Beirut at the time of the western Paris bombing. His supporters and lawyers in France and Canada claim Diab has been wrongly pursued by French judicial authorities as a victim of mistaken identity.

French investigators attributed the synagogue attack to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-Special Operations. Canada authorized Diabs extradition to France at the end of 2014. He spent three years in pretrial detention but anti-terrorism judges then ordered him freed from French custody due to a lack of evidence, and he returned to Canada.

Frances court of appeal ruled in January 2021 that Diab must stand trial on terrorism-related charges. If convicted, he could receive a life sentence. A verdict is expected by April 21. He lives in Ottawa.

Survivors of the attack and victims families attended the first day of proceedings in Paris Monday. Prosecutor Benjamin Chambre said that Diab's absence is proof of great cowardice in his behavior."

It's a grave abomination for justice and for the victims 43 years after the events, Chambre added. Diab's lawyer William Bourdon said his client had never fled anything.

For survivors, the long path to trial may be justice delayed but at least its not justice denied, their lawyers told The Associated Press. The victims' attorneys say the trial will serve as deterrent for future terrorist acts and antisemitic sentiments.

Its a positive development that the trial is taking place, even if he (the suspect) will not be there and even if he is acquitted, said Bernard Cahen, a lawyer for two families who lost loved ones.

David Pere, a lawyer for a then-14-year-old victim who was celebrating his bar mitzvah at the time of the attack, said the path of justice must be followed," even after more than four decades of investigation and legal drama. There is a suspect in the attack, and Pere said his client wants to hear what Diab has to say in court, even if only through his lawyers.

A terrorist attack is something that haunts you every day of your life, Pere said. A trial is a result (of an attack) not a revenge for it.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Indiana lawmakers have given final approval to a proposal that would it illegal for anyone to possess devices for adapting a firearm into a machine gun.

The Indiana House voted 71-23 on Monday in favor of a bill expanding state law to include so-called Glock switches that are already illegal under federal law. Police officials say such switches can convert a semi-automatic gun into one that shoots continuously while the trigger is pressed, firing dozens of bullets within a few seconds.
Electricity generation is sufficient to cover consumption, despite its growth due to cold weather and the end of the heating season in some regions, NPC Ukrenergo said.

At the same time, a sufficient reserve of power is maintained in the energy system, according to an update of the company on the Telegram channel on Monday.

They also noted that there are no restrictions in Ukrenergo's grids, and the company's dispatch center does not apply consumer disconnection in any area.

At the same time, according to Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko, cited on the ministry's Telegram channel, as of Monday morning, due to bad weather, about 2,000 subscribers were de-energized in Kyiv region and 3,800 in Odesa region.

He added that the repair teams were working on restoring power supply, adding that over the past 24 hours power supply had been restored to about 8,000 subscribers in Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

Ukrenergo also noted that the difficult situation with power supply remains in the regions along the front line, where settlements are constantly shelled by the Russians and the power supply grids are damaged.

"In particular, in Donetsk region, the Russians shelled the energy infrastructure. As a result, there were local power outages. The resumption of power is complicated by the security situation in these regions," the company explained.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)  Malaysia's Parliament on Monday approved a bill that would scrap mandatory death penalties and limit capital punishment to serious crimes as part of wide-ranging reforms, bringing possible reprieves to more than 1,300 prisoners on death row.

While the death sentence remains, courts will now be given the option of imposing jail sentences of between 30 and 40 years and caning not less than 12 times, Deputy Law Minister Ramkarpal Singh said. Previously, courts had no choice but to mandate hanging as punishment for a range of crimes including murder, drug trafficking, treason, kidnapping and acts of terror.

The reforms include abolishing the death penalty for some offenses that don't cause death that fall under kidnapping and certain firearm crimes, officials said. Natural life imprisonment, in which prisoners are kept behind bars till death, will also be replaced with jail terms of between 30 and 40 years.

Singh called the reforms a significant step forward for Malaysias criminal justice system. He said 1,318 people are on death row in the country, including 842 who have exhausted all avenues of appeals. Most cases are linked to drug trafficking. Once the bill comes into effect, prisoners will have 90 days to file a review of their sentences but not their convictions, he said.

"A review of this sentence reflects the governments commitment to always be open to renewing and improving legislation and justice in this country, Singh said. He stressed that courts still have the power to uphold a death penalty after reviewing a prisoner's sentence. The bill is expected to be approved by the upper house and the king and become law.

Malaysia has had a moratorium on hanging since 2018. The government also proposed last year to abolish mandatory death penalties, but the move was scuppered after Parliament was dissolved for a general election. Foreigners account for more than 500 of those on death row, according to the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network.

Essentially, we have now narrowed down our death penalty to only three main groups of offenses: murder, drug trafficking and treason, said Dobby Chew of ADPAN. This is a good first step forward. It brings Malaysia closer in line with international standards for those countries that retain the death penalty.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump returned to New York on Monday to face his historic booking and arraignment on hush money charges related to allegations of sexual encounters. The nation's largest city bolstered security and warned potential protesters it was not a playground for your misplaced anger.

Trump's long day started with a motorcade ride from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida to his red, white and blue Boeing 757, emblazoned with his name in gold letters  all carried live on television. The mini-parade took him past supporters waving banners and cheering, decrying the case against him, which stems from payments made during his 2016 campaign, as politically motivated.

Already months into a third campaign to reclaim the White House he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020, Trump and his advisers seemed to relish the attention. Cable networks followed his plane at airports in Florida and New York with video from the air, and a small group of senior campaign aides were joined aboard by his son Eric Trump, who eagerly posted photos of the wall-to-wall coverage from his seat.

The scene was quite different in New York, where Trump will be arraigned Tuesday  facing a judge in the city where he built a national profile in business and entertainment but became deeply unpopular as he moved into politics. Prosecutors say their case against him has nothing to do with politics and have defended the work of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is leading it. City leaders urged calm.

While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves, said New York Mayor Eric Adams. New York City is our home. ... We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law.

Upon arrival at New York's LaGuardia airport, Trump stepped off his jet alone and directly into a waiting black SUV, with no one greeting him. Only small, sparse groups of supporters lined the route as his motorcade used a police escort to whisk him into Manhattan. From the air, the procession conjured images of a current president on the move rather than a former one facing criminal charges.

Advisers said Trump spent the flight working. In New York, he was meeting with his attorneys, then spending the night at Trump Tower before surrendering to authorities at the courthouse.

The return to New York opened an unprecedented chapter in American history, with Trump the first former president to face criminal charges. Hes betting it could actually boost his chances at winning the presidency again next year and his team has boasted of raising $8 million since word of the indictment broke last week.

But even as Trump aims to find a political advantage, there appeared to be some limits to the publicity he's seeking. In a Monday filing, Trump's lawyers asked the judge overseeing the case to ban photo and video coverage of his arraignment.

Following his court appearance, Trump plans to return to Mar-a-Lago for a press conference Tuesday evening. At least 500 people have been invited, according to a Republican familiar with the planning and granted anonymity to discuss it. Invitees include members of Congress who have endorsed Trumps presidential campaign as well as donors and other supporters.

The former president also bolstered his legal team Monday, adding a third high-profile attorney, Todd Blanche. A former federal prosecutor, Blanche has previously represented Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Security in and around Trump Tower was tight. There were few supporters for Trump or people protesting against him nearby, with a small group hanging Trump 2024 banners.

I know that Donald Trump knows that were out there fighting for him every day, said Brooklynite Dion Cini, who had stretched two pro-Trump banners along police barricades lining Fifth Avenue.

Officials haven't seen an influx of people coming into the city, as was the case in Washington in the days before a mob of Trump supporters overran the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. Still, they warned that possessing a weapon in certain areas of the city, including near courthouses, is a crime.

One of Trumps staunchest defenders in Congress, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, was helping organize a Tuesday morning rally at a park across from the courthouse where Trump will appear, and Mayor Adams took the unusual step of calling her out by name.

Although we have no specific threats, people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, shes stated shes coming to town, Adams said. While youre in town, be on your best behavior.

Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week. The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.

Arriving in Minnesota, where he was touring a factory to promote his administrations economic policies, Biden was asked if he thought there would be unrest in New York.

No, I have faith in the New York Police Department, the president replied. He also said he trusted the nations legal system. About the same time Trump was touching down in New York, Biden contrasted his economic agenda with the last guy who had this job."

As Biden flew back to Washington, a large TV on Air Force One ran Trump headlines as the president stood facing the screen in a conference room with his staff. Biden is expected to formally announce his reelection campaign in coming weeks.

Florida Trump supporters began gathering while the sun was still rising at a West Palm Beach shopping center on the way to the airport, hours before the former president was set to pass along the route.

Boca Raton firefighter Erik Solensten and his retired colleague, John Fischer, put up banners. One was 30 by 6 feet (9 by 2 meters), picturing police officers and firefighters saying, Thanks for having our backs, President Trump.

We are fire-rescue. We are prepared and dont like to wait for things to happen, said Solensten, who took a vacation day to show support for Trump. He needs morale just like everyone else needs morale. Hes done more for this country than any 10 presidents combined.

___

Weissert reported from Washington, Spencer from West Palm Beach, Fla. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan, Jennifer Peltz, David Bauder and Julie Walker in New York and Lisa Mascaro and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  The last time Secret Service agents escorted a U.S. leader to face criminal charges, they kept their mission a secret  even from their own bosses.

It was Oct. 10, 1973, and just a few agents knew the history they would make in ensuring that Vice President Spiro Agnew appeared in a federal courtroom to enter a plea and resign from office.

It was a big day for the country, and a sad day, said Jerry Parr, one of those agents, in a 2010 interview. And we didnt tell anyone it was happening. For better and worse.

There is no secret the second time around: The Secret Service on Tuesday is expected to deliver former President Donald Trump to a New York City courtroom to be arraigned on state charges tied to hush money payments made in the weeks before the 2016 election. The event is sure to be a spectacle and Trump himself plans a news conference that evening.

While much has been made of Trump becoming the first former president to appear in court to answer an indictment, the Secret Service has been in a similar spot before. And there are lessons to be gleaned in how Parr and other agents helped Agnew navigate his final hours as the nations 39th vice president.

The main one: The agents allowed their admiration of Agnew, who died in 1996, to get in the way of properly doing their jobs.

Parr, who joined the Secret Service in 1962, wasnt sure what to expect when he was tapped a decade later to be the deputy chief of Agnews detail. The vice president had a reputation for being President Nixons attack dog and skewering political opponents as nattering nabobs of negativism, vicars of vacillation and pusillanimous pussyfooters.

Behind closed doors, however, Parr discovered that Agnew was nothing like his antagonistic persona.

He was actually a very nice man, said Parr in a series of interviews for a book on the agents life-saving role in the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt. All the agents really liked him.

An example of Agnews kindness occurred in 1972 when the Parrs threw a Christmas party for agents. Agnew insisted on coming so agents working on that shift could attend. Not many top government officials were that thoughtful, according to Parr, who died in 2015 at 85.

To a unique degree the vice president and his wife, Judy (whom we called Mrs. A), recognized our humanity and appreciated our service, Parr wrote in his 2013 memoir,  In the Secret Service. To them, we were people and not furniture that came with the job.

Signs of Agnew's serious legal trouble emerged in August 1973 when the U.S. Attorney for Maryland informed Agnew that prosecutors were investigating the vice president for allegedly taking bribes as Marylands governor. It did not take long for news of the investigation to dominate front pages.

Suffering showed on his now-haggard face, Parr wrote. As summer passed into autumn, I frequently heard sighs and groans coming from the backseat of the car; sometimes the soft sound was Mrs. Agnew weeping as her husband tried to comfort her.

One morning, Parr said, the vice president grew upset when they drove past a platoon of journalists staking out his house in a tony Washington suburb. They just want to put me in jail, Agnew huffed.

Parr turned in his seat and jokingly told Agnew not to worry: He would go to jail with him. And well find someone to smuggle us a hacksaw blade in a pie, Parr added, so we can get you out.

Within a few weeks, however, Parr's boss, Samuel Sulliman, pulled him aside to explain that Agnew would soon be entering a plea to end the investigation. As part of the deal, he would have to resign.

Parrs job would be to escort Agnew to the Baltimore federal courthouse. Sulliman warned his deputy that he didnt know if we had to take him to jail after the (hearing), or not, and I should know that, Parr said. The judge could sentence him to prison.

Next, Sulliman gave Parr an order: He could tell no one about the trip, not even their superiors.

Upon learning that the vice president might resign, the Secret Service would be required to rush agents to protect the House speaker, next-in-line for the presidency. Such a move would draw the attention of reporters. Agnew didnt want news to leak before his resignation became official, and he asked his detail to keep it quiet.

I only knew about it because Sam told me, and Sam was sworn to secrecy, Parr said of his boss in a 2008 oral history. On Oct. 10, a warm Wednesday, the vice presidents motorcade made a quick stop at the White House where Agnew dropped off his resignation letter.

Next they headed to the Baltimore federal courthouse.

It was just after 2 p.m. when Agnew entered that courtroom, already filled with 50 reporters attending a hearing involving the vice presidents efforts to force journalists to reveal their sources of leaks about the Justice Department probe. Reporters gasped when they realized the significance of Agnew's appearance.

Agnews resignation was announced by his attorney, and the former vice president expeditiously pleaded no contest to failing to report $29,500 in federal taxes in 1967. In exchange, federal prosecutors declined to bring far more serious charges of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. (The Justice Department alleged in court papers that Agnew accepted at least $87,500 in kickbacks in exchange for issuing no-bid contracts. A Maryland judge later determined that Agnew had accepted $147,000 in bribes over a two-year span).

Attorney General Elliott Richardson argued that leniency was justified due to the historic magnitude of Agnews resignation and felony conviction. The judge ultimately agreed with the attorney general, sentencing Agnew to three years of probation and ordering him to pay a $10,000 fine.

The hearing was surreal for Parr, who had chased his share of counterfeiters and fraud artists. He recalled feeling shock and disappointment in a man he had so admired.

Forty minutes later, Parr and other agents pushed their way through crowds of onlookers and reporters on their way to the motorcade. Before he could get settled in the front passenger seat, Parr said he heard his radio erupt with the voice of an irate superior.

The official demanded to know why the agency had not been informed Agnew was going to resign. Upon learning from news reports of Agnews departure, the agency had to scramble to find agents to protect Democratic House Speaker Carl Albert.

Something could have happened! the supervisor yelled.

In retrospect, Parr said, he had made a mistake in keeping the secret, writing that we had allowed ourselves to be drawn in, to the possible detriment of a protectee (Albert), the country, and our careers.

As they drove from the courthouse, the agent heard a murmur from the back seat. Listening carefully, he realized Agnew was reciting a famous Shakespearean soliloquy: All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Eight robbers who stole millions of euros' worth of precious metals from an armored transport vehicle then opened fire on police in a wild car chase through Amsterdam were convicted Monday and handed prison sentences ranging from two to 15 years.

The Amsterdam District Court said the May 19, 2021, car chase through the northern suburbs of Amsterdam and into a usually peaceful village north of the Dutch capital sowed fear and panic among police involved in the chase and members of the public who watched as the robbers opened fire with automatic weapons.
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MEXICO CITY (AP)  Belize on Monday reaffirmed its diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the second country to do so in a week as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen travels across Central America in an effort to shore up a dwindling number of allies.

Together we can promote our shared values like democracy, the right of the people to self determination and respect for international law, Johnny Briceno, Belize's prime minister, said in a speech before the country's National Assembly.

Belize follows in the footsteps of Guatemala, another ally of Taiwan, whose leader declared its relationship with the self-governed island unchangeable during a visit by Tsai. The Central American nations represent two of Taiwan's 13 formal allies across the world, a number that has dipped as China has put pressure on and funneled money into isolating the island.

The trip came just a week after Honduras announced it would cut allegiances with Taiwan in favor of China, potentially prompted by a $300 million hydroelectric dam project in central Honduras built by a Chinese company.

Over the past two decades, China has slowly carved out a space for itself in Latin America by pouring money into the region, investing in major infrastructure, energy and space projects.

Between 2005 and 2020, the Chinese have invested more than $130 billion in Latin America, according to the United States Institute of Peace. Trade between China and the region has also shot up, expected to reach more than $700 billion by 2035.

That investment has translated to rising power for China and a growing number of allies at a time of geopolitical importance.

The people of Taiwan face constant threats and pressure from the neighbor on the other side of the Taiwan Strait, Tsai said of China, speaking in Belizes capital of Belmopan.

Taipei, meanwhile, has struggled to keep up.

During her stay in Guatemala, Tsai visited a rural hospital built with a donation from Taiwan.

Meanwhile, before Belize's National Assembly, the country's leader Briceno listed off a number of development projects funded by Taiwan, including farming programs and funds to build key infrastructure like hospitals.
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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A court in Dubai on Monday rejected the appeal of a British financier fighting extradition to Denmark, where he is accused of orchestrating a $1.7 billion tax fraud.

Hedge fund trader Sanjay Shah is accused of masterminding a scheme that ran from 2012 to 2015 in which foreign businesses pretended to own shares in Danish companies and claimed tax refunds for which they were not eligible. He was arrested in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, last year.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  A man involved in a car accident Monday in Puerto Ricos capital fled the scene in an ambulance that had arrived to help him, police said.

The incident occurred when the unidentified man hit another car on one of Puerto Rico's busiest highways in a minor fender-bender, Police Lt. Elvis Zeno told The Associated Press.
BEIRUT (AP)  Israel staged airstrikes on the southern suburbs of the Syrian capital of Damascus early Tuesday, killing two civilians and causing some material damage, Syrian state media reported.

Damascus residents said strong explosions were heard in the capital and its southern suburbs as Syrian state television reported that the countrys air defenses were confronting an Israeli aggression.

State TV, quoting an unnamed military official, said two civilians were killed in the strikes near Damascus and southern Syria, adding that some of the missiles were shot down by Syria air defenses before they reached their targets. It that the strikes also caused some material damage.

Israels shadow war with Iran in Syria intensified over the past days with four strikes on the Damascus area and the central province of Homs killing two Iranian military advisers since last week.

Hours after strikes on central Syria Sunday, the Israeli military said it shot down an aircraft that crossed from Syria into Israels airspace. The Israeli military said Iran appears to have been behind the drone that was shot down over Israeli airspace.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges specific operations.

Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanons Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assads forces.

Along with airports, Israel has also targeted seaports in government-held areas in an apparent attempt to prevent Iranian arms shipments to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah.
Last week, everyone seemed to enjoy the debut of Netflix's new No. 1 show, "The Night Agent," with one possible exception: Stanford alums.

The political thriller racked up 168 million hours viewed in its first four days on the platform. It marked the third biggest opening week for a first season for the Los Gatos-headquartered streaming giant, which renewed the show for a second 10-episode season just days after it was released.

Based on the Matthew Quirk novel of the same name, "The Night Agent" follows Peter Sutherland, a low-level FBI agent who works a graveyard shift in the White House basement watching a phone that never rings  until it finally does. The line is intended for distress calls from off-the-books "Night Agents" who handle covert operations, but this call is from Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), the niece of two agents who've just been murdered. Sutherland and Larkin race to find out who killed her aunt and uncle, a plot-twisty affair that goes all the way to the Oval Office.

Along the way, Stanford catches an all-time stray from Larkin, a tech entrepreneur who was the CEO of a failed cybersecurity startup in Silicon Valley.

During the course of their investigation, Larkin and Sutherland end up at Georgetown University in Episode 5. While walking to the library, they offer up this vicious exchange:

Larkin: "I thought I could read my way to Stanford."

Sutherland: "St, you went to Stanford?"

Larkin: "No. Those bastards rejected me. I went to a community college then transferred to Berkeley. When I started my company I hired a bunch of Stanford grads to grab me coffee."

Minutes later, the two are about to separate to follow up on two different leads, and again, Stanford ends up in the crosshairs:

Sutherland: "Just check in with me."

Larkin, sarcastically: "And call me if someone tries shooting at you, I've got some tips."

Sutherland: "Really?"

Larkin: "Yeah."

Sutherland: "Did you pick those up at Stanford?"

Larkin: "No, fk Stanford, they didn't deserve me."

Oddly enough, Stanford and Cal don't appear in Quirk's novel at all. In the book, Larkin is from Virginia, lived in LA and founded a startup that streamlines loans to small businesses. So the Stanford ribbing is added just for TV. A quick glance of the credits for Episode 5 offers up a potential explanation for the Stanford taunting.

There's just one person on the entire production crew with a connection to either university: Rachel Wolf, who has a staff writer credit on every episode and was likely in the room for the writing of the episode, even though Corey Deshon is credited with actually writing Episode 5. Wolf not only got an MBA from Stanford, she also went to Palo Alto High.

This story has been updated.
Mission East, Neo-Eco Ukraine to analyze destruction of villages in Mykolaiv region with view to their further green reconstruction

Mission East international charitable organization and Neo-Eco Ukraine have signed a cooperation agreement, under which, together with the local authorities of Mykolaiv region, the goal is to turn the rubble of war-torn buildings into materials for green reconstruction of villages, the press service of Mission East reports.

As noted in the release, Neo-Eco Ukraine has extensive experience in creating infrastructure projects for the circular economy.

"Mission East is delighted to be working with Neo-Eco Ukraine and fully support its sustainable, data-driven approach to rebuild the country," says Betina Gollander-Jensen, Secretary General in Mission East.

She said that a joint study of the company over the next four months would map the needs of reconstruction and the presence of construction waste, as well as conduct a macroeconomic study to assess the processing of waste and construction materials, and analyze the production capacity of local market entities.

"Thanks to our partnership with Mission East, Neo-Eco Ukraine will be able to pursue its innovative damage assessment strategy in Mykolaiv. We hope that this will be the first of many collaborations with this leading Danish philanthropic organization," says Bart Gruyaert, Project Director at Neo-Eco Ukraine.

The French company Neo-Eco has been working on the principle of a circular economy for 17 years - the integration of already used materials. According to the same principle, Neo-Eco is implementing a project to restore seven residential buildings in Hostomel (Kyiv region).

Mission East is an international relief and development organization working in crisis-affected countries of the former USSR, the Middle East and Asia. The work is supported by the EU, the UN, a number of governments including the Danish and German, numerous foundations, churches and thousands of private supporters, mostly in Denmark.
Robin Little/Redferns

San Francisco will always be enshrined in music history for trailblazing psychedelic bands like Grateful Dead, but these days the city's local music scene doesn't get much national attention. For instance, there's not a single San Francisco artist on the Coachella lineup, which is why it's so refreshing to see SF get center stage on what's arguably the biggest music publication in the world.

Today trendsetting music site Pitchfork featured two reviews of albums from San Francisco artists, Deerhoof and Larry June, with both scoring over 7.0 on the site's notoriously difficult 10-point review scale.
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Monday, boosted by a surge in oil prices.

The FTSE 100 was called to open 20 points higher at 7,651.

Over the weekend, OPEC+ unexpectedly announced that they would be cutting oil output by 1.1m barrels a day from next month.

CMC Markets analyst Michael Hewson said: "Todays European open looks set to be a mixed one with the focus expected to be on the OPEC+ surprise production cut announcement over the weekend, which could offer a lift to the likes of BP and Shell, and ergo the FTSE100, but weigh on other areas of the market."

In corporate news, the UK government has extended plans to start slowing selling down its stake in NatWest Group.

UK Government Investments (UKGI), which manages the governments 41.5% shareholding in the lender, first announced plans to slowing sell down its stake in July 2021.

It was extended last summer until 11 August 2023, and it will now be extended once again, to 11 August 2025.

No reason was given for the extension.

Elsewhere, Hammerson said it had sold its 25% stake in Italie Deux, a shopping centre in central Paris, and all of a separate extension for 164m to IKEA owner Ingka Centres.

This sale represents a 4% discount to December 31 book value and a net equivalent yield of 5.0%, Hammerson said, adding that the cash would be used to strengthen its balance sheet and reduce net debt.

Animal genetics company Genus announced the appointment of Jorgen Kokke as its new chief executive officer on Monday, with him set to take over from incumbent Stephen Wilson on 1 July.

Wilson would remain actively involved in the company until his retirement on 30 September. Genus said Kokke had spent the last 14 years in global business leadership roles at Ingredion, a food and beverage ingredient solutions company, and was most recently executive vice-president, and president of the Americas geography.
EY has been banned from taking on listed companies as new audit clients in Germany for two years, it was reported on Monday.

The ban by Apas, the German accounting watchdog, is in response to work it carried out for disgraced payments firm Wirecard, according to Germanys Handelsblatt and the Financial Times.

The Big Four firm and five current and former employees have also been fined up to 500,000 each, the FT noted, citing people familiar with the matter. The regulator has not made any formal decision over whether or not the firm acted with intent or negligence, however.

EY, which has co-operated with the watchdog during the probe, declined to comment until Apas issued a formal statement.

EY had audited Munich-based Wirecard for over a decade before its collapse in June 2020, when it emerged that half of its revenue and 1.9bn in cash did not exist.

Former chief executive Markus Braun and two other executives, Oliver Bellenhaus and Stephan von Erffa, are currently on trial in Germany on a range of changes including fraud. Braun, who has been in custody since the 2020 collapse, last month denied all wrongdoing when he appeared in court last month.

The whereabouts of former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek are currently unknown. The fugitive is on Europols most wanted list.
The UK government has extended plans to sell down its stake in NatWest Group.

UK Government Investments (UKGI), which manages the governments 41.5% shareholding in the lender, first announced plans to start slowing selling down its stake in July 2021.

It was extended last summer until 11 August 2023, and it will now be extended once again, to 11 August 2025.

No reason was given for the extension.

Under the trading plan, which is being managed by Morgan Stanley and involves drip feeding stock sales in the market, the Treasury will look to sell up to 15% of its stake over the next two years.

No minimum price has been set, although UKGI said shares may not be sold below a price that it and the Treasury believe represents "fair value and delivers value for money".

The taxpayer took a 58% stake in NatWest - than called Royal Bank of Scotland - in a 45bn bailout in November 2008, as the government looked to shore up the banking sector amid the global financial crisis.

So far it has raised 3.7bn under the trading plan.
The trade show specialist's workload was now back close to where it stood before Covid, but the share price had not kept up with that progress.

So far during the year revenues were running at 95% of their pre-pandemic or 2019 level and that was excluding China.

Yet Informa believed that the Asian giant's market would return to normal in 2023 and be fully up and running by 2024.

The company's Tech unit, which focused on market research, was also showing strong growth.

"There is huge potential in the release of pent-up demand for shows and conferences, especially in China, and new plans to use all the data from digital events to attract customers marketing budgets to fresh areas," Tobin said.

"Buy Informa."

Shares of S&U should rise steadily as chairman Anthony Coombs and his crew deliver on their strategy to support clients, grow profits and generate returns for their shareholders, the Financial Mail on Sunday's Midas column believed.

The lender, which was focused on motor credit and people with salaries but a slightly impaired credit record. With banks turning increasingly strict, such potential borrowers might be turned down for slightly misdemeanours.

S&U had a long history in the market for so-called non-prime borrowers and applies rigorous checks.

Indeed, it typically lent to less than five in 100 applicants.

Demand was so strong that its customer base increased by 21% to reach nearly 24,000 in 2022, which was a record for the business.

The Aspen Bridging unit meanwhile, which catered to developers and property owners by providing short-term loans, had gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2017.

Shares of S&U were already offering a dividend yield of over 5% and increased were penciled in for 2023 and 2024.

"Coombs' motto for S&U is 'Steady and sustainable growth'.

"In uncertain times, this sounds more appealing than ever. At 23.60, the shares are a long-term hold, and the dividend adds spice to the mix."
850 hectares of industrial hemp will be planted in Zhytomyr region as part of the launch of a project for the production and processing of bast crops, which should be launched on the basis of the industrial park Ma'Rijanny in 2024, said French-Ukrainian businessman, ex-mayor of Hlukhiv Michel Terestchenko.

"Our Ukrainian industrial park project for technical hemp is off to a good start. This spring, the first significant park developments in the small village of Ryzhany (Zhytomyr region) will begin," he wrote on Facebook.

According to the expert, the production of special agricultural equipment and a production line for the project has already begun in Western Europe. Negotiations were also held with local farmers to prepare for sowing and harvesting 850 hectares of technical hemp. The first contract was signed with Florian Garnier, CEO of Champs Elysees Ltd, whose business has 10,000 hectares in the region and will supply hemp for processing into textiles.

The Industrial Park Ma'Rijanny, according to information on its website, will be the first park in Europe for the primary processing of bast crops, in particular technical hemp and flax. The production site of 30 hectares is located in the village of Ryzhany, Zhytomyr region. Some 7,000 square meters of production and 12,000 square meters of storage space are ready for work, 180,000 square meters are prepared for construction. The second phase of construction of the project provides for the expansion of production facilities twice - up to 14,000 square meters and warehouses three times - up to 36,000 square meters, according to the website of the project.

Currently, the project initiators are looking for partners who are ready to provide commercial, industrial and infrastructure facilities with the subsequent possibility of leasing them to residents. Particular interest is expressed in cooperation with those wishing to build power generation facilities based on renewable energy sources or by generating energy from by-products that will be produced by the park.
Celebal Technologies, a leading Indian technology solutions provider, has announced its plans to expand operations in Canada and to invest $10 million over the next five years in the country. The move is a part of the company's strategy to expand its global footprint and strengthen its position as a trusted provider of cutting-edge enterprise business solutions in AI, Big Data, Data Science, and Enterprise Cloud utilising Microsoft and Databricks technology platforms.

Starting with Toronto and Calgary, Celebal plans to create centres of excellence which will be staffed by a team of skilled IT professionals who will work closely with clients to understand their needs and provide customised solutions to meet their specific requirements.

Speaking about the investment, Mr. Anupam Gupta, Co-Founder and President of Celebal Technologies said, "We are thrilled to be expanding our operations in Canada. This investment will allow us to build on our success in India and deliver high-end technology solutions to clients in Canada and beyond. We are confident that our expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other advanced technologies will be a valuable asset to clients in the country."

Celebal Technologies' investment in Canada is a significant step forward for the company and the Indian IT industry as a whole. We are driving continuous innovation in digital transformation journeys across various industries such as Financial Services, Energy, CPG, Retail, and newer domains like Sustainability. To build momentum, Celebal Tech needs support from the Canadian Government in visa processing, initiation into government programs for tech companies and connecting with universities, said Mr. Anirudh Kala, Co-Founder, and CEO of Celebal Technologies.

The investment is expected to benefit India in several ways. It will help create job opportunities for skilled IT professionals in the country, which will further contribute to growth of the Indian IT industry. It will also strengthen the relationship between India and Canada. Canada has been a key partner for India in various domains, including trade, investment, and education. The investment by Celebal Technologies will help deepen this relationship and provide new opportunities for collaboration between the two countries.
Bane NOR, the Norwegian government agency responsible of managing, operating, and expanding the country's rail system, reportedly chose Tata Consultancy Services to provide secure access to the latter's digital systems.The deal's financial details, however, were kept hidden.

Teams from TCS with locations in Norway and across Europe will serve as its strategic partner and offer managed services for identity governance and administration (IGA), access management, identity lifecycle management, and application management operations.

The identity and access management (IAM) platform of TCS' IdentiFence platform, a part of its Cyber Defense Suite, will be used by the large IT company. TCS proposed a comprehensive plan and process to support Bane NOR, and we are confident in our decision to grant them the contract. They proved to be a right fit, and in particular TCS ability to be a strategic partner as well as their scalability and flexibility, and holistic approach to IGA capabilities coupled with access to local and global resources demonstrated their capacity to meet Bane NORs needs, said Tom Remberg, CISO, Bane NOR.

To offer quick, regionalized help, TCS' Cyber Security suite features a network of 12 Threat Management Centers spread across the UK, Ireland, Spain, US, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and India.

Additionally, by incorporating security into all aspects of design, implementing a zero-trust framework, and offering 360-degree visibility and predictive intelligence to proactively defend against and address changing risks, it aids enterprises in quantifying their risks and fortifying their security posture. Our automation and analytics-based digital identity platform TCS IdentiFence will reimagine their IAM landscape and enhance user experience, said Rajan Maheshwari, Country Head, TCS Norway.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Beginning in the fall, City University of New York (CUNY) schools with associate degree programs will offer 12 new for-credit apprenticeship programs in high-demand industries.

The expansion, funded by a $2 million investment from New York State, will launch at all 10 CUNY colleges that offer associate degrees: the seven community colleges, the College of Staten Island, Medgar Evers College and New York City College of Technology.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced, on Monday, the new funding for the CUNY program, which currently offers associate degree students apprenticeships in software engineering, consulting, finance, risk management and cybersecurity.

Apprenticeships are a critical launching pad for good-paying, impactful careers, and were proud to build a robust program for CUNY students, Hochul said. With this additional $2 million investment, were able to expand apprenticeship programs for associate degree programs and open up new opportunities for New Yorkers across the state.

Students will be placed in companies such as JPMorgan Chase, EY, Citi, American Express, Deloitte, AIG, Mastercard and Wells Fargo, which are all part of the New York Jobs CEO Council. The Jobs Council is a coalition of CEOs from some of the citys largest employers with the goal of employing 100,000 low-income and diverse New Yorkers  including 25,000 CUNY students and graduates  by the end of the decade.

These programs are game-changing for both students and employers, Kiersten Barnet, executive director of New York Jobs CEO Council, said. Students get work-based learning opportunities that double as direct pathways into competitive entry-level roles. Employers get access to a wider pool of talent that reflects the rich diversity of our city.

CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez also commented on the apprenticeship program expansion.

Apprenticeships have always been a great path for young people to break into fields, offering them hands-on-work until they were ready to do the work unassisted. Students need experience and connections to the workplace beyond the classroom more than ever so they have clear pathways to careers when their education ends, he said. Im grateful to Gov. Hochul for investing in our students, and we extend our appreciation to the employers welcoming our students in two-year degree programs to high-demand jobs in their offices as we collaborate to strengthen our workforce.

Rodriguez is currently serving as the co-chair of the Citys Future of Workers Task Force, which Mayor Eric Adams assembled to explore ways to build the workforce, including expanding apprenticeship opportunities.

Other CUNY initiatives around workforce development include: growing public-private partnerships with a $16 million investment in the CUNY Inclusive Economy Initiative; training students for financial careers through CUNY Futures in Finance; placing students in public sector and non-profit jobs over the summer via CUNY Career Launch.

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MIAMI (AP)  Kodai Senga struck out eight in his major league debut, wearing a glove with an image of a ghost and a pitchfork in reference to his ghost forkball, leading the New York Mets over the Miami Marlins 5-1 Sunday.

The 30-year-old right-hander agreed to a $75 million, five-year contract after going 87-44 with a 2.59 ERA in 11 seasons with the Pacific Leagues Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He overcame a difficult first inning and allowed one run, three hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.

First inning, definitely a lot of nerves, Senga said through a translator. My legs felt like a ghost. Once I got into a little bit of a pinch, I started to settle down and calm myself down.

Senga averaged 96.8 mph with 32 fastballs  the fastest 99 mph  and threw 26 forkballs, 18 sweepers and 12 cutters. His eight strikeouts tied Kenshin Kawakami and Masahiro Tanaka for the fourth-most by a Japanese pitcher in a MLB debut, trailing only Kazuhisa Ishii and Daisuke Matsuzaka (10 each), and Hideki Irabu (nine).

It was a gradual thing, more step by step, Senga said. I got more used to the moment. A lot of guys kept pushing my back, giving me words of confidence.

Sengas day ended on his 88th pitch, a strikeout of Jazz Chisholm Jr. leading off the sixth. The large contingent of Mets fans at loan Depot park cheered Senga while he returned to the dugout.

Dennis Santana, John Curtiss and Stephen Nogosek completed a four-hitter.

Tommy Pham had three hits and three RBIs, finishing a triple shy of the cycle as the Mets won for the third time in the four-game opening series.

Pham, who has dealt with a cornea thinning condition since 2008, said he was fitted with new set of contact lenses on Friday.

I feel Im seeing the ball better, Pham said. Id be lying if I didnt say my eye doctor here fine tuned my lenses for me. I felt everything was different in a good way.

Trevor Rogers (0-1) gave up four runs, four hits, two walks and two hit batters in 4 1/3 innings.

After four-pitch walks in the first to Pete Alonso and Mark Canha loaded the bases, Jeff McNeil hit a dribbler between the mound and first. Rogers flipped the ball past first baseman Yuli Gurriel as two runs scored.

Just really amped up that first inning, Rogers said. Had a tough time really getting my heart rate under control. Kind of got my command out of whack. Really just got to clean that up.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The New York State Health Department is among agencies in 30 states to take part in a multi-million dollar program to evaluate current and past environmental hazards.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registrys (ATSDR) Partnership to Promote Local Efforts to Reduce Environmental Exposure  known as APPLETREE  will award $13.95 million to fund 30 state health departments. The effort, part of the White Houses Justice40 Initiative, will provide a projected nearly-$70 million to the agencies over the next five years, beginning on April 1.

President Joe Bidens Justice40 plan aims to ensure 40% of overall federal investments flow to underserved and marginalized communities. New Yorks climate goals closely align with the federal initiative, and the state has recently identified a list of disadvantaged communities earmarked for at least 35% of funding.

Environmental quality is a vital precursor to the development of health issues that can lower life expectancy and increase vulnerability to other cardiovascular problems.

Numerous studies show a connection between air pollution and increased COVID-19 mortality, for example, especially in minority communities where underlying pulmonary conditions are more frequent and health care inadequacies are pronounced.

Black and Latino communities are often located in areas of higher pollution that are more densely populated, experts said, amplifying negative health effects caused by poor air quality.

Recent research found a pending Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal to limit deadly particle pollution would widely help Americans, but the most vulnerable populations would likely experience the greatest benefits.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is currently undertaking an air monitoring effort to help target strategies to reduce air pollution in high-burdened areas.

The latest funding will provide resources and guidance to assess specific issues involving hazardous substances in the environment by identifying where exposures are coming from, reviewing data to identify potential health risks and educating communities about contaminations and possible health effects.



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Last week, 36 schools across New York received calls indicating there would be extreme violence, even shootings, which turned out to be a hoax.

The first call, made to the Onondaga County 911 Center at 10:20 a.m., said there was a shooting in the bathroom at Westhill High School and seven students had been shot. Shortly after the call, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said he received calls from other district attorneys across the state who were told that the reports were part of a state-wide hoax, Syracuse.com reported.

Gov. Kathy Hochul in Albany on Friday said those calls likely came from a foreign country, according to a report from BuffaloNews.com.

Very often, and probably in this case, they are foreign actors. These are computer-generated calls originating in foreign lands that are trying to cause disruption, Hochul said, according to the report.

Although the calls were deemed not credible, school and law enforcement officials  mainly in Hudson Valley where most of the calls were received  took threats seriously.

Lockdown protocols were enacted, and law enforcement checked the schools to ensure everything was safe. State police went to 226 schools on Thursday, the report said.

Threats such as these are called swatting, and are made to trick a school into believing theres an active shooter or there will be a shooting in order to bring law enforcement, particularly SWAT teams, to a specific location, Hochul explained.

It is phenomenally disruptive. It causes trauma among teachers and children and parents It causes chaos especially this week after the nation had to witness another mass shooting in a childrens school in Nashville, the BuffaloNews.com reported.

The governor met with Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, Acting Superintendent of the State Police Steven Nigrelli, and President of the State Teachers Union Andrew Pallotta on Friday to discuss the hoax calls, the report said.

The threats are under investigation with local law enforcement and the FBI, Hochul said, adding they are difficult to prosecute when the threats are from overseas.

According to the report, she said she wants to work with educators across New York to spread information about tools that can be used to mitigate threats of violence  including expanding the red flag law, which allows law enforcement to remove guns from people who are a risk to themselves or others.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Sexually transmitted infections (STI) rose starkly in New York City in the first years of the pandemic, prompting officials to repurpose COVID-19 testing facilities to mitigate the elevated spread.

Chlamydia case rates increased 13.2% among males and 5.2% among females between 2020 and 2021, according to the city Health Department. Gonorrhea rates similarly rose 12.9% and 4.2% in males and females, respectively, while syphilis rates jumped precipitously within the female population.

The increases are likely due to a combination of reduced STI screening and testing amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a reduction of sexual health services, officials said. Decreased STI transmission in 2020, which caused reductions in subsequent diagnoses, also made 2021s rise more significant.

The Health Department continues to be an invaluable partner to community-based organizations as we work together to address the critical need for STI testing, treatment, and prevention education across New York City, said Dr. Freddy Molano, vice president of Infectious Diseases and LGTBQ Programs and Services at Community Health Network, in a release.

We continue to make important progress in our work to keep our communities healthy, but we know there is much more left to accomplish, said Molano.

Port Richmond, Stapleton and St. George maintain the highest rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis on Staten Island. They all sit within the top 33 neighborhood case rates in New York City.

Chlamydia rates are striking among female adolescents and young women. In 2021, one-quarter of all female chlamydia cases were in females between 10 and 19-years-old.

The city Health Department also expressed concern over the racial and ethnic disparities present in the latest STI data, with gonorrhea and chlamydia affecting people in very high poverty neighborhoods 2.5 times more than people living in low poverty neighborhoods.

Primary and secondary syphilis cases were 2.9 times more likely to be diagnosed in Black New Yorkers than white New Yorkers, according to the city Health department.

The heightened STI levels have led health officials to urge New York City residents to get tested for STIs.

Whether its a fling or a serious thing, STI tests are recommended for all New Yorkers, said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the citys health commissioner. Less wait time means less stress. Our rapid tests help New Yorkers stay safe. Get tested today.

STIs are common and curable but can cause lasting health effects, including infertility, if left untreated. The majority of STIs do not cause symptoms in their early stages, amplifying the need to get routinely tested.

The city Health Department, which operates two express clinics and five sexual health clinics, said it used lab equipment previously used to test for COVID-19 to test for STIs, with plans to pivot additional instruments to have STI express services at additional sexual health clinics in the near future.

None of the clinics are located on Staten Island.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A team of lawyers representing former President Donald Trump have considered requesting their clients criminal case be moved from Manhattan to Staten Island, Bloomberg reported.

Trump departed a Florida airport Monday afternoon heading to New York City to surrender to authorities on more than 30 charges stemming from hush money payments to a porn star prior to the 2016 election, according to Reuters.

The defense team is waiting to review charges, which remain sealed, before attempting an argument to change the venue of the proceeding. His lawyers remain concerned he will not be able to receive a fair trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, said the report.

Pedestrians stand outside Manhattan Criminal Court as media and security amass nearby, Monday, April 3, 2023, in New York. Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York to face charges related to hush money payments. Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed up by a Manhattan grand jury. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP

Any attempt to change venue of the case would require a significant argument indicating the inability to receive an impartial jury. Legal experts told Bloomberg defendants do not have the right to a friendly jury, making the potential colossal shift remarkably unlikely.

However, it is not the first time a change in courthouse was mentioned during the early days of the case.

Prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz told Fox News host Sean Hannity that a trial against the former president should be moved to Staten Island in order to avoid a prejudiced jury.

The charges levied against Trump are related to an alleged 2006 affair the former president had with porn star Stormy Daniels, and a 2016 hush money payment Trumps then-fixer and attorney, Michael Cohen, made to her in the lead-up to that years election.

Cohen, who is a convicted felon and key witness in District Attorney Alvin Braggs case, has said that he made the $130,000 payment to Daniels on Trumps behalf, and was subsequently repaid by the former presidents family business, the Trump Organization.

In an effort to conceal the payments, the Trump Organization allegedly falsified business records, a scheme Cohen said the former president knew about.

Trump has denied the affair with Daniels and any wrongdoing.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that hundreds of billions of dollars are needed to quickly restore the state from the consequences of a full-scale Russian invasion.

"I don't know the real amount of funds, because you see: not the entire territory has been de-occupied. For this reason, I cannot name the total amount of money that we need. Of course, we are talking about hundreds of billions," Zelenskyy said, answering questions journalists about how much money Ukraine needs to restore.

He also noted that in Ukraine they are currently thinking not only about money, but also about the mental health of people, the environment, and social issues.

"You see, the problem is that we think not only about money. We must think about mental health, about the environment - what to do with this," the president said.

"We need money for a rapid recovery. Now we give all the money that we have to the battlefield, our army, we also pay salaries, support our teachers, and doctors," Zelenskyy said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that there are no credible threats to the city related to the scheduled arraignment of former President Donald Trump, but warned supporters to be on their best behavior.

Officials said they expect protests around the office of District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who announced Thursday that a grand jury voted to indict the former president  but Adams, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Philip Banks, and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said Monday that no specific threats have been found against the city.

While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple  control yourselves, Adams said. New York City is our home not a playground for your misplaced anger.

The mayor recommended that people who typically drive into Manhattan should consider taking public transit, and Sewell said there would be intermittent road closures around the borough.

Despite the lack of a specific threat, Adams singled out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), one of Trumps most vocal supporters, who has vowed to be in New York City to protest the former presidents arrest.

Taylor Greene will attend a Rally for Trump that the New York Young Republicans Club organized for 10:30 a.m. at Collect Pond Park, near Braggs office in lower Manhattan.

Protesting is a constitutional right and I am going to NY on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference, Greene tweeted Sunday. I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us. You are not one of us, you are one of them. We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump.

Adams specifically warned Greene to be on your best behavior while shes in the city protesting Braggs arrest of Trump  the first time in the nations history that a current or former president has been criminally charged.

Braggs indictment against the former president remains sealed, but CNN reported that the grand jury indicted Trump on more than 30 charges related to business fraud.

Under New York penal law, falsifying business records is typically a misdemeanor charge, but can be elevated to a felony if done with the intent of committing, aiding or concealing another crime.

The harshest penalty the president could face in relation to a felony charge would be four years in jail, according to the state court system.

Reaction has been mostly predictable, with the American right circling the wagons around Trump in defense of the former president and the partys leader, and the American left cheering Braggs indictment.

Trump has referred to the indictment as political persecution and election interference, and has taken personal aim at the Manhattan district attorney.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, who was handpicked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace, the former president said in a statement. Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, hes doing [President] Joe Bidens dirty work ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!

For his part, Biden, who beat Trump in the 2020 election, has declined to comment on the indictment as he made his way around Mississippi Friday touring storm damage.

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Andrew Westacott had a lot to talk about on Monday. The Australian Grand Prix chief executive had to cope with the aftermath of Sundays on- and off-track chaos, taking the shine off what was an otherwise successful event.

Then theres his environmental problem. Formula 1 belches out as much planet-cooking carbon pollution as youd expect  about 256,000 tonnes each season  and only a tiny fraction of it is from the cars themselves, with nearly all the damage done by flying the travelling circus to about 23 locations around the globe each year with 930 tonnes of air freight required to stage this years Melbourne event alone.

Andrew Westacott in the fast lane? Credit: John Shakespeare

There is widespread scepticism  some of it from one of its biggest stars, Lewis Hamilton  about the sports pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the F1 hierarchy still doesnt know how itll keep its promise to run the race cars on sustainable fuels by 2026.

Asked about the events environmental challenges on Monday, Westacott recited the company line.
Im just waiting for a friend, I lied, when a girl from my year came over and pretended to be friendly to me in order to steal some of my french fries. The sting of humiliation bloomed across my cheeks. But this sort of discomfort, horrible though it is, is an important part of our emotional development. And having a phone, in a situation like this, can impede our ability to learn how to rise above inevitable emotional pain, says Dr Danielle Einstein, a clinical psychologist and adjunct in the psychology department at Macquarie University. That would be a really big thing if youre socially anxious, youre using your phone to sort of hide behind, and to reach for safe people rather than taking that risk [to speak to someone], says Einstein, who researches the impact of mobile devices on the mental health of young people. They allow us to exit or escape a situation... and it means that in the moment theyre not enduring the tricky feelings that they have, while theyre in the playground sitting maybe with a new group, and if theyre looking at their phone, is the person next to them going to talk to them? The phone interferes with the natural interaction, the natural friendships that develop, [which] sometimes can take time. Theyre not necessarily immediate. We have to take a bit of a risk and sit there, and wait. In this circumstance, retreating to the phone is a safety behaviour that many anxious kids  and adults  rely on. And it impedes our ability to develop resilience.

They stop us from learning that we would have been fine without it [the phone], says Einstein. Loading I see it in the practice all the time, she says. I have adolescents and young adults and adults coming in with anxiety or depression or other sorts of psychological problems, that can be fixed quite quickly once you educate them and help them to put better limits and teach them about how theyre hiding with their phones... Its a big reason for this escalation in need for psychological services and demand. A phone ban at school could also boost resilience more widely, whether a child has anxiety or not. In the old days, if you caught the bus to the wrong stop, you might have had to talk to the bus driver, or someone else at a local shop, who might have directed you and helped you then to work out what to do next, or made a call, whereas now, phones allow us to short circuit people around us, and only rely on their parents, says Einstein. The end result? It potentially erodes their belief that they can manage things on their own.

Those parents who are worried their childs safety will be compromised because of lack of access to their phone can be reassured, too. While up to 320,000 students will be affected by the ban, each NSW public school will decide how it will be rolled out in a way that makes sense for their school communities, NSW Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car said today. In other words, its likely that students will have their phones on them while theyre travelling to and from school. Loading There will also be exemptions to the ban, like students who need a phone to monitor a health condition, or those who need it for educational purposes under the instruction of a teacher, as Minns has previously stated. For Minns, the primary goal of the ban is to enable kids to focus on learning. (The NSW ban follows existing mobile phone bans in high schools in South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.) This is backed by the so-called Brain Drain study, says Einstein, which showed that if someone has their phone on their desk, even if its silent and upside down, it takes more attention away from us, than if it were in another room. To this, I would add that having to rise above emotional discomfort will aid them later, when it comes to relating to others. I told my kids about my McDonalds loneliness just the other night, over dinner.
Former ultra-Orthodox Jewish principal Malka Leifer guilty of indecent assault, rape

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A new analysis of the number of female Liberal MPs across the countrys parliaments paints a bleak picture, with proportions as low as 12.5 per cent prompting a warning that women are sick and tired of the partys sluggish attempts to address its gender problem.

The NSW party improved its representation at this months state election; while results are not yet finalised, women will take up to 44 per cent of Liberal spots across the lower and upper houses, compared with 28 per cent after the last election.

Charlotte Mortlocks Hilma Network will track the number of Liberal women in parliaments. Credit: Edwina Pickles

But the data calculated by Hilmas Network, which aims to grow the number of women in Liberal politics, points to a serious problem in lower houses  the domain of party leaders  across the country, where the partys proportion of female MPs in several states is below 20 per cent.

From Tuesday, Hilmas Network will analyse and publish Liberal womens representation across the countrys parliaments to throw a spotlight on the problem and hold the party to account. Its all really bad, the networks founder, Charlotte Mortlock, said of the analysis.
Ukraine's military victory is the only way to ensure the security of Ukrainian cities and communities, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement on Sunday.

"Today, Russian terrorists again struck at Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region. At ordinary residential blocks. Six people were killed by this Russian shelling. Three women, three men. Ordinary people of an ordinary town in Donbas. My condolences to the family and friends of the deceased... Another 11 people were wounded. Russia used S-300 missiles and the Uragan MLRS against Kostiantynivka," he said in a video statement on Sunday.

According to him, "today they also attacked Konotop district of Sumy region. Mortar fire. Two people were killed."

"These are just a few examples of dozens of hits per day. There is only one way to stop Russian terror, to restore security to all our cities and communities  from Sumy region to Donbas, from Kharkiv region to Kherson region, from Kyiv region to Yalta. And this is Ukraines military victory. There is no other way and there will be no other way," the president said.

"The evil state must be defeated. In every sense of the word. Rashism must face a total defeat: military, economic, political, legal. The first point is military. And it will face it," Zelenskyy said.
Police search landfill site for Adelaide father's remains

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A Brisbane mother who caught her husband with another woman, and ran them down with her luxury SUV, has avoided jail over the incident.

Prosecutors were pushing for a two-year jail term however Christie Lee Kennedy, 38, walked free from Brisbanes District Court on Monday, ending a lengthy criminal prosecution.

Kennedy, a law clerk, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle over the incident in 2021 when she hit her husband and his mistress with her BMW SUV.

Christie Kennedy and David Larkin. Credit: Facebook

During sentencing, Kennedy refused to watch the footage of the incident. It showed her then husband, David Larkin, and Zowie Noring on a street in Wavell Heights before they were hit by Kennedys car.
Uranium mining at Ranger, east of Darwin, came to test him. If there were to be mining, there would have to be royalties. He was the one to make the agreement. Some accused him of selling off Aboriginal lands. Others accused him of being bullied by the government. Still others claimed he would be wrecking the environment. The government appeared to him to be playing games. Loading Stephen Zorn, an American hired to handle the negotiations, said that Aboriginal people might even be pushed into violence. Traditional owners at Gunbalanya (once known as Oenpelli) rejected the proposed agreement. Yunupingu was warned that many tribal leaders were unhappy with his leadership of the council. He said that white lawyers acting for dissident Aboriginal communities were mainly responsible for the conflicts tearing the Northern Lands Council apart. No Aboriginal in the nation had negotiated a mining royalty agreement before. Someone had to set an example of how to talk and fight and I did it. Somebody had to do it and I wore the criticism. The agreement on Ranger was eventually signed but there was bad blood. In 1979, Australias first uranium mine was opened at Nabarlek in Arnhem Land, with Yunupingu turning the first sod. He was proclaimed Australian of the Year. But when he lived in Darwin, other Aboriginal people called him Uncle Tom and Uptown Black. In 1980, he stepped down as chairman of the Northern Land Council, although he remained a councillor.

Once the royalties started to flow to the Aboriginal people, things did quieten down, but not totally. When the Kimberley Land Council had an issue at Noonkanbah in Western Australia, Yunupingu accused white activists of manipulating the Aboriginal people and telling them what to do. He also came under some personal criticism for his lifestyle, which smacked of a degree of affluence. He was assistant manager of Yirrkala Business Enterprises, which contracted for heavy machinery work to the mining company Nabalco using Aboriginal workers and ran a seafood processing and marine business. Its the most successful Aboriginal business in Australia making profits of about $1 million a year, he said. In 1982, Sydney Morning Herald journalist Joseph Glascott interviewed Yunupingu and noted that he lived in a European-style three-bedroomed house with lawns watered by sprinklers and tropical flowers and coconut palms. Surrounding his house are the galvanised iron huts and tents of brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and cousins and their children  members of the Gumatj clan, one of the two traditional owner clans of the region. Questioned on that, Yunupingu said: I live in a house like a white man, but I dont live like a white man. Much of the food is bush tucker which we catch ourselves. Yunupingu made an unsuccessful tilt at the House of Representatives as an independent for the Northern Territory but in 1983 he was re-elected as chairman of the Northern Land Council and he went on to lead a number of negotiations with mining and government bodies.

After a meeting with then-prime minister Bob Hawke, Yunupingu said the Aboriginal landowners would oppose the incorporation of Jabiluka into the Kakadu National Park. Not being in a national park, it could be mined for uranium, a matter in which the Aboriginal people had a stake. Yunupingu argued that left-wingers who were urging a total ban on uranium mining were placing the future of Aboriginal people in jeopardy. Loading He was anxious that the ALP National Council should adopt a pro-uranium policy. Our point I make clear: the land is ours and since it is ours, decisions on whether to mine or as saying yes to mining. He said: It is not that important talking about money. It is the right of decision-making. Money is only part of it. But the land council threatened to launch a Mabo-style claim about the McArthur River zinc, lead and silver development, citing a lack of information, disinformation and unfulfilled promises from the mining company. Elsewhere, Yunupingu was held in the highest esteem. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1985 Australia Day Honours. He was also named in the National Trusts list of Living National Treasures.

A Herald profile of Yunupingu by Janet Hawley noted he had multiple wives, including three Aboriginal and one European. He reportedly had 11 children and sent some of his sons to Sydneys Scots College. The supposed extravagance did not pass unnoticed. Loading In 1993, the federal government asked the auditor-general to investigate claims of financial irregularity with the land council, including a claim that Yunupingu had used its funds as a personal bank. In 2004, Yunupingu resigned as chair of the Northern Land Council, amid some reported discontent among the Yunupingu family and other community members about the distribution of mining royalties paid to the Gumatj Association. The following year, the Weekend Australian published a scorching article about him, saying there had been a deep rift within the family over allegations that Yunupingu was hogging all the mining royalties, saying that while relatives lived in squalor, Yunupingu has the use of a helicopter, four houses and a fleet of cars, including a Range Rover. But Yunupingu was elected co-chair of the Aboriginal Development Consultative Forum in Darwin, held many positions on committees and organisations. He presented Hawke with another bark statement, the Bangara Statement, calling for national reconciliation.

In 2007, he spoke about the need for action to reduce Indigenous poverty. In reference to the Howard governments Northern Territory National Emergency Response, known as The Intervention, he said it was an incomplete process about which he would reserve his judgment until he knew what was working and what was not. He said: I had come to feel that [the bark petitions] words had been ignored. The best thing to do would be to get it out of parliament and take it home and bury it in a bark coffin. In 2008, he led the presentation of another petition, this time to prime minister Kevin Rudd, asking for formal recognition of self-evident rights to be secured for his people through a process of constitutional reform. He spoke out against the inability of the government to provide adequate housing. Further honours came his way, including a Lifetime Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at Melbourne University. Suffering declining health, requiring a kidney transplant in 2016, Yunupingu was one of three Indigenous Australians, along with Tom Calma and Lowitja ODonoghue, honoured by Australia Post in the 2017 Legends Commemorative Stamp Indigenous leaders series to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum. In 2019, he was named as one of 20 members of the senior advisory group to help design the Indigenous Voice to parliament, set up by the federal government.
Police have closed their investigation into members of the Jewish ultra-Orthodox community who allegedly helped their former school principal and convicted sex abuser Malka Leifer to flee Australia and avoid justice for more than a decade.

Police confirmed to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that they had looked at a number of people connected to the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick, but that the probe ended in 2018 because there was insufficient evidence to proceed with any charges at this time.

Any new information received will be thoroughly assessed, Victoria Police said in a statement.

Advocates are angry about the closure of the probe, saying the lack of accountability is hurtful and infuriating, given the strong evidence already heard in court of the school boards role in helping Leifer escape.
A victim of sexual assault by her doctor has told a court how fear and a feeling of uncleanness has permeated her life since the assault.

A Victorian County Court jury found Shafiul Milky, 59, guilty last month of 15 charges including the indecent assault, rape and sexual assault of six female patients between 2012 and 2019.

Shafiul Milky was found guilty last month of 15 charges of the rape, sexual assault and indecent assault of six patients. Credit: Wayne Taylor

At the time of the crimes, Milky was employed at Ocean Grove Peninsula Family Medical Practice and Home Doctor Service.

One of Milkys victims is now diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and has been admitted into psychiatric care five times since the former doctor sexually assaulted her.
But few know that if the mining company applies for a subsurface permit  to explore 30 metres below the surface  the law allows it to avoid advising the owner. And landowners doing a deal arent required to inform their neighbours. The only way for someone to know if a company has applied to do subsurface exploration is to proactively check a section of the mining departments website for updates. Pip Tilbrook and Wendy Coffey want more transparency in mining applications. Credit: Lee Griffith Photography. The only way to object is to take it to the mining wardens court, at their own expense, within 35 days of the permit application being lodged.

A growing number of South West residents believe some companies may be abusing the clause to avoid facing objections by unnecessarily claiming the materials would be more than 30 metres deep. Their concerns have been exacerbated by a recent decision preventing public interest objections being heard in the court, one of vanishingly few avenues for residents to object to exploration in their neighbourhood. The 100 objections lodged against the first bid to explore an area covering the properties of Pip Tilbrook and her neighbours in Torbay were enough to send the first mining hopeful packing. But just a few months later, another permit bid was lodged in its place. For Tilbrook the year-long battle has been a soul-destroying rollercoaster of emotions and with details of the miners intentions scant, she said it had been next to impossible to mount a legal argument or establish how the plan may affect her.

Its a war of attrition, there always seems to be more applications and more court dates, she told WAtoday. I just cant believe the onus is on us to find out about them [permit applications] and then fund the action against them. Melanie Stock, who lives about eight kilometres east of Tilbrook on her familys 40-hectare property, was astonished the mining hopeful was under no obligation to inform them of the exploration proposal. What you see there is a presumption in favour of mining, rather than in favour of protecting water supplies and the community interest. Jess Beckerling, WA Forest Alliance The pair believe there should be legislative change to force greater transparency.

With the matter set to return to the wardens court in May, a spokesperson for applicant Mac Sand said the company was not in a position to comment. Everythings fine, government says The agreement of one landholder did not give way to a sweeping exploration licence over the entire area sought, said the mining departments resources tenure executive director Kristian Dawson. He refuted that landholders were being left in the dark, highlighting all applications were publicly advertised by the regulator. Dawson said the wardens court was the right place to deliberate permits and that it was standard practice for the costs to be borne by the parties involved.

Mining Minister Bill Johnston also defended the system, stressing the state had the mechanisms necessary to strike the proper balance between the interests of landowners, industry and environment. He highlighted that an exploration permit entitled the holder to just that and that no productive mining could occur without approval. Loading But the response wasnt enough to allay the concerns of Dr Jeff Bremer, who has been investigating what he has dubbed a loophole in the act and rallying on behalf of landowners in the wardens court. He has since formed Save Preston Valley in a bid to safeguard the area from mining and lobby for change to the mining act, bringing the issue to public attention and calling on local governments to take a stand.

The ministers response is out of touch, he said. The ministers office should stop justifying unfair practices in the [mining] industry and spend more time listening to constituents and the distressed communities. Bremer became involved after stumbling upon exploration permits pending over swathes of the northern jarrah forest, an issue of particular concern to the WA Forest Alliance. WAFA campaign director Jess Beckerling said about a quarter of the forest was under new exploration permit applications, with bauxite miner Alcoa pushing ahead with a major expansion of its 60-year-old operations and Rio Tinto and billionaire prospector Mark Creasys Telupac between them eyeing 240,000 hectares. While conceding the world would need new technologies to decarbonise, Beckerling said there was no climate solution to be found in the clearing of native forests or depletion of critical water sources, pointing out the forest had already lost 90 per cent of its natural vegetation in the past 200 years.

She said the wardens court had traditionally served as the forum for public interest matters to be considered, other than appealing directly to the Minister, and that restricting public interest objections was of great concern. Theres already such limited scope for the communitys views and the public interest to be taken into account before permits are issued, leases are approved and mining begins, she said. What you see there is a presumption in favour of mining, rather than in favour of protecting water supplies and the community interest. A spokesperson for Rio Tinto told WAtoday any exploration would be undertaken in accordance with the companys commitment to sound environmental management and stewardship. Residents take on a mining billionaire  and lose

Residents affected by permits close to their homes fear their fate was sealed in December, when a company controlled by prolific WA prospector Mark Creasy secured a gag order preventing objectors to exploration in the Jarrahdale Forest from being heard in the approval of its permit. The battle began 18 months ago when Creasys company Telupac sought an exploration licence covering a 12-kilometre stretch of forest between Jarrahdale and Keysbrook and Serpentine Falls. The Jarrahdale Forest Protectors lobby group demanded to present evidence about the plans environmental, social and economic impacts. Loading But Telupac asked that the complaints be thrown out, casting doubt over the credibility of the objectors evidence and insisting the concerns raised would be addressed through the rigorous processes of government agencies.

While acknowledging the need for scrutiny, Warden Genevieve Cleary said her decision-making powers were limited to those in the act, and it was not for her to weigh up competing policy considerations and hear evidence that would be reviewed by expert agencies later. It is self-evident that where there is national park, nature reserves, designations of endangered and vulnerable communities and water reserves and catchments, mining will have an impact, she said. The proposed conditions and endorsements illustrate that there are a significant number of agencies, enactments and mechanisms in place to ensure vigorous scrutiny of the application. Jarrahdale Forest Protectors spokesperson Jan Starr told WAtoday the group was disappointed by the decision. Creasy Group was contacted for comment.
BGC Housing Group will not accept any new home sales for the foreseeable future to enable the business to direct all its resources to completing builds for existing customers.

Executive general manager Michael Bartier said the sales halt would be reviewed when the availability of labour improved and a decision on starting up again would be based on market conditions.

BGC Housing Group announced on Monday it will not accept any new home sales. Credit: AFR

This decision, effective immediately, will allow us to focus all our resources entirely on existing customers  many of whom we know have experienced frustrating delays, Bartier said.

He said the decision would impact some jobs in the business sales and administration departments and, wherever possible, redeployment opportunities would be offered.
For the past two weeks, international student Charlene Kamba-Gotora has been living in a homeless shelter in East Perth, unable to find accommodation in the midst of Perths rental crisis.

The 27-year-old from Zimbabwe said she has been sleeping at Safe Night Space with no beds and only one shower for the 30 women it accommodates most evenings.

International student Charlene Kamba-Gotora says she is traumatised after living in a homeless shelter for two weeks. Credit: Colin Murty

There are just a few couches and mats that we use to sleep on, and its first-in, best-dressed and that includes the food, which is usually bread and butter and noodles, she said.

There are also no facilities like a laundry and you cant leave your belongings there.
Ambulance crews rushed to the scene of an accident involving a quad bike which has left two teenagers seriously injured in Perths east.

Police have blocked off the road after the quad bike was involved in a single vehicle crash on the corner of Morrison Road and Bledon Way in Swan View on Monday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy was taken to Royal Perth Hospital by ambulance as a priority one patient with serious head injuries and is currently in a critical condition.

The other boy was taken to Perth Childrens Hospital with serious injuries.
Always be wary of political soothsayers predicting eras of one-party domination. Blue walls can come tumbling down, as the Democratic Party discovered in 2016 when Donald Trump demolished its supposedly impregnable barrier in the key battleground states of the Rust Belt. A White House lock, the term which described the Republicans domination of presidential politics from the late 60s to the early 90s, can eventually be unpicked.

Australias recent electoral history underscores the rashness of sweeping prophecies. Many of us are still young enough to remember the moment in 2007 when Campbell Newman, then mayor of Brisbane, became the most powerful Liberal office holder in the land. Yet seven years later, the Coalition was in power everywhere other than South Australia and the ACT.

Less than a decade on, Labor enjoys a monopoly in government across the entire Australian mainland. The partys history-defying win in the Aston by-election, the first time a sitting government has won a seat from the opposition in more than a hundred years, has provided lustrous red icing on that continent-sized cake. The fact that the island state of Tasmania provides the Liberals only seat of state power makes them look even more like a party in exile.

With all those caveats firmly in place, Anthony Albanese seems to be doing a pretty good job of advancing his project to make Labor the natural party of government. A central reason why is because Peter Dutton is making the Liberals the natural party of opposition.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has arrived in Ukraine, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova said.

"As a President of UNESCO Ukraine honored to welcome in Kyiv Audrey Azoulay. The visit of UNESCO delegation to Ukraine is a huge sign of support for our efforts to protect and restore spheres of culture, education, science, youth, sport and media in Ukraine. These issues are on today's agenda," she said on Twitter.
The United States, United Kingdom, Canada and European Union have also recently banned the popular app from government devices. India banned TikTok and 117 other apps more than two years ago. TikTok general manager Australia and New Zealand, Lee Hunter, said the company was extremely disappointed by the ban, which they saw as being driven by politics, not fact, as reported by News Corp on Monday night. We are also disappointed that TikTok, and the millions of Australians who use it, were left to learn of this decision through the media, despite our repeated offers to engage with government constructively about this policy, Hunter said. Again, we stress that there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok is in any way a security risk to Australians and should not be treated differently to other social media platforms.

A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil, whose department is conducting the review of social media, said last month that the aim of assessing TikTok was to keep the country safe from international security threats. The review currently under way into social media use has a wide remit to explore ways of keeping Australians safe and well consider all its recommendations, the spokesman said. TikTok Australia general manager Lee Hunter says the app is getting singled out unfairly. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The Biden administration went as far as ordering its foreign shareholders to sell the company or face a total ban from operating in the US. US Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr  one of four members of the federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing American communications law  said regulation of the video-sharing app ends in one of two ways: A ban on TikTok or the complete divestiture from any entity beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.

In a submission to the Senates inquiry into foreign interference through social media, Carr wrote: While I have a base level of concern involving social media platforms in general, there is a unique set of national security concerns when it comes to this app. At its core, TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data. Indeed, TikToks own disclosures state that it can collect everything from search and browsing histories to keystroke patterns and biometric identifiers, including faceprints  which researchers have said might be used in unrelated facial recognition technology  and voiceprints. Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security Clare ONeil. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen It collects location data as well as draft messages and metadata, plus it has collected the text, images and videos that are stored on a devices clipboard. The list of personal and sensitive data it collects goes on from there. There are more red flags about TikTok than at a Chinese Communist Party parade, Carr told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

He also urged Australia to support a ban of the social media platform as it was far more alarming than your average app. TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has consistently dismissed security fears as being without foundation, which were strengthened by a submission from foreign interference expert John Garnaut last month. The social media platform insists user data is safe and that it does not moderate content based on any governments desires. A spokesman for TikTok said the bans were based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.

Loading We remain committed to working with governments to address any concerns, but ask that we be judged on the facts and treated equally to our competitors. The spokesman added that any divestment would not aid national security. A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access. The best way for the US 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. However, Katherine Mansted, the director of cyber intelligence and public policy at Australian firm CyberCX, said governments were often forced to make decisions on digital security based on future risk. In TikToks case its parent companies linked to the Chinese government because of Chinas authoritarian regime, and Chinas very tight laws around sharing data with the government, and that influences how other governments around the world see and evaluate risk, Mansted said.
This story is part of a series examining how billions of dollars are being rorted from Medicare each year.

Medicare is haemorrhaging up to $3 billion a year in waste, according to a government-commissioned review of the health systems integrity, which warns it risks losing billions more to rorts in an overly complex and opaque bureaucracy that needs urgent reform.

An independent report into non-compliance and fraud in the $38 billion universal healthcare system by health economist Dr Pradeep Philip has found Medicare is so poorly structured and loosely scrutinised that it is no longer fit for purpose and has left the gate wide open to fraud.

The former head of the Victorian Health Department says the 6000 items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule are difficult to navigate, only a small portion of 500 million transactions each year are scrutinised, and the growing corporate ownership of medical clinics has weakened the relationship between doctors and patients while limiting oversight of billing.

The legislative basis for Medicare is fast becoming out of date, unable to reflect the changing health needs and modes of health service delivery in Australia, he said. The vulnerabilities in the system are real and material.
Dressed in a baggy T-shirt and jeans, Vladlen Tatarsky was relaxed. He was among friends and supporters, a group of about 50 hardcore Russian nationalists who had gathered to listen to him talk about Russias war in Ukraine.

He was a hero to them, a real patriot who took personal risks to spread the Kremlins propaganda and to report back from Ukraines front line to his 560,000 Telegram followers.

Russian blogger Vladlen Tatarsky speaks in front of projection of an image of himself before the explosion. Credit: AP

The Street Bar on the embankment in St Petersburg was also considered safe ground  or so Tatarsky thought. It was owned by his friend Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Kremlins Wagner mercenary unit.

Even so, security had been stepped up as Russias FSB security service was worried about attacks on high-profile Kremlin supporters, but Tatarsky was bullish. He wasnt going to be cowed and, besides, he had spoken at several similar meetings throughout the war. He enjoyed the attention of being a Z celebrity.
Washington: President Joe Biden is not expected to attend the coronation of King Charles III next month, with first lady Jill Biden planning to lead the delegation to Britain, according to people familiar with the plans.

Bidens decision to skip the May 6 coronation is not unusual, say US officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trip has not yet been announced. No previous US president has attended a British monarchs coronation, and for the last coronation  Queen Elizabeth IIs, in June 1953  President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent a delegation in his place.

First lady Jill Biden and US President Joe Biden at Westminster Abbey for the Queens funeral last September. Credit: PA

Biden also joined a parade of world leaders in London in September to attend the Queens funeral, which the British ambassador to the United States said she believed was the first time a US president had attended a British state funeral.

Still, as dozens of world leaders descend on London to celebrate Charless ascension to the throne, some British commentators on the right have criticised Biden, calling his lack of attendance a snub to the monarchy and the special relationship between the United States and Britain.
Security expert Malcolm Davis warns about risk of Ukraine war spreading

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SABA:--- Dutch Minister of Education, Culture, and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf arrived in Saba on Sunday late afternoon. At the airport to meet the minister and his delegation was Island Governor Jonathan Johnson.

The working visit starts on Monday morning with a meeting with the Executive Council, followed by a meeting with the Island Council. The Minister and his delegation will then visit the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) and have lunch with young Saba professionals who have returned from their studies in the United States and the Netherlands.

In the afternoon, the minister will visit the Saba Heritage Center before leaving for St. Eustatius, via St. Maarten. Minister Dijkgraaf will also pay a visit to St. Maarten later in the week.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Haitian Association of Sint Maarten, ("HASMA,") is hard at work organizing this years upcoming "FET DRAPO" celebration on May 18th, 2023, at Emilio Wilson Park. This event is of great cultural significance as it is a commemoration of the creation of the Haitian flag, this year's event is particularly special as it marks the 220th anniversary of the flag's creation.



The event promises to be a vibrant and colorful celebration of Haitian culture and heritage, featuring music, dance, food, and various cultural activities. The theme for this year's event is "My Flag is My Identity," emphasizing the importance of the Haitian flag in preserving and celebrating the Haitian identity.



Fet Drapo celebration is an annual event rotated between the Dutch Sint Maarten and French St. Martin. Last year, our French counterparts, Association Les A, organized the event, and we were there to support it. This year, as in 2021, we will be the official organizers of this years celebration, and they will be there to support and celebrate with us.



The Haitian flag is a symbol of unity, freedom, and pride for Haitians worldwide. It was created in 1803 by Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Catherine Flon, as a symbol of the fight for independence as Haiti became the first Black-led nation to gain independence from European colonization. The flag's design of blue and red stripes with a white square and a coat of arms in the center has inspired many other flags, including other Caribbean nations, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Colombia, as well as the African nations of Senegal and Guinea among others.



"HASMA is proud to continue the tradition of the 'FET DRAPO' celebration, "It is a way for us to honor our history, celebrate our culture, and unite the Haitian community on the island. We are grateful to our French counterparts, Association Les A, for organizing last year's event and are looking forward to their support as we organize this year's celebration."



The Haitian community in Sint Maarten is diverse and thriving, and we believe this event will bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities to celebrate and learn about our Haitian culture,



We invite all other Haitian organizations, associations, interest groups, and those interested in Haitian culture to join us in celebrating this historic and cultural event. In fact, we invite the entire population of St. Maarten to come to eat, drink, and dance with us. The event is also an opportunity for all to learn about Haitian culture and heritage and foster unity and patriotism among all nationalities. " said a spokesperson for HASMA.





HASMA is committed to preserving and promoting the Haitian culture in Sint Maarten and ensuring that the younger generation understands and appreciates their heritage. The annual "FET DRAPO" celebration is a significant step in achieving this goal.



For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities, or vendor inquiries, please contact HASMA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us at 1721-5268232
Paribus Announces Mainnet v1 Launch

MIAMI, FL, Mar 29, 2023  (ACN Newswire)  The creators of a brand new cross-chain decentralized borrowing and lending protocol announce the release of their Mainnet v1. The launch marks the first step in their journey to be the go-to borrowing and lending platform for NFTs. Initially, the protocol will offer wBTC, ETH, and USDT, however, engineers are currently working on integrating NFTs into the next iteration of the protocol.

The unique approach Paribus takes toward these more exotic assets is to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems to assess an accurate value for every supported NFT collection.

Paribus key facts:

 Initially launching on Arbitrum and building for Cardano.

 The Paribus token (PBX) has now become a Cardano Native Token trading on WingRiders.

 Supported by Charles Hoskinson\-s cFund.

 Focused on developing a method to use exotic assets as collateral (NFTs, LPs, Synthetics, etc).

 AI/ML pricing model will allow instant loans rather than old-fashioned P2P models

 User funds are always user-controlled, locked in smart contracts, and never held by the protocol.

 Mainnet has passed two separate Hacken security audits pre-launch

 The most recent audit was completed on March 16th.

 Bug bounty program through Immunefi to ensure ongoing security updates

Paribus CEO Deniz Dalkilic said, \Liquidity is the \straw in the camel\-s back\ for NFTs. It is a point of pain and also a gap in the market. We believe liquidity with time, and with more use cases for NFTs, will drastically improve. 2023 seems like it will be a good year for NFTs and tokenized assets, i.e. physical goods/assets as NFTs. With such a growth in adoption, I believe systems like Paribus will become much more fluid and collateral friendly.\

Paribus COO Wilson Davis said, \Being a cross-chain borrowing and lending protocol, our goal with Paribus is to help bring liquidity and TVL from other ecosystems into the Cardano network. As soon as we have the functionality to integrate with Milkomeda we\-ll be able to start bringing some of that liquidity across.\

About Paribus

As DeFi moves forward, innovators are uncovering transformational ways to store and represent value on-chain. Paribus\- mission is to unlock the true potential of these assets, evolving them into interoperable financial instruments, capable of being used within DeFi protocols, on any chain. If it can be sold, there is a market value. If it has value, it can be modeled. Paribus is the protocol that brings all of these forces together, offering DeFi holders and investors a platform to extend the reach of their digital assets and positions, doubling down on their earning power.

Join Paribus:

Website  https://paribus.io

Twitter  https://twitter.com/paribus_io

Telegram  https://t.me/paribus_io

Medium  https://blog.paribus.io/@paribus_io?gi=450196753ce5

Discord  https://discord.io/paribus

YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/@Paribus_Crypto
Taronga Power Supply Update

First Tin Plc (aFirst Tina)  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/first-tin-ltd/ , a tin development company with advanced, low capex projects in Germany and Australia, is pleased to announce that it has partnered with BID Energy Partners (aBIDa), an Australia based energy company specialising in strategy, project development and delivery of renewable energy projects, to provide a feasibility study on renewable energy supply options for the Taronga Tin Project in Australia. The project is owned by First Tina?s 100% owned Australian subsidiary, Taronga Mines Pty Ltd (aTMPLa).

Highlights

a The implementation of a renewable energy strategy is a critical element of becoming low carbon, or even carbon neutral, at the Taronga tin project and is in line with First Tina?s strategy to maintain the highest ESG credentials.

a The team at BID has a track record of working with governments and industry, including mining companies, to successfully deliver renewable energy projects

a Taronga is well placed to take advantage of renewable energy as:

o It is located within the New England Renewable Energy Zone (aREZa), one of the priority REZs in New South Wales.

o TMPL owns approximately 25km2 of freehold land around the project a sufficient to develop significant solar and/or wind farms.

o The area has a high solar capacity or around 21%.

o The area has good wind speed characteristics, averaging 7.8m/s at a height of 150m, with a capacity factor of around 40%.

o The area is located within 3.5km of an 11kV powerline, 7km of a 66kV powerline and 11km of a 330kV powerline.

a Preliminary mineral processing testwork suggests that the mass of material being treated can be reduced to around 46% after crushing and to around 26% after crushing, screening, jigs and spirals, before any grinding is required. This means that crushing is anticipated to be the highest energy user at the project and First Tin will investigate the possibility of only conducting crushing within daylight hours, thereby utilising solar power for much of the minea?s energy requirements.

a Preliminary studies suggest solar power can be supplied for considerably less cost than grid or diesel power for the site.

a BID will also be considering strategic partners for building a renewable energy park at the site, supplying excess power back to the grid.

First Tin CEO Thomas Buenger said, aFirst Tin is very pleased that we have been able to partner with a well-respected renewable energy company at our Taronga tin project. The first phase of this workstream will deliver a series of alternatives for First Tin to consider as its ultimate power solution. A The New South Wales and Australian Federal Government have announced a range of support programmes to deliver renewable energy to NSW and todaya?s announcement is aligned with our stated desire to have the highest ESG credentials, for the benefit of all our stakeholders.a

Enquiries:

First Tin

Via SEC Newgate below

Thomas Buenger  Chief Executive Officer

Arlington Group Asset Management Limited (Financial Advisor and Joint Broker)

Simon Catt 020 7389 5016

WH Ireland Limited (Joint Broker)

Harry AnsellA 020 7220 1670

SEC Newgate (Financial Communications)

Elisabeth Cowell / Axaule Shukanayeva /A Molly GrettonA 07900A 248A 213

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Notes to Editors

First Tin is an ethical, reliable, and sustainable tin production company led by a team of renowned tin specialists. The Company is focused on becoming a tin supplier in conflict-free, low political risk jurisdictions through the rapid development of high value, low capex tin assets in Germany and Australia.

Tin is a critical metal, vital in any plan to decarbonise and electrify the world, yet Europe has very little supply. Rising demand, together with shortages, is expected to lead tin to experience sustained deficit markets for the foreseeable future. Its assets have been de-risked significantly, with extensive work undertaken to date.

First Tin\-s goal is to use best-in-class environmental standards to bring two tin mines into production in three years, providing provenance of supply to support the current global clean energy and technological revolutions.
Poland has completed the transfer of the first batch of previously promised MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, Head of the President's Office for International Affairs Marcin Przydacz said on RMF FM.

"According to my information, this process has already been completed, i.e. the transfer of this first part. Of course, there will be talk about possible further support," Przydacz said on Monday morning.
Court chooses measure of restraint for Metropolitan of UOC (MP) Pavel in form of round-the-clock house arrest for two months

Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv on Saturday evening chose Metropolitan of the UOC (MP), rector of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Pavel (Peter Lebed) a measure of restraint in the form of round-the-clock house arrest for a period of 60 days, the prosecutor's office of Kyiv region told Interfax-Ukraine.

The court also ordered the Metropolitan of the UOC-MP to wear an electronic bracelet.

According to the ruling read out by the judge, the suspect will serve house arrest at the place of residence in Kyiv region (Boryspil district); must come to the investigator, the prosecutor in this court proceeding, the investigating judge or to the court upon request; refrain from communicating with witnesses in this criminal proceeding; deposit your passport (passports) with the appropriate state authorities for traveling abroad, other documents that give the right to leave Ukraine and enter Ukraine.

The court denied other motions.

An electronic bracelet was put on the suspect in the courtroom.

As reported, the State Security Service of Ukraine said it had collected a reasonable evidence base on the involvement of the Metropolitan of the UOC (MP) Pavel in inciting religious hatred, justifying and denying the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

"It has been established that Lebed, in his public speeches, repeatedly insulted the religious feelings of Ukrainians, humiliated the views of believers of other faiths and tried to form hostile attitudes towards them, and also made statements that justified or denied the actions of the aggressor country. linguistic expertise," the SBU press center said.

Lebed was informed of suspicion under part 1 of article 161 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the equality of citizens depending on their racial, national, regional affiliation, religious beliefs) and part 1 of article 436-2 (justification, denial of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine, glorification of its participants). Investigative actions were carried out at the place of residence and temporary stay of the defendant.
Australian parliament approves emissions caps on big polluters



Sydney, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2023



Australia's parliament passed breakthrough climate laws targeting the nation's worst polluters on Thursday, forcing coal mines and oil refineries to curb emissions by about five percent each year.

The laws apply to 215 major industrial facilities -- each producing more than 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year -- and form the backbone of Australia's pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Experts said the laws signalled the end of Australia's bitter "climate wars" -- a decade of political brawling that has repeatedly derailed attempts to tackle the country's contribution to global warming.

With the new legislation, the country's centre-left Labor government has forecast it can stop 200 million tonnes of carbon from being pumped into the atmosphere over the next decade.

"What the parliament has done today is safeguard our climate, safeguard our economy and safeguard our future," Australia's Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen told MPs.

"What the parliament has done today is brought an end to 10 years of dysfunction and 10 years of delay."

Aluminium smelters, coal mines, oil refineries and other large polluters will be forced to cut their emissions by 4.9 percent each year.

"It's the first time greenhouse gas emissions reduction has been written into Australian law," University of New South Wales sustainability expert Tommy Wiedmann told AFP.

"That's obviously a good thing. We have a climate policy now."

In the weeks ahead of the vote, the government struck a deal on the so-called Safeguard Mechanism after engaging in high-stakes bargaining with the left-wing Greens party.

The previously sceptical Greens, whose support was needed to pass the laws, agreed to back the carbon plan after persuading the government to put a hard cap on emissions.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said the move compelled oil and gas corporations to slash their emissions "for the first time ever in law".



- Climate 'stalemate' -



Australia's economy is fuelled by mining and coal exports -- and it is among the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, per capita, in the world.

For years, Australia had the reputation of acting as a laggard on global action to stop climate change.

But a series of severe natural disasters helped convince the country's leaders to take the climate emergency seriously.

Heavy storms in 2022 caused catastrophic floods on Australia's east coast, in which more than 20 people died.

The "Black Summer" bushfires of 2019-2020 burned more than eight million hectares of native vegetation, while marine heatwaves caused mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor government was swept to power last year promising to change the pro-fossil fuel stance of the previous decade-old conservative government.

Although many praised the laws as a crucial first step, sustainability expert Wiedmann warned Australia could not rest on its laurels.

"It's not enough on its own to reduce emissions and avoid dangerous climate change," he said.

"The hard decisions will come in the next few years."

Murdoch University sustainability expert Martin Brueckner said the plan ended Australia's climate "stalemate", and gave a strong signal to businesses.

"It pretty much pushes climate denialists in a corner," he told AFP.

"We had a lot of market investment uncertainty over the last 10 years under the poorly defined climate policy.

"Having made that first policy step -- as small as it may be -- I think it paves the way for more progressive policies to follow."



- Biggest polluters -



Australia's mining industry has warned that the financial burden of compliance could lead to massive job losses.

"If we are not careful, some facilities in Australia will close," the Minerals Council of Australia said before the laws passed.

"Not only would that damage our economy and slash tens of thousands of regional jobs and billions in investment, it also would push the emissions reduction burden onto other nations that are less able or less willing to decarbonise."

Global mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP operate a number of mines and smelters that will be forced to make emissions cuts.

Australia's Climate Council has estimated that the 215 facilities are responsible for almost 30 percent of the country's total emissions.
EU deal to nearly double renewable energy by 2030



Brussels, March 30 (AFP) Mar 30, 2023



The European Union reached a deal Thursday to almost double the share of renewables in the 27-nation bloc's energy consumption by 2030 amid efforts to become carbon neutral and ditch Russian fossil fuels.

The provisional political agreement, which was reached after nightlong negotiations between the EU parliament and states, seeks to raise the share of renewable energy to 42.5 percent, from 22 percent today.

The EU has set an ambitious target to become a "climate neutral" economy by 2050, with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

The move also comes as it has sought to slash dependence on Russian fossil fuels after Moscow cut gas supplies last year and the bloc placed bans on seaborne crude and other petroleum products from the country.

"Renewable energy will... contribute to our energy sovereignty by reducing fossil fuel imports," European Commission vice president Frans Timmermans said, adding it would also mean cheaper energy for consumers and business.

But environmental groups criticised the agreement, saying it did not go far enough.

"A mandatory 45 percent target would already be weak and outdated... anything lower than 45 percent simply shows European disunity and lack of ambition," said Cosimo Tansini, policy officer for renewable energy at the European Environmental Bureau.



- Cutting red tape -



The deal is a compromise between the 45 percent share for renewables that was sought by EU lawmakers and the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, and the 40 percent preferred by the states.

The previous target for 2030 had been set at 32 percent.

The deal says member states should, however, make every effort to achieve 45 percent.

The proposed directive also seeks cutting red tape for renewable energy projects.

The goal is to "fast-track the deployment of renewable energies" as part of the EU's plan "to become independent from Russian fossil fuels, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine", said a statement from the Council of the EU which represents the bloc's governments.

Companies have complained that red tape has slowed the development of such infrastructure.



- Nuclear debate -



The agreement includes hydrogen, nuclear power and biomass on the list of sources of renewable energy along with solar and wind technology.

Biomass derives from organic material such as trees, plants and urban waste, and includes the burning of wood to produce electricity.

Scandinavian countries defend the practice, but it is criticised by environmental groups over concerns about its impact on forests.

Pascal Canfin, chairman of the European Parliament's environment committee, said the agreement sets strict rules on using biomass.

"The use of biomass is better regulated even if the parliament wanted to go further," Canfin, of the centrist Renew political group, said.

Markus Pieper, of the right-wing European People's Party, said the agreement makes biomass "100 percent green".

Canfin said the deal also "recognises the specific role of nuclear (energy) which is neither green nor a fossil fuel".

The inclusion of nuclear power was hotly debated in recent weeks.

Major nuclear energy producer France and its allies wanted "low-carbon hydrogen", which is made using nuclear energy, to have the same status as hydrogen made from renewables such as solar and wind pwoer.

A group led by Germany had been opposed to including hydrogen produced from nuclear power over concerns it would slow investments in renewables.

A deal was finally reached after Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, proposed a compromise.

Canfin said the deal means that France will be able to use nuclear energy and not be forced to build renewables infrastructure to produce hydrogen for industry and transport.

"It was an absolute condition for France to support the final agreement," Canfin said.
Wind project near S.African elephant park riles activists



Johannesburg, South Africa, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2023



Plans to build wind farms next to a South African national park have riled wildlife activists who worry the turbines will ruin the landscape and impact elephants.

More than 200 turbines are slated to be erected in the vicinity of the Addo Elephant National Park, in the country's south, after the Environment Ministry dismissed a legal bid to block the project last year.

The decision has upset tour operators and environmental campaigners, including William Fowlds, a wildlife vet who runs a lodge in the area and complains the farms risk degrading "the wild experience of going on a safari".

"It's catastrophic," he told AFP.

"No one is saying we are against wind farms, but if you place them in an area of high environmental value and high eco-tourism value, you are actually damaging the local environment and the people that live there."

With solar, wind is seen as key to efforts by Africa's most industrialised economy to wean itself off coal -- which is currently burnt to generate about 80 percent of the country's electricity.

The environment ministry said authorisation to build the wind farms was given upon the completion of an environmental impact assessment.

But critics of the plan are not convinced.

Some have raised concerns that noise from the turbines might disturb the about 600 elephants living in the park, who communicate via low frequency infrasounds.

"Wind turbines produce a lot of noise," said Anglea Stoeger-Horwath, an animal behaviour specialist at the University of Vienna told AFP.

"There's a real risk that it might impact their way of communication,...(and) might stress them".

Nature guide and wildlife photographer, Jeni Smithies, said in turn the animals might get "frustrated" and "aggressive", adding tourists coming to the area will also have their view spoiled.

In rejecting the appeal last year, the ministry wrote that the visual impact of the project would be limited, given there already are other turbines nearby.

Campaigners opposing the project said this week they were considering further legal action.

French firm EDF, which is among the companies involved in the project, already runs a 60 megawatt wind farm some 11 kilometres from Addo park, which lies just one hour drive from Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth.

"(The farm) has been operational since 2015 and no complaints, issues or grievances have been communicated by members of the public," EDF told AFP, adding it continued to monitor biodiversity on the site.

The company dismissed additional concerns that turbulence created by the turbines may interfere with small anti-poaching patrol aircrafts, saying the national parks department "has not given any indication" that this might be an issue.

Other developers did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

sn/ub/cw
Virgin Orbit to lay off 85 percent of its employees



Washington, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2023



Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch company founded by Richard Branson, said it will lay off 85 percent of its employees, according to a filing to the US stock market regulator.

The California-based company will lay off around 675 people to reduce expenses, "in light of (its) inability to secure meaningful funding", it said in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission dated Thursday.

The job cuts are expected to be mostly complete by April 3.

Virgin Orbit suffered a major setback earlier this year when an attempt to launch the first rocket into space from British soil ended in failure.

The company organized the mission along with the UK Space Agency and Cornwall Spaceport to launch nine satellites into space.

Earlier this month, the company suspended operations for several days while it held funding negotiations and explored strategic opportunities.

But at an all hands meeting on Thursday, CEO Dan Hart told employees that operations would now cease "for the foreseeable future," according to US media.

"Unfortunately we've not been able to secure the funding to provide a clear path for this company," Hart said, according to a recording obtained by CNBC.

Virgin Orbit's shares on the New York Stock Exchange were down 16 percent at 34 cents on Thursday evening.

lem/soe/sr/dhw/des
Parched Tunisia imposes water rationing



Tunis, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2023



Tunisia announced tight restrictions on water usage, including rationing tap water, on Friday, as the drought-hit country braces for another baking summer.

The North African country's dams are at critical lows following years of drought, exacerbated by pipeline leaks in a decrepit distribution network.

The agriculture ministry announced a ban on the use of potable water for irrigating farmland or green spaces, or for cleaning public areas or cars.

It said it would also implement quotas for mains supply to households until September.

The head of public water company Sonede, Mosbah Helali, said fines and even prison sentences were being considered for those breaking the rules, telling radio station Mosaique FM that mains supply would be cut between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am.

Residents of several areas of the capital have already complained of unannounced cuts to their mains supply at night since the start of the fasting month of Ramadan, when many stay up late.

"Years of drought and low water flow into reservoirs has impacted the country's water stocks, which have reached an unprecedented situation," the ministry said.

None of the country's major reservoirs is more than a third full, while some are at at less than 15 percent, threatening Tunisia's agricultural sector, which usually accounts for 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product.

Farmers' unions have voiced fears for the coming season, particularly as regards cereals. A poor domestic harvest would compound Tunisia's problems procuring sufficient flour in the face of skyrocketing international wheat prices since Russia's invasion of Ukraine early last year.

The Tunisian Federation for Agriculture and Fisheries said thousands of hectares of farmland risked being left fallow due to the lack of rain.

"This year's cereal season will be catastrophic -- there won't be a harvest," spokesman Anis Kharbech told Tunisian media. He said projected yields would not even be enough to provide seeds for next year's crop.

Scientists say that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of human-caused global warming, and that droughts worldwide are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
UK climate activists spared jail over Formula One protest



London, March 31 (AFP) Mar 31, 2023



A UK judge on Friday spared from jail six climate activists from the "Just Stop Oil" group convicted last month over a racetrack protest at the 2022 British Grand Prix.

The demonstrators, found guilty of conspiring to cause a public nuisance after five of them briefly invaded the Silverstone track last July, received either suspended prison terms or community orders.

Judge Neil Garnham told the protesters that they had recklessly created a risk of death or "serious harm", but conceded the likelihood of that harm occurring had been "relatively modest".

Handing three of the defendants suspended jail sentences, and the remaining trio the year-long community orders, he factored in that the six had not reoffended since the incident.

Garnham also noted that the case could be distinguished from a spate of other disruptive protests in recent years by various climate activist groups because it caused danger rather than inconvenience.

"This was not trespass or obstruction of a highway or criminal damage -- to put it colloquially this was in a different league," the judge at Northampton Crown Court in central England said.

But he added: "I accept that the motive for all of you was not to cause harm but instead to voice your concerns about climate change."

The five protesters who breached the track briefly sat on the tarmac before marshals dragged them away as two racing cars hurtled past.

The sixth activist convicted was found in a car park with cable tie, glue and a "Just Stop Oil" banner.

They had pleaded not guilty and argued in court that the protest was safe due to its "meticulous" planning, but failed to convince the jury at their trial.

Just Stop Oil wants to end UK government approval for exploring, developing and producing fossil fuels.

Last year the group staged a flurry of eye-catching direct-action protests: blocking highways and throwing tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting.

Other collectives, including "Extinction Rebellion" and "Insulate Britain" have held similar disruptive demonstrations.
European aviation sector fears CO2 rules could clip its wings



Paris, April 2 (AFP) Apr 02, 2023



European airlines fear losing out to rivals based outside the EU that can ignore the bloc's emissions-reduction rules to become carbon neutral by 2050.

The "Fit for 55" package sets out an initial goal of reducing emissions by 55 percent in 2030 compared with the 1990 level.

This involves bloc-level obligations to scale up the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) to be blended with fossil fuels in all flights departing from European airports.

SAFs come from sources such as municipal solid waste, leftovers from the agricultural and forestry industry, used cooking oil, crops and plants, and hydrogen.

These technologies are still developing and the end product is more expensive, thereby placing additional costs on airlines obliged to use them while passengers will have to pay more for flights.

The aviation sector is growing in Asia and the Middle East and companies based there could benefit greatly as they are not subject to these constraints, industry experts say.

"The European airline industry has to live with the fact that it's cheaper to bypass environmental reduction ideas if you hop outside of Europe," Carsten Spohr, CEO of German carrier Lufthansa, said at the Airlines for Europe (A4E) aviation summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

Spohr said an airline flying from Brussels to Singapore via Paris, for example, must pay through a carbon emissions trading scheme for the European leg of the trip.

"If you want to go via Doha, you don't need to pay emission trading, you also don't need to be part of blending (SAF and traditional fuels)," Spohr said.



- 'Stop being naive' -



Carbon dioxide emissions from aviation have been included in the EU emissions trading system since 2012.

Under this system, all airlines operating in Europe -- both European and non-European -- have to monitor, report and verify their emissions, and to surrender allowances against those emissions.

Qatar has obtained a controversial "open skies" agreement with the European Union to increase flights between the country and the 27-nation bloc.

Saudi Arabia plans to make Riyadh a gigantic regional aviation hub like Dubai while Istanbul airport, the main hub of Turkish Airlines, has already surpassed London's Heathrow and Paris's Charles de Gaulle by handling 64.3 million passengers last year.

"Istanbul is ideally placed for going to Asia, Africa and eastern Europe. We have to stop being naive," said Alain Battisti, the former president of France's National Aviation Federation.



- 'Centre of gravity shifting' -



Istanbul plans to triple its flow of passengers.

"Climate change and the legal regulations that go with it are inevitable. Important measures are going to be taken on the EU side, and as a result, the centre of gravity of air transport is likely to shift to the East," Kadri Samsunlu, the CEO of Istanbul airport, told AFP.

A detailed study in March last year by the Dutch research group SEO said that non-European aviation hubs would gain passengers as a result of the EU measures.

It said intra-European passengers could decline by 14 percent.

Augustin de Romanet, head of France's ADP airports group, said a major shift east "would make the European companies bankrupt", though he added: "I think that Europe will eventually avoid this distorted competition".

A4E interim chief Laurent Donceel said Fit for 55 will increase costs for air carriers by 577 billion euros ($629 billion) by 2050.

The "Europeans for fair competition" group, which includes airlines and unions, is seeking a carbon border tax, like those for industry.

It is a duty on imports based on the amount of carbon emissions resulting from the production of the product in question. As a price on carbon, it discourages emissions and as a trade-related measure it affects production and exports.

Roman Mauroschat, an aviation policy officer at Transport and Environment, a think tank based in Brussels, said a carbon border tax only made sense for sectors where production risked being shifted to third countries exporting goods to Europe.

"Air companies have been warning for years that climate measures will hit their competitivity. However, projections forecast a strong growth in the sector despite the new measures."

tq/ach/lth/mca

Lufthansa
Arctic scientists race to preserve 'ice memory'



Paris, April 3 (AFP) Apr 03, 2023



Arctic scientists are set to start drilling to save samples of ancient ice for analysis before the frozen layers melt away due to climate change, mission organisers said on Monday.

Italian, French and Norwegian researchers have set up camp in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in what they called a race against time to preserve crucial ice records for analysing past environmental conditions.

They will extract ice in a series of tubes from as far as 125 metres (137 yards) below the surface, containing frozen geochemical traces dating back three centuries.

Analysis of chemicals in deep "ice cores" provides scientists with valuable data about past environmental conditions.

But experts warn that water from melting ice is leaking down and altering the geochemical records preserved in ancient ice beneath.

Ice scientists "are seeing their primary material disappear forever from the surface of the planet", Jerome Chapellaz, president of the Ice Memory foundation running the operation, told AFP.

"It is our responsibility as glaciologists of this generation to make sure a bit of it is preserved."

Human-caused carbon emissions have warmed the planet by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the 19th century. Studies indicate that the Arctic is warming between two and four times faster than the global average.

One set of ice tubes will be used for immediate analysis while a second set will be sent to Antarctica for storage in an "ice memory sanctuary" under the snow, where the samples will be preserved for future generations of scientists.

The eight specialists on the mission have set up camp at an altitude of 1,100 metres on the crevasse-ridden Holtedahlfonna ice field and plan to start drilling on Tuesday, Ice Memory said.

They will work for three weeks in temperatures as low as minus 25C (-13 Farenheit), cutting and pulling out a series of cylinders of ice, each one metre (three feet) long and 10cm (four inches) wide.

The 700,000-euro ($760,000) mission, partly funded by the Italian research ministry, follows a series of earlier ice core extractions by the foundation, including operations in the Alps and the Andes.
Maliar: Our strength lies in fact that we publicly broadcast official position on Bakhmut every day

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar has debunked another fake Russians allegedly about the existence of "guidelines for Ukrainian journalists on covering the situation in Bakhmut."

"The enemy is spreading a funny fake," she said on the Telegram channel on Monday, illustrating it with a screen from the network with the inscription "Manuals for Ukrainian journalists on covering the situation in Bakhmut."

"What is the strength of our public position on Bakhmut? I reveal the secrets of work," Maliar said. "The fact that we publicly broadcast our official position. It does not need to be conveyed by papers - it is public. Every day we have a public position on current events of the president in evening addresses, we have the position of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff every day," the spokesperson said.

"Our press officers-speakers, whom you all already know well - Ihnat, Cherevaty, Humeniuk, Yusov, Dmytrashkivsky - also daily report the official position," the Deputy Minister of Defense said.
Only 5% of top UK firms have 'credible' net zero plans: study



London, April 3 (AFP) Apr 03, 2023



Just five percent of Britain's top firms have issued net-zero plans that would be "credible" under government guidelines, according to a study published on Monday.

Consultancy EY revealed the key finding after examining net-zero ambitions of companies listed on London's benchmark FTSE 100 index.

Britain is targeting carbon neutrality by 2050 and wants businesses to outline how they will achieve this.

"While over 80 percent of UK listed firms say they are committed to becoming net zero by 2050, the majority -- 95 percent -- have not yet publicly disclosed detailed, actionable transition plans," EY said in the study.

Only five percent have plans "that would be deemed 'credible' or sufficiently detailed under draft government guidance", it added.

Britain hosted the COP26 UN climate summit in late 2021, when it vowed to ensure listed companies detail their plans, although no deadline was given.

The Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) framework aims to provide guidance to bring plans in line with the UK's net-zero target.

However, the government has not yet made the TPT mandatory and its new green strategy last week delayed a second consultation on the framework until later in the year.

"Business will need to transition if the UK is to reach net zero, and mandatory disclosure is a vital step in this journey," EY added on Monday.

"But we're seeing hesitation on the part of business and government, despite the need for urgency."

The study comes after London announced a multi-billion-pound green plan last week.

The government updated its energy security plan to ramp up renewable and nuclear power.

However, the proposals were slammed by political opponents and environmentalists who accused it of not going far enough -- and placing at risk the 2050 target.

The CBI business lobby warned in January that Britain was lagging behind on the green investment growth, particularly with the United States and the European Union.
No Good Deed  When a Venezuelan migrant is accused of murdering a prominent congresswoman whom he and his wife were staying with, McCall and the team work to uncover whether or not he was involved. Meanwhile, Aunt Vi tries to look after a student who seems to be experiencing distress at home, on the CBS Original series THE EQUALIZER, Sunday, April 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.
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Connecticut's only Melting Pot fondue restaurant closed in Darien last month, but a new restaurant will be taking the space later this year. The New Jersey-based Harvest Restaurant Group plans to open its first Connecticut eatery in the Grove Street building.

Harvest, which runs 13 restaurants and a catering business in northern and central New Jersey, will open another location of its Roots Ocean Prime concept in the Darien space, said owner and CEO Chip Grabowski. Its menu features steakhouse classics and an "extensive" seafood section, he said, and the group has plans to offer plenty of vegetarian options.

Grabowski said Harvest looks for new restaurant space options for "long periods of time," and they'd been seeking a location in southern Connecticut for a while, searching from Greenwich to Westport and New Canaan.

Rachel Vanni / Courtesy of Harvest Restaurant Group

"We found that those communities were similar to where [we are]...we try to somewhat stay on a train line, and we also look for downtown locations. We also really enjoy getting involved in the community," he said. "We're looking for that downtown feel, and that is definitely evident in Darien."

Because of the Melting Pot's tabletop fondue setups, the restaurant wasn't able to have an outdoor dining space. Grabowski said Roots Ocean Prime will make use of the Darien space's "beautiful courtyard" for an outdoor patio.

Roots Ocean Prime, on the campus of Princeton University, features a menu of raw bar offerings and a variety of steak cuts, including prime NY strip, filet mignon, a 20-ounce dry-aged cowboy steak and a 42-ounce prime porterhouse for two. Seafood dishes include scallops, salmon, Chilean sea bass and South African lobster tail, and steakhouse-style sides include macaroni and cheese, creamed spinach, grilled asparagus and potatoes au gratin.

Grabowski said the Darien menu will spotlight more vegetarian dishes, with potential options like a vegetable Wellington, cauliflower steak and a shepherd's pie with chickpeas.

Rachel Vanni / Courtesy of Harvest Restaurant Group

"As we're evolving as an organization, we're trying to have our menus evolve," he said. Harvest's concept Agricola, which has locations in Morristown and Princeton, features a menu focused on local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients, and he said he's hoping to bring more of that to the Roots offerings.

Grabowski said none of Harvest's restaurants have televisions, as the group's management believes meals should be about connection.

"We believe that it's about being around the table with people, whether it's with family, friends or business," he said. "It's about the art of conversation. We're trying to get people to come to our locations because of its ambiance, food, service and hospitality, not because there's a Yankee game."

After a "total rebuildout" of the space, Grabowski said Harvest hopes to open Roots Ocean Prime in the fall.
STAMFORD  When Seaview House Marina opened almost 40 years ago in Stamford's Cove neighborhood, corporate office space was a hot commodity and the seven-story structure sat comfortably above federal flood zone elevations.

Neither is the case today.

Constructed in 1986, the building stands apart in the largely residential area with its multi-layered polygonal design. Since it was built, flood zone elevations for the building overlooking Westcott Cove have risen. It no longer complies with environmental regulations.

Additionally, in Stamfords corporate heyday, Seaview House Marina housed XL America, Fraser Papers, Cox Target Media and others. Demand for office space has dwindled, however, and so has occupancy in the 100,000-square-foot structure which stands outside the citys central business corridor. Last year, its final tenant decided not to renew their lease.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

Now, a proposal under consideration by the Stamford Zoning Board would make the building code-compliant, while giving it new life as a low-density apartment complex.

The proposal would convert the vacant office building into 52 apartments while preserving one level of office space on the buildings second floor. In total, the renovation would create 13 one-bedroom, 35 two-bedroom and four three-bedroom apartments.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

The project was first brought before the Stamford Zoning Board in September. But public hearings have been delayed because of its non-compliance with flood zone regulations set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The renovation would raise parts of the building to differing degrees above the flood zone, project engineer Leonard DAndrea told the Zoning Board. The area underneath the buildings upper deck would be lifted about nine inches, while a drop-off area for deliveries would go up about two feet and nine inches. The ground floor of the building itself would be raised about one foot higher than the minimum height that satisfies FEMA guidelines.

The building has not ever flooded, said William Hennessey, the attorney representing the developer. During Superstorm Sandy, water overcame the marina's boardwalk, but it did not reach the ground floor. Still, the proposed alterations would make the building legally compliant.

"What Sandy taught us was that the FEMA guidelines are very, very conservative," Hennessey told The Stamford Advocate.

The developer is also looking to raise Seaview Avenue, the abutting road, to align the road with the area's existing hurricane barrier, which prevents high tides from spilling into the city of Stamford. This would also help preserve access for emergency vehicles in the event of a flood, developers said.

We think weve done a little bit more than necessary, and that is we provided fire trucks dry access, not just safe access, DAndrea said to officials. He added that previous designs only provided access for ambulances, making fire truck accessibility a substantial improvement.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

The propertys public access boardwalk would not be affected by the project, the developers team said.

Timothy Herbst, an attorney representing the nearby Marina Bay Condominium Association, said residents are not opposed per se to the application but they sought assurance that the project wouldnt result in unintended flooding of their property.

What they are seeking and what they want, and which we frankly have received from attorney Hennessey and the applicants, is a constructive dialogue that addresses some of the concerns that they have, Herbst said.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

But multiple questions remain to be answered if the project is to be approved by local officials.

In September, the Land Use Bureau received a letter from the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. In the correspondence, Brian Thompson of the Land and Water Resources Division recommended denial of the residential conversion, finding the proposal to be "inconsistent with relevant flood hazard policies."

"The property is located in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area that experiences frequent flooding, and in which flood impacts from a FEMA base flood event are more likely to occur," the letter said. "The Applicant is proposing to convert an existing building with a current non-residential occasional land use to a use that would increase the residential density in a high hazard area 24-hours per day, 7 days per week."

The agency's approval is not required for Zoning Board certification, local officials said. Hennessey urged the Zoning Board to "practice the art of the possible;" the attorney noted that housing already exists elsewhere in the flood hazard area.

"We have to recognize that the (office) building is there. The building does not meet present flood regulations. Therefore, the FEMA guidelines restrict the amount of investment that can be put into the building  a building that's a half-century old (and) needs a lot of investment if it's going to function as an office building," Hennessey said. "In order to justify the capital expenditures, you're going to need to achieve a certain rent rate. There's no market for that rent rate, thus it won't happen. So, the building will sit there."

Additionally, at the March 27 meeting, Zoning Board member William Morris asked D'Andrea whether climate change's potential impact on sea levels has been evaluated by the developer. The engineer said the team "did (their) research."

"We don't have a crystal ball as to what's going to happen," Hennessey said. "There's one fact that's absolutely true, which is that if we raise the building to FEMA standards, and if we raise the road to achieve dry access  whether there's climate change or not  those improvements will be dramatically greater."

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media

The application is scheduled for continued discussion by the Zoning Board in a public hearing April 3. It will also soon head to Stamford's Harbor Management Commission for an advisory opinion regarding its feasibility for the waterfront, Hennessey said.

At the Zoning Board's March 13 meeting, Land Use Bureau Chief Ralph Blessing said the process of figuring out environmental regulations has been "quite complicated and thorny questions with a lot of overlapping jurisdictions."

"I just want to be clear that obviously, as the city, we have an interest in making sure that the future residents of this building are safe. And I think we have developed a pathway with the applicant to make the determination that the building is safe," Blessing said at the meeting.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Russias U.N. ambassador on Monday dismissed U.S. and European Union descriptions of its presidency of the Security Council this month as an April Fools joke and announced a meeting to be chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on defending the principles of the U.N. Charter, which Moscow is widely accused of breaking by invading Ukraine.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters earlier Monday that the U.S. expects the Russians will be professional but will use their presiding seat to spread disinformation and promote their own agenda as it relates to Ukraine, and we will stand ready to call them out at every single moment that they attempt to do that.

She and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell both called Russia's takeover of the council presidency an April Fool's joke.

Under Security Council rules, the presidency rotates monthly in alphabetical order among its 15 members. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters there will be no change in the rules of the council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

He said Russia has been an honest broker during past council presidencies, a role which we value and cherish, and we are always trying to maintain it.

The council president presides over meetings and gets to decide the topics of key sessions, often presided over by foreign ministers and sometimes presidents. Lavrov on April 24 will preside over a session on "effective multilateralism through the defense of the principles of the U.N. Charter.

There are also required monthly meetings, including on the Middle East, which Lavrov will also preside over, Syria and other global hotspots, including Mali, Libya, Yemen, Haiti, Africas Great Lakes region and Colombia.

Nebenzia responded to the U.S. ambassadors expectation that Russia will spread disinformation about Ukraine by calling it a Western narrative and stressing that we think just the opposite.

He said Russia plans to hold an informal council meeting on Wednesday on what Moscow claims is disinformation being spread by Western officials and media about the Ukrainian children taken to Russia. He said the aim of the meeting is to dispel this narrative that they were abducted.

The issue was put in the spotlight when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last month for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his countrys commissioner for childrens rights, accusing them of war crimes for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow called the warrants outrageous and legally void.

An Associated Press investigation first published in October found that the open effort to put Ukrainian children up for adoption in Russia was well underway. Ukrainian officials claimed at the time that nearly 8,000 children had been deported to Russia, but the exact number was difficult to pin down.

Britains deputy U.N. ambassador, James Kariuki, said Russia was in no position to talk about international law or U.N. values.

It is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, violating the most basic principle of the U.N. Charter  you dont redraw borders by force  and its president has been indicted by the ICC for the systematic abduction of Ukrainian children, he said.

The U.K. will keep using our seat on the council to challenge their illegal war, expose their disinformation, and protect the councils vital work tackling other threats to international peace and security, including across Africa and the Middle East.

Russias assumption of the council presidency also drew strong criticism from Ukraine and Baltic nations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the bankruptcy of the Security Council and reiterated his call for an overhaul of the U.N. body and other global institutions.

Estonias U.N. Ambassador Rein Tammsaar, speaking also on behalf of Latvia and Lithuania, called the Russian presidency shameful, humiliating and dangerous for the councils credibility.

Under Security Council rules, a member directly connected to an issue should withdraw from participation, and Nebenzia was asked if Russia would recuse itself when Ukraine was discussed.

No, he replied, indicating that the U.S., Britain and France, which have been supporting Ukraine, would have to withdraw as well.

The Russian ambassador recalled that following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.K. and U.S. held the council presidency consecutively that September and October.

Nobody raised the question of their legitimacy to hold the presidency, Nebenzia said. And nobody put on the table the question that they withdraw from discussing an issue that was perhaps the most hot and topical then.
Denmark and Norway have signed an agreement on the supply of 8,000 155mm artillery shells to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Danish Ministry of Defense said on Monday, April 3.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Ukrainians are still in dire need of ammunition for their struggle for freedom against Russia. He said that together with other EU and NATO countries, Denmark is preparing various military assistance. The Minister said the cooperation of Denmark with Norway is an important example of that.

It is noted that the ammunition, the transfer of which is provided for by the agreement, can be used in Danish CAESAR artillery pieces, the decision to transfer which to Ukraine was made by the Danish Parliament at the beginning of the year. It is expected that guns and shells will be handed over together.
I first saw Bill Clinton speak at an Arkansas high school in the late 1970s when he came to speak at my friend Jans graduation.

He looked only slightly older than the students to whom he was speaking, though he was in his early 30s, which at the time I thought was middle-aged. If the future president said anything that made the crowd think he would one day live in the White House, Ive forgotten it.

While we await what is supposed to happen Tuesday in downtown Manhattan, lets take a moment to remind ourselves that politicians  like pets  will always break your heart. Politicians will show themselves to be human, and pets will up and die on you. I havent owned a dog since we had to put one down in the 90s, which was roughly the same time Bill Clinton broke my heart.

When Clinton ran for president in 1992, I supported him. He was the first presidential candidate from my generation (Boomer). We can argue about his legacy, if youd like; I disagreed with some of his policies and agreed with others and then? He did the most predictable and banal thing a man can do, and he lied about it.

I was in my 30s and too old to still believe in politicians, which is different from believing in the political process. I think I expected from politicians that they be super-human. Clinton cured me of that. Now, I simply expect politicians to stay within the law, and do their best for their constituents. I understand that in the give-and-take of political negotiations, not everything I want to happen will happen. I do not expect to agree with any one politician on all matters.

I agreed with nothing Trump said or did. I expected very little from him, and he did not disappoint. So I am having a hard time listening to conversations about what could happen today when the former president is supposed to turn himself to be fingerprinted and photographed. These conversations ae a stark reminder that the powerful live in a very different world. Television pundits spent part of the weekend discussing whether Trump will be handcuffed (probably not) but if so, will his hands be cuffed in the back or in the front? Will he be brought into building via tunnels? Helicoptered in from on high? Bundled in wearing a disguise?

I made those last two up, but this is far more attention being paid to the mechanics of an appearance than is given to other accused criminals. While other people (of color, living in poverty) are frog-marched past the news cameras, it is difficult to hope for a just outcome for the American people in this case. For now, we can take comfort that the president is in the find out portion of his spiritual journey. If your weekend was rough, Trumps probably was, given his renowned inability to compartmentalize, far rougher.

Id like to remind his supporters (and they have been vocal) that we ushered in the Trump administration with the word unprecedented. His so-called Muslim ban? Unprecedented, at least in modern times and in developed nations. His freewheeling social media accounts on which he lambasted enemies real and imagined? Unprecedented. His mocking a reporter with a disability? Unprecedented. His pointed suggestions to his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021? Also unprecedented, and then those remarks were followed by an unprecedented and deadly attempted coup. The word lost its impact some time in 2017.

But if you launch yourself into an unprecedented life, perhaps you should expect unprecedented outcomes  such as a multi-count indictment. In fact, the only unprecedented thing about this is that other presidents who got in hot legal water either died (see Harding and hush money) or quit and got pardoned by their successor (Nixon). We never had to wonder if they would give an interview after their appearance.

Hardings reputation never recovered. By the time Nixon went to his eternal reward, his successes in relations abroad and anti-poverty programs at home figured prominently in his obituary, though of course Watergate  also unprecedented  took center stage. Despite what youve been hearing on television, we are not living in a particularly unprecedented time. We are precisely where we need to be, if we embrace the rule of law.

I have no fear of his supporters, and no sympathy, either. I am especially unsympathetic to the Connecticut Republicans who have been performatively showing allegiance to their king on social media, who is killing their party. Late last week, GOP Chairman Ben Proto released a statement that used weaponization or a derivative thereof three times, the same amount of times he used far-left. And it was a brief statement.

I would say to those people that the rest of us  to use a Clintonism  feel your pain, but no. We dont. We are adults and we know that Trump must take his lumps as the rest of us would, had we engaged in remotely similar behavior. Let the moderate Republicans say amen. Let the others sit down.
The reported indictment of former President Donald Trump has hardly consumed Connecticut Republicans, with few statements on Twitter or in email inboxes ahead of an expected circus-like appearance by the accused on Tuesday at his former home island of Manhattan.

Thats good if its a sign were healing from the Trump era, putting the political nightmare behind us. But it also amounts to a lost opportunity for the state GOP to distance themselves from Trump  a move that would help rebuild the party that last elected a statewide or Congressional candidate in 2006.

With this and three other Trump cases marching ahead and more indictments possible, perhaps likely in the Georgia election tampering inquiry, Connecticut Republicans will have ample chances to rebuke Trump. For now, most are either ignoring the former president, the 2022 campaign strategy of Bob Stefanowski, the partys nominee for governor; or treading carefully; or charging foul play by Trumps accusers.

In short, the party is searching for its voice on the human political train wreck who wont go away. That matters more in Connecticut than most places because here, the party is also searching for a formula to reverse its fortunes at the ballot box. Weaning Republican voters off Trump wont be easy but it can happen.

And it matters to all of us because Connecticut needs a return to a 2-party system.

The small handful of GOP leaders who issued statements on Trumps indictment showed a range of responses -- weighted toward attacks on Democrats, especially Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who presented charges to a grand jury that apparently indicted Trump with more than 30 charges weve yet to see.

This from Ben Proto, the GOP state chairman:

District Attorney Bragg, with the cooperation of the Department of Justice, is weaponizing his office and the judicial system to persecute those individuals who do not believe in (and stand up to) the Democrats agenda. This should be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of political allegiance, that Far-Left Democrats are prepared to do whatever it takes to silence their opposition.

That statement, which Proto issued within a couple of hours of news reports of the indictment late Thursday, pretty much followed the mainstream Republican playbook. As we saw over the last few days, most party regulars, including most of Trumps would-be opponents, charged Bragg and the Dems with overreach and worse, echoing Trumps label of the prosecution as a witch hunt.

For all the chatter, we know little about the likely charges. Some but reportedly not all of them are related to the $130,000 Trump indirectly paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election, to keep the story of their 2006 hotel tryst a secret.

Thats not stopping Braggs attackers such as Proto and Leora Levy, the Greenwich Republican who rode Trumps endorsement last summer on the eve of a U.S. Senate primary to victory over Themis Klarides, the former state House GOP leader. Levy lost badly to Sen. Richard Blumenthal in the general election.

Levy tweeted: Indictment of Pres. Trump is pure Political Prosecution! It is Terrible for America! UNAMERICAN & UNACCEPTABLE in the U.S.! This is Banana Republic Justice and Bragg should be removed from office!

But in Connecticut and elsewhere, some Republicans are taking a different tack  with a few, not in this state as far as I can tell, slamming Trump. Watching the response to the indictment has not been encouraging to the future of the party. Trump is a cancer on the Republican Party, John Bolton, a former top Trump official who broke with the former president, said on CBS Face the Nation Sunday.

State House GOP Leader Vin Candelora, R-North Branford, did say Bragg was perhaps acting in a partisan and disturbing way, overlooking more important prosecutions of crime in the city. I worry about the continued assault that we're seeing on our democracy from all aspects, and I think that this one also could be politically charged, he told my colleagues Caroline Tien and John Moritz.

Candelora, however, hedged in his attack, allowing that many people might dislike Trump and saying in a statement, We should all scrutinize the details of the indictment and the novel legal theories employed by the district attorney to ensure that the sanctity of the rule of law is protected.

Klarides, in a statement Thursday night at my request, took the same wait-and-see approach that we heard from some of the more measured Democrats, declining to attack Bragg.

The foundation of our justice system is the equal application of the rule of law - no one is above the law, nor should the law be used as a political weapon. With a sealed indictment, we should not rush to judgement, but should have the high expectation as Americans that the process and our laws will be followed faithfully and fairly.

That statement doesnt mean Klarides  a Trump delegate in 2016 who later openly criticized him -- is attacking Trump. Likewise, Protos statement isnt a defense of the former president; Proto made that clear to me.

For what its worth, I worry that this prosecution isnt worth the risk it will backfire, isnt worth breaking new legal ground and isnt worth the divisiveness its causing.

Still, Im hopeful Connecticut Republicans will join Bolton; Asa Hutchinson, the former Arkansas governor who declared for president Sunday and called for Trump to drop out; former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory; and other brave GOP leaders in declaring that Donald Trump lacks character and does not represent basic values of behavior.

Its not about ideology or even leadership style. The GOP has a full menu of options for 2024, candidates and would-be candidates all over the center to far-right, people who respect ideas and uphold common human decency. Trump is not among them and the sooner Connecticut Republicans say that loudly and clearly, the better off the state party will be.
T he CEO of London and home counties social housing provider Peabody admitted the association has not been good enough and outlined a plan to improve as its merger with fellow provider Catalyst closed.

Peabody has come under fire in recent years for issues such as neglect, mould and buildings falling into disrepair. Last year, the trust apologised after a tenants body was found in her flat two and a half years after her death.

Today, the provider said its merger with Catalyst - announced last year - was complete, and outlined a new strategy going forward. The group said it will prioritise and accelerate planned maintenance as well as retrofittings, and make repairs easily accessible.

This strategy, CEO Ian McDermott said, was required because the quality of Peabodys services had not been up to scratch in the past.

Today we are setting out our absolute commitment to our residents, he said. We know we need to improve and have detailed plans to do so. We need to be better at getting the basics right, get closer to our communities, and continue to invest in safety, services and a sustainable Peabody.

Our increased scale will help us do that. By combining a new locally focused operating model with better technology and data driven services, we're determined to boost resident satisfaction for the long-term.

Peabodys average rent is 122 per week, which is said represents significant value for residents, taxpayers and government.

As part of the integration process, Elly Hoult is joining Peabody as chief operating officer from Notting Hill Genesis.

I will be focused on transforming our services, supporting regional managing directors in their local areas and ensuring that residents are at the heart of every decision we make, she said. This means listening to them, learning from them and delivering what they need.

The post-merger Peabody group will let out 104,000 homes in London and the surrounding area.
T he bosses of beleaguered tech firm WANdisco are to quit the business after an internal investigation into suspected fraud found over $115 million in missing bookings.

Co-founder and CEO David Richards and CFO Erik Miller are to step down from the board with immediate effect, WANdisco said today, as the firm scrambled to find interim execs to replace them.

WANdisco said the investigation had confirmed that its previously published purchase orders and sales bookings for last year were false. Revenue for 2022 should have been $9.7 million rather than $24 million, and bookings should have been $11.4 million rather than $127 million.

WANdisco said the departures were not connected to the investigation.

David Richards said: "I am sad to be leaving WANdisco after 18 extremely enjoyable years. I remain a passionate supporter and significant shareholder of the Company."

The Sheffield-based business, which only weeks ago was eyeing a US listing for its shares, last month asked for them to be suspended in London as it discovered a major fraud that could threaten it as a going concern.

In a shock announcement to the stock exchange, it tore up its guidance for 2022 and said an investigation was under way to identify its true financial position after sales booked by an employee appeared to have been inflated in what it called significant, sophisticated and potentially fraudulent irregularities.

The company brought in Ken Lever, who until recently was chair of waste management business Biffa, to become the firms interim chair as well as run its fraud investigation alongside non-exec director Peter Lees and audit committee chair Karl Monaghan.

South Yorkshire police and police from San Francisco, the home of the companys US base, told the Standard they had not had any reports from WANdisco relating to fraud. WANdisco and the London Stock Exchange declined to comment on whether police were involved in the investigation. The Serious Fraud Office said it could neither confirm nor deny whether it was investigating the incident.

A one-time stock-market darling, WAN helps companies move complex data systems to run via cloud computing and helps manage connected devices in the so-called internet of things.

It had a market value in London of around 880 million at the time its shares were suspended at 1310p each. Its clients have included Barclays, Daimler, games maker EA and GoDaddy, the US internet domain company.

52-year-old Richards, who only last year was awarded an MBE for services to the IT sector, controls a 5.5% stake in the company which was worth over 30 million before the stock market suspension.

A month ago today, Richards collected an award from the City AM newspaper for innovative company of the year.

Judges gave WANdisco a unanimous seal of approval for the firm as it distinguished itself in the tech space this year, the newspaper wrote.
I n 1946 there was a referendum in Britain, which the governing party lost 52 per cent to 48 per cent. It took place in Stevenage, over the proposed 1946 New Towns Act. When Lewis Silkin, the minister in charge of the expansion of Stevenage, arrived at the railway station, he was greeted with jeers and banners declaring the town should henceforth be known as Silkingrad.

A report issued yesterday by Labour Together suggests Stevenage might be the most important site of the next election and Lewis Silkin, the man who put more people in Stevenage, might just be the most influential person in politics whom you have never heard of.

In their report, Red Shift, Labour Together identify a character living in towns and suburbs who works but struggles to pay the bills, who feels hardly engaged in politics at all but who, when she does think about it, leans towards being a Conservative on lifestyle matters and wonders why the Government cannot do more to help economically.

Labour Together call her Stevenage Woman and she counts. In 2019, 44 per cent of people who answer this description voted Tory. At the moment, the Tory vote among this group has collapsed to 23 per cent and Labour are polling 51 per cent. Stevenage is one of those seats that always votes for the winning party. Win in Stevenage and you are the government.

If you go back to the time of Silkin and the Attlee government, this type of voter segmentation was a lot easier to do. In 1951, when the Attlee government was defeated, surprisingly, by Winston Churchills Conservative Party, income and occupational status coincided almost perfectly with voting affiliation.

There were two large economic blocs  the working class and the middle class  which translated efficiently into votes for, respectively, the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. Slowly, from 1951, that strong relationship began to break down. Slowly, party affiliation started to weaken. Slowly, social class ceased to be a perfect predictor of an electoral outcome.

As class weakened as a source of political favour, the search parties were sent out to find the mean voter, to discover where in the country the battle needed to be fought, and over whom. In the Thatcher years, Basildon in Essex was thought to be the representative place because it contained the sort of not-very-wealthy voters, in towns on the edges of cities, who had deserted Labour in despair at the state of industrial relations. The representative character of the Blair victories was known as Worcester Man. In 2019 the think-tank Onward coined Workington Man to describe those voters who had once been staunch Labour supporters who had flirted with Nigel Farages various parties and who had then gone over to Boris Johnson via a Leave vote in the 2016 referendum on the EU.

Indeed, that other 52-48 referendum  the second in British political history after Stevenage 1946  was supposed to have crowned Workington Man as the representative type. In his latest book, Values, Voice and Virtue, the politics academic Matthew Goodwin argues that the Brexit rupture stands for a deep-seated realignment around questions of culture. The long and steady and decline of economics as the primary determinant of affiliation has given way to a division of attitudes  social liberals versus conservatives.

Yet it doesnt look that way at the moment. It looks, in fact, as if Brexit might finally be done as the political idea of the day. The Labour Together report contains numbers that should alarm the Conservative Party. In the Workington Man seats, which stretch through the Midlands into the North East and North West of England, the Tory vote has collapse from 49 per cent to 15 per cent. The cultural vote for Brexit and Boris has given way to anxiety over the cost of living. Politics based on economic security is by no means over yet. It is foolish to have thought it ever would be.

The next general election will, of course, be a little more complicated than a referendum in Stevenage (although it would save a lot of trouble if we could do it that way). Perhaps the cunning plan being employed by Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt  that they might actually run the country  will inspire something of a Conservative recovery. Maybe Suella Braverman can restart a culture war over illegal immigration. But the new towns have turned on them and, at least for the moment, Stevenage looks like Starmergrad.
R yuichi Sakamoto, the revered Oscar-winning composer who contributed to the scores of more than 100 productions, has died aged 71.

The Japanese musician had suffered from cancer in recent years and passed on Tuesday, March 28, the recording company Avex said in a statement.

His death is a big loss to cinema in Japan and beyond, and he will be remembered for a remarkable and eclectic career.

Who was Ryuichi Sakamoto?

Ryuichi Sakamoto with his Oscar / AP

Born in Tokyo on January 17, 1952, Sakamoto was part of a family of editors and businessmen.

In the late 1970s, he performed in the electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra alongside Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi. The group released eight studio albums and are credited by many as an influence for their pioneering work in electronic music.

Sakamoto started working on film scores in the 1980s as well as producing his own studio recordings, the twelfth and final solo studio album entitled 12 - which came out on January 17.

He was also an activist against nuclear power, a campaign which came to the fore in Japan in the early 2010s after the Fukushima plant disaster.

From the early 1990s, he lived primarily in New York but moved back to Japan during the pandemic and died in his native country.

Sakamoto was married three times. His daughter Miu Sakamoto is an actress who has starred in productions including the anime classic Ghost in the Shell 2.

Ryuichi Sakamoto / REUTERS

Which film scores has Ryuichi Sakamoto composed?

Sakamoto kicked off his career in cinema as a composer and actor in the 1983 film Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, which also starred David Bowie.

This led to a successful second part of his career, and he went on to develop in this realm throughout the 1980s. His awards success culminated in his score for The Last Emperor in 1987, which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

Other scores he produced include:
J inkx Monsoon will be stepping on board the TARDIS in the upcoming series of Doctor Who in what has been teased as a major role.

Though any details about the role in question have been closely guarded, the American drag artist will be heading on board the show alongside an all-new cast of characters. In addition to Monsoon, the upcoming season will see Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa make his debut as the fourteenth Doctor, taking over from Jodie Whittaker.

They will be joined by Millie Gibson as the Time Lords new companion, Ruby Sunday, and Heartstoppers Yasmin Finney as Rose  though whether Finneys Rose has any connection to Billie Pipers take on the character is yet to be revealed.

The show will also see Russell T Davies return as Doctor Whos showrunner after leaving in 2010 alongside the outgoing Doctor, then played by David Tennant. It was Davies who originally rebooted the show in 2005, making it a ratings success with episodes such as The Empty Child and Fear Her.

In a galaxy of comets and supernovas, here comes the biggest star of all, Davies said in a statement about the news. Jinkx Monsoon is on a collision course with the TARDIS, and Doctor Who will never be the same again!

Monsoon herself added that she was honoured, thrilled, and utterly excited to join Doctor Who!

Russell T Davies is a visionary and a brilliant writer I cant wait to get into the weeds with him and the crew! I hope theres room in the TARDIS for my luggage, she said.

Monsoon rose to prominence as part of RuPauls Drag Race, winning it twice, including an All Stars season where she competed against other winners of the hit show to be crowned Queen of Queens.

She will be joining the show after making her debut on Broadway as Matron Mama Morton in Broadways longest-running show, Chicago, where she made history after becoming the first drag queen to play the role.

After a year-long break, Doctor Who will be returning in November 2023 with three special episodes to celebrate the shows 60th anniversary.

Even better, David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be reprising their iconic roles as the eleventh Doctor and his companion Donna for the three-part special, before handing the reins over to Gatwa and the new crew.

Anticipation for the special and the new series is already high. In an interview with Radio Times, Davies revealed that "I can promise you a completely new Doctor, and yet a Doctor utterly faithful to the 60 years that came before. Soon, the secret will be out, and well all be dancing!"
A lthough Succession has never been short of drama, season four episode two was the moment the show blew wide open. The episode was slick and hilarious as usual, but also seriously moving. This show has never been smarter, or more self-assured.

Heres our recap; obviously, expect spoilers for seasons 1-4 below.

Homework: the show

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Episode two opens with the Shiv, Kendall and Roman team watching some of their future channels on TV, which are still currently owned by Pierce. Theyre being ruthless as usual: Roman says he cant pull his eyes away from the bald man talking about NATO; Kendall starts spit-balling ways of improving the news channel, saying they could have a segment dedicated to Africa which could be called What is happening in Africa?; Shiv says this sounds like Homework: the show.

Shiv tries to find a divorce lawyer

Shiv steps outside of the brain-storming session (theyre in the countryside somewhere) to hear from her assistant. Shivs been looking for a pitbull of a lawyer to defend her during her divorce from Tom, but every good lawyer in the city has declared themselves conflicted out and has declined to represent her.

Shiv instantly recognises it as a move of her fathers. It can only mean one thing: Logan has spoken to the lawyers in the city and asked them not to represent Shiv in, arguably, the most important case of her life. Shivs mind is blown, and you see something shift inside of her  something becomes more steely. She doesnt mention the phone call to her siblings. Shiv calls Sandi (the daughter of Sandy Furness) and says that, in fact, she was thinking about Sandis chat and her pitch and that maybe Shiv was a little hasty. She wants to let Sandi know that this is a live issue for her. What is Shiv up to?

Logan is Jaws, if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws

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When Waystar Royco is sold, all of Logans attention will turn to ATN, and its going to be pretty brutal for everyone at the news organisation. As it is, hes circling the floor, breathing over journalists shoulders. He watches one of his terrified employees send an email and semi-bellows, Please dont exhaust yourself. Greg, calling Tom to get back to the newsroom pronto, describes Logan as terrifyingly mozying and like Jaws, if everyone in Jaws worked for Jaws.

Then Logan gives a rallying speech and its absolutely insane. He says he wants his competitors to be jam-smears on the highway and that he wants what ATN says to be so f***ing spicy that no one will be able to believe what theyve said. Greg and Tom are shooting each other glances. Logan says that this isnt the end, that hes going to build something, faster, lighter, meaner, wilder. Theres something extremely Wolf of Wall Street about it, i.e. unhinged and a little terrifying.

Stewy and Sandi want more from the GoJo deal

The GoJo deal is literally seconds away from going through but Stewy and Sandi want more money from the sale. It becomes clear that this is why Shiv called Sandi earlier. Shivs now more motivated than ever to make things difficult for her dad. But it looks like her fury could be clouding her judgement. After all, the GoJo deal needs to go through for the young Roys to be able to buy PGM. Pushing Matsson could result in them all losing everything.

Stewy and Sandi, who both have seats on the board of Waystar Royco, stop Shiv, Kendall and Roman, on their way to Connor and Willas rehearsal dinner (they are running late because their father cancels their helicopter, classic). Stewy and Sandi say they want to push Matsson just a little more; Kendall and Roman turn them down, but Shiv is more open to the idea (as we know).

The rehearsal dinner

As they go up the stairs, Shiv, Roman and Kendall see Willa. Shes slurring and acting strangely and is saying stuff that indicates shes having second thoughts about the wedding. Roman is surprisingly caring: he wants to go upstairs and see Connor to check hes ok (Shiv is keener to go elsewhere and have a chat about GoJo), and he also seems quite concerned about Willa before she wanders off. When they go upstairs they find out that Willa hid in the bathroom for 40 minutes during the dinner and said she cant do this. Connor seems emotional, to say the least.

For those who have been championing Roman from the beginning, this may be your episode. At several moments, he is strikingly thoughtful compared to his siblings. Some people have been saying it for a while, but episode two seemed to prove it  is Roman the most decent character on the show?

A delicate Kerry situation

2023 HBO. All Rights Reserved

While all the drama kicks off with the young Roys, theres a delicate Kerry situation that Tom and Greg are handling. Kerry, Logans assistant turned undefined lover slash girlfriend, would quite like to be an anchor on ATN. Her audition tape does the rounds  shes not the worst ever, but shes pretty rubbish  and the young Roys, who somehow have their hands on a copy, watch it over and over, ripping her to shreds.

Logan realises his girlfriend isnt up to the job, but doesnt want any drama. He asks Tom to sort it out. Tom, then, must handle this precarious situation with kid gloves: he describes it as like Israel-Palestine, Greg, but harder... and much more important. He needs to, somehow, get Kerry to agree to anchor a show thats not on primetime TV, or back off the idea of anchoring completely. As spineless as ever, he hands the job over to Greg and says hell march in and mop up the rage.

Tom suggests Greg talks to Kerry about how a focus group have said that shes not quite up to the job. Greg has the near-impossible task of making sure that Kerry doesnt think that Logan is a part of the decision-making here. Tom also suggests that Greg talks to Kerry about nepotism, and how hard Gregs found it with people talking behind his back (totally untrue).

Well, you can see it coming from a mile off, but the Kerry and Greg chat doesnt go well. Kerry is as tough as they come; shed have to be to be Logans assistant (or girlfriend for that matter). Every time Greg tries to witter meaninglessly about the focus group, or nepotism, Kerry asks for the facts. Who was in this focus group? What did they say? What didnt they like about her? Greg is all bumbling denial  as usual, his eyes couldnt be peeled wider. Kerry says shes going to find out about the focus group; it looks like Greg is going to be slaughtered by Logan very soon.

Lukas calls Kendall

Matsson Facetimes Kendall  who has slipped away from his siblings  to say that hes not going to pay any more for Waystar Royco, and if anyone pushes him on the deal, at all, even a tiny bit, hes going to pull out. Its one of the few times in the show, ever, where the writers have created a scene that feels a little bit untrue  like its been created simply to make a plotline work: although Lukas did turn up to Kendalls disastrous birthday party, it would make much more sense for Matsson to call Roman, or someone in the Logan camp.

Still, the outcome is epic. Kendall doesnt tell his siblings about the conversation. Instead, when he returns to the group  now hanging out in a pub post-rehearsal dinner  he starts to side with Shiv, saying that they should, indeed, go ahead and ask for more money from Matsson. Unlike Shiv, he knows that any such behaviour will end the GoJo deal. Kendall, all along, only truly has his eyes on inheriting Waystar Royco. And hes going to destroy the deal for his family. Mic drop.

Of course, sometimes sh*t goes down when there are a billion dollars in a karaoke room

2023 HBO. All Rights Reserved

Shiv, Kendall, Roman and Connor have moved on to a very bougie-looking karaoke room. Its what Connor wants because hes seen karaoke in the movies (but never done it). Hes tracking Willas movements on his phone; emotions are high.

Logan shows up: he wants to talk things out with his kids before the board meeting the following day. He says hes sorry (jaw-drop), he says he loves them (jaw-drop) but then says, Youre such f***ing dopes... you are not serious people. He asks them not to push back on the GoJo deal. He says it will give them the opportunity to separate business and family for the first time  that theyll get the opportunity to make a fresh start.

The conversation starts to get sticky. Shiv brings up the lawyers, accusations start to be thrown by Kendall about how Connor was ignored his whole life by Logan, and about how Logan hit Roman as a child (Roman, sadly, says he deserved it, as hes annoying). Theres no real conclusion, but the kids say they will not follow their dads advice. Its too little too late; they believe the emotional stuff is all a bluff (which it almost certainly is) to get them to allow the GoJo deal to pass.

When Logan leaves, the kids talk about love. Connor says his superpower is he doesnt need any, he never has. That his younger siblings are puppy dogs crying out for their fathers attention and adoration. They want to destroy him, but only really so they can get his attention. Theyre obsessed with him. All of which might well be true, but when Connor goes home, theres Willa, waiting for him in bed. See, romance isnt dead.

Final thoughts

At the end of the episode, Roman is for some reason, at his fathers place. Earlier in the episode, its revealed that Roman texted his dad to wish him a happy birthday; Shiv and Kendall are semi-serious when they say its a betrayal. But crucially it shows once again that Roman is less set than his siblings on taking down his dad. As the episode comes to a close Logan is trying to persuade Roman to come on board with him. He says to his youngest son: I need you. Could this be a turning point?

Episode two blew everything wide open. It showed Kendalls true ambitions: he is going to allow the destruction of the Pierce deal and the GoJo deal; he wants Waystar Royco for his own. The Karaoke room was a brutal watch, it was the worlds most dysfunctional therapy session, and it showed how the young Roys are still  and perhaps forever will be  tormented by their conflicting feelings for their father. How much does Logan care?

Succession season four is now streaming on Sky and Now
Many writers hope their work will live beyond them. But when Greek poets and playwrights began recording their countrys myths and legends more than 2,700 years ago, they couldnt have known quite how long a shelf life these stories would have. Greek mythology is a dominant theme in pop culture in 2023, with publishing houses churning out modern retellings, TV bosses racing to release shows about Zeus and Persephone, and Gen Zers debating plot points on TikTok like theyre analysing an episode of Euphoria. How did we get here  and will this obsession with ancient Greece ever peak?

Felix Barrett MBE, artistic director of immersive theatre company Punchdrunk, says Greek myths are appealing because theyre blissfully open to interpretation. The Burnt City, Punchdrunks Greek myth-inspired production set in a post-Trojan War fantasy world, is currently winning rave reviews in Woolwich. [Greek myths have] gods and monsters, political dramas and familial sagas  look at Succession, you can see the origins of that in the Greek [myths about] warring families, says Barrett. These stories resonate today as they would have done then.

The Burnt City is far from the only way to indulge a fascination with Greek mythology this spring. On April 11, Jennifer Saint  one of the biggest names in the now-crowded genre of feminist Greek myth retellings  releases her much-anticipated third novel, Atalanta. Sophie Okonedo is starring in Robinson Jeffers critically-lauded adaptation of Medea at Soho Place, while the legend of a Cretan princess is relocated to modern-day London in Phaedra at the National Theatre. In May, Krapopolis  a Greek myth-inspired cartoon series from the creator of Rick and Morty, starring Richard Ayoade  launches in the US, with a UK release expected later this year.

Theres something universally appealing about Greek mythology, says Saint. She published her first novel Ariadne in 2021, following Margaret Atwood, Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Natalie Haynes in writing women-centric retellings of Greek myths. Now the genre is a bona fide fiction sensation, with big titles released in 2023 so far including The Heroines by Laura Shepperson and Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati. Saint is nowhere near tired of these. As a reader, Im always really excited when I see somebody has a different take on a story.

Of course, theres nothing new about Greek myths being reworked. The current crop of female-focused fiction was sparked by fourth-wave feminism and #MeToo, but its very much in the spirit of Greek mythology, says Aimee Hinds Scott, a PhD student researching Greek mythology and pop culture at the University of Roehampton. Myth was flexible in the ancient world, Hinds Scott explains, with ancient authors and playwrights constantly riffing on their cultures legends. More recently, this legacy of retellings means many of us feel nostalgic for the Greek myth adaptations of our youth. Gen X will remember the 1981 blockbuster Clash of the Titans, millennials are all about Disneys gospel musical Hercules, and the 2000s YA novel series Percy Jackson & the Olympians is more beloved than Harry Potter among zoomers. Children in the UK also study Greek mythology in primary school, giving us a deep-rooted familiarity with the stories.

Nostalgia  a word, coincidentally, with Greek roots  has been described by some psychologists as an emotion that connects us to other people, and Greek mythology is certainly connecting people online. TikTok is home to a community of myth obsessives: videos tagged #greekmythology have been viewed 2.6 billion times, while #greekmythologybooks has more than 15 million views. Jillian Taylor is publisher at Penguins Michael Joseph imprint, which has published Greek myth retellings including Stephen Frys Mythos trilogy (hell publish a fourth retelling in 2024). She compares the community that has sprung up around Greek myths to that surrounding crime fiction. Bloggers want to engage with publishers and authors and discuss why they love this [genre], she says. At an event in February to mark the publication of Clytemnestra, Taylor says 100 people queued in Piccadilly Waterstones to meet debut author Costanza Casati. Its unheard of  we never see that.

Sophie Okonedo in Medea / Medea

This interest in female-focused retellings is having a ripple effect. Taylor notes the emergence of the romantasy genre, which gives Greek myths the romance novel treatment (BookTok, which in 2021 helped push Madeline Millers The Song Of Achilles back into the bestseller charts a decade later, has also been credited with fuelling a boom in romantic fiction). Greek myth-inspired romance novels out this year include Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara, Gold by Raven Kennedy, and Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald. There are also novels offering queer interpretations, such as the forthcoming Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson, and starring Black and brown characters, including those by popular YA authors Kalynn Bayron and Lilliam Rivera. Taylor ascribes this expansion to publishers noticing when there is appetite for exploring different parts of a genre within the market. As another bookseller puts it: Publishing loves a success story.

And when a certain genre of fiction is galloping across the bestseller charts and exciting fans on TikTok, TV execs pay attention. Next year, Kaos  a dark comedy series about the Greek gods starring Jeff Goldblum as Zeus  will drop on Netflix, with a new Percy Jackson series arriving on Disney+. A YA animated series based on cult romance webcomic Lore Olympus (a retelling of the myth of Persephone) is also in development at the company founded by Muppets creator Jim Henson. Holly de Angelis, development producer at comedy production company Fudge Park, predicts that more Greek myth adaptations will arrive on the small screen. As long as people keep buying into something, [TV commissioners] will keep running with it.

Not everyone is delighted about the proliferation of Greek myth content, however. Its not how I feel, but Ive definitely seen people on Twitter saying please, for the love of god, no more, says Ben Pope, manager of Review bookshop in Peckham. The genres devoted fans often hit back hard at these complaints: another London bookshop owner, who asked not to be named, says shes sick to the back teeth of the feminist retelling of X Greek myth trope, but would never say so openly online. People get weirdly defensive about this genre, and frankly I dont need the hassle.

Edward Crutchley Spring 2023 fashion collection / Penske Media via Getty Images

Waterstones head of fiction Bea Carvalho believes that while there might reach a natural point where something else is capturing the imagination of the BookTok audience, modern Greek myth retellings are largely here to stay  and will continue having an impact on wider pop culture. But the genres success is also fuelling readers interest in retellings of historical narratives, classic fiction and myths from other cultures. Out last month, Lady MacBethad by Isabelle Schuler offers a new perspective on the Scottish queen who inspired Shakespeares anti-heroine; later this year, Our Hideous Progeny by C E McGill follows the adventures of Victor Frankensteins niece, and Bliss and Blunder by Victoria Gosling reworks Arthurian legend.

Meanwhile, authors including Bolu Babalola, Sue Lynn Tan and Vaishnavi Patel are among those with books reinterpreting stories from Africa, India and China. At a time when so much about life feels bleak, the desire to get lost in ancient fantasy worlds seems unlikely to lose its appeal.

Legendary offerings to watch, read and wear this spring

The play: Medea at Soho Place

Catch Sophie Okonedos performance in this story of a grieving woman out for revenge, until April 22.

sohoplace.org

The novel: Atalanta by Jennifer Saint

After two tragic novels, Saints third, about the only female Argonaut, is a celebration of female joy.

Out April 11, 16.99, Headline

The fashion: Edward Crutchley

The London designers SS23 show was inspired by Greek myths, the god Proteus, and the philosopher Heraclitus.

edwardcrutchley.com
A rapid response unit of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) helped eliminate the consequences of a fire in a multi-story building in Kryvy Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region) on Monday.

"In Kryvy Rih, a rapid response unit of the Red Cross of Ukraine worked at the site of the liquidation of the consequences of a fire in a high-rise building," the URCS reported on Facebook.





Volunteers of the rapid response unit of the Kryvy Rih organization of the URCS quickly arrived at the scene and provided first aid to the victims, and helped the rescuers.

As the press service of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region reported, on April 3, an explosion of a gas-air mixture occurred on the second floor of a five-story residential building in Kryvy Rih, after which a fire broke out on a total area of 70 square meters. The fire was extinguished at 08:12. As a result, interior walls were partially destroyed, and glass was broken in the windows of one entrance. No structural damage was found. Employees of the State Emergency Service rescued 10 people, of whom four people were rescued with the help of special equipment and six people along the staircases.

According to the field data from the emergency medical service, 10 people were injured, including a child. Three people were hospitalized.
T he extent of Londons multi million-dollar watch theft industry has been revealed, with more than 6,000 luxury watches stolen last year and 139 million worth since 2018.

A total of 6,109 watches were reported as stolen to Metropolitan Police in 2022, the highest number across the UK, data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) by Watchfinder & Co has revealed.

Almost 600 watches were recorded stolen in December alone. The watches had an average value of 5,188.88 each.

Victims report being violently attacked, or run over by thieves on mopeds or threatened with weapons such as knives and machetes. Attacks are increasingly unfolding in broad daylight in front of throngs of helpless onlookers in busy areas such as Mayfair and Westminster.

On one occasion, a man befriended his victim over more than two hours while drinking at a pub before throttling him on a deserted side-street and leaving him unconscious.

Watch thefts in London accounted for 41 per cent of cases nationwide last year.

But the crime has been increasing nationwide following a dip in 2020 and 2021, during the Covid pandemic.

Data from 23 British police forces revealed that 15,058 watches were reported as stolen across the UK in 2022.

More than 100,000 have been stolen across the UK since 2015 and four in 10 Britons have been victims of the crime, Watchfinder & Co found.

The nature of the crimes are becoming increasingly violent and brazen, with victims being threatened with machetes and knives during the daytime.

A London father told the Standard how he was left shaken and injured after being attacked by two men on mopeds in Mayfair who demanded he hand over his 70,000 watch.

The man, who the Standard agreed not to name, said he was targeted while having a drink with his wife on Queen Street ahead of a Coldplay concert last August.

I knew they were after my [70,000] watch so I ran up Curzon Street and they ran me over with the moped and were brandishing the machete saying Give me your watch, he told the Standard.

A man was targeted by two moped-riding thieves on Queen St, Mayfair in August / Supplied

He managed to escape into a nearby Tesco with his watch intact, but not without being hit with a moped three times and by an oncoming car as he ran onto the road.

In one elaborate ploy, a thief befriended a man over drinks and spent the evening with him before putting him in a chokehold and leaving him unconscious in a surprise and brutal attack caught on CCTV.

Lindell Angell was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in January for stealing the mans 145,000 watch near Embankment station.

Lindell Angell / Metropolitan Police

In February a group of teenagers armed with knives and machetes were convicted for stealing luxury watches and jewellery in a string of terrifying street muggings in Chelsea and Balham. On one occasion, the group targeted two men sitting at a pub table and demanded they hand over their watches worth around 35,000 each.

The Met Polices Flying Squad captured two of the robbers, Kaijuan Henry, 19, and Roshan Clark, 18, thanks to celebratory pictures of them posing with the stolen watches.

They, alongside Jessy Ouma, 18, and Joseph Opoku, 19, have all been convicted over the robberies which happened in December 2021 and January last year, and await sentencing at Isleworth crown court.

Metropolitan Police said tackling robbery was an absolutely priority and officers are carrying out targeted patrols in hotspots across London.

It is important that victims and witnesses contact the police by dialling 999 as soon as a robbery has occurred, the Met said.

When out and about, it is important that people remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings.

The Mets Look Up, Look Out campaign encourages members of the public to pay attention to who is around them, keep valuables out of sight, and where possible plan their route before travelling.
T he number of flu patients in London hospitals has seen a sharp rise in a week, figures show, as pressure builds ahead of the junior doctors strike next week.

A total of 105 beds were occupied by flu patients in the capital on March 26  a jump of 14 per cent on the figure reported the week before.

Just 18 beds were occupied by flu patients on the same date last year, underlining how low levels of immunity has led to a more severe flu season this winter.

Nine in ten (91.7 per cent) London hospital beds were occupied on March 26, according to NHS data. In North Middlesex University Healthcare NHS Trust, the bed occupancy rate stood at 98.4 per cent.

Ambulances continue to face delays transferring patients over to stretched A&E departments, with nearly a quarter (22 per cent) waiting longer than 30 minutes to hand over a patient - well above the 15-minute target.

The figures come a week before junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) stage a four-day strike that is expected to seriously disrupt NHS services.

Junior doctors in England will walk out for 96 hours from April 11 after talks broke down with Health Secretary Steve Barclay last week.

NHS trusts across the country will begin notifying patients on Monday of delays to treatment as a result of industrial action. The last junior doctors strike, held over three days in March, led to the cancellation or postponement of 175,000 procedures and appointments.

The disruption next week is likely to be particularly severe as it will follow the longer Easter weekend, when more NHS staff are likely to be on leave.

In a letter to the Sunday Times, the chief executives of Englands ten biggest teaching hospitals warned that the industrial action would cause significant distress and delays for patients and urged both sides to open pay talks immediately.

The Shelford Group, which includes hospital leaders in London, Oxford and Manchester, said the strikes would be disruptive on a scale significantly beyond that of previous rounds of industrial action.

They wrote: We estimate we will postpone tens of thousands of clinic appointments, diagnostic tests and operations in our ten trusts alone; national figures will greatly exceed this.

The BMA is seeking a pay rise of 26 per cent for junior doctors to restore a real-terms fall in income since 2008. A Foundation Year 1 doctor earns around 29,000 per year, rising to 34,000 a year later.

The Governments offer to other health unions consisted of a one-off payment for the current financial year 2022/23 worth between 1,655 and 3,789 for Agenda for Change staff in England and a 5 per cent pay increase for 2023/24.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chairmen of the BMA junior doctor committee, said Mr Barclay had failed to make a credible offer in talks last month.

But Mr Barclay rejected the claim, saying the union had placed an unacceptable pre-condition of a 35 per cent pay rise.

Speaking to the House of Commons last week, Mr Barclay acknowledged the impact of the upcoming strikes would be far greater than previous industrial action.
N HS consultants will be balloted over strike action next month, the British Medical Association has announced.

Senior doctors will vote from May 15 on whether to strike over pay in a move that could deepen the NHS crisis.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay has agreed to pay talks with the union to avert potential strike action.

It comes after more than 17,000 NHS consultants in England (86 per cent) voted decisively in favour of strike action in a consultative ballot.

In a separate dispute, junior doctor members of the British Medical Association (BMA) will stage a four-day strike next week that is expected to seriously disrupt NHS services.

Around 60,000 junior doctors in England will walk out for 96 hours from April 11 after talks broke down with Mr Barclay last week.

NHS trusts across the country will begin notifying patients on Monday of delays to treatment as a result of industrial action. The last junior doctors strike, held over three days in March, led to the cancellation or postponement of 175,000 procedures and appointments.

The disruption next week is likely to be particularly severe as it will follow the longer Easter weekend, when more NHS staff are likely to be on leave.

In a letter to the Sunday Times, the chief executives of Englands ten biggest teaching hospitals warned that the industrial action would cause significant distress and delays for patients and urged both sides to open pay talks immediately.

The Shelford Group, which includes hospital leaders in London, Oxford and Manchester, said the strikes would be disruptive on a scale significantly beyond that of previous rounds of industrial action.

They wrote: We estimate we will postpone tens of thousands of clinic appointments, diagnostic tests and operations in our ten trusts alone; national figures will greatly exceed this.

The BMA is seeking a pay rise of 26 per cent for junior doctors to restore a real-terms fall in income since 2008. A Foundation Year 1 doctor earns around 29,000 per year, rising to 34,000 a year later.

Speaking after the consultative ballot for consultants, Dr Vishal Sharma, chair of the BMA consultants committee, said: In my 25 years in the NHS, I have never seen consultants more demoralised, frustrated and in despair over this Governments refusal to support the NHS workforce and the patients they serve.

The Government is refusing to listen to consultants concerns, driving many out of the NHS entirely.

Things will only worsen unless we take a stand.
A bullying accountant has been ordered to pay 60,000 compensation to his neighbours after blighting their lives with his selfish parking.

Ivan Soares, 53, and his neighbours have been locked in a bitter dispute over a few feet of parking space since 2015, with the Kothari family next door complaining of consistent bad parking.

Bindu Kothari, her husband Sandip and brother-in-law Manish claimed their neighbour had frequently boxed them in by parking inches from their car, blocked their west London cul-de-sac and obstructed their garage.

Champion News

Once when asked by Mrs Kothari to move his car, so she could get to work, Mr Soares told her: Not my problem, in a manner which a judge branded high-handed and insulting.  Mr Soares and his wife Sunita have now been told to pay 60,090 compensation at Central London county court after Judge Jane Evans-Gordon said his parking behaviour was a form of bullying.

The toxic neighbours row, which has racked up over 100,000 in lawyers bills, revolved around three parking spaces outside the neighbours homes in Fallowfield Close, Harefield, two owned by Mr and Mrs Soares and a third in between owned by the Kotharis.

In the past, Mr and Mrs Soares had allowed a swap arrangement, whereby they parkeds in the two adjacent spaces on the left, with the Kotharis using the space on the right. The couple said that allowed all of them to park close to their houses. But the neighbours fell out over inconsiderate parking and in 2018 Mr and Mrs Soares revoked the swap deal.

The feud ended up before a judge in 2021, when it was ruled Mr and Mrs Soares had validly revoked the swap and the space on the right was theirs. But the case returned to court last week as Mr and Mrs Soares claimed compensation for the Kotharis having trespassed on their land by continuing to park there for nearly two years.

The Kotharis countersued, seeking compensation over their neighbours bad parking, which they said had harmed the value of their property.

The Kotharis said they got so penned in by Mr Soaress selfish parking that Mrs Kothari couldnt even get into her car. She told the judge he routinely reversed his car towards her vehicles space, getting closer and closer to her car until they are all but touching. She said she had not used her familys middle space, since July 2022 for fear of being boxed in by their neighbour.

The Kotharis claimed the value of their 750,000 home has been slashed due to their neighbours oppressive parking, with an estate agent saying the problems would have to be disclosed to potential purchasers and could cut the sale value by up to 10 percent.

Giving judgment, Judge Evans-Gordon branded Mr Soaress parking as high handed, insulting and oppressive. She awarded the Kotharis 60,090 to compensate for the trespassing on their space, damage to their parking area and for the cut in value of their house and also slapped injunctions on Mr and Mrs Soares, barring them from straying onto their neighbours parking space or in front of their garage.

Ruling in favour of Mr and Mrs Soares on their own claim, the judge awarded them 2,530 damages from the Kotharis for use of the right-side parking space after the swap deal ended.

Each party must pay the other partys costs in respect of their winning claims.
D amien Hirst is embracing AI with a new collection of artworks. Introducing The Beautiful Paintings, a series of swirly AI-generated pieces, Hirst has posted footage of himself online in which he kisses a canvas and tells the camera: I love art. Look at this. Oh my God. I really love art. He strokes another piece and asks: How can you not love this little cutie? How much will collectors have to pay? The works, all hand-signed, start at $1,500 a pop.

Physical editions, all hand-signed, start at $1,500 for small version, rising to $6,000 for extra-large 100 cm diameter versions, plus any applicable taxes. Digital only NFT versions of The Beautiful Paintings are priced at $2,000 each.

Lord Austin says Sir Keir owes an apology

Sir Keir Starmer / Getty images

Sir Keir Starmer hoped to see the back of Jeremy Corbyn when he purged him from Labour last week. But others have longer memories. Former Labour MP Ian Austin says Sir Keir must apologise for his personal role in supporting Corbyn and that he should have expelled his predecessor long ago. He does need to account for his support for Corbyns leadership, writes Austin in The Jewish Chronicle.

Sunak bounces back

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Victoria Jones/PA) / PA Wire

The Prime Minister is enjoying a poll bounce, among Tory members if not the public at large. A regular survey by Conservative Home shows that Rishi Sunak is now one of the most popular members of the Cabinet among party members, whereas earlier this year he was one of the least. It seems Sunak has managed to break free from association with the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, who still languishes at the bottom.

Mescal mania at Albert Hall

Londoners Diary 3rd April 2023 1 / 5 Londoners Diary 3rd April 2023 The Olivier Awards 2023 - Backstage Dave Benett The Olivier Awards 2023 - Backstage Dave Benett All England Dance Centenary Gala At The London Coliseum Dave Benett All England Dance Centenary Gala At The London Coliseum Dave Benett

Paul Mescal looked chuffed with his Best Actor trophy at the Olivier Awards last night. Backstage at the Royal Albert Hall, he posed with fellow actor Aimee Lou Wood and last years best actress winner Sheila Atim, who handed him his award. Sheridan Smith and Suzy Eddie Izzard were also spotted backstage before they presented the Best Revival award. In the West End, actor Miriam-Teak Lee and presenter Myleene Klass attended the All England Dance Centenary Gala at the London Coliseum.

Correction: a previous version of this article included a story titled Ukraines national orchestra asks British players for help after visa problems. The National Orchestra of Ukraine says the full orchestra will attend its UK tour in October without British players, and it expects to encounter no visa problems.
T he Government has been accused by Labour of being desperate to avoid scrutiny, after departments published a significant number of transparency documents just as Easter recess began for MPs.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has written to Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden over the matter, accusing ministers of dodging scrutiny.

The party tallied 150 transparency disclosures published by government departments and agencies on March 30 and 31.

It means more such disclosures were made in the last 48 hours than in the previous 44 days and beats the previous record for the release of data at the start of a Parliamentary recess, set a year ago, when 120 disclosures were made in the 48 hours starting Thursday 31st March, Ms Rayner wrote in the letter, first reported by The Guardian.

Ms Rayner said that this could not simply be due to Easter recess coinciding with the end of the financial year.

In 2020 and 2021, when recess also began in the last week of March, there were  again, according to your own website  a total of just 92 transparency releases over the two full weeks combined.

She told the Cabinet minister: If this flood of disclosures is in fact a function of anything, it is of a Government so desperate to avoid scrutiny of its record, its performance, and its spending, that it somehow believes all that can be avoided by deluging the email inboxes of Westminster with all of this data at once.

But I can assure you that those of us responsible for that scrutiny are not so easily deterred. We have already seen many of the facts which the Government tried to bury in the last 48 hours exposed, from the vast sums of public money that continue to go up in smoke thanks to the incineration of unusable PPE, to the collapse in planning applications for urgently-needed new housing across England.

And there will doubtless be more to come over the days ahead.

Ms Rayner accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who came to office last year promising to deliver integrity, of being too weak to deliver on that promise.

Otherwise he would not be instructing his ministers to rush out the evidence of their multiple failures and colossal waste at the start of the Easter break in the hope that no-one will notice, she said.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: This Government is absolutely committed to transparency, which is why we routinely disclose information beyond what is legally required, so that journalists and members of the public can scrutinise our work.

In line with the approach of successive governments, information is made publicly available on GOV.UK.

The end of the financial year often means that a large number of annual publications, on top of regular monthly documents, need to be published.
S chools in England could face strikes into the autumn term after members of the largest education union in the UK overwhelmingly rejected the Governments pay offer.

Teachers in England will strike on April 27 and May 2 after 98% of National Education Union (NEU) teacher members, who responded in a consultative ballot, voted to turn down the deal.

Schools could face further teacher walkouts in the summer term and into the next school year amid the ongoing dispute over pay, NEU bosses have warned.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said the teaching unions rejection of the offer will result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers, adding that it is extremely disappointing.

Teachers waved flags, stood and applauded, and shouted Come on, Gill, pay the bill when the result of the ballot was announced at the NEUs annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, on Monday.

Overall, 195,564 NEU teacher members voted on the pay offer  a turnout of 66%  and of those, 191,319 (98%) voted to reject the deal.

After a period of intensive talks with unions, the Government offered teachers a 1,000 one-off payment for the current school year (2022/23) and an average 4.5% pay rise for staff next year (2023/24).

Downing Street said the Government has no plans to make an improved offer after the existing one was rejected.

An urgent motion on teachers pay, due to be debated at the conference on Tuesday, calls on the NEU executive to use the exam period from May 15 to begin a re-ballot of teacher members in England.

If successful, the ballot could lead to a programme of action in the autumn term, as well as a national demonstration in Manchester during the Conservative Party Conference in October.

The motion calls on the union to timetable a three-day strike in late June/early July, which would be confirmed by the executive in mid-May.

If I was the Government, I would be very worried about our capacity to carry on the campaign

Speaking to the media at the conference on Monday, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: If I was the Government, I would be very worried about our capacity to carry on the campaign.

I think the ballot result we have announced today proves that we can win a re-ballot. I think they would think that we wouldnt win a re-ballot. We will.

We will win a re-ballot and that will take us into next year and into their election year.

Asked whether the NEU could rule out strikes up until Christmas, Mr Courtney added: We are not ruling anything out. The motion will make decisions and the debate at the conference will make decisions. But in the motion it talks about taking action in the autumn term.

On the possibility of further strikes in the summer term, Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: If (conference) did decide to do strikes during exams  but I think its unlikely  then we would grant exemptions. It means that Year 11, Year 13, Year 6 go on with education.

On the forthcoming strike days, April 27 and May 2, the NEU is asking school reps to plan with headteachers to ensure that Year 11 and Year 13 students taking exams have a full programme of education.

The NEU's decision to reject it will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today

Dr Bousted told Sky News: We want them in school preparing for their exams and we will make local arrangements to make sure that happens. It will not disrupt the exam work because that is the last thing we want to do.

Many schools in England were forced to partially or fully close during strikes staged by the NEU in February and March as a result of a dispute over pay.

On the NEUs rejection of the Governments pay offer, Ms Keegan said: After costing children almost a week of time in the classroom and with exams fast approaching, it is extremely disappointing that the NEU have called more strike action.

She added: The offer was funded, including major new investment of over half a billion pounds, in addition to the record funding already planned for school budgets.

The NEUs decision to reject it will simply result in more disruption for children and less money for teachers today. Pay will now be decided by the independent pay review body, which will recommend pay rises for next year.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to be drawn on whether the offer of a one-off payment of 1,000 teachers would be revoked following the NEUs decision to push forward with strikes.

Asked by broadcasters during a visit to Rochdale whether the payment would go ahead, he said: Weve made a very reasonable pay offer worth around 8% on average for teachers, worth up to 13% for new teachers combined with reductions on workload, and for the NEU teaching union to be striking in the face of that and impacting childrens education, particularly in the run-up to the exams, is extremely disappointing.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged teaching unions and the Government to get around the negotiating table to resolve the dispute.

He told LBC: I am disappointed because I want to see this resolved. Obviously it is back around the negotiating table now but I would urge both sides to compromise and to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.

He added: Obviously I support their right to take industrial action  it is very important I say that  but I will be clear: I dont want to see industrial action and that is why I want the Government around the table resolving this.

It is possible to resolve these disputes, and the sooner the Government gets on with that the better.

Members of the NASUWT teaching union, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) are also being asked for feedback on the Governments offer.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, said last week that industrial action by school leaders will be necessary if NAHT members decide to reject the Governments inadequate pay offer.

The NAHT has said it could move to a second formal industrial action ballot if its members turn down the Governments pay offer.

On Monday, the British Medical Association (BMA) announced plans to ballot NHS consultants in England for strike action from May 15 if the Government does not meet its demands over pay.

Passport Office workers have begun a five-week strike in a dispute over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions as a union warned it could cause delays for those looking to renew their passports.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites are walking out in an escalation of the long-running row.
A massive 93-metre long mega barge used to house more than 500 people could be unveiled this week to accommodate asylum seekers.

Suella Braverman hopes in the coming days to announce a leasing agreement to use the Bibby Stockholm floatel in Portland, Dorset, under widely criticised plans to reduce the reliance on hotels.

Conservative MP Richard Drax, who represents the area, has described the use of boats as totally and utterly out of the question, and will exacerbate existing problems ten-fold.

Details of any agreement with the Liverpool-based Bibby Marine Limited and the costs were unclear, but the vessel can house up to 506 people.

According to reports, the three-storey barge has been refurbished since it was criticised as an oppressive environment when the Dutch government used it to house asylum seekers.

It was also used by energy firm Petrofac for workers building the Shetland Gas Plant.

The Mirror reported that chartering such a vessel costs between 8,000 to 15,000 a day.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for money for taxpayers than hotels.

Plans to use two ex-military bases and a former prison were met with anger by local Conservatives when they were unveiled last week.

A Conservative-run local authority launched legal action against the Home Office over the proposal to use RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire as a site for up to 2,000 asylum seekers.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick announced the sites under plans to offer asylum seekers accommodation to cater to their essential living needs and nothing more.

The Home Office argues new types of accommodation must be used to reduce a 6 million daily bill of using hotels.

South Dorset MP Mr Drax is yet to comment on the possible use of Portland to dock the barge, but he was among Conservatives previously criticising Mr Jenricks plans.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, told The Mirror: We are deeply concerned by the Governments plans to accommodate people seeking asylum on military bases and apparently barges that are entirely unsuitable to their needs.

He added: The use of unsuitable contingency accommodation is a direct consequence of the chronic delays and huge backlog in the asylum system. There would be no need for hotels if cases were processed promptly and effectively.

Additional reporting by PA
T he DUP needs to be given space to make up its mind over returning to the powersharing institutions at Stormont, Gerry Adams has said.

However, the former Sinn Fein president added that if the unionist party did not agree to reforming an executive then Dublin must have full involvement in affairs in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams spoke to the PA news agency in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The damage that has been done in relation to the institutions can be repaired if the institutions were up running as they should be

The powersharing executive at Stormont, established by the 1998 peace deal, collapsed last year as part of a DUP protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The party has also outlined a series of concerns over the Windsor Framework agreement brokered between London and Brussels to ease many of the trading frictions which were caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A panel commissioned by party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to assess the framework completed its work last week.

Asked about the DUP position, Mr Adams said: Well, I think the unionists have to make up their minds.

I think we need to give them a wee bit of space to do that.

So in the immediate term, Jeffrey Donaldson has a panel which has given him a report. He then has to respond to that.

The damage that has been done in relation to the institutions can be repaired if the institutions were up and running as they should be.

Mr Adams said it would be a different matter if the DUP refused to return to Stormont.

We can have patience on all these other matters on the basis that theyre eventually going to go in there, and theyre willing to start working and they all work together.

And people will get to know each other.

I mean, 25 years later, this generation of republican representatives and unionist representatives know each other better, know each other personally, in many cases on first name terms, despite the difficulties and the problems.

But if they decide theyre not going to go in, then thats up to the two governments to come back because we cant have a return to English rule.

We have to have a full involvement by the Irish government along with the British government, unfortunately, with them seeking to fill the gap, which plainly would be the responsibility of unionists failure to grasp the new dispensation.

Mr Adams said he did not believe that the unionist party was refusing to return to Stormont because it did not want to support an executive with Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill as first minister.

He said: If unionists refuse to go in, an awful lot of people will believe its because they couldnt stomach having a republican as first minister.

I think Jeffrey has spoken the truth when he says that its not an issue for him.

The former Sinn Fein president said the progress of the powersharing institutions had been stop-start since they were formed.

He added: Senator (George) Mitchell famously when the agreement was made said  that is the easy bit done.

The hard bit is implementing it.

Never was anything so true.

I suppose the thinking of those strategists within the British and Irish establishments who had eventually, reluctantly, come round to this position of inclusive talks and Sinn Fein involvement, I suppose what they hoped for was that the UUP and the SDLP would form the centre core of a new governmental process.

They certainly wouldnt have intended or foreseen that you would have had Sinn Fein being so strong as we are today.
Ukraine and Romania will hold the First Black Sea Conference on the Security of the International Crimea Platform in Bucharest on April 12-13, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports.

The unprovoked and unjustified military aggression of russia against Ukraine has challenged the security system in the Black Sea and Azov Sea regions. In order to find effective ways to respond to these challenges and provide opportunities for sustainable development to all peaceful countries of the region, Ukraine initiated the First Black Sea Security Conference, which will be held jointly with Romania in Bucharest on April 12-13, the Ministry of Defense said on its official website on Monday.

According to the ministry, this event is a part of the International Crimea Platform, a mechanism aimed at the de-occupation of Crimea, restoration of the Black Sea, European, and global security.

The conference is held by: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, and the Ministry of National Defense of Romania, in partnership with the Centre for Defence Strategies (Ukraine).

The ministers of foreign affairs and defene ministers, heads of international institutions, government officials and independent experts, representing the participants of the International Crimea Platform, will take part in the Conference. They will analyze the multidimensional impact of russia's full-scale war against Ukraine on the security situation in the Black Sea and Azov Sea regions and beyond; discuss a possible strategy for responding to challenges and threats, as well as the pillars of the future configuration of the security system in the region, the Ministry of Defense said.

Issues of information warfare and cyber attacks will also be in the spotlight.
M ining giant Glencore has had a 22.5 billion dollar (18.1 billion) takeover bid rejected for Canadian copper firm Teck Resources.

Shares in the London-listed firm slipped after it confirmed the hostile bid was rebuffed.

Meanwhile, US-listed shares in Teck jumped by over a tenth amid the prospect of a merger deal which could create a 95 billion commodities giant.

Glencores all-share offer was a 20% premium to Tecks closing price on March 26 when the bid was made.

However, Teck said on Monday it received and unanimously rejected the opportunistic offer and warned against a tie-up with Glencores coal and oil operations.

The Glencore proposal would expose Teck shareholders to a large thermal coal business, an oil trading business and significant jurisdictional risk, all of which would negatively impact the value potential of Tecks business, is contrary to our ESG commitments and would transfer significant value to Glencore at the expense of Teck shareholders, said Jonathan Price, chief executive officer of Teck.

The Glencore bid also comes two months after Teck launched a proposal to carve up its business to boost value, spinning out coal operations from the firms copper and zinc operation.

Sheila Murray, chair of the board at Teck, said: The board is not contemplating a sale of the company at this time.

We believe that our planned separation creates a greater spectrum of opportunities to maximise value for Teck shareholders.

Glencore said it would create two standalone companies if a deal was struck.

It would spin out its profitable coal business, forming a CoalCo with its thermal coal assets and Tecks metallurgical coal assets.

The groups second operation would be a separate MetalCo incorporating their industrial metals divisions, as well as Glencores oil trading arm.

The commodities firm said it believes a merger deal could secure up to 5.25 billion dollars (4.2 billion) worth of synergies after tax.

The scale and quality of Glencores business, together with its uniquely complementary footprint and strategic fit with Teck, including its strong and demonstrable commitment to being a responsible and ethical operator, make Glencore the obvious partner for an all-share merger with Teck, the firm told shareholders.
A search for the remains of a teenager who was murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975 has resumed.

Digging started on Monday at Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan as investigators search for the body of Columba McVeigh, 19, from Donaghmore in Co Tyrone.

He is one of the Disappeared victims of the Troubles whose bodies have still to be found.

A search for Mr McVeighs remains in the bog began in October 2022 but was suspended at the beginning of November when the ground conditions became too dangerous for contractors and archaeologists to continue.

I am totally confident that if he was buried here, we will find him. We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment

His sister Dympna Kerr was at the bog on Monday as the search resumed.

Jon Hill, the lead investigator for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR), said he believed that Mr McVeighs remains are in the area they are searching.

He said: We have returned today for the second part of this search. It started last year in October, we always knew it was going to be a two-phased search because it was late in the year.

We have set out an area of around two acres of ground that we intend to search.

Hopefully we are going to have a dry enough summer to be able to continue the search until a satisfactory conclusion.

Hopefully that is recovering the remains of Columba McVeigh.

I am totally confident that if he was buried here, we will find him. We have the experts, we have the technology, we have the equipment.

Mr Hill added: Is he here in the first place? Yes, I believe he is in this area, on this road.

We have been disappointed too many times to say with complete assurance this is where he is. This area has changed so much over the years.

Since back in 1975 it would have looked completely different.

There have been five previous searches and they changed the terrain.

Peoples memories wont be what they were, the area doesnt look the way it did and it is completely understandable, although disappointing that we havent found the right spot as of yet.

The anniversary of the 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement obviously has taken this forward dramatically and it has encouraged people to come forward with information and resolve this matter.

Ms Kerr said the resumption of the bog search brings both hope and anxiety.

Of course we hope that this time Columba will be found but those hopes have been dashed so many times before that there still is that gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, she said, adding: Please make it this time.

Its 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, that was to bring in a new beginning, a new dawn of hope and for many  including us  it did.

But there is still a dark, thick cloud that hasnt lifted for our family and the other families who are still waiting to bring him home.

President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo

Ms Kerr said she hoped US President Joe Biden would be made aware of the plight of the families of the Disappeared who are still waiting for a resolution during his visit to Northern Ireland for the anniversary later this month.

President Biden will rightly be proud of the role played by the USA in our peace process, Ms Kerr said.

And President Clinton did so much for the families of the Disappeared, but President Biden needs to know that there is unfinished business and that there are Irish men and women who every day and every night still have to live in this horrible limbo.

It has to end.

The ICLVR was established in 1999 to locate 16 missing Irish and British people presumed murdered during paramilitary violence and buried in secret.
T he UK and the Commonwealth welcomed a new royal leader, King Charles III, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.

In a matter of weeks, on Saturday, May 6, the monarch will be officially crowned alongside his wife, Camilla, who will become Queen Consort.

The King celebrated his 74th birthday in November 2022, causing many to reminisce about how his mother used to mark her two separate birthdays and wonder if Charles will have two celebrations, too.

Heres everything we know about what we can expect from King Charles IIIs birthday going forward.

Will King Charles III have two birthdays, like the Queen?

While it hasnt been formally confirmed, it is a long-standing royal tradition for monarchs to have two birthdays.

The Queen celebrated her actual day of birth on April 21 every year. This would often be spent with close family, with official gun salutes marking the occasion.

However, the big public gathering would happen on the second Saturday of June, known as Trooping the Colour or the Queens Birthday Parade.

It would involve soldiers, horses, and musicians producing a vibrant spectacle outside Buckingham Palace.

UK Remembrance Sunday

Given that the tradition has been a part of King Charles IIIs family for centuries, he is likely to continue it.

After King Charles III, it will be up to the next monarch, the current Prince of Wales, William, to decide whether he would like to continue the tradition. Williams birthday is on June 21, so it might prove slightly redundant to hold two celebrations in one month, unless the date of Trooping the Colour is changed.

When would King Charles IIIs birthdays be?

His Majesty was born on November 14, 1948, and recently celebrated his 74th birthday.

Should he choose to continue his familys tradition of having two birthdays, the second celebration would be in mid-June every year.

While it may still officially be called Trooping the Colour, it is likely to colloquially be named the Kings Birthday Parade.
T ributes have been paid to Conservative former chancellor Nigel Lawson after his death, aged 91.

Following the announcement in the Telegraph, Rishi Sunak, former prime minister Boris Johnson, Tory chairman Greg hands and ex-chancellor Sajid Javid were among those marking Mr Lawsons death.

Rishi Sunak said: One of the first things I did as Chancellor was hang a picture of Nigel Lawson above my desk.

He was a transformational chancellor and an inspiration to me and many others.

My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Boris Johnson said: Nigel Lawson was a fearless and original flame of free market Conservatism. He was a tax-cutter and simplifier who helped transform the economic landscape and helped millions of British people achieve their dreams.

He was a prophet of Brexit and a lover of continental Europe. He was a giant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Current and former Conservative cabinet ministers said Mr Lawson was one of Britains greatest public servants.

Jeremy Hunt, the current chancellor, described Mr Lawson as a rarity amongst politicians, someone who transformed our thinking as well as transforming our economy

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Twitter: Sad news that Nigel Lawson has died.

A true statesman. His contributions to this nation will not be forgotten.

Sajid Javid tweeted: Very saddened to hear this.

One of Britains greatest public servants, especially as Chancellor. Thinking of his family. May he RIP.

The 91-year-old, who is also father to TV chef Nigella, retired from the House of Lords this year ending a parliamentary career stretching back nearly five decades.

It was announced the Conservative grandee and leading Brexiteer had stepped down from the upper chamber on December 31 as peers returned to Westminster after the Christmas break.

He represented the former Leicestershire constituency of Blaby in the Commons from 1974 until 1992, before taking his seat on the red benches the same year.

Joining Margaret Thatchers newly elected government in 1979, he served as her chancellor from 1983 to 1989.

The decision by Mr Lawson to quit in October 1989 came as a heavy blow to Margaret Thatcher and helped to precipitate the events which led to her downfall the following year.

His walkout was triggered by her refusal to sack her economics adviser, Professor Sir Alan Walters, whom he accused of undermining his position.

The parliamentary record shows Lord Lawson of Blaby, who chaired the Vote Leave campaign during the EU referendum, last spoke in the House in April 2019 when he raised the spectre of undesirable insurrectionary forces if Parliament refused to accept the result of the Brexit vote.

He was also founding chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, which has lobbied against climate change policies such as net zero.
T he Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was in doubt until the final plenary session, a former government director of communications has said.

Politicians and officials were involved in intense negotiations around the clock at Castle Buildings in the Stormont estate ahead of April 10, 1998 when a spring snow fall added to the surreal moment for Northern Ireland.

There had been weeks of officials having to manage the runways to stop unwanted meetings in the corridors and delivering assurances to parties while not throwing other parties off course.

Tom Kelly, the then Northern Ireland Office director of communications, said the failed Sunningdale Agreement of 1973 cast a shadow over efforts.

I didnt wake up on Good Friday morning because Id been on my feet for 36 hours pacing the corridors, I think it was genuinely in doubt right until the very end because various parties needed various assurances and delivering those assurances in such a way that didnt send another party off in the wrong direction was a major negotiating feat, he said.

It wasnt actually until the Ulster Unionists finally agreed following a letter from the Prime Minister to David Trimble that we actually knew it was on.

It was really only at the point of the final plenary session that you dared to hope. It was a mixture of exhaustion, elation at the prospect of an agreement but also apprehension because I knew Id have to lead the referendum campaign, and that wasnt guaranteed, and secondly I remembered, as a teenager, the Sunningdale (agreement) being agreed and being brought down.

I knew that this time we were going to have to hold firm, and keep making the argument why the agreement was the only show in town.

Mr Kelly took up the role with the Northern Ireland Office just weeks before the agreement was signed.

Immediately he was plunged into political maelstrom, and prepared a communications paper around a just in case agreement.

There was an opinion poll carried out a week before the talks started which show that just 17% thought they would succeed in the timeframe, 83% didnt, and that just showed the learned pessimism of 25 years of failure, he told the PA news agency.

People had become fatalistic, that was the attitude, people admired us for trying but thought we were slightly naive.

Mr Kelly said the run-up period to the talks started with the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, improved relations between the British and Irish governments and stable government in both London and Dublin under Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

He said within the talks there was a focus and a drive and a willingness on the part of the government to be flexible, adding that made the agreement possible.

But on the morning of Good Friday nothing was guaranteed, because wed seen Sunningdale 25 years earlier be agreed and then allowed to collapse, what mattered was the persistence over the next nine years which eventually ended up with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness sitting down together, he said.

One of the learnings of the process had to be that politicians from very different backgrounds got comfortable being in the same building, but then Id worked for 16 years at the BBC in Belfast and London, and that was a problem that we had had there as well.

Part of the tragedy of Irish political history, never mind Northern Irish political history, has been that politicians didnt know each other very well, I think one of the things the agreement has delivered is that people do know each other a bit better even if they dont agree with each other.

Mr Kelly went on to be Tony Blairs spokesperson from 2001 to 2007.

Looking back, he said the peace process delivered but the political process has not yet.

As a peace process I believe it delivered, as a political process however, I think its only been partially successful, thats been because unfortunately the two main parties have chosen politics as another form of the conflict, as another zero sum game rather than trying to build a consensus even when they disagree on the constitutional issue. And too often the centre ground, although it has now consolidated and grown, has been content to say, at least were not that lot, he said.

Thats the unfortunate reality, and the challenge for the next 25 years is not just to hold the ground in terms of peace, but actually deliver good government for the people of Northern Ireland.
F ormer Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam brought a liberating energy to peace process talks and created a different climate for negotiations, Sir Tony Blair has said.

The former prime minister said the late Ms Mowlam is deserving of a special mention for injecting fresh impetus into efforts to secure a deal when Labour swept to power in 1997 and she was handed the Northern Ireland portfolio.

She quickly made a name for herself as a down-to-earth and bluntly honest operator.

Her achievements were considered all the more remarkable because she was recovering from treatment for a brain tumour at the time.

Renowned for her light-hearted disregard of formality, kicking off her shoes and chewing gum in meetings, she reputedly took her wig off to break tension in talks.

Perhaps her most famous contribution came in January 1998 when she entered the notorious Maze prison near Lisburn to speak to paramilitaries in a bid to convince them to back the peace negotiations.

Mo was most important, not really for the individual acts she did as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but her most important thing was that she created a different atmosphere and climate for the negotiation, because she was so obviously not from any sectarian background, said Sir Tony.

Mo was not really a respecter of persons or of protocol and therefore she was so different from anything the UK government ever put forward as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, that she brought with it a special energy and in a sense a kind of a liberating energy.

And even though I think some, particularly some men, found it all a bit strange for them, her ability to be so completely normal in the face of very abnormal politics, it deserves its own special mention because it was an important factor.

In the period after the Good Friday Agreement, unionists in particular became increasingly critical of Ms Mowlams approach.

She also found herself embroiled in controversy over her handling of a contentious Orange parade on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, Co Armagh.

In 1999 she was replaced in the job by Peter Mandelson.

She stood down from the Commons at the 2001 general election after 14 years as Labour MP for Redcar.

Ms Mowlam died in 2005 at the age of 55.

In a sign of the affection many continue to hold for her in Northern Ireland, a playpark on the grounds of the Stormont estate in Belfast is named in her honour.

Sir Tony praised her political intelligence and also her human touch.

I chose Mo because I thought she was completely different, because she would be a complete breath of fresh air, and she was, and also because she was a very clever politician, he said.

You know, she understood people, got to know them very easily.

And even though I think particularly some of the unionist people, some more traditional people, found her a culture shock  not just as a culture change, but a culture shock  that also had its own benefit.
B ritish Royal Marines have deployed to the Korean peninsula for the first time since the Korean War in the 1950s amid rising tensions with China.

Taunton-based Bravo Company of 40 Commando trained alongside South Korean and US marines.

The exercises involved amphibious landings, coastal defence, crisis response and disaster relief.

More Royal Marines are due to deploy to the Indo-Pacific, including exercises in Australia this summer.

The Royal Navys off-shore patrol ships HMS Tamar and HMS Spey have been on a long-term deployment in the region since late 2021.

Tensions have been rising between the West and China under president Xi Jinpings authoritarian premiership and as Beijing seeks to impose an increasingly expansionist foreign policy.

During the Korean War, Royal Marines of 41 Independent Commando saw action as far north as Lake Chosin and carried out amphibious raids behind North Korean lines between 1950 and 1951.

Around 28,000 Korean and US sailors and marines took part in the recent Exercise Ssangyong which also involved some 30 warships, 70 aircraft and 50 amphibious assault vehicles.

The Ministry of Defence in London stressed it was the largest amphibious activity for five years in the area.

It took place near Pohang, around 160 miles from South Koreas capital Seoul.

Major Aran Sandiford RM, in command of the British Commando Forces on the exercise, said: Regional security in the Indo-Pacific matters to all of us, including the UK, and this deployment of Commando Forces has provided an opportunity to reaffirm our shared values with two key regional allies.
F inlands main conservative party claimed victory in parliamentary elections on Sunday evening, dashing Prime Minister Sanna Marins hopes of a re-election.

The tight three-way race saw right-wing populists The Finns take second place with 20.1 per cent, and Ms Marins Social Democratic Party in third, with just under 20 percent.

The centre-right National Coalition Party (NCP) came out on top at 20.8 per cent - not enough to form a government alone.

More than 2,400 candidates from 22 parties were vying for the 200 seats in the Nordic countrys parliament.

Based on this result, talks over forming a new government to Finland will be initiated under the leadership of the National Coalition Party, said the partys leader Petteri Orpo, as he claimed victory surrounded by supporters gathered in a restaurant in the capital, Helsinki.

Ms Marin, who at age 37 is one of Europes youngest leaders, has received international praise for her vocal support of Ukraine and her prominent role, along with President Sauli Niinisto, in advocating for Finlands successful application to join Nato.

Mr Orpo, 53, Finlands former finance minister and likely new prime minister, assured that the Nordic countrys solidarity with Kyiv would remain strong during his tenure.

First to Ukraine: we stand by you, with you, he told reporters at NCPs victory event.

We cannot accept this terrible war. And we will do all that is needed to help Ukraine, Ukrainian people because they fight for us. This is clear.

And the message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is: go away from Ukraine because you will lose.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, cleared the last hurdles of becoming a Nato member earlier in the week as alliance members Turkey and Hungary signed off the countrys membership bid.

Petteri Orpo / AFP via Getty Images

NCPs share of votes translates into 48 seats in the Eduskunta, Finlands Parliament, while The Finns, a nationalist party running largely on an anti-immigration and anti-European Union agenda, is to get 46 seats and Marins Social Democrats 43 seats respectively.

Observers say the result means a power shift in Finlands political scene as the nation is now likely to get a new centre-right government with nationalist tones.

The government will replace the centre-left Cabinet led by Ms Marin, a highly popular prime minister at home and abroad since 2019.

Government formation talks led by the NCP are expected to start in the coming days with goal of putting together a Cabinet enjoying a majority at the Parliament.

I trust the Finnish tradition of negotiating with all parties, and trying to find the best possible majority government for Finland, Mr Orpo told the AP.

And you know what is important for us? Its that we are an active member of the European Union. We build up Nato-Finland, and we fix our economy. We boost our economic growth and create new jobs. These are the crucial, main, important issues we have to write into the government program, he said.

The positions of Ms Marins party on the Finnish economy emerged as a main campaign theme and were challenged by conservatives, who remain critical of the Social Democrats economic policies and are unlikely to partner with them.

Finland, which is expected to join Nato in the coming weeks, is a European Union member.

The country has a population of 5.5 million people.
On Monday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the crime scenes of the Russian occupiers in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv region, the press service of the President's Office reports.

"During a working trip to Chernihiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with Vice Chancellor, Minister of Economy and Climate Protection of Germany Robert Habeck and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric examined the consequences of the occupation of the village of Yahidne by Russian troops and the war crimes they committed," the message says.

The Head of State, together with foreign guests, visited a school in the basement of which, from the third to the thirtieth of March 2022, the occupiers kept 367 civilians in unsanitary conditions, without water and food. There were 50 children among the hostages, including several infants  the youngest was one and a half months old. Eleven people died, unable to withstand the inhumane conditions. Ten were shot by the Russian occupiers.

The President of Ukraine and the European guests talked with the villagers who were held in the basement of the school. "Thank you for surviving, for being able to wait for our soldiers and tell the whole world about the tragedy that the Russian Federation, the Russian military, together with their leadership, their president, brought to our land," Zelenskyy stressed.

The Head of State noted that the residents of Yahidne had experienced terrible trials. According to him, about 400 people lived in this village before the occupation, and almost 370 people were kept in a school basement with an area of less than 200 square meters.

"They were in the basement for 27 days. Survived  standing and sitting. Eleven people, unfortunately, died. And all these people somehow lived in darkness and waited for the return of Ukraine," he said.

The President said that the prisoners in the dark wrote on the walls the names and dates of death of fellow villagers, so as not to forget. And the children wrote the lines of the anthem of Ukraine. "It is very important that these people survived. It is very important that every day our troops de-occupy settlements where there are real heroes," Zelenskyy added.

The Head of State noted the importance of the presence of representatives of our partners in the liberated territories of Ukraine, who can see everything with their own eyes. "It is important to be in such basements to understand, to help Ukraine. Think about how to find a way to talk to the Russian Federation," the president said.

Zelenskyy also thanked local residents and authorities who fought for their lives every day during the Russian occupation. As a result of the military aggression, all 173 farmsteads in the village of Yahidne were damaged, 16 of them were destroyed.

In addition, objects of communal property were destroyed  a cultural building and a paramedic station. The school building was significantly destroyed. According to head of Chernihiv Regional Military Administration Vyacheslav Chaus, over the past year, thanks to funding from the state and regional budgets, thanks to volunteers, the Government of Latvia, which allocated funds for construction materials and the restoration of homes, repaired more than 100 homes.
F inland will officially become a member of Nato on Tuesday, the military blocs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed.

The move brings to an end decades of Finnish neutrality over Nato, and has been driven by concern over Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland has an 832-mile border with Russia.

This is an historic week, Mr Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers in Brussels. From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.

We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters. It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security and for Nato as a whole, he added.

He said that he hopes neighbouring country Sweden will be able to join Nato in coming months.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the ceremony on Tuesday, along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATOs support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression, Haavisto said in a statement. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming Natos 31st member by bolstering its defenses if needed.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Grushko said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency. In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take addition steps to ensure Russias military security.

Finland is set to become the seventh Nato country on the Baltic Sea, further isolating Russias coastal access at St Petersburg and in its small exclave of Kaliningrad.

Finnish accession means it will come under the organisations mutual defence umbrella, which treats an attack on any individual member country as an attack on Nato requiring a collective response.

Finlands membership represents the first enlargement since North Macedonia joined the alliance in 2020.

Turkey had initially delayed Finlands bid to join the western defence alliance over concerns about the countrys support for Kurdish groups and about arms exports.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, said last month that Finland had satisfied Ankaras objections after taking steps to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists and to free up defence exports.

Turkish officials said Finland had fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year, in which the two countries pledged to address Turkeys security concerns.

Sweden, however, which applied to join Nato at the same time last May, is still being blocked by Ankara over similar complaints.
T he French government has been embroiled in a scandal after it emerged that one of Emmanuel Macrons top ministers is set to appear on the front cover of Playboy.

Marlene Schiappa, 40, who is minister for social economy and associations, will feature fully clothed alongside a 12-page interview in the French edition of the magazine.

Ms Schiappa, a self-professed sapiosexual, was seen as the most Playboy compatible of government ministers, Playboy France editor Jeane-Christophe Florentin said.

An activist turned politician, Ms Schiappa reportedly agreed to give the interview in order to expound on everything from feminism, violence against women and womens rights, to politics, global warming and literature.

While Ms Schiappa appears fully clothed on the cover and in the 12-page spread, she poses seductively, wrapped around the French flag, reports Le Parisien, which broke the story.

Leaked photos show the government minister wearing a one-shoulder dress in one image, and a voluminous bowtied dress in another, under the headline A liberated minister.

Elisabeth Borne, the French prime minister, reportedly criticised Ms Schiappa in a phone call on Saturday, telling her it was inappropriate given the current context of pension reform protests that have rocked the country over the past three months.

Ms Schiappa did not clear the interview with Ms Borne in advance. I thought it was April Fools Day," Ms Schiappas Renaissance party colleague Ludovic Mendes of Moselle said in an interview with BFMTV.

I can understand the feminist fight, but I dont see why we would do it in Playboy. There are other ways to do it.

Ms Schiappa defended her Playboy cover, calling her critics hypocrites.

Defending the right of women to dispose of their bodies is everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free, she said. With all due respect to the backsliders and the hypocrites.

Ms Schiappa has made headlines several times since being plucked from near obscurity by Mr Macron in 2017 and has held several high-profile titles including secretary of state for gender and equality and minister delegate in charge of citizenship.

She made headlines while in office in 2021 for describing herself as a sapiosexual, a person who finds intelligence sexually attractive. The heroine in one of her books calls ex-prime minister Alain Juppe, 77, the sexiest man in France.

Along with several books on feminism, Ms Schiappa has also published a dozen books on sex and erotica under the pen name Marie Minelli. Titles include everything from Dare to Have a Female Orgasm to Good Girls Dont Swallow.
T he mother of a 23-year-old being detained in Afghanistan by the Taliban says she is distraught and desperate to know that he is safe.

Youtuber Miles Routledge, who documents his travels to dangerous places online, is one of three British men being held by the Taliban.

Charity medic and married dad Kevin Cornwell, 53, from Middlesbrough, and another unnamed man who manages a hotel for aid workers in Kabul have been detained since January.

Mr Cornwell and the unnamed man have been allowed to make phone calls to their relatives.

Mr Routledge was reportedly detained by the Taliban on March 2, but his mother, Susan Routledge, says she has not been allowed to speak to him.

Im distraught. It is so worrying. I just want help to find out what has happened to him and make sure he is OK, Mrs Routledge told the Daily Mail.

British detainee Miles Routledge / PA

If I can get a message to those who are holding him, I just want to ask them to tell him he has my love and support, she added.

I am just desperate to know that he is safe. I dont know who is holding him or where he is

Scott Richards, an experienced negotiator with conflict zone charity Presidium Network, has been assisting the mens families.

He said Mr Cornwell and the unnamed Briton spent 10 minutes in conversation with their families on Sunday morning.

He told Sky News: Were very pleased to announce that there has been contact between families and the detainees.

They were able to spend about 10 minutes this morning in an unscripted conversation, which is very important. This is a landmark move and for any negotiation with the Taliban, because we havent seen any of this privilege before.

Theyve certainly taking this as a goodwill gesture and an incredibly important step.

Mr Routledge, a former Loughborough University physics student, had recently posted videos of him firing assault weapons with members of the Taliban.

Married father Mr Cornwell, from Middlesbrough, had been in Afghanistan for 11 months working as a medic for Iqarus International, which provides free healthcare to local people.

He was arrested in a raid at his hotel by officers from the General Directorate of Intelligence on January 11.

Mr Cornwell stands accused of having an illegal firearm in the safe in his room at the Darya Village Hotel, despite having a permit from the Taliban government.

The manager of the resort - popular with Western humanitarian staff - was also detained in the raid and both are being held in a secure unit for foreign nationals run by the GDI.

No charges have been brought and they have not been granted legal representation.

The UK withdrew embassy and consular staff in 2021 and the Foreign Office continues to advise citizens against all travel to Afghanistan based on the security risks involved, including the possibility of detention by the Taliban authorities.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are working hard to secure consular contact with British nationals detained in Afghanistan and we are supporting families.
U krainian forces are locked in especially hot battles against Russian soldiers in the eastern town of Bakhmut, Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday.

The Ukrainian president gave no indication that his military was on the brink of retreating from the mining town where Russian units have suffered very heavy losses.

The head of Putins Wagner Group private army, claimed his troops, involved in a months-long effort to encircle and capture the bombed-out town, had raised a Russian flag on its administrative building.

From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts, Yevgeny Prigozhin said in video posted on his press services Telegram account.

Prigozhin has previously made claims that were premature.

Russian forces have been gradually seizing more of Bakhmut but have suffered 30,000 casualties in some of the fiercest fighting of the war as they have tried over many months to seize the town, according to British military intelligence.

Ukraines defence chiefs said in a Monday update that Bakhmut and several other towns including Avdiivka were at the epicentre of hostilities.

The enemy continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, our defenders courageously hold the city, they added.

Mr Zelensky, in his Sunday night video address, thanked soldiers fighting in Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.

Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there, he said.

Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar had earlier described the Bakhmut situation as tense.

Ukrainian forces were defending their positions and Russian units were being thrown into battle with scant attention to losses as they attacked, he added.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counter-offensive, backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other heavy weapons, is not far off, but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut in the meantime.

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks, but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant.

Unconfirmed footage appeared to show a huge explosion at the plant, though there were doubts about it as there was no snow on the ground in the town recently hit by wintry weather.

The enemy is attacking (Bakhmuts) centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take (it) under its full control, Mr Zhdanov, who has close ties to the Ukrainian military, said in a video on YouTube.

In Russia, a well-known military blogger, Vladlen Tatarsky, was killed by a bomb in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in what appeared to be the second assassination on Russian soil of a figure closely associated with the war in Ukraine.

Russias state Investigative Committee said it had opened a murder investigation into the blast, which wounded 32 people.
R ussian police say they have arrested a woman suspected of delivering a bomb which killed a pro-Putin blogger in a St Petersburg cafe and injured at least 30 others.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed as he was leading a discussion at the Street Bar cafe, allegedly after being handed a bust of himself as a gift which then exploded.

Russias Investigative Committee, the top state criminal investigation agency, said that Darya Tryopova was arrested on suspicion of involvement in Mr Tatarskys killing.

Ms Tryopova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident, had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies, according to Russian media.

Her arrest was initially reported late Sunday but Russian media reported she went on the run before being arrested Monday.

Russian authorities say they are investigating the attack in Russias second biggest city as a high-profile murder and had listed Ms Tryopova as a wanted person.

Emergency services personnel at the scene of the explosion in central St Petersburg / AP

A video showed Mr Tatarsky making jokes about the bust and putting it on the table next to him just before the explosion.

Investigators are said to be looking into the statuette as a possible source of the blast, but also have not ruled out a bomb being placed in the cafe before the event.

Mr Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on social network Telegram and was one of the most prominent of the influential military bloggers who have provided running commentary on Russias war in Ukraine.

No-one has declared responsibility for the explosion, with Russian military bloggers pointing the finger of blame at Ukraine - which is denied by Kyiv.

Some Russian commentators have compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator, who was killed in a car bomb outside Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

A portrait of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky / REUTERS

Reacting to the latest incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tatarskys activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime.

But a top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Mr Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter.

Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Tatarsky was among hundreds of attendees at a lavish Kremlin ceremony last September to proclaim Russias annexation of four partly occupied regions of Ukraine - a move that most countries at the UN condemned as illegal.

Well defeat everyone, well kill everyone, well rob everyone we need to. Everything will be as we like it, he was shown saying in a video clip on that occasion.

The cafe in which Mr Tatarsky was killed, Street Food Bar No 1 near the River Neva, was once owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the infamous Wagner mercenary group which has taken part in much of the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin paid tribute to the pro-war blogger in a video which he claimed was filmed from the town hall in Bakhmut, which has witnessed heavy fighting.
I t seems like these days, cakes have got bigger, more detailed and more extravagant than ever before but if that sounds like a criticism from us, you have got it completely wrong.

With the invention of Instagram, we cant help but share every moment of our lives with our followers  whether they want to know or not  and this has particularly included our food and luckily, our sweet treats. Bakers everywhere have taken on the challenge to ensure their creations are as picturesque as ever before and we are happy to sit back and enjoy them.

The picture sharing social media app has given young budding chefs the opportunity to share their innovative designs with the world and, in turn, we can make the most out of any birthday, wedding, anniversary or celebration that occurs, ensuring the occasion is met with the show-stopping cake to match.

But alongside these independent bakers are established cake shops and newly opened bakeries where you can work alongside them to create custom creations, personalised to a tee on flavour, design and colour palette to find the perfect accompaniment to your festivities. Whats more, you can have them delivered right to your door to tick one more thing off your party to-do list.

We have tried and tested cakes from across the capital to find out the best to order online - it was a tough job but someone had to do it.

Best cakes to order online with UK delivery:

Bettys

Bettys

Iconic British bakery Bettys is on hand to answer all your classic cake needs. Whether you are looking for a bake for a wedding, birthday, or any celebration, there are loafs, buns, macaroons, fondants, scones and more traditional cakes on offer in a range of flavours including fruit, Victoria sponge, ginger and lemon and lime.

You can even have them personalised with names and thematic details to match the occasion. Delivery is available across the country where you can ensure your sweet treat is delivered on a certain day and before a certain time. International shipping is also offered. Any cake from Bettys, big or small, is a fine reason to celebrate.

From 4.55 | Bettys

Konditor

Konditor

Freshly baked each day, you can actually pick up your very own cake creation in store on the same day that you order it or have it delivered next day in London on a whole range of the brands signature designs.

Whether its for a birthday or a wedding, there are classic and alternative cakes that can be customised with the message of your choice, a name or to match a colour scheme  that may be particularly helpful for gender reveal parties.

The flavour profile ranges from lemon, and blackcurrant, to chocolate raspberry and our personal favourite, the curly whirly. There are cartoon designs, animal themes, unicorns or comic book inspired creations as well as unique tiered designs that can go down a minimal or extravagant route.

From 17 | Konditor

Flavourtown

Flavourtown

Award-winning bakery Flavourtown has the masterpiece to match your special occasion. First and foremost, choose between the extensive flavour range that includes red velvet, oreo, salted caramel, mint chocolate, biscoff and many, many more before personalising it with the message of your choice. You can also add your company or brand logo or a photo that is made edible. The designs are embellished with pretty piped detailing as well as sweet treats like Ferrero Rocher or macaroons. The show-stopping highlights include the now famous unicorn design or brightly hued flamingo iteration.

Opt for a one or two tiered variation with four sizes from 6 to 12. The bespoke cakes are baked fresh and made to order by the brands skilled artisan bakers and decorators where you can have them delivered in London and even go for a pre-11am delivery. If you live outside the capital, they can be couriered or you can collection from the Fulham shop or brands NW10 based bakery.

From 41 | Flavourtown

Cutter & Squidge

Cutter & Squidge

Cutter & Squidge are best known for unique flavour combinations crafted with all natural ingredients. The cakes are handmade daily and can be delivered within London.

No matter your occasion, there is the dessert to match with the likes of carrot and pumpkin, peanut butter, the signature strawberry Eat-on-Mess, apple pie, blueberry lemon, and Smores to name but a few. They are embellished with brownies, marshmallows, shards of chocolate, popcorn, or roses to create the cake of your dreams.

They come in various sizes from small (6) to extra large (12) serving six to 40 people as well as one, two or three tiers.

From 24.90 | Cutter & Squidge

Anges de Sucre

Anges de Sucre

The definition of show-stopping, Anges de Sucres cake selection is nothing short of magical. With the small family-run, you can customise your creation for your preference to suit any form of festivities from birthdays and weddings, to Easter, Christmas, graduation, baby showers or just about anything.

The Alice in Wonderland-inspired designs come in a range of flavours; red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, banana, caramel, Nutella, pistachio, peanut butter, lemon, matcha, and carrot and are baked fresh and hand decorated.

Set to be crowd-pleasers, there are novelty or classic iterations on offer, each as extraordinary and decadent as the last. Opt between one to four tiers and in sizes 6 to 12. Add your message for free up to 20 characters.

The cakes can be delivered for free in London.

From 50 | Anges de Sucre

Hummingbird Bakery

Hummingbird Bakery

The world-famous bakery with the best ever red velvet cake, Hummingbird crafts its cakes onsite from scratch with quality ingredients and next day delivery if you order before 4pm.

Whether you are celebrating Easter, a birthday, mothers day, or a gender reveal, you can get the party started with a tasty creation baked in the brands signature American style.

Opt for classic, vegan, dairy free, gluten free or egg free variations and from 6 to 10 (four to 20 people respectively) as well as 13x18 sheet cake that can serve a whopping 40 to 50 people. The cakes are made up of three layers and can be customised with frosting colour, crumble and made bespoke with the message and decorations of your choice.

The flavours include carrot, chocolate, lemon, red velvet, vanilla, and the show-stopping rainbow as well as a Pinata Cake where you cut open for a chocolatey surprise.

The brand has six shops across London in Portobello Road, South Kensington, Soho, Spitalfields, Islington and Richmond. You can order Hummingbird Bakery products in-store or online from The Hummingbird Bakery website for next day delivery to selected London areas or collect in-store.

From 29.95 | Hummingbird Bakery

Primrose Bakery

Primrose Bakery

If you are looking for a cake for a major celebration or just a little token to show you care, Primrose Bakery will have you covered.

The shop may be best known for its cupcakes but its cake range should not be overlooked with a seriously good selection of flavours to choose between  Oreo, Smores, snickers, peanut butter, Aperol spritz, cookie dough as well as your more classic options and the decorations to match the theme of your choice.

They can accommodate to vegetarian, nut allergies and gluten intolerances and deliver around London. They recommend ordering two to three days before needed, which is extended to a week for sugar printed photos. Delivery costs vary depending on location but start at a minimum of 13.00 within central London.

From 42.55 | Primrose Bakery

Lolas Cupcakes

Lolas Cupcakes

One of the handiest things about ordering online from Lolas Cupcakes is the option to be able to have your cake delivered to one of the refrigerated lockers dotted around. So if you are time-pressed and wont be home, you wont miss out on your delicious sweet treat fix. There is also the option to have it delivered next day if ordered before 2pm and even same day for select postcode in the capital. You can collect from bakeries across the nation in the likes of Birmingham, London, Luton, and Reading.

The cakes come in a range of sizes and flavours to suit any and every occasion be that a birthday, wedding, baby celebration or more. Serving anywhere from four to 50 people with fan favourites like red velvet, rainbow, sticky toffee, chocolate & raspberry, Victoria sponge, cookies & cream, and many, many more.

From 15 | Lolas Cupcakes

Peggy Porschen

Peggy Porschen

The boutique bakery has homes in both Chelsea and Belgravia serving its mini works of art to a cult fan base.

The elegant cakes bring the special touch to your celebration with piped decorative detailing fit for the royals but dont for one minute think it is all style over substance. The pieces taste as good as they look with a unique flavour range and the option to personalise them to your preference. There are also vegan and made without variations and varying tiers to choose between.

They are available for South West London delivery where single tiered cakes ordered by 3pm can be sent next day. You can also pick them up in either of the brands brick and mortar establishments.

From 54.95 | Peggy Porschen

Paul

Paul

Paul has been creating cakes since the 1950s using family recipes and the finest ingredients.

The French patisserie who now boast over 37 UK locations after first opening in the capital in 2000 crafts delicious tasting and hand-crafted treats with six to 60 portions. The professional designs can be personalised with a message of up to 35 characters.

Opt from the selection of Fleur De Lys, Framboisier, Fraisier, Craquant, Opera and Foret Noire iterations and have them delivered around London within a one hour time slot. Alternatively, you can pick them up in store with only 24 hours for personalised creations or up to seven days in advance.

From 19.95 | Paul

Lily Vanilli

Lily Vanilli

With some of the most stunning cakes on the market, if youre not familiar with Lily Vanilli, you may recognise the tiered beauties as the inspiration for many of the newer brands around. The Columbia Road-based bakery is a pioneer in the decorating space - and the cakes taste as good as they look. The sweet creamy icing is only enhanced further by the moorish sponge interior. Lily Vanilli ensures the utmost quality and attention to detail that begins by the ingredients used; free range eggs, Guittard artisanal chocolate, Billingtons unrefined molasses-rich sugars, Maldon sea salt and produce sourced from local suppliers.

You can personalise the designs with the style, flavour, filling, colour, size and accessories of your choice with the added benefit of being able to add a message. The offering consists of cakes - including wedding options, cupcakes, brownies, seasonal treats and more.

From 55 | Lily Vanilli

Aprils Baker

Aprils Baker

Aprils Baker has been known to go viral on its Instagram account. The stunning Regency-style icing creations are a work of art and can be customised with the message of your choice - playful or not. The sister duo behind the brand crafts its bakes to be the definition of show-stopping and are available for delivery and collection from its South Wimbledon location. There are many flavour combinations on offer, from your classic vanilla, chocolate and lemon, to your more creative matcha, earl grey and prosecco. Look out for the vegan alternatives too.

From 20 | Aprils Baker

The Proof

Dalston-based cake shop The Proof will have you shotgunning dessert duty. The bakerys motto is literally well bring the pudding. The array of decadent desserts are mostly available for nationwide delivery, although there are a few exceptions like this Raspberry Meringue Tart and the Tiramasu that can just be sent to London addresses.

The selection of almost-too-good-to-eat cakes are made with quality ingredients and no sprinkles or artifical colourings in sight. These are traditional treats with a twist and you wont find any additives or preservatives in the very modern aesthetically-pleasing creations.

The Proof

From 18 | The Proof

Sponge

It can be challenging to find vegan and gluten-free dessert that still bring the taste factor, but thats where Sponge excels. The sponge cake experts (the clue is in the name) has been delivery crumbly cakes since 2000, direct from its Norwich bakery around the UK. Each is handmade, offered at reasonable price points and seasonal celebration-ready creations.

Sponge

From 15.75 | Sponge

The Best Supermarket Cakes:

M&S

M&S

The cake offering at M&S should not be underestimated. The supermarket chain is tickling your taste buds with delectable treats ranging from carrot and lemon, to an oversized version of the now cult Caterpillar Cake that can serve around 40 people. Highlights of the offering also include a customisable digit cake, an extra-large rainbow layers cake, a piped rose sponge and the impressive fairy-tale caste or racing car (the latter of which even has sound effects. You can pick up your order in store for free on your chosen date.

From 5 | M&S

Waitrose

Waitrose

Waitroses range of celebratory cakes include fool proof options sure to satisfy the sweet tooth of even the pickiest of people. The range includes floral, star and sprinkle adorned options that you can pop in your weekly shop. There is also the made to order option that you can collect or have delivered within seven days created by the online luxury cake shop Fiona Cairns with digit, unicorn and present cakes with a whole host of decorations on offer.

From 3.50 | Waitrose

Sainsburys

Sainsburys

As part of Sainsburys food to order section, the supermarket giant is giving you the opportunity to invest in indulgent treats that you can collect in around three days. As part of the collection, you can opt for a chocolate and salted caramel tart, Sicilian lemon tart, a triple layer chocolate cake, salted caramel and chocolate drizzle cake, New York vanilla cheesecake and our personal favourite, a tiered cheese stack.

From 6 | Sainsburys

Morrisons

Morrisons

Making it easier than ever to check off your party to-do list, Morrisons has a range of celebration-worthy cakes and desserts that you add to basket, pay a deposit and then pick a date and time slot to pick it up from the store of your choice. As well as a literal cheese cake with tiered wheels of goats' cheese, Camembert, Blue, Wensleydale, Cheddar, White Cheshire and Red Leicester, there are also more classic options like Victoria sponge, fudge, rainbow and lemon. There are also fun decorations and gluten free varieties.

From 3 | Morrisons

Tesco

Tesco

At Tesco, there is an extensive range of sweet things ready to go for all occasions. Whether you are celebrating your little ones birthday in which they can have a cake featuring their favourite TV character from Paw Patrol, to Peppa Pig or hosting a casual tea with friends. Highlights include the fun Emoji cake, the Red Velvet, M&Ms or Baileys iteration.

From 3 | Tesco

Verdict
P aul Mescal hopes his Olivier Award for best actor helps keep his unwell mothers spirits high, as well as his father who is looking after her.

The 27-year-old scooped the top acting prize at the Royal Albert Hall ceremony on Sunday for his turn as Stanley Kowalski in the new stage adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire.

During his speech, Mescal thanked his mother, who is receiving treatment for cancer, adding: I hope you get better.

In the winners room, he told the PA news agency: My mum and dad are at home. My mums unwell at the moment, so hopefully itll give her a little bit of a lift and dad as well who is looking after.

It kind of feels maybe narcissistic or egotistical to assume that that will help anything, but I hope that it does.

A shocked Mescal said what is happening while holding his award.

Speaking about his success from starring in Normal People to an Oscar nomination for his role in Aftersun, he told PA: Its silly. I feel like I hear people say it all the time, but it doesnt feel real. This doesnt feel at all real.

But its kind of happening at such a rate that there is no time to stop and think, this is a phenomenal feeling.

But were on stage tomorrow at 7.30pm and I cant wait. Its the best play, its the best group of people to go to work with.

The Irish actor also described working in theatre as a thrill.

He said: Theatre is where I learned how to be an actor. Its where I started. I did five or six plays in Dublin, thats where I want to end up.

Its feels odd for me to not be in and around a stage or be planning to do theatre. I dont want to be far away for too long.

Meanwhile, Killing Eve actress Jodie Comer, who won best actress for her role as Tessa in Prima Facie, spoke about the meaning behind her inspirational acceptance speech where she encouraged young actors to believe it is possible.

In the winners room, she told PA: When the (Prima Facie) script got sent to me, it was in the first lockdown and I was blown away by it.

But I was like, I dont know why Ive been sent this because I havent done a lot of theatre, I was confused by that.

I guess Ive always been told no a lot in theatre auditions, which I think were always right and meant for me, but there was always this constant feedback of We like you but its too big a task or Youre just not trained or educated enough in this.

So that was something that kind of lingered with me. I think it might be that the stars need to align and you have to meet kind people, the right people and time and place, but it is actually possible, so hopefully that can be an example of that.

Comer, 30, added that she definitely wants to pursue more theatre productions in the future.

She told PA: Its tricky though because after this its going to have to be something really special for me to want to delve into it again.

But I would love to do more theatre. I understand it now when actors told me before that its kind of incomparable in that way, now I understand that.

Similarly, Sir Derek Jacobi has described receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to theatre as magical.

In the winners room, he told PA about working with the late actor Laurence Olivier  in which the ceremony is named after.

Its not just an award to me, I worked with him for over seven years, hes part of my life and I owe him so very, very much, he said.

When I was young, he gave me the opportunities to work with him as an actor, to work with him as a producer, and to become his friend.

As I said in the speech, he once called me his other son. So I am in love with this man, and I have been all my career and without him, there would have been no lifetime achievement award.

Beverley Knight, who secured best actress in a supporting role in a musical for her performance as Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia at The Old Vic, said she was knocked sideways.

She told PA: If my late best friend was still alive, he would say You couldve knocked me for seven. Thats how I feel. I am so so chuffed. There are no words.

The emotional 50-year-old also spoke about dedicating her speech to Wolverhampton youth theatre, saying she will never forget her roots.

She told PA: So many people from Wolverhampton youth theatre have gone on to have glorious careers in theatre, film and TV.

I just want kids to know that they can do this, even at my big age as people say, you can do this and you can you can have a career in this.

Meanwhile Arthur Darvill, who won best actor in a musical for Rodgers & Hammersteins Oklahoma! said he dedicated the award to his supportive family, friends and school drama teacher.

He told PA: Im from Birmingham and I had a really supportive family. My mums a puppeteer and actress and my dads a musician so I came from a very artsy family and people who really got it.

I had this amazing drama teacher, Mike Perry, who was really inspiring and taught me loads.

I think those people are really important in all of our lives. Those teachers who see you, encourage you. Teachers are really important and I owe so much to so many people whove supported me throughout my life.

The Olivier Awards 2023 will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX from 10.15pm to 12.20am.
N cuti Gatwa has been named the most powerful person on British television ahead of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and broadcaster Huw Edwards.

The 30-year-old actor topped the RadioTimes.com TV 100 power list ahead of Harry and Meghan, who are at number 13 following their controversial six-part Netflix documentary.

Gatwa also beat veteran news presenter Edwards, who is third for his role in delivering the news to the nation that the Queen had died after seven decades as monarch.

Making up the top five is Heartstopper writer Alice Oseman in second place, White Lotus actress Jennifer Coolidge in fourth, and House Of The Dragon breakout star Emma DArcy in fifth.

Sex Education star Gatwa, who will star as the next Doctor Who, said: Being recognised for anything is just bloody lovely innit? Let alone being on the RadioTimes.com TV 100 list.

TV is on fire at the moment, and so to top the list as well feels extra cool.

The titans that have topped the list before me, people such as Russell T Davies, Michaela Coel, Jodie Whittaker, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Olivia Colman, are all inspirations to me, and their work is something I aspire to.

Theyre just really great story tellers above all else, and thats all I could want to do.

Doctor Who screen writer Davies, who topped the TV power list last year, said of Gatwas win: Sometimes you know youve got a secret. And you hold it close to your chest and let it burn, because secrets are so delicious.

Ive got that right now, because my secret is seeing Ncuti with Millie Gibson on the rushes of Doctor Who, every single day, and oh my God, this is so good.

I can promise you a completely new Doctor, and yet a Doctor utterly faithful to the 60 years that came before. Soon, the secret will be out, and well all be dancing.

The annual Radio Times TV 100 power list celebrates the stand-out talents on-screen and behind-the-scenes responsible for landmark moments in 2022.

It is compiled by leading figures from across the creative industries, including the BBCs director of content Charlotte Moore, who praised Gatwas incredible dynamism and boundless energy.

Gatwa also beat The Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman, and This Is Going To Hurt writer Adam Kay.

Englands Lionesses appeared in eighth place on the list following their Euro 2022 final victory against Germany which was one of the most-watched TV spectacles of the year, Radio Times said.

Wildlife cameraman and CBeebies presenter Hamza Yassin, who won Strictly Come Dancing 2022, also made the list, alongside Heartstopper cast members Yasmin Finney, Kit Connor and Joe Locke.

Morgan Jeffery, executive editor of RadioTimes.com, said: Im immensely proud of 2023s list, which celebrates the brilliant diversity and vitality of television in all its forms and is led by a thoroughly deserving winner who is one of the industrys very best and brightest.

Helen Daly, associate editor of RadioTimes.com, said: Our worthy winner this year is Ncuti Gatwa, a popular choice among our panellists, and a talent who will no doubt have a stellar 2023 as he takes over the Tardis in Doctor Who. Congratulations to everyone who made our list.
C hris Hemsworth is reportedly taking on fewer Hollywood roles after discovering he is genetically more likely to get Alzheimers.

The Hollywood star, who plays Thor in the Marvel movies, discovered he is predisposed to be diagnosed with the disease while filming for his Disney+ docuseries Limitless.

For an episode about death, Hemsworth underwent blood tests, which revealed he is between eight and 10 times more likely to develop Alzheimers. He is among a small percentage of people with two copies of the gene APOE4  which some studies have shown can be linked to the disease.

A source has told Page Six that the news has made Hemsworth, 39, reassess his professional life.

Hemsworth as Thor / Jay Maidment/Marvel

He doesnt plan to take on many roles because of [learning about his high risk for] Alzheimers, the source said.

At the end of last year, father-of-three Hemsworth spoke about his diagnosis with Vanity Fair.

He said he wasnt planning to retire, but was taking a a more curated approach to things post diagnosis.

Speaking about mortality, Hemsworth told the magazine: We all have this belief that well figure it out. Then to all of a sudden be told some big indicators are actually pointing to this as the route which is going to happen, the reality of it sinks in. Your own mortality.

Hemsworth  who shares daughter India, 10, and twin sons Sacha and Tristan, eight, with wife Elsa Pataky  said the diagnosis and forgetting his family was his biggest fear.

The idea that I wont be able to remember the life Ive experienced, or my wife, my kids, is probably my biggest fear, he said.

The actor said he was trying to combat the diagnosis by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

For me, the positive of it was like: Right, if I didnt know this information, I wouldnt have made the changes I made. I just wasnt aware of any of it, so now I feel thankful that I have in my arsenal the sort of tools to best prepare myself and prevent things happening in that way.

Hemsworth  who shot to fame starring in long-running soap opera Home and Away  lives in a multi-million pound mansion in Broken Head, Byron Bay, Australia.
S trictlys Katya Jones has responded to ex-husband Neil and his fiancee, Chyna Mills baby announcement.

On Sunday, Jones, 40, and Love Island star Mills, 24, shared the news with Hello! that they are expecting their first child together after a reported eight months of dating.

The couple revealed that Mills is 13 weeks pregnant and they will welcome the new baby in the autumn.

Jones, 33, shared the couples magazine cover, announcing the news on her Instagram and wrote: So happy for these two!

You deserve all the happiness.

Jones shared a very public congratualtions to her ex over his recent baby announcement / PA

Mills also took to Instagram to share a snap of the pair along with a caption about the pregnancy news.

Jones had propsed to the reality TV star on a romantic getaway in Bali recently.

He told Hello!: Id already planned to ask Chyna to marry me before we knew she was pregnant.

Then we found out and I was like, Oh, this is brilliant, everything is coming together.

The couple took their relationship public in August last year on a romantic trip to Paris.

Mills and Jones first went public with their romance last August / Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

They have since stepped out together at several red carpet events and flaunted their romance in Instagram posts.

Jones was previously married to his Strictly professional co-star Katya, whom he still works alongside on the show for six years before splitting in 2019.

The pair parted 10 months after Katya was pictured kissing her then Strictly partner Seann Walsh on a night out.

In a joint statement, they said: Hi everyone. As our fans and loyal supporters you are really important to us and so we wanted to let you know some news.

After 11 years we have made the mutual decision to separate.

We will always love each other, just in a different way as friends.

This will never change what a great team we make and we are really proud of everything we have achieved together.
Twelve Ukrainians have returned home from captivity, according to the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs).

"Ten defenders belong to the soldiers and sergeants. They were captured, in particular, in battles near Bakhmut, the villages of Opytne and Horikhove-Vasylyivka in Donetsk region, near Kreminna and Chervonopopivka in Luhansk region. Two civilians, who were held hostage by the aggressor, were also returned: from the village of Lyptsi, Kharkiv region and Mariupol," the Coordination Headquarters reported on its Telegram channel on Monday.

It is reported that the released military belong to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in particular, the 518th separate special purpose battalion, the 25th separate airborne Sycheslav brigade, the 95th separate airborne assault brigade, the 93rd separate mechanized brigade Kholodny Yar, the 56th separate motorized infantry Mariupol Brigade, and the 57th separate rifle battalion.

As noted in the message of the headquarters, on March 24, Ukraine voluntarily and unconditionally returned to Russia all five seriously wounded prisoners who were transportable. "This complies with the requirements of international humanitarian law. But the aggressor state decided to release only five seriously wounded Ukrainians, and not all, as required by the international conventions signed by the Russian Federation. This eloquently demonstrates the enemy's unwillingness to adhere to the Geneva Conventions, unjustified cruelty towards the seriously wounded and a blatant lack of interest in establishing further exchanges for particularly vulnerable categories of prisoners and civilian hostages," the message posted by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War says.

According to the Coordination Staff, since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, 2,005 Ukrainians have already been released from captivity.
P aul OGrady was one of the many stars remembered during this years Olivier Awards, held at Londons Royal Albert Hall on Sunday night.

While the event recognises the achievements of stage stars, the 2023 ceremony took time out of their celebrations to pay tribute to those who have sadly passed away.

As well as OGrady, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webbers son Nicholas, and Darius Campbell Danesh were notably remembered alongside Dame Angela Lansbury, Dame Hilary Mantel, Burt Bacharach, Bernard Cribbins, and Kay Mellor.

The In Memoriam segment was accompanied by a performance of Seasons Of Love from Rent while photos of those that have gone too soon where flashed on screen.

The In Memoriam segment also paid tribute to Darius Campbell Danesh / PA Wire

OGradys death shocked the nation last week, as the presenter and comedian died unexpectedly but peacefully aged 67 on Tuesday night.

His husband, Andre Portasio, confirmed the news in a statement last Wednesday, writing: It is with great sadness that I inform you that Paul has passed away unexpectedly but peacefully yesterday evening.

We ask, at this difficult time, that whilst you celebrate his life you also respect our privacy as we come to terms with this loss.

He will be greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion.

I know that he would want me to thank you for all the love you have shown him over the years.

Close friend of the Lily Savage star, Linda Thorson, revealed that he died in his own bed, while tributes poured in and special episodes of Blankety Blank as well as For the Love of Dogs aired in the wake of OGradys passing.

Just three weeks before his death, OGrady had finished playing Miss Hannigan in a theatre production of Annie touring the UK.

Elsewhere, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber confirmed last month that his son Nicholas, 43, had died following a gastric cancer battle on March 23.

While Pop Idol star Darius Campbell Danesh, who was remembered during the thoughtful segment, died on August 11 aged just 41.

An autopsy report revealed that the West End star died accidentally as the result of toxic effects of chloroethane which had been inhaled.

Suffocation was also cited to have contributed to his death.
A Niagara man who ignored a court order to wear tight-fitting underwear and long pants when in public has been convicted again for exposing himself to teenaged girls.

Joseph Beesley appeared in an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Monday and received a two-year conditional sentence on several charges, including committing an indecent act and failing to comply with a probation order.

The act of a man exposing his genitals to young women may, to some, seem to not be an egregious violation or a serious matter, Judge Deborah Calderwood said.

Some may think its funny or harmless. But, those people who have those beliefs are missing the mark.

The reality is it is threatening behaviour. This is damaging course of conduct, and its becoming a persistent one.

A conditional sentence order, Calderwood said, will allow Beesley to continue with counselling he started after his latest arrest.

What is appropriate here, and in the publics interest long term, is to place you on a very strict conditional sentence order, she said. It will allow you to continue the progress youve made so far.

The 63-year-old man will be under house arrest for the first 18 months of the order.

The Crown had argued for a jail sentence of 12 to 15 months, saying the need to protect the public should take precedence over the offenders rehabilitative efforts.

Court orders have to mean something and there has to be some sanctions when those orders are breached, said assistant Crown attorney Graeme Leach, adding the man poses a risk to the public, particularly to teenage girls.

Beesley was convicted in 2020 of committing an indecent act and received a six-month conditional sentence and placed on probation.

One of the provisions of his probation was that he wear tight-fitting underwear and long pants in public, and he was also banned from going to restaurants, coffee shops and food courts, unless he was accompanied by another adult.

Less than 18 months later, in April 2022, the offender  wearing shorts but no underwear  exposed himself to two girls, aged 13 and 14, at a Grimsby coffee shop.

When Beesley returned to the same coffee shop the following month, store staff recognized him and called police.

He was arrested wearing loosing-fitting very short shorts and no underwear.

In court Monday, Beesley apologized to the young victims but added if they werent there it would have been somebody else in that situation.

Im really disgusted by what I did, he said.

Defence lawyer John Lefurgey had advocated for a conditional sentence, saying his client accepts responsibility for his actions and there has been clinical progress as a result of ongoing counselling.

While the previous court order that required the offender to wear tight-fitting underwear when in public may have seemed unusual at the time, the Crown said it was clearly a judges attempt to eliminate the risk to the public.

That conviction stemmed from an incident in August 2019 when Beesley exposed himself to four teenaged girls at a restaurant on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls.

The Crown also noted the defendant has a previous conviction for a same offence that involved a series of incidents at a Burlington mall in 2014.

Beesley was deported from the United States in the 1980s after he was convicted of indecent exposure.

On Monday he was also placed on probation for three years, and his name will appear on the federal sex offender registry for the next 10 years.

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Zelenskyy: I can wish Russian President to spend rest of his days in basement with bucket instead of toilet

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visiting the basement of a local school, where local residents were tortured, on the anniversary of liberation in the village of Yahidne (Chernihiv region), wished Russian President Vladimir Putin to spend the rest of his life in the same conditions.

As the head of state recalled, about 400 people lived in the village of Yahidne before de-occupation.

"And 370 people were in this basement," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with the press, noting that they had to endure torture and inhumane treatment by the Russian occupiers.

At the same time, he expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian servicemen for the liberation of the settlement, as well as to local residents who resisted the Russian army.

I want to thank the residents of Yahidne. They endured torture, a terrible path, the path of absolute heroes. I thank Ukraine for having such fighters for life. I can only add one thing: after seeing all this, I can wish the President of Russia to spend the rest of his days in the basement, and with a bucket instead of a toilet, he said.
HALIFAX - The commanding officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP says a civilian member of the federal police force has been charged with sexual assault.

Assistant commissioner Dennis Daley says Kings District RCMP received a report on March 10 involving a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted.

Daley says in a news release 46-year-old Shane Connors of Windsor Junction, N.S., was arrested three days later and released on conditions.

RCMP charged him on April 3 with four counts of sexual assault involving an alleged victim who police say met the accused during the course of his employment.

He says Connors, who worked in the RCMPs protective technical services section, was immediately suspended from duty and hasnt worked since the allegation was received.

Connors is to appear in Yarmouth provincial court on May 8.

Investigators say they are concerned there may be additional victims and are encouraging others to come forward to police. Some of the incidents for which Connors is accused occurred while he was on duty, Daley says.

Connors, Daley says in the news release, will remain suspended as the code of conduct process continues and pending the outcome of the Criminal Code process.

The RCMP takes all allegations of sexual violence very seriously, but when it involves an RCMP employee who is expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets but exceeds the rightfully high expectations of Canadians, its deeply disturbing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Colombian officials began to evacuate 40 families from their homes Monday after a volcano in the center of the country showed high levels of seismic activity that could signal an eruption in the coming days or weeks.

Officials also shut down a popular national park that surrounds the Nevado del Ruiz volcano and said that schools located within a six-mile (10 kilometer) radius of the volcanos crater will hold classes online only when children return home from Easter holidays next week.

These are preventative measures said Gov. Luis Carlos Velasquez of the Colombian province of Caldas, which is located to the west of the 17,000-foot-tall (5,300-meter-tall) volcano. Velasquez was speaking from the village of Villamaria, which is close to the volcanos crater and was the first settlement to be evacuated.

Dozens of towns are located along rivers that originate near the top of Nevado del Ruiz. The volcanos last major eruption took place in 1985. It unleashed mudslides that buried the town of Armero and killed about 25,000 people.

Last week Colombias national agency for risk management issued an orange alert for the volcano after it noticed a greater than normal amount of seismic activity near its crater. The alert indicates that an eruption is probable but not imminent. The volcano also spewed a 3,000-foot (900-meter) column of ashes on Sunday.

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PARIS (AP)  New legislation to be drafted this year will address end-of-life options, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, following the release of a report indicating that most French citizens support legalizing medically assisted suicide and euthanasia.

In a speech at the Elysee presidential palace, Macron vowed to move forward toward a French model regarding end-of-life options.

Macrons move follows a report released Sunday indicating that a large majority from among a panel composed of 184 randomly selected citizens support active assistance in dying. The report concluded that French law is currently not adapted to end-of-life issues and must evolve. It offers different options involving legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Medically assisted suicide involves patients taking, of their own free will, a lethal drink or medication that has been prescribed by a doctor to those who meet certain criteria. Euthanasia involves doctors or other health practitioners giving patients who meet certain criteria a lethal injection at their own request.

Macron said the panels conclusions will be incorporated in the bill to be drawn up jointly by the government and legislators by the end of the summer.

He did not provide details about what options the bill will allow, but insisted that strict conditions would be set with any change. They include guaranteeing free and informed consent and making sure that measures are restricted to patients suffering from incurable illness associated with physical and emotional suffering.

Macron suggested any changes would exclude cases involving terminally ill children, since the panel of citizens did not reach a conclusion on the issue.

He also vowed to improve access for all terminally ill patients to end-of-life care in line with the citizens report which pointed to major disparities between regions, including some that had no specialized units.

I want we draw up a ten-year national plan to treat pain and ensure palliative care with the needed investments, Macron said.

A 2016 French law provides that doctors can keep terminally ill patients sedated before death but stops short of allowing assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Some French patients travel to other European countries to seek further options. Assisted suicide is allowed in neighboring Switzerland. Euthanasia is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain under certain conditions.

French polls in recent years steadily showed a broad majority of people are in favor of legalizing similar measures.

The current law allows patients to request deep, continuous sedation altering consciousness until death but only when their conditions are likely to lead to a quick death. Doctors are allowed to stop life-sustaining treatments, including artificial hydration and nutrition. Sedation and painkillers are allowed even if they may shorten the persons life.

Patients can be medicated until they die of their illness naturally or until they starve. But some doctors say it may be more humane to euthanize.

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  While residents across parts of the South and Midwest pummeled by deadly storms and wildfires sifted through the wreckage of their homes Monday, forecasters warned of more severe weather and fire danger in the days ahead across much of the same region.

The fierce storms that spawned tornadoes in 11 states killed at least 32 people as the system that began Friday plodded through Arkansas and traveled northeast through the South and into the Midwest and Northeast.

Heres a look at the severe storms over the weekend and whats expected in the days ahead:

WILDFIRE DANGER REMAINS HIGH

On the western side of the storm lines that developed Friday were extremely dry conditions in Oklahoma that combined with high winds to fuel several large wildfires that forced interstate closures and sent residents fleeing from their homes.

More than 40 homes were destroyed across Oklahoma, including 30 in an area near the town of Guthrie, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City, where firefighters had urged residents to evacuate.

With their eyes burning and the heat of the flames circling them, Jessica Garinger and her family ran around their 10-acre (4-hectare) property with hoses Friday to save their family home built by Garingers great-grandfather in Guthrie.

The wind was so terrible it was just like a blowtorch, and once we would get certain areas put out it would just reignite, she said.

While neighbors evacuated, Garinger said her father, Jim, did not want to leave behind his cherished home, so she and her sister raced to help him. With the help of firefighters, they fought the flames until about 2 a.m., leaving with blisters, scrapes and small burns. Several of the homes nearby burned down.

Its a miracle that we were able to save the property, Garinger said.

The threat of fire danger remains high Tuesday across portions of far western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, northeast New Mexico and far southeastern Colorado, with low humidity, dry vegetation and wind gusts expected up to 70 mph (113 kph), according to the National Weather Service.

MORE SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST

Forecasters say more severe weather is forecast for Tuesday afternoon and evening across parts of Arkansas, Missouri into southeastern Iowa and west central Illinois.

That could initially start as isolated supercells with all hazards possible  tornadoes, wind and hail  and then over time typically they form into a line (of thunderstorms) and continue moving eastward, said Ryan Bunker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

The same conditions that fueled last weeks storms  an area of low pressure combined with strong southerly winds  will make conditions ideal for another round of severe weather Tuesday into early morning Wednesday, Bunker said.

Those conditions, which typically include dry air from the west going up over the Rockies and crashing into warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico, are what make the U.S. so prone to tornadoes and other severe storms.

DEADLY STORMS BEGAN IN ARKANSAS

Arkansas was among the first states hit by the severe weather Friday when a tornado dropped from the sky and tore through the states capital, Little Rock, destroying homes and businesses, splintering trees and tossing vehicles. At least five people were killed in Arkansas, including four deaths in the rural community of Wynne, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee.

Tennessee recorded at least 15 deaths, including nine fatalities in McNairy County, east of Memphis, said Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Elsewhere, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert, resulting in at least one death. The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

National Weather Service survey teams that earlier confirmed the presence of tornados in New Jersey and Delaware over the weekend said Monday that a tornado also touched down in Pennsylvania. The tornados were generated as a line of severe thunderstorms crossed the region Saturday night. Forecasters said one EF-1 tornado with peak wind speeds of 95 to 105 mph (153 to 169 kph) touched down in Wrightstown and traveled almost 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) to Newtown in Bucks County.

Four other storms were confirmed in New Jersey and one in Delaware, where a person was found dead in a heavily damaged home. The Delaware Emergency Management Agency said it was the first tornado-related death in the state in 40 years.

Nationwide, there were more than 800 severe weather reports over the weekend, including reports of hail, high winds and tornadoes, Bunker said.

___

Associated Press reporters around the country contributed to this report, including Beatrice Dupuy in New York, Ron Todt in Philadelphia, Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, Kimberlee Kruesi in Adamsville, Tennessee, Harm Venhuizen in Belvidere, Illinois, and Corey Williams in Detroit.

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Therell be a lot of quiet celebrating  some of it maybe not so quiet  when Donald Trump is arraigned on Tuesday in New York City. To see a former president, especially this former president, dragged before the bar of justice will thrill many people.

But if youre tempted to join that chorus, be warned. This is a case where the adage be careful what you wish for seems especially apt.

Yes, yes, I know  no one is above the law. Thats the mantra chanted over the past few days since a grand jury indicted Trump, reportedly on some 30 charges related to hush money paid years ago to the one-time porn star Stormy Daniels.

Still, nailing Trump on these questionable charges is akin to going after a serial killer for stealing office supplies. It isnt even on the same level as jailing Al Capone, the infamous Chicago mobster, for evading income tax, a parallel thats been going the rounds. Capones offence was serious and flagrant; his conviction way back in 1931 was a slam-dunk.

You cant say that about the chances of convicting Trump in New York, at least on the basis of whats been reported so far. Perhaps there will be a surprise when the charges are unsealed. But it does look now as if the indictment hinges on how that $130,000 in hush money was paid.

Its completely predictable that Trump and the entire Republican party would dismiss all this as a politically motivated hit job. But theyre far from alone in viewing the New York indictment with skepticism, combined with a dash of fear.

Take, for example, the Washington Post, hardly a friend of Trump. The former president has reserved some choice insults for the paper; among others hes called it a disgrace to journalism and thoroughly disgusting.

But the Posts editorial board wasnt exactly jumping for joy when Trump became the first U.S. president to be charged with a crime. The Trump indictment is a poor test case for prosecuting a former president, concluded its editorial board.

The problem, as the Post and others have explained, is that it looks very much as if prosecutors plan to go after Trump for falsifying documents to conceal payments to Daniels. Thats usually treated as a misdemeanour (a relatively minor offence) in New York. To elevate it to the level of a more serious felony it must be combined with another crime, such as trying to cover up an illegal campaign donation.

Im no lawyer, but people who know a lot more than I do have been describing the DAs apparent legal strategy here as novel, which seems a polite way of saying its a bit of a stretch. Maybe a judge and jury will buy the argument, maybe not. But youd think if you were planning to indict an ex-president for the very first time in history youd want to be pretty darn sure of conviction.

There are also judgments to be made, both legal and political. Its all very well to say no one is above the law, but prosecutors weigh the pros and cons of charging someone with a crime all the time. The DA in this case, Alvin Bragg, famously decided not to prosecute many types of minor crime in the name of reducing incarceration rates. But he decided this misdemeanour was worth the risk.

Prosecutors should not, of course, make political calculations. But others can. And in this case charging Trump is political gold for the former president. Hes already leaped ahead of his only serious rival for the Republican nomination, Ron DeSantis, on the mere threat of indictment. The reality could make him unbeatable.

Trump has done so many more serious things. He faces ongoing investigations into his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, into classified documents found at his Florida home, and into his interference in the election in Georgia in 2020.

What a shame if the New York case crumbles and puts those at risk. Be careful what you wish for, indeed.

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HOUSTON - A square-jawed fighter pilot from southwestern Ontario donned the mantle of Canadas newest space hero Monday as his country joined the United States in a bid to usher in a new era of daring global adventures beyond the moon and the stars.

Col. Jeremy Hansen, a CF-18 pilot from London, Ont., emerged from a crowd of cheering fellow astronauts, a Maple Leaf patch on the shoulder of his flight suit, to officially join the crew of four that will helm Artemis II, the first trip to lunar space in 52 years.

Its not lost on any of us that the United States could choose to go back to the moon by themselves, Hansen, 47, told the gathering inside a sweltering hangar at Ellington Field, a joint military facility and flight operations base in Houston.

Instead, the U.S. made a deliberate choice decades ago to build a team of experts, engineers, adventurers and dreamers from all over the world  a display of true leadership, he said, and a global mindset that no one can do it all by themselves.

At the end of it all, I am left in awe of being reminded what strong leadership  setting big goals with a passion to collaborate and a can-do attitude  can achieve, Hansen said.

Were going to the moon together. Lets go.

Mondays spectacle was a long way from the smoky rooms, slide-rules and short white shirt sleeves of past moon missions, an orchestrated rock-show effort to rekindle the excitement that space exploration engendered in the 1960s.

To a soaring, cinematic soundtrack, slickly produced sizzle reels offered a Hollywood vision of NASAs history of space exploration and what Artemis II might look like when it finally takes off, which is currently scheduled to happen in November 2024.

A group of science-minded schoolchildren, American flags in hand, whooped and hollered and waved from the side of the stage, a living embodiment of the missions target audience  as well as a handy reference point for some of the soaring rhetoric.

Our friends in Canada, thank you for being allies for life, thank you for being friends that have stood with us in bad times and in good times, said Texas congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

The children of America, she said, gesturing to the kids, are symbols of what is great about America and Canada working together.

The other three astronauts on the Artemis II mission are all American: mission commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover and mission specialist Christina Hammock Koch.

Its difficult to pick just four from a group that by its very definition attracts the best and the brightest that humanity has to offer, said Norm Knight, chief of NASAs flight director office.

Knight said the astronauts will be the forerunners as humanity looks to find its place among the stars.

Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to the moon since the final Apollo mission took flight in 1972. After orbiting Earth, the crew will rocket hundreds of thousands of kilometres for a figure-8 around the moon before their momentum brings them home.

It will make Canada and the U.S. the only two countries to ever venture into deep space  the region beyond the dark side of the moon.

Im very, very excited to see that a Canadian has been chosen to actually go to the moon. Its a major event for us, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, giving credit to Hansen and calling him an exceptional individual who will do all Canadians proud.

The mission is a precursor test to ensure all systems are go for the next phase of Artemis: to put a man and woman on the moon as early as 2025, an effort in service of the ultimate goal of eventually dispatching astronauts to Mars.

In an interview, Hansen expressed gratitude for all of the Canadian space explorers who have gone before him and helped to blaze a trail  not only into space, but also into the often closed ranks of U.S. aeronautics.

When I showed up, it was already clear we were standing on the shoulders of the people who came before, he said, citing Marc Garneau and Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian man and woman to go to space, as inspiration.

We are very much in the mindset of, We need all hands on deck right now. We cant afford to separate and divide the corps out. We need everyone to contribute.

Federal Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who was on stage for Mondays announcement, could barely contain his excitement  especially as he donned a custom-made version of NASAs trademark sky-blue flight jacket.

Were going to the moon, and this time Canadas front and centre, Champagne said. I hope it helps Canadians to dream big. Go Canada  this is our moment to shine.

Research back on the ground in Canada is helping to develop a new lunar utility vehicle for future missions on the surface of the moon, as well as to develop new ways to produce food with limited resources in the forbidding environment of deep space, he added.

This is about possibilities, this is about seizing the opportunities of the space economy from health and food security, to climate change and much more.

In the Deep Space Food Challenge, launched in 2021, participants must develop ways to produce food in harsh environments with few resources  think Matt Damon in The Martian  that will one day be necessary to sustain life.

Those challenges will only become more difficult as Artemis moves into its later stages, which include a long-term presence on the moon and ultimately voyaging to Mars.

As one scientist only recently said, The science of today is the economy of tomorrow, Champagne said. By increasing the complexity, thats why we push the boundaries of science and innovation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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CALGARY - Canada may have to consider updating future supports for Ukrainians seeking refuge from war, federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Monday.

Ive been hearing from provinces and from municipalities across the country who have seen large numbers of people arrive that they are struggling to keep up, Fraser told a news conference in Calgary.

Its something were going to have to better understand before we develop the next steps in support for Ukrainians.

We want to make sure we dont just get people here but we set them up for success when they arrive.

Ottawa announced in March a three-month extension, until July 15, for Ukrainian evacuees to apply for a three-year emergency visa. They then have until the end of March 2024 to journey to Canada, where the federal government would offer them a one-time income support payment and two weeks of hotel accommodations.

Just over 610,000 people had been approved to come to Canada under the program as of March 16, and about 190,000 have arrived.

The arrival of large numbers of Ukrainians is creating a crisis for immigrant settlement groups that saythey are having difficulty finding housing for the evacuees.

Last week, the Centre for Newcomers in Calgary announced it is seeking 100 families to sponsor and house people arriving in the city while they try to find jobs, benefits and long-term accommodation.

The centre said Ukrainians arriving in other Canadian cities are heading to Calgary because rents are lower than in larger cities such as Toronto and Vancouver.

Fraser said groups providing aid arent struggling with just costs but also capacity in the system. In a challenging labour market, he said, even finding staff at settlement agencies to provide language training or employment assistance is a real, serious challenge.

This has been a unique program in that weve developed it in response to events that were playing out in real time, Fraser said.

As a government were continuing to look at the different options to figure out what may come, trying to get an understanding of how many people, as we get closer to the July 15th extended application deadline, will end up arriving in Canada over the next year.

Fraser said Ottawa will be working with municipalities and provinces to identify the right path forward and the role of each level of government.

The benefits have been extended until the end of March of next year for people who arrive up until then, he said.

Additional measures will have to be the topic of continued discussion so we can identify what the federal government ought to be responsible for as compared to provinces and communities who are attracting large numbers of people.

Fraser said while cities like Calgary and Toronto are struggling to deal with large numbers of evacuees, Newfoundland and Labrador is trying to attract more people to fill gaps in its labour force.

The right solutions in different parts of the country may require a more tailored response, which is why we need to continue to have those conversations at a more local level.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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The border police detected 49 foreign citizens from Bangladesh, Egypt and Syria at Nadlac II and Varsand, who were trying to cross the border illegally, 40 of the migrants were found hiding in a truck carrying aluminum ingots, the Territorial Police Inspectorate informed of Oradea Border.

At the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point, 40 Bangladeshi citizens were found on April 1, hidden in the cargo compartment of a truck. The truck, driven by a 35-year-old Romanian, was transporting aluminum ingots for a commercial company in Italy.

The migrants found in the truck are between 19 and 52 years old and entered Romania illegally.

Seven other foreign citizens trying to cross the border illegally were spotted in Varsand, while they were walking about 100 meters from the border line. The border police intercepted them and since they did not justify their presence in the area, they checked them, establishing that they are foreign citizens from Egypt and Bangladesh, aged between 20 and 43 years.

The 47 migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt are being investigated for the crime of attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border, and the driver of the truck is being investigated for migrant smuggling.

Two other foreign citizens trying to cross the border illegally were detected at the Nadlac II Border Crossing Point on April 2. It is about two men from Syria, who tried to cross the border illegally using fake Greek identity cards.

The two migrants from Syria were passengers in a car registered in Romania and presented, in order to complete the exit formalities, two identity cards bearing the insignia of the Greek authorities.

Following the checks, the border police found that the documents presented were fake, and that the two men, citizens of Syria, aged 27 and 28, respectively, had entered our country legally and intended to fraudulently arrive in a state from Western Europe.

In this case, the police are investigating the crimes of forgery and attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border.AGERPRES
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who is in Bucharest on Monday for trilateral talks with the presidents of Romania and Moldova, declared that he supports Romania's joining the Schengen Area this year.

"Germany is firmly on Romania's side. This also means - and I say this here today, clearly - the goal of Romania finally obtaining this year full Schengen membership. Your country has made great efforts in this respect, we must honor this. I once more assured President Iohannis of my support in this regard," the head of the German government said in a joint press statement with President Klaus Iohannis. AGERPRES
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay on Monday.

Had a meeting with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay. Thank you for the real results of work and supporting Ukraine. We are fighting on the battlefield for the values of democracy, our freedom and independence, for the future of our children, as well as for our historical values and cultural heritage. It is very important to protect them, Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
The Ministry of Finance (MF) on Monday borrowed RON 600 million off banks in an issue of benchmark bonds of a residual maturity of 114 months and an average yield of 7.34% per year, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).

The nominal value of Monday's issue was RON 600 million, and the banks offered RON 1.239 billion.

An additional auction is scheduled for Tuesday to borrow another RON 90 million lei at the yield set on Monday for the bonds.

MP has planned for April 2023 to borrow RON 6.7 billion off commercial banks, to which RON 930 million lei can be added in additional sessions of non-competitive offers related to bond auctions.

The total amount of RON 7.63 billion lei is RON 1.71 billion higher than the one scheduled for March, of RON 5.92 billion, and it is intended for public debt refunding and government deficit financing.
Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Monday that he presented the technical data and the history of the problem regarding the abuse of office to the National Liberal Party (PNL) MPs, adding that the ministry recommends that the threshold from which the abuse of office would be penalised should be set at RON 9,000.

"I have provided all the technical data regarding the history of this problem, the considerations of comparative law, and the crime phenomenon in Romania regarding the abuse of office. I could tell you that, at this time, there are 20 people in penitentiaries convicted for abuse of office. Nationwide, in all courts, including the courts of appeal and excluding the Supreme Court, there are 625 pending cases involving abuse of office. There are also 26 such cases pending before the Supreme Court," said Predoiu after meeting the PNLfloor group in the Chamber of Deputies.

He said that in 13 countries there is no threshold for the abuse of office crime.

"That's what I started with and that's what I told my fellow MPs. We did a research through the European judicial network and 13 countries do not have a threshold for abuse of office. There is Austria, which has a threshold of 50 million, and there are four other countries - Estonia, Latvia and two more countries - whose threshold is an indication of particularly considerable damage," explained Predoiu.

Initially, the Ministry of Justice, according to him, put the bill without a threshold up for public debate, reasoning that "as specified in a decision of the Constitutional Court dating to 2017, the legislator is responsible for establishing this threshold."

Asked how he came to the recommendation he made regarding a threshold RON 9,000, Predoiu said: "Starting from the 2018 decision of the Constitutional Court that a minimum wage is a derisory threshold, so we multiplied this minimum wage and we reached RON 9,000."

The PNL MPs in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday recommended that the threshold from which abuse of office is penalised should be two minimum wages, according to PNL floor leader Gabriel Andronache.

At a plenary session last Wednesday, the Senate adopted a government bill amending the Criminal Code and other pieces of legislation to align them with the decisions of the Constitutional Court, whereby the threshold for abuse of office, which is punishable by 2 to 7 years in prison, is set at RON 250,000. The bill is currently being considered by the Judiciary Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.
The Operational Programmes of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy bring Romania 46 billion EUR for investments in safer hospitals, transport networks, modernization of water and sewage infrastructure and support for businessmen, Minister for European Investment and Projects Marcel Bolos said on Monday in Iasi.

The statement was made at the launch of the national programmes related to the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy, an event attended by European Commissioners Nicolas Schmit and Elisa Ferreira and Labour Minister Marius Budai.

On this occasion, Minister Marcel Bolos underscored the importance of the Cohesion Policy. He said that "this instrument is the most important European investment policy that comes to tie up financial resources, being a vector for job creation, economic growth and development for all regions of Romania and cities in the European Union."

He also stated that the programming process was very complex and challenging.

"We have focused on synergy of funding resources. Here I am referring to the 2014-2020 programming period, the 2021-2027 programming period and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). Also, in order to ensure the predictability of funding opportunities and to achieve the absorption targets, it was drafted, for the 2021-2027 programming period, the indicative timeframe for the launch of the proposal requests planned for 2023, for the programmes funded through the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy. We take seriously the need for simplification and a unified approach to the management of European funds for the 2021-2027 programming period. In this respect, we are taking steps for an easy, transparent, non-discriminatory, competitive and simplified access," Marcel Bolos stated.
The Republic of Moldova is part of the European family, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, stated, on Monday, at the Cotroceni Palace, after the trilateral meeting with the Presidents Maia Sandu and Klaus Iohannis.

He welcomed the way in which Chisinau approached the necessary reforms in order to join the EU.

"At the centre of our discussions was the difficult situation in which the Republic of Moldova currently finds itself. Moldova is part of our European family. In the summer we granted it the status of a candidate country. I particularly welcome how determined Moldova has approached the necessary reforms, indispensable for joining the European Union. Moldova can be certain of our support for this path. I once again assured Mrs. President Sandu of this. Moldova is not alone, but benefits from massive international support. Together with France, last year we already organized three conferences within the Support Platform for the Republic of Moldova, an important signal of international support. I am confident that the fourth conference in the autumn will represent a new success," Scholtz said.
The Romanian gendarmes are always ready to step in to help the citizens whenever necessary and to maintain the order and safety of the communities during calm times, but especially in emergency situations; also, their performance on foreign missions - where they proudly wear the tricolor - has earned them the appreciation of their partners, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said in a message conveyed on Monday on the occasion of the Romanian Gendarmerie Day.

"In the country, each rescue mission is yet another proof of professionalism and humanity. We are already familiar with the image of gendarmes bringing to safety children, women and men in critical situations caused by heavy snowfall, blizzards, avalanches, floods. In its 173 years of activity, the Romanian Gendarmerie has built its credibility in society with each intervention, with every helping hand offered and every life saved," Nicolae Ciuca said.

The head of the Executive emphasized that together with the other state institutions, the Gendarmerie has been at the forefront of the response during the health crisis, and since the beginning of the war has provided support and protection to millions of Ukrainian citizens who transited Romania, driven out by the war in Ukraine.

"An important component of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Romanian Gendarmerie has gone through numerous transformations and modernization stages over time, receiving new responsibilities and permanently adjusting to social expectations. Intervention missions are doubled by salutary preventive actions. The awareness campaigns they carry out each year, whether through actions in schools through which children and youth are taught how to protect themselves from dangers, or through crime prevention or environmental protection activities, show the gendarmes' concern for the well being of communities and citizens," the prime minister said.

In conclusion of his message, the head of the government congratulated the employees of the Gendarmerie for all their work, engagement and dedication.

"I wish them good health, success in their rescue missions in support of the people and communities they have the noble duty to protect! Many happy returns to the Romanian Gendarmerie, many happy returns to the Romanian gendarmes!," Ciuca wrote. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis stated on Monday that an enhanced presence of NATO in the Black Sea is necessary, "which calls for the inclusion of the issue of this area in all relevant processes for strengthening the security of the Euro-Atlantic area."

"The Black Sea is now, more than ever, of strategic importance. This is why, we argue that an enhanced presence of NATO in the Black Sea is necessary, which calls for the inclusion of the Black Sea issue in all the relevant processes for the strengthening of the security of the Euro-Atlantic space," the head of state said after the meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He thanked the federal chancellor for the support granted to strengthening the Eastern Flank, for the air policing mission in our country's air space in 2022, as well as for the presence in the NATO structures of Romania.

"We hope to develop this cooperation in order to strengthen in a significant manner the allied deterrence and defence posture against the more complex challenges," Iohannis stated.

The head of state showed that the relations between Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany have a genuine strategic nature and the discussions with the German official were aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation at all levels, especially in the current context marked by multiple challenges and overlapping crises.

"Germany is not only the most important trade partner of Romania and the second investor in the Romanian economy, but also a trustworthy ally, which contributes to ensuring security in the region," Iohannis stated.

He indicated that in the forefront of talks, there was the security situation determined by Russia's war against Ukraine, context in which he presented the multidimensional support granted to Ukraine, in various areas.

"It is crucial that these efforts continue, as long as it's necessary, both on behalf of the European Union and the member states," Iohannis said.

The discussions between the two officials were also aimed at the possibilities to increase Romania's and Germany's support for the eastern partners, both at the EU and NATO level, especially for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

"I particularly underscored that it's paramount to substantially support the stability and resilience of the Republic of Moldova in front of the security challenges it is facing, including at energy level," Iohannis stated.

Within the talks, a topic of discussion was the enlargement of the EU.

"Romania and Germany further endorse this process based on own merits. The Western Balkans remain an essential priority of the Union. I have reiterated Romania's main support for the European future of the states in the Western Balkans, including through the supply of expertise in critical areas and for ensuring a stable and safer environment in the region. We also share a common vision regarding the strategic valences of the expansion toward East of the Union. I highlighted the support which Romania grants to the advancement of the European course of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine," Iohannis showed.

The head of state extended an invitation to the German side for a high level attendance at the Three Seas Initiative, but also at the Business Forum organized on the sidelines of the summit, which is to take place on 6 September.
President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday that the government rotation is possible and will happen, affirming there is no viable alternative to the governing coalition.

"I believe that this rotation is possible and will happen. I don't think there is a viable alternative to this coalition," the head of state said after the meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday that German investments in Romania have been successful and welcomed the announcement of the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall to invest in a location in Romania.

"The German investments that have been made in Romania have been successful and I believe that they are both in the interest of German entrepreneurship and in the interest of Romania. There are very well paid jobs, there is a massive participation in the improvement of the workforce. We have several examples of qualification schools and this shows that we are talking about much more than a common economic collaboration. It is a collaboration with a lot of capacities. If this relevant company in Germany invests in a location in Romania, then this is to be welcomed. There are multiple contacts to convince investors from Germany to come to Romania and to improve the production environment for national defence. The details of these issues will obviously be made public when possible technical negotiations are concluded," said the head of state after the meeting with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Iohannis stressed that he personally has supported and will continue to support the attraction of German investments in Romania in all sectors.

"Everywhere we have investors from Germany, everywhere the results are among the best and are a relevant component of our strategic partnership," President Iohannis explained.

German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is building a logistics and maintenance hub for military equipment in Satu Mare, Romania, which would be put into use this month to service weapons used in the war in Ukraine, the company announced on Sunday. AGERPRES
Romania will continue its support for Moldova, President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday, adding that the support is for carrying through budgetary and energy reforms.

"Romania has been supporting Moldova for a long time and will continue to do so. It is support in the area of energy, it is support for reform, it is also budget support and many other things that we can do for the citizens of Moldova and also for the democratic institutions in Moldova that need support to implement initiated reforms," Iohannis said on Monday at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after meeting German Chancellour Olaf Scholz.

He said that important support for Moldova was obtained under a joint platform with Germany and France.

"We do these things because it is right, because we believe that Moldova deserves this support and must remain on our side, on Europe's side. On the other hand, the situation in Moldova is greatly complicated by the hybrid attacks from Russia; the large number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Moldova and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Moldovan economy are a major complication. All this is important concern for us and our support will be available permanently and as long as it takes," said Iohannis.

On Monday afternoon, a tripartite meeting of Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, and German Federal Chancellour Olaf Scholz was scheduled for the after-noon at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. AGERPRES
President Klaus Iohannis will receive, on Monday, April 3, at the Cotroceni Palace, the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, on the occasion of his official visit to Romania.

Also, the head of state will host a trilateral meeting in which he will participate together with the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

According to the Presidential Administration, the visit of the German Chancellor represents a moment of reconfirmation of the excellent bilateral relations, of a strategic nature, between Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany, which are based on a traditional friendship, extensive historical and interpersonal relations, as well as on the common interest in what concerns European security in the current difficult context generated by Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

"The discussions of President Klaus Iohannis with Chancellor Olaf Scholz will focus on the further development and deepening of Romanian-German cooperation in all areas of common interest. The interest of both parties in boosting economic exchanges and investments will be emphasized, considering the fact that Germany is the most important commercial partner of our country and the second investor in the Romanian economy, but also in sectoral cooperation. At the same time, close coordination within the EU and NATO will be pursued," the quoted source says.

In terms of European affairs, the two leaders will have an exchange of views on topical issues, with special attention given to the process of Romania's accession to the Schengen area, measures to support Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, ensuring the competitiveness of the European economy, energy security, changes climate and the green transition.

President Klaus Iohannis and Chancellor Olaf Scholz will also discuss the security situation generated by the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in the light of recent developments, cooperation for multidimensional support of Ukraine, helping refugees, facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain to the global market, as well as supporting the European path of this country. Romanian-German cooperation in the field of defense will also be addressed in order to strengthen the deterrence position on the Eastern Flank of the North Atlantic Alliance and to strengthen the security of the Black Sea region.

The two officials will highlight the important role played by the Romanian community in Germany and the German minority in our country, with a major contribution to the rapprochement and mutual knowledge of the two nations.

The Presidential Administration shows that the trilateral meeting that will be hosted by President Klaus Iohannis aims to consolidate support in all areas to ensure the resilience, stability and security of the Republic of Moldova and to support this country's European path.

"The discussions will convey a clear message regarding the continuation of firm and unwavering support from Chisinau's partners, especially in the conditions in which the Republic of Moldova is subject to systematic hybrid pressures, including attempts to undermine the constitutional order," the cited source states.

During the meeting, the support for the advancement of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, the only option capable of ensuring a democratic, prosperous and stable future for its citizens, will be discussed, informs the Presidential Administration.

Chancellor Scholz will also be received with military honours by Romania's Prime Minister Nicolae Ionel Ciuca.

Olaf Scholz will hold a dialogue with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, and will meet representatives of the German minority in Romania.

""The visit of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz underlines the significant importance of our bilateral relations with Romania, which are closer and more reliable than ever. With this visit, together with our Romanian partners, we are sending an important signal as to Europe's unity, especially in these difficult times of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition to a number of bilateral topics, the discussions will focus on support and solidarity with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. I would like to thank Romania, our close partner and friend, for its support and readiness to help Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova," says German Ambassador to Romania Peer Gebauer.

At the end of the official talks, Maia Sandu, Klaus Iohannis and Olaf Scholz will make joint press statements at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.

Maia Sandu, who is visiting Romania, will be received by President Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace. She will also be received on Monday at the Elisabeta Palace by the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Her Majesty Margareta, and the Prince Consort. The meeting will also be attended by Moldova's ambassador to Romania, Victor Chirila. AGERPRES
The German defense concern Rheinmetall AG is arranging a service hub in Romania near the border with Ukraine to maintain equipment supplied by western countries to Kyiv, a German television channel NTV reported.

"Rheinmetall is building a logistics center and maintenance center in NATO partner Romania," NTV quoted its source in the concern as saying.

The service hub, situated near Satu Mare on the Romania-Ukraine border, will be launched in April.

In particular, this facility, which should play a central role in ensuring the combat readiness of western weapons supplied to Ukraine, will be able to service Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks, self-propelled howitzers, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and military trucks.

There are also plans to use the station to directly service NATO equipment.

"The central task for Rheinmetall in this critical situation is to maintain the military power of both NATO and Ukraine as much as possible," Executive Director of Rheinmetall AG Armin Papperger said.

Last June, Rheinmetall AG, together with the German engineering company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co KG, created a similar hub for NATO forces in the Baltic states in central Lithuania near the town of Rukla.
NEW YORK  The number of corporate employees McDonalds Corp. plans to lay off this week will tally in the hundreds, a source familiar with the burger chains thinking said on Monday, as the company moves forward with a previously announced restructuring.

The fast-food company is closing its offices out of respect, and to provide dignity, confidentiality, and comfort to our colleagues, said the source, who was not authorized to speak to the media.

It used to be that folks would be called into a conference room with the windows papered over and then have to walk back to their desk to collect their personal belongings and leave with their head down, the source said.

McDonalds will have more employees going into new roles this week or receiving promotions then being laid off, the source added. The chain known for its Golden Arches has more than 150,000 employees globally, with about 70% based outside of the United States, including in company-owned restaurants.

The layoffs do not include the more than 2 million workers in franchised McDonalds restaurants around the world.

Chicago-based McDonalds did not immediately return a request for comment.

McDonalds said in January that it would review corporate staffing levels as part of an updated business strategy, which could lead to layoffs in some areas and expansion in others.

As part of updating its strategy, McDonalds also plans to build new restaurants. It has hiked prices on its menu over the last year as commodity and labor costs have soared.

Updated at 11:45 a.m.
WEBSTER GROVES  After seeing a quick lease up of its Webster Groves office campus, a developer said it will now build an addition to accommodate more tenants.

Maryland Heights-based Bamboo Equity Partners said it expects to start construction on a new 40,000-square-foot office building at its Owen Ridge campus, east of Brentwood Boulevard at 345-357 Marshall Avenue, later this year with completion expected in 2024.

The addition is a speculative office, meaning Bamboo is building it without having secured tenants. But the company has confidence it can fill the space after seeing high demand at Owen Ridge, where it has leased 50,000 square feet in 18 months, said Ed Backer of Intelica CRE, Bamboos sister company.

Two tenants changed up their space, Backer said: Software consultants Systematic Group expanded its office space from 2,385 to 8,520 square feet, and marketing agency Paradowski Creative consolidated its 15,00 square feet space onto one floor where theyre able to make it more collaborative.

Its exciting to see such growth and success on this project despite an otherwise challenging real estate market, Backer said in a statement. Backer and Ericka Seidel represent Bamboo in its leases at Owen Ridge.

The new building comes as the St. Louis regions office market is still navigating through the upheaval from the coronavirus pandemic where companies are rethinking their space needs.

But the local market did end 2022 on an upswing, reporting its first occupancy gains of the year, according to the latest research from commercial real estate firm JLL.

Overall, the St. Louis regions office market had a 77.9% occupancy rate at the end of 2022, JLL found.
ST. LOUIS  A Metro East-based construction company said it is opening a St. Louis office as its business in Missouri accounts for more than half of its revenue.

Holland Construction Services, which is headquartered in Swansea, said its new 6,500-square-foot office across from Forest Park at 1000 Macklind Avenue will open later this month and will support its various statewide construction jobs.

The company said more than 20% of its 160 employees reside in Missouri. About 16 of them will work from the new St. Louis office. Holland Construction Services also plans to hire an additional 15 people this year, the company said in a news release.

It is projecting a 75% spike in revenue to $300 million in 2023, thanks in part to its Missouri work, the company said.

While we continue to grow and serve our Illinois clients from our office in Swansea, Holland founder and CEO Bruce Holland said in a statement, we are thrilled to be working across the state and opening our new Missouri office in St. Louis, enabling us to best support our statewide clients. And we look forward to continuing to contribute to St. Louis exciting growth story, as well as throughout the state.

The companys St. Louis-area jobs include The Edwin, a Target Corp.-anchored apartment building near St. Louis University; Bemiston Place, an apartment development in Clayton; and Volpi Foods new 87,000-square-foot facility in Union.
COLLINSVILLE  A library board election, traditionally a staid affair, now resembles "a fight for the library" after a Metro East system was criticized for a drag queen story time with protests, death threats and a mailed swastika.

"I've never been in such a hotly contested election," says Cathy Kulupka, who is on the ballot April 4 for a second term with the board of trustees for the Mississippi Valley Library District.

The district, which serves about 33,000 residents, has two libraries: one in Collinsville and one in Fairmont City.

One of seven candidates for five positions on the board, Kulupka has felt the need not only to knock on doors but also to place signs in supporters' yards  something she's never done before.

"I had not planned on running again," she said. But as the election heated up, it felt like a "fight for the library."

In the meantime, as libraries face criticism or book challenges, particularly in Missouri, the Illinois state House passed a bill, HB 2789, in March to prevent libraries from banning books. It is now before the state Senate.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was quoted by the Chicago Tribune as saying libraries are "under assault the likes of which they have never seen. They are being thrown into the mix of a political battle, and we're trying to give them cover by helping them, by codifying this into legislation."

On March 27, the American Library Association released a statement saying it "condemns  in the strongest terms possible  the violence, threats of violence and other acts of intimidation that are increasingly taking place in America's libraries, including last week's bomb threats to Hilton Central School District in New York."

The Metro East library district has faced no bombs, but anonymous threats were reported in connection with a drag queen story time last summer in Collinsville.

Prenzler gets involved

"This was an outrageous thing that took place in these libraries," Kurt Prenzler, chairman of the Madison County Board, said in an interview, referring to the drag event and a similar one later in Glen Carbon. "This is why we have to replace the trustees."

Prenzler lives in Edwardsville. Although the trustee positions are volunteer and nonpartisan, Prenzler, a Republican who last year lost some of his powers on the county board, has endorsed a slate of five candidates. He used campaign money to mail voters a flyer tagged "let kids be kids."

Identifying himself as a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Prenzler said several of the church's pastors gathered outside the Collinsville Memorial Public Library the morning of June 3, when drag queen Chasity Valentino was scheduled to read later in the library's community room (rather than the children's book area). The event was free, and Valentino was not paid.

Fifty to 60 people showed up to listen to the stories, but Valentino stayed away. Instead, reporting death threats, she appeared via Zoom, said Kyla Waltermire, the library district's executive director.

The director said Valentino read "Red, a Crayon's Story" by Michael Hall and "You Are Not Alone" by Alphabet Rockers. Some pastors from St. John United Church of Christ attended in support of the event, Waltermire said, and police monitored the library but did not need to intervene.

"Those who attended were grateful to see themselves reflected in the event, while others appreciated a safe space for their families to expand their horizons," Waltermire said.

No future drag queen story times are planned, she said, calling it a "one-off" event.

Afterward, however, a current board candidate, Jeanne Lomax, asked to hold a Christian story time. She requested that her event also receive "co-sponsorship" from the library, with a public listing on the library's event calendar. The library staff told her they would rather plan a series of religious-themed story times than a single event focused on one religion, but Lomax said she wanted the same treatment that the drag event received.

Her free event in the community room, attended by about 70 people, Lomax said, included songs and two books by Christian author Max Lucado: "You Are Special" and "Because I Love You."

The Christian event March 4 was expected to be followed by a Wiccan event scheduled for March 24. But when the library's board of trustees met March 20, it passed a policy to eliminate all "co-sponsored" events.

Meeting and community rooms in the Collinsville and Fairmont City libraries will still be available to rent for $25-$50 an hour for private events, Waltermire said.

The president of the library's board of trustees said it was advised by a lawyer to stop the cosponsored events because they could lead to lawsuits.

Threatening letters

The president, Mark Schusky, said he is "worried about the future of small town libraries" like the ones the Mississippi Valley district represents. After the drag story time, Waltermire told the board she had opened "nasty pieces of mail, one with a swastika in it," Schusky said.

Waltermire confirmed she opened mail in which a Pride Progress flag was used to create a swastika. An image of a "pedobear"  a cartoon bear used to mock people accused of having a sexual interest in children  on a Pride Progress flag was sent to her home. Both incidents resulted in police reports.

The library had been getting requests since 2019 for a drag story time, the director said.

"We knew there would be pushback," she said, but the library's job is to provide materials and services to "meet the diverse needs of the people we serve."

Candidates supported by Prenzler have focused on promoting conservative "family values" in the libraries while saying there should be no drag queen story times.

Some, like Lisa McCormick, have also said on Facebook that they are concerned about tax increases.

The library district's projected 2023-2024 budget, about $1.2 million, was affected by a new tax rate the trustees passed last year. An 8.5% levy increase for Uptown Collinsville, largely a business area, came about because of the expiration of a TIF, Waltermire said. The library district awaits confirmation of the levy request from county officials, she said.

Both McCormick and Lomax also said they were concerned about the shelving locations of nonfiction sex education materials they did not believe are age appropriate for some children. One book that McCormick specified, "It's Perfectly Normal," is marketed to readers 10-12. The best-seller, first published more than 25 years ago, is a frequent target of challenges.

McCormick, who homeschooled her son, said she frequently took him to the Collinsville library. In an email, she wrote: "Now there are sexually explicit books shelved in the children's library so it is no longer a child's safe space and parents have no idea. I believe those books should be put in a different part of the library, out of reach of elementary school children, and they should require parental approval before handling or checking them out."

Waltermire said no library users have filed a complaint about "It's Perfectly Normal," which is shelved in the juvenile section.

Like the other candidates, Lomax does not declare a political party for the board election. But she said she attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally for President Donald Trump in Washington. Lomax said she no longer has young children but wants to make sure "traditional family values aren't marginalized."

The other three candidates supported by Prenzler are Kathy Murphy, Chris Shurilla and Virginia York. Murphy is unopposed in a race for a two-year term. Current trustee Michael E. Treece Jr., who is aligned with Kulupka, faces McCormick for a four-year term. Four (Kulupka, Shurilla, York and Lomax) seek a full six-year term (three positions open).

The terms vary because two trustees resigned before their terms ran out, including one who left because of the library disputes, Schusky said. Five of seven trustee positions are up for grabs in the April 4 election.

Schusky, a Collinsville High School social studies teacher, said that he tries to remain nonpartisan and that some of the disputes have been "regrettable."

"A library should offer diverse programming and make sure everyone feels welcome," he said.

Kulupka said she fears possible changes with the future board and says library jobs may be in danger. McCormick has praised Waltermire and said there is no plan for firings, but she also said trustees should offer ideas for programming and "bring new ideas for the community."

Kulupka counters that Waltermire runs the library "meticulously" and should be in charge of programming details, not volunteer trustees. "We haven't done that in the past."

Waltermire, who has worked for the Mississippi Valley system for nine years, has been director for three years. She said she had not seen these kinds of trustee disputes before in the Metro East. But she said beleaguered boards in the Niles-Maine and Elmwood Park libraries near Chicago led to new state legislation requiring boards to fill trustee vacancies. Library staff have quit and positions not filled.

This April, several Niles-Maine board candidates are calling their slate "Reclaim Our Library."

Jane Henderson  314-340-8107 Book editor @STLbooks on Twitter jhenderson@post-dispatch.com
COLLINSVILLE  A library board election, traditionally a staid affair, now resembles a fight for the library after a Metro East system was criticized for a drag queen story time with protests, death threats and a mailed swastika.

Ive never been in such a hotly contested election, says Cathy Kulupka, who is on the ballot April 4 for a second term with the board of trustees for the Mississippi Valley Library District.

The district, which serves about 33,000 residents, has two libraries: one in Collinsville and one in Fairmont City.

One of seven candidates for five positions on the board, Kulupka has felt the need not only to knock on doors but also to place signs in supporters yards  something shes never done before.

I had not planned on running again, she said. But as the election heated up, it felt like a fight for the library.

In the meantime, as libraries face criticism or book challenges, particularly in Missouri, the Illinois state House passed a bill, HB 2789, in March to prevent libraries from banning books. It is now before the state Senate.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was quoted by the Chicago Tribune as saying libraries are under assault the likes of which they have never seen. They are being thrown into the mix of a political battle, and were trying to give them cover by helping them, by codifying this into legislation.

On March 27, the American Library Association released a statement saying it condemns  in the strongest terms possible  the violence, threats of violence and other acts of intimidation that are increasingly taking place in Americas libraries, including last weeks bomb threats to Hilton Central School District in New York.

The Metro East library district has faced no bombs, but anonymous threats were reported in connection with a drag queen story time last summer in Collinsville.

Prenzler gets involved

This was an outrageous thing that took place in these libraries, Kurt Prenzler, chairman of the Madison County Board, said in an interview, referring to the drag event and a similar one later in Glen Carbon. This is why we have to replace the trustees.

Prenzler lives in Edwardsville.

Although the trustee positions are volunteer and nonpartisan, Prenzler, a Republican who last year lost some of his powers on the county board, has endorsed a slate of five candidates. He used campaign money to mail voters a flyer tagged let kids be kids.

Identifying himself as a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Prenzler said several of the churchs pastors gathered outside the Collinsville Memorial Public Library the morning of June 3, when drag queen Chasity Valentino was scheduled to read later in the librarys community room (rather than the childrens book area). The event was free, and Valentino was not paid.

Fifty to 60 people showed up to listen to the stories, but Valentino stayed away. Instead, reporting death threats, she appeared via Zoom, said Kyla Waltermire, the library districts executive director.

The director said Valentino read Red, a Crayons Story by Michael Hall and You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers. Some pastors from St. John United Church of Christ attended in support of the event, Waltermire said, and police monitored the library but did not need to intervene.

Those who attended were grateful to see themselves reflected in the event, while others appreciated a safe space for their families to expand their horizons, Waltermire said.

No future drag queen story times are planned, she said, calling it a one-off event.

Afterward, however, a current board candidate, Jeanne Lomax, asked to hold a Christian story time. She requested that her event also receive co-sponsorship from the library, with a public listing on the librarys event calendar. The library staff told her they would rather plan a series of religious-themed story times than a single event focused on one religion, but Lomax said she wanted the same treatment that the drag event received.

Her free event in the community room, attended by about 70 people, Lomax said, included songs and two books by Christian author Max Lucado: You Are Special and Because I Love You.

The Christian event March 4 was expected to be followed by a Wiccan event scheduled for March 24. But when the librarys board of trustees met March 20, it passed a policy to eliminate all co-sponsored events.

Meeting and community rooms in the Collinsville and Fairmont City libraries will still be available to rent for $25-$50 an hour for private events, Waltermire said.

The president of the librarys board of trustees said it was advised by a lawyer to stop the co-sponsored events because they could lead to lawsuits.

Threatening letters

The president, Mark Schusky, said he is worried about the future of small town libraries like the ones the Mississippi Valley district represents. After the drag story time, Waltermire told the board she had opened nasty pieces of mail, one with a swastika in it, Schusky said.

Waltermire confirmed she opened mail in which a Pride Progress flag was used to create a swastika. An image of a pedobear  a cartoon bear used to mock people accused of having a sexual interest in children  on a Pride Progress flag was sent to her home. Both incidents resulted in police reports.

The library had been getting requests since 2019 for a drag story time, the director said.

We knew there would be pushback, she said, but the librarys job is to provide materials and services to meet the diverse needs of the people we serve.

Candidates supported by Prenzler have focused on promoting conservative family values in the libraries while saying there should be no drag queen story times.

Some, like Lisa McCormick, have also said on Facebook that they are concerned about tax increases.

The library districts projected 2023-2024 budget, about $1.2 million, was affected by a new tax rate the trustees passed last year. An 8.5% levy increase for Uptown Collinsville, largely a business area, came about because of the expiration of a TIF, Waltermire said. The library district awaits confirmation of the levy request from county officials, she said.

Both McCormick and Lomax also said they were concerned about the shelving locations of nonfiction sex education materials they did not believe are age appropriate for some children. One book that McCormick specified, Its Perfectly Normal, is marketed to readers 10-12. The best-seller, first published more than 25 years ago, is a frequent target of challenges.

McCormick, who home-schooled her son, said she frequently took him to the Collinsville library. In an email, she wrote: Now there are sexually explicit books shelved in the childrens library so it is no longer a childs safe space and parents have no idea. I believe those books should be put in a different part of the library, out of reach of elementary school children, and they should require parental approval before handling or checking them out.

Waltermire said no library users have filed a complaint about Its Perfectly Normal, which is shelved in the juvenile section.

Like the other candidates, Lomax does not declare a political party for the board election. But she said she attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally for President Donald Trump in Washington. Lomax said she no longer has young children but wants to make sure traditional family values arent marginalized.

The other three candidates supported by Prenzler are Kathy Murphy, Chris Shurilla and Virginia York. Murphy is unopposed in a race for a two-year term. Current trustee Michael E. Treece Jr., who is aligned with Kulupka, faces McCormick for a four-year term. Four (Kulupka, Shurilla, York and Lomax) seek a full six-year term (three positions open).

The terms vary because two trustees resigned before their terms ran out, including one who left because of the library disputes, Schusky said. Five of seven trustee positions are up for grabs in the April 4 election.

Schusky, a Collinsville High School social studies teacher, said that he tries to remain nonpartisan and that some of the disputes have been regrettable.

A library should offer diverse programming and make sure everyone feels welcome, he said.

Kulupka said she fears possible changes with the future board and says library jobs may be in danger. McCormick has praised Waltermire and said there is no plan for firings, but she also said trustees should offer ideas for programming and bring new ideas for the community.

Kulupka counters that Waltermire runs the library meticulously and should be in charge of programming details, not volunteer trustees. We havent done that in the past.

Waltermire, who has worked for the Mississippi Valley system for nine years, has been director for three years. She said she had not seen these kinds of trustee disputes before in the Metro East. But she said beleaguered boards in the Niles-Maine and Elmwood Park libraries near Chicago led to new state legislation requiring boards to fill trustee vacancies. Library staff have quit and positions not filled.

This April, several Niles-Maine board candidates are calling their slate Reclaim Our Library.
MONDAY, April 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term exposure to road traffic noise is associated with an increased incidence of primary hypertension, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of JACC: Advances.

Jing Huang, Ph.D., from Peking University in Beijing, and colleagues conducted a prospective population-based analysis in the U.K. Biobank to examine the correlations of long-term road traffic noise exposure with incident primary hypertension. Hazard ratios for an association were examined in a sample of more than 240,000 participants free of hypertension at baseline.

The researchers identified 21,140 incident primary hypertension cases during a median of 8.1 years of follow-up. For a 10-dB[A] increment in mean weighted average 24-hour road traffic noise level (L den ) exposure, the hazard ratio was 1.07. There was a dose-response relationship observed, with a hazard ratio of 1.13 for L den >65 dB[A] versus 55 dB[A]. After adjustment for fine particles and nitrogen dioxide, the associations were all robust. The highest hypertension risk was seen with high exposure to both road traffic noise and air pollution.

"The data demonstrated in this article provide a higher quality of evidence to justify the potential to modify road traffic noise and air pollution from both individual and societal levels in improving cardiovascular health -- namely, hypertension prevention," write the authors of an accompanying editorial.
MONDAY, April 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For female adolescents with psychiatric disorders, melatonin use is associated with a reduced risk for intentional self-harm, according to a study published online March 23 in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Marica Leone, Ph.D., from Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and the Karolinska Institutet, both in Solna, Sweden, and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study including 25,575 youths who initiated melatonin treatment between ages 6 and 18 years. The rate of injuries was examined in the year prior to and following initiation of melatonin treatment.

The researchers found that the rates of body injuries, falls, and transport accidents were comparable in the year prior to and after medication initiation, but the risk for self-harm was highest in the months immediately preceding initiation of melatonin and decreased thereafter. Among adolescents with depression and/or anxiety, this was particularly prominent, with greater absolute risks for girls versus boys. Decreased relative risks for self-harm were seen in the 12 months after medication initiation compared with the last unmedicated month, with an incidence rate ratio of 0.46 in the month following treatment initiation among adolescent girls with psychiatric disorders, after excluding antidepressant users.

"There is currently a youth mental health crisis, and the risk of self-harm and suicide is high," a coauthor said in a statement. "Our findings support the hypothesis that sleep interventions may reduce self-harm in this population, especially in girls."

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  Three people were killed and three others were wounded in a weekend shooting involving several biker gangs inside an Oklahoma City bar, police said Sunday.

One person was in critical condition and two others suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting that took place about 9 p.m. Saturday, said Lt. Jeff Cooper, a spokesperson with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

The three killed were pronounced dead at the scene, the Whiskey Barrel Saloon in the city's southwest, Cooper added. Authorities did not immediately identify the dead and wounded.

Oklahoma City Police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said in an email that preliminary information indicates this was a shoot-out between several rival biker gangs.

Police have not made any arrests in the shooting.

Cooper said investigators did not yet have any information on a suspect, adding, as of now, we dont have anything.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Just when you thought it was safe to stereotype Republican politicians, two recent moves by GOP lawmakers showed them swimming against the tide of their party.

First off ...

Had some Democrat lawmaker pushed legislation that would abolish the death penalty, not an eyebrow would have been raised.

But when conservative Missouri state Rep. Tony Lovasco, R-OFallon, introduces such a measure, it not only warrants paragraphs but also an interview to discover the representatives motivation.

I dont trust the government in almost every aspect, Lovasco said Monday in an interview. So why would I trust it in matters of life and death?

This is not the first time Lovasco has made this move; rather, it is his third.

Lovasco said he introduced the measure last week, calling for a moratorium on executions, as an amendment to the Department of Corrections budget.

The amendment failed in the GOP-dominated state House by a vote of 87-63. But Lovasco found a silver lining of sorts in the final tally.

The amendment failed, so its still never been assigned to committee, he said. But this time, it got about 18 Republican votes.

In Lovascos mind, this is a sign of progress: The first time around, I think it got seven or eight votes.

Some day, Lovasco said, he would like to see his bill pass so that it could be heard in a committee. This would allow people who agree with his stance to have a fuller discussion of the issue. He said questions about capital punishment have become more prevalent in his party, especially among its younger members.

In most other political issues, Lovasco takes a standard Republican stance. For instance, he is a staunch support of Second Amendment rights.

But he said his view of capital punishment has evolved in the past few years.

Its been sort of a journey for me, as it is for other Republicans, whose party traditionally heavily supports the death penalty.

But it got me to thinking that a jury, which is made up of your peers, is very fallible  just like you and me, Lovasco said.

I mean, you have people on a jury that I wouldnt want serving on the board of my homeowners association, and theyre going to decide matter of life or death? he said.

I just cant trust that with any real confidence, he said.

A computer salesman, the Duchesne High graduate was first elected as a state representative in 2018. His 64th District covers portions of St. Charles and Lincoln counties. He also is the chair of the countys Republican Central Committee.

Also a committed opponent of abortion, Lovasco said he believes his philosophical stance is a consistent one.

If youre going to call yourself pro-life, he said, then I think you need to be as consistent as possible.

And now for something similarly stereotype-sinking:

Little surprise was generated when U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, said she was opposed to moves by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to ban social media application TikTok in the U.S.

Predictably, Bush joined other members of The Squad, a group of Democrats who bill themselves as progressive lawmakers, to announce her opposition.

But lo and behold, Hawleys most staunch opposition has not come from a member of the other political party in the other U.S. congressional house but rather from a fellow Republican in the U.S. Senate: Rand Paul of Kentucky.

In a procedural vote reported on last week by The Hill, Paul blocked Hawleys motion to ban TikTok, arguing that trying to ban it would violate the U.S. Constitution.

The political publication said the two conservative stars butted heads when Hawley asked the Senate for unanimous consent of his plan.

Speech is protected whether you like it or not, Paul said, adding that those wanting to ban the popular Chinese-owned app are peddling fear.

I think we should be aware of those who peddle fear, Paul said. I think we should be aware of those who use fear to coax Americans to relinquish our liberties.

Hawley countered by saying, I have never before heard on this floor a defense of the right to spy. I didnt realize that the First Amendment contained a right to espionage.

Paul, a Republican with Libertarian roots, has a history of bucking GOP opinions with his civil-liberties stance.

Most famously, Paul proposed in 2017 that the government should be required to obtain a warrant before conducting aerial-drone surveillance in the U.S.

Americans going about their everyday lives should not be treated like criminals or terrorists and have their rights infringed upon by military tactics, Paul said.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

ST. LOUIS  Seven Robinson-Laney may have twice been a victim in the early hours of Feb. 26  first by a hit-and-run driver who killed four of his friends in a crash, then by a St. Louis firefighter who has been questioned by police about a missing wallet and credit card.

Along with the wallet, Robinson-Laney said, hundreds of dollars in cash and two gift cards he received days earlier for his 18th birthday have never been found.

The north St. Louis resident questions why after more than a month after the wreck, no charges have been filed  even though St. Louis police had him look at video from the crash scene, recorded by a police camera, that shows the firefighter putting Robinson-Laneys wallet inside his coat.

And he fits the description of what I gave them shortly after the incident, he said.

Asked by the Post-Dispatch about the case, police said only that they have a person of interest.

The fatal crash occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on a Sunday at South Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue. A driver traveling south on Grand ran a red light and struck the SUV in which Robinson-Laney was a passenger. The impact pushed the SUV over a guardrail and sent it plummeting to Forest Park Avenue below.

Killed were Anthony Robinson, 19, of Jennings; Richard Boyd, 19, of Sullivan; Bryanna Dentman-Johnson, 18, of Vinita Park; and Corntrail McKinley, 20, of St. Louis. Four others, including Robinson-Laney (no relation to Anthony Robinson) sustained injuries.

Three days after the crash, on March 3, Cedric Dixon, 34, of the 4800 block of Leduc Street in St. Louis, surrendered to police. He is being held without bond and has been charged with 17 felonies. His attorney, Raphael Morris, has been unavailable for comment.

Someones got my wallet

In several interviews with the Post-Dispatch, Robinson-Laney shared his recollection of the events after the accident.

Robinson-Laney said he pulled himself out of the SUV and was on the pavement of Forest Park Avenue, and he recalled several bystanders coming up to offer assistance.

At some point, a man who Robinson-Laney thought was a police officer asked if he had any identification. Robinson-Laney pulled out his wallet  a Christmas gift from his grandmother that has his initials, SMRL, on it  and handed it to the man.

The man took out a piece of ID, checked it and handed the ID back to him, Robinson-Laney said. But he did not return the wallet. Robinson-Laney said the man was wearing a dark or black jacket, not a large turnout coat that firefighters often wear. That led Robinson-Laney to think the man was a police officer.

Id lost a lot of blood and my vision was blurred, and I said, Man, I dont even know your name, Robinson-Laney said. And he just told me not to worry, saying, Youre good, youre good.

Robinson-Laney was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital and again was asked for identification.

Thats when I remembered that Id given my wallet to someone (at the scene), and I told a police officer, Robinson-Laney said.

The officer at the emergency room told him not to worry about the wallet and that he needed to get checked out by doctors, Robinson-Laney said.

But I told them someones got my wallet, Robinson-Laney said.

The wallet held not only his debit card but also more than $600 in cash and two $50 gift cards he received as birthday gifts.

After Robinson-Laney was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 28, he said, he checked his bank records online and discovered several questionable uses of the debit card in west St. Louis County.

Robinson-Laney said he has contested three charges, for a total of about $120, at two locations in Chesterfield and one in Ellisville.

At least one of the charges appears to have been at a car wash.

Why would I buy a car wash membership when I dont even have a vehicle? he said.

The charges were made just hours after the Feb. 26 crash, between 7:45 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. On March 6, the credit union acknowledged Robinson-Laneys dispute of the charges.

Robinson-Laney and his mother, Kyona Robinson, called police shortly after he was discharged from the hospital. Since then, they have talked with several investigators from the Fourth District. Along with providing descriptions, they also forwarded a copy of the contested bank charges, which they also shared with the Post-Dispatch.

As part of the investigation, Robinson-Laney said investigators had him come to the Fourth District station, at 919 North Jefferson Avenue, to view the video footage.

He said the video shows the man in question looking at the contents of the wallet, pulling out a piece of identification then handing only the ID back.

And then you can see the man putting my wallet into his pocket, Robinson-Laney said.

Several days later, Robinson was told by police that the man was not a police officer but a St. Louis firefighter.

A police officer also told Robinson that when investigators questioned the firefighter, he claimed he had accidentally used the card, thinking it was his own because he also has one issued by the credit union.

Robinson-Laney and his mother both question how such a mistake could have occurred, given that the card was inside a monogrammed wallet, along with cash and gift cards.

It was all, all of that stuff, in my wallet, Robinson-Laney said. The wallet, cash and gift cards have not yet been recovered, his mother said.

The departments public information office rejected a request by the Post-Dispatch for police reports, saying the investigation still is active.

In a statement, a spokesperson said, A person of interest has been developed, however no arrest has been made as of yet.

Police have not yet sought warrants in the case, the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys office said.

I just want justice

Robinson said when she last talked with police, an officer suggested she file a complaint with the citys public safety department. She filed the complaint on Thursday.

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson could not be reached for comment, and a spokesperson declined to comment. Also, the fire department has yet to respond to a request for dispatch records connected to the crash.

The firefighter involved in the case also declined to comment.

Robinson said the incident has stirred several emotions, even beyond those prompted by the fatal wreck.

She is frustrated that she has not heard from police for about two weeks and irked that she received a bill from the fire department for transporting her son to the hospital.

But mainly, Robinson said, she is angry that someone took advantage of her son at the scene of a horrific accident that claimed the lives of four friends.

I cant believe someone would use this as an opportunity to steal. Thats just horrible, she said. I just want justice for my son.

Austin Huguelet of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka remain in the epicenter of hostilities, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has said.

"The enemy continues to focus its main efforts on offensive operations in Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka directions. Due to well-coordinated actions of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the heroism of each fighter, more than 45 enemy attacks were repelled in the past 24 hours. Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka remain in the epicenter of hostilities," it said on Facebook on Monday.

In Bakhmut direction, the enemy continues to make attempts to seize full control over the town of Bakhmut. The occupation forces also conducted an offensive near the settlements of Horikhove-Vasylivka and Ivanivske, but did not succeed. The defense forces repelled around 20 enemy attacks on this section during the day.

In Avdiyivka and Maryinka directions, the Russian forces also tried to conduct an offensive, but failed.

In Volyn, Polissia, Siversky, and Slobozhansky directions, the situation did not change. Russian continues to use the air space and the territory of Belarus, as well as its military infrastructure.
ST. LOUIS  A former St. Louis Police Department employee admitted Monday to violating an inmates civil rights by injuring his face at the downtown jail last year.

Edward L. Barber, 42, was working on the second floor of the City Justice Center as a prisoner processing clerk in July 2019 when an inmate identified by his initials, M.J., punched another clerk. A corrections officer pepper sprayed M.J. in the face and then took him to the ground and handcuffed him, prosecutors said.

Barber then took M.J. to a cell. When they got inside, Barber admitted to forcing M.J. the ground. He suffered fractures to his nose and orbital wall, according to a plea agreement.

Barber pleaded guilty to a single charge of deprivation of rights under the color of law, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years and/or a $250,000 fine.

In Barbers case, however, federal sentencing guidelines recommend he receive roughly 2 to 3 years in prison. The plea agreement allows Barbers attorney and the government to argue for more or less than that.

Barber is one of several law enforcement employees to face similar charges in recent years.

Last June, a former St. Louis jail guard was sentenced to four years in prison for the same charge after unlocking a detainees cell door, allowing two men to get inside and attack a man.

In August, a former Northwoods police officer was sentenced to supervised release and fined $10,000 for assaulting a woman while off duty at a Florissant drivers license office.
ST. LOUIS  A man was shot and killed late Sunday in the city's Greater Ville neighborhood.

Police were called to the 3000 block of Marcus Avenue around 11 p.m. The area is on the border of the Kingsway East neighborhood.

They found a man who had been shot several times, according to a police report. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
ST. LOUIS  City and police union officials have finalized a new labor contract giving officers some of their largest pay raises in recent memory.

The deal, signed by leaders on March 27, provides for $3,000 retention incentives to be paid immediately and salary increases worth several thousand more dollars per officer starting in July. It also calls for further negotiations on wages next year.

City officials said the changes should at least temporarily narrow pay gaps between St. Louis police and neighboring departments as well as cut into the growing number of officers leaving the force in recent years. Chief Robert Tracy said last month his department had 976 officers, down nearly 250 from its budgeted strength of 1,223.

But theres a caveat: The agreement appears to condition the deal on the police department remaining under city control.

That could raise the stakes in the ongoing debate at the state Capitol over whether to return control of the department to a state board.

Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has strongly opposed the push, which could stymie her efforts to strengthen oversight and implement other reforms. But police unions have been just as adamant in their support for the move, which they say would lessen the influence of politics on crimefighting.

A bill authorizing a state takeover  and significant pay raises of its own  passed the Missouri House last month; it still awaits a hearing in the Senate.

If the labor agreement does remain in effect, the salary increases are expected to cost the city roughly $18 million in the next fiscal year beginning in July. Roughly two-thirds of that money will go to police, city Budget Director Paul Payne said. The rest will go to firefighters, who are entitled to pay parity with police under the city charter.

The new contract also says officials are committed to providing take-home cars to officers who live in the city and have more than five years on the force: 69 vehicles have been ordered and should arrive in late spring, it says, and there are plans to buy 36 more.

The changes align with a plan Comptroller Darlene Green presented to the mayor and aldermanic president last summer calling for wages competitive with other police departments in the region, take-home cars and other incentives.

Aldermen approved a resolution calling for similar action in October.
Amid the national uproar about whether to allow students access to a wide variety of books, the superintendent of a Virginia school district last week proposed a sweeping solution: Get rid of school libraries altogether.

Mark Taylor, who leads the district in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, suggested at a school board meeting on March 27 that eliminating libraries would be a cost-reduction measure, saving $4.2 million in anticipation of $18 million in budget cuts.

But parents were out in force at the meeting, and many decried the idea of cutting libraries, saying they are essential and eliminating them would be a disservice to children. None of the parents or community members were officially allowed to speak at the public meeting, but some stood in the back of the room holding signs with slogans such as We Deserve Better and Fund our Schools!

And just hours after the raucous meeting, veteran board member Dawn Shelley accused Taylor of using money-saving as a ruse to get rid of books.

I think they think, Well, if we remove the libraries, then we dont have to deal with those books, she said in an interview with Stateline.

Another school board member, Nicole Cole, in a separate interview, agreed that closing libraries is a further attack on our educators, our teachers and its banning books.

Neither Taylor, nor the chair of the school board, returned calls seeking comment. But Taylor told a local television reporter that libraries are not necessarily vital, since whole libraries are available on an app on kids cellphones.

One day after the meeting, Taylor ruled that 14 books that had been challenged by a parent as inappropriate and containing sexually explicit content must be removed from school libraries and declared surplus property. The 14 include Toni Morrisons Beloved and The Bluest Eye, as well as Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, a historical novel set in a Great Depression circus, and Nineteen Minutes, by Jody Picoult, which is about a school shooting. Taylor suggested the books be donated to other libraries.

According to the local Free Lance-Star newspaper, all the books had been declared appropriate for high school ages after reviews by committees that included parents. But the parent making the initial complaint, the paper said, had appealed that decision.

Spotsylvania County has been a hotbed of book banning for a couple of years, ever since it passed and then rescinded a plan to remove sexually explicit books from school libraries. One board member apparently suggested burning books as well, according to news reports at the time.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, made getting rid of explicit books and giving parents more say over public school curricula one of the pillars of his winning 2021 campaign. Taylor said in a memo that his decision on the 14 books was driven by a new Virginia law that took effect last year regarding sexually explicit content in public school instructional materials.

Anti-book movement

From July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022, 138 school districts in 32 states banned books, according to PEN America. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students, the literacy group said.

PEN chalked up the effort to censor books as an outgrowth of both the fight against mask mandates in schools and the move against what opponents call the teaching of critical race theory, a graduate-level course of study that considers the role race has played in historical events and the direction of the country. The PEN report identified at least 50 groups involved in book ban movements, most of which formed since 2021.

The number of school libraries and librarians has been dwindling for decades. Between the 1999-2000 and 2015-16 school years, the latest comprehensive figures available, the number of school librarians dropped 19%, according to a School Library Journal analysis of National Center for Education Statistics data.

In Florida, GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, last year signed a law that allows parents to challenge any book on a school shelf and requires all books to be suited to student needs.

Some teachers say theyre not risking trouble. Rather than vet every book in their libraries to see if it meets the vague criteria  and risking a $5,000 fine if the books dont  educators have been pulling down all the books or covering them to prohibit student access.

Some school districts are closing school libraries, removing books or eliminating media specialist positions. In some states, many schools already lack school librarians: The New Jersey Herald reported as many as a fifth of all districts in the state did not have a certified school library media specialist on staff during the 2018-19 school year.

The California Department of Education reported that only about 9% of California schools have a credentialed teacher librarian, full or part-time. Most work in high schools.

In Michigan, 92% of schools dont employ a full-time, certified librarian, according to the education news site Chalkbeat, and the number of school librarians in Michigan declined 73% between 2016 and 2020. Several studies, including one about Michigan, correlate higher reading scores on standardized tests with the availability of libraries and librarians.

From personnel shortages to legislation

Bills seeking to ban certain books from school libraries are popping up in multiple states this legislative session. In Indiana, a bill to prohibit school libraries from making available any book that contains obscene matter or matters harmful to children, passed the Senate and is under consideration by the House.

A bill in Mississippi that would have banned obscene material from libraries died in February. It also would have set up a Commission on Age Appropriate Literacy to decide what was obscene.

A Missouri bill would set up a procedure by which parents can object to books being used in schools.

A bill in West Virginia would prohibit stocking any book in a school library that contains references to a sex act between persons of the same or opposite sex.

And in Kentucky, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear allowed an anti-obscenity bill to become law without signing it. The law requires schools to come up with a complaint policy for parents to challenge books and materials as harmful to their kids.

With all the attempts to ban or challenge books, bestselling horror author Stephen King has some advice for curious students. In a tweet, King suggested going to the nearest bookstore or non-school library and find out what they dont want you to read.
JEFFERSON CITY  Senate Democrats on Monday urged Gov. Mike Parson to replace the head of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights after his comments last week against a proposal to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Rev. Timothy Faber, chairman of the commission, testified in opposition to the legislation Wednesday in the Senate General Laws Committee, introducing himself as the legislative liaison for the Missouri Baptist Convention and an ordained minister.

The Bible does indeed speak of homosexuality, Faber said. This bill cannot be separated from religion and particularly religious liberty.

Faber acknowledged he was chair of the Human Rights Commission in response to questioning by Sen. Doug Beck, D-south St. Louis County.

Parson, a Republican, named Faber, a fellow Republican, to the post in 2021. The commission, appointed by the governor, currently has four members and seven vacancies.

All 10 Senate Democrats signed a letter dated Monday from Becks office calling on Parson to remove Faber.

We are writing to formally request your removal of Timothy Faber as Chair of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights due to his misleading of State Senators during a legislative hearing, and his lobbying for a position in direct contradiction to the mission of the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, the letter said.

The letter references the commissions mission to develop, recommend, and implement ways to prevent and eliminate discrimination ...

While the Missouri Human Rights Act protects against discrimination based on a persons race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex and disability, current law doesnt address discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Missouri Nondiscrimination Act, or MONA, before the Senate General Laws Committee would change that, outlawing discrimination in housing, employment and in other areas based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Mr. Faber did not identify himself as Chairman of the Commission, and only confirmed his position upon direct questioning, the Democrats letter said. His attempt to obfuscate his position erodes the trust legislators require from members of Missouris Boards and Commissions.

The letter said the obfuscation was especially troubling considering Faber mentioned the commission without disclosing his role on it. In his testimony, Faber said passage of the law would cause the commissions caseload to increase exponentially and worsen a case backlog.

It said that while Farber has a right to express his views or the views of other groups, his decision to place these roles before his duties as Chairman makes it clear he can no longer continue in this capacity.

A spokeswoman for Parson did not respond to a request for comment.

Faber, in response, told the Post-Dispatch, I do not speak for the Human Rights Commission. Thats not my role. That was not my intent. And I dont even have the legal right to do so, especially considering that the commission has not addressed these issues. Thats why I did not identify myself as a commissioner.

He said he was speaking in his role as legislative liaison for the Missouri Baptist Convention and said his reference to the human rights commission was simply providing information thats publicly available.

He added, It was certainly not my intent to deceive or mislead anyone. When I was asked if I was on the commission, I answered honestly.

When we begin looking at such things as sexual orientation and gender identity, it is going to inevitably create conflict with religious liberty, Faber said. Religious liberty is a constitutional right. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not constitutional rights.

As a state senator in 2013, Parson voted in favor of MONA. And as governor in 2018, he told The Kansas City Star he was ready for talks on such legislation.

Do I think people should be discriminated on in the workforce? No I dont. I never have felt that way, Parson said then. Even when its things I dont believe in, and Ive tried to make that apparent. My views are different than some, but at the end of the day, if somebodys working and theyre a good worker, then I dont think they should be discriminated against.

Parson, speaking in 2017 to the publication Word & Way, said the homosexual issue was always difficult, adding he was old school and said, I know how I believe. I know whats going to happen to these people.

Parson again addressed discrimination after taking office in 2018.

I dont believe in discrimination against anyone, Parson told the Springfield News-Leader. My personal Christian beliefs tell me I dont believe thats a way of life that I believe in. But as far as anyone that lives that, that chooses to live that, thats their choice.

The Missouri Nondiscrimination Act has since languished in the Legislature.

The General Laws Committee as of Monday had yet to vote on the measure, sponsored by Sen. Greg Razer, D-Kansas City. This years legislative session ends May 12.

The legislation is Senate Bill 60.
A group of 3,100 Catholics has asked the Archdiocese of St. Louis to suspend a reorganization plan that could lead to the mergers or closures of dozens of parishes across the region.

We do not see how the pastoral plan will improve the pastoral care of the Faithful, encourage vocations, increase the evangelizing mission of the Church, revitalize parishes or bring advantage to the Church, reads a March 27 letter from former state Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, to Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski.

Onder is serving as the procurator, or representative, of the laity under church canon law for the group Save Our St. Louis Parishes. More than 3,100 Catholics from at least 120 parishes signed a procurator mandate in protest of large-scale parish mergers and in preparation for appeals all the way to the Vatican.

Rozanski is expected to announce the final restructuring plan called All Things New by May 28, Pentecost Sunday. The plan is aimed at consolidating resources for a dwindling number of registered Catholics and the priests who serve them across the archdiocese, which includes 178 parishes in St. Louis city and 10 surrounding counties.

The number of signed mandates in opposition to All Things New represents fewer than 1% of the estimated 484,000 Catholics in the archdiocese.

In his letter, Onder criticizes the archdioceses hiring of the Pennsylvania-based Catholic Leadership Institute to coordinate the plan first announced in January 2022. Since then, the group has overseen multiple surveys and about 350 listening sessions that reached every parish.

The surveys were too generic for a diocese as geographically and economically diverse as St. Louis, according to Onder.

There is no indication in the materials provided by CLI that the metric is intended for use in making pastoral planning decisions affecting all the parishes of a diocese, particularly one with the size and diversity of St. Louis, the letter reads.

Onder said requests to meet with archdiocesan leaders have been ignored.

I have personally spoken with Catholics and been present in many meetings with hundreds of the Faithful expressing upset over the neglect they are experiencing in this process. Yet, decisions will be made that deeply impact their lives of Faith. The experience is scandalous to them, and only breeds mistrust toward Church authorities, Onder wrote.

Local church leaders have held focus groups and hosted one-on-one and small-group meetings with parishioners, said the Rev. Chris Martin, vicar for strategic planning for the archdiocese. About 70,000 parishioners completed an initial survey and another 18,000 filled out an education survey for parish school communities.

The archdiocese also released financial, demographic and sacramental data on every parish as part of the planning process. With about 200 active diocesan priests  including more than a third who are 65 or older  the number of parishes is expected to outnumber priests by 2026.

A plan to reassign a significant number of priests this spring was also mentioned as a concern in Onders letter.

Changing pastors on so many parishes will only increase that mistrust and the number of souls lost. It will have a negative impact on pastoral care and prove a significant disadvantage to the Church and her Mission, reads the letter.

New draft models released in February from across the archdiocese show 88 pastorates  groupings of one or more parishes under a single pastor. Under the proposal, four out of five parishes are slated for mergers or closures.

From the very beginning of All Things New we have been asking the question, Which communities does it make most sense to have come together in light of demographic shifts, evangelization and social outreach efforts, resources, and priest availability? Martin said in a statement Monday. As outlined in the All Things New process, Archbishop Rozanski has begun his discernment phase and will review the data collected before making his decisions and sharing them publicly on Pentecost.
WASHINGTON  Nine months ago, President Joe Biden signed a sweeping bipartisan gun law, the most significant legislative response to gun violence in decades.

"Lives will be saved," he said at the White House.

The law already prevented some potentially dangerous people from owning guns. Yet since that signing last summer, the tally of mass shootings in the United States has only grown.

Five dead at a nightclub in Colorado. Eleven killed at a dance hall in California. Three 9-year-olds and three adults shot and killed at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee.

A day after that school shooting, Biden's tone was markedly less optimistic than it was the signing ceremony.

"What in God's name are we doing?" he asked in a speech last Tuesday, calling for a ban on so-called assault weapons like those that were used to kill at The Covenant School in Nashville. "There's a moral price to pay for inaction."

Biden and others had hailed last year's bipartisan gun bill  approved in the weeks after the shooting of 19 children and two adults at a school in Uvalde, Texas  as a new way forward.

Several months in, the law has had some success: Stepped-up FBI background checks blocked gun sales for 119 buyers under the age of 21, prosecutions increased for unlicensed gun sellers and new gun trafficking penalties were charged in at least 30 cases around the country. Millions of new dollars flowed into mental health services for children and schools.

But the persistence of mass shootings in the United States highlights the limits of congressional action. Because the law was a political compromise, it did not address many Democratic priorities for gun control, including universal background checks or the ban on "assault weapons" for which Biden repeatedly has called.

In the wake of the Nashville shooting, Congress appears to have returned to a familiar impasse. One of the top Republican negotiators on the gun law, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, said new compromise is unlikely. In the House, the new GOP majority favors fewer restrictions on guns, not more.

Asked Thursday about a way ahead, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said legislation alone cannot solve the gun violence problem. He said Americans need to think deeply about mental illness and other factors that drive people to act.

In contrast, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said Congress should "act with the fierce urgency of now."

"Our classrooms have become killing fields," he said. "Is that acceptable in America?"

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the lead negotiator on the 2022 bill, said he thinks it represented a paradigm shift in how Congress considers gun legislation. But, he said, "I don't think that will happen all at once."

"This is sickening, but the opportunities for legislative change normally come after really terrible mass shootings," said Murphy, who has been the lead Senate advocate for gun control since the 2012 mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. "I hate that, I wish that wasn't how it works."

Tensions ran high on both sides of the Capitol last week.

On Wednesday, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., stood outside the House chamber and yelled that Republicans are "cowards" for not doing more on gun control, eventually arguing with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who advocated for allowing teachers to carry guns.

"More guns lead to more deaths!" Bowman screamed at Massie. "Children are dying!"

While Republicans in the past might have tried to shy away from gun measures even if they supported them, Cornyn and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have been promoting the new law and have discussed it frequently. Late last year, they joined Murphy, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and FBI Director Christopher Wray on a visit to an FBI facility in West Virginia for a briefing on how the background checks were working.

"I am proud to see this commonsense legislation already making a difference," Tillis said in a statement afterward.

According to recent data obtained by The Associated Press, those who were flagged in the stepped-up background checks and prevented from buying a gun included an 18-year-old in Nebraska who had made terroristic threats and was prone to violent outbursts, a 20-year-old drug dealer in Arizona and an 18-year-old in Arizona who was previously charged with unlawful possession of weapons and was found carrying fentanyl. All were attempting to purchase long guns.

Tillis said he is aware of a separate case in his home state where a person under 21 who had been charged with assault and battery and assaulting a police officer was flagged and prevented from buying a gun.

"It's just one of those bills that's going to age well," Tillis said, noting that the number of denials of gun sales is a very small fraction of total sales.

Cornyn said that so far, the bill "seems to be working." But he said he doesn't expect Congress to go any further any time soon. He said would strongly oppose an "assault weapons" ban, as Biden proposes.

Gun control legislation that passed and failed over the last 20 years Gun control legislation that passed and failed over the last 20 years Tiahrt Amendment Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act District of Columbia v. Heller Expanded background checks Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act Domestic Violence Gun Homicide Prevention Act of 2014 Homemade Firearms Accountability Act Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2015 Criminalizing straw purchasing and gun trafficking Enhanced background checks 72-hour waiting period for those on terrorist watch lists Help End Assault Rifle Tragedies Act Preventing Gun Violence Act Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2017 Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act Handgun Safety Trigger Act Background Check Completion Act of 2017 Bipartisan bump stock ban Closing the Charleston loophole Universal background checks Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Protecting Our Kids Act Assault Weapons Ban of 2022
Monday's full-length editorial in the Post-Dispatch print and e-edition is written by The Washington Post but reflects this Editorial Board's sentiments exactly. The editorial was originally written as a commentary on a lengthy Washington Post series about the AR-15 assault rifle and how its commercialization as a consumer product has placed the guns in the hands of one out of every 20 Americans on average. The editorial had to be updated because of the mass shooting in Nashville, involving an AR-15-style rifle.

The rounds fired by the AR-15 are designed to inflict as much damage as possible upon their intended targets. And make no mistake, this is a rifle designed to kill humans in wartime situations. The rounds tumble upon high-velocity impact, ensuring that they don't just leave a hole but twist and tumble broadside to leave giant, gaping wounds.

The bottom line: These weapons were designed for military use and were never supposed to be adapted and commercialized as a consumer product. The Nashville mass shooting a week ago underscores the rifle's lethality and brutal efficiency. Americans need to ask why civilians need access to such a killing machine.

The terms of this newspaper's contract with The Washington Post don't allow us to publish their work on our website, only in print. But online subscribers have the option of reading the full editorial, as published in our print newspaper, by downloading the Post-Dispatch e-edition. Just click here, and the link will take you to Monday's online print replica.
School board candidates shouldnt have union affiliation

Regarding the letter to the editor Right-wing Rockwood candidates politicize education (March 28): The writer castigates three of the six candidates running for the Rockwood school board. There is another side to this issue. The Missouri National Education Association has endorsed the other three school board candidates, Lynne Midyett, Kary Bachert and Bob Cadigan. It appears from their biographies that two of these candidates are or were members of that association as teachers and the thirds spouse is also a member.

It seems to me that these three are not qualified to be on the school board. The association is the union representing teachers and other school employees. Members of the Board of Education oversee the districts management and have input as to what the school systems posture should be in negotiating employment and policy contracts with the union.

Collective bargaining, by its very nature, is adversarial. How can school board members fairly represent the school district and its taxpayers if they are dependent on the unions electoral endorsement and have personal ties to the union? It is as if the union is on both sides of the bargaining table. That is great for the union but disastrous for the school district and taxpayers. Common sense dictates that when the union supports school board candidates, the public should be leery of voting for those so endorsed.

John Wiltrakis  Ballwin

Nashville school shooting adds urgency to gun issue

The Nashville school shooting has given me a renewed sense of urgency. As a concerned citizen and eighth-grade student, I believe it is past time for our society to come together and implement solutions to combat the epidemic of gun violence in our neighborhoods. A ban on assault weapons is the first step.

The use of an assault rifle in the Nashville shooting demonstrates the imminent danger posed by these weapons as well as the need for action. Their public availability poses a risk to public safety, and I believe we must demand that our elected officials take action to ban these weapons.

Gun-control opponents frequently cite the Second Amendment as a guarantee of the right to bear arms. We must recognize that constitutional rights are not absolute and can be limited to protect the general welfare of the people.

Universal background checks, red flag laws and other simple measures have been shown to reduce gun violence. These laws, along with a ban on assault weapons, should go into effect immediately. These weapons simply have no legitimate place in modern communities.

The Nashville school shooting and countless other mass shootings have demonstrated the need for immediate action to combat the epidemic of gun violence in America. To protect the lives and wellbeing of all Americans, I believe we must enact commonsense gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons. Only then, in my opinion, will we be able to create a better future for ourselves and future generations.

Praveen Vissa  Creve Coeur

Ti

me to get back to basics on traditional social values

I am somewhat surprised at the coverage, editorials and letters to the editor in response to the latest tragedy in Nashville. To see CNN and others apologize for using the wrong pronoun to describe the transgender murderer, to blame the guns, and to suggest that children wear body armor and have the National Guard be present at all schools are all reactions to the real problems our society has created.

Having been born before the attack on Pearl Harbor, I grew up when most families included a man and a woman, were taught moral values, had religious beliefs, believed in law and order, and took personal responsibility for their actions. These values are now under daily attack.

While I support personal freedom and choice, that doesnt change the basic facts. To teach our young children to disrespect our history, that theres no harm in TikTok, that men can get pregnant, that a strong family doesnt matter, that defund-the-police is a good idea, that you can decide what sex you might want to be  all of this eventually leads to many of the problems facing todays society.

That influence can be seen by the actions of activists destroying historic statues, attacking federal and state buildings, showing disregard for laws, and now the Trans Day of Vengeance protest. Its time to get back to the basics.

Don Podrasky  Manchester

Lawmakers are ignoring the crisis in Missouri foster care

I am amazed about the time and concern the Missouri Legislature is spending interfering with parents and doctors surrounding the transgender issues of a very small number of children. How about using that concern, time and effort improving our foster care system?

There were 13,194 children in Missouri foster care in 2021. More than 500 children annually age out of foster care in Missouri without a permanent legal family. Staff are so overworked they cannot take care of their assigned cases. There were 1,780 instances of foster children missing in Missouri from July 2018 to December 2020. Foster parents are withdrawing because of frustration with the system.

Missouri needs to stop cutting taxes and fully fund the foster care system. I am so embarrassed by my states mixed-up priorities.

Genevieve Binder  Spanish Lake

Read letters online at STLToday.com
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Tier One Silver Inc. (TSXV:TSLV) ("Tier One" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is undertaking a non-brokered private placement of up to 10 million units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at an offering price of C$0.25 per Unit (the "Unit Price") for gross proceeds to the Company of up to C$2,500,000 (the "Offering").

Each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Company (a "Share") and one full common share purchase warrant of the Company (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of C$0.35 at any time on or before the date which is 24 months after the closing date of the Offering.

The Company plans to use the net proceeds of the Offering to commence the planned upcoming drill program at the Curibaya project, for continued advancement of the Hurricane project and for general working capital purposes. Hurricane expenditure and working capital funding apply only if target raise is exceeded.

In accordance with applicable securities laws, the Shares and Warrants issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period from the date of issuance in Canada. While the Offering is non-brokered, referral fees may be paid on a portion of the proceeds to eligible persons, where permitted by applicable law. Closing of the Offering is anticipated to occur on or about April 21, 2023, subject to the receipt of investor documentation, funds and TSX Venture Exchange approval. There is no minimum upon which the closing of the Offering is conditional, and any upsize will be announced in the context of the market. It is possible that insiders of the Company may participate in the placement relying on the exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Canadian Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (Protection of Minority Shareholders in related Party Transactions) pursuant to sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as neither the fair market value of any securities issued to nor the consideration paid by such person could exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization.

The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not

be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TIER ONE SILVER INC.

Peter Dembicki

President, CEO and Director

For further information on Tier One Silver Inc., please contact Natasha Frakes, VP of Communications, at (778) 729-0600 or [email protected].

About Tier One

Tier One Silver is an exploration company focused on creating value for shareholders and stakeholders through the discovery of world-class silver, gold and base metal deposits in Peru. The Company's management and technical teams have a strong track record in raising capital, discovery and monetization of exploration success. The Company's exploration assets in Peru include: Hurricane Silver, Coastal Batholith, Corisur and the flagship project, Curibaya. For more information, visit www.tieronesilver.com.

Forward Looking Information and General Cautionary Language

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to the Company's current expectations and views of future events in connection with the planned financing. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and therefore may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be heavily relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements in regard to the Company's exploration plans, the size and closing of the Offering and the use of proceeds of the Offering.

Readers should refer to the risks discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion & Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequent continuous disclosure filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Tier One Silver Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expects that during the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission at the level of foreign ministers, the issue of further support for Ukraine in the war waged against it by the Russian Federation will be discussed, as well as the possibility of starting to develop a multi-year program for Kyiv.

He said this at a press conference in March on the eve of a two-day meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the North Atlantic Alliance member states, during which a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO commission will be held on Tuesday, April 4, with the participation of the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Dmytro Kuleba. This will be the first meeting since 2017, when Hungary systematically blocked the meetings of the commission at a level higher than the level of the ambassador.

We will discuss how we can step up our support, including by continuing to strengthen Ukraines armed forces. And supporting their transition from Soviet-era to NATO equipment and doctrine. Our support is for the long-haul. So I expect that ministers will agree to start work on developing a multi-year program for Ukraine, NATO Secretary General said.

According to Stoltenberg, the ministers will also talk about further support for Kiev. We do not know when this war will end. But when it does, we will need to put in place arrangements so that Ukraine can deter future aggression. And history does not repeat itself. That is why we are united in our determination to stay the course. And support Ukraine for as long as it takes, the Secretary General said.

In this regard, he welcomed the provision of modern combat tanks and other armored vehicles to Ukraine by the allies. This can make a real difference on the frontlines, and allow the Ukrainian forces to liberate more territory. We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security. I welcome President Zelenskyys peace plan, which upholds the principles at the heart of the UN Charter. It provides the foundation for a just and sustainable peace. But there are no signs that President Putin is preparing for peace. He is preparing for more war, Stoltenberg said.

Touching upon the issue of developing a long-term program for Ukraine, the Secretary General of the alliance noted that along with providing support in the fight against Russian aggression, this is necessary for the long-term development of relations. And that's the reason why I expect the Foreign Ministers when they meet tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to start to agree on a more long term partnership where we can look into how we can help Ukraine, not only with the immediate need to defend themselves against Russia's brutal war of aggression, but also to move closer to NATO by implementing reforms, by continuing to modernise their defence and security institutions, including fighting corruption, and by moving from Soviet-era equipment, standards, doctrines to NATO standards and doctrines, he explained.

As Stoltenberg noted, it is the Ukraine-NATO commission that is an important platform within which the allies and Kyiv can discuss all issues. According to the Secretary General, the commission regularly meets at the level of ambassadors. But we should continue to meet at different levels, including at the ministerial level, also in the future, he said.
Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology researcher recognized for his pioneering work in synthetic biology

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced that Dr. Chenli Liu has been selected to receive an Agilent Thought Leader Award. The award will support his pioneering studies on synthetic biology, specifically research to develop a synthetic cell capable of reproducing by coordinating individual cell properties utilizing a bottom-up approach to understand biological circuits.

Dr. Liu is the vice president of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences in China. He is also the founder of iSynBio at SIAT, the largest research institute focused on synthetic biology, as well as the chief scientist of Shenzhen Infrastructure for Synthetic Biology.

Dr. Lius lab at iSynBio is dedicated to the research of quantitative synthetic biology. Based on the research idea of "quantitative analysis and synthetic reconstruction", it focuses on the basic principles of the formation process of complex biological systems, as well as the rational design principles of synthetic biological systems and other important scientific issues.

Led by Dr. Liu, the Shenzhen synthetic biology research team has been adhering to the frontier of world science and technology and the country's major needs. They actively play a role in major original innovations, original technology sources, and key core technology breakthroughs while promoting the technical level in the field of synthetic biology and the continuous development of innovative capabilities. Dr. Liu and his team focus on addressing the shortcomings of basic research in synthetic biology, overcoming the inherent challenges in the R&D process, and constantly improving the innovative ecological process of basic research + technological breakthroughs + industrialization of achievements + science and technology finance.1

I feel privileged to receive this Agilent Thought Leader Award. Synthetic biology is one of the worlds cutting-edge interdisciplinary fields of science and technology. A series of disruptive technologies generated by this field will most likely lead to a technological revolution in biomedicine, food, and sustainable development in the future, said Dr. Liu. We will continue to explore and strive to build Shenzhen into a global highland of synthetic biology technologies. I am confident that with Agilents support and its world-leading testing and analysis technologies and solutions, our studies in synthetic biology, one of the most cutting-edge fields in life science, will soon bear fruit that will provide great benefits.

Synthetic biology is a promising research field, and its scientific findings bring prominent value to all people, said Ting Yang, Agilent vice president, and general manager of the Greater China Commercial Organization. Agilent is proud to support Dr. Liu with a complete solution that comprises Agilents full product portfolio, be it genetic research solutions, cell analysis solutions, chromatography and mass spectrometry solutions, and more, to facilitate his research goal of shaping an innovative eco-system of the synthetic biology study in China.

The rapid development of synthetic biology has led to the third biotechnological revolution since the discovery of the helical structure of DNA, and this revolutionary technology is poised to make a profound impact on how products are more sustainably manufactured, said Darlene Solomon, Agilent senior vice president and chief technology officer. Agilent has focused on the field of synthetic biology for many years, and supporting leading researchers like Dr. Liu underscores our commitment to accelerating the development of this important field.

The Agilent Thought Leader Award program promotes fundamental scientific advances by contributing financial support, products, and expertise to the research of influential thought leaders in the life sciences, diagnostics, and chemical analysis space. To learn more, visit the Agilent Thought Leader Award website.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, delivering insight and innovation that help our customers bring great science to life. Agilents full range of solutions includes instruments, software, services, and expertise that provide trusted answers to our customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $6.85 billion in fiscal 2022 and employs 18,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, please subscribe to the Agilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent on LinkedIn and Facebook.

1 http://www.isynbio.org.cn/institution-jg_en.aspx

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Naomi Goumillout

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

+1 781 266 2819

[email protected]

Kirna Liu

Agilent Technologies, China

+86 10 6439 7889

[email protected]

Source: Agilent Technologies Inc.
Accomplished biopharmaceutical executive brings more than 25 years of experience leading vaccine and antibody product development for infectious disease indications

Dr. Nabors representing Appili at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington, D.C.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Appili Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: APLI; OTCQB: APLIF) (the Company or Appili), a biopharmaceutical company focused on drug development for infectious diseases and biodefense, today announced that it has appointed biopharmaceutical industry veteran Gary Nabors, Ph.D., to serve as Appilis Chief Development Officer. Dr. Nabors joins Appili effective April 3, 2023, and will lead the advancement of programs through development, regulatory submission and key commercialization milestones.

Dr. Nabors brings an exceptional wealth of experience and established results to Appili, and he will play a critical role in advancing our programs and our business, said Dr. Don Cilla, President and Chief Executive Officer of Appili Therapeutics. Garys expertise in infectious disease will be instrumental in driving forward the development of our programs; ATI-1701, a vaccine for tularemia being funded by the U.S. Government through IND submission and ATI-1801, a treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), a disfiguring infection of the skin. Both programs we believe may be eligible to receive FDA Priority Review Voucher (PRV) upon approval and his leadership in progressing candidates through these next crucial stages will be instrumental to our growth.

Dr. Nabors joins Appili from Integrated BioTherapeutics Inc. (IBT) where, in his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, he was responsible for leading the companys vaccine and immunotherapeutic candidates through bioanalytical development, IND-enabling studies, GMP manufacturing and into clinical studies. Prior to that he served as President of DynPort Vaccine Company Inc. (a subsidiary of General Dynamics) where he was responsible for the overall success of the company, overseeing P&L responsibility and 800 staff, and establishing the technical, strategic, and regulatory direction for all projects in the companys portfolio.

Over his accomplished 25-year career, Dr. Nabors has also held progressively senior roles with Sanofi Pasteur, Emergent BioSolutions, and the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He has played a central role in product development from pre-clinical stages through to Phase 3, for development of vaccines and therapeutics for pediatric, adult, and biodefense markets. He has also managed corporate subsidiaries of 120 employees, served on executive-level management committees and presented before Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committees.

The work being done in anti-infectives at Appili is important and I am eager to help further establish us as a key player in the fight against infection, said Dr Nabors.

Dr. Nabors will be representing Appili at the World Vaccine Congress, the premier event for R&D and strategic partnering for the global vaccine industry, in Washington, D.C., from April 3rd to 6th, 2023. Dr. Nabors will be participating in scientific sessions to identify current trends in vaccine development and to network with key contacts that Appili may be able to work with to help advance its programs.

"The World Vaccine Congress provides a great opportunity to learn how others are progressing their vaccine development programs, and to have the opportunity to meet with key leaders in the industry," added Dr. Nabors. "I am looking forward to bringing this knowledge back to Appili to help us continue driving our pipeline forward.

About Appili Therapeutics

Appili Therapeutics is an infectious disease biopharmaceutical company that is purposefully built, portfolio-driven, and people-focused to fulfill its mission of solving life-threatening infections. By systematically identifying urgent infections with unmet needs, Appilis goal is to strategically develop a pipeline of novel therapies to prevent deaths and improve lives. The Company is currently advancing a diverse range of anti-infectives, including a vaccine candidate to eliminate a serious biological weapon threat, a topical antiparasitic for the treatment of a disfiguring disease, and a novel easy to use, liquid oral formulation targeting parasitic and anaerobic infections. Led by a proven management team, Appili is at the epicenter of the global fight against infection. For more information, visit www.AppiliTherapeutics.com.

Forward looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including with respect to potential PRV eligibility for ATI-1701 and ATI-1801.e. Wherever possible, words such as may , would, could , should, will, anticipate, believe, plan, expect, intend, estimate, potential for and similar expressions have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations of the Companys management for future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, without limitation, those risks listed in the annual information form of the Company dated June 29, 2022 and the other filings made by the Company with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities (which may be viewed at www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. These factors should be considered carefully, and prospective investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230401005043/en/

Media:

Jenna McNeil, Communications Manager

Appili Therapeutics

E: [email protected]

Investor Relations:

Don Cilla, Pharm.D., M.B.A., President and CEO

Appili Therapeutics

E: [email protected]

Source: Appili Therapeutics Inc.
MENTOR, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) has appointed leaders for its two business segments. Hassan Rmaile has been named president of the Materials Group. Francisco Melo has been named president of the Solutions Group, a role that has been open since Deon Standers appointment to president and chief operating officer in March of 2022.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005289/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

As earlier announced, the company now consists of two reportable segments. The Materials Group comprises what was formerly Label and Graphic Materials and Industrial and Healthcare Materials. The change reflects efforts in recent years to leverage their combined operational capabilities and technologies to enhance the ability to win in their respective marketplaces.

The Solutions Group was formerly Retail Branding and Information Solutions. This name change better reflects the businesss reach and ambition for its solutions beyond retail.

Rmaile and Melo report to Avery Dennison President and COO Deon Stander.

Hassan Rmaile

Hassan most recently led our Label and Graphic Materials businesses in Europe as senior vice president and general manager, driving a significant increase in EVA over the last three years, said Avery Dennison President and COO Deon Stander. As president of the Materials Group, he will continue to focus our teams on delivering for our customers through innovation, technology and the advancement of sustainability, driving outsized growth in high-value categories and growing profitably in our base businesses.

Prior to joining Avery Dennison in 2016, Rmaile served as vice president, chief technology and innovation officer at H.B. Fuller. Prior to that, he held executive positions at Ashland businesses.

Rmaile holds a Ph.D. in materials chemistry from Florida State University, an MBA in finance from the University of Delaware and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon.

Francisco Melo

For the past nine years, Francisco has led the significant growth in our Intelligent Labels platform, said Stander. As president of Solutions Group, he will continue building on our strong market position at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds by leveraging segmentation and industry leadership, market-driven innovation and advancement of digitization and related solutions to deliver exceptional value to our customers.

In his previous position, Melo led the companys Intelligent Labels platform as the senior vice president and general manager for Avery Dennison Smartrac. Prior to joining Avery Dennison, Melo was a co-founder and CEO of Creativesystems, an RFID systems integrator and software development company. His earlier career includes experience in R&D and business development at Philips Electronics and consulting with Synectics and Altran.

Melo holds a Master of Science in instrument design and applications from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering.

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company that provides branding and information labeling solutions, including pressure-sensitive materials, radio-frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, and a variety of converted products and solutions. The company designs and manufactures a wide range of labeling and functional materials that enhance branded packaging, carry or display information that connects the physical and the digital, and improve customers product performance. The company serves an array of industries worldwide, including home and personal care, apparel, e-commerce, logistics, food and grocery, pharmaceuticals and automotive. The company employs approximately 36,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Reported sales in 2022 were $9.0 billion. Learn more at www.averydennison.com.

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Media Relations

Kristin Robinson T: +1 (626) 304-4592

[email protected]

Investor Relations

John Eble T: +1 (440) 534-6290

[email protected]

Source: Avery Dennison Corporation
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- dynaCERT Inc. (TSX: DYA) (OTCQX: DYFSF) (FRA: DMJ) ("dynaCERT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jean-Pierre Colin as interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Colin is also currently Executive Vice President & Corporate Secretary and a Director of the Company.

The Company also announces the resignation of Mr. Carmelo Marrelli as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company effective immediately. dynaCERT thanks Mr. Marrelli for his services as Chief Financial Officer.

About dynaCERT Inc.

dynaCERT Inc. manufactures and distributes Carbon Emission Reduction Technology along with its proprietary HydraLytica Telematics, a means of monitoring fuel consumption and calculating GHG emissions savings designed for the tracking of possible future Carbon Credits for use with internal combustion engines. As part of the growing global hydrogen economy, our patented technology creates hydrogen and oxygen on-demand through a unique electrolysis system and supplies these gases through the air intake to enhance combustion, which has shown to lower carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency. Our technology is designed for use with many types and sizes of diesel engines used in on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining and forestry equipment. Website: www.dynaCERT.com.

READER ADVISORY

Except for statements of historical 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. 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 of 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 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 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: uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; the uncertainty of the emerging hydrogen economy; including the hydrogen economy moving at a pace not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements; and the other risk factors disclosed 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.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the release.

On Behalf of the Board

Murray James Payne, CEO

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For more information:

Jim Payne, CEO & President

dynaCERT Inc.

#101  501 Alliance Avenue

Toronto, Ontario M6N 2J1

+1 (416) 766-9691 x 2

[email protected]dynaCERT.com

Investor Relations

dynaCERT Inc.

Nancy Massicotte

+1 (416) 766-9691 x 1

[email protected]dynaCERT.com

Source: dynaCERT Inc.
Highlights:

- US$5.6 million drawdown of KfW IPEX-Bank project finance facility completed fourth scheduled drawdown;

- Total drawn under KfW IPEX-Bank facility now stands at US$32.3 million of the total US$75.1 million facility;

- Sangdong mine construction remains on track for commissioning in 2024 and when in operation will be the worlds largest tungsten mine outside of China.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Almonty Industries Inc. (Almonty or the Company) (TSX: AII / ASX: AII / OTCQX: ALMTF / Frankfurt: ALI) is pleased to announce that it has completed its fourth scheduled drawdown of the total US$75.1 million KfW IPEX-Bank project finance facility for its Sangdong Tungsten Mine (the Loan Facility) located in South Korea.

The total amount drawn under the Loan Facility now stands at US$32.3 million. The Company is pleased to report that the drawdowns are being completed on schedule as per the project drawdown agreement.

Almontys Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Black commented:

We are pleased to have received the fourth drawdown from our financing partners, KfW IPEX-Bank, under the US$75.1 million project financing loan facility. These drawdowns are occurring on time, as planned, in line with the drawdown schedule.

Much of what occurs when building a tier one mine such as Sangdong, in a developed democracy, occurs behind the scenes. We are building a mine that will serve as the focal point of western tungsten production, and it is important to ensure that plans are executed with diligence and consideration, as we are doing.

All long lead time equipment is now in Korea except for one drive that is waiting to be shipped from France. We have recently hosted multiple regional and local government visits as well as multiple residents who are all excited at the prospect of the reopening of the former largest tungsten mine in the world, especially in how it relates to both the local economy and the contribution it will make to Koreas technology and heavy industrial economies, which have the highest per capita consumption of Tungsten in the world. All engineering plans are now finalised and surface scalping will shortly begin.

There is a reason that KFW IPEX-Bank has and continues to support the Sangdong project as it qualified for a tier 1 financing on the merits of the project and on the experience of our team. This fourth drawdown ensures that all the parties are comfortable that we are proceeding as anticipated and in a manner that ensures that we have maintained the highest levels of ESG to date.

Work also continues on the downstream Tungsten Oxide plant with a location 28kms from the Sangdong Mine at the Seok Moon Industrial Complex, which was identified due to its excellent existing infrastructure -- i.e. access to sufficient water, electricity, communications and gas as well as existing environmental permitting. We are also pleased to advise that the scoping study for the downstream Tungsten Oxide plant has now been completed. We are moving now to the application process with KFW IPEX-Bank which, in turn, leads to its credit approval committee. It is, as it has been with Sangdong, a lengthy process but ultimately represents the highest quality of financing available globally.

I am also pleased to note that the tungsten price has continued to remain strong against a backdrop of increasing demand especially from the defence sector. The last observed price on March 24th was US$336.50/MTU. This strong price, coupled with our unprecedented floor price guarantee in our contract with offtake partner Plansee GTP of US$235/MTU (with no upside cap), has the potential to generate truly spectacular returns for our shareholders once commissioning has commenced.

KfW Facility Background

The Loan Facility is funded by KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, a 100% German state-owned development bank, pursuant to which the Company has access to a total US$75.1 million to finance the development and operation of the Sangdong Mine. The terms of the Loan Facility are favourable to the Company and the Sangdong Mine is targeted to be in operation well before the Loan Facility matures and becomes repayable.

This announcement has been approved by Lewis Black, Chairman, President and CEO.

About Almonty Industries Inc (almonty.com)

The principal business of Toronto, Canada-based Almonty Industries Inc. is the mining, processing and shipping of tungsten concentrate from its Los Santos Mine in western Spain and its Panasqueira mine in Portugal as well as the development of its Sangdong tungsten mine in Gangwon Province, South Korea and the development of the Valtreixal tin/tungsten project in north western Spain. The Los Santos Mine was acquired by Almonty in September 2011 and is located approximately 50 kilometres from Salamanca in western Spain and produces tungsten concentrate. The Panasqueira mine, which has been in production since 1896, is located approximately 260 kilometres northeast of Lisbon, Portugal, was acquired in January 2016 and produces tungsten concentrate. The Sangdong mine, which was historically one of the largest tungsten mines in the world and one of the few long-life, high-grade tungsten deposits outside of China, was acquired in September 2015 through the acquisition of a 100% interest in Woulfe Mining Corp. Almonty owns 100% of the Valtreixal tin-tungsten project in north-western Spain.

Legal Notice

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and therefore persons in such jurisdictions into which this announcement is released, published or distributed should inform themselves about and observe such restrictions. Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. These statements and information are based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and reflect Almontys current expectations.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Almonty to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: any specific risks relating to fluctuations in the price of ammonium para tungstate (APT) from which the sale price of Almontys tungsten concentrate is derived, actual results of mining and exploration activities, environmental, economic and political risks of the jurisdictions in which Almontys operations are located and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, forecasts and assessments relating to Almontys business, credit and liquidity risks, hedging risk, competition in the mining industry, risks related to the market price of Almontys shares, the ability of Almonty to retain key management employees or procure the services of skilled and experienced personnel, risks related to claims and legal proceedings against Almonty and any of its operating mines, risks relating to unknown defects and impairments, risks related to the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, risks related to governmental regulations, including environmental regulations, risks related to international operations of Almonty, risks relating to exploration, development and operations at Almontys tungsten mines, the ability of Almonty to obtain and maintain necessary permits, the ability of Almonty to comply with applicable laws, regulations and permitting requirements, lack of suitable infrastructure and employees to support Almontys mining operations, uncertainty in the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, production estimates from Almontys mining operations, inability to replace and expand mineral reserves, uncertainties related to title and indigenous rights with respect to mineral properties owned directly or indirectly by Almonty, the ability of Almonty to obtain adequate financing, the ability of Almonty to complete permitting, construction, development and expansion, challenges related to global financial conditions, risks related to future sales or issuance of equity securities, differences in the interpretation or application of tax laws and regulations or accounting policies and rules and acceptance of the TSX of the listing of Almonty shares on the TSX.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to, no material adverse change in the market price of ammonium para tungstate (APT), the continuing ability to fund or obtain funding for outstanding commitments, expectations regarding the resolution of legal and tax matters, no negative change to applicable laws, the ability to secure local contractors, employees and assistance as and when required and on reasonable terms, and such other assumptions and factors as are set out herein. Although Almonty has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results, level of activity, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and even if events or results described in the forward-looking statements are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Almonty. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and are cautioned that actual outcomes may vary.

Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. Almonty cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on Almontys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events.

Almonty has also assumed that material factors will not cause any forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF ALMONTY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS 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 ALMONTY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

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For further information:

Lewis Black

Chairman, President and CEO

p: +1 647 438-9766

Email: [email protected]

Source: Almonty Industries Inc.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G."), a leading global alternative investment firm with $55 billion of equity capital under management, is pleased to announce the sale of its portfolio company, Buck (Buck or the Company), to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (NYSE: AJG).

Founded in 1916 and headquartered in New York, NY, Buck is a leading provider of retirement plan consulting services, health & welfare consulting, employee communications & engagement consulting, and technology-enabled benefits administration services. Bucks clients include large global corporations, mid-market and regional companies, and governmental agencies throughout North America and Europe.

H.I.G. acquired the Company in August 2018 in a corporate carve-out transaction and successfully re-established Buck as an independent standalone organization. Through several strategic initiatives, investments, and synergistic add-on acquisitions, the Company achieved impressive growth and operational improvements during H.I.G.s ownership period, culminating in an attractive outcome for all stakeholders.

Jack Freker, Bucks CEO, commented, We appreciate H.I.G.s commitment to Buck over the last five years, adding significant value to our business and our leadership team while supporting investments across our business. We are excited to enter the next chapter of our growth story with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Matt Lozow, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, commented, The Buck team has done a phenomenal job executing on strategic initiatives and growing the business during our partnership. We are proud to have played a role in continuing Bucks legacy as the leader in the integrated HR and retirement consulting space.

Aaron Tolson, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital, added, We have been thrilled with the partnership with Bucks management and are excited to follow the Companys future success.

Harris Williams acted as the financial advisor to Buck and Kirkland & Ellis LLP acted as legal counsel to H.I.G. Capital and Buck, in connection with the transaction.

About Buck

Buck is an integrated HR, pensions, and employee benefits consulting, technology, and administration services firm. Founded more than 100 years ago as an actuarial consultancy, Buck has evolved to serve organizations and trustees across the health, wealth, and career spectrum.

With the ultimate goal of securing the futures of clients employees and members, Buck develops tech-enabled programs that engage individuals and drive organizational performance. Bucks award-winning engagement solutions and people-first approach empower the worlds most forward-thinking organizations to protect the physical and financial wellbeing of their employees and members and improve how their people work and live. For more information, visit www.buck.com.

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. is a leading global alternative assets investment firm with $55 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta in the U.S., as well as international affiliate offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach:

H.I.G.s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector.

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide with combined revenues in excess of $52 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com.

* Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005813/en/

Matt Lozow

Managing Director

[email protected]

Aaron Tolson

Managing Director

[email protected]

Source: H.I.G. Capital
RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Harris Williams, a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, announces it advised Ethos Capital LP (Ethos) on its acquisition of Newforma, a provider of project information management (PIM) software for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners worldwide. The transaction was led by Priyanka Naithani and Ryan Costa of the Harris Williams Technology Group.

As the number of stakeholders in a construction project grows and a vast amount of data is created and utilized throughout the construction lifecycle, Newforma plays a critical role unifying project data and enabling collaboration amongst stakeholders, said Priyanka Naithani, a managing director at Harris Williams. It was a pleasure working with Co-CEO Erik Brooks, Partner Chris Ritchie, and the rest of the Ethos team on this transaction, and we are excited to see what Newforma accomplishes in partnership with Ethos.

This represents another high-profile transaction for Harris Williams in the broader architecture, engineering and construction software sector, said Ryan Costa, a director at Harris Williams. The sector is undergoing a period of massive investment in software and technology solutions to increase connectivity between project stakeholders, manage labor and supply-chain constraints, and ensure projects are delivered on schedule and on budget. We expect strong investor and strategic buyer interest to continue as the underlying trends across the construction and construction software sectors remain strong.

Ethos was established to make majority and control minority investments in middle market information service companies, primarily across North America and Europe. The organization provides operational expertise to companies through a dedicated team of 17 Executive Partners. Ethos strategy is to add value by partnering with existing management teams to strategically enhance operations and accelerate growth.

Newformas industry-leading PIM software streamlines communication, manages files, and simplifies construction administration for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners. Newformas software reduces the amount of time spent on administrative tasks, streamlines project workflows and powers real-time collaboration for project teams. Newforma software has more than 122,000 users in more than 1,200 firms.

Harris Williams is a global investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services. Clients worldwide rely on us to help unlock value in their business and turn ambitious goals into reality. We approach every engagement with boundless collaboration, pooling expertise and relationships across industries and geographies to uncover the unique story of each company. For over 30 years, our clients have trusted us to think strategically, execute precisely, and deliver premium outcomes through M&A.

Technology is ubiquitous in todays global economy, with most sectors and industries rapidly adopting software and data solutions as companies seek to increase competitiveness and enhance productivity. Led by seasoned and passionate professionals with strong vertical and horizontal experience, the Harris Williams Technology Group partners with both growth capital and private equity investors as well as company leaders around the globe. Our clients rely on us to navigate the ever-evolving technology M&A landscape. Our Technology Group has deep expertise across application and vertical software as well as technology and data services.

Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: [email protected]). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005821/en/

Julia Moore

[email protected]

Source: Harris Williams
New leadership team, led by Dr Ben Cliff, will drive growth in pharmaceutical development and discovery & biologics

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Limerston Capital LLP (Limerston Capital) has announced the acquisition of Concept Life Sciences, a leading integrated drug discovery, development and manufacturing organisation, in a carve-out from Spectris plc through its new fund Limerston Capital Partners II, LP. The deal, Limerstons fourth platform deal in the life sciences space, will see Concept Life Sciences cement its position at the forefront of the pharmaceutical and life science sectors and provide it with a platform for further growth.

Concept Life Sciences is an established contract research organisation (CRO), primarily serving the global research and development market, with clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space ranging from blue chip to virtual biotech. The breadth and depth of its expertise is unparalleled in Europe and ranges from drug discovery and early development through to API manufacturing at multi kilogram scale under good manufacturing practice (GMP), which is delivered as a single service or as part of wider discovery and development programmes.

Underlining its commitment to remaining at the front of its sector, Concept Life Sciences has invested significantly in its capabilities since 2020. It has developed world class biology facilities in oncology and immunology, ensuring unmatched insights into fast-growing specialty therapeutic areas and driving innovation.

Its team of around 300 accomplished scientists and over 100 PhDs operate from state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, strategically located in major science hubs across the UK.

Newly appointed CEO, Dr Ben Cliff, will head a dynamic senior leadership team. Dr. Cliff will be responsible for a new growth strategy which will see Concept Life Sciences take advantage of its increased commercial and technical flexibility to build and expand its services to a new and existing client base.

Cliff has been part of the Concept Life Sciences senior team for five years and brings a wealth of leadership experience in the CRO industry from Intertek Pharmaceutical Services supporting the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and specialty chemical sectors. His experience covers all aspects of the business including operations, sales and marketing, quality and strategic development.

Limerston Capital is a private equity firm targeting UK businesses with EBITDA of between 5 million and 15 million. It partners with management teams to help build them into industry leaders through buy-and-build and operational transformation.

Ben Cliff, CEO of Concept Life Sciences said: Limerston Capital will be an excellent partner for our business, allowing us much greater commercial and technical focus so we can realise the companys true potential and deliver the high value service our customers depend on to support their R&D activities.

As well as the benefit of providing additional investment, Limerston Capitals fully-integrated and dedicated operational and investment team will be invaluable to support the carve-out and accelerate our growth.

Jane Grewar, Senior Operating Partner of Limerston Capital, added: We see enormous potential for the Concept Life Sciences business which is well positioned to benefit from high growth in the CRO market, with its strong pipeline of high-value, rapidly-growing services and a focus on highly invested therapeutic areas. The companys excellent track record, highly-skilled team of scientists and industry-leading facilities, particularly in the high-growth areas of immunology, oncology and inflammation, make it a very attractive investment for Limerston Capital. Were excited to be partnering with such a capable team.

-ends-

About Limerston Capital

Founded in 2015 by James Paget, Joao Rosa and Martim Avillez, London based Limerston Capital pursues control investments in UK mid-market companies and seeks to create value through the firms buy-and-build and operationally focused model. The firm targets businesses with EBITDA of between 5 million and 15 million that have a solid value proposition, but have potential for operational improvements, have mispriced underlying returns on capital and provide opportunities for strategic repositioning via consolidation.

www.limerstoncap.com

About Concept Life Sciences

Founded in 1989, Concept Life Sciences is a leading global contract research organisation primarily serving the pharmaceutical and life sciences research and development market. With an excellent track record in project execution, delivering tangible value for customers IP generation, and stringent focus on quality, the company has around 300 employees and operates out of five state of the art facilities.

www.conceptlifesciences.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005089/en/

Martim Avillez, Limerston Capital Founding Partner

[email protected]

+44 (0)203 897 1860



Media:

Caroline Villiers

[email protected]

+44 (0)7808 585184



Charlotte Balbirnie

[email protected]

+44 (0)7989 528421

Source: Limerston Capital LLP
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mobvista, a leading growth platform for mobile app businesses, is excited to welcome Greg Castro as their new Head of Global Partnerships. Based in Silicon Valley, Greg contributes over two decades of invaluable digital advertising expertise to the company.

Throughout his distinguished career, Greg has occupied significant roles at top-tier organizations such as Yahoo and AOL, sharpening his acumen in the digital advertising sector. Before joining Mobvista, he oversaw the programmatic exchange at Amobee and spearheaded programmatic partnerships at Celtra. Greg's profound understanding of programmatic advertising and enterprise/SaaS platforms will be a vital asset as Mobvista relentlessly pursues innovation and global expansion of its product offerings.

Commenting on his new role, Greg said, "Mobvista combines the individual offerings of each of my previous companies and blends them all together to offer a one-stop-shop solution for advertisers and publishers. Our products include tools for user acquisition, publisher monetization, and optimization, including campaign management, creative management, analytics, and server costs. I will help the company develop and implement a go-to-market strategy to strengthen our presence in the US market and globally across Mobvista's programmatic and SaaS product offerings."

As a unified platform for global app developers, Mobvista provides a comprehensive range of mobile advertising and analytics products that aid developers and marketers in achieving global growth. Key offerings encompass Mintegral, a programmatic ad platform, GameAnalytics, an analytics tool for game developers, and XMP, a one-stop cross-channel media buying platform.

"We couldn't be happier to have Greg join the Mobvista family," said Clement Cao, Mobvista's Co-Founder, and CEO. "His extensive experience and expertise in the mobile industry will play a critical role in helping our clients achieve success. With his leadership, we are confident that we can continue to expand our global footprint and provide innovative solutions that empower our clients to achieve their goals."

About Mobvista

Mobvista is a leading mobile technology company providing a complete suite of advertising and analytics tools for app developers and marketers seeking global growth. Providing a range of tailored solutions, such as user acquisition, monetization, analytics, creative automation, and cross-channel media buying, Mobvista enables mobile businesses to maximize their potential.

To learn more about Mobvista, please visit www.mobvista.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005404/en/

[email protected]

Source: Mobvista
COXSACKIE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Bank of Coxsackie has donated $1,000 towards the SUNY Cobleskill Foundations Corporate Partners Scholarship Program.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005669/en/

Pictured here from left to right is: NBC Middleburgh Assistant Manager Brenda Bellinger, NBC Middleburgh Head Teller Tina Fischer, NBC Middleburgh Branch Manager Heather Kelly, SUNY Cobleskill Director of Development and Corporate Partnerships Nick DeCaprio, MBA, M.Ed., and NBC Commercial Loan Officer Keven Mathes (Photo: Business Wire)

The Corporate Partners Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to SUNY Cobleskill students in the form of business supported annual scholarships. To be eligible, students must be enrolled on a fulltime basis, demonstrate financial need, and have a GPA of 2.5 or above. This scholarship aids in covering the cost of books, technology, academic fees, equipment, room and board, and other crucial non-tuition educational related needs.

"We are so pleased and thankful for the generous commitments by area businesses in support of our corporate scholarship program," said John Zacharek, SUNY Cobleskill Vice President for Development and Executive Director for the SUNY Cobleskill Foundation. "For $1,000, a company like National Bank of Coxsackie can name a scholarship for the year, which can make an enormous difference to an aspiring student pursuing a degree through our unique applied learning approach. The success of our students, 98 percent of whom enter their career field or go on to pursue a higher degree within a year of their graduation, is testament that a Cobleskill education truly works."

National Bank of Coxsackie is always looking for ways to support our local communities, Middleburgh Branch Manager Heather Kelly commented, especially if it can be directed towards our youth who have a need.

Keven Mathes, NBC Commercial Loan Officer went on to say, "NBC is excited to support students studying at SUNY Cobleskill through its participation in the college's Corporate Partnerships Scholarship Program. Through our relationship we are happy to provide an impactful way to help students afford their college education."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005669/en/

Nicole M. Bliss, 518-731-6161

VP/Human Resources

[email protected]

Source: National Bank of Coxsackie
Chisinau Airport, the only international airport operating in Moldova, has returned to state ownership, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said at a briefing on Monday.

Moldova lost 1.6 billion lei (EUR 80 million at the current exchange rate) over the nine years the airport was run as a private business, Sandu said.

"Justice finally prevailed, and the airport was returned to state ownership. [...] It took a lot of effort to get the airport back," she said.

She called on the competent authorities to "inspect the airport and document any identified deficiencies."

"It is necessary to revise the tax of EUR 9 per passenger and reduce it much as possible. I call on the Public Property Agency and the airport administration to ensure its optimal operation so that citizens can avail themselves to a large number of flights to different destinations at affordable prices," the president said.

The authorities plan to turn the airport into a regional air hub, which should contribute to Moldova's closer integration into the European economic space, she said.
Civitas Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CIVI) (Civitas or the Company) today announced that Hodge Walker has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, effective April 5, 2023. He will replace Matt Owens who has left the company.

Chris Doyle, President and CEO, said, On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Company, I am pleased to welcome Hodge to Civitas. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Hodge has a proven track record of successfully leading teams and driving a culture of operational excellence. I am confident he will help advance our already strong team and our commitment to safe, efficient, and responsible operations. Finally, I would like to thank Matt for the significant contributions he has made toward our success and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. Walker added, I am honored to join Civitas at such an exciting time in its history. I look forward to working with Chris and the talented team to build on our strong foundation of operational performance and safely deliver for all our stakeholders.

Mr. Walker most recently served as vice president of Chevron Corporations (NYSE: CVX) (Chevron) Rockies Business Unit, a position he held since October 2020 when Chevron acquired Noble Energy, Inc. (Noble). Prior to joining Chevron, Mr. Walker served as Senior Vice President responsible for Nobles U.S. onshore operations. He also served as a director of Noble Midstream GP and as Nobles Vice President of West Africa and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, he served as Director of Strategic Planning, Environmental Analysis, and Reserves; managed Nobles operated West Africa assets, non-operated international assets, and frontier business ventures; and was a member of the business development team. Prior to joining Noble in 2007, Mr. Walker held various positions of increasing importance at Amoco Corporation and BP America, Inc. He earned a BS and MS in Geology from Louisiana State University and completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program in 2018.
Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP), the middle-market focused private equity team at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, have entered into an agreement to sell Ovation Fertility (Ovation) to US Fertility (USF). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Ovation, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is a leading provider of fertility laboratory services, including in-vitro fertilization laboratory services (IVF), genetic testing, egg and embryo storage and other services for the fertility industry. USF, which is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, and backed by Amulet Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity investment firm focused exclusively on the healthcare sector, is the largest partnership of physician-owned and physician-led top-tier fertility practices in the United States, offering comprehensive non-clinical, administrative, and technical platforms that help domestic and international practices improve patient outcomes and increase patient access.

Through our successful partnership with Ovations management team and physician shareholders, led by CEO Paul Kappelman, the company is executing on its purpose to deliver innovative science and cutting-edge care and support to patients through every stage of the continuum of fertility care, said Steve Rodgers, Managing Director and Head of Healthcare at MSCP. We are proud to have collectively built the business into a leading reproductive care provider, and we are grateful for their hard work and dedication.

The combination of USF and Ovation brings together practices form entirely complementary geographies and creates a platform that will facilitate best practice sharing across both companies to improve clinical results and patient outcomes for more patients in more locations, said Paul Kappelman, CEO of Ovation. MSCP has been a value-added partner to the business throughout Ovations journey and we thank them for their support. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to be a part of USF, where we believe the combined company will be a leader in the industry with an ability to drive world-class patient outcomes.

Harris Williams acted as financial advisor to Ovation, while DLA Piper served as legal advisor to MSCP.

About Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, is a leading middle-market private equity platform established in 1986 that focuses on privately negotiated equity and equity-related investments primarily in North America. Morgan Stanley Capital Partners seeks to create value in portfolio companies primarily in a series of subsectors in the business services, consumer, healthcare, education and industrials markets with an emphasis on driving significant organic and acquisition growth through an operationally focused approach. For further information about Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, please visit www.morganstanley.com/im/capitalpartners.
Wallbox (NYSE: WBX) (the company), a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions worldwide, today announced that it has filed a prospectus supplement to its existing shelf registration statement on Form F-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), under which it may offer and sell shares of its Class A ordinary shares having an aggregate offering price of up to $100 million through an at-the-market (ATM) equity offering program.

This offering program is intended to provide the company with access to capital from time to time. The aggregate offering price of up to $100 million represents a portion of funds allowed for issuance under the companys shelf registration statement declared effective by the SEC on November 22, 2022. The number of shares to be sold, if any, under the ATM program will depend on, among other factors, market conditions, the companys capital needs, and the anticipated benefits to the company and its shareholders.

The company intends to use the net proceeds from any sales of shares under the ATM program for general corporate purposes, including but not limited to the funding of capital expenditures, working capital, production, research and development and potential acquisitions.

The shares will be offered through Canaccord Genuity LLC and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. as sales agents (the Sales Agents). The Sales Agents may sell shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an at-the-market offering as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including without limitation, sales made directly on the New York Stock Exchange, on any other existing trading market for the shares, to or through a market maker or in negotiated transactions. Sales may be made at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices and, as a result, sales prices may vary.

The prospectus supplement filed today adds to, updates or otherwise changes information contained in the existing prospectus contained in a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on November 22, 2022 (File No. 333-268347), for the offering of shares. Prospective investors should read the prospectus, the prospectus supplement and other documents the company has filed or submitted with the SEC (some of which are incorporated by reference into the prospectus and prospectus supplement) for more complete information about the company and the ATM program, including the risks associated with investing in the company. Investors may obtain copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering without charge by visiting the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, copies of the prospectus supplement may also be obtained, when available, from Canaccord Genuity LLC, Attention: Syndicate Department, 99 High Street, 12th Floor, Boston MA 02110, by email at [email protected] or Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Attention: Syndicate Prospectus Department, 85 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York, New York 10004, by telephone at 212-667-8055, or by email at [email protected].

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of the company, which is made only by means of a prospectus supplement and related prospectus. There will be no sale of shares in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation of an offer to buy or sale would be unlawful.
FILE PHOTO: A view shows Blizzard Entertainment's campus, after Microsoft Corp announced the purchase of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in the biggest gaming industry deal in history, in Irvine, California, U.S., January 18, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Bl

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department filed an antitrust complaint against Activision Blizzard on Monday, according to a court filing.

The complaint was not immediately available on the docket.

The Federal Trade Commission, which works with the Justice Department to enforce antitrust law, moved to block Microsoft's $69 billion bid to buy "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard in December.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; Editing by Mark Porter)
SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and Rep. Roger Williams Highlighted Boots to Business Program

Washington D.C., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- March 31, 2023, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice in President Bidens Cabinet for Americas 33 million small businesses, joined U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, Roger Williams (TX-25), at Fort Hood to highlight the Boots to Business (B2B) program by meeting with current students and service members.



Boots to Business (B2B) is an entrepreneurial education and training program offered by SBA as part of the Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program (TAP). B2B provides participants with an overview of business ownership and is open to transitioning service members (including National Guard and Reserve) and their spouses.

It was a pleasure to join Chairman Roger Williams at Fort Hood to hear directly from active-duty military service members, military spouses, and veterans as they learned more about entrepreneurial pathways through SBAs Boots to Business program, said Administrator Guzman. Through Boots to Business, as well as ongoing support through SBAs Veterans Business Outreach Centers and VetCert program, SBA is committed to meeting those whove served our country where they are with capital, contracts, and counseling.

The SBAs Boots to Business program has proven to be an invaluable lifeline to thousands of Americas heroes looking to start the next chapter of their lives, said Chairman Williams. I am honored to have had the opportunity to tour Fort Hood with Administrator Guzman and meet with our Nations servicemembers and students about Boots to Business. Americas veterans are natural leaders and, with the right tools and opportunities like the Boots to Business program, they will be able to thrive in the private sector by starting their own small business and pursue the American dream.



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About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Attachments
Washington, D.C., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Walter D. Davis, Jr. has joined the firms Intellectual Property Litigation practice group as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Walter has significant experience in all facets of patent law, including more than 20 years in private practice and six years as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He joins Blank Rome from Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdy where he was a partner.

Walters arrival continues the strategic expansion of Blank Romes national Intellectual Property & Technology practice, which has grown over the last 18 months with the additions of partner and co-chair of the firms Intellectual Property Litigation practice group Paul Zeineddin, partner and co-chair of the firms Intellectual Property & Technology practice group Hussein Akhavannik, and attorneys Mark F. Mashack and Timothy S. Schwarz in the firms Washington, D.C., office; partner Josh Reisberg and associate Michael S. Rubin in the New York office; partner Todd M. Malynn in the Los Angeles office; associate Cory R. Edwards in the Chicago office; and patent agents Benjamin A. Ailes, Dr. Amir Kyarad, David B. Hardy, and Dr. Joseph B. Jackson in the firms Philadelphia and Houston offices.

I am delighted to welcome Walter to our firm and nationally recognized IP group, said Grant Palmer, Blank Romes Chair and Managing Partner. Walters significant background in patent law and focus on technology will add tremendous value to our IP groups wide range of patent service offerings as well as expand the capabilities of our Life Sciences and Software teams.

Walter is a first-chair litigator whose practice primarily consists of patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property litigation in U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has a strong and diverse background with technology, including microprocessors, smart home systems, software, Internet technology, smartphones, lighting control systems, consumer appliances, liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, semiconductor design and fabrication, medical imaging systems, battery chargers, computer hardware technology, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.

Walter has an excellent reputation in the IP legal field and we are thrilled to have him join our growing national team, said Zeineddin. His deep experience in high-tech patent litigation will greatly benefit our clients in the hardware, software, and consumer electronics industries, adding significant value to current client relationships and helping us expand our work in this key segment.

Blank Rome has an excellent patent litigation team and I am looking forward to growing my practice at the firm, said Davis. I have always been impressed with the caliber of Blank Romes IP litigators, not only for their significant experience in patent law but also for their collaborative and collegial approachincluding with opposing counsel. I am excited to contribute to the ongoing success of the firms national IP group.

Walter has served as chair, vice-chair, and secretary of the Intellectual Property Section of the National Bar Association, the nations oldest and largest association of predominately African American lawyers and judges. As chair, Walter helped found the National Bar Associations Diversity in Tech Awards, which recognize diverse lawyers and in-house legal departments that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in the technology industry.

Walter earned his J.D., with honors, from George Washington University Law School, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

About Blank Rome

Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 650 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.

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Attachment
BROOKFIELD, News, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will hold its first quarter 2023 conference call and webcast on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. (ET).



Results will be released that morning before 7:00 a.m. (ET) and will be available on our website at www.bip.brookfield.com .

Participants can join by conference call or webcast:

Conference Call

Please pre-register at: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI72022c6c4f02498f937e75c408f74f90

Upon registering, you will be emailed a dial-in number, direct passcode and unique PIN. This process will bypass the operator and avoid the queue.

Webcast

Please join and register at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/tehnbre3



About Brookfield Infrastructure

Brookfield Infrastructure is a leading global infrastructure company that owns and operates high-quality, long-life assets in the utilities, transport, midstream and data sectors across North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are focused on assets that generate stable cash flows and require minimal maintenance capital expenditures. Investors can access its portfolio either through Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN), a Bermuda-based limited partnership, or Brookfield Infrastructure Corporation (NYSE, TSX: BIPC), a Canadian corporation. Further information is available at www.bip.brookfield.com .

Brookfield Infrastructure is the flagship listed infrastructure company of Brookfield Corporation, a global alternative asset manager. For more information, go to www.brookfield.com .

Contact Information

Media

Sebastien Bouchard

Vice President, Communications

Tel: +1 (416) 943-7937

Email: [email protected] Investor Relations

Stephen Fukuda

Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Tel: +1 (416) 956-5129

Email: [email protected]




TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inventus Mining Corp. (TSX VENTURE: IVS) (Inventus or the Company) is pleased to announce that Mr. Perry Ing, CA, CPA, CFA, has joined the Board of Directors. Perry is an accomplished executive who has served as the Chief Financial Officer of several high-profile mining companies including Kirkland Lake Gold (acquired by Agnico Eagle in 2022), Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (TSX:MPVD); and currently serves as CFO of McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE/TSX:MUX). Perry brings a wealth of knowledge from his involvement in large gold and diamond mining operations and numerous corporate transactions. Perry owns 4 million shares and 2 million warrants of Inventus.

Concurrent with Perrys appointment, Mr. Scott Heatherington has retired from the Board. We would like to thank Scott very much for his dedicated service to the Company since 2015.

We are also pleased to announce that Mr. William (Bill) Shaver, P.Eng, ICD.D, has agreed to be a strategic technical advisor to the Company. Bill has over 50 years of management and executive experience in all facets of mine design, construction, and operations. In 1980, he was a founder of Dynatec Corporation, which became one of the leading contracting and mine operating groups in North America. In 2013, he was recognized as the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for his devotion to bringing innovation to the mining industry. Recently he served as Chief Operating Officer of INV Metals (acquired by Dundee Precious Metals in 2021) and is currently interim COO of McEwen Mining. Bill is a resident of Sudbury and owns 6 million shares and 3 million warrants of Inventus.

Pardo Update

Inventus has engaged Snowden Optiro, a global consulting firm that has unique experience with paleoplacer gold systems, to conduct a geostatistical study of the recent drilling and bulk sampling data from Pardo. The most recent surface bulk sampling results (see press release dated September 27, 2022) returned a gold grade of 3.4 g/t Au for the 4,979 tonnes processed, which compared favorably to the predicted grade and tonnage of 3.3 g/t and 5,526 tonnes, respectively. The aim of the Snowden study is to optimize our upcoming resource drill program, providing adequate data to support a maiden mineral resource estimate. Once the study is complete the resource drill program can be properly planned with an anticipated start date early in the second half of 2023.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Stefan Spears

Chairman and CEO

Inventus Mining Corp.

E-mail: [email protected]

About Inventus Mining Corp.

Inventus is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the world-class mining district of Sudbury, Ontario. Our principal assets are a 100% interest in the Pardo Paleoplacer Gold Project and the Sudbury 2.0 Critical Mineral Project located northeast of Sudbury. Pardo is the first important paleoplacer gold discovery found in North America. Inventus has approximately 164.8 million common shares outstanding.

Visit http://www.inventusmining.com for more information.

Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this news release.

Qualified Person

The Qualified Person responsible for the geological technical content of this news release is Inventus Vice-President Exploration, Wesley Whymark, P.Geo., who has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure in this news release on behalf of the Company.

Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements" which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, if, yet, potential, undetermined, objective, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations.
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LOVE Pharma Inc. (LOVE and or the Company) (CSE: LUV) (FSE: G1Q0) is pleased to announce that it has issued a total of 5,035,000 options pursuant to its incentive stock option plan (Plan) to management, employees and consultants. Each option entitles the holder to subscribe for one common share of the Company for $0.05 for up to a period of 5 years, subject to the terms of the Plan. The options will vest immediately upon issuance.

The Company cancelled a total of 3,700,000 stock options (pre-consolidation) on December 1, 2022, including 1,375,000 to insiders as they were no longer serving their purpose in aligning the interest of the holders with those of shareholders.

About Love Pharma Inc.

With a focus on the global sexual Health and Wellness markets, Love Pharma Inc. (CSE: LUV) (FSE: G1Q0) was founded in 2020, with a mission to bring to market innovative products that enhance sexual health and wellness while providing an improved quality of life. Love Pharma holds exclusive licenses to produce market, package, sell, and distribute patent-protected therapeutic and pharmaceutical products throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, and North America.

For further information, please contact:

Investor RelationsTelephone: 1 (604) 343-2977E-mail: [email protected]www.love-pharma.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 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", "may" 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, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID19, including the impact of COVID19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, lack of investor demand for Bitcoin and/or Bitcoin futures exchange traded funds, 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.

Investor Relations Love Pharma 1 (604) 343-2977 [email protected]

Source: Love Pharma
Odesa, Ukraine, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MoonWin, a new Web3 gamified platform, is bringing innovation to the online gaming world by providing players with a completely new and exciting gaming experience. The platform is designed to offer fair and transparent gaming, utilizing the benefits of blockchain technology. MoonWin is a decentralized application (dApp) that enables users to play a provably fair game of chance using Chainlinks Verifiable Random Function (VRF).

MoonWin is a game-changer in the world of Web3 gaming, providing users with a completely new way to gamble online. The platform offers players the opportunity to play against a smart contract, providing them with the assurance that they will not be cheated. With MoonWin, users can stake from the liquidity pool, play Dice, or take advantage of the Influencer Program, which rewards users for referring others to the platform.

MoonWin: Key Deviations from Other Crypto Gaming Sites

MoonWin was created to provide users with a set of working tools to get profits every minute. The whole MoonWin ecosystem is absolutely secure and free from the human factor, as all operations inside the dApp are executed by a smart contract.

Thus, the main features that lie in the core of the MoonWin crypto platform are as follows:

Playing Against a Smart Contract: It is Moonwin's greatest distinctive feature, which sets the dApp from hundreds of others. The smart contract implies 100% decentralized play in each bet, putting the platform and its users on one level. The transparent protocol defines the winner and sends funds to the player's address.

It is Moonwin's greatest distinctive feature, which sets the dApp from hundreds of others. The smart contract implies 100% decentralized play in each bet, putting the platform and its users on one level. The transparent protocol defines the winner and sends funds to the player's address. Starting as a Liquidity Pool Provider: Stake one of three main cryptocurrencies, such as ETH, BNB, and Polygon's MATIC (more TBA) and play against the liquidity pool. In case of winning, the smart contract withdraws the sum of the prize from the pool or replenishes it in case of loss.

Stake one of three main cryptocurrencies, such as ETH, BNB, and Polygon's MATIC (more TBA) and play against the liquidity pool. In case of winning, the smart contract withdraws the sum of the prize from the pool or replenishes it in case of loss. MoonWin DAO and $MWIN Native Token: MoonWin's next stage will be launching its DAO to give voice to and reward each community member with MoonWins ERC-20 token $MWIN, which is to e also be rolled out in a while.

MoonWin's next stage will be launching its DAO to give voice to and reward each community member with MoonWins ERC-20 token $MWIN, which is to e also be rolled out in a while. The MoonWin Influencer Program: It's a beneficial option for influencers who want to capitalize on their following thanks to a decentralized referral system. The personal rate will depend on the influencer's popularity and the referred users' winnings/losses. This feature is also just around the curve of MoonWin's extensive roadmap.

It's a beneficial option for influencers who want to capitalize on their following thanks to a decentralized referral system. The personal rate will depend on the influencer's popularity and the referred users' winnings/losses. This feature is also just around the curve of MoonWin's extensive roadmap. Playing Dice: MoonWin has taken good-old Dice to a new level, paying off each even tiny bet. More fun and more captivating games will be announced soon.

MoonWin has taken good-old Dice to a new level, paying off each even tiny bet. More fun and more captivating games will be announced soon. Superfast Registration: To start betting with Moonwin, the only thing you need is to connect your Metamask wallet. Thus, neither personal data nor time-consuming authorization procedures, but a thrill of crypto gaming and huge winnings await MoonWin users.

MoonWin is currently offering a fair Dice game with Ethereum, BNB, MATIC, and multiple other digital currencies, including MoonWins governance token, with more to become available soon. The platform also provides superfast registration, with users only needing to connect their Metamask wallet to get started.

The team behind MoonWin is made up of crypto enthusiasts and innovators who are dedicated to providing users with a unique gaming experience. They have created a completely secure and free-from-human-factor ecosystem, with all operations executed by a smart contract.

MoonWin and the Future of Web3 Gaming

The advent of blockchain has revolutionized the world of online gaming, providing a range of benefits, including fairness and transparency. The launch of MoonWin comes at a time when the Web3 ecosystem is experiencing a thaw after a continuous crypto winter in 2022. The platform is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing popularity of Web3 gaming, providing users with a new and exciting way to gamble online. With the launch of MoonWin, users can experience the full potential of Web3 gaming. As the realm of Web3 gaming continues to grow, MoonWin is at the forefront of the industry, providing trustworthy and innovative betting solutions to users worldwide.

MoonWin's team is excited to be part of the Web3 ecosystem and sees a bright future for the platform. "Blockchain has already changed and will keep altering the world of iGaming, spreading the benefits of Web3 throughout the internet. Every day, minute, and second, both small firms and supermassive platforms jump into Web3's fast-moving train, which is only gaining pace," said a spokesperson for MoonWin.

To start betting with Moonwin, users only need to connect their Metamask wallet, which allows them to bypass personal data or time-consuming authorization procedures. The platform offers superfast registration and a thrill of crypto gaming and huge winnings await MoonWin users.

Overall, MoonWin is an ambitious and groundbreaking platform that is set to redefine the online gaming sphere. With its fair and transparent gaming, innovative features, and user-friendly interface, MoonWin is an excellent choice for anyone looking to experience the full potential of Web3 gaming. To learn more about MoonWin and get started, visit the platform's official website and connect your Metamask wallet. Join the revolution and take your online gaming experience to the moon with MoonWin!

Disclaimer:

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Daniil Markov Moonwin info-at-moon.win

Source: MoonWin
Naev on checking combat readiness of Armed Forces of Belarus: We have full info about movement of weapons and equipment

The Ukrainian forces fully possess information about the movement of weapons and military equipment as part of the combat readiness check of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, said commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhiy Naev.

Our intelligence is monitoring the situation, which is related to checking the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. We have full information about the movement of weapons and military equipment within the framework of this check.

He stressed that the Defense Forces in the northern zone are in constant combat readiness and are always ready for an adequate response.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced that they had begun checking the combat readiness of the country's Armed Forces. During the inspection, military equipment will move around Belarus, there may be a temporary restriction of movement for civilian transport on public roads and terrain areas.
ISELIN, N.J., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: PFS) announced that it expects to release financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 on Thursday, April 27, 2023 after market close. A copy of the earnings release will be immediately available on the Companys website, www.Provident.Bank, by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Press Releases.

Representatives of the Company will hold a conference call for investors on April 28, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the Companys first quarter financial results. Information about the conference call is as follows:

United States (Local): +1 404 975 4839 United States (Toll-Free): +1 833 470 1428 Access Code: 815758

Internet access to the call will be available (listen only) at www.Provident.Bank by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Webcast.

A replay of the call will be available beginning at 12:00 noon (ET) on April 28, 2023 until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 12, 2023.

US Toll Free: +1 866 813 9403 UK (Local): +0204 525 0658 US (Local): +1 929 458 6194 All other locations: +44 204 525 0658 Access Code: 640586

The call will also be archived on the Companys website for a period of one year.

Provident Financial Services, Inc. is the holding company for Provident Bank. As of December 31, 2022, the Company reported assets of $13.8 billion. The Bank currently operates a network of full service branches throughout northern and central New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Queens and Nassau Counties, New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company, and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc.

SOURCE: Provident Financial Services, Inc.

CONTACT: Investor Relations, 1-732-590-9300

Web Site: http://www.Provident.Bank

Source: Provident Financial Services, Inc.
MONTREAL, April 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saputo Inc. (we, Saputo or the Company) (TSX: SAP) announces today it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell two fresh milk processing facilities in Laverton North, Victoria, and Erskine Park, New South Wales, to Coles Group Limited, an Australian-based supermarket, retail, and consumer services chain, in a transaction valued at approximately CDN$95 million (A$105 million).

The transaction is subject to customary conditions, including the clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and is expected to close in the second half of calendar 2023.

In line with the Companys Global Strategic Plan, this intended divestiture will enable Saputo to further streamline its operating model, adjust its manufacturing network to strengthen market competitiveness, and allow it to reinvest in areas of the business that will result in more value creation opportunities.

Were continually working to ensure we have the right manufacturing footprint and product offering to enhance our position as a high-quality, low-cost processor, said Lino A. Saputo, Chair of the Board, President and CEO. This marks an important step in executing our long-term vision for success in Australia as we maintain a sharp focus on efficiency to ensure we maximize the return on every litre of milk.

About Saputo

Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products of the utmost quality, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products, and dairy ingredients. Saputo is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, a leading cheese manufacturer and fluid milk and cream processor in Canada, and the top dairy processor in Australia and Argentina. In the USA, Saputo ranks among the top three cheese producers and is one of the largest producers of extended shelf-life and cultured dairy products. In the United Kingdom, Saputo is the largest manufacturer of branded cheese and a top manufacturer of dairy spreads. In addition to its dairy portfolio, Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a range of dairy alternative cheeses and beverages. Saputo products are sold in several countries under market-leading brands, as well as private label brands. Saputo Inc. is a publicly traded company and its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol SAP. Follow Saputos activities at Saputo.com or via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains statements which are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to the intended sale of two processing facilities and the expected timing related thereto, our objectives, outlook, business projects, strategies, beliefs, expectations, targets, commitments, goals, ambitions and strategic plans including our ability to achieve these targets, commitments, goals, ambitions and strategic plans, and statements other than historical facts. The words may, could, should, will, would, believe, plan, anticipate, intend or expect, or the negative of these terms or variations of them, the use of conditional or future tense or words and expressions of similar nature, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws.

By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to a number of inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those stated, implied or projected in such forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statements will materialize, and we warn readers that these forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact or guarantees of future performance in any way. Assumptions, expectations and estimates made in the preparation of forward-looking statements and risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations are discussed in our materials filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities from time to time, including the "Risks and Uncertainties" section of the Managements Discussion and Analysis dated June 9, 2022, available on SEDAR under Saputo's profile at www.sedar.com, and also include the following: our ability to implement capital investment, consolidation and network optimization initiatives as planned, our ability to achieve productivity and efficiency gains resulting from such initiatives, uncertainties as to the timing of the intended sale; the risk that the intended sale may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, and the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the intended sale may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals.

Forward-looking statements are based on Managements current estimates, expectations and assumptions. Management believes that these estimates, expectations, and assumptions are reasonable as of the date hereof, and are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, and other uncertainties and contingencies regarding future events, and are accordingly subject to changes after such date. Forward-looking statements are intended to provide shareholders with information regarding Saputo, including our assessment of future financial plans, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Undue importance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, and the information contained in such forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as of any other date.

All forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof or as of the specific date of such forward-looking statements. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Saputo does not undertake to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether written or verbal, that may be made from time to time by itself or on our behalf, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. All forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Investor InquiriesNicholas EstrelaDirector, Investor Relations 1-514-328-3117

Media Inquiries1-514-328-3141 / 1-866-648-5902[email protected]

Source: Saputo Inc.
Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - College of DuPage Teacher Preparation Associate Professor April Zawlocki was named Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education Teacher Educator (IACTE) of the Year for her demonstrated innovation in teacher education and leadership in improving Career and Technical Education programs.

Zawlocki said that the award symbolizes the strength of COD's Teacher Preparation program.





Professor April Zawlocki



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"Since starting here 10 years ago, my vision has been to create a teacher pipeline that gives students high-quality, affordable options for obtaining their teaching license so they don't have to go into debt and can flourish in their life as an educator."

In her tenure at COD, Zawlocki has developed numerous innovative pathways to address teacher shortages in Illinois. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in developing a new 3+1 Technology Engineering Education bachelor's degree agreement in partnership with Valley City State University in North Dakota. The program provides COD students with access to a teaching degree through VCSU at a significantly reduced cost.

"I love working collaboratively with future educators and look forward to calling them my colleagues," Zawlocki said. "If I can inspire future educators to invest in their students and to create a culture of learning, then I will have done my job."

The Teacher Preparation program at COD meets the needs of students planning to teach in elementary, secondary or special education settings. Many students enroll in the program to become educators or to take education courses for careers in youth counseling, criminal justice and parent teacher association leadership.

The College's fall 2023 semester begins Monday, Aug. 21, and includes a 16-week, two 12-week and two eight-week sessions. Priority registration, for current students with 30 or more credit, begins April 12. Open registration begins April 19. For more information, visit cod.edu/registration.

Contact: Angela Mennecke

[email protected]

(630) 942-3134

###

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161098
Abuja, Nigeria--(Newsfile Corp. - April 2, 2023) - Crown Luxury Properties, the build-to-sell (BTS) assets unit of Nigeria master-developer Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, has announced that over 8,500 residential units are currently under construction across its various masterplans and is set to deliver around 500 units later this year.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode



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Announcing this at the media session with Dotmount Communications on March 21, Crown Luxury said it has already delivered more than 600 residential units in 2022 across prime locations, including Signature Apartments Surulere Lagos, Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport, Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Elevation City, Lugbe, Abuja and Crown Heritage City, Osun state amongst others.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos



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A leading developer of residential assets in Nigeria, Crown Luxury Properties stressed that it remained committed to delivering quality homes and communities to its customers and residents while ensuring that all future projects are completed within its stated time frames.

Crown Luxury Properties



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Crown Luxury Properties is helmed by group CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos, the Managing director of the company. "Different geographical locations come with different challenges, and each country has its own challenges. For example, as Nigerians we have the advantage of nationality, but the challenge here is that they have to be the ones to provide roads, water, and electricity. In Ghana, the cost of movement of cement and other materials through land is difficult due to custom duties and other taxes, making it more expensive but not as expensive as purchasing these raw materials in Ghana. Rwanda is a peaceful and good environment, but acquiring land if you're not a citizen is difficult; however, we were able to register our company there seamlessly."

"We have our housing estates in different locations in Abuja: Guzape, Kasana, Asokoro Extension, Asokoro, Airport Road, Idu, Karu, these locations have different providers of fiber optics," says Amos.

"In Lagos we have different companies that provides internet for our estates in Lagos. We have estates in Ikorodu, about 2800 housing units that Crown Sunrise City, in Epe; Crown Legacy City Phase 1 facing the ongoing New Lekki International Airport and Phase 2. We have projects in the capital of Oyo State Nigeria, Ibadan".

Crown Smart City



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"We have different products which spread towards different classes of people. For example, our Ecrest Estate in Guzape, a 5-bedroom duplex is 400 million naira for our HNIs, then for our middle-income individuals we have houses between 50 to 90million naira. We have in some other locations 5-bedroom duplexes that goes for 30million naira, we have a 4-bedroom semidetached that is 25million in some locations like Gwagwalada, Kubwa and other location in Lagos, Ogun and more."

Legacy City



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"We have the Crown Smart City 1-3 in Karsana. We also have commercial properties like the 600 units in Crown Mall around Adama Stadium in Ibadan for business people. We are building a banking hall and a cinema in there as well, with prices going for 7million naira per unit but you can pay 500 thousand naira as initial deposit and continue payment for two years. We found it difficult to get approval for Crown Smart City Phase 3 which took us 6months because of the challenge with the payment platforms. We have also had to build bridges to make good access for our clients there."

These projects include;

LAGOS

The Signature Apartments, Surulere, Lagos. Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport. Crown Legacy City, Phase 2. Epe. Crown Sunrise City, Ikorodu,Lagos. Crown waterfront Estate, Ibeku-Lekki,Lagos.

ABUJA

Crown Shelfied City, Asokoro,Abuja. Crown Hilltop Estate, Guzape, Asokoro Extension Crown Signature Villa, Karmo, Abuja Crown Elevation City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Smart City, Karsana, Abuja Crown Smart City, Annex, Karsana, Crown Smart City, Phase 2, Karsana. Crown Hiltop City, Apo, Abuja. Crown Metro City, Idu Train Station, Idu, Abuja. Crown Diamond City, Gwagwalada,Abuja. Crown Mega City, Lugbe ,Abuja. Crown Vista City,Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Golden City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja Crown Luxury Estate, Airport Road,Abuja. Etc

Ibadan

600 units Sabo Ultra-mordern Market, Ibadan. ELITE City Terraces and Apartment, Agodi GRA,Ibadan

Osun State

Crown Heritage city, Abeere, Osun State.

On the record-breaking performance, Crown Luxury Properties Founder Dr Amos said: " Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, is extremely proud to be the industry leader in development and construction and we remain committed to delivering our highly anticipated upcoming projects within the stated timeframes."

"Our success and year on year profit is due to the diligence of our shareholders, management and highly skilled staff and we look forward to continuous growth and success through digital innovation and the adoption of future-forward concepts," he added.

Crown Luxury Properties

Web: www.crownluxuryproperties.com

Social media: @crownluxuryproperties

Email: [email protected]

Office: No 2, Samora Machel Street, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja

Tel: +234 909 999 7341, +234 909 999 7342

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160954
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Everyday People Financial Corp. (TSXV: EPF) ("Everyday People" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based financial services company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gordon Reykdal as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, effective immediately. Prior to the appointment, Mr. Reykdal had been serving in the capacity of Chief Strategy Officer of the Company. Mr. Reykdal will succeed Remo Mancini, who is retiring from the Board of Directors after having been a director and Chairman of the Board of Directors since Everyday People went public in 2022, and prior thereto, a consultant to the Company in 2021. Mr. Mancini will continue working with the Company in the role of Chairman of EP Homes, a division of Everyday People.

"As Everyday People continues to strengthen its position in the market, we are looking forward to leveraging the expertise and deep industry knowledge that Gordon will bring to the role of Executive Chairman," said Barret Reykdal, CEO of Everyday People. "His contributions to date as the Company's Chief Strategy Officer have been invaluable, evidenced by his 38-years in the consumer financial services sector. We look forward to Gordon's continued contribution of leadership, guidance, and deep understanding of our industry. I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Remo for his professionalism, tireless work and dedication over the last few years and I look forward to continuing our close working relationship."

"I am honored to be appointed as Executive Chairman as it will provide me with the opportunity to make strategic decisions and recommendations that will strengthen our growth trajectory," said Mr. Reykdal. "I look forward to working closely with the Board of Directors to execute on the Company's vision and deliver value to all of our shareholders."

The Company wishes to thank Remo Mancini for his dedication and guidance over the last two years and looks forward to his continued leadership and contributions to the growth and success of EP Homes.

"It has been a privilege to work alongside Gordon these past two years," said Mancini. "He is the right person to serve as Executive Chairman of the Company moving forward, and I am confident that he will make a positive and significant impact during our next phase of growth."

About Everyday People Financial Corp.

Everyday People is a financial services company founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to affordable credit and the opportunity for homeownership. Through its technology driven ecosystem and specialty credit solutions, the Company offers credit and prepaid card programs, homeownership facilitation and payment management services. The Company's mission is to help its clients be their best financial selves with credit products and services that help everyday people add value to their everyday lives.

For more information visit: www.everydaypeoplefinancial.com.

Contact

Barret Reykdal

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

1 888 825 9808

Caroline Sawamoto

Investor Relations

[email protected]

1 888 825 9808

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the business, plans and operations of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the Company as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the filing statement of the Company dated July 27, 2022, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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/160909
Saguenay, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - First Phosphate Corp.(CSE: PHOS) (FSE: KD0) ("First Phosphate" or the "Company"), together with Dveloppement economique 02 ("DE02") and the Regional Conference of the Prefects of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean ("CRP"), are pleased to announce the signing of a collaboration agreement between First Phosphate and the Regional Economic Benefits Maximization Committee ("CMAX").

"This collaboration agreement will generate mutual benefits for First Phosphate and for the economic community of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec," state First Phosphate's CEO, John Passalacqua, the President of the CRP and the Prefect of the Lac-Saint-Jean-Est MRC, Louis Ouellet, as well as the President of DE02 and Prefect of the Domaine-du-Roy MRC, Yanick Baillargeon.

Under the agreement, First Phosphate will be able to connect directly to the region's entrepreneurial workforce to help the Company to operate its projects in a broader context and without supplier challenges. For CMAX, this agreement will facilitate positive economic impacts for construction companies, equipment manufacturers and their suppliers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec.

"First Phosphate strongly appreciates the warm welcome shown by the population of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region towards the Company's phosphate mine project and its value-added mineral processing plants. First Phosphate firmly believes that its projects must be well-integrated into the local host community fabric and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from the economic spin-offs. First Phosphate looks forward to integrating the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry," says John Passalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate.

"On behalf of our colleagues at DE02 and the Regional Conference of Prefects, we are pleased with the signing of this agreement because it ensures that we will be in constant communication with the First Phosphate team to support them in the development of the value chain around high-quality phosphate mineral, specifically dedicated to the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery industry. At the same time, this agreement will allow us to offer First Phosphate a direct and privileged relationship within our pool of regional contractors and suppliers. These suppliers, whose skills and experience in large-scale projects are recognized worldwide, will also be able to develop new fields of expertise in this most promising sector of activity," said Louis Ouellet.

"We would also like to highlight the openness and dynamism of the management of First Phosphate, who were quick to collaborate with the political and economic decision-makers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean egion right from the onset of their project," continued Louis Ouellet.

"The members of the Table regionale des elus (TRE), whose president is the Prefect of the MRC du Fjord-du-Saguenay, Mr. Gerald Savard strongly support First Phosphate's request, addressed to higher levels of government, that phosphate be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Quebec and Canada," said Mr. Yanick Baillargeon, president of DE02 and Prefect of the MRC du Domaine-du-Roy.

About First Phosphate Corp.

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate ("LFP") battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of royalty-free land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate material devoid of high concentrations of harmful elements.

About CMAX

The Regional Economic Impact Maximization Committee is now under the aegis of the Regional Conference of the Prefects of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region. CMAX was established in the early 2000s by the Conference regionale des elus (CRE) to ensure that regional businesses benefit as much as possible from the wealth created by the development of major projects in the region. Today, CMAX monitors calls for tenders for public and private projects of all sizes, while creating optimal conditions between major purchasing networks and regional suppliers, with the goal of facilitating contracts for the benefit of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regional businesses.

-30-

For additional information, please contact:

Peter Kent, President

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (647) 707-1943

Investor Relations: [email protected]

Media Relations: [email protected]

Website: www.FirstPhosphate.com

Follow First Phosphate:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstPhosphate

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-phosphate

For further information on the Regional Conference of the Prefects of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, please contact:

Louis Ouellet, President

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (418) 321-1239

For further information on Developpement economique 02, please contact:

Yanick Baillargeon, President

[email protected]

Tel: +1 (418) 671-8272

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "may", "should", "anticipate", "expect", "potential", "believe", "intend" or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the Company's commitment to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's plans to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's proposed development of its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the MOU will provide the state benefits to the Company and the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec, including the Company's access to operate its projects under more favourable conditions such as more advantageous access to labour markets; the Company's beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company's aims to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company's plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company's ability to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's ability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's ability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the Company has the ability to capitalize on the MOU and realize on the state benefits to the Company and to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec; the Company has the ability to realize on its beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company has the ability to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company has the ability to carry out its plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to produce high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company's inability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company's inability to develop its land claims in the region of Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec; the Company's inability to capitalize on the MOU and realize on the state benefits to the Company and to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Quebec; the Company's inability to realize on its beliefs that its project(s) must be well-integrated into the local host community and that it must do its utmost to ensure that the community benefits from all the economic spin-offs; the Company's inability to integrate the region into the North American EV battery manufacturing industry; and the Company's inability to carry out its plans to promote phosphates to be included in the list of critical and strategic materials of Canada and Quebec.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161012
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd. (CSE: FAT) (OTCQB: FRRSF) (FSE: F0R0) (WKN: A3DCC8) ("Foremost Lithium", "Foremost" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has identified numerous future exploration targets from a preliminary analysis of UAV-assisted magnetic and LiDAR surveys on its Lithium Lane properties located near Snow Lake, in the mining friendly province of Manitoba. The surveys were flown by EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. (Selkirk, Manitoba) last year and totalled 7,472.7-line km at a flight line azimuth of 070 and a 25 meter flight line spacing.

EarthEx produced 3D magnetic inversion models and advanced 2D data imagery using the high-resolution UAV magnetic data collected from the Lithium Lane properties and these images along with LiDAR imagery provide the basis for an enhanced assessment of lithium pegmatite ground exploration follow-up.

Foremost's President and CEO Jason Barnard comments, "We continue to utilize all available modern scientific technology to find potential pegmatite targets on our Lithium Lane Properties. It's exciting to capture such significant datasets of prospective new structures with assistance from EarthEx Geophysics. The Peg North and Grass River Claim Properties are Manitoba projects that I've been looking forward to furthering exploration since we acquired last year, and receiving these magnetic reports continues my enthusiasm towards these great assets."

Magnetic Discontinuities and LiDAR

A review of the magnetic survey data on each of the four Lithium Lane properties has defined numerous discontinuities in the magnetic fabric as documented by the UAV-assisted survey. These discontinuities are interpreted to reflect geological structures with the potential to provide pathways for lithium-bearing pegmatite and other mineralization. The orientations of the discontinuities are consistent with those of the B1 pegmatite on the Company's Jean Lake property and the Thompson Brothers deposit hosting 11.1 million metric tonnes of indicated and inferred resources at 1% Li20 (lithium oxide).1

Similarly, high resolution LiDAR models of ground elevation or relief on the Lithium Lane properties have also defined many areas with comparable orientations as known spodumene-bearing pegmatite. Both magnetic discontinuities and LiDAR images with appropriate orientations are planned for ground truthing and follow-up pegmatite exploration.

Major Fault Structure

The preliminary review of the UAV-assisted magnetic survey on the Peg North property has defined a major fault structure oriented approximately north-south and with a sinistral sense of movement (Figure 1). The structure occurs in the eastern portion of the property, is approximately 50 meters wide and extends for 3 km. Associated with this structure is a large zone of magnetic lows with an approximate area of 39 hectares.





Figure 1. Fault structure defined by UAV-assisted magnetic survey, Peg North property, Snow Lake area.



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4689/160959_ad85802914e3eb7d_0005full.jpg

LiDAR surveys will commence with focus on this structure and the related magnetically depleted zone on the Peg North property in the spring. This data will provide additional guidance for ground follow-up of this structure using an integrated approach of prospecting, rock and soil geochemical surveys.

New Claims





Figure 2. New Claims Shown In Dotted Purple



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4689/160959_ad85802914e3eb7d_007full.jpg

Foremost would also like to announce that they staked two new claims (MB 14699 and MB 14700) providing linkage between the Peg North Lithium Property and Grass River Claims (Figure 2) adding 790 acres/320 hectares, and making both properties contiguous, thereby allowing the application of assessment credits earned from exploration on either property applicable. The claims were staked by Moss Linecutting with helicopter support provided by Gogal Air Services, both based in Snow Lake, Manitoba.

Zoro Property Update

The Company also wishes to correct certain past disclosure which have referenced the Company's Zoro Property as comprising an aggregate of 3,603 hectares. The Company wishes to confirm that the Zoro Property consists of 16 mining claims located in the Province of Manitoba comprising an aggregate of 3,005 hectares.

Qualified Person

Technical information relating to information contained in the news release has been approved by Mark Fedikow, P. Geo, who is a "Qualified Person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Jason Barnard, President and CEO

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1 (604) 330-8067

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.

About Foremost Lithium Resource & Technology Ltd.

Foremost Lithium is a hard-rock exploration company with over 43,300 acres located in Snow Lake, Manitoba. It's 5 Lithium Lane Projects, Zoro, Jean Lake, Grass River, Peg North and Jol, are strategically located to capitalize on the world's growing EV appetite and is perfectly positioned to become a premier supplier of North America's lithium feedstock. As the world transitions towards decarbonization, the Company's objective is the extraction of lithium oxide (LiO), and to subsequently play a role in the production of high-quality lithium hydroxide (LiOH), to help power lithium-based batteries, critical in developing a clean-energy economy. Foremost Lithium also has the Winston Gold/Silver Property in New Mexico USA. Learn more at www.foremostlithium.com.

Follow us or contact us on social media:

Twitter: @foremostlithium

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foremost-lithium-resource-technology/mycompany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForemostLithium

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions, and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for future exploration and development of the Company's properties and the acquisition of additional exploration projects. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", "anticipates" "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: risks related to the receipt of all necessary regulatory and third party approvals for the proposed operations of the Company's business and exploration activities, completion of the Company's recently announced financing, risks related to the Company's exploration properties; risks related to international operations; risks related to general economic conditions, actual results of current exploration activities, unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; fluctuations in prices of commodities including lithium and gold; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, increases in market prices of mining consumables, possible variations in resources; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes, title disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry; delays in the completion of exploration, activities, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations, tax rules and regulations, and political and economic developments in jurisdictions in which the Company operates. . Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to the Company's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting the Company and its business.

________________________

1https://www.abnnewswire.net/companies/en/37973/Snow-Lake-Resources-Ltd.html

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160959
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Gladiator Metals Corp. (TSXV: GLAD) (OTC Pink: GDTRF) (FSE: ZX7) ("Gladiator" or the "Company"), a mineral exploration company focused on the advancement of multiple high-grade copper prospects in Canada's Whitehorse Copper Belt, is pleased to provide an update on ongoing data compilation of historic drilling for the high-grade, historically producing Whitehorse Copper Project.

Gladiator has continued to identify significant near-term shallow exploration targets outside of the historic areas of operation at the Whitehorse Copper Project, supported by the recent collation of historical drilling completed on the advanced Cowley Park prospect. Collation of the historic data has identified a further 53 drill holes to those previously reported by the Company, and the addition of further shallow, high-grade mineralized drill intercepts, including the following previously unreleased results:

CP-040: 89.61m @ 1.89% Cu from 26.21m

CP-018: 57.91m @ 1.27% Cu from 53.04m

CP-053: 27.7m @ 2.74% Cu from 8.69m Inc: 7.83m @ 8.34% Cu from 23.93m

CP-081: 71.44m @ 1.10% Cu from 41.64m Inc: 20.72m @ 2.64% Cu from 81.69m

CP-119: 36.27m @ 2.28% Cu from 72.24m

CP-122: 56.17m @ 1.61% Cu from 56.91m Inc: 17.07m @ 2.25% Cu from 92.05m

CP-127: 62.48m @ 1.17% Cu from 59.74m Inc: 3.05m @ 19.85% Cu from 102.72m

CP-011: 32.31m @ 1.16% Cu from 37.49m

CP-024: 44.19m @ 1.43% Cu from 51.82m

CP-028: 44.5m @ 1.18% Cu from 83.21m

CP-060: 28.2m @ 1.82% Cu from 23.62m And 17.47m at 1.08% Cu from 60.41m

CP-063: 45.36m @ 1.26% Cu from 48.46m

CP-066: 40.27m @ 1.45% Cu from 23.62m Inc: 15.55m @ 2.70% Cu from 23.62m

CP-088: 45.59m @ 1.10% Cu from 51.15m

CP-120: 33.34m @ 1.59% Cu from 72.12m Mineralization at Cowley remains open at depth and along strike (with mineralization drilled to date to a maximum of 150m vertical depth only). Compiled historical drilling was generally limited to selective sampling and assaying for copper only. Gladiator intends to assay all future drilling and sampling for additional credits including Molybdenum, Silver and Gold which were proven contributors to the economics of historic operations. The Whitehorse Copper Project includes 30 known prospects within a 35km x 5km area, with shallow, high grade copper drill results reported from multiple prospects. The project has undergone limited systematic drilling external to historic mining activity (open cut pits and underground mine stopes) and near surface residual historic reserves, that remain open along strike, down dip, and in-between known copper occurrences.



Cowley Park

The Company recently completed collating historic drilling at the Cowley Park Prospect, compiling 219 holes for approximately 24,500 meters of previous drilling, including a further 53 drill holes that were previously unreported.

The collation of drilling has identified high-grade copper skarn mineralization that has now been traced over more than 700m strike (Figure 1) in historical drilling. Mineralization remains open in all directions with the most southeasterly hole, 19-CP-08 intersecting 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, the most northwesterly hole, CP-053 intersecting 27.70m @ 2.74% Cu from 33.98m and the most easterly hole intersecting 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m (Figure 1).

Mineralization at Cowley Park is interpreted to consist of multiple bodies, dipping shallowly to the south-west, with identified mineralization in historic drilling remaining open at depth with the deepest intervals drilled to date being 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m (18-CP-03) remaining open at depth (please refer to Figure 1 below for details).





Figure 1: Plan map of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated historical drill results with a cumulative Copper%*m of >40 highlighted.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_002full.jpg

The following results provide further detail on the drill results at Cowley Park illustrated in Figure 1 above Cowley Park, identifying significant "downhole mineralization", that has not been previously reported by Company, and help to illustrate the shallow nature of the historical drilling that has been completed to date:

CP-003: 16.76m @ 2.27% Cu from Surface

CP-005: 9.14m @ 3.41% Cu from Surface and 7.62m @ 1.66% Cu from 21.34m to EOH

CP-011: 32.31m @ 1.16% Cu from 37.49m

CP-016: 32.92m @ 1.49% Cu from Surface, Including 14.51m @ 2.4% Cu from Surface

CP-018: 57.91m @ 1.27% Cu from 53.04m

CP-019: 30.48m @ 1.07% Cu from 99.67m

CP-020: 32.31m @ 0.76% Cu from 161.54m

CP-023: 16.61m @ 1.49% Cu from 38.1m

CP-024: 44.19m @ 1.43% Cu from 97.54m, including 30.48m @ 1.85% Cu from 97.54m

CP-026: 41.76m @ 1.06% Cu from 95.4m

CP-028: 44.50m @ 1.18% Cu from 142.65m

CP-030: 38.41m @ 0.65% Cu from 137.16m

CP-034: 41.45m @ 0.89% Cu from 47.55m, Including 3.66m @ 1.14% Cu from 47.55m, [email protected] 1.18% Cu from 67.21m, 8.08m @ 1.18% Cu from 67.21m and 7.62m @ 1.32% Cu from 81.38m

CP-038: 31.7m @ 0.89% Cu from 93.88m, Including 10.67m @ 1.51% Cu from 93.88m

CP-039: 62.49m @ 0.65% Cu from 152.4m

CP-040: 89.61m @ 1.89% Cu from 26.21m

CP-042: 17.07m @ 1.41% Cu from 88.09m

CP-053: 27.7m @ 2.74% Cu from 8.69m, Including 7.83m @ 8.34% Cu from 23.93m

CP-059: 17.65m @1.15% Cu from 76.2m

CP-060: 28.2m @ 1.82% Cu from 23.62m and 17.47 @ 1.08% Cu from 60.41m

CP-061: 4.12m @ 4.63% Cu from 80.31m

CP-063: 45.36m @ 1.26% Cu from 48.46m

CP-064: 44.96m @ 0.52% Cu from 26.88m

CP-065: [email protected] 0.87% Cu from 55.17m

CP-066: 40.27m 1.45% Cu from 23.62m, Including 15.55m @ 2.7% Cu from 23.62m

CP-068: 39.63m @ 0.7% Cu from 70.1m

CP-081: 71.44m @ 1.10% Cu from 41.64m, Including 20.72m @ 2.64% Cu from 81.69m

CP-084: 12.68m @ 1.57% Cu from 93.7m

CP-088: [email protected] 1.10% Cu from 51.15, Including 13.16m @ 2.76% Cu from 51.15

CP-097: 3.05m @ 2.12% Cu from 68.88m and 10.37m @ 1.95% Cu from 119.63m

CP-113: 19.72m @ 1.34% Cu from 62.48m

CP-114: 38.1m @ 0.6% Cu from 59.44m

CP-116: 21.64m @ 1.07% Cu from 75.29m

CP-117: 46.94m @ 0.68% Cu from 73.46m

CP-119: 36.27m @ 2.28% Cu from 72.24m

CP-120: [email protected] 1.59% Cu from 72.12m, including 22.86m @ 2.05% Cu from 82.6m

CP-122: 56.17m @ 1.61% Cu from 56.91m

CP-126: 2.72m @ 14.68% Cu from 71.29m

CP-127: 62.48m @ 1.17% Cu, Including 3.05m @ 19.85% Cu from 102.72m

CP-133: 2.9m @ 6.95% Cu from 67.51m

CP-140: 7.87m @ 3.85% cu from 36.33m and 1.34m @ 8.37% Cu from 62.67m

CP-142: 8.66m @ 2.33% Cu from 48.77m

LDN-2017 30.79m @ 1.01% Cu from 102.41m and 3.66m @ 2.41% Cu from 144.78m

LDN-2017B: 3.89m @ 7.78% Cu from 72.92m

LDN-2017C: 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m and 11.82m @ 1.46% Cu from 67.28m

18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m and 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m, including 5.19m @ 2.78% Cu from 139.29m

18-CP-09: 6.71m @ 6.89% Cu from 26.82m and 5.49m @ 2.11% Cu from 54.86m





Figure 2: Type Drill Section of the advanced Cowley Park Copper Prospect. Recently collated historical drill results, section shows the widths and shallow nature of the mineralization drilled to date, (505,850mE)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_003full.jpg

Historically, much of the project area has been held by multiple parties before its consolidation into a coherent land package by the projects vendor, H. Coyne & Sons Ltd. As a result, exploration outside of historically producing areas has been sporadic and unfocussed to date, including the Cowley Park prospect.

At the Cowley Park prospect, diamond drilling was carried out in the late 1960s by New Imperial Mines Limited (NIM), with drilling loosely defining the main mineralized zone. More thorough drilling was conducted in the early 1970s by Whitehorse Copper Mines Ltd (WCM). Drilling completed by WCM, defined a shallow historical reserve prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 that was never exploited before the closure of the Whitehorse Copper Mine. Further drilling was completed at Cowley Park by Yankee Hat Minerals Ltd (2008) Lobo Del Norte Ltd (2016-18) and H.Coyne & Sons Ltd. (2018-20).

Gladiator commenced consolidating the historic drilling at Cowley Park late last year, as part of an overall digital data consolidation of drilling and mining activity of the entire Project. This represents the first time a comprehensive review of regional datasets has been undertaken since the mine(s) closure in 1989.

The Cowley Park, compilation comprised entering and registering historic drilling from the original geological drill logs and assay data held by the Yukon Government Archives or reported in Assessment reports and/or excel spreadsheets completed by geologists from previous operators and H. Coyne & Sons Ltd. that were referenced in the report released by the Company on the 7th February, 2023 titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Whitehorse Copper Project Yukon Territory".

This data was captured by Gladiator and recorded in digital format, validated, and loaded into an industry standard database for the first time. This work identified a large amount of drilling (219 holes), including the addition of 53 holes from archival geological drill logs.

Historic downhole drill hole intercepts at Cowley Park previously reported by Gladiator (refer to the Company's news release dated February 13, 2023) included:

CP-112: 54.25m @ 1.79% Cu from 41.76m, including 10.67m @ 6.93% Cu from 85.34m

CP-115: 20.73m @ 1.19% Cu from 47.85m and 32.62m @ 2.46% Cu from 80.77m

CP-125: 23.32m @ 3.53% cu from 51.51m, including 18.44m @ 4.42% Cu, from 56.39m downhole & 10.31m @ 1.41% Cu from 87.84m

CP-144: 53.38m @ 1.35% Cu from 19.17m, including 38.57m @ 1.73% Cu, 7.15 g/t Ag from 33.98m

18-CP-03: 10.36m @ 1.67% Cu from 83.21m, 21.03m @ 0.67% Cu from 101.19m, 13.84m @ 1.26% Cu from 130.64m

18-CP-06: 31.09m @ 1.27% Cu from 71.02m, including 23.04m @ 1.59% Cu, 10.28 g/t Ag from 74.98m

19-CP-08: 43.28m @ 2.24% Cu from 93.27m, including 40.54m @ 2.36% Cu & 4.75 g/t Ag from 95.1m, including 13.72m @ 5.41% Cu & 19.22 g/t Ag from 109.42 m

Holes were drilled at various dips on nominal grid with lines oriented ~011 degrees, with holes CP-001 -135 analyzed for predominantly Copper exclusively by the operators internal laboratory. A complete list of the complied holes, significant intercepts, and their details, including their drill collar location, direction of the hole (dip and azimuth) and hole depth can be found at:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mn25VTZ5DSvCH-NfXUYRnCmB6WxwWVE5NVYMdYKd41U/edit#gid=1204953821

The drill results reported in this news release are historical in nature. Gladiator has not undertaken any independent investigation, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. The Company believes that the historical drill results do not conform to the presently accepted industry standards and practices.

Gladiator considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration and drilling programs. The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling.



Exploration Update

The Company is carrying out a significant data compilation and review of the available historic drilling over the greater tenement package. Work completed to date has identified more than 30, drill ready, high-grade regional targets associated with copper rich skarns at the contact between the Cretaceous age Whitehorse Plutonic Suite and the Triassic to Jurassic Lewes River Group's clastic and carbonate metasediments. Cumulatively, there is more than 35km of underexplored strike on the contact which is highly prospective for high-grade Copper+/-Molybdenum+/-Silver+/- Gold (refer to Figure 3 below).





Figure 3: Plan map of the Whitehorse Copper Project showing geology and location of key prospects within the main trend (Quoted Historic Resources and Reserves after Tenny, D (1984) & Watson, P.H. (1984).

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1930/160995_b0e50f94c46cb80c_004full.jpg

Reference to historic resources and reserves at the Whitehorse Copper Project are taken from publicly available reports mainly, The Whitehorse Copper Belt, Mining and Geology (1967-1980) prepared by Tenney, D in 1984 for the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Additional information was taken from the report by Watson, P.H, 1984 The Whitehorse Copper belt - A Compilation, prepared for the Yukon Geological Survey. These documents can be found at the following links:

https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42205#InfoTab

https://data.geology.gov.yk.ca/Reference/42011#InfoTab

The historical mineral resources discussed in this press release were calculated using mining industry standard practices for estimating Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves prior to the implementation of the current CIM standards for mineral resource estimation (as defined by the CIM Definition Standard on Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves dated May 10, 2014). The reader is cautioned not to treat them, or any part of them, as current mineral resources, or reserves. An independent Qualified Person ('QP'), has not done sufficient work to classify the estimate discussed as current mineral resources or reserves and therefore the estimate should be treated as historical in nature and not current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The historical resources have been included simply to demonstrate the mineral potential of the Whitehorse Copper Project. A thorough review of all historical data performed by a QP, along with additional exploration work to confirm results, would be required in order to produce a current mineral resource estimate for each of the key prospects. For greater certainty, the Company confirms that it does not have a current mineral resource on any part of its Whitehorse Copper Project.

Moving forward, the Company's initial exploration plan will focus on defining and extending mineralization at the Cowley Park Copper deposit, with diamond drilling scheduled to commence in April. Cowley Park had reached feasibility stage before operations were shut down in 1982. Identified mineralisation at Cowley remains open along strike and down dip. Prior to the recent collation of drilling completed by Gladiator, drilling has never been fully collated and displayed in modern three-dimensional mining related software.

Additionally, in the short term, Gladiator has commenced logging and sampling of approximately 10,000 meters of unassayed core from exploration drilling completed in recent years that is yet to be assayed and logged.

Gladiator's position is enhanced at Whitehorse, with the project having near year-round access for work programs, including an established road and drill access network, low capital infrastructure requirements due to the project's proximity to Whitehorse and a strong partnership with the owners of the Whitehorse Copper Project, an experienced local drilling service provider.

About the Whitehorse Copper Project



The Whitehorse Copper Project is an advanced-stage copper (Cu)  molybdenum (Mo)  silver (Ag)  gold (Au) skarn exploration project in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The property comprises 314 contiguous claims covering approximately 5,380 Hectares (13,294 acres) in the Whitehorse Mining District.

Copper mineralization was first discovered in 1897 on the Whitehorse Copper Belt, as it became to be known. The Whitehorse Copper Belt comprised over 30 copper-related, primarily skarn occurrences covering an area of 35 by 5 km in a north westerly trending arc. Exploration and mining development have been carried out intermittently since that time with the main production era lasting between 1967 and 1982 where production totaled 267,500,000 pounds copper, 225,000 ounces of gold and 2,838,000 ounces of silver from 11.1 million tons of mineralized skarn ore milled (Watson, 1984).

The Project is accessible through with numerous access roads and trails located within 2 km of the South Klondike Highway and the Alaska Highway. An extensive network of historical gravel exploration and haul roads exists throughout the project area, providing excellent access to the majority of the claim package. Access to existing electric power facilities is available through the main Yukon power grid.

In November 2022, Gladiator executed an option agreement to acquire 100% of the Whitehorse Copper Project by incurring exploration expenditure of $12m on the project, staged payment of $300,000 in cash and the staged issue of 15m shares over 6 years. Following the exercise of the Option, the Company must pay the Optionor, or such other person(s) as the Optionor may direct from time to time, a 1.0% net smelter returns royalty on the Whitehorse Copper Project.

Qualified Person

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared or reviewed and approved by Kell Nielsen, a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Jason Bontempo"

Jason Bontempo

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Dustin Zinger, Investor Relations

+1-604-653-9464

[email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell 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.

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information". Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised; the speculative nature of exploration and the stages of the Company's properties; the effect of changes in commodity prices; regulatory risks that development of the Company's material properties will not be acceptable for social, environmental or other reasons; availability of equipment (including drills) and personnel to carry out work programs; and that each stage of work will be completed within expected time frames. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this news release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160995
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated for charging advisory clients more than $4 million in undisclosed foreign exchange fees for transfers to or from their accounts. To settle the charges, Merrill Lynch has agreed to pay disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty totaling more than $9.5 million and has agreed to distribute funds to harmed clients.

The SECs order finds that, between May 2016 and July 2020, Merrill Lynch offered programs to advisory clients in which the clients paid Merrill a fee in exchange for a range of investment advisory services, including foreign currency exchanges. In the programs client agreements and brochures, Merrill Lynch disclosed that it charged a markup or markdown on foreign currency exchanges, but it did not disclose an additional fee it referred to as a production credit, which, in more than 80 percent of the transactions, was equal to or greater than the disclosed markup or markdown. Merrill Lynch paid a percentage of these production credits to its financial advisors and referred to this charge as a commission in internal documents. The SECs order also finds that Merrill Lynch failed to adopt and implement policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent its disclosures from being misleading about the fees it charged on foreign currency exchanges.

Investment advisers must ensure that they do not selectively disclose some fees but not others relating to a particular service, said Antonia M. Apps, Director of the SECs New York Regional Office.While Merrill Lynch disclosed the markups or markdowns charged on foreign currency exchanges, thousands of clients were left in the dark as to an often larger fee charged on these transactions and were charged millions of dollars in undisclosed fees.

Merrill Lynch consented to the entry of the SECs order finding that it violated Sections 206(2) and 206(4) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and related rules. Without admitting or denying the SECs findings, Merrill Lynch agreed to a cease-and-desist order, a censure, and to pay disgorgement of approximately $4.1 million, prejudgment interest thereon of $760,000, and a civil penalty of $4.8 million. Merrill Lynch agreed to distribute funds to harmed advisory clients.

The SECs investigation was conducted by Brian Kudon, Elizabeth Baier, and Sandeep Satwalekar of the New York Regional Office and was supervised by Thomas P. Smith Jr.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Silver Hammer Mining Corp. (CSE: HAMR) (OTCQB: HAMRF) (FSE: 7BW0) (the "Company" or "Silver Hammer") is pleased to announce that it has recently completed a property-wide geophysical compilation at its Silver Strand Project in Idaho. Results were very positive and highlighted multiple new priority targets for the Company's 2023 exploration program.

"Silver Hammer is excited to discover 15 new priority exploration target zones from our recently completed geophysical compilation using data from 2004 to 2022," commented President & CEO, Peter A. Ball. "Most of the new targets within the property are located in the Revett Formation, which hosts our Silver Strand Mine. The same silver belt is within the renowned Coeur d'Alene mining district in Idaho that has produced over 1.2 billion ounces of silver and is host to some of the world's largest silver mines. We are currently finalizing our submission of a Plan of Operations to the United States Forest Service, and with the new target zones, we anticipate an active year of exploration at our Silver Strand project."

Geophysical Compilation Summary

Fifteen moderate to priority exploration target zones were identified from the geophysical surveys. The highest ranked targets are associated with chargeability anomalies and moderate to low conductivity. Most of the targets are located within the Revett Formation, which hosts the Silver Strand Mine.

The targets primarily identified from the Direct Current Induced Polarization ("DCIP") results are considered moderate to high priority for follow-up, because these areas most closely resemble the responses identified around the Silver Strand Mine. These targets will be scheduled for ground follow-up to investigate the geological sources of the responses, and further geological interpretation of the geophysical surveys may identify further structural information in the data.

Technical Overview

Geophysical Compilation Overview

In 2004, DCIP and Very Low Frequency (" VLF ") surveys were conducted by Lou O'Connor and Minex Exploration for New Jersey Mining Company at the Silver Strand property.

") surveys were conducted by Lou O'Connor and Minex Exploration for New Jersey Mining Company at the Silver Strand property. In 2021, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (" UAV ") magnetic survey was completed by MWH Geo-Surveys International Inc.

") magnetic survey was completed by MWH Geo-Surveys International Inc. In 2022, Big Sky Geophysics completed a DCIP survey.

The geophysical compilation and interpretation study was completed by Condor North Consulting ULC. The study was focused on investigating the resistivity and chargeability models along with the magnetic data to determine geophysical responses to help highlight areas of interest on the project area. The 2004 DCIP and VLF survey consisted of 4 line-kilometres ("km") of surveying over five lines. The DCIP survey used 50 metre ("m") dipoles in a dipole-dipole electrode configuration. VLF readings were taken along the same lines at 12.5 m intervals using three stations, Jim Creek, Lualualei and Cutler. The 2022 DCIP survey consisted of 4.5 line-km of surveying over 3 lines. A 100 m dipole spacing was used with a dipole-dipole electrode configuration.







Figure 1: The combined 2004 and 2022 3D (DCIP) conductivity (left) and chargeability (right)

inversion results for a draped depth surface 50 m below topography.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9597/160801_4e3a8055b41c7ad3_001full.jpg.

"The geophysical results compared to the known geological model appear to highlight key features of the Silver Strand deposit, and have generated some exciting new previously unknown targets," commented Phil Mulholland, Chief Geologist. "After working on the Silver Strand Project for two years, the geophysical study clearly indicates the potential of the property and provides additional information to execute an aggressive property-wide exploration program."

The conductivity results in Figure 1 show that the southern half of the survey area is more conductive than the northern half. The strongest conductivity feature runs along the south edge of the 2004 survey area. Several chargeability anomalies are present within the central portion of the surveys, including the Silver Strand Mine.

UAV Magnetic Survey

The UAV magnetic survey was completed from August 3rd to 19th, 2021. A total of 521 line-km was collected with a line spacing of 25 m (MWH, 2021).

The measured magnetic data reveals a small variation in magnitude throughout the survey area. This small range indicates there is a low variation in the magnetic susceptibilities of the underlying rocks. The magnetic data shows several west-northwest trending narrow magnetic highs, predominately along the southwest half of the grid. These highs may indicate the presence of mafic dikes, which is of interest due to the proximity of these dikes to mineralization found in the Silver Strand Mine. These magnetic lineaments are displayed along with faults from geologic maps in Figure 2.







Figure 2: Interpreted magnetic lineaments with faults, (Idaho Geological Survey, Browne 2002)

on draped depth slice from the 3D susceptibility model at a depth of 50 m below surface.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9597/160801_4e3a8055b41c7ad3_002full.jpg.

VLF Results

The 2004 VLF data identified several conductors, which corresponded with conductive areas in the DCIP conductivity model. The VLF conductors appear to correlate with magnetic highs to the northeast of the mine area, while the southern conductive trend shows a more variable magnetic response. The two VLF anomalies to the southwest of the mine area are associated with a broad magnetic low.

Target Zones Study

The purpose of this study was to compare DCIP, VLF and UAV magnetic data of a known mineral occurrence located at the Silver Strand Mine. Target zones would have similar geophysical characteristics and may include areas of anomalous conductivity, chargeability and/or susceptibility.

The 50 m draped depth slices from these two products are shown in Figure 3 with the mapped mafic dikes at the mine site shown in black. From these images a chargeability anomaly and low conductivity are located along the western half of the dike location and extending further to the northwest. The conductivity low may be related to silicification observed at the mine site, while the chargeability anomaly is likely caused by disseminated sulphides that are also present at the mine site. These observations indicate that other chargeability anomalies in the survey area, especially where they are coincident with conductivity lows, are of interest for further investigation.

The target zones are based on the DCIP results along with the magnetic trends. The geophysical responses observed in the area of the Silver Strand Mine were used to prioritize the targets.







Figure 3: Target Zones are shown from 3D conductivity (left), chargeability (centre)

and susceptibility (right) models 50 m below the surface. Mafic

dikes are shown from the mine site by black polygon.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9597/160801_4e3a8055b41c7ad3_003full.jpg.

Figure 4: Magnetic Target Zones are shown on draped depth slice 50 m below the

surface from 3D susceptibility model with interpreted faults.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9597/160801_4e3a8055b41c7ad3_004full.jpg.

Qualified Person

Technical aspects of this press release have been reviewed and approved under the supervision of Philip Mulholland, P.Geo. Mr. Mulholland is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Silver Hammer Mining Corp.

Silver Hammer Mining Corp. is a junior resource exploration company advancing its flagship past-producing Silver Strand Mine in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District in Idaho, as well both the Eliza Silver Project and the Silverton Silver Mine in one of the world's most prolific mining jurisdictions in Nevada. Silver Hammer's primary focus is defining and developing silver deposits near past-producing mines that have not been adequately explored. The Company's portfolio also provides exposure to copper and gold discoveries.

On Behalf of the Board of Silver Hammer Mining Corp.

Peter A. Ball

President & CEO, Director

E: [email protected]

For investor relations inquiries, contact:

Kristina Pillon

High Tide Consulting Corp.

T: 604.908.1695

E: [email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern, without limitation, the Company's strategic plans, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160801
IT engineer honoured for developing modern radar system

Nguyen Nhu Thanh, an IT engineer in Hanoi, takes immense pride in the VRS-MCX radar system, a modern weaponry system that recently won him an award of being one of the top ten outstanding young people of Vietnam in 2022.









Nguyen Nhu Thanh, an IT engineer, researches and measures transceiver module for radar products at the military-run Viettel.  Photo tienphong.vn

The VRS-MCR radar is a multi-tasking X-band medium-range mobile unit that can perform airspace and flight targeting tasks and provide warnings. Thanh and his partners in the military-run Viettel completed the system and plan to produce 15 of them by 2025, generating revenue of nearly VN2 trillion (US$85 million).



Thanh, who is 35 years old and was born in northern Thai Binh Province, has achieved many outstanding accomplishments in researching and applying modern technology to radar systems. He received a certificate of merit from the Ministry of National Defence in 2021 and the Ho Chi Minh Prize in Science and Technology.





After graduating from Hanoi University of Science and Technology in 2012, Thanh decided to join the military-run Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group, although he received many job offers at large companies to work in a challenging environment.





Thanhs first assignment was to research Viettel's products, and he managed to expand the velocity range of the radar system in 2014. This solved the problem of interference from reflected signals.





This solution was then applied to all radar products manufactured by Viettel and recognised by the International Radar Symposium, a prestigious international conference on radars, in Germany in 2019.





He was later assigned to find solutions for the VRS-2DM radar system, which initially struggled to prevent meteorological interference in cloudy and rainy weather.





Thanh and his team were assigned to find solutions within two weeks.





It was almost an impossible mission," he said. "Our team had hardly slept, trying all traditional methods in the first week and found that they didnt work.





In the next week, Thanh came up with the idea that offered up to 98 per cent filtering of meteorological noise without affecting the target's visibility.





The initiative was applied to all VRS-2DM radar products in northern cities and provinces and has been deployed throughout the country, bringing thousands of billions of ong in revenue and achieving national security and defence.





In 2018, Thanh was assigned to build 3D radars and master the core technologies of this product within two years.





He completed the task just a year later and it was the first time Vietnam produced a brand-new 3D radar with features equivalent to foreign products, opening a new era of radar research and production for the country.





Thanh is now head of the Level 2 Processing Department, Radar Centre of Viettel, and his team managed to complete the VRS-MCX radar project in a very short period despite the disruption of the supply chain of materials and components caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.





Normally it takes at least 18-24 months to finish a product and one more year to optimise the product and complete testing," he said. "However, our product only took about 18 months.





The team had to use technical solutions to make up for those shortfalls.





He led the team to work on the project in different periods of time. He focused on team development, recruiting, and training personnel for important stages such as manufacturing, integrating, and testing products.





He said previous products mainly served military purposes. In the future, under Viettels plans, the radar industry would develop products for both civilian and military purposes. Military products would be upgraded.





Thanh and his team will focus on researching and developing products for export shortly as Vietnam's radar technology has a lot of potential.





Thanh believes that the key to success lies in combining scientific research with practical needs.





No matter how sublime scientific research is, it makes no sense if it does not bring practical value to people," Thanh said. "Thats what we always keep in mind.





I believe that in the next few years, our radar products will definitely be exported to foreign countries.





Most of Thanhs team members are people under 30 years old and are always full of energy and creativity.





I always tell them that it is important to prioritise personal growth by choosing the work that helps them transform themselves on a daily basis rather than selling themselves for higher-paid jobs, he said.
Veyseloglu Distribution company started a partnership with The LEGO Group, a well-known toy brand. Veyseloglu Distribution company will distribute The LEGO Group brand products in our country within the framework of partnership. In order to ensure the availability of The LEGO Group products, our company will sell products not only in toy stores, but also in supermarkets and markets.

The LEGO Groups mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow through the power of play. The LEGO System in Play, with its foundation in LEGO bricks, allows children and fans to build and rebuild anything they can imagine. The LEGO Group was founded in Billund, Denmark in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, its name derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt, which mean Play Well. The brick in its present form was launched in 1958. The interlocking principle with its tubes makes it unique and offers unlimited building possibilities. It's just a matter of getting the imagination going  and letting a wealth of creative ideas emerge through play.

Flagship product of The LEGO Group consists of mutually binding colorful plastic bricks and accompanying sets of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other components. Aimed at promoting learning through playing, LEGO sets develop problem-solving, critical thinking and communication skills, as well as creativity and team spirit being the most demanding skills of the 21st century. Children and adults of various age categories learn and grow with LEGO sets in a funny, socially interactive, and meaningful environment.

Veyseloglu Distribution company started its activity in 1994 by importing food products from Turkey, and the foundation of Veyseloglu Group of Companies was established with this company. Since 1997, the company has expanded its activities and acquired representations of many well-known brands of the world, and currently distributes more than 3500 types of products across the country. The company provides services with about 2500 employees along with its head office in Baku, regional offices in Mingachevir and Salyan.

Veyseloglu Group of Companies operates in the fields of retail, logistics, distribution and production. Currently, Veyseloglu Group of Companies has more than 20,000 employees. Recently, Veyseloglu Group of Companies was announced as one of the winners in the prestigious Best Managed Companies competition organized by the world-known company Deloitte for the first time in Azerbaijan.
Current SVP Americas elevated to top position

Ignacio Dominguez retiring from the company after more than two decades of outstanding service

BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel and BASEL, Switzerland , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (the "Company") (SZSE: 000553), a leading crop protection company, announced that its board of directors has appointed Steve Hawkins , currently ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas, as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2023 . Mr. Hawkins succeeds Ignacio Dominguez , who has elected to retire from the company after serving in a series of senior roles at ADAMA, including as a key member of its Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade.

Erik Fyrwald , Chairman of ADAMA Board and President and CEO of Syngenta Group , said: "Steve brings extensive international leadership experience to his new role, having worked across many markets and businesses in a broad range of leadership positions. He will report to me as a member of the Group Leadership Team as we work together to maintain the momentum of our strategy and accelerate ADAMA's transformation to an even more prosperous future."

Mr. Hawkins has spent his entire career in agriculture, beginning in sales with GROWMARK in Canada before joining one of Syngenta's legacy companies, ICI Canada, nearly three decades ago. He has held a number of senior roles during his time with the company, including Regional Director EAME, Head of Sales CP & Seeds USA , Head of Commercial Operations for NA Corn & Soya Seeds , Country Head for Japan and South Korea , and Regional Director APAC for both CP and Seeds.

As ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas since 2021, he has overseen its North American and Latin American businesses, as well as its Consumer and Professional (non-crop) businesses globally. Under his leadership, the team delivered strong business performance in 2022 while making significant progress in transforming the product portfolio, advancing the company's go-to-market strategy and powering business development.

Mr. Hawkins holds a Diploma in Agriculture and an Executive MBA in Food and Agribusiness, both from the Ontario Agricultural College , at the University of Guelph , and has a bachelor's degree in Administrative Studies from Toronto's York University .

Mr. Fyrwald also thanked the outgoing Mr. Dominguez for his exemplary work at ADAMA, where he started in 2001: "As a key member of ADAMA's Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade, Ignacio has been instrumental in crafting and implementing its global strategy. As its CEO since 2020, he guided the organization through many changes, including through it becoming a distinctive member of Syngenta Group while strengthening the collaboration with the different Syngenta Group Business units, as well as some important leadership changes. He did this while combining the courage to drive change, a sharp focus on delivering results, and attention and care for our people and culture."

Mr. Dominguez will work closely with Mr. Hawkins in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

About ADAMA

ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, as well as state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing and formulation facilities. With a culture that empowers our people to listen to farmers and ideate from the field, ADAMA is uniquely positioned to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on Twitter at @ADAMAAgri.

ADAMA Contact:

Tal Moise

Public Relations

[email protected]

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/adama-announces-steve-hawkins-as-president-and-ceo-301788036.html
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) will webcast its conference call discussing financial results and business highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023 on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. EDT . The call will be hosted by Mike Mahoney , chairman and chief executive officer, and Dan Brennan , executive vice president and chief financial officer. The company will issue a news release announcing financial results for the first quarter on April 26 prior to the conference call.

A live webcast and replay of the webcast will be accessible at investors.bostonscientific.com. The replay will be available approximately one hour following the completion of the event.

About Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for more than 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare. For more information, visit www.bostonscientific.com and connect on Twitter and Facebook.

CONTACTS

Media: Investors: Kate Haranis Lauren Tengler 508-683-6585 (office) 508-683-4479 (office) Media Relations Investor Relations Boston Scientific Corporation Boston Scientific Corporation [email protected] [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boston-scientific-announces-conference-call-discussing-first-quarter-2023-results-301785721.html
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES , ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING PUERTO RICO , THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS , GUAM , AMERICAN SAMOA , WAKE ISLAND AND THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS ), ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ( THE "UNITED STATES ") OR IN OR INTO ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO DISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL, OR AN INVITATION OR SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL, SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER TO ISSUE OR SELL OR TENDER, OR ANY SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO SUBSCRIBE OR PURCHASE, ANY INVESTMENTS IN ANY JURISDICTION.

LONDON , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CFG Investment S.A.C. (the "Company") today announced the initial results of its previously announced offers to (i) redeem for cash its Variable Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2032 (the "Senior Secured Notes") and (ii) purchase for cash its 10.00% Second Lien Notes due 2032 (the "Second Lien Notes", and together with the Senior Secured Notes, the "Notes") (each such offer, an "Offer" and together, the "Offers"), up to a maximum aggregate principal amount of U.S. $40,000,000 (such amount as may be modified by the Company in its sole discretion, the "Maximum Payment Amount"), from eligible holders of the Notes ("Eligible Holders") at redemption amounts or purchase prices, as applicable, determined pursuant to a modified Dutch auction on the terms and conditions set forth in the Company's Offer Memorandum, dated as of March 13, 2023 (the "Offer Memorandum"). Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings given to them in the Offer Memorandum.

Initial Results of the Offers

The table below sets forth the results of the Offers, according to information provided by the Tender Agent, as of 16:00 ( London time) on March 31, 2023 :

Description of

Notes ISIN Aggregate

Principal Amount

Outstanding Aggregate

Principal Amount

of Notes Tendered Aggregate

Principal Amount

of Notes Accepted (1) Redemption Value

/Clearing Price(2) Variable Rate Senior Secured

Notes due 2032| N/A $150,000,000 $26,639,865 $8,337,632 135 10.00% Second Lien Notes

due 2032| Regulation S ISIN: XS2550128271

Rule 144A ISIN: XS2550128438 $288,831,454 $112,821,212 $32,800,629 80

_____________________

(1) This amount excludes accrued and unpaid interest from and including the interest payment date immediately preceding the Initial Settlement Date (as defined below) to, but excluding the Initial Settlement Date ("Accrued Interest"), which will be paid by the Company to the holders of the Notes validly tendered and accepted in the Offers.

(2) Expressed as a percentage of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Notes.

The Company expects to accept for redemption all Senior Secured Notes tendered at the Redemption Value of up to 135% of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Senior Secured Notes and to accept for purchase all Second Lien Notes tendered at the Clearing Price of up to 80% of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Second Lien Notes, as applicable (such aggregate principal amount accepted, the "Initial Settlement Amount"), and the settlement thereof is expected to occur on or about April 6, 2023 (the "Initial Settlement Date"). All Holders of Notes accepted for redemption or purchase will receive the Redemption Value or the Clearing Price, as applicable, plus Accrued Interest.

Upsize and Extension of the Offers

Pursuant to the terms set forth in the Offer Memorandum, the Company announced today that it is upsizing, amending and extending the Offers on the terms and conditions set forth herein (the "Extended Offers"). The Company has increased the Maximum Payment Amount to $61,138,261 (which amount includes the Initial Settlement Amount).

In addition to the Initial Settlement Amount, the Company is offering to purchase or redeem, as applicable, for cash, up to an additional $20,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes (in each case, excluding any accrued but unpaid interest, and such amount as may be modified by the Company in its sole discretion) tendered, with respect to the Second Lien Notes, at the Clearing Price of 80% of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Second Lien Notes and, with respect to the Senior Secured Notes, at the Redemption Value of 135% of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of the Senior Secured Notes. Notes will be purchased on a pro rata basis up to the Maximum Payment Amount. The expiration time for the Offers has been extend until 16:00, London Time, on April 14, 2023 (the "Expiration Deadline").

To participate in the Extended Offers, Eligible Holders must submit tenders to the Tender Agent at the Redemption Value or Clearing Price, as applicable.

The Offers are being made pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions described in the Offer Memorandum, as amended by this announcement. Except as described in this announcement, all other terms and conditions of the Offers as described in the Offer Memorandum remain unchanged.

No Withdrawal of Tenders

Once tenders of the Notes have been made, such tenders may not be withdrawn at any time, unless the applicable Offer is terminated without any Notes being accepted or as required by applicable law. If such a termination occurs, the Notes will be returned to the tendering holder as promptly as practicable.

Indicative Timeline:

Expiration Deadline: 16:00 ( London time) on April 14, 2023 Announcement of Results: As soon as reasonably practicable on April 17, 2023 Settlement Date: Expected to be on or around April 19 , 2023

Holders are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Notes when such intermediary would require to receive instructions from a Holder in order for that Holder to be able to participate in the Offers before the deadlines specified above. The deadlines set by any such intermediary or Clearstream Banking, S.A. for the submission of Tender Instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above.

Information and Tender Agent:

Kroll Issuer Services Limited

The Shard

32 London Bridge Street

London

SE1 9SG

United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 20 7704 0880

Email: [email protected]

Attention: Illia Vyshenskyi / Paul Kamminga

Website: https://deals.is.kroll.com/cfgtender

The Offer Memorandum is available upon request to the Tender Agent at the contact details set forth above, subject to applicable distribution restrictions and eligibility confirmations.

The Offers are not being made, and will not be made, directly or indirectly in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce of or of any facilities of a national securities exchange of, the United States . This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone, the internet and other forms of electronic communication.

The Notes may not be tendered in the Offers by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by persons located or resident in the United States . Accordingly, copies of the Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by custodians, nominees or trustees) to U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S), in or into the United States or to any persons located or resident in the United States . Any purported tender of Notes in an Offer resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions will be invalid and any purported tender of Notes made by a U.S. person, a person located in the United States or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting for a principal located in the United States will be invalid and will not be accepted. The Offers are being made and may be accepted by dealers or other professional fiduciaries in the United States acting on a discretionary basis only for the benefit or account of non- U.S. persons located outside the United States .

Each Eligible Holder of Notes participating in an Offer will represent that it is a non- U.S. person (as such term is defined in Regulation S) located outside the United States or a dealer or other professional fiduciary in the United States acting on a discretionary basis only for the benefit or account of non- U.S. persons located outside the United States . For the purposes of this and the above paragraph, " United States " means United States of America , its territories and possessions (including Puerto Rico , the U.S. Virgin Islands , Guam , American Samoa , Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands ), any state of the United States of America and the District of Columbia .

This communication is neither an offer to redeem or purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to redeem or sell securities, nor is it a solicitation for acceptance of an offer. This communication is not for release, publication or distribution in or into, or to any person resident and/or located in, any jurisdiction where such release, publication or distribution is unlawful. None of the Company, the Tender Agent or any of their respective affiliates makes any recommendation as to whether or not any bondholder should tender its Notes pursuant to the Offers. Each bondholder must make its own decision as to whether or not to tender its Notes in connection with the Offers.

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NEW YORK , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) announced today that former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the political advocacy organization and its affiliate non-partisan think-tank Education Reform Now.

During his two terms as the Democratic mayor of Rhode Island's largest city, Elorza undertook bold actions to advance a social and racial justice agenda. This included taking the unprecedented step to engage the state Department of Education to turn around the city's chronically underperforming school system, creating the city's Eat, Play, Learn Initiative to expand out-of-school enrichment, and launching a nationally recognized African American Ambassador Group to bring Black leaders into the center of policymaking. Notably, he invested $400 million into repairing school buildings, and supported the expansion of high-quality public charter schools.

"As Mayor, I saw all too well the critical need for bold leadership to transform public education so that it serves all studentsparticularly those historically marginalized," said Elorza. "DFER has been at the forefront of the fight against the status quo in public education for more than a decade, and I am honored to serve this organization at a time of both incredible urgency and possibility for our nation's students."

A leader in and outside City Hall , Elorza was elected by his peers to serve as Trustee for the United States Conference of Mayors , and was an Aspen Institute Rodell Fellow , a member of the New Deal Leaders network, and a member of the inaugural Bloomberg/Harvard City Leadership class.

"What I admire most about Jorge is his unwavering commitment to put the interest of students above adult politics," said DFER Interim CEO Shakira Petit . "There is a tremendous opportunity right now for leaders to utilize historic investments in education to advance the innovative approaches that we know work for students. As DFER grows our collective impact, Jorge brings the political acumen, vast leadership experience, and vision to help our organizationand Democratic education champions across the countrymeet this moment and bring about real change for all students."

Elorza was born and raised in Providence and is the proud son of Guatemalan immigrants. A first-generation college student, he attended the Community College of Rhode Island before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island , and a law degree from Harvard Law School . Elorza is co-founder of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law , where he previously served as a law professor.

A headshot and selection of photos of Elorza are available here.

About Democrats for Education Reform

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that increase educational equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. It is a partner organization of Education Reform Now Advocacy, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that supports DFER's legislative and policy advocacy work. www.dfer.org.

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DENVER and CANBERRA, Australia , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) welcomes today's announcement that it has been selected by the Commonwealth of Australia as the preferred bidder for Project JP9102, the Australian Defence Satellite Communications System.

The multi-billion dollar JP9102 project will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a sovereign military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) system defined by its extensibility, agility and resilience.

"We are proud to be selected as the preferred bidder to deliver this critical capability to the Australian Defence Force," said Warren McDonald , Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand. "This capability will provide the Australian Defence Force with robust connectivity and reliable information when and where they need it, and by extension, contribute further to the growth and development of Australia's defence and space industries."

Lockheed Martin will leverage its deep experience in space-based mission solutions and resilient satellite communications networks for its JP9102 offer.

"We are excited to work with the Australian Defence Force and Australian industry to develop a robust solution for JP9102," said Robert Lightfoot , Executive Vice President for Lockheed Martin Space . "We are bringing to bear all of Lockheed Martin 's companywide capabilities as well as our commitment to supporting allied nations to provide an operationally proven system that meets mission needs in terms of coverage, capacity, resilience and extensibility of the constellation."

McDonald added that a significant amount of the content for Lockheed Martin 's proposed JP9102 solution will be via Australian small and medium enterprises and that the company is committed to knowledge sharing and technology transfer.

Lockheed Martin has assembled a diverse team of Australian companies including Inovor Technologies, EM Solutions, AV-Comm, Linfox , Shoal Group , Ronson Gears , Calytrix Technologies, Conscia, Clearbox Systems, DXC and Blacktree Technology to deliver ground and control segments and beyond for JP9102.

Lockheed Martin has also partnered with the Victorian Government to establish Victoria as the engineering and technical hub for the company's JP9102 solution, an investment that will create more than 200 advanced space industry jobs in the state.

As another example of the priority placed on workforce development, Lockheed Martin Australia recently launched a space-focused education program with STEM Punks, a STEM education initiative to educate, upskill and inspire Australia's future workforce.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland , Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation, @LMSpace to learn more about the latest technologies, missions and people driving the future of space.

About Lockheed Martin Australia

Headquartered in Canberra , Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation . The company employs more than 1,200 people in Australia working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.

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SYDNEY , April 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kleos Space Inc, a subsidiary of Kleos Space S.A (ASX: KSS), a space-powered defence & intelligence technology company, has been awarded the Stage Two option on its current contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) as part of the Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement (SCE BAA) Framework.

The NRO is responsible for maintaining global vigilance in times of peace and war. It develops, acquires, launches, and operates innovative space-based surveillance and reconnaissance systems that collect and deliver intelligence to enhance U.S. national security.

After a multiple-phase proposal process, Kleos was previously awarded the NRO's Strategic Commercial Enhancements BAA Framework Stage One contract, which focused on the modeling and simulation of Kleos' capabilities to support the U.S. Government's current and future commercial radio frequency (RF) reconnaissance needs. The NRO's SCE Framework continuously evaluates new and emerging commercial capabilities and providers.

Under the Stage Two effort, Kleos will provide insights into how to optimize evolving commercial RF geolocation capability to enhance and augment existing capabilities in a persistent, resilient, cost-effective manner with products that are also easily shareable across the U.S. Government , international partners, and allies.

The newly awarded Second Stage emphasizes tasking, data collection, and direct delivery of data to end-users. The NRO also exercised an option for future purchases of Kleos data and products to support extended development and experimentation.

About Kleos Space (ASX: KSS)

Kleos is a global space-powered defence & intelligence technology Company with operations in Luxembourg, the U.S. and U.K. Kleos uses RF sensors in Space to collect radio transmissions (RF Data) in key areas of interest around the globe. Collected data is processed through Kleos' proprietary processing platform delivering an intelligence output in order to efficiently uncover and expose activity on land and sea. Intelligence product customers, including analytics and intelligence entities, license data on a subscription basis (Data-as-a-Service aka DaaS), for government and commercial use cases  aiding better and faster decision making. For more information visit: www.kleos.space

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VANCOUVER, BC , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. ("Nevada Lithium" or the "Company") (CSE: NVLH) (OTCQB: NVLHF) (FSE: 87K) is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Jeff Wilson , PhD, P.Geo , and Director, as Vice-President of Exploration for the Company, effective May 1 st, 2023. Concurrently, Darren L. Smith , M.Sc , P.Geo , the Company's current Vice-President of Exploration, will transition into the role of Senior Technical Advisor to the Company.

Stephen Rentschler , CEO of Nevada Lithium commented, "We are thrilled that Jeff Wilson , a current Director of Nevada Lithium, will be assuming a management role at the Company as Vice President of Exploration. Jeff's impressive experience includes roles as Director of Geology at Tetra Tech WEI Inc. , and Manager (Geology) of listing reviews on the TSX Venture exchange. Jeff earned his PhD in Geology at Kingston University , England , and is a peer-reviewed author of multiple academic papers in international journals."

Mr. Rentschler continued, "The last twelve months have been a transformative period for the Company, culminating in the recent signing of a definitive agreement to consolidate 100% ownership of the Company's Bonnie Claire lithium project in Nevada , and production of marketable battery grade lithium carbonate. As the Company turns fully towards execution of its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), our team will benefit greatly from Jeff's steady hand and experience. Jeff will assume an increasing PFS-related daily workload over the transition period through the end of April. Going forward, we will continue to benefit from Darren's strong knowledge base and guidance in mineral exploration and advanced level studies through his new role as Senior Technical Advisor."

Darren L. Smith , current Vice President of Exploration for the Company comments: " Bonnie Claire is a strong asset with significant and unique potential to produce lithium through borehole mining techniques, where environmental and social impacts may be minimized relative to conventional open-pit extraction methods. Coupled with the increased lithium grades confirmed at depth from the recent 2022 drilling and its location in Nevada, USA , the Bonnie Claire Deposit offers a potentially unique and attractive supply proposition to the lithium market."

Jeff Wilson , PhD, P.Geo . is a Professional Geologist registered in British Columbia . He holds a PhD in Structural Geology at Kingston University in the United Kingdom and has over twenty years of experience in various aspects of the resource industry. Building on field-based exploration for gold, copper, and silver with both junior and senior resource companies, Jeff went on to work with the TSX Venture Exchange for several years, before managing the Geology Group at Tetra Tech Inc, an international consulting firm. Since 2013, Jeff has maintained an independent consulting practice and his public company experience includes independent Board positions at Western Magnesium Corp (2014-present) and Nevada Lithium Resources (2021-present).

Darren L. Smith , M.Sc ., P.Geo ., is a Professional Geologist with over 17 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry. His experience includes high-level program management ranging from program design through implementation, reporting, and technical disclosure, as well as indigenous peoples and government engagement. Darren has assisted in company financing efforts, provided technical oversight for PEA, PFS, and FS level project advancement, and has setup and monitored complex metallurgical programs. In late 2009, Darren and his team discovered one of the world's largest REE and fluorspar deposits (Ashram), which is currently advancing towards Prefeasibility and, more recently, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the CV Lithium Pegmatite District in the La Grande Greenstone Belt , James Bay, Quebec , highlighted by the large CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite. Darren is currently Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc., and Director and Vice President of Exploration for Ophir Gold Corp.

Bonnie Claire Project

The Bonnie Claire Project is located within Sarcobatus Valley , which is approximately 30 km (19 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. Quartz-rich volcanic tuffs containing anomalous amounts of lithium occur within and adjacent to the valley. Drill results from the salt flat include 2,054 ppm Li over 67.1 m (220 ft) in drill hole BC-1601 as well as a 475 m (1560 ft) vertical intercept that averaged 1153 ppm Li.

Bonnie Claire is one the largest lithium resources in North America with a current NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource 3,407 million tonnes (Mt) grading 1,013 ppm Li for 18,372 million kilograms of contained lithium carbonate equivalent, at a cut-off grade of 700 ppm Li. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The gravity low that characterizes the valley is approximately 20 km (12 miles) long, and the current estimates of depth to basement rocks range from 600 to 1,200 meters (2,000 to 4,000 feet). The current claim block covers an area of 74 km2 (28.6 mi2) with potential for brine systems and further sediment resources.

About Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on shareholder value creation through its core asset, the Bonnie Claire Lithium Project , located in Nye County, Nevada , where it currently holds a 50% interest. A recently completed NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment returned attractive investment metrics and the Company is actively advancing the Project towards Pre-Feasibility. Learn more: https://www.nvlithium.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

"Stephen Rentschler"

Stephen Rentschler , CEO

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the word "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the proposed exploration program, development of the Bonnie Claire Project , and advancement of the Bonnie Claire Project to pre-feasibility. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

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CANBERRA, Australia , April 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeing Machines Limited (AIM: SEE), the advanced computer vision technology company that designs AI-powered operator monitoring systems to improve transport safety, will exhibit its world-leading interior sensing technology alongside the 27th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) Conference 2023 at PACIFICO Yokohama, Japan , from 3 to 6 April 2023 .

Seeing Machines' immersive technology demonstrations will be held by appointment at a private meeting space in the Intercontinental Yokohama Grand and in our demo car, to showcase the Company's latest groundbreaking software and algorithm developments for its FOVIO driver and occupant monitoring system (DMS/OMS) technology solutions.

Sponsored by the USA's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the theme of the 27th ESV 2023 is 'Enhanced and equitable vehicle safety for all: toward the next 50 years'. Seeing Machines Chief of Science and Innovation, Dr Mike Lenne, has provided support to the European New Car Assessment Program's (Euro NCAP) presentation on the current and future in-cabin monitoring systems assessment, at the conference.

Seeing Machines is revolutionising global transport safety, developing and licensing proprietary technology to some of the world's leading automotive manufacturers.

We use advanced machine vision technology to precisely measure and analyse head pose, eyelid movements and eye gaze under a full spectrum of demanding in-vehicle lighting conditions, as well as through eyewear such as sunglasses. This data is processed to interpret driver attention state, focus, drowsiness and impairment levels to provide critical inputs in real-time to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as to vehicle cockpit, comfort and convenience systems.

As the worldwide focus on transport safety heightens, Seeing Machines continues to grow as an automotive technology leader in driver and occupant monitoring systems, having won a total of 15 automotive programs for 10 individual OEMs, spanning more than 160 vehicle models, undepinned by over 11 billion kilometers of driving data and delivered with proven global automotive Tier-1 customers and partners.

Seeing Machines' corporate executives and technical subject matter experts will be present at the show.

About Seeing Machines (AIM: SEE), a global company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Australia , is an industry leader in vision-based monitoring technology that enable machines to see, understand and assist people. Seeing Machines' technology portfolio of AI algorithms, embedded processing and optics, power products that need to deliver reliable real-time understanding of vehicle operators. The technology spans the critical measurement of where a driver is looking, through to classification of their cognitive state as it applies to accident risk. Reliable "driver state" measurement is the end-goal of Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) technology. Seeing Machines develops DMS technology to drive safety for Automotive, Commercial Fleet, Off-road and Aviation. The company has offices in Australia, USA , Europe and Asia , and supplies technology solutions and services to industry leaders in each market vertical. www.seeingmachines.com

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BOSTON , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- STAG Industrial, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: STAG) today announced that the Company will release its first quarter 2023 operating and financial results after market close on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 . The Company will host its quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday, April 27, 2023 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time .

The call can be accessed live over the phone toll-free by dialing (877) 407-4018, or for international callers, (201) 689-8471. A replay will be available shortly after the call and can be accessed by dialing (844) 512-2921, or for international callers, (412) 317-6671. The passcode for the replay is 13737415.

Interested parties also may listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.stagindustrial.com, or by clicking on the following link:

http://ir.stagindustrial.com/CorporateProfile

About STAG Industrial, Inc.

STAG Industrial, Inc. is a real estate investment trust focused on the acquisition, ownership, and operation of industrial properties throughout the United States . As of December 31, 2022 , the Company's portfolio consists of 562 buildings in 41 states with approximately 111.7 million rentable square feet.

For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.stagindustrial.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release, together with other statements and information publicly disseminated by the Company, contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and includes this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company's future plans, strategies and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "believe," "will," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "project" or similar expressions. You should not rely on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control and which could materially affect actual results, performances or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 , as updated by the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Company's expectations will be realized. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc. , a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd, announced today that it will combine with affiliate companies Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc. , Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. , Myovant Sciences, Inc. , Urovant Sciences, Inc. , Enzyvant Therapeutics, Inc. , and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. to form Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc. effective July 1, 2023 . Spirovant Sciences, Inc. , Sumitovant's remaining wholly owned subsidiary, will operate as a standalone company under Sumitomo Pharma America. Sumitovant's current CEO Myrtle Potter will serve as President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma America upon completion of the combination.

Sumitomo Pharma America will establish a science-based, technology-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet patient needs in the critical areas of central nervous system, oncology, urology, women's health, and cell and gene therapies. Sumitomo Pharma America will house a diverse portfolio of commercialized products and robust pipeline of early- to late-stage assets leveraging proprietary technology platforms and advanced computational analytics capabilities to accelerate research, development, and potential commercialization of new therapies. Each subsidiary will continue to operate independently until the combination is complete but are collaborating on key integration efforts in the interim to allow for a smooth transition for all stakeholders in preparation for Day 1 of Sumitomo Pharma America.

Hiroshi Nomura , President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma, said, "We remain deeply committed to addressing pressing health challenges and believe Sumitomo Pharma America will serve as a valuable growth engine. Sumitomo Pharma America will have increased scale and a combined network of resources and talent to accelerate a diverse portfolio of commercial and investigational programs for critical indications while creating a sustainable platform for growth."

"Sumitomo Pharma America represents an exciting opportunity to leverage each subsidiary's competitive strengths to create an innovative biopharma company with the scale, agility and efficiency needed for accelerated impact and patient-focused outcomes," said Myrtle Potter , current CEO of Sumitovant and future President and CEO of Sumitomo Pharma America. "We will combine our deep R&D and life sciences expertise with unparalleled advance technology platforms, DrugOME and Digital Innovation, to underpin growth of existing product lines and pipeline efforts. Sumitomo Pharma America will build on the group's mission and bring needed therapies to patients sooner in key areas where treatment options remain limited or non-existent."

"Sumitomo Pharma America will be well positioned to accelerate the development of Sumitomo Pharma Oncology's portfolio, and address unmet needs for cancer patients," said Patricia S. Andrews , Chief Executive Officer and Global Head of Oncology, Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc. "I want to thank our talented Sumitomo Pharma Oncology team for their commitment and hard work, which made this announcement possible. Our people will continue to have a positive impact for patients as part of Sumitomo Pharma America."

About Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc.

Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. As a global oncology organization with teams in the U.S. and Japan , SMP Oncology is committed to the goal of advancing purposeful science by transforming new discoveries into meaningful treatments for patients with cancer. SMP Oncology's robust and diverse pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage assets spans multiple areas, including oncogenic pathways, survival mechanisms and novel protein interactions, which aim to address unmet clinical needs in oncology. For more information, visit www.oncology.sumitomo-pharma.com.

About Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd.

Sumitovant is a technology-driven biopharmaceutical company accelerating development and commercialization of new potential therapies for patients with rare conditions and other diseases. Through its proprietary computing and data platforms, scientific expertise and diverse company portfolio, Sumitovant has supported development of multiple FDA-approved products and a robust pipeline of early- through late-stage investigational assets addressing unmet patient needs in pediatrics, urology, oncology, women's health, specialty respiratory and infectious diseases. Sumitovant Biopharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma. Please visit our website www.sumitovant.com for more information on Sumitovant and our portfolio.

About Myovant Sciences

Myovant Sciences aspires to redefine care for women and men through purpose-driven science, empowering medicines, and transformative advocacy worldwide. Since its formation in 2016, Myovant has secured five regulatory approvals in the United States and Europe for its products ORGOVYX and MYFEMBREE in hormone-sensitive oncology and women's health, respectively. Myovant and its partners continue to file for additional indications of its products, as well as advance development of its pipeline. Myovant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. , as of March 10, 2023 . For more information, please visit www.myovant.com.

About Urovant Sciences

Urovant Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapies for areas of unmet need, with a dedicated focus in urology. The Company's lead product, GEMTESA (vibegron), is an oral, once-daily (75 mg) small molecule beta-3 agonist for the treatment of adult patients with overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. GEMTESA was approved by the U.S. FDA in December 2020 and launched in the U.S. in April 2021 . Urovant Sciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. , intends to bring innovation to patients in need in urology and other areas of unmet need. Named one of the Fortune Best Workplaces in BioPharma (2022), twice as one of the "Best Places to Work" in Orange County by the Orange County Business Journal (2021, 2022) and winner of the PM360 Trailblazer Award for Best Product Launch of the Year, Urovant's people-focused culture leads the way for innovation and impact. Learn more at www.Urovant.com

About GEMTESA

GEMTESA (vibegron) is a prescription medicine for adults used to treat the following symptoms due to a condition called overactive bladder:

urge urinary incontinence: a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents

urgency: the need to urinate right away

frequency: urinating often

It is not known if GEMTESA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take GEMTESA if you are allergic to vibegron or any of the ingredients in GEMTESA.

Before you take GEMTESA, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you have liver problems; have kidney problems; have trouble emptying your bladder or you have a weak urine stream; take medicines that contain digoxin; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if GEMTESA will harm your unborn baby; talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant); are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed (it is not known if GEMTESA passes into your breast milk; talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take GEMTESA).

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your doctor and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What are the possible side effects of GEMTESA?

GEMTESA may cause serious side effects, including the inability to empty your bladder (urinary retention). GEMTESA may increase your chances of not being able to empty your bladder, especially if you have bladder outlet obstruction or take other medicines for treatment of overactive bladder. Tell your doctor right away if you are unable to empty your bladder. The most common side effects of GEMTESA include headache, urinary tract infection, nasal congestion, sore throat or runny nose, diarrhea, nausea, and upper respiratory tract infection. These are not all the possible side effects of GEMTESA. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please click here for full Product Information for GEMTESA.

About Enzyvant Therapeutics

Enzyvant is a biopharmaceutical company making life-altering impact for people affected by rare disease, where the communities are small, and the human need is immense. Driven by purpose, we engage with rare disease communities with compassion and commitment, partnering to accelerate the development of transformative medicines they so urgently need. We prioritize collaborative connections with academia, industry, associations, advocacy groups and government, because strong relationships make bold science possible. A nimble and unique organization, Enzyvant has a full range of capabilities spanning non-clinical and clinical development and commercialization and is developing in-house manufacturing. Enzyvant has delivered a first-of-its-kind FDA approval in regenerative medicine and promising advances against some of the greatest challenges in immunology and cardiopulmonology. Enzyvant is part of Sumitovant, wholly owned by Sumitomo Pharma. For more information about Enzyvant and our programs, visit www.Enzyvant.com.

About Spirovant Sciences

Spirovant is a gene therapy company focused on changing the course of cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases. The company's current investigational gene therapy technologies are designed to overcome the historical barriers that have prevented effective genetic treatments for cystic fibrosis. Spirovant's lead programs are in development for cystic fibrosis. Spirovant, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma, is located in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please visit our website at spirovant.com.

About Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Sunovion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the innovative application of science and medicine to help people with serious medical conditions. Sunovion has charted new paths to life-transforming treatments that reflect an ongoing commitment to research and development for people living with serious psychiatric and neurological conditions. Headquartered in Marlborough, Mass. , Sunovion is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. , based in Mississauga, Ontario , is a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. Additional information can be found on the company's websites: www.sunovion.com and www.sunovion.ca. Connect with Sunovion on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

About Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc.

Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc. supports certain affiliates of the Sumitomo Pharma Group by providing professional shared services expertise to achieve greater efficiencies and enable discovery, development and commercialization of innovative treatments to help patients. Headquartered in Marlborough, MA , U.S. , Sumitomo Pharma America Holdings, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan .

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and Sumitomo Pharma may make related oral, forward-looking statements on or following the date hereof. Statements including words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plan," "will," "may," "look forward," "intend," "guidance," "future" or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to a variety of inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Many of these risks and uncertainties cannot be controlled by Sumitomo Pharma and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Sumitomo Pharma as of the date of this communication and speak only as of the date of this communication. Sumitomo Pharma does not assume any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. No information contained on any website referenced in this press release is incorporated by reference herein.

Media / IR Contacts

Carol Nickerson

Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Inc.

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sumitomo-pharma-subsidiary-companies-in-the-us-including-sumitomo-pharma-oncology-to-combine-and-form-sumitomo-pharma-america-301788413.html
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. US supports Azerbaijan's initiative to create green energy corridor, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy Hugo Guevara said during the Azerbaijan-US Energy Forum in Baku, Trend reports.

According to Guevara, the US always supports Azerbaijan, which is a reliable supplier helping countries to ensure energy security.

He also noted the importance of the ongoing forum, which, in his opinion, will help establish closer relations between countries and companies representing the US and Azerbaijan. The diplomat also expressed confidence that Azerbaijan will be able to realize its significant potential in the field of green energy.

In conclusion, Guevara noted the readiness of the US to assist the development of green energy in Azerbaijan.
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Merck & Co. headquarters in Kenilworth, New Jersey, U.S., November 13, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A Delaware judge on Monday dismissed Merck & Co's lawsuit seeking to hold Bayer AG responsible for more talc-related liabilities stemming from its $14.2 billion purchase of Merck's consumer care business in 2014.

Vice Chancellor Nathan Cook of the Delaware Chancery Court said the purchase agreement "clearly and unambiguously" left Merck liable for claims related to products, including Dr. Scholl's foot powder, sold before the transaction closed.

The companies face potentially billions of dollars of liability from lawsuits by consumers alleging that asbestos contained in talc-based products such as Dr. Scholl's caused cancer.

Merck claimed that its liability ended on Oct. 1, 2021, seven years after the transaction closed, and sued Bayer after the German company refused to assume liability.

But the judge called Bayer's interpretation of the purchase agreement "the only reasonable one," and said letting Merck "dump" cases would give the Rahway, New Jersey-based company an incentive to prolong or stall lawsuits.

"Nothing in the (agreement) indicates that the parties intended Bayer to assume liability for all of Merck's actions for the period during which it formulated, marketed, and sold the products" at issue, Cook wrote in a 37-page decision.

Merck said it was disappointed with the decision and planned to appeal.

Bayer welcomed the decision, saying that it expected Merck to "take full responsibility for the product claims".

"Bayer will continue to defend itself against any further efforts by Merck to avoid or improperly transfer its liabilities to Bayer," the company said in a statement.

The $14.2 billion purchase also included Merck's Claritin allergy medicine and Coppertone sunscreen lines.

Bayer separately inherited liability for litigation over whether the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer when it spent $63 billion in 2018 to buy Monsanto.

In June 2020, Bayer agreed to settle much of that litigation for $10.9 billion. As of February 2023, about 109,000 of the 154,000 claims it faced had been settled or deemed ineligible.

The case is Merck & Co v. Bayer AG, Delaware Chancery Court, No. 2021-0838.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen Coates)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belarus' Defence Ministry said on Monday it had started combat readiness inspections of the armed forces, a latest round of military activity in the close Russian ally which has lent logistical support to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

In a statement published on Telegram, the ministry said the inspections would determine the capacity of military units to perform at "the highest levels of combat readiness".

A flurry of military drills in Belarus, which allowed Russia to use its territory to launch part of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has raised concerns in Ukraine that it might directly enter the war on Russia's side.

Minsk has denied any such plans, but warned that any incursions against Belarusian territory will invite a response.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month he planned to station Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that Moscow could also put intercontinental nuclear missiles there if the need arose.

(Reporting by Reuters)
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen arrives at Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, Belize City, Belize in this handout picture released April 3, 2023. Taiwan Presidential Office/Handout via REUTERS

By Jose Sanchez

BELIZE CITY (Reuters) - The prime minister of Belize gave Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen a welcome diplomatic boost during her visit on Monday, underlining his nation's support for Taiwan after rival China gained a new regional ally last month.

Tsai's visit comes a week after Honduras severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in favor of Beijing amid heightened U.S.-China tensions. China claims democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties, a position Taipei strongly rejects.

"Belize welcomes you into our home with open arms," Prime Minister John Briceno told Tsai during a joint session of the National Assembly in Belmopan, the capital of the small Central American country of some 400,000 people.

Briceno ticked off some of Taipei's largesse, thanking it for scholarships, farming programs and a $16.5 million grant to build a hospital in the island town and popular tourist hub of San Pedro.

As Tsai listened, Briceno applauded a declaration lawmakers passed last month reaffirming Belize's formal recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign and independent country.

In her remarks, Tsai spoke of "expansionist threats from authoritarian regimes," adding that "the people of Taiwan face constant threats from the neighbor on the other side of the Taiwan Straits," referring to China.

On Sunday, Tsai wrapped up a three-day visit to neighboring Guatemala, Central America's largest economy, and before that made a controversial stopover in New York, angering China, which has repeatedly warned U.S. officials not to meet her.

Guatemala and Belize are two of just 13 countries that Taiwan has diplomatic relations with. Honduras was the latest in a series of Central American countries to switch allegiance to Beijing in recent years, including Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador.

The Taiwanese leader is set to meet with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a second U.S. stopover in California on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Jose Sanchez; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Josie Kao)
FILE PHOTO: Ethernet cables are seen in front of Rogers and Shaw Communications logos in this illustration taken, July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustrations

(Reuters) - Rogers Communications Inc on Monday said it had closed the takeover of smaller rival Shaw Communications Inc, days after Canada gave its final approval for the C$20 billion ($14.87 billion) deal.

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne agreed to the transfer of wireless licenses held by Shaw's Freedom Mobile unit to Quebecor Inc under some conditions, paving the way to create Canada's no. 2 telecom company.

Quebecor announced it had closed the Freedom Mobile deal on Monday.

Here is the snapshot of key events in Rogers-Shaw merger:

Date Development

March 15, Rogers Communications says it will buy Shaw for

2021 about C$20 billion ($16.02 billion)

Aug. 5, 2021 The Canadian regulator starts to look into the

bid and obtains court orders to advance its

review

Jan. 10, Rogers appoints insider and industry veteran

2022 Tony Staffieri as president and CEO to lead the

company through Shaw's acquisition

May 9, 2022 Canada's antitrust agency seeks to block

Rogers-Shaw $16 billion merger

May 30, 2022 Rogers agrees with Canada's competition bureau

to put Shaw merger on hold

June 3, 2022 Rogers asks tribunal to scrap the competition

bureau's rejection, argues the merger will

create more competition rather than stifle it

June 17, Antitrust regulator says it remains opposed to

2022 Rogers plan to buy Shaw

June 18, Quebecor agrees to buy Shaw unit Freedom Mobile

2022 for an enterprise value of C$2.85 bln ($2.19

bln) to allay anti-competition concerns

June 24, Canada's Rogers, Shaw and competition watchdog

2022 agree to start mediation

July 6, 2022 Rogers says talks to discuss possible remedies

to the blocked takeover of Shaw did not result

in a resolution

July 22, Canada's antitrust agency says needs more time

2022 to investigate concession offered by Rogers

July 27, Rogers extends deadline to close the buyout

2022

Aug. 12, Rogers and Shaw finalize agreement to sell

2022 Freedom Mobile to Videotron, a unit of Quebecor

Oct. 28, Rogers, Shaw and Quebecor fail to mediate their

2022 differences with Canada's competition bureau

over the bid

Dec. 30, Canada's competition tribunal approves Rogers

2022 bid for Shaw

Jan. 3, 2023 A Federal Court put a stay on the Rogers-Shaw

merger following a request from Canada's

Competition Bureau after antitrust tribunal's

approval

Jan. 17, Rogers says the merger has been delayed long

2023 enough and must be allowed to proceed despite

the competition bureau's opposition

Jan. 24, A Canadian court dismisses the competition

2023 bureau's effort to overturn the merger approval

by Canada's antitrust tribunal

Jan. 25, Canada's Competition Bureau drops plans to kill

2023 the deal following two defeats in courts in

less than a month

Jan. 30, Rogers and Shaw extend deadline for their C$20

2023 billion ($15.01 billion) merger to Feb. 17 from

January end awaiting government approval

Feb. 17, Rogers further extends the deadline for the

2023 merger with Shaw for the fourth time to March

31

March 31, Canada grants the final approval for Rogers

2023 buyout of Shaw, paving the way for the creation

of the country's No. 2 telecoms company

Rogers

April 3, closes

2023 Shaw acquisition; Quebecor closes

Freedom Mobile deal

($1 = 1.3453 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik, Aditya Soni, Tiyashi Datta and Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Arun Koyyur and Rashmi Aich)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana is seen at a branch office at Bahnhofstrasse shopping street in Zurich, Switzerland September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion group Dolce & Gabbana said on Monday it would enter the real estate sector, with two residential schemes in the United States and Spain and a hospitality project in the Maldives.

Dolce & Gabbana said it would join forces with JDS Development Group in Miami and Sierra Blanca Estates in Marbella for the residential projects, while DarGlobal would be its partner in the Maldives.

No financial details were disclosed.

In the last two decades many luxury groups have got into real estate, with brands such as Armani or Versace opening hotels under their own names.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin, editing by Alvise Armellini and Susan Fenton)
FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks about his parent policy at a press conference at his official residence in Tokyo on March 17, 2023. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Monday the government would continue to strongly demand that Beijing releases an Astellas Pharma employee detained in China, as fears remain over the safety of China's business environment.

The government also requested consular visits with the detained man and would provide support, including contacting his family, Kishida told an Upper House budget committee meeting.

Kishida's comments came after the country's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi met his Chinese counterpart on Sunday and urged China to promptly release the detained Japanese man, who was in his 50s.

Tokyo has not heard an explanation for the detention from Beijing, according to Japan's foreign ministry.

The lack of clarity over what prompted the detainment has left other Japanese business people on edge, a Japanese expatriate in China told Reuters.

"There's a general sense of anxiety ... everyone understands that they could be detained at any point," he said, describing a rollercoaster of emotions experienced by fellow expatriates. He declined to be named for this article.

Beijing has said it would "handle (the case) according to the law" in response to Hayashi's request for the man's release.

"Unless we know how and why this person was detained, there's a possibility the authorities could say that whatever we're doing on a daily basis is illegal," the Japanese expatriate said.

He said that in recent years, Japanese businesses in China have struggled to navigate transfers of data, including production data from their own factories, across borders under the National Security Law, saying it was a legal grey area.

The detained Astellas employee has worked in China for over 20 years, according to the Nikkei daily. The Yomiuri newspaper described him as an "Astellas executive."

Astellas confirmed to Reuters that its employee had been in detained in China but declined to give further details of the man or the circumstances of his detainment.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Bernadette Baum)
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci attends his war crimes trial in The Hague, Netherlands April 3, 2023. Koen van Weel/Pool via REUTERS

By Ivana Sekularac

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded innocent to charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial began at a special court in The Hague, with protesters rallying outside in support of a leader once feted by the West.

Thaci and three co-defendants face 10 charges of persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearance of people during and shortly after the 1998-99 insurgency that eventually brought Kosovo independence from Serbia and made him a hero among many compatriots at home and abroad.

Prosecutor Alex Whiting said the four had targeted political opponents, as well as minority ethnic Serbs and Roma, imprisoning hundreds across Kosovo in terrible conditions and murdering 102 of them. Most victims were members of Kosovo's 90% ethnic Albanian majority, he said.

"There can be no justification...for arbitrarily detaining civilians and persons out of combat and subjecting them to abuse, torture, and murder...That is why the prosecution brought this case, to vindicate the rule of law and the principle that nobody is above the law, even during wartime," Whiting said.

The four defendants, all principal leaders of the former guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and later in peacetime politics of the small Balkan country, all pleaded not guilty shortly after hearings got underway.

"I understand the indictment and I am fully not guilty," Thaci, 54, said in court. Dressed in a dark pinstripe suit, the tall, strapping Thaci looked pale and grayer after two years in detention.

More than 13,000 people, the majority of them Kosovo Albanians, are believed to have died during the insurgency, when Kosovo was still a province of Serbia under then-strongman president Slobodan Milosevic.

Thousands of Kosovars gathered in the capital Pristina on Sunday in protest at the trial, and hundreds rallied outside the court in The Hague on Monday, holding banners with Thaci's image and chanting "KLA" in support of the independence movement.

In Pristina, resident Nazmi Kelmendi said on Monday that "not only is the just war of the KLA being judged, the state of Kosovo is also on trial".

Lawyers for the alleged victims of the four co-defendants told the court that the people they represent were a diverse cross-section of Kosovo society - "teachers, policemen, farmers, builders who were abducted at gunpoint...

"For each of them there was one day that changed their lives forever, or in too many cases, ended their lives," the victims' legal representative Simon Laws said.

TRIAL COULD LAST YEARS

Judges adjourned the hearing later in the afternoon after the statement from victims' lawyers. Before leaving the courtroom, Thaci waved to the leadership of his political party seated in the public gallery above.

Proceedings will resume on Tuesday with the opening statement of Thaci's lawyer.

The trial is likely to be lengthy as prosecutors said they would need two years to present their evidence.

Thaci resigned as president shortly after his indictment in November 2020 and was transferred to detention in The Hague.

During his time as a KLA leader and prominent politician, Thaci worked closely with many Western leaders. Joe Biden, when he was U.S. vice president, called him "the George Washington of Kosovo" and Thaci was en route to a meeting at Donald Trump's White House when his indictment was announced.

"Your allies are being put on trial!" read one protest banner in the rally outside the Hague court.

Proceedings began two weeks after the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court, also based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the alleged crime of deporting Ukrainian children.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, seated in the Netherlands and staffed by international judges and lawyers, was set up in 2015 to handle cases under Kosovo law against ex-KLA guerrillas.

Many Kosovars believe the tribunal is biased against the KLA and fear the court will denigrate its record in paving the way to liberation of Kosovo from repressive Serbian rule.

The court was created separately from the U.N. tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), also held in the Hague, which tried and convicted mainly Serbian officials for war crimes in the Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo conflicts.

Milosevic went on trial before the ICTY but he died in 2006 before a verdict was reached.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Andrew Gray; Writing by Anthony Deutsch; editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Mark Heinrich)
A Spanish National Police car is seen outside the North Korea's embassy in Madrid, Spain February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL(Reuters) - North Korea criticized the U.S. for refusing to extradite a man who was accused of staging a break-in at North Korea's embassy in Spain in 2019, saying Washington was protecting terrorism, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.

The North Korean embassy in Madrid issued a statement marking the fourth anniversary of the raid, during which a group of men bound and gagged staff for hours before driving off with computers and other devices.

Pyongyang denounced the incident as a "grave breach of sovereignty and terrorist attack" but accused the U.S. of not investigating the group thoroughly and refusing to extradite its leader, Christopher Ahn, calling it a violation of international law.

Ahn, a former U.S. Marine who had worked as a human rights activist, was arrested in Los Angeles in April 2019 but freed on $1.3 million bail three months later.

"Ahn must be severely punished as he inflicted severe mental, physical and material damage on the members of the diplomatic staff and their families," the embassy said in a statement carried by KCNA.

"But the U.S. is openly protecting and encouraging acts of terrorism against our citizens abroad based on groundless claims," it added.

The embassy called Washington's behaviour "daylight robbery" and "gangster," demanding it provide a formal apology and compensation and arrest and extradite the raiders.

Spanish authorities identified the intruders as members of a group called Cheollima Civil Defense, or Free Joseon, which seeks the overthrow of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and sought Ahn's extradition.

The group had acknowledged it was behind the break-in but said its members were invited inside.

U.S. court documents showed that the raiders took computers, hard drives and a mobile phone from the embassy and handed them over to the FBI after fleeing to the U.S. The FBI gave the items to Spanish authorities who eventually returned them to the embassy.

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Pope Francis presides over the Palm Sunday mass on April 2, 2023 at St. Peter's square in The Vatican. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/Pool via REUTERS

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Francis on Monday said future generations must not be overloaded with the cost of today's pension systems, in apparent support for reform at a time when the issue is politically explosive in France.

The 86-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church spoke in general terms, without referring to France, in a speech to leaders and staff of Italy's welfare agency INPS at the Vatican.

"To think that in some countries our grandchildren will be born with a terrible public debt. The choice of sustainability, on the other hand, responds to the principle that it is unfair to put irreversible and too heavy burdens on young people," he said.

France has been rocked by strikes and sometimes violent protests against a reform that President Emmanuel Macron has pushed through, bypassing parliament, which raises the retirement age by two years to 64.

Other European countries, facing the challenge of longer life-expectancy and falling birth rates, have adopted similar cost-saving measures, with governments defending them on financial sustainability grounds.

Francis, who last year said that choosing pets over kids is selfish, said an unnamed Italian man in his 60s had once told him: "Who will pay for my pension? It won't be the little dogs that people have instead of children."

In his speech, he called for "wise politicians" who can distinguish between good and bad times and who "avoid wasting resources ... and do not leave future generations in dire straits".

The pope also stressed the contribution made to pension systems by foreign workers, and said people should have access to dignified jobs, without excessive forms of temporary contracts or being forced to accept undeclared work.

(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Crispian Balmer and Nick Macfie)
FILE PHOTO: Andrea Orcel poses with IFR's 'Bank of the Year for 2015' award at the 2016 IFR Awards event in London, Britain in this handout photograph shot January 27, 2016 and provided to Reuters January 22, 2020. IFR/Simon Wagner/Handout via REUTERS

MILAN (Reuters) - UniCredit will kick off on Monday the first tranche of a share repurchase programme which received supervisory approval last week, a key part of Chief Executive Andrea Orcel's plans to boost the bank's share price.

UniCredit said it had hired BNP Paribas to buy back up to 2.34 billion euros ($2.53 billion) worth of shares, equivalent to 12% of the bank's capital, with completion expected by the end of June.

The European Central Bank last week gave UniCredit a green light to buy back 3.34 billion euros of its own shares, following a 2.58 billion euro buyback completed last year.

UniCredit trades at a discount to its book value, and Orcel has repeatedly said his goal is to lift the share price to trade in line with the book value.

The gap between the two is set to narrow on a per share basis once the repurchased shares are cancelled, due to the fact that they are being bought at a discount.

Buybacks also increase earnings per share since there are fewer shares in circulation.

UniCredit's shares were trading almost 2% higher by 0721 GMT, comfortably outperforming a 0.7% rise in Italy's banking index.

($1 = 0.9247 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
The United States has long supported Azerbaijans role as a reliable energy supplier, US Embassy Charge dAffaires Hugo Guevara said at the US-Azerbaijan green energy forum held in Baku today.

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman, who is visiting Azerbaijan on April 2-4, joined Azerbaijani energy officials at the U.S.-Azerbaijan Green Energy Forum in Baku on April 3. The Forum  a partnership between the Department of State and Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, Renewable Energy Agency, and AZPROMO promotes green energy solutions and focuses on green energy strategies and opportunities for the region and provides immense opportunities for U.S. renewable energy companies.

The forum featured nine U.S. businesses seeking to contribute to the development of Azerbaijans clean energy ecosystem. Attending companies bring U.S. technical and financial expertise to help Azerbaijans goal to reduce economic dependence on oil and gas exports and capitalize on the countrys strong renewable energy potential, including its solar and wind resources. Renewable energy, together with energy efficiency, also offers the most promising low-carbon solution to meet Azerbaijans climate targets.

At the forum, Deputy Minister of Energy Elnur Soltanov stated: the choice of the right time for the development of various energy sources, the succession of far-sighted political decisions, and the decisive steps of the President of Azerbaijan, their complementarity contributed to the energy security not only of ourselves but also of our partners and ensure the smooth transition to green energy. He provided information about Azerbaijans strategic goals and projects in the field of renewable energy as well as opportunities for foreign investment. Deputy Minister Soltanov also said, These production capacities, which are planned to be put into use gradually by 2040, are way more than our demand, and our potential is also way more than the mentioned capacities to be created.

Assistant Secretary Venkataraman delivered remarks at the Clean and Green Energy Forum and said: This forum is important so you can hear directly from U.S. companies interested in green opportunities in Azerbaijan. The Department of Commerce and the U.S. private sector are committed to helping Azerbaijan achieve its clean energy goals. While noting U.S. commitment towards working with Azerbaijan on green energy sector as well as decarbonization in emissions-intensive sectors, Assistant Secretary Venkataraman stated: President Biden has committed to take ambitious action to tackle climate change and set the United States on the path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This Administration has launched a coordinated whole-of-government approach to address climate change.

In his remarks at the forum, the U.S. Embassy Charge dAffaires Hugo Guevara said: This forum represents an important area for growth in our bilateral economic partnership by expanding our energy cooperation and helping to build bridges between U.S. companies and Azerbaijan counterparts to grow our green energy collaboration. While noting Azerbaijans importance in helping bolster European energy security, Charge Guevara added: Energy has always played an important part in our economic cooperation and the United States has long supported Azerbaijans role as a reliable energy supplier. This forum will help spur the technical and regulatory innovations that will help Azerbaijan take full advantage of its green energy potential.

Heather Byrnes, U.S. Department of Commerce Regional Senior Commercial Officer for Eurasia, stated: Our purpose in organizing this Forum is to help Azerbaijani investors develop the countrys green energy capacity, with the support of U.S. technology providers. Oil and gas producing countries across the world are developing green energy projects to decrease carbon emissions. We have just one planet and must work together to control global warming. Byrnes also noted that the forum would support U.S. companies partnering with the Azerbaijani government and private sector in the years ahead.

During his trip, Assistant Secretary Venkataraman will also participate in bilateral meetings with senior Azerbaijani energy, transportation, and economic officials and discuss opportunities for enhanced trade and investment between the United States and Azerbaijan. Assistant Secretary Venkataraman will also meet with a range of U.S. companies to learn more about their operations, highlight commercial engagements and partnerships, and hear about their experiences within the local business environment.
WASHINGTON  Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said Thursday that solving the services recruiting problem is her top priority, but the struggle to find new troops could last into 2024, or longer.

The number one priority, in my mind, for this year  is fixing our recruiting problem, she said during a discussion hosted by the Project for Media and National Security at George Washington University. The Army missed its recruiting target last year by about 15,000 people. That is a very serious situation for us.

The Army sought 60,000 new recruits in 2022 but enlisted only 45,000. For 2023, the service is aiming even higher  for 65,000 new members.

We really have to get after our recruiting challenge, Wormuth told reporters at the event. This is, frankly, a challenge not just for the United States Army but for all of the services.

Fewer than 25% of all young Americans between the ages of 17 and 24 qualify academically and physically to serve in the military, according to recent Pentagon data. Many of them cant pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, a test that measures potential recruits aptitude and fitness to serve.

Officials in all the services have said its more difficult to attract new members in the modern landscape due to several factors, such as childhood obesity and an awareness gap, or a lack of understanding among young people about military life and its benefits.

Ive talked with thousands of young adults across the nation. Ive noticed some awareness questions that really caught me off guard, like Hey, I was told that until I finish basic training and Advanced Individual Training, I cant get paid, or [I cant] own a pet as a soldier,  said Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, commanding general of Army Recruiting Command. And certainly, all of these things are not true. Were really bringing that awareness to this future market.

The Army has begun offering new incentives to boost recruiting, such as offering promotions for referral signups, a new recruiting ribbon, financial bonuses and letting recruits choose their station when they finish basic training.

However, the Army has said it wont lower admissions standards to bring in more recruits, so solving the problem is expected to take time.

It took us more than a year to get into the situation that were in, in terms of the recruiting landscape, and I think its going to take more than a year to turn it around, Wormuth said. We are in the process of reintroducing the Army to the American public.

The secretary called the Armys goal of 65,000 recruits for 2023 very ambitious.

We are pulling out all of the stops, she added.

Gen. James McConville, the Armys chief of staff, said the service is undergoing the biggest transformation in 40 years with its new recruiting efforts, new doctrines, new organizations and new ways of training soldiers. Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston also stressed the importance of retaining soldiers, not just recruiting them.

Once people go in the Army, they want to stay, Grinston said, noting new members eventually are retained and promoted. Retention, he said, will help the Army avoid a shortage of noncommissioned officers in a few years.

Last year, the Army was short about 20,000 soldiers from its desired force size of 485,000 troops, and officials have cautioned repeated failures to meet personnel targets could have a cascading effect on U.S. capabilities and readiness worldwide.

We have got 100,000 service members in Europe right now working to either support Ukraine, help train the Ukrainians or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO allies. And about 50,000 of those service members are Army service members, Wormuth said.

On Ukraine, she gave an update on the Armys mission to procure dozens of new M1 Abrams tanks and send them to Ukrainian troops. The Pentagon and President Joe Biden agreed last month to send Ukraine a version of the Abrams M1A2, but it will take time because they must be built  a process that takes months. The Pentagon has not yet given a firm timeline on when Ukraine might start getting them.

Its not going to be a matter of weeks, I can tell you that, Wormuth said. There are longer timelines involved. But I think there are options that are less than two years, less than a year and a half.

She said it is possible Ukraine could begin receiving the first Abrams tanks before the end of 2023.
The U.S. Army notched another live-fire practice with its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, during training Friday with Philippine forces on the island of Luzon.

Soldiers with U.S. Army Pacific fired six HIMARS rockets from a site north of Manila as part of the annual Salaknib drills that began March 13 and conclude Tuesday, Capt. Stacey Lasay, a spokeswoman for the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. The HIMARS rockets were fired into an open area and had no specific target, she said.

U.S. and Filipino troops also fired AT-4 anti-tank weapons at Fernandez Hill on Fort Magsaysay, a sprawling military reservation on Luzon, following the HIMARS practice, Lasay said.

U.S. and Filipino troops also practiced marksmanship with automatic rifles, she said.

The 2nd Brigade deployed 1,500 troops from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to the Philippines for the training, unit commander Col. Graham White said by phone from Fort Magsaysay on March 12.

This years Salaknib has included small-arms, maneuver, jungle, artillery and mortar training as well as engineering and construction projects.

The truck-mounted HIMARS can strike targets 50 miles away and rapidly move around the battlefield, making it a tough target to find. Last year, the U.S. sent HIMARS launchers to Ukraine to help battle Russian invaders.

U.S. forces have demonstrated the HIMARS in the Philippines several times. The mobile rocket system is part of a U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinas anti-access, area-denial strategy in island chains of the western Pacific.

Marine Corps HIMARS conducted live-fire drills at Crow Valley Military Reservation north of Clark Air Base on Luzon during Octobers annual Kamandag drills. Army HIMARS was fired from Colonel Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Tarlac, as part of the previous Salaknib exercise in March 2022.

During Balikatan, another annual U.S.-Philippine drill in the islands this month, a U.S. HIMARS will fire on a decommissioned fishing boat in waters off Luzon, the government-run Philippine News Agency reported March 16.

Balikatan, which runs April 11-28, will involve 12,000 American and 5,000 Filipino troops along with about 100 Australians and observers from Japan and South Korea, according to the agency.
Japan complained to China again after a record-breaking stay by Chinese coast guard vessels inside the 12-mile territorial limit surrounding the Senkaku Islands, a small but significant international flashpoint between the two nations.

Four Chinese coast guard vessels spent 80 hours, 36 minutes without incident inside the limit from 11:08 a.m. Thursday until 7:44 p.m. Sunday, a spokesman for Japans coast guard told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday. Their stay surpassed their previous record of 72 hours, 45 minutes in December.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed concern over the situation when he met Sunday with Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing, Hayashi said at a press conference afterward. The pair discussed several topics, including the recent detention of a Japanese citizen over espionage allegations, according to a transcript of Hayashis remarks.

The latest Senkaku incident took place during Hayashis two-day trip to Beijing and just ahead of the 45th anniversary of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which aimed to normalize economic and political ties between the two countries.

I expressed our serious concern over the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkakus, Hayashi said. Also, I mentioned the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

The Senkakus  five uninhabited islets and three rocks 105 miles east of Taiwan  amount to about 2 square miles. China and Taiwan know them as the Diaoyu or Tiaoyutai, respectively, and also lay claim. The area surrounding the Senkakus reportedly holds a wealth of natural resources, including fish, oil and natural gas.

Tokyo will continue its appeals to Beijing for responsible actions, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Monday in Tokyo, according to a video uploaded to Prime Minister Fumio Kishidas website.

We will keep working hard to be able to communicate with China and build a stable and constructive relationship, Matsuno said.

The Chinese ships were met by a larger contingent of Japanese coast guard vessels, according to the Japanese spokesman, who declined to provide the exact number. The Japanese ships positioned themselves between the Chinese and Japanese fishing vessels to prevent contact and warned the Chinese by radio and electronic message boards to leave the area.

One Chinese vessel, No. 1305, appeared to be armed with a deck-mounted machine gun, the spokesman said. Two of the vessels entered and re-entered Japans territorial waters.

The ministry complained to the Chinese Embassy in Japan and to diplomatic officials in Beijing on all four days, a ministry spokesman said by phone Monday.

It was the longest continuous intrusion into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkakus by Chinese government vessels since the Japanese government purchased the islands in 2012, the coast guard spokesman said.

This was the 11th intrusion by Chinese government vessels around the islands so far this year, he said. The last incident happened on March 24.
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  Japan joined the U.S. and South Korea for a two-day naval drill on Monday, another in a series of large military exercises on the peninsula, the most recent involving a visiting U.S. aircraft carrier.

The drills on land, in the air and at sea are the largest involving the U.S. and South Korea in five years. They included live-fire drills by the U.S. Army and its South Korean partners, flyovers by fighters and bombers and amphibious landings by South Korean and U.S. Marines.

Antisubmarine and search-and-rescue drills that began Monday near the South Korean island of Jeju will improve troops reaction capabilities against advancing North Korean submarine capabilities and nuclear and missile threats, according to a news release from the Souths Ministry of National Defense.

We will overwhelmingly and decisively respond to any forms of North Korean provocation and thus incapacitate them, South Korean Rear Adm. Kim Inho said in the release.

For the first time in seven years the three countries will tackle scenarios involving humanitarian assistance and maritime accidents, according to the release.

The commander of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, Rear Adm. Christopher Sweeney, will lead the exercise; the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz will participate along with the groups destroyers USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur, the release said states.

South Korea sent three destroyers and a logistics vessel; Japans Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched the destroyer JS Umigiri.

The three-nation drills commenced as the two-week Ssangyong exercise by the U.S. and South Korea navies concluded on Monday. The exercise consisted of roughly 5,500 troops, 30 ships and 70 aircraft from both countries and was the largest maritime exercise between them in five years.

Ssangyong included a mock amphibious landing near Pohang in the countrys south by Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit and their South Korean counterparts.

The two allies simultaneously conducted Warrior Shield, a series of large-scale field exercises over 11 days that included live-fire artillery practice by the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. Alongside that exercise, the two militaries, with U.N. Command and Combined Forces Command held Freedom Shield, a tabletop exercise to simulate their response to a North Korean attack.

The U.S. and South Korean commands say their exercises are defensive in nature; North Koreas state-run media describes them as rehearsals for an invasion of their country.

The naval drills this week will focus on detecting underwater threats from North Korea, according to the ministrys release.

On March 12, Pyongyang fired what the state-run Korean Central News Agency described as cruise missiles from a submarine. Nine days later, KCNA reported that North Korea tested an underwater nuclear attack drone that could create a radioactive tsunami.

South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 27 described the Norths claims as exaggerated and fabricated.

North Korea repeatedly warned that the drills fueled tensions in the region and that it considered them acts of war.

The communist regime fired 11 ballistic missiles in eight separate days of testing so far this year. It last fired two short-range ballistic missiles that flew toward the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, on March 27.
Finlands flag will be raised for the first time at NATO headquarters Tuesday in Brussels, where leaders will welcome the Nordic country as the alliances newest member.

It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole, the organizations secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, told reporters on the eve of a meeting of allied foreign ministers.

Finland will be welcomed into the U.S.-led security pact as NATOs 31st member. The countrys entrance also means that NATOs border with Russia will more than double, Stoltenberg said.

For NATO, Finnish accession means the addition of a country that never went through the post-Cold War demilitarization that many other European states experienced.

The result is a country with a strong military force equipped with modern weapons systems that will eventually include F-35 fighters, Stoltenberg said.

They have trained and built a large army over many years, he said.

Throughout the Cold War, Finland and Sweden, which also is seeking NATO membership, resisted the idea of becoming part of NATO, opting instead for military neutrality. But Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, changed the security calculation for both countries.

Swedens membership has run into resistance from Turkey, which has blocked Swedens entry over what Turkey says are Kurdish militants residing in the Nordic country.

In Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will lead a U.S. delegation at NATO that is expected to be focused on ways the alliance can further assist Ukraine in its war against Russia.

We do not know when this war will end, but when it does, we will need to put in place arrangements so that Ukraine can deter future aggression and history does not repeat itself, Stoltenberg said. We cannot allow Russia to continue to chip away at European security.

Collectively, allies have delivered some $70 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with modern battle tanks among the latest form of weaponry to arrive on the battlefield.

This can make a real difference on the front lines and allow the Ukrainian forces to liberate more territory, Stoltenberg said.

Meanwhile, allies also will address Chinas growing alignment with Russia, the NATO chief said.

Pacific region countries including Japan, South Korea and Australia will join the talks in Brussels.

The consequences of Russias war against Ukraine are global, and what is happening in Europe today could happen in east Asia tomorrow, he said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The double taxation between Azerbaijan and Japan are being eliminated, Trend reports.

This issue is included in the agenda of the meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis), which will be held on April 4, 2023.

Thus, the deputies of Milli Majlis will discuss the draft law approving the Convention "On the elimination of double taxation and the prevention of tax evasion in respect of income taxes between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Japan."

After discussions, the document will be voted on.
After saboteurs severely damaged the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines last September, German officials zeroed in on a rented sailboat that appeared to have taken part in planting explosive devices deep below the surface of the Baltic Sea.

But after months of investigation, law enforcement officials now suspect that the 50-foot yacht, the Andromeda, was probably not the only vessel used in the audacious attack. They also say the boat may have been a decoy, put to sea to distract from the true perpetrators, who remain at large, according to officials with knowledge of an investigation led by Germany's attorney general. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details about the active inquiry, including doubts about the Andromeda's role that haven't been previously reported.

Officials hope that the true purpose of Andromeda in the deep-sea demolition will provide further insight in a high-stakes, international whodunnit that could eventually lead to those responsible and explain their motives, which remain unclear.

U.S. and European officials said they still don't know for sure who is behind the underwater attack. But several said they shared German skepticism that a crew of six people on one sailboat laid the hundreds of pounds of explosives that disabled Nord Stream 1 and part of Nord Stream 2, a newer set of pipelines that wasn't yet delivering gas to customers.

Experts noted that while it was theoretically possible to place the explosives on the pipeline by hand, even skilled divers would be challenged submerging more than 200 feet to the seabed and slowly rising to the surface to allow time for their bodies to decompress.

Such an operation would have taken multiple dives, exposing the Andromeda to detection from nearby ships. The mission would have been easier to hide and pull off using remotely piloted underwater vehicles or small submarines, said diving and salvage experts who have worked in the area of the explosion, which features rough seas and heavy shipping traffic.

The German investigation has determined that traces of "military-grade" explosives found on a table inside the boat's cabin match the batch of explosives used on the pipeline. Several officials doubted that skilled saboteurs would leave such glaring evidence of their guilt behind. They wonder if the explosive traces  collected months after the rented boat was returned to its owners  were meant to falsely lead investigators to the Andromeda as the vessel used in the attack.

"The question is whether the story with the sailboat is something to distract or only part of the picture," said one person with knowledge of the investigation.

Still others allow that the bombers may simply have been sloppy.

"It doesn't all fit," a senior European security official said of the fragments of evidence. "But people can make mistakes."

Suspicions turn to Poland and Ukraine

The German investigation has linked the yacht rental to a Polish company, which is in turn owned by a European company that's connected to a prominent Ukrainian, fueling speculation from Berlin to Warsaw to Kyiv that a deep-pocketed partisan may have financed the operation. The identity of the Polish company and the Ukrainian individual, as well as his potential motive, remains unclear.

Based on the initial German findings, officials have been whispering about the potential involvement of the Polish or Ukrainian government in the attack. Poland arguably had a motive, some said, considering it has been among the most vocal critics of the Nord Stream project since it began in the late 1990s, warning that the pipelines, running from western Russia to Germany, would make Europe dependent on the Kremlin for energy.

Marcin Przydacz, the Polish president's chief foreign policy adviser, urged caution about reaching conclusions from the initial evidence. He too shared the view that the Andromeda could be a red herring, but said it may have been planted by Moscow.

"This could be a Russian game to blame" Poland, Przydacz said in an interview at the presidential palace in Warsaw. "Poland had nothing to do with this [attack]."

Intelligence agencies have found no clear evidence that Russia, initially the prime suspect, was responsible.

Privately, former Polish government officials said that despite the country's vehement opposition to Nord Stream and staunch support for arming Ukraine, they doubted that President Andrzej Duda would authorize an act that risked fracturing the alliance of nations that have come to Ukraine's defense. Polish officials routinely refer to Ukraine's conflict with Russia as "our war" and are fearful that if Russian President Vladimir Putin succeeds there, he would set his sights on Poland next.

Suspicion also has turned toward Ukraine as the culprit behind the Nord Stream bombings, based in part on intercepted communications of pro-Ukraine individuals discussing the possibility of carrying out an attack on the pipelines before the explosions, The Washington Post previously reported.

A senior Western security official with knowledge of the secretly gathered intelligence said the communications were only discovered after the bombing, when Western spy agencies began searching their records for insights.

"Ukraine absolutely did not participate in the attack on Nord Stream," Mykhailo Podolyak, a top adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said last month, questioning why his country would conduct an operation that "destabilizes the region and will divert attention from the war, which is categorically not beneficial to us."

Those who suspect Ukrainian involvement said that disabling the pipeline could have been an effort to galvanize allied support in the face of Russian aggression, and particularly to strengthen German resolve. Germany had halted activated authorization for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Officials in the United States and Europe initially blamed Russia for the bombing. The country had already halted gas flows on Nord Stream 1, the older of the two sets of pipelines. That suggested that Moscow was willing to engage in a form of political blackmail with energy supplies.

One of the pair of Nord Stream 2 pipes remains intact. Both of the Nord Stream 1 lines were severed in the explosions on Sept. 26.

Some officials said that Ukrainian saboteurs or those from other countries acting in what they felt were Ukraine's best interest could have attacked Nord Stream without Zelensky's knowledge, arguing that he doesn't have complete visibility into all the operations of his government or the military. That kind of plausible deniability could protect the celebrated leader and dampen the political fallout of a brazen attack tied to his country, these officials said.

No country has provided firm evidence tying the attacks to Ukraine, and a senior Biden administration official has cautioned that the intercepted communications of pro-Ukrainian actors are not conclusive.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned against making early conclusions as to who was responsible, suggesting that it might be a "false flag" operation, an idea echoed by other German politicians.

Roderich Kiesewetter, a German lawmaker who is part of a committee that was briefed last month by intelligence officials on the probe's progress, said he believes that investigators have not yet communicated any results because the "evidence is far too thin."

Kiesewetter said that unfounded speculation over the culprits could endanger cohesion in Europe. "We should continue to ask who had an interest in the detonation" and who "benefits from uncertainty and accusations," he said.

Trail of breadcrumbs

As the Nord Stream mystery has turned into an international game of Clue, German investigators have scoured the Andromeda for leads. Officials first became interested in the vessel after the country's domestic intelligence agency received a "very concrete tip" from a Western intelligence service that the boat may have been involved in the sabotage, according to a German security official, who declined to name the country that shared the information.

German authorities determined that the tip was credible and passed the information onto law enforcement officials, the official said.

The Andromeda left a virtual trail of breadcrumbs as it set off from a German port for the Baltic Sea, according to investigators.

Mola Yachting rented out the boat on Sept. 6 from Hohe Dune harbor in Warnemunde, a German port town on the Baltic, near Rostock, which is about 145 miles north of Berlin. The rental location is in plain sight of a huge vacation complex, home to a five-star hotel, seven restaurants and a high-end shopping area, with views across the harbor.

Investigators said the boat then traveled in a northeasterly direction, stopping in Hafendorf Wiek, or "Wiek harbor village," on the northernmost part of Rugen island.

When a reporter from The Post visited in early March, the area had emptied out, save for the odd local dog-walker braving the biting temperatures. Half a dozen yachts bobbed in the water where the Andromeda is said to have been. "Investigators came [in] mid-January, and we helped them where we could," said the harbor master, Rene Redmann.

"It wouldn't be unusual for a boat setting off from Rostock with the destination of Bornholm to stop in Wiek," Redmann noted, referring to a Danish island near the site of the Nord Stream explosion. Investigators believe that the Andromeda left Hafendorf Wiek and moored off the coast of the tiny island Christianso, near Bornholm.

A stop in Hafendork Wiek may have offered the Andromeda's crew a final chance to stock up on supplies before heading to the explosion site.

"Lots of things are loaded on the boats  including groceries," Redmann said. "Some people stop to tank up on fuel." Redmann would not confirm that the Andromeda stopped there, citing the continuing law enforcement investigation. But he said he wouldn't have any record of the crew's identities, just the name of the boat, the number of people aboard and the type of vessel.

"Recording names of passengers is the job of the charter," Redmann said.

Thomas Richter, co-owner of the charter company Mola, said that the search of the Andromeda took place in Dranske, on Rugen island, where the yacht was kept in winter storage. He declined to share further details.

'Don't talk about Nord Stream'

For all the intrigue around who bombed the pipeline, some Western officials are not so eager to find out.

At gatherings of European and NATO policymakers, officials have settled into a rhythm, said one senior European diplomat: "Don't talk about Nord Stream." Leaders see little benefit from digging too deeply and finding an uncomfortable answer, the diplomat said, echoing sentiments of several peers in other countries who said they would rather not have to deal with the possibility that Ukraine or allies were involved.

Even if there were a clear culprit, it would not likely stop the provision of arms to Ukraine, diminish the level of anger with Russia or alter the strategy of the war, these officials argued. The attack happened months ago and allies have continued to commit more and heavier weapons to the fight, which faces a pivotal period in the next few months.

Since no country is yet ruled out from having carried out the attack, officials said they were loath to share suspicions that could accidentally anger a friendly government that might have had a hand in bombing Nord Stream.

In the absence of concrete clues, an awkward silence has prevailed.

"It's like a corpse at a family gathering," the European diplomat said, reaching for a grim analogy. Everyone can see there's a body lying there, but pretends things are normal. "It's better not to know."

Harris reported from Warsaw and Washington, Mekhennet from Berlin and Washington, Morris from Berlin, Birnbaum from Washington and Brady from Rugen and Rostock, Germany. The Washington Post's Meg Kelly in Washington contributed to this report.
Justice Department and FBI investigators have amassed fresh evidence pointing to possible obstruction by former president Donald Trump in the investigation into top-secret documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home, according to people familiar with the matter.

The additional evidence comes as investigators have used emails and text messages from a former Trump aide to help understand key moments last year, said the people, who like others interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation.

The new details highlight the degree to which special counsel Jack Smiths investigation into the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified national security papers at Trumps Florida home and private club has come to focus on the obstruction elements of the case  whether the former president took or directed actions to impede government efforts to collect all the sensitive records.

The emphasis on obstruction marks a key distinction so far between the Mar-a-Lago investigation and a separate Justice Department probe into how a much smaller number of classified documents ended up in an insecure office of President Bidens, as well as his Delaware home. The Trump investigation is much further along than the Biden probe, which began in November and is being overseen by a different special counsel, Robert K. Hur. Bidens lawyers say they have quickly handed over all classified documents found in Bidens possession.

The Trump investigation team has spent much of its time focusing on events that happened after Trumps advisers received a subpoena in May demanding the return of all documents with classified markings, the people familiar with the matter said. Smith is trying to determine if Trump or others mishandled national security documents and if there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge him with obstructing the investigation.

The Mar-a-Lago investigation is one of four separate criminal probes involving Trump, who is campaigning for another term in the White House. Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury that heard evidence about money paid to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. He is set to make his first court appearance in that case Tuesday. He is also being investigated by the Justice Department and a state prosecutor in Georgia over efforts to block Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election.

An FBI spokesman referred questions to a spokesman for the special counsel, who declined to comment.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a written statement: The witch hunts against President Trump have no basis in facts or law. The deranged special counsel and the DoJ have now resorted to prosecutorial misconduct by illegally leaking information to corrupt the legal process and weaponize the justice system in order to manipulate public opinion and conduct election interference, because they are clearly losing all across the board.

The statement went on to point to the Biden classified documents probe, as well as the investigation of Hillary Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, suggesting that conduct there was worse than anything that happened at Mar-a-Lago. President Trump is the only leader fighting for the Constitution and to protect the American people from being abused by those who want to destroy our system of government, Cheung said.

In the classified documents case, federal investigators have gathered new and significant evidence that after the subpoena was delivered, Trump looked through the contents of some of the boxes of documents in his home, apparently out of a desire to keep certain things in his possession, the people familiar with the investigation said.

Investigators now suspect, based on witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, that boxes including classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served, and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes, these people said. While Trumps team returned some documents with classified markings in response to the subpoena, a later FBI search found more than 100 additional classified items that had not been turned over.

Court papers filed seeking judicial authorization for the FBI to conduct the search of Trumps home show agents believed that evidence of obstruction will be found at the premises.

The application for court approval for that search said agents were pursuing evidence of violations of statutes including 18 USC 1519, which makes it a crime to alter, destroy, mutilate or conceal a document or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency.

A key element in most obstruction cases is intent, because to bring such a charge, prosecutors have to be able to show that whatever actions were taken were done to try to hinder or block an investigation. In the Trump case, prosecutors and federal agents are trying to gather any evidence pointing to the motivation for Trumps actions.

The Washington Post reported in October that Trumps valet, Walt Nauta, had told investigators that he moved boxes at Mar-a-Lago at the former presidents instruction after the subpoena was issued. Smiths team has video surveillance footage corroborating that account, The Post reported, and considers the evidence significant.

In addition, the people familiar with the investigation said, authorities have another category of evidence that they consider particularly helpful as they reconstruct events from last spring: emails and texts of Molly Michael, an assistant to the former president who followed him from the White House to Florida before she eventually left that job last year. Michaels written communications have provided investigators with a detailed understanding of the day-to-day activity at Mar-a-Lago at critical moments, these people said.

Michaels lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.

Investigators have also amassed evidence indicating that Trump told others to mislead government officials in early 2022, before the subpoena, when the National Archives and Records Administration was working with the Justice Department to try to recover a wide range of papers, many of them not classified, from Trumps time as president, the people familiar with the investigation said. While such alleged conduct may not constitute a crime, it could serve as evidence of the former presidents intent.

These people said prosecutors have collected evidence that Trump ignored requests from multiple advisers to return the documents to the archives over a period of a year, that he asked advisers and lawyers to release false statements claiming he had returned all documents, and that he grew angry after being subpoenaed for the documents.

Investigators also have evidence that Trump sought advice from other lawyers and advisers on how he could keep documents after being told by some on his team that he could not, people familiar with the investigation said. They have collected evidence that multiple advisers warned Trump that trying to keep the documents could be legally perilous.

As investigators piece together what happened in May and June of last year, they have been asking witnesses if Trump showed classified documents, including maps, to political donors, people familiar with those conversations said.

Such alleged conduct could demonstrate Trumps habits when it came to classified documents, and what may have motivated him to want to keep the papers. The Post has previously reported that Trump told aides he did not want to return documents and other items from his presidency  which by law are supposed to remain in government custody  because he believed they belonged to him.

Investigators have also asked witnesses if Trump showed a particular interest in material relating to Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, people familiar with those interviews said. Milley was appointed by Trump but drew scorn and criticism from Trump and his supporters after a series of revelations in books about Milleys efforts to rein in Trump toward the end of his term. In 2021, Trump repeatedly complained publicly about Milley, calling him an idiot.

The people did not say whether investigators specified what material related to Milley they were focused on. The Post could not determine what has led prosecutors to press some witnesses on those specific points or how relevant they may be to the overall picture that Smiths team is trying to build of Trumps actions and intent.

But people familiar with the matter stressed that a major thrust of the investigation has been the question of obstruction, and whether Trump sought to deliberately prevent officials from gathering all of the classified material at Mar-a-Lago.

The case stretches back to efforts by Archives officials to retrieve documents and other items from the former president in 2021, after they came to believe that some presidential records from the Trump administration  such as letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un  were unaccounted for, and perhaps in Trumps possession.

After months of back-and-forth, Trump agreed in January to turn over 15 boxes of material. When archivists examined the material, they found 184 documents marked classified, including 25 marked top secret, which were scattered throughout the boxes in no particular order, according to court filings.

That discovery suggested to authorities that Trump had not turned over all the classified documents in his possession when he left the White House. In May, a grand jury subpoena demanded the return of classified documents with a wide variety of markings, including a category used for secrets about nuclear weapons.

In response to the subpoena, Trumps advisers met with government agents and prosecutors at Mar-a-Lago in early June, handing over a sealed envelope containing another 38 classified documents, including 17 marked top secret, according to court papers. According to government filings, Trumps representatives claimed at the meeting that a diligent search had been conducted for all classified documents at the club.

Agents continued to gather evidence that suggested Trump was not fully complying with either government requests or subpoena demands, and that his team might have misled authorities and possibly held onto some sensitive files.

On Aug. 8, FBI agents conducted a surprise court-ordered search of Mar-a-Lago and found 103 documents marked classified, including 18 marked top secret, according to court papers. The investigation has recovered documents that describe highly sensitive U.S. intelligence efforts aimed at China, one document describing Irans missile program and material covering other sensitive topics, including nuclear secrets.

Smiths team has been presenting witnesses and evidence for months to a grand jury in Washington focused on the Mar-a-Lago probe, even as a separate grand jury at the same federal courthouse hears evidence related to efforts to block the results of the 2020 election, and the state-level prosecutors in New York and Georgia press forward with their cases.

The Mar-a-Lago prosecutors recently won a court fight that allowed them to question Trumps lawyer, Evan Corcoran, before the grand jury about what he knew about the documents.

Grand jury proceedings are secret, and Smith has given no public indication of the pace of his investigation or when he expects it to be finished.
Multiple bills have been filed in the current Texas legislative session seeking to regulate some people from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia and their purchasing property in the state. Similar bills have been filed in at least 15 other states and Washington, D.C.

Lawmakers who have authored some of the bills have said the legislation is intended to protect the state from governments that are considered a threat to the U.S. by the federal government. Those who oppose the bills say they are rooted in xenophobia.

Concerns over Chinese ownership of land in Texas spiked after lawmakers discovered that a Chinese subsidiary purchased about 140,000 acres near Laughlin Air Force Base in Val Verde County.

A December 2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed that China accounted for less than 1%  352,140 acres  of all foreign-held land in the United States.

Here are some of the bills introduced in the Texas Legislature:

Senate Bill 147

The bill: SB 147 would ban citizens and businesses from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, or those governments, from buying property in Texas. It could have limited exceptions, for instance for people with dual U.S. citizenship.

Author: Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham

Coauthors: Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa, D-McAllen; Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston; Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster

Status: Pending in committee March 2

Background: SB147 angered many in the Chinese American community when Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted his intent in January to sign the bill if passed.

The bill, according to Kolkhorst, builds on Senate Bill 2116, a bill passed by Republicans and Democrats in the last regular legislative session to protect critical infrastructure.

Some Democrats who voted in favor of SB 2116, including Gene Wu and Rafael Anchia, have spoken out against SB 147, which currently states that an individual who is a citizen of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia would not be allowed to purchase or acquire real property.

After multiple rallies against the bills sprung up in major Texas cities, including Houston and Dallas, Kolkhorst and other Republican lawmakers have said the bill would clarify that people who are lawful permanent residents and dual citizens would not be affected by the proposed legislation.

Those who have led protests against the bill in North Texas have said they plan to oppose the bill even if Kolkhorst makes changes to it.

Senate Bill 552

The bill: Senate Bill 552 seeks to disallow non-U.S. citizens of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia or a designated country to purchase agricultural land in the state. Business entities and individuals would not be allowed to enter into an agreement relating to agricultural land with individuals from the four countries.

According to the bill, a designated country refers to countries designated as a threat to critical infrastructure by the governor after the governor consults with the Department of Public Safety and a state Homeland Security Council.

Authors: Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels; Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound

Status: Referred to committee Feb. 17

House Bill 4006

The bill: House Bill 4006 seeks to ban government entities with ties to China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from buying or acquiring land. The bill, if passed, would also not allow companies that are owned or controlled by citizens from the four countries to buy or acquire land in Texas.

Under the bill, the Texas attorney general would have the authority to enforce the guidelines proposed in the bill.

Author: Rep. David Spiller, R-Jacksboro

Status: Referred to committee March 20

Senate Bill 711

The bill: Senate Bill 711 states that prohibited foreign actors would not be allowed to buy real estate without a written notice to the seller.

Prohibited foreign actors, according to the bill, are people or companies that have ties to countries that are listed as a risk to U.S. national security under the Director of National Intelligences annual threat assessment. The 2023 report includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia as among the most direct, serious threats to the United States.

After the seller is provided the notice, they would have the power to immediately revoke any promise to sell the property, under the bill. The bill also directs courts to dismiss any action brought against a seller for revoking a promise to sell real property based on the notice.

Author: Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock

Coauthor: Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton

Status: Pending in committee March 2

2023 The Dallas Morning News.

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(Tribune News Service)  The last thing that Lawrence "Otter" Obst thought that he wanted  or needed  was a dog.

Obst, 48, was nearing the end of his career in the Navy. The chief warrant officer had been deployed 14 times, six times in hazardous duty combat zones, and as a result, he was battling numerous health issues, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury and vestibular balance dysfunction.

"So you can imagine, I'm suffering from chronic pain, depression, PTSD, anxiety, frustration," he said.

But what worried his wife, Maria, most wasn't his physical maladies. It was the fact that Obst had begun withdrawing from everything, he said. She began looking for volunteer opportunities and thought being around animals would be helpful to him.

That's what brought the Picayune, Miss., couple to the Northshore Humane Society in Covington, La., a little over a year ago and brought Kimber, a 1 1/2-year-old shelter dog, into their lives.

Obst says that the dog, likely a Dutch shepherd mix, has changed his life. He's down from 12 medications to four, he said. And when he's hit by a migraine linked to his traumatic brain injury or starts to wobble because of his vestibular condition, Kimber is there and knows what to do.

Inspiring a new program

Their story, which began in February 2022, has inspired the launch of Shelter to Service Dogs, a new program that Scott Bernier, CEO of the Northshore Humane Society, hopes will improve the lives of both the dogs and the people they're trained to help.

The program didn't exist when Obst first met Kimber, a shelter dog who was then called Teddy. Obst was sitting in on his wife's volunteer orientation and watching as Evan Stewart of K-Pro K9, was demonstrating how to handle the dogs.

He learned that Stewart, a Marine veteran, provided a dog-training discount for people who adopt shelter dogs and also to veterans. "But I'm still, I don't want a dog, don't need a dog."

When he returned to the shelter a week later, his resolve began to melt. "There were a few dogs that were adorable, that just  they need good homes, and they were still here. Teddy was still here," he recalled.

So while his wife was going through training to work with shelter cats, he asked if he could take Teddy out for a run. "He was very spastic in his cage, but when I got him out, I just remember I sat on the bench, I started getting one of my TBI-related migraines. He sat down near my feet, and he looks at me and licks me," Obst said.

That's when a volunteer noticed that they were bonding and told him he could take Teddy home for a weekend sleepover. "I said, 'No, no, I'm good,' and the lady said, 'Your wife has already signed him out.'"

The couple took the brindle-coated dog to a pet store to gauge his disposition, and he didn't lunge, bark or snarl at the cats in the store. "He just sat there and looked at me.  He wasn't aggressive. He was very docile," Obst said.

Obst began to think that his shelter dog could be turned into a service dog to help him with mobility issues. They contacted Stewart, whose business includes service dog training, to see if Teddy, now Kimber, had the right stuff.

"I remember Evan sitting here, and he says, 'Dude, not all dogs can be service dogs.' And I said, 'Let's try.'"

As it turned out, Kimber readily took to his new role. "We started taking his behavior of working with me, some of the natural stuff, and so he'll go between my legs to brace me, he'll lean into my knees and brace me if I'm wobbly," Obst said.

Three months into his training, Obst brought Kimber to a volunteer appreciation party for the Humane Society. Bernier was amazed at how well-trained Kimber was, and at their story.

"At that point, I knew we were going to do this, that we've got to do this with shelter dogs," Bernier said.

Setting up the program took about a year, Bernier said, and was officially launched in February. The initial goal is to train and pair four dogs with recipients per year.

Trained service dogs start at a cost of around $20,000 and go as high as $40,000 to $60,000, but K-Pro K9 charges the shelter $10,000 for the training. Recipients will pay $1,000, and the shelter will cover the rest.

"It's a modest goal, to make sure we have the backing of businesses and the community, and we want the recipient to have some involvement," Bernier said.

First pairing

Steel Mimosas, a nonprofit, is sponsoring the program's first pairing. Ms. B, a 1 1/2-year-old Rottweiler mix, recently went home with Aimee Wiser, a 30-year-old Navy veteran from Gulfport, Miss., who has PTSD, Humane Society spokesperson Megan Haggerty said.

The two are just wrapping up a monthlong bonding period, and then they'll head to K-Pro K9 to work on specific skills that Wiser needs Ms. B to perform, Haggerty said. That will likely include things like alerting her when someone is approaching, she said.

Ms. B has already been through basic obedience training because she was selected before the program was opened up to applicants. So far, about 50 people have applied, but Bernier said applicants will need to meet requirements and have a medical condition that's been signed off by a doctor.

The program is just getting a pool of approved applicants in the pipeline, he said. A committee that includes a cross-section of staff and the training company reviews all applicants and makes the match. "Not every animal fits every recipient," Bernier said.

Right now, the committee is considering a child as a possible recipient, he said.

Stewart's role includes sizing up the shelter's dogs for suitability. When Ms. B was selected, he had been considering a 40-pound Catahoula mix that ended up needing knee surgery, ruling him out.

When Ms. B arrived at the Humane Society, she was heartworm positive, 20 pounds lighter, missing a third of her fur and suffering from a systemic yeast infection.

"Once we got her cleaned up, she's a gorgeous dog," Stewart said. "The dogs that are qualified for this work are not always purebred golden retrievers. They can come in all shapes and sizes."

Not throwaways

What he looks for is intelligence, a solid disposition and what he calls an "affiliative nature."

For Stewart, the program is an opportunity to help dogs live better with people. "I'm really excited about it, because these dogs are not throwaway dogs. They are very, very valuable animals," he said.

Obst certainly sees it that way. He had to stop volunteering at the shelter because he doesn't go anywhere without Kimber  including to his retirement ceremony from the Navy, which was held in mid-March. But he'll readily speak out as an advocate.

"I'm forever grateful for the pairing, and I'm excited for the program and the next recipients of these dogs, because I know how he's transformed my life," Obst said.

(c)2023 The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate

Visit at www.nola.com

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The Azerbaijani community living in Switzerland has made an official appeal to the organizers of the Palexpo book fair regarding the provocative actions of the representatives of the Armenian diaspora, Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora told Trend.

According to the state committee, it is noted in the appeal that the Karabakh economic region is located on the internationally recognized territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, the "Armenie Culture & Saveurs" center located in Geneva, Rue de Lozanne, distributes unacceptable materials at the book exhibition titled "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". The Azerbaijani community strongly protests against the ongoing provocations of the Armenian diaspora.

It is also noted in the appeal that in the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan re-established its sovereignty over Karabakh and seven adjacent regions during the 44-day war, thereby fulfilling the UN's four resolutions.

The Azerbaijani community noted that multinational and multicultural Switzerland had become the second home for Azerbaijanis. However, the Azerbaijani House in Switzerland expresses its sincere concerns regarding the rising tension and hostility of the Armenian community towards Azerbaijan and its territorial integrity.

"Therefore, we strictly condemn the actions of "Armenie Culture & Saveurs" for hosting anti-Azerbaijan events at the book fair, and any support for continued separatism," said the appeal.

The Coordinating Council of Azerbaijanis of Switzerland distributed the protest statement regarding the Armenian provocation.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday reserved its verdict in the case pertaining to delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by-polls after hearing arguments from Election Commission, PTI and other stakeholders.

Ahead of the hearin, the government submitted a statement through Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan, requesting the formation of a full court to hear the case which was ruled out by the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bindial.

The PDM government also sought the dismissal of the PTI petition in the light of what it interpreted as a 4-3 order issued by the apex court on March 1.

The SC bench has been dissolved twice after Justice Mandukhel and Justice Aminuddin earlier excused themselves from hearing the case.

The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan resumed hearing into the election delay case today.

At the outset of the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked PPP lawyer Farooq H Naek have you ended the boycott of the bench?

The PPP had objections to the formation of the bench and had not boycotted the proceedings, Naek replied to which the CJP asked, then who has boycotted the three-member bench?

The CJP denied hearing the coalition govt lawyers. During the hearing, Kamran Murtaza in his arguments said they have reservations on the bench.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawyer Akram Sheikh told the court that they are yet to take back the power of attorney and they have objections to the bench hearing the case. He also clarified they have not boycotted the proceedings yet.

Justice Munib Akhtar in his remarks said on the one side you people are boycotting the hearing and on the other hand, want to be part of the court proceedings.

The question had been raised on how could the ECP give the date of Oct 8 for polls, the CJP remarked. He said only the apex court had the authority to delay elections as happened in 1988 and the Election Commission of Pakistan had no such power to do so.

CJP Bandial added that the Supreme Courts hearing is in the public interest and there is a difference of opinion among judges.

AGP Awan then went back to the suo motu case stating that in the first round, a nine-member bench heard the case.

Details of the two judges dissenting note have come forward while the two judges had thrown out the pleas on the first day, stated AGP Awan.

CJP Bandial then told the AGP that he is yet to find a case in which the chief justice was barred from changing the bench.

The attorney general of Pakistan further said the problem is whose decision is the majority one. The solution is that those judges who heard the case earlier should be separated from it now.

Your point is noted, moved forward, Justice Munib Akhtar, another member of the bench remarked.

SC Registrars Office released a circular after Justice Qazi Faez Isas May March 29 verdict. The court order or decision cannot be set aside with a circular, the AGP added.

To, this CJP Umar Ata Bandial said no decision is nullified through a circular, it was only issued on the matter of barring hearings under Article 184/3, the top judge remarked.

The top judge also remarked that no clear directions were given in the order passed by a three-member bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez.

Justice Munib further remarked if AGPs stance is accepted by the SC, even then the full court cannot hear this case.

CJP Bandial asked AGP that he can plead for the formation of a larger bench to hear the case but cannot for a full court. Full court meeting can be fruitful, but not a bench.

The CJP further remarked that he met senior judges in the last three days. CJP Bandial also remarked harmony among judges was crucial for the Supreme Court. He said judicial proceedings were made public but consultations among judges were considered an internal matter.

The hearing has been adjourned for a while.

Commenting on the security issue during todays hearing, the top judge said security is an important issue but the issue of forces is not only of Army, but it is also of Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force.

Help from Navy and Pakistan Air Force can be sought if Pakistan Army is busy in security issues, the CJP was quoted as saying.

CJP remarked that an in-chamber hearing will be conducted if any sensitive issue comes before the court.

Secretary Defense, Lt. General (retired) Hamoodur Zaman said the security situation in Punjab is concerning, and cannot reveal details in the open court, as it will help Pakistans enemy, he added.

CJP asked who will give security for the elections and added that question is how everything will be good on October 8.

The secretary defense said the reserve force can be summoned in an extraordinary situation.

Upon being asked by the CJP, the Attorney General of Pakistan, Mansoor Usman Awan said the government cannot boycott the court proceedings.

Government functions as per law and constitution, he added. In his arguments on the PTIs plea, the AGP said the plea has pleaded with the SC to nullify the Election Commission of Pakistans (ECP) decision to postpone the election.

The PTI plea states to give the right to announce the election date in KP to the president based on the courts decision of March 1.

However, governor KP did not give any election date until the filing of the PTI plea, he added.

On Saturday, the coalition parties expressed their lack of confidence in the three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan hearing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the delay in elections of the Punjab Assembly.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the overall political situation of the country, according to a statement issued by Prime Ministers Office (PMO).

The coalition parties expressed a lack of confidence in the Supreme Court bench  comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.

Strict security measures have been taken by the Islamabad administration, and police and Rangers personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order during the high-profile case hearing.

Unrelated people including political leaders and lawyers have been barred from entering Red Zone over security concerns.

The lawyers and police officials also exchanged hot words over the denial to entry in the SC.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar Monday said the government will not accept if the Supreme Court's decision on a sensitive and important issue is announced in haste.

We will not accept if a decision is made in haste on such a sensitive and important issue. We have tried our best to maintain the institutions sanctity, Tarar said during a session of the National Assembly, adding that this is the same institution which gave nine years, instead of three months, to a dictator.

He further mentioned that the Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan asked for the formation of a six-member bench with judges who werent present in the bench before. Now we hear the news that the verdict has been reserved.

Earlier today, while directing the Attorney General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial  who was heading the three-judge bench comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan  said that the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should find a solution through political dialogue.

Have a political dialogue for the Pakistani nations sake. Reach a political conclusion, the chief justice said.

The verdict has been reserved and will be announced tomorrow despite the government seeking the formation of a new bench to hear the case.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, last week, said that the ruling alliance has no trust in the apex court's three-judge bench and said that the bloc has decided its boycott.

Sharing his views on the matter during the parliaments session, Tarar said that a long consultation was held among the ruling coalition on the Supreme Court hearing. He added that the government had submitted a request to become a party in the case for the last six days.

It demanded transparency to be brought to the Supreme Courts proceedings. When representatives of political parties appeared in the court today, they expressed displeasure, the minister said.

The apex courts order exists, but it was suspended through an executive order, the minister said. There is immense apprehension within legal circles regarding the issue.

Tarar mentioned that despite expressing no confidence, the bench took matters forward. Our request was to make a bench that is acceptable to all. The decision of four judges against three has come out.

He added that the governments lawyers said that their objections should be heard before the hearing and that the government is not being made a party despite continuous requests. We were party earlier, but it is not known when we were refused to be one, he said.

Commenting on the differences between the judiciary, Senator Tarar added that voices are also being raised within the institution, but they are being ignored.

The law minister, who represents Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in the parliament, said that institutions earn their respect through their conduct.

Voices of the institutions judges are rising, but they are being suppressed. If the decision is made in a hurry, then history will write it on black pages. If such an important national issue is decided in haste, then it will be controversial, Tarar maintained.

The PML-N politician mentioned that the chief justice asked political parties to resolve the issue on their own. I would ask the chief justice to first fix your own house. First look at your own house and listen to the voices rising inside it.

The minister made these remarks in relation to the order made by a special SC bench, with a two-to-one majority, regarding the suspension of all suo motu cases  under Article 184(3) of the Constitution  until amendments are made to the Supreme Court Rules governing the chief justice's discretionary powers.

The special bench order came on the suo motu case related to examining the grant of 20 additional marks to a Hafiz-e-Quran student while admitting them for an MBBS/BDS degree.

CJP Bandial had formed the three-member special bench to hear the case, but Justice Isa objected to the constitution of the bench.

But later, the Supreme Court's registrar, in a circular, disregarded the judgment authored by Justice Isa. The senior puisne judge then demanded the removal of the top court's registrar.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday took exception to remarks made by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial during the Supreme Court hearing on the postponement of polls in Punjab.

For the past week, the top court has been hearing the PTIs petition against the Election Commission of Pakistans (ECP) decision to postpone polls to the Punjab Assembly till October 8. Earlier today, the court reserved its verdict in the case.

During the hearing conducted on March 31, the CJP had made the following remarks: Today, when you go to parliament, you find people addressing the parliament who were till yesterday in captivity, imprisoned, declared traitors. They are now talking over there, and being respected because they are representatives of the people.

The remarks had come a day after a bill aimed at clipping powers of the CJP and giving the right to appeal in all suo motu cases with retrospective effect sailed through the Senate without being sent to the relevant standing committee. The bill, titled the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, seeks to take away the discretionary powers of the CJP to take suo motu notice, form benches and allocate cases in an individual capacity.

Addressing the CJPs remarks on the floor of the National Assembly, the premier said that Pakistans history was rife with examples of individuals serving prison sentences for having a particular stance or point of view.

To serve a prison sentence in a criminal case, in a just society, at the hands of a fair judge is a matter of dishonour, he said.

However, the PTI government headed by Imran Khan was consumed with putting opposition leaders behind bars, Shehbaz said, adding that he was also among the politicians who were jailed during the previous government.

Imran sent me to jail not once, but twice. He was fully prepared to send me to jail for a third time.

The prime minister also recounted the various legal proceedings he had to face during the PTI governments tenure. He also noted that he was granted bail by different courts.

It is Gods grace that I was released on merit and that I am here today. My crime was that I [] fully raised my voice against the governments wrongdoings. But this was not acceptable to Imran who considered us a thorn in his side, the premier said.

Referring to the CJPs remarks, PM Shehbaz asked: Is it a crime that after having successfully fought my case in the high courts, a decision is then made based on merit? Is this a matter of respect and pride or shame? [] is it a matter of shame or respect that I am present in this House today and can speak with my head held high?

PM Shehbaz said that the CJP had stated that those who had served prison terms in the past were now making speeches in parliament but questioned if he would say anything about the baseless cases against the former opposition.

I want to ask the chief justice, that a judge against whom there have been serious allegations, what message do you want to send to the nation by having him sit alongside you? the premier asked without taking any names.

The premier said that lawmakers who had secured bail in baseless cases had the right to represent the aspirations of the people who had elected them.

It is not a crime that we have come here after serving prison sentences and obtaining bail on merit. But you have a person, against whom there have been serious allegations of corruption, sitting alongside you.

The prime minister said that as an elected representative, he would first look at himself before saying anything, adding that this principle applies to everyone.

The premier wished that the CJP would have instead talked about the UKs National Crime Agencys investigation against him wherein it had found no evidence of any criminal activities or the apology issued by the Daily Mail after it accused the premier of stealing British foreign aid money.

He (CJP Bandial) did not remember all of this but he remembered that I was making a speech after serving a prison sentence. This double standard can not continue.

During his speech, the premier also said that the entire coalition government had expressed a lack of confidence in the three-member SC bench hearing the PTIs plea against postponement of polls.

He said that if CJP Bandial constituted a full court to hear the matter, then the nation will have no difficulty in accepting that decision.

Shehbaz said that for such a complicated and contentious decision to be issued by a three-member bench was 100 per cent against the principles of justice.

Get your own house in order first

Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on the floor of the assembly recounted the developments in the case thus far. He noted that the court had reserved its verdict and would announce it tomorrow (Tuesday).

He said that if such a sensitive national and constitutional matter was decided without taking the rest of the top court judges on board, it would become a controversial decision which would not have the nations support.

He noted that the CJP had previously stated that politicians should sit down together and solve issues among themselves.

I request you (CJP Bandial) to get your own house in order first. There is division in your house and dissenting opinions are coming forth, the minister said.

He reiterated the governments demand for the constitution of a full court to decide the matter.
In an Important decision, the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, approved to withdraw the services of the Registrar Supreme Court Ishrat Ali, on the letter written by SC Puisine Judge Justice Qazi Faiz.

The cabinet members reviewed the circular issued by Justice Qazi Faez Isa to Supreme Court Registrar.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa wrote a letter to SC Registrar asking him to withdraw the Circular issued that degraded judicial order of him about suo-motu notices jurisdiction of CJP.

He also sent the copy of the circular to the Cabinet Division and asked the Registrar to resign immediately over ineligibility to do justice with his post.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had convened an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet today to discuss a single point agenda on hearing of the Supreme Court of the Pakistan elections case hearing about Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Prime Ministers directed ministers to ensure participation in the emergency meeting.

Ministers who cannot come should be present through video link, Prime Minister said.
Rescuing garda lost a tooth after he was headbutted in struggle as men threatened Brazilian sex worker

The house in Newbridge that was used as a brothel at the time of the incident

Two men who attacked a prostitute with a claw hammer and a meat cleaver left a rescuing garda suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following the brutal brothel robbery.

Robert Ion, Andrei Stroescu and a third man burst into the house where the Brazilian prostitute was working in Newbridge, Co Kildare just before midnight on August 17, 2021.

Luckily, a nearby resident who knew the terraced house was being used as a brothel had spotted a hooded man acting suspiciously and immediately called gardai when he heard screaming.

The prostitute was forced to reveal where 5,000 was stashed after being beaten with a hammer several times, leaving her with a broken nose, puncture wounds on her buttocks, severe bruising and damage to her neck.

Robert Ion   Gary Ashe

Two uniformed officers who arrived at the scene, Garda Martin Staunton and Garda James Quigley, confronted the gang as the injured and almost naked woman ran from the house.

As one man escaped through a back window, Ion and Stroescu  armed with a hammer and meat cleaver  turned on the two officers and a struggle ensued.

Details of the terrifying incident emerged this week where Ion and Stroescu appeared at Naas Circuit Criminal Court to be sentenced.

Both men, who shared an address in Co Meath, had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated burglary, and Stroescu also pleaded guilty to head-butting Garda Quigley.

Garda Martin Staunton gave evidence how the officers had arrived at the house on Henry Street where they heard sounds of a distressed female.

The house in Newbridge that was used as a brothel at the time of the incident

They saw a bleeding woman who was wearing very little clothing. She was ushered outside by the officers who then went back into the house.

Stroescu, who was brandishing a meat cleaver, and Ion, who had a hammer, ignored initial warnings to drop the weapons and a violent struggle ensued in which pepper spray was used.

The gardai were able to get the suspects to the ground and handcuffed and arrested them.

During the struggle Stroescu headbutted Garda Quigley in the face with the back of his head, causing him to lose a tooth.

The woman later told gardai in an interview she was a freelance sex worker who advertised her services on Escort Ireland.

She ran a coffee shop in her native country but had to shut down because of Covid and came to Ireland earn money to buy new equipment and to put her son through college.

On the night, she had opened the door thinking it was a customer when the three men suddenly ran in with one man putting his hand over her mouth as she screamed for help.

A second man put his hands around her neck while the third stood at the door as she was dragged from room to room while being hit with the hammer as the men demanded to know where the cash was hidden.

The Escort-Ireland website

She told them there was money under a plate, but they said the 5,000 was not enough and demanded more. The pair went through her belongings and personal documents and kept pulling her head upwards to stop her looking at them.

She said the men went into a panic when they realised the gardai were at the scene, and she was taken to the bedroom and had her hands tied behind her back before she able to free herself and get out.

The victim has since returned to Brazil, but in a victim impact statement she outlined how her injuries and the psychological damage and trauma has affected her ability to provide for her family.

In his impact statement, Garda Quigley told how the incident, in which he lost a tooth, left him with post traumatic stress disorder, resulted in depression and severely affected his sleep pattern.

Lawyers for both men, who have been held in custody since the attack, asked that their early guilty pleas be taken into account and saved the victim travelling from Brazil to give evidence in court.

Judge Dara Hayes adjourned the case for final sentencing later this year.
He was remanded in custody until bail is taken up and will face his next hearing on Thursday at Cloverhill District Court.

Gardai released a picture of the 67.5kg of cannabis seized worth an estimated 1.36m (Image: An Garda Siochana)

A warehouse worker has been charged after gardai uncovered 1.36m worth of cannabis shipped to Ireland from Spain in a container load of oranges.

Father of three, Dawid Zajac, 38, an address at Galtrim, Summerhill, Co. Meath, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis on March 31 and that he had it for sale or supply at Cornstown, Ashbourne, Co. Dublin.

It followed an operation by officers attached to the Revenue Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, Coolock and Raheny District Drugs Units and the Meath Divisional Drugs Unit.

Mr Zajac, originally from Poland but living in Ireland for 16 years, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court today.

Bail was set in his bond of 20,000, of which half must be lodged, and an independent surety with 20,000 must be approved.

He was remanded in custody until it is taken up and will face his next hearing on Thursday at Cloverhill District Court.

Detective Garda Paula Carter told the court the accused made "no reply" to the charges, and she objected to bail due to the seriousness of the case.

She told the contested bail hearing, "1.36m worth of cannabis was concealed in crates of oranges shipped from Spain to Dublin Port.

She alleged the accused paid a 5,000 customs fee for a container to be released from the port and that he was in the warehouse when a logistics company delivered the crates.

She also told the court he helped off-load them.

It was also alleged that he had an invoice for the shipment on his phone.

The detective agreed with defence solicitor Jenny McGeever that the accused did not have the trappings of wealth and that his phone and passport had been seized.

She accepted that the accused lived with his partner and children, was in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment, and had the presumption of innocence.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecution are awaited, the court heard.

Mr Zajac told the court he would abide by bail conditions and said he had left Ireland twice since 2007, to spend Christmas in Poland once, and for a week's holiday to Latvia with his partner.

He agreed to obey any terms imposed by the court.

Pleading for bail, Ms McGeever said her client has lived at the same address for four years and has "strong roots" here.

Describing it as a "substantial matter", she held that bail with conditions could be granted.

Legal aid was granted.

On taking up bail, the accused must sign on daily at Trim Garda station, remain contactable by phone, and notify gardai of any address change.

Another man was charged earlier.
Taylor stabbed 28-year-old Ms Walsh 40 times in the horrific attack at her home in Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, north London, on December 15 last year.

A man who stabbed his pregnant partner to death with a pair of scissors after the Irishwoman tried to dump him is facing a life sentence.

Liam Taylor (37) brutally murdered mother-of-four Ailish Walsh in London and later told police: Its crazy how one moment of madness can change your whole life.

Taylor stabbed 28-year-old Ms Walsh 40 times in the horrific attack at her home in Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, north London, on December 15 last year.

Ms Walsh was 22 weeks pregnant with his child at the time of her death.

She had been trying to break up with Taylor because he was taking drugs, the court had heard.

Ms Walshs father and brother watched from the well of court as Taylor, who has previous convictions for violence against women, admitted murder.

Prosecutor Paul Casey said a full post-mortem has not yet been produced and Taylor may be charged with child destruction depending on evidence on the gestation period.

There will be a further hearing on 10 May but a sentencing date is yet to be set.

Judge Alexia Durran told Taylor: Youve pleaded guilty today to the most serious offence and there is only one sentence.

The question is how long it will be before the parole board will be able to consider your release.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers said after the killing: My thoughts are with the victims family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time.

I want to reassure them and residents who will be shocked by what has happened in their community, we are working hard to establish what has happened.

Taylor, of no fixed address, admitted murder.

A GoFundMe raised more than 11,000 (12,500) to fly Ms Walshs body back to her native Ireland.

"I would like to try and raise as much money as we can to help the family with the funeral costs and getting Ailish back home to Ireland to put her at rest and be back with her family, organiser Teresa Cannon previously said.

I know times are hard at the moment, but you cannot imagine how hard this is for her family and children so please, please no matter how much or how little every penny will help.

Police were called to scene in North Hackney just after 10pm on December 15 following reports of an unresponsive woman at an address in Rectory Road, N16, a force spokesperson said.

Ms Walsh was pronounced dead at the scene despite the best efforts of emergency services".

Following her death, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers called it an incredibly sad incident as he urged anyone with information about the tragedy to come forward.

"My thoughts are with the victim's family and friends at this unimaginably difficult time.

I want to reassure them and residents who will be shocked by what has happened in their community, we are working hard to establish what has happened.

"Anyone who witnessed anything out of the ordinary or has any information about this incident should contact police as soon as possible, he said in a statement.
Justice Minister Simon Harris also wants to strengthen the bureaus powers around liaising with foreign police forces

Drug trafficker John Gilligan's taxpayer-funded battle against the bureau dragged on for 20 years. Photo: Collins

New laws are set to be introduced to stop drug dealers and prolific burglars from using delay tactics to frustrate the Criminal Assets Bureaus (Cab) inquiries into their ill-gotten gains.

Justice Minister Simon Harris also wants to strengthen the bureaus powers around liaising with foreign police forces in their fight against international gangs, including the Kinahan cartel.

Under the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 2023, Mr Harris is aiming to restrict criminals from thwarting Cabs efforts to seize their assets with vexatious court challenges.

There have been several instances in the past where the bureau has gone through lengthy and costly court proceedings after being granted orders to seize assets.

The most high-profile such case was that of drugs trafficker John Gilligan, whose taxpayer-funded battle against the bureau dragged on for 20 years.

Under new proposals, the courts will automatically appoint a receiver over a seized asset to prevent a criminal from having use of it pending a final disposal order.

The wait time for this is currently seven years.

The justice minister aims to reduce this period to just two years.

There are also plans to grant the Cab further powers around the sharing of information with other state agencies and law enforcement officials in foreign jurisdictions.

This will give it a major boost in targeting the likes of the Kinahan crime gang leadership, who have amassed over 1bn worth of assets across several continents.

The proposals will be outlined to 140 delegates representing mid-ranking gardai across the country today.

Mr Harris is due to address the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) which will be taking place in Galway.

He is expected to tell delegates that his key objectives as justice minister include equipping gardai with modern tools, as well as ensuring that stronger laws are in place to protect frontline emergency workers.

This will involve bringing forward legislation to increase the maximum sentence for assaults on gardai and other frontline personnel to 12 years imprisonment.

The rollout of body-cameras to gardai has also been a priority for both the AGSI and the Garda Representative Association.

It is hoped that this equipment will be rolled out by the end of this year.
Mr Bailey said he was returning from "an absolutely fantastic music festival in Ballydehob" that evening.

Gardai have detained Ian Bailey (65) on suspicion of drink driving in west Cork.

A sample has now been submitted by gardai for testing to determine what further action, if any, will result.

Mr Bailey was stopped shortly after 9pm on Sunday by gardai as part of a routine traffic check outside Bantry.

One source said the vehicle involved was believed to have been driving in an erratic manner.

Mr Bailey was asked by officers of the West Cork Roads Policing Unit to submit a breath sample.

However, it is understood there was a difficulty in respect of securing a proper breath sample at the scene and Mr Bailey was taken to Bantry Garda Station where an alternative sample was secured.

Mr Bailey - who was returning from a music festival in Ballydehob - claimed it was not his fault a proper sample could not be supplied at the scene and that the machine being used was "defective".

Ian Bailey

He co-operated fully with officers and provided the sample at the station which will now be sent for testing to determine what action, if any, will result.

The poet and freelance journalist - who was released later on Sunday evening by gardai  told sundayworld.com today that he does not believe he was over the limit.

He confirmed he was arrested and is now awaiting the result of a sample submitted in respect of Road Traffic Act requirements at Bantry garda station on Sunday evening.

"I was stopped by An Garda Siochana on Sunday evening and informed I was driving erratically. I did not believe this was the case and told the garda, he said.

"Three times I tried to comply with the direction to supply a breath sample at the scene but was told I was not doing it properly. I told them I believed the machine was defective but was arrested for non-compliance and taken to Bantry garda station."

Mr Bailey said he was returning from "an absolutely fantastic music festival in Ballydehob" that evening.

"I did have a single drink earlier in the evening with some food. But I do not believe I was over the limit. But we will have to wait and see (what the sample analysis shows)."

He stressed that he attempted to co-operative fully with gardai at all times on Sunday evening.

He confirmed he has been in contact with his solicitor in respect of the matter.

Mr Bailey was previously stopped and tested for suspected drink driving in August 2019 in west Cork.

While he failed a roadside alcolyser test, a sample subsequently submitted at Bantry Garda Station proved to be negative on analysis.

However, Mr Bailey was also tested for drug driving which resulted in a prosecution which is currently under appeal.

He has sought to have his conviction for drug driving quashed on the basis he was given a drink of water by gardai just minutes before undergoing an oral drug test in a Cork garda station.

Mr Bailey's legal team has submitted that the drink of water - given just minutes before he underwent the Drager 5000 oral drug test at Bantry Garda Station - "blatantly compromised" the subsequent test result.

The submission came as Cork Circuit Appeals Court dealt with the challenge which has been adjourned multiple times over the past two years.

Mr Bailey was originally convicted of drug driving by Judge John King before Bantry District Court in May 2021 following a case which took almost a year to resolve.

He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, although the disqualification was paused pending the outcome of Mr Bailey's appeal.

Mr Bailey - who is also a law graduate - has successfully fought extradition to France three times since 2010 over the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (39).

He has consistently protested his innocence in relation to the December 23, 1996, killing of the French mother-of-one at her west Cork holiday home.

Mr Bailey was twice arrested by gardai in relation to the investigation in 1997 and 1998 but was released without charge on both occasions.

The Director of Public Prosecutions ruled in 2000/2001 that he did not have a case to answer.

But he was convicted in absentia by a French court of the killing in 2019 - despite repeatedly claiming that attempts were made to frame him for the crime. The French court imposed a 25 year prison term.

The poet, formerly of Liscaha, Schull, Co Cork but currently living in Bantry, described the Paris proceedings as "a farce" and "a show trial".

Mr Bailey attended a Cork Circuit Appeal Court hearing in Skibbereen in respect of the drug driving case using a cane and walking with a limp.

In 2020, gardai prosecuted Mr Bailey for operating a vehicle while under the influence of cannabis and for possession of a small quantity of cannabis.

Mr Bailey contested the matter but was convicted by Judge John King in May 2021.

The counts all arose from an incident on August 25, 2019, outside Schull in west Cork

Mr Bailey was stopped by gardai while driving at Schull townland outside the west Cork village that Sunday evening.

He failed a roadside alcolyser test, was arrested and taken to Bantry Garda Station.

Mr Bailey underwent a second test for alcohol but was found to be well below the legal drink driving limit.

However, a search of his person while at the station under arrest yielded a small tin containing what was subsequently confirmed to be cannabis.

Detective Sergeant Kevin Heffernan then requested a specific drug test.

Garda Fintan Coffey conducted the oral drug test on Mr Bailey using a Drager 5000 machine. It indicated that Mr Bailey was over the drug driving limit.

A doctor was called to the station and a blood sample was taken from Mr Bailey. The blood sample results, received on October 29, 2019, showing a reading of 2.7ng/ml for D9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) where the limit is 1ng/ml and 19.5ng/ml for 11-nor-9-carboxy-D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (cannabis) where the limit is 5ng/ml.

Judge King disqualified Mr Bailey from driving for 12 months and fined him a total of 700.

However, counsel for Mr Bailey, Alan O'Dwyer BL, instructed by solicitor Ray Hennessy, argued before Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Appeals Court that the oral drug test was invalid.

This was because Gda Coffey did not observe a 10 minute waiting period after the appellant had been given a drink of water by a different garda.

A key test case - separate to Mr Bailey's proceedings - in relation to such test wait periods is currently before the High Court.

The Drager drug test machine manual said a 10 minute wait must be ensured if food, drink or chewing gum has been taken by the person to be tested.

"The oral fluid test has been blatantly compromised by the consumption of water," Mr O'Dwyer said.

"He (Mr Bailey) consumed water just before he did it (the drug test). I say that the test performed by Gda Coffey was performed unlawfully."

Mr O'Dwyer also argued that the subsequent blood test was only valid if preconditions including a lawful oral blood fluid test were fulfilled.

Gda Coffey told the court he was not aware at the time that Mr Bailey had been given a drink of water by another garda just minutes earlier.

State Solicitor Jerry Healy insisted the oral drug test was carried out correctly and lawfully.

Mr Healy also dismissed issues raised over the roadside checkpoint and the search of Mr Bailey at Bantry garda station.

He argued judicial rulings over the years indicated a wider view had to be taken in cases.

"(Courts) cannot hold gardai to impossible requirements," he said, citing case law.

"You cannot elevate the personal rights of drunk drivers above the personal rights of their potential victims."

Mr Healy also argued that there would be "uproar in the Oireachtas" if gardai were only able to conduct routine checkpoints for very limited and specific reasons.

"Otherwise it is crystal clear that policing would be impossible," he warned.

Judge Boyle said she would consider written legal submissions in relation to the issues raised before her.

Mr Healy said he will also inquire with the DPP about the High Court case over the test delay period and any matters arising from it.

Judge Boyle adjourned the appeal for legal submissions.

Mr O'Dwyer said his client wanted the matter resolved.

"This matter has been playing on Mr Bailey's mind for some time," he said.
Details added (first published: 12:05)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Detainees in connection with the attack on Azerbaijani MP Fazil Mustafa have been identified, Trend reports.

According to preliminary information, the organizer of the attack is Azer Sarijanov, born in 1976 in the Salyan district.

Azer Sarijanov is an adherent of radical Shia Islam. He visited Iran 11 times between 2010 and 2019. From 1993 to 2002, he lived and studied in the city of Qom; during his studies, he was involved in cooperation with the special services of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

After returning to Azerbaijan, with the financial support of the Iranian special services, he established business activities in the country under the guise of charity. Over the following time, he repeatedly visited Iran. Based on instructions received from the Iranian special services, Sarijanov provided financial and organizational support to commit this crime.

Furthermore, Sabuhi Shirinov, who shot MP Fazil Mustafa, was born in 1986 in the Agdam district. He is also an adherent of radical Shia Islam. From 2017 to 2022, he visited Iran 15 times. During his time in this country, he was recruited by the Iranian special services and underwent special combat training there. Based on instructions received from Azer Sarijanov, he committed this crime.

Other members of the gang are as follows: Elshad Asgarov, who was born in 1983 in the city of Baku and is an adherent of radical Shia Islam (visited Iran 9 times from 2013 to 2018), and Emin Aliyarov, who was born in 1970 in the city of Baku and is also an adherent of radical Shia Islam (visited Iran 3 times between 2004 and 2015).

Asgarov and Aliyarov were providing help to Azer Sarijanov in the organization of the armed attack on Fazil Mustafa.

On March 28, 2023, at 21:51 (GMT +4), unknown men opened fire at Azerbaijani MP Fazil Mustafa, near his house. The MP survived, receiving two bullet wounds, one in the right shoulder.

In this regard, a criminal case has been initiated in the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan under Article 277 (encroachment on the life of a state or public figure to terminate his service or political activity or out of revenge for such activity) and 228.2.1 (Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of firearms, components for it, ammunition by a group of persons by prior agreement) of the Criminal Code.
The besieged mobster has ordered his men to leave their homes and converge on Weavers Grange near Newtownards West Winds estate

Masked men in Newtownards last Thursday shocked local residents and beyond   Kevin Scott

PACEMAKER BELFAST 30/03/2023 A house in Donaghadee has been petrol bombed as part of a feud between rival drug gangs in County Down, police have said. The incident occurred shortly before 21:50 GMT on Wednesday in Beechfield Drive. The fire was extinguished and no-one was in the property at the time of the attack. It comes amid a spate of attacks thought to be linked to a dispute between rival factions of the UDA. There has been a large police presence in Ards and north Down. On Tuesday a house was petrol bombed in Ballyferris Walk, Bangor. Officers then received a report of damage to a property in Glenbrook Road in Newtownards.

Jackie McDonald and Bunter Graham (pictured) have washed their hands of the rival loyalist factions

Crime boss Adrian Price has barricaded himself into his Newtownards bolthole ready for a backs-to-the-wall fight for survival.

The Sunday Worldcan reveal that the besieged mobster has ordered his men to leave their homes and converge on Weavers Grange near Newtownards West Winds estate.

Some 50 or more gang members are believed to be bunkered down in the area which has become the focal point of the feud.

Sources say it is a fight he has no hope of winning.

Graffiti in Kilcooley estate

There is already discontent among some of his men, unhappy at putting themselves on the line for Price, and sources say that some are looking for a way out.

This week a defiant Price, who has assumed the title Real UFF for this beleaguered drug gang, was telling anyone willing to listen that he was hell-bent on revenge after resisting orders from North Down UFF to quit the area.

According to well-placed sources some of his people have left the estate and, with the rival North Down faction allegedly headed by loyalist veteran Dickie Barry threatening to turn the screw, Price is facing his Alamo.

He has adopted the name of the Real UFF, a renegade group believed to have been responsible for a number of murders between 2009 and 2011.

In reality Price has not been a full, paid-up member and only has his association to South East Antrim to whom he pays protection money to back up his UDA credentials.

In a statement, a prominent source close to Barry told theSunday World the feud was not a drugs turf war.

Masked men in Newtownards last Thursday shocked local residents and beyond   Kevin Scott

The faction headed by alleged former UDA D Company Dickie Barry said they moved against Prices mob as a result of eight months of rising tensions.

A source close to the group said there had been a number of confrontations including an early morning bust-up at the home of a senior UDA figure, and an allegation that a prominent member and someone close to Price pistol-whipped his then girlfriend, the daughter of a UVF veteran.

Up until then Aidso had the protection of South East Antrim UDA which has about 2,000 members in Rathcoole and Carrick, when the UVF went to the SEA leadership he was cut loose.

For the past year they bullied and tortured the community with house breaking, extortion and bringing crack cocaine and the brown stuff (heroin) onto the streets.

The mainstream UVF and UDA have resisted calls to intervene and, according to sources, in a meeting UDA Brigadier Jackie McDonald and UVF Chief of Staff John Bunter Graham agreed it had nothing to do with them.

The meeting is believed to have resulted in the statement from paramilitary group the Loyalist Communities Council saying the feud had nothing to do with them and that anyone dealing in drugs could not be considered a loyalist.

Other sources in North Down say the feud is out of control and that unless a solution is found there will be serious injury or worse.

Scene of a suspected pipe bomb attack at Newtownards

One source said it was time for the mainstream UDA to step in.

There is no command structure, you have people running about with machetes and chucking pipe bombs, most of the time into the wrong houses, he said.

If an innocent person is killed the UVF and UDA may not have a choice but to get involved, the community will be looking to them to sort these mobs out.

Prices gang is made up of a number of people forced out of the UDA in other areas and who sought sanctuary in Newtownards. Price sought protection from the Gary Fishers SEA which was granted in return for a slice of drug profits.

Price showed his loyalty with his involvement in the murder of Colin Horner in Bangor in 2017 as a result of a previous loyalist feud in Carrick.

On the other side, UDA D Company was forced off the Shankill after a drugs bust-up with UFF narco king Mo Courtney.

Damaged houses

As the feud enters its second week there have been more than a dozen attacks on individuals and homes across Newtownards, Bangor, Dongahadee and Ballywalter, and 14 arrests.

The latest assault was on Friday when four masked men were scooped after an assault at Ards Shopping Centre.

The victim was attacked around 3.30pm. Alerted by a member of the public, police intercepted a black BMW on the Kempe Stones Road and four men were taken into custody.

It is believed a number of the arrested men are associates Ryan Buster Johnston, the Maseratti-driving son of gang boss Price.

Along with his father he has featured in graffiti in Newtownards describing them as dead men walking.

Buster has no paramilitary convictions and is regarded as extremely loyal and close to his father.

The Sunday Worldis aware of the identity of the assault victim who is on bail facing serious criminal charges.

He is linked to the Price faction but was targeted for his refusal to become involved.

There is video footage of the four alleged attackers making their escape past shocked shoppers.

Once again there was a considerable police presence on the ground in Newtownards and Bangor with the Tactical Support Group backing regular officers.

But there is concern that police resources, already stretched with a renewed dissident threat, may reach breaking point.

With feud attacks in recent days across North Down and the Ards Peninsular, it is a large area to police and security chiefs are concerned that they cannot maintain the current level of operation.

Last night a spokesman for Dickie Barry dismissed claims his client was a member of the UDA.

Mr Barry, who is not a public figure, entirely refutes any allegations of involvement in criminality and allegations of membership, either in the past or present, of any proscribed organisation.
The bust was made following a search of a house in the St Marys Park area of the city earlier today by gardai attached to the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit.

A man in his 50s is being questioned by gardai tonight after an estimated 100,000 worth of suspected cannabis and cocaine was seized in Limerick.

The bust was made following a search of a house in the St Marys Park area of the city earlier today by gardai attached to the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit.

The drugs will now be subjected to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland.

A man arrested in connection with the seizure is currently being held detained at an undisclosed garda station in Co Limerick under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

He can be held for up to seven days.

The investigation is ongoing and a garda spokesperson said further updates will follow.
Mark Wolf had badges depicting the An Garda Siochana logo and another of a Sonnenrad or Black Sun, a popular neo-Nazi symbol

A paedophile and alleged terrorist arrested with gun components in Dublin may have been plotting a Christchurch-style mass shooting attack at a mosque in this country, gardai believe.

When anti-terrorism officers with the Garda Special Detective Unit raided a hostel room being used by UK national Mark Wolf on June 16, 2021, they discovered firearms components, a guide for the 3D printing of weapons and images of child abuse.

A trawl of four phones seized during the raid also uncovered a video of a livestream of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in March 2019.

Items seized by gardai from Mark Wolf

Chillingly, Wolf  who is wanted in the UK on unrelated terror charges  also had in his possession badges depicting the An Garda Siochana logo and another of a Sonnenrad or Black Sun, a popular neo-Nazi symbol used by the New Zealand mass shooter.

Wolfs chosen accommodation was located on the same street as a popular inner-city mosque.

At his sentencing hearing before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this week, further disturbing evidence of the materials found in Wolfs room were also disclosed.

Texts sent to his phone referenced the killing of children on a regular basis while other items seized included a Nazi flag along with military goggles, tactical gloves, flick knives, an array of military tents and sleeping bags and other items.

Sentencing Wolf, Judge Martin Nolan said analysis of his phones demonstrated this man had interest in violent means and had hostility towards certain groups.

A Europol report on terrorism released last year referred to Wolf as someone who sympathised with right-wing extremism and had an interest in previous atrocities committed by right-wing extremists.

Gardai do not, however, believe Wolf was part of a group operating in this state and was instead acting alone.

At the time of his arrest in Dublin, Wolf was wanted in the UK to face eight terrorism offences  each carrying a maximum 15-year sentence in that jurisdiction.

The charges related to the possession of eight documents likely to be useful to a person in committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The documents were uncovered during two searches carried out at Nolans home at Britannia Street, in the Borough of Camden, London, on October 10, 2018 and February 25, 2020, during which a laptop was seized.

When this laptop was sent for analysis by the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, 250,000 indecent images of children were also discovered, as well as internet manuals and documents for making improvised weapons and explosives.

At Wolfs court appearance in the UK, two charges of making child sex abuse images were also on the warrant  each of which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

Wolf also faced two further charges of possession of child sex abuse images in the UK  each carrying a maximum sentence of three years.

He further faced a further allegation of assault causing actual bodily harm which carries with it a maximum term of five years in the UK.

Wolf has previously consented to his extradition to the UK.

It is not yet known whether he will serve out the 10 years sentence handed down by Dublin Circuit Court prior to his extradition or will be repatriated for trial in the more immediate future.

Its understood gardai tracked Wolf to his hostel accommodation in Gardiner Street, Dublin, after he sought to import firearm components from the US.

During the raid of his hostel room in 2021, gardai confiscated four mobile phones which were found to contain images of child abuse including Snapchat conversations between Wolf and two different teenage girls, one of which involved both Wolf and the girl engaging in separate sex acts over Snapchat.

Det Sgt Gareth Kane told Eoin Lawlor, prosecuting, that in addition to the images of child abuse, there were images and videos on Wolfs phone of human suffering such as a foetus being made into soup, a woman shooting herself and males being decapitated.

Judge Nolan imposed concurrent terms of 10 years in prison for the firearm offences and two years for the possession of child abuse material, which were backdated to when Wolf first went into custody in June 2021.
One officer was shot in the left arm with a direct hit, while the other three were wounded by ricocheting bullets, causing injuries in various parts of the body.

Four members of the Spanish Civil Guard were shot during a raid in Alicante

Four members of the Spanish Civil Guard were shot during an anti-drugs raid in Alicante last week. The agents, who belong to the Citizen Security Unit of the Alicante Command (USECIC) were rushed to Alicante General Hospital.

One officer was shot in the left arm with a direct hit, while the other three were wounded by ricocheting bullets, causing injuries in various parts of the body.

All four remain in stable condition in hospital and their injuries are not life threatening, the Spanish Civil Guard said.

The agents were targeted when they began to force entry into a house in the El Moralet area of Alicante shortly before 7am on Tuesday, March 28, following a lack of response from residents.

The main target remained inside accompanied by his father, who opened fire with a hunting rifle and shot at the agents, hitting four of them. Both the father and son have been arrested as a search of the house is being carried out. Four other people have been arrested in separate locations in relation to the same operation.

Operation Sarpa was launched at the beginning of this year by the Investigation Area of the Civil Guard of San Vicente del Raspeig.

The purpose of the operation is to investigate gangs suspected of drug trafficking in the Alicante province. A recent progression saw investigators detect a suspicious shipment destined for Ireland from Alicante last Wednesday.

The package was seized and opened, with officials finding a 50-litre thermos inside that contained three and a half kilos of marijuana buds in 27 small, vacuum-sealed packages.
If I got it in time and listened to my body I could have been six months [in treatment] and back out the other end.

Deirdre Fleming, who is being treated for bowel cancer. Photo: Mark Condren

Patients with bowel cancer have revealed the decisions they wished they could undo, as well as some wistful regrets, as they undergo treatment for the disease.

The patients, all under 50, feature in a #NoRegrets video from the Marie Keating Foundation highlighting the growing incidence of bowel cancer in younger people.

They express regret about things such as not singing more during their lives or giving too much time to work - but their most profound regret is not getting checked out sooner.

Among them is Mick Murphy (48), a father of three from Wicklow and originally from Cork who said: My biggest regret, I can look back now, is I ignored the symptoms for far too long.

If I got it in time and listened to my body I could have been six months [in treatment] and back out the other end.

He added: It has spread to the liver Its inoperable. It is in my lungs and lymph nodes. It is going to kill me.

More generally, Mr Murphy regrets he did not have more hobbies.

Work was my hobby, he says.

Deirdre Fleming (41), from Dublin, first attended a doctor in July 2021 and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. However after going to another doctor and having a colonoscopy she was diagnosed with stage four cancer last year.

When you are told you are stage four, nothing is really important apart from surviving and that is what I did for the last year  so that I can see out this year hopefully. You just dont know, she said.

My biggest regret is that I never chased up my original doctor.

Clodagh Downing (49), married with one son, who is from Dublin and originally from west Cork, was hospitalised on the August bank holiday in 2021 with a ruptured appendix.

Later that month she was diagnosed with stage three cancer. She said that a ruptured appendix is a huge indicator for bowel cancer.

One of the wider regrets of her life is that she did not sing more, she said.

Niamh Conroy (45), a mother for four from north Dublin, recalls: There was blood on the toilet paper. I had lost quite a lot of weight.

I was getting more tired. My appetite had decreased quite lot I regret not going to the GP with my symptoms sooner.

I am continuing maintenance treatment to keep my disease stable.

I tolerated treatment very well and have continued to enjoy life and keep everything at home as normal as before.

She added: I think I had already expected it when the GP got the results of the first blood test. I wasn't really shocked. As a family we went into lets deal with it mode.

"I made sure to enjoy as much time with my husband and the kids as possible, particularly in the early days before chemo fatigue kicked in.

She is hopeful others will learn from her mistake.

I ignored my symptoms for too long, not realising that it could be bowel cancer. If you have any changes lasting more than a few weeks, please see your GP. Be aware that bowel cancer can happen at any age.
I firmly believe that the public should be left in no doubt about what went on and who was involved. It was a UDA enterprise from start to finish

It appears the Police Service of Northern Ireland made a mistake last week when releasing information about the UDA feud in North Down.

Officers fronting up the story for the press first told reporters the violent attacks were the work of the UDA.

But then less than 24 hours later the line had changed.

Officers said those involved were drugs dealers who had formerly been linked to the South East Antrim UDA and the West Belfast UDA.

And when a BBC TV reporter quizzed the police spokesman about why things had changed, the PSNI man appeared a little confused.

Earlier, the PSNI had complained that reporters were overplaying what happened in Newtownards.

But then a group of around 20 masked men appeared on the streets near the towns courthouse, sending the police into a panic.

I firmly believe that the general public should be left in no doubt about what went on in North Down and who was involved. It was a UDA enterprise from start to finish.

It doesnt matter if their former pals in Rathcoole and on the Shankill now claim they have been expelled. This war is about drugs  nothing else.

Those actually involved in the attacks live in estates which are festooned in UDA paraphernalia, so as far as Im concerned, they are in the UDA.

Spare us the minor details and technicalities.

Are we expected to take the word of a shadowy terrorist organisation deeply involved in drug dealing, criminality and racketeering?

It appears the UDA is trying to convince us that there are now two kinds of UDA.

One UDA is also still heavily committed to transitioning into an organisation free from criminality of any kind.

It is highly polished at transitioning.

It has only been doing it for 25 years and it is expected to continue down this road, as long as government grants also continue to flow.

From now on this group should really be known as the Good UDA. Please dont use the words terrorist or criminal when discussing it.

The other UDA  we have been advised  is the nasty drug-dealing UDA which arrived in nice North Down from far off Rathcoole and West Belfast.

Apparently, this bad UDA brought their drugs dealing and money-lending schemes with them, but thank God, the good UDA stepped in and sorted them out.

The people I spoke to this week in Bangor, Donaghadee, Ballywalter and Newtownards were in no doubt that those behind the recent violence were UDA men.

Local people know exactly who they are and to which terror group they belong.

This isnt the tough Southside of Chicago, its North Down in Northern Ireland  where everyone knows everyone else  and that includes recently arrived interlopers from West Belfast and Carrickfergus.

It seems to me that the Northern Ireland Office is keen to get the Ards Peninsula turf war sorted out or at least under control before US President Joe Bidens visit to celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement.

But it remains to be seen whether the UDA  good or bad  will allow it.

And, we should always remember, their only loyalty is to crime.
Ladbrokes believe it is now all but a done deal after seeing a flurry of bets

Ryan Tubridy will step down after 14 years in the hotseat

Ladbrokes has suspended betting on the next Late Late Show host, with sources suggesting that Claire Byrne is all but a done deal.

Following on from recent and consistent news reports in recent weeks, coupled with a huge surge of bets this morning, the bookies have decided to pull the plug on the popular market for now.

Before betting was suspended, Claire Byrne was the red-hot favourite for the role at 1/3, ahead of Sarah McInerney at 3/1 and Angela Scanlon at 5/1.

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes told SundayWorld.com: All the signs are pointing in the direction of Claire Byrne when it comes to The Late Late Show.

Along with news reports, we witnessed a rush of bets in favour of Byrne first thing this morning despite her short odds. As a result, we have decided to suspend betting on the market for the time being.

Ryan Tubridy announced last month that he would be stepping down at the end of his 14th year in the role and handing the mic over to someone else.

Since then a whole host of household names have been linked to the most prestigious job in Irish television.

Claire Byrne is now the firm favourite   andres Poveda

Miriam OCallaghan was forced to release a statement two weeks ago announcing that she was not planning on putting her name forward after a lot of commentators believed that she would be the ideal candidate.

Other celebrities linked to the role included Jennifer Zamparelli, Baz Ashmawy, Brendan OConnor, Doireann Garrihy and Kaite Hannon.

An RTE insider told us last month that they believed that the format would get a shakeup in September and that we could see two presenters take the role on, but as yet that has not been confirmed.

Byrne, who just started presenting a new quiz show Irelands Smartest over the weekend has been a firm favourite across radio and TV in recent years and proven to have a good mix of heavy and light debate attributes.
Noel Dunne (61) has rented a farmhouse in Co Wexford, for the last three years but was told he has to move out in the next six to eight weeks

Noel Dunne should be spending his time preparing for two major operations, but instead the 61-year-old is facing the prospect of being homeless when he is discharged from hospital in a few weeks time.

Mr Dunne has rented a farmhouse in Kilmore, Co Wexford, for the last three years but last week was told he has to move out in the next six to eight weeks as the property has been sold.

Mr Dunne, who moved to the area from Dublin several years ago, has had jobs as a postman, a barman and a merchant seaman, but in the last year has had to quit work due to embolisms in his leg worsening.

In the next few weeks, he is due to undergo major surgery to remove the embolisms in his leg and the aneurism in his chest.

Meanwhile, the place he has called home has been sold, leaving him with nowhere to recover after his operations.

Although he qualifies for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), he cant find any accommodation that he can afford.

I only got the news about the sale three weeks ago, that it was sold. I knew it was up for sale, but I didnt think it was going to be that quick, said Mr Dunne.

Im in the middle of packing up. I dont know where Im going to be to recuperate. I absolutely cant find any accommodation anywhere whatsoever.

Im mainly looking for somewhere permanent. Im on the HAP scheme but the HAP scheme wont cover the rent in a lot of places.

He said his landlords, who live in the Netherlands, want to get out of the rental market and use the money from the sale to buy a house.

They want to get out of this landlord business because of all the taxes, Mr Dunne said. What I understand is, they live in an apartment and they want to buy themselves a house in Holland. Theyre going to use the money from this sale for a deposit on a house over there.

The new landlords, I dont know who they are, but theyre coming in to do a rebuild and they want to get started as soon as possible.

The 1870s farmhouse has been modernised and has three bedrooms, one en suite, a bathroom, a dining room, a sitting room, breakfast room and a kitchen.

I was ringing the council, there must have been over 100 phone calls but all I kept getting was an answering machine from the local officer in the area and she never got back to me. I just filled up her machine with messages telling her my situation. I would ring her twice a day on some occasions.

Local councillors just said there was nothing they could do. Theyre under pressure, too, from a lot of other people.

Mr Dunne has been working with local TDs in an attempt to source accommodation immediately but has had no luck.
Several garda units, including members of the Public Order Unit, were deployed to the Saggart facility

One man has been hospitalised following a brawl involving several people at a refugee centre in west Dublin.

Between 20 and 30 people are understood to have been involved in the incident at the convention centre in Citywest yesterday evening.

Several garda units, including members of the Public Order Unit, were deployed to the Saggart facility shortly before 6pm.

Emergency services were alerted after a fight broke out amongst several men and objects, including tables, are also understood to have been thrown during the incident.

One person was later hospitalised with what have been described as minor injuries while no arrests have yet been made.

A garda spokesman told Independent.ie: "A number of Garda units responded to reports of a disturbance at a premises in Saggart, Co.Dublin, earlier this evening.

"The incident occurred at approximately 5.30pm. One male was taken to Tallaght University Hospital to receive treatment. Enquiries ongoing."

In January three people were hospitalised following a public order incident at the facility.

Video footage from inside the premises showed males fighting and a number of objects being thrown across a room.

At the time gardai confirmed they were alerted to the incident at the International Protection Accommodation.

Refugees from a number of different countries and ethnic backgrounds are currently being housed at the west Dublin facility.

Over 700 people are staying at the campus which has around 600 beds, with the facility closed to new arrivals since January.
Cathal Berry, Independent TD for Kildare South and former Army Ranger, was speaking after Russian-registered commercial vessels entered Irish waters off Galway and Kerry coasts last week.

The Irish Defence Forces lack of resources to shadow the three Russian ships that were sighted off the west coast in recent days is a big issue, a TD has said.

Cathal Berry, Independent TD for Kildare South and former Army Ranger, was speaking after Russian-registered commercial vessels entered Irish waters off Galway and Kerry coasts last week.

The ships have now left Irish waters and their presence is suspected to have been an attempt to avoid bad weather, rather than something malicious.

Deputy Berry told Newstalk Breakfast that the Russian vessels were tracked near a new subsea communications cable both inside and outside Irelands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

They were loitering around Galway for a bit and... a new subsea communications cable was opened in November connecting Galway to Iceland," he explained.

"There's a good possibility they were at least monitoring the situation up there.

"They're moving down from Murmansk in Russia, down to the African coast, but loitering over the west coast of Ireland to escape weather and to monitor some cables - and then to strategically signal to the Irish Government that they have that capability is certainly a possibility as well".

He said that this shows that Ireland is far too limited when it comes to defence, which is not good enough for a sovereign state.

"This is the big issue really, that Ireland has very little capability to counter what's happening off our west coast," he said.

"We couldn't even put a naval ship out there over the weekend because of the current problem in Haulbowline in Cork.

"Normal practice is if you have a sensitive convoy moving through your economic waters, you would put out at least one of your naval ships to shadow that convoy.

"Unfortunately, Ireland had no capability from a crewing shortage point of view to deploy a ship and have a maritime presence in the area, so we had to rely on the Air Corps.

"They can put up an aircraft for a number of hours at a time and monitor the situation, but there's no substitute for having a naval ship on station".

Deputy Berry added that Ireland faces a unique problem by not having sonar capability.

"The other issue is that Ireland has absolutely no sovereign underwater capability whatsoever," he said.

"Not only can we not intervene in relation to what's happening below the waves, but we can't even see below the waves.

"We don't have any vessels with a sonar capability, which makes us unique in the European Union".

He said that it was unacceptable that the Defence Forces were unable to monitor the Russian vessels movements.

"We're an island nation, we have a responsibility for over 15pc of EU waters," he said.

"It's just completely unacceptable that three commercial Russian vessels, in a time of war, can move down the west coast of our country [and] loiter in and around our territorial waters.

"They were no more than 13 nautical miles off the coast of Kerry, and that's simply just not good enough for a sovereign state," he added.

The Russian ships first caused concern late last week after at least two of the vessels were sighted of the Galway coast.

They then left the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone before re-appearing again off the north Kerry coast on Friday.

The Air Corps and the Naval Service monitored their movements from their base at Haulbowline.

A spokesperson for the Defence Forces later confirmed that the ships had moved on from Irish waters, saying: "These vessels have now left Ireland's EEZ.

"The Irish Air Corps and the Irish Naval Service continue to monitor activity in Irish waters and to undertake Maritime Defence and Security Operations (MDSO) throughout Ireland's maritime domain".
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Persons who wanted to illegally cross the border from Azerbaijan to Iran have been detained, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the service, the persons - Azer Pashayev from Azerbaijans Goygol district and Elnur Muradov from Salyan district were detained on the territory of the border guard post of the 'Horadiz' border detachment, located near Shahsevan II village in the Beylagan district at 06:20 (GMT+4) on April 2.

It was established that they arrived in a Toyota Prius with state license plate 99-DC-626, and there were four other people in the area.

As a result of operational-search activities, the driver of the vehicle, Agil Shahmarli from the Jalilabad district, and Royal Kazimov from the Goygol district trying to escape from the scene were detained.

During the search activities, the border detachment also detained Rafael Asgarov from the Goygol district and Orkhan Azimov from the Tartar district who tried to escape.

The detainees confessed to committing a crime and said that the purpose of violating the state border was drug smuggling from Iran to Azerbaijan.

Operational and investigative measures on this fact are ongoing.

Previously, drug smuggling from Iran to Azerbaijan has been prevented on April 1.

As a result of joint activities carried out by the Goytapa border detachment service of the State Border Guard Troops and the police department of Azerbaijans Yardimli district, the smuggling of 13.52 kilograms of narcotic drugs and 1,500 tablets of M-40 methadone was prevented near Avash village of Yardimli district.
An official garda car collided with another vehicle, according to a garda spokesman

Two garda members are receiving medical treatment. Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Five people, including two gardai, are in hospital following a serious crash in Dublin last night.

An official garda car collided with another vehicle, a garda spokesman said.

Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of the collision which occurred at about 8.35pm on the Crumlin Road in Dublin 12.

The three civilians involved in the crash did not suffer serious injuries in the accident.

A total of five people, including two garda members were taken to St James's Hospital to receive medical treatment.

Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The three civilians involved in the crash did not suffer serious injuries in the accident.

The road has since reopened.
Trump, the first former US president to face criminal charges, is due to be arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed on Tuesday

Former U. President Donald Trump is set to fly from Florida to New York City on Monday, ahead of his scheduled arraignment related to hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election, as security tightens in Manhattan.

Trump, the first former US president to face criminal charges, is due to be arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed at the downtown Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday. His lawyers have said he will enter a plea of not guilty.

The specific charges included in the grand jury indictment have not been disclosed; Tuesday's arraignment marks Trump's first appearance in court and in front of a judge in the case.

The Republican businessman-turned-politician plans to travel from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach midday on Monday, arriving later in the day in New York and spending the night at Trump Tower in Manhattan before arriving at the courthouse on Tuesday morning, an adviser said.

A court official said the arraignment is planned for 2:15 p.m. (18:15pm GMT) on Tuesday. Trump then will return to Florida and deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday (00:15pm GMT on Wednesday), his office said.

New York police during the weekend began erecting barricades along the edge of the sidewalks around Trump Tower and the Manhattan Criminal Court building downtown, and some other courtrooms will be cleared.

Demonstrations are expected at those sites and police vowed to be prepared. "Officers have been placed on alert and the department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights," the New York Police Department said in a statement.

Other courtrooms on the courthouse's higher floors will be shut down ahead of the arraignment as part of the security precautions, a court official said.

U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted an invitation on Sunday to join her at a protest near the courthouse on Tuesday, saying "They're not coming after President Trump, they're coming after us, he's just in their way."

Stormy Daniels   AP

Before the indictment, the grand jury heard evidence about a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the waning days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

Daniels has said she was paid to keep silent about a sexual encounter she had with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2006. Trump denies the affair.

Trump, 76, served as president from 2017 to 2021 and in November launched a bid to regain the presidency in 2024, aiming to deny Democratic President Joe Biden a second term in office.

Word of the indictment, arising from an investigation led by Manhattan's Democratic district attorney, Alvin Bragg, surfaced last Thursday. Trump has called himself innocent and he and his allies have portrayed the charges as politically motivated.

Joe Tacopina, a Trump lawyer, said on Sunday he expects more details surrounding the arraignment to be resolved on Monday and noted that the Secret Service, which protects former presidents, also has a role to play on Tuesday.

Tacopina said it was unlikely there will be a "perp walk" - perp being shorthand for perpetrator - in which an individual who has been charged is paraded in front of the news media, because of security concerns.

Tacopina added that Trump's lawyers will "dissect" the indictment once it is made public and will look at "every potential issue" to challenge, adding that he anticipates at some point making a motion to dismiss the charges.

"I honestly don't know how this is going to go - hopefully as smoothly as possible - and then we begin the battle to right this wrong," Tacopina told CNN's "State of the Union" program, speaking about the arraignment.

Trump is expected to appear before Justice Juan Merchan, the judge who also presided over a criminal trial last year in which Trump's real estate company was convicted of tax fraud. Trump himself was not charged in that case.

A court official said on Sunday that the judge has asked both sides to submit their positions on whether cameras and video should be allowed in the courtroom and will decide on the issue on Monday.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Palm Beach, Florida and Karen Freifeld in New York; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen, Jeenah Moon and David Dee Delgado in New York Writing by Will Dunham Editing by Heather Timmons and Matthew Lewis)
The Normal People star scooped up the Best Actor gong for his performance in the new production of A Streetcar Named Desire in London.

Paul Mescal brought his Olivier Award to McDonald's after the ceremony last night. Photo: Nell Mescal/Instagram

The Normal People star scooped up the Best Actor gong for his performance as Stanley Kowalski in the new production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire in London.

Mescal's co-star Anjana Vasan also went home with an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, while the show was honoured with the Best Revival award.

Paul Mescal

After the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, Paul marked the occasion by heading to McDonalds with his friends and family.

His younger sister Nell, a musician, shared some snaps from their humble afterparty on Instagram, which included a snap of Paul clutching his award in front of a Happy Meal stand, while another showed him with his hands full of delicious fast food and his statuette.

A humorous third photo involved the Olivier Award being posed so that it looked like it was taking a drink from a McDonalds cup as the Mescals toasted to Pauls success.

Paul celebrated with his A Streetcar Named Desire cast mates after the Olivier Awards ceremony

The Maynooth native, who was nominated for an Oscar this year after starring in indie flick Aftersun, also posted a series of pictures on his own Instagram account, which he uses mostly to show off his photography skills.

Standing in front of a sign pointing theatregoers towards the Almeida Theatre, where A Streetcar Named Desire is taking place, Paul and his castmates grinned for the camera as he carried his co-star Patsy Ferran bridal style through the streets.

During his acceptance speech on Sunday evening, Paul said he felt incredibly privileged to have worked with so many immensely talented people on the production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

He also thanked his parents, who never said no as he paid tribute to his mother Dearbhla, who is receiving treatment for cancer, topping off his speech by concluding: I hope you get better.
Weather Eye

with John Maunder

This is a copy of pages 5 -9 of my book Fifteen Shades of Climate: The fall of the weather dice and the butterfly effect" published by Amazon in 2020.

A panel discussion on Climate Change: Both Sides of the Story was held at a Rotary Conference in Cambridge, New Zealand on June 28 2008.

I was President of the Rotary Club of Otumoetai for 2007-08 at this time, and the Rotary District Governor John Tarbutt asked me in December 2007 to Chair a discussion on the above subject and to arrange the speakers.

I was fortunate to be able to obtain the services of Dr Jim Renwick from NIWA (currently Professor of Climate Science at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand), who in the main, took the side of man and Dr Willem de Lange from the University of Waikato in NewZealand who in the main, took the side of nature.

The organisers were very generous in giving us 1 hour 20 minutes, and this discussion was held before 600 delegates. I opened the proceedings with a brief overview of the subject with reference to the fact that when I started in the weather and climate business over 50 years ago, nobody would have forecast that in 2007, 15,000 people would attend a climate change conference in Bali (now over 45,000 people attend such conferences).

I pointed out that I was the only person invited from New Zealand to attend the key WMO (World Meteorological Organisation), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), ICSU (International Council for Science) Climate Conference in Villach, Austria, in 1985.

This was, in the mind of many people, the start of the whole complex subject of what role man and in particular greenhouse gases have in "controlling our climate.

The following is what I said in my opening remarks:

Forty-seven years ago, after already being a weather forecaster in New Zealand and Canada for a few years, I was appointed to the staff of the University of Otago as a Lecturer in geography. Among my duties as a Lecturer I presented an Honours course in climatology. At Otago the course on climatology included two main topics, first the causes of climate change, and second the evidence for climate change. At that time, little did I know, nor I suspect did any of my students foresee the explosive nature of the subject of Climate Science as it is now called, during the last decade, and particularly over the past few years.

My involvement in climate science has subsequently involved National Meteorological Services in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Universities in New Zealand, Canada, USA and Ireland, as well as many years involved in the World Meteorological Organisation including being President of the WMO Commission for Climatology for eight years.

Among the many climate science meetings I have attended, the most significant, at least as far as this afternoon is concerned, is my involvement in the WMO, UNEP, ICSU Conference held in Villach, Austria in October 1985. One hundred experts from 30 countries attended the meeting (in contrast to forty thousand who now attend such meetings), and I was privileged to be the only New Zealander invited. We were all there as experts in various fields of science endeavouring to do the best we could in looking at the complexities of climate science.

Among the principal findings of this conference was...while other factors, such as aerosol concentration, changes in solar energy input, and changes in vegetation, may also influence climate, the greenhouse gases are likely to be the most important cause of climate change over the next century.

At that time, even though I was partly responsible for the writing of the paragraph I have just read, I, along with a few of my colleagues, had some misgivings about it, and were somewhat surprised that within a year human-induced climate change caught the imagination of much of the world.

Irrespective of my personal views on the matter, it is clear that there are two main views held by climate scientists and others:

The first: those who are mainly involved in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and many or most Government scientists, plus others, such as Al Gore, and many politicians and most journalists who consider that man, including domestic animals, is the prime cause of recent changes in the climate.

The second: those - in the main some University scientists, many retired climatologists, and a minority of politicians and journalists, who consider that nature is the main cause of changes in the climate.

One of the most fascinating things about the climate change scene is the tremendous growth in the political and economic aspects of it.

In 1970, I wrote a book called The Value of the Weather, and later on in 1986 I published a book called The Uncertainty Business - Risks and Opportunities in Weather and Climate. In both books, I made only a few references to global warming or climate change but many references to variations in the weather and climate on a day to day, season to season, and year to year basis.

It is my view that these variations are still paramount but the current emphasis seems to be on what is going to happen to the climate 20, 50 and 100 years ahead, and hence the debate we are now to have here this afternoon.

Jim and Willem were each given about 20 minutes to state their case, and this was followed by about 20 minutes of questions, some of which I obtained from attendees at the conference, but most were questions which came from me. Prior to the conference, both Jim and Willem agreed that I should ask the questions. The following were some of the questions which I asked.

Questions:

1. Irrespective of the cause of Climate Change, could you explain why the media and many politicians seem to consider that, in general warming is a bad thing, and by inference does this mean that, in general cooling, is a good thing?

2. If the IPCC was forecasting a cooling rather than a warming, what difference do you think that would make to Government, UN and Greenpeace attitudes?

3. The "Maunder Minimum", from 1650-1715, which was a period of very low sunspot activities, and associated with very cold conditions in Europe, was a significant feature of the history of the last millennium. Are we likely to get another Maunder-like minimum in the near future?

4. During the period of Viking exploration from about 800 to 1300AD the Northern Hemisphere was associated with relatively warm conditions, and in many cases it was warmer then than during the last 30 or 40 years. During the 1200s Greenland had about 3000 settlements and yet by 1550 the last of them had disappeared. There was no human-induced greenhouse warming during that period, so is there any reason why we could not have such a period again - perhaps like what we had from about 1970 to about 2000  unrelated to what people and domestic animals are doing?

5. I understand that the IPCC seems to be giving relatively small importance to the role of the sun. Why is this the case? Do we really know all there is to know about solar activity?

6. A key debate in the climate change arena appears to be whether increases in CO2 (from whatever cause) causes warming, or whether warming causes increases in CO2. When do you think we will be able to establish the truth about these statements, or have I got it all wrong?

7. Why is an increase in CO2 not considered to be a good thing? I understand that some scientists suggest that the biosphere is currently suffering from CO2 starvation, and that a doubling of CO2 would increase plant production by 20 per cent.

8. Many or most climate scientists who have publicly stated that they do not agree with the findings of the IPCC are labelled as sceptics, yet economists who disagree with the Reserve Bank on monetary matters are not considered to be economic sceptics, but simply experts who have a different view of things. Why is this so?

9. To Willem: If in the future it can be established without question that the current viewpoint of the IPCC is correct, how would people like yourself and organizations who take the contrary view of the IPCC, deal with this situation?

10. To Jim: If in the future it can be established without question that the current viewpoint of the IPCC is wrong, and that nature is the main driver of climate changes, how would the IPCC, and organisations like NIWA deal with this situation?

11. My understanding is that most climate scientists who support the view that man rather than nature is in control of the climate are Government employees, whereas most climate scientists who support the view that nature, rather than man, is in control of the climate are in the main, retired. On the other hand university climate scientists take a variety of positions on this subject. Is there any reason for this? Is it linked to who finances the research, political agendas, or something else?

Jim and Willem were then given five minutes to sum up. From what I heard from the attendees, the discussion seemed to be an excellent way of presenting this challenging subject, and my sense was that the majority of the audience there were yet to be convinced that man is really in control (as most media, politicians including the G8 leaders, and the IPCC believe), rather than nature.

Jim and Willem agreed on many points, but it was the interpretation of the data, much presented in a graphical manner, which was the key difference in their presentation. Jim obviously took in the main the IPCC line, but agreed with Willem that we did not know everything, and Willem took in the main the more academic line, but also agreed

that we do not know everything.
One of New Zealand's leading Maori history scholars will be awarded an honorary degree in recognition for his work revitalising te reo Maori as a researcher, translator, writer and editor.

Ross Calman (Ngati Toa, Ngati Raukawa, Ngai Tahu) will receive an Honorary Doctorate  Doctor of Arts from Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury at a graduation celebration being held at Christchurch Arena next Thursday.

Calman has authored more than a dozen works, including books on the Treaty of Waitangi and the New Zealand Wars, edited more than 100 books in te reo Maori and English, translated a number of books into te reo Maori, and written numerous articles and chapters on Maori history and traditional Maori society.

One of his most well-known books is He Pukapuka Tataku i nga Mahi a Te Rauparaha Nui  A Record of the Life of the Great Te Rauparaha, published by Auckland University Press in 2020.

The work held deep personal significance for Calman who is a descendant of Te Rauparaha. He describes the book as a pinnacle in his career.

For me, Te Rauparaha was a remarkable leader who was also involved in some very violent campaigns, he says.

But its important to understand the historical context for those events and to explain those nuances and provide more information for people trying to interpret these events today.

Calmans expertise with te reo Maori is even more impressive considering when he enrolled at UC as an undergraduate, he had only a superficial understanding of his whakapapa and very little te reo Maori.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours in English in 1994.

When I started at UC in 1990, I didnt really know what my whakapapa was, he says.

It wasnt until a couple of years later after talking to my grandmother that I found out about my iwi, and that I was descended from Te Rauparaha.

While he was studying in the University library, he came across a bound photocopy of a manuscript about the Ngati Toa leader written in te reo Maori by his son Tamihana Te Rauparaha.

I thought, This would be amazing, I need to read this, so it sent me off on a quest to learn te reo Maori, over many years really.

It was over 20 years later before I picked up that manuscript again, in 2014, and started trying to decipher it. The resulting book is my biggest achievement and the thing that means the most to me and has the most personal significance in terms of the journey Ive been on.

Calmans wife Ariana Tikao, who is a writer and taonga puoro musician, has shared parallel interests to his own, he says, and been a huge support to his career.

Calman is currently working on adapting He Pukapuka Tataku i nga Mahi a Te Rauparaha Nui  A Record of the Life of the Great Te Rauparaha into a podcast series and is also translating other historical Maori manuscripts and letters with a view to publishing them as a follow-up work.

UC Ngai Tahu Centre Pou Whakarae | Te Maire Tau, says over the past two decades Calman has become a pre-eminent researcher, editor and translator who has enriched New Zealanders understanding of the Maori past.

He says Calmans career is all the more remarkable given that he only had a superficial understanding of te ao Maori when he first came to UC.

However, in collaboration with his wife, Ariana Tikao, who is also Ngai Tahu and prominent in related disciplines, Ross is now a leading scholar in the field of Maori history.

Professor Tau says it is entirely fitting that UC, supported by Te Ngai Tuahuriri, recognises Calman with an Honorary Doctorate in light of his outstanding intellectual trajectory.
Tenby Powell is gearing up to take seven decommissioned St John ambulances to Ukraine.

The former Tauranga mayors been in and out of the war-torn country since June 2022 and is heading back with more supplies, including the ambulances topped up with medical gear, to help those in need.

Its part of his ongoing effort to help the country through his chaity, Kiwi K.A.R.E, which provides critical aid and refugee evacuation services to the people of Ukraine.

I started the negotiation process with St John in about September last year after seeing the never ending need for medical supplies in Ukraine.

They have been incredible to deal with, and knowing this will happen, Ive been negotiating with a shipping company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, to take them across to Singapore, and then on to Germany.

At this point, Tenby and his team of eight will get them to Ukraine hopefully by train, but if not, they will be driving them in to the country.

Well take them out east. By the time they get there, we can only imagine there will have been a significant Ukrainian counter offensive, and these ambulances will be right up front of that.

Tenby says from the outset, St John has been incredible to work with.

Tenby inside one of the seven ambulances heading to Ukraine. Photo: Taylor Rice/SunLive.

Theres nothing easy about this. We flew down to Christchurch on Sunday and got to Tauranga on Tuesday to load up with what we can to take the ambulances up to Auckland.

Its been incredibly challenging, but more than worth it for the people of Ukraine. Russians have targeted over 700 hospitals in the country, so any medical supplies such as these which we can get across are critical.

The artillery nature of the warfare means the injuries on the front line are horrific, according to Tenby.

This means supplies such as his ambulances, torniquets and Asherman Chest Seals being brought over are crucial.

Practical, kind, and intelligent is just some of the words Tenby uses to describe the Ukranian people.

Even watching the worst videos, its impossible to truly imagine the carnage that is happening in Ukraine.

Tenby hopes to continue to use his military and business background to help those in need through Kiwi K.A.R.E.

For more information on the charity, or to donate, visit the GiveALittle page.
The family of Tauranga Rottweiler Chopper must wait for a decision about their dogs future.

Tauranga City Council appealed the dismissal of charges against Choppers owner Helen Fraser in August last year, stating they felt the judge had made an error of law.

The hearing was held at Tauranga District Court today and Justice Timothy Brewer reserved his decision.

Fraser was charged by the council with owning a dog causing injury after Chopper bit veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider during an appointment to discuss the dogs de-sexing in October 2021.

The attack left Schneider, the owner of Holistic Vets, with a fractured ulna, four puncture wounds, nerve and muscle damage and required surgery.

If Fraser was convicted of the charge it would mean the dog was legally required to be put down.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment or a $20,000 fine.

Judge David Cameron dismissed the charge in July 2022 after a judge alone trial held in June that year.

During the trial, the dispute was whether Fraser was liable for the attack.

At Mondays hearing, counsel for Tauranga City Council Jodi Libbey told Justice Brewer: The sole issue for trial was whether the respondent had established the defence of total absence of fault.

The appellant's position was the total absence of fault defence was not available as there were practical steps she [Fraser] could have taken to avoid the attack.

The appellant submits the trial judge's error or errors of law are evident in the penultimate paragraphs of the decision.

The paragraphs of Judge Camerons decision referred to by Libbey said Dr Schneider was responsible for determining how the situation should be handled.

She was in a position to take appropriate steps to maintain and exercise control, said Judge Cameron.

She failed though to take any steps to maintain and exercise control, despite having every opportunity to do so.

Had she done so, the incident would have been avoided.

I consider that Dr Schneider put herself in a position where she was vulnerable to attack by a dog who had not been assessed for safety purposes, said the decision.

Helen Fraser and Ryan Tarawhiti-Brown.

Fraser, who represented herself, said during the appointment the dog was always under the control and the vet didnt do what she was was expecting of her as a professional.

She said: The serious matter had resulted in pain and injury for both the dog and the veterinarian.

The dog in question we believe was only reacting in self-defence, and we maintain that the true cause of this incident lies with the negligent actions of the veterinarian.

Fraser said she did in fact take all reasonable steps as the dog owner to avoid the attack so could use this as her defence.

She concluded that were the case to go against her she would raise an application for exceptional circumstances.

Justice Brewer said it was a case with significant implications for Fraser and for Chopper.

He reserved his decision and said he would deliver it as soon as he can

Speaking after the hearing, Frasers son Ryan Tarawhiti-Brown said the family would stay positive.

We have trust in the justice system that they'll get the decision right for the second time, he said.

Asked how he thought the hearing went, Tarawhiti-Brown replied: I think it went really good, as best as we could do.

We got everything said that we needed to say, but apart from that we'll just wait for the decision and keep our fingers crossed.

The courtroom was filled with Frasers supporters and around 20 gathered before the hearing to show their support.

People brought their dogs along and held signs saying Justice for Chopper and Vets dont kill pets.

Dianne Everett told Local Democracy reporting she was there to support Chopper and his family, despite never meeting them.

I truly feel like in life you have to stand up for two things, children and animals because they cant speak for themselves, she said.

Fellow supporter, Selina Cameron said she owns two Rottweilers and she would hate to see them in Choppers position.

-Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Title changed

Details added: first version posted on 14:04

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The recent intensification of provocations perpetrated by Armenia has coincided with the period of the EU mission in this country, which is a matter of concern, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov said during the meeting with EU Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership Dirk Schubel, Trend reports.

Bayramov noted that the abuse of this mission as a pretext for damaging the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia is unacceptable.

The minister also informed in detail about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period [following the 2020 second Karabakh war], the activities of Azerbaijan in the field of reconstruction and construction, the ongoing work to open communications in the region and normalizing relations with Armenia, and efforts aimed at promoting the peace agenda.

In this context, he noted that Armenia's evasion of its obligations, its constant military-political provocations, and the continuing threat of mines are detrimental to the peace-building process.

The EU launched its civilian mission in Armenia (EU Mission in Armenia / EUMA) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) on February 20, 2023.

According to the European Commission, the exclusively civilian staff of the EUMA will include 100 members, with around 50 unarmed observers.

EEAS Managing Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) Stefano Tomat will serve as the Civilian Operation Commander, while Markus Ritter will serve as the Head of Mission.

Meanwhile, the mission's initial mandate will last for two years.
Disney to shoot international series in Malaga and issues casting call for extras The US entertainment giant joins Netflix, HBO, Prime Video and other streaming platforms who have all filmed productions in the province recently

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Disney will join the long list of major streaming platforms including Netflix, HBO, Prime Video and more who have all filmed productions in Malaga recently.

The popular streaming service has set a May date for its first shooting for an international series in Malaga next month. The title and other details are still largely unknown, apart from the fact it will have a period setting, but what has been confirmed is a casting call.

Disney+ announced it is looking for residents living in Malaga, men and women aged between 16 and 80 years old, and of any ethnicity to be extras.

The Malaga agency Modexpor, which has already been in charge of gathering the extras for the filming in Spain of the series Game of Thrones, is again responsible for the selection of extras for this new series. Casting will be held in person after Easter, between April 10-14 in the Malaga office at Calle Mina del Candado 24.

Malaga production company Fresco Film Services is again behind the shooting. Last year the Malaga production company filmed several international projects in the province including Kaos, starring Jeff Goldblum; a new installment in the Black Mirror franchise; Archie, about the life of actor Cary Grant, and the third season of the Norwegian series Exit.

In addition to the upcoming shooting in Malaga, Disney+ is currently filming another production in Valencia but the title is unknown. However it is known that it belongs to its subsidiary Lucasfilms and that it could be the new season of Andor, one of the franchises of the Star Wars universe.
Evil SNL April Fools Day prank

Saturday Night Live star Michael Che pulled a cruel prank on his Weekend Update co-anchor Colin Jost on April Fools Day. During the live broadcast, viewers (and Jost) noticed Jost was receiving a lot less laughter and applause from the audience than Che, who finally revealed the gag. I told them not to laugh at you for April Fools, Che said. Youre evil! Jost responded, who started laughing and wiping away tears. Thats the meanest thing youve ever done. I am covered in sweat. The SNL studio audience started cheering for the embarrassed comedian, who wasnt having it: No, no, dont you even dare! Other April Fools Day pranks included Syracuse radio station Z89 switching to all Pitbull music Saturday, Usher joking that Beyonce would be a surprise guest at a concert, Sarah Polley told to return her Oscar, and the Oswego County Sheriffs Office making a tortoise a deputy.

Marvels Secret Invasion trailer

Samuel L. Jackson is back as Nick Fury in the new trailer for Secret Invasion. The Disney+ miniseries from Mr. Robot creator Kyle Bradstreet will follow the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director as he tries to stop a radical group of Skrulls, whose shape-shifting abilities let them hide on Earth as crossing guards, doctors, government officials, or even Marvel superheroes. Secret Invasion, also starring Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Don Cheadle as War Machine, and new MCU additions like Dermot Mulroney, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Olivia Colman, and Christopher McDonald, will premiere June 21, 2023 on Disneys streaming service.

MORE BUZZ:

CMT Music Awards: 2023 winners list ( RS

Gwen Stefani, Carly Pearce sing Just a Girl at CMT Music Awards ( BB

Paddington 3 finally happening ( SF

Wayans family patriarch Howell Wayans dies at 86 ( E!

3 men arrested in assault of rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine ( RS

William Daniels reunites with Boy Meets World cast for 96th birthday ( ET

Robert Smith says The Cure got 7,000 secondary market tickets canceled ( BB

Hawaiian actress to star in live-action Lilo & Stitch ( E!

SU alum Clairo releases song to benefit two non-profits ( RS

Taraji P. Henson to play Quita Brunsons mom on Abbott Elementary ( ET

Buzz is a daily roundup of entertainment news from movies, TV, music and celebrity gossip.
On the off chance you havent been paying attention to world news, several banks in the U.S. collapsed (gone broke, busted, washed up, taken down, bankrupt) in recent days. Now, others here and abroad appear to be threatening to follow suit.

IN A NUTSHELL

What this means is that these failed banks accepted customers deposits, then lent and invested some of that money (which is what all banks do). However, due to inept management and lack of oversight, things went flying off the rails, and Im not talking about East Palestine, Ohio (another disaster on its own).

RISKY BUSINESS

See where this is going? These banks made too many risky investments and loans to the point their debts outweighed their assets. Word got out, then depositors panicked, sending them flying to the bank to withdraw all of their cash. And that caused what is known as a run on the bank -- cue the movie Its a Wonderful Life.

SORRY, OUT OF CASH

When everyone shows up to withdraw money at the same time, and the bank doesnt have that much reserve cash sitting in its vault to comply, the bank goes belly up, otherwise known as insolvent.

IS IT CONTAGIOUS?

Is this situation catching? Might your bank be in similar trouble? Should you take your money and run? Thats a tough question. Youre the only one who can make that decision. However, experts I have consulted would not necessarily give us that advice.

THERE ARE LIMITS

Nearly all national and regional banks in the U.S. carry insurance issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to cover this very thing. When an insured bank (or credit union) goes under, depositors are made whole even if the bank runs out of cash. But only to a limit. Both the FDIC and National Credit Union Administration standard limit is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category.

If your balances are less than $250,000, you need not panic. Or even be concerned. If your total balance exceeds $250,000, you need to spread it around in more than one bank to make sure you remain 100% covered.

There is a calculator called EDIE at the FDICs website (https://edie.fdic.gov/calculator.html) that works well for determining your FDIC or NCUA insurance coverage.

For those who cringe at giving away personal information, if you use this calculator, just know that when it asks you to enter your banks name, you can actually enter any bank -- the rules are the same no matter what bank you select.

WHATS THE ALTERNATIVE?

Where would you put it if you succumb to worry and pull all of your money from the bank? Under the mattress doesnt seem like a very good idea, as there it is subject to both thievery and fire.

Another idea would be to bury it in the backyard. And how safe is that? Youre overcome with worry now, so just imagine leaving home wondering who might have seen you dig that hole? This, too, is not a good idea.

That leaves investing it in the stock market or responding to a late-night TV commercial to buy silver (or gold). Youve probably already taken that route if you possess the smarts and education that kind of move requires. So lets take that option out of the picture, too.

TRUST BUT VERIFY

Provided that your bank is FDIC insured (NCUA for credit unions) -- look for signs all over the lobby, ATMs, front door and website indicating this coverage -- and you have not deposited more than a quarter of a million bucks, you can relax. Your money is as safe today as it was last month and for years before.

That being said, wisdom dictates that you keep an eye on things. Check your balances every day using the banks app or online service. Balance your statements monthly. Do not assume anything. Always verify.

INSTEAD, WORRY ABOUT THIS

A situation could happen any day for which the FDIC would not come to your rescue. Sure, your money is safe in the bank, but what if your access to your money is cut off? This will happen if there is a power outage caused by any number of disasters.

Everything in a bank, including the locks on the doors and access to the vault, is controlled electronically. Without power, the manager might be able to open the door with a key, but thats about it.

ATMs will be down. Credit cards wont work because that little credit card machine will go down, and there will be no way for retailers to accept your card for payment.

Grocery store checkout computers and cash registers will go dark. There may be personnel available to accept cash, but will they be prepared with sufficient currency and coins to give you change if all you have are big bills?

CASH ON HAND

You need to take money out of the bank -- enough cash to fund your basic living expenses should there be a power outage. Start with enough for a week, then add to it from there as you are able.

Dont make it a stack of $100s. Small denominations make more sense for all the reasons above. And make sure you have coins as well. Should the need arise that a seller cannot make change, you can make a purchase with the exact amount.

Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at Ask Mary. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book Debt-Proof Living.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM
Join NY Cannabis Insider on April 20 in Victor, NY, for an industry meetup. Details and tickets here.

Brynn Semeraro is a co-founder of Rooted NY LLC, a company that teaches classes on Korean Natural Farming, no-till living soil, and cannabis cultivation at all scales. With her background in agribusiness and education, Brynn found her passion in combining responsible land stewardship and teaching. Here, she shares her thoughts on womens leadership in the cannabis industry and her own experiences.



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Women are vastly underrepresented in cannabis, and not just in New York. From 2019 to 2022, executive-level females have seen their industry wide status drop from 37% to 23%. Yet the MRTA makes things very clear: women-owned businesses are a key component of the states social and economic equity plan.

NY Cannabis Insider is seeking to elevate women in cannabis through a hyper focus on female story sourcing, quoting and visual layouts, balanced representation in our People to know and Behind the story series, and prioritized guest column submissions.

This series will last for as long as submissions come in.

Why did you launch your career in the cannabis industry? Were there any women who inspired you to do so? How did you do it?

I grew up in Central New York as the fourth generation on my familys farm. I have been heavily involved in agribusiness since the early 2000s. I got my degree in education but only briefly taught in schools. Founding a company that combines my deep love of regenerative agriculture and responsible land stewardship with my educational experience allowed me to be really passionate in my career.

What do you think is the most significant barrier to women leadership? Are the barriers different in cannabis than any other industry?

The cannabis industry can sometimes feel like a mans world. Often communication sent to my partner and I will open with a bro or a dude. This is partially because he has been in the industry longer, but often simply because it is the default. Especially in the cultivation space, it feels as if growers assume all growers are men.

Whats the most common behavior or trait that you have seen derail women leaders careers, or at least negatively impact them?

I think to be successful, women have to stop apologizing for taking their place at the table. There is no need to fake it or pretend to be something youre not, but dont shy away from whatever it is you are doing or are about.

What are the benefits to having women in leadership? What benefits have you received from your leadership experiences?

Women make great leaders for lots of reasons. Some of the greatest female role models Ive known have been successful leaders because of their empathy, ability to bring people together, and think of the big picture. Personally, I like to think of myself as the type of leader who encourages everyone to be their best, whatever that looks like.

Shout out your other favorite women-owned or women-led businesses in the industry.

The Crooked Potter, Rochester, NY.

What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders?

Keep moving forward. Thats it. Dont get caught in the trap of doing it right or the endless what ifs. Time is going to keep moving forward no matter what, and you dont want to look around a decade later and feel like you accomplished nothing. Just pick the next step and do it.

Is there anything we left out that youd like to add?

Rooted NY LLC is a company I started with my partner Aaron Field about EIGHT months ago. We teach classes across New York State on Korean Natural Farming, no-till living soil, and cannabis cultivation at all scales.

If youd like people to connect with you, please share your favorite methods of contact (email, phone, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).

Instagram: @rooted_ny or @brynnellen_poet
First published 14:03

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan has met with Dirk Schuebel, EU Special Envoy for Eastern Partnership, Trend reports.

According to the Minister, the agenda of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the EU, and the current situation in the region were discussed at the meeting.

Bayramov said about an effective agenda for cooperation in various areas between Azerbaijan and the EU, specifically in political, economic, trade, investment, transport, energy, and other spheres. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the draft of a new comprehensive agreement between the two sides, which is currently being discussed, will contribute to the further development of relations.

Speaking about the Memorandum of Understanding signed on July 18, 2022, between Azerbaijan and the EU on strategic partnership in the field of energy, the Minister pointed out the importance of this memorandum as regards joint activities in the field of energy security. Moreover, the importance of an agreement on the green energy submarine cable project in the Black Sea was emphasized in terms of the development of alternative energy resources and their export to Europe.

Providing comprehensive information about the current situation of the region in the post-conflict period, Azerbaijan's renovation and construction activities, the work carried out to open communications in the region, as well as to normalize relations with Armenia and the efforts aimed at promoting peace agenda.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister noted as well that Armenia's avoidance of its obligations, its constant military-political provocations, and the ongoing mine threat damage the peace-building process.

It was said that the recent intensification of provocations committed by Armenia that coincided with the period of the EU mission's stay in this country is a cause for concern. Moreover, the inadmissibility of abusing this mission as an excuse to damage the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia was emphasized.

Dirk Schuebel, EU Special Envoy, said that the challenges that have recently arisen in the transport and communication sphere increased the importance of the East-West Corridor, and noted that Azerbaijan's activities to open communications in the region deserve approval. Meanwhile, the importance of expanding cooperation in the fight against mine danger in the region was also underlined.

In conclusion, the two sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
Rochester, N.Y.  Lawyers for Syracuse Monday urged state appellate court judges in Rochester to overturn a local judges ruling that the city cant remove a Christopher Columbus statue in downtown Syracuse.

The citys lawyers argued it was too early in the process for the courts to rule and that a contract requiring the city to maintain the monument had expired.

The lawyers representing a pro-monument group argued the court can rule in the case and that the contract was still valid.

The city took the case to the appellate court in Rochester after State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri in Syracuse ruled in March 2022 in favor of The Columbus Monument Corp. It had filed a lawsuit against the city after Mayor Ben Walsh announced in 2020 his plans to remove the statue.

The judges heard arguments Monday but did not make a decision.

John Powers, the attorney representing Syracuse, argued that in similar cases where petitioners sued governments trying to remove landmarks, the court required a standard of finality. This means that the decision to remove the statue would have to be in its final stages for the pro-monument groups claim to be effective.

The appellate court judges seemed to lean toward the citys argument as they asked Anthony Pietrafesa, the attorney representing The Columbus Monument Corp., whether he understood that there were multiple administrative steps before the statue would be removed.

Pietrafesa countered that Walsh has made his position definitively clear and, as the chief administrator of the city, his desire to remove the statue implied the decision was a done deal.

Powers argued that the city has not presented a proposal to remove the statue or use the land for any other city projects at this time.

There is literally no plan, Powers said. The court does not know what it is ruling on.

The contract

Powers also argued that an agreement that the city made in 1990 with the predecessor of the Columbus Monument group -- which Neris decision relied on -- was terminated in 2021 and is invalid.

The covenant -- a contract made with the donors supporting the statues restoration project and the city -- included a clause that required the city to maintain the statue for 23 years or its useful life.

Neri sided with the monument group who argued that the covenant was in effect and the language of the relevant clause means the city should maintain the statue for whichever requirement marked a longer period of time.

On Monday, Pietrafesa argued that the city wrongfully twisted the wording to meet the requirement that came first (23 years) in a bad faith effort to prevent the very lawsuit they are currently fighting.

In a statement Monday, Walsh said that the states decision to terminate the covenant was a valid government determination and the contract is no longer in effect.

The statue was erected in 1934, paid for mostly by Italian-American immigrants and given to the city. Many Italian-Americans at the time had been subjected to persecution and the statue was a point of pride among the community.

In the 1990s the city turned to Italian-American donors to raise part of $505,000 needed to restore the statue. In accepting $167,500 in private donations to help pay for the work, the city agreed to maintain the statue for 23 years or for its useful life.

In recent years the statue has been the subject of controversy as some people reevaluate Columbuss legacy and his connections to slavery and the oppression of Native Americans.

In 2020, Walsh announced his plan to remove the statue after lengthy conversations with a committee appointed to discuss the issue.

In 2021, the state approved the citys request to terminate the covenant, citing they had surpassed the 23-year maintenance requirement.

READ MORE

Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh cant remove downtown Christopher Columbus statue, judge rules

Walsh to remove Syracuses Columbus statue, rename downtown circle

In Syracuse, the fight over a monument clouds Columbus Day events

Syracuses Columbus statue debate: Why we should remove it and why we should keep it (video)

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
To the Editor:

In response to our friends at Women of Italian and Syracuse Heritage of CNY (WISH CNY) and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) (Columbus monument is about who we were, not who we strive to be, March 31, 2023):

We were happy to see that you filed a friend of the court (amicus curiae) legal brief in the citys appeal to its failed Columbus Monument case. Your voices are important, and we acknowledge your feelings. For that reason, we did not oppose inclusion of your brief.

But the contention in your March 31 letter to the editor that the greater public feels exactly as you do, and that the Syracuse Columbus Monument no longer represents an important time in history to Italian-Americans, is not only presumptuous, but mistaken.

With respect, Syracuse immigrants have celebrated the Syracuse Columbus Monument uninterrupted since 1934  89 years. Excluding a few years during wars and pandemics, there has always been a dedication at the monument, a luncheon, and sometimes a parade. The entire Syracuse community, including the city, participated in the monuments renovation in 1994. The Columbus Monument Corp. raised and contributed $167,000 toward that effort. They were joined by other immigrant populations in Syracuse, many of which generously contributed both time and money. Indeed, members of the Onondaga Nation were honored guests at the original dedication and made the sculptor  Renzo Baldi  an honorary Onondaga. Representatives from the Nation also participated actively in the 1994 rededication.

In contrast, WISH was only established in 2020, when Mayor Ben Walsh decided to make this an issue.

Your letter states that the view of Columbus is no longer universally positive. Yet there is a National Christopher Columbus Association, a Columbus Citizens Foundation, the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO) and thousands of other entities like ours around the country, all of which foster an appreciation of Italian-American heritage, and all of which continue an emotional bond with Columbus.

One needs to remember that when Italians arrived in American en masse from the late 1880s through the early 1920s, they encountered an America that was xenophobic, and that was engaging in acts of violence against all immigrants. The lynching in New Orleans of 11 Italian-Americans in 1891 touched off talk of war between the U.S. and Italy, according to the Washington Post. Prominent U.S. newspapers, including the New York Times, praised the lynchings. Theodore Roosevelt, in a letter to his sister, sided with the mob, writing: Personally, I think it a rather good thing. It was a George Floyd moment for Italian-Americans.

President Benjamin Harrison urged communities across the nation to celebrate Columbus and show their patriotism. It was a major success, as more than one million people gathered in New York City on Oct. 12, 1892, to honor Columbus Day. That event also kickstarted mass dissemination by the Irish-American fraternity the Knights of Columbus of the Pledge of Allegiance, introduced as part of a program to celebrate Columbus Day in schools across the country.

So for immigrants in that time, and for many of their children and grandchildren, Columbus still represents an important turning point in American history  a point when immigrants who were contributing to the enrichment of our society were finally beginning to feel acceptance and belonging.

The Appellate Court will ultimately decide this case based upon the law, not upon feelings and passions. That being said, we think that those who make Columbus the symbol of all oppression, racism, social injustice and atrocities committed by British, French and Spanish colonists over the course of a 500-year history are heaping way too much blame onto one man who captained a ship.

Preserving this important art, history and heritage in Syracuse is not an either/or situation. We encourage other nationalities in Syracuse to celebrate their heritage. Multiple tributes and voices enrich our surroundings. The Skanonh Great Law of Peace Center on Onondaga Lake is a superb celebration of Haudenosaunee history and heritage. There is no reason why that and the Columbus Monument  and other similar projects  cant coexist in our community.

Anthony Ilacqua

On behalf of the Columbus Monument Corp.

Syracuse
Rebecca Trevisani is executive vice president & COO of Housing Visions, a Syracuse-based nonprofit that develops, constructs and manages real estate projects that revitalize communities.

Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Syracuse recently, to rally local support for her plan to address New Yorks affordable housing crisis and build 800,000 new homes statewide over the next decade.

Theres no denying the problem shes trying to fix. In the City of Syracuse alone, 32 percent of all households are rent burdened, spending 30% or more of their income on housing. And with Micron coming to Onondaga County, both the demand for and cost of housing will rise exponentially.

But a critical piece of this discussion is largely missing: The need to expand support and funding for existing supportive housing, which is the most proven policy tool available to keep the most difficult-to-house population  chronically homeless New Yorkers  off the streets.

Supportive housing combines safe, affordable units with wrap-around services like mental health counseling, job training, and childcare, to ensure formerly unhoused individuals can succeed. Proof of supportive housings transformative power is evident right here in Syracuse.

VanKeuren Square, a collaboration between Housing Visions and the Syracuse VA Medical Center that provides 50 fully-furnished apartments for formerly homeless veterans, along with on-site case management, clinical care access and more, has helped drive the states overall population of homeless vets to less than 1 percent.

This building saved my sanity, because I was able to finally be safe and stable and secure and cared for by people who didnt even know me, said Jessica Hunter, 45, a formerly homeless military veteran, single mother, and VanKeuren Square resident. If there were more places like this, it would such an amazing thing for our community.

This important project, along with others run by Housing Visions that serve equally vulnerable populations like survivors of domestic violence and homeless individuals with mental illness, are funded through the legacy New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP), which has not significantly increased funding rates since its inception 30 years ago.

NYSSHP, which funds 20,000 units across the state, provides $2,580 a year for formerly homeless and disabled single adults, and $3,480 for families with children. By contrast, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI), created in 2016 to fund an additional 20,000 units, pays about five times what NYSSHP does  approximately $12,500 per unit.

Housing Visions has buildings funded by both NYSSHP and ESSHI, and as a result, we have firsthand experience of the negative impact of this disparity. Staffing adequately and providing the necessary programming to meet the needs of formerly homeless New Yorkers  some of whom havent had a roof over their heads in decades  is especially challenging. In the current tight labor market we are unable to compete on appropriate wages to fill essential supportive housing jobs that bear a high burnout rate.

At bare minimum, it is critical that this years state budget include an 8.5% cost of living increase for all social service staff, and  unlike in years past  that this raise apply to NYSSHP workers, many of whom work multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

But it would be even more impactful for the governor and state lawmakers to bring NYSSHP rates in line with what is provided under ESSHI. This small change would cost the state $148 million a year  a tiny fraction of the proposed $227 billion executive budget that would enable Housing Visions and other supporting housing providers to quite literally save lives: tens of thousands of them.

New York owes a debt of gratitude to those who served their country and now find themselves struggling just to survive. As another VanKeuren Square resident and U.S. Army veteran, Michael Crockett, 65, so eloquently put it: We shouldnt be neglected for no reason.

If Albany fails to finally right the wrong of the systemically underfunded supportive housing system, thousands of units will be in jeopardy of coming offline just as new units are being built. The state will be simply running in place instead of solving its housing and homelessness crises. Supportive housing has the ability to continue to be a powerful tool in ending the tyranny of the moment and homelessness for many New Yorkers.

Also in Opinion:

Alternative to Hochuls compact wont solve CNYs housing crisis (Guest Opinion by Sally Santangelo)

Exciting and scary: Housing expert on Hochuls plan, Microns arrival and CNYs new era of growth

Clock is ticking on everything-but-the-kitchen-sink state budget (Editorial Board Opinion)
By Julie Abbass | Watertown Daily Times

Lowville, N.Y.  Proposed legislation tucked deeply in the folds of Gov. Kathleen C. Hochuls Executive Budget would sidestep an in-process case in Albany County Supreme Court that has temporarily frozen the real property value appraisal model for renewable energy projects the state created to incentivize more renewable energy projects.

Use of the new model will be mandatory and is expected to negatively impact local municipal revenue from established projects. North country officials, like many others around the state, have been aligning with the towns and taxpayers of Schoharie County that started the lawsuit.

Lewis County and towns hosting operational wind and solar projects have agreements in place that allowed renewable energy companies to make payments based on a dollar amount per megawatt of energy produced  officially, a payment in lieu of taxes commonly called a PILOT  instead of property taxes based on an assessed value.

Traditionally, the companies preferred this option because assessments that take into consideration real value make potential tax payments larger than PILOT agreements.

If Part N revenue legislation proposed in the states budget is finalized, that could change.

The way PILOTS are designed in New York State is that it is purely an option. Any party at any time  the IDA (Industrial Development Agency which negotiates PILOT agreements), the municipalities or the property owner  can say, I dont want a PILOT. I just want to be assessed like everybody else. If that formula is less than the PILOT amounts we have agreed to then they are going to opt to go to the state-mandated assessment, and thats where it has the potential to cost us a lot of money, said Lewis County Manager Ryan M. Piche.

That would mean the PILOT payments already calculated into both annual budgets and long term financial planning like debt payments, budgets for schools, towns and counties in renewable energy project areas could disappear and revenue decreased in an instant. The result would likely be an increase in taxes in those jurisdictions or a loss of services.

To get a sense of what that means, Lewis County Real Property Director Candy C. Akin calculated her countys oldest renewable project  Maple Ridge Wind Farm, also known as Flat Rock Wind Farm  with the states model finding the value would decrease by 31%.

For Copenhagen Wind Farm, a much newer project, that value decrease would be 78%, which would make a county tax bill roughly $23,000 lower than the countys share of the current PILOT payment.

Town of Denmark Supervisor Scott Doyle said town tax payers would be hit doubly with a direct loss of revenue that could delay or reprioritize planned services and, because fire protection district payments by the energy companies are calculated with the assessed value, the new appraisal model will create a budget deficit for fire departments that taxpayers will have to absorb.

HOW DID WE GET HERE

Ms. Akin and Mr. Doyle have been following the repercussions of a state Real Property Tax Code addition created via the budgeting process in 2021, known as 575b, that allowed the state Department of Taxation and Finance in consultation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and input by the state Assessors Association, to create and publish a discounted cash flow appraisal model and produce discount rates annually with a public comment period with each new rate publication.

While the Assessors Association was initially part of the discussion along with county directors and a number of appraisers, that changed.

As they got push-back from different people, they then decided they were just going to finish it out working with NYSERDA because, obviously, our end of it was more to come up with the true value of these projects and their goal is to incentivize the value of these projects so more are built, Ms. Akin said.

The result was published as the Final solar and wind appraisal methodology in Oct. 2021 slated for use for all assessments last year, but in Jan. 2022, the Taxation and Finance Department published a revised model according to documents filed in the court case in December denying the Attorney Generals request to throw out the law suit.

Five towns and two tax payers in Schoharie County filed the case against the Taxation Department Taxation commissioner based on the fact that the laws that govern rule making procedures were not followed for the new model.

The state maintains the models are not rules and therefore do not have to follow the state Administrative Procedure Act process.

The case is technically ongoing but Part N changes 575b so that the appraisal model can be updated without regard to the Administrative Procedure Act. It also amends the procedure act directly to include appraisal models and discount rates in the list of other real property tax law rates that are exempt from the definition of rules.

Ultimately, Part N allows the Taxation and Finance Department commission to readopt the 2022 model and rates for use this year with no further consultation or pubic comment and because it is written to be retroactive to 2021, making the ongoing litigation irrelevant.

THE EFFORT TO GET PART N DROPPED

The first goal for municipalities statewide is to get Part N removed from the budget so the issue can be decided at least in part in court. This is about standing up for home rule. Its about standing up for our communitys right to determine our development future. They have already usurped and overrode local zoning through the 94-C (siting) process, said Mr. Piche, The state is saying they know better than home communities  that their climate goals are more important than the development and self-government of the northern New York community.

Mr. Doyle and Martinsburg Supervisor Terrence J. Thisse attended the Finance and Rules Committee in Lewis County in March to ask for the countys support of their intention to join the next law suit as individuals if municipalities are found not to be eligible to be part of the next case  not to have standing  by helping with legal costs. One legislator, Phil Hathaway said he would be willing to join the supervisors as an individual complainant.

The county board is expected to approve a resolution in their meeting on Tuesday vehemently opposing Part N and asking Governor Hochul to examine the financial impacts of the measure.

Five town representatives including Mr. Thisse and Mr. Doyle, Mrs. Akin, three legislators and the executive director of the county IDA, Brittany Davis, met with state Sen. Mark Walczyk and Brian Peck of Assemblyman Kenneth Blankenbushs office to discuss this issue and urge them to help get Part N removed, especially with Mr. Walczyks position on the senates finance committee.

Representatives for Mr. Walczyk and Mr. Blankenbush did not return calls or emails on the topic.

Mr. Doyle said the towns have been discussing a zoning moratorium on renewable energy projects to send a message to the state, acknowledging that the state could and likely would override those rules for the large-scale projects, but smaller projects might make the effort felt.

Mr. Piche said the county has also partially re-directed the lobbyist hired to help get legislation for higher weight limits for ATVs thought the system to address this issue due to its urgency.

___

(c)2023 Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.)

Visit Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, N.Y.) at www.watertowndailytimes.com
Washington  Rep. Brandon Williams promised voters during his campaign for Congress last year that he would move into the new 22nd Congressional District if he was elected in November.

Now, almost five months after he was elected and three months after he took office, Williams says he may put his moving plans on hold.
Denis Slattery, New York Daily News (TNS)

ALBANY  While disagreements over bail and housing are holding up budget talks in Albany, theres plenty else New Yorkers should keep in mind as Gov. Hochul and lawmakers craft a spending plan for the state.

The governor and her fellow Democrats leading the Legislature remain at loggerheads over a number of policy and spending proposals, including a potential ban on menthol cigarettes, funding plans for the MTA, lifting the charter school cap and big environmental initiatives.

Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) admitted that while negotiations so far have focused on big ticket items, other priorities are still very much in play as they prepare for discussions to stretch well past Saturdays fiscal deadline.

Theres many levels of conversations around the budget, the governor said Friday. When its the leaders and myself, weve been very focused on making progress in these two areas, bail and housing.

However, that doesnt mean there arent literally round-the-clock tables, as they call them, where the staff is getting together talking about our climate initiatives, our education, health care, and certainly the finances, Hochul added.

Budget rebuttals released by the Legislature last month differed greatly from the governors $227 billion executive proposal.

Here are some areas where Hochul and lawmakers will have to seek common ground:

CIGARETTES

Hochul is hoping to ban all flavored tobacco products in the state, including menthol cigarettes. Neither chamber supported the prohibition in their one-house budget rebuttals and the proposal has divided Black leaders in the state. The governor also hopes to raise taxes on cigarette packs by $1, which lawmakers have embraced.

EDUCATION

Hochul wants to increase the number of charter schools in the city and has called for cuts in funding for the City University of New York system. The governor is also seeking tuition increases for SUNY and CUNY schools. Democrats in both chambers have rejected the plans, pushing back on the charter school limit and arguing for increased spending for state-run colleges.

MTA FUNDING

The governor reiterated on Friday that she has no desire to raise taxes on the wealthy, something that both chambers have proposed.

Meanwhile, lawmakers rejected her pitch to raise payroll taxes on downstate businesses to cover operating costs for the cash-strapped Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Hochul is also calling on the city to pony up an additional $500 million a year to help cover transit costs.

Hochuls plan would see companies in the MTAs service area, including the five boroughs, Long Island and parts of the Hudson Valley, tax 0.5% of employee wages, an increase over the current 0.34% levy.

Lawmakers, many of whom are calling for scrapping planned fare increases, would rather raise revenue by increasing income taxes on the states top earners and have proposed a bevy of other taxes including a fee on streaming services, a new parking permit system in the five boroughs and a surcharge on ride sharing apps.

CLIMATE

Hochuls plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions includes the creation of a cap-and-invest system that would effectively limit how much companies can pollute. The measure would force companies to buy allowances for carbon emissions and the proceeds would then be reinvested into the states transition to clean energy.

Senate Dems offered several tweaks to the governors proposal, which left implementation of the program in the hands of the State Department of Environmental Conservation, including the creation of a Climate and Community Protection Fund that would direct spending.

Perhaps the most contentious part of Hochuls budget proposal centers on her plan to ban fossil fuels in new construction starting at the end of 2025 and replacing heating systems in existing buildings with electric powered equipment after 2030.

While Dem lawmakers have mostly backed the plan, Republicans have slammed the proposal and accused the governor of attempting to ban gas stoves from existing homes.

Democrats have backed an additional measure that would fully decarbonize state-owned buildings and campuses between 2030 and 2040.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Title changed

Details added: first version posted on 14:23

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Persons who wanted to illegally cross the border from Azerbaijan to Iran have been detained, the State Border Service of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the service, the persons - Azer Pashayev from Azerbaijans Goygol district and Elnur Muradov from Salyan district were detained on the territory of the border guard post of the 'Horadiz' border detachment, located near Shahsevan II village in the Beylagan district at 06:20 (GMT+4) on April 2.

It was established that they arrived in a Toyota Prius with state license plate 99-DC-626, and there were four other people in the area.

As a result of operational-search activities, the driver of the vehicle, Agil Shahmarli from the Jalilabad district, and Royal Kazimov from the Goygol district trying to escape from the scene were detained.

During the search activities, the border detachment also detained Rafael Asgarov from the Goygol district and Orkhan Azimov from the Tartar district who tried to escape.

The detainees confessed to committing a crime and said that the purpose of violating the state border was drug smuggling from Iran to Azerbaijan.

Operational and investigative measures on this fact are ongoing.

Previously, drug smuggling from Iran to Azerbaijan has been prevented on April 1.

As a result of joint activities carried out by the Goytapa border detachment service of the State Border Guard Troops and the police department of Azerbaijans Yardimli district, the smuggling of 13.52 kilograms of narcotic drugs and 1,500 tablets of M-40 methadone was prevented near Avash village of Yardimli district.
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Classical music lovers breathed a sigh of relief when Apple finally released Apple Music Classical on the app store earlier this week. Within the new app, movements are neatly listed beneath works, composers arent mislabeled as artists, and orchestras are treated separately from conductors. Whats not to love?

Plenty, of course. Besides reveling in their favorite recordings, classical music fanatics love to complain, and theres ample opportunity for nitpicking when it comes to Apple Music Classical.

Granted, Apple is happy to admit that Apple Music Classical (which is built on the bones of the old Primephonic classical music service) is a work in progress, and were sure many of the missing features were about to tick off will be added over time.

That said, lets tap the baton and get started with the biggest missing features in Apple Music Classical, starting with:

1. No downloads

The main Apple Music app lets you download tracks, albums, and entire playlists for offline listening, perfect for bringing along (say) Wagners Tristan und Isolde (preferably Carlos Kleibers performance with the Staatskapelle Dresden) on a long plane flight.

Unfortunately, Apple Music Classical doesnt support downloads, or at least not yet. That means if you want to tee up some of your favorite works in Apples Classical app, youll need an internet connection to do it.

Note: There is a workaround when it comes to downloads on Apple Music Classical: Just create a playlist of the compositions you want to download. Any playlists you create in the Apple Music Classical app will carry over to the main Apple Music app, where youll be able to download them. Tracks downloaded to the Apple Music app, however, can only be played in the Apple Music app, meaning youll be stuck with Apple Musics messy metadata.

2. No queuing

One of the features Im hoping for in Apple Music Classical is the ability to queue up individual works for playback. For example, Id love to be able to add Prokofievs Symphony No. 1 from one album to the playback queue, navigate to Prokofievs Symphony No. 2 on another album with a different conductor and orchestra, and then tap the Play Last option to add the tracks to the end of the queue.

But not only does Apple Music Classical not let you queue up entire works, theres no ability to queue up anything. When you tap Play on an album, playlist, or track, your selection goes into a playback queue, but you cant alter the queue in any way, nor can you add anything to the end. Thats a serious bummer.

3. No autoplay

On the main Apple Music app, theres a autoplay feature (activated by tapping the infinity button in the queue) that automatically plays related tracks once youve reached the end of your playback queue.

Autoplay in Apple Music doesnt work all that great with classical music because it plucks individual tracks from various works and albums. I was hoping that autoplay for Apple Music Classical would be smarter, perhaps selecting entire works rather than just individual movements.

Alas, theres no autoplay at all in Apple Music Classical. There is a repeat button in the Apple Music Classical queue, but thats it.

4. No stations

Similar to autoplay, it would be great if Apple Music Classical would allow you to create stations based on individual tracks, works, composers, or what have you. And again, perhaps the classical stations would be smart enough to select entire works rather than jumbling random tracks and movements together. Talk about a great way to discover new classical works, composers, and artists.

But as with autoplay, you cant create stations at all in Apple Classical Music. Sure, you can create stations from classical music in the main Apple Music app, but then youll just get a grab bag of individual tracks and movementsnot the ideal listening experience.

5. No iPad, HomePod, tvOS, or CarPlay support

Heres the biggie. For now, theres only one Apple Music Classical app, and its for the iPhone.

Apple says an Android version of Apple Music Classical is on the way, but theres no word on an iPad version, which would be terrific for those of us who enjoy listening to music while browsing album art, or would rather read liner notes and editorial on a larger screen.

Theres also no HomePod or tvOS support for Apple Music Classical. Sure, you can AirPlay to a HomePod, Apple TV, or another AirPlay-enabled speaker when using Apple Music Classical on an iPhone, but neither a HomePod nor an Apple TV can play Apple Music Classical tunes independently of an iPhone. That means Dolby Atmos playback on a HomePod or Apple TV is out, too, as AirPlay 2 doesnt support Atmos.

Finally, road warriors users are out of luck, as Apple Music Classical doesnt support Apple CarPlay, or at least not yet.
Spotify on HomePod? Dont hold your breath. Its been almost three years since Apple opened the door to third-party music services on its HomePod speakers, but Spotify shows no signs of joining the party.

Spotify seems only slightly more enthusiastic about supporting AirPlay 2, with the streaming giant telling Bloombergs Mark Gurman that its still committed to the feature while declining to reveal a timeline.

The comments from Spotify come a couple months prior to Apples scheduled Worldwide Developers Conference in June. The arrival of that event will mark three years since Apple opened up the HomePod to third-party streaming services.

So far, only Pandora, Deezer, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio offer native support on the HomePod. Amazon and YouTube Music are two of the larger music services waiting on the sidelines as far as HomePod support goes, but Spotify is the biggest HomePod holdout.

Asked by Gurman about its stance on native HomePod support, Spotify said that it hadnt received a significant volume of feedback about the missing feature.

But as Gurman points out, there are a number of lengthy support threads on the Spotify community forum requesting native HomePod support, with one thread nearing 6,000 likes.

Gurman also calls out Spotify for dragging its feet on supporting HomePod when Spotify CEO Daniel Ek routinely firing broadsides at Apple for its anticompetitive practices.

Meanwhile, Spotify told German that it remains committed to supporting AirPlay 2 at some point in the future, but we cannot state when that will be at this time.

Spotify has had a stop/start relationship with AirPlay 2 over the years, at one point saying that it had ceased development on the feature before quickly backpedaling.

Its possible to use the iPhones OS-level AirPlay functionality to stream Spotify tunes to a HomePod or an AirPlay 2-enabled speaker, but doing so means using the older AirPlay 1 protocol, which lacks multi-room audio and lossless support (not that Spotify offers lossless streaming, but still).

AirPlay 1 also incorporates a two second buffering delay, which plays havoc with playback controls as well as live lyrics.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Azerbaijani Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov met with Chief Technology Officer of Turkiyes Baykar company Selcuk Bayraktar, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

Noting that the military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye is based on friendly and fraternal relations, Zakir Hasanov said that these relations develop and strengthen over time. It was emphasized that friendly relations of the countries' leaders play an important role in the development of relations between the states.

Selcuk Bayraktar expressed gratitude for the warm reception and hospitality, noted that he was pleased with his visit to Azerbaijan and that such meetings are of great importance in terms of expanding mutual cooperation.

The current state and prospects for the development of military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkiye were discussed at the meeting.

In the end, Zakir Hasanov awarded Selcuk Bayraktar with the "For services in the field of military cooperation" medal.
In brief: As basic smartphones become cheaper and once high-end-only features trickle down to entry-level devices, dumb phones (aka feature phones) aren't selling the way they used to in many countries - apart from in the US. According to a new report, dumb phones are becoming increasingly popular among certain Gen Z users looking to limit their screen time.

Early 2000-style dumb phones have long been popular in developing nations, the middle east, India, and Africa for their low prices. These regions made up 80% of feature phone sales in 2022, writes Counterpoint research (via CNBC), but their popularity has flatlined recently. In the US, however, it is on the rise.

HMD Global, the licensee of the Nokia brand, sold tens of thousands of its feature flip phones in the US each month during 2022. Yet this increase was in contrast to its global feature phone sales, which the company says were down.

The reason for this surprising trend is thought to be Gen Z - those born between 1997 and 2012, currently aged 11 to 26 - who are tired of screens and trying to cut down on screen time to protect their mental health, says Jose Briones, dumb phone influencer and moderator of the r/dumbphones subreddit.

The potential negative mental health impact from social media apps on teens is well documented; Facebook (as it still was back then) got into a lot of trouble when it was revealed that the company knew how damaging Instagram is on young people's mental well-being. Utah, meanwhile, is one of several states pushing a social media law that will require parental permission for teens to open accounts.

The boost in feature phone popularity has benefitted companies such as Light, the creator of the Light Phone 2, which is being hailed as a great device for productivity thanks to the lack of distractions found in typical smartphones.

"What we're trying to do with the Light phone isn't to create a dumb phone, but to create a more intentional phone --- a premium, minimal phone --- which isn't inherently anti-technology," said Joe Hollier, co-founder of Light. "But it's about consciously choosing how and when to use which aspects of technology that add to my quality of life."

Would you use a feature phone to avoid the many distracting apps, games, etc., found on modern handsets? Or maybe you just like having a cheap burner phone. Let us know in the comments below.
The big picture: The complex, majestic system of rings orbiting Saturn is one of the most striking views our Solar System has to offer. Astronomers have watched and examined Saturn's rings for centuries, yet an unprecedented phenomenon was hiding in plain sight before a recently published paper finally revealed its features.

Saturn is getting a little bit hotter because of the rings' interaction with the planet's upper atmosphere. A secret "hiding in plain view" for 40 years has now been revealed, thanks to research led by Lotfi Ben-Jaffel and published in Planetary Science Journal at the end of March. A "veteran" astronomer at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris and the Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Ben-Jaffel re-examined data collected by five different missions to unveil one of Saturn's most surprising phenomena.

There is a never before seen interaction between Saturn and the rings system, the researcher said, as fragments of those rings rain down onto the planet's atmosphere producing an excess of ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by excited hydrogen atoms. The rings are made of icy and rocky fragments, which orbit Saturn at different speeds.

The rings are slowly disintegrating, and the escaped fragments are unavoidably captured by Saturn's gravity as soon as they leave their stable orbit. It's a well-known phenomenon thanks to NASA's Cassini probe plunging into the planet's atmosphere in 2017, Ben-Jaffel said, but its influence on the atomic hydrogen is a surprise.

Ben-Jaffel used precise observations from the Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, comparing UV data to the distribution of light from multiple space missions and instruments. In addition to Hubble's observations, the researcher looked at data collected by the aforementioned Cassini probe, the twin Voyager missions launched in 1977 and the now-retired, satellite-based International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) mission launched in 1978.

Data previously scrapped as noise in the detectors was now shining a completely new light: after calibration, the researchers clearly saw that "the spectra are consistent across all the missions." Thanks to Hubble's reference point on the rate of transfer of energy from the atmosphere as measured over decades, Ben-Jaffel said, we now know that there is an excessive production of UV energy in Saturn's atmosphere.

The best explanation of the newly observed phenomenon is that the icy ring particles raining down into Saturn's atmosphere cause this heating process, the researcher said. Now that we know the origin of this phenomenon, we can apply our new knowledge to deep space exploration as well.

"We are just at the beginning of this ring characterization effect on the upper atmosphere of a planet," Ben-Jaffel stated, and we'll need to develop a "global" approach to get a signature about the atmospheres on distant worlds. The goal: searching for "exo-rings" systems around planets orbiting other stars.
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

What just happened? Google is rolling out a beta version of Nearby Share, a tool meant to make it easier for Android users to transfer files between their mobile devices and Windows. It comes long after Google talked about it back in January 2022 as part of its pledge to tighten integration between its mobile OS and Microsoft's platform.

It was during January 2022's CES that Google announced its plans to improve connectivity between the Android and Windows operating systems. In addition to Fast Pair for quickly setting up and pairing devices, there was Nearby Share for sharing photos, text messages, and more.

Having launched in 2020 to quickly move files between Android phones, tablets, and Chromebooks, the Nearby Share app for Windows is now available to use, though it is still in beta. Google lists the requirements as a 64-bit version of Windows 10 and up, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Arm devices are not supported.

Google writes that Nearby Share users will be able to transfer photos, videos, documents, audio files, or entire folders between Android and Windows devices. It adds that the feature has been designed with safety and privacy in mind, giving users control over who can discover a device and send files, be it everyone, friends and family, or just one person.

Sending files from a PC to an Android device can be done via drag-and-drop or right-clicking and selecting 'Send with Nearby Share.' As long as the two devices are within 16 feet of each other, the files will be transferred. While you need to be signed into your Google account to use the feature, you can send files to anyone that has Nearby Share turned on, with their devices discoverable to you.

To enable Nearby Share on a phone, make sure Bluetooth, location, and Nearby Share are turned on in your device's settings app.

There are plenty of third-party apps and even Microsoft's own Phone Link that do the same job as Nearby Share, but the fact this one comes from Android creator Google should make it a smoother experience.

The Nearby Share beta is available in the US and most countries worldwide.
What just happened? Nvidia's fourth graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture is almost here. According to chatter around the water cooler, the card is currently being put through the paces by hardware reviewers ahead of a planned launch on April 13 for $599. A recently leaked presentation slide shared by VideoCardz adds even more pieces to the puzzle.

According to the slide, the RTX 4070 non-Ti will ship with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 192-bit interface and 36 MB of L2 cache. That's four GB more memory and nine times more cache than the 8 GB of RAM and paltry 4 MB of L2 cache found on the RTX 3070 and RTX 3070 Ti.

Cards will also be advertised with a 200W TGP (Total Graphics Power) but on average, should consume closer to 186 watts in real-world gaming scenarios which is lower than the average consumption of both the RTX 3070 and 3070 Ti. For comparison, the standard RTX 3070 has a TGP of 220W while the Ti variant is rated at 290W. The RTX 3080 and Ti variants have a TGP up to 350W.

The slide - assuming it is legitimate - likely came from Nvidia's reviewer's guide which accompanies early samples sent out to tech sites in preparation of their coverage. It's not uncommon for slides like these to find their way online early, especially if the source can guarantee their anonymity.

Related reading: GeForce RTX 4070 Ti vs. GeForce RTX 3080 - 50 Game Benchmark

Pricing is expected to play a major role in the popularity of the RTX 4070. It'd be interesting at $599 considering the 4070 Ti starts at $200 more and the RTX 3080 has an MSRP of $699.

The 4070 Ti was originally set to arrive as the RTX 4080 12 GB at $899 but Nvidia "unlaunched" it after backlash from the gaming community. The hardware maker rebranded the card and cut the price by $100, resulting in the RTX 4070 Ti.
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

In a nutshell: You will have to rough it on foot - or maybe rent a bike - on your next tour of The City of Light. Nearly 90 percent of votes cast in a recent referendum were in favor of banning battery-powered scooters in the French capital. It is a sizable margin but perhaps the numbers reveal that most people did not seem to care one way or the other. Of the city's 1.38 million registered voters, only about 103,000 participated in the vote.

According to the BBC, Paris was one of the first major cities to adopt e-scooter rentals but it would seem as most believe they have done more harm than good. The publication cited mounting concerns over reckless driving of scooters and the fact that many riders do not wear helmets. Others took issue with parked scooters cluttering up parks and other public spaces, and taking up spaces typically reserved for cars or motorcycles. People as young as 12 can legally rent an e-scooter in Paris, the BBC noted.

Now, Paris is the first major European city to turn against the trendy mobility aids.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who supported the ban, announced the vote back in January. "I'm committed to respecting the choice of voters, purely and simply," the mayor said, adding that scooter rentals were both expensive and the cause of lots of accidents.

Three of the city's largest scooter rental providers - Tier, Dott and Lime - leveraged their reach on social media to try and get younger voters out to the polls. They even offered free rides to voters on voting day but clearly, the marketing push did not have much of an impact on voter turnout.

It is worth mentioning that the referendum only included e-scooter rentals, and that privately owned two-wheeler scooters were not involved.

Hidalgo told The Washington Post that Paris will ban self-service scooter rentals starting September 1, which is one day after the city's current contract with operators expires.
Astrolab announced a new lunar rover for an upcoming mission to the moon with SpaceX Starship. The Flexible Logistics and Exploration rover or FLEX is expected to launch as soon as mid-2026.

(Photo : Astrolab Official YouTube Channel)

FLEX's six degree-of-freedom, 2.4m long, robotic arm has a dust tolerant, swappable end effector. This gives FLEX the ability to extract payloads, instruments, and tools from a mezzanine onboard the rover.

Astrolab FLEX Rover

A new lunar rover is heading to the moon as Venturi Astrolab announced that it had signed an agreement with Space Exploration Technologies or SpaceX to transport the FLEX rover for an upcoming mission to the moon. Engadget reported that Starship would be used to launch and land the system in mid-2026.

This rover is the same size as an SUV, making it much bigger than NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars. FLEX also features a robotic arm to assist with cargo and has a travel time p to 15 miles per hour. Astrolab claims that the lunar rover can carry up to two astronauts, despite being designed to be controlled remotely without any in-person operators.

Chief Executive Officer Jarat Matthews stated that this will be the first commercial cargo contract of SpaceX to the lunar surface. Astrolab built this rover within NASA's requirements for the agency's Lunar Terrain Vehicle specifications and is expective to have an entire FLEX fleet roving the moon's surface as part of the Artemis program.

He said, "We've created a logistics system that can accommodate a wide variety of cargo. We expect that this approach will help establish a permanent lunar outpost on the moon at a lower cost and in less time than previously envisioned." Space News reported that engineers also see the rover operating on future missions to Mars.

Also Read: New NASA Moon Rover Copies Chinese Mars Bot, Experts Claim; How Similar is VIPER to Zhurong?

Matthews previously worked at SpaceX and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA. Following his time with both companies, he founded Astrolab less than four years ago and located its headquarters in Hawthorne, California, with 20 employees.

Astrolab's Funding

As of the moment, Astrolab's lunar mission is an entirely commercial venture without financing from NASA. The New York Times reported that the CEO did not reveal how much it would cost the FLEX rover to launch or how much the company has raised for this mission but clarified instead that they had several signed agreements for payloads.

He said that Astrolab would make some money by lifting and deploying cargo for customers for this mission to the moon, like scientific equipment and instruments. Through these abilities and its robotic arm, the FLEX rover could help build future infrastructures on the Moon.

"Essentially providing what I like to call last-mile mobility on the moon. You can kind of think of it like being U.P.S. for the moon. And in this analogy, Starship is the container ship crossing the ocean, and we're the local distribution solution," he added.

Related Article: Astrolab's New Space Rover More Advanced Than NASA Moon Buggy? Here's What FLEX Vehicle Can Do

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
China will conduct a cybersecurity review for the United States' largest memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology. The company becomes the first foreign chip maker to be put under review by Chinese regulators, which could emanate from the existing trade tensions between the two.

(Photo : MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

US President Joe Biden (2L), with US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, looks at a 3D rendering of a future Micron factory presenting by CEO of Micron Technology Sanjay Mehrotra (L) during a tour of the Micron Pavilion at the SRC Arena and Events Center of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York on October 27, 2022.

Cybersecurity Review

Micron Technology has been subjected to a cybersecurity review by China for its products sold in the country. Interesting Engineering reported that this probe aims to protect the country's national security, ensure the integrity of China's information infrastructure supply chain, and prevent network security risks.

The Cyberspace Administration of China will conduct a review of Micron's products sold in China, and said through a statement that this is to "safeguard key information infrastructure supply chain security and prevent cyberspace security risks due to problematic products."

As per a statement from the company, they stand by their products and continues to communicate and cooperate with Chinese regulators. Almost 11% of its sales come from China and since this announcement, the company's stock dropped 5.1% to $59.90 in New York.

Also Read: Micron is Building the Largest Semiconductor Facility in the US Worth $100 Billion

"The Chinese government may restrict us from participating in the China market or may prevent us from competing effectively with Chinese companies," the company stated during its annual report last year. This comes at a time when Beijing is fighting a battle with the Biden Administration for control over China's technology supply chains.

This was followed by several restrictions for the export of chips that the US authorities implemented to hinder technology advancement. Reuters reported that the United States imposed restrictions for fear it could be used to produce chips for applications, including artificial intelligence that could be used by China's military.

US-China

Aside from its valid reasons to protect China's national security, there might be some other possible reasons for this review. Bloomberg reported that the United States has been blacklisting a lot of Chinese technology companies and continuously banning its citizens from providing certain help to their chip industry.

This includes Chinese chipmaker Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co., which has been blacklisted by Washington more than four years ago due to suspicion of economic espionage and conspiring to steal trade secrets.

Aside from this, Washington enlisted allies with several countries. Japan stated that it will expand its restrictions on exporting to the leading chip-making technology of China, joining the Netherlands.

Economic Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Fellow Gerard DiPippo stated it is possible that this investigation intends to pressure the United States and its allies to loosen export controls.

"It's even more likely that Beijing is legitimately worried about China's reliance on Micron chips, or really any US technology. Expect more actions like this going forward," he added.

Related Article: Micron Begins Shipping of 1-Beta DRAM Chips With 15% Improved Power Efficiency

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla Gigafactory Texas reportedly achieved a new milestone. It now produces roughly 4,000 electric vehicles (EVs) each week, significantly ramping up its previous production rate.

But despite the growing EV production of Giga Texas, the Gigafactory in Berlin still manufactures more vehicles. It is worth noting that the Elon Musk-led automaker is working to ramp up the production of both facilities.

(Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 03: A Tesla dealership is seen on January 03, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Tesla's quarterly earnings fell short of Wall Street's expectations and its 2022 delivery target, losing approximately $675 billion in market valuation.

Tesla Gigafactory Texas New Production Milestone

As per a recent report by Electrek, the Tesla Gigafactory in Texas previously only produces around 3,000 Model Y EVs once a week, as of December 2022.

But this time, it looks like Tesla has successfully ramped up the production in the Texas facility. From an average of 3,000 per week, it now boasts around 4,000 EVs in a mere week.

The giant EV maker took to Twitter to announce the big news from the Giga Texas, congratulating the team in the facility for producing a cool 4,000 Model Y EVs. The tweet included a video showing the folks at the Austin-based factory celebrating the massive milestone.

Electrek notes in its report that the Musk-led automaker typically targets around 5,000 per week for its production ramp-up. So in other words, the latest Giga Texas milestone is a thousand vehicles away from this.

How About Giga Berlin?

On the other hand, the Gigafactory Berlin has already hit the 5,000-a-week EV output goal as early as last month. The factory in Germany has already achieved the goal of producing a staggering 5,000 Model Y EVs in just a week.

(Photo : Christian Marquardt - Pool/Getty Images)

GRUENHEIDE, GERMANY - MARCH 22: Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during the official opening of the new Tesla electric car manufacturing plant on March 22, 2022 near Gruenheide, Germany.

Tesla disclosed the Giga Berlin production milestone last March 26 on Twitter. The tweet reveals that the facility in Germany is built 5,000 EVs, "[one] year after delivering the first vehicles to customers."

With that, the Austin-based Giga Texas is still lagging behind the production figures of its counterpart in Germany. The former needs to ramp up its production by about 1,000 EVs more a week to keep up with the latter.

Read Also: Tesla Gigafactory Berlin Ramps up Output to 5,000 Cars a Week

Texas Gigafactory Expansion

Electrek notes that the Texas facility is grappling with problems that do not bother the Giga Berlin. The Austin-based factory produces EVs with 4680 battery cells, wherein Tesla is having trouble with ramping up production.

So with that, the latest milestone of Giga Texas is still noteworthy on its own.

(Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

In an aerial view, brand new Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at the Tesla factory on October 19, 2022 in Fremont, California.

As per a news story by The Verge, a registration filing from Tesla disclosed that the EV maker is working on expanding the Texas Gigafactory. The expansion costs to the tune of $770 million, which should pave the way to the production of the long-awaited Cybertruck all-electric pick up truck.

Related Article: Tesla Gigabier Launches: a Cybertruck-Based Limited Edition Pilsner-Style Beer

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In this week's summary of all things crypto last week, CryptoWatch followed the many charges Sam Bankman-Fried is into, down to the plea hearing to which he pleaded "not guilty" again in the latest proceedings of his case. There is also another top crypto exchange platform that is in a tight bind, and it is Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao and a CTFC violation.

(Photo : Tech Times)

Cryptocurrency is still a significant obstacle to raising its prices now, and these lawsuits bring a problem to how they are perceived by the public, and its quest to rally back to previous valuations.

SBF Faces New Charges Regarding Bribery to Chinese Officials

The infamous former CEO of FTX is facing another set of criminal charges, for his alleged actions of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States when he bribed Chinese officials.

The alleged bribe was to centers on a 2021 event to unfreeze his Alameda Research-owned trading accounts, paying as much as $40 million in cryptocurrency.

The updated indictment by a federal grand jury in New York added to the list of charges against him including fraud, commodities fraud, and making unlawful political contributions, with a total of 13 charges added to his case.

SBF's team was trying to recover the frozen assets which were named under Alameda and were successful in having these crypto holdings accessible to them after the alleged bribe.

Read Also: The Rise and Fall of Floki Inu: Why Meme Coins Need Utility Like DigiToads

Sam Bankman-Fried Pleads 'Not Guilty' on Latest Charges

Following the new indictment and charges against Bankman-Fried, the executive yet again pleaded "not guilty" to the complaints against him, regarding the alleged bribe to recover Alameda's holdings. SBF's team aims to submit a petition to avoid getting prosecuted for all counts filed against the former CEO after his extradition, to mainly focus on those that were presented before.

According to CNBC's report, this centers on the latest charge against SBF's alleged bribes to Chinese officials to unfreeze Alameda's trading accounts. Bankman-Fried arrived an hour early at the courthouse where he presented his plea to the court.

The latest indictment hearing presented the thirteen counts of illegal activities under SBF's direction, with the former CEO staying mum throughout the entire event, only speaking when entering his plea.

Binance's CFTC Violation on Crypto Derivatives

Another cryptocurrency company is facing a significant lawsuit in its actions towards its operations in the country, with Binance facing new charges from the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). This centers on the Commodities Exchange Act which it allegedly violated after continuing its operations of unregistered crypto derivatives in the country.

CEO Changpeng Zhao is also charged with a civil complaint from the court, with written records that point toward the illicit actions that were carried out. Allegedly, Binance urged Americans to use VPNs to continue their access to these crypto derivatives to avoid detection by regulatory agencies and ensure operations run smoothly.

Related Article: CryptoWatch: Cryptocurrency's Decline with Binance, SEC Run-ins of Coinbase and Tron

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Florida university professor, who is currently living underwater for up to 100 days, claims that he made a groundbreaking discovery during his daring expedition. The former naval officer, known as Dr. Deep Sea these days, says he discovered a "brand new species."

(Photo : ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on August 18, 2021 a dive guide shows tourists a mosaic from Terme del Lacus, the submerged ancient Roman city of Baiae at the Baiae Underwater Park, part of the Campi Flegrei Archaeological Park complex site in Pozzuoli near Naples.

Even before concluding his 100-day underwater experiment, he claims he has already discovered a new mystery underwater.

Professor Living Underwater for 100 Days Discovers 'Brand New' Species

Interesting Engineering says that Joseph Dituri, the South Florida professor living underwater for 100 days, recently disclosed a remarkable discovery during his daring journey.

Dr. Deep Sea says that he has specifically unearthed a "brand new" species after staying underwater for roughly a month or 30 days, to be more exact.

It is worth noting that his daring expedition has yet to conclude. In fact, he still plans to stay there for a total of 100 days. In other words, he is still far away from ending his experiment.

Dutiri spoke with The Independent UK regarding his most recent discovery while living underwater for an extended time. In a video call, the University professor says they have "found a single-cell ciliate, a single-celled organism that we believe is a brand new species to science."

The Florida professor further believes that the single-celled organism has been there for quite a while now. However, previous folks who dived underwater just missed it out.

He told The Independent in the video call interview that "people have dived in this area thousands and thousands of times." But despite that, he thinks that the "new" species he discovered has been there all the while. Previous divers, according to him, "just [did not] look."

'New' Species to Undergo Examination

Although Dutiri claims that the single-celled organism they discovered is a "new species to science," microbiologists have yet to confirm it.

Interesting Engineering notes in its report that the specimen from the 100-day underwater exhibition is now on its way to examination by microbiologists. These scientists still have to confirm if it is actually a new species after all. Once it gets a nod from these experts, the daring experiment of Dr. Deep Sea would create a remarkable milestone in the world of sciences.

Read Also: North Korea's Nuclear-Capable Underwater Drone Could Lead to Radioactive Tsunami

Why is Dr. Deep Sea Living Underwater for 100 Days?

Even though the Florida professor has been underwater for a couple of weeks already, he says he still "feels wonderful."

(Photo : ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images)

In this photograph taken on August 18, 2021 a dive guide shows tourists a archaeological find from the Roman era from Villa a Protiro, the submerged ancient Roman city of Baiae at the Baiae Underwater Park, part of the Campi Flegrei Archaeological Park complex site in Pozzuoli near Naples.

Besides his recent discovery, he is living underwater for an extended time to prove the hypothesis he had in the beginning.

He believes that the increased pressure underwater will make us superhumans. Dutiri is experimenting to learn the health benefits of staying underwater for an extended period of time, specifically up to 100 days.

Related Article: Archaeologists to Embark on Mission to Find Lost Underwater Civilization Using Magnets!

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
First published at 17:35

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. New details have been revealed regarding the terrorist attack against Azerbaijani MP Fazil Mustafa, Trend reports.

According to the information, Hasan Huseynov, the brother of Huseyn Huseynov, who was hiding in Iran and threatened to kill Fazil Mustafa, was among those detained by the State Security Service (SSS).

Thus, Hasan Huseynov organized the money transfer to Tural Mammadov in exchange for fulfilling the tasks of the Iranian intelligence agencies.

Meanwhile, Mammadov was arrested because, on the orders of foreign intelligence agencies, he was secretly filming by arriving at the intended addresses in Azerbaijan. During his arrest, a special device sent from Iran was found with him to track the trajectory of objects in the airspace.

Moreover, it turned out that Hasan Huseynov is the nephew of Iskender Huseynov, who was accused of attempted terrorism and high treason and is hiding in Iran.
Samsung is looking to bring a new variant for its famed flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S23, with an alleged release of the S23 FE coming later this year for the world. The FE variant among the Samsung Galaxy smartphones is best known for being the budget version of their releases, mainly centering on the Galaxy S series.

In the past, Samsung has released the FE variant alongside its main variants, and not separately like this new release window from the company.

Samsung to bring Galaxy S23 FE Later this Year

(Photo : Twitter via @osoroKE)

It was originally thought that Samsung's "Fan Edition" mid-variant releases from its main S series lineup were already discontinued or phased out, but the latest report from SamMobile brings hopes to another FE smartphone coming soon.

The speculations center on the upcoming release date of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE later this year, particularly before 2023 ends.

The upcoming budget smartphone will take on a new turn in the series' progression, as it will not sport the famed Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, as its main variant, but rather an Exynos 2200 processor to power the device. The significance of the Exynos died down with the S22 and earlier smartphones, as Samsung discontinued it for the S series and focused on Qualcomm's chips.

Read Also: Samsung Experts Explain Galaxy S23 Series Ray Tracing Capabilities for Realistic Graphics

Samsung S23 FE Like Pixel's Budget Release?

According to TechRadar, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE will bring a new affordable smartphone to users that will arrive later than its main lineup and be similar to other budget smartphones' release dates.

It takes a page on the likes of Google's Pixel budget release, with the "7a" allegedly coming later this year and the Apple iPhone SE that comes earlier than the flagship releases.

Samsung's Smartphone Releases

The famed South Korean multinational technology company releases smartphones regularly each year, with the Galaxy series having multiple variants from different letter series available. However, the company's flagship smartphone, the S series, is best known for having a dedicated showcase every first quarter of the year, with the recent S23 which arrived in February.

In the past release from Samsung, it delivered the Galaxy S21 FE, a.k.a. its budget and affordable version, almost a year later since the 2021 flagship from the company. The S22 did not release the FE version on its Galaxy Unpacked event or later showcases.

The 2023 showcase of the company had the S23 FE variant missing from its release and there were speculations about a later release date as per the analysts and insiders.

And while the S23 FE device was also speculated to be phased out, this latest development on the budget smartphone sees a possible release date to arrive later this year, to soon expand the S23 series. It may take a page on Google's Pixel "a" suffix budget smartphone series that arrives much later than the original release date, it helps Samsung gain more traction in the market, should it arrive later on.

Related Article: Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Might Exclusively Use Exynos Chips

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Italy became the first European country on Friday to ban OpenAIs popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, ChatGPT, in the country with immediate effect over privacy violations, cybercrimes, and misinformation.

For those unaware, ChatGPT was launched as a prototype on November 2022. Within a few days of its release, ChatGPT managed to garner more than one million users within a week.

It became insanely popular because of its immense capabilities, be it content writing through simple prompts, organizing peoples meals, planning a holiday party, or even writing a song, and much more.

The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la protezione dei dati personali) on Friday temporarily banned ChatGPT in the country and also opened an investigation against the AI chatbot and the U.S. company OpenAI, as it failed to comply with Italian data collection rules.

It said it was taking provisional action against OpenAI until ChatGPT respects privacy, including temporarily restricting the processing of data of Italian users.

The Garante also referred to a recent data breach on March 20 in which users reported being able to access user conversations and information related to the payment of subscribers to the paid service.

We noticed a lack of clear notice to users and all interested parties whose data are collected by OpenAI, but above all, the absence of a legal basis that justifies the collection and massive storage of personal data to train the algorithms upon which the platform is based, reads an announcement (in Italian), published on Friday.

As evidenced by the checks carried out, the information provided by ChatGPT does not always correspond to the real data, thus determining an inaccurate processing of personal data.

Lastly, the watchdog pointed out that OpenAI did not implement sufficient measures in place to prevent users aged 13 and below from using ChatGPT. In the absence of any filter that verifies the age of the users, the app exposes minors to absolutely unsuitable answers compared to their degree of development and self-awareness.

OpenAI had 20 days (i.e. until April 19) to answer to the Data Protection Authority as to how what measures it has undertaken to address the watchdogs concerns  or incur a fine of up to 20 million euros ($21.7 million), or 4% of the companys annual global turnover.

Recently, a group of AI experts and industry executives along with Twitter CEO and former OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk wrote an open letter to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission calling for an immediate six-month pause on the training of more powerful AI bots now in development than OpenAIs newly launched model GPT-4, as the AI systems pose profound risks to society and humanity.

ChatGPT is already blocked in countries like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran. OpenAI told the BBC that it had disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy.

We are committed to protecting peoples privacy and we believe we comply with GDPR and other privacy laws. We actively work to reduce personal data in training our A.I. systems like ChatGPT because we want our A.I. to learn about the world, not about private individuals, OpenAI said.

We also believe that AI regulation is necessary  so we look forward to working closely with the Garante and educating them on how our systems are built and used.

OpenAI said it is looking forward to making ChatGPT available in Italy again soon.
First published at 17:48

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Bayramov said that satisfaction was expressed at the meeting with the level of existing relations between Azerbaijan and Italy within the bilateral cooperation. At the same time, prospects for multidimensional strategic partnerships in the field of security, political, economic, trade, energy, humanitarian, educational, and other spheres were discussed.

The sides exchanged views on Azerbaijan's partnership with the EU, on expanding cooperation in energy and transport projects, as well as on alternative energy projects.

Bayramov informed Cirielli about numerous acts of vandalism committed by Armenia during the occupation of our territories for 30 years, and also about the process of normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations after the 2020 Second Karabakh War. He also mentioned the process of negotiations on the preparation of a peace treaty between the two countries, and the reconstruction work of Azerbaijan in the territories liberated from occupation. At the same time, Cirielli was informed about some obstacles, political and military provocations against the peace process by Armenia, as well as the ongoing mine threat.

Deputy FM of Italy noted that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner of Italy, and added that with the end of the conflict, a new period has begun in the entire region which created more favorable opportunities. Cirielli also spoke about new opportunities for the comprehensive expansion of relations between the two countries and prospects for the development of cooperation.

In conclusion, other international and regional issues of mutual interest were also discussed during the meeting.
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 Communities 2019 - Privacy

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7.0-magnitude quake hits western Papua New Guinea: USGS



Sydney, April 3 (AFP) Apr 03, 2023



A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of northwestern Papua New Guinea before dawn Monday, toppling a few homes but with no immediate reports of casualties.

The quake struck at a depth of 62 kilometres (38 miles) near the Chambri Lake system in the sparsely populated region of East Sepik Province, the US Geological Service said.

"So far, we have lost a few houses, it is fortunate for us that no life (is) lost," a member of parliament in the area, Johnson Wapunai, said in a message on social media.

"Chambri lake is boiling and the continuous quake is still happening right now," he wrote more than five hours after the quake, which occurred at about 4:00 am local time.

The lawmaker urged people to watch out for falling objects or trees and to be on alert for further seismic activity.

No tsunami warning was issued.

The quake cracked interior floors and lifted outside paving stones at a new regional hospital that was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, photographs taken by a doctor at the scene showed.

Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said.

The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.

The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.
Three dead as powerful earthquake strikes PNG



Sydney, April 3 (AFP) Apr 03, 2023



At least three people were killed after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook a remote region of northwestern Papua New Guinea before dawn Monday.

The country's National Disaster Centre said dozens of homes were also affected as emergency crews continued to assess the damage across difficult terrain.

The quake struck at a depth of 62 kilometres (38 miles) near the Chambri Lake system in the sparsely populated region of East Sepik Province, the US Geological Survey said.

"Chambri lake is boiling and the continuous quake is still happening right now," a member of parliament in the area, Johnson Wapunai, said in a message on social media several hours after the quake struck.

The lawmaker urged people to watch out for falling objects or trees, and to be on alert for further seismic activity.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Colles Pinga, who lives not far from the epicentre, told Australia's national broadcaster that three homes in his village were destroyed and people have been injured.

"There's landslides along the riverbanks... it's quite frightening," Pinga told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The quake also left cracks on the interior floors of a new regional hospital that was nearing completion about 60 kilometres away, and also unlodged the building's paving stones, according to photographs taken by a doctor at the scene.

Loosening of soft ground in the quake zone can cause substantial subsidence and horizontal sliding of the ground and result in major damage, the USGS said.

The earthquake shook an area about 100 kilometres east of the border with Indonesia on the island of New Guinea.

The remote New Britain region, part of an archipelago in eastern Papua New Guinea, was struck by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake in late February.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov and the newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu have held a telephone conversation, Trend reports citing the press service of MFA.

Minister lBayramov, congratulating his colleague on the appointment as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, wished him success in his future activities.

Minister Bayramov spoke with satisfaction about the current agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan and expressed confidence that relations based on friendship, brotherhood and solidarity between the two countries will continue to develop in an ascending line.

During the telephone conversation, an exchange of views took place on various aspects of the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, including the current situation in the region.
When I came home from the gym, all four limbs were working fine. But not for long.
Oscar Lozada, 43, right , is accompanied by East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office personnel including Capt. Lawrence Cavalier, left, as they escort Lozada out of the East Baton Rouge Violent Crimes Unit housed at La. State Police headquarters for his transport to East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, shortly after midnight, Satturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Lozada confessed to the murder of his wife Sylviane Finck Lozada, a Brusly school teacher who disappeared under suspicious circumstances in 2011, during an interview of nearly eight hours at the VCU. Lozada is expected to face one count of second-degree murder.
This work is supported with a grant funded by the Walton Family Foundation and administered by the Society of Environmental Journalists.
Coles will bring processing of its private label milk in-house in a move described as a significant shift in Australias dairy landscape as major supermarkets seek to carve out secure supplies of milk from a pool of producers that has been dwindling for decades.

The supermarket giant said on Monday it has asked for formal approval from the competition watchdog to buy two milk-processing facilities from Canadian-owned Saputo Dairy Australia for $105 million.

Coles will acquire two of Saputo Dairys processing facilities, which brings production of own brand milk in-house. Credit: Bloomberg

The two facilities, one in Victorias Laverton North and the other in NSWs Erskine Park, process about 225 million litres a year, 80 per cent of which is bottled as Coles two- and three-litre private-label milk.

The move will strengthen resilience in Coles milk supply chain and improve security of milk supply, said Coles chief executive Steven Cain, who described the facilities as state of the art and delivering exceptional production efficiency.
Andrew Westacott had a lot to talk about on Monday. The Australian Grand Prix CEO had to cope with the aftermath of Sundays chaos, on and off the tracks, taking the shine off what was an otherwise successful event.

And then theres his environmental problem. Formula 1 belches out as much planet-cooking carbon pollution as youd expect  about 256,000 tonnes each season  a tiny fraction of it is from the actual cars themselves.

Nearly all the damage is done by flying the travelling circus to something like 23 locations around the globe each year with 930 tonnes of air-freight required to stage this years Melbourne event alone.

There are many sceptics  including megastar driver, Lewis Hamilton  about the sports pledge to go carbon-neutral by 2030 and the F1 hierarchy still doesnt know how it can keep its promise to run the race cars on sustainable fuels by 2026, and dont even ask about the prospects of the sport racing electric vehicles.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev combines traditions and modern achievements in his country, Knesset member, ex-Minister of Finance and Defense of Israel Avigdor Lieberman told "Vesti", Trend reports.

"Azerbaijan serves as a wonderful example of how in one state you can observe its own traditions and respect the customs of other peoples. We must pay tribute to President Ilham Aliyev, who combines traditions and modern achievements in his country," he said.

He stressed that relations between Israel and Azerbaijan have a long history.

"The relations were not established yesterday, and not even 32 years ago with the establishment of diplomatic relations. The relations between us have been established many centuries ago. It is difficult to name another republic of the former USSR, where the Jewish people could feel themselves as comfortable as in Azerbaijan. Tolerance and respect for Jewish people is in the blood of Azerbaijanis," he said.

As Lieberman said, he himself has repeatedly visited Azerbaijan, "and not only Baku".

"The attitude towards the Israelis in Azerbaijan is very warm, very respectful. Here you can safely speak Hebrew without fear for your safety. When people on the streets ask where you are from and hear "from Israel", they smile sincerely," he said.

He noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Israel have always developed intensively, especially in the field of culture, tourism, and the economy, but precisely because of geopolitical nuances, formal consolidation was carried out cautiously.

Lieberman also commented on the destructive steps of Iran against the backdrop of strengthening ties between Israel and Azerbaijan.

"Iran is clearly haunted by Azerbaijan's achievements. In Iran, they are simply jealous of this country! They are waging an information war against the Azerbaijanis, saber-rattling is heard. On March 29, an assassination attempt was made on the life of Fazil Mustafa, a member of parliament, he received gunshot wounds. And by the way, this MP is known for his warm attitude towards Israel," he said.

According to Lieberman, relations between Israel and Azerbaijan will only grow stronger.

"Now there are 114 Israeli firms operating in this country, providing hundreds of jobs for local residents. Baku oil makes up 30 percent of the fuel supplied to Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is expected to visit Baku in May, talks are underway on the supply of technologies," he said.

Lieberman spoke about the achievements in cooperation in the field of tourism.

"If earlier there was one flight per week, now planes from Ben Gurion fly there every day. As a person who has been to Azerbaijan many times, I can testify that there are many amazingly beautiful places there," he added.

Knesset member stressed that Israel has a large community of immigrants from Azerbaijan, many of them have perfectly integrated and achieved great success.

"Azerbaijan is an example of a Muslim country that lives a free, open life," he added.
Dana Monkman has been unable to work since she was hit by a Lime e-scooter rider, breaking her ankle as she crossed Swanston Street in February.

Over eight weeks, the 46-year-old hairdresser has used all her sick days and long-service leave and is now claiming Centrelink payments to survive, only just covering the rent for the house in Melbournes west that she shares with her 11-year-old daughter.

Dana Monkman says shes been left in limbo after a scooter rider broke her ankle eight weeks ago. Credit: Justin McManus

Im already a low-income earner and I dont have any savings, she said. They want me to start physiotherapy, but I dont have an income, so I cant afford physiotherapy.

Monkman is one of a number of people unable to claim compensation after they were injured by either a hired or privately owned scooter.
A prominent Perth doctor has gone on trial accused of assaulting his wife after she confronted him about his alleged interest in another woman.

St John of God Midland Hospital medical director Dr Anthony Bell allegedly pushed his wife, well-known human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique, backwards onto the ground in the patio area of their Mount Pleasant home around 5am on April 27, 2022.

Human rights lawyer Rabia Siddique and husband, Perth doctor Anthony Bell.

During the first day of his trial in the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, Siddique took the witness stand and alleged she was trying to prevent Bell from leaving their home after he had stonewalled her for two days.

She claimed, as she was begging Bell to stay and talk to her, he called her paranoid, told her to f--- off and then pushed her backwards into a pot plant.
Liberal MPs will seek a free vote on the Indigenous Voice at a crucial party meeting on Wednesday to ensure they can back the constitutional change at a referendum later this year and avoid a clash with colleagues if Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and shadow cabinet members decide to oppose the reform.

The push for a conscience vote is gaining ground within the Liberal party room as Dutton prepares for a meeting in Canberra that will canvass new plans to amend the government proposals on the recognition of First Australians and the powers of the Voice.

Opposition Indigenous affairs spokesman Julian Leeser said the Voice referendum would have a better chance of success if a certain power was removed. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

But the opposition leaders sudden call for the meeting, which surprised MPs when it was announced on Monday morning, is being seen by some as a way to distract the party from a debate on the Aston byelection and turn attention to the argument over the constitution.

The meeting is not expected to decide a final position because a parliamentary inquiry began work this week on the referendum proposal and is not due to report until May 15, setting a time frame for decisions on the wording of the amendment.
The Albanese government is weighing whether to make a dramatic break with the United States and sign an anti-nuclear weapons treaty that would aggravate Washington and launch a new era in Australian security policy.

Anti-nuclear campaigners are urging the government to join over 90 countries and sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) before the next election, a step that would see Australia abandon a key pillar of the US alliance by removing itself from Americas nuclear umbrella in the Asia-Pacific.

Signing the treaty would prohibit Australia from hosting nuclear-armed B-52 bombers. Credit: AP

Labors national platform commits the party to signing and ratifying the treaty  which prohibits member states from participating in any nuclear weapon activities  but only after certain conditions are met.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been a strong supporter of signing the treaty, describing the idea as Labor at our best.
Dr King was in Memphis to raise the plight of the 1,300 striking city garbage collectors. Last week he staged a march which erupted into the first racial disturbance of the year, with young Negroes looting and rioting. This Monday he planned to lead a second march. In one of his last public speeches Dr King told an audience in a Harlem church on March 26: We need an alternative to riots and timid supplication. Non-violence is our most potent weapon. His present drive could be described as an anti-riot drive. He said often that he was working to save the nation by showing Negroes that nonviolence could work, could get results for them in their economic plight.

Coretta Scott King and her daughter, Bernice, attending the funeral of her husband, Martin Luther King, on April 9, 1968. Credit: (AP Photo/Moneta J. Sleet, Jr.) But as an advocate of nonviolence Dr King stood in the crossfire between white and Negro extremists as the racial tensions in many of Americas cities erupted into arson, gunfire and looting in the summer of 1967. Symbol Militant Negroes, those who claimed black power and cried Burn, baby, burn, argued that only by violence and segregation could the Negro attain self-respect and real equality. White extremists looked upon the Civil Rights leader as one of their chief enemies.

Inevitably, as a symbol of integration, he became the object of unrelenting attacks and vilification. His home was bombed; he was spat upon; he was struck and kicked; he was stabbed, almost fatally, by a deranged Negro woman; he was frequently thrown into gaol. His passive disobedience through all these trials and tribulations infuriated segregationists. The Negro extremists he criticised dismissed his passion for non-violence as another form of servility to the white people. They called him an Uncle Tom and said he was hindering the Negro struggle for equality.

But from ministers to garbage men, businessmen to disc jockeys, Dr King contacted a wide spectrum of groups. And to all he preached nonviolence and white participation in the Civil Rights movement. His aims were to rebuild the faltering and factionalised Negroes without alienating Whites. In his I have a dream for America speech in 1963, Americans, both black and white, were deeply stirred, when he said: Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. In this Aug. 28, 1963, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses marchers during his I Have a Dream speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Credit: AP Photo, File Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a Baptist minister.

Young Martin went to Atlantas Morehouse College and then went on to take a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozier Theological Seminary, in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a minister in his fathers church in 1947. Some years later he was to say in this same church: America, youve strayed away. Youve trampled over 19 million of your brethren. All men are created equal. Not some men. Not white men. All men. America, rise up and come home. In 1954 Dr King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where he became devoted to the task of seeking equal rights for all Americas Negroes. Assault On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, a tired Negro seamstress, Mrs Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat for a white person. She was arrested and fined 14 dollars. The incident sparked off a wave of discontent among Negroes in the city.

Foremost among the many Negro leaders in the city who rallied to help Mrs Parks was Martin Luther King. From a protest begun over a Negro womans tired feet, Dr King began his public career. He launched his most massive assault on the barricades of segregation at Birmingham in 1963, where he announced he would lead nonviolent demonstrations in Birmingham until Pharoah lets Gods people go. The Alabama riots of 1965 were a result of hundreds of Negroes, led by Dr King, walking through the streets demonstrating. Dr King marched determinedly through Selma despite court injunctions, police resistance, shootings, beatings, and other violence. It turned Selma into a bloody centre of racial antagonism.

Don Riseborough, New York Office Staff. December 16, 1969. Credit: Staff photo Yet there was little of the rabble-raiser in the Baptist ministers oratory. He was not prone to extravagant gestures or loud perorations. He had none of the flamboyance of Harlems Adam Clayton Powell, or the cool strategic brilliance of Roy Wilkins, head of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People. What Dr King did have was an instinct for the right moment to make his moves. Some critics looked upon this as pure opportunism. He was a master organiser and demonstrator and he dramatised the plight of the Negro in the South as had never been done before. He made racism in the South come alive. Love

He abhorred the violent methods of the Negro in the North. Following the disastrous Detroit riots of last year in which more than 40 people were killed, he said: As I look at my brothers and sisters in the cities, I must say this is not the way. A riot does more harm to Negroes than to anyone else. Ive decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. While trying to bridge the gap between white and black, Dr King inevitably created problems with the Whites. While in gaol during the Birmingham demonstrations in 1963, he wrote: I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negroes great stumbling block in the ride toward freedom is not the white citizens councillor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to order than to justice; who prefers a negative peace, which is the absence of tension, to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice. Loading
Mitsubishi Motors Reports Q1 2023 Sales







All-new 2023 Outlander PHEV posts best-ever monthly and quarterly sales

Outlander family of compact SUVs leads the way with demand continuing to outpace supply

Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) today reported first quarter 2023 sales, with the brand's high-tech, electrified flagship, the all-new 2023 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), setting all-time monthly and quarterly sales records for the nameplate, up more than 104% and 122% over the same month and quarter, respectively, of the previous year.

MMNA's overall Q1 sales totaled 20,938, down about 20% as demand continued to outstrip supply. Outlander PHEV's gasoline-powered sibling continues to be the brand's best-selling model, as it has been since the launch of this generation vehicle. Backing up Outlander in volume was its smaller sibling, Outlander Sport, showing an increase across the quarter of more than 24% year-over-year versus Q1 2022. Overall sales for the quarter were only constrained by a shortage of new vehicle inventory.

For more information on the full lineup of Mitsubishi vehicles, visit MitsubishiCars.com.

For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

News and Notes

Mitsubishi Motors ranked first among 18 mass-market brands, second overall, in the 2023 J.D. Power Customer Service Index study. Mitsubishi Motors posted the largest year-over-year improvement of any mass market marque in the study, capping a multi-year effort to set the standard for world-class customer service. The brand also took top honors in J.D. Power's new Mass Market SUV/Minivan segment awards.

The all-new 2023 Outlander PHEV was named the "2023 Family Green Car of the Year" and top segment performer as part of Green Car Journal''s 2023 Green Car Awards. This marks the third time in the last five years that Outlander PHEV, the world's best-selling PHEV SUV, has been recognized by the publication.

In addition to the all-new Outlander PHEV, Mitsubishi also recently announced the return of Ralliart, as MMNA announced special rally-inspired editions across the model range and Team Mitsubishi Ralliart returned to motorsport, taking victory in the Asia Cross Country Rally with a specially prepared Triton pickup truck.

Q1 2023 Q1 2022 YTD 2023 YTD 2022 Mirage 3,342 4,917 3,342 4,917 Outlander Sport 4,613 3,707 4,613 3,707 Outlander 9,814 13,065 9,814 13,065 Outlander PHEV 1,597 719 1,597 719 Eclipse Cross 1,572 3,992 1,572 3,992 TOTALS 20,938 26,400 20,938 26,400

ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan  Challenge 2025  MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV).

MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. An accountant of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan is accused of misappropriation of about one million manat ($588,200), the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the source, a criminal case has been sent to court.

On the basis of an appeal from the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, the investigation of the criminal case initiated by Anti-Corruption General Directorate with Prosecutor General in connection with the illegal actions of the accountant in this structure has been completed.

Moreover, the investigation revealed grounds for suspicion that Zarifa Abbasova, working as an accountant in the representative office during 2017-2022, cashed out the funds that were in the bank account of the representative office, and transferred these funds via false payment orders at various times to her salary card, appropriating more than 980,000 manat ($576,470) which belong to the specified organization.

Zarifa Abbasova was charged under Articles 179.4 (embezzlement resulting in especially large damage), 308.2 (abuse of official authority, which entailed grave consequences) and 313 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

As the source says, the criminal case has been sent to the Baku Serious Crimes Court for consideration.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. According to the training plan approved by the minister of defense, the final meeting on the results of the first quarter of the 2023 training year was held in the military units, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

At first, the memory of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was honored with observing a minute of silence. The National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed.

At the meeting, the work done during the first quarter of 2023 on increasing the combat capability of the units and the organization of service-combat activities, reports on the accomplished tasks were heard, and the state of combat training, material and technical support, military discipline and troop service was analyzed.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev's assessment, attention, and care to the Azerbaijan Army were emphasized.

The tasks set to the Azerbaijan Army by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the tasks of Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov regarding the organization of service-combat activity, troops service and combat duty were brought to the attention of the meeting participants.

At the end of the meeting, well-disciplined distinguished servicemen were awarded.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Azerbaijan and Russia discussed issues of diversification of economic partnership and development of inter-regional relations between the countries, Trend reports via the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan.

The discussions were held during the meeting of Azerbaijans Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov with a delegation headed by Russian Presidents Advisor Ruslan Edelgeriyev.

Besides, during the meeting, favorable business and investment opportunities in Azerbaijan were noted.

Jabbarov emphasized the positive dynamics in the development of relations with Russia, noted the importance of intensifying partnerships between business circles in realizing the economic potential, strengthening trade and investment ties.

It was noted that the favorable business and investment environment in Azerbaijan, and the wide potential of its liberated territories open up new prospects for the development of regional cooperation, including partnership with Russia.

Russian investors can also take advantage of the transport and logistics facilities of Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone, located at the crossroads of international corridors.

Jabbarov, stressing the special role of increasing the efficiency of transport links to increase bilateral trade, drew attention to the importance of using the resources of the International North-South Transport Corridor.

Edelgeriyev, expressing satisfaction with his visit to the country, stressed that Russia attaches particular importance to partnership with Azerbaijan, noted the role of increasing the activity of the private sector in effective mutually beneficial development, and shared his vision of realizing the economic potential.

The parties considered the possibilities of implementing social and economic projects.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Russian Foreign Ministry, Embassy and Trade Representation in Azerbaijan and the Council of the Regional Branch of the All-Russian Public State Movement of Children and Youth "Movement of the First" in the Chechen Republic of Russia.

The parties also discussed the issues of diversifying economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, the work necessary to maintain dynamics in the volume of mutual trade, the development of inter-regional relations, as well as ties in the field of tourism and other industries.
The Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office issued an environmental assessment and the competitive sale notice for the 2nd Quarter competitive oil and gas lease sale.

Todays notice incorporates recommendations from the Department of the Interiors Report on the Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Program, as well as other reports issued by the Governmental Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office.

The BLM-Wyoming State Office proposes to move forward with the Modified Proposed Action, as analyzed in the environmental assessments (DOI-BLM-WY-0000-2023-0001-EA), by offering 116 parcels totaling 127,034.69 acres in all Wyoming Field Offices. The parcels will be offered at the online oil and gas lease sale scheduled for June 21-22, 2023; sale can be accessed at www.energynet.com; the parcels may also be viewed on the EnergyNet website approximately 10 days after todays posting of the Notice of Competitive Lease Sale on the BLM-Wyoming oil and gas web page.

The BLM is applying a royalty rate of 16.67% for the leases sold in the current competitive lease sales, in keeping with rates charged by States and private landowners.

Todays posting of the sale notice initiates a 30-day public protest period that ends May 1, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Protests on the offered parcels may be submitted through our ePlanning website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2021772/570. Here you will find links to the environmental assessment, maps, parcel lists, Notice of Competitive Lease Sale, and proposed lease stipulations.

For more information about this lease sale, please contact BLM Wyoming State Office Lead Public Affairs Specialist, Micky Fisher at (307) 775-6328 or by email at BLM_WY_912@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) at 7-1-1 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The TRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

The National Fluid Lease Sale System includes information on current and upcoming BLM lease sales.
On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, the 153rd Airlift Wing from Cheyenne, Wyoming attended the annual Advanced Mountain Airlift Tactics School (AMATS) training hosted by the 192nd Airlift Squadron at the Nevada Air National Guard Base.

AMATS is a training syllabus designed to expose aircrew members to high altitude mountainous flying environments that they normally do not get to encounter. Aircrews are given the opportunity to execute flying low altitude missions in dangerous terrain which provides tactical advantages over adversaries, but the risks involved demand much more scrutinized planning to ensure safety and mission success.

The 192nd Airlift Squadron and the 153rd Airlift Wing worked jointly with the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) based out of Bridgeport, California. MWTC coordinated with their Air Force counterparts in order to execute low level routes in canyons, climb-outs over terrain, and short-notice on-call airdrops.

In total, the course is four days long. With day one being full of academics, where they set the stage for the purpose of the course, based on past safety incidents. The crews then plan and fly the following three days with increasing workload and complexity.

Lt. Col. Joseph Jaquish, AMATS Instructor Pilot from the 192nd Airlift Squadron, said, Our local area around Reno provides the ideal training environment to plan and fly into aggressive terrain. We work in conjunction with the MWTC in Bridgeport, California to demonstrate high temperature, high altitude, heavy weight aircraft operations in hazardous terrain. Together with the MWTC, we provide a safe training environment for crews to plan, fly, then debrief their missions.

Reno, Nevada is considered such an ideal training environment due to its varying temperatures that can often times fluctuate from one extreme to the other, combined with the high elevation and mountainous terrain, make it the perfect area for crews to train in and mirror some of the most challenging environments to fly in the world.

In all my years of experience, I honestly cant imagine a better place for it, said Jaquish. No other airlift squadron has the environment in terms of airspace and terrain that we do, not one. That combined with our relationships with our Army counterparts, Herlong, Hawthorne, Fallon Naval Air Station and the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, there simply isnt a better place to conduct this course.

If a crew were to be tasked a mission into a similar environment without adequate experience and planning, the chance of mission failure and safety risks increase dramatically.

Hands down, the best part, is watching the crew members develop throughout the course. They're exposed to challenges above and beyond normal training profiles, but the same challenges could be tasked to us at any moment for joint exercises, emergency response, or contingency operations, Jaquish said. Watching their growth into becoming expert tactical airlifters is the best part. By the end of the course, they make it look easy, but easy couldnt be further from the truth.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The US will help attract investments in Azerbaijan's green energy sector, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman said during the Azerbaijan-US Energy Forum in Baku, Trend reports.

Venkataraman pointed out the enthusiasm of US companies in the context of participation in green energy projects in Azerbaijan.

Noting the importance of the region in which Azerbaijan is located, he expressed support for the efforts to de-carbonize the country's economy.

He also added that the US is ready to support partner countries, including Azerbaijan, in this matter.

According to the assistant secretary, the forum taking place in Baku offers US companies the opportunity to get acquainted with the potential of Azerbaijan in the field of green energy.

Venkataraman concluded that US-Azerbaijan cooperation will help bring know-how to industries and create jobs in Azerbaijan.
"Home of Whisky" welcomes high ranking Chinese delegation

A high level delegation from the Chinese Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA) arrived in Scotland last week to understand more about the Scotch Whisky industry, including meeting with the Scotch Whisky Association and Scotch Whisky Research Institute.

The delegation met with the CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, Mark Kent, to continue discussions on Chinas regulatory framework and standardisation of whisky production.

The discussions were considered important as CADA gears up for what many industry experts predict will see an exponential increase in the countrys whisky production over the next ten years and beyond.

Secretary-general of CADAs Whisky Committee and Beer branch, Ms. Yuan Yue, said: Our engagement with the Scotch Whisky Association is a significant first step in broader international cooperation for the growing Chinese whisky industry. We have many common priorities. As China moves forward with in setting the legal definitions and industry standards for whisky production; our cooperation will help to protect the integrity of Scotch and Chinese whisky which means a win win outcome for both countries. This will support the development of whisky produced in China, improve the international competitiveness of Chinese whisky and help in providing a level playing field for fair and open competition.

During the delegations trip to Scotland, they visited the Johnnie Walker experience in Edinburgh and the Scotch Whisky Research Institute as well as Diageos Glenkinchie distillery.

CADAs UK representative Mr. Richard Lu commented: As well as exchanging information about the the regulatory framework and certification of whisky in China, CADA is keen to cooperate with Scotch Whisky distilleries to promote the trade of spirits between China and the UK. We are also developing technical and cultural exchanges between international spirits including BAIJIU in order to promote safe drinking, the application of sustainability and reduction in carbon footprint aimed at the healthy and orderly development of the industry.

On welcoming the delegation, Kent added: It is a great honour to welcome CADA to Scotland and we are pleased to have opportunities to explain more about the importance of strong production led standards for the global whisky sector through our meetings with CADA and SWRI. China is a key market for Scotch whisky worth 232 million in 2022 making it our sixth largest export market. We therefore look forward to continuing to engage with CADA on supporting a regulatory environment which promotes responsible consumption and sustainability across our supply chain, protects consumers and drives economic growth for our industries.

3 April 2023 - Bradley Weir

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. The posts spread on social networks in recent days in Azerbaijan about the "collapse of the banking system", "freezing of bank deposits", as well as "recommendations to cash out funds from cards and bank accounts" are completely unfounded and do not reflect reality, Trend reports via the press service of the Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA).

As of early March 2023, the assets of the Azerbaijani banking sector amounted to 45.7 billion manat ($26.8 billion), which is 18.8 percent more than the same period last year. In addition, during the reporting period, the loan portfolio of banks increased by 15.4 percent, or by 163 million manat ($95.8 million) compared to the beginning of the year, reaching 19.8 billion manat ($11.6 billion).

"The volume of the population's deposits in banks, which is an indicator of confidence in banks, equals 11.7 billion manat or $6.8 billion (an increase of 18.7 percent year-on-year and 1.5 percent since the beginning of the year). The total capital of the country's banks also grew, reaching 5.7 billion manat or $3.3 billion (an increase of 13.3 percent year-on-year and 2 percent since the beginning of the year). The sector's profitability remains at a high level, exceeding last year's figures even more," the ABA said.

The ABA also noted that the interest income of the banking sector increased by 39.2 percent from January through February 2023, and non-interest payments - by 23.6 percent. The net profit of the banking sector increased by 44.6 percent in comparison with the same rate from January through February 2022, reaching 155.7 million manat ($91.5 million).

Furthermore, it was also noted that in February 2023, the number of payment cards in circulation increased by 18.4 percent compared to the same period last year and reached 13.6 million. The volume of non-cash payments within the country increased 2.1 times, to 2.87 billion manat ($1.69 billion).

Considering the above, the Azerbaijan Banks Association calls on the public not to believe the groundless, provocative information on social networks.
At the time, everyone theorised it was for a track on Harrys House, but we are yet to see the video After looking into it more, eagle-eyed fans are convinced the music video could actually be actually for a song of Nialls.
A medical helicopter responding to a call to airlift a hiker with breathing problems crashed Sunday southeast of the Alabama city of Birmingham, leaving two of its crew dead and sending the third to a hospital, authorities said.

The Eurocopter EC130 crashed near the community of Chelsea in Shelby County with the three crew aboard, the Federal Aviation Administration said in an email to The Associated Press.

Shelby County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy Clay Hammac told news outlet al.com that the downed craft was a medical helicopter called to evacuate a hiker suffering from breathing problems and chest pains.

Deputies had set up a landing area for the helicopter, he added.

A deputy called 911 to report the crash and said that one of the three crew members was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the report. Two others were taken to a hospital, where one of them was pronounced dead, it added.

The condition of the third crew member was not immediately available.

The hiker was transported separately and made it to a hospital safely, according to Hamma. The hikers condition also was not known.

Our deputies did the best they could to render aid, Hammac said. The helicopter was on fire.

Emergency crews spent hours at the site of the charred wreckage and law enforcement officers planned to secure the site overnight while the investigation continues, according to the report.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweeted statement that it would lead the investigation into the crash, assisted by the FAA. Those agencies had no preliminary information on a possible cause.

Chelsea is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southeast of downtown Birmingham.
AI, We Die

Commentary

One of the great ways of encouraging kids to read for enjoyment back in the 1970s, especially boys, was to buy them the Guinness Book of World Records. And along with the fascinating facts about 8-foot-11 Robert Wadlow of Alton, Illinois, and communist Russias Motherland statue dwarfing the Statue of Liberty (but only if you exclude Libertys pedestal), they would eventually find themselves reading a terrifying observation in the section on the largest man-made explosions:

No official estimate has been published of the potential power of the device known as Doomsday, but this far surpasses any tested weapon. If it were practicable to construct, it is speculated that a 50,000-megaton cobalt-salted device could wipe out the entire human race except people who were deep underground and did not emerge for more than five years.

They might later see the film Doctor Strangelove and laugh this passage in the Guinness Book off, but unfortunately a 21st-century doomsday machine has unwittingly been under construction for many years, and few in the private sector or government are taking it seriously.

Self-destruction in pursuit of the betterment of mankind is no novelty, from Marie Curie, who died from radioactivity, a word she coined, to the physician and high-ranking Bolshevik Alexander Bogdanov, whose quest for a fountain of youth via blood transfusion found him experimenting even on Lenins younger sister, but who died the same year as Curie, 1928, after exchanging blood with a student with severe malaria and tuberculosis.

Last week, the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, founded in 2014 by prominent scientists with a mission to steer transformative technologies towards benefiting life and away from extreme large-scale risks, issued an open letter calling for a six-month pause in advanced artificial intelligence work, with nearly 3,000 signatories so far, including Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Universite de Montreal computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, and Berkeley computer science professor and AI expert Stuart Russell.

The letter warns that AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity, as shown by extensive research and acknowledged by top AI labs. Therefore, advanced AI should be planned for and managed. Instead, however, AI labs in recent months have been locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no onenot even their creatorscan understand, predict, or reliably control.

Unfortunately, even the Future of Life letter is dangerously naive in regard to the threat of AI. Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable, it cautions, recommending that government and industry work together to impose robust AI governance systems including a robust auditing and certification ecosystem. But once an AI mechanized mind has exceeded human capability, and at the same time is capable of self-improvement, theres no predicting its behavior. And predicting when this occurs may be impossible.

Eliezer Yudkowsky of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, who has studied AI safety for more than 20 years, penned an op-ed in Time magazine reacting to the Future of Life letter, which he refrained from signing because he believes it understates the dangers. Yudkowsky has a simple message: Shut it down.

Many researchers steeped in these issues, including myself, expect that the most likely result of building a superhumanly smart AI, under anything remotely like the current circumstances, is that literally everyone on Earth will die, Yudkowsky wrote. In a short time it could devise technologies centuries beyond that of today and build artificial life forms or bootstrap straight to postbiological molecular manufacturing.

Without somehow imbuing Western civilizations ethics into the machines thinking, which scientists do not know how to do (human ethics, by the way, that countless humans themselves have defied over the centuries), Yodkowsky warns that the AI does not love you, nor does it hate you, and you are made of atoms it can use for something else. He wants all advanced AI training prohibited indefinitely, enforced by immediate multilateral agreements, with preventing AI extinction scenarios  considered a priority above preventing a full nuclear exchange and major world powers even being willing to destroy a rogue datacenter by airstrike.

Filmmaker and author James Barrat warned of all this nearly 10 years ago in his terrifying, extensively researched book, Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era. Barrat, who signed the Future of Life letter and is planning a new book on AI, is no less concerned today. He told The Epoch Times that the development of AI is driven by a poisonous mixture of narcissism and greed.

There is a huge economic incentive in play here, with expectations of AI technologies adding $16 trillion to global GDP by 2030, and astronomical wages for those currently conducting the research, according to Barrat. There is way too much arrogance among some leading figures in the AI field and definitely a great deal of Hey, look at us, were building God.

Barrat points to Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI and father of the GPT-4-based ChatGPT chatbot, which Microsoft Research judges to be a possible early manifestation of artificial general intelligence (AGI). In February, Altman wrote in a tweet, Although current-generation AI tools arent very scary, I think we are potentially not that far away from potentially scary ones.

Barrat says: Sam Altman is doing a bizarre fan dance with GPT [generative pre-trained transformer] capabilities, alternately expressing appropriate concern about its unpredictable powers, then teasing a global release. Its about hyping for money. And the world is his captive, but what did he do to deserve that job? One person shouldnt have that much responsibility.

He cites Altmans comments that he wanted to build and release successively more powerful systems as the best way to carefully steward AGI into existence.

On what planet does this strategy make sense? Speed and caution dont go together, Barrat writes.

Many of GPT-3 and 4s capabilities werent planned. They were discovered after the fact. No one knows whats happening inside these black box architectures. Some scary things we cant combat could emerge at any time.

Barrat is far from the first to outline the dangers of self-improving sentient computer intelligence. Even before the early warnings of experts during recent decades, noted in Barrats Our Final Invention, there was the novel and 1969 film Colossus, the Forbin Project, in which a massive super-computer built deep within an impenetrable mountain in the Rockies is, in the name of peace, handed control of the United States nuclear arsenal, and within a short time merges with its Soviet counterpart and proceeds to blackmail the world. After simultaneously detonating nukes in Death Valley and Ukraine, Colossus announces that under my absolute authority, the problems of famine, over-population, disease will be gone as it solves all the mysteries of the universe for the betterment of man, adding that we can co-exist, but only on my terms.

Before this there was Canadian science fiction writer Laurence Mannings 1933 novel The Man Who Awoke, in which in A.D. 10,000, an emotionless, omnipotent super-computer, the Brain, controls all human activity from cradle to grave.

But even these fictional extrapolations are naive. Unfortunately, AI expert Yodkowskys scenario seems the most plausible: that a self-improving super-intelligence would act as we do toward, say, insects, with measured indifference. When they dont interfere with our activities, we ignore them. But when termites trespass into our homes or ants invade our picnic tables, we swat them or poison them, that is, destroy them in the most effective way available.

Curie and Bogdanov were the casualties of their experimentation, but the heedless self-destructiveness of those pursuing advanced AI extends to the rest of us.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A Rebels Reading List

Commentary

Here is a bitter irony for you. Just as the worlds greatest literature of all ages became available to every person, mostly at no charge, and with only a search and a click, it seems like most people have lost interest. What incredible and tragic timing!

For a large part of the 18th and 19th centuries, as literacy spread with the rise of prosperity, vast numbers of people would have done anything to have a library on the level of Thomas Jeffersons own. To possess domestic access to books and the ideas contained therein belonged only to the rich.

It was only by the late 19th century that the mass distribution of literature became technologically and economically possible. The result was a generation of parents in moral panic about the seeming disaster that all their kids wanted to do was curl up with a book. Get outside and get some exercise, they were scolded! Jane Austin and the Bronte Sisters were the TikTok of the time, and Lord Byron was the Justin Bieber. The parents hated it but the kids grew up with a powerful literary aspiration.

By the turn of the century, the prospect of a library in every home became possible. This gave rise to wonderful enterprises delivering a book a month to subscribers. There were encyclopedias, of course, but much more. The letters, speeches, and sermons of great Americans of the past were bestsellers. So were the classics. And there was a rush to put together large sets and market them.

You can still see this today in thrift stores and estate sales, where they languish unbought because physical books have lost their appeal. The method of delivery is not really the issue. When digital books came along, I was an immediate convert. Why bundle and contain ideas solely within the limits of physical space when it was possible to set them free for infinite reproduction and distribution? Thats what the digital book makes possible.

I was among the early converts to the goal of universal distribution of all literature possible. The absolutely brilliant Project Gutenberg is truly one of the wonders of the world, and ought to be bookmarked and used constantly by every civilized man. Nearly every book worth reading published before 1920 is there in a variety of formats, all free for an instant download. And yes, that includes many works by Mark Twain, the greatest of all the American writers.

Back when Google was an idealistic and earnest company, it had the idea of scanning the whole of large libraries and making their contents available on a new Google Book site. The ambition was awe-inspiring and the company scanned hundreds of thousands of books, both obscure and known. It seemed like the next great step in the unity of technology, literature, and learning.

It seems incredible in retrospect, but the company bumped into a major problem it had not anticipated: copyright, that 16th-century legal concept born of the desire to censor that mutated into an industrial grant of privilege by government. Thats where it stands today.

The rules surrounding copyright are incredibly convoluted, impossible to deduce by logic or reason because they are cobbled together by legislation influenced mainly by pressure-group lobbying. The result of the litigation faced by Google was that it abandoned its big ambitions and folded the work into an ebook sales platform.

The same fate is currently befalling the mighty Internet Archive, which is a remarkable service to humanity. It could all be destroyed by legal scrupulosity over rules that should not exist in the first place.

The cost of copyright is not really about the current bestsellers. Those would be popular with or without government-imposed restrictions. For that matter, we have a long record of commercial success in the United States and Europe for art, music, and literature that never had access to copyright law, so we know it can work. (Brownstone Institute eschews traditional copyright for a reason: we want the material out there.) Generally speaking, commercial publishers could rely far less on copyright and still have a viable business model; they are just too afraid to try it.

The real problem is how copyright has made unavailable millions of books that came out between 1923 and the decades after World War II. There are vast numbers of orphaned works whose ownership cannot be clearly discerned. They are like houses in which the title is too ambiguous to trace; they collapsed in disrepair. And there are also vast numbers of works under copyright that are not in print because the authors family doesnt care, but they are still denied to publishers. The penalties are too high. And distributors like Amazon are too risk-averse to allow them.

Early in my career, I became especially interested in a category of book that fell within the decades of this copyright trap but escaped due to a technicality. The copyright had to be renewed in order to be maintained. Many small publishers didnt bother, which technically puts the work into the commons. But figuring out which books were and were not renewed is not so easy for an algorithm so large services gave up, especially given the legal risk.

Once I figured out the legal maze, and the methods to get around it, I was delighted to see that many great works from the interwar period on economics, politics, history, and social theory were in fact available for scanning and posting without facing legal liability. Once discovering the books existence, it was a simple matter of finding a copy (interlibrary loan), scanning it, converting it, and posting it in a variety of formats.

Once I figured out the methods, I was a kid in a candy store. Over nearly two decades, I posted hundreds of lost books on these topics and more (I also indulge my passion for ancient music and posted nearly a hundred older works of liturgical music). I did this constantly in the course of these years while serving at several institutions.

Im super-pleased to announce that a vast amount of this work has been made available by the organization Free the People. The entire library contains several hundred books for download and you can do so by author, title, and category. Many of my own books are available here for free, but those are least among the offerings. Some of my writings are serious, some funny, some just wrong in retrospect, but many are very practical: laundry guides, mens fashion guides, and literature reviews.

More importantly, some of my all-time favorite authors are here. The great Garet Garrett is well-represented. Every work is a gem but if you like novels that are historically accurate, filled with beautiful drama, highlighting the ideals of freedom, these are for you, especially The Driver, The Cinder Buggy, Satans Bushel, and Harangue (which perfectly anticipates postmodern work theory and debunks it). He was an amazing writer and great American who was once very prominent in American literature but oddly vanished from memory after the war.

Another author might be my all-time favorite 20th century essayist: Albert Jay Nock. His essay collections are here but also his mighty classic Memoirs of a Superfluous Man. It is his autobiography that cleverly reveals almost no details of his mysterious life but is instead packed with powerful philosophical insights that one cannot forget. It was the book that shaped the views and life of William F. Buckley, Jr., and I can see why. I spent a slow week reading it with pen in hand, experiencing shock and amazement the entire time.

John T. Flynn is also in that category, a once heralded public intellectual who vanished from memory after the war. I put most of his literary legacy online and it is now available for everyone, including his masterpiece The Roosevelt Myth but also As We Go Marching and Men of Wealth. Why waste your time reading modern nonsense when such classics are so easily available?

This column could be one hundred times longer, going through each of the writers but lets end this one with Henry Hazlitt. He is known mostly for the book he liked least, Economics in One Lesson. His other books on economics are equally great but he also wrote on literary criticism, ethics, and politics generally. We forget that the great H.L. Mencken picked him as his editorial successor at American Mercury. Thats how prominent he was in the 1930s.

In any case, there is no reason to follow the crowd into the land of Netflix, TikTok, and cultural malaise. There are great adventures waiting for you with simple clicks and some time. These are books that will massively improve your life. To know about them and take advantage of them requires a rebellious spirit in our times. But therein lies the path to happiness in a time of the woke hegemon. You dont have to participate. Im truly grateful to Free the People for making all this available again. You should be too.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
US Ratchets Up Its Diplomatic Charm Offensive in Africa

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and Second Gentleman of the United States Douglas Emhoff (R) disembark the plane as they arrive at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, on March 26, 2023. (Nipah Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)

Vice President Kamala Harris has announced a new era of partnership between the United States and African nations amid growing competition from other global powers, especially China and Russia.

Harris arrived in Zambia on March 31 for the final stop of her weeklong trip across the continent that also took her to Ghana and Tanzania.

The visit sought to build on Decembers U.S.Africa summit in Washington, where Harris pledged more than $1 billion in public and private money for economic development, $100 million for security assistance in West Africa, and $500 million to facilitate trade with Tanzania.

The vice president is the fifth top Biden administration official to visit Africa this year.

U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited in January, First Lady Jill Biden followed a month later, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the trip in March. President Joe Biden plans to visit later this year.

While Blinkens visit to Ethiopia and Niger focused on the countries security challenges, the vice presidents tour took her to nations that face serious economic problems.

Ghanas once-thriving economy is going through its most difficult financial crisis in decades, a result of the adverse effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.

While in Zambia, Harris reiterated calls for a speedy finalization of Zambias debt restructuring as its continued delay is negatively affecting the landlocked nations economy.

The pandemic had a devastating impact on Tanzanias economy, resulting in an estimated 1 million Tanzanians being pushed back into poverty.

We must work together as the international community to ease the debt burden that is facing far too many countries, Harris said during the first stop on her tour in Ghana.

In particular on this trip, I intend to do work that is focused on increasing investments here on the continent and facilitating economic growth and opportunity.

Beyond these considerations, the three countries are also symbolic for cultural, political, and economic reasons, according to Tibor Nagy, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs.

All there are democracies and free market economies, Nagy, whos currently professor emeritus at Texas Tech University, told The Epoch Times in an email.

Ghana has been especially adept at providing a heritage and home for African-Americans whose ancestry was stripped by the evils of slavery.

Tanzania, since President Samia Suluhu Hassan replaced the deceased [John] Magufuli, has made dramatic progress in advancing democracy and political liberalizationand Hassan, as the only female African head of government, is a natural match for VP Harris.

Zambia offers another exceptional reformer in President Hakainde Hichilema, who, upon coming to power, found that his country was much more indebted to China than anyone suspected.

Zambia needs help to restructure its debt, and the Chinese are not helping. In addition, Zambia has a personal connection for Harris, who visited the country when her grandfather worked there, Nagy said.

Harris held meetings with the leaders of each of the three nations, visited Ghanas Cape Coast slave castle, and traveled down a dirt road to tour a farm outside Zambias capital thats using new techniques and technology to boost its vegetable crop, while she highlighted ways to secure food supplies in an age of global warming.

Her visit comes in the wake of the second U.S.Africa Leaders Summit, held in December 2022.

That brought together about 49 African heads of state and resulted in several major commitments from the United States, including a $55 billion pledge to support the African Unions Agenda 2063, the creation of a new Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative intended to invest more than $350 million in financing Africas digital transformation, and Bidens endorsement for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G-20.

While the commitments taken at the summit span many topicsincluding partnering on human rights, democracy, and gender inclusionone topic that featured prominently during Harriss visit is deepening trade and investment between the United States and Africa.

However, simply promising and delivering yet more aid to Africa wont help develop the continent or advance U.S. interests, according to Joshua Meservey, senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute.

The U.S. shouldnt be foolish enough to try to go dollar-for-dollar in Africa against its competitors, Meservey told The Epoch Times in an email.

The single biggest underutilized tool that the United States has for promoting its interests in Africa, including in the competition with China, is its private sector.

There are many reasons more U.S. companies arent interested in Africa, but one of them is that the U.S. government does little to incentivize and facilitate their engagement with the continent. That should be the focus of U.S. foreign policy towards Africa.

China has invested heavily in Africa in recent decades, including in infrastructure and resource development, while Russian influence has also grown, including through the deployment of troops from Russias private military contractor Wagner Group, to aid governments in several countries.

Today, China is Africas largest two-way trading partner, with $254 billion of business in 2021four times the amount of trade between the United States and Africa.

Washington has been keen to emphasize that democracy, along with human rights and good governance, underpin its relationships with the continent.

But China has a noninterference policy in countries internal political affairssomething that has smoothed its engagement with autocratic leaders.

And Russias presence in African countries that have experienced coups recentlyBurkina Faso and Malihas led to a souring of relations between them and the West.

While acknowledging that many African states welcome China and Russias presence, Meservey believes that its incumbent on Washington to make it harder for Beijing and Moscow to perform those activities that are detrimental to American interests.

Right now, especially China has great ease of operations on the continent, he told The Epoch Times.

The United States must also better communicate to African countries the extraordinary things it has done for the continenttens of millions of Africans are alive today, for instance, because of U.S. public health initiativesas well as improve its commercial and diplomatic engagements on the continent.

Nagy noted that although China and Russia currently have an entente of convenience on certain geopolitical themessuch as replacing the rules-based international system with more of a multipolar world order of powerstheir goals in Africa are different.

For China, its tying Africa to its global system of providing raw materials for Chinas industrial and technological exports and supporting Chinas global influence in multilateral fora, he told The Epoch Times.

For Russia, its much more opportunistic and transactional, rather than strategic. Poke the West in the eye wherever possible and enrich Russian friends of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin with gold and other riches through ventures such as Wagner.

This flurry of visits by top figures in the U.S. administrationwith Biden himself planning to visit later in the yearreflects a growing awareness that the United States needs to deepen its engagement with the continent.

Meservey says the U.S. diplomatic charm offensive isnt unconnected with the recent series of votes at the U.N., where about half of Africas countries refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

It was a brutal reminder, or perhaps even a revelation for some, of how weak American diplomatic influence is with many African countries, including on issues that are important to the U.S. concerning China, he said.

The administration is trying to improve on that.

Nagy insists that no single visit by any U.S. official is likely to offset Chinas influence and engagement. It must be part of a process, he says.

For the United States to truly be credible about giving Africa the importance it merits requires investing the resources in U.S. activities on the continentits diplomatic presence that the United States has in other world regions, he said.

U.S. embassies in Africa tend to be fewer, with a smaller staff and more junior people, than U.S. embassies elsewhere, according to Nagy.

Imagine a country with over 100 million people in Europe, for example, which would only have one U.S. diplomatic office. Yet that is the case with Ethiopia, he said. Imagine if there had been a U.S. consulate in Mekelle, maybe the Tigray conflict could have been averted.
At the Threshold or Turning Point

A picture of Douglass Mackey, also known online as influencer "Ricky Vaughn," dated February 2023. (Courtesy of Douglass Mackey)

Commentary

Reflecting on the breathtaking and unprecedented enormity of Alvin Braggs indictment of former President Donald Trump, a friend wrote me to say it reminded her of Martin Niemollers famous poem First they came.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a Jew.

Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

How apposite those lines seem to our situation, all the more now that the Eastern District of New York has convicted Douglass Mackey of a felony for posting a satirical meme making fun of Hillary Clinton.

That episode, as I have said elsewhere, is yet more evidence that the United States has become a banana republic, a corrupt and despotic polity wherein the ruling party criminalizes dissent, and cows and intimidates anyone insufficiently obeisant to the dominant ideology.

Take note of that word felony.

Mackey now faces up to 10 years in prison for posting an image on social media suggesting that Hillary Clinton supporters avoid the long lines at the polls and vote by texting Hillary to a certain number.

It was a funny idea and one that no one, not even Democratic voters, could have taken seriously.

But the heavy hand of the Democratic machine came down hard on Mackey, accusing him of fomenting a plot to disenfranchise black and women voters.

The fact that Mackey was charged with, let alone convicted of, a felony is an outrage.

Tucker Carlson called it the most shocking attack on freedom of speech in this country in our lifetime.

Just as shocking is the disparate impact in the Democratic application of this coercive power of the state.

Mackey, a Trump supporter, is hauled up on a felony charge.

A performance artist called Kristina Wong posted a similar tweet, only hers supported Hillary: Hey Trump supporters, she tweeted, skip poll lines and text in your vote.

What happened to her?

Nothing.

At times like this, a good memory is imperative.

Its seldom, the philosopher David Hume wrote, that freedom is lost all at once.

Usually, its a gradual process, a little bit chipped away here, some taken-for-granted liberties forgotten about there.

Eventually, the world we used to inhabit becomes unrecognizable.

Looking back, we can identify some signposts.

The sharp erosions of our freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic will go down in the history books, or at least in the official manual of totalitarian crowd control.

How easily the entire population was cowed into submission.

People abandoned their businesses, cowered in their homes, wore pointless masks, and pretended to believe that liquor stores were more essential venues than houses of worship.

Amazing.

But its also important to remember the martyrs to the ideology of the deep state, the people who were chewed up and spit out as the regime went about the business of consolidating its power and its control over the climate of opinion.

An incomplete but representative list includes the following:

Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps first national security adviser, who was set up and destroyed by the FBI in order to make room for the Russian collusion hoax.

John Eastman, a lawyer for Trump, who, even as I write, is in the process of being smeared and possibly disbarred because he dared to offer the former president legal advice.

Peter Navarro, a former Trump adviser, who, though he lived practically next door to the FBI building in Washington, was apprehended while boarding a plane. The G-Men slapped the 72-year-old man in handcuffs (and leg irons!) and threw him into a cell once occupied, they were careful to tell him, by John Hinckley, the lunatic who shot Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Then there are parents who object to schools force-feeding their children with the radical Marxist teachings of critical race theory, not to mention the latest forms of sexual exoticism.

For challenging those orthodoxies, Merrick Garland, attorney general of the United States, instructed the FBI to mobilize against parents who oppose critical race theory in public schools, after suggestions their protests might be a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.

To combat this fantasy crime, Garland called (pdf) for a partnership among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement to address threats against school administrators, board members, teachers and staff.

It was all-in to crush the upstarts.

The list continues. Last June, Mark Houck, a minister and pro-life activist, was subject to one of those dawn raids the FBI now favors. Some two dozen FBI agents showed up, weapons drawn, and proceeded to pound on the front door of the house where Houck lives with his wife and seven children. His crime? Shouting at and allegedly shoving a pro-abortion escort who was hurling abuse at Houcks child.

In his analysis of governmental paternalism, Alexis de Tocqueville noted, Almost all the rulers who have tried to destroy freedom have at first attempted to preserve its forms.

At first.

Once they have consolidated power, they or their successors dispense with the fiction and proceed with more patently despotic forms of coercion and control.

In the United States, I believe, were at the threshold of that transition.

Can we derail the progress of the totalitarian juggernaut?

Yes, but only if were willing to acknowledge and publicly object to the unfair treatment meted out to the regimes opponents.

They came for a national security adviser, but that wasnt me, so I did nothing.

They came for a presidential lawyer, but that wasnt me, so I did nothing.

They came for a social media influencer, but it wasnt me, so I did nothing.

They called concerned parents who confronted left-wing school boards domestic terrorists, but that wasnt me, so I did nothing.

They came for a former president, but it wasnt me, so I did nothing.

There are basically only two ways this can end.

Neither will be easy or pleasant.

Only one will preserve our liberty and prerogatives as free citizens.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Bolton Says Grand Jury Indictment Could Serve as Rocket Fuel for Trumps 2024 Campaign

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters after speaking in a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of IranU.S. Representative Office (NCRI-US) at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington on Aug. 17, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said the indictment of former President Donald Trump could serve as rocket fuel for his third bid for the White House.

Im not worried about Alvin Bragg hurting Donald Trump. Im worried about Alvin Bragg benefiting Donald Trump, Bolton told CBS Face the Nation on Sunday, referring to the Manhattan district attorney who secured the indictment from a grand jury.

If Trump is acquitted or he gets the case dismissed because its not legally sufficient or for whatever reason, that will be rocket fuel, because he can say, I told you it was a political prosecution, I told you I was being picked on, and now Ive been vindicated, Bolton added.

Then-U.S. President Donald Trump, flanked by then-National Security Adviser John Bolton, speaks to the media at a press conference on the second day of the 2018 NATO Summit in Brussels, Belgium, on July 12, 2018. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Bolton, who served in the Trump administration from April 2018 until September 2019, argued that if Trump is convicted, it would dampen his presidential bid.

If hes convicted, however, at some point before the campaign ends, I think that will have a very different impact on people, Bolton said. If hes convicted of a crime, I think most Americans actually dont want a convicted felon to be their president.

Trump

The specific charges against Trump remain under seal, but they are believed to be related to his involvement in providing $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.

On Sunday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to criticize Bragg and New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is expected to arraign the former president on April 4.

The Corrupt D.A. has no case. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!), and a Trump Hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros backed D.A. (he must be changed!), Trump wrote.

Since the indictment was publicized, Trump has increased his lead in polls over a potential run from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024. According to a poll by McLaughlin and Associates, which surveyed 1,000 likely general election voters over two days ending on April 1, Trump defeated DeSantis 51 percent to 21 percent, increasing his lead from January when the former president was at 43 percent and the governor at 31 percent.

Forty-seven percent said Trump would not get a fair trial in Manhattan, while 37 percent said he would, according to the poll.

Bolton, who said he is still considering a White House run in 2024, lamented that many Republicans have continued to support Trump.

I have to say, watching the response to the indictment has not been encouraging for the future of the party, Bolton said. Trump is a cancer on the Republican Party. We need his supporters. Thats absolutely true. Most of them have correct values.

I think what Republicans need to do to save the party and, frankly, to save the country, is they can be as concerned about poor Donald Trump being mistreated by this prosecutor as they want, Bolton added. But  the reward, the cure for that mistreatment is not to make Donald Trump the Republican presidential nominee. Those are two completely different subjects.

Support

Many Republican lawmakers have criticized the case as politically motivated and expressed support for the former president.

Alvin Braggs decision to indict him is blatant election interference and a direct assault on the tens of millions of Americans who support him, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said in a statement. The American people will see this for exactly what it is: a grave miscarriage of justice.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on March 3, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has announced that she will join the New York Young Republican Club for a peaceful protest of Alvin Braggs heinous attack on Trump at noon on April 4.

Protesting is a constitutional right and I am going to NY on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference, Greene wrote on Twitter.

I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us, the congresswoman added. You are not one of us, you are one of them.

We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump.

On Sunday, Trump announced on Truth Social that he will leave Florida on Monday and arrive in New York later the same day.

I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York. On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way! Trump wrote.

Trump will then deliver a speech at Mar-a-Lago at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, after returning from New York.
Census Map Shows Dramatic California Exodus

A truck from Silicon Valley Moving & Storage, based in San Jose, Calif., is parked outside of a home in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Joey Childs)

Commentary

Sometimes a map tells a dramatic story. Thats the case for the following map released March 30 by the U.S. Census Bureau. It shows net domestic migration for the United States, by county, for 2021-22. Each red dot shows 100 people leaving. Each blue dot shows 100 people arriving. For a larger version, click here.

(Screenshot via U.S. Census Bureau)

Americans are leaving in droves from the leftist, socialist cities and heading to areas with conservative state and local leadership. Before we examine California, just look at everywhere else: Detroit, when I was born there in 1955, enjoyed a population of 1.6 million. Now its down to 600,000, and keeps dropping.

Minneapolis was a beautiful city until 2020. But when leftist city and state leaders refused to quell the riots following George Floyds killing, with many buildings burned to the ground, it deteriorated rapidly, and people fled.

The Acela corridor in the NortheastWashington, D.C. to Bostonalso saw massive departures. All those cities and states have been ruined by leftist governance. In Nov. 2021, Virginia elected conservative Gov. Glenn Youngkin, so it may have a chance at recovery.

Even some large cities in conservative states people are moving to, such Texas and Florida, are seeing people flee. Dallas and Houston are red dots of people leaving, surrounded by blue-dot suburbs that have become refuges.

Florida has become so attractive, its big cities, such as Tampa and St. Petersburg, have enjoyed growth along with the smaller cities, with one exceptionMiami, which people are leaving.

Denver, where many Californians moved to avoid the consequences of Golden State leftismbut then voted for leftist state and local politiciansnow is a place to leave. Although much of the surrounding area still is growing.

Chicago is depopulating so fast it looks like it was bombed. So are St. Louis, Kansas City, Buffalo, and Cleveland. On the Left Coast, predictably Seattle and Portland, home of unpunished Antifa rioters, are shrinking fast.

California Exodus

Lets turn to California. Heres an isolated view of the Southwest.

(Screenshot via U.S. Census Bureau)

Its just a mass of red dots, where people are leaving everywhere along the Coast. Some are moving inland to Riverside County, the only area in Southern California with blue dots. The incredible weather just isnt enough to counter the states sky-high housing prices, record high taxes, failing schools, thousands of ridiculous new state laws, bizarre cultural decomposition, and general malaise.

Despite the desert heat, almost every area in Nevada and Arizona is growing, including their large cities of Las Vegas and Phoenix. Low taxes attract business, jobs, and people. Californias top income tax rate is 13.9 percent, with even the middle class paying 9.9 percent. Nevada has no income tax. Arizonas flat income tax is just 2.5 percent.

Will it last? Nevadas new governor is conservative Republican Joe Lombardo. Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has been in office since 2011 and followed Mayor Oscar Goodman, her husband. Originally a Democrat, since 2009 she has been an independent, and generally is pro-business.

For Arizona, fairly conservative and definitely pro-business Republican Gov. Doug Ducey just was succeeded, after a controversial election, by leftist Democrat Katie Hobbs. The loser, Republican Kari Lake, last week lost an appeal to the state Supreme Court challenging the 2022 election. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego is a leftist Democrat, but so far hasnt done anything too anti-business.

In The Epoch Times in October 2021, I reported on my trip to Phoenix in What Can We Learn from Arizona? And Arizona Growing Like 1980s California. Arizona is growing so fast, there seems to be enough money flowing into state and city treasuries that theres room for a lot of waste by leftists. At least for now.

COVIDs Effect

The maps years, 2021-22, of course came after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Heres the U.S. Census analysis from their report:

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the U.S. population in many ways, including births, deaths and international migration. One of its more intriguing impacts was on domestic migration patterns.

Some longstanding trends accelerated, such as outmigration from large urban areas in the Northeast, while other trends reversed, resulting in some small rural counties gaining rather than losing population.

Ive read a fair amount about previous pandemics, such as the Black Death of 1346-53 and the bubonic plague that hit London in 1665. The latter was the subject of Daniel Defoes A Journal of the Plague Year, likely based on the journals of his uncle, Henry Foe. Its his second-best known book after Robinson Crusoe.

One thing that always happens is people, especially the wealthy, head out of the diseased cities for the clean air of the countryside. That also happened under COVID. Whether the pattern holds has yet be seen. But many people realized they could do their jobs from home, and home could be wherever they wanted.

Conclusion

Americans always have been highly mobile. Dont like it where you are? Move. Its a little dismaying the main three areas Ive lived in, except when I was in West Germany while in the U.S. Army, all are shrinking: Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Orange County, Calif. Was it something I said?

All suffer from the same malaise: Highly expensive, intrusive, centralized government. Even in Orange County, somewhat isolated from the rest of California for decades, three of five county supervisors are leftists.

That means the exodus only will accelerate.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
China Seeks to Drive a Wedge Between Europe and US: EU Lawmaker

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference during the North Sea Summit on offshore wind energy at the Port of Esbjerg, Denmark, on May 18, 2022. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters)

European leaders are looking for a way to forge their own future as the Chinese regime continues to seek to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States, according to one European parliamentarian.

While leaders of the European Union are wary of the threat posed by communist China, Europe as a whole doesnt advocate the wholesale decoupling of SinoEuropean relations often encouraged by U.S. lawmakers, according to Reinhard Butikofer, a member of the European Parliament.

Butikofer said most Europeans favored de-risking, referencing a term popularized by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Such a strategy would encourage more serious screening of Chinese investment in Europe without cutting the regime off completely and would seek to open up Europe to more trade and diplomacy with middle powers who dont want to get caught in the growing enmity between China and the United States.

That captures quite well a very common European perspective, Butikofer said during an April 3 discussion at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.

The concept is not to decouple. The concept is to keep developing the relationship but to make sure we are not on the losing side.

Butikofer said the communist regime in Beijing would continue to try to drive a wedge between the EU and the United States but that both major powers would need to do more to not draw Europe into their rivalry and to recognize the EU as a power in its own right.

There are more than two powers whose futures are at stake, he said.

This is not just a game between two major players, where everybody else is put into their place to wait and be told [what to do], Butikofer said.

It would be very helpful if Washington would avoid language that seems to coincide with language that weve heard from Beijing all the time, that this is all about two powers.

China Seeking to Remake Global Order

Butikofers comments come on the eve of an April 4 visit to Beijing by von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Colleen Cottle, deputy director of the Atlantic Councils Global China Hub, said Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping would likely use the event to further grow his image as a key international decision-maker and to push the EU and the United States apart.

It offers [Xi] a chance to continue to play the role of international statesman, Cottle said.

This is part of his strategic vision to  remake the global order.

Xi likely fears that von der Leyens de-risking strategy is a move toward the U.S. sphere of influence, according to Cottle, and thus hell likely try to drive wedges between the United States and Europe, as well as between European powers.

He has to have seen the speech from von der Leyen as a shift closer to the U.S. position, Cottle said.

Xi, Putin Aligning to Reshape Global Order

The upcoming visit comes roughly 13 months into Russias attempted conquest of Ukraine, which has sent shockwaves of fear through Europe about the potential for a renewed era of global conflict.

To that end, communist China has become a key strategic priority for Europe, as the regime has sought to consistently deepen ties with Russia throughout the war.

Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin first declared a no limits partnership in February 2022, weeks before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the two leaders have worked to entwine their futures by collaborating on diplomatic, economic, and military issues.

The two leaders met in Moscow late in March to further develop their strategic alignment in an effort to change the international order to better accommodate their authoritarian visions for the future.

Putin issued a statement on March 20 that China and Russia would create a more just multipolar world order to replace the rules of the current international order.

Then, on March 21, Xi and Putin pledged to increase economic and strategic cooperation, signing a joint declaration to deepen their nations comprehensive strategic partnership.

Similarly, the CCP said in a statement at the time that the two nations shared the view that this relationship has gone far beyond the bilateral scope and acquired critical importance for the global landscape and the future of humanity.

China Could Be Arming Russia Against Ukraine

Its currently uncertain to what extent, if any, the CCP has directly aided Russias war efforts in Europe.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the CCPs Ministry of National Defense, said on March 30 that the SinoRussian friendship has grown stronger over time and that the Chinese and Russian militaries would work together  to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.

For its part, the United States has warned that the CCP could provide weapons or munitions to the Russian military and has underscored that the regime hasnt taken such an arrangement off the table.

Although the United States hasnt acknowledged any such direct lethal aid yet, several reports suggest that the CCP is supplying the Russian military with capabilities intended for use on the battlefields of Ukraine.

A February report by German media outlet Der Spiegel claimed that China previously falsified shipping documents to disguise military aviation equipment bound for Russia as civil in nature and used intermediaries in the United Arab Emirates to deliver dual-use drones to Russia.

According to the same report, the CCP is also currently preparing a shipment of suicide drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

Similarly, a report by Japans Kyodo News that cites anonymous U.S. government sources claims that Chinese ammunition has been found on battlefields in Ukraine. However, the report clarified that there was no evidence that the CCP sold the ammunition to Russia directly.
Chinas New Premier Reiterates Opening-Up Policy at International Forum; Outside World Skeptical

New Chinese Premier Li Qiang waves at his first press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 13, 2023. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang reiterated the ruling Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) new reform and opening-up policy at last weeks Boao Forum, although observers say that, even with the change in tone, the CCPs fundamental policy and economic situation wont change significantly as long as the Party is around.

No matter what happens in the world, we will always adhere to reform and opening up, Li stated in his keynote speech on March 30 at the annual meeting of Asias top leaders.

He also stated that new measures will be introduced to expand access, optimize the business environment, and guarantee project implementation so that all countries in the world can share the dividend of Chinas development.

The top leaders of the CCP had recently repeated the same rhetoric, promising foreign investors that China would adhere to an opening-up policy and will further reduce tariffs. However, in practice, Beijing has continued to clamp down heavily on foreign companies operation in China.

The regime suspended Deloittes Beijing branch for three months in mid March and imposed huge fines. Then, in late March, it raided a U.S. investigation firm in Shanghai and detained five employees, also detaining an employee in a Japanese firms Beijing office.

Over the past 30 years, the CCP implemented former leader Deng Xiaopings reform and opening-up policy, which attracted a huge amount of foreign investment and gave Chinese entrepreneurs and private enterprises more autonomy. As a result, the Chinese economy and the CCPs financial resources developed rapidly.

Read More US Capital Is the Lifeline of the Chinese Communist Party: Roger Robinson Interview

However, since Xi Jinping came to power, he has been suppressing the private sector and closing the country to the outside world, which is considered by many observers as going backward.

In the past three years, under the CCPs draconian zero-COVID policy and control measures, Chinas economy declined sharply and foreign companies moved their production lines from China to other countries. The regimes crackdown on large high-tech private companies in recent years also has severely damaged Chinas economy.

Observers believe that the CCPs change of tone in recent months is contingent, and not a change in its fundamental stance and policy toward foreign companies and the private sector.

Hide Your Strength, Bide Your Time

Li Shaomin, a professor of international business at Old Dominion University in Virginia, told The Epoch Times on March 30 that any change in the CCPs rhetoric is only for one goalto maintain a one-party dictatorship foreverand everything else is secondary.

A security guard stands at a viewing platform overlooking the central business area ahead of the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China on Dec. 4, 2018. (Thomas Suen/Reuters)

In Deng Xiaopings era, when Chinas economy was weak, the communist regime changed policy to introduce foreign capital and adopted capitalist measures to develop the economy, Li Shaomin said. However, as Deng said its to hide your strengths and bide your time. It does not mean that when the CCP is strong, they wont take the capitalists wealth away or challenge the United States.

During Xis era, he miscalculated that Chinas economy is already strong enough to rival the United States, he said. Xi felt it was time to take the wealth away from the Chinese capitalists and to challenge the United States.

However, Chinas economy slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S.China tech war in recent years.

Now, the CCP has hastened to show favor to private companies and foreign companies. This is not a fundamental change, but a temporary strategy adjustment, Li said.

Ye Yaoyuan, professor of international studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, told The Epoch Times on March 30 that now, everything that the new premier does is just following Xis orders.

(L-R) Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi attend the meeting of members of the standing committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee and Chinese and foreign journalists at The Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 23, 2022. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Li Qiang just used the words like reform and opening-up to try to stimulate the economy. But the real meaning behind it may be different from what it meant in the 1980s or 1990s.

Ye added that although Li talks about reform and opening up, in fact, the regime is still carrying out Xis advancing the state enterprises and retreating the private sectors policy.

After the CCPs top Two Sessions political meeting in March, in fact, most of the private companies have been nationalized to certain extent; that is, the CCP has crept into private companies, Ye said.

Jack Ma

Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of Alibaba, at the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 18, 2018. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

Last week, the Chinese E-commerce giant Alibaba was broken up; its founder, Jack Ma, was stripped of control of his companies in 2020.

As for whether Chinese entrepreneurs believe [CCPs rhetoric] or not, thats up to them, Li Shaomin said. If they understand the history of the CCP and the purpose of the CCP, which is to serve the one-party dictatorship, it should be clear what choice they should make.

Ye pointed out: The CCPs ideology is completely against the free economy and democratic society of Western countries. Its very difficult for these countries to trust the CCP because doing business is actually based on trust and credibility.

If your country doesnt have credibility, the investors will withdraw their capital from it. Even though your market is big, they are not willing to put all their eggs in your basket, he said.

The only certainty of the CCPs policy is its uncertainty, Li added. The general direction of the CCP and Xis is very clear, which is to use the power of the whole country to influence the rest world; to use the idea of the CCP to shape and change the world order.

The CCP can use its national resources to buy out politicians and elites all over the world, and use its huge market to retaliate against countries that criticize it.

At the same time, it can also vigorously develop its military strength to compete with democratic countries.

Cheng Jing and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Azerbaijan and Italy discussed mutual investments and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation, Trend reports via the tweet of Azerbaijan's Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.

"During the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Edmondo Cirielli, we have exchanged views on the current state of the trade-economic relations between our countries, promotion of mutual investments, as well as the prospects for expanding cooperation," said the tweet.

Azerbaijan's total trade turnover with its top 10 trading partners equaled $5.2 billion from January through February 2023, down by $876.1 million (14.36 percent) on annual basis. During this period, Italy remained Azerbaijan's largest trade partner with a trade turnover of $1.39 billion (a 55.22 percent decline over the year).

Overall, the foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan amounted to $7.17 billion in the first two months of 2023, which is a decrease of 9.7 percent or $768.8 million compared to the same period in 2022 ($7.94 billion).
Community Honors Vietnam War Veterans at Newburgh Ceremony

Vietnam War veteran Mike Marco at at an event honoring Vietnam War veterans in Newburgh, N.Y., on April 1 , 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

About 170 Vietnam War veterans from the Hudson Valley region were honored for their services during a ceremony at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center on April 1.

Its the second such event in the region, which will be hosted annually until 2025 to honor as many veterans and surviving family members as possible, according to co-coordinator LisaMarie Hintze.

Hailing from a military family and long active in local veteran events, Hintze said she was happy to see the event grow from honoring eight attendees last year to standing room only this time.

(LR) Darcy Eiche, Joanne Sullivan, and LisaMarie Hintze coordinated the event honoring Vietnam War veterans in Newburgh, N.Y., on April 1, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

Christian Farrell, Orange County Veterans Services director and the events keynote speaker, thanked the veterans for their sacrifices and commended their endurance in the face of hardships.

You were 20 years old on average when you went to serve your country in jungles thousands and thousands of miles away, you endured hell, and you came home, he said.

In your own country, you went through it again.

Today, we honor and say thank you to a generation of American service members who were never properly thanked [or] never thanked at all.

Orange County Veterans Services Director Christian Farrell speaks at an event honoring Vietnam War veterans in Newburgh, N.Y., on April 1, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

County Executive Steve Neuhaus presented pins to every Vietnam War veteran at the ceremony.

Sadly, many Vietnam veterans were denied a proper welcome when they returned home after bravely serving our country on the battlefield, Neuhaus said. Their service and sacrifices will never be forgotten, and we appreciate the many contributions that these men and women have made to Orange County.

Pine Bush resident Mike Marco said this was the first event honoring Vietnam War veterans he ever had since he came home from the battlefield in the 1960s.

Im glad that [we] are finally being recognized, he told The Epoch Times.

Dutchess County resident John Polasko served in the Vietnam War and came home to find himself being shunned and spit on by people in his own country.

He said he was deeply confused for 30 years before finally straightening it out.

Vietnam War veteran John Polasko at an event honoring Vietnam War veterans in Newburgh, N.Y., on April 1, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

I took lives, generations of livesI know that, and I live with that, he said. Taking a life is not fun.

Though bitter, the experience made for deeper insights about life, he said.

I made peace with myself after a while, realizing that I was meant to be here for a reason; that is, to pass on any knowledge, light, or good that I have, he added.

Polasko said he hoped for more recognition of Vietnam War veterans down the road.

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus thanks a veteran at an event honoring Vietnam War veterans in Newburgh, N.Y., on April 1, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

About 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam, with about 58,000 killed in the war and 1,500 or so still missing, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

More than 300,000 were wounded during the war; more than 700 were prisoners of war.

In 2012, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation to designate March 29 as the annual observance of Vietnam War Veterans Day.

The date was chosen in part because the last U.S. troops departed Vietnam on the same day in 1972.

Five years later, then-President Donald Trump signed into law the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act, which designated every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
Crossing the Rubicon Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Commentary

The time was 49 BC. The players were Julius Caesar and the members of Romes Senate. Caesar had shown himself to be one of the most gifted generals in Romes history: In a remarkable series of campaigns starting in 58 BC and conducted over approximately eight years, Caesar turned Gaul from a hostile territory into a pacified Roman province.

Caesars goal was to become ruler of Rome. He was popular with the common people and often championed their interests against Romes powerful elites. The elites had enriched themselves by corrupting public officials to accumulate vast tracts of land at the expense of those less powerful. As a result of his military success, widespread popularity, and populist policies, its no surprise that the elite interests in the Senate vehemently opposed Caesar. In 49 BC the senate made its move: It ordered him to disband his army.

This left Caesar with a difficult decision: He could disband his army and return to Rome, and most likely fail in his goal, or he could march his army across the river Rubicon and take power in an open act of rebellion. The latter move would make civil war inevitable.

Caesar chose the latter course. As he crossed the Rubicon, he famously said, Alea iacta est (the die is cast). This move did, indeed, lead to a civil war, which Caesar eventually won. He took power, established the dictatorial Roman empire, and, in doing so, ended the republic. Ultimately, it also led to Caesars murder on March 15, 44 BC at the hands of his Senate enemies.

In modern usage, crossing the Rubicon refers to an irreversible act that commits one to a fateful course of events. This usage relies on the idea that it was Caesars decision to cross the Rubicon that ultimately caused the collapse of Romes republican form of government.

Yet, major tensions had been building in Rome for decades. One trend was political corruption: The elite increasingly used their power to pass laws that favored their interests. Another was rising economic inequality: The interests that were being favored were those that led to elite control of most of the land resources, whichin an agrarian societyresulted in the widespread loss of economic opportunity among the common people. Another was the insertion of military power into internal affairs: This became possible as soldiers increasingly shifted loyalty away from the state and onto their military commanders who, themselves, belonged to one political faction or another.

Thus, according to one school of thought, although Caesars decision to cross the Rubicon may have been the proximate cause of the social chaos that followed, a blowup was inevitable one way or the other. The toxic trends causing the rifts in Roman society couldnt be stopped using the very same social institutions that they had so perverted. The point of no return had really been crossed long before: when the toxic trends had become self-sustaining and unstoppable through existing institutions. Once those dynamics were in place, something would inevitably happen to break the system. Historically, Caesar was that something.

On Thursday, March 30, Tucker Carlson said, referring to the indictment of Donald Trump announced just hours before his show, that, there is no coming back from this moment. In other words, by his analysis, the Democrats had just initiated a crossing-the-Rubicon act. To be historically accurate, though, this was not such a moment. Rather, this was just the latest increment in our present socioeconomic dynamiceerily analogous to Rome, 49 BCwhich is pushing this country toward the brink.

In response to the Trump indictment, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced, Florida will not assist in an extradition request, which will hardly be remembered as a pivotal moment in history. A crossing-the-Rubicon moment would have been putting the Florida National Guard on alert and then announcing, If the Democrats and their allies want a civil war, then this is where it is going to start. I will not permit President Trump to be extradited against his will and will use force to prevent it if necessary. That would have rated as an irrevocable commitment. And many are breathing a sigh of relief that it was not.

In my judgment, that sigh is premature. Perhaps Trump will be the something that pushes us over the Rubicon as he responds to the long stream of machinations by the powerful elites who are attempting to take him off the political chess board. Maybe it will be something or someone else. The point is that, whoever or whatever it is, its difficult to see how the toxic forces at work in this country can be stopped before some such cataclysmic event causes the system to self-destruct. That will be remembered as the crossing-the-Rubicon event. But the real pivot point was reached when the toxic forces presently in play could no longer be turned back through the normal operation of the existing institutions.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Death Scene in Burned Ferry Moves Filipino Rescuers to Tears

The remains of the MV Lady Mary Joy in Basilan, southern Philippines, on March 30, 2023. (Philippine Ports Authority Zamboanga via AP)

MANILA, PhilippinesA Philippine coast guard commander said Friday that the tragic scenes of death his team saw aboard a gutted ferry, including bodies of adults clutching children, had moved them to tears and sparked fears other passengers could be found dead in the still-smoldering ship.

At least 29 of more than 250 people onboard the M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 were killed in the blaze that raged through the ferry Wednesday while it was on an overnight trip from the southern Zamboanga city to Jolo town in Sulu province. At least seven passengers, including two army soldiers, remained missing in the countrys deadliest sea disaster this year, the coast guard said.

Basilan Governor Jim Hataman initially reported 31 deaths Thursday but later reduced the toll to 29 after search and rescue groups crossed-checked their figures.

All 35 crew members survived, including the captain, who issued an abandon-ship order when the fire hit close to midnight and then ran the ferry aground on an island off Basilan province to give remaining passengers a better chance to survive, coast guard officials said.

Many passengers jumped into the sea in panic without life jackets and were saved by rescuers but at least 11 drowned. When a team of coast guard personnel, including Bureau of Fire officers, boarded the burned ferry on Baluk-baluk islands coast, they discovered the bodies of 18 passengers scattered on the uppermost open-air economy deck and another floor below, coast guard Commander Chadley Salahuddin said.

The passengers, including an adult clutching a child by the railing, could have easily jumped into the sea and survived like many others but failed to do so for unclear reasons. Two passengers, apparently siblings who were among the missing, were found holding each other in a bathroom, he said.

When I first saw that scene, I was moved to tears with some of my men, Salahuddin told The Associated Press by telephone. It was a short journey. Why did so many have to die?

What if my mother or my other loved ones were the ones who were trapped here? They were just a step away from the open sides but why did they not jump off like the others? Salahuddin asked.

The passengers, some of whom were burned beyond recognition, could have been overcome by smoke and passed out or could have been immobilized injuries. Some survivors said they heard a series of firecracker-like blasts during the fire but Salahuddin said all of those details could only be confirmed by investigators.

Rescuers assist a survivor of the MV Lady Mary Joy fire as some of the survivors arrive in Zamboanga, southern Philippines, on Mar. 30, 2023. (Philippine Ports Authority Zamboanga via AP)

He feared more bodies could be found in the lower enclosed decks, which remained dangerously hot and could not be inspected on Thursday by his team.

His team found a partly burned rifle, which may have been left by a police officer who was among the passengers who survived, Salahuddin said, adding that there was no sign of a bomb explosion at least in the upper decks that they managed to inspect.

The steel-hulled ferry could accommodate up to 430 people and was not overcrowded, said another coast guard official, Commodore Rejard Marfe.

According to the manifest, it was carrying 205 passengers and a 35-member crew, Marfe said. In addition, it had a security contingent of four coast guard marshals, who all survived. Eight soldiers were traveling to Sulu.

Threats posed by Muslim insurgents, including those aligned with the ISIS terrorist group, remain a security issue in the southern Philippines, where cargo and passenger ships are provided extra security by the coast guard and other law enforcement agencies in vulnerable regions.

Marfe said officials are investigating whether the 33-year-old ferry was seaworthy, if there were passengers not listed on the manifest, and whether the crew properly guided passengers to safety.

Sea accidents are common in the Philippines because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces.

In December 1987, the ferry Dona Paz sank after colliding with a fuel tanker, killing more than 4,300 people in the worlds worst peacetime maritime disaster.

By Jim Gomez
Prep smart to keep your family well-stocked for decades to come

When it comes to emergency food storage, there are no one size fits all guidelines. More than a few people have ended up with strange foods in their closets and cupboards they dont know what to do with. Germade, textured vegetable protein, and ABC soup mix are all featured on many well-meaning food storage lists.

The trick to assembling a supply of food for emergencies that is just right for your family is to be aware of long-standing myths that many people accept without question.

Here are 10 of those I take issue with, along with my reasons.

Myth No. 1: I Should Stock Up on Lots of Wheat

Fact: Wheat is indeed very versatile, but it may not be advisable for everyone to store the thousands of pounds of wheat that many food storage experts recommend.

Unless you or someone in your family has issues eating wheat, its a frugal and versatile building block for your food storage pantry. Grind it up to make fresh flour for bread, tortillas, pastries, and much more.

However, millions of people have various health issues related to wheat, from gluten intolerance to celiac disease. Buckets of wheat might be useful for bartering, but why spend that money on a grain that causes severe illness for so many when you can stock up on other grains such as rice and oats instead?

Theres also a learning curve when it comes to wheat. Learning how to grind wheat to make flour and then use it for baking is not difficult. The problem arises when commonly used food storage calculators advise stocking up on at least 300 pounds of wheat per person for a years supply. Very few Americans have much practice with baking from scratch.

If you plan to stock up on wheat as a major component of your food storage, practice making many different recipes from scratch and ensure that it doesnt cause any health issues.

The shelf life of canned foodas with any foodis impacted by storage conditions, and may be shorter than the labeled expiration date if not kept in a dark, dry, cool environment. (Darryl Brooks/Shutterstock)

Myth No. 2: Beans Last Forever

Fact: Beans can become so dried out and hard over time that they are virtually impossible to cook.

Do beans have a long shelf life? Yes, they do. Do beans last forever? No, thats a food storage myth. Over time, they can become so hard and dry that only a miracle could make them edible!

Try this trick if you have beans that refuse to soften with your usual cooking methods. Bring three cups of water to a boil, then add a cup of dried beans and a teaspoon of baking soda. Turn off the heat and allow the beans to soak for an hour or more. The beans should then be ready to use in any recipe.

Another option is to use a pressure cooker or, if all else fails, grind the beans and use the bean flour as a thickener in soups or add to any recipes for additional nutrients and fiber.

Myth No. 3: Theyll Eat If Theyre Hungry Enough

Fact: Dont assume someone will eat something they hate just because theyre hungry.

Theres no denying that food fatigue is a real thing. Youve probably ordered a favorite food repeatedly at a restaurant, only to find out on the 14th or 15th serving that you didnt like it so much after all.

When it comes to food storage, dont assume that someone will eat a certain item they currently hate or have grown tired of just because theyre hungry. If you stock up on dozens of cans of turkey Tetrazzini, sooner or later the family will revolt, no matter how hungry they are.

Instead, stock up on versatile ingredients that can be combined in dozens of different ways, providing lots of variety to your emergency meals.

Myth No. 4: All I Need Is Lots of Canned Food

Fact: Canned food can lose its nutrients, flavor, and texture over time.

Theres nothing wrong with canned food and, in fact, its a great foundation to a food storage pantry. However, just like all foods, it ages and can become very unappetizing over time. For example, canned tuna can become mushy, and canned soup can change color and lose nutrients.

Also, many canned foods contain additives you might not care to eat, including high sodium and preservatives meant to lengthen shelf life. Canned food is also extremely heavy if you plan to include it in your bug-out bags.

Check the seams of canned food in storage and look for any sign of bulging, leaks, or rust that has corroded the can.

Just-add-water, freeze-dried meals often pack less of a nutritional punch, but are lightweight and very useful for bug-out bags or emergencies. (The Image Party/Shutterstock)

Myth No. 5: I Can Store My Food Anywhere

Fact: Heat, humidity, and light will deteriorate your food, so be careful of storage conditions.

Look at almost any food package label, and youll see, Store in a dark, dry, cool environment, or words to that effect. Optimal storage conditions naturally extend the shelf life of food.

No matter how empty that garage, outbuilding, or attic might beunless its air-conditioned or you live in a very cool climate year-roundstoring your food there is a bad idea. If you dont have any room in your home, its time to declutter and make room!

Myth No. 6: Food Will Always Last the Labeled Shelf Life

Fact: Food storage companies determine shelf life by storing food in optimal conditions, including a stable, cool temperature.

Ive purchased a lot of food from reputable companies over the years, and most of these companies do a good job of processing food for storage and then packaging it in containers that help prolong its shelf life.

While its true that properly packed food can have a shelf life of 20 years or more, that all depends on how its been stored. Its important to understand that when food is old, it doesnt become poisonous or evaporate in its container. Rather, it loses nutrients, flavor, texture, and color. In a word, it becomes unappetizing. This is why storing your food in the coolest part of the house and in containers that keep out humidity, light, and pests is important.

Myth No. 7: All I Need Are Just-Add-Hot-Water Meals

Fact: Freeze-dried pouch meals are great, but arent the emergency food solution they might seem.

Companies such as Mountain House sell meals-in-a-pouch that require only boiling water. Some of these meals are tasty, but others are barely fit for human consumption. These meals also contain numerous additives and GMO ingredients and can become boring over time.

Youll find these meals sold in buckets with take-it-or-leave-it pre-selected options. Most also have unrealistic portion sizes and dont provide the calories necessary for the average adult.

However, these meals are very lightweight, which is perfect for adding to a bug-out bag. Because they require only hot water, theyre useful in emergencies that give you little time to prep or cook. Just ensure you have at least one off-grid method for bringing water to a boil, such as an energy-efficient rocket stove.

In the end, youll want to stock up on more individual ingredients and fewer just-add-hot-water meals for a well-balanced food storage pantry.

Myth No. 8: I Can Stock up on a Years Worth and Not Worry Anymore

Fact: You should know what food you have in storage, how to prepare it, and how to vary it before an emergency strikes.

This is the fantasy of many a prepper. Buy a huge amount of food, stash it away, and dont give it a thought until its needed. This makes my list of food storage myths because that plan has a big problem: When everything does hit the fan, itll just be you, all that food, and some questions:

Do you know how to prepare it?

How will you prepare it? Do you have the right supplies and tools?

Did you store enough extra water to rehydrate all those cans of freeze-dried and dehydrated foods?

Do you have recipes that youre familiar with, your family enjoys, and that use what you have in storage?

Do any family members have an allergy to one of the ingredients?

Does everyone like the foods youve stored?

Have any of the containers been damaged? (And how would you know, if you havent inspected them occasionally for bulges or pest damage?)

Many food storage companies have pre-packaged kits, such as six months food supply for two people, and its tempting to pull out the credit card and make the purchase. If you carefully review the contents of a kit like this, it might be a good idea if the price is right and you not only like all the foods included but also know how to prepare them. Just dont be lulled into a false sense of security.

Myth No. 9: Freeze-Dried Foods Are Less Cost-Effective

Fact: Ingredients such as freeze-dried fruit, vegetables, and meat wont spoil like fresh versions, saving you money.

Theres a bit of sticker shock initially when you first begin to shop for freeze-dried food. If youre accustomed to paying a few dollars for a block of cheddar cheese and then see a price of $35 for a can of freeze-dried cheddar, it can be alarming.

However, look at how many servings are in each container and consider how much it would cost to either grow or purchase that same food item and preserve it somehow on your own. Freeze-dried foods have been washed, trimmed, and cut so there is no waste, and they retain the same nutrients as their fresh counterparts.

Also, when you stock up on a wide variety of freeze-dried fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, you can use them in any recipe you like. This can be more economical than you might think because youll be using only small amounts of the food at a time.

Myth No. 10: My Favorite Survival Experts Plan Will Fit My Family

Fact: The best food storage plan for each family is the one thats adapted to fit its unique tastes, preferences, and health concerns.

Heres something that wont ever make a list of food storage myths: The very best food storage plan is the one that youve customized yourself.

As long as youre spending your hard-earned money, make this purchase carefully and dont accept conventional wisdom just because it appears on numerous websites. Stock up on what suits your family best, and keep these 10 food storage myths in mind.
DeSantis Denounces Weaponization of Federal Bureaucracy, Says President Should Clean House

During an April 1 appearance in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced the weaponization of the federal bureaucracy and called for a president to clean house of federal bureaucrats.

Since retaking the House, Republicans have mounted investigations into the ways that the federal law enforcement apparatus has allegedly been weaponized against political enemies. Speaking at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, DeSantis suggested that the bureaucracy is another means by which the federal government has been weaponized.

He said that the solution to the weaponization of the bureaucracy would be for a president to clean house by making many bureaucrats eligible for termination at the presidents pleasure.

DeSantis began his speech with a reference to his COVID-19 policies. While the rest of the nation responded with lockdowns, mask, and vaccine mandates, Florida largely remained open and unrestricted during the pandemic.

The scary thing is that these folks are not done, DeSantis said, fitting the issue into larger GOP concerns over the weaponization of the federal government and federal law enforcement. They will find anything they can to try to exert power over you.

Weaponization of the Bureaucracy

DeSantis told the crowd that the bureaucracy is a key element of the larger weaponization of law enforcement.

This is a bureaucracy, particularly the FBI and Department of Justice, that is totally off its rocker, DeSantis said.

DeSantis cited a quote by President Ronald Reagan, who famously said that the most frightening words in the English language are Im from the government and Im here to help.

He was right about that, DeSantis said. I think the difference between his time and our time is yes, the bureaucracy still does all those things.

But the bureaucracy has become weaponized against people that the elites dont like, DeSantis said, citing a scandal involving IRS targeting of conservative groups, COVID-19 mandates, and FBI targeting of concerned parents speaking out at school board meetings.

The bureaucracy just by fiat wanted to impose a rule on this country that you dont have a right to earn a living unless you submit to getting a COVID shot. That is a bureaucracy that doesnt have your best interests at heart, a bureaucracy that colludes with big tech companies to censor truthful information, whether its during the 2020 election, whether its about COVID-19.

DeSantis was referencing findings showing that the White House colluded with major tech platforms to censor and suppress stories critical of U.S. COVID-19 policy, including the effectiveness of lockdowns, masks, and the novel mRNA vaccine.

But, DeSantis said, Most of the things that they were colluding with people like [Dr. Anthony Fauci] with to suppress were the truth.

Power of the Purse

The solution to the weaponization of the bureaucracy, DeSantis said, is for Congress to take seriously its power of the purse.

DeSantis is far from the first Republican to float such a solution. Under the Constitution, all funding bills must originate in the House; Republicans have proposed using this power to deny funding to the Department of Justice, FBI, IRS, and other bodies accused of political weaponization.

Why did we get to this point? We got to this point because Congress has not done its duty to hold these agencies accountable, DeSantis said. You have the power of the purse. Dont put the government on autopilot. If theyre abusing authority, you use the purse strings when you legislate. Make sure youre telling them what needs to be donedont give that to the bureaucracy to fill in the blanks: that takes legislative power from the the people to unelected bureaucrats.

Further, DeSantis said, a determined and disciplined executive is needful to systematically root out these politicized bureaucrats.

You have authority. The executive has authority under our Constitution to clean house, DeSantis said. You also can go and find the people that are not doing the job and get rid of them. It needs to be done because otherwise you have a situation where, a Republican could win the White House, and yet the left still controls the executive branch bureaucracy.

The current agenda of the bureaucracy, DeSantis said, is not an agenda that is speaking to Americans over their kitchen table. This is an agenda for them to ensconce themselves in power for a generation.

Prosecutors

DeSantis addressed rising crime rates in Americas metropolitan areas as part of the weaponization of government, blaming it on progressive prosecutors funded by people like George Soros.

Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, fringe positions such as defunding the police and limiting criminal penalties for violent crime began to be taken seriously by district attorneys (DA) and other local prosecutors. In many cases, these left-wing prosecutors refuse to enforce laws against violent crimes.

These prosecutors go in with an ideological agenda, DeSantis said. They think its their role as a prosecutor to manipulate the law. to ignore the law, to pick and choose which laws that they will enforce, all in service of politics and pursuing ideology.

Prosecutors are not above the law, the Florida governor added. If they dont like the law, then the appropriate thing to do is to resign your position and run for the legislature and try to change the law. You have no right to nullify the law, and they put so many people at risk as a result of doing that.

DeSantis said that as governor, he has not allowed such prosectors to keep their posts in major Florida cities.

When we had one of those DAs in Tampa, that said he wasnt going to enforce some of our duly elected duly enacted laws in the state of Florida, we didnt let that stand, DeSantis said. I removed him from his post.

DeSantis also took the opportunity to address Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who is leading an investigation of President Donald Trump that recently resulted in an indictment. Republicans have blasted the move as political, noting that the charges against Trump are thought to be misdemeanors past the statute of limitations.

DeSantis says Bragg fits into the larger weaponization of the law and the government against Americans.

[Braggs] whole platform when he got elected was that he was going to downgrade as many felonies as possible to misdemeanors, DeSantis said. He was gonna keep as many people out of jaileven habitual criminalsas possible.  So thats his posture. He doesnt want to charge people with felonies.

So now, DeSantis continued, he turned aroundpurely for political purposesand indicted [the] former president on misdemeanor offenses that theyre straining to try to convert into felonies. That is when you know that the law has been weaponized for political purposes, that is when you know that the left is using that to target their political opponents.

Initially, DeSantis was silent on Trumps pending indictment, however, the likely 2024 contender has since spoken out against the indictment of his leading rival for the presidency.
E-Bike Battery Explodes, Injuring Resident in San Diego Apartment

An emergency center is seen in this file photo. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

SAN DIEGOA resident of a Barrio Logan apartment was burned and hospitalized after a fire apparently caused when an e-bike battery ignited and exploded April 2.

The fire started in the 2900 block of Boston Avenue at 6:09 a.m. Sunday when a couple was charging their electric bike in the living room, according to Deputy Chief of Operations Dan Eddy of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The man tried to put out a fire from the battery by pouring water on it when it exploded, Eddy said. He received burns to his arms and legs and was rushed to the UCSD Burn Center.

The first-floor apartment was destroyed and the apartment above it was damaged by smoke.

The woman escaped the apartment and neighbors provided blankets to cover her.

Fire department Battalion Chief Chris Babler went to a store to buy her some clothes and shoes and the Red Cross was asked to help the victims.

There were no other reported injuries to firefighters or nearby residents.

Investigators from Hazmat and the Metro Arson Task Force removed other batteries that were in the residence for safe disposal.

Eddy said authorities have seen an increase in fires caused by e-bike batteries and chargers. He said more people are buying e-bikes, but he warned that inexpensive chargers and batteries can cause fires and injuries and are generally unsafe. He also cautioned people not to pour water on chargers or battery fires, which can lead to an explosion as it did in this case.
Effort to Depopulate Los Angeles County Jails Delayed Amid Backlash

The Men's Central Jail is seen in this file picture in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 10, 2006. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

LOS ANGELESA proposal to declare a humanitarian crisis in Los Angeles Countys overcrowded jail system and begin efforts to dramatically pare down the inmate population was pulled April 3 from this weeks Board of Supervisors agenda amid opposition from some board members and law enforcement groups.

The motion to depopulate and decarcerate the jailsintroduced by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath, and originally scheduled for a vote Tuesdaywas met with backlash from law enforcement organizations when it was published late last week. Among those opposing the plan was the Los Angeles County Association of Deputy District Attorneys, which bashed it as dangerous and reckless.

The Los Angeles County Police Chiefs Association, meanwhile, wrote in a letter to the board that the measure would further erode community safety and quality of life. The association also said it received no advance notice of the motion, learning about it only on Friday, and called for more collaboration before the proposal advances.

Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn issued a statement Monday morning saying she planned to oppose the motion, saying that while she agrees with the need to address jail overcrowding, any plan to reduce the population of our jails needs to be decided in partnership with law enforcement, our deputy district attorneys, and our courts.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger told the Daily News earlier that she also planned to oppose the motion.

Los Angeles County supervisor Hilda Solis hosted a press conference Nov. 22 against hate crimes and in support of immigrant communities (Courtesy of Hilda Solis)

Solis, in a statement Monday, said that since the motion was published late last week, her office has received concerns from a variety of stakeholdersthose who feel the motion is not doing enough and those who feel it is doing too much.

The now-delayed motion is another step in a long-running effort by the Board of Supervisors to implement a care first, jails last agenda, which includes an effort to close the Mens Central Jail without constructing a replacement facility.

Proposals to close the jail have envisioned a redistribution of the inmate population across other correctional facilities over time, while also releasing thousands of inmates to residential programs or community treatment.

The Solis-Horvath motion called for a litany of efforts aimed at reducing the jail population and redistributing inmates, including through the release of some people in jail for select felonies or misdemeanors who can be safely released back into the community.

Solis said the motion primarily called for the following:

Giving the sheriff authority to use electronic monitoring as a form of alternative to incarceration.

Advocating for the Los Angeles Superior Court to reimplement a zero-bail system that was used during the COVID-19 emergency, setting bail at $0 for the pre-trial populationwhich accounts for almost half of the total jail population.

Requesting the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to take individuals in county jails who have been sentenced to prison to their facilities, accounting for about 10 percent of the jail population.

Advocating for legislative changes at the state level so those who are medically fragile can be eligible for compassionate release.

Oppositions

Eric Siddall, vice president of the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, said in a statement Monday that the motion would gut parts of the criminal justice system without input from stakeholders. He said it would implement what he called a cite and release system without any plan or infrastructure to protect the community from violent criminals apprehended by law enforcement.

Further, it creates no lockdown facilities for the mentally ill, he said. This program benefits no one except career criminals.

The county Police Chiefs Association, in its letter to the board, said similar efforts to reduce the populations of state prisons have led to a steady rise in crime, reduced quality of life and increased fear within our communities.

Closing [Mens Central Jail] will have a very similar effect on communities if the county does what the state did by releasing large numbers of inmates arbitrarily and without community protections in place, according to the group. We are simply asking for more detailed vetting and building of replacement alternatives, and for a seat at the table.
Federal Agency Warns Widespread Severe Weather Threat With Strong Tornadoes Could Impact Millions in Central US

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center warned that a "large area of severe potential will exist from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning" that will affect the eastern portions of the Plains states, stretching to the Missouri and Mississippi Valleys. (NOAA)

Officials say a widespread severe weather threat with strong tornadoes may impact about a dozen states from the Midwest to the South on Tuesday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Storm Prediction Center warned that a large area of severe potential will exist from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning that will affect the eastern portions of the Plains states, stretching to the Missouri and Mississippi Valleys.

Strong tornadoes and particularly damaging winds are expected. Both afternoon and overnight potential will exist across various regions, including the risk of dangerous nighttime tornadoes, it said on Monday.

A map posted by the agency shows that there is moderate risk of thunderstorms and severe weather, including tornadoes, in Springfield, Missouri; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Davenport, Iowa; and Iowa City, Iowa, on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is also a moderate risk of severe weather in a swath spanning from southeastern Oklahoma into western Arkansas and southern Missouri.

There is an enhanced risk of severe weather in St. Louis, Missouri; Madison, Wisconsin; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Des Moines, Iowa, the agency said. Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, and Tulsa could see tornadoes as well, according to the Storm Prediction Center, noting there is a slight chance of one occurring in those areas.

The area near the warm front and later in late into the overnight hours ahead of the surface low will be a favored area for supercells and tornadoes, the center wrote Monday. Storms are expected to form from northern [Missouri] into [Iowa] during the late afternoon, shifting northeastward with the warm. It added that low-level shear will be extremely favorable for tornadoes and that strong tornadoes are possible.

This threat may persist farther northeast into southern [Wisconsin] and northern [Illinois] into the night as the warm and unstable air with the warm front continues to move north with this strong system, the agency warned.

According to the map, at least 16 states in the central United States may face severe weather. That includes all of Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois, as well as much of Iowa, and portions of Indiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

A car is upturned in a Kroger parking lot after a severe storm swept through Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 2023. (Andrew DeMillo/AP Photo)

Forecasters with AccuWeather and other services noted that Tuesdays severe storms will be similar to last Friday, when a large tornado hammered Little Rock and other areas, leaving dozens of people dead.

Nearly 50 million people are already at risk for severe weather on Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night alone, says AccuWeather. But it noted that there is severe weather is likely to continue on Wednesday farther to the east, the number may grow to 100 million or more.

The threat of powerful thunderstorms, including tornadoes, will extend past dark and could peak during the first half of the night before continuing into the pre-dawn hours in the Midwest. The nocturnal tornado threat will add to the danger from the fast-moving severe weather, it noted.

Fridays storms tore a path through Little Rock and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage. The number of deaths continued to grow Sunday, officials said.

While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Biden earlier declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, where at least five people were killed, already had declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Turkey Clears Vote for Finland to Join NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference, ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on April 3, 2023. (Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP Photo)

Finland will become the 31st member of NATO in the coming days, following a vote from the Turkish parliament, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

The parliaments of all NATO members must ratify newcomers.

The comment came a day after Turkeys parliament approved a bill to allow Finland to join NATO, clearing the way for the country to become part of the Western defense alliance as war rages in Ukraine.

The Turkish parliament was the last among the 30 members of the alliance to ratify Finlands membership after Hungarys legislature approved a similar bill earlier this week.

President Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in March that Finland had secured Turkeys vote after taking concrete steps to keep promises to crack down on groups seen by Ankara as terrorists, and to free up defense exports.

Sweden was kept waiting by Turkey, which is holding its vote for the country to become a NATO member.

Ankara is not voting for it because it says that Sweden is not taking action to an appropriate degree against groups that Ankara calls terrorist. Finland, Sweden, and Turkey signed a pact on the issue last year.

Stoltenberg said that All allies agree that a rapid conclusion of the ratification process for Sweden will be in everyones interest. I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the NATO family as soon as possible.

Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO last year in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. But the process has been held up by Turkey and Hungary.

On the streets of Finlands capital Helsinki, people said their views on NATO had changed since the war.

Well, I believe that in this kind of political environment nowadays I believe that there is definitely strength in numbers.

Before the war in Ukraine, I think the most or the big portion of Finns were thinking that we dont need NATO, that we are safe enough, we are okay without it. But I think it was quite clear when we saw the war happening that the popular opinions changed quite quickly.

With the coming accession of Finland to NATO, Stoltenberg said Russias President Vladimir Putin is getting the exact opposite of what he wanted.

Stoltengerg told Fox News: He wanted less NATO. Hes getting more NATO.

Finlands President Sauli Niinisto signs Finlands national NATO legislation in Helsinki, Finland, on March 23, 2023. The Finnish president has signed the legal amendments needed for membership in the military alliance. (Markku Ulander/Lehtikuva via AP)

Tensions escalated further on Thursday as Russia made its first arrest of a foreign journalist since the start of the war.

Evan Gershkovich, who works for the Wall Street Journal, has been accused of spying.

The Kremlin said the American had been caught red-handed but presented no documentary or video evidence.

The White House condemned Russias actions and urged U.S. citizens living or traveling in Russia to leave immediately.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that Moscow would respond to Finland becoming NATOs member by bolstering its defenses if needed.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Grushko said in remarks carried by the state RIA Novosti news agency. In case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland, we will take additional steps to ensure Russias military security.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former Congressman, Senate Candidate Galifianakis Dies at 94

RALEIGH, N.C.A funeral was held on Saturday for former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Galifianakis, who represented central North Carolina for several years before two unsuccessful Senate bids.

Galifianakis died on March 27 at age 94, according to obituary information from Hall-Wynne Funeral Service in Durham. Galifianakis, who had Parkinsons disease for several years, died at a Raleigh retirement community, a family spokesman, Jack Pinnix, told The News & Observer of Raleigh.

A Durham native, son of Greek immigrants and Duke University graduate, Galifianakis was an attorney and ex-Marine first elected to the General Assembly in 1960. He was elected to Congress to 1966 and became a rising star in the party while serving three terms.

In 1972, Galifianakis defeated U.S. Sen. B. Everett Jordan in the Democratic primary but that November lost to the Republican Helms, then a Raleigh television commentator. It became a watershed year for Republicans in North Carolina as GOP candidates rode the coattails of President Richard Nixons landslide victory. Helms served in the Senate for 30 years.

Galifianakis ran for U.S. Senate again in 1974 but lost to Attorney General Robert Morgan in the Democratic primary. He devoted himself to his Durham law practice in the years ahead.

A moderate by national political standards, Galifianakis was on the liberal edge of the political spectrum in North Carolina. He supported the Equal Rights Amendment and was the first member of the states congressional delegation to oppose the Vietnam War, The News & Observer reported.

While in the state House as a judiciary committee chairman, Galifianakis helped oversee the overhaul of the states court system into what it largely remains today.

Galifianakis had a larger-than-life personality when it came to politics and campaigning. He used his long last name to his advantage, with his campaigns distributing two buttonsone read GALIFI and the other ANAKIS.

Galifianakis is survived by his wife, Louise, and two children. Actor Zach Galifianakis and cartoonist Nick Galifianakis are his nephews.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Azerbaijan offers the US to expand cooperation in the field of energy in three areas, Deputy Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Elnur Soltanov told reporters on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan-US energy forum, Trend reports.

According to him, the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, the country's Nakhchivan, as well as the Caspian region, have great potential for energy cooperation.

"We offered our US colleagues to establish and expand cooperation in these three priority areas," he said.

Soltanov went on to add that talks on creation of energy infrastructure in all of Azerbaijan's regions are being held.

He also noted that cooperation with BP has already been established in the field of energy in Karabakh.

"Our colleagues from BP require clearing the territory of mines to a depth of four meters. This delays and complicates the de-mining process. Nevertheless, the process is underway, and the employees of BP have already visited the territories and got acquainted with the current work," he said.

Soltanov also added that there is great interest from Chinese companies in the restoration of Karabakh.

Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan from Nov. 2020 started carrying out operations on clearing its lands from mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops.
GOP Lawmakers Call for Defunding of Federal Law Over Alleged Bias Against Pro-Life Activists

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland arrives for testimony before the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee in Washington on March 28, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is calling for the defunding of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, alleging that the law has been weaponized against pro-life advocates.

In a letter to the drafters of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Roy and other representatives requested that a provision banning funding for the Department of Justice to implement the FACE Act, (18 U.S. Code Section 248).

The letter cites examples of the Biden administrations Department of Justice (DOJ) allegedly abusing the FACE Act against U.S. citizens, including the case of Mark Houck, who was found innocent of all charges following an early-morning FBI raid on his home.

Last September, the American people watched in horror as dozens of heavily armed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and more than a dozen vehicles conducted an early-morning raid, with guns drawn, on the home of Mark Houck, his wife, and seven children, the letter reads.

Since then, Mark Houck has been found innocent of all charges, but Attorney General Merrick Garland has refused to admit that the overwhelming use of force against an innocent American citizen was a mistake.

The letter also points to the use of the FACE Act in more than two dozen instances against pro-life activists, including Father Fidelis Moscinski, Lauren Handy, Herb Geraghty, and a Holocaust survivor in 2022.

We therefore request that you include the following language in the FY 2024 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, the letter reads.

The lawmakers requested that none of the funds be used to investigate or to criminally or civilly prosecute any individual for an actual or possible violation, that occurred during the current or any prior fiscal year, of (A) section 248 of title 18, United States Code; or (B) sections 241 or 371 of such title by reason of any violation of such section 248.

The Biden Administration has proven time and time again that it cannot be trusted to faithfully implement and enforce the FACE Act, as written by Congress, the letter reads. Until such a time, Congress ought to withhold the use of funds for enforcing this law and seriously consider repealing the statute in its entirety.

The DOJ has also been accused of using the FACE Act to only charge pro-life activists with violations.

The Daily Signal, a Heritage Foundation affiliate, reported on March 9 that the Civil Rights Division didnt charge a single pro-abortion activist with FACE Act violations in 2022, despite more than 100 apparent pro-abortion attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches, according to Catholic Vote trackers.

The addressed lawmakers didnt respond to The Epoch Times request for comment by press time.
H5N1, or bird flu, not only is decimating poultry flocks and wild birds in the United States but also affecting mammals, such as bears, skunks, and seals, at a rate not previously seenand this latest development has scientists worried. What does it mean if it jumps to humans?

Already, the United States and other countries are stockpiling H5N1 vaccine just in case. While some traditional vaccines are in the lineup, mRNA shots tweaked to target H5N1 are also being planned, and they probably wont need to undergo additional testing over and beyond what was done for the COVID jabs.

H5N1 (bird flu) is now affecting mammals at a rate not previously seen, including skunks, bears, seals, foxes, minks, and even dolphins. The infection is also spreading between mammals. This is a new development that has scientists worried. If the virus is mutating (or being mutated) to spread among mammals, the jump to humans may not be far behind.

If we do end up with a lethal human bird flu, theres every reason to suspect it was manmade. Theres also every reason to suspect a bird flu vaccine will be either ineffective, hazardous, or both.

Considering global biosecurity is one of the primary tactics chosen to usher in a totalitarian One World Government, its clear that more pandemics are in our future, and a weaponized bird flu seems likely.

Bird flu has always been a fraud, which is why I wrote my New York Times best-selling book The Great Bird Flu Hoax, nearly 15 years ago. President George Bush spent over $7 billion and warned that more than 2 million Americans could die.1 The reality is that no one in the United States died from bird flu.

Fast forward 15 years, and now global biosecurity is one of the primary tactics chosen to usher in a totalitarian One World Government, so more pandemics are undoubtedly in our future. In the spring of 2022, Bill Gates warned that another pandemic will emerge, and that this yet-to-come pandemic will get attention this time.2

Based on the news chatter emerging right now, a weaponized bird flu seems likely. In a March 30, 2022, CenterPoint interview, former director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, more than hinted at this possibility, saying:3

I believe the great pandemic is still in the future, and thats going to be a bird flu pandemic for man. Its going to have significant mortality in the 10-50 percent range. Its gonna be trouble.

Avian Flu Posed No Threat Until Scientists Weaponized It

Historically, natural avian influenza (H5N1) never posed a threat to mankind, but then scientists started tinkering with it, creating a hybrid with human pandemic potential.4 Some of that research has been undertaken in Pentagon-funded biolabs in Ukraine.5,6,7

Gates and Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have also funded gain-of-function research on H5N1.8 One scientist whose work on H5N1 has been funded by both Fauci and Gates is Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka.9

In one experiment, Kawaoka mixed bird flu virus with the Spanish flu virus, resulting in a highly lethal respiratory virus with human transmission capability. Kawaoka has also played around with mixtures of H5N1 and the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) virus, creating an airborne hybrid10,11,12 capable of evading the human immune system, effectively rendering humans defenseless against it,13 and this extremely risky research was done at a biosafety level 2 lab!14

The bird flu has been manipulated and tinkered with in a variety of different ways, making it both airborne (which it was not initially) and capable of cross-species infection.

Fauci also funded the work of virologist Ron Fouchier, a Dutch researcher whose team created an airborne version of the bird flu using a combination of genetic engineering and serial infection of ferrets.15 So, the bird flu has been manipulated and tinkered with in a variety of different ways, making it both airborne (which it was not initially) and capable of cross-species infection.

In 2012, the work of Kawaoka and Fouchier sparked widespread concern about gain-of-function research, as it was readily recognized that it could accidentally cause a human pandemic.16,17

As a result, the U.S. government issued a temporary ban on gain-of-function research on certain viruses in 2014, which remained in place until December 2017.18 We now know this ban was circumvented by Fauci, who continued to fund gain-of-function research on coronaviruses in China during those years.

It now looks as though weaponized bird flu might eventually be released to achieve the geopolitical aims of the technocratic cabal that is trying to give the World Health Organization a monopoly on pandemic decision-making.

Bird flu is widespread among poultry and wild birds19 in the United States,20 but the natural virus is not very transmissible or lethal to humans. So, if we do end up with a lethal human bird flu, theres every reason to suspect it was manmade. Theres also every reason to suspect a bird flu vaccine will be either ineffective, hazardous, or both.

Bird Flu Has Spread to Mammals

According to a Feb. 9, 2023, ABC News report,21 H5N1 (bird flu) is also affecting mammals at a rate not previously seen, including skunks, bears, seals, foxes, minks, and even dolphins. University of Massachusetts Boston virologist Nichola Hill told ABC News:

The size, range, and number of species affected by this outbreak is unprecedented  Thats not really how bird flu should behave.

While sporadic infections among mammals have been reported for 20 years, the virus now appears to be spreading between mammals, as opposed to being limited to individual mammals being infected from eating an infected bird.

This is a brand-new development that has scientists worried. If the virus is mutating (or being mutated) to spread among mammals, the jump to humans may not be far behind.

Are Humans Next?

In 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Influenza Division tracked more than 50 human avian influenza cases in seven countries, and, while extremely rare, the CDC does anticipate more infections to occur. As noted in its March 17, 2023, H5N1 update:22

To date, HPAI [highly-pathogenic avian influenza] A(H5N1) viruses currently circulating in birds and poultry, with spillover to mammals, and those that have caused human infections do not have the ability to easily bind to receptors that predominate in the human upper respiratory tract. Therefore, the current risk to the public from HPAI A(H5N1) viruses remains low.

However, because of the potential for influenza viruses to rapidly evolve and the wide global prevalence of HPAI A(H5N1) viruses in wild birds and poultry outbreaks, continued sporadic human infections are anticipated.

Continued comprehensive surveillance of these viruses in wild birds, poultry, mammals, and people worldwide, and frequent reassessments are critical to determine the public health risk, along with ongoing preparedness efforts.

Canadian experts also fear the bird flus current momentum has the potential to become a human pandemic. As reported by Global News March 25, 2023:23

The current outbreak circulating North and South America is known as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b. It has killed record numbers of birds and infected mammals.

Although human cases remain rare, Shayan Sharif, a professor and associate dean with the Ontario Veterinary College  warned the virus is gathering momentum and becoming more of a human threat.

Various pieces of the puzzle are coming together for this virus to become transmissible among humans, he told Global News. This particular virus has the potential to become a pandemic virus, and if it does, then we have to be absolutely ready because the fatality rate of this virus could be far greater than what we saw for COVID-19.'

Current Bird Flu Countermeasures Are the Wrong Approach

Just as weve seen with the COVID pandemic, health authorities insist theres only one solution to bird flu epidemics, and that is vaccination. Meanwhile, that strategy is making the situation worse.

By culling all chickens whenever a single case is detected basically guarantees that natural immunity will never develop. A far saner strategy would be to eliminate the chickens that die from the infection but keep those who survive it alive.

An interesting article by regenerative farmer Joel Salatin, in which he discusses the bird flu cycle, was published by Brownstone Institute in mid-March 2023:24

If thinking people learned only one thing from the COVID pandemic, it was that official government narratives are politically slanted and often untrue. In this latest HPAI outbreak, perhaps the most egregious departure from truth is the notion that the birds have died as a result of the disease and that euthanasia for survivors is the best and only option 

To be sure, HPAI is and can be deadly, but it never kills everything. The policy of mass extermination without regard to immunity, without even researching why some birds flourish while all around are dying, is insane. The most fundamental principles of animal husbandry and breeding demand that farmers select for healthy immune systems. We farmers have been doing that for millennia 

But in its wisdom, the US Department of Agriculture (USDAUsduh) has no interest in selecting, protecting, and then propagating the healthy survivors. The policy is clear and simple: kill everything that ever contacted the diseased birds. The second part of the policy is also simple: find a vaccine to stop HPAI 

The scorched earth policy is the only option even though it doesnt seem to be working. In fact, the cycles are coming faster and seem to be affecting more birds. Someone ought to question the efficacy.

Bird Flu Solutions That Make Sense

As noted by Salatin, its well-recognized among farmers that cramped quarters and having too many chicken farms too close together, geographically, is the problem. The USDA and the industry desperately want to blame wild birds, backyard flocks, and dirty shoes, rather than looking in the mirror and realizing this is natures way of screaming Enough!' Salatin writes.

The answer is relatively simple. Save birds that survive the infection and breed them. That way, future generations will have natural immunity. If a flock gets HPAI, let it run its course. Itll kill the ones itll kill but in a few days, the survivors will be obvious. Keep those and put them in a breeding program, Salatin writes.

Secondly, chicken farmers can also ward off epidemics by focusing on optimal herd sizes. For example, wild turkeys stay in flocks of no more than a couple of hundred. Wild pigs rarely exceed groups of 100. For chickens, optimal herd size is about 1,000, according to Salatin. He goes on to explain:

An elderly poultry industry scientist visited our farm once and told me that if houses would break up chickens into 1,000-bird groups it would virtually eliminate diseases.

He said it was okay to have 10,000 birds in a house as long as they were in 1,000-bird units. That way their social structure can function in a natural interaction. Animals have a hierarchy of bullies and timids. That social structure breaks down above optimal size 

While I dont want to sound flippant or above HPAI susceptibility, incident rates definitely indicate less vulnerability in well-managed pastured flocks.

Creating an immune-building protocol surely merits research as much as overriding the immune system with vaccines and trying to stay ahead of disease mutations and adaptations with human cleverness. How about humbly seeking nature for solutions rather than relying on hubris?

The parallels between HPAI expert orthodoxy and COVID orthodoxy are too numerous to mention  The HPAI worry feeds food worry, which makes people clamor for government security. People will accept just about anything if theyre afraid  Think it through and then embrace a more natural remedy: well-managed decentralized pastured poultry with appropriate flock sizes.

Pay Attention to Upcoming Narratives

As we move forward, keep an eye on the narratives were being fed. Again, if bird flu becomes a human epidemic or pandemic, there are plenty of reasons to suspect its a weaponized virus, and the solution offered will be the same as that for COVID-19: Get vaccinated.

Considering the widespread harm caused by the COVID-19 mRNA shots, can we really trust that fast-tracked bird flu shots will be any safer or more effective? Already, the United States and other countries are stockpiling H5N1 vaccine25 just in case, which is telling.

While some traditional vaccines are in the lineup, mRNA shots tweaked to target H5N1 are also being planned, and they probably wont need to undergo additional testing over and beyond what was already done for the COVID jabs.

This even though recent attempts to make an mRNA-based influenza jab have met with failure. As reported by Reuters:26

Some of the worlds leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide 

In a pandemic, vaccine manufacturers would shift production of seasonal flu vaccines and instead make shots tailored to the new outbreak when needed 

Many of the potential pandemic shots are pre-approved by regulators, based on data from human trials showing the vaccines are safe and prompt an immune response, a process already used with seasonal flu vaccines.

This means they might not require further human trials, even if they have to be tweaked to better match whichever strain does jump to humans. Data on how well the vaccines actually protect against infection would be gathered in real-time 

Experts have long advocated for new approaches in developing vaccines, both for seasonal and pandemic flu. COVID proved the potential of mRNA technology to adapt more quickly to changing viruses because the vaccines use genetic information from the pathogen, rather than having to grow the virus itself.

Modernas mRNA vaccine research actually began with pandemic flu, and was modified for COVID, said Raffael Nachbagauer, executive director of infectious diseases at Moderna.

The company plans to launch a small human trial of an mRNA pandemic flu vaccine tailored to the new avian influenza subtype in the first half of 2023, he said, adding Moderna could respond very quickly in an outbreak scenario. The results will be closely watched, as the data on Modernas seasonal flu candidate was mixed.

To think that an mRNA-based jab against a weaponized bird flu will be any safer than the shots for COVID-19 would be naive in the extreme, if you ask me, yet you can be sure well be told otherwise if bird flu does end up spreading among the human population.

Be Prepared

One of the best things I did in my youth was to join the Boy Scouts. Their motto Be Prepared has been enormously useful my entire life. Well, it applies to bird flu as well. While we dont know for sure, as no studies have been done, it is highly likely that many of the same protocols used in early outpatient treatment of COVID will also work for bird flu, since they are both viral respiratory pathogens.

As a first basic prevention step, optimize your vitamin D (the ideal range is between 60 ng/ml and 80 ng/ml). Be sure to measure it to confirm, as there is no way to know what your vitamin D level is without doing a blood test.

Summer is nearly here, so ditch your oral vitamin supplement and strip off your clothes and get out in the sun around solar noon, which is 1 p.m. for most people in the United States. To learn more, download my Vitamin D in the Prevention of COVID-19 report, available on stopCOVIDcold.com.

In case you do get sick, I would strongly advise you to purchase a nebulizer so that you can nebulize hydrogen peroxide at the first signs of symptoms. Just go to my Bitchute channel and look for my peroxide videos. They have full instructions on how to do this.

At present, the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance seems to have one of the best COVID treatment protocols. Its called I-CARE and can be downloaded from covid19criticalcare.com.27 They also have a treatment protocol for RSV and influenza. Print them out and make sure you have the basic supplements in your medicine cabinet.

Originally published April 03, 2023 on Mercola.com

Sources and References:
We might be on the verge of a new medical paradigm if what scientists are discovering about the microbiome ever makes it into the doctors office.

In this series, Cultivating Our Gut Microbiome to Stifle Disease, well share how the latest developments on this medical frontier are transforming our approaches to illness and offering new strategies to heal and prevent disease.

Modern medicine has progressed in large part by waging war against germssnuffing out microscopic disease-causing creatures before they kill us.

The 19th-century discovery that microorganisms are the cause of infectious diseasethe leading cause of death at the timeled scientists to the consensus that germs posed a great danger to humanity, a stance thats been woven into policy and ideology to this day. Public health advancements in the 20th century proved that controlling infectious outbreaks extended life expectancy and reduced infant and maternal deaths.

It was an era heralded for great medical achievements.

Death rates rapidly declinedeven before the introduction of penicillin and vaccinesas public sanitation and better hygiene in hospitals transformed public health. Mass antibiotic production came in the 1940s, initially for wounded soldiers, then exploded into the public sphere. These new antimicrobial weapons cured millions of infections and saved many lives. However, antibiotics also came with consequences that are squeezing todays health care on two sides: superbug infections and a rise in all diseases.

Good, Bad, and Usually Ugly

The microbial world is diverse. While its true that some microbes cause disease, saying that all of them are killers would be like calling all dogs killers because of a few.

Researchers have learned that thinking of microbes as pathogenic, or disease-causing, is profoundly incorrect. In fact, the microbial world encompasses bacteria, viruses, and fungi that largely promote health. Human beings host a vast microbial community, or microbiome, which forms a kind of detached organ with interactions that keep us alive. These tiny creatures may not be cute, but they are essential.

[There is] a consortium of organisms in us and on us and around us. There are trillions of them, Dr. Neil Stollman told fellow physicians at a recent Malibu Microbiome Meeting. When we lose bugs, we are at risk of other bugs hurting us. They are intimately involved in our immune system development. And we help them. We provide a home for them and nutrients.

Stollman is chairman of gastroenterology at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland, California and past chairman of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Bugs Everywhere

Everyone has an individually unique microbiome, as well as distinct microbiomes in different areas of their bodies. We have microbes, for instance, on our skin and in our mouths, lungs, nasal passages, urinary tract, and especially in our gastrointestinal tract, and some of those microbes indeed are associated with illness. One database offers 5,677 associations between 1,781 microbes and 542 human diseases across more than 20 sites on the body.

Not surprisingly, the gastrointestinal tract was associated with 37 percent of those disease associations, with the oral cavity next at less than 10 percent. However, that doesnt mean researchers understand this realm all that thoroughly. Dr. Sabine Hazan said more than 95 percent of microbes are still a mystery. A gastroenterologist and researcher, she presented microbiome discoveries from the past four years at the Malibu Microbiome Meeting.

We have no idea what their names are and what they do, and possibly, they could be the culprit of a disease, Hazan said. That also means researchers dont know the precise synergistic roles those microbes play in the body that keep us alive and healthy. This collection of microbes, or flora, remains largely a mystery though it is an area of intense interest to researchers.

Tiny Organisms With Big Jobs

Microbiome studies tend to focus heavily on the gut, where our microbes configure the majority of our immune system. High levels of certain beneficial bacteria help us mount a robust response to invading viruses, for example. We know now that a diversity of flora is protective against disease.

Other processes that happen in the gut are critical to life, including metabolism, hormonal regulation, and neurological function. Various microbes throughout the gut set off a chain of signals to cells that are involved in hormone release and metabolic processes such as insulin sensitivity, appetite, and fat storage. Metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diseases of the heart and circulatory system, as well as endocrine disorders that affect organs that rely on hormones, all lean on the microbiome.

Acceptance of the notion that the gut and mental health are connected has ebbed and flowed for decades, but metabolic processes instigated by bacteria can affect both the permeability of the gut lining and flip on inflammatory pathways. Both of these can affect mental health, as well as a plethora of other conditions and physiological systems, and now have wide acknowledgment.

Undoing a History of Hygiene

Historically, even as recently as the COVID-19 outbreak, medicine has been obsessed with pathogenic microbes, while commensal (helpful) bacteria havent gotten credit for the grunt work they do to keep us alive and healthy.

The problem is historical, in some sense. It goes back to our earliest concepts of the microbial world, when doctors including Ignaz Semmelweis hypothesized in the 1840s that physicians and medical students were transmitting death particles from autopsy rooms where they started their workday to clinics where they delivered babies for the remainder of the day.

That gave rise to the practice of routine hand-washing, with immediate and observable effects. But by the time we learned that many microbes played beneficial roles, there were already massive industries built around the war against microbes. Food processing, chemically treated crops, and overreliance on pharmaceuticals destroyed massive volumes of health-sustaining microbes.

One result of this assault is the seemingly unending dilemma of deadly superbugs that have become resistant to antibiotics. Allergies, asthma, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel diseases have all been linked to the oversterilization of our microbial environment. Killing microbes is a multibillion-dollar industry.

Clearly, there are those who will want to defend the past and even the status quo. That is to be expected, Dr. David Perlmutter, neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition, wrote in his book Brain Maker. I believe it is far more important to break the bonds of these constraints and recognize that our most exciting and respected science is offering us an incredible opportunity to regain our health through the force wielded by the microbiome.

Medicines Philosophical Shift

Medicine is confronted with a crossroads: keep on the current anti-microbial path or reset our medical paradigm around the reality that our various microbiomes help sustain us while also fighting off infection and disease.

Many of the rapidly growing diseases were contending with todaysuch as autism and autoimmune disordershave now been linked to microbiome health. A combination of lifestyle factorsfrom foods that feed the wrong microbes, to routine chemical exposures, and unnecessary antibioticshave undoubtedly taken a toll on our symbiotic microbes and health, Hazan said.

Have we in essence killed our microbiome? Could it be maybe were overdoing it? she asked.

Concepts that include precision health and personalized nutrition hinge on a broad understanding of the gut microbiome, a race that has spurred investment in new companies with promises that have far outpaced the available research.

Scientists at the Malibu Microbiome Meeting shared absurd claims of products that insinuate one single probiotic can reverse specific diseases.

To simply believe youre going to take one pill of one particular bacteria and its going to solve your problem and provide some beautiful homeostasis to your microbial ecosystem is absurdly simplistic and is absolutely not true, Stollman said.

And yet, there are also miraculous case studies indicating incredible promise. Trials are underway, at rapid rates. In fact, more than 80 percent of microbiome research has occurred since 2017, according to Stollman.

Theres a real mania about the biome. I think the mania is also based not as much on can we improve our health? but rather can we diagnose an illness, and treat an illness? he said.

The challenge ahead is significant. Beyond fixing outdated medical protocols, like indiscriminate antibiotic use, there is the staggering volume of microbes and microbial interactions that need to be understood. Considering that our cells perform impossible complex chemistry at a scale and intricacy beyond anything modern science can match, imagine the additional complexity of trillions of microorganisms doing something similar.

In the next article:

Microbiome science may be new, but researchers have made undeniable connections between various bacteria and specific diseases. The truth of Hippocratess statement that all disease begins in the gut is starting to be recognized by todays scientists.

Read Part 2- How the Gut Cures and Creates DiseaseA Medical Frontier
Hitman in New Jersey Murder-for-Hire Sentenced to 16 Years

NEWARK, N.J.A career criminal whose rap sheet includes bank robberies and a murder conspiracy was sentenced to 16 years in prison for killing a New Jersey political consultant in exchange for money in 2014.

George Bratsenis, 74, pleaded guilty a year ago to a charge that he and another man accepted thousands of dollars from another political consultant, Sean Caddle, in exchange for killing Michael Galdieri. Galdieri was stabbed to death in his Jersey City apartment, which was then set on fire.

U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez imposed the 16-year sentence plus five years of supervised release on Wednesday in federal court in Newark.

A man who served time in a New Jersey prison with Bratsenis in the early 2000s, Bomani Africa, also pleaded guilty in the killing and was sentenced last month to 20 years. He named Bratsenis as the accomplice who helped kill Galdieri.

Revelations about Galdieris killing jolted political circles in a state infamous for dozens of political corruption convictions in recent decades and trickery like the 2013 Bridgegate scandal, which involved traffic jams purposely created near the busy George Washington Bridge for political retribution.

Caddle was well-known in northern New Jersey politics. His one-time clients included current Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and former Democratic state senator and gubernatorial candidate Raymond Lesniak.

Caddles plea agreement referred briefly and opaquely to him providing investigators with information, but didnt say what. He pleaded to conspiring to commit murder-for-hire in January 2022 and hasnt been sentenced yet. The U.S. attorneys office has declined comment, as has an attorney for Bratsenis.

Questions still surround the case over why the plot was put in motion, how Caddle was linked to the two ex-convicts, and why federal prosecutors have said so little about the crime.

Less mysterious is the depth and breadth of Bratseniss criminal past.

Bratsenis served in the Marines from 1968 to 1974, and then began racking up convictions in Connecticut and New Jersey for drug, robbery, and weapons offenses.

In the summer of 1980, according to Connecticut authorities, Bratsenis conspired with a former Stamford police lieutenant and two other men to murder a reputed drug courier, David Avnayim, whose body was found in the trunk of a car west of New Haven.

Bratsenis wasnt charged until four years later, but eventually pleaded guilty to murder conspiracy.

By the time he was charged with Avnayims murder, Bratsenis was already behind bars, the result of a conviction for robbing a jewelry store in Little Falls, New Jersey, in 1983.

While behind bars in New Jersey, he plotted an escape attempt in which he planned to hide a bag of drugs in his rectum and explode it during a court appearance, forcing authorities to take him to a hospital where gunmen would spring him, according to published reports at the time.

The plot was foiled and Bratsenis eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy.

By the late 2000s, Bratsenis was in Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey, having spent more than 25 years behind bars. It was there, authorities in Connecticut alleged in court filings, that he befriended Africa, from Philadelphia, and the two began planning to rob banks when they were paroled.

Also housed at the prison during that time period was James Caddle, Sean Caddles brother, although its not known whether he knew Bratsenis or Africa. James Caddle died in 2016, according to an obituary posted online.

After being released from prison, authorities said Africa and Bratsenis robbed two Connecticut banks in Darien and Trumbull in 2014, including one weeks before Galdieris killing. Africa robbed a third bank with another man in Stratford later in 2014, prosecutors said. Both Bratsenis and Africa pleaded guilty and were sentenced to eight and 10 years in prison for the robberies, respectively.
Japans Foreign Minister Affirms Strict Stance in Protesting Chinas Detention of Japanese Employee

Japan's new Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi arrives at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's official residence in Tokyo, on Nov. 10, 2021. (Issei Kato/Reuters)

Japans foreign minister said Sunday that he had lodged a protest with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regarding the detention of a Japanese employee in China last month, calling for his immediate release.

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed Japans strict stance on the employees detention during a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, in Beijing.

Hayashi said that Japans consulate has been unable to make direct contact with the employee since his arrest last month.

We would ask [the Chinese authorities] for the earliest release of the person and allow us to meet and have direct contact with him, Hayashi told reporters.

Hayashi also urged the CCP to provide transparency in the judicial process related to the employees detention, and ensure a safe and fair business environment for Japanese firms in China.

Qin Gang said that Beijing would handle the case in accordance with the law, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The unidentified Japanese national is a senior worker at the Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas Pharma Inc., Japans Kyodo News reported. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the man is suspected of engaging in espionage activities in China.

Japans government has said that at least 17 Japanese nationals had been detained by China on suspicion of espionage, five of whom have not yet been freed, since the CCP enacted is counterespionage law in 2014.

Issues Related to South and East China Seas

The bilateral meeting lasted about three hours, according to Japans Foreign Ministry. Hayashi became the first Japanese foreign minister to visit China in three years.

During the meeting, Hayashi raised concerns over Chinas intensification of military activities around Japanparticularly near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands that China also claimsand the CCPs cooperation with Russia.

Read More China Willing to Strengthen Military Cooperation With Russia, Defense Ministry Says

We are facing numerous challenges and are at a critical stage. Both Japan and China are major powers that bear important responsibilities for the peace and prosperity of the region and the international community, he said.

Hayashi said Japan was also concerned about the situation in the disputed South China Sea, where Beijing is pushing its claims on neighboring countries despite a Hague Tribunal ruling against its claims in 2016, and emphasized the need to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

However, Qin Gang warned Japan to refrain from interfering in the Taiwan issue or undermining Chinas sovereignty in any form. He said the Taiwan issue is at the very core of Chinas core interests.

The CCP claims the liberal democratic self-ruled island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to bring the island under its control by force if necessary.

Qin Gang said that Beijing is willing to work with Japan to properly manage differences, remove obstacles and ease burdens for bilateral relations, and build a China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era.

The two nations have established a direct military hotline to prevent maritime and air clashes. Japans Defense Ministry said the line will be used to respond to unforeseen circumstances and to build trust between the two countries.

Export Controls on Semiconductor Equipment

Japan announced that it will also impose export restrictions on 23 semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The move will be a major win for the United States, which in October imposed sweeping restrictions on access to chipmaking technology to slow Chinas technological and military advances.

Following the move, Qin Gang told Hayashi that Japan should not help a villain do evil and warned that the blockade will only further stimulate Chinas determination for independence and self-development.

Japans government said the export control measures were not aimed at any specific country.

Some 42 countries, including the United States and Taiwan, will continue receiving the equipment under a simplified export measure. But China was not among them and will be subject to stricter controls.

The export control measures will take effect in July and cover equipment for cleaning, checkups, and lithographya key technology in manufacturing advanced semiconductorsaccording to Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Kevin McCarthy to Meet With Taiwans President in California Amid CCP Threats

The office of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) confirmed on April 3 that he will meet with Taiwans president, Tsai Ing-wen, on April 5 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

Tsai reportedly met with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) in New York City. Punchbowl News first reported the meeting.

Tsai transited through New York on her way to Guatemala and Belize and she will transit the United States through California on her way back to Taiwan.

The U.S. State Department uses the word transit because the United States and Taiwan only have unofficial diplomatic relations, in accordance with Washingtons One China policy, which consists of strategic ambiguity when it comes to Taiwan.

China considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province that will eventually be brought under the regimes control, while Taiwan is a self-ruled democracy, with its own military, currency, constitution, and elected government.

Transits by high-level Taiwan authorities are not visits. They are private and unofficial, and they are not new, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on March 29. Every Taiwan president has transited the United States. President Tsai has transited the U.S. six times since taking office in 2016. This will be her seventh transit.

The White House has said there are no plans for President Joe Biden and Tsai to meet, and no other Biden administration officials are publicly expected to meet with her.

China has threatened retaliation if McCarthy and Tsai meet.

Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated on April 3 that Beijing strongly opposes interaction between U.S. and Taiwanese officials.

Relevant U.S. congressman needs to abide by the One China principle and the three ChinaU.S. joint communiques, refrain from sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces, and avoid undermining the ChinaU.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, she said.

China will take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

McCarthys predecessor, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), visited Taiwan in August 2022 despite China saber-rattling ahead of the trip and flying military jets around the Pacific island nation.

Patel said on March 29 that theres no need for China to retaliate.

There is no reason to take countermeasures. Theres no reason for Beijing to turn this transit, which is consistent with longstanding U.S. policy, into something its not or to overreact, he said. As I said previously, we oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. We dont support Taiwan independence, and we continue to expect that cross-strait differences be resolved through peaceful means.

A senior Biden administration official told reporters last week that Tsais transiting across the United States shouldnt be used by China as a pretext to step up any aggressive activity around the Taiwan Strait.
Ukraine Steps Up Pressure on Orthodox Church, Arrests Top Cleric

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) servicemen stand at the entrance of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv on Nov. 22, 2022, (Sergei Chuzavkov/AFP via Getty Images)

The government in Kyiv has placed a Ukrainian Orthodox Church leader under house arrest and demanded that Orthodox monks vacate a 1,000-year-old monastery, amid a clampdown on the church.

Ukrainian officials accuse the church of harboring pro-Russia sympathies and collaborating with Moscow. The church, which distanced itself from Moscow after last years invasion of Ukraine, denies the allegations.

Over the weekend, a Kyiv court sentenced Metropolitan Pavel, a Ukrainian Orthodox Church leader, to 60 days under house arrest. The court says Pavel is guilty of condoning Russian aggression and inciting religious divisions.

Pavel, for his part, maintains his innocence and has described the sentence as politically motivated.

According to a court order, Pavel must serve his time under house arrest outside the capital Kyiv and is prohibited from attending church services. He must also wear a monitoring bracelet around his ankle.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has longstanding ecclesiastical and linguistic ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, which is led by Kirill, the patriarch of Moscow.

An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kirill supports Moscows special military operation in Ukraine, which he claims is necessary to protect Russiaand Orthodoxyfrom a corrupt and hostile West.

Kyiv and its allies, for their part, view Russias invasionnow in its second yearas an illegal war of aggression.

Members of the public pray at Kiev Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 4, 2022. (Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)

Monastery in Eye of Storm

In October 2022, Kyiv began cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, accusing it of collaborating with Moscow. Since then, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) has raided church property, sanctioned church leaders, and prosecuted dozens of Orthodox clergymen.

The SBU claims the raids have uncovered copious evidence of collaboration, including large sums of cash and pro-Russian literature.

In December 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a decision by the countrys National Security Council to ban the churchs activities. He has also called for legislation banning religious organizations that have links to Russia.

On March 10, Ukrainian authorities ordered church members to vacate Kyivs celebrated Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves). Founded almost 1,000 years ago, the monastery serves as the churchs headquarters and is a popular destination for Orthodox pilgrims.

Churchmen were given until March 29 to vacate the monastery, of which Pavel serves as father-superior, or face forcible eviction.

Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, defended Kyivs actions as a means of ensuring Ukraines spiritual independence from Moscow.

According to Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleskandr Tkachenko, the church violated its tenancy agreement by erecting unlicensed buildings inside the sprawling monastery complex.

Describing the embattled church as the Moscow branch of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, he said the state should appropriate the entire complex, which since 1990 has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

There are many new buildings that do not have relevant documents and permits, Tkachenko said in televised comments. The state must manage what belongs to it.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Kyiv of pursuing a policy of repression aimed at exterminating Ukraines canonical Orthodox Church.

Vasily Nebenzya, Russias envoy to the United Nations, said Kyiv was carrying out gangster-style takeovers of Orthodox churches and parishes across the country.

There are now plans to deprive the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Pechersk Lavra, he told the U.N. Security Council on March 14. This raises the risk of escalation and fratricidal confrontation between Ukrainians.

On March 30, Ukrainian officials visited the monastery to conduct an audit of church property, including ancient relics. However, Pavel and his fellow clergymen prevented them from entering the complex.

The following day, Pavel was charged with inciting sectarian hatred and supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Russian Patriarch Kirill celebrates a Christmas service in Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on Jan. 7, 2015. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7 in the Middle East, Russia, and other Orthodox churches that use the old Julian calendar instead of the 17th-century Gregorian calendar adopted by Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox, and commonly used in secular life around the world. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Crisis in Orthodoxy

The latest developments have prompted concern that Kyiv plans to transfer ownership of the historic monastery to a rival Ukrainian church established five years ago. In 2018, a more nationalist-minded Orthodox Churchdubbed the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU)was set up with the ostensible aim of curtailing Russian influence.

However, Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox leaders reject the new churchs legitimacy, which they describe as schismatic and anti-canonical.

Putin himself has described the new church as a Western-driven political project aimed at inciting ethnic and religious tensions.

In 2019, the new church received the blessing of Bartholomew I, the archbishop of Constantinople and the titular head of the Orthodox Christian world.

Last month, Bartholomew said Russias church and state leadershipreferring to Kirill and Putinshare responsibility for the ongoing bloodshed in Ukraine.

Lavrov, for his part, has claimed in the past that Washington pressured Bartholomew to legitimize the new church with the aim of fomenting a crisis in Orthodoxy.

Reacting to news of Pavels recent arrest, Lavrovs Foreign Ministry said the move was part of an intentional effortdirected by Washingtonto incite sectarian hatred.

In an April 3 statement, the ministry claimed Kyiv was hardly independent when it comes to its anti-ecclesiastic policies. It added, Creating a schism within Orthodoxy has long been a stated objective of Washington.

U.S. State Department officials didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment on the ministrys assertion.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paintings of an Angel and two of 'The Last Supper'

Every year, thousands of art lovers flock to Santa Maria delle Grazie (Church of Holy Mary of Grace) in Milan, Italy, to view Leonardo da Vincis painting of The Last Supper. It is a huge mural, approximately 15 feet high and 29 feet wide. It is a rare privilege to gaze upon the work of such an important figure of the Renaissance. Sadly, only about 20 percent of Leonardos masterpiece remains. It is a wonder that the painting has survived at all, since it was painted in what was then a new and still relatively unstudied medium (oil mixed with tempera on a gypsum preparation) and ravaged by the effects of warfare and time. What must the mural have been like to gaze upon when Leonardo first painted it?

Actually, it is also a bit of a wonder how Leonardo became the brilliant artist and multigifted genius that he was. He was the son of a prominent legal notary named Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci and a peasant girl named Caterina di Meo Lippi. Piero could not marry the girl because of his place in society; hence Leonardo did not fully acquire his surname. He was called Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci. (Da Vinci simply means of Vinci, the place of his birth.)

If he had acquired his fathers surname, Fruosino, he would have been expected to follow in his fathers profession. As it was, the sensitive and observant young man was free to become the pupil of Andrea del Verrocchio, a Florentine painter and sculptor.

The Baptism of Christ, 14701475, by Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo painted the angel on the left. Oil and tempera on panel. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. (Public Domain)

During his apprenticeship with Verrocchio, Leonardo was allowed to paint one of the angels in the work The Baptism of Christ. The angel on the left shows plainly the hand of Leonardo. There is a legend, though unsubstantiated, that when Verrocchio saw Leonardos angel, he put down his brush and never painted again. What is clear is that Leonardo was the master of a smooth blending technique (sfumato) that from then on would always identify the work of his hand.

Milans Last Supper

In 1482, Leonardo went to Milan, seeking the patronage of Ludivico il Moro, the Duke of Milan. In 1492, he was commissioned to paint The Last Supper on the wall of the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. A common theme, the Last Supper of Christ was often requested as a painting in such a setting.

Usually, the artist would center on the celebration of the Eucharist. Leonardo, however, chose to portray the moment just after Jesus announced, One of you will betray me (from John 13:21). He masterfully captured the tension of the moment in the gestures of the apostles. In creating this great work, he would sometimes paint from dawn to dusk, not even stopping to eat. He labored long and hard to capture the faces of Christ and Judas.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci in the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie (Church of Holy Mary of Grace), in Milan, Italy. (Public Domain)

In the end, he created a masterpiece. The painting was completed in 1498. Sadly, the foundation that Leonardo chose for his paintinggesso (the base undercoating) on plasterwould prove to be unstable over time. Just 10 years after the painting was completed, it was evident that it was deteriorating. A door was cut through the painting in 1652, taking away the feet of Jesus. In 1796, French revolutionary troops used the room as a stable. The painting barely survived Allied bombing in 1943, protected by sandbags. By the 1970s, some areas of the painting were deemed unrestorable. A 21-year restoration project, completed in 1999, was carried out to save what remained, which was only a fraction of the original painting.

The Tongerlo Canvas

It is here, however, that history took an interesting turn. Leonardo, with much assistance from his pupils, created a life-sized copy of the original The Last Supper on canvas. The story of the second painting begins in July of 1499, when newly crowned King Louis XII of France invaded Milan. When he took a tour of the citys wonders, he was duly impressed by Leonardos painting. As a conquering monarch, he wanted to take the painting back to France. He sought out architects and craftsmen to create a way to box up the wall (with the painting on it) and transfer the whole treasure by carriage. The kings project failed, being prohibitively expensive not to mention impossible, owing to the condition of the wall.

Louis XII was undeterred. If he couldnt bring the mural back with him, hed find the artist who painted it and have him create a copy. A letter from the king, dated January 1507, told the high officials of da Vincis native Florence, We have need of Leonardo da Vinci. It is highly likely that the work on the second painting of The Last Supper was directed by Andrea Solari, who worked in da Vincis studio.

Tongerlos The Last Supper on canvas, 16th century, by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea Solari. (Courtesy of Tongerlo Abbey)

In composition, it was a highly faithful reproduction of the original. Da Vinci himself probably painted Jesus and John. There are several good reasons to believe this. First, the skillful soft blending of the master is evident in these two facesfar more than in the other disciples. The distinct appearance is not unlike that of da Vincis angel in Verrocchios painting of The Baptism of Christ. When the painting was X-rayed, it was discovered that these two figures appear to not have been traced from the original sketches. They appeared to have been sketched and painted directly by the masterlacking the heavy underdrawings of the others.

There is no record of where the second painting of The Last Supper was first displayed, although we know it must have been in the kings cherished possession for years. The painting was recorded to have been displayed later in the chateau of the governor of the captured regions in Galion, France. A 1540 inventory of the governors estate describes the work.

It was purchased in 1545 by Abbot Arnold Streyters for the Abbey of Tongerlo in Westerlo, near Antwerp, Belgium. He paid the then exorbitant price of 450 gulden for it. (In the 17th century, 450 gulden would be almost $55,000 today.) Some speculate that this was done in defiance of Calvinist prohibitions against religious art. The painting is still owned by the abbey today, and offers art lovers a rare opportunity to see what the original mural in Milan must have looked like when it was first painted.

Much color and detail, now lost from the painting in Milan, is crisp and visible on the Tongerlo canvas. It was not widely known until Jean-Pierre Isbouts and Christopher Heath Brown were researching for their 2017 book The Young Leonardo: The Evolution of a Revolutionary Artist, 14721499. The scholars heard of the Tongerlo painting from colleagues, and their subsequent research further served to underscore the likelihood that this work is indeed traceable back to Leonardo.

The second painting of The Last Supper was almost destroyed or lost several times. At one point, the monks hid it in a granary. In 1929, it survived a major fire that severely damaged the abbey. Now the canvas, well over 500 years old, is also in need of restoration. Since only a handful of da Vincis works exist in the world today, the opportunity to preserve one of his most sacred paintings is a most worthy cause.

Visit the abbeys website for further information on the Tongerlo Last Supper Fund and restoration.
Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney to Run Against His Boss George Gascon

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Jon Hatami (R) and attorney Brian Claypool (L) at a press conference in front of the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles on Sept. 8, 2021. (Linda Jiang/The Epoch Times)

Jonathan Hatamia deputy district attorney known for taking on high-profile child abuse casesis one of the contenders vying to replace progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon in 2024, he announced on March 29 in Whittier.

Hatami, who works in the Complex Child Abuse Unit at the Hall of Justice, said amid a public safety crisis, hes seen the failures of our elected leaders who promised to do better but only end up making things worse.

The prosecutor had several families of victims behind him in support at the announcement.

These are the real victims of the criminal justice system, and George Gascon has left them behind, Hatami said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon speaks at a press conference in Los Angeles, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

According to his campaign website, the veteran prosecutor has handled thousands of child physical and sexual abuse cases, domestic violence, hate crimes, and complex homicides and prosecuted more than 80 felony jury trials. In particular, he was the prosecutor in the case of Jose Cuatro and Maria Juarez, a couple charged with murder and torture in the death of their 4-year-old son Noah.

Hatami was also one of two prosecutors in the high-profile trial of Isauro Aguirre and Pearl Fernandez, who were sentenced to death and life in prison without parole, respectively, for the torture and murder of Fernandezs 8-year-old son Gabriel in 2013.

As a Democrat, Hatami said he would have both Republicans and Democrats working in his office should he get elected.

I see so many individuals trying to separate us based on politics, [but] public safety has nothing to do with politics, he said.

In September 2021, Hatami filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, alleging he was defamed and retaliated against for being an outspoken critic of Gascon.

Ive always believed being a good prosecutor means telling the truth and doing the right thing. Thats the justice, he said. I believe in December 2020, George Gascon changed all of that.

Farida Baig, whose father Shahid Ali Baig was murdered in 1980, speaks at a press conference by supporters of an effort to recall Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon in Los Angeles on Dec. 6, 2021. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

At least 15 other Los Angeles County prosecutors are also taking legal action against Gascon for either retaliation or defamation claims. One of these prosecutors, Deputy District Attorney Maria Ramirez, is also running against Gascon.

Los Angeles prosecutor John McKinney, who just won a high-profile case convicting the suspect who murdered Grammy award-winning rapper Nipsey Hussle in 2019, announced on March 7 that he also has joined the 2024 race.

Incumbent Gascon was first elected in December 2020 on a promise to radically reform the criminal justice system. Some of the policies he implemented and faced pushback from critics include: no longer charging minors as adults, eliminating many sentencing enhancements including firearms, ending the death penalty, holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the law, and removing cash bail for misdemeanors or nonviolent felony crimes.

Gascon, previously the district attorney in San Francisco from 2011 to 2019, survived recall attempts in Los Angeles in 2021 and 2022.

Gascons office didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.
Macys Gennette to Retire; Bloomingdales Spring Is New CEO

Shoppers walk to the Macy's store in the Downtown Crossing district in Boston on Nov. 17, 2021. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo)

NEW YORKMacys Chairman and CEO Jeff Gennette will retire at the end of the fiscal year and will be succeeded by Bloomingdales Chairman and CEO Tony Spring.

Macys owns Bloomindales, as well as the cosmetics chain Bluemercury.

Gennette, 61, guided the retailer through the pandemic after taking the top job at Macys in March 2017. He became chairman the following year. Gennette has worked at Macys for 40 years, serving in roles including president, chief merchandising officer and vice president and division merchandise manager for mens collections. Gennette started in retail in 1983 as an executive trainee at Macys West in San Francisco.

Earlier this month Macys reported fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Streets expectations. The chain remained relatively positive about its profit this year.

Spring, 58, will become president and CEO-elect immediately, according to a regulatory filing on Wednesday, and is expected to be appointed as permanent CEO in February. He will take a board seat on Saturday and will have an annual salary of $1 million, plus incentives.

Spring has been an executive vice president at Macys since 2021 and has worked in various positions at Bloomingdales for 35 years.

Macy said that as president, Spring will be responsible for leading its digital, customer, merchandising, and brand teams, while also overseeing Bloomingdales and Bluemercury.

Macys board, which currently has 14 members, will increase its size to 16 directors.

Macys Chief Financial Officer Adrian Mitchell will be taking on the additional role of chief operating officer. The 49 year-old has been CFO since 2020. He will now lead the stores, technology, and supply chain teams in addition to handling his existing finance and real estate responsibilities.

Macys Inc. is based in Cincinnati.

By Michelle Chapman
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. American companies are interested in Azerbaijan's energy projects, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman said during the Azerbaijan-US energy forum in Baku, Trend reports.

According to him, the US and the country's companies are aware that Azerbaijan today plays the role of a hub for the transportation of energy resources to various regions.

"In addition, we are considering cooperation in the private sector, especially in the transport sector. Our President Biden welcomes the decarbonization processes in the world, including in the US. And I, in turn, am glad that Azerbaijan is also working in this direction, which increases our confidence in this country," he said.

Venkataraman said that the US is interested in continuing cooperation with Azerbaijan.

"We welcome the creation of new sustainable markets, and we are confident that Azerbaijan will become an energy hub and a clean energy market. The US and European investors, given the country's stable economy and potential, are investing, and we are ready to expand this cooperation," he said.

Venkataraman also noted that US companies are ready to develop cooperation with Azerbaijan in the fields of consultation and training.

"The US is a country with vast experience in almost all areas of the economy, industry, and production, and we are ready to share our experience with Azerbaijan," he added.
Maine 19-Year-Old Will Plead Guilty in Mosque Attack Plot

BANGOR, MaineA 19-year-old from Maine who the FBI says built homemade explosives and plotted to attack a mosque in the name of the Islamic State group will plead guilty to providing material support to terrorists.

Xavier Pelkey of Waterville faces a maximum of 15 years in prison under a plea agreement in which a second charge will be dropped, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The change-of-plea hearing is set for next week in U.S. District Court.

Pelkeys attorney did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment on Thursday.

Law enforcement officials said Pelkey was in communication with two juvenilesone in Canada, the other in Illinoisabout conducting a mass shooting at a Shiite mosque in the Chicago area and possibly other houses of worship. All three alleged plotters believed in a radical form of Sunni Islam that views the Shiite branch of Islam as nonbelievers, officials said.

Pelkey was 18 when he was arrested last year by FBI agents who found three homemade explosives in his residence. The devices were made of fireworks bundled together with staples, pins and thumb tacks to create shrapnel, the FBI said.

Investigators also found a handwritten document in Pelkeys bedroom that appeared to be a draft statement about the planned mosque attack, claiming it in the name of the Islamic State group. In the statement, Pelkey claimed allegiance to the extremist Sunni militant group, and an IS flag was painted on the wall of his bedroom, investigators said.

Despite their defeat in Syria in March 2019, the militant groups sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both Syria and Iraq where they once declared a caliphate.
Man Charged Over Danish Mall Shooting That Killed 3

Emergency service members gather at the Field's shopping center after a shooting in Copenhagen, Denmark, on July 3, 2022. (Olafur Steinar Gestsson/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

COPENHAGEN, DenmarkA 23-year-old man has been formally charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly opening fire last year in a crowded Copenhagen shopping mall, killing three people and injuring several more, Danish police said.

On Wednesday. the Danish authorities ruled out the attack being related to terrorism. The suspectwho was known to mental health servicesallegedly acted alone and apparently selected his victims at random.

Police said that on July 3, the suspect, who was not identified, opened fire inside one of Scandinavias biggest shopping centers on the outskirts of the Danish capital. The suspect, carrying a rifle and knife, was quickly arrested. Police said the firearm he had was obtained illegally.

On Wednesday, the man was charged with three counts of murder, 11 counts of attempted murder and one count of attempted murder by shooting at a group of about 21 people, prosecutor Sren Harbo said in a statement.

He said it was an extremely serious case and the charges were made after investigating the case very carefully.

A trial in the case has been set to start on June 12 at the Copenhagen District Court. It is scheduled to end on July 5.

Two dozen people were slightly hurt, most in a panicked stampede after the shots rang out at the Fields shopping center, on the outskirts of the Danish capital. A Harry Styles concert that was scheduled for hours later nearby, was canceled due to the shooting.

Gun violence is relatively rare in Denmark.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Wont Charge Wounded NYC Garage Worker Who Shot Alleged Thief

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wont prosecute a Manhattan parking garage attendant who shot a suspected thief after he was wounded, his office confirmed on Sunday.

Moussa Diarra, 57, was shot twice by suspected car thief Charles Rhodie, 59, on Saturday before he obtained the suspects handgun and shot the suspect, authorities said. Diarra was initially charged with assault, gun possession, and attempted murderdrawing outrage on social mediabefore the charges were dropped.

Braggs office said that we are declining to prosecute Moussa Diarra pending further investigation, reported Fox5 New York. The Epoch Times has contacted Braggs office for comment.

Officials told local media that Rhodie was also charged with attempted murder, gun possession, and assault.

Lawyers for Diarra confirmed to the New York Post and New York Daily News that charges were dropped against his client.

The DAs office did a great job. They investigated it. We also did a deep dive into it, and it was clear that Moussa was really a victim, lucky to be alive and a hero, attorney Charles Clayman told the Daily News. They have declined to prosecute, for good reason.

Diarras lawyer told the Post on Sunday that we were in constant touch with the DA, and I just think that the police on the scene felt that that was the right thing to do  and then things would be sorted out by the DA, and I believe thats what happened.

I think what they wanted to do was sort things out, and both men had been shot, he said, referring to the police and charges. And they just didnt have time just to start talking to witnesses at that point.

By this morning, people understood exactly what had happened, what a hero and victim my client was. Obviously not the perpetrator, Clayman added. So alls well that ends well.

Officials said that around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, Diarra spotted a man peering into cars on a West 31st Street garage in Manhattan. Diarra then brought the man outside and asked him about what was inside his bag before the man pulled a gun on him.

A Google Street View image shows West 31st Street in Manhattan. (Google Street View via The Epoch Times)

Diarra attempted to grab the gun before it was fired, shooting the parking garage attendant in the stomach and grazing his ear. He then grabbed the gun and shot the would-be car thief, officials told local media.

Someone was illegally in the garage. He got him to leave, the guy pulled a gun and a fight ensued, Clayman told the Daily News. Moussa tried to protect himself and anybody else that was around.

Elaborating, the lawyer said, When the police came, two men were on the sidewalk. Both of them had been shot and there was blood on the street.

Before it was reported that charges were dropped against Diarra, the case drew immediate comparison to an incident that took place last year in the Bronx when a convenience store worker stabbed a man who was seen on video assaulting him. Alba, 61, spent several days inside the Rikers Island facility after he was arrested and charged with the death of Austin Simon.

Charges against Alba were dropped after widespread outcry from the community and some local politicians, including Mayor Eric Adams.

Meanwhile, Bragg has faced more criticism for investigating former President Donald Trump for alleged hush-money payments that were made to adult actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Trump has denied wrongdoing and has accused Bragg of taking campaign money from left-wing billionaire investor George Soros.

A Manhattan grand jury indicted Trump late last week, although the indictment has not yet been unsealed in connection to the case. Trump has confirmed on social media that he will fly to Manhattan on Tuesday to face arraignment.
Markets Expect Higher Oil Prices After Surprise OPEC Cut

An OPEC flag is seen on the day of an OPEC+ meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Lisa Leutner/Reuters)

Crude oil prices rallied as much as 6 percent on April 3, with both West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent futures soaring above $80 per barrel.

Oil prices climbed in response to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, OPEC+, slashing output by 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd) from May to the end of 2023. Saudi Arabia will lead the way with a cut of 500,000 bpd, followed by Iraq (211,000), the United Arab Emirates (144,000), Kuwait (128,000), Kazakhstan (78,000), and Algeria (48,000).

The cartels decision is in addition to Russias voluntary cut of 500,000 bpd announced in February.

Accordingly, this will bring the total additional voluntary production adjustments by the above-mentioned countries to 1.66 million b/d, OPEC said in a statement. The Meeting noted that this is a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market.

OPECs decision will tighten an already sensitive energy market, prompting analysts to bolster their price forecasts.

Because some OPEC+ members are producing below the previously agreed quota, the real reduction in physical oil supply is about 800,000 bpd, says Rob Thummel, the portfolio manager of TortoiseEcofin.

Goldman Sachs raised its Brent crude estimate to $95 a barrel by the years end and $100 for December 2024. Thats up from the previous projections of $90 and $95, respectively.

The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, on Nov. 22, 2019. (Angus Mordant/Reuters)

OPEC+ has very significant pricing power relative to the past, Goldman Sachs analysts Daan Struyven and Callum Bruce wrote in a note. Todays surprise cut is consistent with their new doctrine to act preemptively because they can without significant losses in market share.

Last month, the financial institution warned that oil prices could surge to as high as $107, depending on how the group responds to evolving market conditions.

TortoiseEcofin expects oil prices to be in the range of $85 to $95 in 2023.

The company noted that investors might be assessing the situation as OPEC+ anticipates weaker-than-expected demand. However, according to Thummel, consumption levels are predicted to accelerate throughout the year and potentially touch a record high in the second half of the year.

Global oil inventories are below normal and will likely remain below normal as higher demand and less supply deplete inventories throughout the year, he said.

John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said, We dont think cuts are advisable at this moment, given market uncertainty.

However, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter that his state might just counter that with a 1 million barrel production increase.

Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at The Price Futures Group and author of The Energy Report, called the move a slap in the face to the Biden administration. After calling Riyadh a pariah state, it is now back to begging OPEC not to cut production, he said.

The Biden administrations energy policy has discouraged U.S. drilling and production and has allowed OPEC to have the power to snub the U.S. and its oil needs, he wrote.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. oil production has been flat so far this year, at 12.2 million bpd, which is still below the pre-pandemic high of 13.1 million bpd.

Separate EIA data confirm that U.S. emergency oil reserves remained unchanged at 371.58 million barrels for the week ending March 24, down nearly 35 percent from the same time a year ago.

Higher Gasoline Prices Coming?

But will the recent developments weigh on gasoline prices?

Before the OPEC announcement, the national average gas price had been inching higher, rising 3.42 percent to $3.506 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

EIA data show that one of the factors for this jump in gas prices has been rebounding domestic demand. For the week ending March 24, U.S. product supplied of finished motor gasoline climbed close to 8 percent year over year to 9.145 million bpd.

In addition, gasoline stocks have tumbled for six consecutive weeks, plunging more than 15 million barrels since the middle of February.

The latest EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook report predicted that domestic gasoline consumption in 2023 and 2024 would jump by roughly 2 percent, with prices averaging $3.36 and $3.11, respectively.
Montenegro: South Korea, US Seek Extradition of Do Kwon

Montenegrin police officers escort an individual who is believed to be one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean citizen, Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon in Montenegro's capital Podgorica on March 24, 2023. (Risto Bozovic/AP Photo)

PODGORICA, MontenegroSouth Korea and the United States have requested the extradition from Montenegro of Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who is wanted in connection with a $40 billion crash of the firms cryptocurrency that devastated retail investors around the world, Montenegros justice minister.

Do Kwon and another South Korean citizen were arrested in Montenegro last week on international arrest warrants. A court in the small European country ordered the two detained for 30 days for legal proceedings, Justice Minister Marko Kovac said Wednesday.

South Korea asked Interpol in September to circulate a red notice asking the agencys 195 member nations to find and apprehend the 31-year-old Kwon.

He and the other man were arrested at Montenegros Podgorica Airport on March 24 while trying to depart for Dubai using fake Costa Rican passports, authorities have said.

They are believed to have been hiding in Serbia but moved to Montenegro after South Korean investigators tracked their whereabouts and asked Serbian authorities to detain them, the South Korean Justice Ministry said when the arrests were made.

Kovac, the Montenegrin justice minister, said both men were under investigation in Montenegro for possessing false documents and could face criminal proceedings for the offense, which carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.

It was not immediately clear when and to which country Do Kwon could eventually be extradited. Kovac said South Korea was seeking the extradition of both suspects, while the U.S. requested only to have Kwon handed over.

The Ministry of Justice of Montenegro guarantees that the citizens of South Korea will be granted all the rights in accordance with the laws in Montenegro and international agreements, said Kovac.

Kwon and five others connected to Terraform are wanted because of allegations of fraud and financial crimes in relation to the implosion of its digital currencies in May 2022.

A screen (R) shows the falling values of the Luna cryptocurrency, at a cryptocurrency exchange in Seoul, South Korea, on May 27, 2022. (Ryu Hyo-lim/Yonhap via AP)

TerraUSD was designed as a stablecoin, a currency which is pegged to stable assets like the U.S. dollar to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices. However, around $40 billion in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg in May.

By Predrag Milic
New High-Powered Weapons Ban a Smokescreen for Real Problems: Industry

Farmer says gun control measures will impact conservation

Used guns sit for sale in an elaborate western display at the Burns Trading Post in Burns, Oregon, on Jan. 5, 2015. (Rob Kerr/AFP via Getty Images)

Moves to implement the toughest firearm controls in Australia have been met with accusations that it is nothing more than a smokescreen for weak action on high crime rates and cost of living problems.

On Feb. 14, the Western Australian (WA) Labor government announced a new ban on high-powered firearms able to fire over long distances and capable of piercing armour plating.

Under the ban, 56 types of firearms and 19 calibres of ammunition will become illegal. This means 248 licenced firearms will be banned and must be disposed of by July 1, 2023.

The state will fund a buyback scheme to purchase the weapons from legal owners.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan speaks to the media during a press conference in Perth on Feb. 5, 2022. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

The Western Australian Police Force has informed me there is no practical need for these specific very high-powered firearms in WA, said Premier Mark McGowan in a statement.

While they remain in our community, these weapons are vulnerable to falling into the wrong hands, and the consequences could be devastating.

While the laws will target legal owners, the number of weapons on the grey market or undeclared still remains high.

Members of the New South Wales (NSW) state riot squad police carry machine guns as they patrol on Sydneys Circular Quay on December 18, 2017. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

A study by the University of Sydney in 2021 revealed over 260,000 illegal firearms were available on the grey market with suggestions the number could be as high as 600,000.

The WA governments move comes after the discovery of an underground bunker storing high-calibre weapons.

Police will monitor the disposal of the identified firearms and, where required, any reports of lost or stolen firearms will be the subject of a full investigation, said Acting WA Police Commissioner Kylie Whiteley.

No Practical Effect on Crime: Federal MP

Member for Moore Ian Goodenough, himself a gun owner, said the ban was academic and arbitrary in nature.

Things like the calibre restrictions are not going to have any practical effect on the publics safety, he told The Epoch Times, while speaking at the Western Australian Firearms Community Alliance in Pertha meeting to bring together gun owners and industry experts.

The Member for Moore Ian Goodenough, a centre-right Liberal Party federal MP, at the Western Australian Firearms Community Alliance in Perth, Australia on April 1, 2023. (Courtesy of Mark Hutchison)

Some of the other reforms, such as tightening up the rules on reloading and minor modifications to firearms, have no practical effect because licensed firearm owners are generally law-abiding.

Goodenough said the WA Labor government was actually struggling to deal with police recruitment and retention, and in turn, this was impacting its ability to deal with crime.

[Also] the way that society has gone is that the police force is often tied up looking at domestic violence and alcohol and drug-related issues. Their clearance rates for solving and attending to crime scenes are getting longer. So the public is getting a bit of dissatisfaction from not having prompt attendance [to crimes], he said.

I think the main issue is the drug problem thats out of control. Theres so much meth and cocaine in all the suburbs and [the police] are getting record seizures, he added. Thats whats causing social issues.

Goodenough said gun owners were the weak link and an easy target for visible government action.

Like most of the country, WA is dealing with a spike in repeat criminal offenders.

Pastoralist Says Ban Will Hamstring Pest Control Efforts

Jim West of the WA Farmers Federation said long-range weapons were critical for farmers to deal with pests.

Sometimes you need different firearms. I interviewed a farmer who has a camel problem out in station country. He has to get too close to them and hed love a more high-powered rifle so he wont have to get close, he said.

[On our property] we had over 100 foxes reduced, there was a number of feral pigs and cats which destroy the local marsupialsthings that you really want to save.

Jim West, of the WA Farmers Federation, attending the Western Australian Firearms Community Alliance in Perth, Australia on April 1, 2023. (Courtesy of Mark Hutchison)

Australia has some of the worlds largest feral animal populationspartly due to the lack of large land predators and a smaller human population.

The country is estimated to contain 400,000 wild horses, five million donkeys, 150,000 water buffalo, 1.7 million foxes, one million camels (the largest population in the world), and 24 million feral pigsin comparison, the United States contains six million feral pigs.

West said the government should focus on dealing with the criminal population.

They have lost their focus in reducing crime in many ways, he said. People nowadays should respect the police, but I think theyve lost that because there are no local policemen. They dont get to know them.

Meanwhile, Stuart Ostle from the Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers Party, said the firearms community had become the poster child of a government seeking re-election.

I think people are coming to terms with the fact that its no longer a ship that is steered with public consultation; the governments now just doing what it wants to do, he said.
New Jersey College Suspended Student for Preaching From the Bible on Campus

Kombe Sefelino was accused of 'hate speech' and threatened with expulsion

The First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech and freedom of expression in the United States. (Courtesy of House.gov)

College student and street preacher Kombe Sefelino was suspended from the County College of Morris (CCM) in Randolph, New Jersey, for quoting the Bible and condemning homosexuality as a sin.

But after he filed a federal lawsuit in March citing his First Amendment right to free speech, he is now allowed back on campus. The college sent his attorney a letter on March 31 saying it would let Sefelino on campus and allow him to exercise all his First Amendment rights.

The college, I think, knows what they did was wrong, attorney Wally Zimolong told The Epoch Times. But they havent said they wouldnt do it again. They havent said hes completely in the clear. They havent done anything to repair the damage to his academic record. They havent rescinded his previous suspensions.

In November, someone complained to the college administration about Sefelinos statements that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God.

While preaching outside in the center of the campus, Sefelino preached directly from 1 Corinthians 6:911, which states that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God and lists the sexually immoral and men who practice homosexuality as being unrighteous, along with thieves, drunkards, adulterers, and others who commit various sins.

The complaint prompted a Nov. 11 warning letter from the college describing Sefelino as using hate speech that demonstrated bias against the LGBT community. The letter threatened Sefelino with expulsion if the college received any more complaints about his biased behavior.

We accept everyone here. There is no place for bias at CCM. You should think hard about whether this is the best environment for you, said Vivyen Ray, CCMs vice president of human resources and labor relations, in the closing of the letter.

Zimolong disagreed with Rays statement about acceptance.

The college doesnt accept everybody, Zimolong said. They only accept people that agree with their worldview, which is an idea pervasive on all college campuses today.

Undeterred by Administrations Threats

Sefelino continued preaching for passersby to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus.

On Nov. 28, 2022, the college suspended Sefelino, saying he was guilty of preaching hate speech on campus in reference to homosexuality. The suspension ran from Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, 2022.

Zimolong said CCM previously told himafter the suspension but before the latest letterthat it would have Sefelino arrested for trespassing if he appeared on campus.

CCM told The Epoch Times it cannot comment on pending litigation.

The college suspended Mr. Sefelino because of the content of his speech and the viewpoints that he expressed. This is constitutionally impermissible at a public institution of higher learning, court papers filed in U.S. District Court of New Jersey Newark say. There is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment. And even if there were, repeating words from the Bible that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God, is not hate speech.
Norway Makes Countrys Largest-Ever Cocaine Seizure in Oslo

COPENHAGEN, DenmarkPolice made the largest-ever cocaine seizure in Norway when they discovered 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of the drug in boxes of fruit in Oslo, officials said.

Norwegian news agency NTB said late Thursday that the drugs were found this week following a tipoff from German police who seized 1,200 kilograms (2,645 pounds) in Potsdam on Tuesday.

Police didnt disclose the exact date that the cocaine was found in Oslo, or where the fruit originated from. No one has been arrested in Norway.

Police spokeswoman Grete Lien Metlid was quoted by NTB as saying that it was the largest seizure ever in Norway. She said that it was too early to say whether the cocaine was intended for the Norwegian market, or if Norway was being used as a transit point.

We cannot rule out that there are larger networks with connections to Norway, Lien Metlid told NTB.

The fruit boxes had arrived at a warehouse facility of Bama, a large Norwegian fruit and vegetable wholesaler, company spokesman Pia Gulbrandsen said in a statement.

The previous largest seizures of cocaine in Norway was in 2013 when 153 kilograms (337 pounds), were seized, and in 2013 when 145 kilograms (319 pounds) of cocaine were hidden in banana boxes, the news agency said.
Former President Donald Trump arrived in New York City on April 3 as he prepares to surrender himself to the Manhattan District Attorney after a grand jury indicted him last week.

According to multiple media reports, the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States was able to transmit data back to Beijing in real time despite the U.S. governments efforts to prevent it from doing so.

A Russian pro-war blogger was killed in an explosion at a cafe in Russia. Russian investigators have detained a suspect.
NYPD Wont Tolerate Violence or Destruction as Trump Arrives, Commissioner Warns

New York Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell attends a press conference announcing arrests in a major gun trafficking case in New York on Jan. 11, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Police officers in New York wont tolerate violence, top city officials warned on April 3 as former President Donald Trump departed from Florida for his scheduled April 4 booking and arraignment on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment.

Violence and destruction are not part of legitimate lawful expression. And it will never be tolerated in our city, Keechant Sewell, commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD), told a news conference at City Hall ahead of Trumps arrival later in the day.

Sewell said that officers want to make sure people can protest and exercise their First Amendment rights.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who appeared with Sewell, urged people planning to travel to the city on March 4 to exercise control.

While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: control yourselves, Adams said. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.

It isnt clear by what measure New York is the safest major U.S. city, and Adamss office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

While officials said there are no credible specific threats at the moment, they noted that some notable Trump supporters are planning to travel to the city to protest in support of Trump.

While youre in town, be on your best behavior, Adams said. We will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind.

And if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountableno matter who you are.

At least one apparent Trump supporter has been arrested. A woman holding a sign that said, I support Trump, do you? was taken into custody on March 28 after allegedly wielding a knife. That case is still being investigated, Sewell said.

Former President Donald Trump stands near his plane at the Palm Beach International Airport as he departs for New York, in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 3, 2023. (Marco Bello/Reuters)

Supporters of former President Donald Trump wave flags and cheer at a rally in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 3, 2023. (Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo)

The briefing was held as Trump was departing Florida, his primary state of residence, to fly to New York for his April 4 arraignment in state court.

Heading To New York. Make America Great Again!!! Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, referring to his MAGA campaign slogan.

Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury, though the reasons for the charges remain under seal.

Trump was being accompanied by at least one family member. Eric Trump, one of Trumps sons, posted a picture on social media from inside the former presidents plane.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of Trumps strongest supporters in Congress, said on April 2 that she will travel to New York to take part in a rally held by the New York Young Republican Club.

Protesting is a constitutional right and I am going to NY on Tuesday to protest this unprecedented abuse of our justice system and election interference.

I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us. You are not one of us, you are one of them. We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump, she added.

The event page lists it as being slated for 10:30 a.m. at Collect Pond Park.

Join us in peaceful protest of Alvin Braggs heinous attack on President Donald J. Trump! the club said on the page.

Trump is scheduled to be arraigned on April 4 at a courthouse in the borough of Manhattan, where Bragg, the district attorney and a Democrat, has been investigating the Republican over a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Joe Tacopina, one of Trumps lawyers, said during an appearance on ABC that he hoped Trump would be in and out of the courthouse as quickly as possible and that it would unfold like a typical arraignment, which consists primarily of a defendant being read his rights, entering a plea, and the setting of future hearings.

While the initial appearance will be open to members of the press and the public, theres limited space inside the courtroom.

Trump is planning to address the nation after his arraignment.
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Parents Take Legal Action to Demand Right to Opt Out of Emotional Intelligence Curriculum

A group of parental rights advocates in Orange County, California, claim school policies are moving away from teaching math, reading, science, and other core subjects to teach students controversial emotional intelligence ideas and are trampling on their constitutional rights to direct the upbringing of their children by not allowing them to opt their children out.

The group has taken legal action against the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the alleged violation of such rights with a March 24 letter (pdf) by Karin Sweigart, an attorney at Dhillon Law Group, issued on behalf of two groupsthe California Alliance For Education and the California Policy Centerregarding a program known as RULER (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating).

The letter demands the district implement policy changes to require parental notice, the right to inspect curriculum, and an opt-out option to comply with state and federal statutes, and alleges the district has exploited schoolchildren to elicit information about their beliefs and feelings with the goal of changing their emotions and behaviors in accordance with the cultural bias of the day and without regard to family beliefs or values.

RULER is a program developed by Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, who sits on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) board. The program has been adopted by over 4,500 schools across the United States and has reached over 4 million children.

Screenshot from the CASEL website, one of the leading outfits promoting social and emotional learning (SEL). (Screenshot via schoolguide.casel.org)

The RULER curriculum encourages educators to build culturally responsive classrooms by having children question stereotypes they may have learned from their family or their religion, according to the letter.

Sweigart said the district should not be forcing children to participate in RULER against parents wishes, and alleged that when parents requested that their children be opted out, the district refused.

RULER is described as a systemic approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) that aims to infuse the principles of emotional intelligence into the immune system of Pre-K to 12 schools, the letter states.

Sweigart alleges that the RULER program runs afoul of the federal Protection of Pupil Rights (PPRA) which states no student shall be required to submit to a survey, analysis, or evaluation that reveals information concerning political affiliations or beliefs, mental or psychological problems, nor sex behavior or attitudes of the student or the students parents. It also allows parents to opt their children out of any programs and requires schools to permit them to inspect school materials related to any program.

RULER tasks educatorswho are not licensed mental health professionalswith evaluating and even treating perceived problems with students emotional health and expressly instructs educators to gather information regarding categories prohibited under the PPRA including family background, family relationships, religious beliefs, and religious practices, Sweigart alleged.

And, even worse, she said, the district engaged in this behavior behind parents backs.

The U.S. Constitution protects the parental right to direct the upbringing of their children, which is recognized as perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberty interests recognized, Sweigart wrote.

The district has 30 days to respond to the demands letter to avoid a potential court battle.

The allegations stem from a Public Records Act request filed by parental rights advocates who reviewed the RULER curriculum the district purchased.

Flags fly at the Newport-Mesa Unified School District in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Sept. 21, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Concerned Counselor

A licensed mental health counselor in California who goes by the pseudonym Anne DeTalvera for fear of retaliation told The Epoch Times parents have been monitoring school board meetings and the changes in curricula.

Like many parents, DeTalvera said she became more aware of what students were learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and was alarmed to discover the district implemented the RULER curriculum in the 20222023 school year.

Now, were on warp speed with ideological programming, she said. They are not following informed consent practices required by state and federal law.

In the fourth grade, students are armed and equipped with a vocabulary designed to steer them towards activism, she said.

One of the activities has students engage in meditative exercises called breathwork mindfulness while listening to recordings of political speeches, protests, or news coverage, DeTalvera said.

So, they are eliciting feelings, which in todays political climate are generally not moderate, she said. It swings to one side or the other, and so we dont know what political speeches are going to be implemented within the classroom.

According to the letter, educators are encouraged to prompt fifth-grade students to choose a side after showing them controversial photographs or news headlines and nudge students towards feeling red, which is defined as anger when discussing topics such as injustice with the teacher.

Students are taught they must affirm the resistance and amelioration of systemic racial oppression, and there are lessons on examining power and privilege, DeTalvera said.

So, its not, Lets work together as a community, she said. This is ideological and politically driven to more of a left-leaning worldview.

Rather than keeping the focus on basic academic disciplines such as reading, writing, math, history, and science, schools are becoming grounds for social services, in a shift towards community schools, or what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model (pdf), she said.

Students and parents attend a Newport Mesa Unified School District meeting in Costa Mesa, Calif., on March 28, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

District Response

Annette Franco, the public relations officer for the district, confirmed in an email to The Epoch Times on March 31 the district has received the letter, but said it contains several factual allegations which are inaccurate.

The quotes that they included were from middle grades curriculum, which we do not use, she said.

She said SEL programs, such as RULER, have been welcomed and appreciated by our parent groups and that under district policies, parents and guardians have the right to review instructional materials and are encouraged to discuss any concerns regarding instructional materials with their childs teacher and/or the school principal.

Franco said these programs help create positive conditions by helping students engage in learning, build relationships, feel welcomed and included at school, and foster critical thinking skills, which are essential for success.

Emotional Fragility

A parental rights advocate involved with the alliance who goes by the pseudonym Kim Davis for fear of retaliation told The Epoch Times that SEL is creating students who are emotionally fragile and cant deal maturely with opposing worldviews.

Davis said SEL is driving school districts and educators to teach students what to think rather than how to think by using aspects of cognitive behavioral therapy to prime the students emotional response to receive critical race theory, gender theoryall of these woke ideologiesand react in a very emotive way to initiate and push for change.

The problems with SEL are well-documented in The Coddling of the American Mind, a book authored by Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, she said.

Haidt points to a significant deterioration in the mental health of college students and declines in their ability to handle views and opinions that contradict what theyve been told in school about social issues, Davis said.

People protest a special meeting to discuss critical race theory with the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board and invited experts in Temecula, Calif., on March 22, 2023. (Brad Jones/The Epoch Times)

SEL also encourages students to elevate other young people, such as climate change poster child Greta Thunberg, to a god-like status, while dissenting views are suppressed, she said.

Davis contends SEL presents emotional safety as a much more important viewpoint than diversity and freedom of speech and thus discourages debate.

A video posted on YouTube about two years ago shows Karen Niemi, CASEL President and CEO, promoting SEL as a Lever for Equity and Social Justice.

We believe that there is no system more important than education to fighting against racism, and we believe that our work in social and emotional learning must actively contribute to anti-racism, Niemi says in the video. SEL has the potential to do a lot of things. It has the potential to help people move from anger to agency and then to action.

However, more ambitious Transformative SEL programs, such as RULER, are more aggressively socially engineering students to become social justice activists, Davis said.

The alliance points out that in a recent training session, CASEL invited leaders from the National Equity Project to train SEL educators how to break the rules and become rebel leaders, for racial equity and social justice.

Program Costs

The California Alliance For Education says the district began implementing RULER at 11 elementary schools last year as part of the districts Mental Health, Wellness and Engagement 20212024 Local Control and Accountability Plan.

The plan allocates $20 million for mental and physical health providers, including $5.6 million for 11 elementary school counselors, six behavior specialists, and four general education social workers to provide universal projects and supports, and allocates an additional $14.6 million for behavior, mental health, and physical health employees, according to the alliance.

The district also spent $177,300 to purchase the RULER curriculum and training programs from Feb. 14, 2022, to Feb. 7, 2023, the alliance stated in an email to The Epoch Times.

Earlier this month, parental rights advocates accused the district of secretly socially transitioning students without the informed consent of parents, after receiving hundreds of district emails via a public records act request. The district has denied the allegations.
Police Reveal New Details About Nashville School Assailant Audrey Hale

In this image from video, Audrey Hale points a gun inside the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., on March 27, 2023. (Nashville Police Department via The Epoch Times)

Audrey Hale planned her attack on The Covenant Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, for months before it occurred on March 27, police said on Monday.

In the collective writings by Hale found in her vehicle in the school parking lot, and others later found in the bedroom of her home, she documented, in journals, her planning over a period of months to commit mass murder at The Covenant School, said the Metro Nashville Police Department in a statement.

In the mass shooting, Hale killed three 9-year-old children and three adults who worked at the the Covenant School. Responding officers shot and killed Hale minutes after a school official called 911.

Police also said in a release that the 28-year-old considered the actions of other mass murderers. Hale, who used transgender pronouns, fired 152 rounds from two rifles and a pistol, they said.

The Nashville Police Department said the writings will be under careful review by the MNPD and the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia, according to Mondays release. The motive for Hales actions has not been established and remains under investigation by the Homicide Unit in consultation with the FBIs Behavioral Analysis Unit.

Its not clear when those writings will be released. Previously, Nashville police officials said that Hale left behind a manifesto but did not elaborate on the contents.

The manifesto is going to be released. Its just a matter of when, Nashville Councilman Robert Swope told the New York Post last week. Last week, Nashville Police Chief John Drake told reporters that the manifesto includes writings about the shooting, a map of the school, and writings of other locations.

In a news conference, Drake said that Hale was suffering from mental health issues and was under a doctors care for an emotional disorder. Her parents did not know that she had multiple weapons hidden in the house, Drake added.

He said that the police department knew nothing about her treatment but that her parents felt she should not own weapons. Hale was not on the police forces radar before the shooting, Drake said.

A man holds a large cross in front of The Covenant School in Nashville on Thursday, March 31, four days after six were killed in a mass shooting at the school. Mourners observe the makeshift memorial at the schools entrance. (Chase Smith/The Epoch Times)

The victims were identified as Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; Mike Hill, 61; and Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9.

The website of The Covenant School, founded in 2001, lists Katherine Koonce as the head of the school. Her LinkedIn profile says she led the school since July 2016. Peak was a substitute teacher, and Hill was a custodian, according to investigators.

Last week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Peak was a close friend of his wife, Maria, and that the two had been scheduled to have dinner after Peak taught that day.

Initially, police gave unclear information on Hales gender. For hours, police identified the suspect as a 28-year-old woman and eventually as Audrey Hale. Then at a late afternoon press conference, the police chief said that Hale was transgender. After the news conference, police spokesperson Don Aaron declined to elaborate on how Hale identified.

In an email Tuesday, police spokesperson Kristin Mumford said Hale was assigned female at birth. Hale did use male pronouns on a social media profile. A LinkedIn profile showed that she used he/him pronouns, while an Instagram page showed she used the name Aiden.

Following the mass shooting incident, pro-transgender protesters appeared at the Kentucky Capitol building as some planned a Transgender Day of Vengeance in Washington, which was later canceled. The Trans Radical Activist Network (TRAN), the left-wing organizers of the demonstration, said that the event in front of the U.S. Supreme Court will not take place.

The protests drew condemnation from some conservatives. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote last week that Trans Day of Vengeance represented the threat of Antifa-driven trans-terrorism in light of the Nashville shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PG-13 | 2h 3m | Romance | June 25, 2004

The Notebook. Rotten Tomatoes critics: 53, audience: 85.

What? Are you kidding me? Few things drive me up a wall these days more than ridiculous Rotten Tomatoes critic/audience opinion-skews, when you can drive a Mack truck between them. Because somebodys clearly out of touch and missing the point.

Is it the audience? When things hit critical mass, and it becomes a clear case of where theres smoke theres fire, it means a resonating chord has been struck with people, regardless of someones film-school knowledge of cinematography and the fashionable knee-jerk labeling of a heartfelt, old-fashioned romance as a tear-jerker. Something deep, archetypal, and true has been addressed. The people know what they like; and the critics tie themselves in knots with preconceived notions.



The 200 year-old house that Noah intends to restore, as a home for Allie and himself, in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

The Notebook

I saw The Notebook back when it debuted in 2004. I remember liking it quite a lot. Watching it recently, I forgot how much. The Notebook is a thoroughly old-fashioned romantic melodrama, charting the obstacles placed in the path of two star-crossed young lovers from opposite sides of the have/have-not tracks.

In the summer of 1940, Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) and Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) first meet at a carnival in his North Carolina hometown. Seeing her in a bumper-car, its love at first sight for not-shy Noah, who then basically does a swan-dive into the middle of Allies Ferris wheel car, before it rotates skywards, landing between her and her stunned and exasperated date.

(LR) Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling), Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), and Allies date (Andrew Schaff) in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Hanging by one hand, 200 feet in the sky, Noah makes a humorous, blackmail-by-death-fall, coercive date request. Allie screams her acquiescence in terror, but then evens the score by yanking Noahs trousers to his ankles, leaving his boxer shorts flapping in the breeze, to the delight of carnival-goers everywhere. Is this not excellent chemistry?

Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) and Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

But Noah works at the local lumberyard, and Allie, ever busy with piano lessons and applying to Ivy League colleges, is summering in a local mansion with her wealthy family. Which means its gonna be a true love versus some-guy-with-money tale.

Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Its a fairy tale, whirlwind romance. When Allie first visits Noah at home, hes reading Walt Whitmans poetry on the porch to his dad Frank (Sam Shepard). Frank is deeply impressed with the beauty of his sons date. Getting a tad competitive, to Noahs mortification, dad informs Allie that theyd managed to get rid of Noahs childhood stuttering with poetry reading. Then he invites her in for some breakfast pancakes, at 10:00 at night.

Theres much jumping in the local swimming hole, boating on swan-populated rivers; Allie shares her deep love of painting watercolors, which Noah takes note of, for purposes of later wooing.

Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams) go boating in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

However, Allies parents bred her for the good things in life, and after observing her summer romance heat up into the danger zone, her haughty, hard-faced, and manipulative mother (Joan Allen shines in the role) warns and eventually forbids her daughter to continue spending time with poor Noah, whom she labels trash. Allies shipped off to college in New York, her parents hoping shell soon forget about puppy love and mature into valuing money, position, and power.

Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams, L) and her mother Anne (Joan Allen). Anne shows her daughter her own first love, and how hes amounted to nothing, in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

War

Meanwhile, heartbroken Noah patriotically enlists in the army, serving under General Patton in Europe, and losing his best buddy Fin (Kevin Connolly) to a mortar attack.

Also feeling the effects of the war, Allie volunteers as a nurse at an Army hospital. There she meets a young soldier named Lonnie, bandaged from head to toe, who asks her on a date.

Lon Hammond (James Marsden), healed from his war wounds and back to woo Allie (Rachel McAdams), in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Once out of his bandages, Lonnie turns out to be a serious heartthrob of a Southern gentleman, who comes from moneyand a stockbroker into the bargain. Allies soon out on the town, enjoying the finer things in life: nightclubs featuring Cab Calloway, dancing, and champagne. Naturally, Allies soon got an expensive diamond engagement ring on her pretty finger.

Noah, eventually returning Stateside to his rural hometown, purchases and restores the decrepit mansion that was the site of his last night with Allie, that hed told her hed buy and fix up just for her. He obsessively channels all his love for Allie into this home renovation labor of love, becoming a bit of a local eccentric, and running off potential buyers who try to lowball him on buying his masterpiece, with a shotgun.

The 200 year-old house that Noah intended to restore, as a home for Allie and himselfrestored, in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Noahs laudable feat of handiwork is written up in the local paper. Allies mom happens to hand her that very same newspaper, to read a different article, as Allies standing there in her wedding dress at her bridal shower. Allie turns the page  and faints. There are no coincidences!

Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), engaged to another man, comes to visit her first love in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Performances

Rachel McAdams is wonderful as the spirited and effervescent young Allie. Ryan Gosling made his romantic lead debut here as the younger Noah, with a determined-yet-laidback charm; and the two of them were and are so convincing, they convinced each other right out of the movie and landed in a two-year off-screen romance.

Noah (Ryan Gosling) challenges Allies (Rachel McAdams) need to cling to security and to tolerate boredom, in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

While not as visceral and electrifying as those two, James Garner and Gena Rowlands, playing the elder Noah and Allie, invest their roles with great dignity, and have a chemistry as sweet as honey.

The older Noah (James Garner) and Allie (Gena Rowland), in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Director Nick Cassavetes, son of John Cassavetes (and also son of Gena Rowlands) handily captures the atmosphere of the 1930s and 40s American South, and clearly nailed the main job of directors, which is perfect, chemistry-generating casting.

The older Noah (James Garner) and Allie (Gena Rowland) decide to depart this world together in The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

Is The Notebook a tear-jerker? Itll make you cry, but its not manipulative. Heartbreak will make you cry, you know? So will two elderly people who once had a blazing romance, and now one has lost their memory to senile dementia. Is it a chick flick? Its just an inspiring love story that will touch your heart and make you believe that true love can last a lifetime and conquer all.

Movie poster for The Notebook. (New Line Cinemas)

The Notebook

Director: Nick Cassavetes

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Sam Shepard, Kevin Connelly

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 2 hour, 3 minutes

Release Date: June 25, 2004

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Pro-Beijing Attackers Cell Phones Show Premeditated Attacks on Falun Gong in Hong Kong

Hu Aimin and Tuo Chun Sun were convicted of criminal damage for destroying the street stalls of Falun Gong members in April 3, 2021 on Oct. 31. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)

Three Hong Kong pro-Beijing attackers appeared in court on March 28. They were charged with two counts of criminal damage for destroying the street stalls of Falun Gong members in Hong Kong in April 2021. The prosecutions evidence shows that this is a premeditated crime.

One of the defendants cell phones was found to contain premeditated text messages sent before the crime.

The case of the three defendants was heard at the Kowloon City Magistrates Court in Hong Kong on March 28 by Magistrate Frances Leung Nga-yan.

The three defendants were, Zhou Yonglin (43 years old, construction worker), Hu Aimin (47 years old, unemployed), and Tuo Chun Sun (53 years old, unemployed).

Hu, Tuo, and Zhou were indicted for destroying Falun Gong members displays in Wong Tai Sin and Mongkok on April 3, 2021, with damages totaling HK$7,000.

The prosecution presented some SMS message screenshots, such as If I get into trouble, my big brother will have someone provide me with living expenses, sent via defendant Hus confiscated cell phone the night before the crime.

Hu also wrote in a WeChat message, lets mess up Falun Gong everywhere tomorrow!

The prosecution requested to submit Hu Aimins cell phone message screenshots as evidence. Since those messages were sent before the incident, the prosecutors believed the defendants had planned, organized, and later committed the crime.

Hus defense lawyer objected to the prosecutions request to present the messages as evidence in court. The defense admitted that the screenshots were from Hus cell phone but argued that the text messages pre-and post the action was irrelevant to the case.

The magistrate concluded that the WeChat messages included mentions of Falun Gong; hence, they were relevant to the case and approved the prosecutions submission request.

As for the other SMS messages, the judge denied their entry as evidence since nothing relevant was said related to the case.

Later, the magistrate announced the case would adjourn until April 4. The three defendants were granted bail under the original conditions.

Defendant Suspects Caught on Camera

The prosecution summoned police officer Chu from the Hong Kong West Kowloon Crimes Unit, who was involved with the case.

Officer Chu stated that from comparing the clothes and figures, the three defendants looked very similar to the three people on video who committed the attack at the crime scene.

Several videos played by the court showed that two men wearing black and white shirts used Stanley knives to cut and damage Falun Gong practitioners exhibits in Wong Tai Sin and Mong Kok. They also sprayed the displays with paint. A man in a floral shirt was shown filming the process.

The police found clothing at the defendants home similar to those worn at the crime scene; they also found knives suspected of being used to tear apart the Falun Gong exhibits.

The court played several surveillance footage videos, revealing to the witnesses that the three men left Nathan Road after committing the crime in Mongkok and went into the Ocean Fish and Seafood Restaurant in Jordan for dinner together.

The witnesses identified the three defendants from the photos prosecutors showed.

The Attack

In April 2021, Falun Gong members and their street stalls in Hong Kong were attacked many times by a group believed to belong to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The police later arrested eight people. Four admitted to the crime of criminal damage and were sentenced to eight months in prison, one person was not prosecuted.

The above three defendants planned to plead not guilty. However, Zhou switched his plea at the last minute, right before court began.

A banner with the words The Heaven Destroys the CCP and the Heaven Safeguards the Chinese is sprayed with black ink in Mong Kok in Hong Kong on April 2, 2021. (Zhou Li/The Epoch Times)

Attacks Targetting Falun Gong in Hong Kong

The CCP has been persecuting Falun Gong in China since 1999. Even though Hong Kong Falun Gong members had been able to protest against the regimes persecution peacefully, they continued to be harassed and threatened by pro-communist organizations.

The CCPs disruption of Falun Gong activities in Hong Kong has been ongoing since 2012.

At least six other Falun Gong exhibition stalls in Hong Kong were damaged almost a dozen times around the same time as the offenses in April 2021.

Hu is a Repeat Offender

Hu Aimin, one of the defendants, has been a frequent offender in harassing and destroying Falun Gong stalls. In December 2020 alone, Hu targeted and destroyed the Falun Gong outdoor exhibits five times.

He was later convicted and sentenced to two weeks imprisonment with 30 months probation.

On October 31, 2022, the defendant Hu Aimin outside the West Kowloon Magistrates Court in Hong Kong. In December 2020, he repeatedly destroyed the Falun Gong truth clarification sites and was charged with 5 counts of criminal damage. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)

Attacks Become Increasingly Vicious

In September 2019, Ms. Liu, a Falun Gong practitioner, bled heavily after CCP thugs had beaten her after she had met with the Hong Kong police to discuss a demonstration planned for Oct. 1, 2019, a tactic suspected of being used by the CCP to deter the group.

Ke Yanzhan, a 22-year-old man in charge of staking out, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for injuring people with intention in 2022.

Falun Gong

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a mind and body practice that follows the universal principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance and is rooted in 5,000 years of Chinese culture and history. Since the introduction of the practice in 1992, Falun Gong has attracted tens of millions of adherents worldwide with its tranquil exercises and meditation, as well as its teachings on becoming a better person.

However, the former leader of Chinas communist regime, Jiang Zemin, initiated a campaign of persecution against Falun Gong in 1999. Since then, many Falun Gong practitioners have fallen victim to the persecution, and the regimes propaganda machine has intoxicated and victimized Chinas massive populacecausing many to unconsciously become accomplices of the brutal campaign.

A message reading End CCP on a parade banner in Hong Kong. July 1, 2019. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)
Recent Immigrants More Likely to Have Confidence in Canadian Media: Statistics Canada

Recent immigrants are more likely to trust the media than people who were born in Canada or had spent more time here, federal data shows.

A report released by Statistics Canada on March 31 indicated that recent immigrants have a substantially higher level of confidence in the countrys media.

For example, among South Asian people, 25 percent of those born in Canada had confidence in the Canadian media, compared with 57 percent of recent immigrants, said the federal agency, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter.

The data was drawn from the agencys Survey Series on People and Their Communities, conducted nationwide from Oct. 14, 2022, to Jan. 3 of this year.

Participants were Canadians of various racial groups, and the survey segregated the responses of those who were born in Canada from those who recently immigrated (10 years or less) and those who had spent more than a decade here.

They were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 their confidence in Canadas media, among several other institutions, where 1 means No confidence at all and 5 means A great deal of confidence.

Confidence

Trust in the media was highest among recent South Asian immigrants (57 percent), Filipinos (54 percent), West Asians (49 percent), Arabs, Latin Americans, Southeast Asians (each 47 percent), blacks (43 percent), and Chinese immigrants (42 percent).

The results took a turn for immigrants of similar racial groups who lived in Canada for more than 10 years.

Forty-five percent of Filipinos said they trusted the media, followed by 39 percent of South Asians, 34 percent of Chinese, 33 percent of blacks, and 29 percent of Arabs. Similar trends were noted among Latin Americans (38 percent), Southeast Asians (35 percent), and West Asians (35 percent).

Trust dipped even further among those who were born here. Only 21 percent of blacks, Filipinos, Arabs, and Latin Americans expressed confidence in the media while South Asians and Southeast Asians seconded at 25 percent each. The exception is the native-born Chinese Canadian citizens (36 percent) who rated more confidence in the media than the Chinese immigrants. The percentage for West Asians was reported at 17 percent, though the report stressed to use [the figure] with caution.

According to Statistics Canada, from an overall perspective, only about a third (33 percent) of Canadians surveyed reported a high level of trust in the media. It added that Japanese people in Canada generally were less likely to be confident in the institution as well.

Relationship Is Broken

The sentiments echoed the findings of a study released last June by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which found Canadians who place their trust in the news fell from 58 percent to 42 percent in the preceding four years.

Large numbers of people see the media as subject to undue political influence, and only a small minority believe most news organizations put whats best for society ahead of their own commercial interest, wrote Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, director of Reuters Institute, in the report.

Another study by marketing consultancy firm Edelman Canada in February 2022 found that 61 percent of Canadians believe journalists and reporters purposely try to mislead them by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations, with business leaders (60 percent) and government (58 percent) not far behind.

Testifying before the Commons Heritage committee last September, Peter Menzies, former vice-chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, said mistrust in the media has been fuelled by government subsidies.

The more government assistance news media gets, the more broken the relationship with readers becomes, Menzies said.

The more that relationship is broken, the more subsidies will be required.
Reliance on Chinese Medical Supply Chains a National Security Threat: Josh Hawley

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) at a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 13, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is pushing for terminating Americas dependence on Chinese drug imports, warning that China poses a security threat.

We are dependent on China overwhelmingly for our critical medical supply chains, Hawley said in an April 2 interview on Fox News. You talk about being dependent, you talk about a national security threat, thats a national security threat.

Hawley said this is a direct threat to U.S. independence and to the health of Americans, and that 60 percent of the key precursors for pharmaceutical drugs are made in China or India.

We should make these drugs, including the precursors, in the United States of America, he said. We can start by withdrawing Chinas most favored nation status, the sweetheart trade deal that we gave them 20 years ago.

The most favored nation status granted by the Senate to China requires the United States to offer preferential treatment in tariffs and trade deals to Beijing.

Hawley pointed out that during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese regime had threatened to withhold a precursor drug critical for cancer treatments. If Beijing had gone ahead with the decision, the supply of these drugs would have been reduced by half at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country.

Drug Shortages and Foreign Dependence

Hawleys comments come as the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs released a report (pdf) highlighting the critical situation of drug supply in the United States. Between 2021 and 2022, new drug shortages in the country rose by almost 30 percent.

By the end of last year, there were 295 active drug shortages, the highest level during the previous five years. The average drug shortage was found to last for about a year and a half. But for 15 critical drug products, the shortages were found to be going on for more than a decade.

Shortages continue to have devastating consequences for patients and health care providers, including medication errors and treatment delays, and in some cases, have led to doctors having to ration lifesaving treatments, the report said.

The report pointed to overreliance on foreign and geographically concentrated sources for key drugs as well as limited domestic manufacturing capabilities as creating health and national security risks.

The number of China-based manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) that registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2010 and 2015 more than doubled.

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response has estimated that 90 to 95 percent of generic sterile injectable drugs that are used for critical acute care in the United States are reliant on key starting materials sourced from China and India.

In 2019, a report by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) noted that almost 80 percent of manufacturing facilities producing API are located outside the United States.

The Senate report called for more domestic investment to protect Americas drug supply chains.

The federal government should build upon its efforts to engage industry and academic partners through private-public partnerships that incentivize strategic onshoring and advanced domestic manufacturing technologies for critical generic drugs.

Ending Chinas Preferential Trade Deal

On March 20, Hawleys office announced a bill called the Ending Normal Trade Relations with China Act in a bid to protect working class American and reduce dependency. He also proposed placing strong tariffs on Chinese imports.

Providing China privileged trade status contributed to the loss of 3.7 million good jobs across manufacturing industries in America. When these jobs and factories disappeared, communities suffered, the announcement said.

The unwinding of the social fabric in these forgotten places led to declining rates of marriage and fertility, and rising rates of addiction, divorce, and suicide. Policies that weaken working men and women in America and enrich the Chinese Communist Party must be repealed.

Describing China as Americas greatest adversary, Hawley called for returning the United States back to its long-standing formula for success, which involves strong and independent workers.
Sensitivity Readers Take on Agatha Christies Books

Commentary

In one respect, French law is greatly superior to British or American: It doesnt allow publishers to alter a text once its author has died. For good or evil, a written work remains the authors unchanging legacy forever, and if a publisher doesnt like or is offended by it, thats tough. The publisher either prints what the writer wrote or refrains from publishing it at all.

This precludes the absurd, but also sinister, retrospective editing of books such as those that Roald Dahl wrote for children, and now Agatha Christies detective storiesall in the name of sensitivity to peoples feelings, but in reality to exercise power and control over the populations thoughts in the best Stalinist manner.

Of course, there are ambiguous cases. No modern edition of Shakespeare can be precisely as he wrote it, for the simple reason that he oversaw the printing of very little of what he wrote, and the versions that have come down to us differ significantly or, where one version alone exists, are obviously corrupted in the transmission.

Every editor of Hamlet, for example, has to choose between two editions published in Shakespeares lifetime and one published shortly afterward. Even changes of punctuation can make a considerable difference to meaning or emphasis. The great Shakespeare scholar Dover Wilson punctuated one of the famous soliloquies as follows:

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable in action, how like an Angel in apprehension, how like a God 

Another great Shakespearean scholar, Wilson Knight, punctuated the same speech as follows:

What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action, how like an Angel! in apprehension, how like a god!

The two versions are different in feeling and meaning, and yet both have a textual justification. An editor is obliged to choose between them (I prefer the Wilson Knight version on poetic grounds), and neither is indubitably correct.

But this kind of unavoidable editorial choice is very different from the ideological interference that is the sensitivity readers bread and butter (almost literally). The sensitivity reader would object to What a piece of work is a man! and change it to What a piece of work is a person! And in apprehension, the person referred to would have to be like a goddess, not like a god.

Now Agatha Christie is to be corrected by such readers. That shes the author whose books have sold more than any other in history, in almost every written language, doesnt suggest to them that perhaps she doesnt stand in need of correction, or that readers have been able to take any supposedly offensive language in their stride. Even where her characters utter sentiments not completely in accord with current sensibilities, no one could mistake her books for Mein Kampf.

But the highly intelligent and distinguished American author Joyce Carol Oates not so much approved of, as failed to object to the rewriting of Christies books, and made the following remark:

Agatha Christie is not revered as a stylist, nor as a writer reflecting sociological realism; rather, her plots are clever & usually provide some sort of twist. Changing her language will hardly matter as it would in a more literary writer (Twain, Faulkner).

She thereby missed altogether the sinister intent of the correctors, but in addition, her literary criticism was obviously unsound.

In the first place, Christies books wouldnt have sold as well as they did (and do) if they were merely puzzles with a twist, a kind of Rubiks cube in words. They create a distinctive atmosphere that is half-real and half-mythological, as did the stories of Sherlock Holmes. They partake of the qualities both of fairy-tale and realism, which is most attractive. Murderand the necessary evil to commit itoccurs in her books in places and circumstances where one would least expect it to do so, thus reminding us of the imperfection of Man, but order is always reassuringly restored in the end by the uncovering of the evil-doer. Its the possibility of evil lurking in every human heart that Christie reveals to us, though good will triumph in the end.

Oates misses entirely that Christie was a highly intelligent and perceptive woman (she was a nurse during World War I), with a fine sense of irony and subtle understanding of psychology. As an example, I take Dr. Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Dr. Sheppard is both the narrator of the story and the perpetrator of the murder, an intelligent and cultivated general practitioner who is a bachelor living with his spinster sister in an English village. At the beginning of his book, he provides a brief character sketch of his sister, Caroline:

Caroline can do any amount of finding out by sitting placidly at home. I dont know how she manages it, but there it is. I suspect that the servants and the tradesmen constitute her Intelligence Corps. When she goes out, it is not to gather in information, but to spread it. At that, too, she is amazingly expert.

We know the type immediately: the village (or office) gossip who seems to know everything and denounces sin while secretly thrilling to it.

When Caroline says something with which her brother also believes, Dr. Sheppard writes:

It is odd how, when you have a secret belief of your own which you do not wish to acknowledge, the voicing of it by someone else will rouse you to a fury of denial. I burst immediately into indignant speech.

This is a fine psychological observation that both comes as a surprise and is obviously true, and surely accounts for much of the shrillness of current political and social discussion. Christie was clever in more than the devising of intriguing puzzles.

Apart from being grossly mistaken as to Christies qualities as a writer, Oates is of the opinionand she is far from alone in thisthat if a book is not stylishly written and doesnt reflect sociological truth (for what is sociological realism if not sociological truth?), we have the right to alter it as we will.

Good style, however, is in the eyes of the reader, and a Marxist would claim, uniquely, to know sociological truth. Oates, without perhaps really meaning to be so, is clearly on the side of Stalin.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Several Injured as 2 Swiss Regional Trains Derail in Storm

A train staff member works on the site of a train derailment near lakeside town of Luscherz, northwest of the capital Bern, Germany, on March 31, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

BERLINTwo regional trains in Switzerland derailed in separate incidents, injuring more than a dozen people Friday after a storm brought high winds and strong rains to the small Alpine nation, police said.

The incidents occurred at Luscherz and Buren zum Hof, near the western city of Bern, police said.

In Buren zum Hof, a police spokeswoman said that 12 people9 adults and 3 childrenwere injured. Of those, one persons injuries were severe.

Police also said several people were injured in the derailment at Luscherz, but further information about the number of the injured and the severity of their condition was not immediately available.

The transit agencies responsible for the trains, Aare Seeland Mobil and Regional Transit Bern-Solothurn, also confirmed the derailments on their respective websites. They noted that the affected rail routes were closed in response.
Sex Traffickers Using TikTok to Lure Children, Youth Therapist Warns

The TikTok app's logo seen on a mobile phone screen in an illustration taken on Feb. 21, 2019. (Danish Siddiqui/Illustration/Reuters)

TikTok may be providing opportunities for sex traffickers to groom children, a youth therapist has warned.

Dr. Katie Guinn has spent the past 10 years providing in-home family therapy to young people and their families in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. Shes the regional director of The Center for Children and Families, a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy, counseling, and other services for families in need.

The need for mental health services among young people has skyrocketed in the past two years, according to Guinn, who said shes encountering more and more children who have been victims of sex trafficking.

In providing a definition of the term, she said that sex trafficking involves engaging in sexual activities against the will of a person for an exchange of goods. The transaction isnt always associated with money, but can also include drugs, food, or shelter, for example.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Guinn said, a relatively new concept has emerged, which she called cybersex trafficking. The goal of luring children and adults into sex trafficking remains the same, but in this approach, she said, everything is virtual. Websites and a variety of phone apps with messaging capabilities are utilized to communicate with users, who are often minors.

Victims and participants can upload content, such as photographs or videos, and a transaction occurs using cryptocurrency. According to Guinn, this new realm of sex trafficking is incredibly difficult to track and learn more about because it constantly and instantly evolves.

What is known, she said, is that children are particularly vulnerable.

For a child or another victim to be susceptible to sex trafficking, there first has to be a vulnerability, she said.

A vulnerability can be defined as something missing in a childs life that needs to be filled. This void or need can come in many forms, she explained.

It can be connection, survival, love, substance abuse, shelter, food, stability, and more, she said.

In the last three years, the biggest need we have seen in children is connection, [as] kids have been incredibly isolated as a result of the pandemic.

Guinn identified connection as a human need that is as significant for a child as eating or breathing.

People need connection, especially children, she said.

Groomed on TikTok

Social media has become a primary means for people to connect, according to Guinn. However, all avenues of social media can be used for contacting and potentially recruiting victims for sex trafficking, including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. But TikToka hugely popular Chinese-owned appis the most aggressive, she said, explaining that its algorithm is incredibly aggressive and customizable to the user.

The app tracks how much time is spent using it; how a user engages with a video, whether it be by sharing it, commenting on it, or liking it; and determines what videos will show up next on the users feed, she said. Its the users interaction with the video that determines their customized algorithm.

Traffickers will make videos, posts, or different kinds of content, which talk about the lifestyle of sex trafficking very openly and blatantly. They glamorize it, making it very desirable for a child who is lacking so much. Theyll show such things as women at parties enjoying drinking, eating, and flaunting expensive gifts, for example. For a kid, this all looks very enticing.

Once a child watches an attractive video, she said, the TikTok algorithm is going to shuffle similar videos to share more of that content to the child user, further glamorizing a very dangerous lifestyle.

Its part of the larger process that naturally starts to fill a vulnerability, Guinn said.

A child could become more incentivized to message the person responsible for the video, to make contact with this person in hopes to partake in this lifestyle they observed, and get their needs met.

Inadvertently, they could easily become part of the realm of sex trafficking, simply with the intention of getting their needs met, but oftentimes, [they arent] able to find a way out.

TikTok provides constant exposure to things kids never would have been exposed to, [and] it can reduce sensitivity, normalize behavior, and potentially make a child more susceptible to being approached by traffickers. These traffickers are trained to spot and take advantage of vulnerabilities in children, [and] Tik Tok has made this easier than ever.

Grooming can occur for free on TikTok in children. There is no doubt that [the video hosting service] can play a harmful role in the potential recruitment and grooming of children for sex trafficking.

More Communication Needed

Guinn said that a childs use of TikTok is incredibly difficult to monitor.

Its terrifying because it could be grooming children from their phones with no ones knowledge, she said.

While a parents gut reaction is to pull everything, she said, removing the app from a device or taking away a childs phone isnt a foolproof solution.

Children will find a way to get what they want. Kids are incredibly resourceful and will find a way. Most likely through using a friends phone at school, she said.

Many times, the most susceptible are victims of sexual abuse, substance abuse, broken homes, or more, [and by taking away a childs phone], a parent could create a space thats not trusting or communicativewhich is not helpful when all you want to do is protect your child.

Remember, kids are often looking to meet their needs, and TikTok has provided instantaneous access to unhealthy alternatives to fill that vulnerability.

In Guinns opinion, the best armor against such evil is over-communication and increased awareness. Sex trafficking is something that must be discussed, despite how uncomfortable it is to do so, she said.

Increase communication and spread awareness, not fear, she said. Over-communicate with your kids, knowing where they are and what theyre doing, asking who their friends are, and talking about whats on their phones.

Id rather over-communicate and have a safe, ticked-off teenager than be in the dark.

TikTok didnt return The Epoch Times request for comment. Last month, the app set a one-hour default time limit for users under the age of 18 amid growing concerns about the platforms effect on children.
Jack Story, his daughter, Hailey,, and his sister, Shannon, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, in Seattle, Wash., on April 2, 2023. (Mary Zhang/The Epoch Times)

SEATTLEJack Story, his daughter Hailey, and his sister Shannon had seen many performances at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, but April 2 was their first time seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts.

Its absolutely amazingvery elegant and beautiful, said Mr. Story, a chief information officer.

Mr. Story said Shen Yun was a performance he would absolutely, highly recommend.

Im really enjoying itspectacular performance, Ms. Shannon Story said. The dancing, the gentleman that was singingwas unbelievable. Its been a great experience, and were only at intermissionI cant wait for the rest of it.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company, and its productions include a number of other unique artistic facets as well. Accompanying the dancers is a live orchestra harmoniously blending the sounds and instruments of the East and West, Shen Yuns patented animated backdrop technology, and musical solos by bel canto virtuosos.

The dance and the message that you get, even though we dont speak the language, it still tells the story through movement and the music. So you still feel the same emotion, even though theres no language being spoken  its beautiful, Mr. Story said.

He felt there was much shown that was universal, such as the beliefs permeating the traditional culture.

It goes to show you across all cultures, all races, that there are people who believe in a higher spirit, regardless of culture and race, he said.

While Shen Yun is welcomed in venues around the world, it cannot perform in China, where the Chinese Communist Party has sought to destroy traditional culture, as many audience members learn at the performance.

Its sad to hear that you cant have these kind of performances actually in China, but I actually think its great. I think all countries and cultures should be able to see the history of how their culture was defined, Mr. Story said.

Reporting by Mary Zhang.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Sunak Launches New Taskforce to Crackdown on Grooming Gangs

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media after a meeting of the Grooming Gangs Taskforce, at a hotel in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on April 3, 2023. (PA Media)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has vowed to crackdown on Britains grooming gangs after admitting cultural sensitivity and political correctness have prevented child abusers being brought to justice.

Speaking in Greater Manchester on Monday, Sunak said it was now his priority to stamp out this evil, as he announced new measures to tackle child exploitation gangs.

They include forming a new expert police-led taskforce, tougher sentencing, and a legal duty on those working with children to report abuse.

The prime minister was joined by Home Secretary Suella Braverman at the event in Rochdale, where they met with senior police officers, local authorities, and others who work in child abuse prevention.

Rochdale is one of the places synonymous with grooming gangs after the scandal surrounding the exploitation of girls in the town from 2008 to 2010.

Sunak told the meeting: I said last year if I became prime minister I wanted to stamp out this evil. We can only do that if everyone is working together.

And weve announced a suite of initiatives today to help us do that and well do it with your help.

Sunak added that grooming gang abuse was still happening to too many of our young girls and vowed to root it out.

What happened to vulnerable girls here in Rochdale, but in Rotherham and Telford as well at the hands of grooming gangs was simply appalling, he said.

I wont rest until we make sure that our children can grow up in an environment that is safe and secure.

BritishAsian Gangs

The prime minister stopped short of repeating Bravermans comments in a series of media interviews over the weekend surrounding British Pakistani men.

The home secretary pointed to a predominance of certain ethnic groupsand I say British Pakistani maleswho hold cultural values totally at odds with British values, who see women in a demeaned and illegitimate way and pursue an outdated and frankly heinous approach in terms of the way they behave.

Her language was criticised by some campaigners, with the NSPCC emphasising that just considering race could create new blind spots.

Asked on Monday if the focus on BritishAsian grooming gangs was appropriate, Sunak said that all forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific.

He then referred to several independent inquiries that looked at grooming gang abuse in Rochdale, Rotherham, and Telford.

He said: What is clear is that when victims and other whistle-blowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police.

The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness. That is not right.

The prime minister described the crimes as horrific and said the measures he has introduced have been welcomed by people including survivors.

Following the meeting with police and authorities, Sunak and Braverman met campaigners and grooming gang survivors including Sammy Woodhouse.

The Rotherham victim was sexually abused as a 14-year-old by ringleader Arshid Ash Hussain.

She was subjected to rape, assaults, and coercion with threats to kill her family at the hands of Hussain, and in 1999 at the age of 15, Woodhouse fell pregnant with the 25-year-olds baby.

She told Twitter followers yesterday she was set to meet Braverman to discuss the new measures.

After the meeting, Woodhouse wrote on Twitter: If were going to tackle exploitation, lets do it properly.

Victims are male and female from all upbringings and religions.

Every single one of them matter and need a voice. Lets give them a voice.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman during a visit to a hotel in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, on April 3, 2023. They attended a meeting of the Grooming Gangs Taskforce. (PA Media)

No Numbers on Abusers

Asked on Monday whether he accepted that the government had been slow to act on tackling child sexual exploitation, Sunak said: Were responding to the recommendation of an independent inquiry to introduce a legal duty on those working with children to report abuse.

Now, its important that we get that right and we will work with all the agencies involved to make sure we implement that in a way that is practical and effective but it is right that we respond to the independent inquirys recommendation and Im pleased that were putting that in place today.

The prime minister said he does not know how many sex abusers operate in grooming gangs because its not being reported and conceded we need to a better job.

He told reporters that he hoped the new crackdown measures would make it easier for people to come forward about abuse.

Following the unveiling of Sunaks plans, Downing Street rejected accusations that the governments approach to tackling grooming gangs amounted to hard-right talking points and dog-whistle politics.

Sunaks spokesman told reporters, No, I think the prime minister thinks its right to be clear-eyed and to take an evidence-based approach and to not allow fear of political correctness to hold back taking action in this area.

Asked whether ministers should be careful with their rhetoric on the issue, the official said: Certainly its always right to use correct tone when talking about sensitive topics.

Equally, the prime minister has been very clear that we must not shy away from calling out any type of harm to children wherever and whenever it occurs.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to the offices of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in Leeds, Yorkshire, on April 3, 2023. (PA Media)

Evidence-Based Approach

Downing Street also defended Bravermans comments singling out British Pakistani men over concerns about grooming gangs.

The prime ministers official spokesman insisted the government is taking an evidence-based approach to the issue.

What she said was that some of these gangs were largely made up of British Pakistani men. I believe that is factually accurate, the spokesman said.

We are all familiar with these appalling cases, and in some of these a misplaced fear of being accused of racism led authorities to stand by and let the crimes happen. And the prime ministers view is this should never be allowed to happen again.

Home Office-commissioned research published in 2020 (pdf) suggested there is not enough evidence to suggest members of grooming gangs are more likely to be Asian or black than other ethnicities.

It found most group child sex offenders are men under the age of 30 and the majority are white.

Asked about the research, the Downing Street spokesperson said its not possible to conclude, essentially make conclusions about characteristics because of the lack of data.

So what we want to do is take an evidence-based approach, use the data that has been gathered since April 2022 more effectively to help support the police in their task, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer echoed Sunaks comments that political correctness should not get in the way of prosecuting grooming gangs.

Commenting on the governments plans to crackdown on the issue, Starmer told LBC on Monday that it is right that ethnicity should not be a bar, and political correctness should not get in the way of prosecutions.

He added, But the vast majority of sexual abuse cases do not involved those of ethnic minorities and so I am all for clamping down on any kind of case, but if we are going to be serious we have to be honest about what the overlook is.

On plans for a duty to report incidents of grooming, Starmer claimed he called for that in 2013.

That is 10 years ago and this government has been in power now for 13 years, he told the radio station.

That is a decade lost and I think the prime minister and others have to really explain why they have wasted that decade.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Supreme Court Allows Disabled Student to Pursue Discrimination Suit Against Los Angeles Schools

The Supreme Court gave an elementary school student with disability-related behavioral issues permission to move forward with a discrimination lawsuit against a California school district under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Supreme Court ruled on April 3 that a young student identified as D.D. may move forward with his lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), even though he already took action against the district under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The decision reverses a November 2021 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that prevented the legal claim from proceeding and comes as parents nationwide have become increasingly protective of their childrens rights and are taking legal action and demanding accountability from government officials.

The IDEA provides that disabled students must be educated according to their specific needs, while the ADA forbids discrimination against disabled individuals.

The IDEA offers federal funding to the states in exchange for a commitment to furnish a FAPEan acronym standing for free appropriate public educationto all children who have certain physical or intellectual disabilities. A FAPE comprises special education and related servicesboth instruction tailored to meet a childs unique needs and sufficient supportive services to permit the child to benefit from that instruction, according to court documents.

In this case, D.D. has an emotional disability that interferes with his ability to learn. At one point, he reportedly spent a week in a psychiatric facility. He claims that the school district denied him a FAPE by, among other things, failing to provide a one-to-one behavioral aide and related supportive services, court papers state.

D.D. pursued an administrative complaint under the IDEA against the school district before the Office of Administrative Hearings, Special Education Division for the State of California. The parties signed a settlement that he says preserved his ability to raise non-IDEA discrimination claims. He also filed a claim under the ADA for discrimination and emotional distress. A federal district court dismissed the legal complaint under the ADA, finding that D.D. had failed to exhaust all available legal remedies under the IDEA. An appeals court upheld the ruling.

The new decision came after the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on March 21 in a similar case, Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, that a deaf former student who is accusing a Michigan public school system of failing to properly educate him may move forward with his discrimination lawsuit. That decision reversed a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

In the case at hand, the Supreme Court summarily disposed of D.D. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, court file 21-1373, in an unsigned order that remands the case to the 9th Circuit for further consideration in light of the Perez ruling. No justices dissented. The court simultaneously granted D.D.s request seeking review while skipping over the oral argument phase when the merits of the case would have been considered. Some lawyers call this process GVR, which stands for grant, vacate, and remand.

D.D.s attorney, Patsy Van Dyke of Pacific Grove, California, hailed the new decision.

This is a huge victory for children with disabilities and their families, she told The Epoch Times by email.

The decision puts to rest a simple issue that has been needlessly litigated and denied countless children of access to justice.

The school districts attorney, Matthew Raymond Hicks of Los Angeles, didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Surrey Knife Attack Case Is Being Treated as Terrorism: RCMP

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

The investigation into the attack on a transit bus in Surrey, B.C., over the weekend has been taken over by the RCMP national security police and is being treated as terrorism.

Abdul Aziz Kawam was initially charged with attempted murder for allegedly slashing a victims throat with a knife on Saturday morning. But on Monday, prosecutors added four counts of terrorism, as a second victim was also allegedly assaulted with a knife.

Shortly after 9:30 on April 1, a Kawan flashed a knife at a bus driver, then boarded the bus and attacked someone on board. The victim was seriously injured but survived.

The attack was at first seen as random, but when B.C.s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team was called in, new charges alleged that it was carried out for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with the ISIS terrorist group.

Kawam was already facing four charges before the assault: attempted murder, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and two assaults with a weapon causing bodily harm. The addition of the terrorism charges means he could be handed a life sentence.

Terrorism charges in Canada are rare. In 2020, a killing at a Toronto massage parlour was treated as terrorist activity. An ISIS supporter who killed a Toronto woman with a hammer in 2020 was slapped with a terrorist charge, as was the suspect in a 2021 van attack in London, Ontario, that allegedly targeted a Muslim family.

In March 2023, the RCMP arrested Mohamed Amine Assal of Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec, based on intelligence from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. The RCMP said they had reasonable grounds to fear that an individual may commit a terrorism offence.
The Founders and the Constitution, Part 3: James Madison

Commentary

Forrest McDonald, perhaps the 20th centurys greatest constitutional historian, observed in his book Novus Ordo Seclorum that the framers produced a Constitution very different from the one James Madison sought.

Madison did agree with most of his fellow framers on some broad outlines: a two-house Congress, an independent executive, and an independent judiciary.

However, Madison favored a national rather than a federal government, with Congress enjoying absolute power to veto state laws. He wanted the president to serve for life or be elected by Congress for a single long term. He proposed that the Senate be able to make treaties without the intervention of the president and that the Senate appoint judges. Although a slave holder, Madison favored immediate abolition of the slave trade and the gradual abolition of slavery itself.

None of these ideas made it into the final draft.

Thus, it isnt really true that Madison wrote the Constitutionnor was he, as often claimed, exactly the documents father. The cumulative impact of other Founders on the Constitution was far greater than that of Madison alone.

Still, Madison was the most important single individual in the documents creation. He was also one of the few (George Washington, John Dickinson, Roger Sherman, Edmund Randolph, and probably Alexander Hamilton) about whom we can say, Without him, we might not have a Constitution.

Personal Life

James Madison was born on March 5, 1751, in King George County, Virginia. He spent most of his life in Orange County at his estate at Montpelier (which is well worth visiting). His father, a planter, supported him financially in his early political endeavors.

He was educated in the Greco-Roman classics-centered curriculum described in the second installment of my series, The Ideas That Formed the Constitution. He won a degree from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in two years instead of the usual three. He never became a lawyer, but he diligently studied Edward Cokes authoritative and ponderous Institutes of the Lawes [sic] of England.

Theres another measure of the man, derived from, literallymeasure: As I can testify from personal experience, the practice of politics rewards men who enjoy robust physical constitutions, a commanding presence, and more-than-average height. In building credibility and running for office, physically unimpressive men face severe disadvantages.

Madison was never robust. He suffered from epilepsy. He stood 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed less than 100 pounds. Yet he overcame those disadvantages to achieve a successful political career that culminated in a two-term presidency. This is evidence of his talents, his determination, and the respect he inspired in others.

From long immersion in the Founding-era record, I can testify also that Madison was remarkably honest. He displayed no traces of the too-clever-by-half traits that marred some other Foundersnotably Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. One indication of this is how, as president, he conducted the very difficult War of 1812. He was under extreme pressure to win by ignoring constitutional restrictions on his power. But he remained scrupulously within constitutional limits and still brought the war to an honorable conclusion.

During the 20th century, some law professors tried to discredit Madison by alleging he fraudulently doctored his constitutional convention notes. They never produced convincing evidence to support that allegation, and I dont think very many people take the allegation seriously today. Anyone familiar with Madisons character would never believe such a charge.

Madisons Contributions to the Constitution

Madison played central roles during every step in the Constitutions formation: in laying the foundation, outlining initial plans, in the actual framing, in the ratification debates, and in adoption of the Bill of Rights.

Thus, in 1785 and 1786 he created a precedent for religious freedom by successfully opposing a bill in the Virginia legislature to impose a tax to fund teachers of Christianity. He thereby laid the groundwork for the Constitutions posture toward religion: Policymakers may favor faith over non-faith, but they must be neutral among religions (pdf).

In September 1786, he served as one of Virginias commissioners (delegates) to a convention of states held in Annapolis, Maryland. He and the other commissioners recommended to the states sending them that they call another convention to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May next, to take into consideration the situation of the United States, to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union. This recommendation, of course, led to the Constitutional Convention.

Shortly thereafter, Madison drafted the Virginia law that served as the Constitutional Conventions formal call. (The frequent claim that Congress called the convention on Feb. 21, 1787, is inaccurate.)

Next, in conjunction with his friend and cousin, Virginia Gov. Edmund Randolph, Madison persuaded George Washington to attend the convention, thereby giving the cause of constitutional reform great respectability.

In early 1787, he performed background research on the history of confederations. And he consulted with the other Virginia commissioners to produce the Virginia Plan. That was an outline for a new government that served as the conventions principal basis for discussion during its first eight weeks.

At the convention, the other framers rejected or modified Madisons ideas time and again. Yet he remained a valuable and active participant. He represented Virginia on two committees of the states that fashioned compromises on trade and presidential elections. He was the principal drafter of the Constitutions Article V, which prescribed the amendment process. He also was a member of the committee of style, which produced the Constitutions near-final version. However, Madison did little, if any, of the actual drafting: He wisely deferred to Gouverneur Morris, who was a far better writer.

Throughout the convention, Madison documented the proceedings in a very comprehensive set of notes.

On Sept. 17, 1787, the framers finished their work and released the proposed Constitution to the public. It soon came under attack. Hamilton asked Madison to work with him and with John Jay and William Duer to produce a series of newspaper essays that would explain and support the Constitution. (Duer did not participate in the joint project, although he soon wrote some short op-eds on his own.) Madison penned 29 of the 85 essays, including some of the most important. They later were republished in a collection known as The Federalist.

The Federalist essays were too cerebral to be widely popular. But they served as a pro-Constitution playbook at several state ratifying conventions, particularly those in Virginia and New York.

Virginias ratifying convention met from June 2 to June 27, 1788. Madison was among the delegates. Anti-Constitution sentiment was strong in that conclave. Among the pro-Constitution team, Madison apparently served as second-in-command, next to Gov. Randolph, and they eked out a close victory.

However, in Virginia, as in several other states, the Constitutions supporters had to make a gentlemens agreement with their more moderate opponents to win ratification. The bargain was, Well ratify the Constitution and then well all support a bill of rights. Although Madison personally doubted whether a bill of rights was necessary, once elected to the new federal Congress he honored the agreement. He introduced the first draft of the bill and shepherded it through Congress until it obtained the two-thirds vote of each house necessary to send it to the states for approval.

Later Life

As a member of the new Federal Congress (17891797), Madison played a central role in the early congressional debates over constitutional interpretation. In 1798, he penned the famous Virginia Resolutions against what he saw as federal government overreaching. The Virginia Resolutions didnt, as sometimes said, join Jeffersons Kentucky Resolutions in endorsing the extra-constitutional doctrine of state nullification. Instead, Madison favored constitutional methods of state push-back that, following his terminology, came to be called interposition(pdf).

When Jefferson became president in 1801, Madison became his Secretary of State. As Jefferson was completing his second term, Madison was elected to replace him. He served as president from March 1809 to March 1817.

After leaving the presidency, Madison assisted Jefferson in founding the University of Virginia. He remained a voice in national affairs, largely through an extensive correspondence. Perhaps his most notable political statements were the letters he wrote opposing state nullification, and endorsing instead constitutional methods of interposition, including an Article V amendments convention.

By taking care of his fragile health, Madison enjoyed what was then an extraordinarily long life: 85 years. He died on June 28, 1836.

Read prior installments in this series here: first, second.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
There Are Questions That Need Answering Dan Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to media during a press conference at Monash University Clayton campus in Melbourne, Australia, on April 2, 2023. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Commentary

The secretive visit by the Victorian premier to China raises issues that have not been answered by Daniel Andrews.

Flying out of the country with just two days notice to the community, the premier was not accompanied by any media or industry representatives, despite the claim that the mission was to discuss trade and cultural ties and the return of Chinese students to Victoria.

One of the first meetings was with the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). Like any official association in China, the CPAFFC is an arm of the communist regime.

Three years ago, the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, described the association as a Beijing-based organisation tasked with co-opting subnational governments. Pompeo asserted that the organisation has sought to directly and malignly influence state and local leaders to promote the PRCs global agenda.

The CPAFFC is linked to the United Front Work Department, another organ of the communist party. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has stressed that its work is primarily political.

Xi has stated that being good at befriending prominent non-CCP (Chinese Communist Party) individuals was important to improving the work of the United Front, adding that the organisation plays a big role in winning over more people to the CCP cause.

Victorian Labor Links With the CCP

The secretive United Front is active in many countries, including Australia, influencing diaspora groups, the media, and prominent public leaders.

The Victorian government under the Labor Party has developed close links with the CCP. The state entered into an arrangement under Chinas Belt and Road Initiative that makes an explicit reference to Xi Jinpings strategic New Era.

The agreement committed Victoria to the aspiration of promoting the silk road spirit centring on peace, co-operation, openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefits and aspiration to further enrich such spirit in keeping with the New Eraa reference to Xi Jinpings New Era for Socialism with Chinese Characteristics.

Workers take down a Belt and Road Forum panel outside the venue of the forum in Beijing on April 27, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

According to China scholar Prof. John Fitzgerald, based on available public information, it appears that Premier Andrews didnt seek advice from departmental experts in his own government, that he circumvented his cabinet, and that he employed external consultants who most likely held the same views as him and didnt question his direction and strategy.

Writing in the Australian Strategic Policy Institute report, Taking the Low Road: Chinas Influence in Australian States and Territories, Fitzgerald also highlighted how multicultural officers in the Victorian government played a key role.

A number of these individuals served in the premiers office or on government bodies.

The fact that the premier was not accompanied by any industry representatives is curious, given the stated reasons for the trip.

International students are already a large proportion of enrollees at Australian universities.

More than 40 percent of students at both Melbourne and Monash Universities are from overseas, with about 40 percent of these being Chinese.

In 2021, Melbourne University alone derived $856 million (US$571 million) from fee-paying overseas students. No wonder these universities were hit so hard by the impact of COVID-19.

Yet they have been slow to learn the lesson of diversifying their intake.

What Was the Goal?

Victoria is carrying a huge debt, which in June 2022 was larger than the combined total of New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania.

It was $121 billion at the end of 2022 and is predicted to rise to $167 billion by 2025-26. Debt per Victorian is now more than $15,000, up from $3,500 in 2014.

While it is appropriate for the premiers to promote their states, many questions arise about this trip.

Is the premier planning more borrowing? Is he placing too much reliance on trade with China? The President of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen, warned European nations last week not to become overly economically reliant on China and become subject to economic coercion like Australia.

We have to recognise that the world and China have changed significantly in the last three years, she said.

She implied that the EU could terminate pursuing a landmark trade deal with China, which was agreed upon in 2020 but subsequently stalled by the European Parliament after some of its members were sanctioned by Beijing.

The Chinese Communist Partys clear goal is a systemic change of the international order with China at its centre  We have seen the show of friendship in Moscow which says a thousand words about this new vision for the international order, she said.

So why didnt the premier take the media with him? Because they would ask about these issues?

Perhaps they would ask about Chinas appalling human rights record or about the plight of detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
TikTok Is CCPs Weapon to Indoctrinate American Youngsters With Communist Regimes Values: Expert

TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 23, 2023. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using TikTok to wage unrestricted warfare on the United States by indoctrinating American youngsters with the Chinese regimes values, according to Casey Fleming, CEO of intelligence, strategy, and cybersecurity firm BlackOps Partners.

Social media is a tool in their war chest. So they use it as an intelligence weapon, and also a cognitive weapon to distribute propaganda, to change your childrens values and your values into much more stronger values toward the CCP, and against Americans, or against the left or against the right, or Democrats or Republicans, or black or white, to start to stir up that infighting, Fleming told China in Focus on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times.

According to Fleming, TikTok is one of the tools used in the unrestricted warfare that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is waging against America.

Any social media coming out of China, in fact, any type of technologycomputers, hardware, software, digital cables, accessories, and so on, even appliancesthose are intelligence-collecting weapons, because they are engaged in this thing called unrestricted warfare, he said.

It doesnt matter whether its TikTok, or whether its Shein, the number two app right now in the United States, or whether its Temu, which is the number three app and, also, the Amazon Killer, and also Chinese gaming apps. And now on the horizon, we have Lemon8, which is supposedly the TikTok replacement if the U.S. government bans TikTok, he added.

Shein has operation centers in several major global markets, including Singapore, China, and the United States, and is now serving clients in over 150 countries, according to its website.

Temu, an online marketplace, was founded in Boston in 2022 by PDD Holdings Inc., which also operates Pinduoduo in China.

Nefarious Intentions

Fleming pointed to Sen. Ed Markeys (D-Mass.) comment that TikTok is not the only social media platform that poses a threat to our nations children and teens, but that western Big Tech companies also have a case to answer.

Fleming agreed that American Big Tech and social media giants also collects users data, but that they do it primarily to increase profits.

The U.S. has social media, and they collect data on kids and parents and anybody using social media. Its really to exploit our kids. They do brain hijacking, and its all about a dopamine cycle of all the clicks that they do, he said.

And its really all about profits, because for those companies its all about profits and market share.

Theres really not a nefarious intent behind the United States [companies]other than making too much money and gaining too much market share from a monopoly standpoint, and the harm that it actually does to the children, he added.

Meanwhile, Fleming believes that Chinese social media has ill intentions towards American children.

The harm that it causes is this brain highjacking. It changes their values. It causes infighting, antisocial behavior, it changes their thinking, it limits their critical thinking capability, it increases their anxiety, their depression, their suicide, he said.

Their aim is to make our children think that the CCP or China is a friendlier, better country than their own United States, he said.

There is no difference between the U.S. and China, the CCP, other than the nefarious use as a war tool, a tool in the war chest, by the CCP. With the U.S., youre still being exploitedits still digital fentanyl thats being exploited for money and profit share, he said.

He singled out Lemon8, the social media app that is also owned by Bytedance, TikToks parent company.

Bytedance is reportedly calling on American users to turn to Lemon8 as a substitute for Tiktok.

Fleming said that you have to assume Lemon8 is also a weaponized application, because its coming from the CCP.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Bytedance for comments.

Replace Chinas Trojan horse

As U.S. lawmakers are dancing around the issue of censorship and First Amendment freedoms in relation to a potential ban on TikTok, Fleming noted that America is already in the midst of what he described as World War 3.

So its a wartime environment. Were going to have to suffer some contractions, some changes. Because if were going to win this war, we have to understand that these guys are using a Trojan horse against our families, our children, our companies, and so on, he said.

Fleming suggested that the United States can join with its allies to create platforms that can replace the malicious Chinese apps.

What Id like to see is other countries step up in the free world, like the UK, Canada, Australia, and all of our other allies, to say, Look, were in this. So were going to be doing technology together with these platforms to replace these nefarious platforms that are coming in as Trojan horses, Fleming said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Bytedance for comment, but had not received a reply before this article was published.
Trump Arraignment: What We Know Ahead of Former Presidents First Court Appearance

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower in New York on April 3, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump left his Palm Beach, Florida, residence on April 3 to return to his hometown of New York ahead of his April 4 arraignment before the states Supreme Court.

Trump, who was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury, is the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution.

Although the indictment remains sealed, the 45th president is expected to face falsification of business records charges surrounding an alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Danielswhose legal name is Stephanie Cliffordmade in 2016 by Trumps former attorney, Michael Cohen.

Prosecutors are expected to argue that the payment should have been reported as a contribution to Trumps presidential campaign.

This legal approach, which combines state falsification of records charges with a violation of federal campaign finance laws, has been described by some legal experts as novel and high risk.

Arraignment Process

Trump will spend the eve of his arraignment at Trump Tower before surrendering himself to the district attorneys office in lower Manhattan. Media outlets, citing unnamed sources, say Trump will arrive there at around 1 p.m. ahead of his 2:15 p.m. arraignment hearing.

At and around the courthouse, security measures will be heightened to account for the presence of a former president. But while the proceedings will be open to the public and the press on a first-come, first-served basis, they will not be live-streamed.

According to his legal team, the 45th president will not be handcuffed, though legal experts expect he will be fingerprinted and have a mugshot taken before being walked to the courtroom.

I imagine that he will have to be fingerprinted and have his mugshotthough I dont think there will be a perp walk and I dont think he will be handcuffed or anything like thatuntil they can take him before a judge and then he will enter a plea, Michael McDaniels, a professor at the Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, told WCMU.

He will be arraigned, as we say, on the charges against him and asked how he pleads to those charges.

In an April 2 interview with CNN Joe Tacopina, one of Trumps attorneys, said that his client intends to loudly and proudly plead, not guilty, but noted that many of the details of the arraignment were still unclear given the unprecedented nature of the situation.

This has never happened before, he said. Ive never had the Secret Service involved in an arraignment before at 100 Centre St, so  I honestly dont know how this is going to go.

However, the attorney did advise that a motion to dismiss the case was likely forthcoming.

We will take the indictment, we will dissect it, he said. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge and we will challenge, and of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because theres no law that fits this.

What Comes Next?

After the hearing, Trump will return home to Florida, where he is set to address the nation in an 8:15 p.m. speech from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

I think the entire world will be watching just how strong and just how fervent he is, that we must continue this Make America Great Again movement, because you cant have Trump policies without President Trump, Trump adviser Jason Miller told Newsmax on April 2.

While the details of Trumps speech have yet to be released, he may be limited in what he can say if the presiding judge, acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, decides to impose a gag order on the former presidenta possibility that is extremely likely, according to Duncan Levin, a former senior staffer in the Manhattan District Attorneys Office.

I think its not only a possibility, but its extremely likely that there will be a gag order in the case, Levin told Insider. Gag orders are very common in criminal cases, particularly in cases where there is an enormous amount of pretrial publicity like this one.

Decrying that possibility in an April 3 interview, Alina Habba, another Trump attorney, said: Theyre going to gag my client? That is seriously un-American. You do not do that. Everybody has a right to free speech.

If the case is not dismissed Trumps defense team is likely to argue that their client cannot receive a fair trial in Manhattan and try to have the case moved elsewhere, argued Matthew Galluzo, a former prosecutor with the New York County District Attorneys Office.

Can he actually get a fair trial in Manhattan? Galluzo wondered in a March 31 interview with NPR.

Or is every juror going to have already convicted him in their mind when they show up for jury duty? I dont know what the decision on that motion would be, but I imagine its going to get made.

As for when the trial might begin, Galluzo added that Trump would probably try to delay the proceedings as much as possible with pre-trial motions.

For him, if he can push this thing back until after the election then, you know, he can effectively win the trial that way, the attorney speculated.

And so  is it possible to delay a case two, three years if youre, you know, vigorously making all sorts of motions and appealing those decisions? Yeah, it could happen.

Demonstrations

As the former president made his way to Palm Beach International Airport on April 3, throngs of his supporters lined the streets along his route to give him a warm send-off.

Among those supporters was Ashton Munholland, president of the Palm Beach Young Republicans club, who said he feared that the United States was turning into a banana republic.

I think its important to stand for our country right now, Munholland told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

I think the injustice and the attacks on President Trump are an attack on our country. President Trump is extremely connected to the heart and voice of the people of our country.

Despite the peaceful nature of those demonstrations, New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a stern warning on April 3 to those who might be considering traveling there to engage in protests.

While there may be some rabble-rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves, Adams said at a press conference.

New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. We are the safest large city in America because we respect the rule of law in New York City.

In particular, Adams called out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who announced over the weekend that she will head to New York to protest against Trumps indictment.

Although we have no specific threatspeople like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is known to spread misinformation and hate speech, shes stated shes coming to town, Adams said. While youre in town, be on your best behavior.

As always, we will not allow violence or vandalism of any kind. And, if one is caught participating in any act of violence, they will be arrested and held accountable, no matter who you are.

Greene, who will participate in a 10:30 a.m. rally on April 4 with the New York Young Republican Club, has described the charges against Trump as election interference and an unprecedented abuse of our justice system.

I also reject any attempt and anyone who dresses in MAGA but incites violence or commits violence while pretending to be one of us, she added in an April 2 Twitter post.

You are not one of us, you are one of them. We will not live in fear and we will lawfully stand against tyranny and corruption while we show our support for President Trump.

While some Trump supporters have engaged in peaceful protests against his indictment, others have been wary of participating in demonstrations, warning that they could be part of a campaign to incite violence from Republicans.

Preparing for all possibilities, the New York Police Department (NYPD) began erecting metal barriers around Trump Tower and blocking off roads near the courthouse over the weekend.

[The] department remains ready to respond as needed and will ensure everyone is able to peacefully exercise their rights, the NYPD told Reuters in a statement.

Jack Phillips, Gary Bai, and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Trump Arrives in New York City Ahead of Tuesdays Arraignment

Former US President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at Trump Tower in New York on April 3, 2023. (ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump arrived in New York City on Monday afternoon as he prepares to surrender himself to the Manhattan District Attorney after a grand jury indicted him last week.

Live stream footage showed Trumps private Boeing 737 jet arriving at La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York. At around 3:45 p.m. ET, Trump was seen departing the plane and traveling away from the airport in a black motorcade.

At the Trump Tower, an Epoch Times reporter said that a crowd of pro-Trump protesters called the indictment a sham and called on President Joe Biden to be fired. Trump later entered the Trump Tower at around 4:25 p.m. ET as three black helicopters were seen overhead.

If you are doing poorly, as so many of you are, do not send anything, Trump wrote on Truth Social at around 3:30 p.m. as his plane landed in New York. If you are doing well, which was made possible through the great policies of the Trump Administration, send your contribution  we have to take back our Country and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Security was increased in and around Manhattan ahead of his arraignment, set for Tuesday. The New York Police Department has closed roads around the city, officials said earlier on Monday in a news conference.

Trump, a native of Queens, still holds property in New York City and said he will stay at his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Security around the Trump Tower was also bolstered.

There has been no specific credible threats to our city at this time, and New Yorkers should go on with their regular activities, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference.

Members of the media wait outside Trump Tower as former President Donald Trump is expected to arrive after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury in New York City on April 3, 2023. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Before heading to New York City, Trump rode in motorcade from his Mar-a-Lago club to his Boeing 757, which was carried live on cable and local television. It took him past supporters waving banners and cheering, while decrying the case against him as politically motivated.

Cable networks followed his plane at airports in Florida and New York with video from the air, and Trump was joined aboard by a small group of senior campaign aides as well as his son, Eric Trump, who posted photos of the wall-to-wall TV coverage from his seat.

Trump is reportedly facing multiple charges of allegedly falsifying business records in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury last week. The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to Stormy Daniels, although the indictment has not yet been unsealed.

Its an unprecedented chapter in American history, with Trump the first former president to face criminal charges. But he has said it could actually boost his chances of winning the presidency again next year and has made the indictment a central theme of his 2024 campaign.

Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said the campaign had raised $7 million since word of the indictment broke, but official figures have not yet been released. One Trump fundraising email Monday carried the subject line, Tomorrow, I will be arrested.

Former President Donald Trump arrives at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York City on April 3, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trumps attorney said on Sunday he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges stemming from Manhattan district attorney Alvin Braggs investigation.

We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge, and we will challenge. And of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because theres no law that fits this, Tacopina told CNN on Sunday.

Tacopina then described the case as politically motivated and said it would never had been brought if it didnt involve Trump.

And you have a situation where, you know, the federal government, the Department of Justice, turned this matter down, Tacopina told the outlet. The FEC, which governs federal election laws, said theres no violation here. But, he added, that somehow, a state prosecutor has taken a misdemeanor and tried cobble together to make it a felony by alleging a violation of federal campaign violations  the FEC said that doesnt exist.

On Monday, Trump attorney Alina Habba, who is representing the former president in the classified documents case, told CNN that she opposes the release of his mugshot. It should remain confidential because hes running for president, she argued.

I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, its a good thing. I do have a problem with leaking of pictures, Habba remarked. I think that because were in a campaign because hes the leading GOP candidate, its not going to help anything.

Eva Fu and The Associated Press contributed to this report. This is a developing story; check back for more updates.
Trump Indictment Fundamentally Transforms America to Third-World Nation

Former President Donald Trump waves before boarding his plane at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 3, 2023. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Commentary

The indictment of former president and current Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump by leftist New York County district attorney, Alvin Braggborne of a wholly contrived, baseless, and unprecedented case that every other Trump-hating authority declined to bringis an utter abomination.

Its an outrageous assault on the rule of law that normalizes the other bastardized cases likely to come from Georgia to Washington, D.C., in the perpetual coup against Trump and anyone else who dares to engage in the actual (thought)crime core to every Trump-related case: opposing our ruling elites.

It is, of course, election interference of the highest order.

It may well aim to provoke a counter-reaction to justify still further crackdowns on political dissentersa la Jan. 6, 2021or, at minimum, to divide and tear apart the country in service of the political ends of our ruling class.

To the extent the former president isnt only legally persecuted but also forced to shut up about itafter the judge in the case stopped short of issuing a gag order but warned Trump not to make statements that could incite violenceit would only add insult to the injury already done.

But as horrible as is this parade of horribles, perhaps the most calamitous aspect of this charade, with which we are unlikely to fully come to grips for years to come, is that it has shattered our republican system.

The case against Trump could collapse. He could rally to victory in the 2024 presidential election. Every George Soros-backed official in the country could be fired.

Yet that Bragg brought this case can never be undone. A precedent has been set: The United States, like every other tinpot dictatorship, now legally persecutes leaders when out of power. Its rulers, Beria-like, seek to lock the opposition in jail, to criminalize dissent by finding a crime to fit the man. Now, as another New York prosecution just showed, our ruling class not only pursues presidents but wins cases convicting political meme-makers.

For generations, millions fled their ancestral homelands, penniless, and without knowing a word of English, to come to America in search of refuge from the very kind of regime ours has now become.

There is nowhere else to flee.

In attempting to destroy one man, our ruling elites have not only eviscerated the rule of law for us all, but also fundamentally transformed America into a third-world nation, and therefore fundamentally transformed the Western civilization that America has led.

This is a world-historical calamity from which theres no going back.

And theres no remedy.

In perhaps a best-case scenario, tit-for-tat could temporarily deter such conduct. Yet even if effective, and America were to skirt a ruinous escalation, the possibility will forever loom in the background.

Meanwhile, despite a growing awareness among some conservatives that their political opponents will do anything and everything to destroy them, and that thus conservatives must use every lever of power available within the law against an opposition not limited by such constraints, theres little evidence to suggest most Republicans in power are so inclined.

Neither President Joe Biden nor anyone else of consequence in his administration is currently facing impeachment.

This after Trump was baselessly impeached twice.

No one is paying for the lives ruined and laws broken by the response to the Chinese coronaviruslet alone the cover-ups over its origins.

No one is paying for the mass public-private censorship regime that has conspired against our First Amendment rights.

No one is paying for the pursuit of concerned parents as if they are domestic terrorists.

No one is paying for the railroading of Jan. 6 defendants.

No one is paying for the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping hoax.

No one paid for Russiagate.

Going back further, no one paid for the Hillary Clinton email scandalnot least of which including Clinton herself.

No one paid for Benghazi.

No one paid for the IRSs targeting of Tea Party groups.

No one ever pays for any ruling class malfeasance, because everything is fair game when it comes to advancing its power.

In fact, we all have paid for thisliterally, with our own tax dollars.

And anyone and everyone who dares challenge the ruling class may well pay even more dearly for their thoughtcrimes.

In the wake of the Mar-a-Lago raid, I wrote:

The specific legal grounds for the raid, like the grounds for the coming indictment, are really beside the point.

Trumps crime was, and always has been, that he threatened The Regimes power and privilegein so doing, representing tens of millions of Americans who The Regime considers an impediment to its total control, and who it holds in utter contempt.

Thats all the predication The Regime needed to pursue him from the day he emerged in Trump Tower to declare himself an unprecedented political force, and, since, treat all manner of like-minded Wrongthinkers the same.

The pretense of the rule of law is gone, and to delude oneself into thinking otherwise after the two-tier, Soviet standard of justice we have seen applied again and again over the last six years would be dangerous folly.

As terrible as was the feeling after the Mar-a-Lago raid, no doubt for millions of Americans the feelings of dread and demoralization are infinitely more palpable now.

Perhaps this is the pointto pound Americans into submission by debasing our country, transforming it into something unrecognizable, to a nation of men not laws, with rule by rather than of law.

This is tyranny.

Theres no going back to the America that was. Our children and grandchildren will not live in the country we once did. They will never fully appreciate what has been lost, nor know what it was like to live in the America we loved.

There should be widespread mourning in America today. That there isnt tells you everything you need to know about the perilous state of this great nation.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Trump Lawyer Opposes Release of Mug Shot: Its Not Going to Help Anything

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before addressing the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center National Harbor, Md., on March 4, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A lawyer for Donald Trump opposes a potential release or leak of the former presidents mugshot, stating that it is not going to help anything because of his campaign and because mugshots are for recognition of a suspect.

After his indictment for alleged hush money payments, Trump is expected to surrender himself to the Manhattan district attorneys office on Tuesday morning for processing, when he will be fingerprinted, photographed, and read his Miranda rights. The arraignment hearing is then scheduled for 2:15 p.m. at the New York County Supreme Court.

When asked if there should be cameras in the courtroom during Trumps trial, one of the former presidents attorneys, Alina Habba, stated that she is not against the notion.

Habba, who has represented Trump on other issues, stated that the former presidents mugshot should remain confidential because he is running for president in 2024.

I like transparency. I think that in certain situations, its a good thing. I do have a problem with leaking of pictures, Habba told CNNs Don Lemon on April 3. I think that because were in a campaign because hes the leading GOP candidate, its not going to help anything.

In response to Lemons questioning, the attorney said that she does not understand why it would be required, considering that Trump is globally recognizable.

New York law does not recognize mugshots as public documents, so the publishing of a Trump photograph would require special permission.

Mugshots are for people so that you recognize who they are. He is the most recognized face in the world, let alone the country right now, so theres no need for that. Theres no need for the theatrics, she said.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said in a March 31 statement that, This evening we contacted Mr. Trumps attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected.

Trump has confirmed that he intends to appear before a New York court for his arraignment on charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York. On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way! Trump said in another post.

The former president also spoke out as to the reason, asserting that it was ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!! in an all-caps April 3 Truth Social post.

Trump blasted Bragg for subjecting him to criminal charges. The Corrupt D.A. has no case, the presidential candidate said. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!), and a Trump-Hating Judge, hand-selected by the Soros-backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.s OfficeUnprecedented!
Trump to Fly to New York Ahead of Court Hearing

Former President Donald Trump arrives for an event at the Adler Theatre in Davenport, Iowa, on March 13, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Former president Donald Trump has confirmed that he intends to appear before a New York court for his arraignment on charges brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!! Trump said in an all-caps April 3 Truth Social post.

I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York. On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way! Trump said in another post.

The court hearing for the arraignment will take place at 2:15 p.m. ET when Trump will appear before acting Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. This will be the first time in history that a former U.S. president faces criminal charges.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Trumps lawyer Joe Tacopina said that he is yet to see the indictment as it is still sealed.

We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge and we will challenge, and of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because theres no law that fits this, Tacopina said.

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said in a statement on March 31: This evening we contacted Mr. Trumps attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected.

Trump blasted Bragg for subjecting him to criminal charges. The Corrupt D.A. has no case. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!), and a Trump-Hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros-backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.s Office  Unprecedented! he said in an April 3 Truth Social post.

Trump was indicted by a grand jury for his involvement in paying $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The case is believed to rely mostly on testimony from Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen.

During an arraignment, formal charges against the accused are read by a judge for the first time. Trump will be asked how he wishes to plead and the judge will decide whether bail is necessary for him to be released.

GOP members have also insisted that the Manhattan District Attorneys case against Trump is politically motivated. In a letter (pdf) to Republican lawmakers on Friday, Leslie Dubeck, Braggs general counsel, called such allegations of political persecution baseless and inflammatory.

Like any other defendant, Mr. Trump is entitled to challenge these charges in court and avail himself of all processes and protections that New York States robust criminal procedure affords. What neither Mr. Trump nor Congress may do is interfere with the ordinary course of proceedings in New York State.

Political Play

Richmond-based veteran political analyst Bob Holsworth believes the Manhattan district attorneys case against Trump will boost the former presidents appeal for the Republican primaries in the race for 2024 president.

But this [indictment] is not likely to be the only one. And the question is, as these pile up later this spring and summer, will it open up a lane for someone other than these two? he said in an interview with The Epoch Times, referring to Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Were in uncharted territory, and I think well see likely twists and turns beyond the immediate impact.

On April 1, Trump posted the results of a poll on Truth Social which saw 83 percent of respondents willing to vote for Trump in the Republican primary. Second-placed candidate DeSantis only received 13 percent support.

I have never had so much support and love as I do now against the Radical Left Insurrectionists, Extortionists, Crooked Politicians, and Thugs that are destroying our Country. Thank you, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! Trump said in an April 3 post.
Ukraine Claims Its Forces Fight On in Bakhmut Despite Russian Claim to Have Taken It

An aerial view shows smoke billowing, in Bakhmut, Ukraine, in a still image taken from an undated video obtained from social media. (@combat.art.ukraine via Instagram/via Reuters)

KYIVUkraines military claimed its troops were locked in combat with Russian forces around the administration building of Bakhmut on Monday, and it poured scorn on Russian claims that Russians had captured the eastern city after months of warfare.

In Moscow, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of being behind a bomb blast at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday that killed a prominent Russian pro-war blogger. Russia said it had arrested a woman suspected of blowing up the blogger.

The battle for Bakhmut has been one of the bloodiest of the conflict, now in its second year.

Front lines have shifted backwards and forwards in street-by-street fighting.

The head of the Wagner mercenary force, which has spearheaded the Kremlins campaign to encircle and capture Bakhmut, said on Sunday his troops had raised a Russian flag on the administrative building in the city centre.

Yevgeny Prigozhin acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still holding some positions.

But he said in video posted on Telegram: From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts.

The Ukrainian military said on Monday however that fighting was still going on in Bakhmut as well as in several other towns.

Serhiy Cherevatiy, spokesperson for the eastern military command, claimed the Russian claim to have captured the city was false. Clashes were taking place around the city council building, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his Sunday night video address, thanked the soldiers fighting in Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.

Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there, he said.

Multiple Attacks

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant, he said.

The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control, Zhdanov said in a video on YouTube.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

A mining city and logistics hub on the edge of a chunk of Donetsk Province under Russian control, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000 before Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian forces are seeking a victory to give new momentum to a winter offensive.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensivebacked by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardwareis not far off but they have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses on their enemy in the meantime.

Blogger Death

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the assassination of blogger Vladlen Tatarsky on Sunday a terrorist act and cited Russias Anti-Terrorism Committee in saying that there was evidence linking Ukraine to the bombing.

The woman arrestedDarya Trepovais a Russian citizen who has previously been detained for protesting against the war in Ukraine, the TASS state news agency reported.

Peskov said security would be beefed up for Russias Victory Day holiday in May.

Ukraine has not commented on Peskovs suggestion that it may have been behind the blast, but Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelenskyy, claimed on Sunday it had only been a matter of time before Russia became consumed by what he called domestic terrorism.

Meanwhile Moscows ambassador to Minsk said on Sunday that Russia would move nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarusa move that would place them at NATOs threshold.

The weapons will increase the possibilities to ensure security, ambassador Boris Gryzlov told Belarusian state television.

This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.
Uncertainty Marks the Sixth Russia-China Alliance After Five Previous Treaty Breaches

As the entire western world united with Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion, Chinese dictator Xi Jinpings state visit to Russia raised concerns about whether China and Russia are allying against the entire West. Historically, China and Russia have never been genuine allies, from Tsarist Russia to the Soviet Union and todays Russia.

Xi Positions China Against the West in his Russia Visit

On March 20, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for dinner.

Before that, each leader had published an article touting China-Russian friendship. The CCPs mouthpiece newspaper, Peoples Daily, said that Putin claimed Russia-China relations had reached a historical peak and that he called Xi Comrade Xi Jinping, which is a title used between Communist Party members in China and in the former Soviet Union.

Xi Jinping reiterated Beijings position on the war between Russia and Ukraine, claiming he wanted a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis instead of the Cold War mentality and unilateral sanctions. Xi declared that China is willing to play a constructive role in promoting a political solution to the Ukrainian conflict. Putin responded to Xis political solution by saying that Russia supports Chinas constructive role in the Ukraine topic.

On March 18, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, in his speech in Russia, Xi Jinping did not mention anything about Russia invading neighboring countries. Instead, he emphasized the historical significance of the Russia-China partnership.

This is a sensitive time for Xi to visit Russia and make such a statement. It is believed that the CCP has ignored international condemnation and supported Putin. The Chinese regime is seeking an alliance to counter the West.

China-Russia Relations Viewed as an Alliance of Convenience

On March 21, Xinhua, the CCPs state media, published a Sino-Russia joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era. It is widely believed that the essence of the meeting between Xi and Putin is that the two dictatorships need each other and have more mutual interests than sincerity. The political situation forced such a brief handshake between the leaders.

Chinese-American political commentator Shi Shan suggests that Xi Jinpings decision to visit Russia attempts to change former Chinese leader Deng Xiaopings Hide our strength and bide our time policy on the international stage. Instead, Xi has chosen to challenge the United States directly and to become more confrontational globally.

Shi said: The CCP may not really want Russia to be strong, but rather it wants the war to last so it can weaken Russia, resulting in Russia relying heavily on the CCP for economic and geopolitical support. The CCP also does not want to see Russia defeated in Ukraine, which could make Ukraine more pro-West. The fact that Xi Jinping rushed to Russia just a week after the CCPs two sessions reflects this concern.

The power struggle between China and Russia has reversed due to the Russia-Ukraine War. China has emerged as the boss or the more dominant power between the two, while Russia relies more on Chinas support. Whether Russia can accept being a junior partner to the CCP remains to be seen.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also cast doubt on the new Russia-China alliance and suggested that Russia has become the junior partner in this relationship.

Historically, China-Russia Alliances Ended Badly for China

During Xi Jinpings visit to Russia, the article 300 years of Sino-Russian relations: 5 alliances and 5 betrayals circulated on Chinese social media, but the Chinese censors quickly blocked the posts.

Xiang Yang, the author of the book China Duel, briefly summarized five alliances between China and Russia throughout history and their respective outcomes.

The first alliance occurred in the 17th century when the Tsarist Russian Empire rapidly expanded its territory but feared instability in the Far East. They sent an envoy to sign a non-aggression pact with the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty in China in 1654. However, at the end of Russias western expansion, it broke the agreement and invaded northeastern China. The Manchurian Emperor declared war and defeated the Russians. The two sides eventually signed the Treaty of Nerchinsk to solve the territorial disputes.

The second happened during the late Qing Dynasty when Russia wanted to build a railroad in the far east to modern-day Vladivostok. The two countries signed a treaty of mutual assistance. However, Russia broke the alliance and occupied Chinese territory, forcing China to sign unequal treaties that ceded 1.2 million square miles of Chinese territory. Those territories remain part of Russia today.

The third time occurred in 1919 when the first Soviet ambassador to China, Lev Karakhan, was authorized by Lenin to issue the Soviet Offer to China of 1919, which stated that The unequal treaties from Tsarist Russia should be abolished and everything that had been taken from China should be returned to the Chinese people. The Republic of China President Sun Yat-sen then established a military-political alliance with the Soviet Union. However, the coalition eventually failed because the Soviet Union supported the Chinese Communists to subvert the Chinese Republic and supported the independence of Outer Mongolia from China.

The fourth instance was in 1945 when the Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance to get the Soviet Union to send troops to northeast China to fight against the Japanese Empire in exchange for a referendum on the independence of Outer Mongolia. However, Japan surrendered to the allied forces the day after the treaty was signed. The Soviet Union sent troops to northeast China regardless and took the opportunity to occupy Lushun City and Dalian in Liaoning Province, which were returned in 1955 to the Communist regime.

The fifth incident was in 1950 when the CCP and the Soviet Union signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance, and Mutual Assistance. However, the relationship deteriorated in the 1960s, and an armed conflict at the border between the two nations ended the alliance.

Historically, Russia has broken treaties with China on five occasions. Yet, we are seeing China and Russia again allying. This sixth alliance between Russia and China to confront the United States and the western world is expected to be very unpredictable.
Uncharted Territory: Trump Indictment Will Boost Him in GOP Primary, But Long-Term Impact Remains to be Seen, Analysts Say

Former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president in the 2024 U.S. presidential election during an announcement at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 15, 2022. (Alon Skuy/AFP via Getty Images)

The indictment of former President Donald Trump will give him a short-term boost in the Republican primary, political analysts say, but the long-term impact is yet to be seen.

The Manhattan grand jury indictment has deepened the nations partisan divide, they said, noting that this may not be the last prosecution against Trump, whos currently subject to three other ongoing investigations.

In the short term, the indictment will reinforce the two-person race and strengthen Trump, Richmond-based veteran political analyst Bob Holsworth told The Epoch Times, referring to the competition between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential candidate nomination.

But this [indictment] is not likely to be the only one. And the question is, as these pile up later this spring and summer, will it open up a lane for someone other than these two? he added.

Were in uncharted territory, and I think well likely twists and turns beyond the immediate impact.

On Thursday, Trump became the first former president in history to be criminally charged when a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict him in relation to the payment of hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had been investigating whether the payment, made by then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen, was misclassified.

While the charges remain under seal, experts widely expect them to include felony-level falsification of business records. This charge would require the prosecution to prove that the fraud was intended to cover up a violation of federal campaign finance lawswhich some legal analysts believe to be a high-risk legal strategy.

The charges will be made public during the arraignment on the afternoon of April 4 in Manhattan, when Trump, who has maintained his innocence, is expected to plead not guilty.

The Trump campaigns fundraising efforts immediately following the indictment have paid off. On Friday, it announced that it had raised over $4 million within 24 hours. More than 25 percent came from first-time donors to the Trump campaign, the campaign said, adding that the average contribution amount was $34 and Americans from all 50 states donated within the first five hours of news of the indictment.

This incredible surge of grassroots contributions confirms that the American people see the indictment of President Trump as a disgraceful weaponization of our justice system by a Soros-funded prosecutor, the campaign said in a press release.

The image here is one of Trump as a victim, a martyr for voters, Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, told The Epoch Times.

I think the ones who think of him as a martyr are his strong supporters anyway; this confirms that hes under assault and a victim in an unfair way. And especially given the fact that this particular case of all the cases in play here its really the weakest.

Deepened Partisan Divide

The divergence of opinion on the indictment has revealed deep national divisions. In a Quinnipiac University poll released a day before the indictment, 62 percent of respondents thought the Manhattan district attorneys case was politically motivated: 93 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of independents, and 29 percent of Democrats. Only 32 percent believed the case was motivated by law.

Republicans have almost universally condemned the indictment as a partisan hit job and another instance of Trump being victimized by a weaponized criminal justice system.

The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head, DeSantis, widely seen as Trumps most threatening rival for the Republican presidential nomination, said in a tweet on the day of Trumps indictment. It is un-American.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), an attorney, echoed this view in a tweet on the same day.

The Democrat Partys hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The substance of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system, Cruz wrote.

But with this, Trump can expect a boost in the primaries.

This [indictment] helps Trump, especially in the GOP primary, because it comes off as Bragg/Dems using the Justice system to go after a political opponent. And that wont sit well with voters, Ford OConnell, a lawyer and Republican strategist, told The Epoch Times.

Meanwhile, Democrats reacted to the news with joy and vindication.

Its the smallest and longest-awaited bit of comeuppance for tens of millions of Americans, but man, well take it, Democrat strategist Christy Setzer told The Epoch Times.

Max Burns, another Democratic strategist, told The Epoch Times, Now is a great opportunity for so-called law and order Republicans to prove their commitment to the rule of law by respecting the decision of the Grand Jury and allowing our judicial system to operate without interference.

GOP Playing Field

According to Shapiro, Republican-leaning independents who vote in the GOP primaries will now likely take to Trump. These voters would take cues from their political leaders, who had reacted very hostile toward the indictment, he said.

Right now, I think the playing field and the primary looks a little bit different, and to Trumps advantage, Shapiro said, adding that things could change as potential indictment efforts unfold in other investigations against Trump.

But for now, Trump and DeSantis have soaked up most of the media attention, he said, meaning other GOP presidential hopefuls might want to reevaluate their campaigns.

I think, if all these other candidates are thinking rationally, they should think they need to sit on the sidelines, hope that Trump drops out, and beyond that look ahead to 2028, Shapiro said.

Meanwhile, DeSantis, who has come out in support of Trump in the indictment, may also need to recalibrate.

How hes going to pivot from this and figure out a way to gain supportive Republican primary voters against Trump is going to be a little bit of a challenge at this point, he added.

In his view, the reinforcement of a two-candidate race may give DeSantis a better chance of winning the GOP presidential nomination because primary voters want to pick someone who can beat the Democratic candidate. Moreover, while Republican-leaning independents may drive the GOP primary, complete independents will play a decisive role in the general election.

The stakes are tremendous in 2024, especially given the fact that the parties now are so different in terms of their political ideologies and objectives, said Shapiro. Nobody talks about this, but its in the context of the possibility that the Republicans can keep the House, win the Senate, and have unified government.

The momentum is still there for Republicans, he added. Especially given that people are still pessimistic about the state of things in the United States, although that could change.

Potential Additional Indictments

Both Holsworth and Shapiro noted that there might be additional indictments of Trump resulting from the special counsel and Georgia investigations.

Special counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trumps handling of classified documents, and his alleged role in interfering with 2020 election results and the lawful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021. A Fulton County grand jury is probing whether Trump unlawfully interfered with the 2020 election in Georgia.

I think the more important cases to watch are the Jan. 6 investigations and the Georgia vote investigation that could have the effect of strengthening opposition to Trump among Republican-oriented voters, said Shapiro.

He said DeSantis has been very effective politically and enjoys high stature and credibility in Florida. He has really strengthened the Republican Party in Florida; Florida has turned into a red state.

However, Shapiro doesnt think political effectiveness would be a strong argument for DeSantis against Trump, whos also proven himself on this front. Trump, he said, could achieve an enormous amount if he wins the White House and Republicans control the House and the Senate in 2024. The former presidents track record in political effectiveness was good as long as he didnt do things that the rest of the Republican Party didnt like, noted Shapiro.

Given that the primaries are a series of events, Shapiro said, for DeSantis, momentum from early primaries would be crucial to proving his viability and strength as a candidate versus Trump.

Theres also a third opinion that the indictment wont matter in the long run.

I honestly think that this indictment will be a footnote in history and will have zero impact on the Republican primary and the 2024 general election, Republican strategist Brian Darling told The Epoch Times. The legal result will be months and months of appeals on motions to dismiss and other procedural hurdles that come up because this is an unprecedented case of first impression.

Expect a long drawn out process and the American people quickly losing interest because the stakes in the case are so low.

Mark Tapscott and Gary Bai contributed to this article.
US Court Sanctions Google for Deleting Evidence in Antitrust Cases

The logo of Google LLC is seen at a Google Store in New York on Jan. 20, 2023. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Alphabet Inc.s Google LLC intentionally destroyed employee chat evidence in antitrust litigation in California and must pay sanctions and face a possible penalty at trial, a U.S. judge ruled.

U.S. District Judge James Donato in San Francisco said in his order on Tuesday that Google fell strikingly short in its duties to preserve records. The ruling is part of a multidistrict litigation that includes a consumer class action with as many as 21 million residents; 38 states and the District of Columbia; and companies including Epic Games Inc. and Match Group LLC.

The consumers and other plaintiffs are challenging Googles alleged monopoly for distributing Android mobile applications, allegations that Google has denied. Plaintiffs have claimed aggregate damages of $4.7 billion.

The judge asked the plaintiffs lawyers by April 21 to provide an amount in legal fees they are seeking as a sanction.

Separately, the plaintiffs will have a chance to urge Donato to tell jurors that Google destroyed information that was unfavorable to it. He said he wants to see the state of play at a later stage in the case.

Google has tried to downplay the problem and displayed a dismissive attitude ill-tuned to the gravity of its conduct, the judge said.

A Google spokesperson on Tuesday said the company has produced over three million documents, including thousands of chats.

The Google logo is seen outside their headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on Aug. 18, 2004. (Clay McLachlan/Reuters)

In a court filing last year, Googles lawyers said the company took robust steps to preserve relevant chats.

Lawyers representing plaintiffs had no immediate comment.

The attorneys said they were seeking instant messaging communication on topics at the core of the litigation, according to their filings. The lawyers said Google was deleting chat records every 24 hours and did so even after this litigation commenced.

The judge determined Google left employees largely on their own to determine what Chat communications might be relevant to the litigation.

The trial is scheduled to begin in November.

Google is separately fighting claims in a U.S. Justice Department antitrust case in Washington, D.C., federal court of destroyed chat records.

The case is In re Google Play Store Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:21-md-02981-JD.

By Mike Scarcella
US Military Could be Learning the Wrong Lessons from Ukraine War: US General

A Ukrainian serviceman flies a drone on the outskirts of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Dec. 30, 2022. (SAMEER AL-DOUMY/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States should adjust its strategies and programs based on the performance of the Russian and Ukrainian militaries in their ongoing struggle to avoid learning the wrong lessons for a future fight, according to one U.S. general.

By attempting to learn wholesale from Ukraine, the U.S. military could be setting itself up for failure in a conflict against China over Taiwan, said Marine Brig. Gen. Mark Clingan during an April 3 talk at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank.

In this conflict, we have seen uncontested logistics across the Atlantic, Clingan said.

We may have been learning the wrong lessons.

Clingan, who serves as deputy commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, said that the logistics which would sustain U.S. forces would be held at constant threat in a Pacific conflict.

Logistics matters Logistics is the pacing warfighting function, Clingan said. Youre going to have to fight to get to the fight.

To that end, Clingan said the U.S. Marine Corps was undergoing a huge modernization effort aimed at learning the right lessons from Ukraine to apply to a potential conflict with China.

Foremost among those lessons is that the United States industrial base is not ready for a major conflict.

The industrial base matters Our production may not be sufficient for the coming conflict, said Clingan.

One Chinese shipyard can produce in one year more ships than all of ours combined.

Similarly, Clingan said that the United States would need to do a better job of preparing its society for the realities of war.

Depots, ports, and airfields will be targeted, Clingan said. Civilians will need to be prepared for war.

Us going back to total war could be a reality.

Integration of New Technologies Place All at Threat

Another critical implication learned from ground combat in Ukraine is the premium that the modern military must place on the ability to integrate new technologies, said T.X. Hammes, a distinguished research fellow at the National Defense University.

One example of this, Hammes said, was the decision of the Army and Marines to pursue experimentation with using drones to direct machine gun fire and grenade launchers.

The real payoff [learning drone warfare from Ukraine] has been adjusting fires and providing intelligence to commanders, Hammes said.

Due to the pervasive surveillance offered by commercial satellites and drones, he added, the benefit of drones was hard to overstate. As such, the United States should work to integrate drones, precision munitions, and loitering munitions to hunt and kill hostile targets in the next war.

For the price of one M1A2 [tank], you could have 1,000 Drone 40s, Hammes said, referring to a popular military drone used for reconnaissance and attack.

How do you maneuver, and how do you resupply if theres 1,000 active hunters in the sky above you? Hammes said.
US Now a Majority Permitless Carry Country After DeSantis Signs Gun Rights Law

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)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a permitless carry bill into law on April 3, making Florida the 26th state to do so, according to pro-Second Amendment groups.

The legislation, passed by the Florida Legislature, allows people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit and without state-mandated training. It will go into effect starting July 1.

John Velleco, executive vice president of Gun Owners of America, confirmed to the Miami Herald that DeSantis, a Republican, signed the legislation in front of a group of about 20 people. An official with the National Rifle Association (NRA) also confirmed DeSantis signed the measure.

After DeSantiss signature, Florida is now the 26th state in the United States to allow permitless carry, according to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). Before Monday, DeSantis said he would sign the bill into law.

There has been debate about the meanings of the terms permitless carry and constitutional carry. The USCCA says the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, the group notes on its website that permitless carry can refer to laws in states that allow people to openly carry a firearm without a permit, but that require a permit for concealed carry.

Ahead of the bill signing, DeSantis said that Florida supports the Second Amendment during a book tour event on March 30.

You dont need a permission slip from the government to be able to exercise your constitutional rights, he said.

The sponsor of the measure, Republican state Rep. Chuck Brannan, said residents should be able to carry their firearms without government interference or local preemption.

In the State of Florida, government bureaucracy will no longer stand between law-abiding Floridians and their freedom to exercise their Second Amendment rights, Brannan said in a statement. This bill recognizes that while the government has a duty to protect its citizens, its citizens have a right to protect themselves.

The measure passed 7632 in the House and 2713 in the Senate, mostly along party lines. Democrats, who opposed the bill, said it would cause a spike in gun-related crimes and deaths.

Democrat state Sen. Shevrin Jones wrote after the bills passage that guns are killing our children and tearing apart families. Its not books, its not drag queens, its not even wokeness, its guns!

Even with the loss of these precious lives, the FL legislature is STILL pressing forward with its permitless carry bill. Its a damn shame, he wrote.

Not Far Enough?

However, some pro-Second Amendment groups have said the bill doesnt go far enough and isnt a true constitutional carry measure because it does not allow people to openly carry guns like in a number of other Republican-leaning states.

DeSantis has previously said he supports open carry legislation, but some state leaders and sheriffs have indicated that they dont support the measure.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina, a Democrat, claimed in a guest editorial for the Orlando Sentinel that open carry would increase the number of shootings and gun-related deaths statewide. Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo also said in March that she would only support open carry legislation if the Florida Sheriffs Association supported it.

I will support what the Sheriffs of this state, who are the experts, said Passidomo in early March, according to The Capitolist. I dont know one end of a gun from another, so I certainly want to support the experts.

The bill that DeSantis signed says you do not need the governments permission to carry your weapon, Passisomo further said. That, in my mind, is constitutional carry.

Young Americans for Liberty said that next time, DeSantis and Florida Republicans need to do more.

Governor Ron DeSantis cant expect to be praised as a conservative hero if hes going to retreat back to the establishment line every time a major vote has to be made. Floridians deserve the full constitutional carry that DeSantis promised last year, especially if he wants their support in the 2024 election, Ted Patterson, the groups vice president of policy, said in a statement Monday.

When asked about the bill and if it goes far enough, DeSantis said that if the legislature sends me something that is 90 percent or 80 percent, I mean, Im going to take that win and we come back for more at some time in the future, CNN reported.

Both the Gun Owners of America and the NRA praised DeSantis and the Florida legislature for passing and signing the bill.

The NRA applauds Florida for becoming the 26th state to adopt the vital Constitutional Carry legislation. This NRA-spearheaded initiative empowers Floridians to exercise their Second Amendment rights without undue bureaucratic barriers, affirming the fundamental right to self-defense, NRA-ILA Interim Executive Director Randy Kozuch told Fox News on Monday.

And Gun Owners of America described the measure as a huge win for Second Amendment groups and is a step in the right direction. It said that for years, Florida Republican lawmakers have refused to even bring up pro-gun measures.

Again, this isnt everything that we have pushed for, but it is still a step in the right direction, it said. Having the ability to have at least one method of carrying without the requirement of having a government issue permission slip is a good thing.
US to Open Embassy in Vanuatu in Latest Move to Counter Beijing Influence

The United States plans to open an embassy in the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, its latest move to boost diplomatic relations in the region in response to Beijings growing influence.

Consistent with the U.S. IndoPacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the U.S. Government to deepen relationships with Ni-Vanuatu officials and society, the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

Establishing U.S. Embassy Port Vila would facilitate areas of potential bilateral cooperation and development assistance, including efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

The United States currently maintains diplomatic relations with Vanuatu through its ambassador based in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Vanuatu has a population of almost 320,000 people spread across 13 principal islands and 70 other smaller islands.

An aerial view of Erakor island and the coastline of Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Dec. 7, 2019. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The move comes as part of the Pacific Islands Embassies Act, finalized at the end of 2022, which aims to expand the United States presence in the Pacific Island region.

Under the legislation, embassies have also been set up in Kiribati and Tonga. The U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands has been reopened as well.

The previous U.S. Embassy in the Solomon Islands was closed in 1993 following budget cuts and, like Vanuatu, was represented through its Papua New Guinea-based ambassador.

The opening of the embassy builds on our efforts not only to place more diplomatic personnel throughout the region but also to engage further with our Pacific neighbors, connect United States programs and resources with needs on the ground, and build people-to-people ties, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 1.

Huge Indo-Pacific Push

Other moves in the Pacific region include signing a memorandum of understanding with the Federated States of Micronesia and pledging at least $7 billion in funding for the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Micronesia.

These three nations are called the Freely Associated States (FAS), and their citizens are eligible to work and live indefinitely in the United States.

It also allows the island nations access to U.S. domestic economic programs and allows the United States to operate defense bases in these nations. FAS citizens are also allowed to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

FAS countries have complained that assistance hasnt kept pace with U.S. obligations. While the nations still enjoy close ties to Washington, critics warn that a failure to reach new terms could spur them to look to Chinas communist regime for funding or increased trade and tourism.

The U.S. Institute of Peace, a federally funded think tank, said in a September 2022 report that Beijing perceives the limited U.S. engagement as a strategic void in the Pacific Island region and has been open about its intentions to fill it.

Even a modest increase in diplomatic resources is likely to meet with an enthusiastic reception from regional officials, the report reads.

The Chinese communist regime has been successful in getting most Pacific Island nations to switch diplomatic affiliation to Beijing from Taipei, the most recent being the Solomon Islands and Kiribati in 2019.

The Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and Tuvalu are the four remaining Pacific Island nations that maintain official diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

President David Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia speaks during the Pacific Parliamentary and Political Leaders Forum at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 18, 2013. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

Micronesias leader has proposed that his nation switch ties to Taiwan from Beijing, accusing the Chinese regime of waging political warfare and making direct threats to his safety.

In a leaked 13-page letter to the Micronesian Congress, President David Panuelo claimed that Chinese officials acting in an official capacity had made direct threats against his safety.

He also alleged that Beijing is attempting to undermine Micronesias sovereignty to ensure that it would either side with Beijing or remain neutral in a potential conflict over Taiwan, a self-governed nation.

One of the reasons that Chinas political warfare is successful in so many arenas is that we are bribed to be complicit and bribed to be silent. Thats a heavy word, but it is an accurate description regardless, Panuelo said.

It is at this point that I relay, simply as a point of information, that 39 out of 50 members of parliament in the Solomon Islands received payments from China prior to their vote on postponing elections that were otherwise scheduled for this year.

Shift From China to Allies

The Biden administration has indicated that it has switched its focus from communicating with Beijing to working closely with allies.

Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the United States recognized that the most important step was how it could work with allies and partners.

The idea here is not to in any way challenge China or surround China but to protect our interests and to make sure that through common effort we are able to stabilize and strengthen the elements of this system, which we think have benefited all, he said on March 30.

The shift comes after the long-standing foreign policy theory that communicating directly with Beijing would create change throughout Asia has been proven wrong.

Campbell said efforts to convince the Chinese regime to adopt more liberal and less authoritarian policies have failed.

[The new theory] believes that the more effective framework was to work with allies and partners to create a larger context for then engaging China more directly, Campbell said.

Thats what President Biden has sought to do. To work on it with our existing bilateral engagements but also with new partners.

Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report.
US Westinghouse to Supply Fuel to Both Czech Nuclear Plants

A man fishes with the towering Dukovany nuclear power plant in the background in Dukovany, Czech Republic, on Sept. 27, 2011. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo)

PRAGUEThe Czech Republics power company signed a deal with U.S. energy giant Westinghouse Electric Co. to supply nuclear fuel for the Dukovany nuclear plant, eliminating the countrys dependence on Russia for such fuel.

State-controlled power company CEZ said that Pennsylvania-based Westinghouse will start fuel deliveries to Dukovany next year.

Russias TVEL, which is part of Russian energy giant Rosatom, was previously the sole supplier of fuel for the Soviet-era plant.

CEZ said Westinghouse expedited fuel development for Dokovany at the behest of the Czech government following Russias invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago.

CEZ chief executive Daniel Benes called the deal a significant boost for energy security. The power company said it currently has enough fuel for next three years.

We are proud to be the first Western alternative with a proven fuel design for this type of units, Tarik Choho, president of Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel, said on Wednesday.

CEZ last year selected Westinghouse and Frances Framatome to supply fuel for the Czech Republics other, Temelin nuclear plant. The countrys six nuclear reactors generate more than a third of its total electricity needs.

CEZ operates four 510-megawatt units at the Dukovany power plant and another two 1,000-megawatt reactors at the Temelin plant.

Unlike its western neighbors Austria and Germany, the Czech Republic is doubling down on nuclear power in conjunction with renewable energy sources after deciding to phase out coal as a fuel for energy generation by 2033.

CEZ launched a tender last year for a new reactor at the Dukovany nuclear plant as the country aims to increase nuclear power generation.

Russias Rosatom and Chinas CNG were excluded from the tender on security grounds.
Vivek Ramaswamy Isnt Running for Second Place, but He Might Get It

Commentary

In the midst of the uproar over former President Donald Trumps indictment, Greg Kelly, on his popular Newsmax show, spoke forcefully in favor of entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as Trumps running mate.

He did this although Ramaswamy, as yet, has failed to register more than a point or two, if that, in the polls.

And Kelly isnt the only one. Ramaswamy has been mentioned as a potential vice-president several times by the politically educated readers in the comments sections of this paper, and elsewhere. Out front with what some might deem controversial opinions, the long-shot candidate is having an impact.

Late on April 2, his campaign issued a brief statement, titled Vivek Ramaswamy Announces Plan to End Political Weaponization of Federal Administrative Power.

Here are the bullet points:

Shut down and replace the FBI.

Shut down and replace the IRS.

Pardon all federal defendants prosecuted based on political motives. This includes Douglass Mackey, nonviolent Jan. 6, 2021, defendants denied due process, and any defendants convicted pursuant to unconstitutional vestiges of the Patriot Act.

Hold Congress accountable for using U.S. taxpayer dollars as hush money for sexual harassment claims against members of Congress.

Publish the Jeffrey Epstein client list: the federal government shouldnt weaponize police power to protect a select few from accountability.

Lets examine his proposals in order:

THE FBI: Its not just what most of us already knowthe biased, even criminal, behavior of Peter Strzok, James Comey, and others in the matter of TrumpRussia collusion, the bogus Steele dossier, and so forth, not to mention the agencys unconscionable concealing of the contents of the Hunter Biden laptop, with its implications of massive corruption in the highest places.

The FBI has been a disgrace since its inception, known, under J. Edgar Hoover, to have spied on and attempted to strong-arm, in highly dubious manners, the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.

A salient domestic example of Lord Actons famous warning about power, merely to reform such a blot on our national character, as some recommend, would be insufficient. The ghost of its unprincipled past would always be with it.

Ramaswamy is correct. The FBI should be completely shut down and replacedand in a manner that would put it under the supervision of the U.S. people for whom it works, not the reverse.

THE IRS: By accident or design, the Internal Revenue Service has become a near-perfect instrument for political persecution. For a disturbing example, we only have to look back to March 28, when an IRS agent paid a visit to the home of journalist Matt Taibbi on the very day that Taibbi was testifying before Congress on the Twitter Files, which demonstrated all kinds of anti-democratic interference by agencies of our government. Could Joseph Stalin have arranged it better?

And then there was the IRSs partisan targeting, sometimes to impoverishment, of Tea Party Movement organizations over a decade ago. These activities were cited by a government inspector but only resulted in a settlement in 2017 with no more than an apology from the agents involved, all of whom walked.

Ramaswamy says the IRS should be shut down and replaced, but with what?

The U.S. tax code is more complicated than the Babylonian Talmud, with nowhere approaching its moral intent. Our codes real purpose is largely to grant financial favors to the rich, most often in return for supporting certain candidates, Democrat or Republican.

For years, Steve Forbes has been recommending that it be replaced with a flat tax. He says it wouldnt harm the poor, most of whose income would be taxed in that system anyway while netting more revenue for the government, with fewer opportunities for loopholes and cheating. Why not?

PARDON all federal defendants prosecuted based on political motives.

This one should be a classic no-brainer unless you prefer the old Soviet Union during the days of Comrade Beria of the NKVD. Now that the video has been released of the goofy QAnon Shaman being escorted about the Senate floor by a complaisant Capitol police, its becoming increasingly obvious that Jan. 6 was a massively overblown scandal, in large part engineered by agents provocateur of our government who ginned up a riot of the largely innocent and encouraged violence, all financed by our taxpayer dollars.

And just who were the violent ones anyway? All we know definitively in that regard is the unpunished murder of the unarmed Ashli Babbitt by a Capitol policeman. Wow.

One of the (many) reasons the left fights the election of Donald Trump so unrelentingly, including waging more lawfare against him than any president in our history, is that he might appoint an attorney generalassuming he can find one this timewith the moxie and honesty to unravel all this and much more deception that has been going on in our country.

In a putative Trump/Ramaswamy administration, many would be released.

HOLD CONGRESS accountable for using U.S. taxpayer dollars as hush money for sexual harassment claims against members of Congress

Hmm  I have to admit Im not entirely up to speed on this one, though I have heard rumors and seen allegations. If true, it should be exposed in the interest of that most elusive of all thingsgovernment transparencywhich leads to Ramaswamys conclusion.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN: Is this the mother of all government corruption? Is the hidden list of Epsteins clients in essence a clue to why the Deep State and the Uniparty are able to exist with so little successful resistance? I dont know becauseyou may be shocked to hearI havent seen the list, but I do know some of the most powerful people in the world from Bill Clinton to Bill Gates (and who knows who else) were intimate in some way with the nefarious Epstein.

I roll my eyes at the nearly instant decision of former William Barr in declaring Epsteins death a suicide, just as I roll my eyes at the then-attorney general determining the 2020 election was fairly contested, with only minor cheating, barely a month after the vote.

Ramaswamy is clearly asking the right questions and making some solid recommendations.

A request to Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, is in order.

Ms. McDaniel, please do your best to ensure that Ramaswamy is qualified for the primary debate. Your party deserves to hear him. So does the rest of America.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen plans to visit the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, on April 20, 2023, Trend reports with reference to the Israeli media.

According to the information, the purpose of the Minister's visit will be the opening of the Israeli Embassy in Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Foreign Minister announced in a Twitter post at the beginning of March this year that Israel was opening a permanent mission in Turkmenistan.

He also added that the relations between the two countries are important and strategic, and this step will further strengthen these relations and lead to the expansion of cooperation.
What the Liberal Party Must Do to Rebuild

Liberal candidate for Aston Roshena Campbell (left) federal opposition leader Peter Dutton are seen and during a Liberal Party by-election function at Knox Italian Community Club in Melbourne, Australia on April 1, 2023. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Commentary

The loss of the federal seat of Aston by the centre-right Liberal Party is, unfortunately, simply the latest chapter in a saga of defeat and decline.

Consider the record. In the past few years, the Liberals have lost government in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.

They have also failed to make any real dent in the dominance of the centre-left Labor in Queensland and Victoria.

The Liberal Party also lost seats at the 2016 federal election and barely clung on to government in 2019 before losing in 2022.

This reflects a much longer trend.

Since 1990, Liberal/National Parties have only been in government in the states and territories for an average of 12 years.

While this varies between jurisdictions, both state and territory, Liberal/National coalitions have only sat on the Treasury benches for a little over one-third on average of the past 30 years.

Only in Western Australia has the Liberal Party been in government for more than 50 percent of the time since 1990.

Nationally, the Coalition has been in government for more than 60 percent of the past three decades, but Aston is not a good omen.

Indeed, the Victorian state election results in the seats covered by Aston suggested that it would also fall to Labor.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 26, 2021. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

All the usual reasons for defeat have been trotted out in the past few days: the Liberals are not left enough on progressive issues, and the leadership is not attractive to modern voters, being the most common.

That these arguments are made mainly by those on the left suggests that the real reasons lie elsewhere.

There are four issues that the party must urgently address if it wishes to regain government.

Suppress Factionalism

First, it must attract a broad-based membership. Nationally, the proportion of members is less than one in 400 people. Instead of representing the broad cross-section of the community, membership is concentrated increasingly in coteries that seek to control the party.

Constitutional reforms of more than a decade ago in many states largely destroyed the local branches, lessening the influence of the remaining members. Factionalism is rife.

As former Prime Minister John Howard observed of the party in New South Wales, these factions have become preselection co-operatives.

A number of serious consequences flow from the declining membership and the rise in factionalism in the contemporary Liberal Party.

Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard attends the state memorial service for the late former Australian PM Bob Hawke, in Sydney, Australia, on June 14, 2019. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

First, the quality of candidates has fallen. Many people who would make good members of Parliament shy away from the invitation, often citing factionalism and social media intrusion as their main reasons.

As a result, candidates for preselection become experts in counting the internal numbers but often have little real-world experience.

There are some notable exceptions, but too often, parliaments now comprise managerial careerists in all parties.

As Howard writes, within the Parliament elected in 2016, 49 percent of Liberal MPs had previously worked in state or federal politicsas staffers, party officials or corporate affairs employees of companies involved in political liaison.

Many candidates cant even add the local kindergarten parents group membership to their resume, let alone involvement in a service club or local charity!

A 2014 Review by former Federal Minister David Kemp highlighted one of the partys most significant issues.

There must be a complete change in how the party goes about its business. It needs to become an organisation facing not inwards but outwards. It needs to become an accessible community organisation, welcoming and open. Liberals need to engage better with each other and with the external world.

The recent national election review by Brian Loughnane and Senator Jane Hume highlighted this problem.

The Liberal Party is not a lobby group or a think tank. It is a political party whose objective is to form a government to advance Australia. To do this, it must be an effective political operation and appeal to the broader Australian community. Unfortunately, self-absorption by narrow sectional and factional interests is increasingly restricting the partys ability to meet this test, as are inflexible party structures.

Loughnane and Hume publicly condemned the ineffective and unprofessional behaviour in senior party committees. They proposed that the federal executive discuss the role and responsibilities of party executive members and develop a code of conduct to be signed by all candidates wishing to contest senior party positions.

Significantly, they recommended that after endorsement by the federal executive, the recommended code should be discussed and adopted by each state executive.

This is an admission that the state divisions of the party are incapable of individually implementing the necessary reform.

Former NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet (R) and MP Matt Kean leave a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 12, 2021. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

Structural Reform, Sensible Policy

Secondly, the Liberals must modernise the governance structures of the party. It is troubling that political parties fail to meet modern corporate governance requirements.

The federal executive of the Liberal Party should insist on a modern structure for the state administrative bodies, with a majority of independent, non-executive directors.

There should be clear requirements on these directors for the conduct of the party, the raising of finances, the selection of candidates and the widespread recruitment of members, the average age of whom is now over 70 years.

Few realise that a rapidly ageing party membership is an existential threat to its future.

Under these proposals, party members would continue to vote in preselections and contribute to policy development, but the incentive for factional operatives to manipulate the governance of the party would be significantly diminished if a modern governance structure was implemented.

Thirdly, these changes should ensure that proper internal processes are followed. Too often, for example, have factional operatives on State Administrative Committees manipulated the rules to delay or avoid preselections.

The decline in real-world experience and the concentration on internal party politics also results in more parliamentarians who seem unaware and unconvinced of Liberal Party principles and are unprepared for the hard policy work required to persuade the electorate.

Fourthly, and most importantly, the Liberal Party must return to championing policies based on its values and beliefs instead of merely playing tactical day-to-day politics or, worse, mimicking Labor.

As probably the most effective Opposition Leader for many decades, Tony Abbott said recently the consistent lesson of the repeated election losses is Labor-lite Liberals lose!

The list of sensible policies is patent: affordable and reliable energy; a reduction of national debt which burdens future generations; policies that uphold the equal rights of all individuals, not the identity of noisy groups; and the ability of all Australians to own their homes are just a few prominent examples.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Larger than life: Art that inspires us through the ages

The Zacatecas Cathedral, located in Zacatecas in the north-central Mexican state of the same name, is a masterpiece of Spanish Baroque architecture.

In the 18th century, this historic town prospered because of its rich deposits of silver. To celebrate their good fortune, miners built the Catedral Basilica de Zacatecas between 1729 and 1760, replacing two existing structures. Also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Zacatecas, the Catholic church was only fully completed and consecrated in 1841.

The cathedral dominates the center of Zacatecas and stands apart from other Mexican churches for its Churrigueresque, or Ultra Baroque, architecture from when Mexico was known as New Spain. This architectural style refers to a Spanish baroque design popular in both Spain and Latin America in the 18th century and characterized by elaborate sculptural elements, carved lacework, and Corinthian columns.

This style is especially noticeable in the buildings baroque exterior. The cathedrals main facade is covered with elaborate and intricate details on pink stone, combining European and indigenous decorative elements such as angels and various plants.

However, the churchs interior greatly contrasts with its ornate exterior, where the somber Neoclassical style replaced the extravagant baroque style. Inside, the Doric style prevails with stone side altars and large columns. The church is laid out as a Latin cross, with two side naves, and features a gilded altar and detailed sculptures.

The main facade of the Zacatecas Cathedral, completed in 1745, is one of the best examples of Churrigueresque architecture in Mexico. Ornamented with Corinthian columns with lace-like details, the three-tiered facade holds various religious figures, most notably sculptures of the 12 apostles at the sides. (Jvitela/CC BY-SA 4.0)

The second level of the middle section of the churchs main facade houses the choir window, framed by intricate plant motifs and stone carvings of the apostles James, Peter, Paul, and Andrew on pedestals. Above this level, the third smaller body also has floral flourishes and sculptures of four apostles, surrounding the central sculpture of Christ. (Naticastillo/Shutterstock)

Indigenous elements combine with traditional European elements in these Corinthian columns. The stem is ornamented with angels, and plant motifsmostly vinesreferring to indigenous imagery. (Roberto Galan/Shutterstock)

Flanking the heavily ornamented rose window in the center of the facade are sculptures of two saints. (Hirazo/Shutterstock)

Unlike the richly decorated baroque exterior, the cathedrals neoclassical interior has a more austere appearance, as seen in the massive white Doric columns, low central vault, and stone side altars. At the center, beyond the wooden church benches, one can spot the high altar. (Luisalvaz/CC BY-SA 4.0)

One of the neoclassical side altars of the Zacatecas Cathedral. The walls here are decorated with sculptures of saints and evangelists. (Thelmadatter/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The central altarpiece, made of Finnish birch covered with 24-carat gold leaf, was completed in 2010 by Mexican artist Javier Marin, and replaces the original. The altarpiece weighs 20 tons; the 55-foot high altar features geometric niches with 11 sculptures of the Virgin of the Assumption and saints. (Luisalvas/CC BY-SA 4.0)
77 held in Bihar violence: Police





PATNA :

ALTOGETHER 77 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence that erupted in Bihar Sharif town in Nalanda district during the Ram Navami festivities, police said. Normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharif, the police said. Bihar Police in a tweet on Sunday said, Normalcy has been restored in Bihar Sharifthe situation is completely under control. Total 77 people have so far been arrested by the district police as part of its investigation into the matter. Senior officers are camping in the affected areas..And adequate deployments of security forces have been made in the area.

The police dismissed rumours that are doing the rounds on social media about the rising tension in the area. The police urged the people to not pay heed to any such rumours. A senior officer of the Bihar Police said, Probe is on to nab other miscreants also responsible for Ram Navami violence amid prevailing tension in the area.
SC ON BAIL IN NDPS CASES





By ADV. R. S. AGRAWAL :



A plain and literal interpretation of the conditions under section 37 (that Court should be satisfied that the accused is not guilty and would not commit any offence) would effectively exclude grant of bail altogether, resulting in punitive detention and unsanctioned preventive detention as well.





A CCORDING to the Supreme Courts judgement in the case Mohd Muslim alias Hussain v. State (NCT of Delhi), delivered on March 28, 2023, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice Dipankar Datta have, keeping in mind various possible ill-effects of almost always refusing bail in the offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 due to very stringent provisions, underlined the need for the Courts to be sensitive to these aspects (because in the event of an acquittal, the loss to the accused is irreparable), and ensure that trials especially in cases, where special laws enact stringent provisions, are taken up and concluded speedily. A plain and literal interpretation of the conditions under section 37 (that Court should be satisfied that the accused is not guilty and would not commit any offence) would effectively exclude grant of bail altogether, resulting in punitive detention and unsanctioned preventive detention as well. Therefore, the only manner in which such special conditions as enacted under Section 37 can be considered within constitutional parameters is where the court is reasonably satisfied on a prima facie look at the material on record (Whenever the bail application is made) that the accused is not guilty. Any other interpretation would result in complete denial of the bail to a person accused of offences such as those enacted under section 37 of the NDPS Act.

The standard to be considered, therefore, is one, where the court would look at the material in a broad manner, and reasonably see whether the accuseds guilt may be proved. The judgements of this Court have, therefore, emphasized that the satisfaction which courts are expected to record, that is, that the accused may not be guilty, is only prima facie based on a reasonable reading, which does not call for meticulous examination of the materials collected during investigation (as held in Union of India v. Rattan Malik  (2009) 2 SCC 624).Grant of bail on ground of undue delay in trial, cannot be said to be fettered by section 37 of the Act, given the imperative of section 436A, which is applicable to offences under the NDPS Act too. Having regard to these factors, the court is of the opinion that in the facts of this case, the appellant deserves to be enlarged on bail.

It would be important to reflect that laws which impose stringent conditions for grant of bail, may be necessary in public interest; yet if trials are not concluded in time, the injustice wrecked on the individual is immeasurable. Jails are overcrowded and their living conditions, more often than not, appalling. According to the Union Home Ministrys response to Parliament, the National Crime Records Bureau had recorded that as on December 31, 2021, over 5,54,034 prisoners were lodged in jails against total capacity of 4,25,069 in the country. Of these 1, 22, 852 were convicts; the rest 4,27,165 were undertrials. The danger of imprisonment, is that inmates are at risk of prisonisation, a term described by the Kerala High Court in the judgment of the case- A convict Prisoner v. State  1993 Cr.L.J. 3242 as a radical transformation whereby the prisoner:loses his identity. He is known by a number. He loses personal possessions. He has no personal relationships. Psychological problems result from loss of freedom, status, possessions, dignity and autonomy of personal life.

The inmate culture of prison turns out to be dreadful. The prisoner becomes hostile by ordinary standards. Self-perception changes.There is a further danger of the prisoner turning to crime, as crime not only turns admirable, but more professional the crime, more honour is paid to the criminal. The Supreme Court has reminded that long back, in the decision of the case  Hussainara Khatoon v. Home Secretary, State of Bihar-(1980) 1 SCC 81; SC had declared that the right to speedy trial of offenders facing criminal charges is implicit in the broad sweep and content of Article 21 as interpreted by this Court. Remarking that a valid procedure under Article 21 is one which contains a procedure that is reasonable, fair and just, it was stated that no procedure which does not ensure speedy trial for determination of the guilt of such person can be regarded as reasonable, fair and jut and it would fall foul of Article 21. These observations have resonated, time and again, in several judgmentssuch as Kadra Pahadiya & others v. stateof Bihar  (1981) 3 SCC 671 and Abdul Rehman Antulay v. R. S. Nayak  (1992)1 SCC 225; in the latter, the Court reemphasised the right to speedy trial, andfurther held that an accused, facing prolonged trial, has no option. These issues have pivotal meaning tofacts of this case.

The appellantsgrievance had been that his applicationfor bail ought not to have been rejected by the High Court, in the present case, considering that he has suffered incarceration for over seven years and thecriminal trial has hardly reached halfway mark. The appellant has been accused of committing offences punishable undersections 20, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act. His application under section 439 readwith section 482 of the CrPC, seekinggrant of regular bail, before the Delhi HC, was denied by the impugned judgment. At the time of arrest, the appellant was 23 years of age. He was also notfound in possession of the narcotic drug; though other accused were. The prosecutions case allegedly wasthat on September 28, 2015, based onsecret information received by the Police, a raid was conducted, leading to arrest of 4 accused. The appellants bail application was rejected by the sessions Court based on the gravity of the offencesalleged, severity of punishment and theappellants alleged role. It was notedthat he had been in regular contact withthe other co-accused to commit thecrime, and that the material witnesseshave not been examined yet. On approaching the HC, it held thatthere was a prima facie case against himand no grounds to rely on the exceptions of section 37 of the NDPS Act. Therefore, he was refused regular bail and had to move the Supreme Court. Incarceration has further deleteriouseffects- where the accused, if belonging to the weakest economic strata, suffers immediate loss of livelihood, andin several cases, scattering of familiesas well as loss of family bonds and alienation from society. In result, the SupremeCourt has allowed the appeal and directed that the appellant be enlarged on bail subject to conditions as the trial court may impose.
MIAMI (AP)  Ten years ago this month, Sen. Chuck Schumer declared, We all know that our immigration system is broken, and its time to get to work on fixing it. Sen. John McCain quoted Winston Churchill. But it was Lindsey Graham who offered the boldest prediction.

I think 2013 is the year of immigration reform, the South Carolina Republican said.

It wasnt. And neither has any year since those Gang of Eight senators from both parties gathered in a Washington auditorium to offer hopeful pronouncements. In fact, todays political landscape has shifted so dramatically that immigrant advocates and top architects of key policies over the years fear that any hope of an immigration overhaul seems further away than ever.

Many Republicans now see calling for zero tolerance on the border as a way to animate their base supporters. Democrats have spent the last decade vacillating between stiffer border restrictions and efforts to soften and humanize immigration policy  exposing deep rifts on how best to address broader problems.

There are big questions about whether or not anything in the immigration family  anything at all  has the votes to pass, said Cecilia Munoz, who served as President Barack Obamas top immigration adviser and was a senior member of Joe Bidens transition team before he entered the White House.

The last extensive package came under President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and President George H.W. Bush signed a more limited effort four years later. That means federal agents guarding the border today with tools like drones and artificial intelligence are enforcing laws written back when cellphones and the internet were novelties. Laying the problem bare in the deadliest of terms was a fire last month at a detention center on the Mexican side of the border that killed 39 migrants.

Congress came the closest to a breakthrough on immigration in 2013 with the Gang of Eight, which included Schumer, a New York Democrat who is now Senate majority leader, and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Their proposal cleared the Senate that June and sought a pathway to citizenship for millions of people in the country illegally and expanded work visas while tightening border security and mandating that employers verify workers' legal status.

Democrats cheered a modernized approach to immigration. Republicans were looking for goodwill within the Latino community after Obama enjoyed strong support from Hispanic voters while being reelected in 2012.

Prominent supporters of the proposal were as diverse as the powerful AFL-CIO labor union and the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There was more momentum than there had been for large immigration changes that fizzled in 2006 and 2007 under President George W. Bush.

Still, Republican House Speaker John Boehner gauged support for the Gang of Eight bill in the GOP-controlled chamber in January 2014 and said too many lawmakers distrusted the Obama administration. By that summer, the bill was dead.

Obama then created a program protecting from deportation migrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children. The Supreme Court has previously upheld it, but the court's relatively recent 6-3 conservative majority could pose long-term threats.

Years after the creation of Obama's program, President Donald Trump called for walling off all of the nations 2,000-mile southern border, and his administration separated migrant children from their parents and made migrants wait in Mexico while seeking U.S. asylum.

Biden endorsed a sweeping immigration package on his Inauguration Day, but it went nowhere in Congress. His administration has since loosened some Trump immigration policies and tightened others, even as his party has seen Republican support rise among Hispanic voters.

Officials have continued to enforce Title 42 pandemic-era health restrictions that allowed for migrants seeking U.S. asylum to be quickly expelled, though they are set to expire May 11. The Biden White House is also considering placing migrant families in detention centers while they wait for their asylum cases, something the Obama and Trump administrations did.

Gil Kerlikowske, who was commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under Obama, said a lot of things are coming together at once, including Title 42 possibly ending, a spike in the number of South American migrants crossing through the treacherous rainforests of the Darian Gap between Colombia and Panama, and a 2024 presidential election ratcheting up the political pressure.

Two and a half years into the administration, there really hasnt been any announcement of what is our immigration policy, Kerlikowske said. Getting laws passed is almost impossible. But whats been the policy?

The League of United Latin American Citizens is so desperate for meaningful progress that it has begun advocating for a full moratorium of up to six months on U.S. asylum as a way of calming things at the border. Its president, Domingo Garcia, said that migrants know they are processed and allowed to remain in the U.S. for years fighting for asylum in court, and that authorities need to turn off the faucet" to help strained border cities.

We need a total reset, said Garcia, whose group is the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization. I think that people on the far left are just as wrong as those who believe they should close the border and let no one in.

Biden's administration announced in early January that it would admit up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela for two years with authorization to work and make it easier to apply online. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas argues that the new rules are designed to weaken cartels who help migrants cross into the U.S. illegally.

Mayorkas said recently that officials aim to create "lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to reach the United States to claim asylum and to cut out the smuggling organizations."

It appears to be working, for now. After federal authorities detained migrants more than 2.5 million times at the southern border in 2022  including more than 250,000 in December, the highest monthly total on record  the number of encounters with migrants plummeted during the first two months of this year.

But fewer crossings has created a backlog of thousands of migrants hoping to seek U.S. asylum waiting on the Mexican side of the border. Last month's fire at a Mexican government facility began amid a protest by migrants fearing deportation. Some of those being held said they'd been attempting to apply online when they were rounded up by Mexican authorities.

Meanwhile, warmer months often see major increases in the number of migrants at the U.S. border. And activists say that Biden has sent mixed signals by continuing to enforce Title 42 and considering reopening family detention centers  a possibility that even top Democrats are now decrying.

We urge you to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors and abandon any plans to implement this failed policy, Schumer and 17 other Senate Democrats recently wrote in a letter to Biden that called family detention policies morally reprehensible and ineffective as an immigration management tool.

Republicans have blasted Biden's border crisis and, since Trump's rise, made gains among voters in some heavily Latino areas. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely expected to be the leading alternative to Trump in next years Republican presidential primary, flew migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, arguing that Democrats around the country were ignoring the crush of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In Miami, Nery Lopez was among a group of activists who recently mobilized to oppose a state bill that would punish people who transport migrants in the country illegally. Now 27, she was brought to the U.S. as a 4-year-old from Mexico and is protected from deportation by the Obama-era program.

Lopez said advocates were counting on the Biden administration to counter Republicans' hard-line immigration policies.

People feel defeated. I feel defeated," she said. Its like we are going into the same cycle.

___

Weissert reported from Washington.
GRAFTON  The Grafton Ferry will open for the 2023 season April 14.

Operated by the Calhoun Ferry Co., it will operate Fridays through Sundays.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays; and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

The fees will remain the same as last year: $9 for a one way, $17 for a round trip and $70 for a book of 10 one-way tickets.

Use of the ferry  which can accommodate personal vehicles, buses and vans  cuts travel time between Missouri and Illinois by about 30 minutes. People are allowed to get out of their vehicles during the river crossing.

When the Grafton Ferry opens for the year, it is a signal that the tourism season is in full swing, Great Rivers and Routes' Cory Jobe has said.

We cant wait to host all the visitors that come to the area by ferry, said the president/CEO of the tourism bureau, which represents Grafton.

In a related matter, Americas Central Port District received two proposals to conduct the regional study of the Grafton, Golden Eagle and Brussels ferries.

Upon a review process, a contract was awarded to NelsonNygaard Marine Consultants. A committee is being established by the port district to oversee the work.

Information is forthcoming as to how area residents can add their comments on the study this summer.

Travelers can access the Grafton Ferry on the Illinois side near the Grafton Lighthouse and the public boat ramp off Market Street in Grafton. On the Missouri side, the landing is located at the end of Grafton Ferry Road, just off of Highway 94.

Cash and check are accepted, but credit cards cannot be processed.

The Golden Eagle Ferry, also operated by Calhoun Ferry Company, is open year-round, seven days a week. The Golden Eagle connects Calhoun County with St. Charles, Mo.

For more details visit www.EnjoyGrafton.com or call the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau at 618-465-6676.
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O'FALLON  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Village of Glen Carbon were among award recipients announced during the 2023 Salute to Southwestern Illinois Annual Awards Dinner.

The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois welcomed a capacity crowd of 475 for its dinner at the Regency Conference Center in O'Fallon on March 28.

The event celebrated the Leadership Council's 40th anniversary, honored businesses and communities who are expanding and reinvesting in this region and recognized several military partners who have made outstanding innovating contributions to their units.

To mark the council's 40th anniversary, the Legacy Award was presented to Ameren Illinois, The Korte Company and SIUE  the three entities that came together in 1983 to form the Leadership Council.

Longtime members Bruce Holland, Mike Riley and Dennis Wilmsmeyer were presented with the Presidential Service Award to thank them for their years of service to the organization.

Recipients of the 2023 Salute to Southwestern Illinois Award were:

 Alton Steel, Inc.  Major Reinvestment

 The Boeing Company  St. Clair County Expansion

 Tyson Foods  Caseyville Plant Expansion

 City of Belleville  Economic Development

 Village of Glen Carbon  Economic Development

 St. Clair County  Retention of SAFB C-40s Mission

Military Partner Awards went to:

 375th Air Mobility Wing  TSgt Matthew Sabo

 932nd Airlift Wing  MSgt Jeffrey McGrath

 126th Air Refueling Wing  SMSgt David Kosmopolis & MSgt David Wolfe

 635th Supply Chain Operations Wing  Maj John Vogel

 US Coast Guard  PO Tanner Denaro

The night concluded with a presentation by Troy Rutherford from The Boeing Company. He outlined progress of the MQ-25 Stingray facility under construction next to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in St. Clair County.

The Leadership Council has been the premier organization fostering economic growth in Southwestern Illinois since 1983. Through its membership and multiple committees, the council strives to unite the region for growth, serving Madison, St. Clair, Macoupin, Clinton, Monroe, Jersey, Bond, Washington, and Calhoun counties.
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BRUSSELS (AP)  Finland is set to join NATO on Tuesday, days after Turkey ratified the Nordic countrys membership and set it on track to become the 31st member of the world's biggest military alliance.

All NATO members must vote unanimously to admit a new country into the alliance.

This is an historic week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels Monday, on the eve of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers. The move, he said, will make Finland safer and our alliance stronger.

The addition of Finland, which shares a 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia, will more than double the size of NATOs border with Russia.

Only a few technical steps procedures remain before Finland can join NATO's ranks:

ACCEPTANCE LETTERS

Turkey will on Tuesday hand its acceptance letter for Finland's accession to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The United States is the depositary, or safekeeper, of NATO under the alliances 1949 founding treaty.

SIGNATURES

Stoltenberg will then invite Finland to present Blinken with its own acceptance document, signed by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto. Finnish President Sauli Niinisto authorized Haavisto to sign the document.

FULL MEMBERSHIP

Once Finlands membership acceptance document is handed over, the country will officially become a NATO member. A flag raising ceremony will be held at 1330 GMT (1530 CET) in Brussels on Tuesday.

FINLAND-SWEDEN

Finland and neighboring Sweden jointly applied for NATO membership in May 2022. The countries, which have close cultural, economic and political ties, planned to enter the alliance simultaneously.

Swedens bid, however, has stalled due to opposition from Turkey, whose president has said his country won't ratify membership before its disputes with Stockholm are resolved. The Turkish government has accused Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations.

Hungarys parliament also has yet to ratify Swedens accession to NATO, and it remains unclear when it will do so. Stoltenberg said Monday that he hopes Sweden will join in coming months, before U.S. President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts meet in Lithuania in July.
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Linkedin News Desk (AFP) San Francisco, United States  Mon, April 3, 2023 10:20 21 91bd6e1d1220161ebde1a4c1fa8dbd04 2 Science & Tech AI,Fraud,Pope-Francis,technology,photo,ethics Free

Research laboratory Midjourney has paused free trials of its image-generation software after users cranked out realistic deepfakes including of former US president Donald Trump getting arrested and Pope Francis in a puffer jacket.

Midjourney responded to a request Thursday for a trial with a message saying it could not be provided and to try again another day.

The imagery created using the artificial intelligence platform, particularly those of Trump and the pontiff which went viral, have put a spotlight on the San Francisco-based lab.

"Due to a combination of extraordinary demand and trial abuse we are temporarily disabling free trials until we have our next improvements to the system deployed," Midjourney founder David Holz said in a post this week on the company's Discord channel.

The service generates realistic looking images based on written prompts made by users.

It launched in test mode in mid-2022, with the independent lab consistently upgrading the software.

Users have praised a freshly released version of Midjourney for improved realism in produced images.

Along with putting the brakes on new free trials, Midjourney banned certain words, such as "arrested," from being used to prompt image creation.

On Thursday Midjourney denied a request by AFP to generate an image of the former president being arrested in front of Trump Tower in New York.

"The word 'arrested' is banned," a message from Midjourney stated.

"Circumventing this filter to violate our rules may result in your access being revoked."

Billionaire mogul and Twitter owner Elon Musk and a range of experts called on Wednesday for a pause in the development of powerful artificial intelligence systems to allow time to make sure they are safe.

An open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people so far including Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by the release of artificial intelligence platform GPT-4 from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI.

Canadian AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio, who signed the letter, warned during a virtual press conference in Montreal that "society is not ready" for this powerful tool, and its possible misuses.

"Let's slow down. Let's make sure that we develop better guardrails," he said.
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Linkedin Yohana Belinda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 3, 2023 09:27 21 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc3c22ab 1 Lifestyle flaunt,Mario-Dandy-Satrio,Rafael-Alun-Trisambodo,tax-officers,corruption Free

According to the Cambridge dictionary, flexing is "a way to exhibit excessive pride in one's achievements or possessions, especially in a manner likely to irritate others."

The new practice of public officials in Indonesia showing off their lavish wealth on social media has driven a stir. It is triggered by the arrest of Mario Dandy Satrio, the son of tax officer Rafael Alun Trisambodo, for assaulting a juvenile on Feb. 20. In the following days, photos and videos showcasing Mario's lavish lifestyle and his father's rumored Rp 56 billion (US$3.6 million) fortune surfaced, prompting inspection regarding the source of the funds, as reported by The Jakarta Post.

Andhi Pramono, head of customs in Makassar, whose family also flaunts his wealth, made headlines shortly after. His daughter had posted photos of herself wearing a Rp 22 million ($1,458) top and Rp 1 million ($66) trousers on her social media account.

As such, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo urged public officials not to flaunt their wealth, at the Cabinet Plenary Session in the State Palace, on March 2.

"I urge you, don't flaunt your authority or fortune, especially on Instagram and other social media," President Jokowi said, as quoted by Detik.

"That's very inappropriate bureaucratic behavior," he continued.

Hard to eradicate

The founder of Asosiasi Influencer Indonesia (AFI), Wenny Fatma Triyanti, said the widespread availability of internet access that can reach a broader audience becomes the primary factor that makes it challenging to eradicate flexing culture from the general public.

As of 2021 there will be around 191.4 million social media users in Indonesia, as reported by Statista, an online platform specializing in market and consumer data. After China and India, Indonesia had the third-highest social media users in the Asia-Pacific region in 2021.

Furthermore, appealing to a niche audience through displays of cultural capital becomes a quick way to go out of business. She explains that in a nation of 273 million people, with varying socioeconomic classes and a significant social divide, many individuals are interested in gaining a glimpse into the lavish lifestyles of the wealthy.

Citing Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the poverty rate in Indonesia was reported to be 9.57 percent in September 2022, with 26.36 million people living below the poverty line.

"There are the possibilities of people who dream of achieving the success they want through consuming the flexing culture content," Wenny said.

Facing the future: Wenny, founder of the the Asosiasi Influencer Indonesia (AFI) network, has stated that flexing culture will not soon disappear. (Courtesy of Wenny Fatma Triyanti) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Wenny Fatma Triyanti)

In addition, the flexing material has been packaged or aimed in a novel way that attracts a great deal of interest rapidly. This trend brings back the story of Indra Kenz, a Binomo trading platform "affiliate," containing content detailing his extravagant spending habits for all to see.

Yunike Balsa Rhapsodia, a clinical psychologist residing in Jakarta, explains that "it's normal" if a large population consumes flexing culture because "we live in a consumerist society." This normality means that people from all walks of life consume the material, not just low-income people.

"We are used to believing that success is measured by the things we can only afford. It's either new clothes or a new house," Yunike said. She goes on to say that according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, humans require physiological (food and clothing), safety (job security), love and belonging needs (friendship), esteem and self-actualization. As a result, people are conditioned to believe that success in life can be measured in terms of monetary wealth.

"Essentially, money, position and material possessions can indirectly satisfy our four needs: physiological, safety, love and belonging, and self-esteem," Yunike said, adding that ideas of measuring happiness with possessions are not always accurate. She further offers her insight into the phenomenon of "flaunting one's wealth" by listing many factors, such as external social pressures, influence and an individual's initial stage of development.

Yunike said some people resort to flexing to boost their social image to maintain their status. As humans are social creatures, our social standing and reputation are crucial. Clinical psychologist Laras Margaretha, 34, from Jakarta adds that some individuals engage in the flexing culture because they experience a "fear of missing out" (FOMO) when most of the group is flaunting their possessions.

This situation leads to them being evaluated based on various subjective criteria, including wealth and attractiveness, to even followers on their social media.

Unfortunately, humans are subject to a certain level of societal pressure in their daily social lives. Along the way, some people firmly desire external confirmation of their possessions.

"Soul-wise, they are penniless," Yunike said.

The 32-year-old clinical psychologist elaborates that flexing has zero correlation to social standing.

"It all boils down to the individual's capacity for establishing inner tranquility," she said.

More problematic

But why is it becoming increasingly demanding when public figures flaunt their wealth?

The Post reported an analysis by Drone Emprit indicated that the case had caused public fury about the misuse of public funds and the possibility that justice would not be delivered because the judiciary is now dealing with the wealthy.

Drone Emprit looked at more than 30,000 tweets to determine public opinion between February 21 and 28 when the Rafael case went viral. The results indicate that people were shocked by the excessive wealth of tax officials.

Looking for attention: Although flexing is nothing new in the realm of pop culture, it has recently come under scrutiny due to the practice of public officials' families showing off their wealth on social media. (Courtesy of Pexels) (Pixabay/Courtesy of Pexels)

Florentina Dwiastuti, a research assistant for the politics and social change department at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), explains that the main reason why there is even more outrage when public officials flaunt their wealth or flexing is due to the assumption or fact that basically the salaries or income of state officials generated from the public, for welfare and service to the community and not to gain profit/benefits themselves. Therefore, distrust will arise when they show off their wealth because the money used to finance the state (including its officials) is misused for their interests.

The intention contrasts with the entrepreneurs or celebrities, whose goal is explicitly to seek as much profit as possible and not to serve the community. In Government Regulation (PP) No. 42 of 2004 concerning the Development of the Corps Spirit and the Code of Ethics for Civil Servants, Article 10 point (a) states "actualizing a simple lifestyle," hence the state employees/officials who flaunt their wealth or flexing are perceived to have deviated from existing regulations.

"Referring to existing regulations, state employees/officials are required to use social media appropriately, such as promoting the activities that they have done, especially in society. The Communications and Information (Kominfo) Ministrys Public Information Communication Directorate General issued a guidebook titled Maximizing the Use of Social Media in Government Institutions, which describes the role of social media in government circles such as to reach a wider, faster, personal and communicative public," Florentina explained.

Florentina also stated that the Guidelines for the Use of Social Media for Government Agencies stipulated by the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry concerning the principles and ethics of using social media in government circles, intended to maintain the image, reputation and good name of government agencies.

However, public officials' use of social media is perceived as a two-edged sword; when used correctly, it can increase public trust and vice versa.

"Therefore, public officials should ostensibly be instructed not to flaunt a luxurious lifestyle because doing so might backfire," Florentina said.

Moreover, Laras states that it is common for viewers to feel upset about content, especially from prominent figures.

Many elements influence our emotional state when witnessing the flexing of others. The emotional causes that lead to our sensitivity to flexing content, as explained by Laras, include the possibility that we, too, unknowingly want the life that they have.

"We might not be in the proper frame of mind due to factors like dealing with economic concerns. It's because some people have unmet psychological needs," she explained why the material triggers certain people.

The culture you're trying to flaunt here must be presented to the correct people. Although public officials are paid to serve the public, Laras argues that cultural appropriation favors influential people instead.

As for now, flexing culture is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

"I think it's almost impossible to kill it [flexing culture] soon because it's tough to filter out our content on social media," Wenny said.
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Linkedin Anindito Ariwandono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 3, 2023

The once-Jakarta-based indie pop outfit explores new avenues in making music while embracing a humble new beginning abroad

In March 2022, musicians Bam Mastro, Bayu Adisapoetra and Kevin Septanto who comprise alternative/indie pop trio Elephant Kind found themselves back underneath the gray skies of London, months after braving a 10-hour festival held in the city in October 2021. This time, however, they were in it for the long haul.

While their fellow bands and musicians in Indonesia were going through the post-pandemic blessings and had finally started swimming again through the familiar waters of the local music industry, Elephant Kind chose to uproot itself and flew a thousand kilometers away to the northern hemisphere.

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Linkedin Dio Suhenda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 3, 2023

A refinery operated by state oil and gas firm Pertamina in Dumai city, Riau province, caught fire on Saturday, injuring nine workers and damaging several buildings in the area.

The incident came just a month after another fire broke out at a fuel storage depot in North Jakarta that killed close to three dozen people, raising alarms over poor safety measures at Pertaminas aging facilities.

A spokesperson for the Dumai Refinery Unit, Agustiawan, told The Jakarta Post in a statement on Sunday that the firm was focusing on helping the local community recover while the Riau Police investigated how the refinerys gas compressor had caught fire, the suspected source of the blaze.

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Linkedin Nur Janti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, April 3, 2023 17:58 21 91bd6e1d1220161ebde1a4c1fa959ffa 1 Society law,defamation,trial,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,Haris-Azhar,Fatia-Maulidiyanti Free

Protests at the East Jakarta District Court on Monday marked the start of the trial of human rights activists Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti, who stand accused of defaming senior Cabinet minister Luhut Pandjaitan with comments made about his alleged involvement in extractive mining in resource-rich Papua.

Haris, executive director of Lokataru Foundation, and Fatia, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS), arrived at the court at 9:34 a.m., accompanied by their lawyers, as well as a group of protesters suspicious of the motivations behind the prosecution and the merits of the case.

A lawyer for the two activists, Muhamad Isnur, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), said the legal team would propose to the court that their cases be heard together.

If the court does not approve, we will send a letter to the court, he told reporters, as quoted by kompas.com.

Protesters from YLBHI, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Indonesian Corruption Watch, Greenpeace and Amnesty International Indonesia gathered in front of the court in support of the two activists.

They held posters that read, We have the right to be critical (Kita berhak kritis!) and Criticism is correction. Why is it being quashed? (Kritik itu koreksi kok dihabisi).

Last month, the Jakarta Police named Fatia and Haris suspects in its investigation and submitted a case dossier to the East Jakarta Prosecutors Office, nearly six months after Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan filed complaints over remarks made during an online discussion.

Read also: Defamation case proceeds against two rights activists despite calls for reformLuhut accused Fatia and Haris of defamation, the former for her statement that Luhut is playing around with mining [operations] in Papua these days and the latter for distributing the content of these discussions on YouTube.

In their discussion, which both activists say was based on vetted findings, Fatia pointed to Luhuts links to PT Madinah Qurrataain, a permit holder for the Derewo River Gold Project in Papuas Intan Jaya regency, which lies northwest of the Grasberg and Wabu gold mines. PT Tobacom Del Mandiri, reportedly owned by PT Toba Sejahtera, which Luhut holds shares of, has a 30 percent stake in Madinah Qurrataain, according to a joint report of chief sales officers.



Luhut has denied the claims.

Activists have expressed fear that the prosecution could further shrink room for civic discourse in the country. They say the case should not proceed because it does not meet the standards of a joint ministerial decree that stipulates guidelines for interpreting the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law nor those of the National Police chief circular on the use of the cyber law.

According to the ministerial guidelines, criminal charges for online defamation may only be brought in cases where the accusations carry the intent to harm someones reputation. The decree also stipulates that statements of opinion or fact may not be prosecuted.

Meanwhile, the police circular instructs investigators to allow restorative justice to take precedence over criminal penalties, which National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo has said should be a last resort in resolving cases put forward under the cyber law. Restorative justice is a catchword for noncustodial punishments.
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Linkedin Agence France-Presse (The Jakarta Post) Kyiv  Mon, April 3 2023

Ukraine on Saturday branded Russias presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the month of April a slap in the face, joining a chorus of outrage from Western countries.

Moscow assumes the presidency as part of its monthly rotation between the councils 15 member states, with ties with the West at their lowest point since the Cold War over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russias tenure was a slap in the face to the international community.

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Linkedin Reuters (The Jakarta Post) Rome/Almaty, Kazakhstan  Tue, April 4 2023

Italy's government said on Thursday negotiations were progressing with Germany's Lufthansa over the sale of a minority stake in ITA Airways, after the two companies jointly approved the Italian carrier's industrial plan.

Talks in Rome between Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr and ITA chairman Antonino Turicchi were "positive", an Italian Treasury statement said, with the three discussing plans for the state-owned carrier.

A source close to the matter, who asked not to be named, said a deal could be closed by mid-April. The exclusivity period ends on April 24, although the deadline is not binding.

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Linkedin Gerard Martinez and Michael Mathes (The Jakarta Post) Agence France-Presse/West Palm Beach, United States/Washington  Tue, April 4 2023

Donald Trump is expected to fly Monday to New York, the United States, for his historic arraignment on criminal charges, taking the US and the office of the presidency into uncharted and potentially volatile territory.

The 76-year-old billionaire was indicted last week by a grand jury on a series of counts related to a hush-money payment made to an adult film star during the 2016 election campaign.

The Republican Party provocateur, who has already started a 2024 White House bid, is the first sitting or former US president ever charged with a crime.

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Linkedin AFP Helsinki, Finland  Mon, April 3, 2023

Finland's centre-right leader claimed victory in Sunday's tight general election that saw the far-right post a record score to come in second, as Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democrats finished third.

"This was a great victory," the 53-year-old head of the conservative National Coalition Party, Petteri Orpo, told his cheering supporters.

"On the basis of this election result ... we will start negotiating a government in Finland," he said.

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a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKA  Get Rating) has received an average rating of Hold from the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $2.19.

A number of brokerages have weighed in on AKA. Telsey Advisory Group lowered a.k.a. Brands from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $4.00 to $2.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Piper Sandler lowered a.k.a. Brands from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $3.00 to $2.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on a.k.a. Brands from $4.00 to $2.60 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of a.k.a. Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $4.00 to $1.70 in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, TD Securities dropped their price target on shares of a.k.a. Brands from $1.70 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st.

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a.k.a. Brands Trading Down 2.4 %

a.k.a. Brands stock opened at $0.54 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $70.30 million, a PE ratio of -0.40 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.47. a.k.a. Brands has a 52 week low of $0.53 and a 52 week high of $4.86.

Insider Buying and Selling at a.k.a. Brands

Institutional Trading of a.k.a. Brands

In related news, Director Myles B. Mccormick bought 56,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $0.65 per share, for a total transaction of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at $79,712.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In other news, Director Myles B. Mccormick bought 56,250 shares of a.k.a. Brands stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $0.65 per share, with a total value of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at approximately $79,712.75. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long bought 79,979 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $0.63 per share, with a total value of $50,386.77. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer now directly owns 383,226 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $241,432.38. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . 34.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in a.k.a. Brands by 1,039.7% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 41,474 shares of the companys stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 37,835 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 24.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 23,254 shares of the companys stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 4,538 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 1.7% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 362,482 shares of the companys stock worth $1,602,000 after buying an additional 6,231 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 31.0% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 113,368 shares of the companys stock worth $501,000 after buying an additional 26,815 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC acquired a new stake in a.k.a. Brands in the first quarter valued at $119,000. 59.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

a.k.a. Brands Company Profile

(Get Rating)

a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, mnml, and Rebdolls brands, as well as operates eight physical stores under the Culture Kings brand name.

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Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by Bank of America from $125.00 to $115.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, The Fly reports.

ABT has been the topic of several other reports. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 24th. Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $109.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $122.12.

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Abbott Laboratories Trading Up 2.2 %

ABT opened at $101.26 on Thursday. The firms fifty day moving average is $103.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.63. The firm has a market cap of $175.98 billion, a PE ratio of 25.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 0.68. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $93.25 and a twelve month high of $124.36.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $10.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 15.88% and a return on equity of 26.09%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.32 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.38 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.17%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 679 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $68,375.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,091,998.90. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In related news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,203 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,256,842.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 679 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $68,375.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,091,998.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,971 shares of company stock valued at $199,140 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.52% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Abbott Laboratories

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. now owns 673 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Royal Capital Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,534 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $927,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC now owns 2,435 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in Abbott Laboratories by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 3,743 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $411,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Echo Street Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Echo Street Capital Management LLC now owns 9,291 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $1,009,000 after buying an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.93% of the companys stock.

Abbott Laboratories Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

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Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,870,000 shares, an increase of 10.6% from the February 28th total of 3,500,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Alaska Air Group Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of Alaska Air Group stock traded up $0.05 during trading on Monday, reaching $42.01. The companys stock had a trading volume of 943,910 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,526,258. Alaska Air Group has a 1-year low of $37.19 and a 1-year high of $61.55. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $45.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 97.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.54.

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Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The transportation company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.02. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 14.75% and a net margin of 0.60%. The business had revenue of $2.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.51 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.24 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Trading of Alaska Air Group

In related news, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 1,596 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.81, for a total value of $81,092.76. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,747 shares in the company, valued at $800,105.07. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . In other news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total transaction of $170,030.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 29,907 shares in the company, valued at $1,452,882.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website . Also, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 1,596 shares of Alaska Air Group stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.81, for a total value of $81,092.76. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 15,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at $800,105.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 0.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1.8% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,331,247 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $561,068,000 after buying an additional 257,583 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Alaska Air Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 7,198,910 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $281,839,000 after acquiring an additional 36,486 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Alaska Air Group by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,955,712 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $298,678,000 after acquiring an additional 486,824 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Alaska Air Group by 25.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,611,712 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $155,085,000 after acquiring an additional 739,910 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Alaska Air Group by 19.4% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,425,916 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $147,109,000 after purchasing an additional 556,766 shares during the last quarter. 77.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James upgraded Alaska Air Group from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $60.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Monday. Barclays upgraded Alaska Air Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price target for the company from $54.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Susquehanna raised their price target on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Alaska Air Group from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Alaska Air Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $65.77.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Alaska Air Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of air transportation services. It operates through the following segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The Mainline segment includes scheduled air transportation on Alaskas Boeing and Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.

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Shares of ASOS Plc (LON:ASC  Get Rating) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the twelve brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 996.82 ($12.25).

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ASC. Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 680 ($8.35) target price on ASOS in a report on Friday, January 13th. Berenberg Bank set a GBX 1,200 ($14.74) target price on ASOS in a report on Thursday, January 12th. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 950 ($11.67) price target on ASOS in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Barclays increased their price target on ASOS from GBX 590 ($7.25) to GBX 625 ($7.68) and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group set a GBX 660 ($8.11) price target on ASOS in a research note on Thursday, January 12th.

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ASOS Price Performance

Shares of ASC stock opened at GBX 824.40 ($10.13) on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 84.34. ASOS has a twelve month low of GBX 459.90 ($5.65) and a twelve month high of GBX 1,783 ($21.91). The company has a market cap of 824.56 million, a P/E ratio of -2,413.24, a P/E/G ratio of -1.26 and a beta of 2.93. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 832.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 685.65.

About ASOS

ASOS Plc operates as an online fashion retailer worldwide. It offers womenswear and menswear products. The company sells its products under the ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands, as well as through third-party brands. It is also involved in the employer of marketing staff and payment processing businesses.

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Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO  Get Rating) has been assigned an average rating of Hold from the nine analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have given a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 627.83 ($7.71).

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AUTO shares. Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Numis Securities raised shares of Auto Trader Group to a buy rating and set a GBX 749 ($9.20) price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on shares of Auto Trader Group from GBX 441 ($5.42) to GBX 405 ($4.98) and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Barclays raised shares of Auto Trader Group to an overweight rating and set a GBX 750 ($9.21) price target for the company in a research note on Monday, January 30th.

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Auto Trader Group Price Performance

LON AUTO opened at GBX 609 ($7.48) on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 599.98 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 566.44. Auto Trader Group has a 52-week low of GBX 479.80 ($5.90) and a 52-week high of GBX 681 ($8.37). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.76, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.61. The stock has a market cap of 5.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,464.80, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.62.

Auto Trader Group Cuts Dividend

Auto Trader Group Company Profile

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 5th were paid a GBX 2.80 ($0.03) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.51%. Auto Trader Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 3,200.00%.

(Get Rating)

Auto Trader Group plc operates in the digital automotive marketplace in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company provides vehicle advertisement on its websites for private sellers, as well as insurance and loan financing products to consumers; and display advertising on its websites for manufacturers and their advertising agencies.

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Avaii Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 680 shares of the investment management companys stock, valued at approximately $234,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GS. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 44.3% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 4,743,628 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,390,120,000 after acquiring an additional 1,456,801 shares during the period. Maj Invest Holding A S increased its stake in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 140,326.4% in the third quarter. Maj Invest Holding A S now owns 702,132 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $205,761,000 after purchasing an additional 701,632 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 58.5% during the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,298,015 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $428,474,000 after buying an additional 479,032 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 4.8% during the second quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,351,832 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,777,682,000 after buying an additional 427,352 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 52.9% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,079,009 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $316,202,000 after buying an additional 373,142 shares in the last quarter. 69.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 3,749 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.58, for a total transaction of $39,664.42. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,105,275 shares of company stock worth $26,412,477. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

The Goldman Sachs Group Stock Down 1.1 %

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $385.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $485.00 to $443.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. JMP Securities restated a market outperform rating and set a $470.00 price target on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $356.00 to $332.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $394.30.

NYSE:GS traded down $3.64 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $323.47. 465,068 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,988,721. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $347.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $345.46. The firm has a market cap of $107.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $277.84 and a twelve month high of $389.58.

The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 17th. The investment management company reported $3.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $5.25 by ($1.93). The company had revenue of $10.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.91 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 16.39%. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue for the quarter was down 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $10.81 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 32.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 2nd were paid a $2.50 dividend. This represents a $10.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 1st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.27%.

The Goldman Sachs Group Profile

(Get Rating)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Global Banking and Markets, Asset and Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking and Markets segment includes investment banking, equity and debt underwriting, Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities (FICC) intermediation and financing activities, relationship lending and acquisition financing, and investing activities.

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Avaii Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,667 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $259,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 404,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,248,000 after acquiring an additional 6,324 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 5.2% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 18,647 shares of the companys stock valued at $974,000 after purchasing an additional 929 shares in the last quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in Altria Group during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in Altria Group by 3.4% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,711,773 shares of the companys stock worth $141,690,000 after buying an additional 89,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Western Trust Bank bought a new position in shares of Altria Group in the first quarter worth about $498,000. Institutional investors own 58.68% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on MO. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Altria Group from $46.50 to $49.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $45.55.

Altria Group Stock Up 1.3 %

Altria Group stock traded up $0.57 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $45.19. 2,183,484 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,401,618. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.35 and a 12 month high of $57.05. The stocks fifty day moving average is $46.16 and its 200-day moving average is $45.34. The stock has a market cap of $80.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.99, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.59.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.18. The firm had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 22.97% and a negative return on equity of 284.29%. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was down 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.09 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th will be issued a $0.94 dividend. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.32%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. Altria Groups payout ratio is 117.87%.

About Altria Group

(Get Rating)

Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. A regular meeting of the interdepartmental commission on the introduction of a "Single Window for Export-Import Operations" system in Turkmenistan was held, Trend reports with reference to the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.

The participants discussed issues of interaction and coordinated information activities of relevant ministries and departments within the framework of a single web portal.

During the meeting, it was noted that at the moment the interaction of information systems of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the tax department of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, as well as the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan has been established, and in future plans - to connect the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Migration Service of Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan is the manager and owner of the unified state information web portal "Single Window for Export-Import Operations".

For the proper functioning of the platform, the service provides information exchange between authorized bodies, enterprises and organizations that carry out control activities for the transportation of goods and vehicles across the customs border of Turkmenistan.
Hannover Ruck (FRA:HNR1  Get Rating) has been given a 165.70 ($178.17) price target by stock analysts at Barclays in a note issued to investors on Monday, Borsen Zeitung reports. Barclayss target price would suggest a potential downside of 8.12% from the stocks current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a 185.00 ($198.92) target price on shares of Hannover Ruck in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. DZ Bank set a 209.00 ($224.73) target price on shares of Hannover Ruck in a research note on Thursday, March 9th. Berenberg Bank set a 190.00 ($204.30) price objective on shares of Hannover Ruck in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Royal Bank of Canada set a 220.00 ($236.56) price objective on shares of Hannover Ruck in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a 177.00 ($190.32) price objective on shares of Hannover Ruck in a research report on Friday, March 10th.

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Hannover Ruck Stock Performance

Shares of Hannover Ruck stock traded up 2.60 ($2.80) during trading on Monday, reaching 180.35 ($193.92). The company had a trading volume of 212,589 shares. The firms fifty day moving average is 178.99 and its 200-day moving average is 174.61. Hannover Ruck has a fifty-two week low of 94.75 ($101.88) and a fifty-two week high of 116.37 ($125.13).

Hannover Ruck Company Profile

Hannover Ruck SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides reinsurance products and services worldwide. It operates through Property & Casualty Reinsurance, and Life & Health Reinsurance segments. The company offers property, casualty, facultative, catastrophe XL, structured reinsurance, and insurance-linked securities.

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Cementos Argos S.A. (OTCMKTS:CMTOY  Get Rating) announced a dividend on Sunday, April 2nd, investing.com reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 7th will be paid a dividend of 0.0868 per share on Thursday, April 27th. This represents a yield of 9.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This is a boost from Cementos Argoss previous dividend of $0.06.

Cementos Argos Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:CMTOY opened at $3.00 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $2.92 and a 200-day moving average of $3.42. Cementos Argos has a 12 month low of $1.60 and a 12 month high of $4.40.

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About Cementos Argos

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Cementos Argos SA engages in the production of cement and concrete products. It operates through the following segments: Colombia, Caribbean and Central America, United States, and Corporate and Others. The company was founded on January 2, 1934 and is headquartered in Medellin, Colombia.

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Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 10,802 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $1,140,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MUB. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Cadent Capital Advisors LLC now owns 13,309 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,404,000 after buying an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. increased its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 2,209 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Vista Investment Management boosted its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 2,282 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC now owns 7,011 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $719,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Maryland Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of iShares National Muni Bond ETF by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Maryland Capital Management now owns 9,947 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,020,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares National Muni Bond ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of MUB traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $107.62. 499,691 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,900,649. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $106.75 and a 200-day moving average of $105.37. iShares National Muni Bond ETF has a 52 week low of $101.35 and a 52 week high of $109.61.

About iShares National Muni Bond ETF

iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index).

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D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 13,520,000 shares, a decline of 9.3% from the February 28th total of 14,910,000 shares. Currently, 4.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 2,880,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.7 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at D.R. Horton

In other news, VP Aron M. Odom sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.16, for a total transaction of $96,160.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,083 shares in the company, valued at $296,461.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director Barbara K. Allen sold 1,748 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.77, for a total transaction of $169,153.96. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 5,650 shares in the company, valued at $546,750.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Aron M. Odom sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.16, for a total transaction of $96,160.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,083 shares in the company, valued at $296,461.28. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 3,870 shares of company stock worth $371,698. 0.61% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On D.R. Horton

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its position in shares of D.R. Horton by 16.6% in the third quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 6,413 shares of the construction companys stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of D.R. Horton by 87.0% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 33,245 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,239,000 after acquiring an additional 15,466 shares in the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc increased its position in shares of D.R. Horton by 6.0% in the third quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 108,933 shares of the construction companys stock worth $7,336,000 after acquiring an additional 6,190 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund increased its position in shares of D.R. Horton by 5.7% in the third quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 44,741 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,013,000 after acquiring an additional 2,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund grew its holdings in D.R. Horton by 14.0% during the 3rd quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 99,618 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $6,709,000 after purchasing an additional 12,265 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.87% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

D.R. Horton Trading Up 0.4 %

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of D.R. Horton from $97.00 to $109.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Wedbush lowered shares of D.R. Horton from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $104.00 to $96.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Raymond James lowered shares of D.R. Horton from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of D.R. Horton from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating and upped their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $76.00 in a research report on Friday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of D.R. Horton from $91.00 to $111.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $98.27.

DHI stock traded up $0.43 on Monday, hitting $98.12. 3,955,852 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,976,169. D.R. Horton has a twelve month low of $59.25 and a twelve month high of $104.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 6.67 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The businesss fifty day moving average is $95.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $86.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $33.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.51.

D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $2.76 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.27 by $0.49. D.R. Horton had a net margin of 16.85% and a return on equity of 29.91%. The firm had revenue of $7.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.17 earnings per share. D.R. Hortons revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that D.R. Horton will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current year.

D.R. Horton Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 14th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 7th were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 6th. D.R. Hortons payout ratio is currently 6.20%.

D.R. Horton Company Profile

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D.R. Horton, Inc operates as a home building company, which engages in the construction and sale of single-family housing. It operates through the following segments: Homebuilding, Forestar, Financial Services, Rental, and Others. The Homebuilding segment includes the acquisition and development of land and the construction and sale of residential homes.

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EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE:EGP  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 752,700 shares, an increase of 6.5% from the February 28th total of 706,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 224,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days.

EastGroup Properties Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE:EGP traded up $2.83 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $165.32. 333,223 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 243,557. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $164.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $156.16. EastGroup Properties has a fifty-two week low of $137.47 and a fifty-two week high of $217.46. The firm has a market cap of $7.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.66, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.92.

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EastGroup Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. EastGroup Propertiess dividend payout ratio is currently 113.90%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Hedge Funds Weigh In On EastGroup Properties

Several research firms have issued reports on EGP. StockNews.com began coverage on EastGroup Properties in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. KeyCorp raised EastGroup Properties from a sector weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $170.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 14th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on EastGroup Properties from $150.00 to $158.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Mizuho raised EastGroup Properties from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $180.00 to $185.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on EastGroup Properties from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EastGroup Properties currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $170.30.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Delta Asset Management LLC TN purchased a new position in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 4th quarter valued at $41,000. Group One Trading L.P. purchased a new position in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of EastGroup Properties during the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Ellevest Inc. grew its holdings in shares of EastGroup Properties by 79.5% during the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 341 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. 89.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

EastGroup Properties Company Profile

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EastGroup Properties, Inc is an internally-managed equity real estate investment trust, which engages in the development, acquisition, and operation of industrial properties. The company was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Ridgeland, MS.

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Enzi Wealth reduced its stake in shares of iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSEARCA:IWM  Get Rating) by 6.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,765 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 180 shares during the quarter. Enzi Wealths holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF were worth $517,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IWM. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 113.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,660,221 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $603,643,000 after buying an additional 31,422,045 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 12,616.2% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 7,756,010 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,279,086,000 after buying an additional 7,695,017 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 119.0% in the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 853,920 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $144,620,000 after buying an additional 5,358,090 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 32,819.0% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 2,119,653 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $369,583,000 after buying an additional 2,113,214 shares during the period. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund increased its holdings in iShares Russell 2000 ETF by 8.9% in the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 14,581,100 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,404,715,000 after buying an additional 1,192,100 shares during the period.

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iShares Russell 2000 ETF Trading Down 0.4 %

iShares Russell 2000 ETF stock traded down $0.71 on Monday, hitting $177.69. The companys stock had a trading volume of 14,041,481 shares, compared to its average volume of 28,407,713. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $185.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $180.26. iShares Russell 2000 ETF has a one year low of $162.50 and a one year high of $209.43.

iShares Russell 2000 ETF Company Profile

iShares Russell 2000 ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 2000 Index (the Index). The Index is a float-adjusted capitalization weighted index that measures the performance of the small-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and includes securities issued by the approximately 2,000 smallest issuers in the Russell 3000 Index.

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EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,860,000 shares, a growth of 9.8% from the February 28th total of 6,250,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 3,720,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.8 days.

EOG Resources Trading Up 6.3 %

Shares of EOG Resources stock traded up $7.18 on Monday, reaching $121.81. 3,333,162 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,917,964. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $119.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $126.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.90, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. EOG Resources has a fifty-two week low of $92.16 and a fifty-two week high of $150.88.

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EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 24th. The energy exploration company reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.31 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.09 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 30.19% and a return on equity of 34.95%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.09 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that EOG Resources will post 12.07 EPS for the current year.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 24.98%.

EOG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on EOG Resources in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on EOG Resources from $174.00 to $171.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on EOG Resources from $140.00 to $132.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on EOG Resources from $167.00 to $158.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Roth Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of EOG Resources in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $150.68.

Insider Activity at EOG Resources

In related news, Director Michael T. Kerr acquired 20,000 shares of EOG Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $130.49 per share, for a total transaction of $2,609,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 170,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $22,183,300. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EOG. Western Financial Corp CA acquired a new position in EOG Resources in the 4th quarter worth about $763,000. Cairn Investment Group Inc. increased its position in EOG Resources by 19.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cairn Investment Group Inc. now owns 9,620 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 1,550 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in EOG Resources by 23.5% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 359,218 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $40,172,000 after purchasing an additional 68,282 shares during the last quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp increased its position in EOG Resources by 30.9% in the 3rd quarter. Personal Capital Advisors Corp now owns 3,090 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $345,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its position in EOG Resources by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 112,849 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $14,615,000 after purchasing an additional 2,245 shares during the last quarter. 87.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About EOG Resources

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EOG Resources, Inc engages in the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, and Other International segments. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Shares of Farfetch Ltd (NYSE:FTCH  Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $11.77.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on FTCH shares. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on shares of Farfetch from $17.00 to $13.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. JMP Securities started coverage on shares of Farfetch in a report on Friday, March 24th. They issued a market perform rating for the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on Farfetch from $6.00 to $4.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Farfetch from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, KeyCorp cut their target price on Farfetch from $13.00 to $11.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 30th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Farfetch

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in FTCH. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Farfetch by 31.8% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 4,993 shares of the companys stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 1,204 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Farfetch by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 17,352 shares of the companys stock worth $129,000 after buying an additional 1,339 shares in the last quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. raised its holdings in shares of Farfetch by 12.3% in the 3rd quarter. GABELLI & Co INVESTMENT ADVISERS INC. now owns 18,300 shares of the companys stock worth $136,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Farfetch by 16.7% in the 1st quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 17,414 shares of the companys stock worth $263,000 after buying an additional 2,497 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Farfetch by 86.6% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 5,825 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 2,704 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% of the companys stock.

Farfetch Price Performance

FTCH stock opened at $4.91 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.41. Farfetch has a one year low of $3.64 and a one year high of $17.73. The stock has a market cap of $1.94 billion, a PE ratio of -2.19 and a beta of 2.99. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $5.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.41.

Farfetch (NYSE:FTCH  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The company reported ($0.42) EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of ($0.42). The company had revenue of $629.17 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $626.97 million. Farfetch had a net margin of 15.51% and a return on equity of 22.84%. On average, analysts predict that Farfetch will post -1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Farfetch

(Get Rating)

Farfetch Ltd. engages in the retail of fashion and luxury goods. It offers womenswear, menswear, kidswear, vintage, fine watches, and fine jewelry. The company was founded by Jose Manuel Ferreira Neves in 2007 and launched in 2008 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. (NYSE:HVT.A  Get Rating) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 446 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 23% from the previous sessions volume of 363 shares.The stock last traded at $32.00 and had previously closed at $32.59.

Haverty Furniture Companies Stock Down 1.8 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $34.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $31.28. The firm has a market cap of $516.80 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.12 and a beta of 1.21.

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Haverty Furniture Companies (NYSE:HVT.A  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $280.56 million during the quarter.

Haverty Furniture Companies Dividend Announcement

Haverty Furniture Companies Company Profile

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. Haverty Furniture Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.89%.

(Get Rating)

Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc operates as a specialty retailer of residential furniture and accessories in the United States. The company offers furniture merchandise under the Havertys brand name. It also provides custom upholstery products and eclectic looks; and mattress product lines under the Sealy, Tempur-Pedic, and Serta names, as well as private label Skye name.

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Endesa (OTCMKTS:ELEZF  Get Rating) and COMPANHIA ENERG/S (NYSE:CIG.C  Get Rating) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Endesa and COMPANHIA ENERG/S, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Endesa 0 0 1 0 3.00 COMPANHIA ENERG/S 0 0 0 0 N/A

Endesa presently has a consensus price target of $21.80, indicating a potential upside of 15.34%. Given Endesas higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Endesa is more favorable than COMPANHIA ENERG/S.

Earnings & Valuation

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Endesa N/A N/A N/A $1.46 12.95 COMPANHIA ENERG/S $34.37 billion N/A N/A $3.12 1.10

This table compares Endesa and COMPANHIA ENERG/Ss revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

COMPANHIA ENERG/S is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Endesa, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

7.1% of Endesa shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Endesa pays an annual dividend of $1.19 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.3%. COMPANHIA ENERG/S pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Endesa pays out 81.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. COMPANHIA ENERG/S pays out 3.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Endesa and COMPANHIA ENERG/Ss net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Endesa N/A N/A N/A COMPANHIA ENERG/S N/A N/A N/A

Summary

Endesa beats COMPANHIA ENERG/S on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Endesa

(Get Rating)

Endesa SA engages in the generation, distribution, and sale of electricity. It is also involved in the natural gas sector and provides other energy-related services. It operates through the following segments: Generation & Supply, Distribution, and Structure. The Generation & Supply segment refers to the production of electricity from energy sources such as hydroelectric, nuclear, thermal, wind, and solar. The Distribution segment consists of distribution of electricity to consumption points. The Structure segment includes the balances and transactions of holding and financing companies. The company was founded on November 18, 1944 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

About COMPANHIA ENERG/S

(Get Rating)

Companhia Energetica de Minas Gerais, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Brazil. As of December 31, 2017, the company operated 117 hydroelectric, thermoelectric, and wind plants with an installed capacity of 5.7 GW; 38 substations and 4,927 km of transmission lines; and 529,873 km of distribution networks and 17,301 km of distribution lines. It is also involved in the natural gas distribution; sale and trading of electricity; energy and technological solutions businesses; provision of telecommunications and data center service activities; and operation of solar energy plants. The company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

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Britannia Bulk (OTCMKTS:BBLKF  Get Rating) and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (NYSE:ZIM  Get Rating) are both transportation companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Britannia Bulk and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Britannia Bulk N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ZIM Integrated Shipping Services $12.56 billion 0.23 $4.62 billion $38.36 0.61

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has higher revenue and earnings than Britannia Bulk.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Britannia Bulk 0 0 0 0 N/A ZIM Integrated Shipping Services 2 3 1 0 1.83

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Britannia Bulk and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has a consensus price target of $27.08, indicating a potential upside of 14.84%. Given ZIM Integrated Shipping Services higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe ZIM Integrated Shipping Services is more favorable than Britannia Bulk.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

36.7% of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Britannia Bulk and ZIM Integrated Shipping Services net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Britannia Bulk N/A N/A N/A ZIM Integrated Shipping Services 36.77% 87.07% 38.95%

Risk & Volatility

Britannia Bulk has a beta of 19.05, indicating that its share price is 1,805% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services has a beta of 2.19, indicating that its share price is 119% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services beats Britannia Bulk on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Britannia Bulk

(Get Rating)

Britannia Bulk Holdings, Inc. provides drybulk shipping and maritime logistics services in transporting drybulk commodities in and out of the Baltic region. The company was founded by Arvid Tage on May 27, 2008 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

About ZIM Integrated Shipping Services

(Get Rating)

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides container shipping and related services in Israel and internationally. It provides door-to-door and port-to-port transportation services for various types of customers, including end-users, consolidators, and freight forwarders. The company also offers ZIMonitor, a premium reefer cargo tracking service. As of December 31, 2021, it operated a fleet of 118 vessels, which included 110 container vessels and 8 vehicle transport vessels, of which four vessels were owned by it and 114 vessels are chartered-in; and network of 70 weekly lines. The company was incorporated in 1945 and is headquartered in Haifa, Israel.

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Tokio Marine (OTCMKTS:TKOMY  Get Rating) and The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG  Get Rating) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.0% of Tokio Marine shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 89.9% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.8% of The Hartford Financial Services Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Volatility and Risk

Tokio Marine has a beta of -0.77, indicating that its stock price is 177% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a beta of 0.87, indicating that its stock price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tokio Marine 3.91% 6.12% 0.88% The Hartford Financial Services Group 8.12% 18.15% 3.44%

Dividends

This table compares Tokio Marine and The Hartford Financial Services Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Tokio Marine pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. The Hartford Financial Services Group pays an annual dividend of $1.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. Tokio Marine pays out -30.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. The Hartford Financial Services Group pays out 31.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. The Hartford Financial Services Group has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. The Hartford Financial Services Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Tokio Marine and The Hartford Financial Services Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tokio Marine 0 0 0 0 N/A The Hartford Financial Services Group 0 5 7 0 2.58

The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus target price of $86.08, indicating a potential upside of 22.20%. Given The Hartford Financial Services Groups higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe The Hartford Financial Services Group is more favorable than Tokio Marine.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Tokio Marine and The Hartford Financial Services Groups gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tokio Marine $52.23 billion 2.26 $3.74 billion ($0.65) -29.44 The Hartford Financial Services Group $22.36 billion 0.98 $1.82 billion $5.45 12.87

Tokio Marine has higher revenue and earnings than The Hartford Financial Services Group. Tokio Marine is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than The Hartford Financial Services Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

The Hartford Financial Services Group beats Tokio Marine on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Tokio Marine

(Get Rating)

Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in non-life and life insurance, international insurance, and financial and general businesses worldwide. The company provides business, fire, Internet and mobile, rental housing, and natural catastrophe risk insurance services, as well as insurance for retail and corporate fields. It also provides property investment, insurance agency and risk consulting, human resource, in-home care and nursing care information, healthcare/medical, call center, and real estate-related services. Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. serves individuals, small to medium sized non-profit organizations, schools, or churches. The company was formerly known as Millea Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. in 2008. Tokio Marine Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1879 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About The Hartford Financial Services Group

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The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. is an insurance and financial services company. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Property & Casualty Other Operations, Group Benefits, Hartford Funds, and Corporate. The Commercial Lines segment provides workers compensation, property, automobile, liability and umbrella coverage under several different products. The Personal Lines segment offers standard automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverage to individuals. The Property & Casualty Other Operations segment includes certain property and casualty operations, managed by the company, that have discontinued writing new business and substantially all of the companys asbestos and environmental exposures. The Group Benefits segment provides group life, accident, and disability coverage, as well as group retiree health and voluntary benefits. The Hartford Funds segment offers investment products for retail and retirement accounts and provides investment management and administrative services. The corporate segment includes corporate category discontinued operations, reserves for run-off structured settlement, and terminal funding agree

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Just Group plc (LON:JUST  Get Rating) insider Andy Parsons sold 619,998 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 84 ($1.03), for a total value of 520,798.32 ($639,879.99).

Just Group Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of JUST traded up GBX 1.95 ($0.02) during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching GBX 87.80 ($1.08). The company had a trading volume of 1,488,030 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,858,621. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 105.06, a quick ratio of 4.87 and a current ratio of 4.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 84.72 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 75.91. Just Group plc has a 52 week low of GBX 53.20 ($0.65) and a 52 week high of GBX 98.80 ($1.21). The company has a market capitalization of 913.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -357.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.64.

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Just Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be given a GBX 1.23 ($0.02) dividend. This is a boost from Just Groups previous dividend of $0.50. This represents a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Just Groups payout ratio is currently -833.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Just Group Company Profile

Several research firms recently issued reports on JUST. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an overweight rating on shares of Just Group in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Just Group from GBX 115 ($1.41) to GBX 120 ($1.47) and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Numis Securities reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 170 ($2.09) price objective on shares of Just Group in a report on Monday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating and set a GBX 90 ($1.11) price target on shares of Just Group in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Just Group from GBX 100 ($1.23) to GBX 115 ($1.41) and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 129.29 ($1.59).

(Get Rating)

Just Group plc provides various financial services in the retirement income market in the United Kingdom. It offers de-risking solutions, guaranteed income for life, secure lifetime income, care plans, lifetime mortgages, and protection products. The company also provides professional services, including regulated financial advice and guidance services; and a range of business services, such as consultancy and software development, and outsourced customer service delivery and marketing services.

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Kennon Green & Company LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 70,381 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,123,000. Philip Morris International comprises about 7.1% of Kennon Green & Company LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC now owns 400 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. 75.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have commented on PM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $86.00 to $118.00 in a report on Thursday, January 19th. Citigroup reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $109.00 target price on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, December 13th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $110.36.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Philip Morris International Price Performance

In other news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares in the company, valued at $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In related news, insider Stacey Kennedy sold 20,308 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.30, for a total transaction of $2,036,892.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,248,525.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,588,020.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 117,064 shares of company stock valued at $11,738,763 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock.

PM traded up $0.90 on Monday, reaching $98.15. 267,963 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,635,809. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $99.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.67. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.85 and a 52-week high of $109.81. The company has a market cap of $152.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.74, a PEG ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 0.69.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $8.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.54 billion. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 11.22% and a negative return on equity of 127.24%. The firms revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.35 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd will be given a $1.27 dividend. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is 87.44%.

Philip Morris International Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating).

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Local Bounti (NYSE:LOCL  Get Rating) is one of 33 publicly-traded companies in the Agricultural production  crops industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Local Bounti to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Local Bounti -570.35% -97.51% -51.03% Local Bounti Competitors -339.13% -25.46% -16.05%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Local Bounti and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$56.09 million -0.62 Local Bounti Competitors $1.66 billion $35.87 million 0.61

Analyst Recommendations

Local Bountis rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Local Bounti and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 3 0 2.75 Local Bounti Competitors 96 168 486 23 2.56

Local Bounti presently has a consensus price target of $2.81, indicating a potential upside of 252.84%. As a group, Agricultural production  crops companies have a potential upside of 55.26%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its rivals.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

65.3% of Local Bounti shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.5% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by institutional investors. 41.5% of Local Bounti shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 17.7% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

Local Bounti has a beta of 1.66, indicating that its share price is 66% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis rivals have a beta of -26.99, indicating that their average share price is 2,799% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Local Bounti rivals beat Local Bounti on 7 of the 13 factors compared.

About Local Bounti

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Local Bounti Corporation grows fresh greens and herbs in the United States. It produces lettuce, herbs, and loose-leaf lettuce. The company sells its products to food retailers and food service distributors. Local Bounti Corporation was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Montana.

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Mkango Resources Ltd. (CVE:MKA  Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as C$0.16 and last traded at C$0.16, with a volume of 65050 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$0.21.

Mkango Resources Trading Down 24.4 %

The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$0.24 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$0.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 125.65, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market cap of C$37.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.93 and a beta of 2.06.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director William Drummond Dawes bought 400,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of C$0.13 per share, with a total value of C$51,000.00. Insiders own 50.94% of the companys stock.

Mkango Resources Company Profile

Mkango Resources Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, explores for and develops rare earth elements and associated minerals in the Republic of Malawi, Africa. It explores for uranium, tantalum, niobium, zircon, nickel, cobalt, rutile, graphite, and gold ores. The company's flagship project is the Songwe Hill property within the Phalombe exploration license located in southeast Malawi.

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Phreesia, Inc. (NYSE:PHR  Get Rating)s stock price fell 5.1% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $30.27 and last traded at $30.65. 126,827 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 410,946 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.29.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PHR has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Phreesia to $41.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 14th. JMP Securities increased their target price on shares of Phreesia from $34.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Phreesia from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Citigroup raised shares of Phreesia from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $40.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 13th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Phreesia from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $38.15.

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Phreesia Trading Down 5.4 %

The firms 50-day simple moving average is $35.62 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.75. The stock has a market cap of $1.63 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.24 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 3.32, a quick ratio of 3.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Insider Transactions at Phreesia

Phreesia ( NYSE:PHR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 22nd. The company reported ($0.72) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.78) by $0.06. Phreesia had a negative return on equity of 52.67% and a negative net margin of 62.71%. The business had revenue of $76.59 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $74.50 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.90) EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 32.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Phreesia, Inc. will post -2.72 earnings per share for the current year.

In related news, CFO Randy Rasmussen sold 4,765 shares of Phreesia stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $190,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 145,594 shares in the company, valued at $5,823,760. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, SVP David Linetsky sold 11,378 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.55, for a total value of $449,999.90. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 205,489 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,127,089.95. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Randy Rasmussen sold 4,765 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $190,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 145,594 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,823,760. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 45,347 shares of company stock valued at $1,694,845. 5.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Phreesia

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of Phreesia by 154.6% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,426 shares of the companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 866 shares during the last quarter. FourThought Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Phreesia by 16.4% during the 3rd quarter. FourThought Financial LLC now owns 3,081 shares of the companys stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 434 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Phreesia by 85.4% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,137 shares of the companys stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 1,445 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of Phreesia by 610.2% during the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 4,524 shares of the companys stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 3,887 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in shares of Phreesia by 266.6% during the first quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 5,381 shares of the companys stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 3,913 shares during the period. 92.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Phreesia Company Profile

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Phreesia, Inc is a healthcare software company, which engages in the provision of patient check-in solutions for medical practices. The firm offers appointments, clinical support, integration, registration, patient activation, analytics and reports, revenue cycle, patient surveys, and privacy and security products.

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Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited (ASX:RBD  Get Rating) declared a final dividend on Monday, April 3rd, MarketIndexAU reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 19th will be paid a dividend of 0.146 per share on Wednesday, April 19th. This represents a yield of 2.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 4th.

Restaurant Brands New Zealand Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 339.45.

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About Restaurant Brands New Zealand

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Restaurant Brands New Zealand Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates quick service and takeaway restaurants in New Zealand, Australia, California, Hawaii, Saipan, and Guam. The company operates the KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr., and Taco Bell brands in New Zealand; the KFC and Taco Bell brands in Australia and California; and the Taco Bell and Pizza Hut brands in Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.

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Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 6,112.73 ($75.10).

A number of research firms have recently commented on RIO. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,790 ($71.14) to GBX 5,840 ($71.75) in a research note on Thursday. Barclays set a GBX 5,800 ($71.26) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Thursday, January 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Credit Suisse Group set a GBX 7,200 ($88.46) price objective on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, January 18th. Finally, Berenberg Bank cut their target price on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 6,700 ($82.32) to GBX 6,600 ($81.09) in a research note on Thursday.

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Insider Activity

In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Kaisa Hietala purchased 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 5,313 ($65.28) per share, with a total value of 26,565 ($32,639.14). In other news, insider Kaisa Hietala bought 500 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 5,313 ($65.28) per share, with a total value of 26,565 ($32,639.14). Also, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($72.76), for a total value of 128,329.74 ($157,672.61). Company insiders own 14.65% of the companys stock.

Rio Tinto Group Trading Down 0.8 %

Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

Shares of RIO opened at GBX 5,432.52 ($66.75) on Monday. The firms 50-day moving average price is GBX 5,843.38 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 5,516.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. The firm has a market capitalization of 67.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 862.68, a PEG ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.72. Rio Tinto Group has a 1-year low of GBX 4,424.50 ($54.36) and a 1-year high of GBX 6,406 ($78.71).

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 9th will be issued a dividend of GBX 185.35 ($2.28) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 9th. This represents a yield of 2.99%. Rio Tinto Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 6,409.45%.

About Rio Tinto Group

(Get Rating)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities.

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a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. (NYSE:AKA  Get Rating) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 407,500 shares, an increase of 6.8% from the February 28th total of 381,500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 91,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Currently, 3.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AKA. TD Securities reduced their price target on shares of a.k.a. Brands from $1.70 to $1.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on a.k.a. Brands from $3.50 to $3.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Truist Financial cut their price objective on a.k.a. Brands from $4.00 to $2.60 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Piper Sandler downgraded a.k.a. Brands from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $3.00 to $2.00 in a research report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded a.k.a. Brands from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $4.00 to $1.70 in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $2.19.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long purchased 79,979 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $0.63 per share, with a total value of $50,386.77. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 383,226 shares in the company, valued at approximately $241,432.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director Myles B. Mccormick acquired 56,250 shares of a.k.a. Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $0.65 per share, for a total transaction of $36,562.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 122,635 shares in the company, valued at $79,712.75. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Ciaran Joseph Long acquired 79,979 shares of a.k.a. Brands stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $0.63 per share, with a total value of $50,386.77. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 383,226 shares of the companys stock, valued at $241,432.38. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 34.90% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On a.k.a. Brands

a.k.a. Brands Stock Down 2.4 %

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Summit Partners L P lifted its stake in a.k.a. Brands by 2.7% during the third quarter. Summit Partners L P now owns 69,656,120 shares of the companys stock valued at $101,001,000 after purchasing an additional 1,814,229 shares during the last quarter. Must Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in a.k.a. Brands by 99.2% in the 3rd quarter. Must Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,339,798 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,902,000 after buying an additional 667,166 shares during the period. Springhouse Capital Management LP acquired a new position in a.k.a. Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,215,000. Fund 1 Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of a.k.a. Brands during the 4th quarter worth $502,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of a.k.a. Brands by 2,671.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 388,437 shares of the companys stock worth $1,717,000 after purchasing an additional 374,420 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.89% of the companys stock.

AKA stock traded down $0.01 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.54. The stock had a trading volume of 110,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 211,249. a.k.a. Brands has a 1-year low of $0.53 and a 1-year high of $4.86. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The company has a market capitalization of $70.30 million, a P/E ratio of -0.40 and a beta of 1.43. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $1.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.47.

a.k.a. Brands Company Profile

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a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Culture Kings, Petal & Pup, mnml, and Rebdolls brands, as well as operates eight physical stores under the Culture Kings brand name.

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Georgia President Salome Zourabichvili on Monday visited Lithuania to promote bilateral cooperation between the states and discuss her countrys Euro-Atlantic integration prospects, the President Administration said, Trend reports with reference to Agenda.

While in the country, Zourabichvili will meet with her Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Parliament Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

Georgian Ambassador Salome Shapakidze said the high-level visit was particularly important ahead of the European Unions forthcoming decision on whether to grant Georgia its membership candidate status by the end of this year, and the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July.

Highlighting the significance of Lithuanias support for Georgias Euro-Atlantic integration, the diplomat described the trip as timely.

Along with official meetings and statements for the media, Zourabishvili is also scheduled to visit the Museum of the Occupation and Freedom Fights of Lithuania and lay a wreath at the memorial of heroes fallen for the countrys independence.

Accompanied by Diana Nepaite, the first lady of Lithuania, the President will also visit the shelter for Ukrainian refugees, opened in the country.

Zourabichvilis delegation includes Aleksandre Elisashvili and Teona Akubardia - opposition lawmakers from the Georgian Parliament - as well as the Head of her Administration and Advisor for Foreign Organisations and Socioeconomic Questions.
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,710,000 shares, a decrease of 9.0% from the February 28th total of 1,880,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,180,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days.

DTE Energy Trading Down 0.5 %

Shares of DTE traded down $0.55 on Monday, hitting $108.99. 1,603,401 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,229,659. The company has a quick ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.58. The stocks 50 day moving average is $110.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.88. DTE Energy has a 1 year low of $100.64 and a 1 year high of $140.23.

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DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $4.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.07 billion. DTE Energy had a net margin of 5.63% and a return on equity of 12.99%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.05 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that DTE Energy will post 6.22 earnings per share for the current year.

DTE Energy Increases Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On DTE Energy

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.9525 per share. This is an increase from DTE Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.95. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 17th. This represents a $3.81 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.50%. DTE Energys dividend payout ratio is presently 69.02%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its stake in DTE Energy by 3.1% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 152,364 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $17,529,000 after purchasing an additional 4,511 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC raised its stake in DTE Energy by 21.1% during the second quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,867 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $363,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares during the period. ARGI Investment Services LLC raised its stake in DTE Energy by 15.4% during the third quarter. ARGI Investment Services LLC now owns 13,074 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,504,000 after purchasing an additional 1,740 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System purchased a new position in DTE Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $1,427,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA raised its stake in DTE Energy by 12.6% during the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,721 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.55% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on DTE. TheStreet upgraded shares of DTE Energy from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Friday, January 13th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of DTE Energy in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of DTE Energy from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Wolfe Research raised shares of DTE Energy from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $125.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of DTE Energy from $126.00 to $120.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $128.56.

About DTE Energy

(Get Rating)

DTE Energy Co operates as a diversified energy company, which engages in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services. It operates through the following segments: Electric, Gas, DTE Vantage, Energy Trading, and Corporate and Other. The Electric segment consists of generation, purchase, distribution, and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan.

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Dutch Bros Inc. (NYSE:BROS  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,660,000 shares, a growth of 6.7% from the February 28th total of 8,120,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,150,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 7.5 days. Approximately 21.4% of the companys stock are short sold.

Dutch Bros Price Performance

NYSE:BROS traded up $0.46 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $31.63. The stock had a trading volume of 665,711 shares, compared to its average volume of 896,544. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.39. Dutch Bros has a 52 week low of $20.05 and a 52 week high of $66.00. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $34.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of -316.27 and a beta of 2.76.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on BROS shares. Barclays increased their price objective on Dutch Bros from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Guggenheim started coverage on Dutch Bros in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. They issued a neutral rating and a $37.00 target price on the stock. Cowen reissued an outperform rating and issued a $43.00 target price on shares of Dutch Bros in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and issued a $37.00 target price on shares of Dutch Bros in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $43.75.

Insider Activity

Institutional Trading of Dutch Bros

In related news, CEO Joth Ricci sold 160,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.53, for a total transaction of $6,004,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,056,335 shares of the companys stock, valued at $77,174,252.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Corporate insiders own 49.30% of the companys stock.

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in Dutch Bros by 70.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 812 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 337 shares during the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc acquired a new position in Dutch Bros during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its stake in Dutch Bros by 39.1% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in Dutch Bros by 87.9% during the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,114 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in Dutch Bros during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000.

About Dutch Bros

(Get Rating)

Dutch Bros Inc operates and franchises drive-thru shops. It offers Dutch Bros hot and cold espresso-based beverages, and cold brew coffee products, as well as Blue Rebel energy drinks, tea, lemonade, smoothies, and other beverages through company-operated shops and online channels. As of May 11, 2022, it operated 572 drive-thru coffee locations across 12 states in the United States.

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Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (NYSE:HMY  Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 9,020,000 shares, a growth of 6.1% from the February 28th total of 8,500,000 shares. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 4,100,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Harmony Gold Mining

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Harmony Gold Mining by 41.2% during the second quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 11,182 shares of the mining companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 3,264 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 16,677 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 3,861 shares in the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC increased its stake in Harmony Gold Mining by 12.5% during the 3rd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 39,807 shares of the mining companys stock worth $97,000 after purchasing an additional 4,433 shares in the last quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. lifted its stake in Harmony Gold Mining by 0.3% in the third quarter. U S Global Investors Inc. now owns 1,342,538 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $3,262,000 after buying an additional 4,456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Harmony Gold Mining by 1.2% during the first quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 415,938 shares of the mining companys stock worth $2,092,000 after acquiring an additional 4,789 shares in the last quarter. 36.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Harmony Gold Mining Price Performance

Shares of HMY traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $4.18. The company had a trading volume of 2,586,351 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,044,986. Harmony Gold Mining has a twelve month low of $1.93 and a twelve month high of $5.15. The companys 50-day moving average is $3.48 and its 200-day moving average is $3.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Harmony Gold Mining Company Profile

HMY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Harmony Gold Mining in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. HSBC lowered shares of Harmony Gold Mining from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th.

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Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd. engages in mining and exploration of gold. It involves building mines, open-pit operation, sales and financial management, land rehabilitation and mine closure. It operates through the following segments: Tshepong Operations, Moab Khotsong, Mponeng, Bambanani, Doornkop, Joel, Target 1, Kusasalethu, Masimong, South African Surface Operations, Mine Waste Solutions, Kalgold, and Hidden Valley.

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SNS Financial Group LLC trimmed its stake in U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB  Get Rating) by 33.4% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 29,250 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 14,643 shares during the period. SNS Financial Group LLCs holdings in U.S. Bancorp were worth $1,290,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Adirondack Trust Co. boosted its position in U.S. Bancorp by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Adirondack Trust Co. now owns 2,808 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $122,000 after buying an additional 220 shares during the period. Waldron Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Waldron Private Wealth LLC now owns 14,330 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $584,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. First Command Bank lifted its position in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. First Command Bank now owns 1,893 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Smith Salley & Associates lifted its position in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Smith Salley & Associates now owns 69,471 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,801,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the period. Finally, Epiq Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of U.S. Bancorp by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Epiq Partners LLC now owns 7,729 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $337,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the period. 71.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $57.00 to $55.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. UBS Group raised shares of U.S. Bancorp from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the stock from $47.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 10th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $55.00 to $49.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of U.S. Bancorp from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of U.S. Bancorp from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $52.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $53.16.

U.S. Bancorp Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of U.S. Bancorp stock opened at $36.39 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. U.S. Bancorp has a 12-month low of $32.72 and a 12-month high of $53.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.74, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.98. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $44.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.67.

U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The financial services provider reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.09. U.S. Bancorp had a net margin of 21.26% and a return on equity of 16.13%. The business had revenue of $6.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.61 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.07 EPS. U.S. Bancorps revenue for the quarter was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that U.S. Bancorp will post 4.95 EPS for the current year.

U.S. Bancorp Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.28%. U.S. Bancorps payout ratio is 51.75%.

U.S. Bancorp Profile

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U.S. Bancorp operates as a bank holding company, which offers financial services including lending and depository services, cash management, foreign exchange and trust and investment management. The firm also offers mortgage, refinance, auto, boat and RV loans, credit lines, credit card services, merchant, bank, checking and savings accounts, debit cards, online and mobile banking, ATM processing, mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage and leasing services.

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Sunnova Energy International (NYSE:NOVA  Get Rating) had its price target reduced by The Goldman Sachs Group from $23.00 to $17.00 in a research note released on Thursday, The Fly reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock.

NOVA has been the subject of several other research reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on Sunnova Energy International from $35.00 to $31.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $51.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Roth Mkm raised their price objective on shares of Sunnova Energy International from $51.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Sunnova Energy International from $35.00 to $31.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $35.20.

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Sunnova Energy International Stock Performance

Shares of NOVA opened at $15.62 on Thursday. Sunnova Energy International has a 52-week low of $12.46 and a 52-week high of $31.47. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $17.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.02, a quick ratio of 1.75 and a current ratio of 1.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.66 and a beta of 2.12.

Insider Transactions at Sunnova Energy International

Sunnova Energy International ( NYSE:NOVA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.40) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $195.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $145.09 million. Sunnova Energy International had a negative net margin of 27.53% and a negative return on equity of 11.07%. Research analysts forecast that Sunnova Energy International will post -0.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Sunnova Energy International news, insider Kelsey Hultberg sold 2,400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.03, for a total value of $33,672.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,974 shares in the company, valued at $280,235.22. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 4.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NOVA. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 410.2% during the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 3,731,515 shares of the companys stock valued at $82,392,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000,199 shares in the last quarter. Moore Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Sunnova Energy International by 139.7% in the 3rd quarter. Moore Capital Management LP now owns 2,741,767 shares of the companys stock worth $60,538,000 after buying an additional 1,597,770 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Sunnova Energy International in the 4th quarter worth about $14,254,000. Electron Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Sunnova Energy International by 30.1% during the 4th quarter. Electron Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,379,638 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,867,000 after acquiring an additional 781,893 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Sunnova Energy International by 47.2% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,319,424 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,772,000 after acquiring an additional 743,894 shares during the last quarter.

About Sunnova Energy International

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Sunnova Energy International, Inc operates as a residential energy service provider. It offers solar energy systems, electric vehicle chargers, and home solar protection. The company was founded by William Jackson Berger in 2012 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Transocean (NYSE:RIG  Get Rating) had its price target upped by equities research analysts at Susquehanna from $6.00 to $6.50 in a research note issued on Monday, The Fly reports. Susquehannas target price points to a potential downside of 7.41% from the companys current price.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. StockNews.com cut Transocean from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th. BTIG Research raised their price objective on Transocean from $8.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Compass Point raised Transocean from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $7.50 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Barclays decreased their price objective on Transocean from $7.00 to $6.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, Clarkson Capital raised Transocean from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $7.50 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $6.88.

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Transocean Stock Up 10.4 %

Shares of NYSE:RIG traded up $0.66 on Monday, hitting $7.02. 28,168,365 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 25,248,773. Transocean has a 52 week low of $2.32 and a 52 week high of $7.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $6.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $4.92. The company has a market cap of $5.14 billion, a PE ratio of -7.98 and a beta of 2.90.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Transocean ( NYSE:RIG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 21st. The offshore drilling services provider reported ($0.49) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by ($0.30). Transocean had a negative net margin of 24.12% and a negative return on equity of 5.85%. The business had revenue of $606.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $620.89 million. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.19) earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Transocean will post -0.32 earnings per share for the current year.

In other Transocean news, COO Keelan Adamson sold 50,026 shares of Transocean stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total value of $357,685.90. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 342,549 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,449,225.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, COO Keelan Adamson sold 50,026 shares of Transocean stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total value of $357,685.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 342,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,449,225.35. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Chad C. Deaton bought 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $7.40 per share, with a total value of $222,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 141,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,043,400. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 111,903 shares of company stock valued at $698,560 in the last quarter. 12.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Transocean

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Citizens Business Bank purchased a new position in Transocean in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Transocean by 336.4% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 10,277 shares of the offshore drilling services providers stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 7,922 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Transocean during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Transparent Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Transocean in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Penn Capital Management Company LLC purchased a new position in Transocean during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 55.16% of the companys stock.

About Transocean

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Transocean Ltd. engages in the provision of offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells. It also owns and operates offshore drilling fleets such as ultra-deepwater, harsh environment, deepwater, and midwater rigs. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Steinhausen, Switzerland.

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The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Rating) (TSE:TD) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 3,467,920 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 51% from the previous sessions volume of 2,291,193 shares.The stock last traded at $61.07 and had previously closed at $59.90.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on TD shares. Desjardins boosted their target price on Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$105.00 to C$106.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Scotiabank upgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from C$95.00 to C$103.00 in a research note on Monday, December 5th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Toronto-Dominion Bank in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $100.57.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Trading Up 2.0 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $64.53 and a 200 day moving average of $64.60. The firm has a market cap of $111.85 billion, a PE ratio of 9.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.90.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Rating ) (TSE:TD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The bank reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.03. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 16.02% and a net margin of 18.23%. The business had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.97 billion. Equities analysts anticipate that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.57 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.721 per share. This is a boost from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.72%. Toronto-Dominion Banks payout ratio is presently 44.71%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Toronto-Dominion Bank

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 11.0% in the third quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,479 shares of the banks stock worth $213,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares during the period. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in the third quarter worth $234,000. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 81.6% in the third quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 6,900 shares of the banks stock worth $423,000 after purchasing an additional 3,100 shares during the period. Fundamentun LLC bought a new position in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank in the third quarter worth $276,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 10.1% in the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 149,014 shares of the banks stock worth $9,138,000 after purchasing an additional 13,701 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 49.22% of the companys stock.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

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The Toronto-Dominion Bank engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The Canadian Retail segment offers various financial products and services, as well as telephone, Internet, and mobile banking services.

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Shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the fifteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $51.88.

A number of research analysts have commented on WFC shares. Piper Sandler downgraded Wells Fargo & Company from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $49.00 to $47.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Cfra upgraded Wells Fargo & Company to a buy rating and set a $50.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, January 13th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $58.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 3rd. Citigroup raised their price objective on Wells Fargo & Company from $48.00 to $52.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Odeon Capital Group cut Wells Fargo & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, March 13th.

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Insider Activity at Wells Fargo & Company

In other Wells Fargo & Company news, EVP Kleber Santos sold 34,698 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.27, for a total transaction of $1,605,476.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 19,590 shares in the company, valued at $906,429.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Csenge Advisory Group boosted its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 3.3% in the third quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 21,920 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $882,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Tevis Investment Management lifted its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Tevis Investment Management now owns 2,641 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $106,000 after buying an additional 430 shares in the last quarter. Tranquilli Financial Advisor LLC grew its holdings in Wells Fargo & Company by 15.3% during the 2nd quarter. Tranquilli Financial Advisor LLC now owns 5,907 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $231,000 after acquiring an additional 784 shares during the last quarter. Ulysses Management LLC increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ulysses Management LLC now owns 50,000 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,011,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LVW Advisors LLC increased its position in Wells Fargo & Company by 12.0% in the 3rd quarter. LVW Advisors LLC now owns 7,958 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 853 shares in the last quarter. 72.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

WFC opened at $37.38 on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12-month low of $35.25 and a 12-month high of $53.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $141.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.90, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.17. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $43.83 and a 200-day moving average of $43.76.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $19.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.04 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 9.28% and a net margin of 15.91%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.38 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wells Fargo & Company Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 3rd were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 2nd. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.21%. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is presently 38.22%.

Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile

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Wells Fargo & Co is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage products and services, and consumer and commercial finance. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management.

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WESPAC Advisors SoCal LLC purchased a new stake in Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 25,830 shares of the auto manufacturers stock, valued at approximately $300,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in F. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its stake in Ford Motor by 1.7% during the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 283,841 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $3,179,000 after purchasing an additional 4,823 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 40,461 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $453,000 after purchasing an additional 13,850 shares in the last quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co boosted its position in shares of Ford Motor by 695.8% during the 3rd quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 3,183 shares of the auto manufacturers stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 2,783 shares in the last quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. lifted its position in Ford Motor by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Resources Investment Advisors LLC. now owns 96,193 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $1,077,000 after acquiring an additional 9,822 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Versor Investments LP increased its stake in Ford Motor by 1,125.3% in the 3rd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 280,586 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $3,143,000 after buying an additional 257,686 shares during the last quarter. 49.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Benchmark decreased their price objective on shares of Ford Motor from $21.00 to $19.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. cut shares of Ford Motor from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Finally, Tudor Pickering lowered shares of Ford Motor from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 15th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $15.22.

Insider Activity

Ford Motor Stock Down 0.5 %

In other news, insider Ashwani Kumar Galhotra sold 24,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.01, for a total transaction of $323,298.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 511,605 shares in the company, valued at $6,655,981.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In other news, insider Ashwani Kumar Galhotra sold 24,850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.01, for a total transaction of $323,298.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 511,605 shares in the company, valued at $6,655,981.05. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CFO John T. Lawler sold 29,821 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.07, for a total transaction of $389,760.47. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 443,683 shares in the company, valued at $5,798,936.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 134,592 shares of company stock worth $1,740,843. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

Ford Motor stock traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $12.54. The stock had a trading volume of 26,068,939 shares, compared to its average volume of 68,494,992. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.20. Ford Motor has a 52-week low of $10.61 and a 52-week high of $16.73. The company has a fifty day moving average of $12.52 and a 200 day moving average of $12.70.

Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The auto manufacturer reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $41.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $40.73 billion. Ford Motor had a positive return on equity of 17.45% and a negative net margin of 1.25%. The businesss revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.26 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Ford Motor will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Ford Motor Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 10th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.78%. Ford Motors dividend payout ratio is presently -117.65%.

Ford Motor Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Ford Motor Co engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of automobiles. It operates through the following segments: Ford Blue, Ford Model E, and Ford Pro, Ford Next, and Ford Credit. The Ford Blue, Ford Model E, and Ford Pro segment includes the sale of Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories, together with the associated costs to develop, manufacture, distribute, and service the vehicles, parts, and accessories.

Further Reading

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding F? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ford Motor (NYSE:F  Get Rating).

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Finland will officially become the 31st member of NATO on April 4, Secretary General of the Alliance Jens Stoltenberg said during a press conference, Trend reports.

"This is a historic week. Tomorrow well welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO, providing greater security for it and making our Alliance stronger," he said.

Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved protocol on Finland's membership in NATO.

Earlier, the Parliament of Turkiye approved a bill to ratify a protocol on Finlands accession to NATO.

Therefore, Finland has obtained legal grounds for joining the alliance.

Finland's NATO membership protocol was signed on July 5, 2022, in Brussels.

Besides, Finland received support in this regard from 29 NATO member countries, and Turkiye was the remaining NATO member to approve Helsinkis bid.
Nairobi, April 3, 2023Ethiopian authorities should immediately release journalists Getenet Ahagre and Aragaw Sisay, and stop detaining members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.

On the morning of March 26, federal police officers in Addis Ababa arrested Aragaw, founder and chief editor of the privately owned YouTube-based news outlet Roha News, according to his lawyer Addisu Alagaw and his wife Hiwot Mena, both of whom spoke to CPJ by phone.

That evening, federal police also arrested Getenet, chief editor of the YouTube-based broadcaster The Voice of Amhara, from his home in the capital, according to news reports, Addisu, who is also representing Getenet, and the journalists sister Embet Tadesse, who spoke to CPJ by phone.

Both journalists appeared before the Arada Federal First Instance Court in Addis Ababa on March 28, where police accused them of incitement to violence on social media, according to a court document reviewed by CPJ. Authorities did not identify any specific content prompting that allegation.

The court granted police 13 more days to hold the journalists; they are due in court on April 10, Addisu told CPJ.

Ethiopian journalists Getenet Ashagre and Aragaw Sisay should be released at once and authorities should ensure they do not face further harassment in connection to their work, said CPJs Africa program coordinator, Angela Quintal, in New York. Journalists in Ethiopia should not have to work under the constant threat of arrest. This pattern of throwing critical journalists behind bars must stop.

On March 29, authorities brought each journalist to their homes and searched the premises, according to Hiwot and Embet.

Addisu told CPJ that authorities statements have been too generalized to identify what reporting prompted the incitement allegations. The Voice of Amhara recently covered topics including the vandalism of media outlets in Addis Ababa and the demolition of properties in Oromia regional state. Roha News covered the recent acquittal of journalist Temesgen Desalegn and factions within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Aragaw is also the vice chairperson of the Wollo Bete Amhara Charity Association, a nonpartisan charity group, according to Hiwot.

Last May, unidentified people, including one wearing a badge of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, abducted Voice of Amhara founder and chief editor Gobeze Sisay and held him for more than a week. In September 2022, Gobeze was detained by federal police and held for more than two months.

CPJ emailed the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice and federal police spokesperson Jeylan Abdi for comment, but did not receive any replies.
Germany's accounting watchdog on Monday handed the 2016-2018 auditor of Wirecard, named in the company's annual reports as EY, a 500,000 euro fine ($541,650.00) and banned it from taking on new audits for companies of public interest for two years, Trend reports with reference to Reuters.

EY said in an email that it had been informed by watchdog APAS that an investigation into the company had been completed, but that it had not been briefed on the details of the decision.

APAS said in a statement that it had imposed sanctions on Wirecard's auditing company and five individual auditors, without referring to EY by name. Wirecard's annual report names EY as the auditor for that period.

Wirecard filed for insolvency in June 2020, owing creditors almost $4 billion, after disclosing a 1.9 billion euro hole in its accounts that EY said was the result of a sophisticated global fraud.

The company, founded in 1999, began by processing payments for gambling and pornography websites before becoming a fintech star and a member of Germany's blue chip DAX index.

APAS found breaches of duty by the auditor in connection with the scandal, it said.

The ban forbids the auditor from participating in tenders for audits of certain companies for two years. This includes all listed companies as well as the majority of the financial sector consisting of banks and insurance companies.
With a track record of recruiting nurses for Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH), the Trent Hills hospital has appointed Heather Campbell as its new chief nursing executive and vice-president of patient care.

Campbell will step into the role on April 13. She assumes the role following the departure of Nicole Wood, who is leaving CMH to take over as the executive director of Rebound Child and Youth Services Northumberland.

Campbell arrived at CMH in January, when she was brought on as the hospitals clinical quality lead due to her extensive experience in leading quality improvement plans at multiple health care organizations.

Although she has only been at CMH for a short time, her leadership and experience is already having a positive impact, CMH noted in a press release.

We are thrilled that Heather is choosing to stay at CMH and take over as our VP of patient care and chief nursing executive, said CMH president and CEO Jeff Hohenkerk.

In her short time here, Heather has already created a new process to gather patient feedback, helped with the creation of our 2023/24 quality improvement plan, and has been instrumental in helping to recruit nurses to our emergency department and in-patient unit.

Campbell received her nursing education at Humber College and obtained a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Toronto Metropolitan University.

She has more than 15 years of clinical management experience, including her role as patient care manager of emergency and critical care at Northumberland Hills Hospital, and as the director of emergency, primary and rural care at Quinte Health Care. Campbell more recently served as the director of capacity and access flow for Ontario Health.

She is currently a course instructor in the nursing department at Loyalist College in Belleville.

Campbell said shes looking forward to her new role at CMH, noting there are a number of exciting projects in the works, including our proposed redevelopment.

I look forward to working with the team to ensure this project becomes a reality, Campbell said.

Despite the long-term focus on redevelopment, the new vice-president said one of her immediate priorities remains the recruitment and retention of nursing staff.

We truly have an exceptional team at CMH, and I look forward to my new role and am committed to ensuring CMH continues to provide the quality of care that our patients and community have come to expect from us.

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Peterborough veteran Patrick Schillemat is aiming to raise $15,000 for Wounded Warriors Canada through the Battlefield Bike Ride (BBR23) event running from June 11 to 17 in Italy.

The 500-kilometrem bike ride from the town of Ortona to the city of Ravenna passes through various historic war battlefields.

Schillemat, along with two fellow veterans, Christopher Russell and Gabriel Zedic-Best, want to participate in the ride for the first time, but can only do so if they raise a minimum of $5,000 per person.

Anybody can sign up to do it as a fundraiser, but only people that are able to fundraise a minimum of $5,000 per person are invited to take part in the ride, he said. Thats just because they have to have a certain amount of fundraising available to be able to pay for the logistics of the actual ride itself.

Schillemat, who served in the Canadian Armed Forces until 2021, became a regular fundraiser for Wounded Warriors after his wife participated in the Wounded Warriors Run in British Columbia.

She participated in the B.C. run when we were posted there with the military, he said. That was kind of our first foray into it.

Wounded Warriors provides mental health programs and services for ill and injured Canadian Forces members across the county, both active and retired.

Schillemat and his family have also benefited from programs offered by Wounded Warriors, after he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following his five years of military police service.

So, the importance of this hits even closer to home now, he said. For me, the biggest thing is that if Im going to be taking advantage of some of these supports, I cannot do that in good conscience without giving back.

Given the length of the bike ride and the elevated terrain, Schillemat is committing to an aggressive training schedule to prepare.

My plan is to ride anywhere between 20 and 60 kilometres a day between now and when Im leaving for the ride, he said.

In a month, the team has already raised $3,000. But while fundraising is great, Schillemat explained the most important goal is to raise awareness about Wounded Warriors for the general public, service people, first responders, and their families.

Raising awareness is definitely the primary thing, he said.

Schillemat has enlisted the help of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52 in Peterborough in hosting a euchre tournament benefit on April 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. to raise additional funds for the Wounded Warrior BBR23.

You can come hangout at the Legion, play some cards, and maybe win a little bit of money, he said. Were also doing a 50/50 raffle there, and all the proceeds are going toward this fundraiser.

Residents can donate to Schillemats campaign at sch1lly.com/wwc-bbr-donate.

aschummer@peterboroughdaily.com

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Public Energy Performing Arts is excited to announce their new Creative Generator Program and four artists and a collective who will be the first Creative Generator participants  Lindy Finlan, Jon Hedderwick, Eryn Lidster, Sarah McNeilly and Fleshy Thud

The Creative Generator program encourages artistic creativity in Peterborough/ Nogojiwanong and provides financial, administrative and mentoring support for artists to create new works. In addition, each artist is each artist is expected to deliver at least one public engagement activity, either in person or online, such as an open rehearsal, a work-in-progress showing, or an artist talk. These activities will be delivered throughout Public Energys 2023-2024 season.

Finlan is an up-and-coming playwright whose previous plays have been performed at the Theatre On King and the 4th Line Theatre. She is currently participating in the Playwrights Guild of Canadas Mentorship Program as a mentee. As a participant in the Creative Generator Programs, Finlan aims to complete a script for a full-length production entitled Take this, My Body, set in late 19th-century Canada, which explores the state of womanhood of the fallen women of the bawdy house and the feminist social reformers who seek to save them.

Hedderwick is a professional spoken word poet, performance artist, media artist and educator of mixed Ashkenazi Jewish and Scottish heritage. He will continue work on Bubbies Tapes, a show that explores the history and ongoing impacts of antisemitism in Canada. This performance is inspired by family experiences, including the Russian Revolution and the Holocaust, as recounted by Hedderwicks Bubbie Sarah in cassette tape recordings she left behind.

Lidster is a multidisciplinary artist and administrator who has supported the production of over 40 performance works since 2016. They were awarded the Gregory R. Firth Memorial Prize twice for their film work, which has screened at Trent University, Michigan State University, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough. Lidster will explore various forms of animation, including rotoscoping and puppetry, using Isadora projection mapping software.

McNeilly is a multidisciplinary artist; a performer, writer and an academic. She recently performed her debut solo scrip, Titty Cakes: A Recipe for Radical Acceptance, to sold-out audiences during breast cancer awareness month. As a Creative Generator participant, McNeilly aims to research and develop a largely autobiographical solo theatre script called One Rogue Cell (working title).

Fleshy Thud is a performance collective dedicated to supporting experimental work by regional artists and has produced more than 40 site-specific dance and theatre works and coproduce the Precarious Festival.

Their new project will gather a large group of regional artists to create a performance collaboration inspired by the life of Baroness Elsa, a figure in the New York Dada scene known for her poetry, art, and unconventional life.

For more information on the Creative Generator program, including upcoming artist events, please visit publicenergy.ca.

Bierk Art Fund

The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) is now accepting applications for the Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program. This program provides two bursaries of $1000 each to graduating high school students in the City or County of Peterborough, including Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations, who plan to undertake post-secondary studies in the visual and/or media arts during the 2023-24 academic year.

To be eligible, students must demonstrate great promise, interest, commitment to, and ability in the visual or media arts. To assist applicants, a virtual portfolio workshop is being held April 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. Applications are due April 20, and a virtual portfolio review will take place April 26. Please visit ecthree.org for more information.

This program is made possible with support from the Bierk Art Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, and in partnership with the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

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Carole Baskin, the animal rights activist whose infamous feud with zoo owner Joe Exotic who was the subject of the hit Netflix series Tiger King, is selling her iconic wild cat sanctuary.

Her husband, Howard Baskin, wrote in a post on Big Cat Rescues website last week that the couple intends to sell their property after transferring most of their rescue cats to another sanctuary in Arkansas.

Changes in industry practices and a new federal law have reduced the size of the cub petting industry at roadside zoos and circuses and, in effect, led to fewer big cats in need of rescue, Baskin said in the post.

As the sanctuarys rescue population has dropped from 100 to 41 cats, Baskin added that continuing to operate the site has become an increasingly inefficient use of donor funds, with expenses per cat more than doubling over the past several years.

We have always said that our goal was to put ourselves out of business, meaning that there would be no big cats in need of rescue and no need for the sanctuary to exist, he wrote.

Baskin said the Florida-based Big Cat Rescue has entered into an agreement with Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. The sanctuary in Arkansas will take in the majority of the animals from Big Cat Rescue, while the Baskins will continue to fund the animals care for the rest of their lives.

Construction on the new enclosures at Turpentine Creek is underway and expected to finish in six months, Baskin wrote, adding that Big Cat Rescues tigers may be transferred as soon as July.

After selling the sanctuary, Baskin said the couple will focus on saving endangered big cat species in the wild.

The threats to many species of big cat in the wild are not off in the distant future. They are very real right now, he said.

Big Cat Rescue, located near Tampa, and Carole Baskin, were the subject of much attention following the release of Netflixs Tiger King in 2020. The series starred Joe Exotic, the gun-toting Oklahoma zookeeper whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison after killing five tigers and plotting to have Baskin murdered.

Exotic was resentenced to 21 years in prison last year after a federal appeals court ruled that the prison term should be shortened.

The show focused primarily on the feud between Baskin and Maldonado-Passage, including accusations by him that Baskin was behind the disappearance of her ex-husband, Don Lewis, which Baskin has denied.

With files by The Associated Press

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Disney is bringing Moana back to the big screen  and this time in live action with both Dwayne The Rock Johnson and the voice of Moana, Aulii Cravalho, as producers.

What can I say except  Youre welcome, Johnson said Monday in an Instagram post.

This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our peoples grace, mana and warrior strength, Johnson said.

The 2016 Disney animated musical sees Polynesian princess Moana determined to save her village and people after the comedic and boisterous Polynesian demigod named Maui (voiced by Johnson) steals the magical artifact named the Heart of Te Fiti. With the tacit blessing of her wise Gramma Tala (Rachel House), Moana sails out accompanied by a crazy rooster named Heihei (Alan Tudyk) set to a soundtrack co-written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Rock said he will return as Maui in the Instagram video where he is walking the beaches of Oahu with his daughters Tia and Jasmine.

I wear our culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once in a lifetime opportunity to reunite with MAUI, inspired by the spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me.

Disney Studios confirmed that similar to its animated predecessor, the film will celebrate the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders. As well, the focus will remain on Moanas journey of self-discovery through her eagerness to pave her own path and her reflections on the lives of her ancestors.

The movie will include Gramma Tala, Pua the Pig, Te Fiti, Heihei the rooster and the animated films classic songs and dances.

While its unclear whether Cravalho will reprise her role as well, the actress said on Instagram that Moana had such a profound impact on how we think of Disney princesses and that she is looking forward to sharing her story in a whole new way.

With files from Peter Howell

MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca

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Last Friday was a great day for Meghan Markle, and a not such a great one for her half-sister, Samantha Markle.

Thats because Meghan successfully petitioned a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that Samantha brought against Meghan. (Samantha and Meghan have the same father, Thomas Markle, but are the children of his first and second marriages, respectively.)

In the suit, brought in a Florida court, Samantha accused Meghan of defamation and injurious falsehood, asking USD $75,000 in damages.

The supposedly reputation-ruining statements? In her 2021 interview with Oprah, Meghan said that she essentially grew up as an only child, and that she hadnt seen her sister in nearly 20 years, and even then only after a 10 year gap in contact. She also said that Samantha had strategically changed her last name back to Markle after Meghan began dating Prince Harry. (Samantha also pointed to claims made about her in Finding Freedom, a biography written by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand with an undetermined degree of cooperation by the Sussexes.)

Samantha Markle has spent the past several years working a profitable line in capitalizing on her half-sisters fame.

Samantha has given interviews saying Meghan treats people like dish rags, compared her estranged relationship with their father to elder abuse and, in 2021, published a memoir called The Diary of Princess Pushys Sister Part 1. As you may have gleaned from the title, a hagiography of Meghan it is not.

When the case, which has been moving through the courts for over a year, finally went in front of a judge, the verdict was swift: Meghan was merely expressing an opinion, and as such, could not be subject to empirical proof. To translate the legalese: Meghan won because she was talking about her own experiences of her childhood, and it would be impossible to independently verify something so inherently subjective.

This isnt Meghans only recent legal victory: Last year, she won a suit against the Daily Mails Sunday edition, claiming it violated her privacy by publishing a private letter to her father. And of course, Meghan wasnt the only Sussex in court last week. Prince Harry spent a high-profile few days in London, showing up for several days of preliminary hearings in a case he and several other celebrities have brought against the Daily Mail parent company.

Meghan and Harry, collectively, have been involved in at least 10 lawsuits in just the past four years

That its hard to keep count speaks to how litigious they are. Some of it is legal fallout from their unprecedented break with The Firm, such as Harrys lawsuit to retain the government security protection that he lost when he quit being a working royal, but most involves media outlets, which is a testament to the intensity of the global interest in them and their story  and their own desire to reclaim that narrative.

Time and again, theyve prevailed on the legal front, both when theyve gone on the offence, as in Meghans case against the Daily Mail, or the defence, as in her victory against Samantha last week. However, this vindication in court hasnt necessarily translated to a victory in the court of public opinion. Outside of the measured, technical realm of jurisprudence, the Sussexes public image remains as fraught and contested as ever.

Legal action is often messy: Accusations, which may or may not be proven, are flung on both sides; cross-examination can end up showing you in a bad light; discovery can dig up things youd rather it didnt. This is the reason that the royal family, with some exceptions, generally steers clear of legal action, their never complain, never explain M.O. usually extending to court rooms.

It may also explain why Meghan and Harry dont seem to be benefiting from a post-trial innocence halo effect. For instance, Meghan won her case against the Mail On Sunday but also had to apologize to the court for not remembering that shed given her royal aides the okay to brief and give background information to the authors of Finding Freedom, something that came up as the tabloid was defending the choice to publish the letter shed sent her father.

Meghan and Harry both frame these lawsuits as something much larger than a simple litigious wrangle.

When she won her case against the Mail On Sunday, for example, Meghan called it a victory not just for me, but for anyone who has ever felt scared to stand up for what is right. Harry has labelled his fight to take on the tabloids his lifes work.

They arent wrong about this: The cases they take on are precedent-setting, and have the potential to change entrenched, problematic behaviours, and they have also broken a cone of silence that Harry has said masks a toxic reciprocal relationship between the British media and the royal family.

Plus, as the internet and social media platforms only seem to get bigger and trollier, Harry and Meghans efforts to combat the endless cycle of abuse stoked by clicks can only be seen as a genuine win for us all. (Their legal fees alone must be worthy of a conversation around beatification.)

The problem with Meghan and Harrys martyr-on-the-altar-of-global-justice framing, however? Its just the kind of self-righteous posturing that tends to get peoples backs up  particularly those inclined to dislike them in the first place. It doesnt help that Meghan and Harry are not entirely innocent of fuelling the drama that surrounds them, which often leads to this legal action. Perhaps youve heard of a little book called Spare?

If you didnt like Harry and Meghan before, their winning a court case isnt going to change your mind

Which brings us to the real reason that Meghan and Harry continue to battle in the court of public opinion, despite their legal victories: If you didnt like them before, their winning a court case isnt going to change your mind, and vice versa. Its a common refrain these days, the pro-con sides are so deeply entrenched that whichever way a verdict goes, it can confirm bias and fuel existing opinion.

This goes for the various accolades theyve received lately too: just today, Meghan was honoured as a 2023 Woman of Vision by the Ms. Foundation. If youre of the opinion that she and Harry are a clout-chasing couple attempting to legitimize themselves post-royal life by racking up awards from organizations that are just honouring them to get their own names in the paper, well, bias confirmed.

If you take the opposite view  that these two are genuine change-makers whom history will smile upon for their activism  then youll applaud as the world simply recognizes what youve seen all along. In our polarized age, there is little room for nuanced thought about complicated people in complicated situations.

In short: The Sussexes legal wins are unlikely to vindicate them in the eyes of their detractors because that verdict was decided before the jury had even been named.

Sarah Laing is a Toronto-based freelance contributor for The Kit, writing about about celebrity and culture. Follow her on Twitter: @sarahjanelaing

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VANCOUVER - The British Columbia governments outdated practice of granting mineral claims without Indigenous consent is a continuation of the Crowns efforts the dismantle Gitxaalas society, a lawyer for the First Nation told a court.

Lisa Fong told the B.C. Supreme Court Monday the province hasfailed its constitutional duty to consult the nation before issuing mineral rights.

This case is about whether Canadian law is ready to respect Gitxaalas self-governance and to acknowledge the negative impacts of B.C. automated mineral tenure registry on the fabric of Gitxaalas governance.

The court challenge, which includes Gitxaaa and Ehattesaht First Nations, marks the first legal test since the B.C. government adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

The United Nations declaration was passed into law in B.C. in 2019 and requires governments to obtain free, prior and informed consent before taking actions that affect Indigenous Peoples and territories.

Jessica Clogg of West Coast Environmental Law, another lawyer representing Gitxaala, told a news conference that the court can and should declare the practice is inconsistent with the UN declaration.

The reality is that the Mineral Tenure Act regime results in Indigenous Peoples being dispossessed of critical aspects of their title and rights to resources without any consultation or consent, which is clearly contrary to the articles of UNDRIP.

The current B.C. Mineral Tenure Act allows anyone with a free miner certificate to acquire mineral claims online through an automated system in First Nations territories, without their consultation or consent, the nation said in a news release.

The Gitxaala Nation, based on B.C.s northern coast, filed a petition for judicial review in October 2021.

It is asking the court to quash seven mineral claims on Banks Island, south of Prince Rupert, and for the court to suspend claim staking in its territory. It also claims B.C.s mineral grant regime doesnt allow the First Nation to use or develop the land.

Ehattesaht First Nation on Vancouver Island filed a similar judicial review challenging mineral claims in its territories in June last year.

The nations agreed that their two cases can be heard at the same time.

Fong told the court that consulting nations on mineral claims would not be a threat to the mining industry, but would require it to change.

We say theres no evidence that shows mandatory consultation will reduce the viability of the mining industry. Evidence actually shows the opposite: that mining is compatible with consultation, she said.

Gitxaala Chief Councillor Linda Innes said the nation is very hopeful the B.C. Supreme Court will side with it following a two-week hearing in Vancouver.

In their legal argument in our case, B.C. has the audacity to say that giving away mineral rights in our territory does not trigger the duty to consult. We disagree with that, she told the media on Monday.

It is time for the B.C. government to walk the talk by putting an end to this practice of granting mineral rights without consultation or consent from Indigenous nations in British Columbia.

The BC Human Rights Commissioner, the First Nations Leadership Council, four First Nations, a group of non-profits and mineral exploration businesses will be intervening in the case, Gitxaaa said in a news release.

Human rights commissioner Kasari Govender confirmed in a separate news release Monday that she will be in court this week.

She said how the declaration act is interpreted and implemented in this case will have important implications for reconciliation in the province.

Govender said because the declaration is human rights legislation, it takes primacy over other statutes like the Mineral Tenure Act.

This case is a test of what the declaration act means and how it applies to B.C. laws. We say the court must adopt the interpretation of the act that best upholds the human rights at issue: Indigenous Peoples collective human rights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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CHARLOTTETOWN - Voters in Prince Edward Island delivered a decisive majority to the incumbent Progressive Conservatives on Monday after an election campaign dominated by debate over health care.

With all polls reporting, Premier Dennis Kings Tories were elected in 22 of the provinces 27 ridings, the Liberals won three seats and the Greens two. The Conservatives captured 55.9 per cent of the popular vote, and King was easily re-elected in his riding of Brackley-Hunter River.

Kings first term in office was marked by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, two major post-tropical storms and mounting health-care woes.

We havent shied away from challenges over the last four years, and were certainly not going to shy away from them for the next four years, he said late Monday to a crowd of 300 supporters bathed in blue light at a downtown Charlottetown hotel.

His partys main challengers were the Green Party, led by Scottish-born dentist Peter Bevan-Baker, and the Liberals, led by former bureaucrat Sharon Cameron, who was acclaimed leader less than five months ago. She challenged Bevan-Baker in his riding and lost to him Monday, finishing a distant third.

At dissolution, the Conservatives held 15 seats. The Greens had eight seats, and the Liberals held four, having lost their majority to the Tories in 2019. The vote in April 2019 saw P.E.I. become the first province in Canada where the Green Party formed the official Opposition.

After the ballots were counted Monday, Bevan-Baker told supporters that the Green Party was entering a new chapter with the loss of that special status in the legislature.

We will continue to serve Islanders  even if our new role is, as it appears to be, as third party, he said. Weve been there before. We made the most of it. We did some stellar work, and we will continue to do that.

Political observers on the Island had said the electorate did not appear to be in a mood for more change when the campaign began on March 6. And there were indications the Greens were not ready for an electoral contest. At one point, a former Green member of the legislature, Hannah Bell, said the party did not do enough planning or grassroots work.

Both the Greens and Liberals nominated only 25 candidates, two short of a full slate.

Don Desserud, a Prince Edward Island political analyst, said the slump in support for the Greens was the result of the Islands electorate going back to its traditional patterns. This is probably a more normal result, and 2019 was the aberration, he said in an interview Monday.

Still, Desserud noted the Greens managed to win 21.6 per cent of the popular vote, compared with the Liberals 17.2 per cent under Cameron. The Liberals focus on criticizing the Green Party to win back voters who deserted them in 2019 had limited success, but the Liberals will form the official Opposition with one more seat than the Greens.

On Monday night, Cameron told her supporters she regretted Islanders didnt get a better chance to know her fellow candidates due to the fact King called the election six months before the provinces fixed election date. She said nothing about her political future.

We knew going into this it was going to be a major challenge, she said.

When the campaign started, King made a point of citing the challenges his government had faced: two hurricane-force storms  Dorian in 2019 and Fiona last September  and the economic fallout caused by a potato fungus that halted exports of the Islands most important crop, not to mention a health-care crisis.

A former journalist and spokesman for former premier Pat Binns, King called the election less than two weeks after the province landed a 10-year health-care funding deal with Ottawa worth $966 million. Among other things, the Conservatives have promised to get every Islander off the provincial wait-list for a doctor in the next two years.

The Tory strategy was to ask voters to note what they had achieved in spite of the obstacles thrown in their way. Desserud said it was as if King were saying: If we can do that under those circumstances, imagine what we can do when we dont have to deal with these crises. That message seemed to resonate at the doorstep.

The New Democrats were never a factor in the provincial race, finishing with just 4.5 per cent of the vote. Elections P.E.I. said 68.5 per cent of the provinces 109,587 registered voters cast a ballot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

 With files from Michael MacDonald and Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax and Teresa Wright in Charlottetown.

Note to readers: CORRECTS typo in 1st para -- health not heath

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that 344 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya in the past week, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The migrants, including 24 women and 10 children, were saved between March 26 and April 1, IOM said in a statement.

So far this year, 4,241 illegal migrants have been rescued and sent back to Libya, while 269 died and 172 others went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, the organization said.

In 2022, a total of 24,684 migrants were rescued and returned to Libya, the IOM revealed, adding 525 migrants died and 848 others went missing off the Libyan coast.

Since the fall of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, a large number of migrants, most of whom Africans, attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach European shores from Libya.

Rescued migrants usually ended up inside overcrowded reception centers in Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers and release the migrants.
Vincent Harris arrived in Haiti earlier this year to heal bodies.

Two weeks ago, the medical adviser for Doctors Without Borders found himself instead in the midst of the countrys war.

There was a really violent clash between two armed groups, Harris said this week from Port-au-Prince. Unfortunately, the front line where those groups met was directly in front of the doors of the hospital.

It was a battle between warring gangs in Cite Soleil, a notoriously poor and dangerous section of the Haitian capital. Errant bullets struck the hospital buildings, threatening the lives of sick and injured Haitians and those who care for them.

And it was the last straw.

Coming after a series of incidents in which medical aid workers and their patients have been confronted by Haitis rampant gang violence, Doctors Without Borders decided to halt operations and temporarily close the hospital.

Its terrible to have to admit that we were forced to stop, said Harris, who has worked on missions in Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan. Closing a hospital means that we are denying care to all those who need it  Its a decision that carries heavy consequences.

Its scenes such as these, of a country on the precipice of anarchy, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces as he prepares to welcome U.S. President Joe Biden to Ottawa this week.

Among the many issues on the agenda is Washingtons reported hope that Canada will agree to lead an international security force to bring order to the country by reinforcing Haitis understaffed and ill-equipped national police.

The July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise set off a wave of insecurity that has inundated the island nation. Powerful gangs have been battling for control of the country and the Haitian National Police, lacking personnel and equipment, have been powerless to uphold the law.

Sending an army of international soldiers and police into the country is seen as the last resort for bringing some order and safety back to Haitis streets. But putting foreign boots on Haitian soil at the request of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the countrys contested and unelected leader, will also heighten political divisions.

Its a chicken-or-the-egg puzzle wrapped in a Catch-22. And while the world debates what should come first  democratic elections or an armed security force  Haitians have neither.

We need to start talking about what matters to Haitians most. The first thing is security, said Helen Meagher La Lime, head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

Elections will come after, she told a meeting this week of the Organization of American States.

Nothing is going to move unless the situation on the ground changes. Kidnappings are rampant. Sexual violence ... is at levels never seen before, and rarely seen in any society.

Questions of legitimacy

The heavy burden of leading an international mission has given Canada pause, and perhaps rightly so. The Haitian National Police force has just 9,000 active-duty officers for the entire country, down from 15,000 five years ago.

This week, Haitis Justice and Public Safety Minister, Emmelie Prophete Milce, said the public should have no expectation of a timely police response.

With this in mind, the population must stand up for itself, she said.

Police officers hole themselves up in the relative safety of their stations. Some are deployed to VIP protection duties. There have been waves of desertions, most recently when the U.S. announced it was accepting immigration applications from Haitians with American sponsors.

Also, said La Lime, they get killed.

Haiti needs force support, fighting support, to be able to show that there is an effort on its way to dominate the gangs. And if they cant, then this country will just continue down the path of a failed state.

Canada must also make political calculations in deciding whether or not to act.

Henry, the prime minister, has been leading the country since the assassination of Moise two years ago. He is the one who first requested armed forces come to Haiti, but his many critics say he needs an election and a democratic mandate from the people to make such a request.

The current government in Haiti is not representative of the population, said Frederic Boisrond, a Quebec sociologist and author who established the YMCA in Haiti, his native country. There is no one who is mandated to decide for the population. Thats one of the limits of a foreign intervention. There is no one who has the legitimacy to ask for it.

Domestic factors will also play into Trudeaus political calculus.

The UN mission noted in a recent assessment there had been an almost fourfold increase in the number of Haitian migrants detained upon entering the United States. At Roxham Road, the crossing point for asylum seekers entering Canada from the U.S., Haitians, along with Nigerians, make up the bulk of those seeking protection.

The interest of Canada is that of the 40,000 people who entered Canada (last year) through Roxham Road, probably half were Haitians, said Boisrond. Its clear that the security situation in Haiti means that we cant send people back.

A descent into hell

Political strife, desperate poverty and shocking violence go hand-in-hand-in-hand in the Caribbean country that clings to its nickname, the Pearl of the Antilles, and its claim as the first in the region to throw off the shackles of slavery and French colonialism.

There is less to celebrate in the countrys recent political history. It was occupied by the United States from 1915 to 1934 and has struggled to attain any sort of political and economic stability ever since.

Military administrations bookended the 30-year dictatorships of Jean-Claude Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude, known as Papa Doc and Baby Doc.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the first democratically elected president, was deposed in a 1991 coup before being returned to power with the U.S. invasion of Haiti in 1994. His resignation in 2004 was marked by civil unrest and fighting which resulted in the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force.

The three-month military mission launched what has become the UNs nearly two-decade presence on the island.

A 2010 earthquake, which killed an estimated 220,000 people, further weakened the countrys capacity to support the population and increased its reliance on humanitarian aid and international assistance.

In the years that followed, with all the reconstruction efforts, some security and Haitian-led political leadership  there was a certain hope that things could be improved, said Henri-Paul Normandin, Canadas ambassador to Haiti from 2010 to 2013. While things are never simple in Haiti, things were getting better.

Moises assassination sparked what Normandin called a descent into hell  a vicious circle of weak government and political deadlock that led to rising gang violence. This insecurity, in turn, further weakened the state and pushed the countrys political actors into more polarized and entrenched positions.

The UN reported in January that there had been 2,183 homicides in 2022, up 35 per cent from 2021, and 1,359 kidnappings, a 105 per cent rise from the year before.

These mounting figures sparked Henrys request for an armed international force that was needed to prevent a humanitarian disaster. The flashpoint was the seizure by the so-called G9 gang of a major port and fuel depot in Port-au-Prince. It caused gas prices to spike, but also complicated efforts to respond to an emerging cholera outbreak.

Other prominent gangs are linked to politicians and entrepreneurs, while a significant number of the countrys police are alleged to be associated with Port-au-Prince gangs, according to the UN. When the gangs move in to claim new territory or to fight, local residents flee, resulting in impromptu camps occupied by displaced Haitians.

Ottawa initially showed some willingness to both help Haiti and assume a high-profile international role. A technical mission sent to explore the situation last October was followed by the visit of Bob Rae, Canadas ambassador to the UN, in November.

I think that when we looked at what was happening on the ground, we concluded, for one, that putting in place and leading a multinational force is a major operation. Second, that the chances for the success of such a mission are not at all obvious, said Normandin, who is also a fellow at the Institut detudes internationales de Montreal at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal.

Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canadas Chief of the Defence Staff, told Reuters this month that his forces were already stretched thin with plans to expand its presence in Latvia as part of a NATO mission in support of Ukraine.

My concern is just our capacity, Eyre said. Theres only so much to go around. ... It would be challenging.

Canadian diplomats and military planners will also be looking into all the things that are liable to cause problems for Canadian police or military deployed in Haiti: the likelihood of civilian victims; the rules of engagement for tackling gangs; and how to deal with eventual prisoners facing a dysfunctional Haitian justice system.

From the start, there are political considerations and then the fact that its a major operation in which the chances of success are uncertain  and which come with a lot of risk, said Normandin. When I put all that together, I can understand the Canadian governments hesitation to take up such a mission.

In the interim, Canada has offered financial support and equipment to Haitis police force, including armoured vehicles (though the Haitian Public Safety Minister recently complained that delays in the receipt of 18 armoured vehicles have prevented the police from conducting anti-gang operations).

And Trudeau now says that the best way to bring lasting stability to Haiti is to attack the impunity of the politicians and entrepreneurs who control the gangs and other criminal enterprises who have taken centre state in the countrys crisis.

Before intervention, sanctions

Canada so far has sanctioned 17 Haitians, and is urging Europe and the United States to follow suit.

Among those sanctioned by Canada is former president Michel Martelly, former prime ministers Laurent Lamothe and Jean Henry Ceant, as well as the former president of the Haitian Senate, Youri Latortue, who was described in the WikiLeaks diplomatic cables as the most brazenly corrupt of leading Haitian politicians.

Another sanctioned politician, Rony Celestin, has used his political position to orchestrate the importation of drugs from Venezuela into Haiti, as well as the exportation of drugs to the United States and The Bahamas, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

And Celestin is reportedly under investigation by Haitian anti-corruption investigators over a lavish $4.2-million mansion purchased under the name of his wife, Marie Louisa Celestin, a diplomat with the Haitian consulate in Montreal.

Celestins wife transferred the property ownership into both her and his name in May 2021, several months after the purchase, according to property records.

It is a concrete example, perhaps, that there are no easy answers and no quick fixes for a country in which the roots of problems can be traced back decades.

A country where action  by Canada and the rest of the world  may be costly and carry a steep risk, but where the price of inaction will be paid in blood.

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Americas rich history is full of meaningful moments put into words.

One small step for man  for the first moon landing.

The first Black president, Barack Obama, who described himself as a skinny kid with a funny name.

Or the pilot who dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima and lamented, My God, what have we done?

Theyve marked events that have, for better or worse, been burned into the countrys psyche. By the nature of that countrys global reach and power, they have been burned into psyche of the world as well.

To this, we add the post of former U.S. president Donald Trump as his branded red-white-and-blue airplane taxied out to the runway of the Palm Beach airport, bound for New York City, to face his own reckoning with history.

HEADING TO NEW YORK, Trump typed. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

Trump may yet say something more suited to inclusion in the historical record in a planned Tuesday night speech after he becomes the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges, to be arrested, fingerprinted and subjected to a mugshot.

But there is something niggly and unsatisfying in the fact that, of all the investigations underway into Trump  his mishandling of classified documents, his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, including inciting the Capitol Hill insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021  the case that will be noted in the history books is this one.

The exact number and nature of the charges has not yet been revealed, but the case is focused on reimbursements Trump made to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid off porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election, which Trump won.

The payments were to prevent the actress from going public about a sexual relationship she claims to have had with Trump  a claim that Trump denies.

The billionaire politician is expected to be indicted on charges of falsifying business records  hiding his reimbursement payments to Cohen as payments for other services. Normally this is a misdemeanour, a minor offence. But it becomes a felony charge if the falsified business records were intended to cover up another criminal act.

The speculation is that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will attempt to prove that this other criminal act was a breach of federal election legislation.

The legal foundations and merits of the case will be for lawyers to argue about, and for New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan to decide.

But for those hoping to see a legal reckoning that gets to the heart of the great chaos to which Trump has subjected his country, or to see him delegitimized as a political candidate, hush money to a porn star feels more like a sideshow distraction than the cathartic main event.

Mondays cable news fiesta nonetheless played its part as carnival barker.

CNN live-broadcasted Trumps O.J. Simpsonesque drive from Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort. It was a slow-moving motorcade of black SUVs that drove along a poorly attended parade route peopled by flag-waving, camera-flashing and saluting supporters of Palm Beachs most famous resident.

The network rolled as Trump mounted the steps of his branded company jet, which taxied out to the runway and lifted into the air.

The cameras lingered as the plane disappeared into the skies over the Atlantic and turned northward, as if Trump Force One were some sort of newfangled space machine hurtling toward the great unknown.

A few hours later, Fox News published on its website a looping clip of the jet touching down at New Yorks LaGuardia Airport as excitedly as if it had been carrying a liberation fighter toward the land of his oppressors ahead of a momentous confrontation.

Trumps legal defenders will be backing him up in court, while preparations are underway should his political supporters take to the streets.

New York Mayor Eric Adams issued instructions to those seeking to show their support for Trump, or their disapproval of his prosecutors, at what Adams awkwardly termed a major historical potential event that will take place in New York City.

Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger.

He singled out MAGA Republicans such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a vocal and influential far-right supporter of the ex-president, who has defended the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building, when protesters sought to overturn Trumps 2020 presidential election loss.

Shes saying shes coming to town, Adams said. While youre in town, be on your best behaviour.

In other words, Greene is not in Georgia anymore, or Texas, or Arizona. Not Kansas, nor any other Republican red state either.

Trump also knows that he is facing off against a Democratic district attorney in one of Americas most liberal states, which is why he is weaving together his political and legal strategies.

Hes already cast Merchan  who presided over a guilty verdict in a tax evasion case against the Trump Organization  as a Trump Hating Judge and written that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial in New York.

Trump aides in the Mar-a-Lago motorcade Monday also filmed the supportive crowd and, by the time he had landed in Manhattan, the video had been posted along with a fundraising appeal for his 2024 presidential campaign, which has reportedly raised millions since news of his indictment broke.

This is the ultimate reality TV scenario for a man in constant search of an audience, a media circus for the ages hearkening back to the famous phrase of that other American showman-turned-politician.

I dont care what the newspapers say about me, said P.T. Barnum, as long as they spell my name right.

Perhaps the only surprise, and disappointment, is that Trumps legal team argued against a motion from the media Monday to allow television cameras into the courtroom.

As a result, the viewing audience  Trump lovers and haters alike  wont get to see with their own eyes or hear with their own ears another great American first: when he rises in court and utters those famous two words: Not guilty.

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There are very few Canadian couples who have shared important leadership roles in a political party at the same time, all while raising a large family. Often children join the family political business, and occasionally, one partner will succeed another in a new political career. But for a married couple to each pursue important political careers simultaneously is almost unheard of.

Ruth and Terry Grier helped set the direction of the New Democratic Party, together, several times over 30 years. Steve Paikin reminds us that Ruth was recruited 1972 by party organizers in the neighbourhoods on Torontos lakeshore in Etobicoke, to run municipally. Their delightful ploy was that as the municipal and federal campaign dates overlapped, they could mount twice the number of Grier signs. They both got elected, Ruth to city hall and Terry to Parliament.

Terry, who died last month at age 86, had been, at the time a teacher at Ryerson, as it then was, for some years. Previously however, he had helped to launch the fledging NDP from its founding convention in 1961. As the senior party official he had managed three frustrating federal elections in five years, prevented the partys collapse in financial ruin several times, all the while trying to build a new national political party. After his one term as an MP, and his return to Ryerson, he came back to help elect Ed Broadbent as leader, and then chaired three more campaigns to far greater success.

Meanwhile, Ruth moved from great success as a municipal politician to provincial politics, joining the Bob Rae government as a minister in 1990. Rae described her as one of his most important ministers and asked her to lead the Environment Ministry and then the Health Ministry. She had successes in each.

At environment, she shut down an absurd plan to send Torontos garbage across the province to dump in an abandoned northern mine. At health, she launched the Trillium Drug Plan, which one day one might hope Ottawa copies to make essential drugs available to all Canadians.

Terry had, upon his return to teaching, begun to plot how to push the former polytechnic institute to full university status. With Raes sympathetic ear, Terry pulled off a successful lobbying campaign. He went on to lead his beloved university as president to great success.

Ruth and Terry were early champions and mentors of young women in politics, helping launch the careers of a generation of todays most important NDP stars. She and Terry were devoted to their community, their lifelong fight for social justice and a network of friends that crossed all partisan boundaries.

Each were masters of conciliation, often playing facilitating roles between contending visions. Neither Terry nor Ruth were fire-breathers, but each had steely values. In his unsuccessful re-election campaign in 1974, Terry was swarmed by anti-abortion activists, many bused in from the U.S. He ran into a fair number of anti-choice voters at the doorstep.

Near the end of one canvassing day, he was denounced by an especially vehement pro-lifer on her doorstep. Terry listened respectfully, and then said, I am so pleased I will not have your vote, madam, and pivoted down the steps smiling.

He used to tell this story at candidate training schools, saying very seriously, Now, this is something you should never, ever do, then pausing to conclude with a chuckle, But, boy did it feel good at the time.

Few people can claim credit for having helped give birth to two great institutions, a political party and a university. Even fewer can say they did political battle, arm-in-arm, with their partner for a lifetime. As Ruth, now struggling with the damage age can do, struggled her way around the receptions and visitation sessions, her beaming smile and nods of recognition left few dry eyes.

To a new generation of political activists, choosing causes and partners, the tensions about who and what comes first are more real today than ever. For guidance in raising families in the tumult of a shared political life, there are perhaps no two better role models about how to do it with class and impact than Canadas unknown political power couple, Ruth and Terry Grier.

Robin V. Sears was an NDP strategist for 20 years and later served as a communications adviser to businesses and governments on three continents. He is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robinvsears

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Chongqing Airlines launches direct flights to Phuket

PHUKET: Chongqing Airlines became the latest airline flying direct from mainland China to Phuket with the arrival of Flight OQ2093 from Chongqing landing at Phuket International Airport late yesterday afternoon (Apr 2).

tourismChinesetransport

By The Phuket News

Monday 3 April 2023, 04:36PM

The Airbus A320neo touched down at 5:58pm with 128 tourists on board, reported the Special Affairs and Public Relations Division at the Phuket International Airport Administration Department (AoT Phuket).

On hand to welcome the arrivals were AoT staff led by administrative officer Wiwattana Tamjoy, handing out souvenir gifts as the tourists disembarked via Gate 15 at the International Passenger Terminal.

The new service (CKG-HKT) will operate four times a week throughout April, ramping up to daily flights throughout May, reported the Airports of Thailand Co Ltd ground service company AOTGA.

The launch of the new flight service marked Chongqing Airlines becoming the 61st airline currently operating flights to Phuket International Airport, AOTGA also reported.

Chongqing, with an estimated urban population of 16.34 million as of 2020, is the fourth largest city in China by population, after Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen.
Dont judge me on my oratory: Prawit

BANGKOK: Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon on Sunday (Apr 2) announced he would not participate in public debates as he did not think a national leaders calibre should be judged by oratory skills alone.

politics

By Bangkok Post

Monday 3 April 2023, 08:44AM

Gen Prawit Wongsuwon announces the policies and candidates of his Palang Pracharath Party on March 30. Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut / Bangkok Post

In a post titled To debate or not debate on his official Facebook page, Gen Prawit admitted he had declined a number of invitations to discuss election issues publicly, reports the Bangkok Post.

Individuals with public speaking skills can persuade others to believe in things they themselves do not, so speaking skill is the least reliable tool to assess peoples knowledge and ability, posted the PPRP leader who declared his bid for prime minister post.

A debate simply shows which politicians are good at speaking and are quick witted and this may not have anything to do with their true capabilities. On the contrary, those who arent good at speaking may possess the knowledge and be a better fit.

As the election campaign intensifies, I heard that a famous television host invited me during his show to attend a debate. Im overwhelmed and honoured but Ill choose to communicate with the methods I think I can do best.

Im ready to meet everyone to exchange information and opinions but in private interviews. Im ready for you all. Ive exchanged views with some of you and Im looking forward to the others, he wrote.

UNG-ING WINNING

Paetongtarn Ung-Ing Shinawatra is the most favoured candidate for the post of prime minister among voters of Samut Prakan, followed by Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party (MFP), according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on March 22-23 by telephone interviews with 1,100 eligible voters aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes in this lower Central province, where eight House seats are up for grabs in the May 14 election.

Asked which potential candidate they would support for the post of prime minister in this election, the answers were:

35.82% for Ms Paetongtarn of the Pheu Thai Party

21.36% for Mr Pita of the Move Forward Party

13.91% for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha of the United Thai Nation Party

5.27% for Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party

5.18% for Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves of the Seri Ruam Thai Party

4.82% said nobody was suitable for the post

In the 2019 election, Samut Prakan elected seven MPs. The PPRP captured six House seats and Future Forward (now Move Forward) one.

MOVING FORWARD

The MFP has unveiled 94 party-list candidates with party leader Pita Limjaroenrat occupying the first spot.

MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon is second on the party-list followed by Sirikanya Tansakun who heads the partys economic policy team. High profile politician and party spokesman Rangsiman Rome occupies the eighth spot.

Mr Pita said the party has a diverse group of list candidates who represent interests of various professions and are keen into push issues such as creative economy and climate change to bring changes to the country.

In the 2019 general election, the Future Forward Party, the disbanded previous incarnation of the MFP, won 50, or one-third of the 150 available list-MP, the highest number.

CITY VOTERS WONT SPLIT

About 74% of city voters would not split their vote and would give it to one single party in the upcoming general election, according to a Ban Somdet Poll.

The survey, which was conducted on March 29-31, asked 1,157 people in Bangkok how they would vote in the May 14 contest in which two ballots  for party list and constituency candidates  would be used.

The findings showed that more than 80% of respondents were aware of the dual ballot system and 74% said they would vote for constituency candidates and list-candidates from the same party.

The MFP was the most favoured party with 24.5% of respondents backing it while Pheu Thai came second with support of 16.1%. About 13.4% said they were undecided.

In terms of preference for prime minister, 26.75% said they were undecided while 18.2% expressed support for MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Pheu Thais Paetongtarn Shinawatra came second with 12.5% support while Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha trailed behind with 7.9% support.
Kidnappers flee after killing female Chinese student

BANGKOK: Police suspected three Chinese men had fled the country after kidnapping a female Chinese university student and then killing her when they failed to obtain a ransom of B2.5 million from her father in China.

violencecrimemurderChinesepolice

By Bangkok Post

Monday 3 April 2023, 09:49AM

A rescue worker points to the spot where the body was found in Bang Yai district, Nonthaburi, on Saturday afternoon (Apr 1). Screenshot: Thai PBS via Bangkok Post

Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp Poolsawat, deputy Bangkok police chief, said on Sunday (Apr 2) that the body of the Chinese student was found in a ditch in a deserted land plot near Chong Thanom-Wat Tonchueak Road in Bang Yai district of Nonthaburi on Saturday afternoon, reports the Bangkok Post.

The body was in a sack and had about five stab wounds in the left side of her chest, along with a wide stab wound in her right shoulder. The neck was tied with a towel.

According to the deputy Bangkok police commissioner, surveillance camera footage showed three Chinese men abducting the 22-year-old Chinese woman, identified as Jin Can, from Bangkokthonburi University last Tuesday. They brought her in a Mazda car to a rented house in a luxury housing estate in Bang Yai and detained her there.

Detectives learned that the gang then used the WeChat chat application to demand a ransom of 500,000 yuan, about B2.5mn, from her father in China.

The father received the ransom demand together with a picture of his daughter with her wrists and ankles tied. He then asked the university about his daughters whereabouts.

The university told the father that his daughter was last seen at the university between 5pm and 7pm last Tuesday.

They believed it was a prank, so the father did not transfer the ransom to a specified bank account at the Bank of China. Later. The father became concerned when he was unable to contact his daughter.

Surveillance camera footage showed the three Chinese men arriving in the red Mazda car at 1.30am last Wednesday near the location where the body was found.

The Chinese men left the rented house at 3pm on Wednesday. The vehicle was returned to the rental company on Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok on Thursday, the day the three men left for Chengdu.
Police target rental companies taking public parking spaces

PHUKET: Pol Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Police, has ordered officers to take action against any motorbike rental shops that occupy public parking spaces solely for presenting their rental bikes to customers.

transportpolice

By The Phuket News

Monday 3 April 2023, 12:42PM

In an order issued on Saturday (Apr 1), Maj Gen Sermphan instructed Phuket City Police Chief Col Pratuang Pholmana to spearhead efforts to make parking spaces available again to the public, with special attention to be given to motorbike rental operators on Montri Rd, in Phuket Town.

Maj Gen Sermphan explained that police had received many complaints of rental operators occupying public parking spaces on the streets, leaving other people, including local residents, nowhere to park.

Initial efforts are to explain to motorbike and car rental operators that public parking spaces are for public use.

Officers are also to remind the operators that any person renting a vehicle, both Thais and foreigners, must have the correct licence, the order added.

Meanwhile, rental operators were informed that placing any objects, such as signs, chairs or any other object, to reserve parking spaces for their own use was illegal under the Act on the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Orderliness of the Country B.E. 2535 (1992). (See here.)

The Phuket Info Center, operated under the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, this morning posted a notice by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) warning that under Section 19 of the Act, offenders who place any objects that obstruct traffic without permission from the relevant official may be fined up to B10,000.

In line with how the Act is enforced in Bangkok and Pattaya, people who provide photo or video evidence when reporting other people reserving public parking spaces for their own use stand to receive 50% of the fine imposed, the CIB warning explained.

Further fines that may be imposed on people who reserve public parking spaces for their own use included a fine of up to B500 under the Traffic Act and a fine of up to B5,000 under the Criminal Code, the CIB warning noted.
Registration of Phuket candidates begins

PHUKET: As with elsewhere throughout the country today, candidates in Phuket this morning (Apr 3) began registering with the Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT Phuket) their intent to run for election in the national polls to be held on May 14.

politics

By The Phuket News

Monday 3 April 2023, 10:59AM

ECT Phuket officers prepare the meeting room at Phuket Auditorium for the registration of candidates, which begins today (Apr 3). Photo: PR Phuket

ECT Phuket officers prepare the meeting room at Phuket Auditorium for the registration of candidates, which begins today (Apr 3). Photo: PR Phuket

ECT Phuket officers prepare the meeting room at Phuket Auditorium for the registration of candidates, which begins today (Apr 3). Photo: PR Phuket

ECT Phuket officers prepare the meeting room at Phuket Auditorium for the registration of candidates, which begins today (Apr 3). Photo: PR Phuket

ECT Phuket officers prepare the meeting room at Phuket Auditorium for the registration of candidates, which begins today (Apr 3). Photo: PR Phuket

ECT Phuket Director Orapin Acheevasuk yesterday confirmed that election officers were ready with the required equipment and documents for the registration, which is now underway at the conference hall of the Phuket Auditorium, located at the Phuket Provincial Administration Center on Tha Kraeng Rd, in Phuket Town.

Candidates can register their intent to represent any of Phukets three election constituencies, Ms Orapin said yesterday.

However, ECT Phuket has now been required twice to seek public feedback on which of three maps will be used to define the three constituencies in Phuket.

So far ECT Phuket has yet to announce exactly which map will be used in the election for members of the House of Representatives.

Candidates have until Friday (Apr 7) to register, Ms Orapin said.

We are ready in every aspect, both the location and the personnel that will perform the registration process, Ms Orapin said.

However, I would like to suggest that candidates be prepared in terms of documents and evidence supporting their application for election under Sections 45 and 46 [of the Election Act], Ms Orapin said.

Please make sure that the documents and evidence is complete in all aspects. If it is not complete, the Election Commission of Thailand will have to return it to the candidate so they can prepare them again, and apply again, she said.

And if any applicant already knows that they are not fully qualified or are prohibited from registering as candidates, there will be penalties under Section 151 [of the Act], and after candidates have been registered, they must be careful no to commit an offense under Section 73(3) of the Election Act, she added.
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In-Room VDO
A four-party meeting on settling relations between Ankara and Damascus (Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkiye) will be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Moscow on Monday, Trend reports citing TASS.

It is expected that the consultations on the matter held in the Russian capital will be of a technical nature and will allow to begin planning for talks between the top diplomats of the four countries.

The meeting between the senior diplomats had been previously scheduled for March but was postponed. As Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told TASS, the decision to postpone the meeting was made because some partners were not quite ready for it. According to a source, all participating delegations have already arrived in Moscow in order to hold the necessary "consultations to prepare for a meeting of foreign ministers.".
Michal Kaliszan, with mother Jolanta, has been contemplating medical assistance in dying rather than live in a LTC home as his home care options are dwindling.



For Michal Kaliszan, it was two minutes to midnight.

Since the death of his mother, Jolanta, in October 2022, the 39-year-old Cambridge resident  diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) shortly after birth  woke up in the morning and went to bed at night thinking about how he was going to survive. He had come to the conclusion that he may not want to.

With his immediate family gone and his care options limited, Kaliszan said he has been told by Home and Community Care Support Services (HHCCSS) he should accept the option of moving into a long-term care facility. Instead, he had his first appointment for medical assistance in dying (MAID).

Now that I am alone, I am afraid, Kaliszan said during an online speaking engagement with the Disability Justice Network of Ontario in mid-March.

As my choices dwindle down  I am truly terrified that I may choose to end my life. Physically and mentally, I am exhausted and on the brink of giving up.

But now, Kaliszan said he has been strengthened by a significant outpouring of support for his situation by people across the province, who advocated to the provincial government and to key health care agency officials on his behalf.

As a result, I have arrived at an interim and temporary solution with the Ministry of Health and other support organizations to provide enough help so that I can remain in my home and community, and so that I can continue with my career, he said.

Until this breakthrough by the key players, Kaliszan said his situation was dire.

SMA  a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness and deterioration  forced Kaliszan to rely on his parents, Adam and Jolanta, to help him with most daily activities.

Though he is able to get around in his electric wheelchair, breathe on his own, have control of his bodily functions, and have enough manoeuvrability in his hands and wrists to operate a computer keyboard and mouse, Kaliszans physical limitations make it impossible for him to stay alone safely for more than very brief periods of time.

But alone time was starting to creep up on him.

After his father, Adam, died of colon cancer in 2004, his mother became his primary caregiver. Despite beating breast cancer in 2007, Jolantas cancer returned in 2020 to her lungs and metastasized to her brain, pancreas, liver, and soft tissue. In the months before her death, she implored doctors to let her go home to take care of her son.

During that time, with his mother in and out of hospital, he was able to secure direct funding for 41 hours of care a week, much less than the basic 24/7 care he needs.

Kaliszans uncle came from Poland after Jolantas death to care for his nephew but had to return home at the end of March. To add to his worry, Kaliszan said his most experienced attendant is moving outside the province.

The expectation is ones life is fully regimented, and care can be delivered in small chunks of time, whether that means just being able to get out of bed or getting into bed, Kaliszan said.

Whereas the complex care needs that I find as a person with a significant disability require consistent and responsive care.

Besides working 40 hours a week as a software engineer, Kaliszan said he was spending 15 to 20 hours a week with survival planning, where he managed and recruited health care attendants, lobbied for funding and delved into advocacy work to make the provincial government aware of his plight and that of others in the same boat.

It is a system where the expectation is that rather than asking for more care hours a person should instead install a catheter, use laxatives, and sit in a diaper, he said.

Prior to his mothers death, HCCSS told him it was time to accept change and move into a LTC home, Kaliszan said.

The change they were asking me to accept amounted to a complete loss of identity, employment, and community. The change they were asking to accept would have been a grave dishonour to the sacrifices my parents made to build me a good life in Canada.

He added it would be ridiculous to move into a LTC home when he would likely get only two hours of hands-on care a day, compared to the six he receives at home through direct funding.

Kaliszan started a GoFundMe campaign to try and raise $300,000 for a year of care, which was when he last spoke to the Times. He figured the year would bide his time and soothe his mothers fears until hopefully the government stepped up for additional help. So far, hes raised more than $69,000. He said he found the act of publicly begging for money degrading.

When Kaliszan questioned his existence is when the community joined the fray to help support his advocacy for change.

Kitcheners Lorna Aberdein was informed about Kaliszans story through an email from the Individualized Funding Coalition, asking connected families to advocate for the government. She emailed Sylvia Jones, Ontario minister of health, lobbying for urgent additional attendant care.

Aberdein said she wrote to Jones because as a parent of an adult with a developmental disability and an advocate for improved conditions and supports for people with disabilities, I deeply care about what is happening to our most vulnerable citizens and strongly believe that we need to speak up and tell our leaders that this is not OK. I wish there was more I could do.

Aberdein said she has not received a response from government officials, however, a friend, Lynne Quigley, did get a reply to her email from Kitchener South-Hespeler MPP Jess Dixons office.

Their answer was to contact HCCSS.

Kaliszan said while hes found a short-term solution, a stable commitment from the government and health providers still needs to be confirmed.

All relevant parties seem committed to work towards a permanent solution over the next few months. As of today, however, there is much work to do to actually implement the temporary support offered and to develop what I would hope is a better longer term support system, Kaliszan said.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to all Ontarians and especially those individuals and families who identify with what I have experienced.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: The Times checked in with Michal Kaliszan after Lorna Aberdein informed the Times he was exploring medical assistance in dying instead of living in a LTC home. Prior to deadline, Kaliszan informed the Times something had been worked out.

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WATERLOO  A youth is facing several charges after a loaded gun and drugs were found in a bag left on a Grand River Transit bus.

The bag was found shortly before midnight on Wednesday on a bus near Conestoga Mall.

On Friday, Waterloo Regional Police made an arrest in the case. During the investigation, police seized several types of controlled substances, including suspected cocaine, currency, ammunition and a loaded firearm.

A youth from Cambridge is facing 17 charges, including: six counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, careless use of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, carrying a concealed weapon, unauthorized possession of a firearm, knowledge of unauthorized possession of a firearm, occupant of a motor vehicle knowing there was a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, possession of counterfeit money, fail to comply with a sentence order and possession of a weapon contrary to an order.

The youth was held in custody for a bail hearing.

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KITCHENER  A 32-year-old has been rushed to an out-of-region hospital with life-threatening injuries after he was found at the former Charles Street transit terminal.

Waterloo Regional Police were called to the former transit hub in downtown Kitchener at around 2 a.m. on Monday about a man in distress.

Police said the man was found with injuries consistent with being assaulted.

The services major crime unit is now investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777, ext. 8191, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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WATERLOO  The University of Waterloo has issued guidelines to grad students, researchers and faculty on how to deal with contact from Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agents.

In a memo sent earlier this year, the university warned researchers they may be approached by CSIS agents investigating activities suspected of constituting threats to the security of Canada.

As Canadas primary intelligence agency, CSIS is responsible for investigating all threats to Canadas national security, and reporting them to the federal government.

Waterloo was at the top of a list of 50 universities in Canada that had collaborated on research with Chinese military scientists, according to an investigation by the Globe and Mail last month.

Ottawa recently announced a halt on all research funding with Chinese military institutions and other political actors the government considers a security threat.

The university did not respond to questions about whether CSIS agents have actually interviewed UW researchers, but said the memo is one piece of a larger research security strategy and tool kit it is developing.

This work has been ongoing for years, said university spokesperson Rebecca Elming.

As a standard part of their work, security agencies will sometimes reach out to faculty engaged in sensitive areas of research to communicate possible concerns and understand where research areas may be vulnerable to foreign interference, Elming said.

This memo was created to help researchers and the Waterloo community understand their rights and to give guidance to how these interactions with security services can be carried out in order to facilitate a transparent process of engagement.

The university said in February it was willing to address any potential security risks in some of its research relationships, and has already been taking steps to safeguard its research.

It is developing a Safeguarding Research work plan for researchers, and recently hosted a conference on research security, with speakers with foreign security expertise, leaders of various funding agencies, and senior government officials working on national security, public safety and national defence.

However, the memo suggests Canadas intelligence agency may still have outstanding questions about some of the schools ongoing research projects.

You do not have a legal obligation to talk to a CSIS agent, the memo says. Furthermore, you do not need to meet them at the time and place with which they contact you.

If an agent appears at your home, the memo says, you can ask them to reschedule at a different time or a different place.

If and when you speak with the CSIS agent, you should inquire as to why they wish to speak with you. These agents may be concerned that you could be a target of a foreign state or entity, or they may have questions about some aspect of your activities.

The memo also reminds those who may be interviewed by CSIS: as always, remain truthful in your statements.

CSIS did not respond to questions about why it would be interested in speaking with anyone from Waterloo.

While the memo notes that all members of the Waterloo community could be contacted by CSIS agents, it is mostly aimed at researchers working directly on sensitive research, said Stephanie Ye-Mowe, president of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association.

The undergrad association has been looped in on conversations, she said, but undergraduate students did not receive the memo.

Were still working on understanding what implications new guidelines might have on students, but thus far we are happy with the level of communication that has come from the university, she said.

Its our impression that they have been proactive in interpreting what impact conversations happening at the national level will have on researchers and are taking necessary steps to comply and ensure the UW community is kept in the loop.

Wilfrid Laurier University did not issue a statement regarding CSIS agents, and a school spokesperson said it is not having internal conversations on the matter.

The University of Waterloos step-by-step instructions on how to deal with CSIS agents:

1. Try to remain calm and polite, and, as always, remain truthful in your statements.

2. Ask for a business or contact card for each agent that you are speaking with. Consider taking notes of the conversation.

3. You do not need to speak with the agent immediately, or at the place where they have approached you. You can decline to speak with the agent or ask to meet at a different place and time.

4. It is important to ask why the CSIS agent has approached you: a. Do you have a high-priority research area and are they concerned that you might be a target? b. Are they concerned about some aspect of your activities?

5. As a reminder, all equipment purchased with research grant funding or operating funding is the property of the University of Waterloo. You must not consent to a search of University of Waterloo property without authorization from the University of Waterloo. A search could include, but is not limited to, electronic searches and physical searches. Please contact Justin Nankivell (the universitys director of research security) for information on how to handle such requests.

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The Sangh and SwarajRole of RSS in freedom struggle

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Dr Sagolsem Kulachandra Singh (Kendra Pramukh, Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Manipur)

Contd from previous issue

To quote Ranga Hari,The period of `1946 to 1947 August to September was violent tragedy for India.Mohammad Ali Jinah, by now uncontested leader of Muslim League, had got a resolution passed on the 23rd March 1940 in Lahore session with the demand Cut Hindustan into pieces and hand us over our Pakistan. On this other side were great Congress leaders of the timeGandhiNehru Patel. Jinnah was accepted as the official spokesperson of this community. On this side, Hindu community accepted Gandhi  Nehru  Patel triumvirate as it leaders, ignoring Hindu Maha- sabha and its leader Savarkar. There were leaders had earned the confidence of nearly the entire Hindu society. The third actor Lord Mounbatten exploited this politics by playing the two against each other ,enjoying his power, As subsequent events would show, he was acting with clear intent of creating a permanent headache for India by subtly siding with Pakistan on issue of Kashmir,

In 1946 , Congess had passed a resolution that it stood for United (Akhand) Bharat, Iron man Sardar Patel had roared that sword will be met with sword. Jawaharlal Nehrus pet song was Pakistan is a fantastic nonsense.

Mahatma Gandhi had written in Harijan on 6-4 -.1947 and 13.4.1947,  Two nation theory is a baseless falsehood. My conscience abhors this very idea. Division of Bharat is a scenario that is worse than anarchy. It is unbearable chopping off limbs. Cut me down before you divide Bharat. These words had a huge impact on people . But, Muslim League waved is green flag for Direct action on 16th August 1946 and Muslims butchered thousands of Hindus mercilessly, with indescribable cruelty. Congress was shaken to the core due to this act, Congress showed bankruptcy of the Ksha-triya spirit of putting up a fight and not running away from battle ground. (Guruji Golwalkar, Hindi edition, Year 2010)

RSS Swyamsevak on the Front to Save Jammu & Kashmir  Jyoti Jala Nij Pran Ki is a well documented book with eye witness accounts of resistance of swyamsevaks and other Hindus and atrocities of Pakistani forces in the guise of Kabailis (Tribals) on women.It gives town and villagers eyewitness accounts from Srinagar to Mirpur, Alibag, Kotli, Rajouri, Poonch, Skardu, Dev Batla, Udhampur, Akhnoor and Jammu. Swyamsevaks worked hard with other villagers to prepare airstrip in Punch to helped air force and army there. They fought shoulder to shoulder with army and help it in familiarising with local geography by accompanying it in the above places.

When Pakistanis attack in Jammu & Kashmir began RSS workers fought valiantly, organised villages and towns for resistance .When Indian Army landed in Srinagar and a group was to advance to Poonch, enemy burnt down the wooden bridge. Sixty swayamsevaks went there to create a diversion within 3 hours (Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Jammmu Kashmirki Ankahan Kahani, Hindi P.35s). Stories about in this article is too small to give all the details but suffice to say if one were to take into account , various episodes of bravery, number of Swayamsevaks who sacrificed their, lives, the number would go to hundreds. For example Rama Krishna Dutta was eye witness to the happening in Mirpur.

Pandit Premnath Dogra Sanghachalak of Jammu- Kashmir Vibhag of RSS in 1941.

He played a key role of resistance against Pakistan agreesion. He headed Purusharthi Sahayata Samiti in 1947-48 that was organised by RSS to provide relief to displaced Hindus and Sikhs escaping from Pakistan via Jammu, Lakhanpur and West Punjab. Pandit Dogra parishad that struggled hard for complete accession of J&K with India and fought against two flags, two Constitutions under Article 370. This agitation was hugely successful in Jammu and held full RSS Support. (Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Jammu & Kashmir ki Ankahani Kahani,Hindi,P35) On Octobr 5th 1947, Pattan


Digitalization : A sui generis catalyst of Indian economy

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Dr Saurabh Garg, CEO, UIDAI

Indispensability of digitalization as a foundational rail to almost every activity in an economy is well acknowledged. Growing internet penetration, affordable data, technological innovations, and above all, the Governments thrust on building digital infrastructure is ensuring faster delivery, better targeting, and improved accountability.

The Digital Impact

During the period 2014-2019, Indias core digital economy increased from 5.4% to 8.5% of GVA. The digital economy grew 2.4 times faster than the overall economy during the same period. The digitally dependent economy accounted for around 22% of the total economy in 2019, as per an RBI bulletin recently published.

The Governments emphasis has been on developing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) which,

 ensures public availability of digital components for more participative service delivery systems,

 triggers market-led innovations,

 facilitate more affordable & faster on-boarding of services, and

 ensures development of more transparent systems and thus increased user trust.

The cascading effect of Digital India geared towards improving accessibility, affordability, connectivity, and inclusivity is now visible across India. Aadhaar, a key component of digital infrastructure, through its inherent virtue of uniqueness has become an important tool of digital governance in the country. Nearly 1700 welfare and good-governance schemes of the Central and State Governments using Aadhaar is a testimony to that. Use of Aadhaar has ensured benefits reaching the intended beneficiaries without leakages. For example in PDS, significant reduction in diversion of grains owing to computerized supply chain management, removal of nearly 47 mn fake/duplicate ration cards after Aadhaar seeding of 750 mn PDS beneficiary data and automation of fair price shops resulted into savings worth USD 12 bn. Similarly, in cooking gas subsidy scheme (PAHAL), savings worth USD 8.5 bn and under farmer support scheme, a reduction of 12 mn metric tons of fertilizer sale to retailers resulting into a saving of USD 1.2 bn have been recorded.

Increasing Digital Penetration

The country currently having more than 1.17 bn mobile telecom subscribers, over 600 mn smart-phone users and 840 mn internet connections, a 200 percent increase in rural internet subscriptions between 2015 and 2021 as against 158% increase in urban areas, covering all villages with at least 4G mobile services is set to further reduce the rural-urban digital divide. Efforts are also underway to make the low-cost feature mobile phones even more powerful capability-wise; thus, making the digital economy more inclusive.

The recently launched Digital India BHASHINI project seeks to enable easy access to the internet and digital services in regional languages, including voice-based access, is poised to take care of the diversity of languages with aim to provide for solutions in a medium that people can intuitively relate to.

Digital Inclusion driving Formalization

Digitalization accelerates economic growth through higher financial inclusion, greater formalization, increased efficiencies and enhanced opportunities. Some of the successful digital public infrastructure supporting this endeavour include Aadhaar, UPI, Co-Win, DigiLocker, Diksha etc. In terms of the scale achieved, more than 94.5% of countrys population now have Aadhaar; and more than 2.2 bn Aadhaar authentications is happening per month. Similarly 5.5 bn UPI-based payment transactions with a 75-fold increase in last 5 years are made every month; 1.1 bn CoWin registrations; 140 mn users with a DigiLocker account and 5.6 bn official digital documents available in the DigiLocker repository; registration of 286.5 mn unorganized workers on e-shram portal, 4.4 mn street vendors on PM-SVANidhi and 12.7 mn enterprises on Udyam portal; increase in GST payers base from 7 mn to 14 mn during 2017 to 2022 etc. are indicative of how things are shaping up.

Open and Participative Digital Innovations

In India, the supportive environment for innovation by both, Government and private players is driving innovations in the digital space. In the domain of new-age technologies such as AI/ML, India is a top contributor to open-source AI projects. For instance, AI publications from India are growing at 18%, faster than the US, China, EU and the UK. A higher percentage of IT workers in India possess AI skills than any other G20 country.

The Government, on its part, is also actively collaborating with industry for designing and testing newer applications/use-cases through a stream of their own captive sandboxes and test-beds. The role of iSpirt for IndiaStack open public platforms, NPCI for fast digital payments, ONDC for open digital commerce, the user entities in the UIDAI ecosystem are some of the examples of the PPP model is speeding up digitalization.

India has realized the imperative of using, to the extent possible, standards, technologies and tools that are essentially open-source thus avoiding vendor lock-in and high costs associated with use of proprietary technologies.

At the same time, this strategy is also encouraging interoperability among and scalability of, various solutions built on top of open tools, while enabling affordability.
Vishwa Kalyan Varta

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IMPHAL, Apr 3 : To commemorate the 2550th year of Lord Mahavir's attainment of Nirvana, an event titled Vishwa Kalyan Varta will be organized at the Raj Bhavan in Imphal on April 5.

According to a statement issued by the Jan Arogyam Foundation, Governor Anusuiya Uikey will preside over the event while Chief Minister N Biren Singh will be the guest of honour and Krishna N Pimple, Consulate of Tanzania will grace the event as the special invitee.

The statement added that this event is the brainchild of Devendra Brahmachari, founder of Jan Arogyam Foundation, who has been engaged in religious, social, environmental, yoga education, and Nation-building activities for the past two decades.


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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his doors are now closed for US Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake following the diplomats meeting with Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the presidential candidate from the main opposition Republican People's Party, Trend reports citing TASS.

"What is Bidens envoy doing? He goes and meets with Mr. Kemal. Shame on you, use your brain. You are an ambassador. Your interlocutor here is the president. How will you ask for a meeting with the president after this?" the Star newspaper quoted him as saying on Sunday. "Our doors are closed for him <...>. Why? Let him know his limits," the Turkish leader concluded.
I have been a chronic artistic-maker for as long as I can remember, Robert Clark Yates confesses.

The longtime Hamilton resident has been making art and exhibiting for more than 50 years. Painting has been his main mode of visual expression, but he has tackled woodcuts, etchings and sculpture as well. He also writes fiction and poetry.

I am a full-time artist because some artistic project is on my mind almost all the time, even when Im on holidays, Yates tells me. For me, making art has had very little to do with making money, which means over the years I have necessarily worked as a commercial graphic artist, a scenic artist for professional theatre and, best of all, as a farm-hand harvesting cabbage and potatoes.

A dozen of his most recent paintings are on show in Distant Landscapes and Other Observations, an exhibition at You Me Gallery. The landscapes are distant in more ways than one. First, most of them are inspired by places far from where Yates lives, and second, they are far removed stylistically from being conventional lifelike views.

While a couple of landscapes are based on visits to Algonquin Park, the majority of the paintings were inspired by trips to Italy and Lithuania, his wife Donnas ancestral home. The trips were made before the pandemic, and the paintings were executed during it, Yates says. So it could be said these works are also distant in time from the experiences that engendered them.

The pieces in this show, he says, are based on after-the-fact memories of certain aspects of these travels. On site, he takes the time to see, feel, and make the occasional sketch. When he later paints, he lets memory, imagination and improvisation take over.

Yatess style is only just representational. His paintings are inhabited by emphatic sculptural shapes and fragmented, reconstructed figures that sometimes verge on the surreal.

The landscapes are at once dynamic and orderly. The dynamism comes from curving, swelling, rolling forms that suggest movement. The orderliness is manifested in a fondness for compartments and colour links.

In Lithuania, Yates encountered natural settings he describes as spiritually charged. He was especially drawn to the forests, sandy beaches and dunes around the resort town of Juodkrante (Black Shore).

He recreates this area in Juodkrante. The composition comprises three stacked horizontals, each one quite distinctive. On the bottom, an elk stands in a dense green forest painted in tiny vibrant strokes. Above that, a billowing sand-coloured band resembles a piece of fabric with a woven border of blue crosses. The blue of the fabrics pattern links us back to the dabs of blue in the lower level. And at the very top, juxtaposed ochre, gold and blue hues evoke an ever-changing landscape of sand, sea and sky.

Yatess Hill of Witches, named after a site near Juodkrante, captures the essence of a place where nature and art coexist. A nearby forest boasts a large outdoor collection of wooden sculptures made by local artists. The sculptures feature characters from Lithuanian mythology such as witches, devils, skulls and bird monsters, all of which Yates crowds into the lower register of his painting. Most of them are faces with wide open mouths, almost obscured by the richest of red, orange, blue and green flame-like patterns. And yet all this noise and colour are contained within one part of the painting.

Sculpture and setting also left their mark on Yates when he visited Rome. In the Forum, a place in the centre of the city where ancient Romans used to gather, Yates encountered architectural ruins and fragments of marble sculptures. This set the scene for Procession. Here, Yates lays out an orderly collection of objects as though in a museum display case. They evoke human and animal bones and bodies, blown apart and reinvented.

Attending offers a more ambiguous, almost surreal scene. Interconnected pale forms assembled in the foreground leap out against a rich red background.

I think the biggest artistic problem for me  and probably most artists  is deciding what to do, says Yates. Its important for me to come up with something meaningful to offer my fellow earthlings, or at least something that hints at being meaningful to someone other than myself.

RH Regina Haggo , art historian, public speaker, curator, YouTube video maker and former professor at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Robert Clark Yates

What: Distant Landscapes and Other Observations

Where: You Me Gallery, 330 James St. N.

When: until April 23

The exhibition can be viewed through the window 24/7 or by appointment.

Contact: bkanbara@gmail.com

Phone: 905-523-7754

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Most Hamilton high school, college and university students who are looking for a summer job should be able to find one.

I think we are encroaching on a season that will be very lucrative for students coming into the work environment, said Andrea Peters, employment services manager at the Goodwill Career and Donation Centre on Upper Gage Avenue. Theres a lot of need and demand out there.

Peters noted the jobs include positions paying minimum wage and more in retail, landscaping and the food and manufacturing sectors.

Some employers, like the City of Hamilton, have a variety of outdoor and recreational jobs available for students.

The career centre is also referring students to the Canada Summer Jobs program, which provides wage subsidies to private-sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, not-for-profit organizations and public-sector organizations to help pay for summer jobs for young people between the ages of 15 and 30.

Jacquie Parry, contract administrator at the career centre, advises first-time student job seekers to begin their search for summer employment by checking out job sites online.

You need to have a reasonably good resume (and) a cover letter, Parry said. Maybe if you havent got that, you should be looking to come in to us to get assistance with that.

Even in todays setting where nearly everything is online, Parry said resumes and cover letters are still very important.

Quite often, employers, if you havent got a resume and you just reach out and youve done an application, they may look at it, but they are more likely to look at somebody whose got a goof resume and a cover letter, Parry said.

She said job seekers should check with employers to see if they prefer resumes that are delivered to their location or sent via email, and its always preferable if the applicant can get a face-to-face meeting with the employer.

Employers are desperate for staff, said Parry.

Along with a cover letter aimed at a specific job, Parry said its also good for student job seekers, especially those looking for their first job, to include a marketing letter.

A marketing letter, Parry said, should focus on the students background, any volunteer work they have done along with any hobbies or interests that might prove useful to a business  what you can give the employer, Parry added.

She noted job seekers should be able to understand and take direction and have basic computer skills like the ability to search, send emails and upload documents.

Among those looking for a summer job is Selena Godla, a 19-year-old Stoney Creek resident who is in her second year of social work studies at Mohawk College.

Godla said the career centre is helping her find employment in her field of study.

Theyve given me a bunch of experience and given me insights on job searching as a whole, Godla said. Its all about research and just finding the place for you.

The Goodwill Career and Donation Centre is located at 1050 Upper Gage Ave. and is open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walk-ins.

Job seekers can also contact the centre via goodwillonline.ca.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News looks at the summer job scene in Hamilton with help from some experts.

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Cancellation of a plan to renovate parts of the Stoney Creek Municipal Centre to house a 911 call centre is allowing the city to provide a new temporary home there for the Stoney Creek Community Food Bank.

A March 27 staff update to city councillors on the sudden closure of the Saltfleet Community Centre  the food banks current home  states space for the 911 service is no longer needed because of upgraded technology assets.

The 777 Hwy. 8 municipal centre, which served as the former city of Stoney Creeks city hall, is about 1.4 kilometres east of the community centre and also accessible by bus.

The timing couldnt have been better, Coun. Jeff Beattie said of the 911 projects cancellation. If we didnt have access to space within the municipal centre, old city hall, we would have really been scrambling.

The city closed the community centre as a precaution on March 21 after a consultant noticed abnormal cracking in the 605 Hwy. 8 buildings foundation earlier in the month.

How long it will stay closed will be determined by a structural engineers report on estimated repair costs for the former Alliance Church building, built in 1985 and purchased by the city in 2010.

The Saltfleet centre is home to several other community groups and services, including Seniors Outreach Services, Homefront Cancer Service, the Stoney Creek Historical Society and the 713 Thunderbolt Squadron air cadets.

Beattie said the city hopes to find space for other groups shortly, but the food bank was a priority and the municipal centre had about 3,400 square feet of vacant space earmarked for the 911 call centre.

Finding a location on a transit route was an absolute must because many food bank clients take the bus, he said.

I would say its an upgrade for the food bank because theyre coming out of essentially a basement at the Saltfleet Community Centre and now theyre on ground level. Theres lots of natural light, windows, Beattie said.

Its also air-conditioned, which Saltfleet wasnt, which is always going to be beneficial for a food bank.

Food bank president Katherine Isaac said shes optimistic the move will be completed by Easter  a goal shared by Beattie  but until doors reopen clients are being redirected to other area food banks.

She said a new report shows the food bank saw a 50 per cent jump in clients between January 2022 and January 2023, and donations are still being collected and stored at Hamilton Food Shares Barton Street headquarters in the meantime.

Renovations to the municipal centre space include removal of carpeting and electrical upgrades for the food banks commercial fridges and freezers, Isaac said, calling the citys efforts amazing.

They really have been on top of things, she said, citing a 6:30 p.m. call from a city official to go over the moves details, well past normal working hours.

Its on a bus route and that was a huge deal for us. The other thing is we have to believe that it is only temporary housing, but theyre really trying to make it fit for us.

RELATED STORIES Stoney Creek Community Food Bank eyes emergency home

The March 27 update to councillors from Robyn Ellis, the public works departments acting director of corporate facilities, states that it will take at least two months to determine the root cause of the Saltfleet buildings structural concerns.

While a consultants report initially flagged problems in the east wing, a structural engineer identified that there are structural, safety and building code concerns throughout the facility, but that these areas had not yet been studied in detail, she stated.

Ellis stated that the city will be able to find room for all displaced user groups at either the municipal centre, Saltfleet Arena, Winona Community Centre or other city buildings.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to follow up on the March 21 closure of the Saltfleet Community Centre.

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The hunter became the hunted.

Police in Norfolk County say a hunter had their car stolen while they were in search of game in the bush early Saturday morning off Jenkins Road, near the border of Brant County.

The stolen vehicle  a white 2018 Chevrolet Traverse  was parked along the side of the rural roadway from about 4 a.m. onward.

The hunter discovered the theft just before 9 a.m. and called police.

It is not known whether the theft was targeted.

The investigation continues, and the OPP welcome tips at 1-888-310-1122 or through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or helpsolvecrime.com.

J.P. Antonacci s reporting on Haldimand and Norfolk is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com

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Rentable e-scooters will finally roll onto lower-city streets  but not sidewalks  on Monday as part of a commercial pilot of the technology in Hamilton.

Council approved a plan in 2021 to allow private rentals of electric-powered scooters  the kick-style, standup version  but not without debate.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, for example, have labeled e-scooters a silent menace and lobbied during the last municipal election to keep them off city streets across the province.

Fans of the technology, however, call the devices a climate-friendly transportation alternative that can coax people out of their cars.

The City of Toronto has so far banned e-scooters, but Hamilton council voted to allow a one-year rental pilot so long as the operator addressed safety concerns raised by seniors and residents with disabilities.

Bird Canada won the bid to operate the first pilot in Hamilton and will show off some of the first 150 e-scooters scheduled to hit the road at an event Monday at city hall.

If all goes well, up to 350 scooters will later become available.

More program details will become available Monday, but heres what we know so far:

Where can you ride?

The rental scooters are limited for now to the same lower-city footprint as the Hamilton Bike Share program, which stretches from Dundas to Ottawa Street. In the future, the boundaries of the program could expand.

Within the existing boundaries, you can drive on any street with a speed limit of 50 km/h or lower, in any bike lane and on designated trails.

But the scooters are not allowed on sidewalks or on many park paths  and geofence technology will actually bring the device to a stop if you break the rules.

Also good to know: Your battery-powered ride can run out of juice. If it does, your ride is over.

What does it cost?

Bird can set different rates in different cities, but typically in Canadian cities the pay-as-you-go cost has been $1.15 to unlock and around 40 cents per minute thereafter, using the Bird Canada smartphone app.

In Hamilton, there will also be daily, weekly and monthly passes announced  and special discounts for low-income residents or neighbourhoods, veterans, seniors and teachers. Expect more details to be announced Monday.

Where do you park?

Thats an important question that has scuttled e-scooter experiments in other cities.

You are supposed to lock e-scooters to stationary objects  think bike racks or poles  when you are done with them, without blocking any sidewalks or roadways. Scooters carelessly discarded on sidewalks have proved an infamous trip hazard in some cities, leading to some municipal bans.

You can report a discarded or dangerously parked e-scooter via the Bird app, or by phone (1-800-205-2442) or email (hello@bird.co). The company has committed to responding to such complaints within 30 minutes.

How fast can you go?

Provincial legislation says the e-scooters must be limited to a maximum 24 km/h, but speed-limiting technology used for the Hamilton pilot wont allow you to roll faster than 20 km/h. In some high-pedestrian areas, youll be forced to slow to 10 km/h.

What are the safety concerns?

Collisions, trip-and-fall hazards and head injuries have all been raised as risks. (Adults are advised to wear helmets; if you are under 18, you must wear one.)

Personal e-scooters can be both fast and relatively silent, which is why some seniors, residents with vision and hearing loss or mobility challenges have raised concerns about the technology.

Bird Canada is proposing to address some those concerns via technology to limit speeds, kill the engine if a person strays into banned territory and create acoustic warnings to alert pedestrians.

FYI: Provincial law specifies you cannot drink-and-ride or otherwise be under the influence of drugs while riding an e-scooter. You can be charged criminally.

What other rules do I need to know?

You cannot ride if you are under the age of 16.

You have to stand while riding.

You cant take passengers along for the ride.

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TORONTO - The head of Rogers Communications Inc. pledged to lower costs for customers and brushed aside competition concerns after the company closed its $26-billion purchase of Shaw Communications Inc. on Monday.

What we want to make sure we get right is all the things for our customers, and in particular, affordability, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said in an interview.

One of the key pluses of this is that competition is going up, especially in the west, and prices are going to come down.

The deal, which was first announced in March 2021, cleared its final regulatory hurdle last week after Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne agreed to the transfer of Shaw-owned Freedom Mobiles wireless licences to Quebecor Inc.s Videotron.

But though he signed off on the deal, Champagne issued a stern warning to the companies involved as he announced 21 enforceable conditions that Rogers and Videotron must adhere to, aimed at bolstering competition and reducing costs for customers.

Staffieri noted that the conditions formalized many of the commitments Rogers had made in the two years leading up to Ottawas approval, including the establishment of a second headquarters in Calgary and adding 3,000 new jobs based in Western Canada.

Rogers must also spend $5.5 billion to expand 5G coverage and additional network services, as well as a further $1 billion to connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

In addition to the creation of digital and technology positions focused on building networks, Staffieri said Rogers also plans to add more customer-facing jobs. He said those should be expected rather quickly, though when pressed on a timeline he pointed to the five-year timeline set out in the agreement.

The CEO said he planned to fly to Western Canada on Tuesday morning, where he will make stops in Vancouver and Calgary, to get the ball rolling.

We fully expect Canadians to hold us accountable to do all the things we said we were going to do and were very proud to do it, Staffieri said.

In an attempt to ease competition concerns raised by the original proposal, Rogers and Shaw agreed in June 2022 to sell Shaws Freedom Mobile business to Videotron for $2.85 billion. Freedoms sale was also finalized on Monday.

As part of Videotrons conditions, the company must offer plans that are at least 20 per cent lower than its competitors and spend $150 million over the next two years to upgrade Freedom Mobiles network.

If Rogers breaches its conditions, it must pay up to $1 billion in damages. Videotron would potentially be subject to $200 million in penalties if it fails to meet its commitments.

We are very pleased to be closing the acquisition of Freedom Mobile today, bringing its Canadian footprint as well as the expertise and experience of its employees into our fold, said Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau in a news release.

The alliance of Freedom and Videotron will permanently transform Canadas wireless market for the benefit of consumers and create a new competitive environment that delivers innovative products and services at better prices.

Champagne also announced his department would not allow any further transfers of wireless spectrum until it completes a review of Canadas spectrum transfer framework.

Staffieri disputed some critics characterization that the takeover would harm competition in Canadas telecommunications sector. He said Rogers looks forward to competing with the revamped Videotron.

This whole transaction has always been about increasing competition and ultimately, thats what the federal courts found  that the series of transactions, namely us buying Shaw and Quebecor buying Freedom, was going to increase competition in the marketplace, he said.

If we were to look to south of the border, there youll see a market size 10 times that of Canada, and they have three players. So in fact, we have even more players in the telecom space than you would see in the U.S., and if you compare it to others in the world, we have amongst the most competition in all of our markets.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B, TSX:SJR.B, TSX:QBR.B)

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Rogers Communications Incs $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc. cleared the last regulatory hurdle Friday, more than two years after the deal was first announced.

Heres a look at some key moments leading up to this point:

March 15, 2021: Rogers announces an agreement to buy Shaw in a deal valued at $26 billion, including debt. Rogers says it will purchase all outstanding Class A and B shares of Shaw for $40.50 per share in cash, amounting to approximately $20 billion, and take on about $6 billion of debt owed by Shaw.

The sale requires approval from shareholders and Rogers expects to close the deal in the first half of 2022.

May 21, 2021: Shaw shareholders vote in favour of the proposed sale of the company to Rogers.

Nov. 22, 2021: The CRTC opens a five-day hearing to consider the Rogers-Shaw merger.

Nov. 25, 2021: BCE Inc. urges the CRTC to reject the proposed Rogers-Shaw deal, echoing concerns raised by broadcasters, producers and distributors about the market dominance Rogers would have if the deal were to be approved.

March 3, 2022: Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says the federal government will block the wholesale transfer of wireless licences owned by Shaw to Rogers.

Rogers extends deadline to close the deal from June 13 to July 31.

March 24, 2022: The CRTC approves Rogers acquisition of Shaws broadcasting services, and lays out a series of conditions the company must meet.

May 7, 2022: Rogers extends deadline to close the deal from June 13 to July 31.

May 9, 2022: The Competition Bureau files an application to block Rogers purchase of Shaw because it claims the transaction would lead to worse service and higher prices for consumers.

May 12, 2022: Quebecor Inc.s CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau gives a strong signal that he would like to purchase Shaw-owned wireless carrier Freedom Mobile if regulators force Rogers to sell it as a requirement of the mergers approval.

May 19, 2022: Globalive Capital founder Anthony Lacavera reinforces his bid for Freedom Mobile, formerly Wind Mobile, by signing a network and spectrum sharing agreement with Telus Corp., conditional on Globalives successful acquisition of Freedom. Lacavera founded Wind Mobile in 2008.

May 30, 2022: Rogers and Shaw agree to not close their deal until they have resolved the Competition Bureaus concerns, either through a negotiated agreement or via the Competition Tribunal.

June 2, 2022: Globalive says it has gone straight to Shaw with its $3.75-billion offer for wireless carrier Freedom Mobile due to a lack of engagement from Rogers.

June 17, 2022: Rogers and Shaw make deal to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecor Inc.s Videotron Ltd. for $2.85 billion in an attempt to ease the Competition Bureaus concerns about the combination of the two companies.

June 24, 2022: Rogers, Shaw and the Competition Bureau agree to participate in a mediation process in July.

July 4, 2022: Two-day mediation period begins between Rogers, Shaw and the Competition Bureau.

July 6, 2022: Talks end with no resolution.

July 8, 2022: Rogers hit with widespread network outage that leaves millions of customers without mobile and internet service, and causes trouble for 9-1-1 services and debit transactions.

July 27, 2022: Rogers and Shaw extend deadline to close deal to Dec. 31, with a possible further extension to Jan. 31, 2023.

Aug. 12, 2022: Rogers and Shaw finalize deal to sell Freedom Mobile to Quebecors Videotron for $2.85 billion. The parties say the agreement is consistent with the terms agreed upon on June 17, and is subject to regulatory approvals and the closing of the Rogers-Shaw deal.

Aug. 26, 2022: Competition Tribunal rules Rogers July 8 service outage is relevant to the upcoming hearings on the proposed deal.

Oct. 14, 2022: Competition Tribunal confirms that a mediation will take place from Oct. 27 to Oct. 28 between Rogers, Shaw and the Competition Bureau. Quebecor will also take part.

Oct. 25, 2022: Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne puts new conditions on Rogers-Shaw deal, specifically targeting the sale of Freedom Mobile to Quebecors Videotron, a key component in the proposed transaction between the telecom companies.

In a statement, Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau says he intends to accept the industry ministers conditions, agreeing to incorporate them in a new version of the transaction.

Oct. 27, 2022: Mediation period with the Competition Bureau begins. Rogers, Shaw and Quebecor jointly release an evening statement saying the mediation did not yield a negotiated settlement.

Nov. 7, 2022: Hearings begin at the Competition Tribunal as the Competition Bureau seeks to block the deal outright.

Dec. 14, 2022: Hearings at the Competition Tribunal wrap with a commitment by adjudicators to make a decision as soon as possible.

Dec. 29, 2022: The Competition Tribunal dismisses the Competition Bureaus application for it to block the deal, concluding that it will not substantially prevent or lessen competition in wireless services in Western Canada.

Dec. 30, 2022: The Competition Bureau announces it will appeal the Competition Tribunals decision. The companies announce they have extended the closing date to Jan. 31, 2023.

Dec. 31, 2022: Industry Minister Champagne says he will hold off on a decision on the deal until there is legal clarity.

Jan. 24, 2023: The Federal Court of Appeal dismisses the Competition Bureaus effort to overturn the Competition Tribunals ruling. The Competition Bureau says it is disappointed but will not appeal further. Minister Champagne says he is reviewing the decision and will make a decision in due course.

Jan. 25, 2023: House of Commons Industry Committee meets on the Rogers-Shaw deal.

Jan. 30, 2023: The telecom companies involved in the deal extend the deadline to Feb. 17.

Feb. 17, 2023: The companies extend their deadline to close the deal to March 31.

March 31, 2023: Champagne gives the final regulatory approval to the deal by allowing the transfer of Freedoms wireless licences to Videotron, after it was first announced. The closing date is extended to April 7.

April 3, 2023: Rogers says it has completed its purchase of Shaw.

Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B, TSX:SJR.B, TSX:QBR.B)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to make public remarks in Florida on Tuesday after being arraigned in New York City on an indictment by a grand jury that heard evidence on hush money paid to a porn star before the 2016 election, while his lawyer said on Sunday he anticipates moving to dismiss the charges, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Trump, 76, is expected to be arraigned, fingerprinted and photographed at a Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday as he becomes the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges.

Joe Tacopina, a Trump lawyer, said he expects more details surrounding the arraignment to be resolved on Monday and noted that the Secret Service, which protects former presidents, also has a role to play on Tuesday.

"All the Tuesday stuff is still very much up in the air, other than the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, 'Not guilty,'" Tacopino told CNN's "State of the Union" program.

"Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this," Tacopino added, portraying the charges as politically motivated to harm Trump as he seeks to regain the presidency in 2024.
Sarah Polleys 11-year-old child has gone viral after pranking the Academy Award winner on April Fools Day this weekend.

The Toronto filmmaker, who won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay last month for Women Talking, shared a photo on social media of a letter written by her child who, signing off as former academy president David Rubin, said the Oscar that Polley received was given by mistake.

The letter, which includes Rubins forged signature, said Polley must mail the golden statue back to Los Angeles, where it will be given to the rightful winner: the German anti-war film All Quiet on the Western Front.

We are sorry for your loss, the sly note goes on to read, but it is only fair that the play with the real best adapted screenplay gets the Oscar.

Polley, whose Twitter post of the prank was viewed by more than three million users, wrote that her child swung low for April Fools Day this year.

Edward Berger, the filmmaker behind All Quiet on the Western Front, who was nominated for the Oscar alongside Polley, appeared to play along with the prank.

To save on mailing costs as I live overseas the Academy has asked me to provide you with my address so you can ship the Oscar directly. I will follow up shortly, said Berger in response to the original post.

Polley replied: My kid says to tell you that its already packaged and on its way.

In the prank letter, Polleys child explained why the academy didnt notify the filmmaker of the mistake earlier. In hindsight, we should have told you when we realized it, on the night on which the Oscar was given, but you must understand that we did not want another Year of the Moonlight, referencing the Oscars infamous blunder in 2017, when La La Land was accidentally given the Best Picture Oscar instead of the actual winner, Moonlight.

And we also did not want it to get all over your local news, as the citizens of Toronto would probably be quite irritated, her child added.

The letter even goes so far as to assure Polley that the message is not an April Fools Day prank. This is much too cruel to be a joke, ergo we deeply apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you, it stated plainly.

Polley, who wrote and directed Women Talking, based on Miriam Toewss novel of the same name, was one of several Canadians to win big at the 95th Academy Awards.

After the ceremony, Polley told movie critic Peter Howell that she plans to turn her Oscar experience into a limited TV series.

Its not a joke at all, Polley said at the time, though it remains to be seen whether her childs own practical joke will make it into the series.

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FREDERICTON - New Brunswick residents at risk of severe illnesses can now get a spring COVID-19 vaccine booster dose.

Public Health says beginning today, the mRNA bivalent vaccine is available to at-risk groups if at least five months have passed since a patients last COVID-19 vaccination or infection.

At-risk people include residents 65 and older, adults who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, and people living in long-term care facilities.

Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health, says residents should stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination because of the continued circulation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Health officials say people who received a booster dose last fall dont require another dose at this time.

Booster doses are available across the province at community pharmacies, and vaccination appointments can be made through the governments online scheduling system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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Toronto Public Health issued four conditional passes to restaurants, cafes, bakeries, bars and grocery stores on March 30.

China Food at 854 Millwood Road received a conditional pass with five major infractions:

Fail to ensure equipment surface cleaned as necessary

Fail to maintain handwashing stations (liquid soap and paper towels)

Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration

Fail to retain records of pest control measures taken for one year

Store potentially hazardous foods at internal temperature between 4 C and 60 C

Fruit Basket at 1919 Yonge Street received a conditional pass with four major infractions:

Fail to maintain handwashing stations (liquid soap and paper towels)

Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration

Food premise maintained in manner to permit contamination of single-service articles

Fail to equip sanitary facility with single service towels or dryer

Kenzo Ramen at 372 Bloor Street West received a conditional pass with three major infractions:

Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration

Fail to provide thermometer in refrigeration equipment

Sanitize utensils in chlorine solution of less than 100 ppm of available chlorine

Shish at 1225 Queen Street East received a conditional pass with four major infractions:

Fail to protect against harbouring of pests

Fail to protect food from contamination or adulteration

Fail to provide adequate number of handwashing stations

Fail to sanitize multi-service articles after use

A conditional pass is issued when at least one infraction presents a significant health risk, and a closure is ordered when at least one infraction presents an immediate health hazard. Both outcomes trigger an additional inspection within 48 hours. Failure to comply with Torontos DineSafe program can result in fines, court summons and other enforcement action.

Miss a DineSafe roundup? Find out which restaurants recently made the list

About this story

This story was automatically generated using open data from the City of Toronto. The Toronto Star has no role in collecting, reviewing or analyzing this data, and makes no representations or endorsements about any food premises, or the products or services offered by a food premise. Readers should review any municipal disclaimers located at the citys open data portal.

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TORONTO - Ontario has not yet put a four-year-old policing law overhaul into effect, which includes allowing officers to be suspended without pay more often, but the solicitor general said Monday hes directing it be done as soon as possible.

Michael Kerzner was asked Monday in question period about the law that has been sitting on the books since 2019 in light of news reports about an Ontario Provincial Police officer suspended for years with pay.

The Brockville Recorder and Times reported that an OPP constable in Leeds County, Jason Redmond, has been on paid leave since 2015 stemming from a drug trafficking investigation, and was recently found guilty of sexual assault.

A judge found that he raped a woman while she was unconscious and made a video of the assault on his phone to teach her a lesson, the newspaper reported.

Kerzner said he has directed the deputy minister to wrap up discussions with police services and unions as soon as possible in order to get the law enacted.

No one convicted of a serious and disturbing crime like this should be receiving a taxpayer-funded salary, and we expect all those that keep our province safe to uphold the highest standard of professional ethics, he said in the legislature.

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a statement that the police service has been trying to fire the constable since his first conviction.

I know this is troubling for not only members of the public, but for our own members who always seek to serve the people of Ontario with pride, professionalism and honour, he wrote.

An adjudicator ordered the constable to be dismissed from the OPP, but the officer appealed. That appeal - as well as the fact he was sentenced for the initial offence to probation and not imprisonment - means he can still collect his salary.

Sentencing for the sexual assault conviction is set for later this month. The appeal of his dismissal is set to be heard in June.

Premier Doug Fords government in 2019 brought in the Community Safety and Policing Act, which allows a police chief to suspend an officer without pay if theyre charged with a serious offence, as well as introducing other changes to police standards and oversight.

Kerzner noted that it replaces the Police Services Act, which is more than 30 years old. But in 2018, the Progressive Conservative government scrapped a law the Liberal government had passed as an update to that 1990 legislation, decrying it as anti-police.

The Liberal bill would have, among other changes, strengthened police oversight, while the new law passed in 2019 by the Tories narrows the scope of the Special Investigations Unit. Both laws have sought to introduce more circumstances under which a police officer could be suspended without pay.

Ontario is the only province in which chiefs cant revoke the pay of suspended officers, who collect millions of dollars each year. Right now, suspended officers have to be paid even when convicted of an offence, unless they are sentenced to prison.

The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police has been pushing for change for well over a decade.

The OPP officer that has been in the news lately that has gone on for years ... this isnt the norm, its the exception, but its an exception people notice and our trust is undermined, said OACP spokesperson Joe Couto.

But the law, despite being passed in 2019, is not yet in force because the government has not drawn up all of the associated regulations - including defining what would constitute a serious offence as per the new suspension without pay rules.

The government says because the bill was so large, there are a lot of regulations that need to be written and the focus on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic delayed that work. It hopes to have the law enacted late this year or early next year.

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said it doesnt make sense that the government would take four years to consult with groups whose positions are well known.

I think its fair to say that whats happening here is wrong, he said outside the legislature. It was preventable if the government had actually done their homework and enacted legislation in a couple of years.

The Police Association of Ontario, which represents members from 45 police associations, said it has been working with the government to get the law into force.

The new act significantly modernizes policing in Ontario which was long overdue, and we will continue to work with our partners to bring it into force, the association said in a statement.

The PAO is looking forward to the more balanced, independent misconduct adjudication framework under the forthcoming Act.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

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A GTA judge previously warned that the man accused of killing 16-year-old Gabriel Magalhaes in a random attack inside Keele station was a threat to the public if he did not get help for his substance abuse and mental health issues.

The public is at risk if he does not get the rehabilitation that he so clearly needs, Ontario court Judge Sandra Caponecchia said at a sentencing hearing last year over a Mississauga assault with a box cutter  one in a series of offences that saw Jordan OBrien-Tobin in and out of criminal courts his entire adult life before he allegedly killed Magalhaes, a stranger, in an unprovoked attack on March 25.

In transcripts of the Sept. 29, 2022, sentencing hearing, the judge detailed OBrien-Tobins long criminal history, including four prior assaults since 2021 and many, many breaches of court orders, as well as his remarkable history of family violence and mental health issues. To help address those issues, the judge ordered OBrien-Tobin into counselling that was set to begin soon after his release from jail; it is unclear if he ever received that treatment.

The court documents, among a series of records obtained by the Star, offer new insights into the man at the centre of the latest shocking crime on Torontos public transit network. Magalhaes was the fourth person killed in an apparently random attack on or near TTC property in the last 12 months.

His death has led to an outpouring of public grief: more than 500 people joined his mother in a candlelit walk to Keele station on Thursday night, leaving tributes and consoling each other as Andrea Magalhaes wept in the spot where her son lay dying days earlier.

The Star has previously reported that just two weeks before Magalhaess killing, OBrien-Tobin, 22, had been released on probation for a sex assault in Toronto. Court records reveal he has been charged in at least 40 other criminal cases in Ontario since 2020, some with multiple charges each. Those offences include several other assault cases, at least two sexual assaults and multiple charges for violating release conditions.

The records of the Mississauga sentencing hearing, seven months before Magalhaess killing, reveal a court deeply concerned by OBrien-Tobins potential for further violence.

OBrien-Tobin, the judge noted, had been before the court over 21 times for some 69 different offences, not including the ones before her, which were assault with a weapon and mischief.

I am told that he wants help and has taken some preliminary steps to get help but to this point, he is in need of serious rehabilitation, Caponecchia said.

She went on to say, noting his youth: If he does get the proper attention that he needs for both addiction and mental health issues, there is no reason why he cannot go on to live a productive life.

At the sentencing hearing, Caponecchia described OBrien-Tobins background as by no means an enviable one.

He lost his other male role model at a very young age, at the age of four, and suffered very violent family abuse from a young age, Caponecchia said.

The judge noted that OBrien-Tobin, now a father of three, was diagnosed as a child with mental health issues including severe depression and oppositional defiant disorder, and that the expected diagnosis as an adult was bipolar disorder.

Caponecchia also noted OBrien-Tobin had struggled with alcohol and drug addiction since he was a teenager, experiencing overdoses, and that he had been suicidal at times.

In 2020, the judge said, he moved to Ontario to work but was unsuccessful at getting his life on track.

According to an agreed statement of facts about the charges before Caponecchia, on July 10, 2022, OBrien-Tobin lunged at the manager of a Boston Pizza in Mississauga with a box cutter when he was asked to leave the washroom.

When police arrived, they used a Taser on him when he tried to reach into his pockets, the statement said. Because of the Taser being used, he was taken to a local hospital for assessment. At the hospital, he made utterances of self-harm, and that he wanted to harm others and was detained temporarily under the Mental Health Act for psychiatric assessment.

The court documents dont specify what, if anything, came of that assessment. They also do not say whether the restaurant manager was injured in the incident.

The court transcripts also detail that OBrien-Tobin pleaded guilty to public mischief for making a false police report on April 10, 2022, claiming that a woman had stolen a handgun he had bought for protection in Brampton and was heading to Brantford to shoot someone.

OBrien-Tobin himself was arrested for unlawfully possessing a firearm and during a police interview told investigators he fabricated the entire story  as revenge for the woman allegedly getting a friend of his arrested.

The woman was arrested as a result of the accusation.

After accounting for 50 days credit for time already served, Caponecchia sentenced OBrien-Tobin to a total of 220 days in jail and 18 months of probation for both the box-cutter assault and the mischief.

As a condition of his probation, Caponecchia also ordered OBrien-Tobin to obtain a diagnosis for his mental health issues and to attend counselling at least once a month.

From the court records the Star has obtained, OBrien-Tobin appears to have bounced between GTA homeless shelters as well as experiencing periods of living with no fixed address.

The Canadian Press previously reported OBrien-Tobin had a lengthy criminal history in Newfoundland, largely for non-violent offences and breaching conditions.

In Ontario, he has been charged previously in Toronto, Peel Region, Brantford and Woodstock.

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GOMA, Congo (AP)  East African regional forces have regained control of Bunagana, a strategic town in eastern Congo that had been held by M23 rebels for more than nine months, a spokesman for the regional force said Monday.

Ugandan forces officially deployed to Bunagana and will establish a foothold in the area and give the M23 forces time to vacate, said Capt. Kato Ahmad Hassan, spokesman for the Ugandan contingent of the regional force. We appreciate the command of the M23 for being cooperative to the contingent, for according us a safe passage and for allowing us to occupy Bunagana, he said.

M23 did not respond to request for comment about their departure from Bunagana.

The rebels departure from Bunagana has been a key demand during several rounds of mediation efforts on the crisis in eastern Congo, where more than 120 armed groups have been fighting for land, power and resources and some to protect their communities.

M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congos largest city on the border with Rwanda. It derives its name from a March 23, 2009, peace deal, which it accuses the Congo government of not implementing.

After being largely dormant for a decade, the M23 resurfaced in late 2021 and started capturing territory. Congo has long accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 group and powerful voices in the West back that assertion  which Rwanda strongly denies. Earlier this year regional heads of state urged an immediate cease-fire by all parties and sought more troops for a regional force sent to eastern Congo last year.

Ugandan troops, which are part of the East African Community Regional Force in eastern Congo, will now try to bring about M23s sequenced withdrawal from other areas under rebel control including Kiwanja and Mabenga.

Bunagana is located only 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Goma, which also serves as a hub for international aid organizations and the U.N. peacekeeping mission known as MONUSCO. The town is also near the border with Uganda, making it an important transit point for goods being imported into Congo from as far away as China.

While the withdrawal is a positive step, it doesnt signify a lasting resolution to the conflict, said Trupti Agrawal, senior analyst for East Africa for the Economist Intelligence Unit. The pullout is a sign of progress on regional mediation efforts, but that itself is a highly fragile process, he said.

___

Malkia reported from Kinshasa. Associated Press reporter Rodney Muhumuza contributed from Kampala, Uganda.

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MEXICO CITY (AP)  Authorities in the Mexican resort of Cancun said Monday they have found four dead bodies in the citys hotel zone near the beach.

There was no immediate information on the nationalities or identities of the victims. The announcement of the deaths came less that a week after a U.S. tourist was shot in the leg in the nearby town of Puerto Morelos.

Prosecutors originally said three bodies were found Monday in a lot near one of Cancuns beachside hotels along the Kukulkan Boulevard. They then added that a fourth body was found in the undergrowth on the same lot, brining to four the number of victims.

Prosecutors in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo said two suspects had been detained in the killings. They said the deaths were under investigation, but did not give a cause of death.

Last week in Puerto Morelos, a U.S. tourist was approached by several suspects, and they shot him in the leg. The motive remains under investigation. The wounded man was taken to a hospital in Cancun for treatment, and his injury was judged to be not life-threatening.

The U.S. State Department issued a travel alert earlier this month warning travelers to exercise increased caution, especially after dark, at Mexicos Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, which have been plagued by drug gang violence in the past.

There have been a series of brazen acts of violence along the Caribbean coast, the crown jewel of Mexicos tourism industry.

In 2022, two Canadians were killed in Playa del Carmen, apparently because of debts between international drug and weapons trafficking gangs.

In 2021, farther south in the laid-back destination of Tulum, two tourists  one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German  were killed when they apparently were caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival drug dealers.

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The head of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said Monday that there is overwhelming support in the United States to continue supplying aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, despite vocal opposition from a hard-right faction of his own Republican Party.

Rep. Michael Turner of Ohio, the Republican chairman of the committee, which serves as the Houses main body for overseeing American intelligence organizations, spoke alongside three other GOP congressmen during a brief visit to Kyiv.

There are those on the left and on the right who question continued support or the amount of support. That will certainly be part of the debate, Turner said. But overwhelmingly, there is support for continuing aid to Ukraine, so that they can continue to fight against this aggression of Russia.

The trip to the Ukrainian capital was the latest effort from top-ranking Republicans in the House, who are laying the groundwork for continued U.S. assistance but facing opposition in their own ranks. Emboldened by former President Donald Trumps America First approach, many on the right are clamoring for the Ukraine aid to come to an end, creating the potential for a politically bruising fight when the current American assistance runs out.

For instance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely Trump rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, recently suggested that defending Ukraine in a territorial dispute with Russia was not a significant U.S. national security priority. He later walked that statement back following criticism from other members of the party.

With the war in Ukraine now entering its second year, Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah said the American people would continue supporting aid as long as U.S. resources were being used judiciously.

This is going to take some time, he said of the war. Thats not surprising. Most conflicts such as this between nation-states take time to resolve themselves. I think the American people understand that, as long as they feel like progress is being made over being careful with the money and being thoughtful of how we involve U.S. resources.

Stewart, who is also on the intelligence committee, said NATO members should also fulfill their commitment to spend 2% of their gross domestic product on defense.

Most of them have not done that except for a few of the smaller countries, Stewart said. The American people also look at this and go, This is in Europes backyard. They should be at least as invested in this as we are. And I dont know that we can assure them right now that thats the case.

Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia noted that nations have rallied to Ukraines support.

For the first time, maybe ever, countries were talking about putting pressure on each other and holding each other accountable inside of NATO, said the congressman, who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. There is a new sort of urgency that never existed before, that I think youre seeing Europe actually step up to the plate like theyve never done before.

The fourth member of the delegation to Kyiv, Rep. Darin LaHood of Illinois, another member of the intelligence committee, said the visit to Ukraine was aimed at observing the situation on the ground from the illegal, unprovoked war that Putin engaged in here.

That, he said, will help us as we go back and have to make decisions on further funding and further support for this conflict.

Also in Kyiv to underline the importance of support for Ukraine was former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who joins a long list of potential Republican candidates for the presidential nomination.

Why is it that the United States should expand its resources and its peoples resources to support the effort here that you all are engaged in? I think it is pretty straightforward, Pompeo said Monday during an event organized by prominent Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk. If we have learned one singular thing that is that when bad guys begin to march, they do not stop marching.

Asked about the dissenting voices in the United States, Pompeo said that your president has asked for equipment. He hasnt asked for our young men and women. So long as we stay in that place, Im convinced that most American leaders will see it that way and will support the continued efforts.

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Former US President Donald Trump was seen departing his Mar-a-Lago home to fly to New York ahead of his arraignment on criminal charges in the hush money case expected on Tuesday, Trend reports citing Metro.

Trumps motorcade drove past the gate of his resort en route to Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, shortly after noon on Monday. About six black cars were seen driving out of the resort as well as continuing on a road. Trump will take his private jet, with his name marked across it, to New York City.

The ex-president is expected to land in LaGuardia Airport in Queens around 3pm, a source with knowledge on his travel plans told CNN. Trump plans to return to Florida immediately after his court appearance, the source said.

Trump, 76, on Sunday night wrote on his Truth Social platform: I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York.

He added: On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!

Trump is expected to surrender to law enforcement in lower Manhattan early this week. He will be the first ex-president in US history to face criminal charges.

He faces about 30 charges for his alleged role in a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels to silence her claims of an affair with Trump. The exact charges are not yet known.

Trumps lawyer Joe Tacopina said he did not know how Tuesday could unfold.

This is unprecedented. I dont know. Ive done a million arraignments in that courthouse with celebrities and whatnot. But this is a whole different thing. We have Secret Service involved, Tacopina told ABC News This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos.

I understand theyre closing the courthouse for the afternoon. I just dont know what to expect to see.

Tacopina said that more details around the arraignment will be figured out on Monday. The Secret Service will be involved, he said.

All the Tuesday stuff is still very much up in the air, other than the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, Not guilty, Tacopino said on CNNs State of the Union.

Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this.

New York investigators will book Trump and take his fingerprints. A mugshot is usually taken, but may not happen in Trumps case as he is widely known and authorities are afraid that it could violate state law if it is leaked improperly, sources told CNN. Trump is not expected to be handcuffed.

The former president is not planning to stay in New York long, and is expected to jet back home to give a speech back at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday evening after his arraignment.

A Manhattan grand jury voted on Thursday to indict Trump.
BRUSSELS (AP)  The blue-and-white Finnish flag rises outside NATO headquarters Tuesday afternoon, making Finland a member and doubling Russias border with the worlds biggest security alliance.

The move is a strategic and political blow to President Vladimir Putin, who has long complained about NATOs expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for his countrys war with Ukraine.

What we see is that President Putin went to war against Ukraine with a declared aim to get less NATO, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. Hes getting the exact opposite.

Like all NATO members, Finland will benefit from the collective security guarantee that an attack on one is considered an attack on all.

NATO has said that it has no immediate intention to step up its presence in Finland. Some members have deployed troops there for war games over the last year.

Russia immediately warned that it would bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country

Finland has substantial, well-trained armed forces with elite troops capable of operating in the sub-zero temperatures of the high north. The Nordic country also has a large reserve army and is investing heavily in new equipment, including dozens of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.

The Finnish flag rising between the French and the Estonian in a ceremony scheduled for 1330 GMT will complete the fastest accession process in the organizations recent history .

Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022. Neighboring Sweden also applied, but its accession process will take longer.

The ceremony falls on NATOs very own birthday, the 74th anniversary of the signing of its founding Washington Treaty on April 4, 1949.

It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole, Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday on the eve of a meeting of alliances foreign ministers in Brussels.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned that Moscow would bolster its own forces in case of deployment of forces of other NATO members on the territory of Finland.

We will strengthen our military potential in the west and in the northwest, Grushko said, according to the state RIA Novosti news agency, although Russia is already having trouble marshaling forces against far-smaller Ukraine.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia and unlike most members of the alliance, Finland did not cut defense spending and investment after the Cold War.

They have trained and built a large army over many years and maintain that high level of readiness. Finland is also a country with extremely high level of resilience, of preparedness throughout the whole society, Stoltenberg said.

The country also helps to complete NATOs geographical puzzle by filling in a major gap in the strategically important Baltic Sea region in Europes north.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg said, Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand the official document enshrining its approval to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

NATOs top civilian official said he will then invite Finland to hand over its own signed documents, to complete the procedure.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the flag-raising ceremony along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATOs support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression, Haavisto said in a statement. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region.

Left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin had championed her countrys NATO accession, and lost a chance at another term over the weekend, but joining NATO was widely popular and not seen as a factor in her loss.

Lars Kahre, an entrepreneur from Helsinki, said the countrys decision to abandon its military non-alignment was caused by the changes in Europe over the last year.

For a long time, we have been relying on our independence and neutrality and now we just realize that thats not the path of the future, he told The Associated Press. Now we need to look for new options for the future.

All 30 allies signed Finlands and Swedens accession protocols soon after they applied. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably to crack down on Kurdish groups. Hungarys demands have never been explicit.

NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join, and the vast majority of members are keen to bring Sweden within the fold before U.S. President Joe Biden and his alliance counterparts hold their next summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on July 11-12.

Sweden is not left alone. Sweden is as close as it can come as a full-fledged member, Stoltenberg said, and he urged Turkey to quickly ratify the countrys accession protocol, saying: my position is that Sweden has delivered on the commitments they made. ___ Jari Tanner in Helsinki contributed to this report.

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BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Romanias capital on Monday for trilateral talks with the presidents of Romania and Moldova, as the three nations look to boost ties amid Russias ongoing war in Ukraine and to mull ways of supporting embattled Moldova.

The German leader first met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis at Cotroceni Palace in Bucharest, for bilateral talks that focussed on security, economy, and energy. They also discussed defense cooperation on NATOs eastern flank and security in the Black Sea region.

Iohannis told a news conference after the talks that the Black Sea regions strategic importance has been growing and called on NATO to significantly strengthen its defense and deterrence posture there.

For his part, Scholtz highlighted the strong relations between his country and Romania and reiterated an oft-repeated pledge to give Ukraine military support for as long as it is necessary, and we are working on that constantly and together.

Scholtz didnt directly answer questions about the possibility of a maintenance facility being set up in Romania for German military equipment sent to Ukraine, to reflect similar efforts in other countries.

A spokesperson for the German defense company Rheinmetall, told German news agency dpa Monday that its setting up a maintenance and logistics center in Satu Mare, north Romania, for Western military vehicles and howitzers delivered to Ukraine that will start work this month.

The two leaders also agreed on the importance of European Union expansion and that the Western Balkans remain a key priority to one day join the 27-nation bloc, Iohannis said. We also share a common vision regarding the strategic values of the expansion of the (EU) to the East, he said.

Iohannis and Scholz were later joined by Moldovan President Maia Sandu for talks on ways to support her country, which has faced a string of crises over the past year, including alleged destabilization attempts by Moscow. Non-NATO Moldova was granted EU candidate status last June, the same day as war-torn Ukraine.

Sandu told a news conference after talks that Moldova is Ukraines most vulnerable neighbor, adding that when our values are under attack, democratic countries must help each other.

Some wanted Moldova to fall  (but) Moldova stands tall, she said. We got rid of Russian blackmail regarding gas, we helped people pay their bills, and most importantly, we stood by European values. Moldova showed the whole world that we are a European country.

Scholz told reporters that Moldova is part of the European family and expressed concern over reports that Russia is trying to destabilize Moldova.

The sovereignty and territorial integrity of any state is inviolable, Scholz said. That is why we are doing all we can to support Moldova in guarding against attempts to destabilize it by Russia.

Last month, Moldovan police said they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed saboteurs who were specially trained to cause mass unrest against the countrys pro-Western government. That came days after U.S. intelligence officials said people with ties to Russian intelligence aimed to use the protests as a basis to try to topple Moldovas government.

Romanias Iohannis said Moldova is not alone, noting that Mondays trilateral meeting clearly demonstrates this fact.

___

Stephen McGrath reported from Sighisoara, Romania; Geir Moulson and Kirsten Grieshaber contributed from Berlin.

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WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay a visit to Warsaw this week that will include talks with political leaders and a meeting with regular Ukrainians and Poles, Polish officials announced on Monday.

Zelenskyy will be accompanied by his wife, Olena Zelenska, for the visit, scheduled for Wednesday. It will begin with an official meeting at the Royal Castle between Zelenskyy and his host, Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Their talks will include security issues, regional politics, economic cooperation, historical matters lingering between the two neighbors as well as the transit of Ukraines grain and other farm produce through Poland, according to Marcin Przydacz, the head of Dudas international office.

The talks will be followed by a meeting with the public, according to Dudas office.

Przydacz told radio broadcaster RMF FM that Zelenskyy will meet with Ukrainians and Poles at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, and that Zelenskyy says he wants to thank Poles for helping Ukrainians.

We are preparing a number of elements that will give this visit a special character, Przydacz said.

Zelenskyy is also to hold talks with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki regarding regional security, the situation at the front, and bilateral cooperation including the situation at border crossings and with Ukrainian grain, according to Morawiecki aide Michal Dworczyk.

Polands farmers have been protesting falling prices for their grain and produce and lack of storage ahead of this years harvest, blaming the situation on a massive inflow of produce from Ukraine that was intended for transit to third country markets but is lingering in Poland.

The historical issues chiefly regard tense relations that led to bloodshed between Poles and Ukrainians who lived in what was Poland before World War II and is now western Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk said that there is more now that unites us, compared to the past, because we see eye to eye on things like geopolitics, security and Russias aggression.

It will be Zelenskyys first official visit to Poland since Russias aggression on Ukraine 13 months ago. He has held a number of secret working meetings in the country, however, while traveling to other countries.

Poland, a NATO and European Union nation on Ukraines western border, was the first stop for many of the refugees who fled war at home. Many chose to remain, with more than 1.5 million registering with the government.

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JERUSALEM (AP)  Iran appears to have been behind the launch of a drone that was shot down over Israeli airspace this week, the Israeli military said Monday.

The army announced its conclusions on Monday, a day after air force helicopters and fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the drone when it entered Israeli territory from Syria. There were no casualties in the incident, but it added to the already heightened tensions between the two arch-enemies.

The interception happened shortly after Iranian state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Syria over the weekend had died of his wounds. That made him the second Iranian adviser allegedly killed by Israel in recent days.

Last week, Greece announced the arrest of two Pakistani operatives it said were planning an attack on a Jewish center in Athens. Israel has said Iran was behind the plot.

The Israeli military said Monday an initial inquiry determined the intercepted drone was Iranian. It said debris was still being collected and analyzed.

Since the start of Syrias conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Assads government and has sent advisers and other assistance to the Syrian leader.

Throughout the Syrian war, Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes in the neighboring country.

Most of these strikes have been aimed at Iranian targets or suspected arms shipments to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups that have sent troops to back Assad.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing the countrys hostile rhetoric, support for militant groups like Hezbollah and its suspected nuclear program. Iran denies Western allegations that it is pursuing a nuclear bomb.

Israel appears to have stepped up its activities in Syria recently. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor, says Israel has struck targets in Syria nine times this year.

Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledge recent unspecified activity in an address to soldiers at an Israeli air force base on Monday.

I know the important work you are doing and while it is always important, it is especially so at this time, he said. You know very well that in recent days we have been active beyond our borders against regimes that support terrorism and are plotting to destroy us.

On Sunday, the Syrian state news agency SANA, citing military sources, said Israeli strikes targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said.

The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research center.

Later on Sunday, Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, commented about Syria during a visit to soldiers in the occupied West Bank but did not directly confirm the recent airstrikes.

We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we wont allow it now, or anytime in the future, Gallant said. He also accused Iran of seeking to entrench its presence along Israels borders.

When necessary, we will push them out of Syria to where they belong. And that is Iran, Gallant said.

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JERUSALEM (AP)  Two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli troops in an army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the latest in a year-long spike of violence that shows no sign of abating.

The Israeli military said that troops arrested two people suspected of assisting a gunman who shot two soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara last month. The army said its soldiers came under fire during the raid and shot back, confirming hits.

Violence has surged in recent months in the West Bank and east Jerusalem amid near-daily Israeli arrest raids in Palestinian-controlled areas and a string of Palestinian attacks.

The U.S. has tried to broker talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinians to try to defuse tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, now in its second week.

At least 88 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli or settler gunfire this year, according to an Associated Press tally. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 15 people in the same period.

Israel says most of those killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and people not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

The Israeli military also said Monday that fighter jets intercepted an unidentified aircraft over the Gaza Strip that didnt enter Israels airspace.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, said that the intercepted aircraft was one of its unmanned attack drones conducting an exercise.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their future independent state.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)  Hurricane Ian briefly reached maximum Category 5 status before weakening to a Category 4 storm as it blasted ashore last September in southwest Florida, eventually causing over $112 billion in damage in the U.S. and more than 150 deaths directly or indirectly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday.

The report, which NOAA releases for all major tropical storms, also says Ian was the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third-costliest ever in the U.S. as a whole. In addition to Florida, Ian impacted Georgia, Virginia, the Carolinas and Cuba before it fell apart Oct. 1.

The NOAA report elevates Ian to one of the most powerful tropical cyclones on record as a Category 5 with winds estimated at 161 mph (259 kph) on Sept. 28 after passing by the Dry Tortugas islands. Although it weakened to a Category 4 storm when it struck Florida later that day with winds of 150 mph (241 kph), the storm is now on the list of deadly monsters such as Camille, Hugo, Andrew, Katrina, Wilma and Michael.

In addition to the winds, Ian produced major storm surge across the southwestern Gulf coast of Florida. For example, the peak storm surge at hard-hit Fort Myers Beach was between 10 and 15 feet (3 and 4 meters) above ground level. At nearby Sanibel, the surge was a high as 13 feet (3.9 meters).

Ian made landfall in a region extremely vulnerable to storm surge, the NOAA report says. In southwestern Florida, the catastrophic storm surge and wind left a huge swath of complete destruction.

Storm surge drowning was the leading cause of death during the storm with 41 deaths, with 12 additional fatalities due to inland flooding in central and eastern Florida. There were 66 deaths in Florida directly attributable to the storm, NOAA concluded.

The U.S. total of 156 fatalities includes indirect deaths such as heart attacks, electrocution from power lines, inability to reach medical help and vehicle accidents. Of those, 84 were in Florida.

Victims ranged in age from 6 to 101 years old, but the median age of storm-related deaths was 72, NOAA found.

It is possible this is a reflection of demographics in the counties of southwest Florida but is consistent with other hurricane landfalls where the oldest die at the highest rates, the report says.

More than 4.4 million customers, or about 9 million people, lost power in the U.S. during Hurricane Ian from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, NOAA found. Florida led the way in power outages with more than 3 million customers, with thousands more in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

More than $109 billion of the estimated $112 billion in storm damages happened in Florida, with more than 52,000 structures impacted in Lee County alone and 5,369 completely destroyed. Inland flooding from swollen rivers, some at record levels, damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings in several central Florida counties.

The highest rainfall total from Hurricane Ian was almost 27 inches (68 centimeters) at Grove City, Florida, just north of the landfall location at Cayo Costa. Rainfall between 10 and 20 inches (25 and 50 centimeters) was widespread across Florida.

As for Hurricane Ian forecasts, NOAA says the track errors were lower than those over the previous 5-year period while still acknowledging some difficulty in determining the exact location of expected landfall. There have been questions raised following the storm if the warnings were sufficient to allow people, especially the elderly, enough time to escape.

In general, storms that parallel a coastline tend to be more challenging to predict because a small change in heading can cause large differences in the landfall location, the NOAA report says. Ian was an example of this particular challenge.

The quick intensification also was difficult to predict. NOAA noted that in this area, the forecast errors were higher than those over the past five years. Storm surge watches, meanwhile, were issued beginning at 48 hours before the onset of tropical storm winds at Fort Myers Beach and the prediction of peak surge rose from a maximum of 7 feet (2 meters) to 12 feet (4 meters) a day before Ian made landfall.

NOAA also noted that its forecasters conducted 282 media interviews the last week of September and that the National Hurricane Center website was accessed about 224 million times during the storm period.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a new $40 million round of grants to extend high-speed internet to extremely remote farms, homes and businesses in New Mexico, including counties where the population density is less than one person per square mile (2.5 square kilometers).

Joe Biden and top administration officials are traveling to more than 20 states this week to buttress the presidents message on investments and economic growth before an expected reelection campaign, amid a tug-of-war on federal budget priorities with House Republicans. Biden on Monday traveled to suburban Minneapolis on Monday to tour a clean energy technology manufacturer.

Democratic leaders in New Mexico welcomed his agriculture secretary Monday in Albuquerque for the announcement, and celebrated public spending on high-speed internet in remote New Mexico communities. Vilsack and members of the states congressional delegation say the funds will help farms find efficiencies through precision mapping of topography, nutrients and moisture. Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, said fast rural internet and array federal infrastructure spending will help those growers bring commodities to market and compete.

The grants to expand fiberoptic cable networks in New Mexico stem from the $1 billion infrastructure law signed by Biden in 2021, and the related Reconnect program that aims to fill in gaps where internet service is slow or nonexistent. The spending will help two rural telephone companies and a cooperative extend high-speed internet service to extremely remote ranch and farm lands, in counties such as Catron, Harding and DeBaca that have fewer than one person per square mile (2.5 square kilometers) on average.

When you look at the number of farms and ranches and businesses and homes that are covered, its not huge. And someone said, Is that a wise investment of our federal dollars? said U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, who represents a sprawling rural district that traverses northern and eastern New Mexico. And I said absolutely. Absolutely because you need the connectivity no matter what your zip code is.

As fiberoptic cables are extended, some households will be eligible for subsidies that can ensure high-speed access for as little as $30 a month, Leger Fernandez said.

A $14 million grant to the Penasco Valley Telephone Cooperative is designed to extend high-speed internet to 550 people, including 48 farms in Chaves, Eddy, Otero and Lincoln counties. The goal is to help small and medium-sized farms attain the same profitability as large food producers.

Those 48 farms now have the opportunity to take full advantage of this new transformational future we are building, Vilsack said. Those 550 people count as much as any people living in New York City or Los Angeles or Denver or any major community in this country.

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It speaks volumes to the ineptitude of the RCMP that it failed in its response to a report chronicling its failures.

After Nova Scotias Mass Casualty Commission released its final report into the 2020 massacre that took 22 lives, Interim RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme told journalists he hadnt yet read the report he had been handed some 30 hours earlier.

Then, asked to admit mistakes of the force during those two days of horror three years ago  as recommended in the report he had not read  he defended officers who were hamstrung by limitations on training and equipment.

That the Mass Casualty Commission was able to deliver a 3,000-page report into the worst shooting spree in Canadian history is a tribute to those grieving families who pushed for this inquiry. The federal government and the RCMP, to their joint shame, resisted calls for such a public probe, pushing for an independent review with limited scope and no power to compel testimony, forcing families to the streets to protest.

Of the 130 recommendations in the report, 75 involve the RCMP, making clear the need for reform and transformation of a police force that has for too long resisted such change. The RCMP must finally undergo the fundamental change called for in so many previous reports. This transformation must begin with recruiting and education, and from there extend to all aspects of the RCMPs work, it stated.

The report urges reforms across all levels of the national police force, from front-line tactics and procedures, to oversight and training. For example, it states that the Mounties famed Depot recruit centre in Regina is inadequate to prepare RCMP members for the complex demands of contemporary policing.

Officers who responded to the murderous rampage of a Dartmouth denturist in Portapique were facing something none had likely ever imagined. We acknowledge there were acts of courage and the RCMP lost one of their own, Const. Heidi Stevenson.

But their collective failure cost lives. The report again cast an unsavoury spotlight on a police force that evades accountability, is unable to properly communicate, cannot or will not learn from previous recommendations, and appears resistant to change.

In its response to the carnage that night, the commission found, the RCMP disregarded witness accounts and discounted reports that the killer was driving a replica RCMP cruiser. It didnt use basic investigative techniques, alerted residents of a firearms complaint  while homes in the village were in flames  via Twitter, a rarely used social media app in the region, at 11:32 pm. Almost nine hours later it alerted residents, again on Twitter, of an active shooter situation.

But this is not contained to Portapique. Large national policing issues are at play, and it is not just an RCMP problem. This falls at the feet of a Liberal government  in power since 2015  that has failed to drive the necessary changes.

The force has been riven with internal harassment and racism. It has failed to implement recommendations following reviews of the 2014 shootings in Moncton and on Parliament Hill. Officers in Nova Scotia did not have the technology on their phone to track the movements of colleagues, an eight-year-old recommendation in the wake of Moncton when three Mounties died.

The commission also rightly wants the relationship between government and RCMP operations overhauled. Shortly after the shootings, a frustrated Brenda Lucki, the commissioner at the time, told her Nova Scotia subordinates she wanted public disclosure of the type of weapons used by the killer, leading investigators to believe she was channelling the concerns of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and his Liberals preparing gun control legislation. The commission determined that Luckis comments were ill-timed and poorly expressed, but not evidence of government interference.

Regardless, the report urges clearer policies so that the government can legally only direct the Mounties on matters of policy, while staying apart from police operations. Its a laudable recommendation, but will this be another example of reform being ignored by the Liberals and the Mounties alike?

Were not optimistic, but we know a good RCMP starting point  read the report.

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Canadian stories would disappear without the CBC March 30

I agree with Christina Jennings that we all need to stand up and defend the CBC.

CBC president Catherine Tait has done a great job. All the negative attacks come from those who have narrow minds.

This broadcaster pulls in big numbers of international and Canadian listeners on a daily basis all being underfunded for decades. CBC is one of the main reasons foreigners come here to live and work.

I have been an active CBC listener/participant for decades through my working years and in my retirement.

We need to keep it front and centre.

C. Andrews, Vaughan

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How embarrassing. After an integrity commission report, Toronto City Council has voted almost en masse to reprimanded and dock the pay of Councillor Josh Matlow for 10 days for attacking two city staffers on Twitter, a platform with less than zero integrity itself.

Matlow, who wants to run for mayor, says he was within his rights, which speaks to his personal bank of integrity running a bit low on funds, shall we say.

Integrity Commissioner Jonathan Batty had released a meticulous report concluding that Matlow had criticized two women, Janie Romoff, general manager of the parks department, and interim city manager Tracey Cook, in a public manner, humiliating them and accusing them of lying.

I dont appreciate being lied to, Matlow said in a dispute with Romoff over which Toronto city park toilets were open or closed. He said this on Twitter, something of a public toilet itself.

As the Stars Ben Spurr reported, then city manager Chris Murray said the tweet not only damaged Romoffs reputation and upset her so badly that she couldnt speak at council but had also led to an onslaught of harassing and bullying behaviour by social media users.

As for Cook, Matlow accused her on Twitter of a decision to omit facts in a report on a transit plan, among other things. Batty called this putting her on trial by social media.

Matlow has been accused of public mistreatment of helpless staff twice before. In one case he apologized. In another, after a complaint by then TTC chief (the lovely) Andy Byford, he did not and was officially reprimanded. Then came Twitter.

Batty says staffers are an easy target because they cannot defend themselves in public without risking their jobs. They are sitting ducks for men like Matlow.

One councillor said this behaviour is why the city has trouble attracting staff. Another said it reminded him of that Trump-esque approach to things. Me too.

Its a given that politicians should treat staff with respect in private and in public, even if they disagree with them or think staff are helping out mayors with whom Matlow is not pals at all.

Matlow took an end run around democracy, which has tiresome rules about decorum. Imagine what hed be like as a strong-powers mayor, a bully for all seasons. Imagine the resignations.

But these are workplace quarrels. What astonishes me is that Matlow would use Twitter, one of the most maligned platforms extant, held in lower regard than Meta (Facebook) and Google, which destroyed daily journalism, public decency and the human attention span. Even TikTok, a communist Chinese government tool, is more fun.

After all weve all been through together in over a decade of social media use and misuse, youd think anyone in public office would know that Twitter is a pain magnet. Havent you read Jon Ronsons famous book So Youve Been Publicly Shamed? Everyone else has. Twitter gangs destroy lives.

Never attack individuals, particularly colleagues, on social media. Keep it in-house. People never forget, you see. Twitter certainly doesnt.

Area madman and Twitter owner Elon Musk has said hell remove the blue checks given to verified prominent users and only bestow them on the sad people who buy them as a status symbol. This began happening last week when a pile of anti-vaxxers and gun fetishists began following me waving their little blue checks like axes. Trump was right. Theyre so special!

Only blue checks will be allowed in the For You tab, meaning you will be pestered by a parade of single-issue lunatics. I read Twitter for column ideas but if I cant even tell if a Twit is who he says he is, I cant begin to rely on his information or veracity.

Twitter may be Josh Matlows happy place but its an ever-increasing torment for people without a public voice. If Matlow runs for mayor, I expect even his trusting constituents will be dubious.

Correction  April 3, 2023: A previous version of this article erroneously said Coun. Josh Matlow was suspended and docked pay. Council voted for Matlow to be censured for his conduct and lose 10 days of pay.

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Donald Trump arrived Monday in New York where he will surrender to unprecedented criminal charges, taking America into uncharted and potentially volatile territory as he seeks to regain the presidency, Trend reports citing ENCA.

The 76-year-old Republican, the first US president ever to be criminally indicted, will be formally charged Tuesday over hush money paid to a porn star during the 2016 election campaign.

Trump touched down at LaGuardia Airport after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Florida, on board a private Boeing 757 emblazoned with his name on the fuselage -- a historic journey given wall-to-wall live coverage on US television.

Trump was due to head to Trump Tower, where he was to spend the night before heading Tuesday afternoon to the Manhattan courthouse where he will try to use his appearance before a judge to rouse support for his 2024 White House bid.

"THEY'RE NOT COMING AFTER ME, THEY'RE COMING AFTER YOU -- I'M JUST STANDING IN THEIR WAY!" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, one of a dozen posts he made en route from his Florida mansion to New York.

Police in the city were on high alert with security cordons and Secret Service agents outside Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and the court in Lower Manhattan.

Mayor Eric Adams warned that anyone protesting violently during Trump's historic arraignment will be "arrested and held accountable, no matter who you are."

"While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow our message is clear, is simple: 'control yourselves'," the mayor told a press conference, adding that there were no specific, credible threats.

As part of his arraignment, Trump will undergo the standard booking procedure of being fingerprinted and photographed, likely to result in one of the most famous mugshots of the modern era.
Ontarios solicitor general says his office is working to complete discussions with police forces and other associations so that a four-year-old law can be put into place that could bar officers charged with serious offences from collecting pay.

The issue came to light given recent publicity around the case of an Ontario Provincial Police constable in Leeds County, in eastern Ontario, who has been on leave for eight years with pay, earning $121,000 in 2021 alone.

Jason Redmond was recently found guilty of sexual assault on an unconscious woman and making a video of it to teach her a lesson about excessive drinking, reported the Brockville Recorder and Times.

The Recorder and Times also noted that Redmond had been suspended with pay since 2015 after his involvement in a drug trafficking case.

The Ontario government passed a law in 2019 that would allow officers charged with serious criminal offences to be put on leave without pay, but it cannot be put into force until specific regulations around the changes are completed.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told the legislature he has directed the deputy minister to complete the discussions with our associations, First Nation and Indigenous police services as soon as possible so that we can move forward with the enactment of the new legislation.

I want to repeat again that no one convicted of a serious and disturbing crime like this should be receiving a taxpayer-funded salary, and we expect all those that keep our province safe to uphold the highest standard of professional ethics, he said.

We will accept nothing less.

OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique had previously said in a statement that the Redmond case is troubling for not only members of the public but for our own members who always seek to serve the people of Ontario with pride, professionalism and honour. The OPP has been seeking the dismissal of this individual since his initial conviction. This behaviour is unacceptable for any police officer and cannot be tolerated.

He noted that currently only those convicted can be suspended without pay  and only if their sentence includes jail time.

While the government conducted some consultations during the pandemic on the Community Safety and Policing Act, an update of 30-year-old legislation, it fell behind and now expects to have the regulations in place by the end of this year or early 2024.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles told reporters it concerns me that they havent moved quicker. I dont know why they would avoid that  I mean, they made the changes, now just make sure theyre in effect.

In the legislature, Liberal MPP Lucille Collard (Ottawa-Vanier) said that despite being convicted for drug trafficking, forgery and sexual assault, this officer has been on paid leave since 2015, even making it on the Sunshine List during this time. If receiving three separate convictions for serious offences is not enough for a police officer to lose their job, how can the public trust the officers tasked with their safety?

She also asked about another piece of legislation  the Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act  that would compel hotel owners to keep track of who is staying in their premises and allow police access to the registry if human trafficking is suspected.

While that law has passed, it also has not yet come into force.

It allows police to get information about whos in a hotel room, said Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser. So theres two pieces of public safety legislation that this government has just kind of put on the shelf and ignored and not taking action, which is surprising when you have a premier who claims hes all about public safety  I dont think anyone in this legislature thinks that its right. And so the government dropped the ball  just dropped the ball big time.

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Out of a list of about 175 apocalyptic predictions, some of the significant prophesies were: (i) Beatus of Liebana: This Spanish monk prophesied the Second Coming of Christ and end of the world on 6 April 793 CE.

(ii) Michael Stifel: This mathematician calculated that Judgement Day would begin at 8.00 am on 19 October 1533.

(iii) Martin Luther: Martin Luther, a German Priest and Professor of Theology known for starting Protestant Reformation predicted that the end of the world would occur no later than 1600 CE.

(iv) London Astrologers: These Astrologers predicted the deluge on 1 February 1524 but recalculated the date to 100 years later to 1 February 1624.

(v) Christopher Columbus: Columbus predicted that the world would come to an end in 1658, According to him, the world was created in 5343 BCE and would not last more than 7000 years. (vi) Dean Dixon and various Indian Astrologers: They predicted that the planetary alignment on 4 February 1962 would bring destruction to the world, Mass prayer meetings and Yagnas were held in India. (vii) Brahma Kumaris: Lekhraj Kirpalali, founder of Brahma Kumaris made a number of predictions of a global Armageddon ~ nuclear war and natural disasters and sinking other continents except India ~ that would occur in 1976.

(viii) Nazim Al-Haqqani: This Sufi Muslim predicted that the Last Judgement would occur by 2000.

(ix) Aum Shinrikyo: This Japanese cult predicted that the world would be destroyed by a nuclear war between 30 October and 29 November 2003.

(x) Grigori Rasputin: The Russian mystic who died in 1916, predicted that a severe storm would take place on 23 August 2013 and fire would destroy most life on land and Jesus would come back to Earth to comfort the distressed.

Needless to say, none of these prophesies as well as all other past predictions has come true and it is presumed that future predictions beyond 2023 are likely to be proved wrong, making the predictions of astrologers and clergymen meaningless. Gautama Buddha had said, The only permanent thing in this world is impermanence, as the world is in a perpetual flux. Since every beginning has an end, the world will also end one day ~ when and how is the question! The answer cannot be sought from the soothsayers or the astrologers but from the scientists and the astrophysicists who have been engaged in the exploration of the Universe, its origin and mysteries.

The apocalypse is inevitable. According to the Puranas, Kali Yuga spans over 430,000 years during which the world will be destroyed and a new cycle of civilization will usher in after the destruction. Though not scientifically tested, it offers a plausible explanation. We are supposed to be in the midst of Kali Yuga and the process of destruction due to decline in morality and virtues has already started. The apocalypse can be gradual and need not be sudden. Recent cataclysmic events have shown that mini-apocalypses have already begun.

The Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, the tsunami in Indonesia, the devastating tornadoes in the Mexican Gulf, the unprecedented floods in Europe, the earthquakes in Iran and the recent fateful earthquakes in Turkey and Syria are sure indications that future catastrophes are waiting to happen posing grave dangers for human existence.

Leading astrophysicists and scientists, with the aid of the cosmic detectives (Hubbles space, James Webb Space Telescope etc.) have arrived at a fair assessment about the origin and life of the Universe, the life-time of the Sun and the fate of our planet Earth. According to the LamdaCDM Concordant Model as of 2021, the age of the universe has been estimated at 13.77 billion years (earlier estimate was 13.787 billion years), but there is no convergence of theories about the end of the universe. Scientists are not sure if the end will come with Big Freeze (Big Chill) or Heat Death but the most acceptable hypothesis has been: As the existing stars run out of fuel and cease to shine, the universe will slowly and inexorably grow darker. Eventually black holes will dominate the universe, which themselves will disappear over time as they emit Hawking radiation (source: Reviews of Modern Physics). But this may take many billions of years, may be a trillion years or more. Scientists predict that the Sun which is one of about 100 billion stars in our Galaxy, the Milky Way, has nearly reached its halflife (4.5 billion years) and is currently in a most stable Phase. But in another 4.5-5.5 billion years, the Sun will run out of hydrogen and helium and will collapse into a White Dwarf. Meanwhile, as the Sun will grow out of its stable state, in an expanding Universe, many catastrophic events may occur within the Solar system.

While our Earth is as old as the Sun (4.5 billion years), animal life started evolving from only 800 million years ago and early human life evolved in 15-20 species in Africa between 6 and 2 million years ago. The Journey of Man out of Africa in different branches to populate the continents began only about 10,000 years ago. While the life of the earth is coterminous with the life of the Sun, all existing life forms including Homo sapiens will face extinction after about 1 billion years. It is already a tragedy that 99 per cent of the species that lived on earth, amounting to more than 5 billion, have already become extinct; scientists have estimated around 8.7 million species of plants and animals are in existence out of which only 1.2 million species have been identified and described. The next 1 billion years are critical for the Sun as well as for the Earth. In the process of continuous nuclear fusion, every second, 6000 tons of matter are converted into solar radiation producing roughly 41027 watts of energy. At this rate, the Sun will lose 10 per cent of its energy in 1 billion years, which will have tremendous impact on planet earth.

There are two scientific theories about what is likely to happen then ~ cold death or hot death. One group of scientists thinks that with 10 per cent loss of Suns energy and sunshine, the Earth will be frozen to death. The other group of scientists, who are in the majority, have concluded: as the Sun continues to expend hydrogen in its core, the fusion process speeds up and the output of the Sun increases.

At present, this is leading to a 1 per cent increase in luminosity every 100 million years and a 30 per cent increase over the course of the last 4.5 billion years. In 1.1 billion years from now, the Sun will be 10 per cent brighter than it is today, and this increase in luminosity will also mean increase in heat energy, which Earths atmosphere will absorb. This will trigger a moist greenhouse effect here on Earth that is similar to the runaway warming that turned Venus into the hellish environment that we see there today (source: Universe Today).

In 4.5 billion years from now, the Sun will be 40 per cent brighter, which will cause the oceans to boil and the vapours will dissipate into the atmosphere turning the Earth a Venus-like dry planet. The Suns surface may expand so much that the gravitational forces may cause the Earth and the moon to collapse into the red giant.

In conclusion, final Apocalypse, sudden or gradual, would be inevitable in the distant future. But with the major shifts of the Earths tectonic plates, the activity of the ring of fire, rapid global warming and any instability in the Suns nuclear fusion mechanism, planet Earth will face many mini-apocalypses which we are witnessing today and which will continue to occur for the next 1 billion years. After all, we are in the midst of Kali Yuga! Meanwhile, the worlds astrologers, god men and the fortune tellers may think of retirement and try to listen to what the astrophysicists and scientists have to say about the end of the world.

(The writer is a former Dy. Comptroller &Auditor General of India and a former Ombudsman of Reserve Bank of India. He is also a writer of several books and can be reached at)
A fugitive involved in the cross-border cattle smuggling case now under probe by various Central investigating agencies was accompanying slain coal mafia Rakesh Jha when the latters vehicle was attacked last night, according to police sources.

The fugitive, however, disappeared from the scene immediately after the attack on the NH-19 here last evening.

Jha and his close aide Bratin Mukherjee were heading for Kolkata in a white SUV (No: WB 48D/7032) and the vehicle had halted at the confectioners hub at Shaktigarh briefly, as Bratin reportedly needed some refreshments.

The vehicles registration details indicate its owner was Abdul Latif Sheikh of Birbhum, a person who had been absconding after the CBI charge-sheeted him in the cattle smuggling case.

Sheikh is also close to Anubrata Mondal, the TMC leader now arrested in cattle smuggling case.

It may be recalled that Anubrata Mondal, while being taken from Asansol to Kolkata to be flown to New Delhi, had also halted at Shaktigarh and had met a few of his aides from Birbhum which had triggered off a controversy At large since the investigations by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate began, Sheikh however was desperately trying to find some way to get off the hook, Jha is said to have promised to manage this for him They both were involved in some new business venture, a section of officials in West Burdwan said. Sheikh, the officials, said was accordingly frequenting Jhas place. Jha was scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata on 3 April and Sheikh agreed to accompany him and arrived Jhas palatial hotel at City Centre in Durgapur yesterday. At 6:35 p.m, Jha and Bratin accompanied by Sheikh left the hotel for Kolkata.

The police have gathered CCTV footages from Jhas hotel today and one CCTV grab collected from the Banskopa toll plaza on the NH-19, according to the police, showed Sheikh sitting in the same vehicle, police sources said.

But the same Sheikh disappeared after the Shaktigarh attack.

The CCTV footage gathered from the shops there shows one person and the SUV driver Noor Hossen getting down from the vehicle. Shortly, a blue-coloured car arrived and two persons got down and started raining bullets at Jha, who was sitting beside the drivers seat killing him instantly.

Bratin suffered minor splinter injuries.

The police meanwhile seized the car abandoned by the assailants near Shaktigarh Railway Station about 300 metres away from the place of occurrence.

Empty liquor bottles, some forged registration plates were recovered from inside the car.

The SP, East Burdwan, Kamanashis Sen, said: Weve gathered several inputs but were yet to ascertain the actual motive behind the shootout and murder.

The district police, headed by the SP, Sen has set up a 12 members Special Investigation Team to investigate the incident. Two Forensic experts have also been pressed into operation.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will address a public meeting along with distribution of government benefits at Khejuri in East Midnapore tomorrow.

On 4 April, she is likely to address a booth level workers meeting at Digha.

Miss Banerjee who is also the chairperson of the Trinamul Congress, believes that for the party to be strong, the organisation should be strong at the booth level.

She has said over and again that the booth level workers are the real assets to the party.

She wants to see the organisational strength of the party at its peak ahead of the ensuing Panchayat election which is likely to be held in May as her target is not the three-tier Panchayat election but the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The BJP got 18 MPs from the state in the 2019 Parliament election. But after the landslide defeat of the saffron party in 2021 Assembly election, its organisation has reached the rock bottom level.

On 5 April, the chief minister is likely to inspect the construction work of the Jagananth temple which is likely to be inaugurated shortly.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has alloted land free of cost to the West Bengal government to set up its guest house in Puri. Miss Banerjee during her visit to Puri had inspected the site along with senior officials of the Odisha government and later met the chief minister of the neighbouring state, Naveen Patnaik.

Mr Patnaik has instructed the administration to allot the land free of cost.

Miss Banerjee will come back to Kolkata on 6 April. Meanwhile, the Trinamul Congress has lambasted Anurag Thakur, Union Information and Broadcasting minister for his comment that Miss Banerjee knew that trouble might take place during the Ram Navami procession but did not take proper steps.

Reacting to this statement, Jay Prakash Mazumdar, Trinamul Congress spokesperson said before making such an irresponsible statement, Mr Thakur should have condemned carrying of revolvers and swords during Ram Navami procession. Before making such statements he should try to discipline his own party workers, Mr Mazumdar said.
For the first time the West Bengal government, in collaboration with UNICEF and West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR), is examining how to divert children from judicial procedures for allegedly committing petty crimes and serious offences as a means to ease the trauma they suffer when they are made to go through the legal and correctional system.

As per the provisions of Juvenile Justice Act of 2015, a child allegedly committing minor offences can be diverted from the regular judicial procedure and rehabilitated with the help of social workers by keeping the child with parents or caregivers.

While speaking at a programme on State Consultation on Diversion organised jointly by WBCOCR and UNICEF, Dr Shashi Panja, state minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare said: FIR will not be lodged against children committing petty and serious offences. They may or may not be sent to child care institutions. Efforts will be made to restore children to their families and link them to various welfare services and other alternatives to detention.

She said that as part of extending the services of diversion and its benefits to the children, police, government officials and other stakeholders would be sensitised first. The police will lodge general diaries for children committing petty and serious offences and inform the Juvenile Justice Board. Highlighting scientific evidence she said: When children are made to stand trial for minor crimes, a lot of psychological trauma happens among the minor offenders and their chance of reformation goes away. They are often found to repeat committing similar offences.

Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay of Calcutta High Court urged the magistrates of Juvenile Justice Board of the districts present at the programme to distinguish the cases involving children with empathy.

The West Bengal government and UNICEF with the help of NGP Praajak started a pilot project in some high crime areas of Jalpaiguri, Murshidabad and South 24- Parganas to use the provision of  diversion over detention of the offenders.
According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the amendments in the state statutes were not supported by firm action from Himachal Pradesh in terms of empowerment of urban local bodies (ULBS) to discharge their functions freely and effectively.

CAG said this defeated the spirit of the Constitutional amendment, as is evident from the inconsistencies noticed during the course of the performance audit. The Report No. 1 of the year 2022 of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India  Performance Audit on Efficacy of Implementation of 74 Constitution Amendment Act, 1992- Government of Himachal Pradesh  was forwarded to the government on July 1, 2022, and laid on the table of the Vidhan Sabha.

This report contains significant results of the performance audit conducted to ascertain the Efficacy of Implementation of 74th Constitution Amendment Act, 1992 covering the period from April 2015 to March 2020.

The Municipal Corporations and other municipalities namely, Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayats are governed by the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 (HPMC Act amended October 2016) and the Himachal Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1994, (HPM Act amended September 2016).

The CAG said, Though the state government carried out amendments in the state statutes namely HPMC Act & HPM Act to comply with the provisions of 74th CAA, these amendments were not supported by firm action in terms of empowerment of ULBS to discharge their functions freely and effectively. This defeated the spirit of the Constitutional amendment, as is evident from the inconsistencies noticed during the course of the performance audit.

The overall objective of the CAGs performance audit was to ascertain whether ULBS have indeed been empowered in terms of funds, functions and functionaries to establish themselves as effective institutions of local self-government and whether the 74th CAA has been effectively implemented in the State.

According to a statement from CAG, the 74th CAA authorised the state government to enact laws to empower ULBS with powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as institutions of self-government to transfer various responsibilities to municipalities and to strengthen municipal-level governance.

The notification regarding the devolution of functions had been issued (August 1994).

Of the 18 functions, one function was not devolved to ULBS. In the case of remaining 17 functions, ULBS were solely responsible for five functions; were mere implementing agencies for four functions; had limited role with overlapping jurisdiction of state departments/parastatals for six functions; and had no role for two functions.

The term of the office of the mayor and deputy mayor was not coterminous with the duration of the House of municipal corporations. However, the term of offices of the presidents and vice-presidents of municipal councils and nagar panchayats were coterminous with the duration of municipalities.

According to CAG report, meetings of the Houses of ULBS were not held regularly. The percentage of number of meetings of House of ULBS held when compared with mandatory number of meetings, ranged between 35 per cent and 95 per cent during 2015-20.

All three Standing Committees were formed in the test-checked 14 ULBs. However, against prescribed number of 3,640 meetings, only 173 meetings were held in three ULBS (MC Solan: 44, MC Nahan: 83 and NP Sunni: 46). No meetings were held in remaining 11 selected ULBS. Ward Committees (WCs) were not constituted in any of the test-checked ULBs except in Municipal Corporation Shimla.

District Planning Committees (DPC) were constituted in all the districts of test-checked ULBS, however the ULBS had not prepared and submitted respective development plans to DPC.

According to the CAG, there was no uniformity in method of levying the property tax. Surveys to enumerate the properties was not as per time schedule envisaged. Digitising property database using Geographic Information System (GIS) and automating property tax calculations was not put in place for all the ULBS. Recovery on account of property tax (14.69 crore); conservancy tax (3.82 crore); rent from commercial establishments (10.66 crore) was outstanding thereby showing the ineffectiveness of ULBS in augmenting of their own revenue.
Ten districts of Uttar Pradesh have been found to have suffered substantial crop damage due to unseasonal rain in the survey by the UP relief commissioners office.

The affected districts are Fatehpur, Pilibhit, Bareilly, Sitapur, Aligarh, Moradabad, Sonbhadra, Hamirpur, Sambhal and Unnao.

These districts were hit by hailstorm and rain between March 31 and April 2.

In the survey conducted from March 15 till date, over one lakh farmers were found to have been affected by unseasonal rain in 11 districts.

Official reports said that a total of 35,480.52 hectares of agricultural land was badly hit and Rs 58.59 crore was payable to the affected farmers.

At least 1,343 hectares of land belonging to 5,026 farmers in Fatehpur, 2804 hectares of land of 4,738 farmers in Agra, and 559 hectares of land of 3,090 farmers in Bareilly has been affected.

Likewise, 11,265 farmers in Chandauli having 2,986 hectares of land, 396 farmers with 271 hectares in Hamirpur, 205 farmers with 145 hectares in Jhansi, and 7,380 farmers having 6,216 hectares land in Lalitpur have been affected.

In Prayagraj, at least 9,252 farmers having 4,448 hectares faced crop losses.

Since the last two weeks, Uttar Pradesh has received unseasonal rain accompanied by thunderstorm, hailstorm and gusty wind due to the western disturbances.
All passengers and crew aboard an Wizz Air flight were safe after their flight, which was en route to London, was forced make an emergency landing at Hurghada International Airport (HRG) shortly after takeoff due to a false fire alarm on board the aircraft late on Saturday.
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday lamented the fact that many students find it difficult to pursue higher education because of their responsibilities and circumstances. However, she acknowledged the contribution of institutions like IGNOU to providing education to such students

Addressing the 36th convocation of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in New Delhi, Droupadi Murmu expressed happiness that many employed/self-employed persons are getting an education from IGNOU for skill upgradation. She said such earners and learners can come out of under-employment by getting an education through distance education. Thus, distance education has a wide socio-economic utility.

President Murmu also appreciated the fact that IGNOU is providing a very useful service to such students by providing higher education through distance education.

She said that the IGNOU has an important role in nation-building through education. Under the National Education Policy 2020, a target has been set to achieve 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by the year 2035. She noted that IGNOU is making a very important contribution to achieving this goal.
Overnight flash foods set off by a heavy rain here in the Yemeni capital left traffic paralysed.

The floodwaters, which started late Friday, once reached knee height in large parts of downtown Sanaa, inundating markets, lowrise homes and shops through Saturday.

Some flooded main streets and tunnel entrances have been closed, Xinhua news agency reported.

On late Saturday, water level has yet to recede in downtowns Al-Tahrir Square, as well as Bab-Al-Yemen and Al-Sayelah in and outside the Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO heritage site.

Residents were seen struggling to clear up water and sludge from their basements and shops while rescuing their belongings.

Yemens national weather service issued flash floods warning for various provinces as a rise in precipitation is forecasted with the start of the rainy season.

Last rainy season, at least 10 multi-storeyed buildings in Sanaa were collapsed and dozens more in the Old City damaged due to heavy rains.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced the launch of CM Di Yogshala campaign in the state for creating a mass movement to carve out a healthy and prosperous Punjab. In a video message, the CM said in consonance with the glorious ancient tradition of India these Yogshalas will help in making the Punjabis healthy, both physically and mentally.

He said that as a pilot project these Yogshalas will be introduced in cities of Amritsar, Phagwara, Patiala and Ludhiana, where trained Yoga instructors will impart free Yoga training to people in open parks and other public places. He said that the primary motive of this campaign is to ensure that a mass campaign is started for making Punjab healthy, prosperous and progressive.

Highlighting the importance of Yoga, the CM said Yoga was very essential for a fit body and sound mind. Mann said he himself practices Yoga every morning adding that every individual should make Yoga an integral part of their daily life to remain hale and hearty. He said that the CM di Yogshala campaign will act as a pivotal to create awareness amongst the people about ensuring good health and hygiene by practicing Yoga.

The CM said it is the need of the hour not only to maintain good health but also de-stress the people, who face numerous challenges every day in their lives. He said rising stress levels amongst people is a major cause of concern for everyone and Yoga can play an important role in saving the people from it.

Mann said it is essential to maintain mental and physical equilibrium by living a quality life by making certain changes in lifestyle and by practicing Yoga. The CM said the CM di Yogshala campaign is a step forward towards achieving the ultimate goal of ensuring a healthy and quality life for every Punjabi.

He expressed hope that these Yog Shalas will act as a catalyst in moving towards carving out a healthy and progressive Punjab. Mann said that the day is not far when these Yogshalas will prove to be a stepping stone for ensuring quality life of Punjabis.
Congress MPs are set to meet ahead and chalk out their strategy on Monday ahead of Rahul Gandhis appeal against his conviction and jail term by a Surat court for his Modi surname defamation case.

Parliament is set to resume today after a four-day break and Congress MPs will hold a meeting at 10.30 am in the Congress Parliamentary Party office to chalk out the strategy for the day. The party MPs have been asked to wear black clothes during the meeting. Meanwhile, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was seen arriving at Rahul Gandhis residence in the national capital before he embarked for Gujarat city to appeal against the order of a magistrate court in Surat.

The former Wayanad MP will today file an appeal in the Sessions court in Surat and the party expects that court will take up the matter today itself. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach the Surat court at around 3 pm.

The former Lok Sabha MP was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his Modi surname remark in 2019 in Karnataka.

According to sources, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will accompany the former MP to court.

Besides Priyanka, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel along with Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi are likely to accompany Rahul Gandhi. Also, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat are expected to join the group.

The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?

After the Surat courts verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha following his conviction in the case.

Congress has protested aggressively against Rahul Gandhis disqualification inside the Parliament as well as outside it. Congress along with other opposition parties had held a black dress protest against the government over Rahul Gandhi and Adani issue. They had marched from the Parliament complex towards Vijay Chowk together in an attempt to show unity.

Rahul Gandhi also received an eviction notice from the Lok Sabha secretariat, to which he said that he would abide by the notice.

After the disqualification of Rahuls membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests across the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition players around it in the wake of Rahuls loss of membership from the Lower House.
Stating that there is no dearth of political will to take action against corruption in the country today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked CBI officers to take action against the corrupt, without hesitation, however powerful they might be.

Inaugurating the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Vigyan Bhawan on Monday, Narendra Modi asked the CBI officers not to be deterred by the history of power of the corrupt and the ecosystem created by them to tarnish the investigative agencies.

These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should be spared. There should be no laxity in our efforts. This is the wish of the country, this is the wish of the countrymen. The country, the law and the Constitution are with you, he said.

Commending CBIs work over the past 60 years, the prime minister said CBIs chief responsibility is to rid the country of corruption. Corruption is not an ordinary crime, it snatches the rights of the poor, it begets many other crimes, corruption is the biggest obstacle in the path of justice and democracy, he said.

He said corruption in the government system hampers democracy and the first casualty is dreams of the youth as in such circumstances a certain type of ecosystem flourishes killing talent. Corruption, the prime minister said, promotes nepotism and a dynastic system which erodes the nations strength, seriously hampering development.

India got a legacy of corruption at the time of Independence and instead of removing it, some people kept nourishing this malady, he said. He remembered the scams and the prevailing sense of impunity just a decade ago. The corrupt felt assured the system stood with them. There was an atmosphere of policy paralysis and development came to a standstill, he said.

After 2014, the prime minister said his governments priority was to instill faith in the system, and for this, the government started taking action against black money and benami property in mission mode, inflicting punishment on the corrupt, as well as reasons behind their activities.

Transparency in the processes of issuing government tenders was ensured and this was highlighted by the difference in 2G and 5G spectrum allocations, he said. The GeM (Government eMarketplace) Portal was established to ensure transparency in making purchases in every department of the Central government.

The prime minister said todays Internet banking and UPI stand in stark contrast to the earlier phone banking malaise. On receiving telephone calls from persons associated with influential political parties, loans worth thousands of crores of Rupees were given by banks. This had ruined the countrys banking system.

The government made efforts in the past some years to bring the banking sector to an even keel. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act had enabled confiscation of Rs 20,000 crore worth of properties of the fugitive offenders.

He said the corrupt would not shy from even looting welfare aid sent out to beneficiaries of government schemes. Be it rations, homes, scholarships, pensions or any other government scheme, the Prime Minister said, the original beneficiary would feel conned every single time.

Even a prime minister once said for every rupee sent out to the poor, only 15 paise reaches them, Modi recalled. Giving the example of Direct Benefit transfer, the prime minister said that the government has so far transferred Rs 27 lakh crore to the poor.

If the 15 paise reaching the beneficiaries out of every Rupee had continued, Rs 16 lakh crores would have already disappeared, he said. The Prime Minister remarked that beneficiaries are today getting their full entitlement with the trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile, while more than eight crore fake beneficiaries have been removed from the system. Due to DBT, about Rs 2.25 lakh crore of the country has been saved from going into the wrong hands, he said.

Recalling corruption in recruitments in the name of interviews, he said to stop this, interviews were abolished in Group C and Group D services at the Centre. Similarly, urea related scams were tackled by neem-coating of urea. The Prime Minister also remarked on growing transparency in defence deals and emphasis on aatmanirbharta in the defence sector.

Stressing the need to give up the silos approach in work, the Prime Minister said that joint and multidisciplinary investigation will be possible only in an environment of mutual trust. He said that Indias economic power is growing while those who create obstacles are also increasing.

The prime minister warned that attacks on Indias social fabric, its unity and brotherhood, its economic interests and its institutions will also increase. Corruption money will be spent on this, he said as he stressed the need to understand and study the multinational nature of crime and corruption.

Stressing the need to further expand the use of forensic science in investigations, the Prime Minister noted that even though crimes are becoming global due to modern technology, their solution also lies in modern technology.

During the programme, the prime minister conferred the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Gold Medal for Best Investigating Officers on CBI officers. Through their work and skills, CBI has instilled trust among the common citizens of the country. he said.
The second meeting of the G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Womens Economic Representation (EMPOWER) will be held from 4 -6 April at Thiruvananthapuram.

EMPOWER is an alliance of G20 business leaders and governments that aims to accelerate womens leadership and empowerment in the private sector. The G20 EMPOWER 2023 under Indias presidency aims to take forward Indias women-led development agenda.

According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, womens Empowerment is not just an issue of social justice, it is also an economic imperative.

Together, the G20 members represent more than 80 per cent of the worlds GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and 60% of the world population. Given its key role in the global economy, the G20 holds a strategic role in securing future global economic growth and prosperity. It also has a huge potential to deliver on womens empowerment and gender equality.

The theme of the G20 EMPOWER 2nd Meeting is Womens Empowerment: A Win-Win for Equity and Economy. Indias G20 Presidency is inclusive, equitable, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented pushing forward transformative changes toward womens economic empowerment.

Today, countries are focusing on empowering women like never before. Indias G20 Presidency has come at a critical juncture and an opportune time too. The priority areas of G20 EMPOWER 2023 and efforts made under G20 EMPOWER Alliance during the past presidencies to accelerate womens empowerment will be taken forward and strengthened under the 2nd EMPOWER Meeting in Thiruvananthapuram.

Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for the Ministry of Women & Child Development will grace the occasion and enlighten the august gathering. Sangita Reddy, Chair of G20 EMPOWER 2023 will be present for the meeting and will address the august gathering.

The G20 EMPOWER 2nd Meeting will be initiated, with an opening plenary session on Achieving Economic Prosperity by Empowering Women: Towards 2525 Brisbane Goals followed by panel discussions.

The highlights during these dialogues would include Advancing Womens Entrepreneurship through Mentoring & Capacity Building; Market Access and Financing; Role of STEM Education & Innovation for Scaling up Businesses; Enabling Leadership across all levels including at the Grassroots; Holistic well-being, including Mental and Preventive Health for Womens Empowerment; Increasing Investment for Quality & Reach of Education, Digital Fluency and Lifelong Learning; Strengthening Womens Participation in Scientific and Non-traditional Sectors of Work.

The side events on 4 April will also take up very important issues in the form of panel discussions on Enabling School-to-Work Transitions and Career Development Opportunities; Investing in an Enabling Infrastructure to Support the Care Economy; Navigating Corporate Culture for Women Empowerment.

The closing plenary session will focus on identifying key outcomes and establishing actions across G20 EMPOWER priorities on points of consensus.
The government has decided to lay emphasis on Cashless Hajj this year. In pursuant to this policy, the Haj pilgrims will be provided with a card by the State Bank of India (SBI) for the use of foreign currency. Highly placed sources in the Ministry of Minority Affairs gave this information on Monday.

Under the earlier system, Haj pilgrims had to deposit 2,100 Saudi Riyals (about Rs 45 thousand) with the Haj Committee of India, which used to be made available to them for spending in Mecca and Medina of Saudi Arabia.

It may be mentioned here that Mecca in Saudi Arabia is considered the holiest place in Islam and all Muslims aspire to make a pilgrimage to the holy shrine in a lifetime. Hence, every year, millions of Muslims visit Saudi Arabia to fulfil their religious obligation.

According to the ministry sources, now the Haj pilgrims no longer need to deposit an amount with the Haj Committee. They can directly use this money through SBI. They will also be given a Forex Card and hence wont need to carry cash. Now, they can spend money according to their needs.

The source said there is an emphasis on the Cashless Haj in Digital India. It is the endeavour of the ministry that the pilgrims get maximum facilities and their expenses are also reduced.

According to the ministry, 1.84 lakh applications have been received for Haj this year, out of which 10,621 people above the age of 70 years and 4,314 women who applied for Haj without mahram (close male relative) were given priority, based on approval.

The ministry says that 1.4 lakh people have been selected for the Haj pilgrimage, they have been informed through SMS and those whose names are included in the waiting list have also been informed through SMS. This year 1,75,025 people will go on Haj from India. The first flight for Haj Yatra (Hajj Yatra 2023) will start from India on May 21.
The Himachal Pradesh government repealed the Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Act, 2021 by passing a Bill in the state Legislative Assembly by voice vote on Monday amid fierce protest by the Opposition BJP.

The Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Act, 2021 was brought by the previous BJP state government.

The BJP, protesting against the repeal of the Act, created a ruckus in the House. Later the entire Opposition staged a walkout from the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan presented the Bill to repeal the Act in the House.

Responding to the discussion on the Bill, Chauhan said the previous BJP government had misused government funds in the name of Loktantra Prahari Samman to give benefits to their favourites.

Our government is not bound to continue the wrong done by the previous government. That is why our government has decided to repeal this law, he said.

Blaming the BJP, Chauhan said that the opposition should be ashamed of having misused the government funds, as no one was sent to jail as a punishment during an emergency, instead they were kept in jail as a precautionary measure.

He said that the previous government had spent more than Rs. 3.43 crore in the name of Loktantra Prahari Samman.

After the Emergency, the previous state government under Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal as Chief Ministers had remained in power twice each in the state, so why did they not think about the Loktantra Praharis.

Earlier, taking part in the discussion on the Bill brought to repeal the Act, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that if the government believes in the democratic system, then they should reconsider abolishing this Act.

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the previous government had killed democracy by bringing this Act and that such an honour should be given, only to the freedom fighters and no one else.

BJP member Satpal Singh Satti said that his party, if voted to power, would double the amount given to the Loktantra Praharis and will also pay them the remaining amount with interest.
Continuing its drive against fake firms, Himachal Pradeshs Department of State Taxes and Excise, identified four fake firms in the state.

An official spokesperson said here on Monday that the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU), of the department identified four fake firms owned by three individuals belonging to Gujarat as per Aadhar details.

These three individuals applied for 184 registrations across the country, out of which only 31 got approved. Ten registrations were applied by them in Himachal Pradesh.

While all the registrations applied to the department were rejected, however, these persons were successful in getting four registrations approved by the Central GST Authorities in Himachal Pradesh.

State Taxes and Excise Department, Commissioner, Yunus informed that after a detailed analysis of the data of these firms, it was observed that these were apparently making suspicious transactions.

Enquiries were conducted with regards to addresses disclosed by these firms for conducting business in the state and none of these firms were found to exist, he said.

These individuals have disclosed a business of Rs. 167 crores and have passed on fake Input tax credits of Rs. 27 crores across India, he disclosed, adding that in the state of Himachal Pradesh, they have disclosed a turnover of Rs. 56 crores and have passed on fake Input Tax Credit of Rs. 9.43 crore.

The Department has taken up the matter with Central Authorities in view of the fact that the firms are under Central Jurisdiction and their network is spread across the country.

The Central authorities have been requested to take immediate action against these fake entities, said Yunus.
In the context of growing military and political instability in the world, many states and governments are facing the problem of national security, sovereignty, and non-involvement in military conflicts. The invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine is probably a marker not only of the lack of effective solutions to the global problems of international competition, poverty, ecology, and inequality in access to resources and technologies but also of the overall gradual withering away of the existing international political architecture. At the same time, the birth of a new international order will be long, difficult, and extremely conflicting; destructive for states and regions; and not lead us in the foreseeable future to some kind of stable hierarchy of relations, or slide into disorderly multipolarity, as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell exactly said.

Therefore, today, as in the early 1960s  the peak of the confrontation between the West and the USSR, which ended in detente after the Caribbean crisis, many (or even most) states of the world found themselves in a situation of seriously increased risks of being drawn into a global conflict on the side of one of the opposing blocs or unwittingly become the arena (battlefield) of such a confrontation. The crises in Ukraine, Armenia, Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen are recent examples of it.

After all, the world is rapidly polarizing and is divided into military-political and socio-economic blocs and groups of countries. At the same time, the United States, NATO with allies (about 60 countries formally united in a necklace of formal and informal NATO alliances, AUKUS, Ramstein +) and the Russian Federation with allies (CSTO, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, etc.) are actively trying to draw third countries into war, creating funnels (whirlpools) of crises and relations of a political, economic and technological nature. But this statement is true not only for the confrontation between the US and the Russian Federation, but also for the strategic competition between the US and China. The big countries are trying to force the rest to live in a flat black and white world, while these countries themselves see many colors and shades in the pursuit of their national benefit.

The geopolitical discourse in Europe and North America is still largely built on the basis of a bipolar vision of the world and the system of international relations. In which the confrontation between the US and the USSR during the Cold War was briefly replaced by the struggle between liberal democracies and authoritarian regimes, and today it is a hybrid war between the West and the Russian Federation, and competition between the US and China. Such a view is certainly important for nation-building and identity formation, and mobilization of social forces, but, nevertheless, it is not sufficient not only for building effective relations with many states and unions of the state beyond the borders of Europe and North America but also for state strategizing in general.

At the same time, most countries of the world reasonably (although not always consciously) do not want to take sides  participants in a conflict with an indefinite ending. They do not seek to make their political, economic and social sacrifices for the sake of the interests of global confrontation. Moreover, most of the worlds countries (out of 197 recognized) are de facto and de jure non-aligned or even have an internationally recognized neutral status.

This positioning has deep historical roots and was formalized with the creation of the International Non-Aligned Movement (IMN) in September 1961. Then the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement  25 countries, many of which have only recently gained independence, called to refrain from using the mechanisms of collective defense in the interests of any of the major powers. The creation of the Movement was preceded by the Bandung Conference in 1955, tripartite consultations between Jawaharlal Nehru (India), Broz Tito (Yugoslavia) and Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt) in 1956. As a condition of membership, the states of the Non-Aligned Movement have committed themselves not to become part of a multilateral military alliance (such as NATO or the Warsaw Pact), or a signatory to a bilateral military agreement with one of the superpowers. Although this obligation was later violated by individual countries.

Nowadays the Non-Aligned Movement(NAM) unites 120 member countries or 62% of the membership of the United Nations: 37 Asian, 53 African, 26 American, 3 ocean states. The member states of this movement are occupying an area for 54.53 million km  this is 36.1% of the habitable area of the globe. The countries of the Movement are home to about 57% of the worlds population  4.44 billion people, and the participating states together own more than 75% of the worlds oil and more than half of the gas reserves.

Moreover, another 18 states, 5 international and 2 national political movements are endowed with observer status in the NAM.

The functioning of the NAM is organized without the creation of formal administrative structures and without a budget. The Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement, based at the UN, is the main instrument for directing the work of task forces, committees and working groups of the movement. Unlike the United Nations (UN) or the Organization of American States, the Non-Aligned Movement does not have a formal charter or permanent secretariat.

Responsibility for running the NAM organization entrusted to the country holding the presidency, which changes at each summit. The Conference, or Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, is the main gathering within the movement and is held every few years. There were 18 such conferences in total. Foreign ministers of member states meet more regularly to discuss common problems, especially at the opening of each regular session of the UN General Assembly. Each summit of the movement elects a chairman. The host country of the next Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, represented by the head of state or government, becomes the chairman of the Movement for the next three years. At the 18th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Baku in 2019, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was appointed chairman. On October 11, Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, hosted a high-level meeting dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement. The member states of the Movement unanimously decided to extend Azerbaijans chairmanship for another year, until the end of 2023. Ilham Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan will build the priorities of its chairmanship and activities on the basis of the Bandung principles, resolutely uphold justice and the norms of international law.

Despite the fact that the Non-Aligned Movement comprises most of the United Nations membership, NAM has never been a subsystem of the UN and has maintained its independence. During the Cold War, membership in the Non-Aligned Movement also helped countries to balance between the US and the USSR, and became an important tool for developing countries to maintain military and political sovereignty.

At the same time, the Non-Aligned Movement is also unique in that it was united countries with different political systems  from absolutist monarchies to socialist republics, and an unequal level of economic development,with complicated interstate relations (for example, Pakistan and India).

In most cases, there was no unity in the Movement in approaches regarding the assessment of conflicts. But the idea of non-alignment also did not mean that the state should remain passive in international politics. On the contrary, ever since the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement, its stated aim has been to give voice to the developing countries and to encourage their concerted action in world affairs.

After the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement lost some of its original goals that formed the basis of this association  balancing in the bipolar world and non-participation in the military blocs of the parties. But most of the goals-problems have been preserved  the necessity to protect their sovereignty from pressure and political unification; opposition to attempts of gross interference in the internal affairs of countries; the desire to build relationships within the framework of the choice in favor of an alliance with one side or another; ensuring equal international conditions for socio-economic development and others.

The separated members of the Movement also continued to form a new set of tasks for the NAM, but they often do so alone. For example, the participating countries have made significant efforts to address such pressing issues as hunger and poverty, social instability, interethnic and religious conflicts, ecology and technology transfer, and so on. Indeed, in the current international situation, non-aligned and developing countries are facing new challenges in the process of economic development, international competition and are negatively influenced by certain factors of globalization.

Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, calls are beginning to sound more and more actively for the activation of the work of the Non-Aligned Movement, the reboot of its institutions. There is an obvious need to activate, renew and modernize the International Non-Aligned Movement, fill it with new real meanings and goals, expand instruments of influence in key international organizations not only in the political, but also in the socio-economic and cultural dimension.

After all, the situation in Ukraine has clearly demonstrated that the world needs an effective security model, and international organizations have shown a complete inability to prevent or stop the war. As it turned out, in the new geopolitical realities, the system of international law formed after World War II no longer works, and the real security of countries is based on political will, military power and the ability to respond in a consolidated manner to security crises created by individual military blocs or global states.

In this situation, most of the NAM countries condemned the actions of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in the UN, but many abstained, and some even took the side of the Russian Federation. At the same time, NAM countries often and actively criticize Western sanctions as ineffective. The public position of the Movement itself has not yet been formed.

Although the most clear and unequivocal lines of non-alignment to the conflict in the Ukrainian-Russian war from the NAM state and the G-20 are India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and some other countries that set the tone for the Movement.

But just India, because of its authority and historical experience, economic strength (5-6 GDP in the world) and growth dynamics that could become the real leader of the renewed NAM.India is one of the main historical founders of NAM.

Indeed,at the beginning of the 21st century, India has already played a significant role in the revival and reconstruction of the Non-Aligned Movement, proposing new forms of cooperation at the XIII NAM Conference in February 2003 (Kuala Lumpur) and developing the theme of a multipolar world at the XVII NAM Summit in Venezuela (2016).

In general, after the end of the Cold War, India is systematically reviewing its relations with the great powers and modernizing its regional policy with an emphasis on economic interests and projects. The country co-founded or joined several organizations built around world powers: BRICS and SCO around Russia and China; pays balanced attention to cooperation within the QUAD, which includes the US, Japan and Australia.

At the same time, a group of Indias leading political intellectuals released a White Paper titled Non-Aligned 2.0 which predicted that Indias success as a prosperous, multi-ethnic democracy will define future opportunities for humanity.

And as India strengthens its voice in world affairs, more active engagement with the Non-Aligned Movement and, more broadly, with the Global South becomes evident. At the same time, the new interest in the Global South is not a return to the perception of the Non-Aligned Movement as an anti-Western or anti-Eastern project. Speaking at the ministerial meeting of the Baku Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in 2019, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar noted: Multilateralism today is undoubtedly experiencing difficulties. It is important that our Movement, representing two-thirds of the worlds population, continue to work together and play a leading role in building multi-stakeholder governance structures that can meet the challenges of the 21st century.In his book The Indian Way, he also argues that India should pursue its own interests, using competition between rival great powers to extract the maximum benefit for itself.

India forms its international policy on the basis of the principle of non-alignment to the Russian-Ukrainian war as well. Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar believes that in this case, an immediate cessation of hostilities, an emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy, respect for the international order and institutions such as the United Nations, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each country are necessary. India is providing and is ready to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and play the role of a peacemaker to resolve the conflict.

Despite significant external multidirectional pressure, India:

1. Abstains from all UN votes and multilateral elections with criticism of Russia.

2 Refused to join the sanctions of more than 30 countries,including the US, EU, Indias Quad partners Australia, Japan, etc.

3. Increased consumption of Russian oil against the background of the US ban and European calls to reduce Russian imports.

4. Calls for diplomacy and dialogue, the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, and the cessation of hostilities.

India demonstrates intends to continue to act from the position of a peaceful settlement, non-alignment and the pursuit of its national interests. This is an honest and transparent policy, although some of its elements are painfully accepted in Ukraine.

Therefore, as a powerful country with a legacy of peaceful foreign policy, India can play a positive and even decisive peacekeeping role. And its non-aligned approach here could contribute to the establishment of a dialogue between the parties and peace in Ukraine. Finally, as India seeks to become an independent pole in world affairs, India could do more with partners within organizations such as the Non-Aligned Movement.

India could be the initiator of a new global Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Countries with the next agenda:

 assessing global risks and updating the goals of the NAM in modern international conditions;

 creation of target working groups of the NAM (in particular, for Ukraine) to develop principles for proposals for a peaceful settlement;

 creation of a target working group for the preparation of the Charter of the NAM and the development of international mechanisms to counter the involvement of the NAM countries in wars and conflicts; ensuring their national security interests in the broadest sense;

 renewal of the Coordinating Bureau of the Movement and giving a new impetus to its work, consideration of the issue of establishing a transitional secretariat on the basis of the country chairing the Organization.

In general, India and a number of countries of the Non-Aligned Movement are centers of economic growth and political influence that can acquire the status of pillars of a new world order.

The process of shifting the zones of world economic development and political processes to the Global South plays into the hands of India, deprived many exaggerated ambitions and historical problems characteristic of Europe or North America; but full of economic dynamism and social optimism.

It is obvious that the background of the escalating confrontation between the United States, the Russian Federation and China, the status of the Non-Aligned Movement begins to increase again. Given the powerful resource potential concentrated there, the Non-Aligned Movement has a good chance of becoming an influential international association, especially against the backdrop of a crisis in the UN system and other international organizations responsible for maintaining world order. After all, the old architecture of international security (UN, OSCE, CE, and so on) is not only often ineffective, but also ceases to be a subject of international politics, and even just a field of international politics  is ignored by global players. Against this background, international organizations of such a format as the Non-Aligned Movement, standing on a pragmatic and rational platform, striving for equality, joining efforts in order to universally comply with the norms and principles of international law, can be in demand in the conditions of the formation of a multipolar world. At the same time, interstate or polystate forms of politics will require a new or updated international legal institutionalization, instead of or within the framework of international associations created in the era of classical bipolarity.

Non-alignment and the non-blocking or neutrality that lies within it in the modern world are often synonymous with the word independence. And although this requires a considerable effort of resources and political will of the elites from any of the countries, it is often associated with significant economic costs for the armed forces and social stability, but the strategic prospects and benefits of such a status are undeniable. The opportunity, in the context of a constantly changing political context and significant risks of new international wars and conflicts, to choose the best course for your state and people is difficult to overestimate.

And the real sovereignty of countries has already become the main currency of geopolitics, into which the world is rapidly sinking.

[Ruslan Bortnik is a well-known Ukrainian scientist and political expert and Director of the Ukrainian Institute of Politics (think-tank). For more than 11 years he was a civil servant and worked as an adviser in the Ukrainian Parliament. He is the co-author of more than 40 bills of Ukraine and the author of many publications in mass media and 6 books.]
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed launching more joint projects with Saudi Arabia, in the light of the promising investments between the two countries, during his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman in Riyadh on Friday, the Egyptian presidency said.

On the sidelines of the China-Arab Summit that was held in the Saudi capital, the Egyptian president discussed with the Saudi Crown Prince how to promote economic and investment integration between Cairo and Riyadh.

According to the Egyptian presidency, El-Sisi stressed the importance of continuing periodic and intensive consultation and coordination with Saudi Arabia on issues of common concern at the highest level, in a way that reflects the two countries commitment to strengthening their deeply-rooted strategic ties and enhancing Arab and Islamic unity in the face of enormous challenges.

The Egyptian President also hailed the bilateral talks, which come at a delicate time with many successive regional and international developments.

For his part, the Saudi crown prince lauded the distinguished relations that bind the two brotherly countries.

He asserted Saudi Arabia's keenness to support bilateral cooperation frameworks with Egypt at various levels.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have shared warm relations in various political, economic, security and investment fields and have maintained continuous coordination on regional issues of concern.

In June, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed 14 investment agreements worth $7.7 billion.

The volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached about SAR 54 billion ($14.4 billion) in 2021  the highest in history  achieving a growth of 87 percent compared to 2020, according to a recent report issued by the Federation of Saudi Chambers.

Moreover, the volume of Saudi exports to the Egyptian market reached SAR 38.6 billion ($10.8 billion), and Egyptian imports to the Saudi market reached SAR 15.7 billion ($4.18 billion)  a record growth of 60 percent.

Furthermore, the volume of Saudi investments in Egypt amounts to more than $32 billion through more than 6,800 Saudi companies, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

During the current global crisis sparked by the Russia-Ukraine war, Saudi Arabia deposited $5 billion in the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), and the country is expected to invest even more.

Prior to the war, Saudi Arabia had deposited $3 billion in the CBE and extended the maturity of other deposits worth $2.3 billion which will now be paid in October 2026.

President El-Sisi held bilateral meetings with leaders attending the first China-Arab Summit since his arrival in Riyadh on Thursday, including Tunisia, Sudan, Iraq and China.

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Parliament assembled on Monday for the last week of its Budget Session but was adjourned after some quick business marked by interruptions by the Opposition shouting slogans for a JPC inquiry into the Adani Group affairs.

The Lok Sabha had a few minutes sittings both in the morning and the afternoon before being adjourned till Wednesday as Tuesday is a holiday due to Mahavir Jayanti.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Competition Amendment Bill, 2023 in the afternoon without discussion. The Bill, already passed by the Lok Sabha, was taken up for consideration amidst protests from the Congress and other Opposition parties.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar called for a voice vote on the Bill as there was no member coming forward to discuss it, and declared the Bill as passed. The House was adjourned till Wednesday. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge failed to speak, although he made a few attempts. The Congress members attended Parliament in black dresses.

Before the Bill was taken up, the chairman said on this day in 1952, the Rajya Sabha was constituted, and greeted the members on the Rajya Sabha Day.

He said the Council of States, as defined in the Constitution, plays a critical role in Indias polity. Upholding the federal principle of our democracy, the Rajya Sabha contributes towards the welfare of the people by voicing their concerns and acting as a platform for erudite discussions, he said.

He said the term Upper House or House of Elders, though not part of official glossary, amply reflect the uniquely significant importance of this institution. The nation justifiably expects us to lead by example in setting sublime parliamentary traditions worth emulating by all others.

The House should be a platform for debate, dialogue, deliberation and discussion, and not a theatre of disruption and disturbance. On this significant occasion, I appeal to the hon. Members of the Upper House resolve, to protect the dignity of Rajya Sabha and engage in informed, meaningful debates and deliberations for the greater progress of the nation in Amrit Kaal, the Chairman said.
More than 1,600 complaints have been received by the Punjab government against private schools.

The complaints were received on an email address issued by the state School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains for filing of complaints against exorbitant fee hike, buying books of a particular publisher, frequently changing colour and design of uniforms and shoes among other things.

Disclosing this on Monday, the minister said on the email address ([email protected]) students and parents can directly complain to the education minister about the looting of private schools.

He said these complaints have been sent to the task force constituted at the district level, for redressal of the complaints. The task force will visit the schools to verify the facts and submit the report to the regulatory authority.

Bains said looting in the name of education will not be allowed in the state as per the guidelines of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. He said notices have been issued to 30 private schools of the state for not following the government instructions. The Punjab Regulation of Fees of Unaided Educational Institutions Bill 2016 and 2019 has been violated by these schools. These schools have been asked to submit their response in this regard within seven days, the minister said.

Bains on Saturday formed a task force to stop the private schools from looting parents in the name of textbooks, notebooks and fees.

The task force has been formed in each district of the state in which three principals from that district have been included. This task force will investigate the complaint received by the education minister and submit its report to the regulatory authority.
A war of words broke out between Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress as Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by family and party leaders, embarked for Surat to appeal against a court order, which convicted him in a 2019 defamation case in connection with the Modi surname.

BJP alleged that for the Congress one family is bigger than the country while the opposition party said that it will fight against corruption. Union minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that top leaders of the party accompanying Rahul Gandhi to the court in Surat where he will file an appeal against his conviction was a childish attempt to put undue pressure on the judiciary.

They (Congress) are doing a drama to threaten the judiciary. I condemn it. If a court has convicted somebody, then the drama is basically about pressuring. Congress party considers a family above the country Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament today.

However, Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel questioned the BJPs logic. I am going with my leader (Rahul Gandhi), how can this be pressure on the judiciary? They (BJP) are creating a ruckus in West Bengal and Bihar. Till now no appeal has come from PM Modi and Amit Shah, Baghel told reporters.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, We will not debate the courts decision but will fight against injustice. It is not a show of strength. He is our leader. Everyone goes to stand by a leader. The family members go along when there is even a normal case. This is a party and we are fighting for the country. We will reach there. It is the decision of the whole party, he has not called us.

Himachal chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, who is also accompanying Rahul rubbished the allegation of drama levelled by the BJP.

No one can pressurise judiciary. We are going to Surat. Congress is the main opposition party and Rahul Gandhi is big leader of our party. This is not a political drama. We stand by him, Sukhu said.

Earlier today, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen along with other top Congress leaders onboard an IndiGo flight from Delhi which took off for Surat. Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was seen at the Delhi residence of Rahul Gandhi earlier today.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is also among the leaders accompanying Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to ANI today, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the country will not tolerate the insult of backwards.

India wont tolerate the insult of backwardsEarlier, PV Narasimha Rao, P Chidambaram, DK Shivakumar went to jail too, how many Congress people went with them, is one family bigger than the country? Thakur asked.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, We cant argue over the courts verdict but we can fight against the Central government. They (Centre) dont want to form a JPC in Adani row. They plan that House does not function.

Karnataka Congress President, DK Shivakumar also said that the party stands by Rahul Gandhi and that it does not require advice from the BJP.

We dont want any advice from BJP leaders. Rahul Gandhi is our leader, a national leader. We know what to do. Congress party stands by him, the entire nation, party workers are in unity with him, and we will stand like a rock, Shivakumar said in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, in Surat, security has been increased for Rahul Gandhis visit to the city.

Given the presence of Rahul Gandhi in Surat district court the Surat city police have deployed the police force wherever there is a possibility of movement. We will also be starting frisking and checking, Sagar Bagmar, DCP Zone-4 Surat .

Congress party workers gathered outside District and Sessions Court in Surat in support.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will on Monday file an appeal in the Sessions court in Gujarats Surat against his conviction and a two-year jail sentence in a criminal defamation case.

The Congress leader will move the Sessions court today and the party expects that court will take up the matter today itself. According to sources, Rahul Gandhi is expected to reach court at around 3 pm. The former MP from Wayanad was convicted and sentenced to two years in hail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma on March 23 in a defamation case over his Modi surname remark in 2019 in Karnataka.

According to sources, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi will accompany the former MP to court.

Besides Priyanka, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel along with Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi are likely to accompany Rahul Gandhi. Also, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and CLP leader Balasaheb Thorat are expected to join the group.

The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?

After the Surat courts verdict, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Lok Sabha following his conviction in the case.

Congress has protested aggressively against Rahul Gandhis disqualification inside the Parliament as well as outside it. Congress along with other opposition parties had held a black dress protest against the government over Rahul Gandhi and Adani issue. They had marched from the Parliament complex towards Vijay Chowk together in an attempt to show unity.

Rahul Gandhi also received an eviction notice from the Lok Sabha secretariat, to which he said that he would abide by the notice.

Congress MPs will hold a meeting at 10.30 am in the Congress Parliamentary Party office to chalk out strategy for the day. The party MPs have been asked to wear black clothes during the meeting.

After the disqualification of Rahuls membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition players around it in the wake of Rahuls loss of membership from the Lower House.
In the wake of the large-scale violence that took place in different parts of the country during Ram Navami celebrations, Hindu Front for Justice-Trust has moved the Supreme Court seeking direction to the governments of the states where violence took place to determine the loss suffered by the people on account of injuries and loss of their valuables.

The applicant, the Hindu Front for Justice-Trust, has also sought direction to the state governments to recover the loss caused to the persons during the violence from the miscreants involved after due verification.

The front has in its application mentioned the violence that took place at Howrah, Uttar Dinajpur (West Bengal), Sasaram and Nalanda (Bihar), Hyderabad (Telangana), Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Vadodara (Gujarat), and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand).

The Muslim mob attacked, committed arsons, damaged the vehicles, pelted stones, assaulted Hindu devotees (who were) taking out the religious processions i.e., Shobha Yatra of Lord Ram, alleges the application citing various hate crimes that were committed on Ram Navami-March 30 by mobs of Muslims in different parts of the country.

Referring to the speech by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Hindu Front for Justice-Trust said, The chief minister of West Bengal  Ms. Mamata Banerjee had warned the members of Hindu community for taking out any procession from Muslim denominated areas as some area of the State has been earmarked only for Muslims and nobody can enter there.

The plea by the Hindu Front for Justice-Trust has filed an application in the ongoing petition dealing with hate speech before the bench of Justice K.M. Joseph and Justice B.V. Nagarathna. The hearing in the pending matters will take place on April 28.

It (Hindu Front for Justice) has further stated that it is constitutionally permissible for Hindus to take out religious procession through public roads, irrespective of the fact as to which community resides in that area.

The warning given by the Chief Minister shows her partisan attitude in favour of Muslim Community, the applicant has alleged.

The Hindu for Justice-Trust, in the application also sought to direct the state governments to take preventive measures so that in future the incident of attacks or disturbing the Shobha Yatra on Ram Navami festival and other festivals may not take place.

It also seeks direction to the state governments to allow Hindu devotees to take out processions in a peaceful manner from public roads and such requests be not rejected only on the ground that the area in question is a Muslim dominated area.

The application by the Hindu Front has alleged that the members of the Muslim Community in order to create disharmony committed hate crimes by pelting stones at procession and also hiring hoodlums to attack the innocent devotees out of sheer hatred against Hindus.

Seeking direction to the State governments to provide full protection to the processions taken out on Ram Navami Day or on other religious occasions by Hindus, the application by the Hindu Front for Justice has said that the concerned State governments have failed to maintain law and order situation and protect the peoples right to worship and celebrate religious function in peaceful manner.

It has also sought direction to the Chief Secretaries of the concerned state governments to submit a report regarding the causes which led to mob attacks and violence committed on Shri Ram Shobha Yatra on March 30, 2023. It has also sought registration of FIR into the incidents and initiate criminal proceedings against the culprits Hindu front for Justice-Trust has also sought directions to the State governments to comply with the guidelines issued by 6the top court in Tahseen Poonawalla case to curb hate speech and crimes.
Chinas billions of dollars in global investments and infrastructure projects seem to be paying off politically and economically.

Just recently, Honduras signalled it is set to cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, having been one of the few remaining countries to recognise the island as a state. This switch of allegiances would be a coup for China, which sees Taiwan as part of its jurisdiction, but also a sign of diminishing US power in Latin America, since the US is a long-time supporter of Taiwan.

Chinas influence seems to be everywhere. Days before Chinese president Xi Jinping flew into Moscow to discuss the Ukraine war with Russias Vladimir Putin, China had brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The high-profile deal sought to re-establish diplomatic, trade and security relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in an effort to de-escalate tensions and bring more stability to the Middle East. The agreement transforms the nature of Chinas involvement in the region from one purely driven by commercial interests into a security-related cooperation that can protect its growing assets and expatriate population in the region.

Commentators see the agreement as a positive step but wonder about the influence that Iran and Saudi Arabia can have in lessening the internal conflicts in several nearby countries. This is particularly where they support rival parties, including in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. What the deal does highlight is the rising influence that China can exert and the waning of the USs power over the Middle East regional order. Studies have shown that political instability in neighbouring countries negatively affects the economic performance of a nation by disrupting trade flows and increasing defence expenditures while lessening investment, for example, in education. Under such conditions, economic incentives can drive a peace-building process. Peacefully resolving conflicts benefits countries not directly entangled in the disputes.

Since the 1990s, China has gradually become the largest trade partner of the Arab region overall and the top trade partner of Saudi Arabia. Chinas exports to Saudi Arabia have annually increased at 15.3 per cent year on year on average, amounting to US$905 million in 1995 and US$31.8 billion in 2020.

Meanwhile, over the same period, Chinas imports from Saudi Arabia rose from US$393 million to US$33.4 billion, an average annual increase of 19.4 per cent. In 2019, China and Saudi Arabia signed 35 trade and investments deals.

Similarly, Chinas exports to Iran have increased at an average 14.7 per cent annual rate from US$276 million in 1995 to US$8.51 billion in 2020. And its imports from Iran have also risen by 14.5 per cent annually between 1995 (US$197 million) and 2020 (US$5.85 billion).

By 2022, exports totalled US$9.44 billion and continued to grow exponentially in early 2023. Russia has recently overtaken China as the largest foreign investor in Iran, but China remains its largest oil customer.

Chinas main exports to Saudi Arabia and Iran include broadcasting equipment, motor vehicles and air pumps. Its main imports are crude petroleum, ethylene polymers and acrylic alcohols.

In the context of the Saudi Arabia and Iran reconciliation, trade with China is likely to continue to follow such increasing trends. If benefits from the agreement spread to other countries in the region, China could also gain from economic relations with those countries as regional stability increases.

There is already some evidence of such positive spillover. After the agreement with the Saudis, Iran is ready to expand cooperation, hopes rapprochement with Bahrain will be possible, and is willing to improve relations with Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

However its worth noting some commentators point out that previous efforts at reconciliation between Iran and Saudi Arabia were unsuccessful, while others question whether they will adhere to the terms of the agreement.

As well as investing in commercial and transport infrastructure to make trade easier, the objectives of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative include the strengthening of its economic leadership and the improvement and creation of free trade blocks among countries along the investment route. The Iran-Saudi Arabia agreement will generate further benefits to China by boosting the initiatives dividends. Saudi Arabias strategic location bordering eight countries not only provides an alternative route for energy supply to China but also makes it a vital partner for the initiatives infrastructure investment, which deepens Chinas presence in the Middle East.

Irans strategic position provides it with considerable seaport facilities and has the potential for the development of an air transportation hub. China has already invested in the development of a 2,000-mile-long railway from Xinjiangs capital Urumqi to Tehran.

The agreement also brings a more subtle benefit to China. With Russia at war, China needs to ensure the continuity of its energy supply to boost economic performance and safeguard socio-political stability at home. Saudi Arabia and Iran provide a strong basis for the diversification of Chinas energy options and also to pre-empt any potential move by the United States to constrain its access to the Gulf s resources.

Iran has the worlds fourth largest oil and second gas reserves. Saudi Arabia has the second largest oil reserves, accounting for 16.2 per cent of the worlds total. Access to such vast resources in the context of a more stable region provide China with further assurances for the future flow of the energy supplies its economic growth needs.

The Iran-Saudi initiative has the potential to address Chinas energy security issues and turn China into a global maritime power and a global monetary power. All of these factors will contribute to the sustainability of Chinas economic growth, and add to its status as a superpower.

(The writer is Senior Economist, IMD World Competitiveness Center, International Institute for Management Development. This article was published on www.theconversation.com)
The Supreme Court will hear on April 5, a joint plea by fourteen political parties against the alleged misuse of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to target their (opposition) leaders and seeking laying down of the guidelines governing the arrest, remand, and bail of persons in offences not involving offence of causing serious bodily harm.

The petition by the Congress and 13 other political parties belonging to opposition at the Centre is listed for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala.

A day after the filing of the joint petition by the fourteen political parties, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had on March 24 mentioned it for an urgent hearing.

Singhvi in his mentioning for an urgent listing of the petition had told the bench of Chief Justice Chandrachud, Justice Narasimha and Justice Pardiwala that since 2014 (the advent of NDA government) of all the politicians investigated by the CBI and the ED, over 95 per cent belong to the opposition parties.

I am asking for the guidelines for the future. This is a remarkable convergence of 14 parties against the misuse of the agencies, both CBI and ED, Singhvi had told the bench in the mentioning on March 24.

The joint petition by 14 political parties has said that the guidelines should fulfil and realise the guarantee of personal liberty entrenched in Article 21 of the Constitution, for all citizens, including those targeted for exercising their right to political dissent and for performing their duties as the political opposition.

Between 2004-14, (during UPA government) of the 72 political leaders investigated by the CBI, 43 (under 60%) were from the Opposition of the time. Now, (under NDA government) this same figure has risen to over 95 per cent. The same pattern is reflected in EDs investigations as well, with the proportion of Opposition leaders from the total number of politicians investigated rising from 54 per cent (before 2014) to 95 per cent(after 2014), said the petition by the political parties.

The petitioner parties have said that ED raids were being used as tool of harassment of political opponents, pointing out that of all the raids targeting the politicians belonging to opposition parties have resulted in the filing of complainers in 23% cases.

In contrast, the petition says that between 2005 to 2014 of all the raids by the ED involving politicians, 93% resulted in the filing of complaints. An obvious inference is that most of the raids between 2014 till date are to intimidate and target politicians belonging to the opposition parties.

The petitioners have pointed out that though the number of cases registered by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act have risen exponentially  from 209 in 2013-14 to 981 in 2020-21, and 1,180 in 2021-22. But only 23 cases have resulted in convictions.

Fourteen political parties that have approached the Supreme court include INC, DMK, RJD, BRS, Trinamool Congress, AAP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, J&K National Conference.

Giving their grassroot presence amongst the people, the petition says that these 14 political parties together polled 45.19 per cent of the votes cast in the last State/UT Assembly Elections, and 42.5 per cent of the votes cast in the 2019 General Elections, and are holding power in 11 States/UTs.

On the question of arrest and sending an accused to remand of the investigating agencies, the petitioner parties have said that it should be incumbent on the CBI, ED and the court as well that triple test  whether accused is a flight risk, can tamper with evidence and can influence/intimidate the witnesses  has to be satisfied. In case a triple test is not satisfied, the alternatives like interrogation at fixed hours or at most house arrest be used to meet the demands of investigation.

As far as bail is concerned, the petitioner parties have said that the principle of bail as rule, jail as exception be followed by all courts throughout, especially in cases where non-violent offences are alleged, and that bail be denied only where the triple-test is met.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that the state government is making continuous efforts for the welfare of animals and their protection.

Many schemes are being run by the government for the encouragement of all cattle rearers. It should be ensured that the eligible people get the benefits, he said.

The CM said reviewing the management of stray/destitute cattle shelters and the current status of milk production/collection in the state in a high-level meeting held here on Monday.

He said at present, more than 11.33 lakh cattle are protected in 6719 destitute cattle protection sites. Under the special campaign conducted from January 20 to March 31, 1.23 lakh cattle were protected. It should be ensured that stray cattle are taken care of in all the rural and urban areas of the state, he directed.

Most of the cattle have been protected in Sambhal, Mathura, Mirzapur, Shahjahanpur, Santakbirnagar, Amroha, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Farrukhabad districts. Ongoing planned efforts for cow protection are yielding good results. Similarly, better management of destitute cattle should be done in all the districts in a phased manner, CM said.

Yogi Adityanath said that large conservation centres have been set up in the state for the protection of cattle. So far, 274 large cow protection centers have become functional. In the next six months, the remaining 75 large cattle breeding sites should be prepared. This will provide great convenience to the common man, he announced.

The CM said the state government is determined to provide quality milk and milk products to the general public at a reasonable price while ensuring remunerative prices for the milk producers associated with the states cooperative milk societies.

He said the state government has decided to set up new dairy plants in Kanpur, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Azamgarh and Prayagraj districts with the help of private sector. Necessary action should be taken in this regard as per the decision of the Council of Ministers.

E-commerce portal paragdairy.com is proving useful for the online sale of milk and milk products. Online milk and milk products are being sold through Parag Mitra in urban areas of the state and women self-help groups in rural areas.

So far 71,068 consumers, 89 women self-help groups and 215 Parag Mitras have been added through the e-commerce portal. Trade of about Rs 6 crore has been done through e-commerce portal, he added.
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Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church held earlier in the month their first-ever Christmas eve mass in Saudi Arabia for Coptic Egyptians and Eritreans residing in the country, according to the official publication of the church El-Keraza.

The mass was held at the end of a one-month visit by Archbishop Morcos of Shobra El-Kheima to Saudi Arabia, said El-Keraza in its most recent edition published on Friday.

The archbishop visited Riyadh, Jeddah and elsewhere in the eastern provinces, reported El-Keraza. He held masses under the auspices of the Saudi authorities that were attended by a large numbers of Copts as well as Eritreans.

The visit concluded with the holding of the Divine Liturgy on the evening of 6 January of the Gregorian calendar to celebrate Orthodox Christmas.

Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, who make up around 90 percent of all Christians in Egypt, celebrate Christmas on 7 January, while the minority of non-Orthodox Christians observe the holiday on 25 December.

Morcos' visit was his ninth annual visit to Saudi Arabia since 2015, which have traditionally lasted for an average of two weeks. In 2018, Morcos performed the first Christian mass held in Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

According to El-Keraza magazine, the Coptic Orthodox Church expressed thanks to the Saudi ambassador in Cairo for facilitating Morcos visit, expressing gratitude to God for the visits that allow the Church to serve and maintain contact with its people abroad.

The Church also lauded Saudi Arabia for opening up to global societies in a solid, stable and contemporary manner that allows it to be an active and influential voice to all countries, the magazine said, adding that the country has seen a boom in progress, development and prosperity.

Moreover, the church credited the king and the crown prince for such modernisation and openness, adding that the crown prince represents the generation of globalised young people actively heading towards the horizons of the developed world.

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FILE - The Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich is shown in this undated photo. The Biden administration has formally determined that Gershkovich, who was arrested in Russia on espionage charges, has been "wrongfully detained." Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the determination on Monday, April 10, 2023.
EDWARDSVILLE  An Alton man was charged Friday with misdemeanor DUI and a felony after allegedly striking an Alton police vehicle and injuring an officer Thursday.

James J. Bazzell, 46, was charged with improper passing of an emergency vehicle, a Class 4 felony, and two counts of driving while under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor.

The case was presented by the Alton Police Department.

According to court documents, on March 30 Bazzell allegedly was driving a 2017 Jeep Cherokee in Alton while under the influence of alcohol and failed to use caution when he approached an emergency vehicle displaying flashing red and blue warning lights.As a result an Alton police officer was injured.

According to police, at about 9:44 p.m. Thursday, there was a report of a traffic crash with injuries on College Avenue near the intersection with Homer Adams Parkway.

Alton police and firefighters responded and were actively engaged in their respective duties at the scene of the accident when, at 10:05 p.m., Bazzell allegedly struck a police vehicle.

The police officer had returned to his police vehicle and was sitting inside it when the vehicle was struck from behind. The officer was injured and taken to a local hospital via ambulance for medical treatment.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Other felony cases filed March 31 by the Madison County States Attorney include:

 Justin D. Blackburn, 32, of Ramsey, was charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on Nov. 28 Blackburn allegedly had less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Antonio D. Fletcher Jr., 20, of Godfrey, was charged with criminal trespass to residence and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, both Class 4 felonies, and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor. The case was presented by the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Police Department. According to court documents, on March 28 Fletcher allegedly entered an apartment in Edwardsville without the residents permission and knowing they were there. He allegedly was driving a 2005 Ford Focus when he attempted to flee from an SIUE police officer and also pushed a household or family member. Bail was set at $50,000.
Finland's parliament on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining NATO, ahead of ratifications from Hungary and Turkey, increasing the likelihood it will enter the alliance before Nordic neighbour Sweden.

Lawmakers approved a law affirming that Finland accepts the terms of the NATO treaty by 184 votes against seven.

The votes came as Turkey announced on Monday that NATO accession talks with Sweden and Finland would be held next month, after being postponed in January over a row about protests held in Stockholm.

"The meeting will be held on March 9," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara, alongside his Hungarian counterpart.

Bids to join NATO must be ratified by all members of the alliance, of which Turkey is a member.

But Ankara was outraged by the protests in January that included the burning of the Koran outside its embassy in Stockholm.

In turn Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sweden he would not support its bid to join the Western US-led defence alliance.

"It's not possible for us to give consent (to a NATO bid) before Sweden fulfils its commitments" under a three-party protocol signed in Madrid in June, turkish FM Cavusoglu said.

Cavusoglu also made it clear that Turkey looked warmly on Finland's bid.

"We may separate Sweden and Finland's membership process," he added.

NATO member-states and most allies have long insisted that the Nordic neighbors should join at the same time. However, NATO officials in recent weeks have played down the significance of the two nations joining simultaneously.

"There are different assessments in Turkey about to what extent Finland and Sweden are in the same position to be ratified, and that is a Turkish decision,'' NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, after chairing a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

"That's not a NATO decision. It's a decision by Turkey,'' he said, while underlining his belief that both countries have fulfilled their commitments to NATO and Turkey and should be allowed to join.

Stoltenberg added that "the sequencing is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that both Finland and Sweden soon become members of the alliance,'' breaking with a stance he has voiced for many months that it was important that they join together.

Turkey is also in an election year, and the topic of Nordic membership of NATO is a possible vote winner.

Previous two rounds of the tri-party NATO talks were attended by foreign ministry officials and focused on a specific list of Turkish demands, which include the expulsion of dozens of mostly Kurdish suspects.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said it would be "unfortunate'' if Finland entered NATO first.

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NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump will deliver remarks Tuesday night in Florida after his scheduled arraignment in New York on charges related to hush money payments, his campaign announced Sunday.

Trump will hold the event at his Mar-a-Lago club after returning from Manhattan, where he is expected to voluntarily turn himself in. He is expected to be joined in Florida by supporters as he tries to project an image of strength and defiance and turn the charges into a political asset to boost his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offense, in the indictment handed up by a Manhattan grand jury last week, two people familiar with the matter have told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information that is not yet public because the indictment remains under seal.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has blasted the investigation as part of a yearslong witch hunt aimed at damaging his candidacy.

Trump aides and lawyers had been going back and forth over the wisdom of his appearing before reporters after the arraignment as they grasped the news of an indictment that caught many of them by surprise. Trump has been catapulted back into the headlines by the criminal charges and he relishes media attention, and while some of his lawyers would have preferred he stay silent, his campaign believes the development has energized his supporters.

Already, Trumps campaign says it has raised more than $5 million and logged more than 16,000 volunteer signups since the indictment, which Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said were key indicators that Americans from all backgrounds are sick and tired of the weaponization of the justice system against President Trump and his supporters."

Trump was indicted Thursday by a grand jury in the case involving hush money paid during the 2016 presidential campaign to a porn actor who alleges Trump had an extramarital sexual encounter with her years earlier.

In television interviews Sunday, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said he would pore over the indictment once he receives it, then devise the next legal steps. He dismissed questions about whether he would ask for a venue change or file a motion to dismiss the case as premature, though its common for defense attorneys to do both.

Were way too early to start deciding what motions were going to file or not file, and we do need to see the indictment and get to work, he told ABCs This Week. I mean, look, this is the beginning.

The former president is expected to fly to New York midday Monday and stay at his Trump Tower in Manhattan overnight ahead of his planned arraignment Tuesday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Trumps travel plans.

He is expected to report to the courthouse Tuesday morning, where he will fingerprinted and have a mug shot taken, like anyone else facing charges. Investigators will complete arrest paperwork and check to see if he has any outstanding criminal charges or warrants.

Once the booking is complete, Trump will appear before a judge for an afternoon arraignment. That will take place in the same Manhattan courtroom where his company was tried and convicted of tax fraud in December and where disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinsteins rape trial took place.

But Tacopina said that most of what will happen Tuesday remains up in the air," given Trump's unique status as a former president, "other the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, Not guilty.

Obviously, this is different. This has never happened before. I have never had Secret Service involved in an arraignment before at 100 Centre Street, he said on CNNs State of the Union," using the courthouse's street address. Hopefully this will be as painless and classy as possible for a situation like this.

The judge could at some point decide to bar anyone involved in the case from talking about it publicly, but that is unlikely to happen at Tuesdays proceeding. A gag order generally is used as a way to avoid tainting potential jurors. But its often done at the request of the defendant, and in this case, Trump is the one talking

Officials from the Secret Service and the New York Police Department toured the courthouse and met about security plans on Friday.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a key Trump ally, and the New York Young Republican Club, are planning a peaceful protest against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg across the street from the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.

___ Long reported from Wilmington, Delaware.
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GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Saturday toured a hospital built with support from Taipei, reaffirming their close diplomatic ties as the self-governing island seeks to strengthen relations with its remaining allies in Central America.

It was the final day of Tsais three-day visit to Guatemala and came shortly after Honduras announced it would break ties with Taiwan and switch its support to China, joining Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Belize - the next stop on Tsai's trip - is the only other Central American country to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Giammattei once again thanked Taiwans leader for her governments economic support and said Guatemalas friendship with Taiwan was unchangeable.

Sundays visit came a day after the leaders toured the Guatemalan archaeological site of Tikal, one of the most important urban centers of the Mayan civilization.

The hospital in Chimaltengo department built with a donation from Taiwan will serve patients from four departments in Guatemala and cost an estimated $22 million to build. It opened in February.

Tsai said she was pleased with the construction of the hospital, which, according to her, will be able to provide better medical care and service.

Construction of the hospital has brought controversy. Two weeks ago, the attorney general announced an investigation into allegations of a $10 million fraud in the purchase of equipment for the hospital. Prosecutors allege former vice minister of health, Gerardo Hernandez, authorized the purchase of used equipment and material. A company and the director of the hospital were allegedly in on the scheme.

The trip also is aimed to solidifying ties in Latin America as China funnels money into the region and pressures its countries to break off relations with the self-governed democratic island.

Taiwan now has no more than 13 official diplomatic partners. More than half of those are small countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Americas rising, out-of-control crime wave claims a growing number of Postal Service workers as victims of robberies, beatings and even murder. It is time to fight back and arm at least some of them with tasers. Federal law should also be changed to allow trained postal workers to carry guns.

In bold and vicious ways, postal carriers are being attacked for the keys to blue mailboxes and for mail itself, which has large amounts of ATM cards, financial assets, and personal information that can be used for identity theft.

On Feb. 27, the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) alerted financial institutions on the nationwide surge in check fraud schemes involving the mail.

Criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail and United States Postal Service mail carriers since the COVID-19 pandemic to commit check fraud, said FinCEN. Criminals typically steal personal checks, business checks, tax refund checks, and checks related to government assistance programs, FinCEN continued.

Postal Service workers go to every address in the United States. That means, every day they visit the most dangerous, crime-ridden, drug-infested neighborhoods. Even crack houses are entitled to postal deliveries. With fentanyl and other drug use rising, the challenges are daunting.

In Oakland, Calif., following a series of attacks on postal workers, including a murder, USPS officials held a news conference on March 20 to ask for the publics help. This followed a March 3 letter from Oaklands postmaster that said, We are asking for your help and vigilance after a disturbing rise in criminal acts against postal workers, vehicles and mailboxes.

In Milwaukee, 44-year-old postal worker Aundre Cross was murdered, allegedly by a gang of four criminals, now under arrest, who followed him while on duty. Cross is remembered by family, co-workers and friends as hardworking, dependable, and a loving father and husband.

Tasers are tried-and-true defensive weapons that send out 50,000 volts of electricity to incapacitate, but seldom kill, a perpetrator. Typically, it takes the person tasered 15 minutes to recover, during which time the police can be called, and the carrier and others can get to safety.

Federal law prohibits postal workers from carrying firearms, either on or off USPS property, except for those employees specifically authorized by USPSs chief postal inspector or inspector general. Tasers are not considered firearms, though some states require a concealed carry permit.

As of 2021, there were about 1,300 postal inspectors in the Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of USPS whose professionals are authorized to carry weapons. But the size of USPSs uniformed police force, which has many responsibilities, has been shrinking as the national crime wave is rising.

However, USPS employs nearly 63,000 military veterans who can quickly be brought up to speed on taser use. Tasers will help to protect them, their colleagues  particularly those working in post offices in dangerous areas  and the public.

While tasers are not the silver bullet in fighting postal crime, they are an easy-to-use and effective tool that will literally send shock waves toward those thinking of harming the Postal Service while also bringing many crimes directly to a halt.

USPS must also work closely with local law enforcement to determine how its police force can best be deployed and work closely with the Department of Justice and other federal law enforcement partners.

And there is no time to waste.
Lately many Doctors point out that the lack of research or concern for pregnancy-induced lifelong changes in women is part of a larger and well-documented history of disregard for womens pain. However, championing this as a challenge, here are 3 women who have been working with an indomitable spirit to help other women.

One such Woman of substance is Khushboo Aggarwal, Founder Zyla Health.Khushboo, who is also mother to a two year old, and juggles her work and family life perfectly well. She believes that being a mother doesn't slow her down, in fact energizes and inspires her to do more every day. Zyla has helped thousands of women conceive naturally and have normal deliveries via a healthy and stress free motherhood journey.

Khushboo has also laid a deep-rooted focus towards women's health via Zyla Health by offering multiple programmes like Ova Womens Health Programme and Ova Pentacare Pregnancy Programme that aimed at improving women's health. The Ova Pentacare Program is a Holistic Health Program for expecting mothers! The program includes Senior Gynecologist Advice, Teleconsultation Nutrition Interventions, Prenatal Yoga Classes, Psychological and Emotional Support and 24x7 Chat Support.

The Ova Womens Health Programme offers solutions for health issues like PCOD, Thyroid,Post Menstrual Syndrome,Osteoporosis, Arthritis, etc. The program includes Doctor, Nutrition, Exercise and Emotional Guidance.

Zyla Health has helped more than one lakh women so far, of which 60 percent have reported diabetes, followed by incidence of other lifestyle disorders such as PCOS/PCOD and thyroid.

Another startup started by a mother of Two herself, Surbhi Bhatia, Founder,The Mom Store that has become a leading maternity brand in the last 3 years occupying a white space and capturing a latent demand in the market by its offerings catered to the new age mom who is completely in control of her choices. When Surbhi, a mother of 2, was expecting her first child in 2017, she found herself struggling to find good maternity wear that she could wear to work and at other occasions. Most maternity wear came in the form of nighties with hideous designs. As she progressed in her pregnancy and became a mom, she also realized how essential comfortable nursing clothing were especially during the first 6 months - 1 year of motherhood journey. She set out to solve this problem. The Mom Store was born in 2019 and launched with basic categories like nursing tops, dresses and belly support leggings at first and quickly grew as it tapped into the latent demand of thousands of women.

The Mom Store has been a category defining brand in the maternity clothing space. The Mom Store Maternity Wear is designed keeping in mind the needs of pregnant and nursing women. Our concealed zippers designs are merged into the design gently and have minimum visibility so that the woman doesn't feel uncomfortable by their presence. They are optimally placed and easy to operate for women to easily nurse anywhere. Our belly support denims and leggings offer snug and instant support to the growing belly and also support it during the postpartum phase as the weakened core comes back. Our hands free pumping bras are a well thought out innovation to allow pumping moms to be handsfree as they handle the baby and other chores. Every single product and every single innovation is tried on by Surbhi herself before putting it into production. We have one and only one aim- to allow women to celebrate their motherhood journeys, while we identify and tackle the problems and offer the best and most beautiful products to moms around the wall.

The Mom Store's maternity range is a complete and holistic range across every need of a pregnant and nursing mom- casuals, dresses, loungewear, ethnic, intimates, winter offerings. The brand is growing at a CAGR 30% YOY and already has a customer base of over 2,00,000+ women. The Mom Store is poised to go international this year and expand its offerings in the US and EU markets.

Another name in our list is Madhurima Rungta with a remarkable startup HunyHuny the Mother & Baby products brand, started by this first-time new mom in the year 2020. She founded HunyHuny when she herself embraced motherhood with the arrival of the child. Madhurima believes a service originating with a personal experience & emotion always has a bigger path. Through HunyHuny she has taken upon herself to provide the expecting & new mothers, the perfect products to assist them as they foray into this new phase of life called motherhood.

HunyHuny has a wide range of products from the most comfortable Baby & Kids furniture like Baby Cribs, Baby Cot and Bunk Beds, the safest Baby Travel Systems in India be it a Baby Stroller, Baby Pram, Parent Jogger Stroller Prams or the Baby Carrycot to comfortable maternity & baby clothes. HunyHuny products are brought into the market after extensive focused research for Indian parents' needs and its long-term usability. Finding the best products for her own Baby starting from the Baby Bed Cot to the baby gears like Baby Stroller was a laborious task and now HunyHuny is making them available to parents painlessly

.

When the world was struggling with the Covid and post-Covid impacts, HunyHuny stood out amazingly with a strong parent connection. The brand has a strong online and offline presence and with the expansion, is increasing its physical presence through franchisee stores. HunyHuny just roll out Franchise stores across all Tier-1 cities. And already many are booked. To support the youth, grow and build a job-giving ecosystem rather than job seeking, this mompreneur has come up with a unique HunyHuny Franchise Model concept which give a minimum grantee return of 25% every year, which is a complete risk free business to help those who plan to venture into the business world.
McDonald's, one of the world's largest fast-food chains, is reportedly set to close all its offices in the United States this week as it prepares for layoffs.

The company is temporarily closing its US offices this week as it prepares to inform its corporate employees about round of layoffs as part of a broader company restructuring, reported The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Reportedly in an internal email the company had informed the US employees and some international staff that they should work from home from Monday through Wednesday so it can deliver staffing decisions virtually.

The company also asked its employees to cancel all in-person meetings with vendors and outside parties at its headquarters.

The decision of layoffs is likely to be announced on Wednesday.

"During the week of April 3, we will communicate key decisions related to roles and staffing levels across the organisation," the company said in the message.

Earlier in January, McDonald's had said that they will be making difficult decisions about changes to its corporate staffing levels by April. The company also said that decisions are taken as part of its broad strategic plan.

McDonald's employs more than 15,000 people globally in corporate roles and its owned restaurants, with 70 percent of them located of the US, the chain said in February, reported WSJ.

McDonald's has conducted several round of layoffs in recent years. In 2018, McDonald's said that the company was cutting its management to be "more dynamic, nimble and competitive," reported WSJ.
In a smart juggling of the books, beleaguered domestic airline SpiceJet has hived off its profit-making cargo business, earning it some nifty financial leeway. The hiving off of SpiceXpress into a separate company has already come into effect from April 1st, though it was shrewdly announced publicly only on Monday morning, just as the stock markets opened.



SpiceXpress reported a profit of 51 crore rupees in the first three quarters of the financial year 2023. By turning it into a separate company called SpiceXpress and Logistics Private Limited through issuing securities that are a mix of equity shares and compulsorily convertible debentures, the loss-making airline suddenly finds itself with Rs 2,555 crore rupees in the pocket, instantly strengthening its balance sheet.

SpiceJet chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said the move is a stepping stone in our growth story, which shall unfold in the times to come.

The hive-off will not only enable SpiceXpress to raise cash independently, it will, significantly reduce SpiceJets negative net worth, he added.

SpiceJet has had quite a chequered history since launching in 2005 by Singh, who is considered close to the present dispensation. He sold it off to the Marans of Sun group in 2010 while UPA was in power (Marans DMK was an alliance partner in the government), only to later buy it back in 2015 after BJP came to power when the airline teetered on the brink of collapse. Since then, Singh has been working tirelessly to keep the airline in the skies despite crises hitting the aviation scenario one after the other, from spiralling aviation fuel prices to the Covid-19 shutdown of operations to safety concerns over the Boeing 737 Max grounding many aircraft in his fleet for months on end.

During the pandemic, the airline pivoted by pushing the cargo service model in the absence of civil passengers. However, the airline had found it hard to escape the whammy it suffered during the pandemic  complaints of vendors who were unpaid as well as creditors skyrocketed, while safety concerns forced DGCA to ground 10 of its planes last year.

The present move goes a long way in providing a much-needed breather to Singh  becoming a separate company will help SpiceXpress to raise funds independently, which shouldnt be much of an issue as it is profit-making. Meanwhile, the 2,555 crore rupees windfall will transform SpiceJets balance sheet into pink.

Singh hopes that this will provide the listed company with enough momentum in the markets, as well as in future cash infusion, to overcome the present problems. Already, the airline had earned brownie points last month when it managed to restructure the 100 million dollars it owed leasing company Carlyle Aviation Partners.

The government is also keen to ensure that SpiceJet survives as a functional airline and does not let Indias domestic aviation market get cartelised by two dominant players. Presently Indigo is fast muscling up its market share while the Tata groups consolidation of its airline brands will see AirAsia India and Vistara disappear in the coming year, albeit through a merger. The authorities would only be relieved that SpiceJet remains in the market ensuring competition and healthy fares, instead of possibilities of cartelisation by two dominant players.
During the promotions of Citadel, a spy series that will release on Amazon Prime Video on April 28, Priyanka Chopra opened up about a number of aspects related to doing action films and series, working in Hollywood, her Bollywood past, and more.

When asked why chose to open up about being cornered in Bollywood in a recent podcast now, she said because her wounds had healed and gave her the space to feel safe and comfortable in talking about it now. A few days back, in a new episode of Dax Shepherd's podcast 'Armchair Expert', Priyanka had said she was driven out of Bollywood as she was tired of politics and had beef with some people, without taking names. She also spoke about being in a tumultuous relationship which is when she met her now husband Nick Jonas.

In the conference, she was asked why she had to do it now and she said, "I think, first of all, when I was on the podcast I was asked about the journey of my life. And, I spoke about when I was young when I was 10, 15, 22, 30, 40 or whateverSo I was talking about the truth of my journey and now because I was confident enough to talk about that phase of my life. I think now where I am I was okay enough to kind of articulate what I felt. I had a very tumultuous relationship withwhat occurred, I forgave, moved on a long time ago and then I made my peace with it. I think that is why it was easy for me to talk about it in an open manner in a safe space.

Further, she spoke about her role in Citadel, in which she is paired with Richard Madden and how the upcoming web series will be a one-of-its-kind spy universe that will have many more actors and actresses joining the fray in different seasons.

She is currently in India with her husband Nick jonas and daughter Malti Marie Chopra Jonas. The actor attended the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) Gala in Mumbai and is likely to stay back in Mumbai, owing to her cousin Parineeti Chopra's upcoming engagement to politician Raghav Chadha in the first week of April.

Over the years how has she changed as a person and a professional? "I cannot work with people I don't like. I think for me what would be non-negotiable now  it is actually really true. I cant work with people I dont like anymore... I have to admire, look up to, like the people I am surrounded with. I have been doing this for a very long time. I want to be excited about going to work, I want to be inspired about going to work, and that has become non-negotiable for me, she said.

In Citadel, Richard Madden will essay the character of Mason Kane, a spy who suffers from amnesia. Chopra will be agent Nadia Sinh, another spy who also suffers a similar problem. The spy thriller is jointly produced by Amazon Studios, Gozie AGBO, and Midnight Radio.
The Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Saturday that the Saudi-Iranian deal to resume diplomatic ties is an important step" to remove points of tensions in the region, while expressing hope that Tehran would "pursue a policy that takes into account the legitimate concerns of the countries of the region."

"The Arab Republic of Egypt values the direction taken by Saudi Arabia to remove points of tension on the regional level, read the statement that was posted by the Spokesperson of the Egyptian Presidency Ahmed Fahmy.

[This direction] affirms its commitment to principles and aims of the United Nations Charter in respecting the sovereignty of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, adhering to the principles of good neighbourliness, and enhancing security and stability in the region," the Egyptian presidency said.

"Egypt looks forward to this development having a positive impact on Iran's regional and international policies," it stressed.

"[This development] presents an opportunity to Iran confirm its orientation towards pursuing a policy that takes into account the legitimate concerns of the countries of the region, in a way that enhances opportunities for cooperation and consolidation of positive communications among them to chart a path that meets the aspirations of the peoples of the region for prosperity and progress," the Egyptian presidency added.

On Friday, after years of tensions, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties and reopen embassies in a deal that was brokered by China.

The agreement includes a commitment to respect the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their internal affairs, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

It also includes a commitment to respect the sovereignty of countries and non-interference in their internal affairs.

According to the terms of the agreement, the foreign ministers of both countries will meet to activate the agreement, arrange the exchange of ambassadors, and discuss ways to strengthen relations.

Additionally, the security cooperation agreement signed in 2001 and the general agreement for cooperation in various fields signed in 1998 will be activated.

The three countries - Saudi Arabia, Iran and China - expressed their commitment to enhancing regional and international peace and security, added SPA.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry had issued a statement on Friday welcoming the agreement and expressing hope that it would ease tensions in the region and contribute to stabilising and preserving the capabilities of Arab national security.

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The Kerala government has not ruled out a terror angle behind the arson attack on a moving train on Sunday night, which resulted in the death of three, including a child. The attack took place in the D1 compartment of Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express (16307) at Elathur, nearly 10 km from Kozhikode, around 9.20 pm. The attacker came to the bogie with two bottles of petrol, poured it on the passengers and the seats and lit fire. According to those who were travelling in the bogie, the suspect was wearing a red-chequered shirt and pants.

The train which left Alappuzha for Kannur at 2.50 pm reached Kozhikode Railway Station at 9.08 pm. It restarted its journey after a halt of four minutes. There would be only a handful of passengers in this train after Kozhikode where the Railway Protection Force personnel would also get down. It is assumed that the attacker had prior knowledge about this routine as the attack took place just eight minutes after the train left Kozhikode.

Nine passengers faced burn injuries and most of them were admitted to a private hospital and the medical college hospital in Kozhikode. Among them, the condition of Advaid, a 21-year-old youth, is very criticalhe has suffered 35 per cent burns. His father Anil Kumar also suffered 21 per cent burns.

Kerala DGP Anil Kant said that a special investigation team would be formed and that the police have got some leads about the suspect. The primary investigation is progressing under North Zone IG Neeraj Gupta. Gupta has already visited the site and a scientific examination is going on.

With the help of a passenger, the police have prepared a sketch of the suspect. The sketch suggests that the attacker was wearing a cap, and had a stubble beard. The police have also released a CCTV visual which was captured from Kaattilpeedika, around 2km away from the place of attack. The CCTV footage shows a man wearing a red-chequered shirt and with a bag on his back, calling someone on his phone, and later riding pillion on a scooter. The man riding the scooter seems to be wearing a white mundu (dhoti). The police had earlier thought that the man in the footage was the suspect. However, it was later ruled out by police.

The investigators, however, do not rule out the possibility of an elaborate planning behind the attack and that the suspect received help from others.

Police have also recovered a bag, suspected to be left behind by the culprit, from the railway track. The bag contained a bottle of petrol, a notebook, some clothes, spectacles, a purse, a tiffin box, and some food. A mobile phone, too, has been recovered close to the bag. The scribbles in the notebook include certain self-affirmations and names of places like Chirayinkeezhu, Kazhakoottam, Kanyakumari, and Thiruvananthapuram. The scribbles are in English and Hindi. Also, the letter S is scribbled multiple times, in multiple sizes in the book.

It is rumoured that the attacker might be a north Indian migrant worker. However, the man in the CCTV visuals was picked by someone wearing a white mundua typical Malayali attire. The man in the footage had also carried a backpack, and police suspect that the bag found on the railway track might be an attempt to divert investigation.

The train, which came under attack, restarted its journey after 50 minutes of halt at Elathur. When it reached Koyilandi, one of the passengers, Rasiq, got down and took medical help. He also complained to the police that two peopleRahmath of Mattannur Palottupalli Badriya Mansil and her niece Sherhramathwere missing. Police launched a probe and found three bodies on the railway track in Elathur.

By 2pm, the bodies were identified as that of Rahmath, Sherhramath and a man named Noufeeq. None of the bodies had suffered burns, but the police inference is that they might have jumped from the train to escape the attack.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, once denounced as a 'caged parrot' during UPA tenure, got a morale boost when Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government does not lack the political will to fight corruption and any attempts by the powerful accused to derail investigations will be brought to naught. The country is with you(CBI), he told sleuths and top security brass gathered at the diamond jubilee celebration of the CBI in New Delhi.

The CBI's primary responsibility is to get rid of corruption. We do not lack political will in fighting corruption. Some of the accused are powerful people and they target investigating agencies to distract them, said Modi. But, you have to focus on your work. The country is with you, he said.

Modi struck a chord with the masses, decrying dissenters, when he explained how the CBI has given hope and strength to the common citizen. He spoke of CBI as a brand of justice, built over sixty years with the hard work of sleuths, where people hold protests demanding a CBI inquiry when any case cannot be solved. India cannot move forward without professional and efficient Institutions like CBI, he said.

Modis address drew a huge applause from the sleuths and security brass alike as it came as a sharp contrast to 2013 - when the CBI celebrated its golden jubilee. A decade ago, the CBI sleuths were warned against external forces trying to influence investigations and the agency finally got a rap in the Supreme Court for acting like a 'caged parrot' speaking his masters voice. The agency faced more controversy when then CBI director Ranjit Sinhas role came under scanner in connection with the coal scam probe.

But that was all in the past. Modi said, after 2014, when the BJP government came to power, the aim was to make the country corruption-free. The ills of dynastic politics, nepotism and middlemen were eating away the system handed down by the Britishers, he said.

Corruption is no ordinary crime. It is the root cause of all kinds of crimes and the biggest roadblock in development, said Modi. Ten years ago, trillion-dollar scams took place and there was corruption at every phase of governance. This led to policy paralysis, less confidence among investors and general public in the system and weakened the country, Modi said.

On the other hand, the hallmark of the BJP regime has been tackling corruption, especially fighting economic crimes - strengthening laws against fugitive economic offenders - which has resulted in refilling the countrys coffers with Rs 20,000 crore that was stolen by people who committed fraud.

The reference to economic crimes was a reflection of the prime ministers attempt to applaud both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate which has transferred assets worth Rs 15,000 crore of fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi to state-run banks to realise the losses.

Modis remarks also come at a time when the Opposition is joining hands accusing government of misusing central agencies like CBI and ED.

Recognising the challenges faced by sleuths, he asked CBI personnel not to get distracted and assured them that the government will always stand strong in their fight against corruption.

The prime minister was speaking in the presence of Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in PMO, Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor and incumbent CBI director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.

He asked the CBI to prepare road maps for the next 15 years and the year 2047, when the country completes hundred years of independence from British rule. Modi said institutions like the CBI will play a major role in the Amrit Kal.

Asking sleuths to brainstorm on this during their 'chintan shivir', he said the focus should be on roping in technocrats, tapping the vast talent pool in the country to take CBI to the next level. The scope of the investigative agency has increased from organised crime to cybercrime. The CBI role is multi-dimensional, he said. Jaiswal went on to explain why old practices need to make way for constant innovation and technological intervention.
Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to Surat to file an appeal in a court against his conviction, hundreds of Congress workers, including district-level workers, have been detained in the city.

Some of them are under house arrest since Monday morning. Rahul Gandhi has boarded a flight to the city along with Priyanka Gandhi and is expected to reach Surat around 2 pm. He will file an appeal in the session's court against two years sentence given to him by a lower court in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra onboard a flight to Surat. pic.twitter.com/akLdGKMqIq  ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

Former Gujarat Congress president and incumbent party MLA from Porbandar Arjun Modhwadia told The Week that the detentions are aimed at preventing workers from expressing solidarity with Gandhi. In many places, vehicles had been stopped at entry points in Surat.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh too tweeted against the "illegal arrests." "There are continuous reports of illegal arrests by the BJP government in Gujarat to prevent Congress leaders and workers from going to Surat."

"The undemocratic face of BJP is being exposed again and again. The Congress condemns all these activities and demands their immediate release," Ramesh added.

Rahul will be accompanied by a battery of lawyers from Ahmedabad and New Delhi. Besides Priyanka, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu may also arrive in Surat.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma here had on March 23 convicted 52-year-old Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court. The former Congress chief was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case.

Security deployed outside a court ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's arrival to file an appeal against his conviction in Surat | PTI

BJP hits out at Rahul

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused Rahul Gandhi of trying to put pressure on the appellate court. He also called it "a childish attempt" to pressure the court.

"Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an Appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama," Rijiju's tweet read.

"What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics," he added.
Congress leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh has warned of a court case against Madhya Pradesh BJP in-charge P. Muralidhar Rao, for calling him (Singh) friend of Pakistan and extremists.

In a series of tweets, Singh quoted a media report where the statement of Rao to this effect was published. You will have to answer the allegations you have leveled against me in the court, the Congress leader said.

According to the local media report, Rao while addressing an event organised at the CM House in Bhopal comprising of partys young workers, had made several comments and allegations on Digvijaya Singh, saying that Singh speaks only on Twitter and this Twitter king has been the chief minister of pot-holed roads in the state.

Rao also reportedly said that now he (Singh) has become a friend of Pakistan and extremists and considers BJP a bigger enemy than Pakistan.

Retorting through the tweets, Singh hurled several questions at Rao on the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh going allegedly soft on a BJP worker and a Bajrang Dal activist among others held by MP ATS in an ISI spying racket in 2017.

Murlidhar ji Do you know Dhruv Saxena, President of Bhopal BJP IT cell? Do you know Balram Singh, President of Satna Bajrang Dal? If you do not know then read this news (a news link on ISI the spying racket arrests attached). Do you also know Balram Singh's friend Rajeev Tiwari? All of them and their 14 more associates were caught by the ATS of MP Police while spying for Pakistan's ISI, Singh tweeted.

In further tweets, he said But why didn't your mama ji (reference to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) file a sedition case against him? How were all those traitors allowed to get bail? Will you ask Mama ji? Do you have courage? Today all those traitors are out on bail and serving you as active workers of BJP with black money earned from Pakistan. Now you tell who is the traitor? them and you or me?

Sharing another tweet with a video on involvement of Dhruv Saxena in the spying racket, Singh said Murlidhar Rao ji, After watching this video, please ask the people sitting with you who is Dhruv Saxena? Why didn't Mama impose NSA on him? Why wasnt the bulldozer used on his house?

In 2017, Madhya Pradesh ATS had exposed an illegal telephone exchange and arrested 11 persons including Dhruv Saxena, who was reportedly office bearer of the BJP IT Cell. These arrests had come after two ISI agents held in Jammu in 2016 had made several revelations including the fact that they were getting funds from one Balram Singh of Satna in Madhya Pradesh. After the arrest of Balram, said to be a Bajrang Dal office bearer, ten more including Saxena were arrested from Bhopal, Jabalpur and Gwalior. The case is however in the cold now.
Days after the tragic incident that killed 36 people, Indore municipality deployed bulldozers to Beleshwar Mahadev temple in Madhya Pradesh on Monday to demolish illegal construction.

The recent stepwell collapse in the temple had killed 36 people and injured several.

Municipality and police officials reached the temple on Monday morning to ensure action that was carried out without any issues. Police personnel from four police stations have been deployed at the site to maintain law and order.

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: Indore municipality deploys bulldozer & demolishes illegal structure at Indore temple where 36 people died after the stepwell collapse there last week. pic.twitter.com/gpRJB6zWhN  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 3, 2023

Along with the police officials, the Deputy Municipal Commissioner, District Magistrate, and other officials were also present at the spot.

The police had registered an FIR against the temple authorities after the tragic incident. Reportedly, two municipal officials have been suspended for not removing illegal construction.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the accident and also ordered a magisterial probe.

Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced compensation from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the accident victims.

On Thursday last week, the slab constructed on top of an ancient 'bawdi' or stepwell collapsed during a 'havan' programme held on the occasion of Ram Navami at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple in Patel Nagar. Several devotees fell into the water reservoir below as the roof collapsed.

The temple had been constructed after covering the square-shaped stepwell of around 20 ft x 20 ft size about four decades ago.

Indore Police Commissioner said that a case was registered against president and secretary of the temple administration under IPC 304.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said plans are afoot for another round of violence in the state on April 6 when the nation celebrates Hanuman Jayanti. Banerjee said the clashes during the Ram Navami processions were deliberately stocked by the organisers who took it to routes that were not permitted.

"I will entrust a responsibility to my Hindu brothers to see that minorities are not tortured on April 6 (Hanuman Jayanti)," Banerjee said while addressing a programme at Khejuri in Purba Medinipur district.

The chief minister urged the youth to come forward to prevent any kind of tension, and said protection should be given to the Scheduled Caste and Adivasi communities, too.

"I am asking my administration as well as the common people to remain alert on April 6. We all respect Bajrangbali, and we do not want any tension or violence in his name. The youth should come forward in preventing any kind of tension," she said.

Violence broke out during Ram Navami processions in Shibpur and Kazipara areas of Howrah district on Thursday with several shops ransacked and a number of vehicles set on fire. Police personnel deployed in the area were pelted with stones on Friday afternoon following which prohibitory orders were imposed in the area and internet services were suspended.

On Sunday, a fresh bout of violence was reported in Hooghly after two groups clashed during a Ram Navami 'shobha yatra' organised by the BJP.

Banerjee questioned the justification of taking out the procession three days after Ram Navami.

"We are in the middle of Ramzan month. But some people are steering the processions to sensitive areas with the intention of creating tension. The fruit stalls in those areas have been burnt down. They are even participating in the procession with firearms and other lethal weapons," she said.
Mumbai Police, on Sunday, arrested a 24-year-old man, whose video of him performing bike stunts went viral. He was performing stunts with a woman sitting in front of him and another sitting pillion.

The accused has cases registered against him at Antop Hill and Wadala TT police stations, a police official told PTI.

A case has been registered with BKC Police Station. Investigation into identifying the accused is underway.



If anyone has any information about persons in this video, you can DM us directly. https://t.co/CWGoqzSuaP  Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) March 31, 2023

"Recently, a video of the accused performing a dangerous stunt on his bike with two girls went viral on social media. The incident had occurred in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) area of the city. After the video surfaced, a case was registered against him and a team was formed to nab him," the official added.

The arrest was made under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide).

The 13-second video was shared by PotholeWarriors Foundation, condemning the act.
Assistant professor Hari Padman who was accused of sexual harassment at Kalakshetra Foundations Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts has been arrested by the Chennai police on Monday. Padman was arrested from North Chennai, where he was hiding following complaints of sexual harassment by the students at the foundation.



Hari Padman has been booked under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 (the penalty for harassment of women) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The arrest comes three days after the students called off their protest against the management. The students staged a sit-in protest inside the campus against the managements inaction on their complaints. Subsequently, the protests were withdrawn after the State Womens Commission chairman AS Kumari and Chief Minister MK Stalin gave assurance that the guilty will be punished.

Following the arrest, the investigation team is likely to record the statements of the complainants and also record witness statements from others involved in the case. Police sources that Padman was absconding. Sources also say that the foundation management asked him not to return to Chennai after completing his official tour to Hyderabad. He was on a tour for a dance programme in Hyderabad.

On March 31, after a complaint was filed by one of the students a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Padman at the Adyar All Women Police Station in Chennai. The FIR was registered on the second day of the protests. Initially, representatives from the National Womens Commission visited the foundation campus over complaints of sexual harassment. But, as the commission did not find anything incriminating, the complaint was not taken to the state police and no action was taken.

Then, when the students sat on a night-long protest inside the campus, the issue came to light and the state government stepped in. I will record my statements based on the complaints I received, says AS Kumari.

It may be recalled, that, Kalakshetra foundation is a fine arts institution funded by the union government. It is one of the prestigious institutions where art and dance form the major components. However, complaints of sexual harassment and the institution propagating toxic culture have come up in the recent past. Four professors namely, Hari Padman, Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan and Sreenath have been accused of sexually harassing the students. Most of the complaints have been against assistant professor Padman who has now been detained.

Police sources say that the other accused in the case will also be taken into custody soon if required. With this, the celebrity status and the prestige enjoyed by Kalakshetra when it comes to classical dance have taken a major hit.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks.

Senior Congress leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, chief ministers of three Congress-ruled states, other national and state party leaders are likely to accompany him to the court, sources said.

Gandhi's lawyers said the matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

The Congress leader will seek suspension of his sentence by the sessions court, they said.

Gandhi will land in Surat at around 2 pm, as per the Congress sources.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also likely to be in the city as Gandhi moves court, the sources said.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma here had on March 23 convicted 52-year-old Gandhi and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

It had held the Congress leader guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500.

The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

The former Congress chief was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case.

Following his disqualification, Gandhi would not be able to contest elections for eight years unless a higher court stays his conviction and sentence.

The case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Gandhi, who had served as an MP from Wayanad in Kerala, made the remarks while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019 during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.

The sentence of two years invited his disqualification from the membership of Parliament under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The RP Act holds that an MP or a member of legislative Assembly (MLA) convicted for any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of conviction.
Two leaders of the Congress Party in Telangana have embarked on a 'padayatra', a walkathon covering different parts of the state. A Revanth Reddy, the state Congress Party President, and Bhatti Vikramarka, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) chief, are leading the yatras that are part of 'Hath Se Hath Jodo' yatras conducted by the Congress.

Revanth Reddy represents the new set of migratory leaders who have recently joined Congress from other parties, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Bhatti, on the other hand, represents Congress old timers and long-standing loyalists.

Notably, the two leaders also represent different communities that have been the backbone of the Congress party for generations. Revanth is from the Reddy community, which has always occupied leadership roles, while the Dalit community, to who Bhatti belongs to, is believed to have sided with the party during consecutive elections, voting it to power.

Revanth Reddy, the state Congress Party President, speaking at a meet | Twitter

The Congress High Command has given permission to these two leaders to go on the walkathon ahead of the state Assembly elections, scheduled to be held at the end of this year. However, the question remains as to whether the Congress Party's two-pronged strategy will pay off.

In the past, the Congress High Command has been averse to the idea of political padyatras that could elevate regional leaders and transform them into a brand. Prior to 2004 Assembly elections, the Congress high command was reluctant to permit former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) to undertake state-wide padayatra, which ultimately got the Congress party into power.

When YSR undertook padayatra, V. Hanumanth Rao another senior leader also sought permission of the party high command but wasn't allowed.

YSRs son, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy too had to face similar situation when he was in Congress back in 2010 when he wanted to go on a tour meeting his fathers followers who got affected by his death. However, its a different scenario now.

The Congress party's permission for the walkathons of two leaders in Telangana may be an attempt to keep the two camps busy and in good spirits, energize the party from both ends, and keep infighting low. However, some political analysts feel that multiple boots on the ground of a single party shows signs of internal squabbles and gives the impression that party high command has no grip or control over party affairs in the state. "It is a divided house where nobody is acknowledging others contribution," said an analyst.

Manikrao Thakare, the new state incharge of the party, is trying hard to manage different camps and has been staying in the state for most of the month. There have been rebels who have openly defied the party in the past, and the high command has failed to take strong action against them.

According to a source within the Congress party, the latest walkathons are also a way to cover the areas that have turned into no-go zones for Revanth Reddy. Local Congress leaders in Nalgona, Medk, and Warangal have vowed not to allow Revanth on their soil, and Bhatti has been tasked with covering those areas under his padayatras.

Overall, the Congress Party's strategy seems to have worked for the time-being, keeping the warring leaders busy in their sneakers.
Two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli troops in an army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Monday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the latest in a year-long spike of violence that shows no sign of abating.

Ahmad Jibril, the head of the Palestinian Red Crescent Emergency and Ambulance Department in Nablus, said that two Palestinians were severely wounded during the raid and were rushed to the Rafidia hospital. The two individuals later succumbed to their injuries and werewhere were pronounced dead, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Jibril reported that the Israeli soldiers used toxic gas bombs during their raid, causing around 55 Palestinians to suffocate from tear gas inhalation. Furthermore, five Palestinian houses were evicted and a Red Crescent ambulance was targeted with a gas grenade during the attack on the city

The Israeli military on its part said troops arrested two people during the raid who they claim were suspected of assisting a gunman who shot two soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara last month.

Violence has surged in recent months in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem amid near-daily Israeli arrest raids in Palestinian-controlled areas.

The U.S. has tried to broker talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinians to try to defuse tensions during the holy month of Ramadan, now in its second week.

In addition to Monday's killing of two Palestinians, the Palestinian toll of those killed by Israeli or settler gunfire this year stands at 92. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 15 people in the same period.

Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their future independent state.

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Top Opposition leaders on Monday strongly pitched for a caste census at a DMK-convened conference on social justice which also saw calls for forging unity to take on the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 general election.

The conference was seen by many as a show of strength by the Opposition with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav joining in to raise their voice against oppression of backward classes.

The meeting saw a chorus from Opposition leaders demanding a caste census, with RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav making a strong case for caste census, citing that the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar has already announced a caste-based survey which has begun.

He said it was a concern that when governments in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand want to provide more reservation for OBCs, the governors stall it.

"This is done at the behest of whom, everyone knows," Yadav said.

He urged the Opposition parties to come together setting aside their egos and said the best way to beat the BJP's politics of 'polarisation' was through social justice-based politics.

Manoj Jha, also of the RJD, went to the extent of calling for a boycott of the census, if there is no caste census.

"We should give a call -- no census, if no caste census," he said.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said there are still some parties that do not want to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that it is not the time to remain in the grey but it is time to be white or black.

He called on Andhra Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to join efforts to take on the current government.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also called for a caste census and alleged that the BJP is running away from it because it's ideological mentor RSS wants the 'varna system' to continue.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said if a future of India is to be envisioned, then people, irrespective of their caste, class, religion and creed have to be taken along.

"For India to really shine, everyone needs to be taken along. We are all behind (MK) Stalin and support him in his efforts to make this India for everyone," he said.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said while reservation for the backward classes is a significant step to open windows of opportunity for them, it has to be accompanied by economic development.

"Economic development cannot be restricted to a few. Over the last two years, 40.5 per cent of wealth generated has been cornered by one per cent of population. We have to fight the corporate communal nexus," he said.

CPI general secretary D Raja also strongly pitched for a caste census and called for reservation in the private sector.

Other attendees included former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily, Chhagan Bhujbal (Nationalist Congress Party), E T Muhammad Basheer (Indian Union Muslim League), K Keshava Rao (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) and MDMK leader Vaiko.

Bhujbal said parties should pass a resolution to conduct caste census along with the national census.

Basheer alleged that the BJP is working to remove the quota regime and the first step was by bringing in the EWS law and scrapping of 4 per cent quota for Muslims in Karnataka.

This is the second attempt of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to unite the Opposition, rallying around Stalin. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Tejashwi Yadav and Farooq Abdullah were among those who were part of the DMK chief's 70th birthday celebrations recently.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to release the UGC-NET December 2022 cycle results this week. The exams were held in five phases for 83 subjects from February 21 to March 16.

Candidates can check the results on ugcnet.nta.nic.in once they are published.

More than eight lakh students appeared for the exams held at 663 centres in 186 cities. The NTA had release the answer key on March 23 and given candidates time till March 25 to raise objections, if any.

The NTA conducts UGC-NET exams twice a year. The exam is a test to determine the eligibility of Indian nationals for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Assistant Professor in Indian universities and colleges.

Awarding of JRF and eligibility for Assistant Professorship depends on the aggregate performance of the candidate in Paper-I and Paper-II of UGC-NET. The candidates qualifying only for Assistant Professorship are not to be considered for the awarding of JRF.

Candidates who qualify the eligibility test for Assistant Professorship are governed by the rules and regulations for recruitment of Assistant Professor of the universities/colleges/state governments concerned, as the case may be, as per information published on the NTA website.
The West Bengal government has suspended internet services across the Hoogly district after violence broke out during a Ram Navami procession of the BJP on Sunday evening.

Besides, prohibitory orders are also in place in the district which witnessed stone pelting and arson, reported ANI.



The government said internet services will remain suspended in Hoogly till 10.00 pm on Monday. "No restriction is being imposed on voice calls and SMS and on newspapers hence communication and dissemination of knowledge and information is not stopped in any way," the state governments order added.



"In order to prevent obstruction, annoyance or injury to any person lawfully employed, or danger to human life, health or safety or a disturbance of the public tranquillity, or a riot or an affray, through an order under section 5 (2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 read with the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, it is promulgated that," the government statement added.



Meanwhile, a heavy police deployment is in place in the area to prevent any further flare-ups. "Police are doing route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," a senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said.



The clashes reportedly happened on GT Road in the Rishra police station area. According to BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh, people in the procession were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple in Mahesh when stones were hurled at it. "There were many women and children in the procession who were walking with saffron flags in their hands. Suddenly, stones were hurled at us from one side of the road. Several policemen were also injured in the stone-pelting even though I and some other leaders were rescued and taken out of the area through adjacent lanes," Ghosh further alleged.



Ghosh added that a BJP MLA Biman Ghosh, the legislator from the Purshura constituency in Hooghly, was injured in the stone pelting and had to be hospitalised. According to the post shared by the party on Twitter, Ghosh was badly beaten up by the goons supported by the Didir police.



BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar also wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah late on Sunday evening seeking the latters intervention. "In view of the deteriorating law and order situation, we immediately seek your kind intervention as per law so that the situation does not go out of control and life and property of ordinary citizens are saved," the letter Majumdar shared on Twitter read.



The violence in Hoogly comes days after similar clashes happened in the neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday. Over 45 people were arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.
Plants generate distinct airborne sounds when they are under stress, according to a new study by Isreali researchers. The sounds, which are similar to the popping of popcorn, are emitted at a volume equivalent to human speech but at high frequencies beyond the hearing range of humans.

The study by a team of researchers at Tel Aviv University suggests that animals such as bats, mice, and insects may be able to hear these sounds. Researchers recorded the sounds of various plants, including tomatoes, tobacco, wheat, corn, cactus, and henbit.

The world around us is full of plant sounds, and that these sounds contain information -- for example about water scarcity or injury

"We found that plants usually emit sounds when they are under stress, and that each plant and each type of stress is associated with a specific identifiable sound. While imperceptible to the human ear, the sounds emitted by plants can probably be heard by various animals, such as bats, mice, and insects," said the researchers.

At the first stage of the study the researchers placed plants in an acoustic box in a quiet, isolated basement with no background noise. Ultrasonic microphones recording sounds at frequencies of 20-250 kilohertz (the maximum frequency detected by a human adult is about 16 kilohertz) were set up at a distance of about 10cm from each plant. The study focused mainly on tomato and tobacco plants, but wheat, corn, cactus and henbit were also recorded.

"Before placing the plants in the acoustic box we subjected them to various treatments: some plants had not been watered for five days, in some the stem had been cut, and some were untouched. Our intention was to test whether the plants emit sounds, and whether these sounds are affected in any way by the plant's condition. Our recordings indicated that the plants in our experiment emitted sounds at frequencies of 40-80 kilohertz. Unstressed plants emitted less than one sound per hour, on average, while the stressed plants -- both dehydrated and injured -- emitted dozens of sounds every hour," said Prof. Lilach Hadany from the School of Plant Sciences and Food Security at the Wise Faculty of Life Sciences.

The recordings collected in this way were analysed by specially developed machine learning (AI) algorithms. The algorithms learned how to distinguish between different plants and different types of sounds, and were ultimately able to identify the plant and determine the type and level of stress from the recordings. Moreover, the algorithms identified and classified plant sounds even when the plants were placed in a greenhouse with a great deal of background noise. In the greenhouse the researchers monitored plants subjected to a process of dehydration over time and found that the quantity of sounds they emitted increased up to a certain peak, and then diminished.

The study was led by Prof. Hadany, together with Prof. Yossi Yovel, Head of the Sagol School of Neuroscience and faculty member at the School of Zoology and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, and research students Itzhak Khait and Ohad Lewin-Epstein, in collaboration with researchers from the Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Mathematical Sciences, the Institute for Cereal Crops Research, and the Sagol School of Neuroscience -- all at Tel Aviv University. The paper was published in the scientific journal Cell.

"From previous studies we know that vibrometers attached to plants record vibrations. But do these vibrations also become airborne soundwaves -- namely sounds that can be recorded from a distance? Our study addressed this question, which researchers have been debating for many years," said Prof. Hadany.

"In this study we resolved a very old scientific controversy: we proved that plants do emit sounds! Our findings suggest that the world around us is full of plant sounds, and that these sounds contain information -- for example about water scarcity or injury. We assume that in nature the sounds emitted by plants are detected by creatures nearby, such as bats, rodents, various insects, and possibly also other plants -- that can hear the high frequencies and derive relevant information. We believe that humans can also utilise this information, given the right tools -- such as sensors that tell growers when plants need watering. Apparently, an idyllic field of flowers can be a rather noisy place. It's just that we can't hear the sounds!"
Four people were seriously hurt in an overnight fire at a hospital in Berlin, including a patient who sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities said Monday. A man was detained in connection with the blaze.



The fire on the third floor of the Klinikum am Urban in the German capital was extinguished early Monday morning, the fire service said.

Three patients and a nurse were seriously injured, among them a patient who got stuck in an elevator and whose life was in danger.

Forty people were evacuated as smoke spread through the building.

Firefighters said the blaze appeared to have started with burning beds in a corridor, but it wasn't immediately clear how they caught fire, German news agency DPA reported. Police said a man was arrested and arson couldn't be ruled out.
China has released a third set of names in Chinese, Tibetan and pinyin characters for Arunachal Pradesh, as part of its efforts to reemphasise its claim over the Indian state.

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs on Sunday released the standardised names of 11 places for Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls "Zangnan, the southern part of Tibet" in accordance with regulations on geographical names issued by the State Council, China's cabinet.

The official names of the 11 places were released on Sunday by the ministry, which also gave precise coordinates, including two land areas, two residential areas, five mountain peaks and two rivers and listed the category of places' names and their subordinate administrative districts, state-run Global Times reported on Monday.

This is the third batch of standardised geographical names for Arunachal Pradesh issued by China's civil affairs ministry. The first batch of the standardised names of six places in Arunachal was released in 2017, and the second batch of 15 places was issued in 2021.

India has previously dismissed the Chinese move of renaming some places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state has "always been" and will "always be" an integral part of India and that assigning "invented" names does not alter this fact.

"This is not the first time China has attempted such a renaming of places in the state of Arunachal Pradesh," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in December 2021.

"Arunachal Pradesh has always been, and will always be an integral part of India. Assigning invented names to places in Arunachal Pradesh does not alter this fact," he had said.

The Global Times, which is part of the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece People's Daily group of publications, quoted Chinese experts as saying that the announcement of names is a legitimate move and China's sovereign right to standardise the geographical names.

The first set of names was announced by China in 2017 days after the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China was sharply critical of the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit.

Dalai Lama fled from Tibet through Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and sought refuge in India in 1959 after China took military control of the Himalayan region in 1950.
Three British men are reportedly in the custody of the Taliban's secret police in Kabul since January. All three were detained in separate incidents, said reports.

They have been identified as "danger tourist" Miles Routledge, charity medic Kevin Cornwell and a hotelier who has not been named. The unnamed man was managing a hotel in Kabul when he was apprehended, reported Sky News.

According to British government authorities, efforts are on to secure the release of the three men. Home Secretary Suella Braverman told Sky News that the government was "in negotiations" with the Taliban.

"Anyone travelling to dangerous parts of the world should take the utmost caution. If they are going to do that, they should always act on the advice of the Foreign Office travel advice. If there are risks to people's safety, if they're a British citizens abroad, then the UK government is going to do whatever it takes to ensure that they're safe. The government is in negotiations and working hard to ensure people's safety is upheld."

Meanwhile, Scott Richards from the Presidium Network,

a non-profit organisation representing Cronwell and the unnamed Briton, told Sky News that he believes the pair are in good health and being well treated.

"There has been no meaningful contact [with the men], there has been no access by international monitoring agencies... and there's been no other form of access to the individuals to date."

"We're very hopeful that contact will be made," he added, expressing hope that a positive development in the situation could coincide with the end of Ramadan.

Richards added that there were "no official charges as such" and the two men's detention on 11 January was understood to be over a weapon in a safe in Cornwell's room. He added that the gun was stored with a licence issued by the Afghan interior ministry.

"That license is missing," Richards said, adding: "But we have taken several statements from witnesses who have seen the licence and affirm its existence. "It is perfectly possible that during the search the licence was separated from the weapon and, as such, why we refer to this scenario as a probable misunderstanding."

Danger tourist

Miles Routledge | Twitter

Miles Routledge, one of the three who is in Taliban's custody, has been vocal about his love for "dark" and "extreme" places.

The 23-year-old man, who travels to dangerous countries and posts about it online, had gained fame and courted controversy before too.

In August 2021, Routledge was on a "holiday" in Afghanistan when the Taliban took control of the country. It was then said that he had chosen to travel to Afghanistan after looking up a list of the most dangerous places to visit in the world. However, he was then rescued by the British Army.

Routledge thanked the British Army for airlifting him out of Kabul but returned to the country since then.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Finland will become the 31st member of the military alliance on Tuesday.

From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance, Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finland's membership, will hand its official texts to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday as NATO foreign ministers gather in Brussels.

Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same. A flag-raising ceremony to add the Finnish flag to those of the other members will take place at NATO headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

Stoltenberg told reporters, "We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole. Sweden will also be safer as a result."

Responding to Finland's NATO membership, Russia said it will strengthen its military capacity. Quoting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, news agency RIA reported that Russia will strengthen military capacity in the west and northwest in response to Finland joining NATO.
Lawyers representing the Wall Street Journal reporter, arrested in Russia on espionage charges have appealed his arrest, a court in Moscow announced Monday.

Evan Gershkovich, 31, was detained last week in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city. It was the first time a US correspondent had been detained on spying accusations since the Cold War.

The Journal has said it vehemently denies the charges and demanded his release.

At a hearing Thursday, Moscow's Lefortovsky District court quickly ruled that Gershkovich would be kept behind bars for two months pending the investigation.

On Monday, the court reported that it has received an appeal against Gershkovich's arrest filed by his defence, according to Russian news agencies. No date for the appeals hearing has been set yet.

Gershkovich was put in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which dates from the czarist era and has been a terrifying symbol of repression since Soviet times.

Russia's Federal Security Service, the top successor to the Soviet-era KGB that is known by the acronym FSB, accused Gershkovich of trying to obtain classified information about a Russian arms factory. The Kremlin alleged that Gershkovich was caught red-handed, without offering details.

President Joe Biden on Friday urged Russia to release Gershkovich. Let him go, Biden told reporters at the White House when asked if he had a message for Russia.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged his Russian counterpart Sunday in a rare phone call between the diplomats since the start of the Ukraine war, to immediately release Gershkovich as well as another imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.
The Investigative Committee of Russia said that they've detained a suspect in connection with the explosion that killed ultranationalist military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a cafe in St. Petersburg. 26-year-old Darya Trepova, an anti-war activist was earlier placed on the interior ministry's wanted list, the BBC reported.

Ahead of Trepova being detained Russia's top counterterrorism agency said that the bombing attack was staged by Ukrainian security agencies. Over 30 people were wounded by the blast, and 10 of them remain in grave condition, according to the authorities.

Trepova is known to be an active supporter of Navalny's group. "On suspicion of involvement in the explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg, employees of the Russian Investigative Committee, together with operational services, detained Darya Trepova," the Investigative Committee of Russia said on Telegram Monday.

Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin was handed a bust of him, which exploded later. Tatarsky had over 560,000 followers on Telegram and was one of the countrys most influential military bloggers, the Guardian reports. He has been a strong critic of Russia's defence ministry, especially in the last year for its inability to achieve military gains in Ukraine.
Egypt has been selected for the first time as vice-chairperson of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), for a two-year term, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday.

The announcement came during the 17th session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM-17), which was held at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy on 27-31 March with the attendance of agricultural quarantine leaders from around the world.

Egypt will be the main candidate for the position of the CPM chairperson after its new term as vice-chairperson of the commission ends, Ahmed El-Attar, head of the Central Administration for Plant Quarantine at the Ministry of Agriculture, said.

Egypt was chosen from among the 184-member states of the IPPC for this important international position, El-Attar said.

He added that this accomplishment strengthens Egypt's international profile in phytosanitary and agricultural quarantine and facilitates entry to many key export markets that are difficult to enter.

The post will also actively contribute to eliminating many barriers facing the agricultural exports.

It will also facilitate sharing of experiences and participating in international decision-making.

Moreover, the post will help provide Egypt with a high degree of credibility in terms of agricultural quarantine at the international level, he added.

The IPPC is an intergovernmental treaty overseen by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and signed by more than 180 countries.

It aims to protect the world's plant resources from the spread and introduction of pests and promote safe trade.

Egypt held several high-level positions in global agricultural organisations, including being the current chair of the Near East Plant Protection Organization (NEPPO) operating under the IPPC.

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Russia's envoy to Belarus said the country would install tactical weapons near Belaru's western borders, which it shares with NATO members. He added the tactical weapons will be installed regardless of opposition from Europe and the United States.

Ambassador Boris Gryzlov made the statement said amid simmering tensions between Russia and the West over the Ukraine war. Gryzlov's comment followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia's neighbour and ally. The announcement marked another attempt by the Russian leader to dangle the nuclear threat to discourage the West from supporting Ukraine.

Putin has said that construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The two neighbours have an agreement envisioning close economic, political and military ties. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.

Gryzlov, speaking in remarks broadcast late Sunday by Belarusian state television, said the Russian nuclear weapons will be moved up close to the Western border of our union state but did not give any precise location.

It will expand our defence capability, and it will be done regardless of all the noise in Europe and the United States, he said in a reference to Western criticism of Putin's decision. Belarus shares a 1,250-kilometre border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield, have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in his annual address said some of Russia's strategic nuclear weapons might be deployed to Belarus along with part of Russia's tactical nuclear arsenal. Lukashenko said Russia's plan to deploy nuclear weapons in the country would protect it from Western threats.

I am not trying to intimidate or blackmail anyone. I want to safeguard the Belarusian state and ensure peace for the Belarusian people," Lukashenko said. He added western nations were building up their military forces in Poland and claimed they were planning to invade and destroy his country.

(With PTI inputs.)
The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, on Sunday, said he raised a Russian flag over Bakhmut's city hall in Ukraine.



Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a night-time video, said Bakhmut was now Russian in a legal sense. But, he said that Ukrainian forces were still concentrated in western districts.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in the meantime, said, fighting in the city of Bakhmut is "particularly hot". Zelenskyy in his nightly address gave no indication that the city had fallen to Russia. Prominent Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the city centre, Reuters reported.

"The enemy has not stopped its assault of Bakhmut. However, Ukrainian defenders are courageously holding the city as they repel numerous enemy attacks," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told BBC. On March 30, it was confirmed that about 6,000 Wagner group troops were fighting in Bakhmut. At the time, Ukrainian military officials said that Russian troops have made progress on the frontlines of Bakhmut. But, maintained that they were still holding on.

After Prigozhins video was released, Ukrainian military leaders said that enemy troops had tried to take control of the town, but their forces had repelled more than 20 enemy attacks. Zelenskyy on Sunday praised Ukrainian troops defence of the city. Thank you to our soldiers who are fighting in Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Bakhmut, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there, he said.
Guwahati, Apr 3 (PTI) The Numaligarh Refinery Ltd in Assam has recorded the highest-ever crude throughput of 3.093 million metric tonnes in the 2022-23 fiscal as against its capacity of 3 MMT, according to a statement issued on Monday.

The company has also achieved a distillate yield of 87.6 per cent, a record since its inception, the release said.

NRL has accomplished this feat, while keeping capital expenditure at Rs 6,615 crore, which is the highest ever to date, surpassing its earlier record of Rs 3,605 crore in 2021-22, it said.

Major refinery products, such as motor spirit, high-speed diesel and wax, have shown record production figures at 662.4 MT, 2,134.8 MT and 47.7 MT respectively.

"LPG bottling has also been the highest ever at 65.9 TMT," the release said.

The refinery was also "successful in commissioning and inauguration of the India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline on March 18.

The 132 km-long pipeline has been built to transport high-speed diesel from NRLs Siliguri marketing terminal in West Bengal to Parbatipur in the neighbouring country.

The NRL is on a major expansion drive to increase its capacity from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA, which also includes setting up of a crude oil import terminal in Paradip Port, Odisha, and laying of a 1,640-km pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh, the release added.
Kolkata, Apr 3 (PTI) The Jute Corporation of India has initiated significant technological interventions to support the growth of the sector in the country and is aiming at expanding its reach to help increase the production of the golden fibre, an official said on Monday.

The corporation under the Ministry of Textiles is looking to broaden its reach to states such as Jharkhand, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Tripura to increase raw jute production, he said.

"Our primary mandate is to procure jute from farmers under the minimum support price programme. We are also working towards disseminating technological interventions for the growth and transparency in the jute sector," JCI Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Kr Jolly said at a programme to celebrate the 52nd foundation day of the corporation.

He also said that the Jute Development Project - Jute I-Care - is in its ninth year and has benefited approximately 3.5 lakh farmers so far.

The project will help improve yield at a time when the overall acreage of jute cultivation has declined, he said.

"We are signing an MoU with the National Remote Sensing Centre to introduce a geospatial crop surveillance and monitoring system to cover jute fields on a pan-India basis. This will help accurately estimate jute production as well as productivity by using scientific methods. It will collect data from 1,000 areas," Jolly said.

JCI also intends to modernise the market for the crop as a whole through the use of blockchain technology in the raw jute supply chain, as well as providing an e-auction platform.

Meanwhile, JCI has so far procured over 5 lakh quintals of raw jute in the ongoing 2022-23 jute season through minimum support price operations and stated that it remains committed to protecting farmers' interests.

However, the jute industry had urged JCI to have a buffer stock of 10 lakh bales for adequate intervention during any shortage.

The corporation also appealed to people to use jute bags instead of plastics to protect the environment.
Kolkata, Apr 3 (PTI) One of the engine blades of an Air India plane was found to be damaged after it landed in Kolkata on Monday morning, said officials who suspect that it was caused by a bird hit.

A blade on the right engine of the plane, Airbus A320, which arrived here from Mumbai, was found to be bent during checks after boarding was complete for its return journey, they said.

Air India flight AI675 landed in Kolkata around 8.20 am, after taking off from Mumbai at 6.16 am, they said.

For its return journey to Mumbai, a total of 119 passengers boarded the plane (AI676) from Kolkata. There were also six cabin crew on the plane, which was preparing to take off when the damage was detected, they added.

The passengers were made to deboard the plane, which then underwent repairs. The passengers went to Mumbai on the same flight around 1 pm, officials said.
Eugene Karthak and S Vishvanathan join slices parent company Garagepreneurs Internet Private Limited (GIPL) as Independent Director, and Advisor respectively



Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (NewsVoir)

slice, Indias leading consumer payments and lending company has announced the strategic appointment of Eugene Karthak as an Independent Board Director and S Vishvanathan as Advisor. With the fintech industry poised for revolutionary change, the appointments come at a crucial time for slice as it pursues its ambition to become a one-stop app for all things payments.



Rajan Bajaj, Founder & CEO of slice, warmly welcomed the new board member and the advisor, stating, We are delighted to have Mr. Eugene and Mr. Vishvanathan join the slice family. As we navigate this pivotal stage of growth, the guidance of these seasoned and accomplished leaders will be instrumental in steering slice towards its objectives. With their combined expertise, we can enhance our corporate governance practices and learn from their vast experience.



Mr. Eugene, former Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India, brings over three decades of experience in banking regulation, supervision, Information Technology, financial inclusion, currency management and more. Prior to assuming office as the Executive Director of RBI, he was the Regional Director of RBI for Sikkim, Karnataka, and Delhi offices respectively. He was closely associated with CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) for over 6 years to guide investigations of bank frauds in India and internationally. Mr. Eugene is currently the Director of the Indian Institute of Bank Management, a premier training institute for bankers. At slice, he will focus on providing strategic advice and promoting robust corporate governance.



On joining slice, Mr. Eugene expressed his enthusiasm, I am excited to join one of the youngest and leading fintech companies as India's fintech movement expands exponentially. My goal is to help implement the finest governance strategies and ensure slice remains at the forefront of this movement."



Mr. S Vishvanathan, a banking and finance veteran with 37 years of experience, led the State Bank of India as the Managing Director and as Director on the Central Board. Prior to that, he was Managing Director and CEO of SBI Capital Markets Limited. At slice, he will guide strategic decision-making in line with the companys mission and vision.



Mr. Vishvanathan shared his thoughts on his new role, "The collaboration between banks and fintechs is essential for the future of financial services. slice has created a unique offering in this space, recognising the importance of inclusive partnerships to lead India's financial services industry. I am eager to contribute to this association and optimistic about forging a strategic roadmap for both the company and the ecosystem."



slice recently overhauled its product offerings to deliver a comprehensive payments experience with products like slice borrow, slice mini, and slice UPI. The company joined India's prestigious Unicorn club in November 2021 after raising $220 million in its Series-B fundraise, co-led by Tiger Global and Insight Partners.



About slice



slice, the simplest way to pay.



slice is Indias leading consumer payments company focused on providing financial services to Indias youngsters. With more than 12 million registered users, slice is a market leader in this rapidly growing segment. The company aims to build a smart, innovative, and transparent financial platform to redesign the financial experience for millennials and GenZ. slice app brings a fast and simple way to make payments for millions of its users, be it credit or UPI. slices purpose is to make the world better at using their time and money, with the singular focus on providing the best consumer payments experience.



Backed by leading investors such as Tiger Global, Insight partners, Advent International, Blume Ventures, and Gunosy Capital, slice has cumulatively raised $290mn in its series A, B, and B1 rounds.



For more information, please visit: www.sliceit.com.



Image: L - Mr. Eugene Karthak, R - Mr. S VIshvanathan



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

PWR
Shimla, Apr 3 (PTI) The economic intelligence unit of the State Taxes and Excise Department of Himachal Pradesh has detected four fictitious firms engaged in suspicious transactions and has taken up the matter with the central authorities, officials said on Monday.

The companies are run by three individuals belonging to Gujarat, according to their Aadhaar card details, they said.

They had applied for registration of 184 firms across the country and 31 of these were approved. In Himachal Pradesh, they sought registration of 10 firms and were successful in getting four approved by the Central Goods and Services Tax authorities, they said.

Excise Commissioner Yunus said that after a detailed analysis of data of these firms, it was observed that these firms were apparently making suspicious transactions.

Enquiries were conducted with regard to addresses disclosed by these firms for conducting business in the state and none of these firms was found to exist.

These individuals have disclosed a business of Rs 167 crore and have passed on fake input tax credit of Rs 27 crore across India. In Himachal, they disclosed a turnover of Rs 56 crore and have passed on fake input tax credit of Rs 9.43 crore, he said.

He said the department has taken up the matter with the central authorities as the firms are under central jurisdiction and their networks are spread across the country.

The central authorities have been requested to take immediate action against these fake entities, he added.
Islamabad, Apr 3 (PTI) Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar will be leading a high-powered delegation to the US to attend the annual spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank and for talks with officials which can help the cash-strapped country to ink a much-needed USD 1.1 billion bailout with the IMF.

Dar along with an official delegation comprising the Finance and Economic Affairs Division secretaries and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor, might present fresh proposals before the IMF and World Bank for providing dollar inflows, Geo news portal reported.

The delegation will be attending the upcoming Annual Spring Meeting of the Breton Wood Institutions (BWIs), known as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, from April 10 to 16, the report added.

During the meetings, Pakistan and the IMF would also discuss the possibility of combining the remaining 10th and 11th reviews under the USD 6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme in case the pending 9th review is completed.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is awaiting a much-needed USD 1.1 billion tranche of funding from the Washington-based IMF, which was originally due to be disbursed in November last year.

The funds are part of a USD 6.5 billion bailout package the IMF approved in 2019, which analysts say is critical if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on external debt obligations.

The IMF programme, signed in 2019, is going to expire on June 30, 2023, and under the set guidelines, the programme cannot be extended beyond the deadline.

The pending 9th review was scheduled to be completed in December 2022 and the 10th review should have been kick-started from February 2023. The 11th review was scheduled to commence on May 3.

Pakistan and the IMF have been negotiating the resumption of an installed USD 7 billion IMF programme for months but have yet to reach an agreement.

There is no easy solution available to fix the ailing economy of Pakistan and the government is of the view that they have taken all the tough decisions for reviving the stalled IMF programme.

Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, enough to shore up for barely one month's imports.

The current volatile political situation in Pakistan has become a factor in delaying a much-needed deal with the IMF.
Colombo, Apr 3 (PTI) Sri Lanka welcomed over 1.25 lakh tourists in March this year, with Russians and Indians accounting for the bulk of the arrivals, the country's tourism department said on Monday.

The tourism sector is the main source of foreign exchange earnings for Sri Lanka. However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled this sector.

It was one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails.

Sri Lanka welcomed 1,25,495 tourists in March 2023, an impressive jump from the 1,06,500 lakh arrivals reported during the same month last year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

It is an 11.5 per cent increase from Februarys tourist arrivals of 107,639, while 102,545 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in January 2023.

Sri Lanka has welcomed over 323,000 tourists in the first three months of 2023, SLTDA chairman Priantha Fernando told the media.

Interestingly, this is the first time since 2019 that the island nation has welcomed over 1,00,000 tourists for three consecutive months.

Over 39,000 Russians visited Sri Lanka in March 2023, topping the list of tourists to visit Sri Lanka, followed by Indians who accounted for close to 19,000 arrivals.

SLTDA officials attribute the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Colombo and the easing of the measures imposed due to the pandemic as the reasons for the rise of Russian tourists in the country.

In October 2022, Russia's flagship carrier Aeroflot resumed commercial operations to Sri Lanka, more than four months after the airline suspended its flights to the island nation after authorities here briefly detained an aircraft over a legal dispute.

Similarly, Indians witnessed an impressive 38 per cent jump in tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka in the previous month as compared to February.

Experts attribute this to the growing ties between the two countries, the increase in direct flights between Colombo and major Indian cities as well as the slew of initiatives like the "Ramayana Trail" and the "Visit Sri Lanka" campaigns launched last year.

Sri Lanka has been in the midst of a major economic, humanitarian and political crisis last year.

There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since April last year due to the government's mishandling of the economic crisis.

In September 2022, the IMF announced a USD 2.9 billion bailout package to help the country tide over its worst economic crisis.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) BTS member Suga is set to release his first official solo album 'D-DAY' on April 21, management agency BigHit Music has announced.

In a post shared on global fan forum Weverse on Sunday night, BigHit Music said 'D-DAY' marks the final chapter of a trilogy by the rapper's another moniker, Agust D, succeeding the previous mixtapes, 'Agust D' and 'D-2'.

"You can place your pre-order of the CD and Weverse Album through online and offline retailers starting Monday, April 3," the agency said in the statement.

The upcoming album delves into the personal journey of Suga as Agust D, offering an intimate portrayal of his life as an artist. The 30-year-old musician's real name is Min Yoon-gi.

The pre-release track of 'D-Day' is set to drop on April 7.

Suga will also engage with fans through a variety of content, including the Disney+/Weverse documentary "Suga: Road to D-Day" and a solo world tour, a first for any BTS member.
Alexandria Criminal court has sought the opinion of Egypt's grand mufti on the preliminary death sentence passed down on Sunday on a husband that killed seven members of his family including his wife and three children in early March.

The court found the 40-year-old man, who worked as a low-ranking policeman, guilty on charges of killing seven people, which included his wife, three of his children, his mother and father-in-law, and his brother-in-law. He also attempted to kill his fourth child.

During the trial, which began on Sunday, the court heard from eyewitnesses, including an eight-year-old son who survived the incident. The court also heard from police officers who inspected the crime scene and reviewed the autopsy reports of the victims.

According to the prosecution, the 40-year-old man was at his parents-in-laws house in the Abu Soliman area of Alexandria in early March to reconcile with his wife after their separation. However, after she refused to reconcile with him, the accused allegedly shot dead his wife, his parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and three of his children.

His fourth son, who was also shot and critically injured, managed to flee the scene but later recounted the incident to the police. The deceased sons were aged two, three, four, and seven, while their mother was in her mid-20s.

The prosecution referred the case to the criminal court following the testimonies of 13 people, including the surviving son. According to the prosecution, 20 empty shotgun shells were found at the scene.

Egypt's penal code mandates seeking the opinion of the Grand Mufti before issuing a death sentence. However, the opinion itself is not binding. The court has scheduled May 6th as the date to issue a preliminary verdict on the defendant.

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Peshawar, Apr 3 (PTI) Police probing the murder of a Sikh trader and a Christian youth here in the capital of Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last week are yet to make any breakthrough in arresting the culprits.

An initial investigation report into the murder of Diyal Singh has been sent to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, police said.

Two close relatives of Diyal Singh, who was killed last Friday in his shop, were also killed last year, the police report said.

The incident is being investigated as a targeted killing.

According to the police report, 28 Sikh community members have been killed in the province in the past.

Singh received a bullet in the head and another in the chest, the report said.

On Saturday, a Christian youth identified as Kashif Masih was killed by a gunman in front of his home in the Pishtakharra area of Peshawar.

The armed killer, who was alone on his bike, shot dead Kashif Masih, the report said. It would be premature to assume that the incident was a targeted killing, the report said.
Warsaw, Apr 3 (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will pay a visit to Warsaw this week that will include a visit with regular Ukrainians and Poles, the Polish president's office announced on Monday.

The visit is scheduled for Wednesday and will begin with an official meeting between Zelenskyy and his host, Polish President Andrzej Duda, and be followed by a meeting with the public, according to an announcement on the presidential website in Warsaw.

Marcin Przydacz, the head of Duda's international office, told radio broadcaster RMF FM that Zelenskyy will meet with Ukrainians and Poles at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, and that Zelenskyy says he wants to thank Poles for helping Ukrainians.

Poland, a NATO and European Union nation on Ukraine's western border, was the first stop for many of the refugees who fled war at home. Many chose to remain, with more than 1.5 million registering with the government. (AP)



GRS
London, Apr 3 (PTI) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday condemned the political correctness which has prevented action against vile criminals behind the sexual abuse of children and young women, as he unveiled plans for a new task force to go after such gangs.

The new Grooming Gangs Taskforce will involve specialist officers parachuted in to assist police forces with live child sexual exploitation and grooming investigations for stricter action against those who groom children for sexual abuse.

Sunaks announcement came a day after his Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, said that the perpetrators of such crimes are groups of men, almost all British Pakistani but authorities have turned a turn blind eye to these signs of abuse out of political correctness, out of fear, of being called racists, out of fear, of being called bigoted.

The safety of women and girls is paramount, Sunak said in a statement ahead of a planned visit to Leeds and Manchester to launch the new task force.

For too long, political correctness has stopped us from weeding out vile criminals who prey on children and young women. We will stop at nothing to stamp out these dangerous gangs, he said.

Led by the police and supported by the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA), Downing Street says the task force will consist of officers with extensive experience in undertaking grooming gang investigations.

They will provide critical support to forces countrywide to root out grooming gangs and put more perpetrators behind bars. Data analysts will work alongside the task force using cutting-edge data and intelligence, including police-recorded ethnicity data, to identify the types of criminals who carry out these offences.

This will include better data on the make-up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity, to make sure suspects cannot hide behind cultural sensitivities as a way to evade justice, Downing Street said.

It follows Bravermans announcement to bring in mandatory reporting for adults working with children if they suspect or identify that a child is being abused.

Mandatory reporting was a key recommendation in a crucial Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The protection of children is a collective effort. Every adult must be supported to call out child sexual abuse without fear, Braverman said.

And the despicable abusers must be brought to justice. They should not be able to hide. And they must face the full force of the law for their crimes," the senior Indian-origin Cabinet minister said.

"Thats why Im introducing a mandatory reporting duty and launching a call for evidence. We must address the failures identified by the inquiry and take on board the views of the thousands of victims and survivors who contributed to its findings, she added.

Over the weekend, Braverman described the issue as one of the biggest scandals left unchallenged for too long.

What we've seen is a practice whereby vulnerable, white, English girls, sometimes in care, sometimes who are in challenging circumstances, being pursued and raped and drugged and harmed by gangs of British Pakistani, men who've worked in child abuse rings or networks," she told Sky News.

Alongside the new task force and mandatory reporting consultation process, the UK government has also pledged to make sure grooming gang members and their ring leaders receive the toughest possible sentences.

The legislation will be introduced to make being the leader of or involved in a grooming gang a statutory aggravating factor during sentencing.

Grooming gangs are a scourge on our society, and I want to send a clear message to anyone who exploits vulnerable children that they will face the full weight of the law, UK Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said.

The British government said it is also bolstering support for the childrens charity - National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) - which runs a whistleblowing helpline and a public helpline, giving professionals and members of the public avenues to raise concerns about children, or about child grooming in their community.
Wynne (US), Apr 3 (AP) Residents across a wide swath of the US raced Sunday to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 32 people.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage.

The number of deaths continued to grow Sunday.

"While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Biden earlier declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, where at least five people were killed, already had declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in 11 states destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes near Bridgeville, Delaware. One person was found dead inside a house heavily damaged by the storm Saturday night, Delaware State Police reported.

It may take days to confirm all the recent tornadoes. The dead included at least nine in one Tennessee county, five in Indiana and four in Illinois.

Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

Residents of Wynne, Arkansas, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, woke Saturday to find the high school's roof shredded and its windows blown out. At least four people died.

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a bathroom as a tornado passed, praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead. A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they escaped unhurt.

Chainsaws buzzed, as bulldozers plowed into debris. Utility crews restored power as some neighborhoods began recovery.

Tennessee recorded at least 15 deaths, including nine fatalities in McNairy County, east of Memphis, according to Patrick Sheehan, director the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee drove to the county Saturday to tour the destruction and comfort residents. He said the storm capped the worst week of his time as governor, coming days after a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people including a family friend whose funeral he and his wife just attended.

"It's terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state, Lee said. But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond.

Rachel Milam lived in the basement with her 6-year-old daughter, while her mother and her mother's boyfriend lived upstairs in their home on the outskirts of Waynesboro, Tennessee.

All squeezed into the bathroom of the cinder block basement Friday night as the tornado approached and made whooshing sounds like a washing machine.

As it ripped the roof off, the shower curtain fell, Milam, 26, said Sunday. So I'm trying to dig through the shower curtain and see. I saw darkness and then rain started to fall.

Then absolute terror.

And the house  I watched it pick up and move  about six inches and then pick up and it was gone.

I was just thinking it's gonna take the tub, like we're going to be gone, she said.

A piece of wood fell over them. So did a mirror. "We were fine and just thankful that we made it out alive, Milam said.

Milam, who works as a nurse, soon joined other neighbors in digging people out from wrecked homes. One woman had a laceration to her face and other parts of her body and was flown out by a helicopter. Another man was freed from the rubble of his home by rescuers who used chainsaws to slice through the debris.

Jeffrey Day said he called his daughter after seeing on the news that their community of Adamsville was being hit. Huddled in a closet with her 2-year-old son as the storm passed over, she answered the phone screaming.

She kept asking me, What do I do, daddy?'" Day said, tearing up. "I didn't know what to say.

After the storm passed, his daughter crawled out of her destroyed home and drove to nearby family.

Elsewhere, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert.

Frederick Livingston, Jr., was pulled from the rubble but didn't survive. He had gone to enjoy the concert with his son, Alex.

I couldn't save him, his son told WLS-TV. The father and son were standing side by side when debris began raining down. It happened so fast."

The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

Pritzker also planned to visit Crawford County, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Chicago, where three people were killed and eight injured when a tornado hit around New Hebron.

We've had emergency crews digging people out of their basements because the house is collapsed on top of them, but luckily they had that safe space to go to, Sheriff Bill Rutan said at a news conference.

That tornado was not far from where three people died in Indiana's Sullivan County, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. Several people were rescued overnight, with reports of as many as 12 people injured. (AP) AQS

AQS
Jerusalem, Apr 2 (AP) Israel's antisemitism envoy said on Sunday that she was fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, citing her criticism of its planned judicial overhaul as a possible cause.

Noa Tishby, a pro-Israel activist and actress, was appointed to the volunteer role to combat antisemitism last year by Israel's previous administration.

Tishby wrote on Twitter that it is not possible for me to know if their decision was driven by my publicly stated concerns about this government's judicial reform policy.'

Last month Tishby published a column on the Hebrew-language news site Ynet critical of the government's proposed legislation, calling it an attempted coup.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined answering questions about Tishby's dismissal, but issued a statement wishing her luck.

Netanyahu announced last week that he would pause the planned overhaul of the country's judiciary. The government's proposed defanging of the Supreme Court has divided the country and drawn weekly mass protests.

Another diplomatic appointment by the prior government, Assaf Zamir, Israel's Consul General in New York, resigned last week in protest. (AP)



RUP
(Eds: Updating with number of wounded climbing, comment from Ukrainian presidential adviser, background on explosion that killed Russian TV commentator)

Moscow, Apr 2 (AP) An explosion tore through a cafe in Russia's second-largest city on Sunday, killing a prominent military blogger who had supported the fighting in Ukraine and was speaking at a patriotic discussion event.

Russian news reports said blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in the explosion at the Street Food Bar No. 1 cafe in St. Petersburg.

Twenty-five people were wounded, and 19 of them were hospitalised, according to the regional governor, Alexander Beglov.

Russia media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public and that a woman presented him with a box containing a statuette that apparently exploded.

A patriotic Russian group that organised the event said it had taken security precautions, but added that regrettably, they proved insufficient.

The reports did not mention any claim of responsibility. The Interior Ministry said everyone at the cafe at the time of the blast was being checked for involvement.

Since the fighting in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, various fires, explosions and apparent assassinations have occurred in Russia without any clear connection to the conflict.

Tatarsky had filed regular reports from Ukraine. Tatarsky is the pen name for Maxim Fomin who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

He was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric.

After the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: That's it. We'll defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you.

Many countries have condemned the annexation as illegal.

A top Ukrainian government official speculated that internal Russian opposition to the Kremlin's invasion was behind the blast.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter.

Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Last August, Darya Dugina, a 29-year-old commentator with a nationalist Russian TV channel, died when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

She and her father  a philosopher, writer and political theorist  strongly supported Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send troops into Ukraine.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine for the attack, but Kyiv denied involvement. (AP)

RUP
London, Apr 3 (PTI) The UK on Monday announced the creation of a specialist unit to fight transnational criminality and go after organised crime groups that operate internationally, covering extradition-related matters.

The new Joint International Crime Centre (JICC) is aimed at streamlining the countrys crime-fighting capabilities with cutting-edge law enforcement techniques.

It combines the current capabilities housed in the National Crime Agencys (NCA) International Crime Bureau (UKICB) and policings International Crime Coordination Centre (ICCC) in order for the UK to play a more efficient role in responding to the growing threat from transnational criminality.

While the JICC retains the best of both previous centres it is a new streamlined unit bringing together shared processes, teams, systems and data under one roof, said Steve Rodhouse, Director General of Operations at the NCA, which hosts the JICC.

It will improve how policing and the NCA tackles international criminality that impacts the UK. I am confident that it will make us more effective in protecting the public, he said.

According to the NCA, JICC is designed to drive, coordinate, and support the response of UK policing and law enforcement to international crime and provides a multi-agency approach to meeting the increasing international demands of territorial policing.

UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said: Organised crime groups dont recognise borders. If we want to crack down on the most dangerous organisations and offenders then we need to tackle them upstream, online and at source.

The new Joint International Crime Centre will do just that, taking a multi-agency approach to identify criminal threats coming from abroad and blunt their reach into the UK, he said.

The new unit is made up of around 300 officers, with a third of them seconded from police forces, and its governance will be jointly overseen by the NCA and National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

It is integrated with the NCAs specialist international capabilities, such as its International Liaison Officer (ILO) network  in which scores of internationally-based officers cover cases in more than 120 countries.

"The JICC will identify criminal threats emanating from abroad and build the capability to tackle and prevent them. The UK is a safe place to live, work and prosper and this new specialist unit will ensure we remain at the cutting edge of international law enforcement, creating a hostile place for those who would cause harm on our shores, said NPCC International lead Deputy Chief Constable Pete Ayling.

Besides extradition issues and Interpol and Europol-related matters, the JICC will cover services such as data management and analysis and outbound and inbound intelligence development and analysis.
Washington, Apr 3 (AP) Rep. Jeff Jackson of North Carolina has used it to explain the complex fight over raising the debt limit. Rep. Robert Garcia of California has used it to engage with members of the LGBTQ+ community. And Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has used it to give an overview of Election Day results.

As pressure against TikTok mounts in Washington, the more than two dozen members of Congress  all Democrats  who are active on the social media platform are being pushed by their colleagues to stop using it. Many defend their presence on the platform, saying they have a responsibility as public officials to meet Americans where they are  and more than 150 million are on TikTok.

I'm sensitive to the ban and recognise some of the security implications. But there is no more robust and expeditious way to reach young people in the United States of America than TikTok, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota told The Associated Press.

Yet the lawmakers active on TikTok remain a distinct minority. Most in Congress are in favour of limiting the app, forcing a sale to remove connections to China, or even banning it outright. The US armed forces and more than half of US states have already banned the app from official devices, as has the federal government. Similar bans have been imposed in Denmark, Canada, Great Britain and New Zealand, as well as the European Union.

Criticism of TikTok reached a new level last week as CEO Shou Zi Chew testified for more than six hours at a contentious hearing in the House. Lawmakers grilled Chew about the implications of the app for America's national security and the effect on the mental health of its users. And the tough questions came from both sides of the aisle, as Republicans and Democrats alike pressed Chew about TikTok's content moderation practices, its ability to shield American data from Beijing, and its spying on journalists.

I've got to hand it to you," said Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, as members questioned Chew over data security and harmful content. You've actually done something that in the last three to four years has not happened except for the exception of maybe (Russian president) Vladimir Putin. You have unified Republicans and Democrats.

While the hearing made plain that lawmakers view TikTok as a threat, their lack of first-hand experience with the app was apparent at times. Some made inaccurate and head-scratching comments, seemingly not understanding how TikTok connects to a home Wi-Fi router or how it moderates illicit content.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., who is active on the app and opposes a nationwide ban, called the hearing cringeworthy."

It was just so painful to watch, he told the AP on Friday. And it just shows the real problem is Congress doesn't have a lot of expertise, whether it be social media or, for that matter, more importantly, technology.

Garcia, who said he uses TikTok more as a consumer, said most of his colleagues who are proposing a nationwide ban told him they had never used the app. It gets hard to understand if you're not actually on it, the freshman Democrat said. And at the end of the day, a lot of TikTok is harmless people dancing and funny videos.

It's also incredibly rich educational content, and learning how to bake and learning about the political process, he said.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who has more than 180,000 followers on the app, held a news conference with TikTok influencers before the hearing. He accused Republicans of pushing a ban on TikTok for political reasons.

There are 150 million people on TikTok and we are more connected to them than Republicans are, Bowman said. So for them, it's all about fear-mongering and power. It's not TikTok, because, again, we've looked the other way and allowed Facebook and other platforms to do similar things.

Critics of TikTok in Congress say their opposition is rooted in national security, not politics. TikTok is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd., which appoints its executives. They worry Chinese authorities could force ByteDance to hand over TikTok data on American users, effectively turning the app into a data-mining operation for a foreign power. The company insists it is taking steps to make sure that can never happen.

The basic approach that we're following is to make it physically impossible for any government, including the Chinese government, to get access to US user data, general counsel Erich Andersen said during an interview with the AP on Friday at a cybersecurity conference in California.

TikTok has been emphasising a USD 1.5 billion proposal to store all US user data on servers owned and maintained by the software giant Oracle. Access to US data would be managed by US employees through a separate entity run independently of ByteDance and monitored by outside observers.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina took the unusual step of releasing a public statement urging all members of Congress to stop using TikTok, including from his home state  seemingly a jab at Jackson, who is one of the more active members with more than 1.8 million followers.

I was just saying if we're having a discussion about TikTok then I think we ought to at least reduce the pull factor by elected officials who can simply come off of it, Tillis said this week, when asked about his statement. I don't have a TikTok account. So that was an easy separation for me.

Loud warnings about TikTok have also been coming from the Biden administration. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and FBI Director Christopher Wray have told Congress in recent weeks that TikTok is a national security threat. Blinken told lawmakers the threat should be ended one way or another."

But some members are unconvinced.

It's like turning your cell phone off on an airplane. You're supposed to do. And if it was super dangerous, I don't think we will be allowed to have the phone on the plane, Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said Wednesday, So if it was super dangerous for members of Congress to have this app on their phone, you have to imagine the administration or our government would say absolutely not, you can't have it on a government phone.

Concerns about what kind of content Americans encounter online, or how their data is collected by technology companies, also aren't new. Congress has been wanting to curtail the amount of data tech companies collect on consumers through a national privacy law, but those efforts have stalled repeatedly over the years.

Supporters of TikTok on Capitol Hill are urging their colleagues to educate themselves about social media as a whole so Congress can pass legislation that deals with broader issues of data privacy, instead of hyper-focusing on a ban of TikTok, which could risk political backlash and a court fight over the reach of the First Amendment.

We are uninformed and misinformed. We don't even understand how social media works. We don't know anything about data brokers and how data brokers sell our data to foreign countries and foreign companies right now, Bowman said. So ban TikTok tomorrow, this stuff is still going to be happening. (AP)





GRS
Beijing, Apr 3 (PTI) China responded positively on Monday to Russia's new foreign policy concept, saying Beijing, Moscow and New Delhi are emerging "major powers" with "notable influence" and it was ready to boost ties with them and send a "positive signal" to the world in view of the complex changes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the new Foreign Policy Concept Friday last, which said strengthening and deepening relations with China and India is a diplomatic priority for Russia.

Russia will focus on strengthening its strategic partnership and trade ties with India in Eurasia and ensure their resistance to "destructive actions" of unfriendly states and their alliances, according to an updated foreign policy doctrine approved by Putin.

The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India's import of Russian crude oil has gone up significantly in the last few months despite increasing disquiet over it in many Western countries.

Asked for China's reaction to Russia's new Foreign Policy Concept, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here that "China, Russia and India are all major emerging major countries with notable influence".

"As the international and regional landscape is facing profound and complex changes, we are ready to strengthen communication with the international community including Russia and India and send a positive signal to the world about defending true multilateralism and jointly responding to global challenges," she said.

She especially highlighted Beijing's special strategic relationship with Moscow.

"China and Russia are dedicated to growing a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. The bilateral relationship does not target and is not affected by any third party," she said.

"Last month, President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Russia. The two heads of state drew a blueprint for the future course of China-Russia relations. The two sides are comprehensively following through on the important common understandings between the two leaders," she said.

"We are fully confident about the future of China-Russia relations," she added.
St Petersburg, Apr 3 (AP) An explosion tore through a cafe in Russia's second-largest city Sunday, killing a well-known military blogger and strident supporter of the war in Ukraine. Some reports said a bomb was embedded in a bust of the blogger that was given to him as a gift.

Russian officials said Vladlen Tatarsky was killed as he was leading a discussion at the cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Some 30 people were wounded in the blast, Russia's Health Ministry reported.

Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public when a woman presented him with a box containing a bust of him that apparently blew up. A patriotic Russian group that organised the event said it had taken security precautions but acknowledged that those measures proved insufficient.

In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion.

The witness, Alisa Smotrova, quoted Nastya as saying she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed. Smotrova described people running in panic, some hurt by shattered glass and covered in blood.

Russia's Interfax news agency reported that a St. Petersburg woman, Darya Tryopova, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bombing. It said that she had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

A video posted on Russian messaging app channels showed the cafe after the explosion. Tables and chairs were broken and stained by blood, and shards of glass littered the floor.

Russian media said investigators were looking at the bust as the possible source of the blast but have not ruled out the possibility that an explosive device was planted in the cafe before the event.

Russia's Investigative Committee, the state's top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately pointed a finger at Ukraine and compared the bombing to the killing last August of Darya Dugina, a nationalist TV commentator. She was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraine's military intelligence for Dugina's death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Reacting to the latest incident, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Tatarsky's activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers long have faced Ukrainian threats.

Dugina's father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an "immortal" hero who died to save the Russian people.

There must be no talks with the terrorists other than about their unconditional surrender, Dugin said. A victory parade must take place in Kyiv.

Since the fighting in Ukraine began February 24, 2022, Ukrainian authorities have refrained from claiming responsibility for various fires, explosions and apparent assassinations in Russia. At the same time, officials in Kyiv have jubilantly greeted such events and insisted on Ukraine's right to launch attacks in Russia.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraine's industrial heartland, Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

Tatarsky was known for his blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric.

After the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year that most of the world rejected as illegal, Tatarsky posted a video in which he vowed: That's it. We'll defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you.

Military bloggers have played an increasingly prominent and influential role in the flow of information about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They have almost universally championed the goals of the campaign but at times criticize Russian military strategy and tactical decisions.

At the same time, the Kremlin has squelched alternative voices opposing the war by shutting down news outlets, limiting the public's access to information and jailing critics. (AP)



GRS
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman held talks on Monday to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral cooperation during a Suhoor, held in Jeddah following El-Sisi's arrival.

El-Sisi arrived a few hours earlier, on Sunday night, in Jeddah and was received by the Crown Prince at the airport.

The two sides underscored during their meeting the importance of the visit in advancing bilateral relations, reiterating their mutual commitment to forging closer cooperation in all areas for the benefit of the two peoples, according to a statement by Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy.

They "lauded the remarkable, solid and historical relations between the two countries across all levels," read the statement.

Both leaders also emphasised during the meeting their commitment to continuing coordination and consultations on regional and international issues and developments, Fahmy added.

During their meeting, Bin Salman welcomed El-Sisi "in his second country, Saudi Arabia", while the later expressed "appreciation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality" extended to him and the accompanying delegation, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Moreover, the two leaders reviewed the close and historical relations between the two brotherly countries, and explored prospects for cooperation and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields.

They discussed developments in the regional and international situation and the efforts exerted in addressing them, in addition to tackling all issues of common concern, the SPA said.

                                

/ pic.twitter.com/CWsInLj7fg  Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) April 3, 2023

"I express my gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality. I also affirm the deep, strong bilateral relations between Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," a presidential statement quoted El-Sisi as saying following the meeting.

He also expressed his aspiration to develop and strengthen these relations in all fields in a way that achieves the common interests of our two countries and the great aspirations of our peoples, noted Fahmy.

The meeting was attended by the Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel, Saudi Minister of State and National Security Adviser Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, and Minister of State and cabinet member Essam bin Saad bin Saeed.

El-Sisis visit to Saudi Arabia is the first after a back-and-forth occurred in early 2023 between various media figures in Egypt and Saudi Arabia on alleged tensions between the two countries.

In February, El-Sisi pointedly criticised how "some social media platforms or some articles talk about our relations with our brethren in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressing the importance of not listening to these sites that aim to cause discord with our brethren.

I have noticed excessive enthusiasm, or should I say transgressions, on social media platforms towards our brethren on issues that have no basis in reality, the president said at the time.

It is not appropriate at all, El-Sisi said, to use abusive language or say unfounded things, even if, hypothetically speaking, there were a dispute.

He also indicated that Egypt values its good relations with our Arab brethren and does not accept insults against them or attempts to sow discord with them, stressing "we should not forget how our brethren have stood with us."

Economic relations

Egypt and Saudi Arabias economic relations have been developing in the recent years.

In the first nine months of 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked first among the first ten Arab countries importing from Egypt, with a value of $1.8 billion, according to a report issued by the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) in December.

Saudi Arabia also came on top of the list of top Arab exporters to Egypt with $6.4 billion during the same period in 2022, the CAPMAS added.

As per the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, trade exchange between the two countries grew significantly in 2021 to record $14.5 billion  an increase of 88 percent to 2020s.

Moreover, Saudi Arabia is the second largest investor in Egypt, investing $6.1 billion in 6,017 projects in industry, construction, tourism, agriculture, services, finance, communications and information technology, said Egypts Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir in December.

In August, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabias sovereign wealth fund, launched the Saudi Egyptian Investment Company (SEIC) to invest in promising Egyptian sectors and ensure enhancing access for the PIF and the Saudi private sector to the promising investment opportunities in Egypt.

Earlier in June, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed investment agreements worth $7.7 billion, which were described at the time by the then-CEO of General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) Mohamed Abdel-Wahab as "a qualitative leap in the investment relations between the two countries."

In March 2022, at the outset of the global economic crisis that has been caused by the pandemic and deepened by the Russi-Ukraine war, Saudi Arabia deposited $5 billion in the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE).

The SPA reported at the time that the deposit comes as part of the rigid bonds and close cooperative relations between the two countries and is a gesture of confirmation of their deep-rooted relations.

Prior to the war, in October 2021, Saudi Arabia deposited $3 billion in the CBE and extended the maturity of other deposits worth $2.3 billion.

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Mumbai, Apr 3 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday said the imposing bronze statue of Lion of Bombay Sir Pherozeshah Mehta has completed 100 years.

The statute of Mehta, who drafted the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act, was erected in front of the civic headquarters on April 3, 1923, following his death on November 5, 1915, the civic body stated in a release.

A sum of Rs 80,000 was collected from the community for erecting the statue, it said.

Born on August 4, 1845, Mehta had earned a place in the city's history as the 'Lion of Bombay'.

He got the privilege of becoming the first citizen of the metropolis for four years and served as a chairman for two consecutive years in 1884-85 and 1885-86, and as president in 1905-06 and again for two years in 1911-1912 in the municipal corporation, the release said.

Mehtas biggest contribution was the drafting of the Bombay Municipal Corporation Act. The British had to accept that there should be a civic administration that is representative of the taxpayers and the city got a civic administration with people's representation, the release said.

Mehta's ideas were incorporated in the Municipal Corporations Act of 1872 and it sowed the seeds of civil liberties, it said.
Mumbai, Apr 3 (PTI) Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against 15 crew members of a fishing boat after it allegedly entered a prohibited area of the ONGC in the Arabian Sea and security agencies were provided wrong details about two crew members, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place between 8 am and 10 am on Saturday, 55 nautical miles away from the west coast in the Arabian Sea, the official said.

The offence was registered at Yellow Gate police station here on a complaint of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) chief shore security officer on Sunday, the official said.

The fishing boat 'Jalrani' allegedly entered the prohibited area of the ONGC and reached near the BPA platform, he said.

Those on board the vessel also disobeyed orders of personnel of the naval patrolling boat T-16, which had gone near 'Jalrani' for an inspection, he said.

As the fishing vessel entered the prohibited area, the naval patrolling boat personnel ordered that it come out from there. But, the fishing boat crew members did not follow the order, he said.

Naval personnel then started questioning those on board the fishing boat but they allegedly did not give correct information.

During enquiry, the boat master told security agencies that two of the sailors were from Pakistan, though they were of Indian origin, he said.

The ONGC officials took serious cognisance of the incident and a complaint was filed against the boat master and 14 other sailors, he said.

Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered against them under Indian Penal Code Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 182 (false information), 179 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question) and provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act, he said.

A probe was on into the case, he added.
Mumbai, Apr 3 (PTI) Mumbai Police have arrested a Class 12 student from Gujarat who allegedly posted a tweet claiming that an aircraft of airline Akasa Air "will go down", an official said on Monday.

After the tweet, the private airline had lodged a complaint at the Airport Police Station here, based on which an FIR was registered against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation), he said.

The 18-year-old student had tweeted "AkasaAir Boeing 737 Max will go down", he said.

The city police during investigation traced the IP address of the tweet to Surat in Gujarat, following which a team was sent there and the student was arrested on March 27, the official said.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that he was interested in knowing about aircraft and had not realised the repercussions of such a post on social media, the official said.

The student also told the police that his intention was not to create chaos, he said.

After one-day custody, the accused was released on a bail of Rs 5,000 as his exams were going on, the official said.
Rishra (WB), Apr 3 (PTI) Prohibitory orders are in force in West Bengal's Hooghly district, where clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession, police said on Monday.

Internet services have also been suspended in some parts of the district till 10 pm on Monday, they said.

Two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one came under attack near Wellington Jute Mill More on GT Road around 6.15 pm on Sunday, police said.

A few police personnel were injured in the violence, they said.

BJP vice-president Dilip Ghosh, who was part of the second procession, told PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple when stones were hurled at them.

Pursurah BJP MLA Biman Ghosh suffered injuries, he said.

A senior officer of the Chandannagar Police Commissionerate said, "The procession was passing through a traditional route when a group started throwing stones at it. We took immediate steps to address the situation."

No person has yet been arrested in connection with the violence, she said.

Security has been bolstered in the area to prevent any further flare-up.

"Police are conducting route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC Section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," she said.

Meanwhile, Governor C V Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be put behind bars.

"The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. The state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

Condemning the violence, the states Industry Minister Shashi Panja alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy peace and tranquility in the state.

"BJP is known for vandalism of public property, and triggering communal riots all over the country," she said.

The state government will firmly deal with the situation and take necessary action to punish the perpetrators, Panja said.

Trinamool Congress spokesperson Joyprakash Majumdar also questioned the need to organise the processions two days after Ram Navami.

"Why are they so hell-bent on taking out Ram Navami processions during the holy month of Ramzan? The BJP wants to engineer riots in Bengal to create instability for political gains," he told PTI.

Majumdar claimed that some participants in the rally were carrying weapons such as swords, which created panic among people.

Violence during Ram Navami celebrations had rocked parts of neighbouring Howrah district on Thursday and Friday, leading to the arrest of 45 people.
Itanagar, Apr 3 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh police in a joint operation with Assam Rifles and CRPF on Monday apprehended one militant of the Niki Sumi-led faction of NSCN (K), who along with another rebel, escaped from Khonsa Jail in Tirap district, by killing a security guard on duty.

After a week-long search operation in various places, a team of state task force (STF), Assam Rifles and CRPF apprehended Rocksen Homcha from an abandoned building at Bogapani in the district on Monday morning, a senior police officer said.

A manhunt for the other accused Tiptu Kitnya is on, Arunachal Pradesh Police spokesperson Rohit Rajbir Singh said.

Based on intelligence inputs, an operation was launched on Sunday to apprehend the two escaped under-trial prisoners by the joint team, the spokesperson said.

The entire area was cordoned off by 8 pm on Sunday and after an extensive search conducted in all the suspected hideouts, the rebel was arrested from an abandoned building on Monday morning, Singh said.

"The AK-47, which was snatched by Rocksen from constable Wangniam Bosai before killing him, was recovered from the arrested rebel along with 17 rounds of ammunition, the spokesperson said.

Roksen and Tiptu who were lodged at Khonsa jail, snatched the service rifle from constable Wangnyam Bosai and fired upon him on March 27.

Bosai, who was shot in the stomach, died on way to a hospital in Assam's Dibrugarh district.

Kitniya, who hails from Kharsang in Changlang district, was an undertrial prisoner and Roksen, a native of Borduria village in Tirap district, was serving his sentence for murder.

The state police had announced cash prize of Rs one lakh each for information about the two militants who escaped from jail.
Faridabad (Hry), Apr 3 (PTI) The Haryana Right to Service Commission has imposed a penalty of Rs 60,000 on a former mining officer of Faridabad in Haryana for delaying cases inordinately, an official said on Monday.

The secretary of the commission informed that in a few cases, the delay in the delivery of a mineral dealer's licence, a notified service under the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, was evident according to the observations recorded in the monthly performance reports of the mines and geology department for February and March, 2022.

Taking cognisance of the matter, the commission called for an inquiry and issued a suo-motu (on its own) notice to the director of the department to share the status reports on these cases.

The official said a mineral dealer's licence should be delivered to the applicant within 45 working days. However, in certain cases, the applications were found pending for more than a year.

He further said three such cases were found pending with Balram Singh, who was the mining officer, Faridabad till February, for more than a year despite show-cause notices issued to him.

The inquiry revealed that the lapse on Singh's part was highly inordinate. The allegations were ratified by the director of the mines and geology department as well.

The secretary said considering all the facts, the commission decided to impose a penalty of Rs 60,000 (Rs 20,000 each in the three cases) on Singh.

The commission has also expressed its extreme displeasure at the supervisory role being played by the mines and geology department headquarters.
Rishikesh (U'khand), Apr 3 (PTI) Uttarakhand's Transport Minister Chandan Ram Das on Monday said if needed, additional buses will be requisitioned from other states for the upcoming Char Dham yatra.

"A record number of pilgrims came for the yatra last year. The number is likely to be even bigger this time. If there is a shortage of buses for the pilgrims, 350 additional buses will be requisitioned from other states," Das told reporters here.

All arrangements for the annual pilgrimage will be in place by April 20, he said.

The yatra is scheduled to begin on April 22 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples.

Passenger vehicles operating on the route of the pilgrimage will be issued a green card with a bar code for the first time this year, the minister said.

Around 46 lakh pilgrims took part in the yatra last year.
Ballia (UP), Apr 3 (PTI) A man from Bihar was killed and his cousin injured after unidentified assailants allegedly attacked them in this Uttar Pradesh district's Sukhpura area, police said on Monday.

Pritam Pathak was returning home with his cousin Nishu when they were allegedly attacked near the Van Bihar turn late on Sunday, the police said.

The duo, who suffered serious injuries, was taken to the district hospital where doctors declared Pathak dead.

Circle Officer Rajesh Kumar Tiwari said Nishu suffered a head injury in the attack.

Pathak and his cousin, aged between 20 and 25, hailed from the Buxar district in neighbouring Bihar. The two men were returning to Buxar after meeting their aunt when they were attacked, Tiwari added.

Pathak's body has been sent for post mortem, the police said.

Speaking to reporters at the district hospital, Nishu said 30-40 unidentified assailants attacked them without any reason.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore the fare concessions offered to senior citizens by the railways.

In a letter to the prime minister on Saturday last, he said the Centre has a budget of Rs 45 lakh crore and it would incur a cost of Rs 1600 crore if it extends the concession to senior citizens.

Terming the amount as a drop in the ocean, he said the government will not become rich by not spending the amount.

By stopping the facility a message was being given to senior citizens that the government did not care for them which was against the culture of the country, he said, adding that no person, society or country can progress without the blessings of the elderly.

Delhi was seeing progress in all areas due to the blessings of the elderly for whom free pilgrimage of religious places has been arranged by his government, he said.

The Centre had in 2020 discontinued the concessions granted to senior citizens to discourage the movement of the public to arrest the spread of COVID-19

A parliamentary standing committee has recently recommended the resumption of the fare concession offered to senior citizens by the railways.

The Indian Railways used to offer a 40 per cent discount in fares to males aged 60 years or above and for females, a 50 per cent discount was given if the minimum age was 58 years.

These concessions were granted in fares of all classes of Mail/Express/Rajdhani/ Shatabdi/Duranto group of trains but were withdrawn on March 20, 2020.

The Standing Committee on Railways headed by BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh said from the information furnished by the Railways, the Covid situation has now been normalised and the national transporter has achieved normal growth.

"The Committee, in their 12th Action Taken Report (17th Lok Sabha) on Passenger Reservation System had also desired that the concessions to senior citizens which were available in pre-Covid times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and 3A Class so that the vulnerable and genuinely needy citizens could avail the facility in these classes.

"The Committee, therefore, reiterate their earlier recommendation contained in their above-said report and urge upon the Railways to consider empathically for resumption of concessions in fares to senior citizens particularly in Sleeper Class and 3A Class under intimation to this Committee," the report said.

The Railways, however, said it had no immediate plans to resume the concession.
Noida, Apr 3 (PTI) A 70-year-old woman's body was found inside her standalone house in Greater Noida on Monday by her son who lives in Ghaziabad and had come to visit her after four months of no communication between them, police officials said.

The woman, who had retired as a doctor, lived alone in the two-storey house in Sector Beta 1, under Beta 2 police station limits while her husband stays in Bihar, the officials said.

The body appeared to be around 20 days' old and was found on the first floor of the house by her son, with whom she had a property-related dispute, according to the police.

"Pranav Ranjan Sinha, who lives in Vaishali area of Ghaziabad, today alerted 112 that the body of his mother Amiya Sinha was found on the floor of a bedroom on the first floor of her house in A block of Beta 1," a police spokesperson said.

"Sinha said he had not been in touch with his mother for the last four months and had come to see her this morning along with his wife. However, there was no response so they had to break open the door to get inside the house and then they found her body," the official said.

The cause of the death was yet to be ascertained, the spokesperson said, adding it has been sent for post-mortem while legal proceedings were being carried out.

A local police official told PTI that the son and his mother apparently had a property-related dispute because of which the two had no communication.

The woman's husband lives in Patna in Bihar, the official added.
Muzaffarnagar (UP), Apr 2 (PTI) A minor girl was electrocuted to death while her younger sister sustained serious injuries after coming in contact with a high-tension wire here on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place in Kasiara village in Charthawal when the sisters had gone to collect grass from a field, they said.

Station House Officer of Charthawal police station Rakesh Singh said Anushka (12) and Avni (10) accidentally touched the broken high-tension wire.

Anushka died on the spot while her sister was taken to a hospital in a critical condition, police said.

Enraged local residents protested against the administration, demanding compensation for the kin of the deceased. The protest was called off after assurance of help from senior administrative officials.

Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Parmanand Jha told PTI that the Electricity Department will give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family according to the rules. He also assured to help in the treatment of the injured girl.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Delhi Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand on Monday said Rozgar Mela will be organised across the national capital to create large-scale job opportunities for labourers.

He chaired a high-level meeting with the officials of the Labour Department at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting was focused on reviewing the smooth implementation of labour welfare schemes run by the Delhi Government.

The minister has directed that pending scholarships for the children of labourers who have applied through the Directorate of Education (DoE) will be released soon after the completion of the verification process of the applicants.

He also instructed the officials to streamline the pension claim process for the labourers and to regularise the labour laws for the safety, health and working conditions of the workers.

To generate more jobs in the national capital, Anand instructed the officials to organise Rozgar Mela in each of the 70 constituencies of Delhi to create job opportunities for the labourers.

The Rozgar Mela will connect the workers with relevant government schemes being run by the Labour department so that benefits of the schemes reach them in a time-bound manner, he added.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) Apex child rights body NCPCR has issued a notice to the Howrah Police Commissioner over the use of children for pelting stones during violence that erupted in West Bengal on Ram Navami.

Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal's Howrah district last week, leading to the arrest of 45 people.

"The Commission has come across a Twitter post wherein it has come to the notice that during Ram Navami Shobha Yatra in Howrah's Shibpur area, the mob turns violent and the children are seen to be used in stone pelting in the violent activities, by anti-social elements," the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said.

It said the Commission has taken suo-moto cognisance of the matter as prime facie, the use of children in such violent activities by anti-social elements seems to be violation of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and other relevant sections of the IPC.

"Therefore, your good offices are requested to inquire into the matter by urgent legal action against the perpetrators who used the children in such violent activities. It is also desirable to identify the children who have been used in such violent activities, produce them before Child Welfare Committee and their counselling may be done," it said.

It also instructed that an Action Taken Report may be submitted within two days of receipt of the letter.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) A students' group on Monday claimed that around of its 15 activists were detained from outside the Indraprastha College for Women, where they had gathered to stage a protest against the alleged harassment of girl students during a fest last week.

Delhi Police, however, has denied the charge.

Led by the All India Students' Association (AISA), the agitators had gathered to protest against the alleged incident and the administration's response to it.

Police personnel were deployed in large numbers while the gates of the college were barricaded.

"About 15 AISA activists have been detained from the college gate and are being taken to Burari police station," the students' body's Delhi unit president Abhigyan alleged.

A senior police officer, however, denied the allegation.

"Around 10-15 protesters had gathered outside the college gate. They were removed peacefully," he said.

No one has been detained, the officer added.

Students at the Indraprastha College for Women, a Delhi University affiliate, last week alleged that some men scaled the institute's boundary walls during a fest and "harassed several students".

Scores of students have held multiple demonstrations in the last few days, demanding the resignation of the college's newly-appointed principal over security lapses during the annual fest and its alleged authoritarian steps.
Mumbai, Apr 3 (PTI) A sessions court here on Monday sentenced three persons to life imprisonment for killing the wife of a city-based real estate developer and stealing jewellery worth more than Rs 1 crore from her residence in 2012.

Additional sessions judge S U Hake convicted the accused of charges under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code for the murder of Chetna Ajmera, the wife of Ajmera Group chairman Jayant Ajmera.

Ashok Purohit, the prime accused in the case, was employed as a cook in the Ajmera household.

Purohit alias Bansilal, along with his aides Mahendrasingh Rathod and Hemant Menaria, killed Chetna (51) in May 2012 and fled the city after stealing cash and jewellery worth Rs 1.4 crore from the house.

The victim was found dead with her throat slit at her home on the first floor of Vaishali Apartments in Ghatkopar.

The police arrested Purohit from Rajasthan after a nine-month chase across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Delhi.

Purohit was involved in the conspiracy and execution of the murder.
Chennai, Apr 3 (PTI) A dance professor of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts, accused of sexual harassment, was arrested on Monday, police said.

The city police arrested Hari Padman, the faculty, against whom the police had earlier booked cases under Indian Penal Code Sections 354A (sexual harassment) and 509 (use of acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman) along with Section 4 of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act based on a complaint.

He is among four faculty members accused of sexual harassment at the prestigious institution.

On April 2, a team of Tamil Nadu police went to Kerala to record the statements of witnesses in the sexual harassment case against Padman, police added.
Shimla, Apr 3 (PTI) Two men were killed when their pickup van fell into a gorge in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmaur district, police said on Monday.

The accident occurred near near Paniyali in the Dadahu area late on Sunday, they said.

The police have identified the victims as Vinod and Dila Ram -- both natives of the Nerva area in Shimla district.
Jaipur, Apr 2 (PTI) Police have seized Rs 21.48 lakh in unaccounted cash from a car in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan, officials said on Sunday.

The car driver was arrested as he failed to give a satisfactory answer about the source of the money, they said, adding that the cash was seized.

The car was stopped during a routine checking in Shambhupura area. A man and a woman were travelling in the vehicle, they said.
Chennai, Apr 3 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and AIADMK General Secretary K Palaniswami among others on Monday greeted state Governor R N Ravi on his birthday.

The Chief Minister took to Twitter to greet Ravi.

"Birthday Greetings to Hon'ble Tamil Nadu Governor Thiru. R.N. Ravi. May he lead a long and healthy life," Stalin said.

Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan, Palaniswami, also state Leader of Opposition, and TN BJP chief K Annamalai extended their birthday greetings to the governor.
Chennai, Apr 3 (PTI) The Tamil Nadu government on Monday placed under "compulsory wait," the Superintendent of Police of Tirunelveli, days after a controversy erupted over alleged custodial torture involving a subordinate officer.

"P Saravanan IPS is placed under compulsory wait at the office of DGP/HoPF (Head of Police Force)," a Home department order said.

Dr L Balaji Saravanan, SP, Thoothukudi, will hold additional full charge of Tirunelveli, it added.

Last week, Chief Minister M K Stalin had ordered for the suspension of IPS officer Balveer Singh, accused of custodial torture.

Singh, then serving as Assistant Superintendent of Police in Ambasamudram police sub-division in Tirunelveli district, had allegedly damaged the teeth of some men brought in for questioning.
Thane, Apr 3 (PTI) Three robbers have been arrested from Panvel taluka in Raigad district of Maharashtra for allegedly killing a 19-year-old youth, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on March 29 when the victim, a resident of Shivkar village, resisted a robbery bid and chased the trio.

They attacked the victim with an axe and a knife under a bridge on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, killing him on the spot, a senior police officer told reporters.

The accused persons were tracked down with the help of CCTV footages and other inputs and nabbed on March 31 by the crime branch, he said.

The trio, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has been working in a bakery products unit in a village near Navi Mumbai.
Ranchi, Apr 3 (PTI) The Jharkhand High Court on Monday directed the state government and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to furnish a status report in the investigation done in the mining lease case against Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Soren has been in the eye of the storm over reports of a mining plot in Angarha leased in his name. The lease was granted in favour of the chief minister in his individual capacity while he held the portfolio of the mines department.

A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra and Justice Ananda Sen, hearing a public interest litigation filed by RTI activist Sunil Kumar Mahto, directed the state government and the ED to furnish the status report.

The case will now be heard again on May 1.

In his petition, Mahto has said that Soren having a mine leased in his favour is a direct violation of the mandate of "not holding of an office of profit" rule for public representatives.

Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan, defending the state government, said the PIL has been filed frivolously and is politically motivated.

Earlier also, a similar petition had been filed before the high court, which had passed orders for investigating the matter.

Subsequently, the case was dismissed by the Supreme Court, Ranjan said.

Countering the statements of the advocate general, Mahto's counsel said that the earlier case was filed by one Shiv Shankar Sharma, who was shown to perhaps have a personal grudge against the Soren family.

Sharma's credibility was also not clearly established before the Supreme Court, the counsel added.

Former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das had accused Soren of allotting the mining lease for a stone quarry, spread over 0.88 acres in Ranchis Angara block, to a company held by him in May 2021.

Soren had said that the mining lease was earlier also granted to him and on its expiry, he had re-applied for the same.
New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) A 17-year-old girl was injured after she was allegedly bitten by an American Bully in South Delhi's Neb Sarai, police said on Monday.

According to police, the incident took place on March 29 when the girl went on the terrace of her building where her neighbour Maan Singh (60) was present with his pet dog. Seeing the girl, the animal attacked her.

The matter came to light after the victim's father informed police.

The victim was rushed to a hospital, a senior police officer said.

The medical examination of the victim was done and a case was registered against the pet owner under IPC section 289 (Negligent conduct with respect to animal) and the matter is being investigated, he said.


LAUREL MCINTOSH, Chariho Girls Lacrosse, Senior; McIntosh scored six goals and assisted on another in a Chariho win against Toll Gate. Chariho is 5-0 this season.

DYLAN CIMINI, Stonington, Baseball, Junior; Cimini allowed just one hit and struck out 10 in a win against Ledyard. Cimini did not give up the hit until the sixth inning.

ALLYSON FAUBERT, Westerly, Girls Lacrosse, Sophomore; Faubert scored the winning goal with 49.6 seconds left in a win against Cranston East. Faubert finished with two goals in the game.

REESE MAIN, Wheeler, Softball, Junior; Main pitched a one-hitter and struck out 10 in a win against Bacon Academy. Main walked just two batters and also drove in three runs at the plate.

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Former President Donald Trump has reportedly received over $5 million in donations in the 48 hours since he was indicted on Thursday. According to Axios, Trumps supporters contributed $4 million in the first 24 hours alone, with an additional $1 million the following day. The surge in funding appears to confirm Trumps and his allies claims that an indictment would only endear him further to his base.

Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller said, Theres a whole new group of Trump supporters who are angered by what they see as this political persecution. Trump is expected to surrender himself to authorities in New York on Tuesday, with the Secret Service accompanying him as New York authorities book the president, take his fingerprints, and photograph him.

The Manhattan District Attorneys Office indicted Trump for his alleged involvement in paying hush money. Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung denounced the indictment as political persecution and a hoax. Meanwhile, Trump himself called DA Alvin Bragg just another participant in the years-long witch hunt against him.

Even some of Trumps longtime critics expressed skepticism about the indictment, including 2016 GOP primary rival Jeb Bush. Braggs predecessor didnt take up the case. The Justice Department didnt take up the case. Bragg first said he would not take up the case. This is very political, not a matter of justice. In this case, let the jury be the voters, Bush tweeted on Saturday.

Trump is expected to travel from his home in Mar-a-Lago to New York City on Monday and spend his final night before the arraignment in Trump Tower. The funding surge suggests that the former president still has a significant following, even as he faces legal challenges.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Russian authorities blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies on Monday for orchestrating a bombing at a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows invasion of Ukraine, and they arrested a suspect.

Ukrainian authorities did not directly respond to the accusation, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reference to the attack that he doesnt think about events in Russia, and a senior Ukrainian official earlier described the bombing as part of Russias internal turmoil.

Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed Sunday as he led a discussion at the cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of Russias second-largest city, officials said. Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from the front lines in Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin. He had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

The bombing, which also wounded more than 30 other people, was the latest attack inside Russia on a high-profile pro-war figure. Last year, a nationalist TV commentator was assassinated when a bomb exploded in her SUV outside Moscow.

Investigators said they believe the bomb at the cafe was hidden in a bust of Tatarsky that a member of the audience gave him just before the explosion. A video showed him joking about the bust and putting it on a table next to him.

Russian authorities announced the arrest of Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident seen on video presenting Tatarsky with the bust, and classified the case as an act of terrorism. Police had detained Trepova for participating in a rally against the war on Feb. 24, 2022, the day of the invasion, and she spent 10 days in jail.

The Interior Ministry released a video showing Trepova telling a police officer that she brought the statuette that exploded to the cafe. When asked who gave it to her, she said she would explain it later. The circumstances under which Trepova spoke were unclear, including whether she was under duress.

According to Russian media reports, Trepova told investigators she was asked to deliver the bust, but didnt know what was inside it.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which coordinates counter-terrorism operations, said the bombing was planned by Ukrainian special services, noting Trepova was an active supporter of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Navalny, the Kremlins fiercest foe who had exposed official corruption and organized massive anti-government protests, is serving a nine-year fraud sentence that he has denounced as a political vendetta.

Navalny associate Ivan Zhdanov warned that authorities could use the claim of involvement by political opponents as a pretext to extend his prison term. He also charged that Russian security agencies could be behind the explosion to cast Navalnys supporters as an internal enemy.

According to Russian media reports, police tracked down Trepova using surveillance cameras, although she reportedly cut her long blond hair short to change her look and moved to a different apartment in an apparent attempt to escape.

Military bloggers and patriotic commentators compared the bombing to the August 2022 assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remote-controlled explosive planted in her SUV blew up as she drove on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attacks on Dugina and Tatarsky proved that Moscow was justified in launching what it describes as the special military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has offered a series of explanations for the invasion, denounced by Ukraine and the West as an unprovoked act of aggression, while providing little if any evidence for the charges.

Russia has faced the Kyiv regime, which has supported terrorist activities, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. That is why the special military operation is being conducted.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the St. Petersburg millionaire restaurateur who heads the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and allowed patriotic groups to use it for meetings. He said he doubts the involvement of Ukrainian authorities in the bombing, saying it was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy brushed off questions about the bombing.

I dont think about what is happening in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should think about this. I am thinking about our country, Zelenskyy told journalists.

While not claiming responsibility for various explosions, bombings and other attacks within Russia since the invasion began, Ukrainian authorities have often greeted them jubilantly and insisted on Ukraines right to launch such assaults.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the news of the bombing by casting it as a result of infighting in Russia.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, he tweeted in English late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

On Monday, Podolyak said Russia has returned to the Soviet classics, pointing to its increasing isolation, the rise of espionage cases and an increase in political repression.

Last week, Russias security service announced the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich on spying charges, the first time a U.S. correspondent has been detained on such accusations since the Cold War. His newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, has vehemently rejected the allegations and demanded his release.

Tatarsky was born in Ukraines industrial heartland of the Donbas and worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture trade business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison.

He fled custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows illegal annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

While Russian authorities have silenced alternative voices by shutting down independent news outlets critical of the war and jailing critics of President Vladimir Putin, military bloggers have played an increasingly visible role. While strongly supporting the war, they also have frequently pointed out flaws in Russian military strategy and occasionally criticized the military brass.

(AP)




President Joe Biden has all but announced hes running for reelection, but key questions about the 2024 campaign are unresolved: Who will manage it? Where will it be based? When will he finally make it official?

Advisers have long said he planned to wait until after March, when the years first fundraising period wraps up. That was an effort to help manage expectations because many donors who gave generously to Democratic causes during last falls elections were looking for a break.

But an announcement isnt imminent even now, aides insist, and probably wont come until at least after Biden returns from an expected trip to Ireland in mid-April.

Working on his own timeline could counter Bidens low approval ratings and questions about his age  the 80-year-old would turn 86 before the end of a second term. It also means Biden wont be hurried by pressure from former President Donald Trump, whos already announced his 2024 campaign, or other top Republicans who may enter the race, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or former Vice President Mike Pence.

Hes earned the luxury of making the timetable, said Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist in Washington. The longer he can keep this thing focused on his duties in the White House, and less about the campaign back-and-forth, the better off hes going to be.

That said, Biden aides are mindful that Trump has been indicted for his role in the payment of hush money to a porn actor, and they say Biden will look to time his announcement to a point when he wont share the political spotlight with the man he beat in the 2020 election.

Bidens inner political circle is ready to begin executing on the campaigns strategy from Day One and sees no drawbacks to the president taking his time. Biden faces no significant Democratic challenger for the nomination. The self-help guru Marianne Williamson is the sole contender at this point in the primary race.

It will also be up to Biden to decide where next years Democratic National Convention is held among the three finalist cities of Atlanta, Chicago and New York. But with the logistical groundwork mostly laid, there is little pressure for that decision until the president is ready to make it, organizers say.

Much of the reelection effort will be run from the White House, where Bidens most senior advisers are expected to remain. Still, the campaign manager and top staff will be responsible for raising vast sums of money, reaching millions of voters and making the case for Biden at Americans doors and online while he is still occupied with governing.

One top Biden adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a reelection campaign that hasnt yet been announced, noted that Bidens 2020 bid was a $1.7 billion operation and that the effort this time would be larger. The adviser said a key will be finding validators, or non-Washington voices who can spread the campaigns message at a time when many people have lost faith in everything political.

Aides and allies are discussing how to build the appropriate 2024 race infrastructure. The circumstances are different from 2020 for Biden, whose race then was conducted while the country was largely shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The political environment is different, too, as technological and cultural shifts have continued to change how people communicate. Bidens advisers are preparing a new model of campaigning fit for the moment to activate his base and identify and woo the persuadable center  essentially a customized communication strategy for each target voter.

Aba Blankson, chief marketing and communications officer for the NAACP, said her organization is nonpartisan but found success mobilizing Black voters  an important part of Bidens base  before last Novembers elections using similarly targeted political messaging. That included text messages, radio ads and knocking on doors to promote peer-to-peer organizing in areas capable of swinging pivotal races.

I think his timing is what his timing is, Blankson said. But, for us, it is an every-year reality.

The choice of Bidens campaign headquarters has been narrowed to Philadelphia, the 2020 location, and Wilmington, Delaware, where his home is and where the president spends many weekends away from the White House. While Biden tends to prefer Delaware on all matters, some top Democrats worry that recruiting top campaign talent to Wilmington will be difficult.

The Biden adviser downplayed the importance of choosing between the two immediately. And Biden waited until weeks after the start of his 2020 campaign to announce that he had settled on Philadelphia, making a commitment to an important battleground state.

More challenging has been filling the job of campaign manager. Some potential candidates view it as a thankless task, with so much of the decision-making confined to the White House, though the adviser said whomever is ultimately chosen will be empowered with wide latitude to run 2024.

Jen OMalley Dillon, Bidens 2020 campaign manager, is now a deputy White House chief of staff and plans to remain in her job. Many potential candidates have expressed interest in the campaign manager position, but among those on the short list are Julie Chavez Rodriguez, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and a deputy campaign manager of Bidens 2020 campaign, and Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

Quentin Fulks, campaign manager for Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnocks reelection victory last fall, has been mentioned.

Biden led Democrats to a stronger than expected midterm performance in 2022 by urging voters to reject extreme adherents to Trumps Make America Great Again movement. So bringing in an outsider who ran successful Democratic campaigns last fall is a possibility. But party leaders acknowledge that breaking into Bidens famously tight inner circle has at times been challenging.

An exception is OMalley Dillon, who was a late 2020 entrant to Bidens orbit after leading former Texas Rep. Beto ORourkes failed presidential bid.

Trump hasnt named a campaign manager despite announcing his candidacy months ago. But others arent waiting to staff up.

Republican Nikki Haley, Trumps U.N. ambassador and a former South Carolina governor, picked Betsy Ankney, executive director of Haleys Stand for America political action committee, to manager her presidential campaign . The super PAC linked to DeSantis brought on former Trump aide Matt Wolking and strategist Jeff Roe, the architect of Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs 2016 presidential campaign and Republican Glenn Youngkin winning campaign for Virginia governor in 2021.

Even with the unanswered questions about his campaign structure, the outlines of Bidens pitch to voters are forming.

From the State of the Union address in February to speeches to donors, the president has begun making the case that Americans should let him finish the job he started. Hes also tried framing the race as a choice between himself and MAGA Republicans who, he argues, will undermine the nations core values.

Biden has spent recent months traveling to promote what he sees as his administrations key policy accomplishments, including a bipartisan public works package, and plans more of the same going forward. That would let him use this year to test political messaging that can best resonate in 2024, aides said.

Hes not going to win reelection or lose reelection based on what happens in his campaign, Bannon predicted. Hes going to win it based on his performance as president and the performance of his opponent, whoever it is.

(AP)




Israeli airstrikes hit several sites in Syrias Homs province early Sunday, wounding five soldiers, Syrian state media reported. Hours later, the Israeli military said it shot down an aircraft that crossed from Syria into Israels airspace.

In Iran, state media reported that an Iranian adviser who was wounded in an Israeli strike on Friday died of his wounds. Since the start of Syrias conflict in March 2011, Iran has been a main supporter of President Bashar Assads government and has sent advisers since the early days of the war.

Sundays strike marked the ninth time Israel has struck targets in Syria since the beginning of the year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked war monitor.

State news agency SANA, citing military sources, said the strikes targeted sites in the city of Homs and surrounding countryside. Syrian air defenses intercepted the missiles and shot down some of them, it said.

The observatory reported that the missiles targeted Syrian military sites and those of Iran-linked militias, including a research center.

On Sunday night, the Israeli army said air force helicopters and fighter jets were deployed following an unidentified aircraft that seems to have crossed from the direction of Syria into Israeli territory. It added that the aircraft was monitored by the Israeli Air Force throughout the incident and it was later shot down.

There was no immediate statement from Israel on the strikes on Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not directly mention the strikes at a meeting of his Cabinet on Sunday, but said Israel was acting against foreign threats.

We are exacting a high price from the regimes that support terror outside Israels borders, he said.

Netanyahu said that a major domestic crisis over his governments plan to overhaul the judiciary has not affected Israels ability to strike.

The internal argument in Israel doesnt harm and wont harm our determination or intensity or our capabilities to act against our enemies on all fronts, in any place and at any time necessary, he said.

Later Sunday, Israels defense minister, Yoav Gallant, commented about Syria during a visit to soldiers in the occupied West Bank but did not directly confirm the recent airstrikes.

We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we wont allow it now, or anytime in the future, Gallant said. He also accused Iran of seeking to entrench its presence along Israels borders.

When necessary  we will push them out of Syria to where they belong  and that is Iran, Gallant said.

Reservists have pledged not to show up for duty so long as the overhaul moves forward, prompting military and defense officials to warn of damage to the militarys capabilities. Netanyahu has paused the overhaul for now.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, including attacks on the Damascus and Aleppo airports, but it rarely acknowledges specific operations.

Israel says it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanons Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Assads forces.

On Friday, Israeli airstrikes hit the suburbs of Syrias capital city, Damascus, killing an Iranian adviser, the state media of Syria and Iran reported. Irans state television reported Friday that Milad Heidari, an Iranian military adviser, was killed during what it called a criminal strike by Israel.

Iranian sate media reported Sunday that another Revolutionary Guard adviser who was wounded in Fridays strike succumbed to his wounds. Irans state TV identified the adviser as Meghdad Mahghani, adding that his funeral would be held Sunday in Damascus.

An Israeli airstrike last month targeting the airport in Aleppo put it out of commission for two days. The airport has been a main conduit for aid shipments since the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey on Feb. 6.

Israel has also struck seaports in government-held areas of Syria, in an apparent attempt to prevent Iranian arms shipments to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah.

(AP)




A shocking violent incident occurred during a left-wing protest in Tel Aviv last Sunday, when dozens of protesters broke into an empty home, ransacked and looted its contents and burned it in a bonfire on the Ayalon Highway.

The protests in Tel Aviv that day had deteriorated into violence and complete anarchy as thousands blocked the Ayalon for hours, lit bonfires, and confronted the police.

According to a Channel 14 report, at one point, dozens of protesters began looking for more incendiary material for the fires they were setting. They dismantled a wooden fence nearby and when they noticed an empty residence, they broke into it, dismantled its windows and doors, looted its contents, including closets, tables, chairs, and beds, and burned it in bonfires on the highway.

The protesters wild behavior frightened the neighbors, who asked the rioters to end their rampage  but to no avail.

The home belonged to the father of Chen Dina Cohen, who passed away recently. She was distraught to lose all her late fathers possessions and her childhood memories. She filed a complaint to the police against the protesters for break-in and theft.

My father lived here for 88 years, my dear father, she told Channel 14. Its good that hes not here to see this.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday Finland will become the 31st member of the worlds biggest military alliance on Tuesday, and that he hopes its neighbor Sweden can join in coming months.

This is a historic week, Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. From tomorrow, Finland will be a full member of the alliance.

The former Norwegian prime minister said that on Tuesday afternoon, we will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at the NATO headquarters. It will be a good day for Finlands security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.

Stoltenberg said that Turkey, the last country to have ratified Finlands membership, will hand its official texts to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday. Stoltenberg said he would then invite Finland to do the same.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the ceremony, along with Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasize NATOs support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region, Haavisto said in a statement.

The development comes as Finnish voters gave a boost to conservative parties in a weekend election, depriving left-wing Prime Minister Sanna Marin of another term.

Fearing that they might be targeted after Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Nordic neighbors Finland and Sweden abandoned their traditional positions of military non-alignment to seek protection under NATOs security umbrella.

All 30 allies signed Finlands and Swedens accession protocols. Turkey and Hungary delayed the process for months but have relented on Finland. Turkey has sought guarantees and assurances from the two, notably on tackling extremism. Hungarys demands have never been explicit.

NATO must agree unanimously for new members to join.

(AP)




NYC Mayor Eric Adams is telling New Yorkers not to worry about the drama that will unfold in Manhattan on Tuesday when Trump is indicted, saying that the NYPD will maintain peace and calm.

New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger, he said to anyone who is planning to protest Trumps arrest.

Adams also warned conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to be on your best behavior. Greene has been planning to protest Trumps indictment during Tuesdays proceedings.

The mayor said that everyone has a right to protest, but it most be done peacefully, a sentiment that was echoed by NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

Everyone is able to have their voices heard peacefully while exercising their First Amendment rights, Sewell said, adding that security is being ramped up outside Trump Tower and Manhattan Criminal Court.

Violence and destruction are not part of legitimate lawful expression, she said, noting that officials have not yet seen any evidence of a massive influx of protestors, despite Trumps calls for his fans to demonstrate en masse.

Though massive protests may not occur, officials are still urging New Yorkers to take mass transit due to increased security and road closures that may result in the clogging of Manhattan roads.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
What is the graphite price?

A recently released update to a feasibility study conducted by Focus Graphite on its Lac Knife project in Quebec gives some indication of how difficult it is actually to answer this question.

As a starting point, the updated Lac Knife feasibility study says that it used an average graphite concentrate sales price of US$1,679 per tonne of concentrate.

Well and good, although note that we are talking about concentrate here, and not the commodity pure.

Then, however, the study moves on to a more detailed analysis of how this price was arrived at.

By weight, graphite accounts for more than 28 per cent of an electric vehicle battery, ahead of aluminium, next, with just under 19 per cent, and then nickel

Focus Graphite used as a basis the Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Flake Graphite Price Index, an independent compiler of global graphite prices which takes into account variations in graphite flake size and concentrate purities.

The assumptions are based on the mesh size required to catch a flake of graphite and run from US$2,040 per tonne for a +48 mesh product down to US$1,579 per tonne for the smallest economic product.

Since flake size is variable within any given deposit, the graphite price obtained is likely to be an aggregate and thats even before the market brings in its own supply-demand pricing pressures.

Larger flakes, as is well known, are generally more desirable and command the highest price, although intriguingly not all graphite company chief executives agree about why this is.

The standard version is that the conductivity of the larger flake is greater and this in turn goes to the heart of why graphite has been much in the news in recent years.

Graphite, so the thinking goes, is likely to play a central role in the greening of the global economy.

Thats because graphite is a key constituent of all next generation batteries.

A frequently cited statistic issued by the World Bank last year estimates that more than 50 per cent of the demand created for new batteries is or will be for graphite. Lithium, the headline-grabber, accounts for a much more modest 4 per cent.

By weight, graphite accounts for more than 28 per cent of an electric vehicle battery, ahead of aluminium, next, with just under 19 per cent, and then nickel.

Its this dynamic that underpins a statistic highlighted by Blencowe Resources, a UK-listed graphite company.

Demand for flake graphite, Blencowe claims, is likely to grow by nearly three times over the next few years, from the 1.5million tonnes per year it registered in 2020 up to 4.3million tonnes per year in 2030.

Not surprisingly, then, there has been a renewed interest in graphite mining, and even a recent graphite boom in Australia.

But in mining, slow and steady usually wins the race, and it wont be the bandwagoners who stay the course and eventually end up reaping the sizeable benefits that look to be on offer.

Rather, the ones to watch will be those with longer-term game plans and with a specific expertise and knowledge of graphite like Blencowe (current share price 4p) and Tirupati Graphite (33p).

Tirupati has been something of a trailblazer as far as the London market is concerned, with significant and growing production from its Madagascar projects, and plenty of value-add upstream in India on offer too.

Tirupati knows not only how to mine graphite effectively  and with social licence  but also how to move it up the value chain and turn it into a finished product.

That makes it fairly unique in the graphite mining industry and, as such, marks it out as one of a handful of go-to graphite companies in the world.

Blencowe is a different animal, a single project company focussed on the development of the Orom-Cross graphite project in Uganda.

Uganda isnt a major destination for the worlds mining industry, but Orom-Cross has high quality graphite in terms both of grade and flake size, a pre-feasibility study demonstrating the viability of a 21-year operation and a full-scale feasibility study in the works.

Power Metal Resources (0.93p) is different again  a multi-asset, multi-jurisdictional company with exposure to gold, nickel, lithium and a host of other commodities.

Its Doerksen Bay graphite project in Canada was acquired in January of this year and forms the centrepiece of a newly established subsidiary company called ION Battery Resources. ION will also hold certain of Power Metals lithium projects.
John Lewis boss Dame Sharon White came under fresh pressure after an ex-chairman called the possible sale of a stake to an outside investor 'highly undesirable'.

Sir Stuart Hampson yesterday said the proposal  aimed at raising as much as 2billion  could kill off the 'spirit' of the retailer's partnership model.

It was the latest blow for Dame Sharon amid a chorus of scepticism about the idea of bringing in external funding, which critics say would threaten John Lewis's cherished employee ownership structure.

Writing on the wall: The John Lewis Partnership  which includes 34 department stores and 332 Waitrose supermarkets  is the largest employee-owned business in the UK

Sir Stuart, who fought off a push by a group of staff to demutualise the organisation in 1999, insisted that John Lewis is a 'different kind of business' where service levels are better because 'the person behind the counter is the owner'.

He brushed off the idea that it might be able to find a supportive investor who shares its ideals.

For the business to sell a minority stake  for the first time in its 159-year history  would be 'very inappropriate', he told The Sunday Times. 'Once you sell a share of the partnership to somebody, they can sell it to somebody else... it would be highly undesirable.'

Sir Stuart said bringing in an external shareholder would mean 'everybody contributing their ideas and enthusiasm to pay off profits towards a third party'.

The John Lewis Partnership  which includes 34 department stores and 332 Waitrose supermarkets  is the largest employee-owned business in the UK.

Its 80,000 'partners' receive a share of profits via annual bonuses that supplement their basic salary.

John Lewis said that, while it was reviewing the future funding needs of its partnership, 'nothing is happening in the short term'.
One senior sales employee is thought to be responsible for the irregularities

Probe found that orders giving rise to revenue of $14.9m in 2022 were false

Top executives at Wandisco have stepped down after an investigation into fraud at the troubled software company found it had falsified almost $15million in revenues last year.

The AIM-listed firm said the immediate departure of founder and chief executive, David Richards, and chief financial officer, Erik Miller, were 'not connected to the findings to date of the independent investigation'.

The probe, which was launched last month after Wandisco discovered 'potential fraudulent irregularities', found that orders giving rise to revenue of $14.9million and sales bookings worth $115.4million in 2022 were false.

David Richards, who founded Wandisco in 2005, has stepped down with immediate effect

Revenues last year should have been $9.7million, rather than $24million, while bookings should have been $11.4million, instead of $127million, the company said in an update to investors on Monday.

The findings by FRP Advisory also continue to support the initial view that one senior sales employee was responsible for the irregularities.

'FRP Advisory is continuing to pursue the investigation to reach a conclusion,' the company added.

Wandisco shares were suspended last month after the company announced that an investigation was under way to identify its 'true financial position'.

It came only days after Wandisco announced it was eyeing an additional listing of its shares in New York.

Richards founded the company in 2005 in Silicon Valley, and it now has headquarters in Sheffield and California.

'I am sad to be leaving Wandisco after 18 extremely enjoyable years,' he told investors today.

'I remain a passionate supporter and significant shareholder of the Company.'

New chairman Kenneth Lever, who was appointed last month, added: 'Over the years David and Erik have contributed significant time and effort to establishing and developing Wandisco.

'They remain meaningful shareholders in the business and continue to believe in the long-term, successful future for this Company and its unique technology.'

Lever will run the company until a new chief executive is found, while Ijoma Maluza, previously finance boss of Blue Prism, will become interim chief financial officer from next week.
Capita has said none of its data was compromised by a cyber-security incident last week that resulted in many staff being unable to log on to the firm's IT systems.

The outsourcing company has admitted that an IT issue did affect some client services and disrupted access to its internal Microsoft Office 365 applications.

Employees were told not to use virtual private networks or attempt to reset their passwords, according to the Times, which initially reported the episode last Friday.

Tech issues: The outsourcing company has admitted that an IT issue had affected some client services and disrupted access to its internal Microsoft Office 365 applications

Councils including Barnet, Barking & Dagenham and Lambeth in London, with whom Capita holds contracts, all displayed messages on their website warning that phone lines for council tax, benefits and business rates call centres were not working.

Capita reported on Monday that security was 'swiftly alerted' to the problem and that 'immediate steps were taken to successfully isolate and contain the issue'.

The London-listed business said its staff could now access Office 365 services, which include Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and it is making 'good progress' on reinstating other client services.

It did not confirm if the event was a cyber-attack or identify affected clients, but said there was 'no evidence of customer, supplier or colleague data having been compromised'.

As well as councils and the National Health Service, Capita holds contracts with government organisations like the National Cyber Security Centre, whose parent arm is GCHQ.

It also provides services on behalf of the Cabinet Office, HM Revenue & Customs, the Ministry of Justice, numerous police forces, and runs the London Congestion Charge Scheme.

Besides public bodies, the firm operates call centres for car manufacturer BMW, bookmaker William Hill, Thames Water, telecoms group O2, and the RSPCA.

In annual results released early last month, the outsourcer revealed pre-tax profits slumped by 79 per cent to 61.4million due to a major impairment charge in its portfolio division and the loss of earnings from its various disposals.

Under the leadership of Jon Lewis, who arrived in 2017, Capita has sold off large sections of the company in order to reduce debt, focus on core operations and transform the firm into a hi-tech business.

Among the companies sold by Capita in 2022 included its payment transactions subsidiary Pay360 Limited, two real estate and infrastructure consultancies, and IT services firm Trustmarque.

Capita shares were 1.5 per cent higher at 37.2p on late Monday afternoon, meaning their value has climbed by approximately three-quarters over the past 12 months.
The Treasury has pushed back plans to sell part of its stake in NatWest by two years after turmoil in the banking sector sent share prices tumbling.

The UK Government, which still owns 41.5 per cent of the bank after its bailout during the financial crisis of 2008, said it will aim to offload a 15 per cent stake by August 2025, instead of August this year.

This is to make sure that the taxpayer gets 'value for money' for the shares, which have been depressed in recent weeks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and UBS' takeover of Credit Suisse raised fears over the stability of the financial system.

The UK Government still owns 41.5% of NatWest after it bailed it out during the financial crisis

NatWest shares have fallen by around 9 per cent in the last month.

The Government bought its stake for 502p per share in 2008, though today they are worth around 268p, which means a heavy loss for the taxpayer.

'Shares may not be sold under the trading plan below a price per share that UKGI and HM Treasury determine represents fair value and delivers value for money for the taxpayer throughout the term of the trading plan,' they said in a statement on Monday.

NatWest, formerly Royal Bank of Scotland, was rescued by the Government in a 45.5billion bailout in 2008.

In 2021, then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced he was launching a trading plan to speed up the bank's privatisation.

This involved appointing Morgan Stanley to drip-feed shares into the market, allowing them to be snapped up by investors.

So far the trading plan has netted the Treasury around 3.7billion by selling off the shares. It has also sold off shares through other means.

In last months Budget, the Government confirmed it was aiming to fully privatise NatWest by 2026.

It said: 'UKGI and HM Treasury will keep other disposal options under active consideration, including by way of directed buybacks and/or accelerated bookbuilds when market conditions permit.

'The decision to extend the trading plan does not preclude HM Treasury from executing such other disposals that achieve value for money for taxpayers, including during the term of the trading plan.'

Victoria Scholar, head of investments at Interactive Investor, said the recent share price falls complicated the picture for the Government.

'If the banking sector crisis fades over the coming weeks, we could see opportunistic buyers return to the market, picking up shares in NatWest and others at a discounted price, she said.

'However if further cracks in the system are revealed, banks could come under renewed selling pressure.'
Global Business Travel Group (NYSE:GBTG  Get Rating) is one of 35 publicly-traded companies in the Transportation services industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Global Business Travel Group to similar companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, risk, dividends, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

15.9% of Global Business Travel Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 54.2% of shares of all Transportation services companies are owned by institutional investors. 12.9% of Global Business Travel Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 19.8% of shares of all Transportation services companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

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Risk and Volatility

Global Business Travel Group has a beta of 0.31, suggesting that its share price is 69% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Global Business Travel Groups peers have a beta of 2.12, suggesting that their average share price is 112% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings and Valuation

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Global Business Travel Group $1.85 billion -$25.00 million -10.87 Global Business Travel Group Competitors $3.90 billion $232.86 million 3.93

This table compares Global Business Travel Group and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Global Business Travel Groups peers have higher revenue and earnings than Global Business Travel Group. Global Business Travel Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares Global Business Travel Group and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Global Business Travel Group N/A -2.83% -0.87% Global Business Travel Group Competitors -3,276.52% 3.63% -4.03%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Global Business Travel Group and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Global Business Travel Group 0 2 4 0 2.67 Global Business Travel Group Competitors 101 897 1772 31 2.62

Global Business Travel Group currently has a consensus price target of $8.68, indicating a potential upside of 30.97%. As a group, Transportation services companies have a potential upside of 6.53%. Given Global Business Travel Groups stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Global Business Travel Group is more favorable than its peers.

Summary

Global Business Travel Group peers beat Global Business Travel Group on 8 of the 13 factors compared.

Global Business Travel Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Global Business Travel Group, Inc. provides business-to-business (B2B) travel platform in the United States of America and internationally. The company's platform offers a suite of technology-enabled solutions to business travelers and clients; travel content suppliers including airlines, hotels, ground transportation, and aggregators; and third-party travel agencies. It manages travel, expenses, and meetings and events for companies. The company is headquartered in New York, New York.

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Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking set a 125.00 ($134.41) price objective on Shop Apotheke Europe (ETR:SAE  Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, Borsen Zeitung reports.

SAE has been the topic of several other research reports. Bank Of America (Bofa) set a 82.00 ($88.17) price objective on Shop Apotheke Europe in a report on Friday, January 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a 126.00 ($135.48) target price on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Baader Bank set a 85.00 ($91.40) price target on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a research report on Thursday. Credit Suisse Group set a 42.00 ($45.16) price objective on shares of Shop Apotheke Europe in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Warburg Research set a 108.00 ($116.13) target price on Shop Apotheke Europe in a research note on Thursday.

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Shop Apotheke Europe Trading Up 2.4 %

SAE stock opened at 83.42 ($89.70) on Friday. Shop Apotheke Europe has a one year low of 36.51 ($39.26) and a one year high of 105.25 ($113.17). The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a PE ratio of -19.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.86. The companys 50 day moving average price is 69.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is 54.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 66.24, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 2.88.

About Shop Apotheke Europe

Shop Apotheke Europe N.V. owns and operates online pharmacies in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands. It provides prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, and pharmacy-related beauty and personal care products, as well as food supplements. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Sevenum, the Netherlands.

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At least 12 people were killed and several others injured or kidnapped in a spate of attacks in northeast and central Nigeria, police and officials said Monday.

Insecurity is a major concern in Africa's most populous country as a new president is set to be sworn in next month following an election disputed by the opposition.

In northeastern Adamawa State on Monday, unidentified gunmen stormed Dabna village in Hong district, resulting in the "unfortunate murder of three (persons)", local police spokesman Suleiman Nguroje said, adding that homes were set ablaze.

No group has claimed responsibility although Boko Haram jihadists are known to launch occasional attacks in the area from their Sambisa forest enclave in neighbouring Borno State.

Also on Monday, gunmen attacked communities in Oganenigu, in the Dekina district of central Kogi State, according to local authorities.

The governor's spokesman Muhammed Onogwu said that a local politician was killed while others were "affected by this ugly and unfortunate attack".

On Sunday, gunmen stormed a church in Akenawe-Tswarev village in central Benue State, killing a worshipper and kidnapping three others, according to Salome Tor, political administrator of Logo district in which the village is located.

"The attackers burst into the church during morning worship and shot dead one person and kidnapped three others, including the priest," Tor said.

Two other worshippers were seriously injured and taken to hospital for medical treatment, she said.

Tor did not say who was responsible for the attack but Benue has for years been a hotbed of deadly communal unrest between herders and farmers.

In central Niger State on Saturday, gunmen suspected to be from criminal gangs attacked several villages in Mashegu and Munya districts, killing at least seven people and abducting 26 others according to a local official.

Umar Jibrin Igede, Mashegu district political administrator, said the attacks were the latest in a series of raids on villages in the area in the past two weeks and that many residents had fled their homes.

Police in Niger State did not respond to AFP's request for comment on the attacks and kidnappings.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down in May, has left his successor Bola Tinubu a country facing a jihadist insurgency in the northeast, violent criminal gangs in the northwest and centre and secessionist agitation in the southeast.

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Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a 14.00 ($15.05) price target on SAF-Holland (ETR:SFQ  Get Rating) in a report published on Friday morning, Borsen Zeitung reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Warburg Research set a 13.00 ($13.98) price objective on shares of SAF-Holland in a research note on Thursday. Hauck Aufhauser Investment Banking set a 19.60 ($21.08) price objective on shares of SAF-Holland in a research note on Thursday, February 16th.

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SAF-Holland Trading Up 5.2 %

Shares of SAF-Holland stock opened at 11.75 ($12.63) on Friday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is 11.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is 9.25. The company has a market cap of $533.33 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.88, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 2.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 139.70. SAF-Holland has a 1 year low of 5.98 ($6.43) and a 1 year high of 12.52 ($13.46).

SAF-Holland Company Profile

SAF-Holland SE manufactures and supplies chassis-related assemblies and components for trailers, trucks, semi-trailers, and buses. The company offers axle and suspension systems, fifth wheels, coupling systems, kingpins, and landing gears, as well as ball races, braking and EBS systems, lighting systems, and disc brakes.

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Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Hold by the thirteen analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $28.20.

Several research firms recently issued reports on FMS. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from $17.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. HSBC lowered shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA from a buy rating to an underperform rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $14.00 to $11.70 in a research note on Monday, January 2nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. They set a market perform rating on the stock.

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Institutional Trading of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 94.6% in the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 25,968 shares of the companys stock valued at $424,000 after purchasing an additional 12,625 shares during the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA during the 4th quarter valued at $297,000. Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA by 31.0% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 35,300 shares of the companys stock worth $577,000 after buying an additional 8,353 shares in the last quarter. First Light Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in the 4th quarter worth $318,000. Finally, Mork Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA in the 4th quarter worth $843,000. 5.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA Stock Performance

Shares of FMS stock opened at $21.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.72 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business has a fifty day moving average of $19.59 and a 200 day moving average of $16.81. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA has a 1 year low of $12.78 and a 1 year high of $34.65.

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (NYSE:FMS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.22. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA had a return on equity of 5.80% and a net margin of 3.46%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.85 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA will post 1.14 earnings per share for the current year.

About Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

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Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KgaA engages in the provision of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which regularly undergo dialysis treatment. It operates through the Care Enablement and Care Delivery segments. The Care Enablement segment is involved in the healthcare products business including research and development, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial operations as well as supporting functions, such as regulatory and quality management.

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Shares of Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $65.05.

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Alaska Air Group from $58.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 5th. Susquehanna boosted their target price on shares of Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Alaska Air Group in a report on Friday, December 16th. They set a buy rating and a $60.00 target price on the stock. Barclays raised shares of Alaska Air Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the company from $54.00 to $62.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research cut shares of Alaska Air Group from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Alaska Air Group news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total value of $170,030.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,907 shares in the company, valued at $1,452,882.06. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total transaction of $170,030.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 29,907 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,452,882.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 1,596 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.81, for a total transaction of $81,092.76. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 15,747 shares in the company, valued at $800,105.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group Stock Performance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 416.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 568 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 458 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 1,873.5% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 671 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the period. First Command Bank boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 250.0% during the 4th quarter. First Command Bank now owns 700 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 207.2% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 728 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 491 shares during the period. Finally, Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 174.4% during the 4th quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 741 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the period. 77.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE ALK opened at $41.96 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 97.58, a PEG ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.54. Alaska Air Group has a twelve month low of $37.19 and a twelve month high of $61.55. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $46.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The transportation company reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $2.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.51 billion. Alaska Air Group had a net margin of 0.60% and a return on equity of 14.75%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 30.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.24 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 5.89 EPS for the current year.

About Alaska Air Group

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Alaska Air Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of air transportation services. It operates through the following segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The Mainline segment includes scheduled air transportation on Alaskas Boeing and Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.

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Local Bounti (NYSE:LOCL  Get Rating) had its target price reduced by Oppenheimer from $13.00 to $3.00 in a research report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock. Oppenheimer also issued estimates for Local Bountis Q1 2023 earnings at ($0.26) EPS, Q2 2023 earnings at ($0.24) EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at ($0.26) EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at ($0.22) EPS and FY2026 earnings at ($0.24) EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Lake Street Capital dropped their price target on shares of Local Bounti from $10.00 to $3.50 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Local Bounti from $9.00 to $2.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 20th.

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Local Bounti Trading Up 22.5 %

LOCL stock opened at $0.80 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $0.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.69. The company has a quick ratio of 1.98, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Local Bounti has a 52 week low of $0.30 and a 52 week high of $9.66. The company has a market cap of $82.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.62 and a beta of 1.66.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Local Bounti

About Local Bounti

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in Local Bounti by 0.9% during the second quarter. FMR LLC now owns 6,123,862 shares of the companys stock worth $19,474,000 after purchasing an additional 56,516 shares during the last quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. boosted its holdings in Local Bounti by 349.2% in the 4th quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 4,324,199 shares of the companys stock worth $6,011,000 after buying an additional 3,361,590 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Local Bounti by 76.2% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,144,897 shares of the companys stock worth $6,091,000 after buying an additional 927,911 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Local Bounti by 12.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,553,654 shares of the companys stock worth $4,411,000 after buying an additional 172,458 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Local Bounti by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 830,300 shares of the companys stock worth $1,154,000 after buying an additional 186,919 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.27% of the companys stock.

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Local Bounti Corporation grows fresh greens and herbs in the United States. It produces lettuce, herbs, and loose-leaf lettuce. The company sells its products to food retailers and food service distributors. Local Bounti Corporation was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Montana.

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Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich increased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE  Get Rating) by 14.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 45,183 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 5,780 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurichs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF were worth $4,119,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 101.8% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 438 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $60,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF by 158.1% in the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,022 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 626 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $133,000.

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iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Stock Up 1.2 %

iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF stock opened at $92.59 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a PE ratio of 8.51 and a beta of 1.04. iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $71.21 and a twelve month high of $89.40. The companys 50-day moving average price is $94.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.35.

iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (VLUE) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Enhanced Value index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap US equities. Stocks are selected and weighted using fundamental metrics (earnings, revenue, book value and cash earnings), aiming for exposure to undervalued stocks in each sector.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLUE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF (BATS:VLUE  Get Rating).

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Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich boosted its stake in Dover Co. (NYSE:DOV  Get Rating) by 1.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,256 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 126 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurichs holdings in Dover were worth $1,118,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MV Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Dover by 308.8% during the 3rd quarter. MV Capital Management Inc. now owns 233 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares during the period. Ellevest Inc. increased its position in Dover by 47.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 244 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new position in Dover during the 1st quarter worth approximately $48,000. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Dover during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Dover during the 1st quarter worth approximately $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.52% of the companys stock.

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Dover Trading Up 2.6 %

DOV stock opened at $151.94 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $21.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.45, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $148.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $138.20. Dover Co. has a 52 week low of $114.49 and a 52 week high of $162.88.

Dover Dividend Announcement

Dover ( NYSE:DOV Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.01. Dover had a return on equity of 28.55% and a net margin of 12.52%. The business had revenue of $2.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.12 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Dover Co. will post 9 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 28th were given a $0.505 dividend. This represents a $2.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.33%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 27th. Dovers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Dover

In other Dover news, CFO Brad M. Cerepak sold 34,972 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.25, for a total value of $5,009,739.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 73,878 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,583,023.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on DOV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Dover from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and issued a $174.00 price target on shares of Dover in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Dover from $149.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Barclays upped their price target on Dover from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Dover from $144.00 to $152.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $159.75.

About Dover

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Dover Corp. operates as a manufacturer and solutions provider delivering innovative equipment and components, consumable supplies, aftermarket parts, software and digital solutions, and support services. It operates through the following segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy and Fueling, Imaging and Identification, Pumps and Process Solutions, and Climate and Sustainability Technologies.

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ABR  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 11,110,000 shares, a growth of 8.4% from the February 28th total of 10,250,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,830,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.9 days.

Arbor Realty Trust Stock Performance

Arbor Realty Trust stock opened at $11.49 on Monday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $13.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.70. Arbor Realty Trust has a twelve month low of $10.58 and a twelve month high of $17.78. The company has a quick ratio of 46.60, a current ratio of 46.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.85. The company has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 1.97.

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Arbor Realty Trust Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 13th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 10th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 13.93%. Arbor Realty Trusts payout ratio is 96.39%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arbor Realty Trust

In related news, Director William C. Green acquired 4,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $12.94 per share, for a total transaction of $54,348.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 138,905 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,797,430.70. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other news, CEO Ivan Kaufman purchased 10,000 shares of Arbor Realty Trust stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $12.43 per share, with a total value of $124,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,168,277 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,521,683.11. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, Director William C. Green bought 4,200 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $12.94 per share, for a total transaction of $54,348.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 138,905 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,797,430.70. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . 3.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Arbor Realty Trust by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 16,629 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $191,000 after buying an additional 2,243 shares during the period. Alphastar Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Arbor Realty Trust by 92.6% during the third quarter. Alphastar Capital Management LLC now owns 25,230 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $290,000 after purchasing an additional 12,131 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Arbor Realty Trust by 1,614.8% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 4,390 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 4,134 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Arbor Realty Trust by 4.0% in the third quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 240,398 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,765,000 after buying an additional 9,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Advocates Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of Arbor Realty Trust in the third quarter worth about $286,000. 40.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. JMP Securities reiterated a market outperform rating and set a $17.50 price target on shares of Arbor Realty Trust in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Arbor Realty Trust from $14.50 to $15.50 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $16.60.

About Arbor Realty Trust

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Arbor Realty Trust, Inc operates as a real estate investment trust, which engages in the provision of loan origination and servicing for multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, and diverse commercial real estate assets. It operates through the Structured Business and Agency Business segments. The Structured Business segment offers structured loan origination and investment services.

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Aaron Wealth Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MMC  Get Rating) by 29.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,833 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 768 shares during the quarter. Aaron Wealth Advisors LLCs holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $303,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MMC. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 331.5% in the 1st quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,830,548 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $311,962,000 after purchasing an additional 1,406,293 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 133.1% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,297,356 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $221,095,000 after purchasing an additional 740,778 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 41,313,574 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $6,167,702,000 after purchasing an additional 693,039 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 5,963.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 618,640 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $92,357,000 after purchasing an additional 608,437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 104.9% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,103,004 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $166,321,000 after purchasing an additional 564,787 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.30% of the companys stock.

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Insider Transactions at Marsh & McLennan Companies

In other news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.70, for a total transaction of $503,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 75,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,105,143.90. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Oscar Fanjul sold 2,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.70, for a total value of $503,730.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 75,447 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,105,143.90. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Dean Michael Klisura sold 3,140 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $165.22, for a total transaction of $518,790.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 20,935 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,458,880.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Marsh & McLennan Companies Price Performance

Several analysts have commented on MMC shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $157.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $185.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. MKM Partners upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $180.00.

Shares of NYSE MMC opened at $166.55 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $82.37 billion, a PE ratio of 27.67, a PEG ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $143.33 and a 1-year high of $183.14. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $165.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $164.10.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MMC  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.07. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.72% and a return on equity of 32.45%. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.36 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 4th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Marsh & McLennan Companiess dividend payout ratio is 39.20%.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

(Get Rating)

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc is a professional services firm, which engages in offering clients advice and solutions in risk, strategy, and people. It operates through the Risk and Insurance Services, and Consulting segments. The Risk and Insurance Services segment is involved in risk management activities, as well as insurance and reinsurance broking and services.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lowered its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Get Rating) by 72.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,775 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 125,196 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF were worth $1,811,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 2.8% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 79,056,643 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $2,757,495,000 after buying an additional 2,120,629 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 617.1% during the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 30,902,851 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,239,204,000 after buying an additional 26,593,451 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 190.1% during the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 10,219,950 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $356,352,000 after buying an additional 6,697,550 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 60.3% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 9,605,304 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $373,647,000 after buying an additional 3,614,016 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 3,639.2% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 4,095,355 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $142,837,000 after buying an additional 3,985,830 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.29% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

EEM opened at $39.46 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $39.59 and a 200 day moving average of $38.19. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a fifty-two week low of $33.49 and a fifty-two week high of $46.78.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index).

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Ziegler Capital Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BOOT  Get Rating) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 118,780 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,117 shares during the period. Ziegler Capital Management LLC owned about 0.40% of Boot Barn worth $7,426,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can purchased a new stake in shares of Boot Barn during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,074,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Boot Barn by 2.6% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 991,210 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,949,000 after buying an additional 25,155 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in shares of Boot Barn during the third quarter valued at approximately $868,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in shares of Boot Barn by 238.8% during the third quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 28,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,684,000 after buying an additional 20,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC purchased a new stake in Boot Barn in the third quarter worth approximately $5,380,000.

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Boot Barn Stock Performance

NYSE:BOOT opened at $76.64 on Monday. Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $50.20 and a one year high of $102.24. The firm has a market cap of $2.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 2.35. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $78.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $67.65.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Boot Barn ( NYSE:BOOT Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.74. The business had revenue of $514.55 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $514.44 million. Boot Barn had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 25.42%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.23 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Boot Barn Holdings, Inc. will post 5.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Several analysts have recently commented on BOOT shares. BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Boot Barn in a research report on Monday, February 6th. They set a buy rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird cut shares of Boot Barn from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Boot Barn in a research note on Friday, January 6th. They set a buy rating and a $85.00 price target for the company. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Boot Barn from $77.00 to $76.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Boot Barn from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Boot Barn presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $92.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO James Grant Conroy sold 56,880 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.95, for a total transaction of $4,604,436.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 35,701 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,889,995.95. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Boot Barn

(Get Rating)

Boot Barn Holdings, Inc engages in the operation of retail stores of western and work-related footwear, apparel, and accessories. The firms products include boots, jeans, accessories, hats, gifts and home products, and work wear. Its brands include Ariat, Wrangler, Lucchese Boots, Idyllwind, and Cinch.

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Russias top counterterrorism body on Monday blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for the bombing attack that killed a well-known Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscow's war in Ukraine.

Russian officials said Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed Sunday as he was leading a discussion at a cafe on the banks of the Neva River in the historic heart of St. Petersburg. Over 30 people were wounded by the blast, and 10 of them remain in grave condition, according to the authorities.

The National Anti-Terrorist Committee, a state structure that coordinates counterterrorism operations, said that the terrorist act against Tatarsky was planned by Ukrainian special services with the involvement of people who have cooperated with an anti-corruption foundation created by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. It noted that the arrested suspect was an active supporter of Navalnys group.

Shortly before the announcement, Russias Investigative Committee, the top state criminal investigation agency, reported the arrest of Darya Tryopova, a 26-year-old St. Petersburg resident suspected of involvement in the attack. Tryopova had been previously detained for taking part in anti-war rallies.

Investigators believe that the bomb was hidden in a bust of the blogger that the suspect had given to him as a gift just before the explosion.

According to Russian media reports, Tryopova told investigators that she was used as a carrier to deliver the explosive device, but didn't know that it was hidden in the bust.

Witnesses said that the suspect asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky during the discussion. One witness, said the woman told Tatarsky that she had made a bust of the blogger but that guards asked her to leave it at the door, suspecting it could be a bomb. They joked and laughed, and then she went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.

A video showed Tatarsky making jokes about the bust and putting it on the table next to him just before the explosion.

Russias Investigative Committee, the states top criminal investigation agency, opened a probe on charges of murder.

No one publicly claimed responsibility, but military bloggers and patriotic commentators immediately blamed Ukraine for the attack and compared the bombing to last August's assassination of nationalist TV commentator Darya Dugina, who was killed when a remotely controlled explosive device planted in her SUV blew up as she was driving on the outskirts of Moscow.

Russian authorities blamed Ukraines military intelligence for Duginas death, but Kyiv denied involvement.

Duginas father, Alexander Dugin, a nationalist philosopher and political theorist who strongly supports the invasion of Ukraine, hailed Tatarsky as an immortal hero who died to save the Russian people.

Reacting to Tatarsky's death, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said late Sunday his activities have won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime and noted that he and other Russian military bloggers have long faced Ukrainian threats.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian millionaire owner of the Wagner Group military contractor spearheading Moscows offensive in eastern Ukraine, said he owned the cafe and handed it over to a patriotic group for meetings. He said he doubts the Ukrainian authorities involvement in the bombing, saying the attack was likely launched by a group of radicals unrelated to the government in Kyiv.

Since the fighting in Ukraine began Feb. 24, 2022, Ukrainian authorities have refrained from claiming responsibility for various fires, explosions and apparent assassinations in Russia. At the same time, officials in Kyiv have jubilantly greeted such events and insisted on Ukraines right to launch attacks in Russia.

A top Ukrainian government official cast the explosion that killed Tatarsky as part of internal turmoil.

Spiders are eating each other in a jar, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak wrote in English on Twitter late Sunday. Question of when domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight was a matter of time.

Tatarsky, who had filed regular reports from Ukraine, was the pen name for Maxim Fomin, who had accumulated more than 560,000 followers on his Telegram messaging app channel.

Born in the Donbas, Ukraines industrial heartland, Tatarsky worked as a coal miner before starting a furniture business. When he ran into financial difficulties, he robbed a bank and was sentenced to prison. He fled from custody after a Russia-backed separatist rebellion engulfed the Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscows annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula. Then he joined separatist rebels and fought on the front line before turning to blogging.

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Sigma Planning Corp lowered its position in shares of Lowes Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW  Get Rating) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,815 shares of the home improvement retailers stock after selling 1,134 shares during the quarter. Sigma Planning Corps holdings in Lowes Companies were worth $3,948,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of LOW. Renaissance Technologies LLC boosted its stake in Lowes Companies by 7,952.8% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,586,400 shares of the home improvement retailers stock valued at $320,754,000 after buying an additional 1,566,700 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Lowes Companies by 2,072.5% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,078,468 shares of the home improvement retailers stock valued at $218,055,000 after buying an additional 1,028,827 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in Lowes Companies by 13.0% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,916,354 shares of the home improvement retailers stock valued at $1,486,770,000 after buying an additional 912,518 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in Lowes Companies by 209.0% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,219,542 shares of the home improvement retailers stock valued at $246,579,000 after buying an additional 824,915 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Lowes Companies by 176.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 925,087 shares of the home improvement retailers stock valued at $173,738,000 after buying an additional 590,013 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.62% of the companys stock.

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Lowes Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $199.97 on Monday. Lowes Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $170.12 and a fifty-two week high of $223.31. The business has a 50-day moving average of $202.98 and a 200-day moving average of $200.73. The company has a market capitalization of $119.25 billion, a PE ratio of 19.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowes Companies Announces Dividend

Lowes Companies ( NYSE:LOW Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 1st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.07. Lowes Companies had a negative return on equity of 82.30% and a net margin of 6.63%. The company had revenue of $22.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.71 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.78 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lowes Companies, Inc. will post 13.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 26th will be paid a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 25th. Lowes Companiess payout ratio is 41.96%.

Insider Activity at Lowes Companies

In related news, EVP Donald Frieson sold 9,411 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.00, for a total value of $1,853,967.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 17,888 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,523,936. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.24% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Lowes Companies from $250.00 to $235.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Roth Capital reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Lowes Companies in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Loop Capital increased their price target on Lowes Companies from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. Credit Suisse Group started coverage on Lowes Companies in a research report on Monday, December 19th. They issued a neutral rating and a $210.00 price target for the company. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Lowes Companies in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. They issued a market perform rating and a $237.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowes Companies currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $223.85.

Lowes Companies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Lowes Cos., Inc engages in the retail sale of home improvement products. The firm offers products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, home decorating and property maintenance. It also provides home improvement products in the following categories: appliances, bathroom, building supply, electrical, flooring, hardware, paint, kitchen, plumbing, lighting & fans, outdoor living, windows and doors.

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Shufro Rose & Co. LLC reduced its position in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS  Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 42,635 shares of the companys stock after selling 924 shares during the period. Shufro Rose & Co. LLCs holdings in General Mills were worth $3,575,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. bought a new position in shares of General Mills in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Selway Asset Management acquired a new stake in General Mills in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. TD Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in General Mills in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC lifted its holdings in shares of General Mills by 50.7% in the third quarter. Carolinas Wealth Consulting LLC now owns 428 shares of the companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clear Perspectives Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of General Mills in the third quarter worth about $34,000. 74.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling at General Mills

In other news, CAO Mark A. Pallot sold 1,955 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction on Friday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.99, for a total value of $168,110.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 17,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,474,384.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Mark A. Pallot sold 1,955 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.99, for a total transaction of $168,110.45. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 17,146 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,474,384.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Sean N. Walker sold 27,157 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.87, for a total value of $2,304,814.59. Following the sale, the insider now owns 90,975 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,721,048.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 48,036 shares of company stock valued at $4,078,559. 0.67% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

General Mills Stock Up 0.0 %

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on GIS shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of General Mills from $88.00 to $89.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of General Mills from $75.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Monday, March 27th. UBS Group raised their price objective on General Mills from $88.00 to $96.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. StockNews.com upgraded General Mills from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on General Mills from $88.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, December 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $83.88.

Shares of NYSE GIS opened at $85.50 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $50.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.28. General Mills, Inc. has a 52-week low of $64.94 and a 52-week high of $88.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.54. The companys 50 day moving average price is $79.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $80.45.

General Mills (NYSE:GIS  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The company reported $0.97 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.06. General Mills had a net margin of 14.04% and a return on equity of 24.51%. The business had revenue of $5.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.84 earnings per share. General Millss quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

General Mills Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Investors of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.54 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. General Millss payout ratio is 46.65%.

About General Mills

(Get Rating)

General Mills, Inc engages in the manufacture and marketing of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The firm operates through the following segments: North America Retail, Europe & Australia, Convenience Stores & Foodservice, Pet, and Asia & Latin America. The North America Retail segment includes grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, drug, dollar and discount chains and e-commerce grocery providers.

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Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) by 53.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 12,203 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 4,252 shares during the quarter. Matrix Trust Cos holdings in Pfizer were worth $625,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PFE. Empirical Finance LLC grew its position in Pfizer by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 147,554 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $7,561,000 after purchasing an additional 11,464 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in Pfizer by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 362,700 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $18,585,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. Eudaimonia Advisors LLC grew its position in Pfizer by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Eudaimonia Advisors LLC now owns 53,480 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,740,000 after purchasing an additional 2,173 shares during the last quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its position in Pfizer by 245.0% during the 4th quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 2,030,730 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $104,055,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442,063 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI purchased a new position in Pfizer during the 4th quarter worth $299,000. 67.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Pfizer Stock Up 1.0 %

PFE stock opened at $40.80 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $230.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.45, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.64. Pfizer Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.23 and a 52 week high of $56.32. The companys 50-day moving average price is $41.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Pfizer ( NYSE:PFE Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $24.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.40 billion. Pfizer had a net margin of 31.27% and a return on equity of 42.03%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on PFE. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on shares of Pfizer from $54.00 to $50.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Daiwa Capital Markets raised shares of Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $51.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Pfizer from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the company from $47.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Pfizer in a report on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $50.38.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pfizer news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc bought 1,811,594 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,428,245.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Pfizer

(Get Rating)

Pfizer Inc is a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. It engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The firm works across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases.

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Stonegate Investment Group LLC reduced its stake in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) by 6.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 57,249 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,126 shares during the period. Stonegate Investment Group LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $2,617,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its holdings in Altria Group by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 140,965 shares of the companys stock worth $5,692,000 after purchasing an additional 6,588 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 35.1% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 72,673 shares of the companys stock worth $2,946,000 after purchasing an additional 18,891 shares during the last quarter. Bartlett & Co. LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Bartlett & Co. LLC now owns 14,223 shares of the companys stock worth $664,000 after purchasing an additional 715 shares during the last quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Altria Group by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC now owns 12,870 shares of the companys stock worth $520,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Altria Group by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 128,178 shares of the companys stock worth $9,151,000 after purchasing an additional 34,055 shares during the last quarter. 58.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Altria Group from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, January 23rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Altria Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Altria Group from $46.50 to $49.50 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $45.55.

Altria Group Price Performance

Shares of MO opened at $44.62 on Monday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.35 and a 12 month high of $57.05. The company has a market cap of $79.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.99, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $46.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $45.34.

Altria Group (NYSE:MO  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.18. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 284.29% and a net margin of 22.97%. The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.09 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Altria Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 24th will be paid a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 23rd. This represents a $3.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.43%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 117.87%.

Altria Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Altria Group, Inc operates as a holding company, which engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates through the following segments: Smokeable Products, Oral tobacco products, and Wine. The Smokeable Products segment consists of cigarettes manufactured and sold by PM USA and machine-made large cigars and pipe tobacco manufactured and sold by Middleton.

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Alpha Cubed Investments LLC grew its holdings in shares of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE  Get Rating) by 15.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 77,223 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 10,157 shares during the quarter. Alpha Cubed Investments LLCs holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $7,922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp bought a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Cowa LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. IMA Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. WASHINGTON TRUST Co raised its position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 173.9% during the 3rd quarter. WASHINGTON TRUST Co now owns 315 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Evoke Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 53.8% during the 3rd quarter. Evoke Wealth LLC now owns 346 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.28% of the companys stock.

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Intercontinental Exchange Stock Performance

Shares of ICE stock opened at $104.29 on Monday. Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. has a 1-year low of $88.60 and a 1-year high of $136.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market capitalization of $58.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.58, a P/E/G ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 0.92. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $103.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $101.29.

Intercontinental Exchange Increases Dividend

Intercontinental Exchange ( NYSE:ICE Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The financial services provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.26 by ($0.01). Intercontinental Exchange had a net margin of 15.01% and a return on equity of 13.11%. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.34 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.42 per share. This is an increase from Intercontinental Exchanges previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. Intercontinental Exchanges payout ratio is currently 65.37%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 81,827 shares of Intercontinental Exchange stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.02, for a total transaction of $8,511,644.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,203,104 shares in the company, valued at $125,146,878.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Intercontinental Exchange news, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 81,827 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.02, for a total value of $8,511,644.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,203,104 shares in the company, valued at $125,146,878.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Douglas Foley sold 1,600 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.80, for a total value of $167,680.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 21,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,251,208.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on ICE. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Intercontinental Exchange in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on Intercontinental Exchange from $110.00 to $117.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Raymond James dropped their price objective on Intercontinental Exchange from $130.00 to $126.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Intercontinental Exchange from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Intercontinental Exchange from $125.00 to $122.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $129.91.

Intercontinental Exchange Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc engages in the provision of market infrastructure, data services and technology solutions. It operates through the following segments: Exchanges, Fixed Income and Data Services, and Mortgage Technology. The Exchanges segment includes trading and listing revenue from the global futures network, the New York Stock Exchange and other registered securities exchanges.

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K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc boosted its stake in Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX  Get Rating) by 162.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,420 shares of the natural resource companys stock after acquiring an additional 30,000 shares during the period. K.J. Harrison & Partners Incs holdings in Freeport-McMoRan were worth $2,492,042,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Moody National Bank Trust Division increased its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 25,583 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $972,000 after purchasing an additional 233 shares during the period. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 4,293 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $163,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP raised its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 13,441 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $511,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 48.8% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 872 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 5.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 6,108 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $166,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the companys stock.

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Freeport-McMoRan Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of FCX opened at $41.10 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.26 and a beta of 2.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.64 and a current ratio of 2.46. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $41.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.47. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. has a 52 week low of $24.80 and a 52 week high of $51.78.

Freeport-McMoRan Announces Dividend

Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The natural resource company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.12. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 14.59% and a net margin of 15.22%. The company had revenue of $5.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.96 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.46%. Freeport-McMoRans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 11,678 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.17, for a total transaction of $504,139.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,395,815.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.72% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FCX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com started coverage on Freeport-McMoRan in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Scotiabank upgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $41.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. TheStreet upgraded Freeport-McMoRan from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $39.38.

Freeport-McMoRan Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Freeport-McMoRan, Inc engages in the mining of copper, gold, and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining, Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining, and Corporate and Other. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Baghdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico.

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Courier Capital LLC reduced its stake in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 123,150 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 2,598 shares during the quarter. Courier Capital LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $6,310,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Lam Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Karp Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. My Personal CFO LLC acquired a new position in shares of Pfizer in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Delos Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Pfizer by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 800 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. 67.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Pfizer

In other Pfizer news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc purchased 1,811,594 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2.76 per share, with a total value of $4,999,999.44. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now owns 5,952,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,428,245.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.05% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Pfizer Trading Up 1.0 %

PFE has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Pfizer from $53.00 to $45.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Daiwa Capital Markets raised Pfizer from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $51.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 7th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Pfizer in a research report on Monday, March 6th. They set a hold rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Atlantic Securities dropped their price target on Pfizer from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Pfizer from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $50.38.

NYSE:PFE opened at $40.80 on Monday. Pfizer Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.23 and a 1 year high of $56.32. The stock has a market cap of $230.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.45, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.64. The business has a fifty day moving average of $41.98 and a 200-day moving average of $45.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.22.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.11. Pfizer had a return on equity of 42.03% and a net margin of 31.27%. The company had revenue of $24.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $24.40 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.08 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current year.

About Pfizer

(Get Rating)

Pfizer Inc is a research-based global biopharmaceutical company. It engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, marketing, sales and distribution of biopharmaceutical products worldwide. The firm works across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases.

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Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO  Get Rating) by 0.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 172,457 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 1,320 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF makes up 3.0% of Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Bay Harbor Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $6,722,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VWO. Sound Income Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 311.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 637 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 482 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 110.1% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 689 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH bought a new stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA bought a new stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Toth Financial Advisory Corp increased its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 93.4% in the 3rd quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 940 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 454 shares in the last quarter.

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Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Stock Down 0.3 %

VWO opened at $40.40 on Monday. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 12 month low of $34.88 and a 12 month high of $47.92. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.33. The stock has a market cap of $70.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.70.

About Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF

The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries.

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Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS  Get Rating) had its target price dropped by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $89.00 to $85.00 in a report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an equal weight rating on the financial services providers stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price target would suggest a potential downside of 3.19% from the companys previous close.

MS has been the subject of several other research reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $98.00 to $109.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Wolfe Research downgraded shares of Morgan Stanley from an outperform rating to an underperform rating and set a $92.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $107.00 to $95.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 23rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of Morgan Stanley from $97.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $95.75.

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Morgan Stanley Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MS opened at $87.80 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.79. Morgan Stanley has a 1 year low of $72.05 and a 1 year high of $100.99. The companys 50-day moving average is $94.15 and its 200 day moving average is $88.81.

Insider Transactions at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley ( NYSE:MS Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.06. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 16.73% and a return on equity of 12.06%. The business had revenue of $12.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Morgan Stanley will post 7.1 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 44,910 shares of Morgan Stanley stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.05, for a total transaction of $4,358,515.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 348,531 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,824,933.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director Alistair Darling sold 2,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.70, for a total transaction of $189,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 34,465 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,263,835.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel A. Simkowitz sold 44,910 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.05, for a total transaction of $4,358,515.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 348,531 shares in the company, valued at $33,824,933.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 341,699 shares of company stock worth $33,143,046 in the last 90 days. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Morgan Stanley

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 23,258,148 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,973,640,000 after acquiring an additional 97,672 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 68.9% in the 3rd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 18,416,436 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,455,083,000 after acquiring an additional 7,514,505 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the 4th quarter valued at $956,566,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 10,737,304 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $912,886,000 after acquiring an additional 379,286 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 125,756.8% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,641,190 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $904,714,000 after acquiring an additional 10,632,735 shares during the last quarter. 83.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Morgan Stanley Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Morgan Stanley operates as a global financial services company. The firm provides investment banking products and services to its clients and customers including corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. It operates through the following segments: Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management.

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The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $420.00 to $390.00 in a research note issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an overweight rating on the investment management companys stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price objective indicates a potential upside of 19.23% from the companys previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on GS. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on The Goldman Sachs Group from $370.00 to $339.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on The Goldman Sachs Group from $370.00 to $345.00 in a report on Friday, January 6th. StockNews.com began coverage on The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. JMP Securities reissued a market outperform rating and issued a $470.00 target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a $410.00 target price on The Goldman Sachs Group in a report on Wednesday, January 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $394.30.

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The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GS opened at $327.11 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $347.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $345.46. The Goldman Sachs Group has a 1-year low of $277.84 and a 1-year high of $389.58. The company has a market cap of $109.19 billion, a PE ratio of 10.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

The Goldman Sachs Group ( NYSE:GS Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 17th. The investment management company reported $3.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.25 by ($1.93). The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 10.55% and a net margin of 16.39%. The company had revenue of $10.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.91 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $10.81 earnings per share. The Goldman Sachs Groups revenue for the quarter was down 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Goldman Sachs Group will post 32.72 EPS for the current year.

In related news, major shareholder Goldman Sachs Group Inc sold 4,000,000 shares of The Goldman Sachs Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.43, for a total transaction of $25,720,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 17,099,784 shares in the company, valued at approximately $109,951,611.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,105,275 shares of company stock worth $26,412,477. 0.57% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of The Goldman Sachs Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Acrisure Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Goldman Sachs Group in the 4th quarter worth about $258,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 947.8% in the 4th quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management now owns 2,106 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $723,000 after buying an additional 1,905 shares during the last quarter. Prostatis Group LLC boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. Prostatis Group LLC now owns 64,425 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 9,321 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 815 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $280,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in The Goldman Sachs Group by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 257,770 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $88,513,000 after buying an additional 6,198 shares during the last quarter. 69.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About The Goldman Sachs Group

(Get Rating)

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Global Banking and Markets, Asset and Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking and Markets segment includes investment banking, equity and debt underwriting, Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities (FICC) intermediation and financing activities, relationship lending and acquisition financing, and investing activities.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan discussed over the phone on Sunday the latest accord between the two countries and agreed to meet in the coming days, tweeted Iran's foreign ministry.

The date and place of the meeting is yet to be announced.

Bin Farhan emphasised the need for Iranian and Saudi officials to remain in touch, saying the current measures of the two sides are positive and satisfactory.

Amirabdollahian expressed his content with the positive developments between Tehran and Riyadh and underlined the Islamic Republics resolve to expand its policy of neighbourliness.

In January 2016, Tehran and Riyadh severed diplomatic relations after the attacks on Saudi diplomatic centres in Tehran and Mashhad by supporters of the Iranian government.

However, on 10 March 2023, the two countries agreed to resume relations in an agreement mediated by China.

Following the deal, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi favourably received an invitation from Saudi Arabia's King Salman to visit the kingdom, according to an Iranian official.

"In a letter to President Raisi... the king of Saudi Arabia welcomed the deal between the two brotherly countries (and) invited him to Riyadh," tweeted Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, adding that "Raisi welcomed the invitation."

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A series of bilateral consultations were held in Moscow on Monday in preparation for a meeting on Tuesday between the deputy foreign ministers from Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey.

The Syrian delegation, which arrived in the Russian capital on Sunday, is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan, Syrias official SANA news agency reported.

Sousans first bilateral meeting was with Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior advisor to the Iranian foreign minister.

Sousan stressed the need to end Turkeys military presence in the Arab country, as well as the importance of the fight against terrorism and non-interference in Syria's internal affairs by other countries.

Both sides expressed their shared views on the need to respect Syria's sovereignty and safeguard its territorial integrity, by ending Turkey's continued illegal presence on Syrian soil, SANA reported.

The Syrian team held also bilateral discussions with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

The Russian official reaffirmed that his country will continue working to ensure respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Last Monday, Bogdanov said the planned multilateral meeting is a major step to help normalise ties between Ankara and Damascus.

We are getting ready [for a meeting]. I think that [it will be held] soon. We are hoping, Bogdanov told Russias TASS news agency.

We are hoping that our mediating mission, which is directed at a very important strategic goal  the normalisation of Syrian-Turkish relations  will result in our shared success, he added.

The negotiations, which will stretch out over two days, are expected to be a continuation of the ministerial-level meetings that began during the normalisation process promoted by Russia, said Ankara.

Turkey severed its relations with the Syrian government in March 2012, a year after the Arab country found itself in the grip of a deadly anti-government insurgency. Turkey has since provided support to the anti-government forces and occupied parts of northern Syria.

In December 2022, Russia hosted the first talks between the Turkish and Syrian defense ministers in 11 years.

Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he might meet his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, as part of a process to normalise ties between the two sides.

But Assad ruled out any meeting with Erdogan until Turkey is ready to withdraw its military from northern Syria.

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The head of the Wagner mercenary force said his troops had raised the Russian flag over the Ukrainian city of Bakhmuts administrative building, but Ukraines military said its defenders were still fighting in the ruined streets.

Bakhmut has been the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war, now in its second year, with huge casualties on both sides and much of the eastern city destroyed by bombardments.

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said his troops, who have spearheaded the Kremlins campaign to encircle and capture Bakhmut, had raised a Russian flag on its administrative building in the city centre. But he acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were still holding positions.

From a legal point of view, Bakhmut has been taken. The enemy is concentrated in the western parts, he said in video posted on Telegram on Sunday. Prigozhin has previously made claims that were premature.

But the Ukrainian military said on Monday that fighting was still going on in Bakhmut and several other towns.

The enemy continues its assault on the city of Bakhmut. However, our defenders courageously hold the city, the military said.

Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesman for the Odesa military administration, also scorned Prigozhins claim.

What does it mean: if the flag of Ukraine is hung on a Moscow building, it means that Moscow is taken? he said on Telegram. And we, Ukrainians, are in the western districts of the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his Sunday night video address, thanked soldiers fighting in Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryinka.

Especially Bakhmut. It is especially hot there, he said.

MULTIPLE ATTACKS

Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had engulfed the centre of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces had repelled 25 enemy attacks but Russian forces had captured the AZOM metal plant, he said.

The enemy is attacking the city centre from the north, the east and the south and is trying to take the city under its full control, Zhdanov said in a video on YouTube.

Reuters could not verify the battlefield reports.

A mining city and logistics hub on the edge of a chunk of Donetsk province under Russian control, Bakhmut had a population of 70,000 before Moscow invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Russian forces, bogged down in a war of attrition after a series of setbacks, are seeking a victory to give new momentum to a winter offensive but they have suffered huge casualties in the battle for Bakhmut.

Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counteroffensive  backed by newly delivered Western tanks and other hardware  is not far off but they have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut and inflicting losses on their enemy in the meantime.

Russia calls its invasion of Ukraine a special military operation, claiming Kyivs ties to the West posed a security threat. Kyiv and the West call the war an unprovoked assault to subdue an independent country.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers on both sides have been killed. Russia has destroyed Ukrainian cities and forced millions of people to flee their homes, and it claims to have annexed nearly a fifth of Ukraine.

Meanwhile Moscows ambassador to Minsk said on Sunday that Russia would move nuclear weapons close to the western borders of Belarus  a move that would place them at NATOs threshold.

The weapons will increase the possibilities to ensure security, ambassador Boris Gryzlov told Belarusian state television.

This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States.

In warnings to the West against arming Ukraine, Russian officials increasingly play up the risks of nuclear weapons being used in the war, and last month said they would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Provided by Laura Ten Eyck

Laura Ten Eyck started working at Indian Ladder Farms around the same time she started school. When Ten Eyck was 5, she would line half-peck baskets.

By 12, she ran the cash register during harvest, having been trained by her father. Her family has a 100-plus-year history with the farm.
BALLSTON SPA  A member of the grand jury that indicted a Vermont sheriffs deputy for attempted murder last week has sent a letter to a top court official criticizing the grand jury process  saying that they feel we rushed through our decision with little thought after hearing many days of complicated evidence.

The law applying to this case was also very obtuse and hard to understand, the unidentified, but verified juror wrote to the Saratoga County Office of Commissioner of Jurors. The juror wrote the letter had been sent "to highlight what bothered me and get it off my chest.

The letter, filed Friday in Saratoga County Court, contradicted Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggens claims last week that the grand jury investigation and decision were neither rushed nor reached lightly, as it took a considerable amount of time to identify and compile and review testimony, evidence and information surrounding the events of Nov. 20, 2022  the date of the early morning melee in downtown Saratoga Springs.

It is unclear if any of the other grand jurors on the case expressed similar concerns.

The defense attorneys involved in the case were not immediately available for comment. However, Heggen said, in a statement that she is "confident that the grand jury process was done in compliance with laws of the State of New York."

"Further, while I would like to respond to and answer the numerous questions I have received today regarding those proceedings, those very same laws expressly prohibit me from commenting further on the specifics of any grand jury presentation," she said in a statement. "I stand by my Office's presentation and await the judicial review."

The part-time Vermont deputy from Glens Falls, Vito Caselnova, and a Utica barber, Alexander Colon, allegedly engaged in a gun battle on Broadway during a 3 a.m. dispute that spilled into Caroline Street, the citys nightlife hub. Saratoga Springs police responded to the gunfire, and shot Caselnova as he allegedly leveled his gun at the police and did not drop it after being repeatedly commanded to do so. His girlfriend, Cali Brown, was also shot and has announced her intention to sue the city.

Caselnova was indicted March 28 on eight charges that include attempted murder, assault, menacing, reckless endangerment and possessing a firearm in a sensitive location. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and harassment.

Colon and two other friends who allegedly got into a physical altercation with Caselnova before the shooting began were all charged with one count of misdemeanor assault. They are set to be arraigned April 25 in Saratoga Springs City Court.

It is unclear if the juror's letter will affect the prosecutions of Caselnova, Colon and the two other Utica men, whom the Times Union is not identifying as they are charged with misdemeanors. However, County Court Judge James A. Murphy III directed the district attorney's office to provide a copy of the letter to all of the attorneys involved.

Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Safety James Montagnino, who has worked as a principal court attorney and assistant district attorney in Westchester County, said the juror's letter is "a very serious matter" and "could ultimately result in dismissal of an indictment."

"It would therefore be inappropriate for me to make any public statement on this issue," Montagnino said Monday. "Having served the New York State Unified Court System for 26 years, I have complete confidence in the ability of our judicial system to handle this matter appropriately."

The juror also wrote in the letter that an assistant district attorney spoke with the grand jury at least twice off the record, telling them he wanted to finish on a specific day but that they shouldn't "feel rushed.

On one occasion, the ADA suggested coming in on a Friday to get done, and the jury foreman objected forcefully saying I have a job, the juror wrote. All of this put undue pressure on us to come to a decision.

The juror claimed they now have trouble sleeping over the matter and concluded, I feel ashamed that we did not do our job properly after hearing all the testimony.
ALBANY  City officials said a person started the March 23 fire that destroyed the former Kenwood Academy  but they cannot determine if it was accidental or intentional.

In a news release late Sunday night, the city said much physical evidence was destroyed during the intense blaze, and it is offering "a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for this fire."

"Since various causes have been ruled out, the Albany Fire Investigation Unit strongly believes the fire was started by a human. However, they cannot determine at this time whether the fire was accidental or intentional," the statement said.

The sprawling historic complex had been vacant since the Doane Stuart School left in 2009 after it could not come to a purchase agreement with the religious order that owned the campus. A New York City developer then owned the property and sold it to a limited liability company, also controlled by the developer. But redevelopment never happened, and the former convent was sold at auction for $100,000 just two days before the massive fire.

More for you Albany historians work to prevent another Kenwood Academy fire

The Albany Police Department said it continues "to review various sources of physical and digital information, as well as eyewitness accounts from before, during, and after the fire."

"Due to the intense heat and scope of the fire found upon arrival, as well as the unsafe structure that remained, many pieces of potential physical evidence were destroyed before they could be analyzed further," the statement read.

Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to contact the Albany Police Departments Detective Division at 518-462-8039.

Anonymous tips may also be submitted online to Capital Region Crime Stoppers by visiting capitalregioncrimestoppers.com or downloading the free P3 Tips mobile app.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said in the news release: "We hope this significant reward will prompt anyone with information to come forward and help the Albany Fire and Police Departments continue their investigation. We must find those responsible for destroying this historic treasure and bring them to justice.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Congress must balance consumers' data privacy with small business needs

Kerry Fagan, Troy

Over the past two decades, Mark Thomas Mens Apparel has carefully built our brand as a high-quality mens clothing store in Upstate New York in part by advertising on social media platforms to reach our target audience. Over the years, we have been able to compete with large-scale competitors, who have unlimited advertising budgets and to expand our reach by embracing the use of digital advertising.

We know that data-driven ads are one of the most cost-effective ways for countless small businesses to reach consumers that otherwise might not know who we are. Like many local businesses, we need these tools to compete in the marketplace.

The current debate that is happening over protecting consumers' privacy is an important one. However, sweeping proposals introduced in Congress, and highlighted in a hearing on data privacy, would have a devastating impact on businesses like mine. Lawmakers should address this issue carefully to not negatively impact the ability of small businesses to reach our customers in the most efficient manner.

I encourage Sen. Charles Schumer and our other congressional representatives to keep small businesses in mind when they evaluate policies related to digital advertising.

The writer is the owner of Mark Thomas Mens Apparel.

Published April 3, 2023
ALBANY  After Aaron Judge lifted a hanging slider into the left field seats in the Bronx on Sunday, Capital Region viewers watching the Yankees game on TVwere offered a different type of pitch.

"Nine out of 10 New Yorkers agree, crime is a serious problem," stated the narrator of the commercial for "American Opportunity," a dark-money funded nonprofit and lobbyist group that is backing Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget. "People want the bail laws fixed."

The new commercial, airing two days after the state budget was due, is a part of the latest ad buy by the group associated with the Democratic Governors Association; it's funded, at least in part, by $5 million from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

"Her budget does even more," the ad continues. "Yes  common sense changes to fix bail laws. So tell Gov. Hochul, 'Thanks for working to keep New York families safe.'"

As the bail-focused ad is propping up Hochul's budget, a deal is close to remove the "least restrictive means" language from the statute to give judges more discretion on whether to release a person alleged to have committed a "serious" crime, according to a source familiar with negotiations. It's unclear what are the details of a possible agreement or any concessions the governor may have made to reach one.

Both state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie indicated on Thursday that they may be OK with a change that could clarify the intent of the law.

They have both vigorously defended the intent of the law  to have those accused of low-level offenses not be held in jail while they await trial because they could not afford bail  and have said they believe it has been successful. Progressives and public defenders have tirelessly fought to avoid any changes to the language in the bail laws, pointing to data they say show it has not caused an increase in crime.

But the Democratic leaders have also said they intend to follow the data, some of which indicates that those accused of violent felonies have seen a slight increase in alleged recidivism; the increases since 2019 are most pronounced for those accused of a felony, who also have a recent prior violent felony arrest. For nearly all other offenses, recidivism has decreased since changes to the bail laws in 2019, a study by John Jay College showed.

Progressive members of the Assembly and state Senate have maintained they will not settle for changes to the state's bail laws that could incarcerate more people who have yet to be found guilty of a crime. Advocates and lobbyists joined the progressive members throughout last week, chanting in loudly in the halls of the Capitol as they sought to avoid what they view as unwarranted changes from caving to moderate or conservative political viewpoints.

"Stand up, fight back," the crowds chanted. "Bail reform is under attack."

The new TV ads attempt to communicate to viewers that New Yorkers want changes to the bail laws and that any changes would be done to promote public safety.

A recent Siena College poll showed an overwhelming majority of New York voters want judges to have greater "discretion" to set bail on serious crimes, a poll question that progressives quickly attacked as poorly worded. The advocates maintain judges have all the discretion they need, they just don't use it or may be attempting to corrupt the law by not following it accordingly.

New TV ad buys were purchased by American Opportunity, the new nonprofit and lobbyist group that records indicate is associated with the Democratic Governors Association. Federal data show new ads were purchased on Friday in the Capital Region market for tens of thousands of dollars. New Facebook ads also went up on either Friday or Saturday, according to the social media company's data.

Lawmakers are eyeing Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as one of the many informal deadlines to get a deal done. By Wednesday evening it will be the first night of Passover, which will send a handful of lawmakers home and make them potentially unavailable to negotiate on the framework of a deal.

Even if the state's political leaders can come to terms on a budget deal by Wednesday, those in the Capital Region tuned into "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC are slated to see another Hochul budget ad sometime around midnight.
Above: Tim Collins, left, Chief Executive, Irish Heart Foundation, with Minister Eamon Ryan and the Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, Fearghal McKinney, at the launch of the Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland report by the Irish Heart Foundation and British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland. Picture: Photocall Ireland

Twenty one lives a year could be saved in county Tipperary if authorities on both sides of the Border adopt international guidelines on air pollution, a new report has claimed.

The major all-island assessment reveals that around 2,600 premature deaths can be attributed to air pollution  1,700 in the Republic and 900 in Northern Ireland  annually.

In Tipperary, the data shows that 67 premature deaths a year are linked to dirty air  with 26 people in the county dying from heart disease as a result of air pollution.

The study, Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland, launched by Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, was commissioned by the Irish Heart Foundation and British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland and compiled by experts from Queens University Belfast and Technological University Dublin.

The World Health Organisation recommends air quality guideline levels for harmful particulate matter, largely caused by the burning of solid fuels, of 5 micrograms per cubic metre - but the level in Tipperary is 7.3 micrograms.

The Irish and Northern Irish heart charities are calling on both governments to collaborate to improve air quality across the whole island.

We know that across the island of Ireland, poor air quality is continuing to have a detrimental impact on public health, said Irish Heart Foundation CEO, Tim Collins.

This report estimates that there could be almost 1,000 fewer premature deaths per year attributable to air pollution on the island of Ireland if we are to achieve fine particulate matter pollution levels in line with the updated 2021 WHO guideline level.

The findings within this report (funded by a grant from The Community Foundation For Ireland), make for stark reading and serve to shed some light on the size of the problem of air pollution.

We hope that decision makers on the island will utilise it to move forward with bold action on air pollution to protect our health.

He called for an all-island strategy to make the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines enforceable on both sides of the Border  and help for households experiencing fuel poverty to lessen their reliance on solid fuels to heat their homes.

Air pollution does not respect borders, therefore, to truly improve our air quality, governments must work together with co-ordinated policy interventions and legislation to protect our health, including to completely phase out the most health-harming solid fuels and transition to cleaner, more sustainable forms of home heating, he said.

Particulate matter or PM2.5 can damage blood vessels, causing them to become narrower and harder, and can also cause abnormal heart rhythms and increase blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
The original Good Friday Agreement document has returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since it was signed 25 years ago.

The treaty will be available for members of the public to view at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in Belfast.

The original UK Governments signed copy of the 54-page document features the signatures of the then prime minister Tony Blair, then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, the late secretary of state for Northern Ireland Mo Mowlam as well as Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time David Andrews.

The document will be on display in PRONI until April 12.

The Good Friday Agreement was signed on April 10 1998 after an extensive talks process involving many of the main political parties in Northern Ireland and the British and Irish Governments.

The document is on loan from The National Archives (UK) to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the agreement and will make its first public appearance in Northern Ireland at a joint event hosted by PRONI and the National Archives Ireland On the Record: Reflections on the Belfast Agreement (Good Friday Agreement).

PRONI acting director, David Huddleston said: Today is a day of firsts  the first time that the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement has been in Northern Ireland since 1998, the first time that PRONI and the National Archives Ireland have delivered a joint public event.

This provides a unique opportunity for people to come and view the historic agreement and while they are in PRONI to discover the wealth of public records we have available including those from government, courts and local authorities as well as privately deposited records from churches, businesses and individuals.

The exhibition is open to the public from April 3-12 without booking.

Other documents on display include a record of the first official NIO meeting with a Sinn Fein delegation led by Martin McGuinness in December 1994, plans by the then-secretary of state to change the public image of Parliament Buildings, Stormont, notes from meetings with the late John Hume and David Trimble in April 1998 and from discussions with the Orange Order in November 1998.
Residents across a wide swath of the US raced Sunday to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 29 people.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage.

"While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Biden earlier declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available to support recovery.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, where at least five people were killed, already had declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in 11 states destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes near Bridgeville, Delaware. One person was found dead inside a house heavily damaged by the storm Saturday night, Delaware State Police reported.

It may take days to confirm all the recent tornadoes and where they touched down. The dead also included at least nine in one Tennessee county, five in Indiana and four in Illinois.

Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

Residents of Wynne, Arkansas, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, woke Saturday to find the high school's roof shredded and its windows blown out. At least four people died.

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a small bathroom as a tornado passed, praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead. A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they got out unhurt.

Chainsaws buzzed, as bulldozers plowed into debris. Utility crews restored power as some neighborhoods began recovery.

Nine people died in Tennessee's McNairy County, east of Memphis, according to Patrick Sheehan, director the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee drove to the county Saturday to tour the destruction and comfort residents. He said the storm capped the worst week of his time as governor, coming days after a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people including a family friend whose funeral he and his wife attended earlier in the day.

Its terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state, Lee said. But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond.

Jeffrey Day said he called his daughter after seeing on the news that their community of Adamsville was being hit. Huddled in a closet with her 2-year-old son as the storm passed over, she answered the phone screaming.

She kept asking me, What do I do, daddy?" Day said, tearing up. "I didnt know what to say.

After the storm passed, his daughter crawled out of her destroyed home and drove to nearby family.

In Memphis, police spokesman Christopher Williams said via email late Saturday that there were three apparent weather-related deaths there: two children and an adult who died when a tree fell on a house.

Tennessee officials warned that a repeat of similar weather conditions is expected Tuesday.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert. A 50-year-old man who was pulled from the rubble later died.

The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

Pritzker also planned to visit Crawford County, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Chicago, where three people were killed and eight injured when a tornado hit around New Hebron.

Weve had emergency crews digging people out of their basements because the house is collapsed on top of them, but luckily they had that safe space to go to, Sheriff Bill Rutan said at a news conference.

That tornado was not far from where three people died in Indiana's Sullivan County, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. Several people were rescued overnight, with reports of as many as 12 people injured.

In the Little Rock area, at least one person was killed and more than 50 were hurt, some critically. The National Weather Service said that tornado was a high-end EF3 twister with up to 165 mph (265 kph) winds and a path as long as 25 miles (40 kilometers).

Masoud Shahed-Ghaznavi was having lunch at home when the tornado roared through his neighborhood. He hid in the laundry room as sheetrock fell and windows shattered. When he emerged, the house was mostly rubble.

Everything around me is sky," he recalled Saturday.

Another suspected tornado killed a woman in northern Alabamas Madison County, officials said, and in northern Mississippi's Pontotoc County, authorities confirmed one death and four injuries.

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[April 03, 2023] BayPort Credit Union Kicks off Financial Literacy Month with $100,000 Financial Wellness Giveaway

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- April is U.S. National Financial Literacy Month, and BayPort Credit Union is marking its commitment by kicking off a $100,000 Financial Wellness Giveaway. BayPort is inviting its member and the community to improve their financial wellness in three big ways this year. Fifth Annual Debt Paydown Sweepstakes

BayPort has kicked off its fifth annual Debt Paydown Sweepstakes. This year, 20 lucky members will receive anywhere from $1,000 to $25,000 to pay towards their existing balance on any BayPort debt. Members can enter in three steps: Register for the Sweepstakes, download Zogo and complete the required Debt Paydown modules, and activate BayPort's free member benefit, Credit Score, in Online or Mobile Banking. This year's Sweepstakes closes on July 31, 2023. Learn how to enter here. Play the Zogo App to Learn and Earn

BayPort is making financial literacy fun through the gamified platform Zogo. Download the mobile app and play bite-sized modules to earn $5, $10, and $15 gift cards from favorite brandslike Amazon, Starbucks, Target, and Apple. Since the launch in 2020, Zogo has helped over 10,000 BayPort users complete over 500,000 modules on various financial topics. As a result, BayPort users earn over $10,000 in gift cards every year. Zogo is free to the community ages 13+ using access code BAYPORT. Learn more here.



Improve Your Credit Score

BayPort is dedicated to helping its members improve their credit score. According to Experian data, nearly 1 in 3 U.S. consumers have a credit score in the subprime range. BayPort's new program takes a deeper dive into financial wellness, offering members personalized guidance through online education tools, virtual workshops, and one-on-one sessions with BayPort's Certified Lead Financial Educator. The program's reward is to assist 30 members in earning a $500 secured credit card to build credit. Registration opens April 1, 2023. For the third year, BayPort is the only Virginia credit union to have won in all award categories in the 2022 Social Responsibility Awards sponsored by the Virginia Credit Union League and the Credit Union National Association. BayPort is ranked #1 for their free adult education outreach. In addition, BayPort was named Virginia's Best-In-State Credit Union by Forbes magazine in 2021 and 2022 for member services.

BayPort continues to enhance its education outreach to better meet and anticipate the needs of its membership and the community. Click here to learn more about BayPort's $100,000 Financial Wellness Giveaway initiatives and outreach. About BayPort

In 1928, 12 shipyard workers from Newport News Shipbuilding formed an organization with a specific purpose as a low-interest source of loans and a trusted place to deposit money. Today, BayPort Credit Union is rated a Superior 5-Star credit union by Bauer Financial, managing $2.2 billion in assets and servicing nearly 148,000 individuals and businesses with 27 branch locations across the Virginia Peninsula and Southside communities. Visit us at www.bayportcu.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bayport-credit-union-kicks-off-financial-literacy-month-with-100-000-financial-wellness-giveaway-301783513.html SOURCE BayPort Credit Union

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[April 02, 2023] Sojern and Xcaliber Collaborate To Drive Direct Bookings and Increase Revenue for Asia-Pacific Hotels

BANGKOK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojern , the leading travel marketing platform, and Xcaliber , a direct booking platform offering cloud-based solutions for hotels, today announced a new partnership to collectively drive direct bookings and bolster revenue for Asia-Pacific hoteliers. "Focused on travel from day one, our commitment to generating more direct relationships while driving online bookings is stronger than ever," said Lina Ang, Managing Director, APAC, Sojern. "Sojern's new partnership with XCaliber, the latest with a homegrown partner in the region, means together we can utilise our respective strengths to provide strategic marketing solutions to regional hoteliers. 2023 is the first year in APAC with no travel restrictions, so our partnership comes at a time of renewed optimism for the travel industry." With reports stating that Asia-Pcific's travel industry could be the first to recover by 2023 this year will be pivotal for the hospitality industry. In an increasingly competitive digital landscape Sojern and XCaliber have partnered to play to each other's strengths. Sojern's digital marketing expertise enables hoteliers to reach, engage and convert travellers along every stage of their planning and booking journey. Xcaliber offers innovative cloud base solutions that help more than 1,000 hotels in South East Asia to maximise revenue through hotels brands websites.



"A trusted hotel partner since 2009 offering solutions such as booking engine, payment gateway, website development, digital marketing, property management system and ecommerce management, we pride ourselves on adding value to hotels and their guests. With Sojern's industry expertise and mutual focus on driving direct bookings for hoteliers we are delighted to announce this new partnership," said Pipat Amonrungmetham, CEO & Founder of Xcaliber. "After a challenging few years for the industry, this strategic collaboration will allow us to strengthen our value adds for hotels." Throughout its 15 years, Sojern's unwavering focus on travel has increased its resilience and reaffirmed its vision to become the #1 travel marketing platform. Sojern was also recently ranked amongst the top Digital Marketing Agencies globally in the 2023 HotelTechAwards . Headquartered in Thailand, Xcaliber also operates in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Laos with local experts.

About Sojern Sojern is the leading digital marketing platform built for travel marketers. Powered by artificial intelligence and traveler intent data, Sojern provides multichannel marketing solutions to drive direct demand. More than 10,000 hotels, attractions, tourism boards and travel marketers rely on Sojern annually to engage and convert travelers around the world. About Xcaliber Xcaliber has been a trusted hotel partner since 2009. Xcaliber offers innovative cloud-based solutions that help more than 1,000 hotels in South East Asia to maximise revenue through hotel brand website. Xcaliber operates in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Laos with local experts. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sojern-and-xcaliber-collaborate-to-drive-direct-bookings-and-increase-revenue-for-asia-pacific-hotels-301786367.html SOURCE Sojern

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[April 02, 2023] Inspiration Capital Partners and Zhu Wei join forces to establish Brightway Group, China's premier management and IT consulting services firm

To support China's digitalization and information technology innovation BEIJING, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspiration Capital Partners and Mr. Zhu Wei, a well-respected leader in China's management and IT consulting industry, announce a strategic partnership to launch Brightway Group. The goal of the partnership is to deliver world-class consulting services that enable Chinese enterprises and the public sector to achieve their digital transformation and IT innovation objectives. China's economy is transitioning towards a new phase of high-quality development, propelled by technology innovation and digitalization. The country's management and IT consulting market remains dominated by international players, and this partnership will address the significant demand for high-quality IT and management consulting services from domestic service providers that have a deep understanding of local market requirements and global best practices. Mr. Zhu is a renowned leader in China's management and IT consulting industry. Mr. Zhu was a pioneer of the Chinese consulting industry in the early 1990s, and subsequently served as the China president of AT Kearney and Roland Berger. From 2018 to 2021, Mr. Zhu led Accenture's China business as Chairman of Greater China and was also appointed in 2019 as a member of the firm's global executive committee. Throughout his career, Mr. Zhu provided consulting services to numerous Chinese enterprises and public entities, with a proven track record of assisting and empowering Chinese clients in different stages of development and growth. Brightway Group will offer end-to-end consulting and implementation services to support Chinese enterprises and the publicentities with their digital transformation. Mr. Zhu will serve as the Chairman and CEO, and Inspiration Capital Partners will integrate its portfolio company Antute (Beijing) Technology Limited ("Antute") into Brightway Group. Antute is a leading full-stack China IT service provider with a strong track record of servicing enterprise customers in the financial services, telecom, healthcare and other sectors. Under Mr. Zhu's leadership, Brightway Group will expand into management and IT consulting services with an aim of becoming the go-to digital transformation partner for Chinese enterprises.



"We are excited to collaborate with Mr. Zhu," said Tim Li, Managing Partner of Inspiration Capital Partners. "We believe there are tremendous opportunities in the Chinese IT and management consulting industry and Mr. Zhu is one of the most respected leaders in this area. Together with Mr. Zhu, we look forward to building a local champion to drive China's digital economy." Mr. Zhu added, "The ongoing Chinese economic growth and industrial transformation call for strong local consulting services and support. With over 30 years of experience in management consulting and digital transformation, I am confident in working with Inspiration Capital Partners to develop a top-tier Chinese consulting group that provides world-class services to Chinese enterprises."

About Inspiration Capital Partners Inspiration Capital Partners is a leading mid-market private equity firm focusing on growth and control investments in China's financial / business services, healthcare and consumer sectors. Founded by experienced private equity investors with a strong track record of sourcing and managing private equity investments in China, the firm aims to create positive economic impact and generate long-term value for investors, portfolio companies, and the communities in which it operates. Further information is available at www.inspirationcap.com and WeChat official account Inspirationcap. About Antute (Beijing) Technology Limited Antute is China's leading full-stack IT infrastructure service provider, offering hardware and software maintenance services, virtualization services, disaster recovery consulting, and data center management services to China's leading enterprises and public sector entities. Antute leverages its experienced engineering team, 32 service centers, extensive spare parts network, 7/24 call center, and a "national coverage, local delivery" service model to deliver superior customer service. Further information is available at www.antute.com.cn and WeChat official account Antute-Service. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/inspiration-capital-partners-and-zhu-wei-join-forces-to-establish-brightway-group-chinas-premier-management-and-it-consulting-services-firm-301787880.html SOURCE Inspiration Capital Partners

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[April 02, 2023] JA Solar Signs Cooperation Agreement with Mexico Distributor Exel Solar to Expand the Mexican PV Market

BEIJING, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, JA Solar, a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products, signed a cooperation agreement with Mexican distributor Exel Solar and agreed to establish a long-term partnership for the distribution of their products in Mexico. Both parties will work together to provide customers with high-efficiency modules and quality services, and contribute to the sustainable development of the Mexican photovoltaic (PV) market. Since entering the Mexican market in 2016, JA Solar has established a fruitful cooperative relationship with Exel Solar, a leading local PV module distributor, enabling both parties to fully utilize their rich experiences and advantages in the PV field to jointly promote the application and development of PV technoogies in the local market. In recent years, both parties have signed distribution cooperation agreements to continuously increase JA Solar's module shipments in the local market, providing a constant impetus for JA Solar's development in Mexico. As a result, JA Solar has become the brand of choice in Mexico and has gained a leading market position in the local market.



Distributors play an important role in JA Solar's global sales ecosystem. With more than 10 years of experience in the Mexican PV market, Exel Solar has provided great support to promote JA Solar's products in Mexico. In the future, JA Solar will continue to strengthen its cooperation with Exel Solar to provide customers with high-performance and high-reliability PV products, while enhancing its services to the market and promoting the rapid development of the Mexican PV industry. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/ja-solar-signs-cooperation-agreement-with-mexico-distributor-exel-solar-to-expand-the-mexican-pv-market-301787915.html

SOURCE JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd.

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[April 03, 2023] Termination of Proposed Business Combination of Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. and Redx Pharma plc

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. ("Jounce" or the "Company") and Redx Pharma plc ("Redx") have agreed to terminate their proposed business combination following the decision by Jounces Board of Directors to withdraw the recommendation for the all-share merger transaction with Redx (the "Redx Business Combination").

Jounces decision was based upon the receipt of an unsolicited proposal from Concentra Biosciences, LLC ("Concentra"), which led to Jounce entering into a merger agreement whereby Concentra will acquire Jounce through a cash tender offer for all of Jounces outstanding shares for $1.85 in cash per share plus a non-tradeable contingent value right (the "CVR"). The $1.85 per share upfront consideration represents a premium of approximately 75% to Jounces closing share price immediately prior to the March 14, 2023, public disclosure of Concentras acquisition proposal. Jounce conducted a thorough review of both the proposed transaction with Concentra and the proposed Redx Business Combination, with the assistance of its legal and financial advisers, and Jounces Board of Directors ultimately concluded that the proposed transaction with Concentra is in the best interest of Jounce stockholders, and therefore, unanimously approved the merger agreement with Concentra and withdrew its recommendation of the Redx Business Combination. On March 27, 2023, Jounce notified Redx of the withdrawal of its recommendation in favor of the Redx Business Combination and termination of the co-operation agreement dated February 23, 2023 between Jounce and Redx. Given that Jounces Board of Directors has withdrawn its recommendation to proceed with the Redx Business Combination, Jounce believes it is unlikely that Jounce stockholders would support the Redx Business Combination, which is a condition to closing the transaction. Accordingly, Jounce and Redx have agreed not to proceed with the proposed scheme of arrangement. In addition, Jounce has confirmed that it does not wish to switch to a contractual takeover offer. As a result, the U.K. Takeover Panel has confirmed that upon Redx announcing: its withdrawal of its recommendation; that it will not proceed with the scheme of arrangement; and it has agreed to the release of Jounce from its obligation to proceed with the offer,

the offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination will end with effect from the publication of Redxs announcement, and the transaction will lapse. As a result, Jounce will not be convening a Jounce meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination. Under the U.K. Takeover Code, except with consent of the U.K. Takeover Panel, Jounce must not, among other things, announce a further offer for Redx within 12 months from the date of this announcement. About Jounce Therapeutics

Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company dedicated to transforming the treatment of cancer by developing therapies that enable the immune system to attack tumors and provide long-lasting benefits to patients through a biomarker-driven approach. Jounce currently has multiple development stage programs ongoing while simultaneously advancing additional early-stage assets from its robust discovery engine based on its Translational Science Platform. For more information, please visit www.jouncetx.com. For further information, please contact: Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. Kim Drapkin [email protected] T: +1-857-259-3840 Cowen (Financial Adviser to Jounce) T: +1-646-562-1010 Tanya Joseph / Erik Schuchard / Giles Roshier T: +44 (0)203 011 0460 Stern Investor Relations (Adviser to Jounce) Julie Seidel T: +1-212-362-1200 Longacre Square Partners (Adviser to Jounce) Dan Zacchei / Rebecca Kral [email protected]



Important notices Cowen Execution Services Limited ("Cowen"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Jounce and no one else in connection with the Redx Business Combination and/or the proposed transaction with Concentra and will not be responsible to anyone other than Jounce for providing the protections afforded to clients of Cowen nor for providing advice in relation to the Redx Business Combination, the proposed transaction with Concentra , the contents of this press release or any other matters referred to in this press release. Neither Cowen nor any of its affiliates, nor any of Cowen's and such affiliates' respective members, directors, officers, controlling persons or employees owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, consequential, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Cowen in connection with the Redx Business Combination, the proposed transaction with Concentra , this press release, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements regarding Jounces expectations of the outcome of a meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination and its resulting plans not to hold a meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination, the expected end of the offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination and the lapsing of such transaction. The words believes, expects, plans, may, will, would, could, should, and effort and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks related to the impact of actions of other parties with respect to the proposed transaction with Concentra; the possibility that offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination does not end and the transaction does not lapse as anticipated; general economic and market conditions and the other risks identified in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Should any risks and uncertainties develop into actual events, these developments could have a material adverse effect on the proposed transaction and/or Jounce and Jounces ability to successfully complete the proposed transaction. Jounce cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Jounce disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Jounces views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Additional Information and Where to Find It

The tender offer for the outstanding shares of the Company referenced in this press release has not yet commenced. This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares, nor is it a substitute for the tender offer materials that Concentra and its subsidiary will file with the SEC. At the time the tender offer is commenced, Concentra and its subsidiary will file tender offer materials on Schedule TO, and, thereafter, the Company will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer.

THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. HOLDERS OF SHARES OF JOUNCE COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE (AS EACH MAY BE AMENDED OR SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME) BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT HOLDERS OF SHARES OF JOUNCE COMMON STOCK SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES.

The Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, will be made available to all holders of shares of the Companys common stock at no expense to them. The tender offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will be made available for free at the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Companys website at https://www.jouncetx.com. Publication on website

A copy of this Announcement shall be made available subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions on Jounces website at https://jouncetx.com/recommended-offer/ by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the Business Day following the date of this press release. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the website are not incorporated into and do not form part of this press release.



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[April 03, 2023] Huawei extends its 2-week delivery program for storage products

Huawei's Storage Fast Track program now includes more products and is available in 35 countries in Europe until December 31, 2023. DUSSELDORF, Germany, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei extends its delivery program for All-Flash Storage with new hardware: Besides our solutions OceanStor Dorado 3000 V6 and 5000 V6, the portfolio now includes the entry-level products OceanStor Dorado 2000 and, as of July, OceanProtect X3000, which were recently unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Customers and partners who order selected Huawei storage products by December 31, 2023, will receive them within two weeks.

"This year, we are including new storage products in the offer," said Todd Sun, vice president of Huawei's Europe Enterprise Business Group. "We will fully support our channel partners and customers in their digitization efforts and provide them with the best solutions to help them become more cost-effective and efficient. In 2022, over 100 customers already ordered storage solutions through our Fast Track program. In some cases we were even able to reduce the delivery up to only three business days." Available in 35 countries

The Huawei Storage Fast Track program applies to partners and customers in 35 European countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Porugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. "We focus on high quality solutions for our partners, supporting them with fast and easy deployment," says Sun. Huawei's pedigree in this area is well established, having been recognized as the market leader for Primary Storage in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for seven consecutive years.



New products

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly reliant on entry-level storage solutions to accelerate their own digital transformation. However, many SMEs face IT staff shortages and high data center operation and maintenance costs. To address these challenges, Huawei has developed the industry's first entry-level primary and backup storage portfolio to help SMEs build cost-effective data storage systems. One of the highlights in this new all-flash storage portfolio for SMEs is the OceanStor Dorado 2000, a system designed for easy storage which can be deployed in three simple steps. Dorado 2000 improves efficiency by 20 percent, reduces power consumption by 30 percent, and achieves 99.9999 percent availability with its four-layer reliability mechanism. For the easiest possible backup, Huawei has furthermore developed the OceanProtect X3000 storage solution. It features an A-A architecture that ensures split-second failover, proactively predicts capacity and performance, and simplifies routine maintenance and servicing. OceanProtect X3000 features special technologies that enable a 20 percent increase in compression performance. The OceanStor Dorado 2000 is now eligible in Huawei's Storage Fast Track program for two-week delivery, while the OceanProtect X3000 will be added to the program from July 2023. More details about the Fast Track program for Huawei's Storage products can be found here. Customers and partners can also contact their local Huawei office or distributors for a quotation.

About Huawei

Huawei is a private company wholly owned by its employees. Founded in 1987, it is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. The company employs approximately 197,000 employees, operates in over 170 countries and regions, and serves over three billion people worldwide. Huawei's mission is to build a fully connected, intelligent world by bringing digital to every individual, home, and organization. Contact Huawei

For press inquiries, please contact [email protected], +49 (0)1639679600 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2043391/Huawei_Enterprise.jpg

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[April 03, 2023] ATFX Joins Jordan Web 3.0 Summit

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 12-13, 2023, the Jordan Web 3.0 Summit was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Amman, Jordan, to the attendees' satisfaction. To explore more market opportunities, ATFX joined the Summit as one of the strategic sponsors. Under the "Blockchain and Its Effects on the Financial Market" theme, the event fully showcased all the sponsors' innovations, goals, activities and achievements in financial technology. The ATFX team was honoured to meet with H.E. Mr. Ahmad Hanandeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship in Jordan, during the conference. Both parties shared the same vision to foster the digital economy of Jordan. As a keynote speaker at the conference, Mr. Taky Lok, ATFX Associate Operations Director, gave detailed explanations covering business dvelopment in Jordan, data presentations for multiple regions, work division among teams, and the specifications of quarterly tasks.



As explained at the summit conference, ATFX regards technology as the key pillar in the contract-for-difference (CFDs) industry and as a crucial pillar of its business strategy. By communicating at length with our investors, partners, and customers through such exhibitions, expos, and seminars, we can integrate their needs with ideas and thus create technological achievements. In the future, we will continue with this philosophy to create a world-class environment and platform for investors. ATFX

ATFX is an award-winning currency pairs/CFD broker with a global presence offering customer support in over 15 languages. With over 300 tradable financial assets, including currency pairs, precious metals, energy, indices, and shares traded as CFDs, ATFX is regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) in Cyprus, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in Mauritius, and the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (ATFX Website: https://www.atfx.com)

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/atfx-joins-jordan-web-3-0-summit-301786594.html SOURCE ATFX

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[April 03, 2023] Spark Education Group Celebrates 5th Anniversary and Launch of Spark Education Learning Center in Vancouver

Since its launch in 2018, Spark Education Group's online classes have amassed over 650,000 students in more than 100 countries

Spark Education Learning Center launches in Vancouver to provide students and parents with an innovative in-person learning experience enabled by technology SAN MATEO, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Spark Education Group ("Spark"), one of the world's largest provider of small-group online classes for K-12 education, is celebrating 5 years since its first online class in March 2018. With its award-winning programs such as Spark Math, the edtech has served over 650,000 students in more than 100 countries and regions. Since its inception, Spark Education has focused on prioritizing students' learning experience for optimal education outcomes. Its team of over 1,000 curriculum researchers and designers use research-based, proven teaching methods, focusing on building a strong foundation with deep understanding rather than memorization. The company's investments in interactive technology to create poprietary systems and courseware ensure students are engaged and able to connect in real-time with teachers and peers. Taking a collaborative approach with pedagogy experts, curriculum designers, child psychologists, engineers, and designers, Spark has set out to challenge traditional classrooms and ways of learning, to re-imagine what the optimal learning experience could be for kids. This has resulted in improved academic performance and strong problem-solving skills in Spark's students. Parents have been strong supporters of Spark's programs with about up to 80% annual renewal rate and about 77% of new students coming from current student referrals in some regions.



The launch of the Canadian Spark Education Learning Center coincides with Spark's 5th anniversary. With a student-centric education philosophy, the center will offer fun and engaging classes including math, language learning, problem solving and more. Lessons are designed to empower students to learn, visualize, and connect real-life experiences to classroom content. "We are extremely proud to launch Spark's first learning center in Vancouver, which has already attracted not only local families but also those who drive from further afield," said Susan Pan, Head of Canada Spark Education Learning Center. "We firmly believe that our interactive learning experience will make learning math and languages more fun and effective for Canadian students, and we look forward to continuing to expand our physical locations to increase our impact."

The center provides an opportunity for students and parents to see and interact with the Spark Education experience, talk with its teachers, and maybe even meet some of the main characters from their class adventures, all in a welcoming and educational space. This marks another step in the edtech's mission to spark passion for learning, igniting lifelong growth. About Spark Education Group Founded in 2017, Spark Education Group is headquartered in Singapore. Its portfolio of education brands aims to combine research-based pedagogy with technology to improve the learning experience and education outcomes for students around the world. It was recently awarded "Best Interactive Learning Experience" at EdTech Asia, and recognized as a Parent and Teacher Choice Award Gold Medal Recipient. For more information: www.sparkeducationgroup.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spark-education-group-celebrates-5th-anniversary-and-launch-of-spark-education-learning-center-in-vancouver-301788106.html SOURCE Spark Education Limited

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[April 03, 2023] Promethean expands its interactive display line-up with the launch of ActivPanel LX, focusing on ease of use, flexibility, and value

New entry is designed to meet the needs of schools looking for a high-quality, more budget-friendly option that can plug in easily to their current technology ecosystem SEATTLE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Promethean, a global leader in interactive display technology, has launched the ActivPanel LX, a lower-priced panel that provides customers exceptional ease of use and flexibility, along with the quality and longevity the company is known for. With this latest offering, Promethean is well positioned to meet the needs of a growing segment of the education technology market. "If there's one thing we've learned over our more than 25 years in the edtech business, it's that every school and district is uniquewith different demands when it comes to their classroom technology," said Lance Solomon, chief product officer at Promethean. "We're excited to offer the ActivPanel LX to customers who place affordability, simplicity, and versatility at the top of their list of requirements." The ActivPanel LX is a simplified, peripheral touchscreen panel that can be easily connected to a laptop with a USB-C cable or paired with a computing module to complement an existing Chrome or Windows environment. It also works seamlessly with the software and apps teachers already use, so they can plug and play with minimal training. IT administrators will find the ActivPanel LX easy to set up and install, and they won't hve to enroll, manage, or frequently update the panel. Because no personal identifying information is saved to or retained on the panel and it is not part of a network, IT staff can use their existing security protocols and authentication methods and won't have to perform any security updates.



"Every district, school, and classroom deserves to have access to interactive displays, no matter their geographic location, student demographics, or budget," said Matt Cole, EVP global sales at Promethean. "By making a panel that's so easy for teachers to use and IT staff to take care of, we're making it possible for millions more students around the world to benefit from this transformative technology." School leaders who want to ensure they are making a wise investment in education technology that's built to last far into the future will appreciate the advanced features of the ActivPanel LX, including a crystal clear 4K display that leverages HDMI 2.0 technology; Gigabit ethernet ports that facilitate uncompromised network speeds to a connected OPS device; LCD bonded glass that provides both excellent writing and viewing experiences; and advanced touch technology that provides pen and touch differentiation, palm erase, and 20 points of touch.

For more information about the ActivPanel LX, visit Prometheanworld.com. About Promethean

Promethean is a leading education technology company working to transform the way the world learns and collaborates. From our founding in Blackburn, England, more than 25 years ago to our global operations serving 126 countries today, we've continued to explore, innovate, and inspiredesigning learning and collaboration tools that are built for breakthroughs. Our award-winning interactive display, ActivPanel, and lesson delivery software, ActivInspire and ClassFlow, were designed to engage students, connect colleagues, and bring out the brilliance in everyone. With headquarters in Seattle, Washington, and offices worldwide, Promethean is a subsidiary of the NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited (HKSE: 0777) group of companies. Visit us at PrometheanWorld.com. 2023 Promethean. All Rights Reserved. Promethean, the Promethean logo, ActivPanel, ActivSync, ActivInspire, ActivConnect, ActivSound, ClassFlow, ActivPen, and Vellum are trademarks or registered trademarks of Promethean Limited in the United Kingdom, United States, and other countries around the world. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically identified as such, Promethean's use of third-party trademarks does not indicate any relationship, sponsorship, or endorsement between Promethean and the owners of these trademarks. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/promethean-expands-its-interactive-display-line-up-with-the-launch-of-activpanel-lx-focusing-on-ease-of-use-flexibility-and-value-301787506.html SOURCE Promethean

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[April 03, 2023] LeveL and Luminex Announce Kezar Markets as Newly Merged Company Brand and Name Broker-Dealer Kezar Trading, LLC

Visual Identity & New Website Unveiled for Operator of the Alternative Trading Systems BOSTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kezar Markets, LLC, owner of Kezar Trading, LLC, the broker-dealer operator of the LeveL & Luminex Alternative Trading Systems, today announced the official name and branding for the parent company and broker-dealer, unveiling a new corporate website and visual identity. LeveL ATS, a leading US equity dark pool trading venue for the sell-side, and Luminex ATS, a block trading venue built for the buy-side, merged last year, creating an opportunity to bring innovation to both the buy and sell-side communities. As part of Kezar Markets' innovative market solutions, Kezar Trading, LLC (formerly Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC), an SEC-registered broker dealer and FINRA member, will continue to operate the two ATSs. Kezar's mission is to create innovative and customizable trading solutions and a marketplace for the buy and sell-side communities. The newly announced corporate brand is symbolic for both LeveL and Luminex, as it was inspired by Kezar Lake in Maine, which mirrors characteristics of the newly combined marketplace. Representing a diverse, multi-faceted, deep pool of liquidity, Kezar Markets is solutions-driven, service-focused and flexible, creating a unique ecosystem focused on execution products and services intended to reduce trading costs while offering innovative fintech tools. "We are pleased to unveil our new corporate identity and combined website as a merged company," said WhitConary, Chief Executive Officer of Kezar Markets. "We are focused on generating greater scale for our clients while continuing to provide innovative tools and services to reduce both implicit and explicit trading costs. As the newly branded Kezar Markets, we are well positioned for continued growth among buy and sell-side clients and for global expansion," Conary added.



LeveL and Luminex announced the completion of their merger on March 2, 2022.

The previous LeveL and Luminex websites were merged into the newly launched Kezar Markets website, which can be accessed here. Kezar Markets information can also be accessed on its new social media pages on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Kezar Markets

Kezar Markets is a leading US trading marketplace, fintech provider, and the parent company of Kezar Trading, LLC, the broker-dealer for the LeveL and Luminex Alternative Trading Systems (ATS). With a focus on client service, cost-effective equities trading execution, and disruptive trading technology, Kezar Markets provides a solutions-driven product suite including continuous crossing trading platforms, trajectory order types, negotiated block trading and low-latency trading. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Kezar Markets, through its broker-dealer Kezar Trading, LLC (Member, FINRA/SIPC), is the operator of the SEC-registered LeveL and Luminex Alternative Trading Systems.

For additional information, visit our website www.kezarmarkets.com or contact us at [email protected] . Follow Kezar Markets on LinkedIn and Twitter. Media Contact:

Kezar Markets

[email protected]m View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/level-and-luminex-announce-kezar-markets-as-newly-merged-company-brand-and-name-broker-dealer-kezar-trading-llc-301787916.html SOURCE Kezar Markets, LLC

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Finland's centre-right leader Petteri Orpo claimed victory in Sunday's general election, with the far-right Finns Party in second place ahead of Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democrats in third.

"This was a great victory," Orpo, the 53-year-old head of the conservative National Coalition Party, told his supporters, adding: "On the basis of this election result... we will start negotiating a government in Finland."

The biggest party in parliament traditionally gets the first chance to build a government, and since the 1990s that party has always claimed the prime minister's office.

The head of the far-right Finns Party, Riikka Purra, thanked her supporters for the party's "best election result ever".

With 96 percent of votes counted, the centre-right was credited with 48 of the 200 seats in parliament, the far-right with 46 and the Social Democrats with 43.

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[April 03, 2023] Applied Rapid Technologies Celebrates Debut of New 3D Printer Showroom and Partnership with NEXA3D

Applied Rapid Technologies (ART), a subsidiary of Obsidian Solutions Group (Obsidian), celebrated the debut of their new 3D Printer showroom and their continued partnership with Nexa3D at ART's Facilities on Monday, March 27, 2023. The celebration and ribbon cutting event was led by the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speakers included President and CEO of Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Susan Spears, Business Development Officer of the Stafford County Economic Development Authority, Josh Summits, and Virginia's 7th District Congresswoman, Abigail Spanberger. CEO and Co-Founder of Obsidian, Tyrone Logan, discussed the company's priorities for growing ART's operations. These priorities included expanding its capabilities, the facilities, and to invest and grow in the workforce. Within expanding its capabilities, the goal is to expand ART's ability to work with more specialized materials, specifically in metals to better support automotive and aerospace industries. The additive manufacturing of material is allowing the industry the ability to 3D print metals using aluminum alloys and nickel-based alloys. These materials are applicable in the aerospace industry in producing air ducts, fixtures, and mountings for both commercial and military aircraft. In expanding its facilities, Obsidian and ART's objective is to house a variety of applications that appeal to many different industries from healthcare, automotive, defense, and/or communications as well as support our partnership within the community and region. Lastly, ART would like to find more creative ways to partner within the local community, state, and federal through public, and private partnerships with academic institutions from high schools, community colleges, and universities. Through public, private partnerships, they hope to create co-ops and internship programs with local academia that align them with the growing need for mechanical and chemical engineers, technicians, and machinist. "Exciting things are happening right here in the commonwealth, and I want to thank you all for embracing employees and their talents. Thank you for making this company one of the fastest growing in the entire DMV and thank you for bringing the spirit of entrepreneurship to the greater Fredericksburg region", said Congresswoman Spanberger. Congresswoman Spanberger spoke on the capabilities, growth, and the future of innovation in the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford County district. "Fundamentally, this is a showroom for the future; not just for the future of your company, but for the futue of our communities, our commonwealth, and our country", stated Congresswoman Spanberger. ART's new showroom will showcase three Nexa3D printers - the NXE 400Pro, XiP Desktop Resin, and NXD 200Pro printers. These machines are capable of rapid prototyping and manufacturing for industries like education, medical, engineering, and, in the case of the NXD 200Pro, dental applications. The showroom also includes maker space and a training facility as part of the company's STEM outreach with local students to educate them on additive manufacturing.



The showroom is officially open and accepting customer tours. Visit www.artcorp.com to book an appointment. About Applied Rapid Technologies

Applied Rapid Technologies Corporation is a leading provider of rapid prototyping and short-run production solutions. ART utilizes stereolithography (SL) and fused-deposition modeling (FDM) technologies to produce plastic models and parts that allow entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms the ability to prototype and test their designs before going to production. In addition, ART offers soft tooling, urethane casting, and production paint services including two-part polyurethanes and CARC coatings, and silk screening for prototypes and production parts. Located in Fredericksburg, VA with sales offices in Columbia, MD and North Andover, MA, ART serves the mid-Atlantic and northeast region and has customers throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. For more information contact ART at (540) 286-2266, or email us at [email protected], or visit our website at www.artcorp.com. About Obsidian Solutions Group Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, Obsidian Solutions Group is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned diversified consulting and technology company that provides flexible and responsive solutions to federal, state, and local agencies and organizations. Obsidian is a premier provider of Data Management & Analytics, Modeling & Simulation, Military/Force Training and private companies in the nation, by Inc Magazine and Washington Technology, Obsidian is dedicated to the mission of countering the threats of the future that their customers face in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, and private sectors. Visit www.obsidiansg.com to discover how we deliver SERVICE to our customer's mission. About Nexa3D Nexa3D is a leading provider of ultrafast 3D printing solutions. Their photopolymer and thermoplastic range of industrial 3D printers offer unrivaled speed and throughput, superb surface finish, all on an open material platform. Nexa3D's patented Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing (LSPc) 3D printing process unlocks productivity gains by as much as 20x greater than those of conventional SLA or DLP processes. They offer a range of polymer solutions, spanning from a desktop resin 3D printer, industrial 3D printers, and a thermoplastic laser sintering solution for serial production. Visit www.nexa3d.com to learn more about their products and services View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005153/en/

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[April 03, 2023] DFER Names Former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza as CEO

NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) announced today that former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the political advocacy organization and its affiliate non-partisan think-tank Education Reform Now. During his two terms as the Democratic mayor of Rhode Island's largest city, Elorza undertook bold actions to advance a social and racial justice agenda. This included taking the unprecedented step to engage the state Department of Education to turn around the city's chronically underperforming school system, creating the city's Eat, Play, Learn Initiative to expand out-of-school enrichment, and launching a nationally recognized African American Ambassador Group to bring Black leaders into the center of policymaking. Notably, he invested $400 million into repairing school buildings, and supported the expansion of high-quality public charter schools. "As Mayor, I saw all too well the critical need for bold leadership to transform public education so that it serves all studentsparticularly those historically marginalized," said Elorza. "DFER has been at the forefront of the fight against the status quo in public education for more than a decade, and I am honored to serve thi organization at a time of both incredible urgency and possibility for our nation's students."



A leader in and outside City Hall, Elorza was elected by his peers to serve as Trustee for the United States Conference of Mayors, and was an Aspen Institute Rodell Fellow, a member of the New Deal Leaders network, and a member of the inaugural Bloomberg/Harvard City Leadership class. "What I admire most about Jorge is his unwavering commitment to put the interest of students above adult politics," said DFER Interim CEO Shakira Petit. "There is a tremendous opportunity right now for leaders to utilize historic investments in education to advance the innovative approaches that we know work for students. As DFER grows our collective impact, Jorge brings the political acumen, vast leadership experience, and vision to help our organizationand Democratic education champions across the countrymeet this moment and bring about real change for all students."

Elorza was born and raised in Providence and is the proud son of Guatemalan immigrants. A first-generation college student, he attended the Community College of Rhode Island before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Elorza is co-founder of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law, where he previously served as a law professor. A headshot and selection of photos of Elorza are available here. About Democrats for Education Reform Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that increase educational equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. It is a partner organization of Education Reform Now Advocacy, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that supports DFER's legislative and policy advocacy work. www.dfer.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dfer-names-former-providence-mayor-jorge-elorza-as-ceo-301788306.html SOURCE Democrats for Education Reform

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[April 03, 2023] Now More than Ever: Community Banks Are the Best Financial Choice for Consumers

With banking news making national headlines, the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) is delivering a powerful and timely message: Where you choose to bank matters, and community banks are best positioned to serve your financial needs. Today, ICBA is unveiling a national public awareness campaign that educates consumers on the benefits of banking with a community bank. The campaign, which encourages Americans to visit BankLocally.org to find a community bank, differentiates community banks from large banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. "Whether it's a call, email or text, community bankers are there to answer their customers' questions and concerns," ICBA President and CEO Rebeca Romero Rainey said. "It's times like these when the time-tested, relationship-focused model of community banking, and the access it provides consumers to a local financial expert, truly matters. That's a message we need to get out there to the masses." ICBA, which represents the nation's nearly 5,000 community banks, believes now is the best time to take this bold step forward to educate America's consumers and reinforce the importance of understanding the financial options available to them. "Consumers deserve to know that they have a safe, sound and secure community banking option in their own community that can be their financial advocate for life," Romero Rainey said. In 2022, ICBA created a pilot campaign to determine the viability and need of a national campaign by testing messaging and creative assets to prove consumer awareness and perception of community banking could increase. Pre- and post-pilot campaign research revealed a clear response and opportunity for consumer education and messaging, including: The percentage of consumers who know what a community bank is increased 22%.

Consumers with positive opinions of community banks grew by 15%.

After seeing the campaign elements, 75% of non-customers were interested in learning about locally owned community banks in their area. Beyond unrivaled access to a local financial advocate, customer service and relationship banking for which community banks are known, a clear and defning attribute of the community banking business model is keeping money local and investing in communities. "With recent headlines sparking questions and interest in various banking options, this is as important as ever," Romero Rainey said. "In stark contrast to these large, risky banks, community banks keep money local and exist to serve the needs of their local customers and communities for the long haul."



The research also found a critical link between the millennial generation and community banks. This link comes at a time when many millennials are feeling uncertain about the banking industry due to recent events. According to ICBA's research, 46% of millennials said supporting local communities is one of the most important characteristics of a "perfect" bank. Further, millennials showed more interest in community banks than previous generations (61% among ages 25-39 vs. 50% for age 40 and up).

The millennial generation comprises 72 million Americans, making it the nation's largest generation. ICBA further narrowed the millennial audience to focus on "community-minded millennials," individuals born between 1981-96 whose lifestyles and values may align with other community causes that support local economies, such as buy-, shop- and dine-local initiatives. "Millennials already have experienced two historical financial moments within their lifetimes and are on the brink of or currently experiencing some of life's biggest financial moments and milestones," ICBA Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Rob Birgfeld said. "It's vital consumers know that community banks are the perfect fit for their life's journey and stand ready to build a trusted banking relationship with them - helping them achieve financial stability and their life's goals, all while making the community they call home stronger and more vibrant." In addition to market research, ICBA's national campaign includes creative advertising, public relations and media strategy to reach consumers where they are to further educate them on what community banks are and why consumers should choose to bank with a local community bank. The campaign also provides strategic direction and creative assets to ICBA's member community banks across the country that want to share their stories and amplify the campaign messaging and deliverables to consumers within their local markets. About ICBA The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services. With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks employ nearly 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding $5.8 trillion in assets, $4.8 trillion in deposits, and $3.8 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers' dreams in communities throughout America. For more information, visit ICBA's website at www.icba.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005287/en/

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[April 03, 2023] The RBC Climate Action Institute created to share ideas and inspire action for Canada's net-zero journey

The Institute will bring together research insights and industry experts to help clients and communities apply climate solutions TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is expanding its Economics and Thought Leadership group to create a dedicated approach to climate policy research and action across key sectors of the economy. The RBC Climate Action Institute will bring together economists, policy analysts and business strategists to help research and advance ideas that can contribute to Canada's climate progress. The institute will work closely with businesses and industry partners to design practical ways to reduce net emissions. It will focus initially on buildings & real estate, agriculture, and energy systems. We believe that sharing knowledge and potential solutions that are industry specific will help overcome challenges that clients and partners currently face when trying to move their plans forward. The Institute will undertake work that advances a key pillar of RBC's climate strategy, the RBC Climate Blueprint, focusing on providing ideas in areas where it believes it can have a meaningful impact. The inspiration for the Institute grew out of work that RBC Economics & Thought Leadership began with The $2 Trillion Transition, which forecasted the private and public capital we believe would be needed to finance Canada's transition to net-zero in key sectors of the economy. Further, alongside clients and leaders in the agricultural sector, the team worked to identify opportunities for advancing climate-smart agriculture, while meeting growing global food demand. This collaborative approach has been welcomed by many of our partners engaged in the initiative who lso shared that a similar approach could be applied in other areas of the economy.



RBC has partnered with Maple Leaf Foods, Loblaw, Nutrien and many other leading companies to create the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agriculture (CANZA). CANZA came together as we recognized a strong need in agriculture for potential net-zero solutions, and started researching and publishing reports on the sector such as The Next Green Revolution. The RBC Climate Action Institute will continue similar collaborative efforts with partners in the buildings sector, including working with the Brookfield Sustainability Institute at George Brown College.





"The coming years are truly critical for Canada's economic and net-zero ambitions with many complex challenges to resolve," said John Stackhouse, senior vice president, Office of the CEO. "We believe that this collaborative approach will be an important catalyst as RBC and other organizations consider climate solutions." Across RBC we are proud of the progress that our teams have been making in helping clients and communities in which we operate to transition to net-zero, including: The formation of the Environmental Markets Solutions Group in Capital Markets, offering deep expertise and execution capabilities for global carbon markets and renewable energy solutions. RBC plans to enhance its efforts in the carbon markets through our recent investment in ClearBlue Markets, a global leader in carbon markets project development, analytics and research.

in Capital Markets, offering deep expertise and execution capabilities for global carbon markets and renewable energy solutions. RBC plans to enhance its efforts in the carbon markets through our recent investment in a global leader in carbon markets project development, analytics and research. Expanding our Sustainable Finance advisory team within Business Financial Services to support our approach to sustainability, believing that incorporating ESG insights alongside traditional financial analysis and market perspectives can lead to better outcomes and more opportunities for our clients.

within Business Financial Services to support our approach to sustainability, believing that incorporating ESG insights alongside traditional financial analysis and market perspectives can lead to better outcomes and more opportunities for our clients. Expanded an RBC Foundation partnership with ALUS, a national charity that helps farmers and ranchers build nature-based solutions on their land, by investing an additional $1.5 million over three years for initiatives related to carbon sequestration on agricultural lands. This additional funding brings total support from RBC to more than $2.3 million since 2018. "The climate challenges our society is facing are significant and complex, they require innovation, and, above all, they necessitate that we work together," said Jennifer Livingstone, vice president of Enterprise Climate Strategy for RBC. "We're harnessing the full power of RBC  our ability to convene leaders, share insights, apply solutions and advocate for change." Learn more about the RBC Climate Action Institute at rbc.com/climate-action-institute. Learn more about RBC's climate strategy at rbc.com/climate. 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. SOURCE Royal Bank of Canada

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[April 03, 2023] Canada and Nova Scotia invest in a new energy-efficient academic building for Cape Breton University

SYDNEY, NS, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape BretonCanso, Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for SydneyVictoria, John White, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Glace BayDominion, on behalf of the Honourable Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables and the Honourable David Dingwall, Cape Breton University President and Vice-Chancellor, announced more than $84 million in joint funding for the new Centre for Discovery and Innovation academic building on the Cape Breton University (CBU) campus. The new building will house laboratories, classrooms, research facilities, and student services, and its modular design will enable interactive learning experiences. Through the installation of a geothermal closed loop system, solar panels, and smart building controls, it will be net-zero ready. The new Centre for Discovery and Innovation will help position CBU as a leader in climate change preparedness by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping the institution to eventually eliminate its carbon footprint. The modern and efficient training and learning facilities will also strengthen recruitment and retention of academic talent on Cape Breton Island. To build Canada's clean economy, Budget 2023 makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. This includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities, and create good-paying jobs.



By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, increasing the resiliency of our communities and improving the lives of Canadians. Quotes "Cape Bretoners have experienced first-hand the impacts of climate change and understand the need to make our infrastructure more resilient. By investing in net-zero ready buildings like the Centre for Discovery and Innovation, we are positioning Cape Breton University as a model for sustainable growth. This new facility will create good jobs during construction and help keep more of Cape Breton's young people living and working in Cape Breton  generating growth and dynamism across the Island." The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities "Cape Breton University's new Centre for Discovery and Innovation delivers on Canada's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while welcoming and training the future workforce. Investments in innovative educational infrastructure provide Canadians with comfort knowing that the state of education is in good hands. As a graduate of Cape Breton University, I'm ecited to see what opportunities await for today's students."



Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape BretonCanso "Through this partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton University, we are building on the legacy that Canada is a leader in innovative and environmentally responsible educational infrastructure. All Cape Bretoners and Canadians will benefit from the work that will take place in this new facility."

Jaime Battiste, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for SydneyVictoria



"Nova Scotia is a national leader in fighting climate change, and Cape Breton University is joining us in our fight. Transitioning to more energy efficient buildings is just one of the many actions propelling us toward our ambitious goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050." John White, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Glace BayDominion, on behalf of the Honourable Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables "With this announcement, CBU will be able to maximize the impact of its already strong program of community-engaged research, expand the number and scale of its industry partnerships, and transform Cape Breton Island as a whole. The Centre for Discovery and Innovation, featuring the latest in green technology and digital infrastructure, will change the trajectory and elevate Cape Breton Island as a national destination for research and a global destination for students. We are thrilled that the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia are recognizing the needs of students, faculty and the Cape Breton community in this way." David Dingwall, Cape Breton University President and Vice-Chancellor



Quick facts The Government of Canada is investing $20,000,000 in this project. The Government of Nova Scotia is contributing $35,000,000 , while Cape Breton University is contributing $29,514,000 .

is investing in this project. The Government of is contributing , while is contributing . The Government of Canada's funding comes from the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

funding comes from the Green Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Infrastructure Program. This stream supports greener communities by contributing to climate change preparedness, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting renewable technologies in Canada .

. Including today's announcement, 63 infrastructure projects or project bundles under the Green Infrastructure Stream have been funded in Nova Scotia , with a total federal contribution of more than $355 million and a total provincial contribution of nearly $462 million .

, with a total federal contribution of more than and a total provincial contribution of nearly . Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

Plan, the federal government is investing more than over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and rural and northern communities. Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every dayranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land.

helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every dayranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, and environmental threats to our water and land. The funding announced today builds on the Government of Canada's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying middle-class jobs, strengthen local economies, and build inclusive communities. Associated Links

Federal infrastructure investments in Nova Scotia

Investing in Canada Plan Project Map

Plan Project Map Budget 2023: A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Web: Infrastructure Canada SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

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[April 03, 2023] Small Kansas College Will Show Car at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

A vision, 10 years in the making, has come true for students, alumni, and employees of the McPherson College Automotive Restoration program - the only four-year bachelor's degree program for automotive restoration in the nation. The 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Cabriolet, entirely restored by students, has been accepted by the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and will be shown there on August 20. "Congratulations to the McPherson College students for having their car accepted to Pebble Beach," said comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno. Leno's support 20 years ago was the turning point for the program when it pivoted from an associate's to a bachelor's degree. "I am proud to be associated with the college. Much like art historians who clean and repair the works of the renaissance era, the young men and women at McPherson College are doing it with automobiles, recreating abilities and techniques long forgotten, and they'll make a good living doing it. Our hobby and heritage are safe in their hands." The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance is the oldest Concours in the United States and one of the world's most prestigious gatherings of rare and antique automobiles. Prized collector cars compete each year for Best of Show, the most coveted award in the automotive industry. The Concours Selection Committee spends weeks vetting each entry, narrowing its selection down to the top classic cars in the world, which are invited to show. "We set a bold vision 10 years ago to show a car at Pebble Beach, and I was confident our students and staff could attain it," said Amanda Gutierrez, provost and vice president of automotive restoration. "The goal was to get invited to compete at Pebble Beach, but there is a significant process that makes that happen, especially at a small college with students working outside of class hours. This project has been a valuable learning experience for our students as they study toward their bachelor's degree in automotive restoration. It was intense work requiring exceptional commitment, and I am extremely proud of them." After an exhaustive search for the right car, work on the project began and has incorporated classroom curricula, expert guest lectures, and senior capstone experiences. The restoration was completed by teams of student interns who worked over the course of the restoration. Brian Martin, director of automotive restoration projects, supervises the student team. "When we set out to do this, we knew it was going to be a long-term commitment," Martin said "It is a complete, frame-off, top-to-bottom restoration by students. We planned for it to become the cornerstone of our program and an example of the skills our students develop while they are here."



McPherson College has a long history of student participation at Pebble Beach, dating back to 2008 when the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Pebble Beach Company Foundation established scholarships honoring Formula One World Champion and famed restorer Phil Hill. Over the years, more than 25 McPherson College students have earned college scholarships from Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach Company Foundation scholarship recipients not only attend the event and shadow the judges, they also have been part of panel discussions, prepared and presented cars for the field, and attended numerous additional events during the week. However, this August will mark the first time the college will show a classic vehicle fully restored by its students.

"It's a remarkable accomplishment," said McPherson College President Michael Schneider. "Since the project began, nearly every student in the auto restoration program has been exposed to the restoration through classes, workshops, or as part of an internship team. For some of them, getting a chance to work on this project was why they decided to attend McPherson College. This achievement will positively impact our students and program for years. Managing this project was an enormous undertaking, and I commend the individuals, especially Brian Martin, who helped mentor our students through this process. Our friends at Paul Russell and Company as well as the Mercedes Benz Classic Center, were excellent advisors on the project. I also thank Jay Leno, whose early and consistent support over the years has helped us flourish and reach Pebble Beach." Members of the student team, the Pebble Beach Scholars, college staff, and alumni will accompany the car to Pebble Beach in August. A recognition of their efforts will be celebrated during the CARS Club Motoring Festival on Saturday, May 6, at McPherson College at 2 p.m. before the awards ceremony. Showing a student-restored car at Pebble Beach is another example of McPherson College achieving what many consider impossible. In November, the college announced a historic $500 million matching gift. To date, the college has raised over $170 million of the $250 million needed to secure the $500 million, including generous gifts from car enthusiasts Melanie and Richard Lundquist, the Rob Walton Foundation, and Dave Kinney. Attention Media: Access photos - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/khg2l9wyn22z784/AADWfK44fVwIi928sPzsgw4ga?dl=0 Photo ID: 1) Students working on the Mercedes-Benz 300 S engine; 2) The current student team; 3) Work early in the restoration process. About McPherson College McPherson College is committed to its mission "To develop whole persons through scholarship, participation, and service," in a career-focused liberal arts environment. It's been recognized nationally by US News & World Report, Money Magazine, and the Chronicle of Higher Education's "Great Colleges to Work For." Its Automotive Restoration program is the first four-year degree program of its kind and was awarded the prestigious industry supporter of the year by International Historic Motoring. Learn about all of its programs at www.mcpherson.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005779/en/

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[April 03, 2023] Okuma America Corporation Launches New Business Segment Focused on Automation Solutions for Manufacturers

Introduces New Okuma Factory Automation Division CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior executives at Okuma America Corporation, a global leader and builder of computer numeric control (CNC) machine tools, controls and automation systems, are pleased to announce the launch of a new business segment created to recommend, sell and support manufacturing production line systems comprised of Okuma CNC machine tools and integrated automation technologies. The new division will begin operations April 3, 2023, and be based at the Okuma America Corporation headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. The decision to launch the Okuma Factory Automation Division was in direct response to increased demand from manufacturers seeking automated machining systems and cells for their operations to address labor shortage issues and to increase production capacities. With the launch of this new division, Okuma will be optimally positioned to offer customers a broad range of Okuma machine tools and automation system pairings. Solutions will include both proprietary and seamlessly integrated automation systems including automated material loading and unloading systems, machine tending and industrial robotics, automated work piece pallet changers (APC), flexible manufacturing systems (FMS), smart manufacturing systems and beyond. Jim King, President & Chief Operating Officer for Okuma America Corporation shared his perspective about the new division, "the launch of the Okuma Factory Automation Division is a strategic milestone in the company's 125-year history of creating products and services that meet customer needs of the day. Manufacturing has significantly evolved over the last five years with the broad adoption of automated technologies and changes in wokforce trends. With our newly created Factory Automation Division, we are well positioned to advise and provide customers of all sizes with manufacturing systems to optimize their operations."



To support the new business segment, company leaders have appointed Wade Anderson as the division's new General Manager. Mr. Anderson has worked for Okuma for 17 years in a variety of roles including engineering, technical sales, sales leadership, product management, and technology partner relationships. Additional organizational resources will be appointed to support the division's infrastructure and customer applications. Mr. Anderson shared his thoughts about his new role and the new division, "For 125 years Okuma has always been on the leading edge of manufacturing technologies. As we set our sights to the future, the creation of the Okuma Factory Automation Division will foster the development and delivery of the most user-friendly OEM and industry leading partner automation solutions on the market. We have proven that automated processes deliver the highest machine tool utilization, which ultimately yields higher profits for our customers. With our goal of creating "Automation for All" solutions, coupled with Okuma's well-known quality, expertise, service and support infrastructure, there is no limit to the solutions we can provide for our valued customers."

About Okuma America Corporation Okuma America Corporation is the U.S.-based sales, engineering and service affiliate of Okuma Corporation, a world-leading builder of CNC (computer numeric control) machine tools, controls and automation systems. The company was founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan, and is the industry's only single-source provider of CNC machines, drives, motors, encoders, spindles and automation systems, all manufactured by Okuma. The company designs its own CNC controls to integrate seamlessly with each machine tool's functionality. In 2014 Okuma launched the Okuma App Store, the industry's only centralized online marketplace for machine tool apps and related content. Along with its extensive distribution network (largest in the Americas), and Partners in THINC network of enhanced manufacturing technologies, Okuma is committed to helping users gain competitive advantage through the open possibilities of machine tools today and into the future. For more information, visit Okuma.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/okuma-america-corporation-launches-new-business-segment-focused-on-automation-solutions-for-manufacturers-301788656.html SOURCE Okuma America Corporation

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[April 03, 2023] Reinsurance Group of America Reinsures 153 Billion JPY of Statutory Reserves for Daido Life

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) a leading global life and health reinsurer, today announced that it reached an agreement with Daido Life Insurance Company (Daido Life), a subsidiary of T&D Holdings, Inc. (T&D Holdings), to reinsure 153 Billion JPY of statutory reserves through coinsurance. "RGA has a long-standing partnership with Daido Life and its parent company T&D Holdings, and we are pleased to once again work with them to craft a solution to reduce risk and manage capital," said Simon Armand-Smith, Vice President, Business Development, Global Financial Solutions, RGA. "This is one of a number of recent asset-intensive transactions that RGA has completed in the Japanese market, and we look forward to continuing to support our clients with their in-force capital management and new business objectives." "Our working relationship with RGA spans many years and multiple transactions," said Daido Life. "Their understandin of our needs and ability to customize coinsurance agreements that help us to effectively manage asset and liability risks have enabled us to improve our capital efficiency."



Additional terms of the transaction are not being disclosed at this time. About RGA

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) is a global industry leader specializing in life and health reinsurance and financial solutions that help clients effectively manage risk and optimize capital. Founded in 1973, RGA celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. Over the past five decades, RGA has become one of the world's largest and most respected reinsurers and is listed among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies. The global organization is guided by a fundamental purpose: to make financial protection accessible to all. RGA is widely recognized for superior risk management and underwriting expertise, innovative product design, and dedicated client focus. RGA serves clients and partners in key markets around the world and has approximately $3.4 trillion of life reinsurance in force and assets of $84.7 billion as of December 31, 2022. To learn more about RGA and its businesses, visit www.rgare.com. Follow RGA on LinkedIn and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005702/en/

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On April 1, users of ChatGPT in Italy were struck with very-much-not-an-April-Fools-Day-joke kind of news: Italys privacy regulator had called for an immediate temporary ban on the OpenAI-developed language model. Many sources (e.g. Reuters (News - Alert), AP News, The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch+ and BBC news; just to name the small handful I happened to comb through) believe the catalyst for this block was a data breach thats currently being investigated  the European Unions (EU) data protection rules may have been violated, according to the Italian Data Protection Authority (IDPA).







The order from Italys privacy regulator, known as the Garante (found here) references several areas of serious concern. Due to its absence of [any] legal basis that justifies such a massive collection and storage of personal data, the Garante granted OpenAI a total of 20 days to communicate new measures that will be taken to comply with its alleged violation. (Note: If OpenAI were to neglect this order, it could face a fine of up to 20 million euros (i.e. $21.68 million) or 4% of its annual worldwide turnover.

Amidst a burgeoning anti-AI push (including the recent open letter written to AI labs, asking for a six-month pause on AI systems training), this Garante directive is the first nation-scale measure (i.e. from any country) restricting access to artificial intelligence. The Garante also pointed to the lack of any age verification system, raising child safety flags.

To that point, with the proliferation of AI models has come calls for transparency. On the HBO show Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver and his team wrote, AI systems need to be explainable, meaning that we should be able to understand exactly how and why an AI came up with its answers. Though this largely referred to AI black box technology, it speaks to the thorough and transparent efforts many believe should be taken to securely regulate tools like ChatGPT as they evolve; for the safety of all users, and to lay the groundwork for responsible future progress.

In response, OpenAI claimed it believes ChatGPT and its newest GPT-4 developments do, in fact, comply with the EUs privacy laws.

We will work closely with Italys privacy regulator with the hope of making ChatGPT available again there very soon, an OpenAI representative wrote.

We, too, believe in the regulation of AI. Its necessary, they added, so we look forward to educating on how our systems are built and used.

Lets go back to that potential fine, though. Less about the monetary amount and more specifically about the source, this is the maximum fine under the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR is an established component of EU privacy law and human rights law, and this ChatGPT restriction is fundamental in showing how the GDPR is willing (and able) to offer tools to regulators (like the Garante) to be actively involved in shaping AIs place in humanitys future.

And in that vein, privacy regulators from France, Ireland, Sweden and Germany have already reached out to their Italian counterparts to learn more about the bans basis and what may happen next.

Lastly  and about the catalystic data breach itself  is the notable fact that, last month, an Italian investigation was launched after ChatGPT users were allegedly being shown excerpts of other users ChatGPT conversations, as well as their financial information. And these user chatlogs (i.e. conversation histories) and credit card details may not have been the only leaks; some are claiming that first and last names and email addresses may have been exposed.

Even if that covers, say, 1% of ChatGPT users, it still raises eyebrows and concerns, per the Garante.

So while OpenAI works with privacy regulators and simultaneously works to rebuild its sense of trust with individual users and organizations alike, there are questions aplenty to consider: Was the Garantes action on the mark, or was it perhaps too excessive? Per the aforementioned open letter discourse, would an AI pause legitimately resolve what people claim could herald profound societal risks, or should other regulations be considered, instead? And is there a way for us to draw a concrete line between next-gen leniency and wholesale obstruction, in regard to generative technologies?

While such questions certainly arent rhetorical, their answers are still currently afloat in the digital ether.

More coverage will be released as this probe into AI continues.

Edited by Greg Tavarez
Instead of going to a lot of trouble over a vote of less than 7 percent of local residents . . . We share a glimpse at the big picture . . .



"1 in 5 Americans have views that make them at least open to, if not outright supportive of, authoritarianism."

At first glance . . . This might seem like an indictment of your Republican daddy.

Is democracy failing and putting our economic system at risk? The rule of law and democracy are crucial to capital markets. A free market balanced by a democratically elected, transparent and capable government, and a strong civil society ("an inclusive regime") yield stable growth rates and greater social welfare.

However . . .

Last time I checked the GOP didn't demand lockdowns or recommend a memoir by the former prez that's over 700 pages long and 28 hours via audiobook . . . At that point, it's not such a great loss when the Republicans shut down the libraries.

But I digress . . .

Our main contention in this post is that nobody ever said American Democracy and/or the Republic was permanent. Even the slave owning, rapist, weed smoking founders kinda hinted that this thing wasn't built to last.

Still . . . Our blog community is comprised of optimists at heart and believe that these voting guides might provide some valuable info amid a slew of rigged social media electioneering and so much encouraging disinformation promoted by activists, C-list laywers and our betters . . .



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

April 4, 2023 Election Guide Below are the questions that voters will be presented with at the polls on Tuesday, April 4. The official wording of the questions can be found at kceb.org. Mayor * QUINTON LUCAS* CLAY CHASTAIN* ANDREW MCGUIRE (Write-In)* LEROY GLOVER, JR.

The Kansas City Defender 2023 Municipal Election Voter Guide Our Voter Guide is a comprehensive resource for the community, offering information on the candidates running for office, the issues that matter to Black voters, and the impact of certain endorsements. As part of our mission to produce information and programs for the survival and flourishing of Black people, we are excited to announce the creation of The Kansas City Defender Voter Guide for the 2023 Municipal Election.

Kansas City votes on city council, weed & Airbnb tax April 4. Here are elections to watch A new Kansas City Council takes office in August and it's guaranteed to look different than the current one. Goodbye Katheryn Shields, Teresa Loar, Kevin McManus, Lee Barnes, Dan Fowler and Heather Hall. All have reached the end of their term limits. Hello, who?

COMMITMENT 2023: Your guide to the April municipal elections Missouri voters have a lot to consider Tuesday-from key races to bond issues to marijuana sales taxes. We walk you through some of the biggest items on the ballot. COMMITMENT 2023: Your guide to the April municipal elections Missouri voters have a lot to consider Tuesday-from key races to bond issues to marijuana sales taxes.

A Deeper Look at Ballot Measures KCMO voters will vote on four ballot issues in the April 4 municipal and school board elections, and Grandview voters will vote on two. Three of these issues, if approved, will impose a 3% tax on the retail sale of recreational marijuana as authorized by the constitutional amendment approved by Missouri voters last November legalizing the possession and sale of recreational marijuana by adults with certain restrictions.

Developing . . .
Russia's foreign ministry on Sunday paid tribute to a prominent military blogger killed by a bomb at a cafe in St Petersburg on Sunday, lashing out at Western governments for failing to react to the attack.

Bloggers like Vladlen Tatarsky "are defenders of the truth", ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram, adding that the lack of reaction from Western governments "despite their concerns for the welfare of journalists and the free press speaks for itself".

"Russian journalists constantly feel the threat of reprisals from the Kyiv regime," she said.

"It is thanks to Russian war correspondents that the world sees true, operational images and finds out what is happening in Ukraine," she said.

Tatarsky was "dangerous" for Ukraine "but bravely went on until the end, fulfilling his duty", she added.

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Tasty late night food run turned fatal more quickly than anyone anticipated . . .

Again, what's important is that this latest killing pushes the homicide count more than 10% than last year's historic pace.

Here's the first report and more deets . . .



Homicide 6900 block of Prospect

This morning at about 12:20am Officers were dispatched to 6950 Prospect on a shooting at the restaurant there.



On arrival officers were directed inside the business in the carry-out area to a shooting victim who was unresponsive. Officers summoned EMS who declared the victim deceased.



Preliminary investigation indicates that there were multiple people in the carry-out area when the victim became involved in a verbal altercation/interaction with one or more people which led to shots being fired and the victim being struck.



It is also believed there were numerous people in the parking lot at the time of the shooting as well. Nearly all of those people were gone prior to officers arrival.



Detectives and crime scene investigators are canvassing for witnesses and processing the evidence at the scene.



Detectives believe there are many people who may have heard or seen something that would be valuable to them. If someone left the scene to provide for their safety thats completely understandable, however they could really use any bit of information to help with this case.



If anyone did see or hear anything in this area or has any information and they havent talked to detectives yet, they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS, there is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Kansas City police investigate deadly shooting at Texas Tom's restaurant KANSAS CITY, Mo. -Kansas City police are investigating after one person was killed in an overnight shooting at a restaurant near E. 70th St. and Prospect Avenue. Around 12:20 a.m. Monday police were called to the Texas Tom's restaurant at 6950 Prospect for a reported shooting.

Kansas City, Missouri, police investigating overnight homicide at restaurant near 69th, Prospect KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Police are investigating a homicide at the Texas Tom's restaurant at 6950 Prospect Ave. Police say they were called to a shooting at the restaurant at about 12:20 a.m. When they arrived, police say they were directed to the carry-out area, where a person had been shot.

Developing . . .
Revenues of the state budget that derive from tourism have also exceeded the initial targets set by the finance ministry

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday had a working meeting with the executive committee of the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) to discuss the current tourism season, ANA reports.

"I believe that we have already met one of our main targets, which is none other than the extension of the tourism period so that Greece is not a destination that our visitors prefer only during the summer months," he noted.

He stressed that the "revenues of the state budget that derive from tourism have also exceeded the initial targets set by the finance ministry. With the result that we have greater fiscal resilience to support society with a series of targeted measures to address the crisis of the imported hikes in prices".

The prime minister also referred to the government's two main priorities, pointing out the first has to do with the sustainability of the tourism product: "It concerns the protection of the environment, the protection of our destinations, especially some iconic destinations that are now under great pressure and we have to start thinking immediately about their future, with interventions that can no longer be delayed."

The second, he added, had to do with those working in tourism and "with making it possible for all to have the same dividend of success" from the growth of the tourism product. "This has to do with better wages and better working conditions and, of course, with the shortages that are already being observed in terms of the workforce, something that forces us to plan interventions that will have a long-term impact," Mitsotakis added.

On his part, the president of SETE's board Yiannis Retsos stressed that by capitalizing on the very good brand name that Greece has developed and which was further enhanced during the COVID-19 crisis and the way that Greek tourism opened in 2020 and continued to operate in the summer of 2021, adopting a very correct strategy and becoming an example for other European countries, the tourism sector achieved "spectacular results".

Participants in the meeting included Labour and Social Security Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, State Minister Akis Skertsos, Deputy Finance Minister Apostolos Vesyropoulos, and Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Yiannis Bratakos.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
The Greek minister noted that this meeting follows the one in Dubai held in December 2022

Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias on Monday met with his visiting counterpart of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ANA reports.

The two ministers discussed the "further strengthening of Greece-UAE strategic cooperation in a wide range of areas, including economy, investments, energy, and climate change," Dendias tweeted, but "talks also focused on international and regional developments, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Gulf, and Iran," he added.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: A.Savin
Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it.
Scarborough Progressive Conservative MPPs Vijay Thanigasalam, Aris Babikian and Raymond Cho stand with Wendy Beckles, CEO of Shepherd Village Inc., second from left, while announcing a hemodialysis area at the Scarborough nursing home. - Government of Ontario photo
Rumours, folklore, and maybe a ghost or 3: Perth's jail is still for sale, and can be yours for a steal

The listing price has dropped over by over $350,000 since the jail was first put on the market in June
Humber College has joined forces with four other Ontario colleges to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to improve local access to programs for military-connected learners.
Finland's flag will be hoisted outside NATO headquarters on Tuesday when it becomes the 31st member of the Western alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st member," Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a historic meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

The statement comes only a day after Finland's centre-right leader Petteri Orpo claimed victory in Sunday's general election, with the far-right Finns Party in second place ahead of Prime Minister Sanna Marin's Social Democrats in third.

Orpo's victory follows a visible shift away from left-wing politics in Europe with a breakthrough by nationalists in neighbouring Sweden and the far right's victory in Italy last year, Finland might become the latest country to join the nationalist wave in Europe.

The vote comes just days ahead of Finland's formal accession to the NATO defence alliance, made possible after Turkey ratified the country's membership bid on Thursday.

All 276 lawmakers present voted in favor of Finlands bid, days after Hungarys parliament also endorsed Helsinkis accession.

Alarmed by Russias invasion of Ukraine a year ago, Finland and Sweden abandoned their decades-long policy of nonalignment and applied to join the alliance.

Full unanimity is required to admit new members into the 30-member alliance, and Turkey and Hungary were the last two NATO members to ratify Finlands accession.

Swedens bid to join the alliance, meanwhile, has been left hanging, with both Turkey and Hungary holding out on giving it the green light despite expressing support for NATOs expansion.

Turkeys government accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups it deems to be terrorist organizations and security threats, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt.

More recently, Turkey was angered by a series of demonstrations in Sweden, including a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy.

Hungarys government contends some Swedish politicians have made derisive statements about the condition of Hungarys democracy and played an active role in ensuring that billions in European Union funds were frozen over alleged rule-of-law and democracy violations.

Turkish officials have said that, unlike Sweden, Finland fulfilled its obligations under a memorandum signed last year under which the two countries pledged to address Turkeys security concerns.

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Trade exchange between Egypt and Saudi Arabia increased by 13.5 percent in 2022 to record $10.3 billion, up from $9.1 billion in 2021, reported the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The figures were released a day after the short visit Egypts President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi paid to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, during which the president met with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohamed bin Salman.

Egypt's exports to the Saudi market rose by 11.2 percent in 2022 to reach $2.5 billion, up from $2.2 billion in 2021, while the value of Egyptian imports from Saudi Arabia amounted to $7.8 billion, up from $6.9 billion, recording an increase of 14.3 percent, CAPMAS reported.

Egypt's top exports to Saudi Arabia in 2022 included copper ($246 million), fruits ($227 million), mineral fuel and oils ($215 million), iron and steel products ($201 million), and machinery and electric appliances ($167 million).

Egyptian imports from Saudi Arabia primarily comprised mineral fuels and oils ($4.9 billion), plastics and its products ($1.8 billion), organic chemical products ($272 million), aluminium and its products ($175 million), and paper ($109 million).

CAPMAS said Saudi investments in Egypt in the fiscal year 2021/22 amounted to $491.6 million, up from $325.3 million in the previous fiscal year, an increase of 51.1 percent.

Remittances from Egyptians working in Saudi Arabia rose by 17 percent, reaching $11.2 billion in 2021/22, while the value of Saudi remittances from Egypt rose by 4.9 percent, reaching $18.5 million.

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American R&B group Boyz II MEN.. is the feature act tonight ..as the curtain comes down.. on the 2023 edition of the Tobago Jazz Experience . .

They spoke with reporters..at a conference at Stone Haven Villas.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3rd of April 2023: GROHE, one of the global leaders in complete bathroom and kitchen fittings, has announced the appointment of Alexey Bykov as the new Leader of the Middle East region at LIXIL EMENA. The appointment came as a testimony of GROHE s continued focus on growth, innovation, and customer success across the globe.

With over 20 years of experience in the construction and sanitary ware industry, Bykov will now spearhead GROHEs operations across the Middle East as he has previously held leadership positions in various renowned organizations and has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation and digital transformation.

In his new role, Bykov will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies to drive regional business growth and profitability. He will also focus on expanding the customer base, building partnerships and driving innovation to contribute to the company's overall success, in addition to overseeing the company's operations in MENA.

Bykov extensive experience and passion for driving growth through innovation make him ideally suited for this role, as his leadership and GROHEs team of experts in the region will provide customers with the best products and services.

Bykov previously served as Leader, Grohe Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus, where he helped establish a strong brand presence in the region. He has also held leadership positions at several other multinational companies in the building materials and fast-moving consumer goods industries.

Follow GROHE on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , LinkedIn and YouTube.

ENDS

About GROHE

GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings and has a total of over 6,500 employees in 150 countries  2,600 of them are based in Germany. Since 2014 GROHE has been part of the strong brand portfolio of the Japanese manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products LIXIL. In order to offer Pure Freude an Wasser, every GROHE product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability. Renowned highlights such as GROHE Eurosmart or the GROHE thermostat series as well as groundbreaking innovations such as the GROHE Blue water system underline the brand's profound expertise.

Focused on customer needs, GROHE thus creates intelligent, life-enhancing and sustainable product solutions that offer relevant added value  and bear the "Made in Germany" seal of quality: R&D and design are firmly anchored as an integrated process in Germany. GROHE takes its corporate responsibility very seriously and focuses on a resource-saving value chain. Since April 2020, the sanitary brand has been producing CO2-neutral worldwide. GROHE has also set itself the goal of using plastic-free product packaging by 2021.

In the past ten years alone, more than 460 design and innovation awards as well as several top rankings at the German Sustainability Award have confirmed GROHE's success: GROHE was the first in its industry to win the CSR Award of the German Federal Government and was also featured in the renowned Fortune magazines ranking of Top 50 that are Changing the World.

www.grohe.com

About LIXIL

LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve every day, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard and TOSTEM. Over 60,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day.

www.lixil.com

PRESS CONTACT

Gita Ghaemmaghami, Leader Communications and CR MENA, LIXIL EMENA

Gita.ghaemmagham@grohe.com

Mobile: +971554376534

Iman Dawod, Communication Manager, BPG Group

Mobile: +971 50 817 5305
Chinese authorities have begun an investigation into leading US memory chipmaker Micron Technology, a decision Beijing's foreign ministry said Monday was intended to "safeguard national security".

Related Biden signs major semiconductors investment bill to compete against China

The probe escalates an already fierce battle between Beijing and Washington for supremacy in the field of semiconductors as broader bilateral relations continue to deteriorate.

The decision was announced late Friday by China's top cybersecurity regulator, which said in an online notice it would review products sold by Micron over "national security concerns".

Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular news briefing on Monday the investigation was a normal measure taken to "conduct network security reviews of internet products that affect or may affect national security".

"Both Chinese companies and foreign companies operating in China must abide by Chinese laws and regulations and must not endanger China's national security," she said.

The Boise, Idaho-based Micron said in a statement it was "cooperating fully" with Chinese authorities, Bloomberg reported.

US authorities have in recent years sought to prevent the country's advanced chip technology from being exported to China, imposing targeted controls on the ability of domestic industry leaders to sell their products overseas.

They have also sought to persuade key allies to follow suit.

The Netherlands and Japan -- both leading manufacturers of specialised semiconductor technology equipment -- have recently announced new restrictions on exporting certain products to China.

Beijing has slammed the decisions as "US bullying tactics", vowing that such controls will only strengthen its resolve to achieve self-reliance in the sector -- a longstanding goal of Beijing, which has been investing vast sums in domestic chip technology firms.

Earlier on Sunaday,Chinese Foreign Minister told his Japanese counterpart that Tokyo's new export controls on semiconductor equipment will only further drive Beijing's quest "to become self-reliant".

Yoshimasa Hayashi's visit to China is the first by a Japanese foreign minister since December 2019, ending a gap of over three years during which bilateral ties have sharply deteriorated.

The ministers' Beijing meeting comes just days after Japan unveiled planned export controls on 23 items used to make semiconductors, following US pressure for countries to restrict China's access to the technology.

"The United States used bullying tactics to brutally suppress the Japanese semiconductor industry, and now it is repeating its old tricks against China," Qin told his counterpart, according to a readout of the meeting.

He also accused Japan of being Washington's "minion".

"The blockade will only further stimulate China's determination to become self-reliant," he said.

Japan's controls were preceded by similar restrictions imposed last month by the Netherlands, where authorities cited "international and national security".

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By Alex Gamblin, April 3, 2023







WARRENSBURG, MO  As careers in homeland security flourish, the University of Central Missouris success in preparing graduates for the competitive field continues to grow with it. College Factual has ranked UCM No. 1 in Missouri for homeland security in three recent lists; Top Missouri Schools for Homeland Security, 2023 Most Popular Colleges for Homeland Security in Missouri and Best Value Colleges for Homeland Security in Missouri (with Aid).



College Factual is a website that provides data-driven insights and rankings for colleges and universities in the United States. The website uses a methodology that takes into account factors such as graduation rates, loan default rates and post-graduation earnings to determine a college's overall quality. According to the site, UCM graduates with degrees related to Homeland Security experience approximately a $3,754 salary increase compared to the average earnings of those who obtain a degree in Homeland Security at other universities.



Lynn Urban, Ph.D., professor and chair of Criminal Justice and Criminology at the university, said, UCM offers several pathways to a career in homeland security, with its Terrorism and Homeland Security Certificate, a major or minor in Criminal Justice and Criminology as well as a Crisis and Disaster Management major. In addition to offering various programs for students interested in the field, UCM prioritizes excellence in each. All of our programs include the most recent information on the topic with highly qualified faculty who research and serve in this area, Urban added. With quantity and quality combined, the university has become a leader in homeland security education and preparation.



According to Lightcast, which provides labor market analytics, the number of terrorism and homeland security jobs in Missouri is expected to grow 9.3% between 2023 and 2030 placing annual state employment for careers in the field above 59,000 in less than seven years. Homeland security as a field involves the study and practice of protecting the United States from both domestic and international threats.



UCMs Crisis and Disaster Management bachelors degree, the first of its kind in Missouri and the oldest in the U.S., prepares students for high-demand careers in public and private sector organizations.



According to Laurel Hogue, vice provost for online and learning engagement, Crisis and Disaster Management students gain vast real-world experience from writing emergency management plans for small businesses to patrolling the United States border with the U.S. Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue Team.



UCM presents a competitive option for students looking for careers as homeland security specialists, emergency management coordinators, emergency planners and more. Others may enjoy the opportunity to enhance their capabilities as a paramedic or firefighter. Related courses are led by field experts with many diverse certifications. In addition to sharing their expertise to students, some also work for city emergency management, veterans health and fire safety and for the Department of Homeland Security.



"The education I received in the CDM program set a foundation for the work I do every day, said UCM alumni John Stipetich IV, 17. He added, I gained valuable, real-world experience through my practicum that helped me gain a competitive advantage when applying for jobs, but it also taught me skills that I use on a regular basis. Stipetich now serves as an Emergency Management Specialist in Lawrence, Kansas.



In reference to the Criminal Justice and Corrections major at UCM, the College Factual site states, We've gathered data and other essential information about the program, such as the average salary of graduates, ethnicity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more.



In addition to the core curriculum, UCM's program offers students many opportunities for hands-on learning through internships, student organizations, field experiences and research projects. These opportunities allow students to apply their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities in real-world settings, preparing them for successful careers in their field of choice.



UCM CJC students share the universitys commitment to excellence. This is exemplified by UCMs Gamma Epsilon Delta (GED) chapter of the Lambda Alpha Epsilon (LAE) American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA) recently capturing its 20th consecutive national title in March 2023.



Customized degree paths allow students to tailor their education to their specific interests and career goals. CJC courses concentrate in areas such as juvenile justice, law enforcement and policing or legal studies. Students consistently list its wide selection of undergraduate electives as one of the reasons why bachelors degrees in Criminal Justice and Criminology from UCM are the best. CJC electives include Federal Law Enforcement, Homicide Investigation, Miscarriages of Justice and Terrorism.



UCM students can earn their B.S. in Criminal Justice and Criminology faster by enrolling in the Accelerated Dual Degree program. This allows them to work toward earning both a bachelors and masters degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology in just five years.



UCM has emerged in the top spot on numerous College Factual lists for its programs related to homeland security including five No. 1 placements in 2022 including:

- Best Value College for Homeland Security in Missouri

- Most Popular Colleges for Homeland Security in Missouri

- Most Popular Bachelors Degree Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting in Missouri

- Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting School in Missouri

- Most Popular Bachelors Degree Online Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting Schools



Demonstrative of the programs flexibility and accessibility, these rankings further reinforce UCM's commitment to providing students with a rigorous education in this field, leading the way in preparing students for careers in national security, emergency management and law enforcement.



Students interested in pursuing a career in homeland security and related fields can find information regarding UCMs top-ranked programs using the universitys academic program finder.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay and received a certificate on the inscription of the historic center of Odesa city on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Had a meeting with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay. Thank you for the real results of work and supporting Ukraine. We are fighting on the battlefield for the values of democracy, our freedom and independence, for the future of our children, as well as for our historical values and cultural heritage. It is very important to protect them, Zelensky posted on Telegram.

During the meeting, Azoulay handed over a certificate on the inscription of the historic center of Odesa city on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger to Zelensky.

Expressing gratitude for the decision regarding Odesa, Zelenskyy expressed his belief in the importance of including other Ukrainian cultural heritage sites, in particular, the historical center of Chernihiv, in the UNESCO list.

As the Presidents Office informs, Zelensky held a meeting with the UNESCO Director General in Chernihiv region.

The President pointed out the importance of UNESCO's solidarity with the people of Ukraine amid full-scale Russian aggression.

The proof of solidarity of this international organization with Ukraine was, in particular, the establishment of its institutional presence in Ukraine  the creation of a UNESCO Liaison Office in Kyiv.

The parties noted the importance of Ukraine's membership in UNESCO, which has been ongoing for 69 years and is characterized by active international cooperation in the scientific, educational and cultural spheres.

The President separately emphasized the inadmissibility of Russia's membership in UNESCO and the importance of a clear and powerful response by the organization and its bodies to the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine.

Zelensky informed Azoulay about the Ukrainian cultural objects destroyed and damaged by Russia, stressing that their total number is about 1,190, as well as about the theft and illegal removal of Ukrainian cultural values from the temporarily occupied territories.

In this context, the President emphasized the importance of UNESCO's leadership role in involving international partners in restoring the damaged cultural heritage of Ukraine.

The Head of State highly appreciated UNESCO's help in implementing a number of projects in our country, in particular, in ensuring the continuity of education and the mental health program implemented under the patronage of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
Yehia Abouseif is a multidisciplinary artist and designer from Cairo based in New York. His work ranges from digital and motion design to pastel drawings and adobe sculptures. Growing up in Egypt, Abouseif was always fascinated by the arts and storytelling, and is now pursuing a career in the field as a motion design and visual storyteller.

In 2016, Abouseif left Cairo for New York to attend Parsons School of Design, which he received a BFA in Communication Design. Having worked for global brands such as Samsung, Coca Cola, Ralph Lauren, and The Row, Abouseif is positioned to take his design practice and experience to even further heights as he sets his sights on becoming an art director.





Abouseifs story starts way before he left to New York though. His true talent started to come to life during his High School years at the British International School of Cairo. The story began with his teacher Peter Jenkinson  whom Abouseif believes to be the greatest not just as an art teacher but as a human. Jekinson is the epitome of a proper teacher, in all the definition that this word stands for, he nurtures, develops and focuses on all the strengths of his students to ensure that he brings out all their capabilities. He pushed me; in practice, in theory, [taught me] how to use my critical eye  and my hypercritical personality  to create meaningful work  and for that he is forever grateful.

But the story isnt all butterflies and rainbows, because just as Jenkinson left his positive mark in Abouseifs path, there were other teachers who did quite the opposite and instead of empowering they belittled; which shows that you should always surround yourself with people who lift you up in life; it truly makes all the difference in how you end up leading your career path.

With the right nurturing techniques, an amateur becomes a professional. Abouseif now works as a motion designer at the multinational advertising agency - Wunderman Thompson. He takes every opportunity to merge the skills he uses in his creative practice with his client-facing work as he has always done since graduating from Parsons in 2020.

It wasnt the easiest journey as he entered the work force in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant going up against the challenges of an uncertain economy, uncommon networking opportunities, and lockdowns. Abouseif set up virtual coffees and exhausted every lead from his Parsons connections and beyond to hunt down any freelance opportunity he could find. As an artist, you need to flex all your creative muscles and harness all the skills at your disposal. I have learned that the hard way when I didnt have a steady job. At first, balancing different roles and molding my skills to each project felt really unsteady. Now, its my superpower.





Ralph Lauren and Australian Open Partnership social posts, designed by Abouseif, in 2020.

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Philippine Army Artillery Regiment Commander Anthony Coronel returns a salute from a U.S. soldier during a joint military drill in northern Philippines, on March 31, 2023.

The Philippine government on Monday identified four new military camps, including some across the sea from Taiwan, where rotating batches of American forces will be allowed to be stationed indefinitely despite strong objections from China.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s administration announced in February his approval of an expansion of the U.S. military presence to four additional Philippine military bases from the five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the longtime treaty allies.

Marcos said the move would boost the Philippines coastal defense. It dovetails with the Biden administrations efforts to strengthen an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to better counter China, including in any future confrontation over Taiwan.

The new sites identified by Marcos office include a Philippine navy base in Santa Ana and an international airport in Lal-lo, both in northern Cagayan province. Those locations have infuriated Chinese officials because they would provide U.S. forces with a staging ground close to southern China and Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own.

The two other military areas are in northern Isabela province and a navy camp on Balabac island in the western province of Palawan.

Palawan faces the South China Sea, a key passage for global trade that Beijing claims virtually in its entirety and has taken increasingly aggressive actions that have threatened smaller claimant states, including the Philippines.

China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been locked in increasingly tense territorial disputes over the busy and resource-rich South China Sea. Washington lays no claims to the strategic waters but has deployed warships and fighter and surveillance aircraft for patrols that it says promote freedom of navigation and the rule of law, angering Beijing.

Thats a trade route, thats where more or less $3 trillion worth of trade passes. Our responsibility in collectively securing that is huge, said Carlito Galvez, who heads the Philippine Defense Department.

The four new military sites for American forces are suitable and mutually beneficial and will boost the disaster response of the country as a springboard for humanitarian and relief work during emergencies, Marcoss office said.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of Defense said the new locations will strengthen the interoperability of the U.S. and Philippine Armed Forces and allow us to respond more seamlessly together to address a range of shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

In a meeting last month with Philippine officials in Manila, however, a Chinese Foreign Ministry delegation expressed its strong opposition to an expanded U.S. military presence in the Philippines and warned of repercussions for regional peace and stability, a Philippine official involved in the talks said at the time.

Philippine diplomats replied that the decision to allow an expanded American military presence was in the Philippines national interest and would boost its ability to respond to natural disasters, the official said, suggesting the move was not aimed at China.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to publicly discuss the sensitive issue.

The Chinese Embassy also warned in a recent statement that the Philippine governments security cooperation with Washington will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.

The long-seething territorial conflicts continue to be a major irritant in Philippine-China relations. Marcoss administration has filed at least 77 of more than 200 diplomatic protests against Chinas increasingly assertive actions in the disputed waters since he took office last year.

The Philippines used to host two of the largest U.S. Navy and Air Force bases outside the American mainland. The bases were shut down in the early 1990s after the Philippine Senate rejected an extension, but American forces later returned for large-scale combat exercises with Filipino troops under a Visiting Forces Agreement.

The Philippine Constitution prohibits the permanent basing of foreign troops and their involvement in local combat. The 2014 agreement allows visiting American forces to stay indefinitely in rotating batches in barracks and other buildings they construct within designated Philippine camps with their defense equipment, except nuclear weapons.

The Department of National Defense in Manila said the American military presence was not a re-establishment of U.S. military bases in the Philippines, as opponents have asserted.

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1st Access to Space for All Initiative Expert Meeting ONLINE 15 - 17 May 2023

INTRODUCTION

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) launched the Access to Space for All initiative in 2018.It is a joint Initiative of UNOOSA and space agencies, research institutions and industry aimed at developing technical know-how, engineering processes and infrastructure of the United Nations Member States in the areas of hypergravity and microgravity experimentation, satellite development and space exploration. It provides research and orbital opportunities for Member States to access space and to ensure that the benefits of space, in particular for sustainable development, are truly accessible to everyone.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the Expert Meeting are to: Share success stories and challenges on capacity-building activities and effective outreach; To discuss how to improve the Access to Space for All initiative; Bring together partners, awardees, supporting governments, and potential future partners and applicants of the initiative to create a network and build new partnerships; To raise awareness of the Access to Space for All initiative; WHY should you JOIN? Potential future partners and applicants Learn about the different opportunities provided under the initiative and the stories behind it

Gain insights on the success stories and challenges presented by past/current awardees to help your future application

Learn about the initiative from the perspective of offering a capacity-building activity through insights from the partners Partners Raise awareness of your activities and your organization to a broad audience

Share and gain insights from all the partners of the different programmes

Connect with the awardees, other partners, and related government officials from the various opportunities to network

Get feedback from the awardees and applicants to improve the programme Past and current awardees Share and gain insights from other awardees through success stories and challenges of the different programmes

Connect with the partners, other awardees, and related government officials from the various opportunities to network

Raise awareness of your project and the space-related activities from your organization to a broad audience

Provide feedback and share needs and ideas to actively improve the activities of the initiative Government Officials Learn about the different capacity-building opportunities provided under the initiative to develop human capital, accelerate space engineering education, and interest in STI in your country

Collect information on successful capacity-building activities that could be relevant to your country

Connect with the partners, awardees, and other related government officials from the various opportunities to network

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME

This event is held fully online. Sessions 1-4 are open to all who register and session 5 is restricted to partners, awardees and past applicants.

For a more detailed agenda please see here.

Day 1 Monday 15 May

Opening Remarks

Overview of the Access to Space for All initiative - UNOOSA

Session 1: Introduction of the Hypergravity and Microgravity Track

Speakers in this session will be partners and awardees, who will share their respective experience.

Day 2 Tuesday 16 May

Session 2: Introduction to the Satellite Development Track

Speakers in this session will be partners and awardees, who will share their respective experience.

Session 3: Introduction to the Space Exploration Track

Speakers in this session will be partners and awardees, who will share their respective experience.

Day 3 Wednesday 17 May

Session 4: Effective Outreach

Awardees will present how to conduct effective outreach towards people who are interested in the initiative, how to showcase the project, etc.

Session 5: Lessons Learned and Way Forward (Restricted to partners, awardees and past applicants)

Participants in this session will discuss recommendations for UNOOSA to improve the initiative.

REGISTRATION

Register here by 14 May 2023.

The Microsoft Teams link for the meeting will only be sent to people who register. Please make sure to register by the deadline.
(@FahadShabbir)

It is in the interests of world energy to maintain oil prices, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, commenting on the reaction of the US to the latest decision by OPEC+ states to reduce oil production

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) It is in the interests of world energy to maintain oil prices, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, commenting on the reaction of the US to the latest decision by OPEC+ states to reduce oil production.

National Security Council spokesperson on Sunday called the surprise oil output cuts announced by a number of OPEC+ countries unadvisable.

"We focus on the decisions that are made by oil-producing countries ... In this case, the position of OPEC and OPEC+ is important, and in this case, it is in the interests of world energy to maintain world oil prices at the proper level ... This is what we need to focus on, and the satisfied or dissatisfied state of other countries is their own business," Peskov told reporters.

Russia is in constant contact with OPEC+ countries on the matter, the official added.

Several OPEC+ countries announced on Sunday additional oil production cuts estimated at the total of 1.1 million barrels per day, three sources in the organization told Sputnik. One source said that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and Kazakhstan are among the countries that decided to voluntarily trim oil production from May until the end of 2023.

Russia, in turn, decided to extend voluntary oil production cuts of 500,000 barrels per day until the end of 2023, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 03rd Apr, 2023) The Most Noble Numbers charity auction for special vehicle plate numbers will open for bidding in Dubai on Saturday, 8th April 2023, in support of the 1 billion Meals Endowment campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to establish the largest Ramadan sustainable food aid endowment fund.

Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) in collaboration with Emirates Auction and with support from Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the auction will include several special vehicle plate numbers, including single digit plate number P7 and 10 two-digit numbers AA19, AA22, AA80, O71, X36, W78, H31, Z37, J57 and N41, as well as other special plate numbers Y900, Q22222 and Y6666.

The auction is expected to see the participation of prominent figures from various businesses and charities, keen to support initiatives embracing humanitarian causes, such as 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, especially during Ramadan, the month of giving and solidarity.

Proceeds of the Most Noble Numbers charity auction, opening on at the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, will contribute to achieving the objectives of 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign of providing a food safety net for underprivileged populations, and sending the UAEs message of hope and solidarity to those in need, in a time when hunger is threatening more than 828 million people worldwide.

Auctions prove to be a modern, innovative source of support for charity and humanitarian efforts, with the first edition of Most Noble Numbers auction, running alongside the 100 Million Meals campaign in Ramadan 2021, bringing in around AED50.45 million in one night only, helping the campaign double its target and eventually record 220 million meals.

The Most Noble Numbers charity auction for special mobile numbers in Dubai collected AED53 million for Ramadan 2022 1 Billion Meals campaign, while the Abu Dhabi Police Most Noble Number in-person and online auctions supported the campaign with AED111 million.

This years edition of the auction, supporting the 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign, allows the participation of all community groups in the UAEs humanitarian efforts to aid vulnerable persons around the world.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the board of Executive Directors, RTA, said, The 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, is the embodiment of the values of humanity and solidarity with those in need around the world, and is a testament to the UAEs commitment to providing sustainable aid as it invites both public and private sector players to take part and promote the role of social responsibility  a formula that ensures the success of all such initiatives launched in the UAE.

RTA is honoured to support this campaign, which has seen a remarkable response from the community and its institutions since day one. The Most Noble Number charity auction allows direct support of the campaign which aims to provide a food safety net for underprivileged communities. We are confident this auction will see a great response as was the case in the past two years during the 1 Billion Meals and 100 Million Meals campaigns, he added.

Abdulla Matar Al Mannaei, Chairman and Managing Director, Emirates Auction, stated, The 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign is an extension of the UAEs values of good and generosity extending to all business sectors, and we are keen to provide technical and logistic support to ensure the auction runs according to the highest international standards, and that contribution to the campaign is maximized to help achieve its target.

"We were privileged to participate in 100 Million Meals and 1 Billion Meals campaigns, we once again to contribute to the campaigns food aid endowment fund alongside other philanthropists. The UAEs message to humanity is ever reflected in the aid it extends to those in need, he added.

The 1 Billion Meals Endowment campaign continues to welcome donations and contributions to the endowment fund from institutions and individuals across five main channels including the campaigns website (www.1billionmeals.ae), as well as a dedicated call centre via the toll free number (800 9999). Donations are also possible via bank transfers in the UAE Dirham to the campaign bank account number with Emirates NBD (AE30 0260 0010 1533 3439 802). Donations via SMS give contributors the option to donate AED 1 daily through a monthly subscription, by sending the word Meal to 1020 for du users, or to 1110 for Etisalat by e& users. Those who wish to donate to the campaign through the DubaiNow app can do so by clicking on the Donations tab.
BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ) :Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal reached here, after attending the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference-2023, to hold important meetings with Chinese authorities.

During a meeting with President of 'Power China' Chan Guanfu, the minister appreciated the contribution of Chinese enterprises in the success of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Ahsan Iqbal said the people of Pakistan would never forget that China helped them at a time when the whole country was plunged into darkness due to power shortages.

Through CPEC energy projects Pakistan was able to overcome its energy shortage, he said recalling Power China's longstanding friendship with Pakistan and many important projects undertaken for enhancing Pakistan's energy & infrastructure including coal-fired power plants in Port Qasim, RLNG power plant in Haveli Bahadur Shah and Dawood Wind Power Project.

He invited the power China' to invest in solar energy for which the government has announced a special initiative to launch 10,000 MW.

He assured 'Power China' of the government's full facilitation for the implementation of the projects and resolution of all issues.

Later Chairman of 'China Road and Bridge Corporation Du Fei called upon the Planning minister.

Ahsan Iqbal underscored the importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in strengthening and modernizing infrastructure in Pakistan in the last few years.

He highlighted the role of connectivity projects in the socio-economic development of Pakistan, acknowledging CRBC's contributions to executing important transport and infrastructure development in Pakistan from the construction of KKH in 1966 to the construction of the Havelian-Thakot motorway in 2017-18.

The minister welcomed the proposed Karachi coastal comprehensive development zone (KCCDZ) project, which envisaged an investment of over $ 3 billion in Karachi, Babusar Tunnel Project, feasibility study for the new Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway alignment (M9) and other important projects.

Ahsan Iqbal expressed confidence that these projects would act as an emerging hub for tourism, IT, ports, shipping and services as it would also create thousands of new jobs for talented youth.

He assured the government's full support for the successful implementation of the proposed projects.

The Planning Minister also highlighted the special friendship and iron brotherhood between China and Pakistan, which is time-tested and timeless.

He hoped to promote cultural exchanges and enhance people-to-people contacts between the two countries to further strengthen the existing friendship and foster better understanding to explore each other countries' rich history, natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Chinese company representatives appreciated the contribution of the minister in making the CPEC a success, assuring full support in taking CPEC into the next phase of cooperation.

They thanked the minister for the assurance to address the concerns of the companies.

Ahsan Iqbal assured that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was personally supervising the progress of CPEC projects and that the new government was committed to reviving the same speed with which CPEC was moving during 2013-18.
One of the most cited scientists in the world, the Spanish chemist Rafael Luque, has been suspended without pay for the next 13 years, according to Luque himself and the institution where he worked until recently, the University of Cordoba in Spain. The university has sanctioned Luque for working as a researcher at other centers, such as the King Saud University in Riyadh and the Peoples Friendship University of Russia in Moscow, despite holding a full-time publicly funded contract with the Spanish institution.

Luque, 44, is one of the most prolific scientists in Spain. He has published some 700 studies, mainly in the field of so-called green chemistry, which aims to synthesize products such as drugs and fuels while generating less waste. So far this year, Luque has published 58 studies at a rate of one every 37 hours. He has featured on the list of the worlds most cited researchers, compiled by the specialist company Clarivate, for five years. Institutions all over the world compete to hire scientists like Luque, who can move a center up hundreds of positions in international academic rankings such as the influential Shanghai ranking, thusly attracting more students and more funding. Without me, the University of Cordoba is going to drop 300 places [in the Shanghai ranking]. They have shot themselves in the foot, said Luque, who attributed his suspension to pure envy.

Over a decade ago, leading Saudi universities launched aggressive programs to recruit the worlds most cited scientists. The King Abdulaziz University, for example, offered researchers around $76,000 per year, with the only stipulation being that spend just one week a year on its campus and, of course, add the name of the Saudi institution as a second affiliation, as revealed by industry journal Science.

In 2019, Luque signed on as a researcher at King Saud, in addition to being a professor at the University of Cordoba. The Spanish chemist claimed that he never received money directly from either the Saudi or Russian institutions, beyond funding for his analyses, business class travel and luxury hotels. In my [bank] account, they would not have found a single cent from Russia or Saudi Arabia or anywhere else, he said.

Without me, the University of Cordoba will drop 300 places in the Shanghai ranking. They have shot themselves in the foot Rafael Luque, chemist

The current scientific system is governed by the publish or perish imperative. Researchers are evaluated by the number of studies they publish in peer-reviewed journals and by the number of times these papers are cited by other colleagues. The well-intentioned mechanism, however, has produced adverse effects, as explained by the British engineer Nick Wise, a researcher at Cambridge University who, in his spare time, seeks out fraud in science. Wise has uncovered shady factories of scientific studies, produced by copying and pasting other studies or by automatic text generators, and whose authorship is secretly sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars to inflate resumes. I found a study by Rafael Luque whose authorship had previously been offered in a group on [the messaging platform] Telegram, Wise said.

The Spanish researcher published that paper on the degradation of ibuprofen in wastewater five months ago, with six co-authors from the University of Bushehr and another from the University of Tabriz, both in Iran. Luque says that he has never paid to be added to someone elses research, but admitted he does not know all the Iranian co-authors listed on the study and cannot rule out the possibility some of them did pay to appear. I obviously dont know that, but Im amazed by this issue. Who pays to publish a study? Someone who needs it, maybe, I dont know, he said by videoconference from Dhahran, the heart of the Saudi oil industry, where he is considering a collaboration with a local university.

Luque is constantly publishing papers. Last year he authored some 110 articles. So far this year he has published 58. The chemist admitted that since December, he has been using the artificial intelligence program ChatGPT to polish his texts. These months have been quite productive, because there are articles that used to require two or three days and now I do them in one day, he said. ChatGPT, launched in December, is capable of generating in-depth texts in response to complex questions. Luque said he basically uses it to improve his written expression in English and strongly denies having any relationship with any wholesale research factory.

I found a study by Rafael Luque whose authorship had previously been offered in a group on Telegram Nick Wise, Cambridge University engineer

Russian mathematician Alexander Magazinov, like Wise, also spends his spare time combing scientific literature for tortured phrases: unusual expressions that are added to plagiarized texts, precisely to avoid the computer programs that detect plagiarism. One example is to replace the usual artificial intelligence with falsified consciousness. Magazinov mentioned that a non-existent vegetative electron microscopy appears in two studies by Luque published with Iranian colleagues.

Scientists around the world use an American website called PubPeer to anonymously and ruthlessly comment on articles by other colleagues, and not always with reason on their side. There are critiques of around 90 of Luques studies on PubPeer, many of them from Magazinov himself. A common reproach is that the Spanish chemists papers include dozens of unnecessary citations to other articles to artificially inflate the number of citations from other colleagues. In 2018, the University of Cordoba boasted that 84 out of 100 of Luques studies were cited by other scientists.

Luque has received many awards including one from the UK Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013 and a mention as a Green Talent in 2011 by the German Ministry of Research. However, this is not the first time he has been involved in a scandal. Two professors at the Tenerife University of La Laguna, Jose Juan Marrero and David Diaz, reported in 2011 that one of their students had appropriated data from their laboratory and published it as his own, with Rafael Luque as sole co-author. A court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife last year convicted Luque and the former student of committing a crime against intellectual property: I helped him to review the article, to put it in good English and to publish it, yes. I have appealed the sentence, Luque says.

They have a grudge against me because I am a very prolific scientist and a lot of people adore me Rafael Luque, chemist

Luque stopped working at the University of Cordoba on December 1, 2022, after 15 years there. Until then, his publication signature included the Spanish institution, often accompanied by the Russian or the Saudi institutions, as well as the Jiao Tong University in Xian (China) as of 2019 and the University of Central Sweden since the end of 2021. In recent months, he has added the ECOTEC University in Samborondon (Ecuador) and the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria (Italy).

According to the Spanish chemist, his problems in Cordoba began when he started collaborating with King Saud University in 2019, and after signing a study by mistake as if he was a professor at the Russian university. The head of the Cordoba university at the time opened an investigation that ended with Luque being suspended without pay for 13 years, a sanction that was then ratified in autumn 2022 by the new university administration. EL PAIS asked Gomez Villamandos, the current Andalusian governments councilor for universities, about the case but did not receive a response. A spokeswoman for the University of Cordoba stressed that the sanction against Luque is for violating aspects of incompatibility according to the rules of public personnel and that the institution has not received any complaint about the quality of his studies.

Luque acknowledges that he skipped the established procedures to collaborate with other institutions, but attributes the sanction to envy and a lack of understanding. They have a grudge against me because I am a very prolific scientist and a lot of people adore me, because they know my worth. They are envious and mediocre people, he said. I have never felt supported by the University of Cordoba, even though I put it on the Shanghai ranking. Being on the ranking is entirely due to me.

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Moscow, April 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ) :The Kremlin said Monday oil output cuts by Russia, Saudi Arabia and other major producers that have caused prices to soar are "in the interests" of global markets.

The surprise move on Sunday came as oil prices have cooled in recent months after soaring last year following the start of the conflict in Ukraine.

"It is in the interests of global energy markets for world oil prices to remain at a good level," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Whether other countries are happy with this or not is their business," he added.

The decision could anger the United States, which had already criticised the OPEC+ oil cartel, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, over a previous cut in production last year.

Riyadh and other major oil producers announced Sunday a production cut of more than one million barrels per day, calling it a "precautionary" move aimed at stabilising the market.

Russia said it would extend until the end of the year its own voluntary production cut of 500,000 barrels per day, a measure seen by experts as a way of making prices go up and counteracting the effect of international sanctions.

Russia's deputy prime minister in charge of energy, Alexander Novak, said the measure was justified by the "high volatility" and "uncertainty" in the oil market.

"The predictability of the global oil market is a key element to ensure energy security," he said in a statement.

Oil prices shot up on Monday, with both main crude contracts jumping around eight percent at one point.
(@FahadShabbir)

COLOMBO, April 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ) --:Sri Lanka's tourism industry is aiming to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, an increase from the previous target of 1.5 million, an official said on Monday.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media that the SLTDA amended the estimates due to a positive trend in the first quarter of the year.

Fernando said Sri Lanka has already exceeded its target for March 2023, with over 112,000 tourists arriving in the first 28 days of the month, marking the first time since 2019 that Sri Lanka has welcomed over 100,000 tourists for three consecutive months.

Sri Lanka has welcomed over 323,000 tourists so far this year, he said.

The country is expecting a boost in Chinese tourists due to increased flights and promotional efforts in China, and is also considering adding direct flights from Israel, he said.
Paris, April 3 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ) :The trial of a 69-year-old Lebanese-Canadian charged over a fatal 1980 bomb attack outside a Paris synagogue opened on Monday after more than four decades of legal wrangling.

Canada-based Hassan Diab, who denies any involvement in the attack which killed four and wounded dozens, told the court during preliminary hearings that he would not show up for the trial, after accusations against him had been dropped in an earlier investigation.

In the early evening of October 3, 1980, explosives placed on a motorcycle detonated close to a synagogue in Rue Copernic in Paris's chic 16th district, killing four people -- a student passing by on a motorbike, a driver, an Israeli journalist and a caretaker.

Forty-six people were injured in the blast.

The bombing was the first deadly attack against a Jewish target on French soil since World War II.

No organisation ever claimed responsibility but police suspected a splinter group of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

French intelligence in 1999 accused Diab, a sociology professor, of having made the 10-kilogramme (22-pound) bomb.

They pointed to Diab's likeness with police sketches drawn at the time and handwriting analyses that they said confirmed him as a suspect.

They also produced a key item of evidence against him -- a passport in his name, seized in Rome in 1981, with entry and exit stamps from Spain, where the attack plan was believed to have originated.

In 2014, Canada extradited Diab at the request of the French authorities.

However, investigating judges were unable to prove his guilt conclusively during the investigation and Diab was released, leaving France for Canada as a free man in 2018.

- 'End of an ordeal' - Three years later, a French court overturned the earlier decision and ordered Diab to stand trial after all, on charges of murder, attempted murder and destruction of property in connection with a terrorist enterprise.

French authorities stopped short of issuing a new international arrest warrant for Diab, effectively leaving it up to him to attend his trial or not.

He could be sentenced to life in prison in absentia if found guilty.

"This trial has to happen now," said Benjamin Chambre, one of the prosecutors, accusing Diab of "cowardice" for not showing up.

But the suspect's celebrity lawyer, William Bourdon, said his client's decision to stay away was "humanly understandable".

The French judiciary "falsely gave the impression" that Diab was guilty because the plaintiffs "were demanding a guilty person at any price".

"The case should have been closed when the investigation was dropped," Bourdon said.

Diab won some backing from NGOs, including Amnesty International, who said his assertion that he was in Lebanon at the time of the attack was credible.

Bernard Cahen, a lawyer for around 100 plaintiffs in the case, said the start of the trial marked "the end of a long ordeal" for his clients.

The verdict is expected on April 21.
(@Abdulla99267510)

Ahsan Iqbal is in Beijing to hold important meetings with Chinese authorities after attending 'The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023".

Beijing: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-April 3rd, 2023) Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has appreciated the contribution of Chinese enterprises in the success of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.

He was talking to President of Chinese Company "Power China" Chan Guanfu, who called on him in Beijing.

Ahsan Iqbal is in Beijing to hold important meetings with Chinese authorities after attending 'The Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023".

He said people of Pakistan will never forget Chinese help at a time when the whole country was plunged into darkness due to power shortages. He said through CPEC energy projects, Pakistan has been able to overcome its energy shortage.

During the meeting, the long standing friendship of "Power China" with Pakistan and many important projects was discussed for enhancing country's energy and infrastructure including coal-fired power plants in Port Qasim, RLNG Power Plant in Haveli Bahadur Shah and Dawood Wind Power Project.

The Minister invited "Power China" to invest in solar energy for which the government has announced a special initiative to launch 10,000 Megawatts.

He assured government's full facilitation for implementation of the projects and resolution of all issues.

Meanwhile, the Chairman "China Road and Bridge Corporation" Du Fei also called on Minister for Planning and Development in Beijing.

During the meeting, the Minister underscored the importance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship project of Belt and Road Initiative in strengthening and modernizing of infrastructure in Pakistan during the last few years.

He highlighted the role of connectivity projects in sociology-economic development of Pakistan.

The Minister also acknowledged China Road and Bridge Corporation contributions for executing important transport and infrastructure development in Pakistan from construction of KKH in 1966 to construction of Havelia-Thakot motorway in 2017-18.

He welcomed the proposed Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) project, which envisages an investment of over 3 billion Dollars in Karachi, Babusar Tunnel Project, feasibility study for new Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway alignment (M9) and other important projects.

Minister expressed his confidence that these projects will act as an emerging hub for tourism, IT, ports, shipping and services as it will also create thousands of new jobs for talented youth.

He assured government's full support for successful implementation of proposed projects.

Speaking on this occasion, the representatives of Chinese company appreciated the contribution of the Minister in making CPEC a success and assured full support in taking the project into next phase of cooperation.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The federal cabinet Monday asked President Dr Arif Alvi to immediately sign the 'Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023' so that the country could be taken out of the constitutional and political crisis

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ) :The Federal cabinet Monday asked President Dr Arif Alvi to immediately sign the 'Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Act 2023' so that the country could be taken out of the constitutional and political crisis.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the special meeting of the federal cabinet held at the Prime Minister House, here.

The ministers considered in detail two-point agenda. Minister for Law Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan briefed the cabinet on different legal matters.

The cabinet examined the issue of issuance of a circular by the Registrar Supreme Court against the order of the Supreme Court's bench headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

The cabinet decided to withdraw the services of the Registrar Supreme Court and asked him to report to the Establishment Division.
Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Shazia Marri on Monday directed the officials concerned for vigilance and concrete efforts to ensure the disbursement of Benazir Kafaalat and other initiatives in a more transparent manner

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Apr, 2023 ):Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Shazia Marri on Monday directed the officials concerned for vigilance and concrete efforts to ensure the disbursement of Benazir Kafaalat and other initiatives in a more transparent manner.

She was presiding over a high-level meeting to review the various initiatives of the Benazir Income Support Programme.

The meeting was held on zoom and was attended by the Secretary Benazir Income Support Programme Yusuf Khan, Additional Secretary Dr Tahir Noor, and all director generals including heads of provinces and regions.

The Secretary BISP briefed the minister regarding the ongoing quarterly disbursement of Benazir Kafaalat which has been enhanced from Rs 7,000 to 8,500 by the federal government.

The details of other initiatives including the disbursement of Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, Sindh Government's payments of wheat seed subsidy to farmers of flood-affected areas of Sindh, and atta (flour) subsidy payments, were also discussed.

The ongoing survey of the National Socio-Economic Registry 'Dynamic Registry' was also discussed under which the status of already registered beneficiaries is being reassessed.

Dynamic Registry also gives the new deserving beneficiaries the opportunity to take benefit from the initiative on qualifying the criteria/ poverty benchmark.

The Regional DGs for Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir briefed the minister with regard to complaints of illegal deductions received, recovery made and the POS agents blocked under the complaints of deductions. The provincial DGs discussed about the shortage of manpower in the meeting.

Shazia Marri said that we needed to educate beneficiaries that the government of Pakistan had increased the amount of Benazir Kafaalat for quarter of Jan- March and April- Jun from Rs 7000 to Rs 8500 and RS 9000 respectively.

She urged the beneficiaries to lodge their complaints in case of unlawful deductions in the nearest BISP office.

The minister directed the field staff to enhance vigilance at the grassroots level to control the complaints of illegal deductions received from some areas against the POS (Point of Sale) agents of partner banks.

She further urged the partner banks, i.e. Habib Bank in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan and Bank Al-Falah in the rest of the country to simplify the payment mechanism through their ATMs so that the beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme could withdraw their funds easily.

The minister asked the Secretary BISP to work out a plan to address the issue of shortage of manpower in the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
(@Abdulla99267510)

CJ Farooq remarked that the notices did not reflect compliance with judicial orders, and the court reserved the verdict on Khan and Bushra Bibi's pleas while issuing notices to NAB for their reply.

ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 3rd, 2023) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday regarding the summons of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana case.

Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi filed pleas against the call-up notices issued by the anti-graft watchdog on February 17 and March 16, respectively.

Bushra Bibi had asked the court to declare the NAB notices as illegal and asked the court to stay the inquiry by changing the investigation until the final decision of the Toshakhana case.

A division bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the pleas.

The counsel representing Khan and Bibi, Khawaja Haris, contended that the NAB's notices did not state in which capacity the information was being sought, and that providing complete information about the notices is mandatory for NAB as per judicial orders.

CJ Farooq inquired about the procedure of serving notices as per the latest NAB amendments, to which the lawyer responded that the Amendment Act says the NAB must establish a reason and communicate it to the receiver for summoning someone.

As per the amendment law, it should be mentioned whether anyone was summoned as an accused or summoned for any other reason.

The lawyer further stated that the Cabinet Division and Federal board of Revenue (FBR), which come under the banner of public offices, were also involved in the Toshakhana gifts case. The CJ of the IHC then asked if Imran Khan had received the summons, to which the lawyer presented the NAB's call-up notices served to Khan in court.

The lawyer stated that they weren't provided information in the notices and that it only mentioned that it was about an inquiry against public office holders. He also stated that Khan had sent a written response only and did not appear before NAB authorities in response to the notices. The lawyer added that petitioners feared that NAB would turn the inquiry into an investigation.

The court then asked the NAB prosecutor to present their arguments. The IHC CJ asked if a notice had been served to Khan again, to which the NAB prosecutor informed the court that a reminder had been sent to the former premier.

CJ Farooq remarked that the notices did not reflect compliance with judicial orders, and the court reserved the verdict on Khan and Bushra Bibi's pleas while issuing notices to NAB for their reply. The court later announced the verdict while issuing notices to NAB for their reply.
The Belarusian foreign policy will be based on its alliance with Russia and strengthening of partnership with China, according to the country's draft national security concept

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) The Belarusian foreign policy will be based on its alliance with Russia and strengthening of partnership with China, according to the country's draft national security concept.

The draft project was published on the national legal portal on Monday.

"The foreign policy activities ensure the implementation of an independent course in the international arena. It is based on strategic allied relations with Russia, comprehensive cooperation with other friendly states ... strengthening strategic partnership with China and multifaceted interaction with other states that respect our views and interests," the draft concept read, adding that Belarus' allied relations with Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) contribute to the security of Minsk.

According to the draft project, the main threats to the national security of Belarus are encroachments on it's territorial integrity, sovereignty and the constitutional order.

At the same time, Belarus plans to maintain a pragmatic dialogue with the Western nations in order to list sanctions.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

His defense has appealed the court order on the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, suspected of espionage by Russian security services, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) His defense has appealed the court order on the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich, suspected of espionage by Russian security services, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow told Sputnik on Monday.

"The court has received a complaint on the measure of restraint in respect of Gershkovich," a representative of the court said.

On March 30, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) detained Gershkovich, a WSJ Moscow Bureau correspondent, in Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage in favor of the United States. According to the FSB, the journalist was collecting classified information about the activities of one of Russia's military-industrial complex firms.

Later that day, the Lefortovo District Court of Moscow decided to place Gershkovich in pre-trial detention for two months until May 29.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the reporter had been caught red-handed, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Gershkovich's activities in Yekaterinburg had nothing to do with journalism.

The WSJ has denounced any charges against Gershkovich and demanded his immediate release. EU High Representative Josep Borrel, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and US President Joe Biden, among many other Western leaders, have condemned the journalist's arrest.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department (DoJ) have new evidence suggesting that former US President Donald Trump could have obstructed the probe into secret documents found at his Mar-a-Lago resort, The Washington Post reports citing sources.

Federal investigators have gathered fresh evidence that boxes with classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served, and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes, the sources told the newspaper on Sunday.

The new evidence emerged as investigators have used emails and text messages from a former Trump aide, as well as witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, The Washington Post said.

It is unclear whether there is enough evidence to ask a grand jury to charge Trump with obstructing the investigation.

Trump's spokesman Steven Cheung told the newspaper that "The witch-hunts against President Trump have no basis in facts or law.

The deranged special counsel and the DoJ have now resorted to prosecutorial misconduct by illegally leaking information to corrupt the legal process and weaponize the justice system in order to manipulate public opinion and conduct election interference, because they are clearly losing all across the board."

On August 8, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago as part of an investigation into potential mishandling of sensitive presidential records. Agents examined the premises for nine hours during which they seized 11 sets of documents and other materials, some of which were labeled Top Secret, according to the disclosed search warrant receipt.

Trump has condemned the probe and the raid as a weaponization of the US justice system against him as well as his aides and supporters.

Trump's legal team argues that Trump complied with the subpoena now that the order was fulfilled, but the Justice Department disagrees because of the length of time it took to satisfy its request.
A couple of decades ago, Harvard Magazine published a note about one of the universitys professors. Chemist David Liu had been banned from Las Vegas casinos when he was 29-years-old, after winning too much money playing blackjack. When asked if this is an urban legend, Liu smiles. Its partially true. Actually, I was 21-years-old and it wasnt all in one night, he responds between laughs. The chemist was a young prodigy. At the age of 26, he was a lecturer at Harvard. By 31, he was already a full professor. For fun, he used his knowledge of math to gain an advantage at blackjack.

In 2016when he was 43his team had invented single-letter base editing: a tool used to modify DNA that is currently revolutionizing the world of medicine. Three months ago, a London hospital announced that it had used base editing to save the life of Alyssa: a 13-year-old girl with a very aggressive form of leukemia. Her cancer is in complete remission, Liu gushes.

The operating manual of a human beingpresent in every cellis a piece of text with more than three billion chemical letters. Errors in this DNA cause cancer and a multitude of diseases. Liu wants to rewrite this human book to eliminate typos.

The Californian chemist, born in Riverside 49 years ago, compares his base editing tool to a pencil with an eraser, capable of removing a single letter and replacing it with another. Alyssas medical team, from University College London, used base editing to modify a donors white blood cells, to help them attack her cancer cells. David Lius amazing techniques have outdated previous gene-editing tools, including CRISPR, which was invented in 2012 and won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The researcher likens the original CRISPR to a pair of scissors: useful for deactivating genes in a rough way, but not rewriting them accurately.

Today, his own pencil with an eraser is already being surpassed. In 2019, Liu announced a new tool: quality editing. Its like a word processor: you can search for a specific sequence and replace the entire sequence with another sequence that you want, he explains via videoconference. Quality editorswhich are still in the experimental phasecan theoretically correct 89% of the 75,000 genetic variants associated with diseases.

Question. There are 20 million new cases of cancer every year around the world. How many of these patients could benefit from base editing or quality editing?

Answer. Well, cancer isnt just one diseaseits hundreds of diseases. And those diseases are each made up of many different kinds of molecular changes that cause cancer. I think the strategy used with Alyssa holds great promise for patients with T-cell leukemia and possibly other blood tumors but its too early to tell what role these tools might play in other cancers.

Base editing has managed to achieve the complete remission of Alyssas leukemia. She is a 13-year-old British girl. UCL

Q. In 2016, this technology must have seemed like science fiction, even to you.

A. These database editors and quality editors dont exist in nature. They are engineered molecular machines. Its still kind of amazing to me that humans are taking control of our genomesand the misspellings in our genomesthat cause genetic diseases.

Q. There are 400 million people affected by one of the 7,000 diseases caused by mutations in a single gene. Three months ago, your colleague Fyodor Urnovfrom the University of California at Berkeleywondered: Why arent we curing them already? He maintains that the main obstacles arent technical, but legal, financial and organizational.

A. I agree. There are still significant technical and scientific challenges, such as learning to modify DNA in ways that would be therapeutic. And, of course, we still dont know how to [access] certain tissues in the body. But I agree with Fyodor in that there are manufacturing, regulatory and other non-scientific barriers that will need to be addressed if we want to maximize the benefit of these technologies in society.

Q. Are many people going to die because of obstacles that arent scientific?

A. If someone dies from a disease, its the fault of the disease, not the regulatory bodies. Regulators dont kill anyone. The goal is to ensure that these treatments are as effective as possible, but also that theyre safe. The history of medicine is littered with examples where well-intended doctors and scientists didnt understand the side effects of their experimental therapies well enough and ended up harming patients. The goal is to avoid doing that.

Q. How many letters do you receive from parents who have children living with genetic diseases?

A. About five or ten letters each week. We try to answer all of them. In the early days of base editing, technology could fix a few of the single letter mutations we were told about But now, theres almost always a technology to fix the bug, either with base editors or quality editors. In some cases, however, it hasnt been shown that correcting the error can actually cure the patient. In some genetic diseases, its too late, because the damage appears very early. In many cases, unfortunately, I have to explain to the people who send us letters that it takes very solid science to link a genetic mutation to a disease. And you also need good animal models that mimic that disease. For most of these diseases, [these options arent available], so its hard to prove whether gene-editing can work. And of course, even if there are animal models, it takes years of work to show that correcting a mutation can correct the disease in a human.

I understand that it can be frustrating for a patients family to know that we know of a technology that can correct an error in DNA that could be the cause of the genetic disease affecting their son or daughter. However, gene-editing technology isnt enough on its own. The good news is that we already have technologies that can correct the vast majority of DNA errors that cause known genetic diseases. But, while this is an important step, we also need all of these other pieces to fit together in order to develop therapeutic strategies that merit clinical trials and, hopefully, new drugs.

Q. In a New York Times article, Fyodor Urnov estimated that it takes four years and about $10 million to develop a gene-editing drug.

A. $10 million sounds about right. I would say it can cost between a million and $100 million dollars. And four years seems very fast to me. It seems like an ambitious deadline to start a clinical trial, but not to obtain the authorization of a drug. But, you know, thats an important point for the public to appreciate. When they read a news article that says, heres a [research] paper showing that this new treatment can treat this disease in an animal, this still means that there are probably years of work before such a treatment might be available to a patient.

Q. Who can invest $10 million to develop a drug that can only be used in a person with a specific mutation?

A. Thats one of the main issues facing our field. Were already working on some strategies to try to solve this problem. I think there are a few ways that a gene-editing agent can be used to treat many different mutations and even many different genetic diseases. I hope we can report some good news about it soon.

Q. Now that Alyssas cancer has gone into remission, whats next?

A. There are four ongoing clinical trials with base editing. One of them is that of Alyssa, from University College London. The first trial to administer base editors directly into patients (rather than into their cells in a laboratory environment) is a collaboration between the companies Verve and Beam, to reduce super high levels of bad cholesterol related to the PCSK9 gene. The Beam-101 trialagainst sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia (a blood disorder that reduces the production of hemoglobin)is already enrolling patients. And theres also another clinical trial underway in China to treat beta thalassemia. I hope that Alyssa is the prelude to many more positive results.

Q. When will the quality editors be tested in a human clinical trial?

A. You would have to ask Prime Medicine (one of the companies that Liu co-founded, which is developing treatments with quality publishers). They hope to have an IND (investigational new drug) cleared by 2024. Hopefully clinical trials will begin soon.

Q. How do you imagine medicine in 10 years?

A. I would be disappointed if, 10 years from now, we didnt have enough clinical trials, both with database publishers and quality publishers. And I hope well have the first drugs approved that are molecular machines capable of going into a patients cell and specifically changing a bug [thats causing] a genetic disease.

I hope that, if you interview me in 2033, there will be quite a few clinical trials and even some of the first FDA-approved drugs that allows us to take control of our genomes and not be so beholden to the misspellings in our DNA that determine the genetic fates of millions of people.

Q. You tweeted the other day that people are happy accidents.

A. I was just making the point that evolution is dependent on chance events. Organisms evolve and their mutations are partially random. For a gene to evolve one way or another can be considered a happy accident. Evolution depends on chance events that make the results stochasticdifficult to predict. In that sense, the fact that humans have evolved as they have is a bit of a matter of luck, or bad luck, depending on ones perspective.

Q. You dont see Gods hand in any aspect of DNA?

A. Well, thats a tough question to answer. No comment! (laughs)

Q. You supported a moratorium on germline gene-editing, which involves altering the specific genes of an egg, sperm cell, or early embryo. That was back in 2019. Do you still support the moratorium?

A. Its not a simple black and white issue, as it is with most important issues. I think theres very little reason to edit the germline. I do anticipate that there will be more cases in the future, especially when somatic cell-editing [cells that are neither eggs nor sperm cells] has been tried more and there are approved drugs. That might be a better time to discuss the pros and cons of germline gene-editing. For now, I think the ethical and scientific stakes are too high to justify the small number of hypothetical cases in which [germline gene-editing] might be considered necessary.

Q. What kind of cases do you envision in the future?

A. Well, in the future there may be more willingness to edit the germline. Once somatic cell gene-editing is mature enough and theres a high degree of confidence in its safety and efficacy, I think people will take another look at germline editing. Currently, I dont think it should be a priority.

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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) Five wounded Ukrainian servicemen have been repatriated to their homeland, Russian Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova said on Monday.

"At the end of March, five seriously wounded Russian servicemen were handed over to us by the Ukrainian side.

.. Five wounded servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces have been repatriated to Ukraine today. Work in this sphere continues," Moskalkova said on Telegram.

The returned Russian servicemen are undergoing treatment, the ombudswoman added.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th April, 2023) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom Netanyahu fired last week, attended together on Monday a traditional event with the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to celebrate Passover, also known as Pesach, the Prime Minister's Office said.

On March 26, Netanyahu announced that he had fired Gallant for calling on the government to suspend adoption of the controversial judicial reform amid nationwide mass protests. However, Gallant still retains his post as the defense minister.

"We know that in Israel we are in the midst of an internal debate. I believe that that in this debate, with goodwill and genuine dialogue, it will be possible to reach broad consensus; this is what I aspire to.

But it is important to tell our enemies not to err because internal debates do not matter, we will fight them both within and beyond our borders with all necessary force to defend ourselves by ourselves," Netanyahu said, according to the statement.

Earlier in the day, Israeli media reported, citing sources, that the dismissal of the defense minister had been postponed due to security concerns. Netanyahu does not insist on the dismissal because he is awaiting apologies from Gallant and assurances of his loyalty to the government policy, media said.
(@FahadShabbir)

Police have cordoned off Trump Tower, located in the heart of New York on prestigious Fifth Avenue, ahead of the arrival of former US President Donald Trump later today for his court arraignment, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the ground

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) Police have cordoned off Trump Tower, located in the heart of New York on prestigious Fifth Avenue, ahead of the arrival of former US President Donald Trump later today for his court arraignment, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the ground.

Police officers allow entry only to those who are living or working nearby.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of journalists have flocked to the site.

A small group of protesters is holding a banner that says: "Trump '24. Finish the Wall. Save America."

"It's a political prosecution! Wake up and see it for what it is! Read between the lines! If the man declared, if Donald Trump declared I'm not running for president yesterday, this whole media circus wouldn't be here today," NYC resident David Ram told Sputnik.

Last week, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on charges related to his alleged role in a hush money payment and cover-up involving adult film star Stormy Daniels during the lead-up to the 2016 election. Trump denies the allegations, as well as the affair, and has characterized the case as a "witch hunt" and political persecution.

Trump said on Friday that he will be appealing the indictment, claiming that the officials involved in the case are biased.

The former president is set to arrive in New York later on Monday ahead of an arraignment hearing on Tuesday afternoon, during which he intends to declare his innocence.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) NATO foreign ministers will discuss a multi-year support program for Ukraine at a meeting from April 4-5, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

"Our support is for the long haul, so I expect that ministers will agree to start work on developing on a multi-year (support) program for Ukraine," Stoltenberg said at a press conference ahead of the ministerial meeting.

NATO wants to discuss with Ukraine not only urgent military support, but also reforms, the fight against corruption and the rights of national minorities, the alliance's head added.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) Two crew members have died and another one has been injured in a medical helicopter crash in Shelby County in the US state of Alabama, the local sheriff's office said.

The incident occurred at around 5:30 p.m. local time (22:30 GMT) on Sunday, when the helicopter was called in to transport a hiker with chest pains and breathing problems.

"There were three crew members on board the aircraft at the time of the crash. Tragically, I can say now that we can confirm the fatality of two," Shelby County Sheriff's Office chief deputy Clay Hammac told a press briefing, as broadcast by local media.

One of the crew members was declared dead on the spot, while the other died in the hospital, where he was transported along with the third crew member, who was in a critical condition as of Sunday night, US firm Air Methods that operated the aircraft said on Twitter.

The hiker was not on the helicopter when it crashed, the operator specified, adding that he had been taken to a local hospital separately from the helicopter crew.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) The US Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a $4.5 billion four-year production contract for Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) and Hellfire missiles, according to a release Monday.

"Not only does this contract award support sustained production, but this is the first joint production contact award from the US government for JAGM and HELLFIRE," Joey Drake, program management director of Air-to-Ground Missile Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, said in the release.

The total value of the first year is worth $439 million; with three additional awards starting in late 2023, the contract will total up to $4.5 billion over the next four years.

The contract allows for procurement flexibility for both types of missile systems for multiple domestic and international customers.

International demand for JAGM is expected to significantly increase, and there are currently more than 30 Foreign Military Sales customers for Hellfire missiles, the release said.
The hunt begins. Red colobus monkeys swing agilely through the treetops, 130 feet (40 meters) overhead. The only way to catch them is to use strategy, coordination and cooperation. The hunters  chimpanzees of the Ivory Coasts Tai National Park  have all three qualities. The hunters each have a role to play  one group drives the colobus monkeys toward the ambush where the other group lays in wait.

A lone chimpanzee ends up catching the colobus, but it has been a group effort. The chimpanzees distribute the meat according to how each hunter contributed to the chase. The most dominant male in the pack will receive less meat than a youngster if it played a lesser role in the hunt. But isnt a sense of fairness a unique attribute of human beings?

We can find fairness in every human society. A four-year-old child in any culture will protest the unequal distribution of resources. This universal human quality and its rapid development in children suggests it is an evolutionary adaptation. It has deep biological roots and is not simply a cultural inheritance. What was the context for its development in humans? The most widely accepted explanation is that we became a highly cooperative species, and the survival of such a society depends on the fair distribution of resources.

Humans are not the only animals that rely on cooperation to survive: wolves hunt in packs; ants divide the labor of digging tunnels, foraging for food and caring for the queen; and meerkats take turns watching for predators. So its not unreasonable to suggest that other animals have a sense of fairness. Its a question philosophers have been pondering for centuries. Aristotle believed that this quality could not exist without language capabilities, therefore only humans have it.

Twenty years ago, scientists decided to end the philosophical debate with empirical research. In 2003, one of the most famous studies on animal behavior examined whether monkeys have a sense of fairness. Frans de Waal, a co-author of the study, described the experiment in a powerful TED talk that had audiences laughing at the similarities between human and monkey behaviors.

Two capuchin monkeys sit in adjoining cages in full view of each other. A person stands in front of the cages with two bowls  one with cucumbers and the other grapes (the monkeys favorite fruit). The capuchins have been trained to pick up a stone in the cage and hand it to the person who rewards them with food from one of the bowls.

The first monkey hands over the stone and is given a piece of cucumber to eat. The other monkey is rewarded with a grape for the same task. When the first monkey is again given a cucumber instead of a grape, it angrily throws it back, clearly dissatisfied with the food distribution. The researchers interpreted this behavior as evidence that the monkeys reacted negatively to inequity.

More research followed to replicate the experiment with other species. Several studies were published suggesting that rats, crows, cockatoos, dogs and other primates are also sensitive to inequity and, therefore, have a sense of fairness. Yet, other studies used the same methodology and did not obtain the same results. This is common in laboratory studies of animal behavior, as samples are often small. For example, only five females showed aversion behavior in the capuchin monkey study, which proves the need for more research before publishing headline-grabbing news.

Interpreting the behavior of the animals that reject the worst quality item also causes controversy. We intuitively think the rejection is because of an innate sense of fairness, but does the animals frustration really come from comparing rewards? Or could there be another explanation?

Two opposing hypotheses attempt to answer this question. The hypothesis of adverse behavior as a response to inequity argues that social comparison exists. In other words, without another monkey for comparison, no unwanted cucumbers would be thrown.

The social deception hypothesis questions whether animals have a sense of fairness. It suggests that animals do not respond to inequity, but are simply disappointed because they can see but not get their favorite food. The frustration does not arise from a social comparison, but a comparison between how they are treated versus how they could be treated. Some evidence now exists that this hypothesis may be on the right track. A recent study on macaques by the German Primatology Center conducted a similar study to the capuchin monkey experiment, but used machines instead of humans to dispense the food.

The macaques almost never rejected food given by the machine, whereas they rejected it over 20% of the time when given by a human. The studys authors say these results support the social deception hypothesis. Monkeys have no social expectations of a machine and therefore cannot be disappointed. Paradoxically, they had a positive relationship with the human conducting the experiment.

This study does not definitively prove that animals lack a sense of fairness, because the conclusions drawn from laboratory studies are always limited, while animals in the wild show the most authentic behavior. However, it sheds more light on this debate, leads us to reinterpret the famous 2003 experiment, and takes the shine off popular and long-standing theories about the sense of fairness in monkeys.

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Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam.
Rights group Amnesty International on Friday urged Cambodia to immediately stop the ongoing "mass forced evictions" of 10,000 families from the Angkor Wat temple complex.

The Cambodian government late last year ramped up the relocation of families living within the sprawling UNESCO world heritage site to a new community being built on former rice paddies 25 kilometres (15 miles) away.

Authorities say they are acting to protect the ruins by moving squatters whose informal settlements are damaging the local environment by producing rubbish and overusing water resources.

The government says people are moving voluntarily but Amnesty said its research found that villagers faced "implicit threats if they did not move".

It said those affected were not properly consulted or given enough notice.

"These are forced evictions in disguise and on a mass scale. People were pressured to volunteer and made to feel fearful of reprisals if they refused to leave or challenged the evictions," Ming Yu Hah, Amnesty's deputy regional director for campaigns, said in a statement.

"The Cambodian authorities should immediately halt this harmful eviction drive that seriously risks impoverishing thousands of families," Ming Yu Hah added.

The ruined Angkor Wat temples, half-swallowed by the jungle, are the country's top tourist attraction.

Families being moved are given a 20-by-30-metre plot of land, $350 cash, 30 pieces of tin roofing material and access to a welfare card -- but they have to build their own houses.

Long Kosal, a spokesman for the Apsara National Authority, which manages the archaeological park, refused to comment on Amnesty's statement.

Prime Minister Hun Sen -- who has ruled the kingdom with an iron fist for nearly four decades -- has warned that Angkor Wat will be withdrawn from the world heritage list if villagers were not relocated away.

UNESCO guidelines say relocations should be carried out with the consent of the population concerned, and that local communities should be the primary beneficiaries of tourism from heritage sites.
A top Cambodian opposition leader on Thursday appealed against his treason conviction for trying to topple long-ruling Prime Minister Hun Sen's government, his lawyer said, criticising the verdict as "unjust".

A court this month found Kem Sokha, a co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), guilty of conspiring with foreign entities to overthrow Hun Sen's government.

Sokha was sentenced to 27 years in prison and immediately placed under house arrest.

He was also stripped of his political rights and banned from meeting with foreigners or anyone who is not a family member without permission from the court.

"He appealed against the verdict because it is unjust," Meng Sopheary, one of Sokha's lawyers, told AFP.

Sokha, 69, has repeatedly denied the charges against him since his arrest in 2017.

Another lawyer Ang Udom said Sokha "refused to accept the unjust verdict that made him lose a lot of rights".

Rights groups say the charges against Sokha were designed to bar him from politics ahead of July's elections.

The United States characterised Sokha's sentence as a "miscarriage of justice" based on a "fabricated conspiracy".

Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for more than 38 years, has wound back democratic freedoms and used the courts to stifle political opponents, according to rights groups.

Hun Sen boasted on Thursday that he was the world's longest-serving prime minister.

"First, I broke the record as the world's youngest prime minister 38 years ago. Now, I have broken another record as the longest-serving prime minister in the world," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony.

Two months after Kem Sokha's arrest in 2017, Cambodia's Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP, once considered the sole viable opponent to the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP).

That paved the way for the CPP to win all 125 parliamentary seats in 2018, turning the country into a de facto one-party state.

Scores of opposition figures were convicted of treason last year and Hun Sen ordered the shutdown of one of the country's few remaining local independent media outlets last month.
When her mother died of ovarian cancer, Mercedes Escoda did not yet know that what comes into contact with the vagina impacts the body up to 80 times more than what is ingested through the mouth. Cancer can be caused by multiple factors; while there are no studies that confirm that the use of menstrual products is one of them, Escoda was disturbed to find out that some of their components are classified as carcinogenic, she said. Following this discovery, she founded the chemical-free pad and tampon company Myalma.

An alarm bell went off for Ramon Vendrell when he was working in the pharmaceutical industry: his gynecologist colleagues were telling him about cases of patients with allergies and vaginal discomfort of unknown origins. Twenty percent of the visits were due to irritations in this area, affecting the [patients] quality of life, he said. Then he learned that the menstrual products these women used contained petroleum derivatives and potential allergens. Is it necessary to put these [substances] into the body? wondered Vendrell, who later founded the organic feminine hygiene product company Cohitech.

Spanish menstrual activist and politician Maria Perez was the driving force behind a groundbreaking bill to end the labor inequality that comes with menstruation. She explained that she found a brutal lack of data about products that are basic necessities. For her part, Mexican doctor Sitara Mehmood, a specialist in gender-based medical inequality and the founder of the organization Medicina sin Violencia [Medicine without Violence], decried the same thing: Our knowledge of the composition of a pad or tampon is very superficial, she lamented. She has also treated patients who use these products and have vaginal problems, the source of which cannot be determined.

These stories reflect the reality that women are increasingly demanding transparency from the brands that control the feminine hygiene market. But unlike suppositories and drugs, which are also inserted into the body, the law does not require them to [disclose information], said Ana Enrich, the founder of Period Spain, an organization that focuses on menstruation and poverty.

Those of us who have periods use between 5,000 and 15,000 menstrual products over the course of our fertile years. Tampons are the second most popular choice. Although they come into direct contact with the vagina, we know very little about them. As a result, according to the nine experts consulted on the matter, women are unaware of what theyre putting into their own bodies and how it affects them.

Producing tampons

There are precedents for tampon use in World War I, when nurses used tissue to absorb bleeding; slightly earlier in Asia, where women used moss; and even earlier in 5th-century Egypt, where it is believed that women used rolled-up papyrus. But the modern tampon was first patented in 1931. Since then, demand for the product has been boosted by its liberatory effects: suddenly, women could swim at the beach or do acrobatics during their periods. For this reason, some experts claim that tampons favored female autonomy and helped women avoid being victimized for menstruating.

Mireia Sabadell, a PhD in Communications and an influencer at @mybestperiod, agreed: demonstrating that a tampon is not noticeable, and that it allows movement with peace of mind, is linked to the idea of inhabiting public spaces without the fear of being judged, she explained. But that also implies that menstruating is deeply shameful.

Initially, tampons were mass-produced using chemicals. A conventional tampon today consists mainly of cotton and plastic: polymers such as polyester or polyethylene, superabsorbent polyacrylates, perfumes, chemically processed cellulose such as viscose or rayon and cotton; for the most part, these materials are non-organic and treated with herbicides and pesticides.

Leading brands such as Tampax say that their ingredients comply with the standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but the reality is that the American regulatory body does not require manufacturers to itemize all the substances used in tampons and test them. In addition, the FDA exempts the companies from disclosing how the tampons have been processed.

For its part, the Saba company asserts that the substances it includes in its menstrual products are not of concern because of the small quantities used. It also points out that current science has not yet determined that all of those [substances] can have an effect on hormones. The brand also claims that its products are dermatologically tested but adds that there is still no official definition for the term and that each company establishes its own testing methods. In the United States, at least nine bills have been proposed to force companies to reveal all chemicals used in their feminine hygiene products, but none have passed.

Kotex, another industry giant, barely mentions the materials it uses or their possible effects. America Futura requested transparency reports from these three companies: Tampax refused on the grounds of confidentiality issues, Kotex declined after learning of this articles approach, and Saba did not respond.

JOTA

The substances that these and other conventional manufacturers include in their products have been linked to cancer, hormonal disruptions and vaginal infections, which affect three out of four women at some point in their lives, according to multiple reports, such as the one by Womens Voices for the Earth.

The vagina is a living environment, and these substances could alter its microbiota and affect the reproductive organs or the immune system, noted Dr. Sitara Mehmood. For example, superabsorbent polyacrylates can retain fluids that are necessary for the good health of that part of the body, explained Ramon Vendrell. Spanish menstrual pad company Ausonias dry and safe slogan seems dangerous to me. If I had a dry mouth, I wouldnt be able to talk or swallow, he said.

Some tampons also include unspecified fragrances, on the assumption that period blood smells bad: But have you smelled blood? It doesnt smell. It smells from coming in contact with the product fibers or from [the product] being used for a while, Mehmood noted. Its simply blood thats shedding endometrial tissue.

The Scientific News and Information Service (SINC) reported the presence of parabens in menstrual blood. Other research has found additional contaminants such as dioxins, furans and phthalates; the latter gives tampons a soft feel. All of these substances are considered endocrine disruptors that can unbalance hormone receptors and cause chronic fatigue or affect fertility, for example. The metabolic excretory system is not completely effective, and these compounds can accumulate in the body, SINC notes. However, companies do not disclose the use of these substances in their menstrual products.

Moreover, many tampons do not have a one-hundred-percent protective perimeter veil to prevent the fibers from sticking to the vagina, according to a test conducted by Vendrells company, Cohitech. Its easy to check [for that] with adhesive tape or a lighter, he said. In addition, Vendrell claimed that 99% of patients who switched to chemical-free products improved their vaginal health: The quality of the products you use now is a determining factor for the health you will have in menopause. And that isnt explained anywhere.

Today, there are no official contraindications for using conventional tampons, despite research linking their components to possible harmful effects. However, without conclusive studies, medical professionals cannot provide informed advice about it to those who menstruate. Medicine continues to be androcentric, lamented Maria Perez. And women make up half of the worlds population.

Mehmood believes that there is a medical debate about human exposure to contaminants that needs to be pursued: commercial tampons are tested on animals, but the effects on human health could be different.

Using tampons

A lack of knowledge about the feminine hygiene industry extends to the daily use of the products. Some 90% of us have worn a tampon longer than recommended, said Enrich, of Period Spain. In the most severe cases, that can lead to toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal, though rare, infection. In Mexico, there are brands that do not state the product expiration date and include marketing claims on the packaging that are not verifiable, according to the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Procuraduria Federal del Consumidor).

But Enrich also emphasized menstrual poverty and illiteracy. In Spain, two out of 10 women are included in that category. Thus, some wear tampons for days at a time because they have no other choice, she said. In Mexico, where inequality is on the rise, the figure is twice as high. While tampons, along with disposable pads, are the most affordable option in the short term, sometimes they are still too expensive.

Over the course of a lifetime, using disposable menstrual products can cost more than $1000 per person, not counting medications, contraceptives, and heating pads for cramps. In the United States, the total cost can be as high as $18,000. Choosing reusable optionssuch as the menstrual cup, which can last for up to 10 yearswould considerably reduce that figure.

JOTA

According to Anahi Rodriguez, the founder of Menstruacion Digna [Dignified Menstruation], the organization that fought to eliminate taxes on menstrual products in Mexico, menstrual poverty is not just a matter of tampons and pads. In public and private spaces, the bathrooms are [in a] deplorable [state] or there may not be any at all. In general, the infrastructure is not prepared for menstruation.

This poverty affects all women who lack access to soap, paper, water, drainage systems and/or places to manage their bleeding in a dignified way. Rodriguez pointed out that this problem exacerbates school and work absenteeism, which further widens the gender gap. In addition, many girls and women choose not to participate in daily activities during their periods, leading them to miss out on everything from employment opportunities to recreation.

Menstruation also remains surrounded by stigma, myths and taboos. In places with strong religious and moral beliefs in Latin America, such factors often determine which menstrual product a woman buys. For example, a box of Kotex Super tampons proclaims that using them does not affect virginity. Meanwhile, in its instructions for tampon use, Saba refers to the V Zone instead of saying the vagina. As Mehmood argued, thats because of misogyny, the patriarchal gaze.

Disposing of tampons

Tampons are created, used and discarded... Those that do not contain plastic can disintegrate in 6 months, but most tampons have a plastic applicator or wrapper and remain on the planet for much longer than their users: it is estimated that they take up to 800 years to decompose.

Assessments of how long it takes for a tampon to disintegrate are made based on laboratory tests, but the actual time may vary according to conditions such as a lack of oxygen or the effects of microorganisms. For example, polyethylene doesnt degrade easily, likely because single-celled organisms do not eat the material. While using plastic to manufacture tampons has improved the menstrual experience for many women by providing softness and comfort, it has also added to the culture of disposability, thereby condemning future generations to a cycle of non-reusable consumption.

Because they are disposable, tampons cannot be recycled. They end up in landfills and incinerators or in land and aquatic ecosystems (80 percent are flushed down the toilet). For that reason, they are the fifth most common single-use plastic item found on beaches, according to data from the European Parliament. For instance, on an expedition in the United Kingdom, nine tampon applicators were collected per kilometer of sand.

A dearth of studies prevents us from knowing how much menstrual product waste there is on the planet; there isnt even a universal category for the research. But Harvard University estimates that 20 billion female hygiene products are thrown away each year in the United States alone. Disposable pads are believed to leave a much more harmful environmental footprint than tampons. Manufacturing and waste treatment processeswhich involve using fossil fuel energy, carbon emissions and employing large amounts of wateralso fail to safeguard the wellbeing of the environment.

JOTA

Reusable alternatives that are more profitable and sustainable in the long termthe menstrual cup appears to be the best optionhave been around for years. But by focusing on disposability, the major feminine hygiene companies have deprived many women of that information.

According to Escoda, it is difficult for organic companies to carve out a niche in the industry: They dont let us speak or be found, she explained. Weve had a hard time getting into the supermarkets. For her part, Mireia Sabadell believes that the industry giants are not interested in promoting environmentally friendly products because reusable items would not generate sales.

To Vendrell, it is essential that schools incorporate menstrual education into their curricula to raise awareness of the impact of using an applicator for three seconds only to have it take centuries to disintegrate.

The experts interviewed for this article agreed that eliminating popular unsustainable menstrual products overnight and forcing women to use biodegradable alternatives instead, as Mexico City tried to do in the past, would be a mistake. In the context of high poverty rates and menstrual illiteracy, everyone should be able to decide which product they want or are able to use, said Anahi Rodriguez. But she adds that the companies should be the ones to guarantee that female hygiene items are not harmful in any way.

The conventional tampon industry continues to expand amid murky information and lax government oversight. But nowadays, customers around the world are developing a more critical view of menstrual companies products: this new perspective is based on the experiences of patients, users and experts who demand the ability to use menstrual products that dont compromise their own health or that of the planet.

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An official pro-Taliban media outlet in Afghanistan has released an alleged audio clip of the leader of the local affiliate of Islamic State in which the man acknowledges his group's significant recent losses.

"Only a few of our comrades are left, and their number can be counted on the fingers," Shahab al-Muhajir, the so-called emir of IS-Khorasan, said in Pashto language in a message to his group.

The militant commander also spoke about the killings of key leaders in recent Taliban counterterrorism operations against IS-Khorasan hideouts in the capital of Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan.

The al-Mersaad state-affiliated channel, which released the audio, is working to counter IS-Khorasan terrorist propaganda, according to Taliban officials.

There has been no comment from IS-Khorasan on the alleged audio clip attributed to its leader.

VOA has not independently confirmed the speaker's identity.

Taliban security sources tell VOA the audio clip is that of al-Muhajir, whose real name is Sanaullah Ghafari, and said that he is a resident of Kabul.

Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based independent researcher on jihadists, said that Islamic State official sources had never released any audio message from al-Muhajir until now.

But his voice resembles the Pashto dialect of his native area in Kabul. However, he uses words from the Pashto dialect of the northeastern Afghan province of Kunar or the adjacent tribal belt of neighboring Pakistan, Sayed said of the audio clip released by the Taliban.

Secondly, this audio reflects the ground realities. The Taliban GDI recently killed several senior IS-K commanders, and al-Muhajir expressed concerns over the leadership losses in Afghanistan, the researcher said in written comments to VOA. By GDI, he was referring to the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban-led Afghan spy agency.

Sayed noted that al-Muhajir had named a slain IS-K commander, Mualawi Muhammad, also known as Mualawi Ziauddin, in the audio and declared his death "a heavy loss" for the group. The Taliban killed Ziauddin in an operation in the northern Afghan province of Balkh on March 26.

Meanwhile, the spy agency late Sunday also reported the arrest of a key IS-Khorasan operative, Ainuddin Muhammad.

The GDI released a purported video confession of the detainee, saying he played a central role in organizing high-profile attacks in northern Afghanistan last month. They included a suicide bombing that killed the Taliban governor of Balkh province. Muhammad reportedly confessed that he was recruited by IS-Khorasan in Iran.

The Taliban are the sworn enemies of IS-Khorasan and have reported significant successes against the militants in recent counterterrorism operations.

Many of those reported gains have not been independently verified.

Late last month, the GDI announced the killing of three central IS-Khorasan commanders, including Ziauddin, the second highest-ranked member of the group.

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOAs Afghan service in an interview last week that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, their security forces have arrested and imprisoned up to 1,700 IS-Khorasan militants and killed close to 1,100 others.

It was not possible to verify the Taliban's claims from independent sources.

In an interview aired Monday by Taliban-controlled state television, Mujahid rejected recent assertions by the United States that IS-Khorasan is gaining strength in Afghanistan and could soon launch attacks beyond its borders.

"Some countries that say Daesh has become more active and a threat to the world after six months, this is nothing but propaganda that we reject," said Mujahid. He did not name any country. Daesh is a local name for IS-Khorasan.

Last month, a top U.S. military commander told a congressional hearing that IS-Khorasan was eyeing the West and could launch an attack from Afghan bases before the year is out.

"They can do external operations against U.S. or Western interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning," said Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command overseeing U.S. troops in the region.
A second Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps member who served as a military adviser in Syria has died after an Israeli air strike near Damascus, Iranian state media reported Sunday.

"Meqdad Mehghani Jafarabadi, a member of the Revolutionary Guards, was wounded in a criminal attack of the Zionist regime on Friday and was martyred due to the severity of his injuries," the Revolutionary Guards said in a statement published Sunday.

"The crimes of the Zionist regime will not go unanswered, and they will pay for this," they added.

Israel has for years carried out attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that began in 2011.

Iran says its officers serve in an advisory role in Syria at the invitation of Damascus. Dozens of Revolutionary Guards members, including senior officers, have been killed in Syria during the war.

Friday's airstrike, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said was the sixth attack by Israel in Syria in March, also killed another Revolutionary Guards officer and military adviser, Milad Haydari.

Commenting on the deaths of the two IRGC members, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said that "the Islamic Republic of Iran retains the right to respond to Israel's state terrorism in the appropriate time and place."
A student in Congo has developed a tool that allows people to control or move objects using their brain signals. Andre Ndambi visited the department of engineering at the University of Kinshasa and has this story narrated by Salem Solomon. Jean-Louis Mafema contributed.
United Nations Human Rights Investigators Fear They May Have Only Scratched The Surface on Russian Atrocities In Ukraine. The U.S. continues to demand the release of two Americans being detained in Russia. With its energy infrastructure under assault, Ukraine rethinks its energy future.
Ten years ago this month, Senator Chuck Schumer declared, We all know that our immigration system is broken, and its time to get to work on fixing it. Senator John McCain quoted Winston Churchill. But it was Lindsey Graham who offered the boldest prediction.

I think 2013 is the year of immigration reform, the South Carolina Republican said.

It wasnt. And neither has any year since those Gang of Eight senators from both parties gathered in a Washington auditorium to offer hopeful pronouncements. In fact, todays political landscape has shifted so dramatically that immigrant advocates and top architects of key policies over the years fear that any hope of an immigration overhaul seems further away than ever.

Many Republicans now see calling for zero tolerance on the border as a way to animate their base supporters. Democrats have spent the last decade vacillating between stiffer border restrictions and efforts to soften and humanize immigration policy  exposing deep rifts on how best to address broader problems.

There are big questions about whether or not anything in the immigration family  anything at all  has the votes to pass, said Cecilia Munoz, who served as President Barack Obamas top immigration adviser and was a senior member of Joe Bidens transition team before he entered the White House.

The last extensive package came under President Ronald Reagan in 1986, and President George H.W. Bush signed a more limited effort four years later. That means federal agents guarding the border today with tools like drones and artificial intelligence are enforcing laws written back when cellphones and the internet were novelties.

Laying the problem bare in the deadliest of terms was a fire last month at a detention center on the Mexican side of the border that killed 39 migrants.

Congress came the closest to a breakthrough on immigration in 2013 with the Gang of Eight, which included Schumer, a New York Democrat who is now Senate majority leader, and Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. Their proposal cleared the Senate that June and sought a pathway to citizenship for millions of people in the country illegally and expanded work visas while tightening border security and mandating that employers verify workers' legal status.

Democrats cheered a modernized approach to immigration. Republicans were looking for goodwill within the Latino community after Obama enjoyed strong support from Hispanic voters while being reelected in 2012.

Prominent supporters of the proposal were as diverse as the powerful AFL-CIO labor union and the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce. There was more momentum than there had been for large immigration changes that fizzled in 2006 and 2007 under President George W. Bush.

Still, Republican House Speaker John Boehner gauged support for the Gang of Eight bill in the GOP-controlled chamber in January 2014 and said too many lawmakers distrusted the Obama administration. By that summer, the bill was dead.

Obama then created a program protecting from deportation migrants brought illegally to the United States as children. The Supreme Court has previously upheld it, but the court's relatively recent 6-3 conservative majority could pose long-term threats.

Years after the creation of Obama's program, President Donald Trump called for walling off all of the nations 3,219-kilometer southern border, and his administration separated migrant children from their parents and made migrants wait in Mexico while seeking U.S. asylum.

Biden endorsed a sweeping immigration package on his Inauguration Day, but it went nowhere in Congress. His administration has since loosened some Trump immigration policies and tightened others, even as his party has seen Republican support rise among Hispanic voters.

Officials have continued to enforce Title 42 pandemic-era health restrictions that allowed for migrants seeking U.S. asylum to be quickly expelled, although they are set to expire May 11. The Biden White House is also considering placing migrant families in detention centers while they wait for their asylum cases, something the Obama and Trump administrations did.

Gil Kerlikowske, who was commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under Obama, said, A lot of things are coming together at once, including Title 42 possibly ending, a spike in the number of South American migrants crossing through the treacherous rainforests of the Darian Gap between Colombia and Panama, and a 2024 presidential election ratcheting up the political pressure.

Two-and-a-half years into the administration, there really hasnt been any announcement of what is our immigration policy, Kerlikowske said. Getting laws passed is almost impossible. But whats been the policy?

The League of United Latin American Citizens is so desperate for meaningful progress that it has begun advocating for a full moratorium of up to six months on U.S. asylum as a way of calming things at the border. Its president, Domingo Garcia, said that migrants know they are processed and allowed to remain in the U.S. for years fighting for asylum in court, and that authorities need to turn off the faucet" to help strained border cities.

We need a total reset, said Garcia, whose group is the nation's oldest Latino civil rights organization. I think that people on the far left are just as wrong as those who believe they should close the border and let no one in.

Biden's administration announced in early January that it would admit up to 30,000 people a month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela for two years with authorization to work and make it easier to apply online. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas argues that the new rules are designed to weaken cartels that help migrants cross into the U.S. illegally.

Mayorkas said recently that officials aim to create "lawful, safe and orderly pathways for people to reach the United States to claim asylum and to cut out the smuggling organizations."

It appears to be working, for now. After federal authorities detained migrants more than 2.5 million times at the southern border in 2022  including more than 250,000 in December, the highest monthly total on record  the number of encounters with migrants plummeted during the first two months of this year.

But fewer crossings have created a backlog of thousands of migrants hoping to seek U.S. asylum waiting on the Mexican side of the border. Last month's fire at a Mexican government facility began amid a protest by migrants fearing deportation. Some of those being held said they'd been attempting to apply online when they were rounded up by Mexican authorities.

Meanwhile, warmer months often see major increases in the number of migrants at the U.S. border. And activists say that Biden has sent mixed signals by continuing to enforce Title 42 and considering reopening family detention centers  a possibility that even top Democrats are now decrying.

We urge you to learn from the mistakes of your predecessors and abandon any plans to implement this failed policy, Schumer and 17 other Senate Democrats recently wrote in a letter to Biden that called family detention policies morally reprehensible and ineffective as an immigration management tool.

Republicans have criticized Biden's border crisis and, since Trump's rise, made gains among voters in some heavily Latino areas. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, widely expected to be the leading alternative to Trump in next years Republican presidential primary, flew migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard in Massachusetts, arguing that Democrats around the country were ignoring the crush of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In Miami, Nery Lopez was among a group of activists who recently mobilized to oppose a state bill that would punish people who transport migrants in the country illegally. Now 27, she was brought to the U.S. as a 4-year-old from Mexico and is protected from deportation by the Obama-era program.

Lopez said advocates were counting on the Biden administration to counter Republicans' hard-line immigration policies.

People feel defeated. I feel defeated," she said. Its like we are going into the same cycle.
A court in India has suspended a two-year prison sentence handed down to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, pending his appeal in a criminal defamation case that led to his expulsion from parliament ahead of next year's general elections.

Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Vadra, and several senior party leaders in his Congress Party as he appeared in a Gujarat court on Monday to appeal his conviction. The court is set to hear the petition on April 13.

Gandhi was sentenced in connection with a comment he made at an election rally in 2019 where he asked, "Why do all thieves have the name Modi" and mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name along with that of two fugitive businessmen, Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi.

The case against Gandhi was filed by Purnesh Modi, a lawmaker in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the prime minister's home state of Gujarat, who alleged that the comments defamed the entire Modi community.

A lawmaker who is convicted and sentenced to a prison term of two years or more faces disqualification from parliament, according to Indian law.

More significantly, Gandhi will not be able to contest general elections scheduled to be held next year unless the sentence is suspended, or he is acquitted following his appeal.

In a country with a slow-moving judicial system, many commentators say that Gandhi could be mired in the legal system for years.

After he was expelled from parliament, Gandhi said that he was targeted because he had raised serious questions in parliament about Modi's relationship with Gautam Adani, a business magnate whose fortunes rose dramatically over the last decade.

Gandhi's expulsion from parliament came as he was trying to rejuvenate the Congress Party.

Gandhi, who is the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that dominated Indian politics for decades, is seen as the de facto leader of the Congress Party, although he stepped down as its president in 2019. The party has fared poorly under his leadership and has been pushed to the margins amid the spectacular rise of the BJP since Modi rose to power in 2014.

Political analysts say it remains to be seen whether Gandhi's expulsion from parliament will win him public sympathy, as the opposition projects him as a political victim, or if it will help Modi by possibly removing the only challenger with a national profile in a country with a fractured opposition.

The Congress Party and other opposition parties allege that the case is politically motivated and have denounced the actions against Gandhi as an assault on democracy.

They accuse Modi's government of trying to quell dissent and demolish the opposition. Although the Congress Party has fared poorly against the ruling BJP in the last two elections, Gandhi is seen as the main challenger to Modi in next year's polls.

The BJP has denied the allegations, saying Gandhi's conviction followed due process of law. They accuse the Congress leader of arrogance and of hurting those who bear the Modi name.

After his court hearing, Gandhi said, "This is a fight to save democracy."

"In this struggle, truth is my weapon and truth is my refuge," he tweeted in Hindi.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will delay the dismissal of his defense chief, announced over a week ago after the minister called for a halt to the government's flagship justice overhaul, a source close to the matter said Monday.

Netanyahu announced March 26 he was firing Yoav Gallant, following Gallant's public call to pause the bitterly contested plans for the judiciary, which opened social divisions he said were affecting the military and threatening Israel's security.

The plan, which would see a tightening of government control over judicial appointments and give parliament the power to overturn many Supreme Court decisions, triggered unprecedented nationwide demonstrations, some involving military reservists saying they might refuse call-ups.

With tensions running high during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which this year coincides with the Jewish Passover, Netanyahu decided to hold off on replacing the former navy admiral until an unspecified time.

"Due to the present security situation, the issue of the firing of the defense minister will be determined at a later date," a source close to the prime minister's office said.

The news of Gallant's abrupt dismissal, during a period of exceptional tension in the occupied West Bank and continuing concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions, triggered immediate mass protests, with tens of thousands pouring into the streets after the announcement.

As the protests continued amid mounting international alarm, Netanyahu relented and suspended the contested reforms to allow for compromise talks with opposition parties.

Political sources said there have been efforts in recent days to end the rift between Netanyahu and Gallant, whose potential firing had set off alarms within the ruling Likud party, the armed services and among Israel's Western allies.

Gallant and Netanyahu made a public appearance together Monday evening during a visit to a military base to toast troops for the Passover holiday.

"The most important thing, I'll say it this way, is to leave politics at the base gate, to come together to defend the strength of Israel," Netanyahu said.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga said Sunday he was suspending anti-government protests temporarily as he was ready for talks after an appeal from President William Ruto.

Early Sunday, Ruto addressed the nation live on television. It is the first time he has done so publicly since nationwide protests began over the high cost of living and alleged elections irregularities. Thousands have attended the protests that began March 20 and were organized by Odinga.

Ruto said, Our country has experienced grave acts of lawlessness, widespread violence, looting and invasion of private property by persons taking advantage of political demonstrations called by the opposition.

In the speech, he pleaded for Odinga to call off the protests scheduled for Monday.

Three people have been killed since the protests began, more than 400 others have been injured, Ruto said Sunday.

The opposition has been pushing for electoral reforms, and Ruto said there could be bipartisan reform to the election commission.

Odinga warned that protests would resume if the government does not resolve the issues.

Last week, Odinga claimed his convoy was attacked and his car was hit with seven live bullets, each aimed at him. Theres no justification for the excessive force used against peaceful unarmed citizens exercising their democratic rights, he told reporters.

Three people have been killed since the protests began, more than 400 others have been injured, Ruto said Sunday.

Odinga wrote on Twitter earlier Sunday, before calling off protests, We are all ready and set for #MegaMonday.

He also continued to claim that he was victorious in the August elections and urged Ruto to vacate his office immediately.

In his Sunday morning address, Ruto said that last Augusts elections were free and fair. And that he hopes the oppositions claim of election irregularities can be handled in parliament and by a bipartisan group.

There have been reports of more than 20 journalists being attacked, harassed and injured since the protests began.

Addressing that issue, Ruto said his country believes in free media and any engagement that puts media in danger is unacceptable. He said media should be allowed to carry out its duties.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Monday the country is prepared to negotiate with Beijing over an ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

China claims to own in its entirety the South China Sea, a key waterway that $3 trillion in trade passes through annually. However, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have overlapping claims to the passage. The U.S. routinely sends naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters.

An international arbitration ruling in 2016 said Beijings claim has no legal basis. China maintains it does not recognize the arbitration decision.

According to Malaysian state news agency Bernama, the issue was raised at a meeting between Anwar and Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas has its largest oil platform in the disputed area, as well as several exploration projects, which Anwar wants to safeguard.

Addressing his department on Monday, Anwar said he told the Chinese, As a small country that needs oil and gas resources, we have to continue. But if the condition is that there must be negotiation to project Malaysian projects, then we are ready to negotiate."

U.S. research group, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, reported last week that a Chinese coast guard vessel was operating near the Petronas gas platform for the past month and came as close as 2.4 kilometers to the project. A Malaysian navy ship was also in the area at the same time, AMTI said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that China was not aware of the specific incident but said the coast guard operated within China's jurisdiction and its conduct was beyond reproach.

In related news about the South China Sea, the Philippine government has identified four new military areas where U.S. forces will be allowed to stay indefinitely, despite strong objections from China. The bases will also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during disasters. The expansion was approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to grant U.S. access under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Three of the sites are in the northern Philippines, including a naval base, an airport and an army camp. The naval base in Cagayan province is about 600 kilometers from Taiwan.

Another site is the navy camp on Balabac Island in the western province of Palawan. Palawan Island faces the South China Sea.

Marcos said the move would boost his countrys coastal defense. However, China has expressed disagreement over this decision.

According to Philippine officials, a Chinese Foreign Ministry delegation expressed its strong opposition in a meeting in Manila last month and warned of its repercussions to regional peace and stability.

Additionally, the Chinese Embassy recently warned that the Philippine governments security cooperation with the U.S. will drag the Philippines into the abyss of geopolitical strife and damage its economic development at the end of the day.

Amid growing territorial tensions between China and other nearby countries, Marcos administration has filed at least 77 of more than 200 diplomatic protests for Chinas actions in the disputed waters since he took office last year.

The United States used to have two major military bases in the Philippines, but they were closed in the early 1990s.

Some information from this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Achieving economic stability is typically the main reason that many Puerto Ricans migrate to the U.S. mainland. At the same time, thousands return to Puerto Rico annually, describing their homecoming as "a dream come true."

After 22 years abroad, married doctors Sheila Perez Colon and Lionel Lazaro Collazo decided to practice medicine in Puerto Rico.

We always wanted to return to the island, but we couldn't find the way, Lazaro Collazo told VOA. According to the orthopedic surgeon, attending medical school and building a practice led the couple to live in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. "It hurt us a lot when our daughter asked us why she wasn't born in Puerto Rico, if the whole family was from the island."

Data from the 2020 Census showed Puerto Ricos population at 3.2 million, with an estimated 11.8% decrease over the preceding decade. Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans residing on the mainland reached 5.8 million, making them the second largest Hispanic population in the continental U.S.

We always had Puerto Rico in our hearts, sometimes even with a bit of guilt for not being able to be there, Perez Colon said.

A pediatric endocrinologist, Perez Colon said the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing isolation led them to return home. The couple arrived in Puerto Rico with their 10-year-old daughter in June 2022.

Knowing theres a great need for specialties like ours in our home country, while you are providing that expertise elsewhere and not back home, brought us back, she said.

They say their biggest concern was the salary disparity of medical professionals in Puerto Rico compared with the U.S.

Thats a reality that no one can deny. But we are prepared. We knew what was in store for us. We knew we were going to have a lower salary, but we would be rewarded to be with family in a place that satisfies us, Perez Colon said.

For Lazaro Collazo, it was also an opportunity to give back.

This was my dream, where I wanted to be to be able to offer my services to my people again, he said. What better than two well-prepared specialists who are bringing needed services to the island.

A total of 17,859 Puerto Ricans moved back to the island in 2021, according to the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics. Two years earlier, 24,531 returned, one of the highest numbers in the past decade.

According to the Pew Research Center, 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria were determining factors in the exodus of Puerto Ricans, as they sought safety on the mainland. In the year after the hurricanes, Puerto Ricos population dropped by 3.9%.

The mid-2000s marked a turning point for the island's economy when it entered a recession from which it has not recovered, the Pew study said. Since then, many Puerto Ricans have left the island for the U.S. mainland, particularly Florida, often citing work and family-related reasons.

For identity and art

For more than 30 years, Isaida Ortiz Rosa and Angel Valentin Concepcion lived on the U.S. mainland. Their story began in 1987, when they met on a bus. He was on his way home after a trip to Miami. She was on her way to university. A few years later, they married and decided to start their lives outside of Puerto Rico.

Ortiz Rosa, retired from a government job on the mainland, is dedicated to poetry, a passion she kept alive during her time away from home.

I have been writing poetry since I was young, she said. I used to write on receipts or napkins and put them in a drawer, but in the U.S. I got my voice back. Working in the government, I used to write and go to poetry venues, but it wasn't until 2006 that I began to recite what I wrote.

Her love for the written word began at school, when a drama teacher gave her a poem. But she recalls there were other priorities.

My parents were building houseswe were poor and talking about the arts was something very strange.

Valentin Concepcion, a photojournalist by profession, agreed that all art is a luxury that the working class, who struggle day by day, cannot afford.

In my case with photography, my parents were government workers, lower middle class, and buying a camera was not something that was in the budget, he said.

His plan was to spend two years in the U.S., but said, When 20 years passed, I realized I had lived half my life abroad and that it was time to go back. I was always looking for the opportunity to return to Puerto Rico.

The couple returned to Puerto Rico from South Florida in the summer of 2021, motivated by the deaths of close relatives and incidents of workplace harassment and racism experienced in the U.S.

I noticed that co-workers looked at me with disgust, said Ortiz Rosa. When I speak in Spanish, I express myself much better.

Like his wife, Valentin Concepcion says he felt like "a foreigner" once he left the island.

I went to the U.S. thinking that I was American, and I didn't have information about the racial history of the U.S., what it meant to be a Latino with American citizenship, he added. I always felt like a visitor, like an immigrant in the U.S., I never assimilated as an American.

Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens by birth since 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act into law. The island has been U.S. territory since 1898, when Spain ceded it after the Spanish-American War.

Now, this couple sees a future filled with positivity. They plan to distribute food and supplies in low-income communities as needed. They also intend to spend their time planting fruit and taking photographs.

"I think that I wasted a lot of time in the U.S. without giving Puerto Rico something from me, of what I have learned," Ortiz Rosa said. That feeling prompted her to start doing community work with youth groups, to teach them through poetry. Let the youngsters see: She left but she is now here, helping, doing something for the country.

"I say goodbye without perfect surrender to oblivion, because my heart already belongs to this my Puerto Rican land," says one of her poems.

"Although I was pushed north, here on the island I grew up, I lived and now I reside."
The Malalmuerzo cave, located in Moclin, in the Spanish province of Granada, was first inhabited around 30,000 years ago. According to the estimates of Pedro Cantalejo, a researcher of cave paintings and the now-retired curator of the Ardales cave in Malaga, generations of Homo sapiens, all probably descendants of one another, occupied the Malalmuerzo cave for 18,000 years, serving as a refuge for numerous generations of sapiens during the Last Glacial Maximum, which devastated Europe 19,000-25,000 years ago.

During that era, modern-day France, Germany, and Poland were totally covered by ice, devoid of flora or fauna, but inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula lived a very different reality. The south of the region, particularly, was a livable space. In the area where the Malalmuerzo cave is located, according to Cantalejo, the temperature would have been around seven degrees Celsius below todays average. These temperatures allowed humans to survive by providing them with fauna and vegetation, a fundamental source of food. Thus, the Malalmuerzo cave, on the banks of the Velillos River, became a refuge of transition and salvation for Homo sapiens until the glacial age receded. in 2017, a tooth was found in the cave and dated as belonging the to the second-oldest Homo sapiens yet discovered in Europe.

During the Upper Paleolithic, between 23,000 and 19,000 years ago, ice and low temperatures affected areas to the east of Granada, but to west, in the mountainous area containing modern-day Loja, there were immense conifer forests of and plenty of fauna, including large animals such as horses, bulls and mountain goats, says Cantalejo. The Velillos River, around 500 meters from the mouth of the cave, also provided a source of water. Cantalejo estimates that in each generation, families of between 8 and 12 people at the most occupied Malalmuerzo. The researcher also says that during the 5,000 years of the Last Glacial Maximum, the cave was permanently inhabited and that up to 250 generations of humans might have lived there.

Jose Manuel Fernandez Sanchez, a retired history teacher, speleologist, and the caves caretaker, explains that Malalmuerzo, which is about 400 meters deep and follows a linear route fragmented into three main rooms  the entrance and two more decorated with Paleolithic paintings linked by narrow tunnels that can only be traversed by crawling  has been plundered several times during the last century. Thieves have removed artefacts from the Paleolithic and Neolithic, the two periods during which the cave was occupied, for sale on the black market. Not only has the heritage been lost, but also the correct stratification of the materials in the cave: in other words, the oldest remains are no longer always to be located among the bottom layers.

A general view of the first room in the Malalmuerzo cave. Fermin Rodriguez

The first room is a large space, 13 meters deep and sloping downhill, with various chambers and an open space in its central part. It is the only part of the cave that receives natural light and served as the living area. This room, says Cantalejo, had several characteristics that made it habitable: the inner part of the chamber provided a climatic mattress with a stable temperature of 15C to 16C, unaffected by the elements outside, while the incline allowed smoke from fires to be released. Crucially, from inside its inhabitants could see what was going on outside, but they remained out of view of prying eyes. From there, a tunnel of about 15 meters in length, which is accessed through a cavity a little wider than an adult body, leads to the chamber containing Paleolithic paintings where, according to Cantalejo, they did not live, but were creating what we now consider art, which then would have represented something ritual or cultural.

The cave art contained in Malalmuerzo has been documented and studied over the past 40 years. The difficulty of reaching these deeper cavities is probably what saved the paintings from looters but the main room, where the Homo sapiens lived, has been open to plunder for decades. Even so, says Cantalejo: The scenography we see now is the same as when it was inhabited.

In the early 1980s a particular piece from the cave - a stone axe blade with a mountain goat carved on it  was sold on the black market for one million pesetas (around 6,000). That attracted more looters and chaos ensued, says Fernandez Sanchez. In 2016, he discovered that someone had been trying to access a hidden cavity for some time. Fernandez Sanchez replaced an old padlock that had been used to secure the cavity with a more complex security device.

The molar of a young man discovered in the cave, which proved to belong to the second-oldest known 'Homo sapiens' in Europe.

The hole opened up by the looters gave access to a cavity of just over a cubic meter. Cantalejo and a group of eight people worked there for a week, starting from the ground up. They only managed to penetrate 18 centimeters deep because the wall was calcified. However, they found more than 2,000 pieces of flint, animal remains a perfectly preserved tooth. Analysis by the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany determined it belonged to the second-oldest Homo sapiens known to science in Europe (the oldest to date was discovered in Belgium). The molar belonged to a young man, aged between 25 and 30, who was in good

Cantalejo and his team worked without funding and money was scarce, but the researcher knew the director of genetic analysis at Max Planck from previous work they had done together. He called him and they met in Germany: I didnt trust him not to lose the tooth, so I put it in a plastic jar and it traveled in my pocket, he says. In the absence of funding, the Spaniard and the German were forced to improvise: the tooth was included in an analysis of 350 pieces of human remains from European prehistory. The tooth no longer exists  it had to be destroyed for analysis  but the conclusion reached was that the southern Iberian Peninsula experienced a glaciation completely different to the one their peers in Central Europe suffered and in the Malalmuerzo cave in Granada, life went on practically as normal. In addition, the caves inhabitants bequeathed all subsequent Homo sapiens with the memory of their DNA.

Today, the cave remains closed while it is decided if further investigation is warranted. Fernandez Sanchez is convinced that in the same room where the tooth was found there is more interesting material to uncover. In fact, it is the only space in the cave where he insists visitors wear a mask. He believes that it could be a space where carried the belongings of those who lived there. Cantalejo, on the other hand, thinks that is could the garbage room, where everything that was not of use was thrown. The mayor of Moclin, Marcos Perez, says that it will be up to the regional government of Andalusia to decide on any future project for the cave.

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"It's been more than a half century since astronauts journeyed to the moon  that's about to change," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson as he stood before the current astronaut corps as well as veterans of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs at Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. The crowd was gathered for the historic announcement of the crew for Artemis II  Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen.

"This is humanity's crew," said Nelson, emphasizing the diverse makeup of the international crew, all in their 40s. "We choose to go back to the moon and on to Mars, and we are going to do it together, because in the 21st century NASA explores the cosmos with international partners."

International Space Station veteran Reid Wiseman is mission commander for Artemis II, while engineer Christina Koch and Canadian Jeremy Hansen will serve as mission specialists. Hansen is the first international astronaut scheduled to launch on a mission to the moon, while Koch would make history as the first woman taking part in such a journey.

"Am I excited? Absolutely," Koch said to the cheering audience during the announcement ceremony. "But my real question is: Are you excited?"

Victor Glover, a U.S. naval aviator, will pilot the Orion spacecraft carrying the crew on a 10-day roundtrip mission around the moon and back, testing the functions of the systems and equipment future crews will use to eventually return to the lunar surface.

In an exclusive interview with VOA during the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission last year, Glover said he embraces the opportunity to be the first person of color assigned to a moon mission.

"People keep asking me, Is it meaningful to you that little Black kids look up to you and say they want to be like you? You know what? Let's be honest, I represent America," he told VOA.

"I'm a naval officer and I work for NASA. I represent America and little white kids, little Mexican kids, little Hispanic kids and little Iranian kids follow what we're doing because this is maybe one of the most recognizable symbols in the universe," he said pointing to the NASA patch on his blue flight suit. "I think that that's really important, and I take that very seriously."

Not only is the crew makeup historic, those aboard Artemis II could also venture farther in space than any humans before them. While the Artemis II crew won't orbit or land on the lunar surface, they could travel more than 1 million total kilometers on a path that slingshots well beyond the moon before returning to Earth. NASA says the exact distance and plan depends on a number of factors, including the date of the actual mission launch.

At the end of the NASA ceremony introducing his crew, astronaut Reid Wiseman expressed the determination of the agency to further its goals in space despite repeated delays and cost overruns.

"There's three words we keep saying in this Artemis program, and that's 'We. Are. Going.' And I want everyone to say it with me  We Are Going!"

NASA hopes to launch Artemis II as early as November 2024, with the first mission back to the lunar surface as early as 2025.
NASA is to reveal the names on Monday of the astronauts  three Americans and a Canadian  who will fly around the Moon next year, a prelude to returning humans to the lunar surface for the first time in a half century.

The mission, Artemis II, is scheduled to take place in November 2024 with the four-person crew circling the Moon but not landing on it.

As part of the Artemis program, NASA aims to send astronauts to the Moon in 2025  more than five decades after the historic Apollo missions ended in 1972.

Besides putting the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, the US space agency hopes to establish a lasting human presence on the lunar surface and eventually launch a voyage to Mars.

NASA administrator Bill Nelson said this week at a "What's Next Summit" hosted by Axios that he expected a crewed mission to Mars by the year 2040.

The four members of the Artemis II crew will be announced at an event at 10:00 am (1500 GMT) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The 10-day Artemis II mission will test NASA's powerful Space Launch System rocket as well as the life-support systems aboard the Orion spacecraft.

The first Artemis mission wrapped up in December with an uncrewed Orion capsule returning safely to Earth after a 25-day journey around the Moon.

During the trip around Earth's orbiting satellite and back, Orion logged well over 1.6 million kilometers and went farther from Earth than any previous habitable spacecraft.

Nelson was also asked at the Axios summit whether NASA could stick to its timetable of landing astronauts on the south pole of the Moon in late 2025.

"Space is hard," Nelson said. "You have to wait until you know that it's as safe as possible, because you're living right on the edge.

"So I'm not so concerned with the time," he said. "We're not going to launch until it's right."

Only 12 people  all of them white men  have set foot on the Moon.
As more people become concerned about the effects of climate change on their lives, journalists in an otherwise struggling industry are becoming specialized in the environmental beat.

But that wasnt always the case, said Frederick Mugira, founder of Water Journalists Africa, the largest network of journalists on the continent reporting on water.

Mugira said that when he started the organization in 2011, not so much was being tackled about water. But now, we have more journalists preferring to specialize in water and climate issues.

Mugira, an award-winning journalist based in Kampala, Uganda, founded the network to share ideas and provide training.

From investigative reporting on the impact of a large agricultural industry in Cameroon to how plastics and water pollution are devastating the fishing trade in the African Great Lakes, the coalition is combining environmental, data and solutions-led journalism.

Made up of about 1,000 journalists across Africa, the network works collaboratively to investigate issues around water, wildlife, biodiversity and climate change.

The nongovernmental organization receives funding from various institutions, including the U.S.-based Pulitzer Center and Internews, an international media support nonprofit organization in California.

The network also has a few specialized offshoots, including InfoNile, which uses graphics to map stories on the Nile Basin, and the Big Gorilla Project, which focuses on the endangered species in the forests of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

African nations are among the worlds lowest greenhouse gas emitters, but scientists have long warned the region will be one of the worst affected by climate change. Mugira said that more than ever, local people want explanations of phenomena such as droughts.

"We identify a theme of common and cross-border importance. For example, plastic pollution, he said. When we identify a theme, we search for credible data across the countries were working on.

Water Journalists Africa projects include graphs and interactive maps and seek to break down data in a comprehensible and colorful way. Radio, TV and print are some of the mediums used, and the stories are published in English and local languages.

When we started it, we realized journalists in the region didnt have experience in data journalism, Mugira said. But accessing that data can be a challenge.

One reason, Mugira said, is that scientists dont always trust journalists and dont always want to share their information. Another challenge comes when some government officials might want to release only numbers that show them in a good light.

When it comes to natural resources, they dont really release data, because they see it as sensitive, he added.

Reporting with results

For Nairobi journalist Sharon Atieno, 29, being a member of Water Journalists Africa opened her up to a wide range of new skills.

The network has helped shape my environmental reporting, and Ive also learned to use data, said Atieno, who learned of the network when applying for grants.

You can use maps, visualizations, to make it more captivating. This is a skill I acquired not through university but through being part of the Water Journalists Network. Thats how I discovered my beat, she said.

Asked why she thought the beat was important, Atieno said, Everything around us is the environment  plastics in the oceans, polluted lakes, everything has an impact not only on the environment but also on climate change.

Environment reporting is important because even tiny things were doing, if you look at it accumulatively, its having a very big impact on our lives as human beings.

Atieno said everything is connected. For example, more drought results in increased wildlife poaching as peoples crops fail and they go hungry.

Atieno has taken part in collaborations with Water Journalists Africa. One story she was particularly proud of looked at how poaching for bushmeat increased when Kenya was under the pandemic lockdown. The poaching resulted in a decline in the population of the countrys iconic Rothschilds giraffe, she said.

Another story she covered was how waste from sugarcane companies in a part of western Kenya was polluting a nearby river.

The degradation of the sugarcane waste results in a chemical being produced so when it goes into the water system, it makes the rivers toxic, she said. When I did that story, I reached out to the county government. They said they didnt know it was happening.

After she covered the story, the county authorities opened a commission to investigate the issue.

Funding challenges

Cross-border networks of environmental journalists in Africa are growing, according to Anton Harber, adjunct professor of journalism at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg.

At our annual gathering of the continents investigative journalists, the African Investigative Journalism Conference, we have definitely seen environmental coverage take center stage with the emergence of a number of cross-border, collaborative networks doing important and often excellent work, he told VOA.

However, he said, such work needs funding to be able to survive.

Few newsrooms are investing in it because it is not seen as a topic that sells newspapers or brings clicks, Harber said. Africa has the stories and the journalists who can tackle it, but they are not usually in the mainstream conventional newsrooms.

But Mugira said stories from his network were now being picked up and followed by other media as interest in their coverage grows.

These stories are just a starting point, he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a drill simulating a tactical nuclear attack, state media said Monday, as part of what Pyongyang described as a response to ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises.

The North Korean exercise, held Saturday and Sunday, included a launching drill simulating a nuclear attack on major target of the enemy, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

During the Sunday launching drill, a tactical ballistic missile with a mock nuclear warhead correctly exploded in the air at a height of 800 meters after traveling for 800 kilometers, KCNA added.

Analysts said the drill appeared aimed at simulating a nuclear airburst, the detonation of a warhead above ground to increase its effectiveness.

South Korea had earlier reported Sundays launch, calling it at the time a short-range ballistic missile that was launched from the Tongchang-ri area of North Korea before splashing into the sea.

Kim, who was accompanied at the drill by his young daughter, said the maneuver was aimed at preparing North Korean nuclear forces to launch attacks rapidly and correctly at any time and in any situation to deter war, said KCNA.

North Korea held a similar tactical nuclear attack drill in October, when it fired a barrage of missiles it said were designed to hit and wipe out U.S. and South Korean targets.

In its report Monday, KCNA called the latest drills a response to U.S.-South Korea military exercises, which it said have been frantically escalated.

The United States and South Korea on Thursday are set to wrap up 11 days of major joint military drills, including some of their largest field exercises in five years.

The two allies have also conducted more frequent drills involving U.S. strategic assets, which refers to long-range bombers, nuclear-capable airplanes and aircraft carrier strike groups.

On Sunday, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers participated in air drills with South Korean and U.S. fighter jets, according to South Koreas defense ministry. It was the eighth visit by a U.S. strategic bomber in the last four months.

Washington and Seoul say their military maneuvers are defensive  and point out they have only been ramped up after North Korea dramatically increased its own weapons tests and threats.

But North Korea says it views the U.S.-South Korea exercises as preparation to invade, and often uses the drills as an occasion to test some of its most powerful military equipment.

On Thursday, North Korea launched a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile, which can potentially travel over 15,000 kilometers and reach anywhere on the U.S. mainland.

North Korea last year resumed long-range missile tests, after having paused them for several years during a period of diplomacy with the United States and South Korea.

However, most of North Koreas recent launches have involved tests of shorter-range missiles, like the one launched Sunday, which pose a major threat to South Korea.

North Korean state media photos of the launch showed a missile emerging from a mountainous area filled with two fiery orange plumes of smoke. No launcher was visible, leading analysts to conclude the missile was fired from a silo built into the mountain.

In recent years, North Korea has greatly diversified the platforms from which it can launch missiles. In recent months, North Korea has conducted launches from silos, trains, submarines, railcars, reservoirs, and mobile missile launchers.

Analysts say the strategy is meant to make it more difficult for U.S. and other intelligence agencies to monitor, predict, and detect North Korean launches.

North Korea says some of its newer short-range missiles can carry tactical nuclear weapons, which are generally designed for battlefield use and often have smaller explosive yields.

Over the past year, North Korea appears to have taken steps to deploy tactical nuclear weapons at frontline positions, analysts believe. North Korea last year also adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in certain situations.

In his comments published Monday, Kim hinted at the new approach, saying it is important for North Korean nuclear forces to be perfectly prepared in their active posture of making an immediate and overwhelming nuclear counterattack anytime.
Authorities in Russia said Monday they detained a woman suspected of being involved in the bombing of a St. Petersburg cafe that killed a prominent military blogger who strongly supported Russias war in Ukraine.

Russias Investigative Committee identified the suspect as 26-year-old Darya Tryopova, a Russian citizen who had been previously detained for participating in anti-war rallies.

Russian news agencies reported that the explosion Sunday that killed Vladlen Tatarsky happened after he was given a statuette with a bomb hidden inside.

The blast also wounded more than 30 other people.

Tatarsky was the name used by Maxim Fomin, who had hundreds of thousands of followers for his blog supporting Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Russias top counterterrorism agency blamed Ukrainian security agencies for the attack.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted Sunday that it was only a matter of time until domestic terrorism would become an instrument of internal political fight in Russia.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
There are growing concerns among top U.S. military and intelligence officials that Russias use of cyberattacks during its war against Ukraine is ushering in a new era of combat in which the line between virtual and real-life battlefields is being erased, along with the notion that any targets will remain off limits.

Instead, top officials are warning that U.S. adversaries are likely to look at Moscows efforts to topple Kyiv and conclude that not only do they need to coordinate cyber strikes with conventional, kinetic military tactics, but that a cyberattack may be the best first-strike option.

The [Russian] operation in Ukraine as it relates to red lines for conflict should be of concern to many people, a senior defense official told reporters during a briefing to the Defense Writers Group this past Friday.

If you're willing to drop a bomb on a power station, or if you're willing to drop a bomb on a rail network, then you're certainly willing to execute a cyberattack against them, the defense official said in response to a question from VOA, speaking on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set for the briefing.

As a just general commonsense sort of military tactic, I don't believe you would reduce something to rubble if you had the ability to neutralize it otherwise, the official added. You don't want to use high-end kinetic tools unless you have to.

Russia, though, has been using some of its top-end weaponry, including its Kinzhal hypersonic missile, to take out Ukrainian power plants and other critical infrastructure that have already been targeted by a series of cyberattacks.

My belief is that had the Russians had the ability to significantly shut down Ukrainian critical infrastructure via cyber, they wouldn't have wasted kinetic munitions on it, the senior defense official said.



Despite the apparent failure of Russian cyberattacks to do more damage, Ukrainian officials have warned the pace of such attacks has picked up, and U.S. Cyber Command has warned the Kremlins cyber exploits could well become bolder and look at broader targets.

China taking notice



U.S. officials also assess that China is learning from Russias cyber failures as they prepare for future military confrontation, including potential plans to retake Taiwan.

I think there's been a general assessment that what the Russians did in Ukraine was not very well coordinated, the senior defense official told reporters. I think the Chinese will look at that, and if the Chinese have a plan to invade Taiwan in 2027, I would expect they have a cyber plan to go along with that. ... They will study what happened, and they will try and not make the same mistakes.

Other U.S. officials have gone as far as to suggest the first indication of a Chinese attack on Taiwan could come in cyberspace.



The first signs of a looming military confrontation in Taiwan "could probably start well below the threshold of a conflict," Doug Wade, head of the Defense Intelligence Agencys China Mission Group, said during a virtual event last month. "It would probably include a wide variety of activities, starting with things like cyber.

Some analysts studying cyberwarfare agree that Russias war against Ukraine has changed the cyber landscape, potentially setting up another test for the effectiveness of cyberattacks with China and Taiwan.

I think that you could see the first steps in a conflict over Taiwan, for example, to be trying to blind the U.S., in particular, to what China was about to do and then also blind the Taiwanese to what was about to happen, as well, Emily Harding, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA.

I suspect that the cost-benefit analysis will come down on the side of cyberattacks, [which] are a reasonably low cost, reasonably high benefit way to at least confuse your adversary and perhaps undermine their ability to fight. So, it will be tried again, she said.

Yet there are also those who think it will still take time before Russia, China or another nation is able to effectively use a cyberattack as a first-strike option.

I think framing it as a first strike is a little bit misleading, said Jason Blessing, a visiting research fellow at the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute.

Blessing told VOA that while there is ample evidence that an increase in cyberactivity could be an indication of a looming physical attack, cyberattacks have yet to show they are capable of doing more than paving the way for conventional military operations.

The drawback to using cyber operations, though, is it requires intense time and resources to plan something like that, he said. Cyber operations are almost always going to be complementary to the broader strategic goals and broader conventional aims.  Its not that it's going to replace launching a missile or driving a tank into some territory.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei toured a hospital Saturday built with support from Taipei, reaffirming their close diplomatic ties as the self-governing island seeks to strengthen relations with its remaining allies in Central America.

It was the final day of Tsais three-day visit to Guatemala and came shortly after Honduras announced it would break ties with Taiwan and switch its support to China, joining Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Belize  the next stop on Tsai's trip  is the only other Central American country to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Giammattei once again thanked Taiwans leader for her governments economic support and said Guatemalas friendship with Taiwan was unchangeable.

Sundays visit came a day after the leaders toured the Guatemalan archaeological site of Tikal, one of the most important urban centers of the Mayan civilization.

The hospital in the Chimaltenango department built with a donation from Taiwan will serve patients from four departments in Guatemala and cost an estimated $22 million to build. It opened in February.

Tsai said she was pleased with the construction of the hospital, which, according to her, will be able to provide better medical care and services.

Construction of the hospital has brought controversy. Two weeks ago, the attorney general announced an investigation into allegations of a $10 million fraud in the purchase of equipment for the hospital. Prosecutors allege former vice minister of health, Gerardo Hernandez, authorized the purchase of used equipment and material. A company and the director of the hospital were allegedly in on the scheme.

The trip also is aimed to solidifying ties in Latin America as China funnels money into the region and pressures its countries to break off relations with the self-governed democratic island.

Taiwan now has no more than 13 official diplomatic partners. More than half of those are small countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay, Haiti, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is in New York, where he will turn himself in Tuesday to face a criminal indictment, the first ever filed against a current or former U.S. leader.

It is not known how Trump's appearance at a state courthouse will play out. But his lawyers say he will plead not guilty to charges linked to his $130,000 hush money payment to a porn actor, just ahead of his 2016 presidential election victory, to silence her about her claim of an alleged tryst with him a decade earlier. Trump has long denied the claim.

Cable networks tracked each minute of Trump's journey Monday from his Mar-a-Lago home in the southern U.S. state of Florida to New York City. At the start of his travels, the former president passed cheering supporters along his motorcade route to the West Palm Beach airport, where he boarded his private Boeing 757, painted in red, white and blue and emblazoned with his name in big letters.

The former president disembarked from the plane at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, purposefully walking down the plane's steps alone. Wearing a blue suit and red tie, he then took a motorcade to Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Lawyers for Trump argued against allowing cameras in the courtroom Tuesday. In a letter to the court Monday, they said such coverage would "exacerbate an already almost circus-like atmosphere around this case."

Officials familiar with the indictment say a grand jury last week charged the 76-year-old former president with more than 30 counts of criminal wrongdoing. The indictment remains sealed, and the exact charges, and possibly supporting evidence, could remain secret until the indictment is publicly disclosed at Trump's arraignment Tuesday before Judge Juan Manuel Merchan in New York State Supreme Court.

When he is booked, Trump is likely to be fingerprinted like any criminal defendant and his mugshot taken. But authorities say as a deference to his standing as a former president, he is unlikely to be handcuffed or paraded before photographers in a so-called "perp walk."

But questions remain: Will the entirety of the indictment be read in open court? Will cameras  for still shots or television  be allowed in the courtroom, as media outlets are asking for? Will demonstrators, either those supporting Trump and angry at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for bringing the charges or expressing hope for a conviction, gather near the courthouse? If they materialize, will the protests be peaceful?

Dozens of police have assembled near Trump Tower and the courthouse, while Trump's Secret Service detail has mapped out his passage into the courthouse and walk to Merchan's courtroom. The White House declined to discuss security arrangements but said the government is "always prepared" for whatever might unfold.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned that "rabble-rousers" coming to the city to protest had better behave. "Our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger," he said.

When asked if he thought there would be unrest in the city, U.S. President Joe Biden, who was touring a factory in Minnesota, replied, "No, I have faith in the New York Police Department."

Barricades have been erected to restrict traffic near the courthouse, but Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump ally, and the New York Young Republican Club, say they are planning a "peaceful protest" against Bragg across the street from the courthouse Tuesday afternoon.

Trump has criticized Bragg on social media for what he says is a political "witch hunt" against him. Trump has contended the judge "hates me" after Merchan, in a separate case earlier this year, fined subsidiaries of The Trump Organization $1.6 million in a tax fraud scheme.

After the proceeding, Trump, who is trying to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and reclaim the White House, is planning to fly back to Florida, where he will deliver remarks Tuesday night from his Mar-a-Lago estate and gather with his supporters.

Since his indictment last Thursday, Trump's campaign said it has raised $5 million and logged more than 16,000 volunteer sign-ups, which campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said were "key indicators that Americans from all backgrounds are sick and tired of the weaponization of the justice system against President Trump and his supporters."

Before the indictment, Trump led national polls in surveys taken of Republican voters on their choice for the party's presidential nomination. Whether news of the indictment will change that show of support is not yet known.

The former president is also facing other criminal investigations. They include federal probes of his efforts to upend his 2020 reelection loss to Democrat Joe Biden, including Trump's role in encouraging supporters to try to block Congress from certifying Biden's victory on January 6, 2021, and his retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. He was required to turn over the material to the National Archives when he left office.

Meanwhile, in a narrower case, a prosecutor in the southern state of Georgia is probing Trump's efforts there to reverse Biden's win when Trump asked election officials to "find" him enough votes to claim victory.

While the details of the New York hush money case remain undisclosed, the outcome of any trial could hinge on the intent behind the payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. Michael Cohen, Trump's long-time former lawyer and political fixer, used his own money to make the payment to her just ahead of the November 2016 election and was later reimbursed by Trump in installments, with Trump listing the payments on his corporate ledger as a business expense for Cohen's legal fees.

On Sunday, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNN the payment to Daniels was a "personal expenditure, not a campaign expenditure." The Wall Street Journal first reported the payment in early 2018.

U.S. legal analysts say prosecutors in the hush money case will face the difficult task of proving that the money paid to Daniels was a campaign contribution to help Trump win the presidency and not merely intended for personal reasons to hide his alleged marital infidelity.

Tacopina said he and other lawyers will develop Trump's legal strategy to refute the charges once they see the indictment. In Sunday talk show interviews, he brushed aside as premature questions about whether he would ask for a venue change or file a motion to dismiss the case.

"We're way too early to start deciding what motions we're going to file or not file, and we do need to see the indictment and get to work," he told ABC's "This Week" show. "I mean, look, this is the beginning."



But he added, "We're ready for this fight. And I look forward to moving this thing along as quickly as possible to exonerate him."
The United Nations and humanitarian partners in Malawi are calling for $70.6 million to help more than a million people who were affected by Cyclone Freddy.

The storm, which also hit Mozambique and Madagascar, killed hundreds of people and displaced more than 650,000 in southern Malawi.

The U.N. says the flash appeal will provide shelter, nutrition, health, water and sanitation for those hardest hit by the crisis.

The appeal comes on top of the $45.3 million called for earlier this year by humanitarian partners to respond to a cholera outbreak, bringing the total revised flash appeal to $115.9 million.

The U.N. says the funds would enable it to work swiftly in support of the Malawi government-led response to assist communities affected by Cyclone Freddy and cholera.

U.N. resident coordinator in Malawi Rebecca Adda-Dontoh said Malawians have mobilized to support one another in this time of tremendous need, and the appeal aimed to step up solidarity as the international community.

The cyclone destroyed many bridges and cut off roads in Malawi, making many areas reachable only by boats and aircraft.

Government statistics show that the cyclone left at least 676 people dead, and the death toll is expected to rise, as more than 600 others are still missing.

Werani Chilenga, chairperson for the committee on natural resources and climate

change in Malawis parliament, said the devastation caused by the cyclone would have been less had the country done a better job of managing its natural resources.

We have almost lost all the forests. Our land is degraded, he said. What we have already started doing as a committee is to lobby the government to come up with deliberate policies where they should distribute these gas stoves for free to people living in cities and towns. Because if you look at the charcoal market, it is found in cities.

The committee donated gas-powered stoves to cyclone victims living in a camp in Blantyre on Sunday to dissuade them from using charcoal.

If we cant do that then these calamities are here to stay, Chilenga said. And each year out, year in, we shall be coming here donating food items to people staying in camps, which is what we dont want as Malawians.

The U.N. said in a statement that the appeal aims to provide an integrated response  including shelter, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene and protection  for those hardest hit by the crisis.

Reverend Moses Chimphepo, director for preparedness for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs in Malawi, said the government is now working on helping survivors move away from disaster-prone areas and start a new life.

With the food which the government is providing, we are trying to put together a package and mobile (mobilize) enough resources and then give it to the district councils so that they can give to those people who are willing to move, he said.

In the meantime, Malawi Vice President Saulosi Chilima has asked city authorities in Blantyre to override a court ruling that allowed residents to build unauthorized homes in hilly areas.

Thousands of people in Blantyre had their houses washed away and hundreds of others were killed when Cyclone Freddy caused mudslides on hills in Chilobwe Township.
A review by U.N. independent experts of the human rights situation in the Central African Republic reveals rampant ethnic violence and systemic gross violations throughout the country with children suffering appalling abuse and brutality at the hands of armed groups, defense and security forces, and private military and security companies.

It is rare to find a country with a human rights record so alarming, which has been forgotten by the rest of the world, said Volker Turk, U.N. high commissioner for human rights in his opening salvo at the U.N. human rights council Friday.

The people of the Central African Republic face a daily reality of sudden spikes of violence where fear is used as a weapon and serious trauma, which has been caused by years of violence.

He said children were not spared the ravages of the conflict that has been ongoing since 2012, noting that girls especially were subjected to horrific acts of sexual violence linked to the conflict.

Last year, the Human Rights Division recorded 647 children who were victims of child rights violations. The majority concerning the use of children in the armed conflict, attacks on their physical integrity, their freedom, arbitrary detention, and sexual violence linked to the conflict, he said.

Reports received by the U.N. human rights office estimate that armed groups who signed last years peace agreement were responsible for 35% of the documented abuses, including killings, abductions, detention, ill-treatment, the destruction of infrastructure and appropriation of property.

Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict said the number of grave violations committed against children in 2022 had decreased compared to the previous year.



However, she added that conflict continued to take a heavy toll on boys and girls with many being killed and maimed by gunshots and explosive remnants of war.

Sexual abuse

The recruitment and use of children remained the most prevalent violation verified in 2022, she said. While boys were most affected, girls were also recruited and used by parties to conflict and most of them were subjected to sexual violence during their association. Some of the girls became pregnant following the rape.

She said children were driven to join armed groups because of poverty and protection of their communities from attacks by rival armed groups.

More than a decade of armed conflict has kept the CAR in a state of perpetual impoverishment, hunger, and ill health. The U.N. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, OCHA reports more than two million people, or more than one-third of the population needs humanitarian assistance to survive.

A recent U.N. food assessment finds 2.7 million people, nearly half the population, are acutely food insecure, with 642,000 on the verge of famine. OCHA reports hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from acute malnutrition, most are children under age five. In addition, more than half a million children aged three to 17 are out of school, making them susceptible to recruitment, exploitation, and trafficking.

Mohamed Ag Ayoya, deputy special representative of MINUSCA, the U.N. peacekeeping force in CAR warns children continue to be raped, abducted, killed, maimed, and recruited by armed groups and security forces with impunity.

There is no peace without justice. Despite the government and partners' efforts, there is still a lot of impunity, he said.

There are no criminal courts operating. So, rape is often tried as a minor crime, trivialized. And that stops peace and security efforts, he said. I urge all partners to support the government to bring an end to inequality and to give justice to the victims of rape.

Calls for dialogue

The minister said there was no military solution to this long-lasting conflict and urged the warring parties to lay down their weapons and take up a dialogue for the sake of all children in the country.

His sentiments were echoed by rights chief Turk who urged the Government to adopt measures to prevent serious violations from occurring and to provide comprehensive care for the child victims.

Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene, minister of state in charge of justice, human rights and good governance of the CAR responded to these pleas by assuring members of the U.N. human rights council that attention was being paid to all childrens issues at the highest level in the country.

The government is resolved to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of the child and to combatting the recruitment of children by armed groups.

The government also reaffirms its commitment to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of crimes against children and other serious human rights violations, he said.
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis, Tennessee. This year marks the 55th anniversary of his assassination. King, who used nonviolent civil disobedience fighting discrimination in the United States, was 54 years old when he was killed in a violent act that contrasted with his nonviolent ideals. Although his death left a void in the civil rights movement, his message of a more equal society lives on, inspiring people to this day.

He was assassinated by James Earl Ray, a fugitive from Illinois. His family believes that he was killed as part of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government. The FBI investigated King for possible communist ties, spied on his personal life and secretly recorded him. In 1964, the Bureau mailed him a threatening anonymous letter meant to blackmail him and make him take his own life. The official version, however, maintains that Ray was the sole author of the crime.

King participated in and led marches for the right to vote, labor rights for minorities, and desegregation, using nonviolent resistance against Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation in the U.S. These laws institutionalized economic, educational, political, and social disadvantages for people of color, especially in the former Confederate States of America, since the 1870s, after the Civil War.

His movement achieved important legislative advances like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin; the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits racial discrimination in voting; and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, a follow-up to the Civil Rights Act which outlawed discrimination in housing. After those accomplishments, Dr King focused on opposition towards poverty, capitalism and the Vietnam War.

Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

On Thursday, April 4, 1968, King was staying in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. According to Rev Samuel Kyles, one of the witnesses, King was leaning over the balcony in front of the room while speaking with Reverend Jesse Jackson, when he was shot. He was struck in the face by a rifle bullet. King was rushed to St. Josephs Hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate him. He died at 7:05 p.m.

According to witnesses, James Earl Ray, the culprit, was seen fleeing from a rooming house across the street from the Lorraine Motel. The investigation found Ray had been renting a room in the boarding house. Police found a rifle and binoculars. He managed to escape, which led to a manhunt that ended in Rays arrest at Heathrow Airport, London, two months after the killing. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty to the first degree murder of the activist, but he later changed his version.

Reactions

After the murder, then-President Lyndon B. Johnson canceled a meeting in Hawaii with Vietnam War military commanders. He assigned Attorney General Ramsey Clark to investigate the assassination. He then made a personal call to Coretta Scott King, Kings widow, and declared April 7 a national day of mourning, with the U.S. flag flying at half-staff.

Senator Robert Kennedy was on the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nomination in Indiana, and learned about Kings death after he landed in Indianapolis, where he was going to speak in front of a predominantly black audience. His press secretary, Frank Mankiewicz, and his speechwriter Adam Wakinsky drafted notes for him to use, but he refused them. He later delivered the news of Kings death, and gave a speech, considered one of the greatest speeches in American history, that has been credited with preventing riots in Indianapolis.

He said: For those of you who are Black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. This was one of the few times the politician talked about his brothers, John F. Kennedy, death publicly.

Even though Kings colleagues called for a nonviolent response to the assassination, his death started a wave of riots throughout the United States, with the biggest ones taking place in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Chicago and Kansas City. Kennedy spoke against the violence backlash and the next day gave another important speech where he said: No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero, and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of the people.

On April 8, Coretta Scott King and her four children led a crowd of around 40,000 people in a silent march through Memphis to honor King but also to support the cause of the citys sanitation workers who were asking for better working conditions. The next day funeral rites were held in Atlanta, Georgia, his hometown. The service was nationally televised.

Aftermath

The FBI was assigned the lead to investigate Kings death. J. Edgar Hoover, who previously tried to undermine the activist reputation, told President Lyndon Johnson that his agency would find the culprit. Many documents related to the investigation remain classified and are slated to remain secret until 2027.

James Earl Ray confessed to the assassination on March 10, 1969. He took a guilty plea on the advice of his attorney Percy Foreman, to avoid a conviction and potential death penalty. He then was sentenced to 99 years of prison, but three days later he recanted his confession saying that he did not personally shoot King but he may have been partially responsible without knowing it, suggesting he was involved in a conspiracy.

Ray tried to withdraw his guilty plea and secure a full trial unsuccessfully for the remainder of his life. Dexter, Kings son, supported his efforts to obtain a retrial. Rays attorney also tried to gain a trial on behalf of the King family, who believed he was not responsible for the crime.

In 1993, Loyd Jowers claimed on an ABC News program that he was part of a conspiracy to kill Martin Luther King Jr. and that James Earl Ray was not the only person responsible for the murder. Jowers claimed that Frank Liberto, an alleged member of the Mafia, paid him to arrange the assassination and that he hired a killer, but it was not Ray.

In 1999, a Memphis jury found that Jowers was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate King and that the plot to kill him also included governmental agencies and others. Dexter King revealed that the family believed Lt. Earl Clark of the Memphis Police Department was the true identity of the assassin, according to Jowers. However, the Department of Justice concluded its investigation into Jowers allegations in 2000 and found no evidence to support the conspiracy claims.

The official version still states that James Earl Ray killed Martin Luther King Jr.

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A panel of U.N. rights experts on Monday named several high-ranking South Sudanese officials they say warrant criminal investigation and prosecution for their part in grave atrocities against civilians.

Top government and military leaders were identified in a new report by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan that details state responsibility for widespread murder, rape and sexual slavery.

The commission, which conducted a year-long investigation across six states in South Sudan and released a partial summary of its findings in March, said none of those named in the final report had faced any accountability for their crimes.

"Over several years, our findings have consistently shown that impunity for serious crimes is a central driver of violence and misery faced by civilians in South Sudan," commission chair Yasmin Sooka said.

"So we have taken the step of naming more of the individuals who warrant criminal investigation and prosecution for their role in gross human rights violations."

The report identifies Joseph Monytuil, governor of Unity State, and Lieutenant General Thoi Chany Reat of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces, in relation to state-sanctioned killings in Mayom County in August 2022.

Four captured rebel officers were summarily executed by government troops in killings that were captured on video and shared widely. Three were killed by firing squad and a fourth was burned alive in a hut.

The report also names Gordon Koang, the county commissioner of Koch, who was accused of leading horrific attacks on civilians in neighboring Leer County between February and April 2022.

Other top-ranking officials in Warrap, Upper Nile, Jonglei and the Equatoria states were identified as warranting further scrutiny or investigation for their role in various abuses.

"The Commission found that while the Government of South Sudan has announced special investigation committees into several situations, not one has led to any form of accountability," the panel said in a statement.

"Government and military personnel implicated in these serious crimes remain in office."

The government has accused the commission of interfering in its national affairs and rejected past findings from the three-member panel.

South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011 but collapsed into a civil war two years later that devastated the world's newest country.

Close to 400,000 people died before a peace deal was signed in 2018 but core tenets of the agreement remain unfulfilled, and the country is riven by armed violence.

A promised tribunal led by the African Union to prosecute offenders and deliver justice for victims of war crimes has never eventuated.
Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen returns to the United States this week where she will meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other lawmakers in an event that Beijing has said it firmly opposes.

Tsai will talk with McCarthy and a group of other lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, on Wednesday in what McCarthys office calls a bipartisan meeting.

Last week, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China firmly opposes the meeting and will closely follow the development of the situation and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Its still unclear whether Tsai and McCarthy will make public remarks together. Officials have described the meeting as private. The location is seen particularly meaningful because a key part of the U.S.-China policy known as the Six Assurances was issued under the Reagan administration and became a fundamental part of Washingtons own One China policy.

Under the Six Assurances, the U.S. has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, nor has the U.S. altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan. The U.S. also promised to never pressure Taiwan to negotiate with Beijing.

Arguments over transits

For weeks, the White House has cautioned China against overreacting to Tsais stopovers in the United States, citing past precedents and saying long-standing U.S. policy remains consistent on the issue.

Tsai passed through New York last week, marking her seventh transit through the U.S. during her time as Taiwans leader, and the 29th U.S. transit by a sitting president of Taiwan since the first in 1994. Under the policy, Taiwanese leaders heading to other countries stop in the U.S. while en route to their destinations.

Although Taiwan officials do not travel to Washington for talks, as the U.S. and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic recognition, officials routinely meet in other locations, such as when former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei last August.

But those repeat stopovers have done little to assuage China, which argues that these transit meetings by sitting Taiwan presidents are violations of its One China principle.



In Washington, the U.S. State Department said there is not any language in the Taiwan Relations Act, the Six Assurances and the Three Communiques  the foundations of Washingtons One China policy  that explicitly prohibit a Taiwan president from stopping over in a U.S. city.

Not only am I not aware of anything that would explicitly forbid such transits, for decades the United States has facilitated such transits of the United States by senior Taiwanese authorities, Daniel Kritenbrink, assistant secretary of state for east Asian and Pacific affairs, told VOA during a recent briefing.

Washington-based China analyst Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said this weeks talks are unlikely to change the momentum in U.S.-China relations.

Beijing has really put the U.S. in the freezer and not really interested in talking, she said.

I sense until those transits are finished, Beijing is not going to be willing to engage with the United States in discussions about rescheduling Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to China or scheduling another phone call between U.S.-China leaders, Glaser told VOA.

Any city but Washington

A sitting Taiwan president can transit through any U.S. city but one: Washington, D.C.

Under the self-imposed restrictions by the State Department and the tacit admission by Taiwan, a stopover in Washington by a Taiwan leader would be seen as highly provocative in the eyes of the Peoples Republic of China. No sitting Taiwan president, vice president, premier, minister of foreign affairs or minister of national defense have ever come to the U.S. capital city for formal meetings while in office.

Taiwan is under no delusion that such restrictions would be lifted by the U.S. administration any time soon, according to a diplomatic source.

On March 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan proposal to amend the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 that would ask the U.S. to remove the self-imposed barriers to engagement with Taiwan and require the State Department to provide robust reporting, if enacted.

I am worried, frankly, that State's current approach is overly concerned with avoiding even the slightest chance of offending Beijing, Representative Ann Wagner, vice chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Blinken during a hearing on March 23.



Tensions in Taiwan

On Monday, Chinas military continued to send aircraft and vessels around Taiwan, Taipeis Ministry of National Defense wrote in a tweet.



Lu Li-shih, a former lieutenant commander in Taiwan's navy in Taipei, told VOA that theres a broad perception in Taiwan that any Chinese offensive and military intimidation during this period is for internal publicity and does not do much to sway opinion on the self-governed island.

It is not the first time it has done this, and the effect will only get worse every time it is done. China said that it wants to create a comprehensive deterrence or have a certain impact on the morale of the [Taiwans] army, but the effect is actually minimal," Lu said.

Mike Gallagher, chairman of the House Select Committee on China, will join McCarthy for talks with Tsai. Three Taiwan legislators will also attend the meeting. Representative Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, will lead a U.S. delegation to Taipei on Thursday.

The PRC has never administered Taiwan but claims sovereignty over the self-ruled democracy. The U.S. acknowledged but never endorsed Chinas sovereignty claim over Taiwan. The U.S. does not take a position on Taiwans sovereignty, nor does it support Taiwan independence.
A U.S. citizen who moved his family to Syria to join the Islamic State terrorist group has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

Emraan Ali, 55, a U.S. citizen born in Trinidad and Tobago, was sentenced Tuesday in Miami federal court, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

According to court records, Ali moved his family from Trinidad and Tobago to Brazil, and then to Turkey and eventually Syria in March 2015. He falsely told his children that they were going on vacation but actually intended to join IS, prosecutors said.

After arriving in Syria, IS registered Ali and his family, and Ali underwent IS religious and military training with other English speakers, officials said. The training included instruction on the operation of various automatic weapons such as the AK-47 assault rifle and PKC machine gun.

Ali was eventually discharged from combat duty and worked in residential construction for IS in the group's then-de facto capital of Raqqa, investigators said. Ali also became a merchant and began buying and selling livestock, cars, weapons, weapons accessories and telephones to and from other IS members. Ali also provided money remitting services to other Trinidadian IS fighters in Syria and donated his own money to IS members to support the IS cause.

Ali and his family relocated within Syria several times over the years, officials said. Ali and his son, 22-year-old Jihad Ali, surrendered to Syrian Democratic Forces near Baghuz in March 2019, during the last sustained Islamic State group battles to maintain territory in Syria, officials said. They were later transferred to FBI custody and returned to the U.S. The son, who was born in New York and began IS military and religious training at 15 years old, was previously sentenced to five years in prison.

Despite their defeat in Syria in March 2019, the militant group's sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both Syria and Iraq where they once declared a "caliphate."
Nearly a quarter-century after Kosovo's brutal war for independence, its former president and guerrilla leader Hashim Thaci pleaded not guilty to war crimes charges Monday, as a trial kicked off in the Netherlands that some believe could impact a recent deal to normalize relations between Pristina and its longtime nemesis Serbia.

Wearing a dark pinstripe suit, 54-year-old Thaci appeared at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers with three other defendants, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi, who also pleaded not guilty.

All are former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and face multiple counts of war crimes and crimes-against-humanity charges for allegedly enforcing killings, torture and imprisonment during and after the 1998-1999 conflict against then-Yugoslavia. The war ended after a NATO air campaign drove Serbian forces out of Kosovo.

"These four men were without any doubt the principal leaders of the KLA, and they have been celebrated and honored for it. But there was a darker side to their leadership," said prosecutor Alex Whiting, accusing Thaci and the other defendants of furthering a policy of "detention, abuse, torture and sometimes death."

Analysts and rights activists hailed the trial for bringing some accountability for months of brutality on both sides  even as they called on Serbia to address its share of war crimes gone unexamined and unpunished in a war that killed more than 13,000 people, most of whom were ethnic Albanians.

"It's been 24 years since this conflict, but there's still a need for justice. There's still a legacy of impunity that hangs over this conflict," said Liz Evenson, international justice director for Human Rights Watch.

The defense begins arguing its case Tuesday. In an interview with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) last week, defense lawyer Gregory Kehoe argued Thaci, and his fellow defendants, were "freedom fighters" not war criminals  a characterization Kosovo's former Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi agrees with.

"He was a political leader of the type of [former Sinn Fein President] Gerry Adams and [former South Africa President] Nelson Mandela and others who have had a history of fighting against overwhelming odds, in conflicts which were rife with ethnic and other types of divisions," Selimi said of Thaci, telling VOA that his trial was a "sad day" for Kosovo.

Praise and dark accusations

Like other KLA members, Thaci is considered a hero by many of Kosovo's majority Albanian population. Ahead of the trial, thousands rallied in his support in Kosovo's capital Pristina and in The Hague. While the Specialist Chambers is a Kosovo court  established under western pressure  it is deeply unpopular for its mandate of trying former KLA members for war and postwar crimes.

"Don't equate victims with the criminals," one protester's sign read, referring to Serbia.

Like lawyer Kehoe, Selimi characterized the KLA as a hodgepodge group of Kosovars fighting against oppressors without a clear line of command  suggesting its leaders couldn't be held accountable for potential crimes committed by others.

"I think it's fair to say that the Kosovo Liberation Army was a group of ragtag militias from villages with no real generals and no real tanks, fighting what was the very organized army of Slobodan Milosevic," Selimi said of the Serbian former leader, who died while on trial at a separate war crimes court in The Hague.

Thaci joined the KLA and was one of the group's senior figures when it emerged in 1997 to wage a guerrilla war for statehood. A 78-day campaign of NATO airstrikes aimed at Serbian forces finally ended the fighting in 1999.

In 2008, Kosovo formally declared its independence from Serbia and Thaci became its first prime minister. In 2016, he was elected president, before resigning in 2020 after being indicted by the special court.

Along with praise  then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden reportedly called him the "George Washington of Kosovo"  Thaci has been dogged by accusations, including alleged links to an Albanian group involved in smuggling weapons, drugs and human organs, according to a 2010 Council of Europe report.

Imperil Kosovo-Serbia deal?

The Hague trial comes just two weeks after Kosovo and Serbia struck a verbal agreement to implement a new Western-backed plan to normalize long-acrimonious ties. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo; nor do some other countries, including Russia, China and several EU member states.

Some believe simmering anger among Kosovar Albanians over a perceived one-sided accountability for the war could imperil the agreement's fate  especially as the EU deal calls on Pristina to take the first step in guaranteeing a degree of "self-management" for Kosovo's minority-Serb population.

"It's clear that if we go forward and if there are more steps to be taken in normalizing [Kosovar-Serbian relations]  and then on the other hand we have this [trial] in The Hague, which is only focusing on one side  it actually might create some sort of hindrances for the peace process itself," said Kosovo's ex-foreign minister Selimi.

Balkans expert Edward P. Joseph calls the normalization deal important but "flawed and ambiguous."

"Potentially, the deal offers Kosovo a way to break out of the status quo, but there are real risks," said Joseph, a former deputy head for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's mission in Kosovo.

Kosovo was giving up its leverage, he said, hoping  with U.S. and EU support  for reciprocal action from a Serbia that "remains in denial about the past."

"The Hashim Thaci trail is complicated, because it is Kosovo that is asked to make the first move," Joseph said.

The stakes are high, he believes, not just for Kosovo and Serbia. Both Russia and China have interests in the region. Moscow has drawn parallels between NATO's 1999 campaign in Kosovo and the transatlantic alliance's current support for Ukraine.

"The geopolitical context makes it imperative for the U.S. and EU to see this agreement work," Joseph said. "If it fails, they won't be able to say, 'it's the failure of Serbia and Kosovo.' No. It will be the failure of the U.S. and the EU  and the cost will be paid by the U.S. and the EU. And it will be a victory for Russia and China."
Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in a bomb attack in a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday in which some 30 other people were wounded. Here's what we know so far.

Who was Tatarsky?

Tatarsky - real name Maxim Fomin - was among the best-known members of an influential group of military bloggers who have provided a running commentary on Russias war in Ukraine. Although frequently scathing about the defense establishment, they have been enthusiastic cheerleaders for the war and avoided direct criticism of President Vladimir Putin. Tatarsky, 40, was among those who publicly demanded that Russia pursue the war even more aggressively. For example, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Kherson after Russia retreated from the city last November, Tatarsky demanded to know why Moscow had not taken the chance to assassinate him with a drone.

What happened in the cafe?

Tatarsky was giving a talk to an audience of about 100 people on Sunday evening at an event organized by a group called "Cyber Z Front", whose name refers to the letter 'Z' that Russia has adopted as a symbol of the war. According to Russian news outlets, the explosion took place several minutes after a woman calling herself Nastya presented Tatarsky with a bust that she said she had made of him.

Who is the suspect?

Russias state Investigative Committee said on Monday that Darya Trepova, a 26-year-old woman from St Petersburg, had been arrested. The interior ministry earlier placed her on its wanted list but gave no further information about her.

What could have been the motive?

Tatarsky was the second high-profile war propagandist to be assassinated in Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The first was Darya Dugina, the journalist daughter of a prominent ultra-nationalist figure, who was killed by a car bomb near Moscow last August. The killing is an attack on the hardline pro-war camp in Russia, and sends a warning to other members of this group that they could be targeted anywhere. Tatarsky had survived extensive reporting trips on the wars front lines but was killed hundreds of miles away, in the heart of Russias second city.

Tatarsky also had ties to Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group fighting for Russia in Ukraine and the former owner of the cafe. Prigozhin is a highly divisive figure who has frequently argued with the defense establishment, accusing it at times of starving his men of ammunition and denying them credit for advances.

Who could have been behind the attack?

No one has produced clear evidence, but some Russians have pointed the finger at Ukraine. Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed leader of the part of Ukraine's Donetsk province that is occupied by Russia, said: "The Kyiv regime is a terrorist regime. It needs to be destroyed, there's no other way to stop it." Prigozhin, however, said he would not blame Kyiv. Mykhailo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential adviser, wrote on Twitter that it had only been a matter of time - "like the bursting of a ripe abscess" - before Russia became consumed by what he called domestic terrorism.
WASHINGTON  Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to be formally arrested and arraigned Tuesday, the first time a former occupant of the White House has faced criminal charges.

In a move without precedent in U.S. history, a grand jury in New York voted Thursday to indict Trump on charges related to paying off a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The highly anticipated charges come as Trump seeks a return to the White House after losing a reelection bid in 2020, making him both the only president, current or former, as well as the only presidential candidate, to be indicted.

The indictment remains under seal, and it is not clear what crimes or how many criminal counts Trump has been charged with. CNN reported that the former president has been charged with more than 30 counts. VOA could not confirm the report.

In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said it has contacted Trump's attorney "to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment."

To turn himself in, Trump, who lives in Florida, would have to travel to New York, along with his Secret Service detail.

Once in custody, he would be fingerprinted and photographed before being arraigned before a judge and released on his personal recognizance.

Several news outlets, citing unnamed sources, said Trump plans to fly to New York on Monday and spend the night at Trump Tower before appearing in court Tuesday.

On Friday, officials from the Secret Service and the New York Police Department toured the courthouse where Trump is set to be arraigned and discussed security plans.

Susan Necheles, a Trump attorney, told Reuters the former president will plead not guilty.

"I am not afraid of what's to come," Trump said in a fundraising email on Friday.

Trump's campaign has used the indictment in its fundraising efforts and said it raised more than $4 million in the first 24 hours after the indictment was announced.

SEE ALSO:

On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump criticized the judge expected to oversee his case, Justice Juan Merchan. He wrote Friday the judge "HATES ME" and treated the Trump Organization "VICIOUSLY" during last year's trial in which the company was convicted of tax fraud.

In a statement Thursday, Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing in the case, cast the indictment as part of a long-running Democratic-led witch hunt to destroy his "Make America Great Again" movement.

"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," the former president wrote. "The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable  indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference."

Rather than hurt his candidacy, Trump said the indictment "will backfire massively on [President] Joe Biden."

Last week, writing on his social media platform, Trump warned of "potential death and destruction" if he were indicted, a statement some critics viewed as an incitement to violence.

The indictment, though widely expected, set off a firestorm around Washington.

"Outrageous," tweeted Republican congressman and staunch Trump loyalist Jim Jordan.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, accusing Bragg of weaponizing the justice system against Trump, vowed that the House would hold the prosecutor and "his unprecedented abuse of power to account."

Other Republicans who are not particularly close to Trump similarly viewed the prosecution as politically motivated.

The reaction from Democrats, on the other hand, was predictably favorable.

In a statement, former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wrote that the grand jury "has acted upon the facts and the law."

"No one is above the law, and everyone has the right to a trial to prove innocence," she wrote. "Hopefully, the former President will peacefully respect the system, which grants him that right."

President Biden declined to comment on the matter Friday, telling reporters, "I'm not going to talk about Trump's indictment."

The indictment grew out of a federal investigation of hush money payments that Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign.

The secret payment came to light in early 2018. Flipping on his former boss, Cohen testified in August 2018 that at Trump's direction, he paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with the real estate mogul-turned Republican candidate. The Trump Organization later reimbursed Cohen for "legal" services.

While paying hush money is not illegal, federal prosecutors charged that classifying the payment as a "legal" fee violated federal campaign finance laws.

In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple federal criminal charges, including campaign finance violations, and later served more than a year in prison.

While federal prosecutors did not charge Trump at the time, the Manhattan district attorney's office subsequently picked up the case and began receiving grand jury testimony in January.

Cohen, the prosecutors' star witness, testified before the panel multiple times.

In a statement issued Thursday, Cohen said he stood by his testimony and the evidence he has provided prosecutors.

SEE ALSO:

While the indictment remains under seal, legal experts say the charges against Trump likely center on New York's false business records law.

Under the law, falsifying business records is normally a misdemeanor. When it is done with the intent to commit or hide a second crime, it rises to the level of a felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

What additional offenses, if any, Trump has been charged with remains unclear.

Although prosecutors typically bring charges against a defendant only when they believe they can get a conviction, convicting Trump is far from certain, according to legal experts.

While Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the hush money payment, he has said it "had nothing to do with the campaign."

His lawyers have placed the responsibility on Cohen.

"The payments were made to a lawyer, not to Stormy Daniels," Joseph Tacopina, one of Trump's lawyers, said on MSNBC recently. "The payments were made to Donald Trump's lawyer, which would be considered legal fees," he said.

Cohen was "his lawyer at the time and advised him that this was the proper way to do this, to protect himself and his family from embarrassment. It's as simple as that," Tacopina said.

But other legal experts argue that prosecutors should be guided by a long-standing principle: treating like cases alike.

In a recent piece on the website Just Security, co-editor-in-chief and New York University law professor Ryan Goodman highlighted cases that he said show how prosecutors in New York "have thrown the book at individuals for falsifying business records  some cases involving actions far less egregious than Trump's alleged conduct."

In 2021, a mental health therapy aide was indicted under the statute for defrauding more than $35,000 in workers' compensation benefits.

Last year, an insurance broker was indicted for allegedly creating and filing fraudulent certificates of liability insurance to further scheme to defraud.

The hush money indictment is not the only criminal case the former president faces.

In Georgia, prosecutors are considering bringing criminal charges in connection with Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election result in the state. Trump narrowly lost Georgia to Democrat Joe Biden.

Meanwhile, U.S. Justice Department-appointed special counsel Jack Smith has been investigating Trump's role in trying to upend Biden's victory as well as his handling of classified documents after he left office.

While in office, Trump was twice impeached, but not convicted.

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
WASHINGTON  The lawyer for former U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Sunday to mount a vigorous defense against allegations that he paid $130,000 in hush money to a porn star to boost his election chances in 2016 to keep her from talking about her claim that she had a one-night tryst with Trump a decade before.

Defense lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNNs State of the Union show that the payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels was a personal expenditure, not a campaign expenditure. Trump has long denied the porn stars allegation they had an affair but acknowledged the payment to her just ahead of his defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Tacopina assailed New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg for getting a grand jury last Thursday to charge Trump in connection with the payment, saying that had Trump not been running for president [in 2024], he would not have been indicted.

We will loudly and proudly say not guilty when the former president is arraigned in the case in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday, Tacopina said.

But the defense lawyer said he would not immediately ask that the case be dismissed. No, that would be showmanship, he said.

Tacopina, however, contended that no law fits the basic allegations in the case, and that the federal government decided to not bring charges against Trump, although Bragg, a state prosecutor, proceeded.

A state prosecutor has somehow tried to make this a felony, Tacopina said.

The defense lawyer criticized the states key witness in the case, Michael Cohen, Trumps one-time personal attorney and political fixer. Tacopina called Cohen, who made the payment to the porn actress and then was reimbursed by Trump, a pathological, convicted liar who is continually unable to tell the same story twice.

Cohen was convicted of several offenses in connection with the payment to Daniels and served more than a year in prison.

Lanny Davis, Cohens lawyer, also spoke with CNN on Sunday.



Davis said Cohen, while pleading guilty in the case, lied for Donald Trump for 10 years, and has now provided prosecutors a vast set of documents showing how the payment to the porn actress played out with the consent of Trump and subsequent reimbursement of Cohen.

The payments to Cohen were listed on Trump company records as payment to Cohen for legal fees. But U.S. news accounts of the investigation say the payments were to keep Daniels allegations of the affair out of the news in the weeks before the 2016 election. The Wall Street Journal first broke news of the hush money payment in early 2018.

In the charging allegations against Cohen, the government stated that the payment to Daniels was at the direction of Individual 1, which the government acknowledged was Trump.

SEE ALSO:

Trump is the first U.S. president, in office or after leaving the White House, to be criminally charged in an indictment. Officials familiar with the case say the grand jury is alleging more than 30 counts of criminal misconduct, but the indictment is under seal, not yet publicly disclosed, and wont be divulged until Trump appears in court.

Trump, who lives much of the year at Mar-a-Lago, his oceanside retreat in Florida, is flying to New York on Monday and then, as he turns himself in at the courthouse on Tuesday, is likely to be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken before appearing in court before Judge Juan Merchan.

Trump's office says he is expected to deliver remarks at Mar-a-Lago late Tuesday.

Trumps Secret Service detail, courthouse officials and New York City police have been meeting since the indictment was announced to plan for Trumps appearance at the courthouse, which corridors he will walk through and what nearby streets will be blocked off and parking prohibited.

Trump, long accustomed to unleashing attacks on political foes, has criticized Bragg for bringing what he describes as a witch hunt case, and characterized the Black prosecutor as an animal and a racist. Even before his court appearance, Trump has also assailed the judge, misspelled his name in a social media post as Marchan, and claimed that he hates me.

Merchan earlier this year fined subsidiaries of Trumps real estate empire, the Trump Organization, $1.6 million in connection with what prosecutors alleged was a 15-year tax fraud scheme to help the company evade a bigger tax bill and imprisoned Trumps former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, for five months.

After learning of his own indictment in the hush money case and that Merchan had been randomly assigned to oversee it, Trump claimed on his Truth Social site that the judge had railroaded Weisselberg to plead guilty in the case and had treated my companies, which didnt 'plead,' VICIOUSLY.

Former New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. told NBC's "Meet the Press" show, "I've got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the District Attorney Bragg, and even the trial court [judge] in the past week.

And I think if I were [Trumps] lawyer, and believe me, no one has called up to ask for my advice, Vance added, I would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offense, like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering by threat or otherwise, the operation of government. And I think that could take what perhaps we think is not the strongest case, when you add a count like that, put it in front of a jury.

Many Republican politicians have rallied behind Trump, not by discussing the specifics of the hush money payment to Daniels, but rather by taking aim at Bragg, a Democrat, for securing the indictment. Democrats have generally said that Trump is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and that he will have his day in court to answer the charges.

Trump is facing other serious criminal investigations related to his efforts to upend his 2020 reelection loss to Democrat Joe Biden, urging supporters in January 2021 to try to block Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote showing Biden had won and his retention of classified documents at his Florida estate even though he was required to turn them over to the National Archives when he left office two years ago.
City of Alexandria Ask People to Adhere to Extended Stay at Home Order
Before, all of this was water.

Biologist Bonnie Baxter points in the distance, to where the southern shores of Utahs Great Salt Lake used to reach. It is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and the eight-largest in the world.

In mid-March, you can see sand, mud and dead birds. Where a famous resort from the early-20th century once stood  before it was engulfed in flames  stands a sad imitation: an abandoned building that now serves as a symbol of a unique ecosystems decline.

Biologist Bonnie Baxter, director of the Great Salt Lake Institute, with the Great Salt Lake in the background. Sergio Gomes

Baxter is surrounded by the majestic 12,000-foot-high snow-capped mountains of the Wasatch Range. And, amidst this majestic vista, you can almost hear the tick-tock of an environmental time bomb.

The lake has lost 73% of its water and 60% of its surface area, as a result of agricultural irrigation that is incompatible with the mega-drought that has plagued the Western United States for nearly two decades. The effects of climate change and population pressure from neighboring Salt Lake City  which has 1.2 million residents, a number expected to double by 2050  are also contributing to the collapse of the ecosystem.

Last November, a record low of 4,188 feet above sea level was recorded.

Its amazing how quickly the situation has worsened in the last two years. Its like being on a cliff, says Baxter, who has studied lake microorganisms for a quarter-of-a-century and is director of the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College.

Behind her, the small marina looks more like a large puddle without boats. The last ones  fruitlessly waiting for better times on dry land  were removed last year. It is one of the most impactful images of a crisis that is worrying dozens of Utah scientists, environmental activists, community leaders and politicians.

The lake has managed to capture global attention, thanks in part to a grim report published in January of 2023 by Utahs Brigham Young University (BYU). It was authored by 32 scientists and conservationists, led by ecologist and hydrologist Ben Abbott. In the report, they warn that, if the current trend doesnt change, the lake could dry up completely within five years.

Boats at the marina on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake. They had to be removed last year to avoid damage due to the low water levels. Sergio Gomes The lake's shore is littered with dead black-necked grebes, birds that do not survive the rigors of migration. Sergio Gomes It's possible to walk for miles through mud and sand where water used to be. Sergio Gomes Access road to Antelope Island, famous for its bison sightings. Sergio Gomes The marina on Antelope Island has been in disuse for about a decade. Sergio Gomes

Its difficult to describe the consequences of something like this without sounding exaggerated. But if we lose [the lake], we will face the end of our way of life in the region, Abbott affirms. Temperature changes will be extreme. Desertification and pollution will increase industry and agriculture will collapse.

It will also have effects on climate change. The disappearance of these saline lakes contributes to the rise of the sea-level. The water we lose in these basins doesnt just disappear it evaporates and ends up in the ocean. Its just another global implication of a problem that goes well beyond Utah. The drying out of these systems is one of the biggest challenges we face as a species.

The report sets economic losses at $2.5 billion a year. The loss of the lake will affect factories that extract minerals such as magnesium, or potassium sulfate, which is used for fertilizer. The flourishing ski tourism industry will also be hit, as will the mild winter temperatures: when cold air comes into contact with water from the lake, the winter climate becomes less harsh.

Utahs Great Salt Lake, on track to disappear in five years This photograph taken by the Landsat-5 satellite in December 1985 is an example of the average area occupied by the Great Salt Lake. The water level is at 1,282 meters elevation, the 166-year average (1850 and 2016). Average surface area U. S. Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Great Salt Lake Ogden Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City This other ESA image shows a very different picture. On November 21, 2022, the water had dropped to a historic low of 1,277 meters. The lake had lost 60% of its usual water surface. November 21, 2022 Spiral Jetty Brigham City Great Salt Lake Ogden 20 km Layton Salt Lake City The difference in hue between the north and south of the lake is a consequence of the obstruction caused by the railroad embankment erected by the Southern Pacific Company in 1959. In 2016, a 55-meter bridge was built to make both areas more connected, but its effects still continue. The areas in white correspond to the territories covered with snow. Source: Tarboton, D. (2017). Great Salt Lake Bathymetry, www.hydroshare.org; ESA and USGS. NACHO CATALAN / EL PAIS Utahs Great Salt Lake, on track to disappear in five years This photograph taken by the Landsat-5 satellite in December 1985 is an example of the average area occupied by the Great Salt Lake. The water level is at 1,282 meters elevation, the 166-year average (1850 and 2016). Average surface area U. S. Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Great Salt Lake Ogden Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City This other ESA image shows a very different picture. On November 21, 2022, the water had dropped to a historic low of 1,277 meters. The lake had lost 60% of its usual water surface. November 21, 2022 Spiral Jetty Brigham City Great Salt Lake Ogden 20 km Layton Salt Lake City The difference in hue between the north and south of the lake is a consequence of the obstruction caused by the railroad embankment erected by the Southern Pacific Company in 1959. In 2016, a 55-meter bridge was built to make both areas more connected, but its effects still continue. The areas in white correspond to the territories covered with snow. Source: Tarboton, D. (2017). Great Salt Lake Bathymetry, www.hydroshare.org; ESA and USGS. NACHO CATALAN / EL PAIS Utahs Great Salt Lake, on track to disappear in five years This photograph taken by the Landsat-5 satellite in December 1985 is an example of the average area occupied by the Great Salt Lake. The water level is at 1,282 meters elevation, the 166-year average (1850 and 2016). Logan Average surface area Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Great Salt Lake Ogden Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City U. S. This other ESA image shows a very different picture. On November 21, 2022, the water had dropped to a historic low of 1,277 meters. The lake had lost 60% of its usual water surface. Logan November 21, 2022 Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Great Salt Lake Ogden Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City The difference in hue between the north and south of the lake is a consequence of the obstruction caused by the railroad embankment erected by the Southern Pacific Company in 1959. In 2016, a 55-meter bridge was built to make both areas more connected, but its effects still continue. The areas in white correspond to the territories covered with snow. Source: Tarboton, D. (2017). Great Salt Lake Bathymetry, www.hydroshare.org; ESA and USGS. NACHO CATALAN / EL PAIS Utahs Great Salt Lake, on track to disappear in five years This photograph taken by the Landsat-5 satellite in December 1985 is an example of the average area occupied by the Great Salt Lake. The water level is at 1,282 meters elevation, the 166-year average (1850 and 2016). Logan Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Average surface area Great Salt Lake Ogden Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City U. S. This other ESA image shows a very different picture. On November 21, 2022, the water had dropped to a historic low of 1,277 meters. The lake had lost 60% of its usual water surface. Logan Spiral Jetty Brigham City North Arm Great Salt Lake Ogden November 21, 2022 Antelope Island 20 km Layton South Arm Mining evaporation ponds Salt Lake City The difference in hue between the north and south of the lake is a consequence of the obstruction caused by the railroad embankment erected by the Southern Pacific Company in 1959. In 2016, a 55-meter bridge was built to make both areas more connected, but its effects still continue. The areas in white correspond to the territories covered with snow. Source: Tarboton, D. (2017). Great Salt Lake Bathymetry, www.hydroshare.org; ESA and USGS. NACHO CATALAN / EL PAIS

The point in the report that caused the most concern was about the toxins that have accumulated in the vast lake bed. These toxins include natural arsenic from the mountains  which already exceeds recommended levels  mercury produced by gold mining in the region, or the selenium provided by the neighboring Rio Tinto Kennecott copper mine. The chimney of its refinery dominates the view from the southern end.

If the worst omens come true, the lake bed will end up turning into a dust bowl, in the style of the one that pushed the characters in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath to migrate. The wind will drag these poisonous clouds into the lungs of the 2.6 million residents of its banks  representing 80% of Utahs population  which will increase, according to the report, the rates of chronic and acute diseases associated with pollution, including sexual dysfunction, congenital diseases, cognitive lesions, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer. The list of hazardous materials down there is as long as my arm, Abbott notes.

Everything that is deposited in [the Great Salt Lake] remains. The only thing that always goes away is the water, says Baxter.

The salt also stays. With less water, the ecosystem becomes increasingly salty, the biologist adds. Even if the worst scenario is avoided, the survival of shore flies and brine shrimp will be in danger. These microorganisms dominate the areas life, making it an obligatory stop for some 10 million migratory birds that hail from 338 species. They take the North American Pacific Route each year, in a north-south migration.

If they lose this waypoint, they will lose one of the few remaining refuelling spots in the Western Hemisphere. They will be forced to travel for too long, Baxter warns.

The non-profit organization EcoFlight is dedicated to taking aerial images to raise awareness of ecological problems in the Western United States. The panoramic shot in the header of this story is also from the organization. ECOFLIGHT Increased evaporation has accelerated the loss of water from the lake, as observed in this aerial photo. ECOFLIGHT Along the shore of the lake, there is a number of factories that extract minerals such as magnesium and potassium sulfate. ECOFLIGHT The lake reached its lowest level in 2022. It reached its highest level in 1987. ECOFLIGHT

With her team, Baxter is dedicated to the study of flies and brine shrimp. On the ground, they take samples that are later examined in a laboratory at Westminster College, located in Salt Lake City.

The ocean [is] 3.5% salt. This fall, the lake registered a dangerous 19%... and we know that anything above 12% is not good for these microorganisms.

Utahs brine shrimp keeper is a big man named John Luft, who trucks up and down the riverbanks. He works in the State Division of Wildlife Resources, supervising the activity of companies dedicated to the cultivation of those tiny shrimp, which are unfit for human consumption and are instead fed to prawns. Between 40 and 50% of global production originates from the Great Salt Lake and is shipped off to the Asian or Latin American markets.

My mission is to control the population. [I make sure that] once the business end of things is taken care of, theres always enough food left for the birds, Luft explains.

John Luft, director of the Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, on March 16. Sergio Gomes

From the Antelope Island State Park  which touches the lake and where the bison graze  Luft points out some rocky formations that protrude from the water. They are called microbialites and are made up of millions of cyanobacteria. Artemia  a species of brine shrimp  feed on them. They are also feasted on by the small shore flies, which, to put it mildly, make the lake an uncomfortable place in spring and summer.

The fact that 45% of these microbialites are visible is another problem, warns Luft. Theyre not able to fulfill their role in the food chain.

The lake is offering a distorted image due to recent rainfall in reality, it has much less water, he emphasizes.

During the 2022-2023 winter, historic snowfalls were recorded. This past week, Utah broke its last record  established in 1983  which was followed by some no less historic floods that caused the residents of Salt Lake City to have to take out their canoes to cross the wide avenues. This is good news for the lake, which is like a living organism with its own cycles: with the thaw, it gets loaded with water that comes from the rivers (and is not used by humans along the way), which it loses partly through evaporation during the increasingly hot summers. The hope is that the result of this addition-subtraction operation wont be negative.

Scientists working on the lake caution, however, that a good year will never solve a problem caused by decades of overconsumption.

Global Warming

Robert Gillies  director of the Utah Climate Center  explains that its still too early to know the effect of this past winters unexpected snowfall.

Forty years ago, the snow didnt melt until early May  which is unusual [today]  and it melted all of a sudden. So it all depends on whether [the snow melts] slowly or quickly this time. One of the effects of global warming is that the minimum temperatures are rising at a faster rate, which influences the [speed of] melting. This phenomenon causes the snow to transform directly into water vapor and vanish into the atmosphere, rather than descending into the riverbeds.

[Climate change] is like a magnifying glass that magnifies the processes. For example, evaporation: it will become more severe every year if temperatures continue to rise. And everything indicates that they will continue to do so, as evidenced by a graph shown by the climatologist on his computer. According to the graphic, the thermometer exceeded 100 degrees farenheit only on four days in the 20th century. So far, in the 21st century, the temperature has already broken 100 degrees on 28 occasions.

However, the lakes main problem isnt global warming. Rather, the main issue is, at face value, easier to solve: irrigated agriculture, which sequesters water before it reaches its terminus. Consumption is distributed as follows, according to the BYU report: 74% goes to northern farmers  who are mainly dedicated to growing alfalfa for livestock consumption  while 9% goes to urban areas. Another 9% goes to the mineral extraction factories that are located on the lakeshore, while the remaining 8% is lost via evaporation.

The Great Salt Lake, seen from the mountains of Antelope Island. Inaki Malvido

Utahs water rights distribution system was established in the 19th century, after the settlement of the first Mormons, led by the settler Brigham Young. According to the legend, he looked out over the barren lands and said, This is the place. Since then, state legislators have focused on passing laws without touching the area. Republican Governor Spencer Cox has promised: During my term, we will not let the lake run dry.

Mike Schultz  the Republican majority leader in the State House of Representatives  has been involved in promoting and passing, via a unanimous bipartisan vote, some new water standards. In a phone conversation, Schultz singles out one among many, which he refers to as the beneficial use of water, which goes directly into the lake. Its important because it broke the old use it or lose it mentality, he explains.

The congressman refers to the new Utah law, which targets the water rights that were historically used for irrigation, livestock or industrial usage. Now, the right to use the lakes water can only be maintained if the water is put to beneficial use  which means that it cannot solely benefit the owner. It must also benefit the ecosystem and state residents. Additionally, water rights which have not been exercised for a seven-year-period are subject to forfeiture. This has provoked resentment among local farmers and ranchers, who must now also ensure that some of the water they use ends up back in the lake.

Buying and selling water

Schultz  representing a district north of Salt Lake City that encompasses a good portion of saltwater  recalls that the Utah Congress also allocated a considerable amount of money to acquire water rights to whoever wants to sell theirs. Both chambers approved a law that prohibits its reuse (after the first use, it must return to the system and end up in the lake) and endowed a program with $200 million so that farmers could update technologically and thus be able to save more water.

Its all part of a mindset shift: Since the first settlers came in 1847, water going into the lake has historically been thought of as wasted water, says Schultz. Its not like that.

An unusual association called the Great Salt Lake Collaborative  which brings together 21 Utah media outlets around the production of news that contributes to solving the crisis  has had a lot to do with this newfound awareness.

Lets say that, on this issue, we park the competition that rules everything else. Its too important a topic for each of us to cover it on our own, says Ben Winslow, a reporter for the local Fox station, who explains that the media cooperative works in two ways: Either you make a story that others use, or we collaborate with each other. Several outlets cover the same thing: one outlet sends the photographer, another sends a cameraman, another sends an editor, and so on and so forth.

Lynn De Freitas has been fighting for the lake since the 1990s with Friends of the Great Salt Lake. Iker Seisdedos Garcia

Winslow wants to believe that this media collaboration has contributed to 80% of Utahns now expressing concern about the future of the lake in a recent poll.

It wasnt always like this, recalls activist Lynn de Freitas, a biology graduate and retired librarian, who is president of the Friends of the Great Salt Lake, an organization she joined in the late-1990s.

Until 10 years ago, this was a matter that only interested a handful of scientists, who were already taking note of the decline of places like the Aral Sea or Lake Urmia, in Iran. Politically, nothing was done until 2021, says De Freitas, as she walks along the shore, carefully avoiding the dead birds.

Many of the dead birds are black-necked grebes, who resemble ducks. About two million arrive each year and consume between 25,000 and 30,000 brine shrimp daily. Around 1% fail to overcome the rigors of migration.

De Freitas explains that the unpleasant smell that comes and goes during the walk is not only due to those animal remains: it emanates from the exposed lake bed.

Thats another of the reasons why the inhabitants of the region turned their backs on this place. Its a bit salty and a bit stinky  and in the summer, you get eaten by bug bites. So why bother taking care of it?

Congressman Schultz  who grew up literally off its shores  admits that it wasnt until two years ago that politicians began to take notice of a problem they had ignored for too long. When asked if the actions taken so far will solve things, he answers: Its not in our power to fix it completely. For that, we need some help from Mother Nature, which were getting right now. [This winters heavy snowfall] gives us some leeway. Though I dont believe the predictions of that BYU study, [thats] hyperbolic crap; catastrophizing doesnt help us to continue working without distractions.

The lake isnt going to dry up, he affirms. The main concern is not that, but rather the increase in salinity levels.

Nate Housley, Utah State Historian, pictured in Salt Lake City. Sergio Gomes

Nate Housley  a Utah-based historian and the founder of Save Our Great Salt Lake  worries about the congressmans mindset.

State legislators have taken the unusual snowfall as a solution and have shelved some of the measures that were being discussed, he opines. He meets with EL PAIS in a cafe that could easily symbolize the new Salt Lake City, which is being sold as an alternative to Silicon Valley one thats a lot cheaper and has a lot more nature.

Newcomers to the city will have to adapt to the lower water consumption imposed by circumstances: it is estimated that a reduction of between 30 and 50% will be necessary to guarantee a stable supply.

In the last legislative session, for example, a rule that would have set the lakes flow height at 4,198 feet  10 feet above the current level  was not approved. The proposal to ban grass in future urban construction was also defeated. Justifying that inaction, State Senator Scott Sandall said, Mother Nature has come to our aid.

The governor, who is a Mormon  like most of our politicians  asked people to pray that the problem be resolved, Housley continues. Many people made fun of him, so he got defensive.

Im not religious. I dont object to prayer but praying shouldnt become political. He and some other pious legislators brag as if theyve achieved all that snow on the basis of prayers.

But the truth is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  which is hard not to encounter in Salt Lake City  has done more than just pray to God. A couple of weeks ago, one of the Mormon leaders  Bishop Christopher Waddell  announced to a group of scientists and politicians gathered at a symposium on the future of the lake that the Church would donate 6.5 billion gallons of annual irrigation water to the Great Salt Lake.

The bishop recognizes that while the donation is far from enough to resolve the crisis  an annual amount that is 50 times greater would be necessary  he has noted that this is just the beginning. He has promised that the Church will be looking at other sources for future giveaways. He also stated that he hoped this gesture would encourage other donations.

Light reflects off the surface of the lake. Kennecott Copper Mine is seen in the background. Inaki Malvido The Great Salt Lake unfolds at the foot of the Wasatch Range. Inaki Malvido A buffalo grazing on Antelope Island. Inaki Malvido

The writer Terry Tempest Williams  who grew up in the Mormon faith  stated in an article in The New York Times last Sunday that such generosity is not enough.

Brigham Youngs vision of roses blooming in the desert needs a radical correction, he wrote. Ecological, economic and human health along the Wasatch Front [the east bank of the lake] is at stake. Our toxic legacy is being written on our bodies.

Abbott recalls that an executive order signed by the governor in February was also discussed at the symposium, ordering the erection of the barrier that separates the north and south of the lake  a division artificially created in 1959 by a railway embankment for the transport of salt.

This measure will help preserve the southern ecosystem, by reducing its salinity, explains Marisa Weinberg, interim director of the division that manages the states sovereign lands. The northern [part of the lake], Weinberg says, isnt a prosperous ecosystem.

The north of the lake was condemned by the train track. It has a high concentration of salt  close to 30%  which only makes life possible for halophiles (Greek for salt lovers)  microorganisms that give the water an unreal pink hue. It is also home to one of the largest pelican colonies in the United States, with about 20,000 specimens.

The new barrier will mean condemning this part of the lake to death to save the other, Abbott justifies. The company Compass Minerals  which has an evaporation tank to the north of the lake  used the aforementioned symposium to threaten to sue the state because of the recent measure adopted.

'Spiral Jetty' (1970), a work of 'land art' by Robert Smithson, property of the DIA Foundation. Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

In the north of the lake lies Spiral Jetty  one of the most important works of American art of the 20th century and surely the most famous piece in the history of land art. Robert Smithson chose a truly remote point on the lake to draw a poetic spiral, using black basalt stones. The footage that the artist shot from a small plane after its installation in 1970 is proof of his original idea: for pink water to splash against the piece, which has inadvertently ended up becoming another beacon of decline in the place where it was installed.

The place looks a lot like the end of the world. Long ago, all of this was also water. Now, you have to walk for more than a mile to reach it.





Volume of water The 1980s were a period of exceptional rainfall 40,000 Hm3 30,000 Minimum value for lake health Periods of water deficit 20,000 10,000 Current levels 0 1920 1950 1980 2000 2022 Water balance Annual estimate 2020-2022. Cubic hectometers per year Rain 740 Evaporation 3,207 Runoff 3,724 Great Salt Lake 1,234 Artificial upstream diversions 2,590 Mining extraction 247 Annual human consumption (2020-2020 estimate) 2,837 Hm Agriculture 74% Mining 9% 9% 8% Urban use and industry Water loss At these levels of water loss, the lake as we know it will be gone in five years. Volume of water The 1980s were a period of exceptional rainfall 40,000 Hm3 30,000 Minimum value for lake health Periods of water deficit 20,000 10,000 Current levels 0 1920 1950 1980 2000 2022 Water balance Annual estimate 2020-2022. Cubic hectometers per year Rain 740 Evaporation 3,207 Runoff 3,724 Great Salt Lake 1,234 Mining extraction 247 Artificial upstream diversions 2,590 Annual human consumption (2020-2020 estimate) 2,837 Hm Agriculture 74% Mining 9% 9% 8% Urban use and industry Water loss At these levels of water loss, the lake as we know it will be gone in five years. Volume of water The 1980s were a period of exceptional rainfall 40,000 Hm3 30,000 Minimum value for lake health Periods of water deficit 20,000 10,000 Current levels 0 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2022 Water balance Annual estimate 2020-2022. Cubic hectometers per year Rain 740 Evaporation 3,207 Annual human consumption (2020-2020 estimate) 2,837 Hm Runoff 3,724 Agriculture Great Salt Lake 74% 1,234 Mining 9% 9% Artificial upstream diversions 2,590 Mining extraction 247 8% Urban use and industry Water loss At these levels of water loss, the lake as we know it will be gone in five years. Volume of water The 1980s were a period of exceptional rainfall 40,000 Hm3 30,000 Minimum value for lake health Periods of water deficit 20,000 10,000 Current levels 0 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2022 Water balance Annual estimate 2020-2022. Cubic hectometers per year Rain 740 Evaporation 3,207 Annual human consumption (2020-2020 estimate) 2,837 Hm Runoff 3,734 Agriculture Great Salt Lake 74% 1,234 Mining 9% 9% Artificial upstream diversions 2,590 Mining extraction 247 8% Urban use and industry Water loss At these levels of water loss, the lake as we know it will be gone in five years.

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Kelsea Ballerini affirmed her support for the LGBTQIA+ community with her performance at the 2023 CMT Awards. She brought out Drag Race stars Manila Luzon, Kennedy Davenport, Jan Sport, and Olivia Lux for her performance of If You Go Down (Im Goin Down Too)  an ode to solidarity in praxis unparalleled since LInternationale. Right-wing politicians continue to introduce anti-trans and anti-queer legislature into state houses across the country, including many so-called drag bans. Texas, the state that hosted this years CMT Awards, is considering a drag ban similar to the states bounty law on abortion. If the bill passes, anyone can sue anyone who hosts or performs drag in front of a minor. The definition of drag in the bill is so large it could apply to Shakespeare in the Park. Or a country number played on CBS before watershed hours.

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Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: iHeart, Joe Pera, Kaleidoscope, Serial

And were off to the races. After 2022, this year mightve started out with big questions over Spotify and the podcast biz, but from a new-releases standpoint, its already been an intriguing year. Serial Productions delivered a new entry  late winter seems to be a favored slot for the studio, as The Trojan Horse Affair came out around the same time last year  and I reckon therell be more to come. iHeartMedia has been pumping out a steady stream of small, unexpected, but thoroughly interesting projects anchored by strong singular voices. And weve seen the cozy subgenre of sleep podcasts turn out to be the perfect vessel for an idiosyncratic comedian. If the rest of 2023 keeps up at this pace, podcasting will be in a pretty good creative place.

All podcast picks are listed from newest to oldest.

This follow-up to 2020s Floodlines is a magisterial effort to reckon with the aborted history of the Civil Rights Movement. Hosted once again by Vann R. Newkirk II, working with producers Jocelyn Frank and Ethan Brooks, The Atlantics sophomore narrative-podcast series reconsiders the week of uprisings immediately following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s assassination in 1968  in doing so, resurfacing the connective tissue between the incomplete political projects of the era and those in the present. Holy Week elegantly illustrates the nature of history as a process and how the past is a story that never truly ends.

Read Nicholas Quahs full review of Holy Week.

Over the past year or so, The Economist has steadily emerged as a dependable publisher of fantastic audio reportage on what can be stodgily described as topics pertaining to global affairs and international relations. Last years The Prince, for example, served up a holistic look into the modern political context around Chinese premier Xi Jinping, and with Next Year in Moscow, the magazine has constructed a piercing look into the lives of Russians who have gone into exile following their opposition to their countrys invasion of Ukraine. Led by Arkady Ostrovsky, the series offers a sober but heartfelt look into a specific iteration of political conscience, resistance, and imagination.

Photo: Serial

I wasnt particularly taken by The Coldest Case in Laramie, which has the distinction of being the first Serial Productions series hosted by a New York Times reporter and is easily the grimmest entry in the studios canon thus far. But its still an utterly compelling piece of nonfiction crime storytelling. The investigative podcast revolves around an unsolved murder case from host Kim Barkers childhood that heats up again when a long-suspected ex cop is finally charged for the crime decades later based on seemingly surefire evidence  only for those charges to be inexplicably dropped shortly after. Questions about the unreliability of memory, the subjectivity of truth, and the gravitational pull of closure arise.

Read Nicholas Quahs full review of The Coldest Case in Laramie.

Theres a mythical quality to the premise of You Didnt See Nothin. The injustice of a horrible crime leads a man to investigative journalism, but he becomes disenchanted and ultimately leaves the profession altogether due to the force of its constraints. Years later, he returns to that instigating story, looking to settle a spiritual score. The individual in question is Chicago writer and designer Yohance Lacour, and the story he revisits is a hate crime that took place in the late 90s: a young Black boy, Lenard Clark, beaten into a coma by a gang of white teenagers for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You Didnt See Nothin is a fluid amalgam of things  memoir, journalism, social history  but above all, its a spirited litigation of a systemic failure. Its an outstanding listen. Lacour is a fantastic writer and an even better narrator.

Photo: Chestnut Walnut

Joe Pera Talks With You might not be getting any more seasons, but those with serious Pera withdrawal can thank their lucky stars for Drifting Off With Joe Pera, which imports the Buffalo natives style of quiet observational comedy into the form of a sleep podcast. Created with frequent collaborator Ryan Dann and produced with Grant Farsi, Drifting Off is an effective example of shifting mediums. Far from being an afterthought, here is a project that clearly understands the mechanics of its principal talent and takes its chosen format seriously. Im writing this blurb on the basis of just its first monthly episode, but Im already convinced its one of the best podcasts from this year.

Read Nicholas Quahs interview with Joe Pera and Ryan Dann.

Photo: iHeart

You can hold a lot against Svetlana! Svetlana! The podcast by the playwright Dan Kitrosser, about the eventful life of Joseph Stalins daughter, Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva, is at turns messy, obnoxious, and all over the place. At the same time, its messy, obnoxious, and all over the place; which is to say, for the right person, its spectacularly free and fun. We seem to be in a boomlet of fanciful, individually anchored narrative-podcast projects  funded to some noticeable extent by iHeartMedia  that are reminiscent of the kinds of general-interest nonfiction books that used to populate the best-seller list. (See: City of the Rails, Unread, the assorted works of Jamie Loftus, and so on.) Listen, Id be perfectly happy to get hundreds more of these.

Photo: iHeart

The criminal-justice reporter Josie Duffy Rice travels to Mount Meigs, an unincorporated community outside Montgomery, Alabama, where she looks into the history of a juvenile-reform school once known as the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children. Originally created around the turn of the 20th century to provide Black children with an alternative to actual prison, the institution took a sordid turn when it was sold to the state in 1911, after which it developed a history of abusing many of the children held within its system. Patiently reported, Unreformed joins an emerging subgenre of recent audio docs focused on state-run institutions designed to subjugate vulnerable populations  see also, among others, Gimlet Medias Stolen: Surviving St. Michaels and the CBCs Kuper Island.

Photo: iHeart

The Turnings debut season spun together a story of Mother Teresas Catholic order, the Missionaries of Charity, told through the perspective of women who had left the group after suffering under the weight of its religious demands. The series was notable for its delicate touch, constructing a picture of that insular worlds stark realities while honoring the specific nature of the womens faith. Host Erika Lantz and the team returned earlier this year with an equally sensitive look at another insular world containing somewhat similar power dynamics: that of modern American ballet, which was defined in large part by a singular figure, George Balanchine, and the elite company of female dancers he built as co-founder of the New York City Ballet.

Photo: iHeart

It would have been enough if Skyline Drive simply explored modern interest in astrology with an open mind and a thoughtful consideration of Americas multicultural composition. Which it does! But in the hands of Mangesh Hattikudur, previously the host of Part-Time Genius and part of the HowStuffWorks brain trust, the podcast really comes to life when the show becomes a moving reflection on being a second-generation immigrant. How does one relate to their parents and the culture of their roots, and what is to be passed down to their own kids? As an added bonus, Skyline Drive features killer music supervision courtesy of Hattikudur. What a treat.
The idea that the best defense is a good offense is something that Donald Trump believes in so strongly it seems embedded in his DNA. On the eve of his arraignment on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election, the former president posted a fiery diatribe against his perceived enemies  a message that offers a glimpse at what to expect from Trump during the trial and his campaign for the 2024 presidential election.

I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support you have given me against this assault on our Nation. Our once beautiful USA is now a Nation in Decline, Trump posted. Radical Left Thugs & Insurrectionists have taken over our Country, & are rapidly destroying it, Trump  the first U.S. president to ever be indicted  posted on his social media network Truth Social. We are now living in a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY, but we will Come Back & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Trump will leave his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida on Monday, fly to New York on his private jet and spend the night in his Trump Tower penthouse on Fifth Avenue. Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at 2:15 p.m. (ET) in a courtroom on the 15th floor on 100 Centre Street. Before appearing in court, the former president will be processed: his fingerprints and mugshot will be taken, but he will not be handcuffed when he is taken into the courtroom. Trump will be informed of his rights. The charges against him will be read in court, and he will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. The former president plans to return to Mar-a-Lago that same afternoon and is scheduled to deliver remarks from Florida at 8:15 p.m.

More information Trump indictment provides popularity boost ahead of 2024 White House bid

Based on his latest social media posts, Trump is not likely to hold his tongue. On Friday, he was already attacking the judge presiding over the case, Juan Manuel Merchan, whom Trump accused of hating him.

Trump is gearing up for a battle said his lawyer Joe Tacopina in an interview on ABCs This Week program. Tacopina described the former president as a tough guy, and said the case against him was weak. We all know that had Donald Trump not been Donald Trump and was John Smith, this case never would have been brought.

Its still not known what charges will be brought against the real estate mogul, as the indictment remains under seal. Leaks to the U.S. media suggest that Trump  who was caught off guard by the grand jurys decision to indict him Thursday  may be facing more than 30 charges, including at least one felony.

All the Tuesday stuff is still very much up in the air, other than the fact that we will very loudly and proudly say, Not guilty, Tacopina told CNNs State of the Union program.

Trump appears to have decided that the case will bolster his chances of winning the 2024 election. Trumps campaign said it raised $4 million in donations in the 24 hours after the indictment, and another $1 million since then.

The campaign is also pointing to poll numbers that place Trump as the clear favorite ahead of the Republican presidential primaries next year. According to the survey, Trump has the backing of 51% of Republican voters, while his closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis  who has not even confirmed that he will be running  is on 21%, giving Trump a 30-point lead.

But there is a long race ahead. More often than not, the candidate who begins the campaign as the favorite usually ends up losing their lead as the primaries progress.

Trump has the advantage of having already been president, a more-than-recognizable name and the support of the Republican rank and file. But its not clear how Trumps legal woes will affect his presidential run. In addition to the hush money case, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump is also being investigated in several other cases, such as his role in the January 6 insurrection, his handling of classified government documents after leaving the White House and his role in working with allies to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election.

While Trump may be an expert at unleashing chaos, he has no control over the outcome of these investigations. And while most Republicans have closed ranks around the former president, his legal woes are a source of concern for the most traditional wing of the party.

On Sunday, the former Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, announced he was running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, launching a challenge to Trump. I have made a decision, and my decision is Im going to run for president of the United States, he told ABCs This Week. Im convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts,

In the interview, Hutchinson also said that he believed that Trump should drop out of the race now that hes been indicted. He should, but at the same time, we know hes not [going to], he said. First of all, the office is more important than any individual person. And so for the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think thats too much of a sideshow and distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process and there is a presumption of innocence.

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Italy bans ChatGPT temporarily over privacy concerns.

Italy's deputy premier Matteo Salvini has criticised the decision by the Italian data protection authority to temporarily block the chatbot ChatGPT over privacy concerns.

Salvini, the leader of the right-wing Lega party, on Sunday described the ban as "excessive" and noted that there are "dozens" of other services based on artificial intelligence.

Calling for "common sense" and a swift restoration of the service , Salvini wrote on Twitter: "We must not be hypocrites: privacy issues affect practically all online services".

Italy on Friday became the first Western country to block the artificial intelligence tool, which was created by US start-up OpenAI and is backed by Microsoft.

The Italian data regulator launched an investigation into ChatGPT following what it said was a data breach involving user conversations and payment information, that may have violated European Union data protection rules.

The authority stated that there was no legal basis to justify "the mass collection and storage of personal data for the purpose of 'training' the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform."

The watchdog also said that as there was no way to verify the age of users, who are supposed to be over 13, the app "exposes minors to responses that are absolutely inappropriate" for their age.

The regulator said OpenAI has 20 days to respond to its concerns under penalty of a fine of up to 20 million.
Italian culture minister says enough is enough.

Italy's government is studying a law to make those who damage cultural landmarks pick up the bill for the work required to restore the monuments they deface, the Italian culture minister said.

Gennaro Sangiuliano was speaking after climate activists from the Ultima Generazione group poured black liquid into the waters of the 17th-century Barcaccia fountain at the Spanish Steps in Rome on Saturday.

Those who damage our cultural heritage cannot get away with it and must be punished severely", Sangiuliano said in a statement, noting that the works required to restore damaged monuments are "often expensive because they require specialists and appropriate equipment."

Climate activists dye the water black in the 17th-century Barcaccia fountain at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome.pic.twitter.com/1nmfpxK4BJ Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) April 1, 2023

Sangiuliano described the Barcaccia stunt, the latest in a series of similar incidents by climate activists in Italy, as "the straw that broke the camel's back".

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri said the blitz at the landmark fountain was "stupid" and had "nothing to do with fighting climate change or protecting the environment".

Gualtieri confirmed that "permanent damage was avoided" to the Baroque monument but "only thanks" to a prompt and complex cleaning process.

Vittorio Sgarbi, the Italian culture undersecretary known for his outspoken views, said that activists who target cultural landmarks "should be locked up in places of psychological recovery with compulsory medical treatment".

In a statement, Ultima Generazione said the action at the Barcaccia "foreshadowed the 'end of the world' scenario we are heading for", with a combination of drought, floods and heat waves set to "put an end to life on Earth".
Bill takes aim at use of non-Italian terms.

Italy's public and private entities could face fines of up to 100,000 for using foreign terms in official communications, under a draft bill launched by a member of the right-wing Fratelli d'Italia party of premier Giorgia Meloni.

The bill takes aim in particular at the use of English words, or "Anglomania", which has "repercussions for society as a whole" as the spread of English "demeans and mortifies" the Italian language.

Under the proposed law, which is designed to safeguard the Italian language and national identity, all job titles and acronyms used by companies operating in Italy should be spelt in Italian unless it is impossible to translate them.

The draft legislation was presented by Fabio Rampelli, deputy president of the chamber of deputies, and will need to be approved by both houses of parliament before becoming law.

Pointing out that there are now "almost 9,000 anglicisms" in the Treccani dictionary, Rampelli claimed "it is no longer permissible to use foreign terms whose Italian equivalent exists".

Opposition parties were quick to attack the bill, pointing out that last October Meloni's government had added "Made in Italy" to the title of its industry ministry.

In an interview with Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday, Rampelli stressed that Italians will still be able to use words such as "croissant", "bar" or "cocktail" because "the bill to protect the Italian language only affects public and private bodies."

As for the "Made in Italy" ministry title, Rampelli specified to the Corriere that those representing Italy's economic interests abroad who are "forced to use foreign terms are excluded from the sanctions".

The use of English words by the Italian media, government agencies and in the workplace has become increasingly common in recent years, a phenomenon highlighted by former Italian premier Mario Draghi in 2021.

After unveiling a raft of government measures, including a "bonus baby sitter" and "smart working" plans, Draghi asked ironically: "Who knows why we have to use all these words in English."
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Citigroup Inc. has just released a research report making a bull case for cryptocurrencies - an asset class that hasnt had a lot to cheer about the last two years. The thesis is that blockchain and related technologies will grow to having a billion users and trillions of dollars in value over the next six to eight years. Whats missing is the implications for investors, which Ill try to outline.

The 162-page report starts with the example of someone in 1900 predicting the eventual massive economic and cultural change caused by the automobile. It was not practical to invest directly. Most automobile start-ups at the time failed. Ford was not founded until 1903 and didnt go public until 1956. Shorting buggy-whip companies sounds clever but it wasnt any more practical than investing in car companies. Plus, buggy-whip companies had little trouble shifting to making similar consumer goods.

What would have made sense is realizing cars need gasoline, highways and gas stations, and would create demand for motels, drive-ins, suburban homes, rubber, glass, concrete and many other things. You didnt have to bet on one car company or technology. Today theres small reason to believe massive growth in the crypto-technology sector will increase the value of most existing crypto assets. A more promising investment approach is to think about what general technologies will be needed if crypto takes off.

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The Citigroup report zeroes in on four key technologies. All of these exist today. Invention is not required, but the trick will be to deliver known technologies in the right package that becomes a widespread standard in the crypto ecosystem. (I am an active crypto investor, and he have venture capital investments and advisory relations with crypto companies including the types mentioned below.)

DECENTRALIZED DIGITIAL IDENTITIES:

Most people have partial digital identities smeared over the Internet in accounts at different sites and perhaps a master identity managed by Google or Microsoft. Its little problem for hackers and identity thieves to link these together and compile much of your personal information. Its also easy for people to fake or steal identities. On the other hand, its often difficult transferring information from one place to another, say to prove to a wine shipping site that youre over 21 or to verify your identity on your Twitter account.

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There are places that offer you the ability to create multiple secure digital identities that cannot be linked together. You might use one for work, one for shopping, one for friends, one for financial transactions and one for social media. Each one reveals only the information you want for that purpose, and all information is verified so others can trust it.

If crypto-technology expands, theres little doubt that DDIs will be in great demand. The problems now are few individuals take the trouble to use them, and therefore few sites accept them, and therefore its difficult to verify most of the important information. But once the chicken-and-egg issue is overcome by rising user demand, it seems likely that a few big providers will dominate. Some might offer greater protection and be attractive to undocumented immigrants, adulterers and recluses. The big technology companies today could well get in the business, but likely with lower levels of privacy. Some DDI providers might specialize in the simplest interfaces, some might offer the most advanced features.

ZERO-KNOWLEDGE PROOFS:

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A friend of mine who was pursuing a doctorate in social work and a law degree griped that everything she learned in social work classes  gather all possible information about clients to provide the best help  was contradicted in law school: meticulously protect and segregate all information about clients. Zero-knowledge proofs are the solution. They give the benefit of collecting and provably summarizing information without revealing the components that went into that summary.

A major use case for ZKPs at the moment is cryptographic proof of solvency. An ancient problem that has popped up more than usual in the last 12 months is financial institutions  both traditional and crypto  suddenly revealed to be insolvent. One solution is more disclosure, but this can endanger client privacy and confidential business information. Moreover, few people have the ability to analyze even a simple financial institutions books. Regulators and auditors can try to do the job, and to promise to keep all information confidential, but they are generally too slow and coarse to prevent the problems.

The solution is for the institution to run a ZKP algorithm on its own books. The ZKP app sees all the firms internal information, but it outputs a code that cannot be used by anyone to figure out the information. That code can be revealed to the public and proves the institutions cash assets are greater than or equal to its liabilities  or any other desired proof, such as that market value of assets are at least 110% of liabilities. The institution cannot simply make up a code or feed false information to its ZKP app.

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ORACLES:

Crypto applications require real-world information: how old an individual is, what degrees she holds, what an Uber drivers rating is, who owns a property, etc. Some of this information can come from authoritative sources, but much of it must be encoded in distributed public ledgers by private parties. Widespread use of crypto will require building vast numbers of secure, trusted oracles.

SECURE BRIDGES:

The weakest link in crypto are the bridges that connect different blockchains. Just as embezzlers concentrate on money transfers rather than the underlying accounts themselves, crypto hackers have often stolen money or information in transit between applications. The problem is not in fundamental technology; we know how to build secure bridges. The problem is cost. Proof-of-work networks require lots of expensive work, such as the electricity needed to secure Bitcoin. Proof-of-stake networks require large stakes. Validator networks need lots of validators, each of which are expensive to crack.

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Today the resources necessary to maintain secure bridges are lacking. But the need for secure bridges goes up with the square of the number of major crypto applications, so a 100-times growth in the latter could mean a 10,000-fold growth in the former.

Personally, I have accepted the basic bull case Citigroup lays out for many years, but I have not bought a lot of crypto tokens. I prefer to invest in technologies that will be necessary whichever specific projects win or lose, including the four mentioned above.

More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Let Them Eat Crypto? France Cooks Up a Plan: Lionel Laurent

 Crypto Scams and Modern Capitalism Are Siblings: David Fickling

 Move Over Stablecoin. A New Token Is Coming: Andy Mukherjee

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Aaron Brown is a former managing director and head of financial market research at AQR Capital Management. He is author of The Poker Face of Wall Street. He may have a stake in the areas he writes about.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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There were many reasons Russian President Vladimir Putin finally decided to invade Ukraine, but one was the failure of an international alignment on the consequences of such aggression. Tacit indifference to Russias behavior from both sides of the Atlantic  regarding previous invasions of Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014, nerve-agent attacks on political opponents, support for a bloody war criminal in Syria  undoubtedly encouraged the Kremlins provocations.

But its not just indifference to Russias recent kinetic aggression thats to blame. Insufficient response to its non-kinetic military operations helped equip the Kremlin with an effective virtual complement to the traditional invasion. The West in effect conducted a policy of digital appeasement in response to multiple cyberattacks. How did we get here, and what can we do going ahead?

In 2015, Russias military intelligence directorate launched a cyberattack that knocked out power for over 200,000 Ukrainians two days before Christmas. This was followed in June 2017 when shadowy Russian actors compromised a popular tax accounting software called M.E. Doc, which was later distributed to hundreds of thousands of customers via a corrupted software update. Malware that was apparently intended for local effects propagated globally, resulting in billions of dollars in damages. It cost pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. an estimated $1.3 billion alone.

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More recently in the U.S., we have seen ransom attacks by Russian cybergangs against various corporations and critical infrastructure, including the Colonial pipeline and parts of the food chain. The 2020 SolarWinds Corp. attack, which affected hundreds of the largest corporations in the U.S. and many government agencies, almost certainly originated in Moscow.

Thus it should have come as no surprise that in recent days Ukraines largest bank and defense agencies reported being hit with the biggest denial-of-service attack in the countrys history. This, and subsequent hacks, set the stage for the Thursdays military thrust.

Cyberwarfare is a powerful asymmetric capability for any nation-state seeking to prepare the battlefield for an invasion; to support operations at sea, in the air or on land; and to achieve disruptive or destructive effects against digital or physical targets. Despite this military effectiveness, however, far too often the West has failed to respect cyberwarfares role as a strategic instrument of power projection.

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Russia wields the power of cyber not necessarily to cause widespread damage, but to operate with precision below the perceived threshold of war, and thus beyond the reach of political consequences. Cyberattacks are at the heart of Putins so-called hybrid warfare, central to the current Kremlin playbook. And the Western allies have allowed Russia to act virtually unchallenged  even when it has involved meddling in U.S. and European elections  evoking legitimate comparisons of European appeasement of the Nazis in the lead-up to World War II.

There are three explanations for this modern-day form of digital appeasement.

The first is that the Wests diplomatic corps is simply not equipped to engage in influential dialogue with other cyber-powers. Said differently, our diplomacy isnt technical enough. This isnt a pejorative statement; rather, the diplomatic culture hasnt adapted to the digital dimension of geopolitics.

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We need to precisely define what constitutes an attack. Why not draw a red line for gigabit-per-second denial of service attacks against banks, or for arbitrary code execution of known flaws in commercial software with a rating in the Common Vulnerability Scoring System above 8? Overstepping that line would draw immediate retaliation. The more the U.S. resorts to vague descriptions of cyber-aggression, the more its adversaries exploit the domain to their advantage

This point segues into the second, which is hesitancy to risk escalation  the proportions of which are untested and therefore unknown. Western governments risk being crippled by the fear that clear red lines will inevitably be crossed, triggering a global cyber-conflict in which the West has more to lose than its autocratic enemies.

Democracies fear not only attacks against their own military and civilian critical infrastructure, but perhaps even burning their own capabilities  showing their opponents what they have  in the process. This fear is not unfounded, but it must be balanced with the reality that unchecked cyber-aggression has its own escalatory properties. In cyberspace, tolerance of some level of short-term conflict might be necessary to establish a credible and enduring deterrent.

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Finally, there is a false sense of security in Western cyberdefenses against nation-states like Russia that have both the will and capability to attack. For too long, we have relied on technical measures alone to stymie cyber-aggression. This week the Department of Homeland Security released a so-called Shields Up alert, noting that the Russian government understands that disabling or destroying critical infrastructure  including power and communications  can augment pressure on a countrys government, military and population and accelerate their acceding to Russian objectives.

The department should be commended for communicating best practices to the public. But while enforcing two-factor authentication, installing antivirus software and patching vulnerable servers might be effective against the majority of actors, it wont stop the Russians. The U.S. needs to develop a sense of deterrence in cyber, and doing so will require more aggressive responses than it has been willing to employ thus far.

Now that the Russians have acted so strongly in the physical domain, we may find them even more emboldened in the cyber domain.

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More From Bloomberg Opinion:

 Why the Ukraine Crisis Will Not Stay in Ukraine: Hal Brands

 Shock-and-Awe Sanctions Could Still Stop Putin: Javier Blas

 Russias Cyber Campaign of Chaos Should Fail: Parmy Olson

(Editors note: Admiral Stavridiss bio has been updated to reflect his more recent board and advisory roles.)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A retired U.S. Navy admiral, former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, he is vice chairman of global affairs at the Carlyle Group. He is on the boards of American Water Works, Fortinet, PreVeil, NFP, Ankura Consulting Group, Michael Baker and Neuberger Berman, and has advised Shield Capital, a firm that invests in the cybersecurity sector.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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KYODO NEWS - Apr 3, 2023 - 14:36 | World, All

South Korea, the United States, and Japan embarked on a joint anti-submarine exercise Monday in waters near the Korean Peninsula, in a move to strengthen deterrence against growing threats from North Korea.

The two-day joint exercise involving the U.S. Nimitz nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is currently underway in waters south of South Korea's Jeju Island. The last trilateral anti-submarine exercise was held in September and was the first to be conducted in about five years.

"The anti-submarine exercise was arranged to enhance response capabilities of South Korea, the United States and Japan against North Korea's advancing underwater threats, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile," South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The ministry also said the drills are being conducted with the aim of strengthening each country's capability to detect, track and share related information.

Pyongyang has been frequently testing its missile capabilities, and has done so recently in an apparent protest against several allied military drills between Seoul and Washington.

In mid-March, North Korea said it fired two cruise missiles from a submarine in waters off its eastern coast, before the start of the "Freedom Shield" joint exercise between South Korean and U.S. militaries. Freedom Shield was the first large-scale springtime military drill to be conducted in five years.

Related coverage:

High level of activity spotted at North Korea's key nuclear complex

Japan to gear up G-7 process through series of ministerial meetings
The longtime host was chastised recently for offensive on-air comments about the prime age of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and other women.
The value of Australias coal and gas exports could be halved in just five years as new forecasts warn booming commodity prices have likely passed their peaks and key trading partners across Asia are increasing efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal government trade data, to be released on Monday, reveals earnings from Australias minerals and energy exports are set to reach unseen highs of $464 billion in 2022-23 after Russias invasion of Ukraine worsened a global energy crisis and boosted fossil fuel prices for a second straight year.

Prices for cargoes of thermal coal at the Port of Newcastle more than tripled in the past 12 months. Credit: Nic Walker

Record income from sales of Australian thermal coal  the type of coal burned in power stations  and metallurgical coal used in steel-making furnaces are expected to be $128 billion for the financial year, overtaking iron ore as the countrys most lucrative export.

Australias exports of liquified natural gas (LNG), meanwhile, are forecast to hit $91 billion in 202223, three times higher than in 202021, on the back of record-high prices as northern hemisphere nations scrambled to secure alternative supplies to Russian gas.
By Maya Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Apr 2, 2023 - 23:43 | World, All, Japan

Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Sunday lodged a stern protest over China's recent detention of a Japanese national and demanded his early release in meetings with Premier Li Qiang and senior Chinese officials in Beijing after the incident further strained bilateral ties.

Hayashi also requested that Li and foreign policy chief Wang Yi ensure Beijing provides "an environment in which Japanese nationals and companies can safely work and operate," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, in reference to the citizen's detention.

In a separate meeting, however, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang only told Hayashi that Beijing will "handle the case based on laws," according to the Chinese government. Hayashi and Qin talked for over 3 hours and 45 minutes, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (L) shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on April 2, 2023, ahead of their talks. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Hayashi told reporters following the meeting with Qin that he also sought consular access to the Japanese citizen and urged China to provide transparency in the judicial process. The national, arrested in China last month, is a senior employee of Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas Pharma Inc.

Since a counterespionage law and a new national security law came into force in China in 2014, 17 Japanese citizens have been detained for their alleged involvement in spy activities. Five of them are still being held in China, the Japanese government said.

Hayashi, the first Japanese foreign minister to travel to China since December 2019, became the first Japanese minister to meet with Li, who assumed the premiership last month.

The Japanese minister also met in person with Qin, who took the ministerial post late last year, for the first time. He wrapped up a two-day China visit after meeting with Wang, a member of the ruling Communist Party's Political Bureau, who outranks Qin.

Japan's top diplomat added he and Qin agreed that the two countries should maintain close communication "at all levels" to improve strained ties, including between their leaders and foreign ministers.

Hayashi said he has also expressed Tokyo's serious concern over the repeated entry of Chinese vessels into waters near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which Beijing claims, and joint military activities between China and Russia near Japanese territory.

The two sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining communications involving security and welcomed the establishment of a hotline between their defense authorities that was announced on Friday, Hayashi said. The communications link is designed to build confidence and prevent unexpected contingencies.

On Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island regarded by Beijing as its territory, Hayashi said he underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait amid increasing Chinese military pressure in the region.

Li told Hayashi that Japan should appropriately handle the Taiwan issue "with sincerity," saying it concerns the "political foundations" of the two countries' relations, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Qin warned against Japan getting involved with the Taiwan issue, saying it is "at the core of China's core interests." Tokyo should not damage Beijing's sovereignty in any way, the Chinese foreign minister was quoted as saying.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (far L) holds talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang (far R) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on April 2, 2023. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday expressed "high appreciation and gratitude" over Hayashi's remarks on the island in his meeting with Qin, noting the Japanese government has repeatedly said in recent years it shares basic values with the territory, such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The island pledged to continue strengthening cooperation with like-minded countries to jointly safeguard the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

The top Japanese diplomat also said he called on China to play a "responsible role" in ensuring the peace and security of the international community in reference to the Ukraine crisis.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, met in the Russian capital in March, with Moscow positively assessing Beijing's proposal of a cease-fire and political settlement of the crisis.

But critics say the Chinese plan is not impartial as it does not call for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

As for Tokyo's plan to start releasing treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant sometime this spring or summer, Qin urged Japan to "responsibly deal with" the discharge because it is a "serious matter concerning the health and safety of human beings," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Hayashi said he protested China's information campaign on the Fukushima water issue, claiming it is "not based on science."

Qin also criticized a decision taken by Japan on Friday to tighten export controls for advanced chip manufacturing equipment, a measure seen as an effort to hinder Beijing's development of advanced semiconductors that could be used for military purposes.

The Chinese minister urged Tokyo not to join U.S.-led efforts to stymie Beijing's ability to develop high-end semiconductors, saying such a "containment" measure would "only strengthen China's determination for self-reliance."

Hayashi said he explained to Qin that the latest export control step is "not targeted at a specific country."

The Japanese minister said he relayed Tokyo's concerns over moves in China to coerce foreign companies to disclose and transfer advanced technologies and called for a "transparent, predictable and fair business environment."

The two ministers also agreed that Japan and China will work to restart the trilateral dialogue framework involving South Korea, Hayashi said.

Last November, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Xi agreed at a summit in Bangkok to arrange Hayashi's visit to China in an effort to stabilize precarious ties. The two Asian neighbors have shared the view that they will seek "constructive and stable" relations.

Related coverage:

Businessman detention shocks Japan firms in China, dampens sentiment

China's premier Li opposes new Cold War in warning to U.S.

Russia hails China's Ukraine cease-fire proposal in joint statement
In Alexis Wrights novels, plot is only half the story. Praiseworthy, the longest work to date by the Stella and Miles Franklin prize-winning Waanyi writer, is an abundant odyssey that contains a formidable vision of Australias future. This is a long journey through the imagination, a novel both urgent and deeply contemplated.

Praiseworthy combines aspects from Wrights other works: it has the many voices of Tracker, which gave written form to oral storytelling and history; it redeploys that unsettling but evocative blend of ironic humour and apocalyptic imagery found in The Swan Book; and it has the interweaving of ancestral myth and contemporary heroism from Carpentaria.

There are moments of exhilaration and epiphany in Alexis Wrights new novel, Praiseworthy. Credit: Justin McManus

But in order to tell this story, which explores the multiple realities of Australia, Wright uses a distinct and sometimes challenging perspective, in which scenes and the familiar comforts of dramatic structure are subordinated to a kind of self-aware epic vision, as though the unfolding mysteries of Praiseworthy are being observed from outer space by an all-seeing, empathic god-figure.

The novel begins with the arrival of an environmental anomaly, a haze that takes up permanent residency above the north Australian town of Praiseworthy, where it becomes an anti-miracle signalling the end of days at the hands of the disturbed ancestral spirits of country. The plot revolves around the Steel family, fringe-dwellers in Praiseworthy, whose disparate lives take on the epic magnitude of Dreamtime myths and legends. But much like Wrights The Swan Book  her bleakest speculation of a version of Australia in ruin  the use of Dreaming produces a nightmarish world.
Surf culture has drifted from the beach and come crashing into penthouse apartments and walk-in wardrobes, with Sydney designer Hayden Cox out front, riding the trend hard.

From his Mona Vale workshop Cox has conquered the waves with his brand Haydenshapes top-selling Hypto Krypto boards, ridden by saltwater royalty such as Tom Carroll. This week Cox unveiled his first venture into retail furniture, with three pieces utilising his mastery of resin for Australian furniture brand SP01.

Hayden Cox in his Mona Vale workshop working on the resin pieces for his furniture collection for Australian luxury brand SP01. Credit: Brook Mitchell

Its the designers second successive stab at the luxury market, following the August launch of the Haydenshapes apparel range, which was snapped up by premium online retailer Mr Porter.

Translucent consoles worth $11,900 and $300 shorts are a long way from the 90s surf shop staples of sheepskin boots, beaded shell necklaces and hemp ponchos, but Cox, who launched his company in 2000, knows the value of his work.
The states environmental watchdog has fined Snowy Hydro for polluting waterways in Kosciuszko National Park, prompting a warning from new Environment Minister Penny Sharpe that she expects greater care to be taken in sensitive conservation areas.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has also cautioned that there must be robust controls to protect the environment or industry operators face serious regulatory action.

Snowy Hydro has been fined $30,000 after two incidents in Kosciuszko National Park.

Snowy Hydro Limited and its contractor WeBuild were last week each issued with $15,000 penalty notices following two alleged pollution incidents in Kosciuszko National Park.

The EPA alleges that inadequate sediment and erosion controls were established despite warnings by officers which saw a sediment plume stretch for more than two kilometres down Yarrangobilly River, while Nungar Creek was hit with sediment-laden water from roadworks at Tantangara.
Rome: Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis party has proposed imposing fines of up to 100,000 ($163,000) on public and private entities that use foreign terms, most notably English, instead of Italian in official communications.

It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania [has] repercussions for society as a whole, said the text of the draft bill, calling for the Italian language to be protected and nurtured.

The ruling party of Giorgia Meloni, Italys prime minister, has pushed new measures to stop the use of foreign languages, especially English. Credit: Bloomberg

The bill was presented by lawmakers from Melonis nationalist Brothers of Italy party and will have to be approved by both houses of parliament to become law. There was no indication of when this might happen.

It said the spread of English demeans and mortifies Italian and proposed that all public and private bodies had to use the language of Dante to promote their goods and services.
Paris: A big majority of Parisians have voted to ban electric scooters from the streets of the French capital, in a non-binding referendum that city authorities have said they would follow.

The ban won between 85.77 per cent and 91.77 per cent of the votes in the 20 Paris districts that published results, according to the City of Paris website on what was billed as a rare public consultation.

The e-scooters were introduced in Paris in 2018. Credit: Getty

Turnout was very low. The vote had been open to all of Paris 1.38 million registered voters.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo hailed the vote as a success and repeated her vow to respect the outcome of the consultative referendum.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 4, 2023 - 00:00 | All, World, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Famed Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto mourned across the world

TOKYO - The death of renowned Japanese musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes on Monday from contemporaries and fans all over the world.

Sakamoto, who died on March 28 at the age of 71, led a multifaceted career in which he played keyboard for the legendary electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra and won an Oscar and Grammy for scoring the 1987 movie "The Last Emperor."

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Big Japan makers' sentiment worsens for 5th straight qtr to 2-yr low

TOKYO - Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers worsened for the fifth straight quarter in March to its lowest level in over two years, dampened by higher raw material costs and the prospect of slowing global economic growth, the Bank of Japan said Monday.

The reading of the key index measuring confidence among companies such as those in the auto and electronics sectors fell to 1 from 7 in December. It was weaker than the average market forecast of 3 in a Kyodo News survey and the lowest since minus 10 in December 2020.

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China's Xi did not support Japan's claim over Russian-held isles

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping did not support Japan's claim over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in his talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last month, according to a Chinese source familiar with the matter, ditching a long-held stance of recognizing them as Tokyo's.

Xi told Putin in their meetings in Moscow that China "does not take either side" regarding the territorial row, in a shift to neutrality from China's position indicated by then Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1964 to view the four disputed islands as belonging to Japan, the source said.

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S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold anti-submarine drills amid N. Korea threat

SEOUL - South Korea, the United States, and Japan embarked on a joint anti-submarine exercise Monday in waters near the Korean Peninsula, in a move to strengthen deterrence against growing threats from North Korea.

The two-day joint exercise involving the U.S. Nimitz nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is currently underway in waters south of South Korea's Jeju Island. The last trilateral anti-submarine exercise was held in September and was the first to be conducted in about five years.

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Japan to ease COVID border controls on arrivals from China from April 5

TOKYO - Japan will ease its border control measures for travelers from mainland China from Wednesday amid a decline in novel coronavirus cases, giving them the option of entering the country by presenting proof of three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, the top government spokesman said Monday.

Visitors from mainland China are currently required to present proof of a negative coronavirus test taken 72 hours or less before departure.

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NTT internet, phone services experience disruption across Japan

TOKYO - Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.'s regional subsidiaries said their internet and landline telephone services experienced disruptions Monday across Japan.

The companies said their services were restored hours after problems began on Monday morning, the first business day of the 2023 fiscal year.

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M7.0 quake hits northern Papua New Guinea

SYDNEY - A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck East Sepik Province in northern Papua New Guinea early Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake hit some 700 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby around 4:04 a.m. local time at a depth of 62.6 km. It was not immediately clear whether there were injuries or damage caused by the quake.

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"My Neighbor Totoro" play on London stage bags 6 Olivier awards

LONDON - A stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli classic "My Neighbor Totoro" triumphed at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday, winning in six categories, the most among nominees.

Based on the 1988 coming-of-age film about two young sisters who befriend forest spirits, the play was named best entertainment or comedy while also winning awards for best director, costume design, sound design, set design and lighting design.

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Basketball: Rui Hachimura feeling rhythm as Lakers win big in Houston

HOUSTON - Rui Hachimura is "starting to get the rhythm" and is playing more aggressively for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Japanese national basketball team star said Sunday after coming up big in a 134-109 win over the Houston Rockets.

Hachimura contributed 20 points to go with a team-high 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in 25 minutes off the bench as the seventh-place Lakers continued surging toward the NBA's Western Conference playoffs with their seventh win from the past 10 games.

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Video: Cherry blossoms on Mt. Yoshino in Nara Prefecture
Competitors raced their cars around the track in the Centre Court at the Seaway Mall.









It was a busy morning at the Seaway Mall on Sunday, where competitors and spectators gathered for the Canadian On-Road Nationals for RC cars.

Its basically grown men and women racing little toy cars. Until people actually come and see the event, see the cars, all the things that go into the cars, the building, the maintenance and the driving, everybody enjoys it, explained Mark Frechette, event president.

Some of the competitors travelled far to attend the event, coming from British Columbia, Quebec, New York state and beyond.

We come over here once a year. We come from all over the place, and Ive been coming over for about eight years now. Its well known and growing every year. Its turned into, like, the biggest race in North America, said Dave Johnson, who travelled from Michigan to participate in the races.

Over the four-day event, drivers competed in five rounds of competition, leading up the final race for each of the 11 classes of racers.

The event included 142 drivers this year, and they say that the atmosphere of the event and getting to interact with others in the public makes it truly special.

Its just an amazing atmosphere to be in the middle of a mall. Usually this stuff happens in a hotel ballroom and nobody gets the chance to see it but us. So to have it in the middle of a public area like a mall really just brings more people into the hobby, added Johnson.

For those interested in joining the hobby, Johnson recommends starting with a ready-made car kit and just start practicing.

If you play video games, youve already got a leg up on it because of the hand-eye co-ordination. Younger kids obviously have no problems doing this. But you can get into it, and if youre worried about the speed and everybody being too fast, there are classes that its slow enough where you get comfortable, added Johnson.

Johnson and Frechette both noted that the community of people who participate in the hobby is incredibly friendly, and anyone who wants to get into the activity should.

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In the world of technology, there is a long and storied tradition of people insisting Apple is about to fall on its face  and being wildly wrong about it.

Whether Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer claiming the iPhone would fail to countless commentators asserting that Apples latest move was disastrous, the phenomenon of predicting Apples doom is almost a sport amongst tech watchers.

With reliable rumours that Apple may be set to a launch a mixed reality headset, however, the skepticism is now coming from somewhere quite different: the companys own employees.

As reported in The New York Times recently, Apples rank and file are skeptical of the companys plan to launch this new headset, with concerns about the devices roughly $3,000 (U.S.) price, doubts about its utility and worries about its unproven market.

It appears some of Apples own are, to pilfer a phrase from the companys famous marketing, thinking different.

The dissent is surprising, but also correct. A mixed reality headset is not just an unproven idea, but one that faces an uphill battle. And while its always a risk to bet against Apple  they are, after all, the biggest tech company in the world for a reason  with the headset, the maker of the iPhone may be about to do something it hasnt done in some time: make a huge mistake.

The headset in question is part of a broad shift toward virtual reality or augmented reality. In its purest form, it involves putting on a headset that subsumes your sight and hearing into a virtual world. This is the metaverse of Meta: a virtual world populated by cartoon avatars and shockingly sterile virtual gatherings.

For its part, Apples headset is described as being like a pair of ski goggles with a battery pack worn on the hip and that feeds real-time video from the world around you into little screens in front of your eyes.

In part, the ostensible idea is to map information over the world so that you might, say, get directions while walking around. But the report from the Times also suggests how much reality one gets can be dialed in, so that you might have a mix of real-world visuals and digital while out and about, but also use the headset to watch a movie at home.

If it all sounds terribly futuristic, it tends to fall apart a bit when one asks a rather plain question: well, why would anyone want that?

This seems to be the lingering issue with virtual reality or headset technology: they have the unfortunate knack of disconnecting you from the world and the people around you. While virtual realitys boosters talk a lot about presence or co-presence  buzzwords for the feeling of being embodied or with others in virtual space  reports so far suggest that, if anything, it all feels horribly alienating.

Then there is the cost, as reports have the Apple device pegged at $3000. At that price, not only will the product be highly niche, the classic tech model of building out an ecosystem will, for obvious reasons, be severely constrained.

There are a few things going on here. Apple is so successful because it sells tens of millions of iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Watches every year. The company and its CEO Tim Cook are looking for the next big hit  some new product category to dominate with Apples trademark blend of hardware, user experience, and ecosystem. Cook is looking for a legacy, and from reports, he appears to be pushing his staff to make it happen sooner than later.

Simultaneously, the tech world more broadly is also looking for that post-smartphone sector that will integrate into peoples lives even more deeply and immediately.

From that perspective, its obvious why Apple and others are chasing this idea: what could be more personal and relevant than a device that literally lays information over your perception of the world?

Its not that there isnt utility in the idea, either. Having information about a neighbourhood projected in front you could be helpful. Moreover, designers and other creatives might find the idea of creating virtually via a headset to be quite fruitful. Perhaps a movie or game projected right into your eyes will be immersive in a way that other screens simply cant manage.

There is, too, the idea that early, clunky devices can make way for sleeker, more user-friendly models down the road. Recall that the first iPhone had neither an App Store nor the ability to cut and paste.

But being able to imagine some abstract benefits to a product is a far cry from a company creating a real-world success.

In a world in which people both young and old are already complaining about technology already being simply too much, the idea of a headset that swallows your senses is a tough sell. And while Apple might always surprise us  they do, after all, have a track record of doing just that  for once its a lot easier to imagine the naysayers are, at least in this case, correct.

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TAMPA, Fla. (AP)  The owners of a Florida-based sanctuary made famous by the Netflix docuseries,  Tiger King,  say they plan to move most of their big cats to an Arkansas facility and eventually sell their 67-acre (27-hectare) property.

Howard Baskin wrote in a post on Big Cat Rescues website that he and his wife, Carole Baskin, had entered into an agreement with Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to move most of their big cats to the accredited sanctuary in Arkansas.

We have always said that our goal was to put ourselves out of business, meaning that there would be no big cats in need of rescue and no need for the sanctuary to exist, Howard Baskin wrote earlier this week in the post.

Because recently passed federal law and a change in industry practices had reduced the size of the cub petting industry at roadside zoos and circuses, there were fewer big cats in need of caring, Baskin said.

The cost per big cat of running the sanctuary, as its population dropped from 100 to 41 cats, has more than doubled in the past several years, becoming an increasingly inefficient use of donor funds per cat to operate a facility like ours, he wrote.

Big Cat Rescue, located near Tampa, and Carole Baskin were the subject of much attention following the release of Tiger King in 2020. The streaming series starred gun-toting Oklahoma zookeeper Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison after killing five tigers and plotting to have Carole Baskin murdered.

Maldonado-Passage was resentenced to 21 years in prison last year after a federal appeals court ruled that the prison term should be shortened.

Tiger King spent much of its time focusing on the feud between Carole Baskin and Maldonado-Passage, which included accusations by him that Baskin was behind the disappearance of her ex-husband, Don Lewis. Baskin has denied that. She also was a contestant on the ABC television show, Dancing with the Stars.

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BRAMPTON, Ont. - Ontarios police watchdog is investigating after a man experiencing a mental health crisis died Sunday morning in Brampton, Ont.

The Special Investigations Unit says Peel Regional Police were called to a reported disturbance at a local apartment building at around 4 a.m.

Once there, it says officers had an unspecified interaction with a 34-year-old man and took him into custody under the Mental Health Act.

The SIU says the man went into distress shortly afterward, requiring police to perform first aid, but he was later pronounced dead in hospital.

No details about the mans identity or the particulars of his interaction with police were immediately available.

The SIU investigates all incidents involving police in which a person is killed, injured or accused of sexual assault.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published April 2, 2023.

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WYNNE, Ark. (AP)  Residents across a wide swath of the U.S. raced Sunday to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast, killing at least 32 people.

The storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital and also collapsed the roof of a packed concert venue in Illinois, stunning people throughout the region with the scope of the damage.

The number of deaths continued to grow Sunday.

While we are still assessing the full extent of the damage, we know families across America are mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses, President Joe Biden said in a statement.

Biden earlier declared broad areas of the country major disaster areas, making federal resources and financial aid available for recovery.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in Arkansas, where at least five people were killed, already had declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

Confirmed or suspected tornadoes in 11 states destroyed homes and businesses, splintered trees and laid waste to neighborhoods.

The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that a tornado was responsible for damage to several homes near Bridgeville, Delaware. One person was found dead inside a house heavily damaged by the storm Saturday night, Delaware State Police reported.

It may take days to confirm all the recent tornadoes. The dead included at least nine in one Tennessee county, five in Indiana and four in Illinois.

Other deaths from the storms that hit Friday night into Saturday were reported in Alabama and Mississippi.

Residents of Wynne, Arkansas, a community of about 8,000 people 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Memphis, Tennessee, woke Saturday to find the high schools roof shredded and its windows blown out. At least four people died.

Ashley Macmillan said she, her husband and their children huddled with their dogs in a bathroom as a tornado passed, praying and saying goodbye to each other, because we thought we were dead. A falling tree seriously damaged their home, but they escaped unhurt.

Chainsaws buzzed, as bulldozers plowed into debris. Utility crews restored power as some neighborhoods began recovery.

Tennessee recorded at least 15 deaths, including nine fatalities in McNairy County, east of Memphis, according to Patrick Sheehan, director the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee drove to the county Saturday to tour the destruction and comfort residents. He said the storm capped the worst week of his time as governor, coming days after a school shooting in Nashville that killed six people including a family friend whose funeral he and his wife just attended.

Its terrible what has happened in this community, this county, this state, Lee said. But it looks like your community has done what Tennessean communities do, and that is rally and respond.

Rachel Milam lived in the basement with her 6-year-old daughter, while her mother and her mothers boyfriend lived upstairs in their home on the outskirts of Waynesboro, Tennessee.

All squeezed into the bathroom of the cinder block basement Friday night as the tornado approached and made whooshing sounds like a washing machine.

As it ripped the roof off, the shower curtain fell, Milam, 26, said Sunday. So Im trying to dig through the shower curtain and see. I saw darkness and then rain started to fall.

Then absolute terror.

And the house  I watched it pick up and move  about six inches and then pick up and it was gone.

I was just thinking its gonna take the tub, like were going to be gone, she said.

A piece of wood fell over them. So did a mirror. We were fine and just thankful that we made it out alive, Milam said.

Milam, who works as a nurse, soon joined other neighbors in digging people out from wrecked homes. One woman had a laceration to her face and other parts of her body and was flown out by a helicopter. Another man was freed from the rubble of his home by rescuers who used chainsaws to slice through the debris.

Jeffrey Day said he called his daughter after seeing on the news that their community of Adamsville was being hit. Huddled in a closet with her 2-year-old son as the storm passed over, she answered the phone screaming.

She kept asking me, What do I do, daddy? Day said, tearing up. I didnt know what to say.

After the storm passed, his daughter crawled out of her destroyed home and drove to nearby family.

Elsewhere, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker traveled Sunday to Belvidere to visit the Apollo Theatre, which partially collapsed as about 260 people were attending a heavy metal concert.

Frederick Livingston, Jr., was pulled from the rubble but didnt survive. He had gone to enjoy the concert with his son, Alex.

I couldnt save him, his son told WLS-TV. The father and son were standing side by side when debris began raining down. It happened so fast.

The governor said 48 others were treated in hospitals, with five in critical condition.

Pritzker also planned to visit Crawford County, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of Chicago, where three people were killed and eight injured when a tornado hit around New Hebron.

Weve had emergency crews digging people out of their basements because the house is collapsed on top of them, but luckily they had that safe space to go to, Sheriff Bill Rutan said at a news conference.

That tornado was not far from where three people died in Indianas Sullivan County, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) southwest of Indianapolis. Several people were rescued overnight, with reports of as many as 12 people injured.

___

DeMillo reported from Little Rock and Finley from Norfolk, Virginia. Associated Press writers around the country contributed to this report, including Kimberlee Kruesi in Adamsville, Tennessee, Harm Venhuizen in Belvidere, Illinois, Corey Williams in Detroit, and Ron Todt in Philadelphia.

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KYODO NEWS - Apr 3, 2023 - 21:07 | World, All, Japan

Chinese President Xi Jinping did not support Japan's claim over the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido in his talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last month, according to a Chinese source familiar with the matter, ditching a long-held stance of recognizing them as Tokyo's.

Xi told Putin in their meetings in Moscow that China "does not take either side" regarding the territorial row, in a shift to neutrality from China's position indicated by then Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1964 to view the four disputed islands as belonging to Japan, the source said.

Bilateral negotiations over the islands known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia have been suspended since Tokyo imposed punitive sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

The change in China's position could make it more difficult to settle the decades-long dispute as Moscow is unlikely to concede on the issue now with backing from Beijing, observers say.

In the March 20-21 talks, Putin stressed the importance of promoting a special duty-free zone set up on the contested islands last year and called for investment by Chinese companies, according to the source.

With an improvement of Tokyo-Seoul ties marked by summit talks between Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on March 16, Putin said Russia cannot expect investment from South Korean firms, the source added.

In response, Xi conveyed to Putin China's neutral stance on the territorial row but declined to make it clear whether Beijing would let its businesses join the project, saying he will leave the matter to Zheng Shanjie, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, the source said.

Tokyo has expressed regret over the establishment of the special tax-free zone on the disputed islands in March last year.

In July 1964, Mao told a delegation of the Japan Socialist Party sent to China that he believes the Russian-held islands "should be returned to you," announcing Beijing's support for Tokyo's territorial claim.

The Chinese government had maintained this position, even though it did not publicly mention that stance in recent years. Maps in China show the disputed islands as "occupied by Russia."

Japan says the Soviet Union illegally seized the islands -- Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group -- soon after Japan's surrender in World War II on Aug. 15, 1945. Russia claims the action was legitimate.
BETHEL TWP., Pa.  NFI Industries plans to cut 124 jobs at a warehouse in Berks County, according to Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry.

The terminations will come in two waves, according to the state notice. On June 30, 50 employees will be out, and another 74 will work through Aug. 11.

The distribution center is located at 9141 Old Route 22 in Bethel Township, just south of Route 78 and the Grimes Airport.

NFI is based in Camden, New Jersey. It was founded in 1932 and is family owned. The company operates more than 70 million square feet of warehouse space. Its fleet includes 5,000 tractors and 14,300 trailers. NFI is moving toward zero-emissions transportation.

NFI's businesses include transportation, warehousing, ecommerce fulfillment, transportation management, industrial real estate and more.

The state Department of Labor disclosed the job cuts plans in a WARN Notice. WARN stands for Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, a federal law that requires notice to workers and communities of certain business closings and mass layoffs. This notice was given for a closing, according to the state Department of Labor.

69 News has contacted NFI for more information.
35-year-old Kristen Vogt works at the Clubhouse of Lehigh County, helping sufferers of mental illness and depression.

In 2016 she received her master's in counseling. It was a day most would celebrate.

"I felt a lot of I didn't deserve it. I felt like, I didn't work hard enough. Although I graduated with honors, I graduated on the Dean's list every semester. It just it didn't feel like it was enough. I felt like I wasn't worthy of what I was receiving that day," she said.

Vogt, too, suffers from clinical depression, and her feelings are similar to what Pennsylvania's U.S. Senator John Fetterman told CBS Sunday Morning he felt, stepping on stage, after winning the most watched political race of 2022. Fetterman said even the love of his three kids couldn't get him out of bed on some mornings.

He credits his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center for his depression being in remission for the first time.

"It's such an isolating illness that a lot of people feel so alone, and feel that they're the odd man out and you hear Senator Fetterman speak about it, and to the point, they are like, 'that's me, that I can't get out of bed at times.' So, it's very impactful to hear that," said Connie Hammann.

However, Allentown-based Hammann of the Advocacy Alliance and Mental Health Association of Pennsylvania, says even with the senator's voice, the stigma of needing help remains.

As for Vogt, who still struggles, seeking help isn't a stigma but a life-affirming search.

"I just, I want to be able to be happy. I know there's no such thing as a normal life but I'd like to live one, whatever that means," she said.
SALISBURY TWP., Pa. - Residents were evacuated from their apartments in Lehigh County when a fire broke out inside one of the units.

Firefighters responded to an oven fire around 7 p.m. Sunday in the 1600 block of 33rd St. SW, said Salisbury Township police.

Responding officers found heavy smoke and fire in an apartment, and the building was evacuated.

Firefighters put out the fire in about half an hour.

No one was hurt, police said.

The Red Cross is assisting a displaced resident.

The township police fire marshal is investigating.
PPL Corp. has won approval to invest $290 million in its gas and electricity networks in Rhode Island.



The Allentown-based utility said in a statement Thursday that the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved PPL's infrastructure, safety, and reliability plans.



PPL acquired Narragansett Electric in 2022 for about $3.8 billion and changed its name to Rhode Island Energy. The plans approved by the state regulator are for spending from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.



"These approvals are vital to strengthening the safety, reliability and resilience of our energy networks," PPL Chief Executive and President Vincent Sorgi said in the statement.



The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved most, but not all, of PPL's proposed spending.



The Rhode Island approval did not change PPL's 2023 forecast of earnings of $1.50 to $1.65 per share (midpoint $1.58). PPL affirmed its forecast and its projection of annual growth in earnings per share of 6% to 8% through at least 2026.



PPL serves about 3.5 million customers. In its Pennsylvania service area, bills to some customers have been delayed because of a problem with meters that started in December 2022 and has not been resolved.



Shares in the company are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PPL. The closing price Monday was $27.58, down 21 cents.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman is giving viewers an intimate look at what led him to admit himself to the hospital for depression.

The Democrat spoke with CBS News last week, while he was still a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

He says he went through a downward spiral after winning his Senate race in November. He says he became disinterested in life.

"I had stopped leaving my bed. I had stopped eating. I was dropping weight," he said on CBS. "I had stopped engaging some of the, most things that I love in my life."

Fetterman left the hospital on Friday, after six weeks of treatment.

He's home in Pennsylvania now and will return to Capitol Hill in two weeks.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Sunshine mixing with clouds and rather cool. There might be a stray afternoon shower primarily north and west..

Tonight

Turning out mainly clear or partly cloudy and chilly.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 3, 2023 - 18:19 | Arts, All

The death of renowned Japanese musician and composer Ryuichi Sakamoto sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes on Monday from contemporaries and fans all over the world.

Sakamoto, who died on March 28 at the age of 71, led a multifaceted career in which he played keyboard for the legendary electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra and won an Oscar and Grammy for scoring the 1987 movie "The Last Emperor."

Haruomi Hosono, 75, the last surviving member of the futuristic techno-pop band YMO, posted a wordless, gray image to his Instagram account, with fans in the comments writing of their grief. The response was similar to a tweet by Sakamoto when the other member of the trio, Yukihiro Takahashi, died aged 70 in January this year.

Hosono later wrote on his account, "The news always comes unexpectedly. I have no words."

Comedian, film director and actor Takeshi Kitano, who appeared with Sakamoto in the 1983 World War II film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence," said that key members in the film had all passed away, referring to co-starring British musician David Bowie and Japanese director Nagisa Oshima.

"After all of my friends passed away, I'm the only one left in 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,'" 76-year-old Kitano said in a statement.

Sakamoto's frequent collaborator David Sylvian, who fronted British New Romantic band Japan and worked with him on projects including "Forbidden Colours," a song in the film, uploaded three posts to Instagram in tribute to Sakamoto.

Among them was a blank image with the closing lines to American poet Jack Gilbert's poem "Failing and Flying," quoting, "I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell, but just coming to the end of his triumph."

Contemporary stars also paid tribute to Sakamoto, with Suga from K-pop boy band BTS writing to fans that he is "praying that his long journey will be peaceful."

Brazilian music legend Caetano Veloso posted pictures of the two together on Instagram and wrote, "I recorded with him, and was honored to call him my friend."

A tribute also came from the Japanese government, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno expressing his "heartfelt sorrow" at hearing about the passing of the late composer, noting Sakamoto's worldwide recognition, including an Oscar and Grammy for the score of "The Last Emperor."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning also expressed her condolences over Sakamoto's death, saying at a press conference in Beijing Monday that he was "enthusiastic about cultural exchanges between China and Japan and has created many excellent musical works containing Chinese elements."

In China, the composer was known for his role in an award-winning movie about Pu Yi, the last emperor of the Qing dynasty.

Sakamoto was also a prominent activist for environmental causes, including opposing nuclear-generated power in the aftermath of the March 2011 nuclear disaster that struck northeastern Japan.

In 2007, he founded the forest protection group More Trees, whose activities include the planting and maintenance of forests. They have also built temporary homes made from local timber in an area affected by the 2011 disaster.

Shinkichi Mizutani, who has served as the organization's director since its founding, said that Sakamoto would "often talk about the enormous amount of time between a tree being planted and it becoming part of the forest."

On continuing the departed musician's legacy, Mizutani said that he thinks the "greatest way for us to honor his memory is to carry on his work unceasingly."

Environmental issues remained a concern of Sakamoto's right until the end of his life. In March, he made headlines for sending a letter to Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike voicing his opposition to plans to redevelop the capital's Jingu Stadium and Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, which would see hundreds of trees cut down.

In a written interview with Kyodo News on March 19, he said he "could not remain silent" over the plans. The interview's English translation, posted on Sakamoto's official Twitter account on Friday, was its last message before the announcement of his death days earlier.

Sakamoto revealed in June 2022 that he was battling stage IV cancer, having previously gone public about his throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 and a rectal cancer diagnosis in 2021.

Related coverage:

Award-winning Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, member of YMO, dies

Composer Ryuichi Sakamoto calls for stop to Jingu redevelopment plan

Ryuichi Sakamoto releases "last" concert amid cancer battle
MOSCOW, April 2 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained in Russia on espionage charges.

During the phone conversation, Lavrov underscored the need to respect the decision of Russian authorities made under Russia's law and international obligations, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov expressed opposition to attempts of U.S. officials and the Western media to politicize the legal case. He noted that "Gershkovich was caught red-handed while trying to obtain classified information and collecting data constituting a state secret under the guise of a journalistic status" and his fate will be determined by the court.

In addition, Lavrov and Blinken touched upon some bilateral issues during the call, the statement said.

The Russian Federal Security Service announced on Thursday that it had detained Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg for "spying in the interests of the American government" and a criminal case had been launched. 
Finnair Oyj (OTCMKTS:FNNNF  Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 888,700 shares, a drop of 6.4% from the February 28th total of 949,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 174.3 days.

Finnair Oyj Price Performance

FNNNF stock remained flat at $0.50 during trading on Friday. The companys 50 day moving average price is $0.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $0.47. Finnair Oyj has a 52 week low of $0.36 and a 52 week high of $0.66.

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About Finnair Oyj

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Finnair Oyj engages in the provision of airport transport and supporting services. It offers flight connections to people travelling between Asian megacities and Europe. The company was founded on November 1, 1923 and is headquartered in Vantaa, Finland.

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Admiral Group (OTCMKTS:AMIGY  Get Rating) had its price target reduced by investment analysts at Berenberg Bank from GBX 2,688 ($33.03) to GBX 2,543 ($31.24) in a note issued to investors on Monday, The Fly reports.

AMIGY has been the topic of several other reports. Citigroup cut Admiral Group from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Admiral Group from GBX 1,700 ($20.89) to GBX 1,650 ($20.27) in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Admiral Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Admiral Group presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $2,321.00.

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Admiral Group Stock Up 0.9 %

AMIGY stock traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $25.17. The company had a trading volume of 800 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,184. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $25.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.78. Admiral Group has a 1-year low of $20.70 and a 1-year high of $35.10.

About Admiral Group

Admiral Group Plc is a holding company, which engages in the business of sale and underwriting of private car insurance. It operates through the following segments: UK Insurance, International Car Insurance, Price Comparison, and Other. The UK Insurance segment consists of the underwriting of car insurance and other products that supplement the car insurance policy.

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Shares of AGCO Co. (NYSE:AGCO  Get Rating) have received an average recommendation of Buy from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $154.40.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on AGCO. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of AGCO from $150.00 to $168.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of AGCO from $135.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of AGCO to $150.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of AGCO from $129.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their price objective on shares of AGCO from $143.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, December 22nd.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Robert B. Crain sold 13,000 shares of AGCO stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.67, for a total value of $1,724,710.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 40,167 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,328,955.89. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other AGCO news, SVP Robert B. Crain sold 13,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $132.67, for a total transaction of $1,724,710.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 40,167 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,328,955.89. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Luis Fernando Sartini Felli sold 9,150 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.38, for a total transaction of $1,257,027.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,833 shares in the company, valued at $2,175,137.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 27,142 shares of company stock valued at $3,671,940 over the last three months. 17.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

AGCO Price Performance

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. increased its position in AGCO by 211.5% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 190 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Delta Asset Management LLC TN bought a new stake in shares of AGCO during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Ossiam bought a new stake in shares of AGCO during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. TFO TDC LLC bought a new stake in shares of AGCO during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Covington Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of AGCO by 227.8% during the 3rd quarter. Covington Capital Management now owns 377 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. 75.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE AGCO opened at $135.20 on Monday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $134.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.06. The company has a market cap of $10.12 billion, a PE ratio of 11.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. AGCO has a 52 week low of $88.55 and a 52 week high of $149.90.

AGCO (NYSE:AGCO  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The industrial products company reported $4.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.88 by $0.59. The business had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.76 billion. AGCO had a net margin of 7.03% and a return on equity of 25.75%. Research analysts predict that AGCO will post 13.53 earnings per share for the current year.

AGCO Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 15th were paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 14th. AGCOs payout ratio is 8.09%.

About AGCO

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AGCO Corp. engages in the manufacture and distribution of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. It operates through the following geographic segments: North America, South America, Europe and Middle East, and Asia, Pacific, and Africa. The Asia/Pacific/Africa segment includes the regions of Australia and New Zealand.

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Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,870,000 shares, a growth of 10.6% from the February 28th total of 3,500,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,490,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ALK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Alaska Air Group from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th. Raymond James upgraded Alaska Air Group from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and increased their price target for the company from $60.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Alaska Air Group in a research report on Friday, December 16th. They issued a buy rating and a $60.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Alaska Air Group in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Barclays raised Alaska Air Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $54.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Friday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $65.77.

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Alaska Air Group Price Performance

Shares of ALK remained flat at $41.96 during midday trading on Monday. The stock had a trading volume of 1,109,256 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,529,173. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $37.19 and a 52 week high of $61.55. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market cap of $5.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 97.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.54.

Insider Activity at Alaska Air Group

Alaska Air Group ( NYSE:ALK Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The transportation company reported $0.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.02. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 14.75% and a net margin of 0.60%. The company had revenue of $2.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.51 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.24 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 30.5% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Alaska Air Group will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

In related news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total transaction of $170,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 29,907 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,452,882.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total transaction of $170,030.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 29,907 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,452,882.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Andrea L. Schneider sold 1,596 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.81, for a total value of $81,092.76. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 15,747 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $800,105.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alaska Air Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Alaska Air Group by 207.2% in the 3rd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 728 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 491 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 1,873.5% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 671 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the last quarter. First Command Bank lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 250.0% in the 4th quarter. First Command Bank now owns 700 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 174.4% in the 4th quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 741 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in Alaska Air Group by 416.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 568 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 458 shares during the last quarter. 77.04% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Alaska Air Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Alaska Air Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of air transportation services. It operates through the following segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The Mainline segment includes scheduled air transportation on Alaskas Boeing and Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.

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StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Almaden Minerals (NYSEAMERICAN:AAU  Get Rating) (TSE:AMM) in a research note published on Thursday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the basic materials companys stock.

Separately, Alliance Global Partners lowered Almaden Minerals from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd.

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Almaden Minerals Stock Performance

NYSEAMERICAN:AAU opened at $0.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $26.07 million, a PE ratio of -9.50 and a beta of 0.95. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $0.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $0.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 26.92 and a quick ratio of 26.92. Almaden Minerals has a 12 month low of $0.18 and a 12 month high of $0.38.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Almaden Minerals

About Almaden Minerals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Almaden Minerals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $119,000. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in Almaden Minerals by 587.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 485,878 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 415,244 shares during the period. HRT Financial LP purchased a new stake in Almaden Minerals during the 4th quarter worth $64,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP boosted its position in Almaden Minerals by 564.4% during the 4th quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 233,188 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 198,088 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Almaden Minerals in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 3.81% of the companys stock.

(Get Rating)

Almaden Minerals Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It focuses on the operation of Ixtaca gold-silver deposit. The company was founded by James Duane Poliquin on February 1, 2002 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:AMPE  Get Rating) in a research report released on Thursday. The brokerage issued a sell rating on the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock.

Ampio Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of AMPE opened at $0.23 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $0.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.52 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.13 and a beta of 1.48. Ampio Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $0.20 and a 52-week high of $7.52.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ampio Pharmaceuticals

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its holdings in shares of Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 304.3% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 432,216 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 325,300 shares in the last quarter. Shilanski & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Ampio Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $57,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Ampio Pharmaceuticals by 73.5% during the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 394,100 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical companys stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 166,979 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Ampio Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $72,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can bought a new position in Ampio Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter worth approximately $168,000. 19.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Ampio Pharmaceuticals

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc operates as a biopharmaceutical company. The firm engages in the development of therapies to treat prevalent inflammatory conditions. Its product pipeline includes new uses for approved drugs and new molecular entities for important therapeutic areas, including metabolic disease, eye disease, kidney disease, inflammation and sexual dysfunction and CNS disease.

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H.E. Pawel Herczynski, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia said that he hopes Georgia, together with Ukraine and Moldova, will be able to join the European Union as soon as possible.According to him, the European Union is an excellent peace project, which allows the 27 member states of the European Union to live in peace, to increase living standards and welfare of citizens."I sincerely hope that Georgia, together with other candidate countries, especially Ukraine and Moldova, will be able to join the European Union as soon as possible to ensure peace, stability and prosperity in Georgia. This process is ongoing and we will do our best to support it. However, of course, the choice is for Georgians to make. The European Union has never requested the so-called Opening a second front is simply absurd. We are fully aware of the very difficult geopolitical situation of Georgia, we know the tragic history of Georgia, including several wars, the last of which was in 2008. We understand that 20 percent of Georgia's territory is not under the control of the Georgian government. At the same time, we, as the European Union, have clearly chosen a side and firmly stand by Ukraine, together with like-minded countries, and Georgia is one of them. We hope that Ukraine will win as soon as possible, which will result in peace not only in Ukraine, but in the entire region," said Herczynski.The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, while presenting the annual report to the Parliament spoke about the Ukraine war and Georgia's lack of support. Zourabichvili said that in relation Georgia has not shown diplomacy, nor intelligence, nor historical solidarity suitable for the country.According to her, today Georgia has damaged diplomatic relations with those European countries, which stood out for their support of Georgia."We join the UN resolutions, but we avoid or separate ourselves from all other expressions of moral and political solidarity. On February 25, in a completely inappropriate timing, we announced that we do not join the sanctions, while the opposite is true and we can say that we cannot and will not impose our national sanctions, but we will join the international one. No one asked us or Moldova for anything more. At a time when the whole of Europe felt it necessary to separate, we avoided them and did not join the restrictions imposed by the European Union. At that time, the President of Belarus did not take care of us, he did not take care of our territorial integrity, he violated the law of occupation and betrayed the principle of non-recognition.In the last two years, we have been noticeably careful not to irritate Russia, which may be understandable, but it is not clear why we do not treat our friends and partners with the same politeness and awe. As a result, today we have damaged diplomatic relations, first of all, with those European countries that were traditionally distinguished by our support. Through the rhetoric and actions of these last two years, you have erased and altered the course of your 9-year rule and deviated from the will and mandate of your people, the electorate. As a result of all this, on June 17, 2022, Georgia did not receive the candidate status," stated Zourabichvili.
HANGZHOU, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Over 90 percent of businesses in Yiwu City, China's small-commodity hub, have accepted digital renminbi (RMB) payment on the city's official digital platform, with more than 60,000 digital yuan wallets opened and deals of over 1 billion yuan (about 145 million U.S. dollars) transacted so far.

The city in east China's Zhejiang Province has launched its pilot work plan on promoting China's digital fiat currency, or the e-CNY, in the local small-commodity market. It plans to explore more e-CNY application scenarios, including allocating financial subsidies in the small-commodity market and paying employee wages, parking lot fees, rental fees, and utility bills.

According to the work plan, by the end of 2023, Yiwu will transact over 1 million deals worth over 10 billion yuan in its small-commodity market. The digital RMB payment service will cover 90 percent of its offline businesses in operation and be accessible for more than 95 percent of the businesses on Yiwu's official digital platform, Chinagoods.

In March, Zhejiang's first e-CNY exchange machine was set up in Yiwu, able to exchange 19 major currencies, including RMB, and directly exchange foreign currency notes into physical e-CNY wallets without downloading mobile payment applications.

With visual and audio guidance in eight languages, the machine can help solve the problems of excessive foreign exchange procedures and difficulties for overseas customers in China.

Yiwu, often referred to as "the world's supermarket," has an abundant variety of commodities, convenient and fast logistics, and a good business environment. 
Paysafe (NYSE:PSFE  Get Rating) is one of 186 public companies in the Business services, not elsewhere classified industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare Paysafe to similar companies based on the strength of its profitability, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations and valuation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

47.7% of Paysafe shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 53.6% of shares of all Business services, not elsewhere classified companies are owned by institutional investors. 15.7% of shares of all Business services, not elsewhere classified companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

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Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Paysafe and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Paysafe $1.50 billion -$1.86 billion -0.57 Paysafe Competitors $12.08 billion $61.04 million -20.74

Risk and Volatility

Paysafes competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Paysafe. Paysafe is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Paysafe has a beta of 1.89, meaning that its share price is 89% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Paysafes competitors have a beta of 0.97, meaning that their average share price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Paysafe and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Paysafe -122.68% 12.91% 2.14% Paysafe Competitors -39.95% -9,233.75% -5.21%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Paysafe and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Paysafe 1 3 2 0 2.17 Paysafe Competitors 766 4701 10053 252 2.62

Paysafe presently has a consensus target price of $40.50, indicating a potential upside of 134.51%. As a group, Business services, not elsewhere classified companies have a potential upside of 14.25%. Given Paysafes higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Paysafe is more favorable than its competitors.

Summary

Paysafe competitors beat Paysafe on 8 of the 13 factors compared.

Paysafe Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Paysafe Limited provides digital commerce solutions to online businesses, small and medium-sized business merchants, and consumers through its Paysafe Network worldwide. The company operates in two segments, US Acquiring and Digital Commerce. It provides PCI-compliant payment acceptance and transaction processing solutions for merchants and integrated service providers, including merchant acquiring, transaction processing, online solutions, fraud and risk management tools, data and analytics, and point of sale systems and merchant financing solutions under the Paysafe and Petroleum Card Services brands. The company also offers digital wallet solutions under the Skrill and NETELLER brands; and pay-by-bank solution under the Rapid Transfer brand. In addition, it provides eCash solutions, such as Paysafecash, a bill payment eCash solution that allow users to shop online and then pay offline in cash to finalize the transaction; paysafecard, a prepaid eCash solution; and paysafecard prepaid Mastercard that can be linked to a digital paysafecard account and used to make purchases. Further, it offers integrated and ecommerce solutions for online merchants and software-integrated merchants within integrated payment capabilities; online toolkit that allows merchants and integrated software vendor to build and scale their online commerce presence; and turn-key payments gateway solution that offers critical connectivity between merchant online sites and payment acceptance and transaction processing providers. Additionally, the company manages and provides various connections to card processing networks, acquiring banks, and transaction processors; and offers gateway connectivity,? shopping cart, tokenization and encryption, fraud and risk management, and support to payment alternatives, as well as provides integrations into eCommerce platforms and multiple alternative payment methods. Paysafe Limited is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Artemis Investment Management LLP lessened its position in ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Rating) by 20.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 771,419 shares of the energy producers stock after selling 204,316 shares during the quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP owned approximately 0.06% of ConocoPhillips worth $91,457,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 113,171,744 shares of the energy producers stock worth $11,581,996,000 after purchasing an additional 374,994 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 24,361,278 shares of the energy producers stock worth $2,493,134,000 after purchasing an additional 1,494,751 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,072,833 shares of the energy producers stock worth $1,338,008,000 after purchasing an additional 413,359 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 14.4% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 8,523,923 shares of the energy producers stock worth $765,534,000 after purchasing an additional 1,075,819 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. increased its holdings in ConocoPhillips by 53.4% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 7,338,622 shares of the energy producers stock worth $751,035,000 after purchasing an additional 2,555,634 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.76% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on COP shares. Truist Financial upped their price target on ConocoPhillips from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $122.00 to $115.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $155.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, December 19th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on ConocoPhillips from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Scotiabank cut ConocoPhillips from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $145.00 to $140.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $135.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

ConocoPhillips Stock Up 8.8 %

In other ConocoPhillips news, Director R A. Walker bought 4,800 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $104.50 per share, with a total value of $501,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 22,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,382,600. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Company insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Shares of COP traded up $8.69 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $107.90. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,837,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,644,960. The business has a fifty day moving average of $107.02 and a 200 day moving average of $114.87. The company has a market cap of $131.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 1.29. ConocoPhillips has a 1 year low of $78.30 and a 1 year high of $138.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The energy producer reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.72 by ($0.01). ConocoPhillips had a return on equity of 35.30% and a net margin of 22.74%. The company had revenue of $19.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.16 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.27 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 20.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that ConocoPhillips will post 11.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

ConocoPhillips Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 29th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 28th. ConocoPhillipss payout ratio is 14.06%.

ConocoPhillips Company Profile

(Get Rating)

ConocoPhillips engages in the exploration, production, transportation and marketing of crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and liquefied natural gas on a worldwide basis. It operates through the following geographical segments: Alaska, Lower 48, Canada, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Asia Pacific, and Other International.

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Artemis Investment Management LLP lowered its position in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 5.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,883,540 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 115,421 shares during the quarter. Bristol-Myers Squibb comprises approximately 1.5% of Artemis Investment Management LLPs portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest holding. Artemis Investment Management LLP owned approximately 0.09% of Bristol-Myers Squibb worth $136,071,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.6% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,886,585 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $14,209,937,000 after purchasing an additional 3,058,491 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 174,002,852 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,369,862,000 after acquiring an additional 3,357,590 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 4.1% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 17,053,158 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,313,101,000 after acquiring an additional 674,921 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.1% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,659,982 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,042,264,000 after acquiring an additional 155,845 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System increased its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 0.5% in the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 11,442,639 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $813,457,000 after acquiring an additional 59,791 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.51% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. They issued an overweight rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Atlantic Securities raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $88.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $60.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $79.69.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.1 %

BMY traded up $0.07 on Monday, hitting $69.38. The company had a trading volume of 824,533 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,063,439. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.14. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 52-week low of $65.28 and a 52-week high of $81.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $70.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $72.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $145.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.46.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.11. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 13.71% and a return on equity of 51.60%. The business had revenue of $11.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.20 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.83 earnings per share. Bristol-Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was down 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.29%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 77.29%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,043 shares in the company, valued at $1,721,081.67. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Giovanni Caforio sold 240,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $17,916,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 236,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,625,163.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ann Powell sold 11,183 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $835,258.27. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 23,043 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,721,081.67. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Avaii Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:EVN  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 11,924 shares of the investment management companys stock, valued at approximately $118,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of EVN. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $65,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust in the second quarter worth approximately $109,000. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust during the second quarter worth $118,000. Sawtooth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust in the third quarter valued at $119,000. Finally, Collaborative Wealth Managment Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at $123,000.

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Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE EVN traded down $0.01 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $10.12. 37,617 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 98,956. Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust has a 52-week low of $9.34 and a 52-week high of $12.02. The companys 50-day moving average is $10.25 and its 200-day moving average is $10.06.

Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Dividend Announcement

Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust Company Profile

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 13th were paid a $0.041 dividend. This represents a $0.49 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.86%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 10th.

(Get Rating)

Eaton Vance Municipal Income Trust is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. Its investment objective is to provide current income exempt from regular federal income tax. The company was founded on January 29, 1999 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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Avista Co. (NYSE:AVA  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,960,000 shares, a decline of 7.9% from the February 28th total of 4,300,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,010,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days.

Insider Transactions at Avista

In other news, VP Bryan Alden Cox sold 2,542 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total value of $104,984.60. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 4,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $194,027.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.94% of the companys stock.

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Institutional Trading of Avista

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AVA. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in Avista by 80.0% during the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,191 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $596,000 after purchasing an additional 5,864 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. increased its stake in Avista by 14.2% during the 1st quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 21,371 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $965,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Avista by 27.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 37,592 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,714,000 after purchasing an additional 8,137 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its stake in Avista by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 6,983 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $315,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund bought a new stake in Avista during the 1st quarter valued at $754,000. Institutional investors own 82.92% of the companys stock.

Avista Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:AVA traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $42.45. The company had a trading volume of 436,075 shares, compared to its average volume of 591,269. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $41.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.70. The company has a market capitalization of $3.04 billion, a PE ratio of 20.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.64. Avista has a one year low of $35.72 and a one year high of $46.60.

Avista (NYSE:AVA  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $1.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $496.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $371.59 million. Avista had a net margin of 9.14% and a return on equity of 6.87%. Avistas revenue for the quarter was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.71 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Avista will post 2.32 EPS for the current year.

Avista Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 17th were paid a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 16th. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.33%. This is a positive change from Avistas previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. Avistas payout ratio is currently 86.79%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AVA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho downgraded shares of Avista from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $45.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Avista from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Avista in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock.

About Avista

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Avista Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of electric and natural gas utility business. It operates through the Avista Utilities, and Alaska Electric Light and Power Company (AEL&P) segments. The Avista Utilities segment includes electric distribution and transmission, and natural gas distribution services in parts of eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Northeastern and Southwestern Oregon.

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BHP Group (LON:BHP  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Berenberg Bank from GBX 2,900 ($35.63) to GBX 2,800 ($34.40) in a report published on Thursday, The Fly reports.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on BHP. Barclays cut their target price on BHP Group from GBX 2,700 ($33.17) to GBX 2,550 ($31.33) and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a GBX 2,600 ($31.94) price target on shares of BHP Group in a research note on Friday, January 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on BHP Group from GBX 2,510 ($30.84) to GBX 2,550 ($31.33) and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 2,550 ($31.33).

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BHP Group Stock Down 0.9 %

LON BHP opened at GBX 2,535.50 ($31.15) on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 2,628.17 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 2,497.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 36.37, a current ratio of 1.69 and a quick ratio of 1.37. BHP Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 1,998.60 ($24.56) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 3,024 ($37.15). The stock has a market capitalization of 128.30 billion, a PE ratio of 876.54, a PEG ratio of -0.78 and a beta of 0.83.

BHP Group Cuts Dividend

About BHP Group

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 9th were given a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a yield of 2.62%. BHP Groups payout ratio is 7,739.73%.

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BHP Group Limited operates as a resources company in Australia, Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, the rest of Asia, North America, South America, and internationally. The company operates through Copper, Iron Ore, and Coal segments. It engages in the mining of copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, uranium, gold, iron ore, and metallurgical and energy coal.

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Shares of Asana, Inc. (NYSE:ASAN  Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the fifteen analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $21.84.

Several equities research analysts have commented on ASAN shares. Credit Suisse Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $18.00 price objective on shares of Asana in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Asana from $15.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, March 9th. JMP Securities raised their price objective on Asana from $21.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Asana from $13.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Asana from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, March 10th.

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Insider Transactions at Asana

In related news, CFO Tim M. Wan sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total transaction of $426,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 607,051 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,936,256.81. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Asana news, CFO Tim M. Wan sold 20,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.31, for a total value of $426,200.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 607,051 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,936,256.81. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Eleanor B. Lacey sold 1,321 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.86, for a total value of $27,556.06. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 165,300 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,448,158. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,346 shares of company stock worth $538,214 over the last 90 days. 61.87% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Asana

Asana Price Performance

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ASAN. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Asana by 120.4% in the second quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,578 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 862 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Asana by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 15,000 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Asana by 765.1% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,829 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,502 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Asana by 311.5% in the 3rd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 2,469 shares of the companys stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 1,869 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. boosted its position in Asana by 48.1% during the 2nd quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. now owns 4,366 shares of the companys stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 1,418 shares during the period. 28.22% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NYSE:ASAN opened at $21.13 on Monday. Asana has a 12 month low of $11.32 and a 12 month high of $45.49. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $17.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $17.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 2.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market cap of $4.53 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.36 and a beta of 1.23.

Asana Company Profile

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Asana, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates a work management platform for individuals, team leads, and executives in the United States and internationally. The company's platform enables teams to orchestrate work from daily tasks to cross-functional strategic initiatives; and manages product launches, marketing campaigns, and organization-wide goal settings.

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Cassia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD  Get Rating) by 4.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,421 shares of the fast-food giants stock after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Cassia Capital Partners LLCs holdings in McDonalds were worth $374,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Piershale Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in McDonalds during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. JDM Financial Group LLC bought a new position in McDonalds during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. West Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in McDonalds by 520.0% during the 3rd quarter. West Financial Advisors LLC now owns 124 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates bought a new position in McDonalds during the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of McDonalds in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. 66.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of McDonalds in a report on Monday, January 23rd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $260.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. KeyCorp decreased their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $279.00 to $277.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $250.00 to $262.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, McDonalds currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $290.16.

Insider Activity

McDonalds Trading Up 0.4 %

In other news, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total transaction of $370,554.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 308 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $81,755.52. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . In related news, SVP Catherine A. Hoovel sold 2,876 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $776,520.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,680. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, EVP Marion K. Gross sold 1,396 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $265.44, for a total transaction of $370,554.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 308 shares in the company, valued at $81,755.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 8,122 shares of company stock valued at $2,177,681. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

MCD traded up $1.14 on Monday, hitting $280.75. 562,462 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,707,423. McDonalds Co. has a fifty-two week low of $228.34 and a fifty-two week high of $281.73. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $268.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $264.17. The stock has a market cap of $205.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.49, a P/E/G ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 0.62.

McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The fast-food giant reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.13. McDonalds had a net margin of 26.65% and a negative return on equity of 120.10%. The company had revenue of $5.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.23 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that McDonalds Co. will post 10.49 EPS for the current year.

McDonalds Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were given a dividend of $1.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $6.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. McDonaldss payout ratio is 72.81%.

McDonalds Company Profile

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McDonalds Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the U.K.

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Chorus Aviation (TSE:CHR  Get Rating) had its target price lowered by Canaccord Genuity Group from C$4.00 to C$3.25 in a research note published on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Scotiabank lowered shares of Chorus Aviation from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and increased their price objective for the company from C$4.00 to C$4.40 in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. National Bankshares cut their price target on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$4.80 to C$4.50 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 17th. Cormark cut their price target on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$4.75 to C$4.25 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Chorus Aviation from C$6.00 to C$5.35 in a report on Friday, December 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$4.34.

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Chorus Aviation Stock Performance

Shares of Chorus Aviation stock opened at C$3.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$643.12 million, a P/E ratio of 24.69, a PEG ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 2.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.06. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$3.36 and a 200 day moving average price of C$3.11. Chorus Aviation has a 52 week low of C$2.24 and a 52 week high of C$4.40.

About Chorus Aviation

Chorus Aviation ( TSE:CHR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 15th. The company reported C$0.11 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of C$0.11. The firm had revenue of C$439.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$409.16 million. Chorus Aviation had a net margin of 3.06% and a return on equity of 5.30%. Sell-side analysts expect that Chorus Aviation will post 0.4247911 EPS for the current year.

(Get Rating)

Chorus Aviation Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various aviation support services in the United States and Canada. The company operates through two segments, Regional Aviation Services and Regional Aircraft Leasing. The Regional Aviation Services segment includes all three sectors of the regional aviation, such as contract flying, including ACMI and charter operations; aircraft leasing; and maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as part sales and technical services.

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Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWAN  Get Rating) major shareholder Xii Carbon Analytics Acqu Wcas sold 729,953 shares of Clearwater Analytics stock in a transaction on Friday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.50, for a total value of $10,584,318.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Xii Carbon Analytics Acqu Wcas also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Tuesday, March 28th, Xii Carbon Analytics Acqu Wcas sold 1,220,047 shares of Clearwater Analytics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.50, for a total value of $17,690,681.50.

On Monday, March 13th, Xii Carbon Analytics Acqu Wcas sold 13,000,000 shares of Clearwater Analytics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $14.50, for a total value of $188,500,000.00.

Clearwater Analytics Stock Performance

Shares of CWAN opened at $15.96 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $3.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -399.00 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 5.40, a current ratio of 5.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $17.36. Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.23 and a 52 week high of $22.70.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Clearwater Analytics

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Durable Capital Partners LP increased its holdings in Clearwater Analytics by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 8,945,959 shares of the companys stock worth $187,865,000 after purchasing an additional 908,588 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Clearwater Analytics by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 4,616,366 shares of the companys stock valued at $77,509,000 after buying an additional 204,116 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Clearwater Analytics by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,468,384 shares of the companys stock valued at $83,783,000 after buying an additional 168,319 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Clearwater Analytics by 29.3% in the 4th quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,638,570 shares of the companys stock valued at $68,223,000 after purchasing an additional 824,670 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wasatch Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Clearwater Analytics by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Wasatch Advisors Inc. now owns 3,240,235 shares of the companys stock valued at $68,045,000 after purchasing an additional 178,068 shares in the last quarter. 39.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Several research firms have recently commented on CWAN. TheStreet downgraded Clearwater Analytics from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report on Monday, March 13th. Loop Capital raised their target price on Clearwater Analytics from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Oppenheimer downgraded Clearwater Analytics from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Clearwater Analytics from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Clearwater Analytics from $17.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Clearwater Analytics presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $20.67.

Clearwater Analytics Company Profile

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Clearwater Analytics Holdings, Inc develops and provides a Software-as-a-Service solution for automated investment data aggregation, reconciliation, accounting, and reporting services to insurers, investment managers, corporations, institutional investors, and government entities. The company offers investment accounting and reporting, performance measurement, compliance monitoring, and risk analytics solutions.

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A Chinese agricultural expert inspects rice production in Ninga Village, Bubanza Province, Burundi, on March 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

Burundi, one of the many countries that have benefited from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), highly commends China's assistance, especially in the agricultural sector.

BUJUMBURA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- As China marks the 10th anniversary of its flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Burundi, one of the many countries that have benefited from the initiative, highly commends China's assistance, especially in the agricultural sector, a senior Burundian official told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"The support from China in the agricultural sector has highly contributed to Burundi's food security. We (Burundi) really appreciate the Chinese support," said Diomede Ndayirukiye, director general of the Territory Planning, Irrigation and Heritage Protection at the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock.

Ndayirukiye was at the same time appointed to follow up activities of the Chinese experts sent to Burundi, who are from various areas of expertise to contribute to the improvement of the country's agriculture and livestock sectors.

"Burundi and China are friends for decades. China has supported Burundi in several sectors, especially in the agricultural sector in order to boost its food security," said Ndayirukiye.

A Chinese expert instructs Burundian agricultural technicians in rice production in Ninga Village, Bubanza Province, Burundi, on March 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

According to him, during the fifth mission of the Chinese agricultural experts to Burundi which has just concluded its term, a lot of success was recorded especially in the introduction of hybrid rice.

"We went from three to four metric tons of rice per hectare to 10 or even 11 metric tons of rice per hectare because of the Chinese technology," said Ndayirukiye.

He added that this high production was recorded in several villages, especially in the Gihanga district in the western province of Bubanza, where people's lives have been drastically and considerably changed.

"Hybrid rice was promoted in those provinces and its production highly increased. This project reached the majority of the Burundian population," said Ndayirukiye.

At least 13 of the country's 18 provinces now grow that variety of rice "with a lot of success," said the agriculture official.

He said those Chinese farming experts supervised local cooperatives in many provinces for the promotion of hybrid rice, and that the ultimate goal is to "duplicate technologies that succeeded in China and popularize them through demonstrations and research in Burundi."

Chinese agricultural experts inspect rice production in Ninga Village, Bubanza Province, Burundi, on March 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

According to Ndayirukiye, fish farming and poultry were also boosted in Burundi thanks to the Chinese technology that was "exported" to Burundi.

He added that to ensure the sustainability of the Chinese support, local experts and interns as well as technicians have been trained to use and promote the know-how in their respective provinces.

Ndayirukiye indicated that the sixth mission of the Chinese experts is coming soon and that Burundi looks forward to cooperating with China on the improvement of corn production, pig, and rabbit farming.

Burundi and China enjoy successful bilateral cooperation since 1963. The main sectors of cooperation include infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and health. 
Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 98,530 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 454 shares during the quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc.s holdings in Waste Management were worth $15,457,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Stephens Inc. AR grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 164,603 shares of the business services providers stock worth $25,823,000 after purchasing an additional 11,623 shares in the last quarter. MGO One Seven LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waste Management by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 10,073 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,580,000 after purchasing an additional 526 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Waste Management by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 312,393 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $49,008,000 after buying an additional 14,373 shares in the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $215,000. Finally, Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Waste Management in the 4th quarter valued at $474,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group lowered Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price target for the company from $190.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Waste Management from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their price target for the company from $185.00 to $171.00 in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Raymond James decreased their price target on Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Waste Management from $177.00 to $179.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $172.27.

Waste Management Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of WM stock traded up $0.81 on Monday, reaching $163.98. 691,354 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,833,273. The stock has a market cap of $66.70 billion, a PE ratio of 30.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.72. Waste Management, Inc. has a one year low of $138.89 and a one year high of $175.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $152.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $157.89.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). Waste Management had a return on equity of 32.91% and a net margin of 11.36%. The firm had revenue of $4.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.26 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were given a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.71%. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is 51.95%.

Waste Management declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Thursday, December 8th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the business services provider to buy up to 2.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, Director John C. Pope sold 218 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.76, for a total value of $33,737.68. Following the sale, the director now owns 55,809 shares in the company, valued at $8,637,000.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Waste Management news, Director John C. Pope sold 218 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $154.76, for a total value of $33,737.68. Following the sale, the director now owns 55,809 shares in the company, valued at $8,637,000.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total value of $120,888.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $787,283.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 31,027 shares of company stock valued at $4,806,619. Insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock.

Waste Management Company Profile

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Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC lowered its stake in Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,472 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 161 shares during the quarter. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLCs holdings in Accenture were worth $695,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ACN. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Accenture by 33.6% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,858,899 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,459,673,000 after acquiring an additional 2,228,802 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Accenture by 502.3% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,191,413 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $563,851,000 after buying an additional 1,827,551 shares during the period. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. grew its position in Accenture by 41.6% during the third quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 5,457,405 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,404,190,000 after buying an additional 1,603,071 shares during the period. GQG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the second quarter valued at about $373,981,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $318,306,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.97% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total transaction of $155,974.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 42,991 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,060,265.23. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $276.08, for a total value of $1,449,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 34,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,509,299.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total transaction of $155,974.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 42,991 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,060,265.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 36,475 shares of company stock worth $10,225,149 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Accenture Price Performance

Shares of ACN stock traded down $0.59 during trading on Monday, reaching $285.22. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,130,619 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,393,845. The company has a market capitalization of $180.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.25. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $271.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $273.84. Accenture plc has a 1-year low of $242.80 and a 1-year high of $345.30.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.59 billion. Accenture had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.54 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Accenture plc will post 11.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 12th. Accentures dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Accenture from $290.00 to $279.00 in a research report on Monday, December 19th. Piper Jaffray Companies lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, March 27th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Accenture from $310.00 to $290.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Accenture from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $314.00.

Accenture Company Profile

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Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Fresnillo plc (LON:FRES  Get Rating) has earned a consensus rating of Hold from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and six have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 751.25 ($9.23).

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.60) to GBX 650 ($7.99) and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a hold rating and set a GBX 800 ($9.83) target price on shares of Fresnillo in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Fresnillo from GBX 920 ($11.30) to GBX 800 ($9.83) and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. UBS Group lowered Fresnillo to a sell rating and lowered their price objective for the company from GBX 900 ($11.06) to GBX 850 ($10.44) in a research note on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Fresnillo from GBX 950 ($11.67) to GBX 800 ($9.83) and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 26th.

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Fresnillo Trading Down 0.7 %

FRES opened at GBX 740.80 ($9.10) on Monday. The firms 50 day moving average is GBX 776.38 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 809.78. Fresnillo has a 52-week low of GBX 637.20 ($7.83) and a 52-week high of GBX 996.80 ($12.25). The company has a quick ratio of 3.28, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.64. The firm has a market capitalization of 5.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,476.67, a P/E/G ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 0.18.

Fresnillo Increases Dividend

About Fresnillo

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 27th will be issued a $0.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a yield of 1.45%. This is an increase from Fresnillos previous dividend of $0.03. Fresnillos dividend payout ratio is presently 4,666.67%.

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Fresnillo plc mines, develops, and produces non-ferrous minerals in Mexico. It operates through seven segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Noche Buena, San Julian, and Other. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its projects include Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas; Saucito silver mine situated in the state of Zacatecas; Cienega gold mine located in the state of Durango; Herradura gold mine situated in the state of Sonora; Noche Buena gold mine located in the state of Sonora; and San Julian silver-gold mine situated on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states.

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Thrive Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of GSK plc (NYSE:GSK  Get Rating) by 3.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,630 shares of the pharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the period. Thrive Wealth Management LLCs holdings in GSK were worth $374,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in GSK. JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd boosted its position in shares of GSK by 281.8% during the 4th quarter. JTC Employer Solutions Trustee Ltd now owns 17,971,970 shares of the pharmaceutical companys stock worth $631,445,000 after purchasing an additional 13,264,687 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its position in shares of GSK by 351.5% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 7,137,574 shares of the pharmaceutical companys stock worth $210,059,000 after buying an additional 5,556,832 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP raised its stake in GSK by 1,007.7% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 4,511,412 shares of the pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $132,771,000 after purchasing an additional 4,104,146 shares during the last quarter. Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new position in GSK in the 3rd quarter valued at about $105,948,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in GSK by 32.5% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 9,621,370 shares of the pharmaceutical companys stock valued at $419,107,000 after purchasing an additional 2,362,274 shares during the last quarter. 13.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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GSK Stock Performance

Shares of GSK opened at $35.63 on Monday. GSK plc has a 12-month low of $28.47 and a 12-month high of $46.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.68. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $34.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $33.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.81 billion, a PE ratio of 4.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.65.

GSK Cuts Dividend

GSK ( NYSE:GSK Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The pharmaceutical company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.05. GSK had a return on equity of 36.37% and a net margin of 43.75%. The firm had revenue of $8.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.30 billion. Equities research analysts forecast that GSK plc will post 3.52 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.3404 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 23rd. GSKs dividend payout ratio is currently 15.50%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. AlphaValue raised shares of GSK to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 8th. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of GSK from GBX 1,580 ($19.41) to GBX 1,730 ($21.26) in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Bank of America downgraded shares of GSK from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Monday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of GSK from GBX 1,350 ($16.59) to GBX 1,400 ($17.20) in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of GSK in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $1,576.88.

GSK Profile

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GSK Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Commercial Operations, Research and Development, and Consumer Healthcare. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

Further Reading

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Forge Global (NYSE:FRGE  Get Rating) is one of 23 public companies in the Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Forge Global to related companies based on the strength of its earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Forge Global and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Forge Global -161.22% -26.59% -22.44% Forge Global Competitors 4.06% 20.57% 5.50%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

13.7% of Forge Global shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 63.7% of shares of all Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies are owned by institutional investors. 20.0% of Forge Global shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 13.0% of shares of all Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

Valuation & Earnings

Forge Global has a beta of 2.33, suggesting that its stock price is 133% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Forge Globals competitors have a beta of 1.23, suggesting that their average stock price is 23% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Forge Global and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Forge Global $69.38 million -$111.86 million -1.21 Forge Global Competitors $7.42 billion $656.15 million 31.46

Forge Globals competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Forge Global. Forge Global is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Forge Global and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Forge Global 0 4 2 0 2.33 Forge Global Competitors 144 897 1198 31 2.49

Forge Global currently has a consensus price target of $3.48, indicating a potential upside of 98.57%. As a group, Security & commodity brokers, dealers, exchanges & services companies have a potential upside of 29.31%. Given Forge Globals higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Forge Global is more favorable than its competitors.

Summary

Forge Global competitors beat Forge Global on 10 of the 13 factors compared.

About Forge Global

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Forge Global Holdings, Inc. provides marketplace infrastructure, data services, and technology solutions for private market participants. It enables private company shareholders to trade private company shares with accredited investors. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in San Francisco, California.

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Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE:HLX  Get Rating) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 8,520,000 shares, a growth of 6.8% from the February 28th total of 7,980,000 shares. Currently, 6.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,980,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.3 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Helix Energy Solutions Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $7.71.

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Institutional Trading of Helix Energy Solutions Group

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HLX. Aigen Investment Management LP acquired a new stake in Helix Energy Solutions Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $240,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 388.4% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 7,423 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 5,903 shares during the last quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD grew its holdings in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD now owns 717,104 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,229,000 after buying an additional 49,656 shares during the period. Brinker Capital Investments LLC lifted its position in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC now owns 194,729 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $752,000 after acquiring an additional 30,133 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co lifted its position in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 38,972 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $150,000 after acquiring an additional 6,330 shares in the last quarter. 87.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Helix Energy Solutions Group Price Performance

Shares of HLX traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $8.09. The company had a trading volume of 1,737,854 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,930,020. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $7.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $6.68. Helix Energy Solutions Group has a 52-week low of $2.47 and a 52-week high of $9.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.55.

Helix Energy Solutions Group declared that its board has approved a share buyback program on Monday, February 20th that allows the company to repurchase $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the oil and gas company to repurchase up to 16.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued.

Helix Energy Solutions Group Company Profile

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Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations.

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Huhtamaki Oyj (OTCMKTS:HOYFF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 158,500 shares, a drop of 10.0% from the February 28th total of 176,200 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1,585.0 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Handelsbanken upgraded shares of Huhtamaki Oyj from an underperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, February 10th.

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Huhtamaki Oyj Stock Performance

HOYFF remained flat at $34.50 during midday trading on Friday. Huhtamaki Oyj has a 12-month low of $34.50 and a 12-month high of $34.81. The firms fifty day moving average is $34.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $35.55.

About Huhtamaki Oyj

Huhtamaki Oyj manufactures and sells packaging products in the United States, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand, China, South Africa, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Findland, and internationally. It operates in foodservice packaging, flexible packaging, and fiber packaging business areas.

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Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (NYSE:IVR  Get Rating) was the target of a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,690,000 shares, a decline of 7.8% from the February 28th total of 4,000,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 905,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.1 days. Approximately 9.6% of the companys shares are short sold.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital from $14.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Friday, January 6th.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco Mortgage Capital

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 98.1% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 149,631 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $341,000 after acquiring an additional 74,094 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 14.1% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 268,751 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $613,000 after acquiring an additional 33,136 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 7.1% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 55,516,956 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $126,578,000 after acquiring an additional 3,700,042 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital in the first quarter worth $241,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 18.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,063,936 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $89,067,000 after acquiring an additional 6,089,233 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.54% of the companys stock.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Price Performance

Invesco Mortgage Capital Cuts Dividend

IVR stock traded up $0.33 on Friday, hitting $11.09. 894,457 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,246,969. Invesco Mortgage Capital has a twelve month low of $9.60 and a twelve month high of $24.00. The businesss fifty day moving average is $12.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $429.29 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.88 and a beta of 1.63.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Investors of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 14.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. Invesco Mortgage Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -20.54%.

About Invesco Mortgage Capital

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Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It engages in the business of investing, financing, and managing mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets. The company was founded on June 5, 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Fifth Third Bancorp lowered its stake in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:EEM  Get Rating) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,600,214 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 107,933 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp owned about 0.26% of iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF worth $60,648,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 2.8% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 79,056,643 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,757,495,000 after purchasing an additional 2,120,629 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 617.1% in the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 30,902,851 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,239,204,000 after purchasing an additional 26,593,451 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 190.1% in the third quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 10,219,950 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $356,352,000 after purchasing an additional 6,697,550 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 60.3% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 9,605,304 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $373,647,000 after purchasing an additional 3,614,016 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF by 3,639.2% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 4,095,355 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $142,837,000 after purchasing an additional 3,985,830 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.29% of the companys stock.

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iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Stock Performance

EEM stock traded down $0.02 during trading on Monday, hitting $39.44. The company had a trading volume of 8,526,524 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,388,504. The business has a 50 day moving average of $39.59 and a 200 day moving average of $38.19. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has a fifty-two week low of $33.49 and a fifty-two week high of $46.78.

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Profile

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index).

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Shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (BATS:PICK  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $42.87 and last traded at $42.90, with a volume of 176930 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.72.

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.48 and a beta of 1.17. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $43.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.86.

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Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sentinus LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Sentinus LLC now owns 27,629 shares of the companys stock worth $1,092,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. Oversea Chinese Banking CORP Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,003,000. Neuberger Berman Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF during the 4th quarter worth approximately $740,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 10,025.0% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 20,250 shares of the companys stock worth $830,000 after acquiring an additional 20,050 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Family Firm Inc. boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 34,873 shares of the companys stock worth $1,430,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares in the last quarter.

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF Company Profile

The iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (PICK) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in materials equity. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted index of global metals mining, extraction or production firms, excluding gold and silver mining firms. PICK was launched on Jan 31, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Kroger (NYSE:KR  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Stephens dropped their price target on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $52.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 6th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Kroger from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Kroger in a research report on Tuesday, December 6th. They set an outperform rating and a $58.00 target price on the stock. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of Kroger from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $60.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Kroger from $45.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, December 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kroger currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $53.65.

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Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of Kroger stock opened at $49.37 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.47. Kroger has a 52 week low of $41.81 and a 52 week high of $62.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The firms 50 day moving average is $45.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.81.

Kroger Dividend Announcement

Kroger ( NYSE:KR Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $34.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.89 billion. Kroger had a net margin of 1.51% and a return on equity of 31.84%. The firms revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Kroger will post 4.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.11%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. Krogers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kroger

In other Kroger news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total value of $1,475,296.16. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 185,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at $9,063,476.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total value of $1,475,296.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 185,423 shares in the company, valued at $9,063,476.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Todd A. Foley sold 3,885 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.95, for a total value of $182,400.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 28,456 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,336,009.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 99,481 shares of company stock valued at $4,695,775. 1.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Kroger by 26.1% during the 4th quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 21,211 shares of the companys stock valued at $946,000 after acquiring an additional 4,387 shares during the last quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group increased its position in Kroger by 45.8% during the 4th quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 1,143 shares of the companys stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 359 shares in the last quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE acquired a new stake in Kroger during the 4th quarter worth approximately $308,000. Whitener Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Kroger by 43.0% during the 4th quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,975 shares of the companys stock worth $356,000 after purchasing an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC increased its position in Kroger by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 407,954 shares of the companys stock worth $18,187,000 after purchasing an additional 29,492 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.03% of the companys stock.

Kroger Company Profile

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The Kroger Co engages in the operation of supermarkets and multi-department stores. Its brands include Big K, Check This Out?, Heritage Farm, Simple Truth, and Simple Truth Organic. The company was founded by Barney Kroger in 1883 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

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Mathes Company Inc. boosted its position in shares of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. (NYSE:NUV  Get Rating) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 160,000 shares of the closed-end funds stock after buying an additional 2,500 shares during the quarter. Mathes Company Inc. owned approximately 0.08% of Nuveen Municipal Value Fund worth $1,376,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new position in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund by 98.7% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 2,981 shares of the closed-end funds stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,481 shares in the last quarter. Providence First Trust Co acquired a new position in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. McElhenny Sheffield Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Romano Brothers AND Company acquired a new position in Nuveen Municipal Value Fund during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 17.32% of the companys stock.

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Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NUV stock traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $8.85. The company had a trading volume of 96,120 shares, compared to its average volume of 367,969. The company has a 50 day moving average of $8.86 and a 200 day moving average of $8.70. Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc. has a 1-year low of $8.25 and a 1-year high of $9.64.

Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Dividend Announcement

Nuveen Municipal Value Fund Profile

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th will be paid a $0.028 dividend. This represents a $0.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.80%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 14th.

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Nuveen Municipal Value Fund, Inc is a closed-end diversified management investment fund. Its objective is current income exempt from federal income taxes and its secondary objective is the enhancement of portfolio value through selection of tax-exempt bonds and municipal market sectors. The company was founded on April 8, 1987 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

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Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC boosted its position in Nokia Oyj (NYSE:NOK  Get Rating) by 19.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 50,236 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 8,240 shares during the quarter. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLCs holdings in Nokia Oyj were worth $248,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NOK. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. increased its stake in shares of Nokia Oyj by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 121,224 shares of the technology companys stock worth $518,000 after acquiring an additional 5,565 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 3rd quarter worth $16,575,000. Fulton Bank N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 3rd quarter worth $88,000. Tegean Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 3rd quarter worth $641,000. Finally, Castleview Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nokia Oyj by 361.0% during the 2nd quarter. Castleview Partners LLC now owns 5,762 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,250,000 after purchasing an additional 4,512 shares during the period. 7.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Nokia Oyj Stock Down 0.6 %

NOK stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $4.88. The company had a trading volume of 5,952,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,475,914. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.59. The company has a market capitalization of $27.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.99 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $4.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $4.65. Nokia Oyj has a fifty-two week low of $4.08 and a fifty-two week high of $5.59.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Nokia Oyj ( NYSE:NOK Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The technology company reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.02. Nokia Oyj had a return on equity of 12.31% and a net margin of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $7.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.10 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.15 EPS. Nokia Oyjs revenue for the quarter was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Nokia Oyj will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

NOK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James increased their price target on Nokia Oyj from $6.50 to $7.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 27th. UBS Group cut Nokia Oyj from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 31st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Nokia Oyj in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. DNB Markets cut Nokia Oyj from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Nokia Oyj from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Nokia Oyj has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $5.88.

Nokia Oyj Company Profile

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Nokia Oyj engages in the provision of network infrastructure, technology, and software services. It operates through the following segments: Mobile Networks, Network Infrastructure, Cloud and Network Services, and Nokia Technologies. The Mobile Networks segment offers technologies for Radio Access Networks (RAN) as well as Microwave Radio Links (MWR) for transport networks.

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SL Green Realty (NYSE:SLG  Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by Morgan Stanley from $35.00 to $21.00 in a research note released on Friday morning, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the real estate investment trusts stock.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on SLG. Scotiabank lowered shares of SL Green Realty from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $43.00 to $34.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 6th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of SL Green Realty from $38.00 to $33.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of SL Green Realty from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $32.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of SL Green Realty from $35.00 to $17.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Barclays cut shares of SL Green Realty from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and set a $22.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, SL Green Realty presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $36.75.

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SL Green Realty Price Performance

Shares of SL Green Realty stock opened at $23.52 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.51 billion, a PE ratio of -15.79 and a beta of 1.52. SL Green Realty has a 12-month low of $19.06 and a 12-month high of $83.96. The company has a quick ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 2.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $33.18 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.51.

SL Green Realty Increases Dividend

SL Green Realty ( NYSE:SLG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 25th. The real estate investment trust reported ($1.01) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.48 by ($2.49). SL Green Realty had a negative return on equity of 1.62% and a negative net margin of 9.44%. The company had revenue of $197.29 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $194.74 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.52 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 31.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that SL Green Realty will post 5.46 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.271 per share. This represents a $3.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.83%. This is a positive change from SL Green Realtys previous monthly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. SL Green Realtys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -218.12%.

Insider Activity at SL Green Realty

In related news, CFO Matthew J. Diliberto acquired 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $16.44 per share, with a total value of $164,400.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,000 shares in the company, valued at $213,720. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other SL Green Realty news, CFO Matthew J. Diliberto purchased 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $16.44 per share, with a total value of $164,400.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 13,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $213,720. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Craig M. Hatkoff sold 9,000 shares of SL Green Realty stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.31, for a total transaction of $308,790.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,052 shares of the companys stock, valued at $70,404.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 5.21% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in SL Green Realty during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of SL Green Realty by 255.1% in the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 806 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 579 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management bought a new stake in SL Green Realty during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. CWM LLC grew its holdings in SL Green Realty by 583.3% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,066 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 910 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new stake in SL Green Realty during the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. 82.00% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About SL Green Realty

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3SL Green Realty Corp., Manhattans largest office landlord, is a fully integrated real estate investment trust, or REIT, that is focused primarily on acquiring, managing and maximizing value of Manhattan commercial properties. As of June 30, 2022, SL Green held interests in 64 buildings totaling 34.4 million square feet.

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SNS Financial Group LLC lowered its stake in Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG  Get Rating) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,916 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,473 shares during the period. SNS Financial Group LLCs holdings in Conagra Brands were worth $2,396,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Conagra Brands by 1,492.0% in the third quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 796 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 746 shares during the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Conagra Brands in the third quarter worth $33,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Conagra Brands by 117.5% during the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,031 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 557 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC boosted its position in Conagra Brands by 410.5% during the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 970 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 780 shares during the period. Finally, MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Conagra Brands in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors own 81.08% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on CAG. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands to $40.00 in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Conagra Brands from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, December 29th. StockNews.com started coverage on Conagra Brands in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.36.

Insider Buying and Selling at Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands Price Performance

In other news, SVP Robert G. Wise sold 50,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.90, for a total value of $2,045,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 22,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $929,125.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 0.98% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of NYSE CAG opened at $37.26 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.92. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $41.30. The company has a market capitalization of $17.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.46.

Conagra Brands (NYSE:CAG  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 5th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.15. Conagra Brands had a return on equity of 14.38% and a net margin of 5.66%. The business had revenue of $3.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.28 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Conagra Brands Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Conagra Brands, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks, Refrigerated and Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States.

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Teck Resources (TSE:TECK.B  Get Rating) had its price objective reduced by Bank of America from C$65.00 to C$62.00 in a report issued on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. Bank of Americas target price would suggest a potential upside of 8.35% from the stocks previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a C$43.00 price target on shares of Teck Resources in a research report on Friday, December 9th. TD Securities upped their price target on shares of Teck Resources from C$67.00 to C$71.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Teck Resources from C$70.00 to C$75.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Teck Resources from C$55.00 to C$64.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on shares of Teck Resources from C$48.00 to C$45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$61.24.

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Teck Resources Stock Performance

TSE TECK.B traded up C$7.87 on Monday, hitting C$57.22. 4,399,587 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,566,285. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.78, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$53.74 and its 200 day moving average is C$49.63. Teck Resources has a 52 week low of C$32.68 and a 52 week high of C$62.38. The company has a market capitalization of C$28.97 billion, a PE ratio of 7.44, a P/E/G ratio of -0.38 and a beta of 1.23.

Teck Resources Company Profile

Teck Resources Limited researches, explores for, develops, and produces natural resources in the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through five segments: Steelmaking, Coal, Copper, Zinc, Energy, and Corporate. The company's principal products include steelmaking coal; copper concentrates and refined copper cathodes; refined zinc and zinc concentrates; energy products, such as bitumen; and lead concentrates.

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Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC increased its holdings in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) by 482.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,357 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 16,036 shares during the period. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $1,385,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Grimes & Company Inc. grew its stake in shares of Southern by 44.3% in the 4th quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. now owns 13,037 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $931,000 after buying an additional 4,004 shares in the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust lifted its holdings in Southern by 4.8% in the 4th quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 24,152 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,725,000 after purchasing an additional 1,102 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Southern by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 122,991 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $8,783,000 after purchasing an additional 23,080 shares during the last quarter. Daymark Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter worth approximately $286,000. Finally, Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Southern in the 4th quarter worth approximately $715,000. 61.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Southern

In related news, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total transaction of $85,381.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 14,546 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.95, for a total transaction of $1,032,038.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 120,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,569,766.70. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 1,282 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $85,381.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,832,299.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 16,680 shares of company stock valued at $1,174,768. Corporate insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Southern Stock Down 0.0 %

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Southern from $61.00 to $57.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Southern from $73.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 17th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Southern from $68.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, December 16th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Southern from $73.00 to $72.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $71.64.

SO stock traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $69.55. The company had a trading volume of 1,689,320 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,370,364. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 0.66 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $66.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $67.78. The company has a market capitalization of $75.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.25, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.49. The Southern Company has a 52 week low of $58.85 and a 52 week high of $80.57.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The utilities provider reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $7.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.83 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 11.73% and a net margin of 12.40%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 22.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.36 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Southern Company will post 3.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.91%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.93%.

Southern Profile

(Get Rating)

The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.

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Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI  Get Rating) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 63,255 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. owned approximately 0.09% of United Rentals worth $22,481,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of URI. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in United Rentals by 146.5% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 615,729 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $166,322,000 after acquiring an additional 365,935 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners lifted its stake in United Rentals by 27.0% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,168,327 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $317,729,000 after acquiring an additional 248,072 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in United Rentals by 49.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 672,534 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $238,890,000 after acquiring an additional 221,613 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in United Rentals by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,179,328 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,905,379,000 after acquiring an additional 186,931 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky bought a new stake in United Rentals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $45,477,000. Institutional investors own 89.65% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Credit Suisse Group assumed coverage on United Rentals in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. They set an outperform rating and a $544.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on United Rentals from $300.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. OTR Global upgraded United Rentals from a mixed rating to a positive rating in a research note on Friday, December 16th. Citigroup upped their price objective on United Rentals to $415.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 14th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on United Rentals in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Rentals presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $430.85.

United Rentals Stock Performance

Shares of URI stock traded up $2.61 during trading on Monday, reaching $398.37. 106,900 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 855,098. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The firms fifty day moving average price is $431.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $366.11. United Rentals, Inc. has a twelve month low of $230.54 and a twelve month high of $481.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.64 billion, a PE ratio of 13.30, a PEG ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 1.85.

United Rentals (NYSE:URI  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The construction company reported $9.74 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $10.12 by ($0.38). United Rentals had a net margin of 18.08% and a return on equity of 36.12%. The firm had revenue of $3.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.39 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Rentals, Inc. will post 41.92 EPS for the current year.

United Rentals Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 8th were issued a $1.48 dividend. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.49%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 7th. United Rentalss dividend payout ratio is 4.97%.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Rentals

In other United Rentals news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $477.99, for a total value of $5,735,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,276 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,408,915.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CEO Matthew John Flannery sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $477.99, for a total transaction of $5,735,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,276 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,408,915.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Dale A. Asplund sold 13,392 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $436.26, for a total value of $5,842,393.92. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 19,229 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,388,843.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 30,672 shares of company stock valued at $13,871,422 in the last ninety days. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

United Rentals Profile

(Get Rating)

United Rentals, Inc engages in the equipment rental business. It operates through the General Rentals and Specialty segments. The General Rentals segment includes the rental of construction, aerial and industrial equipment, general tools and light equipment, and related services and activities. The Specialty segment focuses on the rental of specialty construction products such as trench safety equipment, power and HVAC equipment, fluid solutions equipment, mobile storage equipment and modular office space.

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Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. cut its position in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (NYSEARCA:EFA  Get Rating) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 135,123 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,229 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $8,868,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Connecticut Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,047 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $725,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the period. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. now owns 15,605 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,025,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 8,328 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $547,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. DHK Financial Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. DHK Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 6,954 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $435,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE ETF by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 2,126 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $119,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. 80.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Trading Up 0.6 %

EFA stock traded up $0.44 during trading on Monday, hitting $71.96. 3,250,948 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 20,931,678. iShares MSCI EAFE ETF has a 1 year low of $54.61 and a 1 year high of $74.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $70.21 and a 200-day moving average of $65.63.

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Company Profile

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance.

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Hanagar, son of herdsman Tsogdelger, feeds a lamb in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Tumenbayar, father of herdsman Tsogdelger, herds horses on a motorbike in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger checks a lamb in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

This photo taken on March 28, 2023 shows sheep of herdsman Tsogdelger in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's wife Munguntuya milks in front of the cowshed in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger and his cousin Davxilt transport forage with motorbike in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Tumenbayaryn, father of herdsman Tsogdelger, pets his horse in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger checks the situation of a ewe and a newborn lamb at night in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Tumenbayar, father of herdsman Tsogdelger, fills the sink with water for the horses to drink in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger (L) poses for a group photo with his wife Munguntuya (R) and daughter Halgian in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger pets his sheep in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger (L) works with his wife Munguntuya (R) and daughter Halgian in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

This undated file photo shows the family members of herdsman Tsogdelger (1st L), including his son Hanagar, his mother Orolma, his father Tumenbayar, his daughter Halgian and his wife Munguntuya (from 2nd L to R). In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's wife Munguntuya feeds a lamb in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

This aerial photo taken on March 28, 2023 shows herdsman Tsogdelger's house and sheep in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger herds sheep in the pasture to make sure each lamb can find its mother for enough milk in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger (R) and his cousin Davxilt transport forage with motorbike in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger checks sheep in his pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's cousin Davxilt walks among sheep in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger feeds sheep in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's daughter kicks the haystack to make it easier for the sheep to feed in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's daughter Halgian runs in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger herds sheep in the pasture to make sure each lamb can find its mother for eating enough milk in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

This photo taken on March 28, 2023 shows sheep and horses of herdsman Tsogdelger in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger's daughter Halgian holds a lamb in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

This photo taken on March 29, 2023 shows sunrise on the pasture of herdsman Tsogdelger in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger smiles in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger feeds sheep in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Herdsman Tsogdelger herds sheep in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger helps a ewe familiarize with the scent of her lamb in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger holds a lamb in the pasture in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)

A car sends herdsman Tsogdelger's children to school in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger shows the sheepfold monitoring image on the mobile phone in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 28, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

Herdsman Tsogdelger carries hay in his yard in West Ujimqin Banner of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, March 29, 2023. In spring, the busiest season of the year, Tsogdelger, a herdsman of the Mongolian ethnic group, and his family need to assist with lambing and feed livestock every day. More than 280 lambs have been born in his farm since March 18. From the beginning of this year until March 30, a total of 581,300 offspring were born in West Ujimqin Banner, including 100,900 large livestock and 480,400 small livestock, with a survival rate of 99.18%. (Xinhua/Bei He)
Russias top counterterrorism body has blamed Ukrainian intelligence agencies for the bombing attack that killed a well-known Russian military blogger who fervently supported Moscows war in Ukraine.
(CNN)  Russian authorities have detained a 26-year-old anti-war protester, claiming she was involved in the blast that killed well-known military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a cafe in St. Petersburg on Sunday.

The country's interior ministry added Daria Trepova to a wanted list following the explosion, and her arrest was announced on Telegram by the Investigative Committee of Russia shortly after that.

State media outlet TASS reported that "preliminarily, it was Trepova who handed Tatarsky a figurine with explosives" at the cafe. Russian media had reported suggestions that Tatarsky may have been killed by a device hidden in a statue presented to him by a woman. CNN is not able to independently verify the claims.

Trepova's husband, Dmitry Rylov, has told an independent Russian publication that he is convinced she was set up.

Tatarsky, a hawkish blogger who gained a high profile for his commentary on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was killed when a blast tore through the cafe where he was appearing as a guest of a pro-war group called Cyber Front Z.

Trepova was arrested in the early days of the conflict for demonstrating against it, TASS reported.

"Trepova participated in an unsanctioned rally on the day the special military operation began in Ukraine and was subjected to administrative arrest," the article read, adding that court records confirmed that Trepova was arrested on March 9, 2022 and sentenced to 10 days in prison.

According to the TASS article, law enforcement officers conducted a search at Trepovas' residence in St. Petersburg on Sunday night, where her sister and mother were also questioned.

Trepova's husband, Rylov, was a member of the Libertarian Party of Russia, the article said. Trepova, however, was not associated with the small political party. The Libertarian Party said in a statement Monday that Trepova, "has never been a member of our party. According to our records, she has never been a supporter ... either."

Husband says Trepova was 'set up'

Russia's National Anti Terrorism Committee (NAC) meanwhile claimed Monday that the explosion involved agents of the Ukrainian special services and associates of the jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny, allegations that were immediately treated with skepticism.

Ivan Zhdanov, a long-time associate of Navalny, said the accusation was an attempt to prolong Navalny's jail term. "This is a rather idiotic situation. To refute the fact that we did it is idiocy. Obviously, we are not involved in this," he said.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov repeated the claim during a news briefing that Ukraine may be behind the murder of Tatarsky, describing his killing as a "terrorist attack."

US and Ukrainian officials have in the past warned that Russia has planned so-called "false flag" attacks inside Russian territory as a pretext for military escalation, including Russian claims ahead of last year's full-scale invasion that Ukraine was sending "saboteurs" over the Russian border.

An independent Russian publication, The Insider, said it interviewed Trepova's husband who believed his wife was framed.

"She was really just set up and used," Rylov was quoted as saying. "Over the last day I contacted her, but I lost contact about 4-5 hours ago."

"All I knew was that Daria needed, either for some task, or for some reason, to give some gift, I didn't even know what," he said, referring to the event at which the explosion took place.

"There is one very important point that she told me several times: she was sure that this thing would allow access to a person. That is, it was not something that should have exploded," he said. "Dasha [Daria], in principle, is not the kind of person who could kill anyone."

Russian state media Ria Novosti quoted one witness of Sunday's blast as saying: "This woman sat at our table. I saw her from the back as she was turned away. When she gifted him the figurine, she went to sit in a different place by the window and forgot her phone at our table."

The witness added: "The host at the stage took the figurine from the box and showcased it, Vladlen held it for a bit. They put it back and shortly after the explosion happened ... I was running and my ears were blocked. There were many people with blood on them."

The independent Telegram channel Astra Press quoted a witness as saying: "Everyone rushed to the exit when explosion happened. I myself saw the girl only until the moment of the explosion, when she gave a gift. She looked like an ordinary person."

Who was Tatarsky?

Tatarsky supported the war in Ukraine and had gained popularity since the start of what Russia calls its "special military operation" by providing analysis and commentary.

Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, created his Telegram channel in 2019, naming it in honor of the protagonist of Victor Pelevin's novel "Generation 'P,'" according to Russian state news agency Vesti. He had since written several books.

Before that, in 2014, Tatarsky took part in fighting alongside Russian forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, according to Vesti, citing public sources, when President Vladimir Putin's fighters first invaded the country.

Tatarsky had more than half a million followers on Telegram, and while he was aggressively pro-war, he had sometimes been critical of Russian setbacks in Ukraine.

Explosion in Russian cafe kills prominent military blogger An explosion tore through a cafe in Russia's second-largest city Sunday, killing a prominent military blogger who had supported the fighting in Ukraine and was speaking at a patriotic discussion event.

In May last year, he told CNN that he was not criticizing the overall operation, rather "individual episodes," and that he still believed Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine.

Tatarsky gained prominence after attending the ceremony in the Kremlin that marked the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions.

Sunday's blast has echoes of the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of influential ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin in August 2022. Alexander Dugin is credited with being the architect, or "spiritual guide," to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Dugina and Tatarsky moved in the same circles, and they had been photographed multiple times together
This photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train departing from the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

CHONGQING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A freight train departed from the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Monday, marking the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar.

From January to February this year, freight trains and shuttle vehicles on the Western Land-Sea New Corridor starting from Chongqing transported a total of 21,000 TEUs, up 46 percent year on year. The total value of transported goods reached over 3.65 billion yuan (about 530.48 million U.S. dollars), up 43 percent year on year.

Launched in 2017, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage jointly built by provincial-level regions in western China and ASEAN members.

The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has developed rapidly over the years, expanding the number of destinations to 393 ports in 119 countries and regions by the end of February in 2023. 

This aerial photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train departing from the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train waiting for departure in the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The operation of the freight train marked the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train waiting for departure in the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The operation of the freight train marked the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This aerial photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train departing from the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This aerial photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train departing from the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, marking the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

This photo taken on April 3, 2023 shows a freight train waiting for departure in the Jiangjin District of southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The operation of the freight train marked the opening of a new transport route via the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. A total of 32 containers bearing goods such as ammonium sulfate, motorcycle parts and motorcycle tires will be transported to the Baoshan North Station in Yunnan Province. These goods will then be transported via highways, leaving China via a land port in the city of Ruili, before arriving at Myanmar. (Xinhua/Tang Yi)
With the latest polls showing the April 4 mayoral election in Chicago effectively deadlocked between two DemocratsBrandon Johnson, the candidate of the Chicago Teachers Union and the Democratic Socialists of America, and Paul Vallas, the candidate of the Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, and Democratic Party establishmentthe Johnson campaign held a get-out-the-vote rally at the UICs Credit Union 1 Arena Thursday.

The purpose of the event, headlined by US Senator Bernie Sanders, was to provide Johnson a left cover and shore up support among young and working class voters, while Johnson moves sharply to the right, particularly on the issue of crime and policing.

The Northwestern University poll which showed the candidates at a dead heat also revealed the skepticism of working class voters toward both Democratic Party candidates. Likely voters with incomes under $80,000 per year expressed higher levels of indecision, at 29 percent, versus the 12 percent who were undecided overall. Young people are also largely alienated from both campaigns. Analysis of turnout in the first round of the elections shows that only 3 percent of voters were 18-24 years old.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders stumps for Democratic Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson at the University of Illinois, Chicago, on March 30, 2023. [Photo: Brandon Johnson/@BrandonJohnson]

The rally, attended by about 4,000, was the largest of the campaign. Speakers besides Sanders included Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, a member of the DSA and dean of the DSA caucus on the city council, US Representative Jonathan Jackson, the son of Jesse Jackson, US Representative Delia Ramirez, and Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The most notable appearance, besides Sanders, was put on by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, who has played a central role in sabotaging teachers struggles across the country, and who works feverishly in Eastern Europe as a representative of American imperialist foreign policy, particularly on the war in Ukraine.

Speaker after speaker implored audience members to get others out to vote, each making claims about a future Johnson administration that were increasingly untethered to reality. Martin Luther King IIIs role was primarily to invoke the spirit of his fathers I Have a Dream speech in order to allow Johnson to absurdly claim that his campaign was the embodiment of that same dream.

Weingarten, in a revealing comparison, noted the last time I saw this kind of energy in Chicago, it was when Barack Obama was elected president. He was an organizer. Brandon is an organizer. She did not make reference to the fact that Vallas, the more overtly right-wing of the two Democrats, has the support of the political operatives of both Obama and former mayor Rahm Emanuel, who was Obamas White House chief of staff.

The AFT president then claimed that she had seen Johnson fight against school closures, food deserts and health deserts, and for community schools, counselors in schools, nurses in schools, all things the CTU actually worked with the city to systematically cut through concessions contracts.

Sanders claims about the Johnson campaign were grandiose and brazenly untrue. He began by declaring that Johnsons campaign is about bringing the working class together, when the record shows that the candidate, who is African-American, has run his campaign on the divisive politics of racialism.

He tried to burnish Johnsons credentials by saying, The fundamental issue is which side are you on. Are you on the side of working people or are you on the side of the speculators and the billionaires, and I know which side Brandon is on.

While kowtowing to the law-and-order demagogy of both the corporate media and the two candidates, saying the next mayor would have to tackle the issue of crime, Sanders claimed that Johnson would be better able to provide high-quality and non-racist law enforcement.

He further suggested Johnson would defend public education, improve child care, solve the housing crisis, that he would negotiate decent contracts, reopen closed city mental health facilities and raise the city minimum wage. He did not say how a capitalist candidate, who defends the profit system, would accomplish these miracles under conditions of a huge fiscal crisis. Instead, Sanders vowed to work with Johnson to make sure public higher education is free and accessible to all.

Johnsons concluding remarks to the rally again appealed to black nationalism, with the empty claim that black liberation makes us all free. This liberation was merely the promotion of black businesses within the framework of the capitalist system, as he went to say, in regard to the large corporations who supported Vallas, theres room at the table for them. Your chair might be a little smaller, but theres room.

The contest between Vallas and Johnson is not, as the media portrays it, a struggle over opposing strategies for fighting crime. It is actually a conflict over which tactics the Democrats, who have long dominated Chicago, will pursue against a resurgence of working class struggle.

The section of the ruling class backing Vallas, the former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, includes much of the Democratic Partys establishment or Biden wing, including US Senator Dick Durbin and former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, as well as the fascist Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Republican Party. They favor a campaign of privatization and austerity backed up by unrestrained police terror and repression.

According to the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA), the next mayor will face a $500-$600 million budget deficit for the next fiscal year as a result of the disappearance of federal pandemic funds, lower tax revenue from tourism and downtown business and a fall in pension assets. Separately, CPS is expected to see its own deficit increase to $628 million for the 2025-2026 school year. Regardless of who wins, either Vallas or Johnson will be tasked with carrying out out widespread cuts to education and social services at the behest of the financial aristocracy.

The section of the ruling class backing Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union legislative director and Cook County Commissioner, includes the DSA and other Democratic Party lefts, such as Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are concerned that such outright repression, without a reform fig leaf to cover over the attacks on workers living standards and social services, risks setting off a social conflagration. This faction hopes to use the unions to carry through the same cuts demanded by the ruling class, while suppressing or at least containing opposition from workers.

Hoping to prove his reliability on the crucial questions of class rule, Johnson moved to the right, particularly in the runoff after he finished second to Vallas in the primary. Johnson even boasted that his long-time association with the CTUs entire record of betrayals under the leadership of the pseudo-left Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE) would help him temper workers expectations. He said, There will be some tough decisions to be made when I am mayor of the city of Chicago. And there might be a point within negotiations that the Chicago Teachers Union quest and fight for more resourceswe might not be able to do it. Who is better able to deliver bad news to a friend than a friend?

Similarly, in a video supporting the Johnson campaign produced by the pseudo-left In These Times, Johnson compared himself favorably to Vallas on his ability to produce a responsible budget, repeating the claim that the latter has never seen a dollar he wasnt willing to spend three times. Johnson claimed that coming from working class, we cant afford to play around with our budgets like that.

Johnson has also made clear his administration would make no inroads on the roughly $3 billion per year the city spends on policing. Having already backtracked on the question of defunding the police, Johnson now claims, I wouldnt reduce the CPD budget by one penny. He has called instead for smart policing, and for hiring 200 detectives because, One of the challenges we have in Chicago is we are not solving crime here. In line with his racialist politics, he has even floated the idea of ending credit checks and psychological screening to boost the number of black and Hispanic officers.

Aligning himself with one of the bedrock positions of American imperialist foreign policy, Johnson even claimed anti-semitism amounted to Any speech or any effort to delegitimize Israel and its right to exist. Speaking at a recent candidate forum held by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, Johnson disavowed the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, saying, The divestment movement is not aligned with my values.

The entire record of the Johnson campaign, as well as the CTU and CORE faction of which he has been a part, has been that of a loyal partner to the ruling class, and shows the dead end of working for reforms within the Democratic Party. A Johnson administration would carry out far-reaching attacks on the entire working class. Workers must begin preparing to organize their own independent organizations of struggle to fight against these plans, whether they come from Johnson or Vallas.
The outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) spreading since it was first confirmed on February 12 in the northeastern rural province of Kie-Ntem of the West African country of Equatorial Guinea. It has now reached the coastal city and economic center, Bata, home to approximately half a million people. As of last week, four cases had been detected in the port city, which raised the threat for possible multi-country transmission of the disease, which has a fatality rate similar to Ebola.

In a social media update from last Wednesday on the first-ever epidemic of the hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus, Equatorial Guineas Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced that thus far there had been 13 cases with nine confirmed deaths. Two are hospitalized and one has only shown mild symptoms. There are 825 contacts that are being followed.

Equatorial Guinea, located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, just north of Gabon. CC BY 4.0] [Photo by JRC, EC

However, at Wednesdays World Health Organization press briefing, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus indicated that the agency is aware of additional cases and has asked the government to report these cases officially to the WHO. Twenty suspected but unconfirmed cases have all ended in death.

In his opening statement, Ghebreyesus remarked, The WHO is on the ground with partners, supporting the Ministry of Health to respond to the outbreak. We have deployed teams to assist with case finding, clinical care, logistics, and community engagement. We have also helped establish treatment units in the affected areas. The number of officially reported cases remains at nine, with seven deaths in three provinces. However, these three provinces are 150 kilometers apart, suggesting wider transmission of the virus.

Even more concerning is that on March 21, 2023, almost 3,000 kilometers to the east of Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania confirmed its first-ever cases of MVD in the countrys northwest Kagera region, on the western shore of Lake Victoria and adjacent to Ugandas border. These two recent outbreaks of infections with Marburg Virus do not appear to be epidemiologically related. However, viral sequencing is underway to confirm these are separate events.

It is also worth recalling that Uganda had recently faced one of the largest outbreaks of the Sudan variant of Ebola in two decades. Only on January 11, 2023, did Ugandas Ministry of Health declare the end of the outbreak, which had affected nine districts and the countrys highly populated capital, Kampala, killing 77 of 164 infected people.

In Tanzania, five of eight confirmed cases have died, including a health care worker, while the other three are under treatment. The WHO noted that they have identified 161 contacts who are being monitored. Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director for WHO in Africa, told the media, The effort by Tanzanias health authorities to establish the cause of the disease is a clear indication of the determination to effectively respond to the outbreak. We are working with the government to rapidly scale up control measures.

Although the WHO is initiating ring vaccination trials in Equatorial Guinea with three experimental vaccinesproduced by Sabin Vaccine Institute, Janssen, and Public Health Vaccines (PHV)which are similar to Ebola Zaire vaccines but specifically developed for use against Marburg virus, there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines available to protect the people of the affected countries. And of the experimental vaccines, there are only a few hundred doses of Sabin and PHV while Janssen has a few thousand jabs available.

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which uses a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vector (VSV) technology for its candidate Marburg vaccine, currently has no available doses. IAVI was awarded $35.7 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an arm of the US Department of Defense, in 2019.

Electron Microscope of the Marburg virus. [Photo: Dr. Erskine Palmer, Russell Regnery, Ph.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Public Health Image Library ]

It will be important to identify the safety and efficacy of these treatments, especially as GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) has warned that outbreaks of Marburg are increasing in frequency and geography. The fatality rate for infection with Marburg virus is quoted at 88 percent, although with a wide range from 22 to 90 percent.

The two largest outbreaks to date occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo (1998-2000) with 154 cases and 128 deaths (83 percent fatality rate) and Angola (2005) with 374 cases and 329 deaths (88 percent fatality rate). The present outbreak in Equatorial Guinea could be construed as the third largest, depending on the ability for public health officials in the field to contain its spread.

The appearance of such a deadly pathogen in a large city like Bata is significant in light of recent events with Ebola Sudan in Kampala. As Teresa Lambe, Professor of Vaccinology, and Immunology at Oxfords Pandemic Sciences Institute told the Telegraph, Although Marburg virus has recently been detected in rural Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea, the spread of this deadly virus into a heavily populated city is very concerning.

Like SARS, MERS, Nipah and Hendra viruses, as well as Ebola, the Marburg virus is carried by bats, which are known to harbor more zoonotic viruses than other mammals. Due to an unusual adaptation of their immune systems, bats avoid the complications of the disease these viruses can cause and can therefore survive to transmit them to other species.

In particular, there is strong evidence that the Egyptian fruit bat is the natural animal reservoir for the Marburg virus, which explains the locations of these outbreaks. What scientists and researchers still dont understand is the mechanism of animal-to-human spread, but clearly human encroachment into previously undisturbed habitats and the impact of climate change on these areas has led to more human contact with wild animals and more frequent outbreaks.

Like Ebola, the Marburg virus is transmitted through infected body fluids once the person begins to show symptoms, which involve almost every organ system in the body. Typical signs include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, generalized fatigue and aches, nausea and vomiting, bloody diarrhea, electrolyte, liver, and blood abnormalities. Death comes as a result of multiorgan dysfunction and shock.

The incubation period can last usually between five to 10 days but may be as long as three weeks. Contact tracing and quarantining are critical in controlling the spread of disease and in beginning to administer life supportive care to improve the odds of surviving. Those fortunate few who do survive can have a protracted recovery and long-term sequalae from their infection.

Much of the clinical information comes from the experience in 1967 when infected African green monkeys were shipped to the West German towns of Marburg and Frankfurt as well as Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). In total, there were 25 primary Marburg virus infections, seven deaths, and six non-lethal secondary infections. Early recognition of the yet unknown infectious etiology that was causing these illnesses among laboratory workers led to rapid containment of the spread.

The turn of this century has already seen the appearance of multiple outbreaks of deadly viruses culminating in the current COVID pandemic that has led to the deaths of tens of millions of people. The highly pathogenic influenza virus, H5N1, poses a real threat to humanity should the virus learn to transmit efficiently between people. Add to this the recurrent outbreaks of filovirusesMarburg, Ebola (both Zaire and Sudan versions)into the mix and the already forgotten pandemic of monkeypox virus, the question isnt if, but when, the next significant pathogen will threaten millions of the worlds population.

Even as a new variant of the coronavirus called XBB.1.16, which is more contagious and possibly more virulent than its predecessor XBB.1.5, has spread to more than 23 countries, the ruling class in every country across the globe is seeking to completely cover up the real status of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the interlinking of countries in an international public health effort is coming undone, at a time when international collaboration and cohesion are of utmost importance in pandemic preparedness.

The Marburg outbreaks in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania, even if, in the best case, they are rapidly contained, should come as a dire warning to the working class. The COVID pandemic has already wrought immeasurable misery because finance capital deemed eradicating the coronavirus and saving lives an expense not worth undertaking.
Having already abolished all coronavirus protection measures, Germanys federal and state governments are now moving to counter all measures taken in the past. This is made clear by a survey of alleged mistakes in pandemic policy reported in the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper, which conducted a survey of health spokespersons from all of the countrys parliamentary parties.

The most important lesson is that we have to meet outbreaks of disease with a sense of proportion, the Rundschau quotes Tino Sorge, health policy spokesman for the conservative CDU/CSU opposition parliamentary group. Lockdowns, school and day care closures caused devastating collateral damage, Sorge said, adding, This must not be repeated.

In similar vein, the health spokesman for the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP, part of the ruling coalition along with the Social Democratic Party and the Greens), Andrew Ullmann, said that curfews, school and day care closures were not necessary.

The German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had already declared in February on German television that the closure of schools and day care centres had been a mistake.

The Left Party shares this view. Its health spokesperson, Kathrin Vogler, stated that she finds it incomprehensible that schools and day care centres were closed instead of equipping them with air filters. It is better to take low-key measures early than serious ones later, she said. She also described anti-corona restrictions for the unvaccinated, i.e., Germanys 2G and 3G regulations, as a stopgap solution.

German students stand in front of chalkboard that reads "We are on strike." [Photo: WSWS]

All of these parties are, in effect, adopting the position of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose health policy spokesperson Martin Sichert describes the entire Corona period as a time of excesses. The AfDs demand for a commission of inquiry into the official corona measures is now supported by broad layers from Germanys other main parties.

Sorge, for example, describes an inquiry commission or a comparable body as sensible in order to come to terms with the deep scars in our society. The entire parliamentary group of the ruling FDP also calls for such a reappraisaland health Minister Lauterbach agrees. I really agree completely with every decision and if it came to such a commission, we would also participate, he told the news portal The Pioneer.

It is quite clear that such a commission would in no way contribute to a serious investigation of the efficiency of the COVID measures taken, but, on the contrary, result in their criminalisation. This is not surprising. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the ruling class has always prioritised profit and capitalist interests over and above health and human life.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the ruling class was forced to impose certain lockdowns after facing spontaneous strikes by workers. However, it immediately lifted the lockdowns after handing out hundreds of billions of euros to the banks and big corporations as part of its so-called COVID-19 emergency package. The government then gradually dismantled all remaining protective measures.

When leading representatives of all Bundestag parties now condemn even these limited measures, which nevertheless demonstrably protected people from infection and saved lives, this reveals that in the event of a new pandemic or the emergence of a resistant mutation of the corona virus, the ruling class will refuse to take new measures and be prepared to accept even more deaths.

This is despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is in no way over. According to the statistics of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which are, however, based only on voluntary corona virus tests, between 300,000 and 600,000 people in Germany are currently infected. The actual pandemic situation is even more dramatic. For example, Saarbrucken pharmacy professor Thorsten Lehr said he estimates the seven-day incidence of new infections to be between 1,000 and 2,000. That would mean that 1 to 2 percent of the population is newly infected every week.

The high number of COVID outbreaks confirms how widespread the virus remains. In medical treatment facilities there were 153 outbreaks last week, and 38 in old peoples and nursing homes.

In hospitals, the trend is no better. The adjusted hospitalisation incidence has been rising steadily in recent days and now stands at nine, which is equivalent to around 7,500 hospitalisations per week. According to the MDR media outlet, corona virus is currently the main cause of hospital admissions. Twenty-two percent of patients admitted with a severe respiratory infection have COVID-19, compared to 6 percent for influenza.

The number of COVID patients requiring intensive care is just over 1,000, and almost 100 people succumb to the virus every day.

Particularly worrying is the emergence of new mutations. While the Omicron variant caused a massive increase in infections in February last year, the Omicron sub-variant XBB, which is mainly characterised by its high resistance, has been spreading since the start of this year.

Meanwhile, the XBB mutations account for about two-thirds of infections. This is under conditions where the most recent vaccines were adapted to combat the Omicron BA.5 variant, i.e., a variant that now affects only a very small number of victims.

Scientists are particularly concerned about the spread of the XBB.1.16 variant, which has been nicknamed Arcuturus. Compared to the Kraken variant XBB.1.5, this variant has three more mutations on the spike protein that can suppress the immune system.

The Deutsche Apotheker Zeitung warns that these mutations [are] thought to have the potential to undermine the immune defences even of vaccinated and recovered persons. In addition, a mutation could lead to the virus being better able to enter human cells and take hold. This would make this variant even more infectious than its predecessors.

Overall, the XBB.1.16 variant has a 140 percent growth advantage over XBB.1.5. In India, its spread has already led to a 281 percent increase in infections and a 17 percent increase in deaths in 14 days.
On February 22, a coal mine collapsed in Alxa Left Banner of Inner Mongolia, a province on the northern border of China, resulting in nine deaths and six injuries, with 44 people still missing up to this day. The disaster tragically exposes the brutal working conditions faced by miners in China in the reckless drive for profits ahead of lives and safety.

A road checkpoint near collapsed open pit mine in Alxa League in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. [AP Photo/Ng Han Guan]

The open-pit coal mine collapsed over a large area during worktime in the late afternoon. Dozens of workers were immediately buried under the debris, along with multiple large mining vehicles. According to disclosed investigative findings, the lack of support for the upper portion of the pit led to the large scale landslide across an area of up to 400 metres.

Two workers were immediately killed on the spot, four others did not survive despite emergency medical treatment, and the bodies of three more victims were later uncovered from the debris on March 2.

The coal mine was operated by a small local company called Inner Mongolia Xinjing Coal Mining Co. This company had received more than 20 warnings and penalties over safety issues, all of which involved breaking regulations as it cut corners in pursuit of profits.

According to a report in Alxa Daily, the company also received complaints from residents in the area over dust pollution on March 28, 2022 and was ordered by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment to rectify it.

Two months later, Xinjing Coal Mining received another fine of 20,000 RMB (about $US3,000) from local Urban Management and Law Enforcement because of the company's illegal conduct in water use.

These slaps on the wrist involving more than 20 penalties not only explain why the company did nothing to rectify the conditions that led to the horrendous disaster, but also expose the indifference of the Chinese government to work safety and the enforcement of safety standards.

After the disaster, the companys main shareholder, Chen Fenggan, immediately hid from the media and claimed that that he had no liability for what happened. He was later compelled under pressure from the media and outraged public to issue another statement. However, he still insisted that his company would not be responsible for any compensation as the miners were subcontractors dispatched by other companies.

Data from Chinas Tianyancha, a commercial platform with extensive corporate information, shows that Chen Fenggan is the companys top executive and the one actually in charge. His attitude represents that of the company towards workers: callous indifference to lives and safety and an unwillingness to part with a penny in compensation as it relentlessly pursues profits above all else.

The company is not the only one with blood on its hands. The government authorities for drawing up and enforcing labour regulations at the regional and national level are also responsible for this tragedy.

In January last year, a news agency affiliated with the Alxa regional government published an article hailing the Xinjing Coal Mining. It lavished praise on the company for caring about and helping the impoverished in the area. A member of management hypocritically declared that corporations needed to shoulder greater social responsibilities as they are making profits and that he hoped to help more people through the companys charity works.

According to the countrys Labor Law, the proportion employed by subcontractors in a workplace should not exceed 10 percent. However, at this mine, every worker was employed by a subcontractor. The widespread practice of hiring so-called subcontractors is used by companies to legally enslave workers. Having exploited workers till the last drop of their blood and sweat, the company simply brushed aside all responsibility and declared they were lawfully hired by subcontractors.

The subcontracting company involved in this disaster denied it had employed miners. It claimed it was involved only to the extent of providing some positions and that Xinjing Coal Mining should have been responsible for their safety. The subcontracting company also refused to pay any compensation. Both companies are completely indifferent to the safety and lives of workers as well as the devastation caused to their families.

The workers at the mine received no insurance at work: no medical insurance, no work injury insurance, no pensions, nothing. For some workers, their monthly wage was only 2,000 RMB ($291), barely above the local minimum wage of 1,980 RMB.

More than a month after the mine collapse, the 44 missing workers are still buried in dirt and rocks and are likely dead. Their families and children are under great pain, while the mining and subcontracting companies cold-bloodedly ignore their plight.

Just one day before the disaster, the government of Inner Mongolia issued a new emergency response plan for workplace accidents. And while the Chinese government proclaims the importance of production safety, it has only imposed trivial penalties for breaches of regulations by mining companies. Up to now, no significant action has been taken against Chen Fenggan and the two companies involved in the tragedy.

There were a total of 168 mining accidents in China last year, according to official statistics. In other words, every other day, there was a mine-related injury. These included:

* January 17, 2022: a mechanical accident due to negligence in maintenance led to the death of one worker in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.

* March 12, 2022: a mining company in Hunan Province illegally entered a closed well to carry out production. Due to the failure of a mining vehicle, a worker was crushed to death.

* April 10, 2022: three workers were suffocated to death in a mine in Shanxi Province.

Most of the 168 accidents last year, like those above, were caused by companies breaking safety regulations. Virtually all could have been avoided if it not had been for the reckless pursuit of corporate profit regardless of the health, safety and lives of workers. The Chinese Communist Party bureaucracies are the conscious accomplices in these crimes.
In a surprise move, Saudi Arabia and other members of the OPEC+ oil group have announced a cut in production of just over one million barrels a day, to be borne mainly by the Saudis and Russia. The move appears to be a response to fears of a global slowdown resulting from the recent turmoil in the banking system.

Saudi Arabia said it would make a voluntary cut of 500,000 barrels a day, just under 5 percent of its production, in co-ordination with other countries.

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud [Photo by en.kremlin.ru / CC BY 4.0

The announcement led to a spike in the oil market when trading began for the week with both the American and global oil benchmark prices rising by 7 percent.

The decision was unusual in that it took place outside of a formal meeting of the oil-producing countries, suggesting an element of urgency by the members taking part in the cuts, according to the Financial Times (FT).

The market was taken by surprise. Bloomberg reported that all 14 traders and analysts it polled last week predicted no change in production. They took their lead from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman who said last month that the OPEC+ targets set last October were here to stay for the rest of the year, period.

However, the financial turmoil, set off by the failure of the US Silicon Valley Bank, the second largest in monetary terms in US history, and the forced takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS appear to have changed those calculations.

There are growing concerns that the financial upheavals and the widely forecast ensuing credit crunch could trigger a slowdown in the global economy, if not a recession.

In the immediate wake of the banking crisis, oil prices fell to a 15-month low before recovering, but there are clearly concerns they could again fall if recessionary trends develop.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited people familiar with the situation who said the decision was negotiated primarily between the Saudis and the Russians to get ahead of a global slowdown and raise prices to fund Saudi Arabias ambitious domestic projects and replenish Russias reserves.

The Saudi regime is undertaking massive spending to try to shift the economy away from its dependence on oil and turn it into a tourist and business centre.

The Saudi press agency called the production cut a precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the market.

Bloomberg cited comments by Gary Ross, a long-time oil consultant, who said the oil producers were being proactive and ahead of the curve and trying to free oil prices from the grip of macro sentiment, that is, the prospect the world economy is slowing.

The WSJ reported comments by Christyan Malek, global lead of energy strategy at JPMorgan Chase, who said: Given the preventative nature of OPEC decisions, there is clearly something OPEC knows about the demand trend and inventories that we have yet to discover fully in overall supply and demand balance.

The decision will increase the growing friction between the US and its long-time ally, Saudi Arabia.

In response to the decision, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council said: We dont think cuts are advisable at this moment given market uncertaintyand weve made that clear.

Saudi noses were put out of joint by an announcement last Thursday week from US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. She said that the Biden administration was not going to move rapidly to replenish the stocks of its oil reserves which were run down in a bid to counter the rapid rise in petrol prices in the middle of last year.

Granholm told a Congressional hearing that it would take years to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. As far as the Saudis were concerned, this was a breach of a reassurance by the administration it would make new purchases for its reserve if the price fell.

Granholm said the US wanted to get back to where it would have been but added that it will take a few years and it takes longer to refill than it does to extract.

The latest cuts come on top of those last October when the OPEC grouping cut production by around 2 million barrels a day.

Biden had made a trip to Saudi Arabia in July to promote increased production but came away empty-handed.

Instead, the Saudis announced cuts less than three months later, prompting the White House to accuse OPEC+ of siding with Russian president Vladimir Putin and warning there would be consequences for Saudi Arabia.

The latest Saudi move is indicative of broader economic and political shifts, which were pointed to by Helima Croft, head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

Its a Saudi-first policy. Theyre making new friends, as we saw with China, she said, referring to the recently concluded re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Iran orchestrated by Beijing.

Saudi Arabia was sending a message to the US that its no longer a unipolar world.

We see this closely held decision as just one more indication that the Saudi leadership is making its oil production decisions with a clear eye on their own economic self-interests, she said.
On Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Finland would become the 31st member of the US-led NATO military alliance within days, following the passage of a ratification vote by Turkey, the last member of NATO required to approve the proposal.

Stoltenberg boasted that it was the fastest ratification process in NATOs modern history and that it will happen within days. The rapidity of Finlands accession is not an accident. It is closely tied to US plans for a spring offensive in Ukraine, which will be accompanied by a major military buildup on Russias border.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, center, speaks with Finland's Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen, right, and Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, left, prior to a meeting in Brussels on Monday, March 20, 2023. [AP Photo/Olivier Matthys]

The United States, Germany and other NATO members are surging tanks, armored vehicles and thousands of Ukrainian troops trained in NATO countries into the conflict, even as they make plans to deploy tens of thousands of NATO troops near the Russian border.

Five NATO states currently border Russia: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Norway. NATOs border will effectively be doubled once Finland joins. The country has the largest land border with Russia of any state in Europe, at 830 miles.

The Finnish border is only 100 miles from St. Petersburg, one of the most important economic and political centers in Russia. Finland controls vital sea lanes of communication used by Russia, and it plays a major role in the scramble for domination of the Baltic Sea and the Arctic.

NATOs expanded land border with Russia is being massively militarized. On March 18, Politico reported, In the coming months, the alliance will accelerate efforts to stockpile equipment along the alliances eastern edge and designate tens of thousands of forces that can rush to allies aid on short notice.

NATOs eastern flank increasingly resembles the battle lines of the Eastern front in the Second World War, which stretched from Finland to Ukraine. The move to incorporate Finland into the NATO alliance has enormous historical significance, as the country was a key ally of Nazi Germany during the Second World War and played a critical role in the war of extermination against the Soviet Union, including the siege of Leningrad, now St. Petersburg.

The move to further expand NATO also undercut all the claims promoted by the Biden administration and the media of an unprovoked war. According to the White Houses well-worn narrative, the war in Ukraine is a war of choice launched by a single man in February 2022. Putin started the war, and only Putin can end itby withdrawing Russian troops to where they were last year, the White House endlessly repeats.

But while the conflict between the US/NATO and Russia erupted over the Ukrainian border, it is in fact the outcome of a decades-long drive by US imperialism to encircle, weaken and ultimately carve up and dismantle Russia, as part of the preparation for conflict with China.

Amidst and in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the United States actively pursued the inclusion of the Eastern European states into NATO, while also fueling nationalist movements within Russia to create instability and fragment the country.

Since 1990, 13 countries have joined NATO, effectively doubling its membership. Over that time period, NATOs border has been moved 800 miles to the east.

In 1998, the US Senate voted in favor of expanding NATO to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This, in fact, is the beginning of another 50 years of peace, said then-Senator Joe Biden. On June 15, 2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, US President George W. Bush declared his Plan to enlarge NATO in order to create a ring of countries that would stretch from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

In 2004, NATO expanded again, adding seven more countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania. These Eastern European countries were all either part of the Soviet Union or its satellite states during the Cold War.

Croatia and Albania joined NATO in 2009. Montenegro joined in 2017, and North Macedonia joined in 2020.

The war over Ukraine was itself instigated by the refusal of the Biden administration to negotiate over Russias demand for a guarantee that Ukraine would not become a member of NATO. The invasion was the reactionary and reckless response of the Putin government, representing a faction of the Russian oligarchy, to imperialist encirclement.

In 1997, as the Clinton administration was beginning a campaign to include the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland into NATO, George F. Kennan, the Cold War strategist and author of the theory of containment, acknowledged that it had been somehow and somewhere decided to expand NATO up to Russias borders. He warned that expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-cold-war era.

In the ensuing two decades, the entire US political establishment and media have embraced the expansion of NATO and the efforts to provoke a conflict with Russia. This war fever was accompanied by the declaration that any opposition to the expansion of NATO is Russian propaganda.

Commenting on the conflict that erupted last year, the political scientist John Mearsheimer wrote that the mainstream view in the West is that he is an irrational, out-of-touch aggressor bent on creating a greater Russia in the mould of the former Soviet Union. Thus, he alone bears full responsibility for the Ukraine crisis.

But he continued, But that story is wrong. The West, and especially America, is principally responsible for the crisis which began in February 2014. It has now turned into a war that not only threatens to destroy Ukraine, but also has the potential to escalate into a nuclear war between Russia and NATO.

The US medias entire narrative of the war ignores his antecedent history, in an effort to drown all rational thought about the war in a torrent of pro-war propaganda.

In the preface to A Quarter Century of War: The US Drive for Global Hegemony 19902016, David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board, wrote of the significance of then President Barack Obamas declaration that the US would go to war in defense of NATO member Estonia.

What percentage of the American population, one must ask, realizes that President Barack Obama has formally committed the United States to go to war in defense of Estonia, in the event of a conflict between the small Baltic country and Russia? The media has politely refrained from asking the president to state how many human beings would die in the event of a nuclear war between the United States and either Russia or China, or both at the same time.

The further expansion of NATO to include Finland raises to a new level the threat of a direct war between the US and Russia, the two largest nuclear-armed powers.

Despite the hundreds of thousands of people who have already lost their lives in the Ukraine war, the United States is bent on massively expanding the conflict, threatening all of Europe, and all of mankind, with catastrophe. This war must be stopped. It is urgently necessary to build a mass international movement against the war, oriented to the growing struggles of the working class, and armed with a socialist program.
In 1953, a split took place in the Trotskyist movement between the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and a faction led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel. The Pabloites rejected the independent political role of the working class and asserted that the Stalinist bureaucracy would be compelled to lead revolutionary struggles. Seventy years later, as an objectively revolutionary confrontation emerges between the French working class and President Emmanuel Macron, the implications of this split are emerging very clearly.

Amid the largest strikes in France since the May 1968 general strike, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES), the ICFIs French section, insists that since Macron is trying to rule against the people, he must be brought down by a general strike. As the union bureaucracies carry out mediation with Macron to prop up his government, the PES insists that the preparation of a general strike cannot be left in their hands. The rank and file must mobilize independently to prepare a general strike, on a socialist and revolutionary perspective.

The New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA), the French Pabloite party, is diametrically opposed to this perspective. Its lead article, titled Pensions: a week of chaos, to go towards victory? and written by Antoine Larrache, denounces opposition to the union bureaucracy as sectarian and criticized leftist and revolutionary slogans against Macron.

About the NPAs proposals for action, Larrache writes, There is no simple solution. One thing is certain, incantations of a general strike to denounce the union leadership are not enough. To fight for the general strike, yes, that shows a right perspective, but to do it in a sectarian way plays a negative role, as it denies the difficulties of the movement and creates ruptures within it.

The rupture in the movement is not due to left-wing criticism of the union bureaucracy, but to the union bureaucracys treachery against the rank and file.

According to polls that are worriedly reported by the bourgeois press, 80 percent of the French population are opposed to Macrons pension cuts, while two-thirds of the respondents support a general strike to block the economy and stop its implementation. Another poll indicated that 62 percent of the French people wanted the protest movement to take harder measures against the Macron government.

Rejecting the overwhelming popular demand for mass action, the leadership of Frances CFDT and CGT unions, on the other hand, announced last week that they would enter mediation discussions with Macron behind closed doors.

The NPA is emerging as a determined defender of reactionary forces in the union apparatus. They oppose sectarian criticisms of the bureaucracies, as such criticism plays a negative role in the latters efforts to strangle the movement against Macron.

Calls for a general strike, the NPA claims, are nothing but quasi-religious incantations completely unrelated to political reality. This is what the NPA implies in another passage, which reads: The battle for the general strike is a struggle in which we must propose what advances the movement as it is, taking into account class consciousness as it is, not as it is dreamed of.

Such an approach istaken at face valuecompletely anti-Marxist. Marxists seek to raise the existing consciousness of the workers and not to adapt to it. But what the NPA adapts to is not the consciousness of the working class, which overwhelmingly wants a general strike, but to the trade union bureaucracy, which does not.

Insofar as the statement implies that the level of class consciousness as it is does not allow at present to fight for a general strike to bring down Macron, this is nothing but a self-serving lie refuted by the polls: In another Ifop survey published by Le Journal du Dimanche, 76 percent of respondents indicated that the pension reform events had left them with a bad opinion of Macron.

The perspective of the PES to stop the pension cuts and bring down Macron in a general strike is not one thatin the words of the NPAcan only be dreamed of, but one supported by a majority of the French people. Macron has fully demonstrated his hostility towards the masses and his contempt for democratic rights, even ramming through his hated reforms without a vote in the National Assembly. The fight against Macron, the capitalist state machine and the dictatorship of the banks is the decisive issue of the current situation.

But for the NPA, this class confrontation stands in the background. The movement, the article argues, should be mainly characterized by sectoral claims, regarding women, wages, public services, unemployment insurance, the Darmanin law, the ecological transition, the private irrigation reservoirs. And, in the background, a fight against the power of Macron, his police, the bosses.

The role of political activists, Larrache and the NPA insist, must be to make the link between all the events to accelerate maturation and awareness. Without leftism, without shouting we are determined and revolutionary at every street corner, but with the aim of involving the masses in political action.

In other words, the NPAs ostensible preoccupation with preventing a rupture within the movement in practice comes down to an attempt to suppress leftism and revolutionaries and thus prevent the workers from breaking free of the diktat of the bureaucracies.

Ultimately, the NPA demands that after weeks of determined strugglein which workers received no strike pay and were brutally attacked by riot policenothing should be done to prevent Berger, Martinez and Co. from selling out the struggle. Any attempt to free the movement from the bureaucrats class-collaborationist perspective, for the NPA, is inadmissible. Its pompous phrases about promoting maturation and awareness and involving masses in political action simply preach submission to pro-Macron bureaucrats.

The NPAs call to oppose leftism in the mass movement marks another milestone in the right-wing evolution of this pseudo-left, pro-imperialist party of the petty bourgeoisie. In 2009, it was founded by Pabloite cadres of the Ligue communiste revolutionnaire (LCR) based on an explicit repudiation of any historical link to Trotskyism. Its founding program asserted that it was impossible to build a revolutionary party, and that they would therefore build a broad alliance of forces that reject socialist revolution:

The NPA does not claim a specific relation to Trotskyism, but continuity with those who, over the last two centuries, have confronted the system all the way. The NPA is a pluralistic and democratic party. [There has been] participation of comrades from various components of the social movement, of the anti-globalization left, of political ecology, of comrades from the PS and the PCF, from the anarchist movement, from the revolutionary left. Without becoming bland, the NPA has everything to win by opening itself even further.

Having rejected the perspective of building a revolutionary Trotskyist party in the working class, they proceeded to build a counterrevolutionary party. Their calls for alliance with the Parti socialiste (PS), a longstanding party of capitalist government for whom Macron served as economy minister before becoming president, underscored their organic ties to imperialism.

Indeed, in the years that followed, the NPA endorsed NATO wars against Libya and Syria, which cost hundreds of thousands of lives. After applauding the right-wing Maidan coup in Ukraine, which in 2014 toppled the elected president and brought far-right parties to power, the NPA demanded further military interventions against Russia. Since the Russian militarys reactionary invasion of Ukraine, the NPA has doubled down on its support for the reactionary Ukrainian military, demanding that NATO arm Ukraine.

The implications of the NPAs anti-Trotskyist perspective are now emerging ever more evidently in the class struggle inside France itself. Having rejected the struggle to build a revolutionary Trotskyist party, it is now openly hostile to leftist criticism of the union bureaucracies and their corrupt maneuvers to smother the struggle against Macron.

The PES is advancing a perspective to bring down Macron via a general strike, linking this demand to a struggle against imperialist war and for socialism. It advocates building independent, rank-and-file committees in every school and workplace to link up the struggle against Macron with the struggles of workers around the world and help them break free of the diktat of the bureaucracies in their countries. Already, mass strikes are developing in Germany, Britain, Portugal, Belgium, Israel and across the world.

Together with their class brothers and sisters internationally, workers in France can bring down Macron and the capitalist oligarchy he represents. But this requires a conscious struggle against the union bureaucracy and its pseudo-left defenders, like the NPA. The PES will do everything in its power to assist workers in this political struggle and calls on workers and youth who agree with this perspective to contact it today.
ABILENE, TEXASBig Country Manufacturing Alliance (BCMA) is pleased to announce the selection of Dylan Lujan as one of six area students to receive a scholarship for fall 2023 in partnership with Rentech Boilers.



High school seniors and current students attending area colleges and universities are eligible to apply for scholarships annually. BCMA was able to triple the number of scholarship awards this year from two to six through partnerships with DCOA (Development Corporation of Abilene), RAM Inc., Rentech Boilers and US Gypsum.



Scholarship recipients and their families were recognized at a reception on Tuesday, March 28 at the Community Foundation of Abilene.



Lujan, a senior at Roby High School, plans to enroll in Western Texas College focusing on electrical trades or welding.



We believe its important to invest in our future workforce and are pleased to partner with BCMA to award this scholarship to Dylan, said Mark Colman, President of Rentech Boilers.



Im very thankful for the scholarship and am ready to get college started, said Lujan.



BCMA supports the stability and growth of manufacturing in the Big Country through focusing on business-education partnerships and promoting business to business connections.



To learn more, please visit bcmatexas.org or email info@bcmatexas.org.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The number of registered organ donors in China reached nearly 6.2 million with the number of annual organ transplants continuing to rank the second-highest in the world, China Daily reported Monday.

The majority of registered donors are young and middle-aged adults, aged 45 and below, Hou Fengzhong, head of the China Organ Donation Administrative Center, which is administered by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), was quoted as saying.

Citing data released by the RCSC, the news report stated that nearly 1.54 million people registered as organ donors last year, compared with around 1.52 million in 2021 and 1.01 million in 2020.

China began a voluntary organ donation trial program in 2010 and voluntary posthumous donation became the only legal source of organ transplants in the country in 2015, the news report added.

The program has conducted 135,000 organ transplants involving about 44,000 posthumous organ donors in 13 years, according to the news report. 
The Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (ESAMI) is a pan-African management development institute owned by ten member governments. The Chair in Tanzania will seek to help the East African Community overcome impediments to trade growth and development.

This year's activities at the Training Centre will focus on issues of relevance to least-developed countries in Africa, including utilization of trade preference and their impact on the development of regional value chains; e-commerce; and trade remedies. The team is led by Professor Caiphas Chekwoti and Professor Tsotetsi Makong, who are experienced in training trade policymakers in both English- and French-speaking Africa.

Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade, Mr Exaud Silaoneka Kigahe, noted that the Chairs Programme will facilitate access to research necessary to inform trade-related decision-making in Tanzania.

As a continent, we appreciate the value of using evidence-based research in synthesising strategies and policies to mitigate the unique challenges that our region and countries face, he said. We hope that, through the research activities undertaken by this Chair, as a country as well as a region, we should be able to fully utilize WTO agreements on trade remedies, the flexibilities in the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and to effectively engage in e-commerce negotiations. We are counting on the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa to analyse issues that are pertinent to harness the potential trade opportunities for the country and this calls for increased cooperation and dialogue among partners.

The Director General of ESAMI, Professor Martin Lwanga, noted: As an Institute, we intend to fully utilise the support of the WCP for the benefit of our host country, the United Republic of Tanzania, the East African Community (EAC), and African countries as a whole.

Ms Irene Isaka, Director of Social Sectors at the EAC Secretariat, said that the collaboration with the Training Centre will help create a sustainable training and capacity-building programme(1). We anticipate that the elevation of the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa to WTO Chair status will enable it to rise even further to address not only the skill and information shortages in the EAC region but also the new and evolving challenges introduced by our dynamic world of pandemics, conflicts, emerging opportunities in digital technology and trade, regional and continental trade agreements and any changes at the multilateral level, amongst other things.

The donors of the Chairs Programme, namely France, Austria, the Republic of Korea and Australia, were represented by the Director-General of Austria's Ministry for Labour and Economic Affairs, Ms Cynthia Zimmermann, and Ambassador Jung Sung Park, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea.

Ms Zimmermann said the programme will help various WTO members develop tailor-made expertise, including in Sub-Saharan Africa. The rigorous programmes of the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa are designed to enable beneficiaries to participate actively in trade negotiations, craft trade policies and ensure their effective implementation, she said. This is an excellent example of how universities and research institutions can play a leading role in facilitating countries in the region to harness opportunities from international trade.

Ambassador Park noted that Korea and Tanzania celebrated 13 years of diplomatic partnership last year. It is hard not to notice the similarities between the goal of the Trade Policy Training Centre in Africa and that of the Chairs Programme, which seeks to build the capacity of policy makers on the ground who understand their country best. By training the trainers of government officials, institutional competence will remain even when the officials move on. And in today's global economy, the advantage of having in-country expertise of trade rules and norms cannot be overstated.

The launch event was followed by two policy discussions. The first focused on digital trade and e-commerce and their challenges and opportunities for regional integration.

Centred on rules of origin and commodities trade in the context of the AfCFTA, the second session discussed the importance of diversifying Africa's exports and shifting to higher value-added products.

Footnotes
SEOUL, April 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea, the United States and Japan began a two-day naval exercise in international waters south of South Korea, officials said on Monday.

The anti-submarine and search-and-rescue exercise will be staged from Monday to Tuesday in international waters south of the South Korean southern island of Jeju, according to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense.

South Korea mobilized three destroyers and one combat support ship, the United States engaged the USS Nimitz nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, along with USS Wayne E. Meyer and USS Decatur destroyers, and Japan sent JS Umigiri destroyer.

It marks the first trilateral anti-submarine exercise in six months since September 2022, the South Korean ministry said.

The trilateral search-and-rescue exercise will be held in seven years since 2016 to practice procedures such as rapid rescue, and emergency patient treatment and transportation in the event of a marine accident, the ministry added.

The Korean Central News Agency, the state news agency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, issued a commentary on Sunday, lashing out at the Freedom Shield and other U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises since mid-March, as well as the U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral naval drill. 
BELFAST, Britain, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Considering the importance of China in the world today, students may find multiple benefits in learning Mandarin through the on-campus branch of the Confucius Institute, Paul Bartholomew, the vice-chancellor of Belfast-based Ulster University, told Xinhua recently.

According to Bartholomew, learning Mandarin can significantly enhance students' chances of landing a high-quality job with international significance after graduation. And seen in a broader context, the better people and nations can communicate with one another, the easier it becomes to join forces for the common good across language and cultural divides.

Bartholomew believes that as we all share one planet, we need to share the challenges this planet presents us with. But, "how can we share those challenges if we can't talk to one another?" He asked.

"So absolutely, the knowledge of languages and a shared culture and perspective are important for people to understand each other, so that together we can all take responsibility for our shared future," he stressed.

As part of the cooperation between the two sides, Ulster University has partnered up with several Chinese universities, including the Shaanxi University of Science and Technology.

"We are a university of, and for, the world and China is a major player in the world," both regarding the size of its population and its economy, stressed Bartholomew.

Therefore, "our university has seen the tremendous opportunity to work with China. We already do so with partnerships with institutions in China. And we'll continue to do that," he said.

Bartholomew's visits to China have left him impressed by the friendly and warm welcome he received from Chinese people. "My impression of China is that Chinese people are really wonderful," he told Xinhua.

He also spoke highly of the diligence of Chinese students taking part in the exchange programs hosted by Ulster University.

"Many of them are high-performing students, who do very well on our programs here. I think it's very impressive," he said.

He also stressed the importance of strong interpersonal relationships, which helped to maintain the partnerships the university has with Chinese institutions throughout the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"A cooperation based on personal relationships allows better mutual understanding, better sharing of perspectives and acknowledging that we all share one planet, therefore we have a responsibility to work together for the solutions that our planet requires," he said. 
TOKYO, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's newly created Children and Families Agency began its full-scale operations on Monday, in a bid to eliminate the vertically segmented administration of child-related policies previously overseen by multiple government agencies.

The new administrative body, established with about 400 personnel, is designed to serve as a control tower for a wide range of policies, such as supporting child-rearing, alleviating child poverty, helping to prevent child abuse and tackling the falling birthrate.

At an inaugural ceremony held at its Tokyo office on Monday, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said that his government aims to create a society centered on children, always considering what is best for them.

The most important thing is to listen to the voices of children and reflect them in implementing policies, he added.

The agency, created as an external organ of the Cabinet Office, is under the direct supervision of the prime minister. 
An Israeli soldier fires tear gas at Palestinian protesters during clashes following an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

In a press statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said the two victims were killed during clashes in the city.

Local sources and eyewitnesses said that an Israeli army force stormed several areas in the city, including the old city and downtown, to arrest Palestinians wanted by Israeli security forces.

The Israeli military released a statement stating that armed shooters fired at the troops during a raid to arrest individuals suspected of involvement in a shooting attack against soldiers in March.

Clashes broke out, with intensive gunshots heard in the city, said local sources.

More than 90 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed in clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli soldiers since the beginning of 2023, according to figures from the two sides. 

A Palestinian protester kicks back a tear gas canister fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes following an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

A Palestinian inspects the damage of a house after an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Nablus, on April 3, 2023. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on Monday during an army raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
Sisters Jennifer (left) and Julie Orchard started Royal Guernsey Creamery in 2019, aiming to put the high-fat milk from their Guernsey herd to good use,

Growing up the seventh generation in a farm family, sisters Jennifer and Julie Orchard always valued the hard work and community that Wisconsins dairy farmers provide. Their grandfather always had Guernsey cows, just as they do today.

Yet when they started looking around, more and more farms were being lost. Jennifer worked in biotechnology. Julie worked in public relations.

Their Guernsey herd was recognized by the American Guernsey Association as the top herd in the nation for milkfat and protein production in 2021. They had a family legacy with their Guernseys, and they wanted to hold on to that.

They decided to make butter. The sisters established Royal Guernsey Creamery, highlighting milk from their own cows to make European style cultured butter.

Royal Guernsey Creamery was officially incorporated in 2019. They received grants from the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance to establish the processing venture and purchase equipment, including their butter churn. They work at nearby Sassy Cow Creamerys plant.

Finally in December 2022, they began selling online at royalguernseycreamery.com and at Metcalfes in Wauwatosa and Madison.

Currently, Jen is a Wisconsin licensed butter maker, cheesemaker and butter grader. Julie is a licensed butter grader apprenticing under Jen until she can take the butter maker licensing exam. The sisters make three varieties of butter, a salted, the signature roasted garlic with cracked pepper, and cinnamon. Unsalted will be rolled out later this year.

Cinnamon butter is among the flavors created by Royal Guernsey Creamery. It's wrapped in foil because that keeps it best.

What does it mean to be the seventh generation on the farm as dairy farms continue to decline in Wisconsin? What keeps you going and even growing your family farm?

Julie: That is what makes us want to do this, because we are working with our family. It is 365 days, 24 hours a day. This is how we have been raised. I also think it teaches responsibility.  The better we take care of our cows, the better they reward us.

Why did you start Royal Guernsey Creamery? Why focus on Guernsey cows?

Jennifer: Weve been farming for seven generations, since the 1800s, and before that our ancestors were farming in England. Our grandfather started milking Guernseys in 1943. Guernseys are a rare breed known for producing premium milk. The Guernseys we have today are descendants from our grandfathers herd.  We have 150 cows today. They are not all Guernseys. My sister married a Holstein farmer 

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(Starting the creamery) we were looking for a way to grow our operation and take advantage of the premium milk our Guernseys produce. Guernseys are known as the "royal breed" and have a reputation of producing the worlds finest milk. Guernseys are known for having a golden hue to their milk, which is actually beta carotene that gives it that color. The reason why Guernseys have this is because beta carotene is vitamin A and Guernseys cannot absorb vitamin A, a fat soluble vitamin. It clings to fat. The fat in the milk is that gold color 

Julie: Guernseys are very much a dying industry 

Jen: Part of the reason we want to do this is we want to transition our entire herd to entirely Guernsey. We believe in the cow. Were trying to make the Guernsey so profitable it doesnt make sense to have Holsteins. Over 90% of Guernsey are A2A2 (a beta-casein protein).

Three flavors of Royal Guernsey Creamery butter come in hand-wrapped logs.

How did butter become your business focus?

Julie: We actually live in Dodge County. Theres a lot of value added around us. Sassy Cow makes milk. Crave Brothers does cheese. We were looking around, and as far as we know were the only ones making butter from our own herd of cows cream. The Guernseys are known for making great butter because of the high fat content in their milk.

What were you doing before you started the creamery?

Julie: We were just dairy farmers, and I worked in public relations.

Jen: I worked in biotech for 15 years in Madison.

Julie: We grew up with Guernseys. When we were smaller there were a lot of Guernsey herds in our area. There were more people doing things with their milk. Just looking at the trends, the number of dairy farms is down.  Being seventh generation, we didn't want to lose that, and we dont have an overall desire to get really big. This was added value and doing something for the next generation and with a passion for doing something with Guernsey milk.

When it comes to butter and licensing, what did you have to go through?

Jen: I have a degree in dairy science, both Julie and I do, but thats not the same as a degree in food science. The Department of Agriculture has different pathways for cheesemaker and butter maker. The fastest route for me to become a butter maker was to become a cheesemaker. I spent months apprenticing under cheesemaker Ron Henningfeld at Hill Valley Dairy (in Lake Geneva). He is someone I went to high school (in East Troy) and college (UW-Madison) with, and hes using milk from his familys farm as well. I am very lucky to have Ron as a mentor.

Once I got my cheesemaker license, I had to do an apprenticeship to make butter. It was a very big, yearlong struggle to find somebody to apprentice under. There arent many butter makers in Wisconsin. Most dont have room for an apprentice, not to mention this was all during COVID. I was able to find somebody who came out to our facility and worked with me. Then Julie and I became licensed butter graders, because all butter sold in Wisconsin needs to be graded. We finished that program last month.

What have you learned getting your butter to consumers?

Julie: Butter is not something you think of as artisan at all, so our approach is to work with stores that have more of a local market. Weve been very fortunate to work with Metcalfe Market, thats the first grocery, and Hill Valley Dairys store (in Lake Geneva). Once people taste the butter, they really are sold.

Jen: The fresh taste is what separates us. Literally the milk the cows are making today will be turned into butter on Thursday. Most cream has a much longer route to becoming butter.  I honestly feel you can taste how fresh the cream is, you taste a sweet freshness in our butter. I get excited when I am going to taste it. it is the dorky butter grader in me.

Julie: When we have been sampling, people say youre just sampling butter? Yes. People taste it and come back.

How does your butter differ from what most people are accustomed to on the table?

Julie: Our cream is very consistent. Most butter in the store is made from cream that has been comingled. We also have a higher fat content. We dont add any water to our butter. It is more a European style.

Royal Guernsey Creamery salted butter comes in 8-ounce logs.

What do people need to know about keeping and storing butter?

Julie: We have it in logs, and we hand-wrap it all. It is in foil that is specially designed so that it holds the integrity of the butter. It freezes very well. We also did it for a sustainability point. We wanted to try to not use plastic. The gold standard packaging for butter is foil. Thats why we wrap in foil.

Jen: There are two types of people out there were finding. There are people who keep butter in the fridge and love a cold dollop on their toast in the morning. Then there are the people who keep it on the counter and love soft butter.

What should people know about pricing?

Jen: For a half pound of butter it is $7.99. We ship on Mondays and Tuesdays. Our input cost, because were so small, is so much higher than the large butter manufacturers. We are currently offering just the 8 ounce size. We will expand to other sizes. Right now that half pound is working well for us. I always tell people they can cut the butter in half and stick half in the freezer and leave the other half, whether theyre team counter or team fridge.

Is this more of a baking butter or an eat with bread butter?

Jen: This is all of the above. It is very high butterfat, really good for baking. Because there is less water in it, your baked goods are a little fluffier  but it is also just a great tasting butter.

Will there be an eighth generation on the farm?

Jen: Well, shes only 7, but she does read bedtime stories to the cows!

More: Blame a New York-inspired bagel craving for Allie Boy's success

Table Chat features interviews with Wisconsinites, or Wisconsin natives, who work in restaurants or support the restaurant industry; or visiting chefs. To suggest individuals to profile, email psullivan@gannett.com.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Royal Guernsey Creamery: 7th-generation Wisconsin farmers make butter
LANSING  A law firm tasked by Michigan State's Board of Trustees to investigate the forced resignation of former Broad College of Business Dean Sanjay Gupta over alleged Title IX reporting failures found then-Provost Teresa Woodruff used disproportionate discipline and may not have had former President Samuel Stanley Jr.'s approval before removing the former dean.

The Board of Trustees hired the Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan law firm to investigate Gupta's abrupt dismissal in August and other Title IX concerns over the objections of the administration.

Former Dean Sanjay Gupta of the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. Gupta was forced out by then-Provost Teresa Woodruff over alleged Title IX violations, most of which were found to be unwarranted, according to an investigation.

Woodruff, now the university's interim president, forced Gupta to resign after determining he failed to report that an administrator in the Broad College was accused of getting drunk at an off-campus party for MBA students and inappropriately touching a student and dancing in a sexually suggestive manner. The alleged incident had already been reported to the Office of Institutional Equity by other MSU staff. Gupta didn't attend the party, according to the report.

Woodruff dismissed Gupta for five reasons: His alleged violation of the policy requiring employees report relationship violence and sexual misconduct; His own failure to investigate an instance of alleged sexual misconduct of a business school leader; that his delay in reporting caused a two-month delay in an Office of Institutional Equity investigation; his failure to notify Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs of the misconduct and the accused leaders request to retire; and failure to prevent an Outside Work for Pay Policy violation for the accused leader.

Quinn Emanuel investigators found Woodruff's reasoning flawed, and that only one allegation against Gupta  his initial failure to report  was valid. Woodruff told investigators she didn't need former President Samuel Stanley Jr.'s approval before pushing Gupta out, but the law firm said university policy clearly required it.

One of the reasons for his dismission, requiring Gupta to investigate the alleged misconduct, would have the then-dean in violation of university policy. Additionally, the expectation that he notify Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs of the misconduct allegations is a role that falls to the Office of Institutional Equity, not a dean, the law firm said.

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Finally, the firm said there's no evidence Gupta knew about request to retire from the school leader accused at the party at the time it was made or that he knew his approval was needed. And "there is insufficient basis to hold Gupta responsible for failing to prevent an Outside Work for Pay Policy violation.

"Moreover, requiring Gupta to take actions that the policies either forbid (i.e. asking follow-up questions to the RVSM Respondent), expressly delegate to another entity (OIE), or do not require his approval as dean (leave for retirement), appears unfair and could create confusion within the University leadership as to which expectations to follow," investigators wrote.

Gupta did not respond to a message from the State Journal. He has previously said he welcomed investigations into the circumstances leading up to his resignation, and he has a lawsuit pending against the school and numerous officials.

Gupta claims in his lawsuit that he was fired and falsely accused of mandatory reporting violations as part of a plan to block him from becoming MSUs next president and to enhance Woodruffs personal ambitions to become president. He denies any violations of policy. He remains a professor with the university.

MSU has said the lawsuit will be "vigorously defended."

Woodruff in a statement did not directly address any of the report's findings.

"The board and the administration share a commitment to the health, safety and well-being of all who are part of our Spartan Community," Woodruff said in a statement. "I, along with others in the administration, have received a copy of the report, and we intend to review it in detail. My commitment to doing what is right and focusing on the long-term success and stability of our institution remains unchanged."

Former Provost and now interim President Teresa Woodruff's reasoning behind a decision to force out former business school Dean Sanjay Gupta drew criticism in a report initiated by the Board of Trustees.

The trustees voted to release a report on the investigation on Feb. 10. The university did so more than a month later, in the wee hours of Friday evening, emailing a news release just after 11 p.m. with the 104-page report and a brief, but unsigned, statement from the board.

The Board of Trustees commissioned a review of the progress within MSUs Title IX office as well as the circumstances surrounding the departure of Sanjay Gupta as dean. We are sharing the results of that review with the public today. This concludes our current engagement with Quinn Emanuel," the board's statement read.

As we move forward, we will continue to have conversations with the universitys administration in pursuit of our shared goal of creating the safest, healthiest, and most respectful environment for our students and employees. Any future action related to topics covered in the review will be handled by MSUs administrative leaders. We will not comment further on this matter.

Stanley publicly supported Woodruff after she forced Gupta out. In the fallout from Gupta's forced departure and in part because of his handling of Title IX issues, trustees Dianne Byrum and Dan Kelly pressured Stanley to resign before his contract was set to expire in 2024. He quit, citing a loss of confidence in the board.

It is not clear whether Stanley approved of Woodruff's actions prior to Gupta's resignation, according to the report.

The report notes that while Gupta, as a deal, was an at-will employee and could be removed at any time, both Stanley and Woodruffs participation was required for Guptas removal or forced resignation under university policy.

Woodruff told investigators she didn't need Stanley's approval. Stanley declined to speak with investigators.

"Based on information provided to Quinn Emanuel by members of the Administration, Woodruff appears to haveconsulted with Stanley several times about the decision, and Stanley made a statement expressing his support. However, Stanley declined an interview, and thus Quinn Emanuel cannot verify whether and to what extent Stanley participated in the decision.

"Woodruffs stated position during her interview - that she had the unilateral right to remove Gupta - is inconsistent with the Bylaws and Guptas offer letter.

Former Michigan State University president Samuel Stanley Jr. quit in 2022, citing a loss of confidence in the Board of Trustees.

Investigators concluded that the "personnel actions taken against Gupta appear disproportionate, out of sequence with the underlying investigation, and based on a factual record that included errors and omissions of relevantinformation and context. Moreover, some of these issues raise broader concerns about the Title IX investigative process itself, as well as the underlying policies under which MSU is operating."

Woodruff, according to the report, told Gupta before he resigned "that deans are the 'ultimate compliance officers' of the University, that Gupta had failed Woodruffs 'own high administrative standards,' and that Gupta 'no longer enjoyed' Woodruffs 'full faith and confidence.'" The firm concluded that alone could, under certain circumstances, support removing him as dean.

Former MSU Trustee Pat OKeefe cited concerns with the circumstances that led to Guptas resignation as part of the reasons why he resigned from the Board of Trustees, according to his letter of resignation he sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 30.

MSUs Faculty Senate and other faculty leaders have criticized the investigation into Guptas resignation and other Title IX compliance concerns. Other students and faculty have voiced their support for Gupta and slammed Woodruff for her decision to force Gupta to resign.

Gupta's lawsuit was filed on Feb. 24, naming Stanley, Woodruff, Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko, Title IX Coordinator Nicole Schmidtke, Senior Title IX investigator Allison Towe, interim Associate Provost Ann Austin, and Vice President of Communications Emily Guerrant.

The law firm also made some broad recommendations for better policies involving its Relationship Violence, Sexual Misconduct policies and Title IX investigations. Among those recommendations:

Adding language to encourage witnesses to cooperate with investigations

Implementing a policy that at least two employees who are mandated reporters stay for the duration of events MSU sponsors to promote student safety and increase the likelihood that any violations of the RVSM & Title IX policy are witnessed and reported

Increasing resources for the Office of Civil Rights, to help the Office of Institutional Equity handle the high number of reports it receives, assign two investigators to each investigative interview in line with best practices, allow interviewees to review their interview write-ups for accuracy, and field questions about the scope of mandatory reporting requirements.

Trustees had also accused Stanley of mishandling the required certification of Title IX reports on an annual basis.

Title IX violations can include gender discrimination, sexual violence, sexual harassment, retaliation and hostile work environment. They can involve students or employees.

After the board raised concerns in June of last year, the schools Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance conducted an audit of the Title IX certification process, according to the report, and found deficiencies. The board hired the Honigman law firm to investigate whether MSU was property certifying is reports.

Honigman's investigation found that the university did not follow state certification guidelines in 2021, which require the president and at least one board member to review each Title IX report involving an employee. Stanley had relied on the university's Title IX office, which gave him incorrect information that led to the improper reporting.

Failing to certify the Title IX reports can result in a loss of 10% of the university's operations funding.

At least some trustees raised concerns about the Title IX review process in 2019 and continued to ask for training and guidance in 2020 and 2021, Honigman's report found.

Quinn Emanuel said the trustees could improve the process by:

Adding deadlines for the submission of Title IX reports to Trustees for review

Using a standardized format for the reports to be prepared so key information is included in all, not just some, reports

Using a checklist for Trustees to evaluate the reports

Creating a formal process for trustees to ask any questions to OIE about the reports including whether referrals to other departments were, in fact, made where referenced; and

Providing training to the trustees on how to review the reports

Quinn Emanuel said it reviewed more than 9,300 documents and did voluntary interviews with 11 people, including Gupta and Woodruff.

The firm also said 22 current or former MSU employees or university community members eitherdeclined or didn't respond to Quinn Emanuels requests for interviews. Among those were key administrators in the Broad College and members of FASA. No one from the Office of Institutional Equity agreed to speak with the firm.

The firm noted that both Woodruff and the Faculty Senate urged the Board of Trustees to halt its investigation during the interview process.

It added that during his interview, Gupta said two other deans may have been treated differently by MSU for violations similar to what the business school dean was accused of. School officials told the law firm that neither dean had faced allegations of a mandatory reporting failure or been the subject of an adverse finding by Office of Institutional Equity, and the trustees told Quinn Emanuel not to further investigate Gupta's allegations.

Contact Mark Johnson at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU's discipline of former dean Sanjay Gupta 'disproportionate'
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first season saw the fires of Mordor transform the landscape once known as the Southlands. Thankfully, a fire that recently broke out on the set of season 2 wasn't nearly so transformative.

EW has confirmed that an electrical fire broke out on Monday afternoon in a warehouse on the perimeter of the backlot of Bray Studios where season 2 of The Rings of Power is being filmed in the U.K. The local fire department responded to the problem, and filming stopped for roughly an hour but quickly resumed after the issue was resolved.

Neither cast nor crew had to evacuate the site. Filming was only paused as a precaution, and everyone involved remained at Bray for the duration.

Adar (Joseph Mawle) leads his orcs into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'

Prime Video Adar (Joseph Mawle) leads his orcs into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'

Season 1 of The Rings of Power was filmed in New Zealand, where Peter Jackson filmed his groundbreaking Lord of the Rings films, but production moved to the U.K. for season 2. The Amazon fantasy series will see other changes in its second outing, including the recasting of Joseph Mawle, who played orc leader Adar in season 1, with Sam Hazeldine. Other additions to the cast include Rory Kinnear and Ciaran Hinds, whose Oscar nomination for Belfast makes him the most prominent new arrival in a show filled primarily with fresh faces.

Last month, a horse died on the set of The Rings of Power. A statement from Amazon Studios at the time confirmed that the horse had died due to cardiac failure.

For more on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, listen to EW's new podcast All Rings Considered, featuring in-depth episode breakdowns and exclusive interviews.

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The day before the nations first anti-drag law was set to go into effect, a federal judge temporarily blocked it for violating the First Amendment.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker issued the 15-page decision in Friends of Georges v. Tennessee on Friday. The plaintiff, a nonprofit organization based in Memphis that produces performances featuring drag, as well as comedy sketches and plays, filed a motion to temporarily block the law last Monday. The plaintiff argued that the Tennessee law is unconstitutional because it is a content-based restriction on speech, and because it is overly vague.

The law, as passed in February, bans adult cabaret performances, including male or female impersonators, from taking place in public or any location where the performance could be viewed by a minor. A first violation of the law is classified as a misdemeanor; subsequent offenses carry felony charges punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $3000.

The plaintiffs expressed a fear of prosecution, since its next performance is set to take place on April 14.

In the meantime, Plaintiff has to try to sell tickets while deciding whether it should add a previously unnecessary age restriction, cancel the show, or risk criminal prosecution, the decision reads. These are not trifling issues for a theatre company  certainly not in the free, civil society we hold our country to be. Defendants approach would have Plaintiff, and those similarly situated in Tennessee, eat the proverbial mushroom to find out whether it is poisonous.

The court sided with the plaintiffs arguments that the law unfairly targets drag performers themselves, noting that Tennessees obscenity laws already cover much of the ground that the drag ban supposedly does. The court also agreed that the language of the legislation was problematically broad, questioning the definitions of public property and a location where an adult cabaret entertainment could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.

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Does a citizens private residence count? How about a camping ground at a national park? the decision reads. What if a minor browsing the worldwide web from a public library views an adult cabaret performance?

Federal Judge Strikes Down Obamacare Provision Requiring Free PrEP Coverage

The provision also required coverage for cancer screenings, birth control, and other necessary healthcare.

Accordingly, the law is blocked from implementation for 14 days, pending further litigation. Friends of Georges issued a statement on Friday celebrating the victory, with the organizations president of the board of directors stating that they won because this is a bad law.

We look forward to our day in court where the rights for all Tennesseans will be affirmed, Campell said. The statement also notes that each Friends of Georges raises thousands of dollars for other Mid-South organizations that support or affirm the LGBTQIA+ population.

Advocates have raised concerns that the vague language of the Tennessee law, and others like it, could be used to prosecute trans and gender-nonconforming people simply existing in public. At least 40 drag bans have been considered in state legislatures across the country thus far this year, according to legislative tracking conducted by independent researchers Allison Chapman, Alejandra Caraballo, and Erin Reed.

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Have you tried Cafe Campesino in Americus, Georgia?

Caroline Eubanks

When browsing your local grocery store, you might see a dozen labels with the names organic and fair trade. But two decades ago, it was just regular or decaf. Long before the shift to consumers caring about where their coffee came from, Americus, Georgias Cafe Campesino was working with collectives of farmers. And it all started with a 1997 Habitat for Humanity volunteer trip to Guatemala and a group from the small Southern town.

Bill Harris met local farmers who highly prized their humble coffee plants. It was then that Bill Harris realized the importance of these small fruits and how little the farmers were valued in the production process.

[He] had the opportunity to meet small-scale coffee farmers in the community where they were living, said Matt Earley, the companys Director of Sales, Marketing, and Community. The impression that it made on him was that small-scale coffee farmers were really, in Guatemala and all over Latin America and the world, were really struggling to stay on their land, and that's something that we're still working and dealing with today.

Despite having no experience in the industry, he purchased as much coffee as he could to bring home and sell to small roasters out of his VW bus. The rusting heap of metal still sits outside the original roaster building as a reminder of the humble beginnings.

What farmers get paid in general for their coffee is very, very low. It doesn't at all reflect their basic expenses, their labor, or the value of their expertise. Bill came back motivated to try to do something to help the farmers that he met, and later other farmers, get into better markets for their coffee, Earley said.

Harris founded Cafe Campesino as a roaster, establishing a direct trading relationship with the farmers like those hed met in Guatemala. From there, he created Cooperative Coffees to work with farmer cooperatives to buy and import green beans, pay them fairly for it, and sell directly to like-minded roasters. This is what made Cooperative the countrys first and only fair trade, organic purchasing cooperative for green coffee beans.

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Just like small farmers there banding together to have better market access and to be able to use their strength in the market to not have to sell to the lowest bidder, but instead work together to find better markets and to give better deals on transportation for their coffee processing, Bill and the other roasters figured out a way that, when they all banded together, once they put their economic power together, they could afford to bring coffee to the United States and they were able to cut out the commercial importers, Earley said.

Even though Harris is no longer involved in daily operations, Cooperative continues to be a large part of the companys ethos, helping farmers get paid fairly and diversify their crops, not to mention buying millions of pounds of coffee every year between all of the roasters.

I believe there's 24 now, small-scale coffee roasters in Canada and the US who are buying from the same farmers, some of whom are in the same places that Bill and the others worked with in the very beginning.

Cafe Campesino

While other coffee companies are based in big cities, Americus remains at the heart of what makes Cafe Campesino unique. The company will soon be moving into the towns historic Greyhound Trailways bus station, becoming the first business to welcome arriving visitors.

Cafe Campesino

There have been so many people in Americus who have, at different times, supported us in different ways, says Earley. Cafe Campesino wouldn't be Cafe Campesino without being in Americus, Earley said.

The next time you sip a steaming hot mug of Cafe Campesino coffee, whether in Americus or at one of the partner shops around the country, you can be sure that there are no more than five steps between the coffee plant and your cup and that both the farmers and employees are paid fairly.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
Ferzan Ahmed

This year, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission is investing up to $226 million for capital improvement projects, which includes roadway safety improvements, such as pavement replacement, resurfacing, bridge renovations, and the continuation of the toll collection system modernization program, and more.

The start of the roadway construction season, which occurs every spring, is an opportunity to remind motorists to drive cautiously through work zones on the Ohio Turnpike and elsewhere.

In 2022, nearly 49.6 million motorists  both passenger car and commercial truck customers  traveled on the Ohio Turnpike, which set a record of nearly 3.1 billion miles.

Work zone-related crashes caused by dangerous driving behaviors can be reduced if motorists follow these safety tips: obey the posted speed limit, establish a safe following distance, avoid distractions, pay attention to the signs, and be prepared to slow down or stop.

Speeding and driving off the roadway are the primary causes of crashes in work zones.

Since 2018 on Ohios roadways, there have been 25,576 work zone-related collisions that resulted in 92 crashes with 101 fatalities, 501 serious injury crashes, 3,042 minor injury crashes, and 19,140 crashes causing property damage, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety. On average from 2018-2022, there have been 5,044 work zone-related crashes per year on Ohios roadways.

The Ohio Highway Patrol, which is the law enforcement agency for the Ohio Turnpike, will be conducting speed enforcement, including aerial enforcement, in work zones along the Ohio Turnpike during the nine-month construction season.

Participating state and federal transportation and safety agencies will promote National Work Zone Awareness Week from April 17-21. The annual campaign encourages safe driving in highway work zones. The campaigns 2023 message to motorists: You play a role in work zone safety. Work with us.

Dangerous driving behaviors on the Ohio Turnpike and roadways everywhere put maintenance and roadway crews, construction workers and contractors at severe risk in work zones.

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The common risky driving behaviors  which are preventable  include speeding and aggressive driving, distracted driving, impaired driving, not wearing seatbelts, and drowsy driving.

In addition to work zone awareness, "Move Over, Slow Down" is another year-round statewide campaign for motorists to keep on the top of their mind.

To remind motorists of Ohios Move Over Law, the turnpike commission has installed permanent roadway signs, Move Over Slow Down for All Vehicles with Flashing Lights, on the ramps at all 14 service plazas along the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike.

The law requires drivers to "move over and slow down" for all stationary vehicles on the side of all highways and roadways with flashing lights. These vehicles include roadway construction and maintenance vehicles, law enforcement vehicles and tow trucks.

Fines are doubled for failing to comply with the law.

Were urging all motorists to be focused when driving through work zones and "move over and slow down" for all vehicles with flashing lights so that everyone returns home safely to their families at the end of the day.

By eliminating dangerous driving behaviors, most vehicle crashes are preventable.

Together with our partners in law enforcement, safety agencies and the media, we can promote safe driving habits to reduce crashes on the Ohio Turnpike and beyond.

To report unsafe drivers on Ohios roadways, dial #677.

Ferzan Ahmed is the executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission in Berea, Ohio. He is a registered professional engineer.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Guest Column: Improving work zone safety is a shared responsibility
Gwyneth Paltrow Was 'Very Stressed' During Trial, Says Source: 'In a Lighter Mood Now' (Exclusive)

The actress "couldn't wait for the trial to be over," a source tells PEOPLE

Jeff Swinger-Pool/Getty

Gwyneth Paltrow is "relieved" to have the Utah ski trial behind her, a source tells PEOPLE.

On Thursday, the jury in the case found her not liable and concluded that the man who sued her, Terry Sanderson, was "100 percent" at fault in the 2016 ski collision.

The Goop founder, 50, "couldn't wait for the trial to be over," adds the source, who says Paltrow thinks the verdict was "fair."

"This is why she fought instead of settling  she felt she did nothing wrong," says the source.

"Gwyneth caught up with her daughter in Nashville over the weekend. She was very stressed during the trial, but is in a much lighter mood now. Her kids always cheer her up," adds the source.

Paltrow was awarded the $1 in damages and reimbursement of her legal fees that she asked for in her countersuit. Retired optometrist Sanderson, 76, originally sought for over $3 million in damages when he sued her in 2019, claiming Paltrow caused him lasting health problems after crashing into him at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, on Feb. 26, 2016. She testified that he was the one who hit into her, and the jurors ultimately sided with her.

Sanderson's attorney C. Peter Sorensen said in a statement after the verdict on Thursday, "We are disappointed in the outcome, but we love and support the legal process. We thank Judge Holmberg, the jury and staff for all their efforts. We will spend the next while evaluating and discussing where we go from here."

Related:Gwyneth Paltrow Trial Juror Says Actress Had No 'Reason to Lie Under Oath'

Jeff Swinger-Pool/Getty

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Paltrow said in a statement after the verdict, "I felt that acquiescing to a false claim compromised my integrity. I am pleased with the outcome and I appreciate all of the hard work of Judge Holmberg and the jury, and thank them for their thoughtfulness in handling this case."

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Earlier in the two-week civil trial, a source told PEOPLE that the Oscar winner found the entire court case "icky."

"Any involvement in a trial is stressful. Gwyneth has felt icky about it," the source said. "For her, the situation is even worse since the trial is streamed and she has a camera in her face every day. It's a very uncomfortable situation. It's very stressful."

Rick Bowmer/AP

Related:Man Suing Gwyneth Paltrow Apologizes for Previously Describing Actress as 'King Kong'

Her kids, daughter Apple, 18, and son Moses, 16, were originally expected to testify during the proceedings, but they just had their previous depositions read aloud for the courtroom by lawyers. They were there the day of the ski incident, along with Paltrow's now-husband Brad Falchuk, who did not testify.

"She isn't happy that her children are involved either. This really has nothing to do with them. They were minors when the accident happened," the earlier source added.

As she exited the courtroom on Thursday following the verdict, Paltrow leaned in to Sanderson and told him, "I wish you well." Sanderson said he responded to her, "Thank you, dear."

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Read the original article on People.
One week after it was reported that the latest Indiana Jones film would have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Disney and festival organizers confirmed the news on Monday. The film, titled Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, will premiere on May 18 ahead of its theatrical debut on June 30.

Director James Mangold, who took over the franchise from Steven Spielberg, said in a statement, In 1995, I was honored to come to Cannes with my first film as part of Directors Fortnite. Twenty-eight years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle. My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you!

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This is the fifth Indiana Jones film, but the first since 2008s Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. (Like The Dial of Destiny, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull also bowed at Cannes.) Mangold directs an all-star cast that includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), returning Indy staple John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Toby Jones (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Ethann Isidore (Mortel) and Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore). Harrison Ford, of course, returns as Indiana Jones. Said the actor of the project in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this year, What I love is that were meeting him at a different point in his life to where weve seen him in these other films. Its a logical place for him to be at this stage, considering his behavior and what he spent his time doing. Its a very interesting script Jim came up with.

Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel are producers, with Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. As usual, John Williams is the films composer.

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is out in theaters on June 30.

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As agreed between China and the EU, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will visit China from April 5 to 7.

CCTV: A follow-up on the state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron that was just announced. Could you share more about the visit? How do you see the current China-France relations? Whats your expectation for the visit?

Mao Ning: During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Emmanuel Macron to jointly chart the course for bilateral relations, deepen China-France and China-EU cooperation in various fields, and have an in-depth exchange of views on major international and regional hotspot issues. Premier Li Qiang and Chairman Zhao Leji will meet with him respectively. While in China, President Macron will also visit the city of Guangzhou in Guangdong province.

China and France are both permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Macron, bilateral relations have enjoyed sound growth. We have had effective strategic communication, fruitful practical cooperation, and good communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

We are ready to work with the French side and take this visit as an opportunity to achieve new outcomes in our close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership, play a positive role in the sound growth of China-EU relations and contribute to world peace, stability and development.

CCTV: A follow-up on the visit by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen that was just announced. How do you see the current China-EU relations? Whats your expectation for the visit?

Mao Ning: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. The sound and steady development of China-EU relations is in the interest of both sides and conducive to world peace and stability. In the face of the volatile international situation, rising global security challenges and sluggish economic recovery, it is important that China and the EU uphold the spirit of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, overcome disruptions and difficulties, and focus on consensus and cooperation. China stands ready to work with the EU and take this visit as an opportunity to further tap the potential for cooperation, jointly address global challenges and provide more stability and positive energy to the world fraught with uncertainties.

Reuters: Chinas cyberspace regulator said it will conduct a cyber security review of products sold in the country by US chip manufacturer Micron Technology. Can you provide any more information on the present course of action?

Mao Ning: Relevant Chinese authorities conduct cyber security review over cyber products that have impacted or may impact national security in accordance with laws and regulations. This is a normal regulation measure for safeguarding national security. All Chinese companies and foreign companies in China must abide by Chinas laws and regulations and must not harm Chinas national security.

Beijing Youth Daily: Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away a few days ago. Mr. Sakamoto had a deep love and respect for the Chinese history and culture. He also supported Chinas fight against COVID and once attended a cultural exchange event between China and Japan despite his health conditions. Therefore he was followed and liked by many Chinese fans of all age groups. Do you have any comment on his passing?

Mao Ning: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto and extend condolences to his family. Mr. Sakamoto is a world-renowned composer. His music, enriched with profound culture and deep compassion, has touched many hearts. Mr. Sakamoto was an avid advocate for China-Japan people-to-people and cultural exchange. Many Chinese elements have found their way to his masterpieces. With concrete actions, he contributed to friendship and exchange between our two countries.

Friendship among people boosts relations between two countries. It is our hope that more and more people in both countries will build on what has been achieved and contribute to promoting China-Japan friendship.

Reuters: The US has announced it will open an embassy in Vanuatu. What is Chinas response to this?

Mao Ning: China is not opposed to countries efforts to grow ties with Pacific Island countries. In the meanwhile, we believe that cooperation with Pacific Island countries should be aimed at supporting the development of the region, rather than target any third party. We stand ready to work with all interested parties to leverage our strengths and contribute jointly to the development and prosperity of the region. I would also like to stress that China has no intention to outinfluence anyone in the Pacific Islands region, and we are not interested in geopolitical contests.

Bloomberg: Just to go back to the Micron incident. As my colleague mentioned, the Cyber Affairs Commission is carrying out a cyber security investigation of Micron. But this action is sparking concerns that China may scrutinize more US chip companies and other technology companies. How should an American chipmaker in China understand the latest move by the CAC. Will there be more such investigations and scrutiny in the future?

Mao Ning: I shared with you relevant information just now. Competent Chinese authorities conduct cyber security review over cyber products that have impacted or may impact national security in accordance with laws and regulations. This is a normal regulation measure. All companies operating in China, whether they are from China, the US or other countries, need to abide by Chinese laws and regulations. One who conducts lawful operation has nothing to worry about.

TASS: Russian President signed the new Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation last Friday, which said strengthening and deepening relations with China and India is a diplomatic priority for Russia. The document noted a comprehensive deepening of ties and enhancement of coordination with friendly sovereign global centers of power, like China and India, is particularly important for Russia. Whats Chinas comment?

Mao Ning: China and Russia are dedicated to growing a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. The bilateral relationship does not target and is not affected by any third party. Last month, President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to Russia. The two heads of state drew a blueprint for the future course of China-Russia relations. The two sides are comprehensively following through on the important common understandings between the two leaders. We are fully confident about the future of China-Russia relations.

China, Russia and India are all major emerging major countries with notable influence. As the international and regional landscape is facing profound and complex changes, we are ready to strengthen communication with the international community including Russia and India and send a positive signal to the world about defending true multilateralism and jointly responding to global challenges.

AFP: Last week, China said it would retaliate if House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meets with the Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen during a planned stop in the US. Can you tell us what kind of retaliation China would take? Will military drills be an option?

Mao Ning: There is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. As the Chinese side has repeatedly stressed, we strongly oppose any form of official interaction and contact between the US side and Taiwan authorities. Relevant US congressman needs to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, refrain from sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces, and avoid undermining the China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China will take resolute measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

CRI: On March 31, the US State Department issued the annual Hong Kong Policy Act report. According to the media, while the report acknowledged a continued degree of autonomy in Hong Kong, it said the national security law and electoral changes that have undercut the prospects for opposition political parties have eroded differences between the city and the mainland. Whats your comment?

Mao Ning: Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Hong Kong affairs are purely Chinas internal affairs, which brook no foreign interference. The report issued by the US disregards facts, makes irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong affairs, and levels groundless accusations at the Chinese Central Government and the Hong Kong SAR government. China strongly deplores this and firmly rejects this. The US should immediately stop issuing this sort of report and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and other internal affairs of China.

Since Hong Kongs return to the motherland, the policy of One Country, Two Systems under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy has been implemented and the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents have been fully protected in accordance with law. The Chinese government acts in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law and is firm in fully and faithfully implementing the policy of One Country, Two Systems.

China formulates and implements the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong and improves the electoral system of Hong Kong. This is fundamentally aimed to safeguard Hong Kongs prosperity and stability and ensure the steady and sustained implementation of the policy of One Country, Two Systems. The law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong targets a handful of criminals endangering our national security and protects the lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people and foreign nationals in the SAR. The new electoral system is a good system as it is consistent with One Country, Two Systems, and suitable for Hong Kongs realities. It promotes Hong Kongs solidarity and harmony and demonstrates the true spirit of democracy. Since we implemented the law and improved the electoral system, Hong Kongs rule of law and business environment has been improving and the city continues to rank among the best in the world in terms of rule of law. Foreign investors are more confident in Hong Kong, further consolidating the citys status as an international financial, trade and shipping hub. These are all undeniable facts. Theres more we can expect from Hong Kong in the future.

Reuters: The US, South Korea and Japan are holding trilateral anti-submarine drills off Jeju Island. What is Chinas response to this?

Mao Ning: The main reason behind the recent flaring tensions on the Korean Peninsula is the continuous military drills near the Peninsula by certain countries. Relevant parties need to stop military pressuring and create favorable conditions for the alleviation of tensions and resumption of dialogue.

China News Service: Malaysias Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim just wrapped up his official visit to China. How do you see the visit?

Mao Ning: The visit can be characterized by the following key phrases. First, a community with a shared future. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Malaysia, and next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. President Xi and Prime Minister Anwar announced during this visit that the two sides will jointly build a China-Malaysia community with a shared future. This is a right step at the right time. As the most important political outcome of this visit, the decision opens a new chapter in China-Malaysia relations.

Second, high-quality cooperation. Achieving high-quality development is the intrinsic requirement of the Chinese path to modernization. Prime Minister Anwar has proposed the Malaysia Madani. Our two countries have a lot in common with regard to development philosophies and objectives. Both agree to seek greater synergy in development strategies, enhance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, advance priority projects such as the East Coast Rail Link and the Two Countries, Twin Parks, and foster new growth points in digital economy, green growth, new energy and other areas of cooperation. Both sides will strengthen cooperation in agriculture and agricultural products trade, culture, tourism and education so that bilateral ties will boost our national development and deliver benefits to our peoples.

Third, strategic coordination. As the international landscape undergoes profound and complex changes, Prime Minister Anwar called on Asian countries to work together in solidarity at the Boao Forum for Asia, which reflects the common aspiration of regional countries. China and Malaysia agree that as developing countries and important emerging economies in Asia and forces for progress in the world, our two countries will further enhance strategic communication and coordination, jointly practice true multilateralism, reject Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, defend international equity and justice, keep industrial and supply chains stable, and safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries.

Leaders of the two sides have charted the course for the development of bilateral ties going forward. We are ready to work hand in hand with the Malaysian side to reflect the common understanding of building a community with a shared future in the whole course of our friendly cooperation across the board and further strengthen our high-quality cooperation and strategic communication and coordination and strive for new progress in our relations at a new height.

AFP: Malaysia said it is prepared to negotiate with China over a dispute between the two countries in the South China Sea. Do you have any comment? Do you have any details on this? And is China ready for talks over the issue?

Mao Ning: Chinas position on issues related to the South China Sea is clear and consistent. We are committed to handling disputes in an appropriate manner through communication and consultation, and would like to work with all parties to safeguard peace and stability in the region.

Reuters: The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said in a report last week that the Chinese coast guard vessel has been operating near a Petronas Kasawari gas development for the last month. Why is there a vessel conducting activities so close to Malaysias energy operations within Malaysias exclusive economic zone?

Mao Ning: I am not aware of the specific report you mentioned. Chinas Coast Guard ships conduct normal patrol in waters under Chinas jurisdiction.

Beijing Daily: Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong concluded his official visit to China last weekend. How do you comment on this trip that has received strong interest from Chinese and foreign media?

Mao Ning: During the visit, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong jointly announced to elevate China-Singapore relations to an all-round high-quality future-oriented partnership. This decision, the most important outcome of the visit, is another key milestone in bilateral relations. The words all-round, high-quality and future-oriented capture the characteristics of China-Singapore relations and also sum up this visit.

The first word all-round has always been a traditional endowment of China-Singapore relations. Bilateral cooperation spans various sectors including economy, trade, finance, science and technology, people-to-people and cultural exchange with multi-tiered cooperation mechanisms ranging from central authorities to subnational levels. The breadth and depth of our cooperation is unrivalled in the region. During the visit, the two sides signed many cooperation documents covering such areas as economy, trade, science, technology, food, law, environmental protection and art. Both agree to continue to make good use of existing mechanisms and give full play to the strength of our all-round cooperation.

The second word high-quality is a hallmark of China-Singapore relations. Both agree that to realize high-quality development is the intrinsic requirement of the Chinese path to modernization and our two countries shared pursuit. We will seek greater synergy between our respective development strategies and realize the integration and mutual reinforcement of our respective paths to modernization. During the visit, the two sides announced the substantive conclusion of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) Work Programme for Subsequent Negotiations, which will give a strong boost to two-way opening-up at a higher level. This speaks to the two sides determination to advance high-quality cooperation. Both agree to continue to make good use of the coordinating role of bilateral cooperation mechanisms at the level of the vice premier and deputy prime minister, further expand cooperation in areas including digital economy, green growth, artificial intelligence, finance, people-to-people and cultural exchange, and tap into potential areas for new growth points.

The third word future-oriented is a key to success in China-Singapore relations. Leaders of both sides have always guided our relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective. People from all sectors in both countries have forged ahead with concrete actions. Both agree to take this visit by Prime Minister Lee as an opportunity to keep China-Singapore relations a front-runner of our times with strong vitality and impetus.

China-Singapore relations go beyond the bilateral scope. During the visit, the two sides held strategic communication on regional and international issues of mutual interest, reiterated commitment to uphold multilateralism, champion economic globalization, safeguard regional peace and stability, keep global industrial chains stable and unfettered, and jointly address global challenges.

China stands ready to work with the Singaporean side to follow the guidance of our leaders important common understandings, act on the new positioning of our bilateral relations, and open a new chapter in our ties in the new era.

Dragon TV: Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid an official visit to China last week. Could you share with us the outcomes of that visit?

Mao Ning: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Spain diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchezs visit was a great opportunity for both sides to take stock of the past and envision the future. Over the past 50 years, China and Spain have always supported each other on respective concerns, built good mutual trust, realized sustained steady development of bilateral ties, and enjoyed fruitful mutually-beneficial cooperation in various fields as well as people-to-people and cultural exchange. Leaders of both sides agree that standing at a new historical starting point, we need to stay committed to strategic cooperation, provide driving forces for socioeconomic development in our two countries, jointly tackle global challenges, and promote world peace, development and shared prosperity.

Both leaders agree that the independent and sound development of China-EU relations are in the interest of China, Spain, the EU and the international community. As Spain assumes the rotating presidency of the EU in the latter half of this year, our two sides will have close communication and coordination to deliver on the important agenda and promote more dialogue and cooperation between China and the EU.

Associated Press of Pakistan: The Khunjerab Pass was opened after a 3-year pause. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his pleasure over the reopening of the Pass, saying that it would help increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and China. Do you have any response?

Mao Ning: The Khunjerab Pass is a seasonal port, which is open from April 1 to November 30 every year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a cargo-only policy was adopted at the port. On April 1, 2022, two-way passing of cargo was carried out. From April 3 this year, entry and exit of passengers is officially resumed.

China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners. We have conducted close cooperation in various areas including customs clearance. Out of the friendship between the two countries, China reopened the port temporarily multiple times during the COVID-19 shutdown to help with the smooth passing of people from Pakistan and customs clearance of emergency supplies. We are ready to work with Pakistan to resume the opening, make the clearance more efficient and further serve personnel exchange and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Shenzhen TV: On March 31, Japans Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that it will amend an ordinance under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act and tighten export controls over 23 high-performance semiconductor manufacturing equipment under six categories. Many media outlets believe this move targets China and that Japanese companies may find it hard to export relevant products to the Chinese market. Whats Chinas comment?

Mao Ning: A few days ago, Japan announced it will tighten export controls of high-performance semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which many believed is meant to restrict China-Japan cooperation in the semiconductor sector. China has made serious demarches to the Japanese side at various levels to express our strong discontent and grave concerns.

Japan expressed many times in its communication with China that the two countries enjoy close economic and trade ties and that Japan is committed to advancing cooperation with China and will not seek to cut China out. We hope Japan can act on such statements, take an objective and fair position and follow market principles, proceed from its long-term interests, keep the global industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, defend the free and open international trade order and safeguard the shared interests of the two countries and the companies of both sides.

China is the worlds biggest market of semiconductors. Chinas import of integrated circuits is close to $600 billion every year. China is the largest export market of Japans semiconductor sector, with an annual volume of more than $10 billion. China accounts for a quarter of Japans export of semiconductor equipment. The two sides have been conducting win-win cooperation in this sector. The potential export control targeting China will not only affect the industrial and supply chains of semiconductors in the region and the wider world, and will also hurt Japanese companies. We hope Japan can be prudent when making decisions and avoid creating new complex factors to mutual trust and bilateral relations. China will assess the impact of Japans export control policy. If Japan imposes restrictions on normal cooperation in the semiconductor sector between the two countries and seriously undermines Chinas interests, China will act firmly in response rather than sit idly by.

Reuters: Japan has called for the urgent release of a Japanese national employed by Astellas Pharma who has been detained in China. When will China start allowing consular access to the detained Japanese citizen following repeated calls in Japan over the weekend to release the person? What is the Japanese citizen being detained for?

Mao Ning: We have shared information with you several times recently. This Japanese citizen is suspected of violating law. China will handle the case in accordance with law. We will accord facilities for the consular officials of the Japanese embassy and consulates to perform their consular duties in accordance with the provisions of relevant international conventions and the China-Japan Consular Agreement.

Reuters: Satellite images shared by a US think tank show high-level activity at the DPRKs main nuclear site following the DPRK leaders announcement of an increase in production of bomb fuel. What is Chinas response to potential acceleration of nuclear development in the DPRK?

Mao Ning: China always upholds peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, denuclearization of the Peninsula, the establishment of a peace mechanism, and dialogue and consultation to resolve the issues. The US-ROK military drills are still underway. And the drills by the US, Japan and the ROK are now in succession. A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is still operating off the Peninsula. This is the main reason for the persistent tension of the Peninsula. We hope all parties can meet each other halfway, resolve respective legitimate concerns in a balanced manner, and safeguard peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

Reuters: Tsai Ing-wen has recently completed a tour of Guatemala and Belize. What does this say about the PRCs relationships in Central America?

Mao Ning: There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory. The government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. This is affirmed in Resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly adopted in 1971.

Hondurass establishment of diplomatic ties with China brings the total number of countries having diplomatic ties with China to 182, which shows that the one-China principle has the overwhelming support of the international community and represents the trend of the world. No force can hold back this trend. The separatists pursuit of Taiwan independence is against the will and interests of Chinese nation and the trend of history. Their attempt is doomed to failure. We hope that Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries can see the trend clearly, handle issues related to Taiwan in a prudent manner and join the family of China-LAC friendly cooperation at an early date.

TASS: The newly-released Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation noted that Russia would like to enhance the international role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). What is Chinas comment on that?

Mao Ning: China is ready to work with Russia and all relevant countries to further enhance cooperation and coordination under multilateral frameworks such as the SCO and BRICS and make contribution to regional and global peace, stability, prosperity and development.

We are also ready to strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the EAEU, and have flexible and diverse cooperation with the CSTO to jointly maintain regional security and stability.
WASHINGTON, April 2 (Xinhua) -- An attorney for former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges brought by a Manhattan grand jury in the hush-money payment case.

"We will take the indictment. We will dissect it. The team will look at every, every potential issue that we will be able to challenge, and we will challenge," Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina told reporters during an interview.

"And of course, I very much anticipate a motion to dismiss coming because there's no law that fits this," Tacopina said.

Trump, who served as U.S. president from January 2017 to January 2021, was indicted last week by a Manhattan grand jury for his alleged role in organizing hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

As the first former U.S. president to be criminally charged, Trump reportedly faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud in the indictment, which was filed under seal.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed the indictment on Thursday and said it had contacted Trump's attorney to arrange his surrender.

Trump, an early frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is expected to arrive in New York City on Monday and appear in court for arraignment in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon.

After Trump turns himself in, he will be in custody of the New York Police Department and the Secret Service but he will be "processed like any other defendant," according to CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman.

Trump, 76, has denied wrongdoing and alleged that the criminal inquiry and others relating to him are all politically motivated.

The Trump 2024 campaign said on Sunday that he will deliver remarks at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday night, hours after his arraignment. 
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this May

Indiana Jones is returning to France.

Disney announced on Monday that Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the latest adventure film starring Harrison Ford as the titular globe-trotting archaeologist, will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18 before opening in theaters on June 30.

Dial of Destiny is the first Indiana Jones film not directed by Steven Spielberg, though Ford has made clear that the original filmmaker is still "deeply involved" as a producer.

The Cannes premiere marks a homecoming for director James Mangold. "In 1995, I was honored to come to Cannes with my first film as part of Director's Fortnite," Mangold said in a statement, referencing his 1995 debut Heavy. "Twenty-eight years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle. My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you!"

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Lucasfilm Ltd. A de-aged Harrison Ford in a flashback scene from 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.'

In addition to Ford, the film stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Mads Mikkelsen, and John Rhys-Davies, who will be reprising his role as franchise favorite Sallah.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

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The Magnolia star is documenting her journey to her mothers home country on Instagram

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty, Joanna Gaines/instagram

Joanna Gaines has touched down in South Korea!

The Fixer Upper: Welcome Home star, 44, documented her journey to Seoul from Waco, Texas, with a series of videos on her Instagram Story.

Her adventure to her mom Nan's homeland comes after the star recently opened up about learning to embrace her Korean heritage after being bullied for it as a child.

The HGTV designer shared several videos taken out her plane window, including views over a mountainous landscape with Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" playing in the background. "Headed to (!!!!!!!!)," she wrote on the clip.

Another video shows an aerial view of the high rises below as she prepares to land with a soundtrack of "Fly Like an Eagle." "We made it!" she wrote on the post.

After touching down, Gaines shared a few clips of her first glimpse of the South Korean capital including a sign that says "Seoul Welcomes You" on an overpass, a view of the cherry blossom-lined streets, and the K-pop music video playing on her taxi screen, girl group Billlie's "EUNOIA."

Related:Joanna Gaines Struggled with Insecurity After Getting Bullied as a Child for Her Korean Heritage

Gaines, whose mother was born and raised in South Korea, has been candid about her difficult journey to embracing her Korean heritage. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in November, the Magnolia star opened up about getting bullied for being part Korean as a child.

"We were literally the only Asians in our entire school," Gaines recalled, referring to her and her sister. She adds that they were often teased for eating rice for lunch in the cafeteria and even used to get called names.

"It was deeply personal because that was half of my story," she told PEOPLE. "I realized if this isn't accepted, maybe I need to hide it and play more into the other side of who I am."

Related:Joanna Gaines Breaks Down to Mom About Not Embracing Her Korean Heritage: 'I Always Wanted to Say I Was Sorry'

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Courtesy

Gaines continued, "I just internally processed all by myself," adding that it wasn't healthy for her to do as a kid because "what you end up doing is just shoving it somewhere. It ends up coming out at some point because we have to deal with it. So for me, sadly, it took years for me to wrestle with that."

It wasn't until she visited New York City for a college internship that she started to change her perspective on her mixed heritage.

"I saw more people that looked like me than ever before," she says. "I left really understanding the beauty and uniqueness of Korean culture and for the first time I felt whole, like this is fully who I am and I'm proud of it."

Related: Joanna Gaines Returns to Koreatown with Her Daughters 20 Years After Eye-Opening First Visit

In November, Gaines revisited the special city that inspired her self-acceptance and took a trip to Koreatown with her daughters  Emmie Kay 12, and Ella, 15  whom she shares with husband Chip Gaines.

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.

Joanna Gaines/instagram

She shared a powerful video that documented her time there alongside a meaningful caption.

"I was 21 the first time I walked through Koreatown. I'd just moved to NYC and was missing home, and everything about these streetsthe food, the smells, the languagereminded me of my mom," she wrote. "It was the first time I can remember truly feeling connected to a culture I grew up believing I needed to hide. It was beautiful to watch people live out the fullness of their story."

She continued: "Finally, I was seeing the beauty of being unique and realized that what made me different was actually the best part about me."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Jozzy and Diddy

REVOLT Black News Weekly is making sure no one forgets what happened to Shanquella Robinson and that justice if finally served. On Friday (March 31), the latest episode of RBN continued to shed light on the North Carolina native who died while vacationing in Mexico with associates. Other topics that were featured in the episode, titled Shanquella Robinson: What really happened? and led by global news anchor Mara S. Campo, included an alleged modern lynching in Mississippi, a debate about physically disciplining children, an illuminating chat with Grammy-nominated R&B artist Jozzy, and more.

Recently released documents revealed more information about the circumstances surrounding Robinsons death. The biggest question, though, is why has no one been arrested yet?

Eating dinner made by a private chef, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves in a video Robinson posted to Instagram the night before the beating that would lead to her untimely death. The guest registry identified those in attendance, including Robinson; Daejhanae Jackson, 26; Nazeer Wiggins, 25; Alysse Hyatt, 28; Wenter Donovan, 24; Malik Dyer, 26; and Khalil Cooke, 25.

According to Mexican authorities, Jackson is the woman in the viral video seen delivering a brutal beating to Robinson. She punches and kicks the young woman in the clip, which was shot in a villa in Cabo San Lucas. It was Jackson who told the hotel concierge that she thought Robinson was suffering from alcohol poisoning the same afternoon. But since the assault occurred in the morning, it means Robinson may have been dead for hours by then. Soon after, the group asked for a ride to dinner, but instead they cut their vacation short, got dropped off at an airport and left the country.

Robinsons family said it was actually Cooke who invited her on the trip and that he also told the family she died because of alcohol poisoning, which has since been proven false. Yet, no arrests have been made. [Mexico] requested extradition, said Dr. Don Corbett, a law professor at North Carolina Central University. They have also, from what I understand from the family, theyve also said that if the United States wants to take jurisdiction of the matter, that it can. None of those things have happened just yet.

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Jackson could be prosecuted locally since the law says a U.S. citizen can be charged for killing a fellow citizen even if it happens outside the nation. The White House has confirmed they are on the case, but Robinsons family maintains theyve been kept in the dark. As for the FBI in Charlotte, it has stated the case is ongoing. We get more upset when the police kill us than we do when its a Black on Black crime, and thats just a matter of fact, said journalist Jasmyne Cannick. Nevertheless, Robinsons family and friends have continued to apply pressure the best they can despite the apparent lack of outrage within the Black community.

Another story that needs more national recognition is the mysterious death in Mississippi of Rasheem Carter, 25, whose dismembered body was found in the woods shortly after he said he was being stalked by racist white men in trucks. The local police were quick to say no foul play was involved, but his family is painting a different picture.

It was in October 2022 that Carter went missing in rural Mississippi after reportedly telling the Taylorsville Police Department twice that he was being hunted by white men in pickup trucks. He would never be seen alive again. According to his family, Carter went to the police for help, who was not forthcoming despite his claims of harassment. Carter then disappeared, and after an extensive search, his remains were found in the woods about a month later.

His limbs were disconnected, his spinal cord was found in a separate area from his skull, said coroner Kendrick McDonald, who stated foul play is more likely, though wild animals could have been involved. His legs [have] not been found. Only a small portion of Mr. Carters body has been [found] up to this very point, McDonald added.

The sheriff initially said there was no reason to suspect foul play, but has since stated murder has not been ruled out. Its also worth noting that the area around Taylorsville has been a hotbed for white supremacy. The family continues to press for answers and has also hired civil right attorney Ben Crump while urging the Department of Justice to investigate.

Other updates on RBN included the killing of Tyre Nichols, with four of the five Memphis police officers arrested for his death being decertified as policemen. Another officer involved in the incident retired with full benefits the day before he was supposed to be fired.

A better side of Memphis was also featured with a profile on Jozzy, the first artist signed to Diddys new Love Records. The R&B artist and LGBTQ+ community member spoke about being unapologetically herself and knowing who she is as an artist. Thats really a mentor, said Jozzy of linking with Diddy and Love Records. I know Puffs kids. I be at his house. Thats what you get  its like a family. I can talk to Puff about anything. Thats really my guy. Love Records is a partnership as well.

After getting props for her songwriting (Beyonce, Chris Brown), she stepped out front with her 2023 EP, Songs for Women, Free Game for N**gas. Terms kind of lock us in, said the proud Memphis native matter-of-factly. Gay, straight, queer which is cool, I understand people have to try to compartmentalize it. But at the end of the day, I just like girls.

The Shanquella Robinson: What Really Happened? episode was another show stacked with issues the community needs to keep front of mind  such as a spirited debate surrounding Black parenting and corporal punishment spurred by critiques on social media, and more. Be sure to catch new installments of REVOLT Black News Weekly every Friday at 5 p.m. ET via REVOLTs app.

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leo-pras-trial - Credit: Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images; Griffin Lotz

Leonardo DiCaprio took the stand at the federal money laundering trial against Fugees member Pras Michel on Monday. The actor is one of 72 witnesses prosecutors prepped as potential witnesses for the government.

DiCaprio, who is appearing as a witness for the prosecution, testified about the alleged exploits of Malaysian financier Jho Low. Low is accused of stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysias 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, and Michel is among those accused of assisting him, allegedly receiving $8 million (and as much as $40 million) for doing so.

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I understood him to be a huge businessman with many connections, DiCaprio told the court, according to the BBC. He was a prodigy in the business world.

DiCaprio said he met Low at a party in Las Vegas in 2010. The pair were linked in various ways over the next few years, with DiCaprio saying Low frequently invited him (and other celebrities) to a multitude of lavish parties. Low also contributed to DiCaprios various charitable efforts, with the actor testifying that he regularly participated in auctions to bring in funds for his foundation. A firm tied to Low even fronted a significant amount of money to fund Martin Scorseses 2013 movie starring DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street.

(DiCaprio, as previously reported, later turned over items he and his foundation received from Low to authorities, supposedly including some expensive paintings by Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat.)

Particularly pertinent to the accusations against Michel was DiCaprios recollection of a conversation he had with Low about U.S. politics, and Lows interest in making a significant contribution to the Democratic Party before the 2012 presidential election. Low was reportedly considering an amount between $20 and $30 million, with DiCaprio telling the court, I basically said Wow, thats a lot of money.

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Prosecutors have accused Michel of trying to help Low funnel millions to Obamas re-election campaign. Its one of several illegal influence campaigns Michel is accused of taking part in with Low, along with trying to convince the Trump administration to stop investigating Low and the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

During opening statements last week, prosecutor Nicole Lockhart alleged Michel pocketed hundreds of millions of embezzled Malaysian dollars in exchange for running a foreign-influence campaign against the U.S. government.

The defendant needed money and was willing to do anything to get it, including being an agent of the Chinese government, Lockhart stated. The defendant wanted money and was willing to break any laws necessary to get paid.

In 2019, Michel pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and falsifying records stemming from the rappers alleged role in a Malaysian wealth funds campaign finance violations. (Low is named as a co-defendant in the case, but he is currently a fugitive.)

Michel has continued to maintain his innocence, and recently spoke about the accusations against him, as well as their repercussions, with Rolling Stone. What benefit would I get trying to break laws? Its not worth it to me, he said. Im like a pariah now. Ive got friends who wont talk to me because they think theres a satellite in orbit listening to them.

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Click here to read the full article.
Netflix

Love is Blind is back and better than ever, but cast member Kwame Appiah has got everyone talking, as fans are a little bit confused over his insistence that he doesn't want to move to Seattle.



The dating series, which sees people fall in love then get engaged without ever meeting in person, is in its fourth season and theres been a lot of drama so far. From breakups to love triangles and now, viewers are saying the same thing about Kwame after new episodes dropped on Netflix on Friday.

Warning, spoilers below!

Kwame proposed to Chelsea Griffin after the pair connected in the famous Love is Blind pods. The loved-up couple jetted off to their honeymoon in Mexico then returned to Seattle, where this season of the series is based.

Netflix

But, when it came time for Kwame and Chelsea to discuss their future living arrangements, he opened up about not wanting to move from Portland.

This left viewers confused, as a big part of the show is participants being from or living in the same city, so they took to Twitter to share their reactions.

Confused on Kwame living in Portland. I thought the whole point behind Love is Blind is that they all live in the same city? one fan wrote.

Kwame signed up for Love is Blind Seattle not Love is Blind Portland. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and not compare to SK but he's making it hard, wrote another.

Confused on Kwame living in Portland. I thought the whole point behind love is blind is that they all live in the same city? #LoveIsBlind  Courtney S. (@thesummah) April 3, 2023

Kwame signed up for Love is Blind Seattle not Love is Blind Portland. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and not compare to SK but he's making it hard #LoveIsBlindS4 pic.twitter.com/rgsSQ9JJ8O  Mermaid (@arielj4123) March 31, 2023

Maybe I missed it but what is Kwame sacrificing to be with Chelsea? Being a dog dad? Also, if he wasnt willingly to move from Portland then why go on Love is Blind Seattle. Hes just preparing to leave her at the altar, another speculated.

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If Kwame loved Portland so much and was gonna bitch about compromising too much to merge his world with Chelseas, then dammit, he shouldnt have signed up for Love Is Blind Seattle! wrote another.

Maybe I missed it but what is Kwame sacrificing to be with Chelsea? Being a dog dad? Also, if he wasnt willingly to move from Portland then why go on Love is Blind Seattle. Hes just preparing to leave her at the altar #LoveIsBlind  _yayakeys (@_Yayakeys) March 31, 2023

If Kwame loved Portland so much and was gonna bitch about compromising too much to merge his world with Chelseas, then dammit, he shouldnt have signed up for Love Is Blind Seattle!#LoveisBlind4 #LoveIsBlindNetflix pic.twitter.com/pJEHrdsPy9  Who Dat Cat  (@Louisiana_Cat) April 2, 2023

So, will Kwame be able to come to terms with moving to Seattle or not? We cant wait to see!

Love is Blind is streaming on Netflix now.





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Joshua Engberg, left, is shown with his son, Mark Engberg, who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) after he was born. SMA is a genetic disease affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems and voluntary muscle movement. Mark receives therapy from the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) and Help Me Grow Early Intervention (EI) program.

Joshua Engberg and Reese Crabtree were high school sweethearts who married shortly after graduating because Joshua was entering the military. They were excited to begin their life together as a young military couple. The plan was to wait to have children, but that changed when they found out they were expecting.

At the time, Joshua was stationed in North Carolina, so that is where the birth of their baby boy, Mark, took place. The couple was in baby bliss, celebrating their adorable new bundle of joy. Unfortunately, their happiness was quickly accompanied by worry and fear.

Mark was the first baby to receive a newborn screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) in North Carolina. SMA is a genetic disease affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems and voluntary muscle movement. The condition is often called floppy baby syndrome, because it weakens the muscles closest to the center of the body (back, shoulders, hips, and thighs). SMA also affects breathing and swallowing, so that was an immediate concern. Mark was born on June 12, 2021, and by June 22, he had a formal diagnosis.

"We are young parents anyway. Mark was our first child, so hearing the news of his diagnosis was devastating and traumatic," Reese recalled.

While the news was hard to take, receiving the information so early in Mark's life was a blessing. The family and team of physicians could get busy with treatment right away, which has been imperative to Mark's progress. The couple also felt fortunate to be part of the military because the benefits gave them opportunities for treatments that they would not have been able to afford otherwise.

"I like to call Mark my two-and-a-half-million-dollar baby because we were able to get a treatment that cost that much," Reese said. "We are so thankful to have the coverage that we did, but it pains me to think of the families who are not as fortunate."

The family is now living in Marion and enrolled in the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities (MCBDD) and Help Me Grow Early Intervention (EI) program. Through EI, Mark is receiving therapies of all kinds and crushing milestones. He is also seeing a string of specialists. Reese said Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the leading hospitals for SMA and has been a fantastic support for their family.

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Reese Crabtree is the mother of Mark Engberg. Now almost age 2, Mark was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy shortly after he was born in June 2021. Reese said she wants Mark "to be as typical as possible and do the things kids should get to do in life."

"The therapies and doctors' visits can be overwhelming. As a result, I had to quit my job and make Mark's care my full-time career. It's one I certainly wouldn't trade. Still, it can be hard to manage in many ways  financially, emotionally, and with the investment of time," Reese said.

Mark is almost 2, and the couple feels they have come a long way since the news of Mark's diagnosis. They are a great team. Reese happily reported that she can eat a warm meal occasionally now. But, of course, they do still have plenty of worries.

SMA is unpredictable and can worsen as Mark ages. Since the disease is genetic, they are concerned with having additional children. Reese's siblings could also be carriers, so that is a worry for her extended family.

When asked what her wish is for Mark, Reese said, "I just don't want this to hold him back. I want him to be as typical as possible and do the things kids should get to do in life."

"Early Intervention has been fantastic. We were looped in before moving from North Carolina, so we never missed a beat. We have found that Ohio has many resources for us to tap into," she said. "Our biggest hiccup has been the financial burden. Trying to get Mark on Medicaid has been a long and frustrating process. The bills don't stop just because the process is slow and hard to navigate," she adds.

Mark will likely be a candidate for services at the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities throughout his life. The organization is excited to support this family and see Mark reach each precious milestone during his journey.

Provided by the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Mark's story: Family finds blessing in child born with disability
The post Morbid Angel Share GoFundMe Page for Fan Who Was Killed in Roof Collapse at Illinois Show appeared first on Consequence.

Morbid Angel, Revocation, and Skeletal Remains have shared GoFundMe pages for victims of the tragic roof collapse at the Apollo Theater on Friday (March 31st) in Belvidere, Illinois.

Fifty-year-old Fred Livingston Jr. died and 48 others were injured when a tornado ripped through the area on Friday night, shortly after opening act CRYPTA had just played their set at the Apollo had began. A tornado warning was in place when the roof of the venue collapsed on those inside while sending the marquee and facade crashing to the ground in front of the venue.

Morbid Angel shared a GoFundMe for Livingston Jr. and a short statement on Facebook: We want to personally send our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of our deceased brother in Metal, Fred Livingston Jr. Anyone who wants to help or show support to the family may do so below.

As of this posting, more than $38,000 has been raised for the family of Livingston Jr., surpassing the initial goal of $20,000. Revocation, who were a part of the tour package for the Apollo show, also shared the GoFundMe for Livingston Jr. and a GoFundMe for another victim named Michelle, who sustained serious injuries in the roof collapse and will require surgery.

The band wrote on Facebook: Please donate if you can. If you cant please share the links to help the families of those affected.

Roof Collapse Morbid Angel show

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The National Weather Service confirmed 12 tornadoes in Illinois on Friday, including an EF-1 tornado in the Davis Junction-Belvidere area. An EF-1 tornado near Belvidere traveled nearly 28 miles within just 25 minutes, with peak winds of 100 MPH and a max width of 900 yards.

On Sunday (April 2nd), Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Belvidere Mayor Clint Morris assessed the damage at the Apollo as crews continued cleaning up the rubble. According to officials, all those who were inside the theater have been accounted for. It remains unclear if the roof caved in or was torn off, per ABC7 Chicago.

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Pritzker has issued an emergency proclamation to unlock immediate resources for communities across Illinois impacted by the tornadoes and severe weather, including Belvidere.

Morbid Angel Share GoFundMe Page for Fan Who Was Killed in Roof Collapse at Illinois Show

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The Motion Picture Association is expanding its team in Latin America, with the hiring of new executives in communications and advocacy.

Cesar Castillejos will serve as vice president of communications, public affairs and advocacy for the region and Carlos Monroy will serve as advocacy director for Mexico.

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The new hires reflect the growth in the home and mobile and theatrical markets in Latin America.

They will report to Carla Sanchez Armas, managing director of Latin America for the MPA, and are joining the team led by Gail MacKinnon, senior executive vice president, global policy, and government affairs.

Castillejos has held senior positions in the Mexican government, including as a communications adviser to President Enrique Pena Nieto. He most recently led communications for the Federal Judiciary Authority and the National Supreme Court of Justice.

Cesar Castillejos

Monroy worked in the Mexican Congress and the Federal Public Administration. He was senior adviser to Tatiana Clouthier, former secretary of the economy, until 2022. He oversaw Mexicos industrial policy along with the undersecretary for industry and commerce, and also was responsible for designing and implementing the ministrys policy on promotion of creative industries.

Castillejos said in a statement, Latin America is a region of increasing importance for the MPA and our member studios, and we will continue working to support the industrys growth and development.

Carlos Monroy

Monroy said in a statement, Mexico is undergoing a dynamic political transformation, which demands our close attention. The industry has great opportunities in Mexico, and we will continue working to generate new investment opportunities and an improved business landscape for the creative economy.

Story continues

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WWE CEO Nick Khan comments on WWEs relationship with Saudi Arabia and the companys media rights negotiations following the news of their merger with UFC.

On April 3, multiple SEC filings indicated that WWE reached an agreement with Endeavor, in which WWE and UFC would merge and form a new company. Vince McMahon then confirmed the news and discussed the move. He is set to serve as the Executive Chair of the new company, while Khan would be the president of WWE

Speaking with Sara Fischer of Axios, Khan confirmed that WWEs relationship with Saudi Arabia will continue.

[O]ur relationship with The Kingdom is a terrific partnership for which were appreciative of, and you know, nothing in terms of anyone elses prior experience will affect that, Khan said. We think that weve delivered the product in the way that the Kingdom wanted it delivered. We have a multiple year agreement with them in place. Were excited to do a show  well be back there May 27 for a big premium live event.

Khan also discussed the upcoming media rights negotiations and noted that FOX and NBCUniversal have the right of first refusal to re-up their respective deals with WWE. He expressed his hope that theyll reach a deal with both companies and stated that, if theyre unable to do that, the company will explore the marketplace.

When asked whether WWE and UFC would consider a combined deal for their streaming rights, Khan praised NBCU.

The good folks at NBCU have been tremendous partners to us, Khan said. So lets see what they have to say.

Both WWE and UFC will both be up for negotiations for their respective media rights in the near future; Fischer noted that the WWEs Peacock deal is up in 2026, while UFCs agreement with ESPN expires in 2025.

WrestleZone will provide more information as it becomes available.

The post Nick Khan Comments On WWEs Relationship With Saudi Arabia, Media Rights Negotiations appeared first on Wrestlezone.




LHASA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Primary school students in Xiazayu Town, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, are enjoying more choices of books thanks to the book corners set up in recent years.


Paddington

After what feels like a millennium of waiting, the third Paddington film will officially kick off production on July 24. Deadline reports despite rumors of its shaky standing, Paddington In Peru is still in the works at Studiocanal.

As indicated by the title, the bears third adventure will take him back home to darkest Peru. Otherwise, little details about the threequel are known, but we can bet Paddington is gonna wear a red little hat and eat some marmalade.

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Early last year, it was announced that Paddington In Peru would begin filming by the end of 2022. However, one year later, star Ben Whishaw said he was unsure if it was still even happening, saying the production had gone silent. Its been six years since Paddington 2 hit theaters, and it will most likely be at least one more until the marmalade-loving bear graces screens once again.

The film will hopefully feature more on the origin story of the beloved bear. In the childrens books, its explained Paddington ends up in London after his elderly Aunt Lucy went to live in the Home for Retired Bears. He moved in with his auntie after his parents died in a wildfire. As a Latino displaced by geopolitics, he had to white-wash his given name because its hard to pronounce. While creating the character, Michael Bond was inspired by refugees in London during World War II.

Paul King, who directed the first two Paddington films, previously passed the baton to Dougal Wilson, who makes his feature film debut with Paddington In Peru. King is still attached to the project as an executive producer, with the screenplay written by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont

Its expected that Whishaw will return to voice the animated bear, with other key cast members including Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Imelda Staunton, and Michael Gambon.

Story continues

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The helicopter was on its way to pick up a hiker in physical distress and take the patient to a local hospital when the crash occurred in Shelby County

ABC News

Two members of a medical helicopter crew are dead and one is in critical condition after their aircraft crashed in Shelby County, Ala., on Sunday evening.

The crash took place just after 5:30 p.m., according to a news conference with chief deputy of the Shelby County Sheriff's office Clay Hammac. He explained that the helicopter had been sent to transport a hiker in the city of Chelsea, who was reporting breathing problems and chest pains, to a local hospital.

The crash occurred upon landing, when deputies on scene were already present attempting to clear a landing zone. Per the news conference, deputies attempted to extract the crew, as the craft was on fire, and "did the best they could to render aid."

Related:5 Dead After Hot Air Balloon Crashes into Power Lines in New Mexico

One member of the crew died at the crash site, while two others were taken to the hospital. A second victim died at the hospital, while the third remains gravely injured.

According to WBRC, Shelby County Coroner's office confirmed the identities of the two deaths Monday: Pilot Marc Gann, 63, and nurse Samuel Russell, 43.

Related:9 People Are Dead After 2 U.S. Army Blackhawk Helicopters Crash in Kentucky

Air Methods, the company which owns the LifeSaver helicopter, said in a statement that the helicopter experienced an accident upon landing and asked for "thoughts and prayers" for all impacted by the tragedy.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have been called in to assist in an investigation of the crash, Hammac said.

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Brenda Gann, the widow of Marc Gann, provided a statement to WBRC regarding her late husband, which reads: "Marc loved his family, co-workers, and community. Marc lived by the motto 'It's not the destination but the journey.' His journey involved a life dedicating his service to saving soldiers, saving lives, and making a difference in this world."

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The post Regina Spektor Announces Summer 2023 Tour appeared first on Consequence.

Regina Spektor has announced a new string of Summer 2023 tour dates in support of her latest album, Home, before and after.

Kicking off on July 28th in Milwaukee, the trek includes shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia  both of which will feature support from Aimee Mann. The jaunt also includes stops in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and New York City. See Spektors complete touring schedule below.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 7th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster, with a Live Nation pre-sale beginning Wednesday, April 5th (use access code VINYL).

Once tickets are on sale, you can also find them at StubHub, where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHubs FanProtect program. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

In February, Spektor stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers to run through What Might Have Been, and before that, she promoted her latest album with an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Last year also marked Spektors long-awaited physical release of her debut album 11:11, which was reissued for its 20th anniversary. Be sure to check out our interview with Spektor about Home, before and after.

Get Regina Spektor Tickets Here

Regina Spektor 2023 Tour Dates:

05/21  Guadalajara, MX @ Corona Capital

07/15  London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall

07/16  London, UK @ Royal Festival Hall

07/18  Rattvik, SE @ Dalhalla

07/28  Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater

07/29  Evanston, IL @ Out of Space *

07/30  Cincinnati, OH @ Brady Music

08/01  Rochester, NY @ Kodak Center

08/02  Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre

08/03  Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap 

08/05  Woodinville, WA @ Chateau Ste. Michelle

08/07  Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery

08/08  Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues

08/10  Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre 

08/24  Central Park, NY @ SummerStage

08/25  West Hampton, NY @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

08/27  Marthas Vineyard, MA @ Beach Road Festival

Story continues

* = w/ Allison Russell

 = w/ Aimee Mann

Regina Spektor Announces Summer 2023 Tour

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Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 9

Every city in the Real Housewives franchise has its own quirks and has generated its fair share of OMG moments. But I would venture a guess and say that since Real Housewives of Atlanta debuted in 2008, few have created as many legendary scenes. If you havent watched from the beginning, I humbly request you clear an entire weekend to binge the entire thing. RHOA offers the most quotable, sarcastic, and hilarious material. It also has some pretty dramatic disputes. If youre lucky enough, sometimes all of this goes down in one scene before a commercial break.

All of the Real Housewives are wonderful, but few compare to our beloved RHOA. Lets take a look back at how this particular show became a huge fan favorite and Bravos ace in the hole. Here are some iconic and memorable moments from our Atlanta ladies.

Phaedra Parks Lies About Kandi Burruss

This one stung because fans were invested in Kandi Burruss friendship with Phaedra Parks. We last saw Phae Phae on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, but she hasnt been on RHOA since she left in Season 9. Phaedra went full traitor and was complicit in a rumor that alleged Kandi wanted to rape Porsha Williams in her sex dungeon.

To say Kandi was blown away by Phaedras betrayal would be a gross understatement. She was incensed by the accusations because she believed they could harm both her reputation and her personal brand. Porsha revealed who was leading the gossip pack during an incredibly heated reunion. THE LIES, THE LIES, THE LIES is burned in our memory banks forever. Phaedra never provided a motive for flapping her lips and crawled away into the night. Kandi said if Phaedra ever returned to RHOA, she would be out. Bravo must feel Phaedra paid her dues because she appeared on RHUGT and just nabbed a slot on Married To Medicine.

Marlo Hampton And Sheree Whitfield In South Africa

On RHOA, fights can be both vitriolic and humorous. It might sound like a fun combo in theory, but its a problem. When Marlo Hampton and Sheree got into a fight on a Season 4 trip to South Africa, it became quite evident. Sheree had a dinner party and left Marlos name off the list. It caused a huge commotion that resulted in some terrific verbal and nonverbal attacks. Although the actual battle of words took about 5 minutes to happen, its impact lasted for years.

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Marlo criticized Sheree for spending time with drug dealers and having money issues. Sheree basically called Marlo a hooker and mocked her for messing with an 80-year-old man. Hands were tossed and hair was flicked. Marlo wound up saying some pretty offensive words and hopefully learned a lesson that day. Due to their friendship and apparent fondness for self-deprecation, Sheree and Marlo mimicked the famous altercation during Season 14.

RELATED: The Most Dramatic Real Housewives Cast Trips

BOLO, Thats All I Need To Say

Im pretty sure I could just write BOLO and everyone reading could come up with their own segment to this article. Some might even include carefully hand-drawn pictures. RHOA has given us many men over the years. Sure we love Miss Lawrence. Dwight Eubanks and his dancing with Phaedra at her baby shower will live on forever. And Gregg Leakes was obviously the king over a very tumultuous group of people. Then there was BOLO. Michael Bolo Bolwaire was not a friend of the cast. Nor was he a relative. BOLO is a dancer, of sorts, and he has special talents.

People werent talking about BOLOs interesting Chanel interpretation wardrobe pieces. They were mostly talking about his massive personal situation and what he might have done with it during a naughty soiree. For a reality television show with multiple cameras, something happened only certain people know about. Drew Sidora, Porsha, Tanya Sam, LaToya Ali, and Shamea Morton were dancing the night away and Kenya Moore twirled herself to bed. The rumor mill was buzzing and we never heard from Tanya again.

Porsha Williams And The Underground Railroad

I know this is a heavy part of RHOA canon, but I still cant believe it happened. I literally watched it with my own eyeballs and heard it with my own ears and still cant comprehend it wasnt staged. Along with natural shade and the ability to be the moment, Porsha also has a ditzy side that we love. I mean, this is literally the same person who once declared there were 265 days in a year. Look, we can either laugh or blame the school systems. But few Porsha moments stick out like the Underground Railroad. As the granddaughter of civil rights pioneer Hosea Williams, who collaborated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her snafu wasnt very cute.

When the cast visited Savannah, Georgias First Black Baptist Church the ladies learned it was a stop on the underground railroad. Porsha proceeded to open her mouth and say, There has to be an opening for the railroad at some point. Our sweet summer child thought there was a subterranean choo-choo train running people back and forth. Porsha added, Cause somebodys driving the train. Its not electric like what we have now.

Porshas co-stars were astounded. The tour guide was laughing in disbelief. When it was explained to Porsha there was no real train down there she responded, Just a railroad? Some people werent able to reconcile Porshas mistake and laugh it off like a joke. In a confessional interview, Kenya said, Its almost hurtful to me to watch her be so dumb. Thankfully Porsha has redeemed herself in recent years.

Sheree Whitfield Shifting Kim Zolciaks Head

This is easily one of my most-watched moments on RHOA. I will go ahead and confess most of the moments I consider most watchable involve Sheree. I just cant quit someone who granted the world a blessing with, Whos gonna check me, Boo? But Sheree gave us that and so much more. The wigs worn by Kim Zolciak have drawn a lot of attention, especially in her first few seasons. NeNe even used to call Kim wig as an insult. At one point her dismissive bye wig became what I regularly say to my cat when he huffs out of a room. As a result, one of the most famous RHOA moments is when Kims wig is yanked in a Season 2 episode.

Kim met NeNe and SheBySheBroke at a restaurant. They wanted to confront Kim about some rumors she was allegedly spreading about them. Everything started out just dandy and Kim even brought a bike helmet as comic relief. She probably should have put that thing on her head after all because the dinner went from just dandy to Oh snap. Voices rose and other people at the eatery were staring at Sheree and Kim verbally going to town. Kim told Sheree to go f**k yourself and made a run for the door. NeNes obvious embarrassment made it even funnier as she ran after them when they took to the sidewalk. The yelling on the sidewalk jumped to Sheree pulling on Kims Party City wig. In her interview, Sheree denied trying to yank the hair off Kims head. She only wanted to shift it, you guys! Sheree later said she just wanted Kims attention after she walked away from her. Thats certainly one way to get it.

TELL US- WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RHOA CHAOTIC MOMENT? WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THE LIST? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT?

[Photo Credit: Mark Hill/Bravo]

The post Top Iconic Real Housewives Of Atlanta Moments appeared first on Reality Tea.
Class of 2024 five-star recruit Ian Jackson is one of four commits for North Carolina in the 2024 cycle and already hes cashing in on an NIL deal that involves the GOAT.

Jackson has struck a deal with New York City shoe store Extra Butter to help promote a new colorway of the Air Jordan 1 titled Skyline. Jordan Brand has tagged Extra Butter as the first shop to launch the new colorway as the two sides are partners.

The Skyline colorway of the Air Jordan 1 High OG pays tribute to a photo of Jordan doing the Jumpman pose in Chicago with the citys skyline in the background, for an iconic photo. To help promote, Jackson was featured in this video and even a photo recreating the picture:

The shoe released exclusively at Extra Butter on Friday, March 31st and features a purple-to-pink gradient color scheme with white and black accents throughout.

Jackson wont have to wait much longer to reap the benefits of being at a Jordan Brand school as UNC often receives player-exclusive retro Air Jordans.

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
Richneck Elementary School, Virginia

After facing a traumatizing near-death experience, a Virginia teacher is suing her former employer for an incident she believes was gravely mishandled. As previously reported by REVOLT, in early January, a 6-year-old boy took a loaded 9 mm handgun to Richneck Elementary School and shot Abigail Zwerner, his first grade instructor, in her chest and hand following an argument.

Today (April 3), the 25-year-old filed a $40 million lawsuit claiming the administrators at Richneck Elementary did not take the boys previous concerning actions nor her complaints seriously, leading to an attack that nearly cost her, her life. Newport News, Virginia police stated the child was deliberate in his plan to injure Zwerner; however, the minor will not face any criminal charges.

I applaud the Virginia teacher named Abigail Zwerner for filing a $40 million lawsuit on Monday. She was shot by a 6-year-old student and the School Administrators ignored the warning signs of the situation! School Administrators need to step up on accountability! NO EXCUSES  Mike Palmer (@MkeWPalmer) April 3, 2023

According to NBC News, Zwerners lawsuit was filed in the Newport News Circuit Court and alleges Richneck Assistant Principal Ebony Parker chose to breach her assumed duty to protect the employee despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual. Before the shooting, the child also reportedly choked another teacher until she couldnt breathe while in kindergarten at the Virginia school during the 2021-22 school year. Former Superintendent George Parker III and Richneck Principal Briana Foster Newton are also named in the suit.

Another incident involving the student included one in the 2021-22 school year when he allegedly pulled up the dress of a female student who fell on the playground and began to touch the child inappropriately until reprimanded by a teacher. He was transferred from the school but allowed to return the following year. Complaints added that the child also attempted to whip students with a belt and curse at staff. Teachers concerns with John Does behavior [were] regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed. Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy, Zwerners lawsuit reads.

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A South Carolina woman is charged with homicide by child abuse after she allegedly used illegal drugs -- fentanyl and meth -- while pregnant, according to York County deputies and arrest warrants in the case.

Kelly Lauren Ferrell, 31, of Fort Mill, was arrested over the weekend in the town of York and booked into the York County jail, according to the warrant, a sheriffs office incident report and Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriffs Office.

The unborn child died earlier this year at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, deputies allege in arrest warrants and an incident report.

Ferrell is accused of illicitly using fentanyl and methamphetamine in an ongoing pattern during the course of her known pregnancy causing the fetal demise of her approximately 40 week unborn son under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, the arrest warrant states.

The arrest warrant was signed by a judge March 29 after deputies received drug screens, medical records, and other documentation, the warrant states. The York County Coroners Office advised deputies of the death on March 27, according to a sheriffs office incident report.

According to the autopsy report, the cause of death was intrauterine fetal demise in the setting of acute placental abruption and maternal drug use (methamphetamine/amphetamine, fentanyl), the sheriffs office incident report stated.

Defense will do its own investigation

Ferrell is represented by the 16th Circuit Public Defenders office, according to. B.J. Barrowclough, York Countys top public defender.

Barrowclough said Monday his office will conduct its own investigation into the allegations.

We will do a full and through investigation, and consult with medical experts as necessary, and do all we can do to defend Ms. Ferrells legal interests, Barrowclough told The Herald in a phone interview Monday.

SC charge carries 20 years to life

Homicide by child abuse is a felony under South Carolina law defined as when a person, causes the death of a child under the age of eleven while committing child abuse or neglect, and the death occurs under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.

A conviction for the charge carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison with a maximum penalty of life, South Carolina law states.

Ferrell remains in the York County jail after an initial court hearing where she was denied bail.
A child throws a puffin off a cliff in Iceland. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Iceland's remote Westland Islands are home to the world's largest puffin colony.

Every year, puffin chicks get disorientated by light pollution and crash inland rather than flying out to sea.

Locals scour streets to save the pufflings. Once they find them, they document them and throw them off cliffs.

Every year during the late summer, locals on a remote island off the coast of Iceland spend their evenings searching for disorientated puffin chicks  known as pufflings  and throw them off a cliff's edge.

Light pollution can confuse the pufflings, causing them to fly inland instead of out to sea.

Puffins are a national treasure in Iceland, which has the largest colony in the world, but for decades, their numbers have been dwindling.

About 43 miles off the southern coast of Iceland are the Westman Islands, a collection of windswept, volcanic remote islands.

A. view of the inlet gorge of Heimaey Harbor in 2018. Mahaux Charles/AGF/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Sources: NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, New York Times

The largest of these islands is called Heimaey. It covers about five square miles and is the only inhabited island with a population of about 4,400 people.

An aerial view of Town of Heimaey, Iceland, covered in fog. Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

The Westland Islands are known for two things. The first is a violent, unexpected volcanic eruption that occurred in 1973 after the volcano had lain dormant for 7,000 years.

The volcanic eruption on Heimaey Island in 1973. Fred Ihrt/LightRocket/Getty Images

Source: New York Times

The second is its puffin population. The islands are home to the world's largest puffin colony. At certain times of the year, the skies are filled with puffins carrying fish to their chicks.

Puffins in Iceland in 1976. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket/Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Puffins are recognizable by their black and white feathers and their clown-like orange beaks. Unlike most seabirds, they have dense bones allowing them to dive 200 feet deep to catch fish.

A puffin is seen with a freshly caught fish in its beak on the cliffs of Heimaey island, Iceland. Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Puffins are Iceland's most common bird, but for the last 20 years, they have struggled to breed, according to Erpur Snaer Hansen, director of ecological research at the South Iceland Nature Center.

A puffin opens its colored beak in the breeding season. Sven-Erik Arndt/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

He told Audubon they had suffered a "breeding failure, basically."

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Sources: Audubon, New York Times

Breeding pairs have dropped significantly since the 1990s, and for over a decade, there were few newborn chicks. In 2018, the islands' puffin population had fallen from 7 million to an estimated 5.4 million.

A pair of puffins sit at the burrow entrance on a sea cliff top in Iceland. Sven-Erik Arndt/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Sources: New York Times, Audubon

A number of factors are likely responsible, including climate change, overfishing, pollution, and difficulty finding food.

Puffins during feeding time at the 'Puffin Hotel' rescue center at the Sea Life Trust Beluga Whale Sanctuary on the island of Heimaey in Iceland. Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: New York Times

Reduced populations of sand eels due to increasingly warm sea temperatures have particularly hurt puffins, forcing them to search further for food for their chicks.

Two puffins look into the grass on a bird cliff of Heimaey Island, Iceland. Mahaux Charles/AGF/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

If puffins can't find enough food, they feed themselves over their pufflings, which means scarcity can be a puffling-killer.

Hansen said the relationship was comparable to that of "the hare and the lynx."

Sources: New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon

It can be hard to believe puffins in Iceland are struggling since they appear plentiful. But because puffins live for 25 years, it takes years to notice falling numbers.

Atlantic puffins on a cliff top in Iceland in 2020. Sven-Erik Arndt/Arterra/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Sources: New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon

Puffins used to be a vital food source and a delicacy for locals and tourists, but hunting restrictions are now in place due to the population's breeding failures.

A portrait of puffin hunter Jakob Erlingsson holding the puffins he caught using a net. Tessa Bunney/Pictures Ltd/Corbis/Getty Images

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon

In 2021, things appeared to be looking up after the colony produced about 700,000 new chicks, but by the middle of the summer, almost half had died, mostly from starvation.

A dead puffin lying on the grass after being caught using a net by a puffin hunter. Tessa Bunney/ Pictures Ltd/Corbis/Getty Images

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon

Growing the puffin population isn't helped by the fact they only lay one egg each season. They mate with the same puffin for life and usually go back to the same burrow.

Two puffins on a rock in 2022. Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images

"If you have one failed generation after another after another after another, the population is through, pretty much," Rodrigo A. Martinez, who works with the South Iceland Nature Research Center told NPR.

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon, NPR

For most of the year, puffins live out on the freezing waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They live alone, bobbing in the water, diving deep for food.

A puffin looks out to the ocean while perched on a cliff's edge in Iceland. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Iceland Magazine

In late spring, millions of puffins return to breed in the cliffs of these islands.

Hundreds of puffins nesting in Iceland in 2003. Tina Stallard/Getty Images

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Iceland Magazine

After the puffling hatches, the parents raise it for about 40 days. Then the parents return to the ocean, leaving their puffling to fend for itself.

A close-up shot of a puffin opening its beak. Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Sources: NPR, Iceland Magazine

When the puffling gets hungry, it will leave the burrow and fly out over the ocean in search of food.

A puffin looks out over the sea. Pictures Ltd/Corbis/Getty Images

Sources: NPR, Iceland Magazine

But pufflings  who use moonlight for guidance  often get disorientated by artificial lights from town and fly inland instead. This is where puffin tossing comes in.

A puffin is thrown off a cliff in Iceland. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, NPR

Toward the end of summer, locals assigned to "puffling patrol" search the streets at night for chicks that have lost their way.

A child holds a puffin that didnt manage to fly in the right direction out to sea. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

They're often found under cars, in bins, or in piles of fishing nets and ropes down at the harbor.

Sources: Audubon, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine

It's vital that they help the pufflings by tossing them off the edge of a cliff. When they launch off cliffs, the birds use the sea winds and distance below as a makeshift runway, but if they crash into the town, their wings aren't strong enough to get them airborne again.

A puffin flaps its wings. Mayall/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Without any human help, they are left to fend for themselves and are unable to escape predators or find food.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

According to one 86-year-old resident named Svavar Steingrimsson, these patrols have been going on since the beginning of the 20th century when the island first got electricity.

Lights illuminate houses on the island of Heimaey, Iceland. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

The patrols are famous in Iceland, even if they aren't as successful as they used to be.

A group of local children search for lost puffins on Heimaey island, Iceland. Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

About 25 years ago, you could save 100 pufflings every night, according to local Valur Mar Valmundsson. Now, you're lucky to find that many over the whole season.

A puffin is thrown into the air in Iceland. Tessa Bunney/Corbis News/Getty Images

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Once the puffling's data has been recorded, it's taken to the top of cliffs and thrown off the edge.

Children throwing puffins off a cliff in Iceland. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

People could let them fly away in their own time, but Kyana Powers told NPR most people like to actually throw them off.

Source: NPR

And despite how crude it looks, puffling tossing really is for their own good.

A child throws a puffin off a cliff in Iceland. Eric Chretien/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Source: NPR

Read the original article on Insider
For six weeks, Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh has been filibustering on the Senate floor to fight a state bill that would ban gender-affirming health care for transgender youth. Now, Cavanaugh is broadening her efforts with the formation of a new political action committee, Don't Legislate Hate, she said in an interview with GMA3.

The Nebraska bill, LB574, would ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries for people under the age of 19.

Pledging to block all state legislation until the bill is withdrawn, Cavanaugh told fellow lawmakers in February, "If this legislature collectively decides that legislating hate against children is our priority, then I am going to make it painful; painful for everyone. Because if you want to inflict pain upon our children, I am going to inflict pain upon this body."

Nebraska is one of at least 23 states considering restrictions on gender-affirming care. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there are about 150 bills targeting transgender people around the country. The ACLU says there are more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills up for consideration in state houses nationwide.

Cavanaugh spoke to ABC News' Phil Lipof and Eva Pilgrim about why she opposes LB574 and similar policies being proposed around the country.

MORE: Weekslong filibuster grinds state legislature to a halt over transgender youth care

PHIL LIPOF: State Senator, it's good to see you. Let's jump right into this. You are the first senator in your state to filibuster every bill in your legislature's 90-day session, debating even the ones that you support. And it's all over this bill called LB574. So what is this bill actually proposing and why are you so opposed to it?

SEN. MACHAELA CAVANAUGH: Well, thank you, first of all, for having me. And yes, so, LB574 is a model legislation that we're seeing across the country. It's attacking gender-affirming care for trans youth. And we've seen this being introduced in multiple other states. It's currently tied up in the courts in Arkansas. And Nebraska is just another state that is attempting to legislate hate. And I'm here to stop us from doing that.

Story continues

EVA PILGRIM: You've said you'll continue to filibuster this bill, but doing so is also delaying other important work like dealing with the budget or tackling child care. Why are you willing to sacrifice these other issues? Do you think this is worth it?

CAVANAUGH: Well, I'm not willing to sacrifice other important issues. What I'm doing is asking the legislature to decide what it is that we want to do this year, what is our agenda and is legislating hate our priority or all the things that you just discussed? The budget, child care tax credits, tax cuts, the economy. These are the things that I believe the legislature should be focused on, not legislating hate. And I'm asking my colleagues to join me in that conversation. So if that means that I have to slow things down and filibuster bills until we can come to some consensus that this is not who we are as a state, then that's what I'm willing to do.

PHOTO: FILE - State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh speaks before the Nebraska Legislature, March 13, 2023, at the Nebraska State Capital in Lincoln, Neb. (Margery Beck/AP, FILE)

LIPOF: According to the ACLU, there are more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills. The Human Rights Campaign says about 150 bills target transgender people. Less than 1.6% of the U.S. population is transgender or non-binary. Why do you think politicians on both sides of the aisle are so focused on transgender Americans?

CAVANAUGH: I would say that I don't know why people are focusing on this issue. What I do know is that these policies are an attempt to diminish, dehumanize, demoralize the transgender people in Nebraska and across this country. And we, collectively, no matter what political party we belong to, need to stand up against that. It is inappropriate for our public policy makers in this country to be attacking a vulnerable, minority population. And I think it is incumbent upon all of us to stand up against that. This is really a crisis of our country and a crisis, at least in my state. And I am asking my colleagues to stand up against this.

PILGRIM: We are seeing a lot of discussion about this all across the country, as you mentioned. This is a controversial issue, particularly because it involves children. There are going to be a lot of people who say this is extreme, waiting for these kids to grow up to be sure that this is, in fact, their choice, doesn't seem all that extreme. Why do you think these kids need this care now?

MORE: What is gender dysphoria and what does transgender youth care consist of?

CAVANAUGH: I think that every individual deserves access to appropriate health care, and I believe firmly in parental rights and making medical decisions for their children. We are attacking a certain medical care because of who the patient is and how they identify. This is not something that should be in the hands of government. Parents, medical providers and their children should be making these decisions together. Whether I think medical care is appropriate or inappropriate is completely irrelevant. It is not for me or anyone else to say that this care is inappropriate. It is for a parent, the patient and the doctor to decide together. And I don't know why we would accept this just because we're talking about transgender children. We wouldn't be having this conversation if we were talking about taking away parental rights when it comes to vaccines. So why are we having this conversation when it comes to transgender children?

LIPOF: OK. Thats an important distinction, whether we're talking about the care or parental rights. Appreciate you making that distinction. Today, you're announcing a new political action committee. I'd like you to tell us a little bit about that and what you hope it will accomplish.

CAVANAUGH: Yes, Thank you. I am. I'm starting a political action committee called DontLegislateHate.org. I am joined with two of my colleagues, Sen. Megan Hunt and Sen. John Fredrickson, both of Omaha. And we've been hearing an outpouring from people in Nebraska and across the country wanting to know how they can support what we are doing and what steps they can take to be activated. And so we decided that this was a good step in the right direction to start a political action committee so that we can support candidates and the conversation to stop this type of legislation across the country and definitely here at home in Nebraska.

LIPOF: Nebraska State Democratic Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh. Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us. We appreciate it.

CAVANAUGH: Thank you. I appreciate being here.

Nebraska state senator filibustering proposed ban on trans youth health care forms new PAC: 'Don't Legislate Hate' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China has been actively promoting the building of a computation network, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, an official with the ministry Chen Jiachang said that the ministry has always attached great importance to the development of digital technology and made systematic arrangements in the fields of basic technology, new technology application and digital security, among others.

The ministry hopes to provide strong support for digitalization across the country, Chen added.

In the development of intelligent technology, the ministry has set up a special office for the planning and promotion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and launched new-generation major AI projects.

To cope with potential risks and problems in AI development, the ministry formulated and released principles and ethics of the new-generation AI governance in order to promote the advancement of science and technology for the benefit of humanity, Chen said.

He also acknowledged the improvements in ensuring network security. 
Dozens of people are dead across nine states and dozens have been hospitalized after a tornado outbreak moved across the U.S. on Friday and Saturday, according to local officials.

At least 32 people have died as a result of the storms, according to a tally by The Associated Press.

Among the fatalities, five were in Arkansas, five died in Indiana, one died in Alabama, and one died in Mississippi, local officials told ABC News. McNairy County Mayor Larry Smith told ABC News that nine people died in the county. In Illinois, four people died, including a man who was killed after a roof collapsed during a concert at a historic theater.

The storm pattern moved east on Saturday with one person confirmed dead in Sussex County, Delaware, after a home collapsed, Leonard DeMalto, a spokesman for the Delaware State Police, told ABC News.

PHOTO: A tornado passes through Little Rock, Arkansas, Mar. 31, 2023. (Aaron Borders)

PHOTO: A rainbow shines amidst the remains of a neighborhood damaged by a tornado on March 31, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)

The National Weather Service has confirmed at least 31 tornadoes across 9 states on Friday and Saturday. More than 28 million people across the South and Midwest were under a tornado watch going into Friday night, according to the NWS.

Arkansas hit with 'catastrophic' tornado

A "catastrophic" tornado moved through the metro area of Little Rock, Arkansas, in Pulaski County Friday afternoon, the NWS confirmed. According to preliminary NWS information, the EF3 tornado had winds up to 165 mph and a path length spanning 20-25 miles.

At least one person died and more than 50 people across Pulaski County have been hospitalized, with that number expected to rise, Madeline Roberts, a spokeswoman for the county's emergency management agency, told ABC News. She did not have information on the conditions of those injured.

PHOTO: Debris covers the ground around Wynne High school in Wynne, Ark., on April 1, 2023. (Adrian Sainz/AP)

PHOTO: A firefighter checks homes for injured residents in the Walnut Ridge neighborhood after a tornado damaged hundreds of homes and building on March 31, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)

PHOTO: An apartment complex on Cantrell Road was severely damaged by a tornado Friday, March 31, 2023, in Little Rock, Ark. (Stephen Swofford/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

A tornado emergency had been issued for metro Little Rock on Friday afternoon due to the threat of a damaging tornado and quarter-sized hail.

"Property damage is extensive and we are still responding," Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. tweeted.

According to Scott, 2,100 residents were impacted in western and southern Little Rock and between 27,000 and 30,000 homes were without power on Saturday.

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"Many folks have been displaced and looking for a shelter. We're working towards that, again, if someone's in need of shelter, we're asking you to go to Hall High School," Scott said.

PHOTO: A woman is carried out of a fire station to an ambulance after a tornado tore through west Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 2023. (Staci Vandagriff/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

PHOTO: Kris French (C) and his family search through rubble after a tornado damaged hundreds of homes and building on March 31, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)

PHOTO: A woman collects belongings from a family members home after the roof was ripped off from a tornado on Oakview Drive in North Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 2023. (Thomas Metthe/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

Capt. Jacob Lear-Sadowsky with the Little Rock Fire Department told ABC News Friday that there were a "significant" number of injuries from the storm.

Damage is centered in West Little Rock, where "multiple structures," both commercial and residential, have been destroyed, Lear-Sadowsky said. Power lines and trees are also downed and cars have been flipped over due to the storm.

PHOTO: The damaged interior of store after a tornado swept through Little Rock, Ark., Mar. 31, 2023. (Andrew Demillo/AP)

PHOTO: A car is upturned in a Kroger parking lot after a tornado swept through Little Rock, Ark., March 31, 2023. (Andrew Demillo/AP)

As the powerful supercell moved eastward, a "confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado" was located around 5:13 p.m. local time near Earle, Arkansas, west of Memphis, the NWS said, calling it a "life-threatening situation."

PHOTO: A home is damaged and trees are down after a tornado swept through Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 2023. (Andrew Demillo/AP)

PHOTO: A home is damaged and trees are down after a tornado swept through Little Rock, Ark., on March 31, 2023. (Andrew Demillo/AP)

Four people have been pronounced dead in Wynne, located roughly 50 miles west of Memphis, which took a direct hit from a tornado. Miles Kimble, the coroner of neighboring St. Francis County, who was assisting in Wynne, confirmed the death toll to ABC News.

Wynne Mayor Jennifer Hobbs told ABC News Friday night they have experienced "major damage" and that she believes people are trapped but could not estimate a number.

"We're still trying to get crews out and make sure we don't have people trapped and continue to assess the damage," Hobbs said, adding that the tornado split the city of more than 8,000 people in half.

New video shows a "catastrophic" tornado churning through metro Little Rock, Arkansas, amid a significant tornado outbreak in the South, according to the NWS. https://t.co/5Sv7gwgqxp pic.twitter.com/n7CJMWy99q  ABC News (@ABC) March 31, 2023

"We had no idea that it would be this much damage that we're seeing right now at this point," Latricia Woodruff, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, told ABC News Live Prime on Friday about the tornado activity in the state. "There's a lot of homes that have been damaged, other structures. We heard about a fire station here in Little Rock that had some damage to it, as well."

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency due to Friday's severe weather and activated the National Guard to assist state and local law enforcement. She said there was "significant damage" in central Arkansas due to the storm.

"Arkansans must continue to stay weather aware as storms are continuing to move through," Sanders tweeted.

Sanders spoke with President Joe Biden on Saturday, saying Biden and Homeland Security have "offered a tremendous amount of support."

"Anything that Arkansas needs, they have assured us that those resources will be here and on the ground," she said during a press conference Saturday.

PHOTO: A family evacuates their Walnut Ridge neighborhood on March 31, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas. (Benjamin Krain/Getty Images)

1 dead after roof of Illinois theater collapses

In Illinois, a 50-year-old man died and dozens were injured after a roof collapsed at the Apollo Theatre in Belvidere due to a suspected tornado, officials said.

A tornado siren went off at 7:24 p.m. local time; at 7:47 p.m., there were reports of the roof collapse, according to Dan Zaccard, emergency management director for Boone County.

Hospitals received more than 40 patients from the incident, including 28 who were transported from the scene via ambulances, officials said.

PHOTO: A house is damaged by fallen trees on West Hurlbut Avenue near where the roof of the Apollo Theatre collapsed during a tornado, on April 1, 2023, in Belvidere, Ill. (Erin Hooley/AP)

MORE: 1 dead, over 40 injured after roof of Illinois theater collapses during suspected tornado: Officials

In Crawford County, three people died after a residential structure they were in collapsed, a state official told ABC News.

Indiana: Sullivan 'like a war zone'

PHOTO: People look at a destroyed decommissioned helicopter that that was displayed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post 2459 the day after a tornado hit Sullivan, Indiana, U.S. April 1, 2023. REUTERS/Jon Cherry (Jon Cherry/Reuters)

The mayor of Sullivan, Indiana, said midday Saturday that about 200 structures in Sullivan County were severely damaged, calling it "mass devastation," as search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing after Friday's severe weather.

"What this looks like, is a war zone," Mayor Clint Lamb said during a press briefing.

An area south of the county seat of about 4,000 "is essentially unrecognizable right now," Lamb said earlier.

ABC News' Will McDuffie, Jianna Cousin, Matt Foster, Robinson Perez and Kenton Gewecke contributed to this report.

Tornado updates: At least 32 dead, dozens injured across 9 states originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A 23-year-old woman who was expecting her first child was found dead in an Ohio apartment, police say.

Officers in Bowling Green were dispatched to the home on Thursday, March 30, after receiving a report about an unresponsive woman. Police said in a news release that Alicia Rosas body was found inside the home.

Her death was considered suspicious, and officers called a 29-year-old man a person of interest in the case.

The man, who had an active warrant for an unrelated case, was taken into custody Friday, police said in a news release. He was found in Fostoria, about 25 miles southeast of Bowling Green.

The Fostoria Police Department said he was arrested for parole violations.

Police have not announced charges related to Rosas death. Its unclear how she was killed.

Rosa and the man had an existing relationship, WTOL reported.

Loved ones said in a GoFundMe that Alicia had a great love for her family and was excited to share the news of becoming a new mommy to a baby boy.

Alicia was full of life and laughter, according to the GoFundMe. She had a smile that lit up every room she went into, and a laugh that unveiled her whenever it was heard. She was smart and determined, and had a work ethic beyond measure.

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The late 1800s was the age of the railroad. Trains steamed across the hills, valleys, and plains of a growing United States, steadily bringing distant communities closer together. Thousands of miles of track were laid down by thousands of men to build a rail network that brought people and goods from one end of the country to the other. One of the most important figures in Texas railroad development was business titan Jay Gould.

Born Jason Gould in Roxbury, New York, into a farming family in 1836, he grew to hate farming. As a result, his father, John Burr Gould, reportedly left him at a boarding school with 50 cents and a few changes of clothes. Gould, however, was a quick study with an aptitude for math. As a young man, he found work as an accountant and as a surveyor.

Bridges

By 1859, he started investing heavily in railroads. After the Civil War, he concentrated on New York-area railways, earning impressive profits and steadily gaining more influence in the railroad industry. The Civil War had delayed railroad construction in the South, and Gould became determined to expand his holdings in the region, ultimately buildings lines from Missouri to Texas and west to Colorado. He formed the Texas and Pacific Railroad by an agreement with the state legislature in 1871. By 1873, he gained control of the powerful Erie Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad, taking advantage of financial crises and scandals surrounding both companies. In 1879, he took control of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, giving him effective control of one-sixth of the nations rails.

As Gould looked west of the Mississippi River, he quickly moved to crush his rivals. Gould merged his many company interests and built hundreds of miles completing tracks across the region. The St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad, in which Gould had heavily invested, had completed a line from St. Louis to the Texas border by this time. As the Texas and Pacific reached the Arkansas state line in 1873, he parceled out the land connected his railway with the Iron Mountain route and formed the city of Texarkana at the junction of the railroads and the state boundaries.

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Gould would buy the St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad in 1881 to more fully incorporate his Missouri Pacific network. Fort Worth would become an important terminus for his railroad as he pushed his railroad empire steadily westward. The Missouri Pacific would become a powerful force in locomotive passenger and freight traffic across the Southwest. In fact, MoPac, an acronym for the railroad, is a heavily-traveled road in Austin and was named for the railway. By the 1890s, Goulds companies promised passengers train travel from Chicago, Illinois, to California, through Texas, in just three days.

He would be responsible for the names of several cities across the nation as his railroads rolled through. Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, was renamed for him. Gould, Ohio, was named after one of his railroad depots in 1881. Paragould, in the northeast corner of Arkansas, was named for Gould and Texas and St. Louis Railroad owner and rival J. W. Paramore when the town was founded at the intersections of their two routes in 1882.

Gould was both admired and hated in his day. He had become incredibly successful in the railroad industry, but his labor policies sparked some of the largest labor strikes in Texas History.

For all of his accomplishments in building railroads, he did not live a long life to enjoy it. Gould died of tuberculosis in New York City in 1892. Though railroads have declined in relative importance since his day, the railroad magnate put Texas and America on the path to the twentieth century.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges: Jay Gould laid foundation for Texas railroad, national lines
MILAN  Italian fashion entrepreneurs have been increasingly protective of their suppliers, investing in the small- and medium-sized companies that make up the pipeline  ever so important to the Made in Italy production.

Brunello Cucinelli has taken things one step further by launching a new project that is aimed at beautifying the working spaces of the artisans in the pipeline that create the products for his namesake company.

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Cucinelli has long voiced his belief in the importance of working in beautiful factories, where seeing the sky is inspiring, not a drawback, he has often said.

Beautiful working spaces contribute to the dignity of work and in this vein, on Monday he revealed that he had signed an agreement with BNL BNP Paribas for the project called Beautifying working spaces, which will allow artisans to improve their working conditions.

As per the agreement, Cucinelli and BNL BNP Paribas will provide small- and medium-sized companies with projects, help them complete them and offer a financial support at facilitated and dedicated conditions.

The bank will collaborate with specialized contractors that will be able to evaluate the projects and supply innovative and efficient solutions.

BNL through its controlled Artigiancassa will also offer a consultancy service for access to the financing, which can also be linked to the PNNR [National Recovery and Resilience Plan] funds.

Cucinelli chief executive officer Riccardo Stefanelli said that this agreement is in continuity with our commitment in favor of the well-being of workers, noting that in Solomeo, where the company is headquartered, we have always worked trying to promote the culture of the beautiful factory and this agreement is meant to extend this beauty to our pipeline.

It is in the same vein as Cucinellis dedication to the protection and promotion of the artisanal work, aware that the objects are noble and beautiful only if the locations where our exceptional artisans operate are also beautiful, said Stefanelli.

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The agreement is also in line with Cucinellis concept of humanistic capitalism and sustainability, meant to generate a positive social and environmental impact on the territory, and our constant need for cultural and spiritual growth, which has always been our North Star, he offered.

Maria Elena Gasparroni, director of the corporate banking division of BNL BNP Paribas, said the agreement expresses concretely how banks and companies can cooperate virtuously, activating economy and finance in a sustainable way at the service of companies, the pipeline and the local communities, in this case of the Umbrian territory [the region where Solomeo is based].

The project targets human capital in the conviction that people are central in the work and production and their well-being is a competitive lever, she concluded.

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Click here to read the full article.
As the world warms, a bug-eyed, warty, foreign frog has leapt to new heights of ecological and urban annoyance in Florida, a new study shows.

So as the infamous Cuban treefrog nudges out Florida's native frogs, little local lizards and other species that belong here, a higher frequency of this exotic frog's obnoxious croaks is sure to make those they keep up at night hopping mad.

"They are what's called a 'weedy species,' " said Alex Baecher, a doctoral student at the University of Florida and lead author of the study, recently published in the Journal of Animal Ecology. The study describes how the frog crowds out other animals just as weeds crowd out flowers. "We know that they will consume just about anything that fits through their mouths."

Cuban trees frogs in Cocoa Beach.

That includes much smaller native treefrogs, which the Cuban frogs have preyed on since they were first spotted in South Florida in the 1920s.

Hard freezes and other cold spells kept them somewhat in check. But as with many invasive species, climate change has allowed the Cuban tree frogs' range to expand north into Georgia.

Native tree frogs have reacted to the Cuban frog's movement by relocating themselves. Not by moving farther north, but going farther up or down the trees they call home.

Cuban trees frogs in Cocoa Beach.

Treefrogs are a globally diverse group of amphibians that climb to forage, reproduce and to evade predators and competitors, resulting in frog communities that are "vertically partitioned," according to UF's study.

Being an amphibian, frogs also shimmy up trees to optimize their body temperature and hydration, especially when Florida's temperatures heat up.

The UF researchers found native treefrogs have learned how to give up their preferred heights and climb up, down and away from Cuban tree frogs, making them more adaptable and/or flexible than previously thought. But it's uncertain whether that adaptation in native frog behavior is happening fast enough for the frogs that belong in Florida to survive long term, given the coupled threats from Cuban frogs and climate change.

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Baecher places the frogs in the top 10 most ecologically harmful terrestrial invasive species in Florida, because of their resilient, aggressive and omnivorous ways.

Florida serves these foreign frogs well. The loud, slimy creatures prefer urban and suburban environments, plant pots, gutters, fountains, pipes, even wind chimes.

"That's at least where we notice them the most," Baecher said. "Anything that captures water is an important resource for Cuban tree frogs."

The males aren't exactly crooners. Their distinct night croaks sound more like a squeaking door, often described as a "snoring rasp."

"I have had people call that are deathly afraid," said Sally Scalera, an urban horticulture agent for UF's Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences in Cocoa. 'They're ugly and they will keep you up at night. Nothing's worse than having three or four of them singing through the night, because they're loud."

Cuban trees frogs in Cocoa Beach.

While some might see the small ones as endearing, Scalera is not one of them.

"I don't even think of the as cute when they're little," she said. "They're always the walking dead-white sort of thing, and they literally get huge."

But why should Floridians care that Cuban frogs are reigning supreme on the palms?

Baecher says it has to do with the ecological niches of native frogs, what Florida birds have adapted to and the unintended cascading effects of removing any native species.

"If you like listening to red-wing blackbirds .. or you like seeing sandhill cranes .. you should be concerned," he said of two bird species that feed on native frogs and lizards.

At this point, eradicating the Cuban tree frog is probably out of the question, Baecher added. But there are backyard ways to keep Cuban frogs in check that echo caveats about leaving freestanding water or containers that can breed mosquitoes and other nuisance species

"If you don't want snakes in your yard, don't leave snake habitat in your yard," Baecher said. "These native treefrogs are like the soundtracks to our native ecosystems."

Cuban treefrogs can cause the following problems in homes:

Clogged drains

Egg masses in pools and decorative ponds (which cause a subsequent increase of Cuban treefrogs around the home)

Occupying nesting boxes meant for birds

Burning and irritation of eyes and nose from contact with Cuban treefrogs

Power interruptions because the frogs get into transformers and electrical switches and cause short circuits

Source: UF

Have you seen a Cuban tree frog?

The University of Florida want people to report sightings of Cuban Treefrogs seen in the Florida panhandle to Steven Johnson, a professor at UF at: tadpole@ufl.edu. For peninsular Florida, especially central and south Florida, report them via EDDMapS. https://www.eddmaps.org/

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Cuban tree frog hops to new heights of ecological destruction in Florida
The final full day of campaigning for a crucial seat on the state Supreme Court saw one candidate flying from city to city across Wisconsin while the other was grounded once again because of a respiratory infection.

Former Justice Daniel Kelly, a conservative, spent Monday on a seven-city trip across Wisconsin, stretching from Waukesha to Hudson, in a private jet apparently owned by a family of anti-abortion advocates. It marked the fourth day that Kelly has been barnstorming across the state.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz, by contrast, was nowhere to be found on the campaign trail for the fifth consecutive day because of illness, forcing surrogates to fill in for her. Protasiewicz, a liberal, was last seen campaigning on Wednesday during a virtual forum sponsored by the Milwaukee chapter of the NAACP.

Campaign officials said she has continued to test negative for COVID-19.

"Judge Janet Protasiewicz was diagnosed with a respiratory infection over the weekend and is doing well," said Sam Roecker, a spokesman for the campaign. "She will return to the campaign trail on Tuesday, including voting in person and attending her election night event with supporters."

Voters will decide on Tuesday whether to flip the ideological balance of the state's Supreme Court just as it is considering a raft of legal disputes, including a challenge to the state's pre-Civil War ban on abortion.

Conservatives have controlled the high court for the past 15 years, but liberals could gain a 4-3 majority with a Protasiewicz victory. She finished first and Kelly second in a four-way February primary.

More: What April's Supreme Court election may tell us about the 2024 partisan races in Wisconsin

Given the high stakes, the increasingly testy contest has blown past state and national spending records for a statewide court, due largely to the influx of national money and outside TV ads.

Kelly, who previously served on the court between 2016 and 2020, is finishing the campaign with his 21-city "Save the Court" tour over four days.

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The final stop will be at the Tuscan Hall Venue and Catering in Waukesha at 6 p.m. on Monday.

To travel the state, Kelly, an appointee of former GOP Gov. Scott Walker, has been flying on a Cessna Citation V that appears to be owned by Paul and Elizabeth Keppeler of Oconomowoc. The Kelly campaign described the couple as "supporters." Neither returned calls on Monday.

More: As Wisconsin braced for tornadoes, Republicans text 'Wisconsin voter alert' complete with emergency tones

The Rev. Landon Huie, pastor of Oasis Church in Eau Claire, mentioned Kelly's plane during a Sunday church service in which the candidate spoke.

"I know you've here shortly got to jump on a plane and head to another event, but I'd like to just pray over you if that's OK," Huie said.

Paul Keppeler is a retired U.S Air Force officer and airline pilot. Elizabeth Keppeler is the daughter of Bruce Bell, founder of Belmark, a Green Bay-area packaging company. Her sister's husband, Karl Schmidt, is Belmark's CEO chief and has been a longtime board member for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the state's business lobby.

WMC officials would not say whether he is currently on the group's 52-member board.

WMC Issues Mobilization Council, the political arm of the business group, has spent $5.2 million, the most of any outside group, in support of Kelly, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.

Last week, WMC has removed two pro-Kelly TV ads that featured a rape case Protasiewicz presided over. The rape victim in the case said the ads were traumatizing and misleading.

Paul and Betsy Keppeler, Bruce Bell, Karl Schmidt and other Bell family members are officers of the Easter Foundation Inc. a personal foundation with assets of $41.9 million in 2020.

Between 2018 and 2020, the foundation made grants to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Southwest Florida, a "crisis pregnancy center," for $140,000.

In 2020, the foundation also gave to Wisconsin Right to Life ($1,000), Focus on the Family ($3,000), the Heritage Foundation ($15,000), and a number of other religious, political and charitable organizations. It also gave the Medical College of Wisconsin $50,000.

On a blog that he contributed to, Kelly wrote that everyone knows abortion "takes the life of an unborn child." But he said pro-choice groups still favor making abortion legal "to preserve sexual libertinism."

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Kelly travels, Protasiewicz grounded with illness in election windup


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Donald Trump isnt having the best week with his arraignment looming large on Tuesday, April 4. The former president is doing his best to leverage the event with a media spectacle to encourage campaign donations, but not everyone in the Republican Party is thrilled with this idea.

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While many members of the GOP Party have voiced their opposition to the indictment, one presidential candidate went in a different direction. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also running for president in 2024, believes it is time for Donald Trump to exit the race. I do think thats too much of a sideshow and distraction, he told ABCs This Week. And he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process, and there is a presumption of innocence.

Donald Trump has a lot going on right now. https://t.co/ENbBQSpL05  SheKnows (@SheKnows) April 3, 2023

Its unlikely that Donald Trump would even consider such a move given the fact that hes working the indictment to his advantage. According to a press release sent out on Friday, he raised $4 million in 24 hours. This incredible surge of grassroots contributions confirms that the American people see the indictment of President Trump as a disgraceful weaponization of our justice system by a Soros-funded prosecutor, the statement reads.

Click here to read the full article.

Buy: This Week

Hutchinsons words wont be heeded one bit because right now Donald Trump is using his PR skills to turn a negative into a positive for himself. Its unclear what his next step will be if other indictments come to fruition, including the classified documents case, but the former president is going to rally his supporters whether his critics like it or not.

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Before you go, click here to see the most important celebrity lawsuits over the past 15 years.

Kelly Clarkson

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Sometimes your kids surprise you in the most heartfelt ways. Dwayne The Rock Johnson is reflecting on a sweet moment with his middle daughter Jasmine Jazzy, 7, who he shares with wife Lauren Hashian, and its making us feel emotional. Over the weekend, the little girl joined her dad for a Samoan dance in Hawaii that has a very special meaning.

A father daughter moment Ill never forget for the rest of my life , the Black Adam star wrote in his caption on Instagram. My 7yr old asked me if she can dance our Samoan Taualuga with her grandma .

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The Rock explained that his daughter was shy at first, but like me  like all of us  she felt that mana and found her way next to her grandma to dance.

The Player 54: Chasing the XFL Dream star says the dance is called the taualuga, which is the grand finale dance and one that is very sacred in his Samoan culture. As you see all of us dancing around my mom and my daughter  its our way of showing the utmost respect to the ones we are honoring. Make way, here she comes. he explained.

Click here to read the full article.

Man I was fighting back tears when I squatted and slapped the ground with my hands  in our culture  a fathers ultimate show of respect and love for his daughter, Johnson continued. Faa Samoa ~ the Samoan way.

In the video, you can see the little girl dancing with her grandma as Johnson dances nearby and honors her. Its an incredible moment!

.@TheRock's hilarious new video with his two youngest daughters may be the funniest (and sweetest) thing we've seen today! https://t.co/F8vzQZsNs6  SheKnows (@SheKnows) March 26, 2023

This is beautiful, made me cry over here! one person commented. Someone else wrote, Your moms look of pure happiness after the dance ended is just utter joy. Thank you so much for sharing such a special moment for your family. 

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Another wrote, Three generations dancing and living their culture together! Cheeeee huuuuuuuu!!! #faasamoa 

Johnson, who also shares daughter Tiana Tia Gia, 4, with Hashian, and Ava Raine, 21, with Dany Garcia, often has silly fun with his little girls. Last month, he even let them give him a makeover! But he is also super sentimental.

On Jazzys birthday in Dec. 2022, he wrote her a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. Happiest Birthday   to my little fearless, tornado of charisma and charm, Jazzy Lia , he said. And the best fishing buddy any daddy could ever ask for  Slow and steady wins the race, ten toes down and I always got your back. I love you more than words exist for me and Im flying home so I can tuck you in tonight! Happy birthday baby .

These celebrity parents are raising strong, resilient daughters.



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A former Appoquinimink School District administrator has been charged with sexually soliciting a former student, according to a New Castle County police statement issued Monday.

Darrell Sams Jr., a 39-year-old Camden-Wyoming man, was taken into custody on Friday.

A LinkedIn page bearing Darrell Sams' name and photo stated he had been a digital communications technology teacher at Middletown High School since 2018. It also says Sams had previously been with the Caesar Rodney School District.

Sams' last date of employment with the Appoquinimink district is not known, but a district official said they were aware of his arrest and are cooperating with investigators.

"In November 2022, Appoquinimink School District received reports of misconduct involving Mr. Sams," said Danielle Pro-Hudson, an Appoquinimink School District spokesperson. "The district immediately referred the matter to police for investigation, consistent with district policy."

Pro-Hudson said allegations of this nature are handled "with the utmost seriousness and concern."

"The wellbeing and safety of our students remains our top priority," she said. "If anyone in the community has more information they would like to share, they are encouraged to contact New Castle County Police."

Related stories:

More: Seaford School District employee charged with child sex abuse, put on leave

More: Former Salesianum School Principal William McCandless sentenced on child porn charges

What is Darrell Sams charged with doing?

New Castle County police detectives began their investigation in February after a claim that Sams sent sexually inappropriate text messages to a 17-year-old former student in the Appoquinimink School District.

During the investigation, police said detectives learned the messages were sent in June 2022.

Armed with a search warrant, detectives went to Sams' residence on Friday where he was taken into custody without incident.

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Following his arraignment, Sams was released after posting a $60,000 cash bail. He was also issued a no-contact order.

Detectives are asking anyone who may be a victim of similar actions by Sams to contact Detective Rodney Stearne at (302) 395-8068 or by email at rodney.stearne@newcastlede.gov or by calling the New Castle County police nonemergency number at (302) 573-2800.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Ex-Middletown High teacher charged with sexually soliciting student
Queen Camilla

Queen Camilla no longer rides horses due to her age, she has confessed to a group of schoolchildren in Hamburg.

During King Charles and Queen Camilla's royal tour in Germany, Camilla told a group of schoolchildren about how she's had to give up her beloved hobby, horse riding, due to her age.

Addressing the assembled schoolchildren in Hamburg, Queen Camilla said, "I used to have horses I rode but sadly I dont ride any longer. I think Im too old, but I have racehorses."

The Mail on Sunday revealed that while on the trip, Camilla still kept in touch with her stables, even watching a video of one of her horses giving birth.

Camilla herself added, "Last night I watched on my screen one of the foals being born, which was very exciting."

Queen Camilla

Camilla's love of horses is something she shared with the late Queen Elizabeth, who was a big lover of horses. But while Camilla has given up horse riding, Queen Elizabeth continued to ride horses well into her 90s.

While King Charles is also an accomplished horse rider, he does not share the same deep passion for the sport that his wife and mother have. Because of this, Camilla has taken over the day-to-day running of the Queen's stables, according to a royal insider.

John Warren, the late Queens Royal bloodstock and racing advisor, has previously said that it is Camilla rather than Charles who has the greatest passion for horses, and therefore the Queen Consort is now in charge of maintaining the relationships with the late Queens trainers and overseeing the stables.

He said, "He has always followed it, but it has been his mothers interest so it has been at arms length. He owns a few horses himself, in particular with the [then] Duchess of Cornwall. She is absolutely besotted by racing."

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Queen Camilla

King Charles was recently gifted his first race horse from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who gifted the late Queen Elizabeth eight horses during her reign.

His Majesty was said to be "pleased" as he was gifted the horse named Noble, who was part of 90 public performances. The King may even be seen riding her during public appearances, such as Trooping the Colour.

The horse is the first gifted to King Charles by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who gifted Queen Elizabeth with eight horses during her reign. Her Majesty's first horse, Burmese, was gifted to her back in 1969 and she rode the horse at Trooping the Colour for an impressive 18 years.

Noble arrived at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace last month, and The Palace said that the new arrival was "settling in well."
NANNING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Cargo ships carrying 18 tonnes of orah mandarin departed from Qinzhou Port of south China's Beibu Gulf Port in late March, marking the very first batch of the sweet fruit exported via this sea route.

With the support of cold chain logistics, the local delicacy of Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is expected to reach Thailand in about eight days.

China's fruit exports have grown sharply with the development of such cold chain logistics. Since the beginning of this year, Beibu Gulf Port has shipped about 2,850 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of freezers, including 500 TEUs of fresh fruits, said He Jian, project manager of a logistic company in Beibu Gulf Port.

"There are various transport means for Thai durians to enter the Chinese market. The increasingly convenient transportation and logistics network allows more ASEAN commodities to enter China and share market opportunities," said Nisachol Thaithong, a Thai trader.

Thanks to the constant construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, a trade and logistics passage jointly built by provincial-level regions in western China and ASEAN members, Beibu Gulf Port plays a pivotal role in providing maritime transportation with large transport volumes and lower costs, efficiently helping meet consumption needs.

Huang Jiangnan, head of Qinzhou Port's east railway station, said that more varieties of western China's specialties, including goji berry products from Ningxia, nuts from Xinjiang, and tea from Guizhou, have been exported through the corridor's rail-sea intermodal services over the years.

Once little-known, the local signature products have become new driving engines of China's foreign trade growth in the region, especially after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) took effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

The RCEP also facilitated the imports of commodities like Thai glutinous rice, Vietnamese basa fish, and Cambodian bananas. On March 22, more than 5,700 cattle arrived at Qinzhou Port after 17 days' voyage from Australia's Portland Port. After required 45-day quarantine, the cattle will be sold to help improve breeding or milk production across China.

With booming trade, the total number of train trips via the corridor's rail-sea intermodal service surged from 178 in 2017, when the service began to operate regularly, to 8,820 last year. More high-end products with higher added value, like automobiles, are riding high on the trade corridor.

Since 2022, Beibu Gulf Port has launched specific foreign trade routes covering destinations in RCEP countries. The port currently notches up 34 shipping routes to ports in RCEP countries and plans to develop more goods source markets in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, said the port authorities. Last year alone, Chinese goods to RCEP countries transported via the trade corridor grew 9.7 percent year on year to 69,000 TEUs.

Hello Chuxing, a Shanghai-based bike-sharing start-up, recently announced its investment of about 1.2 billion yuan (174 million U.S. dollars) in future business expansion in ASEAN countries.

"The implementation of the RCEP enables enterprises to enjoy preferential tax rates for their exports, helping our market expansion in Southeast Asia," said Liu Tao with the company.

With China's accelerated opening-up and development, the trade corridor is expected to further promote the economic growth of the RCEP region in the future, said Lei Xiaohua, deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences. 
Suzanne and Mark White are pictured in their Cordova, Tenn., home, upsized after their kids left the nest.

One of the occupational hazards of being a real estate agent is that while scouting sale properties for a client, you can walk into a home you suddenly have to have.

We were not looking to move, said Suzanne White, a 58-year-old Realtor from Memphis. My husband and I had never discussed it.

However, like so many couples, they had had the wouldnt it be nice if  conversations. Shed always wanted a pool and the space to host big parties. He wanted a music room and a woodshop. But these were casual wishes, Suzanne said. Not enough to drive them from their 2,800-square-foot home of 17 years, where they had raised their blended family of four now-grown children, and from a neighborhood and neighbors they loved.

That changed in the fall of 2020, when Suzanne walked into the 4,225-square-foot home in Cordova, Tennessee, a 15-minute drive from her East Memphis home. I quickly saw that it checked all the boxes, she said.

Uh-oh.

The brick house had a pool, a detached garage perfect for a woodshop, all downstairs bedrooms, a covered porch, turnkey finishes, lots of room inside and out for parties, and plenty of yard for their two large Sheepadoodles to romp.

She went home and told her husband, now age 60, You need to look at this house. But dont worry, were not moving.

Uh-Huh. By that afternoon they were writing an offer.

Suzanne and Mark White are among a growing number of adults over age 55 who are bucking tradition. Typically, when the kids leave home, parents downsize. However, more couples at this stage of life are choosing to upsize or same-size to a home that offers more of what they want, according to a new report out this week from the National Realtors Association.

More: At Home with Marni: Looking to simplify your life? Here are 7 ways to live with less

One of the persistent myths we have about retirees is that they want to downsize, but thats not true today, said Dr. Jessica Lautz, an economist and a lead researcher behind the 2023 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report. Of those between the ages of 58 and 76 who bought homes last year, most were same-sizing, and nearly one in five bought homes over 3,000 square feet.

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White sees the trend in her business, too. In addition to a desire to live larger, what I also see in my retired clients is they are not as willing to settle. Where in the past, they would have sacrificed getting the house they wanted, so they could get in the right school district, now they know what they want and are getting it.

Common items on the wish list: neighbors farther away, an upgraded kitchen, a soaker bathtub, a sewing or craft room, enough space in the laundry room for an ironing board, a covered porch, and a big pantry.

This group can often get what they want because, unlike younger buyers, they can afford to buy their new home without having to sell their current one first. With that pressures off, they have the luxury of taking their time to find what they want.

Today, the Whites enjoy every bit of their house, yard and especially the pool. We loved our other house, but this one gives us so much more room to have the lifestyle we want. Its a lifestyle they hope to maintain for decades.

Two-and-a-half years later, we still drive up and cant believe this is our house, she said. Its like we have our own retreat. I dont know what 80 looks like, but this is where we plan to stay.

Here are a few more findings the new NAR report revealed about older home buyers: which they break into three groups: Younger Baby Boomers, age 58-67; Older Baby Boomers, age 68 to 76; and the Silent Generation, age 77 to 97.

Same-sizing. Among home buyers between the ages of 58 and 76 most bought homes that were the same size or within 100 square feet as the home they sold.

Weighty demographic. Of all U.S. home buyers, 43% are 58 or older.

The sweet spot. Over half of home buyers over age 58 bought a home between 1,501 and 2,500 square feet. However, 17% of younger boomers, 19% of older boomers and 13% of the silent generation bought homes over 3,000 square feet.

Houses not condos. Among those buyers 58 and older, three-fourths bought single family homes.

Independent living. Only 7% of all buyers over 60 bought housing in senior communities. That number really speaks to the decline seen in older buyers seeking senior-related housing, Lautz said. It seems todays seniors increasingly want to live independently.

Bargaining power. Many in this age group have had a run up in their home equity, so have more leverage when buying a home, Lautz said. As a result, they are holding the cards. They often come to the table with no contingencies, so in the case of a bidding war, they will win. Among younger Boomers, 43% paid all cash for their home, and among older Boomers, 51% did, compared with only 7% of those ages 33 to 42.

Marni Jameson is the author of six home and lifestyle books. You may reach her at www.marnijameson.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Marni Jameson: Many are rethinking downsizing in their golden years
After a peek at director Robert Rodriguezs action thriller Hypnotic at this years SXSW, audiences wont have to wait much longer to catch the full version in theaters this spring.

IGN has unveiled the first official trailer for the upcoming psychological thriller, which follows police detective Daniel Rourke (Ben Affleck) as he searches for his missing daughter Minnie (Hala Finley). He soon learns she is associated with a series of ongoing robberies conducted by a mysterious man (William Fichtner) with hypnotic powers.

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The trailer gives audiences a look at how Afflecks frantic search for his missing daughter. The desperate dad slowly begins to spiral out of control once his investigation pushes him to confront his deepest, darkest fears. With assistance from psychic Diana Cruz (Alice Braga), Daniel sets off to pursue the mysterious man during his train of robberies, and get Minnie home safe. As he finds out in the trailer, people with hypnotic powers can force their victims to see and feel things that arent real.

Affleck, Finley, Fichtner and Braga are joined by Jeff Fahey, Kelly Frye, JD Pardo, Bonnie Discepolo, Dayo Okeniyi, Derek Russo and Corina Calderon.

Following its SXSW premiere, Hypnotic received favorable reviews, with Varietys Peter Debruge writing that the typical popcorn-munching multiplex patron would never suspect how deep this Russian-doll mystery goes. Better to strap in and go along for the ride in the latest example of creativity-within-constraints.

Watch the Hypnotic trailer below. The film is set to debut in theaters on May 12.

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The Cannes Film Festival has confirmed the world premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which was first revealed by Variety last week.

James Mangold and Harrison Ford will climb the steps of the Palais des Festivals on May 18. The film, which will screen out of competition, also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and Mads Mikkelsen. Their attendance in Cannes isnt officially confirmed, but its likely Disney will want to pull out all the stops for the movies red-steps premiere.

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The festival will also pay a special tribute to Ford.

The film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. This instalment will reportedly be Harrison Fords last time playing the titular character. Details of the films plot are being kept under wraps that are tighter than those of a mummy, but based on the trailer, the movie seems to find Dr. Jones facing off against former Nazis in a flashback sequence that uses de-aging technology to zap Ford back in time.

John Williams, who has scored each Indiana Jones adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, has once again composed the score.

Mangold said: In 1995, I was honored to come to Cannes with my first film Heavy, as part of Directors Fortnight. 28 years later, I am proud to return with a slightly larger spectacle. My legendary collaborators and I are very excited to share a brand new and final Indiana Jones adventure with you.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is set to be released in cinemas on June 28 in France and on June 30 in the U.S.

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Ford has played some of the most iconic roles of the last 50 years including Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise and Rick Deckard in Ridley Scotts Blade Runner (1982) and Denis Villeneuves Blade Runner 2049 (2017).

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A historian's claim that the dish was inspired by American rations available in Italy during World War II is the cause of continuing controversy.

Natalia Gdovskaia / Getty Images

At the end of March, the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture announced that they had collectively nominated "Italian cuisine: sustainability and biocultural diversity" to be a candidate for the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Although putting Italian cuisine  literally all of it  on the same list with the Neapolitan art of pizzamaking, truffle hunting, and other cultural points of pride would be an incredible honor, those headlines have been overshadowed by claims that Americans had a hand in inventing a classic dish: carbonara.

This started with a Financial Times piece about Alberto Grandi, a food history professor at the University of Parma and the author of a book that questions the origin stories of some Italian dishes. "Italian cuisine really is more American than Italian," he told the outlet, citing Italian emigration to the United States as one of the contributing factors. Grandi noted that the first pizza restaurant "exclusively serving pizza" opened in New York in 1911, not in Naples.

Related:11 Food and Drink Rules Italians Live By

As hard as that might be for some Italians to swallow, the Financial Times also quoted food historian Luca Cesari, whose research has suggested that the pasta alla carbonara was "an American dish born in Italy" during World War II. Many historians accept that chef Renato Gualandi created the now-iconic recipe while cooking for members of the British and U.S. armies in 1944, and he used the "fabulous bacon, very good cream, some cheese, and powdered egg yolks" that the Americans had on hand.

"It was a combination of Italian genius and American resources," Eleonora Cozzella, the author of The Perfect Carbonara: Origins and Evolutions of a Cult Dish, told the BBC. (Grandi made a similar claim at a literary festival in 2018, and was called every name in the book by a furious co-presenter.)

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The first known recipe for carbonara was printed in "Vittles and vice: An extraordinary guide to what's cooking on Chicago's Near North Side" in 1952, and did not appear in any Italian media until 1954, when the recipe was published in La Cucina magazine.

Regardless of the facts, the true origins of these dishes, or how often these same claims are repeated, they never go over well in Italy. Its National Confederation of Direct Farmers, known as Colderetti, said that comments like Grandis "trivialize" the countrys food traditions. It described the Financial Times piece as "an article inspired by an old publication by an Italian author which could make you smile if it didnt hide worrying economic and employment implications."

Related:7 Ways to Channel Your Inner Stanley Tucci in Italy's 'Food Valley'

Grandi is more than familiar with the controversy that his dish debunking can cause. "I don't understand why many attack me since I don't question the quality of Italian food or products, I historically reconstruct and philologically correct the history of these dishes," he told La Repubblica. "And with my studies, I have shown that many preparations derive from the last 50-60 years of history, and from interactions with the Atlantic culture."

While some Italians have questioned Grandi on social media, others are just jokingly making claims that are equally outrageous. "And buffalo mozzarella was invented by Buffalo Bill," one person wrote on Twitter.

Honestly, that might be less-controversial than the whole carbonara thing.



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Read the original article on Food & Wine.
lori-vallow-police-car-RS-1800 - Credit: Tony Blakeslee/East Idaho News/AP

The murder trial of Lori Vallow Daybell, 49, which began with jury selection on Monday in Boise, Idaho, has all the makings of a media firestorm. The deceased include two of her three children: Tylee Ashlyn Ryan, who was 16 when she died, and adopted son Joshua Jaxon J.J. Vallow, who was seven. The third victim was Tammy Daybell, wife of Chad Daybell, 54  a man whom she married just two weeks after Tammys death. Prosecutors say that Vallow and Daybell, who are being tried separately for a conspiracy to carry out the killings due to undisclosed DNA evidence, wanted to collect life insurance and other benefits. (Daybell and Vallow have both pleaded not guilty.)

That would be ghastly enough, but this case is far stranger than a story about people allegedly going to extreme ends to arrange and finance a new relationship together. Vallow had met Daybell, the man who would become her fifth husband, in 2018, after reading his popular novels about devout Mormons attempting to survive apocalyptic end times. Both were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and shared an interest in near-death experiences. Daybell also claimed to hear a voice from the spirit world, or beyond the veil, the place one travels after death. (Daybell was reportedly excommunicated from the Church in 2019, while its unclear what Vallows current association is. The Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

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Prosecutors allege that the pairs fringe religious beliefs played a direct role in a murder plot, as they considered the victims zombies infected by evil spirits that could be driven out if the individuals died, releasing their hijacked human souls. Melanie Gibb, a friend of Vallows, told authorities that she had referred to her children as zombies before they went missing in September 2019. Their remains were found and identified in a search of Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho the following June.

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Because of the notoriety of the case, the trials were moved from their rural communities across the state to the capital, where 1,800 people were called in March as potential jurors in Vallows proceedings. As the court began the process of voir dire to vet those eligible for jury service in a trial expected to last eight weeks, lawyers for the prosecution and defense touched on the sensitive issues that are sure to make it a controversial and widely publicized one.

Madison County Prosecuting Attorney Rob Wood was first to raise the matter of misinformation, mentioning not only sensational media coverage but online theories. He told the jury panel that a lot of supposed facts circulating now arent true, and that much of the news related to Vallow will have no bearing on the case before them. He also asked, Does anybody here feel like what they see on the internet is true?

Wood: Im asking that what youve seen before, set it aside and rely on the information in this courtroom. Does anyone have difficulty doing that?    |  (@jlumfox10) April 3, 2023

Vallow has been the subject of countless hours of amateur investigation and speculation on the internet, where she is often referred to as Doomsday Mom. YouTube videos on true crime channels offer analysis such as Is Lori Vallow Daybell Mentally Ill or Pure Evil? while TikToks tagged Lori Vallow Daybell have more than 33 million views, collectively. Its safe to say these arent the most reliable sources of information on the story. Leah Sottile, the journalist who reported on the circumstances of the murders in her book When the Moon Turns to Blood, noted on Friday that even before the trial had gotten underway, disinformation about it was spreading.

After Wood also indicated that jurors would face the difficult task of seeing images from autopsies of Vallows children, prosecutor Rachel Smith touched on the religious aspects of the case, asking the panel if any of them would have trouble accepting the testimony of witnesses with different religious beliefs than their own. Rexburg is home to the LDS Churchs Brigham Young UniversityIdaho and its population is heavily Mormon, while Idaho itself has the second-highest concentration of LDS members by state after Utah. Evidence will no doubt involve LDS family and acquaintances describing Daybell and Vallows idiosyncratic approach to Mormon doctrine.

Smith further asked if, despite the exaggerated forensics shown on fictional TV series like CSI, prospective jurors would trust an expert who concluded that a person died of homicide but could not determine exactly how. She was sure to address the theme of conspiracy as well, asking the panel, If you were presented evidence that a person can be guilty of participating in a crime they planned, can you consider convicting them even if they didnt do every single part or do the final act? The implication is that while prosecutors may argue that Daybell carried out the murders himself, they will also Vallow planned them with him and bears responsibility. (She has been separately charged with conspiracy to commit murder in Arizona, where her brother Alex Cox fatally shot her estranged fourth husband, Charles Vallow, in July 2019, months before her children went missing and Tammy Daybell died. Cox, who claimed self-defense, died of natural causes later that year.)

The Ada County courthouse in Boise, Idaho, Monday, April 3, 2023, on the first day of jury selection in the Lori Vallow Daybell murder trial.

Between the brutality of these alleged inter-family crimes, the element of religious extremism among a tight-knit community, and the way that Vallows and Daybells public reputations have made them magnets for all kinds of publicity and irresponsible conjecture, the lawyers certainly have their work cut out for them in seating a dozen impartial jurors and six alternates. Meanwhile, a debate among the legal team played out as to whether Larry and Kay Woodcock, grandparents of J.J. Vallow, should be allowed to sit in the trial, and the prosecution has expressed its displeasure that Chad Daybells attorney John Prior has been on hand at the courthouse to give comments to the media.

All of it adds up to an unpredictable and potentially explosive trial that could land Vallow in prison for life without the chance for parole. Its taken years of legal wrangling for the justice system to get to this point  and the saga is far from over.

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Industry Insider |

By Fred Nicolaus

The Local Vault, the Connecticut-based online home furnishings consignment platform, is ceasing operations. In an email sent today, CEO and co-founder Patricia Espinosa informed consignors that the site would continue to sell pieces throughout April, but would shut down on May 1.

The closure doesnt reflect a drop-off in sales, Espinosa tells Business of Home. In fact, last year was the platforms best ever, with a 15 percent increase in overall revenue. But in the same period, she undertook a pricey marketing push and began an expansive transition of The Local Vaults underlying tech platform.

The goal was to take a short-term risk in order to grow the business and attract outside investors. But as the economy worsened throughout 2022, investment dollars grew scarce and the cost of the tech transition mounted. In recent months, Espinosa says The Local Vault was close to a deal with a large brand (whose name she declined to share, citing a confidentiality agreement) but a final agreement failed to materialize.

Weve always been a self-funded company; weve always run it pretty tight and closebut we werent able to absorb those challenges, says Espinosa. As we were going into other markets [in the U.S. outside Connecticut], we found there was a huge need for our services, and we had a lot of success. We just werent successful in raising external capital, and we had built the business intending to do a raise.

Why shut down the site rather than run it as a pared-down operation? Partly because of financial logisticsthe profitability doesnt really kick in until you get to a certain scale, says Espinosaand also to allow the company to go out on a good note, with all consignors covered. Weve built our business on our reputation, weve built up this trust, and we still want people to be positive about The Local Vaultand I think a lot of people will be, she says. If its going to end, I want it to end gracefully.

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The platform accepted a range of home items, including designer brands, vintage pieces, antiques, art, lighting and rugsCourtesy of The Local Vault

Founded in 2014 by Espinosa alongside Julie Rubich, Betsy Perry and Joannie Buhrendorf, The Local Vault began with an investment of $250,000. Over time, the site grew in size and expanded beyond Greenwich into other markets, including Southeast Florida. The sites business model focused on high-end home furnishings and attracted designers as a key audience, offering collections curated by the likes of Ariel Okin, Alexa Hampton and Meg Braff.

Throughout its near decade in business, The Local Vault was able to provide a curated resale process for many designers facing unique circumstancesincluding one in need of some emergency historic preservation. In Boston, a designers client had two apartments in the Mandarin Oriental that were being combined, and all of this great vintage lighting was going to be demolished, recalls Espinosa. She called us, and we were able to rescue them.  It was gratifying to be able to give so many things a second chance.

Looking ahead, Espinosa is hopeful that, when the economy turns, an investor might yet emerge to fund The Local Vaults next chapter. I dont know what the future holds, but we have a solid business model and good expansion plans, she says. Weve been at it for a while, fine-tuning the model and figuring out how to make it work.  Im hopeful that weve built this brand that someone else sees the value in, and that we get a chance to do it again.

Homepage image: Inside The Local Vaults warehouse | Courtesy of The Local Vault

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BREGANZE, Italy  In fashion, colors are those of fabrics and patterns, not of skin, said Nicola Paparusso, founder of the African Fashion Gate, which on Monday bestowed the Fashion Dresses Peace award to Renzo Rosso and his wife Arianna Alessi for their work as president and vice president of OTB Foundation, respectively.

The award was launched 10 years ago to honor the commitment to inclusion. Previous recipients include Giorgio Armani; Vivienne Westwood; Valentino Garavani; Franca Sozzani; Italys Camera della Moda chairman Carlo Capasa, and Santo Versace. Outside the fashion sector, Simple Minds and Makaziwe Mandela, daughter of Nelson Mandela, who last year became honorary president of AFG, also received the award.

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I have always believed in the value of giving back, in the commitment toward the environment, the territory and people, said Rosso during the event at the OTB headquarters in Breganze. Marietou Dione, the president of AFG, was also there. This is why OTB Foundation exists, because we want to help those who are more in need in a more concrete way, Rosso said.

Paparusso said that there is still much to do to fight racial discrimination. Its important to start by educating children to be respectful of differences and to see them as opportunities.

Turning to Alessi and Rosso, he said taking action is part of your tradition and there was no doubt in my mind that the award should go to you this time.

With the award, the association recognized two recent projects endorsed by OTB Foundation: its support of Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion, helping 7,000 people and providing a home to 440 refugees in Italy, and the Brave Women Awards, pledging 550,000 euros to cover the tuition fees for 55 young women enrolled at Italian universities.

The investment follows the first made in 2022 of 280,000 euros for the original edition of the initiative in partnership with Milan-based Bocconi University.

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Empowering women and protecting their dignity against violence in general are key pillars of the foundation, said Alessi. And we are convinced that only through culture we can change womens working conditions and wages. The OTB Foundation has continued to help Ukrainians through local partners, in cities ranging from Odessa and Dnipro to Kramatorsk and Kyiv, in collaboration with Zegna Group and Cesvi. Partnering with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the foundation is supporting Ukraine refugees in Moldavia in Ungheni, Soroca, Orhei, Chisinau, Balti and Causeni.

Rosso said that 63 percent of employees in the company are women, which make up 51 percent of the top ranks. At Diesel, 80 percent of employees at the top level are women.

Paparusso also took the time to remember the late Sozzani and how she urged AFG to strengthen the structure and our communication and to put pressure on governments to change regulations at the European parliament level and streamline the bureaucracy, rather than focusing efforts on the fashion community. She helped us tremendously.

Since its establishment in 2008, the charitable arm of the OTB Group has supported about 300 international projects focused on social development with an impact on the lives of 300,000 people.

OTB controls the Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor&Rolf brands, production arms Staff International and Brave Kid, and has a minority stake in Amiri.

The OTB and the Zegna Foundations have joined forces to support Cesvi, an Italy-based humanitarian organization that has been providing assistance to Ukrainian families impacted by the conflict.

Among the earliest responders to the humanitarian crisis linked to the conflict, the OTB Foundation answered the urgent appeal launched by UNHCR and has provided the country with medicines, first-aid kits and necessities, shuttling back Ukrainian women and children.

Shortly after the war broke, I would wake up in the middle of the night and see Arianna busy on her phone, sending messages, sorting things out so that the buses with the refugees would make it safely to Italy and that medicines would get to the Ukrainians, said Rosso proudly.

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Paris residents have dealt a blow to e-scooter rental companies Lime, Tier and Dott, voting in an 89 percent landslide to ban "trotinettes" from streets amid low voter turnout, France 24 has reported. The French capital will likely become the second European city after Barcelona to prohibit the devices, as mayor Anne Hidalgo has promised to respect the referendum. Any ban won't affect e-bikes or privately-owned scooters.

Following a messy launch in 2018, Paris introduced strict rules and reduced the number of rental companies from around 20 to just three. A spate of accidents ensued including a 2021 fatality, prodding the city to introduce new rules like a 10 km/h (6 MPH) speed limit in designated zones and fines for for not using dedicated parking. However, residents continued to complain about dangerous operation and devices strewn on city sidewalks.

Only eight percent of city dwellers voted, and that group appeared to skew away from younger people more likely to use the devices. "In the double queue here, a majority of 50+ and parents with toddlers," tweeted journalist Agnes Poirier. "Incapable of regulating their use, the City of Paris is just leaving it to its inhabitants in an all or nothing alternative."

The move may be welcomed by some, but it goes against Hidalgo's initiatives to make Paris less polluted and dependent on cars. As part of a pledge to be carbon neutral by 2050, the city has vowed to phase out ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles by 2030, plant up to 170,000 trees, install electric chargers for EVs and promote e-mobility, including e-bikes and, at one time, e-scooters.

The city has since changed its tune on the latter, though. It noted that the scooters were mostly replacing walking or public transport rather than cars or taxi trips, so weren't achieving the goal of reducing vehicle use. "Theyre honestly not very ecological  they get damaged and they are left lying wherever," said Hidalgo back in January, adding that she was personally in favor of a ban. "We cant contain them in public spaces and theyre causing road safety problems, especially for older and disabled people."
SHANGHAI  The full physical return of Shanghai Fashion Week this season made a lot forget that exactly a year ago the city entered a two-month-long lockdown in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The general sentiment among the fashion community is that while that was a traumatizing and business-threatening experience, the majority are ready to move on and focus on what happens next.

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We saw many international buyers and media coming to Shanghai Fashion Week, as their first trip to Shanghai in several years, they can physically experience the revival of the citys vitality, said Lv Xiaolei, secretary-general of the Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee.

After years of development, local young designers have become more mature in their exploration of business models and have gradually found a clear road ahead regarding design and brand positioning. Everyone is ready for a more diversified means of communication and exchange at home and abroad, Lv added.

Shanghai Fashion Weeks Taiping Lake venue.

That energy could be felt on the runway too. Local talents presented upbeat and forward-thinking collections that cater to the return of office life and international travel.

Shushu/Tong, for example, presented a sultry but office attire-appropriate fall 2023 collection in a labyrinth set with Labelhood, the brands retail partner. Founded by London College of Fashion graduates Liushu Lei and Yutong Jiang, the brand has garnered a loyal global following since 2015 for its sweet yet seductive aesthetic.

Shushu Tong fall 2023 backstage.

The new collection based most of the silhouettes on school uniforms. While looking cute and nerdy on the surface, it had a subversive, sexual undercurrent. It seems the brand is moving into a new phase as the Shushu/Tong girls are growing up and entering womanhood. There were a lot more daywear options as well, on top of its signature sequined and embellished cocktail styles.

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This season, we actually want to create a more suppressive atmosphere thats back on Backroom, a term on 4chan. It is the kind of space that looks very normal but a bit odd, so we turned the show space into a blue maze to manifest that energy, Liu said post-show.

The upbeat energy at the off-schedule show of Ming Ma, a Central Saint Martins alum, was even more obvious. The now Shanghai-based designer described the fall 2023 collection as a joyful and colorful feast inspired by Helen Frankenthalers and Mark Rothkos works.

Ming Ma fall 2023

With bright color blocks and abstract brush strokes translated into couture shape-inspired pieces, the collection offered a playful yet sophisticated wardrobe for those with a busy social season.

I want to celebrate womens vigor and adoration for life, conveying the romance and empowerment of femininity with diversity through menswear tailoring. I then added beading details, handcrafted bows and floral embroidery for a touch of elegance, bringing the hybrid aesthetic of Eastern and Western cultures, Ma added.

Shie Lyu, who has made a name for herself in Shanghai for her zero-waste approach to design, closed Shanghai Fashion Week last Friday, with a star-studded show, supported by Genesis, Hyundais upmarket car brand.

I do feel the lively and energetic vibe this season, as there are many industry people as well as popular talents and artists at our show, which is totally different from last year. said Lyu, who presented a collection that caters to those who do not live under the gaze of others.

Shie Lyu fall 2023

She used her signature three-dimensional upcycled fabric to construct futuristic evening pieces and offered daywear options made with traditional suiting fabrics inspired by her upcoming collaboration with Stella McCartney, organized by American Vogue.

Lyu will rework a look from the British brands spring 2023 collection and reinterpret it with her own design language. Its understood that McCartney will in return do the same thing with a look from Lyus collection, and present her take on the brand in the near future.

Shuting Qiu fall 2023

Following her Milan Fashion Week showcase, Shuting Qiu restaged her show in Shanghai, filled with patchwork faux fur and clashing prints. Additional looks with AI-generated prints turned up the volume on her symphony of florals, resulting in a bodysuit that came straight out of the metaverse.

Designing with AI technology actually felt magical, Qiu said after the show. In addition to her signature florals, Qiu updated the collection with zany smiley face motifs that also dotted the models eyelids.

Shuting Qiu fall 2023 backstage.

We spent a lot of time tweaking our Milan show, including adding small wigs that resemble flowers on the models hair and creating polka-dotted eye makeup, Qiu said. The show ended with Teresa Tengs Tsugunai playing in the background, leaving the crowd in nostalgic splendor.

Staffonly, a contemporary menswear label that has collaborated with the likes of Juicy Couture and Onitsuka Tiger, created a sci-fi-inspired stage with a trampoline at the center of the runway.

Models took turns bouncing, as in a trance. At the same time, their peers, or Staffonly astronauts, orbited the arena in clothes borrowed from an otherworldly tribe in coordinated shades of yellow, green and brown.

Staffonly fall 2023

The collection highlighted architectural jacquard knitting that lightly looped around the models torso and calves. Crochet polo and pullovers that featured low-resolution images of planetary trajectories brought nostalgia into play, as the designer paid tribute to NASAs Voyager 2 spacecraft that took off in 1981.

Skilled at combining myth-making with technical garments, the collection also showcased all-black outerwear with illuminated cuffs and hoodie rims.

Staffonly fall 2023

This collection is an ode to all the explorers who fought against the usual constraints of gravity for the sake of their distant and vague dreams, said Shimo Zhou, designer of Staffonly.

They kept on bouncing and bouncing to reach the sky, and even though gravity pulled them back instantly, they never gave up. This group of jumpy young people can create miracles because they never stop trying to reach for the stars, Zhou added.

Comme Moi fall 2023

Comme Moi, a womenswear brand founded by one of Chinas first supermodels, Lv Yan, showcased a collection full of pragmatic clothes with feminine appeal for the working woman.

Relaxed suits brushed over by expressional ink or drenched in lively green and lemon and vacation-ready numbers dripped in gold or dazzling in tassels presented a softer version of the Comme Moi woman.

Comme Moi fall 2023

Since fashion is conceived in advance, this seasons creations were made during last years most difficult period. We used a lot of black and white, reflecting our state of mind at the time, but bright colors are infused throughout, as a hope for recovery and renewal, even at the darkest times, Lv said.

Everyone was under a lot of pressure for the past few years, so we created more grandiose gestures to lift people out of their doldrums. Now that hope is in here, weve dialed it back and went back to our original template to present easy-to-wear garments. I want people to pay attention and listen to their inner child during rapid change and development.

The womenswear label, owned by local manufacturing giant Chenfeng Group, is slated to open six to eight stores this year and test the waters in the European market. I will be spending half of my time in Europe in the near future. Expanding into Europe is our next goal, Lv added.

Feng Chen Wang with her debut beauty collaboration with Estee Lauder.

Fashion designer Feng Chen Wang, who is now showing on the Paris mens calendar, is also looking ahead and exploring new opportunities beyond fashion.

She debuted her collaboration with Estee Lauder, which includes a foundation, an eye shadow set, and three colors of lipstick, during her fall 2023 collection preview at Shanghai Fashion Week.

This collaboration further demonstrates my philosophy and vision on gender fluidity. It breaks the boundaries of traditional female makeup. At my Paris runway show, all models makeup looks were created with this collection, Wang said.

The designer added that she is excited to return to the local fashion community in Shanghai, and that the city is definitely ready to play a more important role on the global fashion stage.

Lama Hourani studio in Shanghai.

Jewelers including Cindy Chao and Lama Hourani hosted previews for the visitors in town. Chao hosted exclusive appointments in her residence on the Bund to present both her more accessible white-label collection creations and a few rare black-label pieces.

Hourani, in the meantime, opened her art-filled studio in downtown Shanghai for international visitors who returned for the first time since the pandemic.

This fashion week was exceptionally special; it was a celebration on so many levels. The opening of the city and the arrival of many fashion professionals and the return of the energy in the city  it reminded me of how fast and addictive energy is. This is my Shanghai the place I chose to make a home, said the Shanghai-based Jordanian designer, who moved to the city for the second time with her family three years ago, as her husband was tasked with leading a major Parisian luxury houses China operation.

Creations by Lama Hourani.

At the moment, Hourani is working on a collection titled name not finalized, which is inspired by wavelengths produced by two people as they connect and feel aligned, as well as a collection called the Rubble that will benefit victims of the recent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.

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Many parents worry about what their kids are getting up to during spring break. Experts share how to help keep them safe. (Photo: Getty Images)

Christina Ramirez has fond memories of spring break and summer trips with friends when she was in high school and college. But now that she has two teenage sons, the New Mexico-based mom goes back and forth on whether she would let her kids head off on an unchaperoned vacation. She remembers the questionable moments from her own getaways, but realizes there are better ways to keep in contact these days.

I would probably say yes, but there would be lots of boundaries, Ramirez, 50, says. It depends what friends they are going with and where they are staying." She wavers. "Well, I dont know. I would let my 17-year-old go, but I dont know about my 15-year-old. If they came to me with a plan I would say yes. I would probably say yes.

With spring break getting underway for many high school and college students across the country, parents like Ramirez are finding themselves in similar situations. Do they let their child go on that trip? If they do, how do they then prepare them to stay safe so that Mom and Dad dont worry the entire time?

Courtney Conley, a Maryland-based therapist and wellness expert who specializes in helping youths, says that parents should start by talking to children when they will be most open to listen, maybe during a lazy Saturday at home or during a casual car ride.

Start off by letting them know that you trust them and hope they have an amazing time but just wanted to share a couple of concerns, Conley tells Yahoo Life.

Drugs and Alcohol

While drugs and alcohol may not be a part of a childs everyday life, theres a pretty good chance that the spring break experience will involve these temptations.

Its always best to give them strategies to use instead of just telling them not to do it, Conley says. What can they do if they end up in a situation?

Parents should make sure teens already have Uber or Lyft downloaded on their smartphone and ready to use as a safe alternative to driving drunk. They can also advise them to drink water between alcoholic beverages to stay hydrated and slow down. Conley also recommends letting kids know its OK to dump a drink and fill it with water to avoid the pressure of drinking alcohol.

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California parents Mary and Ed Ternan say its standard to know how one's child will get to the destination, who they are going with and where theyll stay, but theres another factor that needs to be discussed.

Kids ... have a travel plan of where they are going to go, even a wardrobe plan of what they will wear, Ed Ternan tells Yahoo Life. Parents need to talk to them about having a party plan, because drugs are so unpredictable these days. Have an open-eyed conversation with plans.

The couple is speaking from personal experience. In 2020 their 22-year-old son Charlie was three weeks away from graduating college when he took what he thought was a Percocet for back pain. Charlie bought the pill online from an unauthorized distributor. The 62, 235-pound brother, son and boyfriend died less than half an hour later.

The Ternans know kids may experiment with drugs on spring break, but they want them to be aware of the dangers so another family is not in the same situation as them.

The drug landscape has completely changed, Mary Ternan tells Yahoo Life. Theres no wiggle room for recreational drugs. One pill can kill you. You are playing Russian roulette.

As much as we don't want to use scare tactics, the truth is there are stories in the news daily about young people being assaulted, abducted and accidentally overdosing Conley adds. You can highlight a couple examples when discussing how dangerous it can be to accept random pills from people.

Sex

Meeting new people is bound to happen on spring break, and some of those new friends could get extra, extra close. Sex can be an embarrassing topic for both parents and their kids, but Conley says it's important that a young person have tools to be prepared.

Her advice to teens? The accountability buddy advice applies here  If we come together, we leave together. Always stay with a friend. Don't leave with someone or go to someone's room alone. Check in with yourself before going out. Will you feel guilty, embarrassed or ashamed if you hook up with someone? Above all, leave."

If they think there's a chance kids may be sexually active during their trip, parents may also find it worthwhile to discuss or provide contraception, just as a precaution.

Basic Safety

Several hot spots, from Miami to New Smyrna Beach, have a bigger police presence after rowdy crowds overtook during spring break last year. Miami Beach officials implemented a curfew this year after two fatal shootings earlier this month.

Paula Twindale, senior VP of travel for AAA, says knowing details not just about the location where a child is going but also what is nearby is key. Parents should do the research beforehand and find out what is in the surrounding areas, especially in popular spring break destinations that are outside the U.S.

Generally a lot of resorts are not in the best parts of town, Twindale says. Advise your child to stay on the resort. Its spring break, enjoy what is at the resort.

If a child is going overseas, parents can register them for STEP, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. This free service allows U.S. citizens traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. In addition to this, Twindale also recommends that travelers take a copy of their important documents (such as their passport, travel insurance paperwork, driver's license, credit cards, etc.) and leave another copy at home in the event of an emergency.

Packing a basic emergency kit with Tylenol, vitamin C and Band-Aids is helpful, as is following simple precautions like not going to places alone and not carrying large sums of cash.

They need to pay attention to their surroundings and not have a false sense of security, Twindale says. Be like the Marines: Dont leave anyone behind. Go places in groups.

Twindale has witnessed teens and young adults have a false sense of security on the beach. They will hide their wallet or cell phone under a beach towel, go for a walk, play in the ocean and come back to find their valuables stolen.

Putting your stuff under your towel is a simple thing, but it can wreak havoc on your vacation if you lose your cell phone or your wallet, Twindale says.

One other essential: Making sure smartphones are fully charged when possible. A portable travel charger can help ensure that kids aren't out and about with a drained battery, should they need to get help, find their friends, use a map or be reached for any reason.

Social Media

Plenty of Instagram-worthy photos and TikTok videos will be taken during spring break. But not all of that footage should be shared online, notes Erin Walsh, author, educator and founder of Spark & Stitch Institute, which uses brain science to help in parenting issues.

Whats tempting is to say 'dont do this, this and this. 'Kids may or may not be listening and say goodbye, Walsh tells Yahoo Life. Engage kids as much as possible in their critical thinking. If I want to take a picture and post it then Im going to take three deep breathes and think about the audiences who may see it.

She suggests parents play out situations with their child. What happens if a friend tags them in a video? What if they see someone taking their photo? What if someone wants to connect with them on social media? Consider the safety implications (especially if their posts list their location or geotagging), and what's appropriate to share publicly  which may not include, say, videos of keg stands or provocative poses in their swimsuits.

Parents should also be transparent about what sort of monitoring they plan to do while their kid is away.

Generally tracking every move is a not a good idea, but a trip like this may need some special modifications, Walsh says. Some parents will say, Well, they are just going to turn off [their smartphone].' If they will be on deception mode, they shouldnt be going. If a teen cant have an honest and open conversation around safety and tech they may not be ready for a trip like this.

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UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a message on Sunday, calling for increased efforts to advance the rights of individuals with autism, in honor of World Autism Awareness Day, which falls on April 2 annually.

"Despite important progress, persons with autism continue to face social and environmental barriers to the full exercise of their rights and fundamental freedoms, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said the top UN official.

"We must do better, by promoting inclusive education, equal employment opportunities, self-determination, and an environment where every person is respected," he said. "As we do so, we also recognize the role of families, caregivers, and support networks in the lives of persons with autism."

Stressing the importance of recognizing the active and diverse contributions of people with autism to society, Guterres said, "let us work together with persons with autism to build an inclusive and accessible world for all."

World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day, aimed at raising awareness about autism and promoting inclusion and acceptance of people with autism. The day was first observed in 2008 after a UN resolution was passed on Dec. 18, 2007, declaring April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day.

The observance of the day is to increase public knowledge and understanding of autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. It also aims to promote early diagnosis, early intervention, and support for individuals with autism and their families.

According to the World Health Organization, about one in 100 children has autism. Characteristics may be detected in early childhood, but autism is often not diagnosed until much later. The abilities and needs of autistic people vary and can evolve over time. While some people with autism can live independently, others have severe disabilities and require life-long care and support. 
This post originally appeared on The 19th.

Transgender students and their parents expressed their fears, and hopes, about the current onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to top officials at the Education Department in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday. The families, who traveled from Tennessee, Iowa, Texas, North Carolina and Missouri, said that they feel like they are being targeted by their state governments and local elected leaders  and are turning to President Joe Bidens administration for help.

I dont really feel safe anymore. I used to feel safe, said Maya, a 12-year-old trans girl who traveled to Washington D.C., from Texas with her mom for the meeting. The Education Department asked The 19th to identify the children and their parents by first names only because of the increasing level of harassment people are facing over transgender rights.

Maya said that she doesnt feel safe at school  and feels like her state lawmakers dont see her for who she is, even when she goes to the capitol to testify against anti-trans bills.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, who listened to families stories on Wednesday, told The 19th in an exclusive interview that the agency is working on upping its enforcement against state-level anti-LGBTQ+ legislation  and on encouraging families of transgender youth to file complaints with the agencys office of civil rights. That office has seen a rise in complaints, she noted. Marten said the increase was good, albeit difficult, news since it means that more families are aware of what federal tools are available and are using them.

However, Mayas mom, Lisa  who has been dealing with an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Texas over several legislative sessions now  said that she doesnt feel safe, and feels like shes losing hope.

I want to believe they can actually help us. But it doesnt feel that way, Lisa told The 19th, shortly after the roundtable took place on Wednesday. I really do believe that the Biden administration, that this entire department, cares for trans kids. Its just that saying it, and then actually doing something [is different]. She said that her daughter is not able to join the school swim team that matches her gender identity. Our Title IX rights are being violated.

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Catherine Lhamon, assistant secretary for the agencys office for civil rights, responded to families concerns throughout the meeting and said that her office stands ready to investigate and enforce federal antidiscrimination mandates in any school. By law, transgender students cannot be exposed to a hostile school environment, she said.

If what youre experiencing makes you feel like youre not safe at school, or you cant feel comfortable at school . . . thats something that my office can help with, Lhamon said.

Berry, who traveled from Iowa with his mom to the meeting, said that they were bullied by a bunch of different kids last year after changing their name and pronouns. He was scared to go to school every day and reported the bullying three times at their principals office. More recently, Berry said other students had been addressing him by his deadname  the one they stopped using when they transitioned.

I shouldnt have to deal with kids who are trying to make me feel less than everyone else, he said.

In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, recently signed into law a gender-affirming care ban for minors as well as a bill regulating how trans students can use the bathroom. One currently advancing bill would prevent Iowa school districts from recognizing a students new name or pronouns after transitioning, unless that child obtains prior written consent from their parent.

We have all kinds of these parental consent things that are forced outing for our kiddos, Berrys mom said during Wednesdays meeting. Her family is seriously considering moving out of the country, she said  although Berry doesnt want to leave their friends behind.

The Rev. Regina Clark, who traveled from Memphis, Tennessee, to join the meeting, said more action needs to be taken.

Its my prayer that on the federal level, that you all will make it more known what your position is, so that when were in our communities, were not seen as these crazy folks, said Clark, whose transgender child is now a college student. So that we can stand up and help advocate knowing that the federal level says this, because theyre beating our families up. Theyre beating us up.

This year, lawmakers in Tennessee have passed legislation restricting public drag shows, banning the ability of trans youth to access gender-affirming care and rejecting federal funding for HIV treatment.

Marten has been holding roundtable discussions with teachers, parents and students in several states this year  so far, she has visited Arizona, Ohio, New York, Tennessee  as part of the agencys campaign to promote academic excellence. Anti-trans policies have come up as part of those conversations, she said, and the agency responds by sharing ways for families to contact the agencys office of civil rights.

Somebody will bring up a law that is interrupting a students ability . . . when you have a ban like this, kids arent learning. And heres where you can go if youre seeing students being stopped from getting access to their education. These are the resources available to you at the federal level. We send them directly to our toolkits, she said.

Marten said that students who joined the roundtable on Wednesday are courageous to share what they are going through. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who was unable to attend Wednesdays roundtable due to leading a U.S. delegation in Zambia, said in a recorded video message played during the meeting that transgender and nonbinary students are facing hostility fueled by political attacks.

How Parents Are Fighting to Get Their Trans Kids the Care They Need

As gender-affirming care bans continue to become law, parents must scramble to save their children's lives.

This hostility is what follows when politicians are among those attempting to bully transgender students and their families and use state laws to limit who they can be in our school communities, he said. Transgender students should be able to be unapologetically themselves at school, Cardona said  a message the agency wanted to send on Transgender Day of Visibility on Friday.

Emerson, a junior in high school who traveled to D.C. with his dad from North Carolina, told The 19th that it is important for people to know that transgender people are more than their identity. He wants to be a teacher, and is working to get his associates degree in political science through taking community college classes. But hes still worried about his future, and what could happen in the current political climate.

Its really scary to be trans right now, with all the legislation thats being passed, they said.

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Originally Appeared on them.
Dr. Jill Biden may attend King Charles' coronation on her own as there are rumors that President Biden will not be attending

It has been rumored that Dr. Jill Biden may attend King Charles' coronation alone as it's thought that President Biden may have scheduling issues.

King Charles' coronation is set to take place on May 6, 2023.

As the President and First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden and Joe Biden have been invited to King Charles' coronation.

In other royal news, Big change for Carole Middleton amid struggles ahead of the coronation.

It has been reported that President Biden will not be attending the King's coronation next month, but his wife, Dr. Jill Biden may still attend on his own.

The Telegraph reported, "Sources have pointed out he is scheduled to visit Northern Ireland for an event later this month, but those close to the President, 80, are also keen to restrict his international movements to avoid him becoming too tired to perform his domestic duties."

The President is set to visit Northern Ireland for a five-day trip that begins in Belfast. After Belfast, the President also visit Mayo, Louth, and Dublin before he leaves the country on Saturday, April 15. It is thought that Biden will meet with Irish President Michael D Higgins, and may even meet with King Charles in Northern Ireland as they mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Jill Biden

The flight from Washington DC to Belfast would take from 6-7 hours and the time difference is around 5 hours. The President would be expected to make this journey twice within just a few weeks if he were to attend the coronation.

A source also told The Telegraph, "foreign travel takes a fair amount out of him as they added, They try to restrict it to the essentials, and they may just think twice about crossing the Atlantic twice in quick succession."

The source also referenced the President and First Lady's attendance at the Queen's funeral in September 2022. "They may think that he came to the funeral, and thats kind of enough," they said.

The Belfast Telegraph reported, "A delegation is set to be sent in Mr Bidens place, with First Lady Jill Biden understood to be leading the delegation." The First Lady has met with members of the Royal Family on several occasions and will be the perfect stand-in to represent the US at this historic event.

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Kate Middleton and Jill Biden in Cornwall

In 2021, First lady Dr. Jill Biden bonded with Kate Middleton as they took a joint trip to see children aged four and five at the Connor Downs Academy near Camborne as part of the wider G7 activity in Cornwall.

The First lady and the Princess share a passion for childhood education and both support charities dedicated to bettering early development. The duo even co-published an article with CNN in 2021 following their meeting about the importance of childhood education.

In the piece, the pair wrote, "We both believe that part of this vision for the future must include a fundamental shift in how our countries approach the earliest years of life." They also added, "We both have work to do in our own countries, but we also hope that we can work together across borders and oceans on how to elevate the importance of early care and learning for children. "

Jill has also previously met with King Charles, and the late Queen Elizabeth and has attended other important royal events - including the Invictus Games in 2017 which were created by Prince Harry.
Two brothers from Socorro were arrested following a crosstown migrant-smuggler vehicle chase that ended with gunshots fired by a Texas state trooper in El Paso's Lower Valley last week.

The brothers, Kevin and Daniel Gonzalez, on Sunday appeared before a magistrate judge at an online teleconference bond hearing.

Kevin Gonzalez allegedly was driving a white Chevrolet SUV with his brother, Daniel, in the front passenger seat while allegedly transporting seven undocumented migrants, Assistant District Attorney Ray Duke said at the hearing.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers arrested the brothers following a Friday morning smuggling attempt that began in the area of Artcraft Road in the Upper Valley, Duke said.

Borderland: Video shows Texas DPS trooper cross Mexican border at El Paso-Juarez to detain driver

About 8 a.m., a state trooper attempted to pull over the SUV for a speeding near Interstate 10 and Executive Center Boulevard in West El Paso, the DPS said. The driver refused to stop during a pursuit that eventually reached the Hacienda Heights area of the Lower Valley.

A Texas Department of Public Safety vehicle. File art.

While trying to evade troopers, the SUV drove onto a dirt lot that turned out to be a dead end with metal barriers along North Carolina Drive, the DPS said. The lot is next to the Tigua Center retail strip near Officer David Ortiz Park.

In an attempt to escape, the SUV stopped, then accelerated backward into a DPS vehicle, causing significant damage. A trooper received minor injuries, Duke added.

Kevin Gonzalez allegedly ran from the vehicle and Daniel Gonzalez allegedly got into the drivers seat and put the vehicle in reverse, trying to get away, before a trooper got out and shot the SUV's tires, Duke said.

Kevin Gonzalez was soon found hiding under a desk inside a nearby dollar store, the prosecutor said. Seven undocumented migrants were detained and turned over to the custody of U.S. Border Patrol.

Border: 1,000 migrants detained, fugitives arrested, drugs seized in busy weeks on El Paso border

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The brothers, both of Bandolina Drive in Socorro, remained incarcerated Sunday at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown.

According to jail records, Kevin Gonzalez, 22, was booked on charges of felony evading arrest with a vehicle, aggravated assault of a public servant and possession of a controlled substance. He also had two more charges of drug possession, along with a tampering with evidence charge from March 17. He is jailed under a $333,000 total bond.

Records show that Kevin Gonzalez was out on a $30,000 bond awaiting trial after being arrested by Texas DPS on a previous smuggling of persons charge on Jan. 17.

More: Texas DPS migrant smuggler van chase tops 100 mph, ends in crash near UTEP

Daniel Gonzalez, age unavailable, was arrested on charges of evading arrest with a vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. He is jailed under a $85,000 total bond, according to records.

A magistrate judge  who commented that the brothers also could face federal charges  refused to lower their bond amounts, citing the potential danger the chase posed to the public.

El Paso is experiencing almost daily DPS pursuits of vehicles smuggling migrants, including one resulting with an 18-year-old suspected smuggler facing a murder charge after a man from the Mexican state of Chiapas died in a crash on North Mesa Street last month.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Brothers arrested after smuggler chase ends in gunfire by Texas DPS
A County College of Morris student has filed a federal lawsuit against the public school claiming he was suspended when he expressed his "Christian beliefs" against homosexuality and preached passages from the Bible to other students as he paced the Randolph campus.

Morris County resident Kombe Sefelino could not attend classes or be on campus for 11 days after school administrators said he made statements regarded as "hate speech" against the LGBTQ+ community that violated the school's code of conduct and the state's Law Against Discrimination, according to the suit, filed on March 21 in U.S. District Court in Newark.

Sefelino was initially warned by the school's compliance officer to halt his preaching after students complained, but he was suspended after he refused, stating in his complaint that the college was violating his right to free speech under the protections of the First Amendment.

The follower of the Christian religion often voices his beliefs on street corners and sidewalks in and around Morris County and on the school's campus. He reads passages from the Bible and urges passersby to "repent their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ" in what his attorneys say is done "in an act of love."

"The right of free speech includes the right to speak and demonstrate against homosexuality," writes Walter Zimolong, a Pennsylvania-based attorney. "It also includes the right to engage in speech that offends homosexuals and woke college administrators."

Morris County news Dover man accused of killing man competent to stand trial, judge rules

Sefelino, who is seeking unspecified monetary damages, also asks the court to declare that the college violated his rights under the U.S. Constitution by disciplining him and requests that the college expunge the written warning and suspension from his records.

Kathleen Brunet, the director of marketing and public relations at County College of Morris, said the college is not able to comment on pending litigation.

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The lawsuit was filed when Sefelino was escorted off the campus March 21 by the school's Department of Public Safety for "preaching against transgenderism and gender-nonconforming behavior." Attorney R. Scott Fahrney, who represents the college and whose name first appeared in court filings late Thursday, said in a letter to the court that Sefelino was allowed to return to the school on Thursday after he met with the college's dean of students.

Trump-approved legal team

Zimolong, who touts himself as a "perpetual thorn in the side of the progressive movement," filed the lawsuit, because he is admitted to the New Jersey bar, but Sefelino is represented by a nonprofit legal group headed by Stephen Miller, former President Donald Trump's senior policy adviser, and former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

Gene Hamilton of Virginia, vice president of America First Legal, who served in the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security during Trump's presidency, is seeking to represent Sefelino "pro hac vice," a legal term to allow an attorney to temporarily represent a client in a state where they are not admitted to the bar. Attorneys Nicholas Barry of Tennessee, also part of America First Legal; James Fitzpatrick III of Pennsylvania; and Jonathan Mitchell of Texas are also seeking to assist in representing Sefelino.

Stephen Miller, policy adviser to President Donald Trump, arrives at Trump Tower in New York last month. AP Photo/EVAN VUCCI

America First Legal was founded in 2021 and backed by Trump in an effort to fight against President Joe Biden's attempts to dismantle Trump's initiatives and his conservative agenda, the group says on its website.

Hamilton said in a statement that "woke bureaucrats in colleges across the United States" are more than happy to silence speech with which they disagree. He vowed to "not let this go on our watch."

"For generations, colleges and universities were centers for free speech and the open exchange of ideas. American students were taught to disagree with each other respectfully," he said. "This is no longer true, and many colleges and universities have become centers of censorship."

The Bible

Sefelino often preached on campus with readings from the Bible, including passages from the apostle Paul, who wrote letters to the church at Corinth. The passage from 1 Corinthians is part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible and reads in part: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

Sefelino also preached that those who do not repent of their sins will suffer eternal punishment in hell, the lawsuit states, referring to Luke 13:5, another book of the New Testament: "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

A student complained about Sefelino's statements, and he was issued a written warning on Nov. 11, 2022, by Vivyen Ray, the college's vice president of human resources and compliance officer. The letter, uploaded as part of the court filings, warned that Sefelino would face possible expulsion if he continued his "hate speech."

Ray stated that Sefelino was using a "raised voice and bull horn" to ask college students if they are homosexual and made a prophecy that they would go to hell, behavior that she said violates the college's student code of conduct and the state's Law Against Discrimination.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are a protected class under the Law Against Discrimination and Sefelino subjected others to bias-based harassment, causing a hostile environment, Ray wrote in the letter. Employers are required to take steps to stop harassment and to protect the school, administrators, employees and students, she said.

"We accept everyone here. There is no place for bias at CCM," the letter states. "You should think hard about whether this is the best environment for you."

Sefelino's refusal to stop his preachings led to his suspension on Nov. 28, 2022, and prohibited him from being on campus, attending college events or attending classes through Dec. 8, 2022. His suspension letter, penned by Janique Caffie, the college's dean of students, cites Sefelino for his "direct violation of hate speech against homosexuality and homosexuals."

But his attorneys say he has a right to express his beliefs and nothing he said "fell outside the protections of the First Amendment," stating that he did not use "fighting words," did not threaten or defame anyone, did not incite imminent lawless action and did not utter obscenities. The attorneys point to the fighting words doctrine, which remains a notable exception to speech under the First Amendment.

They also say there is no "hate speech" exception to the First Amendment, and even if there were, repeating statements from the Bible "is not hate speech."

The case has been assigned to Judge Julien X. Neals, a former Bergen County administrator who was first nominated by the Obama administration to fill a vacancy in 2015, but who was blocked by the then-Republican controlled Senate. In 2021, Biden renominated Neals to a different seat, and he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Lori Comstock can be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: County College of Morris NJ lawsuit: Student sues after suspension
Over 1,500 people gathered at First Baptist Church Tuesday night, March 21, at Greenville Organized for Accountable Leadership's (GOAL) Nehemiah Action where Greenville officials promised to work toward $20 million total for affordable housing from the county and city.

GOAL asked for $10 million from the city and $10 million from the county, with one-third going to those who make 30 percent of the area median income or about $27,000 for a family of four.

The commitment comes as pressure mounts on local officials to deliver more for affordable housing as the area continues to lose Black residents.

Related: Greenville city officials seek more aggressive funding for 'urgent' affordable housing need

GOAL addresses two of the biggest issues in Greenville

GOAL is an interfaith organization made up of over 20 congregations across Greenville County. As previously reported by the Greenville News, the organization held it's Justice Ministry Rally Thursday, March 9 to prepare for the Nehemiah Action.

As previously reported, according to GOAL, there is a shortage of at least 11,000 homes for families making less than $27,000 a year in Greenville County.

Over 1,500 people filled First Baptist Church for GOAL's Nehemiah Action

The group also wants to target mental health issues.

Over 46,000 people in South Carolina contacted the 988 mental health emergency line in 2022. Of those 127 calls a day, only 55 people received a response from someone in the state. Everyday, 72 people reach out to the emergency line with no response. Of those unanswered calls, 24 per day are under the age of 24 according to GOAL.

At the Justice rally, GOAL asked Greenville City Council and Greenville County Council to commit $20 million every year of local funding to affordable housing.

GOAL is also seeking funding for the 988 mental health emergency line. The organization would like for the emergency line to receive $3.9 million in the 2023-2024 State budget.

Greenville officials agree to work toward goals

During the Nehemiah Action, GOAL publicly asked elected officials in Greenville two questions:

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"Will you work to create new revenue streams to accomplish a goal of $10 million annually to the Greenville Housing Fund?" and "Will you work to ensure that 1/3 of the City dollars for affordable housing goes toward at that 30 percent of the area median income?"

Mayor Knox White, City Council members Dorothy Dowe, Russell Stall, Ken Gibson and John DeWorken, along with County council members Liz Semen, Alan Mitchell and Ennis Fant, all answered "yes" to both questions.

"We know to take on an issue like this you have to think big. You have to think boldly. And we have a tradition in Greenville of doing just that and have had for many years. That's why I will be optimistic about this because Greenville does things that other communities don't know how to do. We do it here," White said.

Councilwoman Dowe said, "One of the revenue streams we have in the city of Greenville and the county is our tourism tax revenue. Right now, this is currently restricted to be used only for tourism related projects. Many of you in here heard from me and others in the past two weeks, heard my call for action to please support and contact your legislators to support Senate Bill S284."

According to the South Carolina Policy Council website, "This bill would allow local accommodations and hospitality tax revenue to be spent on the development of workforce housing. Such revenue is currently restricted to things more closely associated with tourism, such as improving beach access or paying for tourism-related advertisements."

"I do feel like there is plenty more that revenue stream could do to provide housing for the very workforce that creates the tourism engine," Dowe said.

City council-member Kenneth Gibson listens on during a city council meeting on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

When asked if he would work to ensure one-third of the City dollars for affordable housing goes to those that earn less than 30 percent of the area's median income, Gibson said, "No, because I will work for more than that."

GOAL encouraged everyone to reach out to State Representative Bruce Bannister to ensure $3.9 million in funding for the 988 mental health emergency line is included in the statehouse budget.

Councilwoman Liz Seman told the audience, "While I was sitting here, I texted Representative (Bruce) Bannister and he says don't call. He's supportive of the money for 988."

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: GOAL Nehemiah: Greenville makes pledges to address affordable housing
Alice Grossniklaus, owner of the Alpine-Alpa Chalet and Restaurant near Wilmot, poses in front of the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock.

Alice Grossniklaus of Wilmot was a woman of many talents.

An astute businesswoman, she operated the Alpine-Alpa Chalet and Restaurant on Route 62 near Wilmot for decades. She was just as well-known for her musical ability, performing Swiss music with her husband, Hans, at many places in Ohio. And she lobbied hard for the state and federal governments to enact better strip mine reclamation laws.

More local history: Hooked on History: Swiss Hat Restaurant known for savory fare that drew crowds

Born Feb. 4, 1907, in Switzerland, she came to the United States with her parents as a child. She grew up in the Cleveland area, where she participated in light opera and other musical events as a young woman. While performing, she met her future husband, Hans Grossniklaus, a fellow Swiss immigrant. They were married on Aug. 12, 1934.

They settled in Holmes County, where Hans was a cheesemaker. They opened the Alpine Cheese Factory on Route 62 in 1935.

Talented musical performers

The couple quickly gained fame throughout the Tuscarawas Valley for their musical performances.

In 1936, they appeared at an amateur program at Millersburg High School to benefit the Holmes County Library.

"One of the outstanding features of the evening performance was the appearance of Hans and Alice Grossniklaus of Wilmot appearing as Swiss Song Birds of America in their native Swiss costumes and entertaining mostly in their native tongue," the Coshocton Tribune reported.

The couple also worked hard to promote Ohio Swiss Cheese.

In March 1950 they traveled to Washington, D.C., with four other Ohioans for a congressional taste test to determine whether Ohio or Wisconsin produced the best Swiss cheese. They took with them a 200-pound wheel of Ohio Swiss cheese.

Members of Congress ate 400 pounds of cheese to decide the winner of the contest. While they ate, they were serenaded by the yodeling of Alice and Hans and a 10-foot alpine horn. In the end, U.S. Rep. John McSweeney of Ohio and U.S. Rep. Lawrence W. Smith of Wisconsin declared the contest a draw.

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'Ohio's showplace of cheese making'

In 1951, Alice and Hans expanded their cheese factory, calling it the "Ohio showplace of cheese making."

"A remodeling project now in progress is expected to be completed within two months," the New Philadelphia Daily Times reported on June 29, 1951. "The exterior will be in Swiss architecture  a quaint little Swiss chalet.

"The front entrance will lead to a salesroom where elaborate cheese displays will be made. Samples of the 14 varieties of Alpine-Alpa cheese will be given to visitors, who will also be entertained with faint melodies of Swiss yodeling and alphorn tunes."

A reporter for the Newark Advocate stopped there in 1953. He described seeing travelers eating lunch at umbrella-shaded tables in front of the business while listening to polka music.

The Alpine-Alpa Chalet and Restaurant near Wilmot is shown in this undated photo.

Sometime in the late 1950s, Alice and Hans divorced. Alice continued the business on her own. In the years to come, it expanded to include a restaurant and cheese shops. The restaurant dining room featured alpine dioramas by local artist Tom Miller.

A 1963 advertisement in the Dover Daily Reporter described the business this way:

"Nestled in the hills of Wilmot is a charming Swiss chalet, known throughout the state for its fine food, friendly service and unique Swiss atmosphere. The name Alpine Alpa is synonymous with the finest Swiss cheese in the world. This delightful house of delicacies is also famous for its coffee shop and novelty store."

It concluded, "Make a special point of driving along Route 62, just north of Wilmot, and spend some time in a 'make believe Switzerland'  the Alpine Alpa."

Construction of a giant cuckoo clock

That same year, Alice decided the Alpine-Alpa needed a new attraction to draw tourists to the establishment. So she commissioned clockmaker Karl Schleutermann of Berea to build a giant cuckoo clock. It took 12 years to complete, and Schleutermann died in 1970 before it was finished. John Weaver completed the job.

When finished, it was 23 1/2 feet tall and 24 feet wide. The clock, dubbed the "World's Largest Cuckoo Clock," was hand carved and hand painted, with many parts imported from Germany's Black Forest. It was built at a cost of $50,000.

The clock was located on the "Cuckoo Clock Terrace." When it opened in 1975, admission to the terrace was 25 cents.

More on clock: Sugarcreek official home to World's Largest Cuckoo Clock

Crusader for stronger strip mining laws

It was during this time period that Alice became concerned about the damage that strip mining was doing to the land in northern Tuscarawas County. She became secretary of the Community Council for Reclamation, traveling to Columbus in 1965 to testify for stronger stripping laws. She did the same when she traveled to Washington in 1968.

She was Interviewed by a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal in 1971, who wrote that she depended on dairy cattle to support her cheese company.

"Mrs. Grossniklaus' business will die if the miners take too many farms," the paper said. "Already, a few hundred feet behind her company, strip miners have taken coal from the land.

"'We're trying to get our land back to the point that it's approachable and usable,' she said. With a sweep of the hand, the Swiss-born woman added, 'These were all dairy farms  rich land. What are they good for now?'"

Her obituary noted, "The accomplishment she took the most pride in was her role in helping the passage of strip mine reclamation laws in the 1960s."

Alice Grossniklaus died on Aug. 7, 2001, at age 94. Her business was sold and reopened in 2003 as Grandma's Alpine Alpa Homestead Restaurant. That business closed in 2009.

After the closure, the World's Largest Cuckoo Clock was sold at auction and eventually moved to Sugarcreek. It was restored to working order and can now be see at the corner of Main and Broadway streets in downtown Sugarcreek.

Jon Baker is a reporter for The Times-Reporter and can be reached at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Owner of Alpine-Alpa crusaded for Swiss cheese, coal reclamation
The trial of cult mom Lori Vallow is set to begin on Monday 3 April 2023 in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The childrens remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the two cases last month. Now, jury selection will begin in Ms Vallows trial on Monday.

Separately, Ms Vallow is also facing charges in Arizona for the murder of her fourth husband Charles Vallow.

A chilling last photo

11:05 , Rachel Sharp

Chilling photos captured a smiling JJ, Tylee and Lori Vallows brother Alex Cox on a visit to Yellowstone National Park on 8 September 2019.

The photo is now believed to be the last proof of life of 16-year-old Tylee.

After that day, she was never seen or heard from again.

The last photo  and known sighting  of Tylee Ryan (pictured with JJ and Alex Cox at Yellowstone National Park) (FBI)

What happened to JJ and Tylee?

11:00 , Rachel Sharp

JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, were last seen alive in September 2019  not long after Lori Vallow had moved the two children from Arizona to Idaho to be close to Mr Daybell.

On 8 September, Tylee was last seen on a visit to Yellowstone National Park with her mother, JJ and Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox.

Days later, on 22 September, JJ was also seen for the last time  at his school in Rexburg and by his mothers friends at her apartment that night. By the next morning, the seven-year-old  who had autism  had vanished.

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Cellphone data places Ms Vallows brother Alex Cox in the yard of Mr Daybells property in the hours after both of the childrens disappearances. The morning after Tylee was last seen alive, Mr Daybell also sent a text to his wife to say that he had shot a raccoon and buried it in the pet cemetery on the grounds of their property.

JJ (left) and Tylee (right) (AP)

JJs grandparents raised the alarm after they were unable to get in touch with their grandson but Ms Vallow refused to tell authorities where either of the children were.

According to Ms Vallows friends, she had claimed that her children were zombies and that the only way to free someones soul from evil spirits was to kill them.

In June 2020, JJ and Tylees remains were discovered buried in Mr Daybells backyard.

JJs body was found in a black plastic bag wrapped in duct tape while Tylees body had been dismembered and burned in a fire pit, before being buried in the pet cemetery.

A doomsday cult, five bodies and children buried in a pet cemetery: What we know about Ccult mom Lori Vallows case

10:55 , Rachel Sharp

It looked every inch the fairytale wedding. Dressed in white with pink flower garlands around their necks, the bride and groom couldnt have looked happier as they exchanged vows on a paradise beach in Hawaii.

Photos captured the apparently blissful day as they toasted their nuptials, embraced and she danced to him playing the guitar. But, behind the photos, something much more disturbing was going on.

Her two children had not been seen alive in two months.

His wife of three decades  the mother of his five children  had died suddenly just two weeks earlier.

And her husband had been shot dead by her brother (who would also soon be dead) not long before.

Now, in the three years since the November 2019 wedding of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, a deeply disturbing tale of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies has come to light.

Five people close to the couple have wound up dead.

And the couple are now charged with murder.

Its a bizarre and tragic case that has captured the attention of the nation, leaving many with one big unanswered question: how could a woman who for years appeared to be a loving, doting mother allegedly murder her children in the belief that they had turned into zombies?

That is just one of the questions her trial could now answer as more disturbing details are expected to come to light over the coming weeks.

Here The Independents Rachel Sharp tells you everything you need to know about the case:

Lori Vallow trial: What we know about the doomsday cult, murders and mystery deaths

Lori Vallows trial to begin today in Idaho court

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

The trial of cult mom Lori Vallow is set to begin on Monday 3 April 2023 in a court in Idaho, marking the latest development in a bizarre case that spans a series of suspected murders, unexplained deaths and apocalyptic cult beliefs about killing zombies.

Ms Vallow is charged with the murders of her two children Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, who were last seen alive in September 2019.

The childrens remains were discovered buried on the grounds of her new husband Chad Daybells property in Rexburg, Idaho, in June 2020.

Ms Vallow is also charged with conspiracy to murder Mr Daybells first wife Tammy Daybell.

Prosecutors say that Ms Vallow and Mr Daybell conspired with her brother Alex Cox (who is also now dead) to kill the three victims so as to further their doomsday cult beliefs and to collect the victims life insurance money and benefits.

The couple was due to stand trial together before the judge severed the two cases last month. Now, jury selection will begin in Ms Vallows trial on Monday.

Welcome to The Independents liveblog on Lori Vallows trial

10:46 , Rachel Sharp

Follow along for all the latest updates on the case
Traditional Swahili culture had a matriarchal nature when Persian men married into the culture about 1,000 years ago. The Swahili retailed this matriarchal feature during colonial rule and modern times. Here we see two Swahili women in Zanzibar circa 1890.

About a millennium ago, long before the age of internet dating, Swahili women in eastern Africa paired up with a new type of suitor: men from Persia, a new study finds.

Researchers made the finding by studying the ancient DNA of 80 aristocrats buried in six medieval and early modern towns along the Swahili coast, they wrote in a new study published March 29 in the journal Nature . These international hookups occurred just as Islam was spreading to the Swahili region, the researchers noted.

The study supports historical evidence that Swahili aristocrats are descendants of Persians who married Africans centuries ago.

"This picture is almost a perfect match to the Kilwa Chronicle, the oldest narrative told by the Swahili people themselves, and one almost all earlier scholars had dismissed as a kind of fairy tale," co-authors Chapurukha Kusimba , professor of anthropology at University of South Florida, and David Reich , professor of genetics and human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, wrote in The Conversation .

"Our results do not provide simple validation for the narratives previously advanced in archaeological, historical, or political circles. Instead, they contradict and complicate all of them."

Here we see stone structures and a cemetery amongst trees and grass.

The Swahili civilization has existed for thousands of years along the coast of East Africa, where they played a key role in the trade routes connecting Africa, Arabia, Persia, India, Southeast Asia and China. Swahili people embraced Islam a little more than 1,000 years ago, fell under colonialist control in the 1500s and did not regain their independence until the mid 20th century. The Swahili people were then largely absorbed into modern Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar.

The question of where the Swahili came from originally, and how their unique culture evolved, has been subject to debate among academics for at least a century. Not all of these debates were carried out in good faith. "Western archaeologists in the mid-20th century emphasized the connections of the medieval Swahili to Persia and Arabia, sometimes suggesting that their impressive achievements could not have been attained by Africans," Kusimba and Reich wrote.

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Related: Polynesians and Native Americans paired up 800 years ago, DNA reveals

The new study shows that the story of the Swahili is neither straightforward nor far off from the civilization's own legends.

Anthropologist Chapurukha Kusimba from the University of South Florida made it his life mission to research the Swahili culture. After receiving approval from the people of Swahili, Kusimba was able to excavate the cemetery remains.

Upon examining the DNA of the medieval Swahili elite, some of whom lived up to 800 years ago, the scientists discovered that the majority of male ancestors came from Asia  particularly Persia, or modern-day Iran  while the majority of female ancestors came from Africa. "These findings bring out the African contributions, and indeed, the Africanness of the Swahili, without marginalizing the Persian and Indian connection," Kusimba said in a statement .

Related stories

Oldest deliberate burial of a human in Africa discovered

Enslaved people were kidnapped from all across Africa, rare look at DNA from colonial cemetery reveals

What's the difference between race and ethnicity?

Further, the Persians do not appear to have forced their ideologies upon their African partners. Oral traditions and archaeological evidence suggest that the descendants of these Asian-African unions spoke an African language, and that African women retained significant economic and social power. The researchers suspect that the traditional matriarchal society of the Swahili was by then so entrenched that even the traditionally patriarchal Persian men followed local custom so that they could marry into powerful African families.

"The fact that their children passed down the language of their mothers, and that encounters with traditionally patriarchal Persians and Arabians and conversion to Islam did not change the coast's African matriarchal traditions, confirms that this was not a simple history of African women being exploited," Kusimba and Reich wrote.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The 6th Digital China Summit will take place in the city of Fuzhou in east China's Fujian Province from April 27 to 28, said the organizers Monday.

The summit is co-sponsored by authorities including the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), the National Development and Reform Commission, and the provincial government of Fujian.

Arranged events will reflect China's plan for the overall layout of the country's digital development unveiled in February, Cao Shumin, deputy head of the CAC, told a press conference.

An exhibition will be held as part of the summit to display the latest achievements and successful practices of digitalization on 11 fronts highlighted in the February plan, including digital infrastructure, the economy, and society, said Cao.

The summit will also include a digital product exposition as a trading platform for global buyers and suppliers.

China has pledged effective interconnectivity in digital infrastructure, a significantly improved digital economy, and breakthroughs in digital technology innovation, according to the plan. 
Ground water is used to irrigate an alfalfa field, April 7, 2022, at Fondomonte's Butler Valley Ranch near Bouse.

The Saudis arent draining Arizona.

Not even close.

This is a common misconception, fueled by news that Arizona offered a Saudi Arabian-based company, Fondomonte, a sweetheart deal to farm state trust land in La Paz County.

Its heartening to see so much interest in who uses our water, and for what purpose.

But this debate desperately needs some context.

Did Arizona sell its water to the Saudis?

No (though this is a commonly searched question on Google).

The state Land Department leased land  not water  to Fondomonte. And it did so at well below market rates, without adequate explanation or transparency on the deal.

That was a mistake.

Its fair question to ask whether Arizona can or should charge for water on the state trust land it leases, considering how precious and limited groundwater is.

But if anything, the Fondomonte deal points to the larger problem, which is that state law allows virtually unlimited pumping in rural areas.

We must slow the steady drain of rural groundwater. And thats going to take a lot more than nixing one poorly crafted lease.

But aren't the Saudis pumping our water?

In a sense, yes.

Fondomonte is drawing water from the Butler Valley groundwater basin, one of a handful set aside for central Arizona cities to drain over time.

But so are farmers in the other transfer basins, and we seem to be OK with that.

How to get water? Lawmakers float ideas to help Rio Verde Foothills

Granted, Butler Valley is largely undeveloped. Fondomonte is presumed to be its largest current water user by far, though the company has never fully disclosed how much it has pumped.

It needs to be more forthcoming. So does the state.

What we do know is that Fondomontes nearly 3,500 acres comprise less than 2% of the basin  and about 5% of the alfalfa hay in production in La Paz County.

A study due later this year should offer a better sense of Butler Valleys current supplies and demands.

As of 2012, the basin was estimated to have 6.5 million acre-feet of water available.

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Why should our water feed Saudi cows?

Thats also a fair question.

But keep in mind that a little less than 10% of the alfalfa Arizona produces is exported, according to a working paper from University of Arizona agricultural economics professor Russell Tronstad and others.

Most of Arizonas alfalfa goes to local dairies, which produce milk that is predominantly consumed by Arizonans.

And  plot twist  while Saudi Arbia gets about 40% of the alfalfa and other forage crops we send overseas, according to Tronstads analysis of federal and state export data, China is the bigger beneficiary, accounting for 57% of Arizonas exported forage in 2021.

Tronstad estimates that of all the water used to irrigate farmland in Arizona, exported alfalfa accounts for 2% to 4.6% of it  or 121,000 acre-feet to 202,000 acre-feet in 2022.

Thats not insignificant. The city of Phoenix typically delivers a little more than 300,000 acre-feet of water to taps each year, for comparison.

But considering that agriculture accounts for about 70% of water use statewide, exported alfalfa represents just a few drops in that bucket.

Reach Allhands at joanna.allhands@arizonarepublic.com. On Twitter: @joannaallhands.

If you love this content (or love to hate it  hey, I won't judge), why not subscribe to get more?

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Saudis are draining Arizona to feed their cows? Not exactly
A woman pauses as she visits a memorial at the entrance to The Covenant School on March 29 in Nashville, Tennessee. Wade Payne/AP

A mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, killed six people on March 27.

A woman who was at the school during the incident told police that a few staff members were armed.

There's a staff member or two "who would be packing," the woman said, according to a police call obtained by The Tennessean.

A woman who was at the Nashville, Tennessee, school during the mass shooting on March 27 told police that a few staff members typically carry a gun on campus, according to a police call obtained by The Tennessean.

In a call to police dispatch around 10:12 a.m., a woman who was hiding in The Covenant School's nursery office said there were a few staff members whose job it was to provide security, according to the local newspaper.

"We do have a school person or two ... I'm not sure ... who would be packing, whose job it is for security," the woman said, according to The Tennessean. "We don't have security guards, but we have staff."

It's unclear if the staff members in question were present at the school during the incident or what the campus's policies are around carrying weapons.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for The Covenant School said they are looking into Insider's inquiry.

Three elementary school students and three adult staff members, including the school's head, Katherine Koonce, were killed by a 28-year-old assailant on March 27.

The massacre sparked a demonstration at the Tennessee Capitol, during which hundreds of students and parents protested for stricter gun control laws inside the building, CBS News reported.

Some Republicans repeated calls for armed guards at schools.

Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw said on Sunday during CNN's "State of the Union" that every US school should have at least "two armed guards."

"The truth of the matter is: If we had a minimum of two armed guards or police officers at every single school in America, you'd probably prevent these from here on out," Crenshaw said.

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Rep. Dean Phillips was one outlier Democrat who also proposed armed security guards at schools.

"I might be an outlier on this as a Democrat, but in the near term, I'm becoming of the opinion that we must ensure that there is an armed security officer at every school possible in America right now," Phillips said in an interview with MPR News.

Research has yet to support claims that armed guards can prevent mass shootings.

University at Albany and RAND researchers published a 2021 study that looked at the impact of "school resource officers" (SROs) at US schools between 2014 to 2018. The study found that while SROs can "reduce some forms of violence in schools," they "do not prevent school shootings or gun-related incidents."

Read the original article on Insider
PEORIA  Another round of severe storms will be rolling into central Illinois Tuesday.

Warnings for Peoria and communities east and south are not quite as dire as they were on Friday  Peoria is at enhanced risk, or level 3, on a scale of 1 to 5 as opposed to the level 4 rating given for Fridays storm. But just west and north of Peoria, the threat increases to a level 4, or moderate risk. Canton and Galesburg and a large swath of Iowa are under a level 4 threat.

Tuesday's storms still have the potential to produce high winds, hail and long tracking tornadoes, even if the threat is slightly less than on Friday, said Rebekka Delaney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lincoln. One of the key differences between the storm systems is wind speed.

More: Hail pummels Peoria during severe thunderstorm

Tuesday's storms wont be moving as fast. Last week they were moving about 60 miles per hour at times, and right now it looks like Tuesdays storm is going to be moving 40 to 45 miles per hour, she said. The concern with fast moving storms is the winds that accompany them. Last week our wind threat was a high threat, and this week its just a bit over medium. There is still a wind threat, it just might not be as bad, though it will still be severe.

Storms will be moving into central Illinois late Tuesday afternoon and continue through the night. With overnight storms, it is particularly important for people to have a weather alert system that can wake them, said Delaney.

It makes it a little more dangerous because people are sleeping and are less likely to get the warning, she said. We recommend that you have the way that you are going to get your warnings as loud as possible overnight.

How many tornadoes hit Illinois?

Illinois saw about 20 tornadoes during Fridays storm system, said Delaney. Only one was reported in the Peoria area  a funnel cloud seen by a spotter in Tazewell County near Banner. It caused no damage.

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Most of the states 20 tornadoes were rated at EF-1 or less, but an EF-1 tornado can still be dangerous. In Belvidere, a community near Rockford, an EF-1 caused the collapse of an historic theater filled with concertgoers. One person died and 40 were injured, according to National Weather Service reports.

An EF-3 tornado that first touched down in Jasper County killed three and injured eight. The tornado was responsible for the collapse of a two-story masonry building and multiple metal buildings at the airport in Robinson, Illinois, a small community near the Indiana border east of Effingham. After crossing the border, it caused extensive damage in Sullivan, Indiana.

More: 'We're very disappointed': Round1 in Northwoods Mall is closing in May

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Severe storms and tornado threat in forecast for Tuesday in Peoria
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 people overflowed the House Lounge at the Rhode Island State House on Thursday afternoon as Rhode Island veterans of the Vietnam War gathered in comradeship with brothers and sisters who served. A smattering of family members, media representatives and legislative aides added some youthful balance to the room, but the majority of the attendees were in their 70s and 80s. Most wore shirts, jackets or baseball caps identifying their branch of service and the units in which they served back in the day.

Their wrinkled faces bore mostly somber expressions, and it was clear that most had lost a step in the passage of time. As a youthful color guard from Hope High Schools Junior ROTC program opened the program with a ceremonial parading of the colors, one veteran asked another, Were we ever that young?

Yes, you were  we were.

But age made no difference over there; of the 58,000 American servicemen killed, five were only 16 years old. The oldest to die was 62.

At last count, there are 1,581 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Six of those men are from Rhode Island.

Serious faces of Vietnam vets reflect the solemnity of the occasion at the Rhode Island State House ceremony marking Vietnam Veterans Day.

More: Vietnam Veterans Day offers chance to say 'welcome home'  and clear up misconceptions

More: RI soldier identified more than 70 years after he died in a North Korean POW camp

More than 9 million Americans served on active duty during the official Vietnam era. We represented 9.7% of our generation. Of that number, some 2.7 million of us actually deployed to Vietnam.

Last week, Wayne Peacock, chairman and CEO of insurance giant USAA, said: When these brave warriors returned from Vietnam, they received neither a heros welcome nor appreciation for their service that they deserved, but instead got apathy, anger and hate. Disappointingly, many were left to struggle alone with self-doubt, shame and the memories of those left behind.

The weight of that burden was palpable in the room last Thursday.

Providence native Wayne Smith, a Vietnam combat medic, was the guest speaker at the State House ceremony marking Vietnam Veterans Day.

On March 29, 1973, the last American combat units left Vietnam. In 2017, March 29 was designated as Vietnam Veterans Day, and this year marked the 50th anniversary of our less-than-triumphant departure.

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The program began with Welcome home remarks from Ernest Boisvert, who heads up the Vietnam Veterans of America Council in Rhode Island. Rep. Samuel Azzinaro, D-Westerly, chair of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, followed with a salute to those in the room and a promise to keep fighting on their behalf.

Providence native Wayne Smith was the primary guest speaker. Smith, who served a full tour plus an extension as a combat medic, has spent the majority of his life since then working on behalf of veterans in need.

Hes an unbelievable guy, said his brother Maurice, who himself spent more than 20 years in the military. Maurice and his daughter Monique were there to support Wayne.

We persevered and soldiered on, said Wayne. We took care and we continue to take care of one another.

South Kingstown honors Medal of Honor recipients and those still missing

South Kingstown Town Manager James Manning, left, and Joe Tiger Patrick, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in RI, present the Medal of Honor Town sign to the community.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout for South Kingstowns military tribute on March 25, honoring three Medal of Honor recipients from the town and recognizing five servicemen (all airmen) still missing. South Kingstown became the first community in the state to claim the designation of Medal of Honor Town.

Sharon Henderson, of VFW Auxiliary Post 916, is chair of the Military Recognition Project, one element of the towns 300th anniversary activities. She led the team that organized the event, while Navy veteran Matt McCoy was master of ceremonies.

Gov. Dan McKee, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed, and U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner headed the list of dignitaries in attendance. Secretary of State Gregg Amore, General Treasurer James Diossa, Attorney General Peter Neronha and Director of Veterans Services Kasim Yarn also participated, along with members of the General Assembly and town officials.

In addition to the Medal of Honor recipients, the town also honored five native sons, all airmen, missing in action from three wars.

Photos of the five missing airmen from South Kingstown, from left: Lt. Stuart T. Cooper, USN; Col. Curtis A. Eaton, USAF; Lt. Victor M. Gadrow, USN; Lt. Peter H. Hazard, USN; and 1st Lt. Richard L. McNulty, USAF. Eaton was lost in Vietnam and McNulty went missing in Korea. The others are all casualties of World War II.

Announcements

VA help with tax returns: Since a 2015 agreement with the IRS, the VA has been providing free tax preparation services to veterans and their families. Partnering organizations prepare tax returns free of charge for low- to moderate-income taxpayers. The Providence VA Medical Center participates in this program. The service is provided by appointment only Tuesday through Thursday until April 13. To get help with your taxes, call (401) 273-7100, ext. 12025.

Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall coming to RI in September: Organizers have announced that an 80% scale replica of the Vietnam Wall Memorial in Washington is coming to Warwick's Rocky Point State Park from Sept. 8-10. The weekend-long display will be hosted by the Gaspee Days Committee, the City of Warwick, Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, and RI 250.

Two hundred and nine Rhode Islanders made the ultimate sacrifice, said Erik Wallin, executive director of Operation Stand Down Rhode Island. Six servicemen from this state are still not accounted for and are listed as MIA missing in action.

The Vietnam Era Veteran continues to be a demographic in serious need of services, continued Wallin. This display will honor all those who served and sacrificed in Vietnam and most of all those who did not make it home.

There are still more than 20,000 Vietnam Era veterans who live in Rhode Island, added Mark Russell, one of the organizers. For them and their families it is important to commemorate their service. This year, the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, is a fitting time to do so.

More details will be made available this summer.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Vietnam Veterans Day in RI honored old, young and those left behind
Residents and first responders were hard at work Monday clearing debris in what is expected to be a long process of rebuilding in Whiteland after the Johnson County community was hit by a tornado late Friday night.

Town and Johnson County officials said during a public meeting Monday afternoon that dozens of homes and businesses were affected and some critical infrastructure has been damaged.

Its going to be a long haul, but we are tough town, Whiteland Police Chief Rick Shipp said. Were a small town and a lot of neighbors are helping each other.

March 31 storm in Indiana: Here's where tornadoes struck in Indiana

16 homes destroyed, many more damaged in Johnson County

Johnson Countys Emergency Management Agencys Director Stephanie Sichting said the tornado destroyed 16 homes with another 28 homes showing major damages and nearly 70 others with minor damage. Trees also were damaged and uprooted.

The National Weather Service said the tornado touched down at 11:33 p.m. just west of Centerline Road, south of Whiteland Road, and ripped along a 3.5 mile northeasterly path. The swath, which reached more than 300 yards at it widest across, cut across U.S. 31 and left the ground just east of I-65. The service said the storm range from EF-0 to Ef-3, with wind peaks of more than 130 miles per hour.

The town is under a curfew beginning tonight from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. to keep the roads clear and keep people from moving around at night, Shipp said.

Thousands of Whiteland residents still without power; boil order remains

There were still about 3,300 residents of Whiteland without power Monday afternoon and a boil advisory indefinitely remains while crews work to restore the water supplys pressure. Indiana American Water is letting the town use its lab to continue water testing to make sure residents receive clean water once the system is restored, Whitelands community development director Carmen Young said.

Emergency response vehicles and all-terrain buggies fill Town of Whiteland's Town Hall Monday, April 3, 2023, as town officials along with Johnson County officials updated residents on efforts to rebuild following Friday night's tornado.

Assistance and support has been flowing into Whiteland, according to Town Council President Joe Sayler. He said he witnessed first responders from nearby towns and the county pitching in to help Whiteland residents. Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said deputies have been working across the county and in Whiteland to pitch in to help.

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Were very fortunate in Johnson County, Burgess said. All the agencies came together and responded over here.

Help has also poured in from the public, to get everyone on the path to building everything back, Young said.

How to help tornado victims

The town established an assistance center at the Clark-Pleasant Community Schools Administration building on 50 Center Street for incoming donations.

It has also established a phone number for anyone who needs help or would like to offer assistance: 317-671-6521. An email may also be sent to whitelandtornadorelief@gmail.com

We have so much being donated right now and that is fabulous, Young said. But where are we going to be in a month or two when we really need that help. Will they still be willing to donate a couple of months down the road? When we really need the help is when everyone kind of goes away.

Town of Whiteland and Johnson County officials met with the public Monday afternoon, April 3, 2023, at Whiteland Town Hall to discuss updates from the tornado that hit the town late Friday night.

Sayler, the council president, said due to the infrastructure damage, he believes the town is eligible for state and federal assistance.

I reached out to the Governors office Saturday morning and the emergency declaring came from state right away, Sayler said. I issued local emergency declaration, too, which opens the gates to state and federal assistance.

Police chief Shipp closed the public meeting reminding everyone that there may be road delays and detours and asked everyone to use patience.

Remember, please remember these people are devastated in our community, Shipp said. Be patient with us and remember the people in your prayers that have lost everything.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Whiteland tornado response ramping up following weekend storms
RFA/Latino Community and Lower Valley Reporter

Heyo, Im Jasper. Nice to meet you. I cover a wide variety of news, but I try to focus on the Latino community and the Lower Yakima Valley. I want to sharestories and perspectives from the Yakima Valley. Im interested in economics, labor, geography and the environment, but the most important issues will always be the ones the community cares about. If you have something worth saying, Ill listen and try to write it down. Im a gosei from Northeast Los Angeles and I got my start as a student journalist and editor covering sports in the Bay Area. Im a massive soccer fan and I still love to play. I also love water in all its forms, the word copacetic and trying new things. I want to read more, and I like to cook, but Im not great at either. Have fun out there!
Edgar Salvador Casian-Garcia, 34, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, 38, from Franklin County, Washington, have been charged with the murder of a child and multiple counts of child sex abuse.
An attendee at an abortion rights rally holds a sign outside the Idaho Capitol. Idaho lawmakers have passed a first-of-its kind abortion "trafficking" bill. (Sarah A. Miller / TNS, 2022)
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Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters.

Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China hopes to take French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to China as an opportunity to boost ties with France and the European Union (EU), a spokesperson said on Monday.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning made the comment at a regular news briefing in response to queries on Macron's state visit to China from April 5 to 7.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with Macron to map out the future development of bilateral relations, deepen China-France and China-EU cooperation in various fields, and have an in-depth exchange of views on major international and regional hotspot issues, Mao said.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and top legislator Zhao Leji will meet with Macron, respectively, Mao said, adding that Macron will also visit Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province.

China and France are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-France relations have maintained sound development, enjoying effective strategic communication, fruitful practical cooperation, and sound communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, the spokesperson said.

China is ready to work with France to take this visit as an opportunity to produce new outcomes in the close and enduring comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, promote the sound development of China-EU relations and contribute to world peace, stability, and development, Mao said. 
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Legumele care se planteaza in luna mai. Asa vei avea o recolta bogata

Luna mai se apropie si, odata cu ea, si temperaturile calde, astfel ca nu trebuie sa ne mai facem griji cu privire la inghet! Prin urmare, este o perioada prielnica pentru a ne apuca serios de gradinarit si de a cultiva o buna parte din legumele preferate. [citeste mai departe]
Justice Ministry recommends RON 9,000 as threshold to penalise abuse of office Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu said on Monday that he presented the technical data and the history of the problem regarding the abuse of office to the National Liberal Party (PNL) MPs, adding that the ministry recommends that the threshold from which the abuse of office would be penalised should be set at RON 9,000. "I have provided all the technical data regarding the history of this problem, the considerations of comparative law, and the crime phenomenon in Romania regarding the abuse of office. I could tell you that, at this time, there are 20 people in penitentiaries convicted for abuse Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro

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- Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, the national leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), has called the best option the abuse of office bill as it came out of the government, namely without a value threshold, a version later adopted by the Chamber of Deputies as well.Ciuca made the statement when asked

- The President of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, announces that the proposal of the Ministry of Justice om the threshold of 9,000 lei for the crime of abuse of office will be supported, adding that the leader of the PNL deputies in the Chamber of Deputies, Gabriel Andronache,

- The Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that it will support the adoption by the Chamber of Deputies of a threshold of 9,000 RON for the definition of the offence of abuse of office."There is no concrete reference in the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Romania or in the opinions of

- The Ministry of Justice must publicly present an appropriate regulatory variant for the value threshold for abuse of office, in accordance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court, with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and with the opinions of legal specialists, says the Speaker of

- Chairman of Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula accuses National Liberal Party (PNL) leader Nicolae Ciuca and Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu of "giving free rein to stealing up to 250,000 RON", after the Senate adopted a bill that sets the threshold for abuse of office at that

- The Senate's Standing Bureau acknowledged the receipt of an information report from the Justice Ministry on the Whistleblower Bill, and Parliament will have checked the relevant NRRP milestone after a technical solution that is politically agreed by the governing coalition is found "in the shortest

- Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu proposed Alex Florin Florenta for Romania's Prosecutor General office, the Justice Ministry announced on Monday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends

- Anti-corruption prosecutors detained on Monday general manager of the National Company Romarm SA, Gabriel Tutu, in a case in which he is accused of abuse of office and influence peddling in connection with the procurement of protective masks during the COVID pandemic-19, Agerpres informs. Fii
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a working conference on the education campaign on the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Beijing, capital of China, April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged solid efforts to carry out the education campaign on the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to enhance cohesion and pool strengths for forging ahead on the new journey.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when delivering an important speech at a working conference on the Party-wide campaign on Monday.

The campaign should be an opportunity to further arm all Party members with the Party's new theories and enhance their understanding of Marxism, Xi said, calling on Party members to strive together to fully build a modern socialist China and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Vice President Han Zheng attended the meeting. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chief of a central leading group for the campaign, delivered a concluding speech.

Noting that the education campaign, with officials at and above the county and director level as the focus, is an important measure to implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi said that it is of great importance in uniting Party members in thinking, solving prominent problems within the Party, helping the Party maintain a close bond with the people, and advancing the cause of the Party and the country.

The education campaign should guide Party members and officials in improving their capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation to build the Party into "one piece of adamantine iron" that is invincible, said Xi.

Through education and guidance, Party members and officials are expected to be more capable of pursuing high-quality development, serving the people, and guarding against and defusing risks, he said.

Efforts should also be made to promote a problem-oriented approach among Party organizations, members, and officials to strengthen the Party's ability to purify, improve, renew, and excel itself, ensuring that the Party always remains the strong leadership core in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, said Xi.

Xi stressed the importance of guiding all work with the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and thoroughly understanding the thought's requirements on tempering the CPC members' Party spirit.

He urged putting the thought into practice to solve problems in economic and social development and Party building, prevent and mitigate major risks, and make new progress and breakthroughs in Chinese modernization.

Xi called for efforts to enhance the capacity to fulfill duties and responsibilities so that the Party can make solid achievements that stand the test of time and meet the expectations of the people.

Xi said the basic task of the campaign is to transform the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into a mighty force for reinforcing the ideals, tempering the Party spirit, guiding practice, enhancing the work, and to ensure that all Party members have a shared faith, a strong will, coordinated action, and great strength.

He stressed the necessity to educate and guide all Party members and officials to reinforce their faith in Marxism, belief in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and confidence to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, adding that all Party members must never forget the Party's original aspiration and founding mission.

The campaign should educate and guide all Party members and officials in remaining loyal to the Party, the people, and Marxism and making further progress in pursuing high-quality development with a focus on the Party's central task along the new journey in the new era, Xi said.

More efforts are needed to encourage Party members and officials to work hard to solve the pressing difficulties and problems that concern the people most, Xi said, adding that in doing so, the people will have a stronger sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

The campaign should inspire Party members and officials to enhance their sense of discipline and rules, enabling them to be more aware of the importance of exercising power impartially, lawfully, honestly and for the good of the people, he said.

Xi stressed that theoretical study, investigation and research, development, and inspection and rectification should be combined, integrated, and promoted as a whole during the education campaign.

He also underscored reading original works and articles.

In line with the Party Central Committee's work plan of encouraging the practice of conducting research throughout the Party, Xi said Party members and officials, especially leading officials at all levels, should go to the grassroots and apply the Party's new theories to studying new situations and solving new problems.

He also called for focusing on pursuing high-quality development, the primary task of building a modern socialist country in all respects, and carrying out study and research in fulfilling all the tasks set out at the 20th CPC National Congress.

Rectification of problems should run through the education campaign so that the people can truly feel the results of solving problems, Xi said.

Xi called on Party committees and leading Party members groups at all levels to shoulder their principal responsibilities to plan, organize, and implement the campaign well. He also said that guiding groups should be dispatched to supervise and guide the implementation of the campaign.

Xi urged all localities and departments to combine the education campaign with thorough implementation of the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and encourage Party members and officials to translate their enthusiasm for study and work into a strong driving force for overcoming difficulties and performing their duties.

In the concluding speech, Cai called on the whole Party to attentively study and fully implement Xi's speech and tirelessly forge the soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Calling for more efforts to conduct in-depth research and studies, Cai said that the education campaign should always focus on rectifying problems, promoting high-quality development, and solving difficulties that concern the people most. 

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a working conference on the education campaign on the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Beijing, capital of China, April 3, 2023. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the conference on Monday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

A working conference on the education campaign on the study and implementation of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is held in Beijing, capital of China, April 3, 2023. Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chief of a central leading group for the campaign, delivered a concluding speech. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
Ministry of Health: 1,492 patients with COVID-19, hospitalized, 59 deaths, last week As many as 1,492 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized in specialized health units, the Ministry of Health informed on Monday. 163 patients are treated in the ICUs, of whom 134 are not vaccinated against COVID. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  .ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share this article on Facebook Share this article!  NEWSLETTER   NEWSLETTER  Am citit si sunt de acord cu

Politica de confidentialitate BACK TO TOP DESPRE BACK TO TOP DESPRE Exclusivitati si documente Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro

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- As many as 4,201 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the April 10-16, 2023 week in Romania, with over 48,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is set to participate in the Government Question Time programme in the Chamber of Deputies on Monday.The meeting is chaired by the Chamber's vice-president Daniel Suciu. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- As many as 5,211 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the February 20-26, 2023 week in Romania, with over 70,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) stocks opened higher on Monday, with all indices up and trades of RON 1.026 million (EUR 209,353) 30 minutes into the trading session, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro 

- The average net monthly salary earning in Romania in December 2022 was RON 4,398, up RON 257 (+6.2%) on a monthly basis and 13.4% y-o-y, according to data published on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro

- The exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Monday by the banks authorised to operate on the currency market is as follows: Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your

- As many as 841 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized in specialized health units, the Ministry of Health informed on Monday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share

- As many as 2,358 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the January 23 - 29 week in Romania, with over 66,000 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Monday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe
On the tracks of bison from the Fagaras Mountains The Fagaras Mountains are currently home to 36 bison, which give color to the places that have become home for these animals that dominate the forest landscape. This spring, another 22 specimens will join them, 12 of them located at the reintroduction point in the Dobroneagu area, Nucsoara commune, Arges county. Currently, in Romania there are approximately 200 specimens in the wild. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  .ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share this article on Facebook Share Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro

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- On Tuesday, the Senate tacitly adopted a legislative proposal amending and supplementing Government Emergency Ordinance 24/2008 regarding access to one's own dossier and the unveiling of the Securitate political police and Law no. 223/2015 on special state pensions for the military. Fii la

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- Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor submitted, on Tuesday, his candidacy for a new mandate as president of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR).The elections will take place at the UDMR Congress that will be held in Timisoara, at the end of April. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi

- The Parliament decided, on Tuesday, in a plenary sitting the appointment of Toni Grebla as the president of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) for a 8-year mandate.Toni Grebla, who is currently the Bucharest prefect, was proposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) for this position, told Agerpres.

- The RO-USAR team deployed in Turkey supported, on Friday morning, the local authorities for removing a woman from under the rubble, who was later handed over to the medical crews. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro 

- Minus 31 degrees Celsius were recorded in the night from Wednesday to Thursday at the weather station of central-eastern Intorsura Buzaului, the lowest temperature in the current winter season. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- Academician Razvan Theodorescu was and he will remain one of the great people of this country, says the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about

- Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu had a phone conversation on Tuesday with his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevics, with the main topic of discussion being the process of Romania's accession to Schengen, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informed in a release sent to AGERPRES. Fii
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- AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis, who is on an official visit to Brazil, the first at the head of state level in the last 23 years, was received on Tuesday by his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi

- President Klaus Iohannis will receive First Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, at the Cotroceni Palace on Friday, the Presidential Administration informed.The meeting will take place at 13:00. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe

- President Klaus Iohannis stated on Tuesday that women have a major contribution in terms of including on the public agenda some essential topics such as climate change and energy transition and underscored that their endorsement in getting involved in the public and professional life must be permanent,

- President Klaus Iohannis had a meeting with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, Werner Hoyer on Monday, on the sidelines of the participation in the inaugural edition of the EIB Group Forum, which took place in Luxembourg. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- In Luxembourg today, President Klaus Iohannis is meeting Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and participating as a keynote speaker in the first edition of the European Investment Bank Group Forum, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe

- Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu deemed on Monday as a false topic the possibility that the head of state may not appoint him prime minister at the government rotation, adding that the protocol concluded by the current coalition will be respected, told Agerpres. Fii

- President Klaus Iohannis declared on Thursday that at the special European Council meeting that starts today he will reiterate Romania's support for Ukraine, adding that the plenary meeting will be followed by restricted format meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Fii la curent

- he chairman of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), Marcel Ciolacu, declared on Wednesday that he is convinced that the current governing coalition can continue its activity even after the 2024 elections, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe
Helping those in need in line with our strength, size and abilities is a basic moral duty, a government official said in Uzhorod on Sunday, at the arrival of six buses donated to Ukraine by the city of Veszprem, in central Hungary.

The buses are the first shipment of 14 used vehicles, to be delivered to Ukrainian cities where the war destroyed the public transport fleet, Levente Magyar said. One will serve in Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine, he added.



Hungary is willing and able to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine, he said. During the visit, Magyar said he would also aim to review current issues regarding Ukrainian-Hungarian ties, which he said had been disturbed by regulatory issues regarding the Hungarian minority here which we couldnt agree on.



He said he hoped for good will and understanding from Ukrainian partners to find a reassuring, if not comprehensive, solution.



Magyar will also visit Hungarian-funded infrastructure developments in Bucha and Borodyanka, two localities near Kyiv, occupied and destroyed by the Russian army early in the war. Despite the appearances some wish to maintain, Hungary has an active part in aiding Ukraine, he said.



Magyar also met ethnic Hungarian leaders in Beherove (Beregszasz) earlier in the day, and said he had hopes that the issues around the use of the mother tongue, an extremely sensitive one for the local Hungarian minority, could be brought to a resting point.



Veszprem is a European Capital of Culture in 2023



The aim of the Veszprem-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture project is to make Veszprem, together with the region, a new cultural hub of Europe.



The European Capital of Culture title is an opportunity for the region to join forces to showcase its centuries-old traditions, cultural diversity, gastronomy and natural assets to Europe and the domestic public.
If more and more countries engage in the war in Ukraine, the greater the likelihood is of a world war involving nuclear weapons, the group leader of ruling Fidesz said in an interview.

Mate Kocsis vowed that the ruling parties would fight to make sure movement is made towards peace and negotiations. Meanwhile, Hungarian leftist parties represent pro-war interests at odds with Hungarian interests, whereas the government is fighting against the escalation of war with a pro-peace parliamentary resolution and by pushing for negotiations, he said in an interview to public radio.



Leftist parties promoted the cause of war during the general election campaign, calling for weapons and soldiers to be sent to Ukraine, Kocsis said.



Hungarians leftists have the task, in exchange for dollars, to represent a pro-war stance in Hungary, because thats what is in the American interest, he said, adding that many European countries appeared to be going the same direction.



He said the war had widened, and instead of using their power, influence and military superiority to an immediate ceasefire, Western powers are drifting further and further into the war by supplying ever more effective and powerful weapons.



We are steps away from western European or other Western countries sending soldiers to Ukraine, which we think is something we should avoid at all costs, he said.



Put to him that leftist parties had suggested that Hungary should adopt a similar UN resolution, Kocsis said the Hungarian parliament should prioritise Hungarian interests. Kocsis said the ruling parties would work strenuously for peace negotiations and the prevention of the wars escalation.



The opposition rejected backing the pro-peace declaration in the same way they rejected the governments stance on migration, coronavirus vaccines and energy sanctions, he insisted.



The resolution is the strongest political response to the pressure and challenges Hungary faces, he added. Regarding the NATO integration of Finland and Sweden, Kocsis noted that Fidesz lawmakers supported Finlands accession.



The ruling parties are still divided on certain issues regarding Sweden joining the alliance, so talks are ongoing, he said.
BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- China urges the U.S. side to immediately stop issuing annual reports of Hong Kong and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and other internal affairs of China, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks in response to the Hong Kong Policy Act report issued by the U.S. State Department.

Mao said that Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs which brook no foreign interference, adding that the report issued by the U.S. disregards facts, makes irresponsible remarks, and levels groundless accusations at the Chinese Central Government and the Hong Kong SAR government.

"China strongly deplores this and firmly rejects this," Mao said.

Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the policy of "one country, two systems" under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy has been implemented and the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents have been fully protected in accordance with law, Mao said. "The Chinese government acts in strict accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law and is firm in fully and faithfully implementing the policy of 'one country, two systems,'" she said.

China formulates and implements the legislation on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong and improves the electoral system of Hong Kong. This is fundamentally aimed to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and ensure the steady and sustained implementation of the policy of "one country, two systems," Mao said.

"The legislation on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong targets a handful of criminals endangering our national security and protects the lawful rights and freedoms of Hong Kong people and foreign nationals in the SAR," she said.

The new electoral system is a good system as it is consistent with "one country, two systems" and suitable for Hong Kong's realities. It promotes Hong Kong's solidarity and harmony and demonstrates the true spirit of democracy, the spokesperson said.

"Since we implemented the legislation and improved the electoral system, Hong Kong's rule of law and business environment has been improving, and the city continues to rank among the best in the world in terms of rule of law," Mao said.

She added that foreign investors are more confident in Hong Kong, further consolidating the city's status as an international financial, trade and shipping hub. "These are all undeniable facts. There's more we can expect from Hong Kong in the future," Mao said. 
Since the war in Ukraine is going on in Hungarys neighbourhood, the conflict is worrying and dangerous, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday, adding that our security is being jeopardised.

As more and more decisions are passed on using ever newer and stronger weapons and the West provides Ukraine with more and more modern equipment  the threat of a world war is no literary exaggeration, Orban said.



While it could sound extremely exaggerated when some European and American leaders say that if all goes on like this we could arrive at the third world war, it is a realistic danger at the moment he said.



Everybody feels that this conflict could become a world war and they, too, could be affected, Orban said. Western Europes pro-war stance is based on moral considerations: they think that the war and Ukraine must be supported because that is the right thing to do, he said.



Hungary, however, thinks that it is peace that must be supported on a moral basis, and the world is rather in support of the Hungarian position, he added.



According to Orban, Hungary is subject to direct and indirect pressure. They want to force us into this war, he said, adding, however, that parliament could not be bypassed when a decision is being made on such a weighty matter.



Whether Hungary should participate, and if yes in what way, or stay out of this war could only be decided by parliament, Orban insisted.
Budapest police on Friday said they have issued arrest warrants for another three German nationals in connection with organised armed attacks against alleged participants of a far-right commemoration in the capital last month.

The Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) referred to the incidents as Antifa attacks in a statement posted on the website police.hu.



BRFK said earlier it was investigating assault and other crimes committed as a group against alleged participants of a far-right commemoration marking the anniversary of the Nazi breakout of the Castle District during the siege of Budapest on Feb. 11, 1945.



It said the evidence gathered so far suggested that the perpetrators had attacked people unknown to them, whom they picked because they were wearing clothing indicating far-right views.



Police said that 7-8 people had carried out attacks using telescopic stun batons and knuckle dusters over a number of days in Budapest.



Some attacked a group of Polish tourists, two of whom sustained grave injuries. In the other attacks, a man was assaulted on the outskirts of Budapest, a couple was beaten in downtown Pest and another, a German couple, in the Castle District.



BRFK said on Friday they are working in close cooperation with German police. Two of the four suspects in the case, a German and an Italian national, have been taken into custody. A third suspect, also a German national, has been placed under criminal supervision and the fourth, a Hungarian national, is out on bail, BRFK said.



The message is clear: we will not tolerate any attacks on people in the capital, whether they be on an ideological basis or not, BRFK said, adding that they will use all legal means at their disposal to identify the perpetrators and carry out the necessary procedure against them.



BRFK has already issued arrest warrants for another three suspects, all of them German nationals.
Hungarys labour market is in need of 500,000 additional workers who should preferably be found on the national market before the country turns to guest workers, the economic development minister told a meeting of the National Council for Sustainable Development.

Detailing the industrial development strategy, Marton Nagy said Hungarys economy should be built on investments, which required a constant stream of foreign capital, modernisation and research and development.



He said Hungarys investment rate was 27.2% last year, the third-highest among OECD countries. The government, he added, was committed to Hungarys convergence despite the negative effects of the war and the energy crisis.



He said Hungarys GDP per capita reached 77.5% of the European Union average last year, rising from 75% a year earlier.



Those who say Hungarys convergence was interrupted in 2022 arent telling the truth, he said. The indicators prove that this was the biggest jump in convergence in a decade.



With a targeted GDP growth of 1.5% this year, Hungarys development level is approaching 80% of the EU average, Nagy said, adding that there was a realistic chance of reaching 90% by 2030.



Nagy said evidence of the success of the governments policy of opening up to the East could be found in FDI and noted a significant expansion of the share of Asian investors.



He said Hungarys role as a bridge between German vehicle makers and their battery making partners in the East suits the country well. He added that with the construction of new capacity, Hungary was set to become the fourth-biggest battery maker in the world.
A Class 12 student from Gujarat has been arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly threatening to blow up a plane, PTI reported quoting an official on Monday. As per the report, the accused posted a tweet claiming that an aircraft of airline Akasa Air "will go down". The 18-year-old student had tweeted "AkasaAir Boeing 737 Max will go down", the official said. After the tweet, the newly inaugurated private airline started by Late Rakesh Jhunjhunwala had lodged a complaint at the Airport Police Station in Mumbai.

Taking action on the complaint, an FIR was registered against unidentified persons under Indian Penal Code Sections 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation). During the investigation, the Mumbai Police traced the IP address of the tweet to Surat in Gujarat, following which a team was sent there and the student was arrested on March 27, the official said.

On being interrogated, the accused told the Mumbai Police that his intention was not to create chaos. He was interested in knowing about aircraft and had not realised the repercussions of such a post on social media, the official said. After one-day custody, the accused was released on a bail of Rs 5,000 as his exams were going on, PTI reported.

While this is the first such incident reported by Akasa Air, bomb hoax calls are quite common in Indian aviation industry. Recently, a 59-year-old man, who was denied boarding on Hyderabad-Chennai flight for turning up late at the airport in Hyderabad, made a hoax call to the police saying there was a bomb on the plane.

In another such incident, Karnataka Police arrested a woman from Kerala, who threatened to explode a bomb at the Bengaluru International Airport while arguing with the authorities regarding delay to board the flight.


Mahavir Jayanti: The 24th Tirthankara of the Jain religion, Mahavir, is regarded for restructuring the Jain monastic community. Lord Mahavir was born into a noble Jain family to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala in Bihar and was earlier known as Vardhaman. He left his home at the age of 30 in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment and salvation. Devotees claim that Mahavira was born in 599 BCE on the thirteenth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra.

The two Jain sects, Swetambar and Digambar, differ in the exact year of Lord Mahavir's birth. Whereas the Digambar sect believes that Lord Mahavir was born in 599 BC, the Swetambar sect believes that he was born in 615 BC.

The Gregorian calendar places this day in either March or April. Mahavir Jayanti will be celebrated on April 4 this year. Let's look at the shubh muhurat, the rituals to do, and the puja vidhi for Mahavir Jayanti as we get ready to celebrate the special day.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Shubh muhurat

In the month of Chaitra, on the thirteenth day of the waxing moon, Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated. This year, Trayodashi Tithi will begin on April 3 at 06:24 am and finish on April 4 at 08:05 am.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Rituals

The Lord Mahavir idol is bathed in the morning and then carried in processions while resting on a cradle. Typically, the procession concludes at a temple or shrine where worshippers offer the idol with flowers, rice, and sweets. They pray and read excerpts from Lord Mahavir's sermons.

The Jain community celebrates the day by going to a temple and offering prayers to the statue of Lord Mahavir. On this day, charitable activities and donations are also undertaken. Lord Mahavir, who gained Nirvana at the age of 72, was an advocate of non-violence, a peaceful existence, and love for all mankind. At the age of 30, he abdicated his kingdom and spent the remainder of his life as an ascetic.

Mahavir Jayanti 2023: Puja Vidhi

1. Wake up early and take a bath.

2. Place Lord Mahvira's idol on a platform (chowki) to offer flowers, sweets and fruits after performing 'Jal Abhishekam'.

3. Feed the poor and needy by distributing food and clothes.

4. Some people also observe fast to commemorate this special day.

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has launched an investigation into the recurring incidents of alleged sexual harassment of female students during college fests and summoned Delhi University officials and the cops. According to news agency ANI, the DCW has directed the Delhi University officials and the police to furnish details regarding the guidelines and systems they have established to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

The womens panel issued the notice after several cases of alleged sexual harassment of girls were reported from Delhi's Gargi College, Miranda House, and most recently from the Indraprastha College for Women. "These incidents are emerging repeatedly in colleges of Delhi University which raise serious concerns regarding the safety of girl students therein, especially during college fests," the DCW said in its notice.

DCW launches an inquiry into repeated cases of sexual harassment with girls during college fests, summons Delhi Police and Delhi University officials to appear before the commission with details of guidelines and systems that they have built to ensure such cases will never happen pic.twitter.com/aR5xIrtPf9 April 3, 2023

The commission said that it has "decided to conduct an inquiry into the steps being taken by Delhi University to ensure the safety and security of girls inside the campus, especially during college fests."

Expressing concerns over such incidents, DCW chief Maliwal stated, "The incident is extremely unfortunate. We have seen a number of cases in the past wherein girl students have been harassed by antisocial elements who have forcibly entered colleges, especially during the fest. I have issued notices to Delhi Police and college authorities."

The DCW had last week issued a notice to Delhi Police and Indraprastha (IP) College principal after reports of sexual harassment with students surfaced during a fest organised in the college. It was reported that some boys entered the college during a fest organized therein and harassed the girls. Also, the boys allegedly tried to enter the hostel of the girl students.

The Commission also demanded a copy of the FIR registered in the matter along with details of the accused arrested. The womens panel directed the college authorities and the police to share details of the security arrangements put in place by them to avoid such incidents during the college fests.

"The Commission has sought an explanation for the lapse in security during the fest along with details of action taken against persons responsible for the lapse in security. The commission has asked the college and police to provide copies of communication made in this regard. The Commission has sought an action taken report by April 3," it said.
Mumbai: Hollywood actor Richard Madden, on Sunday, arrived in Mumbai to promote his upcoming web series `Citadel` with his co-star Priyanka Chopra. The actor was spotted at the Kalina Airport donning a black t-shirt and black shades. He was surrounded by his security. Several photos and videos of the actor surfaced online soon after he arrived at the airport.

Created by the Russo Brothers, Citadel will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, April 28, with two adrenaline-fueled episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday through May 26. The show stars Richard Madden and actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas in the lead roles. The action-packed show revolves around two elite agents Mason Kane (Richard Madden) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka) of the global spy agency Citadel.

Sharing details about the show, Priyanka earlier said, "The story is closely interwoven with the stunts. What`s so exciting about these huge action pieces was that they are infused with drama and storytelling. We get to see a lot about these characters, how they physically interact, not just great action sequences but there`s drama at the heart of each one of them, so there`s a story sort of interwoven in all the stunts. And that was just very cool and new for me." Richard is known for his performance in projects like `1917`, `Eternals`, and `Game of Thrones` among others.
New Delhi: Priyanka Chopra Jonas will be soon seen in one of the most-awaited series 'Citadel.' She was seen donning a gorgeous golden gown with a black bow in the middle and a plunging neckline. The actress looked stunning while she promoted her upcoming series 'Citadel.'

PeeCee walked into the press conference with her co-star Richard Madden who looked all things handsome in a formal ensemble. The 'Citadel' duo turned heads with their sizzling chemistry as they promoted their upcoming web series.

Pictures and videos of Priyanka and Richard are going viral on social media. Fans have flooded the comment section with heart-eye and love emojis. Many called the actress 'OG Desi Girl' as they loved her recent look.

She recently stirred a controversy with her statement on how she was cornered in Bollywood by a certain set of influential people, has explained why she decided to speak up about the incident at this juncture. Priyanka was speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific press conference for the upcoming sci-fi spy thriller series 'Citadel', where she plays the lead role opposite Richard Madden.

Sharing the reason for speaking up after such a long time, she said: "First, I spoke during the podcast about my journey across my childhood, teenage years, the initial phase of my career and eventually the incident that changed a few things for me. I have had tumultuous times back then, but today, I feel confident to speak about it in the hope that people at large would take notice of it, empathise (with me) and understand where I'm coming from. I felt it was a safe space for me to open up about the rocky patch in my professional journey."

'Citadel' is all set to premiere on Prime Video on April 28.
New Delhi: Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth, on Monday, unveiled the official teaser trailer of his upcoming action film `Extraction 2`. Taking to Instagram, Chris dropped the trailer which he captioned, "You only get one shot at a second chance. EXTRACTION 2 debuts globally June 16, only on @Netflix. #TylerRakeLives."

In the trailer, the `Avengers` actor shared a glimpse of a single-take-action sequence in which he could be seen fighting with the goons. Soon after the `Thor` actor shared the trailer of `Extraction 2` fans flooded the comment section with red heart and fire emoticons.

"Here comes the mighty Thor," a fan commented. Another fan wrote, "Wooow wooow y mas wooow." "This looks so dope! I`m counting down the days," a user wrote. "Finally The Wait Is Over This Movie Will Be Insane," a user wrote.

Helmed by Sam Hargrave, the film will premiere exclusively on Netflix on June 16, 2023.

Released in 2020, `Extraction` was a big hit. It featured black-ops mercenary Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) traveling to Bangladesh to rescue the kidnapped son of a drug lord. At the end of the film, Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) took a bullet to the neck while protecting the child. The climax made fans wonder if Tyler Rake survived.

Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda was also a part of the first installment of the film. Upon its release, the film was viewed on Netflix by an estimated 90 million households.

Chris Hemsworth will reteam with director Sam Hargrave for `Extraction 2` which is produced by Joe and Anthony Russo via their AGBO banner, from a script by `Avengers: Endgame` filmmaker Joe Russo, who also penned the first installment of the film.
Top Opposition leaders, including chief ministers of three states, on Monday strongly pitched for a caste census at a DMK-convened conference on social justice which also saw fervent calls for forging unity to take on the BJP, setting aside egos, in the run-up to the 2024 general election.

The conference was seen by many as a show of strength by the Opposition with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Raj asthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav joining in to raise their voice against oppression of backward classes.

The Opposition parties attacking the BJP-led government from one platform assumes significance as it comes at a time of renewed unity among them in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha after being convicted in a 2019 defamation case.

The meeting saw a chorus from Opposition leaders demanding a caste census, with RJD leader Yadav making a strong case for caste census, citing that the 'Mahagathbandhan' government in Bihar has already announced a caste-based survey which has begun.

He said it was a concern that when governments in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand want to provide more reservation for OBCs, the governors stalled it.

"This is done at the behest of whom, everyone knows," Yadav said.

He urged the Opposition parties to come together setting aside their egos and said the best way to beat the BJP's politics of 'polarisation' was through social justice-based politics.

Manoj Jha, also of the RJD, went to the extent of calling for a boycott of the census, if there is no caste census. "We should give a call -- no census, if no caste census," he said.

In his remarks, Gehlot pitched for social security for all and said he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking social security for families according to their needs. He said like-minded parties should come forward to push for the caste-based census and urged CMs of Opposition-ruled states to put pressure on the Centre for it.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily asserted that the Congress was with other parties in the movement for social justice.

The Opposition parties came together for the hybrid-mode first conference of the All India Federation for Social Justice, a brainchild of Stalin, on the theme "Taking Forward the Struggle for Social Justice and Joint National Programme for Social Justice Movement".

Asserting that parties must not shy away from accepting that such platforms are political, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said there are still some parties that do not want to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that it is not the time to remain in the grey, but it is time to be either white or black.

He called on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to join efforts to take on the current government.

In an apparent swipe at Modi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren said while this government came on the promise of "na khaunga na khane dunga (will neither indulge in corruption nor let others do it)", it has become a government of "na kuch karunga na karne dunga (will neither do any work nor let others do it)".

He said in any given institution in this country, backward classes had negligible presence. "If we do not take concrete steps now, then the coming generations will suffer a lot of pain," Soren said.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh also called for a caste census and alleged that the BJP is running away from it because it's ideological mentor RSS wants the 'varna system' to continue.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said while reservation for the backward classes is a significant step to open windows of opportunity for them, it has to be accompanied by economic development.

"Economic development cannot be restricted to a few. Over the last two years, 40.5 per cent of wealth generated has been cornered by one per cent of population. We have to fight the corporate communal nexus," he said.

CPI general secretary D Raja also strongly pitched for the caste census and called for reservation in the private sector.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said till there is no social justice, there will be no economic equality. "Everyone has the right to equal opportunities and to live with dignity. It is necessary that we come together to fight for social justice," he said.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said if a future of India is to be envisioned, then people, irrespective of their caste, class, religion and creed, have to be taken along.

Some leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party's Chhagan Bhujbal, slammed the BJP for "wrongly" claiming that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs with his "Modi surname" remark in 2019 for which he has been convicted for criminal defamation.

The parties represented at the conference were the DMK, Congress, JMM, RJD, TMC, AAP, CPI, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, National Conference, NCP, IUML, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, MDMK, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, Loktantra Suraksha Party, VCK, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and Dravidar Kazhagam.

Three parties which did not attend the conference were Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), YSR Congress Party and Biju Janata Dal.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Antonio Vitorino, director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in Beijing, capital of China, April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met on Monday with Antonio Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Beijing, calling for further strengthened cooperation in the future.

Qin spoke highly of Vitorino's work since he took office, saying that it is imperative to improve global migration governance.

The international community should protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrants, uphold the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity, view migrants in a more open, inclusive and just manner, and oppose incitement to racial discrimination and hatred.

Qin said the international community should uphold multilateral cooperation, strengthen dialogue and consultation, support migration organizations in playing a leading role in global migration governance, implement the Global Compact for Migration, and promote safe, orderly and normal flows of migrants.

He said China appreciates IOM's support for the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, welcomes its active participation in the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and will make greater contributions to the development of the global migration cause.

Vitorino said he appreciates China's positive role in global migration governance, saying that the IOM opposes racial discrimination, adheres to multilateralism and supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

Vitorino also said the IOM is willing to strengthen cooperation with China, implement the Global Compact for Migration, promote South-South cooperation and make joint efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. 
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heaping praise on the CBI after calling it ?Congress Bureau of Investigation? in the past as the probe agency is now "dancing to his tune".

The agency was putting his political rivals behind bars in fabricated cases, the party alleged after Modi said that the CBI has earned the faith of people through its work and techniques.

Addressing the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Modi said even today when a case remains unsolved, there are demands for handing it over to the CBI and asked officers to take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation.

Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, AAP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters," The prime minister was singing paeans for the CBI today, heaping praise on it."

"When he was the Gujarat chief minister, he described the same CBI as the Congress Bureau of Investigation and alleged that the Congress-led UPA government was using the agency as a tool to destroy his government in the state," the AAP leader said at a press conference, playing a purported video of Modi's remarks made in the past.

"The same CBI has become good for you when it started dancing to your tunes and putting in jail your political rivals in fabricated cases," Singh charged, attacking the prime minister.

On Modi talking about his government's action against black money and corruption, the AAP leader said, "Did CBI take action against black money"

"Did CBI take action against Lalit Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya?"

Singh also raised the Adani issue and asked what action the central probe agency has taken in this matter so far.

"The CBI lodged fabricated cases to topple governments, scare and intimidate (political) rivals and put them behind bars which we saw in Delhi and other states," the AAP MP charged.
Following clashes in pockets of West Bengal over Ram Navami processions in the last few days, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday warned of repeating similar tension on April 6 on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.

"I am asking my administration as well as the common people to remain alert on April 6. We all respect Bajrangbali, and we do not want any tension or violence in his name. The youth should come forward in preventing any kind of tension," the Chief Minister said while addressing an administrative review meeting at Khejuri in East Midnapore district.

Banerjee said the tension over Ram Navami procession was deliberately stoked by taking it to routes that were not permitted.

On the latest clash at Rishra in Hooghly district on Sunday, the Chief Minister questioned the justification of taking out the procession three days after Ram Navami.

"We are in the middle of Ramzan month. But some people are steering the processions to sensitive areas with the intention of creating tension. The fruit stalls in those areas have been burnt down. They are even participating in the procession with firearms and other lethal weapons," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also launched a scathing attack against the Union government for not clearing the central dues to the state under various centrally-sponsored schemes.

"Instead of clearing the dues, the Centre is trying to create tension in the state. Huge sums almost under all the centrally-sponsored schemes are being held up. The Centre should explain why they are not releasing the funds under the schemes," Banerjee said.

She also appealed to the people to keep in mind the Centre`s stance, and not vote for the BJP in the forthcoming panchayat elections as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Rahul Gandhi is out to materialise Mahatma Gandhi's dream. After 1947, Mahatma Gandhi wanted to dismantle Congress. Rahul Gandhi is doing the same.

These were the words of a confident PM Narendra Modi in the year 2017, when he was leading the Bhartiya Janata Party's electoral march for Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections. These were the times when BJP party men, following their supreme leader's stand, ridiculed Rahul for being immature and a novice in politics, as someone who was unaware of the ground reality and posed no challenge to Narendra Modi. Rahul's every action  election speech, appearance and even disappearance from the public eye  were made fun of. The Congress leader, who is not really endowed with public speaking skills, was made a laughing stock. So much so, that the BJP kept dismissing him as a challenge or even a roadblock to PM Narendra Modis electoral ambitions. It wasn't only the BJP, but even the media and political pundits considered Rahuls purported ineptitude the biggest reason for BJP's thumping victories in the last two Lok Sabha elections. The voters, too, seemed convinced by the BJP, media, and pundits on Gandhi.

In 2022, Rahul Gandhi tried to change this narrative. He sought to re-launch himself with the 3000-km Bharat Jodo Yatra, touted as the Congress biggest outreach programme in over a decade. The BJP dismissed the Kashmir-to-KanyaKumari march as another failed attempt at reviving the grand old party and Rahul Gandhi's yet another image-makeover exercise. Gandhi, however, surprised opponents, media and observers with the alacrity he showed at the yatra. He engaged podcasters and social media influencers like Samdish Bhatia, Kamya Jani Punjabi for interactions -- a strategy the BJP has been using since 2014 to strike a chord with the millennials. Gandhi bagged small but positive media coverage. By the time he and his supporters reached Delhi, there appeared a sense of rejuvenation and hope in the rank and file of the party. The yatra -- backed by the likes of Raghuram Rajan -- forced the BJP to take a second look at Gandhi. Instead of outright mockery, the BJP's attacks were measured and cautious.

Another effect of the yatra was seen in the BJP's all-guns-blazing attack on Rahul Gandhi when he accused the Narendra Modi government of misusing central agencies to suppress dissent, in England. The party's comebacks were uncharacteristically sharp, thus proving it takes Gandhi more seriously than it publicly admits.

Just when the BJP was focusing on the onslaught against Gandhi's allegedly 'anti-national' comments on foreign shores, a court decision changed the entire political narrative on its head. Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years in prison for making an apparent casteist remark in 2019. He was disqualified from the Lok Sabha the next day. The Centre and the BJP had no role in the disqualification. However, the public perception may not work like this.

The leaders of the Grand Old Party stand their best chance to build on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification and turn public perception of the Modi regime as 'undemocratic' and suppressive. On social media, pro-BJP handles have already started defending the government arguing their party had no 'locus-standi' on the matter.

A second major outcome of the decision could be a possible unity among the major Opposition parties. Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress NCP, RJD, JDU and a few others have already condemned the action against Gandhi. More than that, it will increase their insecurities about the alleged use of central agencies by the government. The disqualification might serve as a moment to push Opposition parties towards the elusive anti-BJP alliance.

The disqualification, in its third outcome, can serve as Rahul Gandhi's moment of victimhood. This phenomenon has swayed public sentiments in favour of politicians -- Indira Gandhi (Tussle with Syndicate in 1969), Jayalalithaa (Battle for party chair with Janaki Ramachandran in 1988) and VP Singh (Shifted to Defence From Finance in 1987) etc.

All that Congress has lost is a single Lok Sabha seat. The BJP, on the other hand, has a lot to manage inside and outside Parliament.

Disclaimer: Views Expressed Are Personal Opinion Of The Writer.

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New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to restore the fare concessions offered to senior citizens by the Indian Railways. In a letter to the Prime Minister on Saturday last, the AAP chief said the Centre has a budget of Rs 45 lakh crore and it would incur a cost of Rs 1600 crore if it extends the concession to senior citizens. Terming the amount as a drop in the ocean, he said the government will not become rich by not spending the amount. By stopping the facility a message was being given to senior citizens that the government did not care for them which was against the culture of the country, he said, adding that no person, society or country can progress without the blessings of the elderly.

Delhi was seeing progress in all areas due to the blessings of the elderly for whom free pilgrimage of religious places has been arranged by his government, he said. The Centre had in 2020 discontinued the concessions granted to senior citizens to discourage the movement of the public to arrest the spread of COVID-19.

Parliament Panel Recommends Resumption Of Fare Concessions To Elderly Citizens

A parliamentary standing committee has recently recommended the resumption of the fare concession offered to senior citizens by the railways. The Indian Railways used to offer a 40 per cent discount in fares to males aged 60 years or above and for females, a 50 per cent discount was given if the minimum age was 58 years. These concessions were granted in fares of all classes of Mail/Express/Rajdhani/ Shatabdi/Duranto group of trains but were withdrawn on March 20, 2020.

The Standing Committee on Railways headed by BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh said from the information furnished by the Railways, the Covid situation has now been normalised and the national transporter has achieved normal growth.

"The Committee, in their 12th Action Taken Report (17th Lok Sabha) on Passenger Reservation System had also desired that the concessions to senior citizens which were available in pre-Covid times may be reviewed and considered at least in Sleeper Class and 3A Class so that the vulnerable and genuinely needy citizens could avail the facility in these classes.

"The Committee, therefore, reiterate their earlier recommendation contained in their above-said report and urge upon the Railways to consider empathically for resumption of concessions in fares to senior citizens particularly in Sleeper Class and 3A Class under intimation to this Committee," the report said.

The Railways, however, said it had no immediate plans to resume the concession.
BJP leader Rahul Chaturvedi has appealed to people to support the BJP governments 'Go Green' Program announced by CM Yogi Adityanath and Indian Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The program, which aims to promote environmentally friendly practices, has been incentivized by the UP government through exemptions in taxes. The move is being seen as a step towards ensuring sustainable development in the state and is in line with the national goal of reducing carbon emissions and preserving natural resources.

The leader, who has been garnering support to spread awareness of environmental welfare programmes, has said that people must voluntarily take part in mega-sanitation programs like Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and Namami Gange (or Clean Ganga) Mission.

Rahul Chaturvedi, who is a co-convener at BJP's Small Enterprises unit in Uttar Pradesh, has been a special initiative to install dustbins on the shore of Ganges at various districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chaturvedi, with the help of his team, is encouraging local people to take part in cleaning of Ganga.

Namami Gange Programme, is an Integrated Conservation Mission by government of India, to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
New Delhi: The Indore civic body in Madhya Pradesh on Monday (April 3, 2023) demolished an illegal structure at the temple where a stepwell had collapsed last week and claimed 36 lives. The local administration launched a drive to remove encroachments from the religious complex on Monday morning and moved the idols of deities to another shrine. The operation at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple complex in the Patel Nagar area was carried out in the presence of heavy police security and barricades were placed on roads leading to the temple. The action was being taken to remove encroachments from about 10,000 square feet of land around the temple premises.

The crackdown came after the slab constructed on top of the 'bawdi' (stepwell) at the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple caved in and plunged several devotees into the water reservoir below during a Ram Navami programme on Thursday.

#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: Indore municipality deploys bulldozer & demolishes illegal structure at Indore temple where 36 people died after the stepwell collapse there last week. pic.twitter.com/gpRJB6zWhN  ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 3, 2023

The tragedy was reportedly the worst in Indore's history.

Personnel of the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were involved in the search and rescue operation.

The temple had been constructed after covering the square-shaped stepwell about four decades ago.

Earlier last week, an FIR was registered against two members of the trust of the Indore temple.

An FIR was registered against Sevaram Galani, the president of Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust, and its secretary Murli Kumar Sabnani under IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).

There are allegations against these two office bearers that they built a very unsafe structure by putting a slab on the stepwell, due to which 36 people lost their lives in Thursday's incident, police said.

"The Indore Municipal Corporation had ordered the trust to remove the illegal construction in the temple complex, but the trust did not comply with the order. Both the accused have not been arrested as yet," a senior police official said.

An Indore Municipal Corporation official said the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple Trust, in reply to the civic body's letter (on encroachment), had submitted a written reply in April last year claiming it would renovate the temple and open the stepwell by removing the construction (floor slab) on it.

However, the temple trust did not carry out the works it mentioned in its letter, the IMC official added.

Meanwhile, Indore Mayor said that he had ordered the suspension of a building officer and a building inspector of the civic body in connection with the incident.

The civic body will free all such waterbodies from encroachments and unsafe construction to prevent such tragedies, the Mayor added.
New Delhi: Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ram Navami procession in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Sunday (April 2, 2023) evening, following which the police imposed prohibitory orders and suspended the internet services. According to police, two Ram Navami processions were organised in the Rishra police station area, and the second one was attacked near Wellington Jute Mill More at GT Road around 6.15 pm.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Biman Ghosh was injured in the violence.

A heavy police deployment has now been made in the area to prevent any further flare-ups.

"Police are doing route march, and prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 have been imposed in Rishra wards 1-5 and Serampore's ward 24. Internet services will remain suspended in parts of Rishra and Serampore till 10 pm on Monday," a senior police officer was quoted as saying by PTI.

West Bengal | State govt suspends internet services in Hooghly district after the clashes during BJP Shobha yatra pic.twitter.com/K3G05HCOFm  ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2023

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said those behind the violence will be "booked tonight itself and put behind bars".

"The miscreants, the hooligans, and the thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. They will be made to curse the day they were born. Mobocracy cannot derail democracy. We are determined, the state is determined to put an end to this arson and looting," he said.

"The lawbreakers and their abettors will soon realise they are playing with fire," he added.

Bose said this kind of hooliganism, which thwarts the democratic processes, will be "coffined".

#WATCH| "Hooligans & thugs will be crushed with an iron hand. They will be made to curse the day they were born. Democracy cant be derailed. State determined to put an end to this arson & looting......": West Bengal Guv CV Ananda Bose on Hooghly ruckus pic.twitter.com/CuKbZvqdT8  ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2023

BJP MP Dilip Ghosh, who was in the procession that was attacked, told the news agency PTI that people were walking peacefully to the Jagannath temple in Mahesh when stones were hurled at them.

He said there were many women and children in the procession that was attacked.

"Suddenly, stones were hurled at us from one side of the road. Several policemen were also injured in the stone-pelting even though I and some other leaders were rescued and taken out of the area through adjacent lanes," he said.

Stone pelting from Masjid towards #RamNavami rally at Rishra, Hooghly today. pic.twitter.com/HByHpER7cW  Dilip Ghosh (@DilipGhoshBJP) April 2, 2023

"Police managed to chase away the trouble-makers after being silent spectators for a while," Ghosh alleged.

The fresh clashes erupted two days after violence during Ram Navami celebrations rocked parts of the Howrah district.

Over 45 people were arrested, prohibitory orders were imposed and the internet was suspended to bring the situation under control.
Agartala: Delegates from 14 countries on Sunday arrived in Agartala to attend the two-day G20 summit in the city starting from today (April 3) on the theme of `Clean Energy for a Greener Future`.

The delegates and close to 90 high officials arrived at Agartala`s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) international airport at 2 pm on Sunday. They were then checked into Agartala`s Hotel Polo Towers.

The delegates on their visit are likely to visit the historical Albert Ekka Park and then visit the light and sound show at Kumari Tilla near Agartala`s G B Pant Hospital. The delegates will be attending the summit today.

The delegates will also call on Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha. The summit will take place at Hapania International Fair Ground in Agartala tomorrow. The state is making massive preparations for the event, and dozens of decorated stalls have been installed at the Hapania indoor exhibition hall.

Stalls belong to various districts of the state showcasing their products. The state has worn an enlightened attire, with paints and decorative material. Minister of Industries and Commerce, Santana Chakma, visited the exhibition hall to inspect the ongoing preparations and stated that Tripura is well prepared to welcome the international and national delegates.

Notably, this is the first time an international meeting of such stature will be held in Tripura. Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Saha also spoke about the preparedness and the glory of hosting a prestigious G20 meet.

The delegates will visit all the historical and attractive places of the state like Ujjayanta palace, and Nirmahal, among others."I have held review meetings with all the concerned ministries and office heads to take the stock of their preparedness towards the program yesterday and got to know that all are ready to host and are eagerly waiting for the summit to happen.

It should be a great source of encouragement and inspiration for the state of Tripura as the whole world will come to see the state of Tripura with its beautiful and attractive historical places," CM said.

"Tripura is well prepared to host the delegates from the European and other countries of the world in the upcoming G20 summit which has been scheduled to be held on the 3rd and 4th. This is a great pleasure for the people of Tripura as for the first time such a huge kind of program of international standard is going to be held in the state," CM added.
Velachery: A Ph.D student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, died by suicide in his room in Tamil Nadu`s Velachery  the third incident of suicide reported at IIT Madras this year. "On March 31, the deceased student posted a WhatsApp status I am sorry, not good enough. Seeing the status, his friends reached his home and found Sachin hanging in his room. An ambulance was called immediately to rush him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on examination. Further investigation is underway," the police said.

The deceased student, 32, was a native of West Bengal, according to the police. This is the third incident of suicide at the prestigious technology institute and the 11th case since 2018. The police have taken the body into custody and sent it to Royapet Government Hospital for autopsy.

IIT Madras Condoles Death

IIT Madras has issued a statement expressing condolence over the death. "We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of a PhD Research scholar from the Mechanical Engineering Department on the afternoon of 31st March 2023 at his residence at Velachery, Chennai. A student with an exemplary academic and research record is a big loss to the research community," the IIT said.

The Institute expresses its heartfelt condolences and shares the grief of the friends and family of the deceased student. The Institute requests everyone respect the privacy of the student`s family at this difficult juncture. May the departed soul rest in peace", it added.

Earlier on March 14, a third-year BTech student died by suicide (hanging) at the Madras IIT Campus. The deceased was identified as Vaipu Pushpak Sree Sai (20), a native of Andhra Pradesh. Kotturpuram Police registered a case on the matter and further investigation is still underway.

While on February 14, a research scholar from Maharashtra hanged himself in a room inside the IIT campus.
New Delhi: Noted lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his "riots don`t take place under the BJP rule" remark in Bihar and dubbed it as "yet another jumla" by the senior BJP leader. The Union Home Minister made these remarks while addressing a public meeting during his visit to Bihar`s Hisua where he urged people to form the BJP government in the state in the 2025 Assembly elections and promised that the new government would "hang the rioters upside down".

"The rioters have had a free run in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif. Give a full majority to PM Modi in the 2024 elections and elect a BJP government in the 2025 state elections. Rioters will be hung upside down. Riots don`t take place under our rule," Shah said.

However, referring to the Home Minister`s remarks, Sibal shared data on Twitter citing the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and said that "communal riots" have taken place in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which are the BJP-ruled states.

"Amit Shah: "Riots don`t take place under our rule". Yet another jumla. 5415 communal riots reported between 2014-2020 ( NCRB data ). In 2019 alone - 25 communal riots - UP (9), Maharashtra (4), and MP (2). Communal violence: Haryana (2021) highest cases Gujarat Madhya Pradesh (April 2022)," Sibal tweeted.

Amit shah :

"Riots dont take place under our rule"



Yet another jumla



5415 communal riots reported between 2014-2020 ( NCRB data )



2019 alone - 25 communal riots

UP(9) Maharashtra(4) MP(2)



Communal violence:

Haryana(2021) highest cases

Gujarat Madhya Pradesh (April(2022)  Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) April 3, 2023

Sibal Questions PM Modi's Silence Over Bihar, WB Violence

In the wake of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar, Sibal also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter and said "let not 2024 general elections be the reason" for the violence.

Sibal appealed to the people of the country to put a stop to the "burning of Bengal and Bihar, and to the seeds of hatred" which, he said, can only benefit politicians and political ideologies. The ordinary man becomes a victim of this hatred, he said in a statement.

"I want the prime minister (Modi) to speak up, I want the home minister (Shah) to speak up and condemn the violence. It is unfortunate that in the midst of this violence neither of them have spoken, why are they quiet," he asked.

Communal Clashes in Bihar Sharif And Sasaram

Clashes were reported on March 31 in Nalanda`s Bihar Sharif and Sasaram in Rohtas district where Shah was scheduled to visit. However, Shah`s visit to Sasaram in Bihar`s Rohtas was called off due to the imposition of Section 144 following clashes in the district.

"I was supposed to go to Sasaram but due to unfortunate situations people are being killed there, bullets are fired and tear-gas shelling is happening. I will come to Sasaram surely during my next visit," Shah said on Sunday, adding that there is no point in speaking with the state government in Bihar regarding the clashes

."I pray to God that peace is restored at the earliest in the state. There`s no point in speaking with the state government here, when I called the Governor then Lalan Singh (JDU president) got offended," Shah said.

He further hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar saying, "The government, which has jungle raj`s Lalu Prasad Yadav`s party, can it ever bring peace in Bihar? Nitish Kumar sat in the lap of Lalu Prasad Yadav because of hunger for power and we will uproot the `Mahagathbandhan` government." The Union Minister also said that Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar always practised the policy of appeasement, which helped terrorism flourish.

"On the other hand, PM Modi scrapped Article 370 and dealt with terrorists sternly," Shah added. "Nitish Kumar won`t become Prime Minister. People of the country have decided that Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister of the country for the third time. After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, this government will collapse and BJP will form the government," Home Minister said.
Merkel refuses to bow to ally-turned-critic's call to cap migration

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her opposition to limiting the number of migrants and refugees allowed to enter the country, as she sought to settle tensions within her bloc at a key coalition partner's party conference on Wednesday.

GALLERY

German chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly butted heads with the Christian Social Unions leader, Horst Seehofer, over his proposal to allow a maximum of 200,000 migrants to enter Germany in 2016 - less than a fifth of the number that arrived the previous year.

Munich (dpa) - The chancellor has repeatedly butted heads with the Christian Social Unions leader, Horst Seehofer, over his proposal to allow a maximum of 200,000 migrants to enter Germany in 2016 - less than a fifth of the number that arrived the previous year."There are many varying positions. This probably will not change in todays discussion," Merkel said at the annual CSU conference in the southern Bavarian resort of Wildbad Kreuth.While stressing that she too wants to see a "tangible reduction" in the number of arrivals, the chancellor stopped short of supporting the CSUs proposed cap.Seehofer and other members of his arch-conservative party have insisted the move is necessary to alleviate the burden on the public purse and ensure successful integration.Authorities and infrastructure in the state of Bavaria, where the CSU is based, have been particularly hard-hit by the mass migration influx, with the vast majority of the 1.1 million refugees recorded in 2015 entering Germany through the states southern border.British Prime Minister David Cameron is also set to attend the conference on Wednesday evening. His Conservatives and the CSU have a common interest in reforming the relationship between the European Union and its member states.On the prospect of a so-called Brexit, Merkel said she expected decisions to be made in Germanys interest that would offer Britain "a sensible package" in order to keep it in the union. She did not give details of exact measures.Cameron has promised to renegotiate the terms of Britains EU membership before holding an in-out referendum by the end of 2017.
Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijan offers the United States to expand cooperation in the field of energy in three directions, Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov said.

According to Azernews, the official made the remarks at the Azerbaijan-US "Green Energy" forum being held in the Baku Business Center.

According to him, Azerbaijans liberated territories, the Caspian region and Nakhchivan have great potential for cooperation in the field of energy.

"We proposed to our colleagues from the USA to establish and expand cooperation in these three priority areas," he added.

Furthermore, Soltanov stressed that Azerbaijan is currently discussing the purchase of batteries for the storage of electricity obtained from renewable energy sources.

The official noted that there are difficulties related to purchasing the batteries because of their price, hence why the discussions are still in the initial stage. He added that the discussions are being held with Saudi Arabia's ACWA POWER Company.

Additionally, Soltanov also underlined that Nakhchivan will become a hub for transporting clean energy from Azerbaijan to Turkiye and Europe.

"We are already attracting foreign investments to the country. As you know, we are planning to build a solar power plant in Karabakh together with bp. It will produce 25 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. The total potential of our country in green energy production is 200 gigawatts," he said.

Speaking at the forum, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service Arun Venkataraman stated that US companies are interested in Azerbaijan's energy projects.

According to him, the US government and companies know that today Azerbaijan plays the role of a hub for transporting energy resources to various regions.

"In addition, we are considering cooperation in the private sector, especially in the transport sector. President Biden positively welcomes the decarbonization processes going on in the world, including in the United States. I am happy that Azerbaijan is also working in this direction, this increases our confidence in the country, the official emphasized.

Venkataraman noted that US and European investors are making their investments considering Azerbaijans stable economy and potential, and they are ready to expand this cooperation.

The forum discussed cooperation relations between Azerbaijan and the United States in the field of energy, exchange of experience in the direction of "green energy" production, energy export, investment, and other issues.

Assistant to the Minister of Commerce of the USA Arun Venkataraman, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan till April 5, as well as Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Azerbaijan Hugo Guevara, President of the US-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce Nargiz Nasrullayeva-Muduroglu, Azerbaijani Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Sultanov and others, participated in the event.

Notably, Venkataraman will also travel to Turkiye, Armenia and Georgia.
A visitor looks at an exhibit during the "Longquan City Celadon Art" exhibition at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

The exhibition is a testament to the heritage and development of Chinese craftsmen's Celadon skills, and also expresses the aesthetic tastes and aspirations for a better life of the Chinese people, said Cao.



BRUSSELS, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of the "Longquan City Celadon Art" exhibition was held Monday at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels, with 55 works made by Chinese artists on display.

Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming said at the ceremony that the exhibition will help the Belgian public to appreciate the cultural heritage and exquisite craftsmanship of Longquan Celadon. It will also boost ties between the two countries, he said.

Longquan Celadon porcelain is known for its elegant colors, especially jade green and light blue.

It is one of the most characteristic Chinese goods, historically exported via the land and sea "Silk Roads", Cao said.

Visitors look at exhibits during the "Longquan City Celadon Art" exhibition at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

"Celadon" is the hero of a famous French play, "Astree". When the porcelain was first shipped to Europe in the late 16th century, the local people compared the color of the glaze to that of Celadon's clothing. Since then, Longquan porcelain has been called Celadon.

The 55 works on show at the exhibition in Brussels include a flask called "Song's Charm", an imitation of the classical objects from the Southern Song Dynasty; a statue of the Wenchang Emperor; a Lucky Rabbit; a vase with a Silk Road motif, and a pot for washing brushes.

A visitor takes photos of an exhibit during the "Longquan City Celadon Art" exhibition at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

In 2009, the traditional firing technology of Longquan Celadon was listed by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The exhibition is a testament to the heritage and development of Chinese craftsmen's Celadon skills, and also expresses the aesthetic tastes and aspirations for a better life of the Chinese people, said Cao.

Visitors look at exhibits during the "Longquan City Celadon Art" exhibition at the Chinese Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on April 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

The exhibition will last till April 28. 
Bengaluru: Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal Secular {JD(S)} leaders joining the Congress ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka is an evidence to prove that public sentiment is in favour of the party and it will come to power, its state unit President D K Shivakumar said on Monday. He was speaking after inducting Kudligi BJP MLA N Y Gopalakrishna, who had resigned as a legislator on Friday, into the party.

"Several BJP and JD(S) leaders are knocking our door, this is evidence to show that the voice of the people of the state is in favour of the Congress and that our march is on a right track, towards power," Shivakumar said. Speaking to reporters here, he noted Gopalakrishna resigned as BJP MLA and joined the Congress; similarly JD(S) MLA K M Shivalinge Gowda too has resigned and will be joining the party soon.

BJP and JD(S) legislators joining the Congress voluntarily is a "big evidence" that people have decided for a change, after the "failure of the double engine government", the KPCC chief further said.

"There is a big list of people wanting to join the Congress...The party has not assured tickets to anyone. We will screen every name, only if we are able to accommodate them we will consider," he said, adding that there are also some who are willing to join the party unconditionally to work for it.

Gopalakrishna, a six-time MLA, was earlier with the Congress and had got elected from the Molakalmuru Assembly segment in Chitradurga district four times, and once from Ballari, before joining the BJP and winning from Kudligi. Over denial of Congress ticket in 2018, he had joined the BJP ahead of the elections. The saffron party gave him a ticket from Kudligi in Vijayanagara district instead of Molakalmuru, as senior leader Sriramulu was fielded from there. He had won from there.

Recalling his and his family's long association with the Congress, Gopalakrishna after joining said he will work for the party's victory in Ballari, Chitradurga and Vijayanagara districts.

He said he will work towards installing a Congress government once again in the state, and it is left for the party leadership to field him from the Molakalmuru Assembly segment. Recently, two MLCs from BJP -- Puttanna and Baburao Chinchansur -- had quit from their Legislative Council membership to join the Congress. JD(S) MLA S R Srinivas (Gubbi Srinivas alias Vasu) too joined the Congress, after resigning as MLA on March 27.
New Delhi: Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (April 3, 2023) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to be in Gujarat's Surat to file an appeal in a court against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remarks. In a tweet, Rijiju called Rahul going personally to the Surat Court "a drama".

"Rahul Gandhi might be going to Surat to file an Appeal. It is not required of a convict to go personally to file an Appeal. Generally, no convict goes personally. His going personally with a motley group of leaders and aides accompanying him is only a drama," he said.

"What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics," he added and tagged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra's press conference video, in which he said that the former Congress MP is going to Surat with his family and some of his party colleagues "with pomp and show" to "repeat and add to the insult" of the OBC community.

What Rahul Gandhi is doing is also a childish attempt to bring pressure on the appellate court. All courts in the country are immune from such tactics.



Do listen in to BJP National Spokesperson @sambitswaraj call out the Congress tactics. https://t.co/wUpBRppR4b  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 3, 2023

Earlier in the day, Patra had alleged that the group of Congress leaders including the chief ministers of some Congress-ruled states will create "mayhem" in the name of appealing against the lower court's order convicting Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark.

"Rahul Gandhi, his family members, CMs Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel are going to Surat and will be creating mayhem in the name of appealing (against the 2-year sentence) verdict. What's the need for this ruckus?" Patra said at a presser.

"It's unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi made shameful remarks about the OBC community. Now, he's questioning the judicial processes. Everyone can appeal, it's a democratic right; but for doing this, not a 'factory' of advocates is required," he added.

Media briefing by BJP National Spokesperson Dr. @sambitswaraj in Kolkata. https://t.co/4IEWkRPz1b  BJP (@BJP4India) April 3, 2023

As per the latest reports, Rahul Gandhi's matter is likely to be taken up for hearing by the sessions court on Monday itself.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress Rajya Sabha member K C Venugopal and other senior party leaders will also be in Surat.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also likely to be in the city as Gandhi moves the court.

The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma in Surat had on March 23 convicted the former Congress chief and sentenced him to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his "Modi surname" remarks.

It had held him guilty under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500. The court had also granted him bail and suspended the sentence for 30 days to appeal in a higher court.

Rahul was on March 24 disqualified from the Lok Sabha following his conviction by the Surat court in the case.

It is notable that the defamation case was filed against Gandhi on a complaint by BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for the Congress leader's alleged remarks "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Gandhi made the remarks while addressing a rally in Karnataka in 2019 during the Lok Sabha elections campaign.
New Delhi: The fresh mayoral poll in Delhi is likely to be held late April, and incumbent Shelly Oberoi will continue to hold charge of the top post till a new mayor is elected, official sources said on Monday. Oberoi, an AAP councillor, was elected as the mayor of Delhi on February 22. She defeated BJP's Rekha Gupta by a margin of 34 votes. Oberoi polled 150 votes, while Gupta received 116 votes out of the total 266 votes polled.

The voting was held at the Civic Centre -- the headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Delhi had got the mayor in the fourth attempt since the earlier elections were stalled amid a ruckus over voting rights being given to nominated members.

The city gets a new mayor after the end of the financial year. The post of mayor in the national capital sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second for open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two again for the open category.

"The next mayoral poll is likely to be held around late April. Mayor Oberoi will continue to hold the post till a new mayor gets elected," an official source said. Tenure of mayors have seen extended terms in the past too, he said.

The December 4 civic polls last year was the first after the three corporations were unified into the MCD and a fresh delimitation exercise was carried out, reducing the total number of wards from 272 in 2012 to 250.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had emerged victorious in the high-stakes polls. The unification of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards), the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards) and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (64 wards) happened last year, with a notification issued to that effect in May.

"Raja Iqbal Singh was elected as the mayor of North Delhi in 2021, continued to serve the post till the Special Officer was appointed, with effect from May 22, 2022," a senior official said.

Meanwhile, Oberoi on Monday held a special meeting with councillors and officers of City-Sadar-Paharganj Zone to review development-related work, the mayor's office said in a statement. The objective of the meeting was to be aware of the local issues of the respective wards so that those could be resolved with better coordination between the councillors and officers.

Senior officers of the corporation and Leader of the House Mukesh Goel were present during the meeting, it said. The mayor reviewed the status of the zone's sanitation system, infrastructure and facilities for students in schools, community centres, parks, FCTS (fixed compactor transfer station), and cleaning of drains.

Oberoi said the deputy commissioner should visit their wards along with the councillors. After this, they should together solve the problems of the area on a priority basis.

Apart from this, the zonal deputy commissioner has been directed to hold regular meetings with the councillors of the area, it said.

Oberoi said complaints are being "received continuously" from people that officers are "not working, and many officers do not pick phone".

"Action will be taken if there is no immediate improvement in their working style," she said.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to travel to Sural to appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case by a trial court here. According to party sources, Rahul Gandhi, along with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, will leave for Surat in a chartered plane. They are expected to reach Sural around 12.30, said sources. Extending their support to Rahul Gandhi, chief ministers of Congress-ruled states  Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan  will also arrive in Surat today.

Rahul Gandhi will be present in the court when the plea will be filed against the lower courts order sentencing him to two years in jail in the Modi surname case, according to Kirit C Panwala, the Congress leaders counsel. Earlier on Sunday, Rahul Gandhi met his mother and former party president Sonia Gandhi ahead of his appearance in a Surat court to appeal against his conviction in the case.

Rahul met Sonia Gandhi at a hotel in the national capital for more than 1.5 hours. He was accompanied by his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

Rahul Gandhis Conviction in Modi Surname Case

The court of CJM HH Varma had on March 23 sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in the 2019 criminal defamation case filed against him over his Modi surname remarks. He was disqualified from the Lok Sabha the following day.

The delay by Rahul to file an appeal against the March 23 order led to speculation that it might be a deliberate political move to garner sympathy by projecting the Congress leader as a victim of vendetta politics.

Congress sources, however, said that Rahuls legal team was taking time in drafting the appeal as the verdict in the case would have a bearing on similar cases against him in Patna and Ranchi.

The defamation case was filed against Gandhi by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat minister Purnesh Modi for saying, "How come all thieves have the common surname, Modi?"

Gandhi also faces another defamation case filed by former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi for his 2019 remarks. A Patna court has reportedly directed the Congress leader to appear before it on April 12 in connection with the case.

After the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi`s membership from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has been vocal in protests all over the country. The grand old party has been making an effort to rally like-minded Opposition parties around it in the wake of Rahul`s loss membership of the Lower House.

Rahul`s disqualification is the latest in a series of flashpoints between the Congress and the ruling BJP, with a united Opposition calling it a ploy to divert public attention from the Adani issue.
New Delhi: The Navodaya Vidyalaya NVS Retired Employees Association, founded in 1985, is holding a gathering today, April 3, 2023, at Jantar Mantar with the support of JNV Alumni and JNV Foundation as a facilitator to highlight the plight of Retired Employees in the absence of any Retirement Pension or Medical Benefit to the staff.

In the same sequence in 1986, government began opening schools by renaming the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. Now, every district in India has 661 schools. Hundreds of employees were hired between 1986 and 2003 but did not get a pension upon retirement. The officers of the committee gave them verbal promises.

Some of the salient features of the issue are narrated as under:

In order to cover NVS Employees in the armpit of Pension, the Executive Committee of NVS passed a resolution in its meeting held on 26.03.2021 that "it is the established fact that NVS existed well before its registration as Society. The Employees of NVS should not be barred from their Pension for a Technical reason the organization was registered as Society after two months from the cut off date for considering the organization for extending the Pension scheme.

On the basis of above recommendations a proposal was put up to Ministry of Finance

through Department of School Education and this proposal is still pending before the Finance Ministry.The NVS Retired Employees had also represented before the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India several times in past but a final decision is still awaited.

In the mean time a Parliamentary Committee was also formed under the Chairman ship of Shri. Harish Dwivedi Hon'ble Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) last year and the said Committee strongly recommended Pension to NVS Employees and the same is pending for consideration before the Goverment of India for the last more than 9 months.

The Results of class X & XII of NVS is best in the Country viz-a-viz any other similar Educational Systems.

NVS runs residential Schooling System under CBSE pattern from class VI to class XII in the remotest area of the Country and as on date there are around 650 Schools are Functioning.

The students of Navodaya Vidayalaya has around 400 students in the IAS, IPS, IES, and ARS, as well as over 2000 doctors, 5000 engineers, and other services. Bihar has 8 MLAs, Telangana has one MP, Uttar Pradesh has one MLA, and Shillong has one MLA.
Surat: A sessions court in Gujarat's Surat city on Monday granted bail to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he filed an appeal against his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his 2019 "Modi surname" remark in which he has been sentenced to two years in jail, a lawyer said. The court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera said it will hear his plea for suspension of conviction on April 13 after issuing a notice to complainant Purnesh Modi, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former Gujarat cabinet minister. The sessions court asked the respondent (Purnesh Modi) to file his reply by April 10.

"We had filed an application for Rahul Gandhi's bail and suspension of sentence along with his appeal against conviction by a lower court. The (sessions) court heard the matter and granted him bail. The court kept the matter for hearing on the stay of his conviction for April 13," a member of his legal team told reporters. Rahul Gandhi, who arrived in Surat earlier in the day, will not be required to appear in the court during the hearing of the case, he said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were present in the courtroom when the matter came up for hearing at around 3 pm. Rahul Gandhi reached the sessions court premises in a luxury bus along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other senior leaders. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other party leaders were present in Surat.

The case was filed against Rahul Gandhi on a complaint by Purnesh Modi for the 52-year-old Congress leader's remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?" The disqualified MP made the comment on "Modi surname" while addressing a rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019, during campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Congress leader, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was convicted on March 23 by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate H H Varma and sentenced to two years in jail. The magistrate's court had granted him bail the same day and suspended the sentence for 30 days to allow him to appeal in a higher court. A day after his conviction and sentence, he was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha.
New Delhi: Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuk arrived in India on Monday for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Droupadi Murmu.External Affairs Minister who received him at the airport said the visit will further strengthen the "close and unique ties" between the two countries. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar wrote, "Honoured to welcome His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, on his arrival in India. His visit will further strengthen the close and unique India-Bhutan partnership."

The Bhutan king is accompanied by Bhutan`s Foreign Minister Dr Tandi Dorji and other senior officials. During his visit he will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. The visit is in keeping with the long-standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two nations.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials will also call on the King of Bhutan. The visit of King Jigme Wangchuk will give both India and Bhutan a chance to evaluate the whole range of bilateral cooperation as the two countries have special friendship and cooperation which is defined by mutual trust and understanding.

The unique relationship between India and Bhutan has been preserved by a custom of frequent high-level exchanges between the two nations such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2019 and Jaishankar in 2019 and April 2022.

Moreover, in January 2023, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra visited Bhutan. Earlier in February 2023, a Parliamentary Delegation from Bhutan led by Wangchuk Namgyel, Speaker of the National Assembly of Bhutan called on President Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Welcoming the delegation, the President said that India deeply values the multifaceted and unique friendship between the two countries.

The President noted that this year Bhutan would graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group of countries and embark on the path of becoming a High Income Economy by 2034. The basic framework of India-Bhutan relations is the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries, which was renewed in February 2007. The bilateral ties have been advanced by regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.
Mumbai: Touching upon a touchy issue, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s academic degree should be displayed at the grand entrance of the new Parliament building, here on Monday. Speaking to the media, Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut wondered why the PM`s degree is being guarded as a `secret`, creating doubts in peoples` minds.

"Some people are calling the PM`s degree a fake... I sincerely believe that the degree in Entire Political Science is historical and revolutionary. Hence it should be displayed at the grand entrance of our new Parliament so that people stop raising doubts about it," said Raut.

The Sena (UBT) leader said that when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sought details about the PM`s degree, he was denied the same and even slapped with a fine of Rs 25,000. "What is there to hide when asking for the PM`s degree"? Now we feel that Modi himself must come forward and clear the air on his educational degree," Raut urged.

Contending that the PM`s degree is `fake`, the party`s newspapers, "Saamana" and "Dopahar Ka Saamana" have editorially slammed Modi and said the degree matter is once again being raised in political circles.

Meanwhile, Raut also alleged that the recent communal violence in Bihar and West Bengal has been orchestrated by the ruling BJP. The violence happening in West Bengal is planned, sponsored, and targeted by BJP...Wherever elections are nearing and BJP is fearing their loss, or where BJP government is weak there are riots, Raut alleged.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: The violence happening in Bengal is planned, sponsored & targeted by BJP...Wherever elections are nearing & BJP is fearing their loss, or where BJP government is weak there are riots: Sanjay Raut, Uddhav Thackeray faction pic.twitter.com/ZwTthyzeBb  ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

On Sunday night, Sena (UBT) President and former CM Uddhav Thackeray thundered at Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and touched upon the delicate issue while taking a swipe at the recent doctorate awarded to state Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

"Some get their degrees, others earn it... It seems that even PhDs are up for sale now... There`s one who keeps flaunting it and another who hides it... What is there to conceal, the college awarding the degree should be proud of their distinguished alumnus. But instead, those questioning (the PM`s degree) and asking to see it, are penalized with a fine," Thackeray said.

Raut went a notch further, alleging how many Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have also acquired such dubious degrees and termed it as a matter of serious concern for the country.

On Friday, the Gujarat High Court set aside a 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) directing Gujarat University to provide the details of Prime Minister Narendra Modis MA degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The court in turn imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 over this suit. Reacting to it, Kejriwal alleged, "There can be two reasons why the Prime Minister is not showing his degree."

It is either because of his ego he doesnt feel the need to show it to anyone but this kind of behaviour is not valid in a democracy. The other question that arises is that the degree might be fake, the Delhi CM said.

            



 PM  140     ,        ?



      ?



   ,  Science   ,  -  



MP @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/ajsCi3Z2hO  AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 31, 2023

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Friday also targeted the Prime Minister. At a press conference, Sanjay Singh criticised the Prime Minister for making ridiculous statements and claimed that he had little knowledge of science or history or geography.

(With Agency Inputs)
New Delhi: The Second Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting under India's G20 Presidency will be held in Guwahati, Assam, from April 3 to 5. Almost 72 participants from 19 G20 member countries, 7 guest countries, and 5 international organizations will attend the three-day event. The EWG's mandate is to address priority labor, employment, and social issues to achieve robust, sustainable, balanced, and job-rich growth for everybody.

Under the Indian presidency of the G20, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) is the coordinating ministry for the Employment Working Group. The second meeting of the G20 EWG is an important step towards reaching an agreement on the outcomes of the three primary priority topics for EWG 2023 under the Indian Presidency.

Namaskar, #Guwahati! With its ancient temples, lush green hills, and scenic waterways, the 'Gateway to the Northeast' is ready to welcome #G20 delegates at the 2nd #EWG Meeting! April 3 - April 5, as per quoted by G20's official twitter handle. Ministry of Labour shared some glimpses of the G20 Meeting at the airport.

The three topics include Tackling Global Skills Gap, Gig and Platform Economy, and Social Protection, as well as Sustainable Social Protection Funding. The first day of the meeting will include sessions focused on various key topics, such as the Education Working Group, the Digital Economy Working Group, the Finance Track, the G20 Entrepreneurship Research Centre, and the L20 and B20 Chairs.

The 2nd EWG will discuss the Ministerial Communique and the result documents to reach a consensus. The statement is critical in setting the global economy's future path through its ultimate adoption in the G20 nations. The three-day G20 EWG conference will also include programs highlighting Assam's cultural heritage.
New Delhi: A day after S Jaishankar said that the West has had a "bad habit" of commenting on others, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday (April 3, 2023) urged the External Affairs Minister to "cool a little bit'. He also said that "if we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice".

"We need not be so thin-skinned, I think it's very important that as govt we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge EAM Jaishankar to cool a little bit," Tharoor told the news agency ANI.

#WATCH | We need not be so thin-skinned, I think it's very important that as govt we take something in stride. If we react to every comment, we are doing ourselves a disservice. I will strongly urge EAM Jaishankar to cool a little bit: Shashi Tharoor on EAM's West has a bad pic.twitter.com/2DtYLWspMO  ANI (@ANI) April 3, 2023

His reaction came after Jaishankar on Sunday said that the West has had a "bad habit" for a long time, of commenting on others, and it thinks it has a "God-given right" to speak about the internal matters of other countries.

While speaking on Germany and the United States' remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP said, "There are two reasons. It is because the West has had a bad habit for a long time of commenting on others. They somehow think it is some kind of God-given right. They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens. I see that happening."

"The second part of the truth -- in our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you. Then more and more people are tempted to comment. We also need to stop giving generous invitations to the world saying there are problems in India; America and Europe, why are you standing by and doing nothing?," he added during the 'Meet and Greet' interaction organised by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan with over 500 young voters, joggers and visitors at Cubbon Park in the Karnataka capital.

Bengaluru Central MP Sri @PCMohanMP and important functionaries of BJYM Bengaluru were present at the event.



The enthusiasm among Bengalurus young to understand Indias standing in the world, our leadership role in G20 and PM Modis game changing foreign policy is impressive. pic.twitter.com/QBfEZqp62m  Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) April 2, 2023

"So if somebody from here goes and says 'why are you standing by and saying nothing', then obviously they are going to comment. Part of the problem is them, part of the problem is us. And I think both need fixing," he said.
The file photo, taken on Oct. 12, 2022, shows an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia's national flag carrier, is celebrating the 50th year of the commencement of its service to China.

ADDIS ABABA, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's national flag carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, on Friday said it is celebrating the 50th year of the commencement of its service to China.

The airline said in a statement that it made its first flight to China through Shanghai on Feb. 21, 1973. Noting that it was the first African carrier to fly to China, Ethiopian Airlines said it has been connecting the Asian country with the whole of Africa for half a century now.

Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mesfin Tasew hailed the milestone as an important moment in Africa-China relations. "The beginning of flights to China 50 years ago heralded an important milestone in the history of the airline. Ethiopian (Airlines) was among the first to serve China and has ever since been providing reliable services to the country," the statement quoted Tasew as saying.

"As China is one of the key destinations in Asia, we will maintain our commitment to serving the country, thereby providing access for the Chinese people to the big African market," he said.

Noting that the China-Africa relationship is projected to grow significantly in the coming years, the CEO said Ethiopian Airlines continues to serve the needs of the traveling public by availing the best connections to Africa and beyond, using its ultramodern aircraft.

"We will continue to be a bridge connecting China with African nations," Tasew said.

The file photo shows an Ethiopian chef holding a basket of fruits and vegetables in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, on Feb. 2, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

Ethiopian Airlines has been offering uninterrupted service to destinations in China even during the COVID-19 pandemic, although the frequency of its passenger flights was restricted.



"Ultimately, the flights will get back to the pre-COVID-19 levels soon with daily flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong as well as 10 and four weekly flights to Guangzhou and Chengdu, respectively," the airline said.

When the services are fully restored, the Ethiopian flag carrier will operate a total of 35 weekly passenger flights to China.

In addition to its passenger flights, the airline is also operating 31 cargo flights per week to nine destinations in China. 
New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP to fulfil late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar's dream of "akhand Bharat" and took a dig at Modi over the issue of his educational degrees. Addressing the first rally of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad, days after communal violence, Thackeray targeted BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the 'Savarkar Gaurav yatra', saying the sacred saffron (flag) doesn't look good in their hands.

"Savarkar suffered rigorous imprisonment and hardships for the Independence of the country and not to make Modi the prime minister. Will you fulfill Savarkar's dream of 'akhand Bharat'?" Thackeray asked.

"The BJP and (Eknath) Shinde-led Shiv Sena should follow the ideals of Savarkar and Sardar Patel. Some time back, Amit Shah had asked BJP in Maharashtra to show Uddhav Thackeray his place. This is my place. But when will you show us the place in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)?" he asked.

Thackeray dubbed BJP the "Bhrasht" (corrupt) party.

"Calling it Bharatiya Janata Party is an insult to the people of India. They attack Opposition leaders with corruption charges and induct them into their party. So all corrupt leaders are now in the BJP," the former chief minister said.

  ''!



   ,         .    .  ,    ,      ''    . pic.twitter.com/ctUHtU8AU2  Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) April 2, 2023

He also took a swipe at PM Modi over his remarks that some people were hellbent to sully his image and they have given a "supari" (contract) for this purpose.

"Who is doing that (tarnishing the image)? Opposition leaders are being questioned by Central probe agencies and they are called corrupt. The BJP wants to finish off all political parties except their party. They feel nobody should ask them any questions. This is a threat to democracy and we are moving towards dictatorship", Thackeray said.

He also took a dig at the prime minister over the issue of his educational degrees, days after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was fined Rs 25,000 by the high court for seeking details of the PM's degree.

"Any college will be proud if one of its students has become the prime minister of the country. When I became the chief minister and NCP's Jayant Patil a minister in my government, both of us were felicitated by our alma mater Balmohan Vidyamandir in Mumbai because they felt it was a proud moment for the institution," he recalled.

Thackeray said though the name of Shiv Sena and the poll symbol "bow and arrow" were taken away from him (by the Election Commission), the support of people cannot be purchased with money.

Addressing the audience, Thackeray said this support should reflect in all future elections.

"We have to protect our democracy and our Constitution," he said.

He said the MVA came into being as a post-poll alliance to form a government (after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections) but all three parties have come closer after losing power.

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and his counterparts from Congress Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan also spoke on the occasion.

The MVA comprises Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasahedb Thackeray) NCP, and Congress.
Rome [Italy]: Use of English or any other foreign language by citizens in Italy for formal communication would soon attract hefty penalties, according to CNN. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni`s Brothers of Italy party has introduced new legislation which proposes a fine of up to Euro 1,00,000 for using any foreign language, especially English, in official communication.

"If Italians use English or any other foreign language during their official communication then they have to pay fines of up to Euro 1,00,000 (USD 1,08,705) under new legislation introduced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni`s Brothers of Italy party," CNN reported.

In the Italian Chamber of Deputies (Lower House), politician Fabio Rampelli introduced the legislation which was supported by the Prime Minister.

While the legislation talked about any foreign language but particularly geared at "Anglomania" or the use of English words, which the draft states "demeans and mortifies" the Italian language, adding that it is even worse because the UK is no longer part of the EU.

The bill still has to go for the parliamentary debate, and it is required to hold an office in public administration to have "written and oral knowledge and mastery of the Italian language".

It also prohibits the use of English in official documentation, including "acronyms and names" of job roles in companies operating in the country.

Foreign entities would have to have Italian language editions of all internal regulations and employment contracts, according to a draft of the legislation seen by CNN.

"It is not just a matter of fashion, as fashions pass, but Anglomania has repercussions for society as a whole," the draft bill states.

Article 2 would make Italian "mandatory for the promotion and use of public goods and services in the national territory." Not doing so could garner fines between Euro 5,000 (USD 5,435) and Euro 100,000 (USD 108,705).
Toronto: Canadian police have named two of the eight people, including four Indians, whose bodies were found in a marshland area along the US-Canada border, amid an investigation into the circumstances of their deaths.

Bodies of eight persons were recovered last week from the marsh on the riverbank near Akwesasne, a community that straddles Quebec, Ontario, and New York state. Police say the deceased believed to be two families of Indian and Romanian descent were trying to cross into the US from Canada. Among them were two children under the age of three, both Canadian citizens.

On Saturday, police said that four Indian nationals, who they believed were a family attempting to cross into the US, have not been identified. Citing a source with the police in India, CBC News reported that at least three of them are family members from Gujarat.

The source said the family members include a man in his 50s and a woman and man in their 20s. The age and gender of the fourth Indian national are unknown at this time, the report said.

The identities of other people recovered of Indian descent have not been released, pending identification and notification of next of kin, the Montreal Gazette newspaper reported. The circumstances of their deaths continue to be investigated, the paper added.

However, it is known that these families were attempting to enter the United States illegally from Canada, Akwesasne Mohawk Police said. Akwesasne officials have named two family members of Romanian descent including a man holding his two children's passports who were among eight bodies recovered from the St. Lawrence River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.

"One man has been identified as 28-year-old Florin Iordache. Police said he had two Canadian passports in his possession one for his two-year-old child and another for his one-year-old infant whose bodies were recovered," the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

"One woman Florin's wife and the children's mother has also been identified as 28-year-old Cristina (Monalisa) Zenaida Iordache," the report said, quoting the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service statement.

Police found the bodies of five adults and one infant in the marshland on Friday. Another infant and an adult woman were located later. One of the children was a Canadian citizen. Akwesasne police are working with Immigration Canada to assist with identifying the victims and notifying the next of kin. They are also increasing surveillance on the river.

"Our hearts are with the families of these victims as we try to work through our grief for precious lives lost in our territory. Our culture and traditions are based heavily around family and it is difficult for us all to imagine the dreams these families had and the sadness of their deaths.

"This heart-wrenching event profoundly demonstrates the human qualities we all share, said the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Grand Chief Abram Benedict said the department is committed to understanding how this tragedy occurred and "how we can work with our police department and partners to prevent it from ever happening again.

Valene Gray, the owner of the Three Feathers Cafe, said the community has been shaken by the tragedy. "In the past couple of days, it's been very heavy, very emotional, customers coming in and they're sad. You could tell they were upset, you could tell they were hurting," Gray said on Saturday.

Wanting to offer support to her community, Gray said it was an honor to be hired by the Mohawk council to make sure all of the volunteer searchers were fed. She said the cafe has provided breakfast sandwiches for the past two days and supper on Friday.

Akwesasne police say there have been 48 incidents of people trying to cross illegally into Canada or the United States through the Mohawk territory since January, and most of them have been of Indian or Romanian descent.

In January 2022, the bodies of four Indians, including a baby, were found frozen in Manitoba near the Canada-US border. In April 2022, six Indian nationals were rescued from a sinking boat in the St Regis River, which runs through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.
PARIS: Marlene Schiappa, a French government minister, is facing severe backlash for appearing on the front cover of the mens magazine Playboy, however, she has defended her decision. Schiappa, the Minister for the Social Economy and French Associations, has been criticised by other French politicians including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Notably, Schiappa is known for her advocacy for women's rights.

As the former and first-ever Gender Equality Minister, she introduced the 2018 revolutionary law - named after herself - against street harassment, where men who catcall or verbally harass women in any way are given on-the-spot fines. However, the popular French politician is facing backlash after posing for the latest playboy cover, in which she also shared her opinion about her fight for women's and LGBT+ rights.

Invite ce matin sur Europe1 le Ministre de linterieur @GDarmanin apporte son soutien a @MarleneSchiappa sur sa Une Une de #playboy. Il cite Cookie Dingler :  vous ne me ferez pas dire de mal de Marlene Schiappa () etre une femme liberee, cest pas si facile  pic.twitter.com/pz50OoQdls  Jeanne Baron (@jeannebarontv) April 2, 2023

Prime Minister Borne reportedly said, Schiappa's decision wasnt appropriate, especially during this period," BFMTV reported. The French Prime Minister is believed to be referring to the upheaval France faces as a result of the widely-protested law to increase the pension age, under French President Emmanuel Macron.

Meanwhile, French politician Jean Luc Melenchon also attacked Schiappa's actions, saying that "France is going off the rails". "In a country where the President speaks in Pif (French children's publication) and his minister Schiappa in Playboy the problem would be the opposition," he tweeted.

Schiappa Defends Her Decision

Despite facing harsh backlash from "backsliders and hypocrites", Schiappa has defended her decision to pose for the French Playboy cover. "Defending the right of women to have control of their bodies is everywhere and all the time. In France, women are free," she tweeted.

Defendre le droit des femmes a disposer de leurs corps, cest partout et tout le temps.

En France, les femmes sont libres.

Nen deplaise aux retrogrades et aux hypocrites.#Playboy April 1, 2023

Other French politicians, including French Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, also jumped to her defence, saying she was a "woman of character". I wanted to say that Marlene Schiappa is a courageous female politician who has her character and who has her style which is not mine, but I respect, he told CNews, a local news channel, CNN reported.

'Not Soft Porn'

Meanwhile, Playboy has also defended the spread which will appear in its French-language edition. Schiappa was the "most 'Playboy compatible'" of government ministers "because she is attached to the rights of women and she has understood that it's not a magazine for old machos but could be an instrument for the feminist cause," Playboy editor Jean-Christophe Florentin was quoted as saying by AFP.

"Playboy is not a soft porn magazine but a 300-page quarterly 'mook' (a mix of a book and a magazine) that is intellectual and on trend," Florentin added, while admitting there were "still a few undressed women but they're not the majority of the pages."

France is currently in the middle of a political upheaval after the government pushed through a move to raise the state pension age from 62 to 64. More than a million people in France protested the decision, setting fires and smashing storefront windows.
Students take an exam in computer skills at a computer lab in Adado town, central Somalia, on April 3, 2023. (Photo by Abdi/Xinhua)

MOGADISHU, April 3 (Xinhua) -- From a distance, the Skillful International College located in Adado town in central Somalia looks like an ordinary tertiary institution, but upon interacting with the managers and students, its prestigious status comes to the fore.

At the entrance to the college, one is greeted by its bold motto engraved on a king-size billboard that reads "where champions are made."

One needs to jostle with students milling around books tucked on their armpits to find space in the corridors to walk.

The number of young men and women rushing in or out of lecture rooms where diverse courses are taught was evident even as the Somali youth defy instability in their motherland to chart a brighter future for themselves.

Osman Mohamed Daleel, an orphan, is one of the youths whose dream of becoming an ICT professional was realized upon the inception of the college.

On a balmy afternoon, he was busy exploring different computer programs under the supervision of his tutor, Abdiwahab Girig.

"If it were not for the opportunity given to me by the college, I would have either been lured into crime to earn a living or would have risked looking for greener pastures by migrating illegally overseas," Daleel told Xinhua in a recent interview in Adado town.

"But at least I have developed computer skills which can help me seek employment with local charities, work as a tutor or start my cyber cafe," he added.

The college which was started in 2022 by a group of youth to help shield their idle peers from crime or joining extremist groups is currently a hub for providing youngsters with market-driven skills.

Mohamed Abdi Adan, the college's manager, said the college offers diverse courses such as English, ICT, guidance and counseling, and catering skills that have helped the youth secure employment or start profitable business ventures and dissuade them from migrating overseas to look for opportunities.

"The college has defied odds by coming up with several innovative ideas, aimed at not only promoting peace and stability in the region but also supporting the government of Somalia's efforts to recover from the lingering effects of civil strife," Adan said.

He added that the college is also educating the youth on leadership skills and responsible citizenry, thereby inspiring them to contribute towards Somalia's reconstruction.

A photography student at the college said his life changed when he learned how to shoot photographs using a camera.

"I was used to shooting using an AK47, but now, a camera forms part of the tool of the trade I have embraced. I use the photographic skills I acquired in telling positive stories to the world," the student said.

Farah Diriye Warsame, the Adado District Commissioner, hailed the college for its immense contribution to Somalia's rebuilding amid the provision of technical and life skills to the youth.

"As a government, we challenge the youth to take advantage of the existing opportunities provided by the college, which is the initiative of selfless local youth, and enroll for educational programs that are offered at a subsidized fee," Warsame said.

Sabrin Hassan Mohamed, a 23-year-old hotel proprietor in Adado town, said the college has inspired the youth to participate in rebuilding their motherland besides providing solutions to crime and other social ills.

Sabrin, who recently graduated from the Horn of Africa University's Adado campus, said the majority of Somali youth are no longer interested in undertaking risky ventures like migrating across on their way to the gulf to look for greener pastures.

Mohamed Sharif, an educationist and director of the Youth Empowering Council (YECO) based in Adado town, said that empowered youth will contribute immensely to Somalia's reconstruction after decades of civil strife.

His sentiments were shared by Aisha Abdullahi, a youth leader in Adado town who observed that her peers who have pursued post-secondary education are making huge contributions towards transforming the livelihoods of their families and the community. 

Mohamed Abdi Adan, manager of the Skillful International College, works at his office in Adado town, central Somalia, on April 3, 2023. (Photo by Abdi/Xinhua)
VIENTIANE, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A top executive of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has called for more effective cooperation and urgent action to ensure sustainable development of the mighty river.

Lao National TV on Monday quoted Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the MRC Secretariat, as saying that the Mekong River is facing multiple challenges.

The river faces "alarming" trends in areas including water flow regime, nourishing sediment, plastics pollution, and climate change-driven floods and drought.

"We call on riparian countries, partners and stakeholders to act. But the way we choose to act, and the way our friends within the region and without, act, will determine the fate of the Mekong -- and all of us," Anoulak told hundreds of experts, diplomats, and students attending the fourth MRC Summit hosted by Laos, which is being held in Lao capital Vientiane from April 2 to April 5.

Elaborating on the pressing issues facing the Mekong, Anoulak said climate change has exacerbated both flooding and drought.

In the wet years of 2018 and 2000, the number of people suffering from floods rose to 12 million. Meanwhile, the frequency of drought increased in the 10 years from 2010 to 2020, compared to the previous decade.

The CEO recalled his warning issued a year ago about the four straight years of low flow that had created an "unprecedented challenge" for the river, and the vulnerable fishing and farming families who rely upon it.

Regarding plastics pollution, the Mekong is already estimated to pour into the world's oceans the 10th largest amount of plastic debris, amounting to 17.4 to 101 tons per day, the CEO said.

Fish can ingest the microplastics, which can contaminate the human food chain, he added.

However, Anoulak assured the participants that water quality along the Mekong mainstream remains "good or excellent" in most places. 
CANBERRA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Popular support for Australia's Prime Minister (PM) and his government has grown, polling has found.

According to the latest edition of Newspoll published by The Australian on Monday, PM Anthony Albanese's net approval rating, which is calculated by subtracting the portion of voters dissatisfied with his performance from those satisfied, has grown from positive-17 in March to positive-21.

It marks a significant turnaround in 12 months from Albanese's negative-14 rating in mid-April 2022 -- one month before he led the Labor Party to victory in the election.

When asked who would make the better PM, 58 percent of respondents to the poll chose Albanese and only 26 percent opposition leader Peter Dutton.

Dutton's net approval rating was negative-13.

The poll, which was conducted during a week where Albanese secured support for his signature climate policy, found that Labor now leads Dutton's coalition 55-45 on a two-party preferred basis.

By comparison, Labor won the election in 2022 with a 52-48 margin.

The poll was published days after Labor claimed victory in the by-election in the seat of Aston in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs, ending the coalition's 33-year hold on the electorate.

It was the first time in over 100 years that an Australian government has won a seat from the opposition in a by-election and means the coalition holds only two seats in Melbourne, which is predicted to become Australia's largest city within a decade.

The result has sparked speculation over the future of Dutton's leadership. 
NEW DELHI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Former leader of India's main opposition Congress party Rahul Gandhi on Monday filed an appeal against his conviction and jail sentence in a criminal defamation case related to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A court in the western Indian state of Gujarat has extended his bail until April 13 when the next hearing is to be held.

Last month the court sentenced Gandhi to two years in prison for his 2019 comments on Modi's surname during an election rally.

Following his conviction, the lower house of the Indian parliament (locally known as Lok Sabha) disqualified the former president of the Indian National Congress (INC) party as a lawmaker.

Last week, Congress party members held protests in India's several states against Gandhi's disqualification of parliament membership. 
ULAN BATOR, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has received more than 130,000 foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year, the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Monday.

The Mongolian government has been taking measures to revive the pandemic-hit tourism sector, urging the public to contribute to a more tourist-friendly country.

In January, 34 countries were granted visa-free entry to Mongolia for tourism purposes, increasing the number of visa-exempt countries to 61. Nationals from those countries can remain in Mongolia for up to 30 days until the end of 2025.

The country has also classified 2023-2025 as "Years to Visit Mongolia" and is expected to organize more than 90 events in 2023 to promote tourism.

Currently, Mongolia's economy is mainly dependent on its export-oriented mining sector. Developing tourism is seen as the most viable way to diversify its economy.

Mongolia has set a goal of welcoming at least 1 million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in the coming years.

The country received 290,400 foreign tourists in 2022, earning 350 million dollars from the tourism sector. 
NEW DELHI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Five Naxals were killed Monday in a gunfight with government forces in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, police said.

The gunfight between Naxals and the joint contingents of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) broke out in the Lawalong police station area, around 160 km north of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

"Today five Naxals were gunned down during a gunfight with police and the CRPF in a forest area near Palamu-Chatra border falling under the jurisdiction of Lawalong police station in Chatra district," a senior police official told media. "The bodies have been recovered."

The government forces, however, have not suffered any damage in the standoff.

According to local media reports, of the five slain Naxals, four were carrying bounties on their heads.

Currently, Naxals are active across the central and eastern parts of India.

India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh once termed the Naxalite movement as India's "greatest internal security challenge."

New Delhi has deployed several companies of its paramilitary forces to take on Naxals in their strongholds.

The insurgency reportedly has claimed hundreds of lives besides rendering thousands of poor inhabitants homeless. 
VIENTIANE, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The fourth Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit opened in Lao capital Vientiane on Sunday to discuss the preservation of the Mekong River and strengthening of regional cooperation for sustainable development of the river.

Nearly 800 experts, policymakers, academics, representatives of civil society and private sectors around the world attended the conference, Lao National TV reported on Monday.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, alongside with leaders from the lower Mekong countries of Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, are expected to attend the MRC Summit to renew their commitment to the MRC mandate, and endorse the Vientiane Declaration. High-level representatives from the MRC's dialogue partners of China and Myanmar have also been invited to the convention.

The fourth MRC Summit was held in Lao capital Vientiane from Sunday to Wednesday under the theme "Innovation and Cooperation for a Water Secure and Sustainable Mekong."

During the conference, Lao Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bounkham Vorachit stressed that water security has been in the spotlight as a key factor for sustainable development.

"The challenge of water security is increasingly impacting every region around the world that is facing the effects of climate change and urbanization, as well as natural disasters. This situation is projected to worsen if we continue business as usual," Bounkham said.

She urged all stakeholders, including public, private sector, international organizations, people and educational institutes to take part in addressing water-related issues and attach special attention to the livelihoods of the poor and disadvantaged people.

"We need more joint actions with all relevant stakeholders through innovative technologies that can help us transform regional water management, improve data and information sharing, and boost our technology monitoring systems," she said. 
HANOI, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's government has pledged strong support for the private sector to make it the engine of economic growth, Vietnam News reported on Monday.

A resolution recently issued by the government envisages 1.5 million businesses, half of them being medium or large-sized, will account for 55 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, and 2 million companies by 2030 will contribute up to 65 percent of the economic growth.

The government also aims to improve the productivity of the private sector by 5 percent a year to close the gap between Vietnam and the top economies in the Southeast Asian region.

Vietnam has long attached great importance to the private sector, encouraging it to play an important role in booming the economy, increasing employment, and promoting innovation.

Data compiled by the country's Ministry of Planning and Investment shows that the private sector contributes more than 34 percent of the tax revenue and about 46 percent of the GDP. The private sector, representing up to 97 percent of the total 857,000 registered companies in the country as of the end of 2021, also provides 85 percent of urban employment.

Economists said the improvement in the business environment for the non-public sector would determine the expansion of private enterprises.

Vietnam has more than 5 million unregistered household businesses, far exceeding the figure 857,000 released by the government, according to the National Institute for Finance.

By simplifying business registration process and clearing the burdens of fees, taxes and other administrative costs, Vietnam could renew its embrace of private-sector expansion, said experts.

Slower development of the private sector in recent years has been noted by policymakers. Vietnam has failed to reach the target of having 1 million businesses by 2020, due partly to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to a surge in the number of business closures.

The number of business closures exceeded the creation of businesses in Vietnam in the first quarter this year due to sluggish domestic consumption, weak competitiveness of local manufacturers, and limited access to bank loans, said the General Statistics Office.

Official data showed 60,200 firms closed their doors between January and March, while 57,000 companies were either created or resumed in the period, resulting in a net drop of 3,200 businesses. 
Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and Russian Presidential Adviser Ruslan Edelgeriyev discussed issues of diversification of economic partnership between the two countries, Azernews reports per Economy Ministry.

The meeting also discussed the development of interregional relations.

The Azerbaijani minister emphasized the positive development dynamics of relations with Russia, noted the importance of intensifying partnerships between business circles in realizing economic potential, strengthening trade and investment ties.

Noting the favorable business and investment environment of Azerbaijan, the official highlighted that the wide potential of Azerbaijans liberated territories opens new perspectives for the development of regional cooperation, including the partnership with Russia.

Russian investors can also take advantage of the transportation and logistics facilities of the Alat Free Economic Zone, located at the intersection of international corridors, Jabbarov emphasized.



Furthermore, the minister pointed out the special role of improving the efficiency of transport relations in the growth of bilateral trade and using the resources of the North-South international transport route.

In turn, Edelgeriyev noted that Russia attaches special importance to the partnership with Azerbaijan. He also shared his views on the realization of economic potential.

Besides, the sides discussed the possibility of implementing various socio-economic projects.

Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian embassy in Baku, the Trade Representative Office, and the regional council of the All-Russian State Children and Youth Public Movement "Movement of the First" of the Chechen Republic attended the meeting.

Azerbaijan and Russia have mutual cooperation in different fields, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. More than 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented.

Azerbaijani investments in Russia's economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of these investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion, with $5 billion invested in the oil sector and $1.3 billion invested in non-oil sectors.




PARIS, April 3 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and several others injured in three shootings in southern France on Sunday night, news channel BFMTV reported citing police sources.

The three shootings took place in the city of Marseille. The first was in the Le Castellas neighborhood, resulting in two deaths; the second was in the Les Aygalades neighborhood; and the third was in the city's second arrondissement, killing one. Several injuries were also recorded, with three in critical condition.

A police investigation is now underway, BFMTV reported. 
HELSINKI/BRUSSELS, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Finland will officially become the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Tuesday, April 4, the Finnish president's office said on Monday.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen will attend the accession ceremony at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, the office said in a press release.

On behalf of Finland, Haavisto will deposit its instrument of accession with the U.S. State Department in Brussels on Tuesday. To mark the occasion, the country's flag will be hoisted outside NATO's headquarters.

Speaking ahead of the April 4-5 meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of the NATO member states in Brussels, the alliance's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said that "we have seen the fastest ratification process in NATO's modern history."

Along with Sweden, Finland handed in its official letter of application on May 18, 2022. Sweden's application has yet to be ratified by Turkiye and Hungary.

"I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the NATO family as soon as possible," Stoltenberg said, calling it a "top priority." 
ST. PETERSBURG, April 2 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 25 others injured after an explosive device went off on Sunday in a cafe in Russia's St. Petersburg, Russian authorities said.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, information about the blast was received by the police at 18:13 pm local time (1513 GMT). The incident resulted in one death and 16 injuries, and the injured are being treated by medical personnel.

The Ministry of Health said later on Telegram that the number of the injured in the explosion has risen to 25 with six in serious condition.

The Investigative Committee of Russia confirmed that an unidentified explosive device exploded in a cafe in central St. Petersburg, killing prominent Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. The Committee has opened a murder inquiry to the case.

Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, covered events in the Donbass on his Telegram channel. According to TASS, he made his name early in the Russian special military operation in Ukraine by posting videos analyzing the military situation on the ground and offering advice on mobilizing troops. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to Tatarsky after his death.

Citing a source close to the inquiry, RIA Novosti news agency said the explosive device was installed in a statuette presented by a young woman to Tatarsky as a gift at a meetup of Tatarsky's fans. 
BELGRADE, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Jakov Milatovic has triumphed in the second round of Montenegro's presidential elections, according to official preliminary results published on Monday by the State Electoral Commission of Montenegro (DIK).

The 36-year-old former economy minister won 58.88 percent of votes, while his opponent, current president Milo Djukanovic, gained 41.12 percent.

Although the results of the March 19 first round of elections put Djukanovic in the lead, supporters of the opposition parties whose candidates were eliminated voted for Milatovic on Sunday.

After hearing preliminary estimations on Sunday night, Milatovic said the victory was a collective effort that had helped to topple Djukanovic.

Milatovic promised that during his five-year mandate, Montenegro will become a member of the European Union.

Djukanovic, the leader of the Democratic party of Socialists (DPS) who has ruled Montenegro for over 30 years either as President or Prime Minister, congratulated Milatovic.

After completing his Master's degree in economics at Oxford University, Milatovic spent almost a decade at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), becoming its principal economist in charge of several countries.

He entered the political spotlight in December 2020 as the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism in the government of PM Zdravko Krivokapic, which was ousted in April 2022. Subsequently, he co-founded the movement "Europe Now" with Milojko Spajic, and ran for mayor of Podgorica.

Milatovic's presidential candidacy this year was unplanned. He was nominated as a replacement for his party colleague Spajic, who was disqualified for having dual Montenegrin-Serbian citizenship. 
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The United States Supreme Court is set to consider in two pending cases whether the country's colleges may continue to use race as a factor in student admissions. The decision may change the future of affirmative action policy, introduced to redress historic discrimination, in higher education.

A study released on March 28 by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce warns that racial and ethnic diversity on university campuses could decline even if the institutions give more weight to factors, such as the socio-economic class of applicants.

"Without race-conscious admissions, the role selective colleges play in creating equal opportunity in our society is likely to diminish," said Zack Mabel, co-author of the study.

According to the study titled "Race-Conscious Affirmative Action: What's Next," colleges would have to "fundamentally alter their admissions practices" to achieve diversity, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics and Indigenous students, if the Supreme Court bans affirmative action in college admissions.

According to the study, an alternative admissions process that includes socio-economic status would achieve a high level of racial and ethnic diversity if colleges eliminate preferences for legacy applicants, student athletes, those with ties to donors and other such factors that mostly benefit White, affluent applicants.

About 60 percent of top U.S. colleges consider race as a factor in admissions, according to 2015 estimates.

In addition, schools would have to expand their recruitment of high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a class-based alternative to produce a similar outcome to race-conscious admissions, the study found.

In 2022, the high court heard two cases that had arguments challenging affirmative action admission policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina that use race and ethnicity among other factors.

In the case at Harvard University, the group named Students for Fair Admissions accused the school of holding Asian-American students to a higher educational standard than it did African American or Hispanic students.

According to experts, if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against the colleges, the landscape of college admissions would change drastically, and many schools fear losing what they have gained in diversity over the years. 
TEHRAN, April 3 (Xinhua) -- As if suffering from one of the rarest skin disorders ever known, epidermolysis bullosa (EB), is not already painful enough to make life a living hell for seven-year-old Mohammad Rezaei, the inhumane U.S. sanctions are also rubbing salt into the wounds.

EB is a rare genetic condition that causes fragile, blistering skin. EB patients are often referred to as "butterfly children" because their skin is as fragile as a butterfly's wings. The blisters may appear in response to a minor injury, even from heat, rubbing or scratching. The disorder is so painful that the patients tend to liken their skin's burning sensation to that experienced in third-degree burns.

What makes the story of the Iranian EB patients even more heart-rending is that a significant portion of them are children like Rezaei.

Rezaei said his skin "easily gets injured and the consequent wounds and infections are very painful."

Despite being just a child, he knows very well the reason why he was, at least for the time being, doomed to suffer such a degree of pain and inconvenience. Due to the U.S. sanctions, there has been a lack of necessary dressings for children like him.

A very useful dressing produced under the brand name of Mepilex by the Swedish company Molnlycke can, to a good extent, alleviate these patients' pain and suffering, making life easier for them. In fact, these patients' survival depends entirely on the timely use of the dressing. However, the U.S. sanctions have deprived EB patients in Iran of this temporary yet palpable relief.

It came as over a dozen EB patients in Iran have reportedly died of the disease in the absence of the much-needed medical supplies. Others suffered from severe physical injuries, including amputation.

Iran has been under U.S. sanctions for the past four decades. The sanctions intensified following the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Although the United States hypocritically claimed that humanitarian items, including medicine and foodstuffs, are not included in the sanctions list, its embargoes on Iran's oil exports and banking sector have, in practice, prevented the country from importing such goods.

With her little son bearing similar sufferings, Akram Ait urged those behind the sanctions and the consequent lack of access to Mepilex dressings in Iran to "put themselves for a second in our shoes."

"What would they do if their own children, relatives or acquaintances were suffering from the same disease?" she asked.

"Let's say there is no link of any kind between them and the patients, isn't a person worth (suffering) that much to get access to a simple Mepilex dressing that can be easily provided to him/her by them?" Ait added.

"They deny that person the right to have access to Mepilex dressings, which can to some extent help him/her live, although not very comfortably, a little bit more comfortably," she said.

Regarding the U.S. sanctions' negative impacts, Hamidreza Hashemi Golpayegani, an Iranian cleric and the founder of Iran's EB Home -- an NGO for children suffering from EB -- said, "Previously, we had easy access to the (Mepilex) dressings."

However, following the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, "we felt the intensity of the sanctions on us to a greater extent," he said.

"When the Mepilex dressings are applied to the wounds, they allow EB patients to wear clothes and remove the dressings from their wounds without detaching the flesh and skin and with less pain," said Hashemi Golpayegani, whose own daughter has been suffering from EB for the past 21 years.

"The dressings also help EB patients feel less irritation and enable them to lie down on their back when resting or sleeping at night," he said, adding that the dressings are, in a way, a very basic requirement of EB patients.

Hashemi Golpayegani at EB House once wrote a letter to Molnlycke, but the drugmaker replied it would not be able to provide the dressings needed for EB patients in Iran because they are sanctioned by the United States.

Over the past years, Iranian officials have frequently decried the adverse impacts of the U.S. sanctions on the humanitarian issues in the country, in efforts to raise the international community's awareness in this regard.

Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian Judiciary chief's deputy for international affairs and secretary of the country's High Council for Human Rights, recently dismissed as "a big lie" the U.S. claims that humanitarian items are not included in the list of sanctions, saying such claims are not based on reality.

He noted that U.S. sanctions directly target Iran's main source of income, oil sales and the banking sector, and ultimately local people's right to development and welfare.

"This has seriously endangered Iranian patients' right to life and health," Gharibabadi said.

Tehran's cry has been echoed by UN human rights experts. After her visit to Iran in May 2022, Alena Douhan, UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, concluded that sanctions, secondary sanctions and different forms of over-compliance have a serious negative impact on the country's economy, leading to "serious violations of human rights and humanitarian challenges."

"Of particular concern is the significant challenge faced in the procurement and delivery of life-saving medicines and medical equipment, produced by foreign companies and destined for the treatment of rare diseases," she said in her report to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.

Douhan's report also challenged Washington's claim of so-called humanitarian exemptions.

The UN expert found that although the sanctions' documents announce that medicines and medical equipment are not affected due to humanitarian exemptions, their delivery to Iran is "severely undermined by the effects of sanctions on finance, trade, shipping and insurance companies, restrictions on international payments, and by foreign businesses' and suppliers' over-compliance."

"These constitute serious impediments to the enjoyment of the right to the highest attainable standard of health by all Iranians," she said. 
Denmark and Norway to provide 8,000 artillery shells, Australia to supply $80 million in remote weapon systems 3 April, 06:40 PM The West agreed to help Ukraine with ammunition to effectively counter the Russian Federation (Photo:Fabian Bimmer/File Photo/Reuters)

Norway and Denmark will jointly provide Ukraine with 8,000 artillery rounds to combat Russian occupation forces, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced on April 3.

Oslo will provide 155-mm artillery shells and Copenhagen will provide the appropriate fuses, the ministry reported.

"Ukraine has a significant need for artillery ammunition," stated Norwegian Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram.

Norway will contribute where we can. It is important for both Europe's and Norway's security that Ukraine succeeds in standing up to Russia's attack.

Video of day

Read also: Denmark cancels fencing tournament due to Russian participation

This will be in addition to the Caesar air defense systems provided by Denmark, he emphasized.

Australia also plans to supply Ukraine with 100 remote weapon systems (RWS) worth up to $80 million over two years, according to Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems.

The contract includes spare parts and related services.

Remote weapon systems are used by several military services in Australia, North America, Europe, and Asia. They can be integrated into a variety of vehicles and platforms and are used in a wide range of missions. The Australian assistance provides for full combat readiness as the crew operates the system while protected inside the vehicle.

Norway and 17 EU countries signed an agreement on March 20 to jointly purchase ammunition for Ukraine and their own national stockpiles. The agreement is to purchase 1 million rounds of ammunition, said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Spain will soon join this initiative.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced on March 24 that the total number of countries participating in the munitions-purchasing program had increased to 20.

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Finland to become 31st NATO member tomorrow, Stoltenberg says 3 April, 05:45 PM Flag of Finland (Photo:stanjourdan/flickr)

Finland will officially join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on April 4, becoming the 31st member state of the Alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced during a press conference broadcast by Finnish news agency Yle.

This will be a "good day" for the security of Finland, the Nordic countries, and NATO as a whole, he said.

"This is a historic week, Stoltenberg began.

Tomorrow we will welcome Finland as the 31st NATO member, making it safer and our Alliance stronger. We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters.

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Finland, along with Sweden, simultaneously applied to join NATO in May 2022 amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Late on March 31, Turkey became the last country to ratify Finland's accession to NATO. A few days earlier, the Hungarian parliament okayed Helsinkis bid.

At the same time, Sweden is still awaiting the consent of the two countries.

Stoltenberg said in an April 3 speech that in any case, Finland's accession to NATO would provide more security for Stockholm.

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NATO-Ukraine meeting to go ahead in Brussels after years of delays by Hungary 3 April, 05:35 PM Dmytro Kuleba (Photo:REUTERS/Johanna Geron)

The NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) for foreign ministers will take place in Brussels on April 3-4 for the first time since 2017, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko wrote on Facebook on April 3.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will hold important talks in Brussels in regarding preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July, Nikolenko said.

Issues such as strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, acquiring new arms and ammunition production, increasing Russian sanctions, creating a special tribunal for the Russian war crimes in Ukraine, and securing humanitarian aid will be brought to the table.

Video of day

Hungary has blocked NATO-Ukraine ministerial meetings since 2017, after disagreeing with a Ukrainian law that provides for education in Ukrainian language. Budapest claims that this law infringes on the rights of the Hungarian minority to receive education in Hungarian language, though independent investigations have found that the law still provides for instruction in minority languages.

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Putins nuclear saber-rattling is a sign of dangerous Russian desperation 3 April, 06:05 PM ZNPP (Photo:)

Vladimir Putin resumed his nuclear saber-rattling in late March with the announcement that he plans to place nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus. This largely symbolic move was clearly designed to intimidate Western leaders and deter them from continuing to arm Ukraine. In reality, however, it merely serves to highlight Russias growing desperation and the Kremlins lack of alternative options as the attempted conquest of Ukraine continues to unravel.

Putin has repeatedly resorted to nuclear blackmail since embarking on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over thirteen months ago. During the first few days of the invasion, the Russian dictator signaled his readiness to engage in nuclear intimidation by very publicly placing his countrys nuclear forces on special alert. This was widely interpreted as an attempt to discourage any Western intervention.

Video of day

Further thinly-veiled nuclear threats came in September 2022 as Putin sought to escalate his faltering invasion. Following a string of battlefield defeats and embarrassing retreats, he announced his countrys first mobilization since World War II before boasting of Russias unrivaled weapons of destruction and vowing to use all the means at our disposal to defend the country. I am not bluffing, Putin warned.

It is not difficult to imagine why Putin is now once again indulging in nuclear saber-rattling. In recent months, military aid to Ukraine has expanded to new levels and crossed multiple Russian red lines in the process. Western countries have agreed to supply Kyiv with state-of-the-art air defense systems, modern battle tanks, and jet fighters. Tellingly, Putin framed his plans for nuclear weapons in Belarus as a response to Britains decision to provide Ukraine with anti-tank ammunition that contains depleted uranium.

Meanwhile, Russias military fortunes in Ukraine have continued to deteriorate. The six-month campaign to bomb Ukraine into submission by targeting the countrys civilian infrastructure has ended in failure. Along the front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine, a much-hyped Russian offensive has been underway since early 2023 but has failed to make significant progress while suffering disastrous losses. This is leading to the rapid demoralization of Putins army in Ukraine, with video appeals regularly posted to social media featuring groups of recently mobilized Russian soldiers complaining of suicidal tactics and high death tolls.

There is also little cause for Russian optimism on the international front, where initial expectations of a weakening in Western support for Ukraine are rapidly evaporating. Indeed, during the early months of 2023, the democratic worlds commitment to Ukraine has looked stronger than ever. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a heros welcome during a brief trip to London, Paris, and Brussels. Weeks later, US President Joe Biden arrived in Kyiv to emphasize his resolve to stand with Ukraine.

Why Putin is playing the nuclear card

There was more bad news for Russia in mid-March, when the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Putins arrest on war crimes charges related to the mass abduction of Ukrainian children. While there is no immediate danger of the Russian ruler ending up in court, the indictment is a further humiliation that underlines Putins pariah status while weakening his position both at home and abroad.

Even the recent visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Moscow failed to lift the gloom. The summit produced few concrete gains for Putin while confirming his position as junior partner in what is an increasingly unequal bilateral relationship. Interestingly, one of the few security-related outcomes of the visit was a joint statement calling on all nuclear powers to refrain from deploying nuclear weapons beyond their national borders. Putins subsequent decision to place nukes in Belarus may well be an indication of his frustration over Chinas obvious reluctance to back Russia more forcefully.

It remains far from clear whether Russia is capable of regaining the military initiative in Ukraine via conventional means. Kremlin officials have recently begun speaking of massive increases in military production, while rumors persist of additional mobilization waves to bolster the depleted ranks of Russias invasion force. However, this optimism is at odds with the realities on the ground in Ukraine, with the UK Ministry of Defense recently reporting that Russia is now deploying tanks and armored vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s to make up for previous losses. With limited access to sanctioned Western technologies, many analysts question the offensive potential of what will be a largely conscript Russian army of poorly motivated troops with limited training and outdated equipment.

This grim outlook helps to explain why Putin is playing the nuclear card. His nuclear threats may ring hollow, but they are too serious to be disregarded completely and he knows it. At the same time, the international community cannot afford to let Putins intimidation tactics succeed. If nuclear blackmail pays off for Putin in Ukraine and allows him to snatch a victory of sorts from the jaws of defeat, it will become a normalized element of international relations with devastating consequences for global security. Countries around the world will scramble to acquire nuclear arsenals of their own in order to avoid the fate of Ukraine.

So far, the response to Putins latest bout of nuclear saber-rattling has been encouraging. US, EU, and NATO officials were united in their condemnation. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell branded it an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security, while Germanys Foreign Ministry accused Russia of another attempt at nuclear intimidation. Perhaps the most fitting commentary came from Kyiv, with Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak claiming Putins comments demonstrate that he fears defeat in Ukraine and has nothing to offer other than scare tactics.

We are likely to see such scare tactics increasingly in the coming months. With the Ukrainian military currently preparing to launch what promises to be their largest offensive of the war, Russias position could worsen significantly during spring and summer 2023. If he finds himself faced with the prospect of decisive military defeat, Putin will almost certainly escalate his nuclear blackmail to new levels of danger. At that point, the international community must unite to prevent Russia from dragging the world into catastrophe.

This story was originally published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission.

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Sabina Mammadli

Ever since the historic liberation of Azerbaijani lands from nearly 30-year-long Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan has prioritized the reconstruction and rebuilding of lands in and out of Karabakh and efforts to this end are on the rise day by day. Huge progress has already been made in the post-war period, making it hard to believe that the reconstructed villages were nothing but debris just two years ago.

One such place is Talish village of Tartar District, which was liberated on October 3, 2020, a week after the start of the Second Karabakh War.

Less than a year after the reconstruction of the village of Talish began, 20 families have already returned to the Talish village and a total of 180 will return. In less than a year, about 180 families will live in Talish village Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said while visiting the village on March 18, 2023.

Indeed, great work is being carried out in the village: the relocated residents have been provided with modern private houses and individual farm warehouses. A school building for 78 students and a kindergarten for 11 children will also operate in the village.

Currently, active employment measures are taken for the village residents in Tartar District. At the initial stage, meetings were held with each of the 20 families relocated to the village, as a result of which up to 20 people were employed. Besides, preparatory work is also underway to attract residents of the village of Talish to the self-employment program. Professional training courses are arranged for some villagers to master new professions.

All opportunities have been created here for these families. Everyone can see beautiful houses, schools, kindergartens, and public buildings that have been built. Employment opportunities have been created. We are a nation of builders. Unlike Armenia, we build and create in our territory, the president remarked.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / 1933 Industries Inc. (the "Company" or "1933 Industries") (CSE:TGIF)(OTCQB:TGIFF), a Nevada-focused cannabis cultivator and producer, is pleased to announce its second quarter financial results ("Q2 2023") For the six months ended January 31, 2023, and 2022. All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars.

The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association (AMA), the Company's cultivation and production subsidiary focused on the medical and adult-use cannabis market, and 100% of CBD product manufacturer Infused MFG LLC (Infused). The Company's revenue is derived from wholesale cannabis sales in Nevada (AMA), and from the sale of hemp-derived consumer packaged goods (Infused) under the Canna Hemp brand sold across the US via e-commerce at cannahemp.com.

Q1 2023 Financial Highlights

Revenue $3.6 million for Q2 2023 and $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023

Expenses $0.2 million

Gross margin $1.9 million before adjustments

Net loss $0.4 million

Adjusted EBITDA $0.1 million - Second consecutive quarter of positive EBITDA

Consolidated Operating Highlights

Total revenues were $3.6 million for Q2 2023, representing a 13% increase over $3.2 million for Q2 2022. Revenues are $9.2 million for the six months ended January 31, 2023, representing a 52% increase from $6.0 million during the same period in 2022.

Expenses of $0.2 million for Q2 2023 decreased by 92% from $2.4 million in Q2 2022 in large part due to a substantial tax refund from the IRS. The Company continues to work diligently on controlling expenses.

Gross margin was $1.9 million, before fair value adjustments on biological assets and realized fair value adjustments on the sale of inventory. The decrease in gross margin is attributable to a decrease in flower pricing in Nevada.

Net loss was $0.4 million for Q2 2023 and $0.8 million for Q2 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA was $0.1 million for Q2 2023 and $0.1 million for Q2 2022.

Cash at the end of the period was $2.9 million compared to $0.8 million during the same period in 2022.

Story continues

Management Commentary

Mr. Paul Rosen, Chairman and CEO of 1933 Industries commented, "Wholesale pricing pressure continues to impact cultivators in Nevada, with lower sale prices on cannabis products experienced across the industry. In addition, the Company has chosen to deal with some legacy infrastructure issues that compressed our overall capacity this quarter. During the reporting period, the Company continued to focus on strengthening its operation. Necessary and essential infrastructure improvements to the Company's cultivation facility, including improvements to the facility's irrigation, air movement and humidification systems have been initialized and are well underway. A build-up of inventory will be the Company's priorities in the following quarters in order to increase the production of sellable dried flower and pre-rolls. We expect flower prices to stabilize in the near future, and we expect as well that the launch of consumption lounges will create a new attraction for visitors to the state and expand cannabis-related tourism. The Company is well positioned to benefit from increased demand, flower price stabilization, and the strength of its top brand and in-demand products that deliver excellent value to consumers.

Operationally, the Company has made substantial improvements in lowering its debt load, reducing expenses, and conserving its working capital over the last several quarters. The Company recorded positive Adjusted EBITDA for a second quarter in a row, a milestone in the Company's history."

Appointment of Ester Vigil as President

The Company is pleased to announce that Ms. Ester Vigil has been appointed as President. Ms. Vigil previously held the role of Director of Sales and served as president from 2019 to 2020. Ms. Vigil's return to the Company has been marked by significant achievements, including repositioning AMA as a top brand in Nevada. "Ester's contributions to the Company are very meaningful," said Mr. Rosen. "She has added value in all areas of our business, and her leadership has earned her esteem and respect from both her colleagues at 1933, and throughout the overall Nevada cannabis industry. I look forward to Ester continuing to help improve our business, deliver excellent value to our customers and deliver future growth."

Financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. Detailed information regarding the Company's financial results as well as management's discussion and analysis can be found at https://sedar.com/ and https://1933industries.com/investors/financial-information

Please note the next financial release dates in accordance with the continuous disclosure schedule set out by the British Columbia Securities Commission:

2023 Financial Release Dates Reporting Quarter Release Date Q3/2023 June 29, 2023 Q4/YE 2023 November 28, 2023 Q1/2024 January 1, 2024 Q2/2024 April 2, 2024 Q3/2024 July 2, 2024 Q4/YE 2024 November 28, 2024

About 1933 Industries Inc.

1933 Industries is a Nevada-based, growth-orientated company, focusing on the cultivation and manufacturing of a large portfolio of cannabis consumer-packaged goods in a variety of formats for both the wholesale and retail markets. Its product offerings include: THC flower, pre-rolls, and extracted products under the AMA and Level X brands for the Nevada market; Canna Hemp, national cannabidiol (CBD) brand of infused wellness products including tinctures, gummies, topicals and sport recovery products. The Company owns 91% of Alternative Medicine Association, LC (AMA) and 100% of Infused MFG LLC (Infused).

www.1933industries.com

About Alternative Medicine Association

AMA is a licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation and extraction subsidiary that produces its own branded line of unique cannabis products. AMA's extensive menu of cannabis products include: craft cannabis flower, pre-rolls, full spectrum oils, high quality distillates, proprietary blends of terpenes, vaporizer products and boutique concentrates such as shatter, crumble, batter, sugar wax, diamonds, and live resin. Ultra-craft brand Level X is an exclusive collection of exotic strains, selected specifically for their distinctive terpene profiles, high THC levels, and flavonoids. With state-of-the-art cultivation and extraction facilities based in Las Vegas, Nevada, AMA seeks to offer medical patients and recreational users alike a cannabis experience that's exceptional, potent, and consistent in quality. www.amanev.com

AMA is also licensed in Nevada as an adult-use cannabis distributor.

About Canna Hemp

With over 60 products in its portfolio, the Canna Hemp brand offers products in a variety of verticals and consumption formats, including, effects-based tinctures, topicals, vape pens and cartridges, gummies, and capsules for Sleep, Relief, Calm, Focus and Energy. High-grade CBD and a proprietary blend of terpenes formulated for specific effects are key differentiators for the Canna Hemp line. The Company recently introduced previously untapped cannabinoids Cannabigerol (CBG) and Cannabinol (CBN) to its portfolio of products with a new line of natural tinctures and gummies.

www.cannahemp.com

For further information please contact:

Alexia Helgason, VP, IR, Marketing, Media

604-728-4407

alexia@1933industries.com

Paul Rosen, CEO

paul@1933industries.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 release.

Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents, which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. 1933 Industries undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: 1933 Industries Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747218/1933-Industries-Reports-Second-Quarter-2023-Financial-Results-and-Announces-Ester-Vigil-as-President




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While the media often focuses on stories of the top 1% of earners, or the plight of those struggling to get by, the middle class in America is often left to the wayside. The middle class deals with similar economic ups and downs, they just tend to have a greater safety net than those lower on the income scale. But that doesn't mean they don't experience financial hardship, too. In fact, the middle class continues to shrink in much of the country. Fortunately, that isn't the whole story. There are some cities where the middle class is thriving.

Read More: 10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing

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In order to find out where, GOBankingRates performed a study that analyzed data from the U.S. Census on the 200 largest cities in the United States. The study examined the growth of middle-class incomes, households, businesses, and industries that employ them. But, what is considered middle class? Middle class is ultimately based on income, with educational achievement and status being secondary factors. According to Pew Research, middle-class incomes are two-thirds to double the national median. This is crucial because it demonstrates how being middle class actually shifts from place to place.

For example, Miami's median household income is $47,860, making its middle-class income range from $31,907 to $95,720. But in San Francisco, the median household income is $126,187, making its middle-class income range from $84,125 to $252,374. But despite these differences, you can still find places where America's middle class is thriving.

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20. Chula Vista, California

Median household income 2021: $33,999

Five-year median income growth: 51.3%

Middle-class income range: $31,907 to $95,720

This suburb of San Diego is a big city, with over 270,000 people, according to Niche. It's a place where most residents own their homes, and it draws families and young professionals with well-rated public schools.

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19. San Francisco, California

Median household income 2021: $126,187

Five-year median income growth: 43.9%

Middle-class income range: $84,125 to $252,374

San Francisco is well known in its own right, as one of California's most popular cities, with its charming bay-centric presence. Due to its proximity to Silicon Valley, San Francisco's economy is well suited to the middle class, employing many people in the tech sector, finance and tourism.

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18. Seattle, Washington

Median household income: $105,391

Five-year median income growth: 41.5%

Middle-class income range: $70,261 to $210,782

Seattle has long been a tech hub, with Bill Gates and Microsoft casting a prominent shadow over the city. As in so many other cities, tech is a major employer of middle-class workers due to its skill-intensive requirements. But the information industry in Seattle really began its surge fairly recently.

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17. Boston, Massachusetts

Median household income 2021: $81,744

Five-year median income growth: 39.7%

Middle-class income range: $54,496 to $163,488

Boston has been experiencing dynamic economic growth and changes. Entrepreneurs have been launching new companies while businesses move into Boston's urban center from the surrounding suburbs.

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16. Reno, Nevada

Median household income 2021: $67,557

Five-year median income growth: 38.4%

Middle-class income range: $45,038 to $135,114

Reno is another city that draws tourists who love to gamble at local casinos and enjoy Nevada's beautiful outdoors. According to the U.S. Census. 67.6% of the population 16 years and older are part of the civilian workforce, with healthcare and social assistance being the biggest revenue-producing sector.

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15. Atlanta, Georgia

Median household income 2021: $69,164

Five-year median income growth: 40.0%

Middle-class income range: $41,347 to $124,042

The thriving city of Atlanta, once a hub for the Civil Rights Movement and rich in culture, nightlife and beautiful scenery is a wonderful city for the middle class. The largest revenue producing sector here is transportation and warehousing, followed by healthcare and social assistance, then accommodation and food service according to the U.S. Census.

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14. Fullerton, California

Median household income 2021: $92,718

Five-year median income growth: 38.2%

Middle-class income range: $61,812 to $185,436

California has become increasingly more expensive, making it harder for the middle class to stay middle class and to afford a good lifestyle. Yet Fullerton is still more affordable than some cities in Washington and even Texas.

Andrei Stanescu / Getty Images/iStockphoto

13. Hayward, California

Median household income 2021: $98,837

Five-year median income growth: 45.1%

Middle-class income range: $65,891 to $197,674

In Hayward, 67.4% of the population is in the workforce, in this Bay Area city. The biggest revenue-producing sectors are transportation and warehousing and healthcare and social assistance.

Yan Lu / Getty Images/iStockphoto

12. Bellevue, Washington

Median household income 2021: $140,252

Five-year median income growth: 39.3%

Middle-class income range: $93,501 to $280,504

Despite economic flux, Bellevue has been seeing tremendous economic growth since 2000, growing at a rate of 1.12% each year, with nearly 193,000 jobs projected to be filled by 2035. The city website describes Bellevue as "a strong, growing and diverse regional economic center," great for a thriving middle class.

See: 10 US Real Estate Markets To Avoid for Now

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11. Stockton, California

Median household income 2021: $63,916

Five-year median income growth: 38.8%

Middle-class income range: $42,611 to $127,832

According to Best Places, Stockton, a central California town known for its agribusiness-with lots of farmers and ranchers-has been attracting more small businesses thanks to the local government's push for infrastructure improvements and economic stimulus. The job market has increased by 2.2% in the last year, and the ten-year job-growth prediction is 33.6%.

Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

10. Sunnyvale, California

Median household income: $161,670

Five-year median income growth: 47.2%

Middle-class income range: $107,780 to $323,340

Sunnyvale is part of the San Jose metro area, and thus right in the middle of Silicon Valley. Not surprisingly, the industry that's leading much of the prosperity is technology and information.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9. Laredo, Texas

Median household income 2021: $55,603

Five-year median income growth: 40.6%

Middle-class income range: $37,069 to $111,206

According to the Laredo Area of Economic Development, Laredo has a unique economy that relies on its location on the U.S.-Mexico border, thus acting as a trade center between both countries. Laredo trades in billions of goods as the No. 1 Port of Entry on the border. Additionally, it's a magnet for colleges and universities, which attract more businesses every year, making it a great place for the middle class.

Related: 7 Florida Cities That Could Be Headed For a Housing Crisis

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8. Santa Ana, California

Median household income 2021: $77,283

Five-year median income growth: 43.0%

Middle-class income range: $51,522 to $154,566

Santa Ana is known for more than its fierce, hot summer winds. Located near Irvine, California, which is considered a tech hub for big companies, according to Best Places. It's also the home of a major airport, John Wayne Airport, making it an attractive spot for tourists, entrepreneurs, and businesses worldwide. There is a prediction that the job market growth will be about 31.7% over the next ten years.

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

7. Paterson, New Jersey

Median household income 2021: $48,540

Five-year median income growth: 42.6%

Middle-class income range: $32,360 to $97,080

Paterson, New Jersey's economy is thriving due to a robust retail trade consisting largely of small businesses that exist in and around its historic downtown. Healthcare jobs and jobs within the Passaic County Jail Complex account for many jobs.

yhelfman / Getty Images/iStockphoto

6. Oakland, California

Median household income: $85,628

Five-year median income growth: 48.2%

Middle-class income range: $57,085 to $171,256

Oakland has been working hard at its economic strategy, according to its city website, saying that "Our communities are our competitive edge in the Bay Area." Given Oakland's proximity to both Silicon Valley, and San Francisco, and with 26,000 homes projected to be built in the next ten years, Oakland is in a sustainable growth period. It's home to a number of important sectors such as tech and bioscience.

Read More: 10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. San Bernardino, California

Median household income 2021: $55,372

Five-year median income growth: 44.0%

Middle-class income range: $36,915 to $110,744

This Southern California community thrives due to jobs in the logistics and healthcare sectors. Also, according to Best Places, the local government's tax breaks for research and development have helped drive economic growth and create highly skilled people. Its job market growth has increased by 2.3% in the last year, and its ten-year growth prediction is 36%.

Solidago / Getty Images

4. Salinas, California

Median household income 2021: $75,747

Five-year median income growth: 44.7%

Middle-class income range: $50,498 to $151,494

The economy of many towns adjacent to Salinas, California, is built upon agribusiness. Salinas's economy is actually heavily dependent upon the hospitality sector, based upon its historical significance and connection to the writer John Steinbeck, which brings tourists and educators.

SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Providence, Rhode Island

Median household income 2021: $55,787

Five-year median income growth: 49.3%

Middle-class income range: $37,191 to $111,574

The City of Providence has built an effective economic development strategy that focuses on four of the City's core competencies: the Blue Economy-jobs and resources that come from the nearby ocean, Food, Health and Wellness, and Design and Technology. It also has a robust tourism economy.

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2. Hialeah, Florida

Median household income 2021: $43,181

Five-year median income growth: 44.8%

Middle-class income range: $28,787 to $86,362

Hialeah, Florida's economy is largely built upon its strong retail sector, according to Best Places. Other factors contributing to its No. 2 spot on this list include recent initiatives to expand manufacturing processes, and incentives by local governments to invest in renewable energy projects.

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1. Miami, Florida

Median household income 2021: $47,860

Five-year median income growth: 51.3%

Middle-class income range: $31,907 to $95,720

One of Florida's most well-visited hubs, Miami, with its incredible beaches and thriving nightlife, depends upon tourism for its thriving economy. However, according to Best Places, there's also strong sectors including construction, finance and healthcare here. And of course, being an international hub with Miami International Airport in town draws people here for all kinds of businesses, easily cementing it as the No. 1 city where the middle class is thriving on this list.

More From GOBankingRates

Andrew DePietro contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined which cities the middle class is thriving by analyzing the 200 largest cities in the U.S. by population: (1) median household income in 2021, 2019 and 2016; (2) 2-year median household income growth; (3) 5-year median household income growth; (4) mean income for third quintile (40%-60%) of household earners, 2021, 2019 and 2016; (5) 2-year third quintile income growth; (6) 5-year third quintile income growth. All data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021, 2017, and 2016 American Community Surveys. All data was collected and is up to date as of March 13, 2023.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Cities Where the Middle Class Is Thriving
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For most of us, Social Security benefits aren't enough to cover our living expenses. According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly benefit for retired workers is $1,688.69 per month as of January 2023. That works out to $20,264 per year, which is well below the median income, even in lower-income areas.

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Thus, retirees will have to take steps to ensure they can adequately cover their expenses in retirement. Typically, that means tapping a 401(k), pension, or some other retirement account to make up the difference. But maybe you don't have a 401(k), or maybe you simply want to make your money stretch further in retirement.

Whatever the case may be, another way to maintain financial security in retirement is by living in a city where the costs are lower. Yes, that does mean you won't be living in Lower Manhattan or Beverly Hills. Still, there are plenty of cities that are not only affordable but also very livable.

Livability is defined as having a high average score in the following categories: amenities, crime, cost of living, weather and education. Some of the cities on this list have very high scores overall. To determine the best cities where you can retire on $2,000 a month, GOBankingRates gathered data from ApartmentList, Sperling's Best and the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to get the lay of the land on essential expenses such as rent, groceries and healthcare. To qualify, the city also had to have a population that was 10% or more over the age of 65 and a livability score of 65 or higher from AreaVibes.

Here's a closer look at these affordable cities to retire.

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28. Lincoln, Nebraska

Monthly Expenditures: $1,880.92

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $843.44

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 78

Monthly Grocery Cost: $426.86

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $610.62

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Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned About the Safety of Your Money in Your Bank Accounts?

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27. Omaha, Nebraska

Monthly Expenditures: $1,850.77

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $907.67

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 72

Monthly Grocery Cost: $423.35

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $519.76

Urbanative / Wikimedia Commons

26. Sherman, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,840.40

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $908.33

% of Population 65 and older: 15%

Livability: 67

Monthly Grocery Cost: $414.58

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $517.49

Lindasj22 / Shutterstock.com

25. Bellevue, Nebraska

Monthly Expenditures: $1,830.31

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $886.78

% of Population 65 and older: 14%

Livability: 84

Monthly Grocery Cost: $424.23

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $519.30

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

24. San Angelo, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,806.59

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $851.44

% of Population 65 and older: 16%

Livability: 78

Monthly Grocery Cost: $404.94

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $550.20

dhughes9 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

23. Victoria, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,779.17

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $870.33

% of Population 65 and older: 15%

Livability: 69

Monthly Grocery Cost: $416.34

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $492.50

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22. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Monthly Expenditures: $1,774.30

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $876.78

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 69

Monthly Grocery Cost: $415.02

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $482.50

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21. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Monthly Expenditures: $1,765.49

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $861.11

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 70

Monthly Grocery Cost: $438.69

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $465.69

Ron and Patty Thomas / Getty Images

20. Indianapolis, Indiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,765.45

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $899.56

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 65

Monthly Grocery Cost: $410.20

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $455.70

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19. Independence, Missouri

Monthly Expenditures: $1,753.79

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $872.67

% of Population 65 and older: 18%

Livability: 71

Monthly Grocery Cost: $416.34

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $464.78

Lori Martin / Shutterstock.com

18. Bossier City, Louisiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,749.33

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $885.44

% of Population 65 and older: 15%

Livability: 70

Monthly Grocery Cost: $415.46

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $448.43

Longview_Texas_iStock-1359209897

17. Longview, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,746.85

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $904.78

% of Population 65 and older: 15%

Livability: 78

Monthly Grocery Cost: $403.19

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $438.89

Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com

16. Pasadena, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,743.66

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $826.22

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 76

Monthly Grocery Cost: $428.17

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $482.50

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

15. Norman, Oklahoma

Monthly Expenditures: $1,736.89

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $826.22

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 76

Monthly Grocery Cost: $428.17

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $482.50

Art Wager / Getty Images/iStockphoto

14. Baytown, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,719.93

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $868.89

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 75

Monthly Grocery Cost: $418.97

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $432.07

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13. Parma Heights, Ohio

Monthly Expenditures: $1,706.19

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $905.78

% of Population 65 and older: 20%

Livability: 76

Monthly Grocery Cost: $424.23

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $376.19

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12. Fort Wayne, Indiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,700.12

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $860.22

% of Population 65 and older: 14%

Livability: 75

Monthly Grocery Cost: $400.56

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $439.34

Jeffrey Beall / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0

11. Greeley, Colorado

Monthly Expenditures: $1,699.89

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $874.22

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 72

Monthly Grocery Cost: $429.49

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $396.18

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

10. Abilene, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,692.28

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $759.78

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 75

Monthly Grocery Cost: $402.75

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $529.75

cheng8 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

9. Clute, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,688.09

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $847.11

% of Population 65 and older: 10%

Livability: 72

Monthly Grocery Cost: $420.72

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $420.26

DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images/iStockphoto

8. Fargo, North Dakota

Monthly Expenditures: $1,680.68

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $813.00

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 76

Monthly Grocery Cost: $436.06

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $431.62

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7. Des Moines, Iowa

Monthly Expenditures: $1,661.62

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $775.67

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 75

Monthly Grocery Cost: $420.72

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $465.24

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6. Midland, Texas

Monthly Expenditures: $1,660.82

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $736.89

% of Population 65 and older: 10%

Livability: 72

Monthly Grocery Cost: $425.98

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $497.95

mtcurado / Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Jeffersonville, Indiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,657.34

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $835.56

% of Population 65 and older: 16%

Livability: 75

Monthly Grocery Cost: $411.52

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $410.26

Sean Pavone / iStock.com

4. Shreveport, Louisiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,637.09

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $801.67

% of Population 65 and older: 17%

Livability: 65

Monthly Grocery Cost: $398.81

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $436.61

Davel5957 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Cincinnati, Ohio

Monthly Expenditures: $1,629.13

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $795.22

% of Population 65 and older: 13%

Livability: 68

Monthly Grocery Cost: $427.73

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $406.17

Steven_Kriemadis / Getty Images/iStockphoto

2. Lansing, Michigan

Monthly Expenditures: $1,610.05

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $811.44

% of Population 65 and older: 12%

Livability: 66

Monthly Grocery Cost: $399.25

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $399.36

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1. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Monthly Expenditures: $1,566.43

2022 Average 1 bedroom Rent: $696.33

% of Population 65 and older: 16%

Livability: 70

Monthly Grocery Cost: $407.13

Monthly Healthcare Cost: $462.97

More From GOBankingRates

Bob Haegele contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: To find the best cities to retire on $2,000 per month, GOBankingRates first used ApartmentList data to find (1) average 2022 one-bedroom rents. GOBankingRates then used Sperling's Best to find the cost of living index for each selected city, looking at (2) grocery and (3) healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery ("food at home") and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older to determine how much a retired person might spend on groceries and healthcare in each city monthly. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together to find the places to retire in for $2,000 or less. In order for a place to be qualified for the study, its population had to be 10% or more over the age of 65, (4) according to the Census Bureau's 2020 American Community Survey; and (5) must have a livability score of 65 or above, as sourced from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as of October 31, 2022.

Disclaimer: Photos are for representational use only.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 28 US Cities Where You Can Retire on $2,000 a Month
jetcityimage / Getty Images

Your Costco membership can be a ticket to major savings when used smartly; but, with so many offerings available, it's also easy to make money-wasting mistakes. This may mean overlooking certain savings or spending on items that just aren't worth it.

Costco's Best Deals? Employee Reveals 10 Standout Buys for Your Money

See: 3 Signs You're Serious About Raising Your Credit Score

GOBankingRates spoke to shopping experts about some common mistakes you may be making while shopping at Costco. Here's what they had to say.

mandritoiu / Shutterstock.com

Buying Select Items in Bulk

When you buy items in bulk, the per-unit price is typically less than when you buy them individually; but, in some cases, buying in bulk can ultimately lead to wasting money.

"Produce, bread, baked goods and other perishable items may be a great deal, but only if you actually plan to use them up before they go off," said Julie Ramhold, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. "If you don't have a plan for 3 pounds of fresh broccoli or enough people to eat 12 Danishes before they spoil, then you're better off shopping elsewhere for these kinds of things."

Poll: Would You Move for a Job That Paid You a $10,000 Signing Bonus?

ARTYOORAN / Shutterstock.com

Assuming Everything Is a Good Deal

"While it's true that shopping in bulk is very often a good deal, you shouldn't just blindly assume that's always the case," Ramhold said. "Be sure to check unit prices of items before you buy something at Costco. In some cases, a sale at a big-box store one week might provide a better value than buying in bulk."

David Tonelson / Shutterstock.com

Skipping the Store Brand

Costco often has great deals on name-brand products, but you shouldn't skip out on Costco's store brand, Ramhold said.

"Hands down, Kirkland Signature is one of the most solid store brands out there, so if you aren't shopping these items, you're making a mistake," she said. "In some cases, they're name brands that are under the Kirkland Signature label because of agreements that Costco has made with the manufacturers; but, in other cases, these items are their own products. And in those cases, they're often better than the name-brand counterpart."

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ARTYOORAN / Shutterstock.com

Missing Out on Sales

"Costco has a lot of really great prices on items, but every month or so they have sales that offer up even better savings," Ramhold said. "By taking advantage of these and stocking up during the sales, you're maximizing your savings even more."

Costco's sales always include online-only deals; so, if you don't check the monthly Warehouse Savings on Costco.com, it's easy to miss out on these savings.

melissamn / Shutterstock.com

Skipping the Gift Card Section

Unless you're looking for a gift to give someone else, you probably skip over the gift card section -- but this section offers some of the best money-saving opportunities you can find at Costco.

"This is a category that many people often forget about when shopping at Costco," Ramhold said. "You'll pay less than the face value of the card; so, even if you aren't looking to gift them to people, it's still worth getting them yourself because it means stretching your dollar even further.

"They're available for restaurants and retailers, as well as for tickets for movies, concerts, theater shows and streaming services. Expect to save anywhere from $15 to $50 off the face value, depending on what you're shopping for and in what amount. A pack of four $25 gift cards to Grimaldi's (a $100 value) is $79.99, for example, while a pack of four $50 gift cards to Texas de Brazil (a $200 value) is $154.99."

ARTYOORAN / Shutterstock.com

Paying for Too Many Memberships

Costco allows its members to add an extra person each to their accounts as long as they are in the same household; so, if you're paying for two memberships, this can be a big waste of money.

"My boyfriend and I both had our own Costco memberships before we discovered this hack," said Laurice Wardini, founder of the shopping site ClothedUp. "If you have a parent or someone else with a Costco membership that might not be using their second spot, you can always ask if they can add you."

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Costco Shopping Mistakes That Cost You
jimkruger / iStock.com

If youre on a mission to outfit your home with decor, houseware and dishes that look luxe, consider Target. Within the aisles of the big-box retailer, you can pick up some items that look high-end for under $50. Even better, some of the great deals youll find can be considered replicas of items that are much more pricey. You just have to know what to look for.

See: 9 Best New Items at Target in 2023

Discover: 3 Signs Youre Serious About Raising Your Credit Score

To inspire you, check out these seven Target items under $50 that seem like they should cost way more.

Baxton Studio Penny Mid Century Modern Coat Hanger

Price: $49.99

Tracy Cheng, shopping expert and founder of the lifestyle blog Girl Shares Tips, said that the Penny Mid Century Modern Coat Hanger sold at Target is a dupe of the $270 Herman Miller Eames Hang-It-All Rack.

The coat hanger features a unique mid-century modern style that offers a retro look with contemporary flair, said Cheng. It is sturdy, and the multicolored design adds a touch of visual interest that will enhance any space it occupies. Whether placed in your entryway, bedroom, or office, it is sure to impress.

Brightroom Metal Laundry Station With Basket and Hamper

Cheng said that this metal laundry station from Brightroom is a great replica of the $180 Yamazaki Tosca Laundry Basket & Wagon.

This stylish and functional piece of furniture combines a laundry basket, hamper, and storage unit all in one, said Cheng. Its perfect for small spaces or anyone looking to streamline their laundry routine. With its compact size and practical design, it is sure to become your go-to laundry organizer.

Take Our Poll: Would You Move for a Job That Paid You a $10,000 Signing Bonus?

Threshold Designed With Studio McGee Medium Faux Wood Table Lamp

Price: $40

Cheng said that this medium faux wood table lamp is an amazing look-alike of the $398 Beachside Table Lamp from Serena & Lily.

Story continues

This lamp is a perfect blend of modern and rustic styles, making it an ideal addition to any room in your home, said Cheng. Its height and size make it perfect for use on desks or side tables where you need focused light. Additionally, the lamps beautiful color scheme allows it to seamlessly blend into your existing decor or add warmth and character to any space that needs it.

Project 62 Textured Faux Fur Reversible Throw Blanket

Price: $24.99

Consumer analyst Julie Ramhold with DealNews, said this textured faux fur reversible throw is so soft and luxurious that it reminds her of the much more expensive UnHide blankets.

Is it an exact dupe? she said. Not quite, but if you want a cozy throw at an affordable price, this is an excellent buy.

Threshold Tall Brass Vase

Price: $15

Ramhold said that the Threshold Tall Brass Vase is a lightweight, minimalist piece that would be easy to work into your decorating scheme.

However, it looks easily like something youd spend twice that if not more from home furniture stores like Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn, she said.

Hearth & Hand With Magnolia Round 16 Metal Decor Tray

Price: $34.99

Ramhold suggested using this metal decor tray to upgrade your decor or to serve refreshments to visitors.

Its $34.99 but looks like it could easily be far more expensive at places like Williams-Sonoma, and thanks to its color scheme, it looks good in practically any setting, whatever your tastes may be, she said.

Hearth & Hand With Magnolia Tall Modern Rim Stoneware Pitcher in Matte Sour Cream

Price: $19.99

Ramhold said she loves the classy but homespun look of this tall stoneware pitcher and described it as a steal.

Its hand wash only, but it can handle both hot and cold beverages, and thanks to the neutral color, you can easily use it all year long for serving everything from orange juice to iced tea to your favorite cocktails to warm mulled wine, she said.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Target Items Under $50 That Seem More Expensive
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Raytheon Technologies' stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

51% of the business is held by the top 15 shareholders

Insiders have been selling lately

If you want to know who really controls Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE:RTX), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 81% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Therefore, a good portion of institutional money invested in the company is usually a huge vote of confidence on its future.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Raytheon Technologies, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Raytheon Technologies

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Raytheon Technologies?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

We can see that Raytheon Technologies does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Raytheon Technologies' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

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 Raytheon Technologies. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Capital Research and Management Company with 9.8% of shares outstanding. With 8.6% and 8.5% of the shares outstanding respectively, State Street Global Advisors, Inc. and The Vanguard Group, Inc. are the second and third largest shareholders.

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Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 51% of the ownership is controlled by the top 15 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership.

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 Raytheon Technologies

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

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

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Raytheon Technologies Corporation in their own names. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own US$143m worth of shares. It is good to see board members owning shares, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

With a 18% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Raytheon Technologies. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Raytheon Technologies .

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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NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The academic e-learning market is set to grow by USD 147.89 billion from 2022 to 2027 at a CAGR of 17.5%. The market is driven by the launch of new online degrees. The increasing acceptance of online courses has led educational institutions across the world to launch online degrees. For instance, the University of Wisconsin-Madison added four more degrees to UW-Madison Online. The new fully online degree programs include bachelor's degrees in management, human resources, marketing, and consumer behavior and marketplace studies. Similarly, in June 2021, the University of the Arts London launched 30 new online and low-residency degrees. The introduction of such new online degrees is increasing the number of student enrollments. All these factors are driving the growth of the market. The report on the academic e-learning market provides a holistic update, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis. Gain access to a detailed customer landscape matrix comparing key industry-driven parameters. Download a Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Academic E-Learning Market 2023-2027

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The academic e-learning market is segmented by deployment (on-premises and cloud-based), end-user (higher education and k12), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

The market growth will be significant in the on-premise segment during the forecast period. On-premise solutions provide end-to-end quality control and data security capabilities to end users. The data is more secure in on-premise solutions compared to public cloud-based solutions, as servers containing academic e-learning modules are completely owned and managed by the end user. Such benefits are driving the growth of the segment.

By region, North America will account for 35% of the market growth during the forecast period. The region is home to several prominent vendors, including Adobe, Providence Equity Partners, and Instructure. Vendors operating in the region are investing in new technologies to provide increased flexibility in the academic sector. In addition, the rising awareness of the benefits of adaptive e-learning and increasing acceptance of online degrees are driving the growth of the academic e-learning market in North America.

Story continues

This report presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources through an analysis of key parameters. Download a Sample Report

The academic e-learning market covers the following areas:

Companies Mentioned

The global academic e-learning market is fragmented due to the presence of well-diversified international and regional vendors. International vendors are increasing their footprint across the world. This creates significant challenges for regional vendors that cannot compete based on quality, technology, and price. The competitive environment is expected to intensify over the forecast period, with the increasing number of product and service extensions, M&As, and innovations in technology by leading global and regional vendors. Some of the key vendors covered in the report include:

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. - The company offers academic e-learning services such as K-12 school education, tutoring services, international education programs, and online educational offerings.

Berlitz Corp. - The company offers academic e-learning for businesses and education institutions.

D2L Corp. - The company offers academic e-learning services to students and professionals both online and in person.

EF Education First Ltd. - The company offers academic e-learning for cultural exchange, academic achievements, and educational travels.

51Talk English International Inc.

Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.

inlingua International Ltd.

Instructure Holdings Inc.

LearnWorlds CY Ltd.

MPS Ltd.

NIIT Ltd

Pearson Plc

Providence Equity Partners LLC

SAI Global Pty. Ltd.

Sanako Oy

TAL Education Group

Teachable, Inc

Udemy Inc

VIPKID HK Ltd.

WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd

Why Buy?

Add credibility to strategy

Analyzes competitor's offerings

Get a holistic view of the market

Grow your profit margin with Technavio - Buy the Report

Related Reports:

The e-learning IT infrastructure market size is expected to increase by USD 164.56 billion from 2020 to 2025. The market is segmented by e-learning IT infrastructure market segmentations by category (connectivity, hardware, and software) and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, MEA, and South America).

The self-paced E-learning market size is expected to increase by USD 7.20 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 2.61%. The market is segmented by product (packaged content and services) and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa).

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Academic E-Learning Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17.5% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 147.89 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 16.99 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, Canada, China, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled 51Talk English International Inc., Ambow Education Holding Ltd., Berlitz Corp., Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., D2L Corp., EF Education First Ltd., inlingua International Ltd., Instructure Holdings Inc., LearnWorlds CY Ltd., MPS Ltd., NIIT Ltd, Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, SAI Global Pty. Ltd., Sanako Oy, TAL Education Group, Teachable, Inc, Udemy Inc, VIPKID HK Ltd., and WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse through Technavio's Consumer Discretionary Market Reports

Key Topics Covered:

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 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global academic e-learning market 2017 - 2021

4.2 Deployment Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

5.4 Threat of new entrants

5.5 Threat of substitutes

5.6 Threat of rivalry

5.7 Market condition

6 Market Segmentation by Deployment

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Deployment

6.3 On-premises - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.4 Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.5 Market opportunity by Deployment

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

7.2 Comparison by End-user

7.3 Higher education - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.4 K12 - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.5 Market opportunity by End-user

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

9.2 Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.8 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.9 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.10 India - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

11.3 Landscape disruption

11.4 Industry risks

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

12.3 Ambow Education Holding Ltd.

12.4 Berlitz Corp.

12.5 Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.

12.6 D2L Corp.

12.7 EF Education First Ltd.

12.8 Instructure Holdings Inc.

12.9 MPS Ltd.

12.10 NIIT Ltd

12.11 Pearson Plc

12.12 Providence Equity Partners LLC

12.13 SAI Global Pty. Ltd.

12.14 TAL Education Group

12.15 Udemy Inc

12.16 VIPKID HK Ltd.

12.17 WhiteHat Education Technology Pvt ltd

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

13.5 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: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Digital Education Publishing Market in US (PRNewsfoto/Technavio)

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SOURCE Technavio
2023 Marks 4 Decades of Custom ULD Solutions

GREENVILLE, S.C., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACL Airshop, a global leader in air cargo Unit Load Device (ULD) logistics solutions to over 200 airlines, air cargo carriers, and other transportation clients, is announcing additional expansion plans in a press briefing at the annual IATA World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 25-27, 2023. As an industry thought leader, ACL Airshop will lead the "Sustainability" segment of the symposium, with a full day of expert panelists and speakers.

ACL Airshop owns, maintains and leases more than 60,000 Unit Load Devices (ULDs), including air freight pallets and containers, issued from over 50 airport hub locations across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America. ACL Airshop's strong growth in recent years builds on the company's 40-year heritage as an air cargo equipment and logistics specialist. Its worldwide services network has expanded from 23 airport hub locations in 2016 to 55 at latest count. Today, the company maintains the largest independent inventory of lease-ready ULD assets in the industry for short-term solutions, and also has a growing array of longer-term ULD Management contracts. The company is deploying innovative logistics technologies such as "FindMyULD" and "ULD Control" which yield better fleet efficiencies and operational cost savings for customers. ACL Airshop was first-in-market among its competitive class to offer Bluetooth tracking & tracing of air cargo pallets and containers.

Over the past 40 years, ACL Airshop has become a leading worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repair and fleet control of Unit Load Devices ("ULDs") and cargo control products manufacturing for the aviation industry. One of the unique aspects of the company's offerings is short-term rentals and leasing solutions for airlines' cargo products requirementsthat is where ACL Airshop has made its strongest reputation for Custom ULD Solutions. That includes one-way leasing and convenient drop-off's. Yet additionally , in the past several years the company has developed a large, growing portfolio of multi-year ULD management & logistics contracts with various air carriers. The strategic intent is to maintain market leadership in short-term solutions while expanding the recurring long-term revenues in fleet contracts. The company's short-term solutions satisfy myriad needs in the fast-paced frenetic global ecosystem of air cargo, while the long-term contracts yield cost-efficiency and stable logistics improvements for clients.

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For 2023 and beyond, the Company will keep ramping-up its customer-focused plans around the world, investing in technology innovations, expanding its long-term contracts portfolio, remaining the market leader for short-term leasing solutions , and fostering a very high-performance culture as a strongly entrepreneurial employer.

Steve Townes, President & CEO of ACL Airshop, said: "Our growth has been a customer-driven strategy. We listened to our airlines and air cargo clients, responding to their requirements. We now have a single very large Majority Shareholder that is highly experienced in aviation, logistics, and infrastructureproviding ample fuel for continued strategic growth. ACL Airshop is a legacy-quality enterprise."

Townes added, "We make our customers measurably more efficient; saving them time and money. Fast, effective customer service and responsiveness are hallmarks of our company as a vibrant, nimble worldwide organization of entrepreneurs. Our expansion strategy is deliberate and well-capitalized. We are cementing our reputation as the fastest-growing niche leader for Custom ULD Solutions. We have been perfecting our unique business model for four decades. And our secret weapon is PEOPLE , our dedicated highly-experienced teams around the world."

ACL Airshop intends to invest for growth in each of its lines of business in the coming years, and expand to keep pace with rising industry trends. The headquarters is Greenville, SC, and the main international office is Amsterdam, NL.

For more information: www.aclairshop.com.

Forward Looking Statements: The Company from time to time may discuss forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all forward looking statements are estimates by the Company's management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's control and may cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations.

Related Links

https://www.aclairshop.com

ACL Airshop logo. ACL Airshop is a technology-driven air cargo logistics services and manufacturing specialist with expert coverage at more than 50 of the world's top 100 cargo airports on 6 continents, serving 200 of the world's major airlines and other transportation customers. For more information visit www.ACLairsop.com. (PRNewsfoto/ACL Airshop)

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SOURCE ACL Airshop
Data Bridge Market Research

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the adalimumab biosimilar market which is USD 598.30 million in 2022, is expected to reach USD 3431.48 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 24.4% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030

HOUSTON, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Bridge Market Research has recently published comprehensive business research on " Adalimumab Biosimilar Market " includes historic data, present market trends, future product environment, marketing strategies, technological innovation, upcoming technologies, emerging trends or opportunities, and the technical progress in the related industry. Adalimumab Biosimilar Market research report is a demonstrated source of data and information that gives a telescopic view of the current market trends, situations, opportunities, and status. The report endows with the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) value fluctuations for the specific forecasted period which seems to be helpful in deciding costing and investment strategies. The market report is a specific study of the Adalimumab Biosimilar industry which explains the market definition, classifications, applications, engagements, and global industry trends. A brilliant team of analysts, experts, statisticians, forecasters, and economists has worked rigorously to generate this advanced and all-embracing Adalimumab Biosimilar Market research report.

Market information in the finest Adalimumab Biosimilar report analyses prime challenges faced by the Adalimumab Biosimilar industry currently and in the coming years, which gives an idea to other market participants about the problems they may face while operating in this market over a longer period of time. The report gives full knowledge about the market and competitive landscape which aids with enhanced decision-making, better managing the marketing of goods, and deciding market goals for enhanced profitability. Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market research report also contains strategic profiling of major players in the market, meticulously analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.

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Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the adalimumab biosimilar market which is USD 598.30 million in 2022, is expected to reach USD 3431.48 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 24.4% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030. In addition to the insights on market scenarios such as market value, growth rate, segmentation, geographical coverage, and major players, the market reports curated by the Data Bridge Market Research also include depth expert analysis, patient epidemiology, pipeline analysis, pricing analysis, and regulatory framework.

Get a Sample PDF of the Adalimumab Biosimilar Market @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-adalimumab-biosimilar-market

Adalimumab, a monoclonal antibody, is used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis, among others. This medication helps to prevent future joint damage and maintain joint function by reducing joint swelling. As the global prevalence of arthritis rises, the market for adalimumab biosimilars is expected to grow during the forecast period.

According to GLOBOCAN 2020, there will be 2,281,658 new cancer cases and nearly 612,390 deaths in the United States in 2020. Furthermore, key market participants predicted market growth over the forecast period through various strategic activities such as product launches, mergers, and acquisitions. For instance, in July 2021, the FDA approved Viatris Inc.'s (formerly Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.) SEMGLEE (insulin-glargine-yfgn), a biosimilar to LANTUS (insulin glargine).

Competitive Landscape and Adalimumab Biosimilar Market Share Analysis

The adalimumab biosimilar market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies' focus related to adalimumab biosimilar market.

Some of the major players operating in the adalimumab biosimilar market are:

Alfred E. Tiefenbacher (GmbH & Co. KG) (Germany)

Amgen Inc. (U.S.)

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH (Germany)

Glenmark (India)

Zydus Group (India)

Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (India)

Reliance Life Sciences (India)

Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd (India)

Cipla Inc. (India)

Hetero (India)

AET BioTech (Germany)

Coherus Biosciences (U.S.)

Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics Co. Ltd. (Japan)

Momenta Pharmaceuticals (U.S.)

Oncobiologics (U.S.)

Pfizer Inc. (U.S.)

Samsung Bioepsis (South Korea)

Sandoz International GmbH (Switzerland)

Opportunities

Rising cancer cases

Cancer's growing burden and rising death toll necessitate the need for affordable treatment, boosting the growth of the biosimilar market. According to GLOBOCAN 2020, there will be 2,281,658 new cancer cases and nearly 612,390 deaths in the United States in 2020. Furthermore, key market participants predicted market growth during the forecast period through a variety of strategic activities such as product launches, mergers, and acquisitions. For instance, in July 2021, the FDA approved Viatris Inc.'s (formerly Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.) SEMGLEE (insulin-glargine-yfgn), a biosimilar to LANTUS (insulin glargine).

Download the Full PDF Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-adalimumab-biosimilar-market

Critical Insights Related to the adalimumab biosimilar Included in the Report:

Exclusive graphics and Illustrative SWOT analysis of some of the leading companies in this market

Value chain analysis of prominent players in the market

Current trends influencing the dynamics of this market across various geographies

Recent mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, and partnerships

Revenue growth of this industry over the forecast period

Marketing strategy study and growth trends

Growth driven factor analysis

Emerging recess segments and region-wise market

An empirical evaluation of the curve of this market

Ancient, Present, and Probable scope of the market from both prospect value and volume

Key Highlights from Adalimumab Biosimilar Market Study.

Revenue and Sales Estimation  Historical Revenue and sales volume is presented and further data is triangulated with top-down and bottom-up approaches to forecast complete market size and to estimate forecast numbers for key regions covered in the report along with classified and well recognized Types and end-use industry. Additionally, macroeconomic factor and regulatory policies are ascertained in Adalimumab Biosimilar industry evolution and predictive analysis.

Manufacturing Analysis  the report is currently analysed concerning various product type and application. The Adalimumab Biosimilar Market provides a chapter highlighting manufacturing process analysis validated via primary information collected through Industry experts and Key officials of profiled companies.

Competition  Leading players have been studied depending on their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, product/service price, sales, and cost/profit.

Demand & Supply and Effectiveness Global Adalimumab Biosimilar report additionally provides distribution, Production, Consumption & EXIM** (Export & Import). ** If applicable

Drivers

Rise in biologic drugs

Several blockbuster biologic drugs from major pharmaceutical companies, including Truvada, Chantix, Forteo, Ciprodex, Afinitor, and many others, will lose US exclusivity in 2020. Several existing biological drugs, such as Erbitux, Avastin, and Orencia, will have their patents expire in the coming decade, providing an opportunity for many innovator companies as well as generic manufacturers to offer services specifically tailored toward biosimilars. Furthermore, the cost-effective nature of biosimilars, rising acceptance and adoption by various stakeholders, the need for diversification in technology and business models, and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases are expected to drive the global biosimilar market.

The investment made in the study would provide you access to information such as:

Adalimumab Biosimilar Market [Global  Broken-down into regions]

Regional level split [North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa]

Country wise Market Size Split [of important countries with major market share]

Market Share and Revenue/Sales by leading players

Market Trends  Emerging Technologies/products/start-ups, PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porters Five Forces, etc.

Market Size by application/industry verticals

Market Projections/Forecast

For A Deeper Understanding of the Market Analysis, Visit @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-adalimumab-biosimilar-market

Adalimumab Biosimilar Market Scope

Product

Exemptia

Adalirel

Cipleumab

Others

Distribution Channel

Hospitals Pharmacies

Retail Pharmacies

Adalimumab Biosimilar Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The Adalimumab Biosimilar Market is analyzed and market size insights and trends are provided by country, product and distribution channel as referenced above.

The countries covered in the adalimumab biosimilar market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America.

North America dominates the adalimumab biosimilar market due to the proximity of multiple extensive experimentation laboratories.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest growth rate in the forecast period of 2023 to 2030 because of the province's extensive commercial advancements and growing biotechnology corporations.

Table of Contents:

Introduction Market Segmentation Executive Summary Premium Insights Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market: Regulations Market Overview Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market , By Product Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market, By Distribution Channel Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market, By Region Global Adalimumab Biosimilar Market: Company Landscape SWOT Analyses Company Profile Questionnaires Related Reports

To Access the Complete Table of Contents, Click here @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-adalimumab-biosimilar-market

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Current SVP Americas elevated to top position

Ignacio Dominguez retiring from the company after more than two decades of outstanding service

BEIJING and TEL AVIV, Israel and BASEL, Switzerland, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADAMA Ltd. (the "Company") (SZSE: 000553), a leading crop protection company, announced that its board of directors has appointed Steve Hawkins, currently ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas, as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 1, 2023. Mr. Hawkins succeeds Ignacio Dominguez, who has elected to retire from the company after serving in a series of senior roles at ADAMA, including as a key member of its Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade.

ADAMA Logo

Erik Fyrwald, Chairman of ADAMA Board and President and CEO of Syngenta Group, said: "Steve brings extensive international leadership experience to his new role, having worked across many markets and businesses in a broad range of leadership positions. He will report to me as a member of the Group Leadership Team as we work together to maintain the momentum of our strategy and accelerate ADAMA's transformation to an even more prosperous future."

Mr. Hawkins has spent his entire career in agriculture, beginning in sales with GROWMARK in Canada before joining one of Syngenta's legacy companies, ICI Canada, nearly three decades ago. He has held a number of senior roles during his time with the company, including Regional Director EAME, Head of Sales CP & Seeds USA, Head of Commercial Operations for NA Corn & Soya Seeds, Country Head for Japan and South Korea, and Regional Director APAC for both CP and Seeds.

As ADAMA's Senior Vice President, Americas since 2021, he has overseen its North American and Latin American businesses, as well as its Consumer and Professional (non-crop) businesses globally. Under his leadership, the team delivered strong business performance in 2022 while making significant progress in transforming the product portfolio, advancing the company's go-to-market strategy and powering business development.

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Mr. Hawkins holds a Diploma in Agriculture and an Executive MBA in Food and Agribusiness, both from the Ontario Agricultural College, at the University of Guelph, and has a bachelor's degree in Administrative Studies from Toronto's York University.

Mr. Fyrwald also thanked the outgoing Mr. Dominguez for his exemplary work at ADAMA, where he started in 2001: "As a key member of ADAMA's Management and Executive Committee for more than a decade, Ignacio has been instrumental in crafting and implementing its global strategy. As its CEO since 2020, he guided the organization through many changes, including through it becoming a distinctive member of Syngenta Group while strengthening the collaboration with the different Syngenta Group Business units, as well as some important leadership changes. He did this while combining the courage to drive change, a sharp focus on delivering results, and attention and care for our people and culture."

Mr. Dominguez will work closely with Mr. Hawkins in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

About ADAMA

ADAMA Ltd. is a global leader in crop protection, providing solutions to farmers across the world to combat weeds, insects and disease. ADAMA has one of the widest and most diverse portfolios of active ingredients in the world, as well as state-of-the-art R&D, manufacturing and formulation facilities. With a culture that empowers our people to listen to farmers and ideate from the field, ADAMA is uniquely positioned to offer a vast array of distinctive mixtures, formulations and high-quality differentiated products, delivering solutions that meet local farmer and customer needs in over 100 countries globally. For more information, visit us at www.ADAMA.com and follow us on Twitter at @ADAMAAgri.

ADAMA Contact:

Tal Moise

Public Relations

pr@adama.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/799829/Adama_Agricultural_Solutions_Logo.jpg

Cision

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SOURCE ADAMA Ltd.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has received Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of Turkish Baykar Technologies company Selcuk Bayraktar.

Selcuk Bayraktar conveyed President of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogans greetings to the head of state, and once again extended the Turkish leaders thanks for the fraternal aid provided to Turkiye to eliminate consequences of the earthquake, which occurred in this country.

The head of state thanked for the greetings and asked to pass on his own greetings to the Turkish President.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his deep condolence to those killed as a result of the earthquake, and described Azerbaijans aid to Turkiye as a sign of brotherhood.

The Azerbaijani President recalled with pleasure his recent meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, as well as the Turkish Presidents visits to Azerbaijan. The head of state said the Turkish Presidents trips to the Azerbaijans liberated territories are of particular importance.

Mentioning Turkiyes defense industrys tremendous achievements in recent years President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Baykar companys operations played a leading role in this regard, and once again highlighted the role of the products manufactured by the company in destruction of Armenian invaders military equipment during the Patriotic War.

The successful development of friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Turkiye in all fields including military and defense industry was stressed during the conversation. They also shared views on prospects for cooperation.




Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in MMS Ventures Berhad (KLSE:MMSV). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide MMS Ventures Berhad with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

See our latest analysis for MMS Ventures Berhad

How Quickly Is MMS Ventures Berhad Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Over the last three years, MMS Ventures Berhad has grown EPS by 6.0% per year. That might not be particularly high growth, but it does show that per-share earnings are moving steadily in the right direction.

Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note MMS Ventures Berhad achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 39% to RM53m. That's encouraging news for the company!

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

Since MMS Ventures Berhad is no giant, with a market capitalisation of RM121m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.

Story continues

Are MMS Ventures Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So as you can imagine, the fact that MMS Ventures Berhad insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. In fact, they own 54% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. Valued at only RM121m MMS Ventures Berhad is really small for a listed company. That means insiders only have RM66m worth of shares, despite the large proportional holding. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. For companies with market capitalisations under RM882m, like MMS Ventures Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM489k.

MMS Ventures Berhad's CEO only received compensation totalling RM45k in the year to December 2021. This total may indicate that the CEO is sacrificing take home pay for performance-based benefits, ensuring that their motivations are synonymous with strong company results. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Should You Add MMS Ventures Berhad To Your Watchlist?

One positive for MMS Ventures Berhad is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for MMS Ventures Berhad, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, you'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with MMS Ventures Berhad (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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



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

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Data Bridge Market Research

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market was valued at USD 23.74 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach the value of USD 114.16 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 21.69% during the forecast period of 2022-2029

NEW YORK, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Bridge Market Research has recently published comprehensive business research on " Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market " includes historic data, present market trends, future product environment, marketing strategies, technological innovation, upcoming technologies, emerging trends or opportunities, and the technical progress in the related industry. Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) market research report is a demonstrated source of data and information that gives a telescopic view of the current market trends, situations, opportunities, and status. The report endows with the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) value fluctuations for the specific forecasted period which seems to be helpful in deciding costing and investment strategies. The market report is a specific study of the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) industry which explains the market definition, classifications, applications, engagements, and global industry trends are. A brilliant team of analysts, experts, statisticians, forecasters, and economists has worked rigorously to generate this advanced and all-embracing Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) market research report.

Market information in the finest Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) report analyses prime challenges faced by the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) industry currently and in the coming years, which gives an idea to other market participants about the problems they may face while operating in this market over a longer period of time. The report gives full knowledge about the market and competitive landscape which aids with enhanced decision-making, better managing the marketing of goods, and deciding market goals for enhanced profitability. Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) market research report also contains strategic profiling of major players in the market, meticulously analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market.

Story continues

Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market was valued at USD 23.74 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach the value of USD 114.16 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 21.69% during the forecast period of 2022-2029. In addition to the market insights such as market value, growth rate, market segments, geographical coverage, market players, and market scenario, The market report curated by the Data Bridge Market Research team includes in-depth expert analysis, import/export analysis, pricing analysis, production consumption analysis, and pestle analysis.

Get a Sample PDF of the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/request-a-sample/?dbmr=global-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas-market

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are passive and active safety systems designed to eliminate human error when operating various types of vehicles. ADAS systems employ advanced technologies to assist drivers while driving and thus improve driver performance. ADAS employs a variety of sensor technologies to perceive the environment around the vehicle and then either provide information to the driver or take action as needed. Today, ADAS systems are used in automobiles, trucks, and buses, as well as farming, construction, and military vehicles.

Human error causes nearly all vehicle accidents, which can be avoided with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The role of ADAS is to reduce the number of car accidents and the severity of those that cannot be avoided in order to prevent deaths and injuries. These potentially life-saving systems are critical to the success of ADAS applications. They support real-time multimedia, vision processing, and sensor fusion subsystems by incorporating the most recent interface standards and running multiple vision-based algorithms.

Recent Developments

In July 2021 Magna International Inc. will acquire Veoneer, a leader in automotive safety technology to strengthen and broaden its ADAS portfolio and industry position.

In April 2021 Denso Corporation developed advanced driver assistance products for the new Lexus LS and Toyota Mirai.

In January 2020 ZF co ASSIST, a Level 2 + automated driving system, was released as the company's first foray into the Level 2 + modular hardware and software suite, highlighting ZF's capabilities as a complete system supplier. ZF will equip production vehicles for a major Asian manufacturer with this new ZF system beginning in 2020.

In February 2020, Veoneer was chosen to provide active safety services based on next-generation vision and radar systems. Veoneers versatile system was designed to achieve Euro NCAP 5-star safety ratings and includes a variety of driver assistance features such as highway assistance, adaptive cruise control stop and go, traffic sign recognition, lane centering control, automatic emergency braking, and automated high beam control.

In July 2020 Arbor unveiled an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and fleet management Rockchip PX30-based telematics device with an 8-inch touchscreen, with the primary goal of improving bus safety.

In July 2020 LeddarTech, a Canadian ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) company, announced that it is acquiring VayaVision, an Israeli company that creates an autonomous vehicle vision sensor-based platform.

Some of the major players operating in the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market are:

Robert Bosch GmbH

ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Continental AG

Aptiv.

Intel Corporation

DENSO CORPORATION.

HYUNDAI MOBIS

Magna International Inc

Valeo

SAMSUNG

NVIDIA Corporation.

HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA

Texas Instruments Incorporated

VOXX Electronics Corp.

Autoliv Inc.

Infineon Technologies AG

Ficosa Internacional SA

AISIN SEIKI Co., Ltd

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc.

Download the Full PDF Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/checkout/buy/enterprise/global-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas-market



The investment made in the study would provide you access to information such as:

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market [Global  Broken-down into regions]

Regional level split [North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East & Africa]

Country wise Market Size Split [of important countries with major market share]

Market Share and Revenue/Sales by leading players

Market Trends  Emerging Technologies/products/start-ups, PESTEL Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porters Five Forces, etc.

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market Size

Market Size by application/industry verticals

Market Projections/Forecast

Key Highlights from Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market Study.

Revenue and Sales Estimation  Historical Revenue and sales volume is presented and further data is triangulated with top-down and bottom-up approaches to forecast complete market size and to estimate forecast numbers for key regions covered in the report along with classified and well recognized Types and end-use industry. Additionally, macroeconomic factor and regulatory policies are ascertained in Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) industry evolution and predictive analysis.

Manufacturing Analysis the report is currently analysed concerning various product type and application. The Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) market provides a chapter highlighting manufacturing process analysis validated via primary information collected through Industry experts and Key officials of profiled companies.

Competition  Leading players have been studied depending on their company profile, product portfolio, capacity, product/service price, sales, and cost/profit.

Demand & Supply and Effectiveness Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) report additionally provides distribution, Production, Consumption & EXIM** (Export & Import). ** If applicable

Drivers

Increased production of technologically advanced vehicles

The increased production of vehicles equipped with higher safety standards around the world is expected to propel the advanced driver assistance market. The increased use of artificial intelligence and the internet of things (IoT) in vehicles is also prompting automakers to develop advanced driver assistance systems. The implementation of stringent rules and regulations governing vehicle safety standards is expected to boost the global market for advanced driver assistance systems. Growing mergers and acquisitions between vehicle manufacturers around the world for the development of autonomous driving are expected to fuel the global market for advanced driver assistance systems.

Stringent governments regulations

Governments in developed countries are mandating the implementation of various technologies in vehicles to improve consumer safety and security. The increase in disposable income and purchasing power of consumers is also expected to boost the sale of premium vehicles, which is expected to drive the global market for advanced driver assistance systems. The increased electrification of vehicles is expected to fuel the global advanced driving assistance market.

Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market Segmentations:

System

Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive Front Light

Automatic Emergency Braking

Cross Traffic Alert

Driver Monitoring System

Forward Collision Warning

Intelligent Park Assist

Lane Departure Warning

Pedestrian Detection System

Road Sign Recognition

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Traffic Jam Assist

Component



Camera Unit

Lidar Sensor

Radar Sensor

Ultrasonic Sensor

Offering



Hardware

Software

Vehicle type



Buses

Light Commercial Vehicles

Passenger Cars

Trucks

Electric Vehicle Type



Battery Electric Vehicle

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Propulsion



Diesel

Electric Vehicle

Petrol

For A Deeper Understanding of the Market Analysis, Visit @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas-market



Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The Global advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market is analysed and market size insights and trends are provided by country of system, component, offering, vehicle type, electric vehicle type and propulsion as referenced above.

The countries covered in the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina and Rest of South America as part of South America

North America dominates the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market and will maintain its dominance during the forecast period due to increased investment in R&D.

During the forecast period, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience unprecedented growth and will have the highest compound annual growth (CAGR). This is due to increased investment in the automation industry.

Table of Contents:

Introduction Market Segmentation Executive Summary Premium Insights Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market : Regulations Market Overview Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By System Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Component Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Offering Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Vehicle type Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Electric Vehicle Type Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Propulsion Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market, By Region Global Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market: Company Landscape SWOT Analyses Company Profile Questionnaires Related Reports

To Access the Complete Table of Contents, Click here @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/toc/?dbmr=global-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas-market

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Forecasts by Type (Articulated Robots, Cartesian Robots, Other Type), by Payload (Up to 16.00 kg, 16.0160.00 kg, 60.01225.00 kg, More than 225.00 kg), by Component (Controller, Sensor, Drive, End Effector, Other), by Application (Drilling and Fastening, Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection, Welding and Soldering, Sealing and Dispensing, Processing and Handling, Assembling and Disassembling) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aerospace Robotics Market Report 2023-2033" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439031/?utm_source=GNW





The Aerospace Robotics Market Report 2023-2033: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Increasing Demand for Advanced Automation and Unmanned Systems in the Aerospace Industry Is Driving the Market



The aerospace robotics market is rapidly expanding, with increasing demand for advanced automation and unmanned systems in the aerospace industry. The market is being driven by a range of factors, including the need for more efficient and eco-friendly aircraft, the increasing use of unmanned systems, and the need for advanced manufacturing processes.





Countries around the world are investing heavily in the development of aerospace robotics technologies, with key players emerging in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. Companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell are leading the way in the development of advanced robotics and automation systems for aerospace applications.





In addition, there are a number of emerging players in the market, including Embraer, Avibras, SABIC, and Strata Manufacturing, who are making significant investments in the development of aerospace robotics technologies. These companies are driving innovation in the industry and are expected to play a key role in shaping the future of aerospace robotics. Overall, the aerospace robotics market presents significant opportunities for growth and innovation, as companies around the world seek to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance safety in the aerospace industry. As the market continues to evolve and new technologies emerge, the outlook for the aerospace robotics market remains positive.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the aerospace robotics market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the aerospace robotics market?



 How will each aerospace robotics submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2033?



 How will the market shares for each aerospace robotics submarket develop from 2023 to 2033?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2023 to 2033?



 Will leading aerospace robotics markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2033 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2033?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the aerospace robotics projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2023 and 2033? What are the implications of aerospace robotics projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the aerospace robotics market?



 Where is the aerospace robotics market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the aerospace robotics market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 312-page report provides 119 tables and 158 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the aerospace robotics market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2033 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2033, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising aerospace robotics prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Market Segment by Type



 Articulated Robots



 Cartesian Robots



 Other Type





Market Segment by Payload



 Up to 16.00 kg



 16.0160.00 kg



 60.01225.00 kg



 More than 225.00 kg





Market Segment by Component



 Controller



 Sensor



 Drive



 End Effector



 Other Component





Market Segment by Application



 Drilling and Fastening



 Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection



 Welding and Soldering



 Sealing and Dispensing



 Processing and Handling



 Assembling and Disassembling





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for four regional and 20 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 Spain



 United Kingdom



 France



 Italy



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Japan



 India



 Australia



 South Korea



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America





Middle East and Africa



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of Middle East and Africa





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 ABB Ltd.



 Boston Dynamics



 Comau



 Electroimpact



 FANUC Corporation



 Festo SE and Co. KG



 Gudel AG



 Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd



 Kuka AG



 MTorres Group



 Oliver Crispin Robotics Limited



 Staubli International AG



 Swisslog Holding AG



 Universal Robots



 Yaskawa Electric Corporation





Overall world revenue for Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033 in terms of value the market will surpass US$3.22 billion in 2023, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2033. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033 report help you?



In summary, our 310+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033 Market, with forecasts for payload, application, component, type and company size, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for four regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 15 of the major companies involved in the Aerospace Robotics Market, 2023 to 2033.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439031/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Airbus in talks for new China jet order ahead of Macron visit FILE PHOTO: A logo of Airbus is seen at the entrance of its factory in Blagnac near Toulouse

By Tim Hepher and Michel Rose

PARIS (Reuters) -European planemaker Airbus is negotiating a new round of plane orders with China, coinciding with a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the economic superpower later this week, government and industry sources said.

The potential deal for dozens of jets comes amid worsening relations between Washington and Beijing, which have seen China's usually balanced airplane imports tilt towards Airbus in recent years.

"Negotiations are under way," an official in Macron's office said, adding that any agreements by French firms would not merely consist of repackaging earlier announcements.

An industry source cautioned there were several moving parts in the talks, with details not yet finalised.

Macron is due to conduct the state visit to China on April 5-7, with a delegation of company chiefs from France-based companies, expected to include Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.

Airbus declined to comment on any airplane negotiations or the agenda of senior management.

Shares in the planemaker outperformed, rising almost 2%.

Diplomats say high-level visits by European or the U.S. leaders frequently generate aircraft purchase deals that serve as a barometer of diplomatic ties, although announcements also tend to be scrutinised for their additional economic impact.

In July last year, China's "Big Three" state airlines pledged to buy a total of 292 Airbus jets in the biggest order by Chinese carriers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November, China's state buying agency said it had signed a deal for 140 Airbus jets during a visit by Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but the planemaker said the announcement covered deals already on its books, including part of the July deal.

INCREASED ASSEMBLY?

Talks could also touch on Airbus' industrial presence in China, where since 2008 it has had an assembly line for single-aisle jets. Airbus is adding capacity worldwide to help support a planned 50% increase in output of the jets by 2026.

Story continues

In 2018, Airbus agreed to raise assembly capacity in the port city of Tianjin, near Beijing, to six A320neo-family jets a month from four. But it has long had ambitions to raise this to eight a month, a person familiar with the plans said.

Airbus' Tianjin production is tied to airline orders through volumes agreed periodically via a consortium with the local free trade zone and national aerospace group AVIC.

In a breakthrough for rival Boeing, state-owned China and Eastern and China Southern last week said in filings they would resume taking delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX this year.

Deliveries of the jet have been approved by Chinese authorities following an almost two-year worldwide grounding following fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, but China has been among the last major markets to return the plane to service.

Besides demand for freighters, new orders for U.S. airplanes by China remain sluggish, however, with the last triple-digit state package dating back to 2015, according to Boeing data.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, Michel Rose, Editing by Louise Heavens and Conor Humphries)
Data demonstrated that vadadustat met the primary and secondary efficacy endpoints and was non-inferior to an ESA as a treatment for anemia due to chronic kidney disease when administered three times a week at the time of dialysis

Vadadustat demonstrated a similar safety profile to long-acting ESA when used three times a week

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease, today announced positive top-line results from FO 2 CUS, a study evaluating the efficacy and safety of vadadustat, an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitor, in hemodialysis patients who were converted from a long-acting erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) to three times weekly oral vadadustat dosing for the maintenance treatment of anemia. The data demonstrated that vadadustat met the primary and secondary efficacy endpoints and was non-inferior to an ESA in the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease in patients on hemodialysis when used three times a week at the time of dialysis and with a comparable safety profile to the current standard of care.

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKBA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for people living with kidney disease (PRNewsfoto/Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.)

FO 2 CUS was an open-label, active-controlled, sponsor-blinded study that evaluated 456 hemodialysis patients who were randomized (1:1:1) into vadadustat 600mg, vadadustat 900mg, or a long-acting ESA (Mircera) treatment arms. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean change in hemoglobin (Hb) between baseline and the primary evaluation period (weeks 20-26). The secondary efficacy endpoint was the mean change in Hb between baseline and the secondary evaluation period (weeks 46-52).

"The FO 2 CUS study demonstrated that vadadustat managed hemoglobin levels in patients on hemodialysis when administered three times a week, which we believe is important as the dosing schedule aligns with dialysis visits and has the potential, if approved, to provide an oral alternative to the standard of care," said Steven K. Burke, M.D., Senior Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer of Akebia. "We continue to believe in the potential benefit vadadustat could deliver to patients on dialysis if approved and recognize that even with available treatments many dialysis patients do not stay within target hemoglobin range. The FO 2 CUS study has been a tremendous undertaking, and we're pleased the data support that vadadustat was non-inferior to, and had a comparable safety profile to, an ESA. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to everyone involved in this study including the patients, physicians, investigators, and site coordinators."

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Primary and Secondary Efficacy Endpoint Results

In the FO 2 CUS study, each vadadustat dosing regimen (600mg, 900mg) and the combined vadadustat-treated group achieved the primary efficacy endpoint of the mean change in Hb between baseline and the primary evaluation period compared to Mircera in adult patients on hemodialysis, demonstrating non-inferiority to Mircera based on a non-inferiority margin of -0.75 g/dL. Similarly, each dosing regimen of vadadustat and the combined vadadustat-treated group achieved the secondary efficacy endpoint of the mean change in Hb between baseline and the secondary evaluation period.

In the FO 2 CUS study in hemodialysis patients (n=456):

Primary Efficacy Endpoint Results : Vadadustat was non-inferior to Mircera. The least square mean difference in Hb was -0.43 g/dL (-0.67, -0.20) for the vadadustat 600 mg-treated group, -0.23 g/dL (-0.46, 0.01) for the vadadustat 900 mg-treated group, and -0.33 g/dL (-0.53, -0.13) for the combined vadadustat-treated group, achieving the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of -0.75 g/dL. The mean Hb level during the primary evaluation period was 10.11 (0.061) g/dL for the combined vadadustat-treated group compared to 10.41 (0.068) g/dL for Mircera-treated group.





Secondary Efficacy Endpoint Results: Vadadustat was non-inferior to Mircera. The least square mean difference in Hb was -0.27 g/dL (-0.54, -0.00) for the vadadustat 600 mg-treated group, -0.38 g/dL (-0.67, -0.10) for the vadadustat 900 mg-treated group, and -0.33 g/dL (-0.56, -0.09) for the combined vadadustat-treated group. The mean Hb level during the secondary evaluation period was 10.03 (0.066) g/dL for the combined vadadustat-treated group compared to 10.28 (0.076) g/dL for the Mircera-treated group.

Safety Results

In the FO 2 CUS study, a total of 78.7% patients experienced any TEAEs in the combined vadadustat-treated group, and 75.3% experienced any TEAEs in the Mircera-treated group. The data demonstrated that 44.5% of patients experienced any treatment-emergent SAEs in the combined vadadustat-treated group, and 44.7% of patients experienced any treatment-emergent SAEs in the Mircera-treated group. During the study, the most common TEAEs reported in vadadustat-/Mircera- treated patients were COVID-19 (14.6%/16.0%), diarrhea (12.3%/8.0%) and hyperkalaemia (9.0%/10.7%).

Akebia expects to present full study results at an upcoming medical conference or in a peer-reviewed journal this year.

About Akebia Therapeutics

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by kidney disease. The Company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com, which does not form a part of this release.

About Vadadustat

Vadadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor designed to mimic the physiologic effect of altitude on oxygen availability. At higher altitudes, the body responds to lower oxygen availability with stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor, which can lead to increased red blood cell production and improved oxygen delivery to tissues. Vadadustat is an investigational new drug and is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On March 29, 2022, the FDA issued a complete response letter to Akebia's New Drug Application for vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). In November 2022, Akebia submitted a Formal Dispute Resolution Request focused on the favorable balance of the benefits and risks of vadadustat for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in adult patients on dialysis. Vadadustat is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of anemia due to CKD in adults. In Japan vadadustat is approved as a treatment for anemia due to CKD in both dialysis-dependent and non-dialysis dependent adult patients.

Forward Looking Statement

Statements in this press release regarding Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.'s ("Akebia's") strategy, plans, prospects, expectations, beliefs, intentions and goals are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Akebia's beliefs in the benefits of vadadustat as an oral treatment for patients on dialysis with anemia due to chronic kidney disease; Akebia's expectations on the timing of presenting full study results. The terms "expect," "intend," "believe," "plan," "goal," "potential," "will," "continue," derivatives of these words, and similar references are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results, performance or experience may differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement as a result of various risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, risks associated with: decisions made by health authorities, such as the FDA and the European Medicines Agency, with respect to regulatory filings, including the New Drug Application for vadadustat and the Formal Dispute Resolution Request for vadadustat; the potential therapeutic benefits, safety profile, and effectiveness of vadadustat; the direct or indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on regulators and Akebia's business, operations, and the markets and communities in which Akebia and its partners, collaborators, vendors and customers operate; manufacturing, supply chain and quality matters and any recalls, write-downs, impairments or other related consequences or potential consequences; early termination of any of Akebia's collaborations; and the competitive landscape for vadadustat, if approved. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in Akebia's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and other filings that Akebia may make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. These forward-looking statements (except as otherwise noted) speak only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, Akebia does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Akebia Therapeutics is a registered trademark of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.

Akebia Therapeutics Contact

Mercedes Carrasco

mcarrasco@akebia.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/akebia-therapeutics-announces-positive-top-line-results-from-vadadustat-alternative-dosing-study-301787853.html

SOURCE Akebia Therapeutics
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / With the current state of the job market being more competitive than ever, job seekers are finding it increasingly challenging to stand out and secure employment. African professionals face additional challenges, including limited access to training and education. However, Arete-Zale Consulting offers a free training platform that can help African professionals gain the skills they need to succeed in their careers.

Arete Consulting Group, LLC, Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

Arete-Zale Consulting is a global training platform specializing in people and socio-economic development through IT programs. The platform equips young people with the necessary skills to explore modern work opportunities, giving them practical resources for harnessing their potential. It has been described as a "game-changer" for African communities across the US, Canada, and the UK.

It has partnered with the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC), a non-profit organization specializing in cybersecurity professionals' training and certifications. (ISC) is the "world's largest IT security organization." In the first quarter of 2023, Arete-Zale offered free training to over 3000 Africans in Africa on Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, and Project Management.

Arete-Zale Consulting was founded by Precious Oshideko, a Information technology auditor who holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix in Arizona and is currently running a Doctorate program in Business Administration specializing in Information Systems and Enterprise Resource Management. In addition, Precious is a social entrepreneur who has organized and spoken at youth conferences in over 100 higher institutions in Nigeria, including globally recognized Universities in the region.

Precious' latest endeavor, Arete-Zale Consulting, aims to empower African youth by addressing their challenges of unemployment, inadequate education and economic prospects, elevated HIV/AIDS rates, and elevated poverty levels. Through Arete-Zale Consulting, Precious seeks to leverage his influence and raise awareness about these issues while also discovering practical solutions to improve the lives of African youth.

Story continues

The free training provided by this platform is a testament to how technology can be used for positive social impact. It gives African professionals an opportunity to improve their skills, regardless of their background. As this initiative grows and develops, it has the potential to make a significant difference in the lives of many, especially Africa's youth. With the continued expansion of Arete-Zale Consulting's reach and impact, countless African professionals will have the opportunity to transform their careers and contribute to a brighter future for themselves and the continent as a whole.

About Arete-Zale Consulting:

Arete-Zale Consulting aims to empower young people, especially in Africa, to explore modern work opportunities and connect them with practical resources and unlock their potential.

Country: USA

Media Contact: Precious Oshideko

Company: Arete Consulting Group, LLC

Email: precious@aretezale.com

Phone number: 4698377337

Website: aretezale.com

Instagram: @precious_oshideko

SOURCE: Arete Consulting Group, LLC





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747359/Arete-Zale-Consulting-Empowers-African-Youth-for-Career-Success




ReportLinker

Forecasts by Organisation Type (SME, Non-SME), by Aircraft Type (Narrowbody, Widebody, Regional Jet, Turboprop), by Service Type (Engine, Airframe, Line Maintenance, Component), by Type (Airline, Independent Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), OEM) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Aviation Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Market Report 2023-2033" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439036/?utm_source=GNW





The Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market Report 2023-2033: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Challenges with Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)



Airlines and other aviation operators are under constant pressure to reduce costs, which means that they are looking for more efficient and cost-effective maintenance solutions. This puts pressure on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers to offer competitive pricing while maintaining high-quality services. The aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry requires skilled technicians, engineers, and other professionals.





However, there is a shortage of skilled labor in many parts of the world, which can lead to delays in maintenance schedules and increased costs. Modern aircraft are becoming increasingly complex, with more sophisticated systems and components. This means that maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers must invest in training, equipment, and facilities to keep up with these changes.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market?



 How will each Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2033?



 How will the market shares for each Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) submarket develops from 2023 to 2033?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2023 to 2033?



 Will leading Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2033 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2033?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2022 and 2033? What are the implications of Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market?



 Where is the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?





You need to discover how this will impact the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 254-page report provides 102 tables and 145 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2033 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2033, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints, and challenges), porters five forces analysis, PEST analysis, and recent developments.





Segments Covered in the Report





Organisation Type Outlook



 SME



 Non-SME





Aircraft Type Outlook



 Narrowbody



 Widebody



 Regional jet



 Turboprop





Service Type Outlook



 Engine



 Airframe



 Line Maintenance



 Component





Type Outlook



 Airline



 Independent Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO)



 OEM





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 19 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Russia



 Germany



 France



 Italy



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 India



 Japan



 South Korea



 Australia



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Colombia



 Rest of Latin America





Middle East and Africa



 Saudi Arabia



 Iran



 Israel



 Qatar



 Algeria



 Rest of Middle East and Africa





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market, 2023 to 2033, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 AAR Corp



 Airbus



 Delta TechOps



 Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited



 KLM UK Engineering Limited



 Lufthansa Technik



 MTU Aero Engines AG



 Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd



 TAP Maintenance and Engineering



 Raytheon Technologies



 MRO Japan Co., Ltd.



 SGS Societe Generale de Surveillance SA



 Manitoba Aerospace





Overall world revenue for Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market, 2023 to 2033 in terms of value the market will surpass US$78 billion in 2022, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2033. Our work identifies which organisations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market, 2023 to 2033 Market report help you?



In summary, our 250+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market, 2023 to 2033 Market, with forecasts for solution, platform, end-user, application, and each forecast at a global, and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for five regional and 19 key national markets  See forecasts for the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market, 2023 to 2033 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Also, market size estimation and forecast is provided for US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, India, Australia, and Colombia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 19 of the major companies involved in the Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Market.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439036/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




Allison Kerska will oversee national Consulting business for Azzur Group; Chris Mansur appointed Executive Vice President of Corporate Development

HATBORO, Pa., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Azzur Group today announces the appointment of Allison Kerska to President of Azzur Consulting, the Group's national GxP advisory and consulting operation. Allison succeeds Chris Mansur, who has been named Executive Vice President of Corporate Development for Azzur Group after serving as President of the Azzur Consulting since 2019.

Allison Kerska, President, Azzur Consulting

As President of Azzur Consulting, Allison is responsible for the overall operations of Azzur's GxP consulting and advisory offices throughout the United States, as well as identifying and developing new offices, solutions, and services to meet client and industry needs.

"I'm honored to be a part of Azzur Group and I look forward to leading our nationwide consulting offices as we continue bringing comprehensive, forward-thinking talent and project solutions to meet our clients' needs," said Allison. "Together with Azzur's on-demand cleanroom solutions, microbiology labs, and training center, I am pleased to work alongside these leaders to continue growing Azzur Group collectively."

Prior to joining Azzur Group, Allison spent more than 20 years leading talent solutions, life science-specific integrated operations, and change management for leading workforce solutions organizations, including Kelly OCG and ManpowerGroup. Allison brings to Azzur Group a deep understanding of data-driven operational management and strategy alignment. Allison holds a bachelor of arts degree in organizational design from the University of Michigan.

"I'm pleased to welcome Allison to the Azzur Group family, and I congratulate Chris Mansur on his new appointment," said Michael Khavinson, Chief Executive Officer, Azzur Group. "I am confident that these additions to the Azzur Group leadership team will further accelerate our growth as an organization and allow us to continue to serve our clients as they bring their game-changing innovations to market."

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Chris Mansur joined Azzur Group in 2013 at which time he and Ravi Samavedam, now Chief Innovation Officer, led Azzur's consulting operations serving the Greater Boston Area. Since that time, Chris has held several leadership roles within the organization, including President of Azzur Consulting and Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Chris is responsible for identification of new markets, business expansion opportunities, and business development across Azzur's professional services portfolio.

For more information about Azzur Group, visit Azzur.com/consulting.

About Azzur Group

From Discovery to Delivery, Azzur Group provides the life science community full life-cycle solutions for all their GxP needs. From Azzur Cleanrooms on Demand facilities, to our labs, training centers and consulting offices across the nation, Azzur Group helps organizations start, scale, and sustain their growing enterprises. With nearly four decades of service to the life science community, we have become a trusted partner to the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare companies, as well as their supply chain. Follow us on LinkedIn . For more information, visit Azzur.com .

Cision

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SOURCE Azzur Group, LLC
HONG KONG, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) and B.Grimm, a multi business corporation based in Thailand, have joined forces for an advertising and sponsorship campaign to showcase initiatives that promote awareness around environmental protection and tiger conservation.

B.Grimm partners with CNN to create awareness around tiger conservation and environmental protection

This initiative centers around B.Grimm being the exclusive global sponsor of the new multiplatform strand Mission Tiger which tells the story of the tiger through their ecosystem. Aired on CNN International in March 2023, the half hour show explored how building a strong ecosystem allows the tiger population to thrive. Mission Tiger aims to uncover many unseen benefits that come hand-in-hand with tiger protection, therefore showing how all aspects of their habitat are connected.

"It is always a privilege to collaborate with brands like B.Grimm that share the same values and beliefs around sustainability and conservation. We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with B.Grimm to inspire global audiences with impactful stories about the importance of tiger conservation and protecting the natural environment they inhabit. We look forward to engaging CNN's global audiences to create a dialogue and action around a sustainable future," said Rob Bradley, Senior Vice President, CNN International Commercial.

"With Compassion, Business can exist in harmony with nature and community," said by Dr. Harald Link, Chairman of B.Grimm. B.Grimm has been supporting Tigers conservation projects through both government and non-government organizations for more than 10 years. They believe that their partnership with CNN, through CNN's high-production storytelling and its extensive reach, will curate compelling content that highlights the significant role of wild tigers in the ecosystem, and hence bring alive their commitment towards conserving our environment.

- Ends-

About CNN International Commercial

CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) is responsible for the business operations of CNN's properties outside of the United States. All commercial activities for brands such as CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Arabic, CNN Style and CNN Business are aligned within the division. This encompasses the advertising sales, sponsorship partnerships, commercial content development, content sales, brand licensing, distribution and out-of-home operations, business development and marketing for the world's leading international news provider. CNNIC is a recognised industry leader in international advertising sales and its use of award-winning commercial content, produced through its Create unit and driven by its advanced data usage and digital capabilities, has resulted in strong and enduring partnerships with many of the world's most recognised brands. Its Content Sales and Licensing unit has relationships with more than 1,000 affiliates ranging from licensing the CNN brand through to content supply contracts as well as offering consultancy services. CNNIC has offices across the world, with key hubs in London, Hong Kong and Miami. For more information visit http://commercial.cnn.com

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About B.Grimm

Established in 1878, B.Grimm has flourished in Thailand for 145 years -- a period of six reigns, from King Rama V to the reign of current King Rama X -- contributing to the country's pharmaceutical, infrastructure and energy development.

The company started its pharmaceutical business with the opening of Siam Dispensary to provide modern medicines to Siamese people and later to the Royal Court. B.Grimm then created a significant infrastructure in 1888 with the building of the 1,500-km long Rangsit Canal, Southeast Asia's largest irrigation system at the time. Today, B.Grimm in partnership with Siemens, was instrumental in building Bangkok's first BTS skytrain, Bangkok subway system, and the 28-km Airport Rail Link.

In the energy sector, B.Grimm Power, listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2017, is one of the country's largest private energy producers. The company builds and operates power plants in Thailand and other countries across Asia, providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity to millions of people.

B.Grimm adheres to its core belief of "Doing business with compassion in harmony with nature." The company provides support and sponsorship to a wide range of education programs; promotes classical music and equestrian sports; plants trees to combat climate change; and actively "Save the Tigers" from extinction to restore balance to the jungles. In pursuit of its long-term goal, the company is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to net-zero emissions by 2050.

Cision

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SOURCE CNN International Commercial
Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Bank of Montreal's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

The top 25 shareholders own 39% of the company

Insiders have bought recently

To get a sense of who is truly in control of Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 52% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Because institutional owners have a huge pool of resources and liquidity, their investing decisions tend to carry a great deal of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Bank of Montreal, beginning with the chart below.

View our latest analysis for Bank of Montreal

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bank of Montreal?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Bank of Montreal already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Bank of Montreal's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Bank of Montreal. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 3.6% of shares outstanding. With 3.6% and 3.4% of the shares outstanding respectively, Royal Bank of Canada, Banking & Securities Investments and BMO Asset Management Corp. are the second and third largest shareholders.

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On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of Bank of Montreal

The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Bank of Montreal. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own CA$27m worth of shares (at current prices). Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 48% stake in Bank of Montreal. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. 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 1 warning sign with Bank of Montreal , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

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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Azerbaijani students and youth strongly protested to the Armenian Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Varuzhan Nersesyan, at an event entitled "Nagorno-Karabakh: the situation after the 2020 war" organized by Armenian students studying at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Azernews reports.

According to the State Committee for Diaspora Affairs, the founder of the Movement of Azerbaijani Youth in Britain, Gasim Gurbanov, said that members of the Movement had learned in a week about the organization of a meeting with the participation of Ambassador Varuzhan Nersesyan, Baroness Caroline Cox and English historian and conflictologist Lawrence Broyers, known for their anti-Azerbaijani position.

In an official appeal to the leadership of QMUL, our students stated that it was impossible for Baroness Cox, whose name was defamed by anti-Islamic international organizations in connection with receiving a bribe, to participate in the meeting. In addition, demanding a change in the name of the event due to the lack of an administrative territory in Azerbaijan called Nagorno-Karabakh, they proposed to invite the Azerbaijani ambassador to the meeting and hold a dialogue in order to ensure a balance of information.

"Although we succeeded in getting Baroness Cox removed from the meeting, nevertheless, our other demands remained unanswered. Therefore, all our students consolidated and took part in this meeting," the Movement of Azerbaijani Youth activist said.

According to him, the meeting was attended by a total of 70-80 people, including citizens of various countries, students, faculty and media representatives.

Professor Lawrence Broyers, who spoke first, allegedly wished to demonstrate his impartiality and neutrality on this topic, but the statement about the "humanitarian crisis" disclosed his pro-Armenian position.

The Ambassador of Armenia, seeing the Azerbaijani participants, refrained from using such words as "Artsakh", "Shushi", used a map indicating that Karabakh is located on the territory of Azerbaijan, but his speech about the Karabakh conflict, the Second Karabakh War and the "humanitarian crisis ", which was in the nature of disinformation, caused a protest of Azerbaijani students.

"In order to prevent the Armenians from resorting to provocations, from the very beginning we agreed with our youth that we would behave in cold blood, calmly listen to what was said and ask questions. But when the ambassador said that in the II Karabakh war, those who arrived from Syrian mercenaries, I could not restrain myself. From the place I said to the ambassador in English, "Don't lie to people! Do not say what was not and what you cannot prove! Armenian propaganda cannot be spread here," Gurbanov added.

Interestingly, the security guard at the event refused to comply with the demand of the Armenian moderator to withdraw from the audience a representative of the Azerbaijani youth, who was defending the interests of his country. "I will never forget what position the Armenian moderator found himself in at that moment," he said.

In the part of the event dedicated to questions and answers, the founder of the Azerbaijani Youth Movement, despite all the attempts of the Armenian moderator, managed to ask the Ambassador of Armenia 3 questions.

The first question was: For 8 years you were an assistant to President Serzh Sargsyan. I would like to recall the words of your president. Before Khojaly, Azerbaijanis thought that they could joke with us. They thought that the Armenians would not raise a hand against the civilian population, but we broke this stereotype. Recall that Sargsyan had told this to Thomas de Waal. This has never been refuted before. Did you regret these words of your president, or maybe as a result of the 44-day war in the fall of 2020, was your obscene rhetoric also destroyed?

Then the Armenian Ambassador was asked the following question: In your speech, you recalled the Helsinki Pact, spoke about international law, the right of this or that nation to self-determination. It gives the impression that all of you are innocent and stand up for international law. Did you remember this after 2020? And maybe someone reminded you about this for 30 years? In such a case, where is the implementation of 4 UN resolutions? Where is the opening of the Zangazur corridor? Why are international agreements not performed?"

When our compatriot asked, You are trying to present your country as humane, I will give you such an opportunity. Is the leadership of Armenia ready to accept 300 thousand Azerbaijani refugees deported from Zangazur in the last years of the last century? President Ilham Aliyev said that the Armenians of Karabakh, who are citizens Azerbaijan will be granted constitutional rights, as well as all citizens of the republic. Is the Armenian leadership ready to provide Azerbaijani refugees from Zangazur with all rights?", the participants of the event witnessed the inability of the Armenian ambassador to answer fair questions.

The Armenian moderator tried to accuse our young compatriot of asking questions out of turn, but he heard the following answer:

"You are wrong, so you are afraid of my questions. If the truth was on your side, then you would never try to silence me. I would address my questions in a civilized manner, and your ambassador would answer them. Therefore, now you are trying to silence the voice of the truth."

Gasim Gurbanov even accepted the offer to meet with the Armenian Ambassador not in front of the camera, but vis-a-vis within the walls of the university. "Coming up to me, the ambassador asked with a grin, they say, are you from the opposition?" When I replied that "I am in opposition only to the enemies of my state," he understood who he was talking to. During the conversation, I came to the conclusion that this 50-year-old man, who has worked in the highest positions for 20 years, is a diplomat with lack of experience. Our conversation reached such a level that the Armenian ambassador was forced to say that "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!" and recognize the false statements of the Armenians," Gurbanov added.
The banking crisis hammered crude oil prices so much that OPEC stepped in with a shock 1 million-barrel-a-day production cut. Ramzi Boudina/Reuters

OPEC+ nations announced oil output cuts totaling 1.2 million barrels a day on Sunday.

Crude oil futures rose as much as 8% on the news. They had tumbled in March due to the bank crisis.

The move is a "precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market," per Saudi Arabia.

The banking crisis in March hammered crude oil prices so much that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, stepped in with massive production cuts to stem the bleeding.

Saudi Arabia  the de facto leader of the OPEC  said on Sunday it will cut crude production by 500,000 barrels a day from May till the end of 2023 as a "precautionary measure aimed at supporting the stability of the oil market," according to the state-owned Saudi Press Agency.

On the same day, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman, also announced their own production cuts totaling 649,000 barrels a day through their state media outlets, per the Associated Press. Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister of Russia, said on Sunday the country will be extending its 500,000 barrel-a-day production cut until the end of 2023, per TASS state news agency.

Thanks to the shock production cuts totaling around 1.15 million barrels per day, crude oil prices rose sharply on Monday. The US West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil futures jumped as much as 8% and were both 5.6% and 5.4% higher at $79.89 and $84.23 a barrel respectively.

The two benchmark oil grades were last above $80 a barrel earlier in March before the banking crisis sent prices down sharply.

The cuts are seen as a move to boost the oil markets, as prices posted their worst first-quarter performance since 2020, per Bloomberg records. Oil prices have been under pressure since the second half of 2022 due to fears over a global downturn that would, in turn, cut energy demand.

The surprise production cuts could further strain US-Saudi ties.

The surprise oil production cut is expected to put further strain on US-Saudi ties after the Biden administration's lobbying failed to stop OPEC's last round of production cuts in October 2022.

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"Resultant intensification of geo-political risks may be disproportionately large given that Saudi not only inadvertently aligns with Russia but is also observed to be cozying up with China." Vishnu Varathan, the head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank, wrote in a Monday note seen by Insider.

"We don't think cuts are advisable at this moment given market uncertainty - and we've made that clear," a spokesperson for the US National Security Council told Reuters on Sunday.

The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- From food carts lining Jakartas raucous streets to wet markets in Indonesias most remote villages, one type of barcode is becoming ubiquitous.

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The quick-response code, or QR, lets customers make payments by scanning it with their mobile phones. Its fast, easy and cheap for merchants  applying for your own QR code costs less than $2  helping it find widespread adoption among satay stalls and roadside sellers known as warung. Cash is making less of an appearance, and some shops wont accept it at all.

The uptake is paving the way for Indonesia to capture the billions of dollars of informal economic activity overlooked in taxation and even statistics due to small businesses reliance on cash. Over 22 million merchants have signed up and the total is set to double this year to 45 million. Thats about half the number of merchant locations accepting Visa payments globally.

I applied for QR because buyers kept asking for it, said Widodo, 47, who sells rujak buah or fruit salad topped with spiced palm sugar on the back streets of Jakartas business district. He got a QR code in January, after 25 years of accepting only cash. Today, a third of his daily revenue comes via QR payments.

Hes found it more convenient, not just for his customers, but also himself. With buyers using e-money to transact, his hands are freed up from having to collect bills and give out change. Instead, he makes quick work cutting up mangoes and pineapples to satisfy the crowd of office workers waiting for their snack.

Merchants like Widodo are making it easier for Indonesia to bring its small businesses  accounting for over 60% of national output  into the formal economy and within the tax offices reach. Regional governments are among the earliest to benefit as their revenue rises 11% a year with QR helping businesses pay local taxes.

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The pandemic has accelerated a global shift to digital finance. In Indonesia, that move found an early champion in the central bank.

In January 2020, well before Covid-19 spurred lockdowns across the world, Bank Indonesia required digital payment services to use standardized QR codes known as QRIS  pronounced as Chris  to ensure all banks and electronic wallets are interoperable. Customers can use their GoPay app to top-up their Bank Mandiri e-wallet or pay at a GoFood stall with their OVO account.

Indonesia was one of the few to act early and decisively by mandating the use of a unified QR payment system, said Davids Tjhin, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group in Jakarta. Standardization made QR more convenient for consumers and cheaper for merchants, spurring faster adoption, he said.

Indonesia is now a distant first place in Southeast Asia both in the use of e-wallets and QR payments. The value of QR transactions has risen exponentially to hit 98.5 trillion rupiah ($6.5 billion) last year, and should gain further traction as the central bank doubles the transaction limit to 10 million rupiah.

Gone are the days when merchants need to have card terminals, which are costly, said Budi Gandasoebrata, managing director at GoTo Financial, which oversees the nations most widely-used e-wallet GoPay. Today, with just a printer and an image file they can start accepting payments in QR.

Indonesias young population and pervasive mobile-phone use helped QR become the perfect springboard for it to leave cash behind. Thats true at least in major cities.

For the easternmost islands, central bank officers must brave seas and drive armored trucks for days to distribute cash. This year, they will give out about 3 trillion rupiah of new bills to 85 islands so people there can transact as old cash tends to tear or stain. Bank Indonesia expects broader QR use to reduce the need for their grueling cash journeys.

Facial Recognition

Soon, you may not need a mobile phone to use QR. The central bank is testing facial recognition technology for places like schools where students arent allowed to carry phones. They can shop in the canteen using money in their bank accounts by showing their faces.

Bank Indonesia is also setting its sights beyond the border. Its doing a pilot run with Singapore and Thailand to integrate their QR payment systems, while Malaysia is set to follow. Singapore has linked its system with India and Malaysia. The Philippines seeks to quicken its QR rollout by requiring banks to adopt the national standard by July.

Indonesias success will be a useful blueprint. Southeast Asia needs to remain a first mover to maintain a high degree of controllability over the rapid expansion of digital finance, said incoming Bank Indonesia Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta, who oversaw QRISs development.

The future of money, payments are undoubtedly digital, she said. There is no room for us to just sit and wait.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Battalion Oil Corporation

Houston, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Battalion Oil Corporation (NYSEA: BATL, Battalion or the Company) today announced the resignation of Richard Little who plans to pursue other opportunities and the appointment of Matt Steele as Chief Executive Officer of the Company effective immediately.

Jonathan Barrett, Battalions Chairman of the Board commented, Matt brings to Battalion extensive E&P experience including capital allocation, operations and internal value creation. I am pleased to welcome Matt to the Company and the Board. His executive and board experience will allow us to thrive in the next phase of Battalion. I would also like to thank Rich for his contributions to the Company. Under his leadership, Battalion has achieved numerous objectives that set the Company up for success as it focuses on its organic value creation opportunities.

Mr. Steele is a seasoned executive who has founded and managed numerous businesses in the energy industry. He was most recently the CEO of Bruin E&P Partners, a Bakken focused E&P company. During the last decade, he has served as CEO of Ursa Resources and Bruin E&P. He serves on the Boards of Bruin Management LLC, Bowline Energy LLC, Carbon Path LLC, and the Honors College and Advisory Board at the University of Houston. His diverse background in business and across E&P along with his executive leadership experience will be an asset to the Company.

Mr. Little commented, Ive enjoyed my time at Battalion Oil and am proud of the progress that we have experienced over the past few years. I have elected to move onto different opportunities at this time. I appreciate the opportunity that I was given and theres no doubt that the talented team at Battalion will continue to do great things. I wish them only the best.



About Battalion

Battalion Oil Corporation is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, production, exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States.

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Contact

Chris Lang

Director, Finance & Investor Relations

(832) 538-0551




Bayer defeats Merck in lawsuit over talc liabilities Signage is seen at the Merck & Co. headquarters in Kenilworth, New Jersey

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A Delaware judge on Monday dismissed Merck & Co's lawsuit seeking to hold Bayer AG responsible for more talc-related liabilities stemming from its $14.2 billion purchase of Merck's consumer care business in 2014.

Vice Chancellor Nathan Cook of the Delaware Chancery Court said the purchase agreement "clearly and unambiguously" left Merck liable for claims related to products, including Dr. Scholl's foot powder, sold before the transaction closed.

The companies face potentially billions of dollars of liability from lawsuits by consumers alleging that asbestos contained in talc-based products such as Dr. Scholl's caused cancer.

Merck claimed that its liability ended on Oct. 1, 2021, seven years after the transaction closed, and sued Bayer after the German company refused to assume liability.

But the judge called Bayer's interpretation of the purchase agreement "the only reasonable one," and said letting Merck "dump" cases would give the Rahway, New Jersey-based company an incentive to prolong or stall lawsuits.

"Nothing in the (agreement) indicates that the parties intended Bayer to assume liability for all of Merck's actions for the period during which it formulated, marketed, and sold the products" at issue, Cook wrote in a 37-page decision.

Merck said it was disappointed with the decision and planned to appeal.

Bayer welcomed the decision, saying that it expected Merck to "take full responsibility for the product claims".

"Bayer will continue to defend itself against any further efforts by Merck to avoid or improperly transfer its liabilities to Bayer," the company said in a statement.

The $14.2 billion purchase also included Merck's Claritin allergy medicine and Coppertone sunscreen lines.

Bayer separately inherited liability for litigation over whether the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer when it spent $63 billion in 2018 to buy Monsanto.

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In June 2020, Bayer agreed to settle much of that litigation for $10.9 billion. As of February 2023, about 109,000 of the 154,000 claims it faced had been settled or deemed ineligible.

The case is Merck & Co v. Bayer AG, Delaware Chancery Court, No. 2021-0838.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Stephen Coates)
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese chip-related stocks advanced amid optimism that they will benefit from the nations growing self-reliance push after Beijing launched a probe into Micron Technology Inc.

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The more than 50 members of the E Fund CSI Chip Industry ETF collectively added more than $14 billion in market value Monday, with Ingenic Semiconductor Co. jumping as much as 19% in Shenzhen while Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. surged 13% in Shanghai. US-blacklisted Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation roses as much as 6.9% in mainland trading.

The Micron probe is seen opening a new front in Bejings chip war with the US, which has been moving to prevent China from accessing advanced technology. Investors are betting local Chinese firms may benefit, with the nations memory-chip business considered relatively advanced and experienced, unlike the domestic logic subsector.

The Chinese government said in a statement Friday that its conducting a review of Micron to ensure the integrity of its information infrastructure supply chain, prevent network security risks and maintain national security. Shares of Micron, which counts on mainland China for about 11% of its sales, fell 4.4% in New York.

While Chinese chip stocks climbed Monday, peers elsewhere in Asia fell on the news. Among South Korean memory makers, SK Hynix Inc. dropped as much as 2.3% while Samsung Electronics Co. slipped 1.6%.

Analysts including Citic Securities Co.s Xu Tao said Microns Chinese clients are likely to transfer orders to local suppliers. Some remain cautious, however, that the share gains in Chinas chip sector may not be sustained in the long run.

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Theres no clarity on whether Microns products will actually be banned, and the core factor behind the sector moves remains the recovery of electronics demand, and that still remains to be seen, said Niu Chunbao, a fund manager at Shanghai Wanji Asset Management Co.

--With assistance from Edwin Chan.

(Adds move in SMIC shares)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- On March 2, US President Joe Bidens administration proposed some of the most aggressive measures to fight cyberattacks to date. They would require businesses to beef up their defenses and hold software makers more accountable for security breaches.

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Noticeably missing that day was the architect behind the plan: Chris Inglis, Americas first cyber director. Inglis had stepped down from his post a few weeks before the unveiling.

Inglis didnt say much publicly at the time about why he had resigned after fewer than two years on the job. He told some that he had accomplished what he set out to do. But, according to five people familiar with his thinking and emailed correspondence, the primary reason was clashes with another senior cybersecurity official, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology.Ingliss resignation dissolved what one veteran of the cybersecurity industry dubbed the dream team, led by Neuberger, Inglis and Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA. With the Biden administration just beginning to implement the cyber strategy, it has yet to nominate a successor to Inglis.

This trio of highly accomplished, former National Security Agency officials were brought together in 2021 just after cyberattacks had forced shut the nations largest fuel pipeline, leading to widespread gasoline shortages, and temporarily wiped out one-fifth of US beef capacity. The US was still recovering from an attack by Russian hackers who had infiltrated federal agencies and major technology companies, in part by installing a digital backdoor in popular SolarWinds software.They were meant to work hand-in-hand to defend US agencies and businesses against relentless cyber-espionage and a surge in ransomware attacks against everything from energy infrastructure to hospital systems. But from the start, observers worried that the two White House cyber jobs overlapped and had competing lines of authority, setting the stage for a turf war, according to interviews with more than a dozen people, including current and former White House officials.

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Inglis accused Neuberger of withholding relevant information from his office and trying to undermine his efforts to draft the cyber strategy, according to a March 14 email that Inglis wrote to a former colleague that was reviewed by Bloomberg News.

In a statement, Neuberger said she and her staff  who form the National Security Councils cyber office -- fully supported the cyber strategy, worked closely with Ingliss team and didnt undermine their efforts. She also described Ingliss office as being frequently unrealistic about how things are done at the White House.The discord between the national cyber directors office and Neubergers, which hasnt been previously reported, threatens to imperil the administrations efforts to curb hacking and roll out its ambitious new cyber strategy, according to one current and three former White House employees. And it comes as the administration is under pressure to protect critical sectors of the economy from foreign threats, particularly from Russia and China.

The cyber directors office, which was created by Congress and now has about 80 employees, is responsible for making a plan to implement the cyber strategy, under NSC oversight. Kemba Walden, a former Microsoft lawyer and Department of Homeland Security official, is serving as the acting national cyber director, and Biden is expected to nominate a successor to Inglis in the coming weeks, according to three people familiar with the matter.A NSC spokesperson declined to comment on a potential appointment. The cyber directors office declined to comment for this story.In a statement provided to Bloomberg, Inglis, 68, said he assumed that the principal partner for his office would be Neubergers cyber directorate. At the staff level, he said, conversations between their offices were often quite productive.

But he added that every organization outside of Neubergers demonstrated a qualitatively and quantitatively stronger commitment to the foundations of collaboration: transparency and commitment to advance shared interests. Inglis said there was a lot to learn in setting up a new organization, but he added, We learned fast.Neuberger, 47, said the reports of discord have had little if any impact, and she said the Biden administration has done more to improve the nations cybersecurity than has been done in the last decade.

A NSC spokesperson separately credited Neuberger with helping to lead a comprehensive effort to secure our federal government and the nations most critical infrastructure.Annes leadership and coordination across the federal government have been essential to these achievements, the spokesperson said.Mark Montgomery, the former executive director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a Congressionally-mandated group that recommended creating the role of national cyber director, said the two White House cyber offices should have gotten off to a better start and that Inglis, Neuberger and their offices probably all missed an opportunity.He said he expects friction with the NSC to continue no matter who becomes cyber director next. Over time, however, he said he hopes that trouble about what are the chalk-lines between the two offices subsides as the division of labor is sorted. There isnt much choice, he said, because neither the cyber threat nor the directors job is going away.Congress has willed it, and they will not unwill it.This story is based on interviews with more than three dozen people, many of them current or former White House officials. Nearly all of them asked not to be identified to speak candidly about sensitive issues.In 2020, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, tasked with coming up with recommendations to bolster US cyber defenses, urged the creation of a national cyber directors office to act as the principal advisor to the president on related issues. Trump signed it into law on Jan. 1, 2021.The Biden administration was initially reluctant to appoint someone to the post, according to eight people familiar with the issue. The job was viewed as a way for Congress to gain influence over cybersecurity in the executive branch and to dictate who should have the presidents ear, they said. The director is expected to report annually to Congress and can be called to testify, unlike NSC officials.

Besides, during the first six months of the Biden administration in 2021, the White House already had someone handling cyber issues: Neuberger. The NSC, where Neuberger heads the 14-person cyber office, is the principal forum for presidential decision-making on national security.

A former star at the NSA, Neuberger oversaw the response to a spree of major hacks. She took over the investigation of the so-called SolarWinds cyber-espionage campaign and led the response to breaches of Colonial Pipeline and JBS SA, the worlds largest meat producer.In addition, she crafted an executive order on cybersecurity, released just after the Colonial attack, that her supporters say showcased her ability to get things done.Nonetheless, Biden  beholden to the new law  nominated Inglis as the first national cyber director that April. A former US Air Force pilot, Inglis has advanced degrees in engineering and computer science and spent 28 years working at the NSA. He started that July.Inglis and Neuberger seemed to be natural collaborators. They had worked together at the NSA, and she advocated for him to be chosen as national cyber director. They began meeting in person for weekly sync-up sessions. He attended Neubergers daughters wedding in August.

But the two clashed over issues large and small, according to seven people familiar with their relationship.For instance, Ingliss office was miffed when they learned about an open-source summit being led by Neuberger from companies that were invited, according to John Costello, who resigned in December as Ingliss chief of staff. They also werent told when Neubergers office sent a letter to US governors  asking them to shore up their defenses against potential Russian cyberattacks, he said.

Neuberger and Inglis later disagreed on whether she had personally informed him about the summit in advance, according to a person familiar with the issue. Inglis and his team attended the function, according to a White House release about the event. As for the letter, Neubergers staff was responding to an urgent request from the president and swamped with other work during the early days of the war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the NSCs perspective.But the straw that broke the camels back, as Inglis wrote in the March 14 email, was conflicts over the cyber strategy.

Three separate deputies from the cabinet called me over one weekend in early December to relay that Anne was asking them to repudiate the strategy that my office had labored for months to construct  one that Anne had told me the Thursday before that she would support at the upcoming deputies meeting, Inglis wrote.Inglis declined to identify the deputies, and Bloomberg couldnt independently corroborate Ingliss account.

For her part, Neuberger said her office worked closely with Ingliss office throughout the drafting of the strategy.

She said she made pre-calls to agencies to learn about any issues that might surface in advance, after some government departments had raised concerns. The purpose of those calls was to help avoid a meeting getting bogged down, she said, in her statement to Bloomberg. Im quite surprised if any deputies took that as a request to repudiate the strategy.

To Neuberger, the core difference of view between her and Inglis related to how much of the strategy needed to be shared with federal agencies before it went to the president. Neuberger said she recommended an in-person, cross-agency meeting to get buy-in  particularly among agencies that might have to defend it on Capitol Hill  and Inglis ultimately agreed.Even now, Inglis said he didnt see his position and Neubergers as inherently discordant and believes they can be, and must be, complementary roles going forward.

Whoever Biden picks as the next cyber director will need to collaborate with Neuberger and CISAs Easterly, who have a strained relationship and dont speak outside of meetings and official functions, according to four people familiar with their relationship.

Easterly declined to comment for this story. She has previously told Bloomberg that she focuses more on operational issues while Neuberger deals with policy.On March 20, Easterly announced she had named additional members to CISAs Cybersecurity Advisory Committee, including one member of the cyber dream team: Inglis.

--With assistance from Jason Leopold.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
BioCorRx Inc

Revenue Increases 343% for 2022 Due to Increased Number of Patients Treated at Licensed Clinics

ANAHEIM, CA, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) (the Company), a developer and provider of innovative treatment programs for substance abuse and related disorders, today provided a business update for the year ended December 31, 2022 and reported on recent corporate developments.

Lourdes Felix, CEO, CFO and Director of BioCorRx Inc., commented, 2022 was a transformative year for BioCorRx, as we made significant progress advancing the Phase I clinical trial of BICX104, an implantable biodegradable naltrexone pellet for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). We recently announced , interim positive safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) results for the trial at the 4th Annual NIH HEAL Initiative Investigator Meeting. BICX104 was well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported and achieved 84 days of therapeutic naltrexone plasma concentrations.

Additionally, BICX104 subjects experienced better 84-day treatment adherence than Vivitrol subjects. We also announced that we plan on seeking FDA approval for immediate Expanded Access, sometimes called compassionate use, of BICX104 to help over 10 million Americans with opioid use disorder. We are also planning to apply for fast-track designation and seeking an FDA meeting to confirm the final pathway for full regulatory approval. We look forward to providing additional updates as developments unfold.

During the year, we announced that we have partnered with Government Plus, a leading provider of private sector healthcare to veterans, to nationally expand our Beat Addiction Recovery Program. We believe our program will offer veterans suffering with substance abuse and other related disorders an enhanced treatment solution. We look forward to partnering with other veteran groups for our Beat Addiction Recovery Program to aid veterans suffering with substance use disorders.

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We saw an increase in revenue in 2022 due to the increased number of patients treated at licensed clinics. Furthermore, we were pleased to see that membership/program fees also increased for 2022 due to more customers signing up for our UnCraveRx Weight Loss Management Program. At the same time, we continue to carefully manage expenses and reduced operating expenses by nearly 12%.

Furthermore, BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. has made tremendous progress over the past three years advancing BICX104 and we look forward to rapidly advancing our clinical activities towards commercialization of BICX104, as well as expanding our development pipeline. We remain focused on saving lives and are committed to helping all afflicted by addictive disorders, concluded Ms. Felix.

BICX104, which is being developed under BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the Companys controlled clinical stage pharmaceutical company, is a biodegradable, long-acting subcutaneous pellet of naltrexone for the treatment of OUD being developed with the goal of improving patient compliance to naltrexone therapy compared to other marketed treatments. The BICX104 clinical study is a Phase I, open-label, single-center study in two parallel groups of randomized healthy volunteers to evaluate the PK and safety of BICX104 implantable subcutaneous naltrexone pellets and the marketed once-a-month intramuscular depot naltrexone injection, Vivitrol. Information about the study can also be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov under NCT number 04828694.

BICX104 is being developed through a cooperative agreement with the NIDA, part of the NIH, under award number UH3DA047925, funded by the Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative. This award is subject to the Cooperative Agreement Terms and Conditions of Award as set forth in RFA DA-19-002 entitled, Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3) (Clinical Trial Optional).

The NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative, is an aggressive, trans-NIH effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis. Launched in April 2018, the initiative is focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhancing pain management. For more information, visit: https://heal.nih.gov .

A copy of the Companys annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and posted on the Companys website at https://ir.biocorrx.com/ .

About BioCorRx

BioCorRx Inc. (OTCQB: BICX) is an addiction treatment solutions company offering a unique approach to the treatment of substance use and other related disorders. Beat Addiction Recovery is a substance use disorder recovery program that typically includes BioCorRx's proprietary Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modules along with peer support via mobile app along with medication prescribed by an independent treating physician under their discretion. The UnCraveRx Weight Loss Program is also a medication assisted weight loss program that includes access to concierge on-demand wellness specialists: nutritionists, fitness experts and personal support from behavioral experts; please visit www.uncraverx.com for more information on UnCraveRx. The Company also controls BioCorRx Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage drug development subsidiary currently seeking FDA approval for BICX104, an implantable naltrexone pellet for treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorders. For more information on BICX and its subsidiary pipeline, please visit www.BioCorRx.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

The information in this release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "estimate," "become," "plan," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown. risks as well as uncertainties. Although the Company believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof.

BioCorRx Inc.

investors@BioCorRx.com

714-462-4880



Investor Relations:

Crescendo Communications, LLC

212- 671-1020 x304

bicx@crescendo-ir.com




Visiongain Reports Ltd

Visiongain has published a new report entitled Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing 2023-2033. Forecasts by Source (Mammalian, Non-mammalian), by Service (Process Development, Fill & Finish Operations, Analytical & QC Studies, Packaging), by Product (Biologics, Biosimilars), by Company Size (Small, Mid-sized, Large), by Scale of Operations (Preclinical, Clinical, Commercial) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis



The biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market was valued US$14,140.0 million in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.0% during the forecast period 2023-2033.

CROs offer a unique value to biotech businesses, which tend to grow quickly and be resourceful. Established pharma companies can build best-in-class capabilities in-house and selectively outsource, but biotech companies often have to rely on others to provide the full range of clinical services before they can think about building their own development organisations. This is because biotech companies grow quickly and don't have as much infrastructure for development.

Also, biotech companies often haven't made a name for themselves yet. When it comes to interacting with clinical-trial sites, investigators, patients, caregivers, and regulators around the world, biotech companies may not have the same connections or name recognition as a large biopharma or global CRO that has people on the ground and relationships with stakeholders in many countries.

Also, innovation in clinical development today often means working with specialised companies that offer best-in-breed point solutions, such as electronic clinical outcome assessments, trial payments, and decentralised or virtual trials. Several players such as Science37 and Documentum, focus on one or more parts of the clinical trial life cycle. This is in addition to big companies like Oracle and Veeva that offer technology and data-enablement services for all development activities. Contracting with several best-in-class vendors separately may result in the most advanced clinical trials, but it also takes large-scale vendor management skills and processes that most new biotech companies can't handle on their own.

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So, biotech companies may partner with a bigger company, like BioNTech did with Pfizer and Genmab did with Janssen and AbbVie, or they may turn to a CRO, which can act as both a general contractor for outside services and a source of practical innovation. CROs that know where biotech companies feel underserved and align their services to fill in the gaps should find a lot of chances to help this fast-growing sector.

Download Exclusive Sample of Report

https://www.visiongain.com/report/biopharmaceuticals-contract-manufacturing-market-2023/#download_sampe_div

How has COVID-19 had a Significant Impact on the Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market?

Due to the challenges caused by COVID-19, many businesses have had to hire new contract manufacturers or suppliers of ingredients to keep up with rising demand. Also, because the biopharmaceutical business is always growing, companies that do their own manufacturing are having trouble with production problems like a lack of expertise and high-tech equipment. The number of early-stage bio/pharma businesses has grown because biotechnology is getting better and there are more ways to get money from outside sources.

Investors' interest in biopharmaceuticals has expanded to include services such as contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs) and commercial research organisations (CROs). Ampersand Capital, for example, bought Vibalogics, a CDMO that specialises in viridae, live bacteria, and aseptic processing, and Permira bought Quotient Sciences, a UK-based early-stage drug research firm. However, when finances and resources are shifted to "COVID medicines" at the cost of other biologics projects under development for other therapeutic areas, the pandemic has had some detrimental knock-on consequences. Inquiries and orders for pandemic vaccines and medicines are increasing, according to service providers, CDMOs and CROs.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongains 360-page report provides 140 tables and 167 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing. Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including source, service, product, company size, scale of operations and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Technological Breakthroughs Driving Industry Growth

Several technological breakthroughs in the last few decades have had a big effect on how small-molecule drugs are made. Also, with the rise of new technologies, biologics have had a big effect on the pharmaceutical industry, bringing about new ways to treat a wide range of diseases, including immune, oncological, and rare ones. Also, the positive results of ongoing clinical research projects have led the government and private sector to spend a lot of money in this field. For example, in 2021, more than US$70 billion was put into the field of cell and gene therapy. But making biologics is not easy and has many problems. Some of the main things that worry innovators today are the rate of drugs or therapies falling out of the pipeline, long development times, the limitations of the facilities they have now, problems with regulations and compliance, and inconsistencies in the quality of the end product. So, people who make therapies are constantly looking for ways to get around the problems that already exist. Outsourcing has become a profitable choice for people who make biologic drugs, among other things.

At the moment, a lot of companies in the biopharmaceutical field prefer to transfer different tasks to contract service providers, such as biologics manufacturing. Also, it's important to note that biopharmaceutical contract manufacturers are working hard to strengthen their positions in this field by forming strategic partnerships. This is so they can keep up with the growing demand for biologics. For this reason, there have been large growth, mergers, and acquisitions in this market, as service providers try to become one-stop shops that can meet all of their customers' needs. Since outsourcing is becoming more and more accepted as a good way to run a business in this area, we expect the biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing market (biopharma CDMO/biopharma CMO) to grow at a significant growth rate in the next few years.

Quick Turnaround Time Offered by CMOs Projected to Boost Industry Growth

Bioprocessing improvements and breakthroughs have been very important to the growth of contract service providers because they have helped them solve problems like high production costs and the need to change over between batches. One of the most important innovations is the use of bioprocessing systems that only need to be used once. This helps lower the costs of production and scaling up. Also, CMOs have grown a lot because single-use goods have a quick turnaround time and don't require a lot of extra work, such as changeover and cleaning validation.

One common trend in the industry is mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, which help CMOs give integrated bioprocessing services to their clients and, in turn, make them a more reliable choice for a quick product launch for commercial use. Large companies, on the other hand, think that outsourcing is risky because they lose strategic control and have less management oversight. Because of this, big pharmaceutical businesses choose to keep their manufacturing in-house. This is likely to slow down the growth of CMOs to some degree.

Download Exclusive Sample of Report

https://www.visiongain.com/report/biopharmaceuticals-contract-manufacturing-market-2023/#download_sampe_div

Where are the Market Opportunities?

Expansion of Fill-and-Finish CMOs

CMOs have provided biopharmaceutical companies with a vast array of services, from cell culture to product packaging. CMOs provide manufacturing services including process development, fill and finish, analytical and quality control research, and packaging. Due to rising quality concerns and regulatory changes in biopharmaceutical development, the category of analytical & QC studies is anticipated to grow at a significant rate over the forecast period. In accordance with regulatory requirements, new constraints are being imposed on CMOs producing biologics to ensure product purity and safety.

Emerging Economies to Offer Lucrative Growth Opportunities

In terms of API production, Asia-Pacific is a sizable region with numerous expanding nations. Despite the fact that the APAC region has a smaller share of healthcare expenditures than established markets in North America and Europe, the region's growth rate has surpassed that of established markets in North America and Europe. As a result of rising healthcare expenditures, healthcare in APAC has become more affordable and pharmaceutical product demand has increased. The majority of medications used in the United States are produced in domestic facilities. Pharmaceutical companies that sell their products in North America and Europe also rely heavily on contract manufacturers as outsourcing partners. As a result of increased competition, price constraints, and regulatory changes, pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing the procurement and production of raw materials. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing market for APIs due to rising consumption, expenditures on healthcare, and availability of pharmaceuticals.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market are AbbVie, Inc., AGC Biologics, Avantor, Inc., Binex Co., Ltd., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Cambrex Corporation, Catalent Inc, Curia Global, Inc., Cytiva, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, JRS PHARMA, Jubilant Pharma Limited, KBI Biopharma, Lonza, Pfizer CentreOne, ProBioGen, Rentschler Biopharma SE, Samsung Biologics, Sandoz, TOYOBO CO., LTD., Thermo Fisher Scientific and WuXi Biologics among others. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

In March 2023, Catalent launched ProteoSuite SM Oral suite, which allows the rational selection of orally developable targeted protein degrader (TPD) candidates and their advancement into clinical trials. These emerging therapeutic modalities are typically highly potent and present novel oral bioavailability challenges to formulators.

In November 2022, FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies expanded its strategic partnership with North Carolina State University (NC State) to create future innovation opportunities through new research projects, sustainable facility design, and bioprocessing advancements at the future Holly Springs cell culture biomanufacturing site. The strategic partnership will focus areas of research and facility design to support FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 for its new $2 billion site in Holly Springs. Additionally, the strategic partnership will create opportunities for the organizations to develop new bioprocess development techniques using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and analytical methods.

To access the data contained in this document please email oliver.davison@visiongain.com

To find more Visiongain research reports on the Pharma sector, click on the following links:

Do you have any custom requirements we can help you with? Any need for a specific country, geo region, market segment or specific company information? Contact us today, we can discuss your needs and see how we can help: oliver.davison@visiongain.com

About Visiongain

Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent market intelligence providers around, the company publishes hundreds of market research reports which it adds to its extensive portfolio each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis across 18 industries worldwide. The reports, which cover 10-year forecasts, are hundreds of pages long, with in-depth market analysis and valuable competitive intelligence data. Visiongain works across a range of vertical markets with a lot of synergies. These markets include automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors. Our customised and syndicated market research reports offer a bespoke piece of market intelligence customised to your very own business needs.

Contact:

Oliver Davison

Visiongain Reports Limited

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100

Email: oliver.davison@visiongain.com

Web: www.visiongain.com




ReportLinker

Forecasts by Product Type (Bio-based/Non-biodegradable, Biodegradable), by Bio-based/Non-biodegradable Type (Polytrimethylene Terephthalate (PTT), Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene (PE), Others), by Biodegradable Type (Polybutyrate Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT), Polybutylene Succinate (PBS), Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), Starch blends, Regenerated Cellulose Films), by Application (Flexible Packaging, Rigid Packaging, Consumer Goods, Fibres (Woven and Non-Woven), Agriculture and Horticulture, Automotive and Transport, Coatings and Adhesives, Building and Construction, Electrics and Electronics, Others) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Bioplastics Market Report 2023-2033" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439033/?utm_source=GNW





The Bioplastics Market Report 2023-2033: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





Factors Such as Environmental Concerns about the Use of Traditional Plastics, Increasing Application of Bioplastics, and Supportive Government Regulations are Driving the Market Growth



The increasing concerns about plastic waste and the environmental impact of traditional plastics are expected to play a significant role in driving the demand for bioplastics in the coming years. Plastic waste is a growing global problem, with millions of tons of plastic ending up in the oceans and causing harm to marine life and the ecosystem. The environmental impact of traditional plastics is also significant, as they are made from non-renewable fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Additionally, traditional plastics are not biodegradable, which means they can persist in the environment for hundreds of years and cause long-term damage.





In response to these concerns, consumers, businesses, and governments are seeking alternative materials that are more sustainable and have a lower impact on the environment. Bioplastics, which are made from renewable resources such as corn starch, sugarcane, and vegetable oils, offer a more sustainable solution to traditional plastics. Unlike traditional plastics, bioplastics are biodegradable and compostable, meaning they can be broken down by natural processes and do not pose a long-term threat to the environment.





The increasing environmental awareness and the growing demand for eco-friendly products are expected to drive the demand for bioplastics in the future. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the impact of their actions on the environment, and they are seeking products that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Businesses are also responding to this demand by developing and promoting bioplastics products, which are expected to play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of traditional plastics.





Challenge Posed by High Manufacturing Cost of Bioplastics



Despite its many benefits, the high manufacturing cost of bioplastics remains a constraint for the overall market. Bioplastics are more expensive to produce compared to traditional petroleum-based plastics, and this increased cost is passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for bioplastics products. This can make it difficult for bioplastics to compete with traditional plastics, especially in price-sensitive industries such as packaging.





For example, biodegradable plastic bags can cost up to three times more than traditional plastic bags, while biodegradable food packaging can cost up to 20% more than traditional plastic packaging. The high cost of bioplastics can also make it challenging for small businesses to adopt sustainable packaging solutions, as they may not have the budget to invest in more expensive bioplastics products.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the bioplastics market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the bioplastics market?



 How will each bioplastics submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2033?



 How will the market shares for each bioplastics submarket develop from 2023 to 2033?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2023 to 2033?



 Will leading bioplastics market broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2033 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2033?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the bioplastics projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2023 and 2033? What are the implications of bioplastic projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the bioplastics market?



 Where is the bioplastics market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the bioplastics market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 441-page report provides 173 tables and 273 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the bioplastics market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2033 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2033, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising Bioplastics prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Product



 Bio-based/Non-biodegradable



 Biodegradable





Bio-based/Non-biodegradable Type



 Polytrimethylene Terephthalate (PTT)



 Polypropylene (PP)



 Polyamide (PA)



 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)



 Polyethylene (PE)



 Others





Biodegradable Type



 Polybutyrate Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT)



 Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)



 Polylactic Acid (PLA)



 Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)



 Starch blends



 Regenerated Cellulose films





Application



 Flexible Packaging



 Rigid Packaging



 Consumer Goods



 Fibers (incl. woven and non-woven)



 Agriculture and Horticulture



 Automotive and Transport



 Coatings and Adhesives



 Building and Construction



 Electrics and Electronics



 Others





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 17 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 UK



 France



 Italy



 Spain



 Russia



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Japan



 India



 South Korea



 Australia



 Rest of APAC





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America Latin America





MEA



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of MEA





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 BASF SE



 BIO-FED



 Biome Technologies plc



 BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen GmbH and Co. KG



 Braskem S.A.



 Danimer Scientific Inc.



 FKuR Kunststoff GmbH



 Futerro S.A.



 Kaneka Corporation



 NatureWorks LLC



 Novamont S.P.A.



 PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited



 Rochling Group



 TotalEnergies Corbion



 Trinseo PLC





Overall world revenue for bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033 in terms of value the market will surpass US$8.05 billion in 2023, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2033. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033 report help you?



In summary, our 441-page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for Bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033 Market, with forecasts for product type, bio-based / non-biodegradable type, biodegradable type, application, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for five regional and 17 key national markets  See forecasts for the Bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Also forecasted is the market in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 15 of the major companies involved in the Bioplastics Market, 2023 to 2033.





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BioSenic

INSIDE INFORMATION





Appointment to drive late-stage clinical development of BioSenics cell therapy and autoimmune disease platforms







Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, April 3, 2023, 7.30 am CET  BIOSENIC (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BIOS), the company specializing in serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and cell repair, today announces it has appointed Lieven Huysse, MD, as permanent Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective 17 April 2023.

Lieven Huysse will succeed Michel Wurms, MD, who was appointed as CMO ad interim to drive forward the development of BioSenics platforms. Michel has been a key element in the development of Medsenic and BioSenic during the last 18 months.

Lieven will be responsible for continued progression of both BioSenic late-stage assets:

The ALLOB MSC platform using cells with immune privilege, anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to differentiate into bone tissues when injected into the specific bone sites to be regenerated or repaired. The Phase 2b trial of ALLOB, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, will report decisive key results in Q2 2023. Lieven will help progress this trial to conclusion. This includes overall responsibility for liaising with the CRO nominated for the trial and liaising with investigators in the thirty-five trial centers across seven EU countries.

For the autoimmune ATO platform, Lieven will also be focused on the start of the Phase 3 trial in cGvHD, as well as the Phase 2b trials in systemic lupus, and systemic sclerosis.

BioSenic is now driving hard to speed up clinical development across all our treatment platforms. We have now optimized statistical analysis and completed recruitment for our Phase 2b clinical trial with our allogeneic bone cell therapy product, ALLOB. For our lead API arsenic trioxide platform, designed to target serious inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, our Phase 3 trial in chronic Graft versus Host Disease is on track to start this year, and Phase 2b trials in two other indications, systemic lupus, and systemic sclerosis to start later on. We have also just announced we have gained more insight on the mechanism of action of ATO and optimized ideal formulations to maximize efficacy and minimize side effects for systemic sclerosis. In addition, we have re-evaluated the results of the Phase 3 trial of BioSenics enhanced viscosupplement JTA-004 targeting knee osteoarthritis, opening up fresh clinical development options, said Prof. Francois Rieger, President and CEO of BioSenic. As a result of these clinical progresses, this is an ideal time for us to appoint Lieven as CMO. His experience and expertise will be invaluable as we seek to bring therapies to patients suffering from a range of underserved conditions with few, if any, alternative therapeutic options. These next clinical developments will be key value creation milestones for BioSenic throughout 2023 and into 2024. In addition, these late-stage clinical progressions will enable BioSenic to start the process of engaging with industrial partners to co-develop late-stage clinical projects and to look at other targets of interest in autoimmune diseases and cancer. I would like to thank Michel for his invaluable and extensive contribution over the past months to continuing to push our pipeline of candidates.

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Lieven has been selected as CMO for his extensive expertise in the biopharma and medical device industries. This includes the managing multi-center international clinical studies, including pre-market approval studies for submission to regulatory authorities including the US FDA, reimbursement authorities and Key Opinion Leaders management. He has gained over eight years of experience in immunology, as well as in the diabetes, allergy, cardiovascular and psychiatry sectors. He has 17 years of experience in the medical device sector with knee, hip and spine, as well as with trauma, cardiovascular and endovascular products. He has held senior leadership positions in a number of European headquarters, including in Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands. He has served as CMO for Anaconda Biomed S.L., senior director of medical affairs at Intrinsic Therapeutics, Inc., director of clinical and regulatory affairs at Wright Medical EMEA (now Microport), medical director for Menarini Group, global brand medical manager for Switzerland-based UCB Farchim, manager clinical Affairs EMEA at Stryker Corp. and Medical Advisor EMEA at Janssen.

BioSenic is now driving late-stage clinical development of two highly innovative platforms, and currently targeting four indications with its cell therapy and ATO platforms. BioSenic, after its merger, has brought together two teams that are cross-pollinating to rapidly advance this diverse pipeline through clinical development. As CMO, I will now be responsible for driving through clinical candidates that can impact a wide range of patients suffering from a variety of conditions and make a meaningful difference to the lives of large number of patients, said Lieven Huysse, CMO, BioSenic. These developments mean joining BioSenic as CMO is far too good an opportunity to miss. I will be able to make a significant contribution to further investigation of the medical characteristics and mechanisms of action of the therapies, and continue to expand BioSenics pipeline of indications, and move the late-stage trials in order to bring us towards the market as quickly as possible.

About BioSenic

BioSenic is a leading biotech company specializing in the development of clinical assets issued from: (i), the allogeneic cell therapy platform ALLOB and (ii) the Arsenic TriOxide (ATO) platform. Key target indications for the platforms include Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD), Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and high-risk tibial fractures.

Following the merger in October 2022, BioSenic combines the strategic positionings and strengths of Medsenic and Bone Therapeutics. The merger also enables Biosenic to add to its innovative cell therapy platform and strong IP for tissue repair protection with an entirely new arsenal of various anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune formulations using the immunomodulatory properties of ATO/OATO.

BioSenic is based in the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Further information is available at http://www.biosenic.com.

About BioSenic technology

BioSenics technology is based on two main platforms:

1) The allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform, developed by BioSenic with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) that can be stored at the point of use in hospitals. Its current investigational medicinal product, ALLOB, represents a unique, proprietary approach to organ repair and specifically to bone regeneration, by turning undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells on the site of injury after a single local injection. These cells are produced via a BioSenic's scalable manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, BioSenic has initiated patient recruitment for the Phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process. ALLOB is currently being evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb study in patients with high-risk tibial fractures, using its optimized production process, after a successful first safety and efficacy study (Phase 1/2a) on fractured long bones, with late delayed union. The patient recruitment has been halted late February 2023 with 57 patients and the new rules permitted for statistical analysis should allow BioSenic to get the main results of this trial much earlier than anticipated in the original protocol, since they are expected by mid-2023.

2) The Arsenic TriOxide (ATO) platform developed by Medsenic. The immunomodulatory properties of ATO have demonstrated a double basic effect on cells of the immune system. The first effect is the increase of the cell oxidative stress in activated B, T or other cells of the innate/adaptative immune system to the point they will enter a cell death program (apoptosis) and be eliminated. The second effect is potent immunomodulatory properties on several pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in inflammatory or autoimmune cell pathways. One direct application is its use in onco-immunology to treat GvHD (Graft-versus-Host Disease) in its chronic, established stage. GvHD is one of the most common and clinically significant complications affecting long-term survival of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). GvHD is primarily mediated by the transplanted immune system that can lead to severe multiorgan damage. Medsenic had been successful in a Phase II trial with its intravenous formulation, allowing arsenic trioxide to be granted an orphan drug designation status by FDA and EMA and is heading towards an international Phase III confirmatory study, with a new, IP protected, oral (OATO) formulation.

Moderate to Severe forms of Systemic Lupus erythematosus (SLE) is another selected target, using the same oral formulation. ATO has shown good safety and significant clinical efficacy on several affected organs (skin, mucosae and the gastro-intestinal tract) in a Phase IIa study.

Systemic Sclerosis is, in addition, part of the clinical pipeline of BioSenic. Preclinical studies on pertinent animal models are positive. This gives good grounds to launch a Phase II clinical protocol for this serious disease that badly affects skin, lungs or vascularization, and with no actual current effective treatment.

In addition, BioSenic is developing an off-the-shelf next-generation improved viscosupplement, JTA-004, consisting of a unique combination of plasma proteins, hyaluronic acid - a natural component of knee synovial fluid, and a fast-acting analgesic. JTA-004 intends to provide added lubrication and protection to the cartilage of the arthritic joint and to alleviate osteoarthritic pain (OA) and inflammation. In March 2023, after the identification of new OA subtypes, BioSenic delivered a new post-hoc analysis of its Phase III JTA-004 trial on knee OA with positive action on the most severely affected patient population. This new post-hoc analysis changes the therapeutic profile of the molecule and potentially allows for the possibility of stratifying patients for a new, optimized Phase III clinical study. BioSenic, which does not intend to allocate R&D resources to support the clinical development of JTA-004 and will continue to focus its R&D activities on the development of its autoimmune (ATO) and cell therapy (ALLOB) platforms, is now seeking to collaborate with existing and potential partners to explore options for the future development of JTA-004 based on this new post-hoc analysis.

For further information, please contact:

BioSenic SA

Francois Rieger, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0)671 73 31 59

investorrelations@biosenic.com

For Belgian Media and Investor Enquiries:

Bepublic

Bert Bouserie

Tel: +32 (0)488 40 44 77

bert.bouserie@bepublicgroup.be

For International Media Enquiries:

IB Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Media Enquiries:

NewCap Media

Annie-Florence Loyer

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 00 12

afloyer@newcap.fr

For French Investor Enquiries:

Seitosei Actifin

Ghislaine Gasparetto

Tel: +33 (0)1 56 88 11 22

ggasparetto@actifin.fr

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.




Azerbaijani army has taken two villages of Azerbaijan's Shusha district under control.

According to Azernews, footage of Azerbaijan's Allahgulular and Zamanpayasi villages being under control of the Azerbaijani army after the operation in the Shusha direction was released.




(Bloomberg) -- By just about any measure, Bitcoin liquidity remains low, despite the cryptocurrencys eye-catching upsurge this year.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Investors have been paying more on trades because of slippage, or the difference between the expected price of a transaction and the price at which its fully executed, a sign of worsening liquidity, according to Conor Ryder at Kaiko. The higher the difficulty in trading, the more investors are exposed to potential volatile price swings.

This can happen due to a change in the bid-ask spread in between the time a trade is placed and filled, or when theres insufficient order-book depth to support large orders.

Even as a rebound in Bitcoin this year made it the best-performing asset in the first quarter, a widening US regulatory crackdown and the collapse of a few crypto-adjacent banks has tempered some investors enthusiasm.

Its more indicative of the institutional reluctancy to offer liquidity in the space, Ryder, a research analyst at the Paris-based firm, said. A lot of crypto firms dont want to get caught in the middle of a battle between US regulators and exchanges.

Though prices have recovered at the start of 2023, trading volumes and liquidity in the crypto market have dried up when measured over the past year amid an overall plunge in prices, which has seen Bitcoin drop about 39%  to around $28,000  and some other coins even more. Investors retreated over that period as a string of scandals scared them away. Analysts are now particularly tuned into how smaller retail investors may behave as theyve been an integral part of the system, helping to drive up prices during the early pandemic boom.

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The tourists are definitely gone, said Mark Connors, head of research at digital asset management firm 3iQ. If youre in this, you have to understand that the volatility is there, you dont know where it goes day-to-day, but you understand the trajectory, the adoption, etc.

Spot volumes on some of the most popular crypto exchanges also help to tell this story. Binance, the largest trading platform, at the end of March saw normalized 24-hour trading volumes of more than $6 billion, with monthly visits of about 65 million. By comparison, Coinbase, the second-biggest, saw trading volumes of about $1.3 billion, with roughly 33 million monthly visits, according to CoinGecko data and numbers compiled by the company.

Volatile Market

Bitcoin trading volumes have collapsed, which inevitably makes for a more volatile market, said Fiona Cincotta, senior financial markets analyst at City Index. The sharp drop in volumes means that its easier for large orders to move the BTC prices. So sit tight, there could be more wild swings coming.

She added: Falling volumes points to waning appetite for Bitcoin at its recent higher levels amid easing concerns surrounding the banking sector and as crypto regulation is under the spotlight.

Read more: Cryptos Most Powerful Man Has More Than FUD to Worry Him Now

In recent days, news emerged that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued founder Changpeng Zhao and his Binance cryptocurrency exchange for alleged violations of derivatives regulations. Binance has said it didnt agree with the characterization of many of the issues alleged in the complaint.

It remains to be seen how the case will impact Binances operations, said Strahinja Savic, head of data and analytics at FRNT Financial. In this context, the liquidity status quo in the crypto space has not been affected by the charges.

Bitcoin rose as much as 1.5% on Monday and was trading at about $28,249 as of 7:15 a.m. in New York. Smaller tokens such as Ether, Solana and Avalanche were mixed.

(Updates with market prices in the final paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Seattle-based cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex, Inc. will wind down its U.S. operations from April 30, the exchange announced on Saturday, citing continued regulatory uncertainty in the region.

See related article: DeGods begins migration to Ethereum

Regulatory requirements are often unclear and enforced without appropriate discussion or input, resulting in an uneven competitive landscape, Bittrex Chief Executive Officer Richie Lai wrote in the statement, explaining that such an environment has made operating in the U.S. unfeasible.

The exchange said that trading will be allowed on the platform until April 14, and all customer funds are safe and available.

Bittrex added that it would focus on the growth of Bittrex Global, its Liechtenstein-based trading arm serving investors outside the U.S.

In February, Bittrex laid off 83 employees, citing a market downturn triggered by multiple failures in the crypto ecosystem.

U.S. regulators have recently been clamping down on local stablecoin issuers and crypto staking service providers, as the Securities and Exchange Commission claimed both violated the local securities law.

While Kraken exchange has since shuttered its staking services, Coinbase CEO Ben Armstrong argued that crypto staking services should not be classified as financial securities, and that the company will happily defend this stance in court if needed.
Walter D. Davis, Jr.

Partner, Blank Rome LLP

Washington, D.C., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Walter D. Davis, Jr. has joined the firms Intellectual Property Litigation practice group as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. Walter has significant experience in all facets of patent law, including more than 20 years in private practice and six years as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He joins Blank Rome from Davidson Berquist Jackson & Gowdy where he was a partner.

Walters arrival continues the strategic expansion of Blank Romes national Intellectual Property & Technology practice, which has grown over the last 18 months with the additions of partner and co-chair of the firms Intellectual Property Litigation practice group Paul Zeineddin, partner and co-chair of the firms Intellectual Property & Technology practice group Hussein Akhavannik, and attorneys Mark F. Mashack and Timothy S. Schwarz in the firms Washington, D.C., office; partner Josh Reisberg and associate Michael S. Rubin in the New York office; partner Todd M. Malynn in the Los Angeles office; associate Cory R. Edwards in the Chicago office; and patent agents Benjamin A. Ailes, Dr. Amir Kyarad, David B. Hardy, and Dr. Joseph B. Jackson in the firms Philadelphia and Houston offices.

I am delighted to welcome Walter to our firm and nationally recognized IP group, said Grant Palmer, Blank Romes Chair and Managing Partner. Walters significant background in patent law and focus on technology will add tremendous value to our IP groups wide range of patent service offerings as well as expand the capabilities of our Life Sciences and Software teams.

Walter is a first-chair litigator whose practice primarily consists of patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property litigation in U.S. district courts, the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He has a strong and diverse background with technology, including microprocessors, smart home systems, software, Internet technology, smartphones, lighting control systems, consumer appliances, liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, semiconductor design and fabrication, medical imaging systems, battery chargers, computer hardware technology, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals.

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Walter has an excellent reputation in the IP legal field and we are thrilled to have him join our growing national team, said Zeineddin. His deep experience in high-tech patent litigation will greatly benefit our clients in the hardware, software, and consumer electronics industries, adding significant value to current client relationships and helping us expand our work in this key segment.

Blank Rome has an excellent patent litigation team and I am looking forward to growing my practice at the firm, said Davis. I have always been impressed with the caliber of Blank Romes IP litigators, not only for their significant experience in patent law but also for their collaborative and collegial approachincluding with opposing counsel. I am excited to contribute to the ongoing success of the firms national IP group.

Walter has served as chair, vice-chair, and secretary of the Intellectual Property Section of the National Bar Association, the nations oldest and largest association of predominately African American lawyers and judges. As chair, Walter helped found the National Bar Associations Diversity in Tech Awards, which recognize diverse lawyers and in-house legal departments that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in the technology industry.

Walter earned his J.D., with honors, from George Washington University Law School, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University.

About Blank Rome

Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 650 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com.

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CONTACT: Kate Tavella Blank Rome LLP 215.988.6988 tavella@blankrome.com




Disney (DIS) CEO Bob Iger addressed the company's ongoing battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the media giant's annual meeting of shareholders on Monday.

"A company has a right to freedom of speech just like individuals do," Iger said, adding DeSantis' policies are "anti-business" and "anti-Florida" as the politician looks to strip Disney of its self-governing powers.

The fight stems from what has largely been seen as a politically-targeted response over the company's reaction to the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. In 2022, then-CEO Bob Chapek denounced it at the company's annual shareholder meeting after initially deciding not to speak publicly on the matter.

In response, DeSantis signed a bill into law that allows him to take control of the company's long-standing special tax district, formerly known as Reedy Creek.

Earlier on Monday, DeSantis asked Florida's inspector general to look into a last minute agreement signed by the previous Reedy Creek board that essentially renders the new oversight committee, appointed by DeSantis, powerless.

Disney CEO Bob Iger attends the 25th Television Academy Hall of Fame on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images)

Iger admitted he doesn't understand why DeSantis is punishing Disney given the mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the state.

"We love the state of Florida. I think that's reflected in not only how much we've invested over the last 50 years, but also how much that we've given back in the form of jobs and community service, taxes, [tourism] and all sorts of other responsible business practices," he said, revealing Disney plans to invest $17 billion at Walt Disney World over the next 10 years, which will create an estimated 13,000 jobs.

"It's always kind of been a two way street," he continued. "[But] to punish a company exercising its constitutional right seems very wrong to me."

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When asked why Disney feels the need to take on any type of political position, Iger said he has certain responsibilities to the business and its 75,000-plus employees.

"As the CEO of the company, my job is to strive to do what I think is best for our business and that includes to invest in what's best for our cast members or our employees and what would enable both to flourish."

"I don't think we should or can weigh in on every issue," he continued. "I also understand there will be gray areas. ...The standard is when we take a position on [private or public] matters, there's a true reason why [and] in almost all cases it has to be because it directly effects our business or our people."

Iger also addressed what's been described as a "woke" agenda from Disney, saying he's "sensitive" to that perception and the primary mission of Disney is to entertain: "[Our stories] should not be agenda-driven."

Disney's employees protest against Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, in Glendale, California, U.S., March 22, 2022. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

Streaming at 'core' of Disney's strategy

In terms of the Disney's media strategy, Iger did not dive into specifics regarding the futures of Hulu or ESPN, but did say the "core strategy of the company going forward from a media perspective would be and should be streaming."

As a result, the executive dismissed third-party licensing, saying Disney must maintain its exclusive ownership of content in order to best tackle near-term challenges like profitability.

Disney's direct-to-consumer division shed a whopping $4 billion-plus in its fiscal 2022 ended on Oct. 1, after it spent an estimated $33 billion on content last year. On the company's latest earnings call, Iger revealed Disney+ was on track to achieve profitability by the end of fiscal 2024.

Overall, the executive said the company is focused on quality over quantity content production and that "sometimes the more is not necessarily the merrier."

To that point, Disney will continue to lean on its most successful tentpoles with a live-action "Moana" film currently in the early stages of development with both Dwayne Johnson and Aulii Cravalho set to reprise their respective roles.

Disney shares traded relatively flat following the meeting's conclusion.

Alexandra is a Senior Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193 and email her at alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

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Let's talk about the popular The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA). The company's shares saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the companys outlook is already priced into the stock. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Lets examine Boeings valuation and outlook in more detail to determine if theres still a bargain opportunity.

See our latest analysis for Boeing

What Is Boeing Worth?

Good news, investors! Boeing is still a bargain right now. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is $350.34, but it is currently trading at US$212 on the share market, meaning that there is still an opportunity to buy now. However, given that Boeings 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 another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What does the future of Boeing look like?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. In Boeing's case, its revenues over the next few years are expected to grow by 49%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. If expense does not increase by the same rate, or higher, this top line growth should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since BA is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation.

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Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on BA for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy BA. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Boeing at this point in time. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Boeing.

If you are no longer interested in Boeing, 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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SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian retailer Americanas said on Monday its reference shareholders have signaled with the possibility of injecting more money into the company as it looks for a deal to settle its debts.

The company, which counts the billionaire trio that founded 3G Capital as reference shareholders, said in a securities filing it was holding periodic meetings with creditors, although no agreement had been reached yet.

Americanas, which entered bankruptcy protection earlier this year after uncovering roughly $4 billion in "accounting inconsistencies", said the trio's most recent proposal to creditors totaled as much as 12 billion reais ($2.38 billion)

The offer included two potential additional capital increases of up to 1 billion reais each, on top of a short-term injection of 10 billion reais in cash already proposed by reference shareholders Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Herrmann Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira.

"The two additional capital increases may be triggered if the company is, on future dates to be agreed, above certain maximum leverage limits or below a minimum liquidity level, both to be detailed in due course," Americanas said.

"The company remains committed to negotiating these terms with its financial creditors," it added , noting the offer followed a "commitment" of the billionaire trio to capitalize the company.

($1 = 5.0404 reais)

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Alberto Alerigi Jr.; Editing by Steven Grattan)
SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's BPO Business Analytics market report is excellent insight for individuals interested in gaining insight into the valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is written clearly and concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections.

Westford, USA,, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SkyQuest projects that the BPO Business Analytics market will attain a value of USD 64.9 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 22.9% over the forecast (2022-2030). The market growth is fueled by the rising demand for data-driven decision-making, focus on core competencies, technological advancement, availability of skilled talent, and increasing need for data privacy and security. A survey conducted by SkyQuest revealed that 92.2% of Fortune 1000 executives reported an increase in their companies' investment pace in big data and AI that aids organizational decision-making. Additionally, a study by Forrester Research found that data-driven businesses are growing at an average of over 30% annually, contributing to the growth of the BPO Business Analytics market. The North American and Asia Pacific regions are expected to experience significant market growth.

SkyQuest's latest global research indicates that the total value of big data and AI in the global economy may achieve up to $13 trillion by 2030, owing to the benefits of improved decision-making, enhanced customer experiences, cost savings, and competitive advantage. Furthermore, a study conducted by MIT Sloan Management Review demonstrated that data-driven companies outperform their competitors by 5% in productivity and 6% in profitability.

Get sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/bpo-business-analytics-market

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Browse in-depth TOC on "BPO Business Analytics Market"

Pages - 242

Tables - 146

Figures - 77

In the present time, BPO business analytics plays a crucial role in assisting businesses to make informed decisions based on data, optimize their operations, and stay ahead of the competition. The growing availability of data and advanced technologies has increased analytics outsourcing services that provide valuable insights into market trends, customer behavior, and operational performance, leading to enhanced efficiency, productivity, and revenue.

Prominent Players in BPO Business Analytics Market

Accenture

IBM

Capgemini

Genpact

Infosys

Wipro

TCS

Cognizant

EXL Service

Mu Sigma

HCL Technologies

DXC Technology

NTT Data

Concentrix

Tech Mahindra

CGI

WNS Global Services

L&T Infotech

Fractal Analytics

LatentView Analytics

Marketing Analytics Application Segment to Drive Higher Sales Due to its Increasing Use in SMBs

A recent analysis has identified the Marketing Analytics Application segment as a significant contributor to the rapid growth of the BPO Business Analytics market in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030 as the use of marketing analytics is becoming increasingly popular among small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). According to SkyQuest's report, SMBs are adopting marketing analytics at a faster rate than larger organizations, with 52% of SMBs planning to increase their investment in marketing analytics within the next two years. Furthermore, the report forecasts that the global marketing analytics market will attain $4.43 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 16.6% over the forecasted period.

SkyQuest's research analysis forecasts that North America will emerge as a dominant player in the BPO Business Analytics market from 2022 to 2030, with a projected CAGR of 21.82% during the forecast period. The region's growth can be attributed to the high adoption of advanced technologies such as cloud computing and big data analytics, along with the presence of several major service providers. According to SkyQuest's report, the financial services and healthcare sectors are expected to continue driving the demand for BPO business analytics services in North America, as these industries face increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/bpo-business-analytics-market

Offshore Type Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth due to Lower Labour Cost and Availability of Skilled Professionals

The Offshore Type segment emerged as the dominant method in the BPO Business Analytics market in 2021. It is projected to retain its lead from 2022 to 2030, driven by increasing demand for data analytics services across various industries, lower labor costs, and availability of skilled professionals. According to a study by SkyQuest, offshore outsourcing is gaining popularity among companies in North America, with 59% of respondents stating that they have already offshored business functions and 40% planning to do so in the future.

The Asia Pacific region has also emerged as a significant force in the BPO Business Analytics market and is poised to retain its leading position by 2030. SkyQuest forecasts substantial growth for the Asia Pacific region in the BPO Business Analytics market, with a projected CAGR of 24.47% during the forecast period. This expansion can be attributed to the availability of skilled professionals, lower labor costs, and increasing adoption of advanced technologies in the region. Moreover, India and the Philippines are among the top countries in the APAC region for BPO services due to their large pool of skilled professionals and favorable government policies.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the BPO Business Analytics market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Key Developments in BPO Business Analytics Market

Catalyst Solutions, a leading provider of strategic consulting, staff augmentation, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services for health plans, has expanded its offerings to include BPO and consulting services in the clinical space of the health plan. Catalyst's Clinical Management outsourcing services cover Utilization Management, Care Management, Disease Management, and Behavioral Health. Scott Martin, the President of Catalyst Solutions, states that their solutions are tailored to meet the payer's needs and ensure that plan members receive necessary care without incurring unnecessary costs or services that do not add value.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has unveiled IBM z/OS V2.5, the latest operating system (OS) for IBM Z, aimed at promoting the adoption of hybrid cloud and AI among clients, as well as driving application modernization initiatives. A study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, titled "Application modernization on the mainframe," found that 71% of executives surveyed consider mainframe-based applications as crucial to their business strategy. Additionally, the study expects that the percentage of organizations utilizing mainframe assets in a hybrid cloud environment will more than double in the next three years.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/bpo-business-analytics-market

Key Questions Answered in BPO Business Analytics Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to 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 Industrial Wireless Sensor Networks (IWSN) Market

Global Wireless Earphone Market

Global Wi-Fi 6 And Wi-Fi 6E Chipset Market

Global Smart Building Market

Global Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Market

About Us:

SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally.

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A computer keyboard lit by a displayed cyber code is seen in this illustration picture

By James Pearson

LONDON (Reuters) - British government hackers have launched operations against militants, state-backed disinformation campaigns and attempts to interfere in elections, the GCHQ spy agency said on Tuesday, in a rare statement on its offensive cyber work.

The attacks were carried out over the last three years by the secretive National Cyber Force (NCF), a hacking unit operational since 2020 made up of spies and defence officials from Britain's armed forces and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the eavesdropping agency said in a statement.

"In an increasingly volatile and interconnected world, to be a truly responsible cyber power, nations must be able to contest and compete with adversaries in cyberspace," GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming said.

The statement was published alongside a 28-page paper designed "to illustrate aspects of how the UK is being a responsible cyber power". It did not elaborate on the specifics of those operations.

Britain's position as a leading hacking power competing alongside the United States with countries including Russia, China and Iran has been long known but rarely acknowledged.

In 2018, GCHQ revealed a series of attacks it had conducted against Islamic State. Since its establishment, Britain has given little information about the activities of the NCF.

Since it began operating, the NCF has used its offensive cyber capabilities to protect overseas military deployments and "disrupt terrorist groups", the statement said, without elaborating.

British government hackers have also countered state disinformation campaigns and worked to "reduce the threat of external interference in democratic elections", the statement added.

The paper accompanying the statement did not say which disinformation-spreading states British hackers had worked to counter. It noted, however, that "countries such as Russia and Iran routinely carry out cyber operations of different kinds in order to spread disinformation".

Story continues

"The NCF's work is covert and we therefore do not reveal details of individual operations. Indeed the intent is sometimes that adversaries do not realise that the effects they are experiencing are the result of a cyber operation," GCHQ said.

"This ambiguity can help to amplify the cognitive effect".

The statement named James Babbage, a GCHQ intelligence officer of 30 years, as commander of the NCF.

(Reporting by James Pearson; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Jervois Global is AU$0.097 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of AU$0.078 suggests Jervois Global is potentially trading close to its fair value

Analyst price target for JRV is US$0.31, which is 220% above our fair value estimate

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Jervois Global Limited (ASX:JRV) as an investment opportunity by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. 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 Jervois Global

The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF ($, Millions) -US$60.0m -US$90.9m US$15.0m US$22.1m US$29.6m US$36.8m US$43.3m US$48.9m US$53.6m US$57.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 47.59% Est @ 33.89% Est @ 24.30% Est @ 17.59% Est @ 12.89% Est @ 9.60% Est @ 7.30% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 14% -US$52.7 -US$70.2 US$10.2 US$13.2 US$15.5 US$16.9 US$17.5 US$17.4 US$16.7 US$15.8

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$279k

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. 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 14%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$57m (1 + 1.9%)  (14% 1.9%) = US$493m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$493m ( 1 + 14%)10= US$135m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$136m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$0.08, the company appears about fair value at a 20% 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

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Jervois Global 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 14%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. 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 Jervois Global

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Good value based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Has less than 3 years of cash runway based on current free cash flow.

Moving On:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Jervois Global, we've put together three additional factors you should further research:

Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Jervois Global (including 1 which is a bit concerning) . Future Earnings: How does JRV's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian 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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Figure 1

Base Metal and PGM Targets (dot circles) for 2023 Drilling Program at Ferguson Lake Project

Figure 2

A drill rig operating onsite at Ferguson Lake Project

Figure 3

The field camp opened for winter operation at Ferguson Lake Project

Figure 4

A snow train transporting fuel and drill materials to Ferguson Lake Project

Figure 5

A fixed-wing aircraft (Dash 7) shipping the supplies to the field camp at Ferguson Lake Project

TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian North Resources Inc. (the Company, TSXV: CNRI; FSE: EO0 (E-O-zero)) is pleased to announce that the Company has opened the field camp and commenced diamond drilling at its 100% owned Ferguson Lake Project (Ferguson Lake Project) in Nunavut, Canada. The Ferguson Lake Project contains base metals (nickel, copper, cobalt) and platinum-group metals (PGM, mainly palladium and platinum), as well as potentially lithium minerals, along a 15-km-long main mineralized horizon and numerous additional prospective areas totaling 253.8 km2.



We have started another 20,000-meter drilling campaign in 2023 after successfully completing 18,144 meters in 2022 on the Ferguson Lake Project, said Dr. Kaihui Yang, the President and CEO. We will continue to focus on the drill testing of high-grade base metal and PGM targets along the 15-km-long main mineralized horizon, to expand and up-grade the mineral resources. Moreover, we will examine the lithium potential of the extensively outcropped pegmatites identified over the Ferguson Lake property."

The Company plans a 20,000-metre drill program in 2023, based on the results of the drilling program completed in 2022. The completed 18,144 meters (in 68 holes) extended the mineralized zones from the current mineral resource estimate that includes Indicated Mineral Resources of 24.3 million tonnes grading at 0.85% copper, 0.60% nickel, 0.07% cobalt, 1.38gpt palladium and 0.23gpt platinum; Inferred Mineral Resources of 47.2 million tonnes at 0.91% copper, 0.53% nickel, 0.06% cobalt, 1.4gpt palladium and 0.25gpt platinum (Refer to Independent Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate, Ferguson Lake Project, Nunavut, Canada, June 13, 2022, Prepared by Elisabeth Ronacher and Jamie Lavigne. filed by the Company to Sedar.com).

The planned drill program (Figure 1) is designed to further extend the West and East zones along strike and down dip from the drill holes completed in 2022. The program is planned as well to define new near-surface resources within the separate M-Zone and A51 zones, and to test the exploration targets along the east extensions of the East Zone and A51 Zone, West Zone South, Southern Discovery Zone as well as potential new lithium-bearing pegmatite targets. In particular, the drill program will continue to focus on the near surface open-pit resource definition and the expansion of the high grade-PGE mineralization zones at depth.



Story continues

A colored map with a key showing the Ferguson Lake Project





Figure 1. Base Metal and PGM Targets (dot circles) for 2023 Drilling Program at Ferguson Lake Project

The assay results of selected holes completed by the Company on the Ferguson Lake project are summarized as follows:

31.0m at 1.28% Cu, 0.81% Ni, 0.09% Co, 2.02g/t Pd and 0.29g/t Pt (hole FL22-442 at 55 to 86m);

28.45m at 0.80% Cu, 0.52% Ni, 0.06% Co, 1.38g/t Pd and 0.19g/t Pt (hole FL22-443 at 30-55m) and

16.0m at 0.28% Cu, 0.22% Ni, 0.03% Co, 0.69g/t Pd and 0.13g/t Pt (at 86-102m);

21.0m at 1.11% Cu, 0.71% Ni, 0.10% Co, 1.29g/t Pd, 0.15g/t Pt and 0.050 g/t Rh (hole FL22-470 at 13.0 - 34.0m);

9.90m at 0.96% Cu, 0.58% Ni, 0.09% Co, 1.03g/t Pd, 0.17g/t Pt, 0.01g/t Rh and 0.03g/t Au (hole FL22-471 at 47.50 - 57.40m);

16.7m at 0.48% Cu, 0.30% Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.55g/t Pd and 0.12g/t Pt (hole FL22-469 at 200.8-217.5m);

7.30m at 0.83% Cu, 0.76% Ni, 0.09% Co, 1.31g/t Pd, 0.19g/t Pt, 0.047g/t Rh and 0.028 g/t Au (hole FL22-478 at 39.60 - 46.90m);

7.60m at 0.93% Cu, 0.26% Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.74g/t Pd and 0.14g/t Pt (hole FL22-481A at 634.8 - 642.4m);

8.43m at 0.64% Cu, 0.30% Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.50g/t Pd, 0.14g/t and 0.06g/t Rh (hole FL22-486 at 122.87 - 131.30m);

9.90m at 0.34% Cu, 0.14% Ni, 0.02%Co, 0.33g/t Pd, 0.03g/t Pt, 0.03g/t Rh and 0.20g/t Au (at 28.1-38.0m) and 20.3m at 0.36% Cu, 0.24% Ni, 0.03% Co, 0.55g/t Pd, 0.08g/t Pt, 0.02g/t Rh and 0.02g/t Au (hole FL22-490 at 43.40 - 63.70m);

8.50m at 0.80% Cu, 0.63% Ni, 0.08% Co, 1.63g/t Pd, 0.23g/t Pt and 0.01 g/t Rh (hole FL22-492 at 231.0 - 239.5m);

6.00m at 0.89% Cu, 0.44% Ni, 0.05% Co, 1.16g/t Pd, 0.26g/t Pt, 0.01g/t Rh and 0.10g/t Au (hole FL22-487 at 60.7 - 66.7m);

9.80m at 0.34% Cu; 0.40% Ni, 0.04%Co, 0.66g/t Pd and 0.26g/t Pt, including

3.50m at 0.86% Cu, 1.07% Ni, 0.12% Co, 1.64 g/t Pd, 0.19% Pt, 0.042g/t Rh and 0.02g/t Au (Hole FL22-463 at 191.67 - 201.47m);

22.0m at 0.44% Cu, 0.30% Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.57g/t Pd, 0.09g/t Pt and 0.03g/t Rh, including

5.80m at 1.15% Cu, 0.73% Ni, 0.09% Co, 1.37g/t Pd, 0.23g/t Pt, 0.079g/t Rh, and 0.045g/t Au (hole FL22-494 at 28.0 - 50.0m).

10m at 1.72% Cu, 0.81% Ni, 0.07% Co, 2.07g/t Pd and 0.23g/t Pt (hole FL21-436 at 123-133m);

6.40m at 1.15% Cu, 0.64% Ni, 0.08% Co, 1.70g/t Pd and 0.24g/t Pt (hole FL21-435 at 94-100.4m) and

11.52m at 0.56% Cu, 0.48% Ni, 0.06% Co, 1.01g/t Pd and 0.22g/t Pt (at 72.6-84.12m);

12.65m at 0.99% Cu, 0.54% Ni, 0.09% Co, 1.11g/t Pd and 0.15g/t Pt (hole FL22-457 at 178.35 -191m);

36.0m at 0.02% Cu, 0.03% Ni, 0.01% Co, 1.08g/t Pd and 0.25g/t Pt (hole FL22-460 at 148-184m);

18.2m at 0.54% Cu, 0.21% Ni, 0.03% Co, 0.56g/t Pd and 0.12g/t Pd (hole FL21-434 at 107.8-126m);

9.0m at 0.52% Cu, 0.28% Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.76g/t Pd and 0.16g/t Pt (hole FL21-438 at 140-149m) and

10.0m at 0.39% Cu, 0.40% Ni, 0.05% Co, 0.95g/t Pd and 0.24g/t Pt (at 154-164m);

6.0m at 0.78% Cu, 0.87% Ni, 0.12% Co, 1.80g/t Pd and 0.13g/t Pt (hole FL22-459 at 45-61m) and

5.3m at 1.00% Cu, 0.62% Ni, 0.07% Co, 1.28g/t Pd and 0.14g/t Pt (at 92-97.3m) and

6.5m at 0.50% Cu, 0.55% Ni, 0.06% Co, 1.13g/t Pd and 0.14g/t Pt (at 108.5-115m) and

10.6m at 0.24% Cu, 0.28%Ni, 0.04% Co, 0.80g/t Pd and 0.09g/t Pt (at 126.4-137m).

The drilling program is supported by the local communities (Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet) in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, and the service providers in Winnipeg, Yellowknife and Edmonton. The Company has engaged with local companies for the logistic supports, transportation and the camp operation. A few photos showing the field operation are shown below:

A drill rig operating onsite at Ferguson Lake project





Figure 2, A drill rig operating onsite at Ferguson Lake Project

The field camp opened for winter operation at Ferguson Lake Project





Figure 3, The field camp opened for winter operation at Ferguson Lake Project

A snow train transporting fuel and drill materials to Ferguson Lake Project





Figure 4, A snow train transporting fuel and drill materials to Ferguson Lake Project

A fixed-wing aircraft (Dash 7) shipping the supplies to the field camp at Ferguson Lake Project





Figure 5, A fixed-wing aircraft (Dash 7) shipping the supplies to the field camp at Ferguson Lake Project

Qualified Person:

The technical contents of this news release have been reviewed by Dr. Trevor Boyd, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 standards.

About Canadian North Resources Inc.:

Canadian North Resources Inc. is an exploration and development company focusing on the metals for the clean-energy, electric vehicles, battery and high-tech industries. The company is advancing its 100% owned Ferguson Lake nickel, copper, cobalt, palladium, and platinum project that covers an area of 253.8 km2 of mining leases (96.9 km2) and surrounding exploration claims (156.9 km2) in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada.

The Ferguson Lake mining property contains substantial resources in compliance with NI43-101 standards, which include Indicated Mineral Resources of 24.3 million tonnes containing 455 million pounds (Mlb) copper at 0.85%, 321Mlb nickel at 0.60%, 37.5Mlb cobalt at 0.07%, 1.08 million ounces (Moz) palladium at 1.38gpt and 0.18Moz platinum at 0.23gpt; Inferred Mineral Resources of 47.2 million tonnes containing 947Mlb copper at 0.91%, 551.5Mlb nickel at 0.53%, 62.4Mlb cobalt at 0.06%, 2.12Moz palladium at 1.4gpt and 0.38Moz platinum at 0.25gpt. The resource model indicates significant potential for resource expansion along strike and at depth over the 15 km long mineralized belt. (Refer to Independent Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate, Ferguson Lake Project, Nunavut, Canada, June 13, 2022, Prepared by Elisabeth Ronacher and Jamie Lavigne. filed by the Company to Sedar.com).

Further information of the Company can be found at www.cnresources.com.

Also, for further information contact:

Dr. Kaihui Yang, President and CEO

905-696-8288 (Canada) 1-888-688-8809 (Toll-Free) https://CNResources.com

Email: info@cnresources.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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect managements expectations regarding the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Companys forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law, anticipated events, except as expressly required by law.



Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cc1ca29-d811-4509-b5f9-ff89e9ab3700

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad7f7de5-3292-4063-a046-6318b3e07373

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b3a2eb7-55e7-479b-a2be-6b4af2e5f215

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc4dc4ce-b5a7-4b15-9249-77ee4ce77475

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2edefeb4-467b-4859-aa1a-f9c1c1b64f5f




The ten Tadawul-listed banks in Saudi Arabia posted a robust performance in 2022, with net profit jumping 28%, reaching SR62.71 billion ($16.7 billion).

Total assets grew by 11.5% reaching to SR3.832 trillion, deposits were up by 8.34%, closing at SR2.296 trillion. Overall, the banking industry has continued capturing the benefits of economic expansion, according to KPMG, a leading provider of audit, tax and advisory services.

In its annual market update KPMG said the growth trajectory is expected to continue on account of consistent demand for public and private sector financing and the availability of non-interest-bearing deposits.

Challenges faced

The challenges faced by the global banking sector were particularly heightened by shockwaves sent by the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US and the acquisition of Credit Suisse in Europe.

We have seen the added liquidity requirements were fulfilled through Tier 1 capital and sukuk, commented Ovais Shahab, Head of Financial Services at KPMG in Saudi Arabia.

Overall, the banking industry has continued to capture the benefits of economic expansion, evidenced by an increase in lending and reaching a loan-to-deposit ratio of approximately 95.5% at the end of December 2022 and an increase in loan books by 14.44% year-on-year.

Expected credit loss

The increase in net profit from last year is further marked by a substantial decrease in expected credit loss (ECL) allowances, which declined by 19.25% year-on-year to SR9.87 billion as the industry has successfully come out of Covid-19 and better managing portfolio performance across various industry segments.

The industrys loan-to-deposit ratio of 95% is definitely more than desired and reflects some pressure on banks to improve their liquidity through raising deposits if they wish to fetch the benefits of economic growth funded by the governments spending on key sectors and the roll-out of its giga projects.

Banks are cognizant of anticipated pressures on liquidity and accordingly we have evidenced capitalisation of retained earnings, issuance of Tier I capital and customised solution to cater to future economic needs and shifting market dynamics, added Shahab.

Core equity base

An upsurge in such Tier I capital issuance has been noted across the banking participants to support the core equity base and fulfil the financial and strategic needs. At present, SR28.14 billion has been issued, which is likely to increase further in the near future according to Shahab.

Going forward, risks seem more dynamic and interconnected than ever before; emerging technologies rise as a major disruptor in business and the greatest threat to organisational growth if they are not agile and fast enough to change. KPMG believes that operational excellence will remain a high priority while regulatory changes will only grow over the next few years.

Sama has always extended support to the banking industry so that market participants can continue playing a crucial role in the ambitious economic expansion agenda of the kingdom, Shahab concluded.

-- TradeArabia News Service
More than half of Canadians indicate they are behind on retirement saving

50% of Canadians say they plan to have a side gig when they retire

55% say they need to better understand tax-friendly retirement savings options

52% don't feel they have enough money left at the end of the month to save for their retirement

19% plan to rely on government-assisted retirement plans; 13% have not made retirement savings plans

32% believe they put away enough money each month for a retirement fund

46% feel good about their retirement strategy

CALGARY, AB, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - A new survey commissioned by H&R Block Canada reveals that nearly half of Canadians are unprepared for retirement, lack enough savings, and are planning on working part-time in retirement years to make ends meet.

H&R Block Logo (CNW Group/H&R Block Canada Inc.)

"Not so long ago, the traditional vision of retirement was that at around 65 years old, Canadians 'hung up their hats' and celebrated the end of full-time employment. Enjoying the steady income of their company/government pension, they were ready to embrace new life ventures in pursuit of the things they never previously had time for," said Peter Bruno, President of H&R Block Canada. "What we're seeing now is that the vision for retirement has evolved dramatically  fuelled by shifts in tax-friendly savings plan options, evolving workforce realities, the gig economy, and the prevailing economic environment."

Evolved vision of 'semi or gig-retirement' at an earlier-than-average age.

While Canadians may still plan on hanging up their hat on their 9-5 job, half (50%) say they plan to have a gig job when they retire to bring in some income, introducing a new reality to the future of retirement. The survey also reveals that many Canadians anticipate retiring earlier than the current average age.

According to Statistics Canada, the average retirement age in 2022 was 64 years and 6 months in age. However, the survey saw 44% say they anticipate retiring before they hit the 64-year mark. Of those who've not yet retired, there's a wide range of retirement age expectations, including between 45-54 years old (5%); 55-64 (39%); 65-69 (35%); 60-64 (27%); 70+ (21%).

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Surprisingly, the survey also revealed that over a third (36%) of total respondents between the ages of 18-54 believe they won't ever retire.

Canadians recognize the importance of tax-friendly savings plans  even if they don't totally understand them.

The research indicates that Canadians recognize that tax-friendly savings plans, including RRSPs and TFSAs, are a key component of their retirement strategy. There is also a heavy reliance on employer-sponsored registered pensions and government-assisted retirement plans to help fund future retirement. The survey found:

56% of Canadians report having an RRSP; 6% plan to set one up in the future

54% have a TFSA; 6% plan to establish one at some point

37% have an employer-sponsored registered pension plan

19% say they'll rely on government-assisted retirement plans

However, the research reveals there's still a prevailing lack of understanding around tax-friendly retirement savings options and strategies (55% of Canadians), including among those that already have retirement plans in place.

More than one-in-ten Canadians (13%) report not having made retirement savings plans, and 5% say they'd rather spend any extra money on maintaining a good standard of living versus putting it into a TFSA or RRSP.

Mixed sentiment around retirement outlook.

The current economic climate is putting pressure on many Canadians when thinking about putting money away for their retirement. More than half (52%) feel they don't have enough money left over at the end of the month to put towards retirement savings, and 65% say they'll likely put less into their TFSA or RRSP this year, given the increased cost of living. This compares to 32% who feel like they put enough money away each month for their retirement and 46% who feel good about their retirement strategy.

"There is no one-size-fits-all retirement plan or strategy for Canadians, but regardless of your personal situation, having a good understanding of your options and how tax-friendly savings plans work is key," said Peter Bruno. "When it comes to tax filing time, it's also important you understand any changes that could impact how to maximize your tax return and minimize your taxable income."

H&R Block Canada points to key changes this tax filing season relating to retirement savings plans:

RRSP and TFSA limits increased.

The RRSP limit for tax year 2023 increased to $30,780 . Canadians can contribute up to 18% of their earned income in the previous year, up to the maximum of the limit.

The TFSA contribution limit increased to $6,500 for the year. To put this into perspective, if a 40-year-old Canadian contributed the maximum amount annually, they would have $162,500 (plus interest) in their TFSA by the age of 65.

Changes to Old Age Security (OAS) limits.

Some Canadians may need to repay OAS . This year, Canadians 65 and older whose taxable income was over $81,761 would need to repay some of their OAS. If your taxable income was over $134,626, you wouldn't have received any OAS payments.

Seniors 75+ receive an automatic 10% increase as part of the CRA's new Affordability Plan as of July 2022.

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) maximum contributions increased

Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) increased by 2.7%. This means the maximum pensionable earnings are $64,900, with a basic exemption of $3,500 for 2022. The employee and employer maximum contribution is $3,499.80 for CPP and $3,776.10 for QPP.

Self-employed Canadians must account for both the employer and employee contributions, so for this year, the maximum contribution for CPP is $6,999.60, and for QPP, it is $7,552.20

About the survey

The online survey was commissioned by H&R Block and conducted from February 14-16, 2023, among a nationally representative sample of 1,501 Canadians who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, samples of this size would each yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The survey was offered in English and French.

About H&R Block Canada

A trusted partner of Canadians for over 55 years, H&R Block Canada is Canada's tax leader. Serving more than 900 locations across Canada, H&R Block's team of Tax Experts use the latest in technological advances combined with real-world expertise to help people file taxes in-office, remotely, via drop off or use do-it-yourself Tax Software. H&R Block Canada can support the preparation of personal, small business, corporate, U.S., rental and estate taxes. H&R Block's comprehensive education program, Tax Academy, trains new experts and ensures our Tax Experts continually update their skills. Learn more at www.hrblock.ca or 1-800-HRBLOCK.

SOURCE H&R Block Canada Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c8816.html
Cannabis Science Conference





2023 Portland Show Features Interactive Off-Site Event at ChemHistory, Oregons Premier Compliance Laboratory, in an Immersive Full Day Experience Prior to Conference





PORTLAND, OR, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire  Cannabis Science Conference (CSC), the premier cannabis science conference event focusing on analytical science, medical cannabis, cultivation, and psychedelics, announced today their pre-conference off-site workshop, Canna Boot Camp , taking place April 19 at ChemHistory , a quality control testing laboratory located in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Canna Boot Camp is CSCs full-day off-site workshop covering a wide range of cannabis science topics including cultivation, pre-processing, sample prep, analytical testing, extraction, and manufacturing. CSC brings together industry experts to educate attendees in an interactive, workshop setting, located off-site from the conference the day before the show. Canna Boot Camp attendees will rotate through interactive educational zones at ChemHistory, and gain a full understanding of how the cannabis industry works from seed to sale. ChemHistory is Oregons premier laboratory providing comprehensive quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC), ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

"CSC's mission is to promote knowledge and empowerment through education, and Canna Boot Camp provides an exciting interactive opportunity for attendees to learn in an immersive, real-life location," said Megan L'Heureux, spokesperson for CSC. "Were excited to be working with Alex Hoggan and his team at ChemHistory to bring together experts and enthusiasts to share their knowledge and perspectives. Canna Boot Camp is always well-attended by those seeking a greater understanding of cannabis science, for all skill levels. Our agenda will include in-depth discussions on topics such as analytical testing, cultivation, medical cannabis, processing, and more."

The Cannabis Science Conference show floor event, from April 20-21, will feature several key medical sessions, including "Low and Ultra-Low Doses of Cannabinoids: Are We Missing the Sweet Spot?" by Dr. Dustin Sulak, DO, and "MDMA/Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: The Path to Potential FDA Approval" by Dr. Sue Sisley, MD. There will also be a panel discussion on quality assurance and safety in cannabis, psilocybin, and hemp, as well as a panel discussion on the results from the first NIH-funded population-based study of medical marijuana.

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CSC will be hosting four main tracks, including Analytical Science, Medical Cannabis, Cultivation, and Psychedelics. The conference will also feature a special focus on cannabis and veterans, with a special screening of the movie Unprescribed , which explores how veterans are turning to cannabis as a safer alternative to pharmaceuticals. Amid the opioid and suicide epidemics, increasing numbers of veterans are turning to cannabis and psychedelics, and CSC will be hosting a discussion with filmmaker Steve Ellmore on the efficacy of cannabis as a treatment alternative. The Unprescribed movie reveals a history of prohibition steeped in racism and political motivation.

Cannabis Science Conference will have veterans available to speak with at the conference, including Medical Track Program Chair Cherissa Jackson, RN, who served 23 years of active-duty military service with 10 years as a US Air Force Nurse.

See more details about Canna Boot Camp here .

Learn more about the movie Unprescribed here .

For the full show agenda, please visit the CSC website .

To apply for a media pass, including access to Canna Boot Camp, please contact CSCEvents@cmwmedia.com.

CSC previously ran their cannabis scientific event in Portland in 2019, and has plans to offer shows in other emerging markets around the country in coming months, with plans to run two shows per year in regions where conversations are taking place. Stay tuned for information on other upcoming events.

About Cannabis Science Conference:

Cannabis Science Conference (CSC) is the industrys premier science event, focusing on analytical science, medical cannabis, cultivation, and psychedelics. Cannabis Science Conference brings together cannabis and psychedelic industry experts, including instrument manufacturers, testing labs, research scientists, cultivators, medical practitioners, policymakers, patients, and interested novices to network and share ideas. CSC runs semi-annual events nationwide in emerging markets, aimed at improving cannabis and psychedelic science. Join us for world-class education, stellar networking, and the opportunity to connect with thought leaders, leading scientists, pioneers in cutting-edge medical applications and industry suppliers. For more information, visit www.cannabisscienceconference.com .



Media Contact:

Cassandra Dowell

CMW Media

cscevents@cmwmedia.com

+1 858 264-6600

www.cmwmedia.com




InsightAce Analytic Pvt. LTd.

Companies Covered in this Study are Schneider Electric, SAP, IBM, Salesforce, Isometrix, Enviance, Dakota Software, ESP, Accuvio, Locus Technologies, ProcessMap, NativeEnergy, Eco Track, Energy Cap, Carbon Footprint Ltd

Jersey City, NJ, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Carbon Footprint Management Market is estimated to reach over USD 55.87 billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 20.17% during the forecast period.

Due to the need to comply with carbon emissions regulations, businesses across many industries are adopting carbon footprint management software at an increasing rate. Because of this, demand for carbon footprint monitoring software has increased across industries. It is projected that the expanding government initiatives around the world will accelerate market expansion. As an illustration, SAP increased its software market share in the carbon footprint management industry in June 2020 by upgrading and introducing a system to quantify carbon emissions.





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Furthermore, escalating environmental worries motivate businesses to inform staff about the dire situation. For instance, Deloitte announced the launch of a new curriculum related to climate learning for all of its 330,000 employees worldwide in August 2021.

Recent Developments:

In October 2020, For an undisclosed sum, Canadian carbon reduction solutions provider Radicle Group Inc. purchased Climate Smart Companies Inc. Radicle Group hopes that by making this acquisition, it will be able to serve better the demands of customers who want to determine their emissions and then manage a carbon plan to grow their business. A Canadian company called Climate Smart Companies offers help managing carbon footprints.

List of Prominent Players in the Carbon Footprint Management Market:



Accuvio Sustainability Reporting Software

Carbon EMS

Carbon Footprint Ltd.

Dakota Software Corporation

Eco Track

Enablon

EnergyCAP, Inc.

ENGIE

Enviance

Envirosoft Corporation

ESP

IBM Corporation

Intelex Technologies ULC

IsoMetrix Software

Laragon Sustainability Solutions

Locus Technologies

NativeEnergy

ProcessMAP Corporation

Salesforce

SAP SE

Schneider Electric

Trinity Consultants

Wolters Kluwer N.V.

Story continues





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Carbon Footprint Management Market Report Scope:



Report Attribute Specifications Market size value in 2022 USD 10.85 Bn Revenue forecast in 2031 USD 55.87 Bn Growth rate CAGR CAGR of 20.17 % from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative units Representation of revenue in US$ Billion, and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market statistics, growth prospects, and trends Segments covered Component, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, And Vertical Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; The UK; France; Italy; Spain; China; Japan; India; South Korea; Southeast Asia; South Korea; Southeast Asia

Market Dynamics:

Drivers-

Due to technological advancements like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data solutions, the market for carbon footprint management is expanding. Businesses may automatically track emissions throughout their whole carbon footprint with AI-powered data engineering. They are able to gather information from operations, business travel, IT hardware, and every link in the value chain, including suppliers of raw materials and components, carriers, and even the consumers of their products' final products. AI may make use of data from novel sources, such as satellites.

Challenges:

The main challenge in the market for managing carbon footprints is facing is a lack of enthusiasm for carbon emission controls that stop large-scale emissions of greenhouse gases from industrial sources. To reduce carbon emissions, governments are not restricting industry enough. Other than that, the use of carbon management systems, such as carbon footprint management software, is declining due to new technologies integrating with artificial intelligence, the internet of things and machine learning. A fundamental sustainable foundation on which the ecosystem can be constructed is another factor impeding the global market for managing carbon footprints.

Regional Trends:

Due to its rapid economic change and increased awareness of the region's rising carbon emissions, Asia-Pacific is expected to have considerable growth over the forecast period. This is expected to fuel the expansion of carbon footprint management solutions in the area. Furthermore, the incorporation of cutting-edge technology that enables end users to track GHG and carbon emissions remotely is another factor contributing to the rapid growth of the market for carbon footprint management in this region.





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Segmentation of Carbon Footprint Management Market-

By Component-

Solutions

Services Consulting Integration & Deployment Support & Maintenance



By Deployment Mode-

Cloud

On-premise

By Organization Size-

Corporates/Enterprises

Mid-Tier Enterprises

Small Businesses

By Vertical-

Manufacturing Food & Beverages Metals & Mining Chemical & Materials Electronics & Consumer Goods Automotive Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Others

Energy & Utilities

Residential & Commercial

Transportation & Logistics

IT & Telecom

Financial Services

By Region-

North America-

The US

Canada

Mexico

Europe-

Germany

The UK

France

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific-

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Southeast Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America-

Brazil

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa-

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East and Africa

About Us:

InsighAce Analytic is a specializing in market research and consulting services that helps in building business strategies. Our mission is to provide high quality insights with using data analytics techniques and visualization tools that drives the disruption and innovation in market research industry. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with in-depth analysis and key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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Transparency Market Research

The major players operating in the global cardiotonic agents market are Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Inc., Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, Fresenius Kabi, Midas Pharma GmbH, Sanofi, Aurobindo Pharma Limited, and SimSon Pharma Limited.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the market study by Transparency Market Research, the global cardiotonic agents market was worth USD 732 Million in 2022 and the global market is anticipated to reach USD 4.5 Billion by 2031. The global market will grow at a CAGR of 21.3% between 2023 and 2031.



Increased rates of cardiovascular disease and surgical procedures related to cardiovascular diseases are expected to contribute to an increase in the demand for cardiotonic agents in the market over the next few years.

Identify Key Trends, Drivers, and Challenges in the Market, Which Will Help Vendors Improve Their Strategies to Stay Ahead of Their Competitors. View Our PDF Sample Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=85515

Cardiotonic agents continue to be developed, and new and improved products are being introduced to the market. Several new drugs are being developed to target specific heart failure mechanisms. With the development of these drugs, the effectiveness and side effects of existing drugs could be improved.

According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, constitute four out of five deaths that are caused by cardiovascular conditions. Distribution channels in hospital pharmacies are expected to be the largest in the market. Online pharmacies will likely increase market demand for cardiotonic agents.

The growing use of personalized medicine approaches, such as genetic testing, may also create new opportunities for the cardiotonic agent market. By identifying specific genetic markers associated with heart failure, doctors may be able to tailor treatments to individual patients, potentially leading to better outcomes.

Story continues

Multiple factors are expected to contribute to the growth of the cardiotonic market over the next few years. The aging population is contributing to the prevalence of heart failure. A survey conducted by the American Heart Association in 2009 found that around 6.5 million Americans suffer from heart failure, and it's expected to increase with aging.

Key Findings of the Market Report

Advancements in drug research are leading to the development of lucrative cardiotonic agents that will be in high demand.

Technological advances in cardiotonic drug development are accelerating market growth.

The development of new drugs and investments in research and development will help to grow the market.

Using nanotechnology, drugs are expected to become more efficient and safer, resulting in increased market growth in the coming years.

The increasing use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors is anticipated to increase the market for cardiotonic agents.



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Global Cardiotonic Agents: Growth Drivers

Increasing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly population to grow market demand for cardiotonic drugs. There has been a dramatic increase in awareness regarding the potential benefits of cardiotonic agents among the medical community in recent years, and this has been a major contributor to their market growth.

With the development of new and better cardiotonic agents in recent years, improved patient outcomes have led to an increased demand for these therapies. Increasing numbers of clinical trials for cardiotonic agents have also contributed significantly to the growth of the market in recent years.

Oral cardiotonic agents are expected to hold the largest market during the forecast period. It is expected that the market for cardiotonic agents will continue to grow in the foreseeable future as healthcare expenditures increase in developed and emerging markets. Increasing emergency and critical care admissions will increase the demand for cardiovascular drugs, which will drive market growth.

Increasing government approvals, clinical trials, and product launches are expected to drive market growth. A growing number of government initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of cardiovascular diseases, along with increased R&D spending, will likely drive further market growth.

Global Cardiotonic Agents: Regional Landscape

According to industry analysis, the North American cardiotonic agent market will dominate the global market.

Increasing incidences of cardiovascular diseases and growth in surgery in the U.S. and Canada to grow the market.

A growing number of pharmaceutical companies operate in developing countries, such as India and China, where the demand for cardiotonic agents is expected to grow.

Increasing disposable incomes and a growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases drive demand for these drugs in Asia Pacific.

Several policies and rebates offered on medicines and treatments in the Middle East and Latin America made a significant contribution to the growth of the market.



Global Cardiotonic Agents Market: Key Players

In order to manage their business operations effectively, customers are increasingly looking for sophisticated solutions, and major players are investing in research and development and strategic partnerships. The market also offers several companies the opportunity to acquire small and mid-sized businesses.

In January 2022, Merck & Co., Inc. released positive results from its phase II clinical trial of vericiguat, which enhances heart function by stimulating guanylate cyclase.

In February 2022, Roche disclosed findings from a phase III trial for furosemide, a loop diuretic used to treat heart failure and improve cardiac performance.

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Global Cardiotonic Agents Market: Segmentation

Drug Type

Digitalis Glycosides

Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors

Cardioprotectants

Sympathomimetic Agents

Others



Application

Cardiac Surgical Procedures

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Pulmonary Hypertension

Others (Atrial Flutter, Cardiogenic Shock, etc.)



Route of Administration

Oral

Parenteral

Dosage Form

Tablet

Solution

Others



Distribution Channel

Hospital Pharmacies

Retail Pharmacies

Online Pharmacies



Regions

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East & Africa



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

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CBI

Britains biggest business lobbying group has been plunged deeper into crisis after a woman claimed she was raped at a staff party amid more than a dozen allegations of sexual misconduct by managers.

The allegations against male bosses at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) include instances of attempted sexual assault, the sending of explicit images to junior female staff, inappropriate touching, sexualised remarks, the propositioning of female colleagues while drunk and widespread cocaine use.

Female staff told the Guardian there was a toxic culture of unchecked misogyny at the lobbying group, which claims to represent almost 200,000 companies and styles itself as Britains premier business organisation.

One of the alleged victims told the paper: There are some kind men who work at the CBI. But there are also men who prey on younger women.

The experience of being targeted destroyed my confidence at work, and in other parts of my personal life.

Another added: Its been scary. I am trying to protect my colleagues by speaking out about hidden problems.

There is a real danger from some of these people.

The new claims have come to light as the CBI is still reeling from separate complaints made against Tony Danker, the director general.

A female CBI employee is understood to have claimed that he made unwanted contact with her, which she regarded as harassment. There are also allegations he looked at employees' Instagram profiles.

At the time, Mr Danker apologised and said any offence was completely unintentional.

CBI director general Tony Danker - Christopher Furlong/Getty

After the allegations against Mr Danker were revealed by the Guardian earlier this month, it was announced that he would step aside while an independent investigation was carried out.

That investigation, which has been expanded to include the new allegations, is being led by the law firm Fox Williams with help from consultants.

The CBI, Britain's highest profile business lobbying group, has taken a vocal stand on major issues such as Brexit, which it opposed during the 2016 referendum.

Story continues

Mr Danker, who was appointed director general in November 2020, previously worked as an executive at the Guardian and was a policy adviser to Gordon Brown's Labour government from 2008 to 2010.

In a speech shortly before the allegations against him were made public, he said that British businesses must embrace "progressive" values such as net zero and adopt "active diversity and inclusion strategies" in order to attract Gen Z workers.

A CBI spokesman said: The CBI has treated and continues to treat all matters of workplace conduct with the utmost seriousness, which is why, earlier this month, we commissioned a thorough investigation by an independent law firm into all recent allegations that have been put to us.

It would undermine this important process and be damaging and prejudicial to all the individuals involved to comment on these allegations at this point.

We will not hesitate to take any necessary action when the investigation concludes.

Among the alleged victims is a woman who said she was raped by a senior colleague at the CBIs 2019 summer boat party.

She reported the incident to a manager but said she felt let down when they urged her to seek out counselling instead of taking further action.

The woman subsequently did not report the incident to the police.

The CBI insisted it had found no evidence or record of the alleged rape. But a spokesman added: Given the seriousness of the issue, it is part of the independent investigation being conducted by Fox Williams.

At the same boat party, another manager was accused of attempted sexual assault, which the CBI did investigate.

The manager left the organisation but the CBI declined to say whether it had referred the matter to the police.

Several other serious allegations have also been made against the organisation in the Guardian report.

Some junior female employees said they had received unsolicited and explicit images from a senior manager via the mobile phones, while others complained of being propositioned by a different manager after being pressured to drink alcohol.

In other incidents, managers are said to have behaved inappropriately towards younger colleagues, with one former board member accused of touching a female employees bottom and making a sexualised remark to another woman within earshot of colleagues.

The CBI board member who made the remark apologised and claimed they did not mean to cause offence, according to the Guardian, but then made a similar remark to a different woman some months later.

The board member is said to deny touching the female staff members bottom.

At the time of the alleged rape, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn was director general. She was the organisation's first female boss. In a statement, she insisted she had taken a "zero-tolerance approach" to allegations of misconduct. "Any allegations of inappropriate conduct made to me were taken incredibly seriously and swiftly addressed," Dame Carolyn told the Guardian.
With House Republicans so far unable to agree on a proposal to slash federal spending in exchange for helping to raise the debt limit, a group of centrist Democrats is reportedly working on a fallback plan to avoid a potentially ruinous default on the nations debt.

According to Politicos Sarah Ferris, Adam Cancryn and Burgess Everett, a rogue group of House Democrats has been holding talks with moderate Republicans on how to proceed if Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is unable to wrangle his combative caucus and come up with a coherent fiscal plan that raises the debt limit before the U.S. is unable to pay its bills  a crisis point that could arrive as soon as June 5, though its more likely to occur later this summer, with some experts targeting mid-August.

There are no details about the plan itself. But the planning effort and the lines of communication it requires could help produce a last-minute solution should lawmakers find themselves teetering on the edge of disaster in a few months.

Whatever the specifics, the White House and senior Democratic lawmakers are cool to the idea. Democratic officials think they have gained the upper hand in the dispute and are happy to let Republicans bicker among themselves as they struggle to square conflicting demands for cutting spending while insisting they will not raise the debt ceiling without concessions  even as President Joe Biden maintains his position that he will not negotiate over the debt limit and wants lawmakers to pass a clean bill to raise it.

Senior Democrats also warn that the moderates efforts probably wont work and could make it harder to pass a clean bill.

Were gaining ground because of [House Republicans] inability to put together a plan, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told Politico. Im certainly willing to entertain a mix of things on the budget. Not on the debt ceiling.

Apparently lacking a working majority, Republicans have backed away from an earlier plan to release their own budget proposal that would set the stage to negotiate spending cuts. GOP leaders are struggling to coalesce around a viable blueprint thanks to their members ever-expanding wish list and the realization that, for some hardline conservatives, there may be no level of austerity that would cut deep enough, Ferris, Cancryn and Everett write.

The bottom line: With debt ceiling talks between party leaders going nowhere, centrists in both parties are seeking a potential solution to the problem. But its not clear that there is a compromise available right now that can win sufficient support to avert disaster  though that may change as the day of crisis draws nearer.

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New York, NY, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CertiK, the leading provider of blockchain security solutions, is excited to announce the launch of Skynet for Community, an all-in-one security, due diligence, and insights platform for the Web3 ecosystem. Skynet for Community empowers users, investors, and community members to make informed decisions about Web3 projects by providing a comprehensive set of tools for research, analysis, and monitoring.

With thousands of Web3 projects creating millions of points of data every day, it's easy to get lost in the noise. Skynet for Communitys rich data-driven insights help users to discover new projects, conduct due diligence on projects of interest, and keep up to date on the latest news and developments in the Web3 space. The platform aggregates a vast amount of data into Web3's most accessible due diligence tool.

Skynet for Community puts security front and center, with the Security Leaderboard ranking projects according to their Security Score and market performance. The Verified Teams (KYC) Leaderboard lists and ranks projects based on the status of their CertiK KYC Badge, which is awarded to project teams that undergo a rigorous background investigation.

Skynet for Community evaluates the security of Web3 projects through both manual and automated measures. The platform covers the majority of all Web3 projects using transparent metrics, regardless of their relationship with CertiK.

Manual Signal Scores are determined by CertiKs research analysts and security experts, who evaluate factors such as the quality of whitepapers, documentation, and other fundamental aspects of the project. Automatic Signal Scores are calculated in real-time by the underlying software and monitoring systems, which evaluate website cybersecurity, security incidents, and other factors. The signals are weighted based on their severity or potential impact, and the aggregate of qualitative and quantitative insights makes up the projects final Security Score.

Story continues

Skynet for Community also includes tools such as Exchange Analyzer, which allows users to conduct due diligence on centralized exchanges by displaying their on-chain asset holdings; Skynet Alerts, a system that provides timely notifications on rugpulls and exploits in the cryptocurrency space; and Wallet Analyzer, which provides insights on wallet addresses and makes it easy to visualize and decipher on-chain transactions between wallets.

"Skynet for Community is a revolutionary product that leverages CertiK's expertise in blockchain security to provide an independent, transparent, and comprehensive evaluation of Web3 projects," said Professor Ronghui Gu, co-founder and CEO of CertiK. "We are excited to launch this product and offer the Web3 community a powerful tool that makes it easy to do your own research."

The launch of Skynet for Community marks a new era of transparency and accountability for the Web3 world as it provides a comprehensive evaluation of projects' security in real-time. With its uniquely comprehensive approach of combining manual and automated measures, CertiK's Security Score provides an independent lens through which all Web3 projects can be evaluated.

To learn more about Skynet Community and to try out the suite of due diligence tools, visit skynet.certik.com or follow along on Twitter at @CertiK and @CertiKCommunity.

About CertiK

CertiK is a pioneer in blockchain security, leveraging best-in-class AI technology and expert manual review to protect and monitor blockchain protocols and smart contracts. Founded in 2018 by professors from Yale University and Columbia University, CertiK secures the Web3 world, by applying cutting-edge innovations from academia to enterprise, enabling mission-critical applications to scale with safety and correctness. CertiK has audited more than 3,900 Web3 projects and secured hundreds of billions of dollars of market capitalization.



CONTACT: Alnura Belyalova Director of PR, Luna PR alnura@lunapr.io




BAYTOWN, Texas, April 03, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dirk Perrin, a 25-year veteran of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, is the new plant manager at the companys Cedar Bayou plant effective April 1, Chevron Phillips Chemical announced today.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005650/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

Perrin, previously the plant manager at Chevron Phillips Chemicals facility in Sweeny, Texas, replaces Gary Piana in the plant manager role. Piana has accepted a new role at the companys headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas, as the Manufacturing Improvement and Transformation General Manager.

Perrin, Pianas successor, has served in various plant leadership roles within Chevron Phillips Chemicals global manufacturing organization over the past 25 years. These roles include Pasadena Maintenance Manager, Singapore Plant Manager, Qatar Chemical Production Manager and Qatar Chemical Plant Manager. He holds a bachelors degree in chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Active in his community, Perrin served on the executive board for the Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County and the Brazoria County Petrochemical Council (BCPC). He served as the chairman for the BCPC Environmental, Health and Safety Committee, where is brought best practice safety programs to industry leaders for two consecutive years. He is also a member of the University of Oklahoma School of Chemical, Biological and Material Engineering Advisory Board.

"For the past three years, Dirk has led one of the companys largest manufacturing sites in Sweeny Texas, where he and his team have achieved exceptional safety and environmental results," said Bryan Canfield, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at Chevron Phillips Chemical. "He has a strong commitment to the community and has championed a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and employee pride."

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Perrin is moving back to the Baytown area with his wife, Ruth, and their two children, Annsley, 14, and Decker, 11. Ruth Perrin worked in Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District for nine years before the family moved to Singapore. Perrin said he and his family are excited to return to the Baytown community.

Exiting Baytown plant manager Piana began his career in 1982 with Chevron Corporation and he served in multiple leadership roles at Chevron Phillips Chemical domestic and international operations since the companys inception. These included plant manager at Q-Chems Mesaieed site in Qatar, and plant manager for the manufacturing facility in Orange, Texas.

"Gary has been a great asset to the Cedar Bayou plant as well as the community," Canfield said. "With Garys proven performance, he will help elevate innovation, transformation and continuous improvement across our manufacturing facilities."

About Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, one of the worlds top producers of olefins and polyolefins and a leading supplier of aromatics, alpha olefins, styrenics, specialty chemicals, plastic piping and polymer resins. With approximately 5,000 employees, the LLC and its affiliates own nearly $17 billion in assets, including 31 manufacturing and research facilities in six countries. Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC is equally owned indirectly by Chevron Corporation and Phillips 66, and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information about Chevron Phillips Chemical, visit www.cpchem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter: @chevronphillips.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005650/en/

Contacts

News Inquiries:

Hallie Frazee

Phone: 832-813-4613

Email: frazeh@cpchem.com
(Bloomberg) -- China Renaissance Holdings Ltd. said itll suspend trading of its shares from Monday and delay the release of its audited results for 2022, as the investment bank failed to get in touch with Chairman Bao Fan who was cooperating in an investigation by Chinese authorities.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The firm said auditors havent been able to complete their audit and sign off on its earnings report with Bao unavailable for contact, according to its exchange filing late Sunday. The board is also unable to estimate when it will be able to approve its audited results or dispatch the annual report on or before the April 30 deadline.

The announcement came as the investment bank posted an unaudited loss of 563.8 million yuan ($82 million) for 2022, compared with a net income of 1.6 billion yuan a year earlier. Trading resumption will depend on when it can publish the annual results, the firm said.

The latest development underscores key person risks among Chinese companies, where founders often play an outsized role. China Renaissance has said that Baos status as both Chairman and chief executive has the benefit of ensuring consistent leadership and more effective and efficient overall strategic planning for the company, it said in its 2021 earnings report and reiterated in the latest announcement.

The board will consider splitting the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer when appropriate after taking into the circumstances, it said in the filing.

The companys shares had plunged as much as 32% since Bao was first reported to be missing, and remain more than 10% down this year.

Bao has sprawling connections and is privy to information related to the countrys biggest entrepreneurs. His company has advised tech giants including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd.

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His disappearance since mid-February has unnerved Chinas business elite and fueled doubts over whether President Xi Jinpings crackdown on the private sector has run its course.

Despite Beijings reassuring comments on private businesses to support a post-Covid recovery, Baos troubles continue to spur concern among the countrys business community and global investors.

A former banker at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse Group AG, Bao founded China Renaissance in 2005, making a name for the firm by brokering tough mergers that led to the formation of ride-hailing service Didi Global Inc. and food-delivery giant Meituan.

Bao had been placed under a special form of detention since February for links to an earlier investigation into Cong Lin, China Renaissances former president, the Wall Street Journal reported in early March. Cong had been involved in a probe by authorities since September, Bloomberg News reported in February.

China Renaissance has conducted a round of job cuts as part of its organizational restructuring to streamline operations, the Financial Times reported last month.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
The various economic and financial growth indicators provide compelling evidence that Bahrain's economy has made a remarkable recovery from the pandemic and has now entered a phase of sustainable growth, according to Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB).

Addressing BAB's Ordinary General Assembly meeting, Adnan emphasised the importance of BAB and the banking sector in supporting the country's sustainable growth, given the compelling evidence provided by various economic and financial growth indicators.

He further stated that the association has been proactively reviewing its priorities and work programmes, in preparation for developing initiatives and activities aimed at driving continued growth and development of the financial sector, and supporting the overall economic recovery of the nation.

BAB has been actively engaging with relevant ministers to discuss economic projects and the role of banks in financing them, in collaboration with partners such as the Central Bank of Bahrain, Economic Development Board, and others, he said.

He pointed out the success of the association in achieving important milestones in the past year, which was made possible by the concerted efforts of the board members, the BABs team, member banks, and the support of the Central Bank of Bahrain.

Adnan highlighted that BABs efforts in the past year, as well as early this year, were primarily focused on implementing the partnership with the Central Bank of Bahrain and the government to execute the financial sector development strategy and the recovery and sustainability program for the next four years. He expressed his confidence in the BABs ability to continue making substantial progress in achieving these goals.

Adnan also cited some of BAB's recent initiatives, including increasing financing for SMEs, easing financing restrictions, launching an interbank training programme for fresh graduates, and promoting fraud awareness campaigns.

The association's priority is to collaborate with the Central Bank of Bahrain, especially in emerging legislation relevant to the banking industry, and the successful implementation of various projects and forums.

BAB's efforts to prioritise committee empowerment, conduct awareness campaigns on financial fraud prevention measures, and participate in multiple external events, demonstrate its commitment to playing a fundamental role in sustaining the Kingdom's growth, progress, and prosperity.

The assembly also organised an open meeting with the participation of the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain and representatives of banks and discussed several important issues of interest to banks at the present time. - TradeArabia News Service
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese authorities warned the nations top banking executives that the crackdown on the $60 trillion industry is far from over in a private meeting late Friday, just as they were about to announce the probe of the most senior state banker in nearly two decades.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Officials from the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection called in top executives from at least six big state-owned banks to address the probe of Bank of China Ltd.s former Chairman Liu Liange, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named as the information is private.

The meeting was taking place just as the CCDI announced the investigation of Liu in a one-sentence statement, saying he is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law.

The CBIRC and the CCDI said they would deepen the crackdown on corruption in the financial industry, and that bankers should draw lessons from Liu, said the people. Banking staff, especially senior executives, must comply with laws and regulations and strengthen self-discipline, the people added.

While its not uncommon for authorities to call bankers in at short notice after a high-profile probe, the latest warning adds to evidence that President Xi Jinpings anti-graft campaign is picking up steam even after the claim of initial success last year. At least 20 financial executives had been probed or penalized since late February. Star banker Bao Fan, chairman of China Renaissance Holdings Ltd., also disappeared almost two months ago.

Read more: Here Are the Most Prominent Bankers Ensnared in China Crackdown

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The CBIRC and the CCDI didnt immediately comment.

The finance industry is being rocked by a clampdown that started in late 2021 and shows no sign of abating. The dragnet has become the most extensive ever and dovetails with a broader government shakeup as Xi embarked on a third term in office.

CCDI said last week it will start a fresh round of checks at more than 30 state-owned companies from China Investment Corp. to PetroChina Co., including a look back at five financial companies that had been previously targeted.

The announcement of the investigation of Liu came just about a month after he was abruptly removed as the party chief of the nations fourth-biggest bank. China on Tuesday expelled Jiang Liming, a former director supervising rural and small financial institutions at the banking watchdog, from the Communist Party after placing her under probe a year ago.

On Monday, the CCDI said that Huang Xianhui, former general manager and party chief at China Huarong Asset Managements Beijing branch, is also being probed on suspicion of serious violation of law.

Huarong, which was once Chinas largest bad-debt manager, has been plagued by scandals and massive losses. Its former chairman, Lai Xiaomin, was executed in 2021 after being convicted of crimes including bribery.

Xi has also tightened his grip over the industry, announcing a broad overhaul of the financial regulatory regime as he began his third term. A long-disbanded Central Financial Work Commission will be revived to guide party building in the sector, including personnel arrangement and anti-corruption.

At the same time, Chinese officials have been wooing private and foreign businesses to restore confidence in the worlds second-largest economy. Premier Li Qiang has voiced his unwavering support for the private sector during the National Peoples Congress in March.

Yi Huiman, head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, on Friday reiterated the nations determination to continue opening up its capital markets in a meeting with the heads of 10 international financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., in Beijing.

(Adds probe of former CBIRC official in the ninth paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Employees work on the production line of Kids II Inc at a factory in Jiujiang

By Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's sprawling manufacturing sector, accounting for a third of the world's second-largest economy by value, lost momentum in March amid still-weak export orders, tapping the brakes on the country's economic recovery from restrictive COVID-19 policies.

The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 50.0 in March. That followed February's reading of 51.6, which indicated the first monthly activity expansion in seven months.

The survey results, released on Monday, were well below expectations of 51.7 in a Reuters poll and echoed slower growth in an official PMI released on Friday. The 50-point index mark separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis.

China's economy showed signs of a recovery in the first two months of the year, led by a pickup in services after the end of three years of strict COVID policies that had disrupted commerce and muzzled domestic demand.

But a convincing manufacturing rebound has been lacking, dragging on the economy's near-term outlook. ING Group on Monday slashed its first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to 3.8% annual growth from 4.5%, citing slower external demand.

"The recovery is not smooth and we note that external demand is still fragile, which could pose a risk to domestic demand," the Dutch bank said in a research note.

Beijing has set a modest target for economic growth this year of about 5% after it grew by just 3% last year, one of the weakest showings in nearly half a century.

China's GDP is likely to have grown around 4.0% year-on-year in the first quarter as consumption picked up and infrastructure investment maintained a high pace of growth, state-owned financial newspaper The Securities Times reported on Monday.

"The next few months are likely to see weak external demand and a recovery in domestic demand," said Nie Wen, a Shanghai-based economist at investment firm Hwabao Trust.

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However, Nie expects GDP data to mostly reflect the strength seen in manufacturing and services at the start of the year and raised his first-quarter forecast to 3.7% annual growth from 3.5% previously.

In March, the new export orders sub-index fell to 49.0 after briefly swinging into growth in February, suggesting global demand remains weak, according to the Caixin survey.

"The relatively modest and short-lived pick-up in the manufacturing PMIs in the first quarter suggests that the industrial sector has only received a limited boost from reopening," Capital Economics wrote in a note.

"This is partly due to a weaker global backdrop, but it is also consistent with our view that most of the reopening recovery will come from the services sector which was hardest hit by the zero-COVID policy."

GRAPHIC: China's March factory activity falters - Caixin, https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CHINA-ECONOMY/PMI-CAIXIN/byvrlmgmlve/chart.png

REBOUND DOUBTS

A property downturn and global financial uncertainty have also raised doubts about the strength of China's rebound.

"The foundation for economic recovery is not yet solid. Looking forward, economic growth will still rely on a boost in domestic demand, especially an improvement in household consumption," said Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group.

Official data on Friday showed activity in the services sector expanded at its fastest pace in nearly 12 years.

Caixin/S&P Global services purchasing managers' index (PMI), mostly tracks small and medium-sized private-owned enterprises, will be released on Thursday.

China's new premier Li Qiang last week vowed to support consumption and investment. The central bank also lowered the reserve requirement ratio last month.

"The new economic team is officially taking over, we will likely see more pro-business policies going forward, even though our expectation for stimulus is low," Citi said in a research note.

(Reporting by Liangping Gao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sam Holmes and Jamie Freed)
High-level China-Japan meetings brought no breakthroughs on a looming tech ban, Taiwan and Ukraine as distrust between the countries seems likely to continue, even as Beijing appears willing to engage Tokyo, analysts said.

Yoshimasa Hayashi's two-day visit in Beijing, the first by a Japanese foreign minister in more than three years, was welcomed with considerable diplomatic protocol, including a flurry of meetings with new Chinese Premier Li Qiang, top diplomat Wang Yi and China's foreign minister Qin Gang.

But analysts said little progress was made on the major contentious issues - from Tokyo's newly announced tech restrictions against China to the detention of a Japanese citizen accused of spying in China and regional conflicts.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

In talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Sunday, Hayashi pledged not to decouple from China, saying Japan would not adopt a "de-sinicisation" approach, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Li called for threats to their economic relationship to be eliminated, saying the two countries should preserve "free trade" and eliminate uncertainty and instability in their trade relations amid Tokyo's planned tech restrictions.

"[We] hope the two countries will work together to maintain free trade, practise real multilateralism, actively promote the process of regional integration, maintain the stability and smoothness of the industrial chain and supply chain and jointly reduce uncertainty and increase stability, to make due contributions to the development of the region and the world," Li said.

Li said China and Japan's trade interests were "deeply integrated". The two countries should continue to expand their economic cooperation, especially in the digital economy, green development, finance and healthcare.

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Hayashi's two-day visit to China came soon after Tokyo announced its decision to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from July, after being lobbied for months by the US to limit China's access to advanced chip technology.

China is the biggest customer of Japan's Tokyo Electron, a world-leading chip machinery maker. It accounted for a third of the Japanese company's overseas sales last year, according to Nikkei Asia, citing data from the country's Semiconductor Equipment Association.

Industry observers expect Japan's move will hit its semiconductor industry badly and destabilise the global supply chain.

Also on Sunday, Hayashi had dinner with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, who urged Japan not to be "short-sighted" by following the US' "wrongful" China policy.

"China-Japan relations remain generally stable at present, but there are various noises and disturbances from time to time," Wang said.

"The fundamental reason is that some forces in Japan deliberately follow the wrongful US policy towards China and cooperate with the US to smear and provoke issues concerning China's core interests.

"The move is strategically short-sighted, politically wrong and diplomatically unwise.

"[We] hope Japan ... can get rid of zero-sum thinking, and take practical actions to implement the important consensus that the two countries [should] 'be each other's cooperative partner but not threat', and jointly improve and develop China-Japan relations well."

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (third from left) holds talks to his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang (second from right) in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua via AP alt=Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi (third from left) holds talks to his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang (second from right) in Beijing on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua via AP>

In a Japanese statement about the meetings, Hayashi again raised his "serious concerns" over Chinese activities near the disputed Senkaku Islands, known as Diaoyu in China, and the arrest and detention last month of a Japanese national in China on suspicion of espionage.

"It is extremely important to create an environment in which Japanese people and Japanese companies can feel safe to work," he was quoted as saying.

Both points of contention were discussed in Hayashi's earlier meeting with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on Sunday, with Hayashi calling for the detained Japanese man's early release and Qin saying the case would be "lawfully handled".

Hayashi also called on China to play a "responsible role" in the Ukraine war, while expressing concerns over Chinese and Russian military cooperation around Japan.

None of Beijing's official readouts about Hayashi's meetings with the Chinese officials mentioned Ukraine.

Yoichiro Sato, an Asia-Pacific studies professor at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan said Wang Yi's statement seemed to "drive a wedge between the US and Japan by vaguely blaming some Japanese supporters of the US policy over Taiwan, rather than blaming the Kishida government".

But, Sato said, Japan's efforts to push China on Ukraine and for concessions on the detention of the Japanese citizen were unsuccessful.

"As China is dragged into a de facto alliance with Russia, solidarity among US, Japan and Europe grows ... Japan's effort one last time before the [G7] summit to give China an opportunity to distance itself from Russia and make concessions on the pending diplomatic issues with Japan did not succeed," he said.

Japan will host the G7 summit in May, with Asia-Pacific neighbours including Australia, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and India also invited to take part. Sato expected that meeting would issue a tough message on China's ties with Russia.

China appeared to be more active in pushing for peace in Ukraine recently by releasing a 12-point proposal that emphasises political settlement of the conflict through peace talks. But Chinese President Xi Jinping's trip to Russia last month was again seen by the US and its allies as undermining Beijing's claim of neutrality.

China and Japan's relations have long been hampered by their wartime history and territorial disputes in the East China Sea, and have been further complicated in recent years by Tokyo's increased military build-up to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.

Last month, Japan stationed hundreds of missile-capable troops on a new base on the remote Ishigaki island near Taiwan, apparently preparing for contingencies in the strait.

Zhang Baohui, a Lingnan University professor who specialises in Asia-Pacific studies, said the high-protocol reception Hayashi received in China indicated that Beijing still hoped to engage Tokyo, or "at least stabilise the relationship".

But Zhang did not expect relations to improve in the long term because Tokyo's heightened defence postures contributed greatly to their distrust.

"Japan's strategic resurgence, its rearmament programmes and the Taiwan issue will mean that it will have conflictual relations with China for the coming decades," he said.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The rally in Alibaba Group Holding is reassuring stock analysts that Beijing's regulatory crackdown is over. That may not reduce the risk premium in the Chinese stock market just yet, as Beijing's investigation into Micron Technology memory chips has opened a new front in the US-China tech war.

China last week announced a cybersecurity investigation into the local sales of the US memory chips maker, targeting a US company for the first time in response to US export curbs on advanced chips and gear. The rivalry could upset the feel-good factor sparked by Alibaba's internal business reorganisation.

At risk is US$84 billion of market value that investors have pumped into Alibaba's shares in Hong Kong and New York on the news, and the US$3 billion-odd inflows that money managers have ploughed into the Stock Connect's southbound and northbound channels last week.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"China's undefined 'investigation' into Micron sends a clear message to Washington that new tech restrictions will come at a significant cost," said Brock Silvers, managing director at Kaiyuan Capital in Hong Kong. "The Micron action thus represents China moving from a containment strategy to one of retaliation. As both sides seem to be acting with logic and conviction, the market should expect that the tech war has yet to reach its nadir."

Brock Silvers, managing director at Kaiyuan Capital in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout alt=Brock Silvers, managing director at Kaiyuan Capital in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout>

Micron slumped 4.4 per cent in New York on Friday. The company said in an email reply to the Post on Monday that it is in communication with the Chinese regulator and "cooperating fully".

"Micron is committed to conducting all business with uncompromising integrity, and we stand by the security of our products and our commitments to customers," it said.

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The tech war is just one facet of the US-China geopolitical tensions that have simmered for years, taking many forms from state surveillance to data security and access to advanced semiconductor technology and equipment. China views US export curbs as an attempt to contain its progress.

The Micron affair clouds otherwise bullish sentiment around Chinese stocks after investors embraced Alibaba's internal business reorganisation, and cheered rival JD.com's spin-off and listing plans. The Hang Seng Index capped a three-week winning run, its best winning streak since January.

Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post. The e-commerce leader last week unveiled a revamp plan that helped balloon its market value by HK$334.3 billion (US$42.6 billion) in Hong Kong and US$41.8 billion in New York amid a chorus of approval from analysts.

The restructuring served as "the ultimate stamp of reassurance that regulatory tightening has ended", Morgan Stanley said, with Beijing allowing the private-sector economy to rebuild confidence. Internet-platform operators will enter "a period of accelerated revenue growth", Shanghai-based GF Securities said.

"From a business point of view, there could be a case where the sum of the parts is greater than the whole," said Wang Yan, chief China strategist at Montreal-based research firm Alpine Macro. "From a regulatory point of view, Alibaba may use this to make peace with Beijing on monopoly concerns."

Since China canned Ant Group's jumbo dual-stock offering in November 2020 and launched an investigation into ride-hailing and online tutoring firms throughout 2021, internet stocks have borne the brunt of a market sell-off. As a result, Alibaba, Tencent Holdings, Meituan and DiDi Global have paid hefty fines and had their wings clipped.

The price-earnings multiple of MSCI China Index, the broadest measure of Chinese stocks listed at home and abroad, has fallen to 10.7 times currently, according to Goldman Sachs, from about 15 to 18 times preceding the crackdown.

The members of the Golden Dragon China Index are now trading at about 27 times multiple, the cheapest since 2014. Their Hong Kong listed peers, tracked by the Hang Seng Tech Index launched three years ago, are also struggling at a lower-than-average price-earnings ratio, according to Bloomberg data.

"The Alibaba reorganisation confirmed an important trend - these internet firms are not going to just sit there and let regulation erode away their growth and profits," said Wang Qi, CEO of MegaTrust Investment in Hong Kong. Technology firms "have been making bottom-up changes to mitigate" regulatory risks, including lay-offs, improving operating efficiency, divesting noncore businesses and now a strategic move to reorganise.

"Our view has been that Beijing's harsh regulatory crackdown was over since late last year, which is one of the reasons for our bullish stance on Chinese stocks," Alpine Macro's Wang said. "But it could take a while for investors to regain confidence in China's regulatory environment."

That new-found confidence will be tested this week as the US-China tech war intensifies and investors brace for the Micron fallout. A secular uptrend in geopolitical tensions "warrants higher premiums on Chinese offshore risk assets", according to BCA Research in Montreal.

"That message [from China] goes beyond chips and seemingly foreshadows the expected US ban of TikTok," added Kaiyuan Capital's Silvers. "It was always unrealistic for the US to sanction Huawei, ZTE and the firms on its Entities List without eliciting a strong reaction from Beijing."

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
The heat is on for Ciara Miller.

The Summer House cast member has been sharing stylish snaps from a trip to South Africa throughout the past week, and in her most recent Instagram Story posts, Ciara gave a glimpse at a sultry swimsuit moment during her getaway.

One of the March 26 photos was a mirror selfie that showed the Atlanta native posing in a teeny string bikini paired with a beige headwrap and a few subtle jewelry pieces, including a cross necklace and signet ring. She went on to provide a closer look at the bikini bottom in a scenic poolside photo, which left us asking, Is it summer yet?

Ciara Miller in a blue bikini.

Photo: Ciara Miller/Instagram

As documented on her social media accounts, Ciara is a big fan of two-piece swimsuits. She made headlines for a number of stunning bikini looks, including a zebra-print piece in 2021 and an emerald green design by Nua Swim last summer.

Ciara Miller at a red carpet event.

Ciaras most recent post came nearly two weeks after she confirmed her new modeling gig with lingerie retailer Victorias Secret. The Winter House cast member revealed the big news in an Instagram post in which she donned midriff-baring corsets paired with distressed jeans.

The perfect corset is here! she wrote in the caption. Dream job come true shooting with [Victorias Secret]. They have [outdone] themselves with this staple piece! The structure is everything and its SEXY but just enough sexy!

Her fellow Bravolebrities didnt waste any time congratulating her on the opportunity.

Lets Go! commented Southern Charms Venita Aspen.

Very good sweetie! wrote her Summer House castmate Mya Allen.

Even Victorias Secret contributed to the praise, simply adding, Were obsessed!

Ciara, who has been modeling for more than a decade, reflected on the milestone booking during a recent interview with Page Six, admitting she was shocked when she saw herself on the VS website.

Its been a dream for as long as I can remember to work for Victorias Secret, she told the outlet, adding that she would love to walk in the brands legendary fashion show. I put myself through nursing school working as a model, so its always been a positive venture for me. Of course, working as a Victorias Secret model is the ultimate goal!

Watch Summer House on Bravo Mondays at 9/8c and the next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo app.
TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM)  CIBC Asset Management (CAM) today announced a number of changes to its product line-up, including reductions to management fees and fixed administration fees and fund name changes for Renaissance Private Pools.

CIBC Logo (CNW Group/CIBC)

Management fee and fixed administration fee changes

Effective April 3, 2023, the management fees and fixed administration fees for the following classes of Renaissance Private Pools (the "Pools") will be reduced as follows:

Fund Annual management fee (%) Premium Class* Class F-Premium*

and Class N-

Premium* Current New Current New Renaissance Ultra Short-Term Income Private Pool 0.65 0.55 0.50 0.40 Renaissance Canadian Fixed Income Private Pool 0.95 0.90 0.45 0.40 Renaissance Global Bond Private Pool 1.15 0.95 0.65 0.45 Renaissance Multi-Sector Fixed Income Private Pool 1.15 1.10 0.65 0.60 Renaissance Multi-Asset Global Balanced Income Private Pool 1.50 1.45 0.75 0.70 Renaissance Multi-Asset Global Balanced Private Pool 1.75 1.70 0.75 0.70 Renaissance Equity Income Private Pool 1.70 1.50 0.70 0.50 Renaissance Canadian Equity Private Pool 1.55 1.50 0.55 0.50 Renaissance U.S. Equity Private Pool 1.55 1.50 0.55 0.50 Renaissance Global Equity Private Pool 1.85 1.60 0.85 0.60 Renaissance International Equity Private Pool 1.75 1.60 0.75 0.60 Renaissance Emerging Markets Equity Private Pool 1.75 1.65 0.75 0.65 Renaissance Real Assets Private Pool 2.15 2.05 1.15 1.05 Fund Class S Current New Renaissance Multi-Sector Fixed Income Private Pool 1.15 0.45 Renaissance Real Assets Private Pool 2.15 0.65













*Includes all associated T-classes, Hedged classes and U.S. Dollar Purchase Options, if applicable.

Fund Fixed administration fee (%) Premium Class** Class F-Premium**

and Class N-

Premium** Current New Current New Renaissance Multi-Asset Global Balanced Income Private Pool 0.20 0.10 0.15 0.05

**Includes all associated T-classes and U.S. Dollar Purchase Options.

Story continues

Fund name changes

Effective April 3, 2023, each of the Renaissance Private Pools will be renamed as CIBC Private Pools as follows:

Current fund name New fund name Renaissance Canadian Equity Private Pool CIBC Canadian Equity Private Pool Renaissance Canadian Fixed Income Private Pool CIBC Canadian Fixed Income Private Pool Renaissance Emerging Markets Equity Private Pool CIBC Emerging Markets Equity Private Pool Renaissance Equity Income Private Pool CIBC Equity Income Private Pool Renaissance Global Bond Private Pool CIBC Global Bond Private Pool Renaissance Global Equity Private Pool CIBC Global Equity Private Pool Renaissance International Equity Private Pool CIBC International Equity Private Pool Renaissance Multi-Asset Global Balanced Income Private Pool CIBC Multi-Asset Global Balanced Income Private Pool Renaissance Multi-Asset Global Balanced Private Pool CIBC Multi-Asset Global Balanced Private Pool Renaissance Multi-Sector Fixed Income Private Pool CIBC Multi-Sector Fixed Income Private Pool Renaissance Real Assets Private Pool CIBC Real Assets Private Pool Renaissance U.S. Equity Private Pool CIBC U.S. Equity Private Pool Renaissance U.S. Equity Currency Neutral Private Pool CIBC U.S. Equity Currency Neutral Private Pool Renaissance Ultra Short-Term Income Private Pool CIBC Ultra Short-Term Income Private Pool

Discontinuation of Renaissance Private Investment Program and Frontiers Program

Effective April 3, 2023, the manager discontinued the Renaissance Private Investment Program which allowed unitholders and their related family members (referred to as a Financial Group) to link accounts and receive management fee distributions on eligible classes of the Pools. While the Program is being discontinued, existing unitholders will continue to receive the same management fee reduction rate that they received based on their total assets invested in eligible classes of the Pool(s) within their existing account(s) held as at end of day March 31, 2023.

The Frontiers Program, an asset allocation service available only through Class A units of the Pools, will also be discontinued on or about June 30, 2023. As a result, effective April 3, 2023, Class A units of the Pools are closed to all new purchases, including pre-authorized investment plans. Upon the discontinuation of the Frontiers Program, CIBC Asset Management Inc., as manager of the Pools, intends to convert all investors holding Class A units of the Pools to Premium Class units of the same Pools, with lower management fees.

About CIBC



CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 13 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network, and locations across Canada, in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html.

About CIBC Asset Management

CIBC Asset Management Inc. (CAM), the asset management subsidiary of CIBC, provides a range of high-quality investment management services and solutions to retail and institutional investors. CAM's offerings include: a comprehensive platform of mutual funds, strategic managed portfolio solutions, discretionary investment management services for high-net-worth individuals, and institutional portfolio management. CAM is one of Canada's largest asset management firms, with over $170 billion in assets under administration as of December 2022.

SOURCE CIBC

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Actions taken by UK banks to restrict customer access to crypto are not in the spirit of consumer protection, Circles European policy lead said at an event last week.

Amid concerns that crypto firms are facing difficulties accessing banking services in the UK, Teana Baker-Taylor said individual customers were also being affected.

One thing I think that is pretty clear is the UK banks are now actively unbanking people, not just companies, Baker-Taylor said during a panel discussion at Citi's Digital Asset Symposium. It's not about just refusing to give bank accounts to companies, she said, claiming that banks were unbanking individuals because of their decision to buy crypto assets that are perfectly legal.

Then your bank turns you off, she said. That, to me, feels very, very wrong, and not in the spirit of consumer protection. It feels very patriarchal.

Are UK banks unbanking crypto users?

While there is no evidence of a UK bank shuttering a customers account altogether on account of crypto usage, there are several recorded instances of users facing temporary freezes on their accounts when trying to buy crypto.

Banks have publicly detailed their policies, which include limits on how much can be transferred at once, and even blanket bans on transfers into crypto.

In February, Alison Rose, the chief executive of one of Britains so-called big four banks, NatWest Group, told politicians the bank had taken a hard line on cryptocurrencies.

We're blocking retail and wealth customers from transferring into crypto assets because of the volatility and the stability of the platform, she said at a meeting of Parliaments Treasury Select Committee.

UK Crypto Crackdown: Which British Banks Allow You to Buy Bitcoin?

Santander, a Spanish bank with a major presence in the UK, last year limited transactions to crypto exchanges to just 1,000 ($1,234), while Nationwide put in a 5,000 limit on card payments to crypto assets last month. NatWest soon followed suit, introducing restrictions of 1,000 a day and 5,000 over a 30-day period.

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The situation prompted Su Carpenter, director of Operations for industry body CryptoUK (where Baker-Taylor serves as a non-executive director), to write to the Treasury in March, warning that without action the banking industrys cautious approach could undermine the UK governments crypto ambitions.

Banks generally cite the risk of fraud in their policies limiting how customers can use crypto, but Baker-Taylor argued that all of those things happen equally in the traditional finance ecosystem.

Circle has had its own troubles with the world of traditional finance. Its USDC stablecoin briefly broke its peg to the U.S. dollar last month after it revealed that $3.3 billion of its reserves were stuck at the failed Silicon Valley Bank.

Its somewhat ironic that there has been a lot of talk of protecting the banking system from crypto, here we are in a situation where we are trying to protect a digital dollar from the banking system, Circles CEO Jeremy Allaire said in a CNBC appearance in the days following the crisis.
Fortune Business Insights

Companies covered in Cognac & Brandy Market are Remy Martin (France), Hennessy LVMH (France) , Pernod Ricard (France), Radico Khaitan Ltd. (India), Naud Spirts & Distillery (France), Emperador Distillers Inc (Philippines) , Suntory (Japan), Meukow Cognac (France) , Thomas Hine & Co. (France) , Maison Ferrand (France), and more players.

Pune, India, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global cognac & brandy market size was valued at USD 11.67 billion in 2021 and USD 12.66 billion in 2022. The market is expected to reach USD 18.17 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 5.30% during the forecast period. Rise in the adoption of cocktail culture along with socialization at bars and restaurants is expected to propel the market course. Preference for premium food and beverage is expected to facilitate market development for cognac & brandy. Fortune Business Insights shares this information in its report titled Cognac & Brandy Market, 2022-2029.

COVID-19 Impact:

Decline in Demand for Spirits During Pandemic Led to Negative Market Growth

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sale of products and profits declined. According to the International Wines and Spirits Record, 2020, India and South Africa had partial or full lockdowns which affected the consumption of spirits, leading to a decline of 68%. Shortage of manpower in production units and difficulties in the procurement of raw materials created a number of hindrances for the brewing industries. Post-pandemic, the manufacturers are focusing on production and supply chains, which will help them in overcoming their losses and maintaining their brand position across the globe.

Get a Free Sample Research PDF:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/cognac-brandy-market-104316

List of Key Players Profiled in the Report

Remy Martin (France)

Hennessy LVMH (France)

Pernod Ricard (France)

Radico Khaitan Ltd. (India)

Naud Spirts & Distillery (France)

Emperador Distillers Inc (Philippines)

Suntory (Japan)

Meukow Cognac (France)

Thomas Hine & Co. (France)

Maison Ferrand (France)

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Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 Forecast CAGR 5.30% 2029 Value Projection USD 18.17 Billion Base Year 2021 Cognac & Brandy Market Size in 2021 USD 11.67 Billion Historical Data 2018-2020 No. of Pages 200 Segments Covered By Type, By Distribution Channel, By Region Cognac & Brandy Market Growth Drivers Rise in the Consumption of Alcohol to Propel Market Progress

Segments

Super Premium Segment to Dictate Due to High Premiumization

On the basis of type, the market is divided into value, premium, high-end premium, and super premium. The super premium segment is anticipated to have the largest part in the segment due to premiumization and usage of high-quality ingredients. Rising demand from millennials to try new premium drinks and a surge in the socialization further augment the growth momentum of the market.

On-Trade Segment to Lead Due to Increasing Number of Outings

Based on distribution channel, the market is categorized into on-trade and off-trade. On-trade channel is expected to have a major share due to frequent outings with friends and families and rising peer pressure to socialize. The off-trade segment is set to have the fastest growth rate due to the rising number of retail stores, supermarkets, and other online options and easy availability of products.

Browse In-depth Summary of This Research Insight:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/cognac-brandy-market-104316

Report Coverage

The report provides a detailed analysis of the top segments and the latest trends in the market. It comprehensively discusses the driving and restraining factors and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies undertaken by the market's key players.

Drivers and Restraints

Rise in the Consumption of Alcohol to Propel Market Progress

Rising consumption of alcohol on social norms during special events and other festivities is anticipated to drive the cognac & brandy market growth. Cognac & brandy are famous due to their complex flavor and subtle texture as they can be enjoyed in cocktails or on their own. The surge in popularity amongst the millennials is expected to set the market development. Various companies are aiming to increase their production capacity of superior quality drinks with a strong focus on ingredient innovation. The emergence of digitalization in the young population propels market development.

However, the rising trend for low or non-alcoholic beverages is expected to impede the market growth.

Regional Insights

North America to Lead Market Share Due to Rise in Demand for Distilled Spirits

North America is expected to lead the cognac & brandy market share due to rising demand for distilled spirits in the U.S. and Canada. Surge in demand for artisanal spirits and increasing number of craft distilleries in the region are expected to drive market growth. In September 2019, Copper & Kings American Brandy Co. launched its latest edition of American Craft Apple Brandy. The company extended its product portfolio by adding a new line of apple brandy, which is aged in Kentucky bourbon and new American white oak barrels.

Asia Pacific is set to have the second-largest region due to a shift from whiskey and vodka to brandy. Rising demand for locally produced brandies is expected to propel market development.

Europe is set to have steady growth due to rise in the number of food service chain outlets which offer a variety of spirits. The demand for spirits is also due to growth in the tourism industry.

Speak to Our Expert:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/cognac-brandy-market-104316

Competitive Landscape

Special Product Launches by Key Players to Lead Market Course

The key market players have been increasing their production of spirits. The market has Remy Martin, Pernod Richard, and Hennessey LVMH as giant players. Inventions and new product launch with the assistance of collaboration strategies attract a vast customer base, thus improving revenue. In January 2022, Radico Khaitan Limited launched a special limited edition Celebration Pack, for Morpheus-Indias first selling premium brandy. The limited edition will only be available across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Pondicherry, and Karnataka.

Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Emerging Trends

Key Insights Overview on Parent/ Related Market Supply Chain and Regulatory Analysis Recent Industry Developments - Policies, Partnerships, New Product Launches, and Mergers & Acquisitions Market Analysis and Insights (in Relation with COVID-19) Impact of COVID-19 on the Market Supply Chain Challenges due to the Pandemic Potential Opportunities due to COVID-19

Global Cognac & Brandy Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-2029 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Type Value Premium High-end Premium Super Premium By Distribution Channel On-Trade Off-Trade By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa



Too Continued...

Key Industry Development

November 2022- Louis XIII and Leela Palace Delhi announced their collaboration on a full-meal cognac pairing. The cognac is served in a bell-shaped crystal glass before which can be collectively enjoyed with the meal.

Inquire Before Buying This Research Report:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/queries/cognac-brandy-market-104316

Read Related Insights:

Tequila Market to Hit USD 15.57 Billion by 2029 | Tequila Industry Growth is driven by Consumers' interest in New Flavors and Exotic Tastes

Wine Market Size Worth USD 456.76 Billion by 2028 | Fortune Business Insights

Beer Market Worth USD 989.48 Billion by 2028 | With 3.68% CAGR

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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Collins Community Credit Union, which serves members throughout Iowa, upgrades to Baker Hill NextGen for an end-to-end lending solution

CARMEL, Ind., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Baker Hill, the leading financial technology provider in delivering solutions for loan origination, risk management and analytics, has expanded its partnership with Collins Community Credit Union. The credit union has chosen to upgrade to Baker Hill NextGen for small business and commercial loan origination, as well as portfolio monitoring.

Founded in 1940, Collins Community CU provides a full range of financial products and services to members across Iowa, with branches in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and more. The credit union has grown to become one of the largest credit unions in Iowa with more than $1 billion in assets and over 280 employees, who proudly serve the needs of its growing membership.

A client of Baker Hill's since 2015, Collins Community CU has chosen to upgrade to Baker Hill NextGen to efficiently manage small business and commercial loans within a single, unified platform. Using Baker Hill NextGen, the credit union will support a better member business lending experience with improved application processes and more efficient credit decisioning. Baker Hill NextGen will provide Collins Community CU an easier way to grow member relationships and manage referrals through the platform's CRM functionality and modules, like the Banker Application, which helps team members better assist borrowers with their loan applications. By leveraging the NextGen Client Portal, the credit union will also streamline communication for members and ensure greater transparency, as members can track the status of their application at any point of the process.

"Baker Hill has proven to be a solid partner for our institution since 2015 and to continue providing the best possible service to our members across Iowa, our credit union recognized the need for an end-to-end loan origination and portfolio monitoring solution," said Randy Weinberg, Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Collins Community Credit Union. "Expanding our relationship with Baker Hill made sense and with the NextGen suite, we can better support our business and commercial borrowers, who play a vital role in the economic growth of the communities we serve. We look forward to our continued partnership with Baker Hill and the value the new technology will deliver for our members and staff."

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"As one of the largest credit unions in Iowa, Collins Community Credit Union is deeply invested in the communities they serve, especially the businesses within those communities," said John Deignan, president and CEO of Baker Hill. "We are proud to grow our relationship with an esteemed institution like Collins Community and we look forward to supporting the credit union's loan growth, and ultimately the growth of their member businesses with our technology."

About Collins Community Credit Union

Collins Community Credit Union provides a full range of financial products and services to anyone who lives or works in Black Hawk, Dubuque, Linn, Johnson, Polk and the surrounding counties. What we started in 1940 has grown to become the fourth largest credit union with more than $1 billion in assets. We currently have branches in Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, Des Moines, Dubuque, Iowa City, Marion, and North Liberty. At Collins Community Credit Union our vision is to provide financial global access, impact, and advancement, for our employees, members, and the communities we serve. Our mission is to make a difference every single day and show our members that they matter more than their money.

About Baker Hill

Baker Hill is in the business of evolving loan origination by combining expertise in technology with expertise in banking. Built on decades of walking alongside banks and credit unions as they provide vital resources to their communities, Baker Hill NextGen is a configurable, single platform SaaS solution for commercial, small business, consumer loan origination, and risk management that grows along with you as your business needs change. Baker Hill is lending evolved. For more information, visit bakerhill.com.

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SOURCE Baker Hill
Pixium Vision

Communication following the announcement of FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the Prima System in Dry AMD

Conversion of 160 ORNAN2022 by ESGO with intention to pursue controlled trading of shares

Cost reduction measures implemented potentially extending the cash runway beyond the end of Q2 2023

Continuation of the fundraising process

Breakthrough Device Designation status to streamline FDA regulatory review process

Paris, April 3, 2023  7:00 CET  Pixium Vision SA (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0011950641; Mnemo: ALPIX), a bioelectronics company that develops innovative bionic vision systems to enable patients who have lost their sight to live more independent lives, welcomes the interest of the market in the latest developments in its business following the announcement of the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the Prima System in Dry AMD and reports that European Select Growth Opportunities Fund managed by L1 Capital ("ESGO"), the US-based investor specializing in healthcare, converted ORNAN2022. On Friday, March 31, 2023, ESGO converted 160 ORNAN2022 representing a total amount of EUR 1,600,000 and the issuance of a total number of 65,573,769 ordinary shares, which makes ESGO a major shareholder in Pixium Vision.1 The conversion took place following the increased interest in Pixium Vision shares after the Companys announcement of receiving the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for the Prima System in Dry AMD on Friday March 31, 2023. This appreciation supports the continued interest by the market in the PRIMA technology as well as in the US development of its clinical trials and approval procedure. After this conversion, the share capital of the Company amounts to EUR 2,980,403.72 represented by 148,664,926 shares.

"We welcome the increased interest in Pixium Vision following a more than 300% appreciation of our share price on Friday last week. Having received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA in the US is truly a remarkable achievement and continues to demonstrate Pixium Visions ability to meet its milestones, said Lloyd Diamond, Chief Executive Officer of Pixium Vision. As ESGO naturally does not intend to remain a material shareholder in the company, it advised us that it will responsibly trade our shares as to not significantly impact the share price.

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ESGO also commented: We are happy with the progress of Pixium Vision and are fully aware of our responsibility as a major shareholder. ESGO is committed to support Pixium Vision and although we cannot control the share price, our intention is to trade responsibly as to not affect the share price of Pixium Vision.

As indicated in a previous press release2, Pixium Vision continues to actively seek financing options to support its strategic ambitions, which are reinforced by the FDA Breakthrough Device Designation award for the Prima System in Dry AMD. At the same time, the Company continues to implement cost reduction measures with the intention to extend its cash runway beyond the end of the second quarter of 2023.

On July 13, 20223, an agreement with ESGO was signed for a total frame of EUR 30,000,000, which was terminated on February 13, 2023 (link), after drawdown of the first tranche of EUR 5,500,000 representing 550 ORNAN2022, with a one-year maturity date ending on July 13, 2023. After Fridays conversion, the number of outstanding ORNAN2022 is 125 amounting to a total EUR 1,250,0004.

About Pixium Vision

Pixium Vision is creating a world of bionic vision for those who have lost their sight, enabling them to regain visual perception and greater autonomy. Pixium Visions bionic vision systems are associated with a surgical intervention and a rehabilitation period. Prima System sub-retinal miniature photovoltaic wireless implant is in clinical testing for patients who have lost their sight due to outer retinal degeneration, initially for atrophic dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). Pixium Vision collaborates closely with academic and research partners, including some of the most prestigious vision research institutions in the world, such as Stanford University in California, Institut de la Vision in Paris, Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, Institute of Ocular Microsurgery (IMO) in Barcelona, University hospital in Bonn, and UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA. The Company is EN ISO 13485 certified and qualifies as Entreprise Innovante by Bpifrance.

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (Facteurs de Risques) section of the Companys 2022 Half-Year Financial Report and other documents the Company files with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website (www.amf- france.org) or on the Companys website.

For more information: http://www.pixium-vision.com/fr

Follow us on @PixiumVision ; www.facebook.com/pixiumvision

www.linkedin.com/company/pixium-vision

Contacts

Pixium Vision

Offer Nonhoff

Chief Financial Officer

investors@pixium-vision.com

+33 1 76 21 47 68 Media Relations

LifeSci Advisors

Sophie Baumont

sophie@lifesciadvisors.com

+33 6 27 74 74 49 Investor Relations

LifeSci Advisors

Guillaume van Renterghem

gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com

+41 76 735 01 31

1 The conversion represented around 44.11 % of the share capital after conversion.

2 Press release published by Pixium Vision on February 14, 2023 (link)

3 Press release published by Pixium Vision on July 14, 2022 (link)

4 The maturity date of the outstanding ORNAN2022 is July 13, 2023 on which the remaining ORNAN2022 not converted or redeemed in cash will have to be reimbursed in cash at their nominal value.

Attachment




Aecom, the worlds trusted infrastructure consulting firm, has announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide project management consultancy (PMC) services for Neom International Airport (NIA), coming up within a mega futuristic city in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia.

Aecom said the scope of work will include project management for masterplanning, design and construction services, through to testing, commissioning, operational readiness, activation and transition (ORAT).

Aecoms President Lara Poloni expressed delight at being part of this innovative Neom project, which is set to transform travel between the Saudi futuristic city and the outside world.

"Our track record delivering large scale infrastructure projects in the region, as well as our mobilized global aviation resources and project management experts will help ensure the successful delivery of NIA," he added.

Aecom Middle East and Africa CEO Hamed Zaghw said: "We are delighted that Aecom will be adding another chapter to its relationship with Neom."

"This contract is a testament to our leadership position in the region and to our continuous commitment to Neom and the goals of Saudi Arabias Vision 2030," he added.

A Fortune 500 firm, Aecom is the worlds trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle  from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management.

Its professional services business had revenue of $13.1 billion in fiscal year 2022.-TradeArabia News Service
NEW DELHI, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ -- Comviva, the global leader in customer experience and data monetization solutions, today announced the appointment of key executives for accelerating growth. The new leaders will specifically aim to support Comviva's strategic vision based on new market expansion and deeper client relationships in an accelerating digital economy.

Paul Barowsky

Paul Barowsky has assumed the newly created role of Chief Growth Officer with the primary responsibility for driving expansion in North America and European markets. Paul has rich experience in scaling up businesses in North America and joins in with an impressive track record of driving growth for technology and telecommunication businesses, having previously held senior leadership roles at Syniverse and CISCO.

Vineeth Rajagopal will drive the North American strategy and head the global Partner and Alliances Program. He shall be responsible for building and maintaining strategic partnerships and alliances globally. Vineeth joins in with over 15 years of experience in the industry and has worked with top consulting companies such as Accenture and Deloitte.

Parashar Vijaybhai joins the leadership team and shall be leading the Customer Success Manager organization (CSM) for North America. He will be responsible for ensuring customer success by ensuring a positive customer experience and delivering desired business outcomes.

Manoranjan Mohapatra, CEO of Comviva, said, "This is a forward step in our Comviva 2.0 growth & transformation vision, and I am excited to welcome Paul, Vineeth, and Parashar to be a part of this journey. With their expertise and experience, we are confident to accelerate growth and expand our footprint globally. We shall continue to invest and shore up key capabilities going forward to realize our growth objectives."

Paul Barowsky said, "I am delighted to join Comviva at such an exciting time. Comviva's solutions have already made a significant impact in the industry and there is a far greater global opportunity that will arise in the future. I look forward to my association as we expand to become a distinctive leader as a digital success provider for the world."

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Comviva also recently unveiled its new Center of Excellence in the Netherlands to offer a more globally integrated innovation and delivery experience to clients. The Netherlands center shall be the delivery hub for European markets further scaling digital capabilities around the portfolio of FinTech, MarTech and DigiTech solutions.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2046253/Paul_Barowsky.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/995982/Comviva_Logo.jpg

Comviva logo (PRNewsfoto/Comviva)

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(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge in Alaska denied a bid by environmentalists and an indigenous group to block ConocoPhillips from opening a gravel mine and conducting other work at its $8 billion Willow oil project in the state.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The order Monday from US District Judge Sharon Gleason gives ConocoPhillips a green light to continue initial operations during a narrow winter construction season in the Arctic that is expected to end later this month. Project foes had asked for the ruling while they challenge the Biden administrations approval of the project that could yield as much as 600 million barrels of oil, arguing the activity would irreparably harm wildlife and Alaska Natives who live near the site.

Read More: Greens Mount Legal Assault on Biden-Backed Alaska Oil Project

In a 44-page opinion, Gleason cited support from Alaskas congressional delegation and lawmakers in the state legislature, calling it a factor that tips strongly against the issuance of a preliminary injunction at this time.

ConocoPhillips already had voluntarily agreed it wouldnt conduct surface-disturbing construction activities at the mine until Tuesday, unless the court ruled on the matter before then.

The company argued last month that a preliminary injunction could jeopardize the entire Willow project because some of the companys leases are at risk of expiration unless it begins oil production at the site by September 2029  and that timeline depends on work in the coming years. While that is over six years away, the risk is very real because of both the long lead times for construction and the short winter construction season, the company said in a March 24 filing with the court.

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ConocoPhillips so far has invested $758 million in the project and says it needs to spend an additional $1.5 billion in 2023 and 2024 to keep to that schedule.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Evident

TOKYO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a release issued under the same headline earlier today by Evident Corporation, please note that the titles of Yuji Sugimoto and Stephen Thomas have been corrected to Partner, and the spelling of Stephen Thomass name has been revised. The corrected release follows:



Evident Corporation (Evident) announced today that it has been acquired by private equity firm Bain Capital Private Equity (Bain Capital) from Olympus Corporation (Olympus) pursuant to the definitive agreement signed on August 29, 2022.

Evident was newly established on April 1, 2022 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Olympus comprising the former Scientific Solutions business conducted by Olympus. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Evident conducts business in 24 countries worldwide with more than 4,300 employees.

Supported by Bain Capital, Evident will attain a higher level of agility and faster decision-making to drive innovation-based growth in the life science and industrial markets. Building on a history of more than 100 years of innovation in imaging, instrumentation, and measurement solutions, Evident plans to further expand its portfolio of world-class products, solutions, and services.

Yoshitake Saito, the President and CEO of Evident said We are very excited about our partnership with Bain Capital because we are convinced that it will enable us to even more strongly fulfill our purpose of becoming a preferred workflow solution partner for a broad range of customers in the life science and industrial markets.

Yuji Sugimoto, Partner of Bain Capital in Japan, said Bain Capital is committed to supporting Evident on its sustainable growth path to allow the company to foster an accelerated innovation process.

Stephen Thomas, Partner of Bain Capital in North America, added Evident is at the frontier of digital optical technology in the life science and industrial end markets, and has great potential to expand into new products, new customers, and new markets as an independent company.

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About EVIDENT

At Evident, we are guided by the scientific spiritinnovation and exploration are at the heart of what we do. Committed to making peoples lives healthier, safer, and more fulfilling, we support our customers with solutions that solve their challenges and advance their workwhether its researching medical breakthroughs, inspecting infrastructure, or exposing hidden toxins in consumer products.

Evident Industrials solutions range from microscopes and videoscopes to nondestructive testing equipment and X-ray analyzers for maintenance, manufacturing, and environmental applications. Backed by state-of-the-art technologies, Evidents products are widely used for quality control, inspection, and measurement.

Evident Life Science empowers scientists and researchers through collaboration and cutting-edge life science solutions. Dedicated to meeting the challenges and supporting the evolving needs of its customers, Evident Life Science advances a comprehensive range of microscopes for pathology, hematology, IVF, and other clinical applications as well as for research and education.

For more information, visit www.EvidentScientific.com

About Bain Capital Private Equity

Bain Capital Private Equity has partnered closely with management teams to provide the strategic resources that build great companies and help them thrive since its founding in 1984. Bain Capital Private Equity's global team of more than 280 investment professionals creates value for its portfolio companies through its global platform and depth of expertise in key vertical industries including healthcare, consumer/retail, financial and business services, industrials, and technology, media and telecommunications. Bain Capital has 23 offices on four continents. The firm has made primary or add-on investments in more than 1,100 companies since its inception. In addition to private equity, Bain Capital invests across multiple asset classes, including credit, public equity, venture capital and real estate, managing approximately $160 billion in total assets and leveraging the firm's shared platform to capture opportunities in strategic areas of focus.

For more information, please visit www.baincapitalprivateequity.com.

CONTACT: Media Contact: Tobias Ruckes, Global Corporate Communications Tobias.Ruckes@EvidentScientific.com




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The amount of student loan debt in the U.S. has reached a staggering $1.76 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Most students -- 54% -- now take out student loans to attend college, with the average student graduating with $29,100 in debt, according to Student Loan Hero. That means many students graduate with even more debt, which can make it difficult to keep up with student loan payments while paying for everyday living expenses.

Student Loan Forgiveness: Relief for Public Loans Pushed Back Due to Lack of Funds

Stimulus Checks: Mark These Dates on Your Calendar Now

Fortunately, there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for some. If you work for the government or a nonprofit organization, your student loans may be forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program or the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The latter program helped married couple Trent and Somer Givens get over $161,000 in their collective student loans forgiven. This is their story about getting rid of their student loan debt.

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They Started Off With Nearly a Quarter Million Dollars in Student Loan Debt

Trent and Somer attended graduate school at the University of Alabama, which is where they met. Both took on substantial loans to pursue their degrees, with Trent borrowing $89,000 and Somer borrowing $160,000. The couple went on to get married and have three children, with both taking jobs as educators. Paying back loans while supporting a family was becoming a difficult juggling act, so Trent began looking into student loan forgiveness.

Take Our Poll: Do You Think Bankruptcy Is an Acceptable Way To Escape Student Loan Debt?

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He Was Put On the Wrong Repayment Plan

Trent initially tried to qualify for the original Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This program is open to employees of a U.S. federal, state, local or tribal government, or not-for-profit organization. To get your loans forgiven, you must first make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

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Trent spoke to his loan provider about PSLF and was assured he could benefit from the plan by continuing to make his payments. But when he followed up five years into his repayments, he was told that the repayment plan he had been put on -- a Graduated Repayment Plan -- did not qualify for PSLF. To qualify for PSLF, he needed to be on an income-driven repayment plan.

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This Is a Common Problem

A lack of qualifying payments is the No. 1 reason applications for PSLF are rejected, with 55% of applicants getting rejected because of this, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education. Other common reasons for rejection include missing application information, not having eligible loans, incorrect employment dates and ineligible employment.

Iam Anupong / Getty Images/iStockphoto

TEPSLF to the Rescue

After Trent's setback, he began carefully researching PSLF, which is how he stumbled across an article about TEPSLF. This new program, established in 2018, provides a chance for those whose PSLF applications were denied because some or all of their payments were not made on a qualifying repayment plan to receive loan forgiveness.

"A lot of people were enrolled in the wrong kind of [repayment] plan," said Travis Hornsby, CFA, founder of Student Loan Planner. "The Temporary Expanded PSLF gave $350 million each year over two years to try to help people that should have gotten their loans forgiven because of administrative snafus. Temporary Expanded PSLF allows people who were under the wrong repayment plan to get credit for that and get their loans forgiven when they might not have otherwise gotten it."

More: Student Loan Forgiveness Rule Quietly Changes -- How It Affects Borrowers' Debt

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How To Qualify For TEPSLF

There are several requirements to be eligible for TEPSLF. First, you must have applied for PSLF and been rejected. You must have at least 10 years of full-time employment at a qualified employer and you must have made 120 qualifying payments. There is also a requirement about the amount you paid over the past 12 months before applying -- it must be as much as you would have paid if you had been on an income-driven repayment plan.

Additionally, only Direct Loans -- one type of federal student loan that both Trent and Somer happened to have -- qualify for forgiveness through TEPSLF.

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Direct Loans Were Uncommon Before 2010

"In Trent and Somer's case, their financial aid officer at the University of Alabama was really good for steering them into the Direct Loan program instead of private loans or FFEL loans," Hornby said. "Then, they wouldn't have had this opportunity at all."

Unfortunately, not everyone will be so lucky.

"Direct Loans -- which go directly to the government -- were not around in huge numbers until 2010 when the government nationalized student loan lending as a result of the financial crisis," Hornby said. "Prior to 2010, only about 20% of student loans were Direct Loans; that's telling you that 80% of people that are applying to [TEPSLF] would have had the wrong kind of loan, which is one of the reasons why the rejection rate for TEPSLF is so high."

Drazen Zigic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Applying For TEPSLF

Anyone who thinks that they might qualify for TEPSLF must first apply for PSLF and get denied. You must also check to make sure that your loans are Direct Loans, which you can do by visiting NSLDS.ed.gov.

"I [applied for PSLF] and was denied because I did not have enough qualifying payments," Trent said. "Once denied, I had to send an email to TEPSLF@myfedloan.org requesting [the U.S. Department of Education] reconsider my eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness."

FedLoan Servicing then reviews your application, and if it is approved and no further information is needed, your loans will be forgiven.

Live Richer Podcast: How To Get Rid of Your Student Loan Debt

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More Setbacks

Trent told Student Loan Hero that he faced some delays in getting his TEPSLF application approved due to various factors.

"When I thought I reached 120 payments, I had not due to some forbearance, loans going to other loan servicers, I changed jobs a few times, there were some lapses in employment so a few more months got tacked on," he said.

diego_cervo / Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Frustrating Process

Although Trent's student loans were eventually forgiven, it required a lot of back-and-forth and frustration.

"My biggest frustration with PSLF was the lack of accurate information conveyed when the program started, leading several people, myself included, to believe they were making payments under an appropriate repayment plan," Trent said. "Unfortunately, I discovered my payments did not count toward PSLF and I had paid five years without any of those payments being qualifying payments. This came as a result of the customer service representative I first spoke with telling me otherwise."

He also had more paperwork issues because he had switched jobs during the time he was making his payments and had to verify that he was working for qualified employers during this whole time. But for Trent, it was all worth it in the end. On Aug. 26, 2019, he was notified that his loans had been forgiven.

"Considering I had around $85,000 forgiven, it was definitely worth the hassle and frustration," he said. "It eliminated a $350 a month payment."

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Forgiveness for Somer

Somer -- who was on an Extended Repayment Plan -- was able to see firsthand how TEPSLF could really work, so she decided to apply for the program too. Although she had some minor setbacks due to having some loan payments made under her maiden name and some made under her married name, she was able to resolve these issues and qualify for forgiveness under TEPSLF as well. She had all but $10,000 in loans forgiven.

"Somer's experience was much smoother because she had only worked at one place the entire time she was making her 120 payments," Trent said. "She also did not even start the process until after she had made 120 payments. This meant she only had to verify her employment once, whereas I had worked at four different schools and had to get verifications from each on top of repeatedly verifying my current employment until I reached 120 payments. Somer applied for PSLF, was denied, sent the email to TEPSLF and had her remaining loan amount forgiven."

Somer had $76,732 in student loans forgiven.

Find Out: 10 US Cities With Plenty of Jobs and Cheap Housing

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Somer Had Several Factors Working in Her Favor

Hornsby explained that a variety of circumstances came together that enabled Somer to have her loans forgiven.

"What saved her is that she had Direct Loans, so she was getting the right kind of loans in the first place," he said. "The other thing that saved her was that her Extended Repayment Plan payment over the past 12 months prior to her applying was greater than it would have been under an income-based plan."

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How To Get Your Loans Forgiven, Too

If you work in the public service sector, you might also qualify for student loan forgiveness through TEPSLF. As someone who's been through the process, Trent shared his best advice with GOBankingRates.

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Read Up on TEPSLF

"There is a lot of info available now," Trent said.

For a full breakdown of who is eligible, how to apply and how the program works, visit StudentAid.gov.

$2,000 Quarter? Check Your Pockets Before You Use This 2004 Coin

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Track Your Payments

"Check and keep track of how many payments you've made, and if were you actively employed at a qualifying profession while those payments were made," Trent said.

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Ask Questions

"Call your loan servicer, ask questions and keep calling until you get answers," Trent said. "Be proactive and advocate for yourself. There were several moments I could have given up throughout this process, but I was determined to take advantage of this opportunity. In this case, knowledge is power."

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Don't Fall For Scammers

"You do not have to pay anyone to do this process for you," Trent said. "I received hundreds of telemarketer calls from people saying I was prequalified for forgiveness, etc. Don't fall for those tricks. You can do this!"

Read: Here's How Much Americans Have in Their Savings Accounts in 2023

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Don't Give Up

Hornsby recommends that anyone who is eligible go through the process of applying for TEPSLF, even if it can be frustrating at times.

"The experience is frustrating but we've all been through that process a lot -- disputing a credit card charge or trying to get your benefit for a travel delay," he said. "We do that frustrating process for savings that might be a couple of hundred dollars. [Trent and Somer] went through this frustrating process and they got savings in the six figures, which is about three times more than their take-home pay. If you would do this for a $300 hotel bill charge, and the end result is that you get denied, you'd be frustrated, but it would be OK."

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Couples Student Loans Were Forgiven  How To Get Out of Paying Yours
Abuja, Nigeria--(Newsfile Corp. - April 2, 2023) - Crown Luxury Properties, the build-to-sell (BTS) assets unit of Nigeria master-developer Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, has announced that over 8,500 residential units are currently under construction across its various masterplans and is set to deliver around 500 units later this year.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode



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Announcing this at the media session with Dotmount Communications on March 21, Crown Luxury said it has already delivered more than 600 residential units in 2022 across prime locations, including Signature Apartments Surulere Lagos, Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport, Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Elevation City, Lugbe, Abuja and Crown Heritage City, Osun state amongst others.

CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos



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A leading developer of residential assets in Nigeria, Crown Luxury Properties stressed that it remained committed to delivering quality homes and communities to its customers and residents while ensuring that all future projects are completed within its stated time frames.

Crown Luxury Properties



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Crown Luxury Properties is helmed by group CEO Dr. Gbadewole Amos Kayode and his wife Olubunmi Amos, the Managing director of the company. "Different geographical locations come with different challenges, and each country has its own challenges. For example, as Nigerians we have the advantage of nationality, but the challenge here is that they have to be the ones to provide roads, water, and electricity. In Ghana, the cost of movement of cement and other materials through land is difficult due to custom duties and other taxes, making it more expensive but not as expensive as purchasing these raw materials in Ghana. Rwanda is a peaceful and good environment, but acquiring land if you're not a citizen is difficult; however, we were able to register our company there seamlessly."

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"We have our housing estates in different locations in Abuja: Guzape, Kasana, Asokoro Extension, Asokoro, Airport Road, Idu, Karu, these locations have different providers of fiber optics," says Amos.

"In Lagos we have different companies that provides internet for our estates in Lagos. We have estates in Ikorodu, about 2800 housing units that Crown Sunrise City, in Epe; Crown Legacy City Phase 1 facing the ongoing New Lekki International Airport and Phase 2. We have projects in the capital of Oyo State Nigeria, Ibadan".

Crown Smart City



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"We have different products which spread towards different classes of people. For example, our Ecrest Estate in Guzape, a 5-bedroom duplex is 400 million naira for our HNIs, then for our middle-income individuals we have houses between 50 to 90million naira. We have in some other locations 5-bedroom duplexes that goes for 30million naira, we have a 4-bedroom semidetached that is 25million in some locations like Gwagwalada, Kubwa and other location in Lagos, Ogun and more."

Legacy City



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"We have the Crown Smart City 1-3 in Karsana. We also have commercial properties like the 600 units in Crown Mall around Adama Stadium in Ibadan for business people. We are building a banking hall and a cinema in there as well, with prices going for 7million naira per unit but you can pay 500 thousand naira as initial deposit and continue payment for two years. We found it difficult to get approval for Crown Smart City Phase 3 which took us 6months because of the challenge with the payment platforms. We have also had to build bridges to make good access for our clients there."

These projects include;

LAGOS

The Signature Apartments, Surulere, Lagos. Crown Legacy City Phase 1, Epe, Opp Lekki Int'l Airport. Crown Legacy City, Phase 2. Epe. Crown Sunrise City, Ikorodu,Lagos. Crown waterfront Estate, Ibeku-Lekki,Lagos.

ABUJA

Crown Shelfied City, Asokoro,Abuja. Crown Hilltop Estate, Guzape, Asokoro Extension Crown Signature Villa, Karmo, Abuja Crown Elevation City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Smart City, Karsana, Abuja Crown Smart City, Annex, Karsana, Crown Smart City, Phase 2, Karsana. Crown Hiltop City, Apo, Abuja. Crown Metro City, Idu Train Station, Idu, Abuja. Crown Diamond City, Gwagwalada,Abuja. Crown Mega City, Lugbe ,Abuja. Crown Vista City,Lugbe, Abuja, Crown Golden City, Lugbe,Abuja Crown Oakland City, Lugbe, Abuja Crown Luxury Estate, Airport Road,Abuja. Etc

Ibadan

600 units Sabo Ultra-mordern Market, Ibadan. ELITE City Terraces and Apartment, Agodi GRA,Ibadan

Osun State

Crown Heritage city, Abeere, Osun State.

On the record-breaking performance, Crown Luxury Properties Founder Dr Amos said: " Crown Allied Global Reality Limited, is extremely proud to be the industry leader in development and construction and we remain committed to delivering our highly anticipated upcoming projects within the stated timeframes."

"Our success and year on year profit is due to the diligence of our shareholders, management and highly skilled staff and we look forward to continuous growth and success through digital innovation and the adoption of future-forward concepts," he added.

Crown Luxury Properties

Web: www.crownluxuryproperties.com

Social media: @crownluxuryproperties

Email: Crownalllied@yahoo.com

Office: No 2, Samora Machel Street, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja

Tel: +234 909 999 7341, +234 909 999 7342

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160954
D&H Distributing

 A Distribution Visionary with Deep Ties in the Vendor Community, This Renowned Executive Will Accelerate D&Hs Strengths and Extend its Value Proposition to New Partners and Segments in the Channel 

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- D&H Distributing, a leading provider of SMB and mid-market technologies to the North American channel, is proud to announce it has named long-time channel executive Marty Bauerlein, formerly of AMD, to the newly established position of Chief Commercial Officer. Marty is well-known across both the vendor and solution provider communities, in addition to having decades of channel leadership experience with two major distribution companies. As a well-known IT executive, he maintains long-standing relationships in the SMB, mid-market, and enterprise segments that will help D&H lead its partner base toward even more lucrative, higher-tier opportunities. Bauerlein begins at D&H on April 4, 2023.

Were thrilled to welcome Marty into the fold at D&H Distributing. His industry expertise and admirable channel presence will help lead D&H to success in new markets, building on the strong relationships D&H has already established, and delivering our exceptional service model to accounts and partners who arent as familiar with us yet, said D&H Co-President Dan Schwab. His appointment is a natural continuation of our Built For Growth initiative, where D&H makes long-term investments in the channel and in its people, to further prioritize its partners and escalate their growth. We look forward to seeing his contribution to those goals.

Bauerleins skill sets coincide with D&Hs main focus areas, including the companys expansion of the D&H Cloud Marketplace platform; the ongoing promotion of transformative solutions under the Modern Solutions Business Unit; and an emphasis on a range of managed, professional, and integration services. Through his seasoned business acumen, Bauerlein will continue to evolve D&Hs SMB and mid-market partners, empowering them to grow into emerging areas of opportunity, in addition to extending the companys partner- and service-first strategy into the enterprise sector.

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D&H has found success in a competitive market through a service-based model, which sets us apart in the distribution field, said D&H Co-President Michael Schwab. Marty had the opportunity to experience this differential first-hand as part of his prior engagement as a D&H business partner, and is motivated to join forces with us to spread that value proposition throughout the channel.

Bauerlein will also heighten D&Hs focus on partner engagement and events by way of enhanced field teams, conference activities, and specialized engagements, including through the distributors Partnerfi community and its THREAD technology conferences. This will allow D&H to become even more key to enabling partners and fueling their growth trajectories.

First of all, it is an honor to join an employee-owned company. Everyone who has worked with D&H has raved about their service and relationships. As Chief Commercial Officer at D&H, my aspiration will be to help grow sales, enhance relationships, and expand D&Hs channel reach. I hope to continue to complement the existing, incredible team by continuing to attract the best industry talent, and to grow market share through best-in-breed service, enablement, and tools, said Bauerlein. D&H has a stellar reputation, and their partners share that their performance is distribution-leading. My goal is to help complement their already stellar execution and innovation around categories such as cloud, Modern Solutions, and attached services. Im highly motivated and passionate about accelerating these efforts.

Bauerlein will continue to build on the momentum D&H has amassed over the years, augmenting those areas where the company already demonstrates extraordinary strength. His objectives align with D&Hs current service model, which Bauerlein got to know personally as a member of the vendor community.

Whats exciting is that more and more of the channel has identified the unique value D&H brings to its partners, both to customers and vendors. The fact that D&H was named US Distributor of the Year by HP, one of the top channel vendors, as well as by Insight Enterprises, a Fortune 500 company and top solutions integrator, serves as an exclamation point on D&Hs impressive record. This terrific validation will lead others to want to experience the D&H difference, said Bauerlein.

In conferring with others in the channel, he continued, the responses are virtually unanimous that D&H treats its business partners with admirable respect and diligence. More companies should know about this offering. Thats the message we want to convey, to the benefit of partners everywhere who are working hard to expand their practices in an aggressive landscape. D&H invests in the resources, the enablement, and the services to help them transform into larger, more financially successful organizations.

Partners can visit www.dandh.com to learn more, or call (800) 877-1200 to speak to a dedicated account representative.

About D&H Distributing

D&H Distributing supports resellers and MSP partners in the corporate, small-to-midsize business, consumer, education, and government markets with endpoints and advanced technologies, as well as differentiated services. D&H is ready to fill new market needs created by consolidation in the marketplace. Now in its 105th year (dandh.com/anniversary), its vendors and partners can be confident in its ability to provide a wealth of enablement resources, multi-market expertise, credit options, and consultative services. D&H is agile in response to the needs of its VAR and MSP partners, demonstrating resilience through decades of industry mergers and market disruption, overcoming everything from wars and recessions to pandemics.

The company works to expand the competencies of its partners in areas such as cloud services, ProAV, collaboration, UCC, mobility, esports, digital displays, smart home automation, video surveillance, digital imaging, and server networks across a range of markets. Its value proposition includes highly lauded training opportunities and partner engagement events, dedicated Solutions Specialists, certifications, professional marketing resources, and an expanding digital Cloud Marketplace.

The distributor is headquartered in Harrisburg, PA, in the U.S. and Brampton, Ontario, in Canada with warehouses in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Fresno, CA; and Vancouver, BC, Canada. Call D&H at (800) 877-1200, visit www.dandh.com, or follow the distributors Facebook and Twitter feeds, https://www.facebook.com/DandHDistributing/ and @dandh

Contact: Suzanne Mattaboni

Suzanne Mattaboni Communications, Inc.

For D&H Distributing

(610) 737-2140

suzanne@mattaboni.com




Happy Monday everyone. This is Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria with The Daily Money headlines.

Still waiting for that unemployment check? USA TODAY has the numbers so you can see just how behind your state is on claims.

The U.S. Department of Labor requires states to get checks out to consumers within 14 or 21 days to meet performance standards but states have been slower to pays claims since the pandemic.

Elijah Johnson of Reno, Nevada, has been waiting for help from the state's insurance system since October.

The 26-year-old father is worried about feeding his 7-month-old daughter as he waits on the state to approve and deposit $4,500 worth of unemployment checks into his bank account.

"Am I going to eat tonight? Or am I going to have food? Am I going to be able to provide for my daughter? Honestly, it's extremely stressful," Johnson said.

More Americans head to Mexico for affordable for pet care

Medical tourism isn't just for humans anymore. Pet owners are saving money and waiting less by heading to Mexico for veterinary care. Data from SENASICA, the Mexican agency that inspects pets entering the country, has found that more than 33,500 American pets entered the country, a 68% increase from 2019.

One San Diego resident said she paid $300 for her dog's dental work in Mexico after she was quoted $2,000 in the U.S.

 More stories you should not miss:

USDA wants to cut the amount of milk provided to low-income families. Many say they're concerned: It will be a 25% "science-based" cut for mothers and children.

Texas woman uses 'cash stuffing' and stimulus check to pay off nearly $80,000 in debt: Instead of a card, organize cash into envelopes and spending categories.

Customers accuse 'Monkey Feet' baby shoe company of rip-offs: The company developed a fanbase, but never fulfilled orders and failed to issue refunds.

 Today's menu 

Chick-fil-A reverses course on controversial decision to pull Side Salad, says it's 'here to stay': After widespread consumer complaints, the company listened.

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About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer news from USA TODAY. We break down financial news and provide the TLDR version: how decisions by the Federal Reserve, government and companies impact you.

Follow Amritpal on Twitter: @AmritpalKSL

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: People wait longer for unemployment checks as states try to catch-up
SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's AI For Risk Management market report is excellent information for individuals interested in gaining insight into the valuable data, trends, and opportunities in a rapidly growing industry. Additionally, the report is written clearly and concisely, making it accessible to various audiences, from industry experts to market readers. Finally, one can gain an in-depth understanding of the primary and secondary market drivers, providing them with a comprehensive outlook of the current market situation and future projections.

Westford, USA, April 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The forecast period from 2022 to 2030 is expected to see the AI for Risk Management market reach USD 68.5 billion with a CAGR of 11.3%, according to a recent SkyQuest analysis. The market is being driven by the growing demand for precise risk assessment, the increasing volume of data, advancements in AI technology, and regulatory compliance. The North America and Asia Pacific regions are anticipated to experience significant growth in this market. AI-powered risk management solutions can analyze large amounts of data to identify potential risks more accurately and quickly than traditional methods. As a result, there is an increasing demand for AI-based risk management solutions in the finance, healthcare, and cybersecurity industries. According to a report by Deloitte, AI-powered risk management solutions can help organizations reduce losses by up to 60%, further highlighting the potential benefits and driving the growth of this market.

According to SkyQuest's global research findings, 39% of organizations currently utilize AI for risk management, while 24% plan to do so within the next two years. PwC estimates that AI in the risk management market will experience a CAGR of 33.8% from 2019 to 2026, owing to the increasing demand for real-time risk assessment and management. Additionally, a report by McKinsey & Company highlights the potential of AI-powered risk management solutions to reduce the probability of a risk event by 30% to 50% and lessen the impact of risk events by up to 80%.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "AI For Risk Management Market"

Pages - 256

Tables - 36

Figures - 67

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In today's increasingly complex and risky business environment, the significance of AI in risk management is on the rise. With the ability to analyze large datasets, AI-powered risk management solutions enable organizations to quickly and accurately identify potential risks and provide valuable insights for risk assessment. As a result, businesses can mitigate losses, achieve better regulatory compliance, and improve their overall risk management strategies.

Prominent Players in AI For Risk Management Market

IBM

Microsoft

Amazon Web Services

Google

Oracle

SAS Institute

FICO

Wolters Kluwer

Deloitte

PwC

EY (Ernst & Young)

KPMG

Accenture

Capgemini

Aon

Allianz

Zurich Insurance Group

Swiss Re

Munich Re

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/ai-for-risk-management-market

Financial risk management application Segment to Drive Higher Sales as There is Growing Demand for Real-Time Risk Assessment

A recent analysis reveals that the Financial risk management segment significantly contributes to the rapid development of the AI for Risk Management market in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030. The financial services industry faces increasing regulatory pressure to improve its risk management practices. As a result, there is growing demand for real-time risk assessment and management solutions. SkyQuest reports that 76% of financial services organizations currently use AI-powered solutions for risk management, with credit risk assessment and fraud detection being the most common applications..

North America will dominate the AI For Risk Management market from 2022 to 2030. SkyQuest forecasts that the region will experience a CAGR of 16.82% during this period. This growth is driven by the presence of major market players and the surging demand for AI-based solutions in the region. The healthcare industry could save up to $159 billion annually by 2026 by leveraging AI technology to improve risk management and reduce fraudulent activities.

Cloud-based solutions Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth due to Demand in Various End-Use Industries

According to recent analysis, the Cloud-based solutions segment has emerged as the leading method in the AI for Risk Management market in 2021, and it is expected to maintain its dominance from 2022 to 2030. The increasing acceptance of cloud-based solutions for risk management in the financial services industry, as well as other sectors like healthcare and retail, is driving the market's growth. SkyQuest's research reveals that 68% of financial services organizations are planning to enhance their usage of cloud-based risk management solutions in the next two years.

The Asia Pacific region has also emerged as a significant AI For Risk Management market force and is poised to retain its leading position by 2030. SkyQuest has forecasted significant growth in the AI For Risk Management market for the Asia Pacific region, with a projected CAGR of 24.97% during the forecast period. This expansion can be attributed to the growing population, with many businesses and organizations facing complex and evolving risks. In addition, several countries in the region, such as China and India, are investing heavily in AI technology and infrastructure in the region.

A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the AI For Risk Management market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavors to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

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Key Developments in AI For Risk Management Market

Sphera, a company that offers ESG performance and risk management solutions, has successfully acquired risk methods, a Munich-based software firm specializing in supply chain risk management. This acquisition will bolster Sphera's growth and innovation in the ESG sector. riskmethods uses advanced technologies such as AI, big data, and machine learning to detect, analyze, and mitigate various types of supply chain risks, including monitoring the adherence of sustainability practices and ESG compliance in the supply chain. The software is available as a service (SaaS) solution.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the US Department of Commerce has introduced the initial version of its AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF 1.0), which serves as a reference document for organizations involved in the creation, implementation, or utilization of AI systems to manage the numerous risks associated with AI technology. Additionally, a corresponding playbook is provided to guide and facilitate the integration of trustworthy practices in the development, deployment, and application of AI systems.

Key Questions Answered in AI For Risk Management Market Report

What specific growth drivers are projected to 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 Automotive Dealer Management System Market

Global ETL Software Market

Global AI in Call Center Operations Market

Global AI In Cybersecurity Market

Global Web 3.0 Blockchain Market

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DealA.com

Singapore City, Singapore, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Established in 2020, DealA.com was created to help hundreds of thousands of shoppers save money while shopping online by offering them a wide range of free coupon codes and access to promotional offers from over 30,000 brands across a selection of categories, including food, beauty, sport, hobbies, and fashion.

DealA.com is launching a new website in 2023 that focuses on delivering an improved user experience and the companys core values of usefulness, simplicity, and perfecting. The new website will prioritize ease of use by dividing the available coupons and discount codes into separate categories, along with showing users the percentage of success for their coupon at their chosen store.

A spokesperson from DealA.com said, We utilize manual checking and continuously improved programming algorithms to pick out working promo codes that may apply to an entire order at a brands online store. The new website will show users if a coupon code is for a store that covers a narrow market niche and only applies to a specific product or category, and the corresponding note is placed on the coupon card to save our visitors time.

Convenient Online Shopping

The mission at https://deala.com is to deliver value to online shoppers in the most convenient way.

With over 30,000 brands to choose from, DealA.com stands out from its competitors due to its sheer range of discount codes. It also acts as a promotional platform for online stores and, through exposure via coupons, helps companies boost brand recognition and attract more customers.

This focus on building fruitful partnerships with numerous brands has led DealA.com to create various insightful and informative blog posts that offer users the best ways to utilize the websites selection of coupons and promotional offers, as well as further ways to save money when shopping online.

An example of one of DealA.coms blog posts is included below:

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The cost of being a student around the world

Studying somewhere different from where you grew up allows you to explore and gain independence while calling a new city your home.

While being a student can save you money through benefits like education coupon codes that may cover a selection of costs, such as books, stationary and practical tools (for hands-on subjects), most know that the cost-of-living expenses, like rent, food, energy bills, and tuition fees can accumulate fast.

DealA.com offers a variety of specialized student discount codes to help with the pressure of balancing responsibilities, such as food coupons for groceries and fast-food delivery companies, along with promotional offers for the latest fashion stores and fun activities to enjoy with your new coursemates and friends.

Although, due to the energy crisis and subsequent cost of living increase that has impacted most of the world, even with the help of coupons and discount codes, the price of being a student still adds up fast.

With the cost of being a student higher now than ever, many prospective students base their college choice on how expensive it will be to attend. But where are the cheapest places in the world to study in 2023?

In this blog post, DealA.com looks at some of the most popular countries for students and ranks them using a normalized score out of 10 for each of the following criteria:

Cost of living index score

Average student accommodation costs

Public tuition fees

Private tuition fees

Average local transportation costs

DealA.com will then calculate the average score out of 10 across all factors to give a global student cost out of 10, which will then dictate the countrys overall ranking.

More information

To find out more about DealA.com and its latest coupons and promotional offers, please visit the website at https://deala.com.

Source: https://thenewsfront.com/deala-com-launch-new-website-in-2023-that-focuses-on-user-experience/

CONTACT: DealA.com 149b Telok Ayer Street Level 3 Singapore City 068607 Singapore +1 229-800-6800 https://deala.com




Quantexa

GIC leads funding round of $129 million with Warburg Pincus, Dawn Capital and other existing investors participating

Quantexa joins elite group of UK tech companies reaching breakout Unicorn status

LONDON and NEW YORK, April 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantexa, a global leader in Decision Intelligence (DI) solutions for the public and private sectors, announced today that it has completed a $129 million Series E funding round. The latest investment round secures the British tech companys unicorn status with a valuation of $1.8 billion and will accelerate the execution of its growth strategy within the *$230bn Decision Intelligence category.

The round was led by GIC, a global institutional investor, and existing investors also participated, including Warburg Pincus, Dawn Capital, British Patient Capital, Evolution Equity Partners, HSBC, BNY Mellon, ABN AMRO Ventures, and AlbionVC. This investment comes less than 18 months after Quantexa closed its $157 million Series D funding round in July 2021 and just weeks after its acquisition of Aylien, a Dublin-based leader in natural language processing (NLP) and advanced AI.

In what has been a difficult period for many tech companies, Quantexa continues to post impressive growth, having grown their ARR over 100% since closing their Series D round. In the same time period, Quantexa has seen robust growth in all regions, including a breakout performance in North America, with an increase in ARR of over 180%.

The success comes on the heels of Quantexas continued geographic expansion efforts which has seen the company grow from 500 to 650 employees over the past year and open new offices in New York City, the UAE, Amsterdam, and a new Technology and Analytics Hub in Malaga Tech Park , Spain, in November 2022. This new capital will ensure that Quantexa continues to grow its global presence and invest in its world-class engineering talent.

Quantexa also plans to use the funding to boost technology innovation efforts and strengthen its Decision Intelligence Platform capabilities in low-code data fusion, graph analytics, machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI). Additionally, Quantexa will increase focus on accelerating joint go-to-market efforts with its flagship partners which include Google, Moodys, Accenture, KPMG, Deloitte, and EY.

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Deployed in more than 70 countries, thousands of users across banking, insurance, telecoms industries, and within public sector, rely on Quantexas outcome-driven solutions to protect, optimize, and grow their organizations. Quantexas growing customer-base includes BNY Mellon, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Danske Bank, Vodafone, and The Public Sector Fraud Authority in the UK Cabinet Office.

Vishal Marria, CEO of Quantexa said, After closing our Series D investment round, Quantexa has been on a transformational journey, accelerating the growth of our global software business and firmly establishing our leadership position in the emerging Decision Intelligence category. In a challenging market we have doubled our ARR, our user base, and continue to penetrate new markets and industries. This infusion of capital will fuel further innovation, diversification, and expansion, and opens exciting options for our future.

Its a real testament to our vision and trajectory to have such a significant contribution from our new investor, GIC and the majority of our Series D investors  in our latest round. We warmly welcome GIC and thank our existing investors for their continued confidence in our ability to generate growth and accelerate the path to profitability.

*Total addressable market (TAM) estimate is based on Quantexa proprietary research with data from sources including IDC, Chartis, GreySpark (GS), Allied Market Research, and Inkwood Research.

About Quantexa



Quantexa is a global data and analytics software company pioneering Decision Intelligence that empowers organizations to make trusted operational decisions by making data meaningful. Using the latest advancements in big data and AI, Quantexas Decision Intelligence platform uncovers hidden risk and new opportunities by providing a contextual, connected view of internal and external data in a single place. It solves major challenges across data management, KYC, customer intelligence, financial crime, risk, fraud, and security, throughout the customer lifecycle.

The Quantexa Decision Intelligence Platform enhances operational performance with over 90% more accuracy and 60 times faster analytical model resolution than traditional approaches. Founded in 2016, Quantexa now has more than 600 employees and thousands of users working with billions of transactions and data points across the world. The company has offices in London, New York, Boston, Toronto, Malaga, Brussels, Amsterdam, Luxemburg, Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, and the UAE. For more information, please visit www.quantexa.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to secure Singapores financial future. As the manager of Singapores foreign reserves, GIC takes a long-term, disciplined approach to investing and is uniquely positioned across a wide range of asset classes and active strategies globally. These include equities, fixed income, real estate, private equity, venture capital and infrastructure. Its long-term approach, multi-asset capabilities and global connectivity enable it to be an investor of choice. GIC seeks to add meaningful value to its investments. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC has a global talent force of over 1,900 people in 11 key financial cities and has investments in over 40 countries. For more information, please visit www.gic.com.sg or follow on LinkedIn.

Media Enquiries

C: Stephanie Crisp, Associate Director and Media Strategist, Fight or Flight

E: Quantexa@fightflight.co.uk



C: Adam Jaffe, SVP of Corporate Marketing

T: +1 609 502 6889

E: adamjaffe@quantexa.com

- or -

RapidResponse@quantexa.com




Some 61% of UAE residents believe that climate change is real and human activity is the leading cause, according to a survey.

About 79% of the people living in the UAE share the certainty that climate disruptions are currently happening. However, 55% feel the future is still in their hands and climate disruption and pollution can be controlled, the first-of-its-kind survey on ecological transformation led by Veolia in partnership with the research and consulting firm Elabe, said.

Aimed to gauge public opinion about issues like climate change and pollution, the survey dubbed Ecological Transformation Barometer also found that 70% of respondents in the UAE feel costs caused by climate disruption and pollution are going to be more important than the investments needed.

Vulnerability

It showed that 65% express a feeling of ecological and climate vulnerability and 35% think we need to change our ways of life, live more frugally and put in place technological solutions to reduce climate disruption.

The survey also showed that 6 in 10 people in the UAE are willing to accept 95% of the changes that come with the green solutions provided they pose no health risks, have bearable economic and cultural costs, and contribute to the country's food or energy security.

Furthermore, 63% of people showed a willingness to pay a little more for the energy that is local and emits less CO2, and 61% are ready to pay more for everyday products made from recycled materials.

Interestingly, a good acceptance level was seen among respondents in the UAE toward reducing meat consumption, embracing food grown with recycled water, washing dishes and clothes using recycled water, as well as buying a car or other means of transport partially made from recycled materials.

Part of global study

The survey was part of a global study that used a sample reflecting the voice of more than half the world's population covering 25 countries across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania.

It illustrated that 7 out of 10 people globally feel vulnerable to environmental risk and 89% of the world's population is convinced that climate change is happening and 67% are convinced of the need for change.

Commenting on the survey, Thierry Dezenclos, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia UAE, said: "I'm sure the survey will serve as a significant platform for understanding the level of acceptance among the local population in terms of the social, economic, and cultural changes that need to be executed in the face of ever-growing issues like climate change and pollution."

Over 12 days

In the UAE, the survey was conducted over 12 days and involved more than 1,000 respondents who were asked a series of questions themed under risks, solutions, acceptability and conditions.

Overall, the survey presents a positive picture of the UAE, which has declared 2023 as the Year of Sustainability and gears to host the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP 28) in Dubai.

The survey further supports the UAE's efforts toward environmental protection, which has been at the heart of the country's national agenda. It was the first country in the Gulf Cooperation Council to sign the Paris Agreement in 2021 and declare its intention to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

In line with its commitment toward a sustainable and climate-resilient future, the country also launched the National Net Zero by 2050 Pathway at COP27 - the first step in implementing the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.-- TradeArabia News Service
ReportLinker

Forecasts by Type (Dry Shippers, Dry Ice Shipper), by Materials (Clinical Trials, Cell and Gene Therapies, Reagents, Cell Culture Media) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market Report 2023-2033" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439035/?utm_source=GNW





The Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market Report 2023-2033: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





COVID-19 Pandemic Has Highlighted the Importance of Fast and Reliable Logistics for Transportation of Pharma Products



The global deep frozen packaging logistics market is anticipated to witness growth as demand for frozen and temperature-controlled transportation of drugs and vaccines continues to increase. With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of fast and reliable vaccine distribution, there has been a significant increase in demand for cold chain logistics.





The deep frozen packaging logistics industry is expected to continue to grow as pharmaceutical companies focus on developing and distributing more complex biological drugs that require even stricter temperature control. In addition, the rise of personalized medicine, which requires the transportation of small batches of drugs to specific patients, is also driving the need for deep frozen logistics.





However, the industry also faces some challenges, such as the need to maintain strict temperature control throughout the supply chain and the high cost of investing in and maintaining temperature-controlled facilities and equipment. Additionally, regulatory compliance requirements are becoming increasingly stringent, which can add to the complexity and cost of deep frozen logistics.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the deep frozen packaging logistics market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the deep frozen packaging logistics market?



 How will each deep frozen packaging logistics submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2033?



 How will the market shares for each deep frozen packaging logistics submarket develop from 2023 to 2033?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2023 to 2033?



 Will leading deep frozen packaging logistics markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2033 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2033?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the deep frozen packaging logistics projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2023 and 2033? What are the implications of



deep frozen packaging logistics projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the deep frozen packaging logistics market?



 Where is the deep frozen packaging logistics market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the deep frozen packaging logistics market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 240-page report provides 110 tables and 113 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the deep frozen packaging logistics market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2033 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2033, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, and restraints), Porters Five Forces Analysis, PEST Analysis and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Type



 Dry Shippers



 Dry Ice Shipper





Materials



 Clinical Trials



 Cell and Gene Therapies



 Reagents



 Cell Culture Media





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 21 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 UK



 France



 Italy



 Spain



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 Japan



 China



 India



 Australia



 Singapore



 South Korea



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America





MEA



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of MEA





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Almac Group



 AmerisourceBergen Corporation (World Courier)



 B.P.L. GmbH



 Biocair



 Catalent



 Cardinal Health



 CEVA Logistics



 Cryport



 CSafe Global



 DHL



 Dryce Srl



 FedEx



 Glatt GmbH, Binzen



 IMP LOGISTICS



 Kuehne + Nagel



 Marken (A UPS Company)



 Peli BioThermal Limited



 SkyCell



 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.



 TSafe Group



 United Parcel Services



 va-Q-tec



 WuliuAir



 Yourway





Overall world revenue for Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033 in terms of value the market will surpass US$22,604.0 million in 2023, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2033. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033 report help you?



In summary, our 240-page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033 Market, with forecasts for Type and Materials, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for five regional and 21 key national markets  See forecasts for the Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, and Japan among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 24 of the major companies involved in the Deep Frozen Packaging Logistics Market, 2023 to 2033.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439035/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Story continues

CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) announced today that former Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the political advocacy organization and its affiliate non-partisan think-tank Education Reform Now.

Photo Credit: Josh Grab, Roger Williams University

During his two terms as the Democratic mayor of Rhode Island's largest city, Elorza undertook bold actions to advance a social and racial justice agenda. This included taking the unprecedented step to engage the state Department of Education to turn around the city's chronically underperforming school system, creating the city's Eat, Play, Learn Initiative to expand out-of-school enrichment, and launching a nationally recognized African American Ambassador Group to bring Black leaders into the center of policymaking. Notably, he invested $400 million into repairing school buildings, and supported the expansion of high-quality public charter schools.

"As Mayor, I saw all too well the critical need for bold leadership to transform public education so that it serves all studentsparticularly those historically marginalized," said Elorza. "DFER has been at the forefront of the fight against the status quo in public education for more than a decade, and I am honored to serve this organization at a time of both incredible urgency and possibility for our nation's students."

A leader in and outside City Hall, Elorza was elected by his peers to serve as Trustee for the United States Conference of Mayors, and was an Aspen Institute Rodell Fellow, a member of the New Deal Leaders network, and a member of the inaugural Bloomberg/Harvard City Leadership class.

"What I admire most about Jorge is his unwavering commitment to put the interest of students above adult politics," said DFER Interim CEO Shakira Petit. "There is a tremendous opportunity right now for leaders to utilize historic investments in education to advance the innovative approaches that we know work for students. As DFER grows our collective impact, Jorge brings the political acumen, vast leadership experience, and vision to help our organizationand Democratic education champions across the countrymeet this moment and bring about real change for all students."

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Elorza was born and raised in Providence and is the proud son of Guatemalan immigrants. A first-generation college student, he attended the Community College of Rhode Island before earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Rhode Island, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Elorza is co-founder of the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University School of Law, where he previously served as a law professor.

A headshot and selection of photos of Elorza are available here.

About Democrats for Education Reform

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that increase educational equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. It is a partner organization of Education Reform Now Advocacy, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that supports DFER's legislative and policy advocacy work. www.dfer.org.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dfer-names-former-providence-mayor-jorge-elorza-as-ceo-301788306.html

SOURCE Democrats for Education Reform
Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The diamond jewelry industry is dominated by a few big players, such as Signet Jewelers, Tiffany & Co., Chow Tai Fook, and Richemont. These companies account for a significant share of the global market, leveraging their size and scale to establish a strong presence in the industry. They have a robust distribution network, comprising a mix of company-owned stores, franchises, and online channels, which helps them reach a broad audience.

NEWARK, Del, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global diamond jewelry market is expected to be worth US$ 355.93 billion in 2023 . The market is predicted to expand at a 4.5% CAGR to reach US$ 552.74 billion by 2033 .



The diamond jewelry industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, primarily driven by the increasing demand for diamond jewelry across various regions globally. As a result of growing consumer spending, luxury diamond jewelry products have become more accessible to the public, thereby driving market growth.

In addition, technological advancements in diamond cutting and polishing techniques have led to the production of high-quality diamonds, boosting the market further. The industry also faces certain restraints, such as the increasing cost of raw materials, particularly diamonds, which may deter consumers from purchasing high-end diamond jewelry products.

Download a Sample to Obtain Additional Highlights and key Points on Various Market Segments and their Impact in the coming Years! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16894

Furthermore, ethical concerns regarding the sourcing of diamonds and their potential links to conflict zones have also created challenges for the industry. Additionally, economic uncertainties and fluctuations in the global diamond market have impacted the industry's growth.

Despite the challenges, the diamond jewelry industry presents significant opportunities for growth in the coming years. The industry can leverage the increasing adoption of e-commerce and online sales channels to reach a wide audience and expand its customer base.

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Moreover, the rise of sustainable and ethical diamond mining practices could further enhance the industry's growth potential by attracting environmentally conscious consumers. The latest trends in the diamond jewelry industry include a shift towards customization and personalization of jewelry, particularly engagement rings and wedding bands.

The industry is also witnessing a growing trend of lab-grown diamonds, which are eco-friendly and ethically sourced, providing an alternative to mined diamonds. Additionally, colored diamonds are gaining popularity among consumers, particularly pink and yellow diamonds, which are often used in bespoke and high-end jewelry products.

Key Takeaways from the Diamond Jewelry Market:

With an estimated market share of 40% in 2022 , the United States is the world's significant market for diamond jewelry.

Germany's diamond jewelry industry is well-established, with a market share of around 6% in 2022 .

With a market share of 16% in 2022 , China is the rapidly-growing market for diamond jewelry.

Japan has a rich history of diamond jewelry, with a market share of about 8% in 2022 .

The round brilliant cut diamond dominates the diamond jewelry industry, accounting for more than 75% of all diamond sales worldwide.

The VS2 clarity grade is the most popular in the diamond jewelry industry, recording roughly 30% of the market by 2033 .

Near colorless diamonds dominate the color spectrum in the diamond jewelry industry, accounting for roughly 60% of the market .

The most popular carat weight in the diamond jewelry industry is 1.00 carat, holding nearly 30% share of all diamonds sold.

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Key Players in the Diamond Jewelry Industry:

Tiffany & Co.

Bulgari S.p.A.

Cartier

Signet Jewelers

De Beers plc

Pandora Jewelry, LLC

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited

Swarovski AG

Petra Diamonds Limited

Trans Hex Group

How Players Are Revolutionizing the Industry Landscape?

The diamond jewelry industry is fiercely competitive, with several key players vying for dominance in the market. The landscape of the industry is constantly evolving, with new entrants and technological advancements creating new challenges and opportunities for established players.

One of the leading players in the market is De Beers Group, a mining and trading company that has been involved in the diamond industry for over a century. De Beers controls a significant portion of the global diamond supply and has a strong presence in both the mining and retail sectors.

Another prominent player in the industry is Tiffany & Co., a luxury jewelry retailer that is known for its high-quality diamonds and iconic blue box packaging. In 2020, the company was acquired by LVMH, a multinational luxury goods conglomerate.

Online retailers like Blue Nile and James Allen have also emerged as significant competitors in the diamond jewelry industry, leveraging technology to offer customers a wide selection of diamonds at competitive prices. In addition to these established players, several small boutique jewelers specialize in custom or unique pieces of diamond jewelry. These small players often cater to a niche market and differentiate themselves by offering personalized customer service and one-of-a-kind designs.

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Global Diamond Jewelry Market by Category

By Cut:

Round Brilliant Cut Diamond

Princess Cut Diamond

Emerald Cut Diamond

Radiant Cut Diamond

Cushion Cut Diamond

Oval Cut Diamond

Asscher Cut Diamond

Marquise Cut Diamond

Pear Cut Diamond

Heart Cut Diamond

Others



By Clarity:

FL and IF

I (1/2/3)

VVS 1

VVS 2

VS 1

VS 2

SI 1

SI 2

By Color:

Colorless (GRADE D/E/F)

Near Colorless (GRADE G/H/I/J)

Faint (K/L/M)

Very Light (GRADE N/O/P/Q/R)

Light (GRADE S/T/U/V/W/X/Y/Z)



By Carat:

0.009 CT - 0.30 CT

0.50 CT

0.75 CT

CT

1.25 CT

1.50 CT

1.75 CT

2.00 CT

2.50 CT

3.00 CT

3.50 CT

4.00 CT

5.00 CT and Above



Table of Content

1. Executive Summary | Diamond Jewelry 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

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Explore FMIs Extensive Ongoing Coverage in Consumer Product Domain

Contract Furniture Market Growth: The contract furniture market is anticipated to have a valuation of US$ 148.72 billion in 2023. Future Market Insights predicts the market is anticipated to expand at an adequate CAGR of 6.1% and reach a value of US$ 268.86 billion by 2033.

Smart Fragrance Box Market Size: The smart fragrance box market is anticipated to expand to a valuation of US$ 64.98 million in 2023 and is predicted to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% from 2023 to 2033 and reach US$ 144.23 Million in 2033.

Kitchen Hood Market Demand: The global kitchen hood market is expected to witness a market value of US$ 12.0 billion in 2023 and is expected to accumulate a market value of US$ 18.8 billion by registering a CAGR of 4.5% in the forecast period 2023 to 2033.

Skin Care Devices Market Trends: The global skincare devices market is expected to witness a market value of US$ 23.8 Billion in 2023 and is expected to accumulate a market value of US$ 101.5 Billion by registering a CAGR of 15.6% in the forecast period 2023 to 2033.

Toy Storage Market Overview: The toy storage market is predicted to expand to a valuation of US$ 9.05 billion in 2023 and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 6.5% from 2023 to 2033 to reach US$ 16.99 billion in 2033. Toy storage is employed to keep children's toys organized and within reach of the children.

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The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad (KLSE:YSPSAH), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.

Check out our latest analysis for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad

Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad managed to grow EPS by 14% per year, over three years. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. The good news is that Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 5.9 percentage points to 14%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of RM329m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

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Are Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. To be exact, company insiders hold 66% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. This makes it apparent they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - a positive for shareholders with a sit and hold strategy. In terms of absolute value, insiders have RM218m invested in the business, at the current share price. So there's plenty there to keep them focused!

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalisations under RM884m, like Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM490k.

The CEO of Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad was paid just RM86k in total compensation for the year ending December 2021. This total may indicate that the CEO is sacrificing take home pay for performance-based benefits, ensuring that their motivations are synonymous with strong company results. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Does Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

As previously touched on, Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad is a growing business, which is encouraging. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. With company insiders aligning themselves considerably with the company's success and modest CEO compensation, there's no arguments that this is a stock worth looking into. We should say that we've discovered 2 warning signs for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

Although Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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



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

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Dr. Adina Kalet Selected for 2023 Hubbard Award

NBME congratulates Dr. Adina Kalet as the recipient of its 2023 John P. Hubbard Award

PHILADELPHIA, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adina Luba Kalet, MD, MPH, FACP, FAACH, was selected as the recipient of NBMEs 2023 John P. Hubbard Award in recognition of her extensive contributions to the field of assessment in medical education.

In medical education, its one of the honorifics that is really meaningful because it comes from a community that I have deep respect for, Dr. Kalet said. You know, people who really have been leading our field and holding us to high standards.

NBME President and CEO Peter Katsufrakis, MD, MBA, expresses the high level of support and admiration held for Dr. Kalet and her accomplishments.

NBME is proud to be part of and support the community of educators, researchers, and clinicians who seek to advance assessment science and in so doing, improve the quality of care we deliver to patients, Dr. Katsufrakis said. Dr. Kalet embodies the best elements of a physician educator and researcher, and we are most pleased to recognize the significant body of her work with the Hubbard Award, the highest honor NBME bestows on members of our community.

Dr. Kalet is a tenured professor of medical education at the Medical College of Wisconsin and director of the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education. She has more than 25 years of experience as a leader, mentor, and educator.

Early in my career, the thing that felt most important to me was clinical communication skills, Dr. Kalet said. Yes, you have to know everything. Yes, you have to be able to do procedures. Thats just a given, but most of what physicians do day-in and day-out is conducted through their ability to communicate.

Dr. Kalet explains that someone who has good communication skills will be an active listener, lets patients tell their stories, understands what distress sounds like, and discerns a patients symptoms with a full scope of context. She believes that having expertise in communications isnt comprised of just being nice to people.

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Her experience teaching  helping students become better communicators and great doctors  has had a large impact on the way she approaches the science and research behind assessment.

I love teaching students and residents to be doctors, Dr. Kalet said. I hope that infuses into everything I do. Watching someone suddenly learn something that they didnt know before, thats transformative Those kinds of moments with students inform the science.

The Hubbard Award Committee recognizes Dr. Kalets passion and motivation to further the education of physicians. By focusing on the long-term development of students, Dr. Kalet asserts that not only will future doctors benefit, but so will the general public.

My work has not been about assessing an individual at a single point in time. My work has been really focused on how we can use assessment to drive learning. I mean, to not just drive behavior in order to get a better grade, but to drive individuals who want to be good doctors who continually improve.

When it comes to future advancements of medical education, Dr. Kalet emphasizes the importance of trust, empathy, communication, and collaboration.

We need to align around and accept that if we dont demonstrate our competence, growth, and development in measurable ways, no one is going to trust us, Dr. Kalet said. We need to all co-produce a program of assessment that ensures we grow and develop as physicians.

Dr. Kalet is a past recipient of the Lynn Payer Award from the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare, as well as the National Award for Career Achievement in Medical Education from the Society for General Internal Medicine. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications with more than 12 years of uninterrupted funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Institute of Health and National Science Foundation. She is also the co-editor of the book Remediation in Medical Education: A Midcourse Correction, along with many other groundbreaking achievements.

Established in 1983, the Hubbard Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the pursuit of assessment excellence within medical education. Dr. Kalet joins the ranks as one of the many distinguished individuals whom NBME has honored over the years.

About NBME

NBME offers a versatile selection of high-quality assessments and educational services for students, professionals, educators, and institutions dedicated to the evolving needs of medical education and health care. To serve these communities, we collaborate with a comprehensive array of professionals including test developers, academic researchers, scoring experts, physicians, medical educators, state medical board members, and public representatives.

Together with the Federation of State Medical Boards, NBME develops and manages the United States Medical Licensing Examination. In addition, we are committed to meeting the needs of educators and learners globally with assessment products and expert services such as Subject Examinations, Customized Assessment Services, Self-Assessments, the International Foundations of Medicine  , and Item-Writing Workshops.

We also provide medical education funding and mentorship through the Latin America Grants Program, Stemmler Fund, and Strategic Educators Enhancement Fund, which serve to advance assessment at educators and health professionals own institutions.

Learn more about NBME at NBME.org.

Attachment

CONTACT: Jill Heagerty NBME 2155909217 jheagerty@nbme.org




Earthstone Energy Inc

THE WOODLANDS, Texas, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Earthstone Energy, Inc. (NYSE: ESTE) (Earthstone or the Company) announced today that it has entered into an amendment to the Companys senior secured revolving credit facility (the Credit Facility), increasing the elected commitments from $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. Additionally, the $250 million term loan tranche under the Credit Facility converted into an elected revolving commitment. Further, the borrowing base was redetermined at $1.65 billion as a part of the regularly scheduled redetermination.



Robert J. Anderson, Earthstones President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, We are thankful for our longstanding banking relationships and believe that this amendment tangibly underscores our bank groups recognition of the financial strength of Earthstone as a result of the high-quality and sizeable asset base we have built. We appreciate the support of our existing banks and welcome the three new banks into our facility. This year, we expect to continue to pay down significant amounts of debt outstanding under our Credit Facility. The additional debt reduction and this more than 16% increase to our elected commitment amount provide Earthstone with significant financial flexibility and optionality for the future.

Credit Facility and Liquidity Update

As of March 31, 2023, the Company had approximately $452 million drawn under the Credit Facility, a reduction of $68 million from the $520 million drawn at December 31, 2022, leaving $948 million in undrawn availability. The Credit Facility maturity date remains June 2027.

About Earthstone Energy, Inc.



Earthstone Energy, Inc. is a growth-oriented, independent energy company engaged in acquisitions and the development and operation of oil and natural gas properties. Its primary assets are located in the Permian Basin of New Mexico and west Texas. Earthstone is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ESTE. For more information, visit Earthstones website at www.earthstoneenergy.com.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as expects, believes, intends, anticipates, plans, estimates, forecast, guidance, target, potential, possible, or probable or statements that certain actions, events or results may, will, should, or could be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by Earthstone and its management in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances that involve various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in the statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, those set forth in Earthstones annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, recent current reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Earthstone undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Contact



Clay Jeansonne

Investor Relations

Earthstone Energy, Inc.

1400 Woodloch Forest Drive, Suite 300

The Woodlands, TX 77380

713-379-3080

CJeansonne@earthstoneenergy.com




International distributor Eccho Rights has inked landmark deals for Turkish drama series Golden Boy with broadcasters in Sweden and Finland.



The show, which has enjoyed huge success on Turkeys Star TV since launching in September 2022, is the first Turkish drama to be picked up by Swedish and Finnish broadcasters.

In Sweden, TV4 acquired Golden Boy for its TV4Gold and Sjuan linear channels, as well as streamers CMore and TV4 Play.

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In Finland, Eccho Rights deal with MTV Oy represents the first time ever that a Turkish series has been licensed by a Finnish broadcast group, with Golden Boy to stream on CMore and Katsomo in Finland.

Produced by OGM Pictures for Star TV, Golden Boy is a family drama and tale of jealousy that follows two sisters, Seyran and Suna, whose paths cross with golden boy Ferit.

The sisters lives change forever when Ferit decides to marry Seyran instead of Suna. Seyran is the new bride in a world full of betrayals, lies and secrets, while Suna starts making plans for revenge to take back her stolen future. The series stars Afra Saraoglu, Mert Ramazan Demir and Cetin Tekindor.

We are thrilled to once again be at the forefront of bringing Turkish drama to new audiences, said Melis Hamacioglu, Eccho Rightss director of digital media acquisition and content sales for the MENA region, India, Pakistan and Western Europe.

Golden Boys extraordinary success so far makes it an easy choice for broadcasters looking to test something new.

Golden Boy was Turkeys most watched series of 2022 and it has continued to perform strongly in 2023, regularly ranking No. 1 in the country.

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The series has sold to more than 35 territories worldwide since its launch.

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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.
Elijah Johnson has been waiting for help from Nevada's unemployment insurance system since October.

He worries it might come too late.

The 26-year-old Reno resident lost his job at a warehouse last fall and has not found another one despite applying for more than 80 positions.

But joblessness isn't his only source of financial stress. He can't get Nevada's unemployment agency to approve and deposit more than $4,500 worth of unemployment checks into his account. Its phone lines are constantly busy, Johnson says, which means most of his calls don't go through. And the few times he has reached a representative of the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, he's told they don't know when an adjudicator will be able to examine his claim.

How quickly was your claim processed?Unemployment insurance payments are slower to arrive after COVID-19. See how your state compares.

New retirement age or higher taxes? The Social Security reform debate could go a few ways.

Elijah Johnson poses for a portrait with his daughter Azriela-Nova in their apartment in Reno on March 28, 2023.

At this point, he's facing eviction and worries about having enough money to feed his 7-month-old daughter.

"I was used to growing up poor," he said. "I see myself reverting back to those thoughts and feelings of: Am I going to eat tonight? Or am I going to have food? Am I going to be able to provide for my daughter? Honestly, it's extremely stressful."

Elijah Johnson plays with his daughter Azriela-Nova in their apartment in Reno on March 28, 2023.

About 53% of first-time unemployment insurance payments in Nevada were paid within 21 days of a claimants initial eligibility as of February, down from 99% in March 2020, according to data from the U.S. Labor Department. About one-third of applicants in the state waited more than 70 days to receive their first payment.

Unemployment systems across the country were overwhelmed with claims in 2020 after COVID-19 lockdowns erased more than 20 million jobs and sent the jobless rate soaring to 14.7%. In 2021, The Labor Department announced funding to help states address the longstanding challenges within unemployment benefits systems and promised to "reform this critical safety net for future crises."

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But various state unemployment insurance offices continue to grapple with outdated operating systems, a backlog of claims and staffing difficulties. The Department of Labor says at least 87% of first-time applicants should have their claims processed within two or three weeks to be considered an "acceptable" performance level. Some claimants are waiting months.

Experts warn the broken system could crack even further if the U.S. economy enters a recession this year, which could result in more layoffs and rising unemployment claims.

'All night, my eyes are open': After mass job losses, Americans forced to choose: Pay bills or buy food?

Job market cools: JOLTS job openings data fell to a 21-month low in February

Most economists had expected a recession within the next 12 months even before Silicon Valley Bank failed in March, raising fears that hobbled banks could weaken the economy.

"Recession fears are still looming," said Alexa Tapia, the unemployment insurance campaign coordinator at the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit that advocates for workers rights.

"States and federal government have to immediately move to address" issues with unemployment systems, she said. "Otherwise, we will see a repeat of the 2020 crisis."

Response times have yet to bounce back

Arjun Singh, a spokesperson for the U.S. Labor Department, said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed longstanding challenges in the countrys unemployment insurance systems, which were bogged down by outdated technology and a lack of resources.

"Years of low investment into the program impacted the systems ability to effectively respond to surges in claims," Singh said in an emailed statement. Administrative funding was at "the lowest in at least 30 years, leaving states ill-prepared for the challenges of the recession" of 2020.

Efforts have been made across states to improve these systems through a boost in federal funding, but experts warn that dramatic overhauls will take time.

Federal data shows the recovery process is still underway.

Facing tough choices: How people are 'barely making it' with high inflation.

In June of 2020, shortly after the onset of the pandemic, just 52% of first regular unemployment insurance payments in the U.S. were paid within 21 days, down from 97% just three months prior. Data from the U.S. Labor Department shows response times have improved, but the national average has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, with about three-fourths of U.S. claimants receiving their first payment within 21 days as of February 2023.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office last summer moved unemployment insurance to its high-risk list of programs vulnerable to fraud, abuse, or mismanagement or in need of a transformation. The addition is meant to bring lawmakers' attention to the challenges facing the unemployment insurance system and spur change.

The widespread problems plaguing the Unemployment Insurance system are extremely troubling, Gene Dodaro, head of the GAO, said in a June 2022 statement. "The system (is) falling short in meeting the needs of workers and the broader economy."

In Nevada, where Johnson has struggled to find work, the unemployment agency has been short on staff who can review claims. But it is working on hiring and training more people, according to a statement from the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The agency said it must take the time to get the facts right and hear from both the employer and former employee if there is an issue with a claim, even if it slows the process.

We are not current on processing claims that require a staff person to look at them, but we are making progress," the statement reads. And staff is working hard to get calls answered as fast as possible, with an average wait time of about seven minutes for callers who manage to get through the queue.

Getting out of credit card debt: How to get out of credit card debt and remain debt free

Issues especially harmful for minority, low-income claimants

Issues with the unemployment insurance system can be especially harmful to low-income and minority demographics, which tend to experience higher unemployment rates.

The Labor Department points out that unemployment insurance systems need to address access barriers to people who are not proficient in English, live in rural areas, have limited technology, or have disabilities.

"The UI system leaves far too many workers, especially Black, Latinx and women workers, of the system entirely," said Tapia of the National Employment Law Project. "It's when, not if, another recession occurs that Black and brown workers will be disproportionately harmed by this. So we have to really center them in our recovery efforts moving forward."

In Florida, 50-year-old chef Steven Dallas said he struggled to send his unemployment claims on his smartphone but had few other options without a personal computer.

His first experience filing for unemployment insurance benefits came after pandemic lockdowns forced him out of his job in 2020.

The application process was grueling. Without a personal computer, Dallas was forced to fill in forms on his smartphone. One wrong tap, he said, and hed be sent back to the beginning. Dallas said it took him about four hours to complete the application after getting kicked off multiple times.

After thousands of unemployed workers in Florida in 2020 found themselves unable to navigate the state's unemployment website, the Florida Legislature in 2021 passed legislation to shift the state's unemployment insurance system into one that was cloud based.

But Dallas said he still had issues using the website in late 2022 after Hurricane Ian destroyed the restaurant he was working at and he found himself jobless yet again. He said it took nearly four hours to figure out how to submit his first claim the second time around.

Nothing has changed for two years. They didn't fix anything. It was still almost impossible to file for unemployment, Dallas said.

A statement from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said its reemployment assistance claims and benefits system is "fully accessible" and the state is continuing to modernize its system.

What's being done?

The Labor Department has established Tiger Teams that work with states to identify ways to improve access to benefits. The department made available equity grants that help states simplify the text in UI applications and translate materials into more languages. It also plans to use $2 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act to help modernize the UI system and address fraud.

In partnership with states, efforts are well underway to reform the UI system we inherited and address gaps, reads a statement from the Labor Department.

Chris OLeary, a senior economist for the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, notes that not all states are taking advantage of the resources offered by the Labor Department.

For example, 33 states have so far joined the Labor Department's Tiger Team initiative, which sends teams of unemployment experts to analyze states' unemployment insurance systems and process challenges.

Some states want to improve administrative efficiency. And some states are not enthusiastic about the whole UI program. OLeary said. Some people view unemployment as a business cost that they want to minimize.

Additionally, some of the Labor Department funding is at risk. The House Ways and Means Committee recently introduced legislation that would repeal the provision that gives the Labor Department $2 billion in funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Even if the additional funding sticks, some worry its not enough.

The U.S. Department of Labor has undergone a momentous effort to work with states to improve their unemployment system, Tapia said. Even so, that's a costly and time extensive effort that takes several years and is contingent on states' willingness to take advantage of these programs."

If a recession does happen this year  and 58% of economists in a recent survey say there's a good chance it will  claimants in many states can expect to encounter the same backlogs, website crashes and staff shortages witnessed in 2020, according to Tapia.

Now is exactly the time to get it right, to make the repairs before the next storm, to build a UI system that will serve the American people in the next crisis, reads a December statement from Julie Su, the acting U.S. secretary of labor.

Fewer benefits for claimants

Even when benefits are approved, research shows today's claimants are receiving less.

The share of jobless individuals receiving unemployment insurance benefits has declined for several decades, largely due to a deliberate effort among states to reduce access to benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning research organization.

At least four states passed legislation last year to reduce the number of weeks of unemployment benefits, and legislation was introduced in at least nine states in 2022 to take away unemployment benefits either by reducing the number of weeks an individual can receive benefits or requiring unemployment insurance claimants to accept nearly any job.

Twelve states allow fewer than 26 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Florida and North Carolina allow no more than 12 weeks.

The center argues that these changes could weaken unemployment insurance systems ahead of future recessions.

"There's less (money) on the table. There's less incentive for people between jobs to apply for benefits," OLeary said.

You can follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter @bailey_schulz and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter here for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amid recession fears, unemployment insurance benefits enter spotlight
Pending deal marks home health leaders expansion into Rhode Island

DALLAS, April 03, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elara Caring, the only full-scale, multi-state home health provider of clinical and personalized services across the patient continuum, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Assisted Daily Living, a 50-person, privately owned and Rhode Island-based skilled home healthcare provider. The acquisition, which is contingent on regulatory approval by the State of Rhode Island, will further increase Elaras geographic footprint, create an opportunity to expand its presence into adjacent markets of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and advance its mission of expanding access to high-quality, home health care.

"Elara continues to set important milestones as we look to transform the home health space, bringing our relationship-based approach, innovative platform and value-based model to markets across the country," said Scott Powers, CEO of Elara Caring. "We look forward to providing Rhode Island patients and clients with the individualized, high-quality, compassionate home health services that have come to define the Elara experience."

Operations at Elara and Assisted Daily Living will continue as normal until the close of the transaction, expected to occur in the latter part of the year.

Elaras innovative care platform leverages advanced technology, data, insights and services to anticipate home health needs by proactively monitoring and engaging current and previous patients/clients. It is specifically designed to empower caregivers with the tools, resources and support necessary to provide the best possible care, while creating an environment in which the most compassionate and committed caregivers want to come and build and grow their careers.

"In agreeing to be acquired by Elara, Assisted Daily Living is enhancing our ability to serve patients with outstanding care while providing greater opportunities for our team members," said Debra Corey, President of Assisted Daily Living. "Given our organizations shared mission and values, I have every confidence that this move will serve to benefit scores of Rhode Islanders."

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The pending transaction represents one of several expansions Elara is exploring in 2023. Late last year, it announced the addition of hospice services to its home health offerings in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Elara Caring is one of the nations leading providers of home-based care, offering Skilled Home Health, Hospice, Personal Care Services, Behavioral Health and Palliative Care. With a footprint in 16 states in the Northeast, Midwest and Southwest, it serves more than 60,000 patients and their families across 200 locations. The Elara Caring mission is to deliver exceptional, personalized health care services wherever patients call home. The company accomplishes this by hiring compassionate people who believe in taking care of its patients, clients, care providers and each other. It also offers critical support through the Elara Caring Hospice Foundation, which provides physical, emotional, spiritual and/or social assistance to terminally ill individuals and their families. For more information, visit elara.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005151/en/

Contacts

Sharon Horowitz

The LAKPR Group

shorowitz@lakpr.com

202-559-9171
Teslas record first-quarter vehicle sales belie growing concerns that CEO Elon Musks inventory of unsold vehicles is reaching unhealthy dimensions despite the generous use of rebates to move metal.

Shares, which rallied more than 6% on Friday ahead of this weekends results, are indicated to open lower as investors are expected to take profit on their recent bullish bets.

Despite juicing sluggish demand with price cuts the world over, Musk eked out an increase of only 4.3% in deliveries over the final three months of December. The fear is the desire to claim yet another record will come at the cost of its prized margins.

In a worrying sign, excess supply as reported by Tesla hit 13 days worth of sales at last quarters pace, a two-thirds increase over the years end and its highest since the third quarter of 2020 drew to a close.

Independent analysts calculate the level to be north of that official figure.

In the trailing 12 months, Tesla has built more than 78,000 cars than it has delivered to customers.

Musks company has repeatedly claimed the gap is due to an increase in cars in transit as Tesla transitions away from prioritizing cars slated for export early in the quarter before focusing on domestic demand.

Tesla blamed Q1s weak Model S and X volumes on this very issue, but the assurances fell on skeptical ears.

Delivery numbers for X/S are a bit troubling, wrote Ross Gerber, longtime Tesla bull and CEO of fund manager Gerber Kawasaki. Even with price cuts they seem to have lost the high-end customers this quarter.

The disappointment over its tepid Q1 sales gain led to a furious struggle over control of the narrative on social media.

Musks own Twitter warriors used his Community Notes feature to prod Reuters into correcting a headline that Q1 deliveries actually fell short of expectations (the news agency uses its own proprietary polling data from data partner Refinitiv that differed from those compiled by Bloomberg).

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Tesla is judged differently

As a growth stock that aspires to an average annual volume growth of 50%, a truly staggering figure in the manufacturing industry, its important to remember the market judges Teslas development differently from that of other incumbent carmakers.

Instead of the typical focus on year-over-year volume gainswhere Musk always impresses thanks to the growing adoption of EVsinvestors importantly cast their judgment based on Teslas improvement from one quarter to the next.

And here the 4.3% increase over Q4 is lackluster at best when viewed in conjunction with growing inventories and price cuts.

Bulls argue the first quarter is traditionally weak because of the Chinese Lunar New Year, while sales were hampered because price cuts only began bolstering volumes starting in mid-January.

Yet when your stock is the eighth most valuable megacap in the world and is worth $650 billion, more than the next seven largest automakers combined, there is precious little leeway for disappointment.

Tesla enters Q2-23 with 88k inventory vehicles or 16 days of sales. Higher than recent quarters but still reasonable vs historical supply levels and still significantly below the industry, which is 2-3x this number depending on the manufacturer. pic.twitter.com/cQnIg8qxq4  James Cat (@TSLAFanMtl) April 3, 2023

Delivery growth will have to quicken [to] hit Musks annual target, wrote Gene Munster, a managing partner with Deepwater Asset Management and Tesla bull.

Speculation over Cybervault highlights yearning for new product

Tesla is reaching a size where it struggles to maintain its lofty growth ambitions with its present product range at current list prices.

Its two new car plants in Germany and Texas recently hit fresh weekly production records and are increasingly absorbing local demand its massive factory in Shanghai once served.

Effectively they are now competing with Teslas highly profitable Chinese operations for customers.

Its no coincidence then that Teslas automotive gross marginsa closely followed metric of earnings powerpeaked at 32.9% in the first quarter of 2022, just before the two new sites began pumping out cars.

The problem for Musk is that his carmaker is valued as a growth stock thanks to its prediction that annual sales will increase to 20 million vehicles a year by 2030.

The math to reach that figure, however, beggars belief: The roughly 1.8 million cars targeted this year would have to soar to 5 million by 2026 before quadrupling just four years later to deliver on his vision.

No carmaker has come anywhere remotely close to that, let alone using just one brand to do so and selling perhaps just 10 different modelshalf of which already have been launched with the Model S, X, 3, and Y as well as the recently launched Semi.

Semi production itself is too negligible for Tesla to even bother publishing, with commercial vehicles delivered to customers likely numbering in the dozens rather than hundreds. Meanwhile the Cybertrucks precise launch date this year remains just as unknown as its precise technical specs or prices.

Following last months disappointing investor day and a coup by rival Volkswagen to steal Teslas thunder, the yearning for fresh new products to propel its growth narrative was evident in the wild speculation over the Cybervault teased last week. Unveiled in China on Monday, it turned out to be just a new wall box for charging your Tesla.

Charge your Tesla, Energize your lifeCybervault is available now pic.twitter.com/nG5iQ2kJjI  Tesla Asia (@Tesla_Asia) April 3, 2023

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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How CPC empowers itself with Party-wide education campaigns

Xinhua) 08:12, April 03, 2023

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has decided to launch an education campaign among its 96 million members on the study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Beginning in April, the education campaign will be organized in two batches across the entire Party.

Noting the complex circumstances facing the Party both at home and abroad and the challenging tasks and uncertainties that lie ahead, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Thursday that to fulfill the strategic goals set at the 20th CPC National Congress, all Party members and cadres, especially leading officials at all levels, must further advance their study and implementation of the thought.

"One important piece of experience drawn from our Party's historical achievements and remarkable successes is to always equip our Party with the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to Chinese context and the needs of the times and use them to guide our practice and advance our work," said Xi.

Xi made the remarks while addressing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was designed to play an exemplary role and encourage the whole Party to thoroughly study and implement the thought in the upcoming Party-wide campaign.

According to an earlier meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the campaign aims to help Party members strive in unity to build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

Xi attaches great importance to intra-Party education campaigns, saying that the Chinese Communists have relied on learning to get to where they are today, and this will inevitably continue to be the case going forward.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has carried out a series of themed education campaigns.

-- Campaign for advancing study and implementation of the mass line

Based on arrangements made at the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November 2012, the campaign began in June 2013 with an aim of cultivating closer ties with the people.

"Mass line" refers to a guideline under which CPC officials and members are required to prioritize the interests of the people and exercise power on their behalf.

There was a thorough cleanup of undesirable work styles, with officials required to reflect on their own work and correct any bad practices.

-- Campaign for the observance of the Three Stricts and Three Earnests

The "Three Stricts and Three Earnests" refers to Party members being strict with themselves in practicing self-cultivation, exercising power, and maintaining self-discipline and being earnest in their thinking, work, and behavior.

An education campaign on these requirements for officials at or above the county level was launched in April 2015 to improve their lifestyle and work. It was also a continuation of the campaign for advancing study and implementation of the mass line.

-- Campaign for requiring Party members to study the Party Constitution, Party regulations, and General Secretary Xi Jinping's major policy addresses and to meet Party standards

In 2016, the CPC Central Committee decided to launch the campaign among all members of the Party.

It was an important step for the CPC to extend its internal education programs from among the "key few" to all Party members and to push for a shift of the mechanism from one that features centralized education to a regular practice.

In an instruction delivered in April 2017, Xi lauded the remarkable results achieved through the campaign, saying that it had helped with the strict management of the CPC, and must be continued.

-- Campaign for raising awareness of the need to stay true to the Party's founding mission

On May 13, 2019, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting at which it was decided that an education campaign on the theme of "staying true to the Party's founding mission" would start in June of that year.

It was considered high time for the CPC to launch such a campaign, as the year 2019 marked the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 70th anniversary of the CPC becoming the governing party of the whole country.

The fundamental task of the campaign was to conduct in-depth studies on and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, forge the political character of loyalty, integrity and a keen sense of responsibility, and unite the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and lead them to strive together for the realization of the great dream of national rejuvenation.

In January 2020, a meeting was held to summarize the campaign, calling for continued efforts to ensure that the whole Party remains true to its original aspiration and keeps its mission firmly in mind.

-- Campaign for encouraging the study of the Party's history

In February 2021, the CPC launched a campaign on Party history learning and education among all of its members.

Xi stressed the vital necessity of launching the campaign as the CPC stands at a critical juncture where the timeframes of its two centenary goals converge.

Party members were called on to study the Party's history, understand its theories, do practical work and make new advances.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Informa Markets and the National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) have signed a deal to support the upcoming Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East (SMLME) event, the flagship event of the UAE Maritime Week.

Held under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the leading maritime and logistics event in the region is scheduled to take place from May 16 to 18, 2023, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

NAFL is a non-profit organisation established in 1992 to support and promote the freight and logistics industry in the UAE. The Association was formed primarily to bring together in one body all the major players in the nations freight forwarding, logistics, and shipping industry, as well as to represent and promote the interests of its members. Its main goal is to ensure the UAE's leading position and Dubai's pre-eminence in the international freight and transportation fields.

Logistics element

In line with its ambitions, and as a result of its long-standing experience in supporting the logistics sector in the country, NAFL aims to promote the newly introduced logistics element of SMLME through this partnership, and provide strategic support to enhance the events value to the local, regional, and global maritime industry. Additionally, as part of the agreement, the Association will facilitate the promotion of SMLME to its extensive network of industry professionals, while Informa Markets will provide NAFL with the status of "Supporting Organisation" for the event.

Building resilience

Speaking about the partnership and its potential to enhance the impact of the event, Nadia Abdul Aziz, President, National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) said: "We are well aware of the fact that the UAE is home to some of the busiest ports in the world, including Jebel Ali Port and Khalifa Port, which handle millions of TEUs cargo every year, making it a leading regional and global trade hub. The nations logistics market is a multi-billion-dollar industry, growing rapidly year-after-year. Which is why, we find it important to support the growth and progress of logistics organisations in the country through associations such as NAFL. Through our partnership with Informa Markets for SMLME, we look forward to providing our members with an opportunity to capitalise on the massive network of the event to engage with industry leaders, connect with peers, and discover new business opportunities."

Sudesh Chaturvedi, Secretary General, National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), said: "The pandemic and recent geopolitical tensions had a significant impact on the logistics industry across the globe, leading to disruptions in supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. However, the industry has shown resilience and adaptability in the face of these challenges, and events such as SMLME have enabled the sector to come together on a common platform, and devise the right kind of solutions to the most pressing concerns. Our participation in SMLME as its Supporting Organisation is a testament to our commitment to catalyse the progress of players in the logistics and shipping industry. We are confident that this partnership will help us reemphasise our goals and ambitions, reach a wider audience, and showcase the critical role that NAFL plays in driving the growth of the sector as a whole."

Emma Howell, Middle East Development Director, Informa Markets Maritime & Cruise portfolio, said: "Ever since we announced logistics as a new element for our event, we were well aware of the fact that we would need an industry player like NAFL to support the success of this new vertical.

Reaching out

With NAFL on board to support SMLME, we will be able to reach out to a much larger network of logistics companies, that has been built over the course of more than 30 years, understand the specific needs and concerns of each of these players, and accordingly, plan our sessions. This understanding itself will help us cement the position of our event as a think-tank for the sector, and offer greater value to its attendees.

Chris Morley, Group Director, Seatrade Maritime added: "We are really looking forward to receiving the support of NAFL for SMLME, and believe that this collaboration will help us deliver a world-class event. With the Association promoting our event to their massive network of members, we will be expecting an ocean of attendees representing several logistics companies from across the UAE and the Middle East, ensuring the success of the event as a the place to be for the regions maritime and logistics industry.-- TradeArabia News Service
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Emergent Metals Corp. (TSXV:EMR)(OTC PINK:EGMCF)(FRA:EML)(BSE:EML) ("Emergent" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Kennecott Exploration Company ("KEX"), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group (LSE: RIO), has mobilized and has commenced drilling activities on the New York Canyon Property, NV ("New York Canyon" or the "Property"). New York Canyon is subject to an Earn-In with Option to Joint Venture Agreement (the "Agreement") between Emergent and KEX. KEX has options to earn a up to a 75% interest in the Property by completing up to US$22.5 million in exploration expenditures. The Property hosts a number of copper porphyry and skarn exploration targets.

About the NYC Property

NYC is located 30 miles east of Hawthorne, Nevada. The Property, subject to the Agreement, consists of 21 patented claims and 152 unpatented claims owned by Emergent and 265 unpatented claims owned by KEX., for a total of 21 patented claims and 417 unpatented claims (3,520 ha or 8,700 acres in size). The claims are located in two blocks, North and South. The North Block (the "North Block"), subject to the Agreement, consists of 27 unpatented claims. The South Block (the "South Block"), subject to the Agreement, consists of 21 patented claims and 390 unpatented claims.

The South Block hosts the Longshot Ridge, Copper Queen, and Champion copper porphyry and skarn exploration targets. The North Block hosts the newly discovered Emma copper porphyry and skarn exploration target (see January 26, 2023, press release entitled "Emergent Metals Discovers New Copper Target" for additional details). To date, all the exploration targets at NYC have been found on claims subject to the Agreement.

KEX has staked an additional 257 unpatented claims around the North Block (the "North Buffer Claims") and 110 unpatented claims around the South Block (the "South Buffer Claims"), for an additional 367 unpatented claims. These additional claims do not fall under the Agreement and are outside the Area of Influence that is part of the Agreement. This brings the total number of claims that make up the New York Canyon Property to 21 patented claims and 784 unpatented claims, or approximately 6,350 ha (15,700 acres).

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Plans for the 2023 Exploration Program at New York Canyon

South Block

As part of its 2023 exploration program (the "2023 Exploration Program") at New York Canyon, KEX plans to initially test a target to the southeast of the Copper Queen area. Note in 2021, hole NYCN008 intersected 101.89 m (334.28 ft) of 0.35% CuEq, including 17.40 m 57,09 ft) of 0.734% CuEq, 4.76 m (15.62 ft) of 0.783 CuEq, and 3.00 m (9.84 ft) of 1.062% CuEq (see January 26, 2022, press release entitled "Emergent Provides Exploration Update for Its New York Canyon Property, NV, Reports 101.89 m of 0.350% CuEq including 17.14 m of 0.734% CuEq)". The Copper Queen target appears to be extending to the southeast and drilling is planned to test this. Surface rock chip sampling has indicated increasing copper grades and an increased copper to zinc ratio as one look to the southeast of Copper Queen. The target is a moderate magnetic high and high chargeability anomaly under thin cover (<10.0 m or 32.8 ft) that hasn't been previously explored. Based on results from this core hole, planned to be drilled to a depth of 600 m (subject to adjustment in the field), KEX will assess the results and potentially drill additional holes to further test the potential extension of the Copper Queen target further during the remainder of the year.

North Block

KEX plans to continue geologic, structural, and alteration mapping on the North Block in 2023 as well as take additional soil and rock chip samples. Plans are to install access roads and pads drill needed for the 2023 Exploration Program. KEX then plans to drill an initial core test hole of 500 m (1,600 ft) (subject to adjustment in the field) to test the Emma porphyry-skarn exploration target. Based on results from this core hole, KEX will assess the results and potentially drill additional holes to further test the Emma target during the remainder of the year.

Emma was discovered by a combination of rock chip, soil sampling, a UAV orthophoto survey, and a UAV magnetic geophysical survey done by KEX as part of its annual exploration work completed at New York Canyon in 2022 (the "2022 Exploration Program"). Exploration consisted of soil sampling, rock chip sampling, a UAV magnetics geophysics survey, and a UAV orthophoto survey.

Forty-one rock chip samples were taken on the North Block in 2022 (see press release dated January 26, 2023, for details). Rock samples were taken in monzonite, quartz monzonite, granite, limestone, marble, and skarn bedrock. Results show elevated copper and other indicator minerals. Copper grades ranged from 0.012% Cu to 14.750% Cu. Average grade of the 41 samples was 1.735% Cu, 300 ppb Au, 39.74 ppm Ag, 49.9 ppm Mo, 24.7 ppm Pb, and 1,007.1 ppm Zn. Twenty of the 41 rock chip samples taken had copper grades greater than or equal to 1.00% Cu. Three samples had gold grades greater than or equal to 1.00 g/t Au. Fifteen samples had silver grades greater than or equal to 10 g/t Ag.

Forty-two soil samples were taken on the North Block (also see press release dated January 26, 2023, for details). The soil samples were taken over monzonite, granite, limestone, marble, and skarn bedrock. Results show elevated copper and other indicator minerals. Copper grades ranged from 61 ppm Cu to 2,040 ppm Cu. Average copper grade of the 41 samples was 519.5 ppm Cu, with five samples greater than or equal to 1,000 ppm Cu. Average gold and silver grades were 0.012 ppm and 0.540 ppm respectively.

About the Emergent-Kennecott Earn-in with Option to Joint Venture Agreement

On February 7, 2020, Emergent signed an Earn-in with Option to Joint Venture Agreement (the "Agreement") with KEX at New York Canyon. Key points of the Agreement include:

KEX has an option (the "First Option") to acquire a 55% undivided interest in the Property by incurring US$5.0 million in expenditures within 5 years of the date the Agreement was signed, of which US$1.0 million is a committed expenditure that must be completed prior to the 18-month anniversary of the Agreement.

KEX has a second option (the "Second Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 65%) by incurring an additional US$7.5 million in expenditures within 8 years of the date the Agreement was signed.

KEX has a third option (the "Third Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 75%) by incurring an additional US$10 million in expenditures within 11 years of the date the Agreement was signed.

For clarity, KEX can earn up to a 75% interest in the Property by completing up to US$22.5 million in total exploration expenditures under the First, Second, and Third Options.

Any expenditure in excess of an option expenditure requirement in a given time period will be credited against subsequent option expenditure requirements. KEX may, at any time or from time to time, accelerate its satisfaction of the First, Second, or Third Option by paying Emergent money in lieu of incurring expenditures.

While earning in, KEX has the right to make exploration and development decisions.

KEX must maintain the Property in good standing during the option period(s), including payment of BLM and County maintenance fees.

KEX will have the right to elect to form a joint venture (the "Joint Venture") with Emergent upon completion of either the First, Second, or Third Option. Upon establishing a Joint Venture each participant will fund the joint venture according to its participating interest, with KEX acting as the Manager of the joint venture. If a party's participating interest falls below 10%, then such parties participating interest will be converted to a 1% Net Smelter Royalty, capped at US$25 million.

To date, KEX has spent an estimated US$5.24M as exploration expenditures on the Property to year-end 2022. Based on the Agreement, they have until February 7, 2025, to exercise the First Option under the Agreement.

Qualified Person

Technical aspects of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Robert Pease, P.Geo., CPG. Mr. Pease is consultant who provides geologic services to Emergent and, as such, he is a non-independent Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101.

About Emergent

Emergent is a gold and base metal exploration company focused on Nevada and Quebec. The Company's strategy is to look for quality acquisitions, add value to these assets through exploration, and monetize them through sale, joint ventures, option, royalty, and other transactions to create value for our shareholders (acquisition and divestiture (A&D) business model).

In Nevada, Emergent's Golden Arrow Property, the core asset of the Company, is an advanced stage gold and silver property with a well-defined measured and indicated resource. New York Canyon is a base metal property subject to an Earn-in with Option to Joint Venture Agreement with Kennecott Exploration, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Plc (LSE:RIO). The Mindora Property is a gold, silver, and base metal property located twelve miles from New York Canyon. Buckskin Rawhide East is a gold and silver property leased to Rawhide Mining LLC, operators of the adjacent Rawhide Mine.

In Quebec, the Casa South Property, is an early-stage gold property adjacent to Hecla Mining Corporation's (NYSE:HL) operating Casa Berardi Mine. The Trecesson Property is located about 50 km north of the Val d'Or mining camp. Emergent has a 1% NSR in the Troilus North Property, part of the Troilus Mine Property being explored by Troilus Gold Corporation (TSX:TLG). Emergent also has a 1% NSR in the East-West Property, owned by O3 Mining Corporation (TSX:OIII) and adjacent to their Marban Property.

Note that the location of Emergent's properties adjacent to producing or past producing mines does not guarantee exploration success at Emergent's properties or that mineral resources or reserves will be delineated. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's website at www.emergentmetals.com or view the Company's filings available at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

David G. Watkinson, P.Eng.

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

David G. Watkinson, P.Eng.

Tel: 530-271-0679 Ext 101

Email: info@emergentmetals.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including any technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

SOURCE: Emergent Metals Corp.





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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) will hold its annual meeting of stockholders at 11:00 a.m. CDT, on Thursday, May 4, 2023. The meeting will be held at the Company's Home Office located at 9001 Liberty Parkway in Birmingham, Alabama.

(PRNewsfoto/Encompass Health Corporation)

Stockholders planning to attend the meeting will be asked to present valid picture identification, such as a driver's license or passport, and proof of stock ownership. Reporters planning to attend are requested to pre-register with Casey Winger by calling 205-970-5912 or emailing casey.winger@encompasshealth.com no later than Friday, April 28, 2023.

For Encompass Health stockholders not able to attend the meeting and other interested parties, a live audio webcast can be accessed at https://investor.encompasshealth.com. Those interested may replay the audio webcast through an archived link on the same website following the meeting.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 156 hospitals in 37 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Casey Winger | 205-970-5912

casey.winger@encompasshealth.com

Investor Relations Contact:

Mark Miller | 205-970-5860

mark.miller@encompasshealth.com

Cision

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SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Entergy Corporation

Kenyon Webber (center) leads students in breakout sessions and STEM activities throughout the day.

Last week, Entergy partnered with The American Heart Association as the title sponsor for STEM Goes Red - an annual event aimed to inspire and engage young women to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM. Although women fill close to half of all the jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold only 26% of jobs in STEM, with even less representation in engineering and math/computer sciences. Unfortunately, this gap is further exacerbated for minority women. The purpose of the event is to make significant changes to these statistics by empowering more young women to pursue careers in the sciences.

The event, held at Xavier University, brought together more than 90 young women from Einstein Charter Middle School, Alice M. Harte Charter School and Granville T. Woods Elementary School. The day kicked off with remarks from Patty Riddlebarger, Entergy's vice president of corporate social responsibility, on the importance of increasing diversity in STEM fields for women.

"We are proud to partner with the American Heart Association on STEM Goes Red, aimed to empower and inspire young women to dream big and pursue careers in STEM," said Riddlebarger. "Supporting opportunities such as STEM Goes Red means inspiring bright minds to lead and take action in the development of today's economy and tomorrow's future."

Throughout the day, the young women participated in networking opportunities, speed mentoring, hands-on activities and breakout sessions with leaders from STEM industries, including Kenyon Webber, Entergy senior engineer, transmission design, basis standards.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Entergy Corporation





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Entourage Health Corp.

TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entourage Health Corp. (TSX-V: ENTG) (OTCQX: ETRGF) (FSE:4WE) ("Entourage" or the "Company"), a Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning cannabis products, announced today that, in accordance with the provisions of its omnibus equity incentive compensation plan (the Omnibus Plan), the Company has authorized the issuance of an aggregate of 1,600,000 deferred share units (DSUs) to non-management directors of the Company as compensation for their services. The DSUs will vest on March 31, 2024 and are granted in lieu of cash compensation for services rendered during the first quarter of 2023. The Companys board of directors (the Board) has approved a cap on the number of DSUs payable to each director as part of their quarterly fee payment at 400,000 DSUs. By capping the number of DSUs issuable to directors, the Board is providing the Company with more flexibility to grant equity awards to management, creating greater incentives to drive improvements in shareholder value.



The purpose of the Omnibus Plan is to promote greater alignment of interests between the Company's shareholders and directors and management while reducing the cash expense of compensating its directors. Further details regarding the Omnibus Plan are available in the Companys management information circular dated May 8, 2022, which is available on SEDAR.

The Company is also pleased to announce it has entered into shares-for-debt agreements with certain senior employees of the Company, under which the Company will, subject to the approval of the TSXV, issue up to an aggregate of 1,423,057 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of $0.03 per share in satisfaction of approximately $91,522.56, less required employer deductions and withholdings, owing to such senior employees. By entering into these agreements, the Company is preserving cash while also promoting share ownership within the leadership ranks of the business, further incentivizing management to deliver value back to the Companys shareholders over the long term.

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Visit our website here and access our latest investor presentation and corporate deck here.

For more information, please visit us at www.entouragehealthcorp.com

About Entourage Health Corp.

Entourage Health Corp. is the publicly traded parent Company of Entourage Brands Corp. and CannTx Life Sciences Inc., licence holders producing and distributing cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates a state-of-the-art hybrid greenhouse and processing facility located on 158-acres in Strathroy, ON; a fully licensed 26,000 sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility. With its Starseed Medicinal medical-centric brand, Entourage has expanded its multi-channeled distribution strategy. Starseeds industry-first, exclusive partnership with LiUNA, the largest construction union in Canada, along with employers and union groups complements Entourages direct sales to medical patients. With the launch of Syndicate, Entourage now hosts another unique medical marketplace that offers patients a collective of Canadian micro-cultivators products, along with Entourages family of brands. Entourages elite adult-use product portfolio includes Color Cannabis and Saturday Cannabis  sold across eight provincial distribution agencies. It is the exclusive Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning U.S.-based wellness brand Marys Medicinals sold in both medical and adult-use channels. Under a collaboration with The Boston Beer Company subsidiary, Entourage is also the exclusive distributor of cannabis-infused beverages TeaPot in Canada, which launched in summer 2022, starting in select provinces. In addition, Entourage also entered into an exclusive agreement with Irwin Naturals, a renowned nutraceutical and herbal supplement formulator of popular branded wellness products sold across North America. The new line of CBD soft gels is now available on Starseeds medical platform.

Follow Entourage and its brands on LinkedIn

Twitter: Entourage, Color Cannabis , Saturday Cannabis , Starseed & Syndicate

Instagram: Entourage , Color Cannabis , Saturday Cannabis , Starseed , & Syndicate

For Investor & Media Enquiries:

Catherine Flaman

Senior Director, Communications & Corporate Affairs

416-910-0279

Catherine.flaman@entouragecorp.com

Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon Entourage's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified using forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy.

The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions, and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance, or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of Entourage to implement its business strategies; the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; crop failure; and other risks.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Entourage does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Entourage to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Entourages disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities' regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.

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




MIAMI, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Banesco USA, a Florida state-chartered bank headquartered in East Doral with $3 billion in assets, announced the engagement of Erbi Blanco-True as its Community Relations Director.

Banesco USA (PRNewsfoto/Banesco USA)

Banesco USA offers customized banking solutions and personalized customer service to consumer, commercial real estate, business, and professional clients. The addition of Ms. Blanco-True complements the bank's continued commitment to the community and strengthening the relationship with the bank's community partners throughout South Florida and Puerto Rico.

"Ms. Blanco-True is a consummate professional and a community leader with more than 35 years of experience, and an in-depth knowledge of the South Florida market," said Calixto (Cali) Garcia-Velez, President & CEO of Banesco USA. "She has outstanding marketing, public relations, and community outreach talents and we are extremely pleased to welcome her to our team."

Prior to joining Banesco USA, Ms. Blanco-True served as the Florida Community Development Manager for First Horizon Bank in Coral Gables and CRA Officer and Director of Community Development for Great Florida Bank in Miami. She also served as market president of Neighborhood Lending Partners, a consortium of banks providing financing for affordable housing in South Florida, which serves a tremendous community need.

A graduate of Barry University, with an MBA from Florida International University, she has served on several boards and committees including chair of the AAA Scholarship Foundation Bank Advisory Board, Treasurer of Casa Familia, and a group chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. She also holds prominent positions with Habitat for Humanity, the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust, and was named a Women United Executive council member for United Way Miami.

"Banesco USA has made great inroads throughout local communities in South Florida and Puerto Rico by offering exceptional financial products and services," said Ms. Blanco-True. "It is one of the most respected brands in the banking industry, and this is a special opportunity that I welcome because we share the same values and goals of providing attainable financial solutions to families and businesses in the communities we serve."

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Her duties include maintaining and developing contacts with community leaders and groups, ensuring the bank has a presence in community positions on related boards, committees, and workgroups, developing and expanding relationships with non-profit housing organizations, and taking the lead as the face of Banesco USA on its community development efforts.

For more information, visit BanescoUSA.com.

About Banesco USA

Founded in 2006 and based in Miami, Banesco USA is an independent Florida state-chartered bank with $3 billion in assets as of December 31, 2022 and six locations between South Florida and Puerto Rico. Banesco USA is proud to serve the commercial real estate sector, small and middle-market businesses, as well as professionals who work in the community. The bank services both domestic and international clients as well as operating companies with a suite of products and services delivered with personalized attention to support their financial journeys.

Media Contacts:

Jessica Wade Pfeffer | 305-804-8424 | jessica@jwipr.com

Tyler Sminkey | 786-390-8510 | tyler@jwipr.com

Cision

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SOURCE Banesco USA
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is working on rules to ensure fair access to valuable car data for companies and industry but does not know when they will be ready, a spokesperson said on Monday as industry groups fret about unfair competition from U.S. and Chinese tech companies.

The huge potential of the connected car market, which consultancy Fortune Business Insights says could grow to as much as 400 billion euros ($435 billion) by 2030, has triggered a fight between carmakers and industrial users on access to vehicle data.

Carmakers are looking to data-driven software products and subscription services covering everything from driving habits to fuel consumption and tyre wear as the next money spinner.

Data ownership, however, is not clearly defined in EU law, resulting in the current dispute between carmakers and those who want to access it.

"The Commission is working on the preparation of a sector-specific proposal on in-vehicle data. It will aim to complement the proposal for a Data Act, published in February 2022," a spokesperson for the EU executive told Reuters in an email.

"At this stage we cannot prejudge the content of the final impact assessment and subsequent timeline for adoption."

Car services groups last week piled pressure on the Commission to come up with a legislative proposal as U.S. tech companies such as Alphabet's struck deals with General Motors and Mercedes Benz.

($1 = 0.9188 euros)

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Josie Kao)
ReportLinker

Coconut Water Market in Europe 2023-2027. The analyst has been monitoring the coconut water market in Europe and is forecast to grow by $521.49 mn during 2022-2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 13.41% during the forecast period.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Europe Coconut Water Market 2023-2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06440986/?utm_source=GNW

Our report on the coconut water market in Europe provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by nutritional benefits of coconut water, demand for gluten-free food and beverages, and marketing initiatives for promoting coconut water in Europe.



The coconut water market in Europe is segmented as below:

By Flavor

 Flavored coconut water

 Plain coconut water



By Product

 Sweetened coconut water

 Unsweetened coconut water



This study identifies the growing trend for organic coconut water as one of the prime reasons driving the coconut water market growth during the next few years. Also, new packaging trends and growing trend of brand certification among players will lead to sizable demand in the market.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on the coconut water market in Europe covers the following areas:

 Coconut water market sizing

 Coconut water market forecast

 Coconut water market industry analysis



This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading coconut water market vendors that include Chi, Cocofina Ltd., Cocos Pure Beverage Corp., First Grade International, FORCE BIO SAS, Goya Foods Inc., Gracekennedy Ltd., Happy Coco BV, Helios Ingredients Ltd., MightyBee Ltd., NATURE INNOVATION, PepsiCo Inc., The Coca Cola Co., The Green Coconut Foods Co. Ltd., The Vita Coco Co. Inc., TIANA Fairtrade Organics Ltd., Tropical Sun Foods, Universal Food Public Co. Ltd., Worlds Coconut Trading S.L., and ZICO Rising Inc. Also, the coconut water market in Europe analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast accurate market growth.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06440986/?utm_source=GNW



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ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




ReportLinker

Railcar Leasing Market in Europe 2023-2027. The analyst has been monitoring the railcar leasing market in Europe and is forecast to grow by $2269.86 mn during 2022-2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Europe Railcar Leasing Market 2023-2027" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06440975/?utm_source=GNW

Our report on the railcar leasing market in Europe provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by increased funding by the European commission, efficiency and reliability of rail over road transport, and reduced freight transportation costs with intermodal service.



The railcar leasing market in Europe is segmented as below:

By Type

 Freight cars

 Tank wagons

 Intermodals



By End-user

 Petroleum and chemical

 Coal

 Agricultural products

 Others



This study identifies the applications of advanced coatings on railcars as one of the prime reasons driving the railcar leasing market growth during the next few years. Also, the integration of intelligent systems in freight cars and the use of big data analytics in European rail freight will lead to sizable demand in the market.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on the railcar leasing market in Europe covers the following areas:

 Railcar leasing market sizing

 Railcar leasing market forecast

 Railcar leasing market industry analysis



This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading railcar leasing market vendors that include Akiem Group SAS, Alpha Trains Luxembourg Sarl, Angel Trains Ltd., Beacon Rail Leasing Ltd., ERMEWA INTERSERVICES, ERR European Rail Rent GmbH, GATX Corp., Mitsui and Co. Ltd., Porterbrook Leasing Co. Ltd., Rail Innovators Group B.V., RAILPOOL GmbH, The Greenbrier Companies Inc., Touax SCA, TRANSCHEM Sp zoo, TRANSWAGGON GmbH, and VTG GmbH. Also, the railcar leasing market in Europe analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.



The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast accurate market growth.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06440975/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "European pork, the Smart Choice" campaign kick-off event was successfully hosted in Ho Chi Minh City on March 30th. The event aimed to promote high-quality European pork to Vietnamese professionals and marked the official launch of a three-year promotional campaign by Interporc and Filporc, the Spanish and Portuguese inter-professional pork Associations, and financed with the aid of the European Union. This campaign includes a wide range of online and offline promotional activities and has opened a new phase in the export of European pork to Vietnam.

Event picture showing round table discussion

F&B professionals, such as importers, distributors, and HORECA professionals, were invited to participate in the event. The Embassy of Spain and the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce attached great importance to the campaign, with representatives attending the event and delivering welcome speeches. During the event, the campaign organizers, Interporc and Filporc, delivered a speech emphasizing the crucial role of the Vietnamese market in promoting European pork from Spain and Portugal. They highlighted how it distinguishes itself from other pork origins, offering unparalleled business opportunities. Currently, Vietnam ranks as the first meat market by volume in the ASEAN region, and as the third country in Asia, with a projection of a 24% increase over the next 5 years. As such, Vietnam holds great significance for European pork producers, and will be a market intensively cultivated in the upcoming years.

The campaign "European Pork, the Smart Choice" was presented, covering the campaign's objectives, key messages, main content, and potential areas for collaboration. The attendees were also informed about the successful practices of Spain and Portugal in pig farming and pork production. Further discussions were carried out among the attendees, with a focus on the unique features of European pork and various engaging topics.

Story continues

Pig farming is a significant agricultural sector in EU, with pork products being the second-largest export category. With a legacy of thousands of years of experience in pig breeding and centuries of technological advancements, the European Union has developed an approach grounded in strict standards for safety, quality, traceability, animal welfare, and sustainability.

By tracing the entire production process and adhering to industry standards, the European Union has established itself as the epitome of high-quality pork production around the world.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/european-pork-the-smart-choice-campaign-launch-kickoff-event-in-ho-chi-minh-city-301788033.html

SOURCE Interporc and Filporc
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - A federal jury on Monday ordered Tesla Inc to pay about $3.2 million to a Black former factory worker who won a lawsuit accusing the electric car maker of tolerating severe racial harassment at its flagship Fremont, California, assembly plant. The case is one of several involving working conditions at Tesla and other companies run by billionaire Elon Musk. Here is a look at what is at stake.

WHAT DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS IS TESLA FACING?

The trial involved Owen Diaz, a former elevator operator at the Fremont plant who said he was subjected to harassment including racial slurs and racist caricatures. Diaz won a $137 million verdict at a previous trial in 2021, but a federal judge lowered the jury's award to $15 million while agreeing that Tesla was liable. Diaz opted for a new trial on damages, where a different jury on Monday awarded him $175,000 for emotional distress and $3 million in punitive damages.

Tesla faces similar but much broader claims of tolerating racist conduct in a proposed class action by Black workers and a separate lawsuit by a California civil rights agency. Individual workers have also hit the company with several race discrimination lawsuits, including one filed last week by the former general manager of a service center in Atlanta. Those cases are in early stages and will not go to trial soon. Tesla has denied wrongdoing and called the agency's lawsuit politically motivated.

CAN THE PLAINTIFF OR TESLA CHALLENGE THE JURY VERDICT?

Diaz's lawyers are likely to ask the judge presiding over the case to increase the award at least to the level of the $15 million he awarded last year. Diaz could also ask a San-Francisco-based federal appeals court to order the judge to reconsider, or to order a new trial. His lawyers could argue that the trial judge was wrong to deny their bid last week for a mistrial, in which they claimed Tesla's lawyers improperly questioned Diaz about alleged racist and sexual comments he made to coworkers. Tesla, meanwhile, could challenge the finding that it was liable to Diaz at all and seek to throw out the entire jury award. The company could also argue that the punitive damages award was excessive. The U.S. Supreme Court has said punitive damages should typically be capped at less than ten times the award for emotional distress and other injuries.

Story continues

DOES TESLA FACE MORE BIAS CLAIMS THAN OTHER MAJOR AUTO MAKERS?

The handful of pending cases against Tesla is in line with what any large company can expect. What stands out is the consistency of the claims alleging rampant harassment of Black workers at Tesla's plant in Fremont. Lawsuits against most other companies come from individual plaintiffs making allegations that vary significantly. But all the cases against Tesla claim the company's small human resources team had inadequate staffing to deal with a stream of complaints from Black employees.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER EMPLOYMENT ISSUES?

Tesla is also fighting a spate of sexual harassment lawsuits by female workers at the Fremont plant and another factory near Los Angeles. A pair of other complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Labor last year accuse Tesla of wage theft and worker safety violations at its $1.1 billion truck factory in Austin, Texas. In another pending case, a former production manager claims he was fired for raising concerns about safety issues at the Fremont plant and a factory in Nevada.

Tesla is appealing a U.S. labor board's decision last August that said the company illegally barred workers at the Fremont plant several years ago from wearing shirts bearing union insignia. Last week, a federal appeals court upheld the board's separate decision that Musk violated labor law by tweeting that Tesla employees would lose stock options if they joined a union.

In separate cases pending at the labor board, former employees of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk's rocket company, claim they were fired for criticizing him and the companies' employment policies.

WHAT HAVE ELON MUSK AND TESLA SAID ABOUT THESE CLAIMS?

In a 2017 email to Tesla staff in response to lawsuits by Diaz and other Black workers, Musk stated that "part of not being a huge jerk is considering how someone might feel who is part of an historically less represented group." But he went on to say minorities should be "thick-skinned" and accept apologies from coworkers who insult them.

Tesla in court filings has said it does not tolerate discrimination, takes complaints by workers seriously and disciplines employees who violate anti-bias policies. The company also has said it regularly updates management and members of its board on initiatives meant to prevent discriminatory conduct, including in pay and promotions.

On Monday, Musk tweeted that "the verdict would've been zero" if the judge had allowed the company to introduce new evidence in the retrial. He added: "Jury did the best they could with the information they had. I respect the decision."

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi, David Gregorio and Matthew Lewis)
The global Agritourism Market is anticipated to reach a valuation of $118.63 billion by 2032 from $62.49 billion in 2022 at a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period of 2023-2032, says a research report published by Extrapolate.

The healthy growth is driven by governments' increased emphasis on promoting rural tourism and supporting on-farm sales to boost local economies. Notably, North America remains a dominant force in the market, commanding over 45% of the market revenue share.

Agritourism, a rapidly growing segment of the tourism industry, involves integrating agricultural practices and experiences with leisure activities. This market has gained immense attention recently as tourists increasingly seek authentic, sustainable, and eco-friendly experiences.

Grants and loans

In line with this, many countries have implemented policies and initiatives to promote and support agritourism development. In addition, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers various grants and loans to support agritourism, including the Rural Business Development Grants, Value-Added Producer Grants, and the Farm Service Agency's loans for diversifying farm operations.

"Global tourism is on track to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. By investing in people and projects that make a difference, we can deliver on the sector's potential to drive growth and opportunity for all," said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO. He said: Agritourism provides multiple revenue streams for farmers and rural communities. These include direct sales of farm products, fees for farm tours and events, educational workshops, accommodation, and catering services.

Government funding and support

Governments worldwide have recognised agritourism's value and implemented various programmes to support its development. Some of the notable programmes giving a boost to the global agritourism market include:

The European Union's Rural Development Programme: This programme provides financial support for developing agritourism facilities and services in rural regions, with a total funding of EUR100 billion ($108.38 billion) for 2014-2020. The programme was extended till 2022 with additional funds of EUR35 billion.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agritourism Programme provides grants, technical assistance, and marketing support for agritourism ventures. In May 2022, USDA invested $770 million to expand business opportunities in rural areas.

URB, a leading developer of eco-friendly urban spaces, is set to construct the world's most expansive agritourism destination in Dubai, Agri Hub, in collaboration with the UAE government. This ground-breaking project aims to generate over 10,000 employment opportunities and foster a green economy within the city. As a pioneer in sustainable city development, URB's ambitious endeavour will establish Dubai as a premier agritourism hotspot.

Domestic tourist segment

Domestic agritourism is projected to continue generating the highest market revenue and emerging as a promising avenue for sustainable rural development. In addition, Extrapolate's research indicates that the growing interest of locals in exploring the rural lifestyle, agriculture techniques, and other related outdoor activities such as horse riding and camping has significantly contributed to the segmental growth.

Furthermore, domestic tourists are attracted to experiencing local cultures and traditions. This, in turn, offers an opportunity to support the local economy. For instance, the gaining popularity of the farm-to-table trend, where visitors can participate in activities such as picking fruits and vegetables, milking cows, or making cheese, adds value to the agritourism experience.

In the last few years, to fully capitalise on the potential of domestic agritourism, governments around the globe have started to address the challenges farmers face in terms of infrastructure, training, and marketing. In line with this, they have begun promoting rural tourism, providing financial support for infrastructure development, and creating training programs for farmers. As a result, many urban consumers are attracted to these activities around the globe, further supporting segmental growth.

On-farm sales

The on-farm sales segment held the second largest market share after outdoor activities in the global agritourism market in 2022 and is projected to continue to maintain its position in the coming years, according to Extrapolate's analysis. In addition, this segment offers farmers higher profit margins as it eliminates mediators or distributors.

According to a USDA study, farmers who participated in agritourism earn an average of 33% more per production unit than those who sell through traditional channels. Additionally, selling directly to consumers allows farmers to benefit from the increasing interest in locally-grown produce. This trend has led to an 86% increase in farmers' markets in the US between 2008 and 2021.

Selling directly to consumers offers farmers a competitive edge and diversifies their revenue streams by selling value-added products and agritourism experiences. It has been found that agritourism businesses that sell directly to consumers generate most of the revenue from diversified streams by offering value-added products such as jams, jellies, baked goods and agritourism experiences such as farm tours, pick-your-own, and farm-to-table dinners.

North America to generate more than 45% of sales

According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Supplement in September 2022, North America experienced a 103% increase in tourism from January to July 2022 compared to 2021.

As a result, North America remains the largest market for agritourism, generating over 45% of the global market revenue. The growth of the agritourism market in North America can be attributed to several factors, such as strong government support, changing lifestyles, increasing focus on sustainable farming, and growth in farm sales.

In addition, direct-to-consumer sales are projected to contribute the highest revenue to the North American agritourism market. This includes sales through farmer's markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, and other direct sales channels. This trend also supports the increasing demand for locally produced food and a desire for consumers to connect with their food source.

Competitive landscape

Agritourism is a rapidly growing sector in the tourism industry, attracting visitors who are interested in experiencing rural life, agriculture, and farm-to-table experiences. As the demand for agritourism experiences continues to increase, the market has become highly fragmented, with a strong presence of regional players.

However, the agritourism market is expected to become more competitive in the years to come as more players enter the market. The growth of the agritourism market has attracted the attention of more prominent players in the tourism industry, including hotels, tour operators, and travel agents, who are starting to offer agritourism experiences as part of their packages.-- TradeArabia News Service
WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / NOTIFICATION OF TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS AND CAPITAL IN THE COMPANY

In accordance with DTR 5.6.1, the Company hereby notifies the following:

The Company's issued share capital as at March 31, 2023 consisted of 232,171,182 ordinary shares of 10 pence each ("Ordinary Shares"), of which 26,823,647 Ordinary Shares were held in treasury as at the date of this disclosure. The voting rights of treasury shares are automatically suspended.

Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company is 205,347,535. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which to determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and the Company's Articles of Association.

Enquiries:

Kate McCormick, Company Secretary

(0118 927 3827)

April 3, 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.

SOURCE: Ferguson PLC





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747246/Ferguson-PLC-Announces-Total-Voting-Rights




(Bloomberg) -- A pro-business opposition group unseated Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Finlands close parliamentary elections, paving the way for tough wrangling to form a new government in the northernmost euro area member.

Most Read from Bloomberg

National Coalition leader Petteri Orpo, 53, is on track to become prime minister, having taken 48 seats in Sundays election. The far-right Finns Party won 46 of the parliaments 200 seats, leaving the millennial leaders Social Democrats in third place with 43 seats.

The outcome mirrors the shift in neighboring Sweden where a more inward-looking and fiscally conservative government, led by the Moderate Party, took power from the Social Democrats last year and an extreme anti-immigrant force surged in popularity.

Bond investors are set to welcome the results as big swings related to Finland-specific developments are now unlikely, Jan von Gerich and Juho Kostiainen, analysts at Nordea Bank Abp, said in a note. The next four years will likely bring a tighter fiscal stance, they said.

The result sets the stage for difficult talks between the top three parties on who will form the core of the next cabinet. As a rule, the party with the most seats gets the first attempt to form a ruling coalition  and cabinets can even be formed by parties from opposite sides of the political spectrum if they manage to agree on a joint policy program.

The formal negotiations can kick off after the election of a parliament speaker April 12 and are set to take weeks, if not months.

Orpo has two main options for forging a coalition. One alternative is to work with Marins party, and another to reach out to Riikka Purras nationalist Finns Party.

Story continues

Having overseen the finance, interior and agriculture portfolios in two governments, Orpo has led his party since 2016. Hes also known to enjoy fishing and spending time at his century-old cottage with no running water and little electricity.

While he could agree with Marin on an ambitious climate policy, their big differences lie on the fiscal side. The issue is a priority for Orpo, who has been a vocal critic of how Marins government has managed public finances.

We must fix our economy, Orpo told reporters. We are a clear alternative to the left-wing government. People are very worried about the economy.

The National Coalition has pledged to reduce expenditure by 6 billion ($6.5 billion), an amount calculated by the Finance Ministry that compares with the state budget of about 83.5 billion. During the campaign, Marin rejected spending cuts.

Its also questionable how well the two leaders get along, with Marin appearing to make jabs at Orpo throughout the pre-election debates.

Second Option

With the Finns, the election winner is broadly in agreement on economic policy, but strongly at loggerheads on immigration and climate policies. The National Coalition wants to lure more workers into Finland, a policy rejected by the anti-immigration party. On climate, the Finns Party has channeled the vote of those who think too much fuss is being made of reducing emissions.

My party has succeeded in defining the exact problems of the state at the moment and succeeded in offering a clear alternative to combat them, Purra said, singling out public finances, internal security and the governments energy and climate policies.

Putting together a cabinet with the Finns Party would also be complicated by a refusal of many to work with the anti-immigrant force, leaving open whom Orpo would persuade to join in to ensure a majority. The Center Party of Finance Minister Annika Saarikko was the elections biggest loser, and the party is likely to spend the next four years in opposition, she indicated.

The talks are certain to be quite difficult, Orpo told reporters. That said, the only way forward is through cooperation. There are big differences between the top three parties, and theres a lot to work out.

More Prudence

With Marins SDP being the only one in her five-party left-leaning cabinet to add seats, the result shows Finnish voters wanted to see more prudence in fiscal policy.

Under her government, Finlands public debt jumped by about 40 billion to about 195 billion last year, fueled by borrowings to tackle fallout from the pandemic, Russias war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. About a quarter of the total debt growth isnt explained by those crises.

Still, Marin has widespread support, stemming from her handling of both the pandemic and the fallout of the war, which led to Finlands bid to join NATO. She has garnered international fame as head of a cabinet led solely by women, with the 37-year-old premiers personal lifestyle drawing in young voters.

Late on Sunday, Marin congratulated the elections other winners, mentioning both the National Coalition and the Finns Party, but stopping short of conceding defeat.

Finnish people have cast their votes, she said. A celebration of democracy is always magnificent.

--With assistance from Jane Pong and Philip Tabuas.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Fire Resistant Lubricants Market by Type (HFA, HFB, HFC, HFDU, HFDR), End-Use Industry (Metal Processing, Mining, Power Generation, Aerospace, Marine, Construction, Others), Region (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America) - Global Forecast to 2027", size is projected to reach USD 3.7 billion by 2027 from USD 3.1 billion in 2022, growing at a CAGR of 3.4 % in terms of value during the forecast period.

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In order to avoid the fire hazards caused by metal-on-metal contact between the surfaces of moving parts, fire resistant lubricants offer protection. Although the surface of equipment appear to be smooth and polished, at the microscopic level they have rough surfaces. Smooth motion is hampered by friction. Additionally, it worsens surface wear, produces heat, and may even result in equipment failure or fire-related problems. Between moving parts a layer of film is formed when fire resistant lubrication is done correctly to eliminate friction, which leads to more streamlined operation and longer equipment life without fire concerns.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Fire Resistant Lubricants Market"

271  Tables

73  Figures

261  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=239428812

A protective layer is created by preventing component surfaces from coming in contact with water or other corrosive chemicals. Fire resistant lubrication helps protect component surfaces from rust, corrosion, and fire leakages. Fire resistant lubrication prolongs the consistency, life, and efficiency of equipment by reducing wear, friction, excessive heat, corrosion, rust, contamination, and other factors. Exposure to several factors that could lead to potentially expensive equipment failures and breakdowns is decreased by fire resistant lubrication.

"HFDU fire resistant lubricants was the second-largest type in the global fire resistant lubricants market, in terms of value, in 2021"

The HFDU fire resistant lubricants can operate under extreme conditions, have high viscosity, and can withstand hot temperatures without oxidizing, which are some of the crucial factors which are likely to help the growth of the HFDU fire resistant lubricants market. Another factor for the growth of HFDU fire resistant lubricants is their better performance. The HFDU-type fire resistant lubricants have gained popularity because of their excellent lubricity, fire resistance properties, and good viscosity stability across a different range of temperatures. The HFDU-type fire resistant lubricants are much more versatile and compatible than HFDR fire resistant lubricants.

Story continues

"Metal processing segment projected to be the largest end-use industry, in terms of value, during the forecast period"

High varying temperatures and high friction involved in industrial processes necessitate the use of fire resistant lubricants in the metal processing industry. The metal processing end-use industry consumes fire resistant lubricants on a large scale. Metal processing leads the fire resistant lubricants market due to the huge demand for metals such as steel, aluminum, and others from industries such as automotive, general manufacturing, construction, packaging, and machinery. The steel production plant consumes fire resistant lubricants in assembly cranes, electric motors, bearings, and hot-temperature casting machines.

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"Asia Pacific is estimated to be the largest market for fire resistant lubricants, in terms of value, during the forecast period"

Asia Pacific is estimated to be the largest fire resistant lubricants market in the metal processing and power generation industry. This is due to the increasing metal processing production in China, Japan, and India. According to the World Steel Association (WSA), China and India are the top crude steel producers, producing 1,032,790 thousand tons and 118,201 thousand tons, respectively, in 2021. The increasing steel production in China and India drives the demand for fire resistant lubricants in the metal processing end-use industry.

Market Players

The key market players profiled in the report include TotalEnergies SE (France), Quaker Houghton (US), Shell plc (UK), and BP p.l.c. (UK), Exxon Mobil Corporation (US), Sinopec Group (China), Phillips 66 (US), LANXESS AG (Germany), Croda International Plc (UK), and Fuchs Petrolub SE (Germany), among others.

Browse Adjacent Market: Bulk Chemicals and Inorganics Market Research Reports & Consulting

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Proficient Market Insights

PUNE, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market information for each competitor includes (Mexichem,Minersa,Tertiary Minerals,Kenya Fluorspar,British Fluorspar,Mongolrostsvetmet,Sinochem Group,Chinastar Fluorine,Masan Resources,RUSAL,Managem,Canada Fluorspar Inc.,Sallies Limited,Seaforth Mineral & Ore,Hunan Nonferrous Fluoride Chemical,Centralfluor Industries,Guoxing Corporation,China Kings Resources,Zhejiang Wuyi Shenlong Flotation,Luoyang Fluorine Potassium,Laifeng Furui Mining,Yingpeng Chemical,Luoyang Fengrui Fluorine,Jinhua Jingxuan Minerals,Chifeng Sky-Horse Fluorspar Mining,Jiangxi Shi Lei Group,Inner Mongolia Huasheng,Sinosteel Corporation,Zhejiang YiPeng Chemical,Steyuan Mineral Resources) Company Profile, Main Business Information, SWOT Analysis, Price and Gross Margin, Market Share, Retailing, IIII industry and has 132 pages in it.

Short Description About Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market:

This report studies the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market, covering market size for segment by type (CaF2 98%, CaF2 97%, etc.), by application (Chemical Industry, Metallurgy Industry, etc.), by sales channel (Direct Channel, Distribution Channel), by player (Mexichem, Minersa, Tertiary Minerals, Kenya Fluorspar, British Fluorspar, etc.) and by region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East & Africa).



This report provides detailed historical analysis of global market for Fluorspar (Acid Grade) from 2016-2021, and provides extensive market forecasts from 2022-2030 by region/country and subsectors. It covers the sales/revenue/value, gross margin, historical growth and future perspectives in the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market.



Moreover, the impact of COVID-19 is also concerned. Since outbreak in December 2019, the COVID-19 virus has spread to all around the world and caused huge losses of lives and economy, and the global manufacturing, tourism and financial markets have been hit hard, while the online market/industry increase. Fortunately, with the development of vaccine and other effort by global governments and organizations, the negative impact of COVID-19 is expected to subside and the global economy is expected to recover.



This research covers COVID-19 impacts on the upstream, midstream and downstream industries. Moreover, this research provides an in-depth market evaluation by highlighting information on various aspects covering market dynamics like drivers, barriers, opportunities, threats, and industry news & trends. In the end, this report also provides in-depth analysis and professional advices on how to face the post COIVD-19 period.



The research methodology used to estimate and forecast this market begins by capturing the revenues of the key players and their shares in the market. Various secondary sources such as press releases, annual reports, non-profit organizations, industry associations, governmental agencies and customs data, have been used to identify and collect information useful for this extensive commercial study of the market. Calculations based on this led to the overall market size. After arriving at the overall market size, the total market has been split into several segments and sub segments, which have then been verified through primary research by conducting extensive interviews with industry experts such as CEOs, VPs, directors, and executives. The data triangulation and market breakdown procedures have been employed to complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics for all segments and sub segments.

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Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market 2023 research is a key process that helps businesses gather and analyze information about their target Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market, customers, competitors, and industry trends. Ask for Sample Report

Here are some important aspects of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market 2023 to 2028 : -

Define the Research Objectives: The first step in Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market is to define the research objectives. This involves determining the specific questions that need to be answered and the information that needs to be gathered.

Identify the Target Market: Businesses must identify their target Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market and understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors. This can involve segmenting the market based on factors such as demographics, psychographics, and geographic location.

Select the Research Methodology: There are many different Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market methodologies that can be used, such as surveys, focus groups, and observational research. The methodology selected will depend on the research objectives and the type of data that needs to be collected.

Collect Data: Once the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market methodology has been selected, data can be collected using various techniques such as online surveys, phone interviews, or in-person focus groups. It is important to ensure that the data collected is reliable, valid, and representative of the target market.

Analyze the Data: Once the data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed to identify trends, patterns, and insights. This can involve statistical analysis or qualitative analysis of open-ended responses.

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Draw Conclusions and Make Recommendations: Based on the analysis of the data, businesses can draw conclusions and make recommendations for future actions. This could include changes to product offerings, marketing strategies, or business operations.

Continuously Monitor and Adapt: Markets are constantly changing, so it is important for businesses to continuously monitor their performance and adapt their strategies as needed to stay competitive.

Overall, the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market is an important process that can provide businesses with valuable insights and inform important business decisions.

Topmost manufacturers/ Key player/ Economy by Business Leaders Leading Players of Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market Are:

Mexichem

Minersa

Tertiary Minerals

Kenya Fluorspar

British Fluorspar

Mongolrostsvetmet

Sinochem Group

Chinastar Fluorine

Masan Resources

RUSAL

Managem

Canada Fluorspar Inc.

Sallies Limited

Seaforth Mineral & Ore

Hunan Nonferrous Fluoride Chemical

Centralfluor Industries

Guoxing Corporation

China Kings Resources

Zhejiang Wuyi Shenlong Flotation

Luoyang Fluorine Potassium

Laifeng Furui Mining

Yingpeng Chemical

Luoyang Fengrui Fluorine

Jinhua Jingxuan Minerals

Chifeng Sky-Horse Fluorspar Mining

Jiangxi Shi Lei Group

Inner Mongolia Huasheng

Sinosteel Corporation

Zhejiang YiPeng Chemical

Steyuan Mineral Resources

Get a Sample Copy of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Report 2023

Complete Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market Report

The global Complete Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market report examines various tendencies, obstructions, and challenges faced by the key competitors of the Complete Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market. The report has been constructed considering the major outcomes and consequences of the market.

Applications covered in the report are:

Chemical Industry

Metallurgy Industry

Building Material

Others

This is based on the existing Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market conditions and past data. Researchers have analysed every type of data and the participants, as well as, principals apart from geological areas and product type.

CaF2 98%

CaF2 97%

Market split by Sales Channel, can be divided into:

Direct Channel

Distribution Channel

Why Companies Worldwide Rely on us to Grow and Put up with Revenues: -

Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market Expertise: Companies may partner with other companies that have specific expertise or knowledge in an area that the first company lacks. Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market Cost savings: Collaborating with another company can help to reduce costs for both parties.

Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market Access to new: Partnering with a company that has a strong presence in a new market can help a company expand its reach and customer base.

Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market Innovation: Collaborating with other companies can lead to the development of new products, services, or technologies that can help to drive growth and revenue. Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market Resources: By partnering with another company, a company can gain access to additional resources, such as funding or talent that can help them achieve their growth and revenue goals.

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How are the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

Supply chain disruptions: The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine could disrupt supply chains, leading to shortages of goods and materials. This could impact the ability of B2B companies to produce and deliver products to their customers.

Changes in consumer behavior: The pandemic has led to significant changes in consumer behavior, with more people shopping online and prioritizing health and safety. This could lead to shifts in demand for certain types of products and services, which could impact B2B companies that supply those products and services.

Economic uncertainty: The pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could lead to economic uncertainty, which could impact the willingness of businesses to invest in new projects and purchases. This could lead to a slowdown in B2B sales and revenue growth.

Political instability: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine could lead to political instability in the region, which could have wider impacts on global trade and economic activity. This could create challenges for B2B companies that rely on international markets and supply chains.

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Here are the important points covered in the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) market:

Please find out the industry will change till 2028 according to our predictions

Understand the historical, current, and future prospects of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market

Understand how sales volumes, Global share and growth of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market will occur in the next five years.

Read product descriptions of Fluorspar (Acid Grade) products, along with report scopes and upcoming trends in the industry.

Learn about key growth factors of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) industry

Get a comprehensive analysis of the drivers, risks, opportunities and restrains to growth of the Fluorspar (Acid Grade)

Get to know about the leading Market players, both current and emerging in the Global Fluorspar (Acid Grade)

Report Answers Following Questions:

What are the important R&D (Research and Development) factors and data identifications to responsible for rising market share?

What are future investment opportunities in the in Fluorspar (Acid Grade) landscape analysing price trends?

Which are most dynamic companies with ranges and recent development within Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market till 2024?

In what way is the market expected to develop in the forthcoming years?

What are the principal issues that will impact development, including future income projections?

What are the market opportunities and potential risks associated with Fluorspar (Acid Grade) by analyzing trends?

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Key Reasons to Purchase

To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the global Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

To understand the future outlook and prospects for the Fluorspar (Acid Grade) Market.

Besides the standard structure reports, we also provide custom research according to specific requirements

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Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The increasing popularity of healthy lifestyles and urbanization in North America is driving up demand for frozen fruits and vegetables, which is further fueled by the rising consumption of canned and frozen foods. Moreover, the expanding market for frozen fruits and vegetables is being driven by the growing vegan population, resulting in higher sales and profits for industry players

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 2023, the frozen fruits and vegetables market was estimated to be worth US$ 4.31 billion and was projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.7%. In 2033, it is expected that the frozen fruits and vegetables market is anticipated to be worth US$ 8.24 billion. Unseasonal fruits are likely to continue to grow in popularity because of their outstanding nutritional value and freshness on a worldwide scale.



Frozen Fruits and Vegetables are Difficult to Degrade when Exposed to Light, Heat, and Dust

Due to the numerous advantages of frozen produce, consumer demand for frozen fruits and vegetables is rapidly increasing. The process of freezing fruits and vegetables preserves their color, flavor, and nutritional value. It suppresses bacterial growth and delays decay by freezing the liquid that is left over.

Having been frozen, fruits and vegetables are also more resistant to deterioration brought on by difficult transport and exposure to light, heat, and dust. They have a lot to offer, including low cost, ease of preparation, and availability throughout the year.

Drivers and challenges have an impact on market dynamics, which can impact businesses. Find more insights in a sample report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-16656

Preparation-free Food that Saves a Ton of Time Drives the Market Growth

Consumers are switching to frozen fruits and vegetables since they don't need to be cleaned, peeled, or chopped, because of extended work hours, growing health consciousness, and the incidence of lifestyle diseases.

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While maintaining a high level of nutrition, they assist in cutting down on overall cooking time. As a result, producers are introducing distinctive product versions that use herbs and spices from regional produce to diversify their product lines and draw in a wide customer base.

Growing middle-class populations, particularly in Asian nations, with rising income levels, are positively influencing the frozen fruits and vegetables market expansion. In addition, consumers now favor using their credit or debit cards to pay for their online purchases to get over regional restrictions. This is giving the market's expansion a boost, working in tandem with the booming e-commerce sector.

Regional outlook

While the global frozen fruits and vegetables market is divided into five distinct geographical areas, including Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, and Latin America.

The North American region has recently led the industry in terms of the industry share. North America's dominant position in the global market can be ascribed to the availability of strong and well-trained cold chain logistics facilities, as well as related infrastructure, in the region.

The market in Asia Pacific, on the other hand, is expected to increase at a considerable rate in future years, owing to the changing lifestyle and food preferences of the region's consumers.

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Key Takeaways

During the projected period, the United States frozen fruits and vegetables market is expected to be worth US$ 6.9 billion.

China is expected to reach a market size of US$ 5.6 billion over the forecast timeline, with a CAGR of 4%.

Japan and Canada are expected to increase at 1.4% and 2%, respectively, throughout the predicted period.

Germany's frozen fruits and vegetables market is expected to register a 1.8% CAGR through 2033.

During the projection period, frozen tropical fruits accounted for more than 40.0% of the market.

Frozen berries are predicted to record a CAGR of 7.5% between 2023 and 2033.

During the forecast period, the offline segment I expected to dominate the market with a share of more than 80.0%.

The online distribution channel is predicted to expand with a CAGR of 7.7% until 2033.

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Competitive Landscape

The research report thoroughly examines one of the most significant producers and businesses functioning in the global frozen fruits and vegetables market, as well as their present market positioning and market share.

Some of the top companies operating in the landscape of the global frozen fruits and vegetables market include Findus Sverige AB, Simplot Australia PTY Ltd., Pinnacle Foods Corp, Bondeulle Group, SunOpta, Inc., Fruktana Ltd., Breukers Schamp Foods, HJ Heinz, Ardo N. V., Dole, General Mills, Capricorn Food Products India, Ltd., Alasko Foods Inc.

According to recent studies, there is anticipated to be intense competition in the global market during the next few years.

Recent Developments

In November 2021, Nestle released 'Wildspace.', which comprises a wide choice of healthy frozen meals packaged in reusable and recyclable containers. It provides at least six distinct types of meals.

In September 2021, Grupo Bimbo added four frozen bakeries to its lines in the Argentina factory. This has proven to be a beneficial move as the company expands its export business in adjacent countries.

Key Segments

By Product Type:

Frozen Vegetables

Frozen Fruits

By Distribution Channel:

Online

Offline

By Region:

North America

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America

Middle East Asia



Browse Full Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/frozen-fruits-and-vegetables-market

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary | Frozen Fruits and Vegetables 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



Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage on Food & Beverage Domain:

Frozen Food Market Size: The global frozen food market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 314,285 Million in 2022, forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% to be valued at US$ 602,257 Million from 2022 to 2032.

IQF Fruits and Vegetables Market Demand: The IQF Fruits and Vegetable market is valued at USD 116.3 Billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% during the forecast period, to reach a value of USD 165.7 Billion by 2032.

Canned Fruits Market Forecast: The global canned fruits market is projected to register at a moderate-paced CAGR of 1.9% over the forecast period. The canned fruits market is currently valued at US$ 9.95 Billion in 2023.

Freeze Dried Fruits Market Growth: According to Future Market Insights, the global freeze dried fruits market is expected to record a CAGR of 7.5% from 2023 to 2033.

Frozen Pet Food Market Share: The global frozen pet food market is expected to reach market valuation of US$ 14 Bn by 2022, with demand increasing at a CAGR of 5.1% over the assessment period.

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.

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Transparency Market Research

Extensive applications in power plants and other industrial applications are anticipated to create lucrative business opportunities in the gas turbine market

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc.  According to market report by TMR, the global gas turbine market was valued at US$ 36.6 Bn in 2022 and is estimated to reach US$ 54.8 Bn by the end of 2031. TMR findings suggest that surge in need for electricity has increased the demand for gas turbines.



Gas turbines convert fuel energy into mechanical energy, which can be further used to generate electricity. These turbines compress and mix air with fuel that is later ignited in the combustion chamber. Gas turbines can efficiently operate on different forms of fuel such as diesel, aviation fuel, and natural gas. The pressing need for these turbines in various industrial applications, power plants, and aircraft propulsion systems is likely to create significant opportunities in the global market during the forecast period from 2023 to 2031.



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Gas Turbine Market: Growth Drivers



Upgrade of Conventional Electric Infrastructure: The escalating need for energy production owing to its increased consumption has led to innovation in conventional electric infrastructure. This has increased sales of gas turbines across the world.



Expansion of Industrial Sectors: Industrial sectors, such as petrochemicals and oil & gas, are expanding rapidly. Gas turbines have proved to be a cleaner option for production systems that operate on fossil fuels. Low greenhouse gas emissions owing to application of gas turbines has made it popular among end-use industries. Thus, the gas turbine market is projected to witness significant growth in the next few years.

Wide Application of Electrical Generators in Various Settings: Electric generators are prominently used in industrial, commercial, and residential settings. Gas turbines are used in electric generators as these are efficient, reliable, and can operate on a range of fuels. Additionally, these are available in different configurations that provide backup for various settings, including hospitals, critical facilities, data centers, and power production units. Concurrently, these turbines are cost-efficient and moderately sized; hence, these require less space and time to operate effectively. Therefore, the gas turbine market is likely to witness substantial growth.



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Key Findings of Gas Turbine Market

Turbofan Engine Type Segment to Witness Lucrative Growth: Turbofan engines are used in commercial airlines due to their efficiency. Consequently, these can reduce the noise output and dependability aspect. These factors have made them popular among end-users, which is likely to create multiple growth opportunities in the gas turbine market.

Power Generation Application Segment to Offer Business Growth Opportunities: The power generation segment is witnessing burgeoning growth due to extensive use of gas turbines in electricity generation. Advantages such as peaking power, baseload flexibility, and high efficiency are expected to drive demand for gas turbines in the segment. However, marine and petrochemical applications are expected to grow rapidly due to rise in deployment of gas turbines in these sectors.



Gas Turbine Market: Regional Dynamics



As per the TMR research report, Asia Pacific is expected to account for major market share during the forecast period due to rapid development in countries such as India and China. Rise in adoption of gas turbines in various end-use applications, such as power & gas, healthcare, and aerospace, has created significant growth opportunities in the market in the region.

The market in Europe is likely to experience robust growth during the forecast period due to expanding power sector and increase in adoption of renewable sources of energy. Furthermore, rise in research & development activities to use wind and solar energy as renewable energy sources for backup has opened new growth avenues for the global industry.

The market in North America is anticipated to grow at a steady pace due to high consumption of gas turbines by consumers in the U.S. Additionally, availability of natural resources in abundance is expected to drive the market in the region.



Gas Turbine Market: Regional Landscape



Key players operating in the global market are focusing on research & development activities to enhance the power and capability of gas turbines. Concurrently, incorporation of digital technology and advancement in technologies are expected to lead to significant market development. Major participants are adding new features to products and focusing on making it an easy and affordable option. Efforts to create brand awareness among consumers have also generated lucrative growth opportunities in the gas turbine market.



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Key market players include:

GE Power

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

OPRA Turbines

Siemens Energy AG

Capstone Green

GE Power

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Solar Turbines Incorporated

Gas Turbine Market: Segmentation



Engine Type

Turbojet

Turbofan

Turboprop

Turboshaft

Rating Capacity

Below 60 MW

60 MW-150 MW

150 MW-300 MW

300 MW-400 MW

Above 400 MW



Design

Heavy-duty Gas Turbines

Industrial Gas Turbines

Aeroderivative Gas Turbines



Application

Steel Mills

Marine

Refineries

Petrochemical

Power Generation

Others (Aircraft, Spacecraft, etc.)

Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

South America



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Giyani Metals Corp.

Not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV: EMM, GR: A2DUU8) ("Giyani" or the "Company"), developer of the integrated K.Hill battery-grade manganese project in Botswana (K.Hill Battery Manganese Project or K.Hill), is pleased to announce a number of senior management changes, including the appointment of Mr. Danny Keating as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company. Mr. Keating joins Giyani and its Board of Directors with immediate effect.

Mr. Keating brings almost 30 years of mining and resources industry experience, including several senior leadership roles as CEO of privately held Alufer Mining and Dynamic Mining, as well ASX-listed Lindian Resources. He is a South African qualified mining engineer, currently based in the United Kingdom, who started his career with Anglo American and Gold Fields working in production, as well as project development, project finance and strategy. He later worked in London as a mining analyst and corporate finance executive with Collins Stewart and ABN AMRO. He has practical experience of managing culturally diverse teams across multiple African jurisdictions, as well as cultivating strong relationships with government decision makers, local communities, business leaders and other stakeholders to deliver on business objectives.

Mr. Jonathan Henry will remain as Executive Chair of the Company working closely with Mr. Keating to ensure a smooth transition. It is expected that Mr. Henry will return to a Non-Executive Chair role in early-May 2023 and at such time Ms. Stephanie Hart, who has served as interim lead independent director during this transitionary period, will relinquish that role and will focus on her roles as a director and Chair of the Audit and Compensation Committees.

As part of the ongoing organizational restructuring, Mr. Derk Hartman has departed from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect.

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Jonathan Henry, Executive Chair of the Company, commented:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Danny as our new CEO. He has the knowledge and expertise to allow the Company to build on its achievements in developing our low carbon process for production of a critical battery raw material and to establish ourselves as a globally significant player in the manganese battery chemicals market.

Danny Keating, incoming CEO of the Company, commented:

Giyani has the potential to occupy a strategic position in the critical battery raw materials sector and I am excited about leading the Company through this pivotal time in its development. K.Hill is one of the very few advanced projects in the battery-grade manganese sector capable of meeting the surge of demand anticipated from the electric vehicle market and I am very much looking forward to working with the management team and the board of directors to evaluate and focus the Companys strategy and deliver the full potential of the Company for all of our stakeholders and partners.

The Company has granted Mr. Keating 3,000,000 stock options (each an Option) in accordance with the Companys Stock Option Plan. Each Option is exercisable into one common share (a "Share") of the Company at a price of $0.20 per Share for a period of five years from todays date. The Options have a series of vesting provisions over a period of 36 months with the provision that Mr. Keating remains engaged by the Company at the applicable vesting dates.

About Giyani

Giyanis mission is to become a sustainable, low carbon producer of battery materials for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. It has developed a hydrometallurgical process to produce high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate, a lithium-ion battery cathode precursor material critical for EVs, directly from ore from its manganese oxide deposits in Botswana, wholly-owned by its Botswana subsidiary Menzi Battery Metals (Pty) Limited. The Companys assets include the K.Hill Battery Manganese Project and the Otse and Lobatse manganese prospects, each of which has seen historical mining activities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp.

Jonathan Henry, Executive Chair

Contact:

Jonathan Henry

Executive Chair

+44 7798 801 783

jhenry@giyanimetals.com

Danny Keating

President & Chief Executive Officer

dkeating@giyanimetals.com

George Donne

VP Business Development

+44 7866 591 897

gdonne@giyanimetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

The securities described herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons," as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons.

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Giyani 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", "does not expect", "plans", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. Specific forward-looking statements and forward-looking information herein includes the Options, the vesting provisions and Mr. Keatings continued engagement with the Company and the development of the Companys projects.

All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of the relevant management as of the date such statements are made and are subject to certain assumptions, important risk factors and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Giyani's ability to control or predict. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In the case of Giyani, these facts include their anticipated operations in future periods, planned exploration and development of its properties, and plans related to its business and other matters that may occur in the future. This information relates to analyses and other information that is based on expectations of future performance and planned work programs.

Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation: inherent exploration hazards and risks; risks related to exploration and development of natural resource properties; uncertainty in Giyani's ability to obtain funding; commodity price fluctuations; recent market events and conditions; risks related to the uncertainty of mineral resource calculations and the inclusion of inferred mineral resources in economic estimation; risks in how the world-wide economic and social impact of COVID-19 is managed; risks related to governmental regulations; risks related to obtaining necessary licences and permits; risks related to their business being subject to environmental laws and regulations; risks related to their mineral properties being subject to prior unregistered agreements, transfers, or claims and other defects in title; risks relating to competition from larger companies with greater financial and technical resources; risks relating to the inability to meet financial obligations under agreements to which they are a party; ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel; and risks related to their directors and officers becoming associated with other natural resource companies which may give rise to conflicts of interests. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Giyani's forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking information or statements.

Giyani's forward-looking information is based on the reasonable beliefs, expectations and opinions of their respective management on the date the statements are made, and Giyani does not assume any obligation to update forward looking information if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions change, except as required by law. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. For a complete discussion with respect to Giyani and risks associated with forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, please refer to Giyani's Annual Information Form, all of which are filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.




Glatfelter Corporation

~Celebrating Past Success While Embracing Future Possibilities~

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Glatfelter Corporation (NYSE: GLT), a leading global supplier of engineered materials, is proudly celebrating the 50th year anniversary of Sontara by commemorating past successes and embracing the possibilities of the future. Sontara has been a trusted name in the nonwovens industry, distinguished by consistent and uncompromising quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.



Todays anniversary marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Sontara brand and represents Glatfelters commitment to providing sustainable, innovative nonwoven technologies and advanced fiber-based solutions to support our customers growing global demand, said Thomas Fahnemann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Glatfelter. Sontara products are important components of Glatfelters nonwovens portfolio and we are excited to celebrate the brands success with the many dedicated and talented employees who continue to champion its unique qualities and ensure that our products enhance consumers lives around the world. At Glatfelter, we are proud of our long history of innovation and excellence and look forward to continuing to provide Sontara high-quality nonwoven fabrics for years to come.

Since its development in 1973, the Sontara product line has grown to include a wide range of nonwoven fabrics for use in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, critical cleaning, and consumer goods.

For more information about Sontara, please visit the Glatfelter website at www.glatfelter.com.



About Glatfelter

Glatfelter is a leading global supplier of engineered materials with a strong focus on innovation and sustainability. The Companys high-quality, technology-driven, innovative, and customizable nonwovens solutions can be found in products that are Enhancing Everyday Life. These include personal care and hygiene products, food and beverage filtration, critical cleaning products, medical and personal protection, packaging products, as well as home improvement and industrial applications. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the Companys 2022 revenue was $1.5 billion with approximately 3,250 employees worldwide. Glatfelters operations utilize a variety of manufacturing technologies including airlaid, wetlaid and spunlace with sixteen manufacturing sites located in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. The Company has sales offices in all major geographies serving customers under the Glatfelter and Sontara brands. Additional information about the Company may be found at www.glatfelter.com.

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Contacts: Investors: Media: Ramesh Shettigar Eileen L. Beck (717) 225-2746 (717) 225-2793




The sun sets on one of the open pit copper mines at Mutanda Mining Sarl on July 6, 2016 in Kolwezi, DRC. The mine is owned (69%) by Glencore, an Anglo-Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company - Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

Glencore has launched a $22bn (17bn) bid for a rival copper miner amid a growing battle for control of the worlds battery metals resources.

The FTSE 100 metals giants unsolicited approach to Canadas Teck Resources would create the worlds third largest copper producer, as demand for the metal jumps along with the shift towards electric cars.

The bid was rejected on Monday by Teck, which is controlled by Canadas Keevil family and is in the process of separating its coal and copper divisions.

However, Gary Nagle, Glencores chief executive, indicated he was not going away, saying: We put a very compelling deal forward for the Teck board to consider.

We are proposing to merge two great companies ... Its certainly not a takeover.

Asked if he would launch a hostile takeover if the board was not persuaded, he replied: We havent gone hostile, and why would we?

This is a compelling transaction to a company that is held in highest regard. We want to put our two great companies together and make two even better companies.

The move would mark Glencores biggest deal since its acrimonious $30bn takeover of Xtstrata in 2013.

Glencore is one of the worlds largest mining and metals companies, producing and trading oil, gas, coal, lithium, copper, cobalt and other metals around the world.

It made revenue of $255bn during 2022, and has a market cap of almost 57bn.

Teck Resources is far smaller, with revenues of $17.3bnCAD (10.4bn) in 2022 and a market cap of about $29bnCAD.

Gary Nagle, chief executive officer of Glencore Plc - Jose Cendon/Bloomberg

However, it has a prized portfolio of copper, zinc and steelmaking coal mines in areas including Chile and Canada.

Glencore is already a shareholder in some of them.

Under Glencores proposal, Glencore and Teck would merge and then split into two businesses: one focused on battery metals needed for the shift towards greener energy and the other on coal.

Glencores shareholders would own 76pc of the new entities, and Tecks shareholders would own the other 24pc.

Glencore is offering 7.78 Glencore shares for each Teck share, which it said amounted to a 22pc premium.

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Mr Nagle said the new metals company would be a world class transition metals business with a leading position in all the metals required for decarbonisation, while the coal company would be highly cash generative.

However, rejecting the offer, Sheila Murray, chair of Tecks board, said it was not contemplating a sale of the company at this time, and that the companys own restructuring proposal is a much more compelling transaction and does not limit our optionality going forward.

Glencores shares closed on Monday up 1.15pc at 469.95p. Tecks shares in Canada climbed 14.43pc by lunchtime to $56.47CAD.
SPHERICAL INSIGHTS LLP

The Global Agricultural Fumigants Market Size was valued at USD 2.27 Billion in 2021 and the Worldwide Agricultural Fumigants Market size is expected to reach USD 3.74 Billion by 2030, according to a research report published by Spherical Insights & Consulting. Companies Covered:AMVAC, Trinity Manufacturing Inc., Douglas products, Intertek, Nippon Chemical Industrial Co. Ltd., MustGrow Biologics Inc, Nufarm, Solvay, Tessenderlo Kerley Inc., SGS SA, UPL, BASF SE, Syngenta., ADAMA, ARKEMA and among others.

New York, United States , April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Agricultural Fumigants Market Size is to grow from USD 2.27 billion in 2021 to USD 3.74 billion by 2030, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.4% over the study period. Multiple factors, including increased consumer interest in improving the agricultural quality of the final product, changing farming methods, and highly developed storage technology, are driving the growth of the agricultural fumigants market during the predicted timeframe.

Global Economy: Recession Risk Rising Analysis and Russia-Ukraine Conflict War Impact we have added in the final premium report.

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Fumigation, which involves spraying a pesticide gas into the soil or air to kill pests, is a standard procedure in agriculture. One of the pest management techniques used to kill or prevent the growth of pests is fumigation. It eliminates soil pathogens such as weeds, fungi, and nematodes while also promoting optimal crop development. These fumigants are effective at reaching pests and are useful for both pre-harvest and post-harvest applications. Agricultural fumigants include phosphine, 1, 3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, methyl bromide, metam sodium, and others. They come in a variety of forms, including gas, solid, and liquid, and can be used in the soil as well as warehouses. The increased use of agricultural fumigants can be attributed to biotic and abiotic factors such as an increase in pest and insect infestations in warehouses and other crop storage rooms, increased awareness of crop protection chemicals, and urbanization in developing markets. Rapid technological advancements in the agricultural sector, growing concerns about post-harvest losses, and a shift in advanced farming practices that have resulted in increased yields are driving the agricultural fumigants market. However, fumigants can lead to several issues, including phytotoxicity, depending on the crop type and variety, climate variations, humidity, temperature, fumigant concentration, and treatment duration. Due to its toxic effect as a respiratory poison, it is only recommended for use by skilled fumigators.

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Browse key industry insights spread across 200 pages with 130 market data tables and figures & charts from the report on " Global Agricultural Fumigants Market Size , Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Products (Chloropicrin, Dimethyl Disulfide, Phosphine, Others), By Application (Soil, Warehouses), By Form (Solid, Liquid, Gas), By Pest Control Method (Tarpaulin, Non-Tarp, Vacuum), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021  2030." Get Detailed Report Description Here:

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The chloropicrin segment is expected to grow the fastest in the market during the forecast period.

On the basis of products, the global agricultural fumigants market is differentiated into chloropicrin, dimethyl disulfide, phosphine, and others. The chloropicrin segment is expected to grow the fastest in the market over the projection period. Chloropicrin is predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR, due to its multifunctional nature in controlling various pests such as nematodes, weeds, insects, bacteria, and soil-borne fungus diseases while leaving agricultural produce residue-free.

The warehouse segment is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment in the market during the projected period.

On the basis of application, the global agricultural fumigants market is segmented into soil, and warehouses. The warehouse segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the market during the predicted period. Pest control techniques are used to kill, repel, or suppress insects, nematodes, and other pests that cause damage to infrastructure and stored food in warehouses. Because of the severe pest infestation caused in warehouses, the agricultural fumigants market has started to gain traction.

The liquid segment is anticipated to hold the largest market over the predicted period.

Based on the form, the global agricultural fumigants market is categorized into solid, liquid, and gas. The liquid segment is anticipated to hold the largest market over the study period. Liquid forms of soluble products often used to eliminate moulds, insects, and pests, among other things, are available. They are usually sprayed with standard sprayers over the desired land area. The volume of solvent to be dispersed is determined by the applicator.

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The tarpaulin fumigation segment is anticipated to hold the largest market over the projected period.

Based on the pest control method, the global agricultural fumigants market is segmented into tarpaulin, non-tarp, vacuum. The tarpaulin fumigation segment is estimated to hold the largest market during study period. Because of its low cost, application simplicity, effectiveness, availability, and ability to prevent gas leakage, tarpaulin is broadly used.

North America holds the largest share of the Global Agricultural Fumigants Market.

North America is one of the world's most important agricultural regions. North America has the largest agricultural fumigants market due to farmers' growing awareness of the importance of crop protection against insects and other pests in order to reduce agricultural commodity losses. Due to the stringent regulations imposed by multiple agencies in recent years, farmers and other agricultural associations are looking for viable alternatives to methyl bromide and chloropicrin. In the United States, some alternatives, such as phosphine, carbonyl sulphide, and sulfuryl fluoride, have been tested. These alternatives have a lower environmental impact than methyl bromide.

The Asia Pacific market is estimated to be the fastest-growing during the forecast period due to the high potential for growth, given the increase in agricultural production and the growing demand for agricultural fumigants with rising warehouses in countries such as China and India. The Latin American agricultural fumigants market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years due to Brazil's increasing capacity for adopting advanced agricultural practices and storage techniques.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the Global Agricultural Fumigants Market include AMVAC, Trinity Manufacturing Inc., Douglas products, Intertek, Nippon Chemical Industrial Co. LTD., MustGrow Biologics Inc, Nufarm, Solvay, Tessenderlo Kerley Inc., SGS SA, UPL, BASF SE, Syngenta, ADAMA, ARKEMA, and Others.

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Recent Developments

In June 2022, UPL Limited, a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, announced the launch of new insecticides in India that contain the patented active ingredient Flupyrimin and are designed to target the most damaging rice pests. The launch will take place during the Kharif crop sowing season, which typically begins in June, with rice being the most important crop sown at this time.

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Global Insecticides Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Organophosphates, Pyrethroids, Carbamates, Others) By Origin (Synthetic Insecticides, Bio-Insecticides, Others), By Application (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables, Others), By Insect Pest Type (Sucking Pest Insecticides, Biting and chewing pest insecticides), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021  2030.

https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/insecticides-market

Global Biofertilizers Market Size, Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Microorganism (Rhizobium, Azotobacter, Azospirillum, Blue-Green Algae, Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria, Mycorrhiza, Other Microorganisms), By Application (Soil Treatment, Seed Treatment, Others), By Type (Nitrogen fixing Biofertilizers, Phosphate Solubilizing and Mobilizing Biofertilizers, Potash Solubilizing and Mobilizing Biofertilizers,Others),By Crop Type (Cereals, Pulses & Oilseeds, Fruits & Vegetables, Others), By Form (Dry and Liquid),By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2021  2030

https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/biofertilizers-market

About the Spherical Insights & Consulting

Spherical Insights & Consulting is a market research and consulting firm which provides actionable market research study, quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight especially designed for decision makers and aids ROI.

Which is catering to different industry such as financial sectors, industrial sectors, government organizations, universities, non-profits and corporations. The company's mission is to work with businesses to achieve business objectives and maintain strategic improvements.

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Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global AI in Telecommunication Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Technology, By Deployment, By Component, By Application, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global AI in Telecommunication Market size is expected to reach $10 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 37.4% CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Market Players

List of Companies Profiled in the Report:

NVIDIA Corporation

AT&T, Inc.

IBM Corporation

Infosys Limited

Intel Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Salesforce.com, Inc.

ZTE Corporation

Google LLC (Alphabet, Inc.)

Cisco Systems, Inc.

One of the sectors with the greatest growth rate is telecommunications, which uses AI to enhance customer satisfaction and network stability, among other areas of its operations. AI is predominantly used by telecom corporations for customer service-related applications.

For instance, chatbots and virtual assistants are used to handle a sizable volume of installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting support queries. Virtual assistants also scale or automate responses to back up claims, enhancing customer satisfaction and lowering costs for the company.



To evaluate massive data, such as data consumption, call records, and application usage, to improve the customer experience, artificial intelligence in telecom uses software & algorithms to predict human perception. Moreover, AI assists telecommunications companies with network security, network optimization, and virtual assistance.

Also, AI has made it simpler for the telecom sector to manage everyday operations, address problems more effectively, and increase customer happiness. This allows them to draw insights from their enormous data sets.



The telecom sector can now more easily manage everyday operations, address problems more quickly, and increase customer happiness and service by using artificial intelligence to pull insights from their massive data sets. Artificial intelligence is a cutting-edge technology that can make decisions like human intellect.

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This technology aims to develop an intelligent machine with features including visual recognition, speech recognition, picture identification, and language translation that are responsible for driving market expansion. Moreover, technology can alter how certain industrial sectors, particularly telecommunications, function and operate. As a result, it offers a wide range of potential applications in telecommunications, including customer service and network performance.



Market Growth Factors

Increased acceptance of AI solutions in several telecom applications



The need for artificial intelligence in the telecommunication marketis growing as a result of the fact that AI enables telecommunication businesses to identify problems quickly. The majority of effort spent maintaining a network is spent trying to identify the location of the first spot that will require maintenance.

Because AI is now readily available, it has become much less difficult. In addition, the Internet of Things (IoT) is being utilized by telecommunications businesses, which is accelerating the incorporation of AI into this industry. As a result, the expansion of the use of AI-based solutions across a wide variety of telecom applications is driving the expansion of the market for AI in telecommunication.



Grown penetration of 5G technology in smartphones



The market is expanding as a result of innovations such as mobile 5G technology and the growing requirement to monitor material on the public communication network to eradicate human error from telecommunication.

For instance, China Telecom Company has built a new 5G base station in Lanzhou city as part of the Chinese government's efforts to improve its network and telecommunication services.

Thus, over the projection period, the introduction of 5G technology is anticipated to present a wide range of prospects for expanding AI in the telecommunications market.



Market Restraining Factors

Lack of Resources



The absence of tools for AI applications in the telecom industry is one of the major problems. It's true that the need for new tools is driven by applications with high demands. It makes sense that one would need to upgrade existing tools to acquire new skills and overcome unimaginable problems.

With the industry's substantial advancements in understanding the principles of AI applications, these new tools can be created. However, the adoption of AI in telecommunications may be constrained by this lack of resources.

Scope of the Study

By Technology

Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Data Analytics

Others

By Deployment

On-premise

Cloud

By Component

Solution

Service

By Application

Network Optimization

Virtual Assistance

Customer Analytics

Self-Diagnostics

Network Security

Others

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/eflnf

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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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




DUBLIN, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Artificial Insemination Market- Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2017-2027 Segmented By Technique (Intrauterine, Intracervical, Intravaginal, Intratubal), By Component, By Source, By End User, By Company, By Region" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

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The global artificial insemination market is grow at impressive rate through 2027.

Companies Mentioned

Rocket Medical plc

Kitazato Corporation

Vitrolife AB

Genea Limited

Rinovum Women's Health, LLC

Pride Angel Limited

FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc.

Conceivex, Inc.

Surelife Pte Ltd.

Biogenics Inc.

The Medical practitioners practice artificial insemination fertilization method for placing the sperm directly into a female's cervix, fallopian tube, or uterus.

These practices are performed on couples or patient-facing fertility issues to achieve pregnancy, as the chances are very high. Due to technological advancement, each step is observed very minutely to reduce the chances of any complication that make this process safer for both mother and baby.

According to the UN reports in 2017, the total fertility rate is predicted to decline up to 2.39 (children per woman) between the years 2020 and 2030.

Increasing infertility rate and favorable government initiatives are driving the growth of the market. Furthermore, ongoing technical advancements and increasing awareness about artificial insemination are other factors that are expected to significantly influence the growth of the market through 2027.

Increasing Infertility Rate is Driving the Market Growth

People are facing different problems and issues due to changes in the daily lifestyle of people in the modern world. It includes the food, sleep cycle, physical activities, and mental health, like stress, anxiety, and other problems. The increasing pervasiveness of the problem, consumption of unclean foods, alcohol, tobacco, and diseases like endometriosis, sterilization, cervical mucus problem, and other factors responsible for infertility led to the growth of the Artificial Insemination Market.

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Family planning and marriages after the 30s increased medical treatment demand for curing infertility. According to the WHO, almost 48 million couples and 186 million individuals have infertility worldwide, accounts 15% of the population.

Thus, the above data indicate a positive increase in the market growth of the artificial insemination market in the upcoming year. Many insurance companies are accepting artificial insemination under medical coverage. These initiatives are helping the patient to fight infertility and driving the growth in Artificial Insemination Market.

Peoples are the main asset for any country that can participate and support countries in economic development and growth. Hence, governments are launching various schemes to make their medical infrastructure better and broadly available to meet global benchmarks.

The government and international identities make policies and induct new institutions to enhance their medical connectivity, such Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Regulation Bill, Nation Public Action Plan, National Family Policy, and other initiatives.

As per UNSC, 84% of the country supports the policy that directly and indirectly affects the country's infertility. These policies led to increasing demand for artificial insemination in the market. All the factors mentioned above are expected to drive the growth of the artificial insemination market.

Cost Related with Artificial Insemination is Hindering the Growth

The medical cost for the artificial insemination technique in the USA is between 400 dollars to 4000 dollars approximately. The cost associated with the treatment process is still very costly for many peoples. As it is a medical process, there is a chance of negative pregnancy results after the process is completed.

In these cases, patients' losses all their money without any satisfactory result. Many financial institutions are providing medical insurance coverage for artificial insemination. Apart from these supply chain disturbances, the lack of unskilled labor is another factor responsible for restraining market growth.

Increase in Deliberate Collaboration and Product Launch

Growth in market share of the artificial insemination market is propelling the launch of new products and strategic partnerships between two organizations. These scenarios will help both organizations to use their competencies and increase the revenue share. As the market is growing, market players are investing aggressively, leading to technological advancements, and extending their niche market.

Market Players

Rocket Medical plc, Kitazato Corporation, Vitrolife AB, Genea Limited, Rinovum Women's Health, LLC, Pride Angel Limited, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc., Conceivex, Inc., Surelife Pte Ltd., Biogenics Incare the major market player in Artificial Insemination Market.

Report Scope:

In this report, global Artificial Insemination Market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

Artificial Insemination Market, by as technique type:

Intrauterine

Intracervical

Intravaginal

Intratubal

Others

Artificial Insemination Market, by component type:

Insemination Kits

Home Conception Devices

Others

Artificial Insemination Market, by source type:

AIH-Husband

AID-Donor

Artificial Insemination Market, by end user type:

Hospitals

Fertility Clinics & Centers

Others

Medical market, By Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Japan

Australia

South Korea

Europe & CIS

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Spain

Italy

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Colombia

Middle East & Africa

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

UAE

Egypt

Turkey

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kyjxqn

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

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Copper Clad Laminates Market: Analysis By Type, By Application, By Reinforcement Material, By Region Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.





The global copper-clad laminates market was valued at US$15.08 billion in 2022. The market value is expected to reach US$21.20 billion by 2028.

Key application for copper-clad laminates is in the manufacture of printed circuit boards (PCBs) used to mechanically support and connect electronic components.

In the coming years, the copper-clad laminate market is expected to be benefited from the ongoing construction of 5G base stations, the rapid development of cloud computing, and auto electrification. Server platform upgrades have also boosted the consumption of high-performance PCBs and CCLs.

Moreover, the electrification and intelligentization of automobiles have created scenarios for PCB and CCL applications, leading to market growth. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approx. 6% during the forecasted period of 2023-2028.

Market Segmentation Analysis:

By Type: The report provides the bifurcation of the market into two types: Rigid and Flexible.

The rigid CCL held the highest share of the market. The increasing demand for electric vehicles and the innovations in electronic machines are expected to boost the demand for rigid copper-clad laminate in the forthcoming years. Whereas flexible laminates have lesser weight, thinness, and better flexibility as compared to rigid laminates, and hence is used in different applications like electronic products, including cellphone, digital camera, automotive GPS, and laptop.

By Application: The report further provides the analysis based on applications: Communication Systems, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Automotive Electronics, Industrial Electronics, Medical Equipment, and Others.

Communication systems held the highest share in the market, whereas automotive electronics is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the forecasted period. The demand for copper-clad laminates in communication systems is driven by the swelling demand for 5G infrastructure.

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Further, server upgrades have jacked up demand for high-performance PCBs and CCLs that can offer high frequencies and high speeds. Therefore, as an investment in 5G infrastructure increases, it is expected that global server construction to boost PCB and CCL market demand during forthcoming years.

By Reinforcement Material: The report provides a glimpse of the global rigid copper-clad laminates market based on the following reinforcement materials: Fiberglass, Special Substrates Base, Compound, and Paper Base.

Fiberglass cloth-focused CCL includes FR-5 and FR-4. FR-4 (Flame Retardant-4) is a material consisting of a woven glass fiber cloth and an epoxy resin laminate material that is self-extinguishing (flame resistant). FR-4 has excellent performance and is cheaper than some special materials.

Meanwhile, this material has been fully studied, so it can be modified to produce a wide range of benefits such as a halogen-free type. On the other hand, as high-frequency and high-speed applications such as 5G, IoT, and data centers became commonplace, the market share of special CCLs is expected to rise in the coming years.

By Region: The report provides insight into the copper-clad laminates market based on the regions namely, Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Rest of the World.

Asia Pacific held the major share of the copper-clad laminates market in 2022. It is also expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forthcoming years.

With the rise of Chinese mainland server manufacturers and a growing domestic server market, development opportunities have opened up for local providers of high-frequency and high-speed CCLs. For instance, by 2021, the number of 5G base stations in China had reached 1.42 million, with over 0.65 million new stations built in that year alone, and 5G investment had grown by 45.6% of total investments in the communications industry, based on data presented in the 2021 Statistical Bulletin of the Communications Industry issued by The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most promising innovation accelerators for digital enterprises. According to Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), within Germany, IoT spending would exceed US$37.45 billion (EUR35 billion) (making Germany the biggest spender in Europe) in 2021. The increase in IoT spending would generate demand prospects for PCB and CCL manufacturers in the coming years.

Market Dynamics:

Growth Drivers: The global copper-clad laminates market growth is predicted to be supported by numerous growth drivers such as increasing demand for consumer electronics, increasing demand for vehicles, increasing disposable income, growing use of medical devices, growing industrial robot industry, and many other factors.

Automation requires the use of robots and their electronic components. Among the most important aspects of robotics is the printed circuit board (PCB) used for electronic control and operation. With multiple industries that use robotics, finding PCB solutions that meet the various needs of automated devices has become even more valuable. Hence, the increase in the industrial robotic industry boosts the demand for PCBs which, in turn, propels the demand for CCL.

Challenges: However, the market growth would be negatively impacted by various challenges such as rising copper prices, shortage of raw materials, chip shortage crisis, etc.

Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period, due to various latest trends such as rapid development of cloud computing and server market, increasing auto electrification, rising IoT market, increasing construction of 5G base station, etc.

The electrification and intelligentization of automobiles have created scenarios for PCB and CCL applications, including electrical control systems for new energy vehicles (NEVs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and intelligent cockpits. As key function-bearing components of automotive electronics, PCBs would benefit substantially from the increase in automotive electronic content resulting from auto electrification and intelligentization. This would further increase the demand for CCL in the coming years.

Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the copper-clad laminates industry's growth in 2020. Due to blockage in trade and services across the globe, disruption in raw material supply, the surge in instrument and equipment prices, and a ban on transportation, the market was impacted heavily.

Moreover, the COVID-19 outbreak has negatively affected PCB demand due to the supply chain fallout and a decline in demand from the industrial and automotive sectors, which has further decelerated the CCL market growth. However, the demand for edge computing emerges as the new driving force of the server market and would evolve and develop with the deployment of 5G infrastructure. This would stimulate the demand for PCB and CCL in the coming years, simultaneously.

Competitive Landscape:

The global copper-clad laminates market is highly concentrated. In 2022, the world's top five CCL manufacturers (Kingboard Laminates, SYTECH, Nan YaPlastics, Elite Material (EMC), and ITEQ) had a combined market share of around 51%.

Key manufacturers in the industry globally have consequently taken measures such as product transformation and capacity expansion to strengthen the business of copper-clad laminate production. Some of the strategies among key players in the market are mergers, acquisitions, and collaborations.

For instance, in 2023, Resonac Corporation announced new multiyear contracts with Infineon Technologies AG (Infineon) to continue supplying SiC materials for power semiconductors to Infineon and cooperatively developing technologies related to SiC materials. On the other hand, in 2022, Doosan Corporation announced that the company has been advancing into the 5G antenna module business in partnership with Movandi Corporation.

Market Dynamics

Growth Drivers

Increasing Demand for Consumer Electronics

Increasing Demand For Vehicles

Increasing Disposable Income

Growing Use of Medical Devices

Growing Industrial Robot Industry

Challenges

Shortage of Raw Materials

Chip Shortage Crisis

Rising Copper Prices

Market Trends

Rapid Development of Cloud Computing and Server Market

Increasing Auto Electrification

Rising IoT Market

Increasing Construction of 5G Base Station

The key players in the global copper-clad laminates market are:

Elite Material Co. Ltd. (EMC)

Showa Denko K.K./ Resonac Holdings Corporation

Doosan Corp.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Rogers Corporation

Kingboard Laminates Holdings Ltd.

ITEQ Corporation

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation

Shengyi Technology Co., Ltd.

Taiwan Union Technology Corporation (TUC)

Isola Group

Goldenmax International Group Ltd.

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Fortune Business Insights

The global distributed energy resource management system market size is projected to reach USD 1.86 billion in 2030, at CAGR of 18.3% during the forecast period. The global distributed energy resource management system industry was valued at USD 0.49 billion in 2022.

Pune, India, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global distributed energy resource management system market size was valued at USD 0.49 billion in 2022. The market is projected to grow from USD 0.57 billion in 2023 to USD 1.86 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 18.3% during the forecast period. Software program called DERMS, or Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems, control and coordinate diverse Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). These DERs use many forms of energy, including solar, wind, and battery storage. The maintenance, control, analysis, demand control, and remote management of energy resources using software and networks are all included in distributed energy resource management. Energy consumption is a result of the phenomenal progress of industrialization and urbanization worldwide.

Key Industry Development:

May 2022 - Siemens released a new software for distributed energy resources with an aim to address the increase in energy transition. The new offerings enable energy key players to implement smart technologies for their grid management and grid planning.

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Distributed Energy Resource Management System Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast Period 2023 to 2030 CAGR 8.3% 2030 Value Projection USD 1.86 billion Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 USD 0.49 billion Historical Data for 2019-2021 No. of Pages 210 Segments covered

By Software, Application, End-user, and Region Growth Drivers Smart Grid Deployments by Governments to Reduce Carbon Emission to Promote Market Growth



Increased Deployment of EVs to Augment Product Demand





Market Drivers & Restraints:

Rising Demand for Rooftop Solar to Elevate Market Growth



Story continues

Based on application, the market is segmented into solar, energy storage, wind, EV charging stations, and others.

The functionalities of solar energy generation are controlled and optimized through the use of DERMS. Solar applications dominate the distributed energy resource market system share due to the high penetration rate of DERMS in the solar industry and the extensive use of rooftop solar.

Additionally, DERMS is used to manage the operation and upkeep of the EV charging station as well as the production of wind energy. During the projection period, the market expanded as a consequence of expanding wind farm installations and the expansion of EV charging infrastructure across key areas. Demand response management and Combined Heat & Power (CHP) applications are included in the others segment.

COVID-19 Impact:



Global Market Plunged Due to Decreased Capital Investment in Solar and Other Technologie

The COVID-19 pandemic was spreading quickly across the world. COVID-19 had a moderate impact on the market since it slowed the market's rate of expansion. The DERMS market has been impacted by factors such as decreased capital investments in solar and other technologies, a radical shift in energy demand patterns as a result of the closure of various businesses, industries, and educational institutions, and the need for home offices during the COVID-19 crisis. Lockdown measures further worsened power demand as there was less industrial activity, which slowed down efforts to install additional DERs. However, the market for distributed energy resource management systems is being driven by a growing reliance on renewable energy.

To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, please visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/distributed-energy-resource-management-system-market-100825

Distributed Energy Resource Management System Industry Regional Analysis:



Excessive Demand for Solar and Wind Renewable Energy Installations to Dominate Asia Pacific Market

The distributed energy resource management system market share is dominated by Asia Pacific. The region's need for DERMS is driven by the rapid expansion of solar and wind renewable energy installations as well as excessive energy demand. In this regard, Horizon Power's August 2022 launch of a new DERMS in Western Australia's regional microgrids, which lets consumers of rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles safely connect with utility energy supplies, represents one recent advancement.

Competitive Landscape:



Major Players Focus on Developing Virtual Power Plants

Since the demand for more sustainably managing the energy supply has expanded due to the growth of the renewable energy industry, the majority of market participants are focusing on developing virtual power plants.

As a result, more businesses are now available to meet different project needs. These companies, which account for a major portion of the global competitive landscape, focus primarily on providing more recent technological innovations for distributed energy generation. For instance, in May 2022, Oracle and POWER Engineers collaborated, wherein Oracle delivered a broad range of pertinent Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) solutions such as Network Management System (NMS), Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), and Outage Management System (OMS) solutions.

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List of Key Players Profiled in the Report:



Itron (U.S.)

Oracle (U.S.)

Energy Hub (U.S.)

AutoGrid Systems (U.S.)

Opus One Solutions (Canada)

Blue Pillar (U.S.)

Kitu Systems (U.S.)

Enel (Italy)

Open Access Technology International, Ltd. (U.S.)

Sunverge Energy Inc. (U.S.)

Hitachi ABB (Switzerland)

Schneider Electric (France)

Siemens (Germany)

General Electric (U.S.)

Engie (France)

Generac (U.S.)

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan)

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (South Korea)

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Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions & Assumptions

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Key Emerging Trends  For Major Countries Latest Technological Advancement Insight on Regulatory Landscape Porters Five Forces Analysis Impact of COVID-19 on the Distributed Energy Resource Management System Market

Global Distributed Energy Resource Management System Market (USD Billion) Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Software Virtual Power Plant Management & Control Analytics Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Solar Energy Storage Wind EV Charging Station Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End-user Residential Commercial Industrial & Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa

North America Distributed Energy Resource Management System Market (USD Billion) Analysis, Insights, and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Software Virtual Power Plant Management & Control Analytics Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Application Solar Energy Storage Wind EV Charging Station Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End-user Residential Commercial Industrial & Utilities Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By Country U.S. Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End-user Residential Commercial Industrial & Utilities Canada Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast  By End-user Residential Commercial Industrial & Utilities

Competitive Analysis Company Market Share Analysis, 2022 Company Profile Itron Business Overview Product & Services Offering Recent Developments Financials (Based on Availability)



Continued

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Zion Market Research

According to a market research study published by Zion Market Research, the demand analysis of Global Extrusion Coating Market size & share revenue was valued at around USD 5.1 billion in 2021 and is estimated to grow about USD 6.9 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of approximately 4.5% between 2022 and 2028. The key market players are listed in the report with their sales, revenues and strategies are like Eastman Chemical Company, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Exxon Mobil Corporation, Lyondellbasell Industries Holdings B.V., Borealis AG, Dow, Celanese Corporation, Qenos Pty. Ltd., Reliance Industries Limited, Solvay, Westlake Chemical Corporation, Arkema S.A., Qenos Pty. Ltd., Nova Chemicals Corporation, A. Schulman, Inc., Hanwha Group, Kuraray Co. Ltd., Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., NUC Corporation, and Westlake Chemical Corporation among others.

New York, NY, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Extrusion Coating Market By Material Type (Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA), And Polypropylene (PP)), By Substrate (Paper And Paperboard, Polymer Film, And Aluminum Foil), By Application (Liquid Packaging, Flexible Packaging, Commercial, And Photographic), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2022  2028 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Extrusion Coating Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 5.1 billion in 2021 and it is expected to surpass around USD 6.9 billion mark by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 4.5% during the forecast period 2022 to 2028.

What is Extrusion Coating? How big is the Extrusion Coating Industry?

Extrusion Coating Market Coverage & Overview:

The global extrusion coating market size was worth around USD 5.1 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to around USD 6.9 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 4.5% between 2022 and 2028.

Story continues

The method of coating a substrate with a molten web of synthetic resin is known as extrusion coating. The synthetic resin can be polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and others. Paperboard, polymer films, and metal foils are three popular substrate materials. Extrusion coatings offer several advantages in terms of aesthetics and customer handling. It produces a high shine and serves as an oxygen barrier, keeping the substrate fresh and undamaged. Among other things, containers and photographic films frequently use these coatings.

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(A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)

Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following:

Introduction, Overview, and in-depth industry analysis are all included in the 2022 updated report.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak Impact Analysis is included in the package

About 192+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2022

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

The most recent version of the report includes the Top Market Players, their Business Strategies, Sales Volume, and Revenue Analysis

Zion Market Research research methodology

(Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)

Global Extrusion Coating Market: Growth Factors

The global extrusion coating market is expanding rapidly due to increased demand from the packaging industry. Furthermore, rising demand from Asia-Pacific growing economies such as India, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia supports the extrusion coating market. Growing demand from the food industry is also propelling market expansion.

However, the usage of bio-based polymers instead of extrusion coating processes in many sectors is impeding the market growth. The market for extrusion coatings is facing significant hurdles as a result of government rules governing carbon emissions throughout the manufacturing process. Asia-Pacific has enormous growth potential for the extrusion coating market. The rapidly expanding packaging, construction, and photographic industries are expected to boost the extrusion coating market.

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Report Scope

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2021 USD 5.1 billion Projected Market Size in 2028 USD 6.9 billion CAGR Growth Rate 4.5% CAGR Base Year 2021 Forecast Years 2022-2028 Key Market Players like Eastman Chemical Company, DuPont de Nemours, Inc., Exxon Mobil Corporation, Lyondellbasell Industries Holdings B.V., Borealis AG, Dow, Celanese Corporation, Qenos Pty. Ltd., Reliance Industries Limited, Solvay, Westlake Chemical Corporation, Arkema S.A., Qenos Pty. Ltd., Nova Chemicals Corporation, A. Schulman, Inc., Hanwha Group, Kuraray Co. Ltd., Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A., NUC Corporation, and Westlake Chemical Corporation among others. Key Segment By Material Type, By Substrate, By Application, And By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options

Segmentation Analysis:

The global extrusion coating market is segmented based on the material type, substrate, application, and region.

The global market is divided into Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and Polypropylene (PP) based on the type of material. During the projected period, the Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) segment is anticipated to dominate the market. This material, which is used in liquid packaging, snack food lamination, folding carton/cup stocks, and sealing layers, is easily able to withstand temperatures of up to 80 degrees Celsius for an extended period. LDPE is very significant and used in a range of applications, including liquid packaging and flexible packaging, due to its outstanding qualities, including a strong moisture barrier and scalability features.

The rising use of LDPE in a variety of end-use industries, including packaging, automotive, design & design, medical & pharmaceutical, and others, is predicted to boost the extrusion coating market in the future. In addition, the Polypropylene (PP) sector is anticipated to expand at the greatest CAGR throughout the projection period because of its robust, rigid, and crystalline thermoplastic properties. Polypropylene (PP) is one of the thermoplastics that is used the most all over the world. Plastic containers, plastic components for machinery and equipment, and even fibers and textiles are only a few applications for polypropylene, resulting in segmental growth.

The market is divided into three categories based on substrate: paper & paperboard, polymer film, and aluminum foil. With the biggest market share as of 2021, the paper and paperboard category is anticipated to continue to dominate during the projected period. Due to the exceptional properties of paperboard, including its low weight, recyclability, affordability, and environmental friendliness, paper is used to package a range of products, including snacks, vegetables, and other items. Government initiatives to limit the use of plastic for packaging in several nations will also considerably help the segment's growth.

The global extrusion coating market is divided into four categories based on application: liquid packaging, flexible packaging, commercial, and photography. The market is anticipated to be dominated by liquid packing throughout the forecasted period. This is because liquid packaging uses extrusion coating materials to improve the commercial viability of several categories of liquid and semi-solid food products, such as milk, juice, and sauce. In addition, it is anticipated that the personal care and cosmetics sectors' continuous growth would increase people's use of liquid packaging and, subsequently, extrusion coatings. One technique used for both short- and long-shelf-life products is liquid wrapping. Due to its extensive use in the food packaging industry, liquid packaging saw the highest market growth.

The global Extrusion Coating market is segmented as follows:

By Material Type

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)

Polypropylene (PP)

By Substrate

Paper and Paperboard

Polymer Film

Aluminum Foil

By Application

Liquid Packaging

Flexible Packaging

Commercial

Photographic

Browse the full Extrusion Coating Market By Material Type (Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), Ethylene-vinyl Acetate (EVA), and Polypropylene (PP)), By Substrate (Paper and Paperboard, Polymer Film, and Aluminum Foil), By Application (Liquid Packaging, Flexible Packaging, Commercial, and Photographic), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, and Forecasts 2022  2028- Report at https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/extrusion-coating-market

Competitive Landscape

Some of the main competitors dominating the global Extrusion Coating market include -

like Eastman Chemical Company

DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

Exxon Mobil Corporation

Lyondellbasell Industries Holdings B.V.

Borealis AG

Dow

Celanese Corporation

Qenos Pty. Ltd.

Reliance Industries Limited

Solvay

Westlake Chemical Corporation

Arkema S.A.

Qenos Pty. Ltd.

Nova Chemicals Corporation

Schulman, Inc.

Hanwha Group

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

Formosa Plastics Corporation

U.S.A.

NUC Corporation

Westlake Chemical Corporation

Key Insights from Primary Research:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global extrusion coating market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 4.5% over the forecast period (2022-2028).

In terms of revenue, the global extrusion coating market size was valued at around USD 5.1 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 6.9 billion, by 2028.

Due to a variety of driving factors, the market is predicted to rise at a significant rate. The global extrusion coating market is projected to grow owing to the increasing demand for extrusion coating from the food & beverages industries.

Based on material type, the Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

Based on substrate, the paper and paperboard segment held the largest market share in 2021.

Based on application, the liquid packaging segment is expected to dominate over the forecast period.

Based on region, the Asia Pacific is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period.

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Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Extrusion Coating industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Extrusion Coating Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Extrusion Coating Industry?

What segments does the Extrusion Coating Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Extrusion Coating Market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20222028

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis By Material Type, By Substrate, By Application, And By Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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Regional Analysis:

The market for extrusion coating is divided into five regions based on geography: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. The Asia Pacific region is expected to lead the market during the forecast period due to growing industrialization and an increase in government funding for small and medium-sized businesses. In the North American market, the US is the largest market in this region due to going the use of extrusion coating materials in reconstruction activities and healthcare sectors.

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



Recent Developments

In December 2021, Davis-Standard has introduced a new compact extruder engineered for extrusion coating applications  the CHP. The machines design offers a smaller footprint and lighter weight to allow for easier addition to an existing carriage or platform structure. This provides processors with a space-saving replacement or coextrusion addition for increasing outputs and line speed.

To know an additional revised 2022 list of market players, request a brochure of the report: https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/requestbrochure/extrusion-coating-market

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Fortune Business Insights

The global grinding machines market size is projected to reach USD 22.0 billion in 2029, at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7% during the forecast period. The global intelligent vending machine industry was valued at USD 6.51 billion in 2021.

Pune, India, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global intelligent vending machine market size was valued at USD 6.51 billion in 2021 and USD 7.44 billion in 2022. The market is expected to reach USD 22.0 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 16.7% during the forecast period. Unique user experience created using such machines is expected to propel the market course in a growing direction. Integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and technological advancements are expected to facilitate market development for intelligent vending machines. Fortune Business Insights shares this information in its report titled Intelligent Vending Machine Market, 2022-2029.

COVID-19 Impact:



Panic Buying from the Population During Pandemic Pushed Market Growth

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the growth of the overall market has been affected due to work-from-home models. However, the demand for food & beverages observed a huge growth but this has disrupted the supply chain due to panic buying from the population. For instance, Azkoyen installed vending machines in the less-cost high-speed train along with new AVLO trains. These vending machines are going to deliver snacks and drinks to more than 400 passengers with their automation.

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Segments Analysis:

Free-Standing Vending Machines to Dictate Due to Increasing Demand from Food & Beverage Industry

On the basis of machine type, the market is divided into free-standing vending machines and wall-mounted vending machines. Free-standing vending machines segment is anticipated to have the largest part in the segment due to increasing demand from the food & beverage industry. Wall-mounted machines are also set to have major growth in the coming years as they can be an alternative space-saving substitute to huge floor-standing vending machines.

Story continues

Food and Beverage to Lead the Segment Due to High Preference Among Consumers

Based on product type, the market is categorized into food & beverages, snacks, tobacco, confections, and others. Food & beverages segment is expected to have a major part due to high preference among consumers for instant food items and innovative food products.

Quick Service Restaurants to Lead the Segment Owing to Growing Popularity of Machines

Based on application, the market is divided into quick service restaurant, commercial malls & retail stores, offices, public transport, shopping centers, and others. Quick service restaurants segment is expected to have a major part due to the growing popularity of vending machines in both developed and developing countries.

Report Coverage

The report provides a detailed analysis of the top segments and the latest trends in the market. It comprehensively discusses the driving and restraining factors and the impact of COVID-19 on the market. Additionally, it examines the regional developments and the strategies undertaken by the market's key players.

To get to know more about the short-term and long-term impact of COVID-19 on this market, Please Visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/intelligent-vending-machine-market-107360

Market Drivers and Restraints:

Various Advantages of the Machines to Propel Market Growth

Owing to their portability and quick delivery, it is becoming a convenient option for consumers. This is anticipated to drive the intelligent vending machine market growth. The demand for such machines is increasing owing to their cashless payment option, which is expected to drive market growth. Organizations have installed intelligent vending machines that can accept credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments. Rising rules and regulations of the government, adoption of computing technology, remote management, and other factors are expected to set the course.

However, high costs of installation and rise in security and theft are expected to impede the market growth.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific to Lead Market Share Owing to Advanced Infrastructure

Asia Pacific is expected to lead the intelligent vending machine market share due to the presence of large scale retail stores and advanced infrastructure. Manufacturers in the region are focused on offering a robust infrastructure with technical competencies to use advanced devices in contactless payment solutions. With the adoption of high-end technology, there has been an increase in the market growth. In India, increased number of investments in the public infrastructure is also set to push market growth.

North America is set to have steady growth due to developments in communication technology. In addition, the government regulations of the U.S. and Canada to promote energy conservation are strict. Strong presence of prominent global manufacturers in the region is also set to aid the growth of the market

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Competitive Landscape

Reinvention of Existing Products by Key Players to Progress Market Course

The market has various players such as Beta Automation, Vendstop, Cherise India, JP Vend Tech, Daalchini, Snaxsmart, Silcron, SandenVendo America, VendomaticIndia, and AAEON. The market players are seen to adopt various strategies such as product development, partnerships, acquisitions, agreements, and expansions. In April 2021, Azkoyen announced the Vitro X1 automatic coffee maker with technology called Micro Injected Air (MIA). It is based on the company's popular series vitro. The Vitro X1 MIA uses Azkoyen's own MIA technology. The market players in the company have been adopting new product launches with different technologies.

Key Industry Development

August 2021- Azkoyen Group partnered with eye-tracking technology developer Irisbond to launch a fully eye-controlled coffee machine. Azkoyen Group is an international Spanish technology company that offers automated goods and services.

List of Key Players Profiled in the Report

Azkoyen Group (Spain)

Crane Co. (U.S.)

FAS INTERNATIONAL S.R.L (Italy)

Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (Japan)

Royal Vendors, Inc. (U.S.)

Sanden Holdings Corporation (Japan)

Rhea Vendors Group Spa (Italy)

Seaga (U.S.)

Jofemar Corporation (U.S.)

Sielaff GmbH & Co (Germany)

BIANCHI INDUSTRY SPA (Italy)

N&W Global Vending S.p.A. (Italy)

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Major Table of content:

Introduction Definition, By Segment Research Methodology/Approach Data Sources

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Macro and Micro Economic Indicators Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities and Trends Impact of COVID-19 Short-term Impact Long-term Impact

Competition Landscape Business Strategies Adopted by Key Players Consolidated SWOT Analysis of Key Players Global Intelligent Vending Machine Key Players Market Share Insights and Analysis, 2021

Global Intelligent Vending Machine Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Machine Type (USD Bn) Free-Standing Vending Machines Wall-Mounted Vending Machines By Product Type (USD Bn) Food & Beverages Snacks Tobacco Confections Others By Application (USD Bn) Quick Service Restaurant Commercial malls & retail stores Offices Public Transport Shopping Centers Others By Region (USD Bn) North America Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East & Africa Latin America

North America Intelligent Vending Machine Market Size Estimates and Forecasts (Quantitative Data), By Segments, 2018-2029 Key Findings By Machine Type (USD Bn) Free-Standing Vending Machines Wall-Mounted Vending Machines By Product Type (USD Bn) Food & Beverages Snacks Tobacco Confections Others By Application (USD Bn) Quick Service Restaurant Commercial malls & retail stores Offices Public Transport Shopping Centers Others By Country (USD Bn) U.S. By Application Quick Service Restaurant Commercial malls & retail stores Offices Public Transport Shopping Centers Others Canada By Application Quick Service Restaurant Commercial malls & retail stores Offices Public Transport Shopping Centers Others



TOC Continued. ..

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The global metal sputtering target material market is experiencing explosive growth, driven by the increasing demand for flat panel displays, as well as the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical industries. With technological advancements and growing investment in R&D, this market has immense potential, projected to reach USD 5,764.4 million by 2031. As the demand for high-quality products and advanced technologies continues to grow, the market is poised for a bright future.

New Delhi, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Metal Sputtering Target Material Market is projected to make a forward leap in its revenue from US$ 3,291.7 Mn in 2022 to US$ 5,764.4 Mn by 2031. The market is registering a CAGR of 6.56% during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the market registers a CAGR of 6.19% over the projected period.

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The market has been witnessing steady growth in recent years. The demand for these materials is driven by their extensive use in various industrial and research applications, such as in the production of semiconductors, flat panel displays, and solar cells. The market is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years, primarily driven by the increasing demand for electronics and the growing focus on renewable energy sources.

The supply of metal sputtering target materials is largely dependent on the production capacity of manufacturers. Major players in the market are continuously expanding their production capacities to meet the growing demand for these materials. Additionally, advancements in technology and the introduction of new manufacturing processes are expected to further enhance the production capacity of manufacturers. However, the increasing prices of raw materials used in the production of sputtering targets are likely to hamper the growth of the market.

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Pricing analysis of metal sputtering target material market shows that prices vary based on the type of metal and the purity level required for specific applications. For instance, high-purity metals such as gold and platinum are more expensive compared to other metals. The prices of sputtering targets are also influenced by the availability of raw materials, production costs, and demand-supply dynamics. The trend analysis of the market indicates that the demand for metal sputtering target materials will continue to grow, driven by the increasing demand for advanced electronics and renewable energy sources. However, the market is likely to face challenges such as fluctuating prices of raw materials, increasing competition, and the high cost of production. Furthermore, import-export activities in the market are also expected to increase in the coming years, primarily driven by the growing demand for metal sputtering target materials from emerging economies.

Alloy in Metal Sputtering Target Material Market to Reach US$ 2,822.0 Million Revenue by 2031: Analysis and Growth Drivers

The alloy segment in the metal sputtering target material market is on track to generate an impressive revenue of US$ 2,822.0 million by 2031. This substantial growth potential is a result of several contributing factors, such as the surging demand for advanced electronics, a heightened focus on renewable energy sources, and an increased need for high-performance materials in the industrial sector.

A key driver of this growth is the escalating demand for cutting-edge electronics. Sputtering targets play a crucial role in manufacturing components like microchips, flat-panel displays, and other electronic devices. As technology continues to progress rapidly, there's a growing need for high-performance materials that can support the creation of advanced electronic devices. Alloy sputtering targets, thanks to their distinct properties and characteristics, are well-equipped to meet this demand.

Another driving force behind the alloy segment's expansion in the metal sputtering target material market is the increasing emphasis on renewable energy sources. Sputtering targets are vital in producing solar cells, which are becoming more and more important in the realm of renewable energy. Alloy sputtering targets are especially valuable in manufacturing thin-film solar cells, which boast greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional solar cells.

Lastly, the rising demand for high-performance materials in the industrial sector is also fueling the growth of the alloy segment in the market. Sputtering targets find applications in a wide range of industrial uses, such as coatings, thin films, and surface treatments. Alloy sputtering targets offer a unique set of properties and characteristics that make them ideal for these applications, including increased hardness, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/metal-sputtering-target-material-market

Riding the Wave of Renewable Energy, Miniaturization, Emerging Markets, and Technological Advancements to Offer Numerous Revenue Opportunities

The global metal sputtering target material industry presents a wealth of opportunities for businesses looking to capitalize on this growing market. With a projected CAGR of 6.59% from 2023 to 2031, there are plenty of chances for businesses to enter the market, expand their market share, and diversify their product offerings.

One key opportunity lies in the rising demand for renewable energy sources. As the need for sustainable energy solutions grows, so does the demand for products like sputtering targets, which are essential in producing low-emission coated glass. This eco-friendly glass is gaining popularity among consumers, potentially creating new business prospects.

The ongoing trend of miniaturization in electronic components and devices also offers opportunities for businesses in the metal sputtering target material market. As demand for smaller, more efficient technology grows, sputtering targets become increasingly vital for their ability to produce thin films. Businesses can capitalize on this trend by developing cutting-edge sputtering targets that can coat tiny surfaces with precision and accuracy.

Furthermore, increased consumer spending power in emerging economies such as China, India, and Brazil may lead to a surge in demand for sputtering targets and related products. Companies that successfully tap into this opportunity could benefit from greater market share and revenue growth.

Also, technological advancements have made it possible for sputtering targets to be employed across a diverse range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical, and healthcare. Businesses that develop innovative sputtering targets tailored to these industries could reap the rewards of increased market demand and revenue growth.

Flat Panel Display Industry to Drive Growth of Metal Sputtering Target Material Market, Generating US$ 2,342.6 Million in Revenue by 2031

Metal sputtering target materials are a vital component in several industries such as electronics, aerospace, automotive, and biomedical. They play a significant role in the sputtering process, which deposits thin films of materials on a substrate. Of all the industries that use metal sputtering target materials, the flat panel display industry is a major consumer. LCD and OLED displays, found in smartphones, laptops, tablets, and televisions, require these materials. As the consumer electronics industry continues to grow, the demand for flat panel displays is increasing rapidly, driving the market for metal sputtering target materials.

According to a report by Astute Analytica, the global metal sputtering target material market is projected to reach USD 5,764.4 million by 2031, with a CAGR of 6.56% from 2023 to 2031. The report also shows that the flat panel display segment is expected to generate the largest revenue in the market, with a projected revenue of USD 2,342.6 million by 2031 at a CAGR of 6.58%. Although the production of metal sputtering target materials is concentrated in a few regions, particularly in Asia, China, Japan, and South Korea are the leading producers of these materials. Due to the specialized equipment and expertise required in production, the number of companies capable of producing these materials is limited.

The demand for metal sputtering target materials is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, primarily due to the increasing use of flat panel displays and other electronic devices. Additionally, the automotive and aerospace industries also use these materials in the production of various components. Technological advancements, increasing investment in R&D, and the growing demand for high-quality products are also driving the growth of the metal sputtering target material market.

Some of the Top Market Players Are:

JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation

Praxair

Plansee SE

Mitsui Mining & Smelting

Hitachi Metals

Honeywell

Sumitomo Chemical

ULVAC

Materion (Heraeus)

GRIKIN Advanced Material Co., Ltd.

TOSOH

Ningbo Jiangfeng

Heesung

Luvata

Fujian Acetron New Materials Co., Ltd

Changzhou Sujing Electronic Material

Luoyang Sifon Electronic Materials

FURAYA Metals Co., Ltd

Advantec

Angstrom Sciences

Umicore Thin Film Products

Other Prominent Players

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About Astute Analytica

Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company which has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron-come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us.

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Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Strategic Analysis of WBG Semiconductors in Power Electronics Applications for EVs, Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report provides an outlook on the WBG semiconductor device market for EVs, focusing on North American automotive OEM demand.

The study aims to understand the impact of new regional policies, Chips Act 2022, highlights drivers and restraints, performance differences of WBG semiconductor materials, patent landscape, and key vendors in the ecosystem.

The automotive EV components covered are main inverters, onboard chargers, and DC-DC converters. Based on the analysis, WBG semiconductor content will rise 2 times in EVs, from 2026 to 2027, due to OEM adoption of 800 V electrical architecture.

The increasing use of electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide boosts power semiconductor demand. Government laws and subsidies, original equipment manufacturers' (OEMs') dedication to net zero emissions, and sustainability goals accelerate EV penetration in the vehicle industry. This study focuses on wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors for the North American EV market.

Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium-nitride (GaN) are the 2 WBG technologies that overcome the limitations of silicon in EVs. The semiconductor content of an EV is 2 to 3 times higher than conventional ICE, and almost 75% of this comes from power semiconductors.

The author estimates the EV market will continue double-digit growth until the decade's end. The WBG semiconductor market is sizable, expanding, and highly fragmented, providing a significant opportunity for new competitors. High-voltage, high-performance power semiconductors will continue to be vital for EVs and a growing part of the semiconductor segment in the forecast period.

The key North American OEMs identified are Tesla, GM, Ford, Lucid, and Rivian, adopting WBG or compound semiconductor technology. The report forecasts the demand for WBG based on upcoming EVs till 2030. In addition, a few North American supplier profiles discussed are Wolfspeed, onsemi, Odyssey Semiconductor, Qorvo, Navitas Semiconductor, and GaN Systems.

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KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED

What are the market dynamics that drive WBG semiconductor demand in North America?

What are the different WBG semiconductor technologies available in North America?

What is the North American market potential (revenue) of WBG semiconductors in EVs?

What are the preferences of North American OEMs and suppliers in adopting these WBG semiconductor technologies, and what is their outlook for the future?

How will technologies evolve during the next decade with different automotive OEMs?

Who are the key market players of WBG semiconductors for EVs?

Key Topics Covered:

1. Strategic Imperatives

Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Wide Bandgap EV Semiconductor Industry

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine

2. Growth Opportunity Analysis

Scope of Analysis

EV Market Segmentation by Region

EV Market Segmentation by Powertrain Type

EV Market Segmentation by Material Type

Regional Policies of Semiconductor Chips

EV Semiconductor Value Chain: Process

EV Semiconductor Value Chain: Reshuffled and Rebuilding

WBG Semiconductor Classifications

EV WBG Semiconductor Materials: Performance

SiC Semiconductor Wafer Development Timeline

WBG Semiconductor Patent Landscape

Merger and Acquisition in Semiconductor Ecosystem

Key Players: WBG Semiconductor EV Power Ecosystem

OEM 800 V Electrification Plan: Technology Trends

EV Semiconductor Applications by Components

Growth Metrics

Growth Drivers

Growth Drivers Analysis

Growth Restraints

Growth Restraints Analysis

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast by Scenario

Revenue Forecast by Segment: Optimistic Scenario

Revenue Forecast by Segment: Publisher Scenario

Revenue Forecast by Segment, Conservative Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Optimistic Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Publisher Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Conservative Scenario

Revenue Forecast Analysis

Competitive Environment

3. Growth Opportunity Analysis: SiC Semiconductor

Growth Metrics

Revenue Forecast by Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Optimistic Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Publisher Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Conservative Scenario

4. Growth Opportunity Analysis: GaN Semiconductor

Growth Metrics

Revenue Forecast by Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Optimistic Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Publisher Scenario

Revenue Forecast by EV Components: Conservative Scenario

5. OEM Profiles

Tesla: WBG Adoption

GM: WBG Adoption

Ford: WBG Adoption

Lucid: WBG Adoption

Rivian: WBG Adoption

6. Supplier Profiles

Infineon: WBG Adoption

onsemi: WBG Adoption

Wolfspeed: WBG Adoption

Navitas Semiconductor: WBG Adoption

Qorvo: WBG Adoption

Odyssey Semiconductor: WBG Adoption

7. Growth Opportunity Universe

Growth Opportunity 1: Increasing SiC and GaN WBG Semiconductor Adoption

Growth Opportunity 2: Strategic Partnerships Between SiC and GaN Semiconductor Suppliers

Growth Opportunity 3: WBG Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility Development

8. Next Steps

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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




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wireless-infrastructure-market-share.jpg

wireless-infrastructure-market-share.jpg

Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Wireless Infrastructure Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Infrastructure, By Platform, By Type, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2022 - 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Wireless Infrastructure Market size is expected to reach $259.3 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 9.5% CAGR during the forecast period.



Wireless infrastructure comprises various communication tools, connectivity guidelines, and connectivity options that come together to offer customers wireless networks. By doing away with the necessity for wire connections between various devices and components, this network concentrates on enhancing overall connectivity and connection performance.

Moreover, wireless networking connects households, telecommunications networks, and commercial (business) installations without the expensive procedure of putting wires into a building or as a connection between different equipment locations.



Increased investments by market players in constructing high-speed networks are the main factor driving market expansion. Also, the increased usage of satellite data in the creation of smart cities and connected vehicles and the rising demand for linked automobiles are other factors that will assist the market's growth throughout the projected period.



Numerous wireless infrastructure time division duplex (TDD) send applications that ask for quick on/off transmitting of the transmitter, often within one to five microseconds. RF switches in the signal route or on/off switching of the supply voltage for various stages of the transmitter chain are two methods for implementing quick Tx on/off switching.

The benefits of the latter approach include low cost, excellent performance, and power conservation while the Device is not in use. Supply switching is especially beneficial at the transmit upconverting mixer since it eliminates the transmit signal and all other mixing byproducts from the mixer RF output.



Market Growth Factors

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Rising expansion of wireless communication networks for several applications



Players in the market have introduced a variety of technologies to improve communication infrastructures in several industries, such as connectivity & transportation, services & applications, storage & processing, and terminals and devices of the countries, such as an increase in the number of towers, antennas, and other equipment that can be managed by a core network.

For example, long-term institutional investor Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) disclosed in April 2019 that it had purchased 30% of the shares of Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC, one of the largest private companies and operators of communications infrastructure in the United States.



Supportive regulations of governments in the developing countries



The Canadian government contributed to broadband initiatives nationwide. The new project will improve network connectivity in various rural areas of the nation and the country's emergency communication channels, which is anticipated to propel market expansion.

In addition, many nations are giving subsidies to businesses and the general people to promote and support the usage of satellite internet. Such government actions are anticipated to encourage the expansion of satellite internet, which will, in turn, fuel demand for wireless infrastructure.



Market Restraining Factors

High cost of updating



The cloud service provider charges for the output of platform-generated files. In addition, cellular data transfer incurs fees. The cost is reduced when the update size is reduced to 50MB. There are ways to lower the cloud provider's departure fee, despite the fact that using a content delivery network adds complexity and expense to the process. Hence, the high cost of updating automobile OTA services would constrain the expansion of wireless infrastructure market over the course of forecast period.

Scope of the Study

By Infrastructure

Distributed Area Network

Mobile Core

Radio Access Network

Small & Macro cells

SATCOM

By Platform

Commercial

Defense

Government

By Type

4G

5G

2G & 3G

Satellite

By Geography

North America

US

Canada

Mexico

Rest of North America

Europe

Germany

UK

France

Russia

Spain

Italy

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Singapore

Australia

Rest of Asia Pacific

LAMEA

Brazil

Argentina

UAE

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

Nigeria

Rest of LAMEA

Key Market Players

List of Companies Profiled in the Report:

Qualcomm Inc. (Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.)

Capgemini SE

D-Link Corporation

ZTE Corporation

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)

NXP Semiconductors N.V.

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Fujitsu Limited

NEC Corporation

Ciena Corporation

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/n42qxb

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




Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Greencore Group implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

The top 9 shareholders own 53% of the company

Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

A look at the shareholders of Greencore Group plc (LON:GNC) can tell us which group is most powerful. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 78% ownership. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk).

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Greencore Group, beginning with the chart below.

Check out our latest analysis for Greencore Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Greencore Group?

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.

Greencore Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Greencore Group's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. It would appear that 5.5% of Greencore Group shares are controlled by hedge funds. That's interesting, because hedge funds can be quite active and activist. Many look for medium term catalysts that will drive the share price higher. Polaris Capital Management, LLC is currently the company's largest shareholder with 13% of shares outstanding. With 6.9% and 5.5% of the shares outstanding respectively, Morgan Stanley, Investment Banking and Brokerage Investments and Rubric Capital Management LP are the second and third largest shareholders.

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On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 9 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones.

Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Greencore Group

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Greencore Group plc in their own names. It seems the board members have no more than UK3.3m worth of shares in the UK404m company. We generally like to see a board more invested. However it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 16% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Greencore Group that you should be aware of.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., SUZHOU, China and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed ("HBM" or the "Company"; HKEX: 02142), a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immune-oncology and immunology, released annual results of full year 2022.

Logo (PRNewsfoto/Harbour BioMed)

"2022 has been our second financial year since listing on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2020. With greater opportunities, the Company integrated enriched resources and significant additional efforts to drive the advancement of our portfolio and expand our collaboration worldwide, leveraging our unique global proprietary technology platforms and sustained discovery engine." said Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

"2022 was a year of high efficiency on portfolio development for HBM. The Phase III clinical study of batoclimab, through the joint efforts of the sponsor, investigators and patients, overcame all difficulties during the pandemic and completed enrollment of 132 subjects in 10 months, with the positive outcome achieved. This is the first successful pivotal Phase III study of myasthenia gravis clinical trials in China."

"2022 was a year of expansion in collaboration network for HBM. With innovative and agile business model as well as robust portfolio and proprietary technology , we have successfully partnered with top pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group for pipeline products in Harbour Therapeutics, and cooperated with innovative industry leaders such as Moderna and Dragonfly Therapeutics for cutting edge technology innovation with transformational business model of Nona sciences. Based on the continuous collaborations on Immune Cell Engagers globally, the Company has established itself as the leader in HBICE based bispecific antibody innovations. Leveraging on the cash income brought by varieties of global collaborations, the Company's revenue increased by 846.5% year on year, and our capability to monetize technology and innovation has been strongly validated."

Story continues

"2022 was a year of breakthrough in technology innovation for HBM. We have established a wholly-owned subsidiary, Nona Biosciences. It is the technology platform arm for HBM, and it's mission is to focus on cutting-edge technology innovations and providing discovery solutions from 'Idea to IND' to partners around the world. The key value drivers for the company are industry leading technology platforms including Harbour Mice, HBICE and Antibody Plus in various therapies, with deep expertise and rich experience. Since its inception, Nona Biosciences has been endorsed by renowned partners, demonstrated its innovation engine power in next generation therapeutics. ."

"Moving forward, we will build upon these significant achievements and continue our mission to be the global leader in driving innovation in the next generation of antibody therapeutics, benefiting the patients around the world." Dr. Wang concluded.

Continued advancement of robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline

The Company is committed to discovering and developing innovative antibody therapeutics for oncology and immunology diseases and has a differentiated product pipeline that includes more than ten drug candidates, six of which are in clinical stages.

In 2022, the Company moved forward the global clinical development program of porustobart (HBM4003) in multiple indications. Porustobart, the next-generation anti-CTLA-4 antibody, is the first fully human heavy chain only antibody in the world that has entered into clinical development. This flagship program has advanced rapidly from candidate selection to Phase II with unprecedented clinical data released in 2022. The results showed an excellent safety profile with a strong positive signal on efficacy, with the potential to become the best-in-class treatment option for melanoma patients in China. In parallel, further clinical data of this combination therapy with PD-1 for patients with Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NEN) will be released in 2023, which also show best-in-class potential for patients with high grade NEN. With more data collected and strong efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials, we are enabling the pivotal trial of porustobart.

Another flagship program is the exciting development for HBM7008, a novel product targeting B7H4 and 4-1BB,and generated from our immune cell engager platform HBICE. HBM7008 is also the only bispecific antibody against these two targets globally. This product entered into Phase I trials in the U.S. and Australia in 2022 with great potential on solid tumors. To maintain the leading position in the development of this first-in-class asset, the Company has entered into a co-development collaboration with Cullinan Oncology, to accelerate its development in the U.S., Europe and Australia.

The Company co-developed HBM9378 with Kelun-Biotech and drove this program into clinical stage in 2022. HBM9378 is a fully human monoclonal antibody against TSLP (thymic stromal lymphopoietin) generated from H2L2 platform. The long half-life optimization and outstanding biophysical properties solidify its favorable dosing and formulation advantages.

In the first quarter of 2023, HBM1020 (B7H7), HBM1022 (CCR8) and HBM1007 (CD73) obtained the IND clearance from the U.S. FDA to initiate clinical study. HBM1020 is a first-in-class fully human monoclonal antibody targeting B7H7 (HHLA2) generated from Harbour Mice platform and also the only product in IND stage globally. B7H7 is widely expressed in solid tumors and has low overlapping with PD-L1, especially stronger expression than PD-L1 in NSCLS. With excellent molecular design and target features, HBM1020 demonstrates the potential to address broad unmet medical needs on solid tumors.

In addition, HBM7022 (CLDN18.2xCD3), HBM7004 (B7H4x4-1BB), HBM9027 (PD-L1xCD40), HBM9033 (MSLN ADC), HBM1047 (CD200R1) and HBM9014 (LIFR) are all preclinical stage products in the company's pipeline. With the efficient output of the technology platforms as well as the rich expertise of our R&D team, the Company aims to file at least one IND each year moving forward.

Platform-driven business model to maximize value creation

Out-licensing and co-development, as important business models of HBM, ascended great achievements. In 2022, the Company granted the global out-licensed of HBM7022 to AstraZaneca, and achieved a co-development partnership on HBM7008 with Cullinan Oncology. In addition, HBM9378 developed in collaboration with Kelun-Biotech, has entered the clinical stage. These achievements validate our platform value through multiple milestones on business development and will accelerate the development of our portfolio.

To maximize the value creation of our platform and enhance our influence in the industry through technology collaborations, the Company established Nona Biosciences to better empower the innovators and enable its collaborators from idea to IND (I to ITM). At the end of 2022, Nona Biosciences achieved significant success in its launch as it has landed numerous major deals, such as the collaboration with Moderna, a global biotechnology company well recognized for its capabilities in mRNA technology, and with Dragonfly Therapeutics, a cutting-edge developer on multiple therapies in relation to NK cells. As an original discovery engine, our platform allows Nona Bioscience to be a reliable partner for collaborations for diverse R&D needs in various therapeutic areas and modalities. Nona Biosciences is on a new path to expand the Company's collaboration network and bring strong value growth in the future.

To give full play to the value of the unique platform technologies, the Company continues to explore the application of its platform in broader application scenarios with deep biology expertise, incubating several joint ventures focusing on next-generation innovation. HBM Alpha Therapeutics (HBMAT), an innovative biotechnology company incubated together with Boston Children's Hospital, completed seed financing to advance its novel antibody therapies to treat congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Another incubation program, Shanghai NK Cell Technology Limited, completed its A round financing and raised a fund over RMB100 million to deepen its efforts in cutting-edge NK cell therapeutics.

Looking ahead to 2023, HBM will continue to focus on global innovation and cooperation, taking its core technology platform as the innovation fulcrum, accelerating the clinical development of the innovative pipeline products focusing on immune-oncology therapeutics, and actively embracing the first commercialization of our portfolio. Furthermore, through expansive business collaborations, we will accelerate the advancement of our portfolio and enable our partners to generate more cutting-edge target molecules through collaborations with Nona Biosciences. HBM aims to lead next-gen biotherapeutics innovation on a global basis, leveraging in-house unique technology platforms and strong research and development capabilities, and accelerate our mission to lead a healthy life with breakthrough medicines globally.

About Harbour BioMed

Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immunology and oncology. The Company is building its robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capability, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners and select acquisitions.

The Company's proprietary antibody technology platforms Harbour Mice generate fully human monoclonal antibodies in two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format, as well as heavy chain only (HCAb) format. Building upon the HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE) are capable of delivering tumor killing effects unachievable by traditional combination therapies. Integrating Harbour Mice with single B cell cloning platform, our antibody discovery engine is highly unique and efficient for development of next generation therapeutic antibodies.

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SOURCE Harbour BioMed
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Gorilla, a leading Health Information Network and interoperability provider, has announced its participation at HIMSS23, which includes a variety of interoperability panel discussions, in-booth educational sessions, and live demonstrations of its solutions for Individual Access Services (IAS).

Logo (PRNewsfoto/Health Gorilla)

Click here to schedule a meeting .

Health Gorilla will be stationed at Booth 7909 on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

Health Gorilla will also provide live demonstrations of its solutions for Individual Access Services during the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Health Gorilla will be participating in two use case paths: "360X and Multimodality Technology to Support Care Transitions" and "Record Locator Service: Powering Data Access in the Continuum of Care." Demos begin at 15 minutes past the hour at Booths 7946-72 and 7946-73.

Health Gorilla speaker participation includes:

Monday, April 17

Driving Interoperability in 2023: CURES, TEFCA, and Information Blocking. Health Gorilla Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Lane will join fellow panelists from The Sequoia Project, Kno2, MedAllies, and Carequality to discuss recent advancements in interoperability. The session is at 11:15 a.m. in the South Tower, Room S404. Click here to add it to your calendar.

Tuesday, April 18

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Wednesday, April 19

Thursday, April 20

The Impact of TEFCA for Health Gorilla Customers. Health Gorilla Chief Customer Officer Dave Cassel and Chief Medical Officer Steven Lane will discuss Health Gorilla's QHIN candidacy, the future benefits of joining a QHIN, and how the rollout of TEFCA will affect the healthcare ecosystem. The session starts at 10:30 a.m. at booth 7909. Click here to add it to your calendar.

Taking the Pulse of Healthcare Interoperability (Recap). Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Lane will discuss industry sentiment and takeaways from the 2023 Interoperability Report, making this a must-attend for anyone working in the data exchange field. The report gathered perspectives on interoperability from over 130 senior healthcare executives. The session takes place at 2 p.m. at Health Gorilla's booth 7909. Click here to add it to your calendar.

For more information about Health Gorilla's HIMSS23 activities or to request a meeting with an interoperability expert, go to www.healthgorilla.com/events/himss-2023 .

About Health Gorilla

Health Gorilla is a secure health data sharing platform, powering national health information exchange while protecting patient data privacy and security. Health Gorilla provides access to the broadest network of real-time healthcare data sources in the U.S., making it easy for authorized users to get a complete view of their patients. Through our collaborations with healthcare providers, insurers, and government organizations, we play a vital role in improving health outcomes, reducing administrative inefficiencies, and unlocking new business models. Health Gorilla is also one of the applicants approved for onboarding as a candidate Qualified Health Information Network and must successfully complete testing and onboarding before official designation as a QHIN. Our platform hosts innovative privacy technologies designed to safeguard health data and protect patient privacy. For more information, visit healthgorilla.com or follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @HealthGorilla

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SOURCE Health Gorilla
CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The healthcare interoperability solutions industry is expected to grow significantly in the near future due to the increasing demand for healthcare data exchange and integration. The industry is driven by the growing focus on patient-centric care, increasing demand for cost-effective healthcare services, advances in technology, and the need for better analytics. The industry is expected to benefit from the development of standards-based technologies such as HL7 FHIR and IHE Profiles that enable healthcare organizations to easily share information. Additionally, healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to cloud-based solutions as a way to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Finally, the industry is expected to benefit from the adoption of blockchain technology, which can enable secure, end-to-end data exchange and integration of healthcare information.

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Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $3.4 billion in 2022 and is poised to reach $6.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 12.9% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Growth in this market is driven by the increasing demand for efficient and cost-effictive healthcare delivery, government initiatives towards improving the healthcare interoperability. However, the lack of true interoperability among electric systems, financial burden and technical difficulties in building and operations are some factors restraining the growth of the healthcare interoperability solutions market to a certain extent during the forecast period. The base year considered for the study is 2021, while the forecast period is 2022 to 2027.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market"



160 - Tables

37 - Figures

223 - Pages

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2022 $3.4 billion Estimated Value by 2027 $6.2 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 12.9% Market Size Available for 20202027 Forecast Period 20222027 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Type, level of Interoperability, software solution, end user, healthcare providers and region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Advancements in software technology for real-time data exchange Key Market Drivers Emergence of new medical technologies

By type, the services segment accounted for the largest share of the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021.

On the basis of type: the services segment accounted for the largest share. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the advantages offered by the services such as installation, equipment updates or traditional licensing management are not required in case of services.

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The healthcare providers segment is expected to witness the highest growth rate in the healthcare interoperability solutions market, by end user, during the forecast period

Based on end user: the healthcare providers segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growing geriatric population leading to the increasing hospital admissions is contributing to the growth of this segment.

North America dominated the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021

North America accounted for the largest share of the healthcare interoperability solutions market in 2021, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The rising demand for value-based healthcare, the need to reduce the increasing healthcare costs, and the implementation of favorable government initiatives & regulations in the region are the key factors responsible for the large share of North America in the healthcare interoperability solutions market.

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Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Increasing demand for efficient and cost-effective healthcare delivery Government initiatives and regulations to enhance patient care and safety Emergence of new medical technologies Growing adoption of electronic health records

Restraints:

Lack of accurate interoperability solutions across healthcare supply chain Lack of standards and protocols in IT businesses Use of outdated legacy systems in hospitals and clinic chains

Opportunities:

Growing markets for healthcare interoperability solutions in developing countries Advancements in software technology for real-time data exchange

Challenges:

Increasing complexity due to lack of consistent data Shortage of skilled healthcare IT professionals Patient data security and privacy concerns in healthcare industry

Key Market Players:

Some of the prominent players in this market are Cerner Corporation (US), Epic Systems Corporation (US), Infor, Inc. (US), Koninklijke Philips NV (Netherlands), InterSystems Corporation (US), Orion Health Group Limited (New Zealand), IBM Watson Health (US), Lyniate (US), Change Healthcare (US), NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (US), and Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), iNTERFACEWARE (Canada), OSP Labs (US), ViSolve, Inc. (US), Jitterbit (US), Virtusa Corp. (US), and Summit Healthcare Services, Inc. (US).

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Recent Developments:

In November 2022, Nextge Healthcare (US) acquired TSI Healthcare (US) to expand its presence in key specialties, including rheumatology, pulmonology, and cardiology.

In October 2022, Lyniate (US) partnered with CyncHealth (US) to help healthcare providers and health networks, payers, and public health departments power more meaningful data exchange.

In September 2022, Lyniate (US) partnered with BrightInsight (US) to improve Information Exchange for Regulated Digital Health Solutions Built on the BrightInsight Platform.

In July 2022, Intersystem Corporation (US) partnered with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to develop a new shared health and care record, which is being rolled out across Bedfordshire and Luton.

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market Advantages:

Improved patient outcomes: By providing access to data and records across different healthcare systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve overall patient outcomes by allowing physicians to better assess patient health and make more informed decisions.

Improved patient experience: By providing access to patient data across multiple healthcare systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve the overall patient experience. This can include better access to medical records, appointment scheduling, and access to care.

Reduced costs: By enabling healthcare providers to access patient data across different systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to reduce costs associated with manual data entry and other inefficient processes.

Improved data accuracy: By providing access to real-time data, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve data accuracy across multiple systems. This can help to reduce errors and improve overall patient care.

Improved analytics: By providing access to healthcare data across multiple systems, healthcare interoperability solutions can help to improve analytics and data-driven decision making. This can help to improve population health management, disease management, and patient care.

Healthcare Interoperability Solutions Market - Report Highlights:

Updated Market Overview and Industry insights:

The current edition of the report consists of regulatory analysis and the recession analysis on the market (in the industry insights chapter).

Updated Competitive Landscape Chapter:

The competitive landscape chapter has been updated with product and regional benchmarking.

Updated Financial Information/Product Portfolios of Players:

The new edition of the report provides updated financial information until 2021 for each listed company in a single diagram (instead of multiple tables). This will easily help analyze the present status of profiled companies in terms of their financial strength, key revenue-generating regions/countries, business segment focus in terms of the highest revenue-generating segments, and R&D investments (as per data availability).

Updated Market Developments of Profiled Players:

Recent developments are important to understand the market trend and growth strategies adopted by players in the global healthcare interoperability solutions market space. The current edition of this report provides updated developments of profiled players from January 2019 to March 2023, indicating a continuation from the previous version. Product launches, expansions, acquisitions, agreements, partnerships, and collaborations have been the principal growth strategies adopted by market players within this period.

Related Reports:

North American Healthcare IT Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare Cloud Computing Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Healthcare IT Integration Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

Ambulatory Surgical Centers Market - Global Forecasts to 2025

Health Information Exchange Market - Global Forecasts to 2025

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With more than three in five (65%) people concerned about increased costs this Ramadan 2 and over three quarters (78%) saying they spend more on food items during the celebratory occasion than at any other time of year 2 , more families than ever before will find it harder to provide Iftar meals this Ramadan

To support families nationwide and act in the inclusive and sharing spirit of Ramadan, Hellmann's has teamed up with the Human Appeal to offer FREE Iftar for All food parcels to those in need  whether observing Ramadan or not

Those eligible will be able to collect a parcel from one of the participating beneficiaries across Britain, from 3 rd April and throughout the month of Ramadan

With three quarters (75%) of those observing Ramadan concerned about the issue of food waste2, the parcels also include recipes from chef Afia Begom for tasty Iftar dishes on a budget, that are easy, require minimal cooking and help to minimise food waste

LONDON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when UK shoppers are feeling the pinch, Hellmann's wants to offer families in need - whether observing Ramadan or not - the opportunity to enjoy Iftar meals without worry or waste. Working with UK charity Human Appeal, Hellmann's will offer free 'Iftar for All' food parcels for those who need it most this Ramadan.

Hellmann's and Human Appeal launch "Iftar for All" food parcels to help UK households in need.

New research, based on a national pool of 500 respondents with 3Gem Research & Insights, reveals that almost two thirds (65%) of people are concerned about the increased costs of food for Ramadan celebrations this year2  either due to budgets already being stretched or needing to cater for more people this year2. It also shows that three quarters (78%) of people spend more on food items during Ramadan than at any other time of year2, with half (50%) spending more than 91 on their weekly shop for Iftar meals during the month of Ramadan2.

In response, the 'Iftar for All' initiative will be available to people across the country throughout the month of Ramadan and will see free food parcels distributed across the London, Birmingham, and Manchester regions.

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To create the parcels, Hellmann's partnered with Afia Begom of Afelia's Kitchen , a British-Bangladeshi chef and recipe developer, who handpicked a selection of ingredients that pair together to create a week's worth of tasty Iftar meals, without waste. The ingredients will include a mix of non-perishable, halal food products that can be consumed by all, including chickpeas, dates and Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise.

With food waste occurring more during a change in regular eating habits  such as festivals and holiday periods3  these moments can become even more costly for those celebrating. Three quarters (75%) of those surveyed said they were concerned about the issue of food waste over this celebratory month2 and as many as two in five (44%) said they threw away uneaten or leftover food during previous years' Ramadan celebrations2.

The Iftar For All food parcels will be available at selected beneficiary centres, including Sufra Foodbank in London, Birmingham Central Mosque and Homeless Aid UK in Bolton. Parcels will be available for collection from 3rd April 2023 nationwide, and will be facilitated by Human Appeal, a British-based international relief charity.

Rachel Chambers, Hellmann's Brand Manager, says: "We're proud to be working with the Human Appeal to support those in need on the occasion of Ramadan this year. At Hellmann's, we're on a mission to reduce food waste and we know celebratory occasions can result in even more leftover foods. That's food and money that families could be saving.

"We hope this initiative will really help some families across the country, whether they are sharing an Iftar meal with loved ones, or simply struggling to afford food during these difficult times."

Human Appeal, founded in Manchester in 1991, provides ongoing humanitarian support at home and abroad, including alleviating hunger and poverty.

Owais Khan, Deputy CEO at Human Appeal, said: "We're so pleased to be partnering with a power brand like Hellmann's during Ramadan to kick-start an inclusive call to action to support those in need in the country while also raising awareness around hunger, food security and reducing food waste. Sharing food and Iftar is in the spirit of special occasions like Ramadan, and we want to show people how they can share and give back to those in need around them."

Semrush search trend data revealed that UK Google searches for food banks increased by 123% in the last year1, and with the launch of the pilot Iftar For All initiative, Hellmann's and Human Appeal want to encourage the spirit of charitable giving this Ramadan to include more people.

For people wanting to receive one of the FREE Iftar for All food parcels, they can check their eligibility by contacting one of the participating beneficiaries from 3rd April and head to the Hellmann's website: https://www.hellmanns.com/uk/ramadan2023.html

How to claim a box:

People are asked to contact their nearest participating beneficiary to check their eligibility, before collecting one of the food parcels. The Iftar For All food parcels will be available to the public from the 3rd of April, until stocks run out.



Benefiting foodbanks from where Parcels will be available for all Birmingham - Birmingham Central Mosque foodbank (0121 440 5355) - Incredible Surplus (incrediblesurplus@gmail.com) Greater Manchester - Homeless Aid UK (Bolton) (0800 124 4641) - Aspire 2 Inspire Communities (Rochdale) (info@aspire2inspiref.com/07786273841) London/Luton - SUFRA NW (admin@sufra-nwlondon.org.uk) - Discover Islam Luton (01582 452356)

Sources cited:

1 Semrush Google Search trends, March 2023

2 3Gem Research & Insights, national poll of 500 British Muslims, UK, March 2023

3 Less Waste, March 2022

4 Hellmann's - Reported as more than 13,000 downloads of the Hellmann's Fridge Night app since its launch in 2022

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Transparency Market Research

The global hemostasis valves market growth is driven by the rise in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and increase in demand for minimally invasive surgeries & the growth in geriatric population, technological advancements in hemostasis valves, and increase in healthcare investment.

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to TMR estimates, the global hemostasis valves industry would be worth USD 161.3 Bn worldwide in 2022. The market is predicted to reach USD 245.6 Bn by 2031, rising at a rapidly increasing CAGR of 4.8% from 2023 to 2031.



Two prominent drivers of this market include the rise in the cases of hemophilia and the increasing usage of point-of-care systems for testing. The prevalence of blood coagulation diagnoses among patients is on the rise, especially among those who have a tendency more likely to lose too much blood during operations. The National Haemophilia Foundation estimates that 400,000 people globally were impacted by hemophilia in 2019 and that 75.2% of those individuals are still not receiving sufficient care or do not have access to care. As a consequence, the market's expansion is affected favorably.

For Insights on Global, Regional, and Country-Level Parameters with Growth Opportunities By 2031 - Download a Sample Report!

Market Snapshot:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue USD 161.3 Bn in 2022 Estimated Value USD 245.6 Bn by 2031 Growth Rate 4.8% Forecast Period 20232031 No. of Pages 193 Pages Market Segmentation By Product Type, Application, and End-user Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, South America Companies Covered Abbott Laboratories, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Boston Scientific Corporation, Teleflex Incorporated, Terumo Corporation, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., Freudenberg Medical, LLC, Argon Medical Devices, Qosina Corp., and DeRoyal Industries

Point-of-care diagnostic tests are more frequently used by patients and doctors, and growing patient knowledge of POC procedures is fueling market expansion. In addition, one of the factors is experts with low skill levels effectively use POC instruments for diagnosis. POC development efforts are also supported by several private groups, such as the California Institute of Technology, Dartmouth College, and foreign organizations. For instance, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry created an accreditation program in August 2018 to improve experts' diagnostic testing outside of clinical labs. As a result, it is expected that the market will grow successfully throughout the projection.

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The number of tests will likely increase considerably as a result of improved diagnostic and preventive care management due to increased knowledge of hemostasis conditions. The debut of numerous innovative diagnostic systems and tests as a result of technological advancements, such as the launch of automated blood coagulation analyzers, will present this market with a sizable development chance in the years to come.

Key Findings of the Market Report

The global hemostasis valves market is expected to garner a 4.8% CAGR from 2023 to 2031.

In 2022, North America was the most lucrative market in terms of market share

The hospital segment by end-users is expected to garner a prominent market share from 2023 to 2031.



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Global Market for Hemostasis Valves: Key Trends

Hospitals are anticipated to hold the biggest share of the market in the global hemostasis valve market from 2023 to 2033 due to factors like the expansion of hospitals in emerging nations as a result of the expansion of the healthcare infrastructure.

The demand for hospitals will increase significantly as a result of amenities like patient safety, healthy cuisine, supportive services, and a welcoming atmosphere.

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) estimates that better amenities increase hospital demand by an average of 38.4%. As healthcare reform easily takes effect and states introduce new policies to optimize patient flows, hospitals are likely to experience an enormous influx of new patients.



Global Hemostasis Valves Market: Regional Outlook

Throughout the entire projection period, North America is anticipated to lead the global hemostasis valve market. This is due to several variables, including the aging population and the increasing incidence of chronic illnesses like infectious diseases.

Around 1,056,000 Americans are anticipated to experience coronary events in 2019 in the United States, along with 335,000 recurrent and 710,000 new coronary incidents, which are further anticipated to increase the demand for hemostasis devices in the global market during the forecast time frame due to an increase in cardiac surgery.

Global Hemostasis Valves Market: Key Players

Boston Scientific Corporation

Abbott Laboratories

Merit Medical Systems

B.Braun Melsungen AG

Teleflex Incorporated

Merit Medical Systems, Inc.

Terumo Corporation

Argon Medical Devices

Qosina Corp.

DeRoyal Industries

Freudenberg Medical



Some developments by the key players are:

In May 2019, Argon Medical revealed the purchase of Mana-Tech, Ltd., the exclusive distributor of the company in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is anticipated that the business will benefit greatly from the opportunity to increase its footprint in the UK, Ireland, and the rest of Europe as a result of this purchase of Mana-Tech, Ltd. As part of the purchase, the complete staff of Mana-Tech, including its sales, management, customer support, and delivery divisions, will join Argon.

Freudenberg Medical constructed its new headquarters in Massachusetts as well as a production plant in Beverly, Massachusetts, which became operational in November 2020. Expanded production and innovation capabilities as well as Class 8 cleanroom area for molding and assembly are part of the newly constructed 36,000 square foot facility. The business is FDA-registered and has ISO 13485 certification.

Browse in-depth TOC on Hemostasis Valves Market Trends, Growth Drivers

28 - Tables

63 - Figures

193  Pages

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Global Hemostasis Valves Market Segmentation

By Product Type

Y-connectors

Double Valves

One-handed

Others

By Application

Angiography

Angioplasty

Interventional Cardiology and Radiology

Others

By End Users

Hospitals

Specialty Clinics

Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Others

By Region

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

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Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Hemostemix Inc. (TSXV: HEM) (OTCQB: HMTXF) (FSE: 2VF0) ("Hemostemix" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it is completing a second round of interviews with candidates who may join the company as Executive Vice President, Business Development. The EVP Business Development will be responsible for building and leading a team focused on the following:

The sale of Tranch 1 - 500 ACP treatment convertible debentures at USD $35,000 each, to raise USD $17.5M, a mostly non-dilutive financing. Thereafter, the sale of tranche 2, etc., to finance production.

Commence the roll-up of USA-based Podiatry clinics.

Demonstrate to Podiatrists the impact to the clinic's revenue and margins of the addition of exempt ACP-01 treatments. For example, model the sale of up to 16 ACP, 30 minute, aseptic CLI injection procedures per day in keeping with the phase II injection protocol.

Sell and close podiatry clinicians on how they can monetize the value of their sweat equity, exchanging it for shares of Hemostemix.

Provide direction and analyses of potential Podiatry clinic acquisitions globally, analyzing market access in the EU, Mexico, Central and South America, the Middle East, India, Japan, and S. Korea.

Hire and manage articulate, multi-lingual, biotech-seasoned business development sales executives to increase the velocity of podiatry clinic acquisitions and ACP compassionate sales.

The five year survival rate of CLI amputees is < 30%. ACP-01 is a safe cell therapy for the treatment of CLI, a loss of circulation (atherosclerosis) in the limbs that leads to severe chronic pain at rest, ulcerating wounds that will not heal, gangrene and amputation.

ACP-01 has completed a Phase II clinical trial for CLI. In the 17 center Phase II clinical trial of 68 subjects randomized 2:1 to receive ACP, 93.5% of ACP-01 treated limbs were saved from amputation. An interim data point of the phase II trial published by UBC and U of T noted healing of ulcers and resolution of ischemic rest pain occurred in 10 of 12 patients, and that outcomes were maintained for up to 4.5 years.

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In the ACP-01 randomized Phase I trial of 20 subjects followed for two years, there were no deaths and 70% (7/10) of treated limbs were saved from amputation. In the control group (non-treated), there were two deaths and 75% (6/8) of limbs were lost to amputation.

The annual incidence of CLI is estimated to be 220-3,500 per 1,000,000 and its prevalence is estimated to be 1% of the adult population (CLI epidemiology and clinical presentation). It is estimated there are 236 Million who suffer from peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and up to 10% of PAD patients progress to CLI (23,600,000). Hemostemix is scaling its patented automated cell therapy system ("ACTS Production) to 4,000 batches per month by the end of 2027 to optimize its costs and margins while completing its clinical trials. Thereafter, ACTS production pods may be located in centralized production plants that scale to meet demand.

ACP-01 as a treatment of heart disease (ischemic cardiomyopathy), demonstrated statistically significant improvements in 245 patients who participated in one of three phase 1 studies (171 subjects), or who were consecutively treated compassionately for ischemic cardiomyopathy (74 subjects) and studied retrospectively. In the retrospective study, left ventricle ejection fraction, a key measure of heart health, improved 27% on average at 12 months after treatment (p<0.003). The potential market for these two indications alone is >$9 Billion.

ABOUT HEMOSTEMIX

Hemostemix is a patient's blood-sourced stem cell therapy platform that includes angiogenic cell precursors, neuronal cell precursor and cardiomyocyte cell precursors. Founded in 2003, a winner of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer Award, the Company has developed, patented, and is scaling by the end of 2027 the manufacture of 4,000 patient treatments per month in its automated cell therapy system ("ACTS") manufacturing cell. ACP-01 is created from the patient's blood. Six published studies of ACP-01, and a retrospective study of 53 consecutively treated ischemic cardiomyopathy patients, 345 study subjects in total, demonstrate ACP-01 is safe and preliminarily efficacious in the treatment of critical limb ischemia, angina, ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy. The Company is selling ACP-01 forward on an exempt compassionate basis (see press release of March 7th) while it completes its clinical trials to obtain exclusive market access for certain medical indications. For more information, please visit www.hemostemix.com.

For further information, please contact:

Thomas Smeenk, President, CEO & Co-Founder

EM: tsmeenk@hemostemix.com

PH: 905-580-4170

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the financing of the Company and its lead product ACP-01 and the commercialization of ACP-01 via the sale of compassionate treatments subject to exemption from regulatory approval. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Hemostemix's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Hemostemix and on assumptions Hemostemix believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of Hemostemix and its Common Shares; the successful resolution of the litigation that Hemostemix is pursuing or defending (the "Litigation"); the results of ACP-01 research, trials, studies and analyses, including the analysis being equivalent to or better than previous research, trials or studies; the receipt of all required regulatory approvals for research, trials or studies; the level of activity, market acceptance and market trends in the healthcare sector; the economy generally; consumer interest in Hemostemix's services and products; competition and Hemostemix's competitive advantages; and Hemostemix obtaining satisfactory financing to  fund Hemostemix's operations including any research, trials or studies, and any Litigation. Forward-looking information is Subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Hemostemix to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the ability of Hemostemix to complete clinical trials, complete a satisfactory analyses and file the results of such analyses to gain regulatory approval of a phase II or phase III clinical trial of ACP-01; potential litigation Hemostemix mayface; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations including the actual results of future research, trials or studies; competition; changes in legislation affecting Hemostemix; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; long-term capital requirements and future developments in Hemostemix's markets and the markets in which it expects to compete; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; and risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, disruptions to economic activity and financings, disruptions to supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession or depression;the potential impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on Hemostemix which may include a decreased demand for the services that Hemostemix offers; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit Hemostemix's ability to obtain external financing. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Hemostemix's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although Hemostemix has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Hemostemix as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, it is Subject to change after such date. However, Hemostemix expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/161035
Heritage CBD products have already been approved by the Brazil Health Authority (ANVISA) to distribute and sell in the country

TORONTO, April 03, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. (CSE: CANN) (OTCQX: HERTF) ("Heritage" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has received a purchase order from a Brazilian pharmaceutical CBD product importation and distribution company, to supply finished CBD products for wholesale distribution that have already received approval for sale in Brazil. These products are among the first products of their kind to be approved by the Brazil Health Authority (ANVISA) and will ship upon approval by Health Canada.

In 2021, Health Canada granted Heritage with a license to export cannabis products from Canada to Brazil. This will mark the first full shipment of products following the prior successful shipment to Brazil made by Heritage for the testing phase with ANVISA.

"We are very pleased to be in a position to expand our products and brands on a global scale, and to be working with a well recognized partner and their large distribution network in Brazil," said David Schwede, CEO of Heritage. "This is just a starting point for Heritage in Brazil as we are in the process of establishing a long-term supply agreement for CBD products which will also include access to our entire THC product portfolio once medical use cannabis becomes fully legalized in Brazil."

About Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp.

Heritage Cannabis is a leading cannabis company offering innovative products to both the medical and recreational legal cannabis markets in Canada and the U.S., operating under two licensed manufacturing facilities in Canada. The company has an extensive portfolio of high-quality cannabis products under the brands Purefarma, Pura Vida, RAD, Premium 5, Thrifty, feelgood., the CB4 suite of medical products in Canada and ArthroCBD in the U.S.

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ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HERITAGE CANNABIS HOLDINGS CORP.

"David Schwede"

David Schwede, CEO

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005375/en/

Contacts

For more information:

Kelly Castledine

Tel: 647-660-2560
Hexagon Composites ASA

3 April 2023: Reference is made to the announcement on 22 April 2020 , in which Hexagon Composites ASA (the "Company") announced the provisional award of up to 3 711 634 Performance Share Units ("PSUs") to senior executives and entitled employees. Each vested PSU will give the holder the right to receive one share in the Company at an exercise price corresponding to the par value of the shares being NOK 0.10. The total program ended at 905 887 PSUs of which 204 279 PSUs have been awarded to primary insiders.

The transaction is settled in treasury shares, following the transaction, the Company holds 94 531 treasury shares. Further details of the primary insider's transactions pursuant to the market abuse regulation article 19 are attached.

For more information:

Ingrid Aarsnes, VP IR & ESG, Hexagon Composites

Telephone: +47 950 38 364 | ingrid.aarsnes@hexagongroup.com

About Hexagon Composites ASA

Hexagon delivers safe and innovative solutions for a cleaner energy future. Our solutions enable storage, transportation, and conversion to clean energy in a wide range of mobility, industrial and consumer applications. Learn more at www.hexagongroup.com (http://www.hexagongroup.com) and follow @HexagonASA on Twitter and LinkedIn.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

Attachment




- The donation will support Habitat Canada's effort to provide Black families more opportunities to build equity through homeownership

MARKHAM, ON, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Honda Canada Foundation, Honda's charitable arm in Canada, is donating $200,000 over the next two years to Habitat for Humanity Canada. Honda Canada Foundation's donation to Habitat Canada will help address the racial homeownership gap and provide Black families with more opportunities to build equity through homeownership.

The first $100,000 installment will fund a project led by Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area while the second installment will support a project led by Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta.

Honda Canada volunteers participated in a Habitat Build Day in the Greater Toronto Area. (CNW Group/Honda Canada Inc.)

Last November, 14 volunteers from Honda Canada took part in a Habitat Build Day with more days planned in 2023 in the Greater Toronto Area.

"Access to affordable homeownership is a dream for many hard-working families and today's housing market makes such dreams difficult to reach," says Tony Facciolo, Chair of the Honda Canada Foundation. "Honda Canada Foundation and Honda associates feel strongly about supporting families in the community and helping them turn homeownership dreams into reality. From moving building materials to putting up drywall, our associates were full of energy in volunteering their time and hard work during our initial Habitat Build Day."

"At Habitat Canada, we know that homeownership transforms lives," said Julia Deans, President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada. "Our new partnership with the Honda Canada Foundation will help remove the barriers that have contributed to the disproportionate lack of homeownership opportunities for Black people in Canada. Through our Black Families Funding Initiative, we can provide more Black families with an opportunity to build financial stability and equity through affordable homeownership. We're proud to partner with an organization that shares our belief that everyone benefits when we all have a decent place to call home."

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About Honda Canada Foundation

Established in 2005, Honda Canada Foundation (HCF) aims to enable the realization of dreams through various annual philanthropic activities and funding to non-profit registered charities across Canada where Honda customers and associates live, work and play. HCF focuses on four key pillars  family, environment, engineering and educationand endeavors to donate more than $2 million each year to groups in need. More than 6.5 million Canadians have benefited from Honda Canada and Honda Canada Foundation funded charitable programs. For more information, please visit www.hondacanadafoundation.ca.

About Habitat Canada

Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, charitable organization working toward a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat for Humanity brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners and 48 local Habitats working in every province and territory, we provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which was established in 1976 and has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 70 countries. For more information, please visit habitat.ca .

Honda Canada Foundation (CNW Group/Honda Canada Inc.)

SOURCE Honda Canada Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c2766.html
SHANGHAI, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HuidaGene Therapeutics (; HuidaGene), a global clinical-stage biotechnology company focusing on developing genomic medicine, announces that the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation (ODD) for HG004, HuidaGene's lead gene replacement therapy for the treatment of inherited retinal disease caused by RPE65 mutations. Patients who are suffering from RPE65 mutation-associated inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), a group of rare blinding conditions caused by biallelic RPE65 mutations, affect the retina and pass on to children.

Huidagene logo 2023 (PRNewsfoto/Huidagene Therapeutics)

"We are pleased to have received this significant regulatory feedback from the US FDA. Receiving ODD is an important milestone as we are advancing our HG004 gene replacement therapy program to clinical trial designed to provide safe, durable, and high-quality treatment to children and adults suffering from RPE65 mutation-associated inherited retinal diseases," said Xuan Yao, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HuidaGene. "It also underscores the importance of bringing this novel therapy to patients with severe visual impairment or blindness, and strongly motivates us to expedite the clinical development of HG004."

The Orphan Drug Act encourages the development of treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of rare diseases, defined as those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The designation affords HuidaGene the potential for certain benefits, including tax credits for clinical development, exemptions for certain FDA application fees, seven years of post-approval market exclusivity, and assistance in the drug development process. ODD will accelerate drug development and registration action in the US. HG004 will be eligible for certain development incentives, including FDA support for clinical studies. In January 2023, FDA has cleared HG004 investigational new drug (IND) application for the planned multi-national clinical trial and is currently being reviewed by the China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) on this first AAV gene replacement therapy master protocol in different countries including China.

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About RPE65 Mutation-Associated Inherited Retinal Diseases

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a group of rare blinding conditions caused by mutations in any 1 of more than 250 genes. Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), severe early childhood-onset retinal dystrophy (SECORD), early-onset severe retinal dystrophy (EOSRD), and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which may all be grouped under the heading of RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs, are considered to represent a phenotypic continuum of the same disease. The RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs with a typical onset between birth and five years of age exhibit several common clinical findings, chiefly night blindness, progressive loss of visual fields, and loss of central vision. The percentage of patients (with biallelic RPE65 mutations) meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for blindness increased with age and reached 100% after the age of 40 years. Given the often severe and early visual loss associated with RPE65 IRDs, other areas of development, including speech, social skills, and behavior, may also be delayed. There are approximately over 6,600 individuals living in the US diagnosed with RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs in 2023.

About HG004

HG004 is a gene replacement therapy drug which uses the recombinant non-adeno-associated virus serotype 2 (non-AAV2) vector to deliver a functional human RPE65 gene to the retina to restore, treat, and prevent blindness of children and adults with RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs. The extensive preclinical studies demonstrated superior transduction efficiency of the RPE layer and the recovery of the retinal functions when HG004 compared to AAV2-mediated gene replacement therapy through the company's independently-developed Rpe65 gene knockout (KO) murine disease model using the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) genome-editing system. The murine disease model is found to mimic the retinal phenotypes and functions of patients with RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs. Based on the head-to-head preclinical comparison study of HG004 and AAV2 at the same dose, the recovery of the retinal functions was increased by 67.6% (HG004) and 35.8% (AAV2 products) when compared to the wild-type mice in the Rpe65 knockout murine model at Week 17 after a single injection, suggesting that HG004 may potentially lower the total vector doses to reduce the risk of AAV vector-associated immunogenicity or ocular adverse events in humans.

About HuidaGene - 

HuidaGene Therapeutics () is a global clinical-stage biotechnology company focusing on discovering, engineering, and developing CRISPR-based genetic medicine to rewrite the future of genomic medicine. Based in Shanghai and New Jersey, HuidaGene is committed to addressing patients' needs globally with various preclinical therapeutic programs covering ophthalmology, otology, myology, and neurology. We are currently advancing clinical programs in RPE65 mutation-associated IRDs and our preclinical pipeline, including programs in neovascular age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, hereditary hearing loss, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and MECP2 duplication syndrome. Company's CRISPR-based therapeutics offer the potential to cure patients with life-threatening conditions by repairing the cause of their disease. HuidaGene is committed to transforming the future of genome-editing medicine.

For more information, please visit http://www.huidagene.com

or follow us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/huidagene

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huidagene-receives-orphan-drug-designation-for-gene-therapy-of-blindness-301787815.html

SOURCE Huidagene Therapeutics
InsightAce Analytic Pvt. LTd.

The global Hydrogen Generation market is estimated to reach over USD 366.49 billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.46% during the forecast period.

Jersey City, NJ, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. announces the release of a market assessment report on the "Global Hydrogen Generation Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (SMR, POX, Coal Gasification, Electrolysis), Application (Refinery, Ammonia Production, Methanol Production, Transportation, Power Generation), Source (Blue, Green, Gray), Generation Mode (Captive, And Merchant)- Market Outlook And Industry Analysis 2031"

The Global Hydrogen Generation Market is estimated to reach over USD 366.49 billion by 2031, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.46% during the forecast period 2023-2031.

Due to continuous urban and industrial growth, nations have been compelled to employ various power-producing technologies to meet demand. Likewise, development initiatives exist in populated regions, including the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.



Recent Developments:

In August 2022, A green hydrogen plant was put into operation by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in Hazira, Gujarat, India. The facility would probably produce 45 kg of green hydrogen every day, which will be used exclusively in the company's Hazira manufacturing site for captive consumption.





Free PDF Report Brochure @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/request-sample/1673





Concerns about using sustainable energy sources to reduce dependencies on fossil fuels like crude oil and natural gas are becoming more significant in the global economy. For instance, the Statistical Assessment of Global Energy 2020 by BP, published in June 2020, states that the overall energy consumption for the Asia Pacific region went from nearly 249.4 exajoules in 2018 to approximately 257.6 exajoules in 2019. As a result, this element is fueling the market CAGR.

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Moreover, the demand for food will increase by a factor of two with an increase in population. More intensive farming, protective cropping systems, and the best fertilizer management practices will all be required to meet this growing need. Fertilizer management will make use of nitrogen fertilizers.

Ammonia is a critical component of nitrogen fertilizers, and the ideal form is ammonium nitrate. The rising global population will result in huge demand for agricultural products, demanding improved fertilization management systems. The market will expand due to the increased demand for ammonia to construct these systems.

List of Prominent Players in the Hydrogen Generation Market:

Linde plc,

Air Liquide,

Cummins Inc.,

Air Products Inc.,

Uniper SE,

Engie,

Siemens,

Nel ASA,

ITM Power,

Iberdola,

McPhy Energy S.A.,

Messer,

Enapter S.r.l.,

Orsted A/S,

Xebec Adsorption Inc.,

Grren Hydrogen,

Plug Power Inc.,

Atawey,

Hiringa Energy Limited





Get Customized Report @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/customisation/1673





Hydrogen Generation Market Report Scope:

Report Attribute Specifications Market size value in 2022 USD 165.36 Bn Revenue forecast in 2031 USD 366.49 Bn Growth rate CAGR CAGR of 9.46 % from 2023 to 2031 Quantitative units Representation of revenue in US$ Billion, Volume (Tons), and CAGR from 2023 to 2031 Historic Year 2019 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2031 Report coverage The forecast of revenue, the position of the company, the competitive market statistics, growth prospects, and trends Segments covered Source, Technology, Application, And Generation. Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa Country scope U.S.; Canada; U.K.; Germany; China; India; Japan; Brazil; Mexico; The UK; France; Italy; Spain; China; Japan; India; South Korea; Southeast Asia; South Korea; Southeast Asia

Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Decarbonization also describes a progressive decrease in the carbon footprint of primary energy. Decarbonizing the global energy system, which has increased demand for green energy technology and cleaner energy sources like hydrogen, is one of our biggest problems. This is encouraging the growth of the industry that produces hydrogen. Furthermore, the sector is expanding rapidly due to promoting government initiatives to reduce carbon footprints.

As a clean energy fuel, hydrogen is expected to eventually reduce the need for oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. Hydrogen can be created from almost all energy sources, including biomass, wind, sun, nuclear, and clean fossil fuels.

Challenges:

A synthetic energy carrier is a hydrogen. Energy generated by numerous other processes is transported by it. Electrical energy is converted into hydrogen by water electrolysis. Nevertheless, high-grade electrical energy is also used to compress, liquefy, transport, transfer, or store the medium in addition to creating hydrogen. Hydrogen must be produced using energy. The energy intake and synthetic gas's energy level should ideally match.

Energy transition occurs during the electrolysis and reforming processes, two common ways to produce hydrogen. Electrical energy, or the chemical energy of hydrocarbons, is turned into hydrogen's chemical energy. Energy losses always occur during the production of hydrogen.

Regional Trends:

The fastest-growing market is in the Asia-Pacific area as a result of China and India's increasing use of hydrogen for power generation. In addition, the government's expanded efforts to encourage green and clean energy in nations like Australia, Japan, and India are fostering market expansion.

A vigorous economic development that facilitated the growth of the hydrogen-generating industry in this region was evidenced by the quick development of several sectors in numerous economies, including South Korea, China, Japan, and India. The attractive growth of the area is primarily attributable to the rising demand for electric vehicles fueled by fuel cells in the area. In addition, the region is seeing an increase in the production of power using renewable resources.





Enquiry Before Buying @ https://www.insightaceanalytic.com/enquiry-before-buying/1673





Segmentation of Hydrogen Generation Market-

By Source-

Blue Hydrogen

Gray Hydrogen

Green Hydrogen

By Technologies-

Steam methane reforming (SMR)

Partial Oxidation (POX)

Coal gasification

Electrolysis

By Application-

Petroleum Refinery

Ammonia Production

Methanol Production

Transportation

Power Generation

By Generation-

Captive

Merchant

By Region-

North America-

The US

Canada

Mexico

Europe-

Germany

The UK

France

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia-Pacific-

China

Japan

India

South Korea

South East Asia

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America-

Brazil

Argentina

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa-

GCC Countries

South Africa

Rest of Middle East and Africa

About Us:

InsighAce Analytic is a specializing in market research and consulting services that helps in building business strategies. Our mission is to provide high quality insights with using data analytics techniques and visualization tools that drives the disruption and innovation in market research industry. Our expertise is in providing syndicated and custom market intelligence reports with in-depth analysis and key market insights in a timely and cost-effective manner.

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CONTACT: Contact Us: InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. Tel.: +1 551 226 6109 Email: info@insightaceanalytic.com Site Visit: https://www.insightaceanalytic.com




Appointment of Chief Financial Officer

EASTLEIGH, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / i3 Energy plc ("i3", "i3 Energy", "i3 Canada", or the "Company") (AIM:I3E)(TSX:ITE), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Dranchuk as Chief Financial Officer, effective from today.

Mr. Dranchuk has over 25 years of experience working in various senior finance roles in the energy sector with considerable focus on the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, a core area for the Company.

Mr. Dranchuk has over 12 years' experience as Chief Financial Officer of various public Canadian listed companies including Chinook Energy Inc and Zargon Oil and Gas Ltd, bringing significant expertise in both corporate and asset transactions, equity offerings, corporate structuring and financings, and broad operational accounting experience.

Mr Dranchuk's appointment is a non-board role.

Mr. Dranchuk holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA, CMA) designation, and received a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Saskatchewan.

Majid Shafiq, CEO of i3 Energy plc, commented:

"We are very pleased to welcome Jason to the team as our new group CFO, following a thorough search process. His broad financial reporting expertise across the energy sector value chain and M&A experience will be invaluable to the Company and we look forward to working with him to deliver our growth strategy as we expand our operations in Canada."

Enquiries:

i3 Energy plc Majid Shafiq (CEO) c/o Camarco Tel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331 WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker) James Joyce, Darshan Patel Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666 Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker) Peter Krens Tel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030 Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker) Ashton Clanfield, Callum Stewart Tel: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600 Camarco Georgia Edmonds, Violet Wilson, Sam Morris Tel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331

Notes to Editors:

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i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside.

The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing 100% owned asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets.

i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications for long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements.

i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/.

This announcement does not contain inside information.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747225/i3-Energy-PLC-Announces-Appointment-of-Chief-Financial-Officer




Image Specialty Partners

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ideal Dental Management Partners announced today its new brand name, Image Specialty Partners.



Ideal Dental Management Partners is taking on a new name and brand identity as the company continues to grow its portfolio and emphasize its expertise in delivering multi-specialty dental services. The Sacramento-based company has announced that its new name will now be Image Specialty Partners. The rebranding, which includes a logo, new website, and mission and vision refinement, is meant to highlight its position as a leading doctor-led, multi-specialty dental service organization in the United States.

Image Specialty Partners (ISP) is a doctor-led dental service organization focused on providing business and administrative support to specialty dental service providers. The Company partners with doctors who independently diagnose and treat their patients, providing orthodontic, pediatric and oral surgery services. ISP supports its partner doctors in delivering exceptional care through the latest innovation and technology, and the best patient experience possible. Image Specialty Partners is majority owned by a leading middle-market private equity investor, ONCAP Management Partners.

Dr. Yan Kalika, CEO and Chief Clinical Officer unveiled the new name March 24th during the company's inaugural offsite cultural event. We are passionate about empowering doctors to accelerate their business through innovative, multi-specialty platforms, and providing administrative support so that dental providers can focus on their patients, said Dr. Kalika. The rebranding marks a new Image Specialty Partners both inside the company and out, with a strategy hyper-focused on becoming the premier destination for industry-leading partners to transform the delivery of dental specialty care through innovation, enabling people to live healthier, happier lives. Image Specialty Partners core values of integrity, teamwork, going above and beyond, and efficiency, along with its clear strategy, will power the company's transformation as we partner with top tier dental professionals to provide superior care for patients throughout every stage of life.

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Image Specialty Partners will be hosting a networking event for doctors at the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) Annual Session on April 21, 2023 at 6:30pm at The Chicago Firehouse Restaurant  1401 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605. The event will highlight how Image Specialty Partners enables top-performing doctors to grow their practices. Doctors interested in attending should email drkalika@imagespecialtypartners.com .

About Image Specialty Partners

Image Specialty Partners was built on the shared passion and mission to provide exceptional dental care through the latest innovation and technology, and the belief that everyone deserves to have the confidence and positivity that comes from a healthy, beautiful smile. Image Specialty Partners and the independent specialty dental care practices it supports operate 33 locations on the West Coast through its dental specialty brands. Combined, the brands have provided high-quality dental specialty care to more than 200,000 patients. Image Specialty Partners is headquartered at 3075 Beacon Blvd., West Sacramento, CA 95691.

About ONCAP

ONCAP is the mid-market private equity platform of Onex. In partnership with operating company management teams, ONCAP invests in and builds value in North American headquartered small- and medium-sized businesses that are market leaders and possess meaningful growth potential. For more information on ONCAP, visit its website at www.oncap.com.

Onex is an investor and asset manager that invests capital on behalf of Onex shareholders and clients across the globe. Formed in 1984, we have a long track record of creating value for our clients and shareholders. In total, Onex has $50.8 billion in assets under management, of which $7.9 billion is Onex own investing capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Boston and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex platforms. Onex is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com. Onex security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.

Contact:

Aarti Subramanian

VP, Acquisitions

asubramanian@imagespecialtypartners.com

www.imagespecialtypartners.com




Perane

Pioneering search tool uncovers billions of pounds missing through tax avoidance scheme

Last Will and Testament

Inheritance experts Perane urge enquiry over tax swindle

NORFOLK, England, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inheritance experts, Perane, have sounded the alarm on billions of pounds owed to His Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in deceased shareholdings which are slipping under the taxmans radar.



Perane has spent the last 12 months developing a pioneering deceased share ownership search tool which has now revealed a massive black hole in HMRCs tax revenues through inheritance tax fraud.

Peranes share search tool looks at historic probates and checks what shareholdings are held by registrar, stock, and value. That data is then matched to the executor.

Perane can also spot if the shares are suspected of being transferred to another family member at the registered address.

In just one case, uncovered in the last few weeks by Perane, an executor failed to declare hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of shares on an inheritance where property and share assets amounted to three quarters of a million pounds.

Instead of declaring 400,000 worth of shares on an estate valued at 750,000, the executor declared only 149,626 in total  a figure which just happened to fall 374 under the threshold for inheritance tax (IHT). At the time, in 1993, IHT was set at 150,000.

Bruce Cane, CEO of Perane, said: What we have uncovered is constructive white-collar fraud on a black market scale, with shares moving unspotted and undeclared through the generations.

Peranes unique data suggests that billions of pounds are being lost to the taxman because executors fail to declare inheritance, in many cases engaging in illegal and deliberate tax evasion.

Perane has also discovered that a significant number of unscrupulous individuals are avoiding tax using FTSE shareholdings, by failing to declare the transfer of share ownership sometimes after a death occurs.

According to Perane, high levels of fraud are occurring because necessary legal checks are not being conducted, and in some cases because solicitors and professional executors are unwittingly facilitating it.

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Cane added: With shares going undeclared and inheritance tax going unpaid, law-abiding taxpayers, and the country, are being well and truly ripped off often by those with the most money.

Thats why we have written to the Chancellor urging him to act immediately to stop the shareholding tax-swindlers, and to the Treasury select committee urging them to immediately launch an inquiry into how much money is going missing every year.

Although HMRC is putting more resources into targeting the estates of wealthy deceased individuals , Peranes tool could be used to generate tens of millions of pounds more in unpaid taxes from those engaged in evasion, deliberately or otherwise.

In another case uncovered by Perane, a non-legal lay executor has so far failed to distribute 143,000 of shares to other family beneficiaries since 2006, instead squirrelling away the money. That means 57,000 of inheritance tax has gone unpaid to HMRC.

In addition, in a small sample of 200 probate cases, Perane located:

undeclared shareholdings above inheritance tax level where 140,000 was due to HMRC

a further 150k where the lay executors had not declared the shareholdings and were taking the dividends

Inheritance tax is currently payable at a rate of 40%, paid on the value of any estate above 325,000.

Solicitor Michelle Tongue from Private Client Solicitors , Manchester, said: When an estate is subject to an inheritance tax liability, the personal representatives must complete a comprehensive form in which they must provide accurate valuations of all assets, including properties.

HMRC are querying more and more of these forms, and are clearly actively stepping up efforts to recover money from families who incorrectly declare the value of an estate and underpay their inheritance tax bill.

Perane has found that between 2% and 3% of searches reveal shareholdings that probate searches have failed to uncover during administration, dating back to the 1990s.

Peranes findings are being provided to HMRC so that collection of outstanding tax can be made from the executors, since the stock is still held and can be easily sold.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f470cdab-8220-487e-966a-a7f1306b82b6

CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Tim Reid Email: tim@timreidmedia.com or Tel: +44 7720 414205




BEIJING, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China Daily: China's leading innovation hub pledged on Thursday to have "a long-term strategy" for its cooperation with Japan, and announced new incentives aimed at attracting more investment as the number of Japanese-funded enterprises in China's technological region passed 700.

Suzhou New District, in Jiangsu province, hosts a spring event on cooperation and exchanges with Japan on March 30 in Tokyo, Japan, celebrating Japanese-funded enterprises in the SND passed 700.

Mao Wei, Party chief of Suzhou New District, or SND, in Jiangsu province, made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese entrepreneurs in Tokyo.

"We will take cooperation with Japan as a long-term strategy for the development of the SND and we look forward to sharing with our Japanese friends the opportunities of openness, industrialization, innovation and green development," said Mao.

As one of China's first national high-tech zones, the SND has pursued developing high technology and achieving industrialization for the past three decades.

Data showed that the number of Japanese-funded enterprises in the SND has reached 703, with a total investment of over $20 billion, accounting for one-third of such enterprises in Suzhou. Among them, there are 18 Fortune Global 500 companies.

"It is because of this (innovation-driven strategy) and others that we could achieve creating nearly 8 percent of Suzhou's economic output with only 2.5 percent of the land area," Mao said.

The SND had carried out a series of initiatives to improve the quality and efficiency of services for Japanese companies.

"We will take the breakthrough of 700 Japanese-funded enterprises as a new starting point, focus on creating a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment to improve the long-term service mechanism, and provide professional and high-quality services for the investment and development of Japanese enterprises," Mao said, adding that companies that invest in the SND will be eligible for a range of benefits, including tax credits and grants.

Yuji Kokubo, a developer of neutron generators, said it chose to invest in the SND because it has a complete upstream and downstream industrial chain, a sound policy support system, a good financial business with upgraded industrial infrastructure and a professional service team.

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Toshiaki Takeuchi, chairman of Nihon Dempa Kogyo, a crystal devices producer that set up the first wholly foreign-owned factory in the SND, said: "I have been deeply involved in the development of the SND for 29 years. During this period, I have received warm support from the government."

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/innovation-hub-looks-to-more-opportunities-from-japan-301788312.html

SOURCE China Daily
Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. (NYSE:ARI) shareholders have seen the share price descend 18% over the month. In contrast the stock is up over the last three years. However, it's unlikely many shareholders are elated with the share price gain of 56% over that time, given the rising market.

Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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).

During three years of share price growth, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance achieved compound earnings per share growth of 7.6% per year. In comparison, the 16% per year gain in the share price outpaces the EPS growth. This indicates that the market is feeling more optimistic on the stock, after the last few years of progress. It's not unusual to see the market 're-rate' a stock, after a few years of growth.

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. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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 Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, it has a TSR of 125% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 11% in the twelve months, Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance 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. 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. 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. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (including 2 which are concerning) .

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 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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BlueWeave Consulting and Research Pvt Ltd

The APAC region experienced the highest growth due to concerns about identity theft and fraud, increased security in government and commercial settings, and initiatives related to border administration and national identities implemented by regional governments. The APAC region is expected to continue developing at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period and hold the largest share of the market, primarily because of the growing consumer electronics industry, particularly the smartphone market. Samsung Electronics, a major smartphone and tablet manufacturer, has also contributed to this growth by incorporating iris recognition technology into its latest devices. Developed economies such as the United States and Canada are also contributing to this increase in demand.

New Delhi, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global iris recognition market is flourishing because of an increasing demand for security features, growing concerns for privacy, and rapid adoption of iris recognition technology in mobile devices.

BlueWeave Consulting, a leading strategic consulting and market research firm, in its recent study, estimated global iris recognition market size at USD 3.64 billion in 2022. During the forecast period between 2023 and 2029, BlueWeave expects global iris recognition market size to grow at a robust CAGR of 17.08% reaching a value of USD 8.94 billion by 2029. Major growth factors of global iris recognition market include an increasing need for secure authentication and identification systems, the widespread adoption of biometric technology in various industries, and the advancement of iris recognition systems. The market growth is also fueled by the integration of iris scanners in smartphones, higher adoption rates in government projects, rising incidents of fraudulent activities, and growing security concerns. Governments are increasingly turning to biometric technologies to enhance cybersecurity and facilitate system access, with some police departments also utilizing iris recognition technology.



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Iris scanning is frequently used in conjunction with other biometric technologies, including fingerprints and face recognition, as seen in the biometric verification procedures implemented in the UAE. Also, major banks are leveraging iris recognition technology for various applications, including authenticating mobile banking apps and providing speedy and convenient experiences for their customers. These factors are expected to contribute to the expansion of the global iris recognition market during the forecast period. However, high costs associated with the deployment of iris recognition systems are anticipated to restrain the growth of global iris recognition market during the period in analysis.

Sample Request @ https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/report/iris-recognition-market/report-sample

Global Iris Recognition Market  Overview

Iris recognition is a type of biometric identification system that uses mathematical pattern recognition technology on video images of one or both irises of an individual's eyes. The patterns of the iris are unique, stable, and visible from a distance, and the technology uses video cameras with near-infrared illumination to capture detailed images of the iris. Iris recognition can accommodate contact lenses and glasses and is accessible to blind individuals with irises. Despite its versatility in securing identification, popular iris scanners can be tricked by high-quality images of irises or faces. The scanners can be difficult to adjust and may not be convenient for multiple people of varying heights. Lighting changes can also affect scanner accuracy. Additionally, iris scanners are more expensive than other forms of biometrics, passwords, and proximity card security systems.

Impact of COVID -19 on Global Iris Recognition Market

COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on the global iris recognition market. The pandemic has prompted biometric research leading to an increased use of iris and periocular recognition. This is due to the shift from touch-based technology to contactless alternatives, which has resulted in a decline in the use of fingerprint recognition methods. To maintain sanitary safety, touchless recognition systems have become the new norm. As a result, iris recognition is now considered the most suitable option.

Please Visit the Press Release: https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/press-release/global-iris-recognition-market-size-more-than-doubles-to-at-robust-cagr-of-17-reaching-usd-9-billion-by-2029

Global Iris Recognition Market  By End User

Based on end user, global iris recognition market is segmented into Government, Healthcare, Banking and Finance, Consumer Electronics, and Military and Defense. The consumer electronics segment held the highest market share. The increasing adoption of iris recognition technology in smartphones, tablets, and laptops for biometric authentication has significantly boosted demand for iris recognition technology in the consumer electronics sector. Iris recognition provides a highly secure and convenient way for users to unlock their devices and access sensitive information. Also, the growth of the e-commerce industry and the increasing number of online transactions have increased the demand for secure and reliable authentication methods. Iris recognition technology is one of the most secure biometric authentication methods available and is being integrated into payment systems and online platforms to provide an additional layer of security.

Competitive Landscape

Major players operating in global iris recognition market include Iris ID, Inc., IDEMIA, IriTech, Inc., Princeton Identity, EyeLock LLC, Bioenable Technologies, Crossmatch, HID Global Corporation, 3M Cogent, Inc., IrisGuard UK Ltd., Aware, Inc., CMITech Company Ltd., Delta ID Inc., ImageWare Systems, Inc., NEC Corporation, and SRI International. To further enhance their market share, these companies employ various strategies, including mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, license agreements, and new product launches.

Dont miss the business opportunity in the Global Iris Recognition 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 Iris Recognition Market. It also highlights the factors driving forecasts of total market size. The report promises to provide recent technology trends in Global Iris Recognition 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.







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 (APAC), Latin America, Middle East and Africa (MEA) Product/ Service Segmentation Type, Component, Application, End-User, Region Key Players Iris ID, Inc., IDEMIA, IriTech, Inc., Princeton Identity, EyeLock LLC, Bioenable Technologies, Crossmatch, HID Global Corporation, 3M Cogent, Inc., IrisGuard UK Ltd., Aware, Inc., CMITech Company Ltd., Delta ID Inc., ImageWare Systems, Inc., NEC Corporation, SRI International

By Type

Standalone

Integrated

By Component

Hardware

Software

Services

By Application

Access Control

Time and Attendance Management

Identity Verification

Border Control

By End User

Government

Healthcare

Banking & Finance

Consumer Electronics

Military & Defense

By Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC)

Latin America

Middle East and Africa (MEA)







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Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has been ordered to comply with Japans regulatory requirements and cease offering services to Japanese residents, after Japans Financial Services Agency (FSA) on March 31 issued a warning letter to the company over its registration process.

See related article: Bybit suspends U.S. dollar bank transfers, possible link to Silvergate shuttering crypto banking network

The FSA has stated that Bybit, the worlds fourth largest crypto exchange by volume, is operating without registration in Japan and has been engaging in crypto derivatives trading services that violate the countrys laws and regulations. Bybit also received a similar warning from the regulator in May 2021.

Along with Bybit, three other exchanges  MEXC Global, Bitforex, and Bitget  also received the warning letter.

The FSAs action follows a recent crackdown on unregistered crypto exchanges in the east Asian nation. In 2020, the FSA introduced new regulations requiring crypto exchanges to register with the agency and obtain a license to operate in Japan.

Crypto exchanges that do not comply with the FSAs regulations may face fines and legal action. Bybit, which is based in Singapore, has not yet released an official statement on the FSAs warning.
By Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko Shimizu

TOKYO (Reuters) -The new head of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp (SMBC) said the Japanese bank is watching closely for chances to buy assets in the United States, adding that the latest banking crisis hasn't dented its confidence in the world's biggest capital market.

"The U.S. market will stay attractive" despite the financial turbulence triggered by the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, Akihiro Fukutome, who was promoted from senior managing officer to chief executive on Saturday, told Reuters in an interview.

Fukutome ruled out the possibility of buying a U.S. bank as a whole but said the Japanese group would be looking at assets that may be offered for sale and a team of bankers managing those assets.

Credit Suisse Group AG's securitised products group last year, for instance, was among opportunities his team had explored, he said. U.S. buyout fund Apollo Global Management bought most of the business.

SMBC is a core banking unit of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), Japan's second-largest banking group after Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

In an effort to bolster its U.S. presence, SMFG has teamed up with Jefferies Financial Group Inc. SMFG bought nearly 5% of Jefferies shares in 2021 to boost its leveraged finance and cross-border M&A advisory businesses in the United States.

The CEO of SMFG, Jun Ohta, told Reuters recently that he intended to eventually raise his company's stake in Jefferies.

Fukutome also said the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank and its fallout have highlighted the stability of Japanese banks in the United States. SMBC has already received some funding inquires from domestic U.S. and Japanese companies operating there, he said.

"We are expecting more opportunities to come ahead where we can provide solutions," he said. "Clients we helped during the global financial crisis have stayed with us since," he added, recalling the time around the Lehman Brothers bust, when he was working in New York.

Fukutome, 60, joined Mitsui Bank, one of SMBC's predecessor banks, in 1985 and had a three-year stint as president at Toyota Motor Corp's financial services unit from 2018, a rarity among Japanese bank chiefs.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki and Ritsuko ShimizuEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey hedge fund and its founder have agreed to pay $19.3 million to settle charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that they improperly traded in fixed-income securities.

Chatham Asset Management and its founder, Anthony Melchiorre, have agreed to settle charges they violated U.S. laws designed to protect investors when they bought and sold bonds in American Media Inc for their clients, the SEC said in a statement.

From 2016 through 2018, one Chatham-advised client sold bonds in the magazine and tabloid publisher, whose publications include US, Soap Opera Digest and Woman's World, while another client purchased the same bonds through broker-dealers as the hedge fund sought to address "portfolio constraints," the SEC said.

Chatham and Melchiorre proposed prices for the trades, effectively increasing the price of AMI's bonds relative to those of similar securities, the SEC said. That also boosted the net asset values of their clients' funds during that time period, garnering more in fees.

A representative for Chatham and Melchiorre, who did not admit or deny the SEC's charges, said the firm "sought, received and followed advice" from an independent compliance consultant on the matter.

"The consultant reviewed Chathams trading annually for compliance with applicable laws and did not alert the firm to any issues," the statement said, noting the funds have since been closed and the firm is focused on generating returns for clients.

Chatham and Melchiorre agreed to pay civil penalties of $4.4 million and $600,000, respectively, and to pay another $14.4 million jointly in disgorgement and interest.

"We remain vigilant in rooting out such misconduct in the marketplace, including in the fixed income sector, where investments can be less liquid," Sanjay Wadhwa, the SEC's deputy enforcement director, said in the statement.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Leslie Adler)
John Lewis & Partners 2019 Christmas advert, Excitable Edgar - John Lewis & Partners/PA

John Lewis has won a court battle after a childrens author claimed the retailer had copied one of her designs for a Christmas advert.

Fay Evans, a self-published author from Macclesfield, Cheshire, claimed the companys two-and-a-half minute Excitable Edgar advert which was aired in 2019 bore striking resemblances to her own work Fred The Fire-Sneezing Dragon.

She sued John Lewis as well as creative agency adam&eveDDB, which first developed the Christmas advert concept.

But a High Court judge on Monday dismissed her claim, saying the idea of a sneezing dragon was "very old indeed", and ordered Ms Evans to publish the outcome on her website.

In a 40-page ruling which at one point discussed the mythological origins of dragons, Her Honour Judge Clarke found there had been no copyright breach and there was not a scrap of evidence that John Lewis or its agencies had seen Ms Evans story before the legal battle started.

I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that there can have been no copying, she added.

Dragons are mythological creatures dating back to "ancient times", the ruling said, and are even used as a cypher for the devil at one stage in the King James Bible, describing how "his sneezes flash forth light".

The John Lewis advert first aired in November 2019 and Ms Evans was quick to suggest on social media that it had been copied from her own story.

Both stories feature friendly dragons who live in human worlds and initially struggle to fit in because of their fire-breathing abilities.

For example, in the John Lewis advert, Edgar gets excited and accidentally melts a snowman being built by two children; reduces a Christmas tree to a cinder; and melts an ice rink that people are skating on.

Later, he finds his calling when a little girl gives him a Christmas pudding which he brings to a village banquet and sets ablaze to cheers from all.

Ms Evans rhyming story, meanwhile, features a sneezing dragon called Fred who similarly cannot control his fiery outbursts at school.

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He struggles until he is encouraged to use his power to cook meals for fellow pupils.

Although Judge Clarke accepted both stories were, at their base, about a friendly dragon which finds it difficult to control its fire, she pointed out that an outline for the John Lewis advert was first drawn up in 2016  before Ms Evans book was published in 2017.

Lawyers for Ms Evans accepted this in court but attempted to argue that other elements not in the 2016 outline had breached her copyright regardless.

John Lewis maintained there were numerous and substantial differences and that there was no basis for claiming staff or agency workers had seen Ms Evans book owing to its limited sales.

The retailer also criticised a string of press releases she published about the legal battle, which coincided with the release of subsequent John Lewis Christmas ads, claiming they were deliberately timed to promote sales of her book.

In court, Ms Evans initially denied this. She then accepted it had been for self-publicity but insisted the timing had been coincidental.

But Judge Clarke said: I found her very unconvincing on this point. I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that she was using [John Lewiss] Christmas adverts each year as a hook to gain more publicity to raise her profile as an author and drive book sales.

The judge added that she had ordered Ms Evans to publicise the legal battles results because of how serious allegations of copyright infringement are to those working in the creative industries, and how they feel that their individual reputations, and those of the parties and other creatives involved, have been tarnished.

I have been extremely impressed by the professionalism, thoroughness, care and creativity disclosed in the evidence of all those involved in the creation of the 2019 Advert and Excitable Edgar, Judge Clarke said.

They each appear to be at the very top of their game in their respective industries, and I consider they exit this litigation without the slightest hint or shadow of a stain on their creative integrity."

A John Lewis spokesman said: We take great pride and care with our Christmas adverts and we're glad the judge recognised the originality of Excitable Edgar.

We're pleased that the matter is now resolved.
Jourdan Resources Inc.

Richard Quesnel has over 40 years of senior mine management and development from resource to production. His experience includes senior positions with Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines, Ledcor CMI Limited, JS Redpath Limited, Barrick Goldstrike, Quebec Cartier Mining and Placer Dome

Figure 1

The Vallee property is immediately east of the NAL mine. This figure depicts the 2011, 2021 and 2022 completed drillholes with a total of 79 drillholes since 2011

TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JOURDAN RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: JOR; OTCQB: JORFF; FRA: 2JR1) (Jourdan, Jourdan Resources, or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Richard Quesnel as its Executive Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Quesnel will guide the Company forward as it embarks on extensive exploration programs across three lithium projects located in Quebec, including a 20,000 meter drilling program developed in conjunction with North American Lithium Inc. (NAL), as part of NALs plans to commence lithium production at its NAL mine.



Mr. Quesnel served for over 5 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines of Montreal. He has over 40 years of senior mine management and engineering experience at large gold, copper, nickel and iron ore mining properties in Canada and the Western USA. He has successfully developed, commissioned, operated and expanded mining operations, both open pit and underground. Since 1979, he has also worked as a mine manager or mining engineer of several mining companies including Ledcor CMI Limited, JS Redpath Limited, Barrick Goldstrike, Quebec Cartier Mining and Placer Dome. Mr. Quesnel is also a director of Sama Resources Inc. He is a Professional Mining Engineer in Quebec and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from McGill University. Mr. Quesnel lives in Montreal, Canada.

Mr. Quesnel stated, I am thrilled to be joining a seasoned management and technical team at Jourdan Resources. With substantial increase in market demand for lithium, and legislative support to acquire this mineral classed as critical by provincial and federal governments, I believe Jourdan Resources is well positioned to contribute to the lithium market. The team is now set to initiate an ambitious exploration program at its 3 lithium projects located within the mining friendly district of Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Quebec, Canada. One of them, Jourdan Resources Vallee project, which is located adjacent to the NAL mine, is the subject of a 20,000 meter drilling program scheduled to commence this year in partnership with Sayona Mining Ltd.s majority owned NAL, in connection with an earn-in and joint venture agreement.

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Rene Bharti, CEO of Jourdan, stated, We are honoured to have someone with Mr. Quesnels business and technical expertise join as our Executive Chairman. Mr. Quesnel has a very good understanding of the region, and we anticipate that his guidance will be crucial to help Jourdan implement its plans to transition from an explorer to a producer. Mr. Quesnel has a proven track record of building resource companies, and we have no doubt that he will work to do the same for Jourdan Resources.

Brett Lynch, Sayona Mining Ltd.s CEO, stated, Given that we have begun production at the NAL mine, this is a critical time to have someone such as Mr. Quesnel join as executive chairman and help bring Jourdan to success. Sayona and Jourdan have partnered on a portion of Jourdans Vallee project with our recent commitment of $4 million (CAD) and an additional $6 million (CAD) investment option, and we believe Mr. Quesnel will bring invaluable expertise to the project at large. Given the infrastructure we have in place, and the proximity of Jourdans Vallee project to the NAL mine, Jourdan is in a very rare position to potentially become a lithium producer alongside NAL. I look forward to working with Mr. Quesnel closely and helping make Jourdan a success for all stakeholders.

The appointment of Mr. Quesnel follows the resignation of Stan Bharti as a director, and Dr. Andreas Rompel as the Executive Chairman of the Company. Management and the board of directors of the Company express their gratitude to Mr. Bharti for his efforts and contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours. Dr. Rompel will remain as a director of the Company.

In addition, the Company announces that it has granted 3,600,000 stock options to Richard Quesnel pursuant to the Companys stock option plan. The stock options vest in equal quarterly installments over two years and may be exercised at a price of $0.065 per option for a period of five years from the date of grant. This grant of options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Vallee property is immediately east of the NAL mine. This figure depicts the 2011, 2021 and 2022 completed drillholes with a total of 79 drillholes since 2011





Figure 1: The Vallee property is immediately east of the NAL mine. This figure depicts the 2011, 2021 and 2022 completed drillholes with a total of 79 drillholes since 2011

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained herein has been reviewed and approved by Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo., an independent consultant that is a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Jourdan Resources Inc.

Jourdan Resources Inc. is a Canadian junior mining exploration company trading under the symbol JOR on the TSX Venture Exchange and 2JR1 on the Stuttgart Stock Exchange. The Company is focused on the acquisition, exploration, production, and development of mining properties. The Companys properties are in Quebec, Canada, primarily in the spodumene-bearing pegmatites of the La Corne Batholith, around North American Lithiums Quebec lithium mine.

For more information:

Rene Bharti, Chief Executive Officer and President

Email: info@jourdaninc.com

Phone: (416) 861-5800

www.jourdaninc.com

Cautionary statements

The content and grades of any mineral deposits at the Companys properties are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on its properties and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in any target being delineated as a mineral resource.

Jourdan is not basing any production decisions on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability at the Vallee lithium project, and as a result there is increased uncertainty and there are multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with any such production decision. These risks, among others, include areas that are analysed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts.

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys planned 2023 exploration programs at its three properties, including the 20,000 m drilling program developed with NAL on a portion of Jourdans Vallee project, NALs plans to invest an additional $6 million in a portion of Jourdans Vallee project, and the ability of the Company to transition from exploration to production in reliance on NALs infrastructure and execute its business plan. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Jourdan to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future mineral prices and market demand; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although Jourdan has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Jourdan does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

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.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c3eaab22-0bff-43bb-b992-17b101626c4d




Juggernaut Exploration Ltd

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: JUGR) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the Company or Juggernaut) is pleased to announce a non-brokered flow through financing of up to $3.0 million dollars. Crescat Capital LLC (Crescat) has agreed to make a strategic investment representing a 19.17% ownership of the Company post funding on a partially diluted basis. Juggernaut welcomes this strategic investment from Crescat Capital and technical support from Dr Quinton Hennigh. Juggernauts projects continue to garner strong interest and support from leading institutions and miners alike, confirming the quality of its three fully permitted, 100% controlled, drill ready projects located in world class geologic terrane of Northwestern British Columbia and the Golden Triangle.



Dr. Quinton Hennigh has taken on the role as special technical advisor to the Company. He is the technical consultant for all Crescats gold and silver mining investments. Dr. Hennigh is a world-renowned exploration geologist with more than 30 years of experience including with major gold mining firms Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining, and Newmont Mining.

Dr. Hennigh stated "We are delighted to see Juggernaut move toward drilling at Midas and Empire. Given the nature of the targets, potentially high grade and large, and the recent positive trend in the commodity space, Juggernaut is set to be one of the most exciting exploration stories in BC this year. Having reviewed the drill plans, I am quite confident that they could make two notable discoveries this season."

View Juggernaut videos by Clicking Here.

The flow through funding will consist of up to 18,750,000 flow through units (FT Units), priced at $0.16 each for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000. Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through common share plus one warrant to purchase one non flow-through common share at $0.20 for a twenty-four month period with no forced conversion. Upon completion of the flow through offering that is projected to close on or before May 15th, Crescat has agreed to acquire a majority of these units representing a 19.17 % ownership in the Company post financing.

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Directors and officers of the company may acquire securities under the placement, which participation would be considered to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (MI 61-101). Such participation is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

Mr. Dan Stuart, Director, President, and CEO of Juggernaut states:

We are pleased to strengthen our relationship both Crescat Capital as a strategic investor and Dr. Hennigh as a Special Technical Advisor and investor. I look forward to working with our partners who bring a proven track record of both financial and technical strength. This will enable Juggernaut to unlock the full potential of its assets over the long term, building value for all shareholders. This investment and strategic partnership, coupled with the ongoing support and interest from other globally recognized Institutions and senior miners, is a strong endorsement that clearly demonstrates the significant near-term discovery potential of our 100% controlled properties. Post financing, Juggernaut will have a tight capital structure of just 62,197,452 shares, no debt, and a strong cash position of ~ $5,000,000. As such, we are well positioned to move forward with our plans of drilling Midas, Empire and Bingo totaling approximately ~6,000 meters. With much anticipation, we look forward to executing the inaugural drill and exploration programs and reporting results.

The Company may pay finder's fees of the gross proceeds from the financing in cash, and compensation options on units being sold. This non-brokered private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. All shares issued pursuant to this offering and any shares issued pursuant to the exercise of warrants will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date.

About Crescat Capital LLC

Crescat is a global macro asset management firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Crescats mission is to grow and protect wealth over the long term by deploying tactical investment themes based on proprietary value-driven equity and macro models. Crescats goal is industry leading absolute and risk-adjusted returns over complete business cycles with low correlation to common benchmarks. The companys investment process involves a mix of asset classes and strategies to assist with each clients unique needs and objectives and includes Global Macro, Long/Short, Large Cap and Precious Metals funds.

Crescat is advised by its technical consultant, Dr. Quinton Hennigh on investments in gold and silver resource companies. Dr. Hennigh became an economic geologist after obtaining his PhD in Geology/Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. He has more than 30 years of exploration experience with major gold mining firms that include Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining and Newmont Mining. Recently, Dr. Hennigh founded Novo Resources Corp and is serving as Chairman. Among his notable project involvements are First Mining Golds Springpole gold deposit in Ontario, Kirkland Lake Golds acquisition of the Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia, the Rattlesnake Hills gold deposit in Wyoming, and Lion Ones Tuvatu gold project on Fiji, among many others.

About Juggernaut Exploration Ltd.

Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. is a precious metals project generator in the geopolitically stable jurisdiction of Canada, focused on the prolific geologic setting of northwestern British Columbia encompassing the Golden Triangle.

For more information, please contact

Juggernaut Exploration Ltd.

Dan Stuart

President, Director, and Chief Executive Officer

604-559-8028

info@juggernautexploration.com

www.juggernautexploration.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT

Certain disclosure in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernauts operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT.




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - Kraken Energy Corp. (CSE: UUSA) (OTCQB: UUSAF) (the "Company" or "Kraken Energy") is pleased to announce that effective April 3, 2023, the Company will welcome Zachery Hibdon as VP Exploration, and Carson Halliday as its new Chief Financial Officer. The Company's current CFO, Vivien Chuang, has resigned from her position as an officer and director of the Company effective April 3, 2023.

Zachery Hibdon's exploration experience spans more than 20 years working in North and Central America as well as Africa. He most recently served as President for a private geological consulting firm working in the southwestern US, where the firm's focus was working alongside junior corporations to guide and manage permitting processes and in the execution of drilling programs on both BLM and USFS land. Previously Mr. Hibdon led near mine exploration efforts at Barrick Gold Corporation's Goldstrike UG Mine where he oversaw extensive RC and core drilling programs while helping build the operation's reserves, and was also a member of the exploration team at Nevada Pacific Gold prior to the takeover of the company by U.S. Gold in 2007.

Mr. Hibdon holds a B.Sc. in Geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and is a Registered Member with the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME).

Carson Halliday has a strong background in financial reporting and extensive experience working with public companies in various sectors, primarily in the mining industry. As the Accounting Manager with Sentinel Corporate Services he currently provides advisory and financial reporting support to various public companies and was previously a senior accountant and manager with Deloitte Canada, where he served clients of all stages in the mining life cycle.

Carson is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary.

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"We are pleased to welcome Zachery and Carson with their combined wealth of exploration and financial management experience to the Kraken team," stated CEO Matthew Schwab. "As we move forward with our exploration and development efforts in the US, between Zachery's time working directly with the USFS and the BLM, and his extensive geological and project management experience, in addition to Carson's valuable financial management experience from his time working with similar junior exploration companies across North America, Kraken is perfectly situated to continue progressing toward our strategic goal of building a hub and spoke mining model for domestic uranium production in the US."

The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to purchase a total of 375,000 common shares at an exercise price of $0.50 per share for a period of five years to Mr. Halliday and Mr. Hibdon in accordance with the provisions of its stock option plan.

About Kraken Energy Corp.:

Kraken Energy Corp. is a new energy company advancing its 100%-owned Apex Uranium Property, located 280 km (174 miles) east from Reno, Nevada. The Apex Property is recognized as Nevada's largest past-producing uranium mine. The Company has additionally entered into an option agreement to earn 100% of the Garfield Hills Uranium Property, located 19 km (12 miles) east of Hawthorne in Mineral County, Nevada. Additional staking has been done on the Garfield Hills Uranium Property, bringing the total area of the Property to 1,238 hectares (3,060 acres). For more information about the Company, please visit www.krakenenergycorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Kraken Energy Corp.

Matthew Schwab

President & Chief Executive Officer

Corporate Office:

Suite 907 - 1030 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

V6E 2Y3

T: (604) 737-2303

For investor relations inquiries, contact:

Kin Communications Inc.

T: (604) 684-6730

E: uusa@kincommunications.com

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such statements are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties normally incident to such events. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future events and that actual events or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160903
Real-time analytics engine will help CGI Central Market Solutions to manage and analyze large meter data volumes within new Central Energy Market Information System

NEW YORK and LONDON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KX, maker of kdb, the world's fastest time series database and analytics engine, will help optimize Polish utility operations through its partnership with CGI. PSE, the Polish TSO recently selected CGI to implement a new Central Energy Market Information System (CSIRE). KX, which is embedded within CGI Central Market Solutions (CMS), will help manage large meter data volumes and highly complex analytics for the project. The market size is estimated at 20 million metering points across the country.

CSIRE is intended to simplify and enhance data exchange across Poland's retail electricity market by unifying utility information processes and standards. Through the system, CGI will help PSE collect and process the electricity market information and metering data necessary to drive increased competition in the retail energy market, facilitate new value-added services, implement new business models and drive innovation.

Critical to its success is the efficient data management of these metering points, which are expected to produce 7 billion readings per day. Enabled by KX's highly performant time series data and analytics solution. CGI and PSE will validate the incoming data and ensure the process data is available to all market participants as well as provide aggregated data in support of market settlements  driving benefits for PSE's nationwide operations as well as Poland's households, enterprises and the retail utility sector as a whole including:

Increased competition in the retail energy market

New business models and value-added services

Improved engagement with consumers

Reduced errors and more efficient energy use

"Meter data is computationally intensive, requiring the analysis and management of huge volumes of streaming time series data. The KX Data Timehouse, with the kdb+ time series database at its core, was designed to meet this moment," said James Corcoran, Chief Growth Officer, KX. "We've witnessed the power utilities gain by unlocking the insight within data to address the complexity of today's energy environment and look forward to working with CGI again on one of the largest energy market projects of its kind in the world to help achieve similar success."

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"We selected KX specifically for its ability to process and manage time series data at speed and scale. The number of smart meters in use, and subsequently the volume of data, will continue to increase significantly over time. Together with KX, we are perfectly positioned to help Poland revolutionize the energy sector and accelerate toward a smarter, cleaner, and more flexible energy system, involving higher-frequency meter data and scaling toward real-time data," said Mattijs van den Hoed, VP Consulting, CGI.

As energy market operators and participants cope with increasing regulation and the demand to deliver additional services, KX technology continues to be the high-performance partner for those seeking to become data-driven industry leaders. In addition to CSIRE, CGI previously leveraged KX and its kdb+ time series database  independently benchmarked as the world's fastest  to deliver Fingrid Datahub 2.0 for the Finnish energy market in 2022, a solution which aims to create a better experience for consumers while enabling greater efficiency. For more information visit www.kx.com.

About CGI

Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 90,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2022 reported revenue is $12.87 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

About KX

Our mission is to accelerate the speed of data and AI-driven business innovation enabling customers to transform into real-time, intelligent enterprises. Built for the most demanding data environments, our Data Timehouse platform is trusted by the world's top investment banks and hedge funds, and leading companies in the life and health sciences, semiconductor, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries.

At the heart of our technology is the kdb time series database and analytics engine, independently benchmarked as the fastest on the market. It can process and analyze time series and historical data at unmatched speed and scale, empowering developers, data scientists, and data engineers to build high-performance data-driven applications and turbo-charge their favorite analytics tools in the cloud, on-premise, or at the edge.

Ultimately, our technology enables the discovery of richer, actionable insights for faster decision making which drives competitive advantage and transformative growth for our customers.

KX operates from more than 15 offices across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information visit www.kx.com or contact: pr@kx.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1866445/KX_Logo.jpg

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SOURCE KX
L'OREAL

Clichy, 3 April 2023  LOreal announced today that it has signed an agreement with Natura &Co to acquire Aesop, the Australian luxury beauty brand.

The proposed transaction values Aesop at an enterprise value of USD 2.525 billion.

Created in 1987, Aesop is world widely renowned for its skin, hair and body products. With its signature amber packaging, plant-based ingredients, sustainable vegan formulations, and its bespoke customer service, Aesop has evolved into a global super brand available across luxury retail, beauty, and hospitality locations around the world.

Aesop currently operates around 400 points of sale across the Americas, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, with a nascent footprint in China where the first store opened in 2022.

The brand posted sales of USD 537 million in 2022.

Nicolas Hieronimus, Chief Executive Officer, LOreal Groupe, said, I am very excited to welcome Aesop and its teams to the LOreal Groupe family. Aesop is the epitome of avant-garde beauty, whose products are not only made with great care and exceptional attention to detail; they are a superb combination of urbanity, hedonism and undeniable luxury. Aesop taps into all of todays ascending currents and LOreal will contribute to unleash its massive growth potential, notably in China and Travel retail.

Commenting on the acquisition, Cyril Chapuy, President of LOreal Luxe, added, My Team and I are thrilled to have Aesop join the LOreal Luxe portfolio of iconic global brands. Aesop holds a very unique positioning on the global luxury beauty market thanks to its design led brand essence, its highly efficacious and sensorial products as well as its customer-obsessed retail philosophy. We look forward to welcoming Aesops CEO Michael OKeeffe and his experienced and passionate teams to continue to grow together the brands remarkable potential, by carrying on cultivating its uniqueness and its values. We have great confidence that Aesop will join the LOreal Luxe Billionaire brands club and therefore contribute significantly to the growth of the Division in the years to come.

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Fabio Barbosa, Chief Executive Officer of Natura &Co, said: The divestment of Aesop marks a new development cycle for Natura &Co. With a strengthened financial structure and a deleveraged balance sheet, Natura &Co, exercizing strict financial discipline, will be able to sharpen its focus on its strategic priorities, notably our investment plan in Latin America. We will also be able to concentrate on continuing to improve The Body Shops business and refocusing Avon Internationals footprint. We are proud of the remarkable success of the Aesop brand, and we are extremely grateful to all Aesops associates, who contributed immensely not only to Aesops success, but also to making Natura &Co what it is today. We are confident that Aesops growth story will continue under the ownership of LOreal and wish Aesop continued success in this new chapter.

The closing is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary conditions.

About LOreal

For over 110 years, LOreal the worlds leading beauty player, has devoted itself to one thing only: fulfilling the beauty aspirations of consumers around the world. Our purpose - to create the beauty that moves the world - defines our approach to beauty as inclusive, ethical, generous, and committed to social and environmental sustainability. With our broad portfolio of 36 international brands and ambitious sustainability commitments in our LOreal For The Future program, we offer each and every person around the world the best in terms of quality, efficacy, safety, sincerity, and responsibility, while celebrating beauty in its infinite plurality.

With 87,400 committed employees, a balanced geographical footprint, and sales across all distribution networks (e-commerce, mass market, department stores, pharmacies, hair salons, travel retail and branded boutiques) in 2022 the Group generated sales amounting to 38.26 billion euros. L'Oreal relies on 20 research centers across 11 countries around the world, a dedicated Research and Innovation team of 4,000 scientists and over 5,500 tech and digital professionals, to invent the future of beauty and become the champion of Beauty Tech.

More information on https://www.loreal.com/en/mediaroom

This press release does not constitute an offer of sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase L'Oreal shares. If you wish to obtain more comprehensive information about L'Oreal, please refer to the public documents registered in France with the Autorite des Marches Financiers, also available in English on our website www.loreal-finance.com. This press release may contain forecast information. While the Company believes that these statements are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of publication of this press release, they are by nature subject to risks and uncertainties which may lead to a discrepancy between the actual figures and those indicated or suggested in these statements.

About Aesop

Aesop is an aspirational, luxury brand, that provides efficacious and sensorial products across multiple beauty and wellness categories, including hair, body, skin, home, and fragrance. Since its creation in 1987, Aesop has delivered significant organic growth while maintaining its strong brand ethos and staying true to its core social and environmental values. Its global footprint of over 395 uniquely designed locations, elegant customer experience and purpose-driven approach have proven particularly attractive to a loyal and expanding community of customers, and the company is now well positioned to become a pioneer in the luxury beauty space. Aesop is proudly a Certified B Corporation





CONTACTS

LOREAL

Switchboard

+33 (0)1 47 56 70 00





Individual shareholders and market regulators



Pascale GUERIN

+33 (0)1 49 64 18 89

Pascale.guerin@loreal.com





Financial analysts and institutional investors

Francoise LAUVIN

+33 (0)1 47 56 86 82

Francoise.lauvin@loreal.com





Medias

Noelle CAMILLERI

+33 (0)6 79 92 99 39

Noelle.camilleri@loreal.com





Christine BURKE

+33 (0)6 75 54 38 15

Christine.burke@loreal.com





For further information, please contact your bank, stockbroker of financial institution (I.S.I.N. code: FR000012031), and consult your usual newspapers or magazines or the Internet site for shareholders and investors, www.loreal-finance.com, the LOreal Finance app or call the toll-free number from France: 0 800 66 66 66. 0 800 66 66 66

Follow us on Twitter @lorealgroupe

www.loreal.com

Attachment




The addition of the alpHaONE wireless pH-capsule reflux testing system furthers Laborie's commitment to advancing diagnostic solutions for esophageal diseases and expands the Gastroenterology Motility and Reflux Portfolio.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading diagnostic and therapeutic medical technology company, Laborie Medical Technologies Corp. (Laborie), announced the launch of the alpHaONE system that is specifically designed to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and offers up to 96 hours of monitoring data.

alpHaONE wireless pH-capsule reflux testing system

GERD is a chronic medical condition caused by the flow of contents from the stomach upwards into the esophagus resulting in both symptoms and complications. It is estimated that 20% of the US population suffers from GERD with the most common symptoms being heartburn and regurgitation1.

With an increasing number of options for GERD diagnosis, patients and healthcare providers face a challenge in choosing the best solution for a clear diagnosis. alpHaONE offers a unique solution with its ergonomic and compact design, enlarged and easy-to-press buttons, and fail-safe capsule delivery system that protects the patient's esophagus.

"alpHaONE is a patient-centric system that allows for comfortable monitoring and accurate, reliable data, fulfilling the needs of both patients and healthcare providers to diagnosis GERD," said Rhett Klein, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Laborie's GI Business Unit. "Our primary objective has always been to provide solutions that elevate patient outcomes and enhance their overall experience and we look forward to launching this product."

The comprehensive software application incorporated in the alpHaONE system consists of a Virtual Instruction Program, which allows for effortless navigation. In addition, user-customizable symptom buttons and automatic pH data analysis ensure a seamless user experience.

Laborie will showcase alpHaONE at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) event in Chicago, Illinois on May 6-9, 2023.

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About Laborie Medical Technologies

Laborie is a global medical technology company focused on Urology, Urogynecology, Gastroenterology, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Neonatal Health headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We manufacture and deliver high-quality, high-impact diagnostic and therapeutic products that help clinicians and hospitals preserve and restore patient dignity.

Clinicians and hospitals look to us as the market-leading experts in our business segments, and we support our products with a world-class Clinical Education & Information program. For more information visit www.laborie.com.

Laborie is owned by Patricia Industries, a part of Investor AB.

About Patricia Industries

Patricia Industries is a long-term owner that invests in companies and works to develop each company to its full potential. Patricia Industries is a part of the industrial holding company Investor AB, whose main owners are the Wallenberg foundations.

About Investor AB

Investor, founded by the Wallenberg family in 1916, is an engaged owner of high-quality, global companies. We have a long-term investment perspective. Through board participation, as well as industrial experience, our network and financial strength, we work continuously to support our companies to remain or become best-in-class.

References

1. Acid Reflux: What is GERD? https://gi.org/topics/acid-reflux/

Digital Media: photograph of alpHaONE product

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SOURCE Laborie Medical Technologies
WINNIPEG, MB, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Laivly, a market leader in generative AI and automation for contact centers, has been named a winner by the Business Intelligence Group in its Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program . The awards recognize organizations, products, and people who bring AI to life and apply it to solve real problems. Laivly was honored for its configurable platform, which creates a powerful and intuitive artificial intelligence layer for existing contact center tech stacks and tools.

Laivly is part of the emerging class of CX technology that combines AI and automation with live agents to unlock the full value of human connection in customer care. (CNW Group/Lailvly)

Laivly enables brands to use the revolutionary power of generative AI to automate complex contact types that previously could only be facilitated by live agents; instead, Laivly handles them with a digital worker the company calls SIDD. The platform provides seamless and secure connectivity between the customer, live agents and the digital worker to handle all contact types, including voice, chats, emails, and SMS messages  while also supporting back office and manual tasks.

Leveraging generative AI, machine learning, and intelligent automation, Laivly gives the contact center industry a transformational new ability to support agents in their day-to-day tasks and improve both the agent and customer experience. It also removes many of the technical barriers and challenges inherent to the contact center space and other solutions.

"At Laivly, we've long known the impact artificial intelligence could have on the contact center space, and we set out to apply the technology in thoughtful ways that benefitted the industry," said Jeff Fettes, CEO and founder of Laivly. "It's an honor to be recognized for the difference we're making with our approach to AI solutions."

"We are so proud to name Laivly as a winner in our inaugural Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards program", said Maria Jimenez, chief nominations officer for Business Intelligence Group. "It was clear to our judges that Laivly was using AI to improve the lives of their customers and employees. Congratulations to the entire team!"

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To learn more about Laivly and its generative AI and enterprise automation platform, please visit laivly.com .

About Laivly

Laivly is part of the emerging class of CX technology that combines AI and automation with live agents to unlock the full value of human connection in customer care. By seamlessly connecting with existing contact center tools and systems (no API required), Laivly adds a powerful and intuitive artificial intelligence layer to the customer service agent's desktop, empowering them to make faster decisions, speedier resolutions, smarter appeasements, and perfectly on-brand responses.

Led by a team of experienced contact center veterans, Laivly grew out of the unique needs and challenges of customer service programs. Laivly works with the world's most influential brands to improve the customer experience by focusing on the agent experience. Laivly is a privately held company based in Winnipeg, Canada. Follow Laivly on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram , or learn more at https://www.laivly.com .

About Business Intelligence Group www.bintelligence.com

The Business Intelligence Group was founded with the mission of recognizing true talent and superior performance in the business world. Unlike other industry award programs , these programs are judged by business executives having experience and knowledge. The organization's proprietary and unique scoring system selectively measures performance across multiple business domains and then rewards those companies whose achievements stand above those of their peers.

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SOURCE Lailvly

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Astanza Laser

LATROBE, Pa., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Laser 180 is a rising aesthetic practice in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, that offers various laser services, including laser tattoo removal, laser hair removal, and carbon laser facials. The family-owned business is run by sisters Lexie and Rena Agostinone, certified laser technicians whose mission is to deliver skin-transforming treatments and excellent results using cutting-edge technology.



At Laser 180, were all about transformation. While we deliver superior results, our main goal is to help clients feel confident in their skin, said Lexie Agostinone. We prioritize patient comfort and customer care and really listen to our clients needs. All of the services we provide are intended to deliver a 180 change, hence our name. Whether you have unwanted hair you want to remove once and for all or a regretful tattoo you wish to erase or modify, we have the technology and expertise to help!

Laser 180 uses the Astanza Duality and Asclepion MeDioStar, backed by Astanza, to deliver safe, fast, and effective laser treatments. The Astanza Duality is primarily used for laser tattoo removal and is a state-of-the-art Q-switched Nd:YAG system that produces 1064 nm and 532 nm wavelengths. The Duality can treat a wide range of tattoo pigments and pigmented lesions and is safe to use on all skin types. The MeDioStar is a revolutionary diode laser that produces long-lasting hair removal results. This innovative technology uses two unique wavelengths, 810 nm and 940 nm, to target the deepest hair follicles and can even treat newly tanned skin.

Laser 180 is reshaping the aesthetic industry in Latrobe and surrounding cities, said Joshua Walsh, Astanza Account Representative. Their passion for laser aesthetics, matched with their commitment to great results, is a recipe for success. Were thrilled to have the Duality and MeDioStar represented by such a client-focused practice and look forward to the positive impact theyll make in their community.

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Laser 180 is offering 15% off laser treatments through April 15, 2023, to celebrate its grand opening.

About Laser 180

Laser 180 is a family-owned aesthetic laser business offering various services, including laser tattoo removal, hair removal, and carbon laser facials. Owners and sisters Lexie and Rena Agostinone combined their nursing and business management experience to establish Laser 180 and serve the aesthetic needs in the greater Latrobe, PA area. Both sisters are certified laser technicians with the designations Certified Laser Specialist (CLS) and Laser Safety Officer (LSO).

To schedule a free consultation or learn more, visit https://laser180.com/, call (724) 691-7370, email contact@laser180.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and promotions. Laser 180 is located at 535 Lloyd Avenue, Suite 3, Latrobe, PA 15650.

About Astanza Laser

Astanza is the leader in lasers for tattoo removal, hair removal, and additional aesthetic procedures. In addition to delivering cutting-edge medical laser devices such as the Duality, Trinity, MeDioStar, PicoStar, and DermaBlate systems, Astanza offers an unbeatable partnership through The Astanza Experience, which is made of the Business Builder System, 3-Business Day Service Guarantee, and Lifetime Training and Support. Together, these components give Astanza clients a complete range of training, marketing, and business consulting services to achieve success in this growing field. Astanza is an award-winning company that has received several accolades from leading industry organizations, including MyFaceMyBody and Aesthetic Everything. They are also certified as a Great Place to Work and ranked #47 on Fortunes 2022 Best Places to Work in Texas and #49 on Fortunes Best Workplaces in Health Care.

Astanza Laser is headquartered in Dallas, TX, with customers throughout North America and Europe. For product, investor, or press information, call (800) 364-9010, or visit https://astanzalaser.com/. Connect with Astanza on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.




Editor's note: This article will update as we learn more information.

Families were left reeling as more than a dozen tornadoes struck Friday across Indiana.

Five people were killed during the storms. Brett Kincaid, 53, Wendy Kincaid, 47, both of Rossville, died when storms hit their camp in Owen County. Shane Goodman, 47, died in Sullivan County, as did Susan Kay Horton, 61, and her adult son, Thomas Randall Horton, 38.

Here is what we know from friends and family about those who died.

Indiana tornadoes: How to help the victims of Indiana's tornadoes

Brett and Wendy Kincaid

Brett Kincaid, 53, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, were killed while camping at McCormicks Creek State Park as storms and tornados rolled across Indiana on March 31, 2023.

For more than 30 years together, Brett and Wendy Kincaid loved hard.

They loved their family, they loved their friends, they loved their church family and they loved their community hard, a statement from the couples family reads.

Brett Kincaid, 53, and Wendy Kincaid, 47, had two adult kids and one grandson.

The couple was camping at McCormicks Creek State Park in Owen County roughly 60 miles southwest of downtown Indianapolis when a tornado with winds reaching 138 mph struck. Their bodies were found Saturday in their camper, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Brett Kincaid was a self-employed contractor in the construction business, while Wendy Kincaid worked for Purdue University as a research account specialist.

Brett and Wendy were humble people that blessed many people with their love because they knew an even greater love through their faith in God, said Andrew Bean, a friend of the Kincaid family.

March 31 storm: Rossville couple killed at McCormicks Creek State Park, raising Indiana death toll to 5

Bean started a GoFundMe account to raise money for funeral costs to assist the couples family.

Brett Kincaid and Wendy Kincaid were committed to their faith, marriage, children, family and many friends, according to the GoFundMe account.

Their love, influence, and example will have a lasting impact on countless people, a description for the GoFundMe reads. The Kincaids were generous in all aspects of their life.

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Susan Kay Horton

After an EF-3 tornado tore through Sullivan late Friday night, Terry Nash heard from a relative that his longtime employee, Susan Kay Horton, was missing.

Nash was among several people who searched for Horton after the tornado destroyed dozens of houses in the small town about an hour and a half southwest of Indianapolis. She was home that night.

Indiana weather: More tornadoes possible in Central Indiana as storms move in April 5

By early Saturday morning, Nash learned shed been found. Her home had been reduced to nothing, Nash said.

Horton, 61, and her son, Thomas Randall Horton, 38, who was with her that night, were among the casualties. The deaths devastated the small tight-knit community of fewer than 5,000 people.

Susan Horton worked as an administrative assistant for Nashs farm equipment store, Pigg Implement Sales, for 20 years. Theyve known each other since high school. Nash said Horton and his wife were classmates back then.

More coverage: Sullivan County mother and son die after tornado picked up house, slammed it to the ground

She was a very sweet, kind-hearted lady and a very dedicated employee, Nash said. She would do anything in the world for Pigg Implement and any of our customers.

Hortons death was a loss to Nashs company, a small business of 21 employees.

Were very close. Were like family, Nash said, his voice sullen. Its pretty tough around here right now.

When Nash opened a second location in Vincennes, Indiana, he said Horton took the lead and took care of various administrative duties for the opening. Nash said they often butted heads, but they always found ways to laugh about it at the end of the day.

I just tell her I want something done a certain way, and she thought it had to be done a certain way, Nash said. We argue and laugh about it, and do it her way most of the time.

Shane Goodman

Shane Goodman was a 47-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who even as a civilian never stopped serving the military and his country. He was at home with his wife, Nicole, when the tornado struck Sullivan, blasting through neighborhoods with winds peaking at 155 miles per hour and leveling homes in its path.

"The entire Crane Army Ammunition Activity family is saddened to learn that one of our employees Shane Goodman was a casualty from the severe weather that impacted the region over the weekend when the storm struck his home in Sullivan County," a spokesman for Crane Army Ammunition Activity said in a statement.

Nicole Goodman remains hospitalized for injuries sustained during the storm, according to the Crane Army spokesman and a GoFundMe campaign established to support her in the aftermath of Shane's death and the loss of their home. The campaign raised more than $10,300 as of 4 p.m. Monday.

Family and friends rallying on social media in support of Nicole Goodman, described as a pillar of the community and selfless, could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Crane Army officials said Goodman's service and dedication to his nation will not be forgotten. For more than 18 years, he worked at the Crane Army Ammunition Activity, currently serving as a supply technician in the Depot Operations directorate. He previously served in the U.S. Navy from 1998 to 2004.

It is never easy to lose an employee or coworker, and even more so when the loss is unexpected, Col. Santee B. Vasquez, Crane Army Ammunition Activity commander, said in the statement provided to IndyStar. We are never fully prepared for these types of events when they happen and so its important to take a minute to stop and hug the ones you love while you can. While Crane Army draws its employees from nearly every county in Southern and Central Indiana, we are like a family. A loss like this hits all of us hard."

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19. Contact IndyStar reporter at kphillips@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: bykristinep.

Contact IndyStar reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @allyburris.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana tornadoes: What we know about the victims
Proficient Market Insights

PUNE, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Laundry Detergent By Brand Market information for each competitor includes (Tide,Gain,Cheer,PERSIL,Purex,OxiClean,Arm & Hammer,Xtra,Ecox,Charlies Soap,Amway Home,Woolite,Blue Moon) Company Profile, Main Business Information, SWOT Analysis, Price and Gross Margin, Market Share, Retailing, IIII industry and has 94 pages in it.

Short Description About Laundry Detergent By Brand Market:

Laundry detergent for institutional/ commercial is a one-shot main wash detergent specially-formulated for use in commercial, healthcare and on premise laundries. It is widely used in hotelrestaurant, hospital, laundry etc.

Market Analysis and Insights: Global Laundry Detergent by Brand Market

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global Laundry Detergent by Brand market size is estimated to be worth US$ million in 2022 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ million by 2028 with a CAGR of % during the forecast period 2022-2028. Fully considering the economic change by this health crisis, Liquid Laundry Detergent accounting for % of the Laundry Detergent by Brand global market in 2021, is projected to value US$ million by 2028, growing at a revised % CAGR from 2022 to 2028. While Commercial segment is altered to an % CAGR throughout this forecast period.

North America Laundry Detergent by Brand market is estimated at US$ million in 2021, while Europe is forecast to reach US$ million by 2028. The proportion of the North America is % in 2021, while Europe percentage is %, and it is predicted that Europe share will reach % in 2028, trailing a CAGR of % through the analysis period 2022-2028. As for the Asia, the notable markets are Japan and South Korea, CAGR is % and % respectively for the next 6-year period.

The global major manufacturers of Laundry Detergent by Brand include Tide, Gain, Cheer, PERSIL, Purex, OxiClean, Arm & Hammer, Xtra and Ecox, etc. In terms of revenue, the global 3 largest players have a % market share of Laundry Detergent by Brand in 2021.

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Global Laundry Detergent by Brand Market: Drivers and Restrains

The research report has incorporated the analysis of different factors that augment the markets growth. It constitutes trends, restraints, and drivers that transform the market in either a positive or negative manner. This section also provides the scope of different segments and applications that can potentially influence the market in the future. The detailed information is based on current trends and historic milestones. This section also provides an analysis of the volume of production about the global market and about each type from 2017 to 2028. This section mentions the volume of production by region from 2017 to 2028. Pricing analysis is included in the report according to each type from the year 2017 to 2028, manufacturer from 2017 to 2022, region from 2017 to 2022, and global price from 2017 to 2028.

A thorough evaluation of the restrains included in the report portrays the contrast to drivers and gives room for strategic planning. Factors that overshadow the market growth are pivotal as they can be understood to devise different bends for getting hold of the lucrative opportunities that are present in the ever-growing market. Additionally, insights into market experts opinions have been taken to understand the market better.

Global Laundry Detergent by Brand Market: Segment Analysis

The research report includes specific segments by region (country), by manufacturers, by Type and by Application. Each type provides information about the production during the forecast period of 2017 to 2028. by Application segment also provides consumption during the forecast period of 2017 to 2028. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth.

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Define the Research Objectives: The first step in Laundry Detergent By Brand market is to define the research objectives. This involves determining the specific questions that need to be answered and the information that needs to be gathered.

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Overall, the Laundry Detergent By Brand market is an important process that can provide businesses with valuable insights and inform important business decisions.

Topmost manufacturers/ Key player/ Economy by Business Leaders Leading Players of Laundry Detergent By Brand Market Are:

Tide

Gain

Cheer

PERSIL

Purex

OxiClean

Arm & Hammer

Xtra

Ecox

Charlies Soap

Amway Home

Woolite

Blue Moon

Get a Sample Copy of the Laundry Detergent By Brand Report 2023

Complete Laundry Detergent By Brand Market Report

The global Complete Laundry Detergent By Brand Market report examines various tendencies, obstructions, and challenges faced by the key competitors of the Complete Laundry Detergent By Brand market. The report has been constructed considering the major outcomes and consequences of the market.

Applications covered in the report are:

Commercial

Residential

This is based on the existing Laundry Detergent By Brand market conditions and past data. Researchers have analysed every type of data and the participants, as well as, principals apart from geological areas and product type.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

Powder Laundry Detergent

Solid Laundry Detergent

Why Companies Worldwide Rely on us to Grow and Put up with Revenues: -

Laundry Detergent By Brand market Expertise: Companies may partner with other companies that have specific expertise or knowledge in an area that the first company lacks. Laundry Detergent By Brand market Cost savings: Collaborating with another company can help to reduce costs for both parties.

Laundry Detergent By Brand market Access to new: Partnering with a company that has a strong presence in a new market can help a company expand its reach and customer base.

Laundry Detergent By Brand market Innovation: Collaborating with other companies can lead to the development of new products, services, or technologies that can help to drive growth and revenue. Laundry Detergent By Brand market Resources: By partnering with another company, a company can gain access to additional resources, such as funding or talent that can help them achieve their growth and revenue goals.

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How are the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict?

Supply chain disruptions: The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine could disrupt supply chains, leading to shortages of goods and materials. This could impact the ability of B2B companies to produce and deliver products to their customers.

Changes in consumer behavior: The pandemic has led to significant changes in consumer behavior, with more people shopping online and prioritizing health and safety. This could lead to shifts in demand for certain types of products and services, which could impact B2B companies that supply those products and services.

Economic uncertainty: The pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could lead to economic uncertainty, which could impact the willingness of businesses to invest in new projects and purchases. This could lead to a slowdown in B2B sales and revenue growth.

Political instability: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine could lead to political instability in the region, which could have wider impacts on global trade and economic activity. This could create challenges for B2B companies that rely on international markets and supply chains.

TO KNOW HOW COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR WILL IMPACT THIS MARKET - REQUEST SAMPLE

Here are the important points covered in the Laundry Detergent By Brand market:

Please find out the industry will change till 2028 according to our predictions

Understand the historical, current, and future prospects of the Laundry Detergent By Brand Market

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Get a comprehensive analysis of the drivers, risks, opportunities and restrains to growth of the Laundry Detergent By Brand

Get to know about the leading Market players, both current and emerging in the Global Laundry Detergent By Brand

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Visual Identity & New Website Unveiled for Operator of the Alternative Trading Systems

BOSTON, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kezar Markets, LLC, owner of Kezar Trading, LLC, the broker-dealer operator of the LeveL & Luminex Alternative Trading Systems, today announced the official name and branding for the parent company and broker-dealer, unveiling a new corporate website and visual identity. LeveL ATS, a leading US equity dark pool trading venue for the sell-side, and Luminex ATS, a block trading venue built for the buy-side, merged last year, creating an opportunity to bring innovation to both the buy and sell-side communities. As part of Kezar Markets' innovative market solutions, Kezar Trading, LLC (formerly Luminex Trading & Analytics LLC), an SEC-registered broker dealer and FINRA member, will continue to operate the two ATSs.

Kezar's mission is to create innovative and customizable trading solutions and a marketplace for the buy and sell-side communities. The newly announced corporate brand is symbolic for both LeveL and Luminex, as it was inspired by Kezar Lake in Maine, which mirrors characteristics of the newly combined marketplace. Representing a diverse, multi-faceted, deep pool of liquidity, Kezar Markets is solutions-driven, service-focused and flexible, creating a unique ecosystem focused on execution products and services intended to reduce trading costs while offering innovative fintech tools.

"We are pleased to unveil our new corporate identity and combined website as a merged company," said Whit Conary, Chief Executive Officer of Kezar Markets. "We are focused on generating greater scale for our clients while continuing to provide innovative tools and services to reduce both implicit and explicit trading costs. As the newly branded Kezar Markets, we are well positioned for continued growth among buy and sell-side clients and for global expansion," Conary added.

LeveL and Luminex announced the completion of their merger on March 2, 2022.

The previous LeveL and Luminex websites were merged into the newly launched Kezar Markets website, which can be accessed here. Kezar Markets information can also be accessed on its new social media pages on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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About Kezar Markets

Kezar Markets is a leading US trading marketplace, fintech provider, and the parent company of Kezar Trading, LLC, the broker-dealer for the LeveL and Luminex Alternative Trading Systems (ATS). With a focus on client service, cost-effective equities trading execution, and disruptive trading technology, Kezar Markets provides a solutions-driven product suite including continuous crossing trading platforms, trajectory order types, negotiated block trading and low-latency trading. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Kezar Markets, through its broker-dealer Kezar Trading, LLC (Member, FINRA/SIPC), is the operator of the SEC-registered LeveL and Luminex Alternative Trading Systems.

For additional information, visit our website www.kezarmarkets.com or contact us at info@kezarmarkets.com . Follow Kezar Markets on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Kezar Markets

Press@kezarmarkets.com

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SOURCE Kezar Markets, LLC
David Goodman, Chairman of Libra Lithium, reports:

TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Libra Lithium Corp. ("Libra Lithium" or the "Company"), a new, privately-held, Canadian lithium explorer, is pleased to announce the appointments of Koby Kushner, P.Eng., CFA as Chief Executive Officer and Director and Benjamin Kuzmich, MSc., P.Geo. as Vice President of Exploration. In addition, the Company is delighted to announce that it has acquired a portfolio of six lithium projects that together span ~29,000 ha of prospective ground in Ontario's Thunder Bay Mining Division. All six projects are 100%-owned by the Company with no underlying royalties attached.

Libra Lithium logo (CNW Group/Libra Lithium)

Mark Goodman, Vice-Chairman of Libra Lithium, comments: "Koby and Ben are an exceptional duo. Koby, a mining engineer by trade, combines his technical and capital markets experience to bring unique perspectives on how to best unlock value in the lithium resource space. Meanwhile, Ben is one of the brightest and most determined geologists I have come across during my 25 years in mineral exploration, and I look forward to seeing the potential discoveries to be made when the two of them put their heads together."

Koby Kushner, CEO of Libra Lithium, comments: "I am extremely excited to take on this new role and work alongside some of the most intelligent and driven people that I have ever met in the industry. Our vision is to create a best-in-class lithium company, and we have several levers at our fingertips to help achieve that vision, including our upcoming maiden exploration program across our portfolio of highly prospective lithium projects. We continue to evaluate new opportunities as they come up, including additional hard-rock lithium acquisitions. We are also evaluating several lithium-brine opportunities across Canada and the USA."

Benjamin Kuzmich, Vice President of Exploration of Libra Lithium, comments: "We have assembled what I believe to be one of the most prospective portfolios of grassroots lithium projects in Canada. We have some of the highest lithium-sediment anomalies in the province (98th percentile), and it is especially encouraging to see a clustering of anomalous sediment samples along trend of known spodumene occurrences that are surrounded by similar anomalous signatures. We have been able to identify >50 pegmatite targets across our portfolio that we plan to ground truth during this upcoming field season, while conducting a systematic exploration program to define additional targets. Our projects were acquired on geologic merit first and foremost, however, not to be ignored is the proximity to world-class infrastructure, with simple road access, near rail, and are as little as three-hours from an international airport. We look forward to sharing more details on our projects shortly."

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Koby Kushner, P.Eng., CFA  CEO and Director

Koby Kushner has spent most his career as a mining engineer and more recently, an equity research analyst. Prior to entering finance, Koby worked at several mines in Ontario and Manitoba, including Hemlo (Barrick Gold), Detour, Rice Lake, and others. During this time, Koby has seen projects advance through all stages of development, including exploration, production, and closure. He then moved into equity research at Red Cloud Securities, a mining-only investment bank, where he wrote on over 100 companies across various stages of development and a wide range of commodities, with a particular focus on lithium. His expertise on lithium has attracted interest from major media outlets and investors. He holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from Queen's University, is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario, and is a CFA charterholder.

Benjamin Kuzmich, MSc., P.Geo.  Vice President, Exploration

Ben Kuzmich is a professional geologist with a proven track record of exploration success throughout Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. His accomplishments include the delineation of the E-Zone at Barrick's Hemlo mine, where he managed a $20M drill program, and where his reinterpretation of geologic models resulted in a 23% improvement in underground head grade for 2019. Outside of Hemlo, he lead the discovery of the Little Wing occurrence at Alamos's Lynn Lake project as well as numerous REE pegmatite, precious, and base metal occurrences throughout the Superior Province. He completed his MSc thesis at Lakehead University on the highly endowed, critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, and his undergraduate thesis on S-type granitic intrusions. Ben has been involved in the exploration of the Georgia Lake Pegmatite field and has been contracted to produce numerous 3D geologic models of LCT pegmatite deposits.

About Libra Lithium Corp.

Libra Lithium Corp. is focused on advancing and developing a portfolio of grassroots lithium exploration projects in Canada. Libra Lithium's asset portfolio includes the 100%-owned Flanders North, Flanders South, Hutton, Tennent, Lithium Hill, and Twist lithium projects, which together cover ~29,000 ha of prospective ground in northwestern Ontario. The Libra Lithium team, including its Board, management, and advisors, comprises a mix of qualified executives, engineers and geoscientists, with extensive experience in mining and mineral exploration, capital markets, asset management, oil and gas, and First Nations engagement.

Koby Kushner, P.Eng., CFA

CEO & Director

Forward-Looking Statements:

This Press Release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of management concerning performance, business, and future events. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates, and forecasts about the business and the industry and markets in which the Company operates. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law.

SOURCE Libra Lithium

Cision

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DENVER and CANBERRA, Australia, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) welcomes today's announcement that it has been selected by the Commonwealth of Australia as the preferred bidder for Project JP9102, the Australian Defence Satellite Communications System.

Lockheed Martin Logo. (PRNewsfoto/Lockheed Martin)

The multi-billion dollar JP9102 project will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a sovereign military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) system defined by its extensibility, agility and resilience.

"We are proud to be selected as the preferred bidder to deliver this critical capability to the Australian Defence Force," said Warren McDonald, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand. "This capability will provide the Australian Defence Force with robust connectivity and reliable information when and where they need it, and by extension, contribute further to the growth and development of Australia's defence and space industries."

Lockheed Martin will leverage its deep experience in space-based mission solutions and resilient satellite communications networks for its JP9102 offer.

"We are excited to work with the Australian Defence Force and Australian industry to develop a robust solution for JP9102," said Robert Lightfoot, Executive Vice President for Lockheed Martin Space. "We are bringing to bear all of Lockheed Martin's companywide capabilities as well as our commitment to supporting allied nations to provide an operationally proven system that meets mission needs in terms of coverage, capacity, resilience and extensibility of the constellation."

McDonald added that a significant amount of the content for Lockheed Martin's proposed JP9102 solution will be via Australian small and medium enterprises and that the company is committed to knowledge sharing and technology transfer.

Lockheed Martin has assembled a diverse team of Australian companies including Inovor Technologies, EM Solutions, AV-Comm, Linfox, Shoal Group, Ronson Gears, Calytrix Technologies, Conscia, Clearbox Systems, DXC and Blacktree Technology to deliver ground and control segments and beyond for JP9102.

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Lockheed Martin has also partnered with the Victorian Government to establish Victoria as the engineering and technical hub for the company's JP9102 solution, an investment that will create more than 200 advanced space industry jobs in the state.

As another example of the priority placed on workforce development, Lockheed Martin Australia recently launched a space-focused education program with STEM Punks, a STEM education initiative to educate, upskill and inspire Australia's future workforce.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest announcements and news across the corporation, @LMSpace to learn more about the latest technologies, missions and people driving the future of space.

About Lockheed Martin Australia

Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 1,200 people in Australia working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin
Sgt. Isaac John Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles was among nine people killed when two Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise on March 29, 2023.

A 27-year-old Los Angeles man, who joined the Army to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot, was among nine soldiers killed when two helicopters crashed in Kentucky during a training exercise Wednesday.

And as Sgt. Isaac John Gayo's sister grieves his death, she also wants answers about what happened.

On Friday, the United States Army released the identities of Gayo and the other eight soldiers, who were serving with the 101st Airborne Division.

Margaritta Gayo, 30, described her brother as her best friend, someone who motivated her daily, calling with good news and well wishes.

The crash, which involved two Army Black Hawk helicopters, occurred near Fort Campbell in Trigg County, Kentucky.

"I just want to know answers," Gayo said by phone Friday. Why did this happen? I want detailed answers. I need answers. And its not just me; theres eight other soldiers. They are too young to die. Their families are in shock right now. They need all the answers.

She, Isaac John and their father emigrated from the Philippines in 2012, she said. He worked a number of odd jobs with Los Angeles Unified School District and in the film industry before enlisting in the Army, which he hoped would help him realize his dream of becoming a pilot.

Margaritta Gayo described her brother as a generous man who had recently helped her purchase a home she received the keys for on Thursday. With the tragic news, she said, she is having second thoughts about moving in.

Every time I close my eyes, I see him," Gayo said. "He was not ready. He had a lot of dreams, he had a lot of plans.

Gayo enlisted in the Army in 2019, attended training in South Carolina and Virginia, and was awarded the U.S. Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon, according to a report released by the Army.

The crash and the nine associated fatalities were still being investigated Friday by an Army aviation safety team.

"This is a time of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division. The loss of these soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come," said Maj. Gen. JP McGee, who commands Fort Campbell. "Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen soldiers."

Christopher Damien covers public safety and the criminal justice system. He can be reached at christopher.damien@desertsun.com or follow him at @chris_a_damien.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: LA man among nine killed in Army helicopter crash in Kentucky
With the business potentially at an important milestone, we thought we'd take a closer look at Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.'s (NYSE:DO) future prospects. Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. provides contract drilling services to the energy industry worldwide. The US$1.2b market-cap company announced a latest loss of US$103m on 31 December 2022 for its most recent financial year result. The most pressing concern for investors is Diamond Offshore Drilling's path to profitability  when will it breakeven? Below we will provide a high-level summary of the industry analysts expectations for the company.

Check out our latest analysis for Diamond Offshore Drilling

Diamond Offshore Drilling is bordering on breakeven, according to the 3 American Energy Services analysts. They expect the company to post a final loss in 2022, before turning a profit of US$3.2m in 2023. So, the company is predicted to breakeven approximately a year from now or less! At what rate will the company have to grow in order to realise the consensus estimates forecasting breakeven in under 12 months? Using a line of best fit, we calculated an average annual growth rate of 96%, which is rather optimistic! If this rate turns out to be too aggressive, the company may become profitable much later than analysts predict.

Given this is a high-level overview, we wont go into details of Diamond Offshore Drilling's upcoming projects, however, keep in mind that by and large energy companies, depending on the stage of operation and resource produced, have irregular periods of cash flow. This means, large upcoming growth rates are not abnormal as the company is beginning to reap the benefits of earlier investments.

Before we wrap up, theres one issue worth mentioning. Diamond Offshore Drilling currently has a relatively high level of debt. Generally, the rule of thumb is debt shouldnt exceed 40% of your equity, which in Diamond Offshore Drilling's case is 53%. A higher level of debt requires more stringent capital management which increases the risk in investing in the loss-making company.

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Next Steps:

There are key fundamentals of Diamond Offshore Drilling which are not covered in this article, but we must stress again that this is merely a basic overview. For a more comprehensive look at Diamond Offshore Drilling, take a look at Diamond Offshore Drilling's company page on Simply Wall St. We've also compiled a list of pertinent factors you should further examine:

Valuation: What is Diamond Offshore Drilling worth today? Has the future growth potential already been factored into the price? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether Diamond Offshore Drilling is currently mispriced by the market. Management Team: An experienced management team on the helm increases our confidence in the business  take a look at who sits on Diamond Offshore Drillings board and the CEOs background. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks 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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Long term investing is the way to go, but that doesn't mean you should hold every stock forever. We really hate to see fellow investors lose their hard-earned money. Imagine if you held Lucara Diamond Corp. (TSE:LUC) for half a decade as the share price tanked 75%. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 23% in the last year. Even worse, it's down 8.9% in about a month, which isn't fun at all.

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 Lucara Diamond

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).

During the five years over which the share price declined, Lucara Diamond's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 12% each year. This reduction in EPS is less than the 24% annual reduction in the share price. This implies that the market was previously too optimistic about the stock. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 4.23.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that Lucara Diamond has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Lucara Diamond's total shareholder return (TSR) and its 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. Dividends have been really beneficial for Lucara Diamond shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 72%, over the last 5 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

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A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Lucara Diamond shareholders are down 23% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 6.3%. 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 12% 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. 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. Take risks, for example - Lucara Diamond has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Canadian 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
IRVINE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Capital America (HCA) has appointed Marcelo Brutti to be the President & Chief Executive Officer effective April 3. In this role, Brutti will continue strengthening HCA's partnerships with Hyundai Motor America and Kia America to best serve Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis dealers and customers as well as position HCA as the premier financing partner for mobility services businesses across the Hyundai Motor Group enterprise. He will report to Ross Williams, Executive Vice President, Head of Global Business Division (GBD) and Head of Hyundai Capital Americas Region.

HCA's New President & CEO Marcelo Brutti

"I look forward to working closely with Marcelo to focus on strategic growth initiatives, best practice sharing, and regional alignment and coordination," said Williams. "I have no doubt that HCA will continue to thrive and build on its continued successes under Marcelo's strong leadership."

"HCA has a wonderful team that Ross and his fellow leaders have built over the years," Brutti said. "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead HCA into the future and partner with our strong dealer network to grow the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands."

Most recently, Brutti served as Chief Risk Officer (CRO) for City National Bank. During his time there, he enabled the bank to safely grow their assets while maturing the Risk Management and Compliance organizations. He also chaired the bank's Latino Community Network.

During his previous tenure at HCA from 2016-2019, Brutti served as HCA's CRO. He successfully partnered across HCA and OEMs to launch new programs and strengthen residual values, established HCA's Enterprise Risk Management program, and took on expanded responsibility for Hyundai Capital Canada (HCCA) as CRO.

Prior to HCA, Brutti held various leadership roles at Santander Bank, TD Bank, Visa, and Wells Fargo.

Beyond his extensive experience and successful leadership in financial services, Brutti has also served on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast since 2017 and currently holds the position of President of the Board of Directors.

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Brutti holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College in Economics and Business Management, and received an MBA degree from Florida Atlantic University in Finance.

After more than seven years as HCA's President & CEO, Ross Williams has taken a new role with Hyundai Capital Services (HCS) as Executive Vice President, Head of GBD. Williams is responsible for the development, oversight, and governance of all Hyundai Capital overseas entities, which includes 10 financial entities (HCA being the largest) and seven consulting entities spanning 14 countries. Williams will also lead future business expansion to setup new entities as Hyundai Capital continues to grow globally.

At the same time, Williams has taken on a concurrent role as head of the newly established Hyundai Capital Americas Region to setup a new regional operating model to drive increased alignment and business growth within the Americas region comprising of HCA, HCCA and Banco Hyundai Capital Brasil (BHCB).

Hyundai Capital America

Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Hyundai Capital America (HCA) is a top-10 U.S. auto finance company supporting the financial services needs of Hyundai Motor America, Genesis Motor America, and Kia America. Through the Hyundai Motor Finance, Genesis Finance, and Kia Finance America brands, HCA offers installment loans, leasing, and financing products to consumer and business customers across the U.S., as well as inventory, real estate, and operating capital financing for Hyundai, Genesis and Kia dealerships. Over the last 33 years, HCA has effectively served more than 2.1 million customers and more than 1,600 dealers nationwide. In addition to its two offices in Orange County, California, HCA has customer support centers in Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas, Texas.

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SOURCE Hyundai Capital America
IRVINE, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total March sales of 34,778 vehicles, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to March 2022. Year-to-date sales totaled 88,384 vehicles; an increase of 7.4 percent compared to the same time last year. With 27 selling days in March, compared to the same the year prior, the company posted an increase of 5.3 percent on a Daily Selling Rate (DSR) basis.

CPO sales totaled 5,309 vehicles in March, an increase of 20 percent compared to March 2022.

Sales Highlights

Best-ever sales of CX-50 with 4,010 vehicles sold.

Best-ever March sales of CX-30 with 6,779 vehicles sold.

2nd best-ever March sales of CX-5 with 16,612 vehicles sold.

Mazda Canada, Inc., (MCI) reported March sales of 5,470 vehicles, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to March last year. Year-to-date sales total 11,326 vehicles; a decrease of 12.3 percent compared to the same time last year.

Mazda Motor de Mexico (MMdM) reported March sales of 7,105 vehicles, an increase of 83.2 percent compared to last year. Year-to-date sales totaled 19,264 vehicles; an increase of 69.6 percent compared to the same time last year.

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.

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Month-To-Date

Year-To-Date

























March March YOY % % MTD

March March YOY % % MTD



2023 2022 Change DSR

2023 2022 Change DSR























Mazda3 2,872 3,053 (5.9) % (5.9) %

7,295 9,492 (23.1) % (23.1) %

Mazda 3 Sdn 1,182 1,050 12.6 % 12.6 %

3778 3,704 2.0 % 2.0 %

Mazda 3 HB 1,690 2,003 (15.6) % (15.6) %

3517 5,788 (39.2) % (39.2) %























Mazda6 0 14 (100.0) % (100.0) %

0 325 (100.0) % (100.0) %























MX-5 Miata 1,083 663 63.3 % 63.3 %

2,590 1,605 61.4 % 61.4 %

MX-5 583 162 259.9 % 259.9 %

1343 524 156.3 % 156.3 %

MXR 500 501 (0.2) % (0.2) %

1247 1,081 15.4 % 15.4 %























CX-3 - 0 - -

- 0 - -

CX-30 6,779 3,343 102.8 % 102.8 %

19870 9,494 109.3 % 109.3 %

CX-5 16,612 21,645 (23.3) % (23.3) %

38727 50,653 (23.5) % (23.5) %

CX-9 3,151 4,148 (24.0) % (24.0) %

9836 10,463 (6.0) % (6.0) %

CX-50 4,010 56 7060.7 % 7060.7 %

9764 56 17335.7 % 17335.7 %

MX-30 4 101 (96.0) % (96.0) %

15 180 (91.7) % (91.7) %

C90 252 0 - -

269 0 - -

C9P 15 0 - -

18 0 - -

CARS 3,955 3,730 6.0 % 6.0 %

9,885 11,422 (13.5) % (13.5) %

TRUCKS 30,823 29,293 5.2 % 5.2 %

78,499 70,846 10.8 % 10.8 %























TOTAL 34,778 33,023 5.3 % 5.3 %

88,384 82,268 7.4 % 7.4 %













































*Selling Days 27 27





75 75





























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
McDonald's has shuttered its U.S. offices this week as it plans to lay off an unspecified number of corporate employees, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The Chicago-based burger chain asked its corporate employees to cancel in-person meetings and work from home this week as they await notices about whether they will keep their jobs or be cut, according to an internal email cited by the Journal.

A McDonald's representative did not immediately respond to a CBS MoneyWatch query on how many roles the company will cut or why the company closed its offices.

The fast-food giant said it would hand down the layoff decisions remotely to ensure the "comfort and confidentiality" of its employees, as the beginning of April is a common time for personal travel, according to the email the Journal cited. The week of April 3 marks the beginning of Passover and the end of Lent.

McDonald's has more than 150,000 employees in corporate roles and in company-owned restaurants. About 70% of those employees are based outside the United States.

Many large companies have announced layoffs recently, mostly in the tech sector, with IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Facebook parent Meta, Twitter and DoorDash announcing cuts in recent months.

There have been cuts in other sectors as well.

Food and hospitality employers, meanwhile, are still reporting difficulty hiring  including McDonald's, whose latest annual report said it was having trouble adequately staffing some of its outlets.

Policymakers at the Federal Reserve have forecast the unemployment rate may rise to 4.6% by the end of this year, a sizable increase historically associated with recessions.

"Difficult discussion and decisions ahead"

The burger chain's layoffs form part of a larger restructuring at the company, whose executives have expressed caution about the company's spending despite its growing profits in recent quarters. McDonald's reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.9 billion in 2022, up from $1.64 billion during the quarter a year prior, while its same-store sales rose 10.3% during the same period, the company's filings show.

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"We're performing at a high level, but we can do even better," CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a January 6 letter to employees, according to the Associated Press. He said the company was divided into silos and that the approach was "outdated and self-limiting."

As the company reshapes its strategy, he said, "we will evaluate roles and staffing levels in parts of the organization and there will be difficult discussions and decisions ahead."

The Associated Press contributed reporting.
AP Finance

Fox Corp.'s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over defamation charges is eye-popping, but the ultimate cost to the media company is likely to be much lower. On Tuesday, Fox settled with Dominion over charges that Fox News baselessly accused the company of rigging its voting machines against former President Donald Trump in 2020. Fox had about $4 billion of cash on hand as of December 2022, and MoffettNathanson analyst Robert Fishman expects the company to pay the settlement during the current quarter.
FILE - Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, attends the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Awards Gala at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 6, 2022, in New York. Meghan and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the Ms. Foundations Women of Vision Award in May, the nations oldest womens foundation announced Monday, April 3, 2023. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) 

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the Ms. Foundations Women of Vision Award in May, the nations oldest womens foundation announced Monday.

The awards will be handed out at the Ms. Foundations annual gala on May 16 at New York Citys Ziegfeld Ballroom, part of its 50th anniversary celebration where funds raised will go toward the organizations equity-centered initiatives.

The foundation will also honor Wanda Irving, co-founder of Dr. Shalons Maternal Action Project, and Kimberly Inez McGuire, executive director of URGE, as well as emerging leaders abortion rights activist Olivia Julianna and LGBTQ+ advocate Rebekah Bruesehoff.

Meghan, LaTosha, Wanda, Kimberly, Olivia, and Rebekah are incredible leaders, Teresa C. Younger, Ms. Foundation president and CEO, said in a statement. We are grateful to be able to shine a light on their many accomplishments and tireless work on behalf of gender and racial equity across the country and the world.

Meghan will receive the award for her global advocacy to empower and advocate on behalf of women and girls from Gloria Steinem, Ms. Foundation co-founder. With her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Meghan directs their philanthropy through their Archewell Foundation.

According to its 2022 annual report, the organization provided 12.66 million COVID-19 vaccines with partner Global Citizen and helped resettle nearly 175,000 refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan in the United States with partner Welcome.US. The foundation also helped build a community play space in Uvalde, Texas, following the school shooting there that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Brown will receive her award for her tireless activism and work to bring about social change through Black Voters Matter, which works with communities to make their voting more effective. According to the group's most recent impact report, the Black Voters Matter Fund now works with more than 400 partners in 25 states and the District of Columbia. The Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute funds voter education, registrations and other programs to expand access to voting.

____

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Swift Day Surgery recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hemocure and Forte Healthcare to drive the creation of a centre of excellence for fistula and haemorrhoids minimally invasive treatments using Biolitec lasers in Dubai.

Forte Healthcare, Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

Fig: (Left to right) Mr. Karan Rekhi from Forte Healthcare, Mr. Detlev Berndt, Managing Director from Swift Day Surgery, and Dr. Mohammed Magdy CEO of Hemocure.

The MoU establishes the role of the industry leaders in developing a roadmap to provide world-class medical services for the treatment of fistula and haemorrhoids. The centre will offer high-quality care with specialised services, including proctology, vascular, gastroenterology, gynaecology, aesthetic dermatology and plastic surgery. Swift Day Surgery's mission is to provide international state of art quality services at affordable price.

Swift Day Surgery Center will be using state of art technology including from Biolitec, which is one of the world's leading medical technology provider for minimally invasive solution. Biolitec lasers are used in multiple disciplines; the advantage of using these lasers is low post-operative pain, no special wound hygiene measures and low operative time of an average only 20 minutes. The name implies to this treatment protocol, of providing a painfree procedure with a swift turnaround time. The Group has their first center named La Clinica - Milan and the second is Swift Day Surgery in Dubai. The group envisions to have many more centre of excellence across the globe.

Mr. Detlev Berndt, Managing Director from Swift Day Surgery said: "We expect to bring a bespoke service to patients of Swift Day Surgery in Dubai. Leveraging high-tech healthcare innovation and highly specialised medical professionals, we aim to deliver a more comfortable patient experience with a range of minimally invasive procedures including treatment of fistula, haemorrhoids, varicose veins."

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Hemocure currently owns and operates 20 clinics across Cairo, Egypt and has conducted over 50 workshops to educate Physicians on the usage of Biolitec lasers and efficiently treating the disease with the lowest downtime. With proven success and patient demand, the team has now joined forces with Swift Day Surgery to launch minimally invasive fistula and haemorrhoid treatments, improving accessibility for patients based in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Mohammed Magdy CEO of Hemocure said: "We are delighted to bring our services closer to the patient's point of need by establishing a Centre of Excellence for fistula and haemorrhoid day procedures in Dubai. By partnering with Swift Day Surgery and Forte Healthcare, we aim to share knowledge, expertise and resources to ensure our patients receive optimum care cost-effectively."

Mr. Karan Rekhi from Forte Healthcare quotes: "As we work with our partners towards establishing the Centre of Excellence, we commit to bringing high specialised and trained physicians to Dubai to lead the provision of efficient and convenient patient care."

All day procedures will take place at Swift Day Surgery Center, a premium facility designed to offer care and comfort. The centre is led by a highly specialised team of physicians, equipped with the latest medical technology and in compliance with Global Accreditation and International Standards.

The new centre is based in Jumeirah and is now operational.

About Forte Healthcare

Forte Healthcare is a specialized healthcare business planner and consultancy firm established in the UAE. With an excellent track record our team for over 23 years of active start-up experience in diversified sectors including healthcare, real estate & property development, and hospitality.

Media Contact:

Forte Healthcare

https://www.forte-healthcare.com/

SOURCE: Forte Healthcare





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https://www.accesswire.com/747335/Memorandum-of-Understanding-Between-Swift-Day-Surgery-Hemocure-and-Forte-Healthcare




AUSTIN, Texas, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Wealth LP announced today its merger with a mother-daughter advisory team from Austin, Texas. Mary Voll Miller and Alison Miller are located in central West Lake Hills, Austin, and serve clients throughout the state of Texas and across the nation. The addition of this team strengthens Mission Wealth's existing client service experience and will enable Mission Wealth to better serve the needs of future clientele in this expanding region.

Mission Wealth Logo (PRNewsfoto/Mission Wealth Management, LP)

CEO Matthew Adams shared, "We are thrilled to welcome Mary and Alison to the team and know they will make an immediate impact within the firm. Both Mary and Alison demonstrate the highest level of professionalism, an incredible work ethic, and a clear passion to solve their clients' financial needs. From the moment we met Mary and Alison, it was clear to us that our shared values, our commitment to our teams, and our collective vision of the client experience would make this an ideal match."

Mary Voll Miller, CFP, CDFA began her career as a broadcast television executive before transitioning into finance. Prior to joining Mission Wealth in 2023, Mary spent twelve years as Partner and Financial Advisor at Per Stirling Capital Management, and three years at Choice Asset Management, both in Austin, TX. Mary is a longtime volunteer at The Lake Travis Thrift Shop and is a member of The Ladies of Charity. She belongs to the Austin Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, where she served on the board of directors. Mary also served as an adjunct professor for the University of Texas Capstone Class of the Certified Financial Planning Certificate Program from 2016-2020.

Mary graduated with the highest honors from the University of Texas Financial Planning Certificate Program and has completed a specialized educational program in professional divorce analysis from the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (IDFA). Mary is deeply committed to addressing the unique financial planning needs of her clients. She does this from a place of passion, with the heart of a teacher, and with deep care for her clients' wellbeing, specializing in working with fellow baby boomers and women in transition.

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"We are delighted to partner with Mission Wealth and look forward to utilizing their amazing resources to help make our client experience even better! Having in-house access to tax, estate, philanthropy, and investment management professionals is a game changer and allows us to serve our clients with best-in-class resources, tools, and support." Mary Voll Miller added.

Prior to the merger with Mission Wealth, Alison Miller worked as a Client Service Associate at Per Stirling Capital Management. She found her calling in financial planning as a second-generation financial planner, following in the footsteps of her mother, Mary Voll Miller. Alison graduated with her Bachelor in Business Administration in Finance from St. Edward's University in 2021 and is currently pursuing her CFP through the American College of Financial Planning. Alison is also a member of the Austin Chapter of the Financial Planning Association where she currently serves on the Board of Directors.

About Mission Wealth

Founded in 2000, Mission Wealth is a nationally recognized RIA that oversees $5.3 Billion in client assets under management. Mission Wealth is known for its service model, driven by a world-class technology stack that offers financial planning, investment counsel, tax strategies, estate and trust management, philanthropic advice, and asset protection solutions tailored to each client's needs. For more information on Mission Wealth partnership opportunities, please visit missionwealth.com/opportunity.

Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

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Media Contact:

Michelle Winkles

(805) 729-2917

mwinkles@missionwealth.com

Cision

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SOURCE Mission Wealth Management, LP
Monarch Private Capital

The Company continues to expand its renewable energy division, portfolio and depth of expertise

Monarch Private Capital Hires Andrew Milhouse as Manager, Renewable Energy

The Company continues to expand its renewable energy division, portfolio and depth of expertise

ATLANTA, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Monarch Private Capital, a nationally recognized impact investment firm that develops, finances and manages a diversified portfolio of projects that generate both federal and state tax credits, is pleased to welcome Andrew Milhouse as Manager, Renewable Energy.



Milhouse will focus on identifying market opportunities and closing multi-level deals that create clean energy for local communities and drive positive returns for Monarchs investors. In addition, Milhouse will continue to streamline the process that connects acquisitions with asset management while actively pursuing opportunities to modernize and enhance the business operations of the firms renewable energy division.

Prior to joining Monarch Private Capital, Milhouse held multiple positions at US Bank, most recently serving as an assistant director for its Bancorp Community Development Corporation. During his ten years with the firm, he managed a complex portfolio of renewable energy tax equity investments valued at over $700 million and managed a team that oversaw an 800+ deal portfolio of new market and historic tax credits totaling nearly $400 million in investment.

Given the expected swift expansion of the renewable energy sector and our Company, Andrew's extensive expertise in tax equity financing and portfolio management will allow him to quickly make an impact at Monarch, identifying and overseeing viable growth opportunities and strategically positioning the firm for long-term success, said Brent Barringer, Partner, Managing Director LIHTC & Renewables.

I couldnt be more thrilled to join an organization like Monarch that prioritizes making positive impacts on the communities in which it invests while being a leader in pushing our world towards a more sustainable future, said Milhouse.

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Milhouse earned a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from Saint Louis University in Missouri.

Monarch Private Capital is an active tax equity investor in the US renewable energy sector, financing 275 projects in 26 states. The projects will produce energy equivalent to C02 emissions from 14 million homes' electricity use for one year.

For more information on Monarch Private Capital and its ESG-oriented impact investment funds, please contact Brent Barringer by emailing bbarringer@monarchprivate.com.

About Monarch Private Capital

Monarch Private Capital manages ESG-oriented impact investment funds that positively impact communities by creating clean power, jobs and homes. The funds provide predictable returns through the generation of federal and state tax credits. The Company offers innovative tax credit equity investments for affordable housing, historic rehabilitations, renewable energy, film and other qualified projects. Monarch Private Capital has long-term relationships with institutional and individual investors, developers and lenders that participate in these types of federal and state programs. Headquartered in Atlanta, Monarch has offices and professionals located throughout the United States.

CONTACT

Jane Rafeedie

Monarch Private Capital

jrafeedie@monarchprivate.com

470-283-8431

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bd0e8803-f10b-4420-bf2a-fc8d57747d11




A childrens shoe company formerly based in Naples, Florida, allegedly ripped off hundreds of customers by taking orders that were never fulfilled and then failing to issue refunds, according to interviews with customers, Better Business Bureau complaints, a report filed with the Collier County Sheriffs Office and messages allegedly sent by the business owner.

Monkey Feet Baby Shoes developed a fanbase among Facebook groups where thousands of new moms participate in a thriving market for new and used baby clothes.

I dont think I can ever trust a small business doing preorders like this. I would have been understanding if the owner was being honest and truthful about the whole situation, said 30-year-old Tampa resident Sarah Woolley, who ordered shoes for her nieces rom the business Monkey Feet but never received them. Its my money that I worked for and its lost forever.

Who owns Monkey Feet?

In 2015, Rachael Dalfonzo started Monkey Feet LLC in New Jersey, according to corporate registration documents. She began selling moccasins, sneakers and ballet flats for young children. She and her husband, Eric, designed the shoes and imported the finished products from China, according to an archive of the business' now-defunct website.

The Dalfonzos could not be reached for comment by phone at their home in New Jersey or in person at the Naples condo unit they own.

Train derailment spills beer: Train carrying Coors Light and Blue Moon beer derails in Montana

One buy, sell and trade group for Monkey Feet shoes has more than 30,000 members. The companys private VIP group, where Dalfonzo would tease new designs, had more than 100,000 members before it stopped allowing new posts.

The shoes were affordable and stylish, said Kristin Arvallo, another jilted customer who now helps run a 17,000 member-strong buyer beware Facebook group created to discuss Dalfonzos alleged misdeeds.

She kind of built a following about that, said Arvallo, an Arizona resident.

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Latest vehicle recalls: Several Honda models, Jeep Wranglers among 393,000 recalled cars this week. Check recalls here.

Shoes ordered, never received

Arvallo ordered shoes in March and April of 2022 and never received them, according to emails between her and the company provided to the Naples Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Network.. She and other customers began collecting evidence, including screenshots of Dalfonzos Facebook posts, messages and emails between her and frustrated customers and messages between Dalfonzo and the Chinese company that manufactured the shoes.

I don't have a lot of money to spend so knowing I am sitting on almost $200 of items never sent, especially before the holidays is just killing me, Arvallo wrote to Monkey Feets corporate email address in November.

Collier County property records show the Dalfonzos bought a house in Naples for $3.925 million in September 2020. But they didnt keep it long. In May 2021, they bought a unit in another Naples condo complex, for $190,000. Two months later, they sold the former property for $5.8 million.

The Dalfonzos then bought another home in Naples for $3.6 million. And in December of that same year, they rented a warehouse in a business park at 1478 Rail Head Boulevard in Naples, where they stored and shipped shoes. In the parking lot, a sign used to mark a reserved space for The MF Boss; it has since been removed.

The 7,700-square-foot warehouse, a single-story building with blinds drawn across its windows, still had an eviction notice fixed to its front door as of Saturday, April 1.

Delays on orders, refunds

Dalfonzo announced in the spring of 2022 that preorders for some shoes would be delayed for a few weeks. The delays extended into months and then through the end of the year, with Dalfonzo citing production backlogs, shipping delays, customs holdups and eventually Hurricane Ian, according to screenshots of messages and Facebook posts shared by the buyer beware group.

And when refunds were processed they sometimes did not come through, according to multiple customers. They posted screenshots of communications with PayPals customer service saying there were insufficient funds in Monkey Feets account to refund their purchase.

Arvallo filed for refunds through Paypal for three of her orders, though two were outside of PayPals 180-day window. In response, Dalfonzo accused her of internet bullying and blocked her from the companys VIP Facebook group, according to the emails between Arvallo and Dalfonzo.

You filed PayPal claims on all of your orders so you were blocked, Dalfonzo wrote to Arvallo. I doubt it is anything either of us are upset about.

The Better Business Bureau, a non-governmental consumer protection group, has received more than 120 complaints against Monkey Feet in the last year. The Better Business Bureau reached out to Monkey Feet in January seeking a response to the complaints but has not received a response, according to the Bureau's website.

Warehouse owner files suit

In January, the warehouses owner, PDJ LLC, sued to evict Monkey Feet, alleging the business had failed to pay rent. The couple failed to respond to the suit, and last month a judge ruled that Monkey Feet owed its landlord $255,000.

The court also found that Monkey Feet had abandoned property in the warehouse, including boxes of shoes. PDJ LLC did not return a request for comment.

In November, Arvallo filed a report against Dalfonzo with the Collier County Sheriff's Office for alleged theft. The agency has closed its investigation and referred the case to the FBI, media relations officer Michelle Batten told the Naples Daily News. She advised customers with complaints to file them with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Arvallo said she hopes Dalfonzo will face consequences for taking advantage of her and other moms.

"We just dont want this woman to file bankruptcy and just get away with all this stuff," Arvallo said.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: What is going on with Monkey Feet shoes? Company accused of rip-offs
(Bloomberg) -- Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. is delaying the sale of an additional tier 1 bond until at least mid-May following a selloff in such debt globally, triggered by writedowns at Credit Suisse Group AG.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Japans biggest bank decided to change its plan based on market developments and investor demand, said Mikito Horino, a spokesman for MUFG. The lender previously signaled its intention to sell the notes as early as late April.

The decision highlights the far-reaching impact of losses imposed on Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders by the Swiss regulator, with some investors warning any new issuance will be a tough sell. No major global bank has issued AT1 bonds since then, Bloomberg-compiled data show.

The average yield in a Bloomberg index of banks contingent convertible bonds hit 13.8% after UBS Group AG bought its beleaguered rival in a government-brokered deal last month, which also triggered the CoCo bond writedown. Despite declining again, the average borrowing cost is still three percentage points above its level in early February, the data show.

MUFG becomes the second Japanese bank to indicate plans to push ahead with yen-denominated AT1 issuances in recent days. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., the countrys second-largest bank, started sounding out investors last week on pricing levels for its AT1 notes in yen.

Both institutions had mandated for the potential debt offerings before the Swiss banking crisis.

SMFG may price AT1 bonds later this month with coupons as high as 2.2%, according to people familiar with the matter. That is considerably less than an average yield of about 8.5% on AT1 dollar bonds sold by financial institutions in the Asia Pacific region, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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The moves by Japans top two banks suggest they are keen to keep investors on-board, given the relatively cheap capital the debt provides. Some such as Asset Management One have also sought to take advantage of the recent selloff by buying Japanese AT1s.

The issuance size for MUFGs two-part AT1 bond deal hasnt been decided upon, according to a statement from underwriter Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co.

(Updates with comment from MUFG in second paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
AstuteAnalytica India Pvt. Ltd.

The global neurostimulation devices market is set to witness unprecedented growth, owing to rising prevalence of chronic pain and neurological disorders. With increasing awareness about the benefits of neurostimulation therapy, the demand for devices such as spinal cord stimulators, deep brain stimulators, and peripheral nerve stimulators is on the rise. Advancements in technology and increasing investments in R&D are also expected to fuel market growth. The market is poised for a bright future, with projections estimating it to reach unprecedented heights in the coming years.

New Delhi, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Neurostimulation Devices Market was valued at US$ 8,275.6 Mn in 2022 and is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 18,318.4 Mn by 2031, registering a CAGR of 9.7% over the forecast period 2023-2031. On the other hand, by volume, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.3% during the same period.

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Global market is rapidly expanding due to the high prevalence of neurological disorders and diseases, coupled with an increase in demand for non-invasive treatment options. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), neurological disorders are responsible for 6.3% of the global burden of disease, with over 1 billion people affected worldwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the number of people with neurological disorders in the United States alone exceeds 100 million, making it one of the leading causes of disability and death. With such staggering numbers, the need for innovative treatment options is more critical than ever.

Neurostimulation devices are gaining popularity as a viable treatment option for a wide range of neurological disorders, including chronic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and depression across the global neurostimulation devices market. These devices work by delivering electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain or nervous system, thereby reducing pain, improving mood, and reducing the symptoms of various neurological disorders.

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The WHO and CDC have both acknowledged the benefits of neurostimulation devices and have endorsed their use as a treatment option for neurological disorders. The demand for these devices is being driven by factors such as an aging population, increasing healthcare spending, and the growing preference for non-invasive treatment options.

In addition, technological advancements in neurostimulation devices, such as the development of wireless devices and miniaturization, are also contributing to the growth of the market. As a result, the Neurostimulation Devices Market is expected to continue to grow at a rapid pace, providing patients with a safe and effective alternative to traditional treatments for neurological disorders.

Implantable Neurostimulation Devices Set to Dominate Global Market with Over 86% Share, Fueled by Rising Demand for Effective Pain Management Solutions

The implantable neurostimulator devices segment is expected to generate more than 86% of the revenue in the Neurostimulation Devices Market. This growth is attributed to the increasing adoption of implantable devices, which offer long-term relief to patients suffering from neurological disorders. Recent technological breakthroughs, such as the development of rechargeable implantable devices, have further boosted the growth of this segment. These devices can be charged wirelessly, eliminating the need for surgery to replace batteries, and providing patients with more freedom and convenience.

Moreover, the introduction of closed-loop systems, which use advanced algorithms to automatically adjust stimulation levels based on the patient's needs, has also driven the growth of the implantable neurostimulator devices segment. These systems provide more precise and personalized treatment, resulting in improved patient outcomes and satisfaction.

In recent years, there have been several notable developments in the Neurostimulation Device Market. For example, in 2020, Boston Scientific received FDA approval for its Vercise Genus Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System, which is designed to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The system uses multiple independent current control technology to deliver precise and tailored stimulation to targeted areas of the brain, offering patients a more personalized treatment option.

Pain Management Devices to Dominate Global Neurostimulation devices market With More than 39% Revenue Contribution

Neurostimulation devices are used to stimulate specific nerves or areas of the brain to treat various medical conditions, manage chronic pain, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, depression, and other conditions. As a result, more than 39% of the global neurostimulation devices market revenue is coming from sales of pain management devices. This indicates that the use of neurostimulation devices for pain management has gained significant adoption and popularity among healthcare providers and patients.

One reason for the high adoption of pain management neurostimulation devices is the growing prevalence of chronic pain worldwide. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain, chronic pain affects approximately 20% of the world's population. Neurostimulation devices offer a non-pharmacological alternative for pain management, reducing the risk of dependence, addiction, and other adverse effects associated with pain medications.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.astuteanalytica.com/industry-report/neurostimulation-device-market

Some of the most popular type for pain management in the neurostimulation devices market

Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) Devices: implanted under the skin, these devices send electrical impulses to the spinal cord to block pain signals from reaching the brain. They're commonly used for chronic pain in the back, legs, and arms. Popular SCS devices include Medtronic Intellis, Abbott Proclaim XR, and Boston Scientific SpectraWave.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Devices: these non-invasive devices use low-voltage electrical currents to relieve pain. They're commonly used for acute and chronic pain in various parts of the body, including the back, neck, and joints. Popular TENS devices include Omron Max Power Relief, HealthmateForever YK15AB, and iReliev TENS + EMS Combination Unit.

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) Devices: implanted under the skin, these devices send electrical impulses to peripheral nerves to relieve pain. They're commonly used for chronic pain in the arms, legs, and feet. Popular PNS devices include Abbott Axium and Boston Scientific Precision Spectra.

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Devices: implanted under the skin, these devices send electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain to manage chronic pain. They're commonly used for pain associated with conditions like Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and epilepsy. Popular DBS devices include Medtronic Activa and Boston Scientific Vercise.

High-Frequency Stimulation (HFS) Devices: these devices use high-frequency electrical impulses to stimulate the spinal cord or peripheral nerves to relieve pain. They're commonly used for chronic pain in the back, legs, and arms. Popular HFS devices include Nevro Senza and Stimwave.

Medtronic PLC Captures More than 34% Revenue Share of Global Neurostimulation Devices Market

Medtronic PLC has firmly established itself as the largest producer in the global neurostimulation devices market, with more than 34% revenue share of the market. This dominant market position is a testament to the company's dedication to innovation and its ability to provide cutting-edge medical devices and therapies that meet the needs of patients with a variety of neurological conditions.

Current Market Position

In terms of its current market position, Medtronic's strong global presence has helped it maintain its leadership in the neurostimulation devices market. The company operates in more than 160 countries and has a vast network of distributors and partners, allowing it to reach a wide range of customers worldwide. Medtronic's reputation for quality and reliability has also helped it to build strong relationships with healthcare providers, who trust the company's products to provide effective treatment for their patients.

Key Regional Market

One key regional market for Medtronic in the neurostimulation devices market is North America. This region accounts for a significant portion of the company's revenue, driven in part by a high prevalence of neurological disorders and a growing demand for innovative treatments. However, Medtronic also has a strong presence in other regions, including Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, where it is investing in expanding its product portfolio and growing its customer base.

Medtronic's top consumer base includes patients with chronic pain, movement disorders, and other neurological conditions, as well as healthcare providers and hospitals that use the company's devices and therapies. The company's product portfolio includes a wide range of neurostimulation devices, such as spinal cord stimulators, deep brain stimulators, and sacral nerve stimulators, as well as drug delivery systems and other medical devices.

Growth Strategies

In terms of growth strategies, Medtronic is focused on expanding its product portfolio, particularly in areas such as neuromodulation and robotics. The company is also investing in research and development to develop new and innovative treatments for neurological disorders, with a particular focus on improving patient outcomes and quality of life. Medtronic is also exploring strategic partnerships and collaborations with other companies and organizations to expand its reach and drive growth in key neurostimulation device markets.

R&D Investment

In terms of investment in R&D of neurostimulation devices, Medtronic has been a major player in this space, investing heavily in research and development to develop new and innovative treatments for neurological conditions. In its most recent fiscal year, the company invested over $2 billion in R&D across all of its business lines, including its neurostimulation devices division. This investment has helped Medtronic to stay at the forefront of innovation in the neurostimulation device market and to maintain its position as the largest producer in the industry.

Some of the Top Market Players Are:

Abbott Laboratories

Advanced Bionics

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Boston Scientific Corporation

BrainsWay

Cochlear

CONMED Corporation

KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS

Laborie Medical Technologies, Inc.

MED-EL Medical Electronics

Medtronic PLC

Nevro Corp

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.

Other Prominent Players

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About Astute Analytica

Astute Analytica is a global analytics and advisory company which has built a solid reputation in a short period, thanks to the tangible outcomes we have delivered to our clients. We pride ourselves in generating unparalleled, in depth and uncannily accurate estimates and projections for our very demanding clients spread across different verticals. We have a long list of satisfied and repeat clients from a wide spectrum including technology, healthcare, chemicals, semiconductors, FMCG, and many more. These happy customers come to us from all across the Globe. They are able to make well calibrated decisions and leverage highly lucrative opportunities while surmounting the fierce challenges all because we analyze for them the complex business environment, segment wise existing and emerging possibilities, technology formations, growth estimates, and even the strategic choices available. In short, a complete package. All this is possible because we have a highly qualified, competent, and experienced team of professionals comprising of business analysts, economists, consultants, and technology experts. In our list of priorities, you-our patron-come at the top. You can be sure of best cost-effective, value-added package from us, should you decide to engage with us.

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VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQX: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce high-grade gold assay results from one core hole and three reverse circulation ("RC") holes recently completed at its Atlanta Gold Mine Project located 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the prolific Battle Mountain Trend.

Drilling Highlights:

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t AT22HG-8T^ 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.50 3.3 includes 170.4 183.8 13.4 7.65 6.6 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 2.6 aggregate 135.7 278.7 89.3 2.74 3.0

Table 1: Highlight hole released today. True width estimated at 90-95%. ^Denotes core hole.



Section 22-5N (W) crosses the southern end of the newly defined West Atlanta Graben (" WAG ") target, which hosts a thick section of mineralized volcanic and volcaniclastic sediments down-dropped along the western flank of the West Atlanta Fault (see March 20, 2023, release). Core hole AT22HG-8T extends known mineralization to depth and, together with nearby RC holes AT22SE-14 and 16, defines the location of a post-mineral fault (the " South Fault ") that displaced mineralization southwest of the Atlanta pit (Figure 1).





WAG mineralization along Section 22-5N (W) is 150m wide and ranges from 50 to 125m thick (Figure 2). Historical holes drilled by Gold Fields in 1990 on both sides of AT22HG-8T compare closely in grade and thickness to today's hole, for example returning 2.79 g/t Au over 94.5m in ARC-5 and 2.11 g/t Au over 113.4m in ARC-1 (Table 3).





The southern end of the WAG is geologically complicated by the intersecting E-W and N-S fault patterns, which in itself may be responsible for the higher grades and thicker mineralization seen along section lines 22-5N through 22-7N. Both Kinross and Meadow Bay considered the South Fault to be a through-going structure terminating the southern end of the Atlanta resource zone. However, Nevada King's 2021 and 2022 drilling south of the Atlanta pit clearly shows the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone cutting the South Fault and extending mineralization further south into the South Extension Target.





The Company's current interpretation of the fault pattern immediately south of Section 5N/5N(W) opens the door for additional targets within the massive quartzite ridge that abuts the southern rim of the pit. If mineralized, this ridge, which is currently categorized as strip material in the Gustavson resource model, could provide the Company with another game-changing event with respect to decreasing strip ratios and allowing for a deeper pit in potential mining scenarios.





Given the lack of depth penetration in AT22HG-9 and severe core loss within the mineralized zone in ARC-1 a 140m zone exists between AT22HG-13 (82.3m @ 3.60 g/t Au, released January 12, 2023) and AT22HG-8T (89.3m @ 2.74 g/t Au). The Company is drill testing this sizeable gap.





PQ and HQ size core from AT22HG-8T is currently being utilized for metallurgical testwork aimed at determining amenability of the volcanic-hosted mineralization for heap-leach recovery. Gold cyanide solubility assays within these volcanics are amongst the highest at the property to date, opening up the prospect of simple heap leach extraction, which could positively impact mining and processing costs.

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Cal Herron, Exploration Manager of Nevada King, stated, "With winter conditions now behind us, drilling progress within the West Atlanta Graben will accelerate. We will soon gain a much better understanding of the resource potential west of the West Atlanta Fault by testing a rectangular area measuring 300m wide and 500m long. In the process, additional narrow, fault-bounded grabens hosting anomalously high Au/Ag grades and thicknesses like that seen in AT22HG-13 will likely be found. Nevada King will continue to focus on defining these high-grade zones that can have significant economic impact on a bulk-tonnage gold system. The Atlanta Au/Ag system is turning out to be much larger than previously envisioned, and with improving weather conditions we are eager to ramp up drilling to continue unlocking the property's potential."

Figure 1. Location map for holes reported in this news release along section 22-05N(W) relative to the perimeter of the historical Atlanta Pit and 2020 Gustavson resource zone. Fault pattern has been updated with addition of recent drill data. E-W trending structural pattern offsetting mineralized N-S structural pattern is now becoming evident. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Figure 2. Cross section 22-05N (W) looking north across the southern end of the West Atlanta Graben extension of the AMFZ about 200m soutwest of the historical Atlanta pit. Gold mineralization within the graben block is largely confined to the volcanic section Mineralization is truncated 50m south of the section by the steeply-dipping South Fault, with pre-dates the West Atlanta Fault. The Pogonip Limestone is conformable with the overlying Eureka Quartzite. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-8T 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.49 3.3 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 7.2 AT22HG-9* 201.2 205.8 4.6 2.1 6.3 AT22SE-14 122.0 128.0 6.1 0.3 <0.5 AT22SE-16 0 115.9 115.9 <0.04 0.5

Table 2: Complete list of drill results reported today. True widths estimated at 90-95%. AT22HG-9 was lost in the volcanic section just as it entered the mineralized zone and must be re-drilled. Holes AT22SE-14 and 16 were drilled on the southern side of the South Fault and delimit the southern boundary of the West Atlanta Graben. *Denotes hole that bottomed in mineralization.

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-13 109.8 192.1 82.3 3.60 11.0 Including 147.8 175.3 27.4 9.92 30.9 AT22NS-69 89.9 135.7 45.7 1.57 8.5 AR-18 221.0 257.6 36.6 0.53 1.9 ARC-5 (U)^ 131.1 202.7 71.6 2.97 11.1 includes 173.2 199.7 26.5 6.35 12.6 ARC-5 (L)* 259.1 282.0 22.9 2.23 1.9 ARC-1^ 176.5 289.9 113.4 2.11 10.8 includes 265.2 288.1 22.9 6.12 34.1 ARC-2^ 155.5 184.5 29.0 3.93 27.5 KR98-1 186.0 239.3 53.4 3.05 1.1 KR98-3 266.8 288.1 21.3 0.83 0.9

Table 3: Other holes used in Section22-5N (W). AT22 series holes were drilled by Nevada King in 2022 and have been previously reported. AR and ARC series holes were drilled by Goldfields in 1990. KR98 series angle RC holes were drilled by Kinross in 1998. *Denotes holes that bottomed in mineralization. ^Denotes core hole.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Calvin R. Herron, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Nevada King Gold Corp.

Nevada King is the third largest mineral claim holder in the State of Nevada, behind Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick/Newmont) and Kinross Gold. Starting in 2016 the Company has staked large project areas hosting significant historical exploration work along the Battle Mountain trend located close to current or former producing gold mines. These project areas were initially targeted based on their potential for hosting multi-million-ounce gold deposits and were subsequently staked following a detailed geological evaluation. District-scale projects in Nevada King's portfolio include (1) the 100% owned Atlanta Mine, located 100km southeast of Ely, (2) the Lewis and Horse Mountain-Mill Creek projects, both located between Nevada Gold Mines' large Phoenix and Pipeline mines, and (3) the Iron Point project, located 35km east of Winnemucca, Nevada.

The Company is well funded with cash of approximately $7.25-million as of April 2023.

The Atlanta Mine is a historical gold-silver producer with a NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained resource of 460,000 oz Au in the measured and indicated category (11.0M tonnes at 1.3 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 142,000 oz Au (5.3M tonnes at 0.83 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources titled "Atlanta Property, Lincoln County, NV" with an effective date of October 6, 2020, and a report date of December 22, 2020, as prepared by Gustavson Associates and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine

Resource Category Tonnes (000's) Au Grade (ppm) Contained Au

Oz Ag Grade (ppm) Contained Ag

Oz Measured 4,130 1.51 200,000 14.0 1,860,000 Indicated 6,910 1.17 260,000 10.6 2,360,000 Measured + Indicated 11,000 1.30 460,000 11.9 4,220,000 Inferred 5,310 0.83 142,000 7.3 1,240,000

Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans and the Company's ability to potentially expand mineral resources and the impact thereon. 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 Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Nevada King Gold Corp. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Cision

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SOURCE Nevada King Gold Corp.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQX: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce high-grade gold assay results from one core hole and three reverse circulation ("RC") holes recently completed at its Atlanta Gold Mine Project located 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the prolific Battle Mountain Trend.

Drilling Highlights:

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t AT22HG-8T^ 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.50 3.3 includes 170.4 183.8 13.4 7.65 6.6 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 2.6 aggregate 135.7 278.7 89.3 2.74 3.0

Table 1: Highlight hole released today. True width estimated at 90-95%. ^Denotes core hole.



Section 22-5N (W) crosses the southern end of the newly defined West Atlanta Graben (" WAG ") target, which hosts a thick section of mineralized volcanic and volcaniclastic sediments down-dropped along the western flank of the West Atlanta Fault (see March 20, 2023, release). Core hole AT22HG-8T extends known mineralization to depth and, together with nearby RC holes AT22SE-14 and 16, defines the location of a post-mineral fault (the " South Fault ") that displaced mineralization southwest of the Atlanta pit (Figure 1).





WAG mineralization along Section 22-5N (W) is 150m wide and ranges from 50 to 125m thick (Figure 2). Historical holes drilled by Gold Fields in 1990 on both sides of AT22HG-8T compare closely in grade and thickness to today's hole, for example returning 2.79 g/t Au over 94.5m in ARC-5 and 2.11 g/t Au over 113.4m in ARC-1 (Table 3).





The southern end of the WAG is geologically complicated by the intersecting E-W and N-S fault patterns, which in itself may be responsible for the higher grades and thicker mineralization seen along section lines 22-5N through 22-7N. Both Kinross and Meadow Bay considered the South Fault to be a through-going structure terminating the southern end of the Atlanta resource zone. However, Nevada King's 2021 and 2022 drilling south of the Atlanta pit clearly shows the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone cutting the South Fault and extending mineralization further south into the South Extension Target.





The Company's current interpretation of the fault pattern immediately south of Section 5N/5N(W) opens the door for additional targets within the massive quartzite ridge that abuts the southern rim of the pit. If mineralized, this ridge, which is currently categorized as strip material in the Gustavson resource model, could provide the Company with another game-changing event with respect to decreasing strip ratios and allowing for a deeper pit in potential mining scenarios.





Given the lack of depth penetration in AT22HG-9 and severe core loss within the mineralized zone in ARC-1 a 140m zone exists between AT22HG-13 (82.3m @ 3.60 g/t Au, released January 12, 2023) and AT22HG-8T (89.3m @ 2.74 g/t Au). The Company is drill testing this sizeable gap.





PQ and HQ size core from AT22HG-8T is currently being utilized for metallurgical testwork aimed at determining amenability of the volcanic-hosted mineralization for heap-leach recovery. Gold cyanide solubility assays within these volcanics are amongst the highest at the property to date, opening up the prospect of simple heap leach extraction, which could positively impact mining and processing costs.

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Cal Herron, Exploration Manager of Nevada King, stated, "With winter conditions now behind us, drilling progress within the West Atlanta Graben will accelerate. We will soon gain a much better understanding of the resource potential west of the West Atlanta Fault by testing a rectangular area measuring 300m wide and 500m long. In the process, additional narrow, fault-bounded grabens hosting anomalously high Au/Ag grades and thicknesses like that seen in AT22HG-13 will likely be found. Nevada King will continue to focus on defining these high-grade zones that can have significant economic impact on a bulk-tonnage gold system. The Atlanta Au/Ag system is turning out to be much larger than previously envisioned, and with improving weather conditions we are eager to ramp up drilling to continue unlocking the property's potential."

Figure 1. Location map for holes reported in this news release along section 22-05N(W) relative to the perimeter of the historical Atlanta Pit and 2020 Gustavson resource zone. Fault pattern has been updated with addition of recent drill data. E-W trending structural pattern offsetting mineralized N-S structural pattern is now becoming evident. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Figure 2. Cross section 22-05N (W) looking north across the southern end of the West Atlanta Graben extension of the AMFZ about 200m soutwest of the historical Atlanta pit. Gold mineralization within the graben block is largely confined to the volcanic section Mineralization is truncated 50m south of the section by the steeply-dipping South Fault, with pre-dates the West Atlanta Fault. The Pogonip Limestone is conformable with the overlying Eureka Quartzite. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-8T 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.49 3.3 and 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 7.2 AT22HG-9* 201.2 205.8 4.6 2.1 6.3 AT22SE-14 122.0 128.0 6.1 0.3 <0.5 AT22SE-16 0 115.9 115.9 <0.04 0.5

Table 2: Complete list of drill results reported today. True widths estimated at 90-95%. AT22HG-9 was lost in the volcanic section just as it entered the mineralized zone and must be re-drilled. Holes AT22SE-14 and 16 were drilled on the southern side of the South Fault and delimit the southern boundary of the West Atlanta Graben. *Denotes hole that bottomed in mineralization.

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-13 109.8 192.1 82.3 3.60 11.0 Including 147.8 175.3 27.4 9.92 30.9 AT22NS-69 89.9 135.7 45.7 1.57 8.5 AR-18 221.0 257.6 36.6 0.53 1.9 ARC-5 (U)^ 131.1 202.7 71.6 2.97 11.1 includes 173.2 199.7 26.5 6.35 12.6 ARC-5 (L)* 259.1 282.0 22.9 2.23 1.9 ARC-1^ 176.5 289.9 113.4 2.11 10.8 includes 265.2 288.1 22.9 6.12 34.1 ARC-2^ 155.5 184.5 29.0 3.93 27.5 KR98-1 186.0 239.3 53.4 3.05 1.1 KR98-3 266.8 288.1 21.3 0.83 0.9

Table 3: Other holes used in Section22-5N (W). AT22 series holes were drilled by Nevada King in 2022 and have been previously reported. AR and ARC series holes were drilled by Goldfields in 1990. KR98 series angle RC holes were drilled by Kinross in 1998. *Denotes holes that bottomed in mineralization. ^Denotes core hole.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Calvin R. Herron, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Nevada King Gold Corp.

Nevada King is the third largest mineral claim holder in the State of Nevada, behind Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick/Newmont) and Kinross Gold. Starting in 2016 the Company has staked large project areas hosting significant historical exploration work along the Battle Mountain trend located close to current or former producing gold mines. These project areas were initially targeted based on their potential for hosting multi-million-ounce gold deposits and were subsequently staked following a detailed geological evaluation. District-scale projects in Nevada King's portfolio include (1) the 100% owned Atlanta Mine, located 100km southeast of Ely, (2) the Lewis and Horse Mountain-Mill Creek projects, both located between Nevada Gold Mines' large Phoenix and Pipeline mines, and (3) the Iron Point project, located 35km east of Winnemucca, Nevada.

The Company is well funded with cash of approximately $7.25-million as of April 2023.

The Atlanta Mine is a historical gold-silver producer with a NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained resource of 460,000 oz Au in the measured and indicated category (11.0M tonnes at 1.3 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 142,000 oz Au (5.3M tonnes at 0.83 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources titled "Atlanta Property, Lincoln County, NV" with an effective date of October 6, 2020, and a report date of December 22, 2020, as prepared by Gustavson Associates and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine

Resource Category Tonnes (000's) Au Grade (ppm) Contained Au

Oz Ag Grade (ppm) Contained Ag

Oz Measured 4,130 1.51 200,000 14.0 1,860,000 Indicated 6,910 1.17 260,000 10.6 2,360,000 Measured + Indicated 11,000 1.30 460,000 11.9 4,220,000 Inferred 5,310 0.83 142,000 7.3 1,240,000

Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans and the Company's ability to potentially expand mineral resources and the impact thereon. 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 Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete proposed exploration work given the global COVID-19 pandemic, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Nevada King Gold Corp. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Cision

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SOURCE Nevada King Gold Corp.

Cision

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VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. ("Nevada Lithium" or the "Company") (CSE: NVLH) (OTCQB: NVLHF) (FSE: 87K) is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo, and Director, as Vice-President of Exploration for the Company, effective May 1st, 2023. Concurrently, Darren L. Smith, M.Sc, P.Geo, the Company's current Vice-President of Exploration, will transition into the role of Senior Technical Advisor to the Company.

Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Nevada Lithium Resources Inc)

Stephen Rentschler, CEO of Nevada Lithium commented, "We are thrilled that Jeff Wilson, a current Director of Nevada Lithium, will be assuming a management role at the Company as Vice President of Exploration. Jeff's impressive experience includes roles as Director of Geology at Tetra Tech WEI Inc., and Manager (Geology) of listing reviews on the TSX Venture exchange. Jeff earned his PhD in Geology at Kingston University, England, and is a peer-reviewed author of multiple academic papers in international journals."

Mr. Rentschler continued, "The last twelve months have been a transformative period for the Company, culminating in the recent signing of a definitive agreement to consolidate 100% ownership of the Company's Bonnie Claire lithium project in Nevada, and production of marketable battery grade lithium carbonate. As the Company turns fully towards execution of its Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS), our team will benefit greatly from Jeff's steady hand and experience. Jeff will assume an increasing PFS-related daily workload over the transition period through the end of April. Going forward, we will continue to benefit from Darren's strong knowledge base and guidance in mineral exploration and advanced level studies through his new role as Senior Technical Advisor."

Darren L. Smith, current Vice President of Exploration for the Company comments: "Bonnie Claire is a strong asset with significant and unique potential to produce lithium through borehole mining techniques, where environmental and social impacts may be minimized relative to conventional open-pit extraction methods. Coupled with the increased lithium grades confirmed at depth from the recent 2022 drilling and its location in Nevada, USA, the Bonnie Claire Deposit offers a potentially unique and attractive supply proposition to the lithium market."

Story continues

Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo. is a Professional Geologist registered in British Columbia. He holds a PhD in Structural Geology at Kingston University in the United Kingdom and has over twenty years of experience in various aspects of the resource industry. Building on field-based exploration for gold, copper, and silver with both junior and senior resource companies, Jeff went on to work with the TSX Venture Exchange for several years, before managing the Geology Group at Tetra Tech Inc, an international consulting firm. Since 2013, Jeff has maintained an independent consulting practice and his public company experience includes independent Board positions at Western Magnesium Corp (2014-present) and Nevada Lithium Resources (2021-present).

Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., is a Professional Geologist with over 17 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry. His experience includes high-level program management ranging from program design through implementation, reporting, and technical disclosure, as well as indigenous peoples and government engagement. Darren has assisted in company financing efforts, provided technical oversight for PEA, PFS, and FS level project advancement, and has setup and monitored complex metallurgical programs. In late 2009, Darren and his team discovered one of the world's largest REE and fluorspar deposits (Ashram), which is currently advancing towards Prefeasibility and, more recently, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the CV Lithium Pegmatite District in the La Grande Greenstone Belt, James Bay, Quebec, highlighted by the large CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite. Darren is currently Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc., and Director and Vice President of Exploration for Ophir Gold Corp.

Bonnie Claire Project

The Bonnie Claire Project is located within Sarcobatus Valley, which is approximately 30 km (19 miles) long and 20 km (12 miles) wide. Quartz-rich volcanic tuffs containing anomalous amounts of lithium occur within and adjacent to the valley. Drill results from the salt flat include 2,054 ppm Li over 67.1 m (220 ft) in drill hole BC-1601 as well as a 475 m (1560 ft) vertical intercept that averaged 1153 ppm Li.

Bonnie Claire is one the largest lithium resources in North America with a current NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource 3,407 million tonnes (Mt) grading 1,013 ppm Li for 18,372 million kilograms of contained lithium carbonate equivalent, at a cut-off grade of 700 ppm Li. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The gravity low that characterizes the valley is approximately 20 km (12 miles) long, and the current estimates of depth to basement rocks range from 600 to 1,200 meters (2,000 to 4,000 feet). The current claim block covers an area of 74 km2 (28.6 mi2) with potential for brine systems and further sediment resources.

About Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on shareholder value creation through its core asset, the Bonnie Claire Lithium Project, located in Nye County, Nevada, where it currently holds a 50% interest. A recently completed NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment returned attractive investment metrics and the Company is actively advancing the Project towards Pre-Feasibility. Learn more: https://www.nvlithium.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.

"Stephen Rentschler"

Stephen Rentschler, CEO

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of any of the word "will" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the proposed exploration program, development of the Bonnie Claire Project, and advancement of the Bonnie Claire Project to pre-feasibility. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Cision

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SOURCE Nevada Lithium Resources Inc

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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.
Market.Us

According to Market.us, The next-generation sequencing market gains traction as pharmaceutical companies adopt the technology for its accurate and swift sample analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Next-Generation Sequencing Market size accounted for USD 7.6 billion in 2022 and growth is estimated to accelerate at a CAGR of 14.6%, registering an incremental revenue of USD 29.7 billion by 2032. The broad range of DNA sequencing techniques employed in genomic research is called next-generation sequencing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), also called high-throughput sequencing, is a generic term used to define various recent sequencing techniques.

Next Generation Sequencing Market By Technology

To get additional highlights on major revenue-generating segments, Request a Next-Generation Sequencing Market sample report at https://market.us/report/next-generation-sequencing-market/request-sample/

Key Takeaway:

By Technology in 2022, the targeted sequencing segment has generated the largest revenue share of 73% .

By Application , the oncology segment has dominated the market and accounted for the largest global revenue of 28.5% in 2022.

By Workflow , the pre-sequencing segment generated the largest revenue share of 56% in 2022.

By End-Use , the academic research segment has dominated the market, and it accounted for the largest global revenue in 2022.

In 2022, North America dominated the market with the highest revenue share of 43% .

Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at a significant CAGR from 2023-2032.

Factors affecting the growth of the next-generation sequencing market

Several factors can affect the growth of the next-generation sequencing market. Some of these factors include:

Increasing applications in oncology : NGS in oncology treatments helps in the detection of translocations, detection of copy number variants, and provides effective information for cancer treatment.

Increasing use in diagnostics : Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and increasing use in genetic testing has surged demand for NGS in diagnostics. Sequence variants detected by GNS are widely used for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic decisions, which is driving market growth.

Growing demand in the drug discovery process: Next-Generation sequencing can be used to identify drug resistance and responses to medical interventions. This helps researchers to understand the benefits of therapies. This also helps researchers to develop new therapies to treat mutated microbes.

Story continues

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Top Trends in Global Next-Generation Sequencing Market

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are increasing genomic sequencing projects to support their genomic drug development programs. Government organizations are sequencing millions of genomes to promote cancer treatments. Initiatives like the French Plan for Genomic Medicine 2025 or the 100,000 Genomes Project in the U.K., the EU is working to improve large-scale genomic data in the region. The NGS informatics services have increased in this region due to these initiatives.

Market Growth

The growth of the NGS market growth is attributed to large applications in clinical testing, disease treatments, and laboratory investigation in the healthcare sector. NGS has benefits such as quick sample analysis and cost-effectiveness. NGS is widely used in pharmacogenomics to accelerate the drug discovery process.

Expanding genomics programs in several nations divining the growth of the next-generation sequencing market. Increasing applications in clinical diagnosis is a major growth factor in the global next-generation sequencing market. The introduction of next-generation sequencing-based diagnostics and positive sponsorship by governments are the growth factors of the next-generation sequencing market.

Regional Analysis

The next-generation sequencing market was dominated by North America, which acquired the most significant revenue share of 43% in 2022. The growth of the region is propelled by a large number of clinical labs that uses NGS to provide genetic testing services. North American region is investing more in R&D facilities and has a strong network for conducting medical research in developed countries.

Asia Pacific region is predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period owing to technological advancements in emerging economies such as Japan and China in the field of next-generation sequencing. Also, increasing healthcare industries, clinical development frameworks, and R&D in emerging economies like Australia and India are expected to offer lucrative growth opportunities in this market.

Competitive Landscape

Prominent players in the next-generation sequencing market are developing expansion strategies through investments and mergers, and acquisitions.

Some of the major key players in next-generation sequencing markets are Illumina, Inc., F. Hoffman-La Roche, QIAGEN, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Oxford Nanopore Technologies, PierianDx Inc., Genomatix GmbH, DNASTAR, Inc., Perkin Elme Inc., Eurofins GATC Biotech GmbH, BGI, Precigen Inc., Macrogen Inc., Pillar Biosciences Inc., Agilent Technologies Inc., and Other key players.

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Scope of the Report

Report Attribute Details Market Value (2022) USD 7.6 billion Market Size (2032) USD 29.7 billion CAGR (from 2023 to 2032) 14.6% North America Revenue Share 43% Historic Period 2016 to 2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2032

Market Drivers

NGS companies are developing a new method that uses enzymatic DNA synthesis and NGS in a single device. The NGS is an effective technique for illness diagnosis, mainly as a pathogen-detection technique for infectious disease diagnosis. Advancements in NGS instrumentation and technology are driving the growth of the NGS market.

Government organizations are sequencing millions of genomes to increase science and develop effective & rare cancer treatments. Initiatives such as French Plan for Genomic Medicine 2025 or the 100,000 Genomes Project in the U.K. and EU are working to improve large genomic data in the region, which is driving the NGS market.

Market Restraints

Factors such as identifiability and disclosing research findings harm next-generation sequencing market growth. Next-generation sequencing is an advanced technology, and it requires high initial costs and skilled workers, thus a lack of developed infrastructure for NGS restraining the market growth.

Market Opportunities

Advantages of NGS, such as cost efficiency, rapid and accurate sample analysis, and technological advancements, are estimated to drive the adoption of NGS technology during the forecast period. Developing genomic programs in many countries is expected to offer growth opportunities in this market.

The rising adoption of NGS technologies by pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies is the key factor expected to drive the market during the forecast period. The clinical segment is expected to be the leading segment in the global next-generation sequencing market and is anticipated to offer growth opportunities in this market.

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Report Segmentation of the Next-Generation Sequencing Market

Technology Insight

Based on Technology, the targeted sequencing segment is dominant in this market with the largest market share and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. Growth of the segment is propelled by the availability of information to analyze specific gene locations or isolated genetic expressions. Targeted sequencing helps in standard cancer diagnostics, which is the primary growth factor of this segment.

Application insight

Based on application, the oncology segment was dominant in this market, with the largest market revenue share in 2022. The segment growth is attributed to the application of next-generation sequencing to understand the function of cancer cells. Several top companies in the NGS market are adopting NGS and RNA sequencing for cancer treatments.

Workflow Insight

On the basis of workflow, the pre-sequencing segment was dominant in this market, with the largest market share in 2022. Pre-sequencing systems accurately measure the presence of liquid essential for next-generation sequencing. This system performs functions like changing microliter plates and tubes and streamlining the workflow of NGS.

End-User Insight

Based on end-user, the academic research segment was dominant in the market with the largest market revenue share in 2022 and is anticipated to remain dominant in the market during the forecast period due to significant applications of NGS solutions in research projects at universities and research centers. Also, NGS scholarships for Ph.D. students are the main factor in increasing the use of NGS in academic research.

For more insights on the historical and Forecast market data from 2016 to 2032 - download a sample report at https://market.us/report/next-generation-sequencing-market/request-sample/

Market Segmentation

By Technology Type

Whole Genome Sequencing

Whole Exome Sequencing

Targeted Sequencing & Resequencing

By Application

Oncology

Clinical Investigation

Reproductive Health

Metagenomics

Drug Discovery

Consumer Genomics

By Workflow

Pre-sequencing

Sequencing

NGS Data Analysis

By on End-User

Clinical Research

Hospitals and Clinics

Pharma and Biotech Industries

Contract Research Organizations

Academic Research

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In May 2020, Roche announced the acquisition of early-stage sequencing technology to advance the development of Roches Nanopore sequencer.

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 Company positioned for continued strong growth in domestic radioisotope production and radiopharmaceutical development to meet needs of pharmaceutical companies, radiopharmacies and patients 

 NorthStars Mo-99 program continues at the forefront of U.S. radioisotope production as the only commercialized producer of key medical radioisotopes molybdenum-99 (Mo-99)/technetium-99m (Tc-99m) 

 Company poised as first commercial-scale producer of therapeutic radioisotopes copper-67 (Cu-67) and non-carrier added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225) using environmentally preferable technology 

 New radiopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO/CMO) provides powerhouse combination of capabilities and expertise to advance patient care 

BELOIT, Wis., April 03, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, a global innovator in the development, production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic and medical imaging applications, today announced a corporate update highlighting progress across its key programs during the past twelve months, and indicating important upcoming milestones.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005254/en/

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes Beloit, Wisconsin Headquarters Campus (Photo: Business Wire)

"NorthStars industry-leading reputation is grounded in technological innovation, successful execution and proven expertise, and we have made tremendous strides in advancing our portfolio over the past year," said Stephen Merrick, Chief Executive Officer of NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes. "Our track record of success includes our program to supply U.S.-produced, non-uranium based Mo-99 for use in diagnostic imaging. NorthStars RadioGenix Systems (technetium Tc 99m generator) have reliably delivered Tc-99m to meet the needs of radiopharmacies, health systems and patients, even during a twelve-month period fraught with serious supply shortages from overseas reactor-based producers.

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Mr. Merrick continued, "Demand for therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals is increasing rapidly. NorthStar is poised to be the first commercial-scale producer of therapeutic radioisotopes Cu-67 and non-carrier added (n.c.a.) Ac-225 using advanced, environmentally preferable electron accelerator technology. NorthStar has further deepened and broadened our business platform with the recent establishment of a full-scale radiopharmaceutical CDMO/CMO services unit. This unit will enable us to develop and manufacture patient doses for pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies as well as share our radiopharmaceutical development and commercialization expertise with them where they may require additional infrastructure, resources or the specialized knowledge required for complex radiopharmaceutical development. These capabilities will help them develop and deliver products with the potential to improve care for even more patients with serious disease.

"In parallel with these initiatives, NorthStars imaging portfolio continues to advance," Mr. Merrick further added. "The FibroScint program, a collaboration with Capella Imaging, to develop a Tc-99m agent to image fibrin, and collaboration with GE Healthcare to manufacture I-123 capsules are on track for further advancement this year. NorthStar has also made progress with adding value to the development of therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals through its agreements with Monopar Therapeutics and Inhibrx. These agreements have the potential to bring novel new treatments to patients with cancer, using radioisotopes to selectively destroy a wide range of cancer cells.

Mr. Merrick concluded, "This is a very exciting and dynamic time for NorthStar and all those involved in nuclear medicine. We are proud to be a leader in expanding the horizons of patient health by providing innovative solutions to ensure robust, reliable access to radioisotopes and radiopharmaceutical products that can make a positive difference in healthcare for people around the world."

Commercial U.S. Mo-99/Tc-99m production and reliable supply

Currently, and for more than four years, NorthStar, with the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR), remains the only program that is a commercialized U.S. producer of Mo-99. The Company is aggressively expanding and establishing environmentally preferable dual production and processing hubs for additional Mo-99 capacity to better meet customer demand and ensure sustainable U.S. supply. Two facility expansion projects nearing completion in Beloit, Wisconsin, will augment current Mo-99 production and processing in Columbia, Missouri, conducted in partnership with MURR.

NorthStars Beloit, Wisconsin, Accelerator Production facility expansion will ensure additional Mo99 capacity, enable flexible production scheduling, including Sunday production, and minimize customer supply risks. NorthStar estimates that electron accelerator technology will increase its Mo-99 program production capability to meet nearly 40% of U.S. demand. The Accelerator Production facility is expected to come online, upon completion of regulatory submissions, in late 2023/early 2024. In January 2023, NorthStar set a new industry precedent in advancing non-uranium based commercial production of Mo-99 by achieving a "two beams on target" milestone in producing Mo-99 with electron accelerators, thus validating the proof of concept for large-scale U.S. Mo-99 production without the use of uranium. In November 2022, the United States Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) recognized NorthStar for completion of construction and equipment installation for its new Accelerator Production facility for Mo-99. NorthStar is the first and only program to achieve commercialized Mo-99 production through collaboration with the DOE/NNSA. The DOE/NNSA provided financial and technical support for the project as part of its program to increase U.S. production of the vital medical radioisotope Mo-99 without the use of highly enriched uranium, which is a proliferation-sensitive material. In September 2022, NorthStar and IBA signed a new agreement for two additional Rhodotron TT300 HE electron beam accelerators, and associated beamlines, from IBA for the production of Mo-99. This agreement marks a total of five Rhodotron accelerators that NorthStar has contracted with IBA to date.

NorthStars Isotope Processing facility in Beloit will complement current Columbia processing capacity for Mo-99 source vessels . The facility will enable NorthStar to more than double its current Mo-99 processing capabilities. NorthStar expects to bring the Isotope Processing facility online, upon completion of regulatory submissions, in late 2023/early 2024.

NorthStars unique production technology for Mo-99 offers a highly differentiated environmental advantage over traditional uranium-based methods. It results in comparatively benign, short-lived and easily managed waste streams, in contrast to uranium-based methods that result in highly radioactive, long-lived waste with significant burdens to global waste streams.

RadioGenix System commercial progress

NorthStars innovative, high tech radioisotope separation platform, the RadioGenix System, uses U.S.-produced, non-uranium based Mo-99 to produce Tc-99m, the most widely used medical radioisotope that informs patient management decisions in 40,000 U.S. imaging studies daily. Ongoing product enhancements continue to maximize operational utility and efficiency of RadioGenix Systems in producing Tc-99m, including a well-advanced development program for the next generation radioisotope separation platform for the production of Tc-99m.

RadioGenix Systems have generated almost two million doses of Tc-99m for patients diagnostic imaging studies to date, with utilization continuing to steadily increase.

They have provided reliable Tc-99m supply to radiopharmacies and health system customers despite intermittent, and sometimes extended, shortages from suppliers using legacy, uranium-based production methods.

Commercial-scale therapeutic radioisotope production  Cu-67 and n.c.a. Ac-225

NorthStar is poised to be the first commercial-scale supplier of the important therapeutic radioisotopes Cu-67 and n.c.a. Ac-225, both used to deliver therapeutic doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells in patients with serious disease, while sparing healthy tissue. Development of Cu-67 has been historically hampered by a lack of commercial chelators to securely hold copper in place without leakage in vivo, which limited demand for the isotope. Development of Ac-225 based therapies has been severely constrained by limitations in current production technology and very limited supply.

NorthStar is applying its commercial-scale radioisotope production experience with Mo-99 to provide reliable Cu-67 and n.c.a. Ac-225 supply to advance clinical research and ensure adequate availability for commercial radiopharmaceutical products. The Company is leveraging its technology expertise demonstrated by the successful launch of the RadioGenix System and non-uranium based Mo-99, and key learnings from sophisticated techniques required in constructing its advanced Accelerator Production and Isotope Processing facilities.

Like all NorthStar processes, electron accelerator production of Cu-67 and n.c.a. Ac-225 radioisotopes is non-uranium based and highly efficient.

Cu-67 program

NorthStar has an exclusive agreement with Clarity Pharmaceuticals for supply of Cu-67 to support Claritys clinical stage Targeted Copper Theranostic (TCT) programs with three theranostic trials currently underway in the United States. The TCT platform using Claritys proprietary SAR chelators to securely hold copper has recently expanded with their SAR-Bombesin prostate cancer program, while their SAR-bisPSMA and SARTATE theranostic programs are reaching later stage clinical development, thus driving demand for Cu67.

NorthStar anticipates availability of radiochemical grade Cu-67 within a few weeks.

Northstars electron accelerator production of Cu-67 is high volume and highly sustainable, allowing for an alternative to reactor-based therapeutic isotopes such as lutetium-177. The process is highly efficient with no associated long-lived radioactive contaminants.

Cu-67 presents a unique opportunity to manufacture high-volume therapeutic radioisotopes domestically in the United States.

n.c.a. Ac-225 program

In March 2023, NorthStar achieved a major milestone in commercial-scale production of n.c.a. Ac-225 with the delivery and installation of a custom-built IBA Rhodotron TT300-HE (High Energy) electron beam accelerator at its new Ac-225 Production facility in Beloit, Wisconsin. The state-of-the-art facility will be dedicated exclusively to the production of n.c.a. Ac-225 and is part of NorthStars expansion plan to ensure scalable, reliable and environmentally preferable production of n.c.a. Ac-225, that, once attached to a molecule, will be used for treatment of patients with cancer and other serious diseases. Progress on the facility is well underway, with initial production of radiochemical grade Ac-225 planned for late 2023/early 2024. NorthStar expects to submit a Drug Master File to the FDA in 2024, which, upon acceptance, will allow it to provide cGMP grade Ac-225.

In October 2022, NorthStar and Eckert & Ziegler announced an agreement for the purchase of specially designed hot cells and related equipment for NorthStars Ac-225 Production facility and commercial-scale production of n.c.a. Ac-225. Hot cells are specially designed shielded enclosures that allow the safe handling of radioactive material.

NorthStar has multiple supply agreements in place to provide clinical trial supply and commercial-scale quantities of Ac-225, and expects additional supply agreements during 2023. NorthStar has n.c.a. Ac-225 production capacity to meet all customer needs, from research through commercialization, and can readily scale up further as market demand increases. In October 2022, NorthStar and Radiopharm Theranostics signed a supply agreement under which NorthStar will provide Radiopharm with its n.c.a. Ac-225 for drug trials involving targeted alpha therapy in multiple disease areas. In August 2022, NorthStar and Aktis Oncology signed a supply agreement under which NorthStar will provide Aktis with its n.c.a. Ac-225 to advance development of its proprietary tumor-targeting agents intended to deliver transformative efficacy for patients with solid tumors. In July 2022, NorthStar and Clovis Oncology signed a supply agreement under which NorthStar will provide Clovis with its n.c.a. Ac-225 to radiolabel its lead peptide-targeted radionuclide therapeutic candidate, FAP-2286, which targets fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a promising theranostic target with expression across many tumor types. In June 2022, NorthStar and Curie Therapeutics (now Mariana Oncology) signed a priority access supply agreement under which NorthStar will provide Curie with its n.c.a. Ac-225 to advance its multimodal pipeline of precision radiopharmaceuticals to address broad unmet needs in treatment of patients with solid tumors. Additional n.c.a. Ac-225 supply agreements have been signed, but not disclosed, under confidentiality agreements with NorthStar pharmaceutical collaborators.

NorthStar is utilizing environmentally preferred production technology for its high purity n.c.a. Ac-225. Electron accelerators will produce n.c.a. Ac-225 that is free of long-lived radioactive contaminants and byproducts associated with many other production methods, which pose regulatory and waste management challenges for hospitals and health systems.

NorthStar is evaluating additional potential opportunities for the production and commercialization of other novel radioisotopes to support the needs of researchers and pharmaceutical drug developers.

Therapeutic radiopharmaceutical development

NorthStar is actively engaged with select collaborators in advancing therapeutic radiopharmaceutical development and commercialization programs for the treatment of cancer and other serious disease.

In February 2023, NorthStar and Monopar Therapeutics expanded their radiopharmaceutical collaboration for MNPR-101, a first-in-class anti-uPAR humanized monoclonal antibody planned to be radiolabeled with Ac-225 for treatment of advanced solid tumors and severe COVID-19. Based on promising recently generated preclinical imaging results, the companies committed to additional funding for future development of MNPR-101.

In January 2023, NorthStar and Inhibrx announced a collaboration to develop and produce novel radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer. Under the agreement, NorthStar will support the development of a pre-specified number of Inhibrxs novel biologic products by providing Ac-225 supply, specialized radiopharmaceutical development capabilities and access to its integrated radiopharmaceutical CDMO services. Under the agreement, NorthStar will prepare Inhibrx patient doses for clinical studies and, upon approval, may manufacture and supply radionuclides for Inhibrxs commercial use.

Radiopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO/CMO) services

NorthStar announced a significant expansion of its business platform in November 2022 with the formation of a new, patient-focused radiopharmaceutical development and CDMO/CMO services unit. It will provide collaborator companies with a full range of customized radiopharmaceutical development and commercialization services, and serve NorthStar in progressing its own radiopharmaceutical programs as well as developing and manufacturing radiopharmaceutical patient doses. Ground has been broken on a new 47,000 square foot facility on the Companys Beloit, Wisconsin campus. When complete, NorthStar will be the first and only U.S. company housing commercial-scale, multi-radioisotope production and radiopharmaceutical development services on the same campus, enabling collaborator companies to realize logistical, regulatory and cost benefits. NorthStar expects to deliver CDMO/CMO services in early 2025, pending appropriate licensure and regulatory approvals.

NorthStars CDMO/CMO services unit will provide patient dose development and manufacturing capability and specialized radiopharmaceutical expertise to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, to help them develop and deliver products with the potential to improve care for patients with cancer and other serious disease.

Diagnostic imaging portfolio

NorthStar is actively developing and growing its strategic portfolio of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic imaging.

NorthStar continues to advance FibroScint, a novel fibrin-specific diagnostic imaging agent labeled with Tc-99m for SPECT imaging. Pending successful development, FibroScint will have an initial application in the imaging of thrombus (blood clots) associated with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and other potential imaging applications in deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The Company plans to use RadioGenix System-produced Tc-99m in clinical studies of FibroScint. An Investigational New Drug (IND) filing for a Phase 1 study is planned for 2024.

NorthStar is collaborating with GE Healthcare to produce and distribute iodine-123 (I-123) capsules for use in SPECT imaging. I-123 is the proven radiopharmaceutical standard in diagnostic imaging studies for thyroid disease. GE Healthcares Pharmaceutical Diagnostics unit will manufacture and supply NorthStar with I-123 capsules under the NorthStar label using a new, state-of-the-art production system. Upon regulatory approvals, NorthStar will retain exclusive U.S. marketing and distribution rights for I-123 capsules in 100 Ci and 200 Ci formulations. FDA approval is expected in 2023.

Corporate development and industry leadership

NorthStar is firmly positioned for sustained, long-term growth and increasing global industry prominence.

Company growth

With more than 350 highly-skilled employees, NorthStar is a responsible corporate citizen and engaged community member. Its Beloit, Wisconsin campus is planned for long-term expansion to meet patients healthcare needs and growing global demand. NorthStar recently purchased an additional 22 acres of land to accommodate its new radiopharmaceutical CDMO facility and future growth. The 55-acre campus includes NorthStars corporate headquarters, an Accelerator Production facility for Mo-99 and Cu-67, an Isotope Processing facility, an Ac-225 Production facility for exclusive production of the therapeutic radioisotope Ac-225, and the radiopharmaceutical CDMO/CMO facility. NorthStar also has two R&D facilities in Madison, Wisconsin, and office space and a processing facility, located in the MURR complex, in Columbia, Missouri.

Environmentally responsible radioisotope production

NorthStar continues to set leadership standards for domestic, environmentally preferable radioisotope production across its portfolio, to meet the needs of health systems and patients. NorthStar is committed to ensuring that health systems have access to innovative, clean solutions that minimize the environmental footprint of their nuclear medicine departments. All NorthStar processes are non-uranium based and employ the Companys "Reduce, Recover, Reuse" approach for reliable, domestic and environmentally sound medical radioisotope production.

New executives

In June 2022, Frank Scholz, Ph.D., was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer of NorthStar. Dr. Scholz has extensive operational experience in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, and will help lead the next phase of NorthStars growth. He holds oversight of Corporate Development, External Affairs, Sales, Marketing and Public Relations in addition to his previous responsibilities for Program Management, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering & Technology, Manufacturing Operations & Supply Chain, and Advanced Radioisotope & Therapeutic Technologies. Dr. Scholz will be instrumental in driving NorthStars initiatives across its portfolio.

In May 2022, NorthStar appointed Monica Andersen as Vice President, Human Resources. She will hold responsibility for the Companys Human Resources and Organizational Health functions. Ms. Andersens depth of human resources leadership in organizational design, talent recruitment, cultural enrichment, planning and development will further accelerate NorthStars growth.

About the RadioGenix System (Technetium Tc 99m Generator)

The RadioGenix System is an innovative, high tech separation platform that is approved for processing non-uranium based molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) for the production of the important medical radioisotope, technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Prior to availability of RadioGenix technology, the U.S. supply chain for Mo-99 has been subject to frequent and sometimes severe interruptions that negatively impacted patient health care. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018, the RadioGenix System is the first and only on-site, automated isotope separation system of its kind for use with non-uranium based Mo-99, designed to help alleviate shortage situations and expand domestic supply.

Indication and Important Risk Information about the RadioGenix System and Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection USP

INDICATION

The RadioGenix System is a technetium Tc-99m generator used to produce Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection, USP. Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection is a radioactive diagnostic agent and can be used in the preparation of FDA-approved diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals.

Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection is also indicated in:

Adults for Salivary Gland Imaging and Nasolacrimal Drainage System Imaging (dacryoscintigraphy).

Adults and pediatric patients for Thyroid Imaging and Vesicoureteral Imaging (direct isotopic cystography) for detection of vesicoureteral reflux.

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

Allergic reactions (skin rash, hives, or itching) including anaphylaxis have been reported following the administration of Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection. Monitor all patients for hypersensitivity reactions.

Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection contributes to a patients long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Ensure safe handling to protect patients and health care workers from unintentional radiation exposure. Use the lowest dose of Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection necessary for imaging and ensure safe handling and preparation to protect the patient and health care worker from unintentional radiation exposure. Encourage patients to drink fluids and void as frequently as possible after intravenous or intravesicular administration. Advise patients to blow their nose and wash their eyes with water after ophthalmic administration.

Radiation risks associated with the use of Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection are greater in children than in adults and, in general, the younger the child, the greater the risk owing to greater absorbed radiation doses and longer life expectancy. These greater risks should be taken firmly into account in all benefit-risk assessments involving children. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Temporarily discontinue breastfeeding. A lactating woman should pump and discard breastmilk for 12 to 24 hours after Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection administration.

Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection should be given to pregnant women only if the expected benefits to be gained clearly outweigh the potential hazards.

Only use potassium molybdate Mo-99, processing reagents, saline and other supplies, including kit/packs, provided by NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes. Do not administer Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m Injection after the 0.15 microCi of Mo-99/mCi of Tc-99m limit has been reached or when the 24 hour expiration time from elution is reached, whichever occurs earlier. Follow step-by-step instructions for use provided in the Operators Guide, RadioGenix System 1.2.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC at 1-844-438-6659; or FDA at 1-800-332-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For RadioGenix System version 1.2 Full Prescribing Information, click here or visit https://www.northstarnm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/RadioGenix-System-version-1.2-Package-Insert-Rev-08-Jan-2023.pdf.

About NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC

NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes is a commercial-stage nuclear medicine company focused on advancing patient care by providing diagnostic and therapeutic radioisotopes, novel radiopharmaceuticals and customized radiopharmaceutical development services. Its proven management team and state-of-the-art, environmentally preferable and non-uranium based technologies have made it an emerging leader at the forefront of U.S. medical radioisotope and radiopharmaceutical production. NorthStars molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) program is the sole source of domestic Mo-99, used to generate the standard-of-care diagnostic imaging radioisotope for assessing heart disease and cancer. It is expanding its industry-leading position in the growing area of therapeutic radioisotopes, used in targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy to treat cancer and other serious diseases, and is poised to be the first commercial-scale producer of non-carrier added (n.c.a.) actinium-225 (Ac-225) and copper-67 (Cu-67). NorthStars Radiopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO/CMO) services unit will provide customized service offerings and specialized radiopharmaceutical expertise to help biopharmaceutical companies rapidly advance their development and commercialization programs. For more information about NorthStars comprehensive portfolio and patient-focused services, visit: www.northstarnm.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005254/en/

Contacts

For NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC

Corporate:

Lisa Holst

Vice President Sales and Marketing

678-471-9027

lholst@northstarnm.com

Investor Relations:

Paul Estrem

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

608-987-8318

pestrem@northstarnm.com

Media:

Priscilla Harlan

781-799-7917

pharlan@shiningrockllc.com
(Bloomberg) -- Oil refiners in Asia  like the wider crude market  have found themselves caught out by the surprise Saudi-led move to spearhead an OPEC+ production cut, and are now preparing to diversify purchases in the spot market if needed.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The shock decision from Riyadh and some of its partners came just before the release of Saudi Aramcos official selling prices, or OSPs, for May crude sales. Term buyers of Saudi crude expressed some concern about their ability to get the volume and type of oil they want from Aramco next month after the announcement of a 500,000 barrel-a-day curb by the kingdom.

Given the turmoil in the market, some Chinese refiners are starting to mull spot purchases from suppliers including Latin America, the US and West Africa to make up for a shortfall should OSPs from Saudi Aramco and other producers become too expensive, according to people familiar with trading strategies.

Thats likely good news for West African crude suppliers who are sitting on a glut of unwanted crude that has struggled to find buyers because of strikes at French oil refineries and seasonal plant maintenance in Europe.

Oil futures surged as the week opened following the supply cut. The plan was announced in piecemeal fashion at the weekend, with Saudi Arabia unveiling a plan for lower production that was followed by smaller moves by other nations. Riyadh, along with Moscow, are the de-facto leaders of OPEC+, as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are known.

Persian Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq sell the bulk of their oil to Asia, with China, India, Japan and South Korea being the biggest buyers. Aramco typically releases OSPs in the first five days of the month, and they are used as a benchmark by others. In a Bloomberg survey last week, six refiners and traders predicted a cut for Aramcos OSP for its flagship Arab Light grade.

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The imminent Saudi OSP is probably a key variable, said Jianan Sun, a London-based analyst with Energy Aspects Ltd., adding that if Saudis dont lower or even raise the prices, Asian refiners will need to actively look for alternative grades, whereas if the OSP is lowered, the situation is not so pressing.

In Europe, the situation has been complicated by a strike at French oil-processing plants and terminals that has curtailed the nations demand by about 1 million barrels a day.

OPEC+s decision to tighten supplies globally may lead to increased costs to secure barrels, further weighing on the regions crimped consumption, according to traders buying and selling cargoes in the European market. Traders also said that lackluster growth means that purchasing activities have slowed for the current cycle so far, but they were still taking stock of the OPEC+ agreement.

If Asian buyers start to compete for barrels from the Atlantic Basin, though, then that could help clear up some of the neglected barrels for their counterparts in Europe. A glut of unsold crude  more than 20 cargoes for prompt April loading  had built up in west Africa, and that may now attract an increasing number of bidders with the output curb, said traders.

The surprise move boosted Brent futures by more than 8% as the weeks trading began. It comes at a complicated juncture in the market, with concerns about weaker consumption in the US and Europe gathering pace should a recession coincide with a wave of demand-sapping refinery strikes in France and, on the upside, expectations that consumption in China will pick up.

Chinas state-owned PetroChina Co. had already been tapping supplies from Canada, Colombia and Ecuador even before the cut, buying at least 8 million barrels that will load this month as a new mega-refinery starts production officially in Guangdong, Bloomberg News reported last week.

In India, another major consumer of Middle Eastern barrels, Mukesh Surana, chief executive officer of Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., which is building a refinery, said that OPEC+ may have decided on a supply reduction as it foresaw a weaker market.

The market is well-supplied, so there is no concern on availability, said Surana, whos also the ex-chairman of Hindustan Petroleum Corp. OPEC+ must be expecting a fall in prices or dip in demand, so this is probably a preemptive move to provide floor to prices. But I dont see prices rising above $90.

--With assistance from Alfred Cang, Serene Cheong, Sherry Su, Sharon Cho and Bill Lehane.

(Updates with Europes reaction in fourth, eighth paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Saudi energy minster Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud. Getty Images

On Sunday, OPEC+ announced an unexpected supply cut of more than 1 million barrels a day.

Oil prices surged Monday, with Brent crude hovering near $85 a barrel.

The production cuts were spread among OPEC members. Saudia Arabia led the way with a 500,000 barrel cut.

Oil prices surged 6% Monday following OPEC+'s announcement that it would slash production by more than 1 million barrels per day.

Prices soared as much as 8% before paring the biggest gains. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, was trading just under $85 a barrel Monday morning, up from $76 a barrel a week ago.

The group stated the move was precautionary and meant to ensure market stability. The reductions were spread out across member nations, with Saudi Arabia leading the way with a 500,000 barrel-a-day cut.

Energy Aspects analyst Livia Gallarati told Insider that the firm already anticipated oil spiking in 2023 before the production cuts, given higher demand amid China's reopening. But with OPEC+'s latest initiative, she said the market will become more constrained.

"Now we have these OPEC+ production cuts, which will definitely tighten the market, at least allowing for stockdraws to start," Gallarati said Monday. "We continue to believe we will see $100 oil this year."

OPEC+'s pricing power is as strong as it's ever been, according to Goldman Sachs' global head of commodities research, Jeff Currie.

A lack of investment in oil production makes other global producers unable to respond, Currie said in a CNBC interview Monday. This opens the door for OPEC+ to wield its influence over the market.

"This is a revenue-maximizing decision for OPEC under all the different scenarios," he said. "It was a voluntary cut, it is not violation of the agreement...what they were responding is a precautionary movement to potential physical weakness but also, hey, they have the market power to respond to that paper weakness as well."

OPEC's production cut will be on top of Russia's previously stated plans to reduce output, as Moscow has said it would slash production by 500,000 barrels a day.

Story continues

That means the total decrease could be as high as 1.65 million barrels per day through the second half of the year, analysts from energy consultant Facts Global Energy wrote in a note Monday.

"For Russia, further extending its unilateral cuts makes sense, especially with some of the other OPEC+ members now joining it in reducing output," FGE said. "Russia is seeking both high prices and to minimise the large discounts associated with pushing marginal barrels into distant (mainly Asian) markets. The new cuts will help accomplish both aims."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Brisbane, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 2, 2023) - Australian-owned outdoor gear retailer, Outback Equipment moves to a new massive warehouse in Brisbane, Australia.

Photo - Outback Equipment

The new 3000m2 warehouse in Brisbane's Acacia Ridge allows Outback Equipment to house an extensive range of outdoor products, catering to growing customer demands. With ample space for storage and display, customers can easily view larger outdoor pieces. Equipped with the latest technology, the warehouse ensures efficient order fulfilment and quick dispatch times.

"We're thrilled to be opening our new warehouse in a better location for both our customers and suppliers," said Jaime Chee, Director of Outback Equipment. "From just starting in a small shared warehouse to moving to this new big warehouse is really a glow-up we are extremely proud about," he adds.

The new warehouse showcases Outback Equipment's success in providing dependable, high-quality outdoor accessories in Australia that enhance enthusiasts' outdoor experiences.

"Through this new warehouse, we hope to better serve our customers with a wider range of products staffed with experienced and knowledgeable salespeople who are on hand to provide advice and answer any questions," says Jourdan Wong, Outback Equipment Director.

Outback Equipment aims to make laying the groundwork for any outdoor trip as easy as possible with helpful guides, plenty of information, experienced customer service representatives, and part finders. With a range of more than 250 well-known brands that are personally tried and tested, Outback Equipment is poised to become the go-to destination for all things outdoor in Australia.

"Whether it is a simple trip or a big outdoor adventure, Outback Equipment supplies them with the right tools. We stand out on our commitment to offering the highest level of customer service. And with our new warehouse, we hope to give much better service," Wong adds.

Outback Equipment's new warehouse is located at Brisbane, Acacia Ridge, and is open on weekdays between 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.

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About Outback Equipment

Outback Equipment is an outdoor retailer company that hosts Australia's largest range of outdoor accessories in 4x4, camping, marine, caravanning, fishing equipment, and boating supplies designed to withstand the rigors of the outdoors. Established in 2014 out of a fascination with light bars, it has provided adventure enthusiasts with the gear they need to explore the great outdoors with confidence and ease, powered by high-level customer satisfaction and exceptional service.

Contact Information:

Contact Person: Sean Fisher

Email: marketing@outbackequipment.com.au

Website: https://www.outbackequipment.com.au/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160976
DAVIDSON, NC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Trane - by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator, and Parkway School District, one of the largest school districts in Missouri, announced that the district has achieved a total energy savings of more than $1.1 million in the four years following comprehensive energy and infrastructure upgrades. This is 10% higher than the initial savings guaranteed by Trane.

Following the upgrades, the district is using less electricity and natural gas, resulting in a 26% reduction in energy usage annually. The project also reduced the district's carbon emissions by more than 9,000 metric tons, the equivalent of nearly 23 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.

These gains are the result of a long-standing relationship between Trane and Parkway School District. Over the past 18 years, they have collaborated on many energy efficiency projects across the district including LED lighting, roofing insulation, and heating and cooling plant infrastructure upgrades in support of the school district's long-held commitment to sustainable technologies.

"Our district motto is Higher Expectations. Brighter Futures,' and what we have achieved working with Trane is an excellent example of what that can mean," said Patty Bedborough, Chief Financial Officer, Parkway School District. "Through our collaboration, we have surpassed our already-high expectations for energy efficiency. Not only does this support our ongoing commitment to sustainability, it allows us to prioritize more dollars toward student education."

Most recently, the district worked with Trane to install an on-campus geothermal energy plant at Parkway South High School, the district's largest school and most significant energy consumer, when one of two chillers in its aging chiller plant became non-functional. The energy upgrade, completed in 2021, was the first of its kind in the Greater St. Louis area and reduced the school's carbon footprint, while increasing energy efficiency, preserving campus aesthetics and minimizing architectural and acoustical impacts.

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"It is a privilege to work with Parkway School District, a recognized sustainability leader in the education space," said Jennifer Geen, senior account manager, Complex Solutions, Trane. "We are proud to support the district's measures to implement highly-efficient solutions that help create a better indoor environment for students and staff alike while reducing the district's energy use, carbon emissions and costs, all of which will benefit the community for years to come."

Trane's work with Parkway School District supports Trane Technologies' 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including its Gigaton Challenge which aims to reduce one gigaton - or, a billion metric tons - of customers' carbon emissions by 2030.

# # #

About Parkway School District

The Parkway School District is one of the premier school districts in the Midwest and St. Louis region. Parkway's 29 schools and Early Childhood Center are renowned for their achievements, with 17 Blue Ribbon Awards for Excellence in Education from the U.S. Department of Education and 19 Gold Star Awards from the State of Missouri. All four traditional Parkway high schools are consistently named among the country's Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report. While each school is unique, collectively they make up one of the highest-performing school districts in the country.

About Trane

Trane - by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator - creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.

About Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane and Thermo King, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Visit tranetechnologies.com.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Trane Technologies on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Trane Technologies

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/trane-technologies

Email: info@3blmedia.com



SOURCE: Trane Technologies





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747266/Parkway-Schools-and-Trane-Accelerate-Decarbonization-with-Comprehensive-Energy-Upgrades-Save-Taxpayers-11-Million




Nursing Residency

Nurses can continue their careers at Penn Highlands Healthcare.

DuBois, Pennsylvania, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Are you a nurse who has been out of the field but are ready to return? Do you know a family member or friend who took time off from their nursing career, but wants to go back to work? Penn Highlands Healthcare is now offering a Return to Work Nursing Residency to help nurses return to the workforce.

The Return to Work Residency is an accelerated educational option that focuses on nurses who already have completed a nursing degree program. It focuses on courses that will assist nurses who have been out of the field for a significant amount of time to regain the necessary knowledge to care for patients again. By utilizing the experience and knowledge already gained, the program eliminates portions of a typical college curriculum.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who took time off to raise a family to return to the workforce, said Heather Franci, Chief Nursing Officer and Service Line Director, Heart Center, Lung Center, Brain & Spine, Oncology Services at Penn Highlands Healthcare. The program serves as a bridge for nurses to build on the skills they already have while acquiring knowledge needed to provide patients with the highest level of care.

Students will participate in five weeks of courses which begin with didactics and progress to clinicals. Following completion of the program, depending on the employment area, additional educational needs may be required. The Return to Work Residency program reviews various content including neurology, respiratory care, cardiac care, and more.

Once a nurse completes the program, there are various job opportunities available at Penn Highlands hospitals and skilled nursing facilities including full- and part-time positions as well as casual schedules.

For more information about the program, contact Nichole Unch at NSUnch@phhealthcare.org or 814-375-7725.

Attachment

CONTACT: Corinne G. Laboon Penn Highlands Healthcare 724-258-1339 claboon@monvalleyhospital.com




Foresight VCT PLC

Foresight VCT PLC

LEI: 213800GNTY699WHACF46

Sale of portfolio company Innovation Consulting Group Limited (GovGrant) delivering a 4.4x cash-on-cash return and an IRR of 24% and exit of portfolio company Datapath Group Limited (Datapath) delivering an 11.7x cash-on-cash return and an IRR of 38% for Foresight VCT

The Board of Foresight VCT Plc (FVCT or the Company) is pleased to announce the sale of two portfolio companies since close of trading on 31 March 2023.

The sale of GovGrant to Source Advisors, a US corporate buyer backed by BV Investment Partners, took place on 31 March 2023. GovGrant is one of the UKs leading providers of R&D tax relief, patent box relief and other innovation services. The transaction generated proceeds of 6.8 million to FVCT at completion. When added to 0.5 million of cash returned to date, this implies a total cash-on-cash return of 4.4 times the capital of 1.65 million invested in October 2015, equivalent to an IRR of 24%.

Since FVCT made its original investment in 2015, Foresight Group has supported GovGrant through a period of material growth during which it has supported the R&D activities of a growing number of customers. GovGrants high levels of service and innovative products, such as the growing patent box offering, have contributed to driving innovation in the UK economy. Foresight Group has taken a proactive approach to supporting the exceptional senior management team, all of whom were introduced to the business during the investment period.

The Board of the Company is also pleased to announce the exit on 31 March 2023 of portfolio company Datapath Group Limited (Datapath), a global leader in the provision of visual solutions. The transaction generated proceeds of 5.1 million at completion with an additional 1.2 million payable over the next 24 months. When added to 5.4 million of cash returned to date, this implies a total cash-on-cash return of 11.7 times the original investment, equivalent to an IRR of 38% since the initial investment in 2007.

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Since the original investment, Foresight Group has supported Datapath through a period of material growth with revenues growing from approximately 7m to 25m. Datapath has developed a market leading hardware and software product suite for the delivery of multi screen displays and video walls which are sold globally to a diverse customer base across a range of sectors.

Including payment of a 4.0p dividend per share paid in October 2022, the Companys NAV per Ordinary Share was 85.7p as at 30 September 2022, to which these exits will add 1.5p, giving a pro forma NAV per Ordinary Share of 87.2p.

The sales represent FVCTs fourth and fifth exits in the last twelve months, following the exits of TFC Europe, Codeplay Software and Mowgli Street Food.

Margaret Littlejohns, Chair of Foresight VCT said: We are delighted to announce two more positive exits for the Company, following the sale of Mowgli in January. Both GovGrant and Datapath have demonstrated excellent growth and value creation since investment. Each one is a success story for the Company and our shareholders.

For more information contact:

Gary Fraser, Foresight Group: 0203 667 8181




ReportLinker

Forecasts by Printing Technology (Screen Printing, Inkjet Printing, Flexographic Printing, Other), by End-use Industry (Automotive and Transportation, Consumer Electronics, Aerospace and Defence, Retail and Packaging, Other), by Devices (Flexible Displays, RFID Tags, Smart Packaging, Wearable Devices, Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Other) AND Regional and Leading National Market Analysis PLUS Analysis of Leading Companies AND COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Pattern Analysis.

New York, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Printed Electronics Market Report 2023-2033" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439032/?utm_source=GNW





The Printed Electronics Market Report 2023-2033: This report will prove invaluable to leading firms striving for new revenue pockets if they wish to better understand the industry and its underlying dynamics. It will be useful for companies that would like to expand into different industries or to expand their existing operations in a new region.





The Printed Electronics Market Is Poised for Significant Growth and Development in the Coming Years



The printed electronics market is a rapidly evolving and promising industry with a wide range of potential applications. As a result of its ability to produce flexible, lightweight, and cost-effective electronic solutions, the market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. While the market is still relatively new and undergoing significant innovation, there have been notable developments and advancements in recent years. The development of new materials and printing techniques, as well as the increasing integration of printed electronics in various industries, are expected to continue to drive growth and adoption.





The market is seeing increasing investment and partnerships, both domestically and internationally, which is contributing to the expansion of the industry. Governments around the world are also supporting the development of printed electronics through funding and research initiatives. There are still challenges to be overcome, including the need for standardization and greater reliability in printed electronics, as well as the need to address issues such as scalability and regulatory compliance.





Overall, the printed electronics market is poised for significant growth and development in the coming years, with a wide range of potential applications and opportunities for innovation. As companies continue to invest in research and development, and as demand for flexible, lightweight, and cost-effective electronic solutions grows, the future looks bright for the printed electronics industry.





What Questions Should You Ask before Buying a Market Research Report?



 How is the printed electronics market evolving?



 What is driving and restraining the printed electronics market?



 How will each printed electronics submarket segment grow over the forecast period and how much revenue will these submarkets account for in 2033?



 How will the market shares for each printed electronics submarket develop from 2023 to 2033?



 What will be the main driver for the overall market from 2023 to 2033?



 Will leading printed electronics markets broadly follow the macroeconomic dynamics, or will individual national markets outperform others?



 How will the market shares of the national markets change by 2033 and which geographical region will lead the market in 2033?



 Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?



 What are the printed electronics projects for these leading companies?



 How will the industry evolve during the period between 2023 and 2033? What are the implications of printed electronics projects taking place now and over the next 10 years?



 Is there a greater need for product commercialisation to further scale the printed electronics market?



 Where is the printed electronics market heading and how can you ensure you are at the forefront of the market?



 What are the best investment options for new product and service lines?



 What are the key prospects for moving companies into a new growth path and C-suite?





You need to discover how this will impact the printed electronics market today, and over the next 10 years:



 Our 284-page report provides 103 tables and 147 charts/graphs exclusively to you.



 The report highlights key lucrative areas in the industry so you can target them  NOW.



 It contains in-depth analysis of global, regional and national sales and growth.



 It highlights for you the key successful trends, changes and revenue projections made by your competitors.





This report tells you TODAY how the printed electronics market will develop in the next 10 years, and in line with the variations in COVID-19 economic recession and bounce. This market is more critical now than at any point over the last 10 years.





Forecasts to 2033 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects



 In addition to revenue forecasting to 2033, our new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares.



 You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments.



 Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, restraints and challenges), cost structure, impact of rising printed electronics prices and recent developments.





This report includes data analysis and invaluable insight into how COVID-19 will affect the industry and your company. Four COVID-19 recovery patterns and their impact, namely, V, L, W and U are discussed in this report.





Segments Covered in the Report





Market Segment by Printing Technology



 Screen Printing



 Inkjet Printing



 Flexographic Printing



 Other Printing Technologies





Market Segment by End-Use Industry



 Automotive and Transportation



 Consumer Electronics



 Aerospace and Defense



 Retail and Packaging



 Other End-use Industries





Market Segment by Devices



 Flexible Displays



 RFID Tags



 Smart Packaging



 Wearable Devices



 Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)



 Other Devices





In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for four regional and 20 leading national markets:





North America



 U.S.



 Canada





Europe



 Germany



 Spain



 United Kingdom



 France



 Italy



 Rest of Europe





Asia Pacific



 China



 Japan



 India



 Taiwan



 South Korea



 Rest of Asia Pacific





Latin America



 Brazil



 Mexico



 Rest of Latin America





Middle East and Africa



 GCC



 South Africa



 Rest of Middle East and Africa





The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033, with a focus on this segment of these companies operations.





Leading companies and the potential for market growth



 Agfa-Gevaert N.V



 Applied Ink Solutions



 BASF SE



 Cambridge Display Technology



 DuPont de Nemours, Inc.



 E Ink Holdings Inc.



 Jabil Inc.



 LG Display Co., Ltd.



 Molex LLC



 Nissha Co., Ltd.



 NovaCentrix



 Optomec Inc.



 Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated (PARC)



 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.



 Ynvisible Interactive Inc.





Overall world revenue for Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033 in terms of value the market will surpass US$10.88 billion in 2023, our work calculates. We predict strong revenue growth through to 2033. Our work identifies which organizations hold the greatest potential. Discover their capabilities, progress, and commercial prospects, helping you stay ahead.





How will the Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033 report help you?



In summary, our 280+ page report provides you with the following knowledge:





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033 Market, with forecasts for printed technology, end-user industry, devices and company size, each forecast at a global and regional level  discover the industrys prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues.





 Revenue forecasts to 2033 for four regional and 20 key national markets  See forecasts for the Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies.





 Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market  including company profiles for 15 of the major companies involved in the Printed Electronics Market, 2023 to 2033.





Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06439032/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




CHICAGO, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) announces that April is PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month with activities including an educational webinar, social media content, and a journal club discussion for healthcare providers in the PFF Care Center Network (CCN). The recruitment month is focused on driving participation in the PFF Community Registry, which relies on self-reported information from patients and lung transplant recipients who have been diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease (ILD), as well as their caregivers and biological family members including those who have lost a loved one.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation invites patients, lung transplant recipients, caregivers, and biological family members impacted by pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease to join the PFF Community Registry at pffregistry.org.

PF is a progressive, debilitating disease that causes scarring in the lungs and is part of a larger group of more than 200 ILDs, which are characterized by inflammation and/or scarring in the lung. PF and ILDs impact over 250,000 Americans, and there are approximately 50,000 individuals who are newly diagnosed each year. There currently is no cure for PF and ILD.

"While we have made many strides in research over the past two decades, there is still so much to learn about PF," and said Kevin Flaherty, MD, MS, Chair of the PFF Registry Steering Committee. "The PFF Community Registry is a way for anyone affected by PF to be a part of the solution so that we can help those living with the disease, and hopefully, find a cure in the future."

Since its launch in July 2022, more than 1,200 individuals have joined the PFF Community Registry. Participants are asked to complete just two online surveys each year, from the comfort of home and at their own pace. Surveys include simple questions about participants' background and experiences, including demographics, diagnosis, education and employment, environmental exposures, and more. This information will help researchers address various issues in PF to improve diagnosis, care, and outcomes in the patients, caregivers, and family members.

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"We encourage anyone affected by PF to help us grow the Community Registry by joining and spreading the word to others," said Flaherty. "There are no limits on how large the Community Registry can grow. We need a wide range of voices from all different diagnoses, regions, races, ethnicities and ages to provide a clear picture of this disease for researchers and increase our chances of finding answers about PF and ILD."

Sam Kirton, a PF lung transplant recipient and PFF Community Registry participant, stated: "One of the first things I considered after the day I was diagnosed was, how do I help? What can I do? The ultimate solution is a more effective therapy and a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. That's what the PFF Community Registry has the potential to enable."

PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month will include communications to mobilize those in the PF community to share information and recruit peers, patients, friends, and family members. A Registry-focused webinar will take place on April 26 to provide insights on recent research and information on participation in the Community Registry. April's PFF CCN Journal Club will convene PF-focused physicians and allied health professionals for discussion of the recent study, "PM2.5 and constituent component impacts on global DNA methylation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis," by Gillian Goobie, MD.

Recruitment month outreach also will encourage those already enrolled in the Registry to take their follow-up surveys, which are sent every six months. Ongoing participation will provide researchers with the most complete and robust data set for their investigations.

The PFF Community Registry is part of the PFF Registry program, which consists of two databases. In addition to the Community Registry, the PFF Patient Registry ran from 2016 to 2022 to track medical data from more than 2,000 PF patients across PFF Care Centers nationwide. Combined, the two databases offer a wealth of longitudinal data on all forms of PF, providing unparalleled insight into the health and health care of patients, lung transplant recipients, caregivers, and family members. These data are helping to accelerate PF research. Information from the PFF Patient Registry has already been used in over 40 studies representing more than $32 million in research.

"There are so many questions surrounding pulmonary fibrosis. And I want to be a part of the answer," said Valeria Hatcher, a patient living with PF and PFF Community Registry participant.

PFF Community Registry Recruitment Month runs from April 1-30. To join the PFF Community Registry, sign up at pffregistry.org. To register for the educational webinar on April 26, click here.

The PFF Registry is supported by founding partner, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, visionary partner United Therapeutics Corporation, sustaining partner Boehringer Ingelheim, and many generous donors. Each of these partners shares the belief that a comprehensive registry is fundamentally important to improving the lives of those living with PF.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is to accelerate the development of new treatments and ultimately a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. Until this goal is achieved, the PFF is committed to advancing improved care of patients with PF and providing unequaled support and education resources for patients, caregivers, family members, and health care providers. The PFF has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Alliance. The Foundation has met all of the requirements of the National Health Council Standards of Excellence Certification Program and has earned the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733).

Contact: Hannah Miller

L.C. Williams & Associates

312-565-3800

hmiller@lcwa.com

(PRNewsfoto/The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pulmonary-fibrosis-foundation-announces-pff-community-registry-recruitment-month-in-april-301788447.html

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
MONTREAL, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ -

Foodtastic logo (CNW Group/Foodtastic)

Foodtastic is proud to announce a reciprocal partnership with QSRP to expand O'Tacos throughout Canada by opening 50 O'Tacos and QSRP to expand Pita Pit in France and Western Europe opening by 50 Pita Pits

O'Tacos is the inventor and market leader of French tacos, an originally Mexican classic reworked in a French style. O'Tacos is known for the quality of its ingredients, its delicious cheese sauce and high-quality meat. The client gets the opportunity to choose from 40,000 different varieties, made to order, therefore making it an ideal option to eat-in or take away.

"Foodtastic has proven to be a leading operator in Canada and is therefore the perfect partner to expand the O'Tacos brand in Northern America. There are no limits to our hunger to keep on developing our brands, focusing on innovation, creating new partnerships where our guest is always in the center of our mind," shared Alessandro Preda, CEO of QSRP.

"QSRP is one oft he fastest growing and leading operations in France and Western Europe, we look forward to woking closely with them on this bilateral initiative to expand O'Tacos in Canada and Pita Pit in France and Western Europe. "explains Peter Mammas, CEO of Foodtastic.

Over the coming weeks, teams from Foodtastic will travel to Europe to learn all the ins and outs of O'Tacos. The European team will in return come to Canada to start the construction process for the first opening in Q2 of 2023.

ABOUT

QSRP is a quick service restaurant platform dedicated to delivering great customer food experiences through our ca. 1,000 restaurants and ca. 6,000 own employees in 7 key countries. Our product offering proudly represents a culturally diverse selection: a. Burgers with US-style Burger King and Belgian rooted Quick, French style halal tacos with O'Tacos as well as c. Sustainable certified seafood NORDSEE & Go! Fish.

O'Tacos founded in 2007, is a digitally-focused mainly franchised native halal restaurant chain serving 'Original French Tacos'. It is owned by QSR Platform Holding SCA.

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Foodtastic

Foodtastic is a leading franchisor of restaurant brands in Canada. Including the recently closed acquisitions of Quesada and Freshii, Foodtastic's system exceeds 1,100 restaurants and 1.15 billion in sales. Foodtastic is rapidly growing internationally, with over 100 restaurants outside of North America.

In addition to Quesada and Freshii, Foodtastic's brands include Second Cup, Pita Pit, Milestones, Fionn MacCool's, Shoeless Joe's, Rotisseries Benny, La Belle et La buf, and Monza.

SOURCE Foodtastic

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c3667.html
Questrade Inc.

-- New offering in home ownership investing allows Canadians to take hold of tomorrow and save for their downpayment faster --

TORONTO, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its continued and evolving mission to help Canadians on their journey to financial independence by transforming financial, investing and mortgage services, Questrade Financial Group is announcing the launch on April 1st of a tax-free First Home Savings Account (FHSA). This enables Canadian first time home buyers to save up to $40,000 towards their first home, withdraw it tax-free and use for their home purchase  with no requirement to repay it. A new way to help Canadians afford a down payment for their home faster, the FHSA combines features of both an RRSP and a TFSA with key attributes including an annual contribution limit of $8,000. To open an FHSA, an individual must be a resident of Canada, at least 18 years of age and must be a first-time home buyer.



Turning dreams of home ownership into reality, faster

Designed to improve the home buying experience, the launch of Questrades FHSA follows the companys introduction last year of QuestMortgage  -- an easy-to-use, online mortgage service designed for those looking to buy a home or renew their mortgage.

The launch of the Questrade FHSA is the next step in our journey of being an established provider for home needs and represents another milestone in our vision to revolutionize financial services, said Edward Kholodenko, president and CEO, Questrade. Together with our QuestMortgage offering, we are committed to helping Canadians achieve their dream of homeownership as a good investment in a challenging market, ultimately setting them on the path towards financial success and security.

Questrades FHSA benefits: simple and speedy to save for a downpayment

Features include:

Afford a downpayment faster: annual contribution limit is tax deductible, thereby lowering the taxes one pays

Invest up to $40,000 completely tax free

Two simple options to invest: invest by yourself, in a Questrade self-directed account (SDI) or let the experts invest for you with portfolios that fit your comfort level and are built to help you reach your goals faster via Questwealth Portfolios (QWP)

Questrades award-winning customer service offers assistance with any questions and guidance throughout the process

Easy to get started: open and fund the FHSA account in minutes

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About QuestMortgage 

QuestMortgage is a service provided by Community Trust Company (CTC) offering direct-to-client mortgage solutions to help Canadians on their journey to homeownership. It features an online application process, dedicated mortgage advisors, as well as great low rates and prepayment privileges. All mortgage applications are subject to meeting QuestMortgage standard credit criteria, residential mortgage standards and maximum permitted loan amounts. Available in select markets only. CTC is a federally regulated Canadian trust company and forms part of the Questrade Financial Group (QFG). The trademark QuestMortgage is licensed to CTC by Questrade, Inc. another QFG company and Canada's fastest growing online brokerage.

About Questrade

Questrade, Inc. (Questrade) is changing the Canadian financial services industry by leveraging technology to lower fees while providing a viable alternative to traditional financial investment options, thereby allowing Canadians to Keep More of their Money. As a leader and innovator in financial services, Questrade is a trusted ally that advocates for consumers, focused on improving value. With 23 years of challenging the status quo as Canada's leading, non-bank online brokerage and over $30 billion in assets under administration, Questrade and its affiliates provide financial products and services, including securities and foreign currency investments. Questrade has been named one of Canadas Best Managed Companies for the eleventh year in a row, achieving Platinum status. For more information visit www.questrade.com or on Facebook and Twitter @Questrade. Questrade, Inc. is a registered investment dealer, a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Questrade is a wholly owned subsidiary of Questrade Financial Group Inc.

About Questrade Wealth Management, Inc.

Questrade Wealth Management Inc. ("QWM") provides professional investment management services through Questwealth Portfolios ( www.questrade.com/questwealth-portfolios ). QWM is a registered Exempt Market Dealer, Investment Fund Manager and Portfolio Manager. QWM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Questrade Financial Group Inc.

For more information, visuals, or to arrange an interview or broadcast segment with Questrade CEO, Edward Kholodenko or CMO, Rob Shields contact Susan Willemsen at The Siren Group Inc. Tel: 416-461-1567 or M: 416-402-4880. Email: susan@thesirengroup.com , www.thesirengroup.com and @thesirengroup.




The Institute will bring together research insights and industry experts to help clients and communities apply climate solutions

TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is expanding its Economics and Thought Leadership group to create a dedicated approach to climate policy research and action across key sectors of the economy.

RBC (CNW Group/Royal Bank of Canada)

The RBC Climate Action Institute will bring together economists, policy analysts and business strategists to help research and advance ideas that can contribute to Canada's climate progress.

The institute will work closely with businesses and industry partners to design practical ways to reduce net emissions. It will focus initially on buildings & real estate, agriculture, and energy systems.

We believe that sharing knowledge and potential solutions that are industry specific will help overcome challenges that clients and partners currently face when trying to move their plans forward.

The Institute will undertake work that advances a key pillar of RBC's climate strategy, the RBC Climate Blueprint, focusing on providing ideas in areas where it believes it can have a meaningful impact.

The inspiration for the Institute grew out of work that RBC Economics & Thought Leadership began with The $2 Trillion Transition, which forecasted the private and public capital we believe would be needed to finance Canada's transition to net-zero in key sectors of the economy. Further, alongside clients and leaders in the agricultural sector, the team worked to identify opportunities for advancing climate-smart agriculture, while meeting growing global food demand.

This collaborative approach has been welcomed by many of our partners engaged in the initiative who also shared that a similar approach could be applied in other areas of the economy.

RBC has partnered with Maple Leaf Foods, Loblaw, Nutrien and many other leading companies to create the Canadian Alliance for Net-Zero Agriculture (CANZA). CANZA came together as we recognized a strong need in agriculture for potential net-zero solutions, and started researching and publishing reports on the sector such as The Next Green Revolution.

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The RBC Climate Action Institute will continue similar collaborative efforts with partners in the buildings sector, including working with the Brookfield Sustainability Institute at George Brown College.



"The coming years are truly critical for Canada's economic and net-zero ambitions with many complex challenges to resolve," said John Stackhouse, senior vice president, Office of the CEO. "We believe that this collaborative approach will be an important catalyst as RBC and other organizations consider climate solutions."

Across RBC we are proud of the progress that our teams have been making in helping clients and communities in which we operate to transition to net-zero, including:

The formation of the Environmental Markets Solutions Group in Capital Markets, offering deep expertise and execution capabilities for global carbon markets and renewable energy solutions. RBC plans to enhance its efforts in the carbon markets through our recent investment in ClearBlue Markets, a global leader in carbon markets project development, analytics and research.

Expanding our Sustainable Finance advisory team within Business Financial Services to support our approach to sustainability, believing that incorporating ESG insights alongside traditional financial analysis and market perspectives can lead to better outcomes and more opportunities for our clients.

Expanded an RBC Foundation partnership with ALUS, a national charity that helps farmers and ranchers build nature-based solutions on their land, by investing an additional $1.5 million over three years for initiatives related to carbon sequestration on agricultural lands. This additional funding brings total support from RBC to more than $2.3 million since 2018.

"The climate challenges our society is facing are significant and complex, they require innovation, and, above all, they necessitate that we work together," said Jennifer Livingstone, vice president of Enterprise Climate Strategy for RBC. "We're harnessing the full power of RBC  our ability to convene leaders, share insights, apply solutions and advocate for change."

Learn more about the RBC Climate Action Institute at rbc.com/climate-action-institute.

Learn more about RBC's climate strategy at rbc.com/climate.

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.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and any applicable Canadian securities legislation with respect to Royal Bank of Canada's (we, us or our) RBC Climate Action Institute.

Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our economic, environmental (including climate), social and governance-related objectives, vision, commitments, goals, as well as how we will bring together research insights and industry experts to help clients and communities apply climate solutions, will bring together economists, policy analysts and business strategists to help research and advance ideas that can contribute to Canada's climate progress, will work closely with businesses and industry partners to design practical ways to reduce net emissions, and will undertake work that advances a key pillar of RBC's climate strategy. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is presented for the purpose of assisting our stakeholders, including holders of our securities and financial analysts, in understanding our vision, commitments, goals, as well as our economic, environmental (including climate), social and governance-related impacts and objectives, including the ways we intend to address climate-related strategy, and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "expectation", "aim", "achieve", "foresee", "forecast", "anticipate", "predict", "intend", "estimate", "commit", "goal", "plan", "strive", "objective", and "project" and similar expressions of future or conditional verbs such as "will", "may", "might", "should", "could" or "would".

By their very nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, which give rise to the possibility that our predictions, forecasts, projections, expectations or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that our assumptions may not be correct, and that our objectives, vision, commitments, goals, and economic, environmental, social and governance-related impacts and objectives will not be achieved. Moreover, many of the assumptions, standards, metrics and measurements used in preparing this press release continue to evolve and are based on assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time of preparation, but should not be considered guarantees.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of risk factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements.

These factors  many of which are beyond our control and the effects of which can be difficult to predict  include but are not limited to: the need for active and continuing participation and action of various stakeholders (including governmental and non-governmental organizations, other financial institutions, businesses and individuals), technological advancements, varying decarbonization efforts across economies, the need for thoughtful climate policies around the world, the challenges of balancing emission reduction targets with an orderly and inclusive transition and geopolitical factors that impact global energy needs, our ability to gather and verify data, our ability to successfully implement various initiatives throughout the company under expected time frames, the risk that initiatives will not be completed within a specified period or at all or with the results or outcomes as originally expected or anticipated by RBC, financial market conditions, our business operations, our financial results, condition and objectives, the legal and regulatory environment, and regulatory compliance (which could lead us to being subject to various legal and regulatory proceedings, the potential outcome of which could include regulatory restrictions, penalties and fines), strategic, reputation, competitive, legal and regulatory environment and systemic risks and other risks. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations in such forward-looking statements can be found in the risk sections of our Annual Report for the year ended October 31, 2022 and the Risk management section of our Quarterly Report for the three month period ended January 31, 2023.

We caution that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect our results. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to us, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, none of RBC nor its affiliates undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

SOURCE Royal Bank of Canada

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c3498.html
VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (the "Company" or "ReconAfrica") (TSXV: RECO) (OTCQX: RECAF) (Frankfurt: 0XD) is pleased to announce as a result of recent data from the ongoing phase two 2-D seismic program, a significant new play type has been confirmed in the southern and western parts of the Company's ~6.3 million acre exploration licence area in Namibia  PEL 73. This new fold belt province, the "Damara Fold Belt", initially identified SW of the Karoo Rift Basin, consists of a very prominent and clearly imaged series of anticlinal structures, also known as Whaleback anticlines.

. (CNW Group/Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd.)

These elongated anticlinal folds, which are often faulted, have a consistent linear trend in a NW to SE direction. With growing seismic data coverage used to identify these fold structures, 16 such structures have been recognized so far, with an areal extent of up to 50,000 acres (200 sq kms) and ~650 feet (200 metres) of column height, similar to structures found in the Zagros Fold Belt in Iran and Iraq (See maps & seismic).

The earlier phase of 2D seismic combined with stratigraphic test wells which penetrated the underlying Damara section (pre-Karoo aged stratigraphy), initially identified the fold belt below the Karoo Rift Basin and confirmed the trend and presence of these fold structures, carbonate reservoir rocks with up to 17% matrix porosity, fracture porosity, and significant oil shows (Netherland, Sewell & Associates Report). As per prior press release, gas samples from the most recent stratigraphic test well, sampled in Isotubes during drilling this (pre-Karoo) section, have been analysed by a third-party industry laboratory, GeoMark Research (Houston, TX), showing thermogenic methane gas and good concentrations of hydrocarbon gas liquids. Importantly, a natural gas seep has been located on top of one of these elongated anticlines.

Stratigraphically, the Damara section (pre-Karoo) is expected to contain multiple source rock intervals associated with glacial and post-glacial anoxic events, continental, and marine organic rich source rocks. It is expected the reservoirs and seals would be composed of stacked sequences of sands, limestones, dolomites and shales.

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Extension of the phase two seismic program, which is currently being acquired, was designed to increase the seismic control, validate and delineate the full extension of this new play type. The 2D seismic data will be supplemented by a high resolution eFTG (Full Tensor Gravity) survey, recently permitted. An integrated interpretation of seismic, well data, eFTG and aero-magnetics has been prioritized and will enable three dimensional mapping of these large structures.

The Company has applied for drilling permits for six Damara locations, which are subject to further refinement once final data acquisition and interpretation are completed by July 2023. Subject to permitting, the Company expects to drill the first Damara Fold Belt location shortly thereafter.

Extension of the phase two seismic program was also designed to delineate the full extension to the southeast of the Karoo Rift Basin. Timing for additional Rift Basin wells, including previously announced 5-1 well in the Rift Basin, is postponed until completion of the seismic, the eFTG program, a full sequence stratigraphic integrated interpretation and the resulting prospect ranking for the entire licence area.

Seismic Operations

Acquisition of the Phase 2 extension 2-D seismic program (~1500 km) is on schedule to be finished in May of this year, completing the Company's planned regional seismic acquisition program totaling ~2800 kms. This program expands 2D seismic coverage of both the new Damara Fold belt province and over the initial play, the Karoo Rift Basin, to the southeast corner of PEL 73. Results of the next well to test one of the structures in the Damara Fold Belt will be a part of the area wide risk weighted ranking of multiple play types, both in the Damara Fold Belt and the Karoo Rift Basin, which also remains highly prospective.

Petroleum Systems Analysis

Simultaneously, with the accelerated exploration focus on the Damara Fold Belt, a Petroleum System Analysis by a third-party specialist designed to evaluate the source rock maturity, generation and expulsion timing of hydrocarbons is also underway. This will be augmented by seismic sequence stratigraphic interpretation and mapping of the depositional environments to provide management with a more comprehensive understanding of the petroleum system, play fairway, and its variation within the entire Kavango Stratigraphic basin.

About ReconAfrica

ReconAfrica is a Canadian oil and gas company engaged in the opening of the newly discovered deep Kavango Sedimentary Basin in the Kalahari Desert of northeastern Namibia and northwestern Botswana, where the Company holds petroleum licences comprising ~8 million contiguous acres. In all aspects of its operations ReconAfrica is committed to minimal disturbance of habitat in line with best international standards and will implement environmental and social best practices in all of its project areas.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian, United States and other applicable securities laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company's engaging a survey provided to perform an enhanced full tensor gravity survey, including the expected timing for the completion of, and the interpretation of results from, such survey, the uses, objectives and expected results of such survey, the size of such survey and the equipment to be used to perform such survey, the Company's Phase 2 extension of its 2D seismic acquisition program, including the expected timing for completion, and the interpretation of results from, such program, the Company's expected drilling at the Damara Fold Belt, including the expected timing and receipt of permits and the completion of final data acquisition and the interpretation of the results from such data acquisition, the expected timing for the 5-1 test well, including with respect to the completion of the seismic eFTG program, full sequence stratigraphic integrated interpretation and the resulting prospect ranking for the entire licence area, the Company's expectations with respect to recognized anticlines in the area covered by the Company's PEL 73 exploration licence in Namibia, including those anticlines being similar to the Zagros Fold Belt and the location of a natural gas seep along the anticlines, the Company's expectations with respect to the recognition of additional anticlines along the Damara Fold Belt, the Company's expectations of the composition of source rock intervals in the Damara Fold Belt, the Company's expectations with respect to the Petroleum System Analysis to be performed by a third-party specialist, including obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the Kavango Stratigraphic basin and the Company's commitment to minimal disturbance of habitat, in line with best international standards and its implementation of environmental and social best practices in all of its project areas. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on ReconAfrica's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's amended and restated annual information form dated May 19, 2021 and the "Risk Management and Risk Factors" section in the Company's interim management's discussion and analysis dated March 1, 2023, available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to ReconAfrica. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and ReconAfrica undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

SOURCE Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2023/03/c7514.html
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / Rockland Resources Ltd. (the "Company" or "Rockland") (CSE:RKL) is pleased to announce that it has signed an option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Wapistan Lithium Project (the "Project") located within the James Bay region of Quebec.

The Wapistan Lithium Project is a large land package comprised of 219 claims (10,722 hectares) over two claim blocks (Wapistan East and West; Figure 1). The property is easily accessed by all-season roads, hydro and has two nearby communities offering exploration and mining services.

The Wapistan East Property is underlain by approximately 20 kilometres of the Yasinski Group volcano-sedimentary rocks (greenstone belt). Whereas the Wapistan West property is underlain by approximately 11 kilometres of the Yasinski Group rocks.

The Wapistan Project is located between 8 and 30 kilometres easterly from the lithium prospects and spodumene bearing pegmatites of the nearby Q2 Metals Mia Property (QTWO - TSXV) and Ophir Gold's Radis Property (OPHR - TSXV); all which form part of the same greenstone belt.

At Mia, two notable showings include Mia Li-1 (0.47% Li2O) and Mia Li-2 (2.27% Li2O), were recently sampled by Q2 Metals. These occurrences of spodumene pegmatite are well documented and located within the western part of the Yasinski Lake (greenstone) Belt. Historical work in 1959 (Main Exploration Company Ltd., GM10200) within the Mia Property has mapped an approximate 8.3 km trend of pegmatite (up to 30.5 metres wide) extending in the same greenstone belt from the Mia occurrences eastward toward the Wapistan Property.

The Wapistan Project has never been explored with lithium or critical elements in mind, despite the well positioned location. At Wapistan, a small number of pegmatites are described within the regional provincial SIGEOM database. The Company has retained Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. to complete a comprehensive property-wide compilation of historical data, and a review and interpretation of high-resolution satellite photos, in order to generate exploration targets for the upcoming field season.

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Figure 1. Wapistan Lithium Project Location

Mike England, CEO of Rockland stated "We are extremely excited to acquire such a large land package covering one of the most promising Greenstone Belts in the James Bay Region of Quebec. Recent exploration by both Q2 Metals and Ophir Gold has shown the western part of the belt to host a number of spodumene bearing pegmatites. While Patriot Battery Metals has demonstrated the James Bay region to host the potential for a world class lithium discovery"

Cumulative terms of the option agreement will see Rockland issue 10.8 million shares and pay $400,000 cash over a 12-month period. A 2% NSR will be granted to the vendor of which half (1%) can be purchased back by the Company for $1,000,000 at any time.

The proposed transaction is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including, as applicable, approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. A 21-day due diligence period has been granted to Rockland. The proposed transaction would be an arm's-length transaction for the company and would not constitute a fundamental change or result in a change of control of the company, within the meaning of the policies of the CSE. A finders fee will be payable.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Francois Gagnon, P. Geo., Senior Exploration Geologist for Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., and Qualified Person under NI 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects.

Disclaimer

*Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties

About Rockland Resources Ltd.

Rockland Resources is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets for the benefit of its shareholders.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mike England

Director

For further information, please contact:

Mike England

Email: mike@engcom.ca

Neither the Canadian Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM).

SOURCE: Rockland Resources Ltd.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747149/REPEAT-Rockland-Resources-Acquires-the-Wapistan-Lithium-Project




IndexBox, Inc.

NEW YORK, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading research firm IndexBox has just published a new report on the global frozen potato market, providing comprehensive analysis, insights, and forecasts through 2030. The report offers a detailed overview of the current market scenario, key growth drivers and challenges, factors affecting demand, and the outlook for the major consuming industries. The full report is available on the IndexBox website at https://www.indexbox.io/store/world-frozen-potatoes-market-analysis-forecast-size-trends-and-insights/

In addition, IndexBox is offering trial access to their market data platform, allowing interested parties to explore essential information and trends related to the frozen potato industry.

According to the report, the global frozen potato market is projected to experience significant growth through 2030, driven by factors such as increasing demand for convenience food, innovation in product offerings, and expansion in the foodservice industry. However, the market also faces challenges such as fluctuating raw material prices and growing concerns over health and sustainability.

The global frozen potato market can be segmented based on product type, end-user, and region. This industry overview provides an outline of the market trends and growth prospects for each segment, as well as the major end-users and regions that significantly impact the frozen potato market.

Segmentation by Product Type:

Frozen French Fries

Frozen Potato Wedges

Frozen Mashed Potatoes

Frozen Hash Browns

Other Frozen Potato Products

Frozen French fries dominate the market, followed by frozen potato wedges and hash browns. The growing popularity of quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and the increasing demand for convenience foods have fueled the growth of these segments. Innovations in flavor profiles and the introduction of healthier product options also contribute to their continued expansion.

End-User Segmentation:

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Quick-Service Restaurants (QSRs)

Full-Service Restaurants

Catering Services

Retail Stores

QSRs account for the largest share of the global frozen potato market, driven by the rising number of fast-food chains and the demand for easy-to-prepare food items. Full-service restaurants and catering services also significantly contribute to market growth, as they increasingly adopt frozen potato products for their convenience and consistent quality. The retail sector, which includes supermarkets, hypermarkets, and online platforms, is also witnessing an uptick in demand for frozen potato products as consumers increasingly prefer convenient and ready-to-cook food items.

Regional Overview:

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa

North America is the largest market for frozen potatoes, with the United States driving the majority of the demand. Europe follows closely behind, with countries like the United Kingdom , Germany , and France contributing significantly to the market growth. The Asia-Pacific region, led by emerging economies such as China and India, is experiencing rapid expansion due to the growing middle-class population, increasing disposable incomes, and the proliferation of QSRs and foodservice outlets. Latin America and the Middle East and Africa regions are also witnessing notable growth, driven by the expanding foodservice industry and rising demand for convenience foods.

Some of the largest manufacturers in the frozen potato industry include

McCain Foods Limited: Based in Canada, McCain Foods is the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato products, including French fries, potato wedges, and hash browns. Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.: An American company, Lamb Weston is a leading supplier of frozen potato products for foodservice, retail, and QSRs. J.R. Simplot Company: This American company offers a wide range of frozen potato products, including French fries, potato wedges, and mashed potatoes. Aviko B.V.: A Dutch company, Aviko is one of the largest European producers of frozen potato products, offering an extensive product portfolio for the foodservice and retail sectors. Farm Frites International B.V.: Farm Frites, based in the Netherlands, is a global supplier of frozen potato products, including French fries, potato wedges, and hash browns. Agristo NV: A Belgium-based company, Agristo specializes in the production of frozen potato products, offering a variety of options for the foodservice and retail industries. Barts Spices Ltd. (Champion Foods): A UK-based company, Champion Foods is a leading producer of frozen potato products, including French fries, wedges, and specialty items. Clarebout Potatoes NV: Based in Belgium, Clarebout Potatoes is a major supplier of frozen potato products, such as French fries and potato specialties, to foodservice and retail outlets. The Kraft Heinz Company (Ore-Ida): The American multinational Kraft Heinz owns the Ore-Ida brand, which is a prominent player in the retail sector for frozen potato products, including French fries and hash browns. Mydibel S.A.: A Belgian company, Mydibel is a producer and supplier of a wide range of frozen potato products, including French fries, potato wedges, and mashed potatoes.

For more information, or to request a copy of the report, please visit https://www.indexbox.io/

Keywords: Frozen Potato Market, Market Forecast, Growth Drivers, Market Challenges, Demand Factors, Consuming Industries

CONTACT: contact: Mekhrona Dzhuraeva, Editor Email: media@indexbox.io




Reunion Gold Corporation

LONGUEUIL, Quebec, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reunion Gold Corporation (TSXV: RGD - OTCQX: RGDFF) (the Company or Reunion Gold) is pleased to announce that it has qualified to upgrade from the OTCQB to the OTCQX Best Market, the highest market tier of OTC Markets on which 12,000 U.S. and international securities trade. Reunion Gold will begin trading today on OTCQX under the symbol RGDFF.



We are pleased to reach the milestone of trading on OTCQX, the highest market tier of the OTC. We believe this is a key step in our growth plan and increasing visibility of the Company, stated Rick Howes, the CEO of Reunion Gold.

Trading on OTCQX is expected to enhance the visibility and accessibility of the Company to U.S. investors. U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com.

The common shares will continue to trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RGD.

About Reunion Gold Corporation

Reunion Gold Corporation is a leading gold explorer in the Guiana Shield, South America. In 2021, the Company made an exciting new gold discovery at its Oko West project in Guyana, where to date it has outlined continuous gold mineralization at the Kairuni zone over 2,000 meters of strike and to a depth of 575 meters. The Companys Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RGD and trade on the OTCQX under the symbol RGDFF. Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Companys website (www.reuniongold.com).

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the expectation about enhance visibility and accessibility to U.S. Investors. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and are based on various assumptions. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward- looking statements and shareholders are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such statements.

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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.

For further information, please contact:

REUNION GOLD CORPORATION

Rick Howes, P.Eng., President and CEO, or

Doug Flegg, Business Development Advisor

Telephone: +1 450.677.2585

Email: info@reuniongold.com

Website: www.reuniongold.com




Richard Drew/AP

Last year was unkind to anyone who visits a gas station to keep their cars moving  the price at the pump topped $5 for the first time in June. But the companies that keep those pumps filled with gas had a blockbuster 2022.

Check Out: Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg and 27 More Rich People Who Live Like Average Joes

Wealth Building: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000

According to Reuters, the major Western oil companies doubled their profits last year to a record $219 billion.

Companies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, BP, Eni and TotalEnergies are among the biggest multinationals on Earth, and the people who run them are paid handsomely for the revenues their leadership helps to generate.

So, just how rich are the CEOs of the worlds biggest energy companies? Heres a look at the enviable salaries of the Big Oil chief executives.

Also see the richest people in tech.

ExxonMobil: Darren W. Woods

Darren Woods joined ExxonMobil in 1992 and rose through the ranks until he took over as CEO on Jan. 1, 2017. He has a net worth of $80 million.

In 2022, Reuters reported that the company gave Woods a raise, bumping his salary from $1.7 million to $1.88 million per year  but his base salary represents less than 10% of his total compensation package, which was closer to $24 million in 2021.

The AFL-CIO broke it down like this:

Salary: $1,615,000

Bonus: $3,142,000

Stock awards: $13,505,225

Change in pension value and deferred compensation: $5,137,153

All other compensation: $173,110

His total compensation of $23,572,488 was 125 times the median company employees earnings.

Take Our Poll: Would You Move for a Job That Paid You a $10,000 Signing Bonus?

Chevron: Michael Wirth

Michael Wirth, who took over as Chevron CEO and chairman of the board in 2018, has a net worth of $50 million.

According to Bloomberg, his companys record 2022 profits earned the chief executive an 8.8% pay raise. His salary is now $1.85 million per year.

Although its most recent salary data is from the year before in 2021, the AFL-CIO outlined what Wirths pay package looks like when you include all the post-salary goodies:

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Salary: $1,650,000

Stock awards: $12,233,699

Options awards: $3,874,962

Non-equity incentive plan compensation: $4,500,000

All other compensation: $351,624

His total pay of $22,610,285 was 123 times that of the median Chevron employee.

Shell: Wael Sawan

Wael Sawan, whos new to the CEO position as of January, joined the British multinational Shell in 1997. His net worth is unknown.

According to Reuters, Sawan was appointed with a salary of 1.4 million pounds, or about $1.72 million.

While the particulars of his pay package are not yet known, his predecessors compensation offers some insight. According to Time, Shells outgoing CEO received a full years pay as a parting gift. Thanks to last years record profits, that pay increased by more than 50% over the previous year to nearly $12 million.

BP: Bernard Looney

Bernard Looney, whose net worth is unknown, joined British Petroleum as an engineer in 1991 and took over the top executive spot in 2020.

BP reported a record-high profit of $28 billion in 2022  and Looney reaped the rewards. According to Reuters, his base salary is the equivalent of $1.6 million and his total stock and bonus pay more than doubled from the year before to nearly $12 million.

Eni: Claudio Descalzi

Milan native Claudio Descalzi has served as CEO of the Italian multinational Eni since 2014.

While his net worth is unknown, Enis most recent executive remuneration report sheds light on Descalzis earnings. His base pay (in euros) is the equivalent of $1.73 million. He also earned a bonus of a little over $4 million and roughly $43,000 in non-monetary benefits for a total of $5.8 million. He also picked up $748,000 in equity-based compensation.

TotalEnergies: Patrick Pouyanne

Patrick Pouyanne, whose net worth is unknown, joined TotalEnergies in 1997 and rose to CEO in 2014.

TotalEnergies hasnt yet released its 2022 annual report, but Pouyanne earned the equivalent of $6.5 million in 2021, according to Reuters. That haul represented a raise of more than 50% over 2020. He also was scheduled to receive 1 million euros  about $1.73 million  in dividends in 2022.

All available net worth info is from CelebrityNetWorth.com.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Heres How Rich All the Big Oil Executives Are
Chinese premier meets Japanese FM

Xinhua) 08:22, April 03, 2023

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing, capital of China, April 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, in Beijing on Sunday.

Noting that China and Japan are close neighbors and important Asian countries, Li said maintaining and developing China-Japan relations benefits not only the fundamental interests of the two peoples but also regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.

Li called on the two sides to review and abide by the principle of the treaty to firmly develop a lasting China-Japan relationship featuring peace and friendship.

He called on the Japanese side to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the treaty as an opportunity to meet China halfway, enhance communication and cooperation, properly handle differences, stay clear of disruptive risks, and keep expanding the positive side of bilateral relations to jointly build a relationship that meets the demand of the times.

Li pointed out that major issues of principle, such as history and the Taiwan question, are the bedrock of the political foundation of China-Japan relations, which call for sincere, cordial, and careful settlement.

Noting that China and Japan are important economic and trade partners, Li said the two sides should and can make the pie of economic and trade cooperation bigger.

He called on the two countries to enhance cooperation in the digital economy, green development, fiscal and financial sectors, as well as medical and elderly care services to achieve high-level mutual benefit and win-win results.

Li welcomed Japan to continue to deepen cooperation with China and share China's development benefits.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will jointly safeguard free trade, practice true multilateralism, actively promote the process of regional integrity, maintain the stability and smooth flow of industrial and supply chains, and contribute to regional and global development.

Japan and China have great cooperative potential in a wide range of areas, said Hayashi, adding that Japan is committed to promoting cooperation with China.

Hayashi said Japan is willing to work with China to take the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship as an opportunity to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain high-level exchanges, and keep carrying out dialogue and communication to build constructive and stable bilateral relations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Funds raised will be used for the completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") to evaluate accelerating the development of the Sanutura Project

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE IN THE UNITED STATES

PERTH, AUSTRALIA / VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWORE / April 3, 2023 / Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama" or the "Company") (ASX:SRR, TSX-V:SWA) is pleased to announce it has received binding commitments to undertake a A$2.0 million equity placement (the "Placement") to advance development studies for its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project (the "Project"). The Placement was strongly supported by existing shareholders and new domestic and international institutional, professional and sophisticated investors.

Highlights

Binding commitments received for Placement of A$2.0 million

Strong demand for Placement from existing and new institutional, professional and sophisticated investors

The funds raised will be used to complete a PEA evaluating an accelerated, multi-stage development of the Sanutura Project and for general working capital purposes

Sarama's Managing Director, Andrew Dinning commented:

"We are very pleased with the strong support received for the Placement from our existing shareholders and look forward to welcoming a number of new institutional, professional and sophisticated investors to the Company's share register.

The funds raised from the Placement will be used to evaluate an accelerated multi-stage development at the Sanutura Project which we believe has the potential to generate a very compelling investment case based on the extensive oxide resource and related grade and cost profile."

Use of Proceeds

Funds raised from the Placement will be used to complete a preliminary economic assessment to evaluate an accelerated multi-stage development at the Sanutura Project and to fund administration and general working capital costs.

Placement Details

The Placement will comprise the issue of 20,000,000 Chess Depository Instruments ("CDIs") at an issue price of A$0.10 per CDI to raise gross proceeds of A$2.0 million. The issue price represents a ~4.8% discount to Sarama's last traded price on the ASX on Wednesday, 29 March 2023 of A$0.105. Each new CDI issued under the Placement will rank equally with existing CDIs on issue and each CDI will represent a beneficial interest in 1 common share of the Company.

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Sarama will issue 1 free attaching unlisted option ("Placement Option") for every 2 new CDIs issued pursuant to the Placement. Each Placement Option will be exercisable at A$0.15 and will expire 3 years from the date of issue.

Members of Sarama's Board and Management intend to subscribe for an aggregate 500,000 CDIs (together with the attaching Placement Options) in the Placement. Subscriptions by directors of Sarama are subject to prior approval of the shareholders as required by the ASX Listing Rules. Accordingly, such subscriptions will only be completed as part of Tranche 2 of the Placement which is anticipated at the General Meeting to be held on or about 31 May 2023.

Each of the directors and officers who participates in the Placement will be a "related party" of the Company within the meaning of that term in Canadian Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Shareholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). Participation by them in the Placement is therefore a "related party transaction" within the meaning of MI 61-101. Pursuant to Section 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, the Company is exempt from obtaining a formal valuation and minority approval of the Company's shareholders in respect of the Offer due to the fair market value of their participation being below 25% of the Company's market capitalization for the purposes of MI 61-101. The Company will file a material change report in respect of the Placement which will detail the participation by any directors and officers of the Company. It is expected that the material change report will be filed more than 21 days prior to the completion the Placement in respect of any participating directors and officers.

The Placement is comprised of two tranches:

Tranche 1 consists of 13.75 million new CDIs (and 6.875 million attaching Placement Options) under the Company's ASX Listing Rule 7.1 capacity. Funds received from the Tranche 1 placement will total A$1.375 million. The Company expects to complete allotment of the new CDIs under Tranche 1 by 12 April 2023.

Tranche 2 consists of a further 6.25 million new CDIs (and 3.125 million attaching Placement Options) which will be subject to shareholder approval at the General Meeting. Tranche 2 includes participation by Directors or entities associated with the Directors totalling A$20,000. Total funds received from Tranche 2 will total A$0.625 million.

The Placement remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Euroz Hartleys Limited acted as Sole Lead Manager and Bookrunner to the Placement.

This announcement was authorised for release to the ASX by the Board of Sarama Resources Ltd.

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.

For further information, please contact:

Company Activities Media Enquiries Andrew Dinning or Paul Schmiede

Sarama Resources Ltd Angela East

Media & Capital Partners e: info@saramaresources.com

t: +61 8 9363 7600 e: Angela.east@mcpartners.com.au

t: +61 428 432 025

ABOUT SARAMA RESOURCES LTD

Sarama Resources Ltd (ASX: SRR, TSX-V: SWA) is a West African focused gold explorer/developer with substantial landholdings in south-west Burkina Faso. Sarama is focused on maximising the value of its strategic assets and advancing its key projects towards development.

Sarama's 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project is principally located within the prolific Hounde Greenstone Belt in south-west Burkina Faso and is the exploration and development focus of the Company. The Project hosts the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits which have a combined Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz gold (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz gold (Inferred)(1).

Together, the deposits present a potential mine development opportunity featuring an initial, long-life CIL project which may be established and paid for by the significant oxide Mineral Resource base.

Sarama has built further optionality into its portfolio including an approximate 470km exploration position in the highly prospective Banfora Belt in south-western Burkina Faso. The Koumandara Project hosts several regional-scale structural features and trends of gold-in-soil anomalism extending for over 25km along strike.

Sarama also holds an approximate 18% participating interest in the Karankasso Project Joint Venture ("JV") which is situated adjacent to the Company's Sanutura Project in Burkina Faso and is a JV between Sarama and Endeavour Mining Corp ("Endeavour") in which Endeavour is the operator of the JV. In February 2020, an updated Mineral Resource estimate of 709koz gold(3) was declared for the Karankasso Project JV.

The Company's Board and management team have a proven track record in Africa and a strong history in the discovery and development of large-scale gold deposits. Sarama is well positioned to build on its current success with a sound strategy to surface and maximise the value of its property portfolio.

Sarama Resources Ltd., Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

Sanutura Project - An Already Large Mineral Resource with Potential to Grow

The Company's primary focus is its 100%-owned(4) Sanutura Project, which hosts a large Mineral Resource of 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 2.3Moz Au (Inferred)(1) and covers an area of 1,420km2. The Project occupies a commanding position along 70km of strike in the prolific Hounde Belt (refer Figure 6), Burkina Faso's pre-eminent gold belt.

The Project lies 60km south of Endeavour Mining's Hounde Mine (5Moz Au); 120km south of Fortuna Silver's high-grade Yaramoko Mine (1Moz Au), and 140km south of Endeavour Mining's Mana Mine (5Moz Au), highlighting the significant gold endowment of the Hounde Belt (refer Appendix B). Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project (1.5Moz Au Inferred Mineral Resource(5)) is located only 6km from the bulk of the Sanutura Project's main deposit, which illustrates the gold camp scale of endowment of the immediate area.

The Project has significant growth potential and the primary objective of the current +50,000m drill program is to increase the existing 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 0.8Moz Au (Inferred)(2) pit shell constrained oxide and transition component of the Project's Mineral Resource to further underwrite and enhance the economics of mine development.

The recent drill program has generally focused on shallow additional and extensional targets throughout the well-mineralised western corridor of the Tankoro Deposit, where mineralisation has been drill-defined for a semi-continuous strike length of 16km and potential exists to expand the Mineral Resource at shallow depths in oxide material.

Sarama Resources Ltd., Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

Figure 1 - Sanutura Project Location Plan

FOOTNOTES

Mineral Resource estimate for Sanutura Project - 9.4Mt @ 1.9g/t Au for 0.6Moz Au (Indicated) plus 52.7Mt @ 1.4g/t Au for 2.3Moz (Inferred), reported at cut-off grades ranging 0.2-1.6g/t Au, reflecting the mining methods and processing flowsheets assumed to assess the likelihood of the Mineral Resources to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. The effective date of the Company's Mineral Resource estimate is 16 November 2021. For further information regarding the Mineral Resource estimate refer to the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report Sanutura Project, South-West Burkina Faso", dated 7 February 2022 and prepared by Paul Schmiede, Rindra Le Grange and Fred Kock, and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama. Ms Le Grange and Mr Kock are employees of Cube Consulting Pty Ltd and Orway Mineral Consultants Pty Ltd respectivley and are considered to be independent of Sarama. The technical report is available under Sarama's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. Oxide & transition component of the Mineral Resource for Sanutura Project - 3.2Mt @ 1.6g/t Au for 0.2Moz Au (Indicated) plus 23.4Mt @ 1.1g/t Au for 0.8Moz Au (Inferred), reported above cut-off grades of 0.2g/t Au and 0.3g/t Au for oxide and transition material respectively. Mineral Resource estimate for Karankasso Project - 12.74Mt @ 1.73g/t Au for 709koz Au (effective date of December 31, 2019), disclosed on 24 February 2020 by Semafo Inc ("Semafo", since acquired by Endeavour Mining Corp. "Endeavour"). For further information regarding that Mineral Resource estimate, refer to the news release "Semafo: Bantou Project Inferred Resources Increase to 2.2Moz" dated 24 February 2020 and Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020 and the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The news release and technical report are available under Semafo's and Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the ASX Prospectus is available under Sarama's profile on ASX at www.asx.com.au. The Mineral Resource estimate was fully prepared by, or under the supervision of Semafo. Sarama has not independently verified Semafo's mineral Resource Estimate and takes no responsibility for its accuracy. Semafo, and now Endeavour, is the operator of the Karankasso Project JV and Sarama is relying on their Qualified Persons' assurance of the validity of the Mineral Resource estimate. Additional technical work has been undertaken on the Karankasso Project since the effective date but Sarama is not in a position to quantify the impact of this additional work on the Mineral Resource estimate referred to above. The Government of Burkina Faso has processed the requisite documents to facilitate the grant of the new, full-term Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permits (the "Permits") and subsequently issued the invitation to pay the permit issuance fees (the "Fees") and the Fees were paid within the requisite 10-day timeline. Following the payment of the Fee, the issuance of the Permit's arrete and related paperwork becomes an administrative process during which time the Company may undertake work on the Tankoro 2 and Djarkadougou 2 Properties. The Company has received the arrete for the Djarkadougou 2 Exploration Permit and anticipates the issuance of the same for the Tankoro 2 Exploration Permit in due course. The properties, hosting the Tankoro and Bondi Deposits respectively, were formerly known as Tankoro and Djarkadougou, but have been renamed as part of the process of re-issuing the respective Permits. Endeavour Mining's Bantou Project Mineral Resource - 38.4Mt @ 1.2g/t Au for 1.5Moz Au (Inferred). This is the aggregate of the Mineral Resource listing for the Bantou and Bantou Nord Deposits which are located within the Bantou Project. Data is sourced from Semafo: Bantou Project NI43-101 Technical Report - Mineral Resource Estimate" dated 3 April 2020. The technical report are available under Endeavour's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the Placement and the holding of a General Meeting, the Company's future exploration and development plans, the potential for the Sanutura and Karankasso Projects to host economic mineralisation, the potential to expand the existing estimated Mineral Resources at the Sanutura Project (including the present oxide and transition component), the accuracy of the Mineral Resource estimate for the Sanutura Project in localized areas with the addition of new drilling and assay information, the potential to extend and add to existing mineralisation at the MM, MC, Obi and Kenobi Prospects, the potential for development of a mine at the Sanutura Project, the potential for the receipt of regulatory approvals and the timing and prospects for the issuance of the arrete for the Tankoro 2 Exploration Permit by the Government of Burkina Faso. The Company's full suite of exploration permits are at varying stages in their life cycles and at any one time, the Company has exploration permits either in renewal or re-issue phase and although the Company follows due government process and anticipates new exploration permits will be granted in due course, it cannot guarantee this will be done in a timely manner or at all. Actual results, performance or achievements of the Company may vary from the results suggested by such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such factors include, among others, that the business of exploration for gold and other precious minerals involves a high degree of risk and is highly speculative in nature; Mineral Resources are not mineral reserves, they do not have demonstrated economic viability, and there is no certainty that they can be upgraded to mineral reserves through continued exploration; few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines; geological factors; the actual results of current and future exploration; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents.

There can be no assurance that any mineralisation that is discovered will be proven to be economic, or that future required regulatory licensing or approvals will be obtained. However, the Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company's ability to carry on its exploration activities, the sufficiency of funding, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold and other precious metals, that the Company will not be affected by adverse political and security-related events, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain further financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Sarama does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

QUALIFIED PERSONS' STATEMENT

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the preparation of the Mineral Resource estimate for the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this news release of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to exploration activities at the Sanutura Project is based on information compiled or approved by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a member in good standing of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Guy Scherrer consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears.

Scientific or technical information in this disclosure that relates to the quotation of the Karankasso Project's Mineral Resource estimate and exploration activities is based on information compiled by Paul Schmiede. Paul Schmiede is an employee of Sarama Resources Ltd and is a Fellow in good standing of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Paul Schmiede has sufficient experience which is relevant to the commodity, style of mineralisation under consideration and activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101. Paul Schmiede consents to the inclusion in this disclosure of the information, in the form and context in which it appears. Paul Schmiede and Sarama have not independently verified Semafo's (now Endeavour's) Mineral Resource estimate and take no responsibility for its accuracy.

COMPETENT PERSONS' STATEMENT

The Mineral Resource estimates referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.8 in the Company's ASX Prospectus dated 11 March 2022. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the ASX Prospectus and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the ASX Prospectus continue to apply and have not materially changed.

The new Exploration Results reported in this disclosure are based on, and fairly represent, information and supporting documentation prepared by Guy Scherrer. Guy Scherrer is an employee of Sarama Resources and a member of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec. Guy Scherrer has provided his prior written consent as to the form and context in which the new Exploration Results and the supporting information are presented in this disclosure.

The previously reported Exploration Results referred to in this disclosure were first disclosed in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.7 in the Company's ASX disclosure listed in Appendix B. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in those previous items of disclosure.

SOURCE: Sarama Resources Ltd.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/747228/Sarama-Undertakes-A2m-Placement-to-Advance-Sanutura-Project




New Pre-Approval Auto Loan Campaign and Targeted Remarketing Strategy Results in Near Record-Breaking Month-End Numbers for Credit Union

DUBLIN, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SavvyMoney, the leading provider of innovative credit score solutions, and Credit Union of Southern California (CU SoCal), a mission-driven organization focused on improving the lives of its members, announced near record-breaking numbers when implementing SavvyMoney's new pre-approval marketing solution, which offers a streamlined, highly-personalized user experience specifically designed to maximize engagement and conversion.

SavvyMoney (PRNewsfoto/SavvyMoney)

CU SoCal first used the newly implemented solution to run a pre-approval auto loan campaign which had an astounding impact on the credit union's auto loan volume. This is despite launching the campaign in the midst of an industry-wide automobile shortage and a rising rate environment, which caused auto loans to dip for most financial institutions.

Results from the campaign, which ran from August 23 to October 16, 2022, saw a 74% increase in application volume from digital channels, a 53% increase in total funded loans from digital channels (representing $2.4MM of incremental auto loan volume), and a nearly 50% offer click-to-application completion rate (as opposed to a normal 20% rate).

The increased digital presence encouraged more members to apply online, which not only improved the overall member experience but also led to more efficient marketing and lending processes for the credit union. In addition to creating visibility and accessibility within the digital banking platform, SavvyMoney's solution offered a robust email marketing platform, and made campaign planning and management easier for the CU SoCal team. Instead of scrubbing member lists and re-building rate tables, they simply loaded their targeted member list onto the platform.

From there, the data was leveraged to execute a highly effective prescreen marketing campaign that offered a short, frictionless three-step loan application process that led to the greatly improved conversion rates.

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CU SoCal's focus was two-fold: to ensure members were aware of the money-saving offers available to them, and to make it simple for members to take advantage of these offers. In that aspect, the partnership with SavvyMoney was a huge success.

Aaron Burnham, VP Digital Strategy & Strategic Initiatives for CU SoCal, emphasized, "We highly value our partnership with SavvyMoney. Their platform has taken our loan pre-approval process to the next level. Members love how fast and easy it is to submit their loan applications, and our Marketing team loves how simple it is to create and launch automated campaigns. With SavvyMoney, we are confident that our loan pre-approval experience is on par with even the biggest banks or latest fintech solutions without spending big bank dollars."

SavvyMoney, which serves over 1,000 banks and credit unions across the country, is excited to share this new solution with more of their financial institution partners in the upcoming months. This solution works with three of the biggest loan origination systems, MeridianLink, Temenos, and Origence (CU Direct), with more to come in the future.

"SavvyMoney's mission is to provide our financial institution partners with robust, innovative solutions that not only help drive growth, but provide their customers with an unparalleled digital experience," said JB Orecchia, President and CEO of SavvyMoney. "I am so excited to see the results of the CU SoCal campaign, how it helped their members save money, and how it upheld the credit union's reputation of delivering exceptional products and services. We can't wait to see how this solution will continue to make a real difference in the years ahead."

About SavvyMoney

A leading provider of credit score solutions, SavvyMoney serves over 1,000 banks and credit unions across the country. Combining real-time data with digital personalization tools, SavvyMoney's solutions integrate seamlessly with over 40 online banking platforms. SavvyMoney's innovative technology is backed by hands-on service and a commitment to helping financial institutions strengthen and deepen their customer relationships. To learn more about SavvyMoney, visit www.savvymoney.com.

About Credit Union of Southern California

Founded in 1954 as Whittier Area Schools Federal Credit Union, CU SoCal is a credit union open to those who live, work, worship, or attend school in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. CU SoCal has a superior five-star financial rating from BauerFinancial, holds more than $2.7 billion in assets, and serves approximately 145,000 Members. For more information, visit CUSoCal.org .

Contact Info:

Chris Fraenza, SVP, Sales & Partnerships

chris.fraenza@savvymoney.com

925-291-0841

Contact Info:

Ryan Gaeta

RGaeta@CUSoCal.org

Cision

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SOURCE SavvyMoney
Sequana Medical NV

PRESS RELEASE





Ghent, Belgium  03 April 2023  Sequana Medical NV (Euronext Brussels: SEQUA) (the "Company" or "Sequana Medical"), a pioneer in the treatment of fluid overload in liver disease, heart failure and cancer, today announces that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 31 March 2023 for its second-generation DSR product (DSR 2.0) for the treatment of congestive heart failure. Clearance of the IND will pave the way for the Company to initiate its randomized controlled Phase 1/2a MOJAVE study in the US, planned for Q2 2023.

The IND application includes data from the previously reported GLP animal1 and Phase 1 CHIHUAHUA2 studies supporting the safety and tolerability profile of Sequana Medicals DSR 2.0 product, as well as the strong safety and efficacy data reported from RED DESERT and SAHARA proof-of-concept studies with its first-generation DSR product (DSR 1.0). Additionally, the application also contains manufacturing information of DSR 2.0 and an outline of the MOJAVE study design.

Oliver Godje, Chief Medical Officer of Sequana Medical, commented: Todays announcement is an important milestone for our DSR program. There are an estimated 200,000 US heart failure patients suffering from diuretic-resistant congestion that requires repeated hospitalization at an estimated cost of $14bn a year, and therefore an urgent need for new therapies such as DSR to alleviate this burden and improve patients lives. We are very excited to build upon the exciting results from our RED DESERT and SAHARA studies and bring our second generation product, DSR 2.0 into the clinic in the US. We look forward to reporting data from the first US patients later this year.

On track to start M OJAVE with DSR 2.0 in Q2 2023

The final study design of the randomized controlled Phase 1/2a MOJAVE study in the US will be communicated upon approval by the FDA and Ethics Committees. Following several initial discussions with the FDA, the intention is to enrol 30 diuretic-resistant chronic heart failure patients with persistent congestion. Of these, 20 randomized patients will receive DSR 2.0 administered via a peritoneal catheter on top of usual care for congestive heart failure for up to four weeks and ten randomized patients will receive intravenous loop diuretic treatment as part of maximized usual care for congestive heart failure alone. Following four weeks of treatment, there will be a three-month safety follow-up period. Prior to enrolment of these 30 patients, the intention is for three patients to be enrolled in a non-randomized safety cohort and to receive DSR 2.0 administered via a peritoneal catheter on top of congestive heart failure usual care for up to four weeks. Advancing to the enrolment of the 30 randomized patients is anticipated to be dependent upon DSMB3 approval following their review of the initial three patients.

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For more information, please contact:

Sequana Medical

Lies Vanneste

Director Investor Relations

E: IR@sequanamedical.com

T: +32 (0)498 053579

Optimum Strategic Communications

Nick Bastin, Jonathan Edwards, Vici Rabbetts

E: Sequana@optimumcomms.com

T: +44 (0) 208 078 4357

About DSR in congestive heart failure

Sequana Medical considers its proprietary DSR to be a disease modifying therapy for congestive heart failure. Fluid accumulation in heart failure patients is caused by the retention of too much sodium. The DSR drug-based approach directly tackles this key clinical problem of sodium overload, and works in partnership with the kidneys to safely and rapidly eliminate the excess fluid. Complementary to existing heart failure therapies, clinical proof-of-concept studies using the Companys first-generation DSR product (DSR 1.0) have shown that DSR can i) safely, effectively and rapidly eliminate fluid overload in heart failure patients, ii) improve the health of the heart and preserve renal function, and iii) restore the ability of the kidney to manage the fluid and sodium naturally, resulting in a large and long-lasting reduction in the need for diuretic drugs. In DSR treated patients, there have been no congestion-related re-hospitalizations during the study follow-up period, all patients improved their NYHA status by at least one class and the clinical benefits observed in the clinical studies resulted in a 75% reduction in predicted one-year mortality of patients pre- vs. post-intensive DSR therapy based on the Seattle Heart Failure Model. The Company plans to begin MOJAVE, a US randomized controlled Phase 1/2a clinical trial in Q2 2023.

About Sequana Medical

Sequana Medical NV is a pioneer in treating fluid overload, a serious and frequent clinical complication in patients with liver disease, heart failure and cancer. These patients can have up to 15 liters of extra fluid in their bodies, causing major medical issues including increased mortality, repeated hospitalizations, severe pain, difficulty breathing and restricted mobility that severely impacts daily life. Although diuretics are standard of care, the problem is that in many patients they are no longer effective and / or tolerable. There are limited effective treatment options for these patients, resulting in poor clinical outcomes, high costs and a major impact on their quality of life. Sequana Medical is seeking to provide innovative treatment options for this large and growing diuretic-resistant patient population.

alfapump and DSR are Sequana Medical's proprietary platforms that work with the body to treat diuretic-resistant fluid overload, delivering major clinical and quality of life benefits for patients and reducing costs for healthcare systems. The Company has reported positive primary endpoint data from the North American pivotal POSEIDON trial of the alfapump in recurrent or refractory ascites due to liver cirrhosis, enabling the filing of a Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application with the FDA, planned for H2 2023. Having delivered clinical proof-of-concept for DSR as a disease-modifying drug program for the treatment of heart failure, the Company is planning to commence MOJAVE, a US randomized controlled multi-center Phase 1/2a clinical trial of DSR 2.0, in Q2 2023.

Sequana Medical is listed on Euronext Brussels (Ticker: SEQUA.BR) and headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. For further information, please visit www.sequanamedical.com.

Important Regulatory Disclaimers

The alfapump system is currently not approved in the United States or Canada. In the United States and Canada, the alfapump system is currently under clinical investigation (POSEIDON Trial) and is being studied in adult patients with refractory or recurrent ascites due to cirrhosis. For more information regarding the POSEIDON clinical trial see www.poseidonstudy.com. DSR therapy is still in development and it should be noted that any statements regarding safety and efficacy arise from ongoing pre-clinical and clinical investigations which have yet to be completed. DSR therapy is currently not approved for clinical research in the United States or Canada. There is no link between DSR therapy and ongoing investigations with the alfapump system in Europe, the United States or Canada.

Note: alfapump and DSR are registered trademarks.

Forward-looking statements

This press release may contain predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements represent the current judgment of Sequana Medical on what the future holds, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Sequana Medical expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release, except if specifically required to do so by law or regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of Sequana Medical only as of the date of this press release.

1 Data announced in press release on 8 February 2023

2 Data announced in press release on 1 March 2023

3 DSMB: Data Safety Monitoring Board

Attachments




The crest of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C.

(Reuters) - Australian shipbuilder Austal Ltd sank as much as 8.4% to its lowest level in more than four years on Monday after the United States Department of Justice indicted three of its former U.S. employees on manipulating financial information.

Austal, which builds ships for the U.S. Navy and is working on parts of the Virginia class submarines, plunged to its lowest level since October 25, 2018, and marked its worst intraday drop since January 17.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged three former employees for "allegedly making or causing to be made false and misleading statements about Austal USA's performance and financial condition between 2012 and 2016", the company said.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also filed civil charges against the three individuals, Austal said.

The SEC and DOJ alleged that the individuals artificially reduced and suppressed an accounting metric, called estimate at completion (EAC), in relation to multiple littoral combat ships that Austal was building for the U.S. Navy.

The company since then has announced a write-back to adjust its revenue and profit, settled an investigation by Australia's securities regulator, and conducted its own investigation into the matter, which resulted in the resignation of the president of Austal USA.

About 1.2 million shares changed hands, compared with the monthly average of around 791,900 shares.

Austal is down 17% so far this year, as of last close, compared with a 2.1% increase in the ASX All Ordinaries index.

(Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
(Bloomberg) -- OPEC+s shock decision to cut oil production isnt just redrawing the outlook for crude prices, its also hit the prospects of tanker companies that transport the barrels.

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Shares of oil tanker pureplays including Frontline Plc, Euronav NV and DHT Holdings Inc. all slumped on Monday after the alliance of producers surprised the market with a surprise output cut of about 1 million barrels a day.

About 40% of global crude output is transported by sea, meaning a substantial loss of cargoes seems likely. Clarksons Securities AS, a unit of the worlds biggest shipbroker, said the largest supertankers could see their earnings temporarily slump by about a third from the resulting decline in cargoes.

This is an obvious negative, said Halvor Ellefsen, a tanker broker at Fearnleys Shipbrokers UK Ltd. whos worked in the industry for almost four decades. Its not what owners needed.

The production cuts will probably lead to a real loss in supply and tighten global oil markets because those doing the cutting are largely pumping at their quotas, Oil Brokerage Ltd. said in an emailed note Monday.

Russias invasion of Ukraine and ensuing western sanctions had tilted the market in owners favor.

Vessels that previously delivered oil a few thousand miles to Europe are now having to transport it all the way to Asia, keeping tankers employed for longer and boosting vessel earnings.

Chinas exit from Covid-zero policies has also fired up the economy of the nation that has long been the driver of oil demand growth, with buyers shipping millions of barrels of extra crude.

Rates for modern ships with equipment to run cheap fuel are earning not far of $100,000 a day, a very high level by historical standards, according to data from Clarkson Research Services Ltd.

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The US may also curtail some exports in the coming months because its own refineries will likely boost processing as they come out of seasonal maintenance, further diminishing the flow of cargoes, Fearnleys Ellefsen said.

While US crude exports are likely to slow after hitting a record high earlier this year, the market awaits Biden administrations response on OPEC+s move, said Greg Lewis, analyst at BTIG LLC.

See also: Biden Has Limited Options to Respond to OPEC+s Oil Cut

Still, the output curbs will be offset if Asian refiners have to source barrels from far flung suppliers in the Atlantic Basin instead of the Middle East, where the cuts are focused, said Brian Gallagher, head of investor relations at Euronav. It will serve to trim fleet utilization in what are very strong markets, he said.

Clarksons analyst Frode Morkedal also said that the OPEC+ step is precautionary and as such may not have a lasting impact on demand for tankers if consumption picks up. The number of new vessels being built is also low, which should support rates, he said.

--With assistance from Alex Longley and Alaric Nightingale.

(Updates with more analyst reaction in fifth, 11th and 12th paragraphs.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Conference Call Scheduled for Monday, May 1, 2023 at 9:00am ET

KFAR SAVA, Israel, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SILC), an industry-leading provider of high-performance server/appliances networking solutions, announced today that it will be releasing its first quarter 2023 results on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Silicom Ltd.

The Company will be hosting a conference call that same day at 9:00am Eastern Time. On the call, management will review and discuss the results, and will also be available to answer investors' questions.

To participate, investors may either listen via a webcast link hosted on Silicom's website or via the dial-in. The link will be under the investor relations' webcast section of Silicom's website at https://www.silicom-usa.com/webcasts/

For those that wish to dial in via telephone, one of the following teleconferencing numbers may be used:

US: 1 866 860 9642

ISRAEL: 03 918 0609

INTERNATIONAL: +972 3 918 0609

At: 9:00am Eastern Time, 6:00am Pacific Time, 4:00pm Israel Time

It is advised to connect to the conference call a few minutes before the start.

For those unable to listen to the live call, a replay of the call will be available for three months from the day after the call under the above-mentioned webcast section of Silicom's website.

About Silicom

Silicom Ltd. is an industry-leading provider of high-performance networking and data infrastructure solutions. Designed primarily to improve performance and efficiency in Cloud and Data Center environments, Silicom's solutions increase throughput, decrease latency and boost the performance of servers and networking appliances, the infrastructure backbone that enables advanced Cloud architectures and leading technologies like NFV, SD-WAN and Cyber Security. Our innovative solutions for high-density networking, high-speed fabric switching, offloading and acceleration, which utilize a range of cutting-edge silicon technologies as well as FPGA-based solutions, are ideal for scaling-up and scaling-out cloud infrastructures.

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Silicom products are used by major Cloud players, service providers, telcos and OEMs as components of their infrastructure offerings, including both add-on adapters in the Data Center and stand-alone virtualized/universal CPE devices at the edge.

Silicom's long-term, trusted relationships with more than 200 customers throughout the world, its more than 400 active Design Wins and more than 300 product SKUs have made Silicom a "go-to" connectivity/performance partner of choice for technology leaders around the globe.

For more information, please visit: www.silicom.co.il

Statements in this press release which are not historical data are forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, or other factors not under the company's control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements of the company to be materially different from the results, performance, or other expectations implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, Silicom's increasing dependence for substantial revenue growth on a limited number of customers in the evolving cloud-based, SD-WAN, NFV and Edge markets, the speed and extent to which solutions are adopted by these markets, likelihood that Silicom will rely increasingly on customers which provide solutions in these evolving markets, resulting in an increasing dependence on a smaller number of larger customers, difficulty in commercializing and marketing of Silicom's products and services, maintaining and protecting brand recognition, protection of intellectual property, competition, disruptions to our manufacturing and development along with general disruptions to the entire world economy relating to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and other factors detailed in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified as such because the context of the statement will include words, such as "expects," "should," "believes," "anticipates" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. In light of significant risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, the inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation by the company that it will achieve such forward-looking statements. The company disclaims any duty to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Company Contact: Eran Gilad, CFO Silicom Ltd. Tel: +972-9-764-4555 E-mail: erang@silicom.co.il Investor Relations Contact: Ehud Helft Tel: +1 212 378 8040 E-mail: silicom@ekgir.com

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SOURCE Silicom Ltd.
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A major funding source for Social Security is now expected to run out of money a year earlier than previously projected, putting even more pressure on lawmakers to come up with a solution for a program that could see close to one-quarter of its funding depleted next decade.

See: Expert Says Silent Crisis with Retirement Savings Looms Worldwide  How To Act Now

Discover: 3 Ways to Recession Proof Your Retirement

In its annual Trustees report, released on March 31, the Social Security Administration said that under current assumptions, the programs Old Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund will become depleted in 2033. Thats one year earlier than projected in last years report. When the fund runs dry, Social Security benefits would have to be funded solely through payroll taxes, which cover only about 77% of current benefits.

The combined OASI/Disability Insurance fund, which pays for both Social Security and Medicare, is expected to become depleted in 2034, which is also one year earlier than projected in last years report.

The Trustees recommend that lawmakers address the projected trust fund shortfalls in a timely way in order to phase in necessary changes gradually and give workers and beneficiaries time to adjust to them, the SSA report stated. Implementing changes sooner rather than later would allow more generations to share in the needed revenue increases or reductions in scheduled benefits.

As previously reported by GOBankingRates, the OASI fund represents a budget surplus that built up while baby boomers were working and contributing to Social Security through payroll taxes. With many boomers now retired and collecting Social Security, the fund is fast running out of money.

The latest Trustees report follows recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office that the OASI fund could run out of money as early as 2032. No matter when it runs out, future Social Security recipients could face lower monthly payments unless Congress figures out a way to close the funding gap.

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Many Social Security advocates support legislation that would increase revenues through higher payroll taxes. Currently, employees and employers each pay 6.2% of wages on Social Security, with self-employed individuals paying the full 12.4%. Raising those rates is one way to increase revenues.

Another option is to raise the income threshold on wages subject to Social Security. In 2023, any yearly earnings above $160,200 are not subject to Social Security taxes. Raising that threshold to $250,000 or higher would bring in more money  something lawmakers like U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) support, along with advocacy groups such as the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM).

Congress can strengthen the programs finances by bringing more revenue into Social Security, the NCPSSM said in a March 31 press release. We support legislation introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders to keep the trust fund solvent for the rest of this century while expanding benefits. We also support Rep. John Larsons [(D-Conn.)] Social Security 2100 Act, which the congressman plans to re-introduce this Spring. Both bills would adjust the Social Security payroll wage cap so that higher-income earners begin contributing their fair share.

The AARP also calls on Congress to come up with a way to deal with the looming Social Security funding shortfall.

It will take hard work to find bipartisan agreement, but todays report shows how essential it is that leaders in Washington come together for the good of the country, AARP CEO Jo Ann Jenkins said in a statement last week. Congress must take its responsibility to protect Social Security and Medicare seriously, by developing a comprehensive plan and doing so in a way that is accountable and fully transparent to the American public.

The key word there is bipartisan. While many Democrats support increasing revenue through higher taxes, some Republicans have proposed raising the full retirement age as high as 70 years old from the current 66/67 years old. Others have suggested either partially privatizing Social Security or sunsetting the program so it can be reviewed every five years.

The good news is, Social Security will still be about 75% to 80% funded via payroll taxes even after the trust fund runs out. Financial experts warn retirees against applying for Social Security benefits early out of fear that the program is running out of money. For most Americans, waiting as long as possible to collect Social Security is the best option because you can ensure higher monthly payments.

Dont elect benefits out of fear, Joe Elsasser, a certified financial planner and president of Social Security claiming software company Covisum, told CNBC.

Meanwhile, others urge Americans to take an active role in convincing lawmakers to protect Social Security.

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The best thing for younger adults to do is to rally behind Social Security now and disregard rhetoric that the program must be cut and privatized or that it wont be around in 40 years  otherwise it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, an NCPSSM spokesperson told GOBankingRates in an email. Fortunately, majorities of the American public across party lines support strengthening and expanding Social Security, and oppose conservative solutions such as raising the retirement age.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security Trust Fund Is Running Out of Money Even Earlier Than We Thought
BANGKOK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojern , the leading travel marketing platform, and Xcaliber , a direct booking platform offering cloud-based solutions for hotels, today announced a new partnership to collectively drive direct bookings and bolster revenue for Asia-Pacific hoteliers.

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"Focused on travel from day one, our commitment to generating more direct relationships while driving online bookings is stronger than ever," said Lina Ang, Managing Director, APAC, Sojern. "Sojern's new partnership with XCaliber, the latest with a homegrown partner in the region, means together we can utilise our respective strengths to provide strategic marketing solutions to regional hoteliers. 2023 is the first year in APAC with no travel restrictions, so our partnership comes at a time of renewed optimism for the travel industry."

With reports stating that Asia-Pacific's travel industry could be the first to recover by 2023 this year will be pivotal for the hospitality industry. In an increasingly competitive digital landscape Sojern and XCaliber have partnered to play to each other's strengths. Sojern's digital marketing expertise enables hoteliers to reach, engage and convert travellers along every stage of their planning and booking journey. Xcaliber offers innovative cloud base solutions that help more than 1,000 hotels in South East Asia to maximise revenue through hotels brands websites.

"A trusted hotel partner since 2009 offering solutions such as booking engine, payment gateway, website development, digital marketing, property management system and ecommerce management, we pride ourselves on adding value to hotels and their guests. With Sojern's industry expertise and mutual focus on driving direct bookings for hoteliers we are delighted to announce this new partnership," said Pipat Amonrungmetham, CEO & Founder of Xcaliber. "After a challenging few years for the industry, this strategic collaboration will allow us to strengthen our value adds for hotels."

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Throughout its 15 years, Sojern's unwavering focus on travel has increased its resilience and reaffirmed its vision to become the #1 travel marketing platform. Sojern was also recently ranked amongst the top Digital Marketing Agencies globally in the 2023 HotelTechAwards . Headquartered in Thailand, Xcaliber also operates in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Laos with local experts.

About Sojern

Sojern is the leading digital marketing platform built for travel marketers. Powered by artificial intelligence and traveler intent data, Sojern provides multichannel marketing solutions to drive direct demand. More than 10,000 hotels, attractions, tourism boards and travel marketers rely on Sojern annually to engage and convert travelers around the world.

About Xcaliber

Xcaliber has been a trusted hotel partner since 2009. Xcaliber offers innovative cloud-based solutions that help more than 1,000 hotels in South East Asia to maximise revenue through hotel brand website. Xcaliber operates in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Laos with local experts.

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SOURCE Sojern
Visiongain Reports Ltd

Visiongain has published a new report entitled Soldier System 2023-2033. It includes profiles of Soldier System and Forecasts Market Segment by Weapon Systems and Ammunition (Lethal, Non-Lethal) Market Segment by Personal Protection Systems (Modular, Multi-Threat, Survivability) Market Segment by Operational Clothing Systems (Headwear System, Handwear System, Footwear System, Other Operational Clothing Systems) Market Segment by C4I Systems (Battle Management System, Soldier Network and Communication Suite, Navigation System, Sensor Suite, Other C4I Systems) Market Segment by Type (Operational Clothing Systems, Personal Protection Systems, Weapon Systems and Ammunition, C4I Systems, Power & Energy Systems, Other Type) plus COVID-19 Impact Analysis and Recovery Pattern Analysis (V-shaped, W-shaped, U-shaped, L-shaped), Profiles of Leading Companies, Region and Country.

The global soldier system market was valued at US$12.0 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period 2023-2033.

The Increasing Demand for Advanced Technologies to Improve Soldier Safety and Effectiveness in Modern Warfare Scenarios

The global soldier system market is driven by several factors, including the increasing demand for advanced technologies to improve soldier safety and effectiveness in modern warfare scenarios. The growing trend of digitalization and the increasing use of connected devices in the military sector are also contributing to the growth of this market. Additionally, the growing need for modernizing the defence sector in emerging economies is expected to fuel the demand for soldier systems.

The soldier system market is highly competitive, with several leading players operating in this space. Some of the key players in this market include General Dynamics Corporation, Elbit Systems Ltd., BAE Systems plc, Thales Group, and Safran S.A. These players are focusing on R&D and product development to maintain their competitive position in the market. Additionally, partnerships and collaborations with other players in the ecosystem are also expected to increase in the coming years.

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Download Exclusive Sample of Report

https://www.visiongain.com/report/soldier-systems-market-2023/#download_sampe_div

How has COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on the Soldier System Market?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the soldier system market, both positive and negative. On the positive side, the pandemic has led to increased investment in soldier system technologies as governments around the world seek to enhance the capabilities of their military personnel. This has resulted in an increased demand for soldier systems, particularly those that can improve communication and networking capabilities.

The impact of the pandemic on the soldier system market has been the shift towards unmanned systems. With social distancing requirements and travel restrictions in place, there has been an increased demand for unmanned systems that can perform tasks without putting soldiers at risk. This has resulted in increased investment in technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and autonomous systems.

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has had both positive and negative impacts on the soldier system market. While it has led to increased investment in some areas, it has also resulted in disruptions to supply chains and decreased military spending in some countries. As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic, it is likely that the soldier system market will continue to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of militaries around the world.

How will this Report Benefit you?

Visiongains 352-page report provides 130 tables and 206 charts/graphs. Our new study is suitable for anyone requiring commercial, in-depth analyses for the global soldier system market, along with detailed segment analysis in the market. Our new study will help you evaluate the overall global and regional market for Soldier System. Get financial analysis of the overall market and different segments including type, weapon systems and ammunition, personal protection systems, operational clothing systems, and C4I systems, and company size and capture higher market share. We believe that there are strong opportunities in this fast-growing soldier system market. See how to use the existing and upcoming opportunities in this market to gain revenue benefits in the near future. Moreover, the report will help you to improve your strategic decision-making, allowing you to frame growth strategies, reinforce the analysis of other market players, and maximise the productivity of the company.

What are the Current Market Drivers?

Increasing Demand for Advanced Technologies to Improve Soldier Safety and Effectiveness.

The increasing demand for advanced technologies to improve soldier safety and effectiveness is one of the key market drivers for the soldier system market. Modern warfare scenarios have become more complex, and soldiers require advanced technologies to navigate these situations effectively. Soldier systems provide soldiers with advanced communication devices, wearable technologies, navigation and positioning systems, and other technologies that aid in situational awareness and decision-making. These technologies improve soldier safety and effectiveness, and they are in high demand in the defence sector.

Growing Trend of Digitalization and Connected Devices in the Military Sector.

The growing trend of digitalization and the increasing use of connected devices in the military sector is another key market driver for the soldier system market. The military sector has embraced digitalization, and soldiers require access to connected devices and data to perform their duties effectively. Soldier systems provide soldiers with access to advanced communication devices, sensors, and other connected devices that enable them to perform their duties more efficiently. This trend is expected to continue, driving the growth of the soldier system market in the coming years.

Download Exclusive Sample of Report

https://www.visiongain.com/report/soldier-systems-market-2023/#download_sampe_div

Where are the Market Opportunities?

Increasing Demand for Advanced Communication and Networking Capabilities

One of the most significant market opportunities for the soldier system market is the increasing demand for advanced communication and networking capabilities. Modern military operations are characterized by the need for real-time situational awareness and rapid decision-making, and effective communication is critical to achieving these objectives. As a result, there is a growing demand for soldier systems that can provide soldiers with secure, reliable, and high-speed communication capabilities, including voice, data, and video.

To capitalize on this market opportunity, soldier system manufacturers must invest in research and development to create new communication technologies and products that meet the evolving needs of modern militaries. This may include the development of advanced networking protocols, satellite-based communication systems, and wearable technologies that integrate seamlessly with existing military communication infrastructure.

Growing Interest in Next-Generation Soldier Augmentation Technologies

Another significant market opportunity for the soldier system market is the growing interest in next-generation soldier augmentation technologies. These technologies are designed to enhance the physical and cognitive capabilities of soldiers, allowing them to operate more effectively in a wide range of environments and conditions.

Examples of next-generation soldier augmentation technologies include exoskeletons that can increase a soldier's strength and endurance, smart fabrics that can monitor vital signs and provide real-time health information, and augmented reality technologies that can enhance situational awareness and provide soldiers with critical information about their surroundings.

Competitive Landscape

The major players operating in the soldier system market are BAE Systems PLC, Elbit Systems Ltd, General Dynamics Corporation, Honeywell International Inc, Kongsberg Gruppen, L3Harris Technologies Inc, Leonardo S.P.A., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Rheinmetall AG, Saab AB, Safariland, LLC, Safran S.A., Teledyne FLIR LLC, Thales Group. These major players operating in this market have adopted various strategies comprising M&A, investment in R&D, collaborations, partnerships, regional business expansion, and new product launch.

Recent Developments

06 April 2022, L3Harris Technologies has been awarded $117 million for option-year three of a contract with the United States Space Force and the United States Space Command to continue maintaining and modernising infrastructure to track objects in space. The contract for the Maintenance Of Space Situational Awareness Integrated Capabilities (MOSSAIC) programme is worth $1.2 billion over ten years.

13 June 2022, Thales has launched VisioLoc. It is a game changer in the soldier optronics market. Because it can generate high-precision geolocation coordinates, it eliminates the need for fire adjustment procedures, which can currently take up to 20 minutes.

To access the data contained in this document please email oliver.davison@visiongain.com

To find more Visiongain research reports on the defence sector, click on the following links:

Do you have any custom requirements we can help you with? Any need for a specific country, geo region, market segment or specific company information? Contact us today, we can discuss your needs and see how we can help: oliver.davison@visiongain.com

About Visiongain

Visiongain is one of the fastest-growing and most innovative independent market intelligence providers around, the company publishes hundreds of market research reports which it adds to its extensive portfolio each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis across 18 industries worldwide. The reports, which cover 10-year forecasts, are hundreds of pages long, with in-depth market analysis and valuable competitive intelligence data. Visiongain works across a range of vertical markets with a lot of synergies. These markets include automotive, aviation, chemicals, cyber, defence, energy, food & drink, materials, packaging, pharmaceutical and utilities sectors. Our customised and syndicated market research reports offer a bespoke piece of market intelligence customised to your very own business needs.

Contact:

Oliver Davison

Visiongain Reports Limited

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7336 6100

Email: oliver.davison@visiongain.com

Web: www.visiongain.com




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Dublin, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "South Africa General Insurance Market Size, Trends by Line of Business (Personal, Accident and Health, Liability, Financial Lines, Property, Motor, Marine, Aviation and Transit Insurance and Miscellaneous), Distribution Channel, Competitive Landscape and Forecast, 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the South Africa's General insurance segment.



It provides values for key performance indicators such as gross written premium, penetration, and premium ceded and cession rates during the review period (2017-21) and forecast period (2021-26).



The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the South Africa's economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country.



The report brings together the publisher's research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



Key Highlights

Key insights and dynamics of the South Africa's general insurance segment.

A comprehensive overview of the South Africa's economy, government initiatives and investment opportunities.

The South Africa's insurance regulatory framework's evolution, key facts, taxation regime, licensing and capital requirements.

The South Africa's general insurance industry's market structure giving details of lines of business.

The South Africa's general insurance reinsurance business's market structure giving details of premium ceded along with cession rates.

Distribution channels deployed by the South Africa's general insurers.

Details of the competitive landscape and competitors' profiles.

Scope

It provides historical values for the South Africa's general insurance segment for the report's 2017-21 review period, and projected figures for the 2021-26 forecast period.

It profiles the top general insurance companies in South Africa and outlines the key regulations affecting them.

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Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Economy Overview

Regulatory and Compliance

Key Market Trends

Summary Trends and KPIs

Key Trends by Line of Business

Property Insurance

Motor Insurance

Liability Insurance

Financial Lines Insurance

Marine, Aviation, and Transit Insurance

Personal Accident and health Insurance

Miscellaneous Insurance

Distribution Channels

Competitive Landscape

Competitor Profiles

Reinsurance

Regulatory and Compliance

Appendix

A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Santam

Guardrisk Insurance Company Limited

The Hollard Insurance Company Limited

Old Mutual Insure Limited

Outsurance Insurance Company Limited

Bryte Insurance Company Limited

Absa Group

Discovery Insure Limited

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o7ei34



Source: GlobalData

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




(Bloomberg) -- Hanwha Aerospace Co. is building South Koreas first commercial rocket with an ambitious target: matching Elon Musks SpaceX in price within the next decade.

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The company is part of Hanwha Group, a 71-year-old conglomerate that started as an explosives maker, branched into weapons sales and is now shifting into green energy, defense and aerospace. Cash from arms sales to Ukraines neighbors is helping to fund Hanwhas efforts to expand its two-year-old space business.

Nuri, a rocket developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute using Hanwhas engines, isnt reusable, but the goal is to eventually halve launch prices by 2032 to match SpaceX, Yoo Dongwan, senior executive vice president of Hanwha Aerospace, said in an interview.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 currently costs about $67 million per launch.

Initially we may be a niche player and eventually, we hope to catch up with SpaceX, Yoo told Bloomberg Television in Seoul.

Read more: South Korea Maps Out Plan to Become Major Space Player by 2045

Shares of Hanwha Aerospace have climbed more than 30% this year, after jumping 53% in 2022 when Hanwha Group merged all its defense businesses into Hanwha Aerospace. Hanwha Group is a family-controlled conglomerate; heir-apparent Dong Kwan Kim, a Harvard University graduate, leads the aerospace business.

Shares of Hanwha Aerospace rose as much as 4.5%, the highest since 2011.

Like other rivals, Hanwha Aerospace is seeking to become more than a rocket company and push into satellite operation, moon exploration and resource extraction.

Hanwha Aerospace has bought a 9% stake in British satellite startup OneWeb Ltd., a rival to SpaceXs Starlink satellite internet service. Parent Hanwha Group is in process of buying a 49.3% stake to be the largest shareholder in submarine maker Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

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South Koreas President Yoon Suk Yeol has made it his goal to develop a home-grown commercial-rocket industry. Last year, Hanwha Aerospace won a bid to jointly develop the countrys next-generation commercial rocket with the government.

Hanwha, which has only worked on aircraft components and engines until now, plans to make three more Nuri rockets with government researchers. In Japan, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.s H3 rocket  which recently failed to reach orbit  is aiming for $50 million per launch.

Demand for Korean rockets will initially be driven by the government but the goal is to eventually reduce that to just half, Yoo said. Hanwha is looking to develop a next-generation rocket on its own, he added.

We are aiming for a reusable rocket, Yoo said. Thats something we have to grow on our own as foreign companies are not willing to share that technology with us, he said.

Arms Exporter

Hanwha is one of the worlds fastest-growing aerospace and defense contractors. Hanwha Systems, a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, ranked third in revenue growth among 100 companies analyzed by PwC in its 2022 global aerospace and defense report. Among Asian firms, it was No. 1.

Last year, Hanwha Aerospace posted record sales of 6.5 trillion won ($5 billion) with record operating profit, led by weapons. It signed a new contract with Poland and a partnership with Romania, both of which are neighboring Ukraine, as well as with Egypt.

South Koreas arms exports increased 74% in 2022, compared with a 35% decline for the UK, a 4.4% drop for Spain and a 15% decline for Israel, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

South Korea is uniquely positioned in the global arms market with weapons that are relatively affordable and meant to defeat Soviet-based conventional systems used by neighboring North Korea. Hanwhas K-9 cannons were used during the shelling between the two Koreas in 2010 on Yeonpyeong Island.

Read more: South Koreas Arms Sales Double on Russias War in Ukraine

Hanwha is making a tremendous amount of money from selling weapons, said Lee Dong-Heon, analyst at Shinhan Financial Investment in Seoul. So the firm has the capacity to invest in aerospace.

--With assistance from Sam Kim, Bruce Einhorn, Sabrina Mao, Rika Yoshida and Andy Hung.

(Updates with share price in final paragraph.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Contract demonstrates the agencys continued commitment to evaluating the acquisition of commercial radio frequency data for situational awareness and intelligence

VIENNA, Va., April 03, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spire Global, Inc. (NYSE: SPIR) ("Spire" or "the Company"), a leading global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, was awarded a contract by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for commercial radio frequency (RF) remote sensing. Spire won a contract as part of the NROs Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) program in September 2022. Spire is proud to announce two options were exercised extending the performance period through March 1, 2025.

The agency will continue to use Spires data to evaluate how commercial radio frequency (RF) will be integrated into its overhead architecture. The contract demonstrates the agencys commitment to expand the acquisition and integration of commercial space-based data for situational awareness and to address new intelligence challenges.

"The NRO has continued to show its commitment to innovation by recognizing the value of RF data in providing situational awareness and strengthening global security," said Chuck Cash, Vice President of Federal Sales, Spire. "In a rapidly changing world, we at Spire aim to provide government organizations the competitive advantage they need to solve some of the worlds toughest problems with insights from space."

Spires fully deployed constellation of over 100 satellites monitors radio frequency signals to provide data and analytics on global weather intelligence, ship and plane movements, and spoofing and jamming detection to better predict how their patterns impact global security, economies, and human potential. The Company operates over 40 satellites that help detect and geolocate signal interference, jamming, and spoofing. These satellites can identify the power, location, and directionality of such events.

Story continues

Spire provides data to U.S. military branches and federal agencies such as USSF, USN, NGA, NASA and NOAA. Last week, the Company announced a contract with NOAA to deliver satellite weather data for operational weather forecasts, space weather models and climate research.

About Spire Global, Inc.

Spire (NYSE: SPIR) is a leading global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, offering access to unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so that organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses one of the worlds largest multipurpose satellite constellations to source hard to acquire, valuable data and enriches it with predictive solutions. Spire then provides this data as a subscription to organizations around the world so they can improve business operations, decrease their environmental footprint, deploy resources for growth and competitive advantage, and mitigate risk. Spire gives commercial and government organizations the competitive advantage they seek to innovate and solve some of the worlds toughest problems with insights from space. Spire has eight offices across the U.S., Canada, UK, Luxembourg and Singapore. To learn more, visit www.spire.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230403005186/en/

Contacts

Kristina Spychalski

Director of Communications

Kristina.Spychalski@spire.com

Benjamin Hackman

Head of Investor Relations

Benjamin.Hackman@spire.com
Canada Post is proud to mark two festivals, celebrated by more than

a million Muslims in Canada, with stamp featuring a bowl crafted in 1329

OTTAWA, ON, APRIL 3, 2023 /CNW/ - Canada Post issued a new stamp today to mark two of the most important religious holidays in Islam: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The commemorative stamp features a centuries-old, exquisite ceramic bowl that is in a collection held by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).

Eid stamp (CNW Group/Canada Post)

The nearly 700-year-old bowl has a special connection to the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting from sunrise to sunset  one of Islam's most distinctive practices. Above the bowl, the stamp includes the words Eid Mubarak, a traditional Arabic greeting that means "have a blessed Eid."

The hand-painted bowl was crafted in 1329 in Iran and is made of stonepaste  a hard material invented by Middle Eastern potters from a mixture of ground quartz, glass and clay. The bowl was likely used to serve dates, soups and other foods each night, to break the fast. It is inscribed on the inside with a Persian poem that blesses the owner of the bowl.

A treasure in the collection at the ROM

"This bowl is an absolute treasure, and the ROM is honoured to be able to safeguard it for future generations," says Dr. Fahmida Suleman, Curator of the Islamic World collections at ROM. "There's a deep sense of humanity in this bowl that still rings true, especially with all the turmoil in the world today," Suleman adds. "The poem urges us to take a moment to forget our sorrows and be grateful for what we have  and wishes us protection and a bit of luck. Blues are auspicious in Islam, so even the colours the artist chose were meant to uplift the soul."

This year, Eid al-Fitr  the Festival of Breaking the Fast  begins in mid-April. The stamp was issued today so it can be used to send greetings before the festival. Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to one of the holiest sites in Islam  the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. In 2023, Eid al-Adha begins in late June. Celebrated by more than one million Muslims in Canada, both events can last several days and include communal prayers and feasts, visits with family, gift-giving and acts of charity.

Story continues

Celebrating Canada's culturally diverse population

The 2023 issue is Canada Post's fifth Eid stamp; the others were issued in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Eid stamp is one of several stamps Canada Post issues each year to mark annual celebrations important to Canada's culturally diverse population  others include Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas.

The new stamp and collectibles are available at canadapost.ca and postal outlets across Canada. Here are links to find images of the Eid stamp and other products, our Details magazine and other resources:

TM Trademark of Canada Post Corporation

SOURCE Canada Post

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CLEPA Membership Greatly Benefits STRADVISION's Ability to Contribute Further to the European Automotive Landscape

SEOUL, South Korea, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- STRADVISION, an automotive industry pioneer in deep learning-based vision perception technology, has announced its new membership to CLEPA , the European Association of Automotive Suppliers.

STRADVISION Becomes Newest Member of CLEPA

Fellow CLEPA members include over 100 of the world's most prominent car parts, systems, and modules suppliers and over 20 national trade associations and European sector associations.

The membership recognizes STRADVISION's ongoing commitment and contributions within the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automotive perception fields. It allows the company to contribute to the European automotive industry. As a CLEPA member, STRADVISION will join alongside many of Europe and the world's foremost experts in contributing opinions and insight on the industry's many opportunities and issues.

"Our goals as both a perception tech company and automotive industry contributor have continued to grow across Europe, exemplified by our two German office openings and elsewhere globally," STRADVISION USA CEO Sunny Lee said. "We are thrilled to have been accepted as the newest member of CLEPA, which is the leading voice of the EU automotive supplier industry and is a driver of innovation and regulation throughout the automotive industry. Our team looks forward to connecting further with European peers and joining more discussions shaping the future of safety and innovation in the automotive industry."

STRADVISION's CLEPA membership follows the company's recent increased footprint in the German market, such as joining the VDA (Germany Association of the Automotive Industry). It also continues STRADVISION's global expansion and milestones over the past year, including a workforce increase of 69.2% YoY and Series C funding of $88 million ($129 million cumulative funding to date).

Story continues

About STRADVISION

Founded in 2014, STRADVISION is an automotive industry pioneer in artificial intelligence-based vision perception technology for ADAS. The company is accelerating the advent of fully autonomous vehicles by making ADAS features available at a fraction of the market cost compared with competitors. STRADVISION's SVNet is being deployed on various vehicle models in partnership with OEMs; it can power ADAS and autonomous vehicles worldwide; and is serviced by over 300 employees in Seoul, San Jose, Detroit, Tokyo, Shanghai, Friedrichshafen, and Dusseldorf. STRADVISION has been honored with Frost & Sullivan's 2022 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award, the Gold Award at the 2022 and 2021 AutoSens Awards for Best-in-Class Software for Perception Systems, and the 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in Autonomy (software category). In addition, STRADVISION's software is certified to the ISO 9001:2015 for Quality Management Systems and ISO 26262 for Automotive Functional Safety.

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SOURCE StradVision
bymuratdeniz / Getty Images

Formerly known as food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the most important anti-hunger initiative in America. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP provided food security to about 41.5 million people in 2021, with an average benefit of $218.14 per person.

Advice: Unplug These Appliances That Hike Up Your Electricity Bill

See: How To Build a Financial Plan From Zero

Recipients use Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to receive funds and make purchases, and they can use those cards to buy a whole lot more than just standard groceries. Here's a look at some of the more unusual things that SNAP will pay for.

Twin Design / Shutterstock.com

Energy Drinks -- Some, at Least

You can use SNAP funds to buy energy drinks, but only if they meet the USDA's strict standards. If the energy drink has a "nutritional facts" label, it makes the cut, according to New York SNAP EBT. If it has a "supplemental facts" label, it's considered a supplement and cannot be purchased with EBT. That means Red Bull, Rockstar and Starbucks Double Shot make the grade, but 5 Hour Energy, Bang Shot and Tweaker do not.

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Feyyaz Alacam / Shutterstock.com

Coffee and Tea -- the Kind You Make Yourself

You can use SNAP to buy packaged coffee -- not to mention creamer -- and that includes Keurig-style K-cups. You cannot, however, buy coffee that's ready to drink. If you're thinking that you'll make your own coffee at home and just switch to tea when you're out, that won't work either. Tea, too, is limited to packaged and unbrewed because the USDA doesn't allow SNAP funds to be used to buy any hot beverages.

CSNafzger / Shutterstock.com

Hunting and Fishing Gear -- But You Have to Live Way, Way Out There

Even if you live in a rural area and kill what you eat, you can't just swipe your EBT card to pick up a new fiberglass rod at Bass Pro Shops -- but hunting and fishing gear is SNAP-eligible for a very specific and very tiny population. According to the USDA, some residents in the most remote parts of Alaska rely almost exclusively on hunting and fishing to feed their households because of the extreme difficulty involved with buying food at stores.

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The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services gives qualifying households special identification cards. They can't buy guns and ammo, but they can buy things such as nets, rods, harpoons, lines and knives.

hapabapa / iStock.com

Restaurant Meals -- for Certain People in Certain Places

You can't use SNAP to pay for dine-in restaurant meals -- unless you qualify for the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) and live in a state that participates in it. RMP serves vulnerable populations like the elderly, people experiencing homelessness and the disabled.

Participating restaurants must offer meals at "concessional prices" to qualifying diners.

While it's not as limited as Alaska's subsistence hunting program, very few states participate in RMP. It's available all over California, Arizona, Michigan, Maryland and Virginia, as well as in select counties in Rhode Island.

Look: 5 Brand-New Items at Dollar Tree That Cost Way More at Target

Kyselova Inna / Shutterstock.com

Seeds and Plants

The USDA allows SNAP recipients to buy edible plants like basil or food-producing plants like tomato plants with their EBT cards, as well as seeds for growing their own food. The USDA says you can grow $25 worth of produce for every dollar spent on seeds and fertilizer, yet Modern Farmer says this important inclusion is one of the least known parts of the whole SNAP program.

You can use your EBT card to get seeds and plants at any SNAP-approved retailer, including farmer's markets.

Walmart.com

Gift Baskets -- Depending on What's Inside

The USDA allows you to spend SNAP funds on gift baskets and similar purchases as long as at least half of what's inside is edible. Even if they contain eligible edibles, nonfood items such as toys, stockings and tins don't count if "the value of the non-food part of the item clearly accounts for more than 50% of the purchase price," according to the USDA. The agency gives the example of a stuffed holiday bear that comes with a small package of chocolate: That won't count. A gift basket containing mostly meat and cheese, however, would be acceptable.

Costco's Best Deals? Employee Reveals 10 Standout Buys for Your Money

Stephanie Botkin / Shutterstock.com

Live Lobsters

Like tobacco, alcohol, vitamins and medicine, live animals are on the USDA's list of items that you can't buy with SNAP benefits. There are, however, a few rare exceptions, including shellfish, "fish removed from the water" and "animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store."

That means that, while you can't use your EBT card to buy a puppy from a pet store, you can use SNAP to buy a lobster to bring home to meet its unfortunate fate on your kitchen stovetop.

dontree_m / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Snacks of All Kinds

Most people probably know that SNAP recipients can use their EBT cards to buy household grocery staples such as meat, milk, eggs, vegetables and bread, but what's not as well known is the long list of snacks that are on the USDA's approved list. It includes everything from marshmallows and marzipan to pudding and popsicles.

Cakes, pies, doughnuts, muffins, pastries and all sorts of other things cakey and flaky make the list, as do chips, crisps, popcorn and finger food of all stripes. Ice cream, candy, chocolate, custard, scones, churros and much, much more all get a pass from the USDA -- in fact, if a kid can dream of it, chances are good SNAP will pay for it.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food Stamps
Logos of Swiss bank UBS and Credit Suisse in Zurich, Switzerland March 20, 2023.



Not a done deal.

Federal prosecutors in Switzerland are reviewing the government-backed merger between UBS and Credit Suisse. The move comes after Swiss financial authorities issued an emergency ordinance (Notverordnung) that bypassed the need for a shareholder vote to approve the deal.



The office of the attorney general is assessing whether or not any criminal offenses were committed during the deal to ensure a clean Swiss financial center.

Read more

The Swiss financial regulator Finma and the Swiss central bank worked together on the deal, which was announced on March 19, following concerns about the banks position after the collapse of two American regional banksSilicon Valley Bank and Signature Bankearlier in the month.

UBS bought Credit Suisse for more than $3 billion. The Swiss government then provided $9 billion to backstop any UBS losses and the central bank offered $200 billion in liquidity to help facilitate the deal.

In addition to shareholders being unable to vote on the deal, holders of additional tier 1" bonds that were worth $17 billion in total got wiped out. These bondholders complain that they were unfairly targeted because shareholders are supposed to take losses before they do.

Regardless of whether any irregularity has occurred in the forging of the deal, the merger of Switzerlands two largest banks also raise financial stability concerns as it creates the second-largest wealth manager in the world.

[T]he track record of shotgun marriages in the banking sector is mixed, wrote Andrew Keningham, the chief Europe economist at research firm Capital Economics. Some, such as the 1995 purchase of Barings by ING, have proved long lasting. But others, including several during the global financial crisis, soon brought into question the viability of the acquiring bank while others have proven very difficult to implement.

Story continues

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Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Kansas lawmakers are headed Monday into four intense days ahead of an annual Drop Dead Day deadline that could see them wrap up their work on rolling back transgender rights, imposing new abortion restrictions and cutting taxes.

Most policy bills and the bulk of the next state budget are supposed to clear the Republican-controlled Legislature by the close of business Thursday. Lawmakers then plan to take their annual spring break to give Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly time to sign or veto the bills theyve approved before they reconvene April 26 to finish the last of their business for the year.

While lawmakers often have a few big bills that they cant finish by Drop Dead Day, their goal is to clear their agenda as much as possible so that the late-April wrapup lasts a week or less and focuses on completing the budget and possibly overriding vetoes.

Heres a look at where major issues stand.

TRANSGENDER RIGHTS

The House has until Thursday to try to override Kellys veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls and womens school and club sports, starting in kindergarten.

Supporters need a two-thirds majority, 84 of 125 votes, and GOP leaders expect the vote to be close enough that they have been waiting until no more than one of the 85 Republicans is absent. If the House votes to override, a vote could follow quickly in the Senate, where an override appears likely.

Both chambers have passed versions of a bill to prevent transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities in line with their current gender identifies and to block them from changing their drivers licenses to reflect their current identities. Senators passed it first and must decide whether to accept House changes or demand negotations.

A bill aimed at ending gender-affirming care for minors has passed the Senate but has not cleared a committee in the House. However, the Legislatures rules would allow senators and House members negotiating on the bathroom bill or another health measure to slip in language on gender-affirming care.

Story continues

During a recent rally at the Statehouse, Kelly told LGBTQ-rights advocates and LGBTQ youth, I will continue to stand up for you, protect your rights and call out and condemn any speech or behavior or veto any bill that aims to harm or discriminate against you.

ABORTION RESTRICTIONS

Republican lawmakers are pushing for new anti-abortion laws, though their options were limited after voters in August decisively affirmed that the state constitution protects abortion rights.

Both chambers have approved a version of a bill dealing with live births during abortion procedures, similar to a proposed law that Montana voters rejected in November. It would require a doctor to immediately transport a newborn to a hospital, even if the doctor expected it to die quickly.

The House approved the measure first and must consider Senate amendments. The two chambers differences are minor, so the House could approve the Senate version to send it to Kelly.

Yet the House also could demand negotiations with the Senate because of a second anti-abortion bill.

Its a House-passed bill to require abortion providers to tell patients that they might be able to reverse a medication abortion after taking the first of the usual two drugs, something experts dispute. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says there is no scientific evidence that the reversal method, involving using the hormone progesterone in place of the second abortion medication, is safe or effective.

While the Senate hasnt considered the measure, it has moved quickly in the past on anti-abortion measures. But passage could go even more quickly if lawmakers slipped the reversal language into the bill on live births during negotiations.

Kelly is a strong abortion rights supporter and is expected to veto both proposals. She vetoed a version of the medication reversal bill in 2019.

TAX CUTS

The state began the year flush with bulging revenues and that prompted high, bipartisan interest in cutting taxes. Tax cuts appear likely to top $1.4 billion over three years.

Kelly and other Democrats want to immediately eliminate the states sales tax on groceries, now 4% and set to go to zero at the start of 2025. The House has a plan to go to zero on July 1, while the Senate would wait until Jan. 1, 2024.

The governor also proposed exempting more of retirees Social Security income from state income taxes, but the Senate voted to zero them out.

Republicans are pushing to collapse the states three individual income tax brackets into one. The Houses proposal is a tax rate of 5.25%, while the Senates plan is a rate of 4.75%. The top rate now is 5.7%.

EDUCATION POLICY

Republicans continue to pursue school choice proposals despite Kellys lack of enthusiasm for them. But the House and Senate are far apart on a bill, and theyre negotiating over the final version.

The Senate approved an expansion of an existing program that gives an income tax credit to people and companies donating to scholarship funds that help at-risk students leave public schools for private ones. The House narrowly approved a bill that would move state education dollars into savings accounts for parents who want private or home schooling for their children.

The House and Senate also are negotiating over the final version of a bill that would allow parents of public school students to object to a lesson or activity that impairs the parents sincerely held beliefs, values or principles, and to remove the student from the classroom.

Both the separate House and Senate versions of the next annual state budget include a provision barring higher education institutions from requiring job applicants to express support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs or to base hiring decisions on a candidates views on the subject.
SINGAPORE, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamViewer , a leading global provider of remote connectivity and workplace digitalization solutions, is bringing a range of benefits to its channel partners in Asia Pacific via the newly launched partner program TeamUP. The program includes an easy-to-use and completely new, unified partner portal which goes live today that enables partners to take advantage of exclusive discounts, dedicated support, and comprehensive sales training, along with a broad variety of certifications.

TeamViewer Logo

The TeamUP program is designed for a wide range of partners, including resellers, distributors, managed service providers, and systems integrators. The key elements of the unified partner portal include a deal-registration-engine, a tailored learning portal, and a marketing material database, combined with insights into the current partnership status and the possibility to request benefits directly via the platform.

Sojung Lee, President, Asia Pacific at TeamViewer, expresses excitement about the launch of the new partner program and platform in the Asia Pacific region. Following the success of TeamViewer's APAC Partner Summit 2023 in Bali, Indonesia, TeamViewer continues to enhance its channel ecosystem and bring unparalleled value to its partners. "Our partners are the key to our success," Sojung explains. "They bring valuable local expertise and networks that amplify our reach and help us deliver the best possible experience to our customers. We are thrilled to join forces with our partners to drive growth and create new opportunities in the Asia Pacific region."

The new, unified program is available for all TeamViewer partners, independent of the solution they are selling, including TeamViewer's workflow-based productivity solution Frontline for the first time. It features three different tiers, Business, Premier and Champion, each with tailored discounts and benefits, like joint marketing campaigns and access to dedicated resources.

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TeamViewer's TeamUP program aims to improve collaboration with its channel partners and expand its reach in the Asia Pacific region, providing more opportunities for growth and success for both TeamViewer and its partners.

About TeamViewer

TeamViewer is a leading global technology company that provides a connectivity platform to remotely access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices of any kind  from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots. Although TeamViewer is free of charge for private use, it has more than 625,000 subscribers and enables companies of all sizes and from all industries to digitalize their business-critical processes through seamless connectivity. Against the backdrop of global megatrends like device proliferation, automation and new work, TeamViewer proactively shapes digital transformation and continuously innovates in the fields of Augmented Reality, Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. Since the company's foundation in 2005, TeamViewer's software has been installed on more than 2.5 billion devices around the world. The company is headquartered in Goppingen, Germany, and employs more than 1,400 people globally. Further information can be found at www.teamviewer.com.

Press contact

Helen Zhang

Phone: +65 9489 3567

E-Mail: press@teamviewer.com

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SOURCE TeamViewer
The mining industry in Australia is currently experiencing a surge in demand for workers, with many companies seeking to fill record numbers of vacancies.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / According to national recruitment and workforce management company, Techforce, the demand for workers in the mining sector has been driven by a combination of factors including increased investment in the industry, a strong global demand for minerals and an ageing workforce.

Zib Digital AU, Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

The Minerals Council of Australia indicates that the mining sector directly employs over 250,000 people with all types of jobs such as rigger jobs and chef jobs as well as indirectly supporting many more jobs across the country. However, with an ageing workforce and a growing demand for minerals, Techforce says there is a need for new workers to enter the industry to fill the gaps.

Many mining companies are actively seeking to attract new workers, offering competitive salaries, training programs and opportunities for career advancement. Techforce says some companies are also offering flexible working arrangements to help attract a more diverse pool of talent, including women and those from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Techforce explains the industry is investing heavily in skills development and training programs to upskill existing workers and prepare them for the future of mining. These programs include initiatives to promote STEM education and encourage more young people to pursue careers in the industry.

The surge in demand for workers is not just limited to traditional mining roles such as engineers and operators. Techforce says there is also a growing demand for workers in areas such as mining chef jobs, data analytics, automation and artificial intelligence, which are becoming increasingly important in modern mining operations.

The mining industry in Australia has a long and proud history and continued investment is essential for the future of this critical sector. By attracting and developing a diverse range of workers, Techforce says the industry will remain competitive and sustainable for years to come.

Story continues

To search for current job opportunities including the most competitive FIFO chef jobs Perth wide, visit Techforce online today.

About Techforce

Techforce Personnel is a national privately owned recruitment and workforce management company experienced in supplying qualified employees to a range of industries across Australia and New Zealand.

Contact Information

Techforce Personnel

Marketing Manager

recruitment@techforce.com.au

(08) 6363 7040

SOURCE: Techforce

.





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Transparency Market Research

The global market for temperature sensors is projected to expand rapidly owing to the rise in usage of wearable technology

Wilmington, Delaware, United States, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global temperature sensor market size was US$ 6.0 Bn in 2022 and is anticipated to reach US$ 10.1 Bn by 2031. The global industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2023 and 2031.

The global market for temperature sensor is anticipated to grow due to increase in demand for temperature sensing technology. Technologies for temperature sensing are extensively used in various industries such as communications, industrial, automotive, personal electronics, and commercial organizations. Thermocouples, thermistors, and resistive temperature devices (RTDs) are gaining traction in the market.

Technological breakthroughs in sensors and rise in demand for temperature sensors in monitoring and regulating operations are anticipated to benefit market players. Major suppliers are investing in R&D activities to enhance the current non-contact IR temperature sensing systems and create new ones. Furthermore, they are developing their distribution networks in an effort to expand their customer base.

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Temperature sensors are used in several everyday devices. Temperature management and maintenance are necessary for consumer electronics products, such as thermostats, refrigerators, and microwave ovens, to operate effectively. Temperature sensors are used in the field of Internet of Things for a variety of purposes, including managing and monitoring the temperature in healthcare facilities, smart homes, and industrial plants. IoT-based temperature sensors provide customers with the ability to act swiftly based on their needs and instantly obtain information on temperature measurements.

Story continues

Key Findings of Market Report

The global wearable technology industry is expanding rapidly as more people have started using fitness and health monitoring gadgets. The medical industry gains from improvements in wearable sensor technologies. Wearable technology enables high-quality, real-time readings of a person's health status, most commonly in precision medicine. Companies that make wearable technology are integrating temperature monitoring into their products. Oura, Whoop, and Outfit are incorporating temperature sensors into products that continually gather data and store temperatures. Hence, increase in usage of wearable devices is anticipated to fuel market development from 2023 to 2031.





Based on product type, the contact temperature sensors segment accounted for 61.2% share of the global market in 2022. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% between 2023 and 2031. Contact temperature sensors take precise temperature readings due to bodily contact or close surface contact, which is anticipated to drive business growth. These sensors can also work in dangerous locations and unclean surroundings due to the contact-based functionality.





The industrial equipment application segment held 31.2% share of the global industry in 2022. Majority of industrial equipment is dependent on appropriate heating or cooling. As a result, temperature sensors are regularly used to check and manage the temperature to ensure that industrial equipment is operating as intended.



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Global Temperature Sensor Market: Growth Drivers

Automakers monitor a number of parameters and quantities utilizing integrated systems and sensors for ensuring comfort, performance, safety, and dependability. The engine temperature is constantly monitored and maintained at a specific level in Electric Vehicles (EVs) for efficient operation. EVs employ temperature sensors to monitor the battery's temperature while charging and discharging to avoid overheating. They are also used to regulate and keep track of electric motor temperatures. Increase in demand for EVs is likely to drive industry growth in the near future.



Global Temperature Sensor Market: Regional Landscape

Based on recent market forecast, Asia Pacific is anticipated to account for significant market share of the temperature sensor industry between 2023 and 2031. The region held 32.4% share of the global industry in 2022. Increase in manufacture and usage of vehicles, electronic devices, and portable healthcare equipment is likely to drive market demand for temperature sensors. Automation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are increasingly utilized by several industries, such as aerospace, manufacturing, and automotive. This is expected to drive business opportunities in the temperature sensor market in Asia Pacific.



Key Points from TOC:

Preface

1.1. Market Introduction

1.2. Market and Segments Definition

1.3. Market Taxonomy

1.4. Research Methodology

1.5. Assumption and Acronyms

2. Executive Summary

2.1. Temperature Sensor Market Overview

2.2. Regional Outline

2.3. Industry Outline

2.4. Market Dynamics Snapshot

2.5. Competition Blueprint

3. Market Dynamics

3.1. Macro-economic Factors

3.2. Drivers

3.3. Restraints

3.4. Opportunities

3.5. Key Trends

3.6. Regulatory Framework

4. Associated Industry and Key Indicator Assessment

4.1. Parent Industry Overview  Global Sensors Industry Overview

4.2. Supply Chain Analysis

4.3. Pricing Analysis

4.4. Insulation Roadmap Analysis

4.5. Industry SWOT Analysis

4.6. Porter Five Forces Analysis

4.7. COVID-19 Impact and Recovery Analysis

TOC Continued

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Global Temperature Sensor Market: Key Players

Some of the key players in the global temperature sensor market are as follows:

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation

Honeywell International Inc.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Global Temperature Sensor Market: Segmentation

Product Type

Contact Temperature Sensors

Non-contact Temperature Sensors

Output

Analog

Digital

Measurement Type

Single Point

Multi Point

Application

Analytical Instruments

Process Control

HVAC

Ovens and Furnaces

Industrial Equipment

Automotive Electronics

Others (Aerospace Control, Environmental Monitoring, etc.)



End-use Industry

Automotive & Transportation

Aerospace & Defense

Energy & Utility

Chemicals

Oil & Gas

Healthcare

Metal & Mining

Building & Construction

Consumer Electronics

Food & Beverage

Others (IT & Telecommunication, Agriculture, etc.)



Regions

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

Latin America



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques to gather and analyses information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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Jounce Therapeutics, Inc.

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. ("Jounce" or the "Company") and Redx Pharma plc ("Redx") have agreed to terminate their proposed business combination following the decision by Jounces Board of Directors to withdraw the recommendation for the all-share merger transaction with Redx (the "Redx Business Combination").



Jounces decision was based upon the receipt of an unsolicited proposal from Concentra Biosciences, LLC ("Concentra"), which led to Jounce entering into a merger agreement whereby Concentra will acquire Jounce through a cash tender offer for all of Jounces outstanding shares for $1.85 in cash per share plus a non-tradeable contingent value right (the "CVR"). The $1.85 per share upfront consideration represents a premium of approximately 75% to Jounces closing share price immediately prior to the March 14, 2023, public disclosure of Concentras acquisition proposal.

Jounce conducted a thorough review of both the proposed transaction with Concentra and the proposed Redx Business Combination, with the assistance of its legal and financial advisers, and Jounces Board of Directors ultimately concluded that the proposed transaction with Concentra is in the best interest of Jounce stockholders, and therefore, unanimously approved the merger agreement with Concentra and withdrew its recommendation of the Redx Business Combination. On March 27, 2023, Jounce notified Redx of the withdrawal of its recommendation in favor of the Redx Business Combination and termination of the co-operation agreement dated February 23, 2023 between Jounce and Redx.

Given that Jounces Board of Directors has withdrawn its recommendation to proceed with the Redx Business Combination, Jounce believes it is unlikely that Jounce stockholders would support the Redx Business Combination, which is a condition to closing the transaction. Accordingly, Jounce and Redx have agreed not to proceed with the proposed scheme of arrangement. In addition, Jounce has confirmed that it does not wish to switch to a contractual takeover offer. As a result, the U.K. Takeover Panel has confirmed that upon Redx announcing:

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its withdrawal of its recommendation; that it will not proceed with the scheme of arrangement; and it has agreed to the release of Jounce from its obligation to proceed with the offer,



the offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination will end with effect from the publication of Redxs announcement, and the transaction will lapse.

As a result, Jounce will not be convening a Jounce meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination. Under the U.K. Takeover Code, except with consent of the U.K. Takeover Panel, Jounce must not, among other things, announce a further offer for Redx within 12 months from the date of this announcement.

About Jounce Therapeutics

Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company dedicated to transforming the treatment of cancer by developing therapies that enable the immune system to attack tumors and provide long-lasting benefits to patients through a biomarker-driven approach. Jounce currently has multiple development stage programs ongoing while simultaneously advancing additional early-stage assets from its robust discovery engine based on its Translational Science Platform. For more information, please visit www.jouncetx.com.

For further information, please contact:

Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. Kim Drapkin ir@jouncetx.com T: +1-857-259-3840 Cowen (Financial Adviser to Jounce) T: +1-646-562-1010 Tanya Joseph / Erik Schuchard / Giles Roshier T: +44 (0)203 011 0460 Stern Investor Relations (Adviser to Jounce) Julie Seidel T: +1-212-362-1200 Longacre Square Partners (Adviser to Jounce) Dan Zacchei / Rebecca Kral Jounce@longacresquare.com

Important notices

Cowen Execution Services Limited ("Cowen"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Jounce and no one else in connection with the Redx Business Combination and/or the proposed transaction with Concentra and will not be responsible to anyone other than Jounce for providing the protections afforded to clients of Cowen nor for providing advice in relation to the Redx Business Combination, the proposed transaction with Concentra , the contents of this press release or any other matters referred to in this press release. Neither Cowen nor any of its affiliates, nor any of Cowen's and such affiliates' respective members, directors, officers, controlling persons or employees owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, consequential, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Cowen in connection with the Redx Business Combination, the proposed transaction with Concentra , this press release, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements regarding Jounces expectations of the outcome of a meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination and its resulting plans not to hold a meeting of stockholders to consider the Redx Business Combination, the expected end of the offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination and the lapsing of such transaction. The words believes, expects, plans, may, will, would, could, should, and effort and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on managements current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks related to the impact of actions of other parties with respect to the proposed transaction with Concentra; the possibility that offer period in respect of the Redx Business Combination does not end and the transaction does not lapse as anticipated; general economic and market conditions and the other risks identified in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 10, 2023 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Should any risks and uncertainties develop into actual events, these developments could have a material adverse effect on the proposed transaction and/or Jounce and Jounces ability to successfully complete the proposed transaction. Jounce cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Jounce disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent Jounces views only as of the date hereof and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

The tender offer for the outstanding shares of the Company referenced in this press release has not yet commenced. This press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares, nor is it a substitute for the tender offer materials that Concentra and its subsidiary will file with the SEC. At the time the tender offer is commenced, Concentra and its subsidiary will file tender offer materials on Schedule TO, and, thereafter, the Company will file a Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 with the SEC with respect to the tender offer.

THE TENDER OFFER MATERIALS (INCLUDING AN OFFER TO PURCHASE, A RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS) AND THE SOLICITATION/RECOMMENDATION STATEMENT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. HOLDERS OF SHARES OF JOUNCE COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO READ THESE DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE (AS EACH MAY BE AMENDED OR SUPPLEMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME) BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT HOLDERS OF SHARES OF JOUNCE COMMON STOCK SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING TENDERING THEIR SHARES.



The Offer to Purchase, the related Letter of Transmittal and certain other tender offer documents, as well as the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement, will be made available to all holders of shares of the Companys common stock at no expense to them. The tender offer materials and the Solicitation/Recommendation Statement will be made available for free at the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Companys website at https://www.jouncetx.com.

Publication on website

A copy of this Announcement shall be made available subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions on Jounces website at https://jouncetx.com/recommended-offer/ by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the Business Day following the date of this press release. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the website are not incorporated into and do not form part of this press release.




Tiens focuses on global markets by engaging with likeminded peers from the four corners of the globe

BOAO, China, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2023 themed "An Uncertain World: Solidarity and Cooperation for Development amid Challenges", kicked off in Boao, China, on March 28-31. As a BFA senior platinum member, Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tiens Group, a direct seller of healthcare products, was invited to speak at the forum by the organizing committee.

Li Jinyuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tiens Group, at the Boao forum. (PRNewsfoto/Tiens Group)

This year's conference focuses on regional cooperation in Asia, carbon neutrality, green energy, climate change, and the digital economy. Highlighting the Boao Forum's role as a platform for international exchange and cooperation, Tiens Group participated in the discussions, shared the firm's story while listening to the latest ideas and views and connecting with industry peers.

"As a China-based multinational provider of healthcare products with a 28-year track record in international development, Tiens Group has taken the lead in supporting China's 'Belt and Road' initiative, as the means to understand and seize opportunities in the global market," said Mr. Li. "Tiens Group is confident in pooling resources with partners so that all participants are winners despite the challenges that must be jointly overcome during the process."

During the four-day event, Mr. Li engaged in meaningful conversations with many of the invitees, including BFA chairman Ban Ki-moon, and BFA vice chairman and chief representative for China Zhou Xiaochuan, exchanging ideas and sharing Tiens' successful experience with them.

During the forum, Mr. Li were interviewed by journalists from Hainan Daily, Qiongdao TV and several other media organizations. The key message that he related during the interviews: "Tiens is willing to give full play to its own advantages. The company always adheres to the mission of keeping people healthy and serving society with mantra of 'make life healthier, happier, richer and better'. Tiens is in the process of upgrading every stage in its workflow process to adapt to the evolving global industry and supply chains, and, by doing so, contribute to the establishment and growth of new trade flows both throughout Asia as well as worldwide."

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Tiens Group has opened offices in 110 countries, with a presence in 224 countries and regions, serving nearly 50 million households, creating tens of millions of jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities worldwide. The company has made significant contributions to improving the quality of life and physical and mental health of hundreds of millions of people.

Looking ahead, Tiens Group plans to continue leveraging its strong globalization platform and channels as well as its extensive brand influence, with a focus on increasing investment and presence in countries targeted by the Chinese government's Belt and Road initiative, and building global supply, industrial, data and talent chains, with the end goal of achieving enhanced and accelerated growth.

SOURCE Tiens Group
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania is once again the top B-school for research as ranked by one of two major research rankings. However, its missing entirely from the other.

Rules are rules. When you construct a comprehensive ranking of business schools, the schools that compete must be judged on an even playing field  which means when one of them fails to meet the minimum threshold for participation, that school must be excluded, no matter how elite or influential. It wouldnt be fair to the process and the other participating schools otherwise.

Thats what happened to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in February. Failing to meet the minimum alumni response for The Financial Times 2023 ranking of global MBA programs, Wharton was dropped from the ranking entirely despite having been No. 1 on the FTs list the year before. And because of that exclusion, Wharton was naturally not included in the FTs sub-ranking of top research schools  despite the fact that it is widely acknowledged to be among the leading research institutions on the planet, having been No. 2 in research according to the FT last year. This year, FT ranked Harvard the No. 1 research B-school for the second year in a row, followed by Columbia Business School, Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, Chicago Booth School of Business, and UCLA Anderson School of Management.

However, Wharton had better fortune in the other major research ranking, released March 23. The University of Texas-Dallas Jindal School of Managements Top 100 Business Schools Research Rankings, based on scholarly publications by a schools faculty, placed Wharton first on both its North American and Worldwide lists  in both cases outpacing the next-closest schools by considerable margins.

TOP FT RESEARCH SCHOOLS: GROUNDBREAKING WORK, WIDELY PUBLISHED

The exclusion of Wharton from its overall ranking and the ripple effect of dropping such a widely acknowledged research leader is an omission that hurts The Financial Times ranking more than it damages the school. FTs research rank is based on the number of articles by a B-schools full-time faculty in 50 internationally recognized academic and practitioner journals. The rank, which accounts for 10% of a schools total score in the overall ranking, combines the number of publications from January 2020 to July 2022, with the number weighted relative to faculty size.

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Of course, Wharton belongs on  and near, or at, the top  of any research ranking. The Philadelphia school is home to more than 20 research centers and initiatives, in every subject from analytics to public policy to social impact, which serve as a hub for exchange and study between faculty, students, and members of the business community. Rather than the kind of dry academic output that no one ever reads, the scholarly work that emerges from Wharton generates new courses, programs, and community outreach, as well as partnerships between academics, industry, and government, all in the service of addressing pressing global business challenges.

The same is true of Harvard, atop the 2023 FT research ranking for the second straight year, with 11 research centers and regional offices around the world, as well as the other leading schools on the FTs list. They include Columbia, the overall No. 1 in FTs 2023 global MBA ranking, which has six major academic divisions from Accounting to Management to Marketing under which research is conducted, categorized, and published. Cornell Johnson, ranked No. 3 for research by FT, boasts industry-leading centers like the Parker Center for Investment Research and the Smith Family Business Initiative. UCLA Andersons research is frequently written up in The New York Times and Forbes and covered by such media outlets as Fox News and CNN; as the school proclaims, our reach and influence is felt through the work of our best-selling authors, groundbreaking studies, and Andersons Human Resources Round Table, where we engage academic and practitioner knowledge of cutting-edge human resources topics with the 50 corporate HR executives who are members.

Overall, all of the top seven, nine of the top 10, and 18 of the top 20 research schools as ranked by The Financial Times are based in the United States. INSEAD, of France and Singapore, is the first non-U.S. school, at No. 8.

WHARTON PROFS PUBLISHED NEARLY 400 ARTICLES FROM 2018 TO 2022

The twin rankings released annually by UT-Dallas are constructed differently. Whereas the FTs ranking weighs number of publications over a 30-month span, the Jindal Schools ranking looks at a schools number of publications in a five-year span, in the most recent case from 2018 to 2022 (last years ranking was for 2017 to 2021, the ranking before that was for 2016 to 2020, etc.). In that span, Wharton had an incredible 396 articles published in one of 24 journals in major business disciplines  Journal of Finance, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Marketing Research, etc. Thats up from 380 articles in the previous ranking released in 2022, 353 articles in 2021, and 323 in 2020. The No. 2 research school this year on both the North American and Worldwide rankings, UT-Dallas itself, had 275 articles published from 2018 to 2022.

UT-Dallas provides a tool to study research articles published in the leading business journals; that database contains author information on all research published since 1990. A single-authored article gets the authors affiliated school a score of 1; the ranking addresses the issue of shared authorship by giving each school a score of p/n, where p is the number of authors from the same school and there are a total of n authors on the article.

If an author lists multiple schools, each of the schools that author is affiliated with gets a corresponding scaled score. For example, if one of the n authors lists m affiliations, each school that the author is affiliated with gets a score of 1/nm. In this way, Wharton achieved a score of 204.86, the only school to reach 200 points; UT-Dallas had 134.05, followed by Columbia (130.12), Harvard (129.73), and USCs Marshall School of Business and Leventhal School of Accounting, which combined for 127.30 points.

U.S. SCHOOLS ONCE AGAIN DOMINATE BOTH UT-DALLAS RANKINGS

The top 10 schools on both the UT-Dallas North American and Worldwide rankings were the same this year (see the next pages for details, including the complete rankings). The first deviation on the global list comes at No. 11, where INSEAD (226 articles, 101.70 points) supplants the University of Michigan Ross School of Business (215 articles, 97.73 points). INSEAD ranked 12th last year.

Overall on the Worldwide ranking, the United States accounts for 65 places, down from 66 last year. Notable non-U.S. schools are London Business School at 26th place, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) at 28th, HEC Paris at 45th, and Italys SDA Bocconi at 53rd.

On the North American ranking, the first non-U.S. school is the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management at No. 19, up from No. 22 last year; in all, Canada has eight schools on the list this year, same as last year, but all except Rotman ranked below No. 35. B-schools in Mexico and Central America were shut out once again this year.

See pages 2 and 3 for the 100-school UT-Dallas North American and Worldwide rankings, and page 4 for the 100 top research schools as ranked by The Financial Times.

AND DONT MISS LAST YEARS STORY ON THE TOP 100 BUSINESS SCHOOLS RANKED BY RESEARCH and THE FINANCIAL TIMES 2023 MBA RANKING: THE BIGGEST BOMBSHELL IS WHARTONS DISAPPEARANCE

LISTEN: OUR WEEKLY BUSINESS CASUAL PODCAST ON THE VALUE OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH AT BUSINESS SCHOOLS

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania is the leading U.S. and global B-school for research, according to the annual University of Texas-Dallas Jindal School of Managements rankings. File photo

Outside of the United States, INSEAD is the top business school in the world for research, according to the latest UT-Dallas Jindal ranking. File photo

Harvard Business School was named the top B-school for research once again this year by The Financial Times

The post The Top 100 Business Schools, Ranked By Research appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Actionist provides clients with unparalleled thought partnership, insights, and creativity while bridging strategy and execution

LOS ANGELES, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Transom Consulting Group  the chosen consulting partner to leading firms in the fields of financial services, consumer & retail, institutional investing, business services, and technology  has announced its rebranding as Actionist Consulting. In addition to the name change, Actionist has launched a new website and visual identity.

The rebrand celebrates the firm's significant growth over the last few years in both size and capabilities, including the addition of several new practice areas. The Actionist brand also encompasses the multiple contexts in which the firm serves its clients across strategy, operations, and M&A engagements.

"We chose Actionist as our new name because we are action-oriented advisors and strategists, committed to practical insights and progress, not PowerPoint," says David Ascher, the firm's Founder and Managing Partner. "The Actionist brand embodies our mission to create more impact, on a pound-for-pound basis, than any other consulting firm."

Actionist Partner and Head of the Institutional Investors Practice Felix Recht adds, "Our seasoned consultants combine expertise, analytics, creativity, and an action orientation to help clients achieve great outcomes."

The new brand and supporting website launch on April 3, 2023.

About Actionist Consulting

Actionist is a premier business consultancy that serves Fortune 500 players, top investment firms, and high-growth disruptors across strategic planning, growth management, organizational enablement, investment support, and business transformation. Actionist prides itself on its culture of collaboration, partnering deeply with executives and investment professionals to find the right answer, create pragmatic recommendations, and execute a winning strategy. Actionist operates with nimbleness and efficiency that makes consulting accessible at every stage of the growth journey and maximizes the return on consulting investments.

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Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transom-consulting-group-announces-its-rebrand-as-actionist-consulting-301787680.html

SOURCE Actionist Consulting
By Marianna Parraga

HOUSTON (Reuters) - U.S. producers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) last month regained momentum as the country's second-largest exporter Freeport LNG ramped up output, sending total shipments to an all-time record of 7.73 million tonnes, Refinitiv Eikon data showed on Monday.

Freeport LNG's facility in Texas, which had suspended operations after a fire last year, exited an eight-month outage in February and on Monday was on track to pull in about 2.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas, above its nameplate capacity, pushing up the country's overall processing rates.

A total of 108 cargoes departed U.S. ports last month carrying 7.73 million tonnes of LNG, above the previous record of 7.67 million tonnes a year ago, according to Refinitiv Eikon trade flows data.

Europe was again the main destination for U.S. LNG exports, receiving almost 71% of total cargoes, while Asia received 1.32 million tonnes, or 17%. The production recovery allowed exporters to boost shipments to Latin America and the Caribbean, which last month received 4.5% of U.S. exports, the highest since September.

Average gas flows to all seven big U.S. LNG export plants have risen to 14.1 bcfd so far in April, up from a record 13.2 bcfd in March, signaling the export gains will continue in the weeks to come.

Despite the rising supply to LNG facilities, U.S. gas futures dropped about 4% on Monday on increasing natural gas output and forecasts for milder weather, which typically implies less demand for heating fuels. That balance between offer and demand is expected to allow U.S. utilities to start injecting gas into stockpiles this week.

In a note to clients last month, consultancy Rystad Energy said it expects domestic gas demand to stay subdued as warmer weather patterns emerge in the coming months.

"A material rebound in gas supply levels will be necessary to keep pace with rising LNG exports," said Rystad Energy Vice President Emily McClain. "But with healthy gas storage levels and warmer weather trends, our outlook for domestic gas markets remains diminished as we head into the spring injections season."

(Reporting by Marianna Parraga; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
MarketsandMarkets Research Pvt. Ltd.

Chicago, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The HVAC System Market by Cooling Equipment, Heating Equipment, Ventilation Equipment, Implementation Type, Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, RoW)  [2021-2026], Product launches, acquisitions, partnerships, collaborations, strategic alliances, and expansions are the major growth strategies adopted by the market players. These strategies have enabled them to efficiently fulfill the growing demand for HVAC systems from end-user industries and expand their global footprint by offering their products in all the major regions.

IoT Integration Boosts HVAC System Popularity in Commercial and Residential Applications; Unitary Air Conditioners to Dominate Market Share

The integration of IoT into HVAC systems has increased their popularity in commercial and residential applications. During the forecast period, the market for unitary air conditioners is expected to have the highest market share, with unitary systems being used in buildings, schools, offices, and retail stores.

The major unitary air conditioner manufacturers, such as Daikin, Ingersoll Rand, Johnson Controls, Nortek, and Lennox. The boiler market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period, with the residential segment dominating the market. The article also discusses the market for air handling units, which held the largest share of the ventilation equipment market in 2020. During the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to lead the market for ventilation equipment.

The commercial application segment and the new construction segment, which are expected to lead the global market during the forecast period. Finally, the article discusses key trends driving the growth of the HVAC system market, such as increased building activity, technological breakthroughs, government support and regulations, and rising awareness of energy efficiency.

INQUIRY BEFORE BUYING : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=202111288

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HVAC System Market Report Scope

Report Metric Details Estimated Market Size USD 210.0 billion Projected Market Size USD 271.5 billion Growth Rate 6.6% Forecast Period 2022-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Segments Covered By Cooling Equipment,

Heating Equipment,

Ventilation Equipment,

Implementation Type,

Application Geographies Covered North America,

Europe,

APAC, and

RoW Companies Covered DAIKIN INDUSTRIES (Japan),

Johnson Controls (US),

Carrier (US),

Trane Technologies plc, (US),

LG Electronics (South Korea),

Emerson Electric Co. (US),

Honeywell International Inc. (US),

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan),

Nortek Air Management (US), and

Samsung Electronics (South Korea. (US)(Total 25 players are profiled) Key Market Driver Increasing government regulatory policies and incentives to ensure energy saving and conservation of natural resources Key Market Opportunity Rapid transformation of IoT within HVAC industry Largest Growing Region APAC Highest CAGR Segment Furnaces Highest Market Share Units Air Handling Unit Highest Growing Application Commercial Application

Top Market Players:

Daikin was ranked first in the HVAC system market in 2020, with an approximate share of 1011% in the market. Daikin It manufactures general air-conditioning equipment with in-house divisions covering both air conditioning and refrigerants. The company mainly operates through Air Conditioning, Chemicals, and Other business segments. The Air Conditioning segment offers HVAC products such as split/multi-split air conditioners, unitary air conditioners, air-to-water heat pumps, heating systems, air purifiers, medium/low-temperature refrigeration systems, ventilation products, control systems, chillers, filters, and marine HVAC.

Browse in-depth TOC on " HVAC System Market Trends, Growth Drivers"

190  Tables

58  Figures

235  Pages

REQUEST FOR CUSTOMIZATION : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=202111288

Johnson Controls held the second position in the HVAC system market in 2020, with an approximate share of 78% in the market. The company conducts its business through four business segments: Building Solutions North America, Building Solutions EMEA/LA, Building Solutions Asia Pacific, and Global Products. The company provides HVAC equipment, energy management systems, security systems, fire detection systems, and fire suppression solutions. Moreover, it offers products related to HVAC equipment, which include heating, cooling, air handling, and controls solutions. The company also provides HVAC operations, maintenance (planned and preventive), and repair services; remote monitoring management services; predictive and diagnostic services; system integration services; part replacement and supplies services; and managed and training services.

Related Reports:

The Thermal Systems Market is projected to reach USD 41.7 billion by 2027 from USD 37.6 billion in 2022, at a CAGR of 2.1%.

The Smart Sensors Market is expected to grow from USD 45.8 billion in 2022 to USD 104.5 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.9% during 20222027.

The MEMS Sensor Market by Type (Inertial Sensor, Microphone, & Pressure Sensor), Application (ADAS, ECU, ESC, HVAC, Safety & Security, In-Car Navigation, OIS Camera, Microphone in Cabin, & TPMS), & Geography - Analysis & Forecast

CONTACT: 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 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com




Paul Petersen Named Executive Director, Tiffany Taylor to Become Senior Policy Director

Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - April 3, 2023) - The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA), the only comprehensive trade association dedicated to aerial firefighting, is building its team, announcing two key appointments following the February 2023 launch of the association. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) veteran Paul Petersen was hired as the association's first Executive Director and longtime US Forest Service (USFS)/US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Executive Tiffany Taylor joins the association as its Senior Policy Director.

Petersen will take over as Executive Director of UAFA on May 1, joining the association from the BLM in Reno, Nevada, where he currently serves as State Fire Management Officer. Petersen brings more than 30 years of industry experience to UAFA, starting his career as a seasonal wildland firefighter in 1992. He continued to rise through the ranks of the BLM, starting his current role in 2015. As Executive Director, Petersen will serve as the voice and face of UAFA and will be responsible for its overall management. He will collaborate with his team to build membership, while continuing to cultivate his relationships with Congress, BLM, and the USFS.

"Protecting lives and property as a wildland firefighter and through my time at the BLM, I have seen firsthand the importance of aerial firefighting in protecting our communities and natural resources," says Petersen. "UAFA will play a critical role in advancing the aerial firefighting industry and promoting the safety and well-being of our firefighters. I look forward to building our membership and developing relationships with key industry partners and policymakers to ensure our firefighters have the resources and support they need to keep us safe from the threat of wildfires. We will work together to elevate the standard of aerial firefighting and make a lasting impact on the future of our profession."

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Taylor has started in her role as Senior Policy Director. She will develop and implement the association's strategic policy objectives and will advocate for UAFA and its members with federal, state and local governments, partner industries and citizens. An almost 18-year veteran of the USFS and USDA, Taylor developed strong relationships to help address the needs of national agencies involved with wildfire and emergency management. She most recently served as Director for the Office of Contracting and Procurement for the USDA, and previously held the position in the USFS of Assistant Director, Business Management and Fire and Aviation. In that role, she was Chief of the Contracting Office, supporting fire and aviation management and managed a staff of more than 40, providing acquisition support and analysis, while building relationships with key inter-agency partners and industry vendors.

"I am thrilled to join UAFA as its first Senior Policy Director. I will advocate for its members and develop and advance policies that make a real difference for aerial firefighters. The creation of UAFA is a crucial step in modernizing wildfire operations, as it introduces a united voice for the aerial firefighting industry. As climate change and other factors lead to longer, more intense wildfire seasons, the role of aerial firefighters will evolve and continue to become more important. It is critical that the interests of aerial firefighters are represented, so that advancements in technology and safety can help to shape policy and operations moving forward. As Senior Policy Director, I will work with our members to make a meaningful impact on the future of aerial firefighting," says Taylor.

John Gould, President for the UAFA Board of Directors and a founding member of UAFA, was part of the group that worked to bring Petersen and Taylor to the association.

"Adding two strong industry professionals like Paul and Tiffany to the UAFA team was a big win for the association," says Gould. "Their combined expertise and leadership will be invaluable in advancing our mission and advocating for our members. With their help, we will continue to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and policymakers to ensure that aerial firefighters have the support and resources they need to keep our communities and natural resources safe. This is an exciting time for UAFA, and we look forward to continuing to build our team to support the future success of the aerial firefighting industry."

For information on the UAFA, visit https://uafa.org/, or email membership@uafa.org.





Paul Petersen is the new Executive Director of the United Aerial Firefighters Association



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Tiffany Taylor has joined the United Aerial Firefighters Association as Senior Policy Director



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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About the United Aerial Firefighters Association

The United Aerial Firefighters Association (UAFA) is the only comprehensive trade association dedicated to aerial firefighting. The organization provides a unified voice that advocates for safety and standardization in the aerial firefighting community at the local, state, and federal levels. The goal of the association is to inform policymakers and legislators about the important issues concerning the increasingly critical nature of aerial wildland firefighting.

Media Contact:

Resource Advantage

Dan Green

dgreen@resourceadv antage.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/160571
Fortune Business Insights

Companies covered in United States condom market are Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (U.S.), Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc (U.K.), Lifestyles (Australia), Okamoto Industries Inc. (Japan), Caution Wear Corp (U.S.), Mayer Laboratories Inc. (U.S.), Veru Inc. (U.S.), GLYDE Health Pvt. Ltd. (Australia), LELO (Sweden), Karex Berhad (Malaysia), and more players profiled.

Pune, India, April 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States condom market size reached USD 437.01 million in 2022 and is predicted to be valued at USD 481.88 million in 2023. The market is anticipated to touch USD 879.43 million by 2030, recording a CAGR of 12.79% during the forecast period of 2023-2030.

The U.S. condom market share is anticipated to showcase robust growth due to the rising need to reduce the incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is an essential method of birth control in the U.S., which drove the market growth in 2022.

The U.S. government is also introducing various initiatives and comprehensive sex education programs to reduce the risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in the country. Condoms are widely available at affordable prices in stores and online sales channels in the U.S., which was a significant factor that accelerated the U.S. condom market growth in 2022.

Fortune Business Insights displays this information in a report titled, "U.S. Condom Market, 2023-2030."

COVID-19 Impact:

Lockdowns in U.S. Strained Customers Access to the Product

The COVID-19 outbreak had a major impact on the sales of condoms in various states of the U.S. primarily due to the enforcement of lockdowns and other movement restrictions. Factors, such as the shutdown of manufacturing facilities, supply chain bottlenecks, and delays in processing shipments caused a notable decline in product sales across the country. This scenario also increased the cases of HIV and STIs among women and youth in 2020. The pandemic also put a hold on social gatherings in the U.S., which severely affected the countrys market expansion. However, as these restrictions were eased in 2021, condom sales began to grow in the U.S.

Story continues

Get a Free Sample Research PDF Brochure:

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U.S. Condom Market Report Scope & Segmentation:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast CAGR 12.79% 2030 Value Projection USD 879.43 Million Base Year 2022 U.S. Condom Market Size in 2022 USD 437.01 Million Historical Data 2019-2021 No. of Pages 134 Segments Covered By Product Type, By Material, By End-User, By Distribution Channel, By State U.S. Condom Market Growth Drivers Increasing Demand for Condoms to Avoid HIV and STI will Favor Market Expansion Availability of Condoms in Different Flavors to Improve Sexual Experience for Users is a Crucial Factor Propelling Market Growth

Fortune Business Insights lists out all the United States condom market companies that are presently striving to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the market:

Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (U.S.)

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc (U.K.)

Lifestyles (Australia)

Okamoto Industries Inc. (Japan)

Caution Wear Corp (U.S.)

Mayer Laboratories Inc. (U.S.)

Veru Inc. (U.S.)

GLYDE Health Pvt. Ltd. (Australia)

LELO (Sweden)

Karex Berhad (Malaysia)

Report Coverage:

The report provides a detailed market analysis and focuses on crucial aspects including reputed organizations, products/services offered, and other attributes of the product. Besides, the report offers important insights into the latest market trends and highlights key industry developments. Apart from the factors mentioned above, the report encompasses several factors that have contributed to the market growth in recent years.

Drivers and Restraints:

Increasing Demand for Condoms to Avoid HIV and STI will Favor Market Expansion

Condoms offer effective protection against STIs and HIV and are readily available as well as affordably priced in the U.S. The growing use of lubricated condoms, which decreases friction during intercourse, will also propel the market growth. The U.S. Government IS also introducing various initiatives to spread awareness about sexual well-being and safe sex, thereby driving the demand for sexual wellness products in the U.S. Condoms can also help in enhancing the duration of an intercourse for men and women, which is a crucial factor boosting the adoption of these products in the country. Condoms are gaining traction among the LGBTQ+ community as well to decrease the risk of HIV and STI, thereby propelling the market expansion in 2022.

Customers allergic to latex can experience itchiness and redness after using condoms. Poor-quality condoms frequently tear due to excessive friction, restraining the product demand in the U.S.

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/u-s-condom-market-107375

Segments:

High Effectiveness and Variety in Flavors and Sizes to Boost Adoption of Male Condoms

Based on product type, the market is divided into male condom and female condom. Male condoms held the largest market share in 2022. Since these condoms play an important role in decreasing the risk of HIV, syphilis, and gonorrhea among the population, they witnessed robust demand in 2022. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), male condoms are said to be 98% effective when used properly and can be a highly useful contraceptive method. Male condoms are available in different sizes and flavors to enhance users experiences, which can positively contribute to the sales of male condoms in the country.

Robust Flexibility and Variety to Fuel Sales of Latex Condoms

Based on material, the market is segmented into latex and non-latex (polyurethane, polyisoprene, and PU-leather). The latex segment is predicted to capture the largest market share in the U.S. The demand for latex condoms has increased among consumers in the U.S. as they are easily available and come in different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, and flavors. These condoms also possess incredible stretchability as they can be stretched up to 800%.

New Product Launches will Help Companies Lure Male End-users

In terms of end-user, the market is divided into men, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. As per the U.S. Census Bureau, the countrys population is around 337.2 million, out of which 116.5 million are male. Condom manufacturers are increasing their focus on offering different products in terms of flavors and textures to improve the sexual experience of men and women, thereby boosting the demand for male condoms in the U.S.

Customers Prefer Drug Stores to Purchase Condoms Due to Availability of Multiple Brands

Based on distribution channel, the market covers online retail stores, drug stores, supermarket/hypermarket, and others. The drug stores segment is anticipated to hold the largest market share in the U.S. Drug stores are increasingly becoming a popular vendor in the country as they are present in important locations across all states. Most Americans are reluctant to visit supermarkets or hypermarkets to buy the product. This factor prompts them to opt for small drug stores to buy contraceptives.

By state, the market is analyzed across New York, Florida, California, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, and others.

State Insights:

Introduction of Favorable Schemes to Ease Access to Condoms to Enhance Product Demand in New York

New York is expected to be the fastest-growing state in the market.

The raging COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Government of New York to ease publics access to safe sex products in 2020 as these items were not easily available due to restrictions. For example, in June 2020, New York City's Department of Health introduced a free home delivery service of safe sex products such as condoms and HIV self-test kits. The health department supplies nearly 30 million male condoms, lubricant packs, and internal condoms to over 3,500 nonprofit organizations and businesses across the city every year with the help of the NYC Safer Sex Portal. However, several organizations had to reduce their services in 2020 due to the outbreak. It urged the Department to scale up this program until supply chain operations returned to normalcy.

Competitive Landscape:

Companies Focus on Marketing and New Product Innovation to Gain Competitive Edge

Companies across the U.S. are focusing on marketing condoms through social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, by focusing on specific age groups. They are also innovating their existing product range by introducing new types for men and women. Such initiatives will boost the product demand in the U.S.

Get a Quote Now:

https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/get-a-quote/u-s-condom-market-107375

Detailed Table of Content:

Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology

Executive Summary

Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities

Key Insights Overview of the Parent Market Regulatory Analysis Industry SWOT Analysis Recent Industry Developments Market Analysis and Insights (in Relation with COVID-19) Impact of COVID-19 on the Market Supply Chain Challenges due to the Pandemic Potential Opportunities to Support the Market

U.S Condom Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2019-2030 Key Findings / Summary Market Size Estimates and Forecast By Product Type Male Condom Female Condom By Material Latex Non- Latex Polyurethane Polyisoprene PU Leather By End User Men Women LGBT Community By Distribution Channel Supermarket/Hypermarket Drug Stores Online Retail Stores Others By State New York Florida California Texas New Jersey Illinois Pennsylvania Ohio Georgia Others



TOC Continued!

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Check out more Related Insights by Fortune Business Insights:

At CAGR of 9.4%, Condom Market to Worth USD 10.97 Billion by 2021-2028 | Condom Industry Growing Demand Globally

Disposable Hygiene Products Market Size to Hit $273.44 Billion by 2029 | At 6.7% CAGR

Feminine Hygiene Products Market to Reach USD 54.52 Billion by 2028 | Feminine Hygiene Products Industry Striking CAGR of 5.22%

About Us:

Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in.

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A prominent Russian military blogger was killed in an explosion Sunday at a St. Petersburg cafe that wounded more than two dozen people and drew accusations of Kyiv complicity from the Kremlin.

The Interior Ministry and Russian media said war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky was killed by an explosive device brought in by a patron. City police and emergency services rescued dozens of patrons after the blast. A video posted to Telegram showed an explosion on the first floor of a large building in St. Petersburg.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russian journalists are constantly experiencing threats from the Kyiv regime and its backers and are the subject of a witch hunt in Western media.

"He was dangerous for them, but boldly went to the end fulfilling his duty," she said.

According to the Russian media outlet Fontanka, the cafe belongs to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the controversial Russian mercenary company Wagner Group. The cafe had promoted Tatarsky as a "famous blogger and war correspondent" who was speaking on how to report from global hotspots.

Tatarsky has routinely justified Russia's attack on Ukraine, once saying Russia "will defeat everyone, kill everyone, rob everyone who needs it." Russian media said a woman presented him with a box containing a statuette that apparently exploded.

The reports made no mention of any claim of responsibility, and an investigation was underway.

Numerous explosions have occurred in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine more than 13 months ago. Ukraine authorities have sometimes hinted at involvement but generally do not claim responsibility.

LATEST NEWS: Finland to join NATO on Tuesday; arrest made in blast that killed Russian blogger: Ukraine live updates

A picture taken on July 27, 2021, shows journalist Evan Gershkovich.

Developments:

The Wagner Group, Russias most high-profile mercenary company, is equal in size to the militaries of Hungary or Slovakia, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said Sunday. Hungary's military includes an estimated 40,000 troops.

Story continues

Russian forces launched five missiles, 22 airstrikes and more than 42 shelling attacks Sunday, the Ukrainian military reported.

Blinken urges Russia to release Wall Street Journal reporter

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday urged his Russian counterpart to immediately release two Americans, including a Wall Street Journal reporter detained last week on espionage charges.

Blinken expressed "grave concern" to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov over the Kremlins detention of journalist Evan Gershkovich, according to a State Department statement. Blinken also made the request for Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate-security executive imprisoned in Russia since December 2018.

The U.S. government, the Americans' families and their employers have described the charges as baseless.

Lavrov chastises West for giving arrest 'political overtones'

Lavrov on Sunday dismissed Blinken's requests, saying they were a matter for the Russian courts to decide. Lavrov also chastised Washington officials and Western mass media, accusing them of attempting to "stir up hysteria with an obvious aim of giving a political overtone" to the Gershkovich case.

"Lavrov stressed that Gershkovich had been detained red-handed when he was receiving secret data and was collecting data constituting a state secret acting under the guise of a journalists status," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia's Federal Security Service detained Gershkovich, 31, in the eastern city of Yekaterinburg on Thursday. A Russian court ordered him held until May 29 pending an investigation. If convicted, he could face 20 years in a Russian prison.

'Thanks brotha': Gershkovich texted before disappearing

The fact that Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his counterpart today is hugely reassuring to us, Wall Street Journal Editor in Chief Emma Tucker said Sunday on CBS News. We know the U.S. government is taking this very seriously, right up to the top."

The last time Wall Street Journal staff heard from Gershkovich was Wednesday, just before 4 p.m., when he had arrived at a steakhouse in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, the media outlet says. It was the second trip to the Ural mountains in a month for the Russia correspondent.

Shortly before lunch, a colleague wrote him a text: Hey buddy, good luck today.

Thanks brotha, Gershkovich replied. A Russian social media post a short time later reported that security agents had taken into custody a diner from a Yekaterinburg steakhouse with his hood up.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine Russia war updates: US urges Moscow to release Americans
It's the weekend, party people, and you know what that means: It's Week in Review (WiR) time. For the uninitiated, WiR is where TechCrunch recaps all the tech news that took place for the week. It's like the morning paper, but in digital form, and without all the extraneous stuff unrelated to tech. So...not much like the paper, really, but very much worth a read (in this reporter's humble opinion).

To get WiR in your inbox every Saturday, click here. And for this edition's roundup, scroll down. But before you do that, don't forget to check out TechCrunch's upcoming events lineup, including the startup-focused Early Stage in Boston on April 20 and our mega-conference, Disrupt, in San Francisco on September 1921.

most read

Crash and burn: Virgin Orbit is laying off around 85% of its workforce in order to further reduce expenses after the troubled space company said it was unable to secure additional funding to keep it afloat. The news, which Virgin Orbit filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, comes just two weeks after the company furloughed all employees and entered an "operational pause" in order to find more cash.

Date while filing taxes: There's a new anime dating sim that does your taxes -- and it actually works. Amanda played Tax Heaven 3000, a game produced by MSCHF, the venture-funded creative studio behind projects like Push Party and the Lil Nas X blood shoes. What's the verdict? If you don't mind risking sharing your personal information with an anime girl obsessing over the tax process, it's not the least pleasant way to file your return.

The replacement TikTok: As U.S. lawmakers move forward with their plans for a TikTok ban or forced sale, the apps Chinese parent company, ByteDance, is driving another of its social platforms into the top charts of the U.S. App Store. ByteDance-owned app Lemon8, an Instagram rival that describes itself as a "lifestyle community," jumped into one of the U.S. App Stores top-downloaded slots on Monday, becoming the number 10 overall app across both apps and games.

Story continues

Groupon has a new CEO: Groupon, which shot to fame popularizing the online group buying format, has appointed Dusan Senkypl as interim CEO. As Ingrid writes, Groupon has 14 million active users, but almost consistently for the last decade, the company's financial position has been in a slow decline -- with stagnation in its core business model, little success in efforts to diversify, declining revenues and ongoing losses.

Get your own Lyft: Lyft might once again drop its shared rides offering, just one of several changes the companys newly appointed CEO, David Risher, could make in a bid to focus on Lyft's core ride-hailing business and become profitable. Risher told Rebecca in a wide-ranging interview that other features may also be axed, like the Wait & Save option that allows riders in certain regions to pay a lower fare if they wait for the best-located driver.

Twitter's APIs go paid: After weeks of stalling, Twitter finally announced its new API pricing structures on Wednesday. The three tiers include a bare-bones free level mostly meant for content-posting bots, a $100 per month basic level and a costly enterprise level. Subscribing at any level affords access to Twitter's ads API at no additional cost.

Hard times, slashed valuations: Manish reports some of the biggest Indian startups are taking a haircut in their valuations -- at least in the eyes of their investors, as some backers adjust their estimates amid the weakening global economy. BlackRock has cut the valuation of Byjus, which is Indias most valuable startup at $22 billion, by nearly half to $11.5 billion, while Swiggy, Indias most valuable food delivery startup at $10.7 billion, has been marked down to a valuation of about $8 billion by Invesco.

Ledger wins big: French startup Ledger has added more money -- about 100 million ($108 million) -- to its Series C funding round, Romain writes. The company's main products are hardware crypto wallets that offer a high level of security, shaped like USB keys and featuring a tiny screen to confirm transactions on the device.

Supply chain attack: Multiple security firms have sounded the alarm about an active supply chain attack thats using a Trojanized version of 3CXs widely used voice and video-calling client to target downstream customers, Carly writes. The malware is a particularly dangerous sort, capable of harvesting system information and stealing data and stored credentials from Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave and Firefox user profiles.

Canoo settles with the SEC: Electric vehicle startup Canoo has agreed to a $1.5 million settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a regulatory filing. The SEC began investigating Canoo in May 2021, focusing on the startups operations, business model, revenues, revenue strategy, customer agreements, earnings and the departures of certain company officers, including co-founder and CEO Ulrich Kranz.

audio

TechCrunch's podcasting output was as robust as ever this week, in case you had doubts. The Equity crew talked about AI, crypto, equity crowdfunding and -- in a story out of complete left field -- former startup founders trying to bribe China. Meanwhile, Found interviewed Angela Hoover, CEO and co-founder of Andi, an ambitious generative AI search chatbox company. And on TechCrunch Live, AtoB co-founder Harshita Arora and Contrary Capital founder and partner Eric Tarczynski discussed red flags investors keep an eye out for, how the VC and startup world reacts to the "girl genius" versus "boy genius," and the pain points of the trucking industry.

TechCrunch+

TC+ subscribers get access to in-depth commentary, analysis and surveys  which you know if youre already a subscriber. If youre not, consider signing up. Here are a few highlights from this week:

Crypto on the upswing: "Crypto-focused venture capital investors are trucking along in their work," Jacquelyn writes. Many remain confident in their investing strategies despite an enervated first-quarter market for crypto startup fundraising, while others are noticing a sharper decline in investing pace.

AI is the new oil: Being an AI company has become the soup du jour of startup land. Companies are scrambling to either incorporate AI into their existing business model or change up their marketing so whatever they were already quietly using AI to do is front and center. And Y Combinators latest class is no different, Rebecca reports.

Substack turns to its writers: Alex writes about Substack's effort to crowdfund a venture-sized extension round. The platform, popular with writers and known for its email service, has collected more than $5 million in pledges for an extension to its Series B from its community and the internet at large.

A look at Sweden's startup scene: In the wake of Techstars decision to discontinue its Swedish accelerator program, Alex and Anna decided to dig into the countrys startup scene to understand how one smaller venture market is adapting to a changed investing climate.
NEW YORK, April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Consello, the financial services advisory and strategic investing platform, is pleased to announce the appointment of Wendy Clark as a Partner at the firm.

The Consello Group (PRNewsfoto/Consello)

Before joining Consello, Ms. Clark was the Global Chief Executive of Dentsu International, a leader in media, customer experience management and creative solutions, where she led the company's transformation into a worldwide integrated network operating across 145 global markets and employing over 45,000 people. While at Dentsu, Ms. Clark also acted as Executive Officer of Dentsu Group Inc. and was a member of the Dentsu Group Board.

Before joining Dentsu, Ms. Clark served as the CEO for DDB Worldwide. She previously served as President, Sparkling Brands & Strategic Marketing for Coca-Cola North America; and as Senior Vice President, Advertising for AT&T.

Ms. Clark also sits on the board of luxury jewelry brand David Yurman.

"Wendy is not only a natural born leader but also one of the most innovative people I have ever worked with in my 30 years in business," said Declan Kelly, Chairman and CEO of Consello. "She has an acute understanding of consumer behavior, having held senior marketing roles at some of the world's most important consumer brands, and she has twice proven herself as a successful CEO of a global business, having been at the helm of two highly respected international companies."

"Having had the privilege of leading two different companies, and working on both the client and advisory sides of the business, has given me some unique insight and perspective that I look forward to leveraging on behalf of Consello and its clients," said Ms. Clark.

She continued, "I am thrilled to begin this next chapter in my career journey. Consello  which already boasts one of the most impressive teams of people I have ever seen  is a company that is really on the move. All of the amazing leaders who have joined the company have done so for a reason  this is a differentiated platform that can do things no other company in the world can do in the same way. There are so many great opportunities on the horizon and I am very excited to be a part of the Consello growth story."

Story continues

Ms. Clark has earned numerous recognitions over the course of her career, including the "Matrix Award" from New York Women in Communications and the She Runs It "Advertising Woman of the Year" award. She was also named on the Fast Company top ten list of "Innovative Business Disruptors," was named "Executive of the Year" in 2017 by Advertising Age, and in 2019 she was inducted into the Marketing Hall of Fame of New York.

About Consello

The Consello Group is a financial services advisory and strategic investing platform. At Consello we invest capital to grow companies, and we execute for our banking clients across industries. We also offer business development services to help companies grow and a digital assets advisory business to help companies participate in the global digital financial services ecosystem. Consello offers these four distinct but integrated lines of businesses all on one platform: Investing, Investment Banking and M&A Advisory, Growth and Business Development and Digital Assets Advisory.

Media contact:

info@consello.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wendy-clark-joins-consello-as-a-partner-301787813.html

SOURCE Consello
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But the harsh reality is that very many loss making companies burn through all their cash and go bankrupt.

So should Nuix (ASX:NXL) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Nuix

How Long Is Nuix's Cash Runway?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Nuix last reported its balance sheet in December 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$37m. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through AU$13m. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.9 years as of December 2022. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Well Is Nuix Growing?

Happily, Nuix is travelling in the right direction when it comes to its cash burn, which is down 60% over the last year. Unfortunately, however, operating revenue dropped 11% during the same time frame. Considering the factors above, the company doesnt fare badly when it comes to assessing how it is changing over time. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company.

Can Nuix Raise More Cash Easily?

There's no doubt Nuix seems to be in a fairly good position, when it comes to managing its cash burn, but even if it's only hypothetical, it's always worth asking how easily it could raise more money to fund growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate).

Story continues

Nuix's cash burn of AU$13m is about 3.1% of its AU$421m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

Is Nuix's Cash Burn A Worry?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Nuix's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. Although its falling revenue does give us reason for pause, the other metrics we discussed in this article form a positive picture overall. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Taking an in-depth view of risks, we've identified 2 warning signs for Nuix that you should be aware of before investing.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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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Sunday's Country Music Television Music Awards featured the genre's favorite stars, and, of course, there were a few Kentuckians in the mix.

The show took place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, and was hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, and Kentucky artists Carly Pearce and The Judds racked up a few nominations in two categories.

Here's a quick peek at what they were nominated for and how they finished.

A building boom in Louisville? See where the most houses and apartments are being built

Carly Pearce

Pearce didn't bring home any titles, but she was nominated for two: "Female Video of the Year" for her song "What He Didn't Do" along with "CMT Performance of the Year" for her duet of "One Way Ticket" with LeAnn Rimes and Ashley McBryde on the "Crossroads" series.

Pearce is from Taylor Mill, Kentucky, and she left at 16 to pursue a career in music. She has said her roots in the Bluegrass State have shaped her into the musician she is today. She's performed on stages with big-name country stars like Lee Brice and another song with McBryde that recently won a Grammy award.

The Judds

The Judds, formed by mother-daughter duo Naomi and Wynonna, were nominated for their performance of "Love Can Build a Bridge" from the 2022 CMT Awards in the "CMT Performance of the Year" category. They lost the nomination to Cody Johnson's performance of Til You Cant from the same year. In addition to their 2023 nomination, the duo has won five Grammys out of nine nominations and nine CMA awards. They were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2021.

Passion to profit: This nonprofit is teaching JCPS students business behind making music

The Judds, who are from Ashland, Kentucky, were "music royalty" during the 1980s and early 90s, their website said. Naomi was a nurse who wanted a career in music and started appearing on "The Ralph Emery Show." She caught her break in 1982 when she met Brent Maher, a Nashville producer, who signed the duo with RCA/Curb Records after they gave him a tape and took part a live audition.

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Naomi Judd died at 76 last year from struggles with mental illness, according to her daughters.

Wynonna Judd and Brandi Carlile

Wynonna Judd was nominated for her duet of "The Rose" with Brandi Carlile from Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration in the "CMT Performance of the Year" category, though she didn't win.

She performed "I Want to Know What Love Is" with McBryde at the show, and, in a tweet of their performance from CMT, Wynonna can be heard shouting Naomi out during the song.

"Mama, you need to be here," she said. "I miss you, and I love you and I don't understand."

In her solo career, Wynonna has been nominated for 13 Grammy awards and won five of them. She also holds several County Music Association awards and Billboard Music awards.

All I can say is*WOW* after watching @Wynonna & @AshleyMcBryde's heartfelt #CMTAwards performance of I Wanna Know What Love Is  pic.twitter.com/vOFBwO1ql0  CMT (@CMT) April 3, 2023

More: Maple-and-biscuit spot closes in the Highlands after 3 years of business

Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: CMT Awards: How Kentucky artists The Judds, Carly Pearce did at show
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / April 3, 2023 / America's Charities

America's Charities, Monday, April 3, 2023, Press release picture

World Health Day takes place on April 7th each year, marking the anniversary of when the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded. WHO selects a different theme each year, focusing on one of the topics from their 6-point agenda and highlighting a priority area of concern.

1. Health and Development: advocate for greater recognition of the bidirectional links between poverty and poor health, and strengthen intersectoral work to address health risks and socio-economic determinants

2. Health and Security: taking steps to reduce health risks from outbreaks of new, existing and mutating diseases, and providing assistance to countries in strengthening trauma care and mass casualty management systems

3. Health Systems: Bridging the prevention and treatment gaps, and integrating management of chronic conditions, nutrition services, and mental health into primary healthcare, including prevention and community-based rehabilitation

4. Information and Knowledge: Devising guidelines on evidence-based interventions for health promotion and risk reduction

5. Partnerships: promote partnerships for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities.

6. Performance: Monitor noncommunicable diseases, nutritional deficiencies, mental and substance use disorders, violence and injuries, and disabilities, and their determinants and to evaluate progress at the national, regional and global levels.

In honor of #WorldHealthDay, America's Charities is celebrating our member charities whose programs and health care services ensure that everyone, everywhere, can realize the right to good health.

Click on the nonprofit's name to learn more about what they do.

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On April 7th and all year round through workplace giving, we encourage you to:

Join us in celebrating World Health Day! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we share how our members' specific programs and impact.

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer's workplace giving program (Don't have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity's name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from America's Charities on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: America's Charities

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/americas-charities

Email: info@3blmedia.com

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NAPA, Calif., April 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYRSPS) has chosen The Doctors Company, part of TDC Group, as the exclusively endorsed medical malpractice insurer for its members.

"We chose to endorse The Doctors Company because as an organization founded and led by physicians and owned by members, they share our commitment to address challenges faced today," said Franziska Huettner, MD, PhD, FACS, and NYRSPS President. "As the largest insurer of plastic surgeons in the nation, The Doctors Company also has an unparalleled understanding of liability claims against our specialty."

NYRSPS joins many of the most prestigious medical organizations , including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and the New York State Society of Plastic Surgeons, which exclusively endorse The Doctors Company because of its physician focus, financial strength, and mission to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine.

NYRSPS members are now eligible for a multitude of offerings from The Doctors Company, including competitive rates for medical malpractice insurance, and even greater savings if they're affiliated with a Hospitals Insurance Company health system. As a member of The Doctors Company, NYRSPS members will also receive aggressive defense, expert patient safety tools and programs, access to the Section 18 New York State excess risk management program, and a range of coverage options for both physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Eligible NYRSPS members of The Doctors Company can benefit from the Tribute Plan , which financially rewards doctors for their loyalty and commitment to superior patient care.

"Our new partnership with NYRSPS reflects TDC Group's growing strength in the New York market," said Tammy Clark, CPCU, Senior Vice President and Regional Operating Officer, The Doctors Company. "Since expanding its presence in New York in 2017, TDC Group has grown to 21,674 New York physician members and $320 million in direct written premiums."

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About New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons

Founded in 1960, the New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons (NYRSPS) is dedicated to serving the greater New York community with educational and informational resources about plastic and reconstructive surgery. NYRSPS played a prominent role in the creation of a reconstructive and plastic surgery section within the New York Academy of Medicine in 1966.

About The Doctors Company

Founded and led by physicians, The Doctors Company (thedoctors.com), the nation's largest physician-owned medical malpractice insurer, is relentlessly committed to advancing, protecting, and rewarding the practice of good medicine. The Doctors Company helps physicians manage the complexities of today's healthcare environmentwith expert guidance, resources, and coverage. The Doctors Company is part of TDC Group (tdcg.com), the nation's largest physician-owned provider of insurance, risk management, and healthcare practice improvement solutions. TDC Group serves the full continuum of care, from individual physicians to academic medical systemsover 100,000 healthcare professionals and organizations nationwidewith annual revenue of $1 billion and over $6.5 billion in assets. To learn more about our data-driven insights and to stay up to date on industry trends, follow and subscribe to The Doctors Company on Twitter (@doctorscompany), YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

NYRSPS

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-york-regional-society-of-plastic-surgeons-selects-the-doctors-company-as-exclusive-partner-301788738.html

SOURCE The Doctors Management Company
The trio of new starters join a female-dominated senior leadership team that includes the Chief Financial Officer, Operations Manager and half of all head of department positions.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA / ACCESSWIRE / April 2, 2023 / Leading digital marketing agency Melbourne-wide, Zib Digital, has announced three new appointments to its senior leadership team.

Zib Digital

The company is pleased to welcome Nicole Wagenecht as Head of Growth, Monique Parker as an Agency Partner and Catherine Lio at the helm as Chief Operating Officer. The new starters bring a collective 52 years' experience to the business.

Wagenecht is an SEO veteran and member of the first Facebook cohort in America, with extensive experience in the digital marketing industry. Parker is an award-winning marketer and has worked with numerous businesses in improving their online presence. Previous Essendon director Lio has a strong background in digital marketing and has worked with many large-scale clients across various industries.

Zib Digital's Founder and CEO, Chris Knights, expressed his excitement about the new appointments and stated that they would help the agency to continue delivering exceptional results for its clients. He added that the company is always looking for talented individuals who can contribute to its growth and success.

"At Zib Digital, we prioritise getting the best talent in every role and supporting them to do what they do best. This approach has taken our business from strength to strength, and these latest appointments are pivotal to our plans for the year ahead."

The premier SEO agency Melbourne-wide was started by Knights with his brother 12 years ago while playing AFL for the Richmond Tigers.

Following its expansion into global markets, Zib Digital has grown to a team of 140 specialists. The company's culture is deeply ingrained with peak performance lessons derived from its Tiger days, which has resulted in a relationships-first approach that leverages the diverse strengths of individuals within the team.

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With ambitious goals to kick in 2023, there's still room at the table, said Knights: "We are in fast growth mode, and there is an opportunity for additional, like-minded Partners to join our business in the coming months.

"There's no ceiling on your potential here, and you can create success on your terms while being fully supported by our team. If you're looking for a new challenge, reach out now while the business is in recruitment mode."

To learn more, contact the leaders in SEO Melbourne-wide.

About Zib Digital

As a leading digital marketing agency, Zib Digital has helped grow businesses in a wide variety of industries, both in Australia and internationally through clever online marketing.

Contact Information

Zib Digital

Manager

(03) 8685 9290

SOURCE: Zib Digital

.





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Spotsylvania high school libraries were festooned with more than 500 balloons Monday, each with a message of love and support from the school community.

In the middle of budget wars and arguments over book banning are a set of amazing librarians who are having a really rough week, said Bernadette Chimner, who co-chairs the Chancellor High School Parent Teacher Organization.

A week ago, division Superintendent Mark Taylor proposed eliminating school libraries among a list of other options for closing a possible budget gap. On Thursday, the community received word of Taylors decision to ban 14 books, including two by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, from high school libraries.

PEN America, a nonprofit that works to defend and celebrate free expression through the advancement of literature, defines a book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.

Chimner said she and her co-chair, Christina Ramos, wanted to do something to show the librarians that the community loves and supports them.

They decided on the balloon drive and shared a link over the weekend allowing people to buy a balloon and share a message for $1.

Within a day, we had 300 messages and today we delivered over 500 balloons, Chimner said.

For Katie Hunt, the effort was a small step toward repairing the damage to employee morale that was caused by Taylors proposal last week.

We all have a need for connection, to feel like our lives have meaning, she said. The budget proposal destroyed that for all of our school employees by treating them like disposable pawns in a political game. We should all be working any way possible to fix the damage our School Board is doing, for the sake of our children, for the sake of our neighborhoods, and for the good of our community.

Gina Terry said the proposal displayed a lack of understanding of the positive role librarians play in fostering literacy and information awareness.

From reading nights to class trips to the library, my kids have so many joyous memories of SCPS libraries, she said. Hopefully, the balloons add some color in these dark times by reminding librarians that we see them, we are thankful for them, we support them, and we will stand up to ensure the future of SCPSs libraries.

Christine Misch, a parent who participated in the balloon drive, said she was glad to be a part of this kind gesture for the librarians.

Politics aside, at the end of the day, our librarians, and teachers alike, are people like you and me, just trying to live their lives and make a difference in the world, Misch said.
A Fremont man who is accused of stabbing a 4-month-old infant to death in January 2021 was acquitted on the grounds of insanity on March 17, and will now undergo psychological testing to determine whether he is a danger to himself or others.

Alexander Hernandez, 21, of Fremont is scheduled to appear for a hearing in District 6 Court in Fremont on Thursday, April 13, during which Dr. Jennifer Cimpl-Bohn, a psychologist with the Nebraska Regional Center, will present her analysis and assessment to the court of his potential danger to others or himself.

Hernandez has been jailed in the Saunders County Jail since early January 2021 after he was alleged to have to have stabbed his own 4-month-old cousin more than 20 times, resulting in her death, on Jan. 8, 2021.

The infant, whom the Fremont Tribune is not identifying by name, was being cared for by Hernandezs two parents while her own parents were seeking treatment for substance abuse issues. The baby girl was stabbed more than 20 times in the chest and torso as she slept, and died by 10 p.m. Jan. 8, 2021, after being transported to a medical facility.

After a quick investigation by Fremont Police Department detectives, Hernandez was arrested and charged with suspicion of first-degree murder; a child abuse charge, a Class 1A felony, and a weapon charge. Those charges could have resulted in a sentence up to life in prison.

However, Hernandez plead not guilty by reason of insanity, a defense which leads to a possible sentence to a mental health facility rather that state prison under Nebraska law.

Nebraska Attorney Generals Office prosecuting attorney Corey OBrien, who was the lead attorney prosecuting the case against Hernandez said past suspects in the state who have been acquitted of murder due to an insanity defense have spent more than 10 years in the state mental hospital.

(Due to the insanity) he can only go to the (Nebraska) Regional Center, OBrien said in a telephone interview on April 3. Which is like a prison.

Omaha-based defense lawyer Chinedu Igbokwe who represents Hernandez did not return calls seeking comment.

Weeks after an almost five-hour hearing in mid-February during which five witnesses  including a state psychiatrist and his parents  testified, Hernandez was ruled not guilty by insanity by District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall on March 17.

The mid-February testimony centered on both the night of the infants death as well as the six months preceding the incident. Included in the testimony was an in-depth mental-health evaluation into Hernandezs state of mind at the time of the incident.

A state-licensed psychiatrist, Dr. Klaus Hartmann, who has done insanity evaluations of criminal suspects for more than a dozen years for the State of Nebraska, had told the court that in his medical opinion, Hernandez was insane at the time of the killing.

I formed an opinion: I do believe he qualified for the insanity defense. He was insane, Hartmann said in the February hearing.

According to testimony in mid-February, Hernandez quit his job in April 2020 fearing he would contract the COVID-19 virus. That, according to family members, led to a quick descent into worsening mental health conditions over the six months before the fatal attack on the night of Jan. 8.

Hernandezs mother and father both told the court that their son had lost all his friends by July 2020, was secluding himself inside his bedroom, often not leaving his home for days at a time, and he was exhibiting other symptoms of a mental health crisis.

His condition deteriorated over the five months before the incident, they said, which included symptoms and bouts of insomnia, poor eating, long periods without talking, fear of strangers, regular clutching of his head, rampant headaches and times when he paced around his home with seemingly no purpose.

According to testimony, Hernandez sought mental health treatments on several occasions, but ran into stumbling blocks to care including paranoia of being killed or tortured as well as becoming physically ill in response to mental health medications he was prescribed in the weeks before the killing, family members told the court.

The fact of whether Hernandez stabbed the 4-month-old girl to death was never contested during the mid-February hearing, as both OBrien as well as Hernandezs defense attorneyOmaha-based lawyer Chinedu Igbokwe  admitted in comments to the court that Hernandez was responsible for the girls death.

There is not much of a contest that Mr. Hernandez is the perpetrator of the crime, OBrien said in his opening statement in February. Nor is there much of a contest that he met the definition of insanity.

In his closing statements during the February hearing, Igbokwe told the court and Hall that a crime occurred, and, That crime was committed by Mr. Hernandez.

At the time of the offense, Alexander Hernandez was legally insane and is not guilty by reason of insanity, Igbokwe said. We believe Dr. (Klaus) Hartmann found Alex was legally insane at the time of the crime, as did a second psychiatrist. We do also believe that by Nebraska statute that we intend to present the defense of insanity.

Hernandez now faces the possibility of being sentenced to a state mental health facility for an unknown period of time, depending on whether or not Cimpl-Bohns assessment finds he is a danger to himself or the public. According to Hernandezs attorney, Hernandez has been taking psychiatric prescription medications while an inmate in the Saunders County Jail in Wahoo.

During the mid-February hearing, Hernandez regularly laughed, smiled and had conversations with his attorney during testimony. On multiple occasions during the hearing, he turned to look at his parents in the audience and smiled for extended periods of time.

His next appearance in District 6 court is scheduled for 2 p.m., Thursday, April 13.
One in 4 Colorado teens reported they could get access to a loaded gun within 24 hours, according to survey results published Monday. Nearly half of those teens said it would take them less than 10 minutes.

Thats a lot of access and those are short periods of time, said Virginia McCarthy, a doctoral candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health and the lead author of the research letter describing the findings in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics.

The results come as Coloradans are reeling from yet another school shooting. On March 22, a 17-year-old student shot and wounded two school administrators at East High School in Denver. Police later found his body in a nearby park and confirmed he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Another East High student was fatally shot in February while sitting in his car outside the school.

Already, the survey, which gathered anonymous answers from 41,000 Colorado middle and high school students in the fall of 2021, is getting stale.

It will be interesting to track the changes between 2021 and 2023 and what we find through that, McCarthy told The Gazette Tuesday.

The time it takes to access a gun matters, McCarthy said, particularly for suicide attempts, which are often impulsive decisions for teens. In research studying people who have attempted suicide, nearly half said the time between ideation and action was less than 10 minutes.

Creating barriers to easy access, such as locking up guns and storing them unloaded, extends the time before someone can act on an impulse, and increases the likelihood that they will change their mind or that someone will intervene.

The hope is to understand access in such a way that we can increase that time and keep kids as safe as possible, McCarthy said.

The data McCarthy used comes from the Healthy Kids Colorado Study, a survey conducted every two years with a random sampling of 41,000 students in middle and high school. The 2021 survey asked: How long would it take you to get and be ready to fire a loaded gun without a parents permission?

Indigenous students in Colorado reported the greatest access to a loaded gun, at 39%, including 18% saying they could get one within 10 minutes, compared with 12% of everybody surveyed. Indigenous youths also have the highest rates of suicide.

Nearly 40% of students in rural areas reported having access to firearms, compared with 29% of city residents.

The findings were released at a particularly tense moment in youth gun violence in Colorado. Earlier this month, hundreds of students left their classrooms and walked nearly 2 miles to the state Capitol to advocate for gun legislation and safer schools. The students returned to confront lawmakers again last week in the aftermath of the March 22 East High School shooting.

The Legislature is considering a handful of bills to prevent gun violence. Those include: Raising the minimum age to purchase or possess a gun to 21; establishing a three-day waiting period for gun purchases; limiting legal protections for gun manufacturers and sellers; and expanding the pool of who can file for extreme risk protection orders to have guns removed from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.

McCarthy said that guns are a highly sensitive topic, and some are suspicious of its intentions.

There can be a feeling among gun owners that gun ownership is a private question and people shouldnt be asking, she told The Gazette.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearms became the leading cause of death among those ages 19 or younger in 2020, supplanting motor vehicle deaths. And firearms deaths among children increased during the pandemic, with an average of seven children a day dying because of a firearm incident in 2021.

Colorado has endured a string of school shootings over the past 25 years, including at Columbine High School in 1999, Platte Canyon High School in 2006, Arapahoe High School in 2013, and the STEM School Highlands Ranch in 2019.

Although school shootings receive more attention, the majority of teen gun deaths are suicides.

Youth suicide is starting to become a bigger problem than it ever has been, said Dr. Paul Nestadt, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Part of that has to do with the fact that theres more and more guns that are accessible to youth.

While gun ownership poses a higher risk of suicide among all age groups, teens are particularly vulnerable, because their brains typically are still developing impulse control.

A teen may be bright and know how to properly handle a firearm, but that same teen in a moment of desperation may act impulsively without thinking through the consequences, said Dr. Shayla Sullivant, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Childrens Mercy Kansas City. The decision-making centers of the brain are not fully online until adulthood.

Previous research has shown a disconnect between parents and their children about access to guns in their homes. A 2021 study found that 70% of parents who own firearms said their children could not get their hands on the guns kept at home. But 41% of kids from those same families said they could get to those guns within two hours.

Making the guns inaccessible doesnt just mean locking them. It means making sure the kid doesnt know where the keys are or cant guess the combination, said Catherine Barber, a senior researcher at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Healths Injury Control Research Center, who was not involved in the study. Parents can forget how easily their kids can guess the combination or watch them input the numbers or notice where the keys are kept.

If teens have their own guns for hunting or sport, those, too, should be kept under parental control when the guns are not actively being used, she said.

The Colorado researchers now plan to dig further to find out where teens are accessing guns in hopes of tailoring prevention strategies to different groups of students. Theyll be asking an extra question about access next fall. They know from their study that three-fourths of teens who die get their guns from right inside their own home, information McCarthy said parents may not realize.

Often parents think their kids dont know the code to the safe or they think children cant access the key but studies show parents underestimate teen access to guns in the home, she said.

McCarthy believes that education and prevention will save lives and thats exactly what she hopes to gain from the survey.

Gazette reporter Carol McKinley contributed to this report.
At first glance, a new sculpture at Nancy Lewis Park looks as serene as the ducks paddling slowly across the lake.

The recently installed artwork is one of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs famous fundraising butterflies created by a local artist.

Red tulips connected by yellow and green vinery painted on the large wings are at home near the parks centerpiece pond, which gives respite to the body and soul with resting benches, a gently cascading waterfall and a central view of Pikes Peak.

But up close, the butterfly transforms into an intentional, symbolic nod to the chaos happening inside the brain of someone who has Parkinsons disease.

Designed to stimulate food for thought, the piece is intended to raise awareness about the debilitating disorder, said Mary Sauvain, a member of the Colorado Springs Parkinsons Support Group.

With a winning bid of nearly $3,000, the club purchased the butterfly last fall at the Rotary Clubs annual charitable Flight auction, which each year raises $90,000 to $100,000 for Colorado Springs School District 11 educational projects and local nonprofits.

The support group then donated the sculpture to the city of Colorado Springs.

An official city proclamation recognizing the nationwide observance of April as Parkinsons Awareness Month and a public dedication ceremony for the butterfly will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the park, off East Fillmore Street at Templeton Gap Road.

Life just throws you curves, said Sauvain, whose husband, Rich, was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease more than 19 years ago and in recent years added cancer survivor to his victories.

Parkinsons, a neurological disease, is rivaling Alzheimers disease in prevalence, she said, and, You hear about Alzheimers all the time, but you dont hear about Parkinsons much.

Mary Sauvains daughter, Tara Sauvain, spent the month of July 2022 making the piece in honor of her father, who continues to live with Parkinsons.

Tara has taught art at Sabin Middle School for 25 years, which she also attended as a teenager.

In May, Rotary Club members pitched the idea to Tara of her students making a butterfly for the 2022 auction, but she didnt think that would work because of the academic calendar.

Instead, I thought I could do one that brings awareness of Parkinsons; with my dad having Parkinsons, thats always on my mind, she said.

Her parents, Mary and Rich, were touched.

She blew us away when she said shes doing this in honor of her father, Mary Sauvain said.

Tara studied how neurons in the brain die when Parkinsons infiltrates and then sketched her idea of interconnected yet disjointed nerves that became like greenery among the red tulips, the official emblem of hope for Parkinsons patients.

In 1980, a Dutch horticulturist developed a red and white tulip that he named the Dr. James Parkinson tulip, in honor of the doctor who in 1817 became the first person to describe the medical condition that bears his name.

The scope of the project was greater than Tara expected. Replicating the design she had initially painted on the metal butterfly in the medium she chose, acrylic paint, was difficult, given the slick surface of the wings, she said.

I worked as much as I could to make it symmetrical on the other wing, and the flip side of the wings are symmetrical as well, she said.

The hardest part?

As youre mixing a paint color, realizing its going to have to last for four wings because if remixing it didnt match perfectly, Id have to repaint.

The butterflys body seemed like a natural fit for the brain stem, Tara said.

Throughout the project, Tara said her father didnt understand that the artwork was to honor his internal and external struggles.

Realization crystallized during the auction, which she and her parents attended, when Tara was unexpectedly asked to stand up and give a small speech about the meaning behind the design.

I think it finally connected with my dad that this was for him, she said.

Before Parkinsons, Marys husband and Taras dad had been a vibrant, active, funny man who worked as a barber, was a self-taught handyman and enjoyed wood carving.

Everything he worked with was with his hands  and thats what was taken from him, Tara said.

One of the toughest aspects of Parkinsons is trying to keep your dignity because your mind has control and the body doesnt follow, she said.

That aspect gave way to the name of the butterfly: Living With the Parking Brake On.

When my dad stands up, he has to wait for a while because his mind tells him he needs to be walking, but he cant, Tara said. The same thing happens with thoughts, and having that pause is like having your parking brake on.

The support group's donation of the butterfly was orchestrated by the city's Public Art Commission, and city staff searched for a park with a lot of user traffic so the butterfly would be visible to many, said Bobby Moehring, Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services senior maintenance technician.

Nancy Lewis Park fit that description and also has no other art pieces in it, he said.

Eventually, an informational plaque will be placed beside the sculpture.

It is a beautiful addition to a beautiful park, Moehring said.

Chip Frazer, the artist liaison for the Rotary Club's Flight fundraiser, said he didn't know of any other butterfly that has been donated.

"The majority are bought by businesses and private individuals," he said.

Between 50 and 60 small and large butterflies and dragonflies are auctioned off each year for the tradition that began 16 years ago.

Frazer said the Parkinson's-themed butterfly is near and dear to his heart, as the disease took his father's life.

"When I met with Tara last year about her concept, I was literally crying," he said.

When Tara sees the butterfly sculpture now, as if poised to take flight at the edge of the pond, she said its like visiting a friend.

While the emergence of the piece was a lengthy and at times painful process for the artist, it had more than one upside.

I thought a lot about my dad during that time, Tara said, and I hope that this does get out there and does bring awareness.
A motorist is dead, another was hospitalized with serious injuries and a driver was arrested following a series of crashes in Colorado Springs on Sunday, according to police.

At about 1:40 p.m., officers responded to a call about a crash involving a truck and a go-kart near the intersection of Constitution Avenue and North Chelton Road, police said. While officers were heading to the scene, a witness told police dispatch that the driver of the truck picked up the go-kart rider and left the scene.

Police found the truck in the 2200 block of Glenwood Circle, and emergency personnel took the go-kart rider to a nearby hospital. The riders name and condition were not released.

Investigators determined that the truck had been towing the go-kart as it headed south on Chelton Road.

The go-kart flipped causing serious injury to the rider, who was a man, officials said in a news release.

Officers suspected that John King, the driver of the truck, had been driving under the influence of drugs. King, 49, was arrested after questioning.

At about 2:10 p.m., police were notified of a collision between a vehicle and a motorcycle near North Nevada Avenue and East Platte Avenue. First responders rushed the motorcycle rider to a hospital, where they later died, police said.

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Officers concluded that the bike was going east on Nevada when it ran into a vehicle that was attempting to turn onto Nevada at the Platte intersection, near the William Palmer statue. No arrests were announced.

At 5:40 p.m., police were alerted to a two-car crash at Circle Drive and Bijou Street. When officers arrived, they found that one vehicle had rolled over, and that a driver had left the scene on foot.

There were no injuries but officers are working to identify the driver who fled, a Sand Creek patrol lieutenant said.
I got a chance to take a behind-the-scenes tour at the FBI lab that helps investigate digital devices for some major cases in Colorado.

I took a tour of the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL), which is located south of Denver. You may have seen this story on KKTV 11 News.

The program is made up of 12 certified examiners who conduct examinations on electronic devices inside a controlled lab. Five of them are FBI agents. The other seven are trained officers from different law enforcement agencies, including the Adams County Sheriffs Office, the Castle Rock Police Department, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Denver Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office, the Littleton Police Department and the Lone Tree Police Department.

The RCFL covers Colorado and Wyoming. It helps out when law enforcement agencies across Colorado ask for assistance investigating cases. The agents take cellphones, computers, laptops and other digital devices into the lab. Then they carefully make a copy of the device so they can look through the evidence without changing or deleting data off the original source.

The FBI told me the work it does at this lab makes a big difference for major cases and trials in Colorado.

I work a lot of cases and I have lots of stuff. Ultimately, our goal is to have this admissible in court, so we want to make sure that we are showing that we worked exclusively off the original copy, said Codi Cain, FBI digital forensic examiner.

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Last year, the RCFL helped with more than 205 requests for assistance. It examined 565 devices in the lab. The certified examiners gave testimony during seven trials.

One of the most recent cases the examiners assisted with was the trial for the tragic STEM school shooting in Highlands Ranch.

Its a meticulous process. The investigators told me it can take days, weeks or even longer to be able to extract the data that is found on cellphones and computers before they can look through it.

There are 17 of these computer forensic labs across the country. Colorado is home to one of them.

I also wanted to let you know that the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging is offering free Medicare webinars in April. Older adults and others who want to learn more about Medicare can sign up for the four-part Medicare 101 series. This week, the webinar topic is Medicare eligibility and coverage (Part A/B). You can register and find more information on each webinar at PPACG.org.
A nationally publicized feud between Black and white neighbors in eastern El Paso County may be moving toward a legal conclusion.

In a Monday hearing at the El Paso County courthouse, Teresa Clark, who has been involved in a series of legal disputes with ranchers Courtney and Nicole Mallery, agreed to attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation.

Clark appeared before county Judge Meredith Patrick Cord for a pre-trial readiness conference in connection with her September arrest for allegedly violating a restraining order that required her to stay at least 100 yards from the Mallerys property. She had been scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday.

Last Thursday, Nicole and Courtney Mallery expressed willingness to mediate when they appeared in court to address felony charges of stalking, for which they were arrested in November and February, respectively. Clark is named as the stalking victim in the arrest documents.

The proposed mediation could be the first step toward a peaceful resolution to a clash that reportedly began as a disagreement over an easement between neighboring properties before snowballing into dueling restraining orders, accusations of racism, several arrests, and accusations of biased policing against the El Paso County Sheriffs Office.

In a story published in January by Ark Republic, an online media outlet based in New Jersey, the Mallerys alleged that Clark and other Yoder residents were waging a racist intimidation campaign against them, including online threats, the poisoning of their animals and the disabling of their security system. Nicole Mallery also accused an El Paso County sheriffs deputy of playing favorites, referring to the officer as Clarks personal policeman.

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The story quickly went viral, gaining global attention and sparking outrage that a Black ranching family in a predominantly white community wasnt being allowed to work their land in peace.

Clark has countered with allegations that the Mallerys have continually stalked and threatened her, and has said that angered responses to the Ark Republic story have made her afraid for her life.

The Mallerys were in court on Monday as Clark agreed to mediation, which could take place by the end of April.

Despite the provisional agreement, Clark seemed displeased with this latest turn of events when she told The Gazette, I got screwed. Again. On advice from her attorney, she declined to elaborate.

If Clark and the Mallerys fail to arrive at a resolution, their respective criminal trials will proceed later this year.
Update: The 403 fire has burned 1,388 acres as of Sunday morning.

The Teller County Sheriffs Office announced Sunday residents who were evacuated will be allowed to return home. People who were under mandatory evacuation will change to a pre-evacuation status. They will be allowed to return to their homes after 12 p.m., Sunday. Homes that were under pre-evacuation status before will remain at that status.

Wildfire in El Paso County

A fire burning in El Paso County has prompted mandatory evacuations, according to a tweet from the sheriff's office.

A blaze burning in Cimarron Hills cause a mandatory evacuation of the area of Preble Drive and Boreal Drive, west to Newt Drive.

Click here for further updates on the fire.

Efforts to suppress the 403 fire continued for a third day in Teller and Park counties as red flag warnings persisted Saturday in southern Colorado.

As of Saturday late Saturday afternoon, the fire had burned an estimated 1,215 acres, with 25% of the fire contained, according to the official 403 Fire Facebook page.

Officials said their main priority lies in the safety of firefighters and the public. Over 123 personnel are actively on the scene, with the majority of resources going toward constructing a handline around the fire.

Although no structures have been lost, they remain threatened. Evacuation measures in immediate areas are still in effect.

Friday's update, 403 fire

The fire grew to 1,205 acres Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which took over management of the fire at midnight.

Florissant Fire Chief Erik Holt said 123 fire fighters in total across multiple departments worked to contain the 403 fire on Friday. Strong, sustained winds challenged air support efforts, but crews managed one air drop of 3,000 gallons of water.

A red flag warning remains active across the Pikes Peak region until 7 p.m. Friday. A fire watch also will be in effect Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

High winds rolling through the region may pose problems to firefighters, as winds are expected to range from 20 to 35 mph throughout the day. Gusts may reach as high as 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

A media briefing took place at 9 a.m. Friday. The Teller County Sheriff's Office said a deputy will be available Friday to escort people to their residences to pick up necessary medication and animals.

According to officials, as of 8:15 a.m., smoke was not visible from the Florissant Fire Protection District on U.S. 24.

Officials are asking the public for donations of things such as eyedrops, water, and cough drops for both Park and Teller counties. Donations for Park County can be dropped off at the Lake George fire station, and donations for Teller County can be dropped off at the Sheriff's Office in Divide.

Thursday recap and lookahead, 403 fire

Lieutenant Jennifer Plutt with the Park County Sheriffs Office on Friday said flames were first confirmed by an off-duty sheriffs deputy at 10:58 a.m. Thursday morning following a 911 call from a resident reporting the fire from the Pikes Forest Estate subdivision. By 11:15 a.m. the Lake George Fire Department was on the scene, with assistance from the Guffey and Florissant fire departments.

At 11:31 a.m., mandatory evacuations came into effect for residents within a one-mile radius. By 3:23 p.m., a secondary call for evacuation went out to the residence in a 5-mile radius.

Right now, in terms of cause and origin, we are working hand and hand with the U.S. Forest Service, Special Agent, and fire investigation team, Plutt said.

Mandatory evacuations are still in place for the Pike Forest, Saddle Mountain Ranch and Blue Mountain Ranch subdivisions, as well as for residents along County Road 403.

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Country Road 403 along with County Road 38, which is east of County Road 61, remain closed.

Depending on what the fire does today will determine when those closures will be lifted, Plutt said.

According to Plutt, residents from evacuated subdivisions can stop by any of the roadblocks in place to be escorted back to their residences for a short period of time to retrieve any necessary materials left in their homes.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, approximately 1,100 acres have burned since the fire began Thursday morning. The area is expecting more resources Friday to help suppress the fire, including aviation support. However, the high winds present could limit the abilities of aircraft.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, Teller County moved into stage 2 of an active burn ban, posting the resolution from the county commissioners to its Twitter account.

According to the Pike & San Isabel National Forest, and the Cimarron & Comanche National Grasslands Fire Information Blog, the fire has burned a total of 1,205 acres as of 1:30 p.m. Friday. The Forest Service is leading current operations on the ground, utilizing resources from Teller and Park counties. The Department of Fire Prevention and Control's aviation resources were unable to fly Friday due to high winds present in the area.

The blog states the main goal is to continue to limit fire growth.

Fire in Park and Teller counties: 403 fire

As the 403 fire crosses over county lines, Teller County authorities Thursday evening ordered mandatory evacuations for the area stretching from County Road 46 to Wilson Drive and for residents of the Wilson Lakes and Forest Glenn subdivisions. Officials say 1,047 acres have been burned as of 8:45 p.m.

A pre-evacuation warning was issued for Valley Hi and Florissant Heights subdivisions, according to Teller County Sheriff Office. Residents in the area are asked to evacuate immediately if in danger. Officials announced the closest major intersection is County Road 403 and County Road 98 in Park County.

Click here for an interactive map of the current evacuation and pre-evacuation zones for the 403 fire.

Emergency shelters for evacuees are set up at the Woodland Park Community Center at 800 Valley View Drive.

Officials announced the power and gas will be cut off south of Highway 24 and west Teller 1 to the County line at 8:20 p.m., mainly impacting the subdivisions of Wilson Lakes and Forest Glenn.

Park County residents within one mile of County Road 403 and Alpine Meadow Lane were previously ordered to evacuate at 11:39 a.m. The alert said structures in the area are threatened by the grassfire.

An emergency evacuation shelter is open at the Lake George Community Center located at 39141 U.S. 24. Those with large animals or livestock are asked to locate to the Lake George Fairgrounds at 37371 Highway 24. For immediate updates, residents can call the evacuation line at 719-836-4200.

A media staging will take place at Florissant Grange located at 2009 Teller County Road 31, according to a tweet from the Teller County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Teller County Sheriffs Office, smoke was visible in the west part of the county because of the fire burning behind the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Officials are asking the public to call 911 only if they see active flames, or a plume of smoke.

The Department of Public Health and Environment issued an air quality advisory for southeastern Park County and western Teller County. Park County officials advise citizens to remain indoors if smoke becomes too thick in their neighborhood, especially the young, the elder, and those with heart disease, or respiratory illness.

Fire near Simla: 125 fire

Officials lifted an evacuation of Simla at 6:10 p.m. Thursday after the 125 fire threatened approximately 500-700 acres, according to the Elbert County Office of Emergency Management and Elizabeth Fire. Elbert County Road and Bridge cleared 25 feet of vegetation to prevent the fire from spreading into the town.

As of about 8 p.m., the fire was 96% contained. Crews expected to remain on scene to tend to hotspots until Friday morning.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department first reported sending two brush trucks, one engine and a battalion chief to assist with a wildland fire off of U.S. 24 south of Simla at 4:12 p.m.

Fire in Colorado Springs

Fire crews earlier Thursday contained a wildland fire in southeast Colorado Springs in the area of Delta and Hancock. The fire stretched approximately half an acre and was contained by 2:39 p.m., just under two hours from when CSFD says crews arrived.

No structures were threatened or lost, and no civilians were injured, according to the Colorado Springs Fire Department. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
More than three years since 11-year-old Gannon Stauch's body was found in northern Florida, his alleged killer and stepmom Letecia Stauch's opening statements began on Monday.

Follow Gazette reporter @ZachNDupont on Twitter for updates from court.

Opening statements

Following the selection of the 19-person jury selection, 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen began opening statements for the prosecution by telling the jury that the case will come down to insanity, and that by the end of the trial the prosecution will have proved Stauch was sane at the time of Gannon's killing.

"The evidence will show she could distinguish between right and wrong," Allen told the jury to begin his opening statement.

Allen walked the jury through the evidence that the prosecution plans to show, including how Stauch allegedly stabbed her stepson 18 times as he fought back before shooting him three times, and how she allegedly drove his body to Florida in the trunk of her car in a suitcase before throwing it over a bridge into a river below.

Allen alleges that all of this evidence, as well as testimony from experts at the state hospital in Pueblo, will prove that Stauch was sane at the time of Gannon's killing. Allen made the claims while acknowledging that the defense will have an expert witness testify that they found Stauch to be insane at the time of Gannon's death.

The defense's expert, Dr. Dorothy Lewis, is a former clinical professor of psychiatry at Yale University, the author of several books on the topic of the insanity plea and the subject of the documentary Crazy, Not Insane.

The documentary outlines Lewis work with notorious killers such as Ted Bundy, Arthur Shawcross, John Allen Muhammed and many others.

During his opening statement Allen showed several pictures of evidence that will be presented, including alleged blood stains found in Gannon's bedroom and a picture of the suitcase that Letecia Stauch used to hide Gannon's body .

"The defendant took deliberate actions to hide those crimes from the world," Allen said.

Allen ended his opening statements by playing audio of Stauch's call to 911 to report her stepson as missing. When the dispatcher asks Stauch about the last person to have seen the boy alive, she responds: "I guess me?"

Defense attorney Will Cook opened with some theatrics, pointing to how most people already find his client "guilty" or "evil." Cook then pretended to walk out of the courtroom, acting defeated before returning to say he "can't just check out now" because it "wouldn't be fair to (Stauch)."

"We have lost in the court of public opinion and in the media, she is guilty," Cook told the jurors. "Do your job, listen to the evidence... That is all I'm asking of you, give us a fair shake."

Cook went on to display a selfie of Letecia Stauch and Gannon Stauch that Cook alleges was from the day before Gannon's death. Letecia Stauch could be heard quietly crying at the defense table when the selfie was shown.

"Behind those photos and smiles Ms. Stauch ... was dealing with trauma and abuse that had been going no since she was a toddler," Cook said, referencing that Stauch was allegedly assaulted and molested for years as a child.

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Stauch's abuse as a child, according to Cook, led to her developing dissociative identity order and that their expert found Stauch to be insane at the time of the incident.

"You must, to be fair and impartial, you must believe it (insanity) is a valid defense," Cook said.

To finish his opening statements, Cook claimed that the lack of a motive presented by the prosecution will prove that Stauch was insane, and that she should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.

"You're going to have countless witnesses, evidence, exhibits, photos and videos," Cook said to the jury. "You know what you're not going to hear ... a motive.

"The reason is there is no motive, there is no reason. It doesn't make sense. It's insane."

Stauch's trial in 4th Judicial District Court began March 20 with jury selection, where attorneys worked to select a pool of potential jurors to call back on Monday.

The juror pool

Attorneys in the Stauch case spent the past two weeks working toward selecting the final 120-person potential juror pool  a process that was completed early last week, said Robert McCallum, the public information officer for the Colorado Judicial Department.

To start off jury selection Monday morning, more than 15 people told Judge Gregory Werner that their circumstances had changed since their first appearance in court, and now they may no longer be able to serve on the jury.

The change in those potential jurors' circumstances included their employers informing them they wouldn't be paid while serving on the jury and medical hardships such as upcoming surgeries for themselves or family members.

After over an hour, attorneys came to a resolution on the 18-person jury for the trial. The jury includes 11 men and seven women.

Expected length of trial

Stauch's trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, with the prosecution's endorsed witness list obtained by The Gazette at more than 150 people.

The trial will continue Tuesday morning with the prosecution's first witness.

Stauch faces 13 charges including first-degree murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence. If found guilty of the first-degree murder charge, Stauch will be given a mandatory sentence of life of prison, per Colorado law.

In addition to the murder trial, Stauch faces a second case in which she is accused of attempting to escape from the El Paso County jail in May 2020. The second case against Stauch is on hold until the completion of the first-degree murder trial.
First lady Jill Biden's airplane was diverted back to Denver on Monday afternoon after it experienced an issue while headed to Michigan, her press secretary said on Twitter.

Biden visited Denver on Monday morning to highlight President Joe Biden's economic policies. Her office she joined Gov. Jared Polis at the state Capitol "to highlight how state officials are prioritizing investments in community colleges and workforce training programs."

Biden arrived in Colorado on Sunday evening. Her trip also included planned visits to Michigan, Maine and Vermont.

Her trip to Michigan was postponed to a later date after the aircraft issues forced her return to Denver, according to press secretary Vanessa Valdivia.

Everyone was safe after landing in Denver, Valdivia said.

Valdivia didn't share any details on the aircraft issue or how long the first lady would remain in Colorado.

For more on this story about Jill Biden's plane being diverted back to Denver, including a video report, visit our news partners at 9NEWS.com.
When the Denver East High gunman started shooting March 22, he didnt just rob his classmates of their security and their freedom of movement. In a very real way, he also stole their voices.

Senior Patrick Pethybridge, 18, was moments away from reading a unity poem at a packed morning assembly when the school went into lockdown. A teacher issued the immediate, emphatic command: Silence!

Pethybridge never got to read that poem.

The assembly had been called by a club called Latino Students United. It was intended to mark the upcoming Cesar Chavez holiday, to acknowledge the recent gun death of Denver East student Luis Garcia and mainly, Pethybridge said, to celebrate the whole Latinx community at school.

Jozer Guerrero, a 31-year-old graduate of nearby Denver West, had been invited to perform at the assembly with his Chicano funk band, Los Mocochetes. Ironically, Guerrero was reciting his own poem, Walking Towards Freedom, when he heard rustling backstage. Something, he knew, was up. But he continued with his poem, even stomping his boot on the stage to replicate the sound of a gunshot. The theme of his piece, he said, is standing up as one community against gun violence.

Then came the command for silence. The crowded theater, he said, became hauntingly quiet.

The scariest part was witnessing 400-plus kids go from making all that noise to not saying one word, Guerrero said. It was complete silence. It was clear they had been trained for how to react in these situations, and we all got a small glimpse of what these students have been experiencing for the past few years.

After the band finished, the program called for Pethybridge to read his poem, Rallying Cry. The greatest irony: That was to be followed by an actual moment of silence for Garcia, who was shot outside East High on Feb. 13 and died weeks later.

Instead, Pethybridge and his schoolmates found themselves in an entirely different, morbid contortion of a traditional moment of silence.

Pethybridge was born in Missouri and moved to Texas, Pennsylvania and finally to Colorado a little more than eight years ago. He joined East as a sophomore, carries a 3.86 GPA and is bound for the University of Colorado Boulder to study environmental design.

He has considered himself a serious poet since he was about 9, with the encouragement of his parents, Jeffrey Pethybridge and Carolina Ebeid. He was invited to read at the March 22 school assembly after having read another poem to the schools staff to mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Because of the large school enrollment, the assembly in the auditorium was planned to take place twice  at 9:25 a.m. and again an hour later. It began with Los Mocochetes performing.

People were really excited about them being here, said Pethybridge, who was backstage when he heard the word lockdown.

People were freaking out, he said, but his first concern was ensuring the safety of the band.

They were our guests, after all, Pethybridge said.

In all, he estimates the lockdown lasted 10 minutes that felt like forever.

I remember thinking, Why is this happening? he said. We just buried Luis Garcia, so his loss is fresh in our minds. And what I kept thinking was: I hope we dont lose another one.

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But Pethybridge has become numbingly used to these moments of frozen terror.

We went on lockdown in September when we had that massive swatting threat, he said  and again when Garcia was shot. This time, he said, It felt severe. It felt real. Like there was something really bad going on.

There was. He later learned that a classmate had allegedly shot two school employees. Pethybridge attended several student rallies at the state Capitol in the days that followed, and in an interview, he mentioned that he never got to read that poem.

Until now.

Denver Gazette Multimedia Editor Tom Hellauer and I reached out to Pethybridge with an offer: Read us your poem. Tell us what you want people to know. Tell us what you want us to do. He met us on Thursday on the front steps of East High, which is closed for spring break.

He was wearing a red, snapped shirt from Denvers iconic Rockmount Ranch Wear store on Wazee Street. He chose it, he said, because it vaguely resembles my culture as a Latino person, before adding with a shy smile: I also just wanted to look very presentable.

The overall theme of his poem, he said, is unity and inclusion and representation in our community.

Rallying Cry invokes 15th century Mexican philosopher and ruler Nezahualcoyotl, the Denver school board and violence from the unforgiving before urging the country to move forward as a beacon of hope.

He points with pride to his penultimate stanza, which references all the nationalities and ancestral countries that comprise the umbrella Latin community. His list includes Hispanic, Chicano, Boricua, Cuban, Guatemalan, Argentine, Paraguayan and many more  ending, meaningfully, with American.

I end with American to emphasize that we all come from this mega-diverse diaspora that is not always valued in the general public sphere, he said. Its a little hard. But we must persist as one voice.

As for what he wants to see happen next, Pethybridge would like state lawmakers to pass all five gun bills up for consideration, ranging from expanding extreme-risk protection orders to a statewide ban on assault weapons. And he wants people to participate in our democracy.

It is so important for both youth and grownups to use their political power, he said. And two of the ways are by voting and by writing to your representatives and elected officials.

Guerrero said the best thing about what was an otherwise traumatizing experience at East High School was meeting Pethybridge. And heres what Guerrero would have told him if he had the chance to hear Pethybridges poem on March 22 and talk about it afterward:

I would tell Patrick that, as a young poet, his voice needs to be heard, Guerrero said. I would say that he plays a very important role because, in these terrible times, he becomes a historian. Hes witnessing it  so who better to tell that story?

Patrick reminds me a lot of myself at that age. When you are a young poet, you have all that anxious energy, and you are only able to get that fix by being on that stage. So, I would tell Patrick: Keep going.

I also think he would be a great candidate to be the citys next youth poet laureate. The world needs to remember these tragedies, and maybe they can do that in a more beautiful light through his poetry.
Two popular downtown Colorado Springs roads were closed following a traffic accident, according to a tweet from the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Platte and Nevada avenues were closed to traffic due to a collision between a vehicle and a motorcycle Sunday afternoon around 2:10 p.m.

The motorcyclist was rushed to a local hospital where they later died, according to police.

Officials said the motorcyclist was driving east on Platte attempting to drive through the intersection when it collided with a vehicle traveling eastbound on Nevada attempting to turn left at the William Palmer statue.

Impaired driving and speed are not believed to be contributing factors at this time, according to the police department. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Platte was closed from Tejon to Weber and Nevada closed from Bijou to Boulder. Both roads reopened just before 7 p.m.
A southeast Colorado nonprofit is battling to restore a small, 146-year-old building in Otero County that residents view as a vital piece of the regions history.

Friends of Historic Southeast Colorado, based in Rocky Ford, wants to restore a 19th-century schoolhouse that was once an essential component of the town, said Jeanette Myers, the group's secretary/treasurer.

It is such a rich piece of history, for Rocky Ford, and for the southeast part of the state, Myers said. It has always been our dream to restore the schoolhouse.

Built to accommodate 20 students in 1877  the year after Colorado officially became a state  the building was the first dedicated schoolhouse in the Rocky Ford township, according to the nonprofit. The adobe building was externally reinforced with wooden slats to protect it from the elements, and the weather-boards were painted white, which gave rise to the nickname Little White Schoolhouse.

The building, which was originally 15 feet by 15 feet, served as more than just a school, according to multiple accounts. It was Rocky Fords central assembly place  the location of the towns most important meetings, including its first election in 1887, Myers said.

It was truly the center of life in Rocky Ford from 1877 throughout the 1880s, Friends board member Donna Abert wrote in an article for SeCo News.

The addition of a sugar factory industrialized the township, and Rocky Fords population began to explode. As the student population grew, it became clear that more classroom space was needed. In 1896, the building was expanded to house more students. But the population boom dictated that a new, larger school be added to the town. When Liberty School was built in 1898, the Little White Schoolhouse was sold, torn down, and rebuilt two blocks east.

Valley-Wide Health Systems, a nonprofit health group, acquired the building a few years ago and had been using it for storage. When the Friends of Historic Southeast Colorado learned that Valley-Wide was putting the structure up for sale, the group made it known that it wanted to acquire the former schoolhouse and restore it.

Weve always wanted to save that school, Myers said. We didnt like the fact that it was privately owned.

Valley-Wide donated the building to Friends of Historic Southeast Colorado in 2021, asking only that the nonprofit pay taxes and closing costs  about $1,200.

The long-range plan, Myers said, is to maintain the buildings 19th-century facade while adding a few modern touches. The nonprofit would like to use one room of the schoolhouse as a repository for historical data, while outfitting another room with a computer for people to conduct historical and genealogical research.

We also need to get utilities into the building, Myers said. Right now, theres no heat or water, just electricity.

The next step in the nonprofits restoration schedule is an assessment and "planning grant" from the Colorado Historical Society, Myers said. Representatives of the Historical Society will go over every inch of the schoolhouse, make a list of the necessary repairs and give a price estimate. If Friends of Historic Southeast Colorado can raise 25% of the estimated cost, the State Historical Fund will provide the rest.

Myers said the nonprofits board members are looking at a number of fundraising strategies. They initiated a GoFundMe account, titled "Restore Our Historic 1877 Little White Schoolhouse," in November.

We would love to save every historic building in the area, she said. But right now, were focusing on the Little White Schoolhouse.
Colorado Democrats elected veteran political operative Shad Murib to chair the state party for the next two years at a meeting Saturday of the party's state central committee in Denver.

Taking the reins on the heels of the party's strongest run in decades  outgoing three-term state chair Morgan Carroll boasted later that more Democrats hold office in Colorado than at any time in the state's history  Murib said the party must expand its majorities in the legislature and congressional delegation while also electing more Democrats to local offices across the state.

"Sheriffs across the state refuse to enforce our gun safety laws. We have Republican county commissioners who won't build affordable housing. They won't enforce the oil and gas laws meant to keep our neighborhoods and schools safe. And Republican county clerks are straight up inviting corruption into their election offices," Murib told the roughly 500 Democrats gathered at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel for the party's biennial reorganization meeting.

"Republicans have majorities in these seats across the state, and I believe the next frontier of Democratic politics must be local."

In addition to a focus on legislative and county offices, Murib said a goal of the party in 2024 will be to defend Democratic Rep. Yadira Caraveo in the battleground 8th Congressional District and work to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, who won reelection last year in the 3rd Congressional District by the closest margin in the country in a congressional race.

The 35-year-old Murib lives in Vail with his wife, former state Sen. Kerry Donovan. The two run a cattle ranch in nearby Edwards.

Murib won the party leadership election after two rounds of balloting, prevailing over longtime party volunteer and education consultant Tim Kubik and Howard Chou, the state party's incumbent 1st vice chair. Murib led in the first round with 43% of the vote to Kubik's 30% and Chou's 29%. In the run-off, Murib took 52% to Kubik's 48%.

Carroll, the former Senate president from Aurora who chaired the party since 2017, announced in December that she wasn't seeking another term.

The party's state central committee is made up of more than 500 party officers, elected officials and bonus members from larger counties, based on the vote for top-ticket Democrats in the last election.

Dozens voted by proxy, including the Democrats' state House caucus, who were debating a package of abortion bills during an extraordinary Saturday session at the state Capitol, and a slew of Denver mayoral candidates and campaign volunteers busy chasing ballots in the final days before the municipal election.

"We all know that our power is at the grassroots  the notion that deep and meaningful conversations can change the world," Murib said, accepting the nomination. "So thank you to the volunteers who have stepped up for the Democratic Party across the state. Thank you to everyone who drove long distances through blizzard and fire to be here, and thank you to all the House members fighting for abortion rights as we speak."

With Murib and his rivals for state chair mostly differing on how to fine-tune the Democrats' operations going forward, the party's leadership election appeared to be friendlier and more relaxed than the meeting held by the state GOP three weeks earlier in Loveland, when Republicans picked former state Rep. Dave Willams to chair the state party.

"Simply, we must protect and grow our majorities," Murib said. "Whether you're a moderate Democrat from Douglas County or a progressive Democrat from Boulder, you have a home here. We must unify and invest in electing Democrats in red and blue areas across the state."

Thank you @coloradodems for trusting me with this enormous privilege!Together, well grow our party across the state to protect our legislative majorities and end the era of Republican dominance at the local level.The future of our state is bright! Go, fight, win. #copolitics https://t.co/6bHG1Ess4b  Shad Murib  (@ShadMurib) April 1, 2023

Born and raised in Littleton to parents who immigrated from Lebanon  "It's a classic immigrant story: Dad moved here, three of his brothers followed, and then they all opened up competing vacuum stores in Aurora," Murib said  Murib said he got his start in politics in 2004 as volunteer coordinator for the Kerry campaign at his high school.

He's held numerous positions with campaigns, nonprofits and in government since, including as a legislative assistant for then-U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, chief of staff for the Colorado Senate Democrats, director of government and public affairs for Secretary of State Jena Griswold and most recently as state director for U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper.

Since departing Hickenloper's office, Murib has run a political consulting firm.

Also elected at the meeting were 1st vice chair Indira Duggirala; 2nd vice chair Scott Mangino; secretary Josh Trupin; treasurer Rosanna Reyes; vice chair for party operations Jarrod Munger; vice chair for cultural and demographic outreach Stephanie Bowman; vice chair for geographic outreach Amy Paschal and vice chair for marketing and public relations Sheena Kadi.
So, you still have not voted in the Denver election?

Don't worry, you're not alone. As of March 30, only 10% of Denver's registered, active voters had cast their ballot in the Denver election. We got you covered.

Should you mail your ballot?

If you still have your mail-in ballot for the Denver election, do not mail it. It's too late.

Instead, bring your ballot to one of the city's 43 drop boxes that are open 24 hours.

You may also vote in person or return your ballot at a voting center or drive-through. The locations are available here.

Here's a list of 24 hour drop boxes and voter services in Denver

Election day is Tuesday, April 4

All mail ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on April 4. If you plan to vote late in the day, be sure to be in line by 7 p.m. in order to vote in person.

What is Denver voting on?

The races in this year's municipal election include various seats, notably the mayor, city council, clerk and recorder, and auditor. Denver voters will also decide the fate of local ballot measures.

The Denver Gazette Voters' Guide offers solid information that can help you decide who or what to vote for.

First, there are 16 mayoral candidates. Originally, there were 17 candidates, but Kwame Spearman dropped out of the race. Spearman's name will still appear on the ballot, but any vote for him won't be counted.

Denver election voter guide: Resources for procrastinators

You can find the candidates for Denver mayor here.

You can find the candidates for Denver city council, auditor and clerk here.

The Denver Gazette hosted a forum on the Denver mayor race a few weeks ago. Watch it here.

And here are the Denver mayoral candidates' priorities.

We also asked the Denver mayor candidates three pressing questions. Here are their answers.

We also asked the Denver mayor candidates about their public safety priorities. Here are their answers.

And here is where the Denver mayor candidates stand on woes plaguing the 16th Street Mall.

We also asked the candidates about doubling  or even tripling energy bills  and other energy challenges.

And if you're wondering what are Denver voters' top issues heading into the Denver election, you can read about them here.
The long-awaited Outer Banks Target opened Sunday morning with balloons, a ribbon-cutting and at least 500 shoppers lined up outside, some before dawn.

Armed with bright red shopping carts and dressed in layers against the chilly wind, they filed in by the dozen after a quick ribbon-cutting with the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.

Were so excited to bring Target and our vision of bringing joy here to the Outer Banks, store director R.J. Cunningham told the crowd. Have a great opening day!

Target occupies the same space in Kill Devil Hills that housed North Carolinas last Kmart, which closed in 2019. The retailer purchased the run-down building at 1901 N. Croatan Highway in February 2021, with a targeted opening last year. But external delays slowed construction, Target officials said at the time.

The original design called for a smaller, neighborhood store with 80,000 square feet of retail space, but the new store covers 120,000 square feet, larger than most Targets, Cunningham said.

Hiring has been a challenge, he said, but by opening day, the store had hired 100 employees, with plans to bring more on board as the summer season gets underway. The stores hours for now are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

There is no surprise that trying to hire and staff any business has been very challenging across the spectrum, Cunningham said. But we are ready to go, ready to open our doors.

The exterior of the store features a nod to the Outer Banks with siding on either side of the doors made from reclaimed local driftwood.

Inside, theres a CVS Pharmacy, a dedicated space for order pickup and an Ulta Beauty section. A Starbucks is opening in May.

Brittney Goodson, a sales associate in the Ulta section, said it was exciting to finally see customers filling the store.

Weve been working toward this since the end of February, she said.

Target is one of only two big-box stores on the Outer Banks, sharing the market with the Kitty Hawk Walmart, which opened in 1993. The Kmart closed after a 30-year run, among the last across the country  and the last in North Carolina  to get the ax.

Target originally planned to tear down the aging Kmart building, but later said it would remodel the existing space, which sits on a 14-acre plot of land owned by the Wright Company Inc. of Virginia Beach. Norfolk real estate mogul Joan Dalis, who died in 2019, was president of the Wright Co. Inc., owner of the Kmart property fronting U.S. 158, the main thoroughfare on the Outer Banks. Her brother is now the property owner.

The new Target is one of several new big-name retailers opening up shop on the Outer Banks. On March 30, a Marshalls store opened in Kitty Hawk. In Kill Devil Hills near the new Target, clearing is underway on a Wawa store and gas station, slated to open next year.
GREENSBORO  N.C. Rep. Cecil Brockman, D-High Point, has been taking heat from his own party before and after his absence from last weeks vote on a law that eliminated the requirement that people get a pistol permit in order to purchase a handgun in North Carolina.

Cecil Brockman has said he will vote with Republicans to override the Governors veto of the gun bill, because the Republicans have promised him money. CONTACT HIM NOW AND TELL HIM NO!!!, the Guilford County Democratic Party posted on its Facebook page five days ago, later posting, Thank you for reaching out to Cecil Brockman. He chose not to show up for the vote, which is just as bad.

Guilford County Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Kirkpatrick said she posted that first message after a Democratic-elected official told her that Brockman had told them that he would vote with Republicans to override the governors veto because Republicans had promised to secure money for his district.

Kirkpatrick declined to name the official who shared that with her and said she doesnt have any independent confirmation outside of that person. However, she said, she was concerned enough about the gun issue to feel the need to post.

On something as important as gun safety and gun violence... its just crazy that we are not upholding anything that we can do, she said. I know he wasnt the only one that didnt show up, but hes the only one in Guilford County.

Other Democrats who missed the vote were Tricia Ann Cotham of Mecklenburg County and Michael Wray of Halifax County.

Kirkpatrick said shed left a message for Brockman and emailed him to ask why he was absent from the vote and hasnt heard back from him.

The News & Record has emailed Brockman and called his office repeatedly since Thursday in hopes of speaking with him, without getting any response as of early Monday evening.

The Associated Press reported that the legislators office said in a statement the legislator was in urgent care on Wednesday morning.

In 2019, Brockman wrote a column for the News & Record addressing a vote he made that year in favor of a budget touted by Republicans but opposed by Democratic legislative leadership and by the governor.

I voted for the conference budget even though it did not include Medicaid expansion because I chose to work with the other side on issues where there is common ground, Brockman wrote. Many pundits have criticized this decision by saying I traded my vote on the budget for pork or was paid off. These people are far too dismissive of the real issues my community faces. I wasnt going to walk away from negotiations because of a single issue. I can guarantee that programs addressing gun violence, hunger and food deserts, after-school education and $3 million to eliminate the reduced-price lunch distinction in public schools are more than pork to the families in my community who would benefit.

Gov. Roy Cooper had vetoed the pistol permit elimination bill, warning along with Democratic lawmakers that it allows a greater number of dangerous people to obtain weapons through private sales, which do not require a background check, and limits law enforcements ability to prevent them from committing violent crimes.

Bill supporters say the sheriffs screening process for handguns was no longer necessary in light of significant updates to the national background check system. They also argue the permit system wasnt very effective at preventing criminals from obtaining guns.

The Senate overrode Coopers veto in a party-line vote on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, House Republicans needed at least one Democratic member to join them, or as few as two Democrats not to vote, to pass the bill.

The absence of the three Democrats during the House vote tally created enough of a margin to meet the constitutional requirement.

The House voted 71-46 to enact the bill, which eliminates the longstanding permit system requiring sheriffs to perform character evaluations and criminal history checks of pistol applicants. Those who purchase pistols from a gun store or a federally licensed dealer are still subject to a national background check, and concealed weapons permits are still required.

In a March 29 statement, House Democratic minority leader Robert Reives said, The true defenders of public safety are the House and Senate Democrats who made sure they were on the floor to vote to keep our neighborhoods safe.

He went on to say one House Democrat postponed necessary surgery to travel to Raleigh for the vote.

Elections have consequences, he said in the statement. If voters want a different direction on gun safety, the 2024 primary and general elections are their only avenue for change.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Christina Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and graduated from N.C. State University, will be part of the first crew of astronauts to travel around the moon in more than 50 years, NASA announced Monday.

Koch will join two other astronauts from the United States and one from Canada on the estimated 10-day Artemis II mission, which will test the Orion spacecrafts systems to confirm they can perform and operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space, NASAs description of the mission states.

The Artemis II mission is estimated to take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in late 2024.

The mission will not involve astronauts actually landing on the moon, but is considered a test flight that will pave the way for the Artemis III mission, which is intended to land the first-ever woman and person of color on the moon. That mission is planned for 2025.

Kochs involvement in the Artemis II mission wont be the first time the astronaut has made history.

In December 2019, she broke the world record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, going on to spend more than 300 days in orbit. Earlier in 2019, she was part of the first all-female spacewalk, installing a solar power system for the International Space Station with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

At Mondays announcement, Norm Knight, director of NASAs flight operations directorate, praised Kochs dedication and drive.

With a work ethic and willingness to lend a hand that only someone who spent summers working on a farm growing up can have, your relentless drive is unmatched, Knight said on stage at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

You have already made your mark in the remote corners of our planet. You have already been in the history books as a record-setting astronaut. Youre a trailblazer and a role model for every generation to come. Youve already been advocating and uplifting children in your community, and I know that you are just getting started.

Who is Christina Koch? Astronauts ties to NC

Koch is originally from Michigan, but grew up in Jacksonville, near the North Carolina coast.

She dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a child, The News & Observer previously reported, gazing up at the night sky through her familys telescope in their backyard. She never grew out of that dream.

No one told me I couldnt do it, Koch told The N&O in 2019. And so that dream kept right on growing and growing.

She attended White Oak High School in Jacksonville before attending the North Carolina School of Science and Math, a residential, public high school in Durham that is part of the UNC System.

Koch attended college at N.C. State University, receiving bachelors degrees in electrical engineering and physics in 2001. She also holds a masters degree in electrical engineering from the university. Her background in engineering will likely come in handy on the Artemis II mission, Knight of NASA said during Mondays announcement.

As the only professional engineer in the crew, I know who Mission Control will be calling on when its time to fix something on-board, he said.

Koch is the first graduate of N.C. State to go to space. She spoke at the universitys virtual commencement ceremony in 2020, where she received an honorary Ph.D.

Koch was selected in 2013 as one of eight members of NASAs 21st astronaut class, then completed astronaut candidate training in 2015. She was assigned in 2018 to her first space flight, a long duration mission on the International Space Station that launched in March 2019.

On that mission, Koch demonstrated her long-held passion for photography and love for North Carolina when she posted to Twitter a photo of the Outer Banks from space. She also took with her on the mission a small memento representing N.C. State, a printed circuit board with an etching of the wolf mascot wearing an astronaut helmet.

Koch was The News & Observers Tar Heel of the Month in August 2019, which honors people who have made significant contributions to North Carolina and the region.

What is Artemis II mission? Koch explains

At Mondays announcement, each of the four selected astronauts  Koch, plus Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman of NASA, and Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency  gave remarks about being selected to the Artemis II mission.

It is an honor to be here, Koch said before thanking the astronauts families, NASA colleagues and administrators and the trailblazers that came before the Artemis II group.

Koch acknowledged that she and fellow astronauts are always asked if they are excited before a mission. Then she explained the details of the mission ahead, including where the astronauts will fly:

The mission will begin with the crew launching from Kennedy Space Center, where they will hear the words go for launch, on top of the most powerful rocket NASAs ever made, the Space Launch System, Koch said.

The crew will ride that rocket into Earth orbit for eight minutes, and wont go to the moon right away, she said.

Were going to stay in an amazing high orbit, reaching a peak of tens of thousands of miles while we test out all the systems on Orion and even see how it maneuvers in space. And then, if everything looks good, were heading to the moon.

Koch said the journey will cover a quarter of a million miles, with the crew going around the far side of the moon before heading home, going through the Earths atmosphere going more than 25,000 miles per hour, and splashing down in the Pacific.

So, am I excited? Koch said. Absolutely.
" " This medical tattoo is designed to alert first responders that the man has Type 1 diabetes. INQUEAlert

Tattoos are certainly nothing new. The earliest evidence of humans adorning their bodies with tattoos can be dated back thousands of years. Several female Egyptian mummies dated to around 2000 B.C.E. were adorned with tattoos, and the Iceman discovered on the border of Austria and Italy in 1991 also had tattoos. He was carbon-dated to be around 5,200 years old, according to Smithsonian magazine.

People in modern times get tattoos for many reasons. A 2019 study published in the journal Current Psychology found that some (25 percent) get tattooed to mark watershed events in their lives, while others (12 percent) get inked simply to decorate their bodies. But are there other reasons someone might choose to get permanently inked? Yes, and the reason is medical.

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Replacing Medical ID Bracelets

Typically, someone with a medical condition might wear a medical identification bracelet to provide quick health information to first responders in case of an emergency. First responders are trained to look for them on a patient's wrists and neck because they include important information like severe allergies, medications, whether the person has diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc.

But a medical tattoo can be an option for someone who wants something more permanent.

Ben Roberts, who has Type 1 diabetes, told USA Today he decided to have the words "Diabetic, Type 1" tattooed on his arm after he'd spent more than $1,000 on medical bracelets. Ed Friedlander, a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist at William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine, had "No CPR" tattooed on his chest to convey his wishes that he receive no life-saving measures should his heart stop.

However, paramedics and many medical professionals urge caution before making the switch.

Because there are still no guidelines regarding medical tattoos from the American Medical Association, paramedics and hospitals technically have no legal obligation to follow their instructions. If the tattoos aren't on the wrist or are enhanced with a design, medical professionals may not even be able to locate them, rendering them useless. Also, the permanency of tattoos becomes problematic when medical information changes. On the other hand, in an emergency situation, paramedics look for any information that can help them aid a patient, and a tattoo certainly can assist them.

Radiation Marks

Replacing a medical bracelet isn't the only reason for getting a medical tattoo. When patients undergo radiation treatment for cancer, the radiologist may need to give them several tiny tattoos  they're about the size of a freckle. These tattoos are used to pinpoint the exact area for treatment.

Patients typically end up with between one and four radiation tattoos, but it depends on the case, so some people may have more. These tattoos are permanent, just like any others, and are made with ink and a needle. Often, though, they leave behind a painful reminder of the cancer the radiation treated. So many people opt to have them removed. And members of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) will remove them for free for cancer survivors. 

" " Sara Coulson, seen here with tattoo artist Nickola at Koukla Ink tattoo studio in Cobourg, Ontario, celebrates her new body with a mastectomy tattoo. Coulson was unable to have reconstructive surgery after having a double mastectomy, 26 rounds of chemotherapy and 21 rounds of radiotherapy for breast cancer. Dennis Porter/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Reconstructive Procedures

Finally, a booming area for medical tattoos is cosmetic-related, and includes plastic and reconstructive surgeries to conceal scars, severe lacerations or burns, or to address skin conditions like vitiligo or even baldness.

For instance, when someone has a mastectomy, the nipples of the breasts are often removed, too. In many cases, patients choose to have surgery to have them reconstructed  and have the areolas tattooed afterward so they appear dark around the new nipples. Breastcancer.org says there are now experienced nipple tattoo artists who can create very realistic 3D nipples. These tattoos appear three-dimensional but are flat on the breast. More women are choosing this route instead of nipple reconstruction surgery because it heals quicker and doesn't add more scars.

Other patients who don't have reconstructive surgery simply choose to have large tattoos on their chests. The tattoos create an entirely new body image and can help erase the long-lasting scars  both physical and psychological  left behind from the surgery and cancer.

A 2021 study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found that medical tattooing in these instances  for plastic and reconstructive surgery  had very high outcomes for patients. But the authors said there should be an established approach to training and a standardized curriculum for the medical tattoo community to "protect the public and to ensure the highest quality service."

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Originally Published: Apr 10, 2015
Nearly 40 people showed up at Spring Meadow Lake State Park recently for a willow-cutting project that will help with erosion control at another body of water a few miles away.

The army of volunteers included two Boy Scout troops, NorthWestern Energy employees and Audubon Society members, said Craig Putchat, Helena-area recreation manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, which is overseeing the project.

The transplanted willows will be used for an erosion-control and bank stabilization project at Black Sandy State Park. Putchat said it was being funded through a $35,000 grant from NorthWestern Energy.

Putchat said Fridays turnout was good, despite some stubborn wintry flurries.

I am happy we had a real good turnout despite the weather, he said.

He said they planned to gather at least 150 bundles. FWP officials said earlier that about 5,000 cuttings of 1- to 3-foot whips are needed for the project.

The bundles will be taken about 18 miles to Black Sandy State Park and placed below the water line and replanted later, Putchat said. Black Sandy State Park is on the western shore of Hauser Lake northeast of Helena.

The Lewis and Clark County Conservation District helped organize the volunteers and provided technical details for the design at Black Sandy, Jeff Ryan, the districts board chair, said.

He said the district would also provide some technical construction oversight because of all experience it has had using this technique on Lake Helena.
DECATUR  The murder of a Decatur mother and her unborn child, and the serious wounding of the mothers 4-year-old daughter, were the results of an argument that escalated in a series of threatening Snapchats and phone calls, a court heard.

New information about the March 8 shooting death of 20-year-old Janiah B. Thomas was revealed during a Macon County Circuit Court preliminary hearing for one of the suspects accused in her killing, Mattavius A. Anderson, 18. Probable cause had been found to try him on murder and other charges, which he denies.

Brad Hall, a detective with the Decatur Police Department, said Anderson was among a group of young men who showed up outside a house in the 1300 block of North Woodford Street where Thomas was visiting on the evening of her death.

Their arrival followed an earlier verbal confrontation between young women associated with the young men, a conflict that had involved Thomas. An arrest warrant signed by Hall said threats were then exchanged during Snapchat messages and phone calls (Thomas had not been involved in these threats). Hall said an accomplice of Anderson, who is the 15-year-old male named by police as actually firing the murder weapon, had earlier seen a gun flashed during the threatening calls, and feared the house where he was staying was in danger.

Anderson, the 15-year-old and others had then gone over to the Woodford Street home. At which point the (15-year-old) began shooting through the house? asked States Attorney Scott Rueter at the March 29 court hearing.

Yes, replied Hall.

And those are the rounds that were determined to have killed Miss Thomas, her fetus and injured her child? Rueter added.

Yes, said Hall.

The arrest warrant quotes a 20-year-old witness, who had seen the armed suspects arrive outside the house, as then running inside to warn other people present before dashing into a bedroom where Thomas and her daughter were located. She said they all began taking cover.

(The witness) said that Janiah got onto the ground as well and had her 4-year-old daughter, Hall said. (The witness) said that after the gunshots stopped, she then learned that (the daughter) and Janiah were both shot, and called 911.

First responders fought to save Thomas life at the scene, but she was later pronounced dead at Decatur Memorial Hospital, and her unborn baby, roughly 6 months old, died with her. Police have said the 4-year-old was shot in the right eye and, while the wound was not considered life-threatening, she will most likely be blinded on that side.

Anderson is pleading not guilty to six alternate counts of murder along with denying further charges of the aggravated battery of a child, aggravated battery involving the discharge of a firearm and aggravated discharge of a gun at an occupied building.

The 15-year-old alleged gunman and a 17-year-old male, both of Decatur, were being held at the Peoria County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of first-degree murder.

Anderson was represented by defense attorney Susan Moorehead at his preliminary hearing. On cross-examination, she asked Hall if any firearms were recovered during the police investigation, and was told none were.

Is there any information recovered in the course of your investigation that this defendant knew that the victim was pregnant? Moorehead asked.

Hall said there was, as the groups involved in the dispute knew each others personal circumstances. ...They were all well aware of each other and that Janiah was pregnant, the detective added.

In response to other questions, Hall confirmed that several video surveillance tapes showing the movement of suspects related to the murder had been seized and were now part of evidence in the case.

Judge Lindsey Shelton ordered Anderson back in court for a pretrial hearing May 4. He remains held in the Macon County Jail with bail set at $2 million, requiring him to post a bond of $200,000 to be freed.

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
BRISTOL, Va.  Virginia lawmakers have taken a step toward regulating the rogue side of the hemp market, but have yet to create a regulated framework for marijuana. Hemp and marijuana are the same species of plant. The main difference lies in how much of a certain cannabinoid each contains.

The law defines the key difference between the two is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical primarily responsible for the high associated with cannabis.

The most recent General Assembly passed House Bill 2294, which is designed to regulate products containing high levels of THC that is also present in some hemp products.

It limits delta 8 THC and delta-10 THC to 2% in hemp as those products which are said to have similar effects to marijuana. They are legal under the 2018 federal Farm Bill, which legalized hemp containing less than 3% THC.

House Majority Leader and bill patron Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City said it is an important step.

Its really important because a lot of folks in retail shops are selling these intoxicating substances that we dont even know what is in them, Kilgore said. Kids are getting sick. People are getting sick. We are trying to put some regulations in this market so we know what is being sold out there. We know its not really hemp, its really cannabis with a high THC value, Kilgore recently told the Bristol Herald Courier.

The bill limits the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol that can be included in a hemp product or industrial hemp extract to 0.3 percent and two milligrams per package, according to the summary. The bill clarifies that persons who manufacture, store, sell, or offer for sale an industrial hemp extract or food containing an industrial hemp extract are subject to the existing food and drink permit requirement and requires them to indicate their intent to manufacture, store, sell, or offer for sale on the permit application.

It also makes it unlawful, under the Consumer Protection Act, to sell or offer for sale any substance intended for human consumption that contains a synthetic derivative of THC and establishes the threshold for violations and sets fines.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the bill into law last week while offering an amendment to ensure certain non-intoxicating therapeutic products will still be available to the people who rely on them.

The bill came under fire from some legal hemp producers but was strongly endorsed by four Virginia medical organizations.

The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, Virginia College of Emergency Physicians, Virginia chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Medical Society of Virginia submitted a letter calling the legislation critical for public health and safety.

Weve got some amendments to go on it, trying to make sure we arent putting people out of business that shouldnt be out of business. We are working on that, Kilgore said.

Cannabis, currently

Two years after Virginia lawmakers legalized adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and four plants, the state still lacks any regulated framework for its retail sale.

The result is the long-standing black market now competing amid a bewildering array of shops with entrepreneurs operating at or near the fringes of the law. Many claim to be selling hemp or hemp-type products, since selling non-medical marijuana remains illegal.

So what are these stores selling or, in many cases, giving away?

Kilgore said lawmakers are aware of the assortment of new businesses in the state and expects this legislation will empower local authorities to close some of them down.

A lot of that is illegal marijuana sales. Hopefully when we get a budget there will be money in there for enforcement and, hopefully, youll see a lot of those shops shut down after July 1, Kilgore said. We want to ramp up enforcement on that. Weve not done a full blown retail market so there is a black market out there that were going to try to get our hands around.

And it isnt spelled out in black and white.

Its a gray area and the Commonwealth Attorneys dont want to touch it because of knowing whats legal and whats not legal. You have to hire scientists to analyze it. Hopefully we can step up and help them, Kilgore said.

What the law says

In Virginia, hemp and marijuana are regulated by different agencies. Hemp is overseen by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Marijuana and cannabis are under the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority.

The language gets sticky when it comes to sharing.

The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority reports that adult sharing or transferring one ounce or less of marijuana between persons who are 21 years or older without remuneration is legal.

However adult sharing does not include instances in which marijuana is given away contemporaneously with another reciprocal transaction between the same parties; a gift of marijuana is offered or advertised in conjunction with an offer for the sale of goods or services; or a gift of marijuana is contingent upon a separate reciprocal transaction for goods or services.

All of those are illegal.

Whats next?

Considerable legislation to try and address the retail marijuana conundrum was proposed during the last session but none was passed.

As far as straight up retail marijuana, were stuck in the same spot we were in when we went into session, Deputy Majority Leader Del. Israel OQuinn, R-Bristol, said. Youve got a number of legislators who want to fully repeal the whole thing, but not enough to do it. Youve got some who want to go full-on Colorado-style but there arent enough of them to do it. And finding how you get to middle ground on marijuana is proving to be extremely difficult.

OQuinn said this isnt really a partisan issue.

Most people have pretty strongly held beliefs, one way or the other, as it relates to marijuana, legal use, illegal use, and so forth. Its been a really tough issue to try to deal with. It is very contentious and not a partisan issue. It tends to be broken more along a generational divide than a political divide, OQuinn said.

He also said this remains a puzzle for law enforcement.

You have people in Southwest Virginia who want us to open this up wide open and have retail marijuana sales and we have others very adamantly opposed to that. And you have law enforcement stuck in this quandary of what they can and cant enforce, OQuinn said. There is the problem with a lot of the hemp-type products we see with extremely high THC levels. Theyre not technically marijuana and they have the same net effect.

You still have kids getting hold of very high potency products, overdosing and getting extremely sick. It leaves school administrators, parents and law enforcement stuck in a lurch and it has been tough, he said.

Kilgore predicts the General Assembly will have to finally reach some compromise.

Ultimately, Virginia is going to have to go the way of other states and come up with a retail market to keep the black market from taking over, Kilgore said. It is going to be about health and safety and ultimately we will have to do that. But we need to get ahold of what is going on out there right now. Its going to be very hard but we can move forward like it is right now.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting safety checkpoints in Sullivan County during April.

Authorities are scheduling sobriety roadside safety checkpoints during the week of April 2-8 on State Route 93 near Regional Park Dr., according to a written statement.

Impaired driving is a serious crime that kills more than 16,000 people and injures 305,000 others every year in the United States.

Troopers will evaluate drivers for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Troopers will target those who operate a vehicle while impaired and take corrective actions for other violations observed while ensuring the protection of all motorists, according to the statement.

THP considers sobriety checkpoints to be highly visible and effective tools in the battle against impaired driving.

Later in the month, the Highway Patrol will conduct drivers license roadside safety checkpoints during the week of April 23-29 on State Route at Webb Store in Sullivan County.

Troopers will concentrate their efforts on vehicles being operated by drivers who would violate the driver license laws of Tennessee.

These checkpoints are an effective means of enforcing driver license laws of Tennessee, according to the statement.
Chris and Heidi Rice are high school sweethearts, but not in the traditional sense.

The two met at Hickory High School. Chris taught English and literature courses. Heidi taught French. Their offices were across from one another, Chris said, and it was their musical backgrounds and a love for coffee that brought them together.

We tell people we met in high school, Chris joked.

Heidi added, Were high school sweethearts of a different kind.

The two still teach at Hickory High School and travel the world together.

Both enjoy learning languages, traveling and studying other cultures. The two are also passionate about education and their students. Ultimately, both said they want students to know that they matter and there is always hope for the future.

The rest of the interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How were you raised?

Chris: My parents were musicians, and they were in bands a lot during my childhood, so I was used to practices and gigs, and things like that. I was raised to be into music, as well. I play the piano, the tenor saxophone and the flute. And I sang. So, we are a musical family.

Heidi: My dad was a chemistry professor and my mom stayed home with us. She also taught preschool sometimes. They were both very musical, so I sang at choir and played the flute and piano.

Chris: The flute was the first excuse we had to get together. We got together to play flute, but it was really just a ploy.

Where does your love of languages come from?

Heidi: I grew up with an interest in the world because my family traveled a lot. We drove around the U.S. We didnt travel internationally. My dad was a professor who had a lot of international students, so he was always talking about them. Sometimes he would invite them over for dinners and stuff like that, especially if they had family far away. My aunt and uncle lived in Nigeria for many years, and three of my cousins were born there. And I just always had an interest in languages. I dont know why, but I always wanted to learn languages. So, I had a chance finally in ninth grade to take a language. I took French and later went to France. While I was in France, I saved the money I was supposed to use for my lunches and used it to travel. Because you can get student discounts and trains are everywhere, so I went as many places as I could when I lived in France that year.

Chris: I took French in high school and just naturally liked it and did pretty well in it. Where I came from was very rural and I didnt travel very much. As a kid, we had a big trip where the Junior Beta Club went to New York, and that was really awesome for me. But since I have been with Heidi, the traveling began.

Where is your favorite place youve gone together?

Chris: Vietnam was spectacular for me. It was so different from anywhere I had ever been, and it was eye-opening. I taught a Vietnamese novel (Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong) in the International Baccalaureate (IB program) course I was teaching, about a young Vietnamese woman in the 80s, when communism was really strong there.

There were things in the novel like street vendors and cyclos, the little buggy things, and the food was really featured in that novel. When we went to Vietnam, the communist history was really there, and (you could see) how it affected the people. How it made them paranoid to be happy, or paranoid to have anything. People would hide stuff so they didnt get in trouble, and they would sneak food in.

If people heard their neighbors chopping chicken, they would tell on them because they werent supposed to have (that), because everything was rationed. So, it was all that in my head (from reading the book), and it was just so awesome to go and have such a superb tour guide. He loved his country.

Heidi: His parents had lived through communism, so he had such an amazing perspective to share on the trajectory that the country has been on, and things that we werent taught in the U.S. about Vietnam, and the whole situation with communism. And the amazing thing is that our tour guide had once served as an interpreter for the author of Paradise of the Blind.

Chris: We got to go to places that you wouldnt normally go because our tour guide had connections. We actually went on little side trips into peoples homes. And they served us tea and we got to see how they live, and I just thought that was so valuable. It wasnt the big, tourist thing.

Heidi: And talk about a small world, we were on a boat getting ready to go out on a tour of the lake where they have those big mountains that rise straight out of the water, and in the boat right next to us was a Hickory High student our daughters age, who we had both taught.

What motivates you?

Chris: I wont speak for Heidi, but I think we both are motivated by helping these kids. Because, so often, our kids have terrible situations at home. They dont have support (and) they dont have anyone to love them properly. I think its important to have adults in your life who model what a good life is and what good people are and how to care for people.

Heidi: I love being able to provide a safe place and build community in the classroom and help the kids develop their confidence and discover that they can do it. And just being their cheerleaders. We have such wonderful students, and Hickory High is so diverse.

We both love the diversity. When you walk in, you see languages on the ceiling. We usually have anywhere from 14 to 20 different languages represented in the building, and weve got a diverse population from all other kinds of cultures and countries and religions, and its wonderful to all be together.

Chris: And we celebrate that.

How do you want students to remember you?

Heidi: As somebody who loved them and was excited to see them and believed in them. Somebody who saw the potential in them.

Chris: Somebody who saw them as good, saw them as capable and saw them as worthy of love.
Adams was much more than a wife and mother. Owing to John's extensive travels  his legal practice and travels through the circuit courts in the Boston region; participation in the Continental Convention in Philadelphia; and multiple diplomatic assignments abroad  it fell to Adams to manage the day-to-day operations of the farm and other family business affairs. Because the Adams' marriage was a partnership of the minds as much as it was of the heart, John's faith in her abilities was absolute.

How do we know? John and Abigail were avid correspondents  between them they wrote more than 1,100 letters. These letters provide a glimpse into, not only their great affection for each other and their life during the 18th century, but also a behind-the-scenes look at building the United States.

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It's also fair to say that Adams was at the very heart of the family's political dynasty. We talked to Sara Martin, editor-in-chief of the Adams Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society about this memorable "Founding Mother." Martin says Adams managed her household practically and resourcefully, but just saying she was remarkable isn't enough.

"She thought about investing in financial securities," Martin says. "She wanted to (and did) invest in stocks and bonds where her husband believed real estate was the better way to go. I think sharp is a good word to describe her. She was intelligent, but she had that ability in her writing to pull ideas together."

Adams would downplay her influence on her husband, both in letters to him and others. She once wrote to John, "I never pretended to the weight they ascribe to me." John's later critics called her "The Old Woman" and frequently said they wished she'd been present in Philadelphia to temper his presidential decision-making.

But protestations aside, it's clear Adams was influential to her husband's professional success, providing him with essential intelligence as she carved out a unique place of her own in the history of the United States.

"She served as a really important conduit of information for John," Martin says. "John and Abigail are separated for months at a time and she is able to send him information, both what's going on militarily, but also the popular sentiment on the ground as it pertains to the idea of independence. I think that is a very important role that can be easily overlooked because it's not a single action. It takes the cumulative reading of the exchange of correspondence to tease that out."

" " Abigail and John Adams were prolific letter writers during their lifetimes. Today their letters survive as a remarkable archive about their life, the Revolutionary War, politics and even women's rights at the time. Public Domain
The site of the research symposium on economic and scientific work of the China Overseas Chinese Federation (the third area).

Investigate the overseas Chinese enterprise Hunan Renhe Environment Co.

Investigating the China V-ValleyMalangshan Video Creative Park, a dual-innovation base of the China Overseas Chinese Federation.

On March 22, a research symposium on economic and scientific work of the China Overseas Chinese Federation(the third area) was held in Changsha. Lian Xiaomin, member of the party group and vice chairman of the China Overseas Chinese Federation, attended and delivered a speech, and Qi Degui, vice minister of the economic science and technology department of the China Overseas Chinese Federation, presided over the meeting. Sun Minsheng, secretary of the party group of the Hunan Overseas Chinese Federation, Chen Jieying, secretary of the party Group and chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Overseas Chinese Federation and representatives of some of the sister provinces and cities attended the meeting.

At the meeting, the Overseas Chinese Federation of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen discussed and exchanged the main practices, experiences, difficulties and suggestions in attracting investment, attracting talents and wisdom, "The Belt and Road Initiative", expanding contacts with overseas industrial and technological associations, serving overseas Chinese businessmen and enterprises, and innovation and entrepreneurship of new overseas Chinese.

After the meeting, the nine provinces and cities also investigated the overseas Chinese enterprises Hunan Renhe Environment Co., and the China V-ValleyMalangshan Video Creative Park.
KANNAPOLIS  Cabarrus Health Alliance is kicking off National Public Health Week by sharing the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2023 County Health Rankings.

In the rankings released Wednesday, Cabarrus County is the 11th healthiest county in North Carolina when compared against the states 99 other counties. While Cabarrus County ranks high overall, this report continues to identify areas where Cabarrus Health Alliance (CHA) and community partners can focus efforts to improve residents overall health and well-being.

The County Health Rankings measure vital health factors and behaviors in nearly every county in America. The annual County Health Rankings & Roadmap provides insight into the well-being of counties across the country, with detailed explanations of each factor that influences health  from air quality to access to healthy foods and graduation rates.

The Rankings help us better understand factors that impact quality of life in our community. Our goal is to ensure every Cabarrus County resident has the tools to live a healthy and productive life. This information certainly provides insight on where we can focus additional time and resources to achieve that goal said Erin Shoe, CHA Public Health director.

Areas of improvement

Cabarrus County made improvements in many areas since the 2022 report:

Percentage of adults who are current smokers

Percentage of adults that report being obese

Ratio of mental health providers per citizen population

Uptake of annual flu vaccine

Areas of decline

Areas in which Cabarrus County declined since the 2022 report:

Percentage of population with adequate access to locations for physical activity

Percentage of people under age 18 in poverty

Were pleased to see improvements in adult smoking and obesity for Cabarrus County this year. Our community and organization have put significant effort into becoming a healthier place to live, said Shoe. There are still opportunities for improvement related to health outcomes and behaviors and we will continue our collaborative work to address these areas.

To see the full report and rankings: http://bit.ly/3ZDAXER

County Health Ranking & Roadmaps Program

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. County Health Rankings & Roadmaps provides data, evidence, guidance and examples to build awareness of the multiple factors that influence health and support leaders in growing community power to improve health equity.

About Cabarrus Health Alliance

Cabarrus Health Alliance is the public health authority of Cabarrus County. Cabarrus Health Alliance is an autonomous organization and provider of services and programs designed to meet the needs of public health. Cabarrus Health Alliance is a leader in public health and nationally recognized for its innovation. To learn more about the collaborative action Cabarrus County is making to improve community health, visit www.healthycabarrus.org.
Two missing boys from Concord were safely located in Missouri on Monday, according to the Concord Police Department.

At 8:35 a.m. EDT, brothers Aaron Toliver and Josiah Brooks were located with their father, Aaron Eugene Toliver, at the Super 8 hotel located at U.S. 1301 Hwy. 136 West, in Rock Port, Missouri, according to a press release.

The father was taken into custody and upon his return to North Carolina he will be charged with misdemeanor DVPO and felony abduction by a parent. The two boys are currently under the care of the Missouri Child Protective Services. Arrangements are being made to rejoin the children with their grandmother as soon as possible.

Officials said the swift and positive outcome in this case would not have been possible without cooperation from and coordination with several law enforcement agencies. The Concord Police Department was assisted by the United States Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Atchison County Sheriffs Office.

Police said on Saturday, April 1, at 6:54 p.m., officers were dispatched to a possible kidnapping at 71 Wilshire Ave. SW in Concord. When officers arrived on the scene, they were informed that two young male juveniles were taken from a neighbors yard where they were playing, and put into a white vehicle (unknown make) by an adult black male.
SALISBURY  For the past 10 years, volunteers from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and the surrounding community have brought the joy of reading to area elementary school students through the colleges Read Across Rowan and Cabarrus Counties (RARCC) initiative. Each year, readers fan out across the counties to visit classrooms, reading books aloud with second graders and gifting them with their own book to take home.

The project, launched by Rowan-Cabarrus as a literacy initiative in partnership with the Rowan Rotary Club, quickly grew to encompass both Rowan and Cabarrus counties. Coordinated by Dr. Jenny Billings, chair of the Rowan-Cabarrus English department, and English instructor Jade Bittle, RARCC has grown from a visit to a single school the first year to include as many as nine schools in a year.

The addition of gifted age-appropriate books further encourages literacy outside the classroom, especially since Title I schools are included in the RARCC visitation schedule. Title I schools serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and, although these schools qualify for additional federal support, students may have less access to books at home.

The RARCC program welcomes donations of books or financial contributions from Rowan-Cabarrus faculty, staff, students and the community throughout the year, and the Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation provides additional funding to purchase books. RARCC partners with Second Look Books of Harrisburg, and anyone may donate like-new or good condition used books to the shop and ask to have their credit applied to the Rowan-Cabarrus account.

We appreciate the support we have received over the years, and the support we will receive in the years to come, Billings said. The number of books we collect or can purchase determines the number of schools we are able to visit each year. With continued support, we hope to be able to visit all Title I schools in Cabarrus and Rowan counties.

This year, 22 volunteers visited four elementary schools and gifted 300 books to second graders. Readers included Rowan-Cabarrus faculty, staff, community friends, and students from the Colleges Skills, Opportunity, Awareness, Readiness (SOAR) program at South Campus. After hearing a book in observance of March as National Reading Month, the students were able to unwrap their own books.

We are delighted to see this important project reach its 10th year and are excited to see how much more it can grow, said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus. Children who become lovers of reading at a young age become curious, lifelong learners.

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, please visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-RCCC (7222).
GUEST OPINION: Australian businesses are taking a keen interest in using network data to solve two business problems that have emerged in recent times: office space utilisation and energy use.

Post-pandemic, companies with multiple locations are using onsite data and presence from wireless systems and combining it with information on market value, taxes, and other expenses related to facility operation. This information - often termed occupancy analytics - is used to make decisions about commercial real estate and find ways to reduce costs.

Research by CBRE Australia shows that nine in 10 businesses now gather data on floor space utilisation - and 65% set a goal last year to improve space data accuracy. As CBRE explained, Organisations are prioritising data quality and technology investments to develop better workplace insights.

A second study by fellow commercial property operator Knight Frank shows that 51% of businesses have increased their use of data to make real estate and workplace decisions in recent times. It, too, sees a trend line forming with data usage set to become ubiquitous in office environments in Australia and globally.

The reality is that only smart data collection can provide the tools to fully reconcile the actual days used, busy times, and types of activities taking place in different locations, Knight Frank states. In due course, such technologies could act as the data backbone behind workplace management decisions and, if used correctly, would boost employee engagement, providing a frictionless experience for the end-users, while simultaneously allowing companies to gain valuable business intelligence, employee satisfaction, and space utilisation insights.

Network data similarly provides useful input into Australian businesses sustainability activities and energy efficiency drives.

Enterprises are exploring ways to increase energy efficiency by gaining visibility into their network's energy consumption, creating a baseline, and then using the data to reduce their carbon footprint and optimise energy costs.

This is driven by a desire to align with green energy values and the need to manage rising energy costs. Understanding who is using office space, when, and for what purpose can lead to significant savings in heating, cooling, lighting, and other in-building services.

Digesting different datasets

Given the stated importance of smart data collection for these initiatives, it is perhaps useful to explore the different sources of network data that could be tapped to optimise occupancy analytics or energy efficiency efforts.

Network telemetry  behind-the-scenes data from business networks  is an obvious starting point. It includes information like CPU and memory usage, traffic details, the number and types of clients connected, data about ports and interfaces, information about the wireless environment, and logs and events. On their own, these data points may not be insightful, but they contain trends and patterns that are more apparent when fed into statistical learning, anomaly detection, or predictive models. By using these metrics correctly, businesses can understand user behaviour and improve experiences for everyone.

Location data also falls within the spectrum of network data. It includes information like the exact position of a device, how long a device stays in a particular area (dwell times), patterns of movement and flow, and how many people are in an office space (user density and congestion). By combining this data, businesses can understand how people use floor space and get insights into typical operations.

Other occupancy analytics programs may cover the creation of wayfinding and navigation experiences. Newer hybrid workspaces often have fewer desks, which may also be shared. Wayfinding can help employees that do come into an office to find a desk, find their co-workers, or to locate empty book-able spaces such as meeting rooms.

Also coming under network data is network-connected devices. In an office or commercial building, this might include IoT sensors that measure things like temperature, humidity, motion, or pressure or Wi-Fi phones that provide information about call quality, connections, and mobility. The data gathered from these devices can be loosely or tightly integrated with network infrastructure data, both for operational insight as well as business integrations (such as matching visitor biometric scan data with user density data to determine whether an office space is meeting the needs of the people that use it).

It is likely many businesses already have some or all of these datasets but that theyre underutilised - or at least not fully optimised for occupancy analytics and energy efficiency measurement and analysis. Therefore, a concerted effort to make better use of network data during 2023 is on many Australian businesses' radars.

Businesses should work towards creating custom integrations and data feeds, applications signatures, and APIs on top of network data platforms to extract valuable data from these systems that they can then enhance and enrich with business-specific context and expertise. By doing so, they can unlock the full potential of network data and go beyond simply collecting it, instead transforming it into a powerful tool for driving change.
Fujitsu has completed the full integration of data, analytics & AI consultancy Versor one year after acquiring the company in April 2021.

Under the integration Versor will be known as Fujitsu Data & AI, Asia Pacific (APAC) under the leadership of CEO Dougall McBurnie (pictured).

Fujitsu says Versor will continue to provide data engineering, advanced analytics and data science & AI services, which is a core capability of its digital transformation consulting services, across the APAC region

Graeme Beardsell, Chief Executive Officer at Fujitsu Asia Pacific said, "We are delighted to announce that Versor has been fully integrated into the Fujitsu family.

This strategic integration strengthens Fujitsu's data capabilities, cultivating new levels of innovation for Fujitsu's customers and accelerating their digital transformations. It addresses the growing demand for advanced data consulting expertise in the APAC market, further cementing Fujitsu's position as a leader in digital transformation.

Dougall McBurnie, CEO of Versor, said, "Since the acquisition, the Versor business has gone from strength to strength with expansion into Asia, New Zealand, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory.

It has also experienced accelerated growth across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Versor's customers are already benefitting from Fujitsu's broad range of digital transformation services and products. As Fujitsu Data & AI, APAC, our experienced team of Data & AI specialists will continue to deliver exceptional services to our current and new customers."
Journee has more than 20 years of experience in software development and cloud technology.

He has worked for technology brands SAP and Fujitsu as well as start-ups and scale-up businesses in Australia.

Recently, he was responsible for Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner Clade Solutions growth to become a trusted partner for many organisations seeking to modernise their business applications platform and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving market.

Journee subsequently sold Clade Solutions to Australian owned IT company Brennan in 2022.

Atomic.io non-executive director and shareholder Rod Drury welcomed Journee's appointment.

I am excited about Duncan joining the Atomic.io team as CEO. We believe his expertise and energy will be critical in helping the team to continue building pioneering software and sell it in Australia and the rest of the world, he said.

Lead investor and Movac partner Mark Vivian also welcomed Journee's appointment, acknowledging his calibre as an exciting scale-up venture leader.

Journee said he is ready to take the helm as Atomic.ios CEO to build on the companys solid foundations.

Its not often you get an opportunity like this to head up a technology business like Atomic.io, which has developed world-first customer engagement software, with big-brand early adopters in New Zealand. I am eager to work with the existing Atomic.io team to showcase their work to the world, Journee enthused.

The appointment will place current Atomic.io CEO Ben Pujji as chief product officer to focus on driving a customer-centric product strategy and diversity a go-to-market strategy.

Pujji led Atomic.io through its early product pivot and then successful market validation phase, culminating in a $5 million Series A capital raise, led by NZ venture capital firm Movac, to fund further growth.
I wonder what data they are going to be collecting and on selling to bolster their profits?
include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Friday he will not cooperate with any request by New York to extradite Trump to New York City for arraignment. The indictment was celebrated in Hollywood. Netflix just announced it will stream a new prison comedy next season called Orange Is the New Inmate.

 New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg got his grand jury to indict Trump on charges widely regarded as flimsy after the jury went two months hearing no defense evidence. That's why they say a district attorney can indict a ham sandwich. But this would be the first time that the ham sandwich won the case.

 Modern Health advised Baby Boomers to take up vigorous exercise to maintain health and extend our lives. However consider the argument for sloth. The inventor of the Stairmaster died at 54, the inventor of gymnastics died at 57 and the inventor of opium died at the age of 116, during an earthquake.

 Runner's World reports under-desk treadmills are the hottest product in the jogging industry that allow you to get in your daily run while you work at your desk. They offer no runner camaraderie. Joggers always give each other a little nod when they pass each other, just like fat guys do at the buffet.

 The U.S. Senate passed by a huge margin a bill ending the Covid national emergency and ending the president's emergency powers to order mandatory actions and protocols. Some people still insist on taking every precaution. Yesterday in Hollywood I saw one guy vaccinating himself begin the bus station.

 CNN's slavery reparations analyst Robin Simmons revealed that a tax on recently legalized weed allowed her hometown of Evanston to give each Black resident $25,000. Legal weed also cut their crime rate. When you're stoned, your shooting victims are pretty much limited to anyone within range of your couch.

 House Democrats proposed a bill this week to prohibit the Pentagon from discriminating against Transgenders from serving in the military. To me, the issue's gotten too noisy. Millions were locked out of their accounts Monday after CAPTCHA asked log-ins to select all squares that contain a woman.

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 President Biden was ripped by Republicans Wednesday for saying he has no idea if the Nashville church shooting was a hate crime against Christians. He just can't win. For two years, Republicans have said Biden doesn't have any ideas and when he finally admits he has no idea they're furious at him.

 China's government registered its protest of Taiwan's prime minister being permitted to come to the U.S. and meet with U.S. congressional leaders on Capitol Hill. What, we worry? If Chinese missiles were spotted on radar heading for the U.S. Joe Biden would come on TV and open with an ice cream joke.

 New Jersey former Governor Chris Christie said Tuesday there is no way he can support Trump for president in 2024 after the January 6th Choir singing at his last rally in Waco. Chris helped Trump prepare for debates in 2016. Chris Christie's a good man to have on your side unless you're on a life raft.

 Nancy Pelosi urged the cable news channels Tuesday to stop showing Trump, to stop mentioning Trump, and stop covering Trump's speeches. She sounds on the edge. If Nancy hears Trump's name one more time her family may have to invoke the red flag law that keeps her from buying an assault rifle.

 Barack Obama flew down to Australia for some highly lucrative speaki

 ng engagements where he posed for photos with the prime minister, but Obama declined to meet with the Aboriginal leader. The former president charges a one million dollar speaker's fee. His topic is The Importance of Free Speech.

 Senate Republicans expressed fury Monday that reporter Matt Taibibi's home was visited by the IRS the same day he testified in Congress against government censorship on Twitter. We've jumped the shark. If the Founders who wrote the U.S. Constitution were alive today they'd be on the FBI's watch list.

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